Xbox is testing its gaming titles on Windows 10 PC and Apple mobile devices. Starting April 20, invitations would be sent out to beta gamers that allows them access the xCloud gaming through their browsers. Since last year, Microsoft teased about extending their gaming services to mobile and web browsers. This is a program to promote the multiplayer gaming experience by offering their games to a bigger crowd. Unfortunately, the transition between console-only programs to mobile interfaces is proved to be a long and challenging task. Now, The Verge reported that Microsoft could not offer its services on iPhone and iPad back in September due to Apple's restrictions on cloud gaming applications. After a public war of words, with both parties pitching in ideas to resolve the case, it seems the issue has been resolved with xCloud being available on the iOS platform. xCloud Gaming Services Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming, also known as xCloud, is a cloud gaming technology offering games that go beyond the boundaries of consoles and system OS. The xCloud beta will be launched for web browsers such as Safari, Chrome, and Edge. A 9to5Mac reviewer said that testing the system back in February had considerable lag time. However, it showed fantastic potential by providing convenience in playing console games on iOS and Android systems. Microsoft would be testing over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles during this beta test. The cloud gaming systems have been reprogrammed to a simplified and universal landing page, and to adapt from console to mobile interface and vice versa quickly. Microsoft hopes that this development would help make cloud gaming easily accessible to players. Read Also: Xbox Game Pass for April 2021: 'GTA 5' Release Date Revealed, 'MLB The Show 21' and More Games Coming Soon! XCloud for iOs and Windows: How to Join Microsoft opened the beta gaming service to a select few gamers for the testing phase. First, the beta tester must be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber. Microsoft will select from this pool of players to whom to send their invites. Only the invited players can become official beta testers. The program will launch for 22 different countries, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. If you receive an invite by email, then Xbox recommends you to: Open up your compatible devices like Windows 10 PC and Mobile Android or iOS Install compatible browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge version 87 or higher Ready your compatible Xbox controller and connect via Bluetooth or USB Use high-speed internet connections of 10Mbps with 5GHz To start playing and testing, the invitee needs a Bluetooth or USB-connected controller to connect with the program. The beta-tester could also use custom touch controls that, although limited, could overcome controls for more than 50 of the released games. Microsoft hopes that their beta testers could help them fine-tune these different platform features and running systems. Microsoft added that they are looking forward to evaluating feedback and improving their gaming systems in the years to come. Related Article: Xbox Series S Restock Sold Out at Microsoft Store: Other Retailers to Buy Online-Amazon, Best Buy and More In a pivot from a cautious message to residents about COVID-19 safeguards, Gov. Ned Lamonts announcement Monday of plans to lift nearly all COVID-19 restrictions next month sent a signal that Connecticut may have weathered the worst of this pandemic. Turning to progress with vaccinations and evidence that infections remain low in Connecticut, Lamont said the state was headed for a new normal with little government restriction except masking indoors. Though some concerns about virus spread remain with lifting restrictions, Lamont on Tuesday was resolute. I think I heard that May 20 last year, when we opened up for outdoor dining. I think weve spent the last close to a year, slowly, cautiously reopening in a way that I think gets our economy back, allows people to get back to work and keeps people safe, he said, arguing the infection rate has dropped despite some spikes. The plan calls for lifting all outdoor restrictions on May 1, and then eliminating all remaining restrictions, except the requirement that people wear masks indoors, on May 19. On Tuesday, the states positivity rate was 3.46 percent for new COVID-19 tests. Hospitalizations were 507, a net increase of 11 patients statewide, and an additional six people died from the virus, bringing the total fatalities to 8,020. Now 14 months since Lamont enacted swift measures to prevent the spread of the virus, the announcement was offered as confidence from the governor that the residents have done their part to ease closer to life before the pandemic. I think these are all ways we have earned the right to get back to the new normal, Lamont said. We are in a bit of a tenuous situation Lamonts optimism about the pandemics course in Connecticut was tempered Tuesday by some unease among medical experts. I think its always a balance and theres risk. Theres risk if Lamont wanted to wait longer and theres risk if you open sooner, said Dr. Rick Martinello, medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health, who acknowledged both fatigue over the pandemic and a small rise in mental health issues. With restrictions set to lift next month, a greater responsibility falls on the residents of Connecticut. Martinello said for a reopening like this to be successful, people need to continue to wear masks when appropriate, socially distance where possible, and continue to get vaccinated. The spread of the virus has changed since the onset of the pandemic last March. Adherence to guidelines remains high, but more contagious variants of the virus have taken hold. Public health officials said variants first found in the U.K. and in New York, which spread more easily, comprise the majority of new cases in Connecticut. We are in a bit of a tenuous situation, between the variants of concern circulating in our community [and] our state opening up, there is risk, Martinello said. According to Summer Johnson McGee, dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven, the idea behind lifting the restrictions makes sense, but a more gradual and targeted process may be more effective. Lifting COVID-19 restrictions on businesses is largely based on the assumption that we will have a high percentage of fully vaccinated individuals across the state by mid-May, McGee said. However, some towns and communities where vaccination rates are lower could see outbreaks once restrictions are lifted if they havent reached herd immunity. A more gradual, step-wide approach based on city or countys vaccination percentage would have been a safer, more data-driven approach to reopening. At least one expert said he would like to see at least 70 percent of the states eligible population vaccinated before reopening is expanded. (The governor is) extrapolating that, by May, well be up to close to 70 percent, but Im still a little uncomfortable with it, said Dr. Gregory Buller, associate chief medical officer and chairman of the department of medicine at Bridgeport Hospital. Like McGee, he worried that the state was rushing into reopening, but Buller isnt without hope. The good news is that most of our people are pretty cautious, he said, adding that most people have been adhering to mask regulations and staying away from spots that look too crowded. Despite some concern, Lamont stood firm Tuesday, saying the plan will still keep people safe while building on reopening efforts that started last May amid similar worries. I think, overall, our infection rate has stayed steady or gone down for most of that period a slight blip Thanksgiving through January, during that, Lamont said. Lamont made the decision Sunday in a meeting with Paul Mounds, his chief of staff, Josh Geballe, his chief operating officer, Acting Department of Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford and Department of Economic Development Commissioner David Lehman. He stressed Tuesday that while not directly speaking to medical experts, Gifford has been in close contact with hospital leaders and other public health commissioners across the country. Still, Connecticut recently endured a small bump in infections that drove the positivity rate up, at times, to nearly 4 and 5 percent in recent weeks while hospitalizations jumped to a high of 545 on April 12. As federal health officials warned recently of a potential surge in COVID-19 cases, Lamont was steadfast at the time in saying that precautions would remain necessary in the near future to slow the spread of the virus. If the metrics dont track in the right direction over the next 10 days, Lamont said Tuesday, Id like to think that if the world changes, and Ive got to change course, we are prepared to change course. More vaccinations essential A key part of the equation is that the number of residents vaccinated against the virus continues to quickly rise. As of Monday, 1.7 million people had received a first dose of the vaccine and 1.1 million people are fully vaccinated. With these numbers, about 61 percent of all people age 16 and older are vaccinated. The greatest number of people vaccinated were 45 and older, but Lamont said if the numbers can rise for those 16 to 44, who became eligible on April 1, Connecticut will reach herd immunity. And we will be back to a really great summer, Lamont said. But with supply relatively steady, despite the sudden halt on Johnson & Johnson vaccines last week amid a federal probe, demand appears to be dropping off for the vaccine. Lamont said Monday that some of the mobile vans and clinics have additional doses at the end of the day, and there are often same-day appointments available from providers. State officials and health experts agree that people need to continue to get vaccinated for the planned lifting of restrictions to work. We really need to get everybody who has not been vaccinated in for vaccination. That is what its going to take for this to be a success, Martinello said. Martinello added on Tuesday that Yale New Haven Health had open appointments. While vaccination efforts have branched into new avenues to reach more people, cities continue to lag behind for vaccination coverage. McGee said requiring that a high level of residents in a community be vaccinated before businesses could fully reopen would have required communities to come together to unite around vaccination efforts and likely would result in higher vaccination rates and longer-term success. For drivers that are interested in an exceptional certified used model in the Yuma, AZ area, Alexander Toyota is the automaker to visit! For drivers that are interested in an exceptional certified used model in the Yuma, AZ area, Alexander Toyota is the automaker to visit! Their inventory has a variety of excellent used models available, each delivering benefits across the board. What are some of these vehicles? What can drivers expect? Continue reading to see some examples! Starting off the list of amazing used models available in Yuma, AZ is a 2019 Toyota Camry SE. This great certified used Toyota model has a dealer price of $22,987 and only features 32,086 miles on it. It offers a 2.5-liter I-4 engine, giving a fuel economy of 28 MPG in the city and 39 MPG on the highway. Truly, its an amazing model for any driver! Another great used model offered by Alexander Toyota includes a 2019 Toyota Yaris Sedan LE, another amazing used vehicle offered in Yuma, AZ. This vehicle has a dealership price of $15,780 and features only 15,947 miles in total. Drivers will enjoy a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, giving up to 32 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on the highway. Finally, drivers can enjoy a 2021 Toyota Camry SE in Yuma, AZ. This is practically brand new, offering a mileage of 14,300 and having a price of $23,987. Drivers will enjoy a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine system, automatic transmission system, and more. With these features, interested drivers can enjoy 28 MPG in the city and 39 MPG on the highway, a ton of efficiency. Interested individuals should contact the dealership, Alexander Toyota, by phone at 928-344-1170, visit in person at 889 E 32nd St, Yuma, AZ, or in person at https://www.myalexandertoyota.com/. Theyll answer any questions that drivers might have! NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mikhail Varshavski, the primary care physician and renowned social media influencer known as "Dr. Mike," announced that he will release limited-edition merchandise for a two-week period beginning Sunday, April 18. One hundred percent of net proceeds from the merchandise, which include T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, and mugs, will go to Americares , a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. "This has been highly requested from my audience," said Varshavski, who recently surpassed seven million YouTube subscribers and boasts over 16 million followers to his various platforms. Varshavski also had input into the design of the merchandise. Particularly noteworthy are those items featuring the words "Chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions," his mantra when actors in TV medical dramas immediately (and incorrectly) perform defibrillation in response to cardiac events. "I have it on my shirts because it encourages people to do hands-only CPR and save lives," he said. "My own followers have told me they've been able to spring into action, based on this slogan." You can check out the inventory at https://doctormikestore.com/ Varshavski has partnered with Americares since 2017. Notably, he volunteered at the Americares Family Clinic in El Salvador for two weeks, as detailed on his YouTube and Instagram feeds. "I think they do amazing work during a time where we need medical aid not only here in the United States but across the world," he said. "They run free clinics here in the U.S. and support thousands of others around the world. I've seen first-hand how amazing they are and what they do, and how dedicated their staff is. Our message is aligned: Health is first. Before you do anything else, health needs to be first." About Doctor Mike Media: Doctor Mike Media is a health & lifestyle organization launched by Dr. Mike Varshavski. With over 16 million social media followers, Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, commonly known as "Doctor Mike" is a multifaceted board-certified family medicine physician, media personality, educator, writer, and philanthropist. He has also made appearances and consulted on CNN, ABC and Fox News, and served as a regular contributor to publications including Women's Health, Men's Health, Reader's Digest, the American Academy of Family Physicians Blog and MedPageToday. SOURCE Doctor Mike Media Related Links https://doctormikestore.com Police bosses knew that undercover officers were having sexual relationships with activists they were sent to spy on for decades and 'encouraged or tolerated' it, a tribunal has heard. Kate Wilson, 41, an environmental activist, was duped into a long-term relationship with undercover officer Mark Kennedy, who posed as a green campaigner, shortly after meeting him in 2003. The pair had a 'whirlwind romance' for more than a year before they split amicably in 2005, when she moved to Spain. However in 2010, Ms Wilson discovered Kennedy was a married police officer who had been sent to infiltrate the Sumac Centre, a community centre in Nottingham, as part of the Met's National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPIOU). Ms Wilson is now taking legal action against the Met and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal for breaches of her right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, her right to privacy and right to freedom of expression. Kate Wilson (pictured), 41, an environmental activist, who entered a long-term relationship with undercover officer Mark Kennedy, is taking legal action against the Met and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal Kennedy had sexual relationships with as many as 10 other women during his deployment, including one with a woman which lasted for six years before she discovered a passport in his real name. He was one of half a dozen undercover officers from the NPIOU or its 'sister unit', the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), who Ms Wilson came into contact with between 1998 and 2010. The Met and NPCC have accepted that Kennedy's actions amount to a breach of Ms Wilson's right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, her right to privacy and her right to freedom of expression. But they deny that other officers, apart from Kennedy and his cover officer, known only as EN31, knew or suspected that Ms Wilson was in a sexual relationship with Kennedy. Ms Wilson, however, argues there was 'widespread indifference, or express or tacit encouragement' for undercover officers to begin intimate relationships while they were deployed. She says her relationship with Kennedy 'was known or suspected by several other police officers, including more senior ones' and was 'part of a practice of permitting undercover officers ... to enter into sexual relationships'. Opening Ms Wilson's case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, Charlotte Kilroy QC said Ms Wilson was 'a committed campaigner on climate, environmental and social justice issues'. In 2003, the NPIOU sent Kennedy to infiltrate the Sumac Centre, a community centre in Nottingham, which it said was 'used by persons involved in extremism relating to animal rights, environmentalism, anarchy, anti-weapons and war issues and anti-globalisation', the tribunal heard. Mark Kennedy (pictured) was one of half a dozen undercover officers from the NPIOU or its 'sister unit', the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), who Ms Wilson came into contact with Ms Kilroy said: 'In truth, it was a community space with a vegan cafe used by a wide range of people and groups.' Kennedy was 'told to develop personal relationships in order to gather pre-emptive intelligence' on activists at the centre, with the help of 'an extensive support system for the purpose of this long-term infiltration', Ms Kilroy said. He had 'police-issued phones, laptops, passport and bank cards', all in his false identity, and 'had a police-issued van and a flat paid for by the police', Ms Kilroy added. At the time, Ms Wilson and Kennedy 'did almost everything together' and the officer 'reported all his activities with (Ms Wilson) to his cover officer, EN31', the tribunal heard, including visits to Ms Wilson's parents. Ms Kilroy said Kennedy 'used her contacts, her organisational role and her standing to bolster his own credentials as an activist', which allowed him to 'infiltrate new protest groups, gather intelligence and maintain trust'. She told the tribunal that Kennedy's deployment was 'an egregious and serious violation of her (Ms Wilson's) rights', which 'debased, degraded and humiliated' her. She said: 'What Mark (Kennedy) did could not have occurred without the express or tacit agreement or tolerance of other police officers.' Ms Kilroy told the tribunal that Kennedy's sexual relationships while undercover 'resulted from a practice or culture' within the NPIOU and SDS of 'tolerating' intimate relationships with activists. Ms Wilson (pictured outside the Royal Courts of Justice) said her relationship with Kennedy was documented in great detail in police reports She added: 'Mark's conduct and the 11 relationships he had was a continuation of this practice, which only came to light and was only disavowed by the police when one of the women discovered Mark's true identity.' Ms Kilroy also argued that the practice was discriminatory against women, who were 'unquestionably disproportionately affected' by it. However, Ms Kilroy said the Met and the NPCC 'do not accept any of this - they will not take any systemic or organisational responsibility for the occurrence of the sexual relationships'. She added: 'It is the respondents' failure to accept any wider responsibility for what has happened which is the reason why this claim continues. 'The police have been given extraordinary powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. 'In the claimant's case, and that of many other women, these powers were seriously abused over decades, until an accidental discovery by one of the women exposed the abuse.' In a statement before the hearing, Ms Wilson said: 'The police want us to believe that a top intelligence unit was so incapable of interpreting basic human interactions that they had no idea that we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I just don't believe that. 'My relationship with Mark Kennedy was documented in great detail in their secret reports for over 18 months. 'I am one of many dozens of women deceived into this kind of relationship by deployed undercover police officers. They used sex with women to gather ''intelligence''. 'The evidence suggests a ''don't ask, don't tell'' approach by senior officers embedded in a culture of misogyny and mission creep. I have no doubt that the police are institutionally sexist.' The hearing before Lord Boyd, Mrs Justice Lieven and Professor Graham Zellick QC is expected to finish next Wednesday and it is likely the tribunal will give its ruling at a later date. Tennessee church celebrates over 1,000 baptisms in 4 months; pastor stresses need for 'silence and solitude' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor Robby Gallaty said his church has baptized more than 1,000 people from 15 different states over the last four months after he went through a year of silence and solitude. Gallaty, the senior pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, told Faithwire that his church has baptized 1,048 people since Dec. 20, after he spent time with the Lord for 10 months. The pastor started by sitting with the Lord for 20 minutes, then 40 minutes, until he worked up to spending an hour to two hours a night with the Lord. The church also become a praying church by setting up a 24/7 prayer movement online. Easter weekend they baptized 201 people. I began sitting with the Lord for 10 months. Then, finally, Dec. 15, 2020, Im on the porch, and I hear as clear as day these words in my head, after a season of silence and solitude: Spontaneous baptism, the pastor is quoted as saying by CBN News. However, the following Sunday, the church witnessed its lowest attendance at the service since he started serving at Long Hollow five years ago. The attendance was due to the rising number of COVID-19 infections at the time, but Gallaty said he was still confident about what God had told him about many being ready for baptism. As many as 99 people were baptized that day, he recalled, adding that as he was sitting outside his house that evening, God showed me, These are the heavy raindrops, Robby, before the torrential downpour thats coming. The pastor said he then shared his vision with his fellow church leaders and, on the following Tuesday, which was three days before Christmas, they held a baptism-only service. Another 81 people showed up that day for baptism. As Gallaty streamed the service online, many traveled to his church and its two satellite campuses later for baptism, and at least two of them came all the way from Maine, more than 1,300 miles away. Gallaty stressed that the revival he saw wouldnt have been possible had he not dealt with the sin in his own life pride, jealousy and arrogance. I went to the porch every night to sit with the Lord, thinking that He was going to fix the problems in my church, he shared. I was really frustrated. I said, Lord, you fix the problems in my staff. I need you to fix the problems in my church. I need you to fix the deacons. I need you to fix the country. And heres what the Lord showed me. About two months in, God showed me, The problem is not with your church. Its not with your staff. The problem is you. Youre the problem. The church describes its mission as: We exist to be disciples who make disciples of all nations. The church's website says Gallaty battled a drug addiction for three years, which ravaged his life. "A $180 a day heroin and cocaine addiction forced him to steal $15,000 from his parents. After living without gas, electricity, and water for months, losing eight of his friends to drug-related deaths, watching six friends be arrested, and completing two rehab treatments, Robby remembered the Gospel that was shared with him by a friend in college and was radically saved on Nov. 12, 2002." [April 20, 2021] Rhodium BA Holdings Submits Proposal to Acquire Sunnyside Bancorp for $18.50 per Share Rhodium BA Holdings LLC ("Rhodium"), a New York-based investor, which through its special purpose subsidiary OppCapital Associates LLC beneficially owns approximately 9.82% of the outstanding common shares of Sunnyside Bancorp, Inc. (OTCBB: SNNY) ("Sunnyside" or the "Company"), today sent a letter to the Company's Board of Directors presenting a fully financed proposal to acquire Sunnyside for $18.50 per share in cash. Over the past twelve months, Rhodium has privately approached the Company with multiple expressions of interest to acquire the Company on attractive terms, which were rejected without explanation by Sunnyside's Board of Directors. Rhodium's current offer represents a 23% premium to Sunnyside's closing price on April 19, 2021, a 19% premium to the price offered by DLP Bancshares Inc. and a 50% premium to the Company's unaffected share price on March 16, 2021 prior to the announcement of the DLP Bancshares Inc. offer. The full text of the letter follows: April 20, 2021 Board of Directors Sunnyside Bancorp, Inc. 56 Main Street Irvington, New York 10533 Attention: Timothy D. Sullivan, Chairman Dear Members of the Board: I write on behalf of Rhodium BA Holdings LLC ("Rhodium"), which through its special purpose subsidiary OppCapital Associates LLC beneficially owns approximately 9.82% of the outstanding common stock of Sunnyside Bancorp, Inc. ("Sunnyside"). As you know, Rhodium has expressed its interest in purchasing up to 100% of Sunnyside's stock on multiple occasions throughout the past twelve months. Rhodium initially expressed this interest to you in July 2020 and the offer-though it would have been potentially quite attractive to shareholders-was rejected without explanation. Rhodium again contacted you by letter on November 10, 2020, offering to purchase up to 100% of Sunnyside at a 15% premium to its tangible equity. This offer was likewise declined without explanation. We were thus surprised by your announcement that you signed a definitive merger agreement with DLP Bancshares Inc. on March 16, 2021, without communicating with Rhodium with respect to its documented and sincere interest in a like transaction, especially considering that the agreed-upon merger price offered very little premium to Sunnyside's trading price and was well beneath Rhodium's then-most recent offer. Accordingly, we one again sent a letter to you on March 25, 2021 offering to purchase up to 100% of Sunnyside at a per share price in excess of the merger price, even when considering any break fees payable, and, once again, you summarily rejected our offer without explanation. This Board's continued refusal to engage in any discussion whatsoever with Rhodium comes at the clear expense of Sunnyside's shareholders and their ability to receive a substantial and certain all-cash premium for their shares. We struggle to understand how your failure to engage with an interested, good-faith buyer, one that had offered a higher per share price before the merger was announced, can possibly be reconciled with the fiduciary duties of the Board to its shareholders. Moreover, upon review of the merger agreement, you have further stifled your fiduciary obligations by agreeing to restrictive covenants and lock-up provisions that all but ensure that the Board will perform no market check, discourage competing bids, and otherwise dispose of its duties to seek the best possible value for Sunnyside's shareholders. Because we remain committed to a transaction and our interest in Sunnyside remains high, Rhodium is prepared to proceed immediately with a fully financed, cash offer for 100% of the outstanding shares of Sunnyside at $18.50 per share. This represents a 23% premium to Sunnyside's closing price as of Monday, April 19, 2021 of $15.00, a 19% premium to the merger price and a 50% premium to Sunnyside's unaffected share price on March 16, 2021. Unlike our previous attempts to engage this Board privately, we have decided to make this offer public so that Sunnyside shareholders will be able to independently evaluate our offer. Rhodium is determined to pursue our proposed acquisition expediently and without delay. We have also thoroughly considered the regulatory issues related to this acquisition and there are no significant financial or regulatory impediments to your shareholders' timely realization of this substantial cash premium. In sum, we are making a cash offer which is far more favorable to shareholders than what has been agreed upon currently by the Board, with a high degree of certainty of closure. We have already committed significant time and resources to this proposed acquisition. We have engaged Venable LLP and Thompson LLP, as legal counsel, Gagnier Communications, as public relations advisor, and MacKenzie Partners, as advisor and information agent. We possess a highly sophisticated, local team who will leverage their extensive experience in this industry to strengthen Sunnyside's customer, financial, and employee relationships. We believe there will be substantial shareholder support for this proposal and that it represents a terrific outcome for Sunnyside's shareholders. Accordingly, if we have not received your response by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 indicating that Sunnyside will enter into a confidentiality agreement and proceed with constructive discussion and meaningful evaluation of our offer, we will take our compelling offer directly to your shareholders. We look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, /s/ Mark M. Silber Mark M. Silber Managing Member Rhodium BA Holdings LLC About Rhodium BA Holdings LLC Rhodium BA Holdings LLC was formed by Mark M. Silber for purposes of conducting the purchase of Sunnyside Bancorp, Inc. Mark M. Silber is a Managing Partner of Rhodium Capital Advisors, a New York-based fully integrated real estate investment firm with a primary focus on the preservation, acquisition, and management of affordable housing across the United States. Rhodium Capital Advisors is not participating in the purchase of Sunnyside Bancorp, Inc. Additional Information This communication relates to a proposal that Rhodium has made to the Board of Directors of Sunnyside and does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities or the solicitation of any proxy, vote or approval. Subject to future developments, Rhodium may file one or more documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC (News - Alert) "). Investors and security holders of Sunnyside are urged to read such documents filed with the SEC carefully in their entirety if and when they become available. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005808/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The zombie tiger, Valentine, in "Army of the Dead." Netflix Deborah Snyder says the VFX team had to study a real tiger for CGI modeling of the zombie tiger. That led them to Baskin's sanctuary, where they spent a week before "Tiger King" aired. "At least they got out of there alive," Snyder joked at an "Army of the Dead" Justice Con panel. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. When Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead" visual effects team were in search of inspiration for the movie's zombie tiger, they found themselves in the big cat sanctuary of none other than "Tiger King" star Carole Baskin. "Army of the Dead" producer Deborah Snyder revealed the genesis of the undead tiger named Valentine (who was arguably the breakout star of the Netflix zombie-heist thriller's first trailer) during a recent Justice Con panel. Carole Baskin in "Tiger King." Netflix Snyder told the panel that the movie's visual effects team called up different animal sanctuaries hoping to gain real-life references of tigers for the purposes of modeling and animating Valentine using CGI. They ultimately ended up going with a tiger owned by Baskin. However, Snyder pointed out that this all happened before "Tiger King" aired. "I remember Marcus [Taormina], our visual effects supervisor, spent like a week down there. And we were like, 'Well, at least you got out alive!'" Snyder said with a laugh. "We didn't even know at the time, and I remember watching it. It wasn't until later and Marcus goes, 'You know where Valentine came from, right?'" she added. One of the subplots in "Tiger King" examined allegations by Exotic and others that Baskin fed her husband, who had gone missing years before, to her tigers. Baskin has denied this and was never charged with any crime related to his disappearance. Dave Bautista in "Army of the Dead." Netflix 'Army of the Dead' is coming to theaters May 14 Dave Bautista stars in "Army of the Dead" as the leader of a group of mercenaries who plot the heist of a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak. Story continues As we saw in the first trailer, one of the zombies they encounter is the tiger, Valentine. But that might not be the only animal we see as a zombie. Snyder teased in a Q&A following a screening of the first trailer that the only animals that didn't catch the zombie virus are birds. "Army of the Dead" will be in select theaters on May 14 before its streaming debut on Netflix on May 21. Along with Bautista, the movie also stars Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De La Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighofer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Huma S. Qureshi, and Garret Dillahunt. Read the original article on Insider MANFIELD, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas 6th Congressional District candidate Dan Rodimer just released a viral campaign ad, following his now famous "Make America Texas Again" video, where he calls out Congress for being "power hungry politicians who are threatening our way of life." Election day is May 1st. Send Dan Rodimer To Congress To Cut The Pork Dan Rodimer releases campaign ad featuring a hog shoot in TX-06. Dan Rodimer pictured with his wife Sarah and five of their six children. "I'm excited for election day. There is a palpable excitement surrounding our campaign for Congress and our momentum just keeps on building. We have continued to release videos that keep the district engaged and people walk up to me on the street here just to talk about them," says Rodimer. In the advertisement, Rodimer declares that Congress "piggybacks off the American taxpayer to fund the radical leftwing agenda." He continues, "they feed off our families, they feed from our paychecks, they steal from our businesses," and in order "to feed tyranny and communism." Rodimer also calls out liberals in Congress for "open borders, endless wars and complete government control," while calling up a dog named MAGA onto his ATV. He drives away, declaring that "Congress has taken control over our economy, control over our school districts, control over our churches, control over our businesses, control over our oil and control over our guns." Rodimer asserts that he "is running for Congress to put an end to this hogwash," while hogs play a prominent role in the video. He says he will "strip power from the federal government and return it to where it belongs," which, he says, is the American people. Rodimer believes that we should decide what's best for our families, how to spend our own money and that "we damn sure decide which guns to own." He ends by declaring that "it's time to cut the pork." Dan Rodimer has made it a key point of his campaign to stop the open borders policy Joe Biden initiated when he undid former President Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy, by enactment of his proposed Angel Act, which would codify Trump's policy. He also supports the Right to Life, securing Texas' power grid for the future, standing behind our law enforcement personnel and the military, removing Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker and our Second Amendment rights. "Our campaign is the only one that has ever been endorsed by President Trump in this race. I will go to Washington and stand up to Nancy Pelosi and her puppets in Congress so that we can finally cut the pork in Washington. That's why we released this video," said Rodimer. This past weekend, Rodimer held his "Wrestle for Your Rights" event in the district. The family event was attended by over 700 guests getting to see such WWE stars as Daniel Puder, Doug Basham, Knox County Mayor Glenn "Kane" Jacobs and many more. This event was held in Mansfield, Texas, last Saturday. Early voting for the District 6 race has begun and runs through April 27. Voting Day is May 1, 2021. You can see more about https://danrodimer.com/ Media Contact: RC Maxwell 914-708-8749 [email protected] SOURCE Dan Rodimer For Congress Related Links https://danrodimer.com MALARIA DENGUE TB PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO COVID-19 Although India has worked relentlessly towards developing innovative testing solutions for COVID-19 throughout last year, the timely detection of a number of other infectious diseases has been sidelined. In India, the range and burden of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, filariasis, leprosy, HIV infection, typhoid, hepatitis etc., are enormous. In fact, inadequate containment of the vector has resulted in recurrent outbreaks of dengue fever and re-emergence of chikungunya virus disease and typhus fever. If India can develop more than 20 different diagnostic tests or devices in a single year to fight COVID-19, many more such innovations can be brought to effectively detect other infections looming in our country. SUV Evos is for customers in China only. There are no current plans to offer it elsewhere. Mike Levine (@mrlevine) April 19, 2021 The question is, what is the Blue Oval going to do in the mid-size segment going forward? Relying on the likes of the Edge and Explorer isnt exactly an inspired choice, more so if you take a look at the ever-popular Outback.Subaru moves hundreds of thousands every single year in the United States , and the consumer doesnt even question theadvertising that simply isnt correct. The Outback is and has always been an all-wheel-drive station wagon, and its a versatile one of those given the impressive sales volume.The communications manager at Ford in North America didnt offer any explanation about the Evos regional availability, which is all the more curious in these utility vehicle-driven times. Because its based on the C2 vehicle architecture of the Focus, Bronco Sport, and Kuga (a.k.a Escape in the United States of America), the Dearborn-based automaker could easily prepare an American or European production facility for Evos production.Whatever the reason for this reticence may be, hundreds of thousands of potential customers will miss out on a low-slung utility vehicle with a lot of desirable features. These include the 3.6-feet-wide display that spans almost the entire width of the dashboard, over-the-air firmware updates, SYNC+ 2.0, and the Ford Motor Companys first-ever Virtual Personal Assistant.The Evos further sweetens the deal with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder engine and BlueCruise, the automakers driver-assist technology suite that rivals Super Cruise from General Motors and Autopilot from Tesla. President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with the leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 20, 2021. (Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images) Biden Praying for Right Verdict in Chauvin Trial President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that he hopes jurors in Derek Chauvins trial reach the right verdict. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict, which isI think its overwhelming in my view, he said. I wouldnt say that unless the jury was sequestered now, not hearing me say that, he added. The jury in Minneapolis is weighing three charges against Chauvin, a former police officer. Chauvin is accused of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd. Biden, speaking at the White House in Washington after a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said he spoke to Floyds family on Monday. Theyre a good family. And theyre calling for peace and tranquility no matter what the verdict is, the president said, adding that hes come to know the family. Biden did not himself call for peace. Asked if Bidens comments could be cause for a mistrial, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that she does not think so. The jury is sequestered which the president also noted in his comments. He certainly is not looking to influence, but he has been touched by the impact on the family. Hence, he called the family yesterday and had that discussion. I expect he will weigh in further once there is a verdict, she said. I dont think he would see it as weighing in on the verdict. He was conveying what many people are feeling across the country, which is compassion for the family, what a difficult time this is. What a difficult time this is for many Americans across the country who have been watching this trial very closely. The jury is sequestered. That is different from where things stood just yesterday, she added. Defense attorney Eric Nelson (L) and defendant, former police officer Derek Chauvin listen to Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read instructions to the jury before closing arguments at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) In this image from police body camera video George Floyd responds to police after they approached his car outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 25, 2020, as shown in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP/Pool) Chauvins lawyer and prosecutors made competing arguments on Monday before the trial ended and jurors entered isolation until they arrive at a verdict for each count. Eric Nelson, Chauvins lawyer, told jurors that the state had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the former officers actions, such as kneeling on Floyds neck, caused him to die. Chauvin followed his training in restraining a person who is resisting arrest and called for medical help when Floyds condition worsened, he said. Prosecutors charged that Chauvin not only killed Floyd, but he did it on purpose. The defendant caused George Floyds death, he did. The state proved that beyond a reasonable doubt, Matthew Frank, assistant Minnesota attorney general, told the court. Jurors were instructed by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill to presume Chauvins innocence unless it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. They were told they must consider each charge separately and that deciding guilt or innocence based on the facts presented in the trial was their exclusive responsibility. Cahill had declined to order the jury sequestered until after closing arguments. On Monday, he also rejected a request from Nelson to declare a mistrial after Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) made remarks in Minnesota that some legal experts said was aimed at influencing the jury to convict. The judge said the defense would be able to submit articles about those remarks in a potential appeal, which could lead to a mistrial. Other Members of Congress commented on the trial in Washington on Tuesday. I have seen some of the trial and its heart-wrenching to think about the Floyd family. Theyre going through what too many families have had to suffer. And so we wait with patience and in prayer to see the outcome of this trial, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) told reporters on Capitol Hill. I trust the jury to make a reasoned decision, added Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). The judge instructed them fairly on the law and Im willing to accept the verdict and I think we live in a culture where nobodys above the law including the cops and thats a good thing. LG Display's OLED-manufacturing plant in Guangzhou, China / Courtesy of LG Display By Baek Byung-yeul LG Display CEO Jeong Ho-young / Courtesy of LG Display Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 21:37:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The service members of the Afghan National Directorate for Security (NDS), the country's national intelligence agency, had busted a terror group in southern province of Kandahar, the provincial Directorate of NDS said on Tuesday. "A total of eight arrests were made during the recent operations against a terrorist network in surrounding areas of Kandahar province," the agency said in a statement without providing details. Among those arrested terrorists was Attahullah alias Hafiz, who was notorious for conducting ambushes, bomb attacks and targeted killings against security forces and government employees in the region, the statement said. "The arrestees were involved in series of major attacks on the security forces in Kandahar," the statement added. A vehicle, three motorcycles and silenced weapons were also seized during the raids, according to the statement. Security situation has been improving in Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban militants, over the past years as security forces have conducted search and cordon operations across the province. But the Taliban fighters have been trying to attack government interests in the province from time to time. Enditem The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised American citizens against travelling to India, following a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country. This action follows the UK government's decision to place India in the red list of countries and banning all arrivals, except UK and Irish citizens, along with permanent residents. Hong Kong and New Zealand had earlier banned passenger movement from India for a limited period. A media report from Sri Lanka, quoting its tourism minister, said flights between India and Sri Lanka have been put on hold. But there was no official announcement in this regard and airline executes said they were still awaiting confirmation on that. Travellers should avoid travel to India because of the current situation. Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk of getting and spreading Covid-19 variants and should avoid travel to India. If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel," the US CDC said in its advisory. US citizens have also been advised to follow all social distancing measures of the US government's health protection agency during their stay in India. The move is likely to have a short-term impact on travel between India and the US, said a travel industry executive. Air India and United operate non-stop flights between the two countries. Currently, most of the demand for travel between India and the US is in the student and visiting friends and relatives segment. People may postpone their travel by a few weeks because of the health advisory and there could be a short-term impact on demand," said an executive. We are currently reviewing our schedule of India operations from April 23 and recommend that customers booked to travel to or from India with us check their flight status," said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson. The airline operates five weekly flights to Mumbai and Delhi. Cancelling flights is tricky as we have full loads on our return flights from London," said an Air India executive. The airline management is consulting its managers in the UK and could take a decision on its flight schedule in the next two to three days, he added. The iboss purpose-built cloud platform provides organizations and their employees with the fastest and most secure connectivity to any cloud application on any device, from any location. We look forward to our next phase of growth as we continue to invest in innovation, partners and employee growth. iboss, the leading Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) cloud security provider, today announced it has seen tremendous growth over the first quarter in 2021. Since raising $145M in early January to support the companys go-to-market efforts, iboss launched a channel partner program, added more than 70 new enterprise customers and brought on almost 50 employees since the start of the year, and is still actively hiring. The momentum iboss has made growing its enterprise business is largely attributed to the seismic shift of organizations migrating from on-prem appliances to cloud-based SASE platforms to improve connectivity and security in support of remote workforces. Were committed to the success of our customers, partners and employees and are very proud of what we accomplished over the last quarter, said Paul Martini, chief executive officer at iboss. The demand for consolidation of networking and security-as-a-service has presented a huge opportunity for the SASE market. The iboss purpose-built cloud platform provides organizations and their employees with the fastest and most secure connectivity to any cloud application on any device, from any location. We look forward to our next phase of growth as we continue to invest in innovation, partners and employee growth. Key Q1 2021 Milestones: Raised $145M, led by NightDragon and Francisco Partners, to support the companys rapid growth in $25B expanding market Expanded customer rate across all major industry verticals including one of the top 5 global media companies Saw exponential employee growth, adding almost 50 employees globally across sales, marketing and engineering functions Welcomed several executive hires to help lead GTM efforts. Executive appointments include Eric Cornelius joining as the new Chief Product Officer, May Mitchell as SVP of Marketing, Wallace Sann as SVP of Technical Operations and Jim Gogolinski as Vice President of Intelligence and Research. Launched the award-winning iboss Channel Partner Program which offers partners growth, innovation and enablement to support distributors, solution providers and other partners who offer ibosss industry leading SASE platform to customers Expanded its global footprint over the last year with new distribution partnerships covering Japan (Softbank), Middle East and North Africa (Scope Middle East), Philippines (itSdi), Hong Kong (SIS Distribution), Mexico (tasmicro), and most recently in the United Kingdom and Ireland with its partnership with e92plus Received recognition of security excellence and leading innovation from dozens of industry influencers including: a 5-star recognition by CRN in the 2021 CRN Partner Program Guide, named a Gold Award winner in 10 categories and a Silver Award winner in 5 categories for top industry sector and product categories in the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards and being named a Top 150 Cybersecurity Company to Watch by Cybercrime Magazine The iboss SASE cloud platform is leading in innovation with its patented containerized cloud architecture that enables users to connect quickly and securely to any cloud destination, from anywhere. iboss solves the challenge of remote users by allowing them to securely connect directly to any cloud applications, with visibility in place. The iboss cloud platform provides network security as a service, delivered in the cloud, as a complete SaaS offering. iboss eliminates the need for traditional network security appliances, allowing organizations to secure network traffic from anywhere to protect against malware and data loss. About iboss iboss is a cloud security company that provides organizations and their employees fast and secure access to the Internet on any device, from any location, in the cloud. The iboss SASE cloud platform provides network security as a service, delivered in the cloud, as a complete SaaS offering. This eliminates the need for traditional network security appliances, such as firewalls and web gateway proxies, which are ineffective at protecting a cloud-first and mobile world. Leveraging a purpose-built cloud architecture backed by 230+ issued and pending patents and more than 100 points of presence globally, iboss processes over 100 billion transactions daily, blocking nearly 4 billion malware threats per day. More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss SASE cloud platform to support their workforce, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies. To learn more, visit https://www.iboss.com/. BOSTON - At the end of 2020, experts led by allergists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) examined all information related to possible allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccinations. Now the team has published updated insights based on their experience overseeing more than 65,000 employees who have become fully vaccinated since that time. The group's latest findings are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. "Our main goal is to enable as many individuals as possible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine safely and avoid unnecessary vaccine hesitancy due to a lack of knowledge around allergic reactions to vaccines," says lead author Aleena Banerji, MD, clinical director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit at MGH. In addition to updated guidance on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, this guidance also includes the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, which had not yet been authorized for emergency use at the end of 2020. With additional clinical data and authorization of the third COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, the investigators propose modified approaches to the evaluation of patients with a history of allergies. This includes clear and simple initial questions to identify individuals who are eligible for all COVID-19 vaccines without needing an allergist evaluation. "With more time and experience, we have been able to significantly narrow the group of patients with prior allergies who require an allergist assessment before COVID-19 vaccination," says senior author Kimberly G. Blumenthal, MD, MSc, co-director of the Clinical Epidemiology Program within MGH's Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology. "We now advise that only the rare individuals who have had a recent severe allergic reaction to polyethylene glycol, an ingredient in the vaccines, see an allergist or immunologist for evaluation, which may include skin testing." Individuals with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, bee stings or venom can safely receive the COVID-19 vaccines. The team noted that severe allergic reactions to the vaccines remain exceedingly rare. Vaccine clinics should continue to observe higher-risk individuals for 30 minutes after vaccination, and they should have staff trained in recognizing and managing allergic reactions that may occur. ### About the Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The Mass General Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with annual research operations of more than $1 billion and comprises more than 9,500 researchers working across more than 30 institutes, centers and departments. In August 2020, Mass General was named #6 in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals." PARIS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Whilst the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize is widely recognised today as one of the most prestigious European awards in the field of cancer research, many people are unaware of the story behind it. It is the story of Leopold and Alice Griffuel, a couple of philanthropists whose generosity led to the creation of the foundation in 1970. Since then, the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel has honoured the work of researchers who advance science and improve treatment for cancer patients. This year we are celebrating the 49th Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize to honour prestigious international researchers for their scientific achievements. The three 2021 award winners will share a total of 300,000 to pursue their research and take it a step further to improve patient outcomes! Prix Leopold Griffuel The promotion of the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize is overseen by the French Embassies. Canadian Michael Taylor was presented with the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize for basic research at the French Embassy in Canada by Ambassador Kareen Rispal. The German researcher Stefan Pfister was honoured at the French Embassy in Germany, in the presence of Ambassador Anne-Marie Descotes. Lastly, Professor Hiroyuki Mano received his award on Friday 2 April from the French Ambassador to Japan, Mr Philippe Setton. Awarding creativity, perseverance and patient impact Created in 1970 thanks to the legacy of physician and lawyer philanthropist Leopold Griffuel through his widow Alice, the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize rewards creativity, perseverance and continuity in cancer research each year. More than a mark of recognition, this is a world-renowned prize which has already twice been the final hurdle before the Nobel Prize. "It is important to highlight that winners of the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize are selected from 12 countries. The disease is global, and solutions to it are too. It is our role at the Fondation ARC Leopold to encourage this research wherever progress is being made. Our aim is to break down barriers between researchers across the world and to promote the development of new relationships between them. This prize is awarded to those who are advancing research, thereby showcasing their work. And it is their progress which will then enable other researchers to take that extra step that will allow us, collectively, to beat cancer" explains Claude Tendil, President of the Fondation ARC for cancer research. Story continues To date, 58 researchers of 14 different nationalities, all from the most prestigious international institutions, have been honoured by a committee of international experts under the auspices of the Fondation ARC for Cancer Research. The 2021 Leopold Griffuel Prize rewards scientific advances that give cause for hope For its 49th edition, a jury of 6 international experts, chaired by Professor Hugues de The, met to select the 2021 winners. In basic research, Professors Michael Taylor and Stefan Pfister were honoured for their contribution to the molecular understanding of paediatric tumours and their clinical management. In particular, researcher Stefan Pfister has made it possible for relapsed children to have access to extremely detailed molecular analyses, so that they can be directed towards very specific treatment. Professor Michael Taylor has been able to decipher important mechanisms in the genesis and spread of medulloblastomas and ependymomas, which are among the most common malignant brain tumours in children. His work has made it possible to distinguish between different forms of these cancers, which have different prognoses. Finally, Professor Hiroyuki Mano won the first prize in translational and clinical research for his work in identifying a new form of lung cancer and for his contribution to the development of an effective treatment. His work has made it possible to develop treatments that target this anomaly effectively. Public Relations #FHCOM frederic.henry@fhcom.net +33 01 55 34 24 24 Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3-international-cancer-researchers-to-receive-the-2021-fondation-arc-leopold-griffuel-prize-301271902.html SOURCE Fondation ARC pour la recherche sur le cancer Say Hello to My Little Friends was written by Rick Marin and was directed by John David Coles, whose other credits includeand. Marins other credits includeand. This was a more satisfying episode for me as the crime team starts to gel and they also finally manage to get under Wheatleys (Dylan McDermott) skin a little bit. We also get some vintage Stabler (Christopher Meloni) my reason for tuning in! I also loved him bitching about not being able to drink American coffee anymore Stabler is covering up the real reason and target of his beating to try to protect Eli (Nicky Torchia). Kathleen (Allison Siko) is worried about both of them and tries to convince her father to get some help yeah. Cant see that happening but he is starting to warm to Bell (Danielle Mone Truitt). Im loving that shes gay so no chance of any romantic pairing there! Sadly, Benson is back next episode. Im really liking Washburn (Ben Chase), and he and Morales (Michael Rivera) who really gets nothing to do in this episode listen via bug to Wheatley torturing Danny Lizer (Karl Bury) by having Izak (Ibrahim Renno) half drown him in Wheatleys octopus tank and who keeps an octopus as a pet?!?! Also? Worst fake octopus ever! When theres a match to the bullet in Sinatras head, Bell and Stabler head to Virginia. I loved the scene with them in the car. She asks him about his control issues which he denies. She also points out that as a white guy, hed get a lot of slack. As a gay black woman, if she makes even one small mistake that will be it for her career. Im betting Stabler is going to have her back. The two trace the woman shot by the bullet to real estate developer Lizer. He is about to run with his clearly pampered French (?) Bulldog when the two catch him. He tells them that Wheatley is having a server farm set up Virginia has the lowest energy costs in the country. The best way to keep all information secret is by keeping it all on your own servers after all. I loved them sending Wheatley a video of the facility, seemingly with Lizer showing it off, only to have Stabler suddenly there, cutting the power! Wheatleys obsession with privacy is in full view as his office has security codes and is, in fact, a faraday cage. I loved the scene when Angela (Tamara Taylor) meets Stabler in the grocery store and explains this to him. When she asks if Eli is ok, Stabler basically has it confirmed that Eli was the target and not him. I also loved her buying the groceries for him so Eli had a decent dinner! Shes there because shes worried about how deep her own daughter Dana (Christina Karis) is getting into the criminal side of Wheatleys business. Meanwhile, undercover cop Gina (Charlotte Sullivan) makes the moves on Richie (Nick Creegan). She manages to get invited to his birthday party. Anyone else feeling like shes going to end up dead? Angela also tips Stabler off to Wheatleys charity giving away a bunch of vaccine doses to the community. Thinking hes trying to dump the stolen vaccine, Bell and Stabler raid the event only to discover that the vaccine isnt the stolen batch. However, they do capture Izak for the murders of Sinatra and the murdered woman in Virginia. I thought this was a pretty solid episode. Maloni was terrific, but so were Truitt and Taylor. Im looking forward to getting more from the entire team too. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for finance and customer service functions, today announced that it has been recognized as a Market Leader in the 2021 ePayables Technology Advisor research report from Ardent Partners for the second consecutive year. The report highlights Esker's strength in providing companies with an innovative, user-friendly solution for managing the entire Accounts Payable (AP) invoicing process. The 2021 ePayables Technology Advisor is designed to help AP, finance and procure-to-pay leaders navigate the ePayables solution provider market. As part of the process to define its Technology Advisor, Ardent Partners evaluated 17 software vendors in the AP market based on a broad set of criteria for both company and solution strengths. Esker's solution was noted for its overall user experience, modern UI, reporting and dashboard capabilities. The company was recognized for its continued investment in artificial intelligence to help companies achieve real-time information across the entire organization, reduce risks and quickly adapt to internal and external environmental changes to become more resilient. "Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Esker deserves strong consideration from any large and mid-size enterprise exploring ePayables automation transformation," said Bob Cohen, vice president of research at Ardent Partners. "Esker is a good fit for companies running SAP and/or multiple ERP systems that operate globally and have significant reporting needs." "We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the leading solution providers in the ePayables market," said Jean-Michel Berard, CEO at Esker. "This recognition comes as a result of over 12 years of experience in global AP automation in the cloud and dedication to helping companies digitally transform their AP processes from back-office functions to strategic opportunities." Esker goes beyond AP to optimize the full Procure-to-Pay (P2P) cycle and offers a larger customer experience portfolio which also includes Esker's Order-to-Cash (O2C) suite. This end-to-end automation capability makes Esker a unique player to accelerate the cash conversion cycle. For more details on Esker's nomination as a Market Leader in the 2021 ePayables Technology Advisor, download the report here. About Ardent Partners Ardent Partners is a research and advisory firm that specializes in procurement, fintech, and HR industries. Ardent Partners advises clients and publishes research that helps business decision-makers understand industry best practices and how to improve performance. It also publishes research that covers the technology landscape and helps professionals identify the best-fit solution or solutions for their specific budget and requirements. Ardent Partners also hosts the CPO Rising Summit and other digital events every year. www.ArdentPartners.com. About Esker Esker is a global cloud platform built to unlock strategic value for finance and customer service professionals, and strengthen collaboration between companies by automating the cash conversion cycle. Esker's solutions incorporate technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally. Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter @EskerInc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005898/en/ Contacts: Press Contact: Chris Pham Tel: (972) 330-2642 cpham@ideagrove.com Investor Relations Contact: Emmanuel Olivier Tel: +33 (0)4 72 83 46 46 olivier@esker.fr Filipinos collect free food and other goods offered at a community pantry in the Maginhawa neighborhood of Quezon City, April 19, 2021. A community-run pantry providing free food to the Philippine public amid the COVID-19 pandemic was forced to shut down Tuesday after its founder said she feared for her safety after being accused as a sympathizer of communist rebels. Activist and artist Ana Patricia Non, 26, said she took the action after three police officers approached her and demanded her cellular phone number. Well temporarily shut down our operations for the safety of our volunteers. This is disheartening because we will be unable to distribute the goods that we prepared the whole day due to red-tagging, Non said. Red-tagging is a term activists use when law enforcers accuse groups or individuals of being communist rebels or supporters of the long-running leftist insurgency in the Philippines. I am afraid to walk by myself to the community pantry at 5 in the morning because of this baseless accusation, she said. I just really wanted to help. Non launched the roadside pantry earlier this month in Quezon City, north of Manila, after seeing similar initiatives in other countries affected by the global pandemic. People had been lining up on the curbside of the busy street since she and other volunteers began leaving boxes of food and other essential items gathered from donors in the neighborhood. Barely a week old, the pantry inspired other community efforts nationwide. Allegation of communist link But it also attracted detractors. Among them, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), a government agency, attacked the pantry as being a brainchild of communist insurgents, but did not offer any proof. The community pantry is for the town, do not use it for personal gain, the task force said in a social media post. It went on to allege that the pantry was backed by the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, its military wing, the New Peoples Army, and its political wing, the National Democratic Front, to receive money and to recruit youths to their cause. The local police district in Quezon City shared the task forces post on its Facebook page before it was deleted, according to the Rappler website. Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said she had reached out to Non and assured her that she and her pantry would be safe. Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas issued a statement declaring there was no order for officers to profile organizers of the community pantry. It is beyond the interest of the PNP to delve into purely voluntary personal activities of private citizens, he said, even as he reminded people to observe health protocols related to COVID-19. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the government to stop the accusations. Community outreach programs have sprouted because of perceived inadequate response by Manila to help its citizens, HRW said. By vilifying now even ordinary Filipinos who only want to help, the government is weaponizing red-tagging to instill fear among the general public that is increasingly agitated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Carlos Conde, the Philippine researcher for HRW. Many of those red-tagged have ended up harmed or killed, Conde said in a statement. Since 1969, the Philippines has been fighting one of the worlds longest-running communist insurgencies. President Rodrigo Duterte ended talks with the Communist Party after self-exiled rebel leader Jose Maria Sison turned down offers to return to the country and personally negotiate for peace. Duterte has said talks would not be revived before the end of his term in 2022. A suspected meteorite has been captured flying across the night's sky through a police car's dashcam. Queensland Police said the 'extra-terrestrial sparkle' was spotted by Rapid Action Patrol officers as they travelled along the Gold Coast's Glitter Strip on Monday night. They shared video footage of the lucky sighting to Facebook and countless users declared they also observed the object stream across the sky. 'I'm so glad you posted this. No one believed we saw this,' one person commented. 'Yes, I saw it. I also made a wish,' another wrote. A third said: 'I saw this late last night over Surfers. I wonder where it actually landed.' The sight is likely part of the Lyrids meteor shower, which occurs annually in April. This year, the shower is active from April 14 to April 30 and it will peak during the early hours of Thursday, April 23. The peak could see up to 18 meteors per hour over Australia's sky, with viewing opportunities best out in the bush with limited light pollution. A suspected meteorite has been captured flying across the night's sky through a police car's dashcam Queensland Police said the 'extra-terrestrial sparkle' was spotted by Rapid Action Patrol officers as they travelled along the Gold Coast's Glitter Strip on Monday night The Lyrids meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Lyra. The event was first sighted in ancient China in 687 BC, more than 2700 years ago, according to EarthSky. To locate where the meteors will be passing through, viewers can use the brightest star in the constellation of Lyra to find what astronomers call the 'radiant.' This is the point in the sky from which the meteors become visible to us on Earth. In some cases, meteors have been observed passing through the sky at a rate of 100 every hour. Lyrid meteors are created by the the comet Thatcher. Every year, the Earth intersects with Thatcher's dusty tail and particles of the comet are seen streaking through the sky where the usually burn up. [April 20, 2021] John Helms Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer - Explains the Criminal Justice System! Dallas, TX , April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John Helms a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Explains Restitution. Will I Have to Pay Restitution in My Criminal Case? In some criminal cases, the judge may order the offender to pay restitution to the victim of the crime. This is a payment of money to compensate the victim for the victims financial losses that the crime caused. If youre concerned about being ordered to pay restitution and how it might impact your finances or your family, its important to discuss your case with a Texas criminal defense lawyer. Your financial hardship might be a factor in your case, and an experienced criminal defense lawyer can help you determine how to best handle your defense. What Is Restitution in a Criminal Case? Restitution in a criminal case is different from damages a victim can win in a civil case. For example, the court may order someone to pay back the money they stole in a bank robbery as part of their sentence. This money would be returned to the bank to compensate the business for its losses during the robbery. The money might include actual funds stolen from the bank, as well as any physical damage to the bank. If, however, the person also killed a bank employee during the robbery and the victims surviving spouse brings a wrongful death lawsuit in a civil court, the defendant might have to pay damages for the emotional harm caused by the killing, which is different from restitution. This is a separate matter from the restitution in the criminal case. Restitution is also a separate matter from fines and court fees. Both restitution and fines involve money, but restitution goes to the victim, whereas fines are money owed to the court and the public. Fines are a form of punishment for committing a crime; by contrast, restitution is designed to compensate a victim of crime. When Do Courts Order a Defendant to Pay Restitution? In Texas state courts, and in federal courts, restitution is mandatory if it applies by law. Restitution normally comes into pay when the defendants crime caused a direct financial loss. For example, someone who steals a credit card and runs up thousands of dollars in charges might be ordered to pay all the money back, plus any fees the victim incurred while cleaning up their credit and reclaiming their identity. Courts will not order restitution, however, if there is no true individual victim. In many cases, such as drug trafficking cases, the victim is considered to be society in general. For that reason, restitution normally does not apply in drug cases. Who Can Receive Restitution? The court may order the offender to pay restitution to a variety of parties. In many cases, an obvious person to receive restitution is the victim of the crime. This can be an individual person or even a business or corporate entity. For example, if someone embezzled money from their employer in a white collar fraud case, the court may order them to pay the money back to the company. Its also possible for the court to order the offender to pay restitution to surviving family members. This occurs most often in homicide cases, where the victims family may be burdened with medical bills, funeral expenses, and the loss of support and income from the deceased. The court may also order restitution paid to a government agency or community. For example, someone who engages in Medicare fraud may be ordered to pay back money they obtained from the program illegally. Restitution can be a complex issue in a criminal case. For example, in a large-scale investment fraud case, it may be difficult to determine how much of an investors loss was caused by the fraud, as opposed to market conditions that would have caused the investment to lose value anyway. If you believe you may be under investigation, a person of interest or you have been indicted in a fraud case in Texas, dont hesitate to talk to a Texas criminal defense lawyer about your situation. You should never make a statement to a law enforcement officer or agency without having your legal counsel present and at your side, see this article on why the police often lie and why you should be weary when speaking with them. About John Helms Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer John has been a trial lawyer for more than 20 years. He is a former federal prosecutor who never lost a trial or appeal. John has also represented some of the countrys largest corporations, including Microsoft, Bank of America, ACE Cash Express, and Philip Morris. Over the course of my career, Ive found that my clients truly appreciate the time, effort, and creativity I put into every case. I am here to help you when you need help the most. That is a responsibility I take very seriously. More about Dallas criminal defense attorney John Helms here >> Sources: http://www.nacvcb.org/ https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/code-of-criminal-procedure/crim-ptx-crim-pro-art-42-037.html Other Resources: 1. The Police Often Lie! Former Federal Prosecutor John Helms from Dallas Explains Media contact: R. William Tel: (214) 666-8010 https://johnhelms.attorney/ Publicist: https://reneperras.com/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The costumes of the Miao ethnic group are sometimes described as a kind of history book worn by people, which reflects the fact that Miao people create patterns on their clothes to record historical events and pass on their clothing from generation to generation. The Miao ethnic minority comprises over 100 branches, with each branch having its own unique costumes. In southern China, the Miao ethnic minority boasts the most diversified styles in terms of their traditional attire. Of particular note, southwest China's Guizhou province is home to the most exquisite Miao costumes, featuring delicate embroidery and batik patterns on their clothes, as well as the addition of silver jewelry, an important part of Miao dress. Costumes of the Miao people in Guizhou are very representative of the clothes within their entire ethnic group. The Miao people have a long history of wearing silver ornaments, believing that they symbolize a type of blessing that can ward off evil spirits. London, April 20 : As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions, 43 per cent of the residents of London worked from home in 2020, up from 31 per cent in 2019, the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. London and surrounding areas had the highest rates of working from home in 2020, with many areas in Scotland and Northern Ireland having the lowest, Xinhua news agency quoted the ONS as saying on Monday. One of the reasons London had the highest rates of homeworking was because of the types of industries that predominate the city, it added. However, people who mainly worked from home were less than half as likely to be promoted than all other workers between 2012 and 2017 and were around 38 per cent less likely on average to have received a bonus compared with those who never worked from home between 2013 and 2020, said the ONS. "Rewards for homeworking were typically less for those who exclusively worked from home, being on average paid less, less likely to get a bonus, less likely to get promoted, and less likely to receive training," said the ONS. Meanwhile, the unprecedented increase in homeworking in 2020, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, has led many to consider the implications for this on productivity, and other labour market related outcomes, the Office added I am pleased that the Oregon Legislature seeks to memorialize the end of human bondage in the United States with House Bill 2168. As I was born and raised in Texas, I well understand why Juneteenth was made a state holiday there. However, I am surprised to learn that our legislators do not seem to know that enslavement in the U.S. did not end on June 19, 1865. Rather, it ended on Dec. 6, 1865, when the last needed state ratified the 13th Amendment or on Dec. 18, 1865, when that ratification was formally recognized. While the Emancipation Proclamation ended human enslavement in the Confederate States of America, it did not end enslavement in states that did not join the confederacy, including Missouri and Maryland. More to the point, humans continued to be legally enslaved in Kentucky and Delaware for almost six months after Juneteenth. Some people may think it so important to celebrate the end of enslavement in the confederate states that we can simply forget about the tens of thousands who remained enslaved beyond that date. I would hope the members of our Legislature will not be counted among them. While I support memorializing the end of enslavement in our country, I think we would best stick to the facts. June 19 does not mark the end of that enslavement. I believe it is a mistake to pretend that it does. History, I believe, is best memorialized in truth rather than in fiction. Hank Robb, West Linn [April 19, 2021] Report from global sustainability platform finds that interest in conscious consumption in Singapore more than doubled in 2020 Technology startup abillion releases Surfing the Plant-Based Wave in Singapore, a deep dive into sustainable consumption. Key Highlights Interest in conscious consumption in Singapore doubled in 2020. Flexitarians are the fastest growing consumer group in Singapore . Top performing plant-based products in Singapore are snacks (chips & crisps, mylk, and cookies, biscuits & crackers). Demand for plant-based chicken and pork in Singapore is rapidly growing. Growing demand for plant-based meat mince and strips over patties. Surfing the Plant-Based Wave in Singapore, full report here: https://www.data.abillion.com/post/surfing-the-plant-based-wave-in-singapore . SINGAPORE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent research study produced by sustainability platform abillion, has found that the interest in conscious consumption in Singapore more than doubled in 2020. This was driven by heightened awareness of social, environmental, and health issues. Sustainability in Southeast Asia is projected to generate US$1 trillion worth of economic opportunities annually by 2030 , largely derived from sustainable production and consumption. Singapore is quickly establishing itself as Asia's central node in the global supply network serving socially responsible consumers. To tap on this enormous potential, a deep understanding of conscious consumers in the region is critical. "While still nascent in Singapore, we see an emerging demand for sustainable food alternatives. Enterprise Singapore is keen to work with partners to strengthen infrastructure, talent and consumer awareness so that there can be a wider range of plant-based foods at competitive prices in the market. We hope to lverage the ongoing momentum to find opportunities to create healthier, safer and more resilient food solutions and systems for the benefit of Asia and the world," says Bernice Tay, Director of Food Manufacturing, Enterprise Singapore. abillion is a digital platform building a global community of conscious consumers. Using the abillion app, members can review and discover vegan food and sustainable products. abillion holds the world's most valuable and unique consumer data set for sustainability. As more members post reviews, the dataset continues to grow exponentially. Singapore is abillion's fourth largest market based on reviews on the abillion app (62,000 at the time of this release), and ranks first in Asia. Singapore consumers are also one of two most vocal groups calling for environmental and social change among businesses on the abillion platform (the other being Argentina). Member and review growth both exploded in Singapore in 2020: the membership base grew 2.5x compared to 2019; reviews more than doubled; and the average review count grew 32%. Thanks especially to reviews of plant-based dishes, total consumer reviews in Singapore rose to historic highs. abillion's data showed that flexitarians are Singapore's fastest-growing consumer segment. 65% of abillion members globally are omnivores or flexitarians. In Singapore, flexitarians account for the smallest share of the abillion membership base, but they also represent the fastest-growing segment. New members on abillion were more than 5X more likely to identify as flexitarian compared to those who joined in 2019. Likewise, flexitarians topped the growth charts in other key markets like the US, UK, Spain and Argentina. "Flexitarians are driving the plant-based wave in Singapore. These consumers are catalysing broad-based change across sectors, and are choosing ethics, mindfulness, and sustainability everytime they make a purchase decision. We believe more consumers will be attracted to the flexitarian lifestyle, which will spur demand for sustainable options in Singapore and beyond. These opportunities are likely to transcend the food and dining space to include the beauty, home, and fashion sectors," says Maria Tan, lead abillion data scientist behind this report. For more insights into conscious consumption in Singapore, please refer to the full report, Surfing the Plant-Based Wave in Singapore, here: https://www.data.abillion.com/post/surfing-the-plant-based-wave-in-singapore . This report is based on a study of over 62,000 reviews by abillion members in Singapore. This investigative report has been supported by Enterprise Singapore and is the first of two deep dives into sustainable consumerism in Singapore. The second will be published in August 2021 and will focus on the local Food & Beverage sector. About abillion At abillion, we're working to drive a global movement for plant-based food and earth-friendly products. abillion is a digital platform that assists people that want to make sustainable choices. Using the abillion app, members can discover vegan food and vegan and cruelty-free products. abillion, launched in 2018 by CEO Vikas Garg, is unique in harnessing social media for social good. Whenever a member chooses sustainably and shares a review, abillion donates $1 to a life-saving cause which the member, can choose through the app. The abillion app has been downloaded by nearly one million people around the world and has donated more than US $500,000 to life-saving causes around the world. Consumer reviews, along with consumer insights, are shared with business owners, influencing nearly 100,000 brands worldwide to offer more sustainable options. Website: www.abillion.com SOURCE abillionveg Pte Ltd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A 2021 housing delivery goal of 936 homes will not be achieved this year due to the stop in construction, as a result of the ongoing pandemic, according to the Cork County Council Head of Housing Maurice Manning. Mr Manning made the announcement at a Southern Committee meeting held virtually on Monday. Speaking to members, the Head of Housing said: Construction sites reopened fully last monday, we are assessing the impact of that and we will give members more detail on that as it becomes clearer. So far this year 10m has been spent in 2021 by Cork County Council on housing. Mr Manning said, we are in the early stages of the year, but the lockdown has impacted on activity. However the Director of Housing went on to say there has been 10m in housing expenditure claimed from the Dept so far this year. A housing report presented by Mr Manning revealed there are 16 units currently at preliminary stage across the county, 25 at design stage, 68 at tender stage and 266 under construction, a total of 376. Mr Manning did say the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) bundle of social housing homes across the country is nearing completion with part 8 approval granted to 52 homes in Clonakilty, 50 in Skibbereen and 50 in Macroom. Mr Manning also highlighted that 790 homes were logged through the www.vacanthomes.ie scheme, of which 72 were duplicates, 52 were brought back into use by owner and 123 are being pursued under the Buy and Renew scheme. Legal proceedings has commenced on 29 of the properties and another 72 homes are under consideration. Cork County Council has also submitted a proposal under the new Government Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme to upgrade 73 properties at a total cost of 1,771,355, along with an additional list 35 properties were also approved bringing the total number of homes being upgraded to 85 at a cost of 2,300,851. The works typically include external insulation, windows and doors, attic insulation and air to water heat pumps with the overall objective being to increase the energy efficiency standard of the homes to B2. Tales of derring-do and quirky mementos from the colorful and peripatetic life of a literary giant are once again accessible at St. Helenas Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. The museum, located next to the St. Helena Public Library, reopened by appointment Thursday, April 15, after being closed for over a year during the pandemic. During the closure, the museum underwent an extensive overhaul. Theres a new ceiling with improved lighting, new informational panels, and some fresh items that have taken out of storage, including Stevensons tiny but competent sketch of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Thats never been on display before, but its quite a unique little treasure, said Executive Director Barrett Dahl. Theres also a rare copy of The Graver and the Pen, a book of verse with woodcut prints engraved and hand-pressed by Stevenson himself, as well as Stevensons personal copy of Beau Austin, a play he co-wrote with his friend William Henley. Stevenson was born and raised in Scotland, spent his honeymoon on Mount St. Helena, and lived everywhere from Dorset to Samoa. His travels helped inspire stories like Treasure Island and Kidnapped. The State Department on Monday urged Americans reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world's countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic. The United States hasn't had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration. The advice issued by the department isn't a formal global advisory. Instead, it says the State Department will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards as it prepares health and safety guidelines for individual countries. Because of those standards, about 80% of countries will be classified as ''Level 4'' or ''do not travel.'' Travel is also discouraged for the remaining 20%, though not as emphatically. It says people with plans to visit those countries should reconsider before proceeding. The department did not reveal which countries will fall under which category. That will become known as guidance is issued individually for each country in the coming week. ''The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented risks to travelers. In light of those risks, the Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad,'' it said. The department said the new classifications don't necessarily reflect changes in the countries' health situations, but rather an adjustment in the criteria on which it bases the alerts. The State Department's assessments for COVID-19 include infection rates as well as the availability of local testing and treatment. (AP) TORONTO, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) commends the federal government for its recognition of the financial and operational challenges faced by retailers during the pandemic and in the forthcoming recovery period. RCC has advocated for the extension of the main business support programs CEWS and CERS and we are pleased to see those programs extended until September 25, 2021, but take note of declining support levels, especially during the last four weeks of those programs. The new Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CHRP) will help retailers who are planning on expanding their workforces and increasing hours, which makes sense for most during a recovery period. We understand that the government wants to transition workers back into the economy and away from income support programs under EI and CRB and to have businesses build up their workforces. Our caveat is that the pandemic has had differing effects across our sector, with some merchants seeing far deeper reductions in revenues, and thereby, requiring longer than others to recover. RCC recommends that the CEWS and CERS supports may need to remain in place longer for those most adversely affected. Finally, we are pleased to see the inclusion of a commitment to address excessive credit card interchange fees, on which RCC has taken a firm position on the need for regulatory measures. A reduction in credit card fees is especially important to retailers in consequence of the COVID pandemic, having faced a dramatic increase in costs given the rise in online shopping and the declining use of cash. About Retail Council of Canada Retail is Canada's largest private sector employer. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants. www.RetailCouncil.org SOURCE Retail Council of Canada For further information: For more information or to schedule media interviews, contact: Michelle Wasylyshen, [email protected] Related Links http://www.retailcouncil.org J.POD (R) 2 EU BIOMANUFACTURING WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR THERAPEUTIC ANTIBODIES, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS COVID-19 EVOTEC WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS THE OCCITANIE REGION, BPIFRANCE, THE HAUTE-GARONNE PREFECTURE AND TOULOUSE MTROPOLE CONSTRUCTION OF THE J.POD(R) 2 EU FACILITY TO START IN H2 2021 HAMBURG, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today announced that the Company has initiated the construction of its J.POD(R) 2 EU biologics manufacturing facility at Evotec's Campus Curie in Toulouse, France. J.POD(R) 2 EU, Evotec's second innovative cGMP biomanufacturing facility, will employ Just - Evotec Biologics' cutting-edge technology that utilizes small, automated, highly intensified and continuous bioprocessing operations housed inside autonomous cleanrooms. J.POD(R) 2 EU will be Evotec's first commercial biomanufacturing facility in Europe and is anticipated to deliver much needed capacity, flexibility and quality for biotherapeutic development and manufacturing. The construction of Evotec's first J.POD(R) 1 US in Redmond, Washington is proceeding on schedule and will be fully operational in H2 2021. With its wholly owned subsidiary, Just - Evotec Biologics, Evotec is ideally positioned to build the capacity required for the fight against COVID-19 and future pandemic threats delivering rapid, high quality outcomes. Evotec is supporting multiple projects against COVID-19, including partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Department of Defense. In addition to J.POD(R) technology, Evotec is building unparalleled data-driven scientific capabilities to meet future viral threats, which include fast discovery, optimisation and development of novel therapeutic agents. The build-up of J.POD(R) 2 EU will be supported with up to 50 m from the French government, the Occitanie Region, Bpifrance, the Haute-Garonne prefecture as well as Toulouse Metropole. The total investment hat Evotec plans to undertake is currently estimated at approx. 150 m. Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, commented: "The global availability and accessibility of highly effective biotherapeutics has been Just - Evotec Biologics' mission right from the start. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has underlined the need for flexible and nearshore biomanufacturing capacities. We are very grateful that through the support of the French government as well as all local institutions, we can now continue to deliver on this mission with the construction of Europe's first J.POD(R) facility, this is critical for society." Evotec's Toulouse site, the Campus Curie, was recently expanded through the acquisition of "Biopark by Sanofi." Evotec has been operating in France since 2015. Construction of the J.POD(R) 2 EU facility is expected to begin in H2 2021, and is expected to be fully operational in 2023. Dr Craig Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, commented: "With Just - Evotec Biologics, Evotec has world-leading expertise for biologics discovery, process development and production. We are very pleased with the market response and demand for J.POD(R) 1 US even ahead of completion, so this second J.POD(R) facility is a significant expansion of our capacity of disruptive and transformational bioproduction. In addition, the flexibility of the modular J.POD(R) setup also creates potential opportunities for cell and gene therapy biomanufacturing. These modalities, which are also an integral part of our data-driven R&D Autobahn to Cures, therefore also stand to benefit from this new facility. I would also like to thank our partners in France for their help and support in creating this J.POD(R) 2 EU to broaden global access to important biologics therapies." Agnes Pannier-Runacher, French Minister for Industry: "The French Government invests in healthcare and other strategic sectors for our industrial sovereignty. This announcement from Evotec in the Occitanie Region exemplifies our determination to relocate production activities in France, in particular regarding biotherapies which are at the core of drug innovation these past years. We will continue to deploy our strategy in accelerating the Investing for Future Plan." Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie / Pyrenees-Mediterranee Region: "Evotec's decision to locate its new European production plant in the Occitanie region highlights the richness of the local innovative biotherapy sector, and in particular the excellent complementarity between all the players in the value chain, which ranges from cutting-edge research laboratories to university hospitals and bioproduction facilities. This project is fully in line with the ambitions of the Occitanie Region, which aims to respond to the current major issues of relocation and sovereignty, as emphasized by the health crisis, through supporting projects that strengthen the autonomy and resilience of strategic industrial sectors, including the health sector." Jean-Luc Moudenc, President of Toulouse Metropole, Mayor of Toulouse: "The opening of a manufacturing plant, the concrete expression of Evotec's development in Toulouse, since the creation of its main site in France in 2015 on the Health Campus of the Future - Oncopole, is excellent news that illustrates the vitality of our metropolis. In addition to the job creation that will accompany the creation of this new factory, Evotec will strengthen all of the companies present in our territory in the field of Biomedicines, a field with a high stake in the fight against the sanitarian crisis. Toulouse Metropole supports the relocation of production, which contributes to the national and European industrial sovereignty, and leads a voluntarist action in favor of the Medicine of the Future. Evotec is fully in line with this strategy." ABOUT EVOTEC SE Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics, patient advocacy groups and venture capitalists. We operate worldwide and our more than 3,700 employees provide the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery and development solutions. We cover all activities from target-to-clinic to meet the industry's need for innovation and efficiency in drug discovery and development (EVT Execute). The Company has established a unique position by assembling top-class scientific experts and integrating state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience and expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuronal diseases, diabetes and complications of diabetes, pain and inflammation, oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, fibrosis, rare diseases and women's health. On this basis, Evotec has built a broad and deep pipeline of more than 100 co-owned product opportunities at clinical, pre-clinical and discovery stages (EVT Innovate). Evotec has established multiple long-term alliances with partners including Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, CHDI, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, UCB and others. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on Twitter @Evotec. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of Evotec as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Media Contact Evotec SE: Gabriele Hansen, SVP Head of Global Corporate Communications & Marketing, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen@evotec.com IR Contact Evotec SE: Volker Braun, SVP Head of Global Investor Relations & ESG, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-775, volker.braun@evotec.com SOURCE: Evotec AG View source version on accesswire.com: Apr. 20A bipartisan group of Maine lawmakers floated a new plan for a consumer-owned utility on Monday, with a political group saying that if the Legislature does not approve the measure, it will take the matter to a referendum. The new proposal came after an earlier bill to form a consumer-owned utility to replace Central Maine Power and Versant Power died last year. Lawmakers and consumers have criticized the two publicly owned utilities for poor service, pointing to national ratings listing Maine as having the worst power outages in the nation. "It's an annual dishonor," said Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, the co-chair of the Legislature's energy committee and the sponsor of the bill. Berry said the last bill, which he also sponsored, needed more time and some adjustments to bring more people on board. The text of the new measure is not yet public, but Berry said it has several significant changes from the previous one, including ownership and management of the new utility. It should be ready in a few weeks, he said. The new bill would create a utility, the Pine Tree Power Co., which would be independent of the state and run by a board of seven voting members elected by Maine voters to six-year, staggered terms. Those members would appoint six expert advisory members and senior management. Current CMP and Versant top management would not come to the new company, but employees and middle managers would be encouraged to stay on with a 6 percent transition bonus the first year and 4 percent the second year, Berry said. They would retain jobs and benefits. The previous bill called for the governor to appoint 10 board members who would be confirmed by the Legislature. Outgoing Public Advocate Barry Hobbins said that independence is "a whole different ball game." He was impressed by the bipartisan nature of the call for the new utility, but he said two things to watch are the details of the bill and whether the Legislature has enough time to conduct due diligence on the plan. Story continues "If there's no economic exposure by the state, then it has a better chance of success," Hobbins said. Sen. Rick Bennett, R-Oxford, another top CMP critic and a bill co-sponsor, said the new proposal answers fiscal questions and confirms that the request to the Legislature to approve the consumer-owned utility is legal and legitimate. "The continuing horrors of performance by CMP and to a lesser extent Versant beg people to consider a new ownership model for this critical infrastructure," Bennett said. Spokespeople for the two utilities said the government still would be involved in at least initiating their replacement. It would cost $13.5 billion to acquire both CMP's and Versant's infrastructure "with no guarantee of improved reliability or service," said utility spokesperson Catharine Hartnett. Versant spokesperson Judy Long said a takeover would threaten the state's ability "to keep pace with an evolving energy landscape." "Any initiative to introduce government-controlled power will cost Mainers a lot of money," Hartnett said. If approved, the consumer-owned utility would be a nonprofit, which means it would be tax-exempt and get low rates on loans. It would buy the transmission and distribution assets of CMP and Versant by floating its own bond, not by using a state bond. Berry said the new plan more clearly establishes how the utilities' assets would be valued and transferred. He credited a study by London Economics International done to examine how the previous bill proposal would affect Maine consumers. However, Berry initially was a vocal critic of the report, which predicted that consumers could initially face higher rates because of the cost of assets and later see lower rates as the new utility matured. A subsequent study by energy economist Richard Silkman of Competitive Energy Services predicted $9 billion in net savings over 30 years for a consumer-owned utility with savings starting immediately. A new political action committee, Our Power, also is bringing more heft to move the plan along. Berry is among the members of the group, which filed a report recently with the Maine Ethics Commission showing it has $67,250 in contributions and loans as of the end of March. On its website, Our Power says that if the Maine Legislature and the governor fail to enact legislation to create a consumer-owned utility, it "will be ready to launch a citizens' initiative to put the question to Maine voters to decide." Correction: A previous version of this story contained incorrect information from CMP about the cost to acquire the infrastructure of CMP and Versant. SAP has announced its intention to become carbon-neutral in its own operations by the end of 2023 two years earlier than previously stated. This announcement coincided with the publication of SAPs Integrated Report 2020. Last year, the company reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions more than planned, mainly due to changes in the way its 100,000 employees across the world worked and traveled during the Covid-19 pandemic. A sharp decline in business flights contributed significantly to SAPs reduced carbon footprint in 2020. With employees working predominantly from home, carbon emissions caused by the daily commute and the operation of office buildings fell. As a result, SAP was able to overachieve by 43% on its target for reducing net carbon emissions in 2020, generating 135 kilotons (kt) instead of the anticipated 238 kt. By way of comparison, SAPs emissions in 2019 were 300 kt. By accelerating faster toward carbon-neutral operations, SAP anticipates the current development and underscores its role as a front-runner in climate protection. In striving to become carbon-neutral, SAP takes into account all of its direct and indirect emissions, as well as selected emissions arising in the supply chain, including those linked to business flights, business travel in rental cars and third-party data centres. The company uses the approach of first avoiding, second reducing and third compensating emissions. Whenever possible, SAP aims to avoid the creation of GHGs through a variety of business practices, such as using telecommunication technologies rather than travelling. If emissions cannot be avoided, SAP leverages innovations, such as energy-efficient lighting in offices, efficient cooling systems in data centres, and alternative mobility solutions. Lastly, SAP offsets unavoidable emissions by supporting climate projects and working with partners who meet the gold standard advanced by The Gold Standard Foundation or equivalent quality standards. In addition, SAP continuously drives new corporate initiatives, such as putting an internal carbon price on business flights. Since 2017, SAP has also been pursuing a science-based climate target certified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to make its own contribution to limiting global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels. While its zero-carbon goal applies chiefly to its own operations, SAPs science-based climate target also encompasses the upstream and downstream value chain. SAP has been using 100% renewable energy to power all of its data centres since 2014. Thanks to its green cloud, SAP can offer customers cloud solutions that are carbon-neutral. SAP supports the Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, focusing particularly on goal 13, Climate Action. Here, SAPs greatest strength lies in its ability to help its more than 400,000 customers worldwide implement climate protection measures through offerings such as the Climate 21 programme. Together with customers and partners, SAP will provide more information on solutions in this context as well as on the circular economy, holistic steering and reporting at the virtual SAP Sustainability Summit taking place on April 2829, 2021.-- Tradearabia News Service In other words, the Outback slots between the Onyx Edition XT on which its based ($35,145) and Limited XT ($37,995). At the very top of the lineup, the Touring XT starts from $39,945. As for the base specification, $26,945 excluding freight seems like a steal for a mid-sized station wagon that features crossover-like influences and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.Turning our attention back to the off-road variant, the Wilderness takes its mojo from a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The boxer-type powerplant is let down by the Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, which leaves much to be desired over a good ol automatic box.Standard equipment also includes dual-function driving modes, but Subaru charges extra for the 11.6-inch multimedia system with satellite navigation. Bundled in a package that costs $1,845, the fancy infotainment system is augmented by a power moonroof and reverse automatic braking.For the 2022 model year, all versions of the Outback feature LED fog lights at no additional cost. Premium trims of the Outback and Legacy now flaunt rear ventilation in the center console, and the Legacy Sport brings the point home with several upgrades. These include blind-spot detection with lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, as well as reverse automatic braking.As opposed to a $150 increase for the Outback compared to the 2021 model, the Legacy starts at $100 more than before. Regardless of body style, the mid-sized twins are pretty fine as daily drivers because Subaru didnt cut back on the standard equipment that matters on the long haul. In no particular order, highlights comprise Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, as well as keyless entry. We are happy to announce Origin Storage Limited and Titan Data Solutions as our new distributors in the UK, says Ken Higgins, SecureData Director of Business Development. California-based SecureData and United Kingdom-based distributors Origin Storage and Titan Data Solutions are pleased to announce a new partnership. Together, the companies will be able to better serve the United Kingdom by bringing SecureDatas award-winning hardware-encrypted USB and flash storage devices to a much broader consumer base in the United Kingdom. We are happy to announce Origin Storage Limited and Titan Data Solutions as our new distributors in the UK, says Ken Higgins, SecureData Director of Business Development. Origin has been providing storage solutions since 2001 and has an established customer base needing our SecureDrive and SecureUSB products. Titan specializes in storage solutions and cybersecurity, making them well equipped to support a growing base of customers needing encrypted storage. We see a growing demand for FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified storage devices all across the UK, and Origin and Titan are well positioned to take advantage. We look forward to a great partnership with Origin and Titan. As the demand for backup solutions and greater protection of digital assets continues to grow both in North America and Europe, this partnership will help British consumers to create a comprehensive security solution. Origins and Titans stance and prestige in the United Kingdom will allow SecureData greater access to the British market, while SecureDatas award-winning designs will bolster both entities as a reliable and trusted reseller that offers the highest quality products. SecureDatas hardware-encrypted HDD, SSD, and flash devices feature FIPS-compliant XTS AES 256-bit hardware encryption, OS- and host-independent, and anti-brute force hacking technology. The BT line of SecureDrive and SecureUSB devices also features Remote Management capabilities that allow IT administrators complete control over when, where, and by whom an unlimited number of BT drives can be accessed to protect sensitive data in the event that a drive gets lost or stolen. At a time of unprecedented risk for data leaks and ransomware attacks, data security has never been more important for private corporations, public organizations, and critical infrastructure across Europe and around the world. SecureData is compliant with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. SecureData is committed to subjecting all personal data received from European Union (EU) member countries, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland to the Privacy Shield Frameworks applicable principles. About SECUREDATA: SECUREDATA, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and with significant operations in Cleveland, Ohio. SecureData offers a range of tailored, high-level data protection capabilities through a set of services and products. These include a completely FIPS-Certified, hardware-encrypted portable data storage device product line, backup solutions, file repair software, data recovery, and digital forensics services to help clients achieve their security objectives. SecureData has a worldwide presence through its partners in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia, and South America, and serves companies and organizations in regulated industries, such as government, financial services, military, law enforcement, legal, healthcare, and education. For more information, please visit: http://www.securedata.com and http://www.securedrive.com About Origin Storage: Origin Storage is headquartered in Basingstoke, United Kingdom. It was founded in 2001 to provide hard drive solutions to computer manufacturers. It has earned a reputation in Europe as the go-to distributor for wide ranging storage solutions, encrypted drives, data security products, and more. For more information, please visit: https://www.originstorage.com/ About Titan Data Solutions: Titan Data Solutions is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It was incorporated in 2018 and supplies cybersecurity service packages and solutions with a mission to combine decades worth of experience to deliver to the channel a model of distribution that adds value, direction, and expertise to the VARS, MSPs and System Integrators around the UK. It follows a 3-2-1-1 best practice rule to supply its customers. For more information, please visit: https://titandatasolutions.com/ The Equalities Minister accused Labour MPs of trying to undermine the authors of a controversial racism report today, as she revealed they had been subjected to death threats and racial slurs. Kemi Badenoch said 'appalling abuse' had been meted out to members of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Cred) after it's report on the UK's race relations. Cred, which was set up by the Prime Minister in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, concluded that though Britain is not yet a 'post-racial society', its success should be a model for white-majority countries. Ms Badenoch clashed with senior Labour MPs in a fiery Commons clash this afternoon as she said the Government rejected 'bad faith attempts to undermine the credibility of this report'. 'The Government even more firmly condemns the deeply personal and racialised attacks against the commissioners which have included death threats, and in fact one member from the opposition benches presented commissioners as members of the Ku Klux Klan,' she added, the latter a reference to criticism by Labour's Clive Lewis. 'An example of the very online racial hatred and abuse on which the report itself recommended more action be taken by Government.' She went on: 'It is wrong to accuse those who argue for a different approach as being racism deniers or race traitors. It is even more irresponsible - dangerously so - to call ethnic minority people racial slurs like Uncle Toms, coconuts, house slaves or house n****** for daring to think differently.' Kemi Badenoch said 'appalling abuse' had been meted out to members of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Cred), as she revealed that the report authors have received death threats. Shadow equalities minister Marsha de Cordova slated the report, saying: 'Its cherry-picking of data is misleading and incoherent' Labour's Dawn Butler called the report 'gaslighting on a national scale'. The Government-commissioned report, published on March 31, said racism is a 'real force' but that Britain is no longer a country where the 'system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities'. Its chairman Dr Sewell, who was born in Brixton to Jamaican parents of the Windrush generation and founded the Generating Genius charity, said the UK had progressed into a 'successful multi-ethnic and multicultural community' and was a 'beacon to the rest of Europe and the world'. However, he was last week forced to insist that he was not denying the existence of racism in the country amid a fierce backlash from Left-wing activists and MPs including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Critics called the study a 'whitewash' after it found no conclusive evidence of institutional racism. Instead, the report said factors such as geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion were found to have more impact on life chances than racism. Clarifying the report's findings, Ms Badenoch said it did not deny the existence of institutional racism but did not find conclusive evidence of it in the areas it examined. She said the Prime Minister has established a new, inter-ministerial group to review the report's 24 recommendations, which will be chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Government is working to produce a response by the summer. But shadow equalities minister Marsha de Cordova said the report has not been discredited by bad faith actors, but by experts. She said: 'Its cherry-picking of data is misleading and incoherent, its conclusions are ideologically motivated and divisive, it is absolutely clear to all of us on this side of the House and across civil society that this report has no credibility.' And Labour's Dawn Butler called the report 'gaslighting on a national scale'. The former shadow women and equalities minister told the Commons: 'The New Age of Empire page 95 tells us exactly what is happening. This is Why I Resist by Dr Shola, page 103, explains about racial gatekeepers that Musa Okwonga from Byline Times talks about. 'And my question to the minister is, the Government briefed a clear message well in advance of this report landing. Why did the Government do that?' Responding, Kemi Badenoch said: 'I think it is disgusting that a member of this House will stand up and accuse people of being racial gatekeepers.' She added that this is 'the same nonsense we have heard time and time again' which includes 'calling people house negros and house slaves and calling them racial gatekeepers'. New US Attorney for San Francisco Bay Area Must Be Selected With Care Commentary Recently, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David Anderson left office after being asked to resign. The person who will be selected to replace him should not be in or of the San Francisco Democratic Party. The yet-to-be-appointed U.S. Attorney should also not be a member of what is commonly referred to as the city family. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California currently has a multipronged corruption investigation and prosecution into various arms of the San Francisco city government. This investigation reaches to the top of the city government, the Public Utilities Commission, the Office of Neighborhood Services, and the City Administrators Office. The prosecution also extends to multiple city contractors, such as Recology. The U.S. Justice Department should be sure to appoint a U.S. Attorney who is independent of the San Francisco political infrastructure. Vice President Kamala Harris was formerly the San Francisco District Attorney. She has many friends and allies who are attorneys in the San Francisco Bay Area. Given her close relationships with San Francisco Mayor London Breed, with former California Speaker and Mayor Willie Brown, and with the political infrastructure here, the new U.S. Attorney also should not be a close confidant of Vice President Harris. The corruption investigation that the FBI is leading and the U.S. Attorneys office is prosecuting into the San Francisco city government is extensive and far from over. How high it will reach remains unknown. Multiple cooperating witnesses are delivering evidence to federal investigators on a daily basis. All steps should be taken to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of one. The previous U.S. Attorney, Anderson, had tremendous success in the position. His office coordinated the largest methamphetamine bust in U.S. history. He led major criminal investigations into drug trafficking, pandemic-related fraud, and a wide-ranging corruption scandal involving San Franciscos city government. Anderson also initiated and led the Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin (FIT), which brought together the resources of more than 15 federal law enforcement agencies to combat endemic drug trafficking, firearms offenses, robberies, and other crime in the neighborhood. Anderson assigned 15 federal prosecutors to handle cases brought against offenders violating federal law in the neighborhood. His tenure was exceptional, and the public deserves nothing less than someone who will be as effective as he was. The people of San Francisco, of the Bay Area, and of all the counties that are included in the Northern District of California deserve a U.S. Attorney who is independent and free and clear of obstruction. This new individual should be completely removed from the political infrastructure. Anything less than that will be a great disappointment and will be unacceptable. Jim Reilly is a former DA investigator, prosecutor, and public defender. Currently he is a criminal defense and personal injury attorney in San Francisco with offices in the Law Chambers Building. He can be reached at DefenseAndInjury.com. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Bangladesh: WorldFish to improve harvest management by procuring 160,000kg fish April 20,2021 | Source: Dhaka Tribune WorldFish has initiated the process of procuring 160,000kg of fish from farmers in Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) zones as part of its response to poor harvest management amid Covid-19. The target is the betterment of poor fish farmers as well as the betterment of the aquaculture industry of Bangladesh, said speakers at a virtual program on Monday. This initiative is part of the USAID funded project, Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition Activity, which has a fund of $24.5 million. The FtF zone consists of 21 southern districts under three divisions and two other districts of Chittagong. The million-dollar project, starting on February 6, 2018, has so far invested $2.42 million in the aquaculture sector, engaging 236,530 producers, including 3.76% of women and 4.11% of youth, the keynote report read. Some 9694 farmers (77% women) were trained on Carp Mola polyculture technology, improved hygiene and nutrition practices. Fish sales earned in 2020 after using improved technology and management practices amounted to $155,213,875, the report noted. Although the project is running well despite the risks posed by Covid-19, there are challenges, such as access to finance and slow technology adoption. Some other challenges include difficulty accepting women as sellers, farmers not accustomed to supplying fish according to specifications (size, piece), poor post-harvest management, storage and processing, supporting women to achieve gender equality, said speakers at the program. The goal of the project is to achieve inclusive aquaculture sector growth through a market system approach. Md Nurul Bhuiyan, senior manager (Market Systems, Aquaculture Activity) of WorldFish said: We are trying to have good relations develop between the government and aquaculture farmers. We will continue to fulfill our duty for the betterment of the fisheries sector. Muhammad Khan, acting director of USAID Office of Economic Growth, and Maksudur Rahman, country director of USAID, spoke among others. Since the inception of this five-year project, WorldFish has been collaborating with 68 partners ranging from financial institutions, fisheries feed, input suppliers, retailers, fisheries and aquaculture machinery manufacturers at the local and national levels. Quang Ninh ranked top in both PAPI and PCI rankings released last week, marking the northern coastal provinces decisive reform process within a decade. For the first time, in 2012, Quang Ninh Provinces then Party Secretary Pham Minh Chinh, who is now Vietnams Prime Minister, invited economist Tran Dinh Thien to his home. At that time, Mr. Chinh had been in that position for just over half a year and the development of Quang Ninh province had always been his concern. In the talks with Dr. Thien, Mr. Chinh pointed out the difficulties and problems of the local economy and asked for Thiens advice. A highway in Quang Ninh province. Dr. Thien replied: Quang Ninh has Ha Long Bay a world natural heritage site so it should be developed at the world level. Do you lack capital? There is a lot of money in the people and businesses, as long as there are good policies to mobilize capital from them." Thien recalled: "At that time, Mr. Chinh clapped his hands and said: I completely agree with you." Mr. Chinhs meeting with Dr. Thien was just one of a series of meetings between Quang Ninhs officials with scholars, economists, international consultants, policymakers, and entrepreneurs... to shape development ideas for Quang Ninh. Quang Ninh authorities invited the worlds leading consultants to create seven strategic plans; The philosophy of using public investment to lead investment' was developed; the new model of development turning from brown (coal mining) to green (tourism and services) was strengthened; the provincial center for public administration and the Investment Promotion and Support Board - the first reform models in Vietnam at that time was built, along with the implementation of structural and administrative reform. He always wanted to link Quang Ninh with Hai Phong to turn the Northeast region into a region of economic boom, into a competitive and integrated line, with Ha Long - Hai Phong expressway is one of those efforts," Dr. Thien said. Of course, the road of development was not always smooth. "Why are you doing this?" Once, Mr. Chinh held a conference to announce the change of Quang Ninhs development strategy from "brown" to "green", under which, the province would develop a roadmap to stop open-pit coal mining and close the mine. It was a turning point because the coal industry has always contributed nearly half of Quang Ninhs budget revenue. When the current Party Secretary of Quang Ninh Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ky - was then the chief of the Provincial Party's Office, sent letters of invitations to Quang Ninhs former leaders inviting them to the above event, they questioned Mr. Ky: For many generations, Quang Ninh has developed based on coal mining. Quang Ninh is the cradle of Vietnams coal industry and now coal mining is still the key industry. Why are you doing this?" That pressure was placed on Quang Ninhs Party Secretary. Mr. Chinh replied that all concerns are true and plausible, but if Quang Ninh only relies on coal, it cannot develop further. To promote tourism and services, it is unacceptable that many streets are dyed in black coal dust, Mr. Ky recalled. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ky Quang Ninhs Party Secretary. After the conference, not all attendees understood the new policies. "At that time, many people who were attached to the coal industry did not agree with the new development strategy because it was difficult to overcome themselves," Mr. Ky said. Since then, Quang Ninh has radically transformed into tourism and service development. The black color of coal has gradually disappeared. Investors have been invited to develop projects identified in strategic plans. In late 2011, Quang Ninhs Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Thanh was assigned to organize Quang Ninhs investment promotion conference called "Convergence and diffusion". Mr. Thanh was very worried because almost all Government members had registered to attend and the guest list was over 1,000 people. The event was a great success, attracting a total committed capital of VND30 trillion and it attracted strategic investors to the province, especially in Van Don. The trump cards Mr. Thanh said that Party Secretary Pham Minh Chinh invited many leaders of the Party, the National Assembly and the Government to tour Van Don on a boat. Amid immense rivers, he passionately presented the plan to develop this island. However, Quang Ninh had no resources, nor did it ask for money from the central budget. Accompanying Mr. Chinh during such trips, Mr. Thanh was very worried about the resources to develop Van Don. But the main ace appeared. At the Quang Ninh investment promotion conference in 2012, Sun Group Chairman said that he had visited Ha Long no fewer than 10 times before, but had not intended to invest in Van Don at all. Until that investment promotion conference, he felt confident and committed to invest in Quang Ninh," Mr. Thanh said. Quang Ninh authorities invited guests to the groundbreaking ceremony of Van Don international airport on March 27, 2015. This was the first time in history that a private corporation was permitted to build an international airport in Vietnam when the highest legal framework was at the decree level. However, just two days earlier, the central government did not approve that policy. Van Don International Airport. Photo: Pham Cong Mr. Thanh and Mr. Chinh were very sad and immediately went to Van Don. Mr. Thanh said: We turned our face up to the sky and saw dark clouds. So we revoked the letters of invitation for the reason of bad weather. Thankfully, just a few weeks later, the project resumed. Now VanDon international airport has been put into operation, and the expressway connecting Van Don with Ha Long has opened. Another expressway connecting Van Don and Mong Cai is expected to be completed by year end. The once forgotten island will be connected to the mainland, on sea, and in the air by world-class works. Other imprints In early 2015, Vu Thi Kim Chi, a departmental officer in Quang Ninh, made an important decision. After an overseas training course, she silently drafted an administrative reform project. At that time, Quang Ninh had been organizing exams to select officials, but Chi was still shy to apply. Chis colleagues had to convince her to submit her project to the exam organizing board. The exam that year was chaired by Quang Ninhs Party Secretary Pham Minh Chinh. "The Party Secretary asked a lot of difficult questions, both detailed and overall," Chi recalled. She passed the exams to become Deputy Head of Quang Ninhs Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) - a very special agency at that time. Officials of Quang Ninh IPA, with its head - the provincial Chairman - closely followed every step of investors in order to promptly help them solve any problems. Chi's project was later developed into the department and district competitive index (DDCI) of Quang Ninh. Chi recalled that at first the launch of a local competitiveness index was something formidable and sensitive because it was related to the credit of local leaders. However, the provincial leaders strongly supported this and the index was published on an annual basis, posing great pressure and motivation on the system. Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, head of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)s Legal Department, speaks at the ceremony to release the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2020. Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, head of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)s Legal Department, said: "The evaluation and announcement of DDCI by Quang Ninh authorities has promoted the monitoring of enforcement, expressing the desire to listen to the voice of enterprises." Chi is one of a series of young officials in Quang Ninh who were promoted through exams. Those who are young, enthusiastic, dare to think, dare to do, and dare to take responsibility are empowered, and promoted and this has helped promote the entire system to move for the benefit of people and businesses. The DDCI model has been replicated in 40-50 provinces and cities nationwide. Champion of reform These stories are just a few highlights of the change in many aspects, from thinking, institutions, infrastructure, the attitude of the local government... which all target to build the trust of people and businesses. Last week, Quang Ninh ranked first in both the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) and Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) rankings. Quang Ninh was ranked top in the 2020 PAPI report, which offers an overview of provinces performance through measuring the satisfaction of their citizens, with an aggregate dimensional performance score of 48.881. It ranked first in three criteria of transparency in local decision-making (6.5 points), control of corruption in the public sector (8.29 points) and public service delivery (7.71 points). The announcement ceremony for PCI 2020. Quang Ninh also took the lead in the country in terms of the PCI for four straight years due to its reform efforts. The PCI 2020, which is a joint effort between VCCI and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), ranked Vietnams 63 cities and provinces based on the quality of economic governance based on 10 key sectors that affect private sector development. Quang Ninh obtained a PCI score of 75.09 based on a survey of 10,700 private domestic businesses and 1,600 foreign-invested enterprises, up 2.69 points against 2019. It is the sole locality among 63 provinces and cities nationwide to surpass 75 points in this year's ranking. Particulary, Quang Ninh saw a year-on-year significant growth in some component indexes such as Cost of Market Entry (increase by 0.56 points), Access to Land (increase by 0.12 points), Cost of Time (increase by 0.64 points), Labor Training (increase 0.46 points), Business Support Services (increase by 0.9 points), Legal Institutions and Security (increase 0.18 points). In addition, many other indexes continue to retain their scores and far exceed the localities behind in the list. This result reflected local people's confidence in the government as well as the increasing appreciation from the business community and investors towards the governance and management of Quang Ninh government, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic and countless challenges. These are the sweet fruits that have been harvested after a decade of outstanding thinking and persistent action. However, Quang Ninhs Party Secretary Nguyen Xuan Ky still has a lot of concerns. Coal still contributes up to 40% of the provincial budget revenue; the 'industrial' pillar that Mr. Chinh outlined nearly a decade ago has not been given adequate attention; and tourism and services-based economy revealed many difficulties under the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, Mr. Chinh said that by 2020, Quang Ninh would become one of the poles of comprehensive economic growth in the North of Vietnam. This has come true thanks to the determined reform process of everyone, Mr. Ky said. Recently, Mr. Tran Dinh Thien quietly returned to Van Don. After the blockade at the beginning of the year, Van Don airport now only serves two flights a day, and key projects on the island have had to be temporarily ceased. But Mr. Thien still believes that with its complete transportation system and determination and vision of the current young leaders, Van Don will come alive after the pandemic. Tu Giang - Lan Anh Quang Ninh Province awakens From mainly relying on coal mining, Quang Ninh rose to become a rich province through the development of tourism and services. But the Covid-19 pandemic has helped Quang Ninh "wake up" and realize its "Asin's heel". STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New research published by the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice found substantial racial disparities in criminal convictions over the past four decades a finding that analysts say sheds light on the need for further conversations surrounding criminal justice reform. While the study acknowledges that steps have been made to reduce the negative impact of the criminal justice system by shrinking the effect of disproportionate policing on Black and Latino communities, the researchers said that less attention has been paid to addressing how decades of higher enforcement rates lead to criminal records that can present hurdles for people attempting to get a job or housing. Theres been a lot of job loss, a lot of disruption in communities around the city, said Erica Bond, policy director of DCJ. People are trying to make their way back, economically, and we do know there is evidence that criminal conviction records impact peoples livelihoods and their ability to find housing and really meet their basic needs. Millions of criminal records--the vast majority misdemeanors--were created in New York City over the last four decades. pic.twitter.com/bUaL67cQjI Data Collaborative for Justice (@dataforjustice) April 14, 2021 The massive analysis, funded by Trinity Church Wall Street, tracked 10,844,240 arrests in New York City between 1980 and 2019 that resulted in 3,354,166 criminal convictions for 745,924 people. The vast majority of those convictions around 78% were misdemeanors, while the rest were felonies. The most common misdemeanor charges were listed in an other category that includes turnstile jumping, loitering and prostitution, followed by drug sale and possession charges. The most common charge category for felonies were drug cases making up 43.5% of all felony convictions. Between 1990 and 2019, 53.9% of all convictions involved Black people and 32.7% involved Latino individuals, presenting a stark disparity in convictions by race. In NYC, there are nearly 750,000 people who now carry criminal conviction records -- 4 in 10 have a single conviction on their record. pic.twitter.com/KfGfS6VyhN Data Collaborative for Justice (@dataforjustice) April 14, 2021 Because there was so much enforcement in the earlier period of our study period, a lot of these charges are going to be older charges from a time when there was a lot more enforcement and a lot more enforcement of misdemeanors, specifically, said Bond. The fact that these are older charges, I think should raise questions for policymakers and the public at large as to whether individuals should continue to face the consequences associated with criminal conviction records if they have records that are old or only have one charge on those records, Bond added. The research found that 42.2% of individuals with a criminal record had only one conviction with another 16.1% having only two convictions. Nearly two-thirds of people with a conviction have not been convicted of a new crime in the past decade, the study said. As conversations about addressing long-standing racial inequities in our criminal legal system continue in and beyond New York City, a datadriven understanding of these disparities is critical, said Preeti Chauhan, director of the Data Collaborative for Justice. DCJs research shows that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, mostly Black and Latinx people and people over the age of 45, have criminal conviction records that are largely made up of misdemeanors and convictions over 10 years old, Chauhan added. At a time when the city and country are working to recover from the pandemic and address racial disparities in our society, this research shines a light on a large group of people that may face additional barriers to recovery because of their criminal conviction records. Black and Latinx people comprise the majority of NY-ers with criminal conviction records, which can prevent a person from securing employment or housing. pic.twitter.com/5CkyHE7uQ8 Data Collaborative for Justice (@dataforjustice) April 14, 2021 BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, IMMIGRATION STATUS A criminal conviction can cause people to meet hurdles when applying for jobs and housing and could affect immigration status, the DCJ report shows. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the agency that operates public housing in the five boroughs, performs criminal background checks on all applicants before offering available apartments. A Class B misdemeanor, which includes fifth-degree marijuana possession, can cause a person to be barred from living in public housing for three years, the report indicates. Class A, B or C felonies could lead to a six-year ban. Those barriers also may affect families, since a person may also be barred from living with relatives already residing in public housing. And, while housing providers are not legally able to adopt policies to refuse people on the basis of criminal convictions, they are able to ask about those convictions and use that information to make a determination on whether or not to offer housing. Similarly, with employment, while there are some protections that are in place to ensure there isnt discrimination against folks with criminal conviction records, there are cases where barriers can be put in place to employment, said Chauhan. One recent study, conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, even quantified the effect of previous convictions on an individuals earnings. The research found that people convicted of a misdemeanor have their annual earnings cut by an average of 16% with that number raising to 22% for felonies. Foundational analyses about criminal convictions and racial disparities can ensure that any subsequent criminal justice reforms produce racially equitable outcomes, said Susan Shah, managing director of Racial Justice in Trinity Church Wall Streets Grants and Mission Investing department. We cannot afford to overlook the fact that thousands of Black and Latinx New Yorkers are facing perpetual punishment because they have a record; we are talking about a lifetime of blocked opportunities when it comes to basic needs like housing, added Shah. While recent marijuana legislation in New York decriminalizes possession of up to three ounces of marijuana for adults over the age of 21 and also automatically expunges previous records for people with convictions that are no longer illegal under the new laws, disproportionate drug policing particularly in Black and brown communities will still leave many with lasting criminal records that can present fiscal impediments. In line with some state legislatures that have introduced clean slate laws that enable people to have their previous convictions cleared, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) recently introduced legislation that would enable New Yorkers to clear their criminal record once they become eligible. A criminal conviction shouldnt be a life sentence to second-class status, but for many of our friends, neighbors, family members and fellow New Yorkers, thats exactly what it is, said Myrie. PUNE, India, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brandessence Market Research has published a new report on HIS, According to Study "Global Hospital Information System (HIS) Market is valued at USD 14.70 Billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 48.35 Billion by 2027 with a CAGR of 12.65% over the forecast period". During Covid-19 pandemic, there is positive impact on hospital information system market over the forecast period. Hospital information systems empower clinical professionals to assess and analyze patients, e-prescribes drugs and therapies and recognizes changes in their ailments through remote consultations. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic is giving huge opportunities to hospital information system because of social distancing is only solution developed for minimizing exposure of COVID-19. In such manner, telemedicine addresses an attractive, powerful, and reasonable choice. Also, this innovation is of basic significance in keeping healthcare providers safe. Get Sample of Report@ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/1511 Key Players for Global Hospital Information System Market Report: Some major key players for global hospital information system report cover prominent players GE Healthcare, Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Practice Fusion, Inc. McKesson Corporation, All Scripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Cerner Corporation, Epic Systems, Computer Sciences Corporation, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare and others. Global Hospital Information System Market Rapidly evolving healthcare facilities, data analyst in healthcare information system industry, increasing government funds and initiatives from private and public sectors are anticipated to drive the growth of global hospital information system market. Hospital information system (HIS) is exceptionally organized information system which is utilized to monitor, record and managing of clinic related activities like finance, organization, documentation, and planning. The objective of hospital information system is to improving the quality of medical care, to remove duplications strategies, staff efficiency, to eliminate duplications of strategies and advancing the local area health. Hospital information system is extensive software for recording of all financial, remedial, and the management data. This data in hospital information system is circulated among the respective departments and reduces the lead time for communication between the departments. Hospital information system likewise expands the quality and patient satisfaction. Hospital information system can make the different records which make the management to get overview effectively and make key arrangements likewise within less time Hospital information system depends on the clinical records and patient - flow. Hospital information system (HIS) expands productivity of the information; reduce the errors and time consumed for documentation. The significance of hospital information system is to generate updates, maintaining the manageability, decision making in the pathways, interdepartmental access and information introduction. Hospital information system is a group of software which gathers the information from particular departments and stores in the server. This stored information is interpreted utilizing various devices and utilized for making the essential choices. Hospital information system is a software, it is not difficult to gathers the information and store that information. Rapidly Evolving Healthcare Facilities Drives The Global Hospital Information System Market Growth The major factors driving the growth of global hospital information system are rapidly evolving healthcare facilities. Recently developed clinical information software can address wide scope of issues going from information storage to information management. Numerous medical care cloud programming like EHR systems, EMR systems, e-prescribing, hospital telemetry system, remote medical care, has demonstrated its effectiveness in managing tremendous information and giving exact results. Besides, medical care software is additionally used to analyze patient data. Accordingly, developing applications of software in hospitals has significantly helped the segmental development. In addition, data analyst in healthcare information system industry drives the market growth. The principle drivers of health information systems are Data examination; the medical care industry continuously creates information. Cooperative consideration Patients regularly need to medicines from various medical services suppliers. At that point the medical services information analysis can improve patient care. This in accordingly is driving the interest of Healthcare Information System (HIS) market during the conjecture time frame 2020-2025. Furthermore, increasing government funds and initiatives from private and public sectors also drives the hospital information system market. Increasing government funds and initiatives from the private and public sector around the globe and rapid technological advancements, rising healthcare cost and changing world demographic have forced the government to enhance the healthcare. Fast advancement in medical services system combined with elements such as rising interests in clinical policies are driving clinics to adopt effective and safe hospital information systems to support the consistency of medical care procedures. However, high maintenance cost and requirement of skilled staff to operate may hamper the market growth. In spite of that, rapid digitalization in healthcare sectors can offer more opportunities for the further growth of the global hospital information system in forcaste period. Get Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/1511 News: iMDsoft announces Dedalus as their Channel Partner in Australia and New Zealand for MetaVision Clinical Information System, iMDsoft's best of class product suite April 20th, 2021: iMDsoft Ltd. also, Dedalus had announced their Channel Partner Agreement, approving Dedalus to distribute MetaVision licenses and administrations, and support clients in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). iMDsoft chose Dedalus ANZ as their Channel Partner because of their capacity to provide the most high level of service for advanced medical services products and their demonstrated record as a leader in managing clinical and intense care arrangements in huge scope private and public medical services associations. Through its Channel Partner program, iMDsoft accomplices with driving medical care innovation organizations all throughout the globe, allowing implementing and supporting MetaVision solutions for basic consideration, sedation (perioperative) and intense care units at local clinics in their regions. North America is Expected to Dominate the Global Hospital Information System Market In North America, hospital information system market is probably going to lead in the development line of the global market. The development is attributed to favorable government policies, rapid digitalization in the healthcare system and well-established healthcare infrastructure. Hospital information systems has gone through a significant change fundamentally because of the government's push to digitalize medical care, from different activities to build the appropriation of electronic health records (EHR) to expanding investments in the healthcare information exchange systems. In US, expanding medical services use demonstrates helpful for the nation market development. The U.S. government spends USD 3.5 trillion on medical care services and public health activities. For instance, In July 2017, Mackenzie Health dispatched another electronic medical record (EMR) I in Canada which is carried out in a joint effort with Epic, the product is the main full-suite Epic EMR to be introduced in a Canadian hospitals. Asia Pacific is projected to be the quickest developing hospital information system market during the forecast period. In Asia Pacific include the acceptance and demand for high end medical infrastructure in the region is major factors that would drive the market growth. Fast adoption of digitization in medical services by the arising economies is also adding to the growth. The arising economies, like India and China, are the most rewarding markets because of the rising old population, expanding patient pool, and improving medical services offices. According to OECD report, the share of population aged over 65 years is expected to double to reach and on average 27.6% in 2050, whereas between 2015-2050 , the share of population aged over 80 years is expected to triple reach 10.2% in high income Asia-Pacific countries . Besides, the rising awareness about these systems and their developing significance combined with the strong government projects and policies is projected to support the development. Global Hospital Information System Market Segmentation: Global hospital information system is segmented on the basis of product, delivery, application, end-user & country level. Based upon product, the hospital information system market is divided into electronic health record, electronic medical record, clinical decision support, and e-prescribing, personal health records and other. Based upon delivery mode, the market is divided into cloud-based, web-based and on-premises. Based on the application, the hospital information system is classified into immunization database, clinical repository, billing, claim and reimbursement, inventory management and other. Based on end-user, the market is classified into hospitals, pharmacy, diagnostic centers and clinics and other. By Product: Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record Clinical Decision Support E-prescribing Personal Health Records Other By Delivery: Cloud-based Web-based On-premises By Application: Immunization Database Clinical Repository Billing Claim and reimbursement Inventory Management Other By End-user: Hospitals Pharmacy Diagnostic centers and clinics Other Hospital Information System Market by Regional & Country Level: North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. France Germany Italy Asia Pacific China Japan India Southeast Asia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa GCC Africa Rest of Middle East and Africa Get Detailed Analysis: https://brandessenceresearch.com/healthcare/hospital-information-system-market Other Trending Reports on Covid-19 Pandemic. 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Website: https://industrywatchnews.com/ Article: https://businessstatsnews.com Media contact: Mr. Aniket Patil Email: aniket@brandessenceresearch.com Email: vishal@brandessenceresearch.com Corporate Sales: +44-2038074155 Asia Office: +91-7447409162 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1392316/BEMR_Logo.jpg Motivating Factors The first factor in support of the CPTPP is that President Joe Biden personally wants to revive it because he was responsible for first drafting its strong implementation when he was the Vice President of the United States during the term of Mr. Barack Obama. President Joe Biden was very much involved in shaping the terms for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), and once during a debate in Detroit in January 2019, with his democratic opponents, he said that he would renegotiate the TPP once he became the president. During the election, President Joe Biden told the Council on Foreign Relations that although the TPP is not a perfect agreement, it is a good way for countries to come together to curb the excesses being inflicted by China. Therefore, it is clear that President Joe Biden wants very much to pursue his earlier intended plans for the TPP to be renegotiated once again on fresh terms. Even if he does not bring back the US into a TPP deal, he may support it. President Joe Biden would also like to keep his promise to his US voters and leave a possible opening for renegotiating to once again rejoin the CPTPP. The second factor is that the features of the CPTPP are essentially very close to the original TPP, minus some 22 articles directly related to the US in it being suspended from the agreement, and being able to rejoin if the US chooses to participate. Therefore, there are no legal obstacles in the contents for the US to return to the CPTPP. The CPTPP is also evaluated by all parties involved in the negotiation and signing is fair and mutually beneficial to all members. If America rejoins, they will have a key role in accelerating progress, transforming and raising the level of the TPP as a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which could create a framework for international economic cooperation across the globe. Therefore, the US cannot ignore the benefits that CPTPP will bring to the US when the 22 TPP provisions that still prevail in the CPTPP are reconsidered. The third factor is that the CPTPP as an open free trade agreement has increased the prospects of expanding to include the UK, South Korea, Thailand, and many other countries. On 1 February this year, the UK Trade Minister Liz Truss officially proposed to his Japanese and New Zealand counterparts to join the CPTPP. This move means the UK can become the first country to officially register to participate in the CPTPP. Again in January this year, the South Korean government announced that it would make efforts to join the CPTPP. Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia have also expressed their interest in joining the CPTPP. Pressure from China The CPTPP is being very closely watched by China. In May 2020, the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang addressed the National People's Congress to say that China was maintaining a positive and open attitude towards CPTPP. At the 27th APEC online conference in November 2020, the Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed that he would actively consider joining the CPTPP and that China had already started informal negotiations with CPTPP participants. Therefore, in the future, the CPTPP is likely to surpass TPP and the return of the US to actively participate may be a necessary choice for the US so as to successfully pivot Asia-Pacific strategy, contribute towards economic growth, and ensure free navigation in the East Sea. This dynamic has intensified in the context of the China led Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which was signed in November 2020. The world's largest economy, with ten ASEAN countries and five other countries in the Pacific, including China, South Korea, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, account for about 30% of the world's population and 30% of global GDP. It is also important to reiterate that in 2020, the US democratic party of President Joe Biden declared they would not negotiate any new trade deals before improving US competitiveness at home. This message showed that the possibility of rejoining the CPTPP for the US, under President Joe Bidens administration will not happen quickly, but perhaps inevitably in coming time. When this happens, it will bring more opportunities for the US to build economic alliances in the region and also help curb China in its self-nationalist moves in many ways. Dr. Nguyen Minh Phong SALEM, Ore. Oregon OSHA announced Monday that it has levied another set of fines against businesses found in violation of the state's coronavirus mandates, this time stemming from two locations of the hardware chain Lowe's Home Improvement. The locations in Redmond and Albany received citations totaling $35,600 after inspections in response to multiple complaints, OSHA said. Inspectors said that supervisors at both locations were "fully aware" of Oregon's requirements on face coverings, but decided against requiring them in-store. RELATED: Bill providing further workplace whistleblower protections passes Oregon Senate in party-line vote It is not enough to leave the protection of employees in the hands of cooperative customers, said Michael Wood, administrator for Oregon OSHA. As most employers recognize, they must take appropriate steps to ensure that the rules in place are actually followed. When an employer is not prepared to take such steps, we can and will use our enforcement tools to address the issue. OSHA said that both stores failed to require that customers wear face coverings, prompting fines of $17,500 for each. The Redmond location was also cited for failing to develop a complete risk assessment for potential employee exposure to COVID-19, and did not implement an infection control plan. Each of those violations carried a penalty of $300. As in all previous cases, employers have 30 days to appeal citations. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 2.00 am ET Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics releases UK labor market data for February. The jobless rate is forecast to rise to 5.1 percent in three months to February from 5 percent in the preceding period. Ahead of the data, the pound held steady against its major rivals. The pound was worth 1.3998 against the greenback, 151.47 against the yen, 1.2803 against the franc and 0.8615 against the euro as of 1:55 am ET. 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. Kerala: Farmers call for steps to protect pokkali rice cultivation April 20,2021 | Source: The Hindu Pokkali farmers have reiterated their demand that the district administration and the Agriculture Department should do what is needed to protect the unique rice farming system following an order from the High Court of Kerala. The Pokkali Samrakshana Samithi, working to protect the practice of pokkali rice cultivation, said in a statement that facilities should be put in place to drain saltwater from the pokkali fields to prepare them for rice cultivation in June as the monsoon sets in. The Samithi said the crop calendar, with the one-fish-one-rice cycle, should be maintained and that shrimp culture could not be allowed throughout the year. The Samithi said that with aquaculture gaining dominance, rice cultivation had been abandoned and that it had become impossible to continue with pokkali rice cultivation. The High Court had issued an order that the fields should be drained following a petition filed by pokkali farmer Manjadiparambil Chantu, said the Samithi. The pokkali rice cycle is between April 15 and November 15. The remaining period was used for shrimp and fish culture, which mutually supported each other, said Francis Kalanthungal of the Samithi. He said the cycle had been upset over several seasons and the pokkali rice cultivation faced the threat of being totally wiped out. 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama's largest city will issue blanket pardons for more than 15,000 people with misdemeanour marijuana convictions dating back to 1990, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said Tuesday. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama's largest city will issue blanket pardons for more than 15,000 people with misdemeanour marijuana convictions dating back to 1990, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said Tuesday. The pardons, linked to city court cases, are automatic, Woodfin said in an announcement made on April 20, a day that many associate with marijuana use. Many people have a hard time finding work because of drug convictions, and Woodfin said the move would allow them to rejoin the workforce and provide for their families. "Heres why were doing this no one should be held up by a single past mistake. No one should be denied job opportunities or freedoms due to missteps from the past," he said in a statement. The pardons will eliminate convictions for marijuana possession from criminal records from 1990 through 2020 but do not affect pending cases, said a news release. A pardon also does not cancel fines, fees or other costs linked to a marijuana conviction. The announcement by Woodfin, a Democrat, came as the Alabama Democratic Party said it would support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and medical use in the state. Legislative committees have approved a Republican-backed bill allowing marijuana for medical uses, putting the measure in line for a key vote in the Alabama House. Rep. Chris England, the chair of the state Democratic Party, said thousands of people have been "trapped" in the state's criminal justice system because of laws against marijuana. "Reforming policy surrounding cannabis not only serves our state in producing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues, but is an important step in reducing arrests and expunging records. Nobody should be sitting in jail for carrying a little bit of weed," he said in a statement. NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CareSimple, the platform simplifying remote patient monitoring (RPM) for virtually all patients, today announced that Jamie Condie, former president, BD USA and Canada, has joined the company's board of directors. He brings to the role extensive healthcare leadership, sales and marketing experience, knowledge that he has gained from his 20 plus years working in the sector. Jamie Condie recently retired as president, BD USA and Canada, where he was responsible for spearheading strategy and growth. Other positions at the multinational medical technology company include serving as the vice president and general manager of Diagnostic Systems, Infection Prevention and Management and Diagnostic Systems, Molecular Diagnostics/GeneOhm divisions. He joined BD in 2002 as the director of the diabetes business, becoming president of BD, Canada in 2004. Previously, Jamie held key senior positions in sales, marketing, operations and finance at tier-one consumer packaged goods companies with responsibilities for both domestic and international markets. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University in Montreal. "The CareSimple team is thrilled to welcome Jamie Condie to our board of directors as we're poised for strong growth in this booming market projected to surpass $100B by 2025," said Michel Nadeau, CEO and chairman of CareSimple. "Jamie's impressive background serving in a leadership position at medical technology company BD, coupled with his deep sales and marketing knowledge, are the perfect complement to our team to help manage our growth. We look forward to leveraging his extensive medical device expertise and network as we solidify our roadmap for expanding our remote patient monitoring footprint in North America and overseas." CareSimple's reputation for simplifying RPM is accomplished by removing many of the technical challenges commonly found with remote care models and provisioning technology to patients. As an end-to-end virtual care offering, the solution extends monitoring beyond traditional home health applications to highly effective population health management programs made for patients of any age, condition and socioeconomic status. In support of its mission, the organization has built a board of directors who play a prominent role in shaping the company's go to market strategy in North America. Jamie joins an esteemed group of healthcare, digital health and IT services leaders who currently make up the CareSimple board and are having a profound impact on the company's successful growth. These members include Dr. Alfons Pomp, MD FACS FRCSC, former vice-chairman of the Department of Surgery at New York Presbyterian and now medical affairs & clinical technologies at CHUM, Nina Bake, MSc, former CEO of Episurf Medical AB, now head of digital health at Telia and Frederic Dufaux, P.Eng, MBA, deputy CEO at Docaposte. "I am very excited be working with the CareSimple team as it's an organization that has a strong track record leveraging innovation as a means to simplify and enable remote patient monitoring (RPM)," said Jamie Condie. "I believe the RPM category will see exponential growth over the near term driven by health systems, hospitals, physician practices and payers all seeking to improve outcomes, reduce cost and improve patient satisfaction. With its end-to-end virtual care solution, I believe that CareSimple is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this expansive market opportunity." About CareSimple CareSimple is an easy-to-use, secure, and scalable way to offer Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) to at-risk patient populations. The company's RPM platform offers an end-to-end virtual care solution that integrates into electronic health records, providing hospital systems and physician groups with software, medical devices, connectivity, logistics and professional services required to improve their population health programs with EHR-integrated RPM. CareSimple's seamless patient-to-cloud-to-EHR data transmission, smart alerts, effective engagement, and automatic documentation capabilities enable nurses and care managers to focus on patient care, and give providers a holistic view of their patients' health to help prevent costly readmissions and improve care. CareSimple is powered by highly dedicated professionals and digital health pioneers with over a decade of profound RPM experience. The organization is HIPAA compliant and operates under the rigor of its ISO 13485 Quality and ISO 27001 Security audited certifications. For more information about CareSimple, go to https://caresimple.com/. SOURCE CareSimple Minneapolis: Its spring time in America but Minneapolis didnt get the memo. Other cities in the United States, buoyed by rising temperatures and a successful coronavirus vaccine rollout, are flush with optimism. Minneapolis, meanwhile, is ashen and anxious: a city that has suffered enough and is preparing for worse to come. It was here 11 months ago that George Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee into the black mans neck for almost 10 minutes. Jerome Grant, at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, said he believed widespread violence will erupt if Derek Chauvin is acquitted. Credit:Matthew Knott This mid-sized Midwestern city - long a bastion of progressive values - suddenly became ground zero in a once-in-a-generation reckoning on race and policing. The protests started here before fanning out to New York and Seattle and Washington DC, and, eventually, to Paris and London and Sydney. Picking up where the Trump administration left off, the Biden White House has refused to drop the forced sale of the Chinese-owned social media video platform TikTok to an American company and is continuing to treat it as a matter of national security. Amid talk of aggressive push-back against Chinese economic expansion, Bidens commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, said on April 7 that reviews of TikTok and its corporate owner ByteDance are ongoing and being handled by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. A view of the TikTok app logo. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) While she would not go into any details, Raimondo said, We have to level the playing field, no one can outcompete the American worker if the playing field is level, adding, Chinas actions are uncompetitive, coercive, underhanded, they have proven they will do whatever it takes, and so I plan to use all the tools in my toolbox as aggressively as possible to protect American workers and businesses from unfair Chinese practices. Raimondos reference to American workers is a ploy and has nothing to do with ensuring jobs and decent living standards for the working class in the US. Far from it, the Biden administration is utilizing the extensive connections between the Democratic Party and the AFL-CIO and other labor unions in a reactionary anti-Chinese propaganda campaign that is aimed at lowering the living standards of American workers such that US-based corporations can more effectively compete in the world markets. When asked by reporters specifically about forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok, Raimondo refused to directly answer, saying, what we do on offense is more important than what we do on defense. With the overtones clear, the Biden administration is seeking to mobilize the American public behind a military confrontation with China. On April 12, it was reported that the Commerce Department needed more time to review the plan for a sale of TikTok to Oracle and Walmart that was worked out during the final months of the Trump administration. The original proposal ran into multiple legal challenges and reports that the Chinese government was in favor of shutting down the service in the USkeeping it running in the rest of the worldrather than having it sold off in a fire sale to Wall Street. The Trump administration initially issued a series of executive orders banning TikTok and other Chinese-based apps last summer after both Democrats and Republicans in Congress said the video-sharing app posed a national security threat and should be not be used by US federal employees on government-owned devices. Secretary of State Pompeo went on Fox News on July 7 and claimed that sensitive consumer information was going straight into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, without providing a shred of evidence to prove the assertion. The Biden administration has done nothing to either substantiate the accusation or dispel the falsehood about the passage of sensitive data from Americans going straight into the servers of the Chinese government. Such claims have been denied by TikTok executives all along. A statement published by American offices of the platform in Los Angeles stated at the time, TikTok US user data is stored in Virginia and Singapore, with strict controls on employee access. These are the facts. On March 22, the Wall Street Journal published the results of a study by the University of Toronto cybersecurity group Citizen Lab which found that the underlying code of TikTok poses no national security threat to the US. The Journal report says, Citizen Lab, which releases regular reports on censorship and surveillance by Chinese social media apps, found no evidence of overtly malicious behavior after a technical analysis of TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. The researchers found that the TikTok algorithm that learns what kind of videos users like to watch is no more invasive than Facebook when it comes to data collection. The Citizen Lab research also found that neither the Android nor iOS version of the software appeared to collect contact lists, or record or send photos, videos, and location data without user permission. The data collectedsuch as device information that can be used to identify and track users when they are not logged into the app and in-app behavior such as likesis comparable to the practices of other major social media platforms All of these facts did not stop a group of Republican Party lawmakers headed by the fascist supporter Josh Hawley (Republican from Missouri) from reintroducing legislation to ban the use of the TikTok app on federal government devices based on national security issues. The No TikTok on Government Devices Act, which was unanimously passed by the Senate last August, is now moving forward in the House of Representatives. Recognizing an opportunity to win enthusiastic support from the Democratsincluding the Biden White Housefor a complete ban of TikTok in the US, Hawley said, TikTok is a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party that has no place on government devicesor any American devices, for that matter. My bill is a straightforward plan to protect American government data from a hostile foreign power. The Biden administration announced an abeyance on the plans for the sale of TikTok to Oracle and Walmart in mid-February so that it could revisit the issue. Part of the administrations review is devoted to the lawsuits filed to block the sale and the complicated arrangements between the current owners of TikTokincluding the billionaire ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming and the American private equity investment groups General Atlantic and Sequoia Capitaland the interagency of the Commerce and Securities called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS). A new deadline of June 11 has been set by the Commerce Department to release a plan for the financially valuable and highly popular short-form video platform in the US. In 2020, TikTok surpassed Facebook as the number-one downloaded app on both Android and iOS devices, and it hit the 2.5 billion download milestone earlier this year. TikTok is valued at $180 billion and ByteDance is estimated at $250 billion. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/20/2021 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Clara Berghaus has explained her frustrations about not having sex with Ryan Oubre well over a month into their marriage.During the April 14 episode of : Unfiltered, Clara, MAFS expert Pastor Calvin Roberson and MAFS star Haley Harris watched back a Season 12 clip of Clara rating her marriage to Ryan "a 10 out of 10" despite not having consummated their marriage yet."We're still taking things slow," Clara explains to Pastor Cal in the clip, as if she's fine with it.But then footage flashes back to Clara unloading her frustrations on Haley, Virginia Coombs Briana Myles and Paige Banks about Ryan waiting to establish trust and a strong emotional connection before having sex."I don't get it!" Clara complains to the girls. "I get you off every f-cking night, [and I get nothing]."Clara subsequently confirms to Pastor Cal she wouldn't be happy in her marriage to Ryan long-term if things stayed the same in the intimacy department.When asked to reveal her thoughts on that clip, Clara shared, "Am I frustrated in the moment? A little bit, yeah, don't get me wrong.""But I think I'm allowed to be frustrated in the moment. But I'm also a diva and everybody knows that! I've been like that my whole life," Clara continued with a laugh."But at the end of the day, is this something that is going to make or break my marriage? No."Clara insisted the lack of sex in her marriage after the one-month mark wasn't negatively affecting her, although she appeared to be angry and hurt about Ryan's reluctance to take their relationship to the next level on multiple occasions."Because we haven't taken one final step does not mean we're not intimate," Clara clarified on Unfiltered."We are so raw and emotional and connected and on the same page that we are wildly intimate with each other."Pastor Cal reasoned of the pair's relationship, "I don't think that they have a sexless marriage. If you guys can establish that kind of sexual intimacy outside of just intercourse, my God, we couldn't ask for any more than that!"Clara also said she stands by her "10 out of 10" marriage rating, even after her discussion with Pastor Cal that may have opened her eyes a little bit to potential problems in her marriage."At this point in my marriage, yeah, I'm going to keep it at a 10 out of 10. For where we are, how long we have been together, what our minor issues are, yeah, I would say we're a 10 out of 10," Clara gushed.Haley admitted she and husband Jacob Harder weren't communicating in their relationship as well as Ryan and Clara seemed to be."When I think about telling how I'm feeling, I usually hold it in because I try to think how the other person is going to feel when I give them news that they don't want to hear," Haley explained."So yeah, I would say I definitely hold things in more so than let them out."On the April 7 broadcast of Unfiltered when Ryan was a guest, he told host Jamie Otis of having sex with Clara for the first time, "I don't know if there is, like, a perfect moment I'm looking for or anything like that.""I think it's just kind of when we both feel the moment is right ."Ryan insisted he was trying to improve the intimacy in his marriage despite sex being off the table and only "time and getting to know each other" could bring him closer to Clara sexually."I think [Clara] has done a great job of expressing how she feels. If there's one thing that Clara doesn't do, she doesn't hide how she feels and she lets me know how she feels all the time," Ryan said."I feel like for me, personally, I had a good level or sense of her frustration , for sure."Clara has gushed on 's twelfth season that her relationship with Ryan is the best one she's ever been in, however, she has expressed concern over Ryan never saying "I love you" to a woman before and whether her strong feelings for Ryan would ever be reciprocated."I don't want to rush it, but I don't want to be married to a man who can't say 'I love you' ever, ever, ever. That's not what I want in a marriage ," Clara cried in a confessional.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group or click here to view our newspage!And click here for more updates on former cast members and info on where they are now! Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/19/2021 -- The report "Water Treatment Systems (PoE) Market by technology (Water Softeners, Filtration Methods, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation Systems, Disinfection Methods and Others), by Application (Residential and Non-Residential) - Global Forecast to 2020", defines and segments the water treatment systems (PoE) market with analysis and forecasting of global revenue. It also identifies the driving and restraining factors of the market with analysis of trends, opportunities, and challenges. The water treatment systems (PoE) market is projected to reach USD 5.69 Billion by 2020, with a projected CAGR of 8.52%, from 2015 to 2020. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=85121176 The segmentation considered for this report is based on technology, application, and region. On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, distillation systems, disinfection methods, filtration methods, and others. The filtration method segment is projected to witness the highest growth based on technology between 2015 and 2020. The applications of water treatment systems (PoE) include residential and non-residential. The residential segment accounted for the largest share of the total water treatment systems (PoE) market in 2014. The water treatment systems (PoE) market is projected to register a CAGR of 8.52% from 2015 to 2020. Factors such as increasing water contamination, growing awareness about the importance of clean drinking water, and increasing construction activities drive the water treatment systems (PoE) market. However, high equipment cost acts as a restraint for the market. Scarcity of clean drinking water in developing and under-developed regions provides an opportunity to the water treatment systems (PoE) market to grow even further. Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=85121176 Leading players in the water treatment systems (PoE) market include 3M Company (U.S.), Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Pentair plc (U.K.), Calgon Carbon Corporation (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), and Best Water Technology AG (Austria). One of the main strategies adopted by these companies is new product developments. The requirements of manufacturers to adhere to the standards set by governments for water treatment systems make it essential for them to continually invest in research & development activities for innovative solutions. Companies are adopting inorganic growth strategies such as acquisitions to cope with the increasing demand for water treatment systems (PoE) in key emerging markets. These strategies have helped companies to create a large customer and partner base in key markets. Scope of the Report : This research categorizes the water treatment systems (PoE) market based on technology, application, and region. On the basis of technology, the water treatment systems (PoE) market has been segmented as follows: - Water softeners - Reverse osmosis systems - Distillation systems - Disinfection methods - Filtration methods - Others (adsorption and electrolysis) On the basis of application, the water treatment systems market (Point-Of-Entry) has been segmented as follows: - Residential - Non-residential - Commercial - Industrial - Healthcare - Educational Institutes - Others (stadiums, railway stations, and airports) On the basis of region, the water treatment systems market (Point-Of-Entry) has been segmented as follows: - Asia-Pacific - Europe - North America - Rest of the World (RoW) Get 10% Customization of this Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=85121176 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com The order, which took effect April 20, will allow businesses to host up to 12 special events, six more than currently permitted, within the 2021 calendar year. Events will still require a special event permit from the city and cannot last more than six days, the order says. ADVERTISEMENT The police have rescued a 15-year old girl, Aisha Jibrin, from alleged 10-year solitary confinement by her parents in Darerawa Quarters of Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State. The police said Miss Jibrin was confined to the home of her parents without proper feeding and healthcare. The police spokesperson in the state, Abdullahi Kiyawa, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said her mother, Rabi Muhammad, has been taken into custody but the father has fled. Mr Kiyawa said Miss Jibrin has been taken to the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital in Kano for medical attention. The Kano State Police Command wishes to inform members of the general public that on the 19/04/2021 at about 1100hrs, information received revealed that one Aisha Jibrin, f, 15 years old of Darerawa Quarters, Fagge LGA Kano State was solitarily confined for ten (10) years in a room by her biological parents, one Mohd Jibrin, m, and Rabi Mohd, f, of the same address inside their house without proper feeding and health care. On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, *CP Samaila Shuaibu Dikko, fsi* raised and instructed a Medical Team and a team of Detectives to proceed to the scene, rescue the victim and arrest the culprits. The teams immediately swung in to action. The victim was rescued and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano and admitted, Mr Kiyawa said. He said the case has been transferred to the Police Criminal Investigation Department for investigation on the order of the police commissioner, Mr Dikko. In another development, the widow of a former divisional police officer, Rabiu Jenta, has returned to the police in Kano a laptop computer and printer. According to the police, Mrs Jenta said at the point of death, her husband instructed that the laptop computer and the printer be handed to Gani Division, because he bought them to be used in the division. While receiving the gadgets, the commissioner prayed for the sweet repose of the soul of the deceased officer and called on others to emulate the good conduct of the widow. A Chadian army spokesman says President Idriss Deby has died, days after being re-elected to a sixth term. The army spokesman said Tuesday that Deby was killed while visiting troops on the frontline of a fight against rebels, who were reported Monday to be advancing on the Chadian capital, Ndjamena. There was no immediate confirmation of the report from the Chadian presidents office. Deby, 68, has ruled Chad since coming to power in a 1990 coup. He won 79 percent of the vote in the April 11 election, according to official results. For the first time in five decades there are now no Australian news outlets with a correspondent in the Peoples Republic of China a very sorry state of affairs. Journalist Mike Smith, from The Australian Financial Review, fled his Shanghai home late last year after he and ABC reporter Bill Birtles experienced an unacceptable level of pressure from Chinese authorities. Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by Smith to speak about his dramatic exit from China which hes written about in his new book, The Last Correspondent. Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Opinion: Young Life members should pressure their organization to be stewards of the environment Pakistan opposition has lambasted the Imran Khan-led government for its evident failure in handling the chaos and violence caused by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests across the country. As most recently, Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Sheikh Rashid Ahmed gave in to the demand of TLP including expulsion of the French ambassador, Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on April 19 said that killing of people and inciting violence was never the answer to any situation. He also questioned Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans government that has not bothered to implement the National Action Plan or even discuss the emergence of certain challenges. ANI quoted Zardari citing another media outlet saying that shedding of human blood and incitement to violence was never the answer to any situation and further recalled that history has taught the world that violence begets violence. "The real fight is about fighting against the root of the festering problem, not in just responding to the symptoms. Why has the selected government not bothered to implement the National Action Plan, or even discuss arising challenges in parliament?" Bilawal questioned. PPP chairperson also criticised the escalating violence in the country while expressing grief over the deaths of the TLP workers and the law enforcement officials as clashes continue to take eplace. According to Zardari, the violent clashes between TLP supporters and police officers that took place last week were due to the Imran Khan-led governments inability to handle the situation peacefully". Zardaris remarks came after the Pakistan police on April 18 had even opened fire at the protesting crowd in Lahore. The law enforcements clampdown led to the killing of reportedly three people along with leaving several wounded. The Pakistani government on April 14 banned the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) whose leader, Saad Rizvi had called for the expulsion of the French ambassador. As per reports, Rizvi was detained for hours after making his demands promoting anti-French sentiments and bringing thousands of TLP supporters to the streets across the nation. This triggered his supporters to flood the streets and demonstrate violently. Pakistan PM Imran Caves To Radicals The banned party, TLP has put forth five key demands including the resignation of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, expelling French ambassador to Pakistan, the release of TLP leader Syed Saad Hussain Rizvi and other workers. Even though the government initially rejected TLPs demand and halted the talks, Rashid later announced on April 20 that the government will be presenting a resolution on the expulsion of the French ambassador in the National assembly later in the day. He released a video statement elaborating that the decision was taken after the talks with TLP. "After long negotiations between the government of Pakistan and the TLP, this has been agreed that we will table a resolution in parliament today to expel French ambassador," Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said in a video recorded statement. Image credits: AP Denmark is looking to swap its unwanted AstraZeneca jabs for other coronavirus vaccines owned by other countries after ditching it entirely over blood clot fears. Meanwhile, it was announced by the Swedish Health Agency on Tuesday that Swedes under 65 who have had one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be given a different vaccine for their second dose. The announcements from the two Scandinavian countries come amid fears over very rare cases of the AstraZeneca vaccine causing blood clots in patients. Last week, Denmark completely ceased to administer the jab as part of its vaccination programme due to the possible health risk, joining The Netherlands and Norway in completely blocking its use. Denmark is looking to swap its unwanted AstraZeneca jabs for other coronavirus vaccines owned by other countries after ditching it entirely over blood clot fears. Pictured: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a visit to the vaccination center in Roskilde Congress Center, Denmark, 12 April 2021 Denmark's health minister Magnus Heunicke confirmed on Monday that discussions were taking place between Denmark and other nations over vaccine swaps. 'Here and now, we still need safe and approved vaccines. That is Pfizer and Moderna at this time,' Heunicke said, The Local reported. 'If we can arrange a swap deal with other countries whereby we send AstraZeneca vaccines to them and we get some of their Pfizer vaccines, that would naturally be interesting,' he added. Heunicke said that 'the sooner we can get the population vaccinated, the faster we can lift Denmark out of the pandemic'. The minister did not reveal the identity of the countries that Denmark has opened talks with over a potential swap, but most countries in Europe are still using the vaccine, although many have restricted which age groups it is administered to. 'It is too early to say whether we will be successful but it would certainly be of great interest for us,' Heunicke said, adding that there has already been interest shown in acquiring Denmark's vaccines by other countries. 'As there are many countries around us which have an epidemic on a completely different level to Denmark,' he said. Graphs showing Denmark's seven-day rolling average number of new daily coronavirus infections (top) and related deaths (bottom). As of Monday, Denmark has administered at total of 1.58 million Covid-19 jab doses to its almost 5.8 million population - a rate of 27.24 doses per 100 people, slightly higher than the European Union average of 25.66 per 100 people On Tuesday, Sweden announced that anyone under the age of 65 who has already been given their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine would be offered an alternative for their second dose. Sweden paused the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March after reports of rare, but serious, blood clots among people who had received that shot. It later resumed the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine, but only for people aged 65 or above. 'We have come to the conclusion that people under 65 who have already been vaccinated with AstraZeneca are recommended to receive a second dose of mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer or Moderna,' Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told a news conference. He said that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine clearly outweighed the risks for people over 65. Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, is in the midst of a third wave of the pandemic which is straining the healthcare system. The country registered 16,692 new coronavirus cases since Friday, health agency statistics showed on Tuesday, a decrease compared with 19,105 cases during the corresponding period last week. While cases have been high, the Health Agency credits the vaccination scheme for keeping the number of deaths in recent weeks relatively low. Pictured: People wait to get a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a night club which was turned into a mass vaccination center, in Stockholm, Sweden, April 16, 2021. Sweden paused the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March after reports of rare, but serious, blood clots among people who had received that shot Pictured: Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (centre) looks at Health Minister Magnus Heunicke (second-left) during a coronavirus news conference last year. Heunicke has announced Denmark is looking to swap its unwanted AstraZeneca jabs for other coronavirus vaccines owned by other countries after ditching it entirely over blood clot fears More than 265,000 people have had a vaccine shot since Friday, meaning 23.1 percent of the population above 18 have now received at least one injection. The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 37 new deaths, taking the total to 13,825. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and sometimes weeks. Sweden's death rate per capita is many times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours' but lower than in most European countries that opted for lockdowns. Denmark, meanwhile, has registered 244,067 cases on coronavirus, and as of Tuesday was registering a seven-day-rolling average of 724 new infections per-day. The country has seen a total of 2,460 total deaths, after reporting just four on Tuesday, after reporting no higher than three deaths per day since early April. As of Monday, Denmark has administered at total of 1.58 million Covid-19 jab doses to its almost 5.8 million population - a rate of 27.24 doses per 100 people, slightly higher than the European Union average of 25.66 per 100 people. Graphs showing Sweden's seven-day rolling average number of new daily coronavirus infections (top) and related deaths (bottom). In Sweden, more than 265,000 people have had a vaccine shot since Friday, meaning 23.1 percent of the population above 18 have now received at least one injection On April 14, Denmark completely ceased administering the AstraZeneca vaccine due to its possible link to very rare cases of blood clots. The decision removed the shot from Denmark's vaccination scheme and could delay the country's vaccine rollout by up to four weeks, based on previous statements by health bodies. 'The Danish Health Authority has decided to continue the vaccination against Covid-19 without the vaccine from AstraZeneca,' it said in a statement earlier this months, adding that it had not ruled out using the vaccine in the future. On April 19, Ritzau news agency reported that authorities may permit people to choose to have the vaccine. At the time of its suspension, the AstraZeneca vaccine had been given to 15.3 percent of the then-roughly one million people in Denmark who had been given a vaccination does. Pictured: A medical worker vaccinates a man against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Frederikshavn, Jutland, Denmark, April 12, 2021 - two days before the country ceased to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot fears Pictured: A map showing countries that have either suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine, or restricted its use on various age groups WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE SUSPENDED THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE? NOT SUSPENDED Austria Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czechia Hungary Latvia Luxembourg Malta Poland Romania Slovakia Slovenia SUSPENDED FOR UNDER-30s Greece United Kingdom SUSPENDED FOR UNDER-55s Belgium France SUSPENDED FOR UNDER-60s Estonia Germany Ireland Italy Portugal Spain SUSPENDED FOR UNDER-65s Finland Lithuania Sweden SUSPENDED FOR UNDER-70s Iceland SUSPENDED FOR ALL AGES Denmark The Netherlands Norway Advertisement Denmark was the first country to pause the use of the AstraZeneca jab in March amid concerns about blood clots. Several other countries followed suit though most, including Germany and France, have since resumed the use of the vaccine for older people. Denmark has also put Johnson & Johnson's vaccine on pause pending further investigations into a possible link to rare blood clot cases. The European Union's drug watchdog said earlier this month that it had found a possible link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and very rare blood clot cases. However it said the risk of dying from Covid-19 was 'much greater' than the risk of mortality from rare side effects. The regulator left it up to individual states to make their own risk assessments and decide how to administer the vaccine based on local conditions that vary widely across the bloc. The AstraZeneca vaccine is significantly cheaper than other vaccines and is easier to store as it does not require to be kept at an extremely low temperature. The concern over clots and mixed messages surrounding the vaccine are expected to affect people's willingness to take it. The European Commission is also engaged in a row with AstraZeneca over missed delivery targets. It accuses the British-Swedish company of breaking its contract and claims it is at fault for the slow start to the EU's vaccination campaign. The Commission has threatened to block exports of jabs out of the EU until the company fulfils its outstanding orders from the bloc. AstraZeneca denies breaking the contract. Denmark's decision on April 14 came as EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for a major contract extension for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccines stretching to 2023. In a sign of confidence in a company that has been a mainstay of Europe's vaccination drive so far, von der Leyen said the EU will start negotiating to buy 1.8billion doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through 2023. Von der Leyen expressed full confidence in the technology used for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is different from the technology behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. We need to focus on the technologies that have proven their worth,' von der Leyen said. Pfizer-BioNTech plans to provide the EU with an extra 50 million dozes in the 2nd quarter of this year, on top of 200 million doses already earmarked for the bloc. The deliveries will be especially welcomed by the EU's 27 member nations considering supply delays and concerns over the AstraZeneca vaccine. The European Commission currently has a portfolio of 2.3 billion doses from a half dozen companies and is negotiating more contracts. The planned negotiations with Pfizer left in the middle what the EU would do about any new contracts with AstraZeneca. The European Commission said in a statement, 'We keep all options open to be prepared for the next stages of the pandemic, for 2022 and beyond. We can, however, not comment on contractual issues.' The Tank watch is Cartier elegance embodied, a pure and precise design, an uncompromising line. From its very creation in 1917, Louis Cartier made the distinct aesthetic choice of a rectangular shape, as opposed to the round watches of his generation. The Tank was already an avant-garde piece when launched and continues to be today. The two parallel brancards are its signature. Inspired by the design of a combat vehicle viewed from above, this watch follows one clear graphic principle: the brancards were the treads, the case was the turret. For the first time with the Tank, the case attachments were aligned with the strap to maintain the rhythm of the design. Wearing it becomes a statement. Vanguard Andy Warhol and his Tank were inseparable, he said about it: I dont wear a Tank watch to tell the time. Actually, I never even wind it. I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear! By refusing to wind his watch, the leader of pop art sanctifies the elegance of the Tank. Tank Must Timeless, sure of itself and of the purity of its design, the Tank watch captures the zeitgeist in 2021. After more than a century, it has been reinvented with the Tank Must. Tank and Must, the fusion of two Maison icons: on one hand, Tank, essential and dandy, and on the other, Must, a name immortalised at Cartier in the 1970s that revisits the classic conventions of luxury. The Must watches are part of the Maisons heritage and legend (). They have withstood the test of time thanks to their instantly recognisable style, but also their excellent craftsmanship, which Cartier applies to all its creations right down to the smallest detail. Pierre Rainero, Director of Image, Style and Heritage at Cartier. Tank Must Watch Cartier Tank Must is a chic watchmaking feat worn by many. A Maison signature whose design and movements are continuously evolving, driven by Cartiers watchmaking commitment to constant progress. The Design Studio has reworked the design of these new Tank Must with monochrome versions and an original version based on a new photovoltaic movement. Tank Must: an ever-evolving design Taking direct inspiration from the Tank Louis Cartier, the design of the Tank Must has been developed while staying faithful to the historic model. Rounded brancards, revisited dial proportions: finesse is the guiding force behind this new design. A watch that dares to return to great classicism down to the smallest detail, with a precious pearled cabochon winding crown and the return of a traditional ardillon buckle on the leather strap version. A watchmaking classic from the Maison whose sophistication is measured on every level, from its steel strap with curved links, entirely redesigned and interchangeable, to the latest high-efficiency quartz movement - autonomy of around 8 years. Tank Must: paying homage to the 1980s monochromes With the launch of the Must watches in 1977, the Tank watch, a Maison watchmaking icon created sixty years earlier, was made available in a vermeil version. With a burgundy or all black dial and a large gold-coloured logo, it freed itself from traditional watchmaking codes, opting instead for elegant simplicity. Faithful to the spirit of the 80s, the new Tank Must watch is available in three monochromatic colours that are embedded into Cartiers DNA: red, blue and green. Steel watches that favour minimalist dials with no Roman numerals or rail-tracks and a fully chromatic look with matching straps. Tank Must: a pioneering watch that introduces a photovoltaic dial and a bracelet produced without animals materials Since the very beginning, Cartiers watchmaking ambition has been to constantly strive to improve, relying on technical progress as well as the Maisons response and commitments to the environment and biodiversity. Pioneering since the invention of the first watch worn on the wrist with the Santos watch (1904), or the one with the folding buckle (1910), Cartier Watchmaking has always been committed to anticipating its clients needs. Whether its the QuickSwitch patent (2018), which allows straps to be interchanged at home, or the latest photovoltaic dial found on the Tank Must watch, a modern alternative with a quartz movement with no need to change the batteries, the approach is the same; improve the lives, and satisfaction, of Cartiers clients. Tank Must Watch Cartier The challenge lies in applying a new technique to the watchs aesthetic and shape every time, finding a confluence between modernity and watchmaking tradition, a challenge and commitment crystallised by the Cartier Manufacture at La Chaux-de-Fonds. More than simply a production site, the Manufacture is a research hub, a creative and innovative laboratory that has succeeded in applying the photovoltaic principle to the Tank watchs dial, without altering its aesthetic. A true technical feat that relies on the delicate and invisible perforation of Roman numerals, whose openings allow solar energy to reach the photovoltaic cells hidden under the dial. It took two years for the development team to integrate this SolarBeatTM movement, with an average lifespan of 16 years, into the Tank Must, the first watch to benefit from this technology. A pioneering watch that also introduces a bracelet produced in an innovative material that guarantees a high level of both quality and comfort. It is composed of around 40% plant matter, produced using waste from apples grown for the food industry in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. The production procedure represents a step forward in preserving the environment by reducing our carbon footprint (6 times less), saving water (up to 10 litres) and energy (up to 7 megajoules, or approximately 200 smartphone charges) compared to the manufacture of a calfskin strap. Weve taken a local, European approach: the apples are grown and their waste collected in Europe, from the material production site in Italy, to the strap maker in Portugal and the watch assembly in Switzerland. Loyal to its reputation as an avant-garde timepiece, the Tank watch hasnt quite finished telling us what it has to say. Its creativity is limitless. Once again with the Tank Must, Cartier dares to make its timepieces evolve with the times while looking towards the future. Tank Louis Cartier Created in 1917, the Tank watch very quickly spawned several variations. Louis Cartier reworked its design from as early as 1922. Its case was stretched, brancards refined and edges softened: the Tank L.C. had arrived. (Louis Cartier). A classic was born. Tank Louis Cartier Watch Cartier Rail tracks, cabochon sapphire, Roman numerals, Louis Cartier laid the foundations of a signature watchmaking aesthetic, with its very latest version perpetuating this tradition to within a few subtle nuances. Tank Louis Cartier: the choice of colour The Louis Carter Tank cultivates its timeless elegance in colour. The choice of blue and red was a must, as these colours are a part of Cartiers DNA. An intense red and a bright blue highlight and enhance the watchs pure lines. Cartier has added sophisticated details to these two precious versions, including Roman numerals and gold-coloured rail tracks, which help to enhance the dials graphic intensity. The blue version is in pink gold, the red in yellow gold, both coordinated with the straps, these two watches come with a Manufacture 1917 MC movement with manual winding. Safer Streets require real-time video analytics The UK government recently announced a doubling of the Safer Streets Fund to 45 million, as it seeks to reassure the public that safety is a top priority, as the night-time economy makes a return. More than just surveillance While this funding increase is much needed, its vital that the government and local councils use the money strategically, or risk missing out on a great opportunity to deliver real change and enhance safety across the United Kingdom. One of the main strategies cited by the government is to increase the current vast number of CCTV cameras installed across the country, despite the fact that the UK is already one of the most surveilled nations in the world. Investing in video analytics London alone has around 700,000 cameras, but to effectively monitor them all would be an incredibly inefficient use of manpower and require a huge number of staff. Therefore, I believe the clearest and most cost-effective way for this project to succeed in its overall mission, is by investing in smarter technology, such as video analytics. Incorporating video analytics into existing infrastructure is the clear solution This technology offers a more efficient use of resources, faster response times and enables more informed, time-critical decision making, when reacting to unfolding events in real time. Incorporating video analytics into existing infrastructure is the clear solution, as the technology enables legacy assets, such as analogue CCTV cameras, to become more than just after the fact evidence gathering tools and instead be used to help enhance real-time responses to unfolding incidents. Artificial intelligence-enabled solutions Artificial intelligence-enabled solutions are trained using vast datasets of images and video footage, in order to better understand people, objects and vehicles that are captured on film, and they continue learning and improving, while in use. The systems algorithms analyse and prioritise input from video data to decide which inputs are of value, automatically classifying the footage and notifying security personnel accordingly. This reduces response times by notifying CCTV operators of an incident, as it happens, meaning law enforcement and security personnel can react faster and intervene in an ongoing situation. Edge technology and real-time video streaming A key consideration should be choosing a technology that can operate at the edge and deliver real-time video streaming, even at the lowest bandwidths, so it isnt limited to use in areas with good connectivity, which would exclude most remote areas. Quality really does matter and technology that can operate over low bandwidths is crucial for allowing operators to zoom in on areas of interest, such as a car number plate or face, and retrieve full-resolution images that can make a real difference in ongoing investigations. Analytics-based security approach Introducing an analytics-based security approach would also help curtail the rising cost of tackling crime Introducing an analytics-based security approach would also help curtail the rising cost of tackling crime. Research conducted by the UKs Labour Party recently found that the annual cost of crime reached a staggering 100 billion. While statistics show that crime rates in general have been fairly stable over recent years, experts point to the increase in specific types of violent crime, such as knife crime which rose by over 20% during 2020. Implementing smart analytics-based technology Implementing smart analytics-based technology would help maintain staffing costs, as the system can identify incidents without an operators input, as well as reducing the cost of managing crime, as more incidents will be intervened in before they escalate too far. This dramatically reduces the burden on staff and allows a single surveillance operator to monitor many more cameras. On the other hand, this level of automation also reduces false alarm fatigue and operator overload, which can quickly sap efficiencies and reduce operator alertness, if left unchecked. Data driven problem-solving approach to crime prevention Procurement officials should avoid the common mistake of simply doubling down and throwing more staff and security assets at the problem to bring results. Instead, they should take a more data driven problem-solving approach to crime prevention by leveraging technologies that can enhance response and preserve their existing investments in cameras. The smart use of real-time video analytics could make the difference by preventing dangerous situations from escalating into serious incidents. "We are thrilled to welcome Mark and Lu to the Advisory Board and Board of Directors," said Derek Wang, Founder and CEO of Stratifyd. Stratifyd, the leading provider of experience analytics solutions powered by Smart AI, is proud to announce the addition of two new appointments to the company's Board of Directors and Advisory Board. Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner of Fusion Fund, has joined the board of directors and will support Stratifyd during this hyper growth stage. Mark Treschl, Chief Customer Officer at Quantum Metric, has joined Stratifyd's advisory board, bringing two decades of expertise in customer experience. "We are thrilled to welcome Mark and Lu to the Advisory Board and Board of Directors," said Derek Wang, Founder and CEO of Stratifyd. "Mark's extensive background in customer experience will provide guidance and advice that will be key to helping Stratifyd continue to grow as an organization. Lu's extensive and broad-based business experience will be of significant benefit to Stratifyd, and she joins a motivated, experienced board focused on furthering our mission." Lu Zhang is a renowned Silicon Valley based investor, a serial entrepreneur, and a Stanford Engineering alumna. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Fusion Fund which supports early-stage entrepreneurs who are looking to build globally disruptive companies using innovative technologies to drive systemic change originating from the U.S market. Lu also founded the Fusion CXO Network, which is led by Shane Wall, former CTO of Hewlett-Packard. Prior to starting Fusion Fund, Lu was the Founder and CEO of a medical device company focused on non-invasive technology for the early diagnosis of Type II diabetes (acquired in 2012). Lu has been recognized as an industry leader with several accolades including, a World Economic Forum (Davos) Young Global Leader and was recently selected as one the Best 25 Female Early-Stage Investors by Business Insider. Mark Treschls CX expertise and broad business range have powered a 25-year history of developing products and process improvements that drive productivity, reliability, and client satisfaction. He previously co-founded OpinionLab, a Digital Analytics SaaS platform focused on collecting and analyzing Voice of Customer, and scaled the business to a successful acquisition. Along the journey of defining the real-time feedback market, he co-authored 18 US Patents in CX technology, earning OpinionLab a spot on the list of most innovative companies by Crain's Chicago Business. Treschl is currently the Chief Customer Officer at Quantum Metric where he manages the Customer Success team, helping clients build better digital products, faster. "As one of the earliest investors in Stratifyd, I saw the company undergo rapid growth and gain amazing traction in such a short period of time," said Lu Zhang. "I've had a wonderful experience working with Derek and believe Stratifyd has the best solution in the industry to help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation efforts and I look forward to continuing our relationship with this new role." "I'm excited to have been appointed to the Advisory Board for Stratifyd and support its strategic planning and execution in the marketplace," said Mark Treschl. "I am inspired by Stratifyd's mission and vision of helping brands make the most out of their customer experience data and I look forward to helping the company build on this strong foundation as it expands across the globe." About Stratifyd Stratifyd takes the burden of manual analytics off your team by proactively surfacing hidden experience signals and trends 24/7 to ensure you never miss another insight. Stratifyd's vendor-neutral approach connects experience, behavioral, and operational data to remove data blind spots, uncover prescriptive insights, and enable smarter decisions. Now your business can stay ahead of your customers and the competition. Our Experience Analytics Platform powered by Smart AI is trusted by startups, enterprise, and Fortune 500 companies to improve experiences across channels, drive efficiencies, and increase employee and customer loyalty. To learn more about our no-code approach to AI, visit http://www.stratifyd.com. Stop me if youve heard this one before: A new Democratic president has inherited a nation in crisis. His first major policy initiative is a short-term relief bill intended to lead the way out of that crisis. He follows that bill with proposals to address longer-term problems and, if possible, to change American society for the better. His party holds majorities in the House and the Senate, but both of his initiatives face scorched-earth opposition from Republicans. I could be describing the early months of either the Obama administration or the Biden administration. But theres one huge difference between them: Even though Barack Obama began his presidency with high personal approval ratings, his policies never had strong public support. Public approval for Joe Bidens policies, by contrast, is almost surreally high. Why? To see what Im talking about, compare polling on the Affordable Care Act Obamacare with polling on Bidens American Jobs Plan. The ACA, famously, had negative net approval throughout the Obama years. Its image didnt improve until the Trump administration tried to kill it, and even then it faced overwhelming disapproval from Republican voters. By contrast, Americans approve of the jobs plan by huge margins, and while elected Republicans are dead set against Bidens proposal, Republican voters on net support it. Whats the secret of Bidens success? Part of the answer, surely, is identity politics. Lets be blunt here: The modern version of only Nixon could go to China may be only an old white guy can sell a new New Deal. Another factor working in Bidens favor is the closing of professional Republicans minds. Even before conspiracy theories took control, Republican politicians were living in a mental bubble; in many ways the modern GOP is more like a cult than a normal political party. And at this point Republicans seem so deep in the cult that theyve forgotten how to talk to outsiders. When they denounce every progressive idea as socialism, declare every center-left politician a Marxist, rant about job creators and insist on calling their rival the Democrat Party, theyre talking to themselves and persuading nobody. If you want to see Republican tone-deafness in action, look at Sen. Marsha Blackburns recent attack on the jobs plan. Its not really about infrastructure, she proclaimed; why, it would spend hundreds of billions on elder care. And she apparently imagined that voters would see helping the elderly as a bad thing. Biden, then, benefits from having a nonthreatening persona and an opposition that has forgotten how to make persuasive policy arguments. But the popularity of Bidenomics also reflects the effectiveness of a party that is far more comfortable in its own skin than it was a dozen years ago. Unlike Republicans, Democrats are members of a normal political party basically a mildly center-left party that looks a lot like its counterparts across the free world. In the past, however, Democrats seemed afraid to embrace this identity. One striking thing about the Obama years, in retrospect, was the deference of Democrats to people who didnt share their goals. The Obama administration deferred to bankers who warned that anything populist-sounding would undermine confidence and to deficit scolds demanding fiscal austerity. It wasted months on a doomed effort to get Republican support for health reform. And along with this deference went diffidence, a reluctance to do simple, popular things like giving people money and taxing corporations. Instead, the Obama team tended to favor subtle policies that most Americans didnt even notice. Now the deference is gone. Wall Street clearly has a lot less influence this time around; Bidens economic advisers evidently believe that if you build a better economy, confidence will take care of itself. The obsession with bipartisanship is also gone, replaced with a realistic appreciation of Republican bad faith, which has also made the new administration uninterested in GOP talking points. And the old diffidence has evaporated. Biden isnt just going big, hes going obvious, with highly visible policies rather than behavioral nudges. Furthermore, these forthright policies involve doing popular things. For example, voters have consistently told pollsters that corporations pay too little in taxes; Bidens team, buoyed by the Trump tax cuts failure, is willing to give the public what it wants. So Bidens 2021 isnt playing anything like Obamas 2009, and Republicans dont seem to know what hit them. Of course, polls may change. Public support for the Obama stimulus, never very strong, plunged in the face of a sluggish economic recovery. Voters might sour on Bidenomics, too, if the economy disappoints. But all indications are that were heading for an economic boom, with GDP growing at its fastest rate since 1984. If that happens, Bidens policies might get even more popular than they are now. How all of this will translate into votes remains to be seen. But early indications are that Biden has achieved what Obama never did: finding a way to make progressive policies truly popular. Krugman is a columnist for the New York Times. New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee was more qualified to become the Prime Minister and he had reasons to be upset when Congress President Sonia Gandhi chose me to become the PM, said Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday. He said that Mukherjee was correctly upset as he was senior to him and had knack to tackle issues. "Pranab knew I had no choice and any part in this decision," Manmohan Singh said. He had a reason to feel upset but he respected me and we have a great relationship which will continue till we live," added ex-PM. He was speaking at the launch of former President Pranab Mukherjee's new book, 'The Coalition Years: 1996-2012,' in Delhi. #WATCH: Manmohan Singh says Pranab Mukherjee had every reason to feel a grievance that he was better qualified than I was, to become PM pic.twitter.com/8vMy4bBogL ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2017 Singh, who was an economist and Rajya Sabha MP was chosen to be the Prime Minister of India in 2014 after Sonia Gandhi sacrificed the top office job. Sonias decision came as a surprise for many in the party and Opposition as she chose a junior Manmohan Singh over more experienced Pranab Mukherjee. Also Read | Demonetisation was not required at all, says Manmohan Singh, defiant Jaitley claims achieved principal objectives Praising Pranab Mukherjee, former prime minister of the country said, He is a politician by choice and it comes naturally to him... I became a politician by accident." However, Pranab Mukherjee who became President in 2012 had said at the time of his nomination for countrys top constitutional post that he was not upset after being overlooked for Prime Ministers job. "Why should I regret? The party President has trusted me, has considered me capable of discharging certain responsibilities, by me alone. That is a great trust," Mr Mukherjee had said during a media interview. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lucknow: In the light of the surge in COVID-19 cases across Uttar Pradesh, a weekend lockdown has been imposed, informed state Additional Chief Secretary Home Awanish K Awasthi on Tuesday. The lockdown will come into effect at 8 pm on Friday and will continue till 7 am on Monday. He also said that night curfew will remain imposed in all districts and only essential services would be allowed. "Corona curfew will remain in force from Friday night till Monday morning and it will be strictly observed. The Chief Minister has given the order to impose night curfew in every district," Awasthi said. Uttar Pradesh recorded 17,066 new coronavirus cases and 167 deaths in the last 24 hours. Earlier today, the Supreme Court stayed yesterday's Allahabad High Court order, imposing lockdown in five cities in Uttar Pradesh. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2021 -- The global paper products market is forecasted to grow at a rate of 0.5% from USD 269.76 billion in 2019 to USD 281.75 billion in 2027. The market is witnessing a surge in demand owing to the increasing demand for packaging paper from large organizations in the hospitality, pharmaceutical, retail, and FMCG industries. Advancements in technological developments have led to the manufacturing of packaging paper having high durability and strength. However, the environmental challenges due to deforestation and the high cost of raw materials are hampering the market demand. Due to the growing awareness about the ill-effects of plastic packaging products like non-biodegradability, health problems, and global warming, consumers and organizations are now shifting towards sustainable packaging products, such as paper, thus driving the demand for the paper products market. A new emerging trend is the use of recycled paper, which is now being seen as a substitute for plastic waste, which is also leading to a surge in the demand of paper products. Many countries in the world like China, Bangladesh, Italy, South Africa, and Kenya have banned the use of plastic bags. This has led to a search for alternate materials that can be used for packaging, thus increasing the demand for the Paper Products Market. An increase in the demand for takeaways and delivery of food products is also leading to a rise in the demand of the market from the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), as they are one of the significant consumers of paper products. Key participants include ST Paper LLC, First Quality Enterprises, Inc., Clearwater Paper Corporation, Irving Consumer Products Ltd., Cascades Inc., Essity Aktiebolag, KP Tissue, Inc., Georgia Pacific, Procter & Gamble, and Kimberly-Clark Corporation, among others. To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/3076 The COVID-19 impact: As the COVID-19 crisis grows, there is a mixed reaction to the demand of the Paper Products Market, since the different segments are reacting differently to the Pandemic. The demand for writing and printing papers is going down due to the shutting down of schools and colleges in many countries. Also, since office employees are being forced to work from home, their work is being done mostly through electronic gadgets like laptops and mobile phones, among others, reducing the demand. On the other hand, there is a soaring demand for the sanitary paper segment, due to an increasing number of people stocking items like toilet paper and some other hygienic products in their homes. This is leading to an increase in the demand for the Paper Products market. For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data have segmented into the global Paper Products market on the basis of product, application, raw material, and region: Product Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Writing and Printing Paper Magazine Paper Packaging Paper Sanitary Paper Others Application Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Sanitary Maintenance Industrial Packaging Food Service Disposables Others Raw Material Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Recycled and Waste Paper Wood and Agro Residue Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) North America Europe Asia Pacific MEA Latin America To get a Discount on the Paper Products Market Report, Click @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/discount-enquiry-form/3076 Further key findings from the report suggest Packaging paper occupied the largest market share in 2019, and it is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 0.3% in the forecast period. This is major because of the benefits that paper packaging provides, like recyclability and biodegradability. By raw materials, Recycled and Wastepaper occupied around 33.0% of the market share in 2019, and it is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 0.8% in the forecast period. This growth rate is higher due to the increasing awareness among customers regarding the benefits that recycled paper provides to the environment. In terms of application, industrial packaging occupied the largest market share in 2019 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 0.3% during the forecast period. This is due to the benefits that paperboard packaging provides, such as recyclability, eco-friendly, and low handling costs. The Asia Pacific region is forecasted to grow at the fastest CAGR of 1.9% in the forecast period. This is primarily because of the growing industrialization in the region and the increasing awareness about the harmful effects of plastics. Also, the disposable income is growing in this area, especially in India and China, leading to higher demand. In May 2020, India developed a new paper-based strip for testing of COVID-19 patients in a large number. Since this was designed for mass testing, it will certainly raise the demand for the period. Browse Full Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/paper-products-market Table of Content: Chapter 1. Market Synopsis 1.1. Market Definition 1.2. Research Scope & Premise 1.3. Methodology 1.4. Market Estimation Technique Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Summary Snapshot, 2019-2027 Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics Chapter 4. Paper Products Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis 4.1. Paper Products Market Material Segmentation Analysis 4.2. Industrial Outlook 4.2.1. Market indicators analysis 4.2.2. Market drivers analysis 4.2.2.1. Increasing awareness regarding sustainable packaging 4.2.2.2. Increasing popularity of paperboard packaging 4.2.2.3. Growth of the manufacturing industry in developing countries 4.2.2.4. Rise in the use of recycled paper 4.2.3. Market restraints analysis 4.2.3.1. Environmental challenges due to deforestation 4.2.3.2. High cost of raw material 4.3. Technological Insights 4.4. Regulatory Framework 4.5. ETOP Analysis 4.6. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.7. Competitive Metric Space Analysis 4.8. Price trend Analysis 4.9. Customer Mapping 4.10. Covid-19 Impact Analysis 4.11. Global Recession Influence Continued Request customization of the report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/request-customization-form/3076 Thank you for reading our report. To receive further information on the report or to enquire about its customization, please get in touch with us and get your report tailored according to your needs. About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help client's make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Contact Us: John W Head of Business Development 40 Wall St. 28th floor New York City NY 10005 United States Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 [April 20, 2021] BioStem Technologies, Inc., Announces the Addition of Three Key Scientific Advisory Board Members Pompano Beach, Fl., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: BSEM) ("BioStem" or the "Company"), a pre-clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing elements of perinatal tissue for use in regenerative therapies; today announced that it has appointed three key members to its scientific advisory board (SAB). The board, chaired by Kenneth Warrington, Ph.D., welcomes new members Jeffrey Harrison, Ph.D., Daniel Shelly, Ph.D., and Shaun Opie, Ph.D. The expansion of the SAB compliments BioStems corporate vision while the Company continues to accelerate product innovation, expand R&D activities, increase market share and tighten regulatory strategies. The addition of these key members will bring further expertise in laboratory operations, regulatory strategies, pharmacology, translational medicine, and advanced therapeutics manufacturing for gene, cell, and tissue-based products. These experts will serve as a strategic resource for BioStem and provide scientific analysis, industry experience, and high-level consultation as BioStem continues to advance its best-in-class perinatal tissue product portfolio. About the BioStem Scientific Advisory Board Kenneth Warrington, Ph.D. (Chairman), has decades of broad expertise across the cell and gene therapy product development continuum from discovery through GMP-compliant manufacturing to support IND-enabling pre-clinical and early-stage clinical programs. He has deep knowledge in advanced therapy manufacturing, including live attenuated and virus-like particle vaccines, live challenge viruses, viral vectors, and cell & gene-modified cell therapies. He served on the faculty at the University of Florida, Pediatrics-Division of Cellular & Molecular Therapy, with a research program focused on AAV vector development and production. Following his transition into industry in 2008, Dr. Warrington has held the lead technical operation and business development roles for global contract testing and manufacturing organizations, including Meridian Life Science, SGS Life Science, and Wuxi Apptec. He was formerly the SVP of Operations and Business Development at Biostem Life Sciences before assuming the role of chairman of the scientific advisory board. Dr. Warrington is currently Head of Strategy & Innovation and a Sr. Director of Business Development at GenScript ProBio, leading their gene & cell therapy CMC services, and a co-founder and Board Director at Lacerta Therapeutics. He holds a B.S. in Biology & Chemistry from St. Lawrence University and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics from the University of Florida. Jeffrey K. Harrison, Ph.D., is a Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. He directs an NIH-funded pre-clinical/translational research lab that seeks to better understand the role of chemokines and immune cells in the progression of brain tumors and their resistance to immunotherapies. Dr. Harrison has collaborated with numerous pharmaceutical companies, large and small, to evaluate novel therapetic agents in pre-clinical models of glioma. He also provides formal teaching to the next generation of scientists about the process by which novel small molecules and biologic agents are evaluated in pre-clinical studies aimed toward taking these therapeutics into first-in-human clinical trials. He holds a B.S. in Cellular & Molecular Biology and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan. Daniel Shelly, Ph.D., MBA, is Vice President of Business Development and Alliances at Prescient Therapeutics. At Prescient, he is responsible for advancing the development of a next-generation Chimeric Antigen Receptor T and or NK Cell therapy technology along with small molecule targeted therapies. Before Prescient, he was Director of Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for the Global non-profit organization PATH. He was involved in identifying new and innovative partnerships for vaccine and therapeutics development applicable to low and middle-income countries. He has an additional 18 years of industry experience, having worked for Albumedix, Novozymes Biopharma, Meridian Life Science, and Kendle International. He has been responsible for asset in-licensing, alliances, and out-licensing core drug delivery technologies along with biologics manufacturing, proposal writing, contract negotiations, market assessments, and clinical development/out-licensing vaccines. Dr. Shelly is also an adjunct professor in the Masters in Clinical Drug Development program at the UC College of Pharmacy. He has a B.S. in Animal Behavior from Lehigh University, a MA in Comparative Physiology from College of William and Mary, a Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology from Florida State University, and an MBA in Management of Advanced Technology and Innovation from the University of Cincinnati. Shaun Opie, Ph.D., is a healthcare executive and has co-founded several laboratories in multiple disciplines, including cardiac stem cell transplantation, clinical diagnostics, and cannabis safety testing. Before pursuing his entrepreneurial interests, he was a clinical trial administrator at Banner Health. Dr. Opie oversaw an active, multi-site, sponsored clinical research program providing support for investigational new drugs, devices, and biologics, as well as tissue collection/biobanking and medical education research. He has held multiple adjunct faculty appointments at Arizona State University in the College of Health Solutions and spent two years as an invited Entrepreneurship Expert at the W.P. Carey School of Business. Dr. Opie has a proven public-speaking track record and is an author of numerous scientific publications and textbooks. He has a BS in Biology from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics/Virology from the University of Florida. About BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: BSEM): BioStem Technologies, Inc. is a pre-clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing elements of Perinatal Tissue and the bodys innate biology to repair or reverse damage caused by a broad range of degenerative diseases. Our proprietary approach, called Local Microenvironment Activation, or LMA, uses combinations of Small Molecules, Cytokines, and Growth Factors to activate the microenvironment within the body to create communication for repair in the tissue. BioStem Technologies offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality brands that include RHEO, OROPRO, AEON, VENDAJE, VENDAJE AC, and VENDAJE OPTIC. The Company is comprised of a diverse group of scientists, physicians, and entrepreneurs who collaborate to create innovative products. These technologies improve the Quality of Life for our patients and, as a result, drive shareholder value. Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "future," "plan" or "planned," "expects," believe" or "projected." These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history, difficulty in developing, exploiting and protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and additional risks factors as discussed in reports filed by the company with OTC Markets. BioStem Technologies, Inc. Phone: 954-380-8342 Website: http://www.biostemtechnologies.com Email: info@biostemtech.com Twitter: @BSEM_Tech Facebook: BioStem Technologies Investor Relations: info@biostemtech.com (954) 380-8342 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Burma Myanmar Regime Disputes Protest-Related Death Toll Compiled by AAPP Police carry two men hit by bullets in a cart after the deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters at Mogok, Mandalay Region on April 17. / CJ After being accused of inflating the fatality lists, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said it can totally guarantee the death toll it has documented. AAPP, a human rights organization founded in 2000, has been documenting the fatalities and arrests at the hands of the military regimes forces following the Feb. 1coup. Citing the records of its police force, the military regime said via state-owned television and newspapers on Monday and Tuesday that only 258 people were killed between Feb. 1 and April. 15. Meanwhile, the AAPP announced that a total of 726 people have been killed by the junta. The junta also maintained that of its total of 258, 247 were killed during counter-attacks by the regimes forces when they were assaulted while removing roadblocks. The other 11 died under different circumstances, the regime said. The military regime also denied responsibility for the death of 20-year-old high school student Ma Mya Thwet Thwet Khine, who was hit with a live bullet in Naypyitaw on Feb. 10, when riot police dispersed protesters. It also denied responsibility for killing a 19-year-old girl, Kyal Sin, who was shot in the head during a crackdown on an anti-regime protest in Mandalay in March. The regime said in state-run newspapers on Tuesday that both girls died because protesters were shooting at each other. The military regime also claimed that the AAPP had listed 76 more fatalities in Bago on April 9 without having any personal information. The regime said that only four riotersthe militarys euphemism for anti-regime protesterswere killed and 36 were arrested during the April 9 raids at Bago, which is 98 kilometers from Yangon. About 4 a.m. that day, more than 250 of the military regimes troops launched attacks on four residential wardsShinsawpu, Hmawkan, Nantawyar and Ponnasuwhich are anti-regime strongholds in Bago. While trying to remove roadblocks erected with sandbags by the anti-regime protesters to protect the protest assembly areas, troops opened fire with automatic weapons and heavy explosives against defense team members and night watchmen guarding the areas. Photos also show the tail of a rifle grenade and some unexploded rifle grenades found by local residents. The juntas troops deployed in the wards for days, and all entrances into the wards were closed with police lines. The forces continued shooting in the wards until April 11, according to a Bago resident. The wards were deserted as no one dared to go outside, and many of residents had fled their homes. No ambulances and social organizations giving medical assistance and free funeral services were able to go into the wards to pick up the dead or give medical treatment to the wounded. U San Min, who is in charge of the documentation and research department of AAPP, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the regimes forces have destroyed all trace of evidence on the massacre in Bago on April 9. However, the AAPP has received the personal information on 27 out of the 82 killed by the juntas troops in Bago that day, he added. AAPP also said that they are still verifying the personal information on the other 55 killed. According to U San Min, AAPP is documenting all deaths caused by the regimes forces during their raids, crackdowns, interrogation and shootings, verifying each case. We have listed the death toll thoroughly. So, the numbers will never be inflated. Actually, the numbers are believed to be higher than the recorded lists as there are many cases [in which] we dont have information, U San Min said. As of Monday, nearly 740 people have been killed by the juntas forces during their raids, crackdowns, arrested and random shooting. Those killed are included anti-regime protesters, NLD party members, bystanders, pedestrians and civilians, said AAPP. More than 3,200 people including elected leaders, NLD party members, election commissioners, doctors, protesters, journalists, writers, artists and civilian have been detained. In spite of the killings and arrests, tens of thousands of people across Myanmar continue to take to the streets to protest against the military rule. You may also like these stories: ASEAN Summit on Myanmar Should Include NUG, Not Legitimize Junta EU Sanctions 10 More Myanmar Regime Members But Some Still Missing Ethnic Kachin Armed Group Launches Multiple Attacks on Myanmar Military By adapting patient reported outcome instruments to a variety of linguistic and cultural demographics, drug development companies gain a broader and more in-depth understanding of the patient experience at the clinical trial stage. Over the past couple of decades, the FDA and other regulatory bodies have pushed for greater patient diversity and an overall patient-centric approach in clinical trial management. The 21st Century Cures Act formalized this patient-centric approach, emphasizing patient-focused drug development and a push to collect real world data on the patient experience. Linguistic validation is a critical tool in the effort to ensure patient diversity and develop a robust understanding of the patient experience across global populations. By adapting patient reported outcome instruments to a variety of linguistic and cultural demographics, drug development companies gain a broader and more in-depth understanding of the patient experience at the clinical trial stage. Register for this webinar to learn about using linguistic validation as a tool to meet the patient diversity requirements of clinical trials. Join Joshua Maislin, Sr. Customer Success Manager, CSOFT Health Sciences; Gerrit Blauvelt, Sr. Director, North America Operations, CSOFT Health Sciences; and Dr. George L. King, Professor of Medicine and Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Research, Joslin Diabetes Center, for the live webinar on Friday, May 7, 2021 at 12pm EDT (9am PDT). For more information, or to register for this event, visit Linguistic Validation: Facilitating Patient Diversity in Clinical Trials. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ ADVERTISEMENT The Senate, on Tuesday, waded into the assault allegations levelled against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, in a petition received to that effect. The Petition was brought to the floor by Senator Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau North). Accordingly, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions for immediate investigation. Mr Gyang, while giving a summary of the petition, said Justice Umar Danladi assaulted the petitioner, brutalized him, slapped him on the face, and asked him to kneel down and, thereby, used his leg to hit him on the chest and inflicted bodily harm on him. According to the lawmaker, the petitioner is asking this Senate to investigate this matter to ascertain the role of the Honourable Justice Danladi in this allegedly unwholesome happening to ensure justice to Mr Clement Kargwak. The security guard, Clement Kargwak, in the petition to the Senate signed by his lawyer, Timzing Venyir Ramnap, urged the upper chamber to investigate the matter in keeping with its duty of oversight on the executive and judicial arms of government. He also requested the upper chamber to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to take disciplinary action against the CCT Chairman or call on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to investigate, arrest and prosecute Mr Umar for his actions. Narrating his experience, Mr Kargwak in his petition to the Senate said: This whole thing started on the 29th day of March 2021 at Banex Plaza when Justice Danladi Umar drove into the plaza to do some business transactions. Mr Clement Kargwak informed us that on that faithful date he was at his duty post at the Banex plaza when a Toyota SUV Jeep with plate number ABC-989-LZ drove into the plaza when he was busy in the business of directing every vehicle that drove into the plaza to so properly park as directed by the management of the plaza. That on sighting Justice Umar Danladis car trying to park wrongly, he instructed him to properly park in a space provided by the management of Banex plaza, only for Justice Umar Danladi to come down from the SUV keep with his security men and started assaulting and brutalizing him by slapping him on his face, asking him to kneel down and thereby used his leg to hit him on his chest, and thereby inflicting bodily harm on him. That the management of the plaza rushed him to the hospital for medical attention where he has been receiving medication. That Justice Umar Danladi personally did 99 per cent of the assault and brutality on him as can be seen in a viral video which circulated on social media and is hereby enclosed for your consideration. That after the incident, Justice Umar Danladi rushed to Maitama Police Station and reported, which prompted my invitation (petitioner) to the Police station by the Maitama Police Station for investigation which he honoured and went with a legal representative of the Banex Plaza who went with a copy of the viral video showing how Justice Umar Danladi perpetrated all the assaults and brutality on him and on watching the video, the DPO of the Maitama Police Station ordered for his bail to be granted and thereafter was taken to the hospital for medication. In view of the above scenario on the actions of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (Justice Umar Danladi), we hereby urge the Nigeria Senate to immediately launch an investigation to ascertain the role of the Honourable Justice Umar Danladi in this while happening and ensure Justice for Mr Clement Kargwak. This is because the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives the National Assembly the powers of oversight to checkmate the activities of the Executive and Judicial arms of Government when either of the two is found culpable. We also wish to state that in making your decision on this issue, we wish to remind the Senate that it also has the power to direct the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take disciplinary action against the Honourable Justice or order the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation to investigate, arrest and prosecute Honourable Justice Umar Danladi for his actions. SOURCE: Office of the Special Assistant (Press) to President of the Senate [April 20, 2021] World's First Landmark Architecture Real Estate Listed as NFT WESTCHESTER, N.Y., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconic American architect Paul Rudolph designed residential architecture in Larchmont, New York, known as 862 Fenimore, becomes the world's first masterpiece architecture NFT listed on OpenSea.io. "The World's First Art as Architecture NFT," 862 Fenimore is on the market represented by Houlihan Lawrence and listed on OpenSea on April 8, 2021. It is a unique Art Collectible and as the World's First NFT Architecture token. Located in Larchmont, New York, this rare landmark building is praised by both the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation and Paul Rudolph Foundation as a one of a kind architectural works diligently restored to 21st century living standards. The listing has a minimum bid price of 1 Ether (about $2000) and a 2% Bounty (referral fee) as per the listing details . Known as the Edersheim Residence designed by Paul Rudolph , it is a 9000 sq ft mid-century modern home sitting on 2.49 acres of land. The residence had been diligently restored with the advice of architects of the Paul Rudolph Foundation to ensure that the restoration and renovations are in the spirit of the renowned architect's work. The famous architectural photographer Albert Vecerka recently completed a set of shots of the house exterior , interiors and angles , each picture highlighting the amazing features of this magnificent artwork. A complete restoration in Sept 2020 features eco foamed walls, geothermal systems, and 100 panel solar roof, resulting in a net "zero" energy green home. As the world's first Art as Architecture NFT, the house awaits a new owner that enjoys living in and appreciating it completely. For more information, visit https://www.862fenimore.com/nft Media contact: Katie Becker McLoughlin, Houlihan Lawrence 307945@email4pr.com 914.522.3521 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-first-landmark-architecture-real-estate-listed-as-nft-301272655.html SOURCE Houlihan Lawrence Amaravati, April 20 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday credited Rs 128.4 crore into the bank accounts of 6.2 lakh farmers under YSR Zero Interest Crop Loan Scheme for the 2019-20 rabi season. These farmers earlier availed loans of up to Rs 1 lakh and repaid them in the stipulated time. "Sixty per cent of the world's population is dependent on agriculture and promoting agriculture would create employment for 62 per cent of the population in the state," said Reddy as he transferred the funds. The chief minister said that the state government's objective is to prioritise farmers' and farm labourers' welfare and cleared the pending arrears left by the previous government. Since the time the government led by Reddy came into being in June 2019, a total of Rs 1,132 crore was paid to 61.2 lakh people under the zero interest subsidy scheme. The CM urged farmers to enroll in the e-crop database to avail interest free subvention from June 2021. Likewise, he said that the government is providing nine hours free power to farmers during the day, benefiting 18.7 lakh farmers at an expenditure of Rs 8,800 crore annually. "Through this scheme, each farmer will be saving a minimum of Rs 46,000 every year. The government has completed capacity building of feeders to provide free power to farmers with a cost of Rs 1,700 crores," Reddy noted. Reiterating that farmers' welfare is the top priority of the state government, Reddy stated that almost all the promises given to farmers have been fulfilled in the 22-month governance under various schemes. Maybe Theres a Lion behind the Curtains: a sweetly suspenseful adventure. Maybe Theres a Lion behind the Curtains is the creation of published author, M. A. Obrigewitsch, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and proud veteran of the US Navy. Obrigewitsch writes, As Grampa and his two granddaughters sit together, reading books, they try to figure out the strange noises they hear. Grampa suggests different ideas of what is the source of the noise, but he only succeeds in scaring the girls more. Only Grandma can solve the mystery and comfort her grandchildren. A story of suspense and fun with a totally unexpected ending. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, M. A. Obrigewitschs new book is a charming childrens tale completed in honor of the authors beloved wife, Gigi. Join along with Allie and Anna as they spend a day with Grandma and Grampa. See what excitement unfolds as Grampa and the girls await cookies from the oven. View a synopsis of Maybe Theres a Lion behind the Curtains on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Maybe Theres a Lion behind the Curtains at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Maybe Theres a Lion behind the Curtains, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. In a crucial decision in the battle against Covid-19, a meeting of all high-level officials, top experts and ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to allow vaccination to all above the age of 18 from May 1. The new vaccination rule will help India vaccinate at a record pace, he said. The industry as well as common people have cheered the government's decision, which will majorly impact the rising coronavirus tally in India. Also read: India needs to get multiple COVID-19 vaccine licences, ramp up production: Chandrasekaran Also Read: Delhi under complete lockdown for six days, from tonight till April 26 Here are the highlights around PM Modi's meeting with officials: Under the new policy, vaccine makers will supply 50 per cent of their monthly central drugs laboratory released doses to the Centre and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent to states and in the open market. Makers would transparently make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to states and in the open market before May 1. This makes it easier for states and private players to procure vaccines directly from the manufacturers. The eligibility through this channel would be opened up to all adults, i.e. everyone above the age of 18. Vaccination will continue as before in government vaccination centres, provided free of cost to HCWs, FLWs and all people above 45 years of age. All vaccinations will be part of the National Vaccination Programme and are mandated to follow protocols such as being captured on CoWIN platform, linked to AEFI reporting and all other prescribed norms. Stocks and price per vaccination applicable in all vaccination centres will also have to be reported in real-time. The government will also allow the imported fully ready to use vaccines to be entirely utilised other than government channels. The Centre will allocate vaccines to states/UTs based on the criteria of the extent of infection -- the number of active Covid cases and performance (speed of administration). "Wastage of vaccine will also be considered in this criteria and will affect the criteria negatively. Based on the above criteria, the state-wise quota would be decided," the statement said. The second dose of all existing priority groups, wherever it has become due, will be given priority, for which a specific and focused strategy would be communicated to all stakeholders. Phase-I of the national Covid-19 vaccination strategy was launched on January 16, prioritising protection for healthcare workers and frontline workers. As systems and processes stabilised, Phase-II was initiated from March 1 and April 1, focusing on all people above 45 years of age, accounting for more than 80 per cent Covid mortality in the country. The private sector was also roped in to augment capacity. India has so far granted emergency use authorisation to two indigenously manufactured vaccines (Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech), and a third vaccine (Sputnik), which is presently being manufactured abroad but will eventually be made in India. In Phase-III, the national vaccine strategy aims at liberalised vaccine pricing and scaling up of vaccine coverage, a government statement said, indicating the vaccine prices could go up this time. "This would augment vaccine production as well as availability, incentivising vaccine manufacturers to rapidly ramp up their production as well as attract new vaccine manufacturers, domestic and international," the statement added. The decision has been taken to make "pricing, procurement, eligibility and administration of vaccines open and flexible". Also read: COVID-19 vaccination to be available to all above 18 from May 1 For better or worse, California often leads the nation's political discourse. Central to that discourse at the moment is the expected recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom; a recall of Los Angeles County's district attorney, meanwhile, is building steam. Each reveals something telling about the Golden State and its voters. First Newsom. The announcement is imminent insiders expect the recall to qualify for the ballot with an October election. Who challenges him? In 2003, Gov. Gray Davis was removed by the recall process by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A reprise of that successful effort is doubtful. Arnold was the unique candidate. Who else announces his candidacy on Jay Leno's Tonight Show? Expect a significant celebrity candidate to pass on the opportunity, but a lesser-known one seeking attention is likely. Caitlyn Jenner, a self-described "LGBT conservative and social liberal," has made noise about filing. But even in California, you need more to gain political traction. If Jenner runs, the most likely outcome is some noise -- what older newspaper reporters would call "good copy" -- but its challenging to see victory. Billionaire and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer commissioned a poll to gauge his chances. Steyer has the deep pockets to make an impact, but a week after news of the poll was leaked, he announced he would not run. California's major political forces remain with Newsom The California Teachers Association was handed a plum when the legislature approved a $6.6 billion education incentive package. The State Building and Construction Trades Council provided more than $90 million to state candidates and campaigns in the past four years. Lobbyists for the nurses' unions exert influence over health care legislation. Assume these forces stay with Newsom which Democrat would want to incur their wrath? Who wants to be on the receiving end of millions of dollars of paid media as "anti-education," "opposed to health care," or "intends to send construction workers into poverty"? No prominent Democrat figures to break from Team Gavin. Two prominent Republicans are poised to run. Kevin Faulconer served six years as San Diego's mayor and earned widespread praise. He was reelected in 2016 with 57% of the vote against a well-funded independent who trailed a distant second at 23%; the Democratic candidate was third. Faulconer has the credentials but not the proper party. In California, Republicans and Decline to State voters jockey for second place among the electorate, each with 24%. The rhetoric against any Republican will sizzle with fury, if not truth. Any GOP candidate can expect to be labeled as "extreme right-wing" and "insurrection supporter." It will not be pretty. Time is on Newsom's side The state should be in a superior mood by the October election. Vaccinations. More than 30% of Californians are fully vaccinated, and over 50% have received at least one dose. By October, all who desire a vaccination will have one. The schools will be reopened, with parental anger defused. Businesses will reopen. Restaurants are returning to indoor dining; the weather is hospitable for outdoor dining so unemployment figures to decrease. The public psyche will warm. With COVIDs impact moving into the rear-view mirror, Californians anger will diminish. I am the author of the novel Center Stage A Political Thriller, a fictional account of a rock star's campaign as a political independent for the U.S. Senate. As noted before, celebrity candidates are sometimes victorious, but there is no Schwarzenegger on the horizon. The prestigious UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs just published its annual Quality of Life Index, a comprehensive survey of Los Angeles County residents that measures attitudes on social and political issues. The index had Newsoms favorable to unfavorable results as 52%-39%. Recalling him is a long shot, but the recall of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, also a Democrat, is a much closer call. Will Gascon survive? The UCLA Index had sobering news for the DA. The same polling universe as Newsoms showed Gascon in a near dead heat, 31% to 32%, favorable to unfavorable. Only 9% of respondents viewed him very favorably with 22% very unfavorably. There is a base of distrust against the DA, who just took office in December. I was campaign manager for two successful Los Angeles City Council campaigns, chairman of a Los Angeles County ballot measure, and served on two L.A. government commissions. There is a groundswell of opposition brewing against Gascon that a well-managed campaign can tap into. Bet on the D against the R in any statewide election, but county elections such as district attorney are nonpartisan. Los Angeles County is a deeper blue than the state. It may be counterintuitive, but the recall of uber-progressive Gascon -- who was previously San Francisco DA -- is very possible. Last November, Gascon prevailed by eight percentage points over the liberal incumbent, an African American woman Jackie Lacey, campaigning on criminal justice reform. To most Angelenos, this was a welcome signal to not incarcerate minor drug offenders, administer justice free of any racial bias, but still focus on violent crimes. Not Gascon. He instructed his staff to ignore state laws by never seeking enhanced penalties if a criminal uses a gun in the commission of a crime. Victim groups are outraged. The union representing county deputy district attorneys filed suit to halt his reforms. As one DA stated, "We enforce state laws; we don't make state laws." California is a one-party state, but the November 2020 election revealed an independent streak if the issue is not a Democratic-vs.-Republican one. The tech industry prevailed against organized labor on a ballot proposition involving gig workers. California also rejected reinstatement of affirmative action in government granting preferences in public hiring, college admissions, and public contracts. The bottom line in this case: Gascon is a prosecutor who fails to prosecute. With a rising crime rate, that is a dubious political profile. POLAND, Ohio April 20, 2021 Ohio USA Jim Collins Jim Collins the United States Leonard Wisneski Brooke Greenwald /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ ---based Sapphire Essentials announced today the launch of a Practitioner Advantage Program for their unique CBD product line, designed specifically to meet the needs of active adults and seniors. Sapphire products are made in theand use a proprietary & organically-grown hemp plant which delivers a broad spectrum, phytocannabinoid-rich and 100% THC-free CBD complex.Sapphire Essentials was founded by nationally recognized healthy aging expert Dr.. As a Gerontologist focused on wellness and health care for seniors and older Americans, his 30-year plus career has spanned everything from Geropsychiatry to home health regimens for active seniors. The Practitioner Advantage Program offers medical and wellness professionals free original CBD educational content, access to full size product samples, a discount on product purchases for their practices, and a flexible inventory-free option for their practices."Sapphire Essentials reinvented the CBD market by offering the only products specifically designed for the needs of those over 40 in mind. With a burgeoning marketplace full of hemp-based "cures," and medical and wellness practitioners making CBD products a mainstay of their practices today, Sapphire offers a proprietary strain of hemp specifically bred for the most medicinally concentrated cannabinoid strains of medical cannabiswithout causing a drug high. You enjoy the benefits without the worry. Practitioners and patients can feel great about this," said Dr., Founder and CEO.Sapphire Essentials stands by their quality and can prove the standards they set make a difference. That starts with the type of cannabis used to make their products. Grown in, their hemp is fully licensed and registered with the Colorado State Department of Agriculture. It is Non-GMO, GMP compliant, eco-friendly, solvent-free, lab tested and grown without pesticides. But Dr. Collins goes even further, asking those interested to do their homework, research the possible benefits of CBD, and read results on Sapphire Essentials' website from third party testing of his products.Through the Practitioner Advantage Program, doctors and wellness professionals can order directly from a proprietary portal at a significant discount or offer the Sapphire Essentials line of products through an inventory-free option at a smaller discount. Either way, this is a win/win for everyone.As the medical and scientific advisor to Sapphire Essentials, Dr., MD, understands just how valuable a practitioner program is and how important it is to make products like Sapphire Essentials accessible within a practice. He has extensive knowledge and interest in the benefits of CBD and therapeutic applications involving the endocannabinoid system. With thirty years in the clinical practice of endocrinology, Dr. Wisneski is a recognized leader globally in the field of integrative and whole person health."From my work with NIH, fellowships, time as an adjunct professor, and work with patients, I can easily marry the thought processes and results of cutting-edge research with that of the traditional doctor-patient experience. So, I understand how doctors treat aging issues and where science can go to do even more. I am proud to partner with Sapphire Essentials to help the aging community explore the possibilities for living a better life," said Dr. Wisneski. Every Sapphire Essentials product is fully lab tested and certified. Certificates of testing and information can be found on our website at http://www.sapphire-essentials.com. We are proud to offer consumer and wholesale partnerships on the website as well. To learn more about the Practitioner Advantage Program, please visit https://www.sapphire-essentials.com/practitioners/.About Sapphire EssentialsSapphire Essentials believes that everyone should be able to afford CBD supplements for their health and wellness. Our goal is to maximize quality of life organically for as many people as possible. Sapphire Essentials was created by a Gerontologist, licensed social worker, and a leader in senior care and we understand that older adults struggle daily with a number of physical and emotional health conditions. And while federal regulations will not allow us to state that CBD may help with specific ailments, we encourage everyone to do their research and become more educated on the possible benefits of CBD. For more information about Sapphire Essentials or our team, please visit http://www.sapphire-essentials.com., Cornerstone Communications, LTD, 240-360-0866, brooke@cornerstonepr.netSOURCE Sapphire Essentials The UKs National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Center (Action Fraud) has launched a national awareness campaign to warn citizens about the importance of protecting their pensions from fraudsters. Although pension scam reports have decreased considerably since 2014, the agency has received 107 notifications from swindled savers between January and March 2021 a 45% increase compared to the same period in 2020. The latest data reveals that Brits have lost a whopping 1.8 million to pension fraud since the beginning of the year. However, the number of impacted citizens and losses is undoubtedly higher since it can take victims years to discover any fraudulent activity. According to the law enforcement agency, some of the most prevalent pension scams include fake investment opportunities, early pension releases and free pension reviews. Scammers will often contact consumers via unsolicited phone calls, emails, and text messages or advertise fake web pages on social media platforms. How to protect against pension scams The first step is to ignore and reject any unsolicited pension opportunities promoted via cold calls, emails, social media or text. Research and check the FCA Register before making any changes in your pension plan. Be suspicious of any spontaneous too-good-to-be-true investment opportunities and stay away from any high-pressure sales tactics. Scammers will often push victims into deciding on the spot or risk losing a limited-time offer. Moreover, in some cases, cybercriminals and scammers may ask you to download an app or software on your device to assist you remotely. Never click on links or install suspicious apps on devices since fraudsters can take over banking accounts and make transactions in your name. Scammers target people from all walks of life, Mark Steward, Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said. It doesnt matter the size of your pension pot, scammers destroy retirement dreams so its vital that consumers know how to protect themselves from scammers. He adds that the best way to protect yourself is to know who youre dealing with. Always check the FCA Register to make sure that the FCA authorizes anyone offering you pension advice or any other financial service to perform the service they are providing for you, and that the details they are providing are the same as those on the Register. Citizens who believe theyve been a victim of pension fraud should notify local authorities immediately. WASHINGTON (AP) Most of the prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday, the U.S. military said a day after resuming an effort to inoculate them that was halted months earlier after criticism from Congress. Thirty-two of the 40 prisoners held at the U.S. base in Cuba have received the first dose, Southern Command said in a brief statement. It provided no further details, including why the eight remaining men have not received the vaccine. The prisoners are not required to be vaccinated. The announcement in January that the military intended to offer the vaccine to prisoners sparked intense criticism, particularly among Republicans in Congress, at a time when COVID-19 vaccines were just being rolled out to troops and civilians at Guantanamo and were not widely available in the United States. The military resumed the vaccinations on Monday, the day that the vaccine became available to all Americans older than 16 in the U.S. and all adults at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, on the southeastern coast of Cuba. A senior defense official told the AP earlier that vaccinations were being offered to comply with legal requirements regarding the treatment of prisoners and to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading to troops and others on the base. No cases of COVID-19 have been reported among the prisoners. Strict quarantine procedures had already sharply curtailed activities at Guantanamo and halted legal proceedings for prisoners facing war crime trials, including the men charged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack. The vaccination effort is expected to enable court hearings to eventually resume at the base. The Biden administration announced in April that it would conduct a full review of detention center operations with the goal of eventually closing the facility, which opened in January 2002 to hold people suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks. Story continues At its peak in 2003, the detention center held nearly 680 prisoners, and it drew widespread condemnation over the treatment of the men held there, most without charges. Closing it has proved a challenge because the U.S. has sought to continue holding and prosecute some prisoners, but Congress has prevented the transfer of anyone held there to facilities inside the country. Those still being held include Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, who, along with four others, faces trial on charges that include murder and terrorism over the Sept. 11 attacks. The long-stalled case remains in the pretrial stage, and no hearings have been held in more than a year because of the pandemic. Rumours of a coup d'etat are sweeping across Chad after the army announced the president had been killed while fighting rebels on the front line just hours after winning a sixth term. Idriss Deby, 68, who ruled over the central African nation for more than three decades, 'breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield,' an army spokesman said today. The army said Deby had been commanding soldiers at the weekend as it battled against rebels who had launched a major incursion into the north of the country on election day. The military quickly announced Deby's son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, 37, as the central African nation's interim leader and dissolved government, imposed a curfew and shut the borders. Some observers immediately questioned the chain of events leading up to Tuesday's stunning announcement on national radio and television. Idriss Deby, pictured last year, has been killed while fighting rebels on the front line just hours after winning a sixth term, the army said Deby, 68, (pictured in 2018) ruled over the central African nation for more than three decades and was one of the world's longest serving leaders Deby speaks during his meeting with the Israeli President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Israel, in November 2018 The military quickly announced Deby's son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (pictured), 37, as the central African nation's interim leader Deby was a major French ally in the fight against Islamic extremism in Africa and had survived a number of armed rebellions Ayo Sogunro, a Nigerian lawyer and fellow at the South Africa-based Center for Human Rights, said that under Chadian law the term of an incumbent president who dies is completed not by family members but by the National Assembly. 'The army seizing power and conferring it on the son of the president ... is a coup and unconstitutional,' Sogunro tweeted Tuesday, calling for the African Union to condemn the transfer of power. Some residents of the capital N'Djamena also feared there was more to the story of Deby's demise. 'The rumors that are going around about the transitional council give me the impression that some information is false,' Thierry Djikoloum said. 'They are already talking about dissolving parliament ... So for me, I'd say it was a coup d'etat. He was killed.' The president's son is best known as a top commander of the Chadian forces aiding a UN peacekeeping mission in northern Mali and will now head an 18-month transitional council following his father's death. Deby had ruled Chad with an iron fist since 1990 but was a key ally in the West's anti-jihadist campaign in the troubled Sahel region. Emmanuel Macron hailed Deby as a 'courageous friend' in a statement as he said: 'Chad is losing a great soldier and a president who has worked tirelessly for the security of the country and the stability of the region for three decades.' President Idriss Deby is seen in 2006 while visiting troops in Adre, Chad Idriss Deby, who ruled over the central African nation for more than three decades, 'breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield,' an army spokesman said today (file photo) Deby had ruled Chad with an iron fist since 1990 but was a key ally in the West's anti-jihadist campaign in the troubled Sahel region (pictured in 1990) French president Emmanuel Macron called Deby 'a courageous friend' in a statement after his death on Tuesday Deby would have been one of the longest-serving leaders in the world, after provisional results showed him winning the April 11 election. He was a herder's son from the Zaghawa ethnic group who took the classic path to power through the army, and relished the military culture. His latest election victory, announced on Monday with almost 80 percent of the vote, had never been in doubt, with a divided opposition, boycott calls, and a campaign in which demonstrations were banned or dispersed. Deby had campaigned on a promise of bringing peace and security to the region, but his pledges were undermined by the rebel incursion. On voting day on April 11, a group of rebels based and trained in Libya from the group FACT (the Front for Change and Concord in Chad) mounted an attack and gradually advanced on the capital. Circumstances remain unclear but it appears Deby visited troops battling the rebels this Saturday amid new clashes in the Kanem region north of the capital. Previous rebel fighting had taken place much further north near the Libyan border suggesting the unrest has moved south towards N'Djamena. In this file photo taken on April 02, 1984 in N'Djamena, French General Jean Poli (R) meets Chad's Chief of Staff Idriss Deby The government sought Monday to assure concerned residents that the offensive was over. There had been panic in some areas of N'Djamena on Monday after tanks were deployed along the city's main roads, an AFP journalist reported. The tanks were later withdrawn apart from a perimeter around the president's office, which is under heavy security during normal times. 'The establishment of a security deployment in certain areas of the capital seems to have been misunderstood,' government spokesman Cherif Mahamat Zene had said on Twitter on Monday. 'There is no particular threat to fear.' However, the US embassy in N'Djamena had on Saturday ordered non-essential personnel to leave the country, warning of possible violence in the capital. Britain also urged its nationals to leave. Chad's President Idriss Deby Itno, center-right, meets with French Defense Minister Herve Morin, center-left, in N'Djamena, Chad, in 2006 The army said a military council led by the late president's 37-year-old son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (pictured), a four-star general, would replace him France's embassy said in an advisory to its nationals in Chad that the deployment was a precaution and there was no specific threat to the capital. FACT, which is based in Libya and was founded by disillusioned army officers, has a non-aggression pact with Khalifa Haftar, a military strongman who controls much of Libya's east. The group is mainly made up of the Saharan Goran people and it said in a statement Sunday that it had 'liberated' the Kanem region. Such claims in remote desert combat zones are difficult to verify. The Tibesti mountains near the Libyan frontier frequently see fighting between rebels and the army, as well as in the northeast bordering Sudan. French air strikes were needed to stop an incursion there in February 2019. In February 2008, a rebel assault reached the gates of the presidential palace before being pushed back with French backing. A supporter carries a picture of Chad President Idriss Deby during a Peace Process rally in Darfur, in Al Fashir capital of North Darfur September 7, 2016 Men subject to enlistment wait for health checkup at an exam center in Seoul to get their physical grade for military service in this Feb. 17 photo. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han By Nam Hyun-woo Rep. Park Yong-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea speaks during an interview with the Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, at the National Assembly in this Sept. 9, 2020 photo. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun A decades-long debate on mandatory military service for women has been reignited by Rep. Park Yong-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a presidential hopeful, who wants to change the current conscription system to encompass men and women who will both serve in the military for a shortened term. Park claims the proposed change would cushion the negative impact of forcing young men to spend a year-and-a-half in mandatory military service. Others, however, say his idea is a political gimmick to draw support from young men while fomenting gender conflict. The lawmaker called for women's conscription in his book, "Political Revolution," published Monday, suggesting the country change its military into an all-volunteer one, while making up for any shortfall in service members by conscripting not only men but also women for 40 to 100 days of basic military training. Currently, all able-bodied Korean men aged between 18 and 28 must serve in the military for at least 18 months. Women can volunteer to serve in the military as officers or non-commissioned officers. "With women serving in the military we can shorten the mandatory service period, while expanding the number of people subject to the service," Park wrote. "This can also put an end to the unnecessary controversy on sexual discrimination about whether to give advantages in hiring to those who fulfilled their military service, as well as other conflicts related to service exemptions." During a radio interview, Park said it was inappropriate to force men in their 20s to spend time serving in the military for low pay. Rather, he said, the military should improve its reward and service conditions to entice more people to enlist. He added that soldiers' salaries needed to be close to the average of workers at the top 100 companies here. If the country adopts this system, Park predicted that the size of Korea's active military will stand at between 150,000 and 200,000, down from 555,000 last year, but that the active service members would be composed of elite forces. Also, the number of reserve troops would grow to 20 million, up from the current 2.75 million, because of women receiving training, thus preventing an overall weakening of the military. Women's mandatory military service has long been a topic of heated debate in Korea, as the issue has been coupled with gender equality arguments in the hiring process. In the past, the country gave additional points in civil service recruitment to those who completed their military service. But in 1999, the Constitutional Court made a landmark decision saying that such an advantage was unconstitutional and essentially "discrimination based on gender," because only a few women were subject to this program while most Korean men served in the military. More than 10 similar complaints challenging the court's view have been raised since then, but none managed to overturn the decision, while triggering heated debate between the sexes. In addition to Rep. Park's claim, more than 114,000 people signed an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website as of Tuesday afternoon, calling on women to be subject to mandatory military service, citing the country's declining birthrate and gender equality. The petition was posted Monday. Those opposing women's conscription say the debate should come only after the male-dominated culture in the military is overhauled and other forms of social discrimination against women are resolved. Along with the physical differences between men and women, critics also say men already enjoy advantages in their careers as some companies tacitly acknowledge their male employees' military service as related to their careers and pay them higher wages compared to women. Rep. Kwon In-sook of the DPK, who is also a women's rights scholar, said in a radio interview that she partially agrees with Park's idea on introducing a voluntary enlistment system, because "it will increase the number of female service members in the military, thus promoting gender equality in society." However, she said it was still too early to talk about women's conscription, as it comes as an additional obligation. Military service members wait at traffic management office in Seoul Station to get tickets back to their units in provincial regions in this Feb. 15 photo. Yonhap Mumbai: Maharashtra on Tuesday (April 20) reported 62,097 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 39,60,359, while 519 more patients succumbed to the infection. The new fatalities pushed the statewide toll to 61,343, according to health department data. Out of the 519 fatalities, 307 occurred in the last 48 hours and 114 last week, while 98 deaths took place in the period before the last week, but were added to the toll now, the official data said. As many as 54,224 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, raising the number of recovered cases to 32,13,464. With this, Maharashtra's active cases increased to 6,83,856, the official data added. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the state cabinet has requested Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to impose a complete lockdown in the state to contain the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the final call will be taken by the Chief Minister. A cabinet meeting was held earlier today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding the lockdown. All the ministers gave their opinion and most of them were in favour of a complete lockdown. After the cabinet meeting, Jitendra Awhad said that the complete lockdown would be announced by the Chief Minister and its guidelines are being prepared. Another Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde said that strict lockdown is required and the same would be announced on Wednesday. Public Works Minister Eknath Shinde and Health Minister Rajesh Tope also informed that the cabinet decided to cancel the standard 10th exam of the state board. The state has been reporting over 50,000 coronavirus cases every day in the last two weeks but people are flouting the existing restrictions on movement and gatherings, the ministers said after a cabinet meeting. "All the cabinet ministers expressed views in favour of a strict lockdown to minimise the spread of COVID-19. Ministers come from all corners of the state, so it also indicates that the entire state needs this measure," Tope is quoted by PTI as saying. "Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray could make an official announcement about more stringent measures tomorrow," he added. Notably, Mumbai today recorded 7,192 new cases and 34 fatalities, taking the tally to 5,94,059 and the toll to 12,446. With 2,65,925 new tests, the number of samples examined so far in Maharashtra has gone up to 2,43,41,736. Currently, 38,76,998 people are in-home quarantine, while 27,690 people are in institutional quarantine in the state, the health department said. Maharashtra's COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 81.14 per cent, while the fatality rate was 1.55 per cent, the health department data said, adding that the state's positivity rate is 16.27 per cent. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV In the Battle of San Jacinto of April 21, 1836, a Sam Houston-led force of Texans defeated Santa Annas portion of the sizable Mexican Army occupying Texas. Issues before and after that battle prompted biting criticism as well as glorious praise of Sam Houston clear to the US Civil War. Before the battle, confusion brought criticism as both Texan fighting forces and the Provisional Political Council were in a disoriented condition. While armies of Texas volunteers were gaining seeming victories, Houstons criticism of same led to the impeachment of his ally, Gov. Henry Smith. So great was the problem that Houston sought and received a furlough to change his venue to preventing the Indians of East Texas from allying with the Mexicans. In defense of Houstons actions, there was little he could do with the volunteers, for his authority lay only with the regular army. However, once he finally received authority at the Washington on Brazos Constitutional Convention to head both regulars and volunteers, he faced the charge of cowardice. This was for not immediately attacking the forces of Santa Anna. Yet Sam Houston prevailed, defeating Santa Annas much larger force at San Jacinto. Even then, negative charges circulated as, over much opposition, he saved the life of Santa Anna. His reasoning: to assure peace with the sizable remaining Mexican forces in Texas. San Jacinto marked the path to Texas as an independent Republic, an era which lasted until 1845 when Texas received statehood in the United States. Accompanying the birth of statehood was the rise of the concept of Manifest Destiny. Texas, proclaimed John OSullivan, reflected the destiny of the US to extend its control to the Pacific Coast. However, blocking that path yet was Mexico, which had not recognized Texass independence. Thus, was war enjoined between the US and Mexico between 1846-1848. As a result, Mexico lost not only Texas, but its holdings in the better part of the present southwestern United States. That US victory, however, fanned the flames of division in the US over the issue of slavery in its new territories. While papered over with elements of the Compromise of 1850 the issue soon resurfaced with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 which allowed those two states free reign over the issue of slavery. Here again, Sam Houston suffered for his insights, as he was one of only two southern senators to vote against the Act. Six years later, his vision proved true with Texas under pressure to join the Confederacy. Sam Houston, by then governor of Texas, refused. Consequently, hated by much of his constituency, Sam Houston resigned his governorship and returned to Huntsville, to die there in disgrace during the Civil War. While reaching to the Civil War, the legacy of San Jacinto impacted profoundly the life of San Jacintos hero, Sam Houston. However, Houstons foresight is recognized in the immortal words of Andrew Jackson: The world will take care of Houstons fame. Dr. Robin Montgomery is a native of Montgomery County, an author, retired professor, historian and columnist for The Courier. Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the Business Council of Australia (BCA) dinner at the Fullerton Hotel, in Sydney, Monday, April 19, 2021. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) I Will Not Tax Our Industries Off the Planet for Net Zero: Australian PM Australia to Innovate its Way to Net Zero Instead Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to protect industry from punishing climate change taxes as the government sets a tentative net-zero target of 2050. Just days away from a global climate summit, to be chaired by U.S. President Joe Biden, Morrison said Australia would chart its own course on how to transition to renewable energy, noting that the key was to change the energy mix over the next 30 years. The key to meeting our climate change ambitions is commercialisation of low emissions technology, Morrison told a Business Council of Australia dinner on Monday. We are not going to meet our climate change targets through punishing taxes. I am not going to tax our industries off the planet. It will be achieved by the pioneering entrepreneurialism and innovation of Australias industrial workhorses, farmers and scientists, he added. Were not going to achieve net zero in the cafes, dinner parties and wine bars of our inner cities, the prime minister noted, pointing out the competing priorities between inner-city and regional voters. Cafes in Melbournes Degraves street open for dine-in customers on June 01, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) It will be won in places like the Pilbara, the Hunter, Gladstone, Portland, Whyalla, Bell Bay, the Riverina. In the factories of our regional towns and outer suburbs. As an example, the prime minister pointed to early work being conducted by AGL and Idemitsu Australia on developing a hydro energy storage facility in a former coal mine in the upper Hunter region. Deregulation was also a focus of the government, with the removal of compliance burdens estimated to save businesses, individuals, and non-profits around $430 million annually. Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese responded to the prime ministers speech saying Australia could not have a technological misadventure with renewable energy development. Labors climate policies would also include funding for a national reconstruction fund, upgrades to power lines, $200 million for community batteries, and tax exemptions to lower the cost of electric vehicles. Gigi Foster, professor of economics at the University of New South Wales (NSW) said the government should only intervene in the energy market in the short-term. In terms of long-run goals, a sustainable solution for energy is one that will survive in the open market, in the absence of government intervention, once it is established, she told The Epoch Times. A cubic-meter tank containing liquid hydrogen at Kobe Port Island plant in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture on Oct. 26, 2020. The special shipping terminal has been built in order to import liquid hydrogen from Australia. (Etienne Balmer/AFP via Getty Images) The latest figures show Australias emission levels have reached their lowest level since 1998, and the country is well on track to exceed its 2030 emissions reduction target set during the Paris Agreement. However, pressure has been building on the world stage as the European Union and the United Kingdom consider imposing carbon tariffs on trading partners to encourage further emission reduction activities. Meanwhile, U.S. President Biden is expected to announce an ambitious 2030 emissions target for the United States at the upcoming Leaders Summit on Climate, which will be attended by 40 world leaders, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who heads up the worlds largest carbon polluter. Smoke billows from a large steel plant as a Chinese labourer works at an unauthorized steel factory, foreground, on November 4, 2016 in Inner Mongolia, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Biden is urging attendees to use the Summit to outline their contributions to addressing climate change. Associate Professor Salvatore Babones, an expert in the Asian political economy at the University of Sydney, said in January (pdf) that Biden would likely press home a major climate change agenda in his first term as president. Factors including Democrat control of Congress, affordable energy supply guaranteed by the shale gas boom, and gradual reductions in U.S. carbon emissions since the early 2000s, all give Biden a platform to expand his climate change policy. As the worlds largest coal exporter, Australia stands to lose from American pressure on other countries to stop building new coal-fired power plants, Babones noted. Foster meanwhile, doubted the Summit would be a watershed moment. The dismal prediction of economics is that in the vast majority of cases, opportunities for material gain trump moral suasion, she said, noting that nations would likely fall back on tried-and-true methods of address environmental concerns. "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 Friends that travel together stay together. No one knows that better than best friends Gabrielle Profit and Katrina Craft Trifilo. The fun duo recently decided to merge their skills and love for adventure and start a full-service travel agency - Besties That Travel. Travel ignites our five senses, Trifilo added. We love meeting and connecting with people, exploring new places, learning new cultures and their way of life. Profit and Trifilo are both New Orleans natives with a passion for travel. They have been friends for over 25 years and together they have booked and arranged trips for more than 10 years. In their new mission, the business partners aim to serve as personal travel concierges to assist with all travel needs. Besties That Travel provides several services including reserving flights, lodging, private transportation, planning excursions and daily itineraries. We also serve as a travel advocate - keeping our clients updated on changes during the pandemic, Profit added. The idea to begin the travel agency was born during the pandemic in the summer of 2020 while vacationing on a besties trip to Destin. Initially the idea was to present it as a travel blog, Trifilo said. Due to the pandemic and freeze on travel, we posted our previous travels and blogged about them. We started getting inquiries from people asking if we actually booked travel as well. After seeking guidance and assistance with logistics, Trifilo and Profit became partners and are now open for business. I have been a travel agent for the last four years and already had the experience, Profit said. So, this newfound venture quickly became a full-blown business for us. We realized this was bigger than just a blog. At Besties That Travel, packages are custom tailored for clients such as couples, solo travelers, groups and corporate travels. Check out The Roux A weekly newsletter showcasing minority businesses in New Orleans. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Our clients differ in destination, budget, and other needs, so, no one package is the same, Trifilo said. We use our expertise in each consultation to work with our clients needs and their specific budget. COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. And with the vaccine being distributed, countries and communities are looking forward to rebuilding and renewing traveling interest. I believe this pandemic has increased people's desire for travel. Even those that were not thinking about it before, Profit added. As more people are getting vaccinated the fears of travel during this time are somewhat subsiding. The besties have several upcoming ventures, including a women's group excursion. We have a group trip planned for October of this year to Bali, Indonesia. We had opened up 10 spots and quickly sold out, Trifilo said. This will be our first group trip as a company, and we are really excited to explore Bali with a group of like-minded women. The duo is also launching a new travel apparel line, BTT Apparel, in the summer of 2021. It's some fun merch that can be worn on vacation or for just an ordinary day, Profit said. With their passion for travel, Trifilo and Profit plan to create unforgettable travel experiences while providing guidance along the way. Our inspiration lies in our own passion for travel, Profit said. We love the fact that our excitement for it is contagious and we are able to inspire others to travel or do something outside of their normal day to day living. To book with Besties That Travel, visit bestiesthattravel.com. Want to learn more about minorities in business? Subscribe to the free weekly newsletter The Roux NOLA and follow The Roux NOLA on Facebook. To be featured in The Roux NOLA, contact Quo Vadis Sylve Hollins at qhollins@theadvocate.com or therouxnola@thedvocate.com. The United States continues to have a dialogue with Pakistan on issues related to terrorism along the border with Afghanistan, the Pentagon has said. We continue to have a dialogue with Pakistan about terrorist issues along that border with Afghanistan. I think it's helpful to remind that they too have suffered from terrorist attacks inside their country, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference here. Responding to a question, Kirby said President Joe Biden is clear on the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by September 22. The president was clear. We are removing US forces from Afghanistan and will maintain the sufficient counter-terrorism capabilities we need to detect and prevent threats to our homeland that could emanate from Afghanistan, Kirby said. Once the US leaves Afghanistan, he said, they expect the sovereignty of Afghanistan to be respected. He was responding to a question on reports that Beijing is considering sending a peacekeeping force to Afghanistan once the US pulls out which will be deployed at the neighbouring province it has with Afghanistan across that 44-mile border. We certainly wouldn't speak for another nation and obviously we would call on all of Afghanistan's neighbours to respect its sovereignty and to respect its territory integrity as well, he said. If there's a legitimate terrorism threat that's emanating from Afghanistan to work in accordance with international law and with the Afghan government to address that, but we want Afghanistan's sovereignty to be respected, he asserted. The US, he said, is removing all military personnel from Afghanistan. We will remove them by early September. All of them with the exception of what's going to be required to protect the diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, he said. So I know of no discussions with the government in Kabul about reinserting counterterrorism forces inside Afghanistan. As the (Defense) Secretary made clear in Brussels last week, we will maintain sufficient counterterrorism capabilities in the region to deal with emanating threats from Afghanistan, threats to our homeland from terrorist groups, but the president's direction was crystal clear." "All US military personnel with that exception are going to be leaving Afghanistan by the early fall, he said. Kirby insisted that there's no plans to reintroduce American boots on the ground in Afghanistan. We have robust counterterrorism capabilities all around the world, and I think as he also - you heard him say in Brussels there's not a part of the Earth that we can't hit if we need to hit it, but there are no plans and no discussions about reintroducing American combat forces on the ground in Afghanistan, he said. Image Credits: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) [April 20, 2021] Widen and 1WorldSync Partner to Streamline 360 Product Image Creation MADISON, Wisc., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Widen , maker of digital asset management (DAM) and product information management (PIM) software, and 1WorldSync , a leading provider of omnichannel product content solutions, today announced the formation of an image capture partnership. Snap36, a recent acquisition of 1WorldSync and market leader in 360 product experiences, will serve as Widens go-to partner for DAM and PIM clients in need of 360 spin imagery that provides life-like, 3D experiences for e-commerce shoppers. The partnership will enable B2B and B2C brands to rapidly create, upload, tag, and publish 360 imagery that improves conversion rates. As shopping moves online, brands and manufacturers are seeking ways to recreate the in-store experience of holding and seeing a product. 360 photography a technique that compiles 2D images to provide a 3D-like experience has become the leading approach. In a survey commissioned by Widen, 39% of consumers said they view 360 product imagery when researching products. Snap36 has found that 360 product imagery can increase online conversions by as much as 47%. However, few online sellers have the ability to produce 360 imagery cost-effectively and at scale. Snap36, a 1WorldSync company, addresses this problem with a seamless physical-to-digital content creation process that leverages robotic equipment and workflow software. The resulting spinset of 24 to 92 images creates a flip-book effect as the shopper rotates the image. It also can capture the motion of an object like an opening car door or reclining chair. 360 spinsets can be added to Widens DM+PIM system, the Widen Collective?, where product data, marketing content, and digital assets are assembled before being listed on e-commerce platforms. The Collective natively supports 360 images, meaning that brands do not require additional tools that add complexity and costs. Further, clients that use the 1WorldSync Item Management platform for syndication to retailers and distributors can pull 360 product images and other digital assets directly from the Collective. By simply providing URLs that point to the Collective, the 1WorldSync platform can render and store images, ready to distribute to hundreds of retailers and distributors. This integration improves the flow and accuracy of data across systems. Snap36 is the leading image capture provider for uploading spin images directly to both Amazon.com and Walmart.com. 360 imagery is critical to building trust in product categories that have moved online, said Jeff Hunt, VP, Digital Asset Production at 1WorldSync. Our approach to photography combined with Widens emphasis on accurate, trustworthy product information is a powerful match. Were excited to work with Widen clients on elevating their e-commerce imagery. Many brands already use Widen and Snap36 in tandem to bring 360 photography to online product listings. This partnership cements what we consider to be a best practice, said Jamie Liechty, Partner Manager at Widen. Were glad to partner with an innovative company that shares our vision for more compelling and trusted e-commerce experiences. About 1WorldSync 1WorldSync is the leading provider of ominichannel product content solutions, enabling more than 13,000 companies in over 60 countries to share authentic, trusted content that empowers confident commerce and intelligent consumer purchasing decisions. Through its technology platform and expert services, 1WorldSync solves revenue-impacting product content problems faced by leading brands and retailers in the CPG/retail, DIY, consumer electronics, healthcare and foodservice industries. 1WorldSync is one of the only product content providers and GDSN Data Pools to achieve ISO Certification 27001. For more information, please visit www.1worldsync.com. About Widen Widen helps brands deliver content with confidence. Their cloud-based DAM and PIM software, the Widen Collective, empowers marketers to bring content together, send it anywhere, and automate in-between. Trusted by more than 700 companies and one million users, Widen boasts a 73-year track record of innovation and customer success. Customers include Dyson, New Balance, Crayola, and Hootsuite. Widen is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, USA and London, UK. For more information, visit www.widen.com . Contact: Jake Athey VP Marketing and Customer Experience +1 608 443-5472 jathey@widen.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Excellent High Grade Results Continue From Peyes Farm Perth, April 20, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to announce further excellent high grade drilling results from the 100% owned Peyes Farm gold project, part of the Teal project area located 10km north west of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields (Figures 1 and 2*).The Teal camp comprises the Teal, Jacques Find and Peyes Farm deposits and is one of five core satellite gold project areas being advanced to complement the baseload Boorara gold project as part of the consolidated Feasibility Study to deliver an initial five-year mine plan and underpin the establishment of a stand-alone processing facility at the Boorara mine site.The program at Peyes Farm is the first since the highly successful drilling campaigns completed by the Company in 2017 delivering a Mineral Resource Estimate of 0.53Mt grading 1.70g/t Au for 28,860oz at a 1g/t Au lower cut-off grade.In the December Quarter 2020, the Company completed 49 Reverse Circulation ("RC") and three diamond holes for 3,808m to a maximum depth of 132m. The aim of the drilling was to:- Infill a number of areas within the current mineralised envelope to improve JORC classification to the Measured and Indicated categories for Ore Reserve generation- Extend areas of supergene mineralisation beyond the current resource model- Provide diamond core for additional geotechnical assessment and confirmatory metallurgical test work for mine optimisation, design and economic analysis.Project GeologyAs with the Jacques Find gold project immediately to the west, the Peyes Farm gold deposit comprises a well-defined supergene blanket located above shears and quartz within structurally controlled felsic schists, tuffs, sediments and porphyry rocks. Mineralisation is strongly influenced by the regional NNW geological trend of the Abattoir Shear.Gold mineralisation is developed in a flat lying oxide supergene deposit located between 24-75 metres vertical depth and in primary mineralisation within a sub-vertical shear zone. The mineralisation lies on the same trend as Teal and collectively the strike length is greater than 1500 metres.Summary of ResultsPrevious drilling by the Company during the 2016/2017 campaigns focussed on building the resource inventory with mostly step back and extension drilling. Combined with an improved gold price and encouraged by the success of the nearby Teal gold mine (open pit produced 229,000t @ 3.2g/t Au for 21,836 oz), the Company designed a program to maximise the open pittable tonnes and grade from the Peyes Farm oxide and transitional ore zones.Preliminary test work suggests that the Peyes Farm metallurgy is similar to the Teal deposit mined and processed successfully in 2018. Teal was mined to 65m vertical depth with excellent recoveries in both the oxide (94%) and transition (90%) ore zones. In the deeper primary sulphide mineralisation, typically below 80-90m depth, the metallurgy of the ore is semi-refractory and requires pre-oxidation through roasting or ultra-fine grinding to achieve acceptable recoveries.Variations in the depth of weathering and the fresh rock boundary at Peyes Farm were mapped in greater detail with the new drilling enabling an assessment of the supergene ore for conventional milling and treatment options to be reviewed on the primary sulphide mineralisation.The 2020 drilling also improved drill density to a more uniform 10m spacing allowing improved definition of the ore zones. New high-grade shoots were also discovered in this program. Table 1* highlights the significant intercepts that recorded grades >1.0g/t Au. Similar to Teal, the highest grades were typically observed in the supergene zone at 25-80m vertical depth. Mineralisation remains open to the north and south within the supergene enrichment zone.Alongside the RC drilling, three diamond drill holes were completed. These holes were for combined geotechnical and metallurgical purposes and is ongoing as part of mine optimisation, design and maiden Ore Reserve generation.Next StepsThe latest assay results will enable compilation of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate due for completion in the June Quarter 2021. Open cut mine optimisation and design studies will then be completed for maiden Ore Reserve generation as part of the consolidated Feasibility StudyFurther extensional drilling is planned at Peyes Farm later in 2021 as part of the organic growth plan.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. German dairy firm Meggle Group is to close a plant in Bulgaria as part of its strategic optimisation plan. The production facility in Shumen in north-east Bulgaria will be shuttered and around 95 employee contracts will be terminated. Meggle said it is restructuring operations in south-east Europe to introduce more sustainable business models in all markets in which it operates. It said the latest development is the last stage of a two-year transformation process. As of 1 October, Meggle will operate in Bulgaria under a changed business model but will not exit the local market and will continue to offer its products in the country, according to a statement from the company. The difficult decision was made by the Meggle Group and its stakeholders after all other options were exhausted. The continuing pandemic, unfortunately, additionally sped up the restructuring process, it said. Last July, Meggle announced it planned to exit the Croatian market due to challenging business conditions and advised it would close down its facility in Osijek, its sole plant in the country, with all the 160 workers employed at the site to lose their jobs. In October, it sold the plant to local business Fortenova, which was expected to retain around 100 of the 160 jobs. Meggle, which has been active in Bulgaria since 2009, is headquartered in Wasserburg am Inn in Germany. It has production sites, sales offices and agencies in 25 countries around the world. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The Maginhawa community pantry will temporarily stop its operations on Tuesday due to alleged red-tagging activities threatening the safety of its volunteers. In a briefing on Tuesday, lead organizer Patricia Non said she feared for her safety when police officers started asking for her affiliation after days of manning the area. She also raised concern on the "alarming" social media post of the Quezon City Police District linking them and other community pantries to rebel groups. "Ang pinakakinalungkot ko sa nangyari, pinost po ng QCPD sa offcial page na ang community pantry ay parang propaganda ng Communist Party," she said. [Translation: What really saddened me was the QCPD's post in its official page which suggested that community pantries are being used as propaganda by the Communist Party.] "Nalungkot ako kasi magkakasama tayo, ilang araw tayong nagtutulungan. Pwede naman akong kausapin, available naman po ako. Official page po 'yun at may ganoong kinakalat lalo na't kaya namang pag-usapan," she added. [Translation: I was disappointed because we were there, and we have been showing unity the past days. They could have talked to me, I'm available. It was their official page and that post was maliciously shared when it could have been personally discussed.] Non also bared that her team also had to repeatedly ask the police to refrain from bringing rifles to dispel fear among residents who were simply lining up in the area to get some goods. Non denied being affiliated to any communist groups. She first announced in her Facebook post that they had to pause their Tuesday operations to address such false claims, noting that other community pantries are also being linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing, the New People's Army, and the communist umbrella organization National Democratic Front. The QCPD and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflictshared a post from anti-communist group Peace Philippines which compiled photos of various community pantries and warned against those which could be using these initiatives for supposed recruitment of potential members. The shared post read: "Ang Community Pantry ay para sa bayan, huwag gamitin para sa sariling kapakanan! Ang 'Tulong Kabataan' ay isang organisasyon na ginawa ng CPP-NPA-NDF para makakuha ng pondo at makapagrecruit ng mga kabataan at mamamayan." [Translation: A community pantry is for the people, do not use it for your own good. Tulong Kabataan is an organization created by CPP-NPA-NDF to get funds and to recruit youth and other individuals.] Tulong Kabataan Network is a youth group which recently partnered with some other organizations including Kabataan Party-list to put up its own community pantry in Kalayaan Ave., Quezon City. Another post, which photoshopped the Maginhawa community pantry next to a photo of an armed rebel, also claimed that "community pantries are supported and advocated by" progressive groups Kilusang Mayo Uno and Piston which the NTF-ELCAC classified as supposed "communist terrorist organizations." "Natatakot po ako maglakad mag-isa papunta sa community pantry ng alas singko ng umaga dahil po sa walang basehang paratang sa amin. Gusto ko lang po talaga makatulong at sana po ay huwag niyo masamain," Non said. [Translation: I'm scared to walk to the community pantry at 5 in the morning because of these baseless claims against us. I just wanted to help so please don't take this the wrong way.] At around 6am on Tuesday, some residents were still seen lining up, hoping to get goods from the Maginhawa Community Pantry despite the advisory. Most of them were reported to have been waiting since 3am. They were eventually asked to vacate the area and return on Wednesday. Herbie Docena, an organizer of a community pantry in Matatag Street, called for more volunteers who could help them out as those who waited in line at the Maginhawa community pantry were reportedly asked to go to them instead. Those who are interested to help may visit this link for more details. Non said the Maginhawa community pantry will resume its operations on Wednesday, once they can ensure the safety of volunteers. She will also hold a dialogue with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to address issues and suggestions to improve operations. Belmonte said she will also meet with Station 9 Commander Police LtCol, Imelda Reyes, under which jurisdiction Maginhawa falls, to further discuss Nons security concerns. RELATED: Authorities deny profiling of community pantry organizers, need for barangay permit The Maginhawa community pantry opened a week ago. Other makeshift community pantries inside and outside Metro Manila have also popped up in the past days and replicated its operations, allowing others to take or drop off basic items such as canned goods, rice and vegetables. READ: 'Beyond charity': How the Maginhawa community pantry started it all Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 04:46:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ATHENS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Tuesday that the country will always promote a positive agenda for peace, stability, development and prosperity for all people across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Middle East. However, as the world is faced with new threats and the region is becoming more unstable, Greece will continue to expand its defense capabilities, said Mitsotakis during a multinational military training exercise hosted in western Greece. "Greece will always promote a positive agenda based on shared values, adherence to international law and the law of the sea, the rules of good neighborly relations and the mutual respect that must always permeate the relations between modern countries," the prime minister said while delivering a speech at Andravida air base, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported. The air base in northwest Peloponnese peninsula is where the command center of the exercise "Iniochos 2021" is located. The exercise runs from April 12 to April 22, according to a Hellenic Air Force (HAF) press release. The exercise is taking place along the width of the Athens Flight Information Center with the participation of all branches of Greece's Armed Forces and forces from the United States, France, Cyprus, Israel, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Canada. Greece has hosted the annual exercise "Iniochos" for over 30 years, Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, noting that it is one of the most dynamic, demanding and competitive military exercises in the region. Enditem Best Exercise Mats Exercise Mats Ready to Make Workout Discomfort a Thing of the Past The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Product photos from retailer sites. Its an understatement to say that the pandemic has brought about abundant changes in our daily routines. Among them, a mass migration from gyms and workout studios back home to dust off those old weights in the garage. If you are ready to start your own home gym, whether it be in your garage or basement, backyard, or bedroom, the purchase near the top of your list should be a quality exercise mat. RELATED: Best Home Workout Equipment Options A good exercise mat will not only maximize your comfort during the most uncomfortable workouts by providing cushioning to your body, but it will help prevent injuries, especially during high-impact exercises. Exercise mats can limit leg fatigue and can absorb shock to protect your joints and knees. What to Look for in an Exercise Mat Factors to consider when selecting an exercise mat include: The location of your workouts If you are working out on the concrete floor of your garage, for example, you want to get something with some extra padding. Thickness of the pad Different types of exercise may require more, or less, padding. How much space you need to cover Yoga is going to require less room than some aerobics exercises. Anti-slip features, both on the top and bottom of the pad Portability, especially if you regularly leave the house for workout sessions We factored in these features, along with reviews from Amazon customers, to compile this list of the best options in seven different categories. Pro tip: order a couple extra mats to place under equipment like treadmills and benches to help prevent damage to your floor and minimize noise from the machines. Best Exercise Mats Best Large Mat CAMBIVO Large Yoga Mat The sizeable CAMBIVO exercise mat is ideal for exercises that require a wide radius of movement. Measuring 6 feet long and 4 feet wide, this exercise mat is about double the width of a standard yoga mat. The top of the mat is waterproof and features a slip-free design. The anti-slip features are reinforced by the wavy design on the bottom of the mat. The double layer design on the 6-mm-thick mat includes tear-resistant mesh. The mat comes with a microfiber cleaning towel, storage bag, two mat straps, and is available in eight colors. Promising review: Really good quality. It's nice that it includes a bag and two straps to make it easy to pack up and travel with. It is well made and a perfect size. I'm 5'10" and I can perform a ton of yoga and other exercises on the large space it provides. Amazon customer ElectricMeister $69.99 at Amazon.com Top Tiles BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat Purchasing mat tiles that connect like puzzle pieces will give you some flexibility in where you place the mat and how much space you need to cover. The BalanceFrom tiles are sold in multiple sizes with different thickness options, from 24 square feet at -inch thick to 72 square feet with 1-inch thickness. You can continue to expand as your exercise needs and your home gym grow. Each foam tile features a water-resistant, anti-slip design. You can choose from three color options. Promising review: Like most households now, we're exercising at home. We got this to use as a fitness mat for two people. It is more stable compared to separate yoga mats and it easily constructs and deconstructs like a puzzle (that you don't need to solve) :) We are two ~6 foot tall people and fit easily side by side using the 12 panel size configured 4 x 3 panels. Amazon customer DC From $28.36 at Amazon.com Best Foldable Mat ProsourceFit Tri-Fold Folding Thick Exercise Mat This extremely portable exercise mat folds in three sections and includes two convenient carrying handles, making it easy to both store and travel with. At 1 inches thick, the cushioned mat can help provide comfort when working out on any surface. Its extra cushion makes it ideal for practicing gymnastics if you have little tumblers in your house. It measures 72 inches long by 24 inches wide. The mat is available in five colors. Promising review: Its lightweight and super easy to fold. I had a foam yoga mat but that one got torn to shreds by my kitty so I decided to buy this and its standing up a bit more than the yoga mat did. Although I would recommend to put it away to avoid the abuse from our demon overlords. Amazon customer Esclante $38.99 at Amazon.com Best Yoga Mat BalanceFrom GoYoga Yoga Mat The -inch thickness and high-density foam padding make this highly-rated mat ideal for yoga or Pilates. The mat, which measures 71 inches long by 24 inches wide, features double-sided non-slip surfaces. A bonus knee pad is provided, measuring 24 inches wide, 10 inches long, 3/5 inches thick. The mat comes with a carrying strap is available in 7 colors and includes a two-year warranty. Promising review: This mat exceeded my expectations for how soft it would be. I have hardwood floors, so softness is important. This mat is both soft and supportive, so it doesn't feel like just laying a blanket on the floor. I think it's actually made of magic. I've even used it as a standing mat for my home office stand up workstation. Amazon customer Kevin Watterson From $19.47 at Amazon.com aRELATED: Best Yoga Mats and Accessories Easiest to Transport SKL Travel Yoga Mat The compact SKL exercise mat is made for the mobile mover. It can be rolled up or folded into a 6.69-inch by 9.06-inch-square and packed into a bag, allowing you to easily pack for the studio or throw into a suitcase. The 1/16-inch thick mat is 71 inches long by 26 inches wide. The natural rubber build prevents skidding and sits underneath the suede fabric that absorbs sweat. The anti-tear mat is conveniently machine washable and available in five attractive designs. Promising review: Definitely worth investing in a travel mat! It is lightweight, beautifully made, folds easily and takes minimal space. Love the grip too. The more you sweat the better it grips. Amazon customer Delia $31.97 at Amazon.com Best Grip Yogi Bare Paws - Extreme Grip Yoga Exercise Mat The all-natural, perforated rubber surface of this 4mm-thick exercise mat helps reduce slipping even during the sweatiest of workouts. The rubber on the mat is closed cell and bacteria-resistant, according to the manufacturer. The mat, available in six color options, also provides clever visual guides to help keep your body in the right position. A strap is sold separately (Yogi Bare Hug, $39.95 at Amazon.com) Promising review: Very high quality feel. I practice vinyasa and sweat quite a bit. The grip is amazing even through the sweatiest of practices. The smooth texture is gentle on my elbows when practicing arm stands. It is cushioned but not squishy. Finally, a mat that has every quality I need to fully focus on my practice. - Amazon customer Taya Kamradt $104.95 at Amazon.com Finest Floor Protector Supermats Heavy Duty Equipment Mat This heavy-duty equipment mat can be placed under your home gym equipment like treadmills and exercise bikes to protect your floor from damage. It can also protect your equipment from carpet dust and help minimize noise during your workout. The mat measures 2.5 feet wide, 5 inches long, and 3 inches thick. Made from PVC material, the mat can also be used for exercising even without equipment on top of it. Promising review: I just got the Norditrack s221. This pad fits under the bike perfectly. I have it on our hardwood floors and the pad does not move or slip while I ride. The thickness is great and it is easy to wipe up sweat or water. Amazon customer LAURA $26.28 at Amazon.com You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Verardo suffered two separate improvised explosive device attacks while deployed to Afghanistan in April 2010. After the second on April 24, he was listed as death imminent, but a field blood transfusion saved his life. Ever since, he celebrated the 24th of April as his alive day. Many military veterans celebrate their own alive day, the day they might have died in combat but didnt. For some of those, its also a day of mourning, because they might have lost a fellow service member on the same day. Verardos alive day is about to become a statewide holiday, as the North Carolina state legislature is set to approve unanimously a law recognizing April 24 as Wounded Heroes Day. To celebrate the inaugural Wounded Heroes Day, the Independence Fund is inviting 18 wounded veterans and lawmakers to Halifax Mall Lawn at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh to speak and celebrate its passage. The Independence Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping wounded veterans overcome injuries and improve the quality of life for them and their families. Wounded Heroes Day celebrates the incredible sacrifice that North Carolinians have made to advance peace around the world, says Sarah Verardo, CEO of the Independence Fund and Mikes wife. North Carolina is home to some of the nation's finest fighting forces, and the heroes that reside in the state know the high price that is paid for freedom. Wounded Heroes Day ensures that their sacrifices are remembered for decades to come. Sgt. (ret.) Michael Verardo with his wife, Independence Fund CEO Sarah Verardo and their children. (Courtesy of The Independence Fund) Sgt. Verardo was deployed to Afghanistan with Bravo Company, 2-508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division. An estimated 60% of that unit would receive a Purple Heart, and 24 soldiers would be sent home as casualties. Verardo has undergone 120 surgeries and requires close medical care at home, including speech, visual, physical and occupational therapies. Hes one of more than 155,000 wounded veterans in North Carolina, and while the state has no shortage of patriotism, it recognized it still had more work to do to help its veterans. The North Carolina Assembly also is expected to pass the No Veteran Left Behind Act (NVLB) on the same day, April 21, 2021. No Veteran Left Behind is a pilot program designed to meet particular needs of North Carolinas wounded vets. Verardo says the legislation will rely on innovative public and private partnerships at all levels of government to address North Carolina veterans most persistent issues, mainly mental health and substance abuse. It will make it easier for agencies to work together to face these problems alongside community partner organizations, like the Independence Fund. The partnerships will review North Carolina counties response to veterans in crisis and produce an updated data collection process map. The Independence Fund will provide pilot counties in the state with improved training and services for veterans who are dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues. NVLB aims to transform the stigma associated with a mental health crisis and to start by asking a simple question during a mental health emergency: Did you serve? Verardo says. By increasing dialogue around the unique issues our veterans face, NVLB will work to decriminalize and de-escalate mental health emergencies for veterans. North Carolina is home to more than 100,000 active-duty service members and more than 600,000 veterans. The pilot program will begin with the counties with the highest number of at-risk veterans, but Verardo thinks its a concept every state should consider. NVLB should be replicated in states across the country by honing in on local veteran issues, she says. This will vary not only state to state, but within each state. By focusing on the individualized veteran population, each state can make good on the tremendous debt we owe our veterans. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Know More About Veteran Jobs? Be sure to get the latest news about post-military careers as well as critical info about veteran jobs and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. While authorities in Vietnam's Quang Nam Province, home to travelers favorite spot of Hoi An Ancient Town, is scrambling to prepare a plan for the return of international visitors, other tourism hubs of Vietnamese say they will set their effort in motion as soon as their proposal on reopening to foreign tourists gets approved by the national government. Earlier, leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Kien Giang Province said they were setting sights on reopening to international travelers after a long break to prioritize coronavirus curbs. Vietnam has now kept the coronavirus at bay as the country has not recorded any community transmission for weeks. Opening with vigilance Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said the city is still putting the goal of epidemic containment first. Although the border is still closed to tourists, tourism agencies and lodging facilities have been serving international visitors who came to Vietnam as experts in the past year, which provided realistic experience on COVID-19 prevention guidelines to these firms. Utilizing the practical knowledge for the top tourism firms, we will be able to guide tourists through different locations in Ho Chi Minh City and its environs safely, not just staying in one place for quarantine, Hoa said. Nguyen Luu Trung, deputy chairman of the Kien Giang Peoples Committee, said the province has submitted its reopening proposal, which would allow foreign tourists to stay in secluded areas in the province, to the prime minister for consideration. Earlier, a delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia has visited Kien Giang to discuss the possibility of reopening the provinces tourism hub of Phu Quoc Island to Russian visitors. Central-level ministries and designated agencies will provide detailed guidance on secluding Phu Quoc Island, which will involve the entrance protocol for Russian visitors, a list of airlines permitted to land at the island, as well as other local preparations, once Kien Giangs proposal is approved, according to Trung. To ensure safety, all Phu Quoc islanders will be inoculated against COVID-19 in accordance with the Ministry of Healths standards before Russian visitors are allowed in, Trung said. In the best scenario, the earliest we can reopen to Russian travelers is September or October." Only one five-star hotel in the north of Phu Quoc Island, which is considered the most popular place for Russian tourists having come to the area in the past years, has signed up for the trial reopening so far, said Bui Quoc Thai, deputy head of the Kien Giang Department of Tourism. We are looking forward to welcoming back foreign visitors, Thai stated. Tourists will be quarantined upon their arrival at the local airport, as they will be sent immediately to their lodging and kept under strict COVID-19 prevention regulations. Welcoming vaccine passports Nguyen Trong Dien, director of the Department of Health in northern coastal Quang Ninh Province, pointed out that COVID-19 jabs may take up to one month to take effect, while the vaccinated can still contract the pathogen. For that reason, those who just got their dosage will still be directed to quarantine to minimize the threat of transmission. Echoing Diens point, Le Khac Nam, deputy chairman of northern Hai Phong City, affirmed the locales strict adherence to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, as an outbreak will prove lethal to the local economy. Hai Phong has secured the top spot on Vietnam leader board of economic growth in the past two years thanks to multiple factors that keep the city safe against COVID-19," Nam said. As we are not fully dependent on the tourism industry, COVID-19 prevention will remain our top priority. Meanwhile, other tourism-oriented provinces are looking forward to the acceptance of vaccine passports in Vietnam. As Le Van Son, deputy chairman of the Tourism Association of Khanh Hoa Province, sees it, such vaccine passports will open up a new opportunity for local tourism after one year devoid of foreign tourists. In the meantime, Son suggested a reopening to tourists from countries that have successfully contained coronavirus spread and have reached herd immunity. Foreign visitors coming to Vietnam must present proof of their vaccination in the form of certificates or scannable QR codes. They will be allowed to stay in designated resorts as long as they adhere to local regulations and limit their exposure to the local community. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2021 -- Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) Market Size USD 69.44 billion in 2018, Market Growth - CAGR of 7.7%, Market Trends Mounting Demand for the automating the Security Systems in Buildings. The global Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) market is expected to reach USD 129.41 billion by 2026, according to a new report by Reports and Data. A rise in demand for smart buildings with better connectivity and efficient management systems to reduce utility costs and enhance the security and access system of the buildings such as residential building, shopping malls, etc. have created an escalating demand for Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) across the globe. Initiatives taken by Governments to build smart building is further pushing the growth of Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) market. On July, 2107, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in an announcement said that they would be deploying the Smart Buildings initiative in around 100 buildings across Canada through a phased tactic over the subsequent three years. The announcement is the result of the success of pilot project that comprised 13 buildings in the National Capital Region of Ottawa-Gatineau. The Smart Buildings technology that was deployed resulted in energy savings of up to 17 per cent, which interprets into $1 million per year. Requirement of high cost in the implementation of Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) may create hindrances in the growth of the market. The market in Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 7.9% in the forecast period. Proliferation of IoT technology in the region along with a rise in the level of disposable income coupled with the various government initiatives and funding to build smart cities and smart buildings are the main reasons driving the growth of the market in this region. Get a Sample Copy of this Report with TOC, Tables, Statistics, Charts & Company profiles @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/1352 The Key Companies Profiled in the Market are: Siemens AG, Johnson Controls International PLC, Honeywell International Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Robert Bosch GmBH, Legrand SA, United Technologies Corporation, ABB Ltd., Hubble Inc. and LutronElectronics Co. Inc. Further key findings from the report suggest Energy management systems would hold the largest market share and witness the growth rate of CAGR 7.7% during the forecast period as unnecessary wastage of energy is being translated into increased expenses on energy which would be optimally managed with the implementation of Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS). Also, governments all over the world are putting in consistent efforts to find alternative ways to generate energy as in present situation energy is being generated from natural resources that would soon be depleted. Wireless technology for establishing communication in Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) in connected buildings is estimated to experience the highest growth rate of CAGR 7.85% during the forecast period. The use of wireless communication technology enhances the efficiency of automation and control systems by enabling ease of operation and control of the system. The region of North America would contribute to the largest market share growing with a CAGR 7.8% during the forecast period. A rise in renovation as compared to new construction of buildings in US is responsible for the demand of automation and control system in the buildings. With rise in pollution, the need to have clean and purified air is also driving the market growth. A rise in investment in HVAC systems to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings will further boost the market growth. Siemens AG, a key company in the market offers Desigo, an advanced building automation and control system, for converting traditional buildings into smart buildings. Get Attractive Discount @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/discount-enquiry-form/1352 For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data have segmented global Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) Market on the basis of product, communication technology, application and region: Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2026) Electronic Security & Safety Access Control Energy Management System Fire & Line Safety Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning Others Communication Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2026) Wired Wireless Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2026) Government Hospital Commercial Industrial Institutional Retail IT/ITES Residential Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2026) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America MEA Request for Customization @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/request-customization-form/1352 Table of contents Chapter 1. Market Synopsis 1.1. Market Definition 1.2. Research Scope & Premise 1.3. Methodology 1.4. Market Estimation Technique Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Summary Snapshot, 2016-2026 Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics 3.1. Macro Indicators 3.1.1. Global deployment of Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) 3.1.2. Global Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) by product type 3.1.3. Region-wise deployment of Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) by application Chapter 4. Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis 4.1. Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) Segmentation Analysis 4.2. Industrial Outlook 4.3. Regulatory Framework 4.4. Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) Market Impact Analysis 4.4.1. Market driver analysis 4.4.1.1. Surge in Demand for Energy-Efficient Systems in various Buildings 4.4.1.2. Implementation of IoT in Building Automation and Control System 4.4.1.3. Rising Demand for Smart Buildings 4.4.1.4. Mounting Demand for automating the Security Systems in Buildings 4.4.2. Market restraint analysis 4.4.2.1. Cost-Intensive deployment of Building Automation & Control Systems (BACS) 4.4.3. Key opportunities prioritized 4.4.3.1. Encouraging Government Funding & Initiatives Chapter 9. Competitive Landscape 9.1. Market Revenue Share by Manufacturers 9.2. Manufacturing Cost Breakdown Analysis 9.3. Mergers & Acquisitions 9.4. Market positioning 9.5. Strategy Benchmarking 9.6. Vendor Landscape Chapter 10. Company Profiles 10.1. Siemens AG 10.1.1. Company Overview 10.1.2. Financial Performance 10.1.3. Type Insights 10.1.4. Strategic Initiatives 10.2. Johnson Controls International PLC 10.2.1. Company Overview 10.2.2. Financial Performance 10.2.3. Type Insights 10.2.4. Strategic Initiatives 10.3. Honeywell International Inc. 10.3.1. Company Overview 10.3.2. Financial Performance 10.3.3. Type Insights 10.3.4. Strategic Initiatives 10.4. Schneider Electric SE 10.4.1. Company Overview 10.4.2. Financial Performance 10.4.3. Type Insights 10.4.4. Strategic Initiatives Continued. About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help client's make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Products, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Job vacancies at Fresquez Companies have numbered in the dozens for the past several months. With few applicants and nearly 80 open positions, the company which owns and operates multiple restaurants in New Mexico, including both locations of Macs Steak In The Rough and airport eateries like Black Mesa Coffee Company decided extra incentives were needed to bring in applications. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Eventually the company landed on offering a $500 sign-on bonus for every new hire. I think part of it is, its almost like were competing with unemployment, administrative assistant Dory Nunez said. Why would anybody want to, I guess, start at a minimum wage job when they can be earning more money on unemployment? Fresquez Companies isnt alone in the struggle to find employees. Help wanted signs are cropping up in the windows of many restaurants and businesses around the city and state. Its a big struggle, Twisters COO Bahjat Shariff said. People are making a lot more money being unemployed than employed, and the world is coming back to dine-in and eat-in a little bit at a time, so the stimulus really paused people applying to jobs. Shariff said the company is looking to hire 50 employees, but referral bonuses, sign-on bonuses and other incentives have yet to attract a large applicant pool. The additional money that people are getting while theyre unemployed, plus the fact that they dont have to seek jobs as they normally would, is creating a difficult environment for people wanting to hire, said Ernie CdeBaca, president and CEO of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. State unemployment benefits range from $90 to $484 per week, and a recently passed federal COVID-19 relief package provides an extra $300 weekly for unemployment recipients until early September. In New Mexico, work search requirements are waived for those receiving state benefits. The state has yet to announce when the requirement will be reinstated. Even as the state begins to re-open under the Red to Green Framework, New Mexico remains a leader in unemployment. In March, the states unemployment rate sat at 8.3%, with sectors like the hospitality industry experiencing a decrease of 18,400 jobs compared to the previous year. As business leaders and business owners echo similar concerns that added unemployment benefits and a lack of work search requirements are driving low application rates, a viral online photo is bringing additional attention to the issue. A photo posted on Twitter by KOB reporter Patrick Hayes showed a sign at an Albuquerque Sonic that reads We are short staffed. Please be patient with the staff that did show up. No one wants to work anymore. The post garnered thousands of likes and retweets with some commenters expressing sympathy with businesses experiencing similar issues and many others who blamed low wages and poor working conditions for the lack of employees. When asked if Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was aware of the difficulty some businesses are having with hiring, a representative from her office said the governor has worked to make small business support widely available. The governor and her office are in frequent communication with the business community around the state and will continue to encourage them to make the most of these important support programs, Governors Office spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett wrote in an email. State agencies, including the Department of Workforce Solutions, are preparing to ramp up training and re-entry programs for displaced workers, and the administration will continue to stand up for workers and expand their opportunities throughout our economy. Meanwhile, some workers rights advocates say businesses shouldnt blame workers for not wanting to apply for jobs in the current climate. Essential workers have risked their lives to keep New Mexico running during the pandemic, OLE Education Fund executive director Matthew Henderson said. Some have decided, however, that the risk to their familys health is not worth the poverty wages and lack of benefits that many employers offer. Dont fault workers for refusing to be exploited. Hiring incentives bring little reward Even with the $500 sign-on bonus at Fresquez Companies, Nunez said the companys hiring fair last week only resulted in eight to 10 new hires. Basically weve been posting our jobs everywhere, weve been trying to get the word out as much as possible, but weve had a really, really slow time trying to get people to apply, Nunez said. The lack of applicants has meant that some of their businesses, like the Village Inn in Rio Rancho, remain closed and several of the other restaurants are operating under shortened hours. Were having to have our restaurants be at limited hours, or we have to cut them short or delay our plans for reopening them, because we just cant get people in, she said. Nunez said the hourly wage for Fresquez Companies starts at minimum wage, but can increase depending on experience. She said this is the first time the company has ever experienced a hiring shortage to this magnitude, and prior to the pandemic the company regularly hired several people each week. Shariff said Twisters has experienced similar issues like closed dining rooms, slower service and the inability to take large orders. A lot of our general managers, assistant managers, and full-time employees are working overtime, working six days a week, seven days a week sometimes, he said. Its not ideal, and were trying to prevent it. Other companies in the metro area have also recently taken to job fairs in order to fill a slew of open positions. McDonalds restaurants held a hiring fair early this week to fill 350 positions at 50 locations across the state. Mtuccis restaurants also recently held a hiring fair in order to fill 25 to 30 positions, but only hired eight to 10 people. I think its pretty easy to connect unemployment benefits to it, Mtuccis president John Haas said. I think a lot of us feel like a lot of people have chosen not to go back to work yet, because theyre still receiving the benefits. Haas said he is not expecting to see more applicants until added unemployment benefits run out later this year. Even with fewer employees than he would like, Haas said the restaurants are still running smoothly and servers are able to earn more tips with the smaller staff. Its not just the food industry that is experiencing a dearth of applicants. CdeBaca said that while the hospitality industry seems to be struggling the most when it comes to filling positions, other industries like construction are also experiencing difficulty hiring. Ivan Medina, owner of Magni Contractors, said that as a landscape business, it is already fairly difficult to find employees due to the demanding nature of the work. Its harder even now because obviously they are getting paid pretty good with unemployment, and I mean, is there really any reason to work, Medina said. He said he didnt receive any applications until he signed up with New Mexico Workforce Connection, which provides services for job seekers. CdeBaca said the added unemployment benefits combined with the removal of the job search requirement has most likely fueled the lack of applicants. Other complications, like potential unfairness to existing employees when offering new employees financial incentives and tight business margins especially for smaller businesses, can make it difficult to attract applicants, he said. CdeBaca said the Hispano Chamber and the City of Albuquerque are working together to create a job fair next month to address the situation. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte and the Deloitte Foundation hosted the National Audit Innovation Campus Challenge (NAICC) for the sixth year, awarding students of Loyola University Chicago first place for their winning idea. Hosted by Deloitte's Audit Innovation group and the Deloitte Foundation, the NAICC is a nationwide program, which accelerates innovation in education by helping institutions of higher learning keep pace with the rapidly changing marketplace and evolving technologies impacting the audit and assurance profession. The program engages students and faculty from campuses across the country, providing an educational experience designed to help students develop skills for success in the audit and assurance profession and sharing the culture of innovation at Deloitte with academia and future talent. Each team had four weeks to respond to a challenge statement released in early October. The teams were supported by Deloitte professionals and a faculty advisor. Submissions were judged by an evaluation panel comprised of Deloitte & Touche LLP Audit & Assurance professionals. This year's challenge focused on transforming the work experience for audit and assurance professionals by asking: How can we use innovation and technology to enable people to have a professionally rewarding experience while continuing to deliver exceptional client service and meeting stakeholder needs? Student teams from 52 colleges and universities participated in the event, with 12 teams advancing to the National Competition. Among the collegiate national finalists were: California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, Colorado State University, Gonzaga University, Louisiana State University, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University Chicago, Michigan State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts, University of South Carolina, and University of Wisconsin - Madison. "Businesses are transforming at an unprecedented rate. In our profession, understanding the power of technology is key to discovering and implementing the right solutions for innovation within the accounting profession," said Earl Stone, Audit & Assurance partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and managing partner and audit leader for Oklahoma. "Through this competition, students have the opportunity to bring forth their ideas in an environment that values innovative solutions. I am very impressed by the caliber of the students' submissions and the quality of ideas presented to some of the industry's seasoned executives." The joint team from Loyola University Chicago's Quinlan School of Business and Arrupe College included Julian Jaramillo, Jawwad Khan, Sebastian Nunez and Catie Plank. The team's winning submission focused on a technology-enabled experience that begins prior to recruitment and leverages virtual reality, gamification and blockchain technologies to enhance collaboration in recruiting, mentoring, training and meetings. "This competition provides an invaluable opportunity for students to engage in a hands-on, real-world audit experience; understand the skills necessary to become a future auditor; interact with peers from other universities; and be inspired by knowledgeable Deloitte professionals," said Peter Kolos and Susan McCarthy, Loyola University Chicago co-faculty advisors. "We are extremely proud of our team and grateful for the opportunity to participate in this competition and Deloitte's commitment to this unique program." Student case competitions such as the NAICC are just one approach that can strengthen the connection between academia and the audit and assurance profession while helping to prepare the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow. It is also important to share insights with faculty about today's increasingly multifaceted business environment, rapidly changing landscape of how and where work gets done, the latest technologies, and the practice of solving complex business challenges. For more than 50 years, the Deloitte Foundation and the American Accounting Association have offered the Robert M. Trueblood Seminars for Professors, seminars that continue to be one of the most highly regarded education programs for accounting faculty. Every year, reality-based cases are presented that cover emerging topics and some of the most challenging financial accounting and auditing issues clients may face. The professors can understand both the concepts and judgment required in applying accounting standards and incorporate their learnings into classroom content and better prepare their students for careers in professional services. In addition, the Foundation offers 50 cases as part of the Trueblood Case Study Series available to accounting professors across the country to use in the classroom to capture the richness and complexity of the audit and assurance profession. "Enriching the classroom experience for both the students and educators is an essential component of the Deloitte Foundation's goal to help better prepare students for their future careers," remarked Randy Gullo, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and Deloitte Foundation board member. "Pioneering programs like the NAICC can help students envision the possibilities of an audit career while programs such as the Trueblood Seminars provide educators with actual case examples they can use in the classroom to develop students' technical, research and critical thinking skills which are important for career success." About the Deloitte Foundation The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the next generation of diverse business leaders, and their influencers, and promote excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and educators. Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation. About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Building on more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 330,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. SOURCE Deloitte Related Links http://www.deloitte.com The detention facility in Washington DC (Google Street View / Google Maps) Human rights groups are raising the alarm over prisoners across the US being kept inside their cells for 23 hours a day due to Covid. It is unclear exactly how many jails are currently enforcing tougher restrictions. At a detention centre in Washington DC, the medical stay-in-place policy has been in force for more than a year. According to the Washington Post, the library is closed at the jail, and there is no barber. Visitors are not allowed at the facility. Inmates, many of whom are awaiting trial in connection to the US Capitol riot on 6 January, are confined to cells for 23 hours a day. In February, lawyers for Lisa Marie Eisenhart appealed against unusual segregated conditions at the DC facility, where officers shackled her when outside for one hour a day. Eric Glover, the general counsel of the jail, told Ms Eisenharts lawyers that due to the medical stay in place at District of Columbia, all residents are confined to their cells for 23 hours per day. Ms Eisenhart, the 57-year-old mother of the alleged rioter who has infamously become known as the zip tie guy, was transferred to Tennessee following the appeal, the Post reported. The DC detention centre is thought to hold more than 2,000 prisoners, some of whom would have faced the medical stay-in-place policy for longer than Ms Eisenhart and others accused in the Capitol riot. It is a very dangerous situation that you describe, Craig Haney, a University of California psychology professor, told the Post. I understand that prisons and jails have been confronted with an extraordinary problem, said Mr Haney, but this is not the solution. In another case in March, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California asserted that a jail in Tulare County was violating the Constitution after prisoners were [locked] down in their cells all the time. Dylan Verner-Crist, a legal policy investigator with the ACLU of Northern California, added that the restrictions were introduced instead of focusing on social distancing or Covid testing at the detention centre. Story continues Tulare County officials rejected the allegations of the ACLU, as VPR reported, while other jail officials told the Post that lockdowns were temporary and to stamp-out Covid infection rates at other facilities. Quincy L. Booth, the director of the Department of Corrections in DC, told the Post that the medical stay-in-place policy was the only way for the jail to comply with social-distancing standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the DC Department of Health. The Independent has contacted the corrections department for comment. So far, US prisons have reported nearly 400,000 cases of Covid and 2,500 deaths, according to data from the Marshall Project, while 110,000 staffers have contracted the virus, and 200 of them have died. Read More Donald Trump says border crisis could destroy America Chuck Schumer calls 4/20 a very unofficial American holiday White House endorses Washington DC statehood bill Separatist General Cobra arrested in Mankon Facebook Elements of the elite unit of Cameroons security and defense forces have arrested five armed separatists believed to be behind Saturdays shooting at the Mankon Fons Palace. On Monday, April 19, 2021, commandos of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) arrested the separatist fighter nicknamed General Cobra along with four others. Locals, who have since entered celebratory mood, say General Cobra was behind Saturday's shooting at the Mankon Palace. This is Cobra arrested by the BI R this morning after the shooting in the palace on Saturday. He was very deadly, a villager said. A trusted source said soldiers shot Cobra in the leg before arresting him along with four others. The armed separatists are said to be standing against the construction of the Ntahbeng-Mankon Palace Road. Workers carrying out the project have been kidnapped and others maimed. The elite of Mankon met at the Mankon Fon's Palace last Saturday to chart a way forward. Cobra and his gang are said to have used the opportunity to spread fear. The President of the North West Regional Council, Prof. Fru Angwafo III was making a speech at the Mankon Fon's Palace on April 17, 2021, when armed separatists opened fire (c) Unknown The President of the Executive of the North West Regional Council, Prof. Fru Angwafo III was making a speech at the ceremony when armed separatists opened fire. The ceremony at the palace went on successfully despite the shootings. Cameroon's state forces have been battling to dislodge armed separatists who pitched their tents in the North West and South West Regions since Anglophone protests transformed into an armed conflict in 2017. Corporate demands by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers led to protests in November 2016. The street demonstrations later morphed into ongoing running gun battles between state forces and armed separatist fighters in the predominantly English-speaking regions, leading to untold destruction of human lives, their habitats, and livelihoods. Tit-for-tat killings, kidnappings, arsons, maiming, and outright terror have become part of daily lives in some parts of the English-speaking regions. In January, the Secretary of State of Vatican City, HE Pietro Cardinal Parolin, presented the message from Pope Francis at the esplanade of the Big Mankon Cathedral urging the fighters to drop their weapons and embrace peace. His words: We are all responsible for peace. All the actors of society are responsible, from the smallest to the biggest person. No one can feel exonerated from the struggle against evil. This is the challenge that faces you today. That finally, arms may be put down and the peace and reconciliation may reign within us and around us. Violence never solves problems. It only creates more problems. Peace is a journey of hope, dialogue and reconciliation. Dialogue therefore is the best way to solve conflicts and misunderstandings. A woman has been barred from publicly claiming a man raped her or that he filmed them having sex without her consent, in an unusual defamation case in the NSW Supreme Court. Despite the importance of free speech, Justice Julia Lonergan said she would issue an injunction because the woman's claims were untrue. The woman began an affair with the married man in April 2014. She lives in Australia and the man overseas. Their identities are suppressed for legal reasons but the woman described the man as 'powerful' and 'high-profile'. A woman has been barred from publicly claiming a man raped her or that he filmed them having sex without her consent, in an unusual defamation case in the NSW Supreme Court (stock) After they broke up, the woman in 2017 accused him of using her for sex and requested a public apology. She threatened to 'share my story' with his media contacts if he returned to Australia. The man applied for an apprehended violence order against the woman in Sydney. She consented, agreeing not to contact or threaten him. But the AVO also included a 'gag' order - later described by Justice Lonergan as 'most unfortunate and breathtakingly wide' - preventing the man's name from being 'published or broadcast publicly'. The woman later applied to vary the gag order, saying it prevented her from speaking about her experience, even in counselling. In a document supporting her application, she wrote that the man had assaulted her at a Sydney hotel in January 2015 by forcing her to perform sex acts. She also said the man had employed her as an assistant. She'd agreed to the gag order before the MeToo movement began and because she felt that arguing against someone as powerful as the man would end her career, she said. Journalists had approached her to speak about 'the abuse' and she wished to advocate for women in her position through the organisation Women in Film & Television NSW. 'I am prevented from identifying my abuser ... I simply cannot say 'me too',' the woman wrote. In response, the man launched a defamation case, asking the Supreme Court to restrain the woman from publishing the suggestions that he'd sexually assaulted or employed her, which he denied. After four days of hearings in 2019 and 2020, Justice Lonergan sided with the man. She 'carefully considered' the importance of free speech and public debate around the MeToo movement, 'where abuse of power by male authority figures, particularly involving younger and or vulnerable female staff, is a matter of significant public concern', she wrote. But this was not that kind of case, she ruled. Instead, it was a consensual, passionate relationship that left the woman feeling disempowered when it ended. A claim that emerged during the trial, that the man filmed a three-minute sex tape - without her consent, and later discovered by his wife - was also rejected. The woman included exaggerations and untruths in her application to vary the gag order and her evidence in the trial was 'argumentative' and 'deflective', Justice Lonergan said. Looking back much later, the woman had felt 'upset and humiliated' by her treatment at the hotel, but had not been assaulted, the judge found. Any work she'd done for him was in the context of the affair and not because he employed her. Though the woman said she did not want to publish her claims, the judge was not convinced. She issued the injunction because the claims would likely 'irrevocably' damage the man's reputation. The woman is not prevented from writing about her relationship, including naming the man and commenting on his personal characteristics that caused her pain and distress. 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The buy now, pay later (BNPL) juggernaut on Tuesday signalled its intent to have its shares listed in the US, saying it had appointed advisers to explore the move, after the US overtook Australia and became its first region to record $1 billion of sales in a month. Afterpay is exploring a US listing. Credit:Attila Csaszar The plans could potentially involve de-listing from the ASX, though the company said no decisions had been made, and it is expected to continue to offer local investors a way to hold the stock. An analyst at Holon Investments, Mark Roddy, said Afterpays potential US listing made sense for the company because it would improve access to capital as it attempts large-scale expansion in the US. However, he said such a move could also encourage other technology companies with global businesses on the ASX to consider moving to an offshore listing. Russia has been holding last-minute military exercises near commercial shipping lanes in the Black Sea that threaten to strangle Ukraine's economy, according to an internal document from Ukraine's ministry of defense reviewed by Axios. Why it matters: With the eyes of the world on the massive buildup of troops in eastern Ukraine, the leaked memo shows Russian forces escalating their presence on all sides of the Ukrainian border. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Zoom in: On Friday, Russia announced it intends to block foreign ships in parts of the Black Sea for military exercises through October an escalation that a State Department spokesman condemned as an example of Moscow's "ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine." Just days earlier, the Pentagon had called off plans to send two U.S. warships to the Black Sea, according to Reuters. An explanation was not provided. The leaked Ukrainian document assesses that the total area of Russian military exercises takes up 27% of the Black Sea a proportion that has steadily crept up, in a sign of efforts to establish de facto control over international waters. The Russians are also leveraging civilian infrastructure for military purposes, according to Ukraine. The document says that Russia has installed radars on natural gas platforms that it seized from Ukraine after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Between the lines: Radar systems on civilian infrastructure could allow the Russian military to establish awareness and a presence in areas where it shouldn't be. Just this month, Russian state media accused Poland of "provocative" activities near the controversial and nearly completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea. A U.S. official who tracks these developments closely said "the weaponization of energy infrastructure in the Black Sea should be a warning sign of what's to come" if Nord Stream 2, which would bypass Ukraine and deliver Russian gas directly to Europe, comes to fruition in the Baltic. While Biden has said he opposes Nord Stream 2, he is unlikely to sanction European allies like Germany to stop its last stretch of construction. The big picture: Much of the concern over Russia's aggression in recent weeks has been directed not at its activities in the Black Sea, but at its border with eastern Ukraine, where the European Union's top diplomat claims more than 150,000 troops have now amassed. Story continues The leaked document shows that Russian forces are escalating their presence on all sides of the Ukrainian border with units that boast a vast array of capabilities, including many that suggest more sinister intentions than a simple show of force. The document suggests that Russia's actions could be designed to distract from domestic problems ahead of legislative elections in September, or to counter NATO exercises and bully Ukraine into reversing its "positive political developments." But it also finds a "high probability" that Russia may be seeking to provoke Ukrainian forces in order to create a pretext for a military incursion, as it did in Georgia in 2008. For the record: In response to a request for comment, the Russian Embassy in Washington directed Axios to an April 15 briefing by foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who accused NATO countries of "encouraging Kievs militarist sentiments." Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Paris, TX (75460) Today Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Southern Lit Alliances Young Southern Student Writers contest announces its winners. While there were 300 winners from local area schools, two outstanding entries by Carolyn Henley and Leila Babb from Silverdale Baptist Academy have won the overall Verbie and Hugh Prevost awards for their poems. Carolyn and Leila are in 11th and 10th grade, respectively. A video will later be shared of some of this years winners reading their entries, and medals will be sent to each school of the 300 winners. Carolyn and Leila will each win a $250 cash prize for their achievement. The Young Southern Student Writers literary outreach program was established in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It rewards, challenges and nurtures Hamilton County public, private and home school students writing and reading skills. The program also supports teachers and parents by encouraging their students/children with the fascination of reading and the importance of writing. Working with their language arts and creative writing teachers, students submit original works in either prose (fiction/nonfiction) or poetry. The students entries are evaluated on creativity, content and style. Active COVID-19 cases in Cayuga County decreased over the past few days, but there were more new cases reported over the weekend. The Cayuga County Health Department said there were 42 new cases in three days, continuing a trend that was first observed in late March. The county's 7-day average positivity rate is 2.3%, the highest in central New York. There are 135 active cases in mandatory isolation, down from 156 on Friday. Auburn Community Hospital is treating five COVID-related patients, down from six a few days ago. No new deaths have been reported since early March. Since the recent uptick in cases began, the health department has urged residents to get vaccinated. The department noted that a majority of the new cases were among younger people who, until recently, weren't eligible for the vaccine. New Yorkers age 16 and older are eligible to get inoculated. Early in the distribution of the vaccine, supply couldn't keep pace with demand. Now, it appears demand isn't as high as it was a few months ago. 1557 Harding Road, Northfield: $1,119,999 | Listed: April 8, 2021 This five-bedroom home has four bathrooms, one half-bath, a two-story foyer, hardwood floors and a separate in-law arrangement. The kitchen is equipped with stainless steel appliances, a Wolf 6-burner cooktop with a built-in griddle, and a large island with a breakfast bar. The two-story family room offers access to a deck, and the master bedroom suite has a massive walk-in closet, a two-sink vanity, a whirlpool tub, and a rainfall full-body sprayer shower. A main-level bedroom and full bathroom can be used to accommodate guests or in-laws. A combined formal living and dining room, a large bonus room, a private office with French doors, a recreation room, and a laundry room complete this home. Agent: Jane Lee of Re/Max Top Performers, 847-295-0800 *Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options. To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news. (Kim Quillen) FENTON, MI -- A Fenton man in his 30s was seriously injured in one of two crashes Monday morning that shut down southbound US-23 near the Thompson Road exit for almost seven hours, according to the Genesee County Sheriffs Office. The first crash shortly after 10 a.m. Monday, April 19, involved a semi-tractor trailer hauling a trailer full of soybeans which crashed into the back of a pickup truck with a trailer hauling an excavator, Cpt. William Lanning told MLive-The Flint Journal. The semi-tractor flipped onto its side. The crash was due to construction and slowing of traffic, Lanning said. Related: Southbound US-23 closed after crash in Fenton area Crews worked into the afternoon to flip the semi-tractor upright, Lanning said. The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. He has since been released. As traffic headed south on US-23 attempted to navigate the crash, Lanning said a car drove into the back of a white box truck that had slowed down for traffic. The driver of the car that hit the truck, a Fenton man in his 30s, sustained serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital, Lanning said. The pair of crashes closed southbound US-23 at the Thompson Road exit for nearly seven hours. All lanes of southbound US-23 reopened shortly after 5 p.m., according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Tell people to drive safe and pay attention to traffic in front of them, Lanning said. Read more on MLive: Michigan DNR says black bear found near Flint a pretty rare occurrence Genesee County considers 911 surcharge while Flint public safety, MTA tax requests head to May ballot Man arrested in Lapeer County after fleeing deputies at 100 MPH, police say New Delhi: As India is struggling to cope up with the unprecedented surge of deadly COVID-19 infections in the second wave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a series of meets to come up with a strategy to neutralize the threat posed by the lethal virus. PM Modi, who was into the seventh day of Navratri fast, had a hectic day on Monday as he was busy in holding talks with the Chief Ministers of several major states affected by Covid-19, apart from taking part in the video conferences with reputed doctors and top pharma companies of the country. Earlier, in a landmark decision taken on Monday during an important meeting, the government decided that everyone above the age of 18 would get Covid vaccination from May 1. On Monday, PM Modi had his meetings lined up from the morning. He first reviewed the situation in all the Corona-affected states in the country. Later, an important meeting on vaccination started from 11.30 a.m. High-level sources revealed that Prime Minister Modi, after talking to the Chief Ministers of the states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, also inquired about the situation arising out of Covid-19. PM Modi assured the Chief Ministers that there will be no shortage of anything -- from oxygen to vaccine, medicines, etc. He sent out a message that "in the times of crisis, the Central government stands with the states". After this, Prime Minister Modi held an important meeting with the top leaders of the BJP on the issue of West Bengal where elections are underway in phases. Keeping in mind the risk posed by the coronavirus, it was decided that there would not be more than 500 people in the party`s meetings in Bengal. Besides, all Covid protocols including social distancing, wearing masks, etc. will be strictly followed. In the evening, PM Modi held two important meetings on Covid management. At 4.30 p.m, the Prime Minister held a video conference with reputed doctors from all over the country and sought their suggestions. The doctors shared their experiences on the overall effects of the second wave of Covid-19 that has hit the country hard. The Prime Minister also discussed with doctors about the medical and health infrastructure. After this, PM Modi held a video conference with the representatives of the top pharma companies of the country from 6 p.m. During the meeting, he told the pharma companies that there should be no shortage of life saving medicines at any cost. He also directed to increase the capacity of production of essential medicines. Live TV In February of last year, Darragh Ryan was a healthy, happy and fun-loving four-year-old who loved Spiderman and playing with his toy cars. Then out of nowhere, the seizures began. Hed just fall, his mother Jenny said. The first night he fell, we just thought he was sleepwalking... then he fell again. On February 10, the Tipperary family headed to Clonmel hospital, where they diagnosed and treated Darragh for epilepsy. But no medication, nothing, was working. Darragh didn't know what was going on, he kept thinking there was something wrong with his eyes and he kept saying I have to get out of here. "He was really scared. Ms McCully Ryan and her husband Jamie then brought their son to Cork University Hospital. He was like a guinea pig down there. They tried everything on him. Still nothing was working. Then he couldn't walk, he couldn't talk, he stopped eating. It was a terrifying time for Darraghs parents and his two siblings, Kian,13, and Keeley, 10. Kian Ryan, 13, Jenny McCully Ryan, Darragh Ryan, 5, Jamie Ryan and Keely Ryan, 10, at home in Monard, Tipperary. Picture: Brian Arthur In a last-ditch effort to find the root cause of Darraghs seizures, he was brought to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin in March of last year. At just four years of age, he bravely underwent numerous scans, EEGs, lumbar punctures, and had a plasmapheresis. Eventually, a muscle biopsy was ordered and further testing carried out in the UK. He was dying, his mother said, The colour was gone. I just asked can we go home. I didn't want him to die in the hospital. Darragh was transported home from Temple Street in an ambulance to pass away at home. But, more than a year later, Darragh is still fighting on. He came home and we slowly started taking him off the medication, and gradually... I won't say he was alert for the first few weeks, but he could hear noises, he knew where he was, Ms McCully Ryan said. A couple of weeks after that, he would get a little smirk here and there. Now he laughs sometimes. He is aware. The results eventually came back from the UK with the answers sought by his family and doctors. Darragh was diagnosed with mitochondrial complex 1 deficiency disease, a rare disease with no cure. People with the disease typically have neurological problems, such as abnormal brain function, recurrent seizures, intellectual disability, difficulty co-ordinating movements, and/or involuntary movements. However, no two people diagnosed with the disease experience the same symptoms and life expectancy also differs from patient to patient. Ms McCully Ryan is now Darraghs primary carer, having given up her career as a self-employed hairdresser to provide care for her son, who is now bound to his wheelchair buggy. Over the next several weeks, many people will walk, run and cycle for 'superhero' Darragh The family live in an old cottage that is not wheelchair accessible and his mother is forced to lift Darragh in and out of the buggy multiple times a day to carry him to his bedroom, to the kitchen and the bathroom. I can only do it for another few months, she said, hes a big boy for his age. But inspired by 'superhero' Darragh, the local community havse rallied around the now five-year-old and his family, taking on a number of challenges to help cover the costs of making the family home a liveable one for their new needs. Over the next several weeks, many people will walk, run, and cycle in a 'Dash for Darragh' organised by Oola GAA club to help the family meet their 80,000 target, with more than 1,300 people having already donated to the GoFundMe page Future for Darragh. "I still have hope that there is a lot more in Darragh, Ms McCully Ryan said, even just the little things that he does. The little smiles at appropriate times..." "I know there's more in him. You can donate to Darragh and his family here. Google's plan to implement its ad-focused method called FloC has received flak from several browsers, as well as from WordPress, an open-source and web-publishing software. It was believed that the system could gather data from their users which put them at a great risk of being exposed. Browsers Reject Google FloC System Starting April, Google will use FloC (Federated Learning of Cohorts) for the collection of its users' data while bringing the impact of the ads to them, Google blog wrote. It was in February when the company announced that it will be replacing user-tracking cookies with FloC. However, Google has already begun running a series of beta tests without the consent of its users. As a result, several browsers are skeptical of the approach of the FloC technology. With that, a huge number of them do not want to embrace the new implementation of the company. Last week, Mozilla told The Verge that the company will not allow Google Floc to collect and share the users' data without permission from its users. Read Also: DuckDuckGo Announced it Will Block Google's Replacement for Third-Party Cookies Due to Privacy Concerns Moreover, the browser has already constructed a default Enhanced Tracking Protection so it could shut down over ten billion trackers daily. This will make sure that users could be safe while using the Firefox browser. Besides Mozilla, Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave also wanted to block Google's ad-targeted technology. Meanwhile, Apple has not yet released a statement about the issue. WordPress Joins 'Block FloC' Movement In an updated report, EFF noted on Apr. 9 that WordPress called Google's ad-centered method a "terrible idea." Moreover, Google's proposal seems to be enticing users for its system without knowing that their data is already tracked and shared without informing them in the first place. WordPress stated that FloC is a "security concern" that should be blocked. This will be applied from the previous to the latest versions of the platform. When the company rolls out another major update, compatibility issues that stem from FloC might appear. This drives WordPress to never entertain the arrival of Google's ad-targeting capabilities. Sooner, they will now disable all of its sites from using FloC. Floc Beta Testing Begins This April Apple Insider reported that the best testing for the system has started earlier this month. Furthermore, the specific countries that Google wants to target for the FloC's launch are the following: the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, India, Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines. At the moment, Google has not yet informed about the number of users who can participate in the trial but it was believed that at least 0.5% of users have already been engaged in the process without their consent. With the joint forces of browsers and WordPress towards the issue, it appears that Google's plan to launch FloC is on the verge of being stagnant already. The companies do not want to push what Google wants for their systems since, in the end, the only ones who will be most affected by this issue are their users. Related Article: Google Denies Allegations of Anticompetitive Behavior with Facebook Ad Partnership-Says Charges are 'Misleading' This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joen Coronel 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Endangered populations of humpback whales received extra protection Tuesday when the Biden administration issued a final rule designating critical habitat for the huge marine mammals across more than 116,098 square nautical miles of the Pacific Ocean, including most of the California coast. The rule, which was prompted by a lawsuit by conservation and American Indian groups that the federal government settled in 2018, helps protect endangered and threatened populations beyond the Endangered Species Act by requiring the federal government to also protect the animals feeding grounds, which conservationists say is needed to help their populations rebound further. The reason that critical habitat protection is so valuable is that it puts the federal government and the public on notice about the areas that are essential to the conservation of these animals, said Catherine Kilduff, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, the Oakland conservation group that filed the lawsuit with Wishtoyo Foundation, affiliated with the Chumash tribe in Southern California, and the environmental group Turtle Island Restoration Network. The new rule does not prevent commercial fishing within the critical habitat, but it does require any project planned or permitted by the federal government within the boundaries does not destroy the whales habitat or keep them from their feeding grounds. It requires the Coast Guard to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service when deciding on the location of shipping lanes, such as those in and out of San Francisco Bay, to make sure they dont cross whale feeding areas. Humpback whales were first listed as an endangered species in the 1970s and are considered a success story, though a few sub-populations covered by the new rule are still endangered or threatened, including two that migrate along the West Coast. The endangered populations include the estimated 400 to 800 humpbacks that winter in Central America and feed in Alaska, and the threatened population that migrates from Mexico, currently around 2,800 to 3,200 in size. The critical habitat for those two groups includes 48,521 square nautical miles along the coast of Washington, Oregon and California as far south as the northern Channel Islands. The rule also protects additional habitat off the coast of Alaska for the Mexico population and for a third group of around 1,000 humpbacks that migrates from the Philippines. The Center for Biological Diversity, Wishtoyo Foundation and Turtle Island Restoration Network first sued the federal government seeking to better protect the leviathans as required under the Endangered Species Act, pointing to ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear as the most common threats to the whales. More than 28 humpback whales are killed on the West Coast annually in ship collisions, according to a 2019 report. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Todd Steiner, executive director of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, said the new rule would protect whales if the federal government were to approve offshore wind farms that President Biden has recommended as part of his climate strategy. Some conservationists and fishing groups are concerned that such farms could interfere with marine animals, and Steiner said having critical habitats will help make sure that issue is considered. Impact on whales and marine mammals in particular need to be seriously considered as we move forward with this technology, Steiner said. I think its a great day that we got this protection. Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Seven protesters demanding the release of police body camera video of a student's fatal shooting at a Tennessee high school have been arrested. Those charged were among dozens of demonstrators who filed into a Knox County Commission meeting Monday evening and raised their fists, news outlets reported. Most remained silent, but some were vocal in calling for authorities to release video from the April 12 shooting at Knoxville's Austin-East Magnet High School that killed Anthony J. Thompson Jr., who was 17. The seven arrested were charged with a misdemeanor for interfering with a commission meeting by physical action or verbal utterance, sheriffs spokeswoman Kimberly Glenn said in a statement. District Attorney Charme Allen has declined to release the video even as pressure mounts, saying it could damage the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations probe into the shooting. To release any part of the evidence in this case before we have collected all the evidence may taint things that are still being done, Allen said last week. On Tuesday, the Knoxville branch of the NAACP joined the call to release the footage. Branch president the Rev. Sam Brown said Allens refusal to release the footage further erodes the already waning trust the community has for law enforcement and the criminal justice system. We have to move forward to a place of healing and love and that only begins with the revelation of the truth, Brown said. Other officials, including Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, police Chief Eve Thomas and three of the four officers involved in the shooting also have called for the release of the video. The mayor said the video was essential to restoring trust in police. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation initially said the student fired at police before he was killed, then later said the bullet that wounded an officer did not come from the students gun. Meanwhile, officials were preparing to reopen the school Wednesday. All students will be screened with a metal detector wand as they enter the building, the school principal told news outlets. (Newser) A Montana backcountry guide has died days after he was mauled by large grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park, becoming the first person killed by a grizzly in the region since 2018. Charles "Carl" Mock of the park gateway community of West Yellowstone was fishing alone along the Madison River, just outside the park boundary, on Thursday when he was attacked by the male grizzly, which was likely protecting a moose carcass, per the Guardian. Mock called 911 about 50 minutes before searchers found him with significant scalp and facial injuries. He was rushed to a hospital where he underwent two surgeries before dying on Saturday. A GoFundMe page describes "a massive stroke," per People. The bear believed to have attacked Mock was killed as it charged a team of game wardens who visited the site on Friday. story continues below "They yelled and made continuous noise as they walked toward the site to haze away any bears in the area," Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said, per NBC Montana. Still, a bear began chargingand didn't stop "despite multiple attempts by all seven people to haze away the bear," which was at least 420 pounds. It was shot and killed about 20 yards from the group before officials located a moose carcass about 50 yards from the spot where Mock was attacked, per the Billings Gazette. The 40-year-old, who's believed to have used bear spray during the attack, loved the outdoors and was "a beloved guide to countless visitors in Yellowstone" through tour company Backcountry Adventure, according to GoFundMe. Seven others have died in grizzly attacks in the region since 2010, including a Wyoming hunting guide in 2018, per the Guardian. (Read more bear attack stories.) "Early on, we were in a Marshalls and somebody said, Hey CT Property Sisters, and we were so excited. Now, eight years later, we get that all the time, Mikell Germond said. She is one half of the Wallingford-based real estate duo know as the CT Property Sisters. Inspired by their mutual love of HGTV (they even met the famous Property Brothers at a book signing once), Germond and her other half, Megan Foggitt, decided to change careers and pursue a joint path in real estate. They have been working in real estate since 2013, first with Harriman Real Estate and now with Margaret Bennett Realty. It all started with our love of homes and how we can make that a career for both of us, said Germond, while her sister called the move a turning point for both of them. Upon beginning their careers in the industry, the pair decided on how best to brand their realty services in a way that built on their sisterhood. When you start in real estate, no one is giving you clients, said Foggitt. It was the two of us, and we were like, Were a team and were going to do everything together. Starting with family and friends as their first clients, Foggitt and Germond began their foray into the Wallingford real estate market promoting their two-heads-are-better-than-one approach to working with home buyers and sellers. Eventually, they landed on the moniker CT Property Sisters. Looking back, Germond said they are grateful for the team name they chose and the recognition it has given them. It is kind of cool because there are a million realtors," Germond said. "For us, we felt like it really worked that we were sisters, that we were a team and that we had a recognizable, trendy name because its all about promoting yourself thats how you get business, you want people to know youre there. They put that name to use on social media, attempting to build a presence on both Facebook and Instagram that is equal parts informative and relatable. Foggitt said that while they will share house listings, deposits and closings, they also interact with their followers beyond a passing post, especially on Instagram something she thinks has attracted most of their business. Instagram stories seem to be where most of the interaction happens, she said. Also, because we post all the time for people to ask us questions and take advantage [of us] as real estate professionalswe get so many people in Instagram messages that reach out and then years later, theyll reach out again and be like OK, were ready to buy now. They had used us as an informational resource, and then they come back. Realtor and broker Margaret Bennett said that the brand the sisters have built have served both them and her agency well. They have the ability to leverage social media to help with brand recall, raise awareness for client listings, work on behalf of their buyers and generate sales," she said. "They have both done an amazing job in the office and online. When clients do come knocking on their door for house hunting help, Foggitt said the duo starts a group text message for the buyers to share some of the homes theyd like to see. From there, the sister that can show the house hunters a home first takes them; this way, Foggitt said their customers never have to waste time waiting simply to tour a property. And, they make sure to stick with their buyers through every part of the home buying process even the less glamorous parts of the job. More for you Real Estate Cash offers and skipped inspections: CT real estate... Were not wearing a pantsuit to your home inspection, Foggitt said. I will have snow boots on, and I will be getting down on the ground to look at that furnace with you. Foggitt and Germond acknowledge, however, that while they like to be available for their clients as much as they can be, pulling this off can be difficult in a market that is something of a race. This market makes our jobs challenging because homes are selling so quickly that you need to be available at the drop of a dime to get your clients in before it sells, Foggitt said. Also, since homes are selling so quickly, your buyers are limited to make a decision after only viewing the home for 15-30 minutes. More often than not, there isnt time for a second viewing. Add in the general changes made to house viewing due to COVID-19, and the realty team has found much to adapt to. With open houses limited, virtual tours more common and limited people inside for both showings and closings, Foggitt and Germond agreed that the hardest part for them is not being able to accompany their clients on closing day. Closings are the best part of the transaction. The buyers are so happy, and its the final step of the transaction, Foggitt said. Its sad to miss that final step. While they assume virtual tours will be here to stay even as traditional open houses start to resume, for the CT Property Sisters have their eyes on what their future as a real estate duo might look like. To Foggitt, some find their goal surprising. We want to be that status of the people who have been in the business 20-30 years, she said. Sometimes it shocks people that our goal isnt to own our own company. I think we do a good job of making the brand for ourselves while still just working for a broker as opposed to opening our own. They also hope to keep making that name for themselves by helping clients all over Connecticut purchase the property best suited to their needs, something they have kept track of on a state map hanging in Germonds house since their start eight years ago. But for both Foggitt and Germond, the future is not distracting them from the present, and while the present market is far from the ease of house hunting on HGTV, Germond said their job is to take the pressure off. I was with clients, and they were new and I had only been with them to see a couple houses, she said. They were like, We feel like were friends, and thats why we like you Because when youre house hunting and seeing houses, we have all the knowledge, we have all the information, were doing our job, but also we want you to feel comfortable. Boris Johnson has axed plans for White House-style televised press briefings despite spending 2.6million of taxpayer money on the conference room. The Prime Minister had confirmed the proposals for an upgraded Downing Street briefing room last year, suggesting the public had liked having more direct information from ministers during the coronavirus press conferences. However the plans have since been scrapped and the No 9 briefing room, which was installed with microphones, control desks, cameras and computers, will instead be used by the PM, ministers and officials. The U-turn comes after it was revealed that Prime Minster's press secretary Allegra Stratton, who was meant to front the televised briefings, will now become the PM's spokeswoman for the COP26 climate conference, The Times reports. Boris Johnson has axed plans for White House-style televised press briefings despite investing 2.6million on the room Downing Street's new media briefing room was installed with microphones, control desks, cameras and computers In a nod to the White House, a podium was placed at the head of the room complete with an official Downing Street lectern in front of four Union Jack flags Ms Stratton had quit ITV News to join Mr Sunak's Treasury operation at the end of last year. The Cambridge University graduate had been the favourite to lead the press conferences since No 10 said that it would be introducing the afternoon TV briefings as part of a bid to communicate more directly with voters. The televised briefings, which were said to be the brainchild of Boris Johnson's former adviser Lee Cain, were expected to run in a similar way to White House press briefings, with Ms Stratton answering questions on behalf of the Prime Minister and the government. The launch of the televised briefings had been anticipated as early as the autumn, but in January No 10 said they were being delayed as ministers planned to hold regular press conferences during the lockdown. However the latest move will now leave an uncertain future for the wood-panelled briefing room, which was renovated by the Russian firm Megahertz. Last year, Mr Johnson said the White House-style televised press briefings would allow the nation to have a 'more direct, detailed information from the Government about what is going on'. He told LBC: 'People have liked a more direct, detailed information from the Government about what is going on - and I think that they've actually particularly liked our brilliant scientific and medical advisers, possibly more than the politicians to be frank. 'We do think that people want direct engagement and want stuff from us, and so we're going to have a go at that.' Mr Johnson said the White House-style televised press briefings would allow the nation to have a 'more direct, detailed information from the Government about what is going on' Last year it was revealed ITV presenter Allegra Stratton would be leading the televised briefings It was revealed that the government spent 2.6 million on renovations to make the room ready for the briefings Photos later revealed the result of the work including a plush new studio and seating for reporters. In a nod to the White House, a podium was placed at the head of the room complete with an official Downing Street lectern in front of four Union Jack flags. Russian firm Megahertz, which has links to state-controlled broadcaster Russia Today, was also hired to install microphones, control desks, cameras and computers into the room. A source told ITV News: 'A Russian-owned firm has been installing all of the communications equipment in Number 10. Questions need to be asked, the company does big installations for a number of organisations - but this is government.' The images came as a Freedom of Information request showed the Cabinet Office renovations totalled 2,607,767.67, largely excluding VAT. The Government said the funds had been spent to allow daily broadcasting by news organisations within the Grade-I listed building. In a statement the Cabinet Office said: 'This will necessarily require one-off capital works, including audio-visual equipment, internet infrastructure, electrical works and lighting. The new briefing room appeared to have been inspired by the White House. Pictured: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily press briefing 'This spending is in the public interest as the new broadcasting of lobby briefings will increase public accountability and transparency about the work of this Government now and in the future. 'Such spending on maintenance and technical facilities reflects that 9 Downing Street (the Privy Council Office) is a Grade I listed building.' After images of the new briefing room were released, Labour Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, ridiculed its appearance. She said: 'Given how much money Boris Johnson has thrown at his latest vanity project, we were expecting something a bit more impressive. 'This raises serious questions on who is getting rushed-through government contracts. 'And that's before we even get to why our nurses are getting a pay cut while the government spends millions on a media briefing room. 'The fact the government seems to have simply brushed this off with no further transparency or assurances on how they're spending British taxpayer money is deeply concerning.' Alabamas entire congressional delegation, including its sole Democratic representative, is backing a push from freight train operators for Amtrak to resume its efforts in completing a feasibility study before restoring passenger rail service out of Mobile. A letter submitted to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board calls on the federal board to require the completion of a study that would determine potential impacts to the Port of Mobile if Amtrak service is restored along the Gulf Coast. The letter was signed by all seven of Alabamas U.S. House members and echoes past comments from Republican U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and Gov. Kay Ivey for the study to be completed before passenger rail service resumes. Amtraks ongoing efforts to reintroduce passenger rail service area concerning, so my colleagues and I are urging the Surface Transportation Board to require the completion of the feasibility study prior the return of Amtrak service to Mobile, because all parties have an obligation to protect the economic interests of Alabamas workers and businesses, said U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Mobile. The letter is also signed by Republican Reps. Robert Aderholt, Mo Brooks, Barry Moore, Gary Palmer and Mike Rogers. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, the states lone Democratic House member, also signed onto the letter and defended the Port of Mobile as a vital economic factor in her congressional district that does not extend into Mobile. Sewells 7th district does encompass an area that includes businesses which utilize the port for their products. A comprehensive feasibility analysis should be conducted before this process moves forward, said Sewell, of Birmingham. Sewells position is notable as support for Amtrak grows among her Democratic colleagues even as Republicans have long expressed concerns over subsidizing the nations passenger rail service. Amtrak is slated to receive $80 billion within President Joe Bidens proposed $2 trillion infrastructure initiative, which has the backing of most Democratic lawmakers in Congress. Sewell, earlier this month, said she is a supporter of Bidens plan. The Alabama State Port Authority has long expressed concerns that a potential restart of Amtrak services to the Gulf Coast will disrupt business. The Port Authority argues that a study should include a look at freight operations involving eight railroads that use or cross the CSX mainline at the port, not just the two railroads directly involved in talks with Amtrak CSX Corps and Norfolk Southern. The letter says that Alabamas sole seaport has greatly increased since passenger rail service was last in Mobile before Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the rail line in 2005. The 3,700-acre complex provides over 154,000 jobs and $25 billion impact, according to the lawmakers. Amtrak officials are requesting the STB to fast-track the process or resuming passenger rail service from New Orleans to Mobile, allowing them to operate two daily passenger trains on freight lines owned by CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern. They argued that they had extensive data that freight rail and passenger service coexisted in other areas of the country with more traffic and weaker infrastructure. Marc Magliari, spokesman with Amtrak, said they would respond to Alabama officials via filings through the STBs docket process. The revised Amtrak service has long been proposed to connect Mobile to Union Station in New Orleans with four stops in Mississippi Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. Amtrak wants to revive the service by Jan. 1, 2022. Amtrak officials, in February, announced it was planning to restart the Gulf Coast service for the first time since 2005. The announcement occurred after talks between Amtrak and CSX/Norfolk Southern halted in December, concluding after one year when they first started. Amtrak officials felt the study should have lasted only seven months. The letter from the Alabama House members suggested it was worth noting that that the negotiations would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The viewpoints in Alabama are also the exact opposite of the support the train service is receiving from Mississippi, where Republicans like Senator Roger Wicker have long championed the Mobile-to-New Orleans service. The rail restart is also backed by Louisiana lawmakers, including New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Related: Why Mississippi is tooting Amtraks horn louder than Alabama The head monks of Jogye Order's 24 branch temples in a meeting in this 2018 file photo / Korea Times file By Kang Hyun-kyung The head monks of the 24 branch temples of the country's largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order, pleaded with President Moon Jae-in and two other key politicians to give jailed Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong a second chance. Although they stopped short of asking for a pardon, they said Lee deserves such a chance to repent his past and take action to fulfill his commitments. "We understand that Mr. Lee has made plenty of efforts to repent on his past and even released a public apology prior to the court's ruling. In the statement, he admitted Samsung didn't play by the rules and was unethical. He also said he was sorry for being unable to respond to the heightened social norms of society," they said in a joint statement. The statement was delivered to President Moon, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug. Vietnam Airlines presses on with ambitions for US route At last weeks webinar in Ho Chi Minh City focusing on US-Vietnam cooperation in Vietnamese airport infrastructure development, aviation authorities and more than 80 public and private sector representatives from both countries discussed opportunities and areas for collaboration as the two countries prepare for direct flights. Groups involved at the event included Autodesk, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Haskell, Honeywell, Mitre, Rapiscan, JBT Aerotech, Turner Construction, and Tyco Security. The US-Vietnam Aviation Industry Group organised the event in an effort to partner Vietnams public and private sectors, expecting that the relationship will help Vietnam modernise and develop the countrys aviation infrastructure, while helping prepare for direct flights between the two countries and enhance safety and efficiency. With the aim to contribute towards strengthening bilateral aviation ties, now US government agencies are working to provide a range of support and expertise, from technical assistance to financing support for planning and pilot projects. Last month, Vietnam Airlines pushed forward with its dream of a direct commercial route to the US as a way to shelter from financial trouble amid the pandemic by proceeding with plans to begin regular direct flights to the states to serve the large repatriation needs of the Vietnamese community there, with a vision to operate commercial flights from 2022 onwards. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines has met most of the requirements of US authorities for the direct flight plan. The process is expected to be shortened to 3-4 months to complete the necessary procedures for the requirement from the Transportation Security Administration. In the meantime, the national flag carrier has proposed increasing the ticket price ceiling by around $2-11 per passenger, while the floor price is suggested at 35 per cent of the ceiling, ranging from around $25 to $60, depending on the flight altitudes. In addition, the carrier also proposed building a regulation in which the airline is granted with over 50 per cent of runway slots and commercial rights. It also wants to be the first air carrier allowed to resume international flights as a way to promote the national image, while seeking permission to carry out sale and leaseback for 50 per cent of aircraft. While a representative of Vietnam Airlines said that the grounds for this proposal are the solutions for airlines to overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic and ease competition, it was immediately met with differing ideas from aviation experts. They pointed out that in recent times, the competition among the six airlines of Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo, Pacific, Vietravel, and VASCO have enabled local people to access cheaper tickets. Deputy Minister of Transport Le Tuan Anh said that any adjustments to ticket price limits should not break prevailing regulations in the Law on Competition and the Law on Prices, and must be reasonable with market conditions to ensure benefits for local consumers. At present, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) is working on the adjustment of some regulations in Circular No.19/2020/TT-BGTVT governing prices and service price frame at airports. The ministrys opinion is to change towards diversifying products and services for passengers to enjoy, he added. To help Vietnam Airlines and others in the aviation industry ease the challenges they face, the MoT last week also proposed that the government reduces 70 per cent of road maintenance fees by end-2021 instead of by June 30; VAT to zero; and 50 per cent of corporate income tax for businesses in the hardship from COVID-19 impacts. For aviation specifically, the MoT seeks government permission for continuation of 50 per cent reduction of landing and taking-off service prices for domestic flights, and application of a minimum price of zero for specialised aviation services as part of the list in which the state regulates the price frame by the end of 2021. It also proposes not collecting parking fees at airports, and the State Bank of Vietnam to consider supporting policies on credits, loans, and payment terms. In 2020, passenger transportation fell 35 per cent on-year due to the pandemic. Aviation was hardest hit, with drops of 43 and 15 per cent on-year in the number of passengers and cargo. The aviation industry is now enjoying some supporting policies such as a cut of 30 per cent of special consumption tax on jet fuel, which was initiated in mid-2020 and last to the end of this year. Notably, Vietnam Airlines alone received a loan of nearly $174 million with a lending rate of zero. A three-month-old girl who has almost died twice while battling a rare immune deficiency will be gifted a fresh chance at life thanks to her father's sacrifice of his bone marrow. Georgia Hilliar, affectionately known to family as 'Gigi', was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency at eight weeks old, meaning she can not fight off infections that can turn life-threatening. Since her birth in January, the Brisbane baby has been in and out of hospital and came close to losing her life when a urinary tract infection and a severe rash both nearly proved fatal. After extensive testing, her father Beau has been identified as a suitable donor for a life-saving bone-marrow transplant which can help give her a more robust immune system. Georgia Hilliar (pictured), from Brisbane, was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) at eight weeks old 'We were thrilled, over the moon, that her own dad could save her life,' Georgia's mother Lucy told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was such a wonderful thing that we will always cherish. 'Theres always the risk that her body doesnt accept it, but we are really hopeful and optimistic for the for the best outcome because she is a little fighter. 'In her short life she has been through the ringer, but she has been a champion through it all.' The first indication that something was not right came when Georgia developed a urinary tract infection that quickly turned septic. Her oxygen levels dropped, she turned blue, and was immediately rushed to hospital and placed into supportive care. Shortly after recovering, a pin prick rash appeared on her skin which rapidly spread across her entire body. Her father Beau (pictured together) has been identified as a suitable donor for a bone marrow transplant that can give the little girl an immune system 'It turned horrific. She was covered in a severe rash, had ulcers all over her mouth and fluid under her skin. She was in extreme pain,' Lucy said. 'We were in the baby room of the hospital and there was only Panadol. Then she had an apnea and ended up in ICU. She basically stopped breathing.' After the medical episode, doctors raced to work out what was wrong, diagnosing Georgia with SCID at eight weeks old. The condition is extremely rare: the chance of two parents who carry the gene meeting, having children together and passing it onto the baby has been calculated at 1 in 57,000. Australia does not currently screen newborns for SCID, unlike some other countries, and families are petitioning for that measures to be introduced locally. Lucy said she hoped Queensland would introduce genetic testing to 'save the heartbreak' of other families. Georgia is currently at the Queensland Children's Hospital in a positive pressure room to keep her safe from infections before the transplant on April 28. Lucy said they are hopeful and believe their little girl's operation will be a success because she is a 'fighter' A GoFundMe has been set up to support the Hilliars, who are unable to work as they tag team between caring for their sons Orlando and Huxley and being at the hospital Prior to the operation, she will have to undergo a week of chemotherapy to prepare her body to take on an immune system. Lucy and Beau are currently unable to work as the parents alternate shifts between the hospital and caring for their sons, Orlando, four, and Huxley, two, who cannot attend daycare or kindergarten due to the risk of bringing home a virus or infection. A GoFundMe page set up to help support the family throughout Georgia's treatment has already raised more than $42,000. Lucy said they were overwhelmed by the support they have received from the community. 'It has been the most stressful time in our lives. Beau and I have been tag-teaming between the hospital and home so there is always someone to look after the boys.' 'The community has rallied behind us, the local church, and lots of beautiful people helping us,' Lucy said. 'We are both touched by the support. We never expected it.' 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. The following is the full text of his statement. "Ladies and gentlemen, Trust, confidence and dialogue lay the solid foundation for international relations. Rising from the ashes and sorrows of World War II, the UN has become the very symbol of our deep conviction and mutual trust in multilateralism and multi- tiered international cooperation. Guided by such faith, many regional organisations were established and have since thrived. Our briefers today, representing organisations from various regions, will give us an overall picture of their active contributions to conflict prevention and resolution, and facilitation of dialogue, peace and reconciliation processes. As an active ASEAN member, having just fulfilled its role as the 2020 ASEAN Chair, Vietnam takes great pride in ASEANs success in building a region of peace, cooperation, trust and dialogue, and a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community, striving toward an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture. ASEAN has established a partnership with the UN and created several mechanisms and forums for political and security dialogues with other countries, including the five Permanent Members of the Security Council. In January 2020, Vietnam chaired the Councils open debate on Cooperation between the UN and ASEAN in maintaining international peace and security. Setting confidence-building and dialogue as priorities, ASEAN has been working with China to negotiate the establishment of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), with a view to maintaining peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the South China Sea. ASEAN is also playing a central role in seeking adequate solution to help stabilize the situation in Myanmar through dialogue and reconciliation. Ladies and gentlemen, While peace, cooperation and development continue as the prevailing trend and fervent aspirations of all countries and peoples, the world that we live in today is riddled with challenges. In the past five years, conflicts have taken away half a million lives across the globe. In 2020 alone, the world recorded 20 million refugees, over 50 million people displaced due to conflicts, and around 170 million in need of humanitarian assistance. These are the people who are left behind, and call upon our Council to take action. Against major challenges, such as COVID-19, natural disasters, severe climate change, border and territorial disputes and conflicts, frictions, and geo-strategic competition, increased international unity is more crucial than ever. Yet, the paradox at present lies in our waning trust in one another and in multilateral institutions. The strengthening of unity is of great necessity, starting with the cooperation between the UN and the UNSC with regional organisations in our joint efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts through dialogue and confidence-building. In this important debate, I would like to underscore three proposals: First, the interactions and complementarities between the UN and regional organisations are inherent. They offer a two-way linkage to share knowledge and coordinate joint endeavours. The UN should take the lead in increasing cooperation activities and exchanges of experience and best practices in confidence-building and dialogue to prevent conflicts. On the other hand, regional organisations, with their unique strengths in practical experience, resources and diverse demands, should bolster cooperation with the UN, engage in dialogues and share experience at various forums to enhance capacity in preventing and resolving conflicts. Second, we should further promote the role of multilateralism and uphold the UN Charter and international law, for this is the most concrete and solid foundation to build trust and promote dialogues. Moreover, to early conflict prevention requires inclusive and comprehensive solutions to address the root causes of conflicts, such as poverty, hunger, inequality and violence. The international community should strive to fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and other global security and development strategies and initiatives led by the UN, paying greater attention and giving adequate assistance to developing countries who face serious resources constraints. On their part, regional organisations need to have comprehensive agendas, and integrate the UNs development frameworks and initiatives into their national and regional development plans. They should also strive to narrow political, economic and cultural gaps amongst themselves. In South East Asia, ASEAN is making every effort to fulfill the goal of building an ASEAN Community united in politics, diverse in culture, connected in economy, and with increased cooperation with external partners. As an active ASEAN member, Vietnam has effectively placed COVID-19 under control, enjoyed a high economic growth rate, and actively engaged in international integration. Third, we need to continue enhancing cooperation between the UNSC and regional organisations through dialogue and co-operation frameworks, and early warning mechanisms for volatilities. The UNSC needs to continue acknowledging and respecting the perspectives, role and contributions of regional organisations. We also need to mainstream conflict prevention and resolution strategies via dialogue and confidence-building in UN Missions, and create favorable conditions for regional organisations to uphold their central role. In response, regional organisations should further strengthen their proactive and leading role in preventing and resolving conflicts in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. This can only be achieved when each and every member state has strategic trust in each other and share a common political resolve. Ladies and gentlemen, Vietnam is honoured to assume the Presidency of the Security Council for the second time. With the aspiration to become a peaceful and prosperous nation, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam remains steadfast in our foreign policy of independence, sovereignty, diversification and multilateralization of relations, promoting international integration and actively contributing to the efforts of the UN and the UNSC. Faithful to our motto - Partnership for sustainable peace, Vietnam will spare no effort to strengthen the cooperation between the UN and regional organisations, including ASEAN, and elevate such ties, for peace, security and development around the world. Thank you. 'Families fighting over helpers due to travel ban' Thomas Chan says he expects wages of foreign domestic helpers to go up further if the travel ban remains in place. File photo: RTHK Families trying to find foreign domestic helpers amid a ban on arrivals from the Philippines are bumping up wage offers, the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies said on Tuesday. The unions chairman Thomas Chan told an RTHK programme that the two-week travel ban will affect around 1,800 helpers due to come to the SAR. He said some employers are instead looking for foreign domestic helpers who are already in Hong Kong. He said some of them are willing to pay around HK$5,500 a month 20 percent above the legal minimum salary due to a shortage of helpers. The government has banned flights from the Philippines, Pakistan and India for 14 days to try to prevent the spread of mutated coronavirus strains in the SAR. Some experts have called for the ban to be extended. Chan said he expected wages to go up further if the travel ban remains in place. The fight over foreign domestic helpers is going to be more intense. Some employers are willing to pay thousands of dollars extra as long as they can hire a suitable foreign domestic helper, he said. Betty Yung from the Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers Association said some SAR residents who have lost their jobs during the economic downturn would also like to work as domestic helpers. She said the Labour Department could provide employment support and match them with families who can't find a foreign domestic helper. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 07:35:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Argentina reported on Monday 20,461 new COVID-19 infections in the last day, to total 2,714,475 cases, as well as 248 more deaths, bringing the cumulative figure to 59,476, the Health Ministry said. Some 4,304 patients remained hospitalized in intensive care units, while the bed occupancy rate nationwide was 65.8 percent, according to the ministry. Meanwhile, during an event at the presidential headquarters of Casa Rosada on Monday, President Alberto Fernandez announced a monthly bonus of 6,500 pesos (about 70 U.S. dollars) for over 740,000 health workers for three months. Minister of Health Carla Vizzotti emphasized that there are still beds available for seriously ill COVID-19 patients, but admitted that health personnel "are exhausted." Argentina remains under preventive and mandatory social distancing measures until April 30. Enditem Human umbilical cord blood- mesenchymal stem cells (intratracheal injection) Credit: AlphaMed Press A phase 2 clinical trial whose results were released today in Stem Cells Translational Medicine might point to a way to overcome bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a major cause of death in preterm infants. The study, conducted by researchers at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University and Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital in Seoul, evaluates the effectiveness of treating these infants by transplanting umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) directly into their tracheas. Early results showed signs of improvement for the most immature infants included in the trial. BPD is a serious breathing disorder in which the lungs do not develop normally. Most infants who develop BPD are born more than 10 weeks before their due date, weigh less than 2 pounds at birth, and have breathing problems. Infections that occur before or shortly after birth also can contribute to the disorder. Despite recent advances in neonatal medicine, BPD remains a major cause of mortality and long-term respiratory and neurologic problems in premature infants. Won Soon Park, M.D., Ph.D., of Samsung Medical Center and Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, and Ellen Ai-Rhan Kim, M.D., Ph.D., of Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan, are both pediatricians who have been searching for a way to treat BPD. As such, the two were co-authors of the recent study, which was a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial designed specifically to learn whether human UCB-derived MSC intratracheal transplantation might mitigate BPD in extremely preterm infants. "While intratracheal transplantation of human UCB-derived MSCs has proven to be safe and feasible in recently conducted clinical trials, its therapeutic efficacy had not been assessed in a clinical setting prior to this study," Dr. Park said. Choosing the optimal MSCs for transplantation was also a critical point of their work, added Dr. Kim. "We focused on UCB-MSCs, as they exhibit several advantages over adult tissue-derived MSCs, including lower immunogenicity, higher proliferation capacity, paracrine potency and therapeutic efficacy both in vitro and in vivo," she said. "Moreover, allogenic transplantation of MSCs, which come from a donor rather than the patient, might have a logistic advantage as they can be used at an early active stage of disease." Sixty-six preterm infants ranging in age from 23 to 28 gestational weeks (GW) were included in the study. All were on ventilators and each also had experienced significant respiratory difficulties between five and 14 days after birth. The infants were grouped by ageeither 23-24 GW or 25-28 GWand then further randomly divided into groups that received either UCB-MSCs or a placebo. The infants were then assessed for six months. In their final analysis, the team verified that intratracheal transplantation of MSCs appears to be safe and feasible. "At the same time, we learned that MSC transplantation did not significantly improve the primary outcome of death or severe/moderate BPD in infants in the 25-28 GW group. However, our subgroup analysis showed that the secondary outcome of severe BPD was significantly improveddropping from 53 percent to 19 percentin the younger 23-24 GW group," Dr. Park said. Dr. Kim added, "Further study with a larger sample size is required to solidly prove therapeutic benefits for infants in this group who are at the highest risk for BPD or death. Accordingly, we are now conducting an additional larger and controlled phase II clinical trial focusing on 23-24 GW infants. We hope to publish these data in the near future." "This study suggests that the transplantation of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells directly into the tracheas of preterm babies might mitigate their breathing challenges," said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of Stem Cells Translational Medicine and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "The data are encouraging and useful and should lead to a larger, future clinical trial." Explore further Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles ease brain bleeding in newborn rats More information: So Yoon Ahn et al, Stem cells for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: A randomized controlled phase II trial, STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (2021). Journal information: Stem Cells Translational Medicine So Yoon Ahn et al, Stem cells for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: A randomized controlled phase II trial,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/sctm.20-0330 Provided by AlphaMed Press (Newser) Former President George W. Bush delivered his strongest criticism yet of the Republican Party on Tuesday, essentially suggesting he doesn't recognize it anymore. He described the current GOP as "isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist," Politico reports. Bush made the comments in a live interview on NBC's Today show. His criticism of former President Trump was less direct. Bush agreed that a mainstream Republicanwho supports limited gun control measures, for examplecould win his party's presidential nomination in 2024. "I think if the emphasis is integrity and decency and trying to work to get problems solved," he said, "I think the person has a shot. ... But, you know, I'm just an old guy they put out to pasture," he added. More highlights: story continues below Bush called the proliferation of misinformation in politics troubling. "I dont know what were going to do about that," he said. Bush expressed concern about women and girls in Afghanistan once US forces leave; he discussed the issue with President Biden before the withdrawal was announced. He said that progress has been made, and that the administration is counting on diplomacy, but added, "All I know is the Taliban, when they had the run of the place, they were brutal." Bush has been making appearances to discuss a new book of his paintings of immigrants to the US, and he took part in a naturalization ceremony Tuesday in New York for front-line pandemic workers, per NBC. He was critical of the political rhetoric around immigration and asked Congress to "quit trying to score political points" on the issue, per CNN. "I hope I can help set a tone that is more respectful about the immigrant, which may lead to reform of the system," he said, adding: "Its a beautiful country we have. And yet, it's not beautiful when we condemn [and] call people names and scare people about immigration." (Read more George W. Bush stories.) ROME, ITALY / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / The European Society of Hypertension-International Society of Hypertension - Joint Conference (ESH-ISH HYPERTENSION 2021) was held virtually from April 11-14, 2021 with global live broadcast. More than 5,000 professionals in hypertension and related fields participated in this conference. Implementing the Call to Action for Global Hypertension Control The World Hypertension League held the symposium of "Implementing the Call to Action for Global Hypertension Control" at the ESH-ISH Joint Congress. Professor Xin-Hua Zhang, the President of the World Hypertension League, gave a speech on "Announcing and Promoting of the Call to Action for Global Hypertension Control", which was drafted by the World Hypertension League with its global partners and member organizations. It was announced at the World Hypertension Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2019. Hypertension is the controllable but not yet being properly controlled leading risk factor for death and disability globally. Among 1.4 billion hypertensive patients, only less than 14% having their blood pressure under control. We call on global health authorities and medical professional societies to: 1. apply global best practices; 2. help primary care services become the central for hypertension prevention and control; 3. promote team work among medical and non-medical staff to create patient-centered care; and 4. use evidence-based standardized treatment protocol, and continue supply of high quality, affordable, and sustainable antihypertensive medications; 5. detect patients through routine outpatient clinics and population screening programs, and control blood pressure in a timely manner; 6. reward excellent leaders, programs, and organizations that dedicated in hypertension prevention and control initiatives. The HEARTS China Hypertension Control Project is a successful example in implementing the Call to action and applying the best clinical practice. Professor Xin-Hua Zhang shared the progress of the HEARTS Hypertension Control Project in Henan Province, China. It is well demonstrated the impact of implementing the "Call to Action on global Hypertension Control". The project is led by the governmental health authorities, supported by the expert committee, and implemented by primary care providers in about 1000 township hospitals and community health care centers. The project uses internationally verified devices for measurement of blood pressure, glucose, uric acid and lipid, and a web-based clinical support and quality monitoring system. The system connects the measurements to prescription platform, provides information to support clinicians' decision making on diagnosis, treatment and planning for follow-up. It also provides daily and weekly reports to inform the relevant government offices about the quality and progress of hypertension control in the areas, helped the health authorities to provide timely assistance and supervision to primary health care services. The project was launched in July 2018, and as of December 31, 2020, the number of primary care services participating in the HEARTS hypertension control project has increased from 54 to more than 800; and the registered hypertensive patients getting their blood pressure under control has increased from about 700 to more than 40,000. The HEARTS technical package is a strategic and practical guidance developed by the World Health Organization and international medical professional societies. It aims to improve the capacity of primary care services in control and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The package is intended for use by government health authorities, expert teams and primary care providers. It includes guidance on healthy lifestyles and patient self-management, evidence-based standardized treatment algorithm, high-quality uninterrupted supply of drugs and essential medical devices in the selected algorithm, risk-based management strategies, teamwork and shared responsibility, and a real-time quality monitoring system. The " Call to Action for Hypertension Control" recommends the HEARTS technical package as a best practice. Traditional Chinese medicines with RCT evidence of effectively reduced blood pressure should have a role in clinical practice for hypertension control. In primary care settings using evidence-based standardized treatment algorithm is the most effective way for improving hypertension control. The drugs in the algorithm must be evidence-based, long-acting, high-quality, affordable, available, and sustainable. The dose for every step and the pace for evaluation in the algorithm should also be supported by scientific evidence. In addition to globally recommended antihypertensive drugs, Chinese patent traditional medicines that meet the above criteria can also be selected. For example, "Songling Xuemaikang" has RCT evidence of effectively reduced blood pressure and improved lipid profile. It is well suitable for most patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Finally, Professor Zhang concluded, "The results of the HEARTS hypertension control project in Henan, China, demonstrate that the 'Call to Action' and it recommended best practices are implementable, replicable and sustainable. Widely dissemination of Call to Action can help improve the global hypertension control and help more hypertensive patients live longer and healthier." SOURCE: The European Society of Hypertension View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641297/Message-from-ESH-ISH-Hypertension-2021--World-Hypertension-League-focus-on-Implementation-of-the-Call-to-Action-for-Global-Hypertension-Control [April 20, 2021] GZ6G Technologies Ready to Uplist to OTCQB Completes Audit of Fiscal 2020 and 2019 Operating Results Las Vegas, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- GZ6G Technologies Corp. [OTC:GZIC] has filed audited financial statements on April 15, 2021 including an opinion from an independent public accounting firm for the most recently completed two fiscal years of December 31, 2020, and 2019. The audit was completed by applying the standards set by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). GZ6G Technologies engaged Pinnacle Accountancy Group of Utah as their independent accounting firm to perform audits on each of the companys last four operating years, which results have been published on OTC Markets. The audited fiscal 2018 and 2017 comparative results were previously published on February 8, 2020 as part of a Material Change Report. The completion and publication of these most recent audited financial results is the first step in a series of actions GZ6G Technologies is taking to improve transparency for both shareholders and customers and is the first step in the companys plans to become fully compliant with enhanced regulatory oversight and key client expectations. The next step in GZ6G Technologies corporate plan is to apply to up-list to OTCQB this week under the alternative reporting tier as GZ6G Technologies engages with various firms and investor groups regarding the ultimate expectation of becoming a fully reporting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issuer. CEO Coleman Smith stated, The most important step in our forward plan for growth in both the public markets and relative to larger customer accounts was to complete the audit of our most recent two fiscal years. We had originally intended to complete our 2019 audit and OTC up-list application in early fiscal 2020, but our initial objectives were delayed by the impact of COVID-19. We have used this past year to prepare for the next steps in our corporate vision which includes the up listing of our shares to the OTCQB, and to become a fully reporting issuer with the SEC. My team and I are excited to have finally concluded the first and most important step in this process. GZ6G Technologies and its divisions have worked tirelessly in 2020 and through the first quarter of fiscal 2021 to establish customer relationships that can be expanded greatly with the completion of auditedfinancial results and a market up-list. The company expects to announce enhanced venue opportunities as they move through the process to now become a bonded service provider. We are excited to be able to take the next steps in our overall plan to bring value to both our shareholders and customers. Our drive to obtain additional capital to fully implement our exciting 2021 business plan goes hand-in-hand with our intent to become fully SEC reporting in the next fiscal quarter, said Coleman Smith. In addition to enacting our OTCQB up list plan, we expect the ability to raise additional capital as we meet a higher standard of reporting should dramatically enhance our client revenue goals by the end of fiscal 2021 through both the value in having audited financial results and having access to an expanded group of investment professionals. GZ6G Technologies and its divisions, Green Zebra Networks, Green Zebra Smart Labs, Green Zebra Data Centers, and Green Zebra Media are currently working with various clients that will be announced in the coming weeks. About GZ6G Technologies: GZ6G Technologies is the complete enterprise smart solutions provider for large venues and cities. Focused on acquiring smart city solutions, developing innovative products, and overseeing smart cities and smart venues, GZ6G Technologies also assists in modernizing clients with innovative wireless IoT technology for the emerging 5G and Wi-Fi 6 marketplaces. Target markets include stadiums, airports, universities, and smart city projects. Ever evolving and innovative, GZ6G Technologies smart solutions consist of four divisions, Green Zebra Networks: offers a fully integrated wireless and IT infrastructure solutions for enterprise opportunities. The Green Zebra technical teams will also provide both managed services support, and technical support for networking hardware and software for enterprise level clients. Green Zebra Data Center: The Green Zebra Data Centers division will focus on safe and secure data management and cloud computing solutions for GZ6G Technologies divisions as well as co-location and hosting options for venues, cities, and customers. Green Zebra Smart Labs: IoT software applications integrated for commercial, industrial and user engagement technology, as well as artificial intelligence and analytics for historical data, operation forecasting and monetization purposes, to name a few. Green Zebra Media, a majority-owned subsidiary of GZ6G Technology Corp: a full-service marketing and advertising division for clients that includes public relations, copywriting, branding, and all creative needs. Since 2003, GZ6G Technologies is the trusted, smart solutions provider for clients such as Governors Island, NY, and the city of New York, to name a few. For more information, visit www.GZ6G.com . Twitter @gz6tech MEDIA Contact: Arlene Bordinhao Arlene.b@brandltd.com INVESTOR Contact: Coleman Smith Cole@greenzebra.net Safe Harbor Statement: In addition to historical information, this press release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include the intent, belief, or expectations of the company and members of its management team with respect to the company's future business operations and the assumptions upon which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to, failure to complete anticipated sales under negotiations, lack of revenue growth, client discontinuances, failure to realize improvements in performance, efficiency and profitability, and adverse development with respect to litigation or increased litigation costs, the operation or performance of the Company's business units or the market price of its common stock. Additional factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated within this press release can also be found on the company's website. The company denies any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] One person was fatally shot Monday afternoon while driving in New Brunswick, officials said. Police found the victim, identified only as male, wounded around 4:30 p.m. near Handy Street and Paul Robeson Boulevard, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office. The shooting victim died at a local hospital. The investigation is active and continuing, the prosecutors office said in a statement. Video from local news website New Brunswick Today showed three vehicles - two cars and an SUV - that appeared to be involved in a crash and cordoned off at the intersection. New Brunswick police appeared to be taking pictures of another vehicle near the crash scene. A spokesman for the New Brunswick police did not immediately return a message for comment. More information was not released as of late Monday. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Oakland, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, today announced that travel industry veteran Shannon Garcia has been hired as its new VP of Strategic Sales. In her new role, Garcia will help solve travel challenges enterprise-level companies experience. As business travelers and companies prepare to resume travel, theyll have a new set of challenges to confront said Christina Woronchak, chief revenue officer, Deem. Were confident Shannons deep expertise and dedication to the business travel industry will become invaluable for enterprises as they look to us to provide the most effective and efficient solutions to todays concerns. The technology Deem has created for business travel is unlike any Ive seen, said Garcia. Its new platform, Etta, combines powerful tech with a beautiful, intuitive user experience, and safety and accessibility features that empower more travelers than other booking options. Deems innovation is one of the main reasons Ive joined the team. Im excited to include this next-level travel software in strategic solutions for enterprises and their travelers. Garcias career spans more than 25 years in sales and business development leadership roles in the travel management, consulting, and hospitality sectors of the travel industry. She has extensive experience leading global sales and helping enterprises modernize and optimize their corporate travel programs. Most recently with American Express Global Business Travel, Garcia led the multinational sales team that signed numerous Fortune 500 clients representing some of the largest business travel buyers in the world. Garcia brings deep functional experience working with large global travel buyers in key verticals, including financial and professional services, biotech, pharma, and technology. Previously, she held longstanding executive roles with HRG, BCD Travel and its wholly owned consulting company, Advito. About Deem Deem is on a mission to transform travel. Starring Etta, its mobile-first, corporate travel booking and management platform, Deem offers employees everything they need to easily make the right travel decisions for themselves and their company. Deems travel technology plugs into major travel agencies and expense solution providers, empowering more corporate customers and the worlds largest travel management companies. Deem is a wholly owned and independently run subsidiary of Enterprise Holdings. The company is headquartered in Oakland, California, with offices in Dublin, Ireland and Bangalore, India. Learn more at Deem.com. Attachment High Wire Networks Launches Overwatch Managed Firewall Enabling MSP Partners to Boost MRR "We're enabling our MSP partners to deliver a full firewall protection with enterprise-class edge devices that are completely managed by our security experts. Plus, our plug-and-play appliances mean a zero-touch installation. It couldn't be easier for our partners and their customers." Spectrum Global Solutions Inc. (the "Company" or "Spectrum"), announced today that High Wire Networks Inc. ("High Wire") and its cybersecurity business unit, Overwatch Managed Security, today introduced Overwatch Managed Firewall, powered by Mako Networks. Overwatch Managed Firewall is a cost-effective security-as-a-service solution that enables High Wire's managed service provider (MSP) partners to earn lucrative monthly recurring revenue (MRR) by delivering intelligent end-to-end protection for the new hybrid workplace. "Securing an organization's headquarters and branch offices is challenging, but safeguarding dozens, hundreds or even thousands of endpoints used by employees working remotely is practically impossible until now," said High Wire CEO Mark Porter. "Overwatch Managed Firewall helps our MSP partners meet their clients' challenges in securing hybrid work environments with an affordable OpEx-based service with no upfront capex costs." Overwatch Managed Firewall is fully integrated into the Overwatch 24/7 AI-driven Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform, which collects data from all sources and drills down on real threats. The XDR platform is managed around the clock by expert security analysts in the Overwatch 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC). "We're enabling our MSP partners to deliver a full firewall protection with enterprise-class edge devices that are completely managed by our security experts," said Porter. "Plus, our plug-and-play appliances mean a zero-touch installation. It couldn't be easier for our partners and their customers." Overwatch Managed Firewall leverages Mako Networks' universal edge appliances, which merge a next-generation firewall and router with a secure virtual private network (VPN), software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and cellular wireless backup in a single cloud-managed network appliance. Mako appliances are fully PCI-compliant and are delivered preconfigured to office and remote sites, allowing users to simply connect them to power and Internet. Mako Networks' cloud-based Central Management System (CMS) applies policies to the device and collects real-time network information, including cellular and broadband data use, intrusion attempts, Internet traffic records, estate-wide network status and more. "Since the pandemic began, many businesses have, unfortunately, learned that typical home wireless networks are vulnerable to breaches and malware," said Jason Kubasak, CEO of Mako Networks. "In contrast, Overwatch Managed Firewall with Mako edge appliances enables remote workers to access corporate networks via centrally managed VPN tunnels and hardened firewalls, which means they can be governed by the same security policies as employees in the office." Because enterprise network policy can be controlled in the cloud by the CMS, access rules can be applied across any number of edge devices using templates. Templates can be applied either globally or by groups based on departments, divisions, locations, geographies, or other criteria that are relevant to the customer's use case. "In the case of a suspected breach, we can make a single change to a template blocking access for all remote users in real-time," said Porter. "Then our SOC analysts can quickly address issues with a touch of a button, improving response times and containing potential damage." Overwatch Managed Firewall, offered through MSPs, is part of High Wire Network's Overwatch Managed Security Platform-as-a-Service, which protects an organization's networks, data, endpoints and users. As previously announced, High Wire has agreed to go public through a merger with Spectrum Global Solutions Inc. (OTCQB:SGSI). The merger's closing is subject to certain closing conditions that are expected to be met within the next few weeks. About Spectrum Global Solutions Spectrum Global Solutions Inc. operates through its subsidiaries ADEX Corp., Tropical Communications Inc. and AW Solutions Puerto Rico LLC. The Company is a leading provider of telecommunications engineering and infrastructure services across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. For more information about the Company and its technologies, visit the Company's public filings at http://www.SEC.gov or the Company's website at https://SpectrumGlobalSolutions.com/ About High Wire Networks For 20 years, High Wire Networks has been a trusted partner to VARs, MSPs, distributors, integrators, manufacturers, and telecom providers by enabling them to minimize overhead while extending delivery capabilities around the world. Our flexible workforce delivers vendor-agnostic technical field, professional and security services in more than 180 countries. Our services include design, installation, configuration, and support for unified communications, wired and wireless networks, cabling and infrastructure, and electrical systems. Our new Overwatch Managed Security Platform-as-a-Service enables our partners to deliver comprehensive cybersecurity that's easy to sell and easy to buy for an affordable subscription. We also offer a variety of on-demand, rapid-response solutions with service levels ranging from two hours to the next business day for onsite break-fix and remote technical support. With High Wire Networks, partners Get Work Done. Learn more at http://www.highwirenetworks.com Forward-Looking Statements: The above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "appear," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "indicate," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company's performance, are all "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements 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 performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations. MBABANE Nkwene Member of Parliament (MP) Vulimpompi Nhleko has received backlash after suggesting that some MPs who are not wealthy fear speaking up in Parliament. He said the MPs did not raise issues because they feared being discriminated against by government. The MP is heard in an audio shared on various social media platforms, saying politicians who are less affluent are not vocal in Parliament because projects in their constituencies end up being sabotaged or stopped. Nhleko further alleges in the audio, that those who were outspoken were those who were rich and could fund projects in their constituencies. It was gathered that he made his statement during a community meeting of the completion of a hall with Buseleni residents during the past weekend. There is nothing you can do, even if you can talk your lungs out. Instead, you will not see this road. This water, you wont see it. Even the donations from the Taiwanese are taken from us because we irk them, he alleged. MP Nhleko further alleged that if they (MPs) spoke out, nothing would ever be done for their constituencies. That is why you will not hear me talking like Baceth. Baceth knows he is rich. He has a grader and a TLB. Then if someone like me talks, they will be in Parliament for five years and leave without having completed one project for their constituencies, Nhleko claimed. He further purported that even if they solicited sponsors, government would prevent them from securing any. The money goes to Cabinet and they discuss that you dont get it, he alleged. The MP highlighted that currently, his constituency secured funding for a community hall worth E4 million. Nhleko mentioned that it would be used for multi-purposes. He is heard in the audio commending the halls beauty, having mentioned that it was up to the standard of His Majestys 2022 Vision. The politician further informs his constituents that the construction of the hall was made possible by his efforts and those of some constituency members who worked tirelessly and diligently in ensuring that the project became a success. A cloud of doubt hangs over the reopening of Ryanairs base at Cork Airport this year, the airline has told its staff. In a memo to pilots and cabin crew of its Cork base, which closed temporarily last October, the airlines people director, Darrell Hughes, said they cant confirm yet if the base will open this winter season - and that means before March 2022. The airport is due to close for 10-weeks - from September 10 to November 22 - for a multi-million runway upgrade, and reopen in time for what its hoped will be a busy Christmas period. But Ryanair, the airport's biggest customer pre-pandemic, has now said that it cant commit to a base reopening this year pending the outcome of commercial talks with the airport. It has also lashed out at the governments approach to managing the pandemic, accusing it of putting the aviation industry, and the thousands of jobs in the sector, at risk. Mr Hughes said the aviation industry here continues to be decimated by the governments lack of a recovery plan and its shortsighted focus on pointless and unworkable travel restrictions and quarantines. The slow vaccine rollout in Ireland continues to put jobs and critical air infrastructure links at risk. As you know we temporarily ceased base operations at Cork last October due to Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions and we have been unable to plan for reopening for this summer season due to the runway works and lack of a workable commercial agreement with Cork Airport. While we have been trying to negotiate with Cork Airport management on a deal to secure the reopening of the base - similar to that already in Shannon - unfortunately the uncertainty over the reopening days of the base remains. At this stage we are unable to confirm if the base will be open this winter that is before March 2022. "We are truly sorry to be delivering news of further uncertainty for our Cork crew. We remain committed to working with the airport management to secure the earliest possible base reopening. A spokesman for Cork Airport said they have devised two new traffic incentive schemes - one to incentivise passenger traffic and one to incentivise the reestablishment of bases - to help rebuild the airports route network post-pandemic. It is understood that talks with the various airline customers on these schemes have been ongoing for several months. Before the pandemic, Cork Airport had nine airline customers operating 52 scheduled routes. Ryanair was its biggest customer - leapfrogging Aer Lingus into the top slot in 2019 when it carried some 1.14m passengers. Pre-pandemic, Ryanair operated 24 routes while Aer Lingus operated 17 routes, and together, they carried more than 80% of the airports customers. Today, Cork Airport has just two airlines, Aer Lingus and KLM, operating three scheduled flights a week on two routes - to London Heathrow and Amsterdam. Runway works The airport is set to close to all scheduled fixed-wing operations for 10-weeks this autumn - from September 10 to November 22 - to facilitate a multi-million rebuild of its main runway, 16/34. The pandemic, and subsequent collapse in airline traffic, prompted airport management to bring the work forward from 2022. The main runway, designated 16/34, has been in operation since the airport opened in October 1961. Built at 1,883-metres long, it was extended by 300-metres in 1989, and was overlaid just once, in 1999. It is at the end of its operational life. The upgrade work will involve a structural reconstruction of the main runway, an upgrading of aircraft ground lighting to energy efficient LEDs, the installation of runway edge and centreline lighting, the replacement of secondary cabling and transformers, the construction of a new electrical pit and duct system, upgrading of primary electrical circuits in place since the 1980s, and a new electricity substation to provide backup for the current substation. Meanwhile, Willie Walsh, the head of global airline industry body International Air Transport Association (IATA), has hit out at the high cost of Covid-19 testing, accusing providers of profiteering from travel, and calling for the industry to challenge whether PCR tests are necessary. "We're clearly seeing evidence of profiteering by people who have jumped on the testing bandwagon," said Mr Walsh, the former head of IAG, the conglomerate he put together to include British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Vueling. He said governments had mandated PCR tests and were then charging VAT on the cost of the testing, a scenario which he said needed to be challenged. "The cost of testing should be significantly lower than it is. I think we've got to challenge whether PCR testing is necessary," he said. PCR tests, the so-called gold standard test, can cost over 100. Lucknow, April 20 : Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Hanuman Mishra succumbed to Covid on Tuesday at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. Hanuman Mishra was admitted to the hospital after he tested positive for the virus. He is the third minister in the state to succumb to Covid. Earlier, last year, state ministers Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan had died due to Covid. Uttar Pradesh has been reporting the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country after Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the state government on Tuesday announced its decision to impose a 'Corona Curfew' in the state with the rising number of Covid-19 cases. The state has announced a statewide weekend lockdown that will come into force from April 24. As per the new directive, districts with more than 500 active Covid-19 cases will also remain under night curfew, effective between 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day, until further orders. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Is Mr. Soave right? Heres what public health experts and journalists are saying. The case against outdoor masking What the science says: As Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown Universitys School of Public Health, told CNN last weekend, Weve known for a year that outdoor infections are extremely rare. Exactly how rare? An article published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases concluded that while significant knowledge gaps about transmission routes remain, existing evidence supports the wide-held belief that risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is lower outdoors. One study it cited, which was not peer-reviewed, found that the odds of transmission were 18.7 times as high in closed environments as outdoors. Not all outdoor environments are equally safe, though: Unmasked interactions that involved prolonged, frequent contact, for example, were associated with higher risk of outdoor transmission. Our takeaway from this is that its not impossible to get an infection outdoors, even though from what is published, clearly the proportion of when that happens is much lower, Nooshin Razani, one of the studys authors, told The Washington Post. What this means in practice: Transmissions do not take place between solitary individuals going for a walk, transiently passing each other on the street, a hiking trail or a jogging track, Dr. Paul E. Sax, a professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote in NEJM Journal Watch. That biker who whizzes by without a mask poses no danger to us, at least from a respiratory virus perspective. Large outdoor crowds may pose a higher risk, especially if theres shouting and stagnant air, said Donald Milton, an aerosol scientist at the University of Maryland. But when I go jogging in my neighborhood, where the houses are separated by 10 meters (32 feet) or more and there are only a few people out walking dogs or kids playing in yards, I carry a mask with me, he told Yahoo. Then if I stop to chat with other people I can put it on. The vaccine factor: Experts have been preaching the importance of distinguishing between indoor and outdoor transmission risks since the early months of the pandemic. But now that the vaccination drive is underway, the expectation of universal outdoor masking almost becomes ridiculous, Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor at the University of California, San Francisco, told Slate. Dr. Gandhi isnt alone: Several epidemiologists have called for an end to outdoor mask mandates, which some 24 states still have in place. (Natural News) During a Monday interview on FNCs Fox & Friends, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sounded off on Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) recently calling for protesters to get more confrontational amid the Derek Chauvin trial for the death of George Floyd. (Article by Trent Baker republished from Breitbart.com) Gingrich ripped Waters for her rhetoric, saying she is openly encouraging violence. He called for a nationwide movement to help prevent looting and violence in the streets under the guise of protesting. [T]he more patient we are, the more radical they are. So, you have over a year of violence in Portland, Oregon. You have an expectation of violence. Why should we expect violence if the criminal justice system works? Why should we tolerate violence? Why should we tolerate National Guardsmen being shot at? I think we have to really rethink our whole approach to making sure we stop people from being violent if necessary by doing the opposite of what Rashida Tlaib wanted and actually increasing the prisons. You cannot have a country which cowers in fear and which has radicals who wander around openly encouraging violence. He added, I think its going to require a nationwide movement that says we are going to protect our people. We are going to protect our property. We are not going to tolerate criminals in the street. You know, when somebody is out looting, thats not a protest, thats a criminal. And they should be treated as criminals. And the fact that you have a congresswoman who is actively encouraging criminals, and also you have a congresswoman in Rashida Tlaib, who literally wants to abolish the police and close all the prisons this is madness. Read more at: Breitbart.com and Violence.news. A Scottish terrier suffered devastating injuries and needed emergency surgery after being mauled in a park in front of her owner. A Sunshine Coast woman said her pet was attacked by what she believes was a Staffordshire terrier in Tewantin on Saturday. The woman claims the vicious dog's owner watched the brutal attack in the off-leash area before leaving without speaking to her. She her three-year-old pooch ran over to say hello to the other dog, but instead of a friendly response was viciously attacked. A Sunshine Coast woman is calling for fenced dog parks to be introduced to separate different sized pets after her beloved Scottish terrier (pictured) was mauled in Tewantin on Saturday 'They sniffed each other and he just went for her,' the woman told 7News. 'Its hard to say how long it took but there was quite a bit of squealing and screaming going on.' The woman said her pet suffered serious puncture wounds and was rushed into emergency surgery and given several stitches. Her owner slammed the other dog's master for failing to stop and help. 'Its such a sad thing to do, to take off and leave somebody in such dire straits,' she said. The woman is calling on Noosa Council to introduce fenced areas in dog parks so different sized dogs can be separated. Noosa Council responsible dog ownership guidelines state owners should watch their pets in off leash areas. 'Dogs must be leashed in public areas, except for the Shires designated off-leash areas, where owners must still supervise them,' the website reads. Those who experience a dog attack or aggressive animal behaviour are urged to report it to the council. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Noosa Council for comment. New Delhi: In view of an "acute shortage" of medical oxygen at GTB Hospital in the capital, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday (April 20) urged Union minister Piyush Goyal to help in overcoming the shortage. In his tweet, Satyendar Jain said the oxygen supply at GTB Hospital may not last more than four hours, adding that more than 500 Covid-19 patients on oxygen support are admitted to the hospital at present. Tagging Piyush Goyal, Jain tweeted, "Acute shortage of oxygen at GTB Hospital. Oxygen may not last beyond four hours. More than 500 corona patients on oxygen. Please help @PiyushGoyal to restore oxygen supply to avert major crisis." Media people are asking about oxygen supplied to Delhi. 240 Mt and 365 Mt oxygen supplied to Delhi on Mon & Tue against requirement of 700 mt per day. Stock position in most of the hospitals is not more than 10 to 12 hours. Every day we require 700 mt oxygen. Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) April 20, 2021 The Delhi Health Minister also attached two screenshots of messages sent to him by one GTB Hospital official seeking urgent help. The message read, "Dear sir, It is for your kind information that there is a great difficulty in getting supply of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and oxygen cylinders from the vendor M/s INOX. As per their version, the local district authorities like DM and SSP do not allow the vendor to send the supply to other states like Delhi." In another tweet, Jain wrote, "Media people are asking about oxygen supplied to Delhi. 240 Mt and 365 Mt oxygen supplied to Delhi on Mon & Tue against requirement of 700 mt per day. Stock position in most of the hospitals is not more than 10 to 12 hours. Every day we require 700 mt oxygen." Media people are asking about oxygen supplied to Delhi. 240 Mt and 365 Mt oxygen supplied to Delhi on Mon & Tue against requirement of 700 mt per day. Stock position in most of the hospitals is not more than 10 to 12 hours. Every day we require 700 mt oxygen. Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) April 20, 2021 Sir Ganga Ram Hospital reportedly said that their oxygen stock would last till 1 am. The hospital has 485 COVID beds, of which 475 are occupied. Around 120 patients are currently in the ICU. Its chairman DS Rana said, "6,000 cubic meters of it is left, which at the rate of current consumption will last till 1 am. Need urgent replenishment." Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre "with folded hands" to provide medical oxygen to Delhi and his deputy Manish Sisodia said there will be chaos in the city if the stocks are not replenished by Wednesday morning. ICU beds in Delhi hospitals were also filling up fast amid a surge in coronavirus infections. Only 30 of them were available for coronavirus patients in government and private hospitals across the national capital at 10 pm, according to data from the city government's Delhi Corona app. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said the Centre should be "sensitive and active" in handling the situation so that there is no clamour among states over its supply. Sisodia, who is also the nodal minister for COVID-19 management in the national capital, said he is getting SOS calls on oxygen shortage from all hospitals. He also alleged that people involved in supplying oxygen are being stopped in different states. (With Agency Inputs) (TNS) Thirteen months and two presidents into a once-in-a-century public-health crisis, toxic politics still bedevil effective policies against COVID-19 an indication of the challenges the U.S. will face in any future pandemic.Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat targeted in a kidnapping plot due to her early lockdown, has lost the will to impose new restrictions even as the virus surges there. In California, Republicans are pushing to recall Governor Gavin Newsom for his strict response. And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who still eschews a mask mandate, is claiming vindication because his states death toll was lower than many Democratic bastions making him an early favorite for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.But as politicians jockey over whose states performed best, a key takeaway seems to be that the entire country fared worse than it should have.Polarization, coupled with porous state borders, rendered the pandemic playbook less effective. Democratic states took more dramatic mitigation measures than Republican ones. In less homogeneous places, adherence to health advice was mixed, regardless of which party occupied the governors mansion.Even the nations vaccination race against fast-spreading variants is shaped by party affiliation: About 29% of Republicans say they definitely wont get the jab, compared with about 5% of Democrats and 9% of independents, according to a poll last month for the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor.Something as simple as mask-wearing became so political, said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. It became such a reflection of whose side you are on instead of, Were all in this together.The ranking of states by deaths per capita defies tidy conclusions. If the numbers show anything, its that states arent directly comparable; they should be measured only against their unique expectations. Hawaii saw the least loss of life relative to its population probably because its an island. No amount of restrictions can turn California into New Zealand. And the outcome in Florida was likely the product of its Sunshine State advantages as much as its governors policies.Theres no better illustration than Michigan of how political divisions perverted the response to COVID-19. For the past month, Whitmer has rejected calls for new rules a stark departure from her earlier approach even as cases and hospitalizations surged. She advised Michiganders to avoid indoor restaurant dining for a few weeks and log into high-school classes from home, but stopped short of mandates.The pressure on Whitmer has been intense. A year ago, then-President Donald Trump attacked Whitmer and tweeted LIBERATE MICHIGAN! Soon after, armed anti-lockdown protesters entered Michigans capitol, and the FBI said in October it had foiled an attempt to kidnap and possibly kill her.The governor of Michigan was surrounded, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which produces COVID-19 projections. Even knowing the problem, even believing in science, she had kind of a rebellion at hand.Since then, resistance to mitigation has only grown. While the latest surge likely isnt purely a function of behavior, residents are doing little to help matters. As hospitals fill, Michigan has largely plowed ahead with reopening, much like the rest of the U.S.A lot of things have changed, Whitmer said in an interview Sunday with NBCs Meet the Press, noting that the legislature won a Michigan Supreme Court case stripping her of emergency powers used to issue public-health directives. I dont have all of the exact same tools, she said, though she previously had found a workaround when she wanted one.If DeSantis and his advisers are to be believed, his laissez-faire approach should be a model. Such was the message at an April 12 roundtable convened by DeSantis that included two authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, a manifesto for reopening America amid the deadly pandemic.But viruses simply have a hard time spreading in Florida, meaning its experience might not be replicated. The state is among Americas safest places when flu strikes, perhaps partly because of its uniquely humid and warm climate among a confluence of other factors that work together in somewhat mysterious ways.In the past five years, its age-adjusted flu and pneumonia fatality rates are the nations second lowest despite an exceptionally low vaccination rate. New York gets about twice as many age-adjusted flu deaths per capita. (COVID-19 has proved far deadlier, but the data is a handy proxy for environmental factors.)Given Floridas inherent advantages and the fact that it dodged the first wave that blindsided the Northeast the states record seems less worthy of braggadocio. Similarly, Arizona and Texas, Floridas Republican-led Sun Belt peers, do exceptionally well with the flu, but much worse with COVID.DeSantis won credit for locking down nursing homes early, while sparing other residents and the economy. Adjusting for age and gender, Florida comes in 17th in deaths per capita, according to a University of California at Los Angeles paper.But its most populous county, Miami-Dade, still has a mask order in place that many people follow. Even though there was a narrative that Florida was wide open and nobody was paying attention, I do not believe that was the case, said Salemi, the Florida epidemiologist, who runs a popular COVID-19 dashboard.In an emailed response, DeSantis spokesman Cody McCloud said Florida performed better than both comparably warm areas and those that are less densely populated. He also referenced a recent paper which found that weather on its own was not a significant contributor to the spread of COVID-19 through July. Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, Florida has done it right from the beginning, McCloud wrote.Nationwide, pandemic behavior aligned with whom a resident favored in the presidential election. Based on mobile-phone data, nine of the 10 states that reduced mobility most supported Joe Biden, even though Republican governors lead four of them. Florida was the exception, but broke for Trump by only a slim margin.The pandemic has been about one-eighth as lethal for the Hawaiian archipelago as it was for, say, New Jersey or New York, largely because every new arrival since March 2020 has had to self-quarantine or show a recent negative COVID-19 test.Being an island, in and of itself, is not protective, said Andrew Noymer, associate professor of public health at the University of California at Irvine. Puerto Rico, for example, so far has had a higher case rate and double the death rate of Hawaii.Hawaii hasnt been completely spared. Cases spiked in August and again around the holidays, but the overall number of deaths during the pandemic, regardless of cause, has been close to normal.Thats a blessing for a state with limited health-care infrastructure at 219 ICU beds, its tied with Vermont for fewest per capita, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. It would be easy for a hot spot to drive up Hawaiis death toll, which is under 500.Its year-round warm weather helped keep Hawaiians in open spaces where the virus cant spread as easily. But residents also followed public-health guidance to an exceptional degree. Hawaiians reduced mobility the third most in the U.S. after Massachusetts and New York. And the state health department estimates that 79% wear masks correctly.As the pandemic unfolded, forecasting models attempted to harness information on government policies and mobile-phone data to understand the patterns of our unpredictable society. But one of the best focused on the metric that mattered most: deaths.Youyang Gu, a 27-year-old Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate with no formal epidemiology training, used his background in high-frequency trading systems to develop a model so narrow and accurate that it consistently beat the pros. For Gu, the best way to anticipate the virus was to abandon the idea that we understand it.The pandemic is unpredictable, Gu said. Theres only so much you can predict, and, for the most part, people have been more wrong than right.Simpler models performed best when projecting deaths, while complex ones often lagged, according to a paper by the COVID-19 Forecast Hub, a project by the University of Massachusetts Amhersts Reich Lab.The reason is unclear. Understanding of the virus may still be too poor; some models may have been badly constructed; or data was insufficient.Different models performed well at different tasks. For the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, one of the best calls was California. Most of the public was surprised by its November and December surge, but IHME called it by using the same measure that explains why DeSantiss Florida success story isnt as impressive as he suggests.Californias age-adjusted flu and influenza deaths are typically about 57% higher than Floridas, and it seems to get hit every year around October and November. A COVID surge in that time frame was predictable, said IHMEs Mokdad.Its not fair to compare California to Texas or Florida, he said. The deck of cards worked against it. In an innovative example of sophisticated defence technology being directly adapted to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) developed for the Tejas light combat aircraft has been translated into a civilian-use oxygen generation plant that can produce 1,000 litres of oxygen every minute. Defence Minister (pictured) was briefed on Tuesday on this innovation by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The technology has been transferred to the private industry and the Uttar Pradesh government has already placed an order for five such plants, according to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) statement on Tuesday. Chairman Satheesh Reddy informed the defence ministry that more plants can be supplied by the industry to cater to the burgeoning hospital requirements. The defence minister, in an unusual emergency move, suggested that the military utilise the services of vaccinated retired armed forces personnel to assist the civil administration /state governments to deal with the current situation, stated the MoD. ALSO READ: Lockdown must be the last resort, says Modi as India grapples with Covid-19 Reddy offered that a supplemental oxygen delivery system that the had developed for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas could be used for Covid-19 patients as their medical conditions were similar in both cases. The expects the product, which is based on SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation), to be available in the market soon. Reddy also informed Rajnath that the DRDO has restarted a Covid-19 facility in New Delhi and efforts are being made to soon double the number of beds from 250 to 500. Reddy said that the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in Patna had been converted to a Covid-19 hospital and it had started functioning with 500 beds. The DRDO chief said that his organisation was working on a war footing to operationalise a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad. Singh was holding the virtual meeting to review the readiness of the MoD and the military to deal with the sharp spike in Covid-19 cases across the country. He urged MoD establishments, including defence public sector undertakings, the ordnance factory board and the DRDO to work on war footing to provide oxygen cylinders and extra beds to civil administration/state governments at the earliest, according to an MoD statement. He called upon the three services to be in close contact with state governments and to be ready to provide assistance. Singh has also delegated to the military emergency powers of procurement for critical needs. The DRDO is on a major drive to hand over workable technologies including for tackling Covid-19, but also regular weaponry and equipment to private industry for production. On August 24, 2020, the MoD announced that the DRDO had identified 108 defence systems and subsystems for industry to design, develop and manufacture towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat. DRDO technologies can be transferred to an industry base that consists of 1,800 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), along with big industry in both private and public sectors. It has taken to involving Indian industry as development-cum-production partners (DcPP), offering its technology to industry at nominal cost and providing free access to its patents, an MoD release had stated last year on August 24. Students streamed out of schools across Minnesota on Monday afternoon to protest racial injustice, in a coordinated action that coincided with closing arguments in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with killing George Floyd. At 1:47 p.m., students held a moment of silence for Daunte Wright, a 20-year old Black man who was fatally shot last week by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minn., about 10 miles from the courthouse where Mr. Chauvin is on trial. The walkout was organized by Minnesota Teen Activists, a group created in response to racial incidents in schools and the killing of George Floyd. Gabby Hou, a sophomore at Champlin Park High School in Brooklyn Park and a founder of the group, said students from at least 118 schools participated in the walkout on Monday. A crowd of students, mostly from high schools, gathered outside the U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis as snow fell; The Minneapolis Star Tribune estimated their number at about 250. At Champlin Park High, hundreds of students chanted This is what community looks like! and marched around the schools track carrying signs, Ms. Hou said, adding, You could feel the energy. The exemption also applies to travelers from four non-EU member states in the so-called Schengen zone: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Xinhua news agency reported. Athens, April 20 (IANS) Greece has lifted the self-quarantine requirement for travellers arriving in the country from the European Union (EU), the UK, the US, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Israel, Greece's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Monday. Until now, all travelers arriving in Greece from abroad had been obliged to present a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) coronavirus test taken up to 72 hours before arrival and had to self-quarantine at home or at the place listed on the Passenger Locator Form for seven days, the Greek national news agency AMNA noted. Under the new rules, which entered into force on Monday, all travelers arriving from the countries listed above must either have a certificate in English issued by the relevant authority in their country of departure that they had completed vaccination at least 14 days before arrival or had a negative result in a PCR test performed within 72 hours of their arrival. Greece is preparing to reopen the country to tourism on May 14, the government had announced earlier this spring. Ahead of the official restart, under a pilot scheme, Greece has started welcoming in recent weeks small groups of tourists, who still had to observe the lockdown restrictions. Since November 7, 2020, Greece has been in a nationwide lockdown, which it now prepares to gradually ease. However, the night-time curfew is still in force, and museums, theaters, restaurants and cafes remain closed. The use of face masks is mandatory both indoors and outdoors. Until April 26, most restrictions on domestic and foreign flights remain in force. Only essential travel (for health or professional reasons, reunion of families and return to primary residence) is permitted, according to the CAA's e-mailed press statement. On Monday, Greece's National Public Health Organization (EODY) registered 1,607 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, bringing to 316,879 the number of confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic. Of the cases confirmed in the past seven days, 59 were related to travel from abroad, according to the EODY. The past 24 hours saw 78 COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 9,540. Currently, a record 847 patients are intubated across the country. To date, about 2.5 million vaccine doses have been administered, with over 770,000 people having received both doses, according to the latest official figures released by Greek authorities on Monday. --IANS int/pgh Unprecedented crackdowns on reporters covering protests in Belarus and the obstruction of reporting on the war over Nagorno-Karabakh were among the factors that kept Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the bottom of the 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). But the Paris-based media freedom watchdog said of all the somber developments in its latest ranking, released on April 20, the most disturbing for the future of press freedom in the region was the evolution in Russia, which the watchdog said followed a political model involving ever greater repression of independent journalists and media. Russian police have never cracked down so extensively and systematically on journalists as they did in their efforts to prevent coverage of protests in support of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, RSF said. Navalny is now in the third week of a hunger strike in a Russian prison as his anti-corruption foundation calls on Russians to take part in another round of demonstrations backing him later this week. Independent media in Russia, which fell one spot to 150 in the ranking of 180 countries, also fought for months to report the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic and to combat the governments claims and erroneous figures. RSF noted that there was a contagious desire to control information to varying degrees across all of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Following the Russian model, other governments used the need to combat disinformation about COVID-19 as grounds for imposing additional curbs on press freedom, RSF said. This included Tajikistan, which fell one position to 162, where any false or inaccurate information about serious infectious diseases appearing in the media became punishable by a fine of up to twice the minimum monthly wage or 15 days in prison, RSF said. The aim was clearly to make journalists self-censor any information about the pandemic that did not come from official sources, RSF said. Of the other Central Asian republics, only Kyrgyzstans ranking at 79 was in the top half. Kazakhstan improved two positions to 155; Uzbekistan fell one position to 157; and Turkmenistan improved two slots to 178, outranking only two other totalitarian countries: North Korea and Eritrea. RSF also spotlighted Belarus, which slipped five positions to 158, noting that journalists working for independent media in the country were targeted by the police following the contested presidential election in August 2020. An unprecedented wave of protests has gripped Belarus since authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka was declared the winner of the vote, which the opposition says was rigged and which the West does not recognize as legitimate. RSF said journalists working in the country faced censorship, mass arrests, harassment, and violence, and authorities have begun raising the stakes by bringing more serious charges against them and subjecting them to sham trials. In addition, the Internet was completely inaccessible for three days after the election and then intermittently in the following months, RSF said. Internet shutdowns also hampered the work of journalists in Azerbaijan during the war with Armenia over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, during which at least seven journalists were injured and reporting was obstructed, RSF said. Azerbaijan improved one position in the ranking to 167, while Armenia fell in the ranking two slots to 63. The overall ranking placed Norway at the top for the fifth year in a row. Finland held second place, while Sweden moved up one to third and Denmark moved down one to fourth. RSF also expressed dismay that only 12 of the Indexs 180 countries can claim to offer a favorable environment for journalism. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future Published a Half Cooked Research Global Fluorosurfactants Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023 - Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast up to 2023. The Chemours Company (U.S.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), The 3M Company (U.S.), Merck KGaA (Germany), OMNOVA Solutions Inc. (U.S.), Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. (Japan), Tyco International Plc. (Ireland), DIC Corporation (Japan), Advanced Polymers, Inc. (U.S.), Innovative Chemical Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), and Pilot Chemical Company (U.S.). among others are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the global Fluorosurfactants Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Fluorosurfactants Market Market Overview: Fluorosurfactants are a lucrative market and is expected to have a steady growth during the forecast years. Fluorosurfactants also known as fluorinated surfactants or PFA are synthetic chemical compounds that consists of multiple fluorine atoms. Fluorosurfactants are mainly used to lower the surface tension of water. They are also used in emulsion polymerization process to produce fluoropolymers. The growing demand from the end user industries are the major factors driving the global fluorosurfactants market. The advantages such as wettability, permeability, better levelling techniques and particle dispersion makes them suitable for the use in end user industries such as building and construction and oil and gas among others. On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into nonionic, anionic, amphoteric and cationic. On the basis of application the market is further segmented into paints and coatings, specialty detergents, oil field & mining and others. The anionic segment is the largest segment and is expected to show the same trend during the forecast years. This growth is attributed to the excellent properties such as wettability and permeability. Moreover, the growing application of anionic fluorosurfactants in the paints and coatings and specialty detergents is further adding to the market growth. On the basis of application the paints and coatings segment is expected to exhibit highest growth during the forecast years. The excellent levelling and wetting properties has augmented its demand in paints and coatings industry. Moreover, the burgeoning demand of paints and coatings in the developing regions throughout the globe is also contributing to the growth of the segment. According to the analysis of MRFR, the major market forces and trends driving growth of the global fluorosurfactants market includes growth of paints and coatings and the burgeoning growth in the oil and gas industry. Moreover, the increasing personal disposable income in the developing economies throughout the globe has augmented the construction activities hence, propelling the demand for fluorosurfactants in the paints and coatings industry. Furthermore, the growing application in specialty detergents owing to the ability of fluorosurfactants to improve the efficiency of cleaners is also adding to the market growth. Access Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/fluorosurfactant-market-2959 Fluorosurfactants Market- Competitive Landscape: The global Fluorosurfactants Market is a highly lucrative market driven by flourishing growth in packaging and petrochemical industry, along with the propelling textile industry. The Chemours Company (U.S.), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), The 3M Company (U.S.), Merck KGaA (Germany), and OMNOVA Solutions Inc. (U.S.) among others are some of the major players operating in this market. Most of these market participants are adopting the expansion, product launch, and merger and acquisition tactics to strengthen their production capacities and market position. Taking account of these trends the global Fluorosurfactants Market is projected to witness considerable competition over the forecast period of 2017-2023. Asia pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region during the forecast years. The increasing Globalization and urbanization in the developing economies of the region has propelled the construction of residential and commercial infrastructure which is a dominant factor for the demand for fluorosurfactants in the paint and coatings in the region. Moreover, the lenient government regulations has resulted in the shifting of the fluorosurfactants market towards the developing economies of Asia pacific, in turn contributing positively to the market growth. Furthermore, the growing energy demand is also adding to the application of fluorosurfactants in oil field which is also adding substantially to the market. Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: 22 February, 2016- DIC added a new development to the existing product portfolio of pyrolytic fluorosurfactants. The new product MEGAFACE DS is expected to provide enhanced levelling and wetting properties. The product is anticipated to be highly applicable in the production of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) thereby adding to the existing consumer base. Opinion Article 20 April 2021 It's in human nature to become defensive every time that we feel threatened. Evolutionarily, this strategy has had a positive outcome for us because we have survived and prospered. However, in the context of doing business, playing safe and not considering the changes occurring in the ecosystem where you are operating has not always resulted in success, especially nowadays when disruptive innovations transform the world and the way we live. The last eleven months showed us that even if we plan everything to anticipate and avoid the potential risks, we are vulnerable to external factors such as the pandemic Covid 19. Many people responded to this situation by canceling their plans, increasing their savings, and avoiding other risks they anticipated. However, on the other hand, another type of people saw and seized development possibilities instead of getting caught in fear. These entrepreneurs can be considered as a special breed who see opportunities where others are blinded by roadblocks. If you are thinking of starting a business in 2021, you belong to the second category. Congratulations! If you have decided to form a company in Switzerland, you made a great choice. Many people decide to start a business in Switzerland, and there are many good reasons to do that. First of all, Switzerland is a lovely country to settle down in and has a very high standard of living. When it comes to the startup ecosystem, despite having a small territory compared to its neighbors, it is a very well-connected country, and companies can easily reach out to people and obtain monetary funds. Furthermore, Switzerland's education system belongs to the best in the world. Thus, companies have access to an extensive pool of talents. At this point, we shall stress that the Swiss banking sector is very developed and innovative. Even the Federal government has several programs which support innovation and research projects. Besides the Federal government, several startup incubators and investment & innovation promotion agencies offer various support programs. The high standard of living makes customers less price-sensitive and more quality-oriented. This attitude makes them less reserved about trying out new things, and entrepreneurs can easily take advantage of this and test their business ideas on the market. These are only a few of the reasons why Switzerland constitutes one of the world's largest startup hubs. Of course, the Covid 19 situation has also negatively affected the Swiss economy. Experts project the economy to shrink up to 6%, which is the largest since the seventies. Nevertheless, it's worth mentioning that the Swiss economy has better endured the Covid impact than most developed countries. The government offered the guarantee funds to banks to support the companies affected by Covid 19, which enabled most of them to avoid bankruptcy. They also did not close down the economy as lots of the other countries did. At the end of 2020, even the Swiss lockdown decisions did not stop Swiss entrepreneurs from starting their business and setting up their own company. Forty-seven thousand new companies were formed in 2020, which is 5% more than the previous year. Thus, 2020 is the year with the highest company formation in Switzerland despite Covid 19 situation. Indeed, forming a company in Switzerland is very easy due to its favorable legislation and few administrative requirements. Here is a more detailed guide on how to form your company in Switzerland, read on for an overview of the key steps any entrepreneur must take to start a business in 2021: 1st step: Do your research and prepare the Business plan You need to know if people will be interested in your company's products or services. Your business plan will therefore be a pivotal element to the success of your company. Through it, you are going to be better prepared to join the market. You need to understand who your target market is and how intense competition is on your target. Your business plan will indicate which business model to implement, what range of price to set for your product or service, and how to approach your clients, notably through which media. In general, a business plan contains the following points: Market flaw and weakness. What is the market's weakness or an issue that needs resolution? For example, busy entrepreneurs want the convenience of a fast, efficient and inexpensive company formation service. Still, the current options are slow, very standardized, not transparent enough, and not tailored to meet the special consulting needs of startups. What is the market's weakness or an issue that needs resolution? For example, busy entrepreneurs want the convenience of a fast, efficient and inexpensive company formation service. Still, the current options are slow, very standardized, not transparent enough, and not tailored to meet the special consulting needs of startups. What solution are you going to offer to resolve the problem? For example, using the latest technology, NewCo has built an online platform that enables entrepreneurs to start the formation of their company by filling a simple form in only a couple of minutes, whereas the remaining steps of the procedure are entirely taken care of by NewCo. Products and services. What products and services are you going to sell? The products and services need to be detailed precisely. What products and services are you going to sell? The products and services need to be detailed precisely. Target Market. Who are you targeting? The chosen group of customers is going to be the main focus of the company. If you have more than one product or service) you will have to explain each group's characteristics and which product or service is more suitable for them, and why. By conducting a market analysis, you will better understand your customers and achieve business success more rapidly. Who are you targeting? The chosen group of customers is going to be the main focus of the company. If you have more than one product or service) you will have to explain each group's characteristics and which product or service is more suitable for them, and why. By conducting a market analysis, you will better understand your customers and achieve business success more rapidly. Who will you compete with in the target market? Knowing your competition is a must for every business, especially for startups. In this section, you need to describe your competitors and analyze their strategies. What do they offer, what are their most vital points and their weakest ones? Based on this, you will be able to assess better the market's opportunities and threats on which you are going to operate. Marketing and sales. How are you going to approach your clients? The marketing methods you are going to use to make your business visible to your customers are crucial to your business's success. In this section, you will notably describe your methods to generate leads and convert them into clients. How are you going to approach your clients? The marketing methods you are going to use to make your business visible to your customers are crucial to your business's success. In this section, you will notably describe your methods to generate leads and convert them into clients. Financial plan. What incomes and benefits are you aiming and what expenses will it generate? The numbers which you present on your financial forecast need to Concorde with the assumptions resulting from your market research, which are to be as realistic as possible. Presenting data based on a too optimistic scenario may compromise your entire business plan in front of possible investors, for example. Besides, it can also affect the decision-making once you become operative and compare your actual result with the projected one. 2nd step: Choose a company name While picking your company's name, you should verify if the name you would like to assign is already registered in the Swiss Commercial Register and therefore taken. You can check if the name is already used on zefix.ch. Verifications regarding brand names are to be made in the Trademark Register on swissreg.ch. 3rd step: Choose a legal form After you think through your company idea and believe it will be successful, you need to pick your business's proper structure. In Switzerland, you can choose between several types of business structures. Some of the most popular types are the following: 1. Limited liability company (LLC/Ltd./GmbH/Sarl) An LLC or Ltd. is a combination of a PLC (Inc.) and a general partnership. The LLC represents the second-largest business category in Switzerland, after sole proprietorships and PLC. The initial capital needed to form an LLC in Switzerland is relatively low: CHF 20,000. This legal form does not impose any personal responsibility on the shareholders for the company's debts. Furthermore, an LLC can be transformed into a PLC without liquidation. Anonymity is, however, not guaranteed. Shareholders are mandatorily subscribed in the Commercial Register, whereas fiduciary detention remains possible. 2. Public limited company or Incorporation (PLC/Inc./AG/SA) PLC is one of the most common legal forms in Switzerland. It's a perfect choice for small companies with private ownership as shareholders remain anonymous. It is often used in a situation when a general partnership requires extending the base of financing. In Switzerland, the minimum capital to set up a PLC is significantly high: CHF 100,000. This legal structure does not impose any personal responsibility on the shareholders for the company's debts. 3. Sole Proprietorship (Einzelfirma/Entreprise individuelle) The entrepreneur owns the company alone. The profits and losses are not shared with anyone else. This type of company is the most common for trade, commerce, or manufacturing. A person can start a Sole Proprietorship at any time. It does not require any initial capital investment like LLC (GmbH/Sarl) or PLC (AG/SA). It offers its owner higher independence because he can take all the decisions on his own because there is no other owner to dictate the company's strategy. 4th step: Form your company According to Swiss law, at least one member of the board of directors must be authorized to represent the company and therefore be domiciled in Switzerland. Once you solve this issue, you are ready to form your company. Setting up a sole proprietorship or a general partnership: nothing complicated. All you have to do is apply for registration in the Commercial Register of the canton where the company's headquarters are located. However, for an LLC (GmbH/Sarl) or a PLC (AG/SA) you have to go through a notary. The notary has to prepare the articles of association, the deed of association, and the registration request. He will be responsible for registering the company in the Commercial Register. To do this the first step is to find a notary or to use a platform like NewCo. In a few minutes, you will have completed the necessary information from home. Then lawyers will accompany you throughout the incorporation procedure. You will also have to open a deposit account with a bank to deposit the company's capital. This capital will be paid up as soon as the company is registered in the Commercial Register and you can use it to pay expenses, salaries, etc. You will then also have to register your company with social or compulsory insurance and with the VAT if necessary. 5th step: Keep the account of your company Bookkeeping of your company is one of the operations you can't avoid after setting up your company. Firstly, because it is a legal obligation required, and secondly, because it's crucial for management. The majority of business decisions are based on financial data. Therefore keeping accurate data is a must. Accounting information must be correctly recorded because the stakes are high. Besides, making wrong decisions can also have financial consequences as penalties from tax authorities. Hence, if you are not confident with accounting, you should consider hiring an accountant or outsource it to a specialized fiduciary. It's essential to know that if your company exceeds the turnover of CHF 100'000.- per year, you must register it to the VAT authorities and declare quarterly or half-yearly accounts. At the end of each fiscal year, you need to draw up your financial statements (balance sheet and profit and loss statement) and declare them to tax authorities. Your corporate profit tax will be calculated based on them. Final word: outlook for the future... To conclude, 2020 was a turbulent year due to a pandemic situation. The pandemic has negatively affected the global economy. Consequently, it also influenced startups because of investors' and banks' funding sources and their rearranged priorities. Many expansion and investment plans were distorted. Despite the disorder, confusion, and many uncertainties since March 2020, many entrepreneurs got through with starting their business and forming their own company. They did not allow Covid 19 to hold back their business project. They worked hard to achieve what others were afraid to even think about, launching their idea into the market during a pandemic. Switzerland was one of the best examples of this, where during the pandemic, it broke a record of company formation. This number reconfirmed the status of Switzerland as one of the largest startup hubs in the world. 2021 looks brighter. The economy will be able to recover faster to pre-pandemic figures as Covid 19 vaccines have finally been developed. The Swiss Federal Government has already started to ease the lockdown decision and open the economy gradually. So now is the perfect time to set up your company. Ready to get started? If you are looking for help to start your business and form your own company in Switzerland, you are at the right place. NewCo is your best partner. We will assist you all the way to allow you to form a thriving company in this business-friendly country. SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nurses with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and community members will speak out during a rally on Thursday, April 22 about the impact of Trinity Health's sale of Providence Behavioral Health Hospital to the for-profit company Health Partners New England on the quality of patient care and working conditions, as well as community access to mental healthcare. Speak Out Rally Details When: Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Where: Outside Providence Hospital at 1233 Main St. in Holyoke. Who: Nurses, elected officials, community and patient family members. How: Attendees will don masks and maintain responsible social distances as they rally and share their concerns and experiences. Trinity, which also owns Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, sold Providence Hospital to Health Partners New England in February. The sale impacted approximately 40 nurses represented by the MNA and 60 members of United Auto Workers Local 2322. Nurses have expressed concerns about the quality and safety of working and patient care conditions under a new, for-profit owner. Health Partners New England has refused to honor the nurses' union contract and does not have the same obligation to provide equal access to care to all patients as a non-profit organization. "This takeover of Providence Hospital by a for-profit company raises serious concerns about mental healthcare access and patient care quality in our community," said Marilyn Hernandez, RN, MNA Co-Chair at PBHH and Holyoke resident. "We are worried patients will be turned away because they are not profitable for the company. We also fear that without union protection staff will not feel safe speaking up when they see patient or workplace safety problems." Among the questions nurses and others have raised: How will changing from a non-profit owning Providence to a for-profit affect the ability of all behavioral health patients in the region to access the specialized care they need? to a for-profit affect the ability of all behavioral health patients in the region to access the specialized care they need? What does this mean for admissions of patients who use Medicare or Medicaid or who do not have insurance? How will losing union protection to speak up affect workers' ability to ensure patient and staff safety? How will patient care quality be affected by a company driven by its bottom line rather than a mission to provide the best possible care to all members of the community? Health Partners New England said it expects an incentive from the state worth millions of dollars (up to $150,000 per bed). What role did the state have in facilitating this sale and what was the timing, especially considering Trinity Health closed 74 child and adult mental health beds less than one year ago, citing a lack of available psychiatrists and a drop in census. MNA nurses and others disputed those assertions during a DPH hearing on the closure. The DPH later deemed the beds an essential service but they closed anyway. MassNurses.org Facebook.com/MassNurses Twitter.com/MassNurses Instagram.com/MassNurses Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association Related Links http://www.massnurses.org After various incidents of violence in the first four phases of voting in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India ordered the election campaign to end 72 hours before the fifth phase of polling. This order of bringing the campaign to an end, 24 earlier than the mandated 48 hours is an indication of EC not being in full command. The EC tried to send out a message of being tough by putting a 24-hour ban on Mamata Banerjees campaign and another 48-hour bar on that by BJP leader Rahul Sinha, and issuing notices to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. These steps are welcome, but it cant possibly evade the question why in spite of an eight-phase election, on grounds that it was necessary so that polling took place in a free and fair manner, has it not been able to curb violence in the earlier phases that resulted in the death of a few people? The multi-phase election and few days of gap between different phases is aimed at facilitating movement of security forces from one location/district to another as an adequate number of forces are needed to be deployed at each polling booth for a free and fair election. But visuals from the ground especially at booths where violent incident took place clearly indicated that though security forces were deployed inside the polling booths, they were hardly seen outside them. It is a well-known fact that violence mostly take place outside the polling booth and hardly inside. The question that the EC actually needs to answer is this, was planning an eight-phase poll spread over a month, and during a pandemic too boot, wrong, after all? While there are advantages to holding a phased election, were there also challenges that it failed to take into account? Equally, was not deploying security forces outside polling stations in spite of visible signs of tension in many villages due to shortage? It so happened that more than 1,000 companies of central forces were deployed in West Bengal at the time. As noted above, the huge gap between the different phases of polling in the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election was kept to facilitate comfortable movement of security forces between locations. The EC did the right thing following this protocol. However, it failed to assess that these days could also be used by anti-social elements for movement from one place to another. Thus, questions should also be asked for the rationale behind the eight-phase election. Why could the election not be planned over fewer phases? Even though there is no data on the number of violent incidents in different phases, there is a general sense that violent incidents have increased in the later phases of the election compared to the earlier phases of voting. As we have noted before, a multiple-phase election does help in movement of security forces ultimately resulting in deployment of an adequate number at each polling station, but at the same time, spread over a month, it provides an opportunity for escalating violence, as workers of different parties fighting against each other get time to settle scores, right from one phase on to the next. Election in one phase could minimise this possibility, as they would not otherwise get the opportunity to organise themselves. Whatever violence takes place would then only be spontaneous. There may be some other disadvantages, but a single-day polling can certainly help in reducing the duration of tension between party workers. A multi-phase election results in a very long period of election campaign. The campaign comes to an end 48 hours before the polling only in those constituencies where voting is scheduled to take place. There is no restriction on campaigning in constituencies where voting is scheduled at a later date. It has now almost become a rule that senior leaders of political parties will address rallies in constituencies where voting is to take place on a later date on the same day that voting is in progress in some other constituency. It has also become customary for these leaders to accuse leaders of their rival parties of their involvement in violent incidents in their speeches delivered during these rallies. This only raises the tempers of party workers that at times trigger violence in the said constituency on the voting day. A single-phase election or polling over fewer phases will certainly restrict the campaign period that will only help in keeping the political temperatures down, ultimately leading to less violence on the polling day. Elections are due to be held in many states next year, Uttar Pradesh being a large one. Possibly, EC would think about a phased election. While so doing, it should keep the West Bengal lesson in mind. NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against SOS Limited ("SOS" or the "Company") (NYSE: SOS), and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States ("U.S.") District Court for the District of New Jersey, and docketed under 21-cv-07454, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired SOS American depository shares ("ADSs") between July 22, 2020 and February 25, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased SOS ADSs during the Class Period, you have until May 31, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] SOS is a technology company that purportedly provides marketing data, technology, and solutions for emergency rescue services. When the Company went public in April 2017, it was known as "China Rapid Finance Limited" and claimed to focus on a peer-to-peer, micro-lending business. The Company later changed its name to "SOS Limited" in July 2020 and sold its peer-to-peer, micro-lending business in August 2020, rebranding itself into an emergency services business. In January 2021, the Company again shifted its business focus, this time to cryptocurrency mining. Critical to SOS's purportedly successful transition into a cryptocurrency mining business were the Company's claims to have entered into an agreement with HY International Group New York Inc. ("HY"), which calls itself the "world's largest mining machine matchmaker," to acquire 15,645 mining rigsi.e., personal computing machines built specifically for cryptocurrency miningfor $20 million, and the Company's plans to purchase FXK Technology Corporation ("FXK"), a purported Canadian cryptocurrency technology firm. In addition to rapidly changing its business focus, SOS has also rapidly changed the location of its headquarters. According to the Company's SEC filings, the address of the Company's principal executive offices has changed no less than five times since the Company went public in April 2017. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) SOS had misrepresented the true nature, location, and/or existence of at least one of the principal executive offices listed in its SEC filings; (ii) HY and FXK were either undisclosed related parties and/or entities fabricated by the Company; (iii) the Company had misrepresented the type and/or existence of the mining rigs that it claimed to have purchased; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On February 26, 2021, Hindenburg Research ("Hindenburg") and Culper Research ("Culper") released commentary on SOS, claiming that the Company was an intricate "pump and dump" scheme that used fake addresses and doctored photos of crypto mining rigs to create an illusion of success. The analysts noted, for example, that SOS's SEC filings listed a hotel room as the Company's headquarters. The analysts also questioned whether SOS had actually purchased mining rigs that it claimed to own, as the entity from which SOS purportedly bought the mining rigs appeared to be a fake shell company. The analysts further alleged that the photos SOS had published of their purported "mining rigs" were phony. Culper noted that photographs of SOS's "miners" did not depict the A10 Pro machines that the Company claimed to own and instead appeared to show different devices altogether. Hindenburg, for its part, found that the original images from SOS's website actually belonged to another company. On this news, SOS's American depositary share ("ADS") price fell $1.27 per share, or 21.03%, to close at $4.77 per ADS on February 26, 2021. After the end of the Class Period, between February 27 and March 3, 2021, Hindenburg subsequently provided additional information on SOS that further supported its earlier allegations, including pictures, highlighting, inter alia, how SOS had allegedly taken steps to hide the misconduct noted in the February 26, 2021 corrective disclosures. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com The first in-person meeting of G7 foreign ministers since April 2019 will be held in London between May 3-5 under strict COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, the UK Foreign Minister, Dominic Raab, told Parliament on Tuesday LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) The first in-person meeting of G7 foreign ministers since April 2019 will be held in London between May 3-5 under strict COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, the UK Foreign Minister, Dominic Raab, told Parliament on Tuesday. "The meeting of G7 Foreign and Development Ministers next month is an opportunity to show how the world's biggest democracies work together to ensure equitable access to vaccines, build back better from the pandemic, support girls in the poorest countries get a good quality education and agree ambitious action to tackle climate change," Raab said. According to the foreign secretary, organizers will put strict COVID-19-secure measures in place, including daily testing to ensure the health and wellbeing of all staff, attendees, and the public. Operation Eiche, when Mussolini was rescued by the Nazis. On the 25th of July, 1943, Italian Fascist dictatorMussolinis arrest brought an end to 21 years of Fascist rule in the country. Although he had once brought hope and prosperity to the Kingdom of Italy, years of war had demoralized the population and Italy was on the brink of defeat. In December of 1942, Italys African front had collapsed and Allied forces moved into North Africa, leaving Italy vulnerable to invasion. Italian forces had also suffered massive casualties on the Eastern front, as the Soviet Union grew increasingly confident as they moved west. Then, on July 10th, Allied forces landed in Sicily. Though the Italians were expecting an invasion on the island, their forces were quickly overwhelmed, with many simply surrendering without a fight. Nine days later, on the 19th of July, Allied bombers appeared over Rome. The bombers flattened the working-class neighborhood of San Lorenzo (photo below), damaged two of Rome's airports, and caused extensive damage to the ancient Basilica of Saint Lawrence. For the Italians, this was the final straw. Parallel plots led by Count Dino Grandi and King Victor Emmanuel III would result in the fascist dictator's arrest. Unlike in Germany, where Hitler ruled with an iron fist, Italy was still a monarchy, meaning the king and a council could remove Mussolini from office if they desired. A vote of no confidence was successfully passed at a meeting of the Grand Council of Fascism on the 24-25 of July 1943. Mussolini was subsequently placed under arrest, and a new government was installed with Marshall Pietro Badoglio taking his place. In Germany, Hitler was shocked. Watching his fellow dictator be betrayed by his own party made him fearful that he could suffer the same fate. He was also fearful that Italy may now be hostile territory for the troops that he had sent south to assist the Italians. His only option was to free Mussolini and reinstall him as leader of the country. Otto Skorzeny Hitler would employ a commonly used tactic amongst the Nazis to find and free Mussolini. He assigned the task of freeing the Italian dictator to rival military factions to create competition and increase the likelihood that the mission would be a success. The two that he assigned were Hauptsturmfurher Otto Skorzeny (in the photo) to track Mussolinis location, while simultaneously ordering paratroop General Kurt Student to execute the liberation. Born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary in 1908, Otto Skorzeny originally had aspirations of becoming a pilot in the Luftwaffeafter the invasion of Poland in 1939. However, at the age of 31, he was deemed to be too old, and standing at 1.92 meters (6ft 4in), too tall as well. He, therefore, joined Hitler's bodyguard regiment, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Skorzeny was not only recognizable by his height, but also by the massive "dueling scar" that ran down his left cheek, a common mark of prestige among the Nazis. Skorzeny would take part in the invasion of the Soviet Union and saw extensive action on the Eastern Front. He played an important role in the German's attempt to take Moscow, which they ultimately failed to do. Then, in December of 1942, Skorzeny was hit in the back of the head by a piece of shrapnel and was evacuated to the rear. He was awarded the Iron Cross and given a staff role in Berlin while he recuperated from his injuries. It was during his recovery that he began developing ideas for unconventional commando warfare. Skorzeny proposed developing specialized units that would take part in these commando missions. Their tasks would include partisan-like fighting deep behind enemy lines, fighting in enemy uniform, and sabotage attacks to name a few. In April of 1943, Skorzeny got his chance as his name was put forward by the new head of the(RSHA) Ernst Kaltenbrunner. He subsequently met with Walter Schellenberg, head of the RSHAs SS foreign intelligence service department, who put him in command of the schools designed to train units in sabotage, espionage, and paramilitary techniques. Skorzeny was made commander of the recently created special forces unit the Waffen SS Jagdverband 502. The unit's first mission involved parachuting into Iran to make contact with dissident mountain tribes and convince them to sabotage Allied supplies being sent to the Soviet Union along the Trans-Iranian Railway. However, the operation was deemed a failure as the commitment of the tribesmen was suspect. Liberation of Mussolini Suspecting that the Germans would attempt to free Mussolini, the Italians moved him to various locations to through them off his scent. He was first kept on the island of Ponza and then on La Maddalena in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Skorzeny almost attempted a rescue operation here but deemed the location to be too risky. Then, after intercepting a coded Italian radio message, Skorzeny used reconnaissance from agents and informants of SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Herbert Kappler and determined that Mussolini was being held at Hotel Campo Imperatore in Gran Sasso, high in the Apennine Mountains, in Abruzzo. The hotel was accessible only by a cable car and was defended by 200 Carabinieri troops. Skorzeny worked closely with Germanys paratroops, the, in planning the rescue operation. The first option that was considered was a parachute attack, but this was ruled out when it was determined that the air would be too thin for parachutes at such a high altitude. After looking at reconnaissance photos of the location, Skorzeny noticed what looked to be a large flat area next to the hotel that would be ideal for a glider landing. It was also imperative that the base of the cable car at the foot of the mountain be captured, to prevent any interference from the Italians during the rescue operation. This task would be carried out by two paratroop units led by Major Harald Mors. Once the cable car was taken, Mors and some of his men would travel up the mountain to assist the assault team. The glider operation involved ten DFS 230 gliders, which would be towed by Henschel Hs 126 planes. Each glider would carry a pilot along with nine men. At around 13:00 that day, the glider operation commenced as they departed from the Practica di Mare Air Base near Rome. Oberleutnant Georg Freiherr von Berlepsch, the leader of the airborne operation, entered the first glider, while Skorzeny and his men entered the fourth and fifth. In an attempt to gain height while flying over the Alban Hills, the leading three glider-towing planes flew an additional loop. However, the rest of the planes didn't think this was necessary and as a result, Skorzeny's glider would arrive first to the target. Meanwhile, at 14:00, Major Harald Mors captured the cable car station leading to the hotel. Mors also made sure to, ensuring there would be no interference from the Italians. Just after, at 14:05, the ten gliders landed on the mountain near the hotel, with one crashing and injuring all ten men on board. Skorzeny and his commandos along with the paratroops overwhelmed the 200 Carabinieri that was guarding Mussolini, not a single shot was fired. Italian African Police force General Fernando Soleti had flown with Skorzeny and ordered all of Mussolini's guards to stand down. After just ten minutes, Mussolini left the hotel accompanied by the German soldiers. General Mors arrived at 14:45 via the cable car and introduced himself to Mussolini. Mussolini's way off of the mountain would be in a Fieseler Fi 156 STOL plane. Even though, Skorzeny insisted on accompanying Mussolini. Skorzeny knew that if anything happened to the Italian dictator, he would have to pay with his life. The addition of a third person in the small plane meant that it was dangerously overloaded, but if Skorzeny was going to die, he preferred it was alongside the man he had just daringly rescued. The plane made an extremely dangerous but successful takeoff, in which the plane at one point appeared to plummet into the valley before the pilot managed to get the nose up and fly away. Mussolini was flown to the Pratica di Mare Air Base where he would board another plane and make his way to Vienna . He was then flown to Munich, where on the 14th of September, he was greeted by a delighted Hitler at his Fuhrer Headquarters near Rastenburg known as the Wolf's Lair. Although the operation was the work of General Kurt Student and his paratroops, Skorzeny and the 16 SS commandos who accompanied him received the majority of the credit for Mussolini's rescue. This was in large part thanks to Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler and the propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels who, after a pro-SS propaganda coup, ensured that Skorzeny and his SS Special Forces be considered the heroes of this immensely important operation. Skorzeny was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, solidified his status as the most dangerous man in Europe and even drew praise from Winston Churchill. Mussolini was paraded in front of cameras with the imposing presence of Skorzeny by his side, and the Germans gave the impression that the tide of war had turned back in their favor. The Aftermath Though he was free,When he met with Hitler on the 14th of September, the Fuhrer noticed that his friend had lost a considerable amount of weight while in captivity. He was no longer the imposing figure that he once was. Mussolini knew this as well, the rescue was a hollow victory for him. He was now no more than one of Hitler's puppets, who installed him as the leader of the newly-created Italian Social Republic. In an interview with Madeleine Mollier, who had interviewed Mussolini back in 1938 when Mussolini was at the height of his power, now he knew that his end was drawing near "Seven years ago, I was an interesting person. Now, I am little more than a corpse Yes, madam, I am finished. My star has fallen. I have no fight left in me. I work and I try, yet know that all is but a farce ... I await the end of the tragedy and, strangely detached from everything, I do not feel any more an actor. I feel I am the last of spectators. Then, on the 27 of April 1945, as Allied forces battled their way through Northern Italy, Mussolini along with his mistress and entourage were captured by Italian partisans in the village of Dongo near Lake Como while trying to flee to neutral Switzerland. The next day, he was executed by a firing squad. The body of the once-mightyalong with the bodies of his mistress and several of his supporters, all unceremoniously strung up from the roof of an Esso petrol station in Milan The US ambassador to Russia is to return back home for talks despite earlier refusing to leave Moscow in a row over President Joe Biden's new sanctions on the Kremlin for interfering in the 2020 US presidential election. Russia had 'recommended' that John Sullivan, the US Ambassador, temporarily leave the country amid soaring tensions. Sources told Axios that Sullivan met with top foreign policy official, Yuri Ushakov, who advised that he go back to Washington, DC. But Sullivan had reportedly refused the recommendation. According to the sources, Sullivan said if Russian President Vladimir Putin wants him to leave, then he'll have to force him out. However the US embassy in Moscow announced a U-turn today and said in a statement: 'Ambassador Sullivan is returning to the United States for consultations.' 'I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations between the United States and Russia,' the statement quoted Sullivan as saying. 'Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year, and that is another important reason for me to return home for a visit.' Sullivan said he would return to Moscow 'in the coming weeks', before any meeting between Biden and Putin. Moscow has said it is still studying the summit proposal. The revelation comes just days after Russia responded to a barrage of new US sanctions by saying it would expel 10 US diplomats and take other retaliatory moves in a tense showdown with Washington. The US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan (pictured), is reportedly refusing to leave the country after he was told to return home just days after President Joe Biden's new sanctions Sources said Sullivan met with top foreign policy official, Yuri Ushakov, who advised that he go back to DC. But Sullivan has reportedly refused the recommendation to leave. Pictured is the US Embassy in Moscow, Russia Mr Sullivan's departure comes after Russia on Friday stopped short of asking him to leave the country, but said it 'suggested' that he follows the example of the Russian ambassador to Washington, who was recalled for consultations last month after Mr Biden's description of President Vladimir Putin as a 'killer'. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday also published a list of eight current or former US officials barred from entering the country, including US Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said Moscow will move to shut down those US nongovernment organizations that remain in Russia to end what he described as their meddling in Russia's politics. Russia will also deny the US Embassy the possibility of hiring personnel from Russia and third countries as support staff, limit visits by US diplomats serving short-term stints at the embassy, and tighten requirements for US diplomats' travel in the country. The others banned from entering Russia are Susan Rice, a former UN ambassador and now head of the Domestic Policy Council; John Bolton, who was a national security adviser under former President Donald Trump; James Woolsey, a former CIA director; and Michael Carvajal, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On Thursday, the Biden administration announced sanctions on Russia for interfering in the 2020 US presidential election and involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies - activities Moscow has denied. The US ordered 10 Russian diplomats expelled, targeted dozens of companies and people, and imposed new curbs on Russia's ability to borrow money. While the US wields the power to cripple Russia's economy, Moscow lacks levers to respond in kind, although it could hurt American interests in other ways globally. Lavrov called Washington's move 'absolutely unfriendly and unprovoked,' and he said that while Russia could take 'painful measures' against American business interests in Russia, it wouldn't immediately move to do that and 'save them for future use.' The sources claimed that Sullivan said if Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) wants him to leave, then he'll have to force him out On Thursday, the Biden administration announced sanctions on Russia for interfering in the 2020 US presidential election and involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies - activities Moscow has denied He warned that if Washington further raises the pressure, Russia might ask the US to reduce the number of its embassy and consular staff from about 450 to 300. He said both countries host about 450 diplomats, but that includes some 150 Russians at the UN in New York that he argued shouldn't be included. Russia's economic potential and its global reach are limited compared with the Soviet Union that competed with the US for international influence during the Cold War. Still, Russia's nuclear arsenal and its leverage in many parts of the world make it a power that Washington needs to reckon with. Aware of that, Biden called for de-escalating tensions and held the door open for cooperation with Russia in certain areas. Biden said he told Putin in Tuesday's call that he chose not to impose tougher sanctions for now and proposed to meet in a third country in the summer. Lavrov said Russia had a 'positive attitude' to the summit offer and was analyzing it, but a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry shortly after noted that it 'was being studied in the context of the evolving situation.' The ministry charged that Russia would like to avoid further escalation and engage in a 'calm and professional dialogue,' but has other means to retaliate if Washington tries to crank up the pressure. Fyodor Lukyanov, a leading Moscow-based foreign policy expert, said while the Kremlin's advice to Mr Sullivan to leave for consultations stopped short of expulsion, it reflected Moscow's dismay about the new sanctions. 'If the political contacts have been reduced to zero, and economic ties never were close enough, why have so many people in the embassies?' Mr Lukyanov said in a commentary. He predicted that ties will continue to deteriorate despite Mr Biden's offer to hold a summit. 'During the past Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States at least shared a certain mutual respect and a recognition of each other's political legitimacy, and it's no longer the case,' Mr Lukyanov observed. 'Each party sees the other as heading towards decay and lacking the moral and political right to behave as it does.' While the new US sanctions further limited Russia's ability to borrow money by banning US financial institutions from buying Russian government bonds directly from state institutions, they didn't target the secondary market. 'It's very important that therere no sanctions on secondary debt because that means that non-US persons can buy the debt and sell it to the US persons,' said Tom Adshead, director of research at Macro-Advisory Ltd, an analytics and advisory company. Timothy Frye, a Columbia University political scientist, noted that Biden chose not to target the prospective Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany or go after large Russian state-controlled companies. 'That's part of the broader strategy of using sanctions but also reaching out to the Kremlin to propose talks on strategic stability and eventually on a summit,' he said. Tougher restrictions would also hurt Western businesses, inflict significant economic pain on ordinary Russians and allow Putin to rally anti-US sentiments to shore up his rule. Ramping up sanctions could eventually drive Russia into a corner and provoke even more reckless Kremlin action, leading to a potential escalation in Ukraine, which has seen a surge in clashes with Russia-backed separatists in the east and a massive Russian troop buildup across the border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Paris on Friday to discuss the tensions with French President Emmanuel Macron. After a joint call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the three urged Russia to pull back its troops to de-escalate the situation. Mr Lukyanov predicted Putin would likely accept Biden's invitation to join next week's call on climate change but could drag his feet on the summit offer. 'There is no way to make any deals,' Lukyanov said. 'There is a mutual antipathy and a total lack of trust.' He said the only practical outcome of the summit could be an agreement to launch long and difficult talks on a replacement to the New START nuclear reduction agreement that Russia and the U.S. extended in February for another five years. Lukyanov noted that the growing US pressure will push Russia and China closer in the long run. 'Closer cooperation with China on coordinating actions to contain the United States will develop more quickly now as the Chinese are interested in that,' he said. While Russia lacks tools for a symmetrical answer to the US sanctions, 'it has ample capabilities to stimulate changes in the world order,' he added. Konstantin Kosachev, the Kremlin-connected deputy speaker of the upper house of parliament, said that by imposing sanctions and proposing a summit at the same time, the US sought to take a commanding stance. 'Russia's consent would be interpreted as a reflection of its desire to soften the sanctions, allowing the US to secure a dominant position at the meeting, while our refusal to meet would be a convenient pretext for more punitive measures,' Kosachev wrote on Facebook. He argued that Russia should not rush to accept Biden's summit offer. 'Revenge is a dish best served cold,' Kosachev wrote. 'I believe the saying is quite adaptable to a situation when we talk not about revenge but a due answer to aggressive action by an opponent.' Some predicted the US sanctions could discourage Russia from cooperating with the US on international crises. 'The Russian position will grow tougher on Syria, the Iranian nuclear deal and other issues,' Ivan Timofeev, program director at Russian International Affairs Council, said in a commentary. Instead of acting as a deterrent, he warned, the sanctions would 'only anger Russia and make its policy even tougher'. But despite the soaring tensions, Russia and the US have shared interests in many global hot spots. For example, Moscow fears that instability could spread from Afghanistan to former Soviet republics in Central Asia, and it is interested in a political settlement there. As for Iran, Moscow also doesn't want to see it with nuclear weapons, despite its friendly ties with Tehran. Lukyanov said Russia wouldn't try to use global hot spots to hurt the US and would wait patiently to see them erode US domination. 'It's not a matter of playing the spoiler here or there,' he said. 'The ongoing developments will help accelerate the process of consolidation of leading powers against the US domination.' By Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) -New Zealand authorities reported on Tuesday that a worker in Auckland airport has tested positive for COVID-19, but doubted whether the new case would warrant ordering a pause in quarantine-free travel with Australia. Australia and New Zealand opened a travel bubble on Monday, after both countries had closed borders in March 2020 to non-citizens and permanent residents to contain the pandemic. "When we opened, on both sides, we of course knew we would continue to have cases connected to our border," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. "We accept that's going to be part of our journey together, I think Australia accepts that." New Zealand's health authorities were liaising with their Australian counterparts, Ardern said, with no initial indication that the so-called 'travel bubble' would be halted. The infected worker, who was fully vaccinated for the virus, had been cleaning airplanes coming from countries with known virus outbreaks, Ardern told reporters in Auckland. The worker had tested negative on April 12 but on Monday tested positive as part of routine testing, she said, adding that contact tracing was underway. Australia Health Minister Greg Hunt said he has "full confidence" in New Zealand's health system to contain the new infection. "We've seen them deal with the inevitable outbreaks and there will be other days when there are cases in Australia," Hunt said during a televised media briefing in Melbourne. Border closures, snap lockdowns and speedy tracing systems have helped Australia and New Zealand keep their COVID-19 numbers relatively low. Australia has recorded just over 29,500 virus cases and 910 deaths since the pandemic began, while New Zealand has had just over 2,200 confirmed cases and 26 deaths. (Reporting by Renju Jose; editing by Jane Wardell & Simon Cameron-Moore) Gardasil vaccine and box. Image: Wikipedia Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced an ambitious plan: to create a 'cervical cancer-free future." The potential reward is huge. If we succeed, cervical cancer will become the first cancer to be 'eliminated' on this scale. But right now, around the world, someone dies every two minutes from cervical cancer, with lower resource countries more heavily impacted by the disease. How do we get from figures like that to a world where cervical cancer is 'no longer a public health problem'? And why cervical cancer in particular? To help us unpick the strategy, we spoke to Professor Peter Sasieni, one of our researchers whose work is focused on cancer prevention, screening and early detection. Sasieni has dedicated a large amount of his scientific career to understanding cervical cancer from a population perspectiveunderstanding the disease not only in terms of its biology, but also in terms of the big picture: who is at greatest risk of getting cervical cancer? And what can society do to reduce that risk? Together, we talk through the commitment and innovation that will be needed to ensure this important milestone can become a reality. Can cervical cancer be 'eliminated as a public health problem'? Let's get down to itwhat does it actually mean to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem? There are some important nuances in language that Sasieni highlights here. It's crucial to differentiate elimination as a public health problem as opposed to elimination (or eradication) of the disease. Eradication of a disease in a country means there are no cases in that country. Smallpox, for example, has been eradicated worldwide. But elimination of a disease as a public health issue means to make it rare enough that it's seen as something that affects a few individuals rather than a common disease affecting society as a whole. "Having no cases left in the world is not WHO's goal with cervical cancer," he says. "But, if fewer than 4 women in every 100,000 worldwide each year were diagnosed with cervical cancer, that would be seen as eliminating it as a public health problem. To get there, we would need to prevent about 70% of cervical cancer around the world." So even if we do 'eliminate' cervical cancer, there will sadly still be people who develop it. But the goal is to make that number as small as possible. To get there, WHO has devised the 90-70-90 targets around HPV vaccination, cervical screening, and effective treatment. These are milestones to be achieved by 2030 in order to make sure the world is on the right track towards 'elimination." Why cervical cancer and why now? "Why WHO have decided that now is the right time to implement a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem is essentially because of the success of the HPV vaccine," Sasieni explains. Cervical cancer is unusual in that virtually all cases are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV), making it one of the most preventable cancer types. HPV is an extremely common infection that infects the skin and cells lining the inside of the body. In most people, it doesn't cause any problems at all. There are over 100 types of the virus, and around 13 strains are known to be linked to cancer. "These strains can live in the cervix without you knowing for years and years, and then suddenly start causing a major health issue," says Sasieni. The link between HPV and cervical cancer was established in 1999, when a group of scientists, including Cancer Research UK scientist Professor Julian Peto, found that virtually all cervical cancer samples contained the virus. Together, researchers proved that some HPV strains can cause cervical cancer. This was, and remains to this day, the risk factor that causes the largest proportion of a specific cancer worldwide. And it also gave scientists a new potential way to prevent the disease. Years of international work, including a number of significant results from our scientists, resulted in the development of a number of vaccines that can prevent HPV infection. And after many promising signs, in 2020 the world got the first definitive evidence that vaccination could also reduce cervical cancer risk. But vaccination is only part of the equation, Sasieni explains. "Relying only on vaccination means you're looking at elimination in only people who have received the vaccine before exposure to HPV infection. So it's important to have a combined strategy because otherwise you would only remove the disease amongst those people, which at the moment doesn't include people over about 30, because of when vaccination started." So as well as the current vaccination program, the strategy outlines how to effectively implement cervical screening across the world. Screening and vaccination in the UK In 2008, the UK implemented an HPV immunization program for adolescent girls. The HPV vaccine offered by health services in the UK protects against the 2 main types of HPV that together cause around 7 in 10 cervical cancer cases in the UK. This is now offered to all children aged 11 to 13 years old and is available on request to girls up to the age of 25. The UK currently has a national cervical screening program, which tests for HPV. The screening program invites women from age 25 to 64 for cervical screening, and cervical screening is also for trans men and non-binary people within this age range who have a cervix. While screening and vaccination mean that elimination as a public health problem is a possibility, it has been projected that without further intervention, there would be 44.4 million cervical cancer cases diagnosed globally over the next 50 years. And the burden of this disease falls heavily on women who live in the world's poorest countries. As echoed by WHO, "few diseases reflect global inequities as much as cancer of the cervix". Elimination means elimination for all Right now, the burden of cervical cancer falls predominantly on women in lower-resource countries, which account for 84% of cases and 90% of deaths from cervical cancer. "It's still a majorly important cancer, globally, affecting women relatively young. And with very high mortality rates in many countries," says Sasieni. As WHO highlights, many of the women affected by cervical cancer have young children, impacting the entire family. And for women with HIV, the chance of developing cervical cancer is 6 times higher than women who don't have the virus. Between 2006 when the first HPV vaccine was approved and 2014, more than 59 million girls worldwide received at least a single dose of the HPV vaccine. But when talking about the success of HPV vaccination, it's important to note that only 15% of girls globally have been fully vaccinated. Although the means for eliminating cervical cancer exist, they have not yet been widely actualised in parts of the world where the disease burden is greatest. Now is the time to use the goal of elimination to motivate changes on the ground. Overcoming barriers to vaccination Sasieni highlights that both vaccination and screening programs vary on an international level. And both are extremely hard to implement and require a strong healthcare infrastructure. WHO notes that high vaccine prices and recent supply challenges, in combination with issues of acceptance amongst the public, have made it difficult for many countries to introduce HPV vaccination or maintain existing programs. As of 2020, fewer than 25% of low-income countries and fewer than 30% of lower-middle-income countries had introduced the HPV vaccine into their national immunization programs. This contrasts with more than 85% of high-income countries who have done so. The first HPV vaccine approved for use was developed with the intention that every girl would receive 3 doses over a number of months. "The vaccine had to be kept in the fridge, you couldn't freeze it, and you couldn't let it get to room temperature. So that created a lot of logistical issues for trying to do it globally." But as well as storage, price was a huge challenge in a number of healthcare settings. "I think when the vaccines came out, it cost about $100 per dose. So $300 just to vaccinate one woman, making it near impossible for some places to afford." But things could be changing, as scientists look to reduce the number of doses. "It's now accepted that actually, 2 doses of the vaccine, instead of 3 is sufficient," says Sasieni. This is reflected in WHO's current guidelines, which recommend that girls aged 9 to 14 receive 2 doses of vaccine to be fully protected. "But there's increasing evidence that even one dose is really effective. And I would say that the evidence that one dose is more than half as good as 2 doses is extremely strong." It's a theory we're putting to the test. Together, with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Cancer Institute, we're co-funding the PRIMAVERA trial. Based in Costa Rica, the trial is testing the potential of a single dose vaccine in preventing HPV infection and ultimately, cervical and other HPV-related cancers. Although the study won't be completed until 2023, if the results find that a single dose can trigger the same immune response against HPV, it could have a big impact on global vaccination efforts. To put it simply, countries would be able to double the number of girls vaccinated with the stocks available. Sasieni weighs up the options. In his mind, the answer is clear. "If you said, well, I've got a million doses for this particular part of the world, should I try to vaccinate half a million women with 2 doses each, or a million women with 1 dose? I think if you are limited in your resource, then it's pretty clear that that 1 dose for a million women is maximizing the benefit of that resource." Reducing cost is a big step in the right direction, but it's not the only step needed. Another important step is recognizing cultural barriers that might exist towards getting vaccinated, "I think it's essential to understand cultural issues around vaccination, and people's attitudes to vaccines. "For HPV vaccination, there are additional concerns related to the fact that the virus is sexually transmitted. Some communities fear that the HPV vaccine might encourage promiscuity for example, because if someone's been vaccinated against it, they might no longer worry about getting a sexually transmitted infection, or they might view having the vaccine as a 'green light' to become sexually active at an earlier age" says Sasieni. "There's no scientific basis for thinking that people change their behavior after getting vaccinated, but making it clear that this is a vaccine against cancer, is really important." And as Sasieni explains, vaccination alone is not the answer. National screening programs "Lots of my research has been linked to cervical screening," says Sasieni. Like HPV vaccination, "screening is very difficult to do well, and you need a pretty good health infrastructure. You need something that enables you to identify everyone in the population. Because otherwise, the people that will get screened will be those who are better off. So the first hurdle is you need to be able to invite everybody to do the screening." Cervical screening (previously known as a 'smear test') involves collecting samples of cells from the cervix using a small, soft brush, and then analyzing those cells in the laboratory. In England, Scotland and Wales, the lab will first check if the sample has high risk HPV. High risk HPV can cause cell changes in the cervix, which over time can develop into cancer. If a sample has high risk HPV, the laboratory will examine the sample under a microscope to look for cell changes, and if cell changes are found, the person will be invited for a follow up test called a colposcopy. But trying to replicate this in countries around the world may not be the best approach. With this process, transporting samples to the lab can throw up logistical problems that are hard to overcome. "If you're in countries where it can get up to 40 or 50 degrees Celsius, putting samples in the post can cause problems where we can't rely on the results of the test when the sample's been at that sort of temperature for a number of hours. "This type of molecular test is also difficult to organize in countries without a good health care infrastructure, and the biggest problem then is getting the test results to the women and ensuring that treatment is available." Sasieni mentions other ways of studying the cells, that can remove the difficult process of having to analyze them under a microscope in the lab. "I think, and possibly again with COVID-19, people will see that actually, there are a number of ways you can test for DNA," he says. "There may be new technologies that are allow rapid point of care testing, so that you could start having screening programs go into rural villages or crowded urban areas and get screening results back in an hour." In the last few years, scientists have developed HPV tests based on LAMP technology a technique also used for rapid COVID-19 testing, which allows for the quick amplification and testing of DNA. But the options don't end there. "There are other HPV tests which can be done using a portable machine no bigger than a home printer," Sasieni adds. "As well as several companies that are developing devices like mobile phones that take photographs or videos of the cervix and analyze them in real-time using artificial intelligence." Barriers and inequalities in screening Getting the logistics right is the first hurdle, but it's not the only one. "Within countries there are almost certainly inequalities in terms of groups who are deprived because of language and ethnicity and access to healthcare communications. In many cultures, in families who have immigrated, women are less likely to know the language than men. "Or, for example, if screening or intimate examination is done by a man, that would not be acceptable in some cultures." WHO's strategy has outlined that strong communication strategies for effective advocacy can overcome the many challenges that might limit access to cervical cancer prevention and care, but that this content must be culturally relevant and context-specific. This same sentiment is echoed by Sasieni, "you can't just say one size fits all for how you should implement this strategy worldwide. Because there are a whole variety of things that need to be considered, from healthcare priorities, to infrastructure, to international trade." Another point that Sasieni draws attention to is the need for a national screening program to establish who they'll invite for screening. "One of the things that I've been trying to do with WHO is to get across this idea that there needs to be a catch up for screening, that we shouldn't just write off everyone born before 1975, or maybe even 1980." But despite Sasieni's efforts, there's talk about not offering any screen to anyone over 45. "By the time a screening program is put into place, that could mean that anyone born before 1980 won't benefit from WHO's efforts to eliminate cervical cancer. And that would be tragic." Collaboration on a global scale We've barely scratched the surface on all the factors that need to be considered when implementing this global strategy. But it's clear that achieving cervical cancer elimination will not be possible without collaboration. The WHO details the role of civil society, women's groups, non-governmental organizations and a wide range of local networks being fundamental to the successful uptake of services at the community level. Our international cancer prevention program is working with these organizations to advocate for greater HPV vaccine demand and acceptance around the world. On an international scale, Sasieni highlights that there's a lot that can be shared. "Well, the UK has been really very involved in HPV vaccine research, and probably even more so, cervical screening research, HPV testing, and looking at biomarkers for triage," says Sasieni. "Some people will think the problem has been somewhat solved in the UK. Regardless of that or not, it's up to all sorts of researchers to ensure that the progress is actually deliverable worldwide." Explore further Cervical cancer could be eliminated within a century TRINIDAD and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) executive director, Nigel Edwards, says the changes the 39-year-old financial institution is undergoing at this time are transformational. The UTC is now in the middle of a three-year cycle of strategic changes that will culminate in 2023 and beyond, he said. More than 100 locals have rallied to help a gay man defy cruel trolls who threatened him because he wanted to paint his house rainbow-coloured. Mykey O'Halloran, 29, moved into a bungalow on Phillip Island, off the coast of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, on February 12 in a sea-swap from Melbourne. After the Covid-19 lockdown, the professional hair artist made the major-life decision to put down a deposit on his first home and relocate to live by the beach. But the exciting new chapter in his life was tainted just four weeks later when a group of neighbours caught wind of his plans to revamp his property. Mykey O'Halloran, 29, (pictured) moved to Phillip Island in February after buying his first home On the evening of March 16, the group allegedly showed up on his door step and started verbally assaulting Mr O'Halloran with death threats and homophobic slurs. 'It was a very one-sided argument. They thought it would devalue their house by $20,000 and that the colours were stupid,' Mr O'Halloran told Daily Mail Australia. 'Once the homophobic slurs came out, I felt like it was a deeper than the house colour and it was more of a personal attack. 'I felt scared for my safety and my life and uncomfortable in my own home.' Upon hearing the commotion, other neighbours rushed to his aid and called police. A 23-year-old man was later charged with making threats to kill and unlawful assault. A before shot shows Mr O'Halloran's Phillip Island home before it was painted over the weekend More than 100 supporters flocked to the residence to help the hair artist transform his home (pictured) After the incident, Mr Halloran took to social media to express his upset and was quickly bombarded with hundreds of messages from people offering to come pick up a brush. Even businesses became involved, with labourers and painters proposing their services and Dulux donating 42 litres of paint - enough to cover the entire house. Over the weekend, dozens of people - some from as far as Melbourne- showed up to decorate the residence in vibrant strips of colour. Mr O'Halloran said he was overwhelmed by the community support. 'It was amazing. People came by, left, then came back. Some people just came up to show their support and give me a hug. We had a whole team of kids involved, there was a BBQ,' he said. 'It was a whole day of community coming together as one.' Mr O'Halloran said he has always loved the expression of colour and always wanted a rainbow house In light of the event's success, Mr O'Halloran has launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the Phillip Island Community & Learning Centre (PICAL) to run LGBTIQA+ awareness training and support programs and community events. Mr O'Halloran said he has always held an affinity for bright colours and could not wait to have a rainbow house, checking with the local council three times before actioning his plan. 'My first tattoo was the rainbow, I just love rainbows. Im a gay man and Im open and Im proud to be. But for me, it has never been a symbol for Mardi Gras. I just think colour is fun and expressive,' he said. The professional hair artist sent internet users into a frenzy last year after sharing an emoji-inspired hairdo (pictured) 'I express colourfully naturally as my job as a rainbow hair artist. A lot of my clients are not LGBT; they just love rainbows.' Renowned for his eye-popping multi-coloured designs, the professional hair artist has made headlines numerous times. In 2016, he raising $37,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation by reenacting Australian-icons, such as the Big Pineapple and Big Lobster on top of women's scalp, a role he credits with transforming his career and converting him into a colour specialist. Last year, he sent the internet into a frenzy once again after sharing an image over his business page Unicorn Mane of a hairdo dyed to look like an emoji vomiting a rainbow. MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia declared two Bulgarian diplomats 'persona non grata' on Tuesday and ordered them to leave the country in response to Sofia's expulsion of two Russian diplomats last month for suspected espionage. The action followed Russia's decision to kick out diplomats from the United States, Czech Republic and Poland in a flurry of expulsions within the past five days in retaliation for the barring of its own staff, reflecting a sharp deterioration in its relations with the West. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia was not to blame for the spike in tensions, and said foreign countries should refrain from "mass anti-Russia psychosis". Bulgaria threw out the Russian diplomats in March after prosecutors charged six people, including current and former military intelligence officers, with spying for Russia. Russia's foreign ministry identified two employees at the Bulgarian embassy in Moscow and said it had ordered them to leave Russian territory within 72 hours. Bulgaria's foreign ministry confirmed that its diplomats were declared 'persona non grata' and that the action was a direct response to its expulsion of Russian diplomats in March. "No other reasons for the actions of the Russian authorities were pointed out at today's meeting," it said in a statement. (Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy in Moscow and Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) QYZYLORDA, Kazakhstan -- A court in southern Kazakhstan has handed a parole-like sentence to an activist for supporting the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement, one of several activists sentenced for supporting the opposition group in recent years. The Court No. 2 in the southern city of Qyzylorda on April 20 sentenced Muratbai Baimaghambetov to two years of "freedom limitation" and 170 hours of community work. Baimaghambetov, who was arrested in September 2020, told RFE/RL that he will appeal the sentence. The activist is known for his rights activities in the region. While in pretrial detention, human rights organizations in Kazakhstan recognized Baimaghambetov as a political prisoner. Several activists in the Central Asian nation have been handed "freedom limitation" and prison sentences in recent years for their support or involvement in the activities of DVK and its associate, Koshe (Street) party, as well as for taking part in unsanctioned rallies organized by the two groups. DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive former head of Kazakhstans BTA Bank and outspoken critic of the Kazakh government. Kazakh authorities labeled DVK as extremist and banned the group in March 2018. Human rights groups have said Kazakhstans law on public gatherings contradicts international standards as it requires preliminary permission from authorities to hold rallies and envisions prosecution for organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies even though the nations constitution guarantees its citizens the right of free assembly. Now there is also loyalty. There are so few people who got J. & J. compared to the other vaccines, that there is a little bit of a, we are small but mighty thing, she said. When people announce theyve received a Covid-19 vaccination others usually respond by asking which one. Ms. Wilensky has a theory about why people even bother to ask. Vaccine clinics are these amazing sites where people feel relief after a year of anxiety and devastation, she said. People are looking for a way to keep talking about such a positive thing. Linda Hirshman, whose book Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution explores the AIDS pandemic, is fully on team Pfizer. I am a complete fan girl of science. As to the Pfizer brand, I love them, she said. Its funny. I am not fussy about which pneumonia vaccine I get. Unlike the flu shot which seems to just appear at the end of the summer, many in isolation have been following the every move of these pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic, eagerly awaiting every trial result, every announcement, to see if they could pull off the scientific marvel that would bring us life back to something like normal. It was the race for the cure, Ms. Hirshman said. We will now cheer for whoever got it done for us. What do people do when they get a miracle? she added. Its a little weird to go to the temple and thank God for the mRNA vaccine, so they thank Pfizer or Moderna instead. Sam Lee from San Diego and Luke Brewer from Lansing, Mich., opened a shop on Etsy named ViralMerchCo three weeks ago, mostly to sell T-shirts and sweatshirts that advertise a vaccine brand. The items say phrases like Pfizer alumni and come in a range of colors. MIDDLETOWN Rescue workers saved a female boater whose vessel capsized on the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland. Marine personnel from both towns, as well as Middletowns South Fire District, arrived on scene at about 1:40 p.m. Monday to find the woman, who was in the cold water for between 10 and 15 minutes, holding onto the side of her kayak, to Middletown Fire Battalion Chief Steve Salafia. The womans kayak overturned in the area of Meadow Meat on River Road in Middletown, and Portland and Yankee marinas, Salafia said. Personnel warmed her with a blanket and took her to the public safety dock at Harbor Park, he said. The victim, whose body temperature had dipped due to exposure, was evaluated on scene and taken to the hospital out of precaution, Salafia said. She was stable, alert and orientated she knew where she was and had some scrapes. This time of the year, the water is very cold, the battalion chief said. The first ' Express' departed from Central Railway's Kalamboli yard on Monday evening to ferry liquid for from Vishakhapatnam steel plant in amid the worsening COVID-19 situation. In a statement, the ministry of railways informed that the Mumbai Division built a ramp overnight within 24 hours at Kalamboli goods yard to facilitate loading/unloading of tankers in/from flat wagons. "The Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) service with seven empty tankers departed from Kalamboli goods yard for Visakhapatnam steel plant siding at 8.05 pm on Monday." This train will move via Vasai Road, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Raipur Junction to Visakhapatnam steel plant siding in ECoR zone where it will be loaded with Liquid Medical On Sunday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, in an interview to ANI, had informed that the central government was creating a green corridor for fast movement of 'Oxygen Express' trains to facilities for the smooth transport of oxygen to states. "A decision has been taken to start transportation of oxygen cylinders or tankers in trains. The transportation of cylinders has already started. Green corridors will be introduced to ensure a fast supply of oxygen where these trains can reach their destination at a high speed," Goyal had said. "For the transportation of liquid oxygen, military wagons will be used to transport 3.3 meter high tankers. These trains will not be stopped so that they can reach their destination at a fast speed," he added. The worsening COVID-19 situation has seen a surge in the demand for medical oxygen and beds for the COVID-19 patients and many states are reporting a shortage in essential medical supplies. (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 shooting at a North Carolina military base that sent a Marine to the hospital last week has not resulted in charges for either of the personnel involved. Preliminary findings into the investigation of the April 15 barracks shooting at Camp Lejeune indicate it was accidental, Jeff Houston, a spokesman for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, said Monday night. The agency's Carolina's field office's major crime response team responded to the shooting. "We can confirm the victim and the shooter are both males and Marines," Houston said. "... No charges have been filed at this time." Read Next: Two Guardsmen Return to Duty After Being Shot at in Minneapolis; 3K Troops Brace for Unrest Houston declined to provide additional details on the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. A member of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines fired the weapon in the barracks, 1st Lt. Dan Linfante, a spokesman for 2nd Marine Division, said last week. Another member of 3/6 was then transported to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, he added, where he was placed in stable condition. The Marine who was injured was released from the hospital on Sunday, Linfante said. Officials have declined to answer questions about the type of weapon that was fired. Linfante said last week if the investigation reveals misconduct, "we will hold those responsible fully accountable, as such conduct would be inconsistent with the high ideals of the 2nd Marine Division and the broader Marine Corps." The shooting was at least the third in a Marine Corps barracks in less than three years. The other two incidents -- both of which happened in 2019 -- resulted in fatalities. Cpl. Tyler Wallingford was shot and killed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, by his roommate, Cpl. Spencer Daily, who was later sentenced to more than five years in the brig. Lance Cpl. Riley Kuznia was shot and killed about four months earlier at Marine Barracks Washington in D.C. by Lance Cpl. Andrew Johnson, who was also sentenced to five years in prison. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Marine Injured in Camp Lejeune Barracks Shooting By Stephen Chapis When Lockheed Skunk Works unveiled the XF-104 in 1954, it possessed out of this world looks and performance. In 1958, just months after the F-104A entered service with Air Defense Command (ADC) Lockheed and the Pentagon decided to prove the latter by making a series a series of world record flights. In this article, the first of two-parts, we will hear first-hand accounts from three pilots that flew their Starfighters into the deadly upper reaches of the stratosphere. MAY 7, 1958- WORLD ALTITUDE RECORD The first world record attempt by the F-104 was the World Altitude Record. This record would require the pilot to fly at maximum speed at a specific altitude and pull up into a steep zoom climb, thus converting kinetic energy into potential energy. The selected aircraft, JF-104A 55-2957, received a number of modifications for the altitude flights, including the installation of a General Electric YJ79-GE-7 engine was installed which required extra cooling doors for increased ground cooling. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation Engineering Test Pilots J.F. Holliman and William C. Park flew 957 on nine occasions between April 21 and April 30, 1958 to develop the optimum technique for obtaining maximum altitude, based in part on information from an IBM 704 Digital Computer. On April 30 Major (Maj) Howard Scrappy Johnson made his first of six indoctrination flights. Scrappy had been flying North American F-86D Sabre Dogs at Castle AFB, California when he heard that the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) would be receiving F-104s and managed a transfer to that unit. In his autobiography Scrappy, Maj Johnson gives a vivid account of the first world record set by the F-104. On the morning of May 7, 1958, Scrappy was ready for an official record attempt, his total F-104 time stood at just 30 hours. A number of Lockheed executives and other dignitaries watched as Scrappy launched out of Palmdale and climbed to 35,000 feet while heading west towards Santa Barbara. He lit the afterburner, made a wide 180-degree climbing left turn, pointed the needled nosed Starfighter towards Edwards AFB and accelerated to 2.23 Mach. When Scrappy announced his arrival over Edwards with a thundering sonic boom hed climbed to 45,000 feet. Upon reaching a pre-designated spot in the sky, he executing a gentle 2.7G pull into a 52-degree climb. The F-104 rocketed towards the heavens. To ensure he established the correct climb angle engineers drew a line on the canopy for Scrappy to align with the horizon. When he shot through 63,000 feet at 1.25 Mach the afterburner blew out followed seconds later by a total flame out at 67,000 feet. Scrappys MC-4 partial-pressure suit was now inflated as the F-104 continued its ascent. After the flame out Scrappy said all he could hear was the sound of his own breathing. As he approached 90,000 feet, he pushed the stick forward and went over the top indicating a mere 30 knots. Scrappy relayed to the author in 2013, When I went over the top the sky was a dark purplish-blue and I could see the curvature of the earth. A Lockheed engineer said I could have seen Salt Lake City if my eyes were good enough. On his way back down the radar operator at Edwards informed Scrappy hed topped out at 91,249 feet which shattered the previous record by 14,000 feet. Scrappy turned towards Palmdale; air started the J79 at 47,000 feet, and made an uneventful landing. Later that year Vice-President Richard M. Nixon presented Scrappy with the 1958 Collier Trophy at a dinner in Washington, D.C. A week after Scrappys flight, Maj Walter C. Irwin set a world speed record in another F-104, thus making the Starfighter the first aircraft in history to hold world speed and altitude records simultaneously. Irwins flight will be detailed in part two of this article. DECEMBER 13 & 14, 1958- TIME-TO-CLIMB RECORDS One of the missions the F-104 was designed to perform was that of a point interceptor. To that end Lockheed sought to break, and set, a series of time-to-climb records. The fourth squadron to receive the F-104 was the 538th FIS at Larson AFB, Washington, and the squadron commander selected Lieutenants (Lt) Einar Enevoldson and William Smith for the project. Einar explains, Lockheed went to the Pentagon and said we believe the F-104 can break some records. Once it was approved the Air Force looked at the records and saw nothing special about them, all were well within the normal operating parameters of the aircraft. So they decided to assign the record attempts to an operational squadron. Our squadron commander said he could do the records himself but he was going to retire soon, so he decided to give them to a junior pilot thinking it might be a career booster. I was pretty junior so I was not one of the first pilots to get checked out. I could have done all the records myself, but Bill and I split them up. I thought the 3,000-meter (9,843ft) and 25,000-meter (82,021ft) records would be the most challenging, so I took those and Bill and I split the rest. Although both men had very little time in the F-104, Smith had 40 hours and Enevoldson a mere 15 hours, when they were selected for the record flights, they would both go on to log over 1,000 hours in the F-104. Enevoldson got a majority of his time as a NASA test pilot at Dryden Flight Research Center and Smith gained his hours as an instructor in Germany. Although they took dissimilar paths, Enevoldson and Smith found themselves flying together with the F-86D-equipped 538th FIS at Perrin AFB, Texas, a full four years before the squadron received its first Starfighters. In February 2013, both men shared their thoughts about flying the F-104. Enevoldson said, Ill tell you that was great, everybody else was flying Mach 1 and we were flying Mach 2! It was so nice to fly and had such tremendous performance. Smiths comments put into greater perspective what an aerial anachronism the F-104 really was in 1958, I thought the F-104 was the greatest airplane ever. It was so far ahead of its time. We were flying Mach 2 while the airlines were still flying propeller driven aircraft. After being assigned to the project, the pair went down to Lockheed-Palmdale where they would pick up F-104A 56-0762. This early build Starfighter later achieved fame as the NF-104 that was lost during Chuck Yeagers ill-fated altitude flight. Enevoldson described the modifications made to the aircraft, They gave us one with an aluminum tail, which was lighter than the later stainless steel tails. They also took out any equipment we did not need, but they had to be careful because the airplane could end up tail heavy, but it still came out a little tail heavy. When we came back from a flight we had to sit in the airplane until they put some gas in it otherwise it would sit back on its tail! They also increased the engine operating temperature about 15 degrees and increased the afterburner fuel flow by 25 percent. The time-to-climb flights took place at Naval Air Station (NAS) Point Mugu, California because it was at sea level and equipped with missile-tracking radars capable of tracking the F-104 at high altitude. To ensure the Starfighter was making maximum power when it launched the ground crew devised a crude, but ingenious method to hold the F-104 back while Einar and William ran up the power for launch. In todays over-regulated and over-litigated society this method would not even be considered. Einar describes the launch, they removed the drogue chute and installed an explosive bolt in the drogue chute shackle. After the aircraft was towed into position, they had a 300ft cable with one end hooked to that explosive bolt and the other end to a truck loaded with 60,000lbs of PSP matting. Wed start the engine, release the brakes, run the power up to full afterburner and watched the fuel gauge, when it reached the calculated amount of fuel needed for the record plus a little for landing wed pull the gun trigger on the stick to blow the bolt. For the 3,000-meter (9,843ft) flight I only had 800lbs onboard. When I pulled that trigger the jet really shot out there! William says, It was quite an experience. When we pulled the trigger it set off a flash bulb started a movie camera and the timing gear. Enevoldson first record flight to 3,000 meters nearly ended in disaster- twice, We did the 3,000-meter late in the afternoon on the 13th. It was a bit rushed because we could see the fog coming in from the sea. For this flight Id accelerate to 150 knots, get the gear up and manipulate the stick to keep from scraping the belly while accelerating to 300 knots, and execute a 3G pull and go straight up to 10,000ft. That worked really slick. I was about halfway down the runway when I hit 300 knots and when I pulled up I went right through the fog bank. Because of the altimeter lag and with me being a little slow coming out of afterburner I was at 18,000ft before I Immelmannd out and rolled upright. When I looked at my fuel gauge, I saw that I had 200lbs of gas and I thought oh thats not good. Everything was normal until I was on base leg. It was smoggy and I was looking right into the sun and could not see anything, absolutely nothing that resembled a runway. The fog had really rolled in and gotten thick, so I went down into the shadow of the fog until I was 30 feet above the orange trees. Now in the fogs shadow I could see better and what I saw was not good. I was very close to the runway and about 1,000ft off the centerline. The airplane was light so I was able to make a hard turn get lined up and touched down. On rollout I went right into the fog bank. That hard turn I made to get on the runway would have been suicide in a standard weight F-104 at that speed and altitude. After Enevoldson shut down the ground crew informed him that he narrowly adverted a second disaster. After the launch the driver of the PSP-laded truck started to pull off the runway, but he stalled the engine. During extremely short flight the driver sat helplessly on the runway trying to re-start the stubborn engine. He finally got it started and had just cleared the runway when Einar came screaming in on final approach and into the flare, narrowly missing the unseen truck. Despite the drama, Enevoldsons flight was hugely successful. It had taken just 41.85 seconds to go from brake release to 9,842ft, besting the previous records by 4 seconds. The Starfighter was fueled and prepared for Smiths attempt at the 6,000m (20,000ft) record the next morning. On that flight William climbed to 20,000ft in just 58.41 seconds! He also set new records by climbing to 9,000m (30,000ft) in 81.14sec, and 20,000m (66,000ft) in 222.99 seconds (3 minutes 42 seconds). The latter record and Einars final climb to 25,000m (82,000ft) established new records since, at that time, no other aircraft was capable of climbing to the very edges of space. In 2013, Smith recalled his final flight to 66,000ft and highlights why radar tracking was so important, For our final flights Einar and I leveled off at 35,000ft to re-accelerate and continue our climb. We chose 35,000ft because it was very cold at that altitude that day. On my flight I accelerated to 1.85 Mach and pulled maybe 1.5Gs until I reached the proper climb angle. We had grease marks on the canopy to help us see the attitude of the airplane, which I think it was about 60 degrees. I dont remember what my maximum altitude was because the altimeter only went to 65,000ft. Going over the top I flew very gently because I wanted to be sure the tail stayed behind me! For these high-altitude flights Einar and Bill wore the MC-4 partial pressure suit. To ensure the suit worked properly William dumped the cabin pressure while re-accelerating at 35,000ft. Enevoldson also vividly recalled his final flight, The twenty-five-thousand-meter flight was pretty neat I went straight up to 35,000ft and leveled off to re-accelerate. At 1.5 Mach I began a 1.25G pull to a 45-degree climb, but the aircraft had so much power that it would accelerate to Mach 2 during the pull-up! I would hold that climb angle until I went through 82,000ft and while going over the top I held about 2-3 degrees angle-of-attack by which time I was 60-70 miles out to sea. I descended to about 50,000ft and re-started the engine and landed. When the numbers came back, they were simply amazing; Enevoldson had gone from brake release to 82,000ft in 266.03 seconds (4 minutes 24 seconds)! Thats nearly an average 21,000ft per minute climb rate, which includes the temporary leveling off to re-accelerate! This performance gave Enevoldson an idea, On the 82,000ft flight I coasted up to about 90,000ft on the overshoot and thought we should go for an altitude record, which was about 91,000ft at that time. It would not have been hard to do at all. We got Lockheed to make a big pitch to the Air Force to let us go for the altitude record. They hemmed and hawed for a couple days and finally turned us down and Joe Jordan did it a year later. DECEMBER 14, 1959- JORDAN EXCEEDS 100,000ft Scrappy Johnsons altitude record fell on September 4, 1959, when Communist pilot Vladimir Ilyushin raised the record to 94,658ft in a Sukhoi Su-9. In October 1959, the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) submitted a formal request for an attempt on Ilyushins record. Engineering studies indicated that a modified F-104C had the capability to surpass the Communist record by the required 3 percent. On November 20 a meeting was held at Edwards AFB between LAC, General Electric Company, and AFFTC personnel to finalize planning and coordination for the attempt. The aircraft chosen for the attempt was F-104C 56-0885, which was flown from Kirtland AFB, New Mexico to Lockheed-Palmdale on November 24, where a modified J79-GE-7 engine was installed. This is the same type engine used in Scrappys F-104A, but the engine in 885 received considerable modifications by AFFTC Power Branch and General Electric, not the least of which was the maximum RPM, which was set at 103.5 percent, the afterburner fuel control was trimmed to provide 10 percent more fuel flow. There were a few airframe modifications was well, including a larger vertical tail from an F-104B, and extended inlet cones to better position the shock wave at high supersonic speeds. The aircraft was ready for a shakedown flight by Kitchens (first name lost to history) on December 2 with two more flights the following day. Then on December 6, Commander Lawrence E. Flint, Jr. beat the Communist record when he flew a McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom to 98,557ft as part of Project High Jump. With the record now back in American hands it seemed the F-104 record attempt might be in doubt, but the Air Force was allowed to continue. After all there was more than just U.S. and Soviet bragging rights at stake, there were Air Force versus Navy bragging rights on the line as well. After a four day lay-off Kitchens began flying again on December 7, making five flights over the next three days testing stall characteristics, speed expansion, stability, and zoom climbs as high as 80,000ft. When Captain Joe Jordan made his first flight in the aircraft on December 10, he immediately zoomed to 95,200ft. Sadly, Joe Jordan passed away many years ago, but thanks to an excellent report written by Jordan and Project Engineer Johnny Armstrong we have an excellent narrative on what happened in the cockpit of 885 on December 14, 1959. Jordan flew to a point approximately 80 miles from where he would start the zoom; this would give him adequate space to get the F-104C to its maximum speed. Acceleration was moderate from 0.9 to 1.4 Mach, but then the jet quite literally lept to 2.35 Mach. As Jordan hit 2.0 Mach he dumped the cabin pressure to test his pressure suit and oxygen system, after which he flipped on the constant ignition, minimum fuel reset, and test instruments. At 39,575ft and 2.35 Mach (757.5kts) Jordan began his pull-up, for the first few degrees he only put 1.3G on the airplane but then he rapidly increased the pull to 3.15G until he established a 49.5 degree climb angle. When the afterburner blew-out at 70,000ft Jordan retarded the throttle to military power, but he was still going upstairs like a bat out of hell at 1.78 Mach (305kts). At 81,700ft the J79 finally flamed out and even though Jordan had slowed to 180kts he was still supersonic, 1.42 Mach to be exact, he coasted another 21,000ft until he reached his peak altitude of 103,395ft at which time his indicated airspeed had deteriorated to just 54 knots. At that moment, nearly two and a half years before Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard rode their rockets into space, no other human being had flown to such an extreme altitude- an incredible 19.5 miles above mother Earth. Jordan had just a few scant seconds to take in the heavenly view outside because his flight was only half over. As he went over the top no faster than a Piper Cub, Jordan found that the ailerons had little effect on lateral control, but it was easily controlled with the rudder. At the same time Jordan was riding a fine line of controllability in pitch by holding the stick almost fully aft. If he went too far aft the sticker shaker would activate. Consequently, if the stick went too far forward the F-104 would go into a potentially deadly lateral-directional oscillation. No matter how Jordan moved the stick he noted that it had no apparent effect on the jets flight path, it only seemed to rotate around its CG. Once Jordan descended through 70,000ft the aircraft was responding normally, he restarted the engine and landed back at Edwards. Then it was over. In an amazing 19-month period four pilots had captured nine world altitude records for the Lockheed F-104. In the succeeding decades most of these records fell to other aircraft, but Scrappy Johnson, Einar Enevoldson, William Smith, and Joe Jordan were true aviation pioneers that bravely flew their Starfighters into the unknown upper reaches of the stratosphere. No other aircraft or passage of time can take that away. (Natural News) It would appear as though media personality Bill Maher is growing increasingly conservative following statements he made on his show that condemned blue states for their failure to put an end to the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic. According to Maher, red states like Florida and Texas have done a much better job dealing with the scourge than blue states like California and New York, both of which still have statewide mask mandates and other draconian measures in place. Maher blames the media for overreacting to everything and scaring the public, mostly in blue states. Meanwhile, red states are moving closer to normal, even if some of their cities and counties are still requiring that people wear masks. When researchers at Dartmouth built a database recently monitoring the COVID coverage of the major news outlets across the world, and found that, while other countries mix the good news in with the bad, the U.S. national media reported almost 90 percent bad news, Maher stated, condemning the American media. Even as things were getting better, the reporting remained negative. Maher also took aim at the right-leaning media for reporting misinformation as well, but focused much of his attention on the left-leaning media, which would seem to want the plandemic to continue forever. Citing a recent Gallup poll, Maher noted that Democrats are far and away the most ill-informed when it comes to the facts about the Chinese virus. While only one out of five, or 20 percent, of people who test positive for the Wuhan flu end up having to be hospitalized, the average Democrat believes that figure to be over 50 percent. Another 28 percent of Democrats, it turns out, put the chances of hospitalization at 20-49 percent, which is still wildly off base. So, almost 70 percent of Democrats are wildly off on this key question, and also have a greatly exaggerated view of the danger of Covid and the mortality rate among children all of which explains why today the states with the highest share of schools that are still closed are all blue states, he added. Most liberals have no clue that they can live their lives normally without having to live in mindless fear about a scary virus Even though Maher is still a diehard liberal he believes that conservatives are ill-informed in their rejection of climate change, for instance he had plenty to say in condemnation of liberals for living in fear based on false data and misinformation. Shouldnt the liberal media have to answer for, How did your audience end up believing such a bunch of crap about Covid?' he asked during the segment. Maher also blasted the media and his liberal colleagues for fear-mongering about outdoor transmission of the virus, including at beaches where some leftists have demanded that people wear a mask. Maher is correct in speculating that being outdoors is better for health than staying cooped up and scared inside the home while living in fear about testing positive. He also called out the elephant in the room, obesity, for being perhaps the biggest risk factor when it comes to developing complications from the Chinese virus. I know we like to think of Florida as only middle school teachers on bath salts having sex with their students in front of an alligator, Maher joked. But apparently the governor is also a voracious consumer of the scientific literature, and maybe thats why he protected his most vulnerable population the elderly way better than did the governor of New York. Back in early March, Maher also came out in condemnation of the transgender mutilation of children with surgery and gender-bender drugs. To keep up with the latest news about the Chinese virus and liberals perpetual fear about contracting it, be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Newsbusters.org NaturalNews.com India sold twice as much oxygen to the world during the first ten months of fiscal 2020-21 as compared to entire financial year before it, shows data from Department of Commerce. This happened despite the fact that India was one of the three worst-affected nations from the coronavirus pandemic for a substantial portion of this period. Between April 2020 and January 2021, India exported 9,301 metric tonnes of oxygen across the world, earning Rs 8.9 crore from the trade. In contrast, the country had exported only Rs 4,514 crore during financial year 2019-20, raking in Rs 5.5 crore. Medical oxygen, a crucial resource in treating critically-ill coronavirus patients, has been in short supply with the second wave of the pandemic resulting in tremendously high demand across the country. On Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed that certain hospitals only have medical oxygen only sufficient for a few hours left in their reserves. Similar crisis exists in other parts of the nation too. Maharashtra, which accounts for almost 60 per cent of COVID-19 cases in India, had requested Centre to provide more medical oxygen as the rapidly increasing number of patients in need of the commodity was depleting the reserves fast. On April 19, several cryogenic tankers aboard the Indian Railways' 'Oxygen Express' were dispatched to industrial areas in different parts of the country to receive and ferry liquid oxygen to the state. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and several other regions are suffering from an identical conundrum. Patients are struggling to find oxygen as government rush to arrange the same. On April 18, central government ordered that supply of oxygen to industries, barring a few, should be diverted to the hospitals. Empowered Group-II (EG-II), headed by Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has recommended restricting oxygen supply to manufacturers. The recommendation comes into effect on April 22. In its order, the ED-II noted that the demand for medical oxygen is already at 60 per cent of production capacity and is more than likely to go up in days to come. ALSO READ: Reliance ramps up daily oxygen output to over 700 tonnes Several companies, like Reliance Industries, SAIL, Tata Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India have already volunteered to supply oxygen from their facilities for life-saving purposes. According to the steel ministry, 28 oxygen plants located in the steel facility of both public and private sectors are supplying about 1,500 tonnes of medical oxygen every day. Also, an additional stock of 30,000 MT, including the safety stock, is being made available for medical use. There are also plans to set up 162 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants in public health facilities. These will augment medical oxygen capacity by 154.19 MT. ALSO READ: 'Oxygen' rally in stock market: Name enough to lift shares in Covid-era ALSO READ: Delhi Police creates green corridor to supply oxygen to hospital with COVID-19 patients (Edited by Vivek Punj) A big grizzly bear attacked a backcountry guide from Montana, who was fishing on a river near Yellowstone National Park. Charles "Carl" Mock, 40, who lived in the park gateway community of West Yellowstone, died Saturday or two days after he was attacked, Fox News reported. Authorities believed that the grizzly bear is trying to protect a nearby moose carcass found 45 meters from the site of the attack. According to the Associated Press, the Yellowstone region of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming is home to more than 700 bears. The attack follows the increase of the grizzly population, with more people moving into rural areas near the bear habitat. READ NEXT: Grizzly Bear Attack Video: Woman Survives Vicious Attack by Mama Bear at Alaska Military Base Grizzly Bear Mauls a Montana Guide Christine Koosman, a spokesperson from the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, said the bear attacked Mock while fishing alone in a forested area along the Madison River several miles north of West Yellowstone. Mock managed to call 911 after the attack, and he was found after searchers looked for him for about 50 minutes. The victim reportedly suffered significant scalp and facial wounds. A residue from bear spray meant to protect against attacks was found on the victim's clothing. However, officials could not determine whether he was able to use it against the bear. The sheriff's office said that Mock was transported by sled and snowmobile to an ambulance before he was brought to a hospital in Idaho Falls, where he died. The male grizzly bear, which weighed about 420 pounds, was shot and killed when it charged a group of seven investigators, including bear specialists and Forest Service personnel. The grizzly bear died about 18 meters away from the group. What To Do If You Encounter a Bear Although seeing a bear in a national park is a treat for the visitors, the National Park Service (NPS) noted that bears are wild and dangerous due to unpredictable behavior. Staying calm is the key to safety. NPS noted that standing still but wave your hands slowly will help the bears recognize that what they see is a human and not a prey animal. Talk calmly to the bear and in low tones could also help in identifying that you are human. Keep in mind that unnecessary screaming and any sudden movement may trigger an attack. Bear Smart noted that avoiding the bear will save an individual from any unpleasant encounters. Also, it said that checking the surrounding if there are any food sources or carcasses, which often attract bears, should be habitually done because bears, especially females, are hostile when defending food. NPS also noted that playing dead against brown or grizzly bears is also effective. However, it will not be of help during a black bear attack. Scott Riley, Mock's friend, said the victim was "an extremely experienced" guide who knew the risks of working in proximity to grizzly bears. Riley said that he and Mock spent ample time outdoors, and they have seen lots of bears in the past but never had any problem. Since 1975, grizzly bears have been federally protected as threatened species outside Alaska. Thus, hunting grizzlies is not allowed by law. READ MORE: Video of Bear Walking Upright Raises Concerns About Animal Cruelty WATCH: How to Survive a Bear Attack - From ABC News YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. During the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) debates on the Council of Europes priorities the Armenian delegation member Naira Zohrabyan delivered a speech regarding Azerbaijans refusal to return Armenian captives. Zohrabyan called on the Assembly to give an assessment to Azerbaijans Armenophobic policy and use all its levers for the release of the Armenian captives. She mentioned the horrifying museum in Baku, which was opened by the Azeri government to display waxwork grotesque caricatures of Armenian soldiers, helmets of killed Armenian troops and seized military equipment as trophies. Its a fact that in the recent years the Council of Europe and our Assembly are undergoing very strange transformations in outlining their priorities. For me, it is at least perplexing that the Council of Europe, which has seemingly transformed into an anti-Russian club, is choosing the issue of the Russian oppositionist Alexey Navalny as the number one subject in all its recent agendas. Whereas what is happening in some Council of Europe-member countries is simply horrifying. A few days ago a museum unprecedented with its cynicism was opened in Baku, the exhibition of military trophies seized from the Armenian side during the latest Artsakh war, and you shouldve seen how Aliyev was proudly walking through the helmets of killed Armenian soldiers, you shouldve seen how Azerbaijani children were playing by choking the mannequins of Armenian soldiers. The issue of this very fascist exhibition in Baku had to become today one of the priority issues. It was horrifying to see how Azerbaijanis were standing in a kilometers-long queue to see that exhibition of disrespect. They had brought their children with them, who were saying that Armenians are their genetic enemies. Dear colleagues, its good that today our assembly will finally discuss the issue of Armenian prisoners of war. Six month after the war we have hundreds of prisoners of war held in Azerbaijani prisons and Azerbaijan not only refuses to provide clear information about them to the European Court of Human Rights, but is also cynically stating that they arent prisoners of war. By the way, one of the prisoners of war was laid to rest by his family few days ago. I want to understand why the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner hasnt yet visited the Baku prisons to see the inhumane conditions in which Armenian prisoners of war are held. Dear colleagues, when in our neighborhood Council of Europe-members Azerbaijan and Turkey are transgressing human rights in the most cynical way, when Aliyev is stating that they won this war, because they raised an entire generation of Azerbaijani youth with hatred for the enemy, it is this kind of racist and Armenophobic statements which should become the subject of discussions of our organization, otherwise with fake agendas we are ignoring the fundamental values of our organization, Zohrabyan said. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has admitted Australians won't be allowed to travel overseas even after they have been vaccinated because the jab may not protect them against mutant strains of Covid-19. Ms Palaszczuk said she had concerns about whether Australians vaccinated against the virus should be allowed to quarantine at home after returning from overseas. A recent study in the UK found the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine can block 75 per cent of symptomless infections. But the British government has also warned the vaccines available globally might not protect against the spread of highly-infectious strains like the South African variant. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last week he hoped those who have had the jab and an essential travel reason such as for business or a funeral could soon avoid hotel quarantine. The divisive Queensland leader though said even vaccinated Australians could bring back Covid-19 from parts of the world where the virus has spread significantly. A masked pedestrian pictured in Brisbane on April 1. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has admitted even vaccinated Australians could be banned from travelling overseas 'I do have concerns, we've got the pandemic raging around countries at the moment,' she told the Today show's Karl Stefanovic on Tuesday morning. 'We've got mutant strains that are starting to formulate. The problem is, people going overseas vaccinated but they could come back with a mutant strain.' Ms Palaszczuk has split opinion and been called a hardline premier due to her repeated lockdowns of parts of Queensland over a handful of coronavirus cases. Ms Palaszczuk said on Tuesday morning the Covid-19 pandemic is still 'raging' overseas, and even vaccinated Australians could bring back the virus She said Australia was in an 'unchartered world' in terms of its battle against the virus and the country's leaders had to take each day and week as it comes. 'The vaccine is part of our process to limit the risk, especially to our most vulnerable in this country,' Ms Palaszczuk said. Her comments come after Mr Morrison announced the national Covid-19 vaccination program will undergo a 'big reset' - with details to be announced on Thursday. Mr Morrison met with state and territory leaders on Monday for national cabinet, with a further meeting scheduled for Thursday. In a statement issued following the meeting, he said the leaders had agreed in-principle to a series of changes to the vaccination strategy to be considered at the next meeting. '(That will include) options to bring forward the commencement of vaccinations for over 50 year olds under the priority group 2a, and the readiness of more state and territory-operated vaccination sites including mass vaccination sites, as vaccine supplies increase,' he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has teased a 'big reset' of Australia's vaccination program after leaders met at a national cabinet meeting on Monday Ms Palaszczuk at the Southport TAFE Nursing and Allied Health Ward on the Gold Coast on April 8. She has divided opinion due to her repeated lockdowns of parts of Queensland over a handful of cases The national cabinet backed GPs continuing to be the primary model of rolling out vaccinations for over-50s, with states and territories to consider options to supplement rollout through expanded state vaccination centres. 'The commonwealth will continue to finalise the vaccination of residential aged care facility residents with Pfizer using an in-reach model,' he said. Emerging from the meeting, Ms Palaszczuk told reporters in Brisbane there had been a 'good discussion' about the vaccine rollout. 'It's a big reset on the vaccine rollout,' she said, adding that 'firm decisions' would be announced later in the week. 'Everyone went into that room with the right attitude.' The national strategy's priority will remain vaccinating people in the 1a and 1b groups, with all states to prioritise the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for over-50s. States and territories will consider options to supplement the vaccine rollout through expanded state vaccination centres following in Victoria's lead, pictured: Melbourne's Convention Centre The series of changes to the vaccine rollout will be put forward for approval in a second national cabinet meeting on Thursday Tasmania has flagged a specific role in the reset, offering to vaccinate aged care and disability workers which were to be covered by the federal program. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian earlier said everyone should be 'far less rigid' in the approach to the vaccine rollout. 'Given we know that there's no issue with anyone over 50 having the AstraZeneca and there is considerable supply in Australia at the moment, that we need to really crack on with it,' she said. 'We have got the capacity for the mass vaccination hubs.' Mr Morrison said ahead of the meeting there were strong arguments to bring forward the date of vaccinating those over 50. Under the vaccination plan designed by the federal government last year, there are five stages. (Natural News) Two shots may not be enough for those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people whove gotten both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab would likely need a third shot within 12 months and might need an annual shot thereafter. There are vaccines like polio that one dose is enough, there are vaccines like pneumococcal vaccine that one dose is enough for adults, and there are vaccines like flu that you need every year, Bourla said. The COVID virus looks more like the influenza virus than the polio virus. Earlier this month, Pfizer said studies showed its vaccine was 93.1 percent effective six months after the second dose. Meanwhile, Moderna said studies showed that its vaccine had 90 percent effectiveness over the same period following the last of two doses. (Related: Pfizers experimental mRNA vaccine takes out famous CNN legal analyst who celebrated the jab.) Pfizer and BioNTech test third dose of COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer and BioNTech said on Thursday, April 15, that they were testing a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine to better understand the immune response against new variants of the virus. As a second arm of the same study, they wanted to test a vaccine modified to protect specifically against the highly transmissible new variant known as B.1.351. The companies believe their current two-dose vaccine will work against the South African variant as well as the one first found in the United Kingdom. But the studies will allow the vaccine makers to be prepared if and when more protection is necessary, the companies said. The rate of mutations in the current virus is higher than expected, Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer Mikael Dolsten said. Its a reasonable probability that we would end up with regular boosts. And for potent vaccines, it may be that you need to do a strain change every few years, but not necessarily every year. In the first stage of the first arm of the study, a third 30 microgram dose will be given to as many as 144 people who received the vaccine 6 to 12 months ago in the original Phase I safety trial. A redesigned vaccine will also be tested as a booster dose in people who have been vaccinated and also in people who have not yet received the vaccine. The trial seeks to determine the safety of a third dose, measure the antibody response and study whether blood from recipients can neutralize the new variants. According to government data, the U.S. discovered its first case of the South African variant in January and it has been detected in 14 states since. Several studies suggest it is more resistant to existing vaccines than other variants of the coronavirus. Dolsten said that mRNA vaccines create a potent response, but the immune response may wane over time. He believes that a third dose of their vaccine will create a similar or better response than a second dose. Moderna works with government scientists to study experimental booster shot Moderna is also working with U.S. government scientists to study an experimental booster shot that targets the variant first found in South Africa. A top Moderna executive said the U.S. is in a good position to move into booster shots because of its vaccine rollout. It is likely that the countries that have already achieved high vaccine coverage are going to be ready to shift their focus to boosters in 2022 and possibly even starting at the end of this year, said Corinne Le Goff, Modernas chief commercial officer. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel made similar comments to Business Insider. I hope this summer to get the vaccine authorized for a boost so that we can help people getting boosted before the Fall so that we all have a normal fall and not a fall and winter like we just saw in the last six months, he said. Long-term safety is not guaranteed with COVID-19 shots There may another explanation why two shots of Pfizer and Moderna are not enough. Unlike typical vaccines, which use an antigen of the disease you are trying to prevent, the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots contain synthetic RNA fragments encapsulated in a nano lipid carrier compound, which lessen clinical symptoms associated with the S-1 spike protein, not the actual virus. What we have right now is an experimental biological gene therapy immunomodulatory injection, said Dr. Ryan Cole, CEO and medical director of Cole Diagnostics, one of the largest independent laboratories in Idaho. Reports suggest that the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots do not actually impart immunity or inhibit the transmissibility of the disease and that they are not designed to keep people from getting sick with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. We are injecting people with a synthetic sequence of nucleic acid. We have never done this on a large scale in human history, Dr. Cole said, adding that the mRNA vaccine is unproven and that the long-term safety isnt there. (Related: Researchers WARN: mRNA injections may permanently alter human DNA.) All sides seemed to agree that long-term safety isnt guaranteed with the COVID-19 vaccines. Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky told CNBC in February that people may need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 annually, just like seasonal flu shots. Dr. David Kessler of the Biden administrations COVID response team told a congressional committee on April 15 that Americans should expect to receive booster shots to protect against coronavirus variants. We dont know everything at this moment, he told the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. We are studying the durability of the antibody response, he said. It seems strong but there is some waning of that and no doubt the variants challenge they make these vaccines work harder. So I think for planning purposes, planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost. Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to coronavirus vaccines. Sources include: SHTFplan.com CNBC.com LewRockwell.com ModernSurvivalBlog.com A device left underneath the car of a serving police officer in Dungiven was left directly at the point where the victim's three-year-old daughter normally sits. Police have branded the attack sickening and a host of local politicians have condemned the incident. "Today we are investigating a sickening attack on a young mother who serves her community both as a member of police staff and as a part time police officer," said Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan, Head of PSNI Crime Operations Branch. "The investigation is still at an early stage but a strong line of enquiry is this is the reason she was targeted by violent terrorists. "Yesterday morning our colleague discovered a suspicious object beside her car in close proximity to her house in Ballyquin Road, Dungiven. "We assess this was a viable device with explosives attached to a container with flammable liquid. This was designed to cause a fireball which would have engulfed the victims car and anyone in it or anyone close by, or those calling to the house "What is really distressing is the terrorists placed the bomb at the rear of the car directly at the point where the victims 3 year daughter sits. "This demonstrates the complete and utter disregard for the life of a mother and her toddler, which simply beggars belief. "While the investigation is at an early stage and detectives are keeping an open mind, a strong line of enquiry is that this attack is the work of the New IRA. "Also, it is worth reflecting that the attack took place while the rest of the country were pausing to remember, nearly 2 years ago to the day, that this group of wicked individuals murdered a young woman Lyra McKee in Creggan. "It is clear they are still intent on recklessly targeting honest, hard-working members of our community with no concern at all for who they harm or kill in the process. I appeal to anyone who has any knowledge of this attack, or indeed of anyone involved in dissident republican, or other violent or terrorist, activity to come forward and provide any information they have to the police. "We particularly want to hear from anyone who was in the area of Ballyquin Road, Dungiven during the evening of Sunday18th into the morning of Monday 19th. "If you do have any information you need to come forward. "It is time for people to examine their own consciences and ask themselves whether they support attempting to kill a 3 year old child and her mother." Please call Terrorism Investigation Unit detectives on 101 quoting reference number 419 19/04/21, or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. The Ballyquin Road has now re-opened. SACRAMENTO Orrin Heatlie, the primary leader of the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, was banned from Facebook last year after the company concluded that he had violated its community standards. Heatlie said Facebook never told him exactly why he was removed, though he said he was part of two groups he later found questionable. He said one was a militia-type group of which he was briefly an administrator, and that the other promoted misinformation about vaccines and masks. His profile is still removed from the social media platform. A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed Heatlies profile was removed in September and said the ban was unrelated to the Newsom recall. Facebook would not elaborate, but the spokesperson pointed to a company policy stating that it removes pages and groups for a variety of reasons including hate speech (and) incitement to violence, and group administrators whose pages pose a risk to public safety. Heatlie suggested Facebooks action was part of a pattern of censorship aimed at proponents of the recall and other conservative activists. He said he was, for a short time, part of a militia-type Facebook group and that someone in it made him an honorary administrator, which allowed him to share information about the recall on its page. He said he could not recall the groups name. Heatlie, a retired Yolo County sheriffs sergeant, said he stopped posting on the militia-type group after Facebook notified him that it had deleted comments on its page that contained misinformation or violated the sites community standards. It wasnt a group I had interaction with other than to promote the recall, Heatlie told The Chronicle in a text message. Their inflammatory agenda and rhetoric was counterproductive to our mission objective. We promote a peaceful and lawful recall process, the power of the people to petition their government, a fundamental right. Heatlie said he was a member of about 250 Facebook groups and an administrator of at least 75 groups before the company banned him. Administrators on Facebook have broad powers to manage pages, including the ability to reject posts and remove members. I joined many groups with high membership as a means to help spread word of the recall by any means possible, Heatlie said. It was a means of conveyance for me to message the group members rather than specific affiliation with any particular group. He said he did not play a role in managing the militia-type groups page. He added, I believe I had even removed my name from the group because they were constantly flagged for misinformation. Heatlie said he was also part of a Facebook group for the Freedom Angels, who have spread false information about vaccines and discouraged people from wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. Heatlie said he briefly worked with the Freedom Angels early in the recall effort but parted ways because their agenda was not something I supported or endorse. Facebook ramped up its misinformation policing efforts last summer ahead of the November election. Facebook said it removed more than 6,500 pages and groups tied to militarized social movements in August and September, around the time it banned Heatlie. Thousands more groups and conservative activists had their pages and profiles removed after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Heatlie said he has no affiliation with any militia groups that took part in the riot. He added, It should be noted my profile was deleted months and months before what took place in Washington D.C. and I have only advocated for peaceful activism. Heatlie, 52, launched the effort to recall Newsom in February 2020. Initially seen as a long-shot gambit, the movement caught fire and the recall is now on the verge of qualifying for the ballot. He is the leader of the California Patriot Coalition Recall Governor Gavin Newsom, one of two groups that submitted a total of 2.1 million signatures supporting the recall to election officials. The groups needed just short of 1.5 million valid signatures of registered voters to put the recall on the ballot this fall. Officials are still checking signatures, but both sides expect the recall to qualify. Heatlie has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks over his past social media comments. Newsoms campaign has pointed to a June 2019 Facebook post in which Heatlie wrote, Microchip all illegal immigrants. It works! Just ask animal control! Process photograph, identify, and implant! Heatlie said that post, first reported by Politico, was hyperbole intended to spark a discussion with friends on Facebook. In an interview, he said he opposes forced microchipping, tattoos or vaccinations. Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsoms campaign, said Facebooks action against Heatlie buttressed Democrats argument that the recall is being led by far-right extremists. For those trying to understand the forces behind this Republican recall, simply look to the recalls top leadership, Click said in an email. They are telling us who they are, and Californians should listen. Heatlie said his removal from Facebook and its refusal to provide specifics indicated that the company was biased against the recall. He noted that Facebook is represented by the lobbying firm Axiom Advisors, where Newsoms close friend Jason Kinney is a partner. Facebook said its relationship with Axiom had nothing to do with Heatlies removal. Heatlie said attacks on his social media use are a distraction from the reasons for the recall. The fact is, Im not running for governor, Heatlie said. This battle isnt between me and the governor. Its between the people of California and their governor. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner In front of a large-scale apartment complex in front of Sangil subway station in Seoul's Gangdong District, members of Korean delivery workers' union on April 16 demonstrate in a press conference highlighting their harsh working environments, including a recent measure by the apartment residents that banned delivery service trucks from entering the complex for safety reasons. The delivery workers had retorted, leaving parcels at the complex's entrance instead of the residents' doorsteps. Yonhap The value of protecting public safety is not arguable. But what if it comes at the price of forcing others to make sacrifices physically and financially? The ongoing conflict at a mega apartment complex in eastern Seoul between thousands of its residents and package delivery workers might provide fodder for thought on the issue and a peep into the microcosm of similar cases around the country. During the weekend, deliverymen issued an ultimatum to the residents, demanding they allow trucks to operate and park at ground level or come up with alternatives. The complex enforced the ban on April 1 out of safety concerns for residents who often complain about service trucks moving too fast on residential streets and told delivery workers to park their vehicles in basement garages before bringing parcels to customers. The core issue, however, is that many delivery trucks are unable to enter the underground parking garage due to the maximum height clearance. And delivery workers have been left with no option but to use luggage carts to move loads of packages from the complex's entrance to customers' doors, which could be quite a distance given the complex's 5,000-unit size. "The residents association argues that they have given us a one-year grace period, but the fact is that we were just unilaterally notified of the decision," the workers' union, associated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the country's second-largest labor group, said. Calling the measure unfair, the union pointed out that other service vehicles, including moving trucks and garbage trucks, were exempt from the ban. It also dismissed outright a suggestion that workers buy new trucks or modify vehicles to clear the height limit with their own money. A delivery worker moves parcels on a hand wagon to deliver them to inside the apartment complex, as the workers' union declared during the April 16 demonstration they will resume their delivery service to the complex residents' doorsteps following the residents' complaints. Yonhap Samsungs upcoming Galaxy foldable device appears to be inching nearer to its release date. The latest news comes from China, where the alleged Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 received its 3C certification. The certification details that the upcoming ZFold device will have a dual-battery system, totaling 4,275 mAh of battery capacity. This battery system consists of two individual battery cells (2,215 mAh + 2,060 mAh). The dual cell system distributes the batteries weight across both halves of the foldable phone. Looking at these numbers, the Z Fold3s battery capacity is lower than the Z Fold2s 4,500 mAh total capacity. The reason for the tighter capacity is speculated to be due to the new devices more compact form factor. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is reported to arrive with an IP water and dust resistance rating and with a model number SM-F916. Recent reports point to a launch date for two foldables in July. This may include both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip2 (or Z Flip3). This contrasts with earlier reports that Samsung may launch four foldables in 2021 and that theyd launch later in the year. Other rumors about the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold3 speculated support for S Pen input (albeit without a slot to store it in), and that it might have a smaller external display than the Galaxy Z Fold2s. It was also reported that the Z Fold3 would arrive with 256GB of storage while the Z Flip2 would arrive in both 128GB and 256GB configurations. Via Wood Dale, April 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AAR (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs and OEMs, announced today that Ellen M. Lord, former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment for the United States Department of Defense, has been elected to the Company's Board of Directors, effective immediately. Ellen brings significant aerospace and defense expertise as well strong leadership experience from her time as the President and CEO of Textron Systems and most recently as Under Secretary with the U.S. Department of Defense, said John M. Holmes, AAR President and Chief Executive Officer. Ellen will bring a valuable perspective to our Board and our Company. We look forward to her contributions and are very pleased to welcome Ellen to AAR. Ms. Lord, 61, served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment for the United States Department of Defense from August 2017 until January 2021. In this role, she was responsible for all matters pertaining to acquisition; developmental testing; contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness; installations and environment; operational energy; chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; the acquisition workforce; and the defense industrial base. Prior to her government service, Ms. Lord served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems from October 2012 to August 2017, where she led a multi-billion dollar company with products and services supporting defense, homeland security, aerospace and infrastructure protection. Prior to that, she served in other leadership positions at Textron Systems and related companies. Ms. Lord is the former Vice Chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association and has previously served on the boards of the U.S. Naval Institute, the U.S. India Business Council and the Defense Technology Initiative. She was recently appointed to the board of Voyager Space Holdings and serves as an advisor to a number of companies. She earned a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from Connecticut College. Ms. Lord currently is an independent aerospace, defense and industrial consultant. # # # About AAR AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AARs Aviation Services include Parts Supply; OEM Solutions; Integrated Solutions; and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Services. AARs Expeditionary Services include Mobility Systems operations. Additional information can be found at www.aarcorp.com. This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which reflect managements expectations about future conditions. Forward-looking statements may also be identified because they contain words such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, likely, may, might, plan, potential, predict, project, seek, should, target, will, would, or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Companys control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. Attachment Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Portugal for the India-EU summit and France has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 crisis in the country. Modi was to travel to Portugal for the 16th India-EU summit, scheduled to take place on May 8, 2021, following which he was likely to travel to France for a bilateral visit. The India-EU summit will now be held virtually. The 15th India-EU summit was also held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020 as PM Modi had deferred his Brussels visit back then. In March, PM visited Bangladesh to take part in the neighbouring country's 50th Independence celebrations. It was his first foreign trip since since November 2019. British PM Boris Johnson has also called off his trip to India due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. Johnson was expected to visit India on April 25. This is the second time his visit has been cancelled. Earlier, he was scheduled to arrive on January 26 as the Chief Guest on Republic Day. India on Tuesday recorded 2.59 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases and more than 1,700 deaths within 24 hours. The situation is dire in the national capital Delhi, leading to a complete lockdown for the next six days. While Delhi announced a week-long lockdown, the Maharashtra government has also declared a 'Corona Curfew' in the state, restricting all non-essential movement. Ten states - Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan - account for 77.67 per cent of the new COVID infections in a day, as per MoHFW data. Also Read: Covid-19 vaccine: How much can Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech jack up prices? Also Read: COVID-19 crisis: Need 'complete trust' between industry and govt, says FM Sitharaman Also Read: Why wait till May 1 to vaccinate everyone? Delhi HC asks Centre La Sapienza honours Sofia Corradi, inventor of Erasmus. Sofia Corradi, the Italian inventor of the Erasmus student exchange programme in the European Union, will receive an honorary doctorate in social psychology at La Sapienza University in Rome on 20 April. Born in the Italian capital in 1934, Corradi is known as 'Mamma Erasmus' for her ground-breaking idea of promoting cultural, social and academic exchanges between European students. Corradi studied law at La Sapienza in the 1960s before furthering her studies at Colombia University in the US thanks to a Fulbright scholarship. She conceived the Erasmus idea on her return to Rome, in 1969, after her Master's degree from abroad was not recognised in Italy. Subsequently, in her role as scientific consultant for the permanent conference of Italian university rectors, Corradi promoted her idea within the academic and institutional spheres. After a long battle, the Erasmus programme was inaugurated within the EU in 1987 and is now considered the most important educational community experience in the world. In addition to promoting learning in all its many forms, the programme promotes "cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation." Today Corradi will return to her alma mater in Rome, where she will be honoured by the rector of La Sapienza, Antonella Polimeni, at a ceremony in the university's Sala Senato at 11.00. The event coincides with the 718th anniversary of the foundation of the university's Studium Urbis, and includes the screening of a video-documentary on the history of La Sapienza which dates to 1303. Since its creation, more than 10 million students have availed of the Erasmus programme, named after the 15th-century Dutch philosopher and theologian Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam. The scheme has also had a profound cultural impact, representing for many European students their first time living and studying in another country. With Brexit, the UK government decided to no longer participate in Erasmus, meaning that UK students lost access to the Erasmus programme and EU students lost access to UK universities under the European-wide scheme. Photo La Repubblica The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is suing the city of Ashland for $2 million over the 2019 arrest of a visiting Latino actor who ended up handcuffed to the floor of a cell in the county jail. The organization filed the lawsuit Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court on behalf of Juan A. Sancho, 44, alleging Ashland police violated Sanchos civil rights by arresting him without probable cause. The lawsuit also alleges that Chief Tighe OMeara failed to train his officers on de-escalation strategies and on how bias plays out in encounters with people of color and how the fear people of color have of police would lead to unlawful and escalated police responses. This case presents a poignant example of the problem with police tactics that promote blind adherence to a policy of intensifying coercion and force and the importance of re-thinking that approach, particularly when racial dynamics are in play, the lawsuit states. Sancho, who goes by Tony, lives in Pasadena, California, and was working as an actor with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at the time of his arrest. In the early morning of April 18, 2019, he was walking alone on Main Street in downtown Ashland after socializing with friends. OMeara told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an email last year that the officers responded to a citizen report of a man who had passed out on the edge of the street. When they approached Sancho, he got up and tried to walk away but was seemingly very intoxicated. Officer Ty Ridout approached Sancho and their encounter was captured on the officers body-worn camera. Eventually, two more officers, Scott Wenzel and Brian Greidanus, and a sergeant, Robert Leonard, arrived at the scene. The men tried to get Sanchos home address or the name of someone who could get him home safely, but Sancho couldnt come up with either, the body camera video shows. One of the officers told Sancho he was headed to detox and he and the officers moved in to grab him. Upset, Sancho was captured on the footage saying he wouldnt relax because Im a brown man in this situation. Sancho is of Mexican descent. The officers were white. Instead of going to detox, he was booked into the Jackson County Jail, where security video shows three deputies tackling Sancho to the ground. One of the deputies is seen on the recording kneeing Sancho in the back and on his side and another deputy placed his knee on Sanchos upper back and neck. The lawsuit names the officers and the police chief as defendants. OMeara declined to comment Monday on Sanchos claims, citing the pending litigation. Sanchos lawyers tried to get the city to negotiate police reforms before the lawsuit was filed, according to a letter released by the ACLU. Christopher Lundberg, a Portland lawyer who is working on the case for the ACLU, wrote to city attorney David Lohman last week saying that Sancho wanted to engage in a serious discussion of potential reforms of the Ashland Police Department before resorting to adversarial court procedures. Mr. Sanchos case is important to him and the broader Ashland community because it involves a significant public concern generating much national and local discussion namely, rethinking police work, Lundberg wrote. Matt Rowan, another lawyer for Sancho, said the city attorney declined the offer. The lawsuit states that in addition to financial damages, Sancho wants to compel the Ashland Police Department to re-think its use-of-force tactics and build compassion, rather than blind coercion, into genuine community-oriented training and tactics around civilian interactions arising from non-criminal and/or nonviolent conduct. Kelly Simon, interim legal director for the ACLU, said the organization decided to get involved because Sanchos experience with police is yet another story in the long litany of stories that we have that show us that the command and control response of policing is not what the community needs and is not always what keeps the community safe. She said she had hoped Ashland city leaders would be open to talking with the ACLU about developing models of community first-responders rather than police as a first response, as well as other potential changes in policies and training. ACLU is looking forward to the opportunity to hold Ashland police accountable, she said in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. We were hopeful that at some point they would be willing to engage in conversations with us about making needed change, but until then we will see them in court. OMeara, the police chief, said last year that Sancho either couldnt or wouldnt provide information to officers about a sober adult who could come to his assistance. The officers were left with no choice but to take him into protective custody and when they attempted to he resisted, he said. According to Sanchos lawsuit, Ridout was on patrol when he saw Sancho leaving ORyans Irish Pub downtown by foot. He stopped to conduct a welfare check on Sancho because he suspected he was intoxicated. The officer walked Sancho back to a sidewalk near the bar, the lawsuit says. Wenzel and Leonard, who were both on patrol, stopped and joined the encounter. Sancho, the lawsuit states, was seated and calmly talking with officers when those officers arrived. The officers moved into a position surrounding Sancho, the lawsuit alleges. Ridout told Sancho he planned to take him to detox. The officers then told (Sancho) that, while he was not in trouble, they were going to handcuff him, the lawsuit states. As the officers moved in and put their hands on (Sancho), he froze. Police became increasingly aggressive, the suit states. Sancho, meanwhile, also became afraid, which he attempted to explain to the officers by, among other things, identifying the racial dynamics between himself and the officers, according to the lawsuit. The officers became more aggressive and violently handcuffed (Sancho) and forced him into a police car all while (Sancho) was repeating please and dont do this, the lawsuit states. He was then taken to the Jackson County Jail and booked on an accusation of resisting arrest. He was booked at 3:20 a.m. and released at 12:45 p.m. The charges were dropped. Sancho last year sued the Jackson County Sheriffs Office for excessive force. That case is pending. Rowan said Jackson County authorities are currently trying to keep confidential any potential disciplinary records for the deputies involved, as well as the internal affairs investigation into Sanchos detention. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Like many of the residents of our northern Virginia neighborhood, I am attached to my local bookstore and worry that it could go away. I try to shop there instead of at Amazon whenever I can.Concern for local retail is nothing unusual in America these days. What's unusual is that my bookstore isn't a cozy independent establishment catering to local tastes. It's a Barnes & Noble, an outpost of the largely impersonal national chain. It matters to the community not because its staff members are familiar faces with longstanding literary knowledge. They aren't. It matters because it's as close to local bookselling commerce as most of us are likely to get at this point in the 21st century.At the same time, I have meaningful relationships with the two pharmacists at a nearby Safeway supermarket much closer than I have with my once-a-year, 20-minute doctor.My point is that we need local commerce need it in the same way we did a couple of generations ago. If we can't get it from bibliophile bookstore owners with long memories or kindly white-haired druggists in white coats, we take whatever we can get, even if it's from functionaries at the lower rungs of corporate America. Nearly 50 years ago, the sociologist Mark Granovetter published a landmark paper on what he called "weak ties" the casual low-level relationships with the people we encounter from day to day on our neighborhood streets. To a very great extent, these are commercial relationships. They are as fundamental now as those that were common when Granovetter wrote, even if they scarcely resemble the ones that existed then.When I was 6 years old, I could saunter down to Sam's food shop at the end of our Chicago block and fulfill my mother's request for a loaf of rye bread without having to cross a street. Sam wasn't a particularly nice man, but as far as I knew, he had always been there and always would be. A couple of doors down, I could buy a just-made hand-dipped taffy apple, a dime for caramel and 15 cents for chocolate. Just across 55th Street, I could walk into a quirky little store that sold toys, rented out popular novels and functioned as a bookie joint. I suppose you could call it a mixed-use development.This was the norm all over urban America in the postwar years. In St. Nick's parish on Chicago's southwest side, a neighborhood that was very different from mine but equally endowed with nurturing weak ties, housewives made it a point to stop in twice a week at Bertucci's butcher shop to order customized cuts of meat and trade gossip with Bertucci. Young married couples brought their parents with them to buy dining-room sets at Lindon Furniture, where they were waited on by Elick Lindon himself. On Friday evenings, the workers at the local factories trooped to Talman Federal Savings to deposit their paychecks and were greeted by owner Ben Bohac, a local boy who sometimes provided zither music to entertain them.It's not my purpose to drown you in nostalgia. I merely want to remind you of how vital these kinds of relationships are, and how important it is to try to sustain them in some form in a radically different economic world.The relevance of all this was made graphically clear this winter in an exhibition at the Municipal Art Society of New York that featured the work of James and Karla Murray, who have spent most of the past two decades photographing and exploring the thousands of storefronts that comprised the bulk of New York commerce until just the past few years. The Murrays have written two important books on the storefronts and their proprietors. Their work both laments the many retail businesses that have disappeared in the last few years alone and celebrates the storekeepers who have managed to stay afloat in an age of consolidation and Internet shopping."A great many of them have not only survived," the Murrays write hopefully in their most recent book, Storefront II , "but continue to play a vital role as ad hoc community centers." At the same time, they concede, "the neighborhood stores throughout the city where we buy a cup of coffee, the morning newspaper or a loaf of bread have become increasingly threatened."The work of the Murrays is a rich compendium of juicy retail lore the baker who proudly placed his freshest bread in the store window for everyone to see and sniff; the barber who sang opera to his customers as he cut their hair; the rise and fall of neon as a signage attraction, and its partial comeback in recent years as a retro novelty.The urban scholar Philip Langdon, who examined the Art Society show, pointed out all these curiosities and more in a recent article, "The Precarious State of the Mom-and-Pop Store." Langdon's analysis reminds us that storefront retail serves more than one crucial function: It not only connects customers to the familiar shopkeepers in their neighborhood universe, but also gives the commercial streets a walkability that allows people to stroll down the sidewalk and renew acquaintance with the neighbors they look forward to interacting with.The retail revolution of the past decade not only has deprived us of singing barbers and shop windows with the rich aroma of fresh bread, it has led us to a situation in which, just as in residential development, the middle has been hollowed out. At the top end of the retail scale, Nordstrom survives, and probably will continue to; at the bottom of the scale, Dollar General is doing fine. It's the visually and emotionally memorable delicatessens and clothing stores and hardware stores whose disappearance the Murrays have so carefully documented.is a facet of the decline of the middle class in much of America in general. A century ago, as the sociologist C. Wright Mills pointed out in the 1950s, middle-class America consisted largely of self-employed entrepreneurs farmers, craftsmen, professionals working solo. By mid-century, most of this societal cohort had died away, and the route to middle-class life was largely through employment as a clerk or bureaucrat in a large and impersonal corporate hierarchy. Mills considered this a tragic assault on individual freedom. Not everyone would agree with his point of view.But there was one notable exception to Mills' portrait of middle-class erosion. This was the independent storekeeper, choosing his own merchandise, his own storefront, his own hours and his own way of dealing with the public. This lingering remnant of the middle class is the one that is now eroding most dramatically. Its erosion has had a disproportionate effect on immigrants to big cities, many of whom have worked tirelessly to survive as grocers, beauticians, dry cleaners and other vestiges of earlier middle-class commerce. Some of them continue to make it, as the Murrays document, but more have not, taking away one last crucial piece of the old middle-class American economy.Perhaps the most striking aspect of retail commercial erosion is its prevalence in the most affluent neighborhoods of America's most affluent cities. The West Village of lower Manhattan that Jane Jacobs celebrated inwas a dense conglomeration of small businesses whose proprietors knew their customers intimately. Half a century later, Jacobs' old territory had grown far richer than it had been in 1960, but most of the shopkeepers were gone, replaced to a large extent by banks, high-end boutiques and drugstores. The irony is that gentrifiers who moved to the area largely to participate in its human-scale commercial life no longer have a lot to participate in.The emergence of online shopping and the retail business losses driven by the coronavirus are simply facts of life. But there is one factor that can be addressed, and that is the relationship between merchants and landlords.Thousands of individually owned stores and businesses have disappeared because landlords, seeking richer tenants and greater profits, have raised rents to levels the merchants cannot afford. This is true not only in high-end territory like the West Village but in diverse precincts of urban America. It can be remedied. New York's City Council has had before it for more than 30 years a bill that would force commercial landlords to negotiate 10-year leases with their tenants at fair rents, or submit to arbitration if they refuse. For all these years, the legislation has been bottled up by the real estate industry and by the elected politicians, even notably progressive ones, who depend on the real estate lobby for campaign contributions. The current sponsors are hoping that in the present economic climate, the bill will finally get the attention it deserves. Enacting such legislation wouldn't halt the erosion of neighborhood commerce, in New York or anywhere else. But it would help.In the end, the survival of neighborhood retail commerce, even in truncated form, could depend on the answer to a complex question. Who has the rights in a battle over local commerce? Is it the landlord, the tenant or the community? If it is merely a struggle between the landlord and the tenant, the landlord will win almost every time. If the community has a voice, the result is likely to be different.In France, there are at least 30,000 independently owned bakeries on commercial streets across the country. This is in part because the French people love bread, but it is also because local artisans have had the right to approve or disapprove the applications of supermarkets that want to come into their neighborhoods and compete. It is entirely possible that 30,000 bakeries are more than France actually needs. But if you have ever walked down a Paris street on a summer morning and seen and smelled the warm baguettes the residents are carrying home from their bakeries, you may well believe the French bread law is a price worth paying. Hong Kong was ranked in 80th place in a global press freedom index on , with the Paris-based media watchdog citing "totalitarian control of information" from the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. Releasing the 2021 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the past year had seen examples of authoritarian regimes using the COVID-19 pandemic to "perfect their methods of totalitarian control of information." "The censorship virus -- at which China is the worlds undisputed specialist -- gradually took hold in much of the region," RSF said. "This began in the semi-autonomous 'special administrative region' of Hong Kong (80th), where Beijing can now interfere directly under the national security law it imposed in , and which poses a grave threat to journalism," the group said. Chris Yeung, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), said press freedom has deteriorated in the city since Beijing imposed the national security law there from , 2020. Hong Kong was ranked 73rd on the list in 2019. "Freedom of the press in Hong Kong has worsened a lot during the past year," Yeung told RFA. "The reason is that all aspects [of press freedom and journalistic activity] are now under threat from different factors, including some provisions of the national security law itself." "They way in which the national security law criminalizes and targets certain actions has had a chilling effect that has affected every kind of freedom in Hong Kong," Yeung said, adding that he saw no likelihood of anything improving during the next few years. He said the government is only just getting started with its crackdown on the city's media. Bruce Lui, senior journalism lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), said journalists are under increasing political pressure to conform to CCP narratives under the national security law. "The pressure on everyone working in the media has intensified, and the number of red lines has multiplied," Lui said. "People are watching the situation, and being careful how they report things, especially on issues considered sensitive by the government." He said Hong Kong's ranking wouldn't come as much of a surprise to the city's seven million residents. "Hong Kong people already know this, and I think the media is only a part of the whole story," Lui said. China is ranked a lowly 177, above only Eritrea and North Korea. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's District Court on jailed a woman who helped run a protest-linked channel on the social media app Telegram during the 2019 anti-extradition and pro-democracy movement for three years, for "conspiracy to destroy property" and "inciting others to injure someone." Hui Pui-yee, 26, received a reduced sentence in recognition of her guilty plea, and when her mental health issues and previously clean record were taken into account. Judge Frankie Yiu told the court that offenses were "serious," given that messages posted in the channel were spread to tens of thousands of channel members in a short period of time. Some channel members had posted instructions for how to make homemade explosives, Yiu said, adding that Hui could have deleted them, but chose not to. Reported by Lau Siu Fung and Fong Tak Ho for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Pathpoint, a digital excess and surplus lines insurance distributor, has launched its Lessors Risk Only (LRO) Commercial Package for agents to access non-admitted coverage for property owners with a single application. The Pathpoints LRO product includes a shortened, targeted question set, immediate eligibility feedback, and auto-quoting, as well as a shorter, simpler property flow. The company said agents will be able to bind both stand-alone general liability and package quotes for their LRO accounts, including auto-quoting for total insurable values up to $2.5 million. Pathpoint will consider commercial retail properties including banks, offices, shopping centers and malls. The LRO product is delivered through Pathpoints online platform, with Pathpoint serving as the surplus lines agent and handling all servicing and compliance on the back-end. Pathpoints LRO offering launches in all 50 states, with support for many of the most commonly requested geographies by agents, including Florida, California, Texas, and the Mid Atlantic. Pathpoint is a wholesale broker licensed across the U.S. and a coverholder at Lloyds of London. Topics Agencies Excess Surplus Commercial Lines Business Insurance Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. A guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd on Tuesday. The verdict capped one of the most-watched trials in the U.S. in recent memory. Follow live reaction. The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Mr. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in the coming weeks but is likely to receive far less time. It was a quick verdict, just one day after lawyers made their closing arguments. For three weeks, America has followed the trial over the killing last year that set off worldwide protests against police brutality and racism. Mr. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25 after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, who is white, for more than nine minutes. President Biden called the family of Mr. Floyd on Monday and said the evidence against Mr. Chauvin was overwhelming, adding that he was praying for the right verdict. People around the country held their breath waiting for the news. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The jury at former Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial in George Floyd's death deliberated for a second day Tuesday in a city skittish over the outcome as President Joe Biden weighed in by saying he believes the case is overwhelming. The racially diverse jury anonymous and sequestered from the outside world resumed deliberations in the morning as lawmakers and fellow citizens alike delivered their own opinions about the combustible case that triggered protests, scattered violence and a reckoning over racism in the U.S. It shouldnt be really even questioned whether there will be an acquittal or a verdict that doesnt meet the scale of the crime that was committed, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, said in Brooklyn Center, a suburb just outside Minneapolis. The congresswoman said the Chauvin case looks open-and-shut. Guilty verdicts could mark a turning point in the fight for racial equality, she said. We are holding on to one another for support. Hopefully this verdict will come soon and the community will start the process of healing, Omar said. In Washington, the president said that he had spoken to Floyds family on Monday and can only imagine the pressure and anxiety theyre feeling. Theyre a good family and theyre calling for peace and tranquility no matter what that verdict is, Biden said. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict. I think its overwhelming, in my view. I wouldnt say that unless the jury was sequestered now. The president has repeatedly denounced Floyds death but previously stopped short of commenting on the trial itself. Prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May when the white officer knelt on or near the 46-year-old Black man's neck for 9 1/2 minutes. The defense contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that a heart condition and illegal drug use led to Floyd's death. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial spent just a few hours on their task Monday after the day was mostly consumed by closing arguments. They will remain sequestered until verdicts are reached. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Ahead of a verdict, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis, the courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard troops were on patrol. Last spring, Floyds death set off protests along with vandalism and arson in Minneapolis. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in Brooklyn Center on April 11. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott joined a group of residents Tuesday to call for transparency and accountability in policing. The mayor said he has met with Wrights family several times and vowed to do all thats within our power to make sure that we are implementing the kind of changes that would prevent another Daunte." What this community is saying is that his life is going to continue to matter," Elliott said. After the jury got the Chauvin case Monday, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defense request for a mistrial based in part on comments from California Rep. Maxine Waters, who said weve got to get more confrontational if Chauvin isnt convicted of murder. The judge called her comments abhorrent and disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and told Chauvins attorney that Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. Still, two defense attorneys in Minnesota said they consider a successful appeal over remarks like Waters or Bidens extremely unlikely. Anybody who thinks undue publicity is going to get a case reversed in this day and age is just wrong, said Joe Friedberg, who is unconnected to the case. Just from a pragmatic standpoint, with social media, I dont think it can ever be done again. Brock Hunter, past president of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said a successful appeal would be unlikely unless there were direct evidence that Waters' statements affected jurors. Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. Adapted from The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds 2021 Mark Humphries, reprinted with permission from Princeton University Press. We are facing a hard limit to how well we can understand the human brain. Not a limit created by the impassable boundaries of the physical world, like how the size of the observable universe is defined by the distance that light could have travelled since the Big Bang. Nor is it a limit of our technological prowess that we can aspire to overcome, like the challenge of developing near-weightless spacecraft that can travel at one-fifth of the speed of light to fulfill the dream of sending probes to Alpha Centauri within our lifetime. Rather, it is a limit we give ourselves, set by the ethical boundaries of what we will permit to be done to another human. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To understand brains, we record tiny pulses of electricity, the spikes sent from one neuron to another. Those spikes are you moving your eyes to read this text, cocking an eyebrow at the content therein; you sensing the gentle breeze and the waning sun on the skin; your vivid memory of strolling the streets of a beloved city. Spikes are the brains own language, so capturing them promises a profound understanding of how brains work. Vast public research programs, including the U.S.s BRAIN Initiative and the EUs Human Brain Project, are throwing billions of dollars at recording and understanding the signals passed between neurons. But these programs are fundamentally limited. They cannot ever arrive at that understanding of us because they can never do what matters most: record from the individual neurons of a healthy human brain. Advertisement Recording spikes from neurons deep in the brain must be, by its very nature, invasive. Electrodes are inserted deep into tissue; fiber optics or miniature microscopes are put into the brain to capture the light coming from neurons that are genetically engineered to fluoresce when they send spikes. We cannot invasively record from nor genetically engineer healthy humans. So the capturing of spikes is focused on the animal modelsmice, flies, zebrafishin which that capture is easiest, in part because those animals are also the workhorses of genetics. And so we know the spikes in these animals that mean place and time, I am here and how long has it been?; the spikes for holding things in mind, the short-term memory of something that just happened to them; the spikes that add up evidence towards a decision they are about to make; the spikes that encode the simplest elements of their perceptionthe edges they see, the pitches they hear, the touches they feel, the smells they inhale. But we have none of these spikes from humans. Advertisement Advertisement You might ask why we cant just go ahead and invasively record from our own brainswhy cant we just give informed consent? Even for the promise of knowledge, it is difficult to contemplate recording neurons from within a healthy human brain. The risks of brain surgery are significant: Hemorrhage and infection are possible in any surgery; operating on the brain adds the risks of permanent brain damage or stroke. There is our hard ethical limit on understanding the human brain: that the risks of invasive recordings outweigh the unknown gains. This limit has been in place for decades, defining how we do science on the brain. But, unexpectedly, we will soon be asked if we want to break that limit. Advertisement Companies like Neuralink are ambitiously intent on this work. Their immediate goal is to make it possible to better record spikesmore, cleaner, and for longerin cases where invasive intervention is already taking place, like the interfaces for restoring arm movement or walking in paralyzed patients. Their ultimate goal, though, is invading the healthy human brain; in Neuralinks case, with a two-way interface between your brain and your computing devices, your phones, tablets, and laptops. As its website proclaims, Neuralinks long-term vision is to create BMIs [brain-machine interfaces] that are sufficiently safe and powerful that healthy individuals would want to have them. Advertisement We dont know how companies building invasive devices to record the spikes from many single neurons are planning to deal with the ethical barrier of implanting them in healthy human brains; perhaps they dont know, either. But it is a possibility we have to weigh seriously, for we know the currently unthinkable can become reality. After all, plastic surgery on perfectly healthy people, which carries some of these same risks, is now routine. Advertisement We already have tantalizing glimpses of what recording spikes in the human brain would tell us. The risks are far more bearable in surgeries to implant electrodes for treatment, not researchto allow a paralyzed patient to move their arm, or to help alleviate seizures, or to control the tremors of a Parkinsons patient. Moving an arm is driven by spikes from the motor cortex translated, by machine learning, into patterns of stimulation of the muscles. Severe seizures are treated by surgical removal of their source, a group of neurons whose out-of-control spikes are detected by temporarily implanted electrodes. Tremors are treated by continually passing pulses of current at a high rate deep into the brain through the implanted electrode, an electrode from which spikes can only be recorded before the stimulating current is switched on. Research can piggy-back on the treatments, but it is highly limited, to just a handful or tens of neurons, in regions of the brain prescribed by the treatment, for short periods of time. Advertisement Advertisement With those glimpses to tempt us, crossing that final ethical line of invasively recording from the healthy human brain could be borne simply out of frustration, frustration with how we currently deal with the hard limit of understanding the spikes of the human brain. Imaging the human brain is not the answer. fMRI is a wonderful technology, the best way we have of peering into the living human brain. But fMRI shows us bloodflow, not the brains electrical activity itself. And its scale is far less precise. Each tiny dot in its images is a cube containing at least 100,000 neurons. The spikes themselves, millions of them per second in each cube, are invisible. We could tell ourselves that we can learn everything we want to know from non-human brains. Yet there are so many uniquely human things our minds can dospeech and its comprehension, reading and writing, the creativity of science and math, of painting and sculpture, our complex social webs, and our subjective experiencethat this seems vanishingly unlikely. Advertisement Instead we could be reconciled to the hard limit, accepting that there are things we can never understand about our brains, and thats OK. This is the pragmatists response, for so long as we can continue to improve how we treat the brain, aiding those with paralysis or those with mental disorders, and pursue cures where possible, then perhaps we can accept a limit on our understanding. Advertisement Advertisement Reconciliation is the realists response too: Theres a fair chance well never truly understand even the simplest of brains, so why should we be heartbroken over ours? The knowledge we already have is overwhelming, with such a glut of data on the brains of worms, flies, fish, and mice that we are struggling to make sense of it. While this means the vast public funding of neuroscience is recouping its investment, that glut will only get worse. The rate at which were able to record single neurons is accelerating: A team from the Rockefeller University in New York demonstrated a recording of 1 million neurons at the same time in February 2021. Realists would argue that, paradoxically, as these data reveal ever more nuances of how brains work, the prospect of understanding even the simplest of brains is receding. To them there is little point, either pratically or scientifically, in recording spikes from the healthy human brain in the near future, because we are too far from being able to understand them, and we have so much to learn before then. Advertisement But these stances will not satisfy everyonesome will be uncomfortable separating treatment from understanding, others will refuse to accept there are things we can never understand about our own brains. And say new implantable devices from private companies prove their worth as prosthetics or treatments in the next decade, able to record far more neurons, for months or years at a time, without damaging the tissue or risking infection, from any region of the brain we desire. As the risks reduce and the research possibilities open up, then it is easy to imagine how we could slip, unnoticing, from thinking the recording of neurons in a healthy human brain is unimaginable to thinking it is something that needs doing to further our understanding of ourselves. Advertisement Sooner than we thought, we will face a deep ethical challenge, one that will force us to decide: How badly do we want to understand the human brain? Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 -- In 2009, music producer Phil Spector was convicted for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who was shot in the face from a very short distance. He was dressed in white clothes, but no bloodstains were found on his clothing -- even though significant backward blood spatter occurred. How could his clothing remain clean if he was the shooter? This real-life forensic puzzle inspired University of Illinois at Chicago and Iowa State University researchers to explore the fluid physics involved. In Physics of Fluids, from AIP Publishing, the researchers present theoretical results revealing an interaction of the incoming vortex ring of propellant muzzle gases with backward blood spatter. A detailed analytical theory of such turbulent self-similar vortex rings was given by this group in earlier work and is linked mathematically to the theory of quantum oscillators. "In our previous work, we determined the physical mechanism of backward spatter as an inevitable instability triggered by acceleration of a denser fluid, blood, toward a lighter fluid, air," said Alexander Yarin, a distinguished professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "This is the so-called Rayleigh-Taylor instability, which is responsible for water dripping from a ceiling." Backward spatter droplets fly from the victim toward the shooter after being splashed by a penetrating bullet. So the researchers zeroed in on how these blood droplets interact with a turbulent vortex ring of muzzle gases moving from the shooter toward the victim. They predict that backward blood spatter droplets can be entrained -- incorporated and swept along within its flow -- by the approaching turbulent vortex ring, even being turned around. "This means that such droplets can even land behind the victim, along with the forward splatter being caused by a penetrated bullet," said Yarin. "With a certain position of the shooter relative to the victim, it is possible for the shooter's clothing to remain practically free of bloodstains." The physical understanding reached in this work will be helpful in forensic analysis of cases such as that of Clarkson's murder. "Presumably, many forensic puzzles of this type can be solved based on sound fluid mechanical principles," said Yarin. ### The article "Blood backspatter interaction with propellant gases" is authored by Gen Li, Nathaniel Sliefert, James B. Michael, and Alexander L. Yarin. It will appear in Physics of Fluids on April 20, 2021 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0045214). After that date, it can be accessed at: https:/ / aip. scitation. org/ doi/ 10. 1063/ 5. 0045214 . ABOUT THE JOURNAL Congresswoman Maxine Waters denied on Monday interfering in the trial of Derek Chauvin as the jury retired, claiming that the judge overseeing the former policeman's case said her provocative words 'don't matter' - despite his condemning her actions in court as 'abhorrent'. Waters, a Democrat representing California, sparked outrage by travelling to Minneapolis on Saturday and urging protesters to 'get more confrontational' if Chauvin was acquitted. Her remarks, on the eve of the jury retiring to consider its verdict, were widely condemned and may, it emerged on Monday, have handed Chauvin's defense grounds for appeal and the turning over of any guilty verdict. Yet Waters, 82, defiantly insisted on Monday afternoon that she stood by her words. 'The judge says my words don't matter,' she told CNN. When pressed on the judge stating that her remarks could be grounds for appeal, she replied: 'Oh no, no they didn't.' She insisted she was entirely justified in her call to action, saying: 'The whole Civil Rights movement is confrontational.' Earlier on Monday Waters' comments were seized upon by Chauvin's legal team, and criticized by the judge. Speaking after the jury was sent out on Monday afternoon, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson once again made a bid to have the case against his client thrown out on grounds that there was no way the jury could be untainted by the excessive publicity surrounding the case. 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial it's frankly mind-blowing,' Nelson said. Taking it into consideration Judge Peter Cahill said: 'I grant that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned.' Judge Cahill denied Nelson's move for a mistrial but he said: 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' He said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. 'A congresswoman's opinion really doesn't matter a whole lot.' Waters (D - California) had joined protesters in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Saturday night for a demonstration over the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man shot dead by a white police officer during a traffic stop on April 11. Waters told the protesters that she will fight for justice on their behalf and urged them to 'to get more confrontational' - just one day after protests descended into violence. 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,' she said of the Chauvin trial. 'And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Derek Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson called for a mistrial after the jury retired on Monday, citing comments California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (left) made about the case during a protest on Saturday. Judge Peter Cahill (right) condemned Waters' remarks as 'abhorrent' before stating that he would not declare a mistrial Derek Chauvin is pictured in court on Monday as his attorney unsuccessfully lobbied for a mistrial Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell likewise went after Waters on Monday, telling colleagues: 'It's harder to imagine anything more inappropriate than a member of Congress flying in from California to inform local leaders - not so subtly - that this defendant had better be found guilty or else there will be big trouble in the streets.' The Kentucky Republican said that Waters' demand for a guilty verdict was 'like somebody window-shopping or ordering off a menu.' 'Every single American deserves a fair trial. This is sacred. You do not balance the scales of justice by trying to tip them,' McConnell said. The top Senate Republican noted that through much of the country's 'quest for civil rights and equal justice has been the fight to get rid of extra-judicial violence, to get rid of rigged trials where the outcome was molded by public sentiment or angry mob.' 'It is beyond the pale for a sitting member of the United States Congress to look at what happened last summer and imply there should be some kind of a sequel if a legal case does not unfold as she thinks it should,' he said. Kevin McCarthy (left) has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters (right) after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy took his criticism even further - saying that he is introducing a motion to censure Waters and claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion. During an interview with on Fox News Primetime, McCarthy said the congresswoman 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury that started deliberations on Monday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong. I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior,' McCarthy continued. He was referring to Waters' 2018 remarks when she told Californians to 'get in the face' of Trump administration staffers if they see them in public. McCarthy said he believes there are 'probably 10 to 15' Democrats who would vote for censure. 'It will all come down to the pressure of what Democrats will put on them to just try to vote to table it - not even to have the discussion,' he added. McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend. He then accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of 'ignoring Waters behavior,' which he said prompted him to introduce 'a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments'. Meanwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Capitol Hill reporters Monday that Waters didn't need to apologize as her comments didn't incite violence, despite calls from Republicans to have Waters punished for her remarks. And White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn Waters' comments, telling reporters: 'Well, I can speak to the president's view. He has been very clear that he recognizes the issue of police violence against people of color, communities of color is one of great anguish and it's exhausting and quite emotional at times.' Waters defended herself on Monday by saying that Republicans were trying to 'send a message to all of the white supremacists' by criticizing her call for Black Lives Matter to 'get more confrontational' if Chauvin is found not guilty. Speaking to the Grio, Waters said: 'I am nonviolent. Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent. 'Any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that.' She also accused Republicans of using the tactic to raise money off the Democrats' backs. Walters said she was 'not worried that they're going to continue to distort what I say.' 'This is who they are and this is how they act,' she added. 'And I'm not going to be bulled by them.' Judge Cahill's condemnation of Rep Waters Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson called for a mistrial on Monday afternoon and cited Rep Maxine Waters' remarks over the weekend that Black Lives Matter Protesters should 'get more confrontational' if the ex-cop is found not guilty. 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,' Waters said of the Chauvin trial. 'And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Nelson said the comments had the effect of 'threatening and intimidating the jury'. Judge Peter Cahill replied by saying: 'I grant you Congresswoman Waters may have handed you grounds for appeal and the turning over of this trial. 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' The judge said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswoman's opinion really doesn't mean much.' Advertisement Cahill's condemnation of Waters' comments came after the state of Minnesota concluded its murder case against Chauvin on Monday by telling the jury: 'The reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr Chauvin's heart was too small.' The jury was then dismissed for deliberation, where they will consider three charges against Chauvin: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. After the jury stepped out Nelson called for a mistrial over prosecutor Jerry Blackwell's characterization of the defense's case as 'nonsense' and a 'story' - as well as the possibility that media attention could bias the jury. Judge Cahill said he was not making any findings as to whether Blackwell's comments constituted prosecutorial misconduct that could result in a mistrial but said that he had dealt with all of Nelson's specific objections as he had made them. As for the media attention, Cahill said he is hopeful that the jurors have heeded his warning against looking at any news coverage of the case before officially denying the mistrial motion. Outside the court more than 2,000 National Guard members and 1,100 law enforcement officials stood watch over Minneapolis as the city braces for potential unrest over the verdict. In his closing statement, Nelson insisted that Chauvin acted as any reasonable officer would when he pinned Floyd to the pavement while underlining the handcuffed black man's 'active resistance' to arrest. Nelson urged the jury to examine all of the evidence presented over three weeks of testimony and come to the conclusion that the state did not meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Floyd's death was a direct result of Chauvin's actions on May 25, 2020. 'This was an authorized use of force - as unattractive as that may be,' Nelson said, noting that none of the state's use-of-force experts or police officials could agree on a specific point where Chauvin's actions became unreasonable. He also emphasized the 'hostile' reactions of the crowd that gathered to watch Floyd's arrest and yelled out for the officers to get off of him - asserting that the chaos was distracting for Chauvin. Nelson dragged out his at times rambling closing for more than two hours before Judge Peter Cahill interrupted him and called for a lunch break at 2.10pm local time. When he returned to conclude his statement, Nelson ripped into prosecutors for discounting Floyd's underlying health issues and drug use when arguing that Floyd's primary cause of death was asphyxia during Chauvin's restraint. 'When you take into consideration the presumption of innocence and proof beyond a reason doubt. I would submit to you that it is nonsense to suggest that none of these other factors had any role. That is not reasonable,' Nelson said. 'When you conclude your analysis of the evidence, the entirety of the evidence, when you review the law as written, all within a thorough honest analysis, the state has failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. And therefore Mr Chauvin should be found not guilty of all counts.' Defense attorney Eric Nelson is seen delivering his closing statement on Monday, where he urged the jury to examine all of the evidence presented over three weeks of testimony and come to the conclusion that the state did not meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Floyd's death was a direct result of Chauvin's actions on May 25, 2020 Nelson underlined Floyd's active resistance to arrest by playing footage from Chauvin's body camera for the jury Members of the National Guard and police officers stand guard in Minneapolis ahead of a Chauvin verdict High school students from across Minneapolis participated in a statewide walkout on Monday to stand in solidarity against racial injustice and honor the lives of George Floyd and Daunte Wright Minneapolis was transformed into a fortress over the weekend as city officials, business owners and residents braced for unrest that could follow the verdict in Chauvin's case. More than 3,000 members of the National Guard are currently stationed in the city in addition to 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of what has been termed Operation Safety Net. The operation, which is rumored to have cost the city more than $1million, moved into its third stage on Monday with the start of jury deliberation. Nelson began his closing statement by reminding the jury that the Chauvin 'doesn't have to play catch up', he starts with presumption of innocence. For the first time in the case, Chauvin set down the pen with which he has scribbled throughout and looked at the screen on which Nelson displayed definitions of standards of doubt, stretching out his arms and calling for them to consider the scales of justice, reasonably balanced. Civil cases may use a 'preponderance of evidence' as a standard of proof he told them - a grain of sand that could, he suggested, tip the scales. The next level is 'clear and convincing evidence'. This is the standard, Nelson told the jury, that the state used to, 'take away your children.' The highest standard is proof 'beyond a reasonable doubt'. Nelson explained: 'Essentially what the state has to convince you is that the evidence in this case completely eliminates any reasonable doubt or in other words leaving only unreasonable doubt, capricious, unpredictable, fanciful space aliens flew in and inhabited the body of Derek Chauvin, that's fanciful.' Nelson asked the jury to be 'intellectually honest' and cast his own statements accordingly. Most notably, Nelson took a quick swipe at the state's rebuttal of defense medical expert Dr David Fowler's contention that carbon monoxide may have played a part in Floyd's death. Dr Tobin came in and told the jury, he said, that there could not have been any carbon monoxide poisoning because his oxygen saturation levels at hospital were 98 percent. Nelson pointed out: 'I could get up in front of you and argue you to that we know this wasn't asphyxiation because George Floyd had a 98 percent oxygen level but that's not intellectually honest. What is 'excited delirium'? The condition Chauvin's defense claims made Floyd dangerous during arrest Derek Chauvin's defense has repeatedly suggested that George Floyd may have been experiencing 'excited delirium' during his fatal arrest on May 25. Excited delirium is a condition characterized by the abrupt onset of aggression and distress, typically accompanying drug abuse. Thomas Lane, a rookie officer who helped restrain Floyd, could be heard on body camera footage questioning whether Floyd might be experiencing excited delirium. The subject came up at Chauvin's trial last week when the defense called Nicole Mackenzie, a Minneapolis police officer who trains other officers in medical care and testified for the prosecution earlier. Mackenzie told the jury that new officers are told how to recognize the signs of excited delirium. Suspects may be incoherent, she said, exhibit extraordinary strength, sweat or suffer from abnormal body temperature, or seem like they suddenly snapped. They're taught that cardiovascular disease, drug abuse or mental illness can trigger excited delirium, she said. But Mackenzie told the jury that she would defer to an emergency room doctor in diagnosing the condition. She also testified that she provides training on excited delirium only to new recruits. Judge Peter Cahill cautioned jurors that there is no evidence that the veteran Chauvin had the training. There is no universally accepted definition of excited delirium and researchers have said it's not well understood. The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic handbook doesn't list the condition and one study last year concluded it is mostly cited as a cause only when the person who died had been restrained. Advertisement 'It doesn't stack up against the rest of the evidence because of what we know. We heard the testimony of paramedic Seth Bravinder and [ER physician] Dr Langenfeld. 'They came in and said they began resuscitation efforts, they introduced oxygen they're manually breathing for him. They're re-oxygenating his blood. 'So, when you're looking at the evidence you have to compare it to all of the of the evidence.' If they are missing any single element even one single element - then, Nelson said, the verdict has to be not guilty. 'I submit to you that the state has failed to meet its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt,' he said. Nelson focused in on the definition of objectively reasonably use of force because, in his words, 'No crime is committed if the police officer's actions were reasonable.' 'You must look at those facts which a reasonable officer in the same situation would have known at the precise moment the officer acted with force,' he said. 'You must decide if the officer's actions were reasonable in light of the totality of the facts and circumstance in front of the officer and without regard to the officer's own state of mind, intention or motivations.' As he did in his opening Nelson cast his net wide when it came to all of the things, he said, an objectively reasonable officer would have been aware of on the day of Floyd's death the high crime area, the fact that it was high density and urban, the proximity of a hospital, the behavior of the suspect and the unpredictability of humans. A reasonable officer, he said, will take into consideration his immediate surroundings and who he's on the scene with. 'Are these veteran officers, are they rookie officers?' Nelson asked. 'Throughout the course of this trial the state has focused you on nine minutes 29 seconds. The proper analysis is to take those nine minutes 29 seconds and put them in the context of what would a reasonable officer know.' Nelson took the jury through the events of the day; from that moment of the first call to Cup Foods and dispatcher Jenna Scurry's decision to call for back-up. Chauvin and Tou Thao headed to the scene, knowing that there was some sort of disturbance with which the two officers already there - J Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane - were struggling. Nelson showed footage from Lane's body-worn camera of the officers trying to wrangle Floyd into the back of the squad car. 'Active aggression or active resistance?' he asked. 'Let's call it active resistance.' This, Nelson said, was the mental starting point and context upon which Chauvin drew in that moment. Nelson repeatedly stated the notion of 'a reasonable police officer', each time pushing the connection between the concept and his own client. Chauvin, in Nelson's scenario, was that 'reasonable officer' - a characterization that brought in its wake the assumption that the decisions he was making were reasonable. 'He walks onto a scene he's sees active resistance occurring, possibly active aggression. He is not intervening at that time but what are his options?' Nelson asked. 'Distraction techniques, controlled take down, conscious neck restraints he has, per his training, these techniques at his disposal.' Chauvin is facing three charges in connection with George Floyd's death on May 25: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter Chauvin did not step in immediately but instead observed, Nelson said before describing what he saw through the perspective of a reasonable officer. A reasonable police officer, Nelson said, would observe the white foam around Floyd's mouth. He would consider the information that this person was possibly on something. A reasonable person would look at the size of a person and assess his size in relation to his own size. A reasonable officer would know that there are two rookies putting Floyd in the car. A reasonable officer would hear what a suspect was saying. 'I'm a good guy, I'm a good guy, I'm a good guy. I'm claustrophobic,' and he's going to compare those words with the actions of the individual. A reasonable officer, Nelson said, would ask himself, as per training, whether a person is purposefully trying to thwart attempts to take into custody or are they simply unable to comply. A reasonable officer would conclude that the amount of force being used by Keung and Lane was not enough to overpower Floyd's resistance to getting into the car. Nelson quoted the state's own use of force expert, LAPD Sergeant Jody Stiger who had observed the 'futility' of the officers' attempts to get Floyd into the car. The struggle was intense, Nelson reminded so intense that it knocked the body-worn camera and badge from Chauvin's shirt. Once again the jury saw the milestone camera footage of the scene the footage that prompted dispatcher Jenna Scurry to report concerns at what she had witnessed to the supervising sergeant. Nelson stopped the video at the moment Floyd was put to the ground and he reminded the jury that there was 'not a single use of force expert [and] not a single police officer [who]said that anything up to this point was unlawful or unreasonable. 'It was reasonable to put him in the squad car, it was reasonable the efforts that they took to restrain him. It's the point at which Mr Floyd is brought to the crowd that there comes dispute.' Nelson stopped the video at the moment Floyd was put to the ground and he reminded the jury that there was 'not a single use of force expert [and] not a single police officer [who]said that anything up to this point was unlawful or unreasonable' Nelson presented several graphics like the one above to show that Chauvin adhered to his police training Chauvin's constant scribbling on a yellow notepad sparks fevered Twitter debate Derek Chauvin sparked a flurry of social media speculation after he was repeatedly seen scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad over 16 days of testimony at his trial for the death of George Floyd. Eagle-eyed viewers flocked to Twitter to share their theories for what Chauvin was writing in his notebook. One viewer created an entire Twitter account dedicated to the theories, entitled: 'Derek Chauvin's yellow notepad'. Derek Chauvin sparked a flurry of social media speculation after he was repeatedly seen scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad over 16 days of testimony at his trial for the death of George Floyd Advertisement Nelson argued that this too was reasonable and in line with training a move aimed at protecting both the officers and the suspect. He accused the state of trying to 'reframe the issue of what a reasonable police officer would do' by extracting 9 minutes 29 seconds from all that went before. In fact 16 minutes and 59 seconds had gone before all of which, Nelson said, a reasonable officer would consider. 'A reasonable police officer would know about those previous 17 minutes, he would know about the struggle, he would consider the suspects reaction to the previous use of force. 'And a reasonable police officer would consider using an additional force to overcome the subject's resistance.' Nelson told the court: 'I have thought a lot about the difference between perspective and perception. Perspective is the angle at which you see something, perception is how you interpret what it is that you see. 'I've thought about this a lot because it's not the normal set up for a jury trial. I cannot see four of the jurors. They probably can't see me either. Several of the jurors I have a very good view of, four of them I do not, others it's obstructed. 'Things can affect your perspective. But your perception is how you interpret what you see and that's our life, our experiences the things that make us what we are.' As far as the jury is concerned, Nelson said: 'Ultimately the court will instruct you on how to deal with these biases. The court's final instructions will guide you to try to recognize your biases, what we bring to the table and analyze the evidence from the perspective of the incident itself.' The witnesses on the scene did not have the benefit of such reflection or instruction, Nelson said. They brought their own biases to the table and each impacted on what they believed they saw and how they reacted to it. Nelson spoke of Charles McMillan, who urged Floyd to get in the car and left the scene wishing Chauvin to 'get home safe.' He spoke of Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who filmed the incident but did not even know officers Lane and Keung were there. And Donald Williams, the MMA fighter who accused Chauvin of putting Floyd in a blood choke - but both carotid articles were never blocked, Nelson told the court. 'This was not a choke hold.' Speaking of Williams Nelson said: 'He was upset and that's okay because his perception affected what he was seeing.' Similarly, he suggested that off-duty fire-fighter Genevieve Hansen was almost overwhelmed by her perceptions. Nelson pointed out that she admitted the crowd distracted her from focusing on the officers, she interpreted fluid on the ground as Floyd's urine and assumed the blood on his face was from the ground. When told in court that EMS had been called five minutes before she arrived she flat out refused to believe what was, in fact, a verifiable truth. 'What she observed was not consistent with the actual evidence,' Nelson said. Meanwhile the officers on the scene were, he said, all aware that they were being filmed and Chauvin was making his assessment of the situation minute by minute attempting to keep control of both Floyd and the crowd which, Nelson said, he would have recognized was in crisis. According to Nelson the most critical moment in the case came at 8.25.16pm. At that moment three things happened: Floyd took his last breath, Chauvin pulled his mace and threatened the crowd with it and Hansen entered the scene walking up behind the officers and startling him. All of these events happened at once and influenced Chauvin's perception he said. All of these things conspired to form Chauvin's perception of threat and, referencing the testimony of Medical Support Coordinator Nicole MacKenzie, created a situation in which it was more easy to miss something with Floyd. Nelson pointed out that paramedics did a 'load and go' after assessing the crowd as 'unfriendly'. He listed all of officers who testified about Chauvin's use of force, reeling off their names and stating that they all came to different conclusions as to when use of force became unnecessary. Nelson said that a witness he found particularly interesting was Lieutenant Johnny Mercil as he was Chauvin's actual use of force trainer so, Nelson said, 'the best glimpse we're going to get into the training of a Minneapolis police officer'. 'He corrected the state at times,' Nelson said of Mercil. 'He said the knee on the neck is not an unauthorized move and can be utilized. He said it can be there for an extended period of time [and that] once a person is handcuffed people can continue to thrash around and be a danger to themselves and others. Nelson sought to paint witnesses to Floyd's fatal arrest - as seen in the body camera footage above - as 'biased' Nelson reminded the jury that Mercil had testified about ground defense and using weight to control a suspect and how he said that there were no strict techniques, that he personally trains officers to put a knee over the shoulder, up to the base of the neck and described it as routinely used. Mercil, Nelson said, recognized the concept of 'awful but lawful'. And admitted that there are circumstances under which an assessment had to be made as to whether or not it was worth the risk to handcuff a person and administer medical aid. And he recognized the human element the impact of use of force on the officer doing it. 'You have to take into account that officers are human beings capable of making mistakes,' he said. 'In this case the totality of the circumstances as known to a reasonable officer in the precise moment the force was used demonstrate this was an authorized use of force, as unattractive as it may be and this is reasonable doubt.' In a moment of marked emotion amid a clinical assessment of all that had occurred, Nelson said: 'There is absolutely no evidence that officer Chauvin purposefully applied unlawful force. 'Officer Chauvin did not purposefully use unlawful force. These are officers doing their job in a highly stressful situation according to their training according to the Minneapolis police department. It's tragic. It's tragic.' Turning to cause of death, Nelson once again apologized for being long-winded but said that there was an important sentence that the state had not read to the jury. Reading the instruction handed to the jury earlier, Nelson emphasized the key qualification that the state had omitted: 'The defendant is criminally liable for all the consequences of his actions that occur in the ordinary and natural course of events, including those consequences brought about by one or more intervening causes if such intervening causes were the natural result of the defendant's acts.' The reason the state was seeking to convince the jury that asphyxia was the sole cause of Floyd's death was, Nelson said, because none of the other contributing factors heart disease, hypertension, excited delirium, fentanyl and amphetamine ingestion - were natural consequences of Chauvin's actions. Instead, they were consequences of Floyd's own. He said: 'The state [has] to convince you beyond a reasonable doubt that there pre-existing issues did not contribute to Mr Floyd's death. 'That is why the state has brought in expert after expert after expert to testify that the single cause of death was asphyxiation.' Viewed as a whole, according to Nelson, testimony from the state's experts witnesses 'flies in the face of common sense', especially when set against Dr Andrew Baker's findings. The Chief Medical Examiner said there was no evidence of asphyxia at autopsy. Nelson gave as examples that there were no fine bruises he would expect to see. There were no injuries to the structures of Floyd's neck and when he finally did review the video which he had avoided watching ahead of the autopsy so that he would not bias himself, he saw nothing about the placement of Chauvin's knee to change his opinion. And all of the other physical defects he found Nelson said the enlarged heart, the narrowed arteries, the paraganglioma were the findings relied upon by all other experts who, he suggested, willfully ignored things that did not fit the narrative of asphyxia. Dr Baker found the manner of death was homicide but in a medical not criminal sense. In his official finding he wrote, 'Cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression' Dr Baker explained that he used the word 'complicating' to mean, 'an intervention occurred and there was an untoward outcome on the heels of that intervention.' He also told the court that if he wrote something on the death certificate he did so for the simple reason that it played a role in the death. He added arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease; fentanyl intoxication and recent use of amphetamine.' Nelson said, 'Apparently the state did not like Dr Baker's findings. His findings didn't support the notion that what you see is what you should believe.' Nelson tackled some of Dr Martin Tobin's most emotive testimony, that he termed the 'finger and knuckle testimony,' the doctor's view that Floyd used both to push himself up so that he could breathe. According to Nelson this testimony falls apart when viewed through the prism of the facts and detached from the doctor's own bias. The time stamp on the images used to highlight the theory shows that Floyd was actually in the side recovery position at the time just 15 minutes into his restraint. He would continue to breathe for another five minutes and 51 seconds. Nelson said, 'This illustrates how you can take a nanosecond of time in this address, have this testimony that he's pushing his body up to try to breathe, but when you look at the evidence compared to the rest of the evidence what do you really see? 'You see a person on his side being held in the side recovery position, his fingers and knuckles occasionally touching the ground and tire.' Nelson warned the jury, 'You cannot take a single isolated frame and reach any conclusions.' Again and again Nelson returned to his theme that nothing in this case could be viewed in isolation but that instead everything must be placed in the context of the totality of circumstances. He urged the jury, 'Put the evidence in its proper context.' Cause of death, Nelson told them, 'is a multifactorial process.' Nelson said it was 'a preposterous notion' that the amount of fentanyl in Floyd's system did not play some part in his death as he showed the jury the photo above of pills found in the console of Floyd's car The history of Floyd's use of illegal substances was significant, Nelson said and not a character attack. IT provided insight on how his body might react to opioid use within the context of a law enforcement encounter. Nelson reminded the jurors that Floyd's girlfriend Courtney Ross had admitted that both struggled with opioid addiction. He remined them of the prior arrest on May 6, 2019 when Floyd had a remarkably similar encounter with police that resulted in his blood pressure skyrocket to 216 to 160. He reminded them of Ross's testimony that Floyd had suffered an accidental overdose and complained that his 'whole body hurt' at the time. He reminded them of the 'knock off' pills purchased by Floyd from his friend Morries Hall and how they made Ross feel as if she was going to die when she took them. Hall, Nelson pointed out, was with Floyd on May 25, 2020. He told them about store clerk Christopher Martin's observation that Floyd was high and Shawanda Hill's testimony that he fell asleep back in the car and they couldn't keep him awake. Nelson said it was 'a preposterous notion' that the amount of fentanyl in Floyd's system did not play some part in his death. Continuing his lengthy closing after a brief lunch break, Nelson told the jury that the state was asking them to simply ignore 'significant medical issues' when they offered up asphyxia as the sole cause of Floyd's death. 'The failure of the state's experts to acknowledge any possibility that any of these factors in any way contributed defies medical silence and it defies common sense and reason,' he said. Applying common sense and reason to the timeline of Floyd's last verbalizations, Nelson told the court that it was consistent with the 'sudden cardiac arrhythmia' and not 'the long prognosis of hypoxia', or low oxygen. Nelson also cleared up an aspersion cast on Dr Fowler's evidence during cross examination when Jerry Blackwell challenged the doctor that he didn't even know if the squad car was running, as he knocked down Foster's assertion that carbon monoxide from the tail pipe may have contributed to Floyd's death. Today Nelson said: 'We know it was running' and pointed to officer Lane's body-camera footage, which showed he never turned off the car when arriving at the scene. Nelson pondered what would have happened if the paramedics had treated on the scene or gone straight to the hospital rather than drive a few blocks away. Might Floyd have been revived? His point was, he said, 'Human beings make decisions in highly stressful situations that they believe to be right in the very moment that it is occurring. There's lots of what ifs? What could have happened? What should have happened? Lots of them in lots of regards. 'But we have to analyze this case from the perspective of a reasonable police officer in the precise moment of use of force. 'We have to look at cause of death. Did Mr Floyd die of asphyxia or were there other contributory factors that were not the natural consequence of Mr Chauvin's action? 'The drug ingestion, the diseased heart, the hypertension all of these things existed before Mr Chauvin arrived.' 'The struggle,' he said, 'What role did the struggle play? We know in a prior incident Mr Floyd's heart was beating at 219 over 160. He didn't die that day.' Wrapping up closing statement that had taken close to three hours, Nelson once again asserted that the state had failed to prove Chauvin guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and thus the jury should not find him guilty on any charge. Trial attorney Jerry Blackwell delivered the state's rebuttal Trial attorney Jerry Blackwell then stood to deliver the state's rebuttal. He told the jury that while they had heard 45 witness in all, there was a 46th one that spoke to them before the trial, during it and would continue to speak to them in the deliberations room: common sense. For all the issues brought up in closing statements Blackwell told the jury, 'the case is so simple a child could understand it'. In fact, a child had, he said referencing nine-year-old witness Judea who had said that she thought a remedy might have been to 'get off of him'. Blackwell painted Nelson's closing summary as a 'story' because 'it's either completely not true or the facts have been altered in order to make a point to you, which makes it a story. 'You've got to reach a verdict verdict's a Latin word for truth. You're not reaching a story.' Picking up on Nelson's technique of repeatedly casting Chauvin in the role of 'a reasonable officer', Blackwell said: 'Reasonable officer is not a magic word that you apply to Mr Chauvin and then he becomes one. 'The whole narrative cut off before we got to the point that Mr Floyd was not moving, not conscious, did not have a pulse and that Mr Chauvin is still on top of him when the EMTs showed up. How is that reasonable?' With characteristic savagery Blackwell dismantled Nelson's assertion that Floyd died from causes other than Chauvin's actions. 'The notion that Mr Floyd dying was just coincidental, he just happened to die in the same time and same place of factors unrelated to what Mr Chauvin was doing that's a story ladies and gentlemen and defies common sense,' Blackwell said. Floyd had lived 17,026 days, Blackwell said, many with all of the underlying problems that Nelson flagged up, he had survived everything but his encounter with Chauvin. Where Nelson had suggested that the state's expert witnesses differed in their opinions, Blackwell said they were united in one key fact: 'There was a use of force that set a number of things in motion for Mr Floyd that culminated in his death.' He reminded them that Dr Tobin had said that no human being could have survived the restrained and neck compression to which Floyd was subjected. 'We are only required to show you that Mr Chauvin's conduct was a substantial cause in Mr Floyd's death,' Blackwell said. And, however their experts may have differed in the precise mechanisms involved, he said they all agreed that Floyd's death stemmed back to the subdual, restraint and neck compression. He rejected the suggestion that there are two sides to every story a premise on which Nelson has repeatedly fallen back. The court is not about 'stories', Blackwell said, 'What we're about here is getting to the truth.' In a similar vein he said that the police badge which Chauvin wore was 'not a license to abuse the public, to not follow procedures'. There are no two sides to that, he said, 'that's simply wrong and the only sides to that are the 'w' and the 'g' [of wrong].' Chauvin 'had all the power', that day, Blackwell said 'He had a gun, he had mace, he had back up.' And the crowd that he was facing, Blackwell said, consisted of three high school juniors, a second-grader, a senior taking her cousin to get candy, Donald Williams the MMA fighter who wanted to save Floyd's life, Charles McMillan 'the mayor' of the neighborhood and Genevieve Hansen. This 'bouquet of humanity', all of different ages, races and genders did not present any threat, Blackwell said, 'They came together, they saw a human being they did not know suffering and they wanted to intervene.' Had they wanted to take the law into their own hands, Blackwell told the court, they could have removed Chauvin but they respected the badge. As he repeatedly characterized all that the defense had said about the crowd and events of that day as 'a story' Nelson objected in a move that was sustained by the judge who told Blackwell to move on from the use of the word. The state's closing: Prosecutors tell jurors to ask whether Floyd would have died were it not for Chauvin's restraint In closing for the state, prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked the jury to consider one question in coming to a verdict: Would Floyd have died were it not for the cop's restraint? Schleicher posed the question as he sought to cast doubt on the myriad of factors the defense presented as contributing causes of Floyd's death, including his drug use, heart problems and potential exposure to exhaust from the squad car he was pinned next to on May 25. 'The defendant knew better. He just didn't do better,' Schleicher said of Chauvin. 'George Floyd did not have to die that day, should not have died that day. But, for the fact that the defendant decided not to get up, and not to let up, George Floyd died.' Schleicher also refuted the defense suggestion that Floyd had 'superhuman strength' during his arrest because he was suffering from 'excited delirium'. Floyd was 'a human being,' the prosecutor said. 'There is no such thing as super human, that exists in comic books.' Underlining how hard Floyd fought just to be able to breathe, Schleicher showed the court graphic photos of the injuries he suffered when he was pinned down, which had been previously presented to the jury but were not released publicly until Monday. As he did throughout three weeks of testimony, Chauvin sat silent and expressionless and took notes on a yellow legal pad as Schleicher walked the jury through each of the charges he's facing: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The court was shown these photos of the injuries Floyd sustained as he was pinned to the ground on May 25 Cuts are shown on Floyd's knuckles after he struggled to get Chauvin to relieve the pressure on his neck Schleicher asserted that Floyd died because Chauvin's 'ego and pride' took over and caused the cop to betray his badge and abandon his training when he pressed his knee into the handcuffed black man's neck. 'All that was required [to save Floyd] was some compassion,' Schleicher told the court. But instead Floyd was crushed beneath the knee of the officer, surrounded by strangers with no familiar face or loved one to cry out to. Schleicher noted that Floyd's final words were addressed to Chauvin: 'I can't breathe', over and over. 'But he continued to hold him down, to grind into him, to shimmy,' Schleicher said. 'George Floyd begged until he could speak no more and the defendant continued this assault. 'The truth is the defendant was on top of him for nine minutes and 29 seconds and he had to know.' Schleicher opened his statement by telling the jury who Floyd was that he was born on October 14, 1973, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that he was a 'mama's boy', a beloved son, brother and father. And Schleicher bookended Floyd's life loved and surrounded by loved ones with his death, ground into the asphalt and alone. Addressing the fact that it is hard to believe that a police officer could 'do something like this,' Schleicher told the court this is not a case against the police, but against one particular bad cop. What the defendant did, he said, 'wasn't policing. It was assault'. 'It was unnecessary, it was gratuitous and he did it on purpose,' Schleicher told the jury. 'He betrayed the badge and everything he stood for. [He] abandoned his values, abandoned his training and killed a man'. Chauvin was responding to a call over a fake $20 bill but, the prosecutor told the silent court, 'George Floyd's life was taken for something worth far, far less than that.' Floyd died because Chauvin was 'trying to win' and because of Chauvin's 'ego and pride', Schleicher said. It was not, he said, 'the kind of pride that makes you do better'. It was, 'The kind of ego-based pride that the defendant was going to do what he wanted to do as long as he wanted because he had the authority and he had the power and of the badge[he was] trying to win and George Floyd paid for it with his life.' According to Schleicher, Chauvin 'chose pride over policing'. Schleicher took the jury back through the events of May 25 and told them all of the reasons a person might be unable to comply to police commands - all of the reasons taught in the crisis response training undertaken by all of the officers there that day. 'It's nothing new,' he told the jury. 'People have emotions. People don't meet the police on their best day very often.' He reminded them of Chief Medaria Arradondo's testimony that MPD responds to 4,000 calls for service for people in crisis every year. 'They're there on a $20 counterfeiting charge,' he said. 'They train for this.' Schleicher did not attempt to sugar coat Floyd's issues. He 'certainty had his struggles,' the prosecutor said, referencing testimony from Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross about his struggles with opioid addiction. That was nothing new for officers either, Schleicher said. 'The difference on May 25, 2020 is that officers wouldn't listen to him, wouldn't recognize the signs of what they had prepared for,' he said. 'A reasonable officer should have known that and recognized that. Floyd was trying to get into the car. He was trying to work up the courage. He said he'd count to three but he just couldn't do it.' Everything that happened that day was, the prosecutor said, 'completely unnecessary', but the excessive force started in earnest the moment the officers had Floyd prone and handcuffed on the ground. Schleicher told jurors to ask themselves if Floyd would have died were it not for what Chauvin did that day. Was it his enlarged heart, did he suddenly die of a drug overdose, was it the fumes from the car tail-pipe? 'Use your common sense,' Schleicher urged. 'Believe your eyes. What you saw you was murder.' Prosecutor Steve Schleicher is seen delivering the state's closing statement on Monday morning Prosecutors repeatedly referenced this timeline of Floyd's fatal arrest during the trial and showed it once again on Monday Prosecutors showed this graphic to remind how police officials testified that Chauvin's use of force was unreasonable Schleicher cited testimony from medical experts who said Floyd did not die from sudden cardiac arrhythmia or a heart attack This graphic seeks to refute the suggestion that Floyd's death was caused by his drug use Turning to the law as Judge Cahill had instructed the jurors, Schleicher reminded: 'The fact that other causes contribute to the death does not relieve the defendant of criminal liability.' The only scenario in which Chauvin is not criminally liable if a 'superseding cause' caused his death. But, Schleicher intimated, 'The unlawful restraintthat's what killed George Floyd. Believe your eyes. Unlawful force pinning him to the ground, that's what killed him. That was a homicide.' Schleicher guided the jury back through the experts they had heard and the testimony they had given including emergency room physician Dr Bradford Langenfeld, Chief Medical Examiner Dr Andrew Baker, who ruled the death a homicide, and pulmonologist Dr Martin Tobin. Those experts explained both what Floyd did and did not die from, Schleicher said. 'You know how George Floyd died,' the prosecutor said, harking back to Dr Tobin's testimony during which he said that Floyd had been held 'in a vice' between the pavement and Chauvin's knee. 'He said it was as if George Floyd's left lung had been surgically removed to the point where Mr Floyd was desperately trying to breathe, pushing his shoulder, pushing his face [against the ground] to breathe.' 'That's what killed Mr Floyd.' This wasn't a sudden arrhythmia, the prosecutor insisted, there was no medical evidence of a heart attack and it wasn't a drug overdose. 'George Floyd was obviously not a perfect man. Who is? No-one is. You heard about drugs, you heard about questions: 'Is he chewing gum, does he have a pill in his mouth?' None of that matters because you know what his drug level was from the toxicology result,' Schleicher said. He went on to refute the suggestion that Floyd was experiencing 'Excited Delirium', and said the idea that the condition gave him 'super-human strength' or made him 'impervious to pain' was 'nonsense'. There were so may things that might have saved Floyd's life, Schleicher said; putting Floyd in the side recovery position or keeping him in it in the first place or giving immediate medical aid in the form of CPR chest compressions. 'These actions were not policing, theses actions were an assault,' he said. As for whether Chauvin was acting knowingly or not, Schleicher said: 'It's pretty simple. You're doing something to hurt somebody and you keep doing it. You're doing it on purpose.' Schleicher played excerpts of the officers' body-worn camera footage showing Floyd prone and handcuffed beneath them. 'Do you want to know what indifference looks like?' he asked, before playing a portion in which Chauvin can be heard responding to Floyd's pleas of 'you're killing me,' and complaints that his stomach hurts, that everything hurts with the sound: 'Uh Huh' before adding: 'It takes a lot of oxygen to complain about it.' Schleicher told the court: 'That isn't protection. It isn't courage and it certainly, certainly isn't compassion. It's the opposite of that.' But Chauvin's negligence goes beyond what he did and extended towards what he did not do, Schleicher said. Despite the fact that Chauvin had the 'knowledge and tools' he did not render medical aid. In all, Schleicher concluded that the only possible verdict on all three counts was guilty. But even after that he said: 'You have another thing to consider. Was this just okay because the defendant was a police officer? Was it justified? Was this objectively reasonable?' He told the jury: 'It was not.' 'We talked a lot about what might have happened, hypotheticals. We talked a lot about what didn't happen. You need to focus on what did happen. George Floyd wasn't resisting, he just couldn't comply. They do it all the time. 'He wasn't going anywhere. He was doing anything. He didn't need to be put in a prone position, but the defendant was on top of him he stayed on top of him, grinding his knee on him, twisting his wrist - simply the infliction of pain not a reasonable use of force. Force must be reasonable at the point it occurs, the point it ends and all points in between.' 'Don't miss the forest for the trees,' he urged the jury. 'Officer after officer, the Chief of Police, got on that stand and told you that this conduct violates the use of force policy, the department's core values, the duty of care. 'When George Floyd said his final words to the defendant the defendant stayed on top of him. He ignored it. Continued doing what he was doing. Facing the crowd, grinding his knee, twisting his hand.' 'The greatest sceptic of the case among you, how can you justify the continued use of force on this man when he has no pulse. It wasn't too late. He could have rolled him over and performed CPR. 'He continued past the point of finding a pulse, past the point where the ambulance arrived, past the point where the paramedics got out. What's the goal? What are we trying to accomplish here? Why hold him so long, past that line that was crossed?' Schleicher let the words pile up unreasonable, unnecessary, unlawful. 'The defendant is guilty of second-degree murder. He's guilty of third-degree murder and he's guilty of second-degree manslaughter: all of them,' he said. 'This is not a justified used of force. You can't justify this use of force it's not possible.' As he did throughout three weeks of testimony, Chauvin sat silent and expressionless and took notes on a yellow legal pad as Schleicher walked the jury through each of the charges he's facing: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter Floyd family members Tiffany Hall, Philonise Floyd and Reverend Al Sharpton are seen walking into the Hennepin County courthouse on Monday morning ahead of closing statements Members of Floyd's family held their fists in the air in defiance as they approached the courthouse on Monday Schleicher returned to his opening sentiments as he wound towards the end of his powerful two-hour closing statement. He had said at the start that Floyd had died surrounded by strangers but they were not, he said people who did not care. 'They all converged by fate in one single moment of time to witness something,' he said. 'To witness nine minutes 29 seconds of shocking abuse of authority, to watch a man die and there was nothing they could do about it because they were powerless. Because even they respected the badge. Even seeing this happening. 'All they could do was watch and gather what they could, gather their memories, their thoughts and impressions, those precious recordings and they gathered those up and they brought them here and they got up on the stand and they bore witness to this outrageous act and they gave you what they had.' 'And they gave it to you,' he said looking at the jury, 'Randomly selected people from the community. You got a summons in the mail and here you are all converged on one spot. 'That power belongs to you. Only you have the power to convict the defendant of this crime and in so doing declare that this use of force was unreasonable it was excessive, it was grossly disproportionate. 'It is not an excuse for the shocking abuse you saw with your own eye. This case is exactly what you thought when you saw hit first.' Returning to Jerry Blackwell's opening statements as he wrapped up his own closing, Schleicher said: 'You can believe your eyes. It's exactly what you knew it was. It's what you felt in your gut. It's what you now know in your heart. 'This wasn't policing, this was murder. The defendant is guilty on all three counts all of them there no excuse.' Judge Peter Cahill opened Monday's proceedings by reading the jury instructions ahead of closing statements Before closing statements Judge Peter Cahill addressed the jury and told them to stick to the evidence presented in court when coming to a verdict. 'It is your duty to decide the questions of fact. It is my duty to give you the rules of law that apply,' the judge said. 'You must follow the law even if you believe the law is or should be different.' Judge Cahill said that 'beyond reasonable doubt' is the standard upon which an 'ordinary prudent man or woman would act in their ordinary affairs.' Reasonable doubt, he told them, is a doubt, 'based on common sense.' It is not 'a fanciful or capricious doubt nor is it beyond all doubt.' He talked them through the law as it applies to each of the three counts faced by Chauvin. None of the charges second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter require the jury to find that Chauvin intended to cause substantial bodily harm or the death of George Floyd. Even the most serious count only requires them to find that he committed the act of felony assault and does not need the additional element of any intention to cause the harm that it did. Put bluntly it would be enough for them to find that he did it. Equally they may find him guilty of causing Floyd's death if they decide that his act or acts were a substantial factor in Floyd's death. They need not be the only factor if the jury but any others must be a direct result of Chauvin's act. But if they decide that there was another superseding cause that was not a result of Chauvin's acts. All of their assessments of Chauvin must be considered through the prism of whether his use of force was 'objectively reasonable in light of the totality of the facts without regard to the officer's own intentions.' Chauvin is not guilty, he told them, if they find that the force he used was authorized by law. Hennepin County Government Center, where the Chauvin trial is being held, is protected with high fences and concrete Members of the National Guard stand on duty in downtown Minneapolis under Operation Safety Net City Hall in Minneapolis is boarded up on Sunday and ringed in fencing and barbed wire ahead of the Chauvin verdict The state's case: Prosecutors called 38 witnesses - including police officials, medical experts and people who watched Floyd's fatal arrest in real time - to prove the black man's death caused by Chauvin's actions Chauvin's highly anticipated trial began on March 29 with an opening statement from trial attorney Jerry Blackwell, who vowed to prove that the defendant 'betrayed the badge' when he 'did not get up, did not let up' for nine minutes and 29 seconds, even after Floyd stopped breathing and despite the fevered pleas from bystanders for him to release Floyd. MINNESOTA V DEREK CHAUVIN - CHARGES Second-degree murder Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, which in Minnesota can be 'intentional' or 'unintentional.' The second-degree murder charge requires prosecutors to prove Chauvin caused Floyd's death while committing or trying to commit a felony in this case, third-degree assault. Prosecutors must convince the jury that Chauvin assaulted or attempted to assault Floyd and in doing so inflicted substantial bodily harm. Prosecutors don't have to prove Chauvin was the sole cause of Floyd's death - only that his conduct was a 'substantial causal factor.' If the prosecution can prove Chauvin committed third-degree assault , he can be convicted of Floyd's death. Prosecutors are fearful that Chauvin will escape conviction for second-degree murder, that carries a maximum 40 year sentence. But because Chauvin does not have any prior convictions, sentencing guidelines recommend he serve no more than 25.5 years in jail. Second-degree manslaughter The manslaughter charge has a lower bar, requiring proof Chauvin caused Floyd's death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death. If convicted of second-degree manslaughter in Minnesota, the charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. But sentencing guidelines for someone without a criminal record call for no more than four years behind bars. Third-degree murder Third-degree murder would require a lower standard of proof than second-degree. To win a conviction, prosecutors would have to show only that Floyd's death was caused by an act that was obviously dangerous, though not necessarily a felony. That would result in a maximum sentence of 25 years. But there are caveats. Chauvin has no criminal history, which means he will likely end up serving about 12.5 years if he is convicted of second or third-degree murder. Advertisement Over the next 11 days prosecutors brought in 38 witnesses - beginning with people who watched Floyd's fatal arrest unfold in real time. Among them was 911 dispatcher Jena Scurry, who called the officers' supervisor with concerns about their use of force; off-duty firefighter and EMT Genevieve Hansen, who begged the officers to allow her to provide medical aid; nine-year-old Judea and her cousin Darnella Frazier, who filmed the most famous viral video of the arrest; and mixed martial arts fighter Don Williams, who testified that Chauvin used a 'blood choke' on Floyd. Christopher Martin, the Cup Foods employee whose concerns about a counterfeit $20 bill Floyd used to buy cigarettes led to his arrest, also testified that he wished he hadn't said anything because he believes Floyd might still be alive today if he'd kept quiet. During testimony from these eye-witnesses the jury was shown several graphic videos of Floyd's confrontation with police. Prosecutors also showed video of Floyd inside the Cup Foods store before police were called, in which he appeared agitated, distracted and potentially under the influence of drugs. The second week of the trial was dominated by technical testimony, beginning with senior Minneapolis Police Department officials, including Chief Medaria Arradondo, who testified that Chauvin violated department policy when he restrained Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds. Police officials testified that while officers might sometimes use a knee across a person's back or shoulder to gain or maintain control, they're also taught the specific dangers for a person in Floyd's position - prone on his stomach, with his hands cuffed behind him - and how such a person must be turned into a side recovery position as soon as possible. Later in the prosecutors called a string of medical experts to testify that Floyd died due to a lack of oxygen, not from a primary cardiac event. Some of the most powerful testimony came from Dr Martin Tobin, a lung and critical care specialist who told jurors that other factors, not just Chauvin's knee, made it hard for Floyd to breathe: officers lifting up his handcuffs, the hard pavement, his turned head and a knee on his back. Tobin pinpointed the moment when he said he could see Floyd take his last breath - and said Chauvin's knee remained on Floyd's neck another 3 minutes, two seconds. 'At the beginning, you can see he's conscious, you can see slight flickering, and then it disappears,' Tobin said as he highlighted a still image from police body-camera video. 'That's the moment the life goes out of his body.' The state rested its case on April 13, at which point all eyes turned to Chauvin's attorney Nelson. The defense case: Chauvin's attorneys called just seven witnesses to shift blame away from the ex-cop and onto Floyd's drug use and health problems At the center of Nelson's defense was the argument that Floyd's death was not caused by Chauvin's actions but by outside factors - namely Floyd's drug addiction and underlying health conditions, including a bad heart. Nelson made two other key arguments: that use of force is an unattractive but essential component of policing, and that the hostile crowd that surrounded Chauvin and fellow officers as they restrained Floyd had distracted them from proper procedure and care. Nelson called just seven witnesses over two days of testimony. He began by showing the jury video from Floyd's arrest on May 6, 2019, in an effort to portray that he had a history of feigning medical distress and rapidly ingesting pills when confronted by police through testimony by an officer and a paramedic involved in that arrest. The next two witnesses - Minneapolis Park Police Officer Peter Chang and Floyd's friend Shawanda Hill - spoke about what they saw on the day of Floyds death as the court was shown new body-camera footage of the chaos. The sixth witness was Barry Brodd, a former cop and use-of-force expert who testified that Chauvin 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 also leaned in to the defense narrative that Chauvin and his fellow officers felt 'threatened' by the gathering crowd. But as he looked at the all-too-familiar image of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck under cross-examination, Brodd was forced to concede that such a restraint would cause pain and thus also 'could be use of force'. The final and perhaps most influential witness called was Dr David Fowler, a former chief medical examiner in Maryland who shared his conclusion that Floyd's death should have never been classified as a homicide because there were too many competing potential causes of death. One of the potential causes Fowler presented was exposure to exhaust fumes from the squad car Floyd was pinned next to, which the defense witness said could have caused some degree of carbon monoxide poisoning. 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 during cross-examination, at one point telling him: 'You're not a toxicologist..a pulmonologist.. a cardiologist, a physiologistYou don't treat patients.' Fowler's earliest contradiction over more than five hours of testimony on April 14 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 Baker, the Hennepin County chief medical examiner who performed Floyd's autopsy. 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. Fowler asserted that none of that weight compromised Floyd's 'vital neck structures', that there was no evidence of injury to Floyd's neck and that the pressure applied was less than the amount necessary to bruise him. Moments before the defense rested Chauvin addressed the court for the first time on the morning of April 15 and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination, meaning he would not take the stand. In a brief rebuttal later that morning the prosecution recalled Dr Tobin to refute Fowler's claims about the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning, with which Tobin said he disagreed entirely. Judge Cahill barred Tobin from referring to specific test results with Floyd's carbon monoxide levels, which the prosecution sought to enter into evidence just minutes earlier. But Tobin told the court Floyd's hemoglobin was 98 percent saturated with oxygen, leaving up to two percent for carbon monoxide. Pressing that point Tobin told the jury: 'You and I have somewhere between zero and three.' Judge Cahill excused the jurors through the weekend, reminding them to pack a bag ahead of sequestration on Monday following closing statements. 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Forms App: Collect data in the field using Arrays IOS and Android forms app. Workflows: Save time and improve productivity using workflow and automation tools. Reports: Custom report builder allows users to consolidate data from internal and external sources into a single dashboard. Docs: Use merged form data to automatically create and edit PDF documents. Tasks: Assign tasks, manage your team and monitor progress. App Builder: No Code app builder. Build your own application without the need for a developer. Create data collection and automation apps for your industry and sell on our marketplace. About Array Array is a data collection and workflow automation platform which helps businesses to collect data and automate the journey of that data to different areas of the business. As part of the no-code revolution, Array allows users to build their own solutions without any coding or developers required. Arrays growing team is led by founder & CEO, Matt Doyle and is based in Austin, Texas. Array also has offices in Oklahoma and London. To learn more about Array, please visit: http://www.buildarray.com - https://www.linkedin.com/company/3124515/admin/ About Active Capital Active Capital is a venture firm designed to lead seed rounds for B2B SaaS companies outside of Silicon Valley. The firm is founded and run by former B2B SaaS founders with hands-on experience starting, building, and scaling high growth businesses in underdog cities across America. Active Capital is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas and invests in B2B SaaS companies all over. To learn more, please visit https://www.activecapital.com. The Peruvian government renewed coronavirus restrictions in the capital Lima on Monday, after the country reached a new record of COVID-19 deaths in one day. On Sunday, healthcare authorities registered 433 COVID-19 related deaths, the third time this month that Peru has reported a record daily death toll. While hospitals, cemeteries and crematoriums are operating at full capacity, a top medical expert described the government's strategy as a "health disaster." "If the health strategy is not changed, the disaster will be much larger," said Ciro Maguina, Vice Dean from the Peru's Medical College. He's calling for the country's vaccination campaign to be speeded up and for people to avoid gathering in public. Lima resident Richard Cabrera, whose father and brother are both in hospital receiving treatment for the virus, said the situation in the country appeared to be critical. Peru has relied on several vaccine developers, and President Francisco Sagasti said Sunday his administration was currently negoatiating with suppliers for more doses. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) [April 20, 2021] Computer Design and Integration Honored on the 2021 CRN Tech Elite 250 List Computer Design & Integration LLC ("CDI" or "the Company") today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, will honor CDI LLC on its 2021 Tech Elite 250 list. This annual list features IT solution providers of all sizes in North America that have earned cutting-edge technical certifications from leading technology suppliers. These companies have separated themselves from the pack as top solution providers, earning multiple, premier IT certifications, specializations, and partner program designations from industry-leading technology providers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005772/en/ (Graphic: Business Wire) Businesses rely on solution providers for an enormous amount of technologies, services, and expertise to help them meet today's IT challenges - whether it's a new implementation or digital transformation initiatives. To meet these demands, solution providers and MSPs must maintain high levels of training and certification from IT vendors and achieve the highest tiers within those vendors' partner programs. Each year, The Channel Company's research group and CRN editors distinguish the most client-driven technical certifications in the North American IT channel. Solution providers that have earned these high honors - enabling them to deliver exclusive products, services, and customer support - are then selected from a pool of online applicants as well as from The Channel Company's solution provider database. CDI has been consistently recognized by CRN as part of the MSP500, SP500 and the coveted Triple Crown Award, for itsdata center expertise and its hybrid cloud and managed services portfolio, which includes public, private and hybrid cloud management, a complete suite of business continuity solutions, as-a-service offerings, digital transformation initiatives, IT service management, and its proprietary Hybrid Cloud Automation Framework (HCAF) and Zero Touch Operations (ZTO). "CDI strives to ensure that we have the highest level of technical expertise and are committed to investing in our vendor certifications," said Frank Romano, President of Engineering, CDI. Through our recent acquisitions of companies aligned with our technical strategy and go-to-market plan, we are able to continue to offer a vast array of solutions to support both our clients and our partners. We have spent over 10 years named on the CRN Tech Elite 250 List and are well-positioned to continue with this honor for many more." Coverage of the Tech Elite 250 will be featured in the April issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/techelite250. About Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC): CDI LLC was founded in 1995, with corporate headquarters in New York City, and office locations in Teterboro, N.J., Atlanta, Annapolis, Philadelphia, Boston, Virginia, Colorado, Minnesota and Delaware. The firm has been recognized as one of the top solution providers in the world, offering clients and businesses of all sizes the most up-to-date hybrid IT technology solutions. CDI continually focuses on achieving client satisfaction by developing and implementing digital solutions that enhance day-to-day workflow processes, and combines the required experience, exceptional talent, quality assurance and stability needed to solve today's complex business challenges. For more information, visit cdillc.com or call 1-877-216-0133. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn (News - Alert) and YouTube. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005772/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Investors are underpinning demand for large-scale developments and strategic deals across Sydney and Melbourne. The long-time North Ryde, Sydney home of the CSIRO is poised to hit the market by the owner Aqualand, paving the way for a major redevelopment opportunity. Price expectation are more than $250 million, with flexible rental guarantees available for up to five years. A large-scale data centre, life sciences or build-to-rent project are among potential development options for the landmark 11-14 Julius Avenue property, which will be marketed internationally through CBREs Jason Edge, Chris OBrien, Sharon Yang and Michael Andrews. The long-time North Ryde, Sydney home of the CSIRO is poised to hit the market. While the CSIRO has occupied the 6.56-hectare site since the 1960s, the approaching end of the government agencys tenure has prompted owner Aqualand to test market interest. The heavy toll that chip shortages have inflicted on the auto industry is now broadening to other sectors. Exploding demand and factory outages are creating acute chip shortages and the effect of supply shortfalls is spreading beyond carmakers to any firm that relies heavily on semiconductors, such as smartphone and personal computers (PC) makers, says S&P Global Ratings. Clifford Kurz, credit analyst at S&P says, "The chip shortage may cap the revenue growth of some PC and smartphone makers, and impede their ability to capitalize on surging consumption." In its report "Global Chip Shortage Engulfs A Growing List of Tech Players," the ratings agency says, chip shortages have so far been mainly about power management integrated circuits (ICs) and driver ICs. Companies outsource production of the chips to older fabs to control costs. And as these older fabs already operate at a high utilisation, they have less flexibility to meet sudden surges in demand. These chips are used in everything from smartphones to automobiles. Chip demand has exploded, S&P says adding, "This is driven by working-from-home arrangements, rising interest in chip-intensive electric vehicles, the rollout of 5G cellular services, automation trends, and the like. Our economists have also noted the tendency of people to replace their use of offline services with the consumption of goods during the pandemic." According to the ratings agency, the chip shortage may cap the revenue growth of some PC and smartphone makers, and impede their ability to capitalise on surging consumption. It says, "Chip vendors need to manage rising costs as fabs increase prices amid a surge in demand for their services." "We expect chip vendors to be able to largely pass on these higher costs to customers. Original equipment manufacturers that are unable to procure sufficient components to meet orders for their products will feel more pain," it added. According to S&P, the supply issue is most severe in the auto industry and many carmakers have announced factory shutdowns and prioritised production based on an entity's ability to procure critical parts. Other sectors now also being squeezed include some smartphone manufacturers, the ratings agency says, adding, even some home appliance producers in China are reporting production issues related to chip shortages. Recently, Qualcomm Inc acknowledged that its output was not meeting demand, hitting Android phone-makers such as Xiaomi Corp that rely on Qualcomm's chips and modems. "Our base case is that the spike in demand will ease in the second half of 2021, returning the supply chain to equilibrium. However, there's always a chance that demand does not abate or that a fresh supply shock could trigger yet more acute shortages," says Mr Kurz. S&P says, while it anticipates no ratings change related to the shortages for now, chip shortfalls will be the major variable affecting the revenues and profits of key global entities that it cover, for at least the next 12 months. The ratings agency also sees broad demand keeping semiconductor firms at high utilisation. "In semiconductors, strong demand and high utilization will lift revenues and margins, in our view. Demand is broad, with strong orders coming from high-performance computing, autos, and communication, etc. This is across technology nodes--both mature (28 nanometres and above) and advanced (14 nanometres and below). Good revenue growth should help to offset high capital expenditure (capex) to expand capacity," S&P concludes. EUGENE, Ore. A young child suffered minor injuries in a crash near Eugene Monday morning. It happened just before 11:30 a.m. at Coburg Road and McKenzie View Drive. Fire Chief Chad Minter told KEZI 9 News a woman took the corner on McKenzie View a little too fast and crashed. She and the young child in the car suffered minor bumps and bruises. They were checked out at the scene and released, Minter said. Police in a New Jersey town are facing outrage on social media after they seized the bicycles of several Black and hispanic teens and then arrested one of them. A video that has now gone viral shows a group of about 15 or 20 teenagers riding their bicycles through Perth Amboy, New Jersey, when some police cars start following them. The teens then pull over, and a policeman in a white shirt steps out. Guys, were not gonna take your bikes, all right? the cop says. You guys know when theres 30 or 40 of you together, it creates a problem for people driving. He then warns the youths to ride more safely, and to avoid cutting off drivers or disturbing traffic. He makes no arrests, thanks the group for stopping, and gets back in his car as the teens clap sarcastically. Then theres a gap in the footage, and a new policewoman is on the scene. Take their bikes, she says. The teens are visibly surprised. He just said no! one of them, a Black teenager in a red hoodie, exclaims. What do you mean? The white-shirted cop tries to step back in, but the policewoman, who he at one point refers to as a sergeant, repeats that the bikes must be confiscated. Cross-talk between the bikers and police becomes increasingly heated. Eventually the red hoodie-wearing teen steps off his bike and allows the sergeant to take it. After another gap in the footage, the sergeant is suddenly putting handcuffs on him and leading him into a police car. As the car doors slam shut, the rest of the teens, their bikes now confiscated, wonder aloud how theyre going to get home. They tell the police theyre from Edison, which is about ten miles from Perth Amboy. In the next shot, the group is seen walking. We literally just got pulled over by cops, the teen filming the video says. One of them said we could leave, and then some other girl came. Supposedly shes the sergeant or whatever, and told them to take all the bikes when the one guy said we could leave. And now we have no bikes. Look at us, walking! Later in the video, the young man in the red hoodie is seen being released from the police station, and the rest of the group gets their bikes back. By Tuesday afternoon, the video had been viewed over two million times. Though the Perth Amboy Police Department made no mention of the incident on its social media, its Facebook page quickly filled up with angry comments. You surrounded children and took their bikes?? one Facebook user posted. Jesus, wtf is wrong with you guys. This is not a good look for NJ. What aholes!! Your cops are so brave! Taking bicycles from kids. So heroic! another wrote. Do you arrest white kids on bikes? another asked. Or just Black kids? Amol Sinha, the head of the American Civil Liberties Union in New Jersey, condemned the polices actions. This is Perth Amboy, NJ, Mr Sinha tweeted . Are the police really arresting kids over bike registrations? Does it really require this many officers to address whatever situation this is? Police CANNOT continue to be our response to EVERYTHING. The Perth Amboy Police Department did not immediately answerThe Independents request for comment. Please note The Sun Chronicle is providing this story and all of our local coronavirus coverage for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the pandemic. Please visit our dedicated coronavirus coverage page for more stories. If you'd like to support our mission, please subscribe. Activists hold signs as they take part in a rally in support of DC statehood near the US Capitol in Washington D.C., on March 22, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) White House Supports District of Columbia Statehood Bill The Biden administration stated on April 20 that it supports H.R. 51the Washington, D.C. Admission Actbacking the congressional Democrats view of no taxation without representation, while Republicans see the legislation as an unconstitutional power grab to add two more Democratic senators. The administration stated that it has been too long for the more than 700,000 people of the District of Columbia who havent been allowed representation in Congress, while Republican members of Congress argue that the Founding Fathers didnt intend for D.C. to be a state. This taxation without representation and denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our nation was founded, the White House statement (pdf) reads. Establishing the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state will make our Union stronger and more just. At present, D.C. residents dont have any voting representation in Congress, and the district is led by a representative council and mayor. Laws are reviewed by Congress, which has authority over its budget. In 1961, the 23rd Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution to give D.C. residents the right to vote in the presidential elections, with the same number of electors as the smallest state. In addition, D.C. has one delegate, currently Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.), who cannot vote on the House floor on legislation but does sit on committees and introduce bills and vote on procedures. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 21, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Republicans argue that the D.C. statehood bill is not constitutional and is a way for Democrats to gain power in the Senate, which is currently evenly split. H.R. 51 is about one thing, thats creating two new Democrat seats in the U.S. Senate to push forward a radical agenda thats been rejected by the American people, said Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), ranking member of the Rules Committee, on April 20. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Penn.) echoed Comers view of the unconstitutionality of the bill. If you look at it, Article One, Section Eight, Clause 17 specifically says the district will be a 10 square mile federal district, Reschenthaler said. The founders never again wanted to have Congress beholden to a local municipality, whether it be a state or whether it be a city government for protection, so, we knew we needed to have a federal district. Meanwhile, Holmes-Norton, one of the key sponsors of H.R. 51, said the U.S. Constitutions position on giving statehood to D.C. could be interpreted differently, and Congress has allowed jurisdictions to get statehood if certain criteria are met. While the Constitution does not establish any prerequisites for new states, Congress generally has considered three elements in admission decisions, population and resources, support for statehood, and commitment to democracy. D.C. meets all three, said Holmes-Norton. The American Civil Liberties Union put out a call for support of the D.C. statehood bill saying the lack of representation is rooted in racism and that the lack of statehood for Washington, DCs 712,000 residents is a prime example of voter suppression. The administration called for Congress to provide for a swift and orderly transition to statehood for the people of Washington, D.C. After the House Rules Committees deliberation of the bill, H.R. 51 will be voted on by the Democrat-led House, where its likely to pass for the second time but will have much more of an uphill battle in the evenly split Senate. California Representative Maxine Waters reportedly requested police protection while on a Minnesota trip where she told protesters to get more 'confrontational'. According to a travel log obtained by Townhall editor Katie Pavlich, Waters requested a US Capitol Police escort on Saturday. While images don't show police with Waters at the protest, the log appears to show a special request for officers to escort her 'in & out' of Minneapolis. No other information about the police escort was immediately available. Waters flew from Dulles International Airport to Minnesota-St Paul International Airport to stand with protesters demanding justice for George Floyd amid the murder case of Derek Chauvin. In front of a large crowd on Saturday, Waters said she hoped Chauvin was found guilty. 'I am not happy that we have talked about police reform for so long,' Waters said, demanding a guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial and adding: 'If we don't [get it], we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street.' California Representative Maxine Waters (right) reportedly requested police protection while on a Minnesota trip where she told protesters to get more 'confrontational' In front of a large crowd on Saturday, Waters said she hoped Chauvin was found guilty, adding that protesters needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' and they should ignore the curfew in place She added that protesters needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' and they should ignore the curfew in place. 'Weve got to stay on the street and weve got to get more active, weve got to get more confrontational. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business,' she said when it comes to police shootings. Meanwhile, several Republicans have slammed Waters for her remarks. On Monday, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure Waters. During an interview with on Fox News Primetime, McCarthy said the congresswoman 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury that started deliberations on Monday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong. I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior,' McCarthy continued. He was referring to Waters' 2018 remarks when she told Californians to 'get in the face' of Trump administration staffers if they see them in public. McCarthy said he believes there are 'probably 10 to 15' Democrats who would vote for censure. Meanwhile, several Republicans, including Kevin McCarthy, have slammed Waters for her remarks 'It will all come down to the pressure of what Democrats will put on them to just try to vote to table it - not even to have the discussion,' he added. McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend. He then accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of 'ignoring Waters behavior,' which he said prompted him to introduce 'a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments'. McCarthy's move came as the judge in Chauvin's trial said the congresswoman's comments could have given the defense grounds for an appeal. Speaking after the jury was sent out on Monday afternoon, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson once again made a bid to have the case against his client thrown out on grounds that there was no way the jury could be untainted by the excessive publicity surrounding the case. 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial its frankly mind-blowing,' Nelson said. Taking it into consideration Judge Peter Cahill said: 'I grant you Congresswoman Waters may have handed you grounds for appeal and the turning over of this trial.' Judge Cahill denied Nelsons move for a mistrial but he said: 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' He said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswomans opinion really doesn't mean much.' McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend Maxine Waters, congresswoman for California, was in Minnesota on Saturday evening, saying that demonstrators needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together. White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn her remarks and Pelosi insisted Waters shouldn't apologize. But Republicans pounced on Waters' remarks to the Black Lives Matter protesters. Senator Ted Cruz and controversial Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized Waters, who, over the weekend, joined demonstrations over the police shooting of Daunte Wright, a black 20-year-old shot and killed at a traffic stop by a white police officer, Kimberly Potter. But many of these Republicans accusing Waters of inciting violence did not make the same charge against then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, that left five dead and a trail of destruction throughout the Capitol. Cruz and Greene were some of Trump's most ardent defenders. McCarthy did take to the House floor to declare Trump, who riled up the crowd with his false claims the election was stolen, 'bears responsibility' for the attack on Congress. McCarthy later flew to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the former president after Trump became furious at him for his words. Republicans have turned Waters into a punching bag before - notably for her urging the public to harass Trump White House staffers when they saw them in public. Waters traveled to Minneapolis the weekend before closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with murdering George Floyd on May 25. The city is bracing for the verdict in the Chauvin case. More than 3,000 members of the National Guard are in Minneapolis, in addition to 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of what has been termed Operation Safety Net. In the early hours of Sunday, two members of the National Guard were injured - although not seriously - in a drive-by shooting. People gather at George Floyd Plaza in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota to listen to the families of victims of police violence A bullet hole in a National Guard vehicle is seen after Guardsmen were targeted on Sunday Hours after Waters' passionate speech, a Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police team were fired upon in a drive-by shooting. The team was providing neighborhood security in Minneapolis when, at about 4.19am local time, a light colored SUV drove by and blasted shots at an occupied National Guard vehicle. No team members were seriously injured, though two National Guard members suffered minor injuries: One was injured by shattered glass and taken to a local hospital, while the other suffered only superficial injuries. Cruz accused Waters and fellow Democrats of seeking to 'to tear us apart.' 'Why is Maxine Waters traveling to a different state trying to incite a riot? What good can come from this?' asked Lauren Boebert, representative for Colorado. Fellow Colorado representative Ken Buck said: 'Why is a sitting member of Congress encouraging protesters to get confrontational?' The city of Minneapolis prepares for a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial with National Guard on patrol in the streets Arizona Republican Andy Biggs added: 'The Radical Left dont care if your towns are burning, if theres violence in your streets, or if the police are too defunded to defend their communities. 'As long as the Left appeases their anti-America base, their job is done.' And Marjorie Taylor Greene, congresswoman for Georgia, called for her to be expelled from Congress. 'As a sitting United States Congresswoman @MaxineWaters threatened a jury demanding a guilty verdict and threatened violence if Chauvin is found not guilty. This is also an abuse of power. #ExpelMaxineWaters' She called Waters 'a danger to our society.' On Twitter, others joined in the outrage at Waters' remarks. 'Of course she'll get away with saying that while anyone else would've been thrown in jail,' Rick Santella tweeted. Another user tweeted, 'Good grief lady, leave get out of here.' One person also accused Waters of 'stirring people up again with her calls for violence.' Waters is pictured with demonstrators outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Waters joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Waters is planning on staying in town until Monday. According to CBS Minnesota, officials stated that there was a brief altercation between reporters and protesters as Waters was leaving on Saturday, the first reports of any skirmishes. The Pioneer Press reports demonstrators gathered Saturday afternoon at the home of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, responsible for the second-degree manslaughter charges against Potter. The protesters stood outside of Orput's home before marching through is neighborhood in Stillwater. Black Lives Matter activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said that Orput left his home briefly to engage in a conversation with protesters. Peaceful protesters in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Saturday night Demonstrators raise their fists at Union Station near the U.S Capitol, during a march in Washington, DC, on Saturday A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter sign during a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday Protests have also been taking place in Chicago following the death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, as well as New York City and across the rest of the United States. On Friday night, many protests across the nation started off peacefully before sporadic clashes broke out between Black Lives Matters protesters and the police. University of Minnesota medical students and doctors also marched on the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Saturday, a day after it was the site of most of the night's unrest. Peaceful protests on Friday devolved into clashes between protesters and police, with flash bangs and pepper spray utilized by the cops. There originally was not expected to be a curfew for the first time in several days, before one was suddenly imposed during the night's demonstrations. Media members were briefly detained and 136 people were arrested. A temporary restraining order was filed to prevent police from arresting or harming journalists. 'Following feedback from media, and in light of a recent temporary restraining order (TRO) filed in federal court, MSP will not photograph journalists or their credentials,' the Minnesota State Patrol said in a statement. According to the Washington Post, several protesters were arrested on Saturday night. It's unclear why they were arrested, as the protest of about a hundred was drawing to a close. Earlier in the day, there were peaceful protests across the nation, including Columbus, Ohio, and Philadelphia. According to NBC Philadelphia, crowds in that city walked through City Center towards City Hall peacefully in a protest that lasted around five hours. Nevertheless, some businesses did board up and 1,000 National Guard troops were preemptively deployed. Remote staff build Salesforce tool to speed benefits to veterans A group of Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) employees worked together remotely to build a Salesforce-based app that speeds delivery of veterans benefits. The new system, the Post Payments Workshop, is a module that lets VBA Finance Center employees see the status of a claim at any point in its life cycle -- something they could not do in the past. Previously, staff at the VBAs National Call Center or a regional office would upload a veterans claim of nonreceipt of benefits to the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) VBA Finance Center (VBAFC) work queue. Center employees would manually track all of the requests to trace missing benefits what the VA calls a tracer action-- and each claim would be assigned to an employee to complete. Now, with Post Payments Workshop, when veterans report not receiving their benefit payment, the inquiry is entered into VBMS and stored in the VBA corporate database. The data is transferred to the VAs Salesforce platform, and the claim is assigned to the finance center to research. When tracing the missing benefit, VBAFC staff sometimes need information from the Treasury Department or they may request a one-time hardship payment for the veteran. All these actions are now tracked in the Post Payments Workshop, a VA spokesperson said in written responses to questions from GCN. Once a resolution is found, VBAFC will take any necessary actions, provide notes and close the claim in Salesforce. Lastly, that information is transferred back to VBMS to close the loop. Right now, some of the claim item transfers from VBMS to the Post Payments Workshop happen manually, but asynchronous application programming interface calls are being tested, the spokesperson said. When those are deployed in the next couple months, they will further reduce the time between steps and save labor. Built on the VAs Salesforce platform, Post Payments Workshop uses a three-tiered architecture: a client engagement layer on the Salesforce user interface, with workflow data stored on its Government Cloud; an API layer using MuleSoft; and the VBA corporate database, where source claim data is stored. Using existing resources and Salesforce-certified administrators and developers, VBA built Post Payments Workshop in eight months. It went live for VBAFC customer support staff on Feb. 16. There were no further licensing costs to use the Salesforce platform because the end users already have a license for other applications, the spokesperson said. The employees who built the app come from Financial Management Business Solutions, the VBA Finance Center and directorates in the Office of Financial Management in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. They used Salesforce to collaborate on the new system. Agile software development was used in its truest form -- the system users and the team building the application worked together daily to provide short bursts of requirements; iterate/develop new versions; test those versions, the spokesperson said. They then repeated the process until a production-ready version was approved. The biggest benefit the new system has brought is faster claim resolutions. The average number of days to resolve inquiries fell to 21 from 23 since implementation, according to the spokesperson, who added that, overall, centralizing the process has streamlined efforts for processing fiscal transactions, modernizing customer contact efforts and improving veterans experience. Post Payments Workshop could be replicated for other similar business processes and workflows, the VA official said. Traditionally, these applications can be costly to develop and deploy, but Salesforce and other similar platforms are making some development easier through declarative or configurable functions, the spokesperson said. The advantage to building several applications on the same platform is the enterprise can spread the available licenses over several applications which results in a cost savings. The employees who built Post Payments Workshop are now looking at creating a robotic process automation solution to assist with other repetitive tasks that National Call Center employees handle. Currently, end users must copy information from a VA form to process a tracer transaction -- this is currently targeted as a good area to use RPA, the spokesperson said. Additionally, future integrations are planned with the VAs Enterprise Management Payments Workflow and Reporting, a new financial system that will be used to process tracers, hardship payments and other transactions that are often part of the post-payment workflow. Riz Ahmed has shed light on the moment he proposed to wife Fatima Farheen Mirza while they enjoyed a romantic picnic in lockdown. The actor, 38, who revealed in January he'd tied to the knot with the novellist, admitted he actually popped the question during a game of Scrabble, stealing all the right tiles to spell out the romantic phrase. Riz, who met Fatima while he was preparing for his Oscar-nominated role in Sound of Metal, previously revealed that they exchanged vows in a 'super intimate' ceremony with only a few guests present. Popping the question: Riz Ahmed has shed light on the moment he proposed to wife Fatima Farheen Mirza while they enjoyed a romantic picnic in lockdown Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Riz revealed he first proposed to Fatima while they were enjoying a picnic during the coronavirus lockdown. He said: 'We went out to the park, one of the few things we could do at that point in lockdown, and we kind of had a little picnic and you know, I popped the question,' 'And she looked up and was like, ''You're joking.'' 'Maybe the way I proposed didn't help because she's a novelist, she's amazing with words.' Romantic: The actor admitted he actually popped the question during a game of Scrabble by stealing tiles to spell the romantic phrase (Fatima is pictured in 2018) Riz then continued: 'She loves a bit of Scrabble. So we were actually playing Scrabble and I did that corny thing where I stole all the correct letters up and spelled out ''Will you marry me?'' The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor is set to join a slew of stars competing at the 2021 Academy Awards, after landing a Best Actor nomination for his performance as a deaf drummer in Sound of Metal. Riz first revealed he'd married novelist Fatima while starring as a guest on Louis Theroux's Grounded podcast, and later revealed they wed in a 'super intimate' ceremony with only a few guests present. Riz said he tied the knot 'not very long ago' after being quizzed by the host about his marital status when he mentioned his 'wife's family' in January. Riz, who was born in Wembley, was explaining he chose to stay in California after filming at the end of last year because his 'wife's family' is from the Bay Area. Louis asked Riz if he was married as he stated he didn't know the Venom star wasn't single. Tied the knot! Riz, who met Fatima while he was preparing for his Oscar-nominated role in Sound of Metal, revealed in January that they exchanged vows in a 'super intimate' ceremony The actor replied: 'I think it's the first time I've mentioned it in an interview so congratulations on that incredibly exciting scoop. 'I don't really feel it's generally that relevant [his private life], so I don't delve into my personal life or dating history.' Riz said the 'main reason' he announced he is married is that he has been talking about his private life more recently. He said by speaking out more he hopes it will encourage others to take the pandemic seriously. He went onto reveal he and Fatima exchanged vows in a simple ceremony with only a few guests present due to COVID-19 restrictions. He said: 'Obviously, kept it super intimate, and socially distanced. There was just like, hardly anyone there really. 'We did it in a backyard, which is nice in lots of ways. I think the nicest thing about it was you didn't have 500 aunties hanging around you, pinching your cheeks.' Congratulations! The Venom star made the announcement while starring as a guest on Louis Theroux's Grounded podcast on Monday The Four Lions star joked: 'No disrespect to the aunties, but Asian weddings are big. 'You always got these people crawling out the woodworks, who I think are kind of probably impostors. They just smell the kebabs on the street and just wander in.' Riz went onto reveal more about his wife while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, explaining they met in 2019 while he was preparing to play a deaf drummer in Sound Of Metal. He said: 'She's an amazing novelist. We met so randomly while I was preparing for this role, for Sound Of Metal when I was in New York. Across the pond: Riz, who was born in Wembley, has carved a Hollywood career and said he is staying in California at the moment because it's near his wife's family (pictured in 2017) 'We both sat down at the same table in the cafe where we both turned up to write. We were both jostling over the same laptop plug points, like a very modern way of meeting. 'And we struck up a friendship and reconnected down the line. But it's weirdly like one of the many things about preparing for this role that was so special, it just brought a lot of goodness into my life. 'Obviously I met Fatima for the first time and met so many people in the deaf community that have become friends. 'There's just something about this whole period around this film that was kind of life changing.' Last year, Riz sadly announced he had lost two close family members to coronavirus. He told Louis: 'I felt like talking about it and saying, 'Hey, look, this is a real thing. It's affected me and my family'.' Riz did add however he didn't think it was 'necessary' to share with fans all aspects of his life as he continued: 'If I was quite a private person, I wouldn't be doing a podcast with you being like, 'Hey, check out these films', 'I'm on Twitter.' I guess it's just about having boundaries.' The Night Of star, who was born in London to a British Pakistani family, spoke about his heartache after losing two family members in an interview with GQ Hype last year. He said: 'I have lost two family members to Covid. I just want to believe their deaths and all the others aren't for nothing. We gotta step up to re-imagine a better future.' Well-loved: Last year, the rapper sadly announced he had lost two close family members to coronavirus (pictured his uncle Shakeel) He previously revealed that his uncle Shakeel had died on the weekend of April 4, describing him as a 'legend in his community who will be missed by so many'. As an actor, Riz has won a Primetime Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards. In 2016, he appeared in the action film Jason Bourne, and played Bodhi Rook in the Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One. He also starred as a young man accused of murder in the HBO miniseries The Night Of, earning critical acclaim. For his guest role in Girls; he won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for the former, becoming the first Asian male to win an acting Emmy, and the first Muslim and first Asian to win a lead acting Emmy. A Missouri Christian university is suing the Biden administration over a federal directive that its lawsuit claims requires religious schools to open their dormitories and showers based on "gender identity. The College of the Ozarks, a four-year liberal arts college in Point Lookout, filed a lawsuit in response to a February order from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that forces any entities that receive federal dollars covered by the Fair Housing Act to place transgender-identified biological males into female dormitories and assign them as females roommates. The lawsuit argues that the rule forces religious schools to violate their religious beliefs and states that the order was issued "without notice or the opportunity for public comment." The lawsuit contends that the policy was issued without considering alternative policies that "respect the interests of private religious colleges." Representing the school is the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, which argues that the directive violates both women's sex-based rights and the school's religious liberties. Source:The Christian Post INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI) - Our local legislators say change needs to happen after the tragic mass shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx that left eight people dead. State Representatives Sheila Klinker and Chris Campbell and State Senator Ron Alting all said they woke up to the shocking news on Friday along with the rest of nation. Former FedEx employee Brandon Hole, 19, opened fire at the Indianapolis FedEx center, killing four people in the parking lot and four people inside the building. He then turned the gun on himself and took his own life. This tragic situation brings the question of gun reform and mental health straight to the heart of Indiana. State Rep. Klinker said it's about finding balance with the 2nd amendment. "I am a believer in the 2nd amendment," she said, pointing out that she knows many responsible gun owners who use their weapons for hunting. "I think legislatively we will be looking in the mental health area and stronger background checks." For State Sen. Alting, it's about interpreting the 2nd amendment in our modern world. "Until we put strict guidelines in on gun laws, that if you have any type of mental illness you cannot and will not purchase any type of gun period," he said. "This is the world we live in now." State Rep. Campbell wants to see loopholes closed. "I think we definitely need to expand our background checks to make sure that we are closing those loopholes," she said. "The problem with our Red Flag laws is it allows that person to go out immediately and obtain another weapon." Indiana is one of 17 states with a Red Flag law. According to the Indiana State Police website, "this law addresses circumstances where it would be appropriate for a police officer to take custody of a citizens firearms, by way of a warrant, or immediately when exigent circumstances are present and it can be clearly articulated the safety of the public was in jeopardy." It said a judge can order that a person be prevented from purchasing a gun in the future from a licensed firearm dealer. Hole had his gun confiscated last year after his family contacted the police, warning them he might try to die by suicide by cop. The Marion County Prosecutor did not take the red flag case to the courts. So Hole went out a few months later and legally bought the guns he used in Friday's crime. "We need to get back to common sense and do what's right for all people, what's right for the people with the right to bare arms and what's right for those with mental illness," said Sen. Alting. "The tragedy is that he not only took his own life, but he took eight others," said Rep. Klinker. "We need to put resources back towards mental health." "My heart breaks for the families, both of the victims and the person in the mental crisis," said Rep. Campbell. With only a few days left in the legislative session, there isn't much that can be done at this point to pass any new bills regarding gun reform. However, all the three legislators believed something could be done this session in terms of allocating more funding towards mental health services. Especially given Indiana's recent finding that the state will have an extra $2 billion to use over the next two years. Islamabad, April 20 : Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is scheduled to embark on a three-day official visit to Iran from Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said in a statement. The Ministry said Qureshi will have delegation-level talks with his Iranian counterpart to review the bilateral relations with a view to further deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, reports Xinhua news agency. The two sides are expected to discuss regional security including the latest developments in the Afghan peace process and Kashmir issue, said the statement, adding that deliberations on strengthening regional cooperation under the Economic Cooperation Organization will be held. During the visit, Qureshi will also call on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, according to the statement. His visit to Iran is part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, according to the Foreign Ministry. Gregory Yee covers breaking news and public safety. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Intercity State Transport Corporation, Nana Akomea has suggested that government creates separate road lanes for transport buses. He noted that the absence of special lanes for the buses that travel long distances is frustrating. Nana Akomea was discussing the impact of road accidents and its solutions on the Tuesday edition of Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''. He explained that most times the buses using same lanes with other cars affects the long-distance transport bus business and also drivers who drive such buses as they have to travel long journeys, hence resulting in fatigue or sleep and if care is not taken, could lead to road accidents. To him, it's about time the government looked at the road lane construction. "We have to create bus lanes. From Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Nsawam, we need to have bus lanes. It will encourage people to develop a liking for boarding buses." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Brand change reflects corporate strategic direction and ongoing commitment to innovation. FUJIFILM Business Innovation Vietnam Company Limited (formerly known as Fuji Xerox Vietnam) today announced it had changed its name as part of a region-wide rebranding initiative, following the name change of its parent company, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., to FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. The move follows Fuji Xeroxs decision to end its technology agreement with Xerox corporation on the agreements expiration date of March 31, which provided for brand licenses, technology and sales territories. The name change takes place with immediate effect. As FUJIFILM Business Innovation Vietnam Co., Ltd, the company will continue to offer its core printing and document technologies and services, in addition to an expanding portfolio of enterprise software solutions and managed print room services. While the company will continue to sell existing products under the Fuji Xerox brand, it will also commence sales and marketing activities of new products under the Fujifilm brand. FUJIFILM branch office in Vietnam. Photo by FUJIFILM. FUJIFILM Business Innovation is one of more than 300 subsidiaries in the FUJIFILM Holdings portfolio, including leaders in diverse fields such as healthcare, biotechnology, imaging, and photography. Over the years, Fujifilms considerable research and intellectual property has yielded an array of new applications for its technologies, such as using microporous photographic film technology to create yeast filters used in brewing beer, or creating lightweight sensors from the companys Fujinon lens technology designed especially for outer space and carried aboard satellites. FUJIFILM Business Innovation offers innovation to businesses globally to help maximize their organizational strengths. The company has pioneered numerous technologies and accumulated expertise since being established as Fuji Xerox in Tokyo in 1962. As a $9 billion enterprise with approximately 40,000 employees globally, the company portfolio includes R&D, manufacturing and sales of world-class multifunction printers, production printers and IT solutions, and business process outsourcing services. FUJIFILM Business Innovation Vietnam is an affiliate of the global company FUJIFILM Business Innovation and is responsible for business activities in the local market. For more information, visit website https://fujifilm.com/fbvn. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 20.04.2021 - Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, received the Foreign Minister of Belarus, Uladzimir Makei, on a courtesy visit to Bern on 20 April 2021. Their talks focused on the current situation in Belarus and the case of Natallia Hersche, a Swiss-Belarusian dual citizen who is currently serving a prison term. In a one-on-one meeting with Mr Makei, Mr Cassis expressed Switzerland's concern about the continued problematic human rights situation in Belarus: "Switzerland's position is clear: Fundamental rights must be guaranteed and serious human rights violations must be prosecuted in Belarus," said Cassis. He also called for the release of all arbitrarily detained persons. The two foreign ministers also discussed the case of the imprisoned Swiss-Belarusian dual citizen Natallia Hersche. She is under Swiss consular protection, and the Swiss ambassador in Minsk has so far been allowed to visit her on eight occasions. Ms Hersche was recently sentenced to a two-and-a-half year prison term in Belarus. Switzerland will continue to intercede on Natallia Hersche's behalf under the terms of consular protection. Mr Cassis and Mr Makei also discussed the current tensions in eastern Ukraine. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Burma Ethnic Kachin Armed Group Launches Multiple Attacks on Myanmar Military KIA fighters. / The Irrawaddy Ethnic armed group the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) attacked a police outpost in Maden Yang village in Lone Khin village-tract in Kachin States Hpakant Township around 7pm Monday. The number of casualties is still unknown. We heard gunfire and explosions until 9pm. Locals are planning to flee from their homes as gunfire has been heard every night recently, said a local resident. The KIAs Battalion 6 has been attacking outposts of the Myanmar militarys Division 33 in Hpakant Township. On Sunday night and Monday morning, it attacked two military outposts near Gensi village in Lone Khin village-tract and Aungbarlay village, according to local residents. Myanmars military bombed with jet fighters around 9am this morning and residents from both Gensi and Aungbarlay had to flee. Around 1,000 people from both villages have fled, said a Gensi resident on Monday morning. The KIA has warned local people to flee to safe places. Local residents said the KIA occupied the two military outposts on Monday morning. KIA information officer Colonel Naw Bu confirmed the armed groups ongoing fighting with Myanmars military in Hpakant, but said he had been unable to contact commanders on the ground and thus did not know exact details. Recently, as a preemptive measure, our troops at the front lines are seizing military outposts depending on the situation. Headquarters did not instruct them to occupy this or that outpost. The commanders on the ground assess the situation and decide which outpost to attack. Especially, we are focused on retaking control of outposts that we had previously lost to the military, said Colonel Naw Bu. The two bases the KIA attacked on Sunday and Monday were formerly outposts of the KIAs Battalion 6. The KIA lost them to Myanmars military in 2016. Fighting between the KIA and the Myanmar military broke out again in June 2011 after a 17-year truce collapsed. Clashes virtually ceased from December 2018 to January of this year as the two sides were in the process of negotiating a bilateral ceasefire. Following the juntas Feb. 1 coup, the KIA asked the militarys Northern Command not to harm peaceful Kachin people protesting against the regime. But tensions grew after two civilians were shot dead in a crackdown by the security forces on anti-regime protesters in the Kachin capital Myitkyina a month later. Since then, the KIA has carried out a series of attacks on police and military outposts in Injangyang, Momauk, Namtu, Hpakant, Tanai and Shwegu townships. The KIA has also occupied the strategic Alaw Bum base near the border with China. You may also like these stories: Prominent Protest Leader Escapes Arrest by Myanmar Junta Myanmar Mother Prays for Tortured Daughter Myanmar Regime Orders Dismantling of Mausoleum to Slain Democracy Protesters Press Release April 20, 2021 SEN. NANCY SCORES RED TAGGING OF COMMUNITY PANTRIES Senator Nancy Binay today scored the red-tagging of community pantries and asked why organizers of the initiative are being considered as enemies of the state. "Ang kalaban ay gutom, hindi ang tumutulong! Ganyan na ba ka-paranoid na pati ang pagtulong sa kapwa ay minamasama? Anong ambag n'yo?" she said. Binay said that instead of red-tagging community pantries, the government should focus on improving its own programs in helping those in need during the pandemic. "When common people band together to help those who are in need; when volunteers offer a selfless act of serving the people; and when ordinary Filipinos put up community pantries as a pure form of generosity--I don't see them as enemies of the state, but as champions who have genuine compassion for our people," she added. Binay also expressed her support for Ana Patricia Non who started the Maginhawa Community Pantry which in turn led to other community pantries being organized in other areas. "My heart goes to Patreng (Ana Patricia Non), who has been maliciously red-tagged for having a heart for the poor," she said. "Di na ba pwedeng tumulong sa kapwa? Di na ba pwedeng magsalita ng iyong saloobin?" she added. In her Facebook post late Monday evening, Non said they will temporarily stop their operations out of fear for the safety of its volunteers. She sought help from Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and raised concern on her personal security after three policemen recently asked after her affiliation. Binay had earlier expressed her support for community pantries as a decentralized community humanitarian response to helping the needs of others during the pandemic. "Nakakataba ng puso na makitang dumarami ang community pantries, at patunay lang na ang Bayanihan spirit is alive," the senator said. "When things seem uncertain, and despairing--community pantries are a testament that hope is not lost. Sharing does not need to have any color or politics," she added. Our mission is to provide the visibility the supply chain expects in a platform that is accessible to everyone. Tranztec, a logistics technology leader, announced today it has closed a Series A funding round led by Tamarind Hill based in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2001 by experienced executives in the trucking industry, this first-time investment from outside investors will help Tranztec take advantage of a huge market opportunity and drive future growth. Right now is the right time, with the right partner", said Toby Miller, Tranztec CEO and Co-Founder. "Our mission is to provide the visibility the supply chain expects in a platform that is accessible to everyone. Tranztec was built on integration. Connecting people to the data that matters most to them. It is our passion, legacy and future. It is this relentless pursuit of connection that drives everything that we do." Asked about the investment with Tranztec, Tamarind Hill's Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Mark Shary said, The logistics industry is undergoing a digital transformation that will continue to evolve and Tranztecs VIA platform provides connectivity and visibility across the supply chain that includes carriers, brokers/third party logistics providers, shippers and suppliers. Tranztecs user-friendly and easy to deploy platform addresses problems of manual processes, disconnected systems and miscommunications that lead to inefficiencies in the supply chain. The demand for transparency and visibility in shipping has exploded throughout the supply chain in recent years. While Tranztec's VIA platform addresses many of these demands, additional funding allows an accelerated growth strategy to meet customers' needs at an escalated pace. New capital will provide broader support for leading supply chain partners, transportation management systems and commercial vehicle telematics providers. Former President and Founder of Pacejet Larry DeLeon, an experienced software executive in the digital supply chain space, is joining Tranztec as Chief Operating Officer to help build on its success. Further details of the investment have not been disclosed. She was busted kissing an old flame on camera during Sunday's explosive reunion episode. And after Married At First Sight Rebecca Zemek faced an abundance of backlash over the 'cheating' scandal, two of her fellow castmates have defended the 27-year-old and begged viewers stop hurling abuse at her online. Booka Nile - who Beck was originally angry at after she gave her 'husband' Jake Edwards a friendly New Year's kiss - said the response to the scandal has been 'vile'. Scandal: Married At First Sight's Rebecca Zemek (pictured), 27, cancelled all of her press interviews on Monday after Sunday's explosive finale episode - which showed her cheat on 'husband' Jake Edwards 'It's really hard to watch the entire nation pull her apart for a mistake that many, many people have made,' the rocker, 31, said. 'She's suffering enough. If you want her to suffer, mission accomplished - can we quit it now?' 'She hasn't killed anybody, so let's stop acting like she has,' she concluded. Beth Moore, 39, also shared a video saying: 'I just want everyone to take a step back, and reconsider what it is to be kind and a good person. Defence: Booka Nile (left) and Beth Moore (right) are standing by Beck (centre) as she continues to face huge backlash over the 'cheating' scandal Not happy: Booka - who Beck was originally angry at after she gave her 'husband' Jake Edwards a friendly New Year's kiss - said the response to the scandal has been 'vile' 'I know you all have strong moral values and you want to defend those, but part of those moral values is being kind when someone makes a mistake and f**ks up. 'It's important to stand up for people, even when they're in the wrong. We all just need a lesson in kindness.' After cancelling all of her press interviews and going into hiding on Monday, Beck eventually broke her silence in the evening to speak out about the kiss. 'Looking back at it I can see how one hundred per cent it was a betrayal of trust,' she admitted. Beck had left her 'husband' Jake in Sydney while rushing back to Perth to take care of her ailing dog Oscar, and was revealed to have kissed a mystery man in footage shown during the finale. Speaking out: Beth, 39, also shared a video saying: 'I just want everyone to take a step back, and reconsider what it is to be kind and a good person' She continued to claim the man was an ex who she had enlisted to transport the sick pooch. 'At the time in my emotional state I didn't see it or think of it as cheating,' she had said. But later she changed her tune, conceding, 'I one hundred per cent would say it's cheating.' During the reunion episode, Rebecca was initially adamant the man was her brother, but now claims that was an honest mistake on her part. 'The footage went so fast and I didn't even really know what it was. I thought it was my brother. I had a few visitors come and go I was just so excited to see people and everyone was helping me out,' she recalled. 'But when watched back I was like, 'I know exactly what this is' so I had to be open and honest.' Lucknow, April 20 : Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to do away with the referral system for admission of Covid patients in hospitals. In a letter sent to the Chief Minister on Monday evening, the Congress leader drew his attention to the fast-deteriorating Covid-19 situation in districts of UP, particularly Lucknow. Highlighting the problem being faced by people in getting their kin admitted to hospitals through the referral slip system, she urged the Chief Minister to simplify the process and reduce their sufferings. "There are reports from different ends that patients coming from other districts are not being admitted without the letter of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). This system has become a means of harassment for patients already facing trouble. People are forced to wait for long hours. Many have lost their lives while waiting," Priyanka said. Asking the Chief Minister to do away with the referral system, she wrote, "You can understand that patients and their relatives are already in deep trouble. This kind of red-tape is only adding to their problems. Please consider each life important and make admission in hospital easy for Covid patients." She also wrote about the shortage of oxygen in the state. "How will those who have quarantined themselves in their home get oxygen cylinders when the need arises?" she asked. She also wished the Chief Minister a speedy recovery from the pandemic infection. The Chief Minister had tested positive on April 14 and has been under isolation since then. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Just Beginning to "Scratch-The-Surface": The Hughes property contains a large number of drill-ready targets proximal to high-grade intersections from 2020. To fully assess the resource potential of the entire project, extensive drilling is required. The Hughes property contains a large number of drill-ready targets proximal to high-grade intersections from 2020. To fully assess the resource potential of the entire project, extensive drilling is required. High Potential Drilling: Targets were selected based on an updated and comprehensive three-dimensional model of all 2020 drill results together with geology, veins and underground workings of the historic Tonopah Mining District (see attached figures). Targets were selected based on an updated and comprehensive three-dimensional model of all 2020 drill results together with geology, veins and underground workings of the historic Tonopah Mining District (see attached figures). Modern Exploration in the Heart of the District: Drilling has started around the Rescue veins where modelling has identified the presence of multiple parallel-striking veins that require immediate drill testing. Numerous additional veins in the Belmont Mine and Murray target areas also remain un-tested. Drilling has started around the Rescue veins where modelling has identified the presence of multiple parallel-striking veins that require immediate drill testing. Numerous additional veins in the Belmont Mine and Murray target areas also remain un-tested. Additional Drilling at the Ruby Discovery: Representing the potential extension of the Tonopah District and located 1.3 km east of the Belmont Mine, this discovery which remains open in all directions will be tested for further mineralization. Representing the potential extension of the District and located 1.3 km east of the Belmont Mine, this discovery which remains open in all directions will be tested for further mineralization. Final Assays from 2020 Return High-Grade Silver and Gold: 2,930 g/t silver equivalent (460 g/t Ag and 24.7 g/t Au) over 0.4 m from 375.0 m within 561 g/t silver equivalent (103 g/t Ag and 4.58 g/t Au) over 2.0 m from 375.0 m in SUM20-21 (460 g/t Ag and 24.7 g/t Au) over from within (103 g/t Ag and 4.58 g/t Au) over from in 3,210 g/t silver equivalent (1500 g/t Ag and 17.1 g/t Au) over 0.3 m from 234.1 m within 665 g/t silver equivalent (323 g/t Ag and 3.42 g/t Au) over 1.8 m from 232.6 m in SUM20-29 (1500 g/t Ag and 17.1 g/t Au) over from within (323 g/t Ag and 3.42 g/t Au) over from in Fully Funded: With approximately $13.0M in working capital Summa is ready to execute aggressive drill programs throughout 2021. Galen McNamara, CEO, stated: "As we begin our 2021 drill program at Hughes, it is clear that the Tonopah Mining District still contains zones of substantial high-grade mineralization. Based on the drilling we completed in 2020 and subsequent surface exploration which is now on-going, it is our belief that we are only just beginning to scratch-the-surface here and extensive further work will be required before we can begin to understand the scale of the mineralized zones." 2021 Drill Program The focus of the 2021 drill program will be to test for continuity and the strike-extent of mineralization intersected during the 2020 drill program. Four primary targets will be investigated: Belmont Mine, Murray, Mizpah Extension and Ruby. Additional targets such as the 725 veins are being ranked and prioritised and may also be further tested. Belmont Mine: Based on a refined exploration model for the Belmont Mine target, numerous holes are planned to test the strike-extent of high-grade Ag and Au mineralization associated with the Rescue veins. Modelling suggests these high-grade near-vertical, southwest-striking veins (e.g., 3,760 g/t silver equivalent over 2.5 m in SUM20-06) remain open in multiple directions. An RC rig is currently drilling a set of pre-collars at this target. Murray Area: Several holes in 2020 tested the gently dipping, southwest-striking Murray vein hosted along the property-scale Tonopah fault at the Murray area. Mineralization is associated with broad intervals of strong argillic alteration cored by zones of quartz stockwork up to 30 metres wide and local mineralized epithermal-related quartz veins (e.g., 1,079 g/t silver equivalent over 0.9 m in SUM20-17) Based on the distribution of mineralized intercepts along the prospective structure, additional drilling is planned to investigate grade-continuity as a well as the down-dip potential of the vein. Mizpah Extension Area: Two holes in 2020 tested the gently to steeply dipping veins in the Mizpah Extension area. Both holes cut zones of intense hydrothermal alteration along with banded and brecciated epithermal related veins and two zones of mineralization (e.g., 290 g/t silver equivalent over 4.0 m in SUM20-09). Additional drilling is planned to test the lateral and dip extents of the mineralized zones and to investigate the orientation of the veins in the area. Ruby Discovery: One drillhole in 2020 tested the Ruby target, located 1.3 kilometres east of the Belmont Mine, and cut broad zones of intense hydrothermal alteration with local zones of mineralized banded and brecciated epithermal related veins (e.g., 1,597 g/t silver equivalent over 0.5 m in SUM20-10). The lateral extent of mineralization along strike will be tested in the 2021 drill program. Drilling Methods: A mix of RC and core drilling is planned for the 2021 program. The upper parts of holes will be drilled with RC methods as pre-collars to depths of up to 250 meters. Holes will then be completed through target zones with core drilling. Pre-collaring holes with RC will result in significant time and cost savings. Completing holes with core methods will result in greater geological and assay certainty. The estimated depth of pre-collars is based on of the Company's geologic modeling. Final Results from 2020 Drill Program The 2020 drill program was designed to test the lateral and vertical extent of structurally controlled, epithermal-related, high-grade silver and gold mineralization historically mined in the Tonopah district. Based on a predrilling compilation of all available historic drill and underground geological, structural and assay data, four priority targets were selected: Belmont, Murray, Mizpah Extension and Ruby. These targets cover an east-west strike length of approximately 4 km and were systematically tested in 29 drill holes. Results from the final nine holes are reported in Table 1. The final hole from the Rescue vein (SUM20-021; Table 1) demonstrates that high-grade Ag-Au mineralization continues along strike from holes SUM20-006 (3,760 g/t silver equivalent over 2.5 metres) and SUM20-020 (Figure 2). New high-grade results from the 725 veins confirm the significance of this area and together with previously reported data, the results suggest that vein-hosted mineralisation at 725 is open in multiple directions. Table 1: Hughes Property Assay Results Drill Hole Vein Series From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AgEq* (g/t) SUM20-14 Murray 328.5 329.5 1.0 1.34 134 268 SUM20-15 725 No Significant Intersections Target Area Stoped-Out by Historic Mining Operations SUM20-16 Murray No Significant Intersections SUM20-18 Murray 361.8 362.7 0.9 0.68 60 128 SUM20-21 Rescue 375.0 377.0 2.0 4.58 103 561 including 375.0 375.4 0.4 24.7 460 2930 SUM20-22 Rescue No Significant Intersections Hole Overshot Target SUM20-24 IOU 213.4 219.5 6.1 0.71 33 105 SUM20-24 475.1 475.4 0.3 0.87 100 187 SUM20-24 509.3 509.7 0.5 0.57 72 129 SUM20-26 725 182 184.6 2.6 1.12 106 218 including 183.9 184.3 0.4 2.86 258 544 SUM20-26 189.4 192.4 3 0.86 101 188 SUM20-26 199.2 201.4 2.2 1.46 143 289 including 200.6 201.4 0.8 3.05 300 605 SUM20-29 725 171.7 172 0.3 4.41 467 908 SUM20-29 224.5 225 0.5 6.23 568 1191 SUM20-29 232.6 234.4 1.8 3.42 323 665 including 234.1 234.4 0.3 17.1 1500 3210 AgEq based on 100 (Ag):1 (Au), True widths are not yet known, reported intervals are based on a 100g/t AgEq cut-off grade. Metal recoveries are assumed to be 100% Table 2: Drillhole Information Target Area Drill Hole Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Pre-Collar Depth (RC) Final Depth (Core) Murray SUM20-14 479304 4214160 189 -46 N/A 549 Murray SUM20-15 480850 4213875 175 -62 N/A 268 Belmont SUM20-16 479430 4214109 188 -52 N/A 530 Murray SUM20-18 479430 4214109 135 -73 N/A 439 Belmont SUM20-21 481201 4213534 164 -76 268 488 Belmont SUM20-22 481201 4213534 128 -76 335 518 Belmont SUM20-24 481160 4213625 305 -69 299 500 Belmont SUM20-26 480850 4213875 130 -67 N/A 232 Belmont SUM20-29 480850 4213875 146 -74 N/A 335 Coordinates are NAD27, Zone 11N Analytical and QA/QC Procedures All samples were sent to ALS Global Ltd. ("ALS") in Reno, NV for preparation and analysis. ALS meets all requirements of International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO 9001:2015 for analytical procedures. Samples were analyzed for gold via fire assay with an AA finish ("AU-AA23"), and 48 other elements, including silver, via a combination of atomic emission spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy after four-acid digestion ("ME-MS61"). Samples that assayed over 10 ppm Au via AU-AA23 were re-run via fire assay for Au with a gravimetric finish ("AU-GRA21"). Samples that assayed over 100ppm Ag via ME-MS61 were re-run via fire assay for Ag with a gravimetric finish ("AG-GRA21"). In addition to ALS quality assurance / quality control ("QA/QC") protocols, Summa Silver implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of sample blanks, duplicates, and certified reference materials at systematic and random points in the sample stream. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company, and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Summa Silver Corp Summa Silver Corp is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company. The Company has options to earn 100% interests in the Hughes property located in central Nevada and the Mogollon property located in southwestern New Mexico. The Hughes property is host to the high-grade past-producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929. The mine has remained inactive since commercial production ceased in 1929 due to heavily depressed metal prices and little to no modern exploration work has ever been completed. Follow Summa Silver on Twitter: @summasilver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/summa-silver-corp/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Galen McNamara" Galen McNamara, Chief Executive Officer [email protected] www.summasilver.com Investor Relations Contact: Kin Communications Nima Shafigh 604-684-6730 [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. These forwardlooking statements or information relate to, among other things: the release of assays, potential mineralization at the Tonopah Mining District, and the exploration and development of the Company's mineral exploration projects including drilling programs and objectives. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions, events or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the requirement for regulatory approvals; enhanced uncertainty in global financial markets as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic; unquantifiable risks related to government actions and interventions; stock market volatility; regulatory restrictions; and other related risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses, and opinions, which are based on such management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. SOURCE Summa Silver Corp. A seven-year-old Michigan girl has been pulled from her elementary school after a student cut some of her hair without permission, only for a teacher to cut the rest off days later in a separate incident. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, who is biracial, was riding the bus March 24 when a classmate with scissors, who is white, cut most of her hair on one side of her head, she claimed to her father. Jimmy Hoffmeyer complained to the principal of Ganiard Elementary in Mount Pleasant. He learned that the girl who cut his daughter's hair took a pair of scissors from the desk of a teacher. The school planned to talk to the offender's parents about the incident. This undated photo provided by Jimmy Hoffmeyer shows his daughter seven-year-old Jurnee Hoffmeyer after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. (Jimmy Hoffmeyer via AP) It's not clear if there had been any previous incidents between Jurnee and the girl who cut her hair. 'I chalked it up because it was a child and youre not thinking of any serious consequences having to do with a kid,' Hoffmeyer said to WJRT. Hoffmeyer also took his daughter to a salon that day for asymmetrical styling, so that the amateur haircut given by Jurnee's classmate wasn't as noticeable. But on March 26, Jurnee arrived home from school crying with another haircut,. This time, the school's library teacher, who is also white, had cut it, according to Hoffmeyer. 'She (Jurnee) was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut,' Hoffmeyer said to the Associated Press. Jurnee Hoffmeyer, who is biracial, is pictured before the unapproved haircuts took place 'I asked what happened and said 'I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair.' She said 'But dad, it was the teacher.' The teacher cut her hair to even it out.' Hoffmeyer followed up with the school and was told the library teacher wouldn't receive any discipline more than a note in her work file, at most. Hoffmeyer claimed the principal tried to get the incident to disappear without issuing more serious discipline. 'She kept asking me what she could do to make it go away,' Hoffmeyer said of the school's principal. Jimmy Hoffmeyer took to Facebook to share news of the incident involving his daughter The district superintendent called Hoffmeyer a week later offering to mail out apology cards, a call he angrily hung up on. Meanwhile, the library teacher has not been publicly identified. Hoffmeyer ultimately filed a report with local police, although they have not yet followed up on his complaint. Hoffmeyer is biracial, as are his three daughters, while his wife, Christie, is white. Jimmy Hoffmeyer is biracial, as as his three daughters, while his wife Christie is white A school board meeting about the incident was held Monday night, though it's unclear if there was any resolution to the issue. 'Just got done with the school board meeting ... I must say I couldn't be more proud and thankful of all the love and support my family received from our community and others from all around the world,' Christie Hoffmeyer posted on Facebook. During the school board meeting, one person noted the seriousness of cutting the hair of a Black or biracial child. 'I feel like you don't quite understand the impact of hair on the Black community or how serious this matter actually goes,' one person said during the board meeting, according to UpNorthLive. 'If you could take a diversity training I feel like that would be very helpful, especially for understanding the context of this and why people are so upset about it.' The president of the school board, however, suggests that some of the reports regarding the haircutting incidents are inaccurate, without saying how. 'I'm not one to try to make things about race,' Jimmy Hoffmeyer said to the Associated Press. 'I've pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.' Hoffmeyer has since moved his daughter from one school to another and is considering moving her to a private school. The school has yet to publicly apologize or comment on the incident. The National Parents Union is now advocating on behalf of the Hoffmeyer family. 'I would like them to own up to their responsibilities,' Hoffmeyer said to WJRT. 'Like, weve been asking as a public apology for the most part to let Jurnee know that yes they acknowledge that it was wrong and that it should have never been done and that she should never have been through something like this.' The Crown Act was reintroduced in Michigan in February, which would make it illegal to discriminate based on hair texture or styles such as braids, locks, and twists. Sao Paulo, April 20 : An international team of researchers has found evidence suggesting that the Brazilian coronavirus variant, the P.1 or B11248, may be up to twice as transmissible as prior strains. The P.1 SARS-CoV-2 variant was first seen in Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Initial research suggested the virus arose late last year and began spreading in November. It quickly became the dominant strain and infected nearly 70 per cent of the people in the city. After variant infections rose in Manaus, the P 1 variant soon spread throughout Brazil, and then to other countries -- to date, it has been found in 37 countries, the ScienceX reported. As per the study, published in the journal Science, the team conducted molecular clock analysis and determined that the virus had 17 identifiable mutations and that three spike protein mutations -- N501Y, E484K and K417T -- were particularly worrisome because they appeared to allow the virus to bind more tightly to human cells, and in some cases, to aid in evading antibodies. The variant was also found to evade an immune response to prior strains of the virus. Further, simulating the virus to determine how its abilities have changed since it mutated showed the variant to be from 1.7 to 2.4 times more transmissible than previous strains of the virus. However, the team researchers were unable to determine if the increase was due to the virus persisting longer in the body or from an increase in viral load. Also, they were not able to determine if the new variant makes people sicker or if it is deadlier. The researchers noted that more work is required to determine if the P.1 strain is truly able to infect people who have been infected with prior strains, or those who have been vaccinated. Click here to read the full article. Imane Pokimane Anys has been playing games for more than half her life. Today, its her full-time career: Shes the most-followed woman streamer on Twitch, as well as one of the 10 biggest live-streamers overall on the platform. As a prominent female personality in the historically male-dominated games sector, Pokimane strives to create a positive and welcoming community for all her fans. But the 24-year-old also has been on the receiving end of regular torrents of harassment like every prominent woman online has a situation that Amazon-owned Twitch has specifically taken steps to address recently. Earlier this month, Twitch adopted an unusual offline conduct policy that will ban users for behavior including sexual assault that happens off the service. That came after the Amazon-owned company updated and expanded its Hateful Conduct and Harassment policies, which went into effect in January. Among the changes, Twitch promised more aggressive policing of sexual harassment and abuse targeting people of color. Pokimane applauds the new Twitch policies and believes they reflect the changing demographics of the gaming community the last few years. I do think all the moves theyve taken are the right ones, she says of Twitch, where she has 7.7 million followers. Im very grateful about that Ultimately, I think companies will follow the large majority of the feedback or do their best to implement positive changes. Pokimane adds, I think it will only get better from here. I think thats largely because of how mainstream [gaming] has become it gets closer to a 50-50 [gender] dynamic. The community also is diversifying by attracting more people of color and LGBTQ creators, which, she says, allows more voices to be heard. With every year, I see improvement and progress, she says. Pokimane a portmanteau of Pokemon and her first name, Imane has been streaming since she was 17. She goes by Poki for short. Asked what her all-time favorite games are, Poki says that Fortnite and League of Legends will always have such a special place in my heart, as those were the titles that helped her attract such a massive fanbase. In the past year, shes also been playing a lot of Riot Games Valorant, one of her newest favorite games. More recently, she played CD Projekt Reds Cyberpunk 2077 (the initially buggy action RPG). I got a little motion sick so I had to stop, but it is a beautiful game, she says. Poki also is a fan of games that skew toward younger and more female, like Minecraft. Like many other digital creators, Pokimane says shes not especially interested in breaking into TV or film. I love the creative freedom of being a digital creator, she says. I love being able to set my own hours and have control over how much that changes over the years, and how I grow and develop over time. That said, Poki this summer will make her film debut in 20th Century Studios Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds, which is now set to premiere Aug. 13. Directed by Shawn Levy, Free Guy follows a bank teller named Guy (Reynolds) who discovers hes an NPC a non-player character in a video game thats on the brink of being shut down. Pokimane makes an appearance alongside other top game streamers Ninja and Jacksepticeye. Its a cameo I only know how to be myself, Poki says with a laugh. I dont want to spoil too much, but [in the scene she is in] we are reacting to something pivotal that is happening to a game. Shooting her part of Free Guy was a different experience from her normal setup of just me and my camera. She admits that while it was a very, very fun experience, working on a professional film or commercial project is always a little tedious. You are filming the same scene over and over. Another exciting recent development for her: Pokimane recently got her own Fortnite emote, patterned after one of her TikTok dances. I cannot believe there is some sort of in-game item that is mine, created by me, she marvels. That blows my mind! I feel like its the epitome of every gamers dream. Born in Morocco in 1996, she moved with her family when she was four years old to Quebec, Canada. She became a gamer because of her brother Mo, who is three years older than her starting out with Game Boy, Nintendo DS and Wii. Pokimane began playing MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) in middle school, and in high school discovered what would become her calling: Twitch. After going to school for the day, I would watch Twitch streamers especially female streamers. I found them more relatable, she says. She enrolled in McMaster University in Ontario, studying chemical engineering, but dropped out after two years to become a full-time streamer. I felt like I was at a crossroads, and I had to give up one or the other, Poki says. Her parents originally wanted her to get a college degree but now fully support her career choice. After she hit it big, it became easier to explain to [my parents] what I do, says Pokimane, who now lives in L.A. Her mom recently called while Poki was live-streaming; the two chatted in French and her mother enthusiastically introduced herself on speakerphone. My mom is so much like me! Poki said after hanging up. You see where I get it from. The COVID-19 pandemic brought even more attention and eyeballs to games, but Poki says, oddly enough, I feel guilty saying that, knowing the pandemic was such a difficult time for so many people. As Twitch streamers, we were already in a position of privilege. At the same time, games have become a safe and fun way for friends to interact during the pandemic: You couldnt go outside, but you could still do an activity from the safety of your room. It became a more normalized way for everyone, not just gamers, to hang out. Even so, shes looking forward to going back to in-person conventions and traveling. Pokimane is repped by UTA, which recently partnered her with mobile payment service CashApp for a year-long endorsement in which she does weekly cash giveaways to fans. Pokimanes other recent deals include partnerships with Samsung, HyperX and Verizon. In addition, shes pursued her interests in fashion design, as the creative director of clothing brand Cloak whose partners include Markiplier and Jacksepticeye and wellness, as she recently invested in percussive muscle therapy device company Therabody (formerly known as Theragun), whose investors also include Rihanna, 2 Chainz, Karlie Kloss and Justin Timberlake. Ive seen Poki grow from a young woman who played video games as a hobby to a businesswoman, and its been such a pleasure seeing her pave her own path when it comes to her business ventures, says Hana Tjia, her esports agent at UTA. She is a multifaceted creator, one who really understands her community and has cracked the code to livestreaming success. Poki is now looking at investing in other business ventures and also consulting for a few gaming companies. At this point, shes ruled out creating her own video game. Im not sure its something I am able to pursue right now, she says. I would have to dedicate so much of my time toward it. Her advice to aspiring game streamers? If you are looking to enter this space, make sure youre having fun, Poki says. I dont think its advisable to enter this space if you want to make money. For female gamers in particular, online harassment can be very demoralizing, she says. Poki offers this counsel: Block out the negative people and listen to the ones you feel truly understand you. She also says its critical to have a good support system, with friends who can support you through difficult days. Im fortunate to know other female gamers, Pokimane says. Its been enormously helpful, if not essential. It would have been really hard to do without those good friends. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. English could become one of the official languages of Brussels, a minister for the citys government has suggested despite the UKs exit from the EU. Sven Gatz said the communication challenges faced by Belgium as it tackled coronavirus pandemic have created a space to discuss multilingualism in the country, where Dutch, French and German are all official languages. Hiccups in the countrys Covid-19 response have sparked the first movements to redefine its language system, he told The Brussels Times. DUBLIN, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global SiC Fibers Market by Type (First, Second, Third Generation), Form (Continuous, Woven, Others), Phase (Amorphous, Crystalline), Usage (Composites, Non-Composites), End-use Industry, and Region - Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global SiC fibers market is projected to grow from USD 382 million in 2020 to USD 1,262 million by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27% between 2020 and 2025. SiC fibers are advanced and have high-performance characteristics. These fibers are used as reinforcements for Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs), and Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs). However, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across all the end-use industries has affected the SiC fibers market adversely. Third generation SiC fibers are the fastest-growing segment in the SiC fibers market in terms of both value and volume The third-generation SiC fibers are the most lucrative type that are witnessing increased demand from hot sections of aircraft engines. These fibers are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period in terms of value and volume. NGS Advanced fibers Co., Ltd., COI Ceramics, Inc., Ube Industries, Ltd., and Specialty Materials, Inc., are some of the major players providing third-generation SiC fibers. The mass production of these fibers is expected to reduce the cost during the forecast period. Continuous form is anticipated to grow at highest CAGR in terms of value and volume The continuous form of SiC fibers are projected to register the highest CAGR. SiC continuous fibers, also known as tow, are used as reinforcement materials for PMC, CMC, and MMC. These fibers have excellent heat and creep failure in extreme conditions. Major SiC fiber manufacturers offer SIC fibers in continuous tow forms. Crystalline SiC fibers are expected to grow at a faster rate in terms of both value and volume The crystalline phase segment of SiC fibers is expected to register higher growth as compared to the amorphous phase segment during the forecast period. Crystalline SiC fibers have negligible oxygen and carbon content, due to which they can survive in high oxidation environments. Hi-Nicalon S, KD-S, Tyranno SA, Sylramic, Sylramic-iBN, KD-SA are some of the major trademarks of SiC fibers that are in the crystalline phase. Composites usage dominated the SiC fibers market in terms of both value and volume SiC fibers are mainly used as reinforcements in PMCs, CMCs, and MMCs. However, CMC applications of SiC fibers dominate the market. The non-composite applications of SIC fibers are very limited owing to the high cost of fibers. They are used in chemical and heat transfer industries in high-temperature applications. Aerospace & defense is the largest end-use industry of SiC fibers in terms of both value and volume SiC fibers find high demand from aircraft engine manufacturers to make engine components such as shrouds and combustor liners. This is because the SiC fiber-based CMCs have high-performance properties such as high strength; excellent creep, oxidation, and corrosion resistance; and low density. SiC fibers also have excellent oxidation and creep resistance up to 2,732F. They are also used in vanes, exhaust nozzles, Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), thruster nozzles, reusable rocket nozzles, and turbo pump components for space vehicles. North America is the leading SiC fibers market in terms of both value and volume North America accounted for the major share in the SiC fibers market, followed by Europe and APAC. The robust aerospace & defense industry, government support for aerospace & defense industry, presence of major SiC fiber manufactures and pilot production by GE Aviation are triggering the growth in the region. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the SiC Fibers Market 4.2 SiC Fibers Market Size, by Type 4.3 SiC Fibers Market Size, by Form 4.4 SiC Fibers Market Size, by Phase 4.5 SiC Fibers Market, by Usage 4.6 SiC Fibers Market, by Region and End-use Industry 4.7 SiC Fibers Market, by Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Government Stimulus Package for the Aerospace Industry Amid the COVID-19 Crisis 5.2.1.2 Capacity Expansions due to Rise in Production of Leap Engines 5.2.1.3 Increase in Demand for Fuel-Efficient Aircraft 5.2.1.4 Increased Investments in Manufacturing SiC Fiber-Based CMCs for Land-Based Gas Turbine Engines 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Cost of SiC Fibers 5.2.2.2 Decrease in the Number of Aircraft Deliveries and Reduced Aircraft Production 5.2.2.3 Disruption in the Supply Chain and Lower Production Capacity Utilization due to COVID-19 Pandemic 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Increase in R&D for Manufacturing Accident-Tolerant and Lightweight Nuclear Reactors 5.2.3.2 Reduction of SiC Fiber Costs 5.2.3.3 Emergence of Chinese Players 5.2.3.4 Boeing 737 Max Coming Back into Operation and FAA Clearance for GE9X 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Technological Challenges in Manufacturing Low-Cost SiC Fibers 5.2.4.2 Maintain Uninterrupted Supply Chain and Operate at Full Production Capacity 5.2.4.3 Liquidity Crunch 5.3 Supply Chain Analysis 5.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.4.1 Threat of New Entrants 5.4.2 Threat of Substitutes 5.4.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 5.4.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers 5.4.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 5.5 Ecosystem: SiC Fibers Market 5.6 Value Chain Analysis 5.7 Impact of COVID-19 on SiC Fibers Value Chain 5.7.1 Raw Materials 5.7.2 Intermediates 5.7.3 Molder 5.7.4 OEM/Assembly 5.8 Technology Analysis 5.9 Pricing Analysis 5.10 Average Selling Price 5.11 Key Market for Import/Export 5.11.1 US 5.11.2 Japan 5.11.3 Germany 5.11.4 France 5.11.5 UK 5.11.6 China 5.12 Tariff and Regulations 5.13 Case Study Analysis 5.14 SiC Fibers: YC and YCC Shift 5.15 Revenue Analysis of Top Market Players 5.16 Patent Analysis 5.16.1 Methodology 5.16.2 Document Type 5.16.3 Insights 5.16.4 Jurisdiction Analysis 5.16.5 Jurisdiction Analysis for SiC Fibers 5.16.6 Top Companies/Applicants 5.16.6.1 List of Patents by Centre Nat Rech Scient 5.16.6.2 List of Patents by General Electric Company 5.16.6.3 List of Patents by Herakles 5.16.6.4 List of Patents by Applied Nano Structured Solutions, LLC 5.16.6.5 List of Patents by Safran Ceramics 5.16.6.6 List of Patents by UBE Industries 5.16.7 Top 20 Patent Owners (US) in the Last 10 Years 5.16.8 Major Patents in the Aerospace Industry 5.16.9 Major Applications of SiC Fibers in the Aerospace Industry and Timeline for Commercialization 6 SiC Fibers Market, by Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 First Generation 6.3 Second Generation 6.4 Third Generation 7 SiC Fibers Market, by Phase 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Amorphous 7.3 Crystalline 8 SiC Fibers Market, by Form 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Continuous 8.3 Woven 8.4 Others 8.4.1 Felt/Mat 8.4.2 Chopped 8.4.3 Twill 8.4.4 Ropes and Belts 9 SiC Fibers Market, by Usage 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Composites 9.2.1 Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) 9.2.2 Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs) 9.2.3 Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) 9.2.3.1 Aluminum 9.2.3.2 Titanium 9.2.3.3 Zirconium 9.3 Non-Composites 10 SiC Fibers Market, by End-use Industry 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Aerospace & Defense 10.2.1 Impact of COVID-19 on Aircraft Models Employing SiC Fibers 10.2.2 Important Factors Driving the SiC Fiber Demand in the Aerospace & Defense Industry 10.3 Energy & Power 10.4 Industrial 10.5 Others 11 SiC Fibers Market, by Region 11.1 Introduction 11.2 North America 11.2.1 US 11.2.2 Canada 11.3 Europe 11.3.1 France 11.3.2 Germany 11.3.3 UK 11.3.4 Italy 11.3.5 Spain 11.3.6 Rest of Europe 11.4 APAC 11.4.1 Japan 11.4.2 China 11.4.3 South Korea 11.4.4 Rest of APAC 11.5 Latin America 11.5.1 Brazil 11.5.2 Mexico 11.5.3 Rest of Latin America 11.6 MEA 11.6.1 Israel 11.6.2 UAE 11.6.3 Rest of Mea 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Market Share Analysis 12.3 Market Ranking 12.4 Market Evaluation Framework 12.5 Revenue Analysis of Top Market Players 12.6 Company Evaluation Matrix 12.6.1 Star 12.6.2 Pervasive 12.6.3 Participants 12.6.4 Emerging Leaders 13 Company Profiles 13.1 Key Players 13.1.1 NGS Advanced Fibers 13.1.2 Ube Industries 13.1.3 COI Ceramics, Inc. 13.1.4 GE Aviation 13.1.5 Specialty Materials, Inc. 13.1.6 MATECH 13.1.7 Haydale Technologies 13.1.8 Suzhou Saifei Group 13.1.9 BJS Ceramics 13.1.10 Ningbo Zhongxing New Materials Co. Ltd 13.2 Other Key Players 13.2.1 Nasa Glenn Research Center 13.2.2 National University of Defense & Technology 13.2.3 Toshiba 13.2.4 Tisics Ltd. 13.2.5 Institute of Energy Science & Technology 14. Appendix 14.1 Discussion Guide 14.2 Knowledge Store: The Subscription Portal 14.3 Available Customizations For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wmq0o2 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com STAFF and volunteers at the only overnight shelter in The Pas will be unloading truckloads of supplies throughout the month after getting a desperately needed cash infusion. STAFF and volunteers at the only overnight shelter in The Pas will be unloading truckloads of supplies throughout the month after getting a desperately needed cash infusion. Boxes containing essentials such as cookware, industrial kitchen appliances and PPE continue to arrive at Oscars Place, a 10-room shelter that sleeps up to 26 people. Its only open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily. Groceries are delivered to Oscars Place, a 10-room shelter, in The Pas. Oscars Place has received $37,979 from Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents northern chiefs. "I felt the money needed to go to support Oscars Place," said executive director Kelvin Lynxleg. The next closest overnight shelter is in Thompson, 386 kilometres away. People travel to The Pas for refuge from all over the region, from as far away as Cumberland House, Sask., and the remote First Nations community of Pukatawagan. "Normally, a shelter is a lifeline to those who dont have anywhere to go, but in the north, its particularly important because of the harsher climate," said Carolyn Smeltzer, technical unit manager at Swampy Cree Tribal Council. Dave Brauer, chairman with Oscar's Place, said theres a "night and day" difference between shelter availability in urban centres like Winnipeg versus the north. The pandemic has forced other area shelters to restrict the number of people allowed inside. Friendship Centre staff continue to deliver regular meals to unhoused people and the towns low-income residents whenever its safe to do so. "I want to help our homeless population as much as I can, but Im not going to put my staff in jeopardy," said Douglas Bartlett, the friendship centres executive director. "Oscars Place should be open 24 hours a day but its not." It means the homeless population has to search for somewhere else to go. Those familiar with Oscars Place said its not uncommon to see people standing outside year-round, waiting for it to open. "Businesses are closed, bathrooms are closed due to the pandemic. Its basic things, basic amenities that everyone should have access to," Lynxleg said. During winter, many homeless people were suffering from frostbite, an issue Smeltzer said was "totally preventable" if more resources had been available. In reaction, the tribal council and MKO worked together to open a temporary day site in The Pas to bide time until the cold spell broke. Lynxleg also hopes Oscars Place will eventually have enough funding to remain open during the day. "Summers coming up. Its going to get hot. Therell be people sitting outside with no access to water," she said. With the new funding secured, both parent organizations want to see Indigenous culture and food included in Oscars Places services. A chef from the University College of the North trained a handful of Oscars Place staff in food safety and preparing Indigenous cuisine. Smeltzer said finding a space large enough to host the training was a challenge due to public health restrictions. "They accommodated us very well." Samantha Chartrand, 44, began working at the shelter as a cook just over a year ago. Chartrand spent Thursday afternoon plucking geese and preparing them for dinner, which included fried bannock, duck, and soup. "I want the (clients) to feel happy. I want them to feel safe, comfortable, relaxed, (to) have a good nights sleep," Chartrand said. There are a lot of familiar faces at Oscars Place. Many clients are chronically homeless and have been on and off the streets for two decades or more. Some clients are older adults. "I do know that one particular client has gotten to the point where hes in need of full-time care," Smeltzer said. "The challenge there is the staff really dont know how to start the process to get him into proper care." Whether it be for older adults or those looking to transition into stable housing, bridging gaps in housing is a concern for shelter services in The Pas and other northern communities such as Thompson. MKO received $218,000 from Indigenous Services Canada. It gave a share to several other groups, including 95 Cree Road a housing facility in Thompson and Mama Bear Clan street patrol in Winnipeg. "We want to help where we can to make things better for our people, wherever they reside throughout Manitoba," Lynxleg said. "We were very happy that we were able to do this and make a difference even if it was a small difference." fpcity@freepress.mb.ca New Delhi: Bigg Boss 13 winner, actor Sidharth Shukla did not approve of a tweet by a famous celebrity photographer, who wished actress and former Bigg Boss 13 contestant Shehnaaz Gill, used a better phone to make reels for her fans. Honestly a very cute effort by #shehnaazgill but wish it was shot on a better phone, read the tweet by Viral Bhayani, a famous celebrity paparazzi. This did not go down well with Shehnaaz rumoured boyfriend Sidharth, who gave it back to Viral by responding that the video was shot on the best possible camera for her fans and he should not share the reel if he doesnt like it. Bhai now that your concerns about a friend ... let me just politely put it to your knowledge its was shot on the best possible phone ....for her fans ... if you didnt like it why did you up it, wrote the Baalika Vadhu actor. Honestly a very cute effort by #shehnaazgill but wish it was shot on a better phone pic.twitter.com/KM6Z9gMdPp Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani77) April 19, 2021 It didnt end here, Viral later posted a photo of Sidharth and wrote, Inside every man is a beast, that protects a queen. Who is that Queen #sidharthshukla ? #sidhearts . Inside every man is a beast, that protects a queen. Who is that Queen #sidharthshukla ? #sidhearts pic.twitter.com/KQRnbGDyWx Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani77) April 19, 2021 Sidharth and Shehnaaz first made headlines for their undeniable chemistry and closeness with each other in Bigg Boss 13. The two have remained close even after the show ended and share each other pictures on their social media accounts. They have also collaborated on the work front and have featured in music videos Shona Shona and Bhula Dunga. A former LSU student testified Monday that he watched in horror the night of Sept. 14, 2017, as a man made a u-turn in front of a BREC park just north of the Baton Rouge campus and fatally shot a beloved Louie's Cafe employee. Ka'wesley Brown told the jury at Kenneth Gleason's first-degree murder trial that he could not identify the man who gunned down Donald Smart, but he said the shooter drove off in a red, four-door compact car. Authorities have said Gleason drove such a red car. Brown said he and a female friend were talking at BREC's Alaska Street Park in the playground area around 11 p.m. when he noticed the headlights of a car making a u-turn in front of the park. After about two minutes, he heard a gunshot and turned around to see a man standing outside the car get struck by a second shot and fall to the ground. +4 Accused serial killer inflicted '4-day streak of terror' on Baton Rouge, prosecutors say The trial of a man accused of killing two Black men along city streets and shooting into the home of a Black family that lived down his street "He got out to finish shooting," Brown testified as Gleason's trial entered its second week. "I saw him stand over the victim and shoot some more." Brown said he heard seven or eight shots, and did everything he could to try and save Smart's life before emergency responders arrived. East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Beau Clark testified earlier Monday that Smart suffered eight gunshot wounds. Brown estimated the shooter was 6 feet tall, which is taller than Gleason, but he also said he considered 6 feet to be an average height. Gleason, 27, who is White, is standing trial only in the slaying of Smart, who was Black. But the alleged serial killer also is accused of fatally shooting another Black man, Bruce Cofield, two days before Smart was killed. A grand jury indicted him on a second-degree murder charge in Cofield's death. The coroner testified Saturday that Cofield suffered 15 gunshot wounds. +4 Witness accounts vary in Saturday session of alleged Baton Rouge serial killer's trial In the trial of a White man accused of targeting and fatally shooting two Black men in a streak of fall 2017 shootings, prosecutors on Saturda Gleason is further accused of firing into the home of the only Black family on the block where he lived in the Hickory Ridge subdivision, which is off Coursey Boulevard, the day before Cofield's shooting. He's charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder in that non-fatal shooting on Sandy Ridge Drive, where Gleason lived with his parents. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Evidence from the Cofield homicide and the non-fatal shooting on Sandy Ridge Drive also is being introduced at Gleason's trial. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if found guilty as charged. The verdict must be unanimous. Prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty against Gleason after consulting with Smart's family. Authorities have said the three nighttime shootings were apparently random and possibly racially motivated. Cofield, 59, who was homeless, was shot as he sat at a bus stop on Florida Boulevard near South Acadian Thruway. +4 At alleged serial killer's trial, tearful testimony about homeless man's death at bus stop A woman who says she saw a 59-year-old homeless man shot and killed during what prosecutors called a "four-day streak of terror" in 2017 spoke Trial testimony last week indicated that a White male got out of his car and shot Cofield, who then rolled into the street. The shooter then stood over Cofield and fired more shots. The trial will resume Tuesday. Smart, 49, was killed while walking to his overnight shift at Louie's, where he was a dishwasher. Authorities have said Gleason is linked to Cofield's killing and the nonfatal shooting through DNA evidence, and to both fatal shootings and the nonfatal incident through ballistics evidence. The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab determined that the casings recovered from all three shooting scenes were fired from the same 9 mm gun. The firearm used in the shootings has not been found. Gleason is not charged with a hate crime, but prosecutors have said his cellphone records, which will be used at the trial, contained repeated references to Adolf Hitler and "cleansing." +3 Swastika can't come up at alleged Baton Rouge serial killer's trial; Hitler references can A sketch of a swastika found in a suspected Baton Rouge serial killer's holding cell won't be used at the upcoming trial of the White man accu Gleason's lawyers have said he studied German at LSU. He attended the university for one year starting in the fall of 2012. [April 20, 2021] Iconic Funds Receives Approval to Issue and Publicly Offer a Physically Backed Bitcoin ETP FRANKFURT, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconic Funds BTC ETN GmbH, a subsidiary of Iconic Funds GmbH (collectively branded as "Iconic Funds") has received regulatory approval in Germany for the prospectus and public offering of a physically backed Bitcoin Exchange Traded Product ("ETP") which will apply to be listed on the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The ETP is planned to be listed for trading the week of April 26, 2021. Structured as a traditional ETP in the same manner as Xetra Gold, the recently approved Bitcoin ETP aims to remove the technical complications of investing in and holding Bitcoin for investors in an industry-leading cost-effective manner. Each fully Bitcoin-collateralized Note of the ETP represents a claim on a specified amount of Bitcoin, less applicable fees, and will trade under the ticker symbol XBTI with an ISIN of DE000A3GK2N1. "Bitcoin and the crypto industry as a whole is now being recognized as a bonafide asset class with institutions and investors clamoring for a seamless and familiar way to invest," said Patrick Lowry, CEO of Iconic Funds and publicly-traded Cryptology Asset Group. "Iconic aims to drive the adoption of crypto assets by creating trust in it for investors. Given the list of Tier-1 service providers we have brought together for our physically-backed Bitcoin ETP, we believe we have succeeded in this manner." State Street, one of the world's leading Fund Administrator groups, will serve as the Administrator of the ETP in a first for the international bank. Fidelity Digital Assets and Coinbase Custody will serve as the custodians of the ETP's Bitcoin with Bankhaus von der Heydt serving as the Security Trustee. Quirin Privatbank and Futurum Bank act as the Paying and Listing agent, respectively with APs of the note including Flow Traders, Jane Street, DRW and Enigma Securities. All notes will be listed and trading on Deutsche Borse's Xetra and centrally-cleared through ClearStream Banking Frankfurt. Eric Romba, partner at the law firm lindenpartners, and team served as legal counsel. "Our collaboration with Iconic Funds demonstrates the growing interest in cryptocurrencies as an asset as institutional investors are beginning to consider potential investments in crypto, specifically Bitcoin. As asset managers look to incorporate crypto into their investment products, we look forward to partnering with them on their journey," said Nadine Chakar, head of State Street's Global Market's business. "Our priority will remain bringing our clients and partners economic benefits, as we continue to evolve important servicing needs as part of our broader strategy for the crypto and digital assets environment." "As we embark on building an open more fair, accessible, efficient, and transparent financial system enabled by crypto, we're delighted to work partner with Iconic and other service providers such as State Street and Fidelity," said Drew Robinson, Head of EMEA Institutional Sales at Coinbase. Michael Geister, the newly appointed Head of Crypto ETPs at Iconic, said "A new asset class is born! European investors are beginning to recognize Bitcoin as digital gold with the European market for crypto ETPs growing to over USD 5 billion in AUM in a short period of time. There is massive and rapidly growing demand from all sorts of investors who want to access crypto assets. A fully-regulated, robust, tax efficient and trusted solution like a physically-backed ETP is the perfect tool for such investors, and with a TER of .95%, we offer one of the most cost-effective solutions for EU investors." "Institutional interest in Bitcoin had been steadily increasing for several years, but the pandemic has served as a catalyst, drawing even more demand from this investor segment due to the unprecedented levels of monetary and fiscal stimulus and the attractiveness of a fixed supply uncorrelated asset," said Chris Tyrer, head of Fidelity Digital Assets in Europe. "The maturation of the digital assets ecosystem has been integral in supporting the demand in the marketplace in response to this strong, global, macro narrative." Iconic Funds is perpetually at the forefront of crypto asset adoption, investing in the crypto space since 2017 and having issued one of the EU's first fully licensed crypto asset index funds in early 2020. By issuing a physically backed Bitcoin ETP and one of the most cost effective of its kind Iconic further cements itself as one of the most innovative asset management groups in the world. Product name Iconic Funds Physical Bitcoin ETP Ticker Xetra / Bloomberg XBTI / XBTI GY ISIN / WKN DE000A3GK2N1 / A3GK2N Product Currency USD Product Structure Physically replicating Domicile Germany Issuer Iconic Funds BTC ETN GmbH Administrator State Street Bank International GmbH Security Trustee Bankhaus von der Heydt GmbH & Co. KG Custodians Fidelity Digital Assets Ltd Coinbase Custody International Ltd Market Maker Flow Traders B.V. Authorized Participant(s) Flow Traders B.V. Jane Street Financial Ltd. DRW Europe B.V. Enigma Securities Ltd. Launch date Week of 26th April, 2021 Important Notices: This notice does not constitute an offer to sell securities, nor is it a solicitation or an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. This notice does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States and the securities referred to in this notice may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. This notice may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including with respect to the expected offering size, the terms of the Notes including the anticipating timing for the pricing and settlement date and the listing of the Notes on the regulated market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Forward looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Iconic Fund's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, capital markets conditions and the ability to successfully market the Notes, global and local economic and business conditions. All forward-looking information in this notice speaks as of the date of this notice. Iconic Funds does not undertake to update any such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained in Iconic Fund's filings with securities regulators, including its latest annual information form and MD&A. These filings are also available at Iconic Fund's website at https://funds.iconicholding.com. The price performance of cryptocurrencies is highly volatile and unpredictable and past price performance is no guarantee of future price performance. The approval of the Prospectus should not be construed as an endorsement of the securities offered or admitted to trading on a Regulated Market. Prospective investors should read the Prospectus before making any investment decision in order to fully understand the potential risks and rewards of deciding to invest in the securities. The prospectus is available at https://funds.iconicholding.com/xbti-iconic-funds-physical-bitcoin-etp/. About Iconic Funds BTC ETN GmbH: Iconic Funds BTC ETN GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Iconic Funds GmbH and the issuer of a physically backed Bitcoin Exchange Traded Product ("ETP") (ISIN: DE000A3GK2N1; Ticker: XBTI). Iconic Funds GmbH is the holding company of a series of subsidiaries that manage and issue crypto asset investment products. Collectively, Iconic Funds GmbH and its subsidiaries are branded as "Iconic Funds." Iconic Funds is a joint venture between Iconic Holding GmbH and Cryptology Asset Group p.l.c. (ISIN: MT0001770107; Ticker: CAP, formerly 4UD). Iconic Holding is a portfolio company of FinLab AG (WKN 121806 / ISIN DE0001218063 / Ticker: A7A), High-Tech Grunderfonds ("HTGF"), Cryptology Asset Group p.l.c. and Titania Investment Group OU. Press contact: Iconic Funds BTC ETN GmbH: contact@iconicholding.com https://funds.iconicholding.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iconic-funds-receives-approval-to-issue-and-publicly-offer-a-physically-backed-bitcoin-etp-301271818.html SOURCE Iconic Funds [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Residents of Aflao in the Ketu South District in the Volta Region have expressed profound gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for the nomination of their son into the highest office as a Deputy Minister of Communication. According to them, Richard Ahiagbahs nomination is an indication of the confidence the President has reposed in him based on hard work to occupy such a high-profile office. The Aflao residents also assured the President and his government of their full support for Richard Ahiagbah to excel and perform. They also congratulated him on his nomination and reassured him of their support to enable him live up to his expectation. Richard Ahiagbah, until his nomination as Deputy Communication Minister, was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Danquah Institute. Profile of Hon. Richard Ahiagbah Mr. Richard Ahiagbah comes from Aflao, in the Ketu South District in the Volta Region. He has engaged in politics at the highest levels in the NPP abroad. He is a conviction patriot, who believes the liberal-conservative worldview of the NPP is the best vehicle for Ghanas accelerated growth and development. As a member affiliated with the Chicago Chapter and the larger NPP-USA Branch, Richard has played significant roles for the party. In his roles as the Communication Director of the Chicago Chapter and a member of NPP-USA Communication team, Richard appears regularly as a panelist on radio and TV talk shows for the party. In addition, Richard also publishes articles to advance or defend the government and party interests. He is a key member of NPP-USAs Rapid Response Team, created to rejoin, defend or promote the party and government programs. At present, Richard is leading a three-member committee to develop a strategic plan for the NPP-USA communication team. In addition to his participation in team efforts, Richard created a website in 2014 devoted to promoting the electoral goals of the NPP. All the articles he published and boosted on his website were also submitted and carried on leading Ghanaian online and print media for broader reach. In the 2016 elections, Richard served as the Diasporan Mobilization Coordinator, an effort designed to augment the partys 2016 election monitoring capacity. The mobilization effort by the external branches of the NPP has been described widely as an essential factor in the 2016 triumph. In 2012, Richard got the consultancy firm he worked for in the USA, to agree to send a small team of field campaign organizers from the USA to support the NPP. While abroad, Richard maintains close relations with party members in Ghana and supports grassroots activist groups in service to the party. And each time he is in Ghana, he campaign and interacts with members of his resident constituency, Kpone Katamanso, Ketu South and other constituencies in the country. Richard served and continued to serve the party financially. In 2012, he participated in a fundraising with Vice President Bawumia in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2016, he supported and led many fundraising efforts to enable the Chicago Chapter to fund its adopted constituency (Asutifi South). Richard is an active participant in US politics; a vital experience which he has brought to bear on his service to the NPP. He has worked on several US Presidential, Congressional and State campaigns. He also played instrumental role in the party's victory in 2016 and 2020 general election Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] 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 When lawmakers praise a plan as bold, as members of the House Ways and Means Committee repeatedly did for a colleagues bill Tuesday, thats usually the kiss of death, the equivalent of youre a nice guy, but. But the committee members approved, albeit narrowly, a far-reaching plan from a freshman lawmaker that would completely revamp Louisianas widely-derided tax system. The states corporate and individual income taxes? They would disappear under the proposal by state Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville. So would the states corporate franchise tax. In all, eliminating those taxes could cost the state about $4 billion, Nelson estimated. +3 This state senator casts a tie-breaking vote for Slidell casino. His wife is one of the lobbyists. A controversial proposal to move a casino boat to Slidell cleared its first hurdle Monday when a Senate committee chairman, whose wife is a lo He proposes to make up that revenue by shifting spending from the state to local governments and giving local governments new ways to raise revenue. The overarching theme is to give locals the ability to control their own destiny, to decide how much to spend and how to raise it rather than going to beg to Baton Rouge, Nelson said in an interview. This is a conceptual idea. Im just trying to drive the conversation. Under his plan, state spending on education under what is known as the Minimum Foundation Program would drop by one-third. Local governments could make up the spending. The sacred $75,000 homestead exemption? That would be cut to $25,000 under Nelsons plan, a move that would be a big money-raiser for local governments. +3 Louisiana getting $216M to connect New Orleans to Lafayette, other transportation projects Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday the state is getting $216 million in transportation aid from one of the federal stimulus bills, includi The equally sacred Industrial Tax Exemption Program that costs local governments an estimated $2 billion per year? That would disappear, too, over time, and so would the $90 million in revenue sharing that the state sends to local governments every year. Local governments would raise even more money by eliminating the blanket exemption from tax exemption for nonprofits. Their property would remain tax-exempt only if they used it directly for the groups main activities. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Nelson proposes to raise the state sales tax of 4.45% to 6.1% while capping the local government sales tax rate at 3%. That would give Louisiana a combined local and state sales tax rate of 9.1% - compared to an average rate today of 9.52%, which is the second highest in the country. I commend you for not shying away from putting big ideas before this place, said state Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington, who voted for the various pieces of Nelsons package, House Bills 475, 520, 526 and 612. The committee passed all but HB520, which didn't advance because of a 7-7 vote. John Bel Edwards won't support bills that ban transgender athletes, restrict medical treatment Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday he will not back bills that would place curbs on transgender athletes and other proposals that would restric Locals dont have control of their own destiny, said state Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central. Its an idea worthy of additional consideration. He also voted for the plan. I like the boldness of it, chimed in state Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia. He, too, voted for it. State Rep. Malinda White, D-Bogalusa, raised the biggest concerns, saying she worries about its impact on the poor and retirees on fixed incomes. Nelson acknowledged that his bill had something everyone can dislike but that could be the beauty of it, too. Most Louisiana lawmakers have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine; see who has, hasn't With the Louisiana Legislature entering the second week of its 2021 session, at least 68% of the legislators say they have been vaccinated aga Afterward, Nelson said he couldnt explain why representatives of local governments school boards, sheriffs, district attorneys and municipal governments didnt testify on the bill. He also acknowledged that he doesnt believe that his plan will ultimately pass the Legislature and be put before voters in a statewide referendum. An attorney and engineer, Nelson said he devised the bill himself without help from outside groups. This is the scope of change that Louisiana needs, but I hope it will prompt a conversation going forward and be part of the next governors race, he said. Posted Monday, April 19, 2021 1:20 pm While Gov. Jay Inslees order to have K-12 students back in school buildings at least part-time goes into effect April 19, several local districts have been ahead of the curve, with some eyeing a full five-day return by the end of the month. During a March 12 press conference the governor announced the requirement that districts statewide implement at least a hybrid learning model for all of their students. Locally, districts have been ahead of the deadline at implementing such models, with some using another statewide change that reduces required distancing of students to 3 feet in the classroom to bring all students back to school. Battle Ground Public Schools Battle Ground Public Schools has plans to bring back all K-12 students starting April 26. In a March 30 update, Superintendent Mark Ross announced the target date as he touched on remote learning changes resulting from a full five-day in-person schedule. BGPS students have been doing some sort of in-person learning for months, BGPS Communications Officer Rita Sanders noted. It began with kindergarteners in November, primary and middle school students in early and late February, respectively, and high school since March 15. Sanders estimated about 84 percent of students will be opting for in-person learning. Those who choose to stay with remote learning will see some adjustments as in-person classes return to a five-day schedule. The superintendents update explained remote learning would follow similar schedules to in-person classes at middle and high school levels as they are taught simultaneously, while primary grades will have age-appropriate remote learning and screen time. The update noted remote learning students would be required to do more independent, self-directed work, with fewer opportunities for teacher interaction during the in-person school day, but those students will have time at the end of the day to ask their teachers questions. Regarding the switch to 3 feet of distance for students in the classroom, Sanders said although it has helped the district have more students in learning spaces, the necessity to maintain the original 6 feet of distance requirement in common areas and during lunch, physical activity, and performance arts classes is still a challenge. The district had to come up with solutions such as expanding lunch areas into gymnasiums or adding additional lunch periods at some schools. Though there are still logistical challenges, Sanders said a five-day schedule is the next step in normalcy to have all students back in buildings. Woodland Public Schools For Woodland Public Schools, the district has set a soft date of April 27 for returning students to classes full-time or nearly full-time, WPS Superintendent Michael Green said. The district faces a unique challenge among North County districts in that much of it lies in Cowlitz County, which has seen enough COVID-19 activity to warrant a move back down to Phase 2 in the states Healthy Washington plan effective April 16. Green said state guidance recommended keeping the 6 feet of distance requirement in classrooms if case rates in a county stay below 200 per 100,000 of population in the past 14 days, which Cowlitz County has struggled with recently. As of April 16, the county had a recent case rate of 370 per 100,000, according to Washington State Department of Health data. Even with a shift to 3 feet of distancing, Green said the lessened restriction was still fraught with challenges, adding state health department guidance had that distance at closer to 4-and-a-half feet. He mentioned similar needs for 6 feet of distances in common areas and during activities such as physical education, choir, and band as Sanders did, remarking its (n)ot an easy problem to solve when you have limited space in classrooms and schools. Though a full K-12, five-day, in-person schedule may be contingent on falling cases in Cowlitz County, Woodland has had all of its students from kindergarten to fourth grade in school Monday through Friday for several weeks, Green said. He said a small number of students have opted for remote-only in those grade levels, which is supported through the districts Lewis River Academy program and through three teachers at North Fork Elementary School. Both Woodland middle and high schools have been on a hybrid learning model, Green said. Half of students attend in-person two days a week and the remainder of the students attend on the other two days, with Mondays dedicated to remote instruction. Woodland High School differs in that classes are simulcast. Students at the middle school who are learning remotely arent synced with the in-person instruction, while the high school classes are. Green said about 40 students from Woodland Middle School and 100 students from Woodland High School have opted for remote-only instruction, operated through the districts Lewis River Academy program. Green Mountain School In northeast Clark County, Green Mountain School a K-8 district has had its kindergarten through fifth-grade students on campus at least part time beginning in November, district superintendent Tyson Vogeler said, though the district returned to distance learning after Thanksgiving break. In January, Green Mountain School began easing students back into classrooms, Vogeler said, starting with kindergarten through third grade for four half days every week and fourth through sixth-grade students in small groups two days a week. All of the districts grades had some sort of in-person instruction beginning in February. The district moved to a five-day schedule for all grades April 12, keeping a half-day, in-person schedule that allows for 6 feet of distance. Following the approval of the 3 feet distance requirement, Vogeler said the school board wrestled with different options to bring back students into classrooms full time, eventually opting for one where students will all attend together for slightly more than half of the day. One of the biggest concerns was students eating lunch without masks, he explained, so the model releases students out of school before lunchtime. Vogeler added some students will be in the building for a full day with the new model for academic support and small-group instruction as a way to handle learning losses that resulted from extended remote learning during the pandemic. He said the board would be voting on final approval this week, with a tentative date of implementing the new model set for April 26. Ridgefield School District On April 19, the Ridgefield School District transitioned its kindergarten through sixth-grade students to five full days a week, district superintendent Nathan McCann said, with plans to have all K-12 students back in buildings full-time on April 27, contingent on Clark County COVID-19 rates not rising to high-risk levels. The district has been phasing in its grades for hybrid learning since the start of 2021, going up grade levels in a phased-in approach. Prior to the return to a traditional five-day schedule, the district had its kindergarten through fifth-grade students attend in-person school for four half-days a week, divided by a.m. and p.m. sessions. Sixth through 12th-grade students were attending two full in-person days a week. McCann said about a quarter of elementary students have been learning remotely, with roughly a third of secondary students using the remote option. He remarked that a silver lining of having to provide a remote option has been letting families explore more flexible learning options, mentioning the district will be launching a virtual learning program next year. The three-feet rule has been a help for RSD to get back to a more normal school week, McCann said, saying it was a moral obligation to handle any challenges the need to maintain distance entails. They are logistical challenges with solutions, McCann said, noting that for classes like physical education, higher temperatures make it easier to use outdoor spaces to spread out. McCann commented the district had checked more than 47,000 temperatures since it began bringing students back into buildings, and only two students required a secondary oral thermometer test, both of whom passed. Families have been really intentional that if (their students) dont feel well, they have not come to school, McCann said. I think thats been a big part of keeping staff and students healthy. McCann said the ability for districts to have more in-person instruction would help alleviate the negative impacts that a strictly remote learning environment has caused. I dont know that I can imagine something thats been more inequitable in modern history of education than this (pandemic), McCann remarked. The opportunity to return students to their more traditional setting is a wonderful feeling. Uzbekistans Ministry of Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Siemens Energy AG of Germany and agreed on a roadmap for future, joint projects between the two entities. Cooperation between the two parties is anticipated in several areas, including projects to build new generating facilities; power audit facilities in Uzbekistan to introduce of energy-efficient technologies; hydrogen energy; and training of personnel. The MoU was signed by Energy Minister Alisher Sultanov, and Siemens Energy AG President, Christian Bruch, who was visiting Uzbekistan. The MoU expresses the interest of both parties to explore the potential to expand a strategic partnership in Uzbekistan and pursue the implementation of joint projects. Sultanov said: Uzbekistan is continuing its momentum of working with best-in-class international partners, to deliver on our energy strategy. We are aiming to lead the hydrocarbon-producing world and meeting our climate management commitments. Siemens is globally renowned and we look forward to deepening our relationship. In particular, the roadmap includes projects to: Introduce cogeneration technologies on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) principles; Construction of a new thermal power plant (TPP) with a capacity of 1300-1600 MW; Participate in the modernisation of the Hajabad compressor station; and Create innovative training centres. A formal working group to take collaboration forward will be established within 10 days of the MoU being signed. It is envisaged that the MoU will yield immediate activity during 2021, with a site determined for the TPP in May 2021, and agreements anticipated for developing hydrogen and renewable energy by the summer. -- Tradearabia News Service Russias Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine could be available on the European Unions market not earlier than by late 2021 in case it is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro. "I dont think that by the end of 2021 the required volume of Sputnik Vs doses will be available in Europe," Breton said. Meanwhile, he noted that "like in case with any vaccine, the first step is the approval by the European agency, which is an independent organization." The EU regulator "should study the Russian dossier in the coming weeks," he noted. According to the commissioner, the Russian dossier "still lacks data and therefore the assessment process could take longer." "After this it is necessary to find some production capacities," Breton said. "Russia is looking for industrial partners in Europe but now they are used for producing the already approved vaccines." By mid-July, Europe plans to vaccinate some 70% of adult population, Breton stated. "As for vaccination, we would like to give priority to the Europeans, at the same time fulfilling our solidarity mission by supplying vaccines to the rest of the world," he noted. At the moment, the EUs vaccination portfolio includes four vaccines - Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, the use of which was restricted by some EU states over dangerous side effects, as well as Johnson & Johnson, which froze supplies to the EU on April 13 over suspected side effects. Pennsylvania registered 4,577 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, down from 6,638 last Tuesday. But hospitalizations continued to rise, with 2,705 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, up from 2,541 a week earlier. Of those, 561 are in intensive care, up from 530 as of last Tuesday. Pennsylvania also logged 77 new deaths, bringing its total to 25,767. The state also said Tuesday 43.4% of eligible residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and about 2.8 million people are fully vaccinated. Pennsylvania, with the fifth-highest population, also ranks fifth for shots given, with about 7.3 million. TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HTC, a leading innovator in 5G, smartphones and virtual reality, today jointly announced with the Kaohsiung City Government the official launch 5G Standalone Architecture Private Network and Edge Cloud VR Solution, setting a new standard for global 5G private networks. Installed in Kaohsiung's 'KOSMOSPOT x VIVELAND' development zone, the first field of 5G private network that is now open to Taiwan consumers and enterprises. HTC is committed to establish an industrial ecosystem for 5G, and has developed industry-leading 5G Standalone Architecture Network technology, as well as advanced and complete end-to-end enterprise private network solutions for 5G delivery. Today's successful launch will drive the digital transformation of domestic hardware and software industries, and assist the Kaohsiung City Government achieve its vision of "Transforming Kaohsiung City Into a 5G AIoT Technology Smart City and Asia's New Bay Area." Kaohsiung City Government, which won an IDC Smart Cities Asia Pacific Award last year, has made every effort to promote the development of 5G AIoT. The Mayor of Kaohsiung City, Chen Chi-Mai, who is committed to accelerating the transformation of the Kaohsiung economy, commented: "Kaohsiung is the only main city designated by the Central Government to promote the somatosensory technology industry. We are committed to transforming Kaohsiung into a 5G AIoT technology smart city and Asia's New Bay Area. Today, we are very happy to announce that we have established a field that is Taiwan's first open to the pubic "5G Standalone Architecture Private Network and Edge Cloud VR Solution" in Kaohsiung, creating an epoch-making 5G milestone." Mayor Chen added: "Kaohsiung is making progress. The launch of Taiwan's first open to the public 5G Standalone Architecture Private Network field confirms that Kaohsiung is ready to provide a safe, stable and high-speed 5G environment for the industry, and provide companies with a field that can improve operational efficiency. In the future, we will work with partners in the Asia New Bay Area 'Kaohsiung Multi-Functional Economic and Trade Park' to drive nearly NTD 30 billion in investment and NTD 120 billion in output value. The development project is critical to the transformation and development of Kaohsiung, where the next generation of industries will converge in the south of Taiwan, in Kaohsiung, and drive domestic manufacturers to look outwards to the world." Chen Wen-Chi, Company Director of HTC, said: "5G brings breakthrough innovations and changes, allowing unprecedented new technologies to enter our lives and business applications. For a long time, HTC has been committed to integrating cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, XR, AI, and Blockchain together. HTC creates extraordinary value and rich and profound experiences for people and businesses, realizing a better life, and a safer, more efficient and smarter environment. HTC is honored to work together with the Kaohsiung City Government to accelerate 5G adoption and the development of smart applications in Kaohsiung City. The implementation of the Smart 5G Standalone Architecture Private Network Field going public in the Asia New Bay 5G AIoT Innovation Park will jointly drive Kaohsiung's transformation into a technology and smart city, and set a new benchmark for global 5G private networking." The 5G private network that supports complete terminal applications needing large bandwidth, such as real-time video monitoring, multi-player connection, XR, 4K, 8K video and audio application scenarios The 5G Private Network Field operated by HTC and the Kaohsiung City Government is based on HTC's enterprise-class 5G Standalone Architecture Network (SA) technology and advanced and complete end-to-end enterprise private network solutions. These were combined with HTC's remote streaming software platform and management services, edge computing technology, 5G networking software that meets open architecture standards, a full set of highly secure network protection mechanisms, and an extensive range of XR service solutions that can achieve high transmission, low latency and wide connectivity of 5G private network environment. HTC's 5G Standalone Architecture private network and Edge Cloud VR solutions can clear the bottleneck encountered by enterprise applications in the past, and provides enterprises with a complete 5G solution with low build cost, minimal space requirements, and a high degree of vertical integration and modular services. Additionally, it can support various bandwidth-hungry terminal applications, such as real-time video monitoring, multi-player connection, XR, 4K, 8K video and audio applications. This allows companies to rapidly build up a high-speed, stable and safe 5G corporate environment to improve operational performance and the safety of employees, such as factory education simulation training, VR multi-player education, implementation and collaborative cloud management education systems, and more. Promoting innovative applications of 5G and XR in Kaohsiung, and encouraging digital transformation of domestic manufacturers HTC has been working with the Kaohsiung City Government since 2018 to jointly promote the innovative application of somatosensory technology, and carry out programs such as talent cultivation, business matching, international cooperation, and front stores with industry integration planning. In 2021, HTC and Kaohsiung City Government worked together to promote 5G and XR-related applications, which will drive new changes in the digital and technology industry in Kaohsiung, and open up more new business opportunities in the 5G innovative smart application market. Looking forward, HTC will also assist the city government to keep enterprises and talents in Kaohsiung to establish robust domestic development in Taiwan and promote an outward-looking environment. HTC and Kaohsiung City Government jointly established the 5G Standalone Architecture Private Network and Edge Cloud VR Solution in cooperation with the domestic manufacturers Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT), Ufispace, TransNet, and the Institute for Information Industry (III), working together for domestic 5G proliferation, and contributing to the future development of the 5G hardware and software industry in Taiwan. About HTC HTC Corporation aims to bring brilliance to life. As a global innovator in smart mobile devices and technology, HTC has produced award-winning products and industry firsts since its inception in 1997, including the critically acclaimed HTC U and Desire lines of smartphones. The pursuit of brilliance is at the heart of everything we do, inspiring best-in-class design and game-changing mobile and virtual reality experiences for consumers around the world. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). www.htc.com. HTC, the HTC logo are the trademarks of HTC Corporation. All other names of companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE HTC Related Links https://www.htc.com (@ChaudhryMAli88) Moscow is ready to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan if it receives such a request, Russian ambassador Alexey Borodavkin said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) Moscow is ready to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan if it receives such a request, Russian ambassador Alexey Borodavkin said on Tuesday. "If Kazakhstan makes a relevant decision, Russia will be ready to build an NPP here," Borodavkin said at a conference on the bilateral partnership. In February, the Kazakh Energy Ministry told Sputnik that the country remained undecided on construction of an NPP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Portugal and France are in uncertainty as India grapples with the deadly second wave of coronavirus. As per sources who told a leading business daily the final decision on the visit is yet to be taken. Although visits are not officially announced by the Ministry of External Affairs but, it is learnt that all preparations and advance teams had done all required drills for the visit. PM Modi is holding back-to-back meetings with all the stakeholders in the fight against COVID-19 and keeping a very close eye on the situation. PM Modi was slated to visit Portugal for India-European Unions summit on May 8th and also France for bilateral talks and meeting with the French President Emmanuel Macron. PM Modi may join India- European Unions summit via video-conference, Portuguese media citing a diplomatic source wrote "We are working with the European institutions and the Government of India to conduct the summit by video-conference, with the European Unions leaders physically present in Portugal". Ministry of External Affairs has shared no official communication so far regarding the announcement or calling off the visits. Battling Covid: Kerala triggers two weeks night curfew, as Covid cases spurt Germany and India sign accord on cities combating plastic entering marine environment Delhi court judge passed away due to COVID complications Music: Serbia, Exit Festival in Novi Sad 8-11 July For entry vaccination certificate, recovered from Covid or test (ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, APRIL 20 - The Exit Music Festival, which was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, will take place as usual this year from July 8 to July 11 in Novi Sad, the city on the Danube in northern Serbia that traditionally hosts the festival, which attracts thousands of young people from across Europe. This year the festival's 20th anniversary, which was planned for last year, will be celebrated. Festival organisers said that in order to enter the spaces of the Petrovaradin Fortress where the festival is being held, guests will have to show a vaccination certificate, or have recovered from the virus. Otherwise everyone will have to show a negative result of a Covid rapid test, which will be offered at the entrance for a modest price.(ANSAmed). ROCHESTER, Minn- Learning is challenging when students are hungry. As students return to in-person learning, Rochester schools are addressing new and existing barriers for them to achieve academic success. A local business and non-profit are partnering up to help them. White's Cleaning & Restoration and United Way of Olmsted County are collecting items for students dealing with food insecurity and to help replenish the family resource rooms at the schools. "We are seeing the need for our resource rooms to be stocked," said United Way of Olmsted County Outreach Coordinator Amy Wilfahrt Rochester Community Schools consist of Gage Elementary, Riverside Elementary, John Marshal High School, and the Alternative Learning Center. Donations can be dropped off at five businesses in The Med City. They include American Family Insurance, White's Cleaning & Restoration, CBD Centers-Marketplace, COUNTRY Financial, and Rochester Area Builders. "Our mission is to unite people to the resources they need," explained Wilfahrt. The items White's and United Way are looking for consist of non-perishable foods and gift cards. "Food is a great tangible way for our community members to get out there and help those students facing food insecurity at this time," Wilfahrt tells KIMT News 3. Supplies can be dropped off on weekdays from 9am-4pm. The drive will conclude on May 7th. Highlights Facebook has announced the audio version of Reels and Rooms -- sound bites and live rooms for the near future. It will also roll out podcasts, and will build a podcast discovery tool for creators to share their podcasts with users on the platform. Facebook has noted that there will be an intersection in these audio platforms and it will enable creators to monetise the content. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday announced a range of new audio-only products. Zuckerberg, in a community chat on Discord, gave a product roadmap for how it plans to build out its audio suite in the next 3-6 months. Speaking to independent journalist Casey Newton, Zuckerberg laid out Facebook's plans to build out its audio suite. Zuckerberg noted that Facebook's goal is to build audio products that will be as strong as it text, photo and video products. "At a high-level picture here, we think audio is also going to be a first-class medium," he said. The audio products will include audio version of Rooms, which will be similar to Clubhouse. Facebook audio products will also feature soundbites which is a short-form audio product that will feature a stream of brief clips. Zuckerberg noted that soundbites will be like an audio version of Reels, a short video format that was introduced by Facebook last year. Users will be able to share individual clips to their News Feeds, or they can consume a string of audio clips joined together and algorithmically distributed in a feed. Facebook will also roll out podcasts, and it will build a podcast discovery tool for creators to share their podcasts with users on the platform, Axios reported. Facebook will partner with an external podcast app and guide users to that app to listen to podcasts in the background of their Facebook experience. Facebook, in a blog post, noted that it is also working on the intersection of these audio products. "With live audio, creators will be able to turn a live conversation into a podcast for everyone to listen to later. We also want to give creators and fans tools to share the best excerpts from live audio or podcast and publish them as Soundbites to encourage more discussion," Facebook noted. It also noted that it will offer captions on all audio experiences to make them accessible to everyone. Facebook will also feature live audio that according to Zuckerberg will help users boost the creator economy. "Every once in a while a new medium comes along that can be adopted into a lot of different areas," he said. He also emphasised that the audio efforts are about helping creators monetise their work better. He said that Facebook is focused more on the creator side than the consumption side. Google's plan to replace third-party cookies is, on one level, really quite brilliant. Google's entire business depends heavily on the ability to track users in order to identify their interests and then show them "personalized ads" based on their Web activity. The third-party cookie is a huge part of that business, which means it makes sense Google would want to be leading the way on whatever replaces it. Cookies, if you remember, are little snippets of code that websites use to identify you when you navigate across the internet. Not all of them are bad. For example, first-party cookies are used to keep you logged in to websites. That's helpful, and most people find it convenient that the CRM they use every day remembers them so they don't have to enter their login information every time they open their browser. Third-party cookies, however, are mostly used by advertisers and ad platforms -- like Google and Facebook -- to track pretty much everything you do online. That's bad. It's also very profitable, which is why Google created FLoC and is pushing it as the alternative for advertisers moving forward. Of course, setting aside the privacy implications (which I'll get to in a minute), no one actually knows if it will work. This is precisely why Google recently started testing FLoC at the end of last month. Except, there's a problem -- two really. The first is that Google's test has been rolled out to users without their consent. If you're using Chrome, you could be one of them. This is how Google explained it in a statement announcing it was rolling out the test at the end of last month: The initial testing of FLoC is taking place with a small percentage of users in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, and the U.S. We'll expand to other regions as the trial expands globally. If you've chosen to block third-party cookies with the current version of Chrome, you won't be included in these origin trials. In April, we'll introduce a control in Chrome Settings that you can use to opt-out of inclusion in FLoC and other Privacy Sandbox proposals. Google will tell you that the test affects only 0.5 percent of Chrome users. That's true, except there are 2.65 billion Chrome users, which means that even half a percent of those is still 132 million people. That's a lot of people who got signed up for a new form of Web tracking without their knowledge or consent. And, despite the fact that FLoC is supposed to be more anonymous, it really isn't. Here's how the Electronic Frontier Foundation explains it: It uses your browsing history from the past week to assign you to a group with other "similar" people around the world. Each group receives a label, called a FLoC ID, which is supposed to capture meaningful information about your habits and interests. FLoC then displays this label to everyone you interact with on the web. This makes it easier to identify you with browser fingerprinting, and it gives trackers a head start on profiling you. By the way, if you use Chrome and want to know if you are a part of the test, the EFF site linked above will tell you. The second problem is that no other browser has committed to using FLoC. I guess that's only a problem for Google. It's probably a good thing for the rest of us. Not only that, but companies that make alternatives to Chrome have started to indicate they have no intention to participate in FLoC at all. For example, Brave said it "opposes FLoC, along with any other feature designed to share information about you and your interests without your fully informed consent." Brave also says that it will disable FLoC completely in its browser. And, in a tweet, an Apple WebKit engineer said that Safari has no plans to use FLoC either. Maybe most importantly, Microsoft told The Verge in a statement: "we do not support solutions that leverage non-consented user identity signals, such as fingerprinting." That's significant because Edge is the second-most-popular Chromium browser (Chromium is the open-source project behind Chrome). Late last week, Punchbowl News reported that Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar were about to launch something called the America First Caucus for Republican members of Congress who want to follow in President Trumps footsteps. In a strategic sense this was a good idea; Republican politics is still gravitationally attracted to Trump even though he mostly doesnt do anything, and while there is already a hard-right, Trumpist Freedom Caucus, there was an opening for a self-branded group to tie itself even more closely to his name and catchphrases. Embattled Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, two clownish House guys whose instincts are good proxies for the instincts of the Republican primary electorate, said immediately that theyd be interested in joining. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Punchbowls scoop noted that a memo that was being circulated about the caucuss goals cited the purported importance of Anglo-Saxon political traditions to the America that is to be put First. Given that nonhistorians usually understand Anglo-Saxon to just mean white, and that Gaetz, Gohmert, Gosar, and Greene arent known for their interest in the anthropology of the British Isles, members of the press and public surmised that America First was going to be an openly white nationalist faction. 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. This appears to be what Republican leaders believed as well, because House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and GOP conference chair Liz Cheney both obliquely criticized the idea immediately, then did whatever it is thats done to atom-bomb these kinds of things behind the scenes, to the point that Greene was issuing a statement on Saturday denouncing liars and psychotic left wing communists in the media for suggesting she had any connection to the caucus, or interest in endorsing it. (This despite her own spokesman having said proudly the previous day that the America First Caucus platform would be announced to the public very soon.) The America First Caucus is, for now, dead. Advertisement The funny thing, though, is that most of the memo, which Vice posted in its entirety, might as well be an official statement of the Republican Partys current political strategy. It reads like the latest installment of the five-years-and-counting project by conservative intellectuals to create a coherent Trump doctrine, on the fly, that might reframe his reflexive ingroup-outgroup bullying as the expression of a respectable and (more) widely appealing theory about how government should work . As such, howeveras an attempt to turn the things that come out of Donald Trumps mouth into something you might discuss in a college courseit bears certain strains. Advertisement Theories of a more stable and enduring Trumpism generally imagine keeping the mood of grievance that fired up Trumps loyal base, while marrying it to the sort of material accomplishments that might convince nonfanatics to support the program. In its less convincing form, this leads to things like the America First manifesto calling for heavy investment in the nations roads, bridges, and drinking water, while insisting on an infrastructure that reflects the architectural, engineering and aesthetic value that befits the progeny of European architecture. Advertisement But the document also makes arguments about free trade and corporate power that many liberals would agree with, arguing that offshoring has weakened the American middle and working classes, that major technology companies have too much control over cultural discourse, that using money for wars overseas instead of necessities at home is a waste, that climate change is a major threat, and that the U.S. education system mostly serves to retrench an existing elite. At the same time, though, and to a degree that almost seems self-aware, it either ignores or denounces any policy for dealing with those problems that has a hint of a connection to Democratic Party know-it-alls, dismissing the Green New Deals clean-energy infrastructure spending for its alleged connection to social justice, attacking Keynesian economics, and arguing in favor of shrinking the regulatory state. Advertisement Advertisement Among the action items the memo supports instead: restricting legal immigration to individuals who can contribute economically and show respect for this nations culture, eliminating the Section 230 protection that prevents social media companies from being held liable for content that appears on their platforms, prohibiting coronavirus-related business closures, and pursuing alliances with Russia and North Korea. In other words, the document outlines a policy of tapping into the anger that voters have about big-business power and income inequality, but only actually doing stuff that is hostile to nonwhite immigrants and liberal-signifying people like public health experts, San Francisco tech executives, and the dweebs who are still upset that Russias military intelligence units helped Donald Trump win an election. Advertisement The goal is to co-opt, but also to own, the libs. The challenge is that the co-optation cant involve Democratic ideas or peopleand it has to be toothless enough so as not to upset the business interests who are still part of the Republican coalitionwhile the ownage has to be subtle enough not to alienate voters who dont want to think of themselves as supporting a white nationalist party. (The phrase America First, despite its fascist history, actually seems to have succeeded at the latter goal.) Advertisement Its a delicate balance, because Trump has proved that other parts of the coalition want explicit white nationalism, which is how you get the Anglo-Saxon incident (and also electoral results like losing the House, presidency, and Senate in quick succession). It would be convenient, for the Republican Party, if there were a benign, historically justified way to capture the identity of its core voters without making reference to racialized us vs. them conflicts specific to this time and place. But it is tricky, bordering on impossible, to argue that there is an actually deep, shared throughline of political philosophy, cultural heritage, and ethnicity that unites WASPS who hate the estate tax, Irish and Italian Americans who post Blue Lives Matter memes, right-wing Zionist Jews, and Cuban exiles who live in Texas. The partys best minds are working on the problem, but their worst minds keep crashing through the wall to put the race stuff front and center. In the seven years Ive been covering news and politics for Slate, Ive written about some of the United States best and worst moments, people, and ideas. Your continued support of Slate Plus will allow me to continue to give our countrys high-stakes struggle to define itself the coverage it deserves. Thank you! Ben Mathis-Lilley, senior writer Covid-19: Johnson & Johnson to Resume Its Vaccine Rollout in Europe The move came after the E.U.s drug regulator said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should carry a warning for a potential risk for rare blood clots, though the agency said it believes the shots benefits outweigh risks. J.&J. will resume its Europe vaccine rollout after the E.U.s regulator says the shot should carry a label. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:20 - 0:00 transcript E.U. Regulator Argues to Continue J&J Vaccine With a Warning Label The European Unions drug regulator said that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine should carry a warning of potential risk for rare blood clots on the label, but did not recommend stopping the vaccine, saying the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks. After a careful review of the cases of blood clots combined with low platelets reported after vaccination with Johnsons Covid-19 vaccine, the PRAC has concluded that there is a possible link between the occurrence of these blood clots, combined with the low levels of blood platelets, thrombocytopenia, and the vaccination with the Covid-19 vaccine, Johnson. The product information will be updated to reflect this information, and will include a warning and an update of the side effects. The reported cases occurred mostly in women under 60 years, and within the first three weeks after the vaccination. A fatal outcome has been reported. The careful review of the cases, and other available evidence, have led the committee to the conclusion that these blood-clotting disorders are very rare side effects of the vaccine. However, our work does not stop here. We will analyze any new data and any new evidence as it becomes available, and provide updated guidance as needed. At this moment, its not possible to identify clear risk factors for the occurrence of these very rare events, such as gender or age. The European Unions drug regulator said that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine should carry a warning of potential risk for rare blood clots on the label, but did not recommend stopping the vaccine, saying the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks. Credit Credit... Peter Dejong/Associated Press BRUSSELS Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that it would resume the rollout of its coronavirus vaccine in Europe after the European Unions drug regulator said that a warning should be added to the product indicating a possible link to rare blood clots, but that the shots benefits outweigh the risks. The company decided to delay distribution in the blocs 27 member states last week, after regulators in the United States suspended use of the vaccine there amid concerns about the potential side effects. The E.U. drug regulators endorsement even with the caveat not only clears a path for Johnson & Johnson in Europe, but could presage how the United States will handle the vaccine in the days to come. On Friday, an advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet for a second time to decide whether to recommend lifting a pause on the vaccines use in the United States, perhaps with a similar warning. That would free up millions of doses for the fierce battle against the a virus that still spreading and mutating. Almost eight million Americans have already had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. But some health experts worry that the headline-grabbing pause, which began over a week ago, might discourage some people from getting vaccinated, even though the risks from Covid-19 are far greater than the risk from a clot. Youve put a scarlet letter on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, said Dr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. After clotting concerns associated with another vaccine, produced by AstraZeneca, were reported in Europe, Dr. Offit noted, some grew leery of it, overestimating the threat. For the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the clot risk has been put at an estimated one in a million. If you take a theoretical million people who are infected with Covid, five thousand will die, Dr. Offit said. Therefore, the benefits of this vaccine clearly outweigh its risks. A loss of confidence in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may carry a particular cost. The vaccine has been greeted warmly by many health workers because it requires just a single shot, unlike the ones from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, and is easier to store than some other vaccines. It is especially useful for hard-to-reach or transient populations. There is no doubt in my mind that there are groups for whom this vaccine is of benefit, Dr. Offit said, meaning that theyre more likely to get this vaccine than the other vaccines, whether its because of where they live, or because theyre homebound, or its hard to get a second dose. If that changes, he said, then you have probably elevated a rare risk above a much more common risk, and youve done harm. In clearing the way for the vaccines use, the E.U.s drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, said the blood clots, which have been reported in a very small group of people, are very similar to those associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The E.M.A.s recommendation is not binding, but it is the first indication of what might happen next with the European rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The agency said that authorities in individual E.U. member states should decide how to proceed, taking into account their particular case load and vaccine availability. Poland is the only E.U. country that defied the companys guidance and went ahead and administered some Johnson & Johnson doses over the past week. All the rare cases of blood clots reviewed by the European regulator were reported in the United States, but the agency proceeded with its recommendations Tuesday before U.S. regulators acted. On Tuesday, the White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that a total of 28 million doses were shipping this week to states, jurisdictions and federal programs, as the U.S. vaccination campaign continued with the other two authorized vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Vaccine eligibility is now wide in the U.S., but one-fifth of older people still need a shot. An effort to vaccinate older people in New York in February. Credit... James Estrin/The New York Times The United States has come a long way since Covid-19 vaccines first arrived at hospitals and long-term care facilities in December. More than 209 million doses have been administered. But the next phase of the rollout will bring new challenges, and some scientists and health officials worry that some of the most vulnerable people including those 65 and older may have trouble competing for a shot now that all adults are eligible for inoculation. Cindy A. Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, said that adding more younger people into the mix could spur the opening of more mass vaccination sites, but that those sites might be intimidating or uncomfortable for older people or for anyone who is particularly vulnerable to the virus. I think there are some folks who want to get the vaccine, but theyre still very worried about getting exposed to other people, Dr. Prins said. Its a little bit of a strange situation where were like, Stay away from everyone, but please come here to our massive vaccine clinic. As it stands, older adults are the most vaccinated age group in the country. Yet about a fifth of those 65 and older, a group that is particularly vulnerable to serious complications and death from the virus, have not received even one shot. Among them are some residents of long-term care facilities, which have represented more than a third of overall coronavirus deaths in the United States. Who Is Eligible for Vaccines in Each State People 16 and older are now eligible in every state. See more Age 16+ Restaurant workers Yes No High-risk adults Yes No There are many reasons that eligible people may not be vaccinated, including lingering issues of short supply, limited access to vaccination sites and confusing procedures for booking appointments. Some older people may also be hesitant or unwilling to get a shot. Dr. Prins added that some older adults could be waiting until their regular doctors or other health care providers can give them the vaccine. There may be people who are not necessarily homebound, but maybe they dont drive, Dr. Prins said. Maybe its not easy and convenient for them to get somewhere to get vaccinated. Dr. Lisa Cooper, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, suggested that health officials might encourage young people to help them vaccinate the older people in their lives. She said: We need to start asking the younger folks, Wheres your mom? Your grandmother? Have they all gotten their vaccines yet? If not, weve got several slots, and we want your whole family here. Danielle Ivory and Advertisement Continue reading the main story Congress is investigating the company whose factory ruined vaccine doses and received a $628 million contract. Emergent Biosolutions in Baltimore this month. Credit... Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA, via Shutterstock A congressional panel has opened an investigation into Emergent BioSolutions, the company whose Baltimore factory ruined millions of doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, focusing on whether it was improperly awarded a $628 million federal contract to manufacture vaccines. The inquiry will look into whether a Trump administration official steered the work to the company despite questions about its qualifications, according to a statement released late Monday. The investigation was announced by Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, a New York Democrat who heads the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and James E. Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina who heads a subcommittee on the pandemic response. Mr. Clyburn requested that Emergents two top executives testify at a May 19 hearing and provide a wide array of records. Specifically, we are investigating reports that Emergent received multimillion-dollar contracts to manufacture coronavirus vaccines despite a long, documented history of inadequately trained staff and quality control issues, the statement said. It also said the company had a track record of raising prices and failing to meet contract requirements. The committees said they were also looking into Emergents actions to unduly influence anthrax vaccine assets in the Strategic National Stockpile, the subject of a New York Times article last month. The congressional inquiry is the latest in a series of problems for Emergent, a longtime federal contractor that has a reputation for aggressive lobbying tactics. This month, the Food and Drug Administration began an audit of its factory in southeastern Baltimore after workers contaminated a batch of Johnson & Johnsons vaccine with an ingredient for AstraZenecas vaccine, another product manufactured at the plant. Emergent said on Monday that it had suspended operations at the plant and acknowledged that it needed to make improvements to restore confidence in its work. It also said it was quarantining the vaccine substance already produced at the plant until after the inspection ends and the company has had a chance to fix any problems highlighted in the review. Biden administration officials have said that AstraZenecas vaccine will no longer be manufactured at the plant, and Johnson & Johnson has vowed to exert stronger control over Emergent, its subcontractor. The F.D.A. has not certified the facility to distribute any vaccine to the public; all Johnson & Johnson doses that have been administered were manufactured overseas. AstraZenecas vaccine is not yet authorized in the United States. The New York Times reported this month that confidential audits and internal documents showed that Emergent had failed to follow some basic industry standards and identified repeated shortcomings in efforts to prevent contamination. Those records were among the documents that congressional investigators are now seeking. The inspections flagged a persistent problem with mold in areas required to be kept clean, poor disinfection of some plant equipment, repeated use of raw materials that were not fully tested and inadequate training of employees. In one month, they indicate, workers making AstraZenecas vaccine deviated from manufacturing standards an average of over three times a day. The Emergent Baltimore facility is one of two federally designated Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing, created during the Obama administration, that were supposed to be at the ready in case of a pandemic. The company secured a $628 million contract to manufacture the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines in June. The congressional lawmakers said that Dr. Robert Kadlec, who served as assistant health secretary for preparedness and response under President Donald J. Trump and previously worked as a consultant for Emergent, appears to have pushed for this award despite indications that Emergent did not have the ability to reliably fulfill the contract. In an interview Tuesday, Dr. Kadlec said that his consulting work for Emergent in 2013 and 2014 involved educating leaders in South Korea and Saudi Arabia about the risks of bioterrorism, and that he did not promote the companys products. He said that when he awarded the company the contract in June, he was exercising an option on an earlier contract awarded in 2012 by his predecessor. Dr. Kadlec said that he knew Emergent was a risky choice, but that federal officials had turned to Emergent because few companies based in the United States were able to make the type of vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, and because the government already had a contract with the company. He said he also sought to involve Merck, a more experienced manufacturer, but those negotiations did not work out. That was the path of fastest action, but we recognized that there were going to be inherent risks with that approach, he said of working with Emergent, and we would try to mitigate those risks throughout. Sharon LaFraniere and The U.S. military gives initial vaccine doses to all but eight of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay. A detainee reads in a communal area of the medium-security Camp 6 prison building at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on April 17, 2019. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times All but eight of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the U.S. Southern Command said on Tuesday. Biden administration officials said that the Department of Defense had expanded vaccine availability to all 40 detainees starting on Monday, the day that all people 16 years and older became eligible for vaccination in the United States. The Southern Command, which oversees the detention center, first sought permission from the Trump administration to vaccinate the detainees in a Dec. 23 memo that described the prison population at Guantanamo as a high-risk community, and invoked both the Geneva Convention and Department of Defense guidance. Thirty-two of the detainees have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the command said in a statement. Military officials declined to say whether the other eight detainees were offered the first shot of the two-shot Moderna Covid-19 vaccine but refused. The vaccines are not mandatory for the military or civilian Defense Department employees and were offered to the detainees on a voluntary basis. Many of them are approaching their second decade in U.S. detention and have chronic illnesses. The oldest is 73 and has a heart condition, diabetes and other geriatric illnesses. The Biden administration froze initial plans to offer them the vaccine on Feb. 1, because elected officials and families of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks accused the Defense Department of putting terrorism suspects ahead of the American people, who were only just beginning to get access to the vaccines in substantial numbers at that point. Vaccination rates have risen substantially since then across the country, which was nearing President Bidens goal of administering 200 million doses by his 100th day in office. Defense officials also went forward with vaccinating the detainees this week in part because of what appears to be a significant rate of refusal to take the vaccines by adults at the base of about 5,500 residents, including at the detention center, which has a staff of 1,500 guards and civilians. As of April 1, according to health officials at the base, 47 percent of those eligible had not had a dose. An outbreak in Cambodia could become a national tragedy. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is under a two-week coronavirus lockdown. Credit... Cindy Liu/Reuters For more than a year, Cambodia managed to escape the brunt of the coronavirus. Then, the government says, came the quarantine evaders. In late February, four Chinese nationals who were undergoing mandatory quarantine at a luxury hotel in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, bribed a security guard to let them leave before the end of their two-week stay, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen. Two of the four later tested positive for the coronavirus. The cluster, tied to the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant that was first detected in Britain, quickly spread to about 30 more Chinese nationals in Cambodia and then radiated out into the community. On Monday, the Cambodian health authorities reported a record 624 new confirmed infections, with almost 6,500 people infected since the outbreak began on Feb. 20. The death toll stood at 45, all recorded this year. The World Health Organization representative in Cambodia has said that the outbreak could spiral into a national tragedy, given the countrys poor health care services. In an effort to contain it, Phnom Penh began a two-week lockdown on Thursday that bars people from leaving their homes except for work, grocery shopping and medical treatment. The lockdown began during Khmer New Year, Cambodias biggest holiday. But even as the security guard who allowed the Chinese to break out of quarantine was quickly arrested, the quarantine dodgers were not punished, because there was no law to prosecute them at the time, Mr. Hun Sen said. That changed last month with the adoption of a new law that makes violations of pandemic measures punishable by up to $5,000 in fines or 20 years in prison. At least a dozen people have been arrested under the new law. Though the government says it is necessary to protect against the virus, human rights groups have criticized the penalties as disproportionate. They also say that provisions of the law such as a ban on gatherings could easily be abused by Mr. Hun Sen, who has become increasingly authoritarian during his 35 years in power. A state of emergency law that he enacted last April in response to the pandemic gave him extensive powers to restrict civil liberties and target political opponents. With the nation in lockdown and two of the countrys biggest industries, garment manufacturing and tourism, devastated by the pandemic, Cambodias citizens are bracing for more pain. Mao Vet, a security guard in Phnom Penh who makes $200 a month, worries about how long he will be able to keep his job. I am very concerned that infection is out of control, he said. Hannah Beech and Advertisement Continue reading the main story France is introducing a digital Covid document for travel to its overseas territories. At a Covid-19 vaccination center near Paris. Credit... Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times France is introducing one of Europes first Covid-19 vaccine passport initiatives, the authorities said this week, as countries across the continent seek to facilitate travel by the summer. The initiative will at first be for use on domestic flights to Corsica and then on longer ones to Frances overseas territories, the government said in a statement on Monday. The ultimate goal is to make the digital certificates applicable to travel to other countries. Starting this week, people in France can get a digitally certified record of coronavirus test results, either by downloading and printing a certificate or by adding it to a smartphone app that the authorities have used for contact tracing. It will be expanded to include proof of vaccination starting on April 29. The information such as the type of test or vaccine, along with the date it was administered and by whom will be digitally recorded with a kind of QR code that France uses to certify official documents and that the police, customs officers, airlines and others will be able to quickly scan. This method therefore avoids possible fraud related to the presentation of fake test results, the government said in the statement. The digital certificates are part of the European Unions push for a Digital Green Certificate to enable travelers to move freely around the bloc if they carry proof of a negative test, vaccination or recovery from the virus. Researchers in China are mixing two vaccines to test their effectiveness. A Covid-19 vaccination site in Beijing. Credit... Ng Han Guan/Associated Press Amid questions over the effectiveness of Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines, researchers in China are testing the safety and efficacy of mixing two different Covid-19 shots. The trial, which includes 120 healthy participants over age 18, involves administering one dose of a vaccine developed by CanSinoBIO followed weeks later by a shot of a vaccine made by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, according to a clinical trial registration this month. These are two of the five vaccines in use in China. With more and more vaccines being authorized around the world, researchers have begun testing the efficacy of mixing shots from different vaccine makers. Some shots are being mixed in clinical trials, while others are being tested on animals. A senior Chinese official said this month that it might be necessary to administer Chinas vaccines in greater doses or to use them together with other vaccines because of their lower effectiveness. The official, Gao Fu, later said his comments had been misunderstood. Brazilian officials have said that the efficacy rate of CoronaVac, made by the Chinese company Sinovac, was 50 percent, barely meeting the World Health Organization threshold for widespread use. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been found to be 90 percent effective, according to researchers. The distributors in the United Arab Emirates for the Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinopharm said last month that they were offering some people a third shot after finding that some recipients of two doses had insufficient antibody levels. The details of the trial were filed to ClinicalTrials.gov, a website under the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and were earlier reported by Reuters. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The pandemic meant that more U.S. workers could move almost anywhere. But did they? Credit... U.S. Postal Service New data shows that the pandemic appears to have prompted an unusually large flow of residents out of New York and San Francisco, two regions with a high share of jobs that can be done remotely. But about 30 million change-of-address requests to the U.S. Postal Service in 2020 show that for the most part, migration patterns during the pandemic have looked a lot like migration patterns before it. Some smaller regional metro areas and vacation hubs benefited, but areas that were already attracting new residents kept attracting them. Those that were losing migrants lost more, and there are few examples at least so far of previously down-and-out regions drawing people in. Jed Kolko , Emily Badger and A new crop of start-ups aims to help restaurants survive the Covid era. Independent restaurants have had to adopt new technologies to survive. Credit... Gili Benita for The New York Times The past year has crushed independent restaurants across the United States and underscored how many were unprepared for a digital world. Its no longer enough to maintain basic websites or Instagram accounts with well-lit food photos. Chefs and owners have had to add to-go ordering, delivery scheduling, gift card sales and other e-commerce options. Its therefore a prime moment for restaurant tech. Dozens of companies determined to help independent restaurants and grocers survive have started or scaled up sharply as they found their services in urgent demand. Overregulation, rigid job market led to corporate exodus About 72,000 manufacturing jobs in Korea migrated abroad last year, according to a report by the Korea Economic Research Institute. KERI made the analysis by calculating direct and indirect job-creation effects based on outward direct (ODI) and foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics. Between 2011 and 2020, Korean companies' ODI reached an annual average of 12.4 trillion won ($11 billion), while inbound FDI by foreign businesses stood at 4.9 trillion won, resulting in a net investment outflow of 7.5 trillion won from Korea and a loss of 49,000 jobs annually. The semiconductor sector saw the biggest net ODI at 2.5 trillion won, followed by the electronic equipment and automotive industries, which saw net outflows of 2.2 trillion won and 1.8 trillion won, respectively. Up to 20,000 jobs moved out of the country in the semiconductor and automotive sectors alone. "If Korea had managed to keep the 72,000 manufacturing jobs at home last year, the nation could have lowered its jobless rate by 0.3 percentage points from 4 percent to 3.7 percent," KERI said. When businesses invest, jobs are created. Underinvestment leads to fewer jobs, eventually hollowing out the nation's industrial base, therefore, expanding corporate investment is the shortcut to escaping from the current employment crisis. However, more and more Korean companies are moving abroad while foreign firms are reluctant to invest in Korea. The biggest reason for the latter is various regulations. The KERI report pointed out that the rigid labor market has dragged down new investment and employment. The manufacturing industry grows in a business-friendly environment, but the situation here is going in the opposite direction. That also explains why the so-called "U-Turn Act" to bring back overseas Korean businesses has failed to produce the desired results. The country now needs business investment more desperately than ever, and so a bolder and forward-looking policy shift is urgent. Only when Korea makes itself more attractive as an investment destination can the country stop the corporate exodus and provide decent jobs. That is also the only way for the government to make its slogan of a "manufacturing renaissance" a reality. An Apple iPhone XR caught fire during a flight in October last year after it was shoved down the side of a passenger seat, according to a report from Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch made public on Tuesday. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9, had 53 passengers and 10 crew on-board, the report said, adding that there had been no damage to the plane itself. In summing up the incident, the AAIB said: "A passengers mobile phone became trapped in the seat mechanism and was crushed when the seat was adjusted. This damaged the battery, generating flames, smoke and fumes. The cabin crew were able to extinguish the fire using their existing procedures." It said the aircraft was coming to the top of its descent, when cabin crew noticed smoke coming from a passenger seat. The plane was flying from Miami to London and about 40 minutes landing an announcement by the crew woke one of the passengers. The iPhone XR that combusted on a plane last October. Courtesy AAIB "The passenger moved her seat from the flat-bed position to a more upright position then left her seat to use the washroom," the report said. "One of the cabin crew asked the passenger if she could stow the bedding whilst the passenger was away from her seat. "As she removed the bedding, she smelt a strong odour and noticed a charging cable which was plugged into the seat socket with the other end down the side of the seat. The smell which she described as 'sulphur', was getting stronger so she attracted the attention of the senior cabin crew member. "At this point they heard a 'hissing' sound and a large plume of grey smoke emitted from the seat in a 'tornado' motion. They remembered seeing an orange glow in the seat area amongst the smoke." The report went into what could be classified as excruciating detail about the incident and is here for those who like to mull over these things. There have been numerous incidents of mobile devices combusting, with the most well-known being the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 in 2016. The issue left its parent company, Samsung Electronics, with plenty of egg on its face. Thanks to the Register for a link to the report. Netflix still rules the streaming universe. As of the end of March, it had 207.6 million total paying subscribers, with about 67 million in the United States, the company noted in an earnings report on Tuesday. But its main competitors Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and AppleTV+, as well as the old-guard streamers Amazon Prime Video and Hulu have cut into Netflixs share of viewers attention. The global demand for original Netflix programs, like Bridgerton, the much buzzed-about romance series from the super-producer Shonda Rhimes, has started to drop relative to similar offerings from newcomers, according to the data firm Parrot Analytics, which has developed a metric to rate not only the number of viewers for given shows, but their likelihood of attracting subscribers to a streaming service. In its latest rankings, Parrot reported that Netflixs share of total demand a measure of the popularity of its shows was slightly above 50 percent for the first three months of the year, compared with 54 percent a year ago and 65 percent in the first quarter of 2019. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) President Rodrigo Duterte may be sending a wrong message to China with the way he is handling the West Philippine Sea dispute, a lawmaker said Tuesday. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who heads the Senate national defense committee, slammed Duterte's recent remark that there is no way that the country can claim the West Philippine Sea "without any bloodshed." "When we say that we cannot avoid bloodshed, that is inaction," Lacson told CNN Philippines' The Source. "We have an arbitral ruling in our favor and its permanent. There are so many things to talk about except surrender. We cannot wave the white flag, so to speak," he added. "The secretary of Defense, the secretary of Foreign Affairs, and even the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have spoken," Lacson added. "Ang sabi nila, we can build alliances with the Western countries, even those within the Western Pacific region like Australia and Japan. Madaming paraan but to speak na parang ang implication ay wala tayong gagawin, I think thats sending a wrong message." [Translation: They said we can build alliances with the Western countries, even those within the Western Pacific region like Australia and Japan. There are a lot of ways available but to speak with an implication that we cannot do anything, I think that's sending a wrong message.] In his national address on Monday night, Duterte said the Philippines cannot possibly win against China if a bloody war ensues while affirming our jurisdiction over the disputed waters. "The issue of the West Philippine Sea remains to be question forever until such time that you know, we can take it back. Walang iba, giyera lang (There's no other way but war)," the President said. "If we promote a war against China and America... at what cost to us? Yan ang problema (That's the problem)." READ: Duterte: No way we can get back West PH Sea without any bloodshed But for Lacson, there are still other ways to fight for Philippines' sovereignty. He said the national government should consider building alliances and hold joint military drills with other countries that are willing to help out. "US and Japan have already expressed their willingness to build a much stronger alliance with the Philippines. Lets work along that line. Dont feel that were alone," he added. "Population-wise, less than 1/10 lang tayo ng China. Theres no contest. But why think along that line when there are stronger countries, even Europe, which are ready to assist us?" Lacson said. " Lacson said that aside from merely lodging diplomatic protests which are constantly ignored by China, the Philippines could still make use of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States a two-decade old military deal that remains intact to compliment the Mutual Defense Treaty, which guarantees that both countries will provide military aid to each other in case their metropolitan areas or their territories in the Pacific are attacked by a foreign force. Sen. Risa Hontiveros shared a similar sentiment in her statement on Tuesday, noting that Filipinos must not allow a President "who gives up our sovereignty like loose change." "Duwag ba sya o traydor (Is he a coward or a traitor)? Either way, he has failed our country. He has failed to defend our sovereignty, our seas, our people," she added. The Department of Foreign Affairs recently summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian over the prolonged presence of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef. It also reiterated its demand for the immediate departure of other Chinese vessels in other maritime zones of the Philippines. An arbitral tribunal in 2016 invalidated China's historic claims to nearly the entire South China Sea, and upheld Philippine sovereign rights in areas of its Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf that Beijing contests. The ruling also noted that China's island-building activities on reefs in the area violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS and "have caused devastating and long-lasting damage to the marine environment." China continues to reject the ruling. New Delhi, April 20 : As the country is struggling to cope up with the unprecedented second wave of the deadly Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of meetings to come up with a strategy to neutralize the threat posed by the lethal virus. Modi, who was into the seventh day of Navratra fast, had a hectic day on Monday as he was busy in holding talks with the Chief Ministers of several major states affected by Covid-19, apart from taking part in the video conferences with reputed doctors and top pharma companies of the country. Earlier, in a landmark decision taken on Monday during an important meeting, the government decided that everyone above the age of 18 would get Covid vaccination from May 1. On Monday, Modi had his meetings lined up from the morning. He first reviewed the situation in all the Corona-affected states in the country. Later, an important meeting on vaccination started from 11.30 a.m. High-level sources told IANS that Prime Minister Modi, after talking to the Chief Ministers of the states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, also inquired about the situation arising out of Covid-19. Modi assured the Chief Ministers that there will be no shortage of anything -- from oxygen to vaccine, medicines, etc. He sent out a message that "in the times of crisis, the Central government stands with the states". After this, Prime Minister Modi held an important meeting with the top leaders of the BJP on the issue of West Bengal where elections are underway in phases. Keeping in mind the risk posed by the coronavirus, it was decided that there would not be more than 500 people in the party's meetings in Bengal. Besides, all Covid protocols including social distancing, wearing masks, etc. will be strictly followed. In the evening, Modi held two important meetings on Covid management. At 4.30 p.m., he held a video conference with reputed doctors from all over the country and sought their suggestions. The doctors shared their experiences on the overall effects of the second wave of Covid-19 that has hit the country hard. The Prime Minister also discussed with doctors about the medical and health infrastructure. After this, Modi held a video conference with the representatives of the top pharma companies of the country from 6 p.m. During the meeting, he told the pharma companies that there should be no shortage of life saving medicines at any cost. He also directed to increase the capacity of production of essential medicines. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2021 -- A new business intelligence report released by HTF MI with title "Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth- COVID-19 Impact and Recovery" is designed covering micro level of analysis by manufacturers and key business segments. The Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market survey analysis offers energetic visions to conclude and study market size, market hopes, and competitive surroundings. The research is derived through primary and secondary statistics sources and it comprises both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Magna International Inc., Mobileye NV, Denso Corporation, Wabco Holdings Inc., Delphi Automotive PLC, Valeo SA, Continental AG & Autoliv Inc.. What's keeping Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Magna International Inc., Mobileye NV, Denso Corporation, Wabco Holdings Inc., Delphi Automotive PLC, Valeo SA, Continental AG & Autoliv Inc. Ahead in the Market? Benchmark yourself with the strategic moves and findings recently released by HTF MI Get Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3229411-global-vehicle-intelligence-systems-market-12 Market Overview of Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems If you are involved in the Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems industry or aim to be, then this study will provide you inclusive point of view. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications [Passenger Cars & CV], Product Types [, ACC, BSD, PA TJA & DMS] and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement. This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The report presents the market competitive landscape and a consistent in depth analysis of the major vendor/key players in the market along with impact of economic slowdown. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2015-2020 Base year 2020 Forecast period** 2021 to 2026 [** unless otherwise stated] **Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3229411-global-vehicle-intelligence-systems-market-12 The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: The Study Explore the Product Types of Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market: , ACC, BSD, PA TJA & DMS Key Applications/end-users of Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market: Passenger Cars & CV Top Players in the Market are: Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Magna International Inc., Mobileye NV, Denso Corporation, Wabco Holdings Inc., Delphi Automotive PLC, Valeo SA, Continental AG & Autoliv Inc. Region Included are: North America (Covered in Chapter 9), United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (Covered in Chapter 10), Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others, Asia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 11), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, South America (Covered in Chapter 12), Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Middle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 13), UAE, Egypt & South Africa Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report: Detailed overview of Vehicle Intelligence Systems market Changing market dynamics of the industry In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape of Vehicle Intelligence Systems market Strategies of key players and product offerings Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective towards Vehicle Intelligence Systems market performance Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3229411-global-vehicle-intelligence-systems-market-12 Major Highlights of TOC: Chapter One: Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Industry Overview 1.1 Vehicle Intelligence Systems Industry 1.1.1 Overview 1.1.2 Products of Major Companies 1.2 Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Segment 1.2.1 Industry Chain 1.2.2 Consumer Distribution 1.3 Price & Cost Overview Chapter Two: Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Demand 2.1 Segment Overview 2.1.1 APPLICATION 1 2.1.2 APPLICATION 2 2.1.3 Other 2.2 Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Size by Demand 2.3 Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Forecast by Demand Chapter Three: Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market by Type 3.1 By Type 3.1.1 TYPE 1 3.1.2 TYPE 2 3.2 Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Size by Type 3.3 Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Forecast by Type Chapter Four: Major Region of Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market 4.1 Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Sales 4.2 Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Revenue & market share Chapter Five: Major Companies List Chapter Six: Conclusion Complete Purchase of Latest Version Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Study @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3229411 Key questions answered - How Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems Market Growth & Size is Changing with Years to Come? - Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems market? - What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems market? - What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global Vehicle Intelligence Systems market? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. A 14-year-old girl who alleges that she was raped and choked by her bully in a school stairwell has been blamed for the attack by school district lawyers who say she was 'negligent'. Students and parents protested outside New Rochelle High School in Westchester County, New York, on Saturday after the district's response to a lawsuit by the victim was revealed. The victim was grabbed by her throat and led into a stairwell where she was raped and choked on March 4, 2020 by a boy who had a history of bullying her, the lawsuit claims. All of this happened while the victim screamed and yelled, 'No,' according to court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail. The stairwell was monitored by a security camera, which captured footage of the attack. The suspect was arrested by New Rochelle police within days of the alleged rape, but the records are sealed because he was charged as a juvenile offender, New Rochelle police said. The alleged victim and her mother are now suing the school district for unspecified damages. Insurance lawyers for the school district said in a March 31 response to the lawsuit that the district wasn't negligent and isn't 'at fault or culpable.' 'Furthermore, there was contributory negligence, assumption of risk, contributory fault and/or culpable conduct attributable to the plaintiffs, to the extent of total and/or partial diminution of damages alleged in the complaint,' the school insurance company's lawyers wrote. Dozens of New Rochelle High School students and community leaders protested the rape and the school district's lawyers' response that blamed the victim. A teenager was raped inside New Rochelle High School, where it was caught on security cameras, according to the family's lawsuit. Lawyers representing the school blamed the victim, which sparked a protest on Saturday. Insurance lawyers for the school district said in a March 31 response to the lawsuit that the district wasn't negligent and isn't 'at fault or culpable.' The suspect walked the victim back to class after the rape and passed a security guard, who didn't say anything, the victim's family said in it's lawsuit, which was filed on March 11 this year in Westchester County Supreme Court. The victim and suspect had a history with each other, according to the lawsuit. It claims that the suspect had bullied the victim for more than two years, but the school district never intervened or helped. The school district's response sparked a protest of dozens of parents and students on Saturday outside of New Rochelle High School. Nearly everyone during Saturday's protest outside of New Rochelle High School in Westchester County, New York, held creative signs supporting a rape victim. They voiced their anger and held signs saying 'Stop victim blaming.' 'They said this 14-year-old girl, it's her fault, even though the boy had a history. They knew!' Lily Benedict, a New Rochelle High School junior who was one of the students who demonstrated, told News12. Mother Kim Benedict said: 'Instead of spending money on lawyers defending ourselves from our mistakes, perhaps we can put it into training security guards.' Freshman student Iyla Blough said: 'He should be expelled for assaulting student and probably go to some juvenile detention because that's what happens in the real world - you go to jail for raping someone.' Interim New Rochelle School District Superintendent is dealing with backlash from the community over the district's lawyers' response to a student's rape lawsuit. In a statement to the DailyMail.com following the publication of this story, a the school district and school board issued a joint statement, saying: 'Although the Board rarely, if ever, comments upon potential or pending litigation, we understand and wish to address the concerns raised by the community concerning a lawsuit that was recently filed and reported upon by the media. As is often the case, we are also limited in our ability to speak openly about particular matters involving individual students due to federal privacy law. At the outset, we want to make clear that we would never blame any victim, particularly a student who has suffered from a sexual assault. Our students' physical and emotional welfare is, and always has been, our highest priority. 'The District's insurance carrier and the law firm appointed by the carrier to defend the District have advised that, in their collective professional opinion, certain steps must be taken in the context of such litigation, at least at this early stage. When we learned of the approach on Friday, we reached out to the law firm appointed by the carrier to review the rationale for this position in an effort to fully understand why it is necessary and/or appropriate. The Board intends to carefully review and consider the approach taken and will continue to revisit this approach throughout the litigation. We will continue to keep the community apprised to the extent legally permissible and appropriate.' In a statement on Monday, the city of Loveland also announced a separate investigation into whether the officers followed policy during Ms. Garners arrest, and said the police chief, Robert Ticer, would publicly address the City Council on Tuesday. The city said in its statement that it had received an abundance of telephone calls, emails, and social media messages from constituents deeply concerned about the events cited in the lawsuit and about the video footage. The footage is difficult to watch and we understand the strong emotions evoked including the outrage, fear, and distrust, the city said. Justine Bruno, a city spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday that the citys investigation would start after the district attorneys office investigation was completed. The Loveland Police Department said last week that it had not received a complaint about Ms. Garners serious injuries, and that it learned about the allegations surrounding her arrest only after her lawyer, Sarah Schielke, filed the lawsuit and released footage from Walmart security cameras and from the officers body cameras. The department said that it would review the images, documents and records compiled in connection with the arrest, and that it shares with the community the concerns about the video footage. It said it had put the arresting officer in the case, Austin Hopp, on administrative leave, and the assisting officer, Daria Jalali, and their supervisor, Sgt. Philip Metzler, on desk duty. The three officers and the city of Loveland were named as defendants in the lawsuit, which was filed in United States District Court for the District of Colorado. It claims violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act and alleges use of excessive force and failure to provide medical care. I do feel that he recognizes that the party has drifted away from the core principles that he stood for, said Andrew H. Card Jr., his White House chief of staff from 2001 to 2006 and a longtime friend of the Bush family. I think he has maintained a lot of discipline not to opine on every little matter, but I think he now recognizes that this is a bruised nation, and he wants to help heal it. For all the familiar flashes of self-deprecating humor, Mr. Bush is agitated and alarmed by the state of the nation. The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol represented something of a breaking point for him, Mr. Card said. I cried, and the former president, he cried, too, Mr. Card said, speaking of that day. In the interview on Tuesday, Mr. Bush expressed his disgust at the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol, but kept to his practice of not calling out Mr. Trump by name. It kind of made me sick not kind of made me sick, it did make me sick, he said. Mr. Bush, who left office in 2009 with low approval ratings stemming from the Iraq war and the financial crisis, has been a frequent target of Mr. Trump, who lashed out at him during the 2016 presidential campaign and suggested Mr. Bush should have been impeached for providing false intelligence in the lead-up to the conflict. One of the factors that has kept Mr. Bush from weighing in more frequently during the Trump years, two people close to him said, was his concern that his statements could be used against his nephew George P. Bush, a Republican official in Texas, who has ambitions for seeking higher office in a state where Mr. Trump remains popular. Advertisement A group of mountain hares were captured in action as they appeared to box each other during a snowy night in a Norwegian forest. In the impressive collection of images, which have a wintery backdrop of the forest of Vauldalen, Norway, the animals can be seen showing off their best fighting moves. Male hares are often seen battling it out for potential mates, rearing up on their hind legs and swinging punches with their forelimbs. One picture shows a hare appearing to leap through the air, with all its feet off the ground, and heading towards his opponent. Another wonderful moment showed a hare, who seemed to be watching the fight take place, looking concerned for those involved. In the impressive collection of images, a hare who is watching the fight take place in front of them appears to look concerned as two hares battle it out In one of the frames from the impressive collection, a fourth hare can be seen getting involved in the action while two appear to battle it out Snow on the ground is thrown up in the air creating an incredible snapshot as the two hares continue to battle each other, taking swipes while the other leaps through the air The mountain hares were pictured fighting for potential mates, including what appears to be similar to a drop kick, in the forest of Vauldalen, Norway One mountain hare looked to have bonked its opponent on the head as its ears drop and eyes close as snow swirls around them The hares leap at each other during the battles, swinging their arms and taking swipes at one another, as well as launches themselves at their opponents Male hares are often seen battling it out for potential mates, rearing up on their hind legs and swinging punches with their forelimbs Is it fair or even patriotic to threaten states that do not conform to the Democratic Socialists' mandate to control the outcome of Free and Fair elections enacted by constitutionally guaranteed states' legislatures? Yes, all elections must be federalized so that the whim of the majority political party can set the standard for all elections. No, Our Founders purposefully decentralized elections by guaranteeing only states' legislatures the independent right to enact Free and Fair elections. Glanbia Ireland welcomes the decision of the High Court to uphold the decision of An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for its new continental cheese processing plant at Belview. The new plant, which is to be developed under a joint venture agreement with our Dutch partner Royal A-Ware, is described by Glanbia as "a vital Brexit diversification measure and is important for rural Ireland and for Irelands dairy sector as a whole." A judicial review was brought by An Taisce, in March, and the decision of the High Court was published this morning (Tuesday). An Tasice argued the development had not taken into account the environmental impact of the milk production required for the new plant. Planning permission was initially granted by Kilkenny County Council in November 2019, and permission was granted by An Bord Pleanala in July 2020. An Taisce now have several weeks to decide if they will appeal this decision to the Supreme Court. ICMSA President, Pat McCormack, said that decision provided much needed clarification. He urged all parties to the matter to now accept that the facility will go ahead in compliance with all regulatory requirements. [April 20, 2021] Odoo Records Unstoppable Growth Recruiting top talent and helping regional clients grow their businesses despite the pandemic. DUBAI, UAE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Odoo, a leader in open source all-in-one business software, announced that they have grown their Middle East office exponentially in the past year, despite the pandemic. In fall of 2018, two people from Odoo's headquarter team in Belgium landed in Dubai as part of their commitment to expand in the region, and grow the company's presence in the Middle East. Fast forward to today, Odoo Middle East DMCC celebrates reaching their 140th employee mark, further supporting the brand's rapid product development pace and continued regional expansion, with plans to reach 200+ employees in their office by the end of 2021. When Covid-19 hit the world in the beginning of 2020, many organizations and employees braced themselves during the unprecedented times. Odoo, leaning on its own software, continued to run their business, grasping market opportunities, and assisting their regional clients and partners to grow their own businesses. Optimal strategies taken up by Odoo, allowed the office to grow both in number of staff as well as clients. Currently supporting 600,000+ users in the Middle East with its busiess applications, including renowned companies such as PepsiCo, KFC, Geely Auto Group, MoTeC Middle East, STRATA, and Morgan International. Odoo's unique value proposition is for its Apps to be user-friendly and fully integrated. Working with their expanding partner network, that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic grew by over 40% to 430+ partners in the region, has helped form new streams of revenue for companies hit by COVID-19. With more than 5 million users worldwide, Odoo's solutions are designed to support businesses of all sizes, with a flexible suite of Apps to run and manage all aspects of a business. Odoo's functionality encompasses traditional ERP, including accounting, stock, and CRM, as well as broader business needs such as project management, marketing, human resources, website, eCommerce, and more. With a modular approach, Odoo provides affordable and easy-to-use software that scales with business needs as a company grows. Odoo operates with an open core business model, a model based on community, knowledge sharing, and transparency. While traditional ERP is expensive and frequently fails to adapt to the unique needs of a business, Odoo focused on listening to the companies they help serve. Providing solutions that fit the businesses in the Middle East, helping them bridge the gap between different departments. With revenue growth consistently above 50% over the last ten years, Odoo is a leading technology success story, operating international offices in Belgium, Luxembourg, USA, India, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Dubai, simplifying the way businesses operate globally. With its flexible suite of applications and a relentless focus on product, Odoo is ideally positioned to capture a compelling market opportunity, recruit top talent for their regional headquarter, and provide the necessary tools for regional companies to run their businesses successfully. About Odoo Odoo is a leading provider of all-in-one open source business software for companies worldwide ranging from startups (1 user) to large enterprises (300,000+ users). Founded in 2005, Odoo thrives in a unique and fully open ecosystem combining the resources of its community and partners to deliver a full range of easy-to-use, integrated, and scalable business applications. The software is available online on www.odoo.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490460/Odoo_Middle_East.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490461/Odoo_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gulf Construction Expo, the region's leading showcase for the building and construction sector, will be back this November in style, at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. Announcing this today (April 20), Bahrain-based Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE), said the event will run from November 2 to 4 alongside the Gulf Property Show and Interiors Expo, providing a unique integrated business-to-business platform for the construction, interiors and property sectors in the Northern Gulf. A much anticipated event, The Gulf Construction Expo offers a platform to promote the construction sector in Bahrain, enterprises in the construction field can take advantage of the various business development and promotional opportunities made available through this show, said the event organiser. "The economy has suffered for the last year and the current forecasts are showing positive signs of recovery and growth. The exhibitions sector contributes a valuable platform to showcase products, ideas as part of a holistic business strategy," remarked Jubran Abdulrahman, the Managing Director of HCE. "As Bahrains vaccination strategy takes effect, we expect a return to a new normal in business and society. For the show in November all precautions will be implemented to ensure the safety of our exhibitors and visitors," stated Abdulrahman. "Gulf Construction Expo visitors can expect a diverse expo covering different categories and products within the construction industry; which will be delivered to standards that will build on the Expos reputation as being the leading construction sector event in the Northern Gulf," he added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) An initial shipment of nearly 200,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is scheduled to arrive in the country on June 15, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said on Tuesday. In a Malacanang briefing, Romualdez said this will be followed by bigger deliveries in succeeding months, with the country anticipating a total of 20 million doses from the US firm before the end of the year. The envoy added that the first batch of 117,000 doses from Pfizer, also an American company, is expected to arrive by around end-May. The reason why theres been a delay sa Pfizer is because there have been some legal problems we have to overcome, Romualdez said. I think that our Department of Justice is already in the final phase of just making sure that...the agreement and the indemnity agreement are clear, and the government is well protected also, he added. The initial Pfizer delivery was supposed to have been made by mid-February but was hampered by the absence of an indemnification deal between the parties. During that month, officials also admitted the Philippines was still completing documents to finalize the arrangement. Romualdez said the national government hopes to be able to complete the transaction with Pfizer by next week. READ: PH eyes up to 40M doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine A total of 20 million doses of Gamaleyas Sputnik V vaccine are also expected to arrive this year, Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said. Around half a million doses are expected by end-April or early May, with an initial 20,000 doses to be delivered in the next few days. Moderna, Pfizer, and Gamaleya previously announced that their vaccines are over 90% effective against the coronavirus based on early data. These studies do not cover new COVID-19 variants. READ: How effective are currently available COVID-19 vaccines against 'variants of concern'? Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki answers a lawmaker's question at the National Assembly, Tuesday. Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Tuesday that he conveyed to the "parties in charge" requests from the country's business lobby groups for a presidential pardon for Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. "Only the President can grant a pardon. Regarding the possibility of a pardon for Samsung Vice Chairman Lee, I've met with the heads of economic lobby groups for discussions on how to explore ways to achieve an economic recovery, and one of the attendees suggested the idea of pardoning Lee. That message has been forwarded to institutions in charge quite adequately," Minister Hong told lawmakers at the National Assembly. After candidates of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) failed to win mayoral by-elections in the country's two largest cities, the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae have been struggling to find new options to prevent Moon's approval rating from falling further. Moon is set to hold his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House late next month. Because the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors is causing huge supply problems across a wide variety of industries in the United States, Biden recently met the chiefs of major semiconductor companies online and asked them to invest more in chip plants in America. Samsung said it is looking at the "right timing" for a massive investment in the United States. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) points to Russia's disruption of peaceful efforts to resolve the situation in eastern Ukraine and calls for an end to military provocations and escalation. This was said in a document distributed by the PACE informal group Baltic Plus among the delegates of the spring session of the Assembly regarding Russia's provocations and escalation of hostilities against Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. With the latest steps, in particular the recent refusal to restore ceasefire commitments, Russia is demonstrating its reluctance to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine peacefully. On the contrary, Russia is openly undermining peace efforts by unjustifiably relocating its troops, while constantly blaming Ukraine and denying its involvement in Donbas, reads the statement, open for signature. The parliamentarians are "seriously concerned about the increase in ceasefire violations by Russian-backed groups, the growing number of casualties, and, in particular, a constant build-up and concentration of excessive military forces in the immediate vicinity of Ukraine's borders and on the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula." "All this undermines the overall stability and security on our continent," the document reads. They call on Russia to stop provocations, end the blockade of the Kerch Strait, and start de-escalating the situation, as well as dispel all concerns, being completely transparent and providing information about its military activities in accordance with the risk reduction mechanism of the Vienna Document. The signatories of the document welcome Ukraines unwavering commitment to a political settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the restraint shown by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "We call on Russia to adhere to the principles and commitments of the OSCE, as well as the spirit and letter of its statutory obligations to the Council of Europe," the delegates of the Assembly said. The document has already been signed by members of the national delegations of Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Georgia, Romania and Azerbaijan. The PACE spring session is held in Strasbourg on April 19-22. ish WEST HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) A gunman shot three workers inside a managers office at a Long Island grocery store Tuesday, killing one of them, police said. A manhunt was underway for the gunman, who had also worked at the store, said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. The shooting happened around 11 a.m. inside an office upstairs from the shopping floor at the Stop & Shop in West Hempstead, Ryder said. There were about a couple hundred shoppers inside the store at the time. The name of the victims have not been made public. The man who was killed was a 49-year-old store employee, Ryder said. The two wounded were hospitalized and were conscious and alert. Police identified the suspected gunman as Gabriel DeWitt Wilson and gave a date of birth for him indicating he is 31 years old. It was unclear whether he was still employed by the store, Ryder said. Wilson was wearing all black and carrying a small handgun as he fled westbound on Hempstead Turnpike, Ryder told reporters at a news conference. Several hours after the shooting, police converged on a neighborhood in nearby Hempstead, which is east of the grocery store, as the search for Wilson continued. Video of the aftermath of the shooting showed police cars and ambulances parked in front of the store, officers with long guns and yellow crime scene tape draped across the entrance. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said nearby schools have been told not to admit visitors and residents were asked to remain indoors. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was directing state police to assist local police in the manhunt. Im praying for the victims, and my heart breaks for their families and loved ones, Cuomo said in a statement. West Hempstead is near the New York City-Nassau County border and about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of midtown Manhattan. Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement that the company is shocked and heartbroken by this act of violence and that the West Hempstead store will remain closed until further notice. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and the first responders who have responded heroically to this tragic situation, Reid said. Stop & Shop is a grocery chain in the northeastern U.S. owned by the Dutch company Ahold Delhaize. Indianapolis, IN (46208) Today Mostly cloudy with some showers in the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 83F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early with showers later at night. Low 68F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. A Saturday rally in Jersey City sparked debate after video circulated online of marchers shouting F--- the pigs, apparently at police officers stationed on the street. A video clip of roughly 100 protestors shouting the slogan as they approach a Jersey City Police Department vehicle drew criticism from Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who called the chant inflammatory + infectious rhetoric which only further divides us on Twitter. Obscenities being hurled at police officers who risk their lives every day is unacceptable, we should agree this isnt an appropriate way to express grievances + it undermines calls for change, he wrote. 1/2 About this demonstration yesterday in JC w/repeated chants of Fuck the Pigs... Ill be the 1st to say that Civil Demonstrations, criticism, & protests are welcome here in #JerseyCity, our nation's history has proven its produced changes in govt. BUT What we cant... pic.twitter.com/LYBsgKhMS3 Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) April 18, 2021 But Fulops condemnation sparked its own wave of criticism, with dozens weighing in on social media to call his comments tone-deaf and misplaced. That you choose to take to Twitter to chastise this extremely mild protest (shouting? Gasp!) instead of the daily horrors that police inflict on black Americans is an embarrassment, one Twitter user wrote. Its the consistency in the mayor not valuing or respecting our grievances, but immediately ready to tone-police us and censor our speech and tell us how exactly were supposed to protest, said Nevin Perkins, the founder of activist group Black Men United and organizer of the protest that started as a Black Power Rally at Berry Lane Park. Saturdays protest came in the wake of a series of police killings across the country and two days before final arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer facing murder charges for the death of George Floyd last May. Cities around the country are bracing for unrest in the wake of a verdict. Jersey City spokeswoman Kim Wallace-Scalcione did not say whether or not the police department is making preparations for protests in Jersey City, but said that the city is always willing to work with organizers to ensure the safety and protection of all participants, police officers, and the entire community. Perkins said he wouldnt speak on any planned actions in response to a verdict, but said Saturdays event was not related to specific incidents. The online debate over the protest highlights an enduring disconnect between both city hall and the JCPD and members of the Black community, some of whom see the mayor as too far removed from the realities of life on the citys south side. Pamela Johnson, an activist and the executive director of the Jersey City Anti Violence Coalition Movement, said in a text message that Saturdays action says that theres a lot more work to do as it related to community-police relations and called on the city to create a dialogue with protest organizers. All across this country there has been real change to bridge that gap and we clearly have to do more, she said. Asked about relations between the community and the JCPD, Wallace-Scalcione cited a number of measures taken by the administration, including body camera mandates, public meetings, and the appointment of Police Director Tawana Moody, a civilian, to oversee the department. This administration has always welcomed and has even participated in public demonstrations that support civil rights and progress, Wallace-Scalcione said. But the obscenity-filled verbal assault on the very police officers that protect these people and their families was clearly not intended to be anything remotely productive. Carmine Disbrow, the president of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, called the chant hateful and said the protestors do not represent that vast majority of Jersey City residents who appreciate the work our police officers do to keep the city safe. Perkins said he has no desire to build trust with the city administration or the JCPD. Black Men United is focused on organizing within Black communities, he said; to that end, the group hosts regular food and clothing donations and organizes neighborhood cleanups. Were a group that has abolitionist principles, Perkins said. So were actually calling for the abolishment of all law enforcement as we understand it in our society today. Asked if he wanted to see any reforms in the JCPD, Perkins said only that police should stay out the way. The Apple Store landing site is down in preparation for the firm's 'Spring Loaded' product unveiling event this evening. The store's homepage features the Apple logo on a stark black background with the message 'We'll be right back'. 'Updates are coming to the Apple Store,' it says. 'Check back soon.' After the event, Apple Store should be back online with the new products available to order, which may include two new iPads, object-tracking devices called AirTags and even a new range of computers inspired by 1998's iMac G3. Apple usually takes the Apple Store down in preparation for any major product unveiling, although it's not expected to unveil any phones at tonight's event. Spring Loaded, which won't have an in-person audience due to the pandemic, will be live-streamed on YouTube from 18:00 BST (10:00 PDT). Screenshot of the message currently on display on the Apple Store homepage. Apple usually takes the Apple Store down in preparation for any major product unveiling Apple CEO Tim Cook also tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: 'Its a beautiful spring morning for an #AppleEvent! See you soon.' Apple announced Spring Loaded in a press invite on April 13, and via its digital assistant Siri. Upon being asked 'When is the next Apple Event?', Siri said: 'The special event is on Tuesday, April 20, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all the details on Apple.com.' In case you missed it, here's all the products Apple is expected to announce at the event, including an iPad with mini-LED display technology and its long-awaited AirTags. Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: 'Its a beautiful spring morning for an #AppleEvent! See you soon' Apple confirmed the date and time (April 20, 18:00 BST) of Spring Loaded in a press invite on April 13 iMac At the weekend, Twitter user and leaker @l0vetodream posted a tweet containing two photos one of the Spring Loaded even and another of various iMac G3 models. iMac G3 was the hugely successful series of Apple computers released in 1998, known for its vibrant, translucent range of colours and bulbous body. Evidently, the suggestion from @l0vetodream is that Apple has been influenced by the G3 series for a new line of computers. It's also alluded to the new line with the colourful logo in the Spring Loaded press invite, if the rumour is to be believed as has Tim Cook in his tweet on Tuesday, which included a photo of a giant rainbow archway. According to Apple Track a blog that keeps tabs on Apple rumours 'and the sources that publish them' @l0vetodream has an accuracy rating of 88.1 per cent. The tweet from @l0vetodream corroborates Jon Prosser, another phone leaker. Prosser who currently has a 77.5 per cent rating on Apple Track previously shared renders of the redesigned system in options for silver, space gray, green, sky blue and rose gold in a video earlier this year. The renders have a far different body shape, however more in line with the recent Macs. Leaker @l0vetodream posted the Spring Loaded logo with an image of the iMac G3 series from 1998 - suggesting Apple is taking inspiration from its past for a new computer range A video shared by well-known Apple leaker Jon Prosser on YouTube shows renders of the redesigned system in options for silver, space gray, green, sky blue and rose gold WHAT ARE MINI-LED DISPLAYS? LEDs are small light sources in TVs that illuminates pixels to make an image. Mini-LEDs are much smaller than ordinary LEDs and create a brighter picture with more saturation and richer black levels. Because Mini-LEDs are so much smaller than normal LEDs they are difficult to manufacture and place precisely into screens, which means they are much more expensive than traditional LED displays. Advertisement The range of colour options could be an attempt to capitalise on the public's nostalgia for 1990s and 200s hardware already seen in reboots of flip phones and games consoles. iPad Pro According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to showcase two new iPad Pro models one larger model measuring 12.9 inches and featuring new mini-LED display technology. Mini-LEDs are like ordinary LEDs, but much smaller, which makes it possible to pack thousands more of them into a display. The extra light sources makes screens substantially brighter and creates more vibrant and nuanced colours, thanks to the greater combination of lights made possible by the higher LED count. But Bloomberg has also reported possible supply issues for the larger iPad Pro, citing 'people familiar with the matter', meaning it will initially be available in 'constrained quantities'. According to Japanese site Mac Otakara, citing Chinese supply chain sources, new fifth-generation iPad Pro will be available in the same sizes as its predecessor 11-inch, as well as the 12.9-inch, corroborating Bloomberg. But only the 12.9-inch model will come with Apple's new mini-LED display technology, according to Bloomberg. Mac Otakara has also previously said the fifth-generation will have a 'significantly improved' processor from the Apple A12Z in the fourth generation. Apple Pencil On Friday, a leaker claiming to have information from inside Chinese factories who goes by the username @ileakeer on Twitter, tweeted a video of a what's supposedly the third-generation Apple Pencil. The three-second video shows the stylus has a flat edge, just like the second-generation version, so it lies flat when charging and during use. 'New Apple Pencil ready to ship at #AppleEvent,' @ileakeer said in the tweet (largely translated from emojis). Many were surprised when Apple unveiled a stylus the first-generation Apple Pencil back in 2015. Original Apple boss and company co-founder Steve Jobs memorably condemned tech companies who chose to design a pen for their tablets when introducing the first iPhone in 2007. 'Who wants a stylus?' he said. 'You have to get them, put them away, you lose them. Yuck! Nobody wants a stylus. So let's not use a stylus.' Apple products, he said, were designed to work with the 'best pointing device in the world' the human finger. AirTags Perhaps most excitingly for Apple fans, the company is also expected to unveil AirTags small, circular devices with an Apple logo in the centre, possibly equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. The tags would help users find any personal item that has an AirTag attached such as wallets, keys, luggage or even a stolen bicycle by using a map on the 'Find My' app. Apple is expected to unveil a new iPad Pro, AirPods and AirTags on March 23. AirTags are Apple's rumoured tracking system for the 'Find My' app. Each will be small, circular and made to be attached to everyday items (pictured here in supposed leak previously published by MacRumors) Find My lets people track the whereabouts of their Apple devices, such as iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods, in case they get lost but AirTags will extend this to other everyday, non-electronic items. If the lost item is in the vicinity, such as around the house somewhere, users would be able to click an option for the AirTag to emit a noise to help them locate it, just like items already supported by the Find My app. If the lost item with an AirTag attached was further afield for example, if it were accidentally left in a bar in the next town users could find it on the map. If the item was stolen, the owner could potentially find out the address of the person who took it, as long as it still had the AirTag attached. Rumours that Apple is developing item tracking tags first surfaced in September 2019 when MacRumors released leaked screenshots of a new 'Items' tab in the 'Find My' app. Rumours that Apple is developing item tracking tags first surfaced in September 2019 when MacRumors released leaked screenshots of an item-tracking sub menu being developed for the 'Find My' app The product was reportedly given the code-name 'B389' during its development but is expected to be sold under the name 'AirTags' It's believed personal items like keys and wallets that have AirTags attached to them will show up under the 'Items' tab on the app. In April last year, Apple mistakenly uploaded a support video to YouTube that revealed the existence of AirTags, which was quickly removed. The video, entitled 'How to erase your iPhone', mentioned AirTags in a shot of Settings for the Find My app. In April last year, Apple mistakenly uploaded a support video to YouTube that revealed the existence of AirTags, which was quickly removed AirPods Apple is also expected to reveal its third-generation AirPods tomorrow the wireless Bluetooth headphones that come with their own charging case. The second-gen AirPods, which were unveiled two years ago, start at 159. AirPods Pro, with additional noise cancellation technology and water resistance, cost 249. For the third-generation, Apple is working on more affordable 'entry-level' AirPods, according to MacRumors albeit with a lack of higher-end features like active noise cancellation. Apple is already pushing consumers towards AirPods. iPhone 12, released last October, didn't include a pair of standard wired headphones (EarPods) in the box, unlike its predecessors, prompting outrage from some buyers. Cheaper AirPods will therefore come as good news for iPhone fans although consumers can still buy EarPods for an extra 19. The decision not to include wired EarPods in the box of the iPhone 12 should turn consumers towards its 250 AirPods Pro (left) and AirPods (right) Beirut, April 20 : The Lebanese government has said that the country will adopt a modern design for the reconstruction of the Port of Beirut, which was badly damaged in the August 2020 twin explosions. "Studies on the new port will include all logistic matters and a vision about the port's role in Lebanon and the region with a focus on establishing solid scientific bases for the port's administrative, legal and technical aspects," Xinhua news agency quoted Public Works and Transport Minister Michel Najjar as saying on Monday. His remarks came during his meeting with Moscow's Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov and representatives of Russian investment companies interested in the construction of infrastructure projects and the Beirut port. The Russian delegation expressed a serious desire to contribute to vital projects in Lebanon, most notably the Beirut port's reconstruction project. Earlier this month, German and French companies had also offered plans for the port's reconstruction. Two huge explosions ripped through the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, killing about 200 people, injuring at least 6,000 others and leaving 300,000 homeless. A big part of the Lebanese capital was destroyed in the disaster. Investigations pointed to the roughly 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate left at the port as the cause of the explosions. Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes In the 1990s, French photographer Yann Layma stunned the Western world with images of cascading rice terraces in southwest China, and till today, the agricultural wonder remains as grand as ever, while the people there are living more radiant lives. The terraced fields in Yuanyang County of Yunnan Province made it onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. They were created by the local Hani, an ethnic group that mostly inhabits the area across the Ailao Mountains. "I'll show you how to catch fish," Ding Jinan, a 24-year-old Hani, introduced life on the terraced fields to audiences across the country via a short-video platform. Ding quit her job years ago and returned to her hometown, setting up a new media team introducing ethnic traditions and local landscape online to the outside world. In March 2019, the team uploaded their first video, in which Ding, resplendent in her traditional Hani clothing, shared the process of making local pastries. The rural lifestyle has attracted an increasing number of viewers to her channel, and the young woman has come to be known as a spokesperson of the Hani rice terraces. Ding's efforts have further raised the profile of the agricultural heritage, and at the same time, transformations have been taking place. In 2016, 49-year-old Yue Shao returned to Yuanyang and established a company dedicated to the research and development of breeding on paddy fields. Yue's company launched a platform that allows purchasers to trace the origin of the agricultural products. In addition, a smart service platform was developed to facilitate unmanned monitoring of seedlings and remote consultations regarding crop diseases for the paddies where ducks and fish are bred as well. The creative ecosystem has been proven a success. Statistics from authorities show that since 2017, more than 35.64 million yuan (about 5.46 million U.S. dollars) has been invested in the heritage site to facilitate the transition to the rice-fish-duck ecosystem on over 2,100 hectares of farmland. It has driven 7,320 households to embrace modern farm life, generating more than 152,600 yuan per hectare. Conserving tradition New projects, new agricultural modes, new ways of life... Despite the sweeping changes taking place, the Hani people still proudly embrace their traditional culture. Azheke, a village located in a core area of the heritage site, is a living museum displaying the Hani people's traditional housing -- mostly consisting of mud and wood with straw roofs. In the past, the income of the villagers was so meager that most young people chose to work outside their village. The old houses were crumbling, posing a threat to the inheritance of the Hani traditions and culture. In January 2018, a team led by Bao Jigang, a professor with Sun Yat-sen University in the southern province of Guangdong, came to investigate the traditional housing at the invitation of the Yuanyang government. The team proposed an "Azheke Plan" -- motivating villagers to protect their traditional houses via a dividend system. A tourism company was set up in 2018, with 65 households receiving 70 percent of its share. In 2020, the per capita net annual income of the villagers through the system exceeded 6,300 yuan. In late March, villagers received the latest dividends totaling 168,000 yuan. Wu Canxi, a senior at Sun Yat-sen University, has seen remarkable changes in the lives of the villagers since she came to the village to conduct a field study and survey in January. Now, most can speak Mandarin, and some also speak a few words of English and skillfully use computers to settle accounts. The passionate student has provided advice for the tourism company's operation and training programs for villagers. "The key is that everyone knows that they can protect their culture while earning a living, so they voluntarily devote themselves to it," said Wu. The U.S. Department of Defense confirms that Russia continues a military buildup near Ukraine's border and in occupied Crimea. Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said this at a press briefing on April 19, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Over the last couple of weeks, we have continued to see an increase in the forces along the border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea, he said. He did not disclose intelligence information about the number of Russian troops, but noted that the U.S. side had called on the Russians to clarify their intentions. According to the spokesperson, Washington does not believe that this buildup is conducive to security and stability in the region. We call on the Russians to cease their provocations and to contribute to better security and stability there. And they can start by being more transparent about what their intentions are and what they're doing, Kirby added. As Ukrinform reported, during an online meeting of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defense on April 14, Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Taran said that Russia concentrated 56 battalion tactical groups with 110,000 troops along the Ukrainian border. According to the minister, the real goal of the Russian military buildup at the Ukrainian border may be attempts to force the Ukrainian government to make concessions in the negotiation process and to demonstrate readiness to use armed force. ish The two existential threats that keep former chief of defence Admiral Chris Barrie awake at night are nuclear war, which he says the Australian government cant do much about, and climate change, which he says the Australian government is not doing enough about. Barrie is one of more than 30 current and former defence personnel and security sector staff to join the newly formed Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, which is calling on the Australian government to undertake a whole-of-nation assessment of the security risks posed by climate change. Former Chief of Defence Admiral Chris Barrie is calling for urgent action on climate change. Credit:Andrew Taylor As ex-service members and experienced practitioners of national and international security who have witnessed up close the devastation of war and crisis, we recognise that climate change is a fundamental threat to the security and prosperity of all Australians, he said. Yet Australia is ill prepared for climate impacts, with climate security risks not being fully assessed or understood in Australia. Bengaluru, April 20 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal-Secular leader H. D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday recommended the state government impose a statewide lockdown to contain the surge of Covid-19 cases. "A lockdown should be announced immediately as it has become inevitable now," he said while attending the all-party meeting from his room in a private hospital here. Kumaraswmay added that night curfew would not help in curtailing the spread of the infection. "Bengaluru and large towns like Kalaburagi, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Bidar, and others need to go to lockdown now. We should also prohibit inter-state travel from neighbouring states. Most of our border districts have reported a surge because of this," he said. Leader of Opposition, Siddaramaiah appealed to the state government to exert pressure on the Union government to declare Covid-19 as a "national emergency". He also demanded the state government to make testing for inter-state travellers mandatory due to the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state. "The BJP-led government should take steps to ensure panchayat elections are postponed after apprising the State Election Commission of the ongoing pandemic situation," he said. The ministers in charge of the pandemic, headed by Health Minister K. Sudhakar, have briefed the attendees with various measures taken to contain the spread of the pandemic. The donations are a fraction of Katko's total receipts he collected $436,291 to set a personal first-quarter fundraising record but represent a show of unity for the GOP members, each of whom have been attacked by members of their own party for voting to impeach Trump. There are Republicans in central New York who continue to support Katko, who is in his fourth term representing the 24th Congressional District. But there have been some GOP and Conservative Party leaders who are upset with him, which could cost him endorsements if he seeks a fifth term next year. Katko is in a strong position as he kicks off the 2022 election cycle. He won reelection by 10 points last year the third time he's won an election by a double-digit margin. He has more than $586,000 in his campaign account, which gives him a head start over any potential primary or general election challengers. MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, today announces its commitment to the goal of net-zero emissions before 2040. To achieve this goal throughout MSCIs global operations, MSCI will prioritize: Reducing emissions: accelerate carbon-reduction initiatives focusing on the most material and controllable emissions, such as electricity consumption, business travel and employee commutes; favor green-certified buildings for MSCI offices, promote a flexible working environment for employees, encourage virtual meetings and low-carbon options for business travel accelerate carbon-reduction initiatives focusing on the most material and controllable emissions, such as electricity consumption, business travel and employee commutes; favor green-certified buildings for MSCI offices, promote a flexible working environment for employees, encourage virtual meetings and low-carbon options for business travel Engaging suppliers: tackle emissions in the MSCI supply chain and prioritize engagement with major suppliers to achieve shared net-zero goals MSCI had previously pledged to reduce by 2035 the companys Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50%, and Scope 3 emissions by 20%. With the commitment to transition to net-zero prior to 2040, MSCI will review and publish revised interim targets using standardized metrics and initiatives, such as those developed by the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). MSCI will also supplement its transition strategy as best practices and technological developments emerge. Henry Fernandez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSCI, comments, Companies have a fundamental responsibility to reduce their impact on the planet and join the journey to a decarbonized economy. MSCIs commitment reflects our obligation to be good stewards of the capital that long-term shareholders entrust to our company. MSCIs efforts to achieve net-zero before 2040 will drive a transformation of our company, culture and our actions to the benefit of all our stakeholders. We believe this action is needed as we play our part to unshackle the world from the fossil fuel era and ignite a new world of sustainable growth. About MSCI Inc. MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data, and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or performance and involve risks that may cause actual results or performance differ materially and you should not place undue reliance on them. Risks that could affect results or performance are in MSCIs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year ended on December 31 that is filed with the SEC. MSCI does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. No information herein constitutes investment advice or should be relied on as such. MSCI grants no right or license to use its products or services without an appropriate license. MSCI MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OTHERWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION HEREIN AND DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005357/en/ (ANSA) - ROME, APR 20 - Religious freedom is being violated in almost a third of countries around the world, the pontifical foundation Help for the Suffering Church (ACS) said Tuesday. Some 31.6% of countries have seen religious freedom violated, ACS said, comprising two thirds of the world's population. The organisation cited 62 countries for 196 grave violations. Some of the world's most populous countries are among the worst offenders - China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, ACS said. There is full-blown persecution in 26 countries. Religious minorities in some countries have been blamed for the COVID pandemic, the report said. Sexual crimes to force conversions have also risen, it said. ACS was founded in 1947 to help safeguard religious freedom worldwide. (ANSA). Carriers are starting to report their pretax catastrophe loss estimates for the 2021 first quarter, and the numbers are significant. Below are preliminary numbers from Allstate, Arch, AXIS, and The Hanover. *** The Allstate Corp. said it had nearly $1.7 billion in pre-tax catastrophe losses during the 2021 first quarter, including $252 million in pre-tax losses in March alone. The Q1 pretax calculation was partially offset by more than $1 billion in anticipated reinsurance and subrogation recoveries. After taxes, that number comes down to $466 million for the quarter, and $54 million for March once anticipated reinsurance recoveries are factored in. Allstate blamed catastrophe losses in March on six events costing $208 million, plus greater prior period reserve estimates of $44 million. A single large wind/hail event accounted for approximately 55 percent of March estimated catastrophe losses. The nationwide aggregate reinsurance cover will offset $184 million of losses. *** Arch Capital Group warned that it will experience Q1 2021 pretax catastrophe losses ranging from $180 million to $190 million, across its property casualty insurance and reinsurance segments, net of reinsurance recoveries and reinstatement premiums. A small amount of that estimate covers ongoing exposure to COVID-19 global pandemic claims in the current accident quarter. Archs initial estimates for winter storms Uri and Viola are based on a range of industry insured losses of $14 billion to $16 billion. The losses are currently expected to be split approximately 80 percent and 20 percent between the Companys reinsurance and insurance businesses, respectively. Archs estimates across its insurance and reinsurance segments are based in part on preliminary claims information obtained from clients and brokers, a review of relevant in-force contracts and estimates of reinsurance recoverables. These estimates include losses only related to claims incurred as of March 31, 2021. *** Bermuda-based AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. announced a preliminary, pre-tax first quarter net loss estimate for catastrophes and other weather-related events in the range of $105 million to $115 million, or $95 million to $105 million, after-tax. The pre-tax net loss estimate includes an amount of $80 million to $90 million for Winter Storms Uri and Viola, principally related to the state of Texas, and is consistent with industry insured losses of approximately $13 billion to $14 billion. The Company also reaffirmed no change to its net loss estimate established for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Separately, AXIS Capital noted continuing improvements in its current accident year loss ratios, excluding catastrophe and weather-related losses for its insurance and reinsurance segments consistent with the progress observed in 2020. *** The Hanover Insurance Group predicts first quarter pretax catastrophe losses will be approximately $133 million, or $105 million after tax. Heres what is driving that number: Severe winter freeze events that spread throughout the Southern United States in February. The largest impact was in Texas, where the company estimates catastrophe losses related to two major winter events to be approximately $90 million, before taxes, primarily in its commercial multiple peril line. Sources: Allstate, Arch Capital Group, AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd., The Hanover Topics Carriers Catastrophe Profit Loss Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) -PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: POR) (OTCQB: PFFOF) (FSE: POTA) ("Portofino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has executed an agreement to acquire the Allison Lake North Lithium and Rare Elements Property. The Property comprises 4 claims (80 cells) totaling 1,618 hectares (ha) and is located 100 kilometers ("km") east of the town of Red Lake in northwestern Ontario. The Property is accessible by well-established logging roads and a hydro-electric power line transects the claim group. "The Allison Lake North Property adds to our Lithium property portfolio and is a highly strategic acquisition for our Company" states David Tafel, CEO of Portofino Resources. "Canadian and U.S. government initiatives are increasingly focused on securing strategic national supplies of critical minerals, such as lithium and rare elements, that are used in products such as EV batteries, mobile phones, solar panels, wind turbines and broad military applications. Based on the geological and strategic geographic setting of this property, we see a real potential to expand sources for these minerals in Northern Ontario." The Allison Lake North Property The Property contains significant attributes that are key to the formation of lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes. It is positioned along the contact between the Allison Lake pegmatite granite batholith and the Jubilee Lake metasedimentary rocks of the Uchi Subprovince in northwestern Ontario (Figure 1). All mineral claims that comprise this important contact are fully staked. The Allison Lake batholith is a strongly evolved peraluminous granitic body that contains highly anomalous rare-element mineralization along it's outer rim. The SJ Pegmatite, located 6 km to the southeast, is the largest pegmatite thus far discovered in the Jubilee Group metasediments occurring alongside the western (granite) contact of the Allison Lake batholith. The outcrop exposure measures 35mx30m suggesting substantial width. This pegmatite is believed to be an external dyke to the Allison Lake batholith supporting evidence of outwards fractionation and rare earth volatile enrichment from the fertile peraluminous granitic parent. The 2003 Ontario Geological Survey ("Breaks") report described the Allison Lake batholith as the largest known peraluminous granitic body in northwestern Ontario. Breaks concluded that, "The Allison Lake batholith represents an important new exploration target for rare-element mineralization and is the largest such granite thus far documented in Ontario. This area has high potential for further discoveries of rare-element mineralization that occur in exocontact, metasedimentary-hosted pegmatites or as internal pegmatites within the parent granite." Based upon samples analyzed and included in the Breaks report, the outer rim of the Allison Lake batholith possesses anomalously high concentrations of rare elements including lithium("Li") of 190ppm, beryllium ("Be "), visible as beryl crystals, cesium ("Cs") of 90ppm, niobium ('Nb") in the form of visible ferro-columbite and rubidium ("Rb") of 587ppm. The elemental distribution of these rare earth elements within the batholith occurs within 1,500m of its western contact with the metasedimentary rocks. Again, this provides evidence of fractionation and rare-earth element enrichment outwards from the peraluminous Allison Lake parent batholith. The Allison Lake North property is strategically positioned along this 1,500m wide fractionation corridor. Figure 1. Allison Lake North property regional geological location. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3751/80914_2e095708347cf9e1_001full.jpg Northwestern Ontario is host to several well-known lithium and rare-element earth deposits that have delineated resources and preliminary economic assessment studies (Figure 2). Of note is the PAK Lithium deposit along the 'Electric Avenue' which contains one of North America's highest-grade, large tonnage hard-rock lithium resources. The PAK deposit has a mineral reserve in the proven and probable categories of 5.77 MT averaging 2.06% Li 2 O. The Spark Deposit, located 2.5km northwest of the PAK, was winner of the "2019 Discovery of the Year Award". The Spark Deposit has a mineral resource estimate of 3.2 MT averaging 1.59% Li 2 O (indicated) and 12.2 MT averaging 1.36% Li 2 O (inferred). Frontier Lithium recently completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment that outlines life of project revenue of $8.5 billion over 26-year total project life, and a chemical plant producing 23,174 tonnes of battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH-H2O) per year (news dated February 16th 2021). Also notable in northwestern Ontario, is the Separation Rapids lithium deposit owned by Avalon Advanced Materials (avalonadvancedmaterials.com) which has an estimated resource of 9.4Mt grading 1.35% Li 2 O; the Georgia Lake pegmatite deposit owned by Rock Tech Lithium (rocktechlithium.com) with an estimated resource of 13.3 Mt grading 1.09% Li2O;, two deposits owned by Infinite Ore (infiniteore.com) containing historical resources of 2M tons grading 1.09% Li2O and 750,000 tons grading 1.38% Li2O and the Seymour Lake lithium deposit owned by Ardiden Ltd. (ardiden.com.au) and having an estimated resource of 4.8Mt grading 1.24% Li 2 O. Figure 2. Major lithium deposits of northwestern Ontario. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3751/80914_2e095708347cf9e1_002full.jpg Property Agreement Terms The Company has the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Property by making payments to the Optionors over the next three years totalling $78,000 in cash and issuing 800,000 Portofino common shares. The Optionors will retain a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty on the Property. Qualified Person Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company. About Portofino Resources Inc. Portofino is a Vancouver-based Canadian company focused on exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas. Its South of Otter and Bruce Lake projects are in the historic gold mining district of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada proximal to the high-grade Dixie gold project owned by Great Bear Resources Ltd. In addition, Portofino holds three other northwestern Ontario gold projects; the Gold Creek property located immediately south of the historic Shebandowan Nickel-Copper mine, as well as the Sapawe West and Melema West properties located in the rapidly developing Atikokan gold mining camp. The Company also controls a 100% interest in the Yergo lithium salar property located within the world-renowned "Lithium Triangle" in Argentina. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "David G. Tafel" Chief Executive Officer For Further Information Contact: David Tafel CEO, Director 604-683-1991 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward looking statements concerning future operations of Portofino Resources Inc. (the "Company"). All forward- looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's project expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and exploration and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80914 SodaStream reusable bottles offer an alternative to single-use plastic bottles. The leading sparkling water brand forecasts the avoidance of nearly 78 billion bottles by 2025, an additional 11 billion from its goal announced last year. SodaStream will also switch to metal its flavor bottles starting at the end of this year, thus avoiding another 200 million plastic bottles. SodaStream announced they are developing sparkling water makers from recycled or plant-based material for the first time, taking their commitment to the planet to their core category and thus making their entire portfolio greener. "Our sparkling water makers are sustainable by essence; every SodaStream user saves up to thousands of single-use plastic bottles from ending up in waste. We are taking our commitment even further by introducing sparkling water makers made from sustainable material.", commented Eyal Shohat, SodaStream Global CEO. Indeed a recent survey* conducted by the company has shown that 84% of SodaStream users recognized the positive impact on the planet and reduced their single-use bottle consumption. Almost 80% admitted becoming more environmentally conscious. Reducing carbon footprint SodaStream plans to meet 10% of their global plant's total energy requirements with solar energy by 2022 a five-fold increase from 2% in 2020. Through these investments, SodaStream contributes to PepsiCo's goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy for company-owned operations globally by 2030. In addition, PepsiCo has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, one decade earlier than called for in the Paris Agreement. SodaStream's Fizzi Starter Kit and Duo Starter Kit have been certified as reducing carbon by the Carbon Trust. This certification demonstrates SoadStream's continued commitment to the environment and sustainability. The certification has allowed SodaStream to identify key areas in its products' value chain where it can take action and reduce its overall carbon footprint. Other company actions Finally, SodaStream announces the closing of its offices on Earth Day and calls employees to join clean-up activities around the globe (where possible per Covid-19 restrictions). SodaStream is also partnering with PangeaSeed Foundation, an ocean conservation non-profit with a donation towards the Foundation's environmental education and awareness efforts. *Opeepl survey conducted on 600 users for SodaStream in the USA (Jan 2021) About SodaStream SodaStream, part of PepsiCo, is the world's leading sparkling water brand. SodaStream enables consumers to enjoy endless good bubbles at home, without hassle, and help save the planet. Sodastream bubbles are better for the consumer - healthy, easy to make, light to carry - and better for the planet - replacing up to thousands of single use plastic bottles with one reusable SodaStream bottle. To learn more about SodaStream visit www.SodaStream.com and follow SodaStream on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Media Contact Global Clara Ghighi Global Public Relations Manager [email protected] SOURCE SodaStream Related Links http://www.SodaStream.com Dozens of residents are in lockdown and specialist police are patrolling the streets after a man threatened to harm himself inside a home. Queensland Police made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act after being called to a house on Smith Road at Woodridge, south of Brisbane, about 11:25am on Tuesday. The declaration zone includes Smith Road, Wentworth Street, Macquarie Street, Blaxland Street and Ewing Road. Police on the scene at Woodridge, south of Brisbane, after a man threatened self-harm The declaration zone includes Smith Road, Wentworth Street, Macquarie Street, Blaxland Street and Ewing Road (pictured) Drivers have been told to avoid the area while police, including the Specialist Emergency Response Team, remain on scene. 'I live on Smith Road and just had heavily armed police come (to) knock on our door and tell us to go to the back rooms of our home,' one resident posted on Facebook. Harris Fields State School, which is located on Smith Road but just outside the exclusion zone, advised parents of students who normally walk through streets subject to the lockdown to collect their children early. 'Police incident on Smith Road between Wentworth Street and Ewing Road where traffic and pedestrians will not be able to travel through,' the school wrote. 'If your child walks this route, please collect your child from the school. To avoid traffic congestion at 2:30pm, you may wish to collect your child/ren early from the office.' Lifeline 13 11 14 [April 20, 2021] SparingVision Expands Novel Ocular Disease Pipeline with Acquisition of GAMUT Therapeutics SparingVision Expands Novel Ocular Disease Pipeline with Acquisition of GAMUT Therapeutics Adds unique gene-independent approach to treat the later stages of rod-cone dystrophies such as retinitis pigmentosa Broadens SparingVisions innovative genomic medicine pipeline to address both mid and late stages of rod-cone dystrophies with the added potential to combine both products SparingVisions management team will hold a webinar to discuss the news today at 16:00 CET/15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT - please find a link to this webinar here Paris, April 20, 2021 SparingVision (the Company), a genomic medicines company developing vision saving treatments for ocular diseases, today announces it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GAMUT Therapeutics (GAMUT), a biotechnology company pioneering a unique gene-independent approach to treat the later stages of rod-cone dystrophies such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The acquisition, subject to legal formalities and approval by shareholders of both companies, will be paid mostly in new SparingVision shares and is expected to close in Q2 2021. Further financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed. Stephane Boissel, SparingVisions President and Chief Executive Officer said: This acquisition reflects our drive to become a leader in the field of genomic medicines for ocular diseases and our bold strategy to disrupt this field through the exploration and development of new innovative approaches. In acquiring GAMUT Therapeutics, we have added a second gene-independent approach to our product pipeline for rod-cone dystrophies, which has the potential to be administered to patients at a more advanced stage of their disease, and also potentially in combination with our first pipeline product SPVN06. Our portfolio of ocular genomic medicines is already highly differentiated, and it is our intention to continue to build a suite of new cutting-edge vision saving treatments, that could radically change the way we treat blinding ocular diseases. GAMUTs lead product, now SPVN20, is a novel, mutation-agnostic gene therapy, which aims at restoring the function of dormant cone cells in the retina. Dormant cones are viable cones that have lost their function during the progression of a degenerative retinal disease. SPVN20 is an AAV vector-based product encoding for a variant of GIRK, a GPCR activated ion channel. In preclinical models, expressing GIRK has been shown to reactivate cone function, despite their progressive loss of outer segments, resulting in improved light responses in treated retinas. SPVN20 is highly complementary to SparingVisions SPVN06 treatment. While SPVN06 works predominantly on the metabolism of the cones, by facilitating glucose uptake and providing protection against oxidative stress in the absence of rods during early-stages of rod-cone dystrophies, SPVN20 works predominantly to restore the function of viable, but non-functional cones at a later stage in the disease. SparingVision also intends to evaluate the potential therapeutic synergy of the two products through the combination of SPVN06 and SPVN20 in a sequence of treatments and/or as a single construct to address a broader population of RP patients. Beyond RP, SparingVision will explore opportunities to evaluate SPVN20 in other retinal diseases, for which its mechanism of action could also be particularly relevant. As part of the acquisition agreement, SparingVision has the right to participate in the creation of a new GIRK-based cell therapy company, that would be started by the founding shareholders of GAMUT with a first GIRK-based product. GAMUT is a spin-out of the Institut de la Viion in Paris, focused on pioneering the unique research of scientific founder Dr. Deniz Dalkara and her collaborators. It was started in 2020 with seed funding from Advent France Biotechnology. Geoffroy de Ribains, Operating Partner at Advent France Biotechnology and CEO of GAMUT Therapeutics, commented: We are really pleased with this acquisition it provides a unique opportunity to speed up the development of GAMUTs gene therapy program and expand the potential of its technology, with the benefit of SparingVisions team and investor base. It also illustrates perfectly the success of Advent France Biotechnologys unique investment and company building strategy. SparingVision is also expecting to appoint Dr. Deniz Dalkara, Founder of GAMUT Therapeutics and researcher at the Institut de la Vision, as Chief Scientific Officer, subject to the closing of the transaction and the approval of the academic institutions she is affiliated with. Stephane Boissel, SparingVisions President and Chief Executive Officer added: I look forward to welcoming Dr Dalkara to the SparingVision team. Her innovative and award-winning work in the ophthalmology space will be of immense benefit to the growing team at SparingVision as we bring these unique products to the clinic. Dr. Deniz Dalkara, scientific founder of GAMUT Therapeutics, said GAMUT was founded to progress cutting-edge science into application as a gene therapy product for patients. SparingVision is a company with a complementary scientific rationale and an established team with all the right skills and experience to take the SPVN20 project forward. Im looking forward to working alongside SparingVisions strong scientific, clinical and management teams to advance the next generation of ophthalmic medicines. Dr Deniz Dalkara has worked as a tenured researcher at INSERM since 2013, and as Group leader, Biotherapeutics Department, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France, since 2012. She was awarded the Euretina Science and Medicine Innovation Award in 2013 and MIT Technology Reviews Innovators Under 35 award in the 2014 French edition as well as the Medical Research Award for Fondation de France this year. She gained her doctorate at the University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France under a Scholarship from the Ministry of Research and Technology, and conducted her first post-doctoral work at the Max Planck Fellowship as a Post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck for Biophysics, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany, and subsequently worked as a Post-doctoral trainee at UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA, in the Nanomedicine Development Center for Optical Control of Biological Function prior to obtaining her position in France. SparingVisions management team will be holding a webinar to discuss the acquisition of GAMUT Therapeutics today (20th April) at 16:00 CET /15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT, which will include a live Q&A session. Please find a link to join this webinar here. **ENDS** Contacts: SparingVision Stephane Boissel President and CEO Nathalie Trepo Investor Relations nathalie.trepo@sparingvision.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Olivia Manser, Davide Salvi, Priit Piip +44 (0)20 3709 5700 sparingvision@consilium-comms.com NOTES TO EDITORS: About SparingVision: SparingVision is a genomic medicines company, translating pioneering science into vision saving treatments. Founded to advance over 20 years of world-leading ophthalmic research from its scientific founders at the Paris Vision Institute, SparingVision is leading a step shift in how ocular diseases are treated, moving beyond single gene correction therapies. At the heart of this is SPVN06, a gene independent treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the most common inherited retinal disease affecting two million people worldwide. SPVN06 could form the basis of a suite of new sight saving treatments as it could be applicable to many other retinal diseases, regardless of genetic cause. The Company is supported by a strong, internationally renowned team who aim to harness the potential of genomic medicine to deliver new treatments to all ocular disease patients as quickly as possible. SparingVision has raised 60 million to date and its investors include 4BIO Capital, Bpifrance, Foundation Fighting Blindness (US), Fondation Voir & Entendre, UPMC Enterprises, Jeito Capital and Ysios Capital. For more information, please visit www.sparingvision.com. About SPVN06: SPVN06 is a proprietary, mutation-agnostic, AAV gene therapy approach comprised of one neurotrophic factor and one enzyme reducing oxidative stress which, acting synergistically, aim at slowing or stopping the degeneration of photoreceptors, which inevitably leads to blindness in patients with rod-cone dystrophies (RCD). SparingVisions primary disease target is Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), one of the most common inherited retinal diseases that affects two million patients worldwide. There is currently no treatment approved to treat RP patients independently of their genetic background. This approach is potentially applicable to many more diseases where the loss of rods is known to be an early signal of the disease. First-in-man trials, with SPVN06 in patients with RP, will be commencing in 2021. About SPVN20 SparingVisions second product, SPVN20, is another pioneering, mutation-agnostic gene therapy product, which aims to restore visual acuity and color vision in advanced and late-stage Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) patients with dormant cones. An injection with SPVN20 provides cone cell bodies with a channel protein activating a short phototransduction cascade within the dormant cone, restoring its electric signal and thereby vision, regardless of the patients genetic mutation. About Advent France Biotechnology Advent France Biotechnology (AFB) is an AMF-regulated company that invests in a range of sectors within the life sciences - specifically in therapeutics-oriented projects. AFBs unique strategy combines early-stage investments in promising projects and strong entrepreneurial support to strengthen the companys growth. Created in 2016 in Paris, France, AFB has a strong entrepreneurial spirit; from the inception of its first fund in 2017, it now maintains 13 European investments in France, Belgium and Spain. AFB has developed strong relationships within the French innovation ecosystem; as a result, it has attracted international VC syndicates to its portfolio companies. The operational team is managed by Alain Huriez and Matthieu Coutet and has appointed a number of investment professionals with long-standing track records in entrepreneurial ventures, combined with strong scientific and medical expertise. www.adventfb.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters The trial saw 44 witnesses and 15 days of testimony. And, in the end, less than a day to decide that Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer, was guilty of murdering George Floyd. It is a landmark moment not just in the history of US policing and criminal justice, but around the world. George Floyds death came to embody the struggle for racial justice and equality in so many ways they are impossible to condense: from forceful calls for police reform in Minneapolis and new legislation in Washington, to a reckoning on the history of British imperialism in the UK and a resurgence in activism over Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia. Related: Tell us: are you a Black parent talking to your children about US police violence? The evidence had always been overwhelming. But despite the multitudes of exhibits displayed at trial, it was that single cellphone video, shot by a teenage girl who wept on the stand as she describing witnessing George Floyd die, that continues to most vividly depict the details of Derek Chauvins crimes. Floyd calls for his mother. He tells the officers who pin his body to the pavement for nine minutes and 29 seconds that he cannot breathe. And still Chauvin presses his knee into Floyds neck, his hands in his pockets and sunglasses perched on his head, a use of fatal force that continued for minutes after officers could no longer feel his pulse. As prosecutor Jerry Blackwell told jurors on Monday, after they had heard from the defense that George Floyd had died as a result of his enlarged heart. you know the truth. And the truth of the matter is, that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr Chauvins heart was too small. Securing a conviction in the rare instances that officer-involved fatalities make it to criminal trial has always been an uphill battle for prosecutors. Law enforcement officials in the US are endowed by a swath of protections; from ambiguous legal definitions over the proportionate use of force, to powerful police union agreements, and the many biases that stem from fundamental conflicts of interest in the system. Story continues But from the moment the trial of Derek Chauvin trial began, it was clear that these proceedings were different from many that had come before. A number of senior officers from the Minneapolis police department, including the forces chief of police, Medaria Arradondo, took to the stand to decry Chauvins actions on 25 May last year. The testimony was both damning and unprecedented. 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, said Arradondo. Related: I cried so hard: the teen who filmed Floyds killing, and changed America It left redundant later arguments by outside defense witnesses, namely Barry Brodd an expert who regularly testifies in defense of police, and who described Chauvins near 10-minute fatal restraint as justified and objectively reasonable. It also sets a precedent for other officer-involved fatalities that make it to trial: an expectation that police who are criminally charged over use of force may face testimony from their former superiors. And yet, for all the weight this verdict carries, there are many things it is not. It does not mark the end of disproportionate deadly force against African American men in the US. Just one week ago, in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot dead by police during a traffic stop less than 10 miles from the courthouse where Chauvin stood trial. It underlines the fundamental complexity of US law enforcement: Americas sheer volume of police departments. There are 18,000 in total, each with their own use of force policy, training procedure and culture. Despite Brooklyn Center being just a few miles from downtown Minneapolis, the suburb has its own police force, like many other parts of the metro area. Following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, Barack Obamas taskforce on 21st-century policing published a detailed report and produced a set of 59 recommendations. Many were pragmatic, but among the most prescient remains a key and, as yet unrealized, suggestion for a cultural paradigm shift in US policing. From that of a warrior mindset to that of a guardian. With such a decentralization of power in US law enforcement, it is hard to see how such a sweeping change is possible to realize immediately. Neither is the verdict true justice, in the words of many close to the Floyd family. Outside the Hennepin county courthouse, in the bitter cold, Floyd family attorney Justin Miller was blunt in his assessment. What is justice when you lose a loved one? When you dont have your father or your brother or your uncle anymore? I dont really think there is justice. I think that thats a term we throw around too loosely, he said. I think that it will be closer to being fair if this guy [Chauvin] gets as many years in jail as he can. But its not justice, because George Floyd is never coming back. And his daughter will never have her father again. Thank you for Reading. As a community service, our obituaries are always free to view. In order to better know our audience, we ask that you register to continuing viewing. Photo: The Canadian Press Pharmacist Barbara Violo arranges empty vials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that she has provided to customers at the Junction Chemist, an independent pharmacy in Toronto, Monday, April 19, 2021. Younger Canadians in several provinces are now able to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland joined millions of generation X Canadians trying to nab a vaccine appointment at a pharmacy Tuesday. Trudeau, 49, and Freeland, 52, became suddenly eligible when Ontario lowered the age to get an Oxford-AstraZeneca shot at a pharmacy to people 40 years old and up. Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba have also dropped the age eligibility to 40. All provinces had previously been limiting the vaccine to those over 55, while health experts looked into the risk the vaccine posed for blood clots. Health Canada said last week there is evidence suggesting there is a link between the vaccine and a very rare risk of blood clots, but that the risk is extremely low and the vaccine very effective. They said it is still safe for all adults. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is to announce Tuesday if they will change their advice on limiting it to people over 55 but several provinces didn't wait for NACI. Many pharmacies reported in recent days that appointments for people 55 and up were going unfilled, and there was a risk some doses were going to go to waste. Trudeau told pharmacists during a virtual meeting Tuesday morning that his office is still working out the details, "but I look forward to having a pharmacist give me my vaccine as soon as we can secure an appointment in the proper processes." "We'll keep you posted on it," he told them. Freeland, at the same meeting, said she dispatched her children to use their technology skills online to find her an appointment. "My daughter said we're on a wait list so I have to check on that after this," she said. "But as soon as I can I'll get mine too and I hope at a local pharmacy." Amazon has announced that it will open three new delivery stations in Vicenza, Treviso and Riese Pio X (Treviso province) in the autumn to service local residents. ') } // --> ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> With the opening of the three sites in the Veneto region of northeast Italy, Amazon Logistics expects to fill 60 new full-time positions while continuing to work with local delivery firms to further expand its logistics network, working to improve delivery capabilities and satisfy the ever-growing customer demand across the region. Amazon expects that courier firms will hire 180 full-time staff. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> Gabriele Sigismondi, head of Amazon Logistics in Italy, remarked, In such difficult times as these, were thrilled to be able to bring in 240 new full-time jobs thanks to the opening of these warehouse operations. Amazon, alongside our delivery service suppliers, strives to make sure our staff come first, offering them not only a safe, modern and inclusive workplace and competitive wages, but also excellent opportunities for career growth. The ongoing pandemic has had a tremendous impact on all of us, and were quite proud to have been on the frontlines when it came to providing essential services to our customers, so people can order and receive the items they need most at their homes or businesses, while we do our best to protect the health of our personnel and that of our suppliers. The 7,900m2 Vicenza delivery station will serve city residents and the surrounding suburbs. The center will bring in 20 full-time jobs at first, and courier companies are expected to hire around 90 full-time delivery staff. Designed for maximum energy efficiency certification as established by the BREEAM board, the site roofing will provide for optimal insulation and hold photovoltaic panels generating 117.25kWp of electricity. The building management system (BMS) will monitor all electronics used throughout the facility, guaranteeing a constant energy conservation. In addition, the facility will be outfitted with 48 electric vehicle charging units geared toward zero-emission fleets. Charging totems for electric cars in the parking lot will also be installed. The Treviso delivery station will serve customers in and around the Treviso area, and is expected to bring in initially around 20 full-time jobs, along with 40 full-time courier staff for firms making deliveries on behalf of Amazon Logistics. The 5,000m2 building has been designed to BREEAM specifications with the goal of attaining a rating of Very Good. Quality materials aimed at energy efficiency will be used for both insulation and electricity generated by photovoltaic panels (65kWp). LED lighting will also contribute to energy conservation, and an improvement of 20% in lighting compared with similar warehouses will come from natural light sources skylights and triple-glazed windows that extend along the sides of the facility. The site will also employ a BMS to monitor all electronics used throughout the facility, maintaining constant energy conservation. The Riese Pio X (Treviso province) site measures 4,500m2 and will serve customers around the Treviso outskirts. The center is expected to bring in about 20 full-time jobs initially, along with around 50 full-time delivery drivers. The Riese Pio X center is designed with best practices in terms of operations and building codes. The roof will hold 380m2 of photovoltaic panels, generating roughly 72kWp of electricity, and LED lighting will be used throughout. Skylights and windows will bring in natural light to offset artificial lighting sources. A BMS will monitor all electronics throughout the facility, and the grounds will support a number of electric vehicle charging stations as Amazon continues its stride toward zero emissions. US might reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes to non-addictive levels PLC ( ) and ( ) tumbled today on a report that the US might order a reduction in the nicotine content in cigarettes. US authorities are considering the move as part of clamp-down on tobacco addiction reported the Wall Street Journal. The Food and Drug Administration has to make a decision on whether to ban menthol-flavoured cigarettes by 29 April and this has prompted it also to consider lowering nicotine levels to a level where it is no longer addictive. Nicotine itself is not considered harmful, but most people take it by smoking which causes cancer, heart disease and lung-related illnesses such as COPD. Around 480,000 deaths in the US a year are linked to smoking, said the report. Menthol-flavoured cigarettes are popular among young people as they reduce irritation in the throat but are seen as the start towards a normal smoking habit. The UK banned menthol cigarettes a year ago. Tobacco giant Philip Morris owner Altria Inc responded: Any action that the FDA takes must be based on science and evidence and must consider the real-world consequences of such actions, including the growth of an illicit market and the impact on hundreds of thousands of jobs from the farm to local stores across the country. Another tobacco group, Reynolds American, said the scientific case for nicotine reduction is inconclusive and that there are better tools for improving public health. The FDA has published research that indicates that where nicotine is reduced, smokers will quit or use alternatives such as e-cigarettes or gum. Neil Wilson at markets.com added: Lower nicotine cigarettes may be less addictive so the rationale is that this would make it easier for smokers to quit or switch to other safer products and therefore be a good thing. However, consumers may be tended to perceive lower nicotine cigarettes as safer, which could make them easier to sell, which would be the precise opposite of what the administration intends. A ban on menthol cigarettes is a much more straightforward policy. Shares in BAT dropped 6.2% to 2,733p while Imperial fell 5.3% to 1,498p. Candidates with a minimum of a high school diploma or GED can earn a salary, relevant work experience and college credit, simultaneously SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Woz Enterprise, in partnership with Infosys and HCL Technologies, is recruiting candidates looking to start a career in technology for its United States Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program. The Woz Enterprise technology apprenticeship program arms individuals with day-one job skills, places them in entry-level technology jobs, and sets them on the path to earn a bachelor's degree in an in-demand field like software development or application infrastructure and support. Potential apprentices need only a high school diploma, GED, or associate's degree to apply, depending on the opportunity. "The demand for technology jobs is only going to increase, yet people often shy away from looking into these stable and well-paying careers because they feel that they don't have the relevant experience to get into the industry or can't afford the training required to succeed," said Chris Coleman, President of Woz U. "With our apprenticeship program, candidates earn a salary, while gaining on-the-job-experience and credit toward a college degree with one of our education partners." In today's uncertain labor market, the technology sector still provides a stable stream of jobs for people with the proper skill set. Woz Enterprise, Infosys, and HCL are currently looking for apprentices in software development, a field that is expected to grow 22 percent through 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, well above the growth rate of all other career fields. "The traditional pathways and technology degree programs aren't producing the necessary volume of ready-to-perform IT talent," said Coleman. "Apprenticeships are a great value proposition for all involved, meeting the staffing needs of top tech employers while providing income and great, flexible training to individuals." Story continues Selected applicants will receive eight weeks of online pre-apprenticeship training, working on real-world projects while earning a salary. Candidates may earn up to 30 college credits from partners like the University of Phoenix or Harrisburg University. Upon completion of training, selected individuals will be eligible for an apprenticeship or direct hire position. For more information, please visit the website. About Woz Enterprise Woz is an Arizona-based digital learning eco-system designed to train, cultivate, and upgrade talent in technology fields to meet the workforce needs of today and the future. As a division of Woz U, Woz Enterprise helps recruit, retrain, and retain qualified employees with flexible, customizable, career-focused training content, with the option to white-label programs using our proprietary learning experience platform. With a curriculum that is updated every two weeks, we are empowering individuals in high-demand technology careers and helping to close the skills gap while adhering to global technology education and business standards. We help companies achieve their objectives by providing valuable technology training tools to upskill their workforce and ultimately grow their business. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/woz-enterprise-is-seeking-applicants-for-technology-apprenticeships-301272743.html SOURCE Woz U When Chad Baker finally returned home to the cozy San Leandro bungalow he shares with his husband, Tom Baker, the couple briefly postponed their first embrace after 14 months apart. Gus and Bobo, their miniature schnauzers, had been traumatized by the long separation, so they got first dibs on covering Chad with kisses. They missed Chad terribly, Tom Baker said. They didnt understand everything that happened. What happened was a monumental upheaval in the couples lives. With the advent of the pandemic, Chads career as an ER nurse at Kaiser Richmond was directly threatening to Tom, who has respiratory problems and an immune system disorder that could have made COVID-19 fatal. So, starting in February 2020, Chad, 49, lived alone in motels for months on end, including during the summer when he contracted the virus and was on oxygen for six weeks. Meanwhile, Tom, 59, never left the house, ordering delivery of all his food and supplies. It was just like Howard Hughes, all the fear and terror knowing there was something right outside that door that almost guaranteed would kill me, he said. The couple never saw each other in person the whole time. They stayed connected via constant FaceTime calls, but it wasnt the same as cuddling on the couch. Both endured loneliness and isolation. Now thanks to being vaccinated, the Bakers are reunited. Their saga, which took a toll on them physically, financially and emotionally, encapsulates some of the many ways the pandemic upended peoples lives and forced them to adapt in ways they never expected. The most catastrophic hit was to Chads health. He is now a COVID long-hauler someone afflicted with lasting ill effects from the virus. In July he spiked a fever, felt weak and had shortness of breath. The hospital notified him hed been exposed to COVID-19. A subsequent positive diagnosis was not a surprise. As a critical care nurse, Chad was able to provide his own care, including managing his supplemental oxygen. With hospitals overwhelmed, he hoped not to become an inpatient. Instead he holed up at a Pleasant Hill hotel. I was crazy sick, he said. Getting up and walking to the door for the DoorDash or UberEats drop-off was pretty much all I could muster. He developed a cascade of complications. There was sudden onset insulin-dependent diabetes, a documented COVID side effect that still continues. There was brain fog, which also continues. He contracted post-viral sinusitis, an aggressive bacterial infection that didnt respond to antibiotics or steroids, forcing him to administer IV antibiotics to himself every eight hours for several weeks. Eventually, it required surgery. The onset of wildfires that shrouded the region in smoke made things worse. I was already having so much shortness of breath, he said. I would sit on the couch with an air purifier on my lap. He went back to work for a couple of weeks in the fall, but his oxygen levels were too low to continue. Then he spent a couple of months on modified duty, including making outreach calls to COVID patients. Tom was a constant presence on FaceTime, helping advocate for Chad to his medical team. I just lived the fear, Tom said. It was high anxiety, feeling so helpless, knowing he was isolated in a hotel room. He had already lost a partner to the AIDS epidemic in 1992. I dont know how both of them survived this, said Andrea Walker, a nurse colleague in the Kaiser Richmond ER. They were apart for so long. It was really heartbreaking to see. The ordeal was also a huge financial drain. Chad paid for his hotel rooms out of pocket for many weeks, battling with Kaiser for reimbursement, as The Chronicle reported at the time. Eventually the state offered a Hotels for Health Care Workers program that covered room costs. But the trade-off was constant moving as prices changed. Tom, a health care administrator, was recovering from a stroke and between jobs when the pandemic hit, so he has no income. Chad has been receiving workers compensation. They consumed their savings and are now getting some support via a GoFundMe campaign. Even after eight years together and seven years of marriage, the couple now must relearn cohabiting. When Chad walked in, as powerful as it was to see him, it was terrifying at the same time, Tom said. I had not had human contact with anyone for 14 months. Theyve fallen back into the comforting rhythm of snuggling on the couch with their fur babies. Tom is learning to cook low-carb dishes appropriate for a diabetic. Ive never seen so many vegetables fit into one pot, said Chad, who feels like hes healing from being able to sleep in his bed and eat home-cooked meals. The dogs are ecstatic. I woke up the other day and Gus was on top of my head like a yarmulke, Chad said. Hes eager to get back to work, although with his many debilitating conditions, it is not clear when that could happen. I cant tell you how much I miss being at the bedside and helping people to feel better, he said. Tom, who ironically ended up being the healthier one, is filled with gratitude. All of Chads commitment to keep me safe during the pandemic what a love story, he said. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid This time around, Snyder, 43, a Republican who served as Portages mayor from January 2012 through his first conviction, is asking for an acquittal because prosecutors left an evidentiary void at the heart of the case and is asking for another trial because the retrial in this matter did not meet the fundamental requirement of fairness, according to court documents filed Monday. New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said he has tested positive for Covid-19 and has mild symptoms. "After experiencing mild symptoms, I've just tested positive for COVID," the 50-year-old posted on Twitter. After experiencing mild symptoms, Ive just tested positive for COVID. All those whove been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 20, 2021 "All those who've been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe," he wrote. A number of Congress leaders including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma have tested positive for Covid-19. Relatives gather around the body of Mohammad Reza, one of five workers shot by police after a labor protest turned violent at a Chinese-financed power plant in Banshkhali, southeastern Bangladesh, April 17, 2021. Security has been beefed up for Chinese workers at a power plant in southeastern Bangladesh, and police have filed cases against thousands of local workers who went on a rampage Saturday, leading officers to shoot dead five of them, authorities said Monday. More than 3,500 Bangladeshi workers upset over unpaid wages and work hours during Ramadan allegedly burned vehicles and attacked police at the sprawling facility still under construction in the Banshkhali sub-district of Chittagong, about 292 km (181 miles) southeast of Dhaka. The site is shuttered and many local workers have gone into hiding, some of them told BenarNews. The mob was on the verge of attacking about 900 Chinese nationals on the premises of the Banshkhali Power Plant when police fired on them to prevent very, very serious incidents, a senior police official in the Chittagong region told BenarNews on Saturday. The Chinese are staying there. Additional measures have been taken to strengthen their security, Shafiul Kabir, officer-in-charge of the Banshkhali police station, told BenarNews on Monday. Police Sub-Inspector Md. Rashed filed a case against 2,500 unidentified Bangladeshis on Saturday night on charges of attacking police, according to Kabir. Shortly afterward, Faruk Ahmed, the chief coordinator of the under-construction plant, filed another case against 22 identified persons and more than 1,000 unidentified persons for arson and looting, Kabir said, adding that the Chinese workers were not included in the charges. He said no one had been arrested as of Monday over Saturdays incident. Ahmed confirmed that he had filed the case. The case has been filed according to the facts, thats all I can say, he told BenarNews. On Saturday, Md. Zakir Hossain Khan, a senior police official in the Chittagong region, said that workplace relations between 900 Chinese nationals and about 4,000 locals employed at the plant were strained over outstanding wages and demands for reduced hours during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, which began last week. Into hiding Since then, some of the Bangladeshi workers have gone into hiding, according to authorities. Kabir said he did not believe the workers had left the area over fears of arrest. He noted that about 1,200 workers had returned to the project location, but the places where they were staying had been looted. That is why the construction work of the plant is closed, Kabir said. Ali Haider Asif, a member of the union council and a safety officer for a Chinese contractor, denied allegations that he was among those accused. I was not present there during the incident, he told BenarNews, adding, Many locals like me who work or do not work there have been implicated. Asif said many of workers leave the area at night over fear of arrest. A Bangladeshi worker named Mashiur Rahman said he was among them. Like me, many more have gone into hiding, Mashiur told BenarNews. The case statement filed by Faruk Ahmed includes allegations of unauthorized entry inside the power plant of people armed with deadly weapons, arson in plant installations and vehicles, vandalism, damage and theft of goods, according to a copy obtained by BenarNews. Losses are estimated at 150 million taka (U.S. $1.76 million). Two committees whose members are with the civil administration and police have started investigating the incident. The S. Alam Group, the Bangladeshi partner which has a 70 percent stake in the power plant, also sent an investigation team from Dhaka. Seventy percent of the $2.49 billion cost of the facility was financed by China, according to information from S. Alam Group. Two Chinese firms, SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corp. and HTG Development Group, have a 30 percent stake in the project, according to Bangladesh government data. The plant had been scheduled to begin producing 1,320 megawatts of power in 2023. In Dhaka, the Chinese embassy and Bangladeshs Ministry of Power and Energy did not immediately respond on Monday to BenarNews requests for comment. Compensation sought Human rights organization Ain-O-Salish Kendra, meanwhile, announced that it served legal notice on the government seeking 30 million taka ($353,000) compensation for each of the families of the five people gunned down by police on Saturday. Ahmed Reza, one of the dead workers, was a resident of East Baraghona. His uncle, Md. Farhad Ullah, said Reza took the job a few days ago. We are helpless poor people. We cant afford to sue, he told BenarNews during a phone conversation That is why we will seek justice from Allah. Saturdays incident was not the first massive protest over the facility. Locals including fishermen and workers on salt and fish farms protested when the 3,000-acre project was approved in 2016. Bangladesh is building several coal-fired power plants financed by China even as critics note the nations power capacity exceeds current demand and coal is more expensive than other energy sources because the country has to import it. In September 2020, the government signed a deal to build a second 1,320 MW, coal-fired power plant at Payra in coastal Patuakhali district, near the Sundarbans, one of the worlds largest mangrove forests. Work on the first Payra plant halted briefly in June 2019, after a Bangladeshi worker fell to his death from a terrace and a Chinese worker was killed in a subsequent brawl. Fishing communities in Cambodia change focus after COVID-19 April 20,2021 | Source: Khmer Times Fishing communities along the Mekong River who lost their jobs returned to relying on fishing in the hope of securing their livelihoods during the pandemic but face a recent decline in catches. In Sophea, 46, a fish seller in Anlung Preah Kor villager in Sambo district, Kratie province, who buys fish from other villagers to resell to make marginal profits, said, Nowadays, mostly I can only buy raised fish from my villagers while fish caught from the river are becoming fewer, he said. Prem Sam Ath, 52, a fisherman living along the Mekong River since 1993 in Vattanac village, Vattanac commune, Sambo district, Kratie province, commented: Fish are scarce this year. In the past, there used to be many fish and I used to catch, by casting a fishing net, big fish such as black shark minnow up to 30 or 40 kilogrammes a day. Nowadays, I can hardly catch even two or three of them per day. The Ministry of Agriculture reported that household fisheries production dropped 18 percent from 326,500 tonnes in 2019 to 268,000 tonnes in 2020. Meanwhile, household fisheries production in Kratie province declined 29 percent from 6,200 tonnes in 2019 to 4,385 tonnes in 2020, accordingly to annual reports of the Fisheries Administration Cantonment of the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Kratie province. Further to the decline, 16 conservation organisations around the world claimed in a report on Worlds Forgotten Fish that populations of migratory freshwater fish have fallen by 76 percent since 1970 and mega-fish by 94 percent. The report says the reasons for the decline are overfishing and destructive fishing practices, habitat destruction, hydropower dams on free-flowing rivers, over-abstraction of water for irrigation and domestic, agricultural, and industrial pollution. Losing their jobs after the COVID-19 crisis struck, a number of people from Kraties fishing communities had no choice other than to return home to their fishing community with the hope to earn a living by taking up fishing in the Mekong. Contrary to their expectations, fishing has not helped to relieve their current difficulties because the number of Mekong fish has declined. WWF-Cambodias community livelihoods developed a project called Improving food and income security of local people along the Mekong River funded by the Government of Germany (BMZ). Through this, WWF-Cambodia is working collaboratively with the Fisheries Administration Cantonment of the Kratie Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and local authorities in Sambo district to support 22 community households in Sambo to start fish farming in ponds in order to help improve the livelihoods of the communities while also encouraging them in the conservation of natural resources, especially the Mekongs fishery resources. Mok Ponlok, director of the Fisheries Administration Cantonment of the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Kratie province said: As people in the communities faced such struggles, WWF-Cambodia worked collaboratively with officials from the Fisheries Administration Cantonment to introduce sustainable fish farming practices to the local communities by providing the community members with fish farming techniques, fingerlings and ponds to start fish farming so that they could improve their livelihoods while reducing illegal fishing activities. In 2020, community patrol teams of 10 community fisheries in Kratie, supported by WWF-Cambodia, conducted a total of 478 patrols in the dolphin conservation areas of the Mekong, stopped 166 illegal fishing cases including 109 cases of illegal use of gillnets and 57 cases of electrofishing. The community patrol teams confiscated a total of 9,090 metres of gillnets, four electrofishing gears and three illegal fishing boats. In addition, they also educated 570 fishermen on the fishery law of Cambodia. Besides supporting the communities with fish farming, WWF-Cambodia has also been supporting 511 families with a total of 2,760 members (1,518 women) in Kratie province to adopt sustainable jobs such as chicken farming, vegetable farming, raising cows and buffalos, processing non-timber forest products (rattan and wild honey) and community-based ecotourism programmes to improve community livelihoods and prevent the destruction of natural resources. In 2020, those families earned an average of $192 a month. 2021 Virtus Media Pte., Ltd. (Khmer Times) Theme(s): Communities and Organisations. New Delhi, April 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed High Courts and the state governments to amend the existing procedures as it framed detailed draft rules to streamline investigation and expedite trials in criminal cases. A bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat, said: "This court is of the opinion that the courts in all criminal trials should, at the beginning of the trial, i.e. after summoning of the accused, and framing of charges, hold a preliminary case management hearing. This hearing may take place immediately after the framing of the charges." The bench clarified that the draft rules, related to investigation, like preparing medico-legal certificate, post mortem, inquest report, photography and amid the investigation videography of post mortem, are compliant and not in any way repugnant to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. "If the state government's co-operation is necessary in this regard, the approval of the concerned department or departments, and the formal notification of the said Draft Rules, shall be made within the said period of six months," it added. Passing the order in a suo moto case, the top court said the rules also dealt with trial proceedings, which includes supply of documents to accused, framing of charge, and recording of evidence. "The state governments shall appoint advocates, other than Public Prosecutors, to advise the Investigating Officer during investigation," it said. The bench said all High Courts should take expeditious steps to incorporate the Draft Criminal Rules on Practice, 2021 as part of the rules governing criminal trials, and ensure that the existing rules, notifications, orders and practice directions are suitably modified, and promulgated (wherever necessary through the Official Gazette) within 6 months from Tuesday. The top court took into consideration the views of the High Courts and three amici curiae, senior advocates Sidharth Luthra, R. Basant and advocate K. Parameshwar. The court approved the draft rules, which, among others, mandated recording of evidence on a day-to-day basis, and noting down special reasons for allowing adjournment. According to the rules, bail applications in non-bailable cases must ordinarily be disposed of within a period of three to seven days from first date of hearing. The top court also directed the state governments and Centre in connection with investigating agencies in its control, to carry out consequential amendments to their police and other manuals, within six months. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 00:58:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 650,000 children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received the malaria vaccine in the last two years since its launch, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday ahead of World Malaria Day to be marked on April 25. Kate O'Brien, WHO director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals said the three African countries have established robust infrastructure to ensure that children are inoculated against the tropical disease. "Ghana, Kenya and Malawi show that existing childhood vaccination platforms can effectively deliver the malaria vaccine to children, some of whom have not been able to access insecticide-treated bed net or other malaria prevention measures," she said in a statement issued in Nairobi. "This vaccine may be key to making malaria prevention more equitable and saving more lives," she added. More than 1.7 million doses of the world's first malaria vaccine candidate called RTS,S have been administered in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi during the pilot phase that was launched in 2019. "In some ways, malaria is the child health emergency of a lifetime-or many lifetimes- in Africa," said Akpaka Kalu, team leader for tropical and vector-borne diseases in the WHO African region. "We applaud the work of participating countries that has resulted in malaria vaccine pilots with strong vaccination coverage that will add to our understanding of the RTS,S vaccine's potential to improve child health and strengthen malaria control and, potentially reverse trends," Kalu added. According to WHO, data generated from the implementation of the pilot phase of malaria vaccination in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will inform its broader use. Enditem Chad is an oil-rich African nation that has become a key regional ally of the West in the fight against jihadists. Veteran President Idriss Deby died from battle wounds sustained in the fight against rebels in the countrys north, the army said Tuesday, only a day after he was declared the winner of an April 11 election. Here are key facts about the country: Landlocked Stretching from the Sahara desert of the inhospitable mountainous north bordering Libya to the fertile lowlands in the south, landlocked Chad is three times bigger than California. Home to around 15 million people and scores of ethnic groups, just over half its population are Muslim with 35 per cent Christian and the rest animist. Multiple frontlines Chad faces military challenges on all of its borders. In the west, in the region of Lake Chad, the army has been fighting the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram which is allied to the Islamic State since 2015. Former colonial power France keeps troops in Chad and heads a multinational force based in NDjamena since 2014 to combat Islamists across the Sahel region. Chad is also a member of five-country regional military force battling jihadists that also includes Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. Eastern Chad, on the border with Sudan, has seen conflicts between different ethnic groups. Northern Chad is also unstable, little populated and difficult to control. Several Chadian rebel groups have set up their base in neighbouring southern Libya. Fresh fighting erupted in the region after elections this month, drawing in Deby who died from injuries sustained fighting rebels. The army said it had killed more than 300 rebels and captured 150 more in eight days of fighting this month. Violent history Chad has seen a succession of coups and rebellions since independence in 1960. It was wracked by civil war for three decades and has been invaded several time by Libya. Idriss Deby Itno took power in December 1990 after ousting Hissene Habre, whom he had served as army chief. Habre, dubbed Africas Pinochet, was sentenced by a special African court to life in jail in 2017 for crimes against humanity. More than 40,000 people are thought to have been murdered during his rule. Oil rich, poor and corrupt In 2003 Chad began to export oil to an Atlantic terminal through a pipeline built across neighbouring Cameroon. It suffered badly from the plunge in the price of crude in 2014. It is ranked as one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world, with nearly two fifths of the population living below the internationally recognised poverty line. burs-eab/jv/txw Sri Lankas Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on April 20 wished former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh a "speedy recovery" following his COVID-19 diagnosis. The 88-year-old former PM and senior Congress leader was admitted to All India Insitute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre, New Delhi after testing positive for COVID-19 on April 19. Leaders across party lines have wished for Singhs speedy recovery. Rajapaksa also said that his prayers are with the former PM. My prayers are with Dr. #ManmohanSingh who has tested positive for #COVID19. I wish him good health and a full and speedy recovery. Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) April 20, 2021 Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on April 20 said that he followed up on former PMs health with the team that is attending Singh at AIIMS Delhi. Vardhan said that Singhs condition is stable and "best possible" care is currently being provided to him while praying for his quick recovery. Singhs COVID-19 diagnosis came as India continues to record an uptick of fresh coronavirus infections. For the past three days, the nation has registered excess of two lakh COVID-19 infections and over 1,000 deaths on a daily basis. Manmohan Singh writes to PM Modi Singhs diagnosis came a day after he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday to resist the temptation to look at the absolute number of vaccinations and focus on the percentage of population vaccinated. The senior Congress leader, in a letter to PM Modi also listed suggestions for consideration in the spirit of constructive cooperation including publicising firm orders for the doses placed on various vaccine manufacturers and allowing states more flexibility to plan the roll-out of jabs. "First, the government should publicise what are the firm orders for doses placed on different vaccine producers and accepted for delivery over the next six months. If we want to vaccinate a target number in this period, we should place enough orders in advance so that producers can adhere to an agreed schedule of supply," Manmohan Singh wrote in his letter. After suggesting that the Centre should retain at least 10% of the vaccine doses for emergency needs, Singh said, states should be given some flexibility to define categories of frontline workers who can be vaccinated even if they are below 45 years of age among total five prolonged suggestions. Image credits: PTI/AP [April 20, 2021] Manufacturers worried about the integrity of Ontario's supply chain TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Statement on behalf of the President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Dennis Darby "Over the past year the role and importance of the manufacturing sector has been on full display. As manufacturers have demonstrated on countless occasions during the pandemic, manufacturing is not only vital to our economic success, but essential to helping our country face our toughest challenges. From the production of PPE to the manufacture of vaccines and medicines, a strong and healthy Canadian manufacturing industry is in Canada's best interests. Today, we are deeply concerned about the Region of Peel's orders regarding businesses and ignoring their contribution to this fight. Although we recognize that the situation is critical right now, this unilateral decision could have a catastrophic impact on Ontario's manufacturing sector. It is troubling to see politicians taking actions that are not based on science and that could endanger our food, PPE, and drug supply, in addition to undermining global supply chains of some of Canada's most important economic contributors like automotive and aerospace. As you might know, the Canadian manufacturing sector is interconnected. So, by taking these actions without a broader coordinated approach, the Region of Peel is putting the integrity of our supply chain at risk. We therefore call on the provincial government to intervene and ensure a coordinated plan for manufacturers across the province that is connected to broader societal and economic realities. We also once again offer to the government to leverage our sector's capabilities to increase rapid testing and to speed to vaccination efforts and call on the government to focus their attentions for their efforts in the Peel region and other hotspot areas." ABOUT CME Since 1871, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters has been helping manufacturers grow at home and compete around the world. Our focus is to ensure manufacturers are recognized as engines for growth in the economy, with Canada acknowledged as both a global leader and innovator in advanced manufacturing and a global leader in exporting. CME is a member-driven association that directly represents more than 2,500 leading companies who account for an estimated 82 per cent of manufacturing output and 90 per cent of Canada's exports. SOURCE Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ROME - The Dar Bishi synagogue in Tripoli, the last one in the city, risks being turned by local authorities into an Islamic library, said David Gerbi, a representative of the Italian Section of the World Organization of the Jews of Libya. Gerbi is launching an appeal to save the synagogue. "The visit by Italian Premier Mario Draghi turned attention on Libya and turned on hope again that this Mediterranean country can soon go back to living in peace," Gerbi said in a statement. "We are facing a geopolitical situation that has changed gears and we have to follow the example of the extraordinary dynamic of the Abraham Accords, signed between Israel and six Arab States," he said. "Unfortunately, as reported by well-informed and reliable sources, local authorities are secretly turning the last synagogue in Tripoli into a modern Islamic library. We fear that in so doing, another place recognised by UNESCO will be lost, and as a consequence also the Jewish heritage of Libya, tied by a double thread to both Italy and Israel. The ancient Dar Bishi synagogue in Tripoli, designed by the architect Umberto Di Segni, a Jew of Italian origin, is at risk if the Libyan authorities do not understand that only through an act of great civility and respect for the history of the Jews in Libya, could they give the world a real sign of change and show that Libya truly has the intention of respecting human rights and freedom of religion, and in so doing, attract tourism, investments, and economic activity in a climate of security, well-being and stability," Gerbi said. He recalled that 54 years have passed "since all individual assets of the community of the Jews in Libya - killed, persectuted and kicked out of the country - were confiscated, as well as all collective assets and sacred places". "The cemetery of Tripoli where our ancestors and our illustrious rabbis are buried was destroyed, and buildings and a highway were built on top of the remains of our loved ones," he said. "The Dar Bishi synagogue is a historic capital of great importance. By restoring Dar Bishi and giving it back its ancient splendor, and perhaps adding a part in the back dedicated to a museum, the Libyans can be the first to profit from it. In 2022 if Libya will keep the Dar Bishi synagogue of Tripoli intact, the Jews of Libya will be able to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its construction," he said. West Jefferson, United States, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :The exhaust-belching smokestacks of America's most greenhouse gas-emitting power plant tower over Jennifer Chesser's neighborhood, but she'd likely fight to keep them from falling silent. The James H. Miller Jr. site faces no immediate shutdown threat and has the backing of many locals because of the jobs it offers -- despite sending about as much planet warming carbon dioxide into the sky last year as 3.7 million cars. "It's a double-edged sword for me," Chesser said of the coal-fired generator just northwest of Alabama's largest city Birmingham. "It's harming the planet but at the same time it helps us because it's what's making our living. So I'm torn." Coal is her family's business -- she's the daughter of a sixth-generation miner and her husband works in the industry too -- so a blow to Miller would be one against her personally. "We don't have any other options," Chesser, a 46-year-old homemaker, told AFP. The plant highlights a key problem in counteracting climate change -- even for people who accept it is happening, the threat can be overshadowed by pressing daily needs. That ongoing battle will bring together world leaders this week for a virtual summit as President Joe Biden works to revitalize a global effort left in chaos by his predecessor Donald Trump. Out at the Miller plant, workers' cars line the parking lot at the sprawling site along the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, where coal arrives by rail cars and deceptively innocent-looking white exhaust pours into the air day and night. The tall, round-faced man in pink prison clothes appears alone on two giant screens and tries to soften the look of his red eyes, regularly adjusting his posture, as if he feels the gaze of his judges. At the Court of Appeal in Rwandas capital Kigali on November 12, 2020, the courtroom routine seems completely turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic. On hard wooden benches unkind to backs and buttocks that are reserved for the public wait less than a dozen media people, notepads and pens in hand, making not very tender comments about the man on the screen. A murmur goes up on these benches and on the podium, as if a little plot is being hatched. If it werent for the presence of the jurists and their endless protocol, you might think it was a session to settle a family dispute rather than a genocide trial. The nods of agreement and conspiratorial glances between the prosecutor and the accuseds counsel are in stark contrast to the cut-throat sessions that marked Bernard Munyagisharis first-instance trial. Suddenly, as if to end the suspense, the prosecutor answers the judges request for parties submissions: It is no longer necessary, since Mr. Bernard Munyagishari has chosen to plead guilty. The media used to present the accused, now alone in his jail for the videoconference, as a hardened case. Now, the court is told, he is determined to take full responsibility for all the charges on which he was convicted at first instance, but prefers not to say more without his lawyer by his side. (Lawyers access to their clients in jail is limited following reported cases of Covid-19 in prisons). He has completely changed When the news falls in the courtroom, no one can believe their ears. Its a trick, whisper the few journalists present, who are equally surprised. But in the months that followed, it turns out this was a real plea of guilt, long dormant before being awakened and negotiated without the media or public knowing. Yes, he has completely changed, Jean-Claude Shoshi Bizimana, lead counsel for Bernard Munyagishari, told Justice Info. In a document called Joint Conclusions of Bernard Munyagishari and the National Prosecuting Authority, dated November 9, 2020, Munyagishari accepts his responsibility, confesses his heinous acts, pleads guilty to the crime of genocide and asks for forgiveness. The former head of the Interahamwe militia in Gisenyi, western Rwanda, admits his responsibility for recruiting, training and distributing weapons to the Interahamwe militia, for meetings to prepare and execute the genocide, for establishing and supervising roadblocks, as well as for various attacks, personal killings and those committed by his militia. He also withdrew all his other appeals, except for the one concerning his nationality (he has always denied his Rwandan nationality). The prosecutor, for his part, asks the Court of Appeal to take into consideration his confession and recalls that the sentence of life imprisonment can be reduced but cannot go below 25 years. Painful gestation The defence, however, is asking for a reduced sentence of 15 years. It argues that the accused took the initiative to plead guilty of his own free will, repenting and asking for forgiveness. It asks the court to take into consideration that the accused has always been in an unfavourable prison environment hostile to confessions, both at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), where he was first imprisoned after his arrest in 2011 (see box), and in Rwanda. In the ICTR prison, his former employers and leaders of the former presidential party, Edouard Karemera and Matthieu Ngirumpatse, as well as Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva, all of whom were detained with him, reportedly warned him not to betray. What would you gain by confessing and being convicted like Jean Kambanda? they reportedly discouraged him, referring to the prime minister of Rwanda in 1994, who pleaded guilty at the ICTR but was sentenced to life in prison. According to the allegations of the accused, relayed by his lawyer, this situation was repeated in Rwanda, where his new co-detainees including Pastor Jean Uwinkindi, transferred like him from the ICTR, and Leon Mugesera, extradited by Canada organized meetings on subjects that were detrimental for him. On July 2, 2019, Munyagishari negotiated, of his own accord and volition, his transfer from the V.I.P. wing of Mpanga Prison housing detainees transferred from the ICTR and foreign jurisdictions to Nyarugenge prison. This transfer, the defence argues, allowed Munyagishari to clear the ground for his confession. With this first accused transferred from the ICTR and foreign jurisdictions now pleading guilty, the defence counsel urges the court to establish in its judgment a precedent to encourage and guide other cases in the future. He recalled the precedent of Omar Serushago, Munyagisharis lieutenant and accomplice, who pleaded guilty before the ICTR and received 15 years in prison. The proceedings, which were not made public, were closed on March 4. Over three weeks, the accused committed to paper his heavy burden of genocide. More than 50 pages describe planning, mobilization, organization, logistics, execution and supervision of the genocide. These are drawn from questioning punctuated by long emotional moments, such as over a neighbour and friend killed when she could have been saved. It was a painful process, at the end of a difficult gestation period of ten years mixed with hardships, to finally give birth to the truth, explains the lawyer, who affirms that his client always wanted to tell the truth as agreed and promised to his family. Survivors lay a wreath at the Red Commune memorial during the 25th genocide commemorations in Rwanda. Emmanuel Sehene Ruvugiro Family torn between relief and anxiety How does a family live with the weight of an accusation of genocide? What could I have done about a problem I couldnt solve? answers MUJ, Munyagisharis wife, who looks resigned and wishes to remain anonymous. When she returned from exile around 2000, alone with their children, MUJ left her husband in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Rwandas western border. She did not know the circumstances of her husbands arrest. When she returned to Rwanda, she claimed that he was dead and that she had buried him herself, according to neighbours. MUJ chooses to live far from where her family had lived. She returned to live in the shadow of her fathers family. I was afraid for our safety in Gisenyi, she says to justify her choice. She never goes into liquor stores. Instead, she is visible in civic activities such as being the head of Isibo (the smallest administrative entity in Rwanda, consisting of 15 households) and volunteering at the national electoral commission. I have accepted everything and only Jesus helps me carry this heavy cross, she says, but it was the children who suffered the most, she adds, without saying more. What does her husbands confession mean to her as a mother and wife? It surprises me because I did not know he was guilty of something, she says, weighing her words. I saw him leave in the morning and come back at night. Could I have known what he had done outside? She explains that their family had hidden and evacuated three young men to Zaire, the present-day DRC. But as a devout parishioner of the Methodist church, she said she is happy her husband is repenting, and that it would relieve his conscience of a heavy burden. What if her husband were to get out of prison one day? At this prospect, fear seems to return to her, her smile fades, her face darkens and she blurts out: He should be relocated, far from the possible revenge of the survivors and those he may have betrayed by denouncing them. Cautious reaction of Ibuka and survivors Ibuka, a collective of associations of genocide survivors, is initially sceptical about Munyagisharis plea of guilt. What does this add to what we already know? asks its commissioner for legal affairs, Karinda Jean Damascene. For him, the answer to the question matters a lot. As long as this guilty plea sheds light on the grey areas in the planning and organization of the genocide, Ibuka welcomes this turnaround by the accused, however late it may be. For the association, the big winner in these proceedings is undoubtedly the prosecutor, since the accused, given his stature and contacts, may provide information that could help the prosecution in other cases, such as that of Felicien Kabuga, alleged financier of the Rwandan genocide, who is awaiting trial before a UN tribunal reactivated in Tanzania for the occasion. The other winner would be the accused himself, who could have his sentence reduced and be released from prison one day. The position of Innocent Kabanda, a survivor of the Gisenyi massacres, seems to sum up the feelings of the survivors: Neither the arrest nor the harshest sentences handed down to the genocidaires can give us as much comfort as the truth about what happened and where the bodies of our people were thrown. Does Munyagisharis confession provide an answer to all this? If not, it would be pure acting, with the sole intention of getting him out of prison. Weve seen too much of that with the gacaca courts, he says, referring to the village courts that tried more than a million Rwandans a decade ago. Recommended reading Rwanda: Suspect transfers signal new stage in genocide trials Carbon emissions are set to rise nearly 5 per cent this year, energy experts have warned. That would mark the second-biggest annual rise in history as the global economy recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the International Energy Agency. Carbon dioxide emissions are predicted to rise back beyond 33billion tonnes this year, up 1.5billion tonnes from 2020 levels in the largest single increase in more than a decade, the Global Energy Review 2021 says. The rise will likely be driven by a resurgence in coal use in the power sector which the report forecast to be particularly strong in Asia. Coal use is expected to increase in 2021 which will raise emissions globally after a lapse The IEA's annual review analysed the latest national data from around the world, economic growth trends and new energy projects that are set to come online. It found that while CO2 emissions are expected to remain below their 2019 level, it expects global energy demand to surpass its 2019 level, with both gas and coal rising above pre-pandemic levels. Fatih Birol, IEA's executive director, said: 'This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the Covid crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate.' Last year, when power use dropped due to Covid-19, energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 5.8 per cent to 31.5billion tonnes, after peaking in 2019 at 33.4billion tonnes. However, global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6 per cent in 2021, led by developing economies, pushing it above 2019 levels. Demand for all fossil fuels is on course to grow in 2021, with both coal and gas set to rise above 2019 levels. The expected rise in coal use dwarves that of renewables by almost 60 per cent. More than 80 per cent of the projected growth in coal demand in 2021 is set to come from Asia, with China alone thought to account for over 50 per cent of global growth. The US and the European Union's coal usage is also rebounding, however, it is still set to remain well below pre-crisis levels. The chart shows a large decrease in electricity demand from Europe, North America & Africa Is renewable energy usage increasing? Despite news of carbon emissions increasing, demand for renewables also grew by 3 per cent in 2020 and is set to increase across all key sectors power, heating, industry and transport in 2021. Meanwhile, solar and wind energy are expected to contribute two-thirds of renewables' growth. In fact, wind is on track to record the largest increase in renewable generation, growing by around 17 per cent from 2020. The share of renewables in electricity generation is estimated to rise to almost 30 per cent in 2021, the highest share since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and up from under 27 per cent in 2019. Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6 per cent in 2021, led by developing economies Will the news put pressure on governments? The IEA said the news should put pressure on governments around the world to take swift action on climate change. It is expected that Boris Johnson will announce steeper cuts to the UK's carbon emissions as he prepares to host the Cop26 international climate change summit later this year. It is thought he is preparing to commit to cutting emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 compared with 1990 levels. This would mark a significant step forward on the current UK commitment to cut emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 already seen as one of the most ambitious plans among developed nations. However, for this to be achieved, the Climate Change Committee said there would have to be more electric vehicles, an extension of offshore wind power generation, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption and the planting of new woodland. Meanwhile, Joe Biden will hold a virtual summit for dozens of world leaders this week to discuss the issue ahead of global talks in Scotland later this year. Tonto Dikeh took to Instagram to lend her voice in calling for Ghanaian actress Akuapem Poloo to be freed after she was sentenced to 3 months in jail. Akuapem was sentenced last week for posing naked in front of her 7-year-old son to wish him a happy birthday. After her sentencing, a number of people began campaigning for her to be freed and they created a hashtag. Tens of thousands have signed a petition, calling for her sentence to be reduced. Nigerian actress, Tonto Dikeh weighed in, asking the Ghanaian authorities to temper justice with mercy because Akuapem's son needs his mother. She acknowledged that Akuapem did wrong but said she should be given a lighter sentence. Read Full Story .... lindaikejisblog.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 Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 16:54:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, April 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said Tuesday he will leave the country temporarily to discuss bilateral ties with colleagues in Washington. The envoy said he will return to Moscow "in the coming weeks" before a possible in-person meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sullivan is leaving following an exchange of harsh sanctions between the two countries, including mutual expulsions of 10 diplomats. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov has been summoned back to Moscow for a month amid the deteriorating ties. "This extremely tense situation objectively requires the ambassadors of our countries to be in their respective capitals to analyze developments and hold consultations," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Enditem SSH Communications Security's Financial Statement Release January 1 - March 31, 2021, will be published on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at approximately 09.00 EET. A conference call for Finnish media, investors, and analysts will be held on the same day. The financial statement release will be presented by CEO Teemu Tunkelo and CFO Niklas Nordstrom. Please note that the conference will be held in Finnish. The presentation material (in English) will be available on the SSH Communications Security's website (www.ssh.com) after the conference call. Time: April 27, 2021, at 10.00-11.00 EET Place: Video callTo join the meeting, please register no later than Monday, April 26 at 16.00 EET by sending an email to jussi.mononen@ssh.com. Conference call links will be sent to registered participants during the afternoon of April 26.SSH COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY CORPORATIONNiklas NordstromCFO About SSH.COM SSH.COM helps organizations access, secure, and control their digital core - their critical data, applications, and services. We have over 3,000 customers around the world, including 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies, many of the world's largest financial institutions, and major organizations in all verticals. We are committed to helping our customers thrive in the cloud era with solutions that offer secure access with zero inertia, zero friction, and zero credentials risk. SSH.COM sells online; through offices in North America, Europe, and Asia; and through a global network of certified partners. The company's shares. (Newser) The search for survivors from a capsized lift boat in the Gulf of Mexico has closed and attention now turns to comforting the loved ones of the five known dead and eight missing, a grim hunt for bodies and a painstaking investigation that could take up to two years. Seven days after the Seacor Power capsized in rough waters on April 12 while it was traveling about eight miles off the Louisiana coast, the Coast Guard on Monday night suspended the search and rescue operation for the eight people still missing from the vessel, the AP reports. All told, the search had covered 9,000 square miles of waters off Louisiana. Nineteen people were on board the vessel. Six were rescued on the first day. Five bodies have been pulled from the sea or from the ship by divers. story continues below For the families, it has been a brutal wait to find out what happened. Many of them gathered twice daily for updates from officials. The president of Seacor Marine, which owned the boat, vowed Monday that they would do everything in their power to find the remaining people. It could be as long as two years before the National Transportation and Safety Board comes up with a final determination of what happened to the Seacor Power and why. But during a news conference Monday, Seacor's president gave some information about what the company knows so far. A key question has been the weather. John Gellert said while there were warnings of bad weather, what the boat actually encountered when it was offshore was significantly worse than expected. Gellert said the decision on whether to go was entirely up to the captain, but he emphasized that the captain had the companys full support. The captain, David Ledet, 63, was among the dead. (Read more capsize stories.) 'Mutant strain probably spread at quarantine hotel' 'Mutant strain probably spread at quarantine hotel' Health authorities said on Tuesday that a coronavirus patient with a mutant strain, whose infection prompted a travel ban affecting three countries, most likely caught the virus at his quarantine hotel, as another guest there was confirmed to be infected. An Indonesian domestic helper was at the Ramada hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui at the same time as a man who flew in from Dubai last month and was found to have the South African variant after he went out into the community. The 29-year-old helper stayed at her employer's flat in Yau Tong after finishing the quarantine and her infection was caught following a mandatory testing order. It is not yet known what strain of the virus she has. The woman stayed on a different floor of the hotel to the traveller from Dubai. But two other guests on the same floor were also found to have the South African variant. Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said it's highly likely the man who arrived from Dubai caught the virus in the Tsim Sha Tsui hotel. She said the virus could have spread via hooks on the room doors. "There was a hook at the handle of the door for hanging the lunchbox for the residents in the hotel. So this has been immediately removed at all designated [quarantine] hotels," Chuang said at the daily coronavirus press briefing. "We have taken some swabs of those hooks we can get hold of, and all were negative. And the ventilation and drainage pipes at those hotels, no obvious abnormalities have been found." Chuang said that in total, around 10 infections have been found among guests of the Ramada in Tsim Sha Tsui since January and officials will investigate these cases further. The SAR government has banned arrivals from the Philippines, India and Pakistan for the next two weeks, saying people coming to the SAR from these places have been found to be carrying a mutant strain of the virus. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- West Michigan Works! has named eight people as winners of an annual award to recognize workers who go above and beyond and show integrity, passion and commitment for their jobs. West Michigan Works! on Monday, April 19 announced the winners of the Beverly A. Drake Essential Service Awards. The winners were recognized at the Economic Club of Grand Rapids annual meeting this month, held virtually this year, and given a $100 Meijer gift card. Related: Recognizing heroism: 11 Michigan healthcare workers finalists for award dedicated to service during pandemic The lists of winners: -- Kevin Allmon, building maintenance and housekeeping, Integrated Packaging Machinery --Carol Lyman, senior administrative assistant, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital --Carolyn McNeil, catering captain and marketing, On The Border Holland --Angela Reyna Perez, program assistant, Affinity Mentoring --Shaun Price, electrical construction, Buist Electric --Jesseca Schrader, registered nurse, Metro Health-University of Michigan Health and HealthBar -- Mike Smith, sales professional, Bekins --Michelle Tokarczyk, front desk receptionist clerk, Muskegon County The Essential Service Awards have taken on a heightened significance throughout the past year, said Mark Bergsma, chair of the West Michigan Works! Workforce Development Board, in a written statement.The pandemic has emphasized the critical role of the many frontline and behind-the-scenes workers. Their hard work allows our communities to function, and they deserve to be recognized. Jesseca Schrader, a Metro Health-University of Michigan Health registered nurse who served in the intensive care unit throughout 2020, said she loves her job. When you are passionate about something you love, it isnt going above-and-beyond, it is just doing what you are called to do, she said in a statement. When shes not working at Metro Health-University of Michigan Health, Schrader serves as a school nurse at Kenowa Hill Middle School through HealthBar. West Michigan Works! offers training programs and services for employers, employees, and job seekers in several West Michigan counties. More from MLive Michigan reports new record hospitalization number, surpassing April 2020 peak Proposed boat rentals, to-go alcohol sales at popular East Grand Rapids restaurant draws backlash Prayer vigil to honor 2020 victims of murder, other crimes in Kent County (Alliance News) - The UK competition watchdog has warned that the GBP6.8 billion takeover of Asda by forecourt tycoons the Issa brothers could lead to higher petrol prices for motorists in some areas. The UK Competition & Markets Authority said that investigations have raised "local competition concerns in relation to the supply of road fuel in 36 areas across the UK". EG Group, the forecourt giant owned by Mohsin and Zuber Issa, operates 395 petrol stations, while Asda owns 323 sites. In October, EG Group and private equity backers TDR Capital LLP agreed a deal to take control of the UK supermarket chain from US retail giant Walmart Inc. Two months later, the CMA formally launched an initial phase one probe into the deal to consider whether the tie-up would result in a "substantial lessening of competition". The CMA said that it has now found competition issues at the 36 locations as well as one other area, where it has specific concerns regarding the supply of a type of fuel called auto-LPG. It said the buyers now have five working days to offer a solution to address these competition concerns. The regulator said it will then have a further five days to consider whether it will accept these terms to or call for a more thorough investigation. Joel Bamford, senior director of mergers at the CMA, said: "Our job is to protect consumers by making sure there continues to be strong competition between petrol stations, which leads to lower prices at the pump. "These are two key players in the market, and it's important that we thoroughly analyse the deal to make sure that people don't end up paying over the odds. "Right now, we're concerned the merger could lead to higher prices for motorists in certain parts of the UK. "However, if the companies can provide a clear-cut solution to address our concerns, we won't carry out an in-depth phase two investigation." A spokeswoman for the Issa brothers and TDR Capital said: "We will be working constructively with the CMA over the course of the next 10 days in order to arrive at a satisfactory outcome for all parties within phase one. "This would provide welcome certainty for our colleagues, suppliers and customers, and allow us to move forward with our exciting plans for investment and growth at Asda." source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. LOS ANGELESMasterCard, one of the countrys two leading credit card issuing companies, announced last week that it is putting new rules in place that appear to hand banks the responsibility for policing content on adult sites. The statement sent waves of anxiety through adult industry businesses, many of whom rely on credit card payments for large portions of their revenue. To address those fears, the adult industry news site YNOT hosted a 70-minute webinar Monday with leading adult industry attorney Corey Silverstein, who explained the new MasterCard rules and, even more importantly, how adult businesses including performers who create and sell their own content can adapt to the requirements laid down by the credit card company. The company in its statement said that it had decided to take an even more active stance against the potential for unauthorized and illegal adult content. This starts by ensuring there are strong content control measures on sites where our products are accepted. Silversteins first point, however, was to remind the approximately 75 attendees who logged into the online event that the relationship between adult businesses and MasterCard is not a direct one. In fact, the credit card company does not have relationships with businesses, but with banks. MasterCards relationship is not with you guys as website operators, content producers directly, Silverstein said. MasterCards relationship, who they talk to directly, are with the banks that ultimately you work through. So its a middleman situation. But ultimately its just as important because those are the banks that you respond to. Because the new MasterCard rules affect only sites that, in fact, use MasterCard, Silverstein explained that free sites with no premium, paywalled areas, will remain unaffected by the changes. But for the large number of sites that accept MasterCard payments, the day of you allowing user submission of unverified content is over, the attorney said. The new rules, Silverstein explained, require full documentation of the identities and ages of everyone appearing in an adult video, including livestreams, clips or any type of adult content and that means everyone. MasterCard used the words specifically, for all people depicted. What that means, Silverstein said, is every person, not just the person who owns the account, but every person who appears in the film, or clip, or stream or what have you and those uploading the content. Silverstein predicted that MasterCards chief competitor, Visa, would soon follow suit and announce its own, similar measures to crack down on transactions with adult sites. In December, both of the major credit card issuers declared that they would now prohibit users of Pornhub to make transactions on the site using cards from either company. For those of you who are still not taking age verification and age verification documents seriously, guys, this should be your wake-up, Silverstein said in the webinar. The problem that you have now is that there is a lot of content out there online, and the website where it appears doesnt have age verification documentation. You need to clean that content out, and you need to clean it out now. For content producers going forward, however including, Silverstein noted, solo producers and those who work only with spouses, close friends or significant others even signed documents may not be sufficient to satisfy banks who decide to target a site for alleged underage content. The lawyer said that he strongly recommends an added layer of protection video documentation. A simple little paper may not be enough anymore, Silverstein said. Were seeing lawsuits popping up all over the country. Were seeing all of these allegations that content was made without consent, or that it wasnt really depicting people who were over 18 years of age. So what you guys all should be doing is filming what I call a mini-verification clip. It doesnt need to be any more than 15 or 30 seconds long. What you should be doing in having video evidence of the model signing the paperwork, holding the card up, and saying, Yes, this is me. Im here to day of my own free volition to do whatever it is. Thank you very much. Photo By Adult.Law Video Screen Capture Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 20:00:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close N'DJAMENA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chadian President Idriss Deby died Tuesday from injuries he received last weekend on the frontline of a fight against rebels, said the spokesperson for the Chadian army, General Azem Bermandoa Agouna, on national television. "The President of the Republic, Head of State, Supreme Head of the Armed Forces, Idriss Deby Itno, has just had his last breath in defending territorial integrity on the battlefield. It is with deep bitterness that we announce to the Chadian people the death on Tuesday of Marshal of Chad," declared General Agouna. On Monday evening, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) declared Deby the winner of the presidential election of April 11, with 79.32 percent of the votes cast for a sixth term, according to provisional results. Since April 11, the polling day, militants of the Front for Alternation and Concord in Chad (FACT), an armed rebel group based in neighboring Libya, have made incursions into the province of Tibesti, in northern Chad. More than 300 FACT rebels were killed and 150 others, including three top leaders, taken prisoner last Saturday in Chad's western Kanem province, a Chadian army spokesperson said Monday. The battleground is some 300 km north of the capital N'Djamena. On Monday, security in the capital city was beefed up, with tanks deployed in major strategic positions. The government called on the people to stay calm, saying the security reinforcement was misinterpreted and there is no particular threat to fear. Enditem Pennsauken, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2021 -- The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C., a law firm handling negligence in Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas, is currently scheduling consultations for individuals who suspect a loved one has been harmed or neglected by drivers of drug rehabilitation center vehicles. At a time when substance abuse is at an all-time high, drug rehab facilities continue to pop up around New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In fact, the growth of rehab facilities has outpaced the laws that regulate these facilities. Facilities may employ assistants and workers who are not properly trained or monitored. Facilities may hire past patients as employees. Facilities also entice addicts to come to their facilities, and drug rehab facilities may even permit their own employees to drive to pick up drug users in and around NJ and PA. This can be dangerous because these workers may not be properly trained or supervised in their position, and this can lead to catastrophic accidents, such as car accidents that occur with employees using rehab facility vehicles. While drug rehab centers do not have the same degree of regulation that hospitals and other medical facilities are subject to, they are responsible for providing a reasonable standard of care. This standard of care includes a duty to provide qualified staff, a safe environment to recover in, and monitor the patients and staff properly. Every medical facility needs to provide staff with the necessary credentials to perform their duties, and a drug rehab center is no different. However, "qualified staff" doesn't just mean individuals who have undergone the necessary training, but also those who do not have a history of using excessive force or committing other crimes against patients or anyone in general. Usually, if a staff member is engaging in a pattern of behavior, their access to patients would need to be revoked under this standard. If a facility allows their employees to drive company vehicles, the facility must ensure that the drivers they employ are safe drivers, and that the drivers follow all of the rules of the road. To find out more about a rehab facility's legal duties, or schedule a consultation with a car accident lawyer in New Jersey, visit https://www.ciecka.com. About The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka was established in 1976 as a people focused personal injury law firm. The firm treats its clients with the utmost care and respect, and works with their clients to get the best results possible. The firm provides legal representation throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and surrounding counties, and all areas of Central and Southern New Jersey. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka focus only on handling injury cases in the practice areas of personal injury and workers compensation. Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C., has over four decades of experience providing the highest level of strategic legal representation for all facets of personal injury and workers compensation cases, having taken part in extensive past cases dealing with insurance companies and courts alike. Individuals that have been hurt and need help, call 856-972-7220 or reach them at https://www.ciecka.com and they will fight for them so they can get back to their lifestyle without having to deal with the insurance companies. CALGARY - The CEO of Canadian National Railway Co. says his company's bid for Kansas City Southern will create a combined "safer, faster, cleaner and stronger railway" than the one proposed by rival Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. A CN rail worker stands on an idle locomotive as protesters opposed to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion block rail lines, in Burnaby, B.C., on Friday, November 27, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck CALGARY - The CEO of Canadian National Railway Co. says his company's bid for Kansas City Southern will create a combined "safer, faster, cleaner and stronger railway" than the one proposed by rival Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. On Tuesday, the Montreal-based railway announced a cash-and-stock bid valued at US$33.7 billion for Kansas City-based KCS, topping one made last month by Calgary-based CP Rail valued at US$25 billion. "CN's proposal represents a 21 per cent premium to CP's offer and more than double the cash per share, resulting in not just a greater value but also greater certainty of value for KCS shareholders," said CN chief executive Jean-Jacques Ruest on a conference call to discuss the proposal. "Our superior access to the capital market, stronger balance sheet, lower cost of financing and ability to realize superior and higher-quality synergies allow us to make a more attractive offer to KCS shareholders." Kansas City Southern confirmed in a statement it has received the "unsolicited proposal" from CN and will evaluate it and respond "in due course." In a news release late Tuesday afternoon, CP said CN's bid is "massively complex and likely to fail" because it would create the third-largest Class 1 railroad in North America, thus throwing off the rail industry's competitive balance and falling short with regulators. "The only combination involving KCS that is clearly in the public interest is the one that Canadian Pacific has proposed, which has already garnered support from over 400 shippers and other stakeholders," it said. "While remaining the smallest of the six U.S. Class 1 railroads by revenue, a combination between CP and KCS creates stronger single-line competition against existing Class 1 routes." CN is offering US$200 in cash and 1.059 shares of CN common stock for each KC common share. The proposal was worth about US$310 per share based on Tuesday's closing share price for CN of C$138.85, down $9.31 on the day, in Toronto. The CP Rail deal offers 0.489 of a CP share and US$90 in cash for each KCS common share for a value of nearly US$264 per share, based on CP's closing share price of C$447.71, down $10.19. Kansas City shares, trading under the stock symbol KSU, surged more than 15 per cent, or US$39.10, to close at US$295.50 on the New York Stock Exchange. Analyst Cameron Doerksen of National Bank Financial predicted there could be a bidding war. "Our current expectation is that CP may match CNs offer, after which we would expect CN to counter with an even higher offer," he said in a note for investors. "While we see the strategic rationale for CN to acquire KSU, we also believe CN is keen to keep CP from acquiring KSU as a CP-KSU combination would represent a greater competitive threat to CN, especially for north-south intermodal traffic." On the analyst call, Ruest estimated the CNR-KCS combination would result in a US$1-billion boost in annual earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization within three years, with about 80 per cent of that from new business by convincing customers who use trucks to use rail instead. The other 20 per cent would come from cost savings. CN says its network has only 100 kilometres of direct track overlap and only five customers that are served by both railways, although it has a north-south line about 640 kilometres further east of KCS's lines. Desjardins analyst Benoit Poirier in a report said the synergies estimate is higher than the US$780 million under the CP offer, suggesting that can be partly explained by no rail network overlap between KCS and CP. "At first glance, while CNRs offer is superior from a financial standpoint, we believe the regulatory risk for its offer is higher than that for CP, which has no network overlap with KSU something that KSUs board will have to consider when evaluating the proposal," he said. Ruest said CN's bid doesn't require approval from its shareholders, unlike CP's bid, adding the timing of CN's bid is opportunistic. "Why now? The board of KCS has decided it wants to crystallize the value for their shareholders, therefore the opportunity is now," he said. In a letter to the KCS board of directors, Ruest said the CN offer offers greater value certainty due to the larger cash component. CN plans to assume US$3.8 billion of KCS debt under its plan. When CP Rail and KCS announced their friendly deal last month, they said it would create the first rail network connecting Canada, the United States and Mexico. KCS's Mexican network is also a big part of the attraction for CN. CP Rail chief executive Keith Creel said when the deal was announced that the transaction would be transformative for North America, providing significant positive impacts for employees, customers, communities and shareholders. The combination of CP Rail and KCS would create a combined company that would operate more than 32,100 kilometres of rail and generate total revenues of approximately US$8.7 billion based on 2020 figures. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:CP, TSX:CNR) Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 16:25:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China's legitimate rights in the United Nations. In the past half a century, China has always been a staunch supporter of UN-centered international order and a major contributor to UN missions. Click this episode of Xinhua Commentary to find out more. Kuwait City, April 20 : Kuwait will extend the ongoing partial curfew until the end of Ramadan as part of the country's efforts to curb the further spread of Covid-19, the government announced. According to a decision made at a regular meeting of the government on Monday, the curfew hours will remain unchanged, from 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., starting from Thursday until the end of Ramadan, reports Xinhua news agency. Minister of Health Bassel Al-Sabah said at the meeting that there is an increase in deaths and infections with more people in intensive care units (ICUs). The decision may be re-assessed with the regular review of the pandemic situation, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said after the meeting. The government also urged residents and citizens to assume social responsibility and get the Covid-19 vaccine, saying it is the only way to reduce deaths and infections as well as pressure on ICUs. On April 1, the Kuwaiti government decided to further shorten the curfew by one hour to last between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., and allow walk inside residential areas between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. from April 8 to April 22. [April 20, 2021] Gedik Investment implements Itiviti for futures market making and algorithmic trading LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Itiviti, a leading technology and service provider to financial institutions worldwide, today announced that Gedik Investment, a leading investment banking advisory and brokerage firm in Turkey, has rolled out Itiviti Tbricks for its futures market making and algorithmic trading operations. Gedik Investment was seeking a platform to lower latency and increase its trading volume capabilities to boost market share and profits in the Turkish capital markets. "We have been in this industry for a long time and have a good understanding of the region's capital market and Fintech solution providers," said Sevan Ulutas, Managing Director, Market Making, Gedik Investment. "For us, choosing Itiviti over other technology providers was not a complicated decision. It was, in fact, one of the easiest decisions we've ever made." Itiviti Tbricks can be used for multi-asset class market making and algorithmic trading and provide complete control over quoting activities from initial quote to a variety of hedging strategies. It will also enable Gedik Investment to quote more trades with tighter spreads and execute using optimized low latency automation. In addition, Itiviti Tbricks will enable Gedik Investment to improve their decision-making and oversight with custom execution strategies and comprehensive risk capabilities, including real-time positions management and a powerful stress-testing mechanism. The deployment of Tbricks was rapid and smooth due to the flexibility of the solution and the expertise of Itiviti's implementation team that focused on meeting Gedik Investment's needs. "The strength of the operational support and responsiveness we received from Itiviti throughout the implementation was very high." added Salim Kasap, Managing Director, Market Making, at Gedik Investment. "It's an exciting time for both Gedik Investment and for Turkey's capital markets," said Ofir Gefen, Head of Sales and Revenue, EMEA and APAC at Itiviti. "The next few years should be transformational for the Turkish capital markets in terms of trading volume growth and the need for best of breed technology to support the market players. It's important for financial firms in Turkey to think strategically about how their investment in trading technologies can help them remain competitive and expand their business." Continued Gefen: "The ability to scale the Tbricks solution across products, markets, and locations is limitless and will help future-proof Gedik Investment's technology infrastructure. We are delighted to partner with Gedik and support their growth strategy today and into the future. " For further information, please contact: Mireille Adebiyi, Chief Marketing Officer, Itiviti Group, Email: mireille.adebiyi@itiviti.com About Gedik Investment Established in 1991, Gedik Investment is one of the leading investment banking advisory and brokerage firms in Turkey, providing research and brokerage services to domestic and foreign clients. The company is a member of Borsa Istanbul (BIST) and is authorized by the Capital Markets Board (CMB). Today, it has the largest customer base of any non-bank local brokerage house, with around 58,000 clients and counting. Gedik Investment boasts a widespread distribution network, with 42 main branches spread across Turkey's primary cities. About Itiviti Itiviti provides nearly 2,000 financial institutions worldwide with flexible, cross-asset trading solutions that cover the full trade lifecycle. Through its commitment to technology innovation, relentless pursuit of workflow efficiency and an entrepreneurial culture, Itiviti is disrupting the industry with highly-scalable solutions that deliver unprecedented cost savings for clients. For more information, please visit www.itiviti.com. Follow Itiviti on social media on Twitter @Itiviti_AB, on Facebook @ItivitiAB, and on LinkedIn. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/itiviti-group-ab/r/gedik-investment-implements-itiviti-for-futures-market-making-and-algorithmic-trading,c3328591 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/13830/3328591/1403806.pdf Release View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gedik-investment-implements-itiviti-for-futures-market-making-and-algorithmic-trading-301272227.html SOURCE Itiviti Group AB [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Derek Chauvin was handcuffed and taken away to the cells on Tuesday after Judge Peter Cahill revoked his bail, ahead of sentencing for the murder of George Floyd. The 45-year-old former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of all counts at the end of a three-week trial, with the jury taking just ten hours to reach their unanimous verdict. After the verdict was read out at 4pm local time, Chauvin, showing no emotion, was taken straight to the cells in Hennepin County Government Center, where the trial was held, for processing. Later on Tuesday he was transferred to Oak Park Heights, 25 miles east of Minneapolis, on the border with Wisconsin. Derek Chauvin was handcuffed and led away on Tuesday to be held in jail before sentencing Chauvin showed no emotion as the three guilty verdicts were read out by Judge Peter Cahill George Floyd, 46, was arrested for using a fake $20 bill and died when Chauvin tackled him Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nine and a half minutes on May 25 outside Cup Foods Oak Park Heights is the state's only Level 5 maximum security prison. It has space for up to 473 inmates, and is regarded as one of the safest for high-risk offenders. Only one person has been murdered within the facility since it opened its doors in 1982, and no one has ever escaped. Chauvin is currently being held at Oak Park Heights prison, 25 miles east of Minneapolis No one has ever escaped from Oak Park Heights - Minnesota's only maximum security prison Oak Park Heights maximum security prison has a capacity for 473 male inmates within its walls The medical cell inside Oak Park Heights - designed so inmates never have to leave Cells inside Oak Park Heights, which experts believe may be where Chauvin serves his sentence A guard is seen on duty on the roof of Oak Park Heights prison, currently home to Chauvin MINNESOTA V DEREK CHAUVIN - CHARGES Second-degree murder - GUILTY The second-degree murder charge required prosecutors to prove Chauvin caused Floyd's death while committing or trying to commit a felony in this case, third-degree assault. Prosecutors had to convince the jury that Chauvin assaulted or attempted to assault Floyd and in doing so inflicted substantial bodily harm. Prosecutors did not have to prove Chauvin was the sole cause of Floyd's death - only that his conduct was a 'substantial causal factor'. Second degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, but because Chauvin does not have any prior convictions sentencing guidelines recommend he serve no more than 25.5 years in jail. Second-degree manslaughter - GUILTY The manslaughter charge has a lower bar, requiring proof that Chauvin caused Floyd's death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death. Second degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison - sentencing guidelines for someone without a criminal record call for no more than four years behind bars. Third-degree murder - GUILTY Third-degree murder required a lower standard of proof than second-degree. To win a conviction, prosecutors needed to show only that Floyd's death was caused by an act that was obviously dangerous, though not necessarily a felony. Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years but because Chauvin has no criminal history he would likely end up serving about 12.5. Advertisement Chauvin will be closely watched to ensure his safety. He will certainly be considered a suicide risk, and will be closely monitored. Well-being checks are one of the most important safeguards a jail can take to prevent inmate harm, said Bill Hutton, Executive Director of the Minnesota Sheriff's Association - speaking to KARE 11 in February, after the 10th inmate since 2015 took his own life inside Hennepin jail. By law, well-being checks on each inmate at a jail need to be made once every 30 minutes. For those inmates who are physically or mentally sick, or considered a suicide risk, checks should be done far more frequently. Lights may well be kept on in their cells. He will also, as a former police officer, be at risk from other inmates. Jim Bruton, former warden of the prison, wrote in his 2004 book about Oak Park Heights that there was a hierarchy among inmates, which came from the crime committed. At the top of the scale are those who have killed a law enforcement officer, Bruton said, in an interview at the time. At the bottom were sex offenders, with child molesters considered the lowest of the low. The hierarchy means that Chauvin will likely need extra protection. While being held before the trial, the managers of the jail ensured that he would not be protected by black guards, according to a lawsuit filed in February. Eight minority correctional officers at Ramsey County jail filed a racial discrimination case, alleging only white employees were allowed to guard or interact with Chauvin. The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota district court, alleges a top official at the center ordered employees of color to segregate on a separate floor away from Chauvin when he turned himself in on murder charges. It also claims the former officer received special treatment at the facility, including from a jail official who is related to his sister, and was allowed to use her phone - a violation of jail policy. It remains unclear where Chauvin will ultimately serve his sentence - and officials may keep the location under wraps due to safety concerns. Because he was convicted at the state level he will be incarcerated in Minnesota, at one of nine state prisons: MCF - Faribault MCF - Lino Lakes MCF - Oak Park Heights MCF - Red Wing MCF - Rush City MCF - St. Cloud MCF - Stillwater MCF - Togo MCF - Moose Lake His current prison, Oak Park Heights, would be a likely pick for Chauvin. Chauvin's attorneys will have to notify the trial court within 60 days if they plan to appeal. His lawyers then have months to review transcripts and court filings dating from the start of the case to build their arguments. They are likely to try and overturn the verdict based on the location - which they argue was too tense to ensure a fair trial - and on the media coverage, plus the $27 million settlement awarded to the family before the trial began. Chauvin's defense tried to argue that it prejudiced the jury, saying it implied guilt. Three other officers involved in the arrest - Tou Thao, Thomas K. Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng - face trial in August. They are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence. With air travel soaring at Portland International Airport, Delta Air Lines said Tuesday that it will add a direct flight to South Korea and restore a flight to New York City. On May 28, Delta will begin flying daily between Portland and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Currently, JetBlue has red-eye flights to JFK twice a week. Alaska Airlines plans to resume flights to JFK on July 2. Deltas new flight to Seoul is PDXs first direct flight to that city since 1999. The Port of Portland, which runs the airport, said it has been seeking to restore the service for several years. The new flight begins Sept. 9 and flies three times a week. (South Korea currently requires a negative COVID-19 test for travelers from the United States.) Air travel through PDX picked up enormously in March, with 773,000 people flying through Portland last month. Thats double the number that flew in February and the highest tally, by far, of the pandemic. As the pandemic wanes and vaccines become pervasive, airlines are rapidly adding flights in anticipation of a boom in travel. Sun Country Airlines has restored service from Portland to Minneapolis and Condor Airlines will resume flying from PDX to Frankfurt, Germany, on May 21. Icelandair will resume flying in and out of Portland on July 2. In some cases, airlines are planning flights to foreign destinations that dont currently allow most travel from the United States. But hopes are rising that travel restrictions will ease in the coming weeks. Update: This article initially reported that Deltas new flight to JFK would continue on to Greece. Delta appears to have removed that information from its announcement of the new flights. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | Something buzzy is happening in San Marcos. On April 19, Atlanta-based cannabis operators Parallel announced the creation of a $25 million cannabis cultivation, production, and retail facility in city, expanding access for medical marijuana patients in San Antonio. The company says the 63,000-square-foot facility is expected to bring hundred of jobs to the region, specifically in the cultivation, manufacturing, analytical chemistry, formulation science, marketing, customer support, and retail sectors. A Parallel rep said the company is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce, and expects a limited number of job positions to become available soon, with the remainder of the positions opening in the following months. READ MORE: San Antonio Zoo breaks ground on one-of-a-kind jaguar skywalk According to a release, the Parallel facility is designed to "meet the growing patient demand for medical cannabis products in the Lone Star State." That demand will likely grow rapidly if the Texas Legislature passes HB 1535, a bill that would dramatically expand the number of Texans who qualify for medical marijuana. The bill was unanimously voted out of committee last week and is expected to pass when it hits the House floor before the end of the 2021 session. Along with its new facility, Parallel announced it is changing the name of its retail brand from Surterra Texas to goodblend Texas. Goodblend offers virtual clinic services, as well as a line of cannabis-infused goodies such as gummies, lozenges, and tinctures. "We are thrilled to break ground today on our new facility in San Marcos. We look forward to creating economic empowerment opportunities in this community through new jobs and cannabis career-building programs," said Marcus Ruark, President of goodblend Texas. "We are encouraged that there is a growing recognition, trust and demand for our medical cannabis products in Texas. While our customers will now know us as goodblend Texas, we will continue to offer registered patients with the state's largest assortment of cannabis-based product formats." Currently, goodblend Texas has a partner clinic in San Antonio where registered patients can pick up the brand's cannabis products. It also has outposts in Plano, Fort Worth, and Houston. NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) today announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has provided updated guidance for use of the Company's COVID-19 vaccine and confirmed the overall benefit-risk profile remains positive. The guidance follows PRAC review of a small number of cases of a very rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts that can occur within approximately one to three weeks following injection with the Company's COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, Johnson & Johnson will update its COVID-19 vaccine Summary of Product Characteristics and Package Leaflet to include important information on the diagnosis and management of this very rare adverse event. Healthcare professionals will be alerted to the signs and symptoms of thromboembolism with thrombocytopenia, as well as the appropriate course of treatment. Following the PRAC recommendation, the Company will resume shipment of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union (EU), Norway and Iceland. The updated EMA and Healthcare Professionals guidance will be available to national healthcare authorities. "The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We appreciate the rigorous review of the PRAC and share the goal of raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of this very rare event to ensure the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. "We strongly believe in the positive benefits of our single-shot, easily transportable COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the health of people everywhere and reach communities in need globally. We are committed to equitable access and to bringing an affordable COVID-19 vaccine to the public on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use." Data from the global ENSEMBLE Phase 3 trial demonstrated the Company's single-dose vaccine provided protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death across demographics and geographies, including areas with emerging variants.1 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently are reviewing these same cases.2 On April 14, 2021, the CDC convened a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to review these cases and assess their potential significance.2 The ACIP plans to reconvene on April 23, 2021, for further discussion. Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, received Conditional Marketing Authorization from the European Commission on March 11, 2021, to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.2 This decision was based on the totality of scientific evidence, including data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study that demonstrated the vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease across all regions studied, and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination.3,4 For more information on the Company's multi-pronged approach to helping combat the pandemic, visit: https://www.janssen.com/emea/our-focus/infectious-diseases-vaccines/respiratory-infections/covid-19. About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.janssen.com/emea/. Follow us at @JanssenEMEA. About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at https://www.janssen.com/emea/. Follow us at @JanssenEMEA. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding development of a potential preventive vaccine for COVID-19. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. REFERENCES: 1 Janssen. Johnson & Johnson Announces Single-Shot Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Met Primary Endpoints in Interim Analysis of its Phase 3 ENSEMBLE Trial. Available at: https://www.janssen.com/emea/sites/www_janssen_com_emea/files/johnson_johnson_announces_single-shot_janssen_covid-19_vaccine_candidate_met_primary_endpoints_in_interim_analysis_of_its_phase_3_ensemble_trial.pdf. Last accessed April 2021. 2 Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Granted Conditional Marketing Authorization by European Commission. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-single-shot-covid-19-vaccine-granted-conditional-marketing-authorization-by-european-commission. Last accessed: April 2021. 3 Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized by U.S. FDA For Emergency Use - First Single-Shot Vaccine in Fight Against Global Pandemic. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-authorized-by-u-s-fda-for-emergency-usefirst-single-shot-vaccine-in-fight-against-global-pandemic. Last accessed April 2021. 4 European Medicines Agency. EMA recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen for authorisation in the EU. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-recommends-covid-19-vaccine-janssen-authorisation-eu. Last accessed April 2021. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Related Links www.jnj.com GroupAssur becomes the Largest Independent Canadian-owned P&C Managing General Agent with this merger MONTREAL, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - GroupAssur, a Canadian Managing General Agent ("MGA") specializing in Property and Casualty ("P&C") insurance lines, today announced that it has merged with Evolution Insurance ("Evolution"), an MGA and wholesaler specializing in complex risks that offers its facilities, programs and services to Canadian brokers. Novacap, one of Canada's leading private equity firms, owns a majority interest in GroupAssur. Following the combination, each company will initially continue to operate under their existing brand names, with an objective of full integration in 2022. Founded in 2008, and led by Yves Daigneault and Louis-Philippe Ferland, Evolution has grown to become a sought-after resource to insurance brokers across Canada. The company specializes in managing complex risks requiring a specialized approach and mindset, with a product that is more adaptive to client needs. The combination of GroupAssur and Evolution creates an even stronger platform with scale to build from across the country. The owners of Evolution will continue as shareholders of GroupAssur. "We are thrilled to bring together two great companies and two great cultures, led by exceptional entrepreneurs," said Marcel Larochelle, Managing Partner, Financial Services at Novacap. "With this transaction, we continue to grow a strong national platform that can meet the needs of brokers and their clients across a broad spectrum of products and geography. Evolution has emerged as a strong player in the P&C marketplace, which will complement well with GroupAssur's product offerings and target markets." "When we partnered with Novacap in 2020, our goal was to build the best MGA platform in Canada. By combining with Evolution, we are well on our way," said Jean-Francois Raymond, President of GroupAssur. "With Evolution's global relationships and expertise, we will be able to have a broader product offering in additional markets with increased distribution. Furthermore, our philosophies are fully aligned, as we are both always striving to meet the needs of our customers and brokers in markets where it is becoming increasingly difficult to find specialized products for clients." "We have known Jean-Francois and GroupAssur for many years and are impressed by the great company they have built," said Yves Daigneault, President of Evolution Insurance. "With Novacap's guidance, we are proud to be joining with this great company in the next leg of our growth. With our combined capabilities, we foresee many great synergistic relationships developing across all of our customer, broker and client networks, for the benefit of all stakeholders." Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP acted as legal advisors to GroupAssur. Lavery de Billy, L.L.P. acted as legal advisors to Evolution. About GroupAssur Founded in 1993 by a group of brokers coming together to provide services to larger enterprises, GroupAssur is an MGA servicing specialized insurance needs of brokers and customers across Canada. The company provides underwriting services for complex insurance policies on behalf of Canadian insurance carriers, international insurance carriers, and Lloyd's of London insurance syndicates. GroupAssur is headquartered in Montreal, QC, with additional offices in Quebec City and Brossard, QC, and Markham, Ontario. For more information, please visit http://www.groupassur.com/. About Evolution Insurance Founded in 2008, and operating across Canada with offices in Terrebonne, Quebec city, Montreal, Toronto and Calgary. Evolution Insurance has become an important resource to insurance brokers and is a market of choice for complex risks requiring a different approach and mindset, and a product that is more adapted to our insured's needs. For more information, please visit https://www.evolutioninsurance.ca About Novacap Founded in 1981, Novacap is a leading Canadian private equity firm with more than C$8B of AUM that has invested in more than 90 platform companies and completed more than 140 add-on acquisitions. Applying its sector-focused approach since 2007 in TMT, Industries and now Financial Services, Novacap's deep domain expertise can accelerate company growth and create long-term value. With experienced, dedicated investment and operations teams as well as substantial funding, Novacap has the resources and knowledge to build world-class businesses. Novacap has offices in Brossard, Quebec and Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please visit www.novacap.ca. SOURCE Novacap Management Inc. Related Links http://www.novacap.ca Kington, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2021 -- The QuickBooks Enterprise an advanced version of the Pro and Premier. With the ability to track over 100,000 customers and vendors with up to 30 users in the company data file, the Enterprise version of QuickBooks comes with a Full Service Plan that includes unlimited technical support, a free upgrade to the most current Enterprise version, as well as online data backup option. QuickBooks Enterprise gives out the feel of an ERP without making the switch to full-on business management software with invoicing, expense tracking, contact management, project management, job costing, and more. The software starts at $1,213 per year for one user and is best suited for bigger businesses or businesses that anticipate significant growth occurring in the near future. According to E-Tech's John Rocha, this version of QuickBooks would just be the right fit if a business has employees in specialized roles and functions, with multiple locations that need to be tracked and managed. QuickBooks Premier, on the other hand, is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses with five users or fewer in need of strong accounting and industry-specific accounting features. QuickBooks Premier hosts several features and more than 200 integrations and comes in the standard edition, Contractor, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Non-profit, Professional Services, Accountant, or Retail. These different editions offer advanced features and reporting specific to a business's industry, allowing 1 to 5 users in comparison to QuickBooks Pro's 3 user limit. QuickBooks Premier comes with three pricing options, a license for $649.99, and a yearly subscription of Premier Plus for $499.99 per year, or Premier Plus Payroll for $949.99 per year. "As business needs change, QuickBooks Enterprise does allow you to add more users - up to a maximum of 30 users and is available in 1-10 user, and 30-user licenses. You can add users up to a 10-user license. If you currently have 10 users, you can upgrade to a 30-user license," Rocha said. "Under these circumstances, most small businesses do not realize that QuickBooks Enterprise may not be the software they need especially if they do not exceed the 14,500 products, customers, or vendors. Most company files do not exceed those limits and in such cases, QuickBooks Pro and Premier can offer the required features at a very economical price." E-Tech's QuickBooks Enterprise Downgrade and Data Conversion Service can downgrade an Enterprise data file to Pro or Premier by accessing data directly -with no loss of information. The service includes the complete conversion of all data including payroll and service subscriptions. More service specifications for E-Tech's QuickBooks Enterprise Conversion Service can be seen at https://quickbooksrecovery.co.uk/quickbooks-data-conversions/quickbooks-enterprise-uk-conversion/. About E-Tech E-Tech is the leading service provider of QuickBooks File Repair, Data Recovery, QuickBooks Conversion and QuickBooks SDK programming in the UK and Ireland. In their 20 years plus of experience with Intuit QuickBooks, they have assisted over 1000 satisfied customers with their requirements. E-Tech UK covers US, UK, Canadian, Australian versions which include Reckon Accounts, and New Zealand versions of QuickBooks through PC and Mac platforms. For media inquiries regarding E-Tech, individuals are encouraged to contact Media Relations Director, Melanie Ann via email at Melanie@e-tech.ca. To learn more about the company, visit: https://quickbooksrecovery.co.uk/ Media Contact Melanie Ann E-Tech 61 Bridge St. Kington HR5 3DJ Melanie@e-tech.ca www.quickbooksrecovery.co.uk When a Pennsylvania state trooper pulled a driver over for a moving violation on Interstate 80 in November, she told the cop the only cash in the car was the $20 in her wallet. That wasnt exactly true. Police said they searched the rental car and found $650,160 in cash stuffed into two shopping bags and a cereal box in the trunk. The feds are now going after that money. In a petition filed in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg, Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler is asking Chief Judge John E. Jones III to order that cash to be forfeited to the government. The money is tied to drug dealing, Brandler contends. According to Brandlers petition, the money was discovered during a traffic stop Trooper Jeremy Hoy of the Butler barracks conducted on a Chevy Impala on Nov. 24 near Williamsport. Hoy said he noticed the hands of the female driver and her male passenger were trembling as they handed him their identification. The driver had rented the car at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport the day before and was scheduled to turn it in at San Francisco International Airport two days after the traffic stop. The driver said they were going to Illinois., Hoy reported, but the passenger said their destination was in Pennsylvania. The passengers face was twitching, the trooper said. He said the driver told him there were no illegal drugs in the car and that the only money the two had was her $20. The bonanza of bills was found after the driver consented to a search of the cars trunk, the forfeiture petition states. Hoy said the driver told him it was her bosss money. A further search of the car turned up a plastic bag containing the odor of marijuana, then a drug detecting dog alerted on the vehicle, the petition states. It states that Hoy called a phone number the driver provided for her boss, identified as Romy Sembiring. Brandler says Sembiring admitted that he owns a CBD company, Superior Bio Science, and stated that its not illegal to drive money. Sembiring also admitted that the currency was being driven to California. Soon after, Sembiring stated that his lawyer would handle the matter and hung up the phone. Brandler says an ion scan conducted in December detected traces of cocaine and oxycontin on the cash. Iran and world powers have made progress in talks to save their 2015 nuclear accord, but much more hard work" is necessary to rescue the deal, a senior European Union official said on April 20. EU envoy Enrique Mora made the statement on Twitter on April 20, adding that talks will resume next week. Discussions in Vienna between Iran, China, Russia, France, Britain, Germany, along with the indirect participation of the United States, are being chaired by the European Union. Participants took stock of progress made in the ongoing discussions in Vienna regarding specific measures needed in terms of sanctions lifting and nuclear implementation for the possible return of the U.S. to the JCPOA and its full and effective implementation, the EU said in a statement, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The joint commission overseeing the talks decided to create a third expert group to start looking into the possible sequencing of respective measures, the statement added. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price welcomed the establishment of the working group and agreed that more work remains to be done. "We have more road ahead of us than we do in the rearview mirror," Price told a regular news briefing. Abbas Araqchi, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, said on April 20 that while the Vienna talks were moving forward, Tehran would stop the negotiations if faced with "unreasonable demands," time wasting, or irrational bargaining, according to Iranian state media. The talks are aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear accord abandoned by the United States in 2018. The EU has been carrying out shuttle diplomacy with U.S. negotiators located in a nearby hotel because Tehran has refused face-to-face talks with Washington. The EU statement on April 20 reiterated the participants resolve to pursue their joint diplomatic effort and the continued separate contacts of the coordinator with all participants and the United States." Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to the talks, said on Twitter that the group would seek practical steps leading to full restoration of the Iranian nuclear deal." The five world powers and Iran remain parties to the original 2015 accord, which offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for limits on the country's nuclear program. However, since the U.S. withdrew from the deal Iran has consistently breached restrictions imposed under the deal. Iran has said it will not return to strict observance of the 2015 agreement unless all sanctions reimposed or added by former President Donald Trump are rescinded first. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has said it is ready to remove "all sanctions that are inconsistent" with the deal, though it has not spelled out which measures it means. Separately, the Iranian government said on April 20 that it had launched enrichment of uranium to 60 percent fissile purity in order to show its technical capacity after a sabotage attack at a nuclear plant that Tehran has blamed on Israel. But the escalation of enrichment can be quickly reversible if Washington drops sanctions, the government said. Biden has called Iran's decision to increase uranium enrichment unhelpful but has said the United States is pleased that Iran is still participating in indirect talks. With reporting by Reuters Policies designed to prevent the misuse of opioids may have the unintended side effect of limiting access to the pain-relieving drugs by terminally ill patients nearing the end of their life, new research led by the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy suggests. A study of more than 2,500 hospital patients discharged to hospice care over a nine-year period showed a decreasing trend of opioid prescriptions as well as an increase in the prescribing of less powerful, non-opioid analgesics, meaning some of those patients might have been undertreated for their pain compared to similar patients in prior years. The findings, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, are an important step toward optimizing pain management and minimizing the suffering of dying patients. Hospice care refers to treatments whose goal is to maximize comfort and quality of life as opposed to prolonging life. Researchers at OSU, Oregon Health & Science University, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Ariadne Labs in Boston, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy used electronic health record data to examine 2,648 discharges of adult patients to hospice care. The discharges were from an acute care, academic hospital between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2018. The average patient age was 65, more than half had cancer, and the study sought to determine the year by year frequency of patients receiving opioid prescriptions. After adjusting for factors that could affect prescription frequency, including age, specific diagnosis and where the patient was to receive hospice care, the results showed a nearly 12% downward trend from the first year (91.2%) to the last (79.3%). "Pain is a common end-of-life symptom and it's often debilitating," said the study's lead author, Jon Furuno, an associate professor and the interim chair of the Oregon State Department of Pharmacy Practice, who notes that more than 60% of terminal cancer patients report "very distressing pain." Opioids, a class of drugs that block pain signals between the body and brain, are an effective pain management tool. But there are barriers, Furuno said, to the optimal prescribing of opioids. Among the hurdles are timely and accurate pain assessments, patient and caregiver concerns regarding addiction, and caregiver concerns about making mistakes in administering the meds. Additional obstacles are policies and practices aimed at limiting opioid use in response to the opioid epidemic. Traced to over-prescribing that began in the 1990s, the epidemic claims more than 40,000 American lives annually, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ten million people a year misuse prescription opioids and 2 million suffer from an opioid use disorder. Opioids can be highly addictive and they exist both as prescription painkillers like morphine, hydrocodone, fentanyl and oxycodone and street drugs such as heroin. Five years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced a guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, and there have been several other federal, state and local efforts over the last 10 years to curb opioid prescribing, Furuno said. There are some concerns, however, that indiscriminate adoption or misapplication of these initiatives may be having unintended consequences. The CDC Prescribing Guideline and the other initiatives weren't meant to negatively affect patients at the end of their lives, but few studies have really looked at whether that's happening. Our results quantify a decrease in opioids among patients who are often in pain and for whom the main goal is comfort and quality of life." Jon Furuno, Study Lead Author and Associate Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Oregon State University Furuno adds that the concurrent increase in non-opioid analgesic prescriptions suggests health care providers remained concerned about pain management even as they wrote fewer opioid prescriptions. "Sometimes non-opioids alone are the best choice, or non-opioids in combination with opioids," he said. "But it's important to remember that non-opioids alone are also not without risk and that delaying the start of opioid therapy may be delaying relief from pain. "Even among patients prescribed opioids during the last 24 hours of their inpatient hospital stay, opioid prescribing upon discharge decreased," Furuno added. "It seems unlikely that patients would merit an opioid prescription on their last day in the hospital but not on their first day in hospice care, and it's well documented that interruptions in the continuity of pain treatment on transition to hospice are associated with poor patient outcomes." Hidden Villa Ranch, the first customer, is one of the nations largest global distributors of cage-free, organic farm fresh eggs and dairy products with a strong focus on sustainability Likido Clean Energy solutions present viable choices for institutions, businesses, and residences joining the worlds mission to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 ( ) said it has recorded the first sales of its LikidoVOLT Clean Energy generators to Hidden Villa Ranch, one of the nations largest global distributors of cage-free, organic farm fresh eggs and dairy products. Sustainability is one of Hidden Villa Ranchs environmental initiatives, Dalrada said in a statement. The benefits of LikidoVOLT include: Energy efficiencies; Utilization of dry fuel sources (propane or natural gas); Continuous 24/7 runtime; Power generation options from 15 kilowatts (kW) 250 kW; and Additional energy savings when combined with LikidoONE heat pump or LikidoCRYO chiller. In conjunction with manufacturing partner Tongrun International (independently-owned and managed facility in Bonham, Texas), Dalrada said it has developed certain features including IOT technology allowing control and monitoring via a managed network. Dalrada said accelerated production is underway in response to the significant interest received from its customers. Dalradas Clean Energy solutions include LikidoVOLT generators, LikidoCRYO chillers, and LikidoONE heating and cooling units. All are made in the US through Dalradas co-manufacturer. Dalradas Likido Clean Energy solutions present viable choices for institutions, businesses, and residences joining the worlds mission to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in support of the Paris Climate Agreement. The company said Likidos headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland is currently aligned with CLIMAGAL SL, one of Spains oldest and leading refrigeration and air conditioning companies to facilitate European climate change policy. Dalrada is an innovation company focused on bringing to the global market sustainability-driven science, engineering, technology, and clean energy solutions, said Dalrada CEO Brian Bonar. "As the nation joins the world in its commitment to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050, Dalrada is extremely excited to provide its first example of LikidoVOLT sustainable energy generator use by Hidden Villa Ranch. Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham Motorcyclist killed in Friday night wreck north of Aberdeen A 27-year-old man died Friday night when his motorcycle and a pickup collided north of Aberdeen, according to the SD Department of Public Safety. ALBANY Prominent New York Republicans flocked to Albany's Renaissance Hotel on Monday to discuss the party's plans for the 2022 gubernatorial campaign as incumbent Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo faces multiple investigations and polls showing decreasing approval of him from the public. The attendees at Monday's gathering pitched themselves to Republican county chairs and other party leaders in a meeting behind closed doors, delivering presentations and answering questions for about 15 to 20 minutes each. The symposium started around 10:30 a.m. and ran into the afternoon. The strong interest among Republican contenders comes as Cuomo, who has indicated he will run for a fourth term in 2022, has faced intense pressure from top fellow Democrats to resign. But the governor has asked the public for patience as he faces multiple investigations into allegations of sexual harassment, his administration's handling of nursing homes during the pandemic, and the state's handling of a cover-up by the company that built the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. Attendees on Monday included multiple county executives, two of whom were previous GOP nominees in gubernatorial races; U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, of Long Island; the son of Rudy Giuliani, and Lewis County Sheriff Mike Carpanelli. Zeldin and Carpanelli have already announced their runs. Several other Republicans, including former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who ran for governor in 2014, and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Andrew Giuliani are still mulling their prospects. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Schuylerville Republican who has raised significant campaign funds, was set to attend but had to cancel at the last minute for a family emergency. Congresswoman Stefanik was not able to attend todays New York GOP event in Albany due to a family health issue. Regarding the 2022 governors race, Congresswoman Stefanik is grateful for the continued encouragement from Republicans, Independents and Democrats across the state and will make a decision in the coming months," Ali Pardo, a spokeswoman for Stefanik, wrote in an email. The unusually bloated field is doubtlessly inflated by the troubles facing Cuomo. The current governor has been accused of covering up nursing home deaths, sexually harassing female aides on his staff and other women, prioritizing testing during the chaotic early days of COVID for his friends and family, bullying members of the Legislature and others, and using his taxpayer funded staff to write his book, for which he received $4 million. The Assembly is conducting an impeachment investigation that is also examining the state's handling of a cover-up of safety breakdowns during the construction of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. A poll from Siena College Research Institute released Monday found that Cuomo's popularity has continued to erode as his administration juggles the multiple scandals, although the positive perception of his handling of COVID-19 remains stubbornly strong. The sample size was 801 registered voters and the margin of error was roughly 4.3 percent. Despite some rough polling numbers, 51 percent of the respondents said Cuomo should not resign compared to 37 percent who say he should and 52 percent to 38 percent say that he can still effectively do his job as governor. Cuomo's struggles have led to the GOP seeking to organize earlier this election cycle than in past years, said Molinaro, Cuomo's 2018 challenger. The candidates and the party recognize the value of getting organized now," he said. We see all the ingredients for an opportunity to provide leadership as Republicans, but the only way that will happen is if New Yorkers see it in us. New Yorkers have to believe that we present the right message and the right capacity to serve them well. Democrats hold a sizable and increasing advantage in voter registration in New York. They claimed super majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature last November, and the last Republican to win a statewide race was then-incumbent Gov. George E. Pataki in the wake of 9/11. Zeldin was the first prominent Republican to announce his bid for the Executive Mansion. His campaign said he has raised $2.5 million in the 10 days since he announced his candidacy money that will be important to compete against Cuomo's massive war chest and to purchase advertising in the expensive New York City media market. In a press conference Monday in West Capitol Park, Zeldin said his fundraising and early entrance in the race are particular boons to his chances of winning. He noted this is the first time in his career that Democrats have full control of the Assembly, Senate and governorship in New York, as well as the House, Senate and White House in Washington, D.C. His candidacy is premised on re-balancing the scales; he's betting that New Yorkers want a low-key, business-friendly Republican in Albany opposite the progressive-dominated Legislature. You could oversimplify and say there are primarily two different aspects of the campaign. ... Its very specific to (Cuomo) from the abuse, bullying, intimidation, harassment," Zeldin said. But were also talking about the failed policies out of Albany. ... They cant spend enough of your tax dollars. They believe that theyre smarter than you. These geniuses who serve in the state Legislature believe that they can increase your taxes and it will have no effect on your behavior. "The home building industry faces a major shortage of skilled workers," said Ed Brady, HBI's president and CEO. "This persistent challenge endangers the affordability and availability of housing and hinders a robust economic recovery." The report, based on research of the Economics Group of the National Association of Home Builders, will be issued semi-annually. The first one is compiled using year-end 2020 data. Citing more recent numbers, Brady said the total shortage of construction workers rose even higher to 309,000 in January 2021. The share of builders reporting a worker shortage was 60 percent. The percentage is especially high relative to the acceleration for total housing starts, which increased from a seasonally adjusted annual rate of under 1 million single-family and multifamily units in April 2020 to a rate of roughly 1.5 million at the end of 2020. The numbers reported pertain to labor directly employed by builders, though builders employ additional workers through subcontractors. "We estimate that builders subcontract more than 80 percent of the construction in the typical home they build," said Brady. "And worker shortages for subcontractors continue to be even more severe." HBI's chief executive stressed that labor represents approximately 30 to 40 percent of the cost of a typical new home. "That share of the costs is rising, due to the shortage of available labor," he said. "When you consider that scarcity of labor causes construction delays, which then creates further costs, you can see how both housing supply and affordability are negatively affected." HBI is the nation's largest provider of training for skilled workers for the residential construction industry. The nonprofit trains approximately 10,000 students each year through an industry-recognized curriculum in 220 sites around the U.S., including in high schools, military bases, community colleges, prisons, training facilities and Job Corps centers. "As a nation, we need to build the next generation of skilled tradespeople," Brady said. "That means recruiting more women. It means training and placing minority, lower income, and at-risk youth for job opportunities as an important way to fight against social inequity. It means providing trade skills education to veterans and transitioning military. And it means reaching out to high school students, and those who influence their decisions, to change their perception of careers in the trades," said Brady. About Home Builders Institute (HBI) The Home Builders Institute (HBI) trains skilled workers for the building industry. Through pre-apprenticeship training, certification programs and job placement services, HBI provides graduates with the skills and experience they need to build a career and change their lives. Visit www.hbi.org for more information on HBI and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Home Builders Institute (HBI) Falun Gong practitioners take part in a candlelight vigil commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Denied Visitation for 18 Months, Retired Colonel Dies in Chinese Prison A retired colonel who was denied visitation for one-and-a-half years passed away while serving a seven-and-a-half-year prison term for upholding his belief in Falun Gong. The traditional mind-body discipline has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. Gong Piqis family was informed on April 12 that he had died shortly after being taken to a hospital for resuscitation, according to a report on Minghui.org. Being denied visitation for 18 months, the grief-stricken family knew very little about Gongs recent experiences or his health condition. Doctors and prison authorities also rejected the familys strong demand to see Gongs body. Only Gongs older brother and nephew were allowed to say goodbye on the condition that they didnt take any photos or make any recordings. Gong, who lived in Qingdao city, Shandong Province, was arrested with his wife on Oct. 16, 2017. The police broke into their home and took $20,000 in cash as well as a computer and other personal belongings, according to an earlier report from Aug. 31, 2018. Gong was sentenced on July 20, 2018, and was serving his prison term in Shandong Province Prison. Records reveal the prison is notorious for torturing Falun Gong practitioners to force them to renounce their beliefs. Retired colonel Gong Piqi (Minghui.org) Gongs head was injured and swollen, and he had blood in his ear, according to his brother. Prison authorities reported that Gong was non-compliant during his high blood pressure treatment, which led to a stroke. Gongs family was suspicious about Gongs reported high blood pressure and questioned why prison authorities did not inform them about Gongs health condition nor grant him medical parole for treatment of long-term high blood pressure. In the prisons surveillance video, shown to the family, Gong was sick in the evening. Later, a prison doctor came to check Gongs blood pressure and left without providing any treatment. The prison report mentioned that Gong fell to the ground around 8:32 p.m. and an ambulance didnt arrive until 9 p.m. 22 Years of Persecution Gongs family spoke about the agony and pain they suffered in the past two decades. I grew up in fear, Gongs daughter said at a rally in San Francisco when Gong was arrested in 2017. Gongs daughter spoke at a rally in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 26, 2017 (Minghui.org) In May 2015, he was tortured and his hair turned gray. He could not walk by himself, and his internal organs were damaged from the beatings, she recalled about the time when Gong was incarcerated in a brainwashing center. Many innocent people, even though they dont practice Falun Gong, have been hurt by the persecution policy. I still remember that my mothers co-workers and her employer were also harassed. Her supervisors had to pay fines, she said. Officially launched on July 20, 1999, the unprecedented, brutal persecution of Falun Gong has resulted in hundreds of thousands of arrests, disappearances, and the documented deaths of over 4,500 Falun Gong practitionersthough the number is feared to be much higher. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese spiritual practice consisting of simple, slow-moving meditation exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It grew in popularity during the 1990s, with 70 million to 100 million adherents in China by the end of the decade, according to official estimates at the time. Feeling threatened by its popularity, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a systematic elimination campaign in July 1999. Since then, millions have been detained inside prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast plc, together with its subsidiaries ('Avast' or 'the Group'), a leading global cybersecurity provider, issues the following scheduled trading update for the first quarter of its current financial year, comprising the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021. Ondrej Vlcek, Chief Executive of Avast, said: "Avast has made a good start to the year with continued demand for the company's security, privacy and performance solutions. The business is trading in line with expectations as we successfully execute on our stated goals to drive customer engagement and monetisation. We look forward to the remainder of the year with confidence." Financial Summary ($'m) Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Change % Change % (excluding FX) 1 Revenue 237.1 214.6 10.5 10.0 Revenue excl. Acquisitions, Disposals and Discontinued Business 2 236.4 213.1 10.9 10.4 For the first quarter, Revenue of $237.1m was up 10.4% on an organic basis3, and 10.5% at actual rates. The Consumer Direct business continued to deliver good growth, while the SMB business also sustained its positive momentum. In March, Avast renewed its contract to promote the Chrome web browser with distribution of its consumer antivirus products and CCleaner utility application, through to March 2022. For the first quarter, Adjusted EBITDA increased 10.3% to $133.7m, resulting in an Adjusted EBITDA margin4 of 56.4%. On 31 March 2021, net debt / LTM ("last twelve months") Adjusted EBITDA per the banking covenant was 1.1x. In March, Avast successfully completed a USD 480 million and a Euro 300 million Senior Secured Term Loan to refinance prior facilities. This extended the Group's loan maturity to March 2028 and further reduced interest costs. FY 2021 Guidance Avast completed the disposal of the Family Safety mobile business on 16 April5. The disposal, which will be modestly earnings dilutive, will benefit reported growth rates over the balance of the year. As a result, for full year 2021 the Group now expects to deliver at the upper end of the six to eight percent organic Revenue growth guidance, with the Consumer Indirect segment likewise revised to low single-digit percent growth. Due to continued R&D and marketing investment, which is second half weighted, guidance for the Group's Adjusted EBITDA margin percent remains broadly flat versus FY 2020. Dividend and AGM The Board has recommended the payment of a final 2020 dividend of 11.2 US cents per share. The scheduled ex-dividend date is 13 May 2021, and the scheduled payment date is 18 June 2021. The company's AGM is scheduled for 6 May 2021. Webcast facilities will be provided to enable shareholders to follow proceedings. Further details are provided in the separate RNS ('Publication of Notice of 2021 Annual General Meeting') and on the Company website at https://investors.avast.com. The company's next scheduled update to the market will be the Half Year Report for the six months to 30 June 2021 on 11 August 2021. ENQUIRIES & MEDIA CONTACT Investors and analysts: Peter Russell, Director of IR [email protected] Media: Stephanie Kane, VP PR and Corporate Communications [email protected] Tavistock: Lulu Bridges / Jos Simson / Heather Armstrong Tel: 020 7920 3150 Notes: 1 Growth rate excluding currency impact calculated by restating 2021 actual to 2020 FX rates. Deferred revenue is translated to USD at date of invoice and is therefore excluded when calculating the impact of FX on revenue. 2 Growth figures exclude Discontinued Business. The Company is exiting its toolbar-related search distribution business, which had previously been an important contributor to AVG's revenues. Separately, on 30 January 2020, the Group decided to wind down the operation of its subsidiary Jumpshot Inc. Together, including the Group's browser clean-up business, referred to above as "Discontinued Business". 3 Organic growth rate excludes the impact of FX, acquisitions, business disposals, and discontinued business. It excludes current period billings and revenue of acquisitions until the first anniversary of their consolidation. 4 Adjusted EBITDA margin percentage is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Revenue. 5 Due to completion of the disposal on 16 April, the Family Safety Mobile business is included in the reported Q1 2021 performance. SOURCE Avast Related Links www.avast.com MDOT virtual public meeting April 28 to discuss I-675 improvements in Saginaw County currently underway Jocelyn Hall, MDOT Office of Communications, 989-245-7117 Transportation WHAT: The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting discussing proposed detour plans along the I-675 corridor during work to repair the pavement and as well as several overpasses spanning the road. During this virtual meeting, there will be a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Questions can be submitted during the meeting using the chat tool. WHO: MDOT staff CA Hull representatives Community stakeholders Local businesses Interested residents WHEN: Wednesday, April 28, 2021 6 p.m. How: Microsoft Teams Virtual Public Meeting To join by phone without using internet, call 248-509-0316 Conference ID: 763 102 918# How to attend a live event in Teams Accommodations can be made for persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking ability. Large print materials, auxiliary aids or the services of interpreters, signers, or readers are available upon request. To make a request, please send it at least seven days prior to the event to: Orlando T. Curry 425 W. Ottawa St. Lansing, MI 48909 Phone: 517-241-7462 Fax: 517-335-0945 TTY: 844-578-6563 CurryO@Michigan.gov BACKGROUND: On April 19, MDOT began a $10.5 million investment in pavement and bridge improvements along the I-675 corridor. This work includes concrete pavement patching along the I-675 roadway and significant steel and structural repairs to the 14th Street bridge spanning I-675. Those repairs include bridge joints, deck patching, and steel railing repairs. MDOT and the project contractor, CA Hull, have developed a revised detour plan to improve worker safety and expedite the project schedule. The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse indicates that, in 2019, 135 roadway workers were killed in work zones. Providing the workers with a full closure and detouring traffic will significantly improve safety for road workers, particularly during concrete patching as that work often occurs directly adjacent to lanes carrying live traffic. Representatives from MDOT and CA Hull will provide an update on the proposed detour plans. COMMENT FORM: Public input is being sought to help MDOT recognize and address any concerns that may result from the project. Please provide concerns/comments by May 12. Provide your comments and questions using the online comment form or by e-mail to Brian Ulman, construction engineer, at UlmanB@Michigan.gov. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Isolated thunderstorms this evening. Skies will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms this evening. Skies will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. [April 20, 2021] Ambac to Release First Quarter 2021 Results on May 6, 2021 Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: AMBC), a financial services holding company, today announced that it will release first quarter 2021 results on May 6, 2021 following the close of the market. Conference Call On May 7, 2021 at 8:30am (ET), Claude LeBlanc, President and Chief Executive Officer, and David Trick, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss first quarter 2021 results during a live conference call. A live audio webcast of the call will be available through the Investor Relations section of Ambac's website, www.ambac.com. Participants may also listen via telephone by dialing (877) 407-9716 (Domestic) or (201) 493-6779 (International). The webcast will be archived on Ambac's website. A replay of the call will be available through May 21, 2021 and can be accessed by dialing (844) 512-2921 (Domestic) or 412) 317-6671 (International), using ID#13717886. About Ambac Ambac Financial Group, Inc. ("Ambac" or "AFG"), headquartered in New York City, is a financial services holding company. Ambac's subsidiaries include: Ambac Assurance Corporation and Ambac Assurance UK Limited, financial guarantee insurance companies currently in runoff; Everspan Indemnity Insurance Company and Everspan Insurance Company, specialty property & casualty program insurers; and Xchange Benefits, LLC and Xchange Affinity Underwriting Agency, LLC, property & casualty Managing General Underwriters. Ambac's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "AMBC". The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Ambac contains substantial restrictions on the ability to transfer Ambac's common stock. Subject to limited exceptions, any attempted transfer of common stock shall be prohibited and void to the extent that, as a result of such transfer (or any series of transfers of which such transfer is a part), any person or group of persons shall become a holder of 5% or more of Ambac's common stock or a holder of 5% or more of Ambac's common stock increases its ownership interest. Ambac is committed to providing timely and accurate information to the investing public, consistent with our legal and regulatory obligations. To that end, we use our website to convey information about our businesses, including the anticipated release of quarterly financial results, quarterly financial, statistical and business-related information. For more information, please go to www.ambac.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005740/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 20, 2021] BlueNalu Announces Scholarship Winners in Joint Collaboration with Research Chefs Association BlueNalu, a leading innovative food company developing a variety of cell-cultured seafood products directly from fish cells, announced this week the winners of the Eat Blue Essay Contest in collaboration with the Research Chefs Association (RCA). The contest, which brought in essay submissions from culinary students around the world, prompted discussions around seafood sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water, representing BlueNalu's commitment to the next generation of future-forward culinarians. The announcement coincides with Earth Day and highlights the role that chefs and food scientists play in shaping sustainable food systems - a critical component to human and planetary health in the years ahead. Open to all 280 culinary student members of RCA, the contest asked students to answer the questions: "What does it mean to you to Eat Blue? How do you incorporate this into your daily life and find inspiration to Eat Blue in your personal and professional journey?" Three finalists were asked to present their essays to a live audience at the RCA+ Culinology Conference held virtually in March 2021. Contest judges from BlueNalu scored the presentations based on a rubric that prioritized empowerment, inclusivity, and ocean optimism. BlueNalu will provide the first, second and third place winners, Clarissha Vallerie Widjaja from Malaysia, Ayesha Arshad from India, and Sarah Caballero from the United States, with a scholarship to support their educational expenses. The contest is based on the principles of Eat Blue, BlueNalu's corporate social responsibility platform for ocean health and seafood sustainability. Founded in accordance with 10 of the 17 United Nations SDGs, particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water, the platform features content from international ambassadors on topics inspired by ocean health, animal welfare, human health and the blue economy. BlueNalu has invited all three essay competition winners to become Eat Blue Ambassadors and share their culinary leadership with a global audience that is hungry for safe, healthy and sustainable seafood. "As a company dedicated to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve life below water, we understand that real change happens because the market responds to a generation of enlghtened consumers. It is critical that we collectively make conscious efforts that support and impact the sustainability, health, and biodiversity of our ocean," said Lou Cooperhouse, President and CEO of BlueNalu. "All of us at BlueNalu are inspired by these students and essay contest winners for their commitment to the principles of Eat Blue. We share their vision for a world that prioritizes ocean health and seafood sustainability, and welcome others to join us in this global call to action." The contest represents BlueNalu's growing culinary focus and role in food innovation. This marks the first collaboration with RCA, and the organizations plan to continue partnering on culinary education and other projects in the future. "I'm very pleased with the success of the Eat Blue Essay contest collaboration. The submissions from all our student applicants were moving and genuine. As the future generations of the culinary movement, there is nothing more important than highlighting the voices of our student members," said Chip Potter, Executive Director at the Research Chefs Association. "RCA is looking forward to collaborating again with BlueNalu to promote culinary innovation in seafood and provide opportunities for students who are passionate about food and the role it plays for our ocean and for our health." The Research Chefs Association is the leading professional community for food research and development. Its members are the pioneers of the discipline of Culinology - the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. BlueNalu's cell-cultured seafood technology is designed to allow it to produce a wide array of seafood products from a variety of species that perform the same as conventional seafood in a range of cooking applications, are 100% yield, pre-portioned and provide a consistent supply of quality seafood without seasonality for chefs and food service operators. With global demand for seafood at an all-time high, and supply chains from both wild-caught fisheries and aquaculture becoming increasingly vulnerable, BlueNalu's expects its products to offer a food security solution that is traceable, secure and safe, and that allow fish populations to regenerate. "The next generation of chefs and food scientists possess the opportunity to create change through food. As an educator, I tell my culinary students that their purchasing decisions and their voice gives them the ability to shape consumer perceptions and drive food trends through their creativity, intention and passion for sustainable food systems," said Chef Gerard Viverito, Corporate Chef for BlueNalu and Associate Professor in Culinary Arts. "Cell-cultured seafood products are as delicious and nutritious as conventional seafood and offer a third option to complement wild-caught and farm-raised fish, in a way that is healthy for people, humane for animals, and sustainable for our planet. And the fact these products are pre-portioned, 100% yield and consistently high quality is a gamechanger for foodservice." "The Eat Blue essay contest inspired me to take action for the ocean by coming together with people who want to make a difference in preserving this earth and celebrating ocean biodiversity. I feel encouraged to bravely pioneer the 'One Planet, One Ocean' concept in my life, especially in my home country," said Clarissha Vallerie Widjaja, a student majoring in Culinology with a Nutrition and Food Analysis extension at Taylor's University in Malaysia, and the first-place winner of the Eat Blue Essay Contest. In celebration of Earth Day 2021, all three winning essays are available at www.eat.blue. To learn more about BlueNalu, please visit www.BlueNalu.com. About BlueNalu BlueNalu's mission is to develop great-tasting, healthy, safe and trusted cell-cultured seafood products that support the sustainability and diversity of our ocean. BlueNalu is aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for our planet. BlueNalu began its operations in 2018 and is based in San Diego, California. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements related to BlueNalu's ability to produce a wide array of seafood products and provide such products to its customers consistently, the ability of BlueNalu's products to perform the same as conventional seafood in a range of cooking applications, have 100% yield and be traceable, secure and safe. These forward-looking statements are based on BlueNalu's current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks that BlueNalu's actual future financial and operating results may differ from its expectations or goals, BlueNalu's ability to commercialize and successfully launch its products, risks relating to BlueNalu's ability to successfully implement its business strategies, competition, including potential generic competition, the ability to protect intellectual property and defend patents, regulatory obligations and oversight, including any changes in the legal and regulatory environment in which BlueNalu operates among others. BlueNalu undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005447/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Then presidential candidate and now President Joe Biden (L) is joined by Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) during a town hall meeting in Ankeny, Iowa, on Jan. 25, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) House Democrat Facing Tight 2022 Race Backs Pelosis Comment That Border Is On a Good Path Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), one of the more vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2022 midterm elections, told Iowa Public Radio in an interview last week that she agrees with House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) remarks that the situation along the southern border is on a good path, even as the number of illegal immigrants has continued to surge. Asked about Pelosis comments, Axne said she agrees with the speaker because we now have a president in office that actually wants to tackle this issue thats been before us for years. We have a broken immigration system in this country. This has been an issue for a long time, she said. Congress first promised to address comprehensive immigration reform over a decade ago. And unfortunately, broken Washington politics and partisanship has meant there hasnt been a fix, she added. Axnes remarks come as the GOP has intensified its criticism of the Biden administration for its handling of the border surge, with the issue likely to weigh on the minds of voters and, potentially, have ramifications in tight races like hers, when Iowans consider who to cast a ballot for in 2022. In November 2020, Axne defeated challengers David Young (R-Iowa) and Bryan Holder (I-Iowa), receiving 48.9 percent of the vote. Her support for Pelosis comments is a political risk, according to National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Mike Berg, who told Fox News that, Axne and Pelosis open borders agenda may play well in San Francisco, but it doesnt work for Iowa. Pelosi faced blowback from Republicans after telling reporters at her weekly press briefing earlier in April that the federal approach to managing immigration at the southern border was improving. The fact is that were on a good path at the border under leadership of President Joe Biden, Pelosi said. Its about restructuring how we do what is happening there, because we were in a very bad situation under the Trump administration. Its about a refugee plan. The Biden administration has repeatedly said it inherited a broken immigration system that will take some time to fix, while blaming the border surge on seasonal factors and on dire conditions in immigrants home countries. Part of Bidens strategy is to address the root causes of migration by providing aid to Central America. Reacting to Pelosis remarks, the House GOP said in a statement, Theres no question that the crisis unfolding on the border is real, its getting worse, and its happening because of President Bidens policies. Another pushback to Pelosis remarks came from fellow Californian and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who said in a statement that a number of metricsincluding record numbers of unaccompanied minors apprehended crossing the borderflies in the face of her assessment. The United States is on track to have 2 million migrants cross our border by the end of Septemberabout twice the population of Delaware, President Bidens home state, McCarthy said. Despite all of these red flags, Speaker Pelosi just last week claimed that the United States is on a good path at the border. The question I ask the speaker [is] if we are breaking all recordsmore fentanyl, terrorists, and people illegally entering than in 20 yearsif thats a good path, what does a bad path look like? the California Republican said. During the month of March, Border Patrol apprehended 172,000 illegal aliens, according to statistics released on April 8 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the most in a single month in 20 years. Also in March, almost 19,000 unaccompanied minorsa record numberwere apprehended by Border Patrol, with the number doubling from February, when 9,400 were apprehended, while the preceding three months that figure hovered around 5,000 per month. A newspaper carrier in Vancouver shot and killed a man he found sitting in his car during a Saturday morning delivery, police said. Vancouver police have not released the identity of either man or what exactly prompted the shooting. Police spokesperson Kim Kapp on Monday said the carrier isnt in custody. Its not yet clear if he will face charges, she said. Officers responded around 4:30 a.m. Saturday to the 700 block of Waterfront Way on reports of a shooting, police said. They found that a newspaper carrier, a 35-year-old man, had left his car to make a delivery and found a man siting inside the car when he came back, police said. Kapp said she didnt know what happened between the two, if the man inside the car had a weapon or if he made threats to the newspaper carrier. Police said the man died from the shooting, but didnt specify whether he died at the scene or at a hospital. The newspaper carrier had a concealed pistol license, they said. The carrier is associated with The Columbian, according to the Vancouver newspaper. Publisher Ben Campbell said the company contracts with independent carriers to deliver the paper, as well as several other titles, including The Oregonian. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 03:02:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close OTTAWA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Canada-U.S. border agreement restricting non-essential travel has been extended another month to May 21 amid the COVID-19 third wave, Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said on Tuesday. "Non-essential travel restrictions with the United States have been extended until May 21st, 2021. We will continue to base our decisions on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe from COVID-19," Blair said in a tweet. The agreement, which was reached in March 2020, has been renewed every month after that. Essential workers such as truckers and emergency service providers are exempt from the restrictions. The new extension came as the United States government on Tuesday warned its people not to travel to Canada due to high levels of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Canada due to COVID-19. The Level 4 travel advisory is U.S. highest level of warning against travel to a country. As of Tuesday noon, Canada reported a cumulative total of 1,136,395 cases of COVID-19, including 23,706 deaths, according to CTV. Canada's national-level data showed a seven-day average of 8,680 new cases daily from April 13 to 19, a seven percent increase compared to the previous seven days, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada on Tuesday. For more than two weeks Canada has been averaging more confirmed cases of COVID-19 per million people than the United States. As of April 19, Canada had an average of 231 cases per million people while the United States tracked 202.78 cases per million. Canada tightened restrictions on travelers crossing the 8,891-km-long border with the United States in February 2021. Some two billion Canadian dollars worth of trade crossed the Canada-U.S. border every day, and before the shutdown about 300,000 people crossed the border daily. Enditem Major new version of Magnitude Angles process analytics solution combines self-service business analytics with BI integrations, cloud-speed deployments Magnitude Software, provider of continuous intelligence for the data-driven enterprise, today announced the release of Magnitude Angles Cloud, a cloud-based version of the company's Angles process analytics solution. Angles Cloud greatly accelerates the delivery of powerful business insights from SAP and Oracle ERP systems directly to operational leaders in finance, supply chain, manufacturing and distribution, enabling them to make faster, more effective business decisions. Traditional business intelligence reporting requires custom development by teams of data scientists, skilled in translating the complex data schema of ERP systems, to build reports consumable by business users. Magnitude Angles provides a context-rich business data model that abstracts this complexity and includes thousands of pre-configured templates and reports to put operational analytics in the hands of business users. By eliminating the need for time-consuming custom development to provide near real-time business insights, business users can now make decisions quickly without having to rely on a data scientist to prepare and translate reports. The core Angles data model can also be connected to leading business intelligence (BI) tools, providing a "business brain" for these platforms that speeds report creation and effectiveness. "It is often a challenge to easily get information out of SAP in a report format," said Steve Hankins, CFO for Morgan Foods International, the largest private label soup manufacturer in the US. "Angles for SAP creates an abstraction layer for reporting that Morgan Foods has made extensive use of over the years and is embedded in the way we do things today. We've got a lot of business processes built around Angles. Because of that, we never considered implementing SAP S/4HANA without Angles. Our upgrade simply would not have been as successful without it." Angles Cloud combines the power of enterprise process analytics with the scale, performance and deployment speed of cloud. As a self-service, cloud-based solution, it can begin offering insights within a single day far faster than any comparative on-premises process analytics platform. "Angles Cloud is a significant milestone in allowing businesses to consume insights and increase an organization's competitiveness," said Jeffrey Shoreman, CEO for Magnitude. "Business insights are available at cloud speed, enabling customers to better anticipate supply chain disruptions, capture additional savings on their payment terms, and out-think and out-maneuver the competition." "We are excited to gain better insight into our supply chain, stock accounting and financial processes by adopting Magnitude Angles," said Hans Platschorre, CFO for Hans Anders, a leading European optical retailer. "Angles Cloud will provide the value of self-service process analytics in a fast, secure and resilient cloud environment." Magnitude Angles empowers the data-driven enterprise to: Deliver deep insights and improved business outcomes through more than 2,000 industry-tailored, no-code business reports Transform ERP data into a source of continuous intelligence for real-time decision making across business functions Reduce the time-to-value of business analytics Improve BI projects with integrations to speed report development Angles Cloud adds: Rapid deployment shortens time-to-insight to a single business day Cloud scale, elasticity and resilience Ability to deploy adjacent to cloud-based ERP landscapes and data warehouses for greater performance To learn more or to request a demo, visit: https://www.magnitude.com/products/process-analytics About Magnitude Software Data is the fuel that powers the modern enterprise. Our mission is to help companies turn their core business data into continuous intelligence, providing actionable insights to shorten the path from data to decision. We enable our customers to connect data across enterprise applications and business processes including supply chain, finance and order management. Our relentless focus on innovation, customer experience and solving business problems is why more than 1,300 enterprises around the world trust Magnitude to put the power of their data into the hands of their business users. For more information visit magnitude.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005369/en/ Contacts: Ashley Paula-Legge Big Valley Marketing for Magnitude Software magnitudepress@bigvalley.co An immigrant child glances back towards Mexico after crossing the border into the United States - Getty The Biden administration has instructed immigration agencies to stop using terms like illegal alien and assimilation, as part of efforts to build a more humane system for those attempting to enter the US. President Joe Biden is reportedly keen to use language that will lower the temperature surrounding the immigration debate, which he believes was heightened under Donald Trump. Alien will become noncitizen or migrant, illegal will become undocumented, and assimilation will change to integration, according to the Washington Post, which has seen memos sent to department heads at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Legal advocates for immigrants have called the outdated terms archaic and dehumanising. Unaccompanied children held in a Rio Grande Valley facility run by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in Donna, Texas. - AP The issue has become one of the most pressing for the new administration. Since Mr Bidens inauguration in late January, the US has seen a dramatic spike in the number of people encountered by border officials. Record numbers have been arriving at the southern frontier, while the number of migrant children in government custody currently stands at 22,000. The government failed to prepare for a big increase in children travelling alone as Mr Biden ended some of his predecessor's hardline immigration policies and decided he would not quickly expel unaccompanied minors like the previous administration. Immigration marks the only issue where more voters disapprove than approve of the presidents handling, according to a recent Morning Consult poll. Some 53 per cent of voters say Mr Bidens changes to Trump-era border policies - not seasonal migration - are causing the current situation at the border. The White House has said that replacing alien with non-citizen recognises the US as a nation of immigrants - a phrase the Trump administration had struck from the mission statement of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Vice President Kamala Harris has been put in charge of tackling the White House approach to the migrant crisis at the southern border - Shutterstock The memos also put the agencies on notice that their attitudes and those of their labour unions that endorsed the former president must change. Story continues As the nations premier law enforcement agency, we set a tone and example for our country and partners across the world, Troy Miller, CBPs top official, said in his memo. We enforce our nations laws while also maintaining the dignity of every individual with whom we interact. The words we use matter and will serve to further confer that dignity to those in our custody. Last month, Mr Biden appointed Kamala Harris, Vice President, to lead the White House effort to tackle migration at the southern border. Ms Harriss responsibilities involve diplomatic relations with the Central American countries known as the Northern Triangle - El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - where many of the migrants begin their journey. Both Mr Biden and Ms Harris have faced criticism for declining to visit the border since they took office in January. It came days after Mr Biden signed an order on Friday limiting refugee admissions this year to the historically low 15,000 cap set under Mr Trump, shelving a plan to raise it to 62,500, drawing the ire of refugee advocates and progressive lawmakers. However, after criticism mounted over the initial decision, the White House issued a statement later the same day saying Mr Biden would set a final, increased refugee cap for the remainder of this fiscal year by May 15. Jen Psaki, the White Houses spokeswoman, said the initial goal of more than 60,000 was now unlikely given the decimated refugee admissions program we inherited." The program for admitting refugees is distinct from the asylum system for migrants. Refugees must be vetted while still overseas and cleared for entry to the country, unlike migrants who arrive at a US border and then request asylum. The president's cautious approach appears to have been tied to concerns over the optics of admitting more refugees at a time of rising numbers of migrants arriving from Mexico. The LNP opposition has made a failed bid to launch an official probe into Queenslands corruption watchdog over abandoned fraud charges levelled at seven Logan city councillors. But a key union is threatening to push the issue again at the ALP state conference next month. A lack of evidence led the Director of Public Prosecutions to drop charges against the former Logan councillors last week, almost two years they were suspended for an alleged plot to oust the councils then-chief executive. The decision to drop charges has sparked calls for changes to the legislation, compensation for the councillors and a probe into the corruption watchdogs actions. Credit:Jimboomba Times At a public hearing of the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee, LNP MP Michael Crandon moved a motion to launch an inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commissions investigation of former Logan councillors, including the process that led to fraud charges. The Tuesday granted interim stay on the Allahabad High Court order directing the Uttar Pradesh government to impose strict restrictions till April 26 in five cities amid surge in COVID-19 cases. There shall be an interim stay on the order of the high court, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said while hearing the state government's plea against the order passed on Monday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, said the state has taken several steps to contain the spread of but to five cities by a judicial order may not be the right approach. He said the state government has issued several directions and taken adequate precaution on the issue. Mehta said the high court order would create immense administrative difficulties. The apex court, while granting interim stay on the high court order, appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha as amicus curiae to assist in the matter. The bench directed that the matter be listed after two weeks. Earlier in the day, the apex court agreed to hear the plea of the Uttar Pradesh government against the high court order after the state requested urgent listing of the matter. The high court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to impose strict restrictions including closing of malls, shopping complexes and restaurants till April 26 in five cities, but stopped short of calling it a "complete lockdown". Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Nagar and Gorakhpur are the cities in which the high court has directed curbs. The high court had said these curbs are "nowhere close to a complete lockdown". Xi says BRI a public road open to all, not private path Chinadaily.com.cn) 10:16, April 20, 2021 President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021, on April 20, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 via video link on Tuesday and delivered the keynote speech. Here are some highlights from his address. On Belt and Road Initiative - The Belt and Road Initiative is a public road open to all, not a private path owned by one single party. - China will expand cooperation with various parties in infectious disease control, public health, traditional medicine and other areas. - China will work with all sides to promote "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and "soft connectivity" of rules and standards in an effort to build a closer partnership for connectivity. - Efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation on green infrastructure, green energy and green finance. - China will work with all willing participants to build the Belt and Road Initiative into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth. Full Text: Keynote speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Your Country Needs You! Beyond The Wire Receives Its Biggest Update Yet with For King and Country [This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.] Vancouver, Canada - 14 April, 2021 - Redstone Interactive and Offworld Industries invigorating Great War FPS is receiving the For King and Country update, which is sure to further enhance the thrilling historical action already present in Beyond The Wire. Available now, players of Beyond The Wire will be able to enjoy two brand new factions, three new maps, and a variety of new weapons at their disposal. With the huge amount of new content in the For King and Country update, Beyond The Wire is further establishing itself as one of the best historical shooters available right now having been released back in October 2020. You can watch the or King and Country update trailer here https://youtu.be/QZb5A-wix3U Turn the tide as the British Expeditionary Force and the Harlem Hellfighters Two historical factions are coming in the King & Country update: The British Expeditionary Force and the Harlem Hellfighters. Whether playing as the brave members of the British Army sent to the western front, or the heroic African-American regiment of the US National Guard, each Faction comes with their own unique look accurate to their real-world attire, so you can re-enact what it was like as a part of these two legendary groups. Fight on the front lines in three brand new maps Where better to take the new factions available in this update than three brand new maps, all based in real historical battles that took place during WW1. Each map is a distinct battleground that players will be able to explore and fight over. Found along the border of Marne and the Ardennes, Sechault was the setting of an important battle for the Harlem HellFighters as part of the 100 days offensive. In game, players can fight across farms built on the chalky white earth this part of France is known for, battling over hastily constructed fortifications and forests decimated by artillery. Part of the third battle of Ypres, Poelcapelle is a battlefield damaged heavily by shelling and flooding. Covered in rain-soaked trenches, players will have to navigate pockets of industrial ruins and underground bunkers to survive. A notable location during the Somme Offensive, Combles allows players to play out a well-known British-French Victory over the Germans. Allied forces approach destroyed villages, forests and fields from the west, while Germans defend an entrenched position in an attempt to hold them off. Both sides clash in the ruins caught between the two forces, resulting in a hectic battlefield experience. Bring new firearms and melee weapons to battle Finally, the For King and Country update puts a whole new selection of weapons in the hands of players. Firearms, like the Pattern 14 (T) Sniper Rifle and the infamous Lewis Gun will help you keep enemies at bay, while the Pattern 1897 Officer Sword and Pattern 1907 SMLE bayonet will assist in close quarters combat. The full list of twelve new weapons can be found below: SMLE Mk III Webley Mk VI Lewis Gun Pattern 14 (T) Sniper Rifle Vickers Mk 1 Heavy Machine Gun QF-13 field gun Pattern 1897 Officer Sword Pattern 1907 SMLE bayonet Bolo Knife Lead Casted Trench Club No. 27 Smoke Grenade No. 5 Mills Bomb You can play Beyond The Wire right now on Steam, with the For King and Country update available right now! For more information on Beyond The Wire, please visit the official website and keep up to date with all the action on Steam, Facebook, Twitter, Discord, Twitch and YouTube. About Redstone Interactive Redstone Interactive Ltd. is an independent game development studio based in British Columbia, Canada. Formed by a coalition of developers and modders, Redstone Interactives primary focus is to create original and memorable gaming experiences with a heavy focus on community. Redstones team consists of 20 developers who all share a deep belief in making exceptional games that deliver long-term value to their players. Redstone prides itself on providing a working environment that allows its employees to challenge conventional wisdom with innovation and insatiable curiosity. Redstone Interactives debut game is Beyond The Wire which is available to purchase now on Steam Early Access. About Offworld Industries Offworld Industries was founded in 2014 by a group of passionate game modders on a mission to build a full-game version of the Project Reality mod. Armed with the goal of partnering and helping indie developers on a similar journey to create outstanding games, Offworld Industries is both an independent game developer and a publishing studio. To aid in that effort, it licenses the Squad Framework to partner studios to provide an agile development framework for new titles. Offworld Industries has published two military tactical shooter games Squad, the studio's internally-developed modern tactical FPS, and Post Scriptum, a World War II team-based FPS developed by Periscope Games. They are also serving as the publisher for Redstone Interactive's WWI game titled Beyond The Wire, which is available now on Steam Early Access. For more information about Offworld Industries, please visit: https://www.offworldindustries.com/ TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received yesterday at Al Safriya Palace the outgoing US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) 5th Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Samuel Paparo. HM, the King hailed decades-long historic relations binding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the US, based on trust, respect and joint coordination as two allies and partners. He praised steadily growing cooperation, particularly in the military and defence fields towards serving joint goals and aspirations, lauding the efforts of Vice-Admiral Paparo, which contributed to bolstering military and defence cooperation. New Delhi, April 20 : A day after announcing Covid vaccine for all above 18 years from May 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the vaccine manufacturers on Tuesday evening through video conferencing. Representatives of top drug makers from India and abroad, including companies whose vaccines have been approved by the government will attend the meeting scheduled at 6 p.m. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is likely to make a presentation and also coordinate with all the participants of the meeting. It is learnt that Prime Minister Modi called the meeting to discuss a plan for the next phase of vaccination starting May 1 in which everyone above 18 years is allowed to take the jab. Till now, Indian drug regulators have approved two vaccines, 'Covidshield' manufactured by Serum Institute in India (SII) and 'Covaxin' by Bharat Biotech, for use in the country. Drug regulators also approved Russian's 'Sputnik V' as the third vaccine marketed in the country by Dr Reddy's Laboratories. Other vaccines manufactured by global giants are also expected to be allowed in the country. On Monday during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi, an important decision of allowing vaccination to everyone above the age of 18 from May 1 was taken. Prime Minister Modi had also held discussions with doctors and representatives of pharma companies in separate meetings. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. He f------ raped me. Uttering those powerful words to her boyfriend on July 25, 2018, a 19-year-old woman accused a political operative for whom she was working of sexually attacking her in a car in Willowbrook earlier that day, a prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday. The alleged victim was betrayed (by) someone she should have been able to trust, said Assistant District Attorney Amir Fadl in his opening argument. That person is sitting in this courtroom. That person is the defendant, Fadl said, referring to Naflan Doole, who sat at the defense table a few feet behind the prosecutor. But the woman and prosecutors are wrong, Mario Romano, Dooles lawyer, said in his opening argument. Doole, 25, had not taken advantage or forced himself on her, he said. They had a consensual encounter, said Romano. Naflan Doole will get up on the stand and will tell you what, in fact, happened that afternoon. There was no rape that afternoon. In fact, in a phone call later that night, the woman became spiteful after speaking to her boyfriend, said Romano. She told Doole, Im going to ruin your life, the lawyer said. The explosive case in state Supreme Court, St. George, is the first criminal jury trial to commence since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in March of last year. Justice Alexander Jeong is presiding. Assistant District Attorney Lisa Davis is also prosecuting the case. There was no mistaking the change over the last 13 months. For precautionary reasons, everyone in the courtroom wore a face mask. Acrylic panels separated sections of the well and courtroom. The jury was spread out. Three jurors sat in the jury box. Three others sat in the well in chairs in front of the box. The remaining six jurors and five alternates were spaced out in benches in one section of the audience. Audience members, including the defendants friends and family members, were spread out on the other side of the aisle. AT DEFENSE TABLE Doole was garbed in a dark suit, white shirt and striped tie. The Graniteville resident wore an American flag pin on his lapel. As he sat at the defense table, he laid out folders, notepads, pens, sticky pads and index cards. During Fadls opening statement, Doole could be seen writing on an index card, which he passed to Romano. At the time of the alleged attack, Doole was an assistant campaign manager for Charles Fall, a Democrat running for the North Shore Assembly seat. Fall won the election that November. The alleged victim was a volunteer for Falls campaign. Fadl said the woman had traveled from Manhattan to Staten Island on July 25, 2018, to help work on Falls campaign. Her boyfriend was friends with Doole, who was her boss. However, after she arrived, Doole said he had gotten a big union endorsement for Fall. The two of them went out to celebrate, driving off in Dooles car. ALLEGEDLY GAVE HER ALCOHOL Doole had several airplane-sized bottles of Ciroc vodka in the car and gave some to the woman, said Fadl. After a while, he drove to a store and got more booze. During that time, the woman became nauseous and vomited, Fadl said. They then drove to the parking lot at the College of Staten Island, Fadl said. It was summer, with few cars there. The woman was still feeling ill, so she got out of the front seat and went to the back seat to rest. Thats when the nightmare began, said Fadl. NIGHTMARE BEGAN Doole also went into the back seat and tried to get the woman to put her head in his lap, he said. She refused, but Doole simply wouldnt take no for an answer, Fadl said. He grabbed her breast. She told him to stop, but to no avail, said the prosecutor. At this point he has her pinned, Fadl said. Doole proceeded to sexually assault her; because he was bigger and stronger, she felt helpless and eventually stopped resisting, said Fadl. Afterward, to cover his tracks, Doole told the woman she had fallen asleep for 45 minutes and he had taken care of her, the prosecutor said. However, she was wide awake the entire time, said Fadl. A little later, the woman called her boyfriend. Doole told the man she had a few drinks, wasnt feeling well, and he let her sleep it off. Doole then drove the woman to meet her boyfriend elsewhere on the Island. After Doole left, she told the man, He wouldnt stop. He wouldnt stop, said Fadl. Later that evening, she told her boyfriend Doole had raped her. Early the next morning, the woman went to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan where she had a rape kit taken. About three months later the test came back positive for Dooles DNA, said Fadl. Meanwhile, a few days after the incident, the woman reported it to the NYPDs Special Victims Unit on Staten Island, Fadl said. When police contacted Doole, he denied having sexual contact with the woman, said the prosecutor. NOV. 2018 ARREST Doole was ultimately arrested on Nov. 2, 2018. He was indicted on felony charges of first- and third-degree criminal sexual act (formerly classified as sodomy), attempted first-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse. The defendant also was accused of misdemeanor counts of forcible touching, sexual misconduct and attempted third-degree rape. In addition, he was charged with giving alcohol to a person under the age of 21. That alleged action violates the state Alcoholic Beverage Control law and is a misdemeanor. When Fall was contacted after Dooles arrest, he told the Advance/SILive.com he was horrified by the allegations. He said Doole was immediately fired. Romano, the defense lawyer, didnt dispute that the woman and Doole had consumed alcohol together. He said she opened the glove compartment in his car and found four small bottles of alcohol inside. The woman and Doole each drank two, he said. Romano confirmed the two drove to the College of Staten Islands parking lot afterward. There, they chatted in the car. Doole told her about the difficulties in his marriage created by his wifes brother, the lawyer explained. The woman spoke about problems she was having with her boyfriend, said Romano. They began kissing and had consensual sex, he said. Afterward, they arranged to tell the same story to avoid getting in trouble. The woman said she would say she got drunk, decided to rest and had passed out, said Romano. However, she later had a change of heart, the attorney said. To foster a breakup with her boyfriend, she said she wanted to tell him that she and Doole had sex, said Romano. Doole asked her not to. He said it would cause problems for him with his spouse. His biggest concern here was something getting back to his wife, Romano said. His second biggest concern was something getting back to his boss. The last thing on his mind was a criminal prosecution. He knew at the end of the day he didnt do what shes claiming. Romano also said had Doole attacked the woman as alleged, you would expect to find bruises or abrasions on her body. However, medical records show there were no marks on her, he said. The trial resumes on Wednesday. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he cannot give any assurances that the current vaccines the UK has against Covid-19 will be as effective against the new variant of the virus that originated in India. Replying to a question asked by India-origin Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi in Parliament to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on Monday, the UK government confirmed they do not know whether the UK's vaccination programme will be effective against the Indian Covid-19 variant. "We are acting on a precautionary basis because I can't give him that assurance. And, of course, we are looking into that question as fast as possible. But that is the core of my concern about the variant first found in India. Is that the vaccines may be less effective, in terms of transmission and/or in terms of reducing hospitalisation and death. "It is the same concern that we have with the variant found in South Africa and is the core reason why we took this decision today, said Hancock. This follows India being placed on the 'red list' for travel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelling his trip to the country. Dhesi asked: "The Prime Minister cancelled his India trip and the government just announced that India has been placed on its travel 'red list', amid devastating surge in Covid cases there. But Health Secretary is still unsure if our vaccines are effective against the new double mutation variant detected there." The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported that a "new double mutant variant" of the has been found in India. It has been named a 'Desi' (Indian) variant. (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.) Warning signs should have flashed around Derek Chauvin years before he murdered George Floyd. A Minneapolis Police veteran of 19 years, he acted more like a ruthless Wild West sheriff than a modern day lawman. He once pulled a gun on some teenagers who shot a toy dart out of their car window. He was a bully who belittled a breast feeding new mother. And, in chilling echoes of what was to come, he held his knee on a black woman suspect as she begged: 'Don't kill me.' Chauvin, 45, worked in one of the city's busiest divisions, the Third Precinct, and on its toughest shift. His desire to work the 4pm to 2am beat gained him admiration from some colleagues but saw him rack up at least 22 complaints, four times the norm. He earned two medals of valour, but other officers said just being around him made them feel uncomfortable. A Minneapolis Police veteran of 19 years, he acted more like a ruthless Wild West sheriff than a modern day lawman Chauvin, 45, was accused of killing Floyd by pinning his knee on the 46-year-old black man's neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as he lay face-down in handcuffs after being detained for using an alleged counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes Chauvin was married to Kellie Xiong, 46, a former radiologist and beauty queen who won the Mrs Minnesota title in 2018 They recalled how he would leave work in uniform with his trousers pulled up higher than most people wore them. His boots were always polished, as if he expected to be inspected by the chief any minute. He didn't fit in with the other cops, rarely socialising and not drinking. One former colleague told the New York Times: 'In a group setting he would never connect and stood there like a small child.' Chauvin grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of West St Paul. His parents divorced when he was seven and his father asked for a paternity test on his sister: it turned out he was not the father. He moved in with his accountant dad and attended four different elementary schools in five years. After working as a US military cop in Germany he joined the Minneapolis Police Force in 2000 aged 24. On nights off he worked as a security guard at the city's El Nuevo Rodeo nightclub. Maya Santamaria, the club's former owner, said that Chauvin was 'nice but he would overreact and lash out quickly', especially on nights popular with black and latinos. Also working there, although it seems they did not know each other, was George Floyd. Chauvin's bad attitude was on display for those unfortunate enough to have come across him years before. Zoya Code, who is black, claims that in 2017 Chauvin put his knee on her even though she was handcuffed. A terrified Miss Code said that she pleaded: 'Don't kill me.' He just stayed on my neck,' she added and when, frustrated and upset, she challenged him to press harder, he did. 'Just to shut me up,' she said. Bodycam footage from two cops accused in the murder of George Floyd shows a rookie officer terrifying Floyd by pointing a handgun at his head and another callously picking a pebble from the squad car tire just inches from the dying man and seconds before he draws his last breath on May 25 in Minneapolis She told Chauvin's fellow officers: 'You're learning from an animal. That man that's evilness right there.' In 2013 he pulled his gun on four teenagers who shot a Nerf gun dart out of their car window. Kristofer Bergh, then 17, said that after an hour during which the teenager who fired the dart was put in the police car, Chauvin let them all off with the warning: 'Most of you will be 18 by the end of the year. That means you'll be old enough for 'big boy jail'.' Julian Hernandez claimed that Chauvin used excessive force when he arrested him at the El Nuevo Rodeo club in 2015. He said: 'He tried to grab me from my neck, and, of course, I reacted. And then, after that, he choked me out on the ground.' Chauvin was formally disciplined for pulling a young mother out of her car and ridiculing her when he saw wet patches on her chest from breastfeeding. According to Melissa Borton, Chauvin, or his colleague, told her: 'You probably have postpartum depression, and you need help.' Chauvin was married to Kellie Xiong, 46, a former radiologist and beauty queen who won the Mrs Minnesota title in 2018. She once described her husband in a local newspaper interview as 'a softie'. 'He's such a gentleman. He still opens the door for me, still puts my coat on for me', she said. Her view has now changed. She filed for divorce two days after Chauvin killed Mr Floyd. CORVALLIS, Ore. - Four decades after their capture more than a half-mile below the ocean's surface, three snailfish species have received their scientific names, two of them from school children on Guam in the island's native Chamorro language. The rare specimens of liparids were collected in the early 1980s in traps set in the Mariana Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, deposited with NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Hawaii and did not get examined until recently, when they were noticed during the center's move to a new location. Oregon State alumnus Bruce Mundy, retired from the National Marine Fisheries Service, learned of the liparid specimens from Robert Moffitt, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center biologist who collected them. Mundy and fellow OSU alum David Stein of the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences describe the new species, Paraliparis echongpachot, P. kadadakaleguak and P. marianae, in a paper published today in Ichthyological Research. "David Stein came to Hawaii to assist with the description of another snailfish species from the depths of the Mariana Trench and visited PIFSC to examine the snailfish specimens," Mundy said. "That's when he found that three distinct, undescribed species were among them." The specimens have been deposited in the Oregon State University Ichthyology Collection, curated by Brian Sidlauskas and Peter Konstantinidis in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences. OSU was selected as the archive for the specimens because the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center does not maintain permanent biological collections. Captured in traps as a byproduct of assessments of deepwater shrimp populations, the species are the first of the snailfish family to be described from the Mariana Islands bathyal zone - between 200 and 2,000 meters deep. There are more than 400 species of snailfishes known from about 30 genera; they have tadpole-like bodies without scales and range from 2 inches to 30 inches in length. Needing cool or cold water, snailfish are most abundant and diverse in temperate and polar areas; in the tropics and subtropics, suitable water temperatures occur only at bathyal depths or deeper. "NOAA research vessels made ichthyological collections throughout the Mariana Islands in the 1980s," Mundy said. "A surprising number of snailfishes, unexamined until recently, were captured. Both collection and preservation have been hard on these soft-bodied, fragile fishes, but the condition of some of them remained good enough that description was possible. Among those are the three in this paper." Students in Guam from elementary through high school age were invited to compete for the right to suggest names for the new species, and two of the student suggestions were chosen by Stein and Mundy. They named the third species, Paraliparis marianae, after the archipelago in which it was found. Alyssa Roces from Okkodo High School suggested the name Paraliparis kadadakaleguak in recognition of the fish's short ribs; in Chamorro, kadada' kaleguak means short rib bone. Aydan Charfauros of Tamuning Elementary came up with Paraliparis echongpachot, choosing echong pachot as the species name because that term means crooked mouth in Chamorro; the mouth is a key defining characteristic of this fish. "Names for new species have traditionally been formed from Greek or Latin words, from the names of people who collected the specimens or from the names of other scientists to honor them," Mundy said. "This has resulted in Euro-American names for species worldwide, a practice that is regarded by some to be colonialist or imperialist. In recent years there has been a movement to form new names from the languages of indigenous people in the areas where new species are found, to reconnect taxonomy to them." Stein, a globally recognized authority on snailfishes who has described more than 100 liparid species, says a goal when trying to invent a name is for it to be "euphonious." "You want a name that sounds good, and I particularly enjoy kadadakaleguak," he said. "I just love it." Stein notes that a gap of four decades between discovery and naming is not unusual. "Several species have been named that were hundreds of years old," he said. "That's one of the reasons museums exist, and it's very important and largely unappreciated." "New studies use old material all of the time, and not only for the identification of new species," Sidlauskas added. "People want DNA samples, stomach contents, parasites of fishes, measurements, photographs and skeletons. We're like a regional branch of a worldwide library of biodiversity, of scientific specimens. We send and receive specimens all the time." ### Pres. Joe Biden is in close contact with local authorities for possible protests across the country after the jury will release its verdict over former Police Officer Derek Chauvin. The jury will release any moment from now their verdict over Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was accused of the death of George Floyd. It can be recalled that it caused unrest and various protests across the country. Biden Contacts States and Local Authorities According to a recently published article in the USA Today, Pres. Joe Biden and the White House are now in close contact with the state and local authorities for another possible unrest and protest after the jury will release their verdict. In another recently published report from Yahoo News, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the latest action of the Biden administration on Monday. She said that the White House contacted the mayors, governors, and local authorities across the country. Police Clash with Protesters in Brooklyn Center Over Officer-Involved Shooting What is the White House Planning? Psaki said that the White House wants to ensure that there is a place for a safe protest. She also explained that this country has gone through an extensive period, especially for the Black community, pain, trauma, and exhaustion, in the ongoing trial and amid other recent high-profile police killings of unarmed Black people. The White House Press Secretary did not directly answer the question when asked if the administration has a plan to deploy troops of National Guards for possible unrest. Instead, she said that there are many ways on how to ensure peaceful protests. She also declined to identify the specific measures the White House is planning and would be willing to take. Psaki also declined and did not give comments if Pres. Biden would be disappointed if Chauvin will be acquitted, according to a published report in The Washington Post. Police Officer Who Shot Daunte Wright Mistakenly Fired Gun Instead of Using Taser, Police Chief Claims Why is Chauvin On Trial? Chauvin is accused of murdering George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man whose neck was pressed under Chauvin's knee for more than nine minutes. An online video of the incident sparked historic international protests against systemic racism and calls for racial justice. It caught the attention of African-Americans that led to various protests across the country. Well-known celebrities also participated in the protests to express their support for the Black American community. It can also be recalled that governors in 21 states activated National Guard troops due to the large-scale protests. There were violent protests in some states, while peaceful protests were also held. The former Trump administration, led by Attorney General Bill Barr, deployed scores of federal law enforcement officials to clamp down on demonstrators around the country, including a high-profile event in which unarmed protestors were tear-gassed at Lafayette Square, a block north of the White House. Barr described the move as a requisite "show of power" at the time. It is still not clear until now if the Biden administration will also deploy National Guards, but what is certain is that Pres. Biden will give a speech after the trial. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Key benchmark indices are trading firm in early trade on buying demand in index pivotals. At 9:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 373.70 points or 0.78% at 48,323.12. The Nifty 50 index was up 122.40 points or 0.85% at 14,481.85. The Nifty regained the key 14,500 mark in early trade. News of vaccine for all above 18 years of age starting from 1 May 2021 boosted sentiment. On the coronavirus front, the vaccination drive will be opened up for all citizens above the age of 18 from May 1, the Government of India announced on April 19. The immunisation drive was currently restricted to only citizens aged above 45. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 1.62%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 1.41%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, is strong. On the BSE, 1701 shares rose and 401 shares fell. A total of 71 shares were unchanged. Stocks in news: ACC rose 2.62%. ACC's consolidated net profit surged 74.2% to Rs 563 crore on 22.7% increase in net sales to Rs 4,213 crore in Q1 FY21 over Q1 FY20. Cement sales volume jumped 21.49% to 7.97 million tonnes in Q1 FY21 as against 6.56 million tonnes in Q1 FY20. Sale of ready mix concrete dropped 10.75% to 0.83 million cubic metres in Q1 FY21 compared with 0.93 million cubic metres in Q1 FY20. On a consolidated basis, the cement major's EBITDA jumped 46.75% to Rs 860 crore in Q1 FY21 as against Rs 586 crore in Q1 FY20. EBITDA margin improved to 20.4% in Q1 FY21 as compared to 17.1% in Q1 FY20. Operating EBIT soared 67.13% to Rs 717 crore in Q1 FY21 as against Rs 429 crore in Q1 FY20. ICICI Bank gained 1.73%. ICICI Bank on April 24, 2021 will also consider fund raising by way of issuance of debt securities including non-convertible debentures/bonds/notes/offshore certificate of deposits in single/multiple tranches in any currency through public/private placement. Tech Mahindra fell 0.57%. Tech Mahindra informed that the Investment Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company has approved the proposal to acquire 100% equity shares in DigitalOnUs, Inc. (DigitalOnUs) directly and indirectly through its wholly owned subsidiary viz. Tech Mahindra (Americas) Inc. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company jumped 7.87%. The company reported sharp fall in consolidated profit to Rs 62.51 crore in Q4FY21 against Rs 178.73 crore in Q4FY20. CRISIL rose 0.86%. CRISIL's consolidated total income for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, was up 11% to Rs 508.7 crore, compared with Rs 458.2 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Profit after tax for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, was Rs 83.5 crore, compared with Rs 88.1 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Aditya Birla Capital (ABCL) advanced 2.87%. ABCL said that its material subsidiary Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited (ABSLAMC) has filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with Sebi for an initial public offering (IPO). Global Markets: Asian stocks are trading mostly lower on Tuesday as China kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged. On the economic data front, China kept its benchmark lending rate for corporate and household loans steady for the 12th straight month at its April fixing on Tuesday, matching market expectations. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.85%. The five-year LPR remained at 4.65%. U.S. stocks slipped from record levels to start the week on Monday as weakness in the technology sector weighed on the broader market. On the coronavirus front, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said he expects the U.S. will resume administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration asked states last week to temporarily halt using the single dose vaccine out of an abundance of caution after six women developed a rare blood-clotting disorder. Back home, the key equity indices ended with significant losses on Monday. A spike in domestic coronavirus cases and localized lockdown being announced by various state governments dented investors sentiment. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, dropped 882.61 points or 1.81% to 47,949.42. The Nifty 50 index tumbled 258.40 points or 1.77% to 14,359.45. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,633.70 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,355.56 crore in the Indian equity market on 19 April, 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.) Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the decision by a jury Tuesday to find Derek Chauvin guilty in the killing of George Floyd shows that the former Minneapolis police officer was not above the law. That, however, does not take away the pain, suffering and agony of Floyds family and friends, the Republican governor said in a statement. Since then, many states and municipalities, horrified by the viral video of George Floyds death, have enacted significant law enforcement reforms including here in Massachusetts. But for many, the most important unanswered question since that awful night has been much more personal: Where is the justice for George Floyd and for that matter, Officer Chauvin, Baker said. But as the countless, tragic events that took place at the hands of law enforcement before and after George Floyds death make clear, there is much to do to correct, reform and reimagine the way law enforcement officers are trained, and how they and their departments are held accountable for their actions. Last May, Chauvin was captured on video pinning Floyds neck with his knee for about 9-and-a-half minutes. On Tuesday, the jury delivered a verdict after two days of deliberations, finding Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder while committing a felony, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Baker said that at the end of last year, Massachusetts enacted one of the most comprehensive police training, transparency and accountability laws in the country. We owe it to all those whose lives have been lost to do all we can to successfully implement that law, and sustain its aspirations far into the future, he said. Prosecutors said Chauvin killed Floyd by kneeling on him while the defense argued that Chauvin acted reasonably, attributing Floyds death to illegal drugs and a heart condition. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement that the verdict sends a message that police violence against people of color must end. The statement reads: Here in Massachusetts, the ACLU will continue to fight for racial justice in George Floyds name. We must prohibit police mistreatment of communities of color like biased surveillance and disparate traffic stops, which lead to people being both underserved and overpoliced. We must divert state and municipal funding from traditional policing toward community-based services like mental health crisis teams, so all communities are truly safe. And we must increase accountability and transparency, including by collecting and publishing statewide racial profiling data. We will not end police violence until we end policing as usual. Floyds death sparked myriad Black Lives Matter protests around the world last year. Protesters condemned police brutality and racism. George Floyds life mattered, and today his family, friends and community got the justice they deserved. But todays verdict does not bring him back, and it only begins to scratch the surface of what our country must do to atone for the shameful, racist policies that have denied and stripped Black Americans of their rights for generations, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey said in a statement. George Floyd deserved to live his life fully. His children deserved to have him grow old with them. His community deserved to have him continue his life of service and mentorship. Chauvin is scheduled to be sentenced in eight weeks. He was remanded to the custody of the Hennepin County sheriff. The convictions for second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, is the first step towards rebuilding trust in communities of color that disproportionately bear the consequences of police violence without a consistent or adequate legal response, Lawyers for Civil Rights said in a statement. News reports have since revealed that Chauvin had eighteen prior civilian complaints filed against him, but only two complaints ended in discipline in the form of letters of reprimand. The convictions on all three counts means the jury, composed of six people of color and six white people, understood that Derek Chauvins actions constituted a crime against Mr. Floyd and were the actions of a depraved mind. They found that a reasonable officer should not have done the same. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey tweeted that the jury made the right call in the name of accountability The officer who murdered George Floyd and showed reckless disregard for the law has been convicted for his crimes. But accountability in this case does not bring George Floyd back, Healey wrote. Sending love to his family, to the millions who are part of this movement, and to Black Americans who experienced collective trauma & grief so acutely this past year. Accountability in this case doesnt erase the fear & pain from centuries of injustices & institutional racism. Today, the jury made the right call in the name of accountability. The officer who murdered George Floyd and showed reckless disregard for the law has been convicted for his crimes. But accountability in this case does not bring George Floyd back. Maura Healey (@MassAGO) April 20, 2021 The Berkshire District Attorneys offices offered condolences to Floyds friends and family. This verdict is more than holding one person accountable, the office wrote in a statement. This verdict is a defining moment of our generation that galvanizes a collective movement toward building a fair justice system that ensures safety for all of the people it represents. Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley tweeted: Black men, I love you, and you deserve to grow old. Black men, I love you, and you deserve to grow old. Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) April 20, 2021 Representative Rep. Carlos Gonzalez issued a statement Tuesday evening after the verdict. Today, the jury in the trial of Derrick Chauvin found him guilty of murder on all charges granting George Floyd and his family the justice they deserve, said Gonzalez, Chair of Public Safety and Homeland Security. This marks an important day for our country, and it shows that our justice system is capable of upholding the society that we aspire to be. Bakers administration has activated 1,000 Massachusetts National Guard members to help local authorities in the event of any large gatherings in response to the verdict. Related Content: Welltec, a global technology company, has signed a long-form contract (LFC) with Saudi Aramco, in an agreement which will see Welltec deliver completion products and services across the Saudi Aramco portfolio in any environment. Welltec began installing WAB metal expandable packers for Saudi Aramco in 2014 as part of a technology trial, and the award of a long-form contract demonstrates how far weve progressed since then, said Kevin Wood, Well Completions Sales Director for Welltec Middle East. Confirmation of this award represents a major step in our partnership with Saudi Aramco which also enables us to continue along the path of exemplary service quality in the execution of completions. With more products being qualified through Saudi Aramco this year, and the addition of an in-country Welltec manufacturing facility, its greatly appreciated that Welltec have been recognized through this award, he added. The approval procedure for this agreement has been extensive and thorough, and such a high standard of qualification brings with it the benefit of an expedited process for the establishment of future agreements between the two companies. The LFC is the highest level of contract in the Saudi Aramco procurement processes, explained Hani Sagr, Area Vice President for Welltec Middle East. It provides the best possible foundation for the provision of our technology and services to Saudi Aramco, enabling us to continue growing our partnership as well as our overall presence in the region. The qualification process included a number of site visits, inspections and audits, with full and detailed reports covering the entire Welltec organization with particular focus on our manufacturing process, added Sagr, before going on to explain that it was December 2018 when proceedings began in earnest. This is not only an excellent recognition of the great teamwork between Welltec and Aramco, it also highlights our commitment to the IKTVA program geared towards in-Kingdom value creation. The combination of this award and the continued expansion of in-house manufacturing at a local level serve as an excellent platform for the future and continued growth in neighbouring countries, a Welltec statement said. TradeArabia News Service "ADS clients can confidently order advanced imaging studies and be ready well before the initiative's deadline." Tweet this ezCDS is a CMS-qualified CDSM for the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) Program, supporting the implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA). Specifically, under the AUC program, physicians must consult a qualified CDSM before issuing advanced diagnostic imaging orders. In addition to facilitating evidence-based medicine and standards of care at the point of care, ezCDS also transforms user experience in healthcare and reduces physician burnout by introducing the first artificial intelligence (AI) digital assistant serving ordering physicians with a voice and conversational interface. ezCDS supports modern interoperability standards with FHIR and CDS Hooks state-of-the-art technology. David Barzillai, President of ADS, said, "Since 1977, ADS clients have relied on our Medics solutions to maximize revenue and efficiency while eliminating bottlenecks and logjams. Our MedicsCloud EHR, which is click-free/voice-navigated through its built-in Medics FlowText, is now greatly enhanced with ezCDS' clinical decision support platform and its voice and conversational interface. With ezCDS, ADS clients can confidently order advanced imaging studies and be ready well before the initiative's deadline. And, our radiology clients can offer optional ezCDS access directly through the MedicsRIS portal for referrers who don't have a qualified CDSM." Cranberry Peak's Founder and CEO, Neculai Archip, Ph.D., MBA, said, "We are thrilled to work with the ADS team, given their customer focus, excellence, agility, and commonsense approach to automation. In these challenging times, we are confident that our combined solutions will help providers easily deploy and implement evidence-based medicine at the point of care. Cranberry Peak is working hard to streamline clinical workflow, optimize ease of use, and to re-invent the user experience in healthcare while focusing on reducing administrative burdens for physicians, giving them more time to spend with their patients." Visit www.adsc.com and www.cranberrypeak.com to learn more about each company's products and services and how they can help you meet both current and future healthcare demands. About Advanced Data Systems Corporation: Established in 1977, ADS is a leader in intelligent, interoperable healthcare automation solutions that support minimized face-to-face interactions and social distancing. Our MedicsCloud Suite and MedicsRCM from ADSCRM features capabilities and options such as the Medics Me FHIR/SMART 21st Century Cures Act app, telemedicine, portals, kiosks, texting, remote patient monitoring, clinical, financial, and operational automation for multiple specialties, including behavioral health organizations, laboratories, and radiology with our MedicsRIS. Clients rely on our systems and services to produce maximized revenue and productivity while providing tools driving patient engagement and enhanced experiences. Contact ADS at 800-899-4237, Ext. 2264 or email [email protected] for more information. About Cranberry Peak: Cambridge, MA-based Cranberry Peak Corp. is a leader in AI, conversational interfaces, and clinical decision support technology. In addition to enabling evidence-based medicine and standards of care, at the point of care, to improve healthcare delivery while reducing physician burnout. For more information, visit www.cranberrypeak.com or email [email protected]. CONTACT: Marc Klar, 973-931-7516, [email protected] SOURCE Advanced Data Systems Corp. Related Links https://www.adsc.com The following is from a Los Angeles Times editorial: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declaration of April as Confederate Heritage Month in his state is a stinging reminder of how hard it is for all Americans to put away our collective racist legacy. The governors press secretary said Reeves signed the proclamation because he believes we can all learn from our history. Certainly we must learn from history, and April is an apt choice. April 1861 marked the beginning of the Confederacys war on the United States. April is when that rebellion effectively ended at Appomattox Court House, four years and more than 600,000 lives later. April is when Abraham Lincoln was murdered. And it is when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered. So April signifies more about the nations heritage than Mississippi might like to admit. The proclamation is simply a dressed-up call to celebrate the wrong part of the states legacy, in much the same way the Confederate battle symbol trumpeted racial segregation from the time it was placed on the official Mississippi flag in 1894. The state took a step forward last June when it retired that flag, and again in January when it adopted a new flag featuring a magnolia instead of the Confederate symbol. That move finally embraced the one million descendants of slaves as authentic Mississippians. The exalting of Confederate heritage undermines that welcome step. Its no easy thing to acknowledge the shameful aspects of the history one was taught to take pride in, and no Americans in any other state need feel smug. California, for example, was built in part on slavery, apartheid and genocide, although even today we dont use those words. Mississippians would be within their rights to call us out for those still widely unacknowledged crimes, as is the rest of the nation to scold Mississippi. We should do our scolding humbly. We also should do it resolutely, being sure to identify, examine and expurgate the injustices we still commit and the symbols that exalt our offenses but never to erase the unadulterated truth about who we once were and who we aspire to become instead. Bahrains high-end shopping destination Moda Mall has announced its Precious Month Ramadan campaign offering shoppers a chance to win a new 2021 Lotus Evora GT luxury car in partnership with Adamas Motors. In addition to the Lotus car, shoppers can win their own customizable Precious Gift List where they will be given the choice to select their own prizes, to be chosen from a specially curated list of designer items from Bang & Olufsen Beosound Headphones & Speakers, Tag Heuer Aquarace Watches, Versace Medusa Belts, Bottega Veneta Leather Wallets, Tumi Luggage, S.T. Dupont Ballpoint Pen, Kooheji Jewellery Gold and Diamond Necklace, Khanna Jewellers 18kt White Gold Diamond Earrings, Projekt 8 W35 Watches and Atyab Perfumes Gift Boxes, said Moda Mall in its statement. There will also be gift cards available from Asia Jewellers which will be drawn weekly, it added. The top Bahraini retail hub said as part of the promotion, its shoppers can nominate one lucky friend or family member to receive a gift card from Asia Jewellers if they win the Precious Gift List. "For every person nominated Moda Mall will drop a Symbolic Pearl into their custom-made 'Moda Precious Moments Well' located in the Fashion Court to demonstrate the kind deed," remarked Chris Gibson, Deputy General Manager of Bahrain World Trade Center and Moda Mall. For every BD30 spent at the refined retail outlets, shoppers are given one entry into The Precious Gift List. Customers can enter online or within Moda Mall at Customer Service Desks. The winners of the Gift Vouchers will be announced weekly with the Grand Prize draw for the Lotus Evora GT and The Precious Gift List taking place on May 18. The reward ceremony will be overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Tourism (MOICT), stated Gibson. "Were proud that Moda Mall leads the way in offering unique rewards, and this latest offer continues that tradition. It is also the first time that shoppers in Bahrain have the chance to win the truly remarkable piece of engineering embodied in the Lotus Evora GT. Ramadan is one of many themed opportunities we will give Moda Mall shoppers to win unique items from our boutiques, many of which cannot be found anywhere else on the island," he noted. Adamas Motors CEO Karl Hamer said: "As part of our launch in Bahrain, 'The Precious Month' campaign is a great example of partnership between Adamas Motors and Moda Mall. We are confident that discerning Bahrain sportscar-lovers will embrace the Lotus brand, with our everyday sensible sportscars that we believe the people of Bahrain will love." "Moda Mall showroom has been selected to be the first location worldwide showcasing the new corporate design. My team and I look forward to welcoming everyone to our beautiful showroom on the ground floor of high-end retail destination which is due to open," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Massachusetts lawmakers filed more than 1,100 amendments ahead of next weeks debate over the Houses fiscal 2022 budget proposal, many of them in efforts to lessen the blow COVID-19 dealt to public education, social services and the economy. House lawmakers proposed funding increases for community centers, hospitals, volunteers and nonprofits who have helped Western Massachusetts residents navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other proposals suggest relief to farmers and other businesses hit hard by the economic downturn. Thats where our focus is going to be, getting people back to work, making sure theyre safe, making sure theyre protected, said Rep. William Smitty Pignatelli, a Lenox Democrat. Traditionally, lawmakers tack all sorts of local funding proposals onto state budgets to support road improvements, nonprofits and small businesses in their districts. While the House proposes close to $2 billion more in spending than Gov. Charlie Baker did in January, House lawmakers increasingly cited COVID-19 as they pushed for more money in many of the 1,157 amendments filed by Fridays deadline. One of several local appropriations on the table is Pignatellis proposal to allocate $100,000 to Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires, a Great Barrington-based clinic that serves seniors, immigrants and low-income residents without insurance. The volunteers have helped clients schedule vaccine appointments during the pandemic. They do yeomans work in an area where we have a shrinking primary care physician population, where we have doctors who are not taking new patients, Pignatelli added. The $47.6 billion budget plan proposed by the House includes a nearly $220 million increase in public school funding accounting for one-sixth of the seven-year funding ramp-up required by the landmark 2019 education law to make up for level funding at the start of the pandemic. The budget also preserves emergency food assistance funding and adds $22 million in financial assistance for families than Baker proposed through Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Rep. Natalie Blais seeks to preserve the Rural Schools Aid funding with a $3 million earmark. The funds would pay for grants to cities, towns, regional school districts, county agricultural schools, vocational schools and other schools, particularly those that saw major enrollment drops. While weve been able to make tremendous progress on rural school aid over the last couple of years, its never been enough, the Sunderland Democrat said. House leaders proposed a $40 million fund for districts that saw fluctuating enrollment numbers during the 2020-21 school year, based on the states foundation enrollment drop of 30,579. The total enrollment drop was closer to 37,000, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The grant funding is also supposed to cover some school transportation needs, House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz told reporters last week. House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, left, and House Speaker Ron Mariano, discuss the fiscal 2022 budget proposal.Steph Solis But education advocates and school committee officials across the state criticized the $40 million allocation, suggesting the fund should be three times as much funding. Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley, a Boston Democrat, filed an amendment to boost the enrollment fund to $120 million. Western Massachusetts lawmakers filed several amendments to bolster the agricultural sector. A dozen legislators, including three from Western Massachusetts, filed an amendment to allow farmers to deduct certain food donations as charitable contributions in their taxes, equal to 25% of market value. Blais wants to earmark $30 million for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIC) program, which paid farmers, food banks, fisheries and other food businesses to provide locally made food for residents struggling to find their next meal. About $25 million would go to eligible for-profit applicants, and $5 million would go to eligible nonprofit applicants. Blais amendment would bring total FSIC funding to $38.6 million, which she said wouldnt meet the full demand. The grant program received more than $200 million worth of requests, Blais said, citing applications from the Department of Agricultural Resources. It just shows how important that program was for the food system in Massachusetts, Blais said. We should be strengthening this sector every chance that we get. Pignatelli proposed earmarking $600,000 for technical and financial assistance to custom slaughter operations and certain poultry operations so they can make upgrades and get approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At least $500,000 would have to go toward facility improvements and staff training. Pignatelli estimates the state has two slaughter facilities left, creating barriers for the burgeoning farm-to-table movement in the Berkshires. Were losing farms. Were losing open space. Were losing agricultural lands because its so difficult to not only have a profitable farm; were making it even more difficult for farmers who are growing food products chicken and cows, dairy and meat to get them to market, Pignatelli said. Its getting very cost prohibitive. Other amendments seek to send money to organizations offering health, education and housing services, including resources during the pandemic. 12/2/2020 - Ronald Johnson, President and CEO at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, interacts with student Aynesha in the remote learning center. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican) Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, a Springfield Democrat, seeks to allocate $500,000 to the UMass Center of Springfield. Another Gonzalez amendment calls for $100,000 for Caring Health Center to offset the cost of valet parking, which is required because parking space is sparse in downtown Springfield. Rep. Bud Williams, also a Springfield Democrat, filed amendments to allocate $50,000 to Springfield Neighborhood Services and $50,000 to Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, which set up a remote learning center during the pandemic. Rep. Angelo Puppolo, a Springfield Democrat, and Rep. Brian Ashe, a Longmeadow Democrat, proposed allocating $75,000 to the Mental Health Association of Springfield. The funds would pay for a pilot program in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District that would address childrens mental health and the long-term effects of COVID-19. Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, a Northampton Democrat, wants to allocate $420,000 to create a Safe Haven location to help people experiencing homelessness in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Safe Haven locations offer supportive housing for six to 18 months to those struggling with mental health issues or substance use disorders. The closest Safe Haven is a Westfield location with under 10 beds, Sabadosa said. The whole goal of it is to help you get the services you need to get a home of your own, she said. Related Content: ROME, APR 20 - Italy is ready to start distributing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine starting Wednesday if the European Medicines Agency and the Italian drug regulator AIFA give the green light, sources said Tuesday. The emergency commissioner's office is prepared to assign to Italy's regions some 184,000 J&J doses which are stocked at Pratica di Mare airport just outside Rome, the sources said. The J&J jab would join the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines already in use in Italy. (ANSA). Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO. Hannibal Hanschke-Pool/Getty Images Elon Musk said he was a "special agent" when he donated to the Republican Party in January. An FEC filing showed that Musk listed his employer as the US Secret Service. He had previously listed aerospace company SpaceX as his employer on political donations. See more stories on Insider's business page. Elon Musk has already changed his title at Tesla to Technoking - and now he's claiming to work for the Secret Service. The tech billionaire donated $990 to the Republican National Committee across January 7 and 8, and listed his job as a "special agent" at the US Secret Service, new Federal Election Commission filings showed. There is no evidence that Musk has any connection to the US Secret Service. In donations made between 2018 and 2020, Musk listed his employer as aerospace company SpaceX, apart from one donation where he listed Tesla as his employer. He is the CEO of both companies. Tesla and SpaceX did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read more: Elon Musk's mastery of memes proves Tesla will never have to pay for traditional marketing The new FEC filings also showed that Musk listed his residence as Little Elm, a city in the wider Dallas area. Musk has been one of the driving forces behind the tech migration from Silicon Valley to the Lone Star State, and has said that he is trying to form a new city called Starbase at SpaceX's launch facilities in Texas. Musk has previously given to both Democrats and Republicans. He has donated to the presidential campaigns of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and former President George W. Bush, FEC filings showed. He also made 14 donations of $2,800 each on November 2 to a range of both Democratic and Republican senators, including Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. Read the original article on Business Insider CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Of the more than 62,000 North Carolinians with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), three-quarters rely heavily on family members for housing and support. With help from Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, the first-of-its-kind community in the state specifically designed to meet the holistic life needs of these residents will move one step closer to reality. HOPE, North Carolina, Inc. (Housing Options for People with Exceptionalities) received a $45,000 Community Reinvestment Grant from Cardinal Innovations for planning the project. The Chapel Hill-based non-profit envisions a multi-generational, mixed-income development for people with and without disabilities. The community is being intentionally planned to facilitate self-determination, larger social networks and more friends, increased community inclusion and participation, more chances to develop and maintain skills that foster independence, and a better, quality standard of living for adults with IDD. HOPE was founded by three parents out of concern for the future of their adult sons with IDD. The organization has since grown to 200+ family members and advocates. "HOPE North Carolina is grateful to Cardinal Innovations Healthcare for the grant, which will help fund the next steps and collaborations with community leaders that will move our project forward," said Dotty Foley, HOPE's President. "Receiving the Community Reinvestment grant from Cardinal Innovations empowers HOPE to continue to work toward creating an inclusive community where all individuals, including those with developmental disabilities, can live meaningful and purposeful lives. We invite others who recognize the need for this to join us in our efforts." "Cardinal Innovations stands with HOPE as they pursue bold, creative solutions for our neighbors living with an intellectual or developmental disability," said Cardinal Innovations CEO Trey Sutten. "We share HOPE's belief that everyone should have the choice to live in a community where differences are accepted and all individuals are valued." A quarter of the project's housing will be set aside for adults with IDD, and rents will be affordable for those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The remaining units will be priced with affordable or market-rate rents and marketed to families and older adults. Amenities will include ready access to public transportation, grocery stores, retail, recreation and employment opportunities for all residents. The project will also include an on-site community facilitator who will encourage and support neighbor-to-neighbor social connections. More than 25 percent of the family providers for adults with IDD in the state are over the age of 60. Concern about the long-term wellbeing of their loved ones, especially limited housing options, was a major catalyst for HOPE, North Carolina's initiative. The organization will use the community reinvestment funds to refine the concept, build organizational capacity and support, and identify a developer partnership for the planned community. About Cardinal Innovations Healthcare: Cardinal Innovations Healthcare is a specialized health plan and care coordinator for Medicaid recipients and the under- and uninsured in North Carolina with complex behavioral and special needs. Cardinal Innovations connects people with treatment and support for mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders through a network of providers in their communities. The organization serves this important role in 20 counties. In 2020, Cardinal Innovations administered nearly $850 million for the care of 825,000 people in the region and invested more than $50 million to improve support systems and to respond to the pandemic. Cardinal Innovations also works with local governments to address public health concerns such as homelessness, suicide prevention, child welfare and domestic violence through education, engagement and outreach. https://www.cardinalinnovations.org About HOPE (Housing Options for People With Exceptionalities): HOPE is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to create an affordable, inclusive community where all individuals, including those with developmental disabilities, can live a meaningful and purposeful life. HOPE is working to assemble the partners and gather the public and private resources needed to realize this vision in the Triangle area. www.hopenorthcarolina.org SOURCE Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Biosensors Market Growth & Trends The global biosensors market size is anticipated to reach USD 41.8 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2021 to 2028. The rising prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity and the growing demand for early and accurate detection of any associated condition are the key driving factors for the market. As per the WHO report, in 2016 over 1.9 billion individuals were overweight, out of which nearly 650.0 million were obese. This has increased the sales of testing and monitoring kits used as medical sensors in the home as well as healthcare settings, thus, boosting the market growth. Furthermore, the outbreak of COVID-19 has drastically spurred the demand for point-of-care testing devices. FDA is giving fast-track approvals to the companies owing to the shortage of these devices globally. For instance, in May 2020, Philips secured 510k FDA clearance for its wearable biosensor, which helps in managing confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals, promoting biosensors technology and product development. Moreover, rapid technological advancements are expected to be a significant factor for market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in June 2020, Abbott received the U.S. FDA clearance for its next-generation, integrated glucose monitor system- FreeStyle Libre 2 intended to measure diabetes in individuals aged 4 years and above and has an optional real-time alarm. Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Biosensors Market Report Biosensors Market Report Highlights On the basis of application, the medical segment dominated the market in 2020 with a revenue share of 66.6%. The device is considered an essential tool in the detection and monitoring of a wide range of medical conditions, such as diabetes and cancer Based on technology, the electrochemical segment dominated the market in 2020 with a revenue share of 70.9% owing to its widespread applications for analysis in biochemical and biological processes The home healthcare diagnostics segment is expected to witness the fastest growth rate over the forecast period owing to the high prevalence of chronic disease globally North America dominated the market in 2020 with a revenue share of 39.9% owing to the presence of a highly developed healthcare infrastructure and favorable reimbursement policies in this region Access Press Release@ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-biosensors-market Biosensors Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global biosensors market on the basis of application, technology, end-use, and region: Biosensors Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Thermal Electrochemical Piezoelectric Optical Biosensors Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Medical Cholesterol Blood Glucose Blood Gas Analyzer Pregnancy Testing Drug Discovery Infectious Disease Food Toxicity Bioreactor Agriculture Environment Others Biosensors End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Home Healthcare Diagnostics PoC Testing Food Industry Research Laboratories Security and Biodefense Biosensors Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) North America US. Canada Europe UK. Germany France Italy Spain Belgium Switzerland Netherlands Russia Asia Pacific Japan China India Australia South Korea Indonesia Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Turkey List of Key Players of Biosensors Market AZUR Environmental Abbott Laboratories Biosensor BV Bayer AG Cranfield Biotechnology Centre Pinnacle Technologies Inc. DuPont Biosensor Materials Ercon, Inc. EG & IC Sensors, Inc. Johnson & Johnson Innovative Biosensors Inc. LifeScan, Inc. Strategic Diagnostics Sysmex Corporation Molecular Devices Corp. QTL Biosystems Roche Diagnostics About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. This Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 file photo shows power lines in Houston. The Biden administration is taking steps to protect the country's electric system from cyberattacks through a new 100-day initiative combining federal government agencies and private industry. The initiative was announced Tuesday by the Energy Department. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) The Biden administration is taking steps to protect the country's electricity system from cyberattacks through a new 100-day initiative combining federal government agencies and private industry. The initiative, announced Tuesday by the Energy Department, encourages owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time. The department is also soliciting recommendations from electric utilities, energy companies, government agencies and others for how to safeguard the energy system supply chain. "Innovative partnerships like these are essential to addressing the urgent cybersecurity challenge because much of our critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector," Emily Horne, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council, said in a statement. The effort, which also involves the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, underscores the heightened concern about the prospects for cyberattacks that disrupt the power supply. Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press this month that the administration was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. A Government Accountability Office report last month found that the U.S. grid's distribution systems, which transport electricity from transmission systems to consumers, are increasingly at risk. It said hackers can use multiple techniques to gain access, including compromising the supply chain by manipulating software or hardware or exploiting virtual private network connections. The report recommended that the Energy Department, the primary federal agency for the energy sector, do more to address those risks. Perhaps the most notable cyberattack on an electric supply in recent years was attributed to Russia and knocked parts of Ukraine's power grid offline in 2015 and 2016. The Justice Department last October charged six Russian hackers, all suspected military intelligence officers, in connection with that attack and a spate of others. The U.S., meanwhile, "faces a well-documented and increasing cyber threat from malicious actors seeking to disrupt the electricity Americans rely on to power our homes and businesses," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement announcing the new effort. "It's up to both government and industry to prevent possible harmsthat's why we're working together to take these decisive measures so Americans can rely on a resilient, secure, and clean energy system," she added. Explore further US looks to keep critical sectors safe from cyberattacks 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. New Delhi, April 21 : While the streets of the national capital wore a deserted look on the first day of the six-day lockdown on Monday, sounds of ambulance siren echoed in the city roads, especially in the areas having dedicated Covid-19 hospitals. In the last seven days (from April 14 to April 20), more than 1,200 (1,202) people have fallen prey to Covid-19 in the national capital, which reported its highest single-day death toll of 277 on Tuesday, taking its overall toll to 12,638 till date. Delhi on Tuesday reported 28,395 new Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, while the test positivity rate rose to 32.82 per cent, according to the health bulletin issued by the Delhi government. As of now, Delhi has as many as 85,575 active cases of which 40,124 are in home isolation. The single-day death toll in Delhi had breached the three-figure mark for the first time in 2021 on April 14 (104), after reporting 81 deaths the day before. Since then, the death toll has been steadily increasing, shattering all previous records. According to Delhi government data, on April 15, the city reported 112 Covid related deaths, 141 on April 16, 167 on April 17 and 161 on April 18. Covid-19 patients are struggling to find a bed in the government hospitals and the situation is worse for those seeking beds with ventilator support. A woman at the LNJP hospital, whose husband is admitted there since Saturday, said, "It has been more than 12 hours, but I have no information about my husband. Usually there is a facility to connect video calls, but since last night, no one is responding. I come here everyday carrying food for my husband. Though the number of general beds in Delhi has been increased, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told the press on Monday that out of the 1,449 ICU beds available with ventilators, only seven were vacant. Out of the 3,146 ICU beds without ventilators, 3,123 were occupied and only 23 were vacant. The Delhi government's Corona App stated that (till 8:30 pm on Tuesday), several big and Covid dedicated government hospitals did not have even a single ICU bed with ventilator support for Covid patients. The list (hospital name - total beds - vacant beds with ventilator support, in that order): The Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital -- 250 -- 0 AIIMS -- 71 -- 4 Safadarjung -- 65 -- 0 Sardar Patel Hospital -- 50 -- 0 Deen Dayal Upadhyay -- 34 -- 0 Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital -- 30 -- 0 Ram Manohar Lohiya -- 28 -- 1 Sir Ganga Ram Hospital -- 90 -- 0 Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) President Rodrigo Duterte still enjoys military support despite complaints over a supposed directive to "exercise restraint" in the maritime dispute with China, a lawmaker said Tuesday. "I heard some complaints from middle-grade officers and even some high-ranking officers of the military. Because much as they would want to protect our territories, parang merong guidance from higher headquarters daw (there seems to be a guidance from the higher headquarters) not to go for it or exercise restraint in doing it," Senate national defense committee chairman Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, himself a former Philippine National Police chief, told CNN Philippines' The Source. Lacson said he does not see these complaints progressing into something else. "The President remains popular and he enjoys massive support from super majority of men in uniform, active and retired. There might be complaints, but it will not escalate into a situation na magwi-withdraw ng support sa Presidente (wherein that will withdraw their support for the President). I would say that with certainty," he added. In his public address on Monday, Duterte said that he felt "downhearted" upon hearing of some military men allegedly withdrawing support for him. He even said he is willing to step down if he no longer has their support. "Talagang downhearted ako (I was really downhearted) because I expected the military to perform well," Duterte said, recounting what happened in a command conference with the heads of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He said during the event, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana submitted to him a document that was "puno ng kabulastugan" or full of foolery. He did not disclose what the document was about. Duterte added that he is willing to step down and go back to Davao City whenever Lorenzana or other generals tell him to do so. "Anytime na kalabitin lang ako ni Delfin na ayaw na pati ako (Anytime Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says that I am no longer needed), you can ask all of them and I said that I'm going home. If I cannot have the cooperation of the Armed Forces then there's no point in working for this government," he said. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon previously told CNN Philippines that there is a Viber group of some retired and active high-ranking military officials who are "very opinionated" about some issues under the Duterte administration. But he did not elaborate if this was the same group referred to in vague social media posts supposedly demanding for government "to denounce China's invasion in the strongest possible terms." The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines denied claims of withdrawing support from their commander-in-chief over Duterte's handling of issues on the West Philippine Sea, branding the rumor as part of an "irresponsible propaganda" and "disinformation" by detractors. Celebrities achieve some of the highest net worths, with some reaching billionaire status. Among those include worldly-recognized film director, producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur George Lucas. As the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movie franchises, he has been very successful with his natural talent for filmmaking. However, Lucas may have been known for a different career path if it wasnt for a tragic accident that made him rethink his future. His career path decision brought us two of the most loved film giants and a nice payday for Lucas. Who is the man behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones? Filmmaker George Lucas | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic The man behind two of the most popular movie franchises is George Lucas. He is best known as the creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but filmmaking was not his first passion. Lucas had a love for cars throughout his teenage years and aspired to become a professional race car driver. With his impressive driving skills, he won several regional events. However, days before his high school graduation, he was in a terrible car accident in which his racing belt failed, and Lucas was thrown from the car and ended up spending four months in the hospital. During his time in the hospital, he reflected on his future and ruled out becoming a race car driver. It was his passion for cars that sparked his interest in photographing racing events. This led to his friendship with renowned cinematographer, Haskell Wexler, and the decision to attend the University of Southern Californias film school. Following his newfound passion for film, Lucas started taking the film world by storm. Lucas wrote and directed American Graffiti in 1973, the debut film produced by his company Lucasfilm and an instant hit. The film received five Academy Award nominations. From there, he released his widely popular space hit, Star Wars, which sparked a cultural phenomenon larger than ever imagined. Star Wars became the highest-grossing film at the time and won six Academy Awards. Then, during the 1980s, Lucas partnered with director Steven Spielberg to create, produce, and co-write the Indiana Jones films. What was Lucas Biggest Success? RELATED: This Celebrity Told George Lucas the Star Wars Opening Made No Sense While Lucas was the mastermind behind two of the most well-known film franchises, surprising, it is not the way he made most of his money. It was the sale of his production studio, Lucasfilm, to Disney in 2012 that brought him most of his wealth. According to USA Today, Disney bought Lucasfilm for a rough value of $4.1 billion in cash and stock. The sale was a shock to the world, and fans of Star Wars were divided on Lucas decision to sell his company, which Lucas even revealed being betrayed by Disneys handling of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. After devoting his life to telling the galactic story, we can understand his criticism when the sequels storyline did not include new ideas or technological advancements. Although the sale of his production company was a major boost to his finances, he was financially successful beforehand. His Star Wars and Indiana Jones films rank among the 100 highest-grossing movies of all time. Besides working on the two most notable film franchises, Lucas also executive produced The Land Before Time. Net Worth of George Lucas As one of the most financially successful and well-known filmmakers, Lucas deserves to enjoy his semi-retirement years. His work and influence in the film industry are why Lucas is considered a significant figure of the 20th century New Hollywood movement. Although the award-winning director and producer may be in semi-retirement, we know that we havent seen the last of his impressive work. According to Insider, Lucas currently has a net worth of $7.4 billion. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Pointe Advisors ("Beacon Pointe") acquires its second Dallas based firm this month, adding $230M D.R. Saur Financial ("D.R. Saur") to its expanding DFW metroplex footprint. Matt Cooper, President of Beacon Pointe Advisors shares, "Beacon Pointe is focused on building scale in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The transaction with D.R. Saur is another step toward that goal. Dan and Lisa Saur are two of the nicest people you could ever meet, and we are thrilled to have them become a part of our hub office in Plano." D.R. Saur Financial joins Beacon Pointe as a tuck-in to one of Beacon Pointe's previous RIA acquisitions, integrating into Beacon Pointe's growing Plano, TX office led by Managing Directors Eric Witte, CFP and Bo Ward, CFP. "As a co-founder of an RIA that joined Beacon Pointe back in 2016, we have firsthand experience of the integration and partnership process. We're very excited to bring the D.R. Saur team into the fold and know that they will benefit greatly from joining a firm, primed for growth, that keeps clients first," shares Eric Witte. Founding D.R. Saur Financial almost 28 years ago, Dan and Lisa Saur have built a sound business with a thriving work culture, being named a top five DFW Best Places to Work firm in 2015 by the Dallas Business Journal. D.R. Saur has focused on serving the niche clientele of medical doctors, dentists, pre-retirees, business owners, high net worth individuals and families. With their clients' best interests in mind, Dan and Lisa Saur, principals of D.R. Saur Financial, looked to merge with a larger firm like Beacon Pointe to have additional scale in technology, investments and service that would enable their advisors to focus more exclusively on serving clientsthe thing they love to do the most. "We believe Beacon Pointe to be a great cultural and investment fit for our existing clients and team members. Beacon Pointe shares our 'client first' commitment and creates a positive work environment for our team," shares Dan Saur, President and Financial Advisor. "I am really thrilled with the prospect of serving as my clients' advisor and letting others at Beacon Pointe take care of virtually everything else that I used to do as a business owner." Early on, Dan Saur earned a commercial pilot's certificate and became a Certificated Flight Instructor, but, ultimately, he decided to pursue a career in investments and financial planning. While Dan's career evolution seems like two completely different arenas of expertise, being a pilot and being a financial advisor have much in common in both roles, an individual sets course and navigates routes with the intention of creating a smooth ride to safely get where it is you want to go wealth planning is no different. Dan then proceeded to launch D.R. Saur Financial in 1993. In 1995, he married the love of his life, Lisa Buchanan, who joined the firm three years later. They have run the company together for the last twenty-three years. Dan's educational background includes a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Alongside Dan, five additional members will be joining Beacon Pointe including Michael Welch, MBA, CFP, Haley Richards Rodriques, CFP, Matthew Wolfe, CFP, CKA, Amy Walley and Lindsay Thornhill. "We are thrilled to welcome the D.R. Saur team into our Beacon Pointe family," says Chief Practice Officer, Commie Stevens, JD. "It was evident from our first meeting with Dan and Lisa that we shared a belief in putting clients first and the understanding of the time it takes to do so. With operational functions off their plates, we are excited to see this accomplished team get to focus solely on helping clients use their wealth to do more of what matters most to them, from securing their lifestyle to making a difference in the lives of friends, family and their communities." The D.R. Saur Financial transaction closed on April 16th and is the sixth RIA acquisition completed by Beacon Pointe in the last six months. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. D.R. Saur Financial was represented by DeVoe & Company, a leading consulting firm and investment bank to RIAs. "The transaction will allow D.R. Saur's team to benefit from Beacon Pointe's comprehensive platform, providing their clients with a broader set of capabilities and enabling the team to be more efficient and effective," said David DeVoe, Founder and CEO, DeVoe & Company. Representatives of Beacon Pointe, D.R. Saur and DeVoe & Company are available for interviews upon request. About Beacon Pointe: Beacon Pointe Advisors is a multi-billion-dollar registered investment adviser headquartered in Newport Beach, California, with offices and clients located nationally. Clients have long relied on Beacon Pointe's professional advisors to help determine investment goals, establish asset allocation guidelines, screen investment managers for selection, evaluate fund performance, and develop strategic financial plans through our proprietary allWEALTH approach. Our advisors' extensive expertise and strong commitment to our clients can be seen through numerous awards, including being recognized by Bloomberg, Forbes, Financial Advisor Magazine, CNBC, Barron's and more. For more information on Beacon Pointe's wealth advisory services, please visit: www.beaconpointe.com. Media Contact: Sara Drake (949) 478-7425 s[email protected] SOURCE Beacon Pointe Advisors Police are investigating following a bomb scare outside a major Melbourne hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Emergency crews raced to the scene outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital just before 5pm. It followed a report of an 'unidentified item' spotted inside a vehicle on Grattan Street in Parkville. There were fears the car parked in front of the hospital contained a number of dangerous gases. Emergency crews raced to the scene outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital just before 5pm on Tuesday after reports of a bomb scare (stock image) A statement from the hospital later confirmed they were working with Victoria Police following the incident (stock image) According to the Herald Sun, Victoria Police and a team of medical specialists are said to be talking to a man inside the hospital who is believed to be connected to the vehicle. In a statement, the Royal Melbourne Hospital said it was 'working with Victoria Police following an incident out the front of the hospital'. 'Thank you to Victoria Police and RMH staff for their quick action during the incident,' the statement read. The vehicle owner was later taken to hospital for a mental health assessment, Victoria Police have confirmed. Elsewhere, Mildura Base Hospital, in Victoria's north-west, were also dealing with a safety threat on Tuesday afternoon. The hospital evacuated non-essential staff as police attempted to find a man who reportedly made threats to attack a patient who was known to him. There were concerns the man had access to a number of firearms. Shipit.to tracking solutions set to revolutionize global supply chains Toronto, Ontario and Tel Aviv, Israel--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Xigem Technologies Corporation (CSE: XIGM) (FSE: 2C1) ("Xigem" or the "Company"), a technology provider for the emerging remote economy, and Israel-based Alperton Ltd., doing business as Shipit.to ("Shipit.to"), today announced they have entered into a letter of intent (the "LOI") for Xigem to acquire a 21% interest in Shipit.to for US$1.1 million. On a continuing basis, this investment will allow Xigem to recognize its share of profit (or loss), after the effective date of acquisition, from the results of Shipit.to. Shipit.to has been developed and commercialized to be a cost-effective shipment-tracking solution providing real-time information about the location and condition of goods being shipped anywhere around the world. Based on Shipit.to's proprietary low-cost disposable trackers and supported by its artificial intelligence-based software, the Shipit.to solution offers an economical means for businesses to monitor shipments as they work their way through the supply chain to end consumers. The system enables consumers to track the full history of a cargo's movements across land, sea or air, with alert notifications for any unexpected delays or rerouting. Shipit.to To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7806/80909_ee12ddb1c468ba12_006full.jpg Shipit.to To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7806/80909_ee12ddb1c468ba12_007full.jpg "Shipit.to has developed an innovative solution with the potential to disrupt the way the world tracks shipments. Their business is perfectly situated to benefit from the increase in e-commerce activity and the growing need for new technologies to help companies manage their global supply chains," said Brian Kalish, co-founder and CEO of Xigem Technologies. "This investment is fully aligned with Xigem's strategy to aggregate technologies designed to enable and disrupt the growing trillion-dollar remote economy. We plan to take advantage of our public platform to build a portfolio of complementary technologies, with Shipit.to's ground-breaking technology being the first of several opportunities that we are evaluating." "We look forward to partnering with Xigem as we reach an inflection point in the commercialization of Shipit.to," said Ofer Lavi, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Shipit.to. "The injection of capital will enable us to further develop our solution and expand our market share. We also expect to collaborate with the Xigem team on identifying specific customer opportunities." According to a recent estimate, the global digital logistics market size is expected to grow from US$17.4 billion in 2020 to US$46.5 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 21.7% during the forecast period.1 The recent shipping backlog in the Suez Canal serves as a reminder of the interdependence of the global supply chain and the importance of having real-time knowledge of the location of goods in transit, as companies turn to supply chain analytics for business continuity planning. With a growing roster of partners providing global reach, Shipit.to trackers have been dispatched, and analyzed across 90 countries for customers such as Damco (a division of Maersk), DSV Global Transport and Logistics, Filtersafe and Maytronics. Pursuant to the LOI, the Company will acquire a 21% interest in Shipit.to in exchange for US$200,000 in cash and US$863,291 in common shares of Xigem. In addition, the Company will appoint a representative to the Shipit.to Board of Directors. The transaction is expected to be completed within the next thirty days, subject to the execution of definitive agreements and the receipt of any regulatory approvals. About Shipit.to Privately owned and based in Israel, Shipit.to is a digital logistics platform with a mission to create supply chain clarity for its customers. The platform uses IoT and machine learning to analyze the needs of the supply chain, predict the risks to its goals, and aid in the decision-making process required to avoid hazards along the entire supply chain. www.shipit.to Facebook: @shipit.to Twitter: @shipitto LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/shipit-to/ About Xigem Technologies Corporation Established in Toronto, Ontario, Xigem Technologies Corporation (CSE: XIGM) (FSE: 2C1) is positioned to become a leading SaaS technology platform for the emerging near trillion dollar remote economy, with software capable of improving the capacity, productivity, and overall remote operations for businesses, consumers and other organizations. "iAgent," the Company's patented technology, will provide organizations, businesses and consumers with the tools necessary to thrive in a vast array of remote working, learning and treatment environments. www.xigemtechnologies.com Instagram: @xigemtechnologies Twitter: @XigemTech Facebook: @xigemtechnologies LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xigem-technologies CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. In particular, forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to (i) the execution of definitive agreements and regulatory approvals required to complete the Company's strategic investment in Shipit.to; (ii) Shipit.to's ability to grow its share of the shipment tracking and global supply chain analytics markets; and (iii) the Company's ability to complete additional transactions designed to grow its portfolio of intellectual property. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and factors include, but are not limited to, (i) unanticipated events that could arise following the date hereof, which could affect the Company's plans to pursue a strategic investment with Shipit.to, and (ii) the Company's inability to secure or maintain regulatory, exchange and/or other approvals necessary to continue its business operations as proposed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. 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 laws. Forward-looking statements, forward-looking financial information and other metrics presented herein are not intended as guidance or projections for the periods referenced herein or any future periods, and in particular, past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results of the Company in this news release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast or projection of the Company's future results. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Xigem Technologies Corporation On behalf of SHIPIT.TO: Ofer Lavi, Chief Product Officer +972737000222 On behalf of the Company: Brian Kalish, Chief Executive Officer For further information: Phone: (647) 250-9824 ext.4 Investors: investors@xigemtechnologies.com Media: media@xigemtechnologies.com Twitter: @XigemTech Instagram: @xigemtechnologies Facebook: @xigemtechnologies LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xigem-technologies www.xigemtechnologies.com ________________ 1 Source: Research and Markets, Digital Logistics Market, September 2020. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80909 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Quaterra Resources Inc. (OTCQB: QTRRF) (TSXV: QTA) ("Quaterra" or the "Company") today announced that a 7,000 -10,000-foot core drilling program will begin during the first week of May at its MacArthur copper oxide project in the Yerington District, Nevada. Costs associated with the program will be internally funded through utilization of funds on hand and funds derived through the recent exercise of Warrants prior to their maturity date. The drill program, with an estimated time frame of 2-3 months, is designed to accomplish three objectives: Test the area east of the current resource for additional oxide mineralization Upgrade portions of the resource from Inferred to Indicated status Explore the under - drilled sulfide mineralization which exists beneath the oxide mineral resource. This drilling program is the first major step toward completion of a prefeasibility study (PFS) which will be followed by a program of large diameter core drilling for the purpose of obtaining fresh samples for metallurgical testing; column testing to refine estimates of copper recovery and acid consumption; and mine plan optimization and financial model updating. The Company estimates that completion of the PFS will require 12-15 months and an expenditure of US$3.5M-$4.0M, dependent upon results and the availability of funds. The successful completion of the PFS will substantially de-risk the project and inform whether the project should proceed to permitting, development, construction and operation. The Company has completed in excess of a year of scoping work, including engineering work with results which suggest that the project may be amenable to a run-of-mine operation which could lower capital and operating costs. Like all acid-leach projects, MacArthur is sensitive to the price of copper, which has recently increased in excess of $4.00/lb. and to the price and usage of acid. The PFS will include a trade-off study to compare building an on-site acid plant versus shipment of acid from off-site, which could further reduce capital costs. More information on timing and milestones for completion of the PFS will be available upon completion of the drill program. About Quaterra Resources Inc. Quaterra Resources Inc. is a copper-gold exploration company focused on projects with the potential to host large-scale mineral deposits attractive to major mining companies. It is advancing its Yerington copper project in the historic Yerington Copper District, Nevada. It continues to investigate opportunities to acquire prospects in North America on reasonable terms and the partnerships with which to advance them. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Thomas Patton, Chairman Quaterra Resources Inc. For more information please contact: Karen Robertson Corporate Communications 778-898-0057 Jay Oness Investor Relations 604-808-9479 Thomas Patton, Chairman Quaterra Resources Inc. 604-641-2758 Email: info@quaterra.com Website: www.quaterra.com Disclosure note: Some statements in this news release are forward-looking statements under applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80987 Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 18:44:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Workers make shoes at the factory of Panda Shoes Industries Ltd. in Gazipur on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 4, 2021. Thousands of households in the Gazipur District on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka have become better off after a Chinese-invested shoemaking factory opened there in 2012. Panda Shoes Industries Ltd. has not only brought investment and development opportunities to the Gazipur District, but also provided jobs at villagers' doorsteps. Moreover, its shoe production has laid a special focus on the local market. That means it makes shoes for the Bangladeshi people to wear. (Xinhua) DHAKA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of households in the Gazipur District on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka have become better off after a Chinese-invested shoemaking factory opened there in 2012. Panda Shoes Industries Ltd. has not only brought investment and development opportunities to the Gazipur District, but also provided jobs at villagers' doorsteps. Moreover, its shoe production has laid a special focus on the local market. That means it makes shoes for the Bangladeshi people to wear. The factory now has the production capacity to make millions of pairs of shoes with a variety of designs. It employs people mostly from Gazipur, which has turned into a growth center from an isolated rural hinterland thanks to the shoemaking factory. The Chinese business people have also built infrastructure facilities in the area, in addition to the shoe factory. This has contributed immensely to the transformation of local landscape, for example in the Mazukhan village. Mosammat Mina Akhter, who has worked for about four years in the Panda factory located in the Mazukhan village, said the local residents now enjoy many kinds of facilities that have emerged after the opening of the factory. "Since we are locals here, we have seen that before I took the job, we did not have any kind of infrastructure like paved roads and shops," she said. Opening of the factory has helped develop this entire area, she added. Besides locals, she said there are also people from different districts of the South Asian country working in the factory. "They are living here and we, the local landlords, benefit from this because we're renting out our houses to them. We've immensely benefited from the establishment of the factory here," she added. Akhter expressed hope that the factory and its surrounding areas will be developed further in the future. Factory staff Dalia Khatun, who comes from Khulna district, some 180 km southwest of Dhaka, said her income has supported herself, her husband and several children leading a better life. "I work here and I'm fine in all aspects, especially financially," she said. "From this company we get all kinds of benefits." Ataur Rahman said doing business with Panda Shoes brings good fortune for him. "Earlier I was a service holder. For the last seven years I have been doing business with Panda," he said. "I've earned profit doing this business." He said he has been doing both wholesale and retail businesses of Panda products in Gazipur. Cai Chunlei, general manager of the Panda factory, said about 11 years ago they came to Bangladesh to make shoes. "We started as a small factory with less than 100 people, and now we've more than 2,000 Bangladeshi staff," said Cai, who is also vice president of the Overseas Chinese Association in Bangladesh. He said Bangladesh, which has a population of about 170 million, is a very large market. "We're very optimistic about the Bangladesh market. If Bangladesh's economy develops further, the domestic demand of shoes will increase exponentially." Currently, he said the company mainly targets the wholesale market in Bangladesh. "We're promoting our brand as well. Our plan is to try to establish this Panda brand within five years as a popular and lovable brand among the locals in Bangladesh," Cai added. "We've also started to open our store online, and we're also preparing to open our outlets offline," he said, adding that Panda's business plan was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic last year. For example, the business was bad with the closure of all schools in Bangladesh for already a year and possibly longer, until May 23. "When the schools are closed, it affects our sales a lot," he said. The factory's production has however continued with strict COVID-19 prevention measures being taken. "We have also guaranteed pay to local workers and did not bring any bad influence on their lifestyle," Cai said. To cope with the COVID-19 impact, Cai added that they need the Bangladeshi government's policy support, such as in taxation, customs, and other facilitations. "Foreign investors like us have been in a very difficult situation during the epidemic. So if the government can give us some support in this respect, of course, this will help us," said the Chinese businessman. "We've brought this place into something similar to a township in the past 10 years," Cai said. "It was not easy." Panda's business will continue to expand to meet the local market demands so that Panda shoes will reach every corner of the country, he added. Enditem ROME It seemed like just another violation of coronavirus social-distance restrictions when the Italian police broke up a luncheon of about 20 people last week near the northern city of Brescia. But then they stumbled onto an illegal massacre on the menu. The authorities caught the group in a local government building preparing a cookout of about 65 protected migratory birds, mostly finches, including two hawfinches, a shy species, and one brambling, known by its orange breast and white rump. The forest division of the carabinieri, Italys national military police force, were tipped off about the illegal lunchtime gathering by a phone call and found the guests surrounding a buffet of appetizers and drinks but no main courses. The guests assured the police that everything was within regulations, with masks on and distance respected. But upon further inspection, carabinieri officers found a large pan filled with dozens of fried songbirds hidden beneath the table. They recognized the protected species, officers said, by the shape of their bills. Some are globally threatened. $20 mn to revolutionise Australian Commonwealth fisheries April 20,2021 | Source: Mirage News The Australian Government will inject $20 million into leading edge data integration, monitoring and artificial intelligence to reduce regulatory burden, increase productivity, support new export opportunities, and improve environmental outcomes for Australias Commonwealth fishers. Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said the $9.95 million E-Fish initiative and the $10.1 million E-Monitoring program would boost innovation and lower compliance costs for hundreds of Commonwealth fishers. Leading-edge, fit-for-purpose data systems will deliver cheaper and more efficient services to commercial fishers, Minister Littleproud said. Australian fishers work hard to ensure they fish within catch limits and environmental standards that are now amongst the best in the world. The E-Fish initiative we are announcing today will streamline and integrate that data and its collection to increase flexibility for operators and reduce the costs of administration. The E-Monitoring program will improve and expand the existing Commonwealth electronic monitoring into additional Commonwealth fisheries. Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries Jonno Duniam said this was the most significant update for Australian fishers since the early 2000s, when they began transitioning from paper records to digital. Commonwealth fisheries have a proud history of developing and delivering new technologies that keep them at the forefront of the worlds best fishing practices, and the E-Fish and E-Monitoring initiatives continue this work, Assistant Minister Duniam said. This will be the most ambitious, advantageous and forward-leaning information management upgrade across the fisheries industry in decades, and will future-proof it for decades to come. E-Fish will make it easier for industry to meet traceability and provenance requirements-meaning more reliable access to a wider range of markets and new export opportunities. E-Monitoring will deliver a cost effective, streamlined, simplified and faster approach to vessel management and reporting, that will save fishers time and money. Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ben Morton said that outdated, slow and costly technologies will be replaced for more than 1,300 fishing related businesses Australia wide. Moving to an integrated electronic system and providing AFMAs regulatory service functions digitally will drive the Australian Government deregulation agenda, leveraging the latest technologies to reduce the regulatory burden placed on Commonwealth and Torres Strait fishers, Assistant Minister Morton said. Rapid access to information on fishing activities will also give fishers the data they need to plan their fishing and marketing operations more efficiently, while avoiding bycatch and protected species, minimising environmental impacts and supporting market access. Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel pointed out the importance of observing the international law to avoid conflicts like the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the future. "The rule-based order is an important principle of coexistence," Merkel said in a video message during the PACE spring session. "When the sovereignty and integrity of countries are called into question, it is contrary to our common values. We saw this during the events in the Nagorno-Karabakh region," the politician noted. "The Council of Europe can play a decisive role here if all its institutions are united," Angela Merkel explained. New Delhi, April 20 : Setting up of more Covid hospitals, using emergency powers and bringing in retired personnel are some of the measures discussed during a preparedness review meeting led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. The Indian government has roped in the armed forces to tackle the surging Covid cases in the country. A roadmap on how military infrastructure can be used to ramp up the fight against Covid-19 was also discussed in the meeting. A senior Defence Ministry official said that a structured dialogue with all the stakeholders took place at the meeting. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar; Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat; Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh; Army chief General M.M. Naravane; Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Vice Admiral Rajat Datta; Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar; Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), G Satheesh Reddy and other senior civil and military officials attended the meeting via video conferencing. The DRDO has set up a Covid hospital in Delhi with 250 beds, and the capacity will be increased to 500 and then to 1,000 if required. Rajnath Singh instructed the concerned officials to set up more fully functional Covid hospitals in Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi and Ahmedabad within 8-10 days and also at other places where they are required. The Defence Minister was informed by the DRDO Chairman that a Covid facility developed by DRDO has again been made functional in New Delhi and efforts are being made to soon increase the number of beds from 250 to 500. He said the ESIC Hospital, which was converted into a Covid hospital in Patna, has started functioning with 500 beds. He added that work is on at a war footing to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and a 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad. There was a discussion on roping in retired military doctors and nursing staff for assistance if they can volunteer. The minister also also suggested to utilise the services of vaccinated retired armed forces personnel to assist the civil administration/state governments to deal with the current situation. During the meeting, Singh also discussed ways to contain the spread of Covid-19 among the armed forces personnel and the officers and staff working in the ministry. He focused on Covid appropriate behaviour at the work place, stressing on the need to strictly follow all the Covid protocols such as wearing masks at all times and maintaining physical distancing. Singh was briefed about the measures taken by the Armed Forces Medical Services, DRDO, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and other departments of the Ministry of Defence such as National Cadet Corps (NCC) in providing aid to the civil administration in this hour of crisis. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) We promise, even with below freezing temperatures and snow in the forecast for some parts of Michigan, summer is on the way. Whether its a ride on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes or a trip back in time to Mackinac Island, we all look forward to our summer getaways, especially after not being able to travel much in 2020. We hope for better days ahead, and the possibility of doing much more in 2021. Thats why were seeking out Michigans Best Vacation Spot. Weve left the criteria wide open. Wed love to hear about the cities and towns you are looking forward to exploring, the hiking trail you cant wait to get back on, the lake that calls your boats name, the river that needs a visit from your kayak, the park that always shows you a great time, Michigans Best reporter Amy Sherman wrote in our kick off story on Monday. READ: Where is Michigans Best Vacation Spot? Now its time to tell us your favorite Michigan vacation destination. Just fill out the form below and nominate away. Please include details as to why these places are extra special. The deadline is noon Friday, April 23. After we gather your nominations well put together regional polls and you can vote. Well be sharing poll results and more stories with you over the next few weeks. Follow along on our Michigans Best adventures @mlivemibest on Twitter @mlivemibest on Instagram Facebook at MLiveMIBest. Join in by using the hashtag #mibest. Our most recent search was for Michigans Best Fish Fry. In addition: Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail. John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo. John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman of Michigan's Best meet up with a park ranger at Kitch-iti-kipi, Michigans largest freshwater spring, located at Palms Book State Park in Manistique in the Upper Peninsula.John Gonzalez More Michigans Best Drink up these dank Michigan beers for 4/20 Its all aces at Loaded Dice, a new Michigan brewery Michigans first gluten-free brewery will open this summer in Grand Rapids Sip these Michigan beers to celebrate spring Michigans Best Burger just got bigger, better Plant-based BBQ? Its a growing trend at this award winning spot The Codfather Part II: Fans line up for hours to try this fish Senior women in the law are calling for Australias new attorney-general Michaelia Cash to appoint a female judge to fill a Federal Court vacancy in Victoria, after the appointment of nine men and no women to the state registry by the Coalition government. Legal sources say a female Victorian QC is a frontrunner for the position, left vacant by former attorney-general Christian Porters promotion of Simon Steward, QC, to the High Court in December. Marcia Neave said the recent run of male-only appointments to the Federal Court in Victoria was disappointing. Credit:Simon Schluter Nine appointments have been made to the Victorian registry since the Coalition government was elected in 2013 all of them men. Women Barristers Association policy officer and Australian Women Lawyers director, Astrid Haban-Beer, said the invisible woman syndrome affecting the registry was outrageous. The United States has again urged Russia to allow independent doctors to see Aleksei Navalny as the jailed Russian opposition politician ends the third week of a hunger strike amid concerns that his health is failing badly. "We call on them to allow for access to necessary and independent medical care immediately," State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a briefing on April 20, after a team of doctors seeking to examine Navalny was again turned away from the prison where he is being treated at an infirmary. Price added that Russian authorities were responsible for his deteriorating health and said the United States is "certainly looking and will not hesitate to use additional policy tools, should that be in our interest and in the interest of human rights in Russia, in the context of Mr. Navalny." Anastasia Vasilyeva, Navalny's personal doctor and the head of the Alliance of Doctors union, said a group of physicians came to the penitentiary and requested to see the Kremlin critic, only to wait several hours without success. In an Instagram post, Navalny described himself as now looking like a "skeleton staggering around his cell," and joked: "They can use me to scare children who refuse to eat: Masha, if you dont eat porridge, you will be like that man with big ears, shaven head and hollow eyes. President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic wrote that he was glad to hear from his lawyer about broad sympathy and support for him in and outside Russia. The lawyers said he had become "very weak" and that "it's hard for him to speak and sit up." Navalny's health has rapidly deteriorated in recent days and he could suffer cardiac arrest "any minute," Vasilyeva and three other physicians, including a cardiologist, said in a letter to Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service last week as they pleaded for access to Navalny. Navalny's colleagues and supporters have harshly criticized his transfer to the prison hospital, saying that the correctional colony he was moved to is in fact infamous for its brutal treatment of inmates. His doctors have complained that prison hospitals don't have the proper staff or adequate facilities to treat his ailments. The severity of the situation prompted Navalny's team to call for nationwide protests on April 21 that Russian authorities have looked to stifle in recent days by rounding up Navalny's supporters and members of his teams across Russia, while authorities issued thinly veiled warnings over unsanctioned rallies. Vasilyeva and two other doctors -- Yaroslav Ashikhmin and Aleksei Erlikh, spent more than seven hours outside the prison checkpoint waiting to meet the prison warden to get his permission to enter the penitentiary. A duty officer at the checkpoint kept saying that they would meet with the warden, or one of his deputies, at some point, but in the end, Vasilyeva and her team were informed that the time for meeting with prison officials had ended and there was no way for them to enter the facility. "We were not allowed to get in. We waited since 9 a.m. They pulled our legs, giving us empty promises, meanwhile, our doctors cancelled their appointments [to come here]. Extreme disrespect an intimidation of doctors. Obvious threat to Aleksei [Navalny's] life and health," Vasilyeva wrote on Twitter. Navalny was moved from his prison to a hospital in another correctional facility over the weekend, with his condition listed as "satisfactory" by prison authorities, the same designation they gave him days before he launched his hunger strike on March 31 to protest the lack of treatment he was getting over acute back and leg ailments. Since then, his wife has warned that his weight was down to 76 kilograms, 17 less than when he entered the notorious Correctional Colony No. 2, about 100 kilometers from Moscow. Lawyer Olga Mikhailova and one of her colleagues were able to get access to Navalny on April 20, and said Navalny had agreed to a glucose drip that he was given on April 18. However, they also noted that nurses had failed multiple times to find his vein, citing that as evidence that the prison infirmary was not up to providing proper medical care. "Medical care in this particular case is not being given," Mikhailova said. Navalny's case has further isolated Moscow at a time when U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has announced tougher economic sanctions against the Kremlin and the Czech Republic, a member of NATO and the European Union, has expelled Russian spies, accusing Moscow of playing a role in a deadly 2014 explosion at an ammunition storage depot. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 20 expressed concerns over the health of the jailed opposition politician. "The German government, together with others, is pressing for him to receive adequate medical treatment," Merkel told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Navalny was arrested in January on his arrival from Germany, where he was treated for a poisoning in Siberia in August last year with what was defined by European labs as a nerve agent. He has accused Putin of ordering the poisoning, which the Kremlin has denied. A Moscow court in February converted a 3 1/2-year suspended sentence on a charge that Navalny and his supporters call politically motivated to real jail time, saying he broke the terms of the original sentence by leaving Russia for Germany for the life-saving treatment he received. The court reduced the time Navalny must spend in prison to just over 2 1/2 years because of time already served in detention. As Navalny's supporters tried to build support for the rallies, security officials across the country sprung into action in an attempt to scare off protesters. In a thinly veiled warning, Moscow authorities, who have broken up previous rallies and arrested thousands of people, said on April 20 that the protests were "unauthorized." Meanwhile, police in the city of Kurgan in Russia's Urals Federal District on April 20 detained a coordinator of Navalny's team in the city, Aleksei Shvarts, on a charge of repeatedly violating the law on organizing public events such as the April 21 rallies. The day before, two members of Navalny's team in the southern city of Krasnodar, Alipat Sultanbegova and Maryam Dadasheva, were detained for announcing the April 21 rally. A member of Navalny's team, Anton Overin, in the Siberian city of Ulan-Ude, disappeared on April 20 after he visited the city administration, where he planned to ask permission to hold a pro-Navalny rally on April 21. His colleagues suspect he was detained by law enforcement. In the town of Berezniki in the Perm region, police visited local activist Artyom Faizullin on April 20 to question him regarding the pro-Navalny rally scheduled for April 21, but Faizullin refused to answer any questions, citing Article 51 of the constitution. The article says a person cannot be compelled to testify against themselves. With reporting by OVD-Info, MBKh Media, Reuters, and Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) speaks at a hearing to examine the 2020 Census and current activities of the Census Bureau at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 23, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Senators Unveil Bipartisan Bill to Protect US Workers From Chinas Unfair Trade Practices Two U.S. senators on April 16 unveiled a bipartisan proposal that seeks to strengthen domestic trade remedy laws and protect U.S. workers from what they called Chinas unfair trade practices. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the Eliminating Global Market Distortions to Protect American Jobs Act, saying in a statement that strengthening U.S. laws will ensure they remain effective tools to fight back against Beijings trade practices. The legislation will protect U.S. workers in industries that are important to the state of Ohio, Portman and Brown stated. The bill would establish a new concept of successive investigations to improve the effectiveness of the U.S. trade remedy system in responding to repeat offenders and serial cheaters, helping to level the playing field for U.S. workers. It also would help block steel overcapacity that leaves steelworkers and companies in the state at a competitive disadvantage, they stated. In the past decade, Chinas communist regime has created large state-owned enterprises in several industries such as aluminum, steel, and solar panels through hefty government subsidies. Then-President Donald Trump, in an effort to tackle Chinas unfair trade practices, imposed tariffs on a long list of Chinese imports, including aluminum and steel, which sparked the U.S.China trade war. The two sides signed a phase one trade deal in January 2020, requiring China to buy an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods and services during 2020 and 2021, compared to 2017 levels. However, a report published in February found that China has bought just 57 percent of what it promised under the deal. For decades, Chinas unfair trade practices have cost countless U.S. jobs and hurt our economy, Portman wrote on Twitter in announcing the legislation. Its time we stand up to China by taking action to protect jobs in sectors that are important to Ohio and the nation as a whole. Portman said the bill will strengthen U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws to challenge Chinas trade practices and protect American workers. Nowhere is Chinas disdain for the free market more evident than in the steel overcapacity crisis. Twenty years ago, China produced 18 percent of the worlds supply of steel. Now it is roughly 50 percent, Portman stated. Today, it is steel, but tomorrow, it could be electric vehicles or semiconductors. This overcapacity is the result of deliberate choices by China to subsidize their industries and degrade the free market in pursuit of global market dominance, all at the expense of American jobs. Brown said in a statement that trade cheats have shuttered plants across Ohio, put residents out of work, and distorted markets. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen our trade remedy laws, make clear the U.S has the tools to fight back against these harmful practices, and will help keep Ohio workers on the job, he stated. Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), applauded the proposal. He says that its a push in the right direction toward promoting fairer competition for U.S. industry, and will give Americans confidence that their government has every tool available to fight for a level playing field for every American worker. Frank Fang contributed to this report. BALTIMORE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ADX) and Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc. (NYSE: PEO) elected Janis F. Kerns as Vice President, effective April 15, 2021. Ms. Kerns also serves as General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer of the Funds. Prior to joining the Funds in 2018, Ms. Kerns represented closed-end funds and business development companies for over seven years in the Financial Services Practice Group at the law firm of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough. Ms. Kerns also spent three years as senior counsel in the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Investment Management. Prior to that, she represented mutual funds for over six years in the Investment Management Practice Group at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster. Ms. Kerns began her legal career as an attorney for investment management firm PaineWebber, Inc. and has more than 20 years of legal and compliance experience in the investment management industry. "We are pleased to recognize Janis' many contributions to our Funds. She serves as a valuable member of the Funds' senior management team," said Mark Stoeckle, CEO of Adams Funds. Ms. Kerns holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Wake Forest University and earned her Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law. She is a member of the bar in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and actively represents the Funds within the closed-end fund industry and the Investment Company Institute. ### Since 1929, Adams Funds has consistently helped generations of investors reach their investment goals. Adams Funds is comprised of two closed-end funds, Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ADX) and Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc. (NYSE: PEO). The Funds are actively managed by an experienced team with a disciplined approach and have paid dividends for more than 80 years across many market cycles. The Funds are committed to paying an annual distribution rate of 6% or more, providing reliable income to long-term investors. Shares can be purchased through our transfer agent or through a broker. For more information about Adams Funds, please visit: adamsfunds.com. Contact: Lyn Walther Director of Shareholder Communications 800.638.2479 [email protected] SOURCE Adams Funds A toddler died after he was run over on a farm in Indiana, officials say. The LaGrange County Sheriffs Office says a man was delivering calves Monday to the farm near Wolcottville in northeastern Indiana, WANE reported. After speaking with the driver, the boys father and his siblings went to a barn to prepare for the calves and the driver reversed his pickup truck with a trailer, The News Sun reported. The (15-month-old) slipped out of the house unbeknownst to the parents, Lt. Don Faust told the newspaper. The driver stopped after realizing he hit something and discovered the injured boy on the ground, WPTA reported. The child was flown to a hospital in Fort Wayne, where he was pronounced dead, the news outlet reported. The sheriffs office said criminal charges wont be filed, The News Sun reported. Toddler dies in farming accident when hes pinned by equipment, Wisconsin sheriff says SEATTLE (PRWEB) April 20, 2021 Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has announced the top online programs for 2021. The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 1,280 accredited colleges and universities in the nation. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The methodology also uses an algorithm which collects and analyzes multiple rankings into one score to easily compare each school. Students who pursue any one of these programs can expect to gain employment much quicker in comparison to candidates without a degree. In addition to accessibility and cost, the steady job growth in this market is one of the many reasons Intelligent.com researched and ranked the Top Online Masters in internet Security Degree Programs. Intelligent.com analyzed 191 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 37 making it to the final list for Online Masters in internet Security Degree Programs. To access the complete ranking, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/best-online-masters-in-internet-security-degree-programs/ 2021 Online Masters in internet Security Degree Programs featured on Intelligent.com (in alphabetical order): Bellevue University Champlain College Dakota State University Drexel University EC-Council University ECPI University Excelsior College Florida Institute of Technology George Mason University Iowa State University Johns Hopkins University La Salle University Lewis University Liberty University Mercy College National University New York University Norwich University Penn State World Campus Robert Morris University Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Southern Arkansas University Southern New Hampshire University Syracuse University University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley University of Charleston University of Colorado Boulder University of Dallas University of Delaware University of Detroit Mercy University of Maryland Global Campus University of Rhode Island University of San Diego University of Southern California Western Governors University Wilmington University About Intelligent.com Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. The website offers curated guides which include the best degree programs as well as information about financial aid, internships and even study strategies. With comprehensive, user-friendly guides and hundreds of program rankings, Intelligent.com is a trusted source among students and prospective students. To learn more, please visit https://www.intelligent.com/. Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/intelligent_com_announces_best_online_masters_in_internet_security_degree_programs_for_2021/prweb17879973.htm Please disable your ad blocker, and refresh the page to view this content. By Jennifer Hiller HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil on Monday floated a proposal for a public-private carbon storage project that would collect planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. petrochemical plants and bury them in deep under the Gulf of Mexico. The plan would require "$100 billion or more" from companies and government agencies to store 50 million metric tons of CO2 by 2030, with capacity potentially doubling by 2040, Joe Blommaert, president of Exxon's Low Carbon Solutions business, said in an interview. Blommaert outlined the plan on Monday, about two months after the largest U.S. oil producer appointed him to run a new Low Carbon Solutions business that could profit from selling carbon-reduction technology and services. Houston has a large concentration of "hard-to-decarbonize" industry near the Gulf, said Blommaert. "We could create an economy of scale where we can reduce the cost of the carbon dioxide mitigation, create jobs and reduce the emissions," he said. SHAREHOLDERS URGE CHANGE Exxon, which suffered a $22.4 billion loss last year, is battling shareholder groups that want the company to shift to cleaner fuels, including a hedge fund that wants four board seats to drive proposed changes. Exxon has pledged to increase spending on low-carbon projects and lower the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions. While many oil and gas companies have seized on carbon capture programs to offset emissions, "it is not something that's going to save them from having to go through the energy transition," said Rob Schuwerk, executive director of the North American office of Carbon Tracker Initiative, a think-tank that analyzes the financial implications of a clean fuel transition. Burying carbon dioxide underground "is not going to be a solution that works to preserve fossil fuel industries for an extended period of time," said Schuwerk. The carbon storage project is proposed for the Houston Ship Channel, a 50-mile (80-km) long waterway that is part of the Port of Houston and home to dozens of refineries and chemical plants. Exxon acknowledges that the proposal will require enormous support from other companies and from federal, state and local government agencies. Story continues PURSUING RIVALS The company is contacting potential partners on the project among its refining and chemical rivals. Investors, banks and government officials have been receptive, said Exxon spokesman Casey Norton. The project aims to capture CO2 from the 50 largest industrial emitters along the Houston Ship Channel, said Guy Powell, vice president of Low Carbon Solutions. CO2 would be piped to offshore reservoirs up to 6,000 feet (1.83 km) below the sea floor, he said. Exxon projects carbon capture will be a $2 trillion market by 2040. The company has supported a carbon tax that would use market incentives to reduce emissions and supported the United States rejoining the Paris climate accord. "This could be the catalyzing project that puts carbon capture on the fast track," said Powell. "There's a lot of investment money looking for a home in these ESG-type investments, he said. (Reporting by Jennifer Hiller; Editing by Chris Reese, Sam Holmes and Sonya Hepinstall) MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan said on Tuesday he would travel to the United States this week for consultations, four days after the Kremlin suggested that Washington recall him amid a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Russia recalled its own ambassador to Washington last month after U.S. President Joe Biden said he thought his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was a "killer", and the two countries imposed new sanctions on each other last week. Despite the dire state of relations, the Kremlin has not ruled out Biden's proposal for a summit between the two leaders in Europe. Putin will also deliver a speech on Thursday at an online climate summit hosted by Biden. "I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations between the United States and Russia," Sullivan said in a statement on the website of the U.S. embassy. But he said he would return to Moscow in the coming weeks "before any meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin." White House press secretary Jen Psaki later told reporters that "that is absolutely the intention" for Sullivan to return to Russia after visiting his family and members of the new administration. She said she was not aware of a meeting scheduled between Sullivan and Biden. "He'll return to Moscow soon," she said. Sullivan's return to Washington is coming at an "opportune time" as the administration formulates "a new approach to Moscow," State Department spokesman Ned Price told a briefing. "This is a good time for the ambassador to come back to undertake those consultations." Last Thursday, Washington imposed new sanctions on Russia for alleged malign activity, including interfering in last year's U.S. election, cyber hacking and bullying neighbouring Ukraine. It has also warned Russia of "consequences" if Alexei Navalny, an opposition politician on hunger strike in prison, were to die. Moscow retaliated with sanctions against the United States, and has rejected what it sees as foreign interference in the Navalny case. (Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy, Maria Vasilyeva, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber, Jonathan Landay, Simon Lewis and Jarrett Renshaw; Writing by Alexander Marrow and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Alex Richardson and Sonya Hepinstall) Malis military has killed at least 34 people and disappeared 16 or more during recent operations in the war-torn centre of the Sahel state, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday. The rights group made the allegations in a report based on dozens of interviews testifying to massacres and beatings allegedly committed by security forces in several towns and villages in central Mali between October 2020 and March. The region has become the epicentre of a jihadist insurgency which first emerged in northern Mali in 2012 before spreading to the centre and neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Jihadists and soldiers are often blamed for abuses against civilians in the brutal conflict, which has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The HRW report said that soldiers blindfolded and severely beat dozens of passengers on a bus in the town of Boni on March 23 over suspicious material allegedly found in the baggage compartment. At least 13 of those passengers have been disappeared, the report said. In October near the village of Libe, according to the report, soldiers killed 25 people, many of whom were trying to flee. Overall, the report said at least 34 people were killed and 16 forcibly disappeared between October and March in the poor Sahel country. Malis security forces have shown scant regard for human life during recent counter-terrorism operations, Corinne Dufka, HRWs Sahel director, said in the report. Committing serious abuses in the name of security only fuels recruitment into abusive armed groups and undermines trust by local populations, she warned. HRW said that the latest alleged abuses had occurred since the military deposed president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in a coup in August. It added that the interim government has pledged to investigate the findings. Dufka said however that the Malian authorities had failed to make good on many previous such commitments. Rights groups regularly accuse Sahel armies of indiscriminate rights abuses. In late December, UN investigators accused Malian security forces of war crimes, and jihadists and other armed groups of crimes against humanity. A couple spotted walking a wild-looking dog near an elementary school last week face legal trouble after a concerned citizen called wildlife authorities. The animal looked a little too untamed to trust, and the caller was right, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Agents received a complaint of a large wolf-like animal, a department release said, and the caller was worried about the safety of the schoolchildren. The same canine had attacked someone in the Lafayette neighborhood before, the caller told officials. Agents went to the home of Andrew Hill, 47, and Jill Kraemer, 49, to see the pet, which seemed to be a wolf. To be certain, agents took the animal to test its DNA and confirmed it was a gray wolf, the release said. It is illegal to have a gray wolf in Louisiana, and possessing one can carry a fine of $100-$350 and up to 60 days in jail. Hill and Kraemer were cited on a charge of possessing a live gray wolf. The animal is being kept at a K-9 training facility. LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast plc, together with its subsidiaries ('Avast' or 'the Group'), a leading global cybersecurity provider, issues the following scheduled trading update for the first quarter of its current financial year, comprising the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021. Ondrej Vlcek, Chief Executive of Avast, said: "Avast has made a good start to the year with continued demand for the company's security, privacy and performance solutions. The business is trading in line with expectations as we successfully execute on our stated goals to drive customer engagement and monetisation. We look forward to the remainder of the year with confidence." Financial Summary ($'m) Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Change % Change % (excluding FX) 1 Revenue 237.1 214.6 10.5 10.0 Revenue excl. Acquisitions, Disposals and Discontinued Business 2 236.4 213.1 10.9 10.4 For the first quarter, Revenue of $237.1m was up 10.4% on an organic basis3, and 10.5% at actual rates. The Consumer Direct business continued to deliver good growth, while the SMB business also sustained its positive momentum. In March, Avast renewed its contract to promote the Chrome web browser with distribution of its consumer antivirus products and CCleaner utility application, through to March 2022. For the first quarter, Adjusted EBITDA increased 10.3% to $133.7m, resulting in an Adjusted EBITDA margin4 of 56.4%. On 31 March 2021, net debt / LTM ("last twelve months") Adjusted EBITDA per the banking covenant was 1.1x. In March, Avast successfully completed a USD 480 million and a Euro 300 million Senior Secured Term Loan to refinance prior facilities. This extended the Group's loan maturity to March 2028 and further reduced interest costs. FY 2021 Guidance Avast completed the disposal of the Family Safety mobile business on 16 April5. The disposal, which will be modestly earnings dilutive, will benefit reported growth rates over the balance of the year. As a result, for full year 2021 the Group now expects to deliver at the upper end of the six to eight percent organic Revenue growth guidance, with the Consumer Indirect segment likewise revised to low single-digit percent growth. Due to continued R&D and marketing investment, which is second half weighted, guidance for the Group's Adjusted EBITDA margin percent remains broadly flat versus FY 2020. Dividend and AGM The Board has recommended the payment of a final 2020 dividend of 11.2 US cents per share. The scheduled ex-dividend date is 13 May 2021, and the scheduled payment date is 18 June 2021. The company's AGM is scheduled for 6 May 2021. Webcast facilities will be provided to enable shareholders to follow proceedings. Further details are provided in the separate RNS ('Publication of Notice of 2021 Annual General Meeting') and on the Company website at https://investors.avast.com. The company's next scheduled update to the market will be the Half Year Report for the six months to 30 June 2021 on 11 August 2021. ENQUIRIES & MEDIA CONTACT Investors and analysts: Peter Russell, Director of IR IR@avast.com Media: Stephanie Kane, VP PR and Corporate Communications mediarelations@avast.com Tavistock: Lulu Bridges / Jos Simson / Heather Armstrong Tel: 020 7920 3150 Notes: 1 Growth rate excluding currency impact calculated by restating 2021 actual to 2020 FX rates. Deferred revenue is translated to USD at date of invoice and is therefore excluded when calculating the impact of FX on revenue. 2 Growth figures exclude Discontinued Business. The Company is exiting its toolbar-related search distribution business, which had previously been an important contributor to AVG's revenues. Separately, on 30 January 2020, the Group decided to wind down the operation of its subsidiary Jumpshot Inc. Together, including the Group's browser clean-up business, referred to above as "Discontinued Business". 3 Organic growth rate excludes the impact of FX, acquisitions, business disposals, and discontinued business. It excludes current period billings and revenue of acquisitions until the first anniversary of their consolidation. 4 Adjusted EBITDA margin percentage is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Revenue.5 Due to completion of the disposal on 16 April, the Family Safety Mobile business is included in the reported Q1 2021 performance. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avast-plc-first-quarter-trading-update-301271863.html SOURCE Avast An Iranian official on Tuesday characterized the ongoing Vienna talks over revival of a faltering nuclear deal as "positive" and cautiously hoped for understanding to be reached by all sides. "It is too soon to express optimism or pessimism about the final outcome of the negotiations, but we are sure that we have chosen the right track and are moving in it," Cabinet speaker Ali Rabiei said at his regular briefing. Rabiei insisted that sanctions must be lifted before any possible agreement. Afterwards, Iran would come back to full compliance with the deal only if it can verify their removal. High-level talks in Vienna aimed at bringing the United States back into the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran are moving ahead with experts working on drafting proposals this week, but a solution remains "far away," Russia's delegate said Monday. The US unilaterally left the agreement, which promises Iran economic incentives in return for curbs on its nuclear programme, in 2018 under then President Donald Trump, who said it needed to be renegotiated and imposed crippling sanctions. In response, Iran has steadily been violating the restrictions set by the deal, by enriching uranium far past the purity allowed and stockpiling vastly larger quantities, in a thus-far unsuccessful effort to force the other countries involved to provide economic relief that would offset the American sanctions. US President Joe Biden wants to return Washington to the deal, and Iran has been negotiating with the five remaining powers Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia for the past two weeks on how that might take place. Diplomats from the world powers have been shuttling between the Iranian delegation and an American one, which is also in Vienna but not talking directly with the Iranian side. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Thompson RCMP ticketed a woman twice for holding parties that violated pandemic restrictions this weekend. Thompson RCMP ticketed a woman twice for holding parties that violated pandemic restrictions this weekend. Officers were called to an apartment complex on Cree Road in Thompson after a report of a party at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday and heard loud music coming from the apartment. RCMP said the officers found a large group of people inside. The renter, a 25-year-old woman, was handed a $1,296 ticket for violating the public health order. RCMP said they received another report of a gathering at the same address at around 8:15 p.m. Sunday. Officers again found multiple people in the apartment, the RCMP said, and ticketed the woman a second time. Manitoba COVID-19 enforcement officials issued 21 tickets and 121 warnings last week for violations of public health orders. In a news release Monday, the Manitoba government said 14 tickets with a fine of $1,296 were given to individuals, while four $5,000 tickets were issued to businesses and three $5,150 tickets were issued to individuals in violation of the federal quarantine act between April 12 and Sunday. Most individual tickets (eight of the 14) were issued in connection with gatherings in private residences or outdoors. Christian Church of Morden received two $5,000 tickets last week, while Flea Whiskey's in Winnipeg and Original Joe's restaurant in Brandon received one $5,000 ticket each. The government noted security personnel from Commissionairees Manitoba will now advise travellers at the Winnipeg International Airport of self-isolation requirements and distribute public health materials. Since enforcement began in April 2020, officials have issued 1,180 tickets and 3,804 warnings for a total $1.6 million in fines. julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers BOGOTA, Colombia, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ikanik Farms, Inc. (CSE: IKNK.U) (the "Company" or "Ikanik Farms") is pleased to announce that its wholly owned, Colombian subsidiary Pideka SAS ("Pideka"), has completed the registration and commercialization process, introducing 16 new cultivars for commercial sale, many of which have a THC content over 20%. The new strains will be eligible for sale immediately and will be added to its production quota recently issued from the Colombian government to produce psychoactive cannabis for the 2021, fiscal year. "We are excited to broaden our cultivar base offering, and provide options to national and international clients, interested in psychoactive and non-psychoactive material from the Colombian market, with California led quality." said Brian Baca, CEO of Ikanik Farms. To complete the commercialization process, the Company provided samples of dried flower from 16 strains cultivated in Casa Flores to an ICA-directed laboratory for potency and determination of psychoactive classification. The remaining tests required for commercialization were directed by appointed laboratories and tested for pesticides, covering 50 pesticide molecules and was negative in all cannabis material provided. The additional tests required were heavy metal, and microbiological in establishing commercial viability, as the cultivars are intended to support the pharmaceutical industry. The newly registered 16 strains bring the Company's total to 22 commercially viable cultivars, produced in the Company's Casa Flores facility, and is anticipated to be immediately available for commercial production and sale to international markets, namely Europe, to treat multiple pathologies. "We are pleased to present our newest 16 commercially viable cultivars to the global market and want to thank ICA and the Colombian government agencies for their continued support as we broaden our psychoactive commercial offerings." said Borja Sanz de Madrid, President of Ikanik Farms International, Inc. About Ikanik Farms Ikanik Farms is a California based, Multi-National Operator (MNO) who is building a dynamic portfolio of brands, inspired by its passion for health and wellness, action sports, and supported by its vertically integrated retail, distribution and cultivation in CA and its medical grade cultivation and laboratory in Colombia. The company's leadership brings decades of expertise in R&D, cultivation, retail, branding, and corporate finance. Ikanik Farms' operation in Colombia, through its pharma division Pideka, holds both GMP-PHARMA and (GACP) Good Agricultural and Collection Practice certifications for its Casa Flores operating facility. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws (together, "forward-looking information). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this news release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future is forward-looking information. When used in this news release, words such as "will", "could", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "potential", "believe", "should", and similar expressions, are forward-looking information and includes, but is not limited to, any statements with respect to the commercial production of the newly registered cultivar strains for national and international sale. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: changes in laws, a change in management, the inability to obtain additional financing, increased competition, hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and, regulatory or political change. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in the forward-looking information may differ materially from actual results or events. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release is made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and the Company does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Ikanik Farms Inc. SOURCE Ikanik Farms Inc. Related Links https://ikanikfarms.com/ (HFPA) Just hours after NBC and Dick Clark Productions the broadcast network and producing partner of the Golden Globes asked the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. to expel a former president over an email that called Black Lives Matter a "hate movement," that member is out of the organization. "Effective immediately, Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.," said a statement released by the HFPA on Tuesday. The move follows a Times report that South African-born Phil Berk, a current member and eight-term HFPA president, sent an email Sunday criticizing Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors. The post touched off a firestorm among many members of the organization, a group of international journalists that doles out the annual Golden Globes. In the email, Berk shared an article that called BLM a racist hate movement and described Cullors as the self-proclaimed trained Marxist. It was sent out to the associations members, its staff and the groups general counsel and chief operating officer, Gregory Goeckner. In an internal email sent by DCP, the company told employees, "We unequivocally condemn the actions and words of a member of the HFPA. We have called upon the board to take swift and decisive action. We also indicated that this response should serve as an example of how they intend to act on member behavior that violates their recent commitment to reform and improve racial equality. We have been working for months with the organization to guide and push them toward meaningful change. While we had remained hopeful about progress, this is a very real reminder that there are members who dont support this work. That is unacceptable." In a public statement, the company said, We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, artists, journalists and executives who have been hurt or overlooked by the HFPA. We are disgusted by the racist rhetoric disseminated by a member yesterday. We were encouraged by the very strong statements the HFPA previously made around improving their organization around issues of racial reform and equity. The actions and statements of this member are inconsistent with the direction that the HFPA has publicly said it has embarked upon." Story continues Privately, on Monday night DCP sent the HFPA a letter asking for Berk's immediate expulsion. On Tuesday, NBC also issued a statement echoing DCP. "NBC strongly condemns Phil Berks actions and is calling for his immediate expulsion. While we continue to await the details of HFPAs upcoming plan for reform, swift action on this front is an essential element for NBC to move forward with the HFPA and the Golden Globes." The statement can be read as NBC putting down the hammer on the organization, according to someone familiar with the dynamics between NBC and the HFPA but not authorized to speak publicly. Until now DCP has remained quiet, working behind the scenes with the HFPA and not speaking out publicly. It was waiting until the association released a set of reforms expected in early May, according to an individual involved but not authorized to speak. The Berk email, however, displayed a "very blatant exhibition of racism," and the company felt it needed to say something publicly, the person said. Earlier, the HFPA's board repudiated Berk's email in a statement saying, "the views expressed in the article," that Berk shared, "do not in any way shape or form reflect the views and values of the HFPA. The HFPA condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and hate speech and finds such language and content unacceptable. The HFPA has come under pressure for not having any Black members as well as for allegations of ethical and financial lapses raised in a Times investigation into the group. Last month, the group behind the Golden Globe Awards pledged to make transformational change and retained a strategic diversity advisor , Shaun Harper, a professor of racial, gender and LGBTQ issues at USCs Marshall School of Business, and an outside law firm, Ropes & Gray, to audit and review its policies and membership requirements and bylaws. The HFPA, which in recent weeks has reached out to the National Assn. of Black Journalists and the NAACP, plans to announce a set of reforms on May 6. Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi speaks during an online news conference at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 20, 2021. (Francisco Seco/Pool via Reuters) EU to Funnel COVID-19 Vaccines to Balkans After China, Russia Shipments VIENNA/BRUSSELSThe European Union will ship over half a million COVID-19 shots to the Western Balkans by August using for the first time in the region a vaccine-sharing mechanism meant to help its poorer neighbors and to challenge Chinese and Russian influence. The EU move comes after China and Russia distributed millions of doses of their vaccines in the region, whose countries are candidates to join the EU, and months after the EU vaccine-sharing mechanism was set up. Despite the current global shortage, the EU will deliver life-saving vaccines for the Western Balkans, Oliver Varhelyi, the EU commissioner responsible for the region, told a news conference on Tuesday. The bloc plans to funnel 651,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines from early May to Bosnia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia. With this initiative we are showing that we are not leaving the region behind, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. His country, the successor state to an empire that once stretched deep into the Balkans, maintains close ties with countries in the region and is coordinating the shipping there of vaccines procured by the EU. The European Commission outlined plans for a vaccine-sharing mechanism in January, but EU nations have struggled to share them with poorer neighbors amid supply delays that have hampered their own vaccine rollouts. Serbia, the regions main recipient of Chinese and Russian shots, already has one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe, and briefly shared some of its shots with neighbors. A healthcare worker receives a dose of a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Messe Wien Congress Center, which has been set up as a coronavirus disease vaccination center, in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 7, 2021. Lisi Niesner/Reuters) Despite this help, the other five Balkan countries expected to receive EU doses have struggled to inoculate people. In Bosnia, the shortage of vaccines has led to street protests. The vaccines shared by the EU will be purchased with EU funds and given to the Balkan countries. Sending vaccines abroad remains a controversial topic in a phase when the global output of jabs is still insufficient to meet demand. There is absolutely no connection here to the provision of vaccines in Austria and in other (EU) member states, said Schallenberg, whose government faces growing public frustration with the slow pace of vaccinations. These doses are not from a national quota. These are vaccine doses that the EU explicitly secured from the beginning for the purpose of passing them on to partners. An EU official said out of the 600 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines the EU has secured for this year, some were set aside for being shipped abroad. Doses will be distributed according to which countries need them most, Schallenberg said. Bosnia will get the biggest share with 214,000 doses, followed by Albania with 145,000, and North Macedonia with 119,000. Serbia is last with 36,000. By Francois Murphy and Francesco Guarascio Ministries cook up solutions to curb wild land hikes (source: dantri/ D. Quan) One of the top proposals involves fines for circulating fake or inaccurate news in the market. There are currently regulations on forcing such fines on speculation activities in Article 196 of the 2015 Criminal Code, but a more detailed guideline must be mapped to help local authorities ensure better implementation, the ministries say. Another solution is to limit speculation in the market. Proposals are to increase the transference taxation in the first 2-3 years after an asset was transferred. Also, additional taxation is suggested to impose on the second asset and more of every owner and land plot left unused over a certain period of time. Commercial banks under the instruction of the State Bank of Vietnam are to set up special solutions to provide loans in the context of land fever. Bankers must carefully consider and approve loans in projects with enough dossiers only. Hospitality and high-end residences are the segments deemed to require careful actions by bankers. Last but not least, local authorities are requested to have more transparent use of information. Every local authority must publicise their land-use plan every year in order to reduce rumours and false news. Information databases on land and homes must be digitalised to give easier access to local people and buyers. At the end of March, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) requested local provinces to send a report on land fever in their localities to the ministry before May 31. Those figures from local authorities will be combined to set up a database system to serve for following guidelines in the future. The MoNRE has requested local authorities to enhance their management on the real estate market, especially for future property under the construction stage. Local authorities must review all projects and ensure that property on sale must have the correct permission. All transaction activities also must be approved by the competent bodies, read a document from the MoNRE. Especially, individual brokerage activities must be strictly managed because a major reason for the increasing price of land plots in localities comes from individual and private brokers. Local authorities were also assigned to officially declare all zoning plans of the locality in local Peoples Committee offices, to avoid being utilised by inaccurate news on real estate construction. The MoNRE has further requested local authorities to focus on land plot management in the context of price hikes continuing in recent months. Many investors had bought agricultural land areas, divided them into small land plots, and then put the plots on sale with prices increasing many times over. This activity, while illegal, continues to trap buyers. Along with this, local authorities are requested to create more land fund for residential development by putting land up for auction. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Construction (MoC) was also assigned by the government to review the new land lease price framework implementation. After the government issued Decree No.96/2019/ND-CP at the end of 2019 on the land price framework, local peoples committees issued a price range to apply to the period of 2020-2024. Accordingly, the land price issued by localities has an average increase of about 15-20 per cent compared to the land price list five years ago. According to a report from the MoC, in 2020 and the first three months of 2021, real estate prices increased from 10 to 30 per cent compared to the beginning of 2020. On the black market, price of land plots transferred by individuals and private brokers increased from 50 to 100 per cent, depending on the locality. PORTLAND, Ore., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Spirometer Market by Type (Hand-Held and Table-Top), Technology (Volume Measurement and Flow Measurement), Application (Asthma, COPD and others), and End User (Hospitals and Clinics, Home Healthcare and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027." According to the report, the global spirometer industry garnered $1.07 billion in 2019, and is estimated to reach $1.47 billion by 2027, manifesting a CAGR of 3.5% from 2020 to 2027. Download Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/10967 Prime determinants of growth Rise in incidences of respiratory diseases, technological advancements in spirometers, and growth in geriatric population fuel the global spirometer market. However, lack of awareness regarding respiratory diseases and availability of substitutes for spirometer restrain the market growth. On the other hand, growing preference for home healthcare and impact of covid-19 on the market create new opportunities in the coming years. Covid-19 Scenario As the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) persists throughout the global community, the key market players are supporting the health systems and healthcare professionals actively. Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of death across the globe. Furthermore, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third-most-leading cause of death. This has augmented the demand for spirometers. The table-top segment to continue its leadership status throughout the forecast period By type, the table top segment accounted for the largest share in 2019, holding nearly four-fifths of the global spirometer market, and is projected to continue its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is due to its characteristic of delivering precise results, coupled with higher number of installations in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. However, the handheld segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 4.1% from 2020 to 2027, owing to rising demand for hand-held spirometer, along with bolstering expansion of the healthcare industry in countries, such as India, China, Mexico, and the U.S., is expected to propel the product demand in the extended run. Enquiry for Short-term and Long-term Impacts of COVID-19 at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/10967 The COPD segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By application, the COPD segment contributed to the highest share in 2019, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global spirometer market, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is attributed to growth in prevalence of COPD across the globe and early diagnosis of COPD offered by spirometer. However, the asthma segment is estimated to witness the fastest CAGR of 4.0% from 2020 to 2027, owing to rise in incidences of asthma among the population. North America to dominate the market throughout the forecast period Based on region, North America held the highest share in 2019, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global spirometer market in terms of revenue, and is projected to maintain its dominance by 2027. Moreover, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the largest CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period. This is due to owing to expeditiously improving healthcare systems and rise in healthcare expenditure and awareness regarding benefits of this technology. Leading market players SCHILLER, Hill-Rom, Inc. Midmark Corp. Vitalograph COSMED srl MGC Diagnostics Corporation Smiths Medical Vyaire Medical Teleflex NSPIRE HEALTH INC. Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report title for your reference, considering Impact of Covid-19 Over This Market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market. Similar Reports: Gene Editing Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Immunoassay Interference Blocker Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2027 Indirect Calorimeter Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2027 Infection Control Supplies Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 Intrapartum Monitoring Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 Intrauterine Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 In-Vitro Colorectal Cancer Screening Test Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 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." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): 1-800-792-5285, 1-503-894-6022, 1-503-446-1141 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: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-market-research SOURCE Allied Market Research Southeast Asia's largest bank DBS Group said on Tuesday it plans to buy a 13% stake in privately-held commercial lender Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Corp (SZRCB) for 5.29 billion yuan ($814.26 million). The company said financial authorities in Singapore and China had approved the deal and was in line with its aim to expand in the rapidly growing Greater Bay Area in China. A DBS unit will buy 1.35 billion new shares in the Chinese company at 3.91 yuan per share, making the Singapore-based lender the largest shareholder in SZRCB. In September, DBS received approval from China's securities regulator to form a joint venture securities company in which it would have a controlling stake, allowing DBS to engage in brokering, investment consulting, securities underwriting and sponsorship in the country. Earlier on Tuesday, Reuters exclusively reported DBS was among a clutch of looking to bid for parts of Citigroup's consumer business in Asia. (Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) Haiti - Justice : Towards the end of the indefinite strike of the Magistrates? After 63 days of indefinite strike launched on February 15, 2021 by the National Association of Haitian Magistrates (ANAMAH), the Professional Association of Magistrates (APM), the Association of Haitian Judges of the Peace (AJUPHA) and the National Network of Magistrates Haitians (RENAMAH) the paralysis of the justice system in Haiti could end. Indeed, the decision of the members of the Court of Cassation meeting in General Assembly having decided not to receive the oath of the judges irregularly appointed by the Executive https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33009-haiti-flash-president-moise-replaces-the-3-judges-involved-in-the-coup-attempt.html pending the decision of the Superior Court of Accounts / Administrative Litigation (CSC/CA) was one of the 3 demands of the Magistrates In addition, the Office for the Protection of the Citizen (OPC) acting as mediator in this conflict, announces that Christophe Esperance, Clerk of the Court of First Instance of Croix-des-Bouquets, dismissed by the Minister of Justice, for having sat in the hearing of "Habeas Corpus" initiated in favor of Judge Dabrezil, was reinstated by Minister Rockefeller in his functions on April 19, 2021, which meets the second demand of the magistrates https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33017-haiti-justice-the-judicial-system-paralyzed-at-the-national-level-from-monday.html The OPC welcomes this decision of the Minister of Justice, who has shown a spirit of openness and going beyond in the resolution of the crisis marked by the indefinite strike of Magistrates through the Courts and Tribunals of the Republic. However, the third and last point which requires the withdrawal of the two Presidential Decrees (February 8, 2021 and February 11, 2021) retiring judges Yvikel D. Dabrezil, Wendelle Coq Thelot and Joseph Mecene Jean Louis, involved according to the Executive in the coup attempt https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33009-haiti-flash-president-moise-replaces-the-3-judges-involved-in-the-coup-attempt.html still remains unanswered. to be continued... See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33369-haiti-justice-44th-days-of-magistratesstrike-the-opc-as-negotiator.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33009-haiti-flash-president-moise-replaces-the-3-judges-involved-in-the-coup-attempt.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33017-haiti-justice-the-judicial-system-paralyzed-at-the-national-level-from-monday.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32966-haiti-flash-coup-foiled-all-official-details.html SL/ HaitiLibre VICTORIA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE American:FSI)(FRANKFURT:FXT), is the developer and manufacturer of biodegradable polymers for oil extraction, detergent ingredients and water treatment as well as crop nutrient availability chemistry. Flexible Solutions also manufactures biodegradable and environmentally safe water and energy conservation technologies. Today the Company announces a year over year decrease in revenues for first quarter (Q1), 2021. Sales were lower in Q1, 2021 compared to Q1, 2020. Flexible Solutions' top line revenue decreased from $8.429 million (Q1, 2020) to $7.623million (Q1, 2021), down approximately 10% year over year. Dan O'Brien, CEO, states, "Shipping constraints, both inbound and outbound shifted revenue out of Q1 and into Q2." Mr. O'Brien continues, "While we can't control in which quarter orders and shipments will land, we continue to expect growth for the full year of 2021". Complete financial results will be available on May 14, 2021 concurrent with the Company's SEC quarterly filings. A conference call will be scheduled for 8:00 am Pacific Time, 11:00 am Eastern Standard Time, the following business day, Monday, May 17. See the FSI May 14, 2021 financials news release for the dial in numbers. About Flexible Solutions International Flexible Solutions International, Inc. (www.flexiblesolutions.com), based in Victoria, British Columbia, is an environmental technology company. The Company's NanoChem Solutions Inc. subsidiary specializes in biodegradable, water-soluble products utilizing thermal polyaspartate (TPA) biopolymers. TPA beta-proteins are manufactured from the common biological amino acid, L-aspartic and have wide usage including scale inhibitors, detergent ingredients, water treatment and crop enhancement. Along with TPA, this division started producing other crop enhancement products as well. The other divisions manufacture energy and water conservation products for drinking water, agriculture, industrial markets and swimming pools throughout the world. FSI is the developer and manufacturer of WaterSavrTM, the world's first commercially viable water evaporation retardant. WaterSavrTM reduces evaporation by up to 30% on reservoirs, lakes, aqueducts, irrigation canals, ponds and slow moving rivers. HeatsavrTM, a "liquid blanket" evaporation retardant for the commercial swimming pool and spa markets, reduces energy costs by 15% to 40% and can result in reduced indoor pool humidity. Safe Harbor Provision The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a " Safe Harbor " for forward-looking statements. Certain of the statements contained herein, which are not historical facts, are forward looking statement with respect to events, the occurrence of which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements may be impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors. Information concerning potential factors that could affect the company is detailed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Flexible Solutions International 6001 54th Ave, Taber, Alberta, CANADA T1G 1X4 Company Contacts Jason Bloom Toll Free: 800.661.3560 Fax: 250.477.9912 Email: info@flexiblesolutions.com If you have received this news release by mistake or if you would like to be removed from our update list please reply to: info@flexiblesolutions.com To find out more information about Flexible Solutions and our products please visit www.flexiblesolutions.com SOURCE: Flexible Solutions International, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641364/FSI-Announces-First-Quarter-2021-Revenue SAN DIEGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniSync helps deep technology and life science companies raise debt-free and equity-free funds from the government through its unique product, TurboSBIR. Omnisync was competitively awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract from the US Air Force's AFWERX program. TurboSBIR Powered by OmniSync OmniSync Incorporated STTR, a sister to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, is a highly competitive award that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in research and development, in collaboration with a non-profit research institution, with the potential for commercialization. For its Air Force STTR, OmniSync has partnered with researchers from the University of North Texas on an exciting project that will enable more technologies to be transferred from universities into the commercial space. OmniSync is particularly interested in bringing new and revolutionary technologies to the US Air Force to solve their most pressing needs, through a highly streamlined process of technology assessment, team building, rapid commercialization, and acquisition. "Most research that occurs at universities never sees the light of day beyond obscure papers and conferences. One of the core reasons for this is not that the research isn't commercially applicable; rather, it's because most professors leading those research projects have very little interest in quitting their tenured positions and starting a company, which has financial and career risks", said Dr. Rupak Doshi, CEO of OmniSync Incorporated and Principal Investigator on the Air Force STTR contract, who has spent his fair share of time at universities like University of California, San Diego. Rupak continued, "Our goal with this Air Force contract is to create tools that will enable better visibility into commercially-applicable research being conducted at universities, as well as provide an easy pathway for professors to partner with risk-taking entrepreneurs to commercialize their academic research through the SBIR/STTR programs." Over the next few months, OmniSync aims to bring partnerships, pre-seed funds, and operational teams to professors across many universities in the country to help create a constant stream of exciting, deep technology spin-off companies. OmniSync's success in the SBIR/STTR program follows its successful fundraise from venture capital investors. OmniSync is backed by the venture studio, Launch Factory, and premier accelerators, Capital Factory and EvoNexus. Read more on TurboSBIR. Media Contact: Rupak Doshi 858-264-6546 [email protected] SOURCE OmniSync Incorporated DUBAI, UAE and TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 15, 2021, Ethereum GeneSys successfully executed a mining fork of Ethereum. This fork, which took place in Toronto, is an effort to save the global Ethereum mining community from the Blockchain network's proposed 'Quick Merge'. The Ethereum GeneSys Foundation has successfully initiated a 'hard fork', which aims to reclaim staked Ethereum 2.0 coins and allocate it to incentivize the Ethereum mining community to mine Ethereum GeneSys. This will give the Ethereum GeneSys Foundation control of the Ethereum open source protocol. The Proof-of-Stake on EthereumGeneSys Hybrid will be implemented on the Quick Merge proposed by Vitalik Buterin of Ethereum Foundation. Khurram Shroff & Earl Mai - Maple Fork, Ethereum GeneSys The Ethereum GeneSys Foundation successfully initiated the hard fork of the Ethereum/ERC-20 ETH mainnet network on April 15th, 2021, at 16:20EST, on block 12246768, to Ethereum GeneSys ETG mainnet, including the Berlin Fork. This hard fork initiated by the Ethereum GeneSys Foundation, known as the 'Maple Fork', has been undertaken to save the Proof-of-Work community, and to produce a forked coin called Ethereum GeneSys (ETG). The foundation also plans to make future changes to the Blockchain consensus, including those related to significant reduction of gas fees, Proof-of-Work security, as well as performance improvements. One of the reasons for this hard fork is Ethereum's 'Difficulty Bomb', which is introducing increasingly difficult puzzles into the algorithm miners use to earn ETH. This is leading to the onset of Ethereum's 'ice age', which will be used to transition to the Proof-of-Stake Blockchain, where rewards will be distributed on the basis of staking or coin ownership. Noted Crypto Whale and Chairman of the IBC group, Khurram Shroff, recently pledged his support to the Ethereum GeneSys Foundation. He is considered to be one of the largest Bitcoin Miners and HODlers in Blockchain history. Khurram was instrumental in the beacon chain for the launch of ETH 2.0 reaching its required threshold, with his group staking one hundred thousand ETH. He believes the hard fork is necessary to save the Proof of Work Blockchain community. "The 'Difficulty Bomb' intends to end PoW mining on Ethereum, by making blocks impossible to mine", said Earl Mai, founding member of #EthGen. Earl further elaborates "The Ethereum GeneSys Foundation has disabled this code forever, so that mining can continue indefinitely. All parameters needed to enable the fork in the 'geth' and 'openethereum' code bases are submitted on GitHub for easy setup of nodes, including fork configuration changes". Ethereum 1.0 runs on many different nodes and client software, however, the Ethereum GeneSys Foundation is focusing only on the top three. These cover over 96% of the 11,500 nodes operating today. Earl concluded "It is not only important to have node diversity based on codebase, but geographically diverse hosting as well. The long term goal is to have Hybrid approach, with both PoW and POS in their respective mainline branches, for all to participate". About Earl Mai Earl Mai, founding member of Ethereum GeneSys and an Experienced Technical Professional. Earl has a demonstrated history of working in the semiconductors industry with companies like AMD. Earl is highly skilled in Complex Hardware Architecture, Semiconductors, Digital Signal Processors, Debugging, and C. Strong engineering professional with a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) focused in Engineering Science - Electrical from University of Toronto. https://www.linkedin.com/in/earl-mai/ About Khurram Shroff Khurram Shroff, Chairman of IBC Group (a substantial Global Real Estate and Tech investment company) has recently transferred their headquarters to Toronto, Canada from Dubai. IBC group holds investments in over 4000 Blockchain projects, and has been instrumental in the recent Proof-of-Stake launch of Ethereum 2.0 through an investment of 100,000 Ether. https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurramshroff/ About Ethereum GeneSys Ethereum GeneSys has successfully executed a mining fork of Ethereum, in order to save Proof-of-Work miners from the Ethereum network's 'Quick Merge'. The goal is to reclaim staked Ethereum 2.0 coins, and allocate it to incentivize mining pools to start mining Ethereum GeneSys, giving the Ethereum GeneSys Foundation control of Ethereum open source protocol. https://www.EthereumGeneSys.org For more information or interviews please contact: Neha Kaul Your Wordsmiths - Content & PR 0504507068 [email protected] SOURCE Ethereum GeneSys Foundation Related Links https://www.EthereumGeneSys.org NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CleanCapital, a leading clean energy investment platform and one of the largest owner-operators of distributed solar assets in the United States, announced today a corporate investment from Manulife Investment Management to grow its portfolio of clean energy assets. Manulife Investment Management's commitment was sourced for the John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) balance sheet as well as third party managed accounts (collectively "Manulife"). CleanCapital will use the investment from Manulife to accelerate the energy transitionincluding operating solar, new build solar, and energy storage projectsbeginning with two portfolios totaling 63 MW. "There is unstoppable momentum to transition the global economy to clean energy. With the backing of Manulife, one of the world's leading infrastructure investors, CleanCapital is poised to be a leader in that transition," said Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital. "This balance sheet capital will provide CleanCapital with the ability to deliver a multitude of investment solutions to our partners in the clean energy middle market." "We are proud to partner with CleanCapital. Their sophisticated approach to distributed solar and storage is the perfect conduit for Manulife to continue to invest in this attractive and rapidly maturing market, while supporting the global transition to clean energy and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions," said Steve Blewitt, Head of Private Markets, Manulife Investment Management. "Our investment is in keeping with our priority to strategically invest in private market assets across private equity and credit, infrastructure, timber, agriculture, and real estate." CleanCapital embarks on this new chapter with the acquisition of two substantial solar portfolios and a robust pipeline of assets that will start construction throughout 2021. The first portfolio is a 16 MW operating portfolio comprising 30 solar assets in 10 states. The projects are in NY, NH, NJ, MA, MD, PA, MI, IN, IL, and DC. Additionally, CleanCapital is now sole owner of a second 46.9 MW operating solar portfolio after originally acquiring it through an equity partnership with BlackRock Renewable Power Group in 2018. Consisting of 60 projects, the Portfolio has 26 distinct off-takers under long-term power purchase agreements in CA, MA, and NJ, and is one of the largest independent C&I solar portfolios in the U.S. Investment Bank Javelin Capital acted as advisor to CleanCapital on the transaction. "By structuring the partnership as a platform investment, the Company has increased flexibility to continue to work with leading developers," said Jason Segal, Managing Partner of Javelin. "As the distributed solar sector consolidates, CleanCapital's capabilities with robust, competitively-priced capital positions them to be a market leader." CleanCapital's cumulative acquisitions now total more than $775 million. The company currently manages 200 MW comprising 152 projects in 18 states. Kirkland & Ellis and Baker McKenzie represented CleanCapital and Manulife, respectively, as legal advisors on this transaction. About CleanCapital CleanCapital is an industry-leading clean energy investment platform. Since 2015, CleanCapital has worked to accelerate investment in distributed solar and storage assets to address the urgent threat of climate change. Its leading-edge technology platform facilitates the evaluation and acquisition of clean energy assets with speed and certainty. More information about CleanCapital can be found at cleancapital.com. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 17 countries and territories. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. SOURCE CleanCapital Graphic footage of a water rat feasting on the innards of a cane toad while it's still alive shows that native animals are starting to outsmart the toxic pests. The video was captured by wildlife photographer Dieuwertje Smolenaars while waiting for a platypus to emerge in Jullaten, near Cairns, in Far North Queensland. She heard a strange sound and turned around to see a rakali - an Australian species of water rat - flip a cane toad on its back, slice its stomach open and start gnawing at its intestines - carefully avoiding the poison glands on its back and shoulders. 'If you look closely you can see the poison dripping from the glands of the cane toad,' Smolenaars said. Pictured: The moment a water rat feasts on a cane toad. Venom can be seen leaking from the toad's shoulders Ben Phillips, who is an associate professor in ecology at Melbourne University, told Daily Mail Australia the amphibians are highly toxic and have been devastating Australia's ecosystems since they were introduced from Central America in 1935. Cane toads store huge quantities of poison in their shoulder glands and are so venomous they can kill humans. Adult crocodiles have been found dead with whole toads inside their stomachs. But some native species, including water rats, have evolved to only eat the non-toxic parts of the toads, or avoid them altogether. The Australian water rat flipped the toad over and started gnawing at its insides, while it writhed in pain 'Quolls have evolved and they know from birth that they shouldn't eat toads, and it's the same for goannas and snakes - lots of species that have evolved not to eat toads, and some have evolved new strategies to prey on toads,' he said. Mr Phillips also said the water rats know that if they flip the amphibian over and eat its stomach, they are not in danger of being poisoned. He said the rats will often eat a toad's liver and lungs, before moving on to the thigh muscles - which is precisely what happened in the footage. Pictured: Ben Phillips, who is an associate professor in ecology at Melbourne University, said water rats are highly intelligent Mr Phillips explained that scientists see a lot of cane toads with the same leg and stomach injuries in the northern parts of Australia. 'Toads are in abundance in the northern regions so that rats are really picky about the body parts they eat, but they're also really intelligent and sometimes they'll eat part of it and go back later for more,' Professor Phillips said. It is not known whether the water rats are impacting cane toad numbers, but Mr Phillips said scientists are trying to stop the pests from spreading from Kimberley in northern Western Australia to the Pilbara region, 400km south. Group of illegal aliens found by U.S. Border Patrol agents north of Laredo, Texas, on April 16, 2021. (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol) Border Patrol Finds 149 Illegal Aliens Inside Tractor Trailer in Texas The U.S. Border Patrol found 149 illegal aliens locked inside a commercial tractor trailer on April 16 at a location near the Texas-Mexico border. The vehicle was being screened at the Interstate Highway 35 north of Laredo, Texas. Border Patrol agents noticed multiple anomalies inside the trailer after a non-intrusive scan. Upon opening the sealed cargo area of the vehicle, they found 149 illegal aliens, according to a press release. They were found to be illegal aliens hailing from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, and Ecuador. All were arrested. The driver, a U.S. citizen, was also arrested. The Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations are set to further investigate the matter, which the Border Patrol calls a human smuggling attempt. The U.S. Border Patrol also seized both the tractor and trailer. The illegal aliens were all medically screened and were provided with personal protective equipment, since none were wearing any PPE. Human smugglers continue to have no regard for the safety and health of the people they exploit for profit, the CBP said in its release. With a noted increase in COVID-19 infections among detainees, the transporting of large groups of people without PPE in close dangerous quarters endangers the individuals and safety of our Nation. Texas in recent months has stepped up its response to a recent surge in the influx of illegal aliens across the southern border. Gov. Greg Abbott in early March launched Operation Lone Star, a mission to address the smuggling of humans and contraband into Texas across the southern border. He later expanded the operation to also address human trafficking. In late March, the governor accused the Biden administration of having enacted border policies that served to embolden human traffickers to increase their operations. In early April, Abbott announced that more than 16,000 illegal aliens had been referred to the Border Patrol, and 598 criminals were arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as part of Operation Lone Star. That equated to an average of 21 criminal arrests per day, and more than 570 referrals per day to Border Patrol. Biden and other U.S. officials have repeatedly urged migrants to refrain from illegally crossing the border into the United States. Despite this, the number of illegal crossings at the southern border has, to date, been on the rise since October 2020. ONTARIO, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of World Amateur Radio Day on April 18, Maglite and ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, have announced they have formed a partnership based on the common mission of helping people be prepared for emergencies and to serve their communities in extreme situations such as natural disasters. ARRL member-volunteers provide public service through the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), and by expanding the reservoir of trained operators and technicians in radio communications and radio technology. Mag Instrument is the leading maker of U.S.-manufactured high-quality flashlights that have a deserved reputation for performance, reliability and durability. "Amateur radio operators, or 'hams,' help people in times of difficulty, often by supporting emergency communications when critical infrastructure is damaged, and by responding to the needs of first responders to keep connected," said Anthony Maglica, Founder, Owner and CEO of MAG Instrument Inc. "We manufacture a product that has been used in public safety for over 40 years and we are very supportive of the incredible dedication of radio amateurs, so culturally this is a great alliance for both brands." Maglite is the preferred flashlight brand of many police, fire and other first responder organizations and is the official flashlight of NASAR the National Association of Search and Rescue. The partnership with ARRL will entail Mag Instrument creating special laser engraved Maglite product for ARRL as well as offering their members special pricing on a select line of Maglite products, and in turn, those purchases raise funds for ARRL to support their mission. "ARRL is delighted that Maglite recognizes the service and skill of ARRL members. This partnership will help us introduce amateur radio to more people," says David Minster, NA2AA, ARRL CEO. ARRL, headquartered in Newington, Connecticut, counts the majority of active radio amateurs in the US among its ranks. Since ARRL's founding in 1914, its members have advanced the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio. For more information about ARRL and World Amateur Radio Day, visit arrl.org. About Mag Instrument: Mag Instrument, manufacturer of the Maglite flashlight For more visit: http://maglite.com/ MEDIA CONTACT: Lou Desmond 951-258-6466 [email protected] *LOGO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-1001s2p-maglogo-300dpi.jpg This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE Mag Instrument Inc. An Irish language and cultural organisation in Derry is one of the first organisations to be awarded a grant from The Dormant Accounts Fund NI. Dormant accounts are defined as those which have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years. Under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008, money has been released from these unused accounts to the National Lottery Community Fund for distribution to good causes across the UK. The programme, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund in conjunction with the Department of Finance, is supporting the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to be more resilient and prepared for the long-term future. An Gaelaras in Derry, which runs Irish language education, music and cultural activities, has been awarded 76,000 to improve their financial resilience by increasing opportunities to generate income. Padraig Mac Congail, Chief Executive of An Gaelaras, said: We currently receive funding from quite a few funders, but one of our ongoing goals is to become more self-sufficient. "We want to be able to provide a valuable community hub and services into the future as we develop our educational, cultural, social and employment opportunities. In recent years our staff and Board have recognised the value in appointing someone to increase our revenue and help with our sustainability, but we havent been able to dedicate the required resources into it. "So once the Dormant Accounts Fund opened, we were ready to apply straight away as we already had plans in place and knew what we needed - this just gave us the opportunity to finance it. "Im confident the organisation will be in a stronger position in two years time and it should be very clear that the sustainability of the organisation has been increased. Dormant accounts are UK bank and building society accounts that have been untouched for 15 or more years, where customers who own the accounts cannot be traced. Over 20 million is currently available and money will continue to be released each year to support the long-term sustainability of the VCSE sector. As part of the first phase, organisations can apply for up to 100,000 as part of a flexible and responsive grant programme to help them adapt to future challenges and be more financially resilient. Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: There has been a lot of interest in Dormant Accounts Fund NI and we are delighted to be able to award the first grants. We know many organisations are trying to plan for the long term and thinking about the changes they need to make to become more sustainable. "Those changes require leadership, strategic planning, new skills and strong governance. Those are things for which funding often isnt available and thats where the Dormant Accounts Fund comes in. It will provide flexible, multi-year funding and allow a diverse range of organisations to plan for a more secure future. There is also support for larger investments that will enable collaboration and develop new and creative Northern Ireland-wide or sector-specific approaches to sustainability. Finance Minister, Conor Murphy said: It is great to see the very first initial awards being made from the Dormant Accounts Fund. "This funding will support these projects with longer term sustainability and resilience which are at the very core of this Fund. "I look forward to further awards being made in the near future and seeing the positive longer term impact the Dormant Account Fund has within the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors." New York, April 20 : US President Joe Biden's spokesperson Jen Psaki has refused to say if the US will allow the export of Covid-19 vaccine raw materials to India, a shortage that could impact global supply or set a timeline for dealing with the requests for relaxing the vaccine patent rights. At her briefing in Washington on Monday, she sidestepped a question about reports that at a virtual meeting Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar the US had indicated that it was considering the request for lifting the raw materials ban. She instead spoke about the reaction of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai to the request from India and South Africa for waiving the intellectual property rights for the vaccine, sounding optimistic. "We are, of course, working with WTO members on a global response to Covid. That includes a number of components, whether it's $4 billion committed to COVAX (the international consortium for vaccine distribution), or discussions about how we can aid and assist countries that need help the most. "Our focus is on determining the most effective steps that will help get the pandemic under control. We don't have anything further in terms of next steps or a timeline, but we are considering a range of options," Psaki added. After his virtual meeting with Blinken, Jaishankar tweeted that they "also discussed issues pertaining to our health cooperation", which was seen as a reference to the vaccine issue. State Department spokesperson Ned Price's readout of their conversation said more specifically that they had discussed cooperation regarding Covid-19. Despite the criticism of his predecessor Donald Trump's "America First" policies, Biden has been following in his footsteps when it came to vaccines. The Defence Production Act that has been invoked to boost vaccine production in the US is reported to curtail export of raw materials needed elsewhere. Last week, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala appealed to Biden to allow the exports of vaccine raw materials. "If we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the US, I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the US so that vaccine production can ramp up," he said in a tweeted. Facing international criticism for his "vaccine nationalism", Biden has made India the manufacturing hub for the jabs under the aegis of the Quad for distribution in the Indo-Pacific region. Last month's Quad summit of Biden and Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India, Yoshihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia agreed to have 1 billion vaccine doses manufactured by India with Japanese and US financial backing and distributed using Australian logistics. SII, which manufactures the Oxford University-developed Covishield, is the world's main supplier of the vaccine and disruption of its manufacturing due to shortage of raw materials affects the global supply, Psaki said that at last week's WTO meeting that Tai "highlighted a couple of points, I should say, that are very representative of our view. The significant one being 'the significant inequities we are seeing in access to vaccines between developed and developing countries are completely unacceptable. Extraordinary times require extraordinary leadership, communication, and creativity'". At the WTO meeting in which India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and South Africa's Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel participated, Tai acknowledged that "the market once again has failed in meeting the health needs of developing countries". "We have to consider what modifications and reforms to our trade rules might be necessary to reflect what we have learned," she added. The relaxation of intellectual property rights is opposed by the powerful trade union, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) of the American Federation of Labour-Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO). IFTPTE President Paul Shearon wrote to Tai's staff that the US should manufacture vaccines domestically to create jobs and preserve its lead in the technology and then end them abroad to meet the global demands. "We have become dependent on India and China for active pharmaceutical ingredients," he said. Because of the labour opposition, Tai held a meeting with representatives of 18 trade unions on the the proposed waiver of the intellectual property rights. In contrast to the trade unions, the leftist Senator Bernie Sanders organised a group of ten senators to urge Biden to "prioritise people over pharmaceutical company profits" and support the temporary waiver of the patent rights for the vaccine. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text MINNEAPOLIS A timeline of key events that began with George Floyds arrest on May 25, 2020, by four police officers in Minneapolis: May 25 Minneapolis police officers respond to a call shortly after 8 p.m. about a possible counterfeit $20 bill being used at a corner grocery and encounter a Black man, later identified as George Floyd, who struggles and ends up handcuffed and face down on the ground. Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Floyds neck for about nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop. Bystander video shows Floyd crying I cant breathe multiple times before going limp. Hes pronounced dead at a hospital. May 26 Police issue a statement saying Floyd died after a medical incident, and that he physically resisted and appeared to be in medical distress. Minutes later, bystander video is posted online. Police release another statement saying the FBI will help investigate. Chauvin and three other officers Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are fired. Protests begin. May 27 Mayor Jacob Frey calls for criminal charges against Chauvin. Protests lead to unrest in Minneapolis, with some people looting and starting fires. Protests spread to other cities. May 28 Gov. Tim Walz activates the Minnesota National Guard. Police abandon the 3rd Precinct station as protesters overtake it and set it on fire. May 29 Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. President Donald Trump tweets about thugs in Minneapolis protests and warns: When the looting starts, the shooting starts. Protests turn violent again in Minneapolis and elsewhere. May 30 Trump tries to walk back his tweet. Protests continue nationwide and some turn violent. May 31 Walz says Attorney General Keith Ellison will lead prosecutions in Floyds death. The nationwide protests continue. June 1 The county medical examiner finds that Floyds heart stopped as police restrained him and compressed his neck, noting Floyd had underlying health issues and listing fentanyl and methamphetamine use as other significant conditions. June 2 Minnesotas Department of Human Rights launches a civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department. June 3 Ellison files a tougher second-degree murder charge against Chauvin and charges the other three officers who were involved in Floyds arrest. 59 Harrisburg Black Lives Matter Demonstration at the Capitol to protest the murder of George Floyd. June 4 A funeral service for Floyd is held in Minneapolis. June 5 Minneapolis bans chokeholds by police, the first of many changes to be announced in coming months, including an overhaul of the police departments use-of-force policy. June 6 Massive, peaceful protests happen nationwide to demand police reform. Services are held for Floyd in Raeford, North Carolina, near his birthplace. June 7 A majority of Minneapolis City Council members say they support dismantling the police department. The idea later stalls but sparks a national debate over police reform. June 8 Thousands pay their respects to Floyd in Houston, where he grew up. Hes buried the next day. June 10 Floyds brother testifies before the House Judiciary Committee for police accountability. June 16 Trump signs an executive order to encourage better police practices and establish a database to track officers with excessive use-of-force complaints. July 15 Floyds family sues Minneapolis and the four former officers. July 21 The Minnesota Legislature passes a broad slate of police accountability measures that includes bans on neck restraints, chokeholds and so-called warrior-style training. Oct. 7 Chauvin posts $1 million bond and is released from state prison, sparking more protests. Nov. 5 Judge Peter Cahill rejects defense requests to move the officers trials. Jan. 12 Cahill rules Chauvin will be tried alone due to courtroom capacity issues. The other officers will be tried in August. Feb. 12 City leaders say George Floyd Square, the intersection blocked by barricades since Floyds death, will reopen to traffic after Chauvins trial. In this image taken from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson questions witness Daniel Isenschmid, a forensic toxicologist as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides Thursday, April 8, 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)AP March 9 The first potential jurors are questioned for Chauvins trial after a days delay for pretrial motions. March 12 Minneapolis agrees to pay $27 million settlement to Floyd family. March 19 Judge declines to delay or move the trial over concerns that the settlement could taint the jury pool. March 23 Jury selection completed with 12 jurors and three alternates. March 29 Opening statements are given. Demonstrators shout along a perimeter fence guarded by law enforcement officers during a protest over Sunday's fatal shooting of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department, Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)AP April 11 Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, is fatally shot by a white police officer during a traffic stop in suburban Brooklyn Center, sparking successive days of protest. April 12 Judge declines request to sequester Chauvin jury immediately due to Wright shooting. April 15 Testimony ends. April 19 Closing arguments. Jury begins deliberations. April 20 - Jury reaches verdict. ___ Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd To support vaccination campaigns in India and across the globe, Bharat Biotech has ramped up the manufacturing capacity of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, to 700 million doses per annum, the vaccine maker said on Tuesday. Manufacturing scale up has been carried out in a stepwise manner across multiple facilities at Hyderabad and Bangalore, the company said in a statement. Inactivated vaccines, while highly safe, are extremely complex and expensive to manufacture, resulting in lower yields when compared to live virus vaccines, it noted. "The company is able to expand COVAXIN manufacturing capacity in a short timeline, mainly due to the availability of new specially designed BSL- 3 facilities, first of its kind for manufacturing in India that have been repurposed and preexisting expertise and know how to manufacture, test and release highly purified inactivated viral vaccines," the company said. Manufacturing partnerships are being explored with partners in other countries, who have prior expertise with commercial scale manufacture of inactivated viral vaccines under biosafety containment, it added. The Hyderabad-based firm said it has partnered with Indian Immunologicals (IIL) to manufacture the drug substance for COVAXIN. The technology transfer process is well underway and IIL has the capabilities and expertise to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale and under biosafety containment, it added. The company said it uses a proprietary adjuvant Algel-IMDG, that has now proven to be a safe and effective adjuvant, especially to stimulate memory T cell responses. The synthesis and manufacture of the IMDG component has been successfully indigenised and will be manufactured at commercial scale within the country, it added. "This is the first instance where a novel adjuvant has been commercialised in India," Bharat Biotech said. COVAXIN has received Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 treatment in India and in several countries across the globe with another 60 in the process. EUA's have now been obtained from Mexico, the Philippines, Iran, Paraguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Guyana, Venezuela, Botswana, Zimbabwe, among several other countries. Besides, EUA's are in process in the US and several European countries, the company said. Pricing for international markets and supplies to governments under EUA's have been established between USD 15-20 per dose, it added. Also Read: COVID-19: Two arrested for black marketing Remdesivir Advertisement India's health system is collapsing under the fastest spreading coronavirus surge since the pandemic started, with gravediggers burning piles of bodies and crematorium furnaces melting from round-the-clock use. Another 259,170 cases were recorded on Tuesday, the world's highest daily rate, and 1,761 deaths, the country's highest ever daily toll, after a new variant of Covid emerged which scientists fear could partly evade vaccines. Britain added India to its 'red list' on Monday but was accused of acting weeks too late as more than 100 people in the UK have now tested positive for this Indian variant since the end of March, most traced to foreign travel. Boris Johnson will tonight hold a press conference to answer mounting questions over why some 900 people were able to arrive from India every day for the last three weeks, while Britons have been banned from overseas travel to stop the spread. Another 5,000 people are due to flow from India into Britain before the travel ban comes into effect on Friday amid a desperate scramble to dodge quarantine. They risk carrying with them variant B.1.617 which is believed to spread more easily and could even be more lethal than other strains, with Indian doctors concerned by a significant proportion of young patients. Some doctors say the reason that under-45s are now vulnerable is that they go to work and eat out more, but there is no definitive proof. At the start of the year, India thought it had beaten the pandemic and had kicked off a mass vaccination drive. Face masks and social distancing were cast aside and huge crowds flocked to religious festivals, election rallies and cricket matches. But in its hospitals, short of oxygen, ventilators and beds, doctors started warning that they were becoming overwhelmed, including by a new phenomenon - younger patients. Medics in Delhi say that two thirds of their new patients are under-45, while in Mumbai, doctors say that they are seeing children aged 12 to 15, where there were virtually no child admissions in the first wave. One Gujarat hospital has set up the state's first paediatric coronavirus ward. 'We are also seeing children under the ages of 12 and 15 being admitted with symptoms in the second wave. Last year there were practically no children,' said Khusrav Bajan, a consultant at Mumbai's P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and a member of Maharashtra's Covid-19 taskforce. In Gujarat state, pulmonologist Amit Dave said young people were experiencing 'increased severity' from coronavirus for their lungs, hearts and kidneys. In the southern IT hub of Bangalore, under-40s made up 58 percent of infections in early April, up from 46 percent last year. It is believed the under-45s may also be more prone to a new 'double mutant' variant found in 60 percent of samples in Maharashtra, the hardest-hit state. On Monday, the health ministry announced it will roll-out vaccines to over-18s from the start of next month, but it is unclear whether the country of 1.4 billion, which is the world's biggest vaccine producer, has anywhere near the supplies it needs, raising concerns for supply chains to the rest of the world. Burning pyres of patients who died of Covid-19 at a crematorium in Delhi over the weekend. The city of 29 million people has fewer than 100 beds with ventilators, and fewer than 150 beds available for patients needing critical care. Relatives wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) walk amid burning funeral pyres as they perform last rites for covid-19 victims in Bhopal More than 200,000 cases per day were recorded on average in the last week, 20 times as many as two months ago, as a new variant of Covid-19 emerged which scientists fear could partly evade vaccines An average of 1,247 deaths were recorded over the last seven days, though India's figures on Covid fatalities are believed to be vastly under-reported Delhi, a city of 29 million, last night imposed a week-long lockdown to protect its buckling hospitals with fewer than 100 beds available with ventilators, and fewer than 150 beds for patients needing critical care. In the western state of Gujarat, crematoria in Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Ahmedabad are operating around the clock with three to four times more bodies than normal. The chimney of one electric furnace in Ahmedabad cracked and collapsed after being in constant use for up to 20 hours every day for the past two weeks. The iron frames inside another in the industrial diamond hub of Surat melted because there was no time to let the furnaces cool. 'Until last month we were cremating 20-odd bodies per day... But since the beginning of April we have been handling over 80 bodies every day,' said a local official at the Ramnath Ghela Crematorium in the city. With waiting times of up to eight hours, Rajkot has set up a dedicated 24/7 control room to manage the flow in the city's four crematoria. At two crematoria in Lucknow in the north, relatives are being given numbered tokens and made to wait for up to 12 hours. One has started burning bodies in an adjacent park. Rohit Singh, whose father died from Covid-19, said crematorium officials were charging around 7,000 rupees (67) - almost 20 times the normal rate. Some crematoria in Lucknow ran out of wood and asked people to bring it themselves. Viral photos on social media showed electric rickshaws laden down with logs. The rising death toll has also increased the grim workload for gravediggers dramatically in the last few weeks. When AFP visited the Jadid Qabristan Ahle cemetery in the Indian capital - which is now in a week-long lockdown - on Friday, 11 bodies arrived within three hours. Travel agents say that a standard 400 economy ticket from India to the UK has soared to 2,000 due to a shortage of seats on planes over the next three days Passengers arrive at Heathrow Terminal 2 from Mumbai this afternoon as travel agents warn of a desperate scramble to beat Friday's quarantine deadline WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE INDIA VARIANT? Real name: B.1.617 When and where was it discovered? The variant was first reported as being of concern by the Indian government in late March. The first cases in India appear to date back to October 2020 and it was first detected in Britain in February. It has been detected in 21 countries as of April 19, according to Public Health England's Sharon Peacock. How many people in the UK have been infected with it? Matt Hancock revealed there had been 103 cases so far. But Public Health England's latest report, published on April 15, says 77. These were detected in England and Scotland. What mutations does it have? It has 13 mutations that separate it from the original Covid virus that emerged in China - but the two main ones are named E484Q and L452R. Scientists suspect these two alterations can help it to transmit faster and to get past immune cells made in response to older variants. Is it more infectious and can it evade vaccines? The L452R mutation is also found on the Californian variant (B.1.429), discovered in December, even though the two evolved independently. L452R is believed to make the American strain about 20 per cent more infectious. The Indian variant's E484Q mutation is very similar to the one found in the South African and Brazil variants known as E484K, which can help the virus evade antibodies. The South African variant is thought to make vaccines about 30 per cent less effective at stopping infections, but it's not clear what effect it has on severe illness. Professor Peacock said there was 'limited' evidence of E484Q's effect on immunity and vaccines. Lab studies have suggested it may be able to escape some antibodies, but to what degree remains uncertain. Should we be worried? Scientists are unsure how transmissible or vaccine-resistant the Indian variant is because the E484Q mutation is new and not well understood. The fact it appears to have increased infectivity should not pose an immediate threat to the UK's situation, because the current dominant Kent version appears equally or more transmissible. It will take a variant far more infectious strain than that to knock it off the top spot. However, if the Indian version proves to be effective at slipping past vaccine-gained immunity, then its prevalence could rise in Britain as the immunisation programme squashes the Kent variant. The UK currently classes the Indian strain as a 'Variant Under Investigation', a tier below the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants. Experts studying Britain's Covid variants said the Indian variant was unlikely to ever take off in the UK because its mutations were 'not top tier'. Dr Jeffrey Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said it's still not clear if India's third wave has been caused by the new variant, or if it emerged at the same time by coincidence. His comments have been echoed by PHE's Professor Peacock, who said today: ''It is not clear at the present time whether B.1.617 is the main driver for the current wave. 'The question is whether this is associated with the variant, with human behaviour (for example, the presence of large gatherings, and/or lack of preventive measures including hand washing, wearing masks and social distancing) or whether both are contributing.' How deadly is it? Again, scientists still don't know for sure - but they are fairly certain it won't be more deadly than the current variants in circulation in Britain. This is because there is no evolutionary benefit to Covid becoming more deadly. The virus's sole goal is to spread as much as it can, so it needs people to be alive and interacting with others for as long as possible to achieve this. And, if other variants are anything to go by, the Indian strain should not be more lethal. There is still no evidence to show dominant versions like the Kent and South African variants are more deadly than the original Covid strain - even though they are highly transmissible. Advertisement Burning pyres of patients who died of coronavirus at a crematorium in New Delhi A woman is consoled after her husband died due to Covid outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad By sunset, 20 bodies were in the ground. This compares to some days in December and January, when his earthmoving machine stayed idle and when many thought the pandemic was over. 'Now, it looks like the virus has legs,' said Shamim, 38, a gravedigger like his father and grandfather. 'At this rate, I will run out of space in three or four days.' Around the graveyard, white body bags or coffins made out of cheap wood are carried around by people in blue or yellow protective suits and lowered into graves. Just months after India thought it had seen the worst of the pandemic, the virus is now spreading at a rate faster than at any other time, said Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan who has been tracking infections in India. Delhi recorded 25,000 new coronavirus deaths and 161 deaths on Sunday, making it the worst affected city, with a virus positivity rate at almost 30 percent. One doctor told Sky News: 'If the situation is not brought under control soon, it will get so bad that people will die on footpaths for lack of oxygen.' Distressing scenes in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, reveal a similarly dire situation, with ambulances backed up down the street from the hospital and Covid patients attached to oxygen cylinders. Reports show that not only are many hospitals running out of beds and hospitals, but also basic anti-viral medicines needed to keep people alive. The country began inoculating health workers in mid-January and later extended the drive to people over 45. India has so far administered 120 million doses to its population of nearly 1.4 billion. It has now recorded more than 15 million infections and more than 178,000 deaths. Experts agree that even these figures are likely under-reported. Amid the rise in cases, Mr Johnson called off a trip to Delhi to hold post-Brexit trade talks with Narendra Modhi. A man wearing PPE waits to transfer the body of his relative who died of the Covid-19 coronavirus infection from an ambulance amid burning pyres of other covid deaths at a crematorium in Delhi on April 17 A woman mourns with her son after her husband died due to the coronavirus disease outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad A man in full PPE prepares to perform the last rites of his relative near multiple burning pyres of patients who died of the Covid-19 in Delhi Journalist who caught Covid dies while live-tweeting his wait for a hospital bed A journalist who caught Covid has died while live-tweeting about his wait for a hospital bed. Freelance Vinay Srivastava, 65, on Friday evening announced to the world he was suffering from coronavirus and had low blood oxygen levels. 'Nobody at the hospital lab, or the doctor is picking the phone,' Mr Srivastava tweeted. 'Help will come to you very soon,' tweeted one follower. Mr Srivastava replied: 'For how long should I keep the faith? Now my oxygen level is 50, and the guard at the Balrampur hospital is not letting me enter.' An oxygen saturation level below 94 is considered a cause for medical concern. Mr Srivastava was even contacted on Twitter by the state's health chief who asked him for more details. But on Saturday afternoon this was his last tweet: 'My oxygen is 31 when some will help me (sic).' Advertisement The Indian variant, which was first detected in October 2020, is believed to be more infectious than the first strain of Covid. Scientists suspect two mutations, named E484Q and L452R, help the variant to transmit faster and to get past immune cells made in response to older strains. It carries the same E484Q mutation as the South African variant, believed to make vaccines about 30 per cent less effective at preventing severe reactions to the virus. However, Public Health England's Sharon Peacock has said there is limited evidence for this. The Indian variant is yet to be properly understood by scientists and has been classed as a 'variant under investigation', a tier below the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants, by the UK government. Peacock also said the variant may not be the primary driver of the current wave of infections in India. She said: 'The question is whether this is associated with the variant, with human behaviour (for example, the presence of large gatherings, and/or lack of preventive measures including hand washing, wearing masks and social distancing) or whether both are contributing.' But, as a result of the new wave of infections, the country's healthcare infrastructure is being pushed to the limit across the land, including in the remote Himalayan region. In Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, the weekly average of Covid 19 cases has increased 11-fold in the past month. In Telengana state in southern India, home to Hyderabad city where most of India's vaccine makers are based, the weekly average of infections has increased 16-fold in the past month. Meanwhile, election campaigns are continuing in West Bengal state in eastern India, amid an alarming increase there as well, and experts fear that crowded rallies could fuel the spread of the virus. Top leaders of the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have campaigned heavily to win polls in the region. By contrast, in Delhi, officials have begun to impose stringent measures again. The Indian capital was shut down over the weekend, but now authorities are extending that for a week: all shops and factories will close, except for those that provide essential services, like grocery stores. People are not supposed to leave their homes, except for a handful of reasons, like seeking medical care. They will be allowed to travel to airports or train stations - a difference from the last lockdown when thousands of migrant workers were forced to walk to their home villages. That harsh lockdown last year, which lasted months, left deep scars. Politicians have since been reticent to even mention the word. When similar measures were imposed in Mahrashtra state, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, in recent days, officials refused to call it a lockdown. Those restrictions are to last 15 days. Kejriwal, the Delhi official, urged calm, especially among migrant workers who particularly suffered during the previous shutdown, saying this one would be 'small.' But many feared it would spell economic ruin. Amrit Tripathi, a laborer in New Delhi, was among the thousands who walked home in last year's lockdown. 'We will starve,' he said, if the current measures are extended. Chennai, April 20 : Tourist guides, operators and other concerned people blocked the highway at Kodaikanal after the Tamil Nadu government banned tourism in the major tourist spots of Kodaikanal and Nilgiris in view of surging Covid cases. Kaliyappan, a tourist guide who is working in the industry for the past two decades while speaking to IANS said, "We understand the issues regarding Covid surge, but the point is why don't the government allow the tourist flow with all necessary precautions. This is affecting our livelihood, I don't know how to protect my family including three children, wife and my aged parents. This is the only source of income and hundreds are depending on the tourism sector here." The state government had ordered a ban on tourism at the tourist spots of Nilgiris and Kodaikanal from Tuesday onwards and this has led to the protest at Moonjikal in Kodaikanal. Nilgris district collector, J. Innocent Divya told IANS said, "The borders are not closed for people travelling for medical or trade purposes and if they show the relevant papers, they will be allowed to cross the border." The district collector also said that all essential services will be allowed in the border. She said, "Special teams will be deputed at the borders to check all the relevant documents and as I said earlier those travelling for medical or trade purposes will be allowed but not tourists." With hundreds of people at the hill stations of Kodaikanal and Nilgris facing the heat at Tamil Nadu's major tourist spots, it is to be seen how people will cope up with the ban as the day to day affairs of these tourist spots are invariably linked to the flow of tourists. Jalaludin ,a tourist taxi driver at Kodaikanal told IANS, "It is unfortunate and we were slowly coming up after the 2020 lockdown and with the latest ban of Tamil Nadu government at Nilgiris and Kodaikanal, we know that we are done. My humble request is to allow tourists with all the Covid protocols." Creative MTL: Episode 12-CASA CARES shows us what they're all about with this year's Fashion Show (TNS) Florida's business lobby is getting much of what it wants this legislative session, from COVID-19 lawsuit protections to a big unemployment tax break.One area, though, where GOP lawmakers who control the Legislature are clashing with big business is on the issue of data privacy.Privacy bills that have drawn the ire of the business community are ready for final votes in the Florida House and Senate, with the House expected to vote on the legislation Wednesday.The data privacy debate is a rare high-profile issue that has advocates among the most conservative and liberal members of the Legislature, showing that misgivings about how businesses handle sensitive consumer data span the partisan divide.The House bill sponsored by Sarasota GOP state Rep. Fiona McFarland is particularly loathed by big business because it allows consumers to sue big companies for data privacy violations, an idea the Senate jettisoned in the face of business opposition.McFarland said the intense pushback from the business industry has been "challenging" and she is sympathetic to some of their concerns, which have prompted revisions to the legislation, but believes the time has come for a data privacy bill with a strong enforcement mechanism.The fact that there is widespread support for the legislation on the left and right "speaks to the core issue, which is that an expectation of privacy is a core fundamental American belief," McFarland said."We all sort of feel uncomfortable about the role technology has in our lives without us knowing what's going on," she added.McFarland's HB 1734 only applies to larger companies those with at least $50 million in revenue that collect data from more than 50,000 Florida customers and share or sell that data or those that primarily focus on collecting and selling data as a business model.The legislation requires companies to tell consumers what data they are collecting and what they are using it for. Consumers also would have the right to delete or correct that personal information and opt out of having it sold or shared.Similar laws have been passed recently in California and Virginia.Some of the biggest concerns expressed by Florida business interests are the cost of complying with the bill and worries that it could lead to frivolous lawsuits."Many of these businesses have just barely survived the pandemic and if this bill passes they will face significant compliance costs and legal exposure at a time when they really can't afford it," Grace Lovett , a lobbyist with the Florida Retail Federation, told a House committee last week.Under the House bill, "consumers whose personal information has been breached, sold, or shared after opting-out, or retained after a request to delete or correct" can file a lawsuit, according to a staff analysis.This so-called "private right of action" has been staunchly opposed by business interests. It was removed from the Senate bill earlier this month, leading to complaints that the legislation was being watered down, even as some business interests continued to oppose the revised Senate bill because of concerns about the cost of compliance.McFarland said the ability for consumers to file lawsuits over data privacy violations helps give the legislation "teeth.""There's got to be some consequence for not complying with the bill," she said, adding: "Nobody is a better advocate for their own privacy and self-interest than themselves."McFarland's bill advanced with unanimous support through three committee stops. It is backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Chris Sprowls , both of whom touted the legislation during a February press conference.State Rep. Anna Eskamani , D- Orlando, is a co-sponsor of the legislation."I think it's important as a progressive to show solidarity on this bill because I think it's good for Florida," said Eskamani, one of the Legislature's more liberal members.Technology has rapidly evolved and laws surrounding issues such as online privacy have not kept up, Eskamani said.The bipartisan support for the effort reflects the fact that data privacy is popular with Floridians, she added, noting the complaints she received about the bill all were from large companies "not everyday people."Still, Eskamani is worried that the Legislature will pass a version of the legislation that isn't aggressive enough in protecting consumers.Some House Republicans have expressed concerns about letting consumers sue companies over data privacy issues, indicating they may prefer the Senate version of the bill without that provision."I'm watching the bill very closely," Eskamani said. "Obviously the House and Senate have different versions. This is the time amendments will land to try and make the bill less effective."Meanwhile, business interests continue to complain about the cost of both bills and may be hoping the two chambers deadlock and pass nothing at all."At the end of the day this bill still is going to cost Florida businesses a gigantic amount of money to comply with," Associated Industries of Florida lobbyist Brewster Bevis said before the amended legislation passed its last Senate committee, adding: "I think we all need to just hit the pause button for a moment."DeSantis making the issue a priority gives it more momentum, though.McFarland has argued that some of the cost estimates are overblown. She is hopeful that the Legislature will pass the House version of the bill with stronger enforcement mechanisms."We've worked very closely with industry to get this bill to where we think it's in the strongest and best place," she said, adding: "We'll have conversations with our Senate counterparts... and see where we land." The company intersected 59.3 g/t gold over 1 metre and 8.9 g/t gold over 3 metres just east of the current resource The deposit contains an inferred resource of 204,000 ounces grading 11.8 g/t gold at a 2.5 g/t cut-off grade Limited ( ) (NYSEAMERICAN:FURY) (FRA:AUN1) released additional results from its drill program at its Eau Claire deposit in Quebec that showed good potential to expand the resource area. The Toronto-based junior intersected 59.3 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 1 metre (m) and 8.9 g/t gold over 3m just east of the current resource. Fury is hoping to expand the resource by drilling outside of known resource blocks in the lower eastern region of the deposit, which is located in the James Bay region. The current 25,000m drill program is part of a larger 50,000m program at Eau Claire. "Our deposit drilling continues to yield high-grade results as we intersect new areas of mineralization outside of the defined resource, demonstrating a strong potential to expand the resource east," Fury CEO Mike Timmins said in a statement. "In addition to this progress, we are highly encouraged with the newly identified Snake Lake structure, where we have recently completed drilling and are eagerly awaiting assay results. Our ongoing exploration program will now focus on the western extensions of Eau Claire, the previously announced Fold Hinge and Limb target areas." Currently the deposit contains an inferred resource of 204,000 ounces grading 11.8 g/t gold at a 2.5 g/t cut-off grade. Furys senior vice president exploration Michael Henrichsen told investors that the company is planning to drill test the 300m between the latest results and the A panel in the coming weeks, in a bid to significantly expand the resource. "These high-grade results have excellent continuity to the east of the deposit moving down plunge towards the A panel target, Henrichsen said. Fury is aiming to aggressively grow resources in three prolific mining regions of Canada. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas Dr Castro claims total victory The Cuban government claimed total victory over the anti-Castro forces which invaded the island earlier in the week, with the Cuban Revolutionary Council in New York admitting to tragic losses. The rebel landing forces had anticipated an internal uprising against Dr Castro that did not materialise, and in 72 hours they were defeated by government forces, with a large amount of North American-made arms seized. Art Gallery must alter The Art Gallery Society of NSW voted unanimously that the gallery should be made more interesting and accessible to the public. However, speakers pointed out the impractibility of moving the gallery to a more central position. The acting director said it was important to have an absolutely first-rate Australian collection and while the present collection was good there were gaps to be filled. War medals It was reported in the Herald that an army spokesman had said more than 7000 applications were received by the War Medals section of the central Army records office in Melbourne for 25,000 unclaimed medals. Army authorities anticipated small delays in replying to all these inquiries as each entitlement had to be carefully checked, the medals engraved and then dispatched to recipients by registered post. As the country grapples with a worrying second wave of infections, Prime Minister appealed to states that lockdowns should be the last option. In a hurriedly called address to the nation late Tuesday evening, the PM said economic activity and livelihood must remain least impacted. His call for patience during the crisis period came in the backdrop of several states rushing to announce curfews and severe restrictions in different ways. We have to save the country from ..States should focus on micro-containment zones, Modi said. The PM asked state governments to urge migrant workers to stay where they are and give them confidence that they wouldnt lose their income and livelihood. He also gave an assurance that with opening up for those above 18 years of age from May 1, workforce in cities would be able to get the shot. ALSO READ: Kejriwal asks Centre's help as some hospitals left with few hours of oxygen They will get the vaccine and their work also would not suffer, Modi said. He said that if people followed Covid appropriate behaviour, there would be no need for police enforcement or a ALSO READ: Coronavirus LIVE: Fight is to save India from complete lockdown, says PM Modi also invoked the festivals of Navratri and to imbibe the values of patience and discipline in times of this contagion. The experience of the ongoing second wave was vastly different from the first one, Modi said. The country did not have adequate testing labs, PPE manufacturing abilities or adequate information to treat Covid patients earlier, he elaborated. He said the second wave had hit India like a storm and the challenge ahead was big. We are in a big battle...We have to overcome this difficult situation with courage, resolve and preparation. ALSO READ: India Inc braces to vaccinate all employees, seeks more clarity on supply He also assured that efforts were being made at all levels to ramp up the production of oxygen in the country since the demand had gone up. We are sensitive to the issue and working to resolve it. All in need should get oxygen. While expressing his grief and condolences to all those the families of those who lost their lives in this second wave, Modi said, I am with you in this grief like a member of your family. I am aware of what you have undergone and are undergoing. ALSO READ: Covid-19: Govt waives import duty on Remdesivir injection, raw materials He said the country was expanding its testing and pharmaceutical capacity. The Prime Minister also appealed to his bal mitra (children) to take initiative like they did during the Swachch Bharat campaign and ensure that no one in their household steps out without any reason. He also asked the youth to form committees in their society buildings and apartments to ensure Covid discipline is followed. Modi lauded the medical staff and frontline workers for putting their lives at risk to save others day and night. He also appreciated the efforts of NGOs and social workers to help those in need by providing food and medicines. ALSO READ: Covid: Delhi HC asks Centre why wait till May 1 to vaccinate everyone 5K attend first indoor services at Rock Church in over 1 year; pastor says it feels like 'Christmas' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment More than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic caused the shuttering of the campuses of Rock Church in San Diego, California, Senior Pastor Miles McPherson welcomed back over 5,000 of his congregants indoors for the first time on Sunday, and it felt like Christmas. Whats up Rock family? Whats up Rock family! One year has gone by; we are back! McPherson declared in a Facebook broadcast, clapping at first and then pumping his fists in the air with jubilation. All the campuses, everybody watching all over, God bless you. Thank you so much for your patience, for your faithfulness. COVID came, but COVID did not knock us out. Come on now! God will not stop the church. We are back. It is so exciting. While elated that his congregants were now finally able to come together for the first time since the state placed restrictions on houses of worship gathering during the pandemic, McPherson also took the time to acknowledge the loss many of them suffered as a result of the virus while offering a sense of hope. Over the last year, weve gone through so much. A lot of yall lost loved ones, lost jobs, businesses, but God is going to sustain you. Hes going to sustain you as we talk about in this new series called Relaunching, Hes going to get you through, McPherson declared. Speaking with The San Diego Union-Tribune after the service, the megachurch pastor, who did not move to hold indoor services until state officials lifted mandatory restrictions last week, reiterated how happy he was to reunite with his spiritual family again. It was so good to see our family back together, he said. It was like Thanksgiving or Christmas when you get to reunite with your family and reestablish your relationships. More than 5,000 attended in-person services across four campuses and 300,000 also watched Rock Church services online, the publication noted. But for those who attended in-person, the feeling was special. Its my birthday today, and weve been gone for so long that it feels like a gift from God and Pastor Miles that we can all be together again, said Karla Ghancous, 27, who recalled the first time she walked through the doors of the Point Loma campus. I kid you not, the Holy Spirit just caught me the moment those double doors opened and I heard the music. Im ready to run back in right now, she told the newspaper. Along with the loss of life that came with the pandemic, the social isolation, said McPherson, also deprived congregants of their relationship. We dont realize how much we need each other, to look each other in the eyes, to see our faces and the expressions were making, McPherson said. Because were made for relationships. And when you take that away and when you get used to that, you lose something, and you just dont realize what you lost until you get it back. On April 12, California lifted capacity limits on houses of worship after a controversial year when several churches challenged the states pandemic restrictions in court. In response to recent judicial rulings, effective immediately, location and capacity limits on places of worship are not mandatory but are strongly recommended, an update posted on the states COVID-19 website reads. In February, the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom was forced to revise guidelines for indoor worship services after the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency injunction blocking a complete public health ban on indoor worship services in some counties. But the court kept in place restrictions on singing, chanting and a 25% limit on crowd size in place. The state completely lifted all mandatory restrictions after the Supreme Court ruled against the states limits on in-home Bible study and other forms of worship on April 9. Last week, Rock Church announced that four campuses would hold in-person services at 50% capacity, while the Chula Vista campus and microsites continued to meet outdoors. Those wishing to attend services are encouraged to RSVP each week and are required to wear a mask upon entering the facility. Attendees will have the option to remove the mask once they are seated. According to a statement released by the church, seating indoors "will support comfortable distancing." Attendees are asked to maintain "appropriate distance from those outside their household" and were asked to leave bags and purses at home in an "effort to keep everything as touchless as possible." No food or drink was allowed to be consumed inside the church buildings except water. With the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing churches to meet indoors, the Rock Church leadership has been meeting to assess the feasibility of how to do it safely," McPherson said in a statement. "This involves preparing the physical buildings, training staff and volunteers, and making the necessary safety precautions. The death has occurred of Derek BARRATT Leixlip, Kildare BARRATT (Leixlip, Co. Kildare) April 19th, 2021 (peacefully after a long illness) in the loving care of the staff at Maynooth Lodge Nursing Home, Maynooth. Derek, beloved husband of Irene and dear father of Helen, father-in-law of Colin and a devoted grandfather of Dylan and Hannah. Sadly missed by his loving wife, daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, extended family, friends & neighbours. Due to Government advice and restrictions regarding public gatherings and to protect our most vulnerable family members and our friends, a private family funeral will take place. Dereks Funeral Mass may be viewed by following the link below on Thursday (22nd April 2021) morning at 11 am http://oln.ie/oln/live-webcam/ Dereks funeral cortege will pass his home on Thursday morning (22nd April 2021) at 10.30 am (approx) for friends and family to pay their respects. Family flowers only, please. Donations if desired to The Irish Cancer Society or the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. The death has occurred of Lily Burke (nee Gorman) Curragh View, Brownstown, Curragh, Kildare Peacefully, at Suncroft Lodge Nursing Home. Wife of the late Niall. Sadly missed by her loving son John, daughters Anne and Tina, son in law Donnagha, grandchildren Keith, Stephen, Ricki, Carly, great grandchildren, sister and brother, sisters in law, brothers in law, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends. May Lily Rest In Peace Due to current government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the condolence page below. Removal on Wednesday morning to arrive at St. Brigid's Church, The Curragh, for Requiem Mass at 12 o'clock. Burial afterwards in St. Conleths cemetery, Newbridge. Lily's Funeral Mass will be live streamed on the St. Brigid's Church, The Curragh, Facebook page. The death has occurred of Michael (Mick) Connell 684 Fortbarrington, Athy, Kildare Sadly missed by his loving wife Ann, children Pat, Billy, John, Diane, David and Frazer, sister Betty, son-in-law Kieran, daughters-in-law Margaret, Collette, Helen and Helena, sister-in-law, grandchildren Michelle, Matthew, Philip (deceased), Sarah, Chantelle, Cearon, Ryan, Lucy, Aoife, Ella and Mia, great-granchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Rest in Peace Due to government restrictions, a private family Requiem Mass will take place at 11am on Wednesday morning (21st April) in St. Michael's Parish Church, Athy, limited to 10 people. The Mass will be livestreamed, see www.parishofathy.ie. Burial afterwards in St. Michael's New Cemetery, Athy. Michael's funeral cortege will leave his daughter Diane's residence, Whitebog, Athy at approx. 10.30am on Wednesday morning (via Fortbarrington ). Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to current restrictions may leave a message in the 'Condolences' section below. The death has occurred of Nancy (Anne) Heaney (nee McMenamin) Leixlip, Kildare / Stranorlar, Donegal HEANEY (nee McMenamin), Nancy (Anne), Leixlip, Co Kildare and late of Stranorlar, Co Donegal, April 17th 2021, suddenly but peacefully at her home, predeceased by her five brothers Seamus, Seoirse, Sean, Aidan and Eugene, deeply regretted by her much loved husband John, son Brian and his partner Orlean and adored grandson James. Nancy will be sadly missed by her loving family and siblings Con, Eileen, Ethna, Pauric, Paul and Eamon and their spouses and partners, her godmother Rosita and her godchildren Aidan and Kelley, her brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends. May She Rest in Peace A beautiful soul, she will be sorely missed. Due to current government guidelines, a private family funeral will take place for Nancy. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to the current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message for the family in the condolence's section below. Nancy's Funeral Mass can be viewed on Friday morning at 11am by clicking on the following link : http://oln.ie/oln/live-webcam/ Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors accept no responsibility for any live webcam interruptions or issues. Nancy's Funeral Cortege will be leaving her residence on Friday morning at approx. 10:30am to arrive at the Church of Our Lady's Nativity, Leixlip for 11am Funeral Mass, followed by burial in Confey Cemetery. Those who would like to line the route, may do so in a safe and socially distanced manner. For all enquiries, please contact Oliver Reilly Ltd. Funeral Directors on (045) 868230. The death has occurred of Aidan Holden Shed Road, Maganey, Kildare Formerly of Birmingham.Peacefully in his sister Ann's residence. Pre-deceased by his parents Patrick and Mary and his brother Matt. Deeply regretted by his sisters, brothers, Veronica, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. MAY AIDAN REST IN PEACE. Due to current Covid 19 restrictions a private funeral Mass will be on Wednesday 21st April at 11am at The Church of St. Laurence O'Toole, Levitstown (max in church 10 people). Followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Those who can not attend the funeral and who wish to leave a personal message of condolence may do so in the condolences section below. Funeral will be live streamed on Wednesday 21st of April at 11am via the following link. The death has occurred of Marie Nolan (nee Meehan) Newtown Rd., Maynooth, Kildare / Dunboyne, Meath It is with great sadness our family announce the death of our wonderful mother Marie Nolan (nee Meehan) on Sunday April 18th 2021. Marie passed, peacefully, after a long battle with illness, surrounded by her loving family and supported by the wonderful caring staff of The Sycamore Unit in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. Marie is predeceased by her adored husband Tom and her much loved parents Christopher and Elizabeth Meehan of Ballymacoll, Dunboyne, her sisters Eileen, Breda and Carmel, her nephews John, Thomas and Peter and her son-in-law Mick. She will be deeply mourned by her heartbroken daughters Margaret, Anne and Elizabeth, her grandchildren Andrew, Alex, Emma and her great granddaughter Lexi, her devoted sons-in-law Norman and Malcolm, her brothers Jim and Ollie, extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, wonderful neighbours and friends. May She Rest In Peace Due to current government guidelines, a private family funeral will take place for Marie. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to the current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message for the family in the condolence's section below. Marie's Funeral Mass can be viewed on Thursday morning at 11am by clicking on the following link : http://maynoothparish.org/live-streaming/ Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors accept no responsibility for any live webcam interruptions or issues. Marie's Funeral Cortege will be leaving her residence on Thursday morning at approx. 10:30am to arrive at St. Mary's Church, Maynooth for 11am Funeral Mass, followed by burial in Laraghbryan Cemetery. Those who would like to line the route, may do so in a safe and socially distanced manner. The family thank everyone for their help and support during this difficult time but for the safety of everyone ask that the house be strictly private. For all enquiries, please contact Oliver Reilly Ltd. Funeral Directors on (045) 868230. 04/20/2021 By Ed Brennen You kept doing the work and held everything together, which is a testament to you and your dedication to UMass Lowell. -Manager of Student Employment Candice Garabedian on award nominees Senior Billy Crowley will be stepping right into a business data analyst job at Juniper Networks in May, after graduating from thewith a concentration inCrowley got his foot in the door at the computer networking company last summer as a data operations specialist intern an opportunity that he credits to his work-study job as an assistant gift processor for UMLsoffice.It was way more than a work-study job. I worked with databases and customer relationship management systems, and thats how I was able to land my internship, says Crowley, who has worked for Advancement for three years, including remotely for the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic.Crowley was recently recognized for his outstanding work by being named UMLsEach year, as part of National Student Employment Week, the offices ofandrecognize UML students who work while in school, either through the Federal Work-Study Program or in departmental and off-campus positions.Employment supervisors are invited to nominate students for the award, which makes them eligible for state, regional and national student employee of the year honors.This years ceremony like many of the jobs themselves during the pandemic was held remotely, with 13 student employees and their nominating supervisors attending on Zoom. Every nominee received a certificate, and Crowley got a plaque for his win.Manager of Student Employment Candice Garabedian praised the students and supervisors for adapting to challenging circumstances, whether working from home or on campus under safety protocols.You kept doing the work and held everything together, which is a testament to you and your dedication to UMass Lowell, she said.Juniormajor Cassia Fontes, who works as a radiation safety inspector for thedepartment, was first runner-up for the award. Seniormajor Greg Reimonn, a microplastics student researcher in the Francis College of Engineering , was second runner-up.Crowley, who is from Medford, Massachusetts, started as a data entry clerk for Advancement. His work-study role evolved, he says, as he learned new database and coding skills in his business classes.As I went through school, I was able to become more involved and pick up bigger projects like the yearly endowment report, says Crowley, whose biggest project involved cleaning up Advancements donor database with Microsoft Access, a database management system.On the morning of the award ceremony, Crowley was busy processing online gifts and sending out tax receipts for Days of Giving, the universitys annual two-day donation drive.Billy goes above and beyond for any project weve assigned to him, and hes helped us so much throughout the pandemic, says Maria Panagakis, executive director of Advancement services.This year, in particular, Billy was a huge help with our endowment reports, updating our Access database and getting those reports out on time, adds Cindy Puleo, director of endowment and gift operations.The other student employees nominated this year were:Prince Acquah (studio assistant, Art & Design Department); Natalie Battle (project assistant, Provosts Office); Samuel Claflin (undergraduate researcher, Computer Science Department); John Connery (MakerSpace student leader, Engineering Deans Office); Kiran Darai (peer advisor team lead, Academic Services); Kathy Le (studio assistant, Art & Design); Meaghan OBrien (office assistant, Business Deans Office); Emily Parsons (archival processor of the Kerouac Archive, English Department); Jessica Ross (grader, Chemistry Department); and Jacob Villeneueve (Welcome Desk staff, Student Affairs).With the university planning for a full return to campus in the fall, Garabedian said opportunities for on-campus student employment will be available with appropriate accommodations for health and safety. Students can apply for jobs through the Student Employment Office at uml.edu/jobhawk.As more information regarding office and building capacity becomes available, we will be able to provide more specific information as to the number of on-campus jobs that will be available, she says.While he has missed working in the office 10 to 20 hours a week, Crowley is thankful that he could continue his work-study job remotely from his off-campus apartment.I know a lot of internships and co-ops were canceled. I was able to come back to school and keep working, help myself financially and get that experience, he says. I ended up in a good position when Im graduating, and thats all you can really ask for. (@FahadShabbir) Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Apr, 2021 ) :The United States will press all nations to reduce reliance on coal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday, warning "we won't have much of a world left" without stronger leadership from Washington on climate change. "Our diplomats will challenge the practices of countries whose action -- or inaction -- is setting us back," Blinken was to say in a speech ahead of President Joe Biden's climate summit later this week, according to early excerpts. "When countries continue to rely on coal for a significant amount of their energy, or invest in new coal factories, or allow for massive deforestation, they will hear from the United States and our partners about how harmful these actions are," he said. Coal is the dirtiest form of energy but also an especially sensitive political issue both in China, the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, and the United States. China, despite a pledge to go carbon neutral by 2060, has moved ahead with coal-powered plants. The United States under former president Donald Trump left the Paris climate accord as he declared himself a champion of coal miners, although demand for coal has kept falling in the United States. In the speech in Annapolis, Maryland, Blinken was to say that the United States would take action itself and did not see climate just "through the prism of threats." "If America fails to lead the world on addressing the climate crisis, we won't have much of a world left," Blinken said. "If we succeed, we will capitalize on the greatest opportunity to create quality jobs in generations; we'll build a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable society; and we'll protect this magnificent planet."Biden has proposed a massive $2 trillion infrastructure package that includes a major transition toward green energy. The Democratic president has invited some 40 world leaders to the virtual climate summit Thursday and Friday, for which he is set to announce a more ambitious US target on reducing carbon emissions by 2030. Last week, a Montana man was attacked by a grizzly bear and has passed on after suffering a "massive stroke" in hospital. On April 15, 40 years old Carl Mock, of West Yellowstone, was rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with "critical injuries" after being mauled by the bear just south of Hole Campground of Baker, about three miles north of West Yellowstone. GoFundMe Page Information about his death was confirmed through an update on a page - GoFundMe created last week to raise money for his medical treatment that was ongoing. The campaign was launched by West Yellowstone resident Keith Johnson. Mock needed multiple surgeries and would likely go through a "long recovery," however the update that was posted on April 17, said he had died since. "We would like to let you know that early this morning Carl suffered a massive stroke and unfortunately, he didn't make it. This comes as a very terrible shock and is painful to everyone since his surgeries went so well," The GoFundMe post read. The fund had raised over $24,000 of a $30,000 goal from 297 donors as of April 19. Also Read: Donald Trump's War on Wildlife: Trump Lifts Ban on Shooting Hibernating Bears, Trapping Resting Wolves, Other Wildlife Protection Laws The Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) The money gotten would be given to his family so it will be used to pay for his medical bills and funeral costs, Johnson wrote in the update. "We are thankful for the continued support from this community that assisted in easing these financial burdens for Carl's family," he added. Previously, The Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) made the confirmation in a statement that on Friday last week a grizzly bear was shot and killed - the day after the maul - as personnel investigated the location of the incident, which was restricted to the public.The agency said Carl was believed to have possessed bear spray at the time of the incident but it was unknown if he even got an opportunity to use it on the bear. Adult Male Grizzly Bear Killed The FWP revealed seven investigators who were deployed to the scene of the attack had an encounter with a bear before getting to the area, despite making "constant noise," both yelling, trying to "haze" the animal - the process of attempting to scare the animal off. The FWP said: "In spite of various attempts by all seven people to scare off the bear, it kept charging. The bear was shot and died around 20 yards from the group because of this immediate safety risk. The bear was a grown-up male grizzly," Investigators discovered a moose carcass close to the 50 yards of the attack, which implies that the bear was probably securing a food source when the attack happened, the agency noted. The GoFundMe campaign page gave a description of the victim as being a "hard-working guy with a smile that was infectious" and a person that has a "passion for outdoors, fishing, hiking, and photography." Related Article: Bears Act 'Like Friendly Dogs' Due to Strange Brain Infection For more news, updates about bears and similar topics, don't forget to follow Nature World News! 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. Supporting BIPOC communities shouldnt be limited to times of crisis or designated history months. One way you can support communities of color now, tomorrow and every day is by buying from BIPOC-owned brands. But with the current rise in anti-Asian violence and hate crimes in the U.S., its especially time to turn attention to Asian American-owned brands and the entrepreneurs behind them. In wake of current events, Omsom an Asian-owned brand that makes Asian meal starter kits spoke out on its Instagram with a question to its followers: Do you ride for our communities as hard as you ride for our food? This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. So, if you like ordering Drunken Noodles, wontons and sushi from Asian-owned restaurants, keep ordering. But you can (and should) support these Asian-owned food brands when cooking at home all while doing anti-racist work in your daily life. Credit: Omsom Buy Now Omsom makes it easy to create restaurant-quality meals at home in under 30 minutes with its Asian dish starters. Think of the starters like a shortcut: They combine all the sauces, aromatics and seasonings you need to make a specific Asian dish, recipe provided. Just add your choice of protein and veggies. The Best Seller Set includes starters to make Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Larb and Japanese Yuzu Misoyaki. Sisters and co-founders of Omsom, Vanessa and Kim Pham, are the daughters of Vietnamese refugees. The sisters grew up watching their mother cook everything from scratch. We started Omsom to bring proud, loud Asian flavors to your fingertips any day of the week, sitting in your pantry right between the tomato sauce and olive oil. No more diluted dishes, no more cultural compromise. Real deal Asian cuisine and communities are too damn delicious to deny, their brands website says. Story continues Credit: Fly By Jing Buy Now Fly by Jing makes some of the most incredible sauces inspired by the founder and CEO Jing Gaos hometown of Chengdu, China. According to its site, fly refers to the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that attract diners like flies. And these sauces once you try one, youll be swarming the site for more too. Its signature sauce is its Sichuan Chili Sauce. Intensely flavorful yet not off-the-charts spicy, itll make your food taste bolder and the world around you seem a little bit brighter. Use it on everything, the product description says. Although, if you run out of ideas of what to put the sauce on, Fly by Jing provides recipes on its site as well. Credit: Dang Foods Dang Foods makes snacks like Thai rice crisps, coconut chips and keto-friendly nut bars. The brand was founded by Vincent Kitirattragarn, who was inspired by his mothers cooking. As brothers living between NYC and Bangkok, we grew up eating differently. We created Dang , named after our Mom to share uniquely Asian American snacks with the flavors and ingredients we love, he wrote on the brands site. And today, Dang Foods is on a mission to share its culture through food. The coconut is ethically sourced from family farms in Thailand, and its seriously good stuff. Credit: Provenance Meals Buy Now Provenance Meals is a meal delivery company that makes healthy prepared meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All of the meals are organic, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. To ensure the absolute freshness, the main service is currently only available in the greater New York City area and some parts of Connecticut. However, Provenance Meals launched the Feel Good Fix in August 2020, and this portion of the service ships nationwide. The three-day, plant-based program eliminates inflammatory triggers including dairy, refined sugar, gluten, GMOs, soy, corn and refined vegetable oils. The meals, created by chefs and nutrition experts, come pre-prepared. The goal, according to Provenance Meals founder Caroll Lee, is to reboot your body by removing toxins causing gut inflammation. (Check out In The Knows review!) Provenance Meals also makes snacks and drinks in its online Wellness Shop that ship nationwide, too. Credit: Emshika Buy Now Emshika Alberini owns Chang Thai Cafe in Littletown, New Hampshire. She created her namesake beverage brand with traditional recipes from her family, and it ships nationwide. Emshika makes canned Thai iced tea and Thai coffee and once you try it, you may never go back to plain black coffee ever again. Both the tea and coffee are nitro-infused, dairy-free and have zero sugar added. The sweetness comes from a hint of natural monk fruit sweetener. Get a sampler pack to try them all! Credit: Bokksu Buy Now Bokksu is a premium subscription service that works with local Japanese businesses to deliver a new box of snacks each month. Snacks are both savory and sweet, and include Kit Kats with unique flavors, mochi, tea, rice crackers and more. You can purchase a box for one month, three months or 12 months, or you can purchase snacks individually. Founder Danny Taing launched Bokksu after living and working in Japan for many years. When he returned to the U.S., he wanted a way to get all of his favorite authentic Japanese snacks. We are totally in love with authentic Japanese snacks, which is why we handpick snacks that people in Japan actually eat and curate them into beautiful themed boxes every month, the brands website reads. We are also the only Japanese subscription box that includes a tea pairing specifically selected to complement that months delicacies, as well as a Culture Guide magazine that describes the story and flavors of each item in the box. If you found this article helpful, check out these 18 Asian-founded brands to support today, tomorrow and forever. More from In The Know: Topicals is the skincare brand addressing chronic skin conditions CEO of Xian Famous Foods shares how his business dreams became reality 24-year-old Tahia Islam is making vintage fashion accessible to BIPOC DAWANG is the brand that fuses traditional Chinese fabrics with western aesthetics The post Stock up on these Asian-owned food brands for cooking and snacking at home appeared first on In The Know. Six opposition parties with MPs in the House of Commons are calling for an inquiry into Boris Johnson's "consistent failure to be honest" during parliamentary debates. The Liberal Democrats, Greens and Scottish National Party as well as Plaid Cymru, the SDLP and Alliance are calling on the Speaker to allow a vote into holding a probe on the prime minister's tendency to mislead parliament. It comes after a video put together by lawyer Peter Stefanovic fact-checking claims made by the prime minister on a variety of topics was watched millions of times and reported internationally. The opposition parties single out comments by the prime minister including a January 2020 false claim that the economy had grown "by 73 per cent" under the Tories, a March 2020 false claim that nurses bursaries had been restored, and another in June 2020 that 400,000 fewer families were living in poverty than in 2010. "It's hard to recall any prime minister who has treated Parliament with the contempt that this one does," said Green MP Caroline Lucas, who organised the letter. There is a normalisation of lying to the House which is deeply dangerous, especially coming from an increasingly authoritarian government which is looking at every means to avoid accountability. MPs job is to hold government to account and we can only do that if ministers give accurate information to the House. That is a core principle of our democracy and it is being undermined by the Prime Minister himself. He is not only showing contempt for Parliament, he is also undermining peoples trust in our system of government. Its time he was held to account. Labour leader Keir Starmer is understood to have been asked to sign the call to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, but declined. A Labour source indicated that the party generally did not sign up to initiatives launched by other parties, but added that Sir Keir's team had regularly pulled the prime minister up over falsehoods. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, another signatory of the letter said Mr Johnson was clearly "the most dishonest prime minister in living memory" and that this amounted to "a disaster for the integrity of British politics" that |could damage trust in our politics for decades to come". Plaid Cymru group leader Liz Saville-Roberts said: Lies, corruption scandals and a lack of accountability have defined Westminsters broken politics for years. But never before has trust in politics been so miserably undermined than by Boris Johnsons catalogue of lies." She said the UK "urgently" needed "a change in the law to stop a further decline in the quality of public debate". Alliance MP for North Down Stephen Farry MP in particular criticised Mr Johnson's approach to truth around Brexit and Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister is setting the tone," he said. "His poor handling of the reasons for the Northern Ireland Protocol have fed a dangerous narrative of betrayal. Our politics is in danger of taking a dangerous Trumpian turn." UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 May 2021 Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro, Portugal, at Gatwick Airport after the ban on international leisure travel for people in England was lifted following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2021 Emergency workers at the scene of a suspected gas explosion, in which a young child was killed and two people were seriously injured, on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which caused 2 houses to collapse and badly damaged another PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2021 Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause as violence escalates in the ongoing conflict with Israel, in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 14 May 2021 Member of staffs tighten screws and paint a Marlin skeleton, before it goes on display at the Natural History Museum in London, as the museum prepares to reopen to the public on 17 May, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2021 A worshipper at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Mordon, south London, ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters UK news in pictures 18 April 2021 Stephen Maguire (right) of Scotland interacts with Jamie Jones of Wales during day 2 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships 2021 at The Crucible, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 April 2021 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghs coffin, covered with His Royal Highnesss Personal Standard arrives by Landrover Defender at St Georges Chapel carried by a bearer party found by the Royal Marines during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle Getty Images UK news in pictures 16 April 2021 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, checks the teeth of "Dentosaurus" during a visit to the Thornliebank Dental Care centre in Glasgow, as she campaigns ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 April 2021 Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK, Kyaw Zwar Minn, outside his residence in north west London. The ambassador has been barred from entering the Myanmar embassy in Mayfair after he was removed from office PA UK news in pictures 14 April 2021 People take part in coronavirus surge testing on Clapham Common, south London. Thousands of residents have queued up to take coronavirus tests at additional facilities set up after new cases of the South African variant were found in two south London boroughs. 44 confirmed cases of the variant have been found in Lambeth and Wandsworth, with a further 30 probable cases identified PA UK news in pictures 13 April 2021 The core of the Milky Way becomes visible in the early hours of Tuesday morning as it moves over Bamburgh Lighthouse at stag Rock in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 12 April 2021 Rebecca Richardson (left) and Genevieve Florence, members of the Aquabatix synchronised swimming team, during a practice session in the swimming pool at Clissold Leisure Centre in north London, which has reopened to the public. Many facilities have reopened in the latest easing of lockdown include pubs and restaurants who can serve outside, non-essential shops, indoor gyms and swimming pools, nail salons and hairdressers, outdoor amusements and zoos PA UK news in pictures 11 April 2021 A pub staff pins up a sign announcing the reopening of the Fox on the Hill pub on Denmark Hill in London EPA UK news in pictures 10 April 2021 The Death Gun Salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the The Tower of London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 9 April 2021 A man arrives to lay a bunch of flowers outside Buckingham Palace in central London after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. - Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, who recently spent more than a month in hospital and underwent a heart procedure, died on April 9, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 8 April 2021 Cousin Pascal ridden by James King clears the chair on their way to winning the 4:05 Pool via REUTERS UK news in pictures 7 April 2021 Deliveroo riders from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain outside Deliveroo headquarters in London, as they go on strike in a dispute for fair pay, safety protections and basic workers rights PA UK news in pictures 6 April 2021 Waves crash over the walls next to Seaham Lighthouse in Durham PA UK news in pictures 5 April 2021 Lusamba Katalay (third from left), the husband of Belly Mujinga joins activists at a vigil at Victoria station in London to mark the first anniversary of the death of railway worker Belly Mujinga who died with Covid-19 following reports she had been coughed on by a customer at London's Victoria station PA UK news in pictures 4 April 2021 People spend Easter Sunday at Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth Jake McPherson/SWNS UK news in pictures 3 April 2021 A woman looks into the camera as she attends a 'Kill the Bill' protest in London EPA UK news in pictures 2 April 2021 Members of the Bamburgh Croquet club play a game following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Northumberland, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 1 April 2021 A family walks in St Nicholas' Park in Warwick, the hot weather which baked much of the UK this week is set to give way to a chilly Easter weekend. PA UK news in pictures 31 March 2021 A woman adds a heart to the National Covid Memorial Wall in London EPA UK news in pictures 30 March 2021 Jamie Klingler from Reclaim These Streets speaks to the media in Clapham Common, south London, after a review by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor concluded that Metropolitan Police officers did not act inappropriately or in a heavy-handed manner at the vigil PA UK news in pictures 29 March 2021 An aerial photo shows people playing tennis at the Mersey Bowman Lawn Tennis Club in Liverpool northwest England on March 29, 2021, as England's third Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease, allowing groups of up to six people to meet outside. - People in England rushed outside Monday to enjoy sports, picnics and other previously prohibited activities, as the nation entered the second phase of its coronavirus lockdown easing thanks in large part to a successful vaccination drive AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 28 March 2021 A walrus sleeps on the slipway of Tenby Lifeboat station at Tenby, Wales Reuters Mr Johnson has lost multiple jobs over alleged dishonesty. He was previously sacked from a role at The Times newspaper for allegedly making up a quote, and was sacked from Michael Howards shadow cabinet for allegedly lying about an affair with a colleague. The Speakers office declined to comment on correspondence between Sir Lindsay and MPs. Asked about the claims by the opposition MPs about Mr Johnson's conduct, a government spokesperson said: The prime minister follows the ministerial code. 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. People hold a banner at the Amazon facility as members of a congressional delegation arrive to show their support for workers who will vote on whether to unionize, in Bessemer, Ala., on March 5, 2021. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters) Amazons Rejection of Unions in Alabama Is a Big Loss for Big Labor Commentary Big labor suffered a significant loss in its attempt to unionize employees at Amazons warehouse facility in Bessemer, Alabama. Of the workers eligible to vote, an embarrassingly small 16 percent voted to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. It was the most recent in a series of high-profile losses for labor including failed attempts to unionize factories for Volkswagen, Nissan Motors, and Boeing. In each case, union leaders bet that they could convince workers it was in their best interests to be enrolled in a union that would stand up to management over wages and working conditions. In each case, they lost. With private-sector union membership down from 24.2 percent in 1973 to 6.3 percent today, union leaders realize they are in an uphill battle. But the problems they face are nearly impossible to address absent a reassessment of their political affiliationsunless, that is, they can get the government to change the rules so that joining a union is less of a choice and more of a mandate. One such problem is union leaderships overwhelming support for Democrats and progressive political causes, which clashes with more varied political affiliations among rank-and-file union members. As reported on the pro-union website Strikewave last October, polling data commissioned by the progressive think tank Data for Progress found that active union members were more strongly Republican (31 percent) than strongly Democrat (29 percent), though a slight majority lean Democrat. Yet, according to OpenSecrets.org, labor organizations contributed a whopping $27.5 million to President Bidens campaign and groups that supported him, while President Trump took in a mere $360,000. That kind of political bias might be helpful if the unions were trying to organize Harvard professors or the top-level executives in multinational corporations. But it wasnt a plus in Alabama, where Trump got 62 percent of the votemuch of which came from precisely the kind of employees who work in the Amazon warehouse. Nor did it help for the unions to bring in Senator Bernie Sanders, the millionaire socialist who gave a speech promising that union success at Amazon would spread all over this country. American workers dont want socialismparticularly Republican workers, nearly 80 percent of whom view capitalism positively. What workers of all political stripes do want is more opportunity, better wages, and better working conditions. It might help the unions if they focused on those things rather than spending union dues on candidates many of their members and potential members oppose or bringing in an 80-year-old socialist to give the same unconvincing speech hes been giving for the last 50 years. These tactics only serve to convince workers that the unions goals may not match their own. Its not like union leaders have been shy about it. As AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka admitted in 2007, I got into the labor movement not because I wanted to negotiate wages. I got into the labor movement because I saw it as a vehicle to do massive social change to include lots of people. So, no one should be surprised that union efforts to organize workers at Amazon failed so miserably. But labor leaders and their Democratic allies have a solution they believe will keep those union dues and political contributions flowing: a bill designed to prop up labor unions by making it far easier to coerce unwilling workers into unionizing. Its called the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), and the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives has already passed it. The PRO Acts provisions are draconian. Among other things, it would require that employers disclose employee contact informationsuch as home addresses and phone numbersto union organizers. It would then undermine secret-ballot voting with a process called card check. Basically, the union would know where workers live, where their kids go to school and, eventually, how they voted, making it easier to coerce these employees to vote for a union. If a business did unionize, the PRO Act would then compel union membership by eliminating laws in 27 states that grant workers who choose not to join a union the right to work without being forced to join a union or pay union dues. The PRO Act is an acknowledgment that big labor is unable to grow private-sector union membership by doing a good job representing workers interests. Instead, union leaders want to force union membership and union dues on unwilling employees, and their allies in the Democratic Party are prepared to apply the heavy hand of government to help them do it. Unions played an important role in American life when they focused on the concerns of real employees in real workplaces. Theyre not doing that nownot in the private sector, anywayand thats why employees are rejecting them. If union leaders want that to change, they should try winning workers support by meeting their needs without offending their values. From RealClearWire. Andrew Puzder was chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants for more than 16 years, following a career as an attorney. He is currently a senior fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. Sangertown Square is holding a job fair this week to help fill 50 available positions at 10 different businesses in the mall. There are part-time and full-time jobs available at: Boscovs Cooperstown Connection Executive Cellular HomeGoods Pandora PiNZ Subway Target The Childrens Place Yankee Candle Interested candidates can apply online or in person by going to the mall and visiting hiring tables outside of some store entrances. The job fair will continue through May 2. To view all available jobs online here. Beshear Fights Law About Fair Board Appointments By The Associated Press FRANKFORT - Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has asked a judge to strike down a Republican-backed law eroding his appointment authority over the state fair board.The measure transferred power to appoint a majority of the boards members to the agriculture commissioner.The current commissioner is Republican Ryan Quarles.Beshear and a member of his cabinet are challenging the law.Their lawsuit says the majority of appointments to executive branch boards have been reserved for the governor as the states chief magistrate under the Kentucky Constitution.Quarles says on social media the governor refuses to accept laws enacted by the legislature. ROME, APR 20 - The Bank of Italy said Tuesday that ongoing support for households and businesses remained essential to revive the economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the central bank added, as it reported to parliament on the government's DEF economic blueprint ,that elements of selectivity should be introduced to direct the aid to where it is most needed. It said a significant recovery in the second half of the year was plausible but added that it will depend on the vaccination campaign and the launch of the PNRR Recovery plan. It said it expects the Italian economy to grow 4.1% his year and 4.3% in 2021. (ANSA). Former has urged his successor to reinstate the travel ban on certain Muslim countries in order to keep the country safe from radical Islamic terrorism. If wants to keep our country safe from radical Islamic terrorism, he should reinstitute the foreign country travel ban and all of the vetting requirements on those seeking admission that go with it, along with the refugee restrictions I successfully put in place, Trump said in a statement on Monday. Terrorists operate all over the world and recruit online. To keep terrorism and extremism out of our country, we need to have smart, commonsense rules in place so we don't repeat the many immigration mistakes made by Europeand the USA prior to Trump', said the former Trump had imposed a ban on travel from several Muslim countries including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. However, Biden lifted the ban after assuming office. (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.) Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev discussed preparations for the meeting of presidents of Russia and the U.S. during his call with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the Council press service disclosed in the wake of the call that took place on the U.S. initiative. "Nikolai Patrushev and Jacob Sullivan discussed the preparations for the highest-level meeting, as well as possible directions for development of the Russian-U.S. cooperation," the Council said in its statement. The agenda also included issues related to the Open Skies Treaty, Irans nuclear program, the Korean peninsula situation and strategic stability in general. Patrushev and Sullivan "exchanged opinions on a number of issues on the international agenda," the press service of the Security Council reported. "The importance of an early launch of a bilateral mechanism for strategic stability was emphasized, as well as the need for interaction between Russia and the US on the nuclear problem of the Korean peninsula and on the situation around Irans nuclear program," TASS cited the statement as saying. Patrushev told Sullivan that U.S. intervention in the internal affairs of Russia and its allies was impermissible, the press service informed. "The Russian side pointed to the impermissibility of U.S. meddling in the internal affairs of Russia and its allies, as well as groundless and unproven accusations against Russia, which the White House used as a pretext for imposing a package of anti-Russian sanctions," the statement runs. "Despite unconstructive steps by the U.S. side, leading to further degradation of bilateral relations, readiness was confirmed to continue the dialogue for normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington and for maintaining international security," the press service said. This was the third phone call between Patrushev and Sullivan since the latters assumption of office as the National Security Advisor. The first call took place in late January, while the second happened in early March. During these calls, the two officials discussed, in particular, the extension of the New START Treaty and the perspectives of interaction between Russia and the US in security and strategic stability. Tik Tok star Bryce Hall has been sued for assault and battery by a restaurant co-owner he was filmed brawling with last year. The incident took place in October at the Mexican restaurant Cinco in Los Angeles and footage obtained by TMZ showed Hall, 21, and another man crashing into a stool as their fight skidded across the outdoor patio. Now co-owner Hernan Fernando has alleged that he suffered 'a broken hand, a bruised face, pain from being punched in the ribs, and neck and back injuries,' People reported Tuesday citing court documents. Embattled: Tik Tok star Bryce Hall has been sued for assault and battery by a restaurant co-owner he was filmed brawling with last year; Hall is pictured last month DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative for Hall for comment. In addition to the assault and battery allegations Fernando is suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The restaurateur - who is originally from Mexico - also claims race played a role and that Hall referred to him as 'the Mexican' and a 'wetback.' Fernando claims that Hall and his friends were vaping at their table - which is illegal at Los Angeles restaurants - and would not cease doing so when told to. Lawsuit: Now co-owner Hernan Fernando has alleged that he suffered 'a broken hand, a bruised face, pain from being punched in the ribs, and neck and back injuries' The scene of the bad brawl: An exterior image of Cinco restaurant in Los Angeles As a result, the plaintiff claims, Hall and his party were asked to leave and to remain outside the restaurant while his credit card was run. Fernando's court documents allege that in 'an unconscionable COVID-19 threat during a worldwide airborne pandemic,' the Tik Tok star blew vape steam in his face. The restaurant co-owner claims that his attempts to remove Hall and his friends from the restaurant caused one member of the party to go 'berserk.' In his lawsuit he alleges that both Hall and his friend began 'began physically attacking and punching Mr. Fernando' at this point. Posing up: Hall is pictured in an Instagram post from last August Fernando claims Hall spent 30 seconds 'choking him from behind with his arm around Mr. Fernando's neck,' while insisting that he - Fernando - did not punch anyone. Last October in the immediate aftermath of the brawl Bryce claimed to TMZ that he was perfectly polite about being told to exit the restaurant for vaping. He alleged however that while waiting outside the restaurant he had to request the return of his credit card 10 times, whereupon he claims a manager said: 'No, get the f*** off the property.' Furthermore Hall alleged that the larger fight broke out only when the manager attempted to bodily drag him from the premises. The way they were: Hall's bout of legal trouble comes about a month after it emerged that he has broken up with his fellow Tik Tok star Addison Rae; they are pictured in November The social media star admitted to putting the manager in a headlock, but alleges that he only did so to protect one of his friends. Meanwhile he alleged that over the course of the brawl he himself had to endure a kick in the groin from the manager. Law enforcement were called to the scene of the brawl but TMZ reported that Hall and his party were gone before they reached Cinco. Hall's bout of legal trouble comes about a month after it emerged that he has broken up with his fellow Tik Tok star Addison Rae. Press Release April 20, 2021 No increase in MAV until Congress resumes session - Drilon The Department of Agriculture (DA) cannot raise the minimum access volume (MAV) on pork imports just yet as Congress needs to act on the proposal when it resumes session next month, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon asserted on Tuesday. "In keeping with the spirit of the law, the Congress, where the power to set import quotas lies, should be given the chance to act on the proposal to increase the minimum access volume on pork imports," Drilon said. "To implement it without waiting for Congress to resume session and deliberate on the proposal is illegal, not to mention it is a total disrespect to a co-equal branch," Drilon stressed. Drilon explained that since the letter of the President recommending the increase was received by Congress when it was already on a break, it is only when Congress resumes session on May 17 that it can proceed to deliberate on the proposal. "We provided a procedural framework, through Agricultural Tariffication Act, under which the fixing of MAV can be exercised by the President. The executive must follow such procedures faithfully," he said. Section 6 of the Agricultural Tariffication Act (Republic Act No. 8178) which provides that the President's recommendation to revise, modify or adjust the MAV in case of shortages or abnormal price increases in agricultural products is deemed approved if Congress fails to act after fifteen (15) days from receipt is not applicable in this case because the President's recommendation was sent to and received by the Senate when it was no longer in session and thus cannot act on the recommendation. Drilon said the 15-day provision of the law only applies when Congress is in session. It was Drilon who authored the resolution co-signed by 18 senators and adopted by the Senate sitting as a Committee of the Whole urging the President to withdraw Executive Order No. 128, which provides for the temporary modification of the rates of import duty for fresh, chilled or frozen meat of swine, and to recall the recommendation to increase the Minimum Access Volume of pork. Meanwhile, Drilon said it might be "too late" if the President waits for the domestic market to become stronger before he withdraws the EO that lowers the tariff on pork products. "Such withdrawal might be too late. The hog industry could be dead by the time the EO is withdrawn," Drilon said as he called on the President "to heed the Senate and listen to local hog raisers." Agriculture Secretary William Dar denied the allegation that the proposal to lower the tariff rates and increase the volume of pork importation was based on "exaggerated" projections." Drilon said that the Senate Committee of the Whole Resolution he authored asking the President to recall EO 128 is based on the 10-year historical data of DA which indicates that the yearly shortfall is only about 125,000 MT. "The 380,000+MT shortfall which was the basis of EO 128 is the 'exaggerated projection,'" he said. Drilon is confident that the Senate will pass the next resolution, which we will file when Congress resumes session on May 17, to withdraw the authority of the President under EO 128. The army in the African state of Chad has claimed it's killed some 300 rebels advancing on the capital, N'Djamena, as the government on Monday deployed tanks and other armed vehicles in the city's streets. The death toll given by army spokesman Azim Bermandoa Agouna came a day after the military declared that a rebel column had been "totally decimated" by Chadian soldiers. State television showed what it portrayed as jubilant government troops alongside burned-out vehicles that bore rebel markings. It was not immediately possible to independently confirm the military's claims, or the veracity of the television footage, given the remote location where the fighting took place. Confusion and fear mounted in the capital as rumors swirled on social media about whether the Chadian rebels still posed a threat after the weekend clashes. The government called for calm. During the weekend the American and British embassies issued warnings about a possible assault on the capital. The State Department on Saturday ordered non-essential diplomats at the US Embassy in Chad to leave along with the families of American personnel stationed there, saying armed groups appear to be moving on N'Djamena. The Chadian rebel group, known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, is believed to have armed and trained in neighbouring Libya before crossing into northern Chad on April 11. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) China's southern island province of Hainan has raked in approximately 98 billion yuan (about 15 billion U.S. dollars) in offshore duty-free sales over the past decade, according to local authorities. Duty-free shops in Hainan received more than 25 million customers and sold over 120 million duty-free goods since the province was greenlighted to run a pilot offshore duty-free program by the State Council on April 20, 2011, according to data from the Hainan provincial department of commerce. The department said that Hainan's offshore duty-free policy has continued to improve over the years, with eased restrictions and more convenience for customers. On July 1, 2020, the province increased the annual per capita tax-free shopping limit from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan. The categories of duty-free goods have also been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list. A female soldier stands in formation during Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to a military base in Tainan, southern Taiwan, on April 9, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) Taiwanese President Warns About the Chinese Regimes Psychological Warfare The Taiwanese president warned people that the Chinese regime launched psychological warfare campaign against the independent island on the late night of April 15. Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen clarified in a Facebook message that the psychological warfare the Chinese regime launched against Taiwan has more forms that are harder to recognize and which aim at trying to tear apart Taiwanese society and ultimately destroy the islands democracy and freedom. The latest campaign in the Chinese Communist Partys psychological war was that it created and disseminated a fake document that pretended to have been released from the office of Taiwans president. The information is designed to cause division in Taiwanese society and make people turn against the leadership of Taiwan. Fake Document The document claimed that the Taiwanese government planned to import Japans Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant water to Taiwan for processing and disposition. The nuclear power plant water contains radioactive material which could cause people to become ill, and many Taiwanese people would be vehemently opposed to the disposition of it in Taiwan. In fact, the Taiwanese government banned food imports from Fukushima county and the four neighboring Japanese counties on March 25, 2011, after the nuclear accident on March 11 that was caused by a tsunami. The import ban remains in effect. From the surface, the document used the official format that the presidential office uses, and the content was written in the official tone that the government uses. Tsai pointed out three obvious flaws which can verify that the document is fake and was likely made by the Chinese regime. The document was circulated on Twitter on April 15, but the issue date on the document is April 16, Tsai said. The document said the decision was made at a cabinet meeting. Tsai pointed out that Taiwan doesnt have cabinet meetings. Moreover, the document used one word in simplified Chinese characters, while Taiwan uses traditional Chinese characters. Tsai concluded that this is a typical example of psychological warfare. She then explained, according to Taiwans Institute for National Defence and Security Research, psychological warfare refers to an attempt to influence the opponents thinking and actions through the dissemination of information. Examples of psychological warfare may include threats and intimidation by military aircraft, attempts to exert psychological pressure, the production and dissemination of false information, and attempts to disrupt and divide society. Tsai said that she had talked about psychological warfare with the U.S. delegation that visited Taiwan from April 14 to April 16. Former U.S. Senator Chis Dodd and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen pose for pictures at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 15, 2021. (Taiwan Presidential Office) US Delegation U.S. President Joe Biden sent a senior delegation to Taiwan, which was led by former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and had former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg as key members. The delegation arrived in Taiwan on the same day that John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, arrived in Shanghai, China for climate talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua. In Taiwan, Tsai hosted a banquet for the U.S. delegation at the presidential office on April 15. During the banquet, the two sides exchanged views on regional issues, the global pandemic, economic and trade cooperation, and domestic political and economic developments in both the United States and Taiwan. Mumbai, April 20 : All Maharashtra ministers on Tuesday demanded that a complete lockdown should be imposed in the state in view of the galloping Covid-19 cases and deaths, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here. "We have all requested Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to announce a total lockdown from Wednesday 8 p.m. Now the final decision will be taken by the CM," Tope told media persons after a cabinet meeting. The ministers' demand came in the wake of the continuously worsening Covid-19 situation in the state and hours after the government clamped a daily 20-hour curfew, with essential buying restricted to only four hours daily. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Most people keep their smartphones on them for immediate access to information. In fact, 76% of consumers look for a company's online presence before visiting in-person, according to a new report from Visual Objects , a directory of design and creative agencies. It is increasingly important that businesses optimize their online presence to include easily accessible, valuable information to help reach potential customers. Visual Objects found that 76% of consumers search for a company's online presence before visiting a physical location. Consumers find a strong visual presence encouraging - 45% of consumers are likely to visit a company in-person after finding them through a local search. Experts recommend these local SEO strategies for small businesses: Ensure the company's name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all webpages, citations, and listings Focus on earning the top spot in Google Map Packs to attract users Optimize the company's Google My Business listing with accurate, up-tp-date information to increase chances of ranking Collect Google reviews to boost the company's prominence and relevance scores Small businesses that optimize their content with local SEO strategies will rank better in search results pages, providing users with information that encourages in-person business. Effective Local SEO Drives Sales Nearly half of consumers (45%) are likely to visit a company's physical location after finding a strong online presence on a local search page. Small businesses that optimize their site to improve their local page rank will have a better chance of converting casually interested users paying customers. Video testimonials and client reviews are an effective way for small businesses to highlight their value. "I use online reviews to determine whether an establishment is worth my time and money," said Stephen Light, CMO of Nolah Mattress . "If they have a lot of bad reviews, I save myself from wasting my hard-earned money in buying their products or services." While reviews offer potential customers a preview of what they can expect from an in-store visit, small businesses need to make sure they live up to expectations. "Once you've earned the top spot in local search pages and built enough of a case for the user to give your business a shot, reward that decision by giving them a similar experience to the one you shared online," said Chris Wilks, digital marketing director of BrandExtract . Local SEO strategies aimed at getting customers in the door followed by a positive in-store experience will generate sales for small businesses. Local SEO Reaches Mobile Users The majority of consumers (61%) say that one quarter of their internet searches are from a mobile device. Mobile users search smartphones for specific information about products or services in their area that meet their immediate needs. "I search for information specific to my location probably daily if not hourly," said Bogdanov, CEO of Online Divorce . Small businesses can use local SEO strategies to improve their search visibility and get their name in front of mobile users looking for products or services in their area. Visual Object's 2021 Search Engine Marketing Survey included 500 U.S. consumers. Read the full report here: https://visualobjects.com/digital-marketing/blog/benefits-of-local-seo For questions about the survey, comments on the findings, or an introduction to the sources included in the report, contact Shelby Jordan at [email protected]. About Visual Objects Visual Objects is your visual field guide to finding and hiring the best B2B service provider. A sister website of Clutch, the leading B2B services review platform, Visual Objects features portfolio items and client reviews of top creative, design, development, and marketing companies from around the world. Contact Shelby Jordan [email protected] (202) 350-4344 SOURCE Visual Objects With the dust settled for now on the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who on Tuesday was convicted of murdering George Floyd, several journalists, including CNN's Jake Tapper, resurrected the original Minneapolis Police Department statement regarding Floyd's death last May. The vague press release said only that a man had a "medical incident" during an arrest, officers called an ambulance, and the suspect died at a hospital. "At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident," the statement reads. There was no mention of Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Some commentators said re-reading the statement nearly a year later "hits hard," while others cited it as an example of why readers should be skeptical of initial police statements on police-involved incidents. "This fabricated police story might have become the official account of George Floyd's death if concerned citizens had not intervened and recorded the police," Tapper's colleague Keith Boykin tweeted. More stories from theweek.com Late night hosts preview Biden's climate summit, mock Tucker Carlson's Chauvin meltdown, tackle deer cloning America's incredibly successful pilot of universal health care The incomplete justice of the Chauvin verdict As the Official Card Sponsor of Immersive Van Gogh in New York, American Express Card Members have exclusive pre-sale access to the new block of tickets before the general public beginning Monday, April 19 at 10 a.m. ET through Wednesday, April 21 at 9:59 a.m. ET on www.vangoghnyc.com . Korins will join creative team for Immersive Van Gogh, the original North American immersive celebration of Van Gogh's art. The team includes Creator Massimiliano Siccardi; Composer Luca Longobardi and Art Director Vittorio Guidotti. This winning team will make Immersive Van Gogh the most impressive staging to date and the most expansive in the world, having already opened to tremendous acclaim in Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco, with additional openings scheduled for 16 cities across North America, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and more . Since its North American premiere in July 2020, more than 1 million tickets have been sold to Immersive Van Gogh, making it the most popular attraction currently in North America. Immersive Van Gogh invites audiences to "step inside" the iconic works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh, evoking his highly emotional and chaotic inner consciousness through art, light, music, movement and imagination. The gallery space offers patrons more than 500,000 cubic feet of animated projections. Renowned Creative Director Korins will create a custom design to fit the architecture of the exhibition's New York home, adding elements to the gallery space as well as adjacent auxiliary elements. Korins will create numerous New York-specific installations, viewing platforms and high-tech, experiential and interactive elements previously unseen in any other venue. "Immersive Van Gogh has been hailed as an entirely new way of encountering art and has been enthusiastically embraced by press and patrons in every city in which it currently is being presented," said Producer Corey Ross. "Our New York exhibition will be by far our most ambitious. Not only do we have the talents of our ingenious Italian creative team, we also have David Korins bringing his distinct creative vision to the project to provide an unsurpassed guest experience." "This will be an event that New Yorkers and visitors can enjoy safely, quite literally surrounding themselves with the work of Vincent van Gogh, one of the greatest artists who ever lived," added Producer Svetlana Dvoretsky. "I am thrilled to be collaborating with the creative minds behind the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit to create a truly unique experience for the city of New York to enjoy and be inspired by," said David Korins, Creative Director New York. "I have always been deeply moved when looking at Van Gogh's paintings, which are universally beloved for their color and unique use of texture, or his transcendent ink drawings, and I'm humbled by the opportunity to develop an experience that will enhance the viewers' time spent with his powerful art." It is expected that Immersive Van Gogh will be the first event of its magnitude since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have a track record of producing this event safely in numerous cities throughout North America," said Co-Producer Irina Shabshis. "We hope that this will lift the spirits of so many New Yorkers, who have not had the opportunity to experience cultural attractions for the past year, with first-rate production values that will make this one of the top events in the city this summer," added Co-Producer Maria Shclover. "David Korins is a very experienced and creative; he is giving his professional and artistic contributions to the implementation of the New York venue that will host my creation Immersive Van Gogh", said Creator Massimiliano Siccardi, "I have enormous respect for his creativity, and I feel that his vision will be able to excellently enhance the audience experience, priming their minds as they enter and exit our exhibit, and also creating architectural enhancements that will provide unique vantage points from which they can observe my work. Most of all, I know that David shares a deep appreciation of and respect for the work of Vincent van Gogh, and that he, like me, wants to pay homage to the brilliance of his body of work, a legacy that influenced us all in our individual development as artists." Immersive Van Gogh has received rave reviews from critics and patrons. The Chicago Tribune exclaimed "entire rooms pulse with imagery and emotional resonance." The Toronto Sun declared, "the mind-blowing imagery, brings Van Gogh's best work to life including Sunflower, Irises, and The Starry Night for a cathartic and liberating experience." "Immersive Van Gogh ups the emotional ante," Toronto Star stated, "I wondered: could projections of paintings on walls and floors be thrilling? The answer is 'yes.'" Called a "completely new way of encountering art" by CTV and a "blockbuster digital experience that has taken the art world by storm" by Artnet News, the exhibit "cleverly embraces creativity," according to Washington Post. The San Francisco Chronicle summed it up saying "It's one hell of a way to wake up from our long pandemic art nap." The hour-long walk-through installation has been designed with health and safety as a priority. Admissions will be limited according to New York City's capacity guidelines with touchless ticket-taking; temperature checks upon arrival; hand sanitizer stations and social distancing markers prominent throughout the venue; and digitally projected social distancing circles on the gallery floors to ensure appropriate spacing. All guests must wear a face covering at all times during their visit to Immersive Van Gogh. Immersive Van Gogh was designed by Creator and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, with original, mood-setting music, both original and curated, by Italian multimedia Composer Luca Longobardi, who provided a score that combines experimental electronic music with pure, ethereal and simple-seeming piano. Vittorio Guidotti is the Art Director. Siccardi and Longobardi are both pioneers of immersive digital art installations in Europe, where they created the world-renowned Van Gogh, Starry Night exhibition, among others. With approximately 100 state-of-the-art projectors illuminating over the exhibit space, visitors to Immersive Van Gogh will be encircled from head-to-toe in Van Gogh's brushstrokes and colors, including animated details from works such as Self Portrait with Felt Hat (1888), The Bedroom in Arles (1889), Irises (1889) and The Starry Night (1889). Tickets for the exhibition are on-sale now at vangoghnyc.com and by phone at 844-307-4644. Tickets range in price from $29.99 for kids to $99.99 for VIP Flex tickets, which comes with priority access, flexible admission, a limited-edition poster, a souvenir laminate and a van Gogh cushion. Basic timed tickets are $49.99. The New York location will be revealed at a virtual press event on Friday, April 23 at 10 am ET. To RSVP and receive a link to the press event, click here. The new block of tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m. ET. For more information about Immersive Van Gogh, visit vangoghnyc.com or call 844-307-4644. Follow the exhibition on social media at @goghnyc on Facebook , Instagram or Twitter . SOURCE Lighthouse Immersive Related Links http://www.vangoghnyc.com [April 20, 2021] Emerald EMS DataED Manufacturing Site Earns AS9100D Certification SALEM, N.H., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emerald Electronics Manufacturing Services (Emerald EMS) announced today that its DataED facility, located in Salem, New Hampshire, is the third of its manufacturing sites to attain the AS9100-2016 Rev D certification, an essential quality control standard for serving the Aerospace & Defense market. Electronic manufacturing services provider Emerald EMS DataED has attained AS9100D certification Two other Emerald EMS manufacturing sitesSaline Lectronics in Saline, Michigan, and Veris Manufacturing in Brea, Californiaalso hold the AS9100D certification, providing geographic and logistical flexibility while ensuring strict adherence to the unique quality control, reliability and documentation requirements of the company's Aerospace & Defense industry customers. A fourth Emerald EMS manufacturing facility, Silicon Valley-based Bestronics, is expected to attain AS9100D certification by the end of 2021. "The DataED team worked tirelessly to achieve this milestone certification, expanding our ability to meet the rigorous requirements of our customers in this increasingly complex industry sector," said Emerald EMS CEO Vic Giglio. "This new certification is a testament to the technological expertise, manufacturing excellence and highest quality standards reflected throughout the global Emerald EMS operation." The AS9100D certification provides global standards for best practices in the aerospace and defense industry, requiring strict adherence to quality and reliability standards, documentation of procedures, rigorous quality measurements, and corrective actions intended to create consistency in mission-critical products. "By achieving the goal of AS9100D certification, we have expanded our ability to serve more customers in the complex and highly regulated Aerospace and Defense industry and ensured that our existing customers benefit from international best practices in quality control throughout our operations," said DataEd Presiden Michael LaFleur. "Data ED has always excelled in product quality control, as evidenced by our various internal and external metrics, and in customer support. The new AS9100D requirements imbedded throughout our systems have further reduced the risk of nonconforming product escapes and enhanced our ability to respond quickly and support our customers with any product quality issues." The process of attaining AS9100D certification is a lengthy one, consisting of several steps, including learning about the standards, analyzing and comparing current operations to standards, planning implementation, training personnel, and documentation and auditing of quality management operations. For several years, DataED has been certified to ISO 9001: 2015, the international standard for quality management systems, said DataED Director of Quality Dennis Goodman. AS9100D includes all the requirements of the ISO 9001 certification, plus additional requirements specified by the International Aerospace Quality Group. With a leadership team routinely focused on improving infrastructure, personnel skill levels, IT capabilities and improving quality management systems, beginning the process of attaining AS9100D certification in early 2020 was "the next logical step in that progression," Goodman said. The AS9100D set of requirements places additional conditions in all key areas influencing product quality. This includes up stream processes such as contract review and purchasing, direct product quality elements such as traceability and document control, and post-delivery activities. Goodman said attaining the AS9100-2016 Rev D certification was a whole-team effort. "Everyone stepped up," he said. "The support we received as project facilitators was amazing. During the audit closing meeting, our Lead Auditor commented several times on the employees' knowledge, enthusiasm and genuine desire to help. He was very impressed. It was a great experience all the way around." DataED is one of four leading electronic manufacturing services providers that merged in 2020 to form Emerald EMS, a New Water Capital portfolio company. DataED and Bestronics, based in San Jose, California, merged in October 2019. In July 2020, the two companies joined with Saline Lectronics of Saline, Michigan, and Veris Manufacturing of Brea, California, to form Emerald EMS. About Emerald Electronic Manufacturing Services Emerald Electronic Manufacturing Services is an international company with a local customer focus, offering advanced high mix, low-to medium-volume manufacturing capabilities for high-reliability end markets, including Aerospace & Defense, Industrial, Life Sciences, and Networking & Communications. Created through the merger of four leading EMS companiesDataED, Bestronics, Saline Lectronics and Veris ManufacturingEmerald EMS provides its customers experienced engineering and manufacturing management services throughout a product's lifecyclefrom design assistance, prototyping and testing through assembly and distribution, supply chain management, repairs and returnsall under the supervision of your dedicated Customer Success Team. With manufacturing and testing capabilities at six U.S. locations as well as an advanced manufacturing complex located in Shenzhen, China, Emerald EMS customers benefit from geographic flexibility, robust and reliable international supply chains, and innovative solutions to help you reduce time to market and respond quickly to changing market conditions. For more information, visit us at https://www.emeraldems.com/. About New Water Capital L.P. New Water Capital L.P. is a private equity firm focused on lower-middle market companies in the consumer products and industrial manufacturing and services sectors with revenues of $30 million to $300 million. New Water Capital's collaborative transaction and operating model is built specifically to support companies in transition, building on their unique cultures and strengths. For more information, please visit www.newwatercap.com . CONTACT: Bonnie Osborn bonnieosborn@comcast.net 916-212-9110 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emerald-ems-dataed-manufacturing-site-earns-as9100d-certification-301272763.html SOURCE Emerald EMS [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] On Monday, Tribune Publishing said it ended discussions with a group headed by Maryland hotel executive Stewart Bainum after it was notified that Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss had pulled out of a fully financed nonbinding offer of $680 million for the company. A special committee of the Tribune Publishing board determined that the proposed $18.50 per share bid by the Bainum-Wyss entity, known as Newslight, no longer could be reasonably expected to lead to a superior proposal to Aldens offer. The State Department on Monday urged Americans reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world's countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic. The United States hasn't had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration. The advice issued by the department isn't a formal global advisory. Instead, it says the State Department will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards as it prepares health and safety guidelines for individual countries. Because of those standards, about 80% of countries will be classified as Level 4 or do not travel. Travel is also discouraged for the remaining 20%, though not as emphatically. It says people with plans to visit those countries should reconsider before proceeding. The department did not reveal which countries will fall under which category. That will become known as guidance is issued individually for each country in the coming week. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented risks to travelers. In light of those risks, the Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad, it said. The department said the new classifications dont necessarily reflect changes in the countries health situations, but rather an adjustment in the criteria on which it bases the alerts. The State Department's assessments for COVID-19 include infection rates as well as the availability of local testing and treatment. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Social advocacy groups on Tuesday launched a campaign for a ballot initiative to ensure fair and independent investigations of police misconduct in Cleveland. Black Lives Matter Cleveland, NAACP Cleveland, ACLU Ohio, Stand Up For Ohio and Showing Up For Racial Justice Northeast Ohio formed the Citizens for a Safer Cleveland coalition, which aims to reform accountability and police oversight, said Rachael Collyer, an organizer for Stand Up for Ohio. The coalition wants to put an initiative on the citys November ballot, asking for increased authority within the Civilian Police Review Board. The group is working to collect more than 6,000 signatures, beginning this week, to put the issue on the ballot. Currently, the citys police chief and public safety director can disregard recommendations on officer discipline from the Civilian Police Review Board. The Office of Professional Standards, an independent agency in the department of public safety, currently is under the direction of the executive head of the police force and Chief of Police, but the proposal would have the office report to the Board. Under the proposal, the board and the 13-member Community Police Commission, a group established in 2015 as part of the consent decree between the city and Department of Justice, would have stronger authority on checking police disciplinary measures, civil rights attorney Subodh Chandra said. The board focuses on the investigations of police misconduct and makes recommendations on discipline to the Chief of Police. But the commission would have more power to deem whether a resolution on police discipline is sufficient, Chandra said. If a complaint about insufficient discipline came from a citizen, the commission would act as the ultimate check on disciplinary decisions made by the board and police. The proposal would give the commission a minimum annual budget of $1 million, unless the commission requests less money. Commission members would receive a minimum yearly compensation of $7,200. Our hope is that it will significantly improve police accountability, Chandra said in a virtual press conference. Our hope and our aspiration with this initiative is that by asserting greater civilian control over our division of police, as should rightly be the case, that we will have the values of the community expressed in the accountability system. Because right now those values arent being expressed. Other changes the initiative outlines include establishing termination as presumed discipline when a police officer or employee uses racist, sexist, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant or other harmful and offensive language on the job. The initiative also wants to move the citys Office of Professional Conduct, which investigates non-criminal complaints filed by the public against Division of Police employees, and make the office report to the Police Review Board. The total budget for the two would be equal to at least 1% of the police force budget. Cleveland has had multiple instances of police brutality and misconduct over the years, including the killings of Tamir Rice, Angelo Miller and Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. More than 91 families in Cleveland have been affected by police violence, said LaTonya Goldsby, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Cleveland. No matter where were from, what we look like, most of us Clevelanders want our children to come home safe at the end of the day, said Millers mother, Alicia Kirkman. Just like I wanted my son Angelo to come home. But for too long now certain Cleveland police officers have assaulted or killed too many of us. The coalition has the support of Richard Jackson, a retired Cleveland police officer and Black Shield member, and Danielle Sydnor, the president of NAACP Cleveland. Our community deserves to have a fair and independent body that investigates claims of police misconduct, and especially any incident of lethal force, Sydnor said. We cannot rely on police to investigate themselves. Every day across the country we hear about situations where officers have planted evidence on individuals or theyve acted outside of their training. So we know that we cant leave it to police to police themselves. DETROIT, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Automotive Bearings Market by Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicle, Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV), and Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle (MHCV)), by Bearing Type (Ball Bearing, Roller Bearing, and Plain Bearing), by Material Type (Metallic, Non-Metallic, and Hybrid), by Application Type (Engine & Transmission System, Steering System, Wheels, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) ), Size, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2021-2026. This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today's automotive bearings market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period of 2021 to 2026. The report estimates the short- as well as long-term repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for bearings at the global, regional, as well as country level. Also, the report provides the possible loss that the industry will register by comparing pre-COVID and post-COVID scenarios. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of the low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as formulate growth strategies. Automotive Bearings Market: Highlights from the Report In the automotive industry, bearings are used to enable rotational or linear movement while reducing friction and handling stress. Bearings are usually designed to bear axial, radial, or a combination of both loads. The structure of bearing consists of rolling elements and inner and outer races. This assembly allows one part to bear another in automobiles. When selecting a bearing for a particular application, factors like bearing friction, temperature, and lubrication along with the design and construction of the bearing need consideration. The industry had already been under stress in 2019 as new vehicle production had fallen prey to the economic downslide. Even emerging economies, such as China and India, the growth propellers of the industry, couldn't escape the grave impact of the falling production in the past year. The industry was looking forward to remedial growth in 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shattered all expectations of the stakeholders, creating havoc with its prolonged impact across regions. The automotive bearings market is highly dependent on the organic growth of automotive production and follows similar strides as automotive production. The catastrophe of the COVID-19 pandemic shook the automotive industry to the core in 2020. The short-term impact on the market remains apparent - mass employee layoffs across regions and industry verticals, leading to the reduced purchasing power of consumers, and ultimately resulting in decreased demand for new vehicles. This, paired with cash-burnouts of several players, production halts and reductions, and shrinking economies across the globe collectively contributed towards the massive decline in the automotive industry, imprinting a decline of over 15% in the demand for bearings in the automotive industry in 2020. The market for bearings in the automotive industry is subjected to mark a healthy rebound in the coming years to reach an estimated value of US$ 18.3 billion in 2026. Click Here and Run Through the TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/1490/automotive-bearing-market.html Based on the vehicle type, passenger vehicle is expected to maintain its indubitable lead till 2026, driven by a sustained increase in urban demand, rising consumer disposable income, increasing motorization rate, and reasonably higher production of passenger cars than commercial vehicles. Among all vehicles, passenger vehicle was least affected in 2020 and is expected to register the fastest recovery followed by LCV. In passenger car, electric vehicle is estimated to record a brilliant growth trajectory in the coming years. Based on the bearing type, ball bearing is likely to remain the dominant type in the market till 2026, given its characteristics of efficient functioning at higher speed as compared to roller bearings and ability to bear both radial and axial load in moderate amounts. Based on the type of material, metallic bearing is projected to maintain its invincible lead in the market till 2026, propelled by its ability to sustain in applications involving extremely high loads and fast rotations per minute (rpm). Stainless steel is the most widely used bearing material type, its excellent corrosion- and temperature-resistant properties make it superior to other competing materials. The non-metallic bearing type is anticipated to make the fastest recovery in the post-pandemic market developments, closely followed by hybrid bearing. Enquire Here for a Free Sample of the Detailed Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/1490/automotive-bearing-market.html#form All regions registered massive downfalls in 2020 in the wake of the pandemic. Asia-Pacific registered the minimum loss in 2020 and is projected to maintain its lead in the global market during the study. China, India, and Japan, with most of the world's population, are creating a massive demand for vehicles, which, in turn, is causing a stir in the region's automotive bearings market. The Chinese automotive industry is witnessing an advanced recovery after the strategic and efficient control of the COVID-19 outbreak. North America and Europe are also likely to bounce back, creating a healthy demand in the years to come. Key automotive bearing manufacturers include Schaeffler Group, AB SKF, NSK Ltd., NTN Corporation, JTEKT Corporation, and The Timken Company. Formation of long-term contracts, application development, and development of innovative products are some of the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge in the market. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors. This report studies the global automotive bearings market and has segmented the market in six ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the six ways in which the market is segmented: Automotive Bearings Market, by Vehicle Type Passenger Vehicle (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) LCV (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) MHCV (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Bearings Market, by Bearing Type Ball Bearing (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Roller Bearing (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Plain Bearing (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Bearings Market, by Material Type Metallic Bearings (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Non-Metallic Bearings (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Hybrid Bearings (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Bearings Market, by Application Type Engine & Transmission System (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Steering System (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Wheels (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Bearings Market, by End-User Type OE (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aftermarket (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Bearings Market, by Region North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Russia , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan , China , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil , Argentina , and Others) Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the automotive and transportation industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Automotive-Transportation.html About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research, and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, please contact: Stratview Research E-mail: [email protected] Direct: +1-313-307-4176 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660595/Stratview_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Stratview Research Celebrities are often accused of being out of touch. Their wealth affords them luxuries that many of their fans can only dream about having. Their work while certainly brings its own challenges often leaves them inhabiting fictional worlds for months on end. The very nature of their celebrity status wraps around them like a bubble that can leave them disconnected from the struggles of the world. Some celebrities, however, make a conscious choice to use their platform not to escape the tragedies of the larger world but to draw awareness to them. Many celebrities take it upon themselves to become spokespeople for causes that matter to them, and many put their money where their mouths are donating to make a difference. Following the tragic string of shootings that left many Asian-Americans victims in Atlanta, Ken Jeong stepped up to donate to help survivors and victims families. Ken Jeong | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Ken Jeong is best known for Community Jeong was on a different track entirely. He attended medical school at North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine and then completed a residency at Ochsner Medical Center. He even completed licensing requirements to practice medicine in California, but he was also working on his stand-up comedy routine at the same time. Eventually, he stepped away from medicine to follow his passion for acting instead. RELATED: Ken Jeong and Other Stars Who Would Be Rich, Even If They Werent Famous His character in The Hangover served as something of a breakout role, and since then, his filmography has gotten increasingly more impressive. The same year The Hangover premiered, Jeong stepped into what has become a defining role of his career. He played the part of Ben Chang in the sitcom Community. As the overbearing Spanish teacher, Jeongs brand of irreverent and often physically demanding comedy set him apart. He would go on to appear in dozens of movies and television roles, each highlighting his comedic genius. Atlanta was rocked by shooting spree targeting spas RELATED: BTS Release a Statement Condemning Hate Against Asians Discrimination against Asians and Asian-Americans has long been a dark part of American history, but the past year has brought it forward in starker and more deadly ways. As the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the globe, many Asians and Asian-Americans have been targeted in terrible hate crimes. In mid-March, a string of shootings in Atlanta, Georgia demonstrated just how horrific this anti-Asian sentiment could be. As CNN reports: While investigators havent offered a firm explanation for a motive behind the mass shootings, according to legal advocates, its plainly evident the shootings were motivated by race and gender, both categories for a hate crime under Georgia state law. Robert Aaron Long has been charged with murder after opening fire on three separate spas and killing eight people many Asian women, who appeared to be the target. Ken Jeong donated to the victims of the Atlanta shooting In the aftermath of the shooting and other crimes and comments targeting Asians and Asian-Americans, many celebrities got involved in the #StopAsianHate movement. Picking up momentum through social media, the movement aimed to showcase bias and call on people to step in and stop the discrimination when they see it happening. Following the shooting, Ken Jeongs social media lit up with links to fundraisers for the victims families. As NBC Los Angeles reports, he also stepped up with donations of his own. Giving $10,000 each for five victims, Jeong provided funds for Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Xiaojie Tan, and Yong Yue. Jeong also signal-boosted calls for activism by sharing a video to his account calling for an end to anti-Asian racism in the aftermath of the shooting, featuring other Asian American actors such as Keiko Agena and Lou Diamond Phillips. There's a hiking trail some you night owls might enjoy. Cibolo Center for Conservation is inviting guests to explore its trails at night this Friday for its Family Bat Walk & Nature Night Hike at the Cibolo Nature Center at 140 City Park Road., Boerne. The hike begins at 8 p.m. and will last for about an hour and a half. On the 1-mile hike, explorers will have the opportunity to record bats using bat detectors. Guests may also see fireflies, moths, owls, and other nocturnal animals. READ ALSO: Texas country superstar returns to San Antonio area this summer Participants are asked to keep a moderate hiking pace, as well as to bring a flashlight and a water bottle. Face masks are required when in the proximity of one another, but organizer Laurie Brown said there will be enough space to keep a proper distance on the hike. The site has a limit of 30 people per hike but splits it up into groups of 10 or less, depending on how many people sign up. It's $8 for members and $10 for non-members. For those looking to sign up, email laurie@cibolo.org for more information or call (830) 388-7680. The event is part of the center's nature hikes it organizes every month. Family night is on the fourth Friday of every month, while the adult night hikes are every third Friday. The difference is the pace, some colorful language and subject matter of the hike. In Connecticut, the more your town voted for Joe Biden in 2020, the likelier you and your neighbors are to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, a Hearst Connecticut Media Group review of state data shows. An analysis of all Connecticut municipalities revealed that in the 10 towns that voted the most for Biden, excluding cities with a population over 100,000, an average of 53 percent of their residents have had at least one dose. That compared with 47.6 percent in the 10 towns that voted more for former President Donald Trump. Thomaston, for example, follows that trend. In 2020, 34.9 percent of the town voted for Biden. As of last Thursday, 46 percent of the town had received at least one vaccine dose. Sterling is another example. Only 33.5 percent of the town voted in favor of Biden in 2020, and 31.33 percent of the town has had at least one vaccine dose. In Lyme, which has the states highest vaccine coverage, 75.09 percent of the town has received at least one dose and 65.7 percent of the town voted for Biden. There are a few outliers. Mansfield, for example, voted overwhelmingly, 74.9 percent, in favor of Biden, but only 28.37 percent of the population has had at least one COVID vaccine dose so far. This could be attributed to University of Connecticut students in town who did not become eligible for vaccines until April 1. North Canaan also bucks the trend, with 50.6 percent of the towns 2020 presidential votes going to Biden and some of the lowest first-dose vaccine coverage in the state at 28.05 percent. North Branford is also an outlier. Only 43.1 percent of the town voted for Biden in 2020, and 58.9 percent of its residents have had at least one dose so far. Vaccine hesitancy as it relates to political preference is built on a personal sovereignty mindset, according to Wesley Renfro, a Quinnipiac University associate professor of political science. Its important to remember, in the long scope of American history, there is an emphasis on maximizing individual liberty, he said. That message is particularly deep in the Republican party. The states largest cities are also outliers. Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven, the states three largest cities, had some of the highest percentage of Democratic voters in 2020 and have had some of the lowest vaccine coverage thus far. Connecticuts cities deal with issues of access to vaccines as well as hesitancy, according to state Department of Health spokeswoman Maura Fitzgerald. For both testing and vaccinations, Connecticut is battling years of health care inequities in our cities, issues faced across the country and around the world, she said. Gov. Ned Lamont said during a press conference last week that outside Connecticuts cities, there is often one town with a high vaccination rate next to one with a significantly lower rate. The difference, he said, was cultural. State Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, said hes not seeing a particular hesitancy from his caucus or constituents. In fact, hes been helping people in his district obtain vaccine appointments when he can. Formica and Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, released a joint statement saying, "We all want to see Connecticut reach herd immunity and the COVID-19 vaccination is the path to achieve that goal. We also encourage all those with concerns about getting the vaccine to seek the input of their doctor and medical professionals not politicians, the statement says. Any medical choice is deeply personal, and we all should rely on the guidance of our trusted medical professionals. National polling A Monmouth University poll of 800 adults in the United States released last week bears out local findings in Connecticut. Theres still a lot of vaccine hesitancy in the nation, and much of this reluctance is really ingrained in partisan identity, Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a release. According to Monmouths polling, 43 percent of Republicans say they want to avoid the vaccine altogether compared with 22 percent of independents and 5 percent of Democrats. Monmouths polling found that political leanings are a far better predictor than race of whether someone intends to be vaccinated. A similar proportion of white people, 22 percent, and people of color, 20 percent, said they will avoid getting the vaccine if they can, according to the poll. Prior to the pandemic, distrust of vaccines was an attitude that usually cut across party lines, said Scott McLean, also a political science professor at Quinnipiac. Since the pandemic, the national survey data shows that white Republican voters are the group most likely to express vaccine hesitancy. Reasons for hesitancy Though Renfro said its not exclusively Republicans or conservatives who dont want to wear masks or get vaccines, there are both historical and recent influences within the Republican party that may have contributed to vaccine hesitancy. Its a particularly American thing, Renfro said. Theres this tension between individualism and the role of states and the role of the federal government, and that debate has never really gone away. That tension has translated into arguments over market regulation, abortion rights, taxes and, more recently, mask use and vaccines. We live in a time in which there is a particular emphasis on individual liberty, Renfro said. Trump is the other factor Renfro mentioned as contributing to any vaccine hesitancy among Republican ranks. He said the former president wanted to make it seem like the virus was no big deal. A lot of his supporters really internalized this, Renfro said. Trump, however, should be credited in part for the speed in which the coronavirus vaccines were made available, according to Formica. Whether youre a Trump supporter or not, the vaccine would not be available without his efforts to fund the research to a level that enabled the vaccine to be developed within a very short period of time, he said. Poll of Connecticut legislators Formica and Kelly were two of the Connecticut Republican legislators who, in response to a Hearst Connecticut Media Group inquiry of all state legislators, said they had been vaccinated. Every state legislator was asked if they had been vaccinated or if they plan to get vaccinated. A total of 44 about a quarter of the states total legislators responded. Im 63, the world is round, I believe in gravity, state Rep. Stephen Meskers said when asked if he had been vaccinated. Only 11 Republican legislators replied, compared with 36 Democrats, nearly all of whom said they either had been vaccinated or had appointments scheduled. Now, vaccine hesitancy among the political class means that Republican officials are hesitant to announce they are vaccinated, while Democrats are hesitant to say they have some doubts, Quinnipiacs McLean said. Woe to the politician whose vaccination record does not align with the partisan tilt in their district. State Rep. Lucy Dathan, D-New Canaan, was the only legislative Democrat who said she hadnt yet been vaccinated and didnt have an appointment, because she just had COVID in February and my doctor said to wait 90 days. Of the 11 Republicans who replied, nine said they had been vaccinated. State Rep. Cara Pavalock-DAmato, R-Bristol, said in an email that she was still torn, 50/50. Im scared of getting sick, and Im scared of the immediate and long-term effects of the shot, she said. State Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, declined to answer the question. Im not interested in disclosing my personal health information, he said. I do, however, believe in the science behind vaccines and support the states public information campaign as well as all local and state efforts to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to Connecticut residents who decide that getting vaccinated is the right decision for them. A Morgan County inmate is facing new charges for assaulting a corrections officer. The Morgan County Sheriffs Office said at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday, Corrections Officer Cathy Ann Evans was assisting with the distribution of evening meals at the time of the assault. It said federal inmate Lemond Lawerance Burns, 22, requested a smoke break, and Evans informed him they would get to smoke breaks once meal time was over. "Burns proceeded to walk up on Officer Evans who issued commands for him to back away. At that time, the inmate quickly punched Officer Evans twice knocking her to the ground," the sheriffs office said. Other corrections officers responded and called for the medical team. Evans was taken to Decatur Morgan Hospital for multiple injuries including a concussion, contusions around her mouth and eye, which is swollen shut, and bruising to her back, head and arms from hitting the ground. She has since been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Warrants were issued for Burns for assault second degree with a $50,000 bond. The sheriff's office said he will face these charges once previous state and federal sentences are served. Burns is from Alpine, Alabama and has been held in the Morgan County Jail on federal charges since Feb. 8, 2021. He was relocated to an isolation pod. Our Correction Officers are unsung members of our team. They serve in a $13 an hour position, spending more time in jail than many of our inmates. This was a cold, unwarranted attack with no remorse. We hurt with Officer Evans who is a model officer, is active in her community and has a heart for serving. This event is a reminder of their true value to our community," a news release from the sheriffs office said on Tuesday. Burns was arrested in January for shooting and killing Alabama A&M student Dallis Patrick Ryan Wolfe. He's charged with capital murder. Read more here. Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive, demanded a four-month delay in her extradition case in Canada on Monday, citing newly acquired documents from investment bank HSBC that her team said are critical to her safety and defense. Meng, whose father is the company's founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, is battling extradition to the United States, where she faces allegations of bank fraud and collusion in connection with an alleged breach of U.S. sanctions on Iran by a Huawei subsidiary, according to a published article on MSN News. Huawei Executive Requests Delay in Her Extradition Case Her attorneys requested that the litigation, which is scheduled to resume at the end of April, be postponed until August 3 so that they could examine information that they believe could prove U.S. authorities deceived Canadian authorities about Meng's suspected crimes. In a recently published report on Yahoo News, Huawei was granted a court order in Hong Kong on April 12 to procure documents from HSBC, the investment bank at the center of Meng's extradition and bribery trial. Previously, the corporation had been unable to obtain the paperwork from a court in the United Kingdom, where HSBC is based. Americans Barred From Investing in Chinese Businesses That Aids Military Growth Statements of Lawyers Lawyers of Meng argued in documents released ahead of her court appearance on Monday, which stated, "An adjournment of these extradition proceedings is necessary to provide (Meng) with the opportunity to obtain, review, assess, and, if justified, seek to introduce relevant evidence." On the other hand, at the behest of the U.S., Canadian government attorneys denied Meng's claims, finding the latest application as "unsubstantiated charges" and attempting to inappropriately prolong their case, according to a published report on Bangkok Post. The Canadian attorney general argued, "It is the latest in a series of attempts to turn these proceedings into a trial that should properly take place in the (United States). It rests on unsubstantiated allegations... vigorously denied by the prosecution." And explained, "The alleged need to gather information in Hong Kong is not based on any objective evidence that the documents obtained would be relevant or admissible in this proceeding." Biden Contacting Local Authorities for Possible Protests After Chauvin's Verdict Important Information About the Case Unless the judge extends an extension in the lawsuit, the final round of extradition hearings begins on April 26. It concludes on May 14, pending any appeals. Since Meng's December 2018 detention based on a U.S. warrant during a Canadian airport stopover, the case has dragged on for almost two and a half years. She has been put under house arrest at night in her Vancouver mansion, guarded by guards at all hours, and is allowed to wear a wireless tracking device. Meng is accused of defrauding HSBC by unfairly portraying ties between Huawei and its former affiliate Skycom, which sold telecoms equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Her detention has caused a significant political schism between Canada and China; shortly after, Beijing detained two Canadian citizens on national security charges, former ambassador Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It might be surprising to some people, but the Warkworth, Wellsford and Snells Beach areas are well and truly part of the housing crisis the country is currently in. Each week, our family centre is approached by families and individuals without anywhere to live and desperately seeking some sort of solution. A North Shore group called De Paul House, which specialises in assisting homeless families find accommodation on the North Shore and which also provides excellent but limited transitional housing in our area, say things are a lot harder for people here than they are on the North Shore. De Paul House says that on average it takes them about three to six months to assist a family into permanent accommodation on the Shore. In our area they say it is usually around nine to 12 months and sometimes even longer. They also say that nearly all the people they are supporting in their transitional housing in our area are in paid work, so there is no way they can move to another region to find a home. As a family centre, Homebuilders is very aware that anyone who is likely to face discrimination is even more at risk of finding themselves homeless. For example, Maori, Pacific peoples, single parents and new immigrants. If you happen to be young as well, it is even harder. Young people are often either in low-paid work or education and have a limited track record of renting, and so may not have references from previous landlords. The day-to-day reality of being without a home is all encompassing and devastating. Imagine the impact on your child of not knowing where you will be staying tomorrow or next week, and that being your childs day-to-day reality for three months, six months, nine months or more. Living this way is obviously traumatic for children and adults alike. Friendships, schooling, and any social activities are likely to be in total chaos as a result. The Governments current focus on home ownership as a solution to homelessness is, sadly, fanciful at best. Current figures show that the richest 10 per cent of the New Zealand population own almost 60 per cent of the countrys wealth and that 50 per cent of the countrys population own just 1 per cent of the countrys wealth. Expecting that 50 per cent of the population who are just struggling to survive week by week to be able to compete in the property market is no answer to homelessness and rampant rent increases. What is needed to address homelessness and incredibly high rents is a massive and urgent investment in building state-owned housing around the country, including in our region. If the children living in emergency housing today are to have a different future, it will be by the building and provision of good quality homes, where their parents and caregivers pay an income-related rent, rather than through relying on the property market to provide quality, safe and affordable homes. As we understand it, the Government currently has no plans to build even one more state house between Albany and Te Hana for at least the next eight years. The growing human toll of exorbitant rents, and increasing homelessness is only worsening across our community. Local families will continue living in that reality, until there is dramatic increase in the number of state houses being built. Quentin Jukes, Coordinator www.homebuildersfs.org With lockdown restrictions beginning to lift, travel is on everyone's minds again - albeit largely domestically for the time being. Tripadvisor site data shows that the number of travellers in the UK searching for British staycations this month has increased by 384 per cent compared with the first week of January and it's Torquay that has seen the biggest year-on-year increase in searches. In second place is the Lake District's Windermere and York is in third place, with Tsilivi in Zakynthos top for trips abroad. Torquay has seen the biggest year-on-year increase in Tripadvisor searches Windermere has seen the second-biggest increase in searches, according to Tripadvisor Tripadvisor reveals that searches for experiences (attractions and tours) by UK travellers this month increased by 128 per cent compared with the first week of January and restaurant searches are up 100 per cent. According to a recent Tripadvisor survey, almost half of Britons (47 per cent) are planning to travel this summer, rising to 50 per cent and 51 per cent respectively when looking at Gen Z and Millennials. And they're apparently going to feast on travel opportunities. Almost half (44 per cent) plan to make up for lost time by taking two or more holidays, while one in eight (13 per cent) plan to take at least three. For Britons heading to Torquay this summer, the most popular thing to do, according to bookings on Tripadvisor, is a gin-making experience at The Gin Nest, where you will be guided in the art of distilling your own craft gin using a traditional copper pot. TRIPADVISOR'S FASTEST-GROWING DESTINATIONS FOR BRITONS THIS SUMMER Fastest-growing domestic destinations 1. Torquay, Devon 2. Windermere, Cumbria 3. York 4. Newquay, Cornwall 5. Bath, Somerset 6. Whitby, Yorkshire 7. Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria 8. Brighton, East Sussex 9. Portree, Isle of Skye 10. Bournemouth, Dorset Fastest -growing international destinations 1. Tsilivi (Planos), Zakynthos, Greece 2. Cong, County Mayo, Ireland 3. Soufriere, St Lucia 4. Oia, Santorini, Greece 5. Laganas, Zakynthos, Greece 6. Paris. France 7. Mykonos Town, Greece 8. Imerovigli, Santorini, Greece 9. Analipsi, Crete, Greece 10. Ayia Napa, Cyprus Source: Tripadvisor Advertisement York is third in the top 10 Tripadvisor search ranking The rest of the top 10 domestic trending destinations comprises Newquay (fourth), Bath (fifth); Whitby (sixth); Bowness-on-Windermere (seventh), Brighton (eighth), Portree on the Isle of Skye (ninth), and Bournemouth (tenth). Internationally, Greece is trending heavily as six of the top ten spots for Tripadvisor clicks from UK travellers are Greek destinations. The site acknowledges that this is possibly owing to the fact that Greece has recently been vocal about its hopes to reopen its doors to tourists in mid-May, providing that they have been vaccinated, have antibodies or can provide a negative Covid test. The foreign destination that has seen the biggest year-on-year increase in searches is Tsilivi in Zakynthos (pictured) After Tsilivi, the next fastest-growing international destinations are Cong in County Mayo, Ireland (second); Soufriere in St Lucia (third); Oia in Santorini (fourth); Laganas, Zakynthos (fifth); Paris (sixth); Mykonos Town (seventh); Imerovigli, Santorini (eighth), Analipsi, Crete (ninth), and Ayia Napa, Cyprus (tenth). For Britons planning to head to Tsilivi (also known as Planos) this summer (should government guidelines allow), the most popular thing to do, according to bookings on Tripadvisor, is a tour of the island that includes a visit to the famous Shipwreck Beach (also known as Navagio Beach). Tripadvisor says: 'On this once-in-a-lifetime experience you will get to see the beautiful cove that is only accessible by boat. The beach got its name after a ship crashed onto the shore in 1980 - and it's still there today. You'll also ride a glass-bottom boat out to the island's famous Blue Caves and have a chance to swim in Xigia Beach's sulphur-rich, spa-like waters.' TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. ("Trulieve" or the "Company") (CSE: TRUL) (OTC: TCNNF), a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States, will release its first quarter 2021 financial results on Thursday, May 13, 2021, before markets open. Following the earnings release, management will host a conference call at 8:30 AM Eastern Time to review the financial results. All interested parties can join the conference call by dialing 1-888-231-8191 or 1-647-427-7450, conference ID: 4880609. Please dial in 15 minutes prior to the call to secure a line. The conference call will be archived for replay until May 20, 2021. To access the archived conference call, please dial 1-855-859-2056 and enter the encore code 4880609. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at: https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1456168&tp_key=12329b312c Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days by clicking the link above. About Trulieve Trulieve is primarily a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company in the U.S. 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 dispensaries throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve is also a licensed operator in California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol TCNNF. To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp. Related Links https://www.trulieve.com/ Russia could withdraw from the International Space Station in 2025 and launch its own facility over concerns the ISS is becoming too unreliable, Roscosmos says. Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian space agency said work has already begun on the first module of a new station, expected to go into orbit early in 2025. A top Kremlin official warned that 'disaster' was looming for the ISS, putting the lives of crew members at risk due to its age - by 2025 is will be 27 years old and was originally designed to last between 15 and 30 years, according to NASA. Russia has shared images and video of the first module that will make up a core part of its new hi-tech orbital base, which is expected to include a tourist hotel. A top Kremlin official warned that 'disaster' was looming for the ISS, putting the lives of crew members at risk due to its age - by 2025 is will be 27 years old and was originally designed to last between 15 and 30 years, according to NASA Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian space agency said work had already begun on the first module of a new station, expected to go into orbit early in 2025 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MODULES The station is made up of 16 pressurised modules that humans can enter and work or live inside. Including four Russian modules, nine US modules, two Japanese modules and one European module. Russian modules: Pirs, Zvezda, Poisk and Rassvet US modules: Zarya, BEAM, Leonardo, Harmony, Quest, Tranquility, Unity, Cupola, and Destiny Japanese modules: JEM-ELM-PS and JEM-PM European module: Columbus Axiom Space has proposed a new commercial module for the station that would connect where the PMA-2 'space shuttle docking port' is based. Advertisement The ISS is made up of 16 modules including four built and funded by the Russian space agency, nine from the US, two from Japan and one from Europe. There are talks of extra commercial modules being added to the station in the future, including one proposed by current NASA commercial partner Axiom Space. Roscosmos confirmed that its new space station would be made up of five modules including a 'commercial module that can accommodate four tourists.' Moscow is also threatening to pull out of the ISS, and other western cooperations, amid high tensions over espionage claims, hacking and Ukraine. Russian deputy premier Yuri Borisov said the ageing ISS is becoming too unreliable and risks serious consequences, adding 'we cannot endanger the life of [the crew].' 'The situation, which is today linked to the ageing structures and iron, could trigger irreversible consequences and even a disaster. This must be prevented.' Talks are underway with its international participants including the US and Russia about using the station beyond 2024 but Moscow is already building its own facility. Rogozin - a close ally of Vladimir Putin - said: 'The first core module of the new Russian orbital station is in the works.' Vladimir Soloviev, a senior executive with RSC Energia said the commercial module will have two large windows and wifi access for the visitors. Russia has shared images and video of the first module that will make up a core part of its new hi-tech orbital base, which is expected to include a tourist hotel The International Space Station (ISS, pictured) is a $150 billion science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth and costs $4 billion a year to operate The configuration will be based on the old Mir space station, operated by the USSR and later Russia, from 1986 to 2001 - the first modular space station ever built. The modules will be blasted into orbit using the Angara-A5 launch vehicles from Plesetsk or Vostochny cosmodromes, Roscosmos confirmed. Launched in 1998 and involving Russia, the US, Canada, Japan, and the European Space Agency (ESA), the ISS is one of the most ambitious international collaborations in human history. The station cost an estimated $150 billion to launch, has been extended multiple time and costs about $4 billion per year to operate. Roscosmos confirmed that its new space station would be made up of five modules including a 'commercial module that can accommodate four tourists' Talks are underway with its International participants including the US and Russia about using the station beyond 2024 but Moscow is already building its own facility, while work continues on the Russian core module for their new station The configuration will be based on the old Mir space station, operated by the USSR and later Russia, from 1986 to 2001 - the first modular space station ever built RUSSIAN SPACE STATION PLAN TO INCLUDE 'TOURIST' MODULE WITH WIFI Few specific details have been revealed about the new Russian space station including its name. Russia has a history of succesful stations, including Mir, the first modular space station with a crew of 3. They also formed the core of the ISS when it was constructed in 1998 alongside the US. The new station is expected to have five modules including a 'tourist module' that will include two large windows looking to Earth and Wifi. The first core module is expected to launch for space in 2025 with the station assembled around it in space. Advertisement Russia lost its monopoly for manned flights to the ISS last year after the first successful mission of US company SpaceX. The Elon Musk owned firm is due to send a second contingent of astronauts, including two from the US, one from Japan and one from Europe to the orbiting laboratory later this week. Despite its much-lauded history - Russia this month marked the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in orbit - the country's space programme has struggled in recent years. Rogozin has announced a series of ambitious plans, but his agency has struggled under funding cuts, with analysts saying Putin is more interested in military technology than space exploration. Roscosmos is gradually moving away from cooperation with NASA-allied agencies, including a proposed moon agreement with the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The agreement would see the two nations work to develop either a base on the moon or a space station orbiting our only natural satellite. It was in response to the NASA Artemis accords, signed by a number of global space agencies including ESA and JAXA over cooperation on the moon. This includes the development of the Lunar Gateway space station, orbiting the moon and due to be operational by the end of this decade. The new Russian space station will join another under construction by China known as the Chinese Large Modular Space Station. Russia lost its monopoly for manned flights to the ISS last year after the first successful mission of US company SpaceX Despite its much-lauded history - Russia this month marked the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in orbit - the country's space programme has struggled in recent years Little is known about the new station, beyond the launch date - 2025 - and that it will have five modules including one specifically for tourism It is due to be built in low Earth orbit, similar to the current International Space Station, but about a fifth its mass. The Chinese space station will have up to three modules at launch including a service module and two laboratories and room for a crew of three, about a third that of the International Space Station. Moscow hopes that space tourism can boost its space budget in coming decades and allow for the expansion of orbital activities - including the new station. NASA is also increasingly looking to commercial partnerships to fund space activities, with Tom Cruise looking to film on the ISS in the next year or two. Champaign, IL (61820) Today More clouds than sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional showers late at night. Low 69F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Jury finds Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A jury has found former Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the death of George Floyd. The decision was announced Tuesday afternoon after jurors spent just over eight hours in deliberation over two days. Judge Peter Cahill said the sentencing phase will be held within the next eight weeks and bail was revoked, with Chauvin being remanded into custody immediately. Chauvin faces up to 75 years in prison. He declined to testify in the trial. On May 25, 2020, Chauvin had his knee on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for nine minutes and 26 seconds and he laid on the ground in the prone position. Floyd died in the process. Floyd, 46, was arrested after a store clerk at Cup Foods called 911 to report that he had used a counterfeit bill to make a purchase and seemed to be under the influence of an unknown substance. After Floyd was handcuffed, he resisted being placed in the patrol vehicle, repeatedly saying that he's claustrophobic, has "anxiety," and was "going to die." As two officers were on the driver's side of the vehicle to get Floyd into the squad car, Chauvin went to the passenger side and pulled on Floyd, who fell onto the ground. It was there that Chauvin and two other officers physically restrained Floyd around his torso and with the former kneeling into Floyds neck and back. Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe and subsequently stopped breathing and was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital. Chauvin, 44, joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 2001. He and three other officers involved in the arrest of Floyd Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and Alexander Kueng were fired the day after the incident. Thao, Lane and Kueng are scheduled to go on trial in August for charges of aiding and abetting murder. Video footage of the fatal incident sparked demonstrations across the U.S. and worldwide, with some protests turning into deadly riots that led to the deaths of some 20 Americans nationwide and the vandalism and torching of over 1,000 buildings in Minneapolis. Chauvin was charged last year with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, and was given a bail of $1 million. His trial began in late March. Some of the expert witnesses who testified at Chauvin's trial said Floyd died from asphyxia, or lack of oxygen. A healthy person subjected to what Mr. Floyd was subjected to would have died as a result of what he was subjected to, Dr. Martin Tobin, a lung specialist at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and Loyola Universitys medical school in Chicago, told the jurors. Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, concluded that Floyds death was a homicide as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest after being restrained. The medical examiners office also found that the fentanyl and methamphetamines detected in Floyds body during the autopsy, in addition to his cardiovascular history, contributed to his death. It was the stress of that interaction that tipped him over the edge given his underlying heart disease and his toxicological status, Baker told the court. Many faith communities and leaders had strong reactions to Floyd's public death. Last June, the Presbyterian Church (USA) held a moment of silence for victims of prejudice and racism that lasted eight minutes and 46 seconds as part of their virtual general assembly. "This vigil is not simply to remember the tragic murder of George Floyd, but to remember all the injustice suffered by black, indigenous, and people of color due to systemic racism and white supremacy, PCUSA General Assembly Co-Moderator Elona Street-Stewart said last year. The Rev. Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, denounced Chauvin's actions, saying in a Facebook post last October that the officer has done more damage to law enforcement than any other person in our nation. The entire world watched as then-officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on the neck of George Floyd, who he knew and had worked with at the same club, and he kept it there until Mr. Floyd took his last breath. George Floyds death should have never happened, Graham wrote at the time. Before the trial began in late March, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay the Floyd family $27 million as part of a settlement to resolve a wrongful death trial not connected to the Chauvin trial. [April 20, 2021] The MRC's Spring Virtual Conference Connects eCommerce Professionals in 2021 SEATTLE, April 20, 2021 The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is continuing its legacy of industry-leading payments and fraud prevention events with an ambitious online conference designed to connect, educate, and empower eCommerce professionals from around the world. MRC Spring Virtual will take place on April 27 - 29, 2021 and will feature three days of speakers, presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and more. MRC conferences have an extensive history of fostering connection between professionals from across the payments spectrum, including solution providers, merchants, law enforcement, and anyone else working toward making eCommerce better for all. "This year's Spring Virtual conference is yet another opportunity for us to demonstrate why our events are consistently considered the best in the industry," says Julie Fergerson, CEO of the MRC. "Though we are looking forward to meeting in person when it's safe, last year's Fall Virtual was a huge success by virtually every metric, and we are excited to continue that pattern o success with Spring Virtual 2021." Presenters this year include speakers from Google, Microsoft, Facebook, J.P. Morgan, the MRC, and dozens of other companies, all focusing on highlighting the latest technologies, strategies, and developments in payments and fraud prevention. Registration is open now, along with a detailed schedule of the event. Contact the MRC with any questions. About the MRC: The MRC is an unbiased global community providing a platform for eCommerce fraud and payments professionals to come together and share information. As a non-profit 501(c)6 organization, the MRC's vision is to make commerce safe and profitable everywhere by offering proprietary education, training, and networking opportunities, as well as a welcoming forum for timely and relevant discussions. The MRC was launched in 2000, at the start of the eCommerce boom, by a small group of industry professionals from leading consumer brands, united by the goal of fighting against online fraud. Since its inception, the MRC has also added online payments to its portfolio, expanding its presence further into eCommerce, and continues to be at the forefront of industry evolution and the continued fight against fraud. The MRC is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, but embraces membership from across the globe. Media Contact: Lea Prosenica Telephone: +1 678-593-0391 Email: 307952@email4pr.com MRC Logo: download image MRC Spring Virtual logo: download image View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-mrcs-spring-virtual-conference-connects-ecommerce-professionals-in-2021-301272627.html SOURCE Merchant Risk Council [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cancelled his visit to Portugal for the India-EU summit in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 infections across the country. PM Modi was scheduled to travel to Portugal for the 16th India-EU summit which was to take place on May 8. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to travel to France for a bilateral summit which also stands cancelled due to the COVID-19 surge. However, the 16th India-EU summit will now take place virtually, like the previous India-EU summit which was hosted virtually last year in July. Prime Minister @narendramodi cancels his visit to Portugal for India-EU summit. He was to travel to Portugal for the 16th India-EU summit which was to take place on May 8th. (File Pic) pic.twitter.com/K9DkvuqkF4 Prasar Bharati News Services .... (@PBNS_India) April 20, 2021 Just a day earlier, UK PM Boris Johnson cancelled his visit to India which was scheduled for next week. In a joint statement, the British and the Indian government said that due to the current coronavirus situation, the UK PM will not be able to travel to India. However, the statement also added that PM Narendra Modi and Johnson will speak later this month to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the two countries. PM Modi has been holding regular meetings in view of the surge in infections across the country. The prime minister held a meeting with the Pharma industry to assess the vaccine manufacturing and numerous decisions were taken on the vaccination front. PM Modi also interacted with leading doctors and medical experts to assess the prevailing COVID-19 situation. The prime minister also held a meeting with chief ministers of all states to discuss the strategy to combat the second wave of COVID-19. The Central Government on Monday decided to open up vaccination for citizens above 18 years of age from May 1. Moreover, the vaccine manufacturers have been asked to ramp up their production as well as attract new national and international players. The manufacturers have been directed to release 50 per cent of their stock for the state governments and in the open market at a pre-declared price. At present 45 years and above are eligible to administer vaccine the COVID-19 vaccine. As per the latest reports from Union Health Ministry, 2,59,170 new coronavirus infections and 1,761 deaths have been reported in 24 hours on Tuesday making a new high in the single-day spike of fatalities due to COVID-19 across the country. Also, 1,54,761 fresh recoveries have also been reported in the past 24 hours. Currently, the total number of active Coronavirus cases in the country is has surpassed the 20-lakh mark. As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, India so far has recorded over 1,53,21,089 positive cases, of which, 1,31,08,582 have successfully recovered and 1,80,530 have died. - The point-of-care coagulation testing devices market is anticipated to gain profitable growth on the back of the increasing cases of bleeding disorders such as hemophilia around the world - The global point-of-care coagulation testing devices market is extrapolated to expand at a CAGR of ~6 percent between 2019 and 2027 ALBANY, N.Y., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The increase in the number of bleeding disorders across the globe has been alarming in recent years. A change in lifestyle habits and other factors have led to an incline in bleeding disorders and diseases. The survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on hemophilia, a blood disorder suggests that hemophilia affects 1 in 5000 male births. In addition, nearly 400 babies are born with this disorder every year. These statistics point out the need for controlling the disorder. Devices like point-of-care coagulation testing devices act as a savior for controlling such disorders. Therefore, based on these factors, the point of care coagulation testing devices market will observe a good growth trajectory during the assessment period of 2019-2027. Point-of-care coagulation testing devices are mainly used for diagnosing blood disorders like hemostasis and others. The diagnosis enables quick treatment and fast recovery. Thus, these factors bring good growth prospects for the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market. Those suffering from the symptoms of blood disorders are switching to point-of-care testing for quicker results and rapid treatment. Thus, this aspect will also bring tremendous growth opportunities for the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market. Request for Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Point-of-Care Coagulation Testing Devices Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/covid19.php Transparency Market Research (TMR) estimates the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market to observe a CAGR of ~6 percent across the forecast period of 2019-2027. The global point-of-care coagulation testing devices market is estimated to gain revenues of ~US$ 1.7 bn by the end of the forecast period, that is, 2027. The point-of-care coagulation testing devices market is expanding its horizons across growth on the basis of novel advancements. The players in the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market are focusing on research and development activities to add new features and functions that are more beneficial to the end-users. In addition, expansion activities are also playing a vital role. Manufacturers in the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market are investing in expanding their production capacities, especially in Asia Pacific as the demand for these devices is increasing in the countries present in this region. Request Brochure of Point-of-Care Coagulation Testing Devices Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/brochure.php Key Findings of the Report Home Care Services and Self-Assessment of Diseases Gaining Traction, Which Fuels the Growth Prospects The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an acute shortage of beds and treatment facilities for non-COVID care. Hence, many individuals now prefer home treatment instead of visiting the clinics and hospitals for treatments. This step keeps them away from the virus transmission as well as helps in safe treatments. The rising popularity of home care services has increased the demand for the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market, eventually helping in increasing the growth rate. Purchase the Point-of-Care Coagulation Testing Devices Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php Product Innovations to Accelerate the Growth of Point-Of-Care Coagulation Testing Devices Market Various advancements and upgrades are being observed across the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market. The players are coming up with new strategies and innovative techniques to make the devices more convenient and feasible. New product launches are also adding extra stars of growth. For instance, Entegrion, Inc., a clinical diagnosis firm recently announced the acceptance of abstracts demonstrating the capability of the VCM viscoelastic coagulation monitor for use in varied field care settings. Such developments bring immense growth opportunities for the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market. Request for Custom Research - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/custom-research.php Increase in TEG Testing for COVID-19 Patients to Lay a Red Carpet of Growth Many medical associations are suggesting thromboelastography (TEG) testing for COVID-19 patients to avoid clot formation complications. This aspect will turn the tables of growth across the point-of-care coagulation testing devices market to a considerable extent. Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare Industry: Coagulation Testing Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/coagulation-testing-market.html Anticoagulants Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/anticoagulants-marke.html About Us Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals. Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories. TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision." Browse More Upcoming Reports by Transparency Market Research: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/upcoming.htm Contact Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/point-of-care-coagulation-testing-market.htm Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085206/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg England's first coronavirus lockdown did not lead to a rise in suicides, a study has claimed. A team of researchers at Manchester University examined official suicide rates in England throughout 2020 and found there was no change in the trend. They say people may have got through the tough year by checking in with family and friends more often, by feeling a stronger sense of community, and feeling hopeful about life after the lockdowns ended. It debunks claims made early on in the crisis that widespread social isolation and massive job losses could lead to a rise in the number of suicides. Fake news stories spread on social media in 2020 claiming the number of people killing themselves had tripled because of the Covid crisis, and former US President Donald Trump claimed lockdowns could result in 'suicides by the thousands'. Psychologists have, however, warned Britain faces a surge in mental health problems over the coming years due to the economic fallout in the wake of the pandemic. The suicide rate was 125.7 suicides per 100,000 people a month between January and March last year. But by April to October it had fallen by four per cent to 121.7 per 100,000 The data came from the 'real time surveillance' system which monitors suicide rates in about a quarter of the country. It is focused on the North and South West, where rates are generally higher compared to other areas Scientists used numbers of suspected suicides from an official real-time surveillance system, which gives medics early warnings of any worrying trends. It covers about a quarter of England, with areas based mostly in the North and South West where suicide rates are generally higher than average. The system relies on suspected reports because it can take anywhere from one month to a year for a coroner to confirm them as suicides. WHY HAVE SUICIDE RATES NOT RISEN DURING THE FIRST LOCKDOWN? Manchester University researchers have found that suicide rates in England remained level during the first lockdown. They used data from the 'real time surveillance' system, which monitors ten areas representing about a quarter of the country where the rates are normally higher than average. They found the rate actually dropped by four per cent during lockdown (April to October) than in the period beforehand (January to March). Scientists behind the paper have suggested several key reasons for this. Professor Nav Kapur, a psychologist and one of the study authors, said it may be due to 'genuine social cohesion' at a time of crisis. 'We've seen this in data from suicide rates around the time of the two world wars,' he said. 'They decreased and there is this idea that societies pull together when there's an external threat.' In the paper the experts add that lockdown may have also led to people checking in more on friends, family and neighbours, and reduced access to some methods of suicide. 'In the first lockdown they may also have been a sense that the crisis would pass, preventing the despair that is an important cognitive step towards suicide,' they add. Advertisement The results showed there were an average of 125.7 suicides per 100,000 people each month between January and March last year. But between April to October during the Covid pandemic it fell by four per cent to 121.7 per 100,000. Only May had a suicide rate that spiked above the same time last year, but the researchers said it wasn't statistically significant, meaning it was small enough to have been random. The suicide rate was below 2019 levels in June, August and September when social distancing restrictions were largely relaxed and in October, just before the second lockdown. Professor Louis Appleby, a Government adviser on suicide prevention and the study's lead researcher, said they did not find a rise in suicides. 'To be clear, no suicide rate whether high or low, rising or falling is acceptable, and our conclusions at this stage need to be cautious as these early findings may change,' he said. Professor Nav Kapur, a psychologist and also an author on the paper, said suicide is 'complex' and 'does not simply follow levels of mental disorder'. 'There may be a genuine social cohesion effect at the time of external crises. 'Weve seen this in data from suicide rates around the time of the two world wars; suicide rates decreased and there is this idea that societies pull together when theres an external threat.' In the paper published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, the researchers say: 'It may be that lockdown, as well as presenting greater risks to some, brought greater protections to others in the form of vigilance and support from families, friends and neighbours, and reduced access to certain suicide methods.' They continue: 'More broadly, the national crisis may have led to an increase in social coherence - as is believed to have occurred in past conflicts. 'In the first lockdown there may have been a sense that the crisis would soon pass, preventing the despair that is an important cognitive step towards suicide.' Experts also warned it was still 'too early' to see long-term impacts of the pandemic or of the other lockdowns in England. The data was not broken down by age group, gender or geographical area in the paper. Responding to the study, the assistant director of research at the Samaritans, Jacqui Morrissey, said it was 'welcome news' but there was 'no room for complacency'. 'We know that the pandemic is having a profound impact on the nations mental health and wellbeing, and we are concerned about the long-term implications, particularly as the links between recessions, unemployment and suicide risk are well known,' she said. 'Therefore, the Government must continue to put suicide prevention is at the heart of its wider pandemic recovery plans.' Professor Keith Hawton, director of Oxford University's suicide research centre who was not involved in the study, said the findings were in line with those from other countries. 'Although one cannot assume that the data necessarily represent the picture for the whole of England, it seems likely that there was no major impact of the early phase of the pandemic on suicide. 'While these findings are not predictive of what will happen in future, they are nonetheless very welcome. 'One suspects that one positive effect of the pandemic, especially lockdown, has been increased social cohesion, possibly due to families being physically and emotionally closer, but also perhaps because of a sense of battling against an enemy (the virus), rather like during war-time.' Psychologists have repeatedly warned Britain faces a 'mental health time-bomb' because of the pandemic and have called for more money to be pumped into services focusing on treating those struggling emotionally. The economy is almost eight per cent below where it would have been had the pandemic not struck, and 693,000 fewer people are on the payroll according to the Office for National Statistics. Ministers rushed out the furlough scheme to prop up struggling businesses by covering staff wages at 80 per cent and providing emergency loans. But it failed to rescue many stores from tumbling into administration including Debenhams and the Arcadia Group. There are also looming problems in accessing help to deal with problems, as psychology services are overwhelmed by an influx of patients seeking help. A study by Glasgow University found one in ten had suicidal thoughts during the first lockdown. The United Arab Emirates has rolled over the pending payment of a $2 billion loan by Pakistan, amid a three-day visit of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to the nation. The payment relief, announced by Pakistans Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in a Twitter post, comes days after the South Asian nation reached an agreement with the Monetary Fund on a resumption of a $6 billion bailout program. Having averted a financial crisis just two years ago, finds itself with little room for policy errors due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The central bank expects the will expand by around 3 per cent in the year to June, after a rare contraction in the previous 12 months. Qureshi started a three-day official visit to the on Saturday, while his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was due to arrive in the nation on Sunday, government officials said. The most serious charges involve allegations that King allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in his dorm room in Alumni Hall who had gone there to braid his hair, according to charging documents, demanding sex from the woman and holding her tightly by her arms so she could not leave. Moscow, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :Washington's envoy to Moscow will return to the United States for consultations, the US embassy said on Tuesday, after Moscow "recommended" that ambassador John Sullivan temporarily leave amid soaring tensions. "Ambassador Sullivan is returning to the United States for consultations this week," the US diplomatic mission in Moscow said in a statement sent to AFP. "I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations," the statement quoted Sullivan as saying. The announcement came amid a spike in tensions between Moscow and Washington over a litany of disputes, including alleged meddling in US elections, Russia's troop build-up along Ukraine's borders and the deteriorating health of President Vladimir Putin's imprisoned critic Alexei Navalny. US President Joe Biden is pursuing a tougher line against Putin but has also proposed that the two leaders meet for a summit in a third country later this year. Sullivan said he would return to Moscow "in the coming weeks", before any meeting between Biden and Putin. Moscow has said it is studying the summit proposal. Moscow recalled its own envoy, Anatoly Antonov, from Washington for consultations in March and last week the former Cold War foes announced a wave of tit-for-tat sanctions and expulsions of diplomats. On Friday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, had recommended that Sullivan leave for Washington to conduct "serious consultations". Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the return of ambassadors would depend on talks on a range of issues. "If as a result of that there arises the desirability (of the envoys' return), then the ambassadors will probably return and begin to fulfil their duties," he told reporters on Tuesday. The US last week announced sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats in retaliation for what the White House says is the Kremlin's US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity. Russia said it would expel US diplomats and sanction US officials in response. Russia and a number of EU countries including the Czech Republic and Bulgaria also expelled each others' diplomats, including two Bulgarian diplomats that Moscow said Tuesday had been declared persona non grata. Peskov suggested that diplomatic tensions were a result of international hysteria against Moscow, saying it was important to "calm down and refrain from this mass anti-Russian psychosis." Have you been asking yourself why haven't you applied to move to Canada already? You are not alone. Many people worldwide ask that very same question as Canada plans to invite over 1.2 million newcomers to come to the beautiful country. With the highest number of educated adults in the world, a stellar healthcare and education system, which is free to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and a wealth of employment opportunities, it's no surprise why Canada has become one of the top destinations amongst foreigners looking for a new place to call home. Whether you want to work, study or live in Canada, there are over 100 Canadian immigration programs and visas available to Chileans. So, let's take a closer look at some of those programs and how to apply for a Canadian visa from Chile in 2021. Top 4 Canadian Visas for Chileans To Immigrate: Express Entry The Express Entry system is not only one of the most popular and efficient Canadian visa application processes, but it is also one that offers the highest number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. According to Canada's 2021 - 2023 Immigration Levels Plan, the Express Entry system programs, namely The Federal Skilled Worker Program, The Federal Skilled Trade Program, and Canada Experience Program will offer between 81,000 to 110,250 ITAs in 2021 alone! When applying for your Express Entry visa from Chile, you will need to complete your online profile containing information about your age, education, language skills in English or French, work experience (if any), and ability to adjust to Canadian life. Your profile will be ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), after which you will receive a CRS score. Every two weeks, there is an Express Entry draw from a pool of eligible candidates. Those with the highest CRS scores will receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residency. Learn more here about Canada's Express Entry system. Work: International Mobility Program Have you always dreamt of working in Canada? As a Chilean professional, you may have an added edge over other Canadian visa applicants. On February 5, 2019, Canada entered into an open, inclusive, and progressive trade agreement with Chile known as the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA). Originally launched in 1997, it has since been incredibly successful and was the first trade agreement that Canada declared with a South American country. CCFTA applicants can apply for a Canadian work visa under one of four categories: Business visitors (no work permit required); Professionals (work permit required but LMIA exempt); Intra-company transferees (work permit required but LMIA exempt); or Trade and Investors (work permit required but LMIA exempt). Each category has its own set of requirements, which are similar to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Depending on your occupation, you will need to meet specific education qualifications and credentials as well as have a valid job offer in Canada and provide proof of your Chilean citizenship. Your employer will have to submit the offer of employment through the Employer Portal and give you an offer of employment number, which you will be able to use to apply for a Canadian work visa. Study: Student Permit Canada has one of the best education systems in the world, and its universities and colleges certainly hold their own when ranked against other educational institutions globally. In fact, three Canadian universities have been ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide! Besides getting a world-class education, studying at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada could lead to the opportunity to stay and work in Canada through programs such as the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) or various graduate programs under Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). To apply for a study permit from Chile, you will need: An acceptance letter from your DLI; A valid passport or travel document; Medical exams; Police clearance; Language tests; Biometrics; and Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself while you're in Canada. You will have to submit your application online and will be able to check your status via your account. Travel: eTA or Visitor's Visa? Canada has some of the most breathtaking places to explore. The Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Whistler Ski Resort, the Northern Lights, beautiful architecture of Old Montreal, bustling streets of Toronto, the list of must-see-sights goes on and on. Most visitors can stay for up to six months on their visit, and the best part is that as a citizen of Chile, you don't need a visitor's visa. All you will need is an eTA, which you can apply for online and will be electronically linked to your passport. Canadian Visa Application Process: What Are Your Options? As a Canadian visa applicant, you can choose to either complete and submit your application on your own or hire a representative to do it for you. Having someone who knows the Canadian visa application process like the back of their hand and can guide you on which Canadian immigration programs you qualify for is not only the better option but could also save you a lot of time and stress. For more information on how to apply for a Canadian visa from Chile, as well as the visa application process, visit CanadianVisa.org. NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of BlackBerry Limited ("BlackBerry" or the "Company") (NYSE: BB). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether BlackBerry and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On March 30, 2021, BlackBerry reported fourth-quarter 2020 losses of $315 million, or $0.56 per share, on revenue of $210 million, down from $282 million in the same period last year. The Company attributed part of its revenue shortfall to negotiations to limited patent-licensing, explaining that the Company was in negotiations with an unnamed "North American party for the sale of a portion of the company's portfolio, primarily related to mobile-devices messaging and wireless networking." On this news, BlackBerry's stock price fell $0.91 per share, or 9.74%, to close at $8.43 per share on March 31, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP You are here: World Flash A Russian MiG-31 fighter intercepted U.S. and Norwegian patrol planes above the Barents Sea on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Radars detected two air targets approaching the Russian border over the Barents Sea, and a MiG-31 jet belonging to the Russian Northern Fleet took off in response, the ministry said. The Russian crew identified the air targets as a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft and a Norwegian P-3C Orion patrol plane. After the foreign aircraft flew away from the Russian border, the MiG-31 safely returned to its airfield. During its flight, the Russian fighter strictly complied with international rules for the use of airspace, the ministry added. Marin County was on a path to become the first Bay Area county to move into the yellow tier, but on Tuesday, county public health officials said the region will remain at the orange level. At the start of the month, Marin saw a decline in COVID-19 infections, positioning the county to move into the least restrictive tier in the state's reopening plan, but more recently the numbers increased slightly. "We dont want to move forward until were ready, and clearly were not quite there," the county's Health Director Matt Willis wrote in an email. "A small uptick in cases was enough to keep us from moving forward. At this point, Id rather see a stronger trend of progress before we have a set of less restrictive policies." Willis told KCBS radio that the county is seeing an increase in cases among teenagers and young adults and he believes this could be associated with spring break travel. Seniors aren't contributing to the surge, and county data shows 81% of Marin residents 65 and over have completed a vaccine series. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced earlier this month the state will fully reopen its economy June 15 and dissolve the so-called Blueprint for a Safer Economy, whose tier levels dictate which businesses can open based on the severity of virus spread in a county. "We will be moving beyond the blueprint and getting rid of the colored tiers," Newsom said at an April 6 press briefing. "Well be getting rid of the dimmer switch." The state will track hospitalization rates, vaccine access and vaccine efficacy against variants in the weeks leading up to June 15, and revisit the date if needed. In the meantime, the state will continue to operate under the blueprint that was adopted in August. The state's color-coded reopening framework assigns a tier to each county dictating which business sectors and activities can operate. The state announces new tier assignments each Tuesday, and on Wednesday, counties can move forward with reopenings. The state's system sorts counties into four tiers "purple" (widespread), "red" (substantial), "orange" (moderate) or "yellow" (minimal) that measure the spread of COVID-19 and dictate what types of businesses and activities are allowed to open. To move into the yellow tier, a countys adjusted coronavirus case rate must fall below two cases per 100,000 residents and the positivity rate must hold below 2% for two weeks. As of Tuesday, the case rate in Marin was 2.6 per 100,000 and the positivity rate 1%. The earliest the county could move into the yellow is May 4, according to the Marin Independent Journal. Advancing into this level will allow for larger gatherings and easing of restrictions on businesses. Bars would be permitted to open indoors. In the Bay Area, all nine counties remain in the orange tier, except for Solano County, which is still red. Among California's 58 counties, Lassen, Sierra and Alpine are in the yellow tier. Food is cultural, familial and nostalgic, and for me, few foods inspire memories of home as much as migas. The Mexican breakfast takes me back to my childhood. There's something therapeutic about cooking it up with the family recipe and recalling the memories that come along with it. Frying up the tortilla pieces, seasoning as I scramble the eggs mixed with a touch of tomato sauce for a taste reminiscent of my mother's migas that's food heaven for me. My mother would make her version of migas on Sunday mornings, whipping up a rendition that was a cross between the traditional Mexican dish and chilaquiles. Sonia Ramirez While similar to each other, migas and chilaquiles each consist of their own unique set of ingredients. BEST TAMALES: Where to find the best tamales in Houston Chron reached out to a resident expert in both dishes, decorated Houston chef Hugo Ortega, to break down the differences between the two dishes. "Migas originated in Spain (torn pieces of bread pan-fried with garlic, smoked paprika and chorizo)," Ortega said. "Migas in Mexico evolved from bread to crispy tortilla pan-fried with tomato, onion and fresh jalapenos and scrambled with eggs. We had to give our spin to it." Kenn Stearns Chilaquiles, you might say, are the cousins of migas, as Ortega explained. "Chilaquiles are crispy (typically stale) tortillas bathed in salsa (your choice) and tossed in the pan. Protein is optional. Topped with crema and queso fresco. Topping with a fried egg is also optional," Ortega said. Paula Murphy Both are popular breakfast dishes, especially on weekends, Ortega said. He shared his chilaquiles recipe with Chron for all to try. Find it at the end of this story. If you're not feeling up to cooking, don't worry. Houston is home to a few places that serve migas and chilaquiles with their own special twist. Below are a few I've tried and recommend. The Original Ninfa's on Navigation This longtime East End staple serves its own version of the popular dish known as Chilaquiles Verdes. BeccaWright "Its a very popular dish with fried eggs topped with avocado, tomatillo salsa, sour cream, cotija cheese, onions and cilantro for $11. Its one of Chef Alex Padillas favorite brunch dishes as well," a representative for the restaurant told Chron. This has to be one of my favorite places for migas because they remind me of my mother's. The first bite always takes me back to when I was a little girl watching my mother make them. Sonia Ramirez The only difference between my mother's and Dona Maria's is that she added tomato sauce to hers, making it a cross between the two Mexican staple dishes. Yelp/Bubba B. Yelp/Ana M. Rebecca S. recommends the chilaquiles at La Guadalupana and wrote on Yelp: "Order the chilaquiles. Your butt will do the happy dance right in your chair. Thank me later." Phillip B. Reviews for Tejas Taco House were four stars or more for its authentic Mexican food, including its migas. This affordable staple may be a favorite of many Houstonians for tacos, but it also has great reviews for its migas plate. Yelp/Patrick S. Patrick S. said the migas were his favorite dish at Brother's Taco House: "Hands down this is the best breakfast place in 77002. This [migas] probably my favorite dish period. Viva La Brothers!!" Ortega's recipe for chilaquiles: Ingredients for a serving of 4 includes the following: 1/2 cup corn oil, divided 1/4 cup white onion 6 cups corn tortilla chips (approximately 60 chips) 4 cups salsa de ajo (recipe follows) 3 cups grilled chicken breast, large dice 12 eggs Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack the eggs two at the time into the pan and cook, to the desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for slightly runny sunny-side-up eggs. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large saute pan until simmering. Add onion and saute for 1 minute, add tortilla chips and saute for 30 seconds more, stirring often. Add Salsa de Ajo, mix well and cook for 30 seconds more. Add grilled chicken, incorporate ingredients and cook for 1 minute more. Divide chilaquiles among the plates. Top each plate with two eggs. Garnish with fresh sliced radish, sliced onion, fresh cheese, fresh cilantro leaves, beans, and guacamole. The recipe for Chef Ortega's salsa de ajo includes the following: 10 guajillo peppers, deveined and toasted 2 died arbol pepper, deveined and toasted 1-1/2 cups water 2 garlic cloves 1/2 cup chopped onion Kosher salt as needed Clean and devein the dry peppers and toast on the flat grill, being careful to not burn. Once toasted, rehydrate by covering them with hot water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, roast garlic with a little bit of oil in the oven until its caramelized. Place all ingredients in blender and mix to as smooth a texture as possible. Season to taste. The Uttar Pradesh government has imposed a weekend lockdown across the entire state from April 24 to curb the rising number of coronavirus cases. Districts having more than 500 active coronavirus cases will also remain under an 11 hour-long night curfew from 8pm to 7am every day as per the new directive. According to the additional chief secretary of UP Home Department Awanish Awasthi, only essential services will be allowed and night curfew will continue in all districts. "Every citizen must contribute to make Corona curfew a success. As far as necessary, do not go out of the house. Celebrate festivals at home. If you go out, then wear a mask. There must be no crowds at public places. It should be strictly implemented," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in his address to a special COVID-19 task force. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has stayed the Allahabad High Court order that directed the Uttar Pradesh government to impose strict restrictions in five cities amid rising COVID-19 cases. The Allahabad High Court had directed the state government to shut down malls, shopping complexes and restaurants till April 26 in five cities-- Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow and Varanasi but avoided using the term "complete lockdown". Uttar Pradesh continues to remain one of the top 10 contributors to India's coronavirus tally. India's most populous state has reported 17,066 active cases and 167 fatalities in the last 24 hours. Edited by Mehak Agarwal Also read: COVID-19 in MP: No permission for weddings in Indore till May 30 Also read: Centre should ensure sufficient availability of COVID-19 vaccines: Ashok Gehlot English French Paris, France and Munich, Germany April 20, 2021 Atos today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire cv cryptovision GmbH , a leader in state-of-the-art cryptographic products and solutions for securing digital identities. This acquisition will strengthen Atos cybersecurity product lines and boost the companys business in the public sector and defense market in Europe. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, cryptovision designs, develops and implements cryptography software, security solutions and hardware products. Its unique solutions are made in Germany, certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and accredited by the NATO. The company has a proven track-record of successfully addressing organizations digital security challenges, in particular those in the public and defense sectors, as well as other sectors with highly demanding regulations and security standards. The combination of the two companies will enable numerous synergies in their go-to-market approach. Atos will benefit from cryptovisions strong network of resellers and global technology partnerships in the e-ID markets. cryptovision will benefit from Atos trusted relationship with European government customers and the Groups ability to deliver end-to-end integrated solutions on national and international scale. We are delighted to welcome cryptovision to the Atos family and to work together to develop even more effective security solutions that meet growing cybersecurity and privacy needs. cryptovision products complete the existing Atos cybersecurity products portfolio so we will be able to address new projects and customers, both in the German market and internationally. This strategic move further expands Atos' strategy to strengthen its cybersecurity presence, capabilities and portfolio worldwide. says Pierre Barnabe, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Head of Big Data & Security at Atos. With the now agreed affiliation with Atos, cryptovision benefits in many ways in particular through the global presence and comprehensive cyber security expertise of an international group. At the same time, cryptovision will be able to expand its technological depth of value creation for its customers, says Markus Hoffmeister, Founder and CEO of cryptovision. The transaction is expected to close by end of Q3 2021 and is subject to the approval of the local governance and regulatory bodies of both parties. *** About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 105,000 employees and annual revenue of over 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 71 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos operates under the brands Atos and Atos|Syntel. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. www.atos.net Atos contacts Investor Relations: Gilles Arditti +33 (0)1 73 26 00 66 gilles.arditti@atos.net Global Press Relations: Lucie Duchateau - +33 (0)7 62 85 35 10 lucie.duchateau@atos.net Germany Press Relations: Stefan Pieper - +49 178 4686875 - stefan.pieper@atos.net About cryptovision cv cryptovision GmbH is one of the leading specialists for modern, user-friendly cryptography and secure electronic identities. With its solutions, over 250 million people world-wide and a multitude of institutions in the digital world protect themselves against hacker attacks, manipulation, misuse of identities and espionage. cryptovision addresses various industries such as public administration, health, auto-motive, finance & insurance, energy or IT. Its customers include countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Ecuador, institutions such as the German Armed Forces, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the city of New York and companies such as E.ON, VW and Allianz. cryptovision contact Veronica von Preysing, SVP Marketing - +49 173 308 2298 - veronica.preysing@cryptovision.com Attachment Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 17:44:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close 4.PUTTING AMERICA FIRST AND RENEGING ON COMMITMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS For a period of time, the U.S. government repeatedly threatened to withdraw from a series of treaties and international organizations. It violated the spirit of contract and international morality by withdrawing from organizations and breaking contracts at will, and treating international organizations as amusement parks where it can come and go whenever it wants. The United States has long owed huge amounts of money in its UN dues and peacekeeping contributions. According to the statistics of the UN Secretariat, as of the beginning of April, the United States still owed 1.237 billion dollars in UN dues and 1.646 billion dollars to the UN peacekeeping budget, which respectively account for 51 percent and 61 percent of the total arrears owed by all member states. At the critical stage of the global fight against COVID-19, the United States, in order to find a "scapegoat" for its own incompetent handling of the epidemic, publicly intensified its conflict with the World Health Organization (WHO), repeatedly threatening to cut its funding, and announcing in July 2020 that it would officially withdraw from the WHO in July 2021. After taking office, the Biden administration announced that it would stop the exit process. In June 2018, the United States announced its withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council, citing the council's "bias" against Israel and its inability to effectively protect human rights. In February 2021, the United States announced that it would run for the membership of the council in 2022-2024, and said that countries with poor human rights records should not become members of the council. In April 2017, the Trump administration announced a unilateral "cut-off" of funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on the grounds that the organization "supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization." After taking office, the Biden administration restored funding to the UNFPA in a high-profile manner. The United States is a founding member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, but announced its withdrawal from the organization twice in 1984 and 2017 during the organization's more than 70 years of development. In 2020, despite objection from its allies, the United States announced that it initiated the procedure of exiting from the Open Skies Treaty from May 22. In 2019, the United States announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for the sake of developing advanced weapons without constraints. In order to maintain its own quota dominance in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States forcibly blocked the IMF from completing the 15th general review of quotas before the 2019 annual meeting in accordance with the consensus of G20 leaders, and refused to transfer more quotas to emerging markets and developing countries, leading to a fruitless end of the relevant reform process. In October 2018, in response to Palestine taking the United States to the International Court of Justice over the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the United States announced its withdrawal from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Concerning the Compulsory Settlement of Disputes, which is related to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. In May 2018, the United States insisted on announcing its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action endorsed by the UN Security Council, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly confirmed Iran's fulfillment of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, and the United States had no evidence to prove that Iran had violated the agreement. In December 2017, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations announced that it would not participate in the Global Compact on Migration negotiation process, claiming that U.S. "decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone." In December 2018, the United States voted against the Global Compact on Migration at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Out of its self-interest, the United States has been blocking the selection of members for the WTO's Appellate Body since August 2017, forcing the body into paralysis in December 2019. As the body has not yet resumed normal operation, the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system are seriously undermined. In June 2017, the United States stated that it would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change in order to fulfill its "solemn duty to protect America and its citizens." Two months after its formal withdrawal in November 2020, the United States announced that it rejoined the Paris Agreement. After signing the Kyoto Protocol, the United States still allowed its own carbon emissions to grow rapidly, while at the same time, it frequently asked developing countries to increase their emission reductions. The United States even made the emission reduction obligations of developing countries a prerequisite for their accession to the Kyoto Protocol. The fact fully revealed the U.S. double standards of "treating itself leniently but being strict with others" in the multilateral arena. Although the United States has signed multilateral environmental treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the country has not ratified any of them so far. The fact highlights the United States' unilateralist mentality of not wanting to be bound by international environmental treaties and evading its international responsibilities, and fully exposes the U.S. disregard for international environmental protection and its uncooperative attitude in the multilateral environmental field. In 2002, the United States announced that it withdrew its signature to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, citing disadvantages to its servicemen, diplomats and politicians. In 1982, the United States refused to sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to preserve its hegemonic interests in the oceans, and has not yet joined the convention. 5.INFAMOUS DOUBLE STANDARDS AND GROSS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights puts the right to life at the top of human rights. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government shows indifference to people's lives, despises science, slacks off on disease prevention and control, and prioritizes politics and capital interests in anti-pandemic decision-making, which has greatly threatened the lives of its citizens and seriously violated their rights to life and health. As of April 18, the United States has reported more than 31.66 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 567,000 deaths, both ranking first in the world. To cover up their failure to contain the domestic spread of COVID-19, a few American politicians, who ignored the explicit opposition of the WHO and the international community to linking the virus with specific countries and regions, wantonly spread the rumors of "Chinese virus" and "Wuhan virus" on various occasions, and openly induced and incited racial discrimination and hatred, leading to frequent vicious attacks on Asian Americans. These U.S. politicians' behavior has seriously violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. According to a report by the U.S.-based organization Stop AAPI Hate, at least 3,795 incidents of racial discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported from March 19, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021. Surveys also showed that around 30 percent of Asian Americans have suffered racial discrimination during the pandemic. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted that the increasingly unilateral use of economic sanctions almost without exception has a great impact on the enjoyment and exercise of people's rights. Therefore, to protect people's rights to life and health, no country should impose any embargo or take any similar measures at any time to restrict the provision of adequate medicines and medical equipment to another country. During the pandemic, however, the United States imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and other countries, making it difficult for these countries to obtain anti-pandemic medical materials in time, aggravating humanitarian crises in the relevant countries. International documents -- including the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the American Convention on Human Rights, the General Comment No. 2 on the rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families by the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers, and the General Comment No. 30 on the issue of discrimination against non-citizens by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -- prohibit collective expulsion of migrants and confirm that immigrants have the right to emergency medical care. Nonetheless, regardless of the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has continued to forcibly deport illegal immigrants and implemented a policy of family separation, infringing on the rights of immigrant children. According to the Los Angeles Times, since March 2020, the U.S. government has expelled at least 8,800 unaccompanied undocumented migrant children. As a report submitted by the UN Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity in accordance with the Resolution 35/3 of the UN Human Rights Council pointed out, the U.S. government forced immigrant children to separate from their asylum-seeking parents, a move that seriously endangers migrants' human rights such as rights to life, dignity and freedom. In the 2020 fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 21 people died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the highest death toll since 2005. Doctors in the ICE custody were accused of performing unnecessary gynecological operations for dozens of female immigrants, and even removing their wombs without their consent, causing serious damage to the women's physical and mental health. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights clearly stipulates that everyone has the inherent right to life, which cannot be deprived arbitrarily. In the United States, however, there are numerous examples of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers resulting in death. In April 2020, African American George Floyd was killed by a white police officer in violent law enforcement, which set off a large-scale protest against racial discrimination and violent law enforcement by police across the United States, highlighting the great resentment of American people, especially African Americans, who have been suffering racial discrimination and extralegal killings for a long time. Although a signatory state to the UN Convention against Torture, the United States has a persistent problem of torture in its judicial system, as seen in the notorious prisoner abuse scandal of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. John Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, once confessed that American troops inflicted murder rather than torture on some Iraqi prisoners of war. During the Iraq war, at least 100 people died in interrogations. In 2020, Trump pardoned four employees of U.S. private military company Blackwater, who committed massacres and war crimes in Iraq. The chairman of the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries of the UN Human Rights Council pointed out that the pardon had an impact on international humanitarian law and human rights, and was an affront to justice as well as victims and their families. Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that "pardoning them contributes to impunity" and emboldens others to commit such crimes. Enditem Kind Mechanic Steps Up to Fix Paraplegic Womans Wheelchair Liftand Act of Kindness Spreads In a world where examples of humanity are few and far between, a kind act from a neighbor can go a long way. A Rhode Island mechanic changed the life of a disabled woman, making her daily routine more manageable, by offering a helping hand. Christian Barber, a resident of North Smithfield, went the extra mile for one of his customers, Linda Abrants. According to Abrants, she suffered an accident about 20 years ago when she was in California, about 3,000 miles away from where she lives now. Linda Abrants (L) and Christian Barber. (Courtesy of Linda Abrants) Because of the accident, I am a T-6 paraplegic. I am numb from the waist down, said Abrants while talking to NBC 10 about her injuries. At the time after my accident, I was in California and then I was in and out of nursing homes for my entire life. I knew no one was coming for me. I did what I had to do to get out of there and once I did, for two years, I rented rooms from strangers. Unable to perform some day-to-day tasks, Abrants is wheelchair-bound and uses a lift to enter and exit her truck. When that failed, she had to get it fixed. Barber, who works at Phantom Motor Works, took on the task and spent weeks fixing the lift in Abrantss truck. He had a difficult time finding parts for the lift but he didnt give up. He says he could understand his customers situation due to personal reasons. My wife is disabled so I understand the struggle. I dont mind stepping in, he explained. Barber got the lift repaired and only charged a nominal fee for the task. Its the way I was brought up. One hand washes the other, he said. Abrants is highly appreciative and glad that there are good people in the world. The two met a few weeks earlier while Abrants was exercising in her wheelchair in the open due to gyms being closed. Barber helped Abrants with her wheelchair and the two formed a connection. Having difficulties with the wheelchair lift, Abrants took it to Barber to get it inspected after failing to receive a response from the makers. I trusted him and its really hard to find a mechanic that you trust, she said. If a human put it together, a human can fix it, Barber said, glad that he could be of help. According to Abrants, others took notice of the mechanics good deed and took it a step further. Another local business, Ideal Lawnmower, set up a bike and run to help raise money for a wheelchair-accessible van for her. How great is that? she told The Epoch Times. I was just looking to get my lift repaired. She said the local Rotary club also decided to chip in for the van, which costs $35,000more than she can afford. The story kind of has a ripple effect of good things happening, Abrants added. 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 PARLAMENTUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA 2010 The Moldovan Parliaments website design was supported by the Democracy Support Programme in Moldova" an initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe India has a digital backbone around its Covid-19 vaccination that is "truly remarkable," said Infosys co-founder and non-executive chairman of its Board, Nandan Nilekani, at a virtual event on Tuesday. In conversation with Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari, Nilekani discussed the role of technology amid the pandemic, how digital skilling is now more important than ever and how technology can be used to scale up ongoing vaccination efforts. The event was the first edition of ExpertSpeak, a curated dialogue series with industry experts, organised by Microsoft. "We are the only country in the world where everybody gets a digital vaccination certificate immediately. And this can be printed, it can be on the person's smartphone, it can be kept in the Digital Locker, (and) is encrypted, digitally signed, and it is QR coded so that we can authenticate that certificate anywhere- offline or online," said Nilekani. Appreciating the opening up of the vaccine as announced by the government on Monday, Nilekani said if there are 50,000 vaccination points, India can scale up to vaccinating 5-10 million people a day. "Before this, we were at two to three million a day, and a lot of credit goes to Ram Sewak Sharma, who was my colleague at UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), he took over NHA (National Health Authority) just about a couple of months back, and brought in a lot of technological enhancements and just made the system scalable," he added. Nilekani also said that facial authentication is being used for vaccination and not face recognition. "What is being used will be face authentication by comparing your photograph when you give your Aadhaar number, so it's no different from a fingerprint authentication, iris or OTP authentication," he said. Digital skilling is a step towards bridging the existing digital divide in the country, said Maheshwari. As part of this, Microsoft has helped over 30 million people in 249 countries and territories gain access to digital skills, of which close to 3 million are from India, Maheshwari said. This tops its initial goal of 25 million last June. Microsoft is also extending its commitment to help 250,000 companies globally make a skills-based hire in 2021. "It's a very big impact in terms of improving the skills. Also, I think it's really about the government, industry, and companies coming together with the Government of India to really think about cyber security is a very big part in bringing government officials around that. NSDC is working very closely to create more than a lakh of (skilled) youth in the country. And we're also working with Nasscom on creating more than a million people who are trained on AI. There are a lot of initiatives that all of us have to continue, but this is still a drop in the ocean," said Maheshwari. Huawei Had Access to 6.5 Million Dutch KPN Users Data and Phone Calls Including Prime Ministers: Report The Chinese military-affiliated technology firm Huawei, which supplied telecom equipment to Netherlands largest mobile phone network KPN, had unlimited access to the Dutch companys 6.5 million users including the then Dutch Prime Ministers phone calls and personal data. On April 17, Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reported that in 2010 KPN commissioned the Capgemini consultancy firm to do an internal investigation on the security of its Huawei core network. However, Capgeminis confidential report was so damning that KPN buried it until recently when it was brought to light, according to de Volkskrant. Capgemini reported that Huawei staff had penetrated to the core of KPNs systems and they could, and did have access to and eavesdrop on any subscriber number, including then Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, from both within KPNs offices and from China. Chinese state security operatives based in China could do the same. They also had unlimited access to the personal data of all KPN users, said the report. The KPN subscribers include the prime minister, cabinet ministers, politicians, businesses, individuals, and Chinese dissidents, which are the main targets of the Chinese communist regimes surveillance. Huawei also knew which numbers were being tapped by the Dutch police and intelligence and security servicethe AIVD (Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst), according to the report. The Huawei logo is pictured at the IFA consumer tech fair in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 6, 2019. (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters) There were six Huawei employees who worked at KPNs former HQ in The Hague when Huaweis core network technology was being installed in KPNs systems in 2009. The suspicion is that at least some of them were engaged in espionage activities, said the report. KPN contracted Capgemini to investigate and report back in 2010 after being repeatedly warned by the AIVD that Huawei was suspected of widespread technological infiltration and espionage and that its network equipment was highly suspect. Based on the Capgemini report, KPN decided to refrain from outsourcing the full maintenance of the mobile core network to Huawei. Apart from that, the Dutch company took no further action but kept the report under wraps, according to de Volkskrant. The Dutch newspaper also reported in March that Huawei also had unlimited access to the customer data of KPNs subsidiary Telfort as early as 2004. Despite an audit that confirmed and warned KPN in 2011 about the leak of Telforts customer data, KPN didnt do further investigation nor did it warn Telforts customers. On April 19, KPN acknowledged the existence of the report and said that it had never observed that Huawei took client information, and none of its suppliers had unauthorized, uncontrolled, or unlimited access to our networks and systems. After KPNs statement came out, inside sources told de Volkskrant that KPNs core might still be exposed to spies, because Huawei still has access to and some control over KPNs 4G network now. Huawei employees have administrator rights on KPNs core platform due to Huaweis equipment being installed there. As the main supplier of KPNs 3G and 4G mobile network equipment, Huawei denied any claims of improper monitoring on KPN users. We have never been accused by government bodies of acting in an unauthorized way, it said, according to The Guardian. Huawei with close ties to the Chinese communist regimes military has caused widespread security concerns in many western countries. The U.S. government has blacklisted and put sanctions on Huawei and its suppliers, while the Chinese tech firm is vying for domination in the global 5G network. Mixed messages on mandatory minimums from executive branch in New Jersey witrh a retroactive kicker | Main | Derek Chauvin found guilty on all three homicide charges in killing of George Floyd, now on to sentencing phase with Blakely factors Politico continues its terrific coverage of prosecution of the Capitol rioters with this lengthy new piece fully headlined "Jan. 6 defendants win unlikely Dem champions as they face harsh detainment; 'Solitary confinement is a form of punishment that is cruel and psychologically damaging,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren said." I am always pleased to see politicians who express concerns about the operation of our justice systems do so no matter who the defendants happen to be. Here is how this story starts: Sen. Elizabeth Warren fled the Capitol on Jan. 6 from a mob she later called domestic terrorists. Now she and another Senate Democratic leader are standing up for their attackers' rights as criminal defendants. Most of the 300-plus people charged with participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot have been released while they await trial, but dozens of those deemed to be dangerous, flight risks or at high risk of obstructing justice were ordered held without bond. D.C. jail officials later determined that all Capitol detainees would be placed in so-called restrictive housing a move billed as necessary to keep the defendants safe, as well as guards and other inmates. But that means 23-hour-a-day isolation for the accused, even before their trials begin. And such treatment doesn't sit well with Warren or Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), two of the chamber's fiercest critics of solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is a form of punishment that is cruel and psychologically damaging, Warren said in an interview. And were talking about people who havent been convicted of anything yet. The Massachusetts Democrat, a member of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's leadership team, said that while some limited uses of solitary confinement are justified, shes worried that law enforcement officials are deploying it to punish the Jan. 6 defendants or to break them so that they will cooperate. Her sentiments are shared by Durbin, who also chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and expressed surprise that all of the detained Jan. 6 defendants were being kept in so-called restrictive housing. While their defense of accused rioters' rights as criminal defendants is unlikely to change the Justice Department's handling of those cases, it's a notable case of prominent progressives using their political clout to amplify their criminal justice reform calls even on behalf of Donald Trump supporters who besieged the entire legislative branch in January. Durbin, who has long sought to eradicate solitary confinement, told POLITICO that such conditions should be a rare exception," for accused insurrectionists or any other prisoners. There has to be a clear justification for that, in very limited circumstances, he said. D.C. government officials say the pandemic already has sharply limited freedom of movement in the jail where most Jan. 6 defendants are held. In fact, the entire jail has been subject to strict lockdown procedures since the onset of the pandemic, a determination that has caused broader controversy about prisoners' rights. But restrictive housing is a maximum-security designation, and the blanket designation for the Capitol defendants which isn't expected to ease even if pandemic era restrictions do is a notable decision for a large group of inmates who have yet to be tried for their alleged crimes. Asked about the Democratic senators concerns, a spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Corrections touted the growing number of educational programs and limited amenity access that inmates are now offered. We appreciate the concern, patience and support of our neighbors as we work to keep all within DOC safe, as well as support the public safety of all in the District, said spokesperson Keena Blackmon. Warren and Durbin's interest in the conditions facing detained Jan. 6 defendants come amid a massive Justice Department push to arrest and prosecute the hundreds of people who breached the Capitol and threatened the peaceful transfer of power to the Biden administration. The foot pursuit was tactically unsound in a dark alley in the middle of the night and it put both the officer and Adam at risk. Foot pursuits disproportionately result in police violence often lethal uses of force. Police departments across the country have restricted foot pursuits for this reason. The idea of letting someone who is suspected of being armed and dangerous run may shock some people. But an analysis of crime data from over 50 years concludes that fewer than half of all crimes are reported to the police. And police spend only 4% of their time responding to violent crime. In short, police are just not very good at responding to or preventing crimes. Those who would express shock at letting Adam go likely assume that police are more effective at crime prevention and detection than the data demonstrates. ROME - UNICEF and Save the Children have renewed their joint collaboration through December 2021 following the first four months of partnership in support of minor migrants arriving in Italy on the Central Mediterranean route and the Balkan route. The collaboration is made up of teams on the island of Lampedusa and in Ventimiglia, which "represent the two opposing borders in a system of reception and protection for minors - unaccompanied or with their relatives - in which there are still clear challenges", the organisations said. Projects from the joint programme include a space for young girls called The Youth Corner, created at the Child Friendly Space, a safe place that offers counseling and protection for unaccompanied minors and families. Opportunities offered also include Save the Children's Minor Migrants Helpline service and UNICEF's online platform U-Report on the Move information service. The two organisations joined forces in December 2020 to provide an immediate response to the essential needs of arriving or transiting children and adolescents, their families and single women. The organisations recalled that in the first three and a half months of 2021, through April 16, more than 8,520 migrants and refugees arrived on Italian shores, of whom 1,196 (14%) were foreign unaccompanied minors. Between December and March in Ventimiglia, 72 families with 116 children were helped and 169 unaccompanied minors were assisted, including six girls. During the same time on the island of Lampedusa, aid was provided to 59 families with 130 children, including 52 girls; 181 women and 404 foreign unaccompanied minors, including at least 33 girls. UNICEF and Save the Children confirmed their support for Italian authorities so that "protection and reception is always guaranteed to unaccompanied minors and their families with children for their entire stay in Italy" but said they have also seen "continued pushbacks of unaccompanied minors at the border between Italy and France". "We hope that suitable reception measures are provided for them and all transiting families in Ventimiglia, also by appealing to neighbouring cities, so that sustainable solutions can be found," they said. The former owners of Sweet Brook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Williamstown have agreed to pay the state $110,000 to settle allegations of inadequate care. Under the terms of the agreement, they also will be barred from owning or operating any long-term care facility in Massachusetts for 10 years. (Alliance News) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce steeper cuts to the UK's carbon emissions as he prepares to host the Cop26 international climate change summit later this year. Johnson is understood to be preparing to commit to cutting emissions by 78% by 2035 compared with 1990 levels. The announcement is scheduled to be made ahead of a major US summit on Thursday where President Joe Biden is expected to set out a new US target for reducing emissions. It would mark a significant step forward on the current UK commitment to cut emissions by 68% by 2030 a already seen as one of the most ambitious plans among developed nations. The new target would be in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, published last year, for the government's sixth carbon budget. In its report the committee said that it would effectively bring forward the UK's commitment to get to an 80% reduction by 15 years. In order to be achieved, it said that there would have to be more electric vehicles, an extension of offshore wind power generation, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption and the planting of new woodland. The pending move comes at a time when the government is anxious to give a clear lead on climate change in the run-up to the Cop26 talks in Glasgow in November. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said that ministers would be making an announcement "shortly". A spokeswoman said: "We will set our ambition for carbon budget six shortly, taking into account the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee." For Labour, shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said the government had repeatedly failed to match ambitious promises on emissions with effective action on the ground. "While any strengthening of our targets is the right thing to do, the government can't be trusted to match rhetoric with reality," he said. "We need a government that treats the climate emergency as the emergency it is. "This year, as hosts of Cop26, the UK has a particular responsibility to lead the world and show the way forward for a greener future. This government isn't up to the task." By Gavin Cordon and Sam Blewett, PA Political Staff source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The two recent fires at the derelict Centrepoint shopping centre in Portlaoise, Laois may have been 'mindless vandalism' says the Garda Chief. Chief Supt John Scanlan said they are doing their best for the area, an iconic 1970's shopping centre on the Mountrath Road that is vacant since 2006. He said that the fires are being investigated, responding to a question by a local councillor this week. Thats under investigation and I cant really go much further than that. It is a derelict site, it is problematic, and I know the council and others are endeavoring to do something about it. Some of these fires are more a product of mindless vandalism by individuals who probably are not fully realising the impact of what they are doing, in their anti social behaviour ultimately leading to fires and large fires. But we are actively policing this environment, he said. He was responding to Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley at the Joint Policing Committee meeting on April 13. She had asked if there was progress on the investigations into the fires causing criminal damage, noting the asbestos roof and residents concerns at two fires lit so close together in time. Latest crime figures for October to December 2020 show a 24% drop in criminal damage not by fire from 94 to 71 crimes, but a 50% rise in criminal damage by fire from two to three cases, compared to the same period in 2019. Yaklich joined ServiceMaster Corporate in 2001 and has held numerous leadership positions in finance and operations with various ServiceMaster divisions: Terminix, ServiceMaster Clean and ServiceMaster Restore. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he served as the Vice President of Operations at USIC, an underground utility services provider. While there, he managed nearly 3,000 technicians and oversaw more than $200 million in revenue across the Northeastern United States. Yaklich is a graduate of Judson University, Elgin, Illinois, USA, with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Finance. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University, Oakbrook, Illinois. In addition, Mike Specht has been appointed Chief Operations Officer. He oversees day-to-day operations at SMDSI. Specht brings 25 years of industry experience to his new role14 of which have been with ServiceMaster DSI. Previously, Specht was Assistant Construction Superintendent, Director of Construction Services, and Vice President of Construction Services. During that time, Specht was responsible for one-third of the company's revenue. Specht holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. "With over 30 years of ServiceMaster experience combined, Andrew and Mike bring extensive knowledge and expertise to the SMDSI Executive Management Team," said Chris Veldman, Chief Financial Officer at SMDSI. "I'm confident that along with their leadership skills and commitment to our business, SMDSI will not only continue providing timely and superior restoration services, but will also expand our already wide-ranging customer base." About ServiceMaster DSI ServiceMaster DSI is an ownership/management group headquartered in Downers Grove, IL specializing in providing residential and commercial disaster restoration services through the ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM) brands. Starting with its first ServiceMaster license in 1981, ServiceMaster DSI has grown to be the premier ownership group within the ServiceMaster network, amassing 86 licenses within the United States and serving as a flagship SRM operator. Through these brands, SMDSI services clients in all 50 states and its large loss team has provided commercial disaster restoration services in more than 20 countries around the world. SOURCE ServiceMaster DSI Related Links https://www.ServiceMasterDSI.com [April 20, 2021] Skyward Announces 2021 Leader in Excellence Awards STEVENS POINT, Wis., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented year of hardship for educators, students, and parents. School closures, remote learning, and broadband connectivity challenges created circumstances that left many school districts scrambling for answers. Skyward, an administrative software provider committed to a better experience for every user, recognized leaders who have rose above pandemic-induced challenges with the 2021 Leader in Excellence (LIE) Award. For the seventh year running, the LIE award has honored K-12 districts and individuals who use Skyward to simplify operations, strengthen their teams, and improve learning outcomes. Some winners are new to Skyward, while others have been using the software for their entire careers. Winners this year will be recognized via the Skyward Leader in Excellence website, social media posts, videos, and complimentary registration to iCon 2022, Skyward's international user conference. "Throughout the pandemic, education professionals worldwide demonstrated incredible resolve as they pulled together resources, technology, and solutions to erve their students, families, and communities in the best possible ways," said Ray Ackerlund, president of Skyward. "Each winner used Skyward to remain focused and committed to seeking new ways to operate their districts during the pandemic, which is a feat to be proud of." This year's individual recipients included: Kelly Mitchell , business office specialist at Deerfield Public Schools District 109 in Deerfield, Illinois , business office specialist at Public Schools District 109 in Tara Laidley , director of educational technology at Mascoutah School District 19 in Mascoutah, Illinois , director of educational technology at School District 19 in Diane Austin , personnel specialist at Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District in Middleton, Wisconsin , personnel specialist at Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District in Char Schoonover , enrollment and Skyward specialist at Clinton Community School District in Clinton, Wisconsin , enrollment and Skyward specialist at School District in Jeri Hauser , administrative assistant at Brown Deer School District in Brown Deer, Wisconsin The district awards were given to: Princeton Public Schools in Princeton, Minnesota Public Schools in Comal Independent School District in New Braunfels, Texas "I am beyond honored to have received this award!" said Char Schoonover, 2021 LIE winner. "Having worked with Skyward in our district for the past 30+ years, I feel as if I've grown up with Skyward." To learn more about each LIE winner and award details, visit https://www.skyward.com/leaders. About Skyward Skyward's administrative software solutions are used by more than 2,000 public sector organizations worldwide, from small entities to statewide implementations. Since 1980, Skyward has remained committed to a better experience for every user. To learn more, visit www.skyward.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/skyward-announces-2021-leader-in-excellence-awards-301272646.html SOURCE Skyward [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] REDDING, Calif. Authorities are offering up to $5,000 leading to the arrest or conviction of the suspect involved in the Union Bank of California robbery. The robbery happened the afternoon of Friday, April 16. The suspect entered the Union Bank at 1805 Market St. in Redding and demanded money from a bank teller. The suspect then took off on a bicycle, police said. RELATED: Authorities still searching for Redding bank robber The suspect is described as 5 05, with a skinny build and wearing a short-sleeved, button-up black shirt, black shorts, black high-top shoes with tall gray socks, and a black face mask. To give your tip anonymously to Secret Witness, call 243-2319 or click here. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A Sikh civil rights organization called on law enforcement Tuesday to investigate whether a former FedEx employee who fatally shot eight people four of them Sikhs at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week had any ties to hate groups. The Sikh Coalitions request came a day after Indianapolis police released a report from last year stating that an officer who seized a shotgun from Brandon Scott Holes home after his arrest in March 2020 saw what he identified as white supremacist websites on Holes computer. The coalition, which identifies itself as the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the U.S., said it has sent letters to law enforcement and state and federal lawmakers clearly expressing the continuing and urgent need to investigate the possibility of a bias motivation in last Thursday's mass shooting. Hole was arrested last year at his family's home after his mother told police her son might commit suicide by cop. A prosecutor said Monday that after his arrest, Hole never appeared before a judge under Indianas red flag law, which allows police or courts to seize guns from people who show warning signs of violence. Hole, 19, used two rifles to kill eight FedEx workers and wound several others inside and outside the facility and then fatally shot himself before police entered the building, authorities have said. A police report from Hole's March 2020 arrest states that he became anxious while being handcuffed and asked his arresting officers to cut the power to his computer, saying, I dont want anyone to see whats on it. The report adds that while securing the shotgun, an officer saw what through his training and experience" were white supremacist websites on the computer. A complete and thorough investigation including determining the motives behind this attack and any connection Mr. Hole has to hate and white supremacy groups is essential to providing justice and building trust between the Sikh community and local and federal law enforcement, the Sikh Coalitions legal director, Amrith Kaur, said in Tuesdays statement. Story continues Kaur added that the police report released Monday stood in stark contrast to a statement a day after the shooting from Paul Keenan, special agent in charge of the FBIs Indianapolis field office. At that time, Keenan said the FBI had interviewed Hole after last year's arrest, based on items observed in the suspects bedroom at that time by Indianapolis police. He did not say what items were found, but said agents who interviewed Hole in April 2020 found no evidence of a crime and did not identify Hole as espousing a racially motivated ideology. On Tuesday, Keenan said that no probable cause was found to initiate any type of legal federal process against Hole, adding that, The FBI takes great care to distinguish between constitutionally protected activities and illegal activities undertaken to further an ideological agenda." In response to the Sikh Coalition's comments, he said that the FBI is not ruling out any motive at this time, including one based on hate/bias. He said the agency will be meticulous and thorough in our investigation and devote as much time as needed to find answers for the victims families. Indianapolis police said in a news release Monday that FedEx fired Hole in October 2020 when he failed to return to work at a facility on the citys southwest side. Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor said Friday that the vast majority of the facilitys workers are members of the local Sikh community. Last week's shooting was the deadliest outbreak of violence collectively in the United States' Sikh community since 2012, when a white supremacist burst into a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and shot 10 people, killing seven. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 The Real, Just War Is Against Indifference; We Are Making Breakthroughs April 19 , 2021 (EIRNS)Schiller Institute founder and President Helga Zepp-LaRouche made the following remarks today in a discussion with associates on goals of the May 8 Schiller Institute conference: I think we have to tune the entire international organization like a laser to effect the paradigm shift, because as I said many times before, you cannot see all of these different crises as separate topics, but if it be the war danger building up rapidly between NATO and Russia, and the U.S. and China for that matter; or the intolerable situation concerning starvation in many countries of the world, the solution in each case is the same: There needs to be an international cooperation for a New Bretton Woods, for doubling the food production, for a modern health system in every country, for a Classical renaissance. And I think we have tosince more and more people and institutions are waking up, that the world is in troubleI think we have to use the May 8 conference in one sense continue with the conference we had in March, with the same issues, the same organizations, but add and go for an absolute ambitious outreach, to try to get more people to understand the level of the coincidence of opposites. Because only if people jump over their shadow, as you say in Germany, in other words, if people look beyond the rim of their plate in front of themonly if people start to understand that you need to have a dynamic process of change, which addresses the problems of the entire human population that you can get people away from their invested positions, and divisions. And in a certain sense, the British Empire always said divide and conquer, no matter whether its among nations, or among identity groups, now with the identity politics, you divide people into ever smaller groups, pitting them against each other. And we have to intervene in this situation, knowing that everything will get much worse, that you will have an escalation of the war danger until it is replaced by a cooperation among, especially the United States and Russia, and the U.S. and China, until you have the idea that human life is sacred and therefore, you cant have people starving to death, and you cant have people dying of sickness when its avoidable. I think we have to approach this from the standpoint that, as was discussed in the very successful Saturday, April 17 meeting, the real war is against indifference: Because, why would normal human beings not have an impulse to want to change these absolutely unbelievable injustices around the world? Only if they have been numbed, and their soul has been shrunk to a dot, where compassion has been extinguished. And remember, Bertrand Russell had this essay, Why I Am not a Christian, where he discusses that people who are Christians are the weakest people, because they are compassionate and that means they are weaklings. And this is in stark contrast to [Gotthold] Lessing, who said that the opposite is true, that the best people are those who have the most compassion, because they are able to deal with any problem. In any case, it is the question of agape, without which nothing will work. And right now I think the overriding subject of this conference on May 8 is we have to evoke agape in people that they dont want to deal with these incredible, or not accept these incredible situations. And I think we are making major breakthroughs! If you look at various reactions and statements, I think they are resonating with our influence! And let me give you a couple of examples.... This is the moment an underage armed carjacker squealed after being body slammed to the ground by a would-be victim who fought back. Surveillance footage caught the moment two kids, one armed, approached the burly man outside his home in San Leandro, California, last week. But the car owner immediately goes on the defensive and picks up the armed child before hurling him onto the road, sending his gun clattering across the ground. The would-be carjacking victim then kneels on the child who begins squealing while his accomplice yells 'let him go!' Afterwards, the visibly shaken children ran away and fled in a white Kia leaving the gun in the middle of the street. The boys and two other pals - all of them aged between 11 and 14 - embarked on a multi-day crime spree which also saw a bank customer and two other drivers targeted. It began six hours before the boy was filmed being bodyslammed, when he and his accomplice tried to rob a customer at a nearby Chase bank. They fled empty-handed after their intended victim told them he was an off-duty police officer. Police were able to connect all the attempted robberies with multiple surveillance tapes and pieced together that the same getaway car was used in each incident, Kron 4 news reports. The shocking home surveillance footage catches the kids close in on the would-be victim with a gun pointed at him in broad daylight The would-be carjacking victim then kneels on the child who begins squealing while his accomplice yells 'let him go!' The visibly shaken children run away, leaving the gun in the middle of the street Six hours prior to the filmed incident, the two boys also tried to rob a customer at gunpoint at a Chase bank in San Leandro but fled empty handed after their victim told them he was an off-duty police officer Days after the filmed carjacking attempt, both suspects and a third underage boy were caught by police after attempting to carjack another victim in nearby Oakland. Oakland Police found the trio driving the same white car captured in the body slam video, and later set them free. They were released to their guardians and are then said to have attempted yet another carjacking with a fourth pal three days after being freed, on April 19. Police arrested the boys again, and have referred the cases to the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center for prosecution. MOSCOW -- Allies of ailing, imprisoned Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny have not held back in delineating the stakes of their latest standoff with the Russian state. A wave of protests planned for April 21, they say, represents the "final battle between good and neutrality." Members of Navalny's embattled opposition movement, many of whom have fled Russia under the threat of incarceration, had planned not to announce new anti-government rallies until 500,000 people had registered online to take part. Strength in numbers, they said in viral clips posted online, was the only sure way to protect participants from police beatings and arrest. But on April 18, as the online tally passed 430,000 and Navalny's doctors warned he may have only days to live as he continues his hunger strike in a prison outside Moscow, his team shifted gear and named April 21 as the date for nationwide demonstrations they hope can force concessions from President Vladimir Putin's government. "Each of us, whether we like it or not, faces a choice," Navalny's team said in a video announcing the protests. "If we are silent now, Russia will be plunged into total darkness. Peaceful political activism in Russia will become impossible." A weeks-long crackdown since the previous protest wave in January, after Navalny was detained upon return to Russia following treatment for a poisoning attack he blames on Putin, has left many of Navalny's remaining allies in Russia behind bars or under house arrest. Now, authorities have moved to label his Anti-Corruption Foundation and his network of offices across the country "extremist," a designation that, if upheld in court, will leave its staff and supporters open to criminal prosecution. But turnout on April 21 may hinge largely upon whether the dangers faced by protesters, especially since lawmakers passed a flurry of punitive legislation aimed at radically curtailing the space for dissent, will outweigh any collective sense that the decisive moment to act in defense of political freedoms and in favor of change has come. "The authorities definitely succeeded in spooking a proportion of people," former Kremlin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov, now a political analyst, told RFE/RL. "But Putin remains in the Kremlin, Navalny remains in jail, the regime remains authoritarian, and living standards are falling. And the reasons that previously made people take to the streets have remained the same." Gallyamov said a "protest core" of some 10,000 people is almost certain to come out in Moscow for the protest on the evening of April 21, hours after Putin delivers his annual state-of-the-nation address -- a speech that comes amid deep international concern over Navalny's condition as well as other issues, including a Russian military buildup in occupied Crimea and along the border with eastern Ukraine. But a big question, Gallyamov contends, will be how much of the much larger "protest periphery" -- the mass of occasional political activists who regularly weigh up the pros and cons of demonstrating and often decide last-minute -- will opt to join the core at a time when the risks of doing so have significantly grown. On April 20, Navalny was moved from his prison 100 kilometers east of Moscow to a medical unit on the grounds of another correctional facility nearby, almost three weeks into a hunger strike that he announced to protest a lack of treatment for acute back and leg ailments and a lack of access to his own doctors. Aleksei Liptser, a members of Navalny's legal team who visited the opposition leader shortly after his transfer on April 20, said the inmate looked emaciated. "He's losing weight, and it's clear he's weak and struggling," Liptser told RFE/RL in a phone interview. "He's speaking much slower than he used to." As Navalny's team works to convince Putin supporters and Russians who remain skeptical or simply indifferent to the fate of the opposition, some people have embraced extreme measures to prove how much they care. More than 100 have signed up on Facebook to a mass hunger strike in solidarity with Navalny, and among those who are refusing food in a show of support are five parents whose children died in the 2004 school siege in Beslan, the legacy of which still resonates in Russia's North Ossetia region. "They've taken a man hostage and are destroying him. Our children were also taken hostage in 2004, and no one saved them," one of them, Ella Kesayeva, told the Novaya gazeta newspaper. Navalny's team will also hope that public discontent has reached a level critical enough to leave thousands of Russians no choice but to protest. In video after video since Navalny's sentencing to 2 1/2 years in prison on February 2, they have cited statistics showing declining real wages, an erosion of the influence of state-controlled television, the falling popularity of ruling party United Russia, and declining public trust in state institutions and in Putin himself. Whether that message will have enough mobilization potential, analysts say, will depend on its force relative to the force of the state's ongoing crackdown. The authorities have moved swiftly to thwart turnout at the mid-week rallies, arresting people who have promoted the protests and demanding that YouTube, the video-sharing platform, delete videos that mention them. On April 16, the Moscow prosecutor's office asked the Moscow City Court to uphold its demand that three organizations founded by Navalny -- including the Anti-Corruption Foundation and Navalny's network of regional political offices -- be labeled "extremist" and banned. Against that backdrop, Gallyamov said, the apocalyptic protest slogan that Navalny's aides have chosen to rally the crowds on April 21 "is not plucked from thin air" but rather a very real reflection of ominous developments on the ground. "It will motivate many people, including those who are vacillating or afraid," Gallyamov said. "Some people might be thinking, 'I can't make it this time, I'll join next time.' But considering what's taking place, there may not be a next time." People in Slovakia felt night earthquake near Vienna The earthquake was measured by a national network of seismic stations. An earthquake that occurred on the night of April 20 south of Vienna, Austria, in the surrounding town Neunkirchen, was also felt in Bratislava. The strongest tremors with a magnitude of 4.4 were noticed shortly before 1:00, the agency APA referring to Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) reported. Kristian Csicsay from the Earth Science Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences confirmed it and noted that they have 30 macroseismic questionnaires already filled in. Filling in questionnaire The earthquake was measured by a national network of seismic stations as well. It could be observed as a seismogram from the Modra station. People in the Upper Nitra region felt a quake Read more Mainly inhabitants of the Bratislava borough Petrzalka could have felt it, Csicsay said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Csicsay said there may be reports from more people arriving. He called on the public to fill in a questionnaire on the zemetrasenia.sk website if they felt tremors. More tremors from abroad Neunkirchen is located about 70 kilometres south of Vienna. Tremors were felt in Vienna and also in Burgenland and Salzburg, APA reported. There was an earthquake with a magnitude 4.7 south of Vienna on March 30 too. This was also felt in Bratislava. Some people in western Slovakia felt the earthquake that occurred in Zagreb, Croatia at the end of 2020, too. 20. Apr 2021 at 11:10 | Compiled by Spectator staff The murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin is wrapping up today with closing arguments and jury instructions. The National Guard is standing by to deal with the expected riots when the jury returns its verdict later this week, along with law enforcement from several local agencies as well as other states. Downtown Minneapolis resembles a fortress, only with fewer people. Both Scott and I have questioned whether Chauvin can possibly get a fair trial in the current atmosphere. Jurors cannot fail to understand the consequences of a not guilty verdict. It has been reported that Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman sold his Minneapolis home at a loss and moved out of the city after protesters besieged his house, and his office received millions of e-mails and thousands of phone calls about the George Floyd case. I have it on good authority that he is not the only public official who has sold his house and moved out of Minneapolis for reasons of personal safety. Eric Nelson has been the sole in-court lawyer defending Chauvin for the last three weeks. When Americas biggest and best law firms lined up to represent Islamic terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, for free, they were applauded with the pious reflection that everyone deserves a legal defense. That principle does not apply, however, to police officers. I cannot imagine the abuse to which Mr. Nelson has been subjected over the past weeks or the legitimate fear for his own safety that he must feel. It happens that there is another Minneapolis lawyer named Eric Nelson. (That name is no doubt more common in Minnesota than most places.) This Eric Nelson is a family lawyer who has nothing at all to do with the Floyd case, yet he has been bombarded with angry and threatening messages from leftists. While the real Eric Nelson was delivering his closing argument, the second Eric Nelson received these emails: From: john sparo Subject: george floyd case Date: April 19, 2021 at 12:30:47 PM CDT To: [email protected]- i just want you to know youll always be remembered as one of the most scummy racist attorney fucks for the rest of ur shit life. either way this case goes people are going i hate you for the rest of your life becuase youre obviously a racist sticking up for another racist clown police officer who was high on power, who also had more than 3 prior physical incidents against him for too much use of physical force. you better hope chauvin goes to prison or there isnt a mistrial because if so youll see riots youve never seen before and im sure there will be people looking for you and your client. good luck. From: george dorey Subject: George floyd Date: April 19, 2021 at 12:30:07 PM CDT To: [email protected] Reply-To: george dorey I watched your closing arguments.and your speech is full of shit .most of what you said was partially purgery some attorney you are Get a life .he needs to be put away or this outcome will be a disaster for for city ..haha Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android Also this voicemail: Voicemail from (503) 878-9449 for phone number (612) 24 seconds Yeah this is Eric Nelson the one thats on TV right now during the trial. Trying to get this call off that murder the guy piece of []. You piece of []. []. Dont let me run across you. One can only imagine the volume of threats and abuse that the right Eric Nelson has received and will continue to receive, especially if the jury fails to do the mobs bidding. While I have been critical of some aspects of his handling of Chauvins defense, I take my hat off to him for his courage. ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan has received more than $1 million as a result of a gift from the Applebaum Family Philanthropy to support its Business+Impact initiative, which focuses on multidisciplinary, action-based learning in social impact, sustainability, poverty alleviation, and related policy. The gift will establish the Applebaum Family Business+Impact Experiences and Innovation Program at Michigan Ross. This new program will allow the school to enhance and expand its impact and design offerings, including the creation of a permanent endowment fund for need-based internships and scholarships to Business+Impact students. Additionally, the program will provide Business+Impact with funding for a range of impact and design activities, such as a new Applebaum Innovator-in-Residence, prototype development for models of social impact, community outreach, research, and more. "We are incredibly grateful to Applebaum Family Philanthropy for supporting our Business+Impact initiative and +Impact Studio. Their support will help us create new and innovative opportunities for our students who aspire to build a better world through business," said Scott DeRue, Edward J. Frey Dean at Michigan Ross. "This generous gift will enable students and faculty to partner directly with the business community to be catalysts for positive impact at Ross and beyond." Business+Impact student support Students participating in B+I programming who are awarded need-based scholarships and internships through the Applebaum Family Business+Impact Experiences and Innovation Program will be known as Applebaum Impact Design Fellows and Interns. Approximately 20 graduate and undergraduate students are expected to receive support through the new program each year. "Advancing the next generation of entrepreneurs by providing opportunity for collaborative inspiration has long been an essential priority for my family," said Pamela Applebaum. "Bridging business acumen and entrepreneurship to help lead community improvement especially here in Southeast Michigan is the next important step in this progression. That is why we are so pleased to partner with the Ross School of Business and the Business+Impact program in this effort. Together, we are confident that leveraging business innovation with social good will ultimately lead to transformative change." The B+I initiative at Ross was launched in 2018 with the vision of elevating the purpose and power of business to be a force for good in the world. The initiative has created and curated a wide range of impact-related programs, activities, and events. In 2019, the +Impact Studio opened to provide an innovative space for students and faculty from across U-M to develop business solutions to the world's greatest challenges, including access to safe water, financial inclusion, and economic and social resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan Ross students chosen to be Applebaum Impact Design Fellows will develop and test ideas from the award-winning +Impact Studio course and support student social innovators in the +Impact Studio Founders Program. Students selected to be Applebaum Impact Design Interns will engage in summer internships in connection with the +Impact Studio. Applebaum Family's legacy of support for student innovation and entrepreneurship Beyond the new gift to support the B+I initiative, Applebaum Family Philanthropy has recently augmented its commitment to Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Michigan Ross to advance student innovation and entrepreneurship. Further support was provided to the Eugene Applebaum Dare to Dream Fund, which has supported over 1,300 students over the last 16 years. Funding also will allow for the continuation of the Eugene Applebaum Family Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards, which annually recognize students who excel academically and demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit. Additionally, a recent commitment led to the creation of the Eugene Applebaum Family Dare to Dream Internship Fund, which provides support for two self-directed internships per year to students who have participated in the Dare to Dream Program at ZLI. The late Eugene Applebaum was a longtime supporter of leadership, entrepreneurship, and mentorship at Michigan Ross and U-M. In 1998, Eugene established the first chair in entrepreneurship at the business school, and he helped to pioneer and fund the first-ever student-led venture fund in the country, the Wolverine Venture Fund. Eugene's daughter, Pamela Applebaum, continues the commitment of leadership serving on the Zell Lurie Institute Advisory Board and championing her family's philanthropic support. About Michigan Ross The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a diverse learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The mission of Michigan Ross is to build a better world through business. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. Michigan Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, part-time MBA (Evening, Weekend, and Online formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. For more information, visit MichiganRoss.umich.edu . About Applebaum Family Philanthropy Applebaum Family Philanthropy is defined by and follows the extraordinary legacy of leadership, mentorship, and philanthropy of Eugene Applebaum. The mission of Applebaum Family Philanthropy is to provide unique and invaluable opportunities that will inspire the next generation. Priority areas of philanthropic focus are to advance education, promote health and medical research, enhance arts and culture, and strengthen Jewish community all toward a stronger collective. The centerpiece of Applebaum Family Philanthropy is the Applebaum Fellows Program, providing opportunities for young people to inspire entrepreneurship, independence and leadership. Students who receive scholarships through the Applebaum Family Business+Impact Experiences and Innovation Program will join the exclusive Applebaum Fellows Program, which offers continued connection to a network of like-minded peers and colleagues. SOURCE Stephen M. Ross School of Business OLYMPIA - Beginning April 19, Washington residents can once again apply through the Department of Social and Health Services for emergency cash assistance to help meet their immediate needs. DSHS received additional funding and a new order from Governor Inslee to reinstate this temporary program to help Washingtonians through this unprecedented time of hardship. The governors proclamation enables DSHS to offer Disaster Cash Assistance Program benefits to people who are not eligible for other cash assistance programs. The assistance is available to all Washington families and people without children who meet the income and resource limits of the program. Were seeing some progress towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccines becoming available to all Washingtonians and additional funding from congress to reinforce our economy, explained Babs Roberts, director of DSHS Community Services Division. But we know people are still struggling every day to meet their immediate needs like costs for shelter and utilities, and even clothing and transportation costs for work. Reinstating DCAP is another positive step to help Washingtonians move beyond the pandemic. This cash assistance is available to Washington residents regardless of citizenship status and does not require applicants to provide a Social Security number. New legislation states that people who have received DCAP benefits previously and are still in need may reapply each month the program is active. The benefit amount depends on household size, income and need, and ranges from a maximum of $363 for a single person to a maximum of $1,121 for a household of eight or more people. Once approved, people will receive their DCAP benefits on an existing Electronic Benefit Transfer or EBT card, or a new EBT card will be sent via U.S. mail. People can apply for DCAP online at WashingtonConnection.org and then call the Customer Service Contact Center at 8775012233 to complete the required interview. People can also call 8775012233 to complete the entire application process over the phone. Due to much higher than normal call volumes, people are asked to call before 11:00am and to keep in mind that the busiest call times are between 11:0am and 2:00pm. The Customer Service Contact Center is open 8:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday. It took nearly three months for the new US President to hold his first summit with another nations leader in person. But when he finally found time and overcame the COVID constraints, which leader did he choose to host in the White House? Japans Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, who visited Washington at the weekend, Australian time. Why Japan? Because Japan is on the front line of the US confrontation with China, Americas greatest struggle of the 21st century. Driving home the point, the relationship with Tokyo is our most important alliance in the words of a background briefing that a White House official gave the American press corps before the summit. Other capitals will have their noses out of joint, but the truth is that Biden cannot succeed in meeting Chinas challenge without solid Japanese support. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Joe Biden met face-to-face at the White House. Credit:AP Did he get it? The declaration issued by Biden and Suga on the weekend could be the decisive act on Japans part to change from the path of improvement-oriented relations with China to competition-focused or even confrontation, depending on how China reacts, says a leading Japanese analyst, Yoichi Kato. Because Biden asked Japan to step up its commitment to help defend Taiwan, the self-governing territory that China considers a red line priority, against any Chinese aggression. And Japan did. The world is on alert over Chinas moves against Taiwan. Beijing relentlessly has been increasing its military pressure on Taiwans airspace and maritime zones in recent months. Just last week Beijing flew 25 warplanes into Taiwans air defence identification zone, the biggest number since Taiwan started disclosing such reports last September. Taiwan scrambled its own air force to deter them. Karen Garner (pictured in a photograph taken several years ago) is five feet tall and weighs 80 pounds and suffers from dementia State prosecutors are launching a criminal investigation into an incident in which a Colorado cop was caught on video pushing a 73-year-old woman with dementia to the ground, fracturing her arm. The announcement of the investigation comes after the Loveland Police Department suspended the arresting officer, Austin Hopp, 26, last week in the wake of the disturbing video. Two other officers involved in the arrest were placed on desk duty. The video was released just last week after an attorney representing Karen Garner, the woman who is 80 pounds and suffers from dementia, filed a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations during the arrest, which happened last summer. Her family says the cops broke her arm, dislocated her shoulder and covered her body in bruises. The District Attorney for Larimer and Jackson Counties in Colorado, Gordon McLaughlin, said he had been unware of the incident until the video was released last week. After outcry from the community, he said Monday he would launch a criminal review of the Loveland Police Department. Prosecutors could charge the officers involved in the incident, which along with Hopp include Officer Daria Jalali and on-scene supervising sergeant Phil Metzler. Scroll down for video Garner, 73, was picking flowers from the side of a road on June 26, 2020, when she was arrested for leaving a Walmart without paying for a candy bar, a can of Pepsi and a t-shirt totaling $13.38 Garner's arms are placed behind her back during an arrest her attorney says violated her civil rights If they don't charge the officers, prosecutors must release a letter after examining the incident that explains their reasoning for not filing charges, according to the Denver Post. The DA's investigation will be led by the Fort Collins Police Services and will be assisted by the DA's office, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI, as needed. Before her violent arrest, Garner been picking flowers off the side of a road at the last June. She was walking home from a nearby Walmart, where employees noticed she failed to pay for a candy bar, a can of Pepsi and a t-shirt totaling $13.38. The DA's office had said last week that it would review the information of the case which civil rights attorneys say left Karen Garner injured and would decide whether a criminal investigation would be necessary. Garner's children called the move a 'small but overdue step in the right direction.' 'Clearly, the newly-elected DA understands what we suspected last summer that only an independent, outside investigation, with all the worlds attention, will reveal the truth,' they said in a statement. The Loveland department is conducting its own review of the incident. Last June, store employees had stopped Garner at the exit of the Walmart and retrieved the items she hadn't paid for, according to a lawsuit filed against the officers last week. Store officials said it did not suffer a loss from the incident. But, the lawsuit says, someone from Walmart called the police to report Garner and the direction she was walking in. The cop, Hopp, 26, later caught up with her. Garner appeared visibly confused in body camera footage, repeatedly telling the officer she was just going home. Officer Daria Jalali is pictured during the arrest of Karen Garner Garner was placed up against the officers' police car as she continued to wail 'I'm going home!' Garner appeared visibly confused during the arrest At one point in the footage, which civil rights attorney Sarah Schielke released to the public when she filed the lawsuit against Hopp on April 14, Hopp tells Garner, 'Ma'am I don't think you want to play it this way.' 'You just left Walmart. Do you need to be arrested right now?' Within a few minutes, however, Hopp is seen dragging Garner who is five feet tall and weighs 80 pounds to the ground as she screams 'I'm going home'. Garner is subsequently seen being pushed up against the officers' police car as she continues to wail 'I'm going home!' 'Quit it!' Assisting Officer Daria Jalali can be heard commanding as she pulls Garner's arm behind her back. At that point, a snapping sound can be heard on the bodycam footage and Garner cries out in pain. In another portion of the video, a driver can be seen stopping to inquire about the arrest. 'Do you have to use that much aggression?' the passerby asks the cops. 'Get out of here! This is not your business!' Officer Hopp replies. Soon after, a third officer arrives at the scene and asks 'Are you guys all good?' 'A little muddy, a little bloody, that's how it works!' Officer Jalali before confirming the blood was from Garner. Garner was taken into custody where she was reportedly held for hours without medical attention, despite insisting she was in pain. A photograph of Garner's severely bruised arm is seen above Photos taken in the aftermath of the arrest show Garner with a severely bruised and swollen arm. She also sustained a bloody nose Photos taken in the aftermath of the arrest show the elderly Garner with a severely bruised and swollen arm. She also sustained a bloody nose. Nobody sought medical help for Garner for about six hours after she was arrested, according to the lawsuit. 'It is a hard-to-watch video,' attorney Schielke told the Reporter-Herald. 'It is the opposite of community policing. I thought a lot about this case as I have prepared to file it, and on paper and in the legal pleading it is an excessive-force case. In reality when you watch the video, you see this is a torture case.' Body camera footage shows police officers forcing Garner to the ground and injured her arm She was placed in police custody, where, her attorney said, she did not get medical attention Officer Hopp is seen dragging Garner to the ground, as she yells that she is going home The lawsuit claims the arrest violated her constitutional protections against excessive force and to have due process and also violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The civil lawsuit is separate from the DA's investigation, which could bring possible criminal charges. According to the lawsuit, forgetting to pay for items in stores is common among those with dementia. It also said Garner suffers from sensory aphasia, which impairs her ability to communicate and understand what other people are saying. In addition to her physical injuries, the lawsuit claims Garner now experiences fear, trauma and anxiety whenever she leaves her home. 'What little freedom and happiness Ms. Garner enjoyed in her life as an elderly adult with declining mental health was, on June 26, 2020, recklessly and deliberately obliterated by the Loveland Police Department,' it said. Hopp is currently on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, while Jalali and supervising Sergeant Phil Metzler have been reassigned to administrative duties. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) With the current level of the government's pandemic response, reaching its target of inoculating majority of the Filipino population by year's end now sounds like a "tall order," a lawmaker claimed Tuesday. "Just like any other Filipino, I hope we get there sooner than later before its too late. But at the pace were doing right now. Parang (It seems like a) tall order," Sen. Panfilo Lacson told CNN Philippines' The Source, when asked for his opinion on the likelihood of the government achieving its vaccination target by year's end. Based on the government's April 18 data, 1,477,757 vaccine doses have already been administered in the Philippines. Of this number, 1,279,223 people already got their first shot while 198,534 already received their second dose. The only COVID-19 vaccines available in the country so far are those from Chinese firm Sinovac and Britains AstraZeneca. Galvez said the country is expected to secure at least 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines within April. He noted that starting this week, the national government will receive another batch of Sinovacs CoronaVac and the initial shipment of Gamaleya Research Institutes Sputnik V from Russia. But for Lacson, the government is still "lagging behind" in its pandemic response. "We should learn from the lessons of the past. To hear from the President that [the government is] doing an excellent job sends the wrong message to those concerned na wala nang adjustments na gagawin," he said. "Kung ok naman pala ang ginagawa, eh ganito na lang talaga tayo." [Translation: To hear from the President that the govenrment is doing an excellent job sends the wrong message to those concerned that no other adjustments are needed. If we are supposedly doing okay, then we're stuck in this situation.] To achieve herd immunity, the government aims to vaccinate by the end of the year at least 70 million Filipinos out of the country's estimated 108 million population. There have been complaints from lawmakers and various groups that with the slow pace of immunization, this could take several years. Officials said a massive rollout for the other priority groups could be expected between May and June as more vaccines are shipped to the country. Recently, the centre announced that those who are 18 and above will now be eligible to get the Covid vaccination from May 1st onwards. However, after a few hours, Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnaviss nephew Tanmay said that he has gotten his vaccine shot and is a proud recipient of the requisite of two doses of Covid vaccine. Not only this, but he also shared a picture of the same on social media. Tanmay Fadnavis is 23 years old and is not eligible for getting a vaccine. According to Free Press Journal, he shared a photo of himself getting the jab on Instagram which soon became viral. Tanmay received the first dose of vaccine in Mumbai and the second dose at the National Cancer Institute, Nagpur. Check out the picture here- Instagram/Tanmay Fadnavis However, after his picture got viral on social media, many opposition leaders and citizens wondered how a 23-year-old got the vaccine as only frontline or health care workers, and those over the age of 45 are eligible to receive the doses. After the whole controversy, Tanmay reportedly deleted the picture but by then many people had already taken screenshots. Former Karnataka Congress Social Media Head Tweeted saying, Dear @Dev_Fadnavis, is your Nephew Tanmay Fadnavis 45+ years old? If not, how is he eligible for taking the Vaccine? Just like Remdesivir, are you hoarding Vaccines & giving them to your family members? People are dying. There is a Vaccine Shortage. But Fadnavis family is Safe. Check out the post here- Modiji, under what law is the families of BJP leaders getting Vaccines when they are still below 45 years of age? Tanmay Fadnavis has committed a crime & must be immediately arrested. Fraud Fadnavis has been caught again. People of Maharashtra are seeing what a traitor he is. Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) April 19, 2021 Tanmay Fadnavis has deleted his second shot Vaccination picture. But there is ample proof. Requesting @OfficeofUT to arrest this guy and set an example. https://t.co/se2j9TFUYy Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) April 19, 2021 At a time when eligible people are facing issue due to vaccination shortages. How was #tanmayfadnavis able to get vaccinated and that too twice... privileges of being a relative of #DevendraFadnavis ?#coronavirus Sunil Giri (@sunilgirincp) April 20, 2021 Dear @Dev_Fadnavis My dad is above 45 and we went to the centre but vaccine is out of stock. Looks like your son #TanmayFadnavis used my dads quota of vaccine. Saale log, itna support kiya @BJP4India Corruption ki hadd hai yaar. All the more reason to believe #BruckPharma story Sagarr (@AgonyUnckill) April 19, 2021 Tanmay Fadnavis got his first dose at Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai and his second dose at Nagpur. How did the hospital give him the first dose, when he has not crossed 45? As I had mentioned, when I went for vaccination at Bhagwati, I saw a few young people vaccinated! Guru - Medical Translator/Learning & Cooking (@KamathGurudutt) April 20, 2021 When people with comorbidity are struggling to get single dose of vaccine, relatives of politicians are getting vaccinated for the 2nd time who are not even 45+#TanmayFadnavis pic.twitter.com/TdcSmqoVYQ Ankur Chavan (@ankur_9696) April 19, 2021 Hey @KanganaTeam, Tanmay Fadnavis got Vaccinated even though he is an Actor and below 45 years! Is this NEPOTISM or not? Is Tanmay not part of BOLLYWOOD MAFIA? Will you meet Governor and Modiji to complain about Fadnavis? pic.twitter.com/a08luLdKjC Dushyant Dwivedi (@DushyantDiwvedi) April 20, 2021 Tanmay Fadnavis inaugurated the vaccination drive for 18 plus even before the stipulated date. BHUSHAN MADKE MD (@rashlessdoctor) April 20, 2021 Modiji, under what law is the families of BJP leaders getting Vaccines when they are still below 45 years of age? Tanmay Fadnavis has committed a crime & must be immediately arrested. Fraud Fadnavis has been caught again. People of Maharashtra are seeing what a traitor he is, he added.Heres what people have to say about this- Congress leader and Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut also demanded that the matter should be inquired. He asked, When eligible persons (45+) are struggling for vaccination, how can a relative of a BJP leader who is barely 23 years old get it. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below! A British Airways passenger's mobile phone caught on fire mid-flight after it was crushed in her seat mechanism, an investigation found. The passenger was flying from Miami to Heathrow airport in October last year when her iPhone caught on fire causing a 'tornado of smoke' 40 minutes before landing. The device became trapped in seat's mechanism when she moved from a flat bed to an upright position before using the bathroom in the business class Club World cabin. The woman said she smelt a strong 'sulphur' odour and noticed a charging cable plugged into the seat socket with phone-end shoved down the side of the seat. Cabin crew heard a 'hissing' sound and a 'tornado'-shaped grey plume of smoke came from the seat before an orange glow was seen, an Air Accident Investigation Branch report said. The freak accident was the latest in a series of similar aircraft fires caused by passengers' electronic devices getting stuck in seats and lithium batteries igniting. A British Airways passenger's mobile phone (pictured) caught on fire mid-flight after it was crushed in her seat mechanism, an investigation found Aircraft safety regulators are calling for new designs for seats - or for improved practices to reduce the risk of phone fires following the report. The woman - who has not been named - had been asleep on her fully-reclined seat during the overnight flight. She was woken by a flight crew announcement saying that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner - carrying 53 passengers and ten crew - was beginning its descent and was 40 minutes away from landing. The woman moved her seat upright from its flat-bed position without realising her red iPhone had slipped down the side while being charged. She went to the bathroom before noticing a 'strong odour' on her return, when she began to stow away her bedding at the request of a flight attendant. She alerted the senior cabin crew member as the smell - which she likened to 'sulphur' - began getting stronger. The device became trapped in seat's mechanism when she moved from a flat bed to an upright position before using the bathroom in the business class Club World cabin (file image) The report said: 'At this point they heard a "hissing" sound and a large plume of grey smoke emitted from the seat in a "tornado" motion. 'They remembered seeing an orange glow in the seat area amongst the smoke.' Flight attendants pulled back the seat padding which exposed the trapped phone and tackled the blaze with 'several bursts' from a fire extinguisher. They also turned off power to the seat. The passenger was flying from Miami (file image) to Heathrow airport in October last year when her iPhone caught on fire causing a 'tornado of smoke' 40 minutes before landing Other crew members rushed to fill an ice bucket with water and contacted the pilots who had also 'smelt an acrid odour on the flight deck'. The report added: 'The cabin crew informed the commander that thick smoke was emanating from a seat in the forward cabin and that they had initiated their firefighting drill. 'The flight crew started the smoke, fire or fumes checklist and evaluated their diversion options. The third pilot went back to the cabin to assist.' The crew were able to clearly see the phone trapped in the seat mechanism when the smoke cleared, but it was jammed and they were unable to move it. One cabin crew member was ordered to stay by the seat with an extinguisher as a precaution until the plane landed 20 minutes later at 8am on October 1 last year. Firefighters boarded the jet at Heathrow and removed the phone. The report said that the Civil Aviation Authority had 166 previous reports of passenger's electronic devices becoming trapped in seats in the last five years with 42 of the incidents resulting in a fire or smoke in the cabin. Fire crews were awaiting the arrival of the plane. Firefighters boarded the plane at Heathrow (the airport, pictured) and removed the phone Aircraft seats currently do not have to be designed to prevent phones and other devices from being trapped or crushed. The report described the problem as a 'known issue' and said manufacturers had been trying to design seats to reduce the risk. It added: 'However, it has been challenging to design moving seats that eliminates the chance that a device can fall into its mechanism.' As a result of the AAIB report, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has called for 'design standards and/or recommended practices to address the issue.' British Airways flight attendants are currently instructed to tell passengers that electronic devices must be disconnected from seat power when not in use. Passengers in business class and first class are also warned of the dangers of phones getting trapped in seats. The report said that BA had promised to review its training and procedures to see if anything could be learned from the incident. A British Airways spokesperson said: 'Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and our highly trained cabin crew worked quickly and safely to resolve the situation.' A new French feature-length documentary on the Salvator Mundi, the costliest painting, seems to have solved one of the key mysteries surrounding the enigmatic and controversial painting: why it never appeared in the Musee du Louvre's blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci show. Antoine Vitkine's film, which The Art Newspaper gained exclusive access to, was entitled The Savior for Sale and was released on April 13th. In the film, an anonymous senior official in French President Emmanuel Macron's government, codenamed "Jacques", tells Vitkine that the Louvre's extensive scientific examination of the painting, conducted in secret, concluded that Leonardo da Vinci himself "only contributed" to the picture and that its "authenticity" could not be confirmed, reported The Art Newspaper. The painting's owner, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), had acquired the painting (through a proxy) for USD 450 million--the largest price ever paid for a work of art--at Christie's, New York in November 2017, reported The Art Newspaper. As per some media reports, MBS pressured bosses at the Louvre to lie about the authenticity of a supposed Leonardo da Vinci painting in order to save his own face, a new documentary alleges. The documentary alleged that some members of the French government, including Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, lobbied on behalf of bin Salman's request. They were concerned about the impact on France's wide-ranging strategic and economic relationship with Saudi Arabia. But Macron ultimately decided to reject bin Salman's request, leaving it to the Louvre to negotiate with the Saudis on how the painting should be presented in their retrospective, said the documentary. (ANI) The doctor who has steered Ireland's battle against Covid-19 has returned to work after the death of his wife. The Department of Health confirmed that the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan is back at the helm in the Department of Health. The Department can confirm that CMO Dr Tony Holohan has resumed his duties, said a statement. Dr Holohans wife Dr Emer Feely died after a long illness in February. He returned on Monday, April 19. The public health doctor took time off last summer to be with his wife and family after she entered the palliative phase of her illness. On Monday, the province launched a COVID-19 rapid test asymptomatic screening strategy to protect Manitobans in various critical sectors of the province. Advertisement Advertise With Us On Monday, the province launched a COVID-19 rapid test asymptomatic screening strategy to protect Manitobans in various critical sectors of the province. The launch is in support of businesses and critical services sector and will include a number of organizations from a cross-segment of Manitoba sectors including the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, Manitobas Wildfire Service, a mid-sized Manitoba-based agri-foods business (Winkler Meats), a mining operation in northern Manitoba (Alamos Gold Inc.) and a major airline (Air Canada), the province stated in a news release. "We are partnering with Manitoba businesses and critical services to make the best use of our rapid test supply with the goal of identifying asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace and other critical settings that would otherwise go undetected," Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson stated. "This rapid test program will help us protect more Manitobans as we deal with a rise in COVID-19 cases." The program builds on the current Fast Pass asymptomatic rapid testing in place for teachers and education workers. Rapid testing uses an antigen-based test and is already in place for asymptomatic staff at select personal care homes in Manitoba. There are currently no plans to include the Parkwood Centre in Brandon, an arm of the Addiction Foundation of Manitoba, in the AFMs rapid testing screening program in a provincial pilot rollout the province launched on Monday, a spokesperson for the organization said in an email to The Sun. "The AFMs involvement in the COVID-19 rapid testing screening program pilot includes our mens and womens in-house treatment sites in Winnipeg. There are currently no plans to expand AFMs involvement beyond the two sites in Winnipeg," said the spokesperson. Critical service providers in non-health-care settings are the target of the expanded strategy. Those partner organizations are responsible for administering the tests, tracking and reporting test results to the province. Specifically, their geographic location, potential supply chain, community or population impacts, transportation or living arrangements or who has been hit hard by COVID-19 will be part of the expanded strategy. Those organizations will self-administer the asymptomatic screening program after theyve received training from Red River College in a two-hour virtual training module on nasal swabbing and how to conduct a rapid test for the pilot program. Participating organizations have already received a three-month supply of the rapid tests from the province. The nasal swabs dont go as far into the nasal cavity as the nasopharyngeal swab that is used for the standard COVID-19 test. "The course, which was designed in partnership with the province, provides non-health-care providers with the knowledge, practice and tools needed to safely conduct an anterior nasal swab and use an antigen rapid test device," a spokesperson for Red River College said in an email to The Sun. The spokesperson said additional organizations will be added to the virtual training program as needed. "Red River College has already started to train individuals at the provinces request for a number of the partner organizations." The program may expand to other industries such as construction and transportation. There may be other delivery models such as pop-up screening clinics at a later date, the release said. A Fast Pass site was launched in Winkler on April 12. This is the second Fast Pass program in the province. The first one was in March in Winnipeg. With the Fast Pass site launch in the community, it makes access for testing for school-based and child-care staff more accessible. "This rapid testing program can help screen even those who have been immunized to provide assurances to workforces and their employees," Stefanson said. Similar to the Winnipeg Fast Pass site, the Winkler site offers asymptomatic and symptomatic testing for those eligible. The Brandon Sun PARIS The French government on Tuesday initiated a wide-ranging public debate on Frances model of secularism, seeking to gain the upper hand on a contentious topic that has roiled the nation in recent months and is likely to be a battleground in a presidential election next year. Marlene Schiappa, the minister of citizenship, assembled a small group of intellectuals at a gathering in Paris, kicking off what is expected to be a monthslong series of discussions that she described as the Estates-General on laicite referring to the historic assemblies held in France to debate the fundamentals of French society. Known as laicite, the French secularism separating church and state has served as the bedrock of the countrys political system for more than a century. In every country, there are words that are important, that cant be overlooked, Ms. Schiappa said, describing laicite as an idea in which French destiny is found. The transaction is valued at about $2.95 million, which includes the construction of a 38,440 square foot greenhouse cultivation facility Power REIT's PropCo subsidiary has also agreed to lease the cannabis cultivation facility to Cloud Nine Farms LLC for a period of 20 years (NYSEAMERICAN:PW) announced that it has acquired 4.0 acres of land, consisting of two adjacent property parcels, in Crowley County, Colorado through its wholly-owned PropCo subsidiary for sustainable greenhouse cannabis cultivation. The company said the transaction is valued at about $2.95 million, which includes the construction of a 38,440 square foot greenhouse cultivation facility. We continue to deploy capital on a highly accretive basis that supports our investment thesis of investing in sustainable properties. Southern Colorado continues to represent a compelling opportunity for our investment strategy in cannabis cultivation facilities, CEO David Lesser said in a statement. We believe that each additional acquisition diversifies our tenant concentration and further improves our focused strategy within this vibrant market, which we believe has significant runway for growth, Lesser added. As well, the companys PropCo subsidiary agreed to lease the cannabis cultivation facility to Cloud Nine Farms LLC, a minority-owned business, for a period of 20 years, with two, five-year renewal options. Cloud Nine is expected to maintain a medical marijuana license but is prohibited from making retail sales from the property. noted the lease, as structured, is immediately accretive to the companys core funds from operations (FFO) and with annual rent of about $552,870, it represents an unleveraged FFO yield of about 18.7% on the invested capital. The company added that it has now invested about $10 million from its recently-closed rights offering across several transactions, with about $26.5 million remaining to be deployed. Power REIT is a specialized real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns sustainable real estate related to infrastructure assets, including properties for controlled environment agriculture (greenhouses for the cultivation of food and cannabis), renewable energy, and transportation. The company also boasts an acquisition pipeline in excess of $100 million at various stages of negotiations. Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com WASHINGTON President Biden will announce Thursday that the United States intends to cut planet-warming emissions nearly in half by the end of the decade, a target that would require Americans to transform the way they drive, heat their homes and manufacture goods. The target, confirmed by three people briefed on the plan, is timed to a closely watched global summit meeting that Mr. Biden is hosting Thursday and Friday, which is aimed at sending a message that the United States is rejoining international efforts to fight global warming after four years of climate denial from the Trump administration. A White House spokesman declined to comment on the U.S. target, which was first reported by The Washington Post. The leaders of China, India and nearly 40 other countries are expected to join Mr. Biden virtually, and the United States hopes that the announcement of its new emissions goal will galvanize other nations to step up their own targets by the time nations gather again under United Nations auspices in November in Glasgow. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 02:57:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Ireland discussed on Tuesday the prospects of cooperation as well as contacts and consultations on bilateral and multilateral levels between the two countries, a statement by the Moroccan foreign ministry said. During a teleconference meeting, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney agreed to continue consultations on regional and international issues, such as Libya and the Sahel, according to the ministry statement. Hailing the opening of the Irish Embassy in Morocco, they highlighted the importance of strengthening economic relations and political consultations between Morocco and Ireland, the statement said. Coveney, also Ireland's defense minister, reiterated his country's support for the strategic partnership between the European Union and Morocco. Enditem A Kentucky man wrongly jailed for 14 months on child porn charges is suing the local jail he was incarcerated in after they billed him $4,008 for his stay. Winchester factory worker David Allen Jones says his life was left in ruins after he spent over a year in Clark County Detention Center on child porn charges that were later dropped. To add insult to injury, Jones was charged for his stay - the county jail billing Allen for hygiene supplies and per diem charges - a daily fee levied by the jail for prisoners' general upkeep. Jones has sued Clark County and it's jailer, Frank Doyle, asking to dismiss his bill, but so far, the justice system has ruled in favor of the jail, Kentucky.com reported. David Allen Jones is suing Clark County after they billed him for $4,008 after he was wrongfully imprisoned on child porn charges David Allen Jones was billed for his 14-month incarceration in the Clark County Jail even though all charges against him were dropped Jones was arrested in October 2013 when Lexington Police acted on a tip that linked Jones' IP address to a downloaded child porn video. The Clark County Sheriff's Department arrested Jones and raided his apartment. His bond was set at $15,000, which was more than he could afford. In the following months police were not able to find any evidence of child porn in any of Jones' digital devices while Jones waived his right to counsel and continued to assert his innocence. Prosecutors concluded that someone else in Jones' apartment complex could have accessed Jones' unsecured wireless network and the charges against him were dropped. It is unclear whether anyone else was subsequently arrested over the child porn video. Jones was released from jail in December 2014 but he says he was forced to leave his hometown over the publicity surrounding the arrest, losing his job, car and friends as a result. 'My reputation, it's shot. I mean, I've got people that I've known for years won't have anything to do with me anymore because they believe the law,' Jones said. The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled against Jones, saying it is legal for jails to bill prisoners for their confinement even if they are never convicted of a crime. Jones is trying his case in a second suit that has been reinstated by a federal appeals court and is now scheduled for trial in June. The County's defense against Jones is a 2000 state law that requires prisoners to reimburse the cost of confinement. The law makes no mention of innocence or guilty being a factor in reimbursement but according to Jones' lawyer it specifies that an inmate must be convicted for the state to collect fees. 'A prisoner in a county jail shall be required by the sentencing court to reimburse the county for expenses incurred by reason of the prisoner's confinement,' the law states. Jones' lawyer argues that since Jones did not go to sentencing court because his case was never tried, he does not owe Clark County for his jail stay. 'Confiscating and keeping the money of innocent people to offset the costs of their confinement violates the fundamentally American presumption of innocence,' Jones' lawyers wrote. Jones' bill included a $35 booking fee, a $10 per diem for each day of his confinement, a $5 fee for hygiene supplies when he arrived and $2.69 for hygiene replacement supplies, the county's lawyers said. The county's lawyers said that the fees are not punitive and that there is nothing illegal about charging for services rendered to people in custody. Jones' attorney disagrees, arguing it is unfair to charge someone for their confinement when they are acquitted of the crime they were accused of. 'The government can't punish people unless and until they are found guilty of the crimes they are alleged to have committed. Yet Kentucky counties have for years routinely kept the money they confiscate from persons on admission to their jails, allegedly to offset the costs of their confinement, after the charges against such persons have been dismissed or they have been acquitted,' Jones attorney said in a brief. Over a recent five-year period Kentucky jails reported billing nearly $20.9 million in booking and housing fees from inmates, with only about half of the 80 local jails charging fees that ranged between $50,000 and $300,000. Some jails did not claim any inmate fees meaning it just depends on where an inmate is jailed to determined if they will be billed. Clark County jail is one of the Kentucky jails that did charge their inmates, but financial records show that over the previous two years, of the $107,360 billed to inmates, the jail only collected $12,374, the Lexington Herald- Ledger reported. Alexei Navalny's doctors were again denied access Tuesday to the jailed Kremlin critic despite growing concern over the hunger-striking Russian opposition figure's failing health. A team of medics has been attempting to see the 44-year-old since early this month, after President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken opponent launched a hunger strike on March 31 demanding proper medical treatment for a litany of ailments. Nearly three weeks into the hunger strike, his doctors over the weekend warned that Navalny's health was failing so rapidly he could die at "any minute," as the United States threatened Russia with "consequences" in the event of his death. Russia's prison service, which has repeatedly prevented Navalny's doctors from visiting him, said Monday that he had been moved from his penal colony in the Vladimir region some 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Moscow to a medical facility at another colony in the same region. A team of physicians including Navalny's personal doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva travelled Tuesday morning to the new colony and was once again barred from seeing him. It was told however to try again later in the day. "This is super disrespectful to people who came to fulfil their human duty, a medical duty to help a patient," Vasilyeva told AFP outside the colony. "We are talking now only about health and life." Navalny's lawyers also arrived at the penal colony on Tuesday and were allowed in, an AFP journalist at the scene reported. But Navalny's chief of staff Leonid Volkov tweeted that the lawyers were being told to wait and predicted they would not be allowed to see their client. Navalny is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for violating parole terms on old fraud charges he says are politically motivated. His lawyers and allies are demanding he be transferred to a regular hospital, but the Kremlin has said Navalny is not entitled to special treatment. Story continues Concern has grown in the West in recent days over his condition. Germany said the European Union would be closely watching to ensure Navalny received necessary care, while Britain called for his release. The Kremlin has dismissed the outcry, saying that Russian convicts do not concern Western countries. - Growing pressure - Navalny was arrested on his return to Russia in January from Germany, where he had spent months recovering from a poisoning attack with the Novichok nerve agent. He blames the attack on Putin, a claim the Kremlin has repeatedly denied. The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on Russia over the poisoning, and on Monday threatened Moscow with further penalties in the event of Navalny's death. Navalny launched his hunger strike demanding proper medical treatment over severe back pain and numbness in his limbs. His team over the weekend said a blood test had shown showed high potassium levels and elevated creatinine, indicating Navalny could be suffering from impaired kidney function and risked cardiac arrest. Russia's prison service insisted his condition was "satisfactory", despite moving him to the medical facility, and said he was taking vitamin supplements as part of his treatment. Navalny's team has called on supporters to take to the streets across the country on Wednesday -- when Putin is due to deliver his annual state of the nation address -- to protest how he is being treated. The anti-corruption campaigner's allies, who routinely face police searches and arrests for their activism, are facing increasing pressure from the authorities ahead of the rallies. Navalny's team said on Twitter on Tuesday that police were searching their offices in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk and had detained their coordinator in the Urals city of Kurgan. afptv-emg/mm/ach Two F-15C Eagles assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing fly in formation with a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., during operation Noble Defender over San Francisco, April 6, 2021.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lawrence Sena) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: 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. General Assignment Reporter Chris Mays is a general assignment reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer. He has been with New England Newspapers Inc. since 2012. Up to 90m * Klarna users across 16 markets globally now have the ability to track their shopping carbon footprint in-app. Klarna and Doconomy to launch one of the largest global carbon footprint awareness building efforts to date. Launch of Klarna's 1% pledge will bring $10M to initiatives tackling climate change and loss of biodiversity alongside 50% emissions reduction ambition for 2030. STOCKHOLM, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Klarna today announces the launch of CO2 insights for all shopping purchases as part of its 1% pledge, involving the donation of $10 million to initiatives supporting planet health. The new feature aims to democratize access to unbiased climate impact information for consumers at no cost or judgement as a first step to help drive awareness around climate change. The feature will introduce a seamless experience for users to access carbon footprint insights and brings to life one of the largest-ever awareness-raising efforts on carbon footprints, based on consumer reach. Klarna has partnered with Doconomy, a world leader in providing innovative calculation tools enabling banks and brands to display the carbon footprint of transactions, to provide shoppers with an average kgCO2 value for each purchase. The partnership introduces CO2 data at global scale and is made available free of charge in the Klarna app. Every purchase made through Klarna's payment methods will include a carbon footprint powered by Doconomy's Aland Index**, reaching up to 90 million Klarna customers, including its growing user base of 18 million monthly active app users. With many partner retailers working hard to improve in this area through numerous ways, the solution marks a first step in Klarna's journey to play its part. In the long run, Klarna aims to further enable consumers to understand the true cost of consumption and provide them with the opportunity to take action. "With fat, sugar and salt levels labelled on food we buy, why shouldn't our CO2 emissions be just as visible? This type of information shouldn't be a premium or luxury that consumers pay for, but rather an essential part of every shopping journey. That's why we're upgrading our app to give all our consumers globally transparent access to their shopping carbon footprint. We all make decisions that affect the health of the planet and it's essential that everyone has access to sound information to make smart climate choices in a simple and straightforward way," says Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna. With a global network of more than 90 million consumers and 250,000 retailers, Klarna's reach represents a unique opportunity to make unbiased climate impact information available globally and help everyday shoppers become informed decision makers. "With Klarna as a fintech frontrunner enabling all users to track, measure and understand their impact by presenting their carbon footprint on every purchase, there is great potential for positive impact! The financial sector has developed tremendous efficiencies to create, aggregate and protect wealth. Now that same force can address the alarming planetary health. Adding a unique data stream to the customer offering is a brilliant step to educate the many," says Mathias Wikstrom, CEO of Doconomy. Rolling out Klarna's 1% pledge On Earth Day, Klarna will also launch its global Giveone.com platform, bringing to life a 1% pledge for the planet. As part of the initiative, Klarna will allocate 1% of its latest $1bn funding round - a total of $10M - to initiatives supporting the planet. The donation will focus on backing initiatives tackling the most pressing challenges around climate change and loss of biodiversity. A curated committee of experts will facilitate the process of selecting impactful solutions globally to be funded through the pledge. The framework will be made available to the public, in the hope to inspire other growth and pre-IPO companies to follow suit and support solving today's planetary crisis. To allow consumers to participate in the action, Klarna will offer them the opportunity to donate to the same projects and more through a donation integration in Klarna's products powered by Milkywire, a tech platform for impact. Klarna's own carbon footprint will be addressed through an ambitious new approach. By 2030 the company aims to reduce company emissions by 50% and from 2021, Klarna will make annual financial contributions to high-impact climate projects, including carbon removal, blue carbon initiatives, reforestation and forest protection, and high-impact emission reduction projects. The annual sum will be established through an internal carbon tax set at $100/tonne for all scope 1, 2 and travel emissions (remaining scope 3 emissions set at $10/tonne). Note for editors: All figures are in USD. Product video about the new carbon footprint insights integration (European and US version). For further information on emission scopes, read more here. * All 90 million consumers will have access to this information through the Klarna app. The app today includes 18 million monthly active app users. ABOUT KLARNA We make shopping smooth. With Klarna consumers can buy now and pay later, so they can get what they love today. Klarna's offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Over 250,000 retail partners, including H&M, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, ASOS, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress have enabled Klarna's innovative shopping experience online and in-store. Klarna is one of the most highly valued private fintechs globally with a valuation of $31 billion. Klarna was founded in 2005, has over 3,500 employees and is active in 17 countries. For more information, visit klarna.com. ABOUT DOCONOMY Doconomy, founded in Sweden 2018, provides digital solutions to help track and measure the carbon footprint. Doconomy's service, DO, a mobile banking app, manages savings and promotes sustainable consumption. The Aland Index impact calculations in DO use data, covering 99% of global market cap, through a unique partnership with Trucost, a part of S&P Global. Through Doconomys collaboration with the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), to educate and engage individuals around climate action, additional innovative tools to explain our impact are also developed. Doconomy utilizes innovation, data and design to support consumer change of behavior by enabling well -informed choices, which in turn, promote responsible consumption. The 2030 Calculator is such an innovation, to increase transparency and responsibility on product level. * * DISCLAIMER ALAND INDEX The carbon footprint is calculated using the Aland Index which combines the cost of a purchase with the carbon footprint of that particular merchant category. It means that the index can separate between purchases at the florist or the dentist but does not know whether if one bought roses or tulips. The index does not claim to calculate the exact footprint of a person's lifestyle but will give a good enough understanding of the carbon emissions of spending. The Aland Index was launched in 2016 by Alandsbanken and has been further developed in cooperation with S&P Global Market Intelligence and Trucost. The index is managed and developed by Doconomy in Sweden. S&P Global Market Intelligence is not an affiliate of Alandsbanken or Doconomy and it disclaims all liability for any claims, losses, or damages in connection with use or application of its material in the Aland Index. The purpose of the Aland Index is to raise awareness around how our lifestyle impacts the climate and promote positive behavioral change however past performance is not an indication or guarantee of future results. The index is reviewed by an independent third party, EY, and updated regularly. ABOUT MILKYWIRE Founded in Sweden 2018, Milkywire is a new tech platform for impact. By developing digital tools and modern infrastructure for the charity sector Milkywire connects donors globally to carefully audited civil society organizations working to solve the most pressing planetary problems facing humanity. Through the Milkywire app, website, API tools, employee giving program and more users can discover, connect, and donate to projects around the world fighting the climate crisis, biodiversity crisis, and pollution crisis. Milkywire provides a unique and engaging experience by allowing users to support local grassroots projects directly, connect with the experts working in the field, and see proof of the impact by following their progress through weekly video updates on the Milkywire app. Press contact Daniel Byrne press@klarna.com +46 (0)701612666 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/klarna-bank-ab--publ-/r/klarna-launches-carbon-footprint-insights-for-90-million-consumers,c3329051 The following files are available for download: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) questions U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin as he testifies during a House Committee on Financial Services hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 22, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Rep. Tlaibs Comments on Inherently Racist Policing Are Reckless and Disgusting: Detroit Police Chief Detroit Police chief James Craig said on Monday that it was reckless and disgusting for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) to say that policing in the United States is inherently & intentionally racist. In an appearance on CNN, the police chief was asked about Tlaibs fiery tweet, in which she claimed that the recent police-involved shooting of Duane Wright wasnt an accident and that policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder, Tlaib wrote, adding, No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It cant be reformed. Wright was killed April 11 during a traffic stop and attempted arrest on an outstanding warrant in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb. He was shot by officer Kimberly Potter, who later said she mistook her gun for a Taser. Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Craig told CNN in the interview that Tlaibs comments were reckless and disgusting, adding that there has been an increase in the number of assaults against law enforcement officers across the country. While he didnt directly blame Tlaibs comments for the rise in violence against officers, Craig said, the anti-police rhetoric is too much, lumping into this category Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) recent remarks about getting more confrontational. Waters spoke on Saturday in a Minneapolis suburb not far from where Derek Chauvin is on trial, accused of murder in the death of George Floyd. The California Democrat said that if theres a not guilty verdict, then we know that we got to not only stay in the street, but we have got to fight for justice. Weve got to get more confrontational. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business, Waters added. I firmly believe those comments can fuel anger, Craig said of Tlaibs and Waters remarks, speaking at a press conference in Detroit on Monday. In his interview on CNN, the Detroit police chief accused Tlaib of seeking to draw attention to herself with her controversial tweet. As it relates directly to Rashida Tlaib. This is about her putting attention to herself, he said. Thats exactly what its designed to do. Its not productive. Craig added that he does not believe most Detroiters share Tlaibs viewpoint. The majority of Detroiters support this police department. They want effective and constitutional policing, and to make statements like abolish policing, abolish incarceration certainly is counterproductive, he said. Tlaib later clarified her remarks on social media in a thread on Twitter, in which she said, It is clear that more investment in police, incarceration, and criminalization will not deliver that safety, adding, Instead, we should be investing more resources into our community to tackle poverty, education inequities, and to increase job opportunities. We should be expanding the use of mental health and social work professionals to respond to disputes before they escalate. Asked on CNN about Tlaibs clarification, Craig called her remarks spot on. We dont disagree with, you know, increasing support for mental health, he said, adding, we have a massive mental health issue in our country today. We get it. We understand it, Craig said, adding that he believes Tlaibs clarification was about pedaling back because she got so much pushback on her reckless comments. So it doesnt surprise me that she is now trying to take a softer approach. The Epoch Times reached out to Rep. Tlaib with a request for comment on Craigs remarks, but did not receive a reply by press time. Craigs comments came as Chauvins trial went to closing arguments, with the former Minneapolis police officer facing charges of third-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter. A New Jersey resident accused of killing a 42-year-old man and then burning his body on Christmas Eve in Plainfield was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. The victim, David Chacon of Plainfield, was identified using DNA evidence after charred human remains burned beyond recognition were found near the 800 block of West Front Street at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2020, the Union County Prosecutors Office said Tuesday. An investigation led detectives to Oscar Rodriguez, who was charged in February with murder and desecration of human remains. He was arrested March 28 in Brownsville, Texas. Rodriguez, 24, of Plainfield, was extradited to New Jersey and made a first appearance Monday, where he was ordered held. We are grateful for the collaboration from the many local and federal agencies who assisted our office in locating and apprehending the suspect, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo said in a statement. And we hope that this arrest can bring some small measure of comfort to all those grieving Mr. Chacon. Additional information from the prosecutors office wasnt immediately available. Anyone with information is still asked to call prosecutors office Sgt. Christopher Scuorzo at 908-472-0492 or Detective Ryan Kirsh at 908-347-1420. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was among a handful of Republicans in the U.S. Senate who voted against advancing a bill aimed at addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was ultimately advanced for further debate Wednesday after a bipartisan 92-6 vote, breaking an early filibuster, but it remains unclear whether Republicans will oppose it in the future. READ ALSO: Asian Americans in Texas are struggling to get the COVID vaccine. Here's why. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act was introduced in March by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, D-New York. It aims to expedite the process of reviewing COVID-19 hate crimes by designating a specific employee in the U.S. Justice Department for that task. If passed, the bill would also issue guidance on how to make the reporting of hate crimes more efficient and the process easier to understand for the public, along with guidance detailing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID19 pandemic, according to Hironos office. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Cruz acknowledged that hate crimes and racist violence directed at anyone, including Asian Americans, should be vigorously prosecuted. But he lambasted the bill as nothing but a Democratic messaging tactic. Cruz said the bill is not designed to do anything to prevent or punish actual crimes. It is instead a Democratic messaging vehicle designed to push the demonstrably false idea that it is somehow racist to acknowledge that Covid-19 originated in Wuhan, China and that the Chinese Communist Party actively lied and suppressed information about the outbreak, allowing it to become a global pandemic. He also accused Democrats of not taking racism seriously because they didnt call out the Justice Department for withdrawing an affirmative action lawsuit against Yale University that argued the school discriminated against Asian and white applicants through race-based admission quotas. The lawsuit was filed under former President Donald Trump and was withdrawn in February after President Joe Biden took office. When Democrats decide to take hate and racism seriously that means they will address this and not ignore it because it doesnt fit neatly into their messaging tactics, Cruz said. In a written statement, Meng said the derogatory rhetoric of many Republicans has fed hostility against people of Asian descent. COVID: Ted Cruz says he's 'done' with wearing a mask at the U.S. Capitol Before this pandemic started, I urged everyone including elected officials to not blame Asian Americans for the virus. My words were not heeded, she said. The former president and his Congressional Republican enablers trafficked racist, bigoted terms to describe COVID-19. In doing so, their language stoked peoples fears and created an atmosphere of intolerance and violence, which persists even today. Trump regularly called COVID-19 the China virus. A few weeks ago, a Republican candidate for a Texas congressional seat said that she does not want Chinese immigrants in the United States at all. They steal our intellectual property, they give us coronavirus, they dont hold themselves accountable, said Sery Kim, whos running to replace the late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, who died in February, weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus. A congressional committee held a hearing to discuss discrimination against Asian Americans in March, just two days after six Asian women were among eight people shot and killed at three Atlanta-area massage businesses. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, criticized that hearing as the policing of rhetoric in a free society. He condemned the Atlanta shooting by making a reference to lynching, which drew backlash. According to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization thats been tracking incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans for more than a year, nearly 3,800 incidents of racism directed at Asian Americans around the country were reported to the organization from March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021 including 103 in Texas. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. At least four people were killed and 33 were arrested after security forces in western Mexico raided a cartels hideout at a farm. According to the Jalisco state attorney generals office, authorities launched the operation Monday after they learned that a cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was operating in the Guadalajara neighborhood of Chapalita. Military soldiers and the National Guard arrived at the home at 10am and were met by a 17-year-old girl who quickly tried to shut the entrance gate when a police officer attempted to step inside. The girl and two men attempted to disarm the officer, who shot and killed all three, according to Jalisco state attorney general Gerardo Solis. The teen was pronounced dead while being rushed to an area hospital. A police office in Guadalajara, Mexico, fights with a male suspect and alleged member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel before he was attacked by the man's accomplice during an operation that led to the arrest of 33 alleged cartel members. The sting left four associates of the cartel, including a 17-year-old girl Security forces in Guadalajara, Jalisco confiscated a cache of weapons from three homes were alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel were operating from Mexican security forces recovered a hat used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel henchmen along with bottles prepared with Molotov cocktail bombs, a snake, and a paddle board used to attack people Several cartel members then ran away as the agents entered the house, hopping across house roofs while exchanging gunfire with security forces. Video footage shows the moment an official briefly detained a male cartel member, but was tackled by a female cartel associate. Solis said that at least 24 of the 33 cartel members were detained during the search of two area homes. A female, identified by Mexican authorities as an alleged member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, attacks a police officer in an attempt to free her cartel associate who was being arrested by the agent Monday in the Jalisco city of Guadalajara. A massive operation led security forces resulted in the arrest of 33 suspects linked to the vicious cartel, considered by the DEA to be one of the nine criminal organizations responsible for smuggling drugs to the U.S. in 2020 Six people who were missing were rescued during the operation, he said. A seventh kidnapping victim was found dead at one of the homes. It's unknown if the person, who was not identified, was killed during the gun battles. Authorities confiscated 29 firearms, 17 bulletproof vests and seven motorcycles from three houses. At least one kilo of white powdery narcotics was seized from a home. Also recovered were government uniforms and clothing used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel henchmen along with Molotov cocktails, a snake and a paddle board. Pictured above is a home that security forces raided before cartel members attempted to take a cop's gun. The officer shot and killed three alleged gang members, including a 17-year-old girl The cartel used clothing from the Jalisco Attorney General's Office to disguise themselves as state officials The Drug Enforcement Administration's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment acknowledged that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel ranks second among nine criminal organizations from Mexico who were responsible for importing drugs to the United States last year. The cartel is led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera. It is considered the most violent criminal faction in Mexico and 'has the highest cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine trafficking capacity.' Pictured are 15 of the 33 alleged Jalisco New Generation Cartel members arrested during a large-scale operation in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Monday. Pictured are 12 of the 33 alleged Jalisco New Generation Cartel members arrested during a large-scale operation in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Monday. A gun battle left four cartel members dead, including a 17-year-old girl Pictured are four adult females who were detained. They were identified as alleged members of Jalisco New Generation Cartel. A 17-year-old girl, who is reportedly part of the criminal group, was also detained. A 17-year-old girl, who was part of the cartel, was killed by a cop when she and two men attempted to take the agent's gun 'The (Jalisco New Generation Cartel) smuggles illicit drugs into the United States by accessing various trafficking corridors in northern Mexico along the southwest border including Tijuana, Juarez, and Nuevo Laredo,' the DEA found. 'The (Jalisco New Generation Cartel) also has influence over the busiest port in Mexico, the Port of Manzanillo, and utilizes that influence for the distribution of large quantities of drugs.' It operates in 23 of Mexico's 32 states and its capital, Mexico City, and also has expanded its drug trade into 11 states in the U.S., Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The DEA is offering a $10 million reward for information for the arrest and conviction of El Mencho, who came up under the tutelage of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the jailed co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. Israel has lifted a public mask mandate and fully reopened its education system in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions following its mass vaccination drive. All primary and secondary school grades returned to classrooms on Sunday, and health officials ended a year-long requirement to wear a mask in public spaces. Masks are still required indoors and in large gatherings. Israel has speedily inoculated a majority of its population against the coronavirus in a world-leading vaccination campaign. It has lifted most of its coronavirus restrictions and announced last week that it would be reopening the country to vaccinated foreign tourists starting in May. Israel's coronavirus czar, Nachman Ash, told Israeli public radio on Sunday that removing the mask requirement outdoors and reinitiating in-class studies was a "calculated risk." Since the start of the pandemic last year, Israel has recorded over 836,000 cases of the coronavirus and at least 6,331 deaths, according to the Health Ministry. Over 53 per cent of its 9.3 million citizens has received two shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. In the months since Israel launched its vaccination campaign in December, serious cases and deaths have fallen precipitously and allowed the economy to fully reopen. The vaccination campaign in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza has been slow to get off the ground, with Israel facing criticism for not sharing more of its supplies. Also read: Macron foresees summer tourists in Paris on COVID-19 negative test report, vaccination New Delhi: Late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan's son recently opened up about receiving harsh messages from trolls and why he avoids sharing pictures of his father on his social media account. The star kid took to his Instagram story to explain the reason to Irrfan's fans, who were wondering why Babil stoppped sharing pictures of his father. Shockingly, Babil revealed that when he would share heartfelt pictures of his father and him, trolls would slam him for 'using' his father to gain popularity and send him hurtful messages. Babil wrote in his message, "man I loved sharing and then I get these Dms all the time saying that I'm using him to promote myself and that really hurts when in fact I was genuinely sharing memories to fill up the void that he left in his fans. So I'm confused on what to do. I'm trying to figure out but it really hurts when random people message me saying I'm using his memory to gain clout, like I needed to do that, I'm already his son, I never needed to do that to gain anything. Now I'm perplexed and a little hurt tbh. So I'll share when I feel like it's the right time." The upcoming actor wrote this in response to a comment by a fan that read, "Hey when will you share something about Irrfan sir??". Here's a screenshot of his comment: Babil Khan who is quite active on social media used to post heartfelt pictures of his father and late actor Irrfan Khan on his feed. However, he avoids doing so currently. The 22-year-old completed his schooling in Mumbai and studied acting at the University of Westminster, London, UK. The star kid is all set to make his Netflix debut with the feature film 'Qala' produced by Anushka Sharma and her brother Karnesh Sharmas production house, Clean Slate Filmz. On April 10, he had taken to Instagram to share the first look of the teaser for the film. Earlier on March 27, he accepted the Best Actor award for Angrezi Medium on behalf of his father Irrfan during the Filmfare Awards 2021. An emotional Babil broke down on stage during the acceptance speech as he remembered his late father. During Autism Acceptance Month in April, we are reminded of the need to enhance opportunities for those living with autism in our community. Autism is a growing issue in our state and city, sparking increased awareness, acceptance, and action. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics reveal that Texas has the second largest population of adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States nearly 450,000. This reality is confirmed by the Texas Education Agency, which reported that nearly 81,000 Texas students receive special education services for ASD. In 2016, according to the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, over 30,000 people were living with ASD in San Antonio; this is projected to increase to 35,000 by 2026. More importantly, Kronkosky has highlighted serious gaps in services and specialized providers for children and families living with ASD in Bexar County. Thus, thousands of San Antonio students are not only managing their ASD, but also dealing with a lack of assistance to help them on their journey to achieve quality, independent lives as adults. Texas A&M-San Antonio is taking a significant lead to meet the ASD needs in our San Antonio community with a $2.1M Department of Education grant, creating the A&M-SA TU CASA program. TU CASA is a partnership between A&M-San Antonio and seven southside school districts designed to give students with intellectual disabilities much-needed life skills training while providing an inclusive university experience. Under this partnership, the Burleson Center for Innovation and Education was created. This University school in the Edgewood Independent School District serves students 18 years and older with special needs by providing them community integration, employment training, education, independent living capabilities and social skills. Upon graduation from Burleson, students can transition into a certification program, gaining career experience in a college environment at A&M-SA. Our University is a perfect landing place for students on the spectrum who have college aspirations and want to integrate their abilities into a career path, benefitting both student and community. The TU CASA model is groundbreaking for our city. We will continue to build upon this model with new educational programming and resource opportunities for students to reach their full potential. We want our city to know we are here for them now and will help them change their future. Feel free to reach out to our Department of Counseling, Health, and Kinesiology at 210-784-2585 to learn more. If you are wanting to pursue a profession that will serve the autism community in Bexar County, A&M-SA is developing bachelors and masters Applied Behavior Analysis degrees, projected to launch in Fall 2022. I am proud of the Universitys commitment to help meet the unique challenges faced by the autism community. If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it is that we all need to support equity in opportunity for all individuals. I encourage you to explore possibilities for achieving your higher education dreams in our College of Education and Human Development. Join us for a virtual or scheduled in-person tour and discover what the University has to offer. Check out www.tamusa.edu for updates and happenings on our campus. You can always find me on Instagram at @jagprezmatson or Twitter at @PrezMatson. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, Ed.D, is president of Texas A&M University San Antonio. Teva Canada welcomes efforts to address critical drug supply in the federal budget - $2.2 billion over 7 years announced Tweet this "As a manufacturer of essential medicines in Canada, Teva Canada has always maintained that the Government of Canada must take a comprehensive approach to supporting domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and critical drug supply. COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of securing a resilient pharmaceutical supply chain and infrastructure. Canada currently has capacity for essential drug manufacturing. Governments need to support what is already available and ensure these facilities stay and grow. Canadians continue to need access to both their regular day-to-day medicines, in addition to products needed to prevent and treat COVID-19. We welcome this support for Canada's life sciences and biomanufacturing sector." In June 2020, the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA) released its Blueprint for a Sustainable Supply of Prescription Medicines for Canadians that identifies measures to strengthen the domestic pharmaceutical industry. The measures aim to ensure Canadians have a secure and consistent supply of prescription medicines now and to meet the needs of future health emergencies, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. About Teva's footprint in Canada: Headquartered in Toronto , Teva Canada is home to three manufacturing sites in Ontario . , is home to three manufacturing sites in . The head office of Teva Canada's Specialty division is located in Montreal, Quebec . Specialty division is located in . There are more than 900 professionals employed across Canada. 75% of bulk doses sold in Canada are manufactured here. are manufactured here. 96% of medicines manufactured at Teva Canada's Stouffville site is for the Canadian market. site is for the Canadian market. Companies such as Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries, with large manufacturing footprints in Canada , and the ability to leverage global manufacturing and supply networks, can support the Federal Government to respond to future health emergencies and promote long-term sustainable growth in Canada's pharmaceutical sector. What Teva Canada is doing to support Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic: Maintained fully operational facilities across Canada to meet demand. Continued to provide regular day-to-day medicines and unanticipated emergency medicines to fill more than 192,000 1 prescriptions a day. prescriptions a day. Responded to short-term and medium-term supply disruptions, managing national inventories to provide uninterrupted supply to patients. Sourced an emergency supply of salbutamol inhalers from within the global Teva supply chain to meet critical demand surge in Canada . . Expanded resources to support caregivers and mental health challenges exacerbated during COVID-19. Accessible at: TevaCanada.com/Caregivers and TevaCanada.com/LifeEffects About Teva Canada Teva Canada, headquartered in Toronto, has provided affordable healthcare solutions to Canadians for over 50 years, building their trust one prescription at a time with now more than 192,0001 prescriptions filled each day with our products, representing 1 of every 8 generic prescriptions in Canada2. Originally Novopharm Limited, Teva Canada specializes in the development, production, and marketing of high-quality generic prescription pharmaceuticals and, through our branded division, focuses on a diverse line of speciality and biopharmaceutical products in a variety of therapeutic areas such as central nervous system (CNS), respiratory, oncology and rheumatology. Teva Canada's commitment to helping improve the lives of Canadians also extends to the Teva Caregiver program providing tools and resources for Canadians navigating the care journey. Teva Canada employs more than 900 professionals, had sales of nearly $1.1 billion3 in 2020, and markets more than 3604 products in over 840 SKUs4 in Canada. We are a proud subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Learn more at www.tevacanada.com. About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has been developing and producing medicines to improve people's lives for more than a century. We are a global leader in generic and specialty medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in nearly every therapeutic area. Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine every day, and are served by one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry. Along with our established presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and operations supporting our growing portfolio of specialty and biopharmaceutical products. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com. 1 Source: IQVIA CDH Compuscript TRx MAT Dec 2020 2 Source: IQVIA Compuscript Trx MAT 2020.12 3 Source: IQVIA CDH & Compuscript MAT Dec 2020 4 Source: Teva Price list March 2, 2021 SOURCE Teva Canada For further information: IR Contacts, United States, Kevin C. Mannix, (215) 591-8912; Israel, Ran Meir, 972 (3) 926-7516; PR Contacts, United States, Doris Yiu, (973) 265-3752; Israel, Yonatan Beker, 972 (54) 888 5898 OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP, CP.TO) announced that Canadian National's (CNI, CNR.TO) proposal for Kansas City Southern (KSU) is illusory, inferior and likely to fail. In March, Canadian Pacific Railway agreed to acquire Kansas City Southern in a stock and cash transaction representing an enterprise value of about $29 billion. Earlier today, Canadian National Railway made a proposal to buy Kansas City Southern in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $33.7 billion, including $3.8 billion of KCS debt. Commenting on the new proposal, Kansas City Southern issued a statement afternoon that its board will evaluate CN's proposal in accordance with the terms of merger agreement with CP and will respond in due course. 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. New Delhi: Coronavirus infection is not going to stop. Meanwhile, the Telangana government has announced the imposition of a night curfew on Tuesday. The curfew will continue from 9 pm to 5 am. The order has been issued by state government chief secretary Somesh Kumar. He has said the night curfew will come into effect from the night of April 20 and will continue till April 30. Earlier, the High Court had given a two-day ultimatum to the Telangana government to decide whether to impose lockdown in the state. The high court had said, "within 48 hours, the government will have to decide on lockdown or curfew, issue court orders to others". The court issued several more directions and sought a full report from the Telangana government on the situation in the state. At the same time, the court sought 'ward-wise data' from the state government about the infected cases of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. At the same time, the High Court had said that it is very disappointing that the government should take a tough decision on marriage, ceremonies, and large gatherings in public places. The court had asked the central government to respond at the next hearing. Hefazat-E-Islam leaders in 14 nos arrested in Bangladesh: Home Minister Global carbon dioxide emissions set for their second-biggest spike in history: IEA Will America remove the ban on corona vaccine raw materials? Poonawala appealed The longtime executive director of Schuylkill Women in Crisis will retire later this year and the organization has begun the process to replace her. Sally Casey said Monday she informed SWiCs board of directors of her decision several months ago, and that shell retire sometime between late September and December. As a nonprofit organization, SWiC needs to respond to the changing needs to the community, she said, and sometimes that means a change in leadership. Nearly 40 years Originally from Pittsburgh, Casey, 64, has lived in Pottsville since 1983 when she moved here with her husband. When she moved to the area, she began volunteering at the former Rape and Victim Assistance Center after seeing a segment on the Phil Donahue Show on domestic violence. She started working with SWiC, founded in 1983, after being approached by Carol Blackner, founder of the Schuylkill County Task Force on Abused Women, the organizations predecessor, to run its first hotline service. She also had a hand in establishing the agencys first shelter at the former Christ Lutheran Church in Schuylkill Haven. Casey became executive director in 1984. Over the years, SWiCs services have grown to include not only the shelter, now in Pottsville, and the hotline, but providing accompaniments to court hearings and hospital visits and attorneys for protection from abuse cases. Just last month, a text hotline launched. The agency also serves men and members of the LGBTQ community. Casey said domestic violence affects every area of the victims and their childrens lives, and the organization has worked to address that by bringing on counselors for children, computers for them to complete classes and a cook at the shelter. The dedication of staff members allowed the shelter to stay open during the pandemic. Were committed to ensuring victims are safe and treated justly, she said. SWiC also has volunteers who organize parties for the children, accompany victims through the civil and criminal court processes and organize clothing drives. National recognition Rochelle Quiggle, chair of the organizations board of directors, said the board is engaged in the search for a new executive director and has reached out to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence for input. She believes Casey has done the victims of domestic violence in the county a great service. Noting there were no domestic violence services prior to the formation of Schuylkill County Task Force on Abused Women, she said Casey has grown SWiC to be more than just a shelter, and has addressed the growing awareness of domestic violence with more services. In fact, the organization in 2007 was recognized as one of the top three domestic violence programs in the nation by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, a pretty impressive thing for a county of our size that demonstrated Caseys dedication, Quiggle said. In 1994, Casey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by then-Sen. Joe Biden, on the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act in rural America. Her three oldest children accompanied her to the hearing, a monumental experience in her life. A statement from Biden stuck out to her. He said that dealing with violence against women is like mowing the grass, Casey said. Its not one and done. A community solution SWiCs alliance with government helps in reaching its goals, Casey said. With the cooperation of the county commissioners, SWiC has been able to secure federal funding to address violence against women in the community, with the money going to Adult Probation, the Sheriffs Office and District Attorneys Office. Violence against women is a community problem and requires a community solution, she said. The problem is too big for us to address on our own. Casey said she has always had a passion for social justice causes, which her four children also took up. Her late son, Ted, was an attorney who represented victims of domestic abuse in the state court system. Casey said helping victims and working with the agencys 30 employees have been the best parts of the job. The victims strength and employees commitment inspires her, she said. We have a wonderful staff and a great board, she said. Everyone is dedicated to the organizations mission. As to those who need the shelters services, their stories are powerful. It takes tremendous courage to leave an abusive relationship, she said. Casey said while she is focused on getting through the next few months, she said she wants to spend more time with her family and possibly travel when she retires. Having read Tony Greensteins rather muddled explanation of the rising worldwide anti-Semitism, I was a bit disheartened by his conclusions: blaming Zionism and the state of Israel. Perhaps he has forgotten that the Jewish people have been persecuted for over 2,000 years. That over 6 million innocent Jewish souls were murdered during the Holocaust well before the creation of the Jewish homeland. Nor do I think the vicious Jewish slurs yelled by white supremecists in Charlotte or Proud Boys celebrating Auschwitz at the Capitol riots cared about foreign policy . Rather, I believe that people like Greenstein find it easier to blame the victims rather than shame the haters. And I say for shame. Geico has filed a data breach notice with the California attorney generals office, admitting that fraudsters had stolen customers' driver's license numbers from its website. In the notice, discovered by TechCrunch, the American auto insurance titan said that from January 21st to March 1st this year, bad actors infiltrated its website using information on its customers that they acquired elsewhere. They then accessed the victims' driver's license information through the website's online sales system. The company didn't say how many individuals' license details were stolen. As TechCrunch notes, though, California's AG office requires entities to file a data breach notice when at least 500 residents were affected in a security incident. Geico says it has reason to believe that the fraudsters could use the stolen information to apply for unemployment benefits in their name. Authorities usually require a government ID, such as driver's licenses, to be able to apply for unemployment that means stolen names and addresses from other sources wouldn't be enough. Geico explained that it secured its website and worked to identify the root cause of the incident as soon as it became aware of the issue. However, it didn't reveal what that root cause was in the notice. It wrote in the notice it's sending affected customers: "If you receive any mailings from your state's unemployment agency/department, please review them carefully and contact that agency/department if there is any chance fraud is being committed." The company is also giving affected customers a one-year subscription to IdentityForce to protect themselves from identify theft. Gov. Greg Abbott stirred up the debate surrounding Proposition B ahead of San Antonio's May 1 election. If approved, the charter amendment would repeal Chapter 174 from the Texas Local Government Code, which gives the San Antonio Police Officers Association's right to bargain collectively with the city. During the first day of early voting, the Republican governor fired up a tweet urging San Antonians to vote against the possible change. RELATED: Here's where to early vote for San Antonio elections "San Antonio. Dont defund your police," he said. "We need SAPD to keep San Antonio safe. #BackTheBlue" He shared a graphic used by opponents of the proposition which also claims SAPD would be defunded if approved. Locals quickly jumped in to correct the governor. "Prop B is about removing collective bargaining for SAPD... please inform yourself first," Twitter user @Mando33 said. The comments piled on. "Saying that prop B has anything to do with funding is a flat out lie. we need accountability in our police force, stop lying to try to get your way," user @zane4tx said. Another user, @cateatsglitter, summed it up a different way: "Greg, do you mind pointing out which part of prop B calls for defunding? I dont see it anywhere on there." Others asked Twitter if the post could be flagged for misinformation. The amendment was added to the ballot after community organizers presented more than 20,000 verified signatures to City Clerk Tina Flores in February. READ MORE FROM MADALYN: The number of vaccinated San Antonians just topped the record-breaking total of 2020 Bexar voters The early voting period lasts until April 27. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and next Monday and Tuesday. Polls are closed on Sunday. Residents can vote any of the locations listed here. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images Anyone who has received or plans to receive a COVID-19 vaccination can look forward to more than just protection from the virus. In a new commercial, Budweiser took an emotional route to let the public know that it misses the times when folks could freely crack open a cold one with friends. Law enforcement officers stand near the place where the shooter barricaded himself, after a shooting at a Stop and Shop grocery store, in Hempstead, N.Y., on April 20, 2021. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) Police: 1 Killed, 2 Wounded in Shooting at NY Grocery Store WEST HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.An employee suspected of shooting three workers at an office inside a Long Island grocery store Tuesday, killing a manager, was arrested hours after fleeing, police said. Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, 31, was taken into custody around 3:15 p.m. at an apartment building about 2 miles from the store, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. Information on charges and a lawyer who could speak on Wilsons behalf wasnt immediately available. Gabriel DeWitt Wilson. (Nassau County Police Department) The shooting happened around 11:15 a.m. inside offices upstairs from the shopping floor at the Stop & Shop supermarket in West Hempstead, Ryder said. Wilson, a shopping cart wrangler at the store, went to the offices immediately after arriving for work, wounding a man and a woman in one room before going down the hall and killing a 49-year-old store manager, Ryder said. There were about a couple hundred shoppers inside the store at the time, he said. They told us to just run and get out, and thats what we did, shopper Laura Catanese told News 12 Long Island. Barbara Butterman told Newsday she heard four or five shots while shopping for produce, initially thinking the sound was something falling in the back storeroom. Everyone was running around upstairs where offices were, Butterman told the newspaper. Law enforcement officers stand near the place where the shooter barricaded himself, after a shooting at a Stop and Shop grocery store, in Hempstead, N.Y., on April 20, 2021. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) The name of the victims have not been made public. The two wounded were hospitalized and were conscious and alert. Wilson has a criminal record and had been taken into custody previously in Nassau County for a mental health evaluation, Ryder said. Wilson was involved in a shooting in Baltimore seven years to the day before Tuesdays supermarket shooting, records show. According to police, Wilson and another man fired shots at each other and were hospitalized with lower body wounds. Attempted murder charges against Wilson in that case were later dropped, records show. Wilson was wearing all black and carrying a small handgun as he fled westbound on Hempstead Turnpike, Ryder told reporters at a news conference. He was arrested after officersmany in tactical gear and carrying long gunsconverged on a neighborhood in nearby Hempstead, which is east of the grocery store. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran told News that the shooting was one of the most serious incidents weve had in a very, very long time. The shooting in West Hempstead followed a rash of recent mass shootings across the county, including one on March 22 that left 10 people dead at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. Video of the aftermath of the shooting showed police cars and ambulances parked in front of the store, officers with long guns and yellow crime scene tape draped across the entrance. Curran said nearby schools have been told not to admit visitors and residents were asked to remain indoors. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was directing state police to assist local police. Im praying for the victims, and my heart breaks for their families and loved ones, Cuomo said in a statement. West Hempstead is near the New York City-Nassau County border and about 30 miles east of midtown Manhattan. Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement that the company is shocked and heartbroken by this act of violence and that the West Hempstead store will remain closed until further notice. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and the first responders who have responded heroically to this tragic situation, Reid said. Stop & Shop is a grocery chain in the northeastern United States owned by the Dutch company Ahold Delhaize. By Mary Altaffer and Michael R. Sisak To his critics and much of the outside world, Mr. Putins recent actions look like paranoia. But to his supporters and to analysts who follow him closely, his moves have a certain internal logic revolving around the conviction that the West seeks to weaken Russia and that Mr. Putin is integral to its strength. The election of Mr. Biden, despite his promise to be tough on Russia, initially gave the Kremlin hope, analysts say. He was seen as more professional, reliable and pragmatic than President Donald J. Trump, with a worldview shaped by a Cold War era of diplomacy in which Washington and Moscow engaged as equal superpowers with a responsibility for global security. In their first phone call in January, Mr. Biden and Mr. Putin agreed to extend the New Start arms-control treaty, a Russian foreign policy goal that the Kremlin had failed to achieve with Mr. Trump. Then came the television interview in March in which Mr. Biden assented when asked whether Mr. Putin was a killer. A month later, that moment to which Russian officials and commentators responded with a squall of prime-time-televised, anti-American fury looks like a turning point. It was followed by last weeks raft of American sanctions against Russia, combined with Mr. Bidens call for a summit meeting with Mr. Putin, which to many Russians looked like a crude American attempt to negotiate from a position of strength. This is seen as an unacceptable situation you wont chase us into the stall with sanctions, said Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank. Russia built up troops near the Ukrainian border, claiming it was responding to heightened military activity by NATO and Kyiv. And it stepped up the pressure on Mr. Navalny, whom the Kremlin sees as an agent of American influence, culminating in last Fridays filing by prosecutors to declare his organization extremist and illegal. Rice Around 20% of calories consumed across the world come from rice, and it is the main food source for three billion people. Yet the places where rice is most often grown, including areas of India, Bangladesh and China, are constantly at risk of flooding. Rising sea levels and increasingly intense tropical storms mean that this problem is only going to worsen. One solution to this is scuba rice, which can withstand being soaked in flood water and has been successfully grown in southeast Asia. Genetic modification can also make rice kinder to nature. Rice paddy fields are a big source of the greenhouse gas methane, but the creation of the SUSIBA2 variety is helping. This rice contains a gene from the barley plant, which can help to reduce methane emissions. A three-year trial showed that this method increased yield by 10% while reducing methane emissions. The aim of the C4 Rice Project, led by a team from 12 universities across eight countries, is to engineer C4 photosynthesis, meaning to convert the energy from sunlight into rice. C4 photosynthesis is up to 50% more water-efficient than other types of rice and naturally occurs in drought-tolerant or very fast-growing plant species such as bamboo. The University of Sheffield is one of several institutions working on growing rice with fewer stomata, the tiny openings used for gas exchange. This will result in less water being lost and better performance in exceptionally hot or wet conditions. Results so far show that lower stomatal density means that 60% less water is used. When 4,000 litres of water are needed to grow a kilogram of rice, and rice uses 70% of the agricultural water supply in China, this could be a significant saving. Dr Haiyan Xiong, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge, is working on a similar strategy. Her PhD and postdoctoral work in China focussed on introducing the drought-resistant gene found in upland rice (which grows in dry and hilly conditions) into lowland rice. Lowland rice tends to be better quality but less hardy, so aims to merge the desirable traits of both crops. So far, Xiong's team has identified three genes which could help make rice more resistant to drought. Her current work at the University of Cambridge is aimed at changing rice plants so they are better at converting the energy from sunlight into food. Xiong's upbringing in rural Sichuan drew her to a career researching rice. She witnessed drought conditions first-hand, which led to a dream of 'becoming a scientist who can contribute to improving rice resistance to drought stress'. She says, 'Rice is not only one of the most important food crops in the world - it is also a model plant for studying other cereal crops.' After enough historical data and machine learning, Vantagepoint adds new cryptocurrencies that meet its accuracy thresholds WESLEY CHAPEL, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Cryptocurrencies are an exciting new sector for trading; and Vantagepoint AI, the first company in the world to give independent traders the power of AI for their home computers, had the foresight to begin training its neural networks years ago to learn about their patterns and market correlations. VantagePoint software provides traders with predictive market trend forecasts with up to 87.4% accuracy - including for cryptocurrencies - 1 to 3 days in advance. The company has rigorous standards for forecasting that must be met before an asset is included in the company's software. In the volatile world of cryptocurrencies, traders must have access to reliable technical analysis for this new sector. Lane Mendelsohn, President of Vantagepoint AI explains, "Of course, all trading involves risk, but our mission is to help traders make decisions with more confidence because they have data-driven forecasts from artificial intelligence from which to make informed choices." He goes on to say, "We see cryptocurrencies as an exciting opportunity for traders and a wave of the future. We even accept crypto as a payment method ourselves! But it's imperative that traders be able to make trading capital decisions with a clear head and not whipped up emotions. That's where our A.I. can help." Learn more about the newly added cryptocurrencies and pairs the company has added and how traders can use the power of A.I. for their trading at https://www.cryptovantagepoint.com/demo/ About Vantagepoint AI, LLC. Headquartered in Wesley Chapel, Florida, VantagePoint software forecasts Stocks, Futures, Forex, Options, Cryptocurrencies, and ETFs with proven accuracy of up to 87.4%. VantagePoint's patented artificial intelligence processes predict changes in market trend direction up to three days in advance, giving traders insight into optimal times to make their trades. Founded over 40 years ago, Vantagepoint AI is a second-generation family-owned business that employs over 90 team members and has traders in more than 120 countries. The company is actively committed to giving back in the Tampa Bay community, regularly donating a portion of revenue to Shriners Hospitals for Children and The Children's Cancer Center as well as other small charities. To see how artificial intelligence can help traders trade smarter, schedule a demonstration at www.vantagepointsoftware.com/demo Media Contact: Lisa Moretti, lisa.moretti@vantagepointsoftware.com SOURCE: VantagePoint Software View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641228/VantagePoint-AI-Adds-Cardano-ADA-and-Other-Cryptos-To-Predictive-Forecasts-for-Independent-Traders BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Online sportsbook and casino operator 777.be is launching another brand-new TV commercial starring Belgian Hollywood legend Jean-Claude Van Damme. The new campaign, part of a true 'JCVD & 777.be franchise', will be released on Belgian TV and online channels this week, and sees Jean-Claude Van Damme taking on an even more active role as our benevolent hero; making gamblers aware of the importance of responsible gaming and knowing their limits. The viewers will be drawn in by some classic Van Damme dance moves, which add an element of fun to an otherwise serious message around responsible gameplay. Previous 777.be campaigns featuring JCVD have aired on multiple channels, accumulated over 27 million views online alone, and put a collective smile on the face of the viewers. With such success, it was to be expected that the successful pairing between 777.be and JCVD was to continue. Jean-Christophe Choffray, Head of Gaming at 777.be, said about the campaign: "It pleases us to see the numbers of views and engagement the campaign has generated. The message we are bringing is an important one. The fact that we can have someone charismatic and famous like Jean-Claude Van Damme to voice this message, adds to the power of it." About 777.be & Bet777.be 777.be is the online sportsbook and casino operation of Casino de Spa, one of the oldest casinos in the world. In 2011 Casino de Spa, which is part of the Ardent Group, obtained a Belgian license to offer online casino games via www.casino777.be , followed four years later by a license for sport betting via www.bet777.be . Bet777.be has since established and maintained a strong position within the Belgian online betting market, offering a wide range of pre-live and live betting options as well as numerous features. Contact: https://777.be , Rue Royale 4, 4900 Spa, BELGIUM Jean-Christophe Choffray, info@casino777.be , +32 87 77 20 52 Bet777.be YouTube: https://777.be/ytb A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/31b2973f-8d75-46cf-9a83-b2d0684f356e Utica, N.Y. At least 300 students are in quarantine in Oneida County after dance school students showing Covid-19 symptoms attended a competition in Syracuse on Saturday, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said today. Picente said its the worst outbreak in the county since the pandemic began. This is our largest cluster, our fastest cluster, and were a year into this, an obviously frustrated Picente said at a news conference. When 300 people are quarantined, people have to stay home from work, some businesses have to close, schools have to close. The Whitesboro Central School District, one of the largest in Oneida County, went fully remote today because of the Covid-19 exposures. Other districts may have to do the same as cases or exposures pop up, Picente said. Picente said the health department investigation has found that more than one student from an Oneida County dance school had Covid-19 symptoms and attended the Syracuse competition anyway. He said the school didnt practice proper protocols and didnt have a plan in place to deal with Covid-19 cases. Carelessness is preventing us from returning to normal and punishing the people who are doing all the right things, Picente said. He declined to name the school or the competition. Picente said he has been in touch with Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. We dont know what kind of effect this will have in Onondaga County, Picente said. This competition took place in Syracuse, and probably other dance schools were part of this. No one in Onondaga County has been quarantined, said county spokesman Justin Sayles. It is our understanding that (Oneida County officials) are still performing their investigation, so this is very much an evolving situation, Sayles said. Picente said 20 people connected to the dance school cases have tested positive. They range from 6 to 17 years old, he said, and are from several school districts. New public health orders for the province took effect at 12:01 a.m. today, as public health officials attempt to gain control of a third wave of the pandemic as it rolls into Manitoba. Advertisement Advertise With Us New public health orders for the province took effect at 12:01 a.m. today, as public health officials attempt to gain control of a third wave of the pandemic as it rolls into Manitoba. With the tighter restrictions, Premier Brian Pallister hopes it will slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus while avoiding shutting down more of the economy. "The orders right here are our last chance to flatten our curve before we will have to revert back to more stringent public health restrictions," chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said at Mondays joint press conference with the premier. "Despite our best collective efforts and having some of the strictest measures in the country, COVID-19 cases and particularly variants of concern are on the rise," said Pallister. "Introducing more restrictive measures is not what many of us want to hear right now, but its what we need to do to protect Manitobans and our health-care system." NEWEST RESTRICTIONS As of today at 12:01 a.m., the following restrictions will take effect in the province: All households will be limited to two designated visitors indoors; Outdoor gatherings on public and private property will be limited to a maximum of 10 people, including household members; Community, cultural and religious gatherings are to be limited to 25 per cent capacity or 50 people, whichever is lower, with indoor masks in place except when members of the same household are seated when appropriately distanced from others and not singing or chanting; Weddings and funerals will be reduced to 10 people, in addition to an officiant and photographer or videographer; On Wednesday at 12:01 a.m, retail store capacity will be limited to one-third of the store or up to 333 customers, whichever is lower. Malls will be limited to 33 per cent of the facilitys capacity. These restrictions will be in place until May 12, according to the province. NO CHANGES There are no changes in restaurant and bar capacity. Currently, the capacity limit is 50 per cent with the requirement for tables to sit with only household members, and other public health measures in effect; Casinos and VLTS must continue to remain closed. VLTs in a business may operate if each machine is separated by at least two metres of distance or by a non-permeable barrier; Gyms, fitness and indoor recreation facilities will remain at limited capacity of 25 per cent with public health measures in place including for spectators and in common areas and locker rooms. Masks must be worn at all times except while swimming; Museums, galleries and libraries will remain at a capacity limit of 25 per cent or up to 250 people, whichever is lower; Movie theatres and concert halls will continue to remain closed. Personal services will remain at a capacity limit of 50 per cent with public health measures in place. While Ontario recently announced interprovincial border restrictions, Manitobas borders will remain open. MONDAYS COVID UPDATE A total of 108 new cases of COVID-19 were announced on Monday, including 10 from Prairie Mountain Health. There are a total of 36,267 lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba. There were no deaths linked to COVID-19 reported at Mondays noon press conference. The following is how Mondays cases broke down by health region: 12 cases in the InterlakeEastern health region; five cases in the Northern health region; 10 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region; 18 cases in the Southern HealthSante Sud health region; and 63 cases in the Winnipeg health region. The five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate was 5.7 per cent in the province and 5.7 per cent in Winnipeg. There are 1,685 active cases and 33,623 people who have recovered from COVID-19. The province reported 62 people in hospital with active COVID-19, as well as 70 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 132 hospitalizations. Fifteen people are in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 15 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, for a total of 30 intensive care patients. There have been 711 cases of variants of concern identified in Manitoba, 213 active cases and 496 people who have recovered. Of those 711 cases, 613 cases are of the B.1.1.7 variant, 76 are unspecified, 19 are of the B.1.135 variant and one is of the P1 variant. Two people have died. In Prairie Mountain Health, there are 22 active cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and two unspecified cases. There have been 2,200 people who have recovered from the virus. There have been 56 deaths in Prairie Mountain Health to date. An outbreak was declared at the Dauphin Personal Care Home. The facility has been moved to critical (red) level. Russell Health Care Centre was moved to critical according to the provincial COVID dashboard at gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event There are lots of issues going on right now with the building of Super Duties. The deadline for ordering a 2021 SD was March 15/21. Production is scheduled to start June 1/21. You can order a 2022 right now, but build schedule for individual SD has not happened. This is all from memory so dates could be off a bit. Right now they are concentrating on building the remaining 2021 SD orders they have accepted. But the global chip shortage has reduced the number of trucks they are building. Logic says that that June date will slip. Logic also says that they may not be able to build as many 2022 SD to start as they planned due to the shortage. Dealers need to get some SD to show on their lots, then retail orders will be built. Then we get into the normal delivery issues for Canada. There is longer delivery times to Canada as they ship by rail and might require different rail companies. I am from Vancouver and in my circumstances, to reduce this, they ship to the border, store them in a lot, and deliver them by transporter to the dealers here locally. And as for any order, there is allocation to the dealer and the priority of the truck by the dealer. Then there is the commodity issues when picking up an order. No one knows what the delivery time will be. What is normally 8 to 12 weeks in normal times will be longer as it is a switch over time from 2021 to 2022. Then add in the slowing of builds due to the chip shortage, and there is no way to know how long delivery will be. Old delivery times are unlikely to be any guide to this situation. My only suggestion would be to ask your dealer what they have heard about delivery times for orders. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. We asked our Facebook followers if they will travel to Australia under the new Trans-Tasman travel bubble. Here are some of the responses: Si Hawken No. My money is better spent in New Zealand and on its businesses. Garry Fisher Yes, but later in the year. Like all new ways they need time to work through the glitches that will happen. Have family we havent seen, so need to catch up. Hoping to be vaccinated before we go. Stacey Lemmen Dont have a passport, but I wouldnt want to risk being stuck there if the borders close unexpectedly. Jill Wendy Williams Yes, we have a new grandson to visit. See Mahurangi Matters Facebook for more comments and debate. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks fell on Tuesday, pulling back from record highs reached a day earlier as the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond climbed and new Covid-19 cases continued to rise around the world, raising concerns over a disconnect between fundamentals and high equity valuations. U.S. Treasury yields rose as investors awaited the outcome of auctions set to be held for $34 billion of 52-week bills and $40 billion of 42-day bills. Focus now shifts to the European Central Bank meeting on Thursday, which investors hope will give more clarity about stimulus plans for the bloc. The pan European Stoxx 600 fell 0.8 percent to 438.73 after ending flat with a negative bias on Monday. The German DAX dropped 0.4 percent, France's CAC 40 index shed 1 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 0.7 percent. The British pound rose broadly versus its major peers after official figures showed Britain's unemployment rate unexpectedly fell for a second month in a row to 4.9 percent in the December to February period. British American Tobacco shares slumped 6.3 percent, Imperial Brands plummeted 5.9 percent and Swedish Match gave up 2.5 percent after reports that the Biden administration is considering requiring tobacco companies to reduce the nicotine levels in all cigarettes sold in the United States. Real estate investment trust Hammerson lost 3.4 percent after it appointed Himanshu Raja as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, effective 26 April 2021. Moneysupermarket.com declined 2.6 percent after its first-quarter revenue fell by 20 percent compared to 2020. Associated British Foods was down 1.7 percent after the food processing firm reported a fall in pretax profit for the first half of fiscal 2021. Danone SA shares fell 2.5 percent. The food company reported that its first-quarter consolidated sales were 5.66 billion euros, down 9.4 percent from 5.66 billion euros last year. Deutz AG rose over 1 percent. The internal combustion engine manufacturer raised its full-year guidance for 2021 after reporting a 1 percent rise in first-quarter revenue. Luxury carmaker BMW gained half a percent. The company reported sales growth in all significant regions of the world, in particular in China, and all brands in the first quarter of 2021. K+S Group shares advanced 1.6 percent. The chemical company said it received allowance from the U.S. Justice Department for the sale of the Americas operating unit. Medical technology company Getinge soared 5 percent after reporting a rise in first-quarter core profit. Specialty chemicals company Sika gained 1.2 percent. The company said that its sales for the first-quarter were CHF 1.999 billion, representing an increase of 12.6 percent in local currencies from last year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de BEIJING (AP) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for more equitable management of global affairs and, in an implicit rejection of U.S. dominance, said governments shouldnt impose rules on others. Xis speech at an economic forum comes amid rising tension with Chinas neighbors and Washington over its strategic ambitions and demands for a bigger role in making trade and other rules. Without mentioning the United States, Xi criticized unilateralism of individual countries and warned against decoupling, a reference to fears U.S.-Chinese tension over technology and security will split industries and markets into separate, less productive spheres with incompatible standards. International affairs should be handled by everyone through consultation, Xi said by video link to the Boao Forum for Asia on the southern island of Hainan. Rules made by one or more countries should not be forced upon others. Xi called for stronger cooperation in research on coronavirus vaccines and steps to make them available to developing countries. Xis comments reflected the ruling Communist Partys desire for global influence to match Chinas status as the second-largest economy and frustration at what party leaders see as U.S. efforts to block its ambitions. Those sentiments have been fueled by sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump that block access to U.S. processor chips and other technology for Chinese tech giant Huawei and some other companies. Some of Xis comments clashed with Beijing's stepped-up military activity in the South China Sea and other areas where its territorial claims conflict with those of Japan, the Philippines, India and other countries. No matter how far it develops, China will never seek hegemony, expand, seek spheres of influence or engage in an arms race, Xi said. Chinas military spending is the second-highest after the United States. Beijing is developing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, submarines, stealth fighters and other weapons to extend its military reach. Story continues The annual Boao forum, founded in 2001, is modeled on the Davos gathering of business leaders in Switzerland. Xi warned against decoupling, a stance that clashes with Beijings promotion of its own standards for telecoms, high-speed rail and other fields and pressure on companies to use Chinese suppliers instead of global sources, even if that increases costs. Speeding up a two-decade-old campaign to make China self-reliant in technology has been declared this years top economic priority by the ruling party. Building walls and decoupling violate economic and market rules, harming others, Xi said. ___ Boao Forum for Asia: https://english.boaoforum.org/ In January 2020, an M.T.A. bus driver named Tyrone Hampton found a nonverbal child still sitting onboard at the end of a run in Upper Manhattan. He called for help and watched over the boy until he knew hed get safely home. It was a small news story, with a happy ending. But it was the kind of incident that touches Azikiwe Mohammed, 37, an artist who, through different media painting, textiles, performative installations is interested in constructing spaces of safety and welcome for people of color and for immigrants whose space is often threatened. I have a bunch of alerts set for when people dont make it home, Mohammed said in an interview at the Yeh Art Gallery at St. Johns University in Jamaica, Queens, where the first exhibition devoted to his textile-based art is concluding soon. One of the 40 pieces in the show is a tribute to Hampton, whose portrait he has stitched onto a vintage denim jacket. It is just another entry in Mohammeds visual universe, a realm devoted to everyday heroes and small acts of care. [April 19, 2021] Budget 2021 invests in Canada's next generation of innovators OTTAWA, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Mitacs thanks the Government of Canada for today's Budget 2021 announcement of $708 million in funding over five years to create 85,000 innovation internships. This announcement will give Canada's young innovators more opportunities to succeed while supporting businesses of all sizes across the country by providing them with the talent they need to get ahead in the competitive global marketplace. As Canada emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, our innovation ecosystem will play a critical role in our national economic recovery and future prosperity. By ramping up collaborative innovation and bringing together highly educated students and postdoctoral researchers with industry, we play to our strengths as a country. Increased internship opportunities will help grow our economy and ill critical gaps by providing companies with the talent they need and ensuring our highly trained expertise is deployed across all sectors of the economy. Mitacs also welcomes the announced funding strategies for the quantum computing, biomanufacturing, artificial intelligence, clean technology, and genomics sectors which are critical areas of focus in developing Canada's innovation ecosystem. We look forward to supporting these strategies however we can. As the connector between our present situation and our future success, Mitacs looks forward to continuing its partnership with the Government of Canada in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Quotes: John Hepburn, CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs "In a year unlike any other, Mitacs was proud to partner with the federal government to generate opportunities for students to drive innovation and economic development. Today's significant announcement will allow us to continue to do that important work by giving young innovators even more opportunities to succeed while supporting businesses by providing them with the skilled talent they rely on. Thank you to the federal government for your confidence and support. We are ready to answer the call." About Mitacs: Mitacs?is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions. by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions. Mitacs opportunities are paid learning placements that last four months and may be online, on-site or a combination of both. Throughout COVID-19, Mitacs has generated 17,000 internships to provide opportunities for students and drive innovation and economic development. Mitacs has been a trusted partner of the Government of Canada for 20 years. for 20 years. Mitacs?is funded by the Government of Canada along with the Government of Alberta , the Government of British Columbia , Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick , the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador , the Government of Nova Scotia , the Government of Ontario , Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec , the Government of Saskatchewan , and the Government of Yukon . SOURCE Mitacs Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A new movie from Syracuse-based childrens author Bruce Coville is coming to Netflix next month. Aliens Stole My Body, a sequel to 2018s Aliens Ate My Homework, will premiere on the streaming service May 1, 2021. The live-action family film will feature Star Trek actor George Takei as the voice of Phil the Plant, replacing William Shatner (who played the role in the first movie). Aliens Stole My Body is actually the fourth book in Covilles Aliens series about Rod Allbright and the Galactic Patrol. The story follows Rod (played by returning star Jayden Greig) stranded on a distant planet, sharing the body of a one-eyed, blue alien named Seymour after BKR, the most fiendish villain in the galaxy, stole Rods body. Sean McNamara, the Emmy-nominated writer, producer and director for Even Stevens, Thats So Raven, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, Soul Surfer and more than 50 other titles, returns to direct the sequel. Aliens Stole My Body was actually released on digital and DVD last year, but now heads to Netflix. Aliens Ate My Homework is currently streaming on Starz. Both films are also available to rent or purchase on demand, as well as on DVD. Coville, who also runs an annual Halloween story contest for Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, has sold more than 17 million copies of his books and been translated into 16 languages. Another of one of his stories, I Was a Sixth Grade Alien! (also known as My Best Friend is an Alien!), was adapted into a TV series that ran for two years in the UK, Nigeria and Australia. But Coville was still amazed to be on the set of Aliens At My Homework, the film based on his book first published in 1993. I was gobsmacked by what I saw out there, he told syracuse.com. Basically I was being hugged by a living, breathing character that I created more than 25 years ago. Movies coming in 2021: What to see on the big screen as theaters reopen Plan B: New American High movie shot in Syracuse coming out next month New Netflix movie Things Heard & Seen inspired by Upstate NY ax murder Researchers assessing the impact of solar energy development across Europe have come up with ten ways in which the expansion of solar can be shaped to ensure pollinators benefit. Researchers assessing the impact of solar energy development across Europe have come up with ten ways in which the expansion of solar can be shaped to ensure pollinators benefit. Space-hungry solar photovoltaic (PV) is set to dominate future global electricity supply, but with careful decision making, efforts to secure clean energy need not come at the expense of biodiversity - particularly pollinators which are in sharp decline. Bees, hoverflies, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths play a key role in food production, with around 75% of the leading global food crops and 35% of global crop production relying on them to some extent. Writing in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, a Lancaster-led team of environmental scientists systematically reviewed the available evidence on how land management practices relating to solar parks in North West Europe could enhance pollinator biodiversity. Along with colleagues from the University of Reading, they highlighted ten evidence-based ways to protect and even enhance pollinator biodiversity ranging from sowing wildflowers to connecting solar parks to nearby areas of semi-natural habitat. Their findings are timely as, in a bid to tackle climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, more power is being generated from renewable sources - at the beginning of 2020 a record breaking 47% of the UK's electricity came from renewables, including wind, solar, hydro, wave and biomass. Solar parks can produce large amounts of power, with the UK's largest solar park set to power 91,000 homes once complete. But, solar parks also take up land, with potential impacts on the environment. In the UK approximately half of PV has been installed as ground-mounted solar parks, ranging in size from 1-40 hectares. Shading caused by rows of solar panels affects air temperature, rainfall and evaporation which has a knock on effect on soil, vegetation and biodiversity. However, in the UK solar parks are often built in intensively managed agricultural landscapes and thus are poor for biodiversity. In this scenario, solar parks may in fact provide opportunities to establish hotspots of pollinator biodiversity which in turn can help pollinate local crops such as oilseed, strawberries and apples. Lancaster University's Hollie Blaydes said: "Many pollinators are in decline both in the UK and in other parts of the world. Actions to conserve pollinators include reversing agricultural intensification and maintaining natural habitat, both of which can be achieved within solar parks. Often built amongst agricultural land, solar parks offer a unique opportunity to provide pollinator resources where they are most needed." Prof Simon Potts, University of Reading, said: "As well as promoting biodiversity, pollinator-friendly solar parks also have the potential to provide tangible economic benefits to farmers through enhancing pollination services to adjacent agricultural land, boosting crop yields. "Imagine a world where solar parks not only produced much needed low carbon electricity but were also diverse and attractive wildflower meadows buzzing with insect life." Dr Alona Armstrong, Lancaster University Environment Centre said: "Land use change for solar parks could cause further degradation of our environment but, if done well, offers much potential to improve our environment. If we transition well, we could use energy system decarbonisation to also address the ecological crisis. Given where we are, can we afford not to?" ### Funded by NERC (ENVISION DTP), with support from Low Carbon, authors included Hollie Blaydes (Lancaster University), Dr Alona Armstrong (Lancaster University), Prof Simon Potts (University of Reading) and Prof Duncan Whyatt (Lancaster University) Link to full study here https:/ / www. sciencedirect. com/ science/ article/ pii/ S1364032121003531 DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.111065 Chinese President on Tuesday hit out at the US, saying there should be no "bossing" and "meddling" in the internal affairs of other countries as Beijing is increasingly coming under pressure from Washington and its allies over issues of human rights violations, Taiwan and Hong Kong. "Bossing around or meddling in others' internal affairs would not get one any support. We must advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity, and encourage exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to promote the progress of human civilization," Xi said, without directly referring to the US. "What we need in today's world is justice, not hegemony," he said addressing the annual Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), a promoted influential think tank based in Hainan via video link. "Big countries should behave in a manner befitting to their status and with a greater sense of responsibility," he said. His snide remark against Washington came as US President Joe Biden vigorously pursued a strong containment policy initiated by his predecessor by Donald Trump. Biden united US allies like the UK, the EU and Japan over his policy. He also held the first quadrilateral summit of the emerging alliance called Quad which included US, Australia, Japan and India. The US, the European Union, Britain and Canada have imposed coordinated sanctions on China over alleged human rights violations against Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang, a charge Beijing denied. These countries have also taken united position on China firming up its control over Hong Kong with its new national security law subduing the massive pro-democracy agitation in the former British colony. Those who attended BFA meeting including Apple's CEO Tim Cook, Tesla's Elon Musk, Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman and Bridgewater's Ray Dalio, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. Xi, in his address, also called on all countries in Asia and beyond to answer the "call of our times," defeat the pandemic through solidarity, strengthen global governance, and keep pursuing a community with a shared future for mankind. Marking the 20th anniversary of the BFA, this year's annual conference is themed "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation." "Global governance should reflect the evolving political and economic landscape in the world, conform to the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and meet the practical needs in addressing global challenges," Xi said. On creating a future of health and security with solidarity and cooperation, Xi said the key role of the World Health Organization (WHO) must be given full play in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. On climate change, Xi stressed the importance of following the philosophy of green development, advancing cooperation and doing more to implement the Paris Agreement. Efforts should also be made to boost the digital economy, and step up exchanges and cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine and modern energy, to turn the fruits of scientific and technological innovation into greater benefits for people in all countries, he said. Days after the US once again put India on its currency manipulator watchlist, Indias commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan on Tuesday said the move is an intrusion of the policy space of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). I personally dont understand its rationale or economic logic, Wadhwan said, adding that Indias central bank is not accumulating reserves and its activity in the foreign exchange market is perfectly balanced. These are in my view a legitimate market based operations of a central bank. It is a mandate of the central bank to provide stability in the currency, as a result of which central banks buy and sell foreign currency. Our overall reserves have been fairly steady at $500-600 billion. We are not accumulating reserves. We have a steady pattern of reserves that fluctuates, based on market based transactions. The central banks activity in the foreign exchange market has been perfectly balanced and completely legitimate and within the accepted monetary policy mandate of the central banks across the world, Wadhawan told reporters in a virtual briefing. Last week, the US Department of Treasury put India in its monitoring list of countries for currency manipulation. According to its annual report, this was based on high purchases by the RBI of close to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), thereby breaching the two per cent threshold. Besides, India also has a large trade surplus with the US, which further widened in the financial year 2020-21. Treasury found that eleven economies warrant placement on Treasurys Monitoring List of major trading partners that merit close attention to their currency practices: China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Ireland, Italy, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Mexico, according to an official statement released by the US Department of Treasury on April 16. PHOENIX, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dogtopia, the nation's leading dog daycare, boarding and spa franchise, achieved a quarter of record growth to start 2021. Today the company announced it signed 31 new franchise agreements from January 1 to March 31 and is currently on pace to open more than 50 new centers in 2021. Dogtopia also opened three new locations in Q1, entering new markets including Long Island, NY, Canton, OH and Tinton Falls, NJ, proving there is high demand for dog daycare across the country after millions of people welcomed new dogs into their homes during the coronavirus pandemic and are now seeking a safe place to send their pups for safe socialization, exercise and fun. "In addition to our loyal, returning pet parents, we are excited to see a new wave of parents seeking Dogtopia's daycare services for their pandemic puppies who are in need of socialization, education and exercise for when mom and dad go back to the office," said Neil Gil, CEO of Dogtopia. "We are delighted to deliver this necessary service with nearly 160 daycare centers across North America and 50 more opening this year, in partnership with our incredible local business owners and their local communities." Entrepreneurs looking to diversify their business portfolios and cash in on the pandemic puppy boom have become a driving force behind Dogtopia's growth. In Q1 alone, Dogtopia brought on new franchise owners with previous experience in several leading hotel franchises as well as Orangetheory Fitness, Sport Clips, Jersey Mike's and Primrose Schools. These newly signed franchise agreements will bring Dogtopia locations to San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston (TX), Tulsa (OK), King of Prussia (PA), Knoxville (TN), South Florida and Virginia over the coming years. Three existing Dogtopia franchisees also expanded with the purchase of additional licenses in Virginia and Florida. "We signed with Dogtopia because we identified dog daycare as an under-served need in our community and we felt that Dogtopia's emphasis on that segment, coupled with its focus on retail space positioning with bright and fun branding, really sets it apart from the competition and will be highly appealing to consumers in Knoxville, Tennessee," said Jeremiah Web, a new Dogtopia franchise owner and multi-unit Primrose Schools franchisee. "It was an ideal supplement to our current childcare facility holdings, as we are already well-versed in offering daycare services that are centered on customer trust within safe and clean environments." With nearly 160 centers now open and 280 in development, Dogtopia continues to solidify itself as a pet and franchise industry leader. Franchise Business Review recently crowned Dogtopia a "Top Recession-Proof Franchise," and Entrepreneur Magazine ranked the brand at No. 54 on its 2021 Franchise 500 list, up 17 spots from the previous year. Additionally, Dogtopia was ranked at No. 12 on Franchise Times' annual Fast & Serious List at the end of 2020. Dogtopia provides an open-play daycare environment with protective rubber flooring to ease joints while promoting safe socialization, exercise and education for dogs. Safety is Dogtopia's top priority and through its extensive team training and pet-safe cleaning program, pet parents can have peace of mind knowing their furry children are being cared for by the best in the pet industry. Dogtopia's daycare fees are all-inclusive with meals prepared according to each pet parent's request at no extra charge, or pet parents can bring their own food. Dogtopia's webcams also provide pet parents the ability to check in on their pups when they are away. The Dogtopia family is composed of many different types of entrepreneurs, including both single-unit and multi-unit operators. To learn more about Dogtopia and what it takes to own a franchise, visit https://www.dogtopia.com/franchising-us/. About Dogtopia Founded in 2002, Dogtopia is an early pioneer and innovator in the pet services industry, offering an experience focused on quality of care, safety and transparency in the market. With an emphasis on education, exercise and safe socialization for dogs, pet parents have the assurance of leaving their beloved furry family members in the hands of trained professionals in an environment created with the safety and wellness of dogs in mind. For more information, visit www.dogtopia.com. Media Contact: David Robertson, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 847-945-1300 SOURCE Dogtopia Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) President Rodrigo Duterte admitted violence may erupt if the Philippines continues to assert its rights in areas being claimed by China in the West Philippine Sea, despite being well within the country's exclusive economic zone. "We can retake it only by force. There is no way we can get back 'yung tinatawag nilang [what they call as] (West) Philippine sea without any bloodshed," Duterte said in his national address on Monday night. Dutete said the Philippines cannot possibly win against China if a bloody war ensues while affirming our jurisdiction over the disputed waters. "The issue of the West Philippine Sea remains to be question forever until such time that you know, we can take it back. Walang iba, giyera lang (There's no other way but war)," the President said. "If we promote a war against China and America... at what cost to us? Yan ang problema (That's the problem)." The President even discussed the country's Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, saying the Western superpower cannot be obligated to defend the Philippines in a war "created" by the latter. He also claimed the country was the first to "surrender" its claims in the West Philippine Sea. "Constructive occupation of the West Philippine Sea was completed by the singular act of China not retreating. Sa international law, ganyan 'yan. Ikaw ang umalis, ibig sabihin, hindi iyo (That's the rule in international law. When you are the first to leave, it means that is not yours already)," Duterte declared. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier assured that Filipino fishermen can freely go to the contested islands and reefs. "Our ships can go there. In fact regularly, mga barko natin sa Kalayaan, nagre-resupply sa Kalayaan Island Group (our ships are resupplying in the Kalayaan Island Group)," said Lorenzana. "Pati yung ating mga fishermen ay libre nakapangisda na hindi sila ginugulo ng mga Chinese (Our fishermen can freely catch fish there without being harassed by the Chinese)." Lorenzana's remark was in stark contrast to many incidents of harassment reported by Filipino fishermen involving Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. Last Jan. 25, fisherman Larry Hugo said he was blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard ship while he was on his way to his regular fishing area near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island in Palawan. Last April 9, a civilian vessel with a news reporter and a television crew was chased by two missile attack craft of the Chinese Navy just around 90 nautical miles from mainland Palawan and within the country's exclusive economic zone. But Duterte said he would send Philippine Navy "gray ships" to the area once China conducts oil drills inside the EEZ. "Kapag kinuha oil, nickel diyan, precious stone, that will be the time we should act on it... Hindi 'yung habul-habulan diyan, 'yung habulin 'yung isang reporter," said Duterte, pertaining to the TV news crew incident. [Translation: If they drilled for oil, nickel, and other precious stones, that will be the time we should act on it...Not playing tag, like with this reporter.] Duterte criticized former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, a staunch defender of the Philippines' claims in the West Philippine Sea who has accused the President of having no sense of urgency in addressing the presence of suspected Chinese militia vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef. "If the United Nations will ask China to surrender because of that award given to us, ibibigay ba ng China 'yan (will China honor it)? Can the United Nations compel China and do you think China will just give it freely because of the United Nations' demand?" he said. "Iyan ang hindi ko maintindihan sa kanya (That's what I cannot understand about him), he's a dreamer." RELATED: Carpio sees no concern, future action from Duterte amid presence of suspected Chinese militia in West PH Sea As of April 14, around 240 Chinese maritime militia vessels were spotted swarming in areas within the country's exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, according to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian over the prolonged presence of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef. It also reiterated its demand for the immediate departure of other Chinese vessels in other maritime zones of the Philippines. An arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled that China's island-building activities on these reefs and four others violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS and "have caused devastating and long-lasting damage to the marine environment." China rejects the ruling, which also recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights to parts of its EEZ which Beijing contests. The East Asian giant claims almost the entire South China Sea, including areas Manila claims as the West Philippine Sea. I am excited to be joining the leader in furniture solutions for off-campus student housing and an emerging leader in hospitality, co-living and workforce housing furniture. The Living Company (TLC) announced today that 25-year furniture industry veteran Doug Townsend will join TLCs Executive Leadership Team in the newly created Chief Transformation Officer role. As CTO, Townsend will work with the companys leadership to define and execute TLCs long-term growth and profitability strategies, by deepening relationships with existing clients, evaluating new product segments, new industry verticals and new customer channels, and driving an M&A strategy. He will also be responsible for corporate communications and marketing. Through its University Furnishings brand, TLC is the leading supplier of furniture, fixtures, and equipment to off-campus student housing and has experienced growth in hospitality as well as the burgeoning workforce housing and co-living sectors. Backed by Lee Equity Partners, TLC offers a comprehensive range of services, including design, sourcing, kitting, warehousing, delivery, installation, replacement, and rehabilitation. According to President and CEO Paul Dougan, the addition of Townsend to TLCs executive team is a direct reflection of the confidence the company has in its continued growth and the future of the industry segments it serves. With more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in the furniture industry, Doug is a natural addition to our team. His previous tenures as COO, CFO, Division Head and President have prepared him exceptionally well for this critical role at a pivotal moment in our companys history, Dougan said. Prior to joining TLC, Townsend served as Co-President of Home Meridian International, where he also held the roles of Divisional COO, CFO, and SVP of both US and Asia Operations. He has extensive experience in strategic planning, global supply chain operations, financial management, mergers and acquisitions and eCommerce. I am excited to be joining the leader in furniture solutions for off-campus student housing and an emerging leader in hospitality, co-living and workforce housing furniture, Townsend said. Paul and his team have built an incredible company and I look forward to working closely with them to expand on an already impressive legacy of success. About The Living Company The Living Company (TLC) is an industry-leading innovator, known not only for beautifully durable furniture but for its array of services, from design to delivery. Through collaborative concepting processes, dedicated factories, supply chain redundancy, turnkey customs management, and proprietary delivery systems, TLC offers a seamless experience, providing its clients with total peace of mind throughout the process. TLC is headquartered in the near-Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas, and serves a diverse customer base, including REITs, management companies, purchasing groups, developers, general contractors, designers, and individual owner-operators within the off-campus housing, workforce housing, co-living, and hospitality sectors. Sexual assault victims would be entitled to copies of police reports and be notified when prosecutors are filing charges against their assailants under a package of bills Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Monday. The goal of the seven-bill package, which would also give victims a chance to seek restorative justice should they decide not to report the crime, is to create a criminal justice system that is more respectful and responsive to victims, said Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, a prime sponsor of the legislation. Far too often, survivors of sexual assault who have the courage to come forward are victimized a second time, Weinberg said. These laws aim to remedy the pitfalls in our criminal justice system and workplaces that allow violence and misogyny to continue. These new laws will empower survivors to become informed and pursue their rights. The laws are based on recommendations from Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, a panel of women involved with New Jersey politics studying harassment and misconduct and Katie Brennan, a former campaign volunteer on Gov. Phil Murphys campaign whose explosive rape allegations led to legislative hearings. The laws also are a product of the Workgroup on Harassment, Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics, an independent panel co-chaired by Weinberg, to reduce the toxic environment for women. Weinberg organized the workgroup in response to an NJ Advance Media report on sexual harassment and sexual assault in New Jersey politics. Brennan accused a former Murphy campaign adviser of raping her in her apartment in 2017 after the pair left a gathering of campaign staffers. He denied the allegation and was never prosecuted after the case was reviewed by two county prosecutors. In May, Brennan settled a lawsuit against the state and Murphys campaign for $1 million after alleging numerous officials mishandled her complaint. Neither side admitted any wrongdoing. Brennan testified at numerous public hearings about the need for police and prosecutors to be better trained to investigate sexual assault and treat victims with more respect, based on her own experience of the criminal justice system failing her. In a statement Monday, Murphy said he was proud to sign the bills into law. It is imperative that we take steps to make sure that survivors in New Jersey know they can seek justice, the governor said. Giving our law enforcement agencies clear directives and guidance on how to manage sexual assault cases will ensure that these cases are handled with survivors in mind. Murphy signed into law: S3070 ), which establishes a three-year Sexual Violence Restorative Justice Pilot Program in North, Central and South Jersey to bring survivors and their abusers together to seek collective healing solutions outside the judicial system. S3071) , which requires police departments provide a copy of the rape complaint and a form the victim could submit that makes corrections or additions. A county prosecutors office staffer will be named to help victims complete the forms. S3072 ) which mandates that victims get an information packet explaining their rights, the law, the court process and available counseling services. They would also get a phone number to call for updates on their case. S3073 ) which requires county prosecutors notify victims whether charges will be filed. S3074 ), which mandates the attorney general to track sexual assault cases and issue an annual report with statistics on how many complaints were filed, prosecuted or led to plea agreements. S3075 ) which obligates the State Police and local police departments to train sexual violence liaison officers to serve as the in-house experts and primary points of contact on sexual violence cases. S3076 ) which requires county prosecutors and assistant prosecutors who handle sex crimes undergo periodic training developed by experts in trauma-informed care and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. This codifies a directive state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced three years ago. Another bill based on the panels work, (S3389) is pending. It calls for the creation of an independent investigative unit to handle sexual misconduct and harassment complaints involving political campaigns and government. The new investigative team would be overseen by the nonpartisan Election Law Enforcement Commission, the respected state agency that polices campaign finance laws. NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Kelly Heyboer contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Getchell Gold Corp. (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) ("Getchell" or the "Company") announces an offering on a non-brokered private placement basis of up to 3,500,000 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.45 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,575,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one-half of one share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.65 per share for a period of two years from the date of closing. The Offering may include closing in tranches and multiple closing dates. The Company will make a provision for an over-allotment option (the "Over-Allotment Option") to allow a purchase of up to 1,100,000 additional Units beyond the number of Units contemplated in this Offering. If the Over-Allotment Option is fully exercised, the total proceeds of the Offering will be an aggregate of 4,600,000 Units and gross proceeds of $2,070,000. The proceeds from the Offering will be used for exploration and development of the Company's properties and general working capital. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay finder's fees of 7% of the gross proceeds of the Offering payable in cash. In addition, finders may receive share purchase warrants entitling them to purchase that number of common shares of the Company equal in number to 7% of the total number of Units purchased by subscribers introduced to the Company by such finders, exercisable for a period of two years from the closing of the Offering at a price of $0.65 per common share, all in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"). Closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including approval of the CSE. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws. The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements. Shareholder Update Call April 21, 4PM EST Getchell Gold Corp. is hosting the April Shareholder Update this Wednesday, April 21, at 4pm EST. All interested investors and media are welcome to register: https://app.livestorm.co/getchell-gold/getchell-gold-april-2021-shareholder-update?type=detailed. About Getchell Gold Corp. The Company is a Nevada focused gold and copper exploration company trading on the (CSE: GTCH) and (OTCQB: GGLDF). Getchell Gold is primarily directing its efforts on its most advanced stage asset, Fondaway Canyon, a past gold producer with a significant in-the-ground historic resource estimate. Complementing Getchell's asset portfolio is Dixie Comstock, a past gold producer with a historic resource and two earlier stage exploration projects, Star and Hot Springs Peak. Getchell has the option to acquire 100% of the Fondaway Canyon and Dixie Comstock properties, Churchill County, Nevada. The Company reiterates that its near-term strategy to advance its assets is not impacted by the COVID-19 Corona virus. The Company continues to monitor the situation and is in compliance with all government guidelines. For further information please visit the Company's website at www.getchellgold.com or contact the Company at info@getchellgold.com. Mr. William Wagener, Chairman & CEO Getchell Gold Corp. +1 303 517 8764 info@getchellgold.com The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States. Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the private placement and the completion thereof and the use of proceeds. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, use of proceeds from the financing, capital expenditures and other costs, and financing and additional capital requirements. Although management of Getchell have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80956 The burnt body of a woman has been found in a backyard on the Gold Coast while three children younger than nine were believed to be home at the time. Police were called to a Spikes Court residence at Arundel about 6.40am on Tuesday to conduct a welfare check where the body was found. Initial reports suggested there was an explosion at the property before the body was found. The woman was seen by neighbours regularly walking with her children along the street to take them to a nearby school. Revenues increased by $3.5 million and net income rose $1.7 million year-over-year; Company maintains quarterly dividend payout - for 40 consecutive quarters; Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., (TSXV: CMI) (OTCQB: CYSNF) a leading global provider of commercial grade mobile auto-deploying satellite antenna systems, announced today its financial results for the first quarter ended February 28, 2021. The Company has generated revenues of $4,719,279 and net income after taxes of $1,466,580, or four cents per share. This compares with revenues of $1,240,630 and a net loss after taxes of $186,573, or 0 cents per share as reported in 2020. This Q1 2021 performance represents gains of 280% and 886%, respectively, over Q1 2020's levels. Q1's strong profitability led to a 5.9% increase in the Company's working capital. The Q1 2021 working capital of $23,801,078 compares to $22,472,963 in working capital as at November 30, 2020. The Company paid out $493,597 in dividends during this first quarter compared to $474,586 in the first quarter of 2020 - representing a 4% increase. The Company has maintained its quarterly dividend payout while continuing to innovate and invest into the next generation of advanced antenna products. The Company also announced the payment of its eligible quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.0125 per common share payable on May 18, 2021 to all shareholders of record as of May 4, 2021. Based on the closing price of $3.61 per share on April 19th, 2021, this dividend represents a yield of 1.4% on an annualized basis. This is the Company's 40th consecutive quarterly dividend. "In Q1 we completed the $3.4 million (USD) Manpack antenna sales order that was announced in October 2020," said Leslie Klein, President and CEO of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. "This resulted in the Company generating its second highest quarterly profit over the past nine years-which is encouraging, given the challenges of operating during the COVID pandemic. It further confirms the world-wide demand for our high quality, cost-effective and reliable products." Klein added: "Though 2021 will still be a challenging year for C-COM as we continue to navigate through the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are well positioned with a healthy balance sheet and extensive inventory to help us face the evolving challenges." "C-COM remains committed to its extensive R&D effort to develop the next generation electronically steered phased array antenna technologies in conjunction with the University of Waterloo, as well as our involvement with the Canadian/European EUREKA/PENTA alliance. Several patents from the Waterloo research project have already been filed and others are being filed. This research and development opportunity should provide C-COM with a revolutionary, patentable Ka-band antenna technology to be used with the growing number of satellite constellations being launched in the next several years," Klein concluded. About C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. If you cannot view the image above, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5445/80920_906f4281b436786a_005full.jpg C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. is a pioneer and leading designer, developer, and manufacturer of transportable and mobile satellite-based antenna systems for commercial markets. The Company has developed proprietary, auto-acquisition controller technology for rapid antenna pointing to a satellite with just the press of a button, enabling Broadband Internet via Satellite across a wide range of market applications worldwide, including regions unserved or underserved by terrestrial access technologies. C-COM has sold more than 8,500 antenna systems, in over 100 countries, through a dedicated dealer network that provides service to a wide range of vertical markets such as Oil & Gas Exploration, Military Communications, Disaster Management, SNG, Emergency Communications, Cellular Backhaul, Telemedicine, Mobile Education, Government Services, Mobile Banking, and others. The Company's iNetVu brand is synonymous with high quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. C-COM is in late-stage development of a potentially revolutionary Ka-band, electronically steerable, modular, conformal, flat panel phased array antenna. In cooperation with the University of Waterloo, C-COM is engaged in the design of this unique antenna with the intent of providing low-cost, high-throughput mobility applications over satellite for land, airborne and maritime verticals. For additional information please visit www.c-comsat.com. iNetVu is a registered trademark of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. The Company is publicly traded on the Canadian Venture Exchange (TSXV: CMI) and on the US OTC Exchange (OTCQB: CYSNF). # # # Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Statements about C-COM's expectations as to its performance after the COVID-pandemic and its intentions with respect to its Ka-band antenna version all contain forward-looking information. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The COVID pandemic may last longer than expected or C-COM's preparations may not translate into expected performance for any number of reasons, some of which are beyond C-COM Satellite Systems' control. Anticipated benefits of the new technology may not be realized, and new products and services may not be released or, if released may not gain market acceptance. Any of those events and others could have an effect on future performance and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.'s ability to achieve the results mentioned above. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Readers are directed to the risk factors associated with the business of C-COM Satellite Systems in the company's most recent MD&A available at www.SEDAR.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80920 House Resolution 40, which would merely establish a commission to study the question of reparations to the descendants of people enslaved by fellow Americans, received its first committee vote after having been submitted for consideration in every Congress since 1989. Then-Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced the bill the first time and did so again in every Congress until he left office in 2017. Rep. Sheila Jackson, D-Texas, has carried the burden since then. Finally, the House Judiciary Committee approved it last week. I call on the entire Oregon House delegation to speak now in favor of a full House vote on it. Serious consideration of reparations is long, long overdue, yet there is sure to be opposition to putting the resolution to a vote in the House. A united voice from the Oregon delegation in support of at least a simple up-or-down vote would go a long way toward ensuring that happens. And, of course, the promise to vote in favor of the resolution would be even more welcome. Rob Kugler, West Linn A Nashville-based Italian restaurant is bringing its first Alabama location to Huntsville at the Hays Farm development. Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate announced that Amerigo will open a 7,513 square foot location at The Market at Hays Farm as part of the development anchored by Publix on South Memorial Parkway. Its expected to open in late 2021, according to the announcement. Amerigo, which has five locations in Tennessee, is part of the 4Top Hospitality Group that brought Char Restaurant to Huntsville in 2019. Given the warm reception we received when we opened Char, in addition to the number of guests Ive met from the Huntsville area frequenting our Amerigo in Brentwood, Tenn., we made opening another location in Huntsville a priority, Doug Hogrefe, co-owner at Amerigo, said in the announcement. We couldnt be happier with the site weve chosen. Amerigo is the second restaurant announced for The Market at Hays Farm, preceded by Tom Browns Restaurant announced in December. Branch Properties is developing The Market at Hays Farm. In the heart of one of the fastest-growing markets in the Southeast, The Market at Hays Farm is well underway to becoming a premier shopping and dining amenity for the surrounding South Huntsville area, Branch Properties Partner Brett Horowtiz said in the announcement. As we continue to identify retail and restaurant offerings that will resonate with the community, we are looking forward to Amerigo joining the lineup, marking the concepts entry into the state. Amerigo will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and offer brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Architecture at the new location will be handled by Huntsvilles Matheny Goldmon Architects + Interiors. Patio seating, private dining spaces, a full bar and a dining room will be available for customers. Catering will be available at the Huntsville location for pickup and delivery. Amerigo has been on Huntsvilles radar for years and it is an honor to finally help bring them to Alabama, Crunkleton Commercial Real Estates Vice President of Retail Anusha Alapati Davis said in the announcement. Even with the unique challenges that came with the pandemic, Huntsville has continued to grow. Leasing a space that is over 7,500 square feet is a testament to that. Amerigo will bring an unrivaled level of service and unique Italian fare that will be a perfect fit for south Huntsville. WASHINGTON Afghanistan has a complicated relationship with time. And America has a complicated relationship with revenge. Between these two truths, tragedy blossomed. Awash in grief and anger, we invaded Afghanistan after 9/11 to hunt down Osama bin Laden and punish the Taliban for letting him turn a maze of caves into a launching pad to attack America. But, despite the lessons the Soviets learned in 10 hard years there fighting ghostly warriors who disappeared into the mountains, U.S. officials and generals never absorbed this simple fact: Even the battles we won, we lost in a way. As we grasped for our own revenge, what kind of revenge quest did we inspire in those who watched daisy cutter bombs rain hellfire or a wedding party disintegrate in a flash from a U.S. airstrike? How many enemies have we spawned trying to help Afghanistan? Taliban leaders say Americans have all the clocks, but they have all the time. The Bush administration was arrogant and ignorant about occupying this medieval moonscape. Officials thought they could bomb the bejesus out of the people who hated us, so that they would never look at us cross-eyed again. We would be the swaggering hyperpower. Even Barack Obama, once so prescient on the futility of invading Iraq, was suckered by the military into a pointless surge in Afghanistan, a near tripling of troops, in 2009. I remember touring Afghanistan and Iraq with Obamas defense secretary, Robert Gates, flying over the snow-capped mountains that make Afghanistan a fortress and sinkhole for empires. I asked him if the president had been rolled by the generals. Thats ridiculous, Gates snapped. Anybody who reads history has to approach these things with some humility because you cant know. Nobody knows what the last chapter ever looks like. Well, it looks just as grim as all the other chapters of this misbegotten occupation. Even then, it was clear that our attempt to turn Afghanistan and Iraq into model democracies was not going well. Touring those countries, Gates could barely leave the small secured zones. At a joint news conference with Gates, our corrupt puppet Hamid Karzai needled his American sugar daddies, protesting that America was stuck because Afghanistan would not be able to get its own forces ready for 15 or 20 more years. We attended a briefing where military leaders talked about mentoring Afghan forces, but they acknowledged that they first they had to teach a vast majority of Afghan recruits to read and write. Gates told reporters he had only just learned that the Taliban were attracting so many fighters because they paid more. Generals in Afghanistan said the Taliban were giving fighters $250 to $300 a month, while the Afghan army was paying $120. So Gates got the recruits a raise to $240. And this pathetic bidding war with the Taliban was eight years in. We should have respected Afghanistans reputation as the graveyard of empires and Pakistans deserved reputation for double-dealing. The Time magazine cover in December 2001, The Last Days of the Taliban, mocks us. We spent 20 years fighting in Afghanistan. But every year there was like the first. So we were really on our first year for the 20th time, making the same mistakes over and over again. As with Vietnam, many of those in charge knew that the war was unwinnable, but they hid the evidence, giving rosy forecasts while burning through $2.2 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives. As Douglas Lute, a three-star Army general who was the Afghan war czar during the Bush and Obama administrations, told government interviewers in 2015 for the secret Afghanistan Papers, a project on how things went a cropper: What are we trying to do here? We didnt have the foggiest notion of what we were undertaking. Many top Bush officials and neocons who mired us so deeply were absurdly demanding this past week that President Joe Biden not pull out. They are living cushy lives, enjoying big cable TV contracts and hosannas from liberals for trashing Donald Trump, while our troops have been dishonored by their dishonest strategies. Before we send our young people overseas to die, we need to learn from history and understand what were doing, not simply act out of vengeful emotions. As vice president, Biden was a lone voice in the Oval Office objecting to the surge in Afghanistan. He told Obama, if you let them, the generals will box you in and string it out. And thats how you end up with a forever war. Afghanistan will go down as another lesson in the folly of leaders whose egos do not allow them to think they are involved in a failure, so they contrive to paint it as a success. The U.S. has built a stable of weapons that can kill people wherever it desires. But the U.S. never bothered to figure out the rest of the equation. Trump was shooting from the hip, but his instinct to withdraw was right. And Biden was right to ignore dire warnings about what will happen when we leave. The Taliban cannot be trusted. A power-sharing arrangement with the Taliban was never going to work. The main argument for staying longer is what each of my three predecessors have grappled with: No one wants to say that we should be in Afghanistan forever, but they insist now is not the right moment to leave, Biden said So when will it be the right moment to leave? One more year? Two more years? Ten more years? Ten, 20, 30 billion dollars more above the trillion weve already spent? Not now thats how we got here. He talked of how he has carried a card for the past 12 years with the exact number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spoke of his late son, Beau, his North Star, who was deployed to Iraq. Im the first president in 40 years who knows what it means to have a child serving in a war zone, he said. Hopefully, our experience in Afghanistan will be the graveyard of Americas propensity to believe it can do whatever it wants with its military. How could we justify another 20 years, one Afghanistan veteran asked me, poignantly noting that theres nothing left of his friends who died in the war but names inscribed on park benches. MAUREEN DOWD writes for The New York Times. WTOs Okonjo-Iweala calls for July deadline to fishing subsidy talks by Mark Godfrey April 20,2021 | Source: SeafoodSource The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has suggested difficult talks on ending harmful fishery subsidies should be concluded by July. In an effort to inject some urgency to the talks, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala pleaded with negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland, to maintain a sense of urgency. Concluding these negotiations is a top priority for this organization, not only for the fisheries, but also for the WTO system, Okonjo-Iweala said in a 12 April address to the heads of delegations. We simply cannot afford to fail here, she said. The delegation heads recently met for 27 hours of face-to-face talks to attempt to overcome a logjam on several contentious issues, including how to designate opt-outs for artisanal and developing country fisheries and deciding which authority will determine which stocks are overfished. Separately, Okonjo-Iweala discussed the issue of fishing subsidies with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, according to the WTO. We are closer than ever to an agreement, but I know we also have many issues that still put some of us far apart, Okonjo-Iweala said. But my feeling is that only now we have reached a considerable degree of maturity in the negotiations, and we should do what it takes to close it. However, a leading expert on the talks and subsidy regimes told SeafoodSource he is pessimistic about the negotiating parties being able to overcome their outstanding issues. Developing-nation negotiators need to realize that carve-outs ultimately wont benefit their countries, said Rashid Sumalia, a fisheries economist at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia. He said the cost of continuing subsidies is one that could be better used on other economic development programs. We dont have to take the money out of communities, Sumalia said. If stocks are overfished, take away all the harmful subsidies that would undermine their rebuilding. Describing crazy politicking by delegations at the WTO, Sumalia said reduced subsidies in all countries will in turn lead to more fishing, which the market would support. While pessimistic about the current state of the talks, Sumalia retains a glimmer of hope because of Okonjo-Iwealas leadership. She has shown she is standing up for this [deal], Sumalia said. He cited as a reference point Okonjo-Iwealas role in cutting fuel subsidies in Nigeria while serving as that countrys finance minister. 2021 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved. Theme(s): Post Harvest Technology and Trade. More provinces and municipalities on the Chinese mainland recently have begun to offer compatriots from Taiwan island the same COVID-19 vaccine access as their mainland counterparts. Since Monday, Taiwan compatriots in Guangdong province and Shanghai have been able to make an appointment for vaccination online, the same as local residents, authorities from the two regions said on Monday. Both Guangdong and Shanghai, home to myriad Taiwan-funded companies and joint ventures, have registered a large number of investors, business representatives and their family members, scholars, tourists, teachers and students from Taiwan. In addition to Guangdong and Shanghai, Tianjin and Fujian province, for example, offered vaccination services to Taiwan compatriots earlier this year. In Tianjin, Taiwan compatriots have been allowed to make appointments for vaccination since March. People who work in the cold chain and logistics industries became the first group allowed to make appointments for vaccination in the northern port city in March, while all the more than 5,000 Taiwan compatriots in Tianjin have been able to register in their residential communities and with neighborhood committees for the vaccination since the beginning of April, local authorities said. "We feel very grateful for the support by the local Taiwan affairs offices," said Lui Sio-cian, a Taiwan compatriot living in Tianjin's Heping district. "After vaccination, our work and lives will become safer," Lui was quoted as saying by Taiwan.cn. In addition to online platforms to make appointments for the vaccinations, Taiwan compatriots can also register for vaccination via the mobile app Tailutong. In Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, the first group of 32 Taiwan compatriots to make appointments via Tailutong were inoculated on Monday morning. A Taiwan resident said he had been paying close attention to the messages on vaccination for Taiwan residents in Fuzhou in recent months. He immediately registered for the vaccination when he learned that he could apply. Last week, a Chinese mainland spokesman said Taiwan compatriots would be treated the same as mainland residents when seeking vaccination on the mainland. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the announcement at a news conference in response to a query about the inoculation policy for Taiwan residents on the mainland. Taiwan compatriots with residence permits or medical insurance certificates can register for vaccines in their places of residence on the basis of willingness and informed consent, the same policy and procedure governing mainland residents, said Ma. Those without the two documents can apply to Taiwan affairs authorities at county level or above for such services, he said. Teachers and students from Taiwan can apply for the vaccination in their universities and schools and get the same access as their mainland counterparts on the campuses, said Ma. The vaccination is free for mainland residents and Taiwan compatriots, Ma added. A 69-year-old woman who helps the homeless was hospitalized with a concussion, fractured skull, missing teeth, and memory loss after she was assaulted by a homeless woman who suspected her of turning her in to police. Janice Rains-Moran spent three nights in the hospital after she was savagely beaten near an apartment complex in the Clear Lake section of Houston on Friday night. The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Marnae Brown, a homeless woman believed to have a history of mental illness or intellectual disability. She has been charged with injury to an elderly individual. Bond has been set at $10,000. Brown allegedly pulled Rains-Morans hair, knocked out several of her teeth, and gave her a concussion, KTRK-TV reported. Janice Rains-Moran spent three nights in the hospital after she was savagely beaten near an apartment complex in the Clear Lake section of Houston on Friday night The 69-year-old who helps the homeless was hospitalized with a concussion, fractured skull, missing teeth, and memory loss The image above was provided by her daughter, Danielle Rains. It shows her mother in a Houston hospital after she was assaulted on Friday The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Marnae Brown, a homeless woman believed to have a history of mental illness or intellectual disability The incident took place just outside the Riviera Apartments complex at Clear Lake on Friday. The incident shocked the family of Rains-Moran, who has been known in the community as someone who helps the homeless population find work and permanent housing. Her daughter, Danielle Rains, said she and her mom regularly work to try and get the local homeless community into work and accommodation. Part of the job involves working with local law enforcement. According to Danielle, Brown accused her mother of trying to set her up. 'She shoved my mom down to the ground, she told DailyMail.com. My mom passed out cold.' Two Good Samaritans then stepped in to try and shield Janice from a further onslaught. The incident took place just outside the Riviera Apartments complex at Clear Lake on Friday A GoFundMe page was set up to help Janice pay for medical expenses. As of Tuesday, it raised more than $3,000 But Browns boyfriend soon emerged with a gun. 'The woman who attacked my mom the first time used the commotion as a chance to start attacking her again, Danielle said. 'She grabbed her hair by the left hand, then punched her with her right hand. She kicked my mom on the skull.' Janice was left injured with several of her teeth missing, though the family still doesnt know exactly how many since they havent been able to open her mouth. She also suffered bleeding on the brain and damage to her left eyes as a result of the attack. She also doesnt have any memory of the attack, and remains spaced-out on powerful painkillers, Danielle said. A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department refused to comment on what took place, only to say that the investigation is ongoing. A GoFundMe page was set up to help Janice pay for medical expenses. As of Tuesday, it raised more than $3,000. 'It's rough,' Janice's grandson, Cameron Cave, said. 'It's just an older lady. Like defenseless. I mean, who could do that to someone like that? 'She couldn't fight back.' (@FahadShabbir) A delegation of businessmen called on Ambassador of Pakistan in Niger Ahmed Ali Sirohey ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :A delegation of businessmen called on Ambassador of Pakistan in Niger Ahmed Ali Sirohey. The businessmen reiterated their regard and thanks to the dedication of embassy in enhancing diplomatic ties between Niger and Pakistan, said a press release received here on Tuesday. They informed the reason for their visit to the embassy and in regard the audience of Ahmed Ali Sirohey with President Bazoum held last week, they pointed out the pertinent issues raided by the ambassador, especially economy and business development. The delegation requested for a new and strong partnership with Pakistani businessmen and exporters. Moreover, they showed their interest to a bilateral agreement with Pakistan businessmen to invest in Niger. They wished happy month of Ramazan to the Government of Pakistan as well as the embassy. The ambassador appreciated their promptitude and highlighted again the purpose of his official visit to President Bazoum Mohamed. He assured the delegation of the engagement and upcoming projects by the Government of Pakistan to the Niger Government so as to extend brotherhood ties and improvement of the latter's economy. April 20 : Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary today. A close family friend and former actress Tina Ambani today shared a post on social media to congratulate the couple on their special day. Tina Ambani, the wife of businessman Anil Ambani, shared a beautiful picture of the couple on her Instagram handle and wished them on their special day along with a heart-warming note. In the throwback picture shared by the former actress, Aishwarya and Abhishek are all smiles for the camera. Can't believe it's been 14 years since your beautiful wedding. Still crazy in love, utterly gorgeous, and the most fabulous parents to Aaradhya. Blessings and heaps of hugs and love - happy anniversary, Tina wrote. Fans loved the picture of Aishwariya and Abhishek and poured in anniversary wishes for the couple in the comments section. Happy anniversary for the most amazing and cute couple, wrote a fan. Another wrote, Happy anniversary to the most beautiful couple. Yet another fan wrote, Happy Anniversary and wishing you both many more years of togetherness and happiness. Before marriage, Aishwarya and Abhishek worked together in several films like Dhai Akshar Prem Ke in 2000, Kuch Naa Kaho in 2003, Dhoom 2 and Umrao Jaan in 2006. After their marriage on April 20, 2007, the couple was seen together in Guru in the same. They were also seen together in Raavan in 2010. Aishwarya and Abhisheks wedding ceremony was an intimate one and took place in the residence of the Bachchans in Prateeksha. The couple welcomed their first child, Aaradhya, in 2011. Meanwhile, on the work front, Aishwarya has joined hands with filmmaker Mani Ratnam for her upcoming project, Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan, and has been filming in Hyderabad. Abhishek, on the other hand, was recently seen in The Big Bull. He will also be seen in Sujoy Ghosh-backed film Bob Biswas. Abhishek has been currently shooting for his next film Dasvi in Lucknow. European drug regulators have ruled Johnson and Johnson's single-shot coronavirus vaccine is safe to use. But they say it must now carry a warning over the one-in-a-million risk of blood clots when its rollout resumes in the EU. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) made the ruling following a meeting of its safety committee today. It reviewed eight cases of rare clots spotted in the US out of more than seven million people given the jab, mostly in women under 60. The EMA emphasised the blockages which occur alongside another rare clotting complication were 'very rare side effects' and the benefits of the vaccination far outweighed the tiny risk. It says the jab's rollout on the continent should continue as planned. J&J is aiming to get 50million doses to the EU by July and deliveries have already started. The American drug giant took the decision to 'proactively delay' their European roll-out last week after a number of clotting events were reported. US regulators also suspended the use of the jabs out of 'an abundance of caution'. They are expected to start using it again from Friday. Britain has ordered 30million doses but it hasn't yet been approved by the regulator and deliveries are not expected until summer. The EMA said the clots found in the tiny amount of J&J-vaccinated people were 'very similar' to those involving the AstraZeneca jab. Data showed unusual blood clots were occurring mostly in the vein responsible for draining blood from the brain a medical condition termed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and veins inside the abdomen, or splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT). Experts say the clots are occurring in combination with low levels of blood platelets, known as thrombocytopaenia. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) ruled the Johnson and Johnson Covid vaccine is safe to use, but that it must carry a warning over a one-in-a-million Covid side effect Cases of splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) were recorded following the Johnson and Johnson jab. This is similar to AstraZeneca J&J ROLL-OUT PAUSE DENTED VACCINE CONFIDENCE IN THE US, STUDY SHOWS Pauses to the Johnson and Johnson Covid vaccine roll-out has dented confidence in jabs in the US, research shows. American regulators took the decision last week after a handful of cases of very rare blood shots were reported following vaccination. Authorities hoped that by acting quickly, they would be able to boost public confidence in the jab. But polling data from YouGov shows the decision had the opposite affect. Around 50 per cent of Americans said the jab was safe before they took the decision, but this dropped to below 40 per cent following the suspensions. At the same time the number who thought it was unsafe rose from around 25 per cent to 40 per cent. The results were based on questionnaires given to 1,500 Americans and reported by The Economist. Advertisement Patients given AstraZeneca's jab were also found to have a similarly small chance of developing the clots, which appear to be slightly more common in young adults. UK watchdogs recommend under-30s are offered a different jab to AstraZeneca's but only because the risk/benefit ratio to younger adults is so small that they get no noticeable benefit from the vaccine. Several EU countries also restricted the vaccine for certain age groups, despite the risk being tiny and the jab proven to save lives. Denmark took the controversial move to stop using it completely. Both the AZ and J&J vaccines are viral vector types, which use a weakened version of a different virus to deliver instructions to human cells to fight Covid. Academics are interested in whether the clotting issues are linked to the way the jabs stimulate an immune response. The EMA concluded: 'The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare, and the overall benefits of COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen in preventing Covid outweigh the risks of side effects. 'Healthcare professionals and people who will receive the vaccine should be aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within three weeks of vaccination.' AstraZeneca's jab, which uses the same adenovirus technology as Johnson and Johnson's shot, was also required to list blood clots as a very rare side effect this month. There have been 79 cases of the blood clots out of more than 20million doses administered in the UK a risk of about one in 250,000. It has led to 19 deaths an overall rate of around one in a million. Statisticians say rare blood clots are occurring slightly more often in younger adults, who face less risk of dying from the illness and, therefore, have a smaller risk/benefit ratio of getting the jab. Experts are stumped as to why the vaccines may be triggering blockages in very rare cases, but one explanation gaining ground is that it may be down to an over-reaction in the immune system. In these cases it starts attacking its own platelets instead of the virus. The body then starts to overproduce them to compensate for those being destroyed by the immune system. This can then trigger clots with the platelets clumping together, before levels fall to cause thrombocytopenia. Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, said: 'These side effects (in the J&J vaccine) are very similar to those reported for AstraZeneca, which does suggest that it is the inactivated adenovirus delivery system that might be causing the problems. 'It's important to remember though in most people the benefits of these vaccines far outweigh the risks these are incredibly rare potential side-effects.' Professor Eleanor Riley, an infectious diseases expert at Edinburgh University, said: 'Suspicion is rising that these rare cases may be triggered by the adenovirus component of the AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines. 'It remains the case that for the vast majority of adults in Europe and the US, the risks associated with contracting Covid far, far outweigh any risk of being vaccinated.' The delay to the roll-out of J&J's vaccine was another dent in the bloc's shambolic vaccination drive, which has lagged far behind Britain and the US. The EU-run scheme has been plagued by supply shortages, logistical problems, and concerns over blood clots which even earnt it criticism from the World Health Organization which called it 'unacceptably slow'. Experts warn this latest timetable hiccup could further shake vaccine confidence on the continent. The EU has ordered more than 200million doses of the vaccine, made by J&J's Belgian partner firm Janssen. Italy, Romania, the Netherlands, Denmark and Croatia have all already taken deliveries, according to the Associated Press, and were told to stockpile them ahead of today's ruling. Q&A: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COVID VACCINES AND THEIR TINY RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS IS THERE ANY PROOF THE JAB CAUSES THE BLOOD CLOTS? Scientists have repeatedly insisted there is no proof yet that coronavirus vaccines cause the extremely rare complication blood clots occurring alongside low platelet levels. But officials are still investigating the link found in recipients of both AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson's vaccines and can't rule it out completely. DO SCIENTISTS HAVE A THEORY FOR WHAT MAY BE THE LINK? Experts are stumped as to why the vaccines may be triggering blockages in very rare cases. But one explanation gaining ground is that it may be down to an over-reaction in the immune system, making the body attack its own platelets tiny chunks of cells inside blood that build clots to stop bleeding when someone is injured. Experts believe the jab could cause the body to produce antibodies normally used to fight off viruses which mistake platelets in the blood for foreign invaders and attack them. To compensate, the body then overproduces platelets to replace those that are being attacked, causing the blood to thicken and raising the risk of clotting. This then causes levels of platelets to fall. The researchers say the phenomenon is similar to one that can occur in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), when sufferers take a drug called heparin. WHAT SYMPTOMS DO THEY CAUSE? The EMA said symptoms can strike up to three weeks post-vaccination. British regulators say the complication tends to occur four days after people first get jabbed. Symptoms of the two blood clots can include: Shortness of breath Chest pain Swollen legs Persistent stomach pain Severe or persistent headache Blurred vision Confusion Seizures Skin bruising beyond the site of injection Advertisement A senior EU official said the union will have enough vaccine doses to cover 70 per cent of its adult population by mid-July. 'I am now certain of how many doses are currently in production and I know how many millions will be delivered each week,' internal markets commissioner Thierry Breton told French newspaper Le Figaro. 'This allows me to assure you that we well have by mid-July the number of doses necessary for vaccinating 70 per cent of the European Union's adult population.' Johnson and Johnson claims blood clots have been recorded following vaccination with Pfizer and Moderna's shots. But experts say a background level of blood clots are expected, as a certain number of people will develop them regardless of whether they had the vaccine. It comes as top US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci said the country's decision to hit the pause button on the J&J jab roll-out could be reversed within days. He added there would likely be rules on how it is used, with either a 'warning' put on it or a recommendation that the jab is not offered to some age groups. Announcing it was delaying the EU roll-out last week, J&J said in a statement: 'The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. 'We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our Covid vaccine. 'The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported US cases out of more than 6.8million doses administered. 'Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a pause in the use of our vaccine. 'In addition, we have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities. We have made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe. 'We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.' The MHRA, Britain's drug regulator, is expected to issue a decision this week on whether the vaccine should be used. If it gives the green light, the UK Government can buy 30million doses of the jab, which would be enough to vaccinate the same number of people. Unlike other vaccines, only one dose is needed to protect people from Covid. Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), No10's expert vaccine advisory group, suggested the J&J vaccine could be restricted in younger Brits. He added: 'The Jansen vaccine uses the same technology platform as the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine, albeit a different adenovirus vector. 'So although the most recent data about this rare adverse event in the US still has many uncertainties it clearly requires both the MHRA and JCVI to scrutinise any new data related to both vaccines as it emerges. 'The observation of cases of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia in those receiving the Jansen vaccine in the US will need to be carefully reviewed depending on outcomes of any review there may be implications for the recommendation of the Janssen vaccine in the younger age groups in the UK where the risk from severe Covid is much less than in older age groups and in those with underlying illnesses.' Parler is slowly making its way back to its regular setup as recent developments have revealed that it would soon come back to the mobile platform, particularly in Apple's iOS and App Store, with a catch. The only requirement asked by Apple is for social media to have a "content moderation system" which would look into the actions and regulate community standards within it. However, having this feature would mean the end of the "free speech" social media which has been the company's "bread and butter" or what has made it famous for the past months it operated. Following the boycott of Facebook and Twitter because of its "limiting" rules, other users have opted for a "free" social media platform such as Parler. Parler's ban has been extensive, particularly as it got removed from the face of the internet in all of its platforms including app and web browsing experience. This followed the Capitol Riot which was blamed on Parler for letting it happen and its plans having originated from users that have incited the use of violence and marching towards the building. Read Also: Tim Cook Reveals Apple Car is Autonomous like a Robot, Hopes Parler Returns to App Store in Sway Podcast Parler App iOS Return: Apple Opens its Doors Initially, Tim Cook has opened up on the recent Kara Swisher "Sway" podcast about this matter, saying that it would allow Parler back to the iOS platform, provided that it would have a moderation system. "Mods" or moderators would now be lurking across the social media and look for violating content which would be subjected to account suspension or platform ban. According to CNN, the news regarding this came from a letter that was forwarded to the Senate by Apple, which has claimed their doors to be opening for Parler's iOS app. It was also said that Parler has proposed several probihitions to Apple regarding the content moderation system which they would observe once let back into the smartphone platform. Parler Content Moderation It seems to be a done deal for Apple, especially with the letter that was sent to Senator Mike Lee and Representative Ken Buck that stated its forthcoming move to allow Parler back to the iOS. The only prohibition made by Apple was that if Parler comes back, its updated application with the "content moderation system" would already be there. Parler has been active since March but has been observing its operations within the web browser software which can also be toggled or used via the smartphone's browser application. However, it could not capture the ease of use, features, and accessibility which can only be customized via a smartphone application that remains non-existent. Currently, Parler is operating within the walls of the web browser, and Apple's decision would be the first to invite it back to the mobile platform, allowing its access to growing again to individuals. Related Article: Parler Claims to Report Threats to FBI Ahead of Jan. 6's Capital Riot-Claiming Ban as 'Unlawful and Anticompetitive' This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan has received more than $1 million as a result of a gift from the Applebaum Family Philanthropy to support its Business+Impact initiative, which focuses on multidisciplinary, action-based learning in social impact, sustainability, poverty alleviation, and related policy. The gift will establish the Applebaum Family Business+Impact Experiences and Innovation Program at Michigan Ross. This new program will allow the school to enhance and expand its impact and design offerings, including the creation of a permanent endowment fund for need-based internships and scholarships to Business+Impact students. Additionally, the program will provide Business+Impact with funding for a range of impact and design activities, such as a new Applebaum Innovator-in-Residence, prototype development for models of social impact, community outreach, research, and more. "We are incredibly grateful to Applebaum Family Philanthropy for supporting our Business+Impact initiative and +Impact Studio. Their support will help us create new and innovative opportunities for our students who aspire to build a better world through business," said Scott DeRue, Edward J. Frey Dean at Michigan Ross. "This generous gift will enable students and faculty to partner directly with the business community to be catalysts for positive impact at Ross and beyond." Business+Impact student support Students participating in B+I programming who are awarded need-based scholarships and internships through the Applebaum Family Business+Impact Experiences and Innovation Program will be known as Applebaum Impact Design Fellows and Interns. Approximately 20 graduate and undergraduate students are expected to receive support through the new program each year. "Advancing the next generation of entrepreneurs by providing opportunity for collaborative inspiration has long been an essential priority for my family," said Pamela Applebaum. "Bridging business acumen and entrepreneurship to help lead community improvement especially here in Southeast Michigan is the next important step in this progression. That is why we are so pleased to partner with the Ross School of Business and the Business+Impact program in this effort. Together, we are confident that leveraging business innovation with social good will ultimately lead to transformative change." The B+I initiative at Ross was launched in 2018 with the vision of elevating the purpose and power of business to be a force for good in the world. The initiative has created and curated a wide range of impact-related programs, activities, and events. In 2019, the +Impact Studio opened to provide an innovative space for students and faculty from across U-M to develop business solutions to the world's greatest challenges, including access to safe water, financial inclusion, and economic and social resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan Ross students chosen to be Applebaum Impact Design Fellows will develop and test ideas from the award-winning +Impact Studio course and support student social innovators in the +Impact Studio Founders Program. Students selected to be Applebaum Impact Design Interns will engage in summer internships in connection with the +Impact Studio. Applebaum Family's legacy of support for student innovation and entrepreneurship Beyond the new gift to support the B+I initiative, Applebaum Family Philanthropy has recently augmented its commitment to Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Michigan Ross to advance student innovation and entrepreneurship. Further support was provided to the Eugene Applebaum Dare to Dream Fund, which has supported over 1,300 students over the last 16 years. Funding also will allow for the continuation of the Eugene Applebaum Family Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards, which annually recognize students who excel academically and demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit. Additionally, a recent commitment led to the creation of the Eugene Applebaum Family Dare to Dream Internship Fund, which provides support for two self-directed internships per year to students who have participated in the Dare to Dream Program at ZLI. The late Eugene Applebaum was a longtime supporter of leadership, entrepreneurship, and mentorship at Michigan Ross and U-M. In 1998, Eugene established the first chair in entrepreneurship at the business school, and he helped to pioneer and fund the first-ever student-led venture fund in the country, the Wolverine Venture Fund. Eugene's daughter, Pamela Applebaum, continues the commitment of leadership serving on the Zell Lurie Institute Advisory Board and championing her family's philanthropic support. About Michigan RossThe Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a diverse learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The mission of Michigan Ross is to build a better world through business. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. Michigan Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, part-time MBA (Evening, Weekend, and Online formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. For more information, visit MichiganRoss.umich.edu. About Applebaum Family PhilanthropyApplebaum Family Philanthropy is defined by and follows the extraordinary legacy of leadership, mentorship, and philanthropy of Eugene Applebaum. The mission of Applebaum Family Philanthropy is to provide unique and invaluable opportunities that will inspire the next generation. Priority areas of philanthropic focus are to advance education, promote health and medical research, enhance arts and culture, and strengthen Jewish community all toward a stronger collective. The centerpiece of Applebaum Family Philanthropy is the Applebaum Fellows Program, providing opportunities for young people to inspire entrepreneurship, independence and leadership. Students who receive scholarships through the Applebaum Family Business+Impact Experiences and Innovation Program will join the exclusive Applebaum Fellows Program, which offers continued connection to a network of like-minded peers and colleagues. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michigan-ross-receives-over-1-million-for-businessimpact-initiative-from-the-generosity-of-the-applebaum-family-301272066.html SOURCE Stephen M. Ross School of Business Haiti - Border : Radio interference, Haiti and the Dominican Republic sign an agreement Following the important meeting of November 2020 between the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) and the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL), https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32225-haiti-technology-conatel-and-indotel-seek-a-solution-to-the-problems-of-interference-at-the-border.html Leon Jean Marie Guillaume Director General of CONATEL signed on Friday April 16, 2021 in the Dominican Republic with his Dominican counterpart Nelson Arroyo Perdomo, President of INDOTEL a Memorandum of Understanding for bilateral cooperation in radio spectrum management. The two institutions are committed to working together to resolve the radio and telephone interference problems in the border area, a situation that has persisted for years despite several attempts to correct it. This agreement establishes a mechanism that will allow : 1- To ensure and guarantee that the transmitting stations (broadcasting, telephony) comply with the technical specifications defined in their operating license (annual control), so that their signals do not exceed the coverage zones defined in the regulatory frameworks of the two country, thus avoiding radio interference in the neighboring territory; 2- To prevent the inhabitants of border areas from being subjected to the involuntary reception of signals emitted by the mobile telephone network operators of the other country; 3- To neutralize or help neutralize networks of illegal operators that cause serious damage, both to authorized operators and to the State, to the extent that the applicable territorial law allows it; 4- To promote the dissemination of messages of harmony and fraternity to strengthen the links between the Haitian and Dominican populations; 5- To promote the development of information and communication technologies throughout the island etc... This memorandum of understanding ultimately provides an administrative framework for the good collaboration initiated some time ago by the two regulatory bodies (CONATEL and INDOTEL), with a view to developing the telecommunications sector for the benefit of the two countries. The two entities have agreed to create a permanent working table to meet common challenges in this area. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32225-haiti-technology-conatel-and-indotel-seek-a-solution-to-the-problems-of-interference-at-the-border.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21849-icihaiti-politic-entry-into-force-of-the-agreement-indotel-conatel.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21677-haiti-flash-233-haitian-radio-stations-interfere-in-dominican-territory.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21639-haiti-politics-interference-and-roaming-on-the-bilateral-agenda.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21136-haiti-technology-towards-an-airwaves-war-with-dr.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12571-haiti-telecommunication-interference-and-fraud-towards-a-bilateral-solution.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18543-haiti-security-over-347-illegal-fm-radio-stations-out-of-697-in-haiti.html HL/ HaitiLibre But negotiations have foundered over two key points of dispute: who sits on the commission and what those people investigate. Ms. Pelosis bill provides for 11 commissioners, with seven named by Mr. Biden or Democrats in Congress, and four named by Republicans. The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, rejected this, calling it partisan by design. In response, Ms. Pelosi is threatening to abandon the process and leave any investigations to the Houses standing committees, or a select committee. That would be a big mistake. As Americans have witnessed time and again, politically sensitive investigations conducted by sitting lawmakers are prone to being hijacked by grandstanders who care less about getting the truth than about getting more votes in their next election (see: Benghazi). Even if that werent an issue, theres the problem of limited attention. Lawmakers are constantly dealing with a long list of pressing issues. Adding a major investigation to that docket would only slow it down, and make it vulnerable to back-room deal-making. The solution is to divide the commissioners equally between Democrats and Republicans, but not include any current lawmakers or public officials. Nor should there be any role in choosing commissioners for the 147 lawmakers, including the House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who endorsed the lie about the election by voting to reject the Electoral College results hours after the insurrection had been put down. The good news is, thats not necessary. There are plenty of Republicans in public life who put their country above their party, like the former national security officials and lawmakers who this month signed a bipartisan letter calling for a wide-ranging independent commission. This isnt to say Congress has no role to play. Two Senate committees are already conducting bipartisan hearings on some of the security and intelligence failings surrounding the Capitol riot. Last week, a new report by the Capitol Police inspector general found that officers were told not to use more aggressive tactics to fend off the mob, even though there were warnings that violence was likely. The dozens of prosecutions of those who breached the Capitol or committed violence will also bring to light crucial information. These are all-important details to get into the record, but by themselves they are far from sufficient. As the national security officials letter made clear, any thorough investigation into the events of Jan. 6 must dig much deeper, to address the complex interplay of threats that led into and out of that day: coordinated disinformation campaigns on Facebook and other social media; the money being funneled to extremist networks; the ongoing specter of white supremacist violence, which the Department of Homeland Security has identified as a top threat. A commission addressing all of these issues could include a wider range of perspectives, too not just former elected officials but also political scientists who study the rise and fall of democracies, as well as experts in cybersecurity, disinformation and counterterrorism. Joe Biden has a story he likes to tell whenever he talks about Vladimir Putin: that when he met Putin at the Kremlin in 2011, he told the Russian dictator, I dont think you have a soul. In a recent TV interview, he also pointedly agreed that Putin is a killer, and the Russian president responded with a taunt and challenged Biden to a live televised debate. Whats weird about all this is that its not how we usually see presidents talking about their counterparts in other countries. But as silly as this back-and-forth sounds, it likely signals a very real shift in U.S.-Russia dynamics. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Joshua Keating, a Slate senior editor who focuses on international affairs, about the future of the two countries fraught relationship and what role dissident Alexei Navalny has to play in it. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: I feel like its worth listing out all the provocations the U.S. has faced from Russia over the past year: election interference, the SolarWinds hack, and Russia putting more troops on the border with Ukraine. These are not little provocations. Theyre pretty big. Joshua Keating: And then, of course, theres the situation with Alexei Navalny, Putins most important domestic opponent. Hes tried to run for president against Putin several times, was pretty clearly poisoned by the government last year, had to leave the country, and then returned and is currently in jail as we record this, on hunger strike and fighting for his life. If he dies in prison in the next few days or weeks, thats going to be a further deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations. Advertisement I wonder if you can tell the story of where the U.S. and Russia are from Russias perspective. I think, from the Russian perspective, the U.S. is this hypocritical bully that goes around talking about democracy and human rights and lecturing other countries as it uses its military power to overthrow foreign governments. Not just in Iraq and Libya and Syria, but, according to the Russian narrative, the U.S. was behind the so-called color revolutions in countries close by, like Ukraine and Georgia. From the Russian perspective, those were U.S.-backed efforts at regime change. Advertisement I think one thing that American governments have gotten wrong about Russiaand this was definitely true of the Obama administrationis viewing it dismissively as this declining power, thats totally dependent on selling oil, thats seeing reduced birthrates. The idea is that if Russia gets weaker at home, its going to lose the ability to project power abroad. The thing is, Russias been pretty effective at projecting that. It still has probably the worlds third most powerful military. Its been a major player in the conflict in Syria. It annexed Crimeait seized territory from another country. That never happens anymore. And Russia played at least some role in interfering in the U.S. election in 2016. I think it goes too far to say Russia got Donald Trump elected, but it certainly had some disruptive influence in that election. So I think its a little naive to say that Russia is this declining power that we dont have to worry about anymore. Advertisement You mentioned Navalny, whos imprisoned in Russia right now and reportedly in dire shape healthwise. I wonder if you can tell his story and how he reached the place hes in now. Advertisement Navalny is an interesting figure. He first came to prominence as a blogger, as a kind of muckraking investigator who published these exposes of the wealth of powerful oligarchs and officials in Putins circle. Over time, hes sort of become a politician as well. Hes run for president. Hes run for mayor of Moscow. He was arrested in 2013 and then unexpectedly released after thousands of his supporters marched on the Kremlin. One thing thats important to note: There has been opposition in Russia before, but its been difficult for traditional liberal parties to expand their constituency outside educated liberals in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Navalnys had a much wider appeal, and theres a dark side to it. Early in his career, he had links to right-wing nationalist groups, and hes made some pretty disgusting comments about immigrants and Muslims, which hes since distanced himself from is as a sort of international profile has grown. Advertisement I think that he has a kind of nationalist appeal. Its harder for the Kremlin to paint him as Western puppet. And I think that focusing on the graft, on the corruption, and on the personal wealth that Russian politicians including have amassed during their time in powerthat has more of an appeal than rather airy notions of liberal democracy. Advertisement Last year, Navalny was poisoned while he was boarding a flight in Novosibirsk, which is a city in Siberia, and he was evacuated to Germany for medical treatment. Its pretty clear from subsequent investigations that the Russian Federal Security Service had a role in that poisoning. But despite a pretty clear threat to his life, he returned to Russia in January and was immediately arrested. Advertisement Why did he return? It was a calculated risk. He knew hed be arrested and that there would be massive protests. You have to remember, hes been arrested before and been released before. He knew that this would be a sort of major galvanizing political event. I mean, the mans not a saint. In addition to the racist comments, hes been called an authoritarian and a bully by people whove worked with him. But in terms of the sheer physical courage needed to face up to this government thats very clearly willing to kill him, its hard to think of many political figures in the world to match him. How does that change the calculus for someone like Putin, whos been in charge for a long time and has just put in place rules that mean he can be in charge for even longer? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think hes sort of hoped he can make Navalny go away. But Navalny has continued to build support. So theres a high-stakes game of chicken going on. On Wednesday, there are massive street protests planned throughout Russia, which could be the biggest protests the country has seen since 2011. If Navalny dies in prison, the protest movement is only going to grow. I think Putin is taking massive risks here, too with the way Navalny is being treated. The Biden administration has few options to restrict Putins behavior. The U.S. has thrown a ton of sanctions Russias way, but even the latest round of sanctions is kind of routine. One, they expelled 10 Russian diplomats, which is something theyve done before. Two, they put sanctions on a number of countries they say were linked to Russias cyber activities abroad. And three, they banned companies from purchasing bonds issued by the Russian governmentfrom buying Russian government debt, which is a major way that government raises capital. Advertisement The thing is, the U.S. has imposed round after round of sanctions on Russia since the seizure of Crimea in 2014. Has it had any impact? Advertisement I mean, its had an impact on Russias GDP. It hasnt had an effect on Russias behavior. I guess you could say maybe it would have gone further in Ukraine if not for the sanctions, but the Kremlin definitely havent gone back on anything that it had been doing. Theres an argument to be made that these sanctions may have actually strengthened Putin a little bit because these Russian companies no longer have access to international capital, so its only made them more dependent on the Russian government. Advertisement Biden is stuck with the meat and potatoes of foreign policy, like joining with other countries to make it harder for Putin to work his will. That gets complicated pretty fast, say, if the U.S. does more to help Ukraine stand up to Russia. The thing is, Ukraine is also looking to provoke crises. Its government built up its own troops on the borders of these disputed areas where Russian separatists hold sway. That happened a few weeks before Russia sent its own troops to the Russia-Ukraine border. So I think its sort of to the Ukrainian governments advantage if there is a U.S.-Russia crisis, because that means the U.S. is going to be sort of pouring more and support into Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Do you feel like the U.S. may be about to be used by one or both of these countries? I think this worked out just how the government of Ukraine wanted it. On the Europe side of this, I think another interesting issue to look at is this pipeline The pipeline from Russia to Germany. Right. Its called Nord Stream 2. Its an expansion of an existing pipeline project. Its, I believe, about 90 percent completed. But if completed, this will make Germany and Western Europe more dependent on Russia for its natural gas. Its going to be a blow to Ukraine too, because previously a lot of that gas came in through that country. The U.S. has long been opposed to this pipeline, and the Biden administration is coming under pressure from Congress to sanction it. Advertisement The reason this is a tough one for Biden is because every foreign policy position the U.S. takes is about working with allies and rebuilding alliances. But Germany, or at least the current German government, really wants this pipeline. If youre going to put sanctions on it to punish Russia, youre going to piss off Germany and strain the alliances you want, not just on Russia but on a whole host of other issues. Advertisement It sounds like at this point were in this real reset, where the political parties in the U.S. are trying to decide how they respond to all this. I think theres a recognition that Russiaat least as long as Vladimir Putin is in poweris not going to be any sort of partner. There may be moments when there are opportunities on arms control on Afghanistan, on very particular issues where there is room for cooperation. But overall, Russia has an ideological project that sees Western liberal democracies as a threat. And thats not going to change. Nobody wants to go to war with Russia. Nobody wants direct conflict. I think the idea is that we can have a rivalry but keep it at like a low simmer and sort of manage it. I think thats the place where the current Biden team seems to have landed. Slate is the place that gave me the freedom to create What Next alongside a small team of dedicated producers. Over the years, weve developed a format that didnt just give context to the newsbut, during the coronavirus pandemic, became a way for us to connect with our listeners, and for our listeners to hear from one another. Your Slate Plus support means weve been able to grow our team from three people to sixmore, if you count What Next: TBD with the amazing Lizzie OLeary. Thank you so much for your support. Mary Harris, What Next host (Photo : Flickr/Stock Catalog) Amazon Alexa COVID-19 vaccination sites All of Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices can now help direct people to the nearest COVID-19 vaccination sites, the company announced on Apr. 20. Alexa's COVID-19 vaccination sites list Users can ask Alex where they can get a COVID-19 vaccine and they will immediately hear a list of nearby places to get a shot. After hearing the list, users can also ask Alexa to call a vaccination site, which Amazon said in a blog post, can help users get information about appointment availability. Making COVID-19 vaccine appointments by phone is usually easier for older adults or other people who struggle to use online scheduling platforms. Amazon introduced an Alexa feature that could direct people to COVID-19 testing sites back in February, according to The Verge. Every adult in the United States is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine after every state met President Joe Biden's deadline to open up access by Apr. 19. Also Read: Best Alexa Speakers: Reasons Why You Should Get an Amazon Echo After COVID-19 Quarantine The Biden administration stated that 90% of people in the United States should have a vaccination site within five miles of their home. Amazon hosted pop-up vaccine clinics in Seattle and is also working with numerous health officials to vaccinate its front-line workers in numerous states. More than half of adults in the United States have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Amazon's COVID-19 projects On Feb. 8, Amazon had Alexa help users find COVID-19 testing locations. By asking Alexa where they can get tested for COVID-19, Alexa will list the nearest COVID-19 test locations based on the device's location setting. Users can also get more information by asking Alexa to call the first testing site in order to confirm the information provided for the location and to schedule an appointment, as highlighted by the About Amazon page. On Feb. 11, Amazon reported that the COVID-19 testing lab in Kentucky that the company has helped set up, processed more than 1 million tests for front-line employees. Amazon built the lab in 2020 in response to the pandemic to help ensure the health and safety of front-line employees by giving them with regular, reliable access to testing. On Feb. 12, Amazon offered up to $80 to front-line employees who got the COVID-19 vaccine. The benefit is on top of the $2.5 billion that the company invested in special bonuses and incentives for its teams globally over the last year, and the $11.5 billion that it invested in COVID-19-related measures overall. On March 16, Amazon continued to open its Seattle campus Meeting Center for COVID-19 vaccinations. To date, more than 20,000 shots have been administered through the weekend pop-up clinics staffed by Amazon and community volunteers. On Apr. 12, Amazon Web Services or AWS distributed $12 million to help fight COVID-19. In the first phase of its Diagnostic Development Initiative, AWS helped 87 organizations in 17 countries ranging from nonprofits and research institutions to startups and massive businesses. AWS had awarded $8 million to support a range of diagnostic projects, including molecular tests for antigens, antibodies, and nucleic acids. Other projects are diagnostic imaging, wearables, and data analytics tools that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to help detect the virus Related Article: Amazon Alexa Now Helps You Find Nearest COVID-19 Testing Site, Wakes You Up to Minion Alarm This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sieeka Khan 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In testimony before the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis today, Heather Reams, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), called on lawmakers to take immediate action against the threat of climate change by supporting American innovators. At the hearing, "Making the Case for Climate Action: Creating New Jobs and Catalyzing Economic Growth," Reams congratulated Congress for successfully passing America's first comprehensive energy legislation in over a decade, the Energy Act of 2020 and asked they continue the difficult work of legislating bipartisan solutions that work for all Americans. In discussing the global magnitude of the climate change threat, Reams reminded the lawmakers on the committee that the U.S. has done a remarkable job of curbing its carbon emissions, while continuing to grow its economy, but that "global emissions are increasing, as global energy demand is rising, primarily due to increased living standards in the develop world." "As a result," Reams said, "U.S. climate and energy policy must foster innovations that work for India as well as Indiana. Simply focusing on achieving net zero by 2050 here in the United States is unlikely to produce what it takes for poor countries to do the same." She recommended three guiding principles for climate policies that work, "One, reduce energy prices, not energy choices. Two, shrink our emissions, not our economy. And three, export American innovation, not American jobs." She urged in the lawmakers, "invest in American innovators, probably the most powerful source for good the world has ever known. Empower and protect them. Give them access to resources like our world-class federal laboratories and abundant private sector capital. Give them strong intellectual property protection, especially from overseas threats. Finally, make government a partner in the work, not a barrier, so that they can build facilities and a specialized workforce here in the U.S. to scale up manufacturing and gain access to global markets." Reams called for new energy technologies "covering multiple sources and sectors that can be scaled to deploy across the world" stating that they, "need to be affordable and reliable, and more importantly, globally cost competitive with today's conventional energy" to meet the challenges of a world that continues to rely on fossil fuel. Reams also reminded the committee that a robust domestic development and manufacturing pipeline was needed to ensure American workers would benefit from our investments in innovation. "Well-meaning but misguided policies that incentivize thousands of new factory jobs in China on the U.S. taxpayer's dime is not a clean energy jobs program for America," she said. In discussing the global transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources, Reams reminded the lawmakers that when it comes to fossil fuels, American energy is much less harmful than foreign equivalents. "When the world switches from foreign to U.S. fossil fuels, the emissions reductions are enormous. If China, projected to lead the world in natural gas consumption, were to import U.S. LNG instead of Russian gas, the associated global emissions would be approximately 65 million metric tons lower." While U.S. climate policy often results in more expensive, and more limited options for consumers, we "would be far more effective and equitable driving down the cost of low-carbon technologies to make them competitive and viable for developing economies," Reams said. "Invest today so that we have technology for tomorrow," she concluded. "Making sure that America's climate policy supports our workers and our economy as well as our environment is our best hope for curbing the impact of global emissions." Click here for Reams' prepared remarks. Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) engages Republican policymakers and the public about responsible, conservative solutions to address our nation's energy, economic, and environmental security while increasing America's competitive edge. For more information, visit www.citizensfor.com SOURCE Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Pres. Trump holds roundtable with black leaders on race, police reforms Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Conservative black leaders met with President Donald Trump at the White House Wednesday, where they urged the administration to support policing reforms and shared ideas about other initiatives to benefit black communities. The meeting was held ahead of Trump's visit to Dallas, Texas, Thursday where he held a similar meeting with black leaders to discuss racial issues as the administration works out the final details of its own police reform proposal in the wake of nationwide protests following the officer-involved death of George Floyd. "A lot of these things are systemic," said Ja'Ron Smith, assistant to the president on domestic policy at Wednesday's meeting. "We need to break down that system and fight back." "You know, opportunity zones, [historically black colleges and universities], criminal justice reform, those are reversing some systemic issues," Smith said, highlighting some of the administration's previous achievements. He also stressed that the administration is looking at other layers of systemic issues. "We just saw what COVID shined a spotlight on, on access to capital; it shined a light on health disparities. Recently, with the protests, how can we create better policing and community relations?" Smith asked. "One thing we have done over the last couple of weeks is listening to individuals, and now we have some solutions, and those are things we are going to continue to work through as an administration." Wednesday's White House meeting was also attended by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, Pastor Darrell Scott, conservative radio host Wayne Dupree, Republican political consultant Raynard Jackson, and radio host Sonnie Johnson, among others. Kareem Lanier of the Urban Revitalization Coalition said the president has been "nothing short of historic for black America," citing the criminal justice reform and Opportunity Zones Initiative. But Lanier added that the "current issue that we're having right now is police reform." He stressed that police reform is "so much needed." "We did criminal justice reform, but police reform is the gateway to what we see as an unjust criminal justice system sometimes," Lanier said. "Meaning, if a crooked cop doesn't do a terrible corrupt thing with an individual, we never get into that bad system." Lanier added that the administration itself has been "marked by crooked cops," naming former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Trump in May 2017 amid the Russia investigation. "I tell people this all the time, this whole situation with this policing, it's not new to black people," Lanier said. "We've been used to it. As a kid, I got harassed by the police all the time and I think I was a good kid. But it's a part of our community. And so we do need some things to happen on the police reform side, which will connect with the great things we've already done historically with criminal justice reform. And we know that you're the president to get it done." On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced that the White House is finishing a legislative proposal on policing reform. She stressed, however, that the president will not support reducing legal immunity for police officers. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats reportedly pulled a pro-police bill that had the support of over 200 members last year as lawmakers look to create more accountability for officers. The bill would have allowed public safety workers to collectively bargain with the government over hours, wages, and terms and conditions of employment. On Monday, Democrats introduced a new police reform bill that bans chokeholds and creates a National Police Misconduct Registry "to prevent problem officers from changing jurisdictions to avoid accountability," according to a summary of the legislation obtained by CNN. In addition to policing reforms, Lanier stressed that banking reforms are also needed to improve access to capital for the black community. "We do also understand that we need some holistic approaches to create this ecosystem," Lanier said. "Voting rights, blacks have to go to get voting rights every 25 years or so now. These are things that are historic and we believe that you are the president to get these things done for the black community." Other speakers at the roundtable did not hold back when it came to criticizing the policies of the Democratic Party and what they perceive to be the media's partisanship when it comes to Trump's policies in the black community. "Think about the black community that has been under Democratic rule, progressive rule for 60 years," Johnson, a radio host and Tea Party activist, said. "How many rules, how many regulations, how many different forms of taxation are on the books in those areas that are preventing our communities from actually being able to see sustainable growth that we can keep and get ourselves out of this trend of generational poverty." She also voiced concerns that even through Opportunity Zone Initiatives, it can be difficult to get funding if people don't follow the agenda of the Democrat local officials. "If the Opportunity Zones pass from a federal level, they then go down to the state and then are allocated on a local level. So for us, as black people to actually access the Opportunity Zones, I have to go talk to Democrats and I have to be willing to do what they want to do under their agenda, how they want it done for me to be able to have access to the Opportunity Zone funds," she said. "So that's where, when you see in our communities, instead of getting young blacks to invest and become entrepreneurs and become owners, you're getting gentrification." Carson stressed that the administration is in the process of working to fix that issue. "The community development, financial institutions, the credit unions, the local banks have been excluded from a lot of the dissemination of the funds previously," Carson said. "That's been recognized, it's in the process of being corrected right now." Jackson, who served on the presidential campaigns of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, also didn't hold back. "What I like to say to you, Mr. president, is kind of off the beaten path. I'd like to say to all the media assembled here, I wish they would quit lying about what you've done, specifically for the black community," he said, noting that commentators like CNN's Don Lemon or MSNBC's Joy Reid are "putting more poison into the black community than any drug dealer." On Saturday night, Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters flew to Minneapolis to support demonstrators protesting the killing of Daunte Wright, an unarmed Black man who was shot to death by a police officer during a routine traffic stop on April 11. Noting the impending verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvinthe police officer accused of killing George Floyd last yearWaters urged demonstrators to stay on the street and get more confrontational if Chauvin is acquitted or found guilty of anything less than murder. The officers defense attorneys moved for a mistrial on Monday, claiming that publicity in the case had tainted the jurys impartiality; they specifically cited Waters comments, as well as TV coverage of the trial. Advertisement Judge Peter Cahill denied the request but criticized Waters, stating: I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. He added that if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution, to respect a coequal branch of government. Cahill declared that their failure to do so, I think, is abhorrent, but concluded that I dont think its prejudiced us with additional material that would prejudice this jury. He then provided an ominous conjecture to the defense: Ill give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. Advertisement 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. If the jury finds Chauvin guilty, could Waters statement really be grounds for an appeals court to overturn the verdict? Almost certainly not. Chauvins trial has generated enormous publicity, and a member of Congress has the same First Amendment right to talk about it, even in heated terms, as everyone else. The jury has an obligation to disregard all public commentary and limit its deliberations to the information presented at trial. Absent evidence showing that Waters directly biased the juryand that is probably impossible to proveshe did not undermine Chauvins constitutional right to an impartial jury. Although Republicans have framed Waters comments as incitement to violence, the congresswomans words, taken in context, clearly called for protest, not riots. Weve got to stay in the street and demand justice, the Waters told reporters, adding: Were looking for a guilty verdict and were looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floydif nothing does not happen, then we know that we got to not only stay in the street, but we have got to fight for justice. This statement is nearly identical to countless calls by members and supporters of Black Lives Matters to vigorously protest a verdict of not guilty in the Chauvin trial. It is obviously protected speech under the First Amendment. Advertisement Both prosecutors and defense attorneys must contend with the reality that jurors may be aware of facts and opinions not presented at trial. The Supreme Court has recognized that the First Amendment may occasionally come into tension with a criminal defendants constitutional right, guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment and the due process clause, to a public trial, by an impartial jury. But it has generally held that contentious, impassioned, round-the-clock speech about a criminal trial, including extensive news coverage and political interest, does not unduly contaminate a jurys impartiality. There are extreme exceptions: In 1966s Sheppard v. Maxwell, for instance, a man accused of murder was examined for more than five hours without counsel during a three-day inquest which ended in a public brawl. The inquest was televised live from a high school gymnasium seating hundreds of people. The Supreme Court noted that bedlam reigned at the courthouse during the trial, and newsmen took over practically the entire courtroom, hounding most of the participants in the trial, especially Sheppard. All three local newspapers published the names and addresses of potential jurors, who were then flooded with anonymous letters and telephone calls, as well as calls from friends, regarding the impending prosecution. Jurors were also photographed and televised whenever they entered or left the courtroom. The Supreme Court concluded that this massive, pervasive and prejudicial publicity violated the defendants right to a fair trial. Advertisement Advertisement Outside these bizarre circumstances, however, the court has not found that run-of-the-mill publicity, even in major cases, violates a defendants rights. The court has consistently refused to restrain the publication of information that could theoretically bias the jury against the defendant, rejecting such prior restraints on speech under the First Amendment. As a result, both prosecutors and defense attorneys must contend with the reality that jurors may be aware of facts and opinions not presented at trial, and trust the jury to exclude this information from its deliberations. The mere presence of speech that could bias a jury does not infringe upon a defendants constitutional rights. Suja Thomas, a professor of law at the University of Illinois College of Law and renowned expert on jury trials in the United States, told me on Tuesday that she did not believe a guilty verdict in Chauvins case would be overturned on the basis of Waters commentary, or anyone elses. The jury has already been instructed not to consider any information outside of the evidence that was presented at trial, Thomas said. Before the jury was selected they also heard opinions they need to disregard. The comment of Rep. Waters really should be no different. They were instructed to disregard such comments. I dont think the comment could be used successfully to appeal a conviction absent some other evidence of actual influence on the jurors. Advertisement Thomas added that Waters did not do anything wrong but merely exercised her own rights to speak freely about a matter of immense public concern. We all have a right to speak, Thomas said. She did. She is recognizing that more needs to happen if there is no convictionthat its unacceptable for Black people and other people of color to be targeted for unfair treatment by the police. It is actually a bit surprising that Cahill, the judge overseeing Chauvins trial, would explicitly condemn Waters comments. The judge ordered the proceedings to be televised in recognition of the constitutional right to a public trial. He must have known at the outset that Chauvins prosecution would prompt enormous commentary, yet appeared to trust jurors not to let themselves be biased by outside speech. Cahill made the right call by rejecting Chauvins motion for a mistrial, but his speculation that an appeals court might nonetheless overturn a guilty verdict on the basis of Waters words badly misses the mark. To understand more about how police training perpetuates a culture of fear and, sometimes, violence, listen to this recent episode of What Next. As politicians race to pass new voter suppression measures across the country, the fight for voting rights has never been more important. Slate Plus members allow us to cover this fight for the franchise with the urgency it deserves. We really couldnt devote the time and resources necessary to report out this monumental story were it not for your support. Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer A female teacher allegedly had a four-year sexual relationship with one of her students which started when he was just 15, and sent him voicemail messages declaring her love for him. Misty Lorene Cato, 43, a fifth-grade math teacher in the Springtown Intermediate School, admitted to police that she had sex with the underage victim several times in multiple counties, according to Parker County Sheriff's Office. She left him a voice message, which was seized by investigators before her arrest on Friday, saying she loved him for years and 'seeing him again makes her want to be with him again,' according to the sheriff's office. The victim said the sexual abuse started in in Azle, Texas, when he was 15 years old, the Parker County Sheriff's office said. He was enrolled in the Azle Independent School District at the time, which is about 30 minutes outside Fort Worth. Misty Lorene Cato, 43, who is a current math teacher in Springtown Intermediate School in North Texas, is accused of having sexual relations with a student for years starting when he was 15 years old. The relationship allegedly continued for 'several years at various addresses' in Parker and Tarrant counties, including inside of one of Cato's previous Springtown, Texas homes. Cato drove the boy to school multiple times, according to police. Springtown Intermediate School placed Cato on administrative leave once school officials became aware of the allegations, according to the sheriff's office. Daily Mail has approached Springtown Intermediate School officials for a comment. Park County Sheriff Russ Authier said in a statement that these types of cases are 'a shame.' 'It is imperative that our children attend school in a safe environment,' Authier said. 'Educators play a vital role in that safe environment and have a duty to protect our children.' The sheriff said the student was offered counseling at the Parker County Children's Advocacy Center, and the sheriff's office has investigators who help provide services to the victim. where his healing can begin. 'This reduces the burden on the victim by not having to repeatedly tell their story,' Authier said. Cato faces second-degree improper relationship between an educator and a student. Her bond was set at $100,000. After Rio Tintos non-response to the Juukan Gorge disaster, its good to see the miner has swung sharply the other way. Or how else to explain the near three-month listening tour new Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm has undertaken since arriving here from the UK on Australia Day? The softly-spoken Danish executive succeeded Jean-Sebastien Jacques as chief executive on January 1. This was after the mining companys explosion at the 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara caused a corporate implosion that claimed Jacques, two of his deputies and eventually chairman Simon Thompson after a shareholder revolt. Scott Morrison and Jakob Stausholm Credit:John Shakespeare Stausholm has already pledged to restore trust in the company. And since his arrival in Australia in January, sources say he has deliberately sought out warts and all feedback to hear how the company got it so wrong. Meetings so far include former chief executives Leigh Clifford - who spent 37 years with the miner - and Leon Davis, who wrapped up his tenure heading the mining giant in 2000 and astutely observed the value of iron ore in the Juukan Gorge was absolutely not worth the damage wrought to the miners brand by the detonation. Theres no word on the reception he received from the two former bosses, but those inside the firm say Stausholm has heard his fair of wrath from other groups since touching down. No surprises there. New Delhi, April 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted an interim stay on the Allahabad High Court order directing lockdown in five cities of Uttar Pradesh in the backdrop of the worsening Covid-19 situation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, said the state government has accepted several directions of the High Court, but imposing lockdown in five cities would not be appropriate. Mehta added that the state government has issued several directions to contain the spread of Covid-19 and it has been taking adequate precautions. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde queried, it would be as rigorous as a lockdown, but the High Court had observed that they are nowhere close to a complete down? After a hearing in the matter, the bench said: "In these circumstances there would be interim stay of the order." The top court observed that Mehta had submitted that the blanket lockdown imposed by the High Court in five cities in terms would create immense administrative difficulties. The top court also appointed senior advocate P.S. Narasimha as amicus curiae while directing the state government to submit a report on steps it has taken and that it proposes to take to contain the pandemic. The next hearing in the matter will be held after two weeks. The Uttar Pradesh government had moved the Supreme Court challenging the order passed by the Allahabad High Court imposing a near total lockdown in five cities in the state. Earlier, during the day, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice seeking urgent listing. Mehta submitted that a virtual lockdown has been imposed by way of a judicial order in cities like Prayagraj and Lucknow. He urged the top court to hear the matter at the end of the board. Five cities in Uttar Pradesh -- Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar and Gorakhpur -- have been placed under curbs till April 26 to arrest the spread of the Covid-19. On Monday, the Allahabad High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to close all establishments private or government-run in these cities. However, the court exempted those offering essential services and clarified that it is not imposing a lockdown in all of Uttar Pradesh. The High Court pulled the government for its lack of response emphasizing that the medical system could collapse, if urgent measures are not taken. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) As the Canadian government carves out an economic path forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Manitoba business leaders and stakeholders have mixed feelings about Ottawas fiscal blueprint for the country. As the Canadian government carves out an economic path forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Manitoba business leaders and stakeholders have mixed feelings about Ottawas fiscal blueprint for the country. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled the first federal budget in more than two years on Monday, touting it as a "lifeline" for workers and struggling businesses, with a pandemic-sized asterisk that things could still change drastically if vaccine supplies are delayed or if they prove inefficient against emerging variants of the coronavirus. "We are all tired, and frustrated, and even afraid. But we will get through this. We will do it together," Freeland told the House of Commons, tabling the nearly 700-page budget, with more than $100 billion in new spending over the next three years amid a record-breaking net debt of over $1 trillion. "This budget is about finishing the fight against COVID. Its about healing the economic wounds left by the COVID recession. And its about creating more jobs and prosperity for Canadians in the days and decades to come." Budget 2021 is proffering a lineup of numerous new programs and aid package extensions designed particularly for small and medium-sized businesses, and to pull more Canadians into, or back into, the middle class. It includes incentives to help businesses adapt and expand e-commerce, provides avenues for access to capital and skilled training, and increases funding to boost and recover hard-hit sectors like tourism and the arts. But the Manitoba business community says while Ottawa is hitting some of the right notes, theres many that are sour as well. "Were definitely a little mixed about it and certainly think it might have done better with more balance," said Bram Strain, president of the Business Council of Manitoba. "Its a lot of focus on the middle class, and thats OK. But, on top of that, the devils in the details theres pages and pages about certain programs, while others are just mentioned without much of an idea about how exactly that would work." The Liberal government is extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) programs for businesses until Sept. 25. Both were previously set to expire July 4, and are projected to cost $10.1 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. However, Freeland said Monday CEWS and CERS packages would gradually decrease starting July 4. In June, a new subsidy the Canada Recovery Hiring Program will be made available to businesses in the hopes of shifting them off payroll support and into hiring new employees or increasing the hours of existing employees. That new program, projected to dole out about $1,100 in pay per employee every four weeks, is being slated to span from June to November. Employers would claim either the hiring subsidy or the CEWS, whichever of the two provides more funding. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is pleased with Ottawas extension of the pre-existing subsidies and the new hiring program, but is disappointed that new businesses are still shut out of accessing any support. CFIB is worried about the lack of measures put in place to help address the $180,000 in new pandemic-related debt the average small firm in Manitoba has taken on. "Its certainly concerning that these supports are starting to focus quite a bit on hiring needs versus financially supporting a business overall," Jonathan Alward, Manitoba director for CFIB, told the Free Press. "I mean, its great that businesses can start hiring people again, but that can only happen when theyre back to a good enough position to do so. "Im not sure its a good idea to decrease the main support subsidies for ones focusing on hiring incentives for businesses across the board, just yet." Although the new hiring program will be available for any company, its expected to be most beneficial to sectors that are struggling to rebound: accommodation, tourism, retail and other industries focused on in-person activities. For tourism, in particular, the budget is tabling $1 billion over three years to jump-start the industry including support for festivals or events and creating jobs within the sector starting this fiscal year. Up to $500 million will be administered by the regional development agencies under the new Tourism Relief Fund, which will help local tourism businesses in adapting their products and services to public-health measures and recover from the pandemic. Dayna Spiring, president of Economic Development Winnipeg, said thats great news for Manitobas struggling events and tourism sites. "Weve had to cancel basically every single event throughout 2020, and now already cancelled all of 2021s events, too," she said. "This assures confidence and allows us to bring back the sector which is such an important life to our communities." But Kate Fenske, CEO of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said not much is being done directly for city centres by the federal government. "I searched for any mention of downtown in the budget and the only one we saw was reallocating $300 million from the Rental Construction Financing Initiative to support the conversion to affordable housing of the empty office space thats appeared in downtowns," Fenske said Monday. "Given how important downtowns are to our nations economy and Canadas identity, and how much weve seen them struggle, were disappointed there are no targeted supports for our city centres." Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, said hes particularly pleased with the renewed Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative that would make up to $450 million available over five years for entrepreneurs, starting in 2021-22. "Were definitely looking forward to the details with that one," he said. "A healthy venture capital network allows businesses to scale up and create jobs, invest in innovation, and be globally competitive in a market that really needs to grow right now." The budget also proposes a new tax on luxury goods such as yachts (over $250,000), personal aircraft and cars (over $100,000) in effect in January, 2022. This would boost federal revenues by $604 million over five years. "Its not like theyre being Robin Hood," said Strain. "But again, that very clearly shows this is a budget for the middle class. "And if thats what the aim was to help businesses and people that are part of that or need to part of that class then definitely, this is a successful budget in lots of ways." temur.durrani@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @temurdur Shoplifting Complaint Leads to Benton Man's Arrest By West Kentucky Star Staff MAYFIELD - A shoplifting complaint Monday led to the arrest of a Benton man on drug and other charges.The Mayfield Police Department said a local business reported a man attempting to steal merchandise. The suspect fled before officers arrived, but staff were able to provide authorities with a description of the suspect's vehicle.Officers located a vehicle matching the description a short time later. Police say the driver, 39-year-old Michael D. Sullivan, was operating the vehicle on a suspended driver's license and was found to have an active warrant for a parole violation. Additionally, a search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered suspected methamphetamine.Sullivan was served with the parole violation warrant and charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance (meth) and operating a vehicle on a suspended license.He was lodged in the Graves County Jail. Amount of the placement: 22.8 M, which may be increased to 25.9 M in case of full exercise of the over-allotment option Global request of 68.5 M 1 , representing an oversubscription of 3,4 times Capital increase of 20.2 million, after full exercise of the extension clause IPO price set at 13,35 euros per share (upper limit of the indicative price range) Trading on Euronext Growth Paris will start on April 23 under the following ISIN and mnemonic codes FR0013308582 ALLGO Regulatory News: THIS DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, DISTRIBUTED OR CIRCULATED, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN LARGO (Paris:ALLGO) (FR0013308582 ALLGO), an eco-responsible French player in the refurbishment of mobile devices, announces today the successful launch of its initial public offering on the Euronext Growth multilateral trading facility in Paris. Christophe Brunot and Frederic Gandon, Largo's co-founders comment: We are very pleased with the success of the operation. Largo's positioning, at the heart of the circular economy and 100% Made in France, has convinced many investors, both institutional and private. The reconditioning market is enjoying a positive dynamic that is supported by structural societal and environmental trends. The funds raised through the IPO will help us to consolidate our positions with distributors and to deploy growth levers that will enable Largo to become a key French player with telecom operators, to develop the e-commerce sales channel and to distribute a B2B offer to support companies' CSR policies. This is a new page in the history of Largo and we would like to express our sincere thanks to our teams, our partners and our investors, who have joined us or accompanied us since the beginning of our adventure . Price of the Offer The price retained for the Global Offering (the "Global Offering") and the Open Price Offer (the "Open Price Offer" or "OPO", and together with the Global Offering, the "Offer") has been set at 13.35 per share, at the top of the indicative price range. Result of the Offer The total demand expressed amounted to 5,130,888 shares, of which 73.3% under the Global Offering (through 46 orders from French and foreign institutional investors, representing a demand of approximately 50.2 million) and 26.7% under the Open Price Offer (through nearly 9,843 orders from individual shareholders, representing a demand of approximately 18.3 million). In view of the strong demand observed, i.e. 68.5 million euros, the Company has decided to implement the Extension Clause in full. Allocation of the Offer In total, the number of shares allocated following the exercise of the Extension Clause amounts to 1,938,636 shares, allocated as follows: 1,669,838shares within the framework of the Global Offering mainly intended for institutional investors in France and in certain countries (with the exception of the United States of America, Australia, Canada and Japan), representing approximately 22.3 M, i.e. 86.1% of the total number of shares allocated; and 268,798 shares in the framework of the OPO, representing approximately 3.6 M, i.e. 13.9% of the total number of shares allocated. Within the framework of the OPO, the A1 orders (from 1 share up to 200 shares included) will be served up to 25.0% and the A2 orders (beyond 200 shares) will be served up to 10.0%. The 1,938,636 allocated shares consist of 1,515,210 newly issued shares of LARGO and 196,154 existing shares sold by 37 current shareholders within the framework of the Offer. The total gross proceeds of the capital increase of the Company amount to approximately 20.2 million, including the issue premium (of which 963 thousands by way of compensation of receivables), after full exercise of the Extension Clause and before exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. LARGO has granted Portzamparc an Over-Allotment Option, exercisable until May 22, 2021, for a maximum of 227,281 new shares, i.e. a maximum amount of approximately 3.0 M. Reasons for the Offer and use of the fundraising: consolidate its current positions in distribution and accelerate the deployment of the offer on three additional sales channels The net proceeds of the funds raised will be used to finance the following objectives: approximately 20% of the proceeds will be devoted to retaining and expanding the current client portfolio in order to increase the Company's market share in retail sales and to address a first international expansion phase, with Spain being the primary focus; and approximately 80% of the proceeds will be devoted to deploying the offer across three additional sales channels: Telecom operators (approximately 50% of the funds raised), which represent both the main driver for collecting used smartphones with an uptake of almost 90% 2 and access to substantial sales volumes; The B-to-C offer (approximately 15% of the funds raised) through the development of the Company's "rilax-mobile.fr" e-commerce site launched in November 2020. An aggressive marketing strategy will be implemented in order to increase traffic, and an enhanced version aimed at improving the client experience and a German version should be launched by early 2022; The B-to-B offer (approximately 15% of the funds raised) to establish reliance on refurbished devices in businesses' CSR policies. The Company is putting the emphasis on the development of an offer, called "Blue Pearl", aimed at the B-to-B segment, an offer developed with its subsidiary (HAVETECH). Abstention and Lock-up commitment Abstention commitment by the Company: for a period of 180 calendar days from the date of settlement-delivery of the new shares that are the subject of this Offering, LARGO is committed not except with the prior written agreement of Portzamparc to issue, offer, lend, lease or divest, directly or indirectly (notably in the form of derivative transactions comprising underlying shares), Company shares, equity securities or other securities giving right through conversion, exchange, reimbursement, presentation of a warrant or any other manner to the allocation of shares issued or to be issued representing a portion of the Company's capital or the allocation of other of the Company's equity securities, or financial instruments tied to the Company's shares, nor to carry out any operation with a similar economic impact, nor to publicly announce its intention to carry out such operations. Lock-up commitments by the Company: a group of shareholders together representing 64% of the Company's capital (including Largo Group to the tune of 56.4%) prior to the Offering have subscribed to a lock-up commitment for a period of 365 calendar days from the date of settlement-delivery of the Offering regarding 100% of the shares held to date (with the exception of the shares to be sold in the context of the Offer). Another group of shareholders together representing 36% of the Company's capital prior to the Offering have also subscribed to a lock-up commitment for a period of 365 calendar days from the date of settlement-delivery of the Offering regarding 100% of the shares held to date (with the exception of the shares to be sold in the framework of the Offer). However, and by exception, this group of shareholders will have the possibility to sell all or part of these shares provided that this sale is made at a price strictly higher than XX euros per share (i.e. 125% of the Offer price). In addition to this exception, which only concerns this second group of shareholders, all the retention commitments have been made subject to certain usual exceptions. Next steps 22nd April, 2021 Settlement-delivery of shares within the framework of the OPO and Global Placement; Start of the stabilisation period (if applicable). 23rd April, 2021 Start of trading in the Company's shares on the Euronext Growth market in Paris. 22nd May, 2021 Deadline for exercise of the Over-Allotment Option; End of the stabilisation period (if implemented). Eligibility of the Offering for PEA-PME equity savings plans: The Company announces that it complies with the eligibility criteria for French PEA-PME equity savings schemes specified by the implementing decree of 4th March, 2014 (Decree n2014-283). As a result, the Company's shares can be fully incorporated within PEA-PME accounts, which enjoy the same tax benefits as the traditional PEA plan*. These advantages are conditional and limited to available ceilings. Interested individuals are invited to contact their financial advisor. Financial intermediaries ALLEGRA FINANCE Listing Sponsor PORTZAMPARC BNP PARIBAS GROUP Lead Manager and Bookrunner Availability of the Prospectus Copies of Largo's prospectus approved by the AMF on April 6, 2021 under number 21-096 comprising a securities note, a 6-page summary and a registration document approved by the AMF on 25th March, 2021 under reference number I. 21-005 (the "Prospectus") are available free of charge from the Company's head offices (4 rue Jean Mermoz, 44980 Sainte-Luce-Sur-Loire, France), its website (www.largo-france.fr) and the AMF website (www amf-france.org). Largo draws the public's attention to Chapter 3, "Risk Factors", of the registration document approved by the AMF on 25th March, 2021 under reference number I. 21-005, and notably the liquidity risk (raising funds at the time of a future IPO is the preferred way to cover the cash flow needs identified over the next 12 months) and to Chapter 3, "Risk Factors", of the securities note, and notably the risk of capital loss. The approval of the Prospectus should not be construed to be an endorsement of the securities being offered. For all information pertaining to Largo's IPO project, please go to https://www.largo-finance.com/ About Largo Created in 2016, Largo is a group fundamentally involved in the circular economy. With close to 40 staff based in Nantes, Western France, Largo refurbishes Smartphones, tablets and laptops. Positioned along the entire value chain, from sourcing to refurbishment and distribution, Largo wants to become a benchmark player in the field of responsible refurbishment. A pioneer in terms of transparency, in 2018 Largo invested in a sophisticated production tool enabling it to optimise its processes and the quality of its products. Entirely internalised in France, the refurbishment site offers full control of each key stage: reception, testing, reparation, quality control and after-sales service. Since the Company's creation, Largo has already refurbished more than 140,000 Smartphones, and generated revenue of almost 10.3 million in 2020. For further information, please go to www.largo-france.fr DISCLAIMER The documents and information related to the public offering of LARGO'S shares in connection with its proposed admission to trading on the Euronext Growth Paris market (the "Offer") are disclosed to you solely for information purposes on a confidential basis and are intended to be consulted, disseminated or distributed only in France, to the exclusion of any other country. This information is intended exclusively for French residents who are physically present in France. It does not constitute an offer to buy or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to sell or buy LARGO shares in any other country. In general, the consultation, dissemination or distribution of any document and/or information relating to the Offer as well as participation in the Offer may be subject to legal restrictions outside France. Furthermore, persons who take notice of and/or receive such documents and/or information are required to inform themselves of and comply with such legal restrictions. You must therefore not publish, transmit or show the documents and/or information contained on this page to any person whatsoever. Failure to comply with the legal restrictions in this respect may constitute a violation of the applicable laws and regulations on stock exchange matters in other countries. In particular, with respect to Member States of the European Economic Area other than France that have transposed Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"), the information contained in the Offer is intended solely for legal entities that are "qualified investors" within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. No action has been or will be taken to allow an offer to the public of the securities that are the subject of this press release that would require the publication of a prospectus in a relevant Member State (other than France). These restrictions with respect to the relevant Member State are in addition to any other restrictions applicable in the relevant Member State that have transposed the Prospectus Regulation. In addition, the information contained in the Offer is being distributed to, and is intended only for persons in the United Kingdom who are: investment professionals (person with professional experience in investments) within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Order 2005 (the "Order persons falling within the scope ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Order, or persons to whom an invitation or inducement to carry out an investment activity (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of financial securities could validly be communicated or have the effect of being communicated. The shares of LARGO may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration of the Offer with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption from such registration. Finally, the information contained in the Offer is not intended for persons located in Australia, Canada or Japan. LARGO disclaims any liability for any violation by any person of any applicable laws and regulations. The documents and information relating to the Offer have been prepared to provide general information about LARGO. Although every precaution has been taken to ensure that the facts contained in the documents and information are accurate and that the opinions, forecasts and projections contained therein are fair and reasonable, neither LARGO nor any other person assumes any liability whatsoever in respect of the contents thereof. No declaration or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy, truthfulness or completeness of the information contained herein. Any liability whatsoever for any loss of any kind resulting from the use of these documents and information or their contents, or in any way from the documents and information presented won't be accepted. There can be no assurance that LARGO's future results or events will be consistent with these opinions, forecasts or projections. The information contained in these documents and disclosures is subject to change without notice and its accuracy is not guaranteed. The information contained in this document may be incomplete, summarized and may not contain all important information about LARGO. 1 On the basis of a share price of 13.35. 2 https://www.recommerce-group.com/wp-content/uploads/RSE-Recommerce_2019.pdf (page 35) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005965/en/ Contacts: Largo Claire Monbeig-Andrieu Chief Financial Officer finances@largo-france.fr NewCap Thomas Grojean/Quentin Masse Investor Relations largo@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations largo@newcap.eu + 33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 New Delhi: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government increased restrictions on operation timings of grocery shops on Monday (April 20) and indicated that the Chief Minister is due to take a decision on imposing complete lockdown in the state amid rapidly brising COVID-19 cases. The decision of increasing cubs including limiting grocery shop timings was taken in a COVID-19 review meeting chaired by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. As per the sources, the high-level cabinet meeting of Maharashtra government to be chaired by the chief Minister himself is likely to take place on Tuesday (April 20) afternoon as well. The meeting is likely to discuss all the COVID-19 related issues including the increasing cases in the state, number of beds, oxygen and supply of remdesivir. We need to stop people from moving around without any reason. For that, a decision has been taken to allow grocery shops to remain open for only four hours so that people do not roam around throughout the day in the name of buying groceries, Health Minister Rajesh Tope told mediapersons after the meeting. Adding to this the Health Minister also hinted towards the government implementing additional curbs including restricted timings of essential services with the aim of breaking the chain of the virus. Restrictions must be made stricter till April 30 considering the crowding and current COVID-19 situation. Instructions have also been given to the police to stop people moving around without any reason and get rid of unnecessary crowding, Tope said on Monday. Earlier, Vijay Wadettiwar, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister revealed that the government is observing the Delhi government's six-day complete lockdown. Based on that, the government will make an announcement. This is not a lockdown. Many traders had opposed the lockdown. But today, traders or those providing essentials services and small shop owners are demanding 100 percent lockdown. This information has been shared with the CM, who is expected to take a decision on complete lockdown in two days after consulting Cabinet colleagues, he said. Wadettiwar added that, The curfew has not served any purpose as cases are on the rise. This is not a complete lockdown. Many traders were against complete lockdown, but now traders, shops selling groceries, political parties and common people are demanding complete lockdown. This has been conveyed to CM and he will take a final decision after discussing with all ministers. Meanwhile, India registered 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths in the last 24 hours, the data by the Union Health Ministry showed on Tuesday (April 20, 2021) morning. Live TV Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSXV: BNCH) (OTCQX: BNCHF) (WKN: A2JM2X) (the "Company" or "Benchmark") - is pleased to announce the completion of a robust statistical analysis of drill assays and surface sampling geochemistry that has important implications for regional exploration and drill target development. The Company is planning an aggressive drill program to expand new discovery areas with the potential to develop new gold-silver ounces near surface. Benchmark's flagship Lawyers Gold-Silver Project is road accessible and located within the Golden Horseshoe area of north-central British Columbia, Canada. John Williamson, CEO, commented, "The drill-ready targets have potential to generate additional near-surface gold and silver ounces that may be incorporated in to future economic studies as satellite deposits located near to the existing deposits. Drilling in 2020 provided a new discovery at the Marmot Target area with 101 metres at 0.82 g/t AuEq (see press release Jan 13, 2021 ) . Benchmark is planning to delineate and expand this area on strike, depth and width in addition to initiating drilling at Marmot East zone. Drilling will expand mineralization at surface where outcrop samples have yielded up to 61.3 g/t gold and 3,890 g/t silver. There is potential to quickly grow areas that exhibit the same anomalous geological features as the Cliff Creek Zone that measures over 1.2 kilometre strike length." Figure 1 - Lawyers property soil grids by key element ratio. a) normalized and gridded Ce/La ratio, indicative of hydrothermal fluid activity, b) normalized and gridded Sr/Ca ratio, which maps acidic/clay alteration, and c) normalized and gridded Tl/Rb ratio, a proxy for potassic alteration. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/80864_b83acabcf4d72a67_001full.jpg Benchmark has characterized the elements associated with gold-silver mineralization at the Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge-Phoenix and AGB deposit areas to produce an index of pathfinders associated with precious metals endowment within the Lawyers property. There is robust correlation between the identified pathfinders and gold mineralization within the deposit areas. Benchmark has utilized this pathfinder element geochemistry to evaluate prospectivity across the Lawyers Project land position within the soil sample medium to delineate additional drill targets. The soil anomalism at Marmot and Marmot East shares the same pathfinder element chemistry as the deposit areas and defines a substantial 2x3 km anomalous footprint (Figure 1), the largest anomalous footprint in soils on the property to date. The smaller Tl/Rb anomalous (potassic alteration proxy) footprint at Cliff Creek and AGB is likely related to disturbed soils from historical operations. The marmot anomaly is open to the east and south and will be systematically sampled in near-term surface work. Benchmarks' 2020 discovery hole of 101.00 m of 0.82 g/t AuEq including 2 m of 14.52 g/t AuEq (see press release Jan 13, 2021) at the Marmot zone demonstrated a significant gold and silver mineralizing system exists. Today's results indicate the potential footprint of the alteration system associated with this mineralization, demonstrating the expansion possibility and potential future addition of satellite resources to the Cliffs Creek-AGB-Dukes deposits. Controls on mineralization at Marmot are similar to those observed at Cliff Creek, including northwest and north-northeast oriented fault systems, silicification and potassic alteration. There is more sulphidation associated with precious metals grades at Marmot relative to the other deposit areas at Lawyers, which makes ground-based induced polarization (IP) geophysics an attractive targeting tool. Benchmark aims to complete an IP survey over the Marmot zones to contextualize surface geochemistry results and enhance drill targeting before embarking on a significant 10,000+ metre drill program. Figure 2 - Marmot Zone plan map showing rock grab surface sampling results, 2020 drilling, and proposed 2021 drill collars overlain on ground magnetics. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/80864_b83acabcf4d72a67_002full.jpg Quality Assurance and Control Results from samples were analyzed at ALS Global Laboratories (Geochemistry Division) in Vancouver, Canada (an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited facility). The sampling program was undertaken by Company personnel under the direction of Rob L'Heureux, P.Geol. A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Gold was assayed using a fire assay with atomic emission spectrometry and gravimetric finish when required (+10 g/t Au). Analysis by four acid digestion with 48 element ICP-MS analysis was conducted on all samples with silver and base metal over- limits being re-analyzed by atomic absorption or emission spectrometry. Rock chip samples from outcrop/bedrock are selective by nature and may not be representative of the mineralization hosted on the project. The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc, P.Geol., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Benchmark Metals Benchmark Metals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on proving and developing the substantial resource potential of the Lawyer's Gold-Silver Project, located in the prolific Golden Horseshoe of northern British Columbia, Canada. The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada, the OTCQX Best Market in the United States, and the Tradegate Exchange in Europe. Benchmark is managed by proven resource sector professionals, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from grassroots scenarios through to production. Benchmark is part of the Metals Group of companies, managed by an award-winning team of professionals who stand for technical excellence, painstaking project selection and uncompromising corporate governance, with a proven ability to capitalize on investment opportunities and deliver shareholder returns. www.metalsgroup.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS s/ "John Williamson" John Williamson, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Jim Greig Email: jimg@BNCHmetals.com Telephone: +1 604 260 6977 NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that 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 the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80864 Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday night that representatives of the governing coalition will disband the Justice Crime Investigation Section (SIIJ) so that it does not complete the investigation into the election of the mayor of Bucharest's District 1, adding that after the vote recount it was clear that Daniel Tudorache had won the election. "They asked for the disbanding of SIIJ. The magistrates came out and said disbanding the SIIJ was the most foolish to do. It has been boycotted by [former Justice minister] Mr. Predoiu and the current minister, not to function, to prove that it is not efficient. (...) After the magistrates, the CSM [Supreme Council of Magistracy] gave a negative opinion, the [Justice] Minister said that he would appeal to the Venice Commission, waiting for an answer from the Venice Commission. Two weeks later the minister said - we are going with the initiative in Parliament on the fast forward, we are no longer waiting for the opinion of the Venice Commission. What are we going to find out tonight? The SIIJ investigation, because the head of the district electoral office was a magistrate and the investigation is carried out by SIIJ, we find that Mrs. Clotilde actually lost the election. (...) There are 220 bags left to count, but the electoral trend is very clear, Mr. Tudorache [PSD member] won the election and then, when the SIIJ is disbanded, this investigation is being shut down, too," Ciolacu said for the public broadcaster TVR1. He added that the PSD would gather signaturea to hold a referendum and hold elections in Bucharest's District 1. "I suppose Mrs. Clotilde [Armand] is not a Bolshevik, as in Stalin's time, it doesn't matter who votes, it matters who counts, and she will step down. She's going to leave. SIIJ will not be disbanded until the investigation is completed," he said Walter Mondale, who transformed the role of U.S. vice president while serving under Jimmy Carter and was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984, died Monday at 93, according to a family spokesperson. The big picture: President Biden, who was mentored by Mondale through the years, said in 2015 that the former vice president gave him a "roadmap" to successfully take on the job. He was the first vice president to have an office in the White House and was deeply engaged in both U.S. and foreign policy, working closely with the president. "I took Fritz's roadmap. He actually gave me a memo, classic Fritz, gave me a memo, as to what I should be looking for and what kind of commitments I should get to be able to do the job the way Fritz thought it should be done," Biden said at an event honoring Mondale in 2015. Backstory: Mondale spoke by phone on Sunday with President Biden and former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, said his friend and former campaign staffer Tom Cosgrove. While he and his family believed his death was imminent, after those calls he perked up. In a final goodbye email to 320 staffers spanning four decades, Mondale told his staffers how much they meant to him, adding he knew that theyd keep up the good fight and Joe in the White House certainly helps. The email, which was shared with Axios, was prepared to be sent upon his death. Cosgrove said Mondale had been deeply worried about the impact of a potential second Donald Trump term on American democracy. "There was a difference after the inauguration - a letting go, Cosgrove said. There was a big exhale of relief. Mondale and Carter were the longest-living post-presidential team in U.S. history. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TETRA Technologies, Inc. ("TETRA" or the "Company") (NYSE:TTI) announced today that it will release first quarter 2021 results before the opening of the market on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Following the release, TETRA will host a conference call at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results. Brady M. Murphy, President and CEO, and Elijio V. Serrano, Senior Vice President and CFO, will host the call. TETRA invites you to listen to the conference call by calling the toll-free phone number 1-888-347-5303. The conference call will also be available by live audio webcast and may be accessed through the Company's website at www.tetratec.com. The news release will be available on the Company's website prior to the conference call. A replay of the conference call will be available at 1-877-344-7529 conference number 10155551, for one week following the conference call and the archived webcast will be available through the Company's website for thirty days following the conference call. Company Overview TETRA is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, frac flowback, and production well testing. Visit the Company's website at www.tetratec.com. SOURCE TETRA Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.tetratec.com The Ministry said Qureshi will have delegation-level talks with his Iranian counterpart to review the bilateral relations with a view to further deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, reports Xinhua news agency. Islamabad, April 20 (IANS) Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is scheduled to embark on a three-day official visit to Iran from Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations, the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said in a statement. The two sides are expected to discuss regional security including the latest developments in the Afghan peace process and Kashmir issue, said the statement, adding that deliberations on strengthening regional cooperation under the Economic Cooperation Organization will be held. During the visit, Qureshi will also call on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, according to the statement. His visit to Iran is part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, according to the Foreign Ministry. --IANS ksk/ A Las Vegas woman had to undergo three brain surgeries due to dangerous blood clots that formed after receiving the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, according to her family. Emma Burkey, 18, received the one-dose shot on April 1, reported the Las Vegas Journal-Review. About one week later, she began experiencing seizures and was rushed to St Rose Dominican Hospital, Sierra Campus in Henderson, Nevada, according to family spokesman Bret Johnson. Burkey was then airlifted to Loma Linda Hospital in California, where she was placed in a medically induced coma, intubated and underwent three operations to repair blood clots in her brain. Her parents says she is slowly recovering and is one of nine cases being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It comes one week after the two agencies suggested clinicians stop using the shot after a handful of reports of rare, but serious, blood clots out of more than seven million vaccinations. Emma Burkey, 18 (pictured), of Las Vegas, Nevada, received the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine on April 1 One week later, Burkey (left and right) started experiencing seizures and was rushed to St Rose Dominican Hospital. She was airlifted to a hospital in California, where she was placed in an induced coma and underwent three surgeries to repair blood clots in her brain Last week, the CDC and FDA reported that six women under age 50 who received the J&J COVID-19 vaccine had developed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) blood clots. One of those women is Burkey, which the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services says it did not know of until a public meeting of the CDC's advisory committee last week. CVST is a rare type of blood clot that blocks the brain's sinus channels of draining blood, which can cause hemorrhages. It occurs in about five per million people in the general population. In the six cases, CVST occurred in combination with low levels of blood platelets, also known as thrombocytopenia. Burkey's (pictured) parents say she 'is improving slowly' and is able to smile, mouth words and blink her eyes to communicate This figure of six was later updated to include nine people, but it's not clear if the other three experienced thrombocytopenia. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the J&J vaccine led to the blood clots. After delaying a vote on Wednesday on whether or not to recommend lifting the pause, the CDC's advisory committee meet again on April 23 to decide. Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which develops guidelines for vaccine administration as well as schedules, appeared to want more data before proceeding with a decision. 'She is improving slowly,' Johnson told the Journal-Review. 'The word we got from her parents last night was slowly, slowly slowly.' As of Monday evening, Burkey has been taken out of the induced coma and off of a respirator. Johnson said that the 18-year-old currently has a tracheostomy tube in her throat, but is able to mouth some words and communicated with her parents and doctors by blinking. 'She can [three-quarters] smile at will, and she likes to tease me about how bad I read lips,' her father, Russ, wrote in an update on GoFundMe. 'Her blinking is much improved. She had another CT [scan]...that shows no bleeds and a very little, but progress, in shrinking the damaged areas of her brain. Swelling of the brain is still an issue but not unexpected.' Rollout of the J&J shot is paused after nine reports of blood clots and the CDC's advisory committee is meeting next week to vote on whether or not to recommend lifting the pause. Pictured: J&J COVID-19 vaccine is held by pharmacist Madeline Acquilano at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, March 3 A CDC spokesperson told AOL that no additional cases have been confirmed in an emailed statement. 'We are encouraged that it hasn't been an overwhelming number of cases but we're looking and seeing what's come in,' said CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky during a press briefing on Monday. She added that the agency and the FDA were monitoring the U.S. government's database for additional reports of side effects. Johnson told the Journal-Review that even though Burkey experienced a 'massive brain injury,' her parents are 'cautiously optimistic.' 'They're cautiously optimistic because she is improving, but very, very slowly,' he said. The family has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of Burkey's medical expenses. As of Tuesday morning, it has raised more than $14,000, surpassing the original $10,000 goal. Kuala Lumpur, April 20 : Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused on Tuesday of coming up with a "cock and bull story" to try to overturn his 12-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of office. Prosecutor V Sithambaram told Malaysia's Court of Appeal that Najib's claim that his bank account was "manipulated" was "bizarre" and "a trick", reports dpa news agency. Sithambaram said Najib's story was undermined by text messages between the appellant and Low Taek Jho, a fugitive "financier" better known as Jho Low. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail in 2020 on charges related to the theft of 42 million ringgit ($9 million) from SRC International, a subsidiary of the 1MDB state fund set up by Najib. Up to $4 billion dollars could have been stolen from 1MDB, according to the US Department of Justice, which has returned hundreds of millions of dollars to Malaysia after seizing assets bought using 1MDB money, including by Jho Low. Najib's four other 1MDB trials are ongoing, including one in which he is accused of pocketing around $700 million in public money - largesse he maintains was a donation from Saudi Arabia that he mostly repaid. The former premier, who led Malaysia's government for almost a decade, remains a member of parliament for the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the biggest party in the governing coalition headed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Najib remains free on bail, pending the appeal, which started on April 5. UNIFIL makes multiple donations in southern Lebanon Xinhua) 11:02, April 20, 2021 BEIRUT, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) donated on Monday equipment for 10 civil defense centers in southern Lebanon, agricultural equipment for three municipalities, stationery for nine public schools, and medical equipment and masks for five clinics. Indian Battalion Commander Colonel Emeril Asia said at a ceremony at the municipality of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon that the aid aims to raise their readiness, capabilities and ability to fight the fires that usually break out in summer. He also hoped that medical devices, medicines, sterilizers and masks enable health centers to cope with the spread of COVID-19. He pointed out that agricultural equipment would help farmers reduce the cost of their production and improve their agricultural capabilities. Rawad Salloum, mayor of Hasbaya, thanked the UNIFIL for its efforts in supporting health, educational and agricultural institutions, in addition to its basic mission of maintaining peace and security in southern Lebanon. The UNIFIL, comprising over 10,000 peacekeepers from 45 countries, has been operating in southern Lebanon since 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) While Pakistan is engulfed in chaos and violence, the deadlock between the government and recently proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) over the ongoing protests is still continued even as both sides met for the third time. The banned party has put forth five key demands including the resignation of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, expelling French ambassador to Pakistan, the release of TLP leader Syed Saad Hussain Rizvi and other workers. Even though the government initially rejected TLPs demand and halted the talks, Rashid later announced on April 20 that the government will be presenting a resolution on the expulsion of the French ambassador in the National assembly later in the day. He released a video statement elaborating that the decision was taken after the talks with TLP. "After long negotiations between government of Pakistan and the TLP, this has been agreed that we will table a resolution in parliament today to expel French ambassador," Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said in a video recorded statement. The Mondays session of the National Assembly of Pakistan was adjourned to resume talks on April 22 but after Rashids statement, the schedule was again changed to meet at 3 PM on April 20. "Talks with the party will continue," Pakistan Interior Minister said. 20 .https://t.co/imkNgbg2d0 pic.twitter.com/pHaxAaztSS Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) April 20, 2021 As per reports, the third round of talks between the Pakistan government and TLP began on April 19 but they were stalled as the government initially rejected the other sides demands of Rashids resignation and the French envoys expulsion. Pakistan government delegation reportedly included Rashid, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat and senior officials of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs). 11 abducted police officers released by TLP Earlier on Monday, officials said that 11 Pakistani police officers have been released after they were seized by supporters of the radical Islamist group during their campaign to get the French ambassador expelled. As the nation has been rocked with several days of anti-French protests, the officers were reportedly grabbed as hostages on April 18 by the supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) during violent demonstrations in Lahore. Further pushing the country into chaos, the Pakistan police on April 18 had even opened fire at the protesting crowd in Lahore. The Pakistani government on April 14 banned the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) whose leader, Saad Rizvi had called for the expulsion of the French ambassador. As per reports, Rizvi was detained for hours after making his demands promoting anti-French sentiments and bringing thousands of TLP supporters to the streets across the nation. This triggered his supporters to flood the streets and demonstrate violently. Image credits: Instagram/Twitter As protests continued over a police officer accused of killing Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Minnesota, journalists have been subjected to numerous instances of mistreatment by Minnesota state police. Joshua Rashaad McFadden, a Black freelance photographer who was covering the protests for the New York Times, told the paper that the police surrounded the car he was in on Tuesday as he tried to leave the protests. It was definitely scary Ive never been in a situation like that with so many police officers hitting me, hitting my equipment, he said, adding that police did not believe his press credentials were real. Carolyn Sung, an Asian American CNN producer, was seized by police, despite identifying herself as a journalist, and was zip-tied while a state police officer yelled Do you speak English? Sung was then then taken to a nearby jail, where she was subject to an invasive search and forced to wait in a cell for several hours before finally being released. Still other journalists have been pepper-sprayed despite identifying themselves, or had their credentials taken. Many of these incidents including one in which journalists were forcibly stopped and made to lay on the ground, before having their identification photographed, and in some cases being detained for several hours occurred after a district court judge issued a temporary restraining order on Friday barring police from harassing journalists, to include threatening arrest and seizing camera or recording equipment. In one incident, a state police officer grabbed a photojournalist, pulled him out of a line, and took away his phone while another officer held his arms behind his back. When the photojournalist asked why he was doing this, the officer reportedly said, Because thats our strategy right now. On Saturday, Leita Walker, a lawyer representing more than 20 news media organizations including the Associated Press, BuzzFeed, Minnesota Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the Committee to Protect Journalists sent a letter to the governor of Minnesota and the heads of the states law enforcement organizations asking for them to put a stop to the harassment and abuse, citing the restraining order passed a day earlier. In her letter, Walker noted that several of the incidents she refers to took place Friday night, after the restraining order was already in effect. Law enforcement officers have engaged in widespread intimidation, violence, and other misconduct directed at journalists that have interfered with their ability to report on matters of intense public interest and concern, she wrote. Walker also pointed out that having law enforcement officers collect the identifying information of journalists who are engaged in journalism was found to be a First Amendment violation in a recent federal district court case. Minnesota State Patrol said in a statement that troopers checked and photographed journalists and their credentials and drivers licenses at the scene in order to expedite the identification process. While some journalists were detained and released during enforcement actions after providing credentials, no journalists have been arrested, the police statement said. When asked about the incidents during an interview on Sunday, Governor Tim Walz said that he was shocked by the allegations, and that apologies are not enough; it just cannot happen. In a tweet, Walz wrote that he had directed our law enforcement partners to make changes that will help ensure journalists do not face barriers to doing their jobs; in a TV interview, he said, These are volatile situations and thats not an excuse. Its an understanding that we need to continue to get better. Whether or not that understanding is shared is another matter: What has been happening in Minnesota is more evidence that where there are protests against police killings of Black men, there is also likely to be harassment and physical violence directed against journalists by those same police forces. As Cierra Hinton of Scalawag noted on Twitter, this doesnt mean attacks against journalists are somehow more important or more objectionable than attacks on protesters. Its also worth noting that even court orders specifically forbidding such behavior dont seem to work. Heres more on unrest and journalism: Brutal : Police allegedly trying to maintain order were especially brutal toward journalists seeking to exercise their 1st Amendment rights and document what police were doing in our name, according to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch . Even after a federal judge in Minnesota took the extraordinary step of issuing a temporary restraining order telling state troopers (but, weirdly, not local cops or the National Guard) to stop arresting or dispersing working reporters and photographers, officers in Brooklyn Center have been wilding against the media epitomized by the pepper-spraying of a French journalist in a yellow PRESS vest and her heavily equipped photographer. Targeted : Law enforcement have long targeted journalists covering protests, as Jon Allsop pointed out for CJR in a report last year. In 2014, for example, at least eleven reporters were arrested while covering unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, while others faced threats and attacks. Often, as Jeremy Scahill, founder of The Intercept , noted , reporters at such protests are unfamous journalists from non-corporate outlets, so their mistreatment goes unremarked upon by most of the mainstream press. Many of the journalists targeted during the protests over the killing of George Floyd last year reported that police attacked them even though they were prominently waving their press badges. Not just journalists : Amanda Darrach wrote in CJR about how journalists need to look beyond what is happening to them as a group, and put it in context of a broader pattern of police violence against protesters, many of whom are Black. The presumption is that were being targeted, because being targeted means were important, she wrote. We must stop focusing on ourselves. The journalist breathlessly detailing their own victimhood has become a sub-genre of a story that is, and should be, about the killing of George Floyd. We are not worthier victims just because the fourth estate works to uphold democracy. Its our job. And wed do well to focus on those who dont have the opportunity to write 800 words about their own importance afterward. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Other notable stories: Senior editors ignored numerous warnings from New York Times colleagues about Rukmini Callimachis work long before the making of the doomed podcast Caliphate, according to a report in Harpers . Three Times journalists who cover the Middle East, who all asked to speak anonymously so as not to risk their jobs, told me that they and several of their colleagues had raised concerns with senior editors about Callimachis methods beginning with her first stories for the paper in 2014. They were ignored. Some of the people arrested during the Capitol riots on January 6 are claiming that because they filmed the riots, they should be considered journalists, the AP reports . One defendant, Shawn Witzemann, told authorities he was inside the Capitol during the riot as part of his work livestreaming video at protests and has since argued that he was there as a journalist. I seek truth. I speak to sources. I document. I provide commentary. Its everything that a journalist is, the plumber from Farmington, New Mexico, said during a local television segment after his arrest on April 6. On its YouTube page, which has just over 300 subscribers, Witzemanns show says it delivers irreverent and thought provoking commentary and analysis, on an eclectic range of subjects. One America News has fired Marty Golingan, who worked for the channel as a producer since 2016, after he told the New York Times that staffers dont think many of OANs stories are true. The majority of people did not believe the voter fraud claims being run on the air, he said, adding, Ive given up my journalistic integrity already, and to be fired, that would make me feel good. I would wear it like a badge of honor. Channing Gerard Joseph, who teaches at the University of Southern Californias Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, writes in The Nation that American journalism has to acknowledge its role in promoting slavery and racism . I found my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather on my mothers side listed for sale in an old newspaper advertisement: Stephen, 50, sawyer and sailor. The announcement, headlined with the word SLAVES in bold capital letters, stated that he was to be auctioned off. Although its rarely discussed, Joseph says that a significant portion of Americas existing news business was built on slavery and other forms of racist terror. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, announced a suite of new audio products during an interview with independent journalist Casey Newton during an interview on Sidechannel, a Discord server started by Newton and several other journalists and newsletter writers, including Delia Cai and Charlie Warzel, who recently left the New York Times to start a Substack newsletter. Zuckerberg said the company will be launching a service that offers short audio clips, as well as a discovery tool for podcasts. New York magazine interviews Jay Caspian Kang, E. Tammy Kim, and Andy B. Liu, the three co-hosts of the podcast Time to Say Goodbye . They began the show last April as an outlet for discussing the coronavirus outbreak within an international context, and, more broadly, and what it means to be Asian in America. (The name of the podcast comes from an Andrea Bocelli song which, according to the hosts, is stereotypically beloved by first-generation Asian immigrants.) Kim is a journalist and former lawyer who covers labor and immigration, Liu is a historian of modern China, and Kang is a writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine Victor Pickard, a professor of media policy and political economy at the University of Pennsylvanias Annenberg School for Communication, writes in an essay for The Hill that local journalism should be considered infrastructure. Local news serves our critical information needs, particularly regarding vital issues such as vaccines, elections and public safety, he writes. Infrastructures must be maintained regardless of their profitability and such glaring market failure should necessitate government intervention. Public goods, after all, require public investments. Huffpost has said its UK website is here to stay despite layoffs and the departure of editor-in-chief Jess Brammar, according to a report from Press Gazette . Huffpost UK, under new owners Buzzfeed, will continue to cover UK politics, entertainment and lifestyle news with a team of about 22 people. Theres been a surge in media attention around NFTs, and a number of media organizations have tried to cash in , including the New York Times , which sold an NFT related to a Kevin Roose column (which was about NFTs) for $560,000. Time magazine has made almost $1.5 million by selling NFTs related to three of its classic magazine covers, such as the Is God Dead? cover. Other media forays into crypto have been less successful, however. The Atlantic sent out a press release earlier this month announcing the sale of its first-ever NFTs, but by the final day of the auction, the top bid for one of the NFTs was $500; for the other, just $33. The pieces never sold, an Atlantic spokesperson told me. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. OTTAWA - Governments are looking at new limits for travel both into and within Canada, as the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to set heartbreaking records. Pharmacist Barbara Violo arranges empty vials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that she has provided to customers at the Junction Chemist, an independent pharmacy in Toronto, Monday, April 19, 2021. Younger Canadians in several provinces are now able to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette OTTAWA - Governments are looking at new limits for travel both into and within Canada, as the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to set heartbreaking records. On a positive note, Canada hit a new milestone for vaccinations, with 25 per cent of the population vaccinated with at least one dose, as the number of people climbed over 9.5 million Tuesday afternoon. Generation-X Canadians flocked to make appointments for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as several provinces lowered the eligible age, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. But even as vaccinations were flowing, Ontario's scientific advisers warned the province's hospitals are "buckling" as hospitalizations and critical care loads continued to grow. Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, reported record numbers of active cases, hospitalizations and patients in critical care across the country. An average of almost 1,200 people are now in intensive care daily with COVID-19, about half of them on ventilators. On April 12, the most recent single-day statistics available, there was a one-day record of 599 people on ventilators due to COVID-19. COVID-19 deaths also grew in the last week, to an average of 44 deaths per day, after sitting close to 30 people a day over the last two months. Much of it is being driven by new variants, with more than 66,000 confirmed variant cases in Canada now, 96 per cent of them B.1.1.7. That is twice the number of confirmed variant cases just one week ago. In a bid to keep even more variants from entering Canada, Trudeau said Tuesday the use of quarantine hotels for international air travellers will continue until at least May 21, as will testing requirements for air and land-border arrivals. He defended the government against criticism it didn't move fast enough to enforce quarantines for travellers, but said they are considering additional measures. "We are continuing to look at more and I have asked our officials to look carefully at, for example, what the U.K. has done very recently on suspending flights from India," he said. Although Canada's borders are officially closed, thousands of people, mostly Canadians, still cross into the country every week. Health Canada says about one per cent of international air travellers are testing positive for COVID-19 during their three-day quarantine, but can't yet provide data for how many tested positive after 10 days. India has reported more than 250,000 new cases of COVID-19 daily this week and doctors are investigating whether another new variant, known as B.1.617, may be part of the reason. Last December, Canada suspended flights from the U.K. for just over two weeks due to concerns about the COVID-19 variant that first emerged there. In the last two weeks, 117 international flights arrived with at least one passenger who later tested positive for COVID-19, including 29 flights from Delhi, 20 from the United States and 24 from Europe. Provincial governments are also moving to restrict travel within Canada. Ontario and Nova Scotia are barring entry to non-essential travellers who aren't residents, while British Columbia is looking at doing periodic police roadblocks at ferry terminals and Vancouver-area highways to discourage recreational travel even within the province. Ontario reported almost 3,500 new cases Tuesday, the first time since April 12 the number was below 4,000. But hospitalizations, critical care admissions and patients on a ventilator all rose overnight, prompting new warnings from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table that hospitals are on the brink. The advisers said essential workers needed to be vaccinated faster and offered sick leave. Public health chiefs in Toronto and neighbouring Peel Region moved on their own to order any workplace closed that has had five or more positive cases in the last two weeks. Late Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford's office said he was isolating in Toronto after a member of his staff who was in close contact with him tested positive for COVID-19. The statement said the premier has tested negative and will follow all public health advice for close contacts. It said Ford will continue leading his government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic while in isolation, including briefings with officials and communicating with the public. Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province is examining what it can do to handle "gaps" in federal sick pay. Elliott received her vaccine from AstraZeneca weeks ago, and now that Ontario is among the provinces that lowered the eligible age to 40, Trudeau and other federal leaders can now follow suit. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization cancelled a planned briefing to update its guidance on what age groups should get the AstraZeneca doses, as more information on the risk of very rare blood clots has now emerged. NACI is still deliberating on what advice to provide. Three Canadians, including one newly reported in New Brunswick Tuesday, have now had the blood clots, out of more than 700,000 doses given. All three -- a woman over 55 in Quebec, a man in his 60s in Alberta and a woman in her 30s in New Brunswick -- are recovering at home. Several provinces didn't wait for NACI. Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. all cut the age from 55 to 40, although Saskatchewan said it has already used up much of the AstraZeneca supply it has received. Quebec is cutting it to 45 on Wednesday. Albertans under 55 lined up at mass vaccination clinics in both Calgary and Edmonton. "It's about time," said Jody Dewaal, 52, who was lined up at Expo Centre in Edmonton. "We've been waiting. I have senior parents and I have a child who has asthma, so we just like to have some kind of protection." Trudeau, 49, told pharmacists during a virtual meeting Tuesday morning that he intends to be vaccinated at a pharmacy, publicly, as soon as his office can work out the details. While Freeland was busy becoming the first female finance minister to table a budget in the House of Commons this week, she dispatched her kids to go online and find her an appointment. "My daughter said we're on a wait-list, so I have to check on that after this," she said. "But as soon as I can, I'll get mine too and I hope at a local pharmacy." O'Toole said he was booked for Saturday, while Singh is being vaccinated Wednesday. Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna appeared to be fastest on the booking button, posting photos on social media Tuesday of herself getting the AstraZeneca shot in Ottawa. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. -- With files from Fakiha Baig in Edmonton. Chads President Idriss Deby Itno died on Tuesday from wounds sustained in battle after three decades in power, the army announced. The shock news came only the day after the 68-year-old career military man was proclaimed the winner of a presidential election that had given him a sixth term in office. The army also announced a curfew and border closures after the death, as well as the dissolution of government and the parliament Deby had ruled Chad with an iron fist since taking power on the back of a coup in 1990 but was a key ally in the Wests anti-jihadist campaign in the troubled Sahel region. The army said Deby had been commanding his forces at the weekend as they battled rebels who had launched a major incursion into the north of the country on election day, April 11. Deby has just breathed his last breath defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield, army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said in a statement read out on state television. The army said a military council led by the late presidents 37-year-old son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general, would replace him. The council has already met to draw up a transitional charter, Agouna said, without elaborating. Debys son oversaw his fathers security as head of the elite presidential guard and often appeared alongside him, wearing dark glasses and military fatigues. On Monday, the army had claimed a great victory in its battle against the rebels from neighbouring Libya, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT). FACT, which waged its attacks in the provinces of Tibesti and Kanem, had claimed in a statement that Deby had been wounded a report that could not be confirmed. Divided opposition Ministers and high-ranking military brass had said Monday that Deby was in the region on Saturday and Sunday after the rebel offensive. Deby was among the worlds longest-serving leaders. Provisional results on Monday showed him winning re-election with almost 80 percent of the vote against nine challengers. His victory had never been in doubt, with a divided opposition, boycott calls, and a campaign in which demonstrations were banned or dispersed. Deby was a herders son from the Zaghawa ethnic group who took the classic path to power through the army, and relished the military culture. He had campaigned for the latest election on a promise of bringing peace and security to the troubled region, but his pledges were undermined by the rebel incursion. The government had sought Monday to assure concerned residents that the offensive was over. Panic had been triggered in some areas of the capital NDjamena on Monday after tanks were seen out on the citys main roads, an AFP journalist reported. The tanks were later withdrawn apart from a perimeter around the presidents office, which is under heavy security during normal times. The establishment of a security deployment in certain areas of the capital seems to have been misunderstood, government spokesman Cherif Mahamat Zene had said on Twitter. There is no particular threat to fear. However, the US embassy in NDjamena had on Saturday ordered non-essential personnel to leave the country, warning of possible violence in NDjamena. Britain also urged its nationals to leave, although France said in an advisory that there was no specific threat to the capital. FACT, a group mainly made up of the Saharan Goran people, said Sunday that it had liberated the Kanem region. Such claims in remote desert combat zones are difficult to verify. The group has a non-aggression pact with Khalifa Haftar, a military strongman who controls much of Libyas east. The Tibesti mountains near the Libyan frontier frequently see fighting between rebels and the army, as well as in the northeast bordering Sudan. French air strikes were needed to stop an incursion there in February 2019. In February 2008, a rebel assault reached the gates of the presidential palace before being pushed back with French backing. SOURCE: AFP 420 Day 2021 is today, Tuesday, April 20. To cure those munchies, several establishments are giving away free food. Buffalo Wild Wings, for instance is offering a buy-one-get-one special on traditional boneless wings. Below is a roundup of some of the bigger chains and franchises with offering free food and deals on Tuesday (and beyond in some cases), according to a report by RetailMeNot.com. Many of these you will have to head off-Island to Manhattan or New Jersey to snag. Blaze Pizza: Get a free upgrade to a high-rise crust via the rewards club if you order online from April 20 through April 25. Buffalo Wild Wings: Get a BOGO special on traditional boneless wings. Fatburger: The OG Fatburger is $4.20 today, and get free delivery by ordering online. Krispy Kreme: Get a free original glazed doughnut on 4/20 (or every day) when you show your COVID-19 vaccination card. Red Lobster: Get a Two for Tuesday deal for $50, which includes two lobster, shrimp and salmon meals, along with two sides. Smashburger: Buy one Scorchin Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich and get a second for free. Make confident decisions using our benchmarks and analysis. Download FREE Sample Report Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Automotive ADAS Sensors Market Analysis Report by Product (Radar sensor, Image sensor, Ultrasonic sensor, Infrared sensor, and LiDAR sensor) and Geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and MEA), and the Segment Forecasts,2021-2025". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions. More Details: https://www.technavio.com/report/report/automotive-adas-sensors-market-industry-analysis The automotive ADAS sensors market is driven by the increased accuracy in perceiving the environment through the sensor fusion technique. In addition, the regulations pertaining to safety systems are anticipated to boost the growth of the Automotive ADAS Sensors Market. In modern vehicles, advanced safety systems are designed in such a way that there is a limited information exchange. The sensor fusion technique combines the information generated by multiple sensors. This technique ensures the effective functioning of the ADAS system by minimizing the drawback of each sensor. The sensor fusion technique focuses on multiple inputs from numerous sensors, which leads to effective environmental perception. The sensor fusion concept is gaining significant interest among automotive OEMs. The technology is incorporated in luxury vehicles and is expected to penetrate mass-segment vehicles. These factors will drive the global automotive ADAS sensors market during the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Automotive ADAS Sensors Companies: Continental AG Continental AG offers ADAS with features such as Adaptive Cruise Control Stop & Go, Traffic Jam Assist, EBA, and other features. FLIR Systems Inc. FLIR Systems Inc. offers ADAS using cost-effective thermal cameras. HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA offers Hella-Gutmann - 360 calibration for advanced driver assistance systems. LeddarTech Inc. LeddarTech Inc. offers LiDAR technology for ADAS. ON Semiconductor Corp. ON Semiconductor Corp. offers image sensors for ADAS. Automotive ADAS Sensors Market Product Outlook (Revenue, USD billion, 2020-2025) Radar sensor - size and forecast 2020-2025 Image sensor - size and forecast 2020-2025 Ultrasonic sensor - size and forecast 2020-2025 Infrared sensor - size and forecast 2020-2025 LiDAR sensor - size and forecast 2020-2025 Automotive ADAS Sensors Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD billion, 2020-2025) Europe - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 North America - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 Middle East and Africa - size and forecast 2020-2025 Are you a start-up willing to make it big in the business? Download FREE Sample Report Related Reports on Consumer Discretionary Include: Global Automotive Emblem Market- The automotive emblem market is segmented by application (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East and Africa). Download FREE Sample Report Global Automotive Adaptive Front Lighting System Market- The automotive adaptive front lighting system market is segmented by application (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa). Download FREE Sample Report About Technavio 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. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ Report Page: https://www.technavio.com/report/automotive-adas-sensors-market-industry-analysis SOURCE Technavio Hyderabad: The health condition of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, was stated to be stable on Tueday. According to official sources, a team of doctors is monitoring the health of the CM round the clock. As per the doctors' advice, the CM quarantined himself at his farmhouse in Erravelli on city outskirts. The RT-PCR test performed on the CM also came positive on Tuesday, sources added. Doctors monitoring the CM's health condition stated that there is no need to shift him to hospital. He was advised to remain in home isolation for nine days, they said. All arrangements were made on Monday to shift the CM to Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda, if the need arose but doctors advised him home isolation since he had only mild symptoms. Meanwhile, TRS leaders and cadre performed special pujas in all major temples across the state on Monday for the speedy recovery of CM. Special pujas were held at the Yadadri, Vemulawada and Kondagattu Anjaneya temples. Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy on Tuesday urged priests at all temples to perform special pujas and archanas for the speedy recovery of CM. CM's political secretary and MLC Sheri Subhash Reddy performed special puja at the Edupayala Durga Matha temple. Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali visited the Yusufain dargah in Nampally and offered prayers for the well-being and speedy recovery of the CM. Legislative Council chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy called the CM over phone and enquired about his health. Former Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan also called the CM over phone and conveyed his prayers for his speedy recovery. Four years after their hit Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie went off the air, Dove Cameron and Jordan Fisher are reuniting in a new movie. The 25-year-old Cameron and 26-year-old Fisher have signed on to star in Field Notes on Love for HBO Max, according to Deadline. The film is based on the 2019 YA novel of the same name by Jennifer E. Smith, who is adapting the script alongside actress Lauren Graham. New film: Four years after their hit Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie went off the air, Dove Cameron and Jordan Fisher are reuniting in a new movie Reunited: The 25-year-old Cameron and 26-year-old Fisher have signed on to star in Field Notes on Love for HBO Max, according to Deadline Novel: The film is based on the 2019 YA novel of the same name by Jennifer E. Smith, who is adapting the script alongside actress Lauren Graham The story follows Hugo (Fisher), who is dumped by his girlfriend just before their long-planned train trip across America. She leaves him with the non-transferrable tickets, so he takes out an ad for someone to replace his ex, which is answered by Mae (Cameron), who is reeling from being rejected from USC's film school. What begins as a trip between strangers turns into something more, though they must deal with complications from their lives outside the train that threaten to derail their feelings for one another. Story: She leaves him with the non-transferrable tickets, so he takes out an ad for someone to replace his ex, which is answered by Mae (Cameron), who is reeling from being rejected from USC's film school Appian Ways president of production Jennifer Davisson and Phillip Watson are producing, with Fisher serving as executive producer. While the project reunites Cameron and Fisher, who played Liv Rooney and Holden Dippledorf on Liv & Maddie, which ran from 2013 to 2017 on Disney Channel, it also reunites Fisher with Smith. Fisher signed on in September to star in an adaptation of Smith's 2015 book Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between. Reunited: While the project reunites Cameron and Fisher, who played Liv Rooney and Holden Dippledorf on Liv & Maddie, which ran from 2013 to 2017 on Disney Channel, it also reunites Fisher with Smith Graham is also continuing her relationship with Smith, after coming aboard to write and produce an adaptation of Smith's 2017 novel Windfall. While Graham is best known as an actress on Gilmore Girls and most recently the Disney Plus series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, she is also an accomplished writer. She has written three books, the 2013 novel Someday, Someday, Maybe, a 2016 collection of essays dubbed Talking as Fast as I Can: from Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between and the 2018 advice book In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It, all three of which have been New York Times best sellers. Writer-actress: Graham is also continuing her relationship with Smith, after coming aboard to write and produce an adaptation of Smith's 2017 novel Windfall Cameron is currently filming The CW's live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot, portraying Bubbles Utonium. She'll next be seen on the big screen in Vengeance with Analeigh Tipton, Ashton Kutcher and writer/director/star B.J. Novak. Fisher recently signed on to star as Bart Allen, the future son of Barry Allen in The CW's hit superhero series The Flash. New role: Cameron is currently filming The CW's live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot, portraying Bubbles Utonium A father-of-two who threatened to burn down the house of a business owner if he did not give 58,000 to his godfather has been jailed for four-and-a-half years. Robert Redmond (32) was sent to collect this debt by a man who the court heard was his godfather in the Catholic sense rather than the Al Pacino sense. Redmond of Streamville Road, Kilbarrack, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making an unwarranted demand with menace at Newton Industrial Estate, Coolock, on September 26, 2019. He has 90 previous convictions, including for drugs and road traffic offences. Detective Garda Michael McCallion told Philip Rahn BL, prosecuting, that the owner of Spring Valley Meats based in the industrial estate in Coolock had previously subletted part of his premises to a man in October 2016. Det Gda McCallion said that on the date in September 2019, the business owner was at his premises in the industrial estate when Redmond and another man arrived in a van. Redmond told the business owner that he owed his godfather, the former tenant, 58,000 and was there to collect. He said he knew where the man lived and he would go there in a few hours to collect the money. The business owner later received a phone call from Redmond who told him his gaff would be burnt down with his mot inside it. He called the victim three more times, but the victim did not answer. Redmond sent a text saying that he had tried to do things the easy way, that the victim owed his godfather and that if he wanted to know who he was dealing with he should check the last six Sunday Worlds. Gardai identified Redmond from CCTV and he voluntarily attended for an interview. During the interview he accepted he was at the scene about a debt, but did not accept that there were threats made. Mr Rahn told the court the former tenant was Redmond's godfather in the Catholic sense rather than the Al Pacino sense. He told the court that the victim's position is that no debt was owed. Det Gda McCallion agreed with Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, that his client would be known to gardai as having a drug problem. He agreed the accused is remorseful. The detective agreed that Redmond had been asked by his godfather to go down and demand the money. He agreed it was fair to say that the accused was in an awkward position by view of his connection to this man. Mr O'Higgins said that when his client was aged 10 his father was jailed and his mother left the family home, leaving him to be raised by his older sister. He said his client had a good work history prior to developing an issue with drugs aged 18. Counsel said his client was not standing to be the beneficiary and was not the brains behind any attempted extortion. He said his client has two children. Judge Martin Nolan said it was very serious what the accused had done. He noted that he had pleaded guilty, made admissions and was remorseful. Judge Nolan sentenced Redmond to four-and-a-half years imprisonment. Fox News anchor Dana Perino knew that her former boss, President George W. Bush, was going to broach the subject of immigration in his next book. Still, when Perino settled in front her fireplace with a copy, she only intended to flip through a few pages. Four hours later, shed read Out of Many, One: Portraits of Americas Immigrants from cover to cover. I wasn't surprised that he took on the project, but I was very impressed by how it turned out, Perino said. The stories are so memorable. And paired with these portraits that are very moving, its interesting to see how his portraits have changed. His brushstrokes and use of color have evolved over time, she noted. Its been more than 11 years since their days in the White House, when Perino served as 24th press secretary to the 43rd President of the United States. At the time, she had no idea the commander-in-chief had a hidden, artistic talent. Then again, neither did he. Bush first picked up the hobby and paint brush after reading Winston Churchills essay Painting as a Pastime in retirement. Wife and former first lady Laura Bush later encouraged him to study art history and take art lessons to improve his technique. Out of Many, One When: April 20-Jan. 3, 2022 Where: George W. Bush Presidential Center, 2943 SMU Blvd., Dallas Details: $10; bushcenter.org '43 Portraits: George W. Bush' When: 9 p.m. April 25 Where: Fox See More Collapse His early subjects included dogs, still-lifes and people, including self-portraits and paintings of fellow world leaders such as President of Russia Vladimir Putin and former Prime Minister Tony Blair. In 2017 Bush released Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chiefs Tribute to Americas Americas Warriors featuring a collection of oil paintings and stories on military veterans. Proceeds from book sales benefited the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. On April 20, a public exhibition of the 43 portraits from Out of Many, One opens at the Center and will remain on-view through Jan. 3, 2022. An audio guide similar to tour recordings used in museums features readings by Bush. The exhibition also serves as the backdrop for Perinos one-on-one interview with Bush, 43 Portraits: George W. Bush, airing 9 p.m. April 25 on Fox News Channel. "He knows that as a former president, his words, and in this case his paintings, will get a lot of attention. This brings some creativity to thinking about that root principle that Americans hold: We're all immigrants," she said. "These people chose America. They're so grateful to be here and their stories will resonate with Americans today even though we're struggling with issues at the border on both sides." Some of the portraits are quite large in scale, she explained. They cover three walls of a single room, with the remaining side dedicated to a diagram which depicts the complexity of immigration. Perino, who is married to English-native Peter McMahon, said their own experience with Americas immigration process was daunting. And were people of means, she said. Despite their hurdles, her own position on the issue is clear. Legal immigration is something we should encourage. The goal of this policy dispute should be to legally allow more people to have potential to thrive. In addition to speaking with the former commander-in-chief for the one-hour television special, Laura Bush and four immigrants who were painted for Out of Many, One also appear in the segment. Perino sat down with the Bushes in Dallas, as well as Joseph Kim, a North Korean refugee who now fights for human rights; Mark Haidar, who fled Lebanon and is now CEO of an automotive data start-up; and Thear Suzuki, a refugee who escaped genocide and forced labor camps in Cambodia. I think Americans will be inspired by their stories and encouraged about their own American dream, Perino said. They dont take living in America for granted. Perinos former colleague, Egyptian-born Dina Habib Powell, makes a cameo, too. Powell currently works as president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, global head of corporate engagement and head of Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group after serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs during the Bush administrations. The duos taped reunion was filmed in New York, where both women are headquartered. Perino said that she spent a full morning with Bush for 43 Portraits marks his first broadcast appearance in several years and her first weekend special. He always believed that the outgoing president should get off the stage, and thats what he did, she recalled. Successors deserve his silence. The two cultivated a friendship after leaving the White House. While on a book tour for Bushs memoir, Decision Points, in 2010, Perino asked her old boss if he remembered kicking her out of the Oval Office when he refused to give an interview that had been set up. I remember what I was wearing, what time of day it was it was my first time in the Oval Office! she said. So I told him the whole story it was a bit of a he said, she said. Then he suggested that if I was still upset, I should write about that in my book. Which is exactly what Perino did. She wrote And the Good News Is...: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side in 2015. Two years later she followed up with Let Me Tell You about Jasper . . .: How My Best Friend Became America's Dog about her four-legged family member, a Viszla breed. By then shed successfully made the transition from Washington, D.C. to co-host of Fox News Channels talk show The Five and hit another milestone: Bush had painted a portrait of Jasper. Its the only physical possession that I care about, Perino said of the treasured painting. Earlier this year, she accepted what Perino describes as a dream job: co-anchoring Americas Newsroom with Bill Hemmer. I said I would never get up at 4 a.m. for anyone again after I left White House, she quipped of her new morning gig. For the first time in my life, Im living what my book says, and not just living for the next step. Her latest book, Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Former Young Woman), hit shelves in March. Its a timely mix of practical career advice and anecdotes from her time as White House Press Secretary. Though her target audience is millennial women entering the work force, Perino stresses that there are leadership lessons for people who manage young women, too. Two bosses whove made a lasting impression in her personal and professional life are Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, and Bush. Both the former press secretary and president have books coming out around the same time, but Perino says hers did not come up in conversation during their recent interview. Oh no. We did not talk about my book, she said with a laugh. This was all about him. amber.elliott@chron.com Nearly 35 years after a 19-year-old black man was found hanging from a tree in Maryland, a local official has joined his family in calling for a fresh investigation. Keith Warren's family, led by his sister, have long demanded that law enforcement officials conduct an independent review and, ultimately, change the classification of the 19-year-old's death from suicide to undetermined. They now have the backing of Montgomery County Councilman Hans Riemer. On April 14, Riemer sent a letter to County Executive Marc Elrich, arguing that an independent investigation was needed to determine whether Warren's death was really a suicide. Scroll down for video Keith Warren, 19 (left and right), was getting ready to go to college when he was found hanging from a tree in Maryland in 1986. His death was quickly ruled a suicide Warren was found hanging from a rope tied to a tree in this wooded area in Silver Spring, Maryland 'His family has found many troubling inconsistencies in this case, which linger today despite previous reviews,' wrote Riemer, as reported by Montgomery Community Media. Riemer argued that the scope of the investigation should include not only the facts of the case, but also Montgomery County's handling of the original investigation, and the treatment of Warren's family. According to the state medical examiner's report, on July 31, 1986, Warren was discovered hanging by the neck from a rope tied to a tree in a wooded area not far from his Silver Spring home. The report stated that prior to the grisly find, Warren had not been seen for about a week, and that he was 'depressed' a year earlier. Keith's sister, Sherri Warren, has long argued that her brother died as a result of a homicide. On April 14, Montgomery County Councilman Hans Riemer (right) wrote a letter to the county executive, calling for an independent investigation into Keith's death Warren's death was ruled a suicide, but his family say they never believed that he killed himself. His mother, Mary Couey, spent decades pushing for a new investigation. When she died in 2009, her daughter, Sherri Warren, took over the fight. Sherri Warren described her brother to NBC Washington as a likeable introvert who was preparing to go to North Carolina Central University at the time of his death. She noted that the medical examiner determined her brother's manner of death without conducting an autopsy first, and despite purported inconsistencies related to the initial investigation. Sherri Warran's website dedicated to her brother's case lists a number of supposed inconsistences in the case. They include a claim that the lead detective used information from an unknown source to determine that Keith's death was a suicide; the body was immediately taken to funeral home for embalming without criminal investigation ever being conducted; the clothing Keith was in at the time he was found was not his own, and the tree from which he was found hanging was cut down for evidence but has since gone missing. Sherri said Keith (far left) was a likeable introvert. He is pictured above along with his mother, Mary (center), and his sister Sherri has been leading the fight to have her brother's case reopened. The goal is to change the classification of his death from suicide to undetermined Keith's mother, Mary Couey (left), died in 2009 fighting for justice for her late son 'It just does not add up. And more importantly I question why there was a rush to write suicide on the death certificate and an unwillingness to investigate a 19 year old African American male found lynched in Montgomery County, Maryland,' Sherri stated. Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said in a statement that Keith Warren's case has been reviewed multiple times over the years, but no new or credible evidence has come to light. 'This case is truly sad for many reasons, but I must say we have put an incredible amount of man-hours reviewing the matter, even outside investigators have been a part of the review team,' stated Jones. County Executive Elrich has acknowledged receiving Councilman Riemer's letter and said he was looking at options 'on how to address this very serious matter.' After weeks of questions about his office's handling of complaints of sexual harassment against a top deputy, Attorney General Jeff Landry has called a news conference for Tuesday morning to discuss "human resource issues" and the lawsuit he filed against a newspaper reporter. Landry is holding the event at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Livingston building in downtown Baton Rouge. He will also stream the news conference live on the Louisiana Department of Justice Facebook page. Landry has been reluctant to answer questions so far about how his office addressed grievances that alleged the office's former criminal division director, Pat Magee, sexually harassed employees in his office. Though state agency heads often testify before the Louisiana House Budget Committee as they seek funding from the Legislature, Landry did not appear before the committee Monday after two legislators specifically requested his testimony about the Magee case. Our Views: Want to blow the whistle on misconduct? Jeff Landry will turn on you instead When our reporter Andrea Gallo asked Jeff Landry for a copy of a sexual harassment complaint against a key Landry deputy, the attorney general State Reps. Aimee Freeman and Mandie Landry, both Democrats from New Orleans, wrote that they "would like to inquire about the legal challenges your office has recently lost as well as the lack of transparency surrounding the sexual harassment committed by your former top aide Pat Magee." After receiving a written complaint about Magee, Landry, a Republican, hired Taylor Porter attorney Vicki Crochet to investigate the allegations against Magee. The complainant alleged, among other things, that that Magee did not promote one woman in the office because she was so attractive he was worried about controlling himself, and that he suggested another female attorney work on a criminal because "male jurors would want to have sex with her." But while the complaint filed late last year against Magee raised questions about his interactions with five women, Crochet only interviewed two employees in the office, in addition to Magee, according to records that Landry's office has provided to this newspaper. And Landry's office has not answered questions about how officials handled a second complaint filed last month from another former employee, who alleged that Magee sexually harassed the women who worked for him and relegated them to less-serious cases that he considered "good for women." The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Attorney General Jeff Landry's office targets whistleblower who reported sexual harassment Two months after Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit to prevent records about sexual harassment accusations against one of his top em Magee resigned shortly after the second complaint was filed. But earlier this month, Landry's office released a memo targeting the whistleblower who wrote the initial complaint against Magee. The memo more or less identified the whistleblower by specifying his job title and length of service at the Attorney General's office. It also said that officials in Landry's office had reviewed questionable text messages that Magee provided from the whistleblower, and raised other questions about the whistleblower's credibility. Sandra Schober, the deputy director for Landry's administrative services division, wrote that the office was "in the process of investigating this matter further to determine if [the whistleblower whose name was redacted] lacks the requisite judgment, honesty, and integrity required of all LADOJ personnel. Landry also filed a lawsuit in February against a reporter for The Advocate | The Times-Picayune who sought copies of the complaints filed against Magee and records of how Landry's office handled those complaints. A Baton Rouge judge ruled against Landry last month, ordering that the complaint against Magee be released to the public. Did Jeff Landry's office fully probe sexual harassment reports? Here's how many interviews happened When an employee in Attorney General Jeff Landrys office filed a complaint last year alleging that a top deputy sexually harassed women in th The case has another hearing set for April 22 over the issue of whether Crochet's investigation should also be released. Staff Writer Sam Karlin contributed to this report. On a consolidated basis, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company net profit tanked 65% to Rs 62.51 crore on 364.6% surge in total income to Rs 19,898.29 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20. On a standalone basis, the net profit tumbled 64.5% to Rs 63.78 crore on 364.5% surge in total income to Rs 19,897.44 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20. The company's net premium income increased by 13.40% to Rs 11,879.28 crore in Q4 FY21 over Rs 10,475.12 crore in Q3 FY20. New business Annualised Premium Equivalent (APE) grew 27% Y-o-Y (year-on-year) in Q4 FY2021 to Rs 2,509 crore, on the back of 108% Y-o-Y growth in March 2021 to Rs 1,101 crore. New business sum assured jumped 22.1% Y-o-Y to Rs 2,05,184 crore in Q4 FY2021 along with an expansion in new business premium by 22.9% to Rs 5,133 crore in the same period. The company was able to strengthen its position as the private sector market leader in terms of new business sum assured, with a market share of 13% in 11M FY2021, rising 11.8% from FY2020. The Value of New Business (VNB) for the quarter surged 26% Y-o-Y to Rs 591 crore. VNB margin was at 23.6% in Q4 FY21 as against 23.8% in Q4 FY20. Embedded Value (EV) for FY21 stood at Rs 29,106 crore compared with Rs 23,030 crore in FY20, rising 26.4% Y-o-Y. Return on Embedded Value (RoEV) was flat at 15.2% during FY2021 over FY2020. Retail Renewal Premium rose 6.1% to Rs 6,758 crore in Q4 FY2021 over Rs 6,367 crore in Q4 FY2020. Annuity New Business Premium soared 213% to Rs 1,083 crore in Q4 FY21 from Rs 346 crore in Q4 FY20. The firm said that its focus on balance sheet through proper risk management mechanism and investment policy has helped ensure zero Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) since inception and across market cycles. The solvency ratio stood at 217% on 31 March 2021, well above the regulatory requirement of 150%. Assets under Management (AUM) stood at Rs 2,14,218 crore at 31 March 2021, registering a growth of 40% Y-o-Y over 31 March 2020. N S Kannan, the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, said: "Despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19, we were able to demonstrate resilience in our operations. In this quarter, APE grew by 27% year-on-year with the month of March posting the best ever monthly sales for the company in any year since inception." "We were able to capitalise on opportunities to build a well diversified product portfolio, on the back of 114.1% and 214.7% year-on-year growth in the traditional savings and annuity product segments respectively in Q4 FY2021. The strong performance was driven in equal measure by over 100 valuable partnerships forged this year, as part of our strategy to deepen and widen distribution. As a result, VNB grew by 26% year-on-year to Rs 5.91 billion for Q4. The VNB margin for the year improved to 25.1%, while the Embedded Value also grew 26.4% to Rs 291.06 billion during the year." "Throughout the pandemic-affected year, we focussed on putting in place the building blocks for growth. Our resilient Balance Sheet with zero NPAs since inception, robust risk management strategies and a strong solvency ratio of 217% provide a solid foundation for future growth. Together with our growth momentum in Q4 and our well diversified product and distribution mix, we believe we are well poised to achieve our stated objective to double our FY2019 VNB by FY2023, i.e. in 4 years," Mr Kannan added. The board has approved a final dividend of Rs 2 per equity share for FY2021. ICICI Prudential Life is promoted by ICICI Bank and Prudential Corporation Holdings, headquartered in United Kingdom. The company offers and array of products in the protection and savings category which match the different life stage requirements of customers, enabling them to provide a financial safety net to their families as well as achieve their long-term financial goals. Shares of ICICI Prudential Life spurted 9.81% to Rs 496.60 on BSE. The scrip hovered in the range of Rs 462.35 to Rs 497.45 so far. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC on Monday filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for an initial public offering (IPO). The size could be around Rs 2,000 crore, said sources. This will value the asset manager at nearly Rs 15,000 crore. Through the maiden offering Canadian firm Sun Life Financial will divest its 12.56 per cent holding, while Indian partner Aditya Birla Capital (ABCL) will sell a little less than a per cent. Currently, ABCL holds 51 per cent stake and Sun Life has 49 per cent stake in the AMC. Following the IPO, the total promoter stake in the fund house will fall from 100 per cent at present to 86.5 per cent. Shares of parent ABCL rose 1.6 per cent on Tuesday. ALSO READ: Sebi directive of April 1 may put the brakes on MF dividends in FY22 Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC is currently Indias fourth-largest largest non-bank affiliated-- fund house with assets under management (AUM) of Rs 2.74 trillion as on December 2020. The asset manager has retained its fourth position since September 2011 in terms of quarterly average AUM, per the DRHP. At the end of March 2020, the fund house ranked sixth in terms of total folios at 7.2 million. The fund house has seen an improvement in the higher share of individual investors from 40 per cent in March 2016 to 46.5 per cent in December 2020-- second highest increase among the top five AMCs The companys assets have grown at an annualised rate of 23.6 per cent during the four years to March 2020. This is the fifth highest growth rate among the top 10 players. For the nine months ended December 2020, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC had reported total income of Rs 874 crore and net profit of Rs 370 crore Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC has managed to increase the share of equity in its overall AUM. The fund house offers 135 schemes of which 35 are in the equity segment, 95 in the debt segment, and five exchange traded funds (ETFs). In the DRHP, one of the risk factors mentioned by the fund house concentration of AUM in a few schemes. At the end of December 2020, the fund houses top five equity-oriented schemes accounted for around 62.4 per cent of total equity-oriented AUM and top five debt-oriented schemes constituted nearly 60 per cent of its debt-oriented AUM. Underperformance by any of these funds may cause increased redemptions and have a disproportionate adverse impact on our liquidity, AUM and income, the asset manager has said in its DRHP. The is being handled by 11 investment banks. Some of them include Kotak, BofA Securities, Citi and Axis Capital. Currently, HDFC AMC, Nippon AMC and UTI AMC are the only asset managers in the listed space. RICHMOND, Va., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RiverFront Investment Group, a global asset manager and ETF strategist headquartered in Richmond, VA, recently announced promotions to leadership roles on the Investment Team in addition to several promotions of financial professional associates. Chris Konstantinos, CFA has been promoted to Director of Investments and will remain Chief Investment Strategist. Chris was a founding team member of RiverFront in 2008. Since the firm's inception, he has distinguished himself as a leader on the Investment Team and Executive Committee. Rod Smyth, who preceded Chris as Director of Investments, will remain Chairman of the Board and actively involved with RiverFront as a member of the Investment Team. "Chris' promotion represents a continuation of succession. Rod has been a mentor to Chris for over two decades," said RiverFront's President & CEO, Pete Quinn. Adam Grossman, CFA and Kevin Nicholson, CFA were promoted to Co-Heads of the Investment Committee. As Co-Global Fixed Income CIO and Global Equity CIO respectively, Kevin and Adam are uniquely qualified to ensure RiverFront's investment process remains strong and reflects the firm's value of excellence and a drive toward continuous improvement. This promotion reflects expansion in leadership responsibility. RiverFront also promoted Kaetlin Collins, Taylor Jarrett, Diego Marti-Vertiz, and Dan Zolet to the role of Associate Portfolio Manager based on their tremendous work supporting the Trading and Investment Teams as analysts. "We are excited to recognize the meaningful contributions of Chris, Kevin, Adam, Kaetlin, Taylor, Dan, and Diego to our firm's success," continued Quinn. "Our dedication to serving the needs of financial advisors and a senior leadership team who has worked together for over 20 years combined with the talent level of our associates continues to enhance our growth and build long-term value for the advisors and investors we serve." These promotions do not change decision making responsibilities across the RiverFront Investment Team and will be effective April 30, 2021. ABOUT RIVERFRONT: RiverFront Investment Group is a global asset manager focused on Process over Prediction a dynamic investment approach driven by a systematic, repeatable methodology. The firm provides flexible, risk-managed solutions for a range of investment objectives and risk tolerances. RiverFront is affiliated with Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated ("Baird"), member FINRA/SIPC, from its minority ownership interest in RiverFront. RiverFront is owned primarily by its employees through RiverFront Investment Holding Group, LLC, the holding company for RiverFront. Baird Financial Corporation (BFC) is a minority owner of RiverFront Investment Holding Group, LLC and therefore an indirect owner of RiverFront. BFC is the parent company of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, a registered broker/dealer and investment adviser. Learn more at riverfrontig.com Opinions expressed are current as of the date shown and are subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future results and diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss. All investments carry some level of risk, including loss of principal. This report does not provide recipients with information or advice that is sufficient on which to base an investment decision. This report does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation or need of any particular client and may not be suitable for all types of investors. Recipients should consider the contents of this report as a single factor in making an investment decision. Additional fundamental and other analyses would be required to make an investment decision about any individual security identified in this report. RiverFront Investment Group, LLC ("RiverFront"), is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or expertise. Any discussion of specific securities is provided for informational purposes only and should not be deemed as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any individual security mentioned. RiverFront is affiliated with Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated ("Baird"), member FINRA/SIPC, from its minority ownership interest in RiverFront. RiverFront is owned primarily by its employees through RiverFront Investment Holding Group, LLC, the holding company for RiverFront. Baird Financial Corporation (BFC) is a minority owner of RiverFront Investment Holding Group, LLC and therefore an indirect owner of RiverFront. BFC is the parent company of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, a registered broker/dealer and investment adviser. To review other risks and more information about RiverFront, please visit the website at www.riverfrontig.com and the Form ADV, Part 2A. Copyright 2020 RiverFront Investment Group. All Rights Reserved. ID 1588744 Media Contacts: RiverFront Investment Group: Emily Krause | Chief Marketing Officer | [email protected] | Ph 804-836-1505 SOURCE RiverFront Investment Group, LLC Related Links http://www.riverfrontig.com FORT WORTH, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is coming, and many prospective college students will be making their list and checking it twicefor the university campuses they want to visit. With more campuses reopening after a year of COVID-related closures, visits should be booming. But which schools to consider? Why make do with someone else's college rankings when you can customize your own? Custom College Rankings from AcademicInfluence.com let you build a ranking that fits you! Selecting the right college or university remains a challenging process for many students. In addition, the trauma of the pandemic has only heightened concerns for students in search of a comfortable academic and cultural fit. AcademicInfluence.com understands the stress students face. That's why its team of academics, data scientists, and higher education experts developed an advanced approach to college and university selection: Custom College Rankings AcademicInfluence.com uses its InfluenceRanking Engine to generate unbiased college and university rankings that resist manipulation. This innovative machine-learning technology scours the web's leading data repositories to map and measure the influence of a school's thought leadership through its faculty, staff, and alumni. Students can now access a superior, trustworthy ranking resource found at no other site. (See the AcademicInfluence.com About page for further details on the unique capabilities and advantages of this ranking technology.) Through Custom College Rankings, students can customize 26 different criteria and create their own rankings based on such factors as state, miles from a location, net cost by household income, min/max tuition cost, min/max median ACT or SAT score, average acceptance rate, school type, public or private status, religious affiliation, degree level, discipline and subdiscipline rank, percent of students who graduate, min/max on-campus student population, and more. And rather than get a ranking based mostly on the biggest schools with the largest endowments and most alumni, students can use Concentrated Influence in order to adjust for the number of faculty and students. This reveals those schools that "pound for pound" pack a big academic punch for their size but which might otherwise go unconsidered among larger schools. "In my role as a university professor, I've talked with students about the stress of the search for the right school, both for high school students researching colleges and for soon-to-be-college-graduates investigating grad school options," says Dr. Jed Macosko, academic director of AcademicInfluence.com and professor of physics at Wake Forest University. "Our team at AcademicInfluence.com is actively responding to the needs of students who are frustrated with the typical 'one-size-fits-all' rankings by developing a tool that cuts through marketing hype and data dumps to deliver customized results. Now, students get a clearer picture of how the schools that fit them stack up against one another." Students can use the Custom College Ranking tool's filtering capability to engage in a multi-point criteria selection process, one which ultimately distills a ranking of only schools that fit their personal specifications. In addition to contact information and statistics about each school, the resulting list of school profiles also ranks the specific disciplines for which these schools are most influential, along with the alumni who have made the most of their educational experience and credentials. "We've all been through a lot in the past year or so," says Macosko. "AcademicInfluence.com can ease the stress of a college searchwhile providing the most informative tools and articles on the web. Students who take advantage of our advanced Custom College Rankings get results that help them narrow their attention to the schools that deliver on both academics and experience." AcademicInfluence.com is the preeminent technology-driven rankings site dedicated to students, researchers, and inquirers from high school through college and beyond, offering resources that connect learners to leaders. AcademicInfluence.com is a part of the EducationAccess group, a family of sites dedicated to lifelong learning and personal growth. Contact: Jed Macosko, Ph.D. Academic Director AcademicInfluence.com [email protected] (682) 302-4945 SOURCE AcademicInfluence.com Related Links https://academicinfluence.com Click here to read the full article. Tel Aviv-based Cinephil, the sales agent for the Oscar nominated Collective and The Act of Killing among others, has clinched world rights to Songs of Earth from seasoned Norwegian helmer and producer Margreth Olin of Speranza Film. The documentary project marks the third collaboration between Cinephils managing director Philippa Kowarsky and Olin after the DOC NYC selected Self Portrait and Cathedrals of Culture, exec produced by Wim Wenders. Olins meditative and personal pic Songs of Earth will bow April 28 at CPH:FORUM, the online financing and co-production industry showcase, running alongside Denmarks CPH:DOX Festival (April 21-May 12). I am delighted that Philippa is involved in this project from an early stage, so we can talk both content and what will be the right path for the film to reach a large audience, commented Olin. She is great, and it was a pleasure to work with her on Self-Portrait. Her ability to see the potential of a film and her passion has meant everything to what the film has achieved. Kowarsky describes Songs of Earth as an important and exceptionally beautiful film capturing never-seen-before images of Norway. Im extremely thrilled to work with Margreth again, said the sales executive, who acts on coups de coeur and believes in strong connections with local producers. In her personal notes about the film, Olin says it will offer a meditative experience where you feel and listen to the songs of the earth, while the camera takes you inside of natures smallest components and outside to the great wild panoramas. The film will have a personal and close entry through her own father (84), the main protagonist. He is the fittest person I know, and he takes us to Norways most adventurous valley where he grew up and where generations have been living alongside nature in order to survive, Olin continues. So far, the project has received development support from the Norwegian Film Institute, co-financing from the Fritt Ord Foundation, pubcasters NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden, and theatrical distributor Folkets Bio in Sweden, among others. We are very happy that WWF is onboard as our partner, and are looking forward to pitching the project for the first time at CPH:FORUM, said Olin, who confirms that European partners are circling her project. Next to Songs of Earth, Cinephils CPH:DOX haul of completed titles takes in the John Battsek executive produced Children of the Enemy, world premiering in the main competition. Helmer Gorki Glaser-Muller documents a grandfathers plight to reunite in Sweden with his grandchildren, stuck at Syrias al-Hol refugee camp following the killing of their ISIS-recruited parents. Swedens Cinenic Film is producing. Through her long-standing relationship with Denmarks production powerhouse Final Cut for Real, Kowarsky also reps Sundances Special Jury Award-winning President, running for the DOX:Award, as well as Cille Hannibal and Christine Hanbergs Hes My Brother, produced by Flees Monica Hellstrom, competing for the Nordic:DOX award. Reflecting on market trends, Kowarsky said deal-making under COVID-19 is slower, and takes more effort, but she continues to sell steadily to all types of distributors, including U.S.-based Neon Distribution, which picked up Flee and Gunda. All distributors are putting a lot of efforts behind each film and nurturing them, eagerly waiting for cinemas to re-open, she said. However French, German, Brazilian buyers are having a rough year, she noted. They cant even look at new films as their 2021 slate is already stacked up, said the sales exec. Meanwhile, Kowarsky is soon to announce additional deals on Romanian doc Collective, vying for documentary and international feature Oscars at the 93rd Academy Awards. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. San Antonio will see an increased police presence as the nation awaits hearing the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. Last summer, widespread protests followed the death of George Floyd. Many cities are now preparing for the outcome of the trial before the verdict becomes public. Agra, April 20 : Alhough Agra could not celebrate World Heritage Day on April 18 due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, conservationists and green activists have once again highlighted the failure of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to free the string of monuments in the city of encroachments that were seen as a major threat to the health and safety of these precious properties. "The increasing visual pollution was another cause of concern," warned environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya, adding that high-rise buildings coming up in all parts have gravely distorted the original ambience around several structures. With three world heritage monuments and half a dozen other historical structures, Agra continues to remain India's number one tourist centre, drawing more than seven million visitors annually (before the pandemic). The local bodies however failed to restrict illegal constructions around these buildings, thus compromising the architectural integrity of the city, Bhattacharya added. Almost all Mughal monuments here have now been dwarfed by encroachments. While restricting space and cluttering up and thus destroying the beauty of the historical buildings, these encroachments now have reached such levels of proliferation that the very survival of some monuments is at stake, said Shravan Kumar Singh of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society. The Taj Mahal, surrounded by mohallas of the Taj Ganj locality, has been able to breathe easily because of the Supreme Court judgments seeking its conservation; international concern for its safety has also aided the cause of the preservation of the heritage monument. Lesser monuments, however, have not experienced such luck. The Delhi Gate, close to the Raja Mandi station, finds itself threatened by new constructions, mostly private nursing homes and garages that were not there before. Mughal emperor Akbar's deserted capital, the Fatehpur Sikri complex, continues to be threatened by the illegal activities of the mining mafia, which has been carrying on operations without fear, even though the Supreme Court has given a categorical directive to district authorities to stop mining in the area. The pre-historic caves with paintings in the vicinity are under threat. If the Union Culture Ministry did not act fast, these could be lost to posterity, said Bhattacharya, who is leading a one-man crusade to protect these valuable assets. The ASI has been regularly writing the district authorities to draw attention to the flagrant violation of the 1958 Ancient Monuments Act, but there has never been any positive response. The ASI has circulated a list of about 50 monuments in Agra that come under the purview of the Monuments Protection Act. The Agra Development Authority (ADA) is responsible for ensuring there were no new constructions around these buildings. ADA authorities, however, privately confess that demolition of all illegal structures was beyond their capacity. Political pressures would prevent any major offensive against encroachers. The city of the Taj has numerous monuments which come under the protected list. Over the years, because of governmental indifference and corrupt practices, no action has been taken against people who built houses and places of worship around these monuments. The Roman Catholic cemetery near the Civil Court is now surrounded by a movie hall, a petrol pump and a shopping complex. Other historical buildings or remnants like Jodhabai's Chatri, Jaswant Singh ki Chatri, Chini ka Roza, Humayun's mosque, Mariam's tomb, Babar's Ram Bagh, Barahkhambha, and scores of other valuable architectural pieces are under threat, as encroachments creep up on every inch of space. Some of the dilapidated landmarks are being used as cowsheds, or as havens for anti-social elements. The Yamuna floodplains that nourished and provided the natural ambience had been encroached upon all over. "It's been almost a decade that the National Green Tribunal, hearing a petition on this, had come out with a clear cut verdict. The situation is the same in Mathura and Vrindavan, where the river banks are under threat from encroachers," said Jagan Nath Poddar, convener of the Friends of Vrindavan. One wonders what happened to the newly constituted National Monuments Authority (NMA) which was mandated to come down heavily on illegal structures near protected monuments, said Surendra Sharma, president of the Heritage Conservation Society and a senior hotelier of Agra. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The two-week strict lockdown in parts of the country has barely helped in improving healthcare capacity in the Philippine General Hospital, an official said on Tuesday. PGH spokesperson Jonas del Rosario said COVID-19 admissions slightly decreased, but the number still remains high despite the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 11. He said there is still a waiting line in PGH's Intensive Care Unit and emergency rooms are exceeding their patient capacity. "In general, I would say that we barely felt the effect of the two-week ECQ. Maybe at least the only positive about it is it did not get higher than 249, it went down a little bit but it's been steady now in the high of 220 to 230," he told CNN Philippines. The state-run hospital, which is the largest COVID-19 referral facility in the country, said it is still unable to accept critical cases that couldn't be accommodated by other hospitals. Del Rosario said they only have a few available beds for COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms. A 14-day ECQ was imposed over Metro Manila and four nearby provinces to stop the ongoing case surge and allow healthcare facilities to recover from the brink of collapse. The government then placed these areas under a more relaxed modified ECQ for another two weeks. The Health Department previously said it will take a few more days before the full effect of the ECQ can be seen in the number of new cases and hospital capacity. NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. ("Emergent" or the "Company") (NYSE: EBS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Emergent and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On March 31, 2021, the New York Times published an article reporting on the accidental contamination at an Emergent manufacturing plant in Baltimore of coronavirus vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca PLC. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the Emergent factory where the contamination occurred had a series of lapses observed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2020. On this news, Emergent's stock price fell $12.45 per share, or 13.4%, to close at $80.46 per share on April 1, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-emergent-biosolutions-inc---ebs-301272102.html SOURCE Pomerantz LLP A new LAPD report outlines how one LAPD officer allegedly shot another at a remote camping site in Apple Valley. (Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles police officer who was criminally charged with shooting a fellow cop at an Apple Valley campsite last year has avoided criminal conviction after entering into a diversion program for those with mental disorders, but still faces administrative sanctions and possible firing after LAPD overseers found his actions violated department policies. The dual outcomes reflected two different assessments of the shooting, which a review of LAPD records and San Bernardino County court filings revealed was a harrowing ordeal around a campfire in the remote desert, where Officer Ismael Tamayo imagined phantom threats and unloaded a 9-millimeter Glock at his friends before they fled on foot in search of help. According to police officials who reviewed the incident, the shooting was precipitated by the officers drinking beer and whiskey for hours, and ended in Tamayo breaking almost every conceivable LAPD standard for using deadly force whether he meant to shoot his fellow officer or not. Tamayo's attorney and a judge in the separate San Bernardino County criminal case, however, honed in on another factor that went entirely unmentioned in the police review: Tamayo's diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in overseas combat with the U.S. Army. Greg Yacoubian, Tamayo's attorney, argued in court and in an interview with The Times that Tamayo was suffering from dissociation related to his PTSD, believed he was in a combat setting, and reverted to his military training. He never intended to shoot his friend, LAPD Officer Mark Mascareno, Yacoubian said. According to court records, the presiding judge in Tamayo's criminal case agreed that Tamayo's PTSD "played a role in the commission of the offense," and that he met other eligibility criteria for the mental health diversion program, including that he did not pose an ongoing threat and would respond well to treatment. The judge reached that conclusion despite opposition from San Bernardino County prosecutors, who objected to diversion in the case. Tamayo, who was released on bail in the matter, is now receiving treatment. Story continues Mascareno sued Tamayo in a civil case that was later dismissed. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Whether Tamayo's PTSD might impact the adjudication of the administrative case that LAPD officials are pursuing against him remains unclear. A report by LAPD Chief Michel Moore that outlined an internal investigation into the incident and informed the Los Angeles Police Commission's vote earlier this month that Tamayo broke LAPD policies in the encounter and made no mention of the diagnosis, which Yacoubian called "outrageous." "The commission's vote was made with critical information withheld," Yacoubian said. "The department was provided with documentation related to PTSD dissociation. All of that was ignored." Capt. Stacy Spell, an LAPD spokesman, said the department "stands by the contents" of the report and its "rationale" for why Tamayo was out of policy, believed that "all relevant information was provided" to the commission, and would not comment on the case further. According to the report, Tamayo, Mascareno and an unidentified LAPD sergeant had driven to the Stoddard Wells Off-Highway Vehicle Area on May 2, where there was a mountain they could shoot toward for target practice. In the evening, they cooked hamburgers, drank and listened to music, the beer making way for whiskey. Mascareno told investigators that, about 1 a.m., Tamayo announced he had to urinate, got up and "stumbled" away. After a few moments, Mascareno looked in the direction Tamayo had gone and noticed his silhouette, "hunched over" in an odd way. "Why are you being so creepy?" Mascareno recalled asking. Then, as he got up and moved toward one of the cots, he realized Tamayo was holding his Glock "in a double hand pose" with his arms extended over the bed of one of the trucks, aiming between Mascareno and the sergeant. The sergeant recalled Mascareno saying, "Dude, what the f are you doing with the gun?" Tamayo then lowered the gun, but Mascareno said he got up again not long after to retrieve something from his truck and noticed Tamayo was again near the truck with his gun raised. Before he could say anything, he said, Tamayo fired multiple shots, striking him once in the left shoulder. "Hey, you fing shot me bro. I love you. Why the f you shoot me?" Mascareno said, according to Moore's report. The sergeant said he saw Mascareno "go down" and immediately began moving toward Tamayo and demanding he drop the gun. He said Tamayo said "f you" in response in "a threatening and uncharacteristic voice," the report said. The sergeant then took cover, and lost sight of Tamayo. Mascareno pulled out his own pistol but said he couldn't hold it because of all the blood on his hands. Eventually he and the sergeant, unable to find keys to the trucks, fled on foot to find help at other campsites. Mascareno managed to reach a nearby campsite, where he was picked up by ambulance, driven to a local airport and then flown to a hospital. The sergeant was not injured and eventually connected with San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene. According to Moore's report, other deputies arrived in a helicopter about 2 a.m. and began a search of the surrounding desert for Tamayo. They located him still armed and laying on his back about 500 yards from the group's campsite. Tamayo initially ignored commands from the helicopter unit to drop his weapon, but eventually complied and was taken into custody without further violence, Moore's report said. The report said that, as Tamayo was being taken into custody, he said to a deputy, "What's going on? I was being shot at." In his statement to investigators, Tamayo said he remembered getting up to urinate, and then hearing a threatening voice in the darkness that did not sound like either of his friends. He said he looked back to the campsite where he believed the others were and didn't see them. Then he said he heard a gunshot. Tamayo said he believed he and his friends were being "ambushed," and that the other two had already been killed. He said he got down on one knee and fired three shots, then decided to walk up the nearby mountain for "higher ground" so he could "come up with a plan" for what to do next. According to Moore's report, a Use of Force Review Board determined that Tamayo's recollections and perceptions of what occurred did not match reality, and that "a preponderance of evidence indicates that no threat existed." Even if Tamayo had heard a voice or a gunshot as he described, none of his actions would have been appropriate, the board found. It noted officers "should abstain from consuming alcohol while maintaining control of firearms." Tamayo's blood was not tested for alcohol until about nine hours after the shooting, Moore's report said, but even then his blood-alcohol content was at 0.085%, or slightly above the legal limit for driving a car in California. Asked about the case this week, Spell said Moore will decide what punishment to recommend for Tamayo "in the next couple weeks." The penalty, if serious, would go before another administrative panel known as a Board of Rights for adjudication. Tamayo had his police powers revoked after the shooting and remains assigned home pending the outcome of the administrative case, the LAPD said. Yacoubian said Tamayo, a 14-year veteran of the LAPD who served multiple Army tours including in Iraq before leaving the service as a sergeant first-class in 2015, wants to continue serving the community and "doesn't have any intention of just throwing his hands up" in the face of the administrative charges against him. Yacoubian acknowledged that alcohol may have played some role in the shooting, but only in concert with the dissociation Tamayo was experiencing. A commission spokesman, in a statement, said the commission was legally precluded from commenting on Yacoubian's claims or whether it had considered Tamayo's PTSD diagnosis in determining he had broken LAPD policies. Commissioner Steve Soboroff, in an interview, said he also could not comment on Tamayo's case but stressed that every LAPD officer is subject to the same standards and policies. "If someone [enters the LAPD from the military] and has PTSD or depression or anything else, does that put them at another standard than any other officer?" Soboroff said. "The answer would be a resounding no." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GNL) ("GNL" or the "Company") announced today1 that the Company has agreed to acquire a three property office and industrial campus in Woking, Surrey, England that serves as the world headquarters for McLaren's Automotive, Racing, and Applied divisions (the "McLaren Group Headquarters"). The contract purchase price for the combined 840,000 square foot campus is 170 million with a 20-year, NNN lease. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. "We are excited to announce that this world-class facility will become part of the GNL portfolio," said James Nelson, CEO of GNL "The McLaren Group Headquarters' state of the art buildings have won numerous awards, were designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, and are the type of mission-critical, net-leased properties that make up the GNL portfolio. We are very pleased to have been able to collaborate and work with the management team of the McLaren Group to effect this transaction. We look forward to the long-term partnership with McLaren and the benefits this transaction will have to GNL. The acquisition exemplifies GNL's ability to source large scale and accretive sale-leaseback opportunities in a competitive marketplace that add significant value to our overall portfolio. We believe our global presence as a leading net lease REIT will continue to provide attractive acquisition opportunities that complement our best-in-class portfolio." About the McLaren Group Headquarters The McLaren Technology Center is a campus in Woking, Surrey, England which includes the McLaren Technology Centre, McLaren Production Centre and McLaren Thought Leadership Centre. The award-winning campus was designed by world-renowned architects, Foster & Partners, has easy access to Central London and Heathrow Airport, and hosts approximately 1,000 workers. The Technology Centre is home to the McLaren Formula One constructor. The campus has many environmentally conscious features. In 2010, the campus, which includes several lakes which assist in cooling efforts, earned Carbon Trust Standard certification from the Carbon Trust. The buildings have self-cleaning roofs that use a high-pressure drainage system to collect rainwater which is then used to refill the lake. In 2011 McLaren Racing was announced as the first ever carbon neutral team in Formula 1. The firm has also planted more than 100,000 trees at the site and created a wildlife sanctuary for otters and kingfishers. About Global Net Lease, Inc. Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GNL) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE focused on acquiring a diversified global portfolio of commercial properties, with an emphasis on sale-leaseback transactions involving single tenant, mission critical income producing net-leased assets across the United States, Western and Northern Europe. Additional information about GNL can be found on its website at www.globalnetlease.com. Important Notice The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to be materially different. The words "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "plans," "intends," "may," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, including actions taken to contain or treat the coronavirus, on the Company, the Company's tenants and the global economy and financial markets as well as those risks and uncertainties set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed on February 26, 2021, and all other filings with the SEC after that date, as such risks, uncertainties and other important factors may be updated from time to time in the Company's subsequent reports. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results, unless required to do so by law. Contacts: Investors and Media: Email: [email protected] Phone: (212) 415-6510 SOURCE Global Net Lease, Inc. Related Links http://globalnetlease.com Varying severity of COVID-19 symptoms in patients is reflected by levels of a chemical biomarker in their body which scientists say could be used to better manage treatments and other interventions, including vaccinations. Image Credit: Flinders University In a new paper in International Journal of Infectious Diseases, medical experts in Italy and Australia examined levels of a chemical called serum amyloid A (SAA), a protein synthesized in the liver which can spike up to 1,000-fold within the first 24-48 hours of an infection. In turn, an increase in SAA can further perpetuate inflammation and cause clot abnormalities and organ damage, researchers say, concluding SAA levels are associated with higher COVID-19 severity and mortality. The University of Sassari and Flinders University researchers focused on the latest research including 19 studies of more than 5,600 COVID-19 patients for specific markers to predict disease severity and progression. Our analyses showed that COVID-19 patients with severe disease or who eventually died had significantly higher levels of SAA when compared to patients with mild COVID-19. Patients with severe forms of coronavirus disease 2019 have excessive inflammation, alterations in clot formation, and significant damage in several organs, particularly the lung, the kidney, the heart, and the liver." Arduino Mangoni, Senior Corresponding Author, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Flinders University in South Australia Given the key role of inflammation in COVID-19, markers that reflect a state of excessive inflammation might be particularly useful for risk stratification and effective management. "This chemical may help, together with other patient characteristics, in predicting which COVID-19 patients are likely to deteriorate and require aggressive management," the researchers say. While safe and effective vaccines are being rolled out worldwide there are currently few effective therapies to treat COVID-19 in the community and in hospital. In this context, the use of specific markers to predict disease severity and would facilitate the early identification of patients requiring aggressive management and monitoring and assist with the judicious use of health care resources. The link between SAA and COVID-19 severity and mortality focused on data collected from 5,617 patients hospitalized with COVID-10 with different degrees of severity and survival status, along with current literature. Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted Tuesday of murdering George Floyd, had a record of using excessive force before the unarmed Black man died under his knee in a crime prosecutors branded a "shocking abuse of authority." Chauvin, described by colleagues as rigid and silent, knelt on the 46-year-old Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes on a Minneapolis street on May 25 last year, despite the dying man's pleas and those of shocked passers-by who filmed the tragedy. The killing sent reverberations throughout the United States and the world, and launched a reckoning on racial injustice in America. The guilty verdict amounts to one of the most high-profile, high-stakes US court results in decades. Chauvin's lawyer Eric Nelson has said his client "exuded a calm and professional demeanor" in his interactions with Floyd, and sought to convince the jury that the white ex-cop only applied a hold that was authorized and consistent with his training. But the prosecution argued, successfully, that Chauvin had used excessive force -- not only with Floyd, but with others he arrested during his 19-year career on the force. During closing arguments Monday, prosecuting attorney Steve Schleicher described Chauvin's actions as a "shocking abuse of authority" against Floyd. "This wasn't policing, this was murder," Schleicher said. Prosecutors called several police officers to testify to Chauvin's excessive use of force against Floyd. They included the Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo, who said Chauvin's actions violated the department's training policies and its "values." Chauvin, 44, had the opportunity to testify in his own defense, but he declined, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He did attend every day of the trial, however, dressed in a suit and often taking notes on a yellow legal pad. Barry Brodd, a retired police officer who is a use-of-force expert, was among those who testified for the defense. Story continues "I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr Floyd," Brodd said. The jury clearly disagreed. After he was found guilty on all three charges -- second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter -- Chauvin was placed in handcuffs and led out of the courtroom. He now awaits sentencing. - 22 complaints - People who have interacted with Chauvin over the years have said he used more force than necessary in applying restraining holds. Prior to the trial the prosecution dug up several examples of his "modus operandi," including the case of Zoya Code, a young black woman arrested by Chauvin in 2017. "Even though the female was not physically resisting in any way, Chauvin kneeled on her body, using his body weight to pin her to the ground," the prosecution said. "He just stayed on my neck," she recently told the Marshall Project. Frustrated and upset, she challenged him to press harder. "Then he did. Just to shut me up," she said." Andre Balian, a kung fu instructor who trained with Chauvin some 20 years ago, said there was "no perceivable way" that Chauvin was unaware of the damage he did or was capable of doing in situations like the one where he knelt on Floyd's neck. In an interview with AFP last June he recalled Chauvin as a "jerk" who would stand with arms folded and glare at those around him. Since the Floyd killing, few details have filtered out about Chauvin. But former colleagues have sketched a portrait of a silent, rigid, workaholic who often patrolled the city's more difficult neighborhoods. His commitment to the job earned him four medals over the course of his career. But he also racked up 22 internal complaints and investigations, according to a public record scrubbed of all details. Only one of these numerous complaints, filed by a white woman whom he had violently pulled from her car in 2007 for speeding, in front of her crying infant, was followed by a letter of reprimand. - Financial fraud - On week nights, Chauvin had long worked security at a nightclub, the Nuevo Rodeo. There too, his heavy-handed methods left a bitter aftertaste. The club's former owner, Maya Santamaria, described him to reporters as someone man who "had a real short fuse," and who made generous use of tear gas at the slightest provocation. A loner at work, Chauvin had a wife, a refugee from Laos whom he married in 2010. Last May, Kelly Xing filed for divorce. A court opened a tax fraud lawsuit against the couple and, in November, a judge rejected a divorce settlement that called for all their assets to be transferred to Xing. That arrangement would have sheltered the funds if Chauvin was ordered to pay significant damages. Last month the city of Minneapolis settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Floyd family, agreeing to pay his relatives $27 million for the killing by Chauvin. chp-mlm/jh In early 2021 the U.S. Air Force received the first of the eight F-15EX fighter-bombers it ordered in mid-2020 for $150 million each. This is an upgraded F-15E to replace elderly F-15Es that will soon have to be retired or flown a lot less. The initial eight are used for testing. The F-15EX first flew in February 2021 and was delivered so quickly because the manufacturer had been developing variants of the F-15E for several foreign customers that included some of the new features in the F-15EX. For example the EX will have an improved EPAWSS (Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System) which provides radar warning of enemy radar signals, including a display showing what the threat is and where it is coming from. There are automatic and pilot activated counter-measures like jamming or spoofing (modifying the return signal of enemy radar transmissions). EPAWSS is smaller than previous systems and built to be easily upgraded for new threats. The EX also has new glass cockpit using touch displays to provide aircraft information and enable quick response by the pilot. Digital cockpits have been around for several decades and undergone steady improvement based on user experience. EX also has a new ADCAP II mission computer to ease the work burden on the pilot as well as fly-by-wire flight controls for the mechanical aspects of the aircraft. All this enables the single-seat F-15EX to perform the same bomber functions as the two-seat F-15E and carry 14 tons of weapons including the new hypersonic missile. Initial F-15EXs will have two-seats but use only one pilot. This is a 37-ton (max takeoff weight) aircraft that weighs only a ton more than the F-15E. What makes the EX worth the cost that it is built to last for 20,000 flight hours at a cost of $29,000 per hour. This is one third the operational cost of the F-35, which costs about $100 million each. Ultimately the air force wanted to buy as many as 400 F-15EXs to replace retiring F-15Cs and Es. The entire program is supposed to cost no more than $23 billion and deliver new F-15EX aircraft at a cost of about $88 million each. That fixed price is still in force for production models even though the air force is only committed to buying 144 F-15EXs initially. The original F-15 entered service in the 1970s and the last one was built in 1989. The two-seat F-15E fighter-bomber entered service in 1989 and only 236 were built over the next 15 years. After that new models of the F-15E were developed and built for export customers. These included Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Qatar and Israel. All have entered service except the Qatar and Israeli models. The Qatari F-15QA made its first flight in April 2020 and the F-15EX is based on the QA which Qatar is buying 36 of. As of early 2019 the U.S. Air Force planned to buy two models of the new F-15; the single seat F-15CX fighters to complement the new F-35 and (unofficially) make up for the fact that the air force is not getting as many F-35s as it believes it needs. There were to be a smaller number of two-seat F-15DX. Normally the two-seat version is for training but in this case the EX version provides the option to provide a GIB (Guy in the Back) to help with the use of the F-15EX as a bomb truck for F-35s and F-22s. The air force soon realized that the improved flight and weapons control systems in the F-15EX enabled all of them to operate with only one pilot on board and may eventually be built as a one-seat aircraft. The F-22 and F-35, have demonstrated the ability to remain silent (few radio and radar transmissions) when identifying targets use less stealthy aircraft (or missile units on the ground) to launch weapons at those. Israeli F-35s, the only ones with combat experience, have already demonstrated this technique over Syria. The problem is, when flying in full-stealth mode the F-35 can carry only 2.6 tons of bombs and missiles internally. It became obvious that an F-15EX carrying more weapons and receiving targeting information from a stealthy F-35 would be very useful. The air force soon realized it could save a lot of money on development by just buying two-seater models as the F-15EX. Basing this aircraft on the existing F-15QA would save a lot of time and development costs. Because of this the first F-15EX order was placed in record time, the first of these were flying as planned in early 2021 and they are on track to enter service by 2023. A growing number of the elderly F-15Cs and overworked F-15Es will be grounded unless replaced or put through an expensive refurbishment. It is more cost-effective to go with the F-15EX. Theres another factor. On paper, the F-35 will eventually (5-10 years) become cheaper to maintain and operate than the F-15C. The F-15EX will have a cost advantage immediately because as a new aircraft it is cheaper to operate than an older model, and EX also have new tech that reduces maintenance costs. The manufacturer is willing to produce them at a fixed cost (about $88 million each) and absorb any unforeseen costs. The manufacturer has additional incentives to make the F-15EX work; export sales. Meanwhile, the F-15E continues in service and demonstrates how well an updated F-15 design can work. But the production of the F-15E is scheduled to end in 2022 and the EX keeps F-15 production going as a more advanced F-15E. This willingness to produce the EX should not be a surprise as there have been signs for a long time that an updated F-15 would be useful. As of 2008 the air force planned to operate its 36-ton U.S. F-15E for at least another ten years, and probably longer. In service for twenty years now, the F-15E can carry up to 11 tons of bombs and missiles, along with a targeting pod and an internal 20mm cannon. It's an all-weather aircraft that can fly one-way up to 3,900 kilometers. It uses in-flight refueling to hit targets anywhere on the planet. Smart bombs made the F-15E particularly efficient. The backseater handles the electronics and bombing, and the F-15E remains a potent air-superiority fighter, making it an exceptional combat aircraft. This success prompted Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore and currently Qatar to buy it, paying about $100 million per aircraft. In the U.S. Air Force, the F-15E is one of the most popular aircraft for combat pilots to fly, even more so than the new F-22. The F-15EX is cheaper to operate, carries more bombs and can also carry the new hypersonic missile, which is too heavy for any other fighter and was designed to be launched from heavy bombers. With the F-15EX the air force has a lot more aircraft that can handle the hypersonic missile. The F-15E entered service in 1989 and within a decade Russia decided this novel fighter-bomber design was worth emulating. Russia developed its own F-15E, the 45-ton Su-34, which was yet another variant of the 33-ton Su-27. Su-34s cost $36 million each (less than half the cost of an F-15E) and included a full set of defensive and offensive sensors (radars, targeting cameras, laser designators) and electronic warfare gear, and can carry eight tons of missiles and smart bombs. Although development work began in the late 1990s, the Su-34 did not enter service until 2014 and proved capable in Syria. Meanwhile, the older F-15s, which entered service in 1976, are falling apart. In 2009 the air force retired the last of its 384 F-15A fighters. Long flown only by reserve units, these were old aircraft and all built in the 1970s. Air force reserve units got the F-15As in the 1980s and 1990s, as active-duty units got the new F-15C. But by 2009 the F-22 was entering service, and more F-15Cs were going to the reserves. Many of those F-15As flew for over 30 years. Unfortunately, the later model F-15s are not aging well. In 2007 the air force grounded all of its 442 remaining F-15As and Cs (and the smaller number of two-seat B and D trainer models) for 18 days, then grounded them again, all because of suspicions that portions of the aircraft structure have been weakened by stress (lots of maneuvering during combat training). Before that, the air force halted non-critical flights of its F-15C (the interceptor version) fighters after a National Guard F-15C crashed. It appeared that the crash was the result of structural failure. In 2002 an F-15C traveling at high (over 2,000 kilometers an hour) speed crashed when its left tail fin broke off. At the time the F-15Es operating in Afghanistan were not grounded initially, but soon were when it was realized that the problem might be a design flaw, not age, that caused the 27-year old F-15C to go down. The F-15Es were restored to flight status after about a week, once each aircraft had undergone an extensive structural examination (taking about 13 man-hours each). Most F-15Es were less than ten years old. But some F-15Cs were over twenty years old. This time around, the F-15Es were not grounded, because metal stress in the older F-15s would not occur in the F-15E, which is somewhat different in its internal structure and was designed to avoid the fatigue problems the F-15A and C models encountered. Structural failure is more common in older fighters that have lots of flight hours (over five thousand) on them. When originally designed, the F-15 was believed to have a service life of only 4,000 hours. But new materials and design techniques increased that to 8,000. In peacetime, F-15s are in the air 250-300 hours a year. But because of the 1991 Gulf War, the 1990s "no-fly-zone" patrols over Iraq, and the operations after 2001, the F-15 fleet piled up the hours more quickly, and many are approaching the 8,000-hour mark much more rapidly than planned. The F-15E faced a similar problem as it was used far more after 2001 because of the war on terror. Peace time use was no more than a few hundred flight hours a year. Under wartime conditions the popular and versatile F-15E flew 500 to 1,000 hours a year. While the F-15E wasnt engaging in violent maneuvers it was regularly carrying heavy bombloads and these stressed the airframe. Thats why the more recent F-15Es ended up as worn out as the older F-15Cs. Most of the F-15Cs are used as interceptors to defend the continental United States plus Hawaii, Alaska and some overseas areas where a lot of American troops were based. The stressed structural components have long been a problem. If weak components are detected, they can be replaced with stronger ones, made of materials not available when the F-15 was originally built. But you want to find the weak components before they fail. While scanning technology has improved, it's still not good enough to detect all the F-15 components possibly weakened by years of use. As a result, flying an F-15C became a bit more stressful from then on. To some in the air force, this situation has a bright side. One can now make a more compelling case to build more F-22s, to replace F-15 that are wearing out faster than expected. That did not happen and the delays in getting the F-35 into mass production kept the idea of designing an improved F-15 to fill the gap. Because of that, the F-15EX was not a recent idea but the accumulation of proposals that have been showing up for over a decade. Another area that is getting a lot more attention from engineers than journalists is the impact of heavy and sustained stress on combat aircraft. This component failure problem is not unique to the F-15 and has been occurring with increasing frequency among aging fighter aircraft all over the world. The end of the Cold War in 1991 led to the cancellation of many warplane replacement programs. Air forces were compelled to make do with thousands of increasingly older aircraft. Whenever an aircraft goes down because of a structural failure, you have to ground all planes of that type until you know exactly what caused the loss, and made any needed repairs to other aircraft of that type. Pilots are a pretty sharp lot, so governments don't dare try play games with this. If the pilots suspect they are being set up to fly dodgy aircraft, they will not fly them, or not fly them in a useful (stressful) way. "Wapello Solar highlights RES' vision to create a future where everyone has access to affordable zero carbon energy, and we are pleased to see this project achieve commercial operation," said Tim Jordan, Senior VP of Solar Construction at RES. "This project is a real credit to all the construction workers, suppliers and stakeholders who worked tirelessly to get to the finish line." Occupying nearly 800 acres of land in Louisa County, the project features 318,000 Risen Energy bifacial solar panels, which are fixed to FTC Solar's Voyager single - axis trackers. Louisa County is already realizing the significant economic benefits, with an anticipated $5.2 million in tax revenue. "Sungrow continually delivers high-performing products and service to Clenera's projects throughout the country. Having dependable technology partners, such as Sungrow, is a necessary component to ensure that Clenera continues to work toward providing reliable, affordable and clean energy," said Clenera's VP of Construction, Michael Gallego. "The Wapello Solar project is another landmark for the strong multi-year partnership between Sungrow and Clenera. Clenera's entrepreneurial and impressive PV and Storage portfolio met with Sungrow's bankability and technological prowess will continue to effectively support the national mobilization towards building the renewable future," said Hank Wang, President of Sungrow Americas. "We look forward to supplying Clenera projects through dynamic industry leaders like RES and are energized by their enthusiasm in selecting Sungrow as a long-term technology partner," added Karsten Mall, Sungrow's recently appointed General Manager of the Company's North American division. The project will power 21,000 homes. Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) is purchasing the demand and energy from the plant through an exclusive 25-year power purchase agreement. About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 154 GW installed worldwide as of December 2020. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 24-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 150 countries. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com. About Clenera Clenera, LLC ("Clenera") is a privately-held renewable energy company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Clenera acquires, develops, builds and manages utility-scale solar farms and energy storage facilities throughout the United States. Combining breakthrough technology with a deeply integrated team approach, Clenera provides reliable, affordable energy systems and helps its utility partners become clean energy leaders in their communities. Clenera's current operating portfolio exceeds 1.6 GW, with more than 15 GW of solar and storage assets in development. Learn more at www.clenera.com. About RES RES is the world's largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage, transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for 39 years, RES has delivered more than 19 GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 7 GW worldwide for a large client base. We understand the unique needs of corporate clients and have secured 1.5 GW of power purchase agreements, enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs more than 3,000 people and is active in 10 countries. For more information, visit www.res-group.com. SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd Related Links www.sungrowpower.com HENLEY fell silent for one minute to mark the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. A brief ceremony was held on the steps of the town hall at 3pm on Saturday, when Prince Philips funeral service at Windsor Castle started. The silence was led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson from his official home at Chequers and thousands of towns across Britain took part. Mayor Ken Arlett, his wife Mayoress Dorothy Arlett and deputy Mayor David Eggleton were joined by Oxfordshire deputy lieutenant Lynda Atkins and Ann Evans and John Green, who are chairwoman and president respectively of the Royal British Legions Henley and Peppard branch. Mr Green and James Nelson, the Legions standard bearer, each solemnly lowered the branchs flag as the clock struck the hour while all present bowed their heads. Members of the public who were sitting on benches on Falaise Square or eating at tables outside restaurants fell quiet and some took photos on their phones after the ceremony finished. Once the minute had elapsed, Mr Green and Mr Nelson slowly raised their flags, turned to their right and marched a couple of steps to officially end proceedings as onlookers applauded. Mr Green said: As always, the people of Henley have come together to mark an historic event. Although weve had to stick within the rules because of the coronavirus pandemic, its nonetheless good that weve made a public gesture to mark the occasion. Were unlikely to see someone of the Duke of Edinburghs stature again. He showed a combination of the qualities that most of us would like to feel we follow but few of us can. From the moment he left Greece as a child, his presence has always been welcomed and hes to be admired for living a lifetime of service and dedication. He also showed a tremendous sense of humour, which has always been a quintessentially British form of comfort in times of trouble. Mrs Evans said: It was lovely having the Mayor, his entourage and the two standards for a simple but very solemn and moving occasion. Councillor Arlett said: Its very important to pay our respects to the Duke of Edinburgh theres been such an outpouring of tributes to him since the news of his death was announced. He was very highly regarded and everyone appreciates what he did for the country as well as the wider Commonwealth, where my wife is from. Ms Atkins, of Wallingford, said: Henley always does these things well and it was a short but dignified occasion, which is appropriate for these times. The Duke of Edinburghs contribution to the country, and to the Queen in particular, was unique there was nobody like him and never will be again. Cllr Eggleton said: It was a great honour to be able to pay tribute to him after everything hes done for the country and Im sure wed have done something much bigger if it had been safe to do so. Prince Philip, the longest-serving consort in British history, died at Windsor Castle aged 99 on April 9, 24 days after returning from heart surgery in hospital. He was laid to rest at St Georges Chapel in the grounds of the castle, where about 1,000 onlookers gathered at the gates despite requests for people not to attend. He was carried to the chapel in an open-top Land Rover Defender hearse which he designed more than a decade ago. With the expansion of vaccine eligibility for those 16 and older, which began on Monday in Chicago and earlier this month in the rest of Illinois, 53% of the states 18 and older population, and 50% of those 16 and older, have now received at least one vaccine dose, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Monday. A pair of police officers in Singapore were caught on camera rescuing a giant monitor lizard that wandered out into a busy road. ADVERTISEMENT A group filming for educational website Just Keep Thinking spotted the lizard in the middle of Republic Avenue in Kallang on Sunday and flagged down a pair of nearby police officers. The group filmed as one of the officers grabbed the lizard by the tail and pointed the reptile toward the side of the road, attempting to coax the reptile into walking to safety on its own. The lizard did not cooperate with the officer's attempts, leading him to lift the monitor and carry it to the side of the road, eliciting cheers from onlookers. The officers left the lizard near the shoreline of the Kallang Basin. [April 20, 2021] VMware Empowers Today's Anywhere Workforce The way we work has changed forever. And now that leading companies have seen the benefits of remote work, they want to do more than just support it. They want to become truly distributed businesses that can work from anywhere. To address this shift, VMware (NYSE: VMW) is announcing VMware Anywhere Workspace, a solution designed to help companies deliver better and more secure experiences to their employees no matter where they are in the world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005493/en/ VMware Anywhere Workspace empowers today's anywhere workforce. (Graphic: Business Wire) "Work is what you do, not where you do it. As businesses reimagine where and how teams collaborate and innovate, they must do more than transform. They must reform their mindset to create a digital-first culture that puts employee experience first," said Sanjay Poonen, chief operating officer, customer operations, VMware. "We developed VMware Anywhere Workspace with this new way of working in mind. It will play an important role in creating stronger, more focused, and more resilient businesses." Introducing VMware Anywhere Workspace VMware Anywhere Workspace empowers today's anywhere workforce by removing the friction that can exist between IT systems and employees. This creates better experiences and broader, more effective security. All with less cost and operational overhead. VMware Anywhere Workspace sets the foundation and a vision for how to enable the future of work. It helps customers: Manage multi-modal employee experience anywhere so employees can work smarter and be more productive. It gives them access to a great user experience and consistent performance on any device, from any location, over any network. Plus, it improves the way in which IT can deliver services to users. so employees can work smarter and be more productive. It gives them access to a great user experience and consistent performance on any device, from any location, over any network. Plus, it improves the way in which IT can deliver services to users. Secure the distributed edge with broader and more effective security. This lets any user access any app from any device. VMware's Zero Trust approach combines network security to the edge with endpoint security and management. with broader and more effective security. This lets any user access any app from any device. VMware's Zero Trust approach combines network security to the edge with endpoint security and management. Automate the workspace so that IT is not only more simple, responsive, and efficient, but more modern too. This lets businesses focus on the outcomes they want instead of the tasks they need to do. All powered by intelligent management of workflows, compliance, and performance. Anywhere Workspace Technologies VMware Anywhere Workspace is available today and brings together the benefits of three innovative solutions: VMware Workspace ONE provides unified endpoint management, desktop and app virtualization, and a variety of employee experience, productivity, and security related solutions. VMware Carbon Black Cloud brings cloud-native endpoint and workload protection. VMware SASE will combine SD-WAN capabilities with cloud-delivered security functions, including cloud web security, zero trust network access, and firewalling. These capabilities will be delivered as-a-service from a global network of points of presence (PoPs). VMware Anywhere Workspace features unique integration points between the solutions, with more planned over time. For example: Carbon Black Cloud and Workspace ONE integrate to bring physical and virtual endpoint management and security capabilities together. Workspace ONE and SASE services (VMware SD-WAN, Work from Home networking, VMware Secure Access) integrate to deliver zero trust network access (ZTNA) over globally deployed POPs. "A truly hybrid workforce is one that is enabled to work in any location, across any network and device, and with no trade-offs when it comes to employee productivity. However, delivering against this ideal has proven challenging for businesses that often rely on a complex set of legacy security practices and technologies," said Adam Holtby, Principal Analyst, Omdia. "New security, management, and employee productivity solutions and practices are needed if businesses are to optimally enable and secure a more hybrid, anywhere workforce. This value proposition is at the core of VMware's new solution, and it is one that has great potential to help the vendor become an important partner for businesses looking to embrace the Future of Work." What the Future of Work Looks Like for VMware Customers AMTI is a technology solutions and systems provider based in the Philippines. Josefino Paloma, executive vice president and general manager for ICT Solutions and Geo-Expansions, said, "Our work-from-home program began two years ago to address the worsening traffic in metro Manila. COVID accelerated this initiative and Anywhere Workspace technologies enabled us to deliver a productive work environment for our employees. We will never go back to having everyone work from the office and Anywhere Workspace technologies will play a critical role in supporting a hybrid workforce." Angel MedFlight is an air medical transportation company. Paul Green, chief development officer, said, "What we do as an organization relies on the connections we have with our patients, our case managers and family members. I'm proud of how we continued to provide exceptional care while we were uprooted from a traditional office environment. Moving forward, we're not just going to go back to the office like nothing ever happened. We are going to keep our work-from-home program running - not out of necessity like last year, but as an ongoing program. We are working with VMware and implementing Anywhere Workspace technologies to make sure our employees are set up to thrive no matter where they choose to work." Brisbane Catholic Education encompasses over 140 schools and provides quality? teaching and learning outcomes for Prep to Year 12 students. Paul Saltmarsh, senior IT officer, said, "The country-wide lockdown forced us to change the way we use technology. Now that we are back in the classroom, much to my joy, teachers, staff and students continue to use technology to enhance the learning and work experience. The 'chalk and talk' approach is no longer an option. VMware Anywhere Workspace will enable our team to manage and better secure the tens of thousands of devices that are now teaching staples in the classroom." Deutsche Telekom (News - Alert) is a German global IT services and consulting company. Florian Mosch, senior executive program manager, commented, "I don't expect to see a dramatic change in the current distributed work situation but rather adjustments to it. For instance, employees are not likely to return to the office five days a week, but maybe once a week or on a bi-weekly basis. Solutions like VMware Anywhere Workspace will make it easier for organizations to support employee choice while maintaining productivity and preserving its collaborative culture." The Osceola County Sheriff's Office provides professional law enforcement services to its citizens and visitors. Daniel Caban, CIO, commented, "Working in law enforcement, security is the biggest compliance requirement for us. As deputies' and employees' devices are connecting back to our network, we need to ensure that connection is encrypted and secure. Anywhere Workspace Technologies helps us better secure the various devices being used out in the field as they connect to our network." Headquartered in Munich, OSRAM Continental develops automotive lighting systems. Michael Schoeberl, CIO, said, "The pandemic forced us to rethink how we work and a lot of the new practices we created will be carried forward into the future. Hiring and onboarding, for example, are two areas where I do not see us going back to the old way. The Anywhere Workspace gives us the tools we need to meet candidates virtually, extend an offer, and provide them with access to the apps and resources for onboarding - all without ever stepping foot in an office." Rentokil Initial provides pest control services. Chris Gill, group head of Workplace Services, commented, "IT support is an area that has changed beyond recognition, in a way. While we are solving similar problems - fixing computers, getting new devices into employees' hands, etc. - how we complete the work has changed. Anywhere Workspace technologies are helping us accelerate certain processes - such as out-of-the-box device provisioning - to reduce the effort and time IT needs to spend on these routine requests." Twitter (News - Alert) is an open service that's home to a world of diverse people, perspectives, ideas, and information. Andrew Sopko, head of IT at Twitter, said, "We've tried other platforms for device management, and we've used a variety of different security applications, but ultimately, this VMware solution is helping us solve multiple business challenges while providing the visibility to keep our endpoint environment secure. Anywhere Workspace will help Twitter better enable a future in which thousands of employees continue to work remotely." The United States Senate Federal Credit Union provides the U.S. Senate and Capitol Hill communities with financial services. Mark Fournier, CIO, said, "Before the pandemic, we had acquired and started renovating a new space for our headquarters. Our experience of working as a remote workforce during the pandemic has us rethinking how we utilize the space and provide both traditional desktop and mobile experiences to our employees. Providing a consistent experience and offering employees flexibility as they return to the office will be made possible through adopting an Anywhere Workspace approach." Join Us on May 5 & 6 to Learn More On May 5 & 6, VMware will host a free online event - Leading Change: Build Trust with the Anywhere Workspace - where leaders will discuss how organizations can embrace the new normal and transform into secure, anywhere organizations. The event will feature: A keynote to kick things off on May 5 at 10:00 a.m. CEST in EMEA; 9:00 a.m. PDT in the Americas; and 11:00 a.m. SGT on May 6 in APJ. Business and technical tracks, featuring different speakers from each region. Over a dozen on-demand sessions with technology deep dives covering VMware Workspace ONE and VMware Horizon, VMware SD-WAN and VMware SASE, and VMware Carbon Black Cloud. A wide range of speakers, including VMware executives and subject matter experts, customers, and community members. View the full list of speakers here. Register today at www.vmware.com/anywhere-workspace-event. Additional Resources: Read a perspective on the news from VMware COO Sanjay Poonen on the VMware Newsroom Learn more about the technologies that comprise VMware Anywhere Workspace in this blog post from Shawn Bass, CTO of VMware's End-User Computing business unit About VMware VMware software powers the world's complex digital infrastructure. The company's cloud, app modernization, networking, security, and digital workspace offerings help customers deliver any application on any cloud across any device. Headquartered in Palo Alto (News - Alert) , California, VMware is committed to being a force for good, from its breakthrough technology innovations to its global impact. For more information, please visit https://www.vmware.com/company.html. VMware, Workspace ONE, Horizon, Carbon Black Cloud, VMware SASE, and VMware SD-WAN are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005493/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Bengaluru, April 21 : Karnataka leader of the opposition, Siddaramaiah termed on Tuesday the all party meeting convened by Governor Vajubhai Vala was 'unconstitutional' and he has no power to do so. "This meeting tantamount to interference in the governance by the Governor," he said while speaking during the all-party meeting chaired by the Governor. "I am taking part in this meeting only to honour the Governor's wish, but as an elected representative and as an opposition leader I register my protest for the Governor convening this unconstitutional meeting of all parties," he said. He said that the Governor who has convened a meeting has no wherewithal to implement the suggestions given by the Opposition members. "What type of decision can the Governor take? In a democratic setup, only the elected government and council of ministers can take decisions and implement it," he asserted. The opposition leader added that the constitution does not give any scope to call such a meeting too when the elected government is in power. "This is clear case of Govenor's interfenrce in the government," he said and added that at least Chief Minister Yediyurappa should have consulted with the Advocate General before saying yes to such meeting. Specializes in developing cell-based technologies and manages stem-cell banks and clinical laboratories Creates proprietary diagnostic and therapeutic products leveraging regenerative medicine and exosome technology Also helping in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) What Avalon GloboCare does: ( ) specializes in developing cell-based technologies but is also involved in the management of stem-cell banks and clinical laboratories and the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). Via its two platforms, Avalon Cell and Avalon Rehab, the company develops proprietary diagnostic and therapeutic products leveraging regenerative medicine and exosome technology. It markets proprietary exosome isolation systems and related products to hospitals. In laymans terms, exosomes are akin to powerful messengers (tiny, membrane-bound vesicles) released by cells into biofluids like plasma/serum, urine, and saliva. Avalon says exosomes, which carry cellular proteins and genetic material, can help fight the progression of certain cancers and act as biomarkers to detect tumors through liquid biopsy tests. The Freehold, New Jersey-based company has also developed proprietary cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T, short for chimeric antigen receptor therapy. CAR-T involves genetically modifying T-cells, specifically manufactured for each individual patient, to activate the bodys immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Avalons lead CAR-T therapy is AVA-001, which is designed to treat relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. And the company has developed a number of skincare and wound-healing products that use clinical-grade tissue-specific exosomes as additives. How is it doing: In March 2021, Avalon announced that it will work with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center to advance the firms RNA based candidates and relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment, AVA-001, which targets tumor antigens on cancer cells. Avalon CEO David Jin has described the collaboration as a milestone in the clinical development and production of AVA-011 and other RNA-based FLASH-CAR candidates ahead of the start of the firms first-in-human clinical trials. Avalon and the UPMC Cancer Center will co-develop and deploy Avalons new Point-of-Care (POC) Modular Autonomous Processing System (PMAPsys) onsite. This is a proprietary lab platform intended to provide POC process development, optimization, validation and manufacturing of clinical-grade products for cell and gene therapies at Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities. Earlier in March, Avalon also reported that it is expanding its co-development research program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), involving the use of CRISPR-based genome editing and QTY protein design technology to potentially treat and prevent cancer metastasis the spreading of cancer cells from the initial tumor site to surrounding tissues and organs. Their work has already generated a prototype device to soak up the excess chemokines and cytokines produced in the body that lead to the potentially fatal cytokine storm, which can occur in patients with COVID-19, and in cancer patients being treated with CAR T-cell therapy. Avalon also had a busy spell in the final quarter of 2020. In October, the company forged a strategic collaboration for the global distribution of COVID-19 point-of-care antibody rapid test devices. It noted that the Assure/FaStep COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Device is the first serology (antibody) POC test for COVID-19 using fingerstick blood samples approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the test device as well as for the Assure/EcoStep COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Device. Under the agreement, Adial has granted Avalon non-exclusive, sub-distribution rights worldwide for both tests. As a result of the FDA's EUA, fingerstick blood samples can now be utilized with the FaStep COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Device for the test in POC settings, including doctors' offices, hospitals, or other locations where there is a healthcare professional. In the December 2020 issue of Nature Biopharma Dealmakers, Avalons Jin, highlighted the bio-developer's ongoing scientific and clinical developments including a first-in-human trial of a mucosal, intranasal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 that is planned for early 2021. In September, Avalon had announced the launch of its new allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapeutic platform as a potential therapy for COVID-19. The company said it believes that its MSC platform could offer a unique approach to treat the potentially fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome, multi-system inflammatory syndrome and cytokine storm-related to severe cases of COVID-19. In addition to being a potential therapy for COVID-19, the company said the platform would also be developed to treat bone marrow transplant-related complications of acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD). In the December Nature Biopharma Dealmakers issue, Dr Jin also described the companys innovative, MSC therapy candidate, CB-MSC-1, which possess unique anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, as well as AVA-001, Avalons third-generation CAR T cell therapy that has shown robust activity in patients in a Phase 1 trial. At the start of October, Avalon said it had expanded the Phase 1 clinical trial of AVA-001, to include enrollment of patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. AVA-001 is a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell (a type of white blood cell) therapy and allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC, or connective tissue) therapy, which is designed to improve the bodys capacity to kill cancer cells. Earlier in the year, Avalon had successfully completed a first-in-human trial of the drug, and found that nine out of 10 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia achieved complete remission within one month. Avalon also has a partnership with the Institute for Synthetic Bioarchitectures at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, Austria. The collaboration melds BOKUs S-layer nanotechnology with Avalons expertise in biomanufacturing, cell therapy engineering, and clinical development. Avalon will leverage the pioneering work of Professor Uwe B. Sleytr, who is a top expert on applied surface layer (S-layer) technology, and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nanobiotechnology at BOKU. Professor Sleytr is also a member of Avalons Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board. Avalon and BOKU are establishing a research facility, the Christian Doppler Laboratory, on the BOKU campus. In connection with the new facility, Avalon and BOKU have signed a pact to jointly apply for a matching research grant from the Christian Doppler Laboratory Foundation. Inflection points: News of first-in-human trial of a mucosal, intranasal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 planned for 2021 More details on Assure/FaStep COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Device Results from Phase 1 clinical trial of relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia treatment, AVA-001 What the boss says: In the statement announcing the collaboration with the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Avalon CEO Dr David Jin said: "We are excited about our partnership on the new point-of-care Modular Autonomous Processing System with UPMC, which we believe will help accelerate the path to bringing our own and third-party cell therapies to market. We are working diligently to fast-track development and commercialization of our cellular immune-oncology therapeutic products, while providing the highest quality and safety standards for our patients." Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive MediaTek has launched its flagship System-on-Chip (SoC), Dimensity 1200 in the Indian market. MediaTek also announced realme as the first smartphone brand to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC in India. Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India, said, MediaTek Dimensity 1200 reiterates our focus on 5G and commitment to deliver compelling technologies. It will enable our OEMs to build competitive products that enable premium and incredible experiences. The SoC will mark a new beginning for the smartphone segment in India with its flagship features that blend the best of all worlds be it processor technology, camera, AI features, gaming or connectivity enhancements. With flagship 5G chipset technology, MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC will take user experience to the next level be in terms of AI, camera, processor speed, gaming capabilities and much more. We expect more OEMs to launch MediaTek Dimensity 1200 powered smartphones in the near future. The 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC features one of the fastest smartphone octa-core CPUs ever: with a clock speed of 3GHz with up to 22% faster CPU performance while also being 25% more power-efficient versus the previous generation. Equipped with Arm Mali-G77 MC9 GPU and six-core MediaTek APU 3.0 with 12.5% faster performance, the SoC delivers flagship-level premium performance with AI multimedia capabilities, incredible displays, faster refresh rates, gaming enhancements, and much more. Madhav Sheth, Vice President realme and CEO, realme India and Europe said, realme and MediaTek have collaborated since the launch of realme 1 in 2018, bringing MediaTek Helio P60 chipset for the first time to India. The launch of Dimensity 1200 is another milestone towards realizing that vision, as it brings the power of nanoscale processor with 6nm design, up to 3 GHz speed with octa-core CPU, power-efficient and highly capable 5G integrated mode. realme will be launching Indias first Dimensity 1200 powered smartphone very soon. The high-performance SoC will evolve the average owners smartphone usage exponentially, with enhanced video and photography capabilities, gaming technology, refresh displays, and an AI processor. Powered by MediaTek HyperEngine 3.0 gaming technology, the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC enhances the smartphone gaming experience with a new generation of wireless audio and Ray Traced graphics capabilities. The chipset packs in the most powerful imaging and AI processors for incredible camera experiences with up to 200MP camera support and is equipped with MediaTek MiraVision HDR video playback and AV1 video decoding, bringing cinema-grade visual experiences to the small screen. The SoC is built with an integrated 5G modem featuring MediaTeks 5G UltraSave technology for greater energy savings. It supports 5G carrier aggregation (2CC) across frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD), dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), True Dual SIM 5G (5G SA + 5G SA) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR). The chipset also integrates 5G HSR Mode and 5G Elevator Mode enhancements to ensure a seamless, reliable 5G connection across networks. MediaTek Dimensity 1200 has already received TUV Rheinland certification for its 5G performance, with tests covering 72 real-world scenarios. The certification verifies that the chipset provides reliable, high-performance 5G connectivity and offers users high-quality 5G experiences across a wide variety of scenarios. MediaTeks 5G portfolio in India comprises MediaTek Dimensity 1000, the first 5G chip from MediaTek featuring the worlds most advanced 5G SoC architecture; MediaTek Dimensity 800U helps drive mass-market 5G smartphones and empower users with incredible smartphone experiences; and the recently launched MediaTek Dimensity 700 that brings advanced 5G capabilities to its power-efficient design. MediaTek technology powers not only smartphones but also laptops, tablets, smart TVs, Blu-ray, voice assistant devices, smart speakers, Wi-Fi routers, smart home, IoT devices among others. ADVERTISEMENT The police have confirmed the attack on a divisional station in Abia, saying the attackers used dynamite and rocket launcher to burn down the building. Abia police spokesperson Godfrey Ogbonna, however, said no life was lost to the incident. The attack on the Uzuakoli Divisional Police Station in Bende Local Government Area of Abia is one of the latest in the string of attacks on police and security facilities and personnel in the South-east and South-south regions of Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES reported similar attacks on police facilities in Imo, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Cross River leading to the deaths of police personnel and the destruction of properties worth millions of naira. The incident in Imo included an attack on the police headquarters in the state as well as on a major prison in the state capital where over 1,800 inmates were freed. The police have blamed the outlawed group, IPOB, and its security faction, ESN, for the attacks. The group, which wants an independent country of Biafra for Igbos, has denied being behind the attacks. On Monday, Mr Ogbonna, a superintendent of police, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia that the incident happened at about 3 a.m. on Monday. He said that no life was lost and that operatives at the command repelled the assailants and stopped them from gaining access to the armoury. They used dynamite and rocket launcher to burn down the building, including private and official vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles parked on the premises, he said. Mr Ogbonna said that the command had commenced investigation into the attack. The police recently arrested some suspects allegedly involved in some of the previous attacks on police facilities and personnel. 2021 Cadillac CT5 Review By Larry Nutson Delivers your wants and needs By Larry Nutson Executive Editor and Bureau Chief Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel I had my first drive in Cadillacs new CT5 sedan last year, notwithstanding Covid-19. I recently found myself again behind the wheel of this premium/luxury midsize sedan. Yes, people still buy cars. Not everyone wants or needs a utility vehicle. The expectation is that carssedans, coupes, station wagons and convertibles will continue to be around 20 to 25% of total new vehicle sales in the U.S. Research says that many young people are considering sedans. Theres interest among a significant percentage of Gen Z and Gen Y buyers. Why? Price, fuel efficiency and I dont want daddys car are three main reasons. This can only help Cadillac as they are looking to attract younger buyers. As often is the case when a new vehicle comes to market the second year of production brings about adjustments to the product program. Four trims are still available for 2021: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport and V-Series. A 227-hp turbo four-cylinder engine is standard. A 335-hp turbo V6 is available on the Premium Luxury trim. Both engines use a 10-speed automatic and are mated to either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. For the performance minded, a CT5-V is available powered by a 360hp 3.0L Twin Turbo V-6 engine. New for 2021 is a Diamond Sky Special Edition on Premium Luxury trims. Unique Diamond Sky exterior color, unique front grille, body color rocker extensions and rear lower diffuser, clear tail lamp lenses with crystalline inner, 19-inch alloy wheels with unique finish, Brembo front brakes, blue brake calipers at all wheels, grey/black leather seating, unique wood trim and alloy pedals are featured in this package. Also new is an upgrade to Super Cruise now with lane change capability, a V-Performance package with Magna Ride control for Sport trims, new 12-inch reconfigurable cluster, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Buckle to Drive feature (fasten seatbelt to shift out of Park), Sirius XM360, revised leather steering wheel and two new colors on the V-Series. The 2021 CT5 has a starting MSRP of $37,990, including the $995 destination charge. For this most recent drive experience I drove a V6 equipped Premium Luxury trim with all-wheel drive. With a starting MSRP of $40,795 plus $9,665 in options the total price topped out at $51,445 including destination. This CT5 drive didnt have me on any road trips but was concentrated around my Chicago home. The CT5 provides decent comfort both up front and in the rear with its well-appointed and nicely roomy cabin. Its quiet and refined. This is balanced with a right-size exterior that makes for easy maneuvering in a crowded, densely populated city. The V6 delivers plenty of performance with good torque characteristics for quick acceleration as well as highway merging and passing. GMs Active Fuel Management, cylinder deactivation that is, helps to reduce fuel consumption. EPA fuel economy ratings for the V6 are 21 combined mpg, with 18 city mpg and 26 highway mpg. Selectable Drive Modes Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice and My Mode, alter the calibrations for transmission shifting, steering and brake feel, AWD front/rear torque split and vehicle sound character to customize the driving experience for driver preference and road conditions. All season tires on 18-inch alloys combine with a nicely compliant suspension to provide a comfortable ride balanced with precise handling and confident control. Chicagos streets are always a challenge and very low profile tires can prove problematic. Fourteen-way power front seats, leather seating, 4G WiFi, head-up display, 15-watt wireless phone charging, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, 15-speaker Bose Performance Series audio system all make for pleasurable driving. A full suite of driver assistance safety features is available. More details on the 2020 Cadillac CT5 are at www.cadillac.com. Premium Luxury, Sport and V-series trims are available with a Platinum Package. The CT5 is a competitive entry in the premium midsize sedan class. It will give well-regarded European as well as Asian brands a run for the money. Style, performance and passenger accommodations come at a relatively good value. Soon the CT5-V Blackwing will make its appearance. An upgraded 6.2L supercharged V-8 using a higher flow air intake and revised exhaust system will develop 668 horsepower and 659 lb.-ft. of torque. A Tremec six-speed manual transmission or an available 10-speed automatic transmission, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, high performance Brembo brakes, forged aluminum wheels and performance staggered-size tires will complete the package. The track-capable 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing goes on sale in late summer with extremely limited availability. It will be the most powerful production Cadillac ever. Top speed is over 200mph. Happy motoring! 2021 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has reopened the iconic Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid. In celebration, an enticing Opening Offer is available until August 31 which includes an exclusive guided city tour, a generous dining credit and an original Ritz gift; a piece of history to commemorate the occasion. Attending the reopening celebrations for a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony were a group of government and cultural dignitaries. The much-anticipated reopening comes after the most ambitious and extensive restoration in the iconic propertys 110-year history. Originally designed and built under the supervision of legendary hotelier Cesar Ritz, the hotel first opened its doors in 1910. Over the last three years, it has been carefully restored, enhancing its facilities and services while preserving the unique Belle Epoque character of the original building. Spanish architect, Rafael de La-Hoz, has been instrumental in the historical restoration while French designers, Gilles & Boissier, have overseen the interiors, increasing the propertys appeal to local and international guests alike. Each of the 153 luxuriously appointed rooms, including 53 suites, now enjoy a chic and contemporary residential style. The hotel is poised to become one of the most innovative culinary destinations in Spain with five dining concepts overseen by three Michelin-starred Chef Quique Dacosta. These comprise Deessa, with a menu celebrating locally-sourced produce; Palm Court, serving a classic yet modern menu under a spectacular central glass canopy; Champagne Bar, which presents tailored pairings for guests; Pictura, with a curated avant-garde menu of cocktails; and El Jardin del Ritz, Madrids favourite al fresco setting. For the first time in its history, Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid will offer wellness experiences for body and mind. The intimate spa retreat will feature Mandarin Orientals award-winning wellness expertise in partnership with The Beauty Concept, one of Spains leading wellness experts. The wellness facilities include a heated indoor swimming pool, a vitality pool, experience showers, a steam room, and a contemporary fitness centre. The propertys prestigious location, in the heart of Madrids commercial and cultural district and close to the citys famed El Retiro Park, has ensured that The Ritz has always been an integral part of society in Spains capital, and host to royalty, politicians, corporate leaders, and celebrities for decades. - TradeArabia News Service Havana, April 20 : Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has been elected as the new First Secretary of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), as the successor to Raul Castro. The announcement was made on Monday during the final session of the Eighth Congress of the PCC as the island nation marked the 60th anniversary of the victory against the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion, reports Xinhua news agency. "The most revolutionary stand inside the revolution is to always defend the (PCC) party, in the same way, the party must be the major defender of the (Cuban) revolution," said Diaz-Canel while addressing the closing ceremony of the Congress. During his political career, Diaz-Canel has also served as the first secretary of the provincial party committee of the PCC in the provinces of Villa Clara and Holguin, minister of higher education, vice-president of the Council of Ministers, and first vice-president of the Council of State, among other responsibilities. The rest of the members of the new Political Bureau, Secretariat, and Central Committee of the PCC were also elected during the session. Raul Castro was elected to the top position of the PCC in April 2011 succeeding his elder brother and former President Fidel Castro, who had held that position since the founding of the party in 1965. During the four-day Congress, participants discussed ideology, updating of the Cuban model, internal functioning of the PCC as well as the economic transformations implemented over the past five years on the island. Diosvany Acosta, first secretary of Cuba's Young Communist League, told Xinhua that the Cuban youth is committed to actively continuing to participate in the country's social and economic activities. "We have played a leading role during the Covid-19 pandemic response. That is the result of principles and values instilled by the Cuban revolution into us," said Acosta. Srinagar, April 20 : A youth from North Kashmir's Bandipore district who had inadvertently crossed the LoC into PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) was repartriated at the Tithwal bridge along the Line Of Control (LoC) on Tuesday, officials said. The 18-year-old boy identified as Md Sayeed Mohinuddin belonging to Gurez area of Bandipora had crossed into PoK in September last year. Inadvertent crossings across Line of Control by locals on either sides have been an occurrence due to rugged terrain. "Proactive coordination by Indian authorities has enabled repatriation of the boy on Tuesday at Tithwal Crossing Bridge. At around 11.55 a.m., the young boy Sayeed aged 18 years was taken over from Pak authorities at Tithwal crossing Bridge amidst the emotional backdrop of the boy's joyous brother," army said. Tithwal Crossing Bridge located on Kishanganga river has been acting as a point of peace between the two sides. Pertinently, the site is visited by lots of people from either sides and is emerging as tourist site especially after the recently agreed ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The peace and tranquility as a result of the agreement is being appreciated by the civil population on either sides of the LoC. Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping attends a meeting with delegates from the 2019 New Economy Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Nov. 22, 2019. (Jason Lee/Pool/Getty Images) Xi Jinping Plays a Good Hand of Cards Poorly Through Major Miscalculations Robert Louis Stevenson, a 19th-century Scottish novelist, said, Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. Xi Jinping, the top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader, has just done the opposite. In recent years, Xi has made misjudgments on a series of major issues, resulting in him turning a good hand of cards into a bad one. This article attempts to analyze his major miscalculations and the reasons behind them. Xi Jinpings Four Major Miscalculations First, lets look at Xis miscalculation of China in a global context. On Jan. 11, Xi said at the Party School of the CCPs Central Committee that the world is undergoing a great change unprecedented in a century, but the time and the trend are in our favor. On Feb. 25, Xi was quoted commenting on the international situation by saying that the political judgment of the future is that the East is rising and the West is declining. Is it really so? Xi held a grand military parade on Oct. 1, 2019, in Beijing to celebrate the 70th year of the CCPs subversion of the Republic of China. It should have been a good opportunity for Xi to invite heads of state and government and to show them that time and trend is in Chinas favor. However, not a single foreign head of state or government was invited, which reflects the CCPs unprecedented isolation in the international arena. Has the world situation changed fundamentally in favor of the CCP since the pandemic of 2020? The answer is no. From the beginning of 2020, the CCP concealed information and data about the virus, suppressed doctors who tried to warn people, spread fake news such as that there was no human-to-human transmission and that the virus was preventable and controllable, and allowed infected people to fly from Wuhan, a city in Hubei Province, to the rest of the world, which caused the rapid breakout of the pandemic around the world. By April 15, 2021, more than 138 million people had been infected and 2.89 million had died in 192 countries worldwide. Shoppers form a line around the side of Smiths Food & Drug as they wait for the store to open in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 20, 2020. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) In October 2020, a survey released by Pew Research Center, a U.S. pollster, revealed that negative opinion of the CCP has soared over the past year and that in countries like Australia, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, South Korea, Spain, and Canada, negative views have reached their highest points since the Center began polling on this topic more than a decade ago. Looking at the world, neither time nor power is on the side of the CCP, and the rising east and falling west is a self-deceiving illusion. In terms of international trends, this is a period of time when communism is to be eradicated completely from the earth since the collapse of communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Second, Xi has made wrong judgments in regards to China-U.S. relations. We have a thousand reasons to get China-U.S. relations right, not a single reason to ruin it, Xi Jinping said on April 6, 2017, while meeting former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, since the 19th National Congress of the CCP, Xi has made serious mistakes in judging China-U.S. relations. From 2018 to 2020, in just three years, China-U.S. relations have deteriorated to the worst level in more than 40 years of diplomatic relations. The United States even closed the CCPs consulate in Houston in 2020. After Biden took office, the CCP repeatedly stated its wishes to improve China-U.S. relations, as the CCP relies more on the United States than the United States relies on China. Finally, on March 18, 2021, China met in Alaska for its first high-level dialogue with the new U.S. administration. However, Yang Jiechi, a member of the CCPs Politburo and Director of the Foreign Affairs Office, suddenly lashed out: the United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength. He said, The Chinese do not buy it. Yangs wolf-warrior-style rant has revealed that what the CCP really wants is to be able to continue to take advantage of the United States and to compete with the United States for world dominance. On Feb. 25, He Bin, the Party committee secretary of Qilian County, Qinghai Province, revealed that Xi said at an internal meeting that the greatest source of chaos in the world today is the United States the United States is the biggest threat to our countrys development and security. Xis view of the United States as his number one enemy has become common knowledge. Is it possible that China-U.S. relations will return to the appeasement policy of the United States before the Trump administration? Not likely. Through this pandemic, most Americans have awakened. Most of us know that this is a brutal regime. This is a criminal organization. It is leading a country, oppressing its citizens, and thinking that it wants to rule the world, U.S. Congressman Scott Perry said in an interview with the Voice of America (VOA) on April 12. On April 13, the United States Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its 2021 Annual Threat Assessment (pdf), which said that the CCP represents the greatest threat to the United States. Once the CCP is designated as a criminal organization, what will be the outcome for the leaders of the CCP? Third, Xi had made a miscalculation of the Hong Kong issue. In June 2019, the largest protest campaign in Hong Kongs historyanti-extradition bill protestsbroke out. Protesters hold placards and shout slogans during a rally against the extradition law proposal in Hong Kong on June 9, 2019. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images) Since June 12, 2019, the CCP has been escalating its violent crackdown on Hong Kong, thinking that it could subdue the people of Hong Kong by doing so. The people of Hong Kong were not scared. On Nov. 25, 2020, the results of the Hong Kong District Council elections were announced, and of the 452 seats in the 18 districts, the pro-democracy camp won 388 seats, while the pro-establishment camp won only 59 seats. Xi claimed to make it our priority to win the hearts and minds of the people at a collective study session of the CCPs Politburo on June 29, 2018. If Xi had really made that his priority, he would have seriously addressed the five demands raised by Hong Kongs protesters, and honored the promise made by the CCP to the international community in the Sino-British Joint Declaration that one country, two systems would remain unchanged in Hong Kong for 50 years. However, instead of doing so, Xi forced the passing of the National Security Law in Hong Kong in the midst of the global pandemic in 2020. In March 2021, Xi replaced the principle of Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong, formulated by Deng Xiaoping before Hong Kongs handover, with patriots ruling Hong Kong. On March 4, the U.S. Heritage Foundation released its 2021 Index of Economic Freedom, and Hong Kong, which had ranked first for 25 consecutive years till 2019, was excluded from the index because policies in Hong Kong are ultimately controlled from Beijing, the Heritage Foundation said in its news release. Fourth, Xi made wrong judgments in regards to the Taiwan issue. On Jan. 2, 2019, Xi delivered a speech on the Taiwan issue, proposing a unification plan for Taiwan based on one country, two systems, claiming that the principles of peaceful unification and one country, two systems are the best ways to achieve national unification. When Deng Xiaoping proposed the implementation of one country, two systems in Hong Kong, he wanted to set a model for the unification of Taiwan. However, the violent crackdown by the CCP on Hong Kongs anti-extradition bill protests has left the people of Taiwan dumbfounded and many of them scared. Seeing the current situation in Hong Kong, and being attacked by the CCPs all-encompassing propaganda and military threats, the people of Taiwan have given up the illusion of the CCPs one country, two systems. In 2021, Taiwan experienced four democratic votes: the presidential election, the Legislative Council election, the dismissal of Kaohsiungs mayor, and the election of a new Kaohsiung mayor. Most Taiwanese voted for the anti-communist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Xis proposal for unifying Taiwan was declared bankrupt after just over two years. The Reasons Behind Xis Major Misjudgments First, Xi cannot hear or see the real situation. The 19th National Congress of the CCP held in October 2017 was the peak of Xis power since he took office. Xi became the Xi Core, and Xi Thought was written into the CCPs constitution. This was followed by praises being heaped on Xi. Wang Yi, the CCPs foreign minister, said in 2017, that Xis diplomatic thought has made innovations on and transcended the traditional Western theories of international relations for the past 300 years. A man walks past a billboard featuring a photo of Chinese leader Xi Jinping beside lantern decorations for the Chinese Lunar New Year in Baoding, China, on Feb. 24, 2015. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) However, people who voice criticism are suppressed. Ren Zhiqiang, a famous Chinese property developer and a second-generation red, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment for saying something unpleasant. In such an atmosphere, it is very difficult for Xi to hear the truth, and he makes his judgment based on false news. No wonder he has made all these major miscalculations. Second, the Chinese Communist Party is a Marxist party. Xis major misjudgments all stem from the CCPs guiding ideology. According to former White House National Security Adviser Robert C. OBrien, the U.S. miscalculation of the CCP is the greatest failure of American foreign policy since the 1930s. In his view, the reason the United States made such a mistake was that we did not pay heed to the CCPs ideology. Let us be clear, the Chinese Communist Party is a Marxist-Leninist organization, he said. This reflection hits the nail on the head. 173 years ago, Karl Marx declared in The Communist Manifesto that the communists ends could be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Marx hated capitalism and called on communists to overthrow capitalism by violence. This idea has been carried through the international communist movement for 173 years. The communist parties of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe fought against capitalism for more than 70 years but ended in failure. The CCP has now become the single largest remaining communist party in the world. It took over and has carried the banner of Lenin and Stalin and continued to fight against capitalism. This is the most important reason why the CCP wants to destroy capitalism in Taiwan after destroying capitalism in Hong Kong, and why it wants to destroy capitalism in the United States. 173 years ago, Marxs judgment of capitalism was wrong; 173 years later, Xis judgment of capitalism is also wrong. The CCP, guided by the absurd heresy of Marxism-Leninism which has failed from theory to practice after more than seventy years of experimentation in the Soviet Union, is bound to fail in China as well. Third, Xi has a Maoist complex. Despite the fact that Mao Zedong made Xis family suffer, Xi has always had a Mao Zedong complex. Mao Zedong advocated violence all his life. Mao was very bellicose and had fought his whole life with landlords, capitalists, intellectuals, his opponents in the CCP, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Xi grew up with the education of Maos words and anti-American propaganda. Xi has inherited Maos fighting theory. The word fight appeared 58 times in a speech delivered by Xi in September 2019 in the party school of the CCP. The CCP has a saying that Mao Zedong made China stand up, Deng Xiaoping made China rich, and now Xi wants to make China strong. How can China become strong? Xis view is to fight as Mao did. Some people call Xi the General Accelerator, and by saying this, they mean to say that Xi is accelerating the final disintegration of the CCP. Wang Youqun graduated with a Ph.D. in Law from the Renmin University of China. He once worked as an aide and copywriter for Wei Jianxing (19312015), a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee from 1997 to 2002. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A man accused of assaulting a Korean American couple and berating a Japanese American athlete has been arrested. Michael Vivona, 25 of Corona, California faces charges of making criminal threats, as well as a hate crime charge of elder abuse. The first incident took place April 1. Vivona is accused of having a run-in with Japanese American Olympian Sakura Kokumai at Grijalva Park in Orange, California. The Orange Police Department announced Michael Vivona's arrest on Twitter Kokumai managed to capture video of a man screaming at her and posted in to Instagram. 'Yes what happened was horrible, but I dont know which was worse, a stranger yelling and threatening to hurt me for no reason or people around me who witnessed everything and not doing a thing,' Kokumai posted on April 2. In a series of videos, Kokumai, who maintains throughout the footage that she is doing nothing wrong, is targeted with a barrage of threats. 'Don't be looking at me behind my back,' the man says. He later adds, 'I'm not f*****g scared of you ... you're a loser. Go home, stupid b***h.' He also seems to scream 'Chinese' at Kokumai, who was born in Hawaii. 'This could have happened to anyone, if it wasnt me, someone couldve gotten hurt,' Kokumai wrote on Instagram. Sakura Kokumai captured her verbal attack on Instagram, even getting a look at the attacker Vivona was allegedly wearing similar clothes on Sunday, which helped identify him Kokumai, 28, who competes in karate, won a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games and previously qualified to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics, currently scheduled to be held in Tokyo in three months. On April 18, Vivona returned to the park where he encountered a Korean American couple taking a walk around 7:30pm., police said. Vivona is accused of punching a man, who is 79, and a woman, who is 80 years old, hitting both of them in the face. The Los Angeles Times reported the man, who hasn't been identified, was treated for an abrasion to his leg after falling to the ground from the punch. The woman also suffered minor injuries. People at the park Sunday recognized the suspect from Kokumai's videos, as he was wearing the same black shirt and orange shorts, according to police. Passersby began to surround the man while waiting for police, leading to Vivona's arrest. Kokumai acknowledged the attack on the elderly couple in a statement on Monday night. 'I just want to say thank you to those who stepped in to help the elderly couple,' Kokumai said in a statement on Monday. 'I was nervous to share my story at the beginning, but this was a clear reminder that listening and having love for the community can make a huge difference.' Kokumai is an Olympic-level athlete who won a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games Kokumai is set to represent the United States in the Summer Olympics in Toyko this year Upon his arrest, Vivona confessed to the police, according to CBS LA. He is being held $65,000 bail and has a court appearance on Wednesday. Vivona is a warehouse worker who could be living out of his car, which was at both incidents. 'We believe that this attack was racially motivated based on our investigation and our interview that happened afterwards,' said Orange Police Department Sgt. Phil McMullin. 'He specifically said that he had a hate towards the Asian community.' There has been a disturbing increase in attacks against the Asian American community, potentially linked to the theorized origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. The New York Times found more than 110 incidents of race-based hate towards the Asian-American community since March 2020. The Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would strengthen reviews of hate crimes related to the pandemic, is set to be voted upon by the Senate as early as this week. Mumbai, April 20 : Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday offered an explanation after netizens trolled her for sharing a photograph of a prasadam thali with onions, and the hashtag #onion started trending. The actress said one should not be ridiculed if they wish to eat salad with prasadam, adding that Hinduism is not rigid like other religions. It all began when Kangana shared a picture of a prasadam thali which, among other things, includes a small bowl of green chilli and onion. The actress revealed that while she is fasting during Navratri, the thali looks tempting. "Imagine to be fasting on ashtami when parsadam in your house looks like this .... ashtami ki hardik shubhkamnaye," Kangana tweeted on Tuesday along with the picture. Reacting to her tweet, netizens trolled the actress, questioning why the prasadam thali contains onions. Some even misunderstood the actress' tweet thinking she was having the food in the picture. "Onion in Prasad?? What this never was the part of in any prasadam," commented a user. "And First Rule of Navratri is Ban on Garlic and ONION. Aur yeh Fast me Khaa Rahi Hai," wrote another user. "Onion in Prasadum looks so out of place, since when have Hindus started eating onions in navratri," quizzed another user. Kangana wrote, in reaction to the trolling: "Can't believe #Onion is one of the top trends. Well this is not to hurt anyone but the beauty of Hinduism is that it's not rigid like other religions, let's not ruin that, I am fasting today if my family wants to eat salad with parsadam let's not ridicule them #Onion #navratri2021." Philippine Coast Guard personnel are seen in rubber boats as they sail near ships believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia at Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea, April 13-14, 2021. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he would dispatch military ships to the South China Sea if Beijing began drilling for oil and minerals in territory that Manila claims in the disputed waterway. Duterte made the comments amid criticism that he has done too little to stop China from expanding its claims in the potentially mineral-rich maritime region, and following a controversy about more than 200 Chinese ships moored at Whitsun Reef and other waters in the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ). I already told the Chinese government, Im not so much interested now in fishing. I dont think theres enough fish really to quarrel about, Duterte said in a late-night address on Monday, referring to Beijings claim that its ships at the Whitsun Reef were fishing boats. I am addressing myself to the Chinese government. We want to remain friends, we want to share whatever it is. But when we start to mine, when we start to get whatever is in the bowels of the [South] China Sea, then by that time I will send my gray ships there to state a claim. That you can be sure of, Duterte said, according to official transcripts, which were released Tuesday. The Philippine president said Manila would act if any other country started exploration activities in the area. If you start digging for oil, [or] nickel there, [or] precious stones that would be the time because that is the time that we should act on it. In March, Manila filed a diplomatic protest with Beijing after Philippine security forces spotted what they described as 220 Chinese militia ships near Whitsun Reef, a shoal in the contested Spratly Islands. As of the first week of April, 44 of the Chinese ships remained near that location and showed no actual fishing activities, Manila had said. Last week, a government task force said that 240 Chinese Maritime Military ships were lingering in different Philippine-claimed areas of the South China Sea. Since then, there has been no official update on the Chinese presence, but a Philippine security official told BenarNews on Tuesday that some Chinese ships were still in the area of the reef, which China also claims. On April 13, Manila summoned Beijings envoy to Manila, Hung Xi Lian, over the continued presence of the Chinese ships. On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila and Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond publicly to Dutertes remarks. The president is perceived here as being soft on Chinas intrusions in Philippine territorial waters in the sea since he took office in 2016. After years of soft-pedaling on the issue, Duterte in September declared that a 2016 international arbitration courts ruling in favor of the Philippines claims in the South China Sea was beyond compromise. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea as its own, but five other Asian governments Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have territorial claims in the waterway. 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. Friendship with China will lead nowhere Duterte has often said that the Philippines stood no chance if war broke out with China over the South China Sea. Enforcing claims in the waterway would end in conflict, he reiterated on in his late-night speech. The issue of the West Philippine Sea remains to be a question forever until such time that you know, we can take it back. For me, the only way is by war, Duterte said, using the Philippine name for the South China Sea. There is no way that we can get back the Philippine Sea without any bloodshed. Dutertes comments appear to indicate that he has given up on the Chinese presence in disputed waters, according to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, a leading voice in the opposition. My colleagues in the Senate, military officers, business groups, fisher folk, civil society organizations, and numerous individuals have strongly condemned Chinas aggression in the WPS. But he could not even begin just to condemn them? Hontiveros said. No one was urging war, and the Philippine constitution explicitly renounces it, she said, but this did not mean giving up on the countrys rights. We should not accept a president who thinks the only way out of this dispute is through war, Hontiveros said. So if a war he cannot wage is the only way he can think of to confront China, then that betrays the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the highest office of the land. Besides, acquiescing to China on the disputed waters simply to prevent bloodshed would only lead to more losses for the Philippines, said Manuel Cabochan III, a member of the House of Representatives. Friendship with China will lead nowhere. The harassment of our fishermen and our soldiers has intensified, he said. The Philippine should not be silent to the abuse of China. We should be the one more confident to assert our rights, especially with the backing of a favorable arbitration ruling. Other countries in the South China Sea have been standing up to China in asserting their sovereignty, the lawmaker said. But there is no war, and in fact, their economic relations continue, Cabochan said. Duterte is just using that threat of war as a ruse for being a lapdog of China. Dennis Jay Santos and Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report from Davao, Philippines. The latest in the trial of Derek Chauvin: Joining Jesus in leading souls to eternal life Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Witness testimony continued yesterday in the trial of Derek Chauvin. The former Minneapolis police officer is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in May 2020. Los Angeles Police Sergeant Jody Stiger, a use-of-force expert, testified in court that Mr. Chauvin used deadly force when he knelt on Mr. Floyds neck for a restraint period of nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds. He also stated that no force should have been used by Mr. Chauvin once Mr. Floyd was handcuffed and lying on his stomach on the ground. Many of us will never forget the horrendous video of Mr. Floyds arrest and the news of his tragic death. The trial now underway is dominating global headlines, as it should. Bloomberg expects at least 22 other trials of international significance to occur this year as well. Meanwhile, another kind of trial is occurring every day all around the world, one that most do not recognize for the eternal significance it possesses. Every day, Christians are on trial for their faith. Every day, skeptics attack our beliefs and seek to undermine the Christian movement. As we have seen this week, such attacks are growing in frequency and severity. However, there is another way to view this trend: it is actually Jesus who is on trial. Satan is the prosecuting attorney; the Holy Spirit is the defense attorney. The nonbeliever is the jury. You and I are simply witnesses called to the stand by the defense attorney so we can tell the jury what we have experienced and know to be true. 'Asking a person to leave their mind at home' So far this week, we have discussed three steps in sharing our witness effectively: Seek the leading and courageous strength of the Lord, knowing that the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say (Luke 12:12). Present your witness in conversation. Tim Keller is right: All evangelism requires immersion into the various cultures greatest hopes, fears, views, and objections to Christianity. Show what is wrong with the prosecutions case, the apagogic task that prepares the way for biblical truth. The fourth step is to defend the truth of Gods word. In Acts 17, Paul announced that God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth (v. 26). Then he quoted the Greek poet Epimenides of Crete, who wrote, In him we live and move and have our being (v. 28a). The apostle followed this with a citation from the Stoic poet Aratus, For we are indeed his offspring (v. 28b). By citing authorities his audience accepted, he used evidence from their culture to defend the reasonableness and relevance of biblical truth. You dont need a seminary degree to be used by God to do the same with those you influence. It is important to know and be able to defend the essential truths of the Christian faith. (For more, see my articles on the authority of Scripture, belief in God, the virgin birth, the existence and divinity of Jesus, and miracles.) It is also good to be familiar with vital issues we are facing such as the Equality Act and rising animosity against Christianity. (For more on the Equality Act, please see my recent conversation with Greg Baylor of the Alliance Defending Freedom.) But know that the Holy Spirit will lead you to those he has prepared for your message and will use your life, influence, and words to help them trust in your Lord. The first key is to be available: In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). The second key is to resist the temptation to keep your faith personal and private: It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be Gods will, than for doing evil (v. 17). In Living in Truth: Confident Conversations in a Conflicted Culture, apologist Mary Jo Sharp writes: Christians currently face much cultural pressure to leave their religion at home. However, the request is irrational. Christianity is a worldview; so are atheism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. No way exists for people to leave their worldview behind when they go somewhere. The idea is akin to asking a person to leave their mind at home. 'The first bishop of the church in Athens' Seek Gods strength and help in standing for Jesus; present biblical truth; show others why they need what God offers; defend your faith with courage and clarity. Last, trust the results to the Lord. After Pauls apologetic presentation in Athens, we read that some mocked while others said, We will hear you again about this (Acts 17:32). However, some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them (v. 34). Damaris was apparently so well-known in the day that Luke could identify her merely by her name. Others were unknown to him but known to our Savior. And early historian Eusebius states that Dionysius became the first bishop of the church in Athens (Ecclesiastical History 3.4), the intellectual center of the Greco-Roman world. Jesus told us that some seed we sow will fall on pathways and be devoured by the birds; others will fall on shallow soil and produce no roots; others will fall among thorns that will choke them; but others will fall on good soil and produce grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matthew 13:39). Our job is to testify as the Spirit leads us, then trust the results to the Lord. Sometimes we will be the first witness in the courtroom to testify, never hearing how the jury decides. Sometimes we will be the last witness and present when the jury decides, hopefully for Jesus. Often, we will be somewhere in the middle of the trial. The key is to be used by Jesus as he continues his earthly ministry through us. If we will meet with him at the start of the day and surrender ourselves in communion with him through the day, he will author our thoughts, words, and actions in ways that draw others to himself. What I do for those I love I have learned that the more I love someone, the more I want to please them and the more I want others to know them. Frederick Buechner noted: To sacrifice something is to make it holy by giving it away for love. What will you make holy for Jesus today? NOTE: The life of prayer is the way God makes us holy by shaping us into the image of Jesus. This is why Ive written my newest book, Every Hour I Need Thee: A Practical Guide to Daily Prayer. This brand-new resource is to thank you for your donation to help more believers discern the news differently, so please request your copy when you give today. As we spend the day practicing Jesus presence, to that degree we experience his power and joy. This is my prayer for you as you read Every Hour I Need Thee. May it truly enrich your life as you learn to walk in greater intimacy with your Creator. Originally published at the Denison Forum 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. John Cameron Mitchell is the new Tiger King. The actor has been cast as Joe Exotic alongside Kate McKinnons Carole Baskin in the upcoming Joe Exotic limited series. Fans will recall Nicolas Cage is also playing Exotic in a series for Amazon. Now that weve learned of this casting excellence, its a perfect time to take a dive into Mitchells past work. If you didnt know who he was before today, allow us to fix that mistake. John Cameron Mitchell | Santiago Felipe/Getty Images Is there going to be a Joe Exotic movie? Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness was the first viral sensation to come out during the coronavirus quarantine. The documentary series told the truly bizarre tale of the feud between Exotic and Baskin. Exotics obsession with taking down Baskin landed him in prison for murder for hire. He was in jail when the show came out and was hoping for a pardon from President Trump that never arrived. There is no Tiger King movie being made, but Louis Therouxwho interviewed Exotic for Americas Most Dangerous Pets 10 years agocreated a Tiger King spinoff documentary for BBC. Titled Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic, the documentary film dove even deeper into the gay hillbillys life. It premiered in March 2021. Cage will be starring and executive producing his Tiger King spinoff series for Amazon. The series will be based on the Texas Monthly 2019 news article about Exotic that inspired Netflixs doc. McKinnon is also starring and executive producing her series, working title Joe Exotic. The show will air on NBC, Peacock, and USA, and is based on the Wondery Joe Exotic podcast. RELATED: Tiger King Cast Spoke With David Spade Because They Love Joe Dirt Who is John Cameron Mitchell? While Cage and McKinnon are well-known names, Mitchells impressive career might not be on everyones radars. Mitchell is one of the most beloved celebrities of the LGBTQ+ community. He and Stephen Trask co-created the iconic Hedwig and the Angry Inch, in which Mitchell played Hedwig. It was originally an Off-Broadway show in New York City, and it quickly became a cult classic. Its one of those shows that was never on Broadway (at least, not until many years later), but Off-Broadway was the perfect place for it. And not having a Broadway marquee hardly held the show back from becoming beloved. Stars like Lou Reed, Glenn Close, and David Bowie saw the show (some of them more than once). On Jan. 19, 2001, the Hedwig and the Angry Inch movie was released. And its cult following grew. Mitchell starred in and directed the film. Youngers Miriam Shor also starred in the Off-Broadway show and film. Hedwig was turned into a Broadway revival in 2014. The production won the Tony for Best Musical Revival and Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall won Tonys for playing Hedwig and Yitzhak, respectively. Mitchell briefly played Hedwig in the Broadway production as well, and he earned a Tony as one of the shows producers. The story is hailed as a rare early portrayal of gender and sexuality being fluid. So, yes. Mitchell is an icon. Know him! Watch Hedwig and the Angry Inch immediately! John Cameron Mitchell in a scene from Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Fine Line Features/Getty Images RELATED: How Much Does Bowen Yang Make on SNL? Joe Exotic is John Cameron Mitchells second TV series with a Saturday Night Live star As for his TV credits, Mitchell had recurring roles in Girls, Mozart in the Jungle, and The Good Fight. He also wrote, directed, and produced the 2017 film How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Joe Exotic wont be Mitchells first time working with a Saturday Night Live star. Hes worked with Aidy Bryant on Hulus Shrill for three seasons, playing Gabe Parrish. The show is based on author Lindy Wests bestselling autobiographical book, Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. Bryant plays the fictionalized West, and Mitchells character is loosely inspired by writer Dan Savage, Wests former boss. Mitchell played Bryants quasi-nemesis in Shrill, and now hell be going head-to-head with McKinnon when they play Exotic and Baskin. And he cant wait to play the queer antihero. As he said in a statement on April 19, according to Variety: Im thrilled to take on the role of this modern folk antihero. Joe and I are the same age and like him, I grew up queer in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas so I feel like I know a little bit about this guy and his desperate attempt to conquer an inhospitable world. Exotic is a gay man and Baskin is a bisexual woman, making Mitchell and McKinnons casting a rare example of queer people actually being cast to play queer people. Once upon a time (in 1988), the Writers Guild went on strike. This was nothing new were always going on strike. What made this one different and interesting was that it was the longest strike in Guild history. To keep us committed and enthused, the union held all sorts of meetings. In those days, meetings meant that people had to get out of their sweatpants and put on what passes for normal clothes for writers and get on a subway and go to a huge auditorium and commingle with one another. Which is what made it both interesting and different. Writers generally work alone. And yes, television writers and news writers tend to huddle together a couple of times a week. But most writers work alone. Which meant we didnt know one another. And so here we were stuffed into an auditorium in mid-town getting acquainted. We quickly sussed out that there were just a few distinct groups. There were the Daytime writers almost exclusively women. And the Late Night writers - almost exclusively men. A clutch of male and female News writers who kept to themselves. And a handful of folks of all persuasions writing itty bitty movies, i.e. what would later become known as Independent Features. And this is how I got to know Warren Leight which is the point of this lengthy intro. Warren, like me, was a playwright. And like me, he was putting his toe into TV. Which is to say he was salivating at the prospect of actually earning a living. I should add that Warren would go on to write one of my favorite plays, the Tony award winning Side Man. But for my purposes he would go on to get involved in the Law & Order universe which was in its gestational stage. The Law & Order universe is huge. There are 20 seasons of the original series alone and countless spinoffs. My husband and I found ourselves revisiting the original this past year because we were missing New York City. And there was something so comforting about the jaundiced eyes of the been-there/done-that cops, the stale air in the run-down interrogation rooms, and the overall lack of justice in the tired courtrooms that we kept watching and watching and watching. Why was it so comforting? Because it felt real. Which is something I cant say about the newest iteration of the franchise Law & Order Organized Crime. Warren is billed as one of the developers so Im going to blame him. From the overwrought story to the melodramatic acting to the overblown camera work to the cheesy music its just a mess. So bad that a friend of mine billed it as satire. Now Warren is a terrific writer see Side Man above. And were all allowed an occasional mistake or two or three. So Warren, I forgive you. Although I suspect the Elliot Stabler fans wont. And the point, you ask? How do Warren and Law & Order fit into my weekly task to wrestle my life into some sort of commentary on COVID-19? And yes, its preposterous, but this is Column 52 on the same subject so here we go. Law & Order, Warren and COVID-19. I can go one of two ways: Option one, I can suggest that Law & Order, like this pandemic, may have jumped the shark Hollywood parlance for any series that has passed its sell-by date. And God knows COVID-19 has definitely overstayed its welcome. And the latest breaking news - that the J&J vaccine might be as problematic as the AstraZeneca vaccine feels unbearable. How can yet another thing go wrong? Cant we please just show this thing the door? Heres your hat, whats the hurry? Unfortunately, the pandemic, however unwelcome, feels like a series that keeps getting spun off. Because the longer it takes to get everyone immunized, the more likely it is that the virus will mutate into yet another form of itself and continue to torture us. Option two, I can suggest that weve taken two steps forward and one step back. This is more hopeful. And perhaps truer. After all, Im thrilled to see Elliot Stabler back in uniform. And always happy to visit the world of organized crime from the safety of my living room. In any event, Law & Order Hate Crimes is in the pipeline thanks again to Warren. So theres hope for Law & Order. As there is for the closing credits of this endless pandemic. Yes, there are problems with two of the four vaccines. And six women have died, which is tragic. But for every person vaccinated however imperfectly, another little COVID-19 virus bites the dust and doesnt get to replicate and mutate and create yet more fresh hell. And every person vaccinated can rest assured that they wont die from COVID-19. Add to it that all the bad news? Is actually good news. Because it means that were keeping it real. Were being transparent. Were sharing the facts and the process and the failures as well as the successes. And frankly thats comforting. So my vote is for two steps forward and one step back. Its not perfect. But it is progress. You can reach Elizabeth Page at WelcomeToThePandemic@gmail.com. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and his wife, First Lady Peggy McMaster, both received their COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday, weeks after the two were required to quarantine when they tested positive for coronavirus. .@1stLadySC and I visited CVS Pharmacy in Columbia this morning to receive our first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. To those who want a shot, get your shot! McMaster tweeted, posting two photos showing him and Peggy each receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. McMaster, 73, tested positive for COVID-19 in December, undergoing an antibody treatment to keep his symptoms from worsening. Peggy had tested positive a week before. South Carolina has opened COVID-19 vaccinates to every South Carolinian 16 years and older. McMaster did not immediately get his vaccine, however, because health officials stress that people who receive a Monoclonal antibody treatment after testing positive for COVID-19 should wait at least 90 days before receiving the vaccine. More than 1.6 million South Carolinians have at least received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of the weekend, according to the states Department of Health and Environmental Control. Yet only about 26.7% of eligible recipients have completed both doses. South Carolinians can find a vaccine appointment at vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov. Two U.S. senators and a congressman from California have called for military officials to consider Vandenberg Air Force Base as a top candidate for a new space readiness and training unit after rejecting the base for U.S. Space Command headquarters. The Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) has rejected the recent appointment of principal officers for six newly established colleges. The workers union said due process was not followed in the appointments, demanding an immediate redress. SSUCOEN made the demand in a letter dated April 13, signed by its President, Danladi Msheliza, and directed to the Minister of Education. A copy of the letter was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. The federal government last May approved the establishment of six new federal colleges of education, one in each of the six geo-political zones of the country. The new institutions are located at Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Osun, Sokoto, and Edo States. About two weeks ago, the Ministry of Education announced the appointment of Provosts and other Principal Officers for the six new Federal Colleges of Education in a statement released by Ben Bem Goong, the spokesperson of the ministry. But in its letter, the union described the appointments as illegal and usurpation of the power of the existing governing councils of the institutions. Mr Msheliza said of the six institutions, the union only gave a nod to the appointment of the provost for the college of education in Edo State. While acknowledging that only the President (Muhammadu Buhari) has the powers to appoint provosts upon recommendations of the council, the union said it has a duty to point out infractions and draw the attention of government and other relevant authorities to ensure that due process is followed while considering such appointments. The letter noted that the appointment of principal officers is the prerogative of the council. Governing Councils for the new Colleges of Education have been constituted, and it is the Governing Council that have the powers to appoint Principal Officers, as provided for in the Act establishing Federal Colleges of Education and other relevant extant rules and guiding documents, the letter read in part. One could not help but wonder why the FME rushed to appoint Principal Officers for the six (6) newly established Federal Colleges of Education, without recourse to the requirements for the appointment of such important positions, especially that Councils were on ground. Had Council not been constituted, it would have been well understood. Appointment of Principal Officers of any College of Education, by any other person or group, other than its Governing Council, amounts to illegality & usurpation of the powers of Council. The Act establishing Federal Colleges of Education expressly states that the Council of each College of Education shall appoint a Registrar, Bursar, Librarian to such College. The union urged President Buhari and the Education minister, Mr Adamu, to immediately set aside the appointments of the other provosts and principal officers in the interest of industrial harmony and the avoidance of court injunctions. Doing otherwise will amount to setting bad precedence, abuse of subsisting court judgement and serve as a disservice to Nigeria and the College of Education sector in particular, it said. Meeting requirements for appointment SSUCOEN, an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also argued that majority of the appointees do not meet the requirements for the appointment. According to the letter, principal officers in Colleges of Education must have a background from the education sub-sector as provided for in the approved Schemes and Conditions of Service (2015 Edition) for Colleges of Education in Nigeria. ADVERTISEMENT Most of the appointees are either from the Core Civil Service, Private Sector or other sectors outside Colleges of Education System, which is contrary to the provisions for the requirements for the appointment of Principal Officers in Colleges of Education, as contained in the Revised Conditions of Service for Colleges of Education (2015 Edition), and the Act establishing Federal Colleges of Education, the union explained. The appointments were mostly based on political considerations, without due and diligent considerations to extant rules, said Mr Msheliza, noting that such will create a bad precedence in the newly established institutions. The problem of a 'disgusting' sewage problem in an Offaly housing estate was raised during last week's meeting of Birr Municipal District. Cllr Clare Claffey told the zoom meeting that there's a 'serious problem' with sewage discharge in Portavolla housing estate in Banagher. The councillor said this is an old problem and it's 'disgusting'. She said the responsibility for dealing with the issue is kicked between Irish Water and the County Council with neither organisation taking it on board. When we complain to Irish Water they say it is a Council problem. When we approach the Council they say it is Irish Water who should be dealing with it. The Councillor said the issue is particularly bad during winter and periods of flooding. The residents are asking us to please deal with the matter before the return of winter and its associated flooding events which always results in nasty sewage discharges in the estate. Cllr Claffey previously raised this issue in February 2020 when flooding occurred in Portavolla resulting in a sewage discharge. The matter was described at the time as being 'very serious' and the Area Engineer and his staff attended the scene. Cllr Claffey discussed the problem with the Chief Executive of Offaly County Council, Anna Marie Delaney, and requested that emergency plans be put in place. An emergency meeting of Birr MD was also called. However the source of the problem hasn't been adequately dealt with and threatens to re-erupt. Mary Hussey of the County Council's Environment Section told the meeting that the Council carried out a survey of area and identified the source of the problem which was an inappropriate interaction between the surface water network and the sewage network. Unfortunately, Portavolla is located on a flood plain. Therefore, we have to separate the two systems, the surface water network and the sewage network, from one another. There is funding in place to do that and a will to tackle the problem. Press Release April 20, 2021 Hontiveros to DOH: Emergency hiring, support for hospitals needed, not threats Senator Risa Hontiveros has supported the calls of hospital associations for the Department of Health (DOH) to begin augmenting the healthcare workforce through emergency mass hiring of nurses as hospitals remain full due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. Hontiveros said the DOH should treat private hospitals as partners and should support their call for private hospitals to increase capacity through the mass hiring of nurses after the Health Department released written warnings to them. The senator cited the statement of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. that it is because of a human resource shortage, not limited bed capacities, that hospitals remain overwhelmed. "Our hospitals need the Health Department's support, not threats. They have time and time again expressed exactly what they need, but have been ignored. Ano ba ang problema, at kailan aaminin ng DOH na meron?," she said. "Mass hiring of nurses will ensure that more people are attended to. This will also give time for health workers who have been battling in the trenches to rest, re-energize and up their immune systems. They aren't superhuman after all," she said. Hontiveros urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH) to pay COVID-19 reimbursements to hospitals. She said some hospitals refused to treat COVID-19 patients because of PHILHEALTH's non-payment. Hontiveros also said that the DOH should not hold back on utilizing wisely and efficiently the budget it has at its disposal like the P13.5 billion budget for healthcare workers' benefits and protection under Bayanihan 2. She said one of the reasons why health workers might be averse to working in COVID-19 wards is the lack of protection and the low and delayed pay. "The resources are in the hands of the DOH. What have they been doing with them after all this time? They should immediately pay what is due to our health workers already and use the money to pay for consistent testing and free protective gear. The DOH should have a massive roll-out of all benefits for health workers, to prove to health workers that they can be trusted with their lives and livelihood, " she said. "Babad na tayo sa utang sa mga ospital at health workers. Ang bayaran ng utang hindi dinadaan sa utang na loob. If we keep on breaking our promises to our healthcare workers, it will cost us all our lives," Hontiveros concluded. Seven counties surrounding the city of Minneapolis entered a state of emergency on Monday, as closing arguments came in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Mr Chuavin is on trial for the killing of George Floyd in police custody on 25 May 2020, and the fate of the former officer and of US policing is currently being decided by a jury. On Monday, Minnesota governor Tim Walz said the state of emergency followed looting and damage caused by demonstrators in both Minneapolis and the suburb of Brooklyn Center. The Minneapolis suburb was the centre of recent unrest after the fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright on 11 April, and officials anticipate further demonstrations after the trial of Mr Chauvin formally ends. In a statement, Mr Walz said the police chiefs of the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul asked for out-of-state assistance with policing, called Operation Safety Net. Many Minnesotans have expressed their frustrations in a peaceful and constructive manner, said Mr Walz, [but] recent events in Brooklyn Center have exhausted Minnesotas local and state resources and are likely to hamper our ability to provide public safety. More than 3,000 troops from the Minnesota National Guard are already on deployment in the city, with steel and concrete fencing surrounding the courtroom of Mr Chauvins trial. Fox 9 reported that funding for troopers overtime pay is also being included in a bill in the Minnesota state legislator, at the request of Mr Walz. The Minnesota governor went on to say at a news conference on Monday that We cant live like this. We simply cant. But we cant have thousands of businesses burned and people put at risk. City officials believe damage from the demonstrations against Mr Floyds killing in May 2020 were in the region of $350 million (250 million), the Associated Press reported. The ongoing state of emergency is for the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington, with curfews to be announced on a day-by-day basis if necessary. Campaigners and critics of Mr Walz meanwhile argue that Operation Safety Net risks overmilitarising the response to any demonstrations. It is not clear when a verdict in the trial of Mr Chauvin will come. A jury is deliberating. International travelers arriving to Incheon International Airport on Tuesday go through a health official's screening over COVID-19 and the coronavirus' emerging variants. Yonhap South Korea has identified a total of 321 cases of "emerging" variants of the novel coronavirus since December, health authorities said Tuesday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said these variants are different from the three most-known mutations from Britain, South Africa and Brazil that are known to be more transmissible. There is no indication yet whether these new strains are more deadly than current circulating variants of the virus, the KDCA said. Of the total, 294 are cases of the variant named 452R.V1, which was first identified in California and has been circulating in the region since December, the KDCA said. Nine of them are cases of the variant named B.1.167 that was first detected in Maharashtra, a state in western India, the KDCA said. MediaTek could beat Qualcomm, Samsung, Apple, and the likes to launch the worlds first 4nm smartphone chipset. According to multiple sources in China and Taiwan, the production of MediaTeks 4nm processors may begin as early as this year. Phones running on the new chipset may arrive in the market in the first half of next year. Several Chinese OEMs such as OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi have reportedly already placed orders for the upcoming high-end MediaTek SoC. While all major chipmakers, including the aforementioned Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple, moved to the 5nm architecture for their latest mobile SoCs, MediaTeks latest is still using the 6nm process node. There were indications that the Taiwanese company may finally move to the more advanced 5nm technology for its next-gen flagship SoC, reportedly called Dimensity 2000. The chipset was expected to arrive by the end of this year. However, by that time, MediaTeks rivals would be ready with their second-gen 5nm solutions. So to make its premium offering more appealing to potential customers, the company has decided to entirely skip working on 5nm technology and move directly to 4nm. Since 4nm chips would be more power-efficient and could boast superior performance than 5nm solutions, this move would give MediaTek an edge over its competitors. Advertisement TSMC will manufacture MediaTeks 4nm chipsets. The contract chip manufacturing giant had previously said that it would start running a trial production of 4nm chips in the second half of this year. The company expected to begin mass production in 2022. However, according to the latest reports, it appears the company would start mass-producing MediaTeks 4nm chipsets this year itself. Thats if everything goes as per plan, of course. However, even if things dont pan out as expected, the worlds first 4nm SoCs might still arrive early next year. MediaTek could be the first chipmaker to launch a 4nm SoC MediaTek leapfrogged Qualcomm to become the worlds largest smartphone chipset vendor in 2020. The company particularly won the battle against Qualcomm in the budget and mid-range tier. Now it appears to be all set to win the premium tier as well by releasing a 4nm SoC ahead of everyone else. This could further help the company consolidate its position at the top. The only downside of MediaTeks upcoming 4nm chipset is that it comes significantly costlier. According to the reports, the new SoC will cost around $80 per unit. In contrast, the current high-end 5nm chipsets cost between $30 and $35 per unit. So we might only see this chipset inside those Ultra high-end phones. Advertisement All this said, these are still early and unconfirmed reports. Theres still a long time to go and a lot could change by then. The likes of Samsung and Qualcomm could bring their own 4nm solutions within this time span. Not to mention, the tech industry has yet to overcome the ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage. It now remains to be seen whether MediaTek manages to beat out the competition in releasing the worlds first 4nm smartphone chipset. Disgraced Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Jen Shah is thanking those who are sticking in her corner as she faces potential prison time. Shah, 47, took to her Instagram Story late Monday night to express her appreciation for 'real friendship, unconditional love & true loyalty during this difficult time.' The reality TV star and her assistant Stuart Smith are facing 30 years behind bars for their reported involvement in a nearly decade-long scandal which defrauded hundreds of people across multiple states. By her side: Disgraced Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Jen Shah took to Instagram to thank those who are sticking in her corner as she faces potential prison time 'True friends will be by your side through it all' read a text slide in Jen's Instagram story. She then added some of her own words below the text and later reposted the message several times with supportive comments from pals. 'Thank you to those of you who that have shown my family and I real friendship, unconditional love & true loyalty during this difficult time,' she wrote. Adding: 'Thank you for not judging me and not believing everything you read online. I asked Allah to show me who my real friends are and he has. Allah Akbar.' Allegations: The reality TV star and her assistant Stuart Smith are facing 30 years behind bars for their reported involvement in a nearly decade-long scandal which defrauded hundreds of people across multiple states Legal woe: Her messages of positivity come after she pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering Her messages of positivity come after she pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. Shah was arrested in Salt Lake City while Bravo cameras were rolling and faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly defrauding elderly people via a telemarketing scheme which New York prosecutors say went on for nine years. As part of the conditions of her release, Shah is prevented from traveling outside of Utah or the United States without the permission of a pretrial officer, and ordered to surrender her passport. She is also not allowed to use a credit card, obtain a new line of credit, or contact her co-accused assistant, Smith. 'Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on 'reality' television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah's 'first assistant,' allegedly generated and sold 'lead lists' of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam,' Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. (Pictured with her husband) 'Jennifer Shah, who portrays herself as a wealthy and successful businessperson on 'reality' television, and Stuart Smith, who is portrayed as Shah's 'first assistant,' allegedly generated and sold 'lead lists' of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam,' Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. 'In actual reality and as alleged, the so-called business opportunities pushed on the victims by Shah, Smith, and their co-conspirators were just fraudulent schemes, motivated by greed, to steal victims' money. Now, these defendants face time in prison for their alleged crimes.' Jen's legal battle will be covered in the next season of RHOSLC. The ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage has become a political issue. US President Joe Biden recently held a virtual meeting with the industrys biggest stakeholders to discuss the matter. South Korean President Moon Jae-in also called a similar meeting with several domestic companies, including Samsung, Hyundai, and SK Hynix. Samsung, being one of the worlds biggest players in the semiconductor industry, has a key role to play in addressing this issue. And to better facilitate the companys efforts, domestic businesses have asked President Moon to pardon Samsungs Vice Chairman and de-facto leader Lee Jae-yong, The Korea Times reports. For the uninitiated, Lee has been in jail since January this year. He is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in the infamous 2017 bribery case involving then South Korea president Park Geun-hye. Advertisement Samsung chief could get a presidential pardon amid a global chip shortage Samsung is reportedly very close to announcing a 70 trillion won ($62.7 billion) investment in the semiconductor sector. 50 trillion won ($44.8 billion) will be allocated to the companys P3 semiconductor line in Hwaseong, South Korea while the remaining 20 trillion won ($17.9 billion) will go towards expanding its manufacturing facility in the US (in Austin, Texas). However, since these investment plans require Lees approval, his absence is affecting Samsungs decision-making. The company executives reportedly get only 10 minutes with Lee in jail. Thats certainly not enough for him to discuss such big investment plans and come to a decision. As a result, Samsung has had to delay its investments. Rival chip manufacturing companies such as TSMC and Intel have already announced their respective investment plans and are in the process of implementing them. To that end, South Korean business officials have asked the President to pardon Lee so he could facilitate the investment. Korea Enterprises Federation Chief Sohn Kyung-shik reportedly suggested the idea of granting a presidential pardon to the Samsung chief. He shared it during a meeting with the finance minister and heads of economic lobby groups. Other attendees at the meeting showed support for Sohns idea. However, its unclear whether the finance minister conveyed his message to President Moon. Advertisement The South Korean President will reportedly have a face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House in early May. Samsung will likely announce its investment plans just before that summit, which is just about two or three weeks away from now. So details about whether its chief Lee gets a presidential pardon should emerge soon. Lee is also facing another trial later this month for his involvement in a disputed merger of two Samsung affiliates. So the Korean firms leadership woes are far from over. Advertisement WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE INDIA VARIANT? Real name: B.1.617 When and where was it discovered? The variant was first reported by the Indian government in late March. But the first cases appear to date back to October 2020. It has been detected in 21 countries as of April 19, Public Health England bosses say. How many people in the UK have been infected with it? Matt Hancock revealed there had been 103 cases so far since it was first spotted on February 22. But Public Health England's latest report, published on April 15, says 77. These were detected in England and Scotland. What mutations does it have? It has 13 mutations that separate it from the original Covid virus that emerged in China but the two main ones are named E484Q and L452R. Scientists suspect these two alterations can help it to transmit faster and to get past immune cells made in response to older variants. Is it more infectious and can it evade vaccines? The L452R mutation is also found on the Californian variant (B.1.429), even though the two evolved independently. It is thought to make the American strain 20 per cent more infectious. The E484Q mutation is very similar to the one found in the South African and Brazil variants known as E484K, which can help the virus evade antibodies. The South African variant is thought to make vaccines about 30 per cent less effective at stopping infections, but it's not clear what effect it has on severe illness. Professor Sharon Peacock, of PHE, claimed there was 'limited' evidence of E484Q's effect on immunity and vaccines. Lab studies have suggested it may be able to escape some antibodies, but to what degree remains uncertain. How deadly is it? Scientists still don't know for sure. But they are fairly certain it won't be more deadly than the current variants in circulation in Britain. This is because there is no evolutionary benefit to Covid becoming more deadly. The virus's sole goal is to spread as much as it can, so it needs people to be alive and mix with others for as long as possible to achieve this. And, if other variants are anything to go by, the Indian strain should not be more lethal. There is still no conclusive evidence to show dominant versions like the Kent and South African variants are more deadly than the original Covid strain - even though they are highly transmissible. Doctors in India claim there has been a sudden spike in Covid admissions among people under 45, who have traditionally been less vulnerable to the disease. There have been anecdotal reports from medics that young people make up two third of new patients in Delhi. In the southern IT hub of Bangalore, under-40s made up 58 percent of infections in early April, up from 46 percent last year. There is still no proof younger people are more badly affected by the new strain. Should we be worried? Scientists are unsure exactly how transmissible or vaccine-resistant the Indian variant is because it hasn't been studied thoroughly. The fact it appears to have increased infectivity should not pose an immediate threat to the UK's situation because the current dominant Kent version appears equally or more transmissible. It will take a variant far more infectious strain than that to knock it off the top spot. However, if the Indian version proves to be effective at slipping past vaccine-gained immunity, then its prevalence could rise in Britain as the immunisation programme squashes the Kent variant. The UK currently classes the Indian strain as a 'Variant Under Investigation', a tier below the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants. But there are calls to move it up to the highest category. Scientists tracking the constantly-evolving virus say it's still not clear if India's third wave has been caused by the variant, or if it emerged at the same time by coincidence. Advertisement India's troublesome Covid variant has been spotted more than 200 times in Britain, MailOnline can reveal amid warnings Number 10 was 'weeks too late' with its travel ban. The most up-to-date data from the Government's official coronavirus variant tracking programme shows 103 infected people have had the mutant strain. But separate figures published by the same group of experts show the B.1.617 variant has actually been spotted 215 times with it making up around one in every 200 positive swabs that are analysed. Scientists said it was a 'very troubling' number and that it was proof the variant was spreading, with 85 per cent of samples detected in the past month. However, health chiefs say some of the cases will be duplicates because the majority are linked to foreign travel. Everyone flying in to England from India and anywhere abroad currently has to take two Covid tests while quarantining at home for 10 days. British experts are currently managing to sequence the majority of positive tests because cases are so low. The development comes after other scientists and senior Labour politicians slammed the Government for allowing thousands of travellers from India to pour into the UK every week despite knowing about the variant for nearly a month. Number 10 only announced India was being added to the UK's travel 'red list' yesterday, and the measures don't start until 4am on Friday. At least 5,000 of people are due to arrive in Britain from India before the travel restrictions come into effect, as a desperate scramble to beat the quarantine deadline ensues. Amid growing numbers of the variant at home and the spiralling epidemic in India, the Prime Minister has had to cancel a scheduled visit to Delhi next week. Reacting to the new Indian variant cases, Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist from the University of East Anglia, added: 'It does look like this is growing rather more quickly than it should be while we're in this sort of lockdown. 'It is still a little bit early to know what's really going on with this variant, but the signs are not looking good.' The data, published by the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium, shows the Indian variant has been spotted in every part of the UK except Northern Ireland with 198 samples in England, 10 in Scotland and seven in Wales. Professor Hunter said it was 'almost certain' that there are more cases of the Indian variant because it can take two or three weeks for sequences to be analysed and published. It is feared B.1.617 spreads easier than older strains and has mutations which help it evade vaccines but to what degree remains unclear. Scientists do not believe it is any deadlier than the strains currently circulating in Britain. Doctors in India claim there has been a sudden spike in Covid admissions among people under 45, who have traditionally been less vulnerable to the disease. There have been anecdotal reports from medics that young people make up two third of new patients in Delhi. In the southern IT hub of Bangalore, under-40s made up 58 percent of infections in early April, up from 46 percent last year. There is still no proof younger people are more badly affected by the new strain. As part of the travel ban, anyone who is not a UK or Irish resident or a British citizen will be banned from entering the country if they have been in India in the last 10 days. British nationals will need to isolate in a quarantine hotel. No10's travel ban has sparked a 'desperate frenzy', with families trying to beat the Friday deadline and avoid having to quarantine in a hotel. Travel agents say that a standard 400 economy ticket from India to the UK has soared to 2,000 due to a shortage of seats on planes over the next three days. Sixteen direct flights from India which carried about 300 passengers each before airlines brought in social distancing guidelines were scheduled to land in the UK between the announcement of the ban yesterday and the deadline coming into action. Thousands more will travel on in-direct routes. Suresh Kumar, chairman of Indra Travel, told The Telegraph most Britons trying to return are in India on emergency visas for family funerals or weddings or on business, as well as students. Universities warned that the travel ban would leave 10,000 international students scrambling to return to UK campuses before Friday. Vivienne Stern from Universities UK told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the current capacity of quarantine hotels cannot hold all the students expected to return to the country. She said the Government had not yet made it clear if more hotels would be allowed to open rooms for them. Applications from India next year are up 25 per cent and universities are worried quarantining could put off current students. As Britons scramble to get back to the UK, travellers have complained of two-hour queues at border control at Heathrow Airport, where five flights from India are due to arrive today. Labour slammed the Government for not banning arrivals immediately despite the Indian variant being under investigation by UK officials for almost three weeks. Sir Patrick Vallance's predecessor admitted ministers were too slow to respond to the new B.1.617 strain claiming the ban was 'taken a bit too late in truth'. The PM is facing growing calls to ease lockdown quicker after there were just four Covid deaths yesterday the lowest in seven months and the jab drive hit the milestone of fully vaccinating 10million Brits. A total of 33m have had at least one injection. The Indian variant was first identified internationally in October and detected in the UK on February 22. Two key mutations set it apart from others named E484Q and L452R with both of them found on the 'spike' that the virus uses to latch onto human cells. These are not thought to be key mutations of any of the other variants on Public Health England's list, but have appeared in virus samples before. Those alterations are thought to make the virus more transmissible, and lab studies suggest it can escape antibodies a key part of the body's Covid immune response. But because the E484Q mutation is rare, scientists aren't sure to what degree it will change the way the virus behaves. Meanwhile, it emerged today that around 100 people are trying to enter the country each day with a 'fake Covid certificate. The fake documents claiming a traveller has a recent negative test result are 'very easy' to forge, MPs on a cross party committee on Covid were told. And there is no way to tell how many more are being missed. Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents border immigration and customs staff in the UK, also said there is 'little to no' evidence on how well people are adhering to quarantine rules. No10 only announced India was being added to the UK's travel 'red list' yesterday, and the measures won't come into until 4am on Friday. India is currently battling a second wave of cases, but the numbers per capita are nowhere near levels seen during the UK's winter peak The UK's hugely successful vaccination programme and brutal four-month lockdown has squashed deaths to double-digits. But India's fatalities have started to climb on the back of a spike in infections Passengers arrive at Heathrow Terminal 2 from Mumbai this afternoon as travel agents warn of a desperate scramble to beat Friday's quarantine deadline Travel agents say that a standard 400 economy ticket from India to the UK has soared to 2,000 due to a shortage of seats on planes over the next three days Bruna Camasmie complained of two-hour queues at border control at Heathrow Airport, where five flights from India are due to arrive today Border officials spot 100 fake Covid certificates every day, MPs hear Around 100 people are trying to enter the country each day with a 'fake Covid certificate', MPs have heard. The fake documents claiming a traveller has a recent negative test result are 'very easy' to forge, MPs were told. And there is no way to tell how many more are being missed. Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents border immigration and customs staff in the UK, also said there is 'little to no' evidence on how well people are adhering to quarantine rules. Meanwhile, MPs heard that long queues found at airports could be a 'breeding ground' for the virus. And experts raised concerns about the traffic light system for travel. Ms Moreton told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus that around 20,000 people are coming into the country each day, the majority of whom are hauliers. To enter England people must provide proof of a negative test taken in the three days before departure which can be shown to border agents as a printed document or through an email or text message. Asked how border agents are able to verify proof of a negative test, Ms Moreton told MPs: 'We're not is the simple answer, it's predominately taken on trust. 'We do get 100 or more a day of fake Covid certificates, that we catch.' Europol warned earlier this year about the illicit sale of false negative Covid test certificates. This included a forgery ring selling negative test results to passengers at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and in the UK fraudsters were caught selling bogus Covid-19 documents showing negative test results for 100 each. 'We catch them if there is a spelling error somewhere,' Ms Moreton said. But many certificates are in a foreign language which could make spelling mistakes trickier to spot, she added 'Otherwise they are taken at face value,' she added. She said that the documents are checked against a series of code numbers but 'these things are very easy to knock up electronically unfortunately'. Asked how many could be falling through the cracks, she added: 'It's inherently unknowable. 'A lot of the border and immigration and migration and quarantine controls are based on trust: we trust people when they say they have not been in a red list country in the last 10 days; we trust people when they say that they are going to 2 Acacia Avenue to quarantine; we trust that there is an Acacia Avenue and that when they are going to go there, they are going to stay there. 'The whole thing is based on an assumption that people will do the right thing.' Ms Moreton said that it was not possible to segregate people depending on which country they had come from in immigration halls where people are waiting an average of two to three hours while border agents check their usual travel documentation as well as additional requirements as a result of the pandemic. She said: 'You've flown on a plane with lots of other people, if you've been in a destination where that in itself has been an international mixing ground, you've come through an airport and then you've stood in the arrivals hall for three or four or five hours we know it is not possible to segregate people from red, amber and green, they're going to mix yes there is air conditioning but it is still a confined space, and even if we separated that one risky passenger out at some point in that journey, my understanding is that transmission could have occurred at any point.' Asked if the process itself is a 'breeding ground for infections', she said: 'Right now, very much so. When it's so slow and the queues are so bad, then it is a risk both to our members and the travellers in those queues.' Ms Moreton added: 'If you have got someone arriving from a country where you don't have to go into a hotel quarantine, who has managed to catch the virus from someone who does, you may have isolated the person but the person who bumped shoulders with them in the airport who has just vanished off into the wide blue yonder, you've no way of knowing who that is.' She said that queues in immigration halls vary, but on average there are two to three hour delays at large locations like Heathrow. Deenan Pillay, professor of virology at University College London, told MPs that the queues in airports 'makes a nonsense of things'. 'When I see pictures of Heathrow Airport in the immigration hall, indoors, people queuing for hours and hours and then going off to their amber or red quarantine it makes a nonsense of things,' he said. Meanwhile, Dr Gabriel Scally, visiting professor of public health at the University of Bristol and a member of the Independent Sage committee, raised concerns about the forthcoming holiday season, saying that holiday destinations could be 'international mixing pots'. He told the group of parliamentarians: 'I don't believe in reds and greens I believe in quarantine or not quarantine. 'There is no such thing as a half quarantine you can't do it by half you either do it properly, or don't bother doing this at all, which of course has been the UK's position for far, far too long. 'We don't know necessarily where someone starts their journey we don't know where they transmitted, we don't know what transport they have used to get to and from particular places. 'And I think this is a particular problem in a holiday season, as we're heading into which will be an international mixing pot, almost by definition. 'So, whether a country is green or red to me as a public health doctor, I'm not interested in that I'm interested in managing the isolation of people arriving from abroad at this time.' None of the experts quizzed by MPs said they would be prepared to embark on international travel at this time. Advertisement Professor Hunter said it was unclear if all 215 of the B.1.617 variant reported by COG-UK were the Indian strain. He told MailOnline the group, tasked with monitoring and studying emerging variants of the virus, may have included some sub-strains which are almost identical to the Indian version but have slight differences in their mutations. Public Health England updates its variant data every week, which is why its website claims there have only been 77 cases. PHE's last update was on April 14. But ministers have since revealed the true number of cases is 103. Earlier today, Sharon Peacock, the head of COG-UK and professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, tried to calm fears about the strain's spread. She highlighted that the Kent variant took off in the UK within weeks of emerging last winter, whereas the Indian variant has been in circulation there since last October. It suggests India may have suffered its latest wave regardless of which coronavirus was dominant at the time. But Professor Peacock claimed there was enough concern to warrant slowing the number of cases coming into the UK. 'This is an important step in controlling further introduction of this variant into the UK,' she said. 'The number of B.1.617 genomes detected in the UK has risen in the last three weeks. 'Even though this is at or less than 1 per cent of the genomes sequenced in the UK overall, the upward trend in cases warrants action whilst ongoing uncertainties over the level of threat posed by this variant are evaluated.' She said scientists were also unsure whether the mutations mean the variant can evade the effectiveness of vaccines or natural immunity. The Indian variant's E484Q mutation is very similar to the one found in the South African and Brazil variants known as E484K, which can help the virus evade antibodies. The South African variant is thought to make vaccines about 30 per cent less effective at stopping infections, but it's not clear what effect it has on severe illness. Professor Peacock said more work was needed to determine whether the Indian variant should move from being one under investigation, as at present, to a variant of concern. Professor Sir Mark Walport, former chief scientific adviser to the Government, said he was confident the jab is more transmissible than other strains based on spiralling case numbers in India. He also admitted the ban on travel from the country had come too late. He told BBC Breakfast: 'These decisions are almost inevitably taken a bit too late, in truth, but what's absolutely clear is that this variant is more transmissible in India. 'You can see that it's becoming the dominant variant, and the other concern about it is that it has a second change in the spike protein which may mean that it's able to be a bit more effective at escaping an immune response, either a natural one or vaccine-induced one, so there's good reasons for wanting to keep it out of the country if at all possible. 'What we need to do is get the population vaccinated and also get booster vaccines prepared that will be able to deal with these new variants so buying time against these new variants is really important.' Meanwhile, MPs heard today that around 100 people are trying to enter the country each day with a 'fake Covid certificate'. The fake documents claiming a traveller has a recent negative test result are 'very easy' to forge, MPs were told. And there is no way to tell how many more are being missed. Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents border immigration and customs staff in the UK, also said there is 'little to no' evidence on how well people are adhering to quarantine rules. Meanwhile, MPs heard that long queues found at airports could be a 'breeding ground' for the virus. And experts raised concerns about the traffic light system for travel. Ms Moreton told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus that around 20,000 people are coming into the country each day, the majority of whom are hauliers. To enter England people must provide proof of a negative test taken in the three days before departure which can be shown to border agents as a printed document or through an email or text message. Asked how border agents are able to verify proof of a negative test, Ms Moreton told MPs: 'We're not is the simple answer, it's predominately taken on trust. 'We do get 100 or more a day of fake Covid certificates, that we catch.' Europol warned earlier this year about the illicit sale of false negative Covid test certificates. This included a forgery ring selling negative test results to passengers at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and in the UK fraudsters were caught selling bogus Covid-19 documents showing negative test results for 100 each. 'We catch them if there is a spelling error somewhere,' Ms Moreton said. But many certificates are in a foreign language which could make spelling mistakes trickier to spot, she added 'Otherwise they are taken at face value,' she added. She said that the documents are checked against a series of code numbers but 'these things are very easy to knock up electronically unfortunately'. Asked how many could be falling through the cracks, she added: 'It's inherently unknowable. 'A lot of the border and immigration and migration and quarantine controls are based on trust: we trust people when they say they have not been in a red list country in the last 10 days; we trust people when they say that they are going to 2 Acacia Avenue to quarantine; we trust that there is an Acacia Avenue and that when they are going to go there, they are going to stay there. 'The whole thing is based on an assumption that people will do the right thing.' Ms Moreton said that it was not possible to segregate people depending on which country they had come from in immigration halls where people are waiting an average of two to three hours while border agents check their usual travel documentation as well as additional requirements as a result of the pandemic. The Covid variants circulating in the UK: Matt Hancock revealed yesterday that 103 cases of the Indian variant had been picked up in Britain, but Public Health England's site has not been updated. It still says there have been 77 infections Boris Johnson, pictured this morning inside No10, will hold a press conference tonight amid growing concerns about the Indian coronavirus variant Variant that fully escapes vaccines is a matter of 'when, not if', WHO expert warns A coronavirus variant that can fully escape vaccine is a matter of 'when, not if', the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today. Dr David Nabarro, a special envoy on Covid, said the emergence of strains in Brazil and South African which have been shown to dodge some antibodies were examples of why countries should not completely drop social distancing. He said the virus will need to be 'treated with respect' for 'quite a lot of months to come', scuppering the UK's hope of getting rid of social distancing in June. Dr Nabarro told Sky News: 'I want to be clear with you that I personally expect that variants will appear in different parts of the world that are capable of beating the protection offered by the vaccines. 'It's not the case of if, but when. So I'm saying to everybody that I work with, we do have to maintain our respect for this virus. 'We can beat it, but it means maintaining the physical distance and wearing masks, and also being really good about isolating. 'We're going to have to go on treating it with respect, I'm afraid, for quite a lot of months to come.' The Imperial College London scientist warned that even strict travel measures could not stop dangerous variants from making it to British shores. Advertisement She said: 'You've flown on a plane with lots of other people, if you've been in a destination where that in itself has been an international mixing ground, you've come through an airport and then you've stood in the arrivals hall for three or four or five hours we know it is not possible to segregate people from red, amber and green, they're going to mix yes there is air conditioning but it is still a confined space, and even if we separated that one risky passenger out at some point in that journey, my understanding is that transmission could have occurred at any point.' Asked if the process itself is a 'breeding ground for infections', she said: 'Right now, very much so. When it's so slow and the queues are so bad, then it is a risk both to our members and the travellers in those queues.' Ms Moreton added: 'If you have got someone arriving from a country where you don't have to go into a hotel quarantine, who has managed to catch the virus from someone who does, you may have isolated the person but the person who bumped shoulders with them in the airport who has just vanished off into the wide blue yonder, you've no way of knowing who that is.' She said that queues in immigration halls vary, but on average there are two to three hour delays at large locations like Heathrow. Deenan Pillay, professor of virology at University College London, told MPs that the queues in airports 'makes a nonsense of things'. 'When I see pictures of Heathrow Airport in the immigration hall, indoors, people queuing for hours and hours and then going off to their amber or red quarantine it makes a nonsense of things,' he said. Meanwhile, Dr Gabriel Scally, visiting professor of public health at the University of Bristol and a member of the Independent Sage committee, raised concerns about the forthcoming holiday season, saying that holiday destinations could be 'international mixing pots'. He told the group of parliamentarians: 'I don't believe in reds and greens I believe in quarantine or not quarantine. 'There is no such thing as a half quarantine you can't do it by half you either do it properly, or don't bother doing this at all, which of course has been the UK's position for far, far too long. 'We don't know necessarily where someone starts their journey we don't know where they transmitted, we don't know what transport they have used to get to and from particular places. 'And I think this is a particular problem in a holiday season, as we're heading into which will be an international mixing pot, almost by definition. 'So, whether a country is green or red to me as a public health doctor, I'm not interested in that I'm interested in managing the isolation of people arriving from abroad at this time.' None of the experts quizzed by MPs said they would be prepared to embark on international travel at this time. Thousands of people will arrive in Britain from India this week before the 'red list' travel restrictions come into effect on Friday, MailOnline's analysis shows. Seven flights from the country arrived at Heathrow airport yesterday, with at least 16 scheduled to land before the tighter rules come into place. Flights run by BA, Virgin Atlantic and Air India are due from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Before Friday, travellers from India will have to provide a negative coronavirus test in the three days before flying and then quarantine at home in the UK for ten days. Arrivals can use public transport to travel to their quarantine destination. From Friday, only British or Irish nationals, or those with UK residence rights, can enter on flights from India. They will have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days. Earlier this year, amid concerns about the Kent variant, India limited flights between the countries to 30 a week, compared with almost 70 previously. Suresh Kumar, chairman of Indra Travel, a family firm he set up 42 years ago, told The Telegraph that ticket prices had soared up to five times as Brits rush to avoid quarantining in a hotel when they return. He said: 'It's become very busy and flights are not available due to the demand. Prices are four or five times what they were last week. 'A normal 400 economy seat from Delhi is [now] anything up to 2,000. Even if you go for business or first class, there are not many around. They are over 3,000. There was concern India was going to be added but it was still quite a shock. People are concerned and desperate to get back and in a frenzy.' Labour slammed No10 for delaying the India ban, claiming that it had put British lives in danger and risked sparking more outbreaks of the variant at home. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds telling LBC yesterday: 'As Labour has warned for months, failing to introduce strong protections at the border has left us exposed to mutations of the virus, which has now lead to dangerous outbreaks in the UK. 'It is not good enough to try and shut the door after the horse has bolted, by adding countries onto a red list when it is too late. What's needed is an urgent comprehensive hotel quarantine system.' Meanwhile Labour chairwoman, Yvette Cooper, said the variant had been under investigation for almost three weeks. She told The Times: 'The India variant has been under investigation for almost three weeks and other neighbouring countries with lower rates of infection were added to the red list ten days ago.' Yesterday Matt Hancock told MPs that the government had made the 'difficult' decision to place India in the highest level of restrictions from 4am on Friday. Mr Hancock claimed the 'vast majority' of cases in the UK were linked to international travel. He said: 'After studying the data and on a precautionary basis we have made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list.' Figures show there are now more than 200,000 confirmed Covid cases a day in India, which is still a far cry from the infections per capita seen at the peak of the UK's winter crisis. A health worker collects a swab from a policeman in Bhopal, the capital city of India's Madhya Pradesh state Revealed: The countries on the UK's red list Angola Argentina Bangladesh Bolivia Botswana Brazil Burundi Cape Verde Chile Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Ecuador Eswatini Ethiopia French Guiana Guyana India Kenya Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Namibia Oman Pakistan Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Qatar Rwanda Seychelles Somalia South Africa Suriname Tanzania United Arab Emirates (UAE) Uruguay Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe Advertisement India is recording fewer than 200 daily cases per million people at the moment compared to the 800-plus per million in Britain in January. PHE's Professor Peacock suggested this may point to the Indian strain being less infectious than the Kent one which fuelled the UK's crisis. Yesterday, a joint statement from the British and Indian government said Boris Johnson's trip - already scaled back - will not go ahead next week 'in light of the current situation'. Mr Hancock said the latest move means 'anyone who is not a UK or Irish resident or a British citizen cannot enter the UK if they've been in India in the previous 10 days'. 'UK and Irish residents and British citizens who have been in India in the past 10 days before their arrival will need to complete hotel quarantine for 10 days from the time of arrival.' He added: 'India is a country I know well and love. Between our two countries we have ties of friendship and family. I understand the impact of this decision but I hope the House will concur that we must act.' The news comes after an expert warned the Indian coronavirus variant could 'pose a threat' to Mr Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown. Professor Danny Altmann, an Imperial College London immunologist, said there were vaccinated vulnerable Britons who could 'still be caught out by variants like this'. PHE currently lists it as a 'variant under investigation', a tier below other troublesome strains including the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants. But Professor Altmann said he expects, 'from everything I've seen is that it will become a variant of concern.' SAGE member Professor Andrew Hayward backed calls for India to be put on the 'red list' to buy experts time to study the variant in more detail. The infectious disease expert urged the Government to 'err on the side of caution and act sooner rather than later'. But top experts studying Britain's Covid variants said the Indian variant was unlikely to ever take off in the UK because its mutations were 'not top tier'.= Dr Jeffrey Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Monday: 'This variant has a couple of mutations that are among those that we think are important that should be watched carefully. 'But they're actually probably not at the very kind of top tier of mutations, for example in the B.1.1.7 or Kent variant or the South African variant, that generate the most concern.' Dr Barnett said the rise of the Indian variant had happened at the same time India suffered a third wave, which may explain its higher prevalence. India's health system is collapsing as Covid-19 spreads faster than ever, gravediggers burn piles of victims to keep up and crematorium furnaces MELT due to round-the-clock use India's health system is collapsing under the fastest spreading coronavirus surge since the pandemic started. Another 259,170 cases were recorded on Tuesday, the world's highest daily rate, and 1,761 deaths, the country's highest ever daily toll, after a new variant of Covid emerged which scientists fear could partly evade vaccines. The British government added the country to its 'red list' on Monday but was accused of acting weeks too late as more than 100 people in the UK have now tested positive for this Indian variant since the end of March, while some 900 people have been arriving on flights from India every day. Delhi imposed a week-long lockdown last night as ambulances catapulted from one hospital to another, trying to find an empty bed. The city of 29 million people has fewer than 100 beds with ventilators, and fewer than 150 beds available for patients needing critical care. In the western state of Gujarat, many crematoria in Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Ahmedabad are operating around the clock with three to four times more bodies than normal. The chimney of one electric furnace in Ahmedabad cracked and collapsed after being in constant use for up to 20 hours every day for the past two weeks. The iron frames inside another in the industrial diamond hub of Surat melted because there was no time to let the furnaces cool. Burning pyres of patients who died of Covid-19 at a crematorium in Delhi over the weekend. The city of 29 million people has fewer than 100 beds with ventilators, and fewer than 150 beds available for patients needing critical care. Relatives wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) walk amid burning funeral pyres as they perform last rites for covid-19 victims in Bhopal More than 200,000 cases per day were recorded on average in the last week, 20 times as many as two months ago, as a new variant of Covid-19 emerged which scientists fear could partly evade vaccines An average of 1,247 deaths were recorded over the last seven days, though India's figures on Covid fatalities are believed to be vastly under-reported Journalist who caught Covid dies while live-tweeting his wait for a hospital bed A journalist who caught Covid has died while live-tweeting about his wait for a hospital bed. Freelance Vinay Srivastava, 65, on Friday evening announced to the world he was suffering from coronavirus and had low blood oxygen levels. 'Nobody at the hospital lab, or the doctor is picking the phone,' Mr Srivastava tweeted. 'Help will come to you very soon,' tweeted one follower. Mr Srivastava replied: 'For how long should I keep the faith? Now my oxygen level is 50, and the guard at the Balrampur hospital is not letting me enter.' An oxygen saturation level below 94 is considered a cause for medical concern. Mr Srivastava was even contacted on Twitter by the state's health chief who asked him for more details. But on Saturday afternoon this was his last tweet: 'My oxygen is 31 when some will help me (sic).' Advertisement 'Until last month we were cremating 20-odd bodies per day... But since the beginning of April we have been handling over 80 bodies every day,' said a local official at the Ramnath Ghela Crematorium in the city. With waiting times of up to eight hours, Rajkot has set up a dedicated 24/7 control room to manage the flow in the city's four crematoria. At two crematoria in Lucknow in the north, relatives are being given numbered tokens and made to wait for up to 12 hours. One has started burning bodies in an adjacent park. Rohit Singh, whose father died from Covid-19, said crematorium officials were charging around 7,000 rupees (67) - almost 20 times the normal rate. Some crematoria in Lucknow ran out of wood and asked people to bring it themselves. Viral photos on social media showed electric rickshaws laden down with logs. The rising death toll has also increased the grim workload for gravediggers dramatically in the last few weeks. When AFP visited the Jadid Qabristan Ahle cemetery in the Indian capital - which is now in a week-long lockdown - on Friday, 11 bodies arrived within three hours. By sunset, 20 bodies were in the ground. This compares to some days in December and January, when his earthmoving machine stayed idle and when many thought the pandemic was over. 'Now, it looks like the virus has legs,' said Shamim, 38, a gravedigger like his father and grandfather. 'At this rate, I will run out of space in three or four days.' Around the graveyard, white body bags or coffins made out of cheap wood are carried around by people in blue or yellow protective suits and lowered into graves. Just months after India thought it had seen the worst of the pandemic, the virus is now spreading at a rate faster than at any other time, said Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan who has been tracking infections in India. As it battles the rising cases, India announced Monday that it would vaccinate everyone older than 18 from May 1. The country began inoculating health workers in mid-January and later extended the drive to people over 45. India has so far administered 120 million doses to its population of nearly 1.4 billion. The country reported over 270,000 infections on Monday, its highest daily rise since the pandemic started. It has now recorded more than 15 million infections and more than 178,000 deaths. Experts agree that even these figures are likely under-reported. Amid the rise in cases, Boris Johnson called off a trip to Delhi to hold post-Brexit trade talks with Narendra Modhi. Burning pyres of patients who died of coronavirus at a crematorium in New Delhi A woman is consoled after her husband died due to Covid outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad A man wearing PPE waits to transfer the body of his relative who died of the Covid-19 coronavirus infection from an ambulance amid burning pyres of other covid deaths at a crematorium in Delhi on April 17 A woman mourns with her son after her husband died due to the coronavirus disease outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad A man in full PPE prepares to perform the last rites of his relative near multiple burning pyres of patients who died of the Covid-19 in Delhi As well as Delhi, the country's healthcare infrastructure is being tested across the land, including in the remote Himalayan region. In Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, the weekly average of Covid 19 cases has increased 11-fold in the past month. In Telengana state in southern India, home to Hyderabad city where most of India's vaccine makers are based, the weekly average of infections has increased 16-fold in the past month. Meanwhile, election campaigns are continuing in West Bengal state in eastern India, amid an alarming increase there as well, and experts fear that crowded rallies could fuel the spread of the virus. Top leaders of the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have campaigned heavily to win polls in the region. By contrast, in Delhi, officials have begun to impose stringent measures again. The Indian capital was shut down over the weekend, but now authorities are extending that for a week: all shops and factories will close, except for those that provide essential services, like grocery stores. People are not supposed to leave their homes, except for a handful of reasons, like seeking medical care. Health workers attend to a suspected covid-19 positive patient waits outside dedicated Covid-19 Health Centre in Mumbai They will be allowed to travel to airports or train stations - a difference from the last lockdown when thousands of migrant workers were forced to walk to their home villages. That harsh lockdown last year, which lasted months, left deep scars. Politicians have since been reticent to even mention the word. When similar measures were imposed in Mahrashtra state, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, in recent days, officials refused to call it a lockdown. Those restrictions are to last 15 days. Kejriwal, the Delhi official, urged calm, especially among migrant workers who particularly suffered during the previous shutdown, saying this one would be 'small.' But many feared it would spell economic ruin. Amrit Tripathi, a laborer in New Delhi, was among the thousands who walked home in last year's lockdown.'We will starve,' he said, if the current measures are extended. There will be no third wave of deaths - and I should know, writes PROFESSOR PHILIP THOMAS, the academic who has accurately predicted every stage of the pandemic so far A welcome sense of normality is at last beginning to return to Britain. As shops and bars re-open and families reunite, the long ordeal of lockdown appears to be coming to an end. Given the current positive trends, the Government's target of full freedom by June 21 looks like it should be met. But that is not the message conveyed by a number of pessimistic experts. Full of bleak foreboding, they warn that the lifting of Covid restrictions could plunge us into another health crisis. Last week, Professor Jeremy Brown, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told the BBC that 'a big third wave could still end up with 30,000 to 50,000 deaths, potentially, if it was a similar sort of size to the previous waves.' Gloom The model called the Predictor Corrector Coronavirus Filter (PCCF) looks at what will happen if the R-rate is held at 0.6 Professor Philip Thomas (pictured) believes negativity is overdone In the same vein, at the beginning of the month, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) whose modelling has provided the basis for the tough lockdown policy warned that Britain is 'highly likely' to suffer a third wave, while any attempt to return to life as it was in February 2020 would probably result in 'a big epidemic'. This gloom has been compounded by fears about the advent of more infectious variants of the virus, such as the new B.1.617 type from India, whose spread across the subcontinent has just forced the Prime Minister to cancel his forthcoming visit there. But as a scientist specialising in risk management, I believe this negativity is overdone. There is little convincing evidence to back the claim that, as lockdown is eased, Britain is about to be hit by a third wave, accompanied by a renewed surge in deaths. On the contrary, it is my view that if there is indeed an increase in infections over the coming months, it will have little significant impact and the death toll will remain extremely low. That is because of the huge success of the vaccine programme, which will mean that by June, the overwhelming majority of the population is protected. The reality is we are beating the pandemic. As we move into the summer, immunity will grow. In such circumstances, there would be no justification for keeping restrictive measures in place. This optimism is based partly on the mathematical model I have created, which uses data to project the trajectory of the virus. This is tested against independent measurements made by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). My work on modelling has proved accurate in the past, notably in the 1990s when there was deep concern in government circles about the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) known as Mad Cow Disease and its human equivalent, the brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Based on my analysis of the data, my contention made in 1996 was that CJD would claim 20 to 520 lives, with a central estimate of 130. That turned out to be remarkably close to the real figure of 180. Advocate In contrast, the official advisory team, led by Professor Sir Roy Anderson of Imperial College London, set out scenarios where the death toll ranged from 100 to 10 million. Intriguingly, one member of Professor Anderson's team was Professor Neil Ferguson, who has gained a high public profile during the Covid crisis as one of the most voluble advocates of lockdown. In studying the coronavirus, I developed a model called the Predictor Corrector Coronavirus Filter (PCCF). It is a simple software device, inspired by the work of two pioneering Scots: the mathematical epidemiologist Anderson McKendrick and the biochemist William Kermack, who came up with a hypothesis that could track the spread of an infectious disease. Like all models, the PCCF had a number of assumptions fed into it, including high levels of both the take-up and effectiveness of the vaccines, based on field data. What the PCCF model indicates is that there is little danger of our society being overwhelmed by a third wave. My prediction is that, although the total number of active infections in England could reach a peak of 160,000 in the early autumn of this year, this rise will not lead to a spike in deaths or hospitalisations. That is because, thanks to the vaccines, the link between Covid infections and fatalities has been broken. In this new, safer environment, roughly one third of people who are infected will have no symptoms at all, while the vast majority of the remainder will have only mild symptoms. As a result, even when the peak is reached, the death toll will probably be less than 20 per day. I can have full confidence in this forecast because my PCCF model has proved reassuringly accurate over recent months. Its figures are updated daily online and, each week, they turn out to be retrospectively validated by the latest Covid report from the ONS, which surveys the population through the use of Covid tests on 150,000 participants every fortnight. Every time, my own data and that of the ONS are reconciled almost exactly, which can hardly be said of all the predictions from Sage. What the most recent findings prove for certain is the efficacy of the vaccines. That is why we are winning the war on Covid. Even the new variants are a far less deadly threat because the jabs have 'drawn their sting', to use the phrase of the epidemiologist Professor Andrew Hayward. Before the programme started, there were concerns about hesitancy in the public to have the jab, but they have proved unfounded. According to the ONS, 65 per cent of England's adult population have received at least one dose, while that figure rises to 97 per cent for the over-50s. Moreover, they have proved even more effective than expected. My PCCF model has turned out to be justified in its assumptions that a first jab provides 69 per cent protection against infection and transmission, as well as reducing the chances of dying by 85 per cent after eight weeks. What the most recent findings prove for certain is the efficacy of the vaccines. Pictured, Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a pub in Wolverhampton on Monday Threat So why are some other experts so pessimistic? I think it is because they are fixated by the goal of eradicating Covid, no matter what the social and economic cost, so they view any measure of freedom as a potential threat. But this approach lacks any sense of perspective. It fails to take into account the huge collateral damage done by the lockdowns, including poor mental and physical health, financial insecurity, business failures and unemployment. It has been cruel to the older people locked in care homes and to students trapped on university campuses. One clear indicator of a society's prosperity is life expectancy. Thanks to the fall-out from lockdown, our average length of life in Britain may already be reducing, which means that people of all ages will die earlier than they should. We have stored up colossal problems for the future. The last vestiges of lockdown should not continue a moment longer that was planned in the Government's roadmap. And my model shows that they will not need to. That is a cause for celebration, not anxiety. Zara's new collaboration with Mattel's Barbie has sparked outrage online - with many slamming the collection for promoting an 'unrealistic body type.' The predominantly pink eight-piece activewear collection includes a hoodie, joggers, a long-sleeve top, shorts, t-shirts and swimwear. Zara are also selling limited-edition Barbie dolls for 29.95, with all proceeds going to Spanish charity, Entreculturas - which helps with the development of educational activities. Taking to Instagram account @AwkwardZara, one enraged shopped penned: 'Okay apart from being an utter trainwreck of a collection destined for landfill, Zara's recent Barbie collection has raised a lot of really interesting and valid concerns from our followers on the topic of perpetuating Barbie's unrealistic body type.' 'When most brands seem to be aware that the average UK dress size for women is a 16 and have begun to display size diversity in their images, Zara has always dug its heels into the ground in this respect. Zara's new collaboration with Mattel's Barbie has sparked outrage online - with many slamming the collection for promoting an 'unrealistic body type.' Pictured, Bikini top with a detachable cup and a straight neckline The collection includes a hoodie, joggers, a long-sleeve top, shorts, t-shirts and swimwear. Pictured, high-waist trousers with an elastic waistband and adjustable drawstrings One frustrated shopper branded the collection 'an utter trainwreck destined for landfill' (pictured) It continued: 'At a time when EDs are rightly being discussed more than ever as harmful to young women, a collection celebrating a plastic doll with proportions which cannot possibly be achieved by a real human - with creative direction such as low angle photography designed to elongate their bodies to a level of distortion - feels tone deaf.' The person went on to urge their 46,300 followers to take to the comments section if they so desired in the hope of getting the retailer to listen to people's responses - and it wasn't long before people did exactly that. 'I think it's the term "unrealistic" we should be focusing on here,' wrote one. 'As someone who is conscious to be healthy - not carrying additional fat on my body and not being underweight either, I think "skinny shaming" is as harmful as promoting obesity as "normal." 'I think companies who have influence over girls weight and image should try harder to be realistic that's all.' In response to the photographs (pictured), one person commented: 'I think it's the term "unrealistic" we should be focusing on here' Another told how they were 'disappointed' and said they thought the 'skewed boy image' had been left back in the 90s (pictured) Another told how they struggled to determine 'what the message is supposed to be' - adding: 'This hurts my brain.' A third said they saw the marketing as a 'missing opportunity' and explained: 'Barbies strength is that she can be whoever she wants: she can be a princess, a doctor, a mother, an astronaut and so on. 'Instead this campaign seems to promote Barbie as a body type women should aspire to.' Meanwhile, a fourth commented: 'Seriously Zara: I genuinely thought we left this skewed body image back in the 90s? Disappointed,' while a further added: 'This is so out of touch.' Elsewhere, others took a different opinion and spoke out in defense of the campaign (pictured) However, others took a different opinion and spoke out in defense of the campaign. 'The collection images give me the creeps but as a skinny girl, the term "unrealistic body type" when referring to thin girls has always been a trigger point,' wrote one. 'Skinny girls aren't "not normal" or "unhealthy" (although some can be I won't detract from that.) I agree we need diversity but that includes the skinny ones too and I don't think it's fair to be insulting or derogatory to thin ones just because the media has caused damage.' A second commented: 'Nope. I prefer a skinnier aesthetic and would rather see clothes on skinnier models. I just dont think a lot of stuff hangs well on larger models, some exceptions, and would be much less inclined to buy it.' AKRON, Ohio A Uniontown man is facing a criminal charge after federal investigators say he tried to arrange a meeting at an Akron hotel in order to have sex with an 8-year-old girl. Bradley Beun, 41, is charged with a federal count of coercion or enticement, according to the Cleveland Division of the FBI. Beun made his first appearance in court Monday. A news release from the FBI says an undercover agent had an online chat with Beun on April 15 and 16. The FBI says the undercover agent said the girl was the agents daughter and offered to meet Beun at a hotel for sex with the girl. At about 10:40 a.m. Friday, Beun arrived at the hotel and he was arrested without incident. The FBI says the undercover agent told Beun to bring Skittles, condoms and a bottle of Nyquil, and all of the items were found in his vehicle. The FBI says anyone that believes they had contact with Beun and might have been groomed for possible future sexual purposes, were inappropriately touched, or were sexually assaulted should call the FBI at 1-877-FBI-OHIO. All information will be kept confidential. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Cleveland man shot by DEA agent did not pull gun from waistband, arrest records say Judge lowers bond for Cleveland mayors aide charged with rape Woman accused of killing mother in Cleveland had history of disputes with her mom, including on Judge Mathis show Man dies 1 week after being shot in Akron [April 19, 2021] Lotte Mart is The First Vietnam Supermarket to Adopt Honeywell's Energy Efficient Solstice N40 Refrigerant HANOI and HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE:HON) today announced that its Solstice N40 (R-448A) refrigerant has been adopted by supermarket retailer Lotte Mart for use in its stores across Vietnam, making it the first supermarket chain in the country to adopt it as a R-404A replacement. Solstice N40 was previously adopted by Lotte Mart for use in its stores in South Korea in 2018. To meet hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown requirements in support of the Kigali Amendment, retailers are seeking alternative solutions that are reliable, practical and help reduce carbon footprint. Solstice N40 has become the industry's most widely accepted, nonflammable replacement for legacy hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) globally, with a GWP 65 percent lower than R-404A. "As the first country in Southeast Asia to ratify the Kigali Amendment, Vietnam is seeking to adopt energy-efficient and environmentally preferable solutions to help reduce its carbon footprint," said Nguyen Van Hieu, senior Safety and Environment Manager, Lotte Mart Vietnam. "By converting to Solstice N40 refrigerant, Lotte Mart Vietnam will now be compliant with regulations and reduce overall energy consumption. We aim to achieve energy savings of up to 8% by 2025." Based on hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) technology, Solstice N40 offers a GWP that is approximately 68 percent lower than legacy hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants like R-404A. hen using Solstice N40, refrigeration systems also consume less energy than their counterparts that cool using HFCs. In U.S. and European supermarket trials, in comparison to R-404A, Solstice N40 demonstrated an average of between 5 to 15% lower energy consumption in refrigeration applications. It can be used in new installations and to retrofit existing systems using high-GWP refrigerants like R-404A and R-507. "As global demand continues to grow for reduced GWP, nonflammable and retrofittable refrigerants like Solstice N40, we're proud to partner with Lotte Mart in Vietnam to deliver a high-quality, energy-conscious product," said Tom Liu, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Advanced Materials, Asia Pacific. "Through this collaboration with Lotte Mart Vietnam, Honeywell is reiterating its commitment to working with climate-conscious companies and brands that strive to incorporate solutions that reduce environmental impact." Solstice N40 is the supermarket industry's most widely accepted, lowest GWP, nonflammable replacement for legacy HFCs such as R-404A and R-22, globally. More than 30,000 stores around the world have adopted Solstice N40, which has been officially designated as "A1" by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). R-448A is both non-toxic and nonflammable, and can be used in new installations and preexisting R-404A and R-507 equipment with certain system modifications. Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice and Genetron brand names for a wide range of applications including refrigeration and air conditioning for buildings and automobiles. Honeywell and its suppliers have completed a billion-dollar investment program in research, development, and new capacity for Honeywell's hydrofluorolefin technology. Worldwide adoption of Solstice products has resulted in the reduction of more than 200 million metric tons of CO2 to date, equal to eliminating the emissions from more than 42 million cars from the road for a year. Honeywell recently committed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company's track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. About half of Honeywell's new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers. Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. Contact: Anton-Susanto +62-811-1909-342 Imawanto.Susanto@Honeywell.com SOURCE Honeywell [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Our good friend John Parker from WarbirdsOnline in Australia recently made another visit to Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) in Scone, New South Wales to check out progress with the restoration of Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX MH603. We have covered several of Parkers previous reports HERE, which you can check out for the aircrafts history, and will let Johns words pick up the latest news as follows Its been 10 months since we last reported on this Spitfire. As with most warbird restorations, the final phases often seem to take longer than anticipated, and this has been the case with MH603. A major visual indication of progress came with the arrival and installation of the fighters Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, following its overhaul in the USA. While the impact of COVID-19 and associated parts supply delays held up the engine shops work, they eventually overcame these issues, and shipped the zero-timed Merlin to a grateful VFR. In the interim, VFR has performed a significant about of work setting up the Spitfires hydraulic, electrical and fuel systems, which are now nearly finished. Much of the current activity surrounds the installation of numerous engine system connections and ancillary components along with final-testing the aircrafts controls. At this stage, there is no definitive timing envisioned for MH603s first flight however, with the passing of each day, the number of items remaining on the checklist for completion grows smaller and smaller. Rest assured, as the final components are signed-off, we will be on hand to witness the first flight of this magnificent Spitfire! It was great to get back to Pays Air Service and Vintage Fighter Restorations at Scone NSW to view the progress on the Spitfire; it will be an exciting time, with much to look forwards to once shes completed. As always, we thank Ross Pay and the team at VFR for their assistance with this news article. We will continue following these remarkable efforts and bring additional news as soon as we can. Many thanks indeed to our friend John Parker at WarbirdsOnline for this article. The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to impose a weekend curfew from Friday evening to Monday morning in the entire state till further orders amid the rising cases of infections. In a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the government, besides ordering a nearly 60-hour-long weekend curfew, also decided to keep all non-essential activities suspended in all districts of the state having 500 or more active cases. It also decided to continue with the night-long curfew on weekdays throughout the state, a senior official said. "Throughout the state, there will be night curfew. Throughout the state, the corona curfew will be enforced from Friday evening to Monday morning," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi told PTI. The move by the UP Government comes hours after the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an Allahabad High Court order asking the state government to impose strict restrictions till April 26 in five cities amid the surge in Covid-19 cases. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde passed the order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told it that the state government has taken several steps to contain the spread of but to lockdown five cities by a judicial order may not be the right approach. Mehta, while arguing that the high court order would create immense administrative difficulties, said the state government has issued several directions and taken adequate precaution on the issue. In these circumstances, there shall be an interim stay on the order of the high court, the top court said. The apex court appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter and said the plea would come up for hearing after two weeks. The high court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to impose strict restrictions including the closing of malls, shopping complexes and restaurants till April 26 in five cities -- Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Nagar and Gorakhpur -- but stopped short of calling it a "complete lockdown". On the issue of migrants coming back to the state from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi, Adityanath said the bordering districts of UP must exercise special caution, and provisions should be made for smooth movement of the migrant workers. The Home Department and the transport department should co-ordinate and act, he said, adding adequate facilities should be made for testing and treatment of the migrant labourers, he said. The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has filed an appeal against the acquittal of Vasylkoisky District Court of Kyiv region against former MP Serhiy Pashynsky in the case of causing bodily harm to resident of Kyiv region Vyacheslav Khimikus, the Prosecutor General's Office told Interfax-Ukraine. "The PGO has filed an appeal against the verdict to Pashynsky and asks the appellate instance to cancel the sentence and send the case for a new trial," the Prosecutor General's Office noted. As reported, on October 4, 2019, the SBI notified Pashynsky of suspicion of causing injury to a man in Kyiv region. The SBI report indicated that on December 31, 2016 in Kyiv region there was a verbal conflict between the then MP and a citizen, during which Pashynsky shot the man in the left leg with a Glock-19 pistol. As a result, the victim received a gunshot fragmentation fracture of the femur of the left leg. According to the forensic report, the bodily harm inflicted is serious. The Pechersky District Court chose a measure of restraint for Pashynsky in the form of detention on October 17, and on December 18, Kyiv Court of Appeal decided to release him from custody and placed him under 24-hour house arrest. On April 28, the SBI announced the completion of the investigation of criminal proceedings against Ukraine's parliamentarian of the V-VIII convocations, suspected of causing grievous bodily harm. On July 6, 2020, the SBI sent the case materials to the court. On March 9, the victim's lawyer, Khimikus, announced that he had decided to withdraw the civil suit. The victim was paid compensation, after which he abandoned claims against the ex-deputy. In March 2021, Vasylkivsky District Court of Kyiv region issued a verdict of non-guilty to Pashynsky. Berkeley County Council approved accepting a $2.2 million grant that will be used for design and engineering work on a new sewer line to serve the Camp Hall Commerce Park site. In a 4-2 vote April 12, the councils public utilities committee approved the grant. The full council is expected to vote on the grant during its April 26 meeting. Last month, council tabled a decision while waiting for an assurance from Santee Cooper the state-owned electric utility that owns and is developing the Camp Hall Park that county taxpayers would not have to fund construction of a sewer line from the park to the countys main sewer plant. Despite not getting any assurances from Santee Cooper, the council voted to move forward with the grant. This is about good-paying jobs and taxes, said county council member Brandon Cox, who voted in favor of the grant. Industry pays a lot of taxes, and that saves the county residents from paying high taxes. The grant is to pay for an engineering and design study, and that will eventually save us 18 months of time. Councilman Josh Whitley, who along with Steve Davis voted against accepting the grant, continued to voice concerns about who would ultimately pay for construction of the new sewer line after the design and engineering study is completed. A vote for this is a kick-the-can decision, and if we kick this can two years, five years, 10 years down the road our ratepayers wont be able to afford it, Whitley said. In 2016, council voted to run the sewer lines from Camp Hall along Interstate 26 to the Central Berkeley Wastewater Treatment plant on Gaillard Road in Moncks Corner. Wastewater from Volvos manufacturing site at Camp Hall is routed to the Lower Berkeley Wastewater Treatment Plant. Sewer service for the surrounding development at Camp Hall, such as the Swedish automakers suppliers and unrelated manufacturing, goes to the central plant. The Central Berkeley Wastewater Treatment Plant which opened in September 2014 is being expanded from 3 million gallons per day to 6 million gallons per day to accommodate flows from Camp Hall and areas around the plant. If nothing comes to Camp Hall for the next five years, is anyone in this county hurt? No, Whitley said. Santee Cooper will be hurt because they are $65 million upside down on that investment. If we dont agree to the grant, they will come to the table and give us the assurance that they wont sue us. The S.C. Power Team funded the Camp Hall grant. The Power Team is a full-service, nonprofit economic development organization representing the states 20 consumer-owned electric cooperatives. The organization, however, is independent of Santee Cooper. Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Danish fund management company Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners closed its global greenfield renewables fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure IV, at EUR 7 billion ($8.4 billion), ahead of its EUR 5.5 billion target. According to a press release from the investment firm specializing in greenfield and renewable energy projects, commitments came from investors across the Nordics, Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, with a 50:50 split between existing investors in CIP funds and new investors. The fund's investor base comprises approximately 100 institutional investors, primarily pension funds, life insurance companies, and family offices. "We are very pleased to welcome a prominent group of existing and new institutional investors to CI IV, and look forward to continuing to create value for our investors, project partners, and communities through the fund's investments in greenfield renewable energy projects. We are delighted that investors share our confidence in and appetite for greenfield renewables and have decided to invest alongside CIP in some of the largest clean energy projects across the globe within offshore wind, onshore wind, solar PV, transmission, and storage", says Jakob Baruel Poulsen, Managing Partner at CIP. Investors in the fund included the 36 billion PensionDanmark, Copenhagen, and Brunel Pension Partnership, Bristol, England, the pool of U.K. local authority funds that runs 30 billion in assets on their behal...................... To view our full article Click here But operating between 15% and 35% capacity is simply not feasible for the 864-seat Uptown Theatre, according to Executive Director Erica Simpson. It really doesnt make sense for us the margins in this business are pretty small, she said. Twenty-five percent is completely out of the question. Once in a while well do a show at 50% capacity, but thats mostly because were counting on big bar business, and its yet to be determined how bar sales can happen with masks or protocols. There are a number of guidelines for indoor events that the state has yet to clarify, according to Simpson, who said the Uptown does not plan to reopen until it can host events at full capacity. Theres a lot of gray, the Blue Notes Tesler said, adding hed been on calls with state and county officials hoping to get a real handle on what theyre going to look for from venues in terms of things like validating that guests at larger events have been vaccinated. Whatever the state decides, the Blue Note, which has an indoor capacity of 140 will comply, Tesler said. In the meantime, it is hosting outdoor performances at Charles Krug Winery beginning May 21. New Delhi, April 20 : The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has launched special state wise Covid helplines to assist people in need. Workers of respective state units of the BJYM will attend the calls on the helpline and provide assistance with respect to Covid testing, availability of medicines, vaccination and hospitalisation in coordination with local municipal authorities. The BJYM launched dedicated helplines for Mumbai (020-6732 6460), Delhi (011-6119 5322), Maharashtra (020-6732 6090), Madhya Pradesh (0731-4821 330) and Puducherry (044-6171 3330). Helplines have also been launched for Bihar, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura and Manipur. "The BJP has always been proactive in listening to and addressing the concerns of citizens. Whenever there is any issue affecting the public at large, the Yuva Morcha in particular has continuously provided community service and this helpline is an extension of our mantra -- BJYMCares," Tejasvi Surya, BJYM National President, said. Surya, BJP Lok Sabha member from Karnataka, further said that with states like Maharashtra, Delhi, MP and Karnataka facing an exponential increase in the number of Covid infections, the party has launched this helpline to counsel and help citizens. In the first stage, helplines have been made functional in the states that are grappling with a high number of cases. The helplines will be made functional in all BJYM state units in the next two days. "We are here to help citizens on issues related to the Covid pandemic -- be it triaging, doctor consultation, home isolation, vaccination or hospitalisation. The karyakartas (workers) handling the helpline will extend assistance for hospitalisation and availability of medicines like remdesivir in coordination with the local municipal authorities," Surya said. Surya pointed out that BJYM will also help families who need help with cremation services and they will also take requests for transportation to the nearest vaccination centre. Apart from the helplines, the BJYM is planning to conduct a country-wide plasma donation drive at the end of this month, where recovered Covid patients will be appealed to turn up in large numbers and donate their blood plasma. The BJYM is also actively involved in conducting vaccination drives across the country and has also arranged for mass Covid-19 testing in villages, industrial units and apartment complexes. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Singapore: Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans has told opponents of the coup in Myanmar that they may have to consider a compromise with the junta and its murderer in chief to avoid a humanitarian disaster on the scale of Syria. Appearing at a webinar alongside the spokesman for Myanmars newly announced administration in exile - the national unity government - Evans said security forces had committed the most heinous crimes against humanity. He said the Tatmadaw, as the military is known, ideally had to be permanently sidelined as a political player in the country it has largely ruled for decades, and those who have committed atrocities prosecuted. Myanmar has descended into chaos in the 10 weeks since the military seized control. Credit:Getty Images That is the ambition of those leading the campaign to oust Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his brutal regime. A bloody post-coup crackdown against the pro-democracy movement has killed about 738 people and detained some 3261, says monitoring group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. According to media reports in Myanmar, the junta chief wont attend a Association of South-east Asian Nations emergency summit on the crisis in Jakarta on Saturday in person, and is instead planning to join by video link. A Chinese American mother in the Boston suburbs is sending her sons to in-person classes this month, even after one of them was taunted with a racist slanted-eyes gesture at school, just days after the killings of women of Asian descent at massage businesses in Atlanta. In the Dallas area, a Korean American family is keeping their middle schooler in online classes for the rest of the year after they spotted a question filled with racist Chinese stereotypes, including a reference to eating dogs and cats, on one of her exams. As high schools and elementary schools across the country gradually re-open for full-time classes, Asian American families are wrestling with whether to send their children back out into the world at a time when anti-Asian hostility and violence is on the rise. Some Asian American parents say theyre content to keep their children in virtual classes, especially with the school year winding down and COVID-19 cases rising in places. Others are conceding to adolescents craving normalcy, while still others refuse to shield their youths from bigotry. Asian American students have the highest rates of remote learning more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered school buildings and forced districts to pivot to online classes. A federal government survey released earlier this month found just 15% of Asian American fourth-graders were attending classes in-person as of February, compared with more than half of white fourth-graders. Those rates appear to be rising in some cities, but are still far lower than those of Black, Latino and white students. In Sacramento, Boston and Chicago public schools, for example, roughly a third of Asian American students are expected to return to in-person classes this month, compared with some 70% of white students, according to the most recent district data available. Asian American youths have also not been spared anti-Asian harassment. A September report by Stop AAPI Hate found about 25% of Asian American youths surveyed experienced discrimination, including verbal harassment, social shunning, cyberbullying and physical assault, during the pandemic. The San Francisco-based group, which tracks incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, also says more than 12% of its reported incidents involved youths ages 17 and under. Concerns about virus spread and rising racism are factors in the in-person learning disparities, but many Asian families also benefit from living in multi-generational households where grandparents and other relatives can help out, said Peter Kiang, director of Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. These ethnic-defined support systems have been operating for more than a year already while parents are out working long hours, so there is no urgency to return to in-person classrooms, he said. Another factor is that many Asian Americans live in major urban areas like Boston where schools are only now starting to widely re-open, said Robert Teranishi, a professor of education and Asian American studies at UCLA. Meanwhile, San Francisco, where about a third of public school students are of Asian descent, has no timetable for the return of middle and high school students. For Grace Hu, a 16-year-old in Sharon, Massachusetts, who has been learning remotely all school year, the decision to go back to in-person classes later this month was easy. The high school sophomore helped organize a recent rally against anti-Asian hate in Boston, but said shes not concerned about facing vitriol in school. The district, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Boston, has a sizeable Asian American student population and shes felt generally safe and welcomed. Im feeling trapped at home, Hu said. I just want to see my classmates again. Closer to Boston, in Quincy, a city with the highest concentration of Asian Americans in the state, Kim Horrigan said she and her husband have struggled with their decision to keep their 8-year-old son in remote learning this school year, but for altogether different reasons. Horrigan said shes never really considered racism a threat to her family, even though theres been tension in Quincy over the years as the Asian American community has grown to roughly 25% of the population, transforming a city famous for being the birthplace of two American presidents. Instead, shes most concerned about exposing her household, which includes her Chinese immigrant parents, who are in their 70s, and two younger children, to COVID-19. At the same time, Horrigan worries about her son falling behind the longer hes home. Weve taken so many precautions and sacrificed so much, she said. Why would we drop our guard now, with just a few weeks left? Kim Horrigan, left, sits with her son Conor Horrigan, 8, both of Quincy, Mass., as Conor does math homework at their home, in Quincy, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Kim said she and her husband have struggled all year with their decision to keep their 8-year-old son in remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)AP Meanwhile, in Needham, another Boston suburb, Denise Chan said she hasnt second-guessed placing her three young sons back in classes full-time in recent weeks, even after the slanted-eyes incident. Chan said another student approached her 11-year-old son at lunchtime, made a comment about Korean eyes and pulled his eyelids upward in the mocking gesture as other students looked on. She said her son called out the racist remark, and his teacher eventually had the student apologize and promised racism would be addressed in the class curriculum. If the teacher did not deal with it the way she did, I would be more worried about sending him back, said Chan. I was also proud of the way my son handled it. Weve talked about why its important to speak out. But in Carrollton, Texas, Joy Lim said her parents decided to keep her younger sister in remote learning after publicly raising concerns about the racist test question. The 21-year-old college student said the decision is in part because of fear of reprisals if the sixth-grader returns to classes. The district denounced the exam question as derogatory and hurtful and placed three teachers on administrative leave. Whats been most discouraging is that people are still defending these educators, Lim said. These arent joking questions. Theyre cruel. Swan Lee, a Chinese American mother in the Boston suburb of Brookline, isnt so sure keeping Asian American students at home is the answer to what ails the country. Her two high school-age teens are preparing to return to classes full-time later this month, and shes emphasized the importance of being strong and staying positive, though she admits shes worried about what might happen outside the relative safety of the school building. Its not about protecting and shielding them. Thats too passive and too defeatist, Lee said. Its about confronting this in a constructive manner. People need to understand this kind of racism is wrong. Thats the only way it goes away. Cebu City (CNN Philippines, April 20) A police officer being investigated for alleged rape and extortion took his own life on Monday, hours after his female accuser was fatally shot in Cebu City. Ritchie Nepomuceno accused Police Staff Sergeant Celso Colita of raping her twice in a Cebu City motel in March. She also filed criminal complaints against Colita and 10 other police officers assigned to the Sawang Calero Police precinct for extorting 170,000 from her. The complainant also claimed the policemen tortured arrested suspects in a secret detention cell inside the precinct. Nepomuceno, 35, was shot dead Monday night along N. Bacalso Avenue in Barangay Basak-Pardo in Cebu City. Colita was summoned to the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit inside the Camp Sergio Osmena Sr. following Nepomuceno's death. While undergoing questioning, the police officer excused himself to go to the restroom. Station personnel then heard a gunshot and found Colita unconscious on the bathroom floor. Staff Sargeant Rey Lumagod. desk officer of Cebu City Police Office station 2, said Colita was rushed to the hospital by his colleagues but he was declared dead on arrival. The Police's Integrity Management and Enhancement Group Visayas Field Unit and the Commission on Human Rights have been conducting a parallel investigation on 11 policemen, including Colita, who have been relieved from their posts. Aside from Colita, the relieved officers include Police Corporal Georny Abrasado, Corporal John Carl Aceron, Staff Sergeant Joseph Alcoseba, Staff Sergeant Michael Rhey Cabizares, Chief Master Sergeant Eric Edgar Emia, Corporal Ejill Ferrolino, Corporal Carlo Irizari, Corporal Rochelito Mabulay, Corporal Emmanuel Martinez, and Corporal Junel Pedroza. The Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas said Nepomuceno revealed that she had been receiving threats from Colito. "Ritchie told me that the policeman told her to watch out because 'I will come and get you wherever you are hiding. I will find you.' That is the gist of what Ritchie told me of the text she received from Colita," CHR-7 chief investigator Leo Villarino said in the vernacular on Tuesday, recalling his conversations with Nepomuceno. Villarino said Nepomuceno did not accept the offer to be placed under the witness protection because she felt safer when the 11 policemen were restricted to camp and disarmed on March 30. The CHR official said her death will be a "major loss" to their investigation. Nevertheless, they will push through with the probe, he added. Nepocmuceno's case prompted more complainants to come forward to CHR-7 and the polices Integrity Monitoring Enhancement Group in the Visayas to report abuses they endured in the hands of Sawang Calero policemen. Flash General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Miguel Diaz-Canel on his election as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee. In his message, Xi said he was pleased to learn of Diaz-Canel's election as first secretary of the PCC Central Committee at the Eighth Congress of the PCC. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and in his own name, Xi extended warm congratulations to Diaz-Canel and through him to the new central leadership of the PCC. The Eighth Congress of the PCC has drawn a blueprint for Cuba's socialist cause, Xi said, adding that Diaz-Canel's election reflects the trust and expectations of all PCC members and the Cuban people. Xi said he believes that under Diaz-Canel's leadership, the PCC and the Cuban government will lead the Cuban people to forge ahead in unity and steer the cause of socialism with Cuban characteristics towards new achievements. Thanks to the careful cultivation and vigorous promotion by generations of party and state leaders on both sides, China-Cuba relations have grown stronger as time goes by and witnessed continuous development, Xi said. Xi noted that in recent years, he has reached various consensuses with Diaz-Canel on the development of China-Cuba relations in the new era. He added that in the new situation, he is ready to work with Diaz-Canel to strengthen political guidance for the relations between the two parties and countries, carry forward bilateral traditional friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and jointly push for continuous development of the socialist causes of China and Cuba. Xi wishes Diaz-Canel a greater success in the new leadership position. Photo taken on April 14, 2021, shows a team of police officers from the Hong Kong Police Force Guard of Honor performing the Chinese-style goose-stepping at the Hong Kong Police College. (Xinhua/Li Gang). By Lu Minand Zhu Yu April 15 marks Chinas 6th National Security Education Day, and the first since the implementation of the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in late June last year. The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR hosted a series of publicity and educational activities that day, the most eye-catching of which was the Chinese-style marching performance by the five disciplined services of the HKSAR government, namely the Hong Kong Police Force, the Correctional Services, the Customs and Excise, the Fire Services and the Immigration Department. It was the first time that the HK Police Force (HKP) performed Chinese-style goose-stepping on an official occasion since Hong Kong returned to China nearly 24 years ago and in its own 177-year history. Commands are given in Cantonese rather than English Apart from formation and steps, marching commands were called out in Cantonese Chinese rather the English for the first time. The other disciplined forces were performing marching steps simultaneously with the police force but at different locations also in Chinese-style goose-steps, but the commands were called out in Chinese Mandarin. Photo taken on April 14, 2021, shows a team of police officers from the Hong Kong Police Force Guard of Honor performing the Chinese-style goose-stepping at the Hong Kong Police College. (Xinhua/Li Gang) An official at the HKSAR Immigration Department said they began to introduce Chinese marching elements in 1999 and let the guard of honor stage marching performance at relevant occasions, to demonstrate Hong Kong as an inseparable part of the motherland. This is the first time I watched the performance at such a close range! said HK-born alien, a net blogger who supported HK police, adding that as a Chinese, a Hong Kong native, I feel so proud. High expectations for studying Chinese-style marching steps Pan Zian, a member of the HKP Guard of Honor and a chief inspector, has already watched on video the flag-raising ceremony at the Tiananmen Square and the National Day military parade. On the Open Day, he visited the barracks of PLA Hong Kong Garrison. Its very professional, very brilliant, he said. He appreciated the emphasis on the sense of wholeness and urging everyone to do their movements well. Im full of expectations for practicing the steps myself one day. Lo Yee-chung (center), an instructor of the Guard of Honor and the Colleges Chief Drill and Musketry Inspector (CDMI), is showing reporters the characteristics of Chinese-style military marching steps at the Hong Kong Police College. (Xinhua/Li Gang) Trained by officers of PLA HK Garrison for the first time At the end of February this year, Hong Kong Police College held a 12-day Chinese-style marching training session, for which it invited members from the PLA HK Garrison to teach and train a total of 79 marching instructors from the five disciplined services of HK. As the PLA officers were teaching in Mandarin, the Cantonese-speaking instructors had to be more concentrated. After the 12-day training session, Lo Yee-chung, an instructor and the Chief Drill and Musketry Inspector (CDMI) from the Hong Kong Police College, spoke Mandarin more fluently. Lo felt honored to be one of the first trained instructors and to participate in the first public performance. Its a good start to let the public know about Chinese-style marching. I hope activities like this will raise their awareness of national security, he said. Editorial ASEAN Summit on Myanmar Should Include NUG, Not Legitimize Junta Myanmar coup leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing attends the Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March 2021. ASEAN will hold its summit on Myanmar in Jakarta on April 24 amid concerns that the gathering will lend legitimacy to the junta, which has been murdering its own people daily since grabbing power from the countrys elected government on Feb. 1. Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has confirmed his attendance at the summit. If he does make an appearance, he must be condemned and held accountable by ASEAN members. Why? Since joining the regional grouping in 1997 Myanmar has been its problem child and its weakest link. If at the last minute Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing becomes too afraid to face the music, he will likely join the summit via teleconference from Myanmar. If he does that, he will show that he is not only a criminal, but also a coward. The illegitimate coup and the slaughter it has unleashed in Myanmar have only diminished ASEANs standing in the world and exposed its utter lack of credibility in tackling such crises. On the one hand, the coup and the regional reaction to it have highlighted the fact that a substantial portion of ASEANs members are ruled by authoritarian governments; predictably, these countries have refused to condemn the regime in Myanmar. Having said that, Indonesia and Singapore have voiced an unusual degree of concern by ASEAN standards, and are taking an active role in seeking a resolution. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for leaders across Asia to increase their efforts at finding a peaceful solution to the bloody crisis in Myanmar. Speaking during a Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, he highlighted the relationship with ASEAN, underlining the blocs important role in diplomacy, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Today, ASEANs role is more crucial than ever as the region faces an urgent crisis in Myanmar, Guterres said. I have repeatedly called on the international community to work, collectively and through bilateral channels, to help bring an end to the violence and the repression by the military. I urge regional actors to leverage their influence to prevent further deterioration and, ultimately, find a peaceful way out of this catastrophe. Reiterating the line Beijing has taken since the coup, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the council Monday that it should look to ASEAN to lead the way on Myanmar. Supporting ASEANs constructive participation in Myanmars domestic reconciliation process in an ASEAN way and de-escalating tension in Myanmar serves the interests of the people of Myanmar and the international community, he said. China and Russia have blocked efforts to take action against the Myanmar regime, or even to condemn the coup, through the UN Security Council. This has prompted a wave of anti-China protests in Myanmar and a boycott of Chinese goods. Controversial invitation There was initially some debate over whether representatives of the regime should be invited to the summit, given the amount of blood that is already on their hands. Opponents questioned the value of giving a murderer a seat at the table. However, if ASEAN membersparticularly Indonesia and Singapore, along with Malaysiaplan to use the occasion to roast the senior general and demand an immediate solution to the Myanmar crisis, it is worth inviting him. ASEAN needs to find a way to talk to him without lending him or his murderous junta a hint of legitimacy. Last week, lawmakers from Daw Aung San Suu Kyis party, activists and some ethnic leaders including ministers of the ousted government formally announced the establishment of a National Unity Government (NUG) aimed at bringing together opponents of military rule to hasten the restoration of democracy. The NUG called for international support and recognition. Under the NUG, detained President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi retain their positions. U Moe Zaw Oo, the NUGs deputy minister of foreign affairs, said ASEAN had yet to reach out to the new government. Ethnic minority politicians have not been contacted either. If ASEAN wants to help solve the Myanmar situation, they are not going to achieve anything without consulting and negotiating with the NUG, which is supported by the people and has full legitimacy, he told Voice of Americas Burmese service. Its important that this military council is not recognized. This needs to be handled carefully, he said. Former US ambassador to Myanmar Scott Marciel agreed that ASEAN needs to be clear that it is not recognizing the junta of member-state Myanmar and must talk with the NUG. ASEANs agreement to let Min Aung Hlaing represent Myanmar at the upcoming summit raises the stakes for the bloc, Marciel said via Twitter over the weekend. To avoid major damage to its standing, ASEAN needs to consult with the NUG and come out of the summit with tangible actions to show it is not accepting the junta. According to Simon Adams, executive director of the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, the only appropriate place for Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing is behind bars. General Min Aung Hlaing is responsible for crimes against humanity and belongs in handcuffs. He should be arrested under universal jurisdiction if he leaves Myanmar, Adams tweeted over the weekend. There is doubtless nothing the oppressed people of Myanmarparticularly the parents of the children who have been killed by the juntas forces since the coupwould welcome more than the sight of the coup leader handcuffed and sentenced to a lengthy jail term. In reality, that is not likely to happen, however. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an international political expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), told BenarNews, Of course [Daw Aung San] Suu Kyis camp needs to participate in the meeting. The presence of the military junta at the ASEAN summit will definitely complicate consensus. However, without the presence of the junta, ASEANs efforts to find a solution to the Myanmar conflict will not be successful. Dewi said ASEAN should press the junta to end its violence and open up access to humanitarian assistance from the international community. An inclusive dialog process must involve all major components of Myanmar society to restore political stability, security and democracy in Myanmar, she said. It is important that NUG representatives be invited to the summit to hear their concerns and vision for Myanmars future. There are fears that the current Myanmar regime will, like its predecessors, receive diplomatic cover from ASEAN and use it as a shield. This must not be allowed to happen. Still, some see the presence of Myanmars military leader at the summit as a necessity if any progress is to result. If ASEAN wants to push for an immediate end to violence, open access to humanitarian aid, then the most appropriate thing is to talk directly to the military. I think this is a very important opportunity, Teuku Rezasyah, a lecturer in international relations at Padjajaran University Bandung in Indonesia told BenarNews. Whatever truth there is in that position, its equally clear that the presence at the summit of regime officials alone wont suffice; Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in no way represents the people of Myanmar. It is imperative that ASEAN invite elected representatives to the summit. That would go some way toward persuading the international community and Myanmars people of the blocs credibility as an actor in resolving the crisis. You may also like these stories: EU Sanctions 10 More Myanmar Regime Members But Some Still Missing Ethnic Kachin Armed Group Launches Multiple Attacks on Myanmar Military Prominent Protest Leader Escapes Arrest by Myanmar Junta Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Izotropic Corporation (CSE: IZO) (OTCQB: IZOZF) (FSE: 1R3) ("Izotropic" or the "Company"), a company commercializing true 3D, dedicated breast CT imaging technology for the earlier detection of breast cancers, is pleased to announce it has appointed Dr. Tao Wu to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. John McGraw, President and CEO of Izotropic, commented, "I am extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Wu to our Advisory Board. He is one of the Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) pioneers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Harvard Medical School and was later involved in the development and commercialization of DBT and Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) products. Drawing upon Dr. Wu's extensive development, manufacturing, and commercialization experience will further strengthen our efforts to supersede these established technologies with IzoView, our Breast CT imaging device aimed at significantly improving breast cancer diagnosis." Dr. Wu stated, "I am truly honored and excited to join an impressive group of advisors and support an experienced product team that I have known for over 20 years. I am deeply involved in DBT, from early technical development, clinical proof, and subsequent product development and commercialization. I see IzoView and its founders as the leaders in breast CT, and I am pleased to offer my experience promoting it to improve the quality of breast care. Together we will fight against breast cancer in the US and worldwide." Dr. Wu's Background Dr. Wu earned a BS in Physics from Beijing University. As a Ph.D. student at Brandeis University, he worked with Dr. Daniel Kopans at MGH developing the world's first DBT prototype and proved the technical and clinical advantages through clinical studies. He joined Hologic as a principal medical physicist to develop commercial DBT and FFDM products. Later he was assigned by Hologic to promote DBT in the Asia Pacific region and manage operations in China. After leaving Hologic, Dr. Wu founded DART Imaging in China. Dr. Wu's distinctions include: 2003: American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Young Investigator Award 2004: AAPM Sylvia Sorkin Greenfield Award for the best paper published in Medical Physics 2011: Serenity Award at Hologic for successfully developing FFDM in China and obtaining CFDA approval. 2019: German Red Dot Award for the design of DBT product "Soleil" with the DART Imaging team. Dr. Wu also served as a member of the AAPM Mammography Subcommittee, Tomosynthesis Task Group, and participated in developing FFDM quality control national standard in China. ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY For investor relations inquiries, contact: James Berard Email: jberard@izocorp.com Cell: 778-228-2314 Toll Free: 1-833-IZOCORP ext.1 About Izotropic Corporation Izotropic Corporation is commercializing dedicated breast CT imaging technology for the earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancers. Extensive preliminary studies have found that breast CT may be able to routinely detect small breast tumors in the 3-5 mm size range. The median size of breast cancer found using mammography is approximately 11 mm. Routine detection of 3 mm lesions would result in 1.5 year earlier detection over mammography. The initial indication for use for breast CT as a diagnostic device has been confirmed. Forthcoming business objectives include identifying additional indications for use, development of accessories, and additional products, all aimed at making breast CT an indispensable tool for improving the outcomes of breast cancer. Additional information about Izotropic Corporation can be found on its website at izocorp.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at sedar.com Forward-Looking Statements This document may contain statements that are "Forward-Looking Statements," which are based upon the current estimates, assumptions, projections and expectations of the Company's management, business, and its knowledge of the relevant market and economic environment in which it operates. The Company has tried, where possible, to identify such information and statements by using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "envision," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," "contemplate" and other similar expressions and derivations thereof in connection with any discussion of future events, trends or prospects or future operating or financial performance, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are not guarantees of performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict, and as such, they may cause future results of the Company's activity to differ significantly from the content and implications of such statements. Forward-Looking Statements are pertinent only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any Forward-Looking Statements to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances unless otherwise required to do so by law. Neither the Company nor its shareholders, officers, and consultants, shall be liable for any action and the results of any action taken by any person based on the information contained herein, including without limitation the purchase or sale of Company securities. Nothing in this document should be deemed to be medical or other advice of any kind. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80977 They welcomed their first child just one week ago. And on Monday, Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright shared a further image of herself with her newborn son, Cruz Michael. In the image shared to her Instagram Stories, the television personality, 32, smiled widely at the camera as she held her little tot her arms. Happy new mom: On Monday, Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright shared a further image of herself with her newborn son, Cruz Michael Brittany reclined in the image, wearing a black tank top with her brown hair in a top bun. Cartwright welcomed little Cruz on April 12th, alongside her husband and fellow reality star Jax Taylor. Earlier on Monday, the pair marked their first child's first week on the planet with further pictures and appreciative posts on their respective social media accounts. Earlier on Monday: Brittany and husband Jax Taylor marked their first child's first week on the planet with further pictures and appreciative posts on their respective social media accounts '1 week with our sweet beautiful baby Cruz. I never could have imagined a love like this,' Brittany captioned her album along with blue hearts. Jax, 41, also uploaded some snaps with a gushing caption about the tiny tot, who already has his own private Instagram account. 'Happy one week to my little man Cruz, the amount of love we have for our son is unmeasurable. I cant believe a week ago today you came into our lives and have changed us forever.' Cute kid: Jax also uploaded some snaps with a gushing caption about the tiny tot, who already has his own private Instagram account Last week, Cartwright revealed that she was in labor for more than a full day, but in the end, got to witness the 'amazing' birth in a mirror alongside her husband and mother, who were both in the delivery room. In an interview with E News, she confessed she went into labor for up to 27-hours. 'It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was definitely the most beautiful and rewarding thing,' she said before focusing in on the effect their new bundle of joy has already had on her. 'It was all so amazing and now having him in my arms I couldn't imagine life without him!' The Kentucky native went on to share how she and her husband both cried through the enduring experience, and how Jax was 'supportive and encouraging' the entire time. Ms. McCarthys friends say she is driven to build back a climate legacy that will outlast her second round in government. She was angry, theres no question about that, said Mitchell Bernard, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. I heard many an expletive exit her mouth about what was going on in the government. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Ms. McCarthy worked with liberal activists to push Mr. Biden to embrace a far more ambitious climate plan than he first proposed and to make it the centerpiece of his governing agenda. It was Ms. McCarthy who was saying, We absolutely can go bigger and should be asking for more, said Evan Weber, the political director of Sunrise Movement, the progressive environmental group. She wanted us to see the connections between environmental justice and racism and what was happening between Covid and the environmental crisis, and I thought, Damn, that sounds like an activist. When Mr. Biden asked her to join his White House, Ms. McCarthy said she was initially reluctant. But when he embraced much of the rhetoric and policies of the partys left, she was won over. When President, then candidate, Biden made the connection between climate and health and environmental and racial justice, and he framed it in terms of what needed to be done after the pandemic for job growth, it just it owned me, she said. It got me out of the drudgery of climate always being a planetary burden and a horrible potential future and brought it into a framing that to me, energized it. CLEVELAND, Ohio Cleveland experienced two members of law enforcement shot two people over the course of two days. One shooting involved an undercover agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. The other a fatal shooting involved a Cleveland Police officer. City officials including Chief of Police Calvin Williams, the citys Public Safety Director, Karrie Howard, and others held two press conferences, just one day a part to address the rise of gun violence. Cleveland.coms Olivia Mitchell spoke with police and neighbors about the back-to-back shootings that come amid a tense period where the nation again is grappling with police violence. Days after both shootings, on Tuesday, a Minneapolis jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of murder in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. The jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvins conviction is unique. The justice system rarely convicts police officers who use lethal force, but the video of Chauvin with a knee to the neck of Floyd for over nine minutes sparked controversy and ignited protests in several parts of the country, including the May 30 protests here in Cleveland. Listen to the episode here. The first of the most recent law enforcement shootings in Cleveland happened Wednesday about 4:30 p.m. Two plain-clothed agents sat in a white SUV on East 82nd Street and Decker Avenue when Trayvon Johnson, 20, approached the truck. Court documents citing Johnson with a conceal carry violation and menacing say he lifted his shirt and showed a gun tucked in his waistband. Undercover officers usually dont wear body cameras, or have dash cams on their vehicles, but nearby surveillance cameras on a Cleveland Metropolitan School District building captured the shooting. Investigators later recovered a gun in the yard where Johnson collapsed, Cleveland Police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said. The agent hasnt been identified, and Johnson who was shot in the stomach is expected to recover. The next shooting happened 16 hours later near East 134th Street and Beachwood Avenue in the Union-Miles neighborhood. Cleveland police officer Daniel Piper shot and killed Innes Lee Jr., 25 after Lee pointed a gun at him, authorities said. Lee had two felony warrants one for aggravated robbery and another for murder. Williams said the police department received several calls that Lee was harassing residents throughout the neighborhood. Despite the country being in an uproar over police involved shootings in other cities, Williams wants they city to know that these two shootings are different, and police were protecting themselves and the community. The police department later released body camera footage of the shooting. You can get our podcasts delivered directly to your phone, and 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. Jesse Maple first carried the Bible because his mother taught him to respect the Holy Book. Then he saw the Scripture as a kind of good luck charm. But soon enough, Maple saw it as evidence that God loved him and was with him in the jungles of Vietnam. In all, seven US soldiers have carried that same small book since 1967. By 2019, they had brought it with them through 11 combat tours in five countries. For each of the men, the Bible was a source of comfort, an assurance of protection, and the promise of a fuller relationship with God. They carried the Scripture to keep them safe, but they found a deeper security inside its pages. Physically, this Bible isnt much to look at. Its about five inches long and three inches wide, Maple estimates. Its the King James Version. It has a black leather cover, now well worn and torn at the edges, with the pages at risk of falling out. You wouldnt believe what that Bible has been through, Maple said. He carried it through his tour in Vietnam. He was drafted into the Army at 19, a kid from West Lafayette, Ohio. He told CT he was living a wild and backslidden life at the time. But then a man with Gideons International gave him the Bible. His mother taught him to respect the Scripture, so he stuck it in his pocket and kept it there. It was still with him during one intense firefight when bullets ripped through the pack on his back. They pierced a can of fruit but left him unharmed. Afterward, Maple was standing there, juice leaking on the ground, when a passing Catholic priest told him, The Lord was with you today. Maple immediately thought of the little Bible in his pocket. According to religious studies professor Jonathan Ebel, soldiers ... 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. Russia on April 20 declared two Bulgarian diplomats "personae non gratae" in a tit-for-tat response to Sofia's expulsion of two Russian diplomats last month over suspected espionage. The announcement, made in a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, came shortly after Bulgaria's ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the ministry a month after Sofia expelled the two Russian diplomats. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the expulsion of its diplomats from Bulgaria "baseless." The expulsions came in March after prosecutors charged six people, including current and former military intelligence officers, with spying for Russia. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry declared two Russian diplomats personae non gratae on March 22 because they had carried out activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. At the time, the Russian Embassy called the decision groundless and said that Moscow reserves the right to retaliate. Bulgaria has close cultural, historical, and economic ties with Russia, the country's main energy partner. But relations between Sofia and Moscow have been hit by several spy scandals in recent years. Last week a Bulgarian arms trader was implicated in a major diplomatic row between Prague and Moscow after Czech intelligence linked Russian military agents to a deadly ammunition depot explosion in 2014 that killed two people. On March 19, Bulgarian authorities in the NATO member state announced they had busted an espionage group passing military secrets to Russia. Prosecutors said six people, including former and current military intelligence officers, were detained and charged for passing classified information about Bulgaria, NATO, and the EU to the Russian Embassy in Sofia. The Sofia Military District Court has ordered five of them remanded in custody, while another suspect was released on bail, according to the BTA news agency. Since October 2019, the EU and NATO member state has expelled five diplomats and employees of the Russian Embassy accused of conducting intelligence work. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and RIA Alicanto Minerals Ltd (ASX:AQI) is an emerging mineral exploration company focused on exploration and discovery in the world-class mining districts of Scandinavia. Alicanto Minerals returns high-grade copper, gold and silver from first holes at Greater Falun Alicanto Minerals Ltd (ASX:AQI) has returned shallow, high-grade assay results from the first drill holes at its Greater Falun Copper-Gold-Silver Project in Sweden. AQI shares jumped 10% to 11.5 cents in early Tuesday trading on assays of up to 3.7% copper and 2.3 g/t gold, which are consistent with Alicanto's geological model and highlight the potential for an extensive mineralised system. The results come from Alicanto's now-completed 4,000-metre drilling campaign at the project, which kicked off in October last year. Further assays are pending, and an expanded 20,000-metre drilling program is underway. "Immense potential" Alicanto managing director Peter George said the results built on the "immense potential" of the Greater Falun project. "These are genuinely high-grade results and they are an outstanding start to our exploration campaign," he said. "Our geological model, which is based on extensive mining history in the area, our detailed mapping and now these initial drilling results shows there is potential for a large system with areas of very high-grade mineralisation." Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on American diplomats around the world to challenge nations whose actions set back efforts to address climate change, according to prepared remarks. Blinken delivered his first address on climate change in Annapolis, Maryland on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) ahead of a US-hosted virtual summit this week. Secretary of State Antony Blinken: US diplomats to make the case about climate change to laggard nations. Credit:AP President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders to discuss new measures theyll take to strengthen commitments they made to reduce emissions under the Paris climate agreement in a bid to signal that he is prioritising the issue and trying to rally global action early in his administration. Our diplomats will challenge the practices of countries whose action or inaction is setting the world back, Blinken said. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Cannabis Global, Inc. (OTC PINK:CBGL), an innovation-oriented company involved in disruptive areas of the cannabis and hemp-related industries, today announces a substantial increase in its assets base and equity via a quarterly filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. For the quarter ending February 28, 2021, the Company reported $11.9 million in assets, an increase of 275% over the previous quarterly period, which ended on November 30, 2020. Equity increased 397% from a deficit in stockholder's equity of $1.4M for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2020, to a positive equity position of $4.3M on a consolidated basis for the second quarter ended February 28, 2021, leading to an overall strengthening of the Company's balance sheet. The increase is primarily a result of the Company gaining a controlling position in Natural Plant Extract of California, a licensed cannabis manufacturing and distribution company located in Lynwood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The $11.9 million in assets does not reflect the current value of Cannabis Global's investment position in Marijuana Company of American (OTC: MCOA), which at 650 million shares, was valued, as of the close of trading on April 16, 2021, at an additional $3.8 million. This investment in MCOA's common shares is conservatively accounted for at its historical cost of $650,000 in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). "We are very proud of our growing cannabis-related asset base, which will propel our future growth," commented Arman Tabatabaei, CEO of Cannabis Global. "We are expecting substantial growth in revenues over the coming quarters as we begin to expand our Lynwood operations. With the California cannabis market expected to grow from $4.4 billion in 2020 to more than $7 billion in 2022 1, we view our timing for launching our cannabis edibles, flower, and other products under our newly developed Northern Lights brand as optimal. Our investors should expect to see our revenue rise substantially over the coming quarterly financial periods. As legalization sweeps the United States." Cannabis Global recently acquired a controlling interest (56.5% ownership) in Natural Plant Extract (NPE), which operates a licensed cannabis manufacturing and distribution business in Lynwood, California, holding a Type 7 California Manufacturing and a distribution license, allowing for cannabis product distribution anywhere in the state. Having a controlling interest in NPE means that the Company will be allowed for accounting purposes to consolidate the revenue and assets of NPE on its financial statements. NPE sold its retail delivery license last year to one of the top five cannabis delivery services in the state of California. The delivery service is a current tenant of NPE's Lynwood facility and has conditionally approved sourcing some of its products through NPE's distribution license. This should lead to a substantial increase in revenues during Q3 2021. In addition to business opportunities available from product manufacturing and distribution to all parts of the State of California, Cannabis Global also sees strong synergies between the NPE operations and its developing technologies in the areas of secure cannabis transport, cannabis infusions, and all-natural polymeric nanoparticle technologies. Thus far, the Company has filed six provisional patents, three non-provisional patents and has recently announced its Comply Bag secure cannabis transport system with integrated track and trace capabilities via smartphones that will be available soon. 1 Source: CB Insights, State Reports and New Frontier Data About Cannabis Global, Inc. Cannabis Global, Inc. is a Los Angeles based, fully audited and reporting Company with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, trading under the stock symbol CBGL. We are an emerging force in the cannabis marketplace with a growing product and proprietary intellectual property portfolio. We are marketing and producing Comply Bag, an innovative solution for cannabis storage, transport, and tracking. We are also the developer and marketer of the Hemp You Can Feel brand, and the corporation's subsidiary, Natural Plant Extract, is a Southern California licensed cannabis manufacturer and distributor which licenses our technologies to produce edibles for the cannabis marketplace. Cannabis Global has filed three non-provisional and multiple provisional patents for cannabis infusion and nanoparticle technologies and continues an active research & development program. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-k, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov For more information, please contact: Arman Tabatabaei IR@cannabisglobalinc.com +1-(310)-986-4929 IR Contact: Stuart Smith https://www.smallcapvoice.com/ ssmith@smallcapvoice.com SOURCE: Cannabis Global, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641172/Cannabis-Global-Reports-275-Increase-in-Assets-and-397-increase-in-Equity--Offers-Guidance-on-Expected-Revenue-Growth-as-it-Launches-Cannabis-Products-into-the-California-Market Moscow: Russia insists it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships movement off Crimea, rejecting international criticism amid Western worries about a Russian troops build-up near Ukraine. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. The US also aired its concern on Monday, with State Department spokesman Ned Price saying this represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscows ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilise Ukraine. A Russian navy ship is seen during navy drills in the Black Sea. Credit:AP Price noted that the move is particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop build-up in occupied Crimea and around Ukraines borders. RICHMOND, Va., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy will recognize six employees Wednesday for their volunteer efforts during 2020. As part of their recognition, a $5,000 donation from the company's Charitable Foundation will be made to each winner's non-profit of choice. "In 2020 there was greater need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Hunter A. Applewhite, President of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. "At the same time, we had to exercise great creativity to safely assist those in need. We're proud of our employee honorees for rising to the challenge and commend them for their personal commitments and dedication to helping others." The Dominion Energy Volunteers of the Year and their charities of choice are: Tara Brady , Salt Lake City, UT ., The Farm at Gardner Village , ., The Farm at Gardner Village Armond Brown , Yorktown, VA ., Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula , ., Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula Jennifer Ford , Richmond, VA ., Holly Grove Volunteer Rescue Squad , ., Holly Grove Volunteer Rescue Squad Porsche Harris , Cleveland, OH ., Providence House , ., Providence House Paul Rodi , Richmond, VA ., Institute for Science Technology Engineering and Math Inc , ., Institute for Science Technology Engineering and Math Inc Lauren Shrader , Richmond, VA ., Lakeside Volunteer Rescue Squad The 37th annual event paying tribute to the efforts of employee volunteers will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 21 from noon-1:30 EDT. You can attend via livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3IGfy3S3iU In 2020, Dominion employees gave 61,000 hours of their time to a variety of charitable activities while they adapted and adhered to COVID-19 guidelines. The educational needs of children were supported through virtual mentoring and tutoring, creating notes of encouragement for holiday care packages delivered to children in foster care and providing an online version of the Dominion Energy Speakers Bureau topics to engage families in hands-on activities over the summer. Volunteers helped community members who experienced job loss due to the pandemic prepare for new positions by offering virtual resume writing and interview practice sessions. With a focus on the environment, employees helped create much needed outdoor spaces by building and donating picnic tables and benches across our Central Virginia region; and organized community and waterway clean-ups. About the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation More than 7 million customers in 16 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D). Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed more than $58 million in 2020 to community causes. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote education, and encourage community vitality. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more. SOURCE Dominion Energy Related Links http://www.dominionenergy.com Quarantine-free travel starts between Australia and New Zealand 10:58, April 20, 2021 By Lu Yang ( People's Daily Online SYDNEY, April 19 (People's Daily Online) A travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand opened up on Monday morning, with thousands of passengers booked to fly between the two countries. All travelers who have resided in either Australia or New Zealand for 14 days can travel by air between one or the other quarantine free, and without the need to apply for a travel exemption, as long as they meet the health, immigration and other standard border clearance requirements in each country. The first flight headed for Auckland from Sydney airport took off at about 7:00 a.m. local time after an initial delay. Australian airports have meanwhile created green and red zones for the arriving passengers, separating the travelers within the bubble from others. The commencement of two-way travel follows Australias decision in October 2020 to allow quarantine-free travel from New Zealand. It allows many friends and family across the Tasman Sea to reunite for the first time in over a year. Two-way travel across the Tasman Sea will help drive the economic recovery in both countries while both continue to navigate the global COVID-19 pandemic, especially as regards the travel and tourism sectors, according to a joint statement by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. It is truly exciting to start quarantine-free travel with Australia. Be it returning family, friends or holiday makers, New Zealand says welcome and enjoy yourself, Jacinda Ardern said. Travelers still need to be prepared for possible disruptions to travel arrangements on short notice and must follow specific protocols before, during and after their travel arrangements. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Britain on Monday added India to its COVID-19 travel "red list", which effectively bans all travel from the country and makes a 10-day hotel quarantine compulsory for UK residents arriving back to the country. Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the move in the House of Commons as he revealed that 103 cases of the so-called Indian variant had been identified in the UK, of which the "vast majority have links to international travel". He said that samples of that variant have been analysed to see if the new variant has any "concerning characteristics", such as greater transmissibility or resistance to treatments and vaccines. "After studying the data, and on a precautionary basis, we've made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list," the minister told MPs. "This means anyone who is not a UK or Irish citizen... cannot enter the UK if they have been in India in the previous 10 days," he said. The new rules, which Hancock said has not been taken lightly, will come into force from Friday. The move came hours after Downing Street had announced the cancellation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to India next week due to a spike in coronavirus infections in the country. Earlier, when asked if India would be added to the travel red list, Johnson said that was "very much a matter for the independent UK Health Security Agency they will have to take that decision". Also read: COVID-19 crisis: Australia-New Zealand travel bubble opens Also read: Hong Kong suspends flights from India, Pakistan till May 2 MILWAUKEE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup [NYSE: MAN] today announced the appointment of Riccardo Barberis as Regional President, Northern Europe effective May 17, 2021. Barberis will oversee all of ManpowerGroup's brands and offerings across the region Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions. He will report to Chairman & CEO Jonas Prising and join the Executive Leadership Team. Barberis joined ManpowerGroup in 1998 and has held numerous leadership positions in Europe and Latin America, most recently as country manager for ManpowerGroup Italy. Barberis speaks 5 languages and currently serves as Board Member of Junior Achievement, Vice President of the Italian industry association, Assolavaro and President of ManpowerGroup's Human Age Institute. "Riccardo is a key contributor to our global leadership team. His deep industry knowledge and passion for a client-first, candidate-centric approach have consistently delivered superior results." said Prising. "I am confident that Riccardo's leadership will enable us to further accelerate our Diversification, Digitization and Innovation plans, creating even more value for our clients and candidates and strengthening our performance in the region." "I'm excited about this great opportunity to lead the talented team in Northern Europe, enhance our leadership position and build on our recent progress." said Barberis. "Our broad portfolio of workforce solutions, our ability to innovate and our expanding capabilities around data and analytics to predict performance, means we are really well-positioned to provide strategic and operational solutions to clients, and help even more people find meaningful, sustainable work and create skills for the future." ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions creates substantial value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for our diversity - as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality and Disability and in 2021 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the twelfth year - all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent. For more information on ManpowerGroup visit www.manpowergroup.com SOURCE ManpowerGroup Related Links http://www.manpowergroup.com LOS ANGELES A celebrity doctor nominated to a local homeless commission has been pulled from consideration after community members objected and mounted a #DumpDrDrew Twitter campaign accusing him of promoting policies that criminalize homelessness. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced Monday evening that she had withdrawn her nomination for Dr. David Drew Pinsky, more commonly known as Dr. Drew, for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a 10-member commission appointed by city and county elected officials. Barger, who represents the 5th District, said she was dismayed that anyone would question the appointment of a doctor with a passion for addressing these issues when a new voice is clearly needed. She said the nomination and the outcry it generated had become a distraction from important conversations about care for people experiencing homelessness. We need to face the sad reality of homelessness in Los Angeles: individuals are dying on our streets from preventable causes due to mental illness and substance abuse, Barger said. I hope we can move past pettiness and instead focus our time and energy on working to solve the hard problems, rather than looking for excuses to place blame. Pinsky could not be immediately reached for comment. Generally, the county Board of Supervisors unanimously approves appointments to local boards and commissions at the beginning of its meeting, as part of its consent agenda. They are rarely, if ever, seen as controversial. By Monday evening, more than 100 people had submitted public comments asking the supervisors not to approve the nomination. Fewer than five people wrote in supporting Pinskys nomination. Please for the love of god do not appoint Dr. Drew to work with the homeless in any capacity. This is a frustrating, pathetic joke. Please treat the unhoused legitimately as human beings, one resident wrote. Pinsky, 62, has a current license to practice medicine in California and lists his specialties on the California medical boards website as internal medicine and psychiatry. He reported to the board attending the University of Southern Californias medical school. The Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew physician rose to fame through his nationally syndicated radio show, Loveline, which was adapted for MTV and aired in the late 90s. With actor and co-host Adam Carolla, the duo regularly doled out sex and relationship advice to their loyal fans. In recent years, Pinsky honed in on the homelessness crisis, disputing that it was caused by a lack of housing; he argued that it was primarily driven by a significant need for mental health and addiction treatment. L.A. homeless rights advocates have pointed out that Pinsky has regularly overreported on his show and in public appearances the number of homeless people who have a mental illness or substance use disorder. Pinsky said in an interview Friday that hed known Barger for more than 10 years and wanted to be on the LAHSA commission to learn and offer his professional insight after working in the addiction field for several years. Every day, I wake up mortified about homelessness in L.A. County, said Pinsky, who lives in Pasadena. I talk about it a lot with people who will listen, and Kathryn Barger is someone I know, and Ive just been expressing my gravest concerns about the lack of progress and the continued body count. She suggested I serve on this committee. The appointment not only drew ire from local advocates but also prompted strong criticism from the National Coalition for Housing Justice, which published a letter signed by a some of the largest homelessness and housing advocacy groups in the country. The coalition said it didnt typically weigh in on local issues but that the efforts to combat homelessness in L.A. County were too important not to weigh in. Appointing a celebrity who is unqualified and misinformed to a position that makes critical decisions on homelessness policy and program design is both dangerous and alarming, the leaders wrote. The letter pointed to statements Pinsky had made regarding housing, arguing that it is a hoax that the housing crisis is what is driving homelessness, and opinions he has expressed supporting the threat of jail to force someone into shelter. Beyond his statements about homelessness, Dr. Pinsky has promoted anti-immigrant rhetoric, claiming a large immigrant population coming in carrying parasites and tuberculosis has contributed to public health challenges in homeless encampments, the leaders said in their letter. Barger did not include in her statement who she was replacing as her appointment to the LAHSA commission. ____ (Times staff writer Benjamin Oreskes contributed to this report.) Loading Subtly moving aside after she had broken the ice to allow her husband and brother-in-law to finally walk in a pair, Kate gracefully helped to engineer the rapprochement the world had been waiting for. And while it may all have been choreographed knowing the cameras would be trained on the trio who once carried out so many public duties together, it helped to soften the negative narrative around the brothers feud turning what could have been a strained scene into something much lighter. It came after she had put a loving arm around her emotional father-in-law, Prince Charles, 72, who was spotted wiping away tears with a white handkerchief as he emerged from the chapels Galilee Porch, to give him a reassuring peck on the cheek. It was the heir to the throne who insisted the royals abandon their assembled chauffeur-driven limousines in favour of taking a stroll back to Windsor Castle, with the sun still beating down on his fathers final resting place. This spur of the moment decision on a day of such meticulous planning allowed the royals to take off their face masks for the first time in more than an hour and talk freely and provided a touching moment of humanity to the weighty proceedings. While it would be a mistake to read too much into the brief encounter between William and Harry with one royal source warning: one swallow does not a summer make it was certainly a start. Courtiers had already commented on it being a relief that the brothers were now able to talk on the phone in the same time zone for once after Harry spent the week leading up to the funeral quarantining at Frogmore Cottage, his former Windsor home. It helped to soften the negative narrative around the brothers feud turning what could have been a strained scene into something much lighter. But were it not for that galvanising moment, the Cambridges, Harry, Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, might not have stayed on at the 94-year-old monarchs private apartments for a further two hours. Talk of a Windsor summit may well be overblown, but it is unthinkable that they did not discuss the fallout from the Sussexes outpouring to the US chat show host, having not seen each other face to face in more than a year. It is not just the suggestion that an unnamed royal had questioned Archies skin tone that continues to bristle, but the Sussexes insistence that they were not being supported contrary to the royals belief that they bent over backwards to accommodate the needs and desires of the independently-minded and sometimes demanding couple. Contrary to suggestions she was unfriendly and unwelcoming towards Meghan when she first arrived on the Royal scene in 2016, Kate was among the first to reach out to the American former actress, sensing that while they may have very different personalities, they shared a common bond as royal WAGS under the spotlight. However, the chasm between the introverted Home Counties girl and the extroverted star of US legal drama Suits appears to have widened when a distinction was made between Kate marrying into the Firm as an unknown and Meghan already having a profile. According to one Palace insider: They were not only very different women with very different personalities but very different women who came from very different places. Kate spent 10 years as a girlfriend learning the ropes. Everything happened much more quickly with Harry and Meghan, who entered the royal scene with her own, fully-formed ideas. I think Kate found her quite intimidating. Loading Little wonder, then, with Harry attending the funeral of his grandfather alone while his pregnant wife remained more than 8000 kilometres away, having been advised against flying by her doctors, the dynamic between him and his brother and sister in law reverted to more how things used to be. What must Harry have made of being welcomed back into the royal fold by Kate, who he lovingly described as the big sister I never had when her engagement to William was announced in November 2010? As the couples best man, and for years, the third person in their marriage as they carried out public duties as a triumvirate, Harry knows better than most the important role Kate has played in taming his brothers fiery emotions as the couple prepare to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on April 29. William hit the roof when paparazzi photographs emerged of his wife sunbathing topless during a private holiday in the south of France in 2012 but Kate largely shrugged it off. When the couple won 100,000 in damages from Closer, the French magazine that published them, they donated the money to charity. Harry would have also been acutely aware of how hurt and embarrassed intensely private Kate would have been by Meghans retelling of the intimate events leading up to their May 2018 wedding which have been met by stony silence from camp Cambridge. (Close aides continue to insist that Kate was left in tears, as originally reported by this newspaper.) He also cannot fail to have respect for his sister-in-laws magnanimity in not only being willing to forgive and forget, but also in trying to foster the same spirit of compassion in their nearest and dearest. The parallels between unflappable Kate and Harrys famously conflict-avoiding grandmother are becoming increasingly uncanny. Loading Throughout Megxit, Kate has echoed Her Majesty in reminding friends and family that Harry and Meghan remain much loved members of the family. Among the royals most hopeful of a reconciliation, she was even telling friends before the Oprah interview that she did not think it was too late to pull them back in. Even after the bombs rained down on the Firm, the Duchess was said to be keen to try to bury the hatchet also for the sake of two-year-old Archies relationship with his cousins, Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2. According to one source: Being so close to her own siblings, Pippa and James, and having witnessed first hand the special bond between William and Harry, she has found the whole situation difficult and upsetting. Her natural instinct is to try to smooth things over. Super students Local residents were among University of Scranton students inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, the national honor society in English. The students include Joshua Vituszynski of Dickson City, a sophomore English and philosophy major; and Samantha Gurn of Brackney, a junior marketing major. For induction into the honor society, students must be majors or minors in English, theater or secondary education/English, have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in English, theater and writing courses and have an overall grade point average of 3.4 or higher, according to the university. The institutions chapter was established in 1980. Donation acceptedEach month the law firm of Colbert & Grebas P.C. provides a donation to a local, community-minded organization. The Scranton Small Business Relief Fund was the recent recipient of that donation. Maggie Martinelli, director of administration and projects at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, accepted the check from Thomas Collins, executive director, and Louise C. Ligi, community outreach and education director at Colbert & Grebas. The fund was chosen since the group helps to ensure that both employees and owners of small businesses get through the tough economic times brought on by the pandemic. High notesThe Rotary Club of the Abingtons heard from featured speakers during recent monthly meetings. Marwan Wafa, Ph.D., chancellor of Penn State Scranton, spoke during the March 4 meeting. Wafa provided an overview of campus operations during COVID-19 and admission goals to double the number of students. He also touted the advantages of a Big Ten internationally renowned university close to home. Former Democratic state Sen. John Blake took the podium during the clubs April 1 meeting. Blake, now the regional director of economic development for Democratic U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, addressed a full house and responded to questions and concerns about issues including stimulus dollars, COVID-19 and economic development. PHILADELPHIA (April 20, 2021) - This is the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican Government to individuals and organizations that have stood out for their work in favor of the empowerment of the Mexican diaspora and helped to "open the path" for the new Mexican American and Latino generations. The Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME), through the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia, is pleased to announce that the Consul of Mexico Carlos Obrador Garrido, will present the prestigious Ohtli Award to Dr. Antonia M. Villarruel, Professor and Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing on Thursday, May 6, 2021. The ceremony will be broadcast live at 6:00 PM through the Facebook account of this consular representation (@ConsulmexFila). Since 1996, the Government of Mexico has conferred this distinction on individuals and organizations that, through their professional and personal achievements, have helped the integration and empowerment of the Mexican diaspora and have paved the way for new generations of young people of Mexican origin to develop their potential in order to foster the well-being and improve the quality of life of their families and communities. On this occasion, recognition of the work undertaken by Dr. Villarruel makes it possible to elevate and celebrate the efforts of nurses and health care workers, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as highlight that it is the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. As Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Villarruel's leadership across the school's nursing research, education, and practice mission has resulted in positive impact in the ongoing effort to improve equity and access to health care in communities around the world. In addition, Dr. Villarruel has dedicated much of her professional life to serving Latino communities in the area of public health. She has been at the forefront of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery Leadership's efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Latin America, and is a co-founder of the first doctoral program of nursing in Mexico at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, contributing substantially to the training of hundreds of highly specialized educators and researchers in Mexico. Moreover, she is the founder of a program that has been implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called Cuidate!, an initiative that aims to reduce risky sexual behavior among Latino adolescents in order to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Dr. Villarruel's outstanding work in academia and public health has had a significant impact in promoting equitable access to high-quality health services, both in Mexico and in the United States. Ohtli is a Nahuatl word that means path. The renowned researcher Miguel Leon Portilla described it in the following way: In the codices the paths are marked with footprints. This is how the different directions where women and men went were marked. Meanwhile, the Nahua poets wondered, what is the path that the heart should follow? There is an answer that appears in the codices: Melahuac Ohtli, the straight path, the one that will lead you to your destiny. When the Nahuas said, and those who keep their language alive today to say, goodbye, they use the phrase Cualli Ohtli! (Good road!), referring to the one you, I and all of us must walk through. ### About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is one of the world's leading schools of nursing. For the sixth year in a row, it is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS University and is consistently ranked highly in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of best graduate schools. Penn Nursing is ranked as one of the top schools of nursing in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists and nurse leaders to meet the health needs of a global society through innovation in research, education, and practice. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Instagram. ROCHESTER, Minn. - Following the recent mass shootings across the country, Pesident Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci are calling gun violence a public health crisis. KIMT News 3 spoke with Rochester Mayor Kim Norton to see how the city handles it and what steps they have in place to prevent another shooting. She broke down the harsh reality of it. "When I meet with other mayors, sometimes there's unfortunately a larger and growing group of mayors who have faced gun violence tragedies in their community," she explained. "They were quick to point out it's not if it will happen, it's when will it happen and what can we do to help you be ready. And so we do have those conversations." Gun violence has been an issue for years now so it's nothing new. Mayor Norton said quite frankly, there's no agreement from the government on how we can address this. She explained in our community, there's a lot of talk on gun safety and how to properly store your guns to make sure it doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Mayor Norton also said there have been recent laws brought up about how to safely remove guns if someone is having a mental health crisis. Mayor Norton was asked if she fears ongoing conversation about gun violence could prompt more gun play. "We definitely hear that as a community concern that if you talk about it, you might be raising awareness of it," she explained. "But I think I would push back a little bit and that there are so many incidents right now happening across the country that you can't not know this is going on." There might be some things the city can do to prevent any gun violence from happening, like creating a gun buyback program. But ultimately, it comes down to the federal government coming to an agreement there. In March, the Democratic-led House passed two gun reform bills that would expand background checks for all gun sales. The legislation has stalled in the Senate. Rep. Maxine Waters presided over a House Financial Services Committee hearing Tuesday from the powerful committee perch she holds even as Republicans threaten to try to yank her assignments, censure her, or even throw her out of Congress. Waters, 82, climbed to her prized position under the seniority system in the House with the blessing of the House Speaker and the House Steering Committee. As such, she has the ability to shape major banking and securities legislation and help determine what bills make it to the House floor and when. Republicans want to deny the longtime California Democrat that authority, following Waters' comments that protesters might need to 'get more confrontational' after a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. California Rep. Maxine Waters presided over a House Financial Services Committee hearing Tuesday, as Republicans demanded she lose her committee seats or be kicked out of Congress for her call for protesters to 'stay confrontational' The hearing was to mark up budget legislation, while holding hearings on legislation dealing with artificial intelligence and a resolution on financial technology. Waters wore a black face mask that said 'RECLAIMING OUR VOTE' that included her name. Some lawmakers have called on fellow Californian Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take action against Waters. Others, including New York candidate for governor Rep. Lee Zeldin and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have called for her expulsion of Congress. Greene herself had her committee assignments stripped following revelations about her social media postings and statements about Q Anon. If just three Democrats bolt on a censure motion, Democratic leaders would stop short of being able to table it to keep it from coming to the floor. Waters made no mention of her political situation as she kicked off the hearing Tuesday, although she did appeal for efforts to improve 'racial justice and 'improve diversity and inclusion and create fairness in our housing system. ' One bill at the hearing would require regulators to evaluate the 'diversity and inclusion' of banks when determining ratings for them. The White House on Tuesday got pressed repeatedly on Waters, and Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Waters had 'clarified' her comments. Waters told CNN Monday night after the judge in the Chauvin case admonished her for her comments: 'The judge says my words don't matter.' She said her remarks would not be grounds for an appeal, and said: 'The whole Civil Rights movement is confrontational.' Her routine committee action came after Republican Sen. Ted Cruz blasted her for saying in Minneapolis Saturday that Black Lives Matter protesters should 'get more confrontational' if officer Derek Chauvin is found not guilty. 'Listen, in Minneapolis and all across the country, shop owners, cities are preparing for violent riots. And there are Democrats like Maxine Waters who are encouraging, they want to see more stores looted, they want to see more police cars firebombed, they want to see the violence because they think it serves their political ends,' Cruz said Monday night on Fox News Channel. Cruz said the problem was bigger than just Waters, who hasn't been publicly reprimanded by fellow Democrats. 'And the dirty little secret is, as bad as Maxine Waters comments were, they're not an outlier in the Democratic Party,' Cruz continued. Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, saying she wanted to see police cars firebombed and stores looted 'because they think it serves their political ends' He pointed a finger at Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that she had tweeted out information to help protesters pay bail during last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the death of George Floyd. Cruz also said he believed Waters should be censured. Democrats have hit back at Cruz and other Republicans who voted to acquit President Donald Trump after his own calls for supporters to 'fight' on the day of the January 6 Capitol riot. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night. During an interview with on Fox News Primetime, McCarthy said the congresswoman 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury that started deliberations on Monday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong. I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior,' McCarthy continued. He was referring to Waters' 2018 remarks when she told Californians to 'get in the face' of Trump administration staffers if they see them in public. McCarthy said he believes there are 'probably 10 to 15' Democrats who would vote for censure. Kevin McCarthy (left) has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters (right) after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night 'It will all come down to the pressure of what Democrats will put on them to just try to vote to table it - not even to have the discussion,' he added. McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend. He then accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of 'ignoring Waters behavior,' which he said prompted him to introduce 'a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments'. McCarthy's move came as the judge in Chauvin's trial said the congresswoman's comments could have given the defense grounds for an appeal. Speaking after the jury was sent out on Monday afternoon, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson once again made a bid to have the case against his client thrown out on grounds that there was no way the jury could be untainted by the excessive publicity surrounding the case. 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial its frankly mind-blowing,' Nelson said. Taking it into consideration Judge Peter Cahill said: 'I grant you Congresswoman Waters may have handed you grounds for appeal and the turning over of this trial.' Judge Cahill denied Nelsons move for a mistrial but he said: 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' He said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswomans opinion really doesn't mean much.' McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend Maxine Waters, congresswoman for California, was in Minnesota on Saturday evening, saying that demonstrators needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together. White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn her remarks and Pelosi insisted Waters shouldn't apologize. But Republicans pounced on Waters' remarks to the Black Lives Matter protesters. Cruz had previously criticized Waters, as did controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But many of these Republicans accusing Waters of inciting violence did not make the same charge against then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, that left five dead and a trail of destruction throughout the Capitol. Cruz and Greene were some of Trump's most ardent defenders. McCarthy did take to the House floor to declare Trump, who riled up the crowd with his false claims the election was stolen, 'bears responsibility' for the attack on Congress. McCarthy later flew to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the former president after Trump became furious at him for his words. Republicans have turned Waters into a punching bag before - notably for her urging the public to harass Trump White House staffers when they saw them in public. People gather at George Floyd Plaza in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis Minnesota to listen to the families of victims of police violence A bullet hole in a National Guard vehicle is seen after Guardsmen were targeted on Sunday Waters traveled to Minneapolis the weekend before closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with murdering George Floyd on May 25. The city is bracing for the verdict in the Chauvin case. More than 3,000 members of the National Guard are in Minneapolis, in addition to 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of what has been termed Operation Safety Net. Waters said she hoped Chauvin was found guilty. 'I am not happy that we have talked about police reform for so long,' Waters said, demanding a guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial and adding: 'If we don't [get it], we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street.' She added that protesters needed 'get more active, more confrontational' and they should ignore the curfew in place. 'Weve got to stay on the street and weve got to get more active, weve got to get more confrontational. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business,' she said when it comes to police shootings. Hours after Waters' passionate speech, a Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police team were fired upon in a drive-by shooting. The team was providing neighborhood security in Minneapolis when, at about 4.19am local time, a light colored SUV drove by and blasted shots at an occupied National Guard vehicle. The city of Minneapolis prepares for a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial with National Guard on patrol in the streets No team members were seriously injured, though two National Guard members suffered minor injuries: One was injured by shattered glass and taken to a local hospital, while the other suffered only superficial injuries. 'Why is Maxine Waters traveling to a different state trying to incite a riot? What good can come from this?' asked Lauren Boebert, representative for Colorado. Fellow Colorado Rep. Ken Buck said: 'Why is a sitting member of Congress encouraging protesters to get "confrontational?"' Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs added: 'The Radical Left dont care if your towns are burning, if theres violence in your streets, or if the police are too defunded to defend their communities. 'As long as the Left appeases their anti-America base, their job is done.' Greene, congresswoman for Georgia, called for her to be expelled from Congress. Waters is pictured with demonstrators outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Waters joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Peaceful protesters in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Saturday night Demonstrators raise their fists at Union Station near the U.S Capitol, during a march in Washington, DC, on Saturday A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter sign during a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday 'As a sitting United States Congresswoman @MaxineWaters threatened a jury demanding a guilty verdict and threatened violence if Chauvin is found not guilty. This is also an abuse of power. #ExpelMaxineWaters' She called Waters 'a danger to our society.' On Twitter, others joined in the outrage at Waters' remarks. 'Of course she'll get away with saying that while anyone else would've been thrown in jail,' Rick Santella tweeted. Another user tweeted, 'Good grief lady, leave get out of here.' One person also accused Waters of 'stirring people up again with her calls for violence.' A geography teacher who admitted to having sex with her 14-year-old student after nine months of denying the allegations split from her supportive fiance before pleading guilty. Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday - without her engagement ring or the support of her fiance - and admitted to aggravated sexual intercourse with the boy in Homebush in June and July, 2020. Daily Mail Australia can reveal the couple separated early in 2021, despite initially putting on a united front when Young was arrested at her home in south-west Sydney on July 10, 2020. At the time, her fiance Moey said Young 'would never, ever, ever do something like that'. Even after learning of her admission and that she cheated on him with the student, Moey told Daily Mail Australia he would continue to support her from afar. 'I'm fine,' he said of the split. 'I'll still be sticking beside her no matter the outcome. Monica Elizabeth Young has split from her fiance (pictured together) after he initially supported her through court proceedings Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday - without her engagement ring or the support of her fiance Young was also pictured back in February without her engagement ring, supporting a friend's claim they have been 'separated for months' 'I'll always be beside her.' On her two last appearances in Downing Centre District Court, Young went without her engagement ring and her partner was nowhere to be seen. Moey has since confirmed they separated prior to Young entering a guilty plea on Tuesday. A source close to her ex-fiance said they split 'a few months back now' and that he 'was really upset about it but he wouldn't show it to the public'. The friend said Moey's parents are likely to have stepped in and convinced him to end the relationship, after reportedly being incensed at their son being thrust into the spotlight. At the time of her arrest, a member of his community said: 'Moey is a good kid with a supportive family. Daily Mail Australia can reveal the couple separated early in 2021, despite initially putting on a united front when Young was arrested at her home in south-west Sydney on July 10, 2020 Despite their split, Moey told Daily Mail Australia he will always support Young 'no matter the outcome' 'However this news would be a shock to them... to hear news like this would devastate the family as our community tend to have a big mouth.' Moey previously said his mother's opinion of a potential wife is the 'most important' thing to him. 'Dear Future Wife... If you don't kiss my mums feet you're not welcome into my life,' he said. Young and her ex-fiance were childhood sweethearts and due to be married before she was arrested on 12 charges relating to engaging in a sexual relationship with a child. She maintained her innocence right up until last week, when her legal counsel approached the Director of Public Prosecutions and indicated she would be willing to plead guilty to three of the charges. It is not clear if her admission of guilt - and cheating on her partner - led to the separation. Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) donned an all-black ensemble when she appeared in Downing Centre District Court on Monday Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) enters Downing Centre District Court for the first day of a two day hearing ahead of her trial in September Her victim and another teenage boy were due to pre-record their evidence on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of her five day trial beginning on September 21. On Tuesday morning, the Director of Public Prosecutions indicted Young on three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child, meaning her victim was no longer required to testify. Her barrister, former top prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, told the court Young was 'very anxious to avoid a situation where [the victim] had to endure another weekend of concern about having to do this [give evidence]'. 'My instruction from Ms Young is to put him out of his misery as soon as possible,' she said. Young stood before Judge Kate Traill on Tuesday and meekly pleaded guilty to having sex with her teenage student on three separate occasions in Sydney's west between June 21 and July 3. She was supported by an older female companion when she fronted court on Monday - but Young's fiance, who once vowed to stand by her, was not present. She also was not wearing her engagement ring A police statement of facts previously tendered in court said Young drove her pupil to a western Sydney park, mounted him and had sex in her car. Investigators obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing Young's car approaching the park, according to material before the court. The aggravated element of each of the charges stems from the fact that the boy was under her authority and that Young had a position of trust at the time of offending. She will undergo a psychiatric assessment before she is due to be sentenced in June. 'We have medical personnel lined up and are hopeful for some treatment regimes before the inevitable,' Ms Cunneen told the court. Judge Traill did not alter Young's bail conditions following her guilty plea and there was no suggestion she be immediately taken into custody. Monica Elizabeth Young, 23, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday where she admitted to aggravated sexual intercourse with the boy in Homebush in June and July, 2020 The maximum penalty for each count of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under 16 is 12 years' imprisonment. Prosecutor Alexander Terracini told the court he would argue custody 'is the only option' for Young when she is sentenced on June 24. Currently living with family, Young must report to police on a daily basis, adhere to a strict 8pm to 8am curfew and can only leave the house while accompanied by her parents or grandmother. Young looked unrecognisable as she entered the Downing Centre flanked by Ms Cunneen, solicitor Gazi Abbas and a female companion. Her long, blonde hair had been chopped into a blunt mid-length bob and her coloured a darker brown. Young was last pictured back in February when she was due to appear in court - sporting longer, lighter hair and a face mask due to Covid restrictions Monica Elizabeth Young (right) was joined on Monday by a female companion for support Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year. Young spent a month in custody last year before she was released on strict bail conditions. She had maintained her innocence and entered an official plea of not guilty right up until last week, when her counsel claims to have contacted prosecutors wanting to plead guilty to some of the charges. Prosecutor Alexander Terracini provided the court with documents relating to three other offences that will be taken into account at the time of sentencing. They will not result in a conviction. Young no longer works as a teacher. She is due to be sentenced on June 24. POMPANO BEACH, Fla.Swiss Navy lube manufacturer M.D. Science Lab has announced that the company has become the official lube sponsor of the Grabby Awards. It's the company's 10th year in a row to be the Grabbys' official global lubricant sponsor. The annual Grabby Awards spotlight the top productions, talent, and performances in the gay adult film industry. This years event will take place on Saturday, May 29, and will be streamed live on GayVNStars.com. We are so excited to be able to keep up the tradition that Swiss Navy has had with the Grabby Awards for over 10 years now. I also want to congratulate Stacy Bridges and the entire staff of the Grabby Awards for not only keeping up the tradition of the Grabbys, but also for the combining of the European Grabby Awards (formerly The Prowler Awards). I know Mark would be so proud, said Ellen Friedman, regional director of sales & marketing for M.D. Science. I personally want to thank all yall for your continued support of Swiss Navy. Voting for the Grabby Awards began on April 10 and all the American winners will be announced via live stream from Chicago on May 29. European winners will be announced separately. We are excited to announce that Swiss Navy Lube will be our Official Lube for the 10th year, said show producer Stacy Bridges. So, if you are sitting at home watching the live stream, make sure you have a bottle of Swiss Navy lube handy in case you need it. Since 1998, M.D. Science Lab has created top-quality products intended to making all consumers' lives healthierand more fun. Supporting intimate wellness for all people has always Swiss Navys focus, said Briana Watkins, M.D. Sciences vice president of sales and marketing. Being able to team up once again with our friends at the Grabby Awards is a true honor for our entire Swiss Navy family. For more information on the annual Grabby Awards, please visit grabbyawards.com. To learn more about Swiss Navy and to view its latest product range, visit SwissNavy.com. THE Land Cruiser Prado belonging to recalled Mufakose Member of Parliament, Susan Matsunga, rammed into a precast wall before the driver sped off from the scene. The incident occurred Sunday morning at the corner of Mutufu and Mukumba road in Mufakose. Son to Matsungas sister, whose driving had already become topical in the high-density suburb, was behind the wheel. On Friday, H-Metro published a story where Mufakose residents were complaining against his reckless driving, which they felt posed a danger to fellow motorists and pedestrians. Matsunga acquired the Land Cruiser Prado after entering into a Vehicle Loan Facility Agreement with Parliament of Zimbabwe and the vehicle was to be used during her tenure as a legislator. I heard a loud disturbing sound around 4am on Sunday morning. I quickly peeped through the window and saw the car trying to leave the scene without even assessing the damage. The car left before I alerted everyone else in our house. When we got outside a few women on their way to Mbare Musika alerted us that they had recognised the vehicle since it had become popular for picking and dropping commuters. We reported the incident to the police leading to the tracking of both the driver and the vehicle, said one man from the affected houses who spoke on condition of anonymity. After police intervention, Matsunga is believed to have undertaken to pay the damages. The police helped us call the MP and notify her of the incident. She did not sound surprised and was quick to accept blame on behalf of her sisters son. She is providing most of the resources from materials already at her home and promised to pay other expenses in full later, added the affected family. Last week, H-Metro reported that the yet to be identified driver behind the luxurious vehicle was endangering both motorists and commuters by his reckless driving. Meanwhile, there is a pending case at High Court against Matsunga and 25 others instigated by Parliament of Zimbabwe to recover the vehicles or money equivalent following their recall from parly last year. H Metro ROME, APR 20 - Two more Italian national parks have joined the Gran Paradiso park in the world green list drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. They are the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the national park of the Casentinesi Forests. The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is the first global standard of best practice for area-based conservation. It is a programme of certification for protected and conserved areas - national parks, natural World Heritage sites, community conserved areas, nature reserves and so on - that are effectively managed and fairly governed. The Grand Paradiso is on the list for the third time since 2014. French, Swiss and South Korean parks were also added to the list. The IUCN now lists 59 natural parks and nature reserves in 16 countries. (ANSA). Gov. Gretchen Whitmer left the state more than a month ago to visit her elderly father who suffers from a chronic illness, a spokesperson confirmed on Monday after the trip was first reported by MIRS News. In the past six months she has left the state three times, once for the inauguration, once to assist her elderly father who is battling a chronic illness, and once to visit with Michigans National Guard troops. All trips were very brief, two full days or less, closely followed public health guidelines, and were made when Michigans daily positivity rate was in the low single digits, said Whitmer Communications Director Tiffany Brown. The trip was not a spring break trip, Brown said, and Whitmer has not left the state in over a month. Brown said the office would not comment further on the governors personal schedule. Its not clear exactly when or where Whitmer traveled, but at an April 2020 press conference, the governor referenced her father being in the state of Florida. Whitmers father was fully vaccinated and the governor has never tested positive for COVID-19, Brown said. The trip was not paid at taxpayers expense, she added. News of the trip comes after two Whitmer administration officials, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel and Chief Operating Officer Tricia Foster, have each faced criticism for taking out-of-state vacations. Early on in the pandemic, Whitmer prohibited travel, including between in-state residences and to vacation rentals. That was later lifted and is not currently in place, but the state does recommend against travel at this time. Whitmer has also asked residents to voluntarily forgo travel in press conferences at various points throughout the pandemic, including for Christmas. Republicans were quick to criticize Whitmers travel. Gretchen Whitmers blatant display of hypocrisy is an insult to every single Michigander impacted by her lockdown orders and travel warnings, said Ted Goodman, Communications Director of the Michigan Republican Party. House Appropriations Chair Rep. Tom Albert, R-Lowell, said the Whitmer administration appeared to be subjecting themselves to a different set of rules. I understand the desire to visit an ill relative, and I hope for good health for the governors family but I have heard countless stories of heartbroken Michiganders who wanted to visit sick family members during this pandemic and havent been able to do so, Albert said. I dont understand how the governor thinks its OK for her and members of her administration to travel out-of-state, while issuing recommendations to the rest of us that we stay home. How can anyone be expected to follow such guidance when the governor and her staff doesnt follow it themselves? Michigan is currently experiencing the worst COVID-19 surge in the nation, including record hospitalizations. Despite criticism from federal officials and public health experts, Whitmer has declined to tighten the states restrictions. She has blamed the surge on new variants and a lack of compliance, not a policy problem. Related: Active COVID-19 outbreaks rise another 9% in Michigans April 19 report Whitmer says Michigans COVID-19 surge is due to variants and non-compliance, not a policy problem Whitmer wants vaccines, not restrictions, to end Michigan coronavirus surge. Experts say it wont happen. No10 has today launched a new panel of experts to accelerate the development of vaccines for Covid variants and future pandemics across the world. The pandemic preparedness partnership (PPP) will draw up advice on how to cut the time it takes to develop and deploy jabs from 300 days to just 100 a target set by Boris Johnson in February. Experts will meet today for the first time, taking part in a two-day virtual conference chaired by the Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. The panel of 20 scientists and industry bosses aims to produce an 'actionable road map' to achieve the target, in time for the G7 meeting in Cornwall in June. The PPP will be backed by 16million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI). Funds will be used to boost global vaccine manufacturing capacity and research to fight future pandemics quicker, and to support the development of variant-specific jabs in the war on Covid. It comes amid growing concern about an Indian coronavirus strain. No10 last night finally placed India on the travel red list but leading experts and Labour have said the move came too late. It is feared B.1.617, as it is scientifically known, spreads more easily than older strains and scientists say it has mutations which may help it evade vaccines. The pandemic preparedness partnership (PPP) which is chaired by the Government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (pictured) will draw up advice on how Boris Johnson's target of cutting the development of new vaccines to as little as 100 days can be met Who are the pandemic preparedness partnership (PPP) members? Sir Patrick Vallance (chair) - UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (chair) - UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Andrew Witty CEO, United Health Group CEO, United Health Group Sir John Bell Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford and member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford and member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee Martin Landray Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health at the University of Oxford Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health at the University of Oxford Dame Anne Johnson Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology UCL Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology UCL Lord Jim ONeill Former Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management & Former Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Former Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management & Former Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Baroness Minouche Shafik Director LSE and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Director LSE and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Aurelia Nguyen Managing Director Office of the COVAX Facility, Gavi Managing Director Office of the COVAX Facility, Gavi Sir Jeremy Farrar Director Wellcome Trust & Chair of the Scientific Advisory Group of the WHO R&D Blueprint. Director Wellcome Trust & Chair of the Scientific Advisory Group of the WHO R&D Blueprint. John-Arne Rottingen Co-chair ACT-A, member of the G20 High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on financing for pandemic preparedness and response & ambassador for Global Health, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Co-chair ACT-A, member of the G20 High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on financing for pandemic preparedness and response & ambassador for Global Health, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Peter Sands Executive Director - Global Fund Executive Director - Global Fund Richard Hatchett Chief Executive Officer CEPI Chief Executive Officer CEPI Sergio Carmona Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer FIND Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer FIND Soumya Swaminathan Chief Scientist WHO Chief Scientist WHO John Tsai Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis Sir Mene Pangalos Executive Vice President Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca Executive Vice President Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca Mikael Dolsten Chief Scientific Officer, Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer, Pfizer Paul Stoffells Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, J&J Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, J&J Roger Connor President Global Vaccines, GSK President Global Vaccines, GSK June Raine Chief Executive, MHRA Advertisement Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who will open the conference, said: 'The Covid pandemic has shaken the world but united us in our determination to ensure no disease has such an impact in the future. 'As G7 president, the UK is determined to work with our partners to build back better from coronavirus and strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics. 'This new expert group will drive our efforts in the years ahead to protect people everywhere from new diseases and to save lives.' Sir Patrick added: 'Covid has shown us that it's possible to develop and deploy high-quality vaccines much faster than previously imagined. 'We have brought together the pandemic preparedness partnership to see whether this can be accelerated even further and applied to the development of medicines and diagnostic tests. 'The group of experts from across the globe will advise the UK G7 Presidency as to how we can accelerate and scale up the development of effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to save lives from future diseases with pandemic potential and I look forward to progressing such vital work.' Membership of the PPP includes Sir John Bell, professor of medicine at Oxford University, the World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, and representatives of jab manufacturers AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Melinda Gates, philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will speak to the conference and said the partnership would help ensure an 'equitable' vaccine roadmap globally. She said: 'The global response to Covid has proved that we are most successful when we bring together scientists, businesses, governments, and collective action through multilateral institutions. 'This partnership will enable G7 governments to create a roadmap for building a safe, secure, and equitable future for everyone.' The Prime Minister set out his ambition to cut the time to develop new vaccines by two-thirds to 100 days in February, when he chaired the first meeting of G7 leaders ahead of the summit in June. By reducing the time to develop vaccines for emerging diseases, No10 hopes it will 'prevent the catastrophic health, economic and social repercussions' seen in the Covid crisis. The PM will hold a press conference tonight amid growing concerns about the Indian coronavirus variant. Mr Johnson is due to appear in Downing Street's new briefing room at 5pm after coming under fire for taking too long to ban travel to India. No10 only announced India was being added to the UK's travel 'red list' yesterday, and the measures won't come into effect until 4am on Friday. Hundreds of people will arrive in Britain from India before then. Labour slammed the Government for not banning arrivals immediately, despite the Indian variant being under investigation by UK officials for almost three weeks. Sir Patrick Vallance's predecessor admitted ministers were too slow to respond to the new strain, called B.1.617, claiming the ban was 'taken a bit too late in truth'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured in the House of Commons yesterday) will open the conference 16million is being invested to improve global vaccine manufacturing capacity and research into how to quickly respond to new strains (pictured) Some 103 cases of the variant have been identified in the UK so far, the vast majority of which were linked to international travel. The PM has had to cancel a visit to India next week. It is feared B.1.617 spreads more easily than older strains and scientists say it has mutations which may help it evade vaccines. But top experts studying Britain's Covid variants said the Indian variant was unlikely to ever take off in the UK because its mutations were 'not top tier'. They questioned whether the strain is actually vaccine resistant or more transmissible than older versions, claiming the evidence was still murky. A man from the southern Vietnamese province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau has been arrested for murdering and raping a five-year-old girl last weekend. The provincial Department of Public Security confirmed on Monday it had apprehended and initiated legal proceedings against Pham Van Dung, 46, for killing and raping an under 16-year-old person. The victim was P.N.Q.N., Dungs five-year-old neighbor. Police investigation showed that Dung went to the house of T.A., who is a neighbor, to attend the death anniversary of the latters family member on Saturday evening. Colonel Nguyen Van Thoi, director of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Department of Public Security, speaks at a press conference on the case on April 19, 2021. Photo: D.H. / Tuoi Tre At around 8:00 pm that day, Dung headed home but the house was locked, so he decided to walk to his mother-in-laws house for a relatives birthday party. The man noticed N. A.s granddaughter walking behind him along the way and planned on raping her. He picked up the young girl and took her to a secluded location. As N. began to scream, Dung choked the girl to death before sexually abusing her with his hands. The location where the body of P.N.Q.N. was found on April 17, 2021. Photo: D.H. / Tuoi Tre A few hours later, N.s body was found by family members at a location about 100 meters from her house. Colonel Nguyen Van Thoi, director of the provincial public security department, stated that the case is particularly serious. Dung does not have any criminal record or history of mental illness, Col. Thoi added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry are two popular royal family members. Up until recently, the brothers were super close, constantly supporting each other in all that they did, and leaning on each other after the untimely death of their beloved mother, Princess Diana. Fans always enjoyed seeing them together at royal events. And after Prince William married his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry often joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for appearances, becoming affectionately known as the worlds most famous third wheel. It was often thought, over the years, that once Prince Harry settled down with a wife of his own, that the two couples would become inseparable. When he started getting serious with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, there was speculation among millions of fans regarding just that. Fans were shocked at reports of Prince William and Prince Harrys royal rift. Prince Harrys move to a different continent, coupled with his bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, has fueled speculation that the brothers are not on the best of terms. Despite reports of the two of them making strides toward reconciliation, Prince Harry and Prince William have talked, but only about one issue. What was their rift supposedly about? Prince Harry and Prince William | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images For years, there seemed to be no two brothers closer than the two princes. Prince Harry proudly stood by his brothers side on his wedding day, and Prince William was always there when Prince Harry needed him. Thats why the world was shocked when reports emerged that the princes had some sort of feud. So, what was the rift actually all about? According to Vanity Fair, it was somewhat complicated. Apparently, when Prince Harry first began dating Meghan, Prince William grew concerned with how quickly things were heating up. He reportedly spoke to his brother, which caused some hurt feelings. It didnt end there, however. Tensions grew when Prince William asked the late Princess Dianas brother to speak to Prince Harry, with the younger prince becoming furious that Princess William was dragging other family members into the row. Are William and Harry on speaking terms? Prince Harry | John Phillips/Getty Images So much has been going on behind palace doors, and when Meghan and Prince Harry announced that they were stepping down as senior working royals over a year ago, it really only added fuel to the fire. Prince William and Kate felt the pressure of having to take on additional duties, and it got to the point where the two couples werent even on speaking terms. Marie Claire reports that while things had gotten pretty bad at one point, the brothers are back on speaking terms, although things arent nearly the same as they once were. There are quite a few issues to work out, and only time will tell if Prince Harry and Prince William can put this all behind them. Prince Harry and Prince William have talked but only about one issue Just because the princes are back on speaking terms certainly doesnt mean that they talk on a regular basis like they used to. Almost everyone knows that members of the royal family had some hurt feelings after the explosive sit-down interview that Meghan and Prince Harry recently had with Oprah Winfrey, and no one was sure exactly what was going to happen. Us Weekly reports that after the interview aired, Prince William promised to call his little brother, and he made good on his vow to do that. Even so, they didnt have a very in-depth conversation about all the matters that need to be addressed. In fact, Prince Harry and Prince William have only talked about one issue and it turns out that the upcoming tribute to their late mother was the only topic they discussed during their strained conversation. That said, with the recent death of Prince Philip, Prince Harry returned to England to attend the funeral. The brothers met after their grandfathers funeral, reports The Sun. A source told the publication that their meeting was unproductive. The source suggests the brothers may have discussed the Oprah interview. It is not known what was said behind closed doors and when the cameras were turned off, but its unfathomable to think Megxit and Oprah did not come up, a source said. An official at Bithumb, a Seoul-based cryptocurrency exchange, looks at digital asset prices displayed on an electronic board in its Seoul office, Tuesday. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung With most cryptocurrency exchanges in Korea facing "mass shutdowns," retail investors are urged to pay closer attention to a regulation-induced upheaval in the virtual asset industry here. Under the so-called Special Financial Information Act, no virtual asset exchange can operate here unless they secure real-name bank accounts for users following a grace period that ends in September. There is no official data on the total number of cryptocurrency exchanges operating in Korea, but industry sources estimate the figure at around 100. But only four of them Bithumb, Upbit, Coinone and Korbit have signed partnerships with commercial banks here, allowing their users to trade cryptocurrencies using real-name bank accounts. They also have to renew their partnerships with affiliated banks or sign new contracts with other lenders in order to keep operating after the end of September. The so-called big four cryptocurrency exchanges are widely expected to keep running their platforms, but the possibility of suspensions loom as banks become more and more conservative in assessing their partnerships with the exchanges. Financial industry sources are advising retail investors to remain cautious in selecting cryptocurrency exchanges due to the escalating uncertainties. "Most investors consider which cryptocurrency to invest in, but they should also take into careful consideration which exchanges will offer stable services after the act takes effect here," an a financial industry source said. The source added that investors should not assume that banks will keep renewing their contracts with the widely used virtual asset exchanges, as lenders are stepping up vigilance against possible financial incidents after being involved in a nationwide fund fiasco last year. "Banks may end up assuming full responsibility if the affiliated exchanges are exposed to security threats or fail to ensure user privacy," the official said. "No lender is willing to take on the risk simply to ride on the global cryptocurrency bandwagon." The Financial Services Commission (FSC) has given banks the autonomy to select "reliable" exchange partners on their own. This puts banks under growing pressure to keep issuing real-name accounts for exchanges, as the lenders themselves will be held responsible for even a minor security mishap involving affiliated exchanges. "Banks or financial institutions are extremely wary of losing credibility from customers, as regaining trust takes a considerable amount of time," the source said. "Despite the global cryptocurrency craze, they do not have to run the risk of betting on uncertainties." Another bank industry source also remained skeptical over lenders' partnerships with cryptocurrency exchanges. "Banks can attract new subscribers by offering real-name accounts for exchange operators, but there are few other benefits that banks can enjoy in terms of profits," the source said. "We have much more to lose than gain from the partnership, but some banks seeking marketing effects or increases their user bases choose to form ties with virtual asset trading platforms," the official said. For now, the government and financial authorities are expected to devise a tougher set of regulations concerning virtual asset transactions. The FSC has recently teamed up with the Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to launch a pan-governmental investigation of suspicious cryptocurrency transactions until the end of June. The decision was made amid escalating concerns over possible money laundering using cryptocurrencies. Authorities say the regulations are necessary, because the concept of cryptocurrency is still considered relatively new and cyber cash is less stable than currencies issued by central banks. A general view is that regulators will keep introducing additional measures against virtual asset speculation, as most types of cyber money entail sharp price fluctuations, while most cryptocurrency owners are retail investors. Waking up to pristine beach-front views outside a motorhome window is a privilege that many Thames-Coromandal ratepayers feel should come at a cost. As New Zealand widens its bubble to Australia, residents of some of New Zealands busiest freedom camping destinations are pushing back against their councils policy review, fed up with the diabolical behaviour of freedom campers on their coast. While some submitters to Thames-Coromandel District Council supported freedom campers, the majority were against attracting more - with some even arguing it should be banned. However, the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association warns the council against making major changes to its bylaw without further consultation. At a recent hearing, 142 submissions were received in response to the councils review of its Freedom Camping Bylaw 2014 to be renamed the Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw. The proposed changes would see more car parks added to five restricted areas around Thames, Whangamata, Whitianga, and Tairua. It would move three designated areas around Whangamata, Coromandel town, Cooks Beach and Whitianga. It would also change a prohibited area in Pauanui to restricted and a restricted area at Buffalo Beach to prohibited. Submitters were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the proposed changes and to make mention of any other sites, not listed, that they wanted to see changed. Weve talked about fines not being affective, campers regularly breaking the allowed stay limit ... adding more parks wouldnt help, says Tairua resident Tony Jurgeleit. Against the idea of council adding more car parks near Paku Drive, he says freedom campers cite their entitlement to freedom, but really its only free because ratepayers fund them. The assumption that they bring benefits to the district economy is false, because the very reason that they are camping shows they do not want to spend, they want a free stay. While Tapu Camp owner Bruce Efford isnt against freedom camping, he says the number of freedom camping sites in his area is driving down business and ruining prime locations in the area. With his business less than 1km from the freedom camping site, he says he's forced to reduce his charges to $10 a night, but many campers are still not interested. He says ratepayers often had to watch the campers do their business outside their window rather than the view they pay for. He says freedom camping sites shouldnt be 2-3km away from a holiday park. Other speakers discussed diabolical behaviour involving freedom campers lighting fires in restricted areas, leaving their belongings and rubbish behind, as well as destroying council facilities. Daniel Barne, from Opoutere, says with the current reduction in overseas freedom campers, there is a window of opportunity to eliminate this problem. Whangamata local Wayne Hutt says he doesnt believe its up to the council to give freedom campers the best spot in town. Weve got ratepayers who pay $25,000 in rates to be on the beachfront and these guys get given a free run, Hutt says. NZMCA property and policy national manager James Imlach says the assumption that freedom campers arent from the district, isnt necessarily true. Of their members, around 2000 regularly camped in their own backyard, meaning they do pay rates for the facilities they use. The only concern the members had was councils plan to remove the only designated spot at Buffalo Beach. Coastal locations were preferred areas, he says. He asks that if there is any point where the council is considering amending the bylaw further than what had been discussed - such as adding more restricted areas - that the council carefully consider whether those proposals should be consulted on before decisions are made. Weve had other issues where local councils have made some major changes to their original proposal ... and we've decided to take one of those local councils to court because we dont feel theyve followed the process properly. We felt they had a duty to engage and consult the public again. Marlborough put an end to freedom camping at eight council sites and ruled visiting vehicles must be self-contained. The national caravan group found those actions disproportionate and unreasonable. It asked the High Court to review the Marlborough District Council's new freedom camping bylaw for two sites. The association is challenging similar rules in the Queenstown-Lakes district. This warning isnt far from something Thames-Coromandel District Council has dealt with before. In 2014 it had to re-write its freedom camping bylaw, after a High Court judge found it to be illegal and contradictive of itself, siding with the association. -Stuff/Sharnae Hope. The initial reopening will include the Navy Pier parking garages, Polk Bros Park, the North and South Docks, Pier Park, East End Plaza, tour boats and cruises, the new Sable hotel, and select restaurants at limited capacity. The Centennial Wheel, Pepsi Wave Swinger and Carousel rides will all be open. Indoor spaces and retail stores will remain closed, and the Chicago Childrens Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater also are not part of the reopening. (Update: Read about the full reopening May 18.) House Passes Resolution Condemning Beijings Ongoing Suppression in Hong Kong The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution on April 19 condemning the communist Chinese regimes continued trampling of freedoms in Hong Kong. The resolution, passed by a vote of 418-1, was intended to send a strong bipartisan message demanding that the Chinese and Hong Kong governments respect the will of the Hong Kong people, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said on the House floor on April 19. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, emphasized the bipartisan nature of this issue. [The] Chinese Communist Partys relentless oppression of the people of Hong Kong is not a Republican or Democrat issue, McCaul said on the House floor. We are united as Americans in standing with Hongkongers. The resolutions passing came days after nine veteran pro-democracy activists and lawmakers were sentenced to up to 18 months in prison for organizing and participating in mass anti-Beijing protests in 2019. Their sentences garnered international criticism, including from the United States and Britain, who called for their release. Calling the charges politically-motivated, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sentencing was yet another example of Beijing and Hong Kong authorities undermining protected rights in Hong Kong in an effort to eliminate all forms of dissent. The bipartisan resolution denounced Beijings use of a national security law imposed on the city last July to strip Hongkongers of their previously recognized rights and freedoms. The vaguely-worded law punishes speech or acts deemed secessionist, subversive, terrorist, or perceived as colluding with hostile foreign political groups or individuals against Chinas ruling one party state. Since it took effect, dozens of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures have been charged or convicted under the legislation or similar laws, crippling the once-active pro-democracy movement. Once a vibrant democracy, Hong Kong has seen the steady rollback of its autonomy and freedoms after it reverted from British to Chinese communist rule in 1997despite a pledge from Beijing to allow the city to retain its civil liberties for 50 years. In the past year, the regime has ushered in a series of measures, including the national security legislation and electoral reforms, that many fear is making Hong Kong no different from mainland cities. The recently imposed electoral changes mean that just 20 of 90 Legislative Council members will be directly elected by the Hong Kong people and Beijing will retain even tighter control over the body that picks Hong Kongs future chief executives. The House resolution calls on the U.S. administration to work with allies and partners to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable, such as through coordinated sanctions. We are determined to hold China accountable, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on the House floor. The Trump administration last year sanctioned more than 20 Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including the citys leader Carrie Lam, over their role in the crackdown on freedom on assembly and speech in Hong Kong. The Biden administration in March continued this effort by imposing sanctions on 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was passed in 2020. Pelosi, speaking at a virtual conference hosted by Washingon-based advocacy group Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) on Monday, reaffirmed Congresss commitment to standing up for Hong Kong. We will always continue to speak up about Beijings crackdown and ensure that the voices that the Chinese government is trying to silence are heard, she said. Samuel Chu, director of HKDC, told The Epoch Times that despite the escalating crackdown by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, people in Hong Kong are not backing down. Hong Kong is not quitting. And I think that that is going to continue to be the case, Chu said. With reporting by Terri Wu. Tamil Nadu theater owners to hold a virtual meet today to discuss their business plans for the ongoing second wave of the COVID19 pandemic. The Tamil Nadu Government has imposed the night curfew from today in the state so, the theater owners can't schedule night shows. Sources say that the main agenda today is to discuss whether the Government can allow them an extra show in the morning so that they can compensate the losses which will be incurred by the cancellation of the night show. (Newser) On a weekend in which photos of her exaggerated thumbs-down "no" vote on an incremental minimum wage were projected on City Hall in Flagstaff, Ariz., Sen. Kyrsten Sinema projected an image of her ownwhich included the words "f--k off." The Arizona Democrat posted a photo on Instagram on Sunday, only visible for 24 hours, showing her sipping what looked to be sangria while wearing a gold ring with that message, per the Arizona Republic and Newsweek. While Sinema's team refused to comment, some saw it as a response to progressive Democrat critics, who put on the weekend show at City Hall, or a dig at her own constituents. Michael Slugocki, vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, said Monday that Sinema was "telling voters to 'F*ck off' for asking for a living wage," per the Republic. "Your ego will cost you your own seat," he added. story continues below Though Sinema is known for "flamboyant getups," the ring "oozes contempt," Christina Cauterucci writes at Slate. At the Republic, Laurie Roberts argues Sinema was "giving the finger to her own party." Former Democratic House candidates Krystal Ball and Joan Greene also responded. "Presuming here the F*** Off ring is directed at the working class," tweeted Ball. Greene tweeted that Sinema should listen to the people "instead of showing contempt." Sinema, a centrist Democrat who's also angered progressives with her opposition to eliminating the Senate's filibuster, has said she supports raising the minimum wage but didn't think a provision laying out an increase to $15 an hour over four years ought to be included in the COVID relief bill. She's working with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney on legislation for a possible increase to $11 an hour, reports HuffPost. (Read more Kyrsten Sinema stories.) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysian opposition lawmakers led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad submitted a petition to the country's king on Tuesday seeking an end to a coronavirus emergency so Parliament can resume. The king approved Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's plan for an emergency in early January to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but critics said it was a political ruse to help the embattled leader stay in power amid challenges to his leadership. The emergency involves no curfew or military powers but Parliament is suspended until Aug. 1. Muhyiddin's government remains in control and has extraordinary powers to introduce laws without parliamentary approval. Mahathir, 95, accused Muhyiddin of using the king's name as a shield against critics, making many Malays angry with the monarch instead. He told reporters outside the palace gate that he hopes the king will heed the people's voices. More than 39,000 Malaysians have signed an online petition since March for the king to end the emergency. This declaration of a state of emergency is not about fighting COVID-19. Not at all ... it is about a weak government wanting to stay in power, Mahathir wrote on his blog earlier in the day. Muhyiddin took power in March 2020 after instigating the collapse of Mahathir's reformist alliance that won 2018 elections and joining with the opposition to form a Malay-centric government. But his government is shaky with a razor-thin majority in Parliament. Muhyiddin faces challenges from within his coalition and from the opposition, but support for his leadership cannot be tested with Parliament suspended. Critics said the emergency has failed to curb new infections, with Malaysia's total cases more than doubling to over 379,000 since January. Many also questioned why Parliament cannot resume since most restrictions have been lifted, with businesses, malls and schools reopened. With no parliamentary oversight, the government introduced a new law to combat fake news" about COVID-19 that critics say is a threat to freedom of expression. Another law allows the Finance Ministry to approve additional spending without scrutiny. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in February said Parliament can sit despite the emergency order, but Muhyiddin's government said it wasn't safe because there are many older lawmakers. For the people, the price to pay is horrendous. They lose their freedom of speech and their right to change the government," Mahathir wrote. Whither the rule of law." Athens, GA (30605) Today Cloudy skies with a few showers later in the day. Thunder possible. High 89F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy with showers. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. South Africa: SA plans to vaccinate over 46 million people by March 2022 Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, says government is hoping to inoculate 46.2 million South Africans by March 2022. However, this is provided the country receives the millions of vaccines that the nation has secured from drug makers. This tally excludes the 500 000 that will be vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol. We are also hopeful that COVAX will be able to deliver 1.2 million doses this quarter, the Minister said on Monday. South Africa is expecting 31 200 000 Johnson & Johnson jabs and 30 002 310 batches of the Pfizer vaccine which will be delivered in phases. Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS) He announced that, as of Monday at 6pm, 343 420 senior citizens have already registered on the Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS). Mkhize launched the COVID-19 vaccine online registration for the public on Friday, starting with those who are aged 60 and above, as the department gears up for phase two of the country's vaccine rollout. We call on all South Africans to assist their friends, family and neighbours who are 60 years and older to register on the EVDS by accessing the portal online at vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za. Mass vaccination The mass vaccination campaign is due to commence on 17 May 2021 and Mkhize believes it represents hope for the nation after the social, economic and psychological carnage left by COVID-19. It is for this reason that I have embarked on a nationwide tour to assess the readiness of provinces to roll out the vaccines at the anticipated rate that will be required to achieve population immunity by the first quarter in 2022, he explained. Mkhize has completed three provincial visits and said he was satisfied that Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape understand the requirements and will rise to the occasion. Having being presented with the mass vaccination rollout plan for the Western Cape, I was pleased to note that the province has given full consideration to the interventions that need to be implemented such that the province can vaccinate the nearly five million citizens targeted for that region, he said during his meeting with the Western Cape leaders on Monday. He assured Premier Alan Winde and Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo that the National Health Department has secured enough vaccines for all the provinces for both the public and private sectors. The Western Cape will get as many vaccines as they need to achieve population immunity. Therefore, there is no need for any provincial government to procure its own vaccines, he said. The province can therefore focus their energies on the distribution and logistics of inoculation. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) A non-profit organization has found a way to bring community pantries closer to Filipinos. Inspired by the Maginhawa community pantry, GO BIKE project launched its Community Pantry with Free Healthcare Services on Wheels in the municipality of Bugallon in Pangasinan to provide food and medical services to residents. PANTRY BIKE Community Pantry with Free Healthcare Services on Wheels is now pedaling by our certified Go Bikers in... Posted by GO BIKE Project on Sunday, April 18, 2021 The group is also open for donations, in-kind or in-cash. Dalawang unit na po ng PANTRY BIKE ang naka stand-by ngayon upang magdeliver ng healthcare services at pantry dito sa... Posted by GO BIKE Project on Monday, April 19, 2021 Several groups and individuals, especially in Metro Manila, recently opened their own community pantries in their respective areas to provide basic needs for their fellow residents for free. READ: What the community pantry movement means for Filipinos Some of these, however, decided to temporarily stop their operations due to security concerns after alleged red-tagging activities and profiling of organizers and volunteers by public authorities, which was later on denied by the Philippine National Police. Lawmakers and local governments have expressed their support for the community pantries amid such issues. Lawton, OK (73501) Today Rain showers early with mostly cloudy conditions later in the day. Thunder possible. High near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy in the evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers after midnight. Low 67F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill The judge who oversaw Derek Chauvin's murder trial is known for his decisive and direct style, which he built through years of service as both a public defender and a prosecutor. Minnesota cop Chauvin was found guilty on Tuesday on all three charges - second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter - in the death of George Floyd. He now faces up to 40 years behind bars. And Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, 64, has been praised for his handling of the high-profile case. Cahill graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1984 before starting his career in the Hennepin County Public Defender's Office. He served there for three years before joining the private firm of renowned defense attorney Michael Colich, where he worked from 1987 to 1993. In 1997 Cahill moved to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, where he served as top adviser to US Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, when she was the county's head prosecutor. During his 10-year stint as a prosecutor, Cahill went to the State Supreme Court to argue against a ruling that limited police officers' ability to question and search motorists without a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. Cahill won praise for standing firm on his decisions not to delay or move proceedings despite media attention. Cahill was appointed to the bench by Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2007 and quickly built a reputation as a no-nonsense, fair justice. He was elected by the public in 2014 and 2020, and his current term expires in January 2027. One of his biggest rulings came in 2015 when he dismissed charges against the organizers of a large Black Lives Matter rally at the Mall of America, saying the demonstration had been peaceful. Cahill was thrust into the spotlight when Chief Hennepin District Judge Toddrick Barnette tapped him to oversee Derek Chauvin's trial, one of the most highly-anticipated and influential in the history of Minnesota and the US. 'This moment is not too big for him,' Barnette said of Cahill. 'He will make thoughtful legal decisions based upon the law, even if the decisions are unpopular.' Early on Cahill made the unprecedented decision to allow cameras in his court for the first time in Minnesota's history. Announcing the decision, Cahill said he decided the 'only way to vindicate the defendants' constitutional right to a public trial and the media's and public's constitutional rights of access to criminal trials is to allow audio and video coverage of the trial'. Lawyers who know him described the move as 'classic Cahill'. MINNESOTA V DEREK CHAUVIN - CHARGES Second-degree murder - GUILTY Possible sentence: 12.5 to 40 years The second-degree murder charge required prosecutors to prove Chauvin caused Floyd's death while committing or trying to commit a felony in this case, third-degree assault. Prosecutors had to convince the jury that Chauvin assaulted or attempted to assault Floyd and in doing so inflicted substantial bodily harm. Prosecutors did not have to prove Chauvin was the sole cause of Floyd's death - only that his conduct was a 'substantial causal factor'. Second degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, but because Chauvin does not have any prior convictions sentencing guidelines recommend he serve 12.5 years. Second-degree manslaughter - GUILTY Possible sentence: Four to 10 years The manslaughter charge has a lower bar, requiring proof that Chauvin caused Floyd's death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death. Second degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison - sentencing guidelines for someone without a criminal record call for no more than four years behind bars. Third-degree murder - GUILTY Possible sentence: 12.5 to 25 years Third-degree murder required a lower standard of proof than second-degree. To win a conviction, prosecutors needed to show only that Floyd's death was caused by an act that was obviously dangerous, though not necessarily a felony. Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years but because Chauvin has no criminal history he would likely end up serving about 12.5. Advertisement 'He is very decisive. He applies the law fairly,' Colich, Cahill's friend and former boss, told NPR. 'He's not going to be intimidated. And you're going to see that as the trial goes on, he'll control the courtroom. He'll let the lawyers do their jobs, but he will be in control.' Before the trial Cahill won praise for standing firm on his decisions not to delay or move proceedings despite media attention. Officials in Minneapolis drew the ire of the judge before the trial even began when they announced the city's $27million settlement with George Floyd's family in the middle of jury selection. Cahill was considering a defense bid to delay the trial over concerns that the 'unfortunate' timing of the settlement announcement could taint the jurors' perception of the case when officials went against the judge's wishes and held a second press conference on the issue. Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson asked Judge Cahill multiple times to delay the case and declare a mistrial due to remarks from liberal politicians who presumed the defendant's guilt and stoked fears of violence after the verdict. In a biting rebuke, Cahill demanded that the city, the prosecution and the defense 'stop talking about it' before ruling that the trial would proceed as schedule. However he was forced to dismiss two already-seated jurors and several prospective jurors who admitted that their knowledge of the settlement could prevent them from being impartial. Over three weeks of testimony he was quick to interject when either side appeared to veer into a line of questioned that violated the clear rules he had set. As the trial neared its conclusion Congresswoman Maxine Waters enraged Cahill when she urged Black Lives Matter protesters to 'get more confrontational' if Chauvin is found not guilty. Chauvin's attorney cited Waters' comments when he called for a mistrial after the jury was sent out for deliberation on April 19. Just hours before the verdict was announced, President Joe Biden joined fellow Democrats in defying Judge Peter Cahill when he called the evidence against Chauvin 'overwhelming' and said he hoped the jury would come to the 'right verdict'. Nelson said he believed the media frenzy around the case would undoubtedly bias the jury, adding: 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial it's frankly mind-blowing.' Judge Cahill called it 'abhorrent' that politicians ignored his warnings against speaking out the case and said Waters 'may have given [the defense] something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned'. The judge ultimately denied Nelson's bid for a mistrial and the jury proceeded with deliberation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 15, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Pelosi Says Waters Shouldnt Apologize for Comments on Chauvin Trial House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) doesnt have to apologize for comments calling on protesters to get more confrontational over the weekend should an acquittal be handed down for a former Minneapolis police officer over the death of George Floyd, and sought to defend her colleague. In response to a reporters question on whether Waters should apologize for the remarks, Pelosi said no. Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement, she said. I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. Theyve handled this with great dignity and no ambiguity or misinterpretation by the other side. No, I dont think she should apologize. When pressed further on whether Waterss comment could incite violence, Pelosi replied, No, absolutely not. Pelosis attempt to downplay criticism of Waterss comments comes after Republicans called the remarks made at a protest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 17 dangerous. Waters said she was going to fight with all of the people who stand for justice and persuaded protesters to stay on the street, get more active, and get more confrontational, if former officer Derek Chauvin wasnt found guilty of murder. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business, Waters said. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on April 17, 2021. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) She also said the former police officer should be found guilty of murder, a comment that elicited a strong rebuke from the judge presiding over Chauvins trial. The judge added that Waterss comments could be grounds for appealing the verdict of the trial. Ill give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned, he said. The White House has sought to distance itself from Waters, with press secretary Jen Psaki refusing to comment directly on the congresswomans actions. Instead, Psaki spoke generally about protests, saying that its the most American thing to demonstrate against injustice. [President Biden] has been very clear that he recognizes the issue of police violence against people of color, communities of color, as one of great anguish, and its exhausting and quite emotional at times, Psaki said. His view is also that exercising First Amendment rights and protesting injustice is the most American thing that anyone can do. But as he also always says, protests must be peaceful. Thats what he continues to call for and what he continues to believe is the right way to approach responding. Meanwhile, Republicans have raised concerns about Waterss comments, which come against a backdrop of violent rioting and looting over the summer following Floyds death. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) characterized Waterss remarks as dangerous rhetoric and announced on April 19 that he would introduce a resolution to censure the California Democrat after Pelosi refused to act. This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence. Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waterss behaviorthats why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments, McCarthy wrote on Twitter. Similarly, Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) accused Waters of openly calling for violence in Minnesota and argued that if Waters was a Republican lawmaker, the Democratic-controlled chamber would be voting to expel her from committees and possibly Congress. The words get more confrontationalwhat do those words mean? Are those not the words that someone would use if they wanted to incite more violence or insurrection? McClain asked. If the majority cares about this institution, if the majority cares about our nation, they need to get their own house in order and tamp down on the vile rhetoric. Pelosi told reporters that she believes McClain should apologize for her comments on the floor; McClain said she wouldnt. Waterss office didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment by press time. Waters has since dismissed the Republican accusations, telling news site theGrio that shes a nonviolent person. She claims that the calls for her expulsion are part of Republican rhetoric to denounce Democrats. Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to all of the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that, how this is a time for [Republicans] to raise money on [Democrats] backs, Waters said. The congresswoman also argued that her comments were related to confronting the justice system and policing thats going on. Responding to the judges comments on April 19, Waters told a CNN reporter that the judge says my words dont matter, and she falsely claimed that the judge didnt say her comments may be grounds for appeal. The territory that Aurania was targeting has gone from a sleepy jungle backwater to the hottest mining real estate in Latin America in the space of 18 months. Initially motivated by a hunt for historically mined prospects from colonial days, Aurania's outlook has been transformed by a combination of dramatically improved perceptions of Ecuador's attitude towards mining, Fruta del Norte's revival and some stunning discoveries by other explorers in the district. While a chunk of 2020 was lost as downtime due to the pandemic, activities have been ramping up again since restrictions on movement into Ecuador were lifted. In this update following our initiation of coverage just under a year ago, we look at Aurania's exploration programme and the recognition of this new district due to the successes of near neighbours such as Solaris. Key Points of Note: Dynamics have been dramatically altered by the upsurge in the gold price in 2020 and the copper price in 2021 Major discoveries in the vicinity (e.g. Solaris at Warintza) have electrified the district and spurred investors' interests in companies exploring the area Takeover potential? Copper prices have soared highlighting the attraction for majors to potentially move into the district to enhance their production pipelines Travel restrictions instituted in response to the pandemic delayed the exploration efforts in 2020 but plans are now back on track Recent discoveries are providing significant indications of lead-zinc-silver potential as well Pro-business candidate, Guillermo Lasso, has just been elected president of the country The company now also trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol: 20Q Irelands place in Europe is as important as ever and now is the chance to have your say on its future. The online platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe is now open meaning Irish people can now put forward their ideas and suggestions. The multilingual digital platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe is inviting all EU citizens to contribute to shaping their own future and that of Europe as a whole. The platform is available in 24 languages, allowing citizens from across the Union to share and exchange their ideas and views through online events. The Conference on the Future of Europe is seeking to give people from all walks of life, across Europe, a greater say on what they expect from the European Union, which should then help guide the EUs future direction and policymaking. The multilingual digital platform is the central hub and interactive tool of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said: This is a great opportunity to have your say on the future of Europe. It is a chance to shape how topics like climate change, healthcare, education and agriculture will be delivered across the EU over the coming years. These days are a challenging time for all countries in the European Union and through unity comes strength. That is why it is important that we acknowledge the work of the EU but also that we voice our opinions on how the future looks. It is vital that our voices are heard as we look to shape the future of how Europe will operate. Irelands place in Europe is as important as ever and now is the chance to have your say on its future. The EPP Group is hosting an event on The Future of Europe this week which is offering people the chance to have their say on items such as climate change, healthcare, education, agriculture and others. Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune will be joining the dynamic online debate on the Future of Europe on Wednesday. The debate is open for anybody to attend and have their say on the future of the EU. It will start at 1.45pm Irish time on April 21. Together with Federal Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, Chairman Manfred Weber, Vice-Chairman Paulo Rangel and with renowned experts, they will reflect and discuss the goals Europe should reach and how it envisages itself in the coming years, especially in order to provide brighter prospects to the younger generation and to build a stronger European democracy that empowers its citizens. As of today, the Multilingual Digital Platform (http://futureu.europa.eu) is open for contributions meaning citizens from across Europe now have the possibility to provide their views on any topic that they consider important for the future of the European Union. For more information on the EPP debate please see: https://www.eppgroup.eu/ newsroom/events/the-future-of- europe The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fol3 will be powered by the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, says IceUniverse, not a surprise considering that the new foldable is expected cost the same as the Fold2. Also, the cat says that the new model will be 13g lighter than the Z Fold2 (which tipped the scales at 282g). The weight reduction might come from the new Armor Frame, there are rumors that this will be the name of a titanium or carbon fiber frame (which are lighter than steel and even aluminum). Part of that could be the smaller battery (4,275 mAh, down from 4,500 mAh) and the smaller external screen (5.4, down from 6.23, same aspect ratio). Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 render However, the new Z Fold3 (as well as the Galaxy Z Flip3) is expected to feature water resistance, which adds a bit of weight. These will become the first foldables with a water resistance, the form factor typically struggles with dust ingress, never mind water. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are expected in July. The indications so far are that the two will feature new generation foldable displays, with upgrades to the Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) and perhaps even a switch to LTPO panels with 120 Hz refresh rate. The Fold3 will also support an S Pen, though (like the S21 Ultra) it wont have a stylus slot. Source | Z Fold3 render MONTREAL, April 20, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Auxico Resources Canada Inc. (CSE: AUAG) is pleased to announce that it has signed a letter of intent ("LOI") to finance the production and export of high-grade tantalum and iridium ore from an 800-hectare property located 400 metres from a deep sea port, in the sub-prefecture of Bouandougou, department of Mankono, Ivory Coast. Samples from the property were recently analyzed by Coalia Research Institute in Thetford Mines, Quebec. Test results yielded a grade of 59.58% tantalum (Ta) per metric tonne, along with 1.7 kg of iridium (Ir) per metric tonne, or approximately 53 ounces of iridium per metric tonne. The price of tantalum is US$150,000 per tonne, and the price of iridium is US$6,400 per ounce. The results of the first sample are presented in the table below: Ta2O5 Nb 2O5 Fe2O3 Mn O TiO2 SiO2 Al2O3 MgO CaO ZrO2 Ir* HfO2 UO2 SnO2 ZnO PbO % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % 59.8 20.41 10.87 5.21 1.00 0.94 0.74 0.28 0.21 0.18 0.17 0.15 0.07 0.07 0.04 0.03 * With the exception of iridium, the above sample results were provided with the use of XRF (X-ray fluorescence) by Coalia, which subsequently retested the sample with the use of inductively coupled plasma, or ICP. The Company is currently undertaking metallurgical testing of the samples with Central America Nickel Inc. in order to extract iridium from the coltan ore. Iridium is a silver-white transition metal of the platinum group, and one of the densest and rarest of Earth's natural elements. It is the most corrosion-resistant metal, even at temperatures of 2000 C. Given these properties, iridium is used as a hardening agent for platinum alloys. It is also employed in high-performance spark plugs, crucibles for recrystallization of semiconductors at high temperatures, and electrodes for the production of chlorine in the chloralkali process. Tantalum belongs to a class of metals known as refractory metals, which are defined by their strong resistance to heat and wear. Tantalum is used in the electronics industry for capacitors and high power resistors. When combined with other metals, it can produce alloys with enhanced strength, ductility and corrosion resistance. The LOI was signed between Auxico and the companies La Societe Miniere pour la Cote d'Ivoire SA ("Somci") and Clean-T. Under the terms of the LOI, Auxico has 60 days to conduct due diligence, after which the parties agree to enter into a joint venture ("JV"). The parties agreed that under the terms of the JC, Auxico will have a 63% share of the net profits of the JV for committing 100% of the capital required for the initial satellite interpretation study which will be conducted in order to target potential areas of interest in the property, as well as for the equipment required for the concentration of ore and transportation of concentrates from the property. Somci and Clean-T will retain 27% of the net profits of the JV, while the 10% will be allocated for fees defined by the state mining code. Auxico will have the exclusive marketing rights for all metals emanating from the property. Disclaimer: The samples described above were selected under the supervision of one of the property owners, SOMCI. These samples were shipped to a laboratory at Thetford Mines, Quebec, selected by Auxico. It is the opinion of the Qualified Person that an independent site visit and sampling program be established with proper control and chain of custody, and therefore the values presented above are not in compliance with NI 43-101. Because the chain of custody cannot be independently established from the above sample, the Company cautions the reader as to the reliability of the samples and the results thereof. The Company and the QP do not take any responsibility for the values presented in this press release and are being referred to for general information purposes only, and to demonstrate the potential that this property holds which can only be established following Due Diligence by Auxico's QP. Qualified Person This news release was reviewed and approved by Joel Scodnick, P.Geo., an independent consultant to Auxico, in his capacity as a Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The QP advises the reader to pay particular attention to the above disclaimer. Due to Covid 19 travel restrictions it is impractical for the QP to visit the property at this time. About Auxico Resources Canada Inc. Auxico Resources Canada Inc. ("Auxico") is a Canadian company that was founded in 2014 and based in Montreal. Auxico is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Additional information on Auxico can be found on the Company's website ( www.auxicoresources.com ) or on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) under "Auxico Resources Canada Inc." ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS signed signed Pierre Gauthier CEO, Auxico Resources Canada Inc. [email protected] Cell: +1 514 299 0881 Mark Billings President, Auxico Resources Canada Inc. [email protected] Cell: +1 514 296 1641 The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release. SOURCE Auxico Resources Canada Inc. For further information: Pierre Gauthier, CEO, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., [email protected], Cell: +1 514 299 0881; Mark Billings, President, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., [email protected], Cell: +1 514 296 1641 Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future Published a Half-Cooked Research Report on Refractories Market Research Report. Market Insights Market Research Future has recently made public its report on the global refractories market which divulges various crucial market figures. The global refractories market is due to grow at a CAGR of 4.02%during the forecast period 2016 to 2022. Used extensively for linings in furnaces, reactors and other processing units due to its heat-resistant composition, the market is expected to move forward with steady and moderate growth. The demand for refractories material is consistent due to its ability to resist extremely high temperatures without resulting in physical or chemical changes. Refractories have been witnessing rising applications in emerging markets due to its extensive use in manufacturing and in the construction industry. These emerging markets are key in the progress of the market and are also among the largest produces of refractories. Additionally, the growing demand for infrastructure has resulted in high demand for glass, metals, and cement in the construction sector. FREE SAMPLE @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2393 Market Segmentation MRFR's analysis of the market divides it into various segments in an effort to magnify every relevant market factor. Segmentation has been performed on the basis of type, form, application, and region. By type, the market is segmented into high alumina, magnesite, silica brick, fireclay, and others. Based on form, the market is divided into unshaped and shaped. By application, the market is categorized into steel, cement, glass, non-ferrous, and others. The steel sector is the largest consumer of refractories. Globally used due to its lightweight, and heat resistant nature, refractories are highly suitable for use in the steel industry. The global refractories market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World. Key Players The competitive landscape of the global market is covered expensively in MRFRs report, and includes key market players such as Shinagawa Refractories Co. Ltd, Saint-Gobain S.A, RHI AG, Magnesita Refratarios S.A., Harbisonwalker International (HWI) Inc, Coorstek Incorporated, Krosaki Harima Corporation, Corning Incorporated, Vesuvius PLC, and Morgan Advanced Materials PLC Latest Industry News RHI Magnesita has announced its decision to merge its Indian operations under Orient Refractories The move comes in recognition of the potential the region represents. HarbisonWalker International has opened its refractories plant in Ohio, U.S.A after its announcement of the project in 2017. The UD 30 Mn investment has resulted in a technologically advanced refractories plant which will provide the latest in refractories. Regional Analysis The Asia Pacific region accounts for the most significant market share and is followed by Europe and North America. The presence of a massive, ever-growing population in the region has driven the construction sector considerably with an increased demand for housing, and infrastructure in rapidly urbanizing countries. The region is one of the largest producers of refractories which is likely to assist in the APAC remaining in its leading position beyond the forecast period. Led by the US, North America is another significant region in the global refractories market. The U.S is the largest consumer of refractories and the demand for steel and cement in construction activities drive the market in the region. BROWSE RELATED REPORT @ https://www.abnewswire.com/pressreleases/ip-phones-market-20202023-key-findings-covid-19-impact-outbreak-regional-study-industry-profit-growth-business-trends-emerging-technologies-and-future-prospects_521561.html https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/ip-phones-market-2020-2023-key-findings-covid-19-impact-outbreak-regional-study-industry-profit-growth-business-trends-emerging-technologies-and-future-prospects-2020-12-08 http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4906493 https://www.wfmj.com/story/43022564/ip-phones-market-20202023-key-findings-covid-19-impact-outbreak-regional-study-industry-profit-growth-business-trends-emerging-technologies-and-future-prospects [April 20, 2021] AIME Launches New Initiatives Bringing Diversity Into the Wholesale Channel The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers, announced its first class of trainees for the Ignite Mortgage Career Training Program and the inaugural class of recipients for the Spark Small Business Grant aimed at recruiting a new generation of qualified and diverse professionals from retail to become independent mortgage brokerage owners and trained support staff in the wholesale channel. The programs were announced in late September with the Spark program's initial focus on transitioning experienced originators from retail to support their entrepreneurial goals as Broker Owners in the wholesale channel. The Ignite program focuses on growing awareness of the employment opportunities available in the wholesale channel within underserved populations outside of the mortgage industry including military families, minority communities, and women. The driving force bhind these programs is to help create new paths through focused funding and innovative training for previous retail professionals to enter the broker channel and build successful careers from the ground up with funding support provided by United Wholesale Mortgage, Home Point Financial, EPM, REMN Wholesale, and PRMG. "The inaugural class of Spark and Ignite recipients truly earned their positions in each program based on the unparalleled potential to reframe the conversation about what a successful Broker Owner, Loan Originator, Loan Originator Assistant or Loan Processor (News - Alert) looks like," says Katie Sweeney, CEO of AIME. "The willingness each applicant displayed throughout the rigorous selection process in sharing their personal and professional story was truly inspiring and I know this group is ready to make significant contributions to the mortgage industry on day one." Interest in the Spark and Ignite programs was robust with hundreds applications submitted between both programs put together. Ultimately, 73 applicants received grants through the Spark program with recipients receiving funding for aspiring entrepreneurs from the retail channel seeking to start their own wholesale mortgage business. The first class of Ignite trainees includes 92 highly motivated professionals ready to drastically shape the future of the wholesale channel in positions such as loan originator, loan originator assistant, and processor. "Through more diverse representation in the channel, brokers will continue to be positioned as the best option for potential homeowners and introduce new perspectives into the channel that reflect the country we live in," says Candace Morris, Spark Program Manager at AIME. "AIME could not be more excited to welcome a new generation of leaders into the wholesale mortgage industry." For the past three years, AIME has served as a true advocate for independent mortgage brokers and sought to champion members of the wholesale channel from a broad diversity of backgrounds. The Spark and Ignite programs further speak to AIME's vision to grow a supportive community that empowers aspiring wholesale mortgage professionals to ensure brokers are able to tackle consumer's mortgage needs with the highest level of service and expertise. About Association of Independent Mortgage Experts The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) is a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers. With over 40,000 members, AIME is committed to fostering an inclusive environment to support and protect independent mortgage brokers across the country to grow the wholesale mortgage channel. AIME's vision is to contribute to the overall growth of broker market share to above 25% in 2021 and beyond. For additional information regarding the benefits associated with an AIME membership visit www.AIMEGroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005978/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] MOSCOW, April 20 (Reuters) - Russian police detained several allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Tuesday and raided two of his regional offices, a protest monitoring group said, a day before his supporters plan to stage mass protests over his deteriorating health in jail. Navalny, 44, President Vladimir Putin's staunchest critic, declared a hunger strike three weeks ago to demand access to better medical care. He was moved on Sunday to a prison with a hospital. His supporters say they fear for his life. The state prison service has said his condition is satisfactory and that he has agreed to receive "vitamin therapy". His allies say he has still not had proper care and plan to take to the streets on Wednesday evening in protest. Authorities have issued warnings that the demonstrations are illegal, setting the stage for a confrontation and the possibility of mass arrests. Police detained thousands of people at rallies earlier this year over Navalny's jailing. In Moscow, the mayor's office said the protest would not be authorised because of the coronavirus pandemic. The city centre of Yekaterinburg in the Urals will be closed to traffic from early evening to rehearse a military parade, authorities said. Police conducted raids at Navalny's regional offices in the southern city of Krasnodar and the central region of Chelyabinsk, according to OVD-Info, which monitors protests and activist detentions. Five Navalny activists in different regions were detained on various charges, it said. Navalny's activist network faces mounting pressure. On Friday, state prosecutors in Moscow said they wanted to label his regional groups and anti-corruption foundation "extremist", a move that would essentially outlaw their activity. The West has demanded Navalny's release and U.S. President Joe Biden's White House said on Monday that the Russian government would be held to account for his fate and that he must be treated humanely. Story continues The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, declined to comment on Navalny, saying it was a matter for the state prison service or the prosecutor's office. Navalny went on hunger strike on March 31 over what he said was the refusal of the prison holding him to provide him with proper treatment for leg and back pain. Russia says he has received normal medical care, as would any other convict. Navalny allies said doctors and lawyers arrived at the penal colony in Vladimir, east of Moscow, and requested access to him on Tuesday but were told the director of the facility was unavailable and were kept waiting for hours. (Reporting by Anton Zverev and Polina Nikolskaya; writing by Tom Balmforth Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Peter Graff) A northern York County man who police said threatened U.S. Rep. Scott Perry has avoided trial by pleading guilty to a summary nontraffic offense. Mark S. Malinowski has never been in trouble before in his whole life, defense attorney Rick Robinson said, and simply got caught up in the heat of political rhetoric. Malinowski, 64, of Washington Township, appeared before Dillsburg-area District Judge Richard Thomas on Monday morning for a preliminary hearing on his third-degree misdemeanor charge of harassment. But senior deputy prosecutor Phoebe Yates told the judge that an agreement had been reached for Malinowski to plead guilty to the summary grading of that offense in exchange for the misdemeanor version being dropped. Thomas accepted Malinowskis guilty plea to a summary nontraffic version of harassment and fined him $100. With court costs added, Malinowski owed a total of $350.57, which he paid immediately Monday morning, court records state. It was a fair resolution, Robinson said afterward. He acknowledged his client had been told to stop leaving messages for, and sending emails to, Perry and his staff, but he continued to do so. There was never any intent to make a threat or carry out a threat, the defense attorney said. I think it was more just political rhetoric. Yates referred requests for comment to first assistant district attorney Tim Barker, who had not returned a message seeking comment as of 4:45 p.m. Monday. In a statement emailed Monday afternoon, Perry said: My gratitude and respect for our law enforcement officers specifically in this case, our tremendous Pennsylvania State Police and our outstanding District Attorneys who protect our communities, county and Commonwealth every day can never be overstated. The background: State police said Malinowski sent four emails and left two voicemails for Perry at the Congress members office between Dec. 4 and Jan. 9. According to charging documents, Malinowskis Dec. 11 voicemail stated: Its just reprehensible that you, being former military and supposedly honorable what you are doing. Its just unbelievable. You are subverting your constituents and you are a useless lump of flesh. If I saw you on the street, I wouldnt even spit on you. I will make sure you dont get in this office again you scumbag. On Jan. 6, Malinowski sent an email to Perrys office with the subject line Assault on the Capitol, according to documents, that stated, Look at what you have helped cause you [expletive] hump. The email called out seditious Republicans and went on to say, If I ever see you in person, I will not be responsible for my actions, charging documents state. Charging documents state that on Jan. 7, Malinowski left a voicemail at Perrys office stating, " Scott Perry youre a dbag. You are responsible for the [expletive] that went on at the Capitol today. And you know just rot in hell and if I see you in person, Im not going to be responsible for my actions. You deserve to have your head taken off. You [expletive] asshole. Similar case: Its the same resolution as one for a man accused of threatening to have a bullet waiting for Gov. Tom Wolf. Rocco Anthony Naples, 29, of Pleasant Unity, Westmoreland County, pleaded guilty to summary harassment during a Jan. 27 Zoom hearing before District Judge Joel Toluba. In exchange, Naples other charges were dropped. He initially was charged with the third-degree felony of threats and other improper influence in official and political matters, plus the misdemeanors of making terroristic threats and harassment. Naples received the same fine and court costs that Malinowski did, court records reveal. Reach senior crime reporter Liz Evans Scolforo at levans@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @LizScolforoYD. Liz Evans Scolforo of The York Dispatch, Pa., wrote this story. (c)2021 The York Dispatch (York, Pa.) Visit The York Dispatch (York, Pa.) at www.yorkdispatch.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Global oil demand is set for a rebound between now and the end of next year, with consumption expected to rise from current levels by as much as 8 million barrels per day (bpd) by end-2022, according to the worlds largest independent oil trader, Vitol Group. We will need all eight cylinders to get through 2022, Vitols chief executive Russell Hardy told Bloomberg in an interview published on Tuesday. Currently, oil demand is somewhere 3.5 million bpd below the normal levels of 2019, when consumption was around 100 million bpd, according to Hardy. But reopening economies and Asian demand are set to support a strong demand rebound by the end of this year and into 2022, Hardy said. Demand for jet fuel will recover more slowly than other oil products and would still be 1.5 million bpd below 2019 levels by year end. Still, a surge in other products, especially in petrochemicals, will offset the lag in jet fuel demand recovery, Vitols executive told Bloomberg. The record oil surplus of 1 billion barrels amassed last year is already more than halfway drained, Hardy said. At the current pace of drawdowns of 2 million bpd, the remaining excess oil stocks will be depleted by the end of the third quarter this year, even with the planned OPEC+ increase in production of 2 million bpd through July, Hardy told Bloomberg. Vitols view on the oil glut is similar to that of other forecasters and analysts, who say that the end of the excess inventories is in sight. For the rest of this year, OPEC+ will continue to be the market manager, and it would be up to the alliance to ensure a balanced market with demand surging, because the group holds the largest spare capacity, Hardy told Bloomberg. Thats going to come from OPEC because there is no other massive expansion coming because there is generally capital discipline across the West, Hardy said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Is a fourth stimulus check coming? Congress members and others are pressuring President Joe Biden for more relief money, possibly in the form of monthly payments. Most Americans received $1,200 in the first round of stimulus checks in the spring of 2020, plus $500 for each child under the age of 17 to help with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. As Covid-19 raged on, a second round of stimulus checks worth $600 went out in December, and a third round worth $1,400 each plus $1,400 per dependents of all ages started going out last month. According to AL.com, more than 159 million payments worth a total of $376 billion have gone out since the American Rescue Plan was signed by Biden last month. Most received payments via direct deposit, but paper stimulus checks are still in the process of being sent out by the IRS. Still, some say those three relief payments are not enough. SILive.com reports nearly 30% of Americans came up short when trying to cover household expenses, according to U.S. Census Bureau data in March 2021. We need at least one more check, Economic Security Project campaign director Adam Ruben told CNBC. Last month, a group of 21 Democratic U.S. Senators, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, sent a letter to Biden urging him to institute monthly stimulus payments We urge you to include recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions in your Build Back Better long-term economic plan, the Senators wrote. This crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions. One more check is not enough, more than 70 lawmakers in the U.S. House said in a similar letter. Another one-time round of checks would provide a temporary timeline, but when that money runs out, families will once again struggle to pay for basic necessities. Ruben appeared to support Congress proposal, noting that 8 million people fell into poverty between the first stimulus check and the second, roughly eight months later. Lets not do that again. Lets make these checks automatic, Ruben told CNBC. Lets tie them to economic conditions so people arent at the mercy of Washington gridlock. Biden has yet to say if he supports a fourth stimulus check or adding monthly relief payments to his infrastructure bill. 3rd stimulus check: See IRS Get My Payment tool for when youll get paid Why some people may have to return their $1,400 stimulus check Stimulus check update: Some receiving plus-up payments with 3rd round (Natural News) New research revealed that 64 percent of global agricultural land is at risk while 31 percent is at high risk of pesticide pollution due to the widespread use of pesticides. According to the research published in the journal Nature Geoscience, Asia had the most land at risk with 1.9 million square miles mostly in China, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Lead author Fiona Tang, a postgraduate research student at the University of Sydney, noted that 34 percent of those high-risk lands are in biodiverse regions, 19 percent are in low- and lower-middle-income nations and five percent are in water-scarce areas. Researchers studied use and spread of 92 active pesticide ingredients in 168 countries Tang and her colleagues studied the use and spread of 92 active ingredients of pesticides in 168 countries. They considered an area at risk of pesticide pollution if the concentration of an active ingredient exceeded no observed effect concentrations (NOEC). Meanwhile, the researchers considered an area at high risk if the concentration of an active ingredient was over 1,000 times higher than the NOEC. Results revealed that 64 percent or 24.5 million square kilometers of the worlds agricultural land was at risk of pollution from more than one active pesticide ingredient. Of those lands, 31 percent were at high risk of pollution. Asia had the largest land area at high risk, with China accounting for more than half. Meanwhile, elevated levels of active pesticide ingredients in agricultural lands across Russia, Spain and Ukraine meant that over 60 percent of European farmland was at high risk of pesticide pollution. The potential pollution is widespread, noted Tang. On the other hand, agricultural land across Oceania showed the lowest risk of pesticide pollution. However, the researchers considered the Murray-Darling basin in southeastern Australia a high-concern region because of its water scarcity issues and its high biodiversity. Pesticide use, however minimal, threatens to affect both. The researchers also assessed pesticide pollution risk in terms of different kinds of environment, including soil, surface water, groundwater and atmosphere. Surface water was found to be the most vulnerable to pesticide pollution because pesticide-laden runoff water from commercial farms can pollute other bodies of water. Pesticide pollution can have serious consequences on human and environmental health. (Related: Brain-damaging neurotoxic pesticide found in hundreds of foods: EPA allows pesticide lobby to dictate policy.) The study supports the call for a global strategy to transition towards sustainable agriculture and sustainable living, which involve minimal pesticide use and reduced food loss. Co-author Alex McBratney, director of the Sydney Institute of Agriculture at the University of Sydney, added that it would also be important to monitor pesticide residues on an annual basis to detect trends. Doing so would allow experts to better manage and mitigate risks from the use of pesticides across the globe. Pesticides harm environment, wildlife and humans Pesticides are often used to boost productivity in farming. Nonetheless, pesticides can impact the environment, wildlife and even humans. For instance, pesticides can contaminate water sources that feed drinking water supplies through runoff and infiltration in both urban and agricultural settings. In humans, exposure to pesticides or the ingestion of pesticides from contaminated water and produce has been shown to have both acute and chronic adverse health effects. Some examples of acute effects include rashes, blisters, dizziness, nausea and diarrhea. Meanwhile, chronic effects include cancers, birth defects and reproductive, neurological and developmental health problems. Infants and young children are considered more susceptible than adults to the effects of pesticide exposure. Pesticides also kill beneficial insects like bees. Previous studies also indicate that the widespread use of pesticides has given rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Go to Pesticides.news to learn more about the environmental impacts of pesticide use in agriculture. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com DailyMail.co.uk PesticideReform.org CivilEats.com Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong answers to a question from one of the lawmakers during the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's plenary meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, Tuesday. Yonhap South Korea is "earnestly discussing" forging a swap deal with the United States to secure COVID-19 vaccines, the South Korean foreign minister said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong revealed the bilateral consultation under way between Seoul and Washington, during a parliamentary session. "Currently, (South Korea) is discussing (the potential swap deal) with the U.S. side quite earnestly," the foreign minister said, responding to a query by Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party. Chung said the issue was "intensively" consulted when U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry visited Seoul last week. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has engaged Femi Falana, to challenge the judgments awarding some consultants and contractors humongous shares of the Paris and London Club refunds received from the Federal Government by the various states and their local governments. Mr Falana, in a letter dated April 19, 2021, written to the Minster of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, on behalf of the NGF, requested that the plan to issue promissory notes to the purported creditors be suspended, in deference to the legal steps being taken to appeal against the judgments. The Senior Advocate of Nigerias letter is sequel to an earlier correspondence dated April 8 sent to the finance minister by a law firm, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN & Co, on behalf of one of the creditors, Ted Iseghoghi-Edwards. PREMIUM TIMES previous expose on the controversial judgment debts has revealed that Mr Iseghoghi-Edwards is laying claim to $159 million for providing consultancy services to the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) to secure the Paris Club refund. Our report revealed that a total of $418 million judgment debts (about N159 billion at the exchange rate of $1 to N380.5) has already been cleared for payment by influential officials of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. This platforms report revealed those behind the desperate push for the payment to be the Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the finance minister. They have concluded on paying the six creditors through the issuance of promissory notes to be funded from state governments allocations for 10 years. Our reports had shown that the officials are pushing for the payment despite Mr Buharis directive suspending it after the NGF raised an objection to it and called for a forensic audit of the whole indebtedness. The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has, on different occasions, written to the AGF, Mr Malami, querying the claims by Mr Iseghoghi-Edwards and a firm, Riok Nigeria Limited. An investigation report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) received by the AGF has also questioned the $159 million (about N60.5 billion) being claimed by Mr Iseghoghi-Edwards. While Mr Malami has justified his push for the purported creditors to be paid, he has refused to answer the 10 questions PREMIUM TIMES asked him to answer over the matter. NGFs fresh letter In his letter written on behalf of the NGF, Mr Falana urged the finance minister not to issue promissory notes to Mr Ted-Iseghoghi or any of the creditors yet, as his client is set to challenge the judgment on which the monetary claims are anchored. The lawyer stated that his clients documents challenging the judgment and asking for stay of execution of the judgment would be filed as soon as the ongoing judiciary workers strike is called off. The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has engaged our services to challenge the decisions of the court relating to or connected with payments of legal and consultancy fees arising from London Club Debt Buy Back and London Club Debt Exit Payment, which is the fulcrum of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja in Suit Nos, FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 LINAS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED & ORS.V. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA & ORS. As you already know, the claim of Dr Ted Iseghoghi-Edwards arose from legal services he allegedly rendered to the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). Consequently, we have prepared all the court processes challenging the judgments of courts and seeking for stay of execution and/or injunction pending appeal. We have been unable to file due to the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), which has occasioned a complete shutdown of our courts, the letter reads in part. Argument, requests Mr Falana cited section 162(5) of the Nigerian constitution which, according to him, mandates that any amount standing to the credit of local governments be paid directly to the states for the benefit of their local government councils. ADVERTISEMENT The states therefore have a responsibility to ensure that funds standing to the credit of the local government councils are protected as custodians of such funds, he added. He urged the finance minister not to accede to the request by Mr Ted-Iseghoghi-Edwards lawyers for the issuance of promissory notes relating to settlement of the disputed judgment debts. We need to inform you of your sacred duty of staying action on this matter in view of the injunctive reliefs sought in the processes to be filed in court on these matters, the letter reads in part. It added, while extending the assurances of our highest regard, we hope that you will exercise restraint by resisting any urge to issue promissory notes to anyone (including Dr. Ted Iseghohi Edwards, Mr. Ned Munir Nwoko, Panic Alert Security Systems, Dr. George Uboh, Riok Nigeria Ltd, Prince Orji Nwafor-Orizu & Barrister Bello Olaitan Busayo) pending the determination of these actions by the court. So while a bidding war is possible, it seems fairly likely that the loser of that war would have to look for another target, which could likely be CSX or Norfolk Southern, Wetherbee said in a research note. [April 20, 2021] Viewing China From Afar SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- China's economy grew 18.3% year on year in Q1 of 2021. The recovery began in the second half of 2020. While facing the raging pandemic, China took the lead in containing the coronavirus and became the only country in the world to achieve positive economic growth last year. Produced by People's Daily Online West USA Inc., the docuseries " Viewing China From Afar: A Story in China" was released online recently, documenting a group of young foreigners' travels in China in 2020. James wanted to find a place to start his own business, and then he came to Guangzhou Development District. Scott has been in China for nearly ten years. He really likes the lifestyle in Chengdu and the food in Chongqing. Tim has just come to China to study. He has fallen in love with the cultural charm of the ancient capital Xi'an. Shakhrukh wanted to see how the ancient stone carvings engraved on the mountain rocks represented the ancient Chinese aesthetic. Stephan, who also loves classical Chinese culture, wanted to se the micro-expressions of the Terracotta Warriors...Produced by People's Daily Online West USA Inc., the docuseries "Viewing China From Afar: A Story in China" was released online recently, documenting a group of young foreigners' travels in China in 2020. Scott, Tim, James, Shakhrukh, and Stephan are from the United Kingdom, the United States, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Some of them were studying in China, others were looking for development opportunities. While the 2020 pandemic stopped everyone in their tracks, these foreign youths continued their exploration in China, the first country to recover from the pandemic. They were looking for opportunities, visiting cities and exploring culture, and they want to show us the real China through their stories. Wei Deng Phone: 650.680.6791 Email: usawest@people.cn Related Images image1.jpeg Related Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-iXDgKTj7E View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viewing-china-from-afar-301272969.html SOURCE People's Daily Online West USA Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Iran releases Christian convert imprisoned for membership in evangelistic group Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Authorities in Iran have released a 37-year-old Iranian Christian convert four months early after he tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report. Majidreza Souzanchi, who was arrested in 2017 for his association with a house church and being involved in evangelism, was released from Tehran Greater Prison on April 8, about four months before he was to be released after he contracted COVID-19 in that prison, International Christian Response reported on Friday. In April 2018, Judge Ahmed Mashallah at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced the convert to five years in prison the maximum possible sentence for the charges he faced, which were membership of evangelistic groups and conducting evangelism, Article 18, a United Kingdom-based watchdog group that promotes religious freedom and tolerance for Christians in Iran, previously reported. In December 2018, Judge Hassan Babaei at Branch 54 of the Tehran Regional Court of Appeals reduced Souzanchis sentencing to two years. However, he was also accused of theft a charge he denies and sentenced to two additional years. After serving the sentence related to Christianity, Souzanchi was transferred from Evin Prison to Tehran Greater Prison to serve the sentence for theft. He was arrested and sentenced alongside a 19-year-old woman, Fatemeh Mohammadi, who was sentenced to six months in prison for membership of an evangelical group. She was released after sentencing as she had served her time in the womens ward of Evin Prison. Christians in Iran witnessed an unprecedented wave of raids on house churches toward the end of 2018 in which more than 100 Christians were arrested, according to Article 18. Most of them were released after a few hours after they wrote down details of their Christian activities and were ordered to have no more contact with other Christians. Last January, a 21-year-old Iranian Christian convert, Fatemeh Mohammadi, who prefers to go by the name Mary since her spiritual conversion, was arrested during an anti-government protest in Tehran. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that Mary was detained near Azadi Square in Tehran, where protests occurred after the Iranian military shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane and killed 176 people. She published a series of tweets on the day she was arrested, saying that the Iranian people faced soft repression in Iran as the regime creates false beliefs through selective coverage of the news. The Iranian government uses Articles 489, 499 and 500 of the countrys Penal Code to prosecute Christians for their peaceful religious activities. The country has consistently been labeled by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for egregious violations of religious freedom. New Delhi New Delhi imposed a weeklong lockdown Monday night to prevent the collapse of the Indian capitals health system, which authorities said had been pushed to its limit amid an explosive surge in coronavirus cases. In scenes familiar from surges elsewhere, ambulances catapulted from one hospital to another, trying to find an empty bed over the weekend, while patients lined up outside of medical facilities waiting to be let in. Ambulances also idled outside of crematoriums, carrying half a dozen dead bodies each. In an effort to combat crisis, India announced that it would soon expand its vaccination campaign to all adults. People keep arriving, in an almost collapsing situation, said Dr. Suresh Kumar, who heads Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, one of New Delhis largest hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients. Just months after India thought it had seen the worst of the pandemic, the virus is now spreading at a rate faster than at any other time, said Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan who has been tracking infections in India. The country is not alone. Several places in the world are seeing deepening crises, including Brazil and France, spurred in part by new variants. More than a year into the pandemic, deaths are on the rise again worldwide, running at nearly 12,000 per day on average, and new cases are climbing, too. Over the weekend, the global death toll passed a staggering 3 million people. But the surge has been devastating in India and has weighed heavily on the global efforts to end the pandemic since the country is a major vaccine producer but has been forced to delay exports of shots abroad, hampering campaigns in developing countries, in particular. In a sign of the high stakes, the chief executive of Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest maker of vaccines, asked U.S. President Joe Biden on Twitter last week to lift the U.S. embargo on exporting raw materials needed to make the shots. As it battles the rising cases, India announced Monday that it would vaccinate everyone older than 18 from May 1. The country began inoculating health workers in mid-January and later extended the drive to people over 45. India has so far administered 120 million doses to its population of nearly 1.4 billion. The country reported over 270,000 infections on Monday, its highest daily rise since the pandemic started. It has now recorded more than 15 million infections and more than 178,000 deaths. Experts agree that even these figures are likely undercounts. Amid the rise in cases, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called off a trip to New Delhi. The city of 29 million people has fewer than 100 beds with ventilators, and fewer than 150 beds available for patients needing critical care. Similar strains can be seen in other parts of the vast country, where the fragile health system has been underfunded for decades and a failure to prepare for the current surge has left hospitals buckling under the pressure of mounting infections. In the Himalayan region of Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, the weekly average of COVID-19 cases has increased 11-fold in the past month. In Telengana state in southern India, home to Hyderabad city where most of Indias vaccine makers are based, the weekly average of infections has increased 16-fold in the past month. Meanwhile, election campaigns are continuing in West Bengal state in eastern India, amid an alarming increase there as well, and experts fear that crowded rallies could fuel the spread of the virus. Top leaders of the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have campaigned heavily to win polls in the region. By contrast, in New Delhi, officials have begun to impose stringent measures again. The Indian capital was shut down over the weekend, but now authorities are extending that for a week: All shops and factories will close, except for those that provide essential services, like grocery stores. People are not supposed to leave their homes, except for a handful of reasons, like seeking medical care. They will be allowed to travel to airports or train stations a difference from the last lockdown when thousands of migrant workers were forced to walk to their home villages. That harsh lockdown last year, which lasted months, left deep scars. Politicians have since been reticent to even mention the word. When similar measures were imposed in Mahrashtra state, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, in recent days, officials refused to call it a lockdown. Those restrictions are to last 15 days. Kejriwal, the Delhi official, urged calm, especially among migrant workers who particularly suffered during the previous shutdown, saying this one would be small. But many feared it would spell economic ruin. Amrit Tripathi, a laborer in New Delhi, was among the thousands who walked home in last years lockdown. We will starve, he said, if the current measures are extended. Toyota, which pioneered hybrid cars, on Monday unveiled plans for its first global line-up of battery electric vehicles as other carmakers have pulled ahead in electrification. The Japanese automaker announced at the Shanghai motor show its future bZ line, or Beyond Zero, which should see seven models hitting showroom floors by 2025. "Were establishing ourselves as a full line-up manufacturer," said Masahiko Maeda, Toyota Motor Corporation's chief technology officer. The announcement at the Shanghai motor show was appropriate as China is the only market where Toyota sells electric versions of a number of its cars. The first bZ model, an SUV whose characteristics and price were not disclosed, should reach consumers in just over a year. The announcement comes just a month after Volkswagen, which took back the title of the top carmaker by sales volume last year from Toyota, unveiled a massive 46 billion-euro ($55 billion) investment plan to become the top maker of electric vehicles by 2025. All of the major automakers such as Stellantis (Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler), Renault-Nissan, GM, Ford, Hyundai-Kia and China's Geely (Volvo) have announced in recent years plans to move towards electric vehicles. All except for Toyota, whose line-up is dominated by hybrids, from the sub-compact Yaris to the big 4x4 Highlander. The automaker has only a handful of battery electric vehicles on sale outside of China, including the ProAce small van and the ultra-compact C+pod. - Japan Today Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Durrat Al Bahrain, the largest luxury residential and tourist resort in the Kingdom of Bahrain, hosted the South Korea Ambassador to Bahrain Hai Kwan Chung. Yasser Muhammad Al Hammadi, CEO of the company, briefed the Ambassador about Durrat Al Bahrain and made a presentation on other current and future projects. A tour was organised for the Korean Ambassador to the resort, where he was briefed on the resorts features such as waterfronts overlooking the beaches and deep waters, integrated designs of the villas, landscapes, and wonderful views of the sea. He was also shown all the services that are provided to the resorts residents, including parks, restaurants and other service facilities. The Ambassador expressed his admiration for the outstanding level of the company and its superior ability to push the march of growth, especially in the real estate sector, as well as the advanced and refined level of the resort in its designs, services and aesthetic views of the sea. Al Hammadi reviewed with the Ambassador the future projects to be implemented in the resort, stressing that the process of construction and development continues. He added that among the projects in the pipeline are residential villas on the islands, in addition to the commercial and investment projects to be established on the island Crescent Commercial. As Alabama Medicaid made the shift from a closed model to an open model, the Agency needed a partner with the right technology and experience to manage the complexity of this change. HHAeXchange, the leading provider of homecare management solutions for payers, providers, and state Medicaid agencies, announced today that it has been selected by the Alabama Medicaid Agency to provide modular EVV tools and aggregation to the State and its providers. The contract was awarded to HHAeXchange on March 12, 2021. As Alabamas aggregator, HHAeXchange will provide comprehensive oversight and management of the States EVV data in compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act EVV mandate. Under the Cures Act, all Medicaid personal care services and home health care services must be electronically verified. HHAeXchanges Aggregator platform will support Alabama as it shifts from a closed EVV model to an open EVV model by consolidating all visit data, regardless of the EVV tools being used. The Aggregator platform will provide powerful data visualization and analytics dashboards to enable the State to manage provider compliance and ensure recipients are receiving the right care at the right time. As Alabama Medicaid made the shift from a closed model to an open model, the Agency needed a partner with the right technology and experience to manage the complexity of this change, along with aggregating all EVV data. We are excited to partner with HHAeXchange and look forward to ensuring Medicaid recipients have access to the care they need, said Mason Tanaka, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Information Officer of Alabama Medicaid Agency. HHAeXchange will support Alabamas 135+ providers operating under seven waivers, as well as its self-directed program. Providers will be able to use the free HHAeXchange Provider Portal and its suite of user-friendly caregiver tools or utilize third-party tools that directly integrate with HHAeXchange. HHAeXchange is proud to have been chosen by the State of Alabama to aggregate Medicaid recipient visit data on its behalf, said Greg Strobel, CEO of HHAeXchange. Were looking forward to partnering with the State to ensure a scalable solution that supports improved care for Alabama Medicaid recipients, while also providing innovative tools to providers and caregivers. As an industry-leading provider of homecare management solutions, HHAeXchange has helped numerous states and MCOs manage billions of dollars in Medicaid claims while achieving a new level of oversight, transparency, and efficiency that hasnt previously existed in the marketplace. Earlier this year, HHAeXchange successfully launched its Aggregator solution in the states of New Jersey and West Virginia, helping achieve Cures Act compliance for both states. Cenfura's Nigerian subsidiary will provide 24/7 renewable energy in Nigeria and provide a bridge to the digital economy for efficient payments Cenfura Ltd. is delighted to announce a new subsidiary with local partners in Nigeria to provide needed 24/7 Green Power to communities and businesses. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005210/en/ CEO, Nello Cafcules meets with our local Nigerian partners, Taiwo Sanusi and Habib Ali (Photo: Business Wire) Cenfuras focus in Nigeria will be twofold firstly, providing renewable energy to residential communities and businesses in a sustainable and economically viable manner, and secondly, providing an integrated digital platform for billing and payments. The Cenfura team is very excited to work with our partners at Cenfura Nigeria Ltd to deliver blockchain based renewable energy solutions throughout Nigeria. Pasi Nieminen, Founder and Chairman, said, "A new subsidiary in Nigeria allows us to not only grow our business, but also provide an excellent service to the Nigerian people in the energy and Fintech areas. We look forward to growing together with them." About Cenfura Cenfura is a Smart Energy Services company developing and operating renewable energy assets globally. We deploy distributed energy grids with dynamic load handling systems powered by AI to dramatically increase efficiency over traditional renewable energy providers. Our solutions can be islanded and incorporate automated storage to allow deployment in regions where primary grid instability is a serious problem and can cause significant disruptions. Cenfuras mission is to accelerate the adoption of fully distributed renewable energy across the globe. We stand at the intersection of several important sectors Renewable Energy, Regulatory Technology, and Fintech. Cenfura incorporates all three elements to deliver holistic solutions to our end users. We can provide scalable solutions to communities, industrial consumers, farming, mining, and government entities. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005210/en/ Contacts Jussi Schultink, Press Officer Cenfura Ltd +358 406 726673 press@cenfura.com https://www.cenfura.com/ HAMDEN A longtime Hamden police officer is suing the town, based on allegations he repeatedly was passed over for promotions that went to white colleagues, according to a lawsuit filed in Bridgeport Superior Court. The plaintiff, Robert Dunham, who is Black, alleges in his complaint that the towns actions constituted intentional discriminatory conduct, further contending some of the officers who were promoted ahead of him were less qualified. Dunham, who has served on the Hamden Police Department since 2001, per the complaint, declined comment through his attorney. Per the complaint, three white officers were promoted to detective in 2018, a position for which Dunham also had applied. While an exam ranked him fourth among candidates, one of the promoted officers had a disciplinary record, the complaint alleges. It further contends Dunham has no disciplinary record with the department. Regardless, the process made Dunham the next top-ranked candidate for a promotion, according to the lawsuit. But when the next opportunity came - in February 2020 - two other officers, both white and ranked below Dunham on the list, were selected, the complaint claims, alleging both had been disciplined for misconduct and one was 11 years younger than Dunham. In refusing to promote the plaintiff to the position of detective in February, 2020, the defendant discriminated against the plaintiff in violation of Conn. Gen. Stats. Sec. 46a60(b)(1), on the basis of the plaintiff's race and age, the suit claims, Dunham ultimately was promoted in August 2020 after filing a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, according to the lawsuit but his seniority within his rank is lower than it otherwise should be and he has been placed in a less preferential assignment resulting in fewer overtime opportunities than his fellow detectives, the lawsuit says. Mayor Curt Balzano Leng did not comment directly on the claims, and Chief of Police John Sullivan said he could not discuss personnel manners. The defense had not filed a response to the complaint in court as of Friday. But Leng shared general information about the diversity of the towns police force, which he said came from a departmental report. In 2007, people of color accounted for seven of the departments 97 officers, according to the data, which also indicates that as of January 2021, the department had 23 officers of color. The report also described the change another way: 13 years ago, roughly 90 percent of the force was made up of white males. That number is now at 70 percent. As of January 2021, the department also had 97 officers. Recruiting efforts of late have moved us closer to representing the makeup of the community we serve, according to the report. The Hamden Police Department remains convinced in using modern and innovative ways such as Internet and social media to recruit and retain a diverse staff of the best, highly trained officers possible. Dunhams lawsuit makes different claims about promotions, contending that as of February 2020, only 3 of 42 positions of rank subject to a promotional process were filled by officers of color. In 2016, the Hamden Police Department adopted a general order aimed at diversifying the department. Dunhams lawsuit argues that, in his case, Hamden failed to comply with the policy. The Hamden Police Department, through the Police Commission, shall make efforts to select and promote minority police officers so that the racial and ethnic diversity of the department is representative of our communities served, the policy says. These efforts shall include the filing of vacant positions in the department by hiring or promoting a minority candidate when the qualifications of such candidate exceed or are equal to that of any other candidate. Members of the Police Commission say the body has committed to diversifying the department. We made it a priority, said Cherlyn Poindexter, who sits on the commission. I think the police force should reflect the community in which its in. . In order for people to feel safe and protected like anything else you want to see people maybe that you know, people that you grew up with who are working in your town. But Poindexter is pushing for further action. She has asked the department to partner with the Board of Education and set up a recruiting program within Hamden schools. Other community members have highlighted the importance of diversifying the force. One of the goals included in the Democratic Town Committee platform, for example, is to support hiring practices that produce a police department that reflects the community it serves. Abdul Osmanu, the DTC secretary, said the issue came into focus two years ago after the police shooting of Stephanie Washington, an unarmed Black woman who was wounded when two officers opened fire on the vehicle she was in after having stopped it during an investigation. DTC member Sunu Shah said having a police department that reflects the community can lead to better policing outcomes. Law enforcement should be part of the community, share the identity of the community and be culturally responsive, she said. According to census.govs 2019 population estimates, roughly 61 percent of Hamdenites identified as white, 25 percent as Black or African American and 13 percent as Hispanic or Latino. Rhonda Caldwell, a local police accountability advocate who runs Hamden Action Now, said she generally has positive views of Hamdens Police Department, but believes structural change in policing is necessary. Among the steps she favors is fostering a department whose officers are part of the community. She recalled how she grew up a few doors down from a Black police officer. These people do become a member of your community, and a lot of times they become part of the family, Caldwell said. It doesnt seem like theres a group of people coming into town to earn money and then leaving. They should be a diverse part of our town, and our town needs to actively try to pursue that. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Bright Armenia party will participate in the upcoming snap parliamentary elections alone, without alliance, MP Gevorg Gorgisyan said at a briefing today in the Parliament. At this moment the Bright Armenia party has a decision according to which it will participate in the elections alone with its brand and list, the lawmaker said. Asked whether there is a response to the proposal made by Bright Armenia faction head Edmon Marukyan to former authorities who want to participate in the snap palls, Gorgisyan said: The proposal has been made publicly. We do not have any separate negotiations with any force. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Anti-coup protesters shout slogans with a banner reading ''Carry on revolution! We do not accept as the military slave,'' in Kamayut township of Yangon, Burma, on April 19, 2021. (AP Photo) EU Expands Sanctions Against Burma Military, Companies BANGKOKThe European Union expanded its sanctions against Burmas military leaders and army-controlled companies ahead of a regional meeting to discuss the worsening crisis after army leaders deposed the elected government. The Council of the European Unions latest sanctions target 10 individuals and two military-controlled companies already subject to sanctions by the United States, Britain, and other governments. It is unclear if such moves are having any impact as the military escalates its efforts to crush opposition to its seizure of power. Burmas economy is already in crisis, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and by the mass civil disobedience movement that arose following the Feb. 1 coup. The EU said the number of individuals sanctioned was expanded to 35 people it said were responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law, for repressive decisions, and for serious human rights violations. The two military-controlled companies, Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Ltd. (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corp. (MEC), have vast holdings in many industries and help to fund the military. All are subject to having their assets frozen, travel banned, and other measures. EU citizens and businesses are banned from doing business or providing funds to them without special permission. Todays decision is a sign of the EUs unity and determination in condemning the brutal actions of the military junta, and aims at effecting change in the juntas leadership, the EU said in a statement. Todays decision also sends a clear message to the military leadership: continuing on the current path will only bring further suffering and will never grant any legitimacy, it said. An anti-coup protester throws a smoke bomb against police during a crackdown in Thaketa township in Yangon, Burma, on March 27, 2021. (AP Photo) Since the coup, security forces have killed at least 738 protesters and bystanders, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which monitors casualties and arrests. It says more than 3,200 people are still detained, among the nations deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. The EU already had an embargo on sales to Burma of arms and equipment that can be used for internal repression; an export ban on dual-use goods for use by the military and border guard police; export restrictions on equipment for monitoring communications that could be used for internal repression; and a prohibition on military training for and military cooperation with the army. Last week, the U.S. S&P 500 said it was removing Indias Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. from its sustainability index due to its alleged dealings with Burma authorities. Adani did not respond to a request for comment on that move. Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday exhorted the U.N. Security Council to act immediately to halt the violence and protect civilians. So far, the council has not taken such action, which would likely be blocked by China and Russia. The Association of Southeast Asian Nationswhich is holding a summit on Burma this monthmaintains a policy of non-interference in each others political matters and has rejected the idea of imposing sanctions against the junta. Ban urged ASEAN to send a high-level delegation to Burma. He said he had tried unsuccessfully to make a diplomatic visit himself. By Elaine Kurtenbach OTTAWA, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - In her first federal budget, delivered today, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland proposed significant investments to protect Canadians from the severe weather already escalating as a result of climate change. Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) commends Minister Freeland and the Government of Canada for ensuring climate adaptation measures are appropriately resourced as the government continues to implement its promised National Action Plan on Flooding. The budget items related to this action plan are: $1.4 billion over 12 years to extend the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund with almost half dedicated to smaller-scale projects over 12 years to extend the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund with almost half dedicated to smaller-scale projects $63.8 million over three years to Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Public Safety Canada to work with provinces and territories to complete flood maps for higher-risk areas over three years to Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Public Safety Canada to work with provinces and territories to complete flood maps for higher-risk areas $4.4 billion to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for interest-free loans up to a maximum of $40,000 to help homeowners complete deep home retrofits for energy efficiency and climate resilience to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for interest-free loans up to a maximum of to help homeowners complete deep home retrofits for energy efficiency and climate resilience $200 million over three years, starting in 202122, to Infrastructure Canada to establish a Natural Infrastructure Fund to support natural and hybrid infrastructure projects. This would help to improve well-being, mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent costly natural disasters. In addition, Finance Canada has allocated funding for further climate adaptation measures, including: $28.7 million to improve wildfire risk mapping in northern Canada to improve wildfire risk mapping in northern $1.9 billion to support provincial and territorial emergency management through Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements to support provincial and territorial emergency management through Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements $11.7 million over five years so that the Standards Council of Canada can continue updating standards and guidance in priority areas such as flood mapping and building in the North. This would help communities to plan and build roads, buildings and other infrastructure that is more durable and resilient to a changing climate. over five years so that the Standards Council of can continue updating standards and guidance in priority areas such as flood mapping and building in the North. This would help communities to plan and build roads, buildings and other infrastructure that is more durable and resilient to a changing climate. $22.6 million over four years, starting in 202122, to Infrastructure Canada to conduct Canada's first ever National Infrastructure Assessment. The assessment would help identify needs and priorities for Canada's built environment. over four years, starting in 202122, to Infrastructure Canada to conduct first ever National Infrastructure Assessment. The assessment would help identify needs and priorities for built environment. $36.2 million over five years, starting in 202122, to Environment and Climate Change Canada to develop and apply a climate lens that ensures climate adaptation and mitigation considerations are integrated throughout federal government decision-making. The budget also commits to implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures by committing all Crown corporations to disclose transition, liability and physical risk by 2024. "The federal budget proposes to invest in a wide range of climate adaptation measures that will keep Canadians safe from the escalating floods, wildfires, wind and hailstorms that are already happening as a result of climate change. In particular, we applaud the signature investments that will increase resilience to flooding, which is our greatest climate-related threat," said Craig Stewart, Vice-President, Federal Affairs, IBC. Losses related to natural catastrophic events (events resulting in insured losses of $25 million or more) have averaged $2 billion annually between 2009 and 2020, compared with an average of $422 million per year in the 1983 to 2008 period, according to IBC data. That's more than a four-fold increase in severe weather events, which are increasingly attributed to climate change. About Insurance Bureau of Canada Insurance Bureau of Canada is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up 90% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties. For media releases and more information, visit IBC's Media Centre at www.ibc.ca. Follow us on Twitter @IBC or like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada For further information: Media Contact: Vanessa Barrasa, Manager, Media Relations, 416-550-9062, [email protected] Related Links www.ibc.ca Research from the the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia points to the involvement of the immune system the brain as a contributor to mental disorders such as schizophrenia Like a stern bodyguard for the central nervous sytem, the blood-brain barrier keeps out anything that could lead to disease and dangerous inflammation--at least when all is functioning normally. That may not be the case in people with schizophrenia and other mental disorders, suggest new findings from a team led by researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). In these individuals, a more permissive barrier appears to allow the immune system to get improperly involved in the central nervous system, the researchers showed. The inflammation that arises likely contributes to the clinical manifestations of neuropsychiatric conditions. "Our hypothesis was that, if the immune function of the blood-brain barrier is compromised, the resulting inflammation will have an impact on the central nervous system," says Jorge Ivan Alvarez, an assistant professor at Penn Vet and senior author on the work, published in the journal Brain. "With that in mind, we think these findings could also be used to understand how the blood-brain barrier and neurological processes impact not only schizophrenia but mental disorders at large." The research team pursued the study focused on a rare condition called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS), in which people are born missing a small portion of DNA from chromosome 22. Roughly a quarter of people with this syndrome go on to develop schizophrenia. Penn and CHOP have a community of researchers who study the condition, often as a way of probing deeper into the mysteries of schizophrenia. This disorder had not been a focus for the Alvarez lab, however, until he gave a talk at CHOP on his area of expertise--the blood-brain barrier--and was approached by an attendee afterward. "We started talking about the fact that, in this deletion syndrome, one of the missing genes is very important for blood-brain barrier function," Alvarez says. That attendee, Stewart Anderson of CHOP, had been studying 22qDS, and together he and Alvarez began collaborating to evaluate whether the blood-brain barrier and its effect on the immune system were playing a role in the condition. As a first step, the group used a technique whereby stem cells from 22qDS patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, as well as healthy controls, are coaxed to develop into blood-brain barrier endothelial cells, the cells that form a tightly regulated "wall." In experiments led by Vet School doctoral student Alexis Crockett, they found that the barrier function in cells derived from 22qDS patients was more impaired than those derived from the healthy controls, which were more restrictive. They confirmed these findings in mice bred to have a version of 22qDS, finding that their blood-brain barrier was likewise leaky compared to normal mice. The brain is typically considered "immune privileged," meaning that the surveillance carried out by immune cells and immune mediators on the central nervous system is not only regulated by the physical blockade of the blood-brain barrier but also by endothelial cells making the barrier express lower levels of immune signaling molecules. To see if 22qDS compromised this immune privilege, the researchers again looked to patient stem cells induced to grow into blood-brain barrier cells and to their mouse model. In both cases, they observed impairments in the immune privilege properties of the barrier, with more immune cells and pro-inflammatory molecules able to cross it. As a final validation of their findings, the researchers examined post-mortem brain tissue from three 22qDS patients and three controls. Similar to their work in cultured cells and the mouse model, they found evidence of impairment in the blood-brain barrier's physical and immune protective functions. "This was the corroboration process, replicating all of these observations in human tissues," Alvarez says. The work adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that schizophrenia and certain other neuropsychiatric conditions may be in part neuroinflammatory disorders. It's also the first study to assess blood-brain barrier function in 22qDS, making an important link between neuroinflammation due to barrier dysfunction and neuropsychiatric disorders. "Because 25% of 22q patients develop schizophrenia, it may be possible that these mechanisms taking place in 22q are applicable to idiopathic schizophrenia," Alvarez says. "And when 22q patients are studied in detail, up to 80% are found to have some form of mental disorder, so these findings may well extend to other disorders as well," including perhaps depression or autism, he says. In future work, Alvarez and colleagues will be exploring the role of the blood-brain barrier further, narrowing in on what processes are involved in the barrier's increased permeability, including a look at astrocytes, cells that normally enhance barrier function. Further insights into the connection between inflammation and neuropsychiatric disease, Alvarez says, may one day lead to therapies that address inflammation by manipulating the immune response. ### Alvarez's and Anderson's coauthors, from Penn Vet, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Perelman School of Medicine, were Alexis M. Crockett, Sean K. Ryan, Adriana Hernandez Vasquez, Caroline Canning, Nickole Kanyuch, Hania Kebir, Guadalupe Ceja, James Gesualdi, Elaine Zackai, Donna McDonald-McGinn, Angela Viaene, Richa Kapoor, Nail Benallegue, Raquel Gur, and Stewart Anderson. Alvarez was senior author, and Crockett was first author. Jorge Ivan Alvarez is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Stewart Anderson is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine and director of Research for the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Services of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Alexis Crockett is a doctoral student at Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants 5K01NS097519-03, MH110185-03, MH066912, MH191719, MH087636, MH119738, MH119219, and MH101719) and the Penn/CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute. Walter Mondale, who asserted himself as an activist vice president under Jimmy Carter before losing a bid for the presidency in one of the worst routs in U.S. political history, Ronald Reagans 1984 re-election landslide, has died. He was 93. He died on Monday at his home in Minneapolis, according to the New York Times, citing Kathy Tunheim, a spokeswoman for the family. No cause was given. Even after naming Geraldine Ferraro as his Democratic running mate -- making her the first woman on a major U.S. partys presidential ticket -- Mondale managed to win only his home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia in the 1984 election, as Reagan cruised to a second term with almost 59% of the popular vote and 98% of the Electoral College vote. Mondale himself marveled at how downbeat his campaign had been compared with Reagans. Reagan was promising them Morning in America, and I was promising a root canal, he was reported to have told friends. But on Monday night, President Joe Biden and other prominent Democrats remarked on Mondales contributions to the nations second-highest office, saying that he left it stronger and more vital. When President Obama asked me to consider being his vice president, Fritz was my first call and trusted guide, Biden said in a statement, using Mondales nickname. He not only took my call, he wrote me a memo. It was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency as a full partnership, and helped provide a model for my service. And Vice President Kamala Harris, who last November became the first woman elected to that office, said in a statement that his selection of Farraro was a a bold and historic choice. Both Harris and Biden said they had spoken to Mondale in the last few days. Of his decades in public service, Mondale spoke most glowingly of the two terms he spent representing Minnesota in the U.S. Senate, supporting civil-rights measures, consumer-protection laws and better services for children and the poor. As Carters vice president from 1977 to 1981, Mondale took part in most important meetings and had weekly private lunches with the president. We agreed that he would truly be second in command, involved in every aspect of governing, Carter later said. Establishment Democrat Among traditional Democratic constituencies, Mondale was better known and trusted than Carter, who had served as Georgias governor before winning the White House. Mondale steered negotiations in 1979 that produced a $1.5 billion loan guarantee for Chrysler Corp. that the United Auto Workers, among others, had been seeking. To James Thurber, a political science professor at American University in Washington, Mondale was one of the first vice presidents in modern times who was given substantive work and was taken seriously by the president. Mondale served as U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1996, during President Bill Clintons first term, before returning to Minneapolis to practice law. In 2002, Mondale agreed to run once more for Congress when Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, a Democrat seeking another term, was killed in a plane crash 11 days before the election. Mondale lost to Republican Norm Coleman by less than 50,000 votes out of almost 2.3 million that were cast. He called it his last political campaign, and it was. Walter Frederick Mondale was born Jan. 5, 1928, in Ceylon, Minnesota, the son of a Methodist minister who put deeds before piety. Governments duty As a young man, he became committed to the notion that government had a duty to act as an equalizer in an uneven battle between working folk and the captains of capitalism, wrote his biographer Finlay Lewis. Mondale dropped out of Macalester College in St. Paul after his political mentor, Hubert Humphrey, won election to the U.S. Senate in 1948. Following Humphrey to Washington, Mondale became national secretary of the Students for Democratic Action. He returned to college in 1950 at the University of Minnesota, graduating a year later. Following two years in the U.S. Army, he returned to the university to earn his law degree on the G.I. Bill. In 1955 he married the former Joan Adams. They would have three children, Theodore, Eleanor and Walter. Joan Mondale died in 2014. Eleanor Mondale Poling died in 2011. Civil rights At 32, Mondale became the nations youngest state attorney general when he was appointed to the post by Minnesota Governor Orville Freeman, whose campaign he had managed. He promoted consumer safeguards and civil rights and helped persuade several state attorneys general to support the legal appeal of an impoverished Florida convict, Clarence Earl Gideon. That case resulted in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that indigent defendants charged with major crimes have the right to counsel whether or not they can afford it. When Humphrey was elected on President Lyndon Johnsons ticket as vice president in 1964, Mondale was appointed to replace him in the Senate. In 1966, he won the seat on his own, and he was re-elected six years later. My Senate years were the happiest of my public career, Mondale said in a 2002 address at the Capitol. I found my sweet spot here. In the Senate, he backed more rights for migrant laborers and better child health care and nutrition, among other causes. He cared passionately about civil rights, human rights, social justice, Richard Moe, who worked for Mondale in the Senate and as the vice presidents chief of staff, said in a 2006 interview. Running mate Mondale seriously weighed running in the 1976 presidential election before opting out, explaining that he lacked the overwhelming desire to be president and dreaded another year sleeping in Holiday Inns. Carter, upon sealing the Democratic nomination, narrowed his possible running mates to two senators, Mondale and Edmund Muskie of Maine, who had been the running mate of Humphrey in 1968. Carter said he chose Mondale because he had excellent ideas about how to make the vice presidency a full-time and productive job. Mondale spelled out those ideas in an 11-page memo to Carter a month after the election. He hoped to be a general adviser and a source of impartial advice with broad access and specific assignments, he wrote. Mondale said this would be in contrast to traditional views of the vice presidency as a role characterized by ambiguity, disappointment and even antagonism. Carter later wrote, During our four and a half years together, I never for a moment had reason to doubt his competence, his loyalty or his friendship. This harmony had not existed between many of my predecessors and their vice presidents. In a statement on Monday night, Carter, 96, said he considered Mondale the best vice president in our countrys history who used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency into a dynamic, policy-driving force that had never been seen before and still exists today. In a joint statement, Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Mondale for believing in the power of government to make a positive difference in peoples lives. Former President Barack Obama said on Twitter that Mondale changed the role of VPso leaders like @JoeBiden could be the last ones in the room when decisions were made. Presidential campaign After Reagan ousted Carter from the White House in the 1980 election, Mondale wasted little time laying the foundation for a presidential run of his own in 1984. He was seen as the front-runner in a crowded Democratic field after Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy declined to run, and he outlasted the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Senator Gary Hart of Colorado to seize the nomination. Knowing he faced an uphill fight against Reagan, he turned to Ferraro, a New York congresswoman, to inject an element of history into the race. I knew that I could not effectively challenge the enormously popular Mr. Reagan without a bold choice which could change the entire political picture, he said 20 years later. As it turned out, Ferraros murky family finances, not her gender, dominated headlines after she became a candidate. Ferraro, who died in 2011, acknowledged in a 1988 letter to the New York Times that she was added to the Democratic ticket to draw the votes of women. But knowing Fritz as well as I do, she added, and looking at his accomplishments as Minnesotas attorney general and its senator, I can say it was equally important to him to right a wrong: He removed gender as a disqualification for national office. Considered aloof Mondale was so reserved that some staff members considered him aloof. He drank just enough that he wouldnt be considered a prude and refused to let himself be photographed with a drink in his hand. A voracious reader whose favorite pastime was fishing, he was one of the Senates poorest members. His net worth in 1975 was about $77,000, according to biographer Lewis. On occasion, Mondale was criticized for not sticking up for political causes that moved him. He eventually blamed himself for not speaking out against the Vietnam War and Johnsons handling of it. The mistake I made in Vietnam is the one thing in my life that I wish I could redo, he said in a 2006 radio interview. Accepting his partys presidential nomination at the 1984 Democratic convention, Mondale said, Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He wont tell you. I just did. On that, Mondale stuck to his guns. We will not be able to control our budget deficits without raising taxes, he wrote in a 2011 column for the Washington Post. Having told the truth in 1984, he wrote, I lost the election, but I won the debate. Reagan ended up increasing taxes in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 to mend the budget and tax systems. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 02:55:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has temporarily halted humanitarian aid operations in Nigeria's northern Borno State because of violence, a UN spokesman said on Monday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also relocated its staff after attacks earlier this month on humanitarian operations in Dikwa and Damasak, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Nearly 9,000 internally displaced people and 76,000 people in the host community will be impacted," Dujarric said. At least five non-governmental offices and several vehicles, a mobile storage unit, water tanks, a health outpost and a nutrition stabilization center were damaged. The resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, reported that the United Nations will resume operations as soon as possible so that civilians affected by the conflict continue to receive the assistance they need, the spokesman said. Kallon strongly condemns attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, adding that they may violate international humanitarian law. Dujarric said the world organization is closely monitoring the situation. Enditem Julia Roberts has been named an Ambassadress for Chopard. The Notting Hill star has become the face of the Swiss luxury jewelry and watch brand's Happy Sport campaign, which sees the launch of two new timepieces. On Tuesday the 53-year-old movie star looked much younger than her years as she glowed with a white shirt on during a commercial for the brand. She also flashed her famous pearly white smile that first hit screens with her 1990 film Pretty Woman. That glow! Julia Roberts has been named an Ambassadress for Chopard. The Notting Hill star has become the face of the Swiss luxury jewelry and watch brand's Happy Sport campaign, which sees the launch of two new timepieces Beaming: On Tuesday the 53-year-old movie star looked much younger than her years as she glowed with a white shirt on during a commercial for the brand. She also flashed her famous pearly white smile that first hit screens with her 1990 film Pretty Woman That beaming smile: Here she is seen with her now signature smile as she played Vivian Ward in the hit film from director Garry Marshall The Oscar-winning actress - who has only ever been the face of one other brand, Lancome - revealed she has an 'all or nothing' approach when it comes to choosing jewelry to wear on the red carpet. She said: 'Wearing a truly exquisite piece of jewelry to an event always ups the ante. It takes the glamour factor to the next level. 'I am a bit, all or almost nothing. If I put on a necklace, I put on five. If I put on a bracelet, I put 10 on each wrist.' Closeup: The Oscar-winning actress - who has only ever been the face of one other brand, Lancome - revealed she has an 'all or nothing' approach when it comes to choosing jewelry to wear on the red carpet Model moment: She said: 'Wearing a truly exquisite piece of jewelry to an event always ups the ante. It takes the glamour factor to the next level. 'I am a bit, all or almost nothing. If I put on a necklace, I put on five. If I put on a bracelet, I put 10 on each wrist' Dancing queen: For the clip, Roberts danced, goofed around and smiled for the camera Sharing her earliest memory of wearing jewelry, she said: 'The first piece of jewelry I ever had was when I was probably eight years old. My father gave me a birthstone ring. It was so shiny and felt magical.' Julia first rocked Chopard at Cannes International Film Festival in 2016. Caroline Scheufele, Chopard's co-president, told WWD: 'She was wearing a beautiful Chopard necklace with emeralds and she was very funny. Magical moment: Sharing her earliest memory of wearing jewelry, she said: 'The first piece of jewelry I ever had was when I was probably eight years old. My father gave me a birthstone ring. It was so shiny and felt magical' Golden girl: Julia first rocked Chopard at Cannes International Film Festival in 2016. Caroline Scheufele, Chopard's co-president, told WWD: 'She was wearing a beautiful Chopard necklace with emeralds and she was very funny' 'She said to me, "With this necklace, I don't need shoes for the red carpet," and sure enough she went barefoot down the red carpet. 'Many A-list stars don't go to the Cannes festival unless they have a real reason or unless they have a movie in the competition. They may be in Cannes but don't show their face.' This comes after news her film with George Clooney - the rom-com Ticket To Paradise - is set for release next year. Funny girl: 'She said to me, "With this necklace, I don't need shoes for the red carpet,"' said the pr The Money Monster and Oceans' Eleven franchise co-stars are set to team up for Oli Parker's upcoming romantic comedy, where they will play a divorced couple who travel to Bali to stop their daughter from getting married. And Variety reports that the flick will hit cinemas in the US from September 30, 2022. Filming is due to commence in Australia later this year. Ted Melfi wrote the script from an idea by Parker and Daniel Pipski. Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce alongside Deborah Balder Stone and Sarah Harvey. Erik Baiers, Senior Executive Vice President of Production, and Director of Development Lexi Barta will oversee the project for Universal. The release date news comes after it was revealed that Billie Lourd is set to play their on-screen daughter. Wren Butler is a graduate from the University of Chicago who accompanies her best friend Lily on a post-graduation trip to Bali. When she abruptly decides to marry a Balinese local, her divorced parents (Clooney and Roberts) team up and try to stop her from repeating their mistake from 25 years previously. A team: This comes after news her film with George Clooney - the rom-com Ticket To Paradise - is set for release next year. The Money Monster and Oceans' Eleven franchise co-stars are set to team up for Oli Parker's upcoming romantic comedy, where they will play a divorced couple who travel to Bali to stop their daughter from getting married. Seen in 2016 in Cannes Wren stays in Bali for the engagement/wedding festivities and finds her own romance with a local doctor. Meanwhile, George, 59, recently dubbed his pal Julia a 'proper movie star' but he finds it hard to articulate what makes an actor fall into that category. Asked what makes a movie star, he said: 'I don't know. I can't comment on that because I can't comment on how people perceive or how I am perceived by people. 'I can comment on movie stars in general. I know a few of them and I've known some big ones. I was really good friends with Gregory Peck, he was a big one. Newman, there's some other ones I'm friends with who are movie stars, proper movie stars. The make movie magic: Julia and George seen playing lovers in Ocean's 11 'Brad Pitt's a movie star, Julia Roberts is a movie star. I suppose the only thingI can't remember who it was, a government official once said, you know I can't give you the definition of porn but I know it when I see it. 'It's sort of that way with those stars, there's not one specific thing, there's something intangible about them that I see, that is impossible to describe it's just You watch Gary Cooper who is an interesting actor and Bogart and actors like that and you go 'why are those guys movie stars? He doesn't look like Cary Grant,' but you couldn't take your eyes off him. 'Same thing with Spencer Tracey, you couldn't take your eye off that guy. 'Sandy Bullock's a movie star, and I worked with her and I've known her since she wasn't a movie star when we were both young actors and even then there was something about Sandy that you just knew she was going to be a hit.' A man was shot and killed in Bessemer Tuesday morning. The killing, police said, followed threats that such a shooting could happen. It all began about 10:15 a.m. in the 1000 block of 26th Street in Bessemer. Lt. Christian Clemons said it appears there were shots exchanged, possibly from someone in a vehicle and someone else in a house on 26th Street. The victim, an adult male, was struck and his Chevrolet Malibu came to a rest against a utility pole, just a few yards from where investigators marked 15 shell casings. He was pronounced dead on the scene. A Bessemer detective was just blocks away and heard the shots fired. He drove around the area until someone flagged him down and pointed him to the vehicle. He discovered the victim inside. A man was shot to death Tuesday, April 20, 2021 in the 1000 block of 26th Street in Bessemer. Clemons said they have not determined whether anyone else was in the vehicle when the gunfire erupted. A suspect is at Bessemers police headquarters undergoing questioning. There were some threats made though messaging either social media or direct,' Clemons said. Were trying to figure out who was threatening who and how everybody fits in. The threat, he said, was that somebody was going to come to the location and shoot up the house. It appeared whoever was in the house was ready for that to happen. We just dont yet know how many people shot, and who shot who,' Clemons said. A man was shot to death Tuesday, April 20, 2021 in the 1000 block of 26th Street in Bessemer. The homicide is Bessemers 18th this year. The city had only 18 in all of 2020. You take them one at a time and you do your best to investigate and hold those responsible who played a part however small or large,' Clemons said. You try to hold everyone accountable by putting as many as you can in jail. However, that doesnt stop family and friends from retaliating,' he said. Im not saying thats what happened here, but we have seen that before. Bessemer Police Chief Mike Roper has expressed grave concern about the uptick in violence in the city. Its another young life gone. Im pissed at what theyre doing to each other,' Roper said in an earlier interview. Im very emotional right now. I love this city. Ive been working here 31 years and Ive never seen this before. Never. 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. The H2-B program has bipartisan support in Congress and with businesses across the nation, though immigration opponents portray it as taking jobs from Americans. The visas are used to fill jobs in landscaping, construction, hotels and restaurants as well as in seafood and meat processing plants and amusement parks. Navy recruits will no longer spend weeks at a Wisconsin Army base hundreds of miles from their boot camp site, the service announced Tuesday. New Navy recruits arrived directly at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, on Monday for the first time in eight months. About 23,000 recruits have, since August, first stayed at Fort McCoy in central Wisconsin, where they quarantined ahead of boot camp during the global pandemic. Now, recruits will stay in ships barracks at Recruit Training Command, or RTC, that are designated just for incoming trainees, said Lt. Kristina Wiedemann, a spokeswoman at the training base. The change will help them adjust to the barracks they'll spend eight weeks living in during training, she explained, and will allow boot camp staff to have more predictable schedules since trainees won't be spread between two sites. Read Next: Emptiness, Anger, Relief: Afghanistan Veterans Wrestle with Coming End of 'Forever War' Rear. Adm. Jamie Sands III, head of Naval Service Training Command, said in a statement that the change marks an "important first step to normalizing training operations during the pandemic." "We could not have successfully trained new recruits during these past eight months without the help and support of Fort McCoy, the Army, the Wisconsin National Guard, and the hard work and flexibility of RTC's staff," he added. Fort McCoy filled a real need in housing new recruits ahead of boot camp during the height of the pandemic, said Lt. Cmdr. Phil Chitty, a Naval Service Training Command spokesman. The Navy still shipped the maximum number of recruits that Great Lakes Training Center could hold in 2020, and leaders had to figure out how to keep them safe during the pandemic. Now that the military has developed procedures for how best to do that, the service is returning to carrying out the restriction-of-movement period on site. For months, the Navy had to transport recruits between the two bases, about three and a half hours apart; plan their meals; and essentially manage a second barracks location. Recruits arriving at Great Lakes will remain masked and isolated from other trainees at the base, Wiedemann said. The Navy will continue taking steps to limit the spread of COVID-19 at boot camp. Bunks will be at least 6 feet apart from others, as they were at Fort McCoy, with a maximum of eight recruits assigned to each "pod." Those recruits will be limited to having close interaction only with each other, so if one tests positive, only a few were likely exposed. Recruits will also have scheduled hygiene periods, and facilities will be cleaned in between to help limit potential for cross contamination between groups, Wiedemann said. Once the quarantine period is over, recruits begin the regular boot camp regimen. Training new sailors remained a mission-essential task throughout the pandemic, Chitty added. "This is an important first step toward getting back ... to a norm," he said. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct details about recruit "pods." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Fewer Military Recruits Dropped Out of Boot Camp in 2020. Here's Why (Newser) The benefits of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot COVID vaccine outweigh the risks. Thats what the European Medicines Agency concluded Tuesday, suggesting that the shots come with a warning but that the rollout in Europe go forward. Shots were paused in the US last week after six cases of blood clots surfaced. The EMA safety committee found the risk of clots and low platelets was a rare side-effect and the benefit of a single dose to people with less access to medical infrastructure was greater than the risk of complications. Other COVID vaccines require two shots a few weeks apart. Clots have turned up mainly in women under 60, the Hill reports. story continues below A similar concern over clots forced some European countries to delay rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is made with a technology similar to the J&J vaccine, CNN reports. But as with J&J, health regulators found that the vaccines benefits outweighed risks. Some countries, however, are only giving the shot to older people. The EMA decision isnt law and member states can decide whether and how to use the J&J shot, the New York Times reports. The CDC will likely have recommendations for the future of the vaccine in the US on Friday after a panel of experts meets. (Standard treatment of the clots in the US may have made things worse.) The project hosts a potential district-scale volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) nickel-rich discovery of over around 20km Renforth relied on data from a helicopter-borne geophysical survey in 2012, along with data from historic exploration programs during 1940 to 1980 ( ) (OTCPINK:RFHRF) (FRA:9RR) said it is awaiting drill assay results after completing 3,456 metres (m) in 15 holes over 2.2 kilometers of strike at its Victoria West target at its 215 square kilometres (sq km) Surimeau district property in Quebec. As previously reported, the project hosts a potential district-scale volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) nickel-rich discovery of over around 20km. Agnico Eagle's flagship LaRonde mine is exploiting a gold-rich VMS deposit, which sits 20km to the north. In planning this latest drill program, Renforth relied upon data from a helicopter-borne geophysical survey in 2012, along with data from historic exploration programs during 1940 to 1980. "This survey has been proven, in this drill program, to accurately measure the pyrrhotite rich sedimentary and ultramafic associated mineralization in the geophysical anomaly at Victoria West, over the 2.2km strike, which was drilled. There remains 4km of the anomaly to be drilled to the west and 12km to the east, with the Colonie Target at the eastern end of the anomaly," Renforth told investors in a statement. Visual results from the drilling are also "significant," the group said, confirming that the Victoria West mineralization mirrors a regional east-west elongated magnetic anomaly and a strong EM conductor. Earlier this month, Renforth posted more drill results from its Fall program at its other, flagship, Parbec open pit gold deposit in Quebec. The results came from two holes and a portion of a third. Highlights include 2.64 grams per ton (g/t) gold in a 1.15m length from 410.1m depth. The Parbec program was designed to fill in gaps within the existing deposit model, to test for the downdip extension of mineralized zones and to twin holes drilled between 1986 and 1993 to allow the assay results from those 62 holes to be used in the 2021 resource estimate, which is expected to be completed in June or July this year. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com Evan Sernoffsky A Filipino family in Concord was allegedly followed home and robbed at gunpoint Sunday, in yet another robbery targeting the Asian community. Video obtained by KGOs Dion Lim shows a man exiting a black sedan parked in the middle of the road Sunday afternoon. The attacker, wearing a black balaclava, a black sweater and track pants, walks toward the victim, a 56-year-old Filipino man, who had seemingly just exited his white van. The suspect cocks his gun at the man, demanding the mans watch, before escaping in the vehicle. Chinese FM to attend UNSC open debate Xinhua) 15:28, April 20, 2021 BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative Wang Yi, also Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, will attend a United Nations (UN) high-level open debate, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Monday. The open debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations by the UN Security Council (UNSC) will be held on April 19 via video link, according to the spokesperson. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) A police officer in Middlesex County who reported his chief for allegedly dismissing friends traffic tickets has filed suit against the town, claiming he was suspended without cause and has been subjected to false disciplinary charges. Officer Ricardo Moreira claims in court papers that South Brunswick Police Chief Ray Hayducka routinely ordered cops under his supervision to dismiss tickets issued against the chiefs friends and favored individuals. Moreira, an officer with the department since December 2011, claims Hayducka asked him to dismiss a ticket he wrote someone who illegally parked in a handicapped spot, according to the suit, filed recently in state Superior Court in Middlesex County. Hayducka explained to plaintiff that the vehicle belonged to an individual who attended Freemason events with him, the suit alleges. The lawsuit claims Hayducka engaged in this manner of conduct with plaintiff and with other officers continuously through early 2020. Thats when Moreira claims he complained about the practice to Township Manager Bernard Hzovdovic. Hzovdovic told Moreira hed look into it, then forwarded the officers complaint to the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office and an investigation was launched. The lawsuit says prosecutors interviewed Moreira and other police officers about Hayduckas alleged practice of asking that tickets be dismissed. Despite the investigation and interest by the prosecutors office, no action was taken against the police chief and the case was closed on June 1, 2020, the lawsuit states. About three weeks later, Moreira claims he was told to report to Hayduckas office. When he arrived, his gun and badge were taken and he was suspended, the suit states. Without any examination or opinion from a medical professional, (Moreira) was presented with a letter stating that he was a hazard and unfit for duty and placed on immediate suspension, the suit states. Since then, Moreira claims he has faced disciplinary charges that the suit characterizes as retaliatory harassment and says he has suffered stress, anxiety, humiliation, depression and severe emotional distress. Morerias attorneys claims the police department violated Moreiras rights as guaranteed under New Jerseys Conscientious Employee Protection Act by allegedly harassing him and suspending him from duty. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages. In an answer to the lawsuit filed in court on April 6, the police chief denies he did anything wrong. All actions taken and/or ordered by (Hayducka) were in accordance with his duties and responsibilities to run the day-to-day operations of the South Brunswick Police Department, the answer states. Attorney Jack Venturi, who represents Hayducka, on Tuesday called the chief well-respected and said Moreira filed the lawsuit after realizing he was going to be terminated. This is a bogus lawsuit filed by a problem-child police officer who has received numerous disciplines in the past, Venturi said, adding that the officer had been given additional training and nothing has improved. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Local, state and national officials and organizations responded to the guilty conviction shortly after it was announced. The HSE says vaccination is by appointment only and people will not be vaccinated if you do not have an appointment and photo ID. Appointments will be spaced out to keep everybody safe. Don't be late for your appointment. If you do not arrive on time, you will not get your vaccine. People should bring their appointment information to the vaccination centre. This will be on your mobile phone or in a letter. You will also need to bring your photo ID. This can be your: passport - book or card driving licence Public Services Card travel pass National Age Card - issued by the Gardai identification form with a photograph signed by a member of the Gardai - get this from a Garda station You will not be vaccinated if you do not have photo ID. All 65-69-year-olds should register online if you havent already been vaccinated or you havent received an appointment yet. If you have an appointment for vaccination already, through work, or because of a health condition, you dont need to register online. The quickest and easiest way to register is online at www.hse.ie. It is a new system that will register people, manage appointments, and provide a secure record of your vaccination. This group will be the first to use it and most groups being vaccinated from now on will also use it. Register online at www.hse.ie or by phone at 1850 24 1850 for HSE vaccination appointments Vaccines will be given during April and May Information video explaining how to register is available at https://youtu.be/v1JoC01Omgc Privacy statement for the Vaccine Information system https://www.hse.ie/eng/gdpr/ data-protection-covid-19/data- protection-covid-19-vaccine- information-system.html HSELive is here to answer your questions, 8am-8pm, 7 days a week. Tel: 1850 24 1850 https://www.hse.ie/eng/ contact-us Further Information Who should register for their vaccines? People aged 65 to 69 are being vaccinated next, please register online or on the phone. The easiest way is to do it online, but you can ring HSELive if you cant. When should you register? To avoid delays when we open registrations this week, we are asking people to register by age: If you are 69 please register on Thursday 15 April, or any time after If you are 68 please register on Friday 16 April, or any time after If you are 67 please register on Saturday 17 April, or any time after If you are 66 please register on Sunday 18 April, or any time after If you are 65 please register on Monday 19 April, or any time after and remember, there is no hurry to register today - registering first wont get you vaccinated first. What do you need to register online? To register online you will need your PPSN, your eircode, a mobile phone number and an email address. You can use a mobile, computer or tablet. When and where will you be vaccinated? Vaccinations for this group will start in HSE vaccination centres around 1 to 2 weeks after registration opens. What vaccine will you be given? People aged 65-69 will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine. You can read all about this vaccine on the HSE website here. www.hse.ie/COVID19vaccine When will you be in touch with me after registration? Once you are registered, we will send your appointment details by SMS, 3 to 7 days before your vaccination appointment. What happens at the vaccination centre? You can read all about our vaccination centres here. https://hse.ie/vacctr Can you help someone else to register? A friend or family member can help you register if you dont have an email address or mobile phone. You can use a single email address and phone number for multiple registrations. You can also ring HSELive to register someone else. Im a healthcare worker aged 65-69 If you have not registered on the HCW portal you should register on this system. If you have an appointment for a vaccine already, through work, or because of a health condition, you dont need to register here. Im in this age group, but in a different allocation group, do I need to register? All 65-69 year-olds should register if you havent been vaccinated or you havent received an appointment. If you have an appointment for a vaccine already, through work, or because of a health condition, you dont need to register here. What about people who cannot or do not want to register online? Our team in HSELive is here to help and can register you on the phone. Just have your PPSN, Eircode and mobile phone number. If you dont have a mobile phone you can provide us with the phone number of someone you trust to receive your appointment details. HSELive can also be contacted through the Irish Remote Interpreting Service in Irish Sign Language or by a dedicated text number for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Information is available on the HSE website. Why did we merge allocation group 5 and part of group 6? This was based on our experience of earlier allocation groups, where identifying people by condition was very challenging and led to delays contacting people. In addition we now have an increase in supply of vaccines this approach is the most efficient and timely way of vaccinating everyone in this group, including those with high-risk conditions. What information is asked for when registering and why? Mobile phone number so we can text you your appointment details Your email address so you can set up your account Eircode and Address so we can assign you to your nearest vaccination centre The following are needed so we can find your Individual Health Identifier which means we can securely record your vaccination against your health record. PPSN Mothers birth family name Gender Nationality Why do you want the GPs name? We capture GP information so we can send your vaccination record to your GP. What if you dont have a GP? There is an option to say you dont have a GP. Why do we ask about ethnicity? Ethnicity is captured so we can make sure there are no communities left out of the vaccination programme, and that we are able to report on the performance of the programme for all our population. If you do not want to share your ethnicity with us you can select this option in the list on this page. What if I dont have a PPSN, Eircode or mobile phone? You can call HSELive and they will register you on the phone. How do we stop people registering out of their turn? The system will alert anyone not aged 65-69 that is it not their turn to register. Data Security Data security is a priority for the HSE. The Vaccination Information System has been designed to ensure only necessary information is captured and stored securely in line with HSE data retention policies. All information is encrypted in transit and at rest. The privacy statement for the Vaccine Information system is available here https://www.hse.ie/eng/gdpr/ data-protection-covid-19/data- protection-covid-19-vaccine- information-system.html User accounts created on registration use two factor authentication, email and mobile phone number, to provide people with secure access to their own information about their vaccination. Why we ask for your gender We ask for your gender as it appears on your passport, medical card or national age card, so we can match your registration to your Individual Health Identifier (IHI). Your IHI is the number that matches you to your existing health records. We understand this may not match your current gender or how you self-describe but it is important that we are able to correctly identify you when you come for your vaccine. Vaxzevria COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca AstraZeneca is not recommended for those aged under 60 years including those with medical conditions with very high or high risk of severe COVID-19 disease. A second dose of Vaxzevria the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should not be given to anyone who developed unusual blood clots with low platelets after the first dose. Advice for those who have received a first dose of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca is: Those aged under 60 years with a very high risk or high-risk medical condition should receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled. Those aged under 60 years without a very high risk or high-risk medical condition should have the scheduled interval between doses extended to 16 weeks to allow further assessment of the benefits and risks as more evidence becomes available. The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan has signed an Investment Agreement for the construction of a new thermal power plant (TPP) in the Surkhandarya Region, and a Power Purchase Agreement with the Dutch company Stone City Energy. The total value of the 1,560MW TPP construction project is $1.2 billion, with the project expected to launch at the end of 2024. Stone City will design, finance, build, commission, operate and manage this new TPP for 25 years. The TPP will employ the latest technologies, including modern HL class steam and gas units manufactured by Siemens Energy, which will save 1.1 billion cu m of natural gas annually. Construction of the TPP will create 2,000 jobs with 150 specialist jobs to be created post-commissioning. Following a survey which began in December 2020, a site for the plant has been allocated on 150 hectares of land, in the Angora district of the Surkhandarya region. Energy Minister of Uzbekistan, Alisher Sultanov, said:The agreements signed with Stone City Energy are yet another example of Uzbekistan working with international partners for the benefit of the country. Due to the countrys economic growth, and the growing needs of the population, we need to fulfil future energy demand. We look forward to working closely with Stone City in the years to come. -- Tradearabia News Service As the managing director and CEO of Newcrest, Smith helped the company become Australias biggest, and globally one of the largest, gold mining companies. Smith is a mining engineer with more than 40 years experience in the mining and services sector. Red River Resources Ltd ( ) has appointed Ian Smith, former managing director and CEO of both Newcrest Mining Ltd ( ) and , as non-executive director from April 22, 2021. Smiths appointment marks an important step in Red Rivers growth into a multi-asset operating business focused on base and precious metals via its Thalanga and Hillgrove Operations in Australia. He is a mining engineer with more than 40 years of experience in the mining and services sector and has held some of the most senior positions in the Australian resources industry. Smith is currently engaged as a non-executive director of Rex Minerals Ltd ( ) and senior advisor to EMR Capital. Skill-set and experience will be invaluable to Red River Red River Resources chairman Brett Fletcher said: I would like welcome Ian to the Board of Red River Resources. Ians appointment comes as Red River Resources has just commenced production at our Hillgrove Gold Mine in NSW. Ians skill-set, his extensive experience in the Australian and global mining industry will be invaluable to Red River as we seek to continue to grow and expand our asset base. I am very much looking forward to his contribution. Experience and qualification In his career spanning over 40 years, Smith has held various senior positions in the Australian resources industry, including chairman of the Minerals Council of Australia and President of the Australian Mines and Metals Association. He was integral in Newcrests transformation to become Australias biggest gold mining company and his career includes executive roles with Orica, Rio Tinto, WMC Resources, Pasminco and CRA. Smith is a fellow of the Institute of Engineers and Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). He is also a winner of the 2011 AusIMMs Mining Medal, the Institutes highest award and was a president of the Australian Mines & Metals Association, a board member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) and a Bachelor of Financial Administration degree. Multi-asset business Red River is seeking to build a multi-asset business focused on base and precious metals to deliver prosperity through lean and clever resource development. Its foundation asset is the Thalanga base metal operation in Northern Queensland, which was acquired in 2014 and where Red River started copper, lead and zinc concentrate production in September 2017. Red River recently started production at the high-grade Hillgrove Gold Mine in New South Wales, which was acquired in 2019. The European Union's drug regulator ruled today that a warning about unusual blood clots associated with low levels of blood platelets should be added to the product information for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine but concluded that the vaccine's benefits outweigh the risk. J&J said in a statement it would resume its rollout of the vaccine in Europe. The European Medicines Agency found a "possible link" between the one-dose vaccine and eight reports of blood clots, including one fatality. More than 7 million doses have been administered in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week asked states to temporarily pause using J&Js vaccine out of an abundance of caution." Dr. Anthony Fauci has said the FDA could once again clear J&J's vaccine for use as soon as Friday. The decision comes as world leaders and public health experts struggle to curb vaccine hesitancy and convince the public that the pandemic is far from over. Globally, weekly infections are setting records. In the U.S., though cases and hospitalizations have fallen since January, more than 400,000 new weekly infections are still being reported. While were making extraordinary strides in the number of people vaccinated, we still have an extraordinary amount of disease out there, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House news conference Monday. About 1 in 4 Americans say they might decline to be immunized. Among them is rocker, gun rights activist and staunch conservative Ted Nugent, who dismissed vaccines while announcing on Facebook that he tested positive Monday after having flu-like symptoms for 10 days. I thought I was dying, the singer said. I literally could hardly crawl out of bed the last few days, but I did, I crawled. Also in the news: The FDA has ordered production of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a Baltimore plant to be halted, raising questions about the company's ability to deliver the 100 million doses it has pledged to the U.S. government by the end of June. Story continues Rahul Gandhi, an Indian opposition leader and scion of Indias Nehru-Gandhi family, says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing mild symptoms. India's surge continues unabated, now with more than 1.6 million cases reported in the week ending Monday. India's surge helped propel the world to another record of more than 5.4 million cases reported in the last week. Consumers will be able to buy rapid coronavirus tests without a prescription this week at three national chain retailers, an expansion that comes as the nation's vaccination effort accelerates and states relax distancing requirements and mask mandates. New York has become the fourth state to report 2 million coronavirus cases, following California, Florida and Texas. California has more than 3.7 million reported cases, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data shows. Today's numbers: The U.S. has more than 31.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 567,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: more than 142 million cases and 3 million deaths. More than 264.5 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and 211.5 million have been administered, according to the CDC. What we're reading: As of Monday, all Americans 16 and over are eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but a panel of experts convened by USA TODAY remains deeply concerned about the people who say vaccines aren't needed. Read more here. USA TODAY is tracking COVID-19 news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Want more? Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox and join our Facebook group. Herd immunity likely not attainable as many Americans decline vaccine For almost a year, Americans have been looking forward to herd immunity, when enough people are protected through vaccination or past infection to stop the spread of COVID-19. But with about a quarter of Americans saying they might not want to get vaccinated, herd immunity is simply not an attainable goal, some experts say. The split has become political. About 79% of self-identified Democrats say they have been vaccinated or intend to do so soon, compared with 46% of Republicans. Herd immunity is "theoretically possible but we as a society have rejected that," said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. There is no eradication at this point, its off the table. The only thing we can talk about is control. Elizabeth Weise 'Do not travel' list: State Department raises alert level for most countries The State Department on Monday said it is raising the travel alert level for a significant number of countries this week as it factors the CDC's COVID data more heavily into its rating system. "As travelers face ongoing risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State will begin updating its travel advisories this week to better reflect the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions science-based Travel Health Notices that outline current issues affecting travelers health,'' the department said in a statement. "Our advisories also take into account logistical factors, including in-country testing availability and current travel restrictions for U.S. citizens.'' The agency said approximately 80% of countries will now carry the "do not travel'' label, a level 4. Today, just 34 of 209 countries, or about 16%, have rated a level 4. Nearly 150 countries, or about 70%, fall into level 3. The State Department said the pandemic continues to pose "unprecedented risks'' to travelers. "In light of those risks, the Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad.'' Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY Coronavirus spreads at record pace globally despite vaccines Even as the U.S. and other countries press ahead with their COVID-19 vaccination programs, infections are increasing faster than ever globally. A record 5,363,616 new cases were reported in the week ending Saturday, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. At that pace, nearly nine cases are being reported every second. The growth in cases is being pushed by a stunning spike in India. The United States, which opened vaccination eligibility for all adults Monday, Brazil and Turkey are the other nations reporting more than 400,000 cases per week. Those five countries account for most of the world's new cases, the USA TODAY analysis shows. COVID-19 deaths are still below the peak of more than 100,000 per week. About 83,000 weekly deaths are now being reported, a pace of about eight people dying every minute. Mike Stucka Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID updates: J&J vaccine; blood clots; Ted Nugent; immunity Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) Over 600 new cases of COVID-19 variants were recently detected in the Philippines, but an expert assured on Monday that all vaccines work against the variants and can prevent severe infection. "The 600 cases is really too small compared to those who were given the vaccine in a million already," Dr. Rontgene Solante of the country's vaccine expert panel told CNN Philippines' The Source. The Health Department said on Sunday that there are 266 more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, 351 cases of the B.1.351 variant and 25 additional cases of the P.3 variant. The B.1.1.7 variant was first discovered in the United Kingdom, while the B.1.351 variant was first detected in South Africa. The P.3 variant, meanwhile, was first found in the Philippines but is not a variant of concern. "All of the vaccines are still effective against any of the variant. Its just based on some laboratory tests, there is a decrease in the ability of the vaccine to fully neutralize the virus. Its not zero. But its high and still effective," Solante said. "In the Philippines, we dont worry about these variants. Whats important is to focus on the population that we want to receive the vaccine to get the potential benefit of not getting COVID and severe COVID," he added. Filipinos from the A1 to A3 group are completing their vaccine doses either from the Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech or the British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca. A1 refers to medical frontliners, A2 to senior citizens, while A3 covers persons with comorbidities. Sinovac is the top vaccine brand currently available in the Philippines as the government continues to distribute and administer 1.5 million purchased and 1 million donated doses of the Chinese-made coronavirus shots. Brazilian researchers earlier found in their previous trial data that the brand is only 50.4% effective barely over the 50% minimum standard set by the World Health Organization. AstraZeneca was reported to be 79% effective against symptomatic cases, but the country has already used up almost all of the 525,600 that arrived in the country in March. A temporary suspension of vaccination was also previously imposed on the brand after European drug regulators found a link between the coronavirus shot and a few cases of unusual blood clots with low platelet count. But according to Solante, the benefits still outweigh the risks regardless of the brand. "If you weigh the risk of those getting thrombosis or blood clots compared to those who did not get it and were protected against getting severe COVID and preventing death, the benefit still outweighs the small risks," he said. The Health Department bared on Monday that it already approved the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration to resume the use of AstraZeneca vaccines, noting that there have been no reports of unusual blood clots among Filipinos. READ: PH to resume use of AstraZeneca vaccines for people below 60 Based on the government's April 18 data, 1,477,757 vaccine doses have already been administered in the Philippines. Of this number, 1,279,223 people already got their first shot while 198,534 already received their second dose. To achieve herd immunity, the government aims to vaccinate by the end of the year at least 70 million Filipinos out of the country's estimated 108 million population. There have been complaints though from lawmakers and various groups that the slow pace of immunization would mean such target can only be achieved over several years. Officials said a massive rollout for the other priority groups can be expected between May and June as more vaccines are shipped to the country. Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit New Hampshire later this week, her first trip to the Granite State since she and President Joe Bid More than half of American adults have now had at least their first dose of coronavirus vaccine, and there are promising signs the shots are working: Plummeting average daily death numbers over the past week. The seven-day rolling average of fatalities has fallen by a quarter to 737 compared to seven days ago when 987 people were dying a day. There were 477 deaths on Monday, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. However, average daily deaths have trended upward slightly this week, up 0.4 percent from last week according to Johns Hopkins data, and up two percent according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data as of Monday. CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said Monday there had been six consecutive days of increases in fatalities. Cases have ticking upward in at least 17 U.S. states in the past two weeks, according to tracking from DataUSA.io. States like Michigan where more than 50 percent of cases are caused by the UK variant are seeing cases climb, while fully-reopened Texas, with just 42 percent of its cases caused by the variant, continues to see declines. Texas has seen continued declines in its number of daily Covid-19 cases, despite fully reopening. Cases have fallen about 12% over the past two weeks Meanwhile, cases nearly tripled in Michigan this month (though they are now declining) despite the fact that it kept caps on restaurant capacity. One expert says the UK variant, which accounts for more than 55% of the state's cases, is to blame States like Michigan where more than 50 percent of cases are caused by the UK variant are seeing cases climb, while fully-reopened Texas with just 42 percent of cases caused by the variant continues to see declines Daily hospital admissions for COVID-19 are on the decline too, with the seven-day rolling average falling by nearly three percent compared to last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show. Yet new daily infections are up nationwide, by about six percent over last week to more than 68,000 a day, including 67,933 recorded yesterday. 'I want to recognize that we remain in a complicated stage [of the pandemic],' said Dr Walensky during a Monday White House Covid Response Team press briefing. 'On the one hand, more people in the United States are being vaccinated every day at an accelerated pace. On the other hand, cases and hospitalizations are increasing in some areas of the country, and cases among younger people, who have not yet been vaccinated, are also increasing.' The divergent trends are indeed driven by the now-dominant UK variant, which is most prevalent in Tennessee, Michigan and Minnesota - all of which have seen daily infection increases in the last 14 days. Meanwhile, Texas has seen its average daily cases decline by 12 percent in the same span of time. That bucks the expectations of public health experts, if it was reopenings alone driving upward trends in cases. Both Michigan and Texas lifted Covid restrictions last month. In fact, Texas lifted more of its restrictions and did so earlier than Michigan, which still has a statewide mask mandate and a 50 percent capacity limit for indoor dining. Yet Texas 'is doing much better than one might expect in that circumstance,' Dr Barry Bloom, a public health and immunology professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health told the Wall Street Journal. 'I would guess that it would be more of the rapidly-spreading strain in Michigan.' Michigan has one of the nation's highest rate of variants, second only to Tennessee. An estimated 58 percent of its Covid cases are caused by the more infectious (and likely more deadly) B117 variant that emerged in the UK, according to data from the CDC. In Tennessee, about 61 percent of cases are caused by the variant. And Minnesota is a close third, with B117 driving about 56 percent of infections. Texas isn't too much further down that list, coming in at sixth with 43 percent of its infections caused by the variant. But that's a difference of about 26 percent compared to the variant's prevalence in Michigan, and that may be enough to drive case trends in opposite directions in the two states. Encouragingly, the tide may be turning in Michigan, too, despite the fact that the federal government denied requests from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and public health experts to surge vaccine supply to the state. For her part, Governor Whitmer also declined to reinstate more restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 in her state, despite calls from Dr Anthony Fauci to do so. After nearly tripling in a month to the latest peak of 7,870 daily average cases on April 10, daily infections are now down by 18 percent to 6458 a day in Michigan. Other states with high prevalences of the B117 variant aren't faring as well. In Tennessee, which has the highest rate of cases due to the UK variant in the nation, average new daily infections have shot up by nearly 40 percent to 1,682 a day. Nonetheless, the race between vaccines and variants continues. States like Michigan and Tennessee will have to start vaccinating more quickly if they want to outpace variants that interfering with their progress toward herd immunity and driving accelerated spread of the virus. Radio Liberty Georgia: Two testing tents set up near the Enguri bridge passing point By Veronika Malinboym Georgian service of the Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty reported yesterday that two COVID-19 testing tents have been set up near the Enguri bridge pass between Abkhazia and Georgia. RFE/RLs local correspondent noted that other than the testing station, a medical facility has been set up to host individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or those who exhibit symptoms similar to those of the virus.Head of Zugdidi Public Health Centre, Nana Odisharia told RFE/RL that the individuals who test negative would be able to pass freely, while those who test positive would either have to move to self-isolation or be transferred to a COVID clinic.Earlier last week, the Georgian authorities announced that residents of Abkhazia would no longer need to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine. They are now able to take a PCR test at the Enguri pass instead.Besides, residents of Abkhazia will now be able to voluntarily participate in Georgias nationwide vaccination program and travel to Georgia freely upon receiving two shots of the anti-coronavirus vaccine. It was later stated that the decision came shortly after discovering the bodies of four individuals who drowned while trying to cross the Enguri river to travel to Georgia-controlled territories.As of now, the Enguri bridge, which has been closed from March 14, 2020, to February 11, 2021, amidst the outbreak of the global pandemic, is the only pass that can be used to travel from Abkhazia to Georgia and back.According to the residents of Abkhazia, it is mostly to let through the retirees and persons with medical conditions that require them to travel to Georgia. In order to cross the Enguri bridge, one needs to obtain a pass costing GEL45 (approximately $13) and undergo a mandatory five-day quarantine upon returning back to Abkhazia. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, the Honourable Richard Panneflek, recently met with the newly appointed Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, Mr. Dennis Zulu, and his support staff. Minister Pannefleks discussions centered around the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market, the measures taken by the government of Sint Maarten to mitigate the spread, as well as the stimulus plan to assist those affected. The Director shared recent developments the ILO is undertaking with other Caribbean countries within the region regarding the impact that COVID-19 is having on their respective labour markets and how the ILO can provide the necessary technical assistance which would result in labour markets becoming more resilient and robust. Minister Panneflek emphasized the importance of the availability of reliable and accurate labour market statistics. These statistics can then be monitored through a Labour Market Information System (LMIS) that would allow for the development of evidence-based policies and legislation. Sint Maarten participation in regional and international conferences as it relates to labour was also discussed, such as the Sub-Regional Meeting of Caribbean Ministers of labour which is a bi-annual meeting where critical issues related to labour are deliberated and discussed. Also, the International Labour Conference (ILC) which is an annual event held in Geneva, Switzerland, where almost all countries of the world attend to discuss matters relevant to the world of work. Such conferences grants Sint Maarten the opportunity to share experiences, common interest and concerns with other countries, helps foster relationships for cooperation at the broader regional and international levels. Minister Panneflek expressed the importance of the Social Dialogue between representatives of government, employers and workers' via the Tripartite Committee. The Director acknowledged and applauded this initiative of the Minister as the ILO is a strong proponent of Social Dialogue. The meeting with the Director was well received and it is therefore the intention of the Government of Sint Maarten to continue the already established mutual cooperation with the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean on all labour related matters. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration has struck an agreement with Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to temporarily surge security forces to their borders in an effort to reduce the tide of migration to the U.S. border. The agreement comes as the U.S. saw a record number of unaccompanied children attempting to cross the border in March, and the largest number of Border Patrol encounters overall with migrants on the southern border just under 170,000 since March 2001. According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Mexico will maintain a deployment of about 10,000 troops, while Guatemala has surged 1,500 police and military personnel to its southern border and Honduras deployed 7,000 police and military to its border to disperse a large contingent of migrants there. Guatemala will also set up 12 checkpoints along the migratory route through the country. A White House official said Guatemala and Honduras were deploying troops temporarily in response to a large caravan of migrants that was being organized at the end of March. Psaki said the objective is to make it more difficult to make the journey, and make crossing the borders more difficult. She added that the agreement was the product of a series of bilateral discussions between U.S. officials and the governments of the Central American nations. While Vice President Kamala Harris has been tasked with leading diplomatic efforts to tamp down on the increase in migration at the U.S. border, Psaki declined to share details on her involvement with the discussions and said only that the discussions happened at several levels." She noted that Roberta Jacobson, who will depart her role as the administration's southwest border coordinator at the end of the month, was involved in talks. Mexico announced in March that it was deploying National Guard members and immigration agents to its southern border, and it has maintained more personnel at its southern border since Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican imports in 2019. Story continues On Monday, Mexicos Foreign Affairs ministry said, Mexico will maintain the existing deployment of federal forces in the its border area, with the objective of enforcing its own immigration legislation, to attend to migrants, mainly unaccompanied minors, and to combat the trafficking of people. Honduras Foreign Affairs Minister Lisandro Rosales said Monday that Honduras maintains a multinational force at its border with Guatemala that works closely with that government on not only immigration, but also organized crime and other illegal activity. But there was no commitment on the part of the Honduran delegation to put soldiers on the border, even though there is a clear commitment by the Honduran government to avoid this kind of migration that generates death and mourning for Honduran families, Rosales said. But Honduras Defense Secretary Fredy Santiago Diaz Zelaya, who was part of a Honduran delegation that met with U.S. officials in Washington last week, said later that the military was studying the possibility of sending more troops to the border to assist in migration control. He said the military always works under a plan and that planning would determine how many troops would assist national police and immigration authorities at the border. We need to do a correct analysis of the situation, increase troops if its necessary, Diaz Zelaya told local press. He said Honduras would do so in response to this request that comes from the great nation to the north (the United States) to be able to help on the issue of immigration. The Guatemalan government denied there was any signed agreement with the United States to place troops at the border to stop migrants. The Guatemalan government has undertaken protection and security actions at the border since last year, on its own initiative, it is a constitutional mandate, said presidential spokeswoman Patricia Letona. In the context of the pandemic, the protection of the borders has become a fundamental aim for the containment of the virus. Guatemalan troops have been responsible for breaking up the last several attempted migrant caravans. The increase in migrants at the border is becoming one of the major challenges confronting Biden in the early months of his first term. Numbers grew sharply during Trumps final year in office but further accelerated under Biden, who quickly ended many of his predecessors policies, including one that made asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for court hearings in the U.S. Mexicans represented the largest proportion of people encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol, and nearly all were single adults. Arrivals of people from Honduras and Guatemala were second and third, respectively, and more than half of the people from those countries were families or children traveling alone. ___ Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego, Maria Verza in Mexico City, Sonny Figueroa in Guatemala City and Marlon Gonzalez in Tegucigalpa contributed reporting. Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday (April 20) decided that everyone above the age of 18 will be eligible to be administered the COVID-19 vaccine free of cost from May 1. The decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a Cabinet meeting. The UP cabinet also decided to impose a weekend curfew from Friday evening to Monday morning in the entire state till further orders amid the rising cases of coronavirus infections. In a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, the state government, decided to keep all non-essential activities suspended in all districts of the state having 500 or more active cases, besides ordering a nearly 60-hour-long weekend curfew. While the night curfew in the districts with 500-plus cases will be effective from 8 pm to 7 am next day starting Tuesday, the weekend curfew will be enforced from Friday 8 pm to Monday 7 am, during which all non-essential activities will be restricted. Earlier, a top UP government official told PTI that the night curfew will be imposed "throughout" the state. The night curfew was imposed earlier in Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Allahabad, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, and Muzaffarnagar districts and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation area of the state. On Monday, a state government bulletin issued on Covid-19 situation in the state had said the districts registering less than 500 cases include Maharajganj (497), Hamirpur (489), Mahoba (387), Sharvasti (354), Baghpat (306), Pilibhit (279), Kasganj (112) and Hathras (89). The move by the UP government came hours after the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an Allahabad High Court order asking the state government to impose strict restrictions till April 26 in five cities amid the surge in Covid-19 cases. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde passed the order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told it that the state government has taken several steps to contain the spread of coronavirus but to lockdown five cities by a judicial order may not be the right approach. The high court had asked the UP government to impose strict restrictions including the closing of malls, shopping complexes, and restaurants till April 26 in five cities -- Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Nagar, and Gorakhpur -- but stopped short of calling it a "complete lockdown". On the issue of migrants coming back to the state from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Delhi, Chief Minister Adityanath said the bordering districts of UP must exercise special caution, and provisions should be made for smooth movement of the migrant workers. The Chief Minister also asked the Home Department and the Transport Department to coordinate and act to provide adequate facilities for the testing and treatment of the migrant labourers. Live TV In Greater Kolkata, TMC will not conduct any big campaigns. All will be small in size, said Banerjee. Representational image/PTI Kolkata/New Delhi: Rattled by the explosion of Covid-19 cases amid Assembly elections in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday cancelled all her poll campaign in Kolkata and also curtailed the length of her district rallies to 30 minutes. The BJP too, singed by criticism over the rising cases and non-adherence to Covid protocols at election rallies, announced that it will reduce the crowd strength at each rally of its star campaigners, including Prime Minister Narendra, to a maximum of 500 for the remaining three poll phases. The move by the Trinamul Congress supremo and the BJP came two days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi cancelled his campaign in the state. Ms Banerjee, however, clearly ruled out immediate enforcement of either a lockdown or night curfew by her government in the state. The state witnessed a new record in daily spike in Covid-19 cases on Monday with 8,426 people testing positive and 38 dying in the last 24 hours. On Monday afternoon Ms Banerjee said in Malda, "At present 2,000 patients are in serious condition in the state. In Greater Kolkata, we will not conduct any big campaigns. All will be small in size. I, myself, will also not campaign in Kolkata. Besides, I have also curtailed my rallies. On the last day of the poll campaign, i.e. April 26, I will hold a small rally only." Asked about lockdown or night curfew, like it's being clamped in other states to break the chain of infection, she explained, "Nothing will happen out of the night curfew. It is not a solution. We are not imposing lockdown now also. If it is done suddenly, won't the people suffer? Will a lockdown solve the problem? Bus, train and flights are operating. Lakhs of people have come here from outside. I feel that the people should not be forced into anything. What cannot be done under force is possible through love. Solution is we have to avoid political pollution. All we need to do is to be careful." In the evening the BJP, which has been facing flak from rivals and also on the social media for holding big rallies and road shows of its leaders amid the pandemic, declared that it would not hold big poll campaign rallies in the state. It said, "In West Bengal, the Assembly polls have been underway. It is also important that this constitutional and democratic process should be completed. Keeping it in mind BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda decided that small public meetings with a crowd of not more than 500 persons will be organised for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central leaders in West Bengal. These rallies will be held in open places under Covid guidelines in Bengal." The saffron party's statement came after its national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted, "In view of the Corona infection, instructions have been received from the Prime Minister's Office to change the form of the meetings of Hon'ble Prime Minister. Special attention should be taken for social distancing." According to BJP sources, Mr Modi addressed 18 campaign rallies for BJP candidates during his 12 visits to the state so far. In his next visit, the PM is expected to address four rallies: one each in Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Bhowanipore in South Kolkata on April 23, party insiders revealed. He was earlier supposed to address two rallies in Malda and Murshidabad on April 22, when the state will go to the sixth phase of polls, and in Bhowanipore and Birbhum on April 24, sources said. The BJP's IT wing head Amit Malviya, who is also the party's co-incharge for the state, said the BJP would leverage its "massive digital footprint" and take the message of Mr Modi and other leaders to lakhs of people. Meanwhile, state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is in home isolation after coming in touch with some who tested positive during the campaign. The state government also preponed summer vacation, to be effective in all schools from Tuesday, after reducing the staff strength to 50 per cent at public workplaces. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is holding a coronavirus briefing today. She is expected to give an update on the latest lockdown restrictions. Last week, Ms Sturgeon made a surprise announcement lifting the stay local restrictions in Scotland from Friday 16 April. Six adults from up to six households would also be allowed to meet in outdoor areas. We are now extremely confident that those parts of the country currently in level 4 will move to level 3 on 26 April, thats now less than two weeks away, she said at the time. Given that briefings are now reserved for announcements or big changes to restrictions in the run up to the Scottish Parliament elections in May, todays briefing is expected to be weighty. Heres what you need to know. What time is Nicola Sturgeon Speaking? Ms Sturgeon will hold the coronavirus briefing at 12pm today along with chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith and national clinical director Jason Leitch. The live briefing will take place in St Andrews House. What is Nicola Sturgeon expected to announce? As per last weeks briefing, Ms Sturgeon is expected to announce Scotlands move into level 3 of coronavirus restrictions. In her announcement last week, Ms Sturgeon pointed towards the full outdoor openings of pubs, cases and restaurants and indoor openings, albeit on a restricted basis. Up to six people from two households will be able to meet in indoor public spaces, like hospitality venues, in level 3. Further non-essential retail, gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools will also reopen, as will libraries and museums. Non-essential travel between Scotland, England and Wales could also resume for the first time this year. The number of people allowed to attend life events, like weddings and funerals, will also increase to up to 50 people. There were no new coronavirus deaths were recorded in Scotland yesterday, although this may be due to closed registry offices. There were 232 positive coronavirus tests in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of positive cases in Scotland since the start of the pandemic to 223,914. (TNS) Amazon's secretive $10 billion satellite internet program, Project Kuiper, will send its first satellites into space on nine rockets owned by United Launch Alliance, a joint Boeing- Lockheed Martin venture, Amazon announced Monday.Questions remain as to when the rockets bearing Kuiper satellites will get off the ground. Redmond-headquartered Project Kuiper has yet to launch a test satellite, and Amazon declined to say when the ULA launch could occur.It's also unclear when Kuiper's internet network could be operational. The ULA launches are likely to lift fewer than 500 Kuiper satellites into orbit, satellite consultant Tim Farrar estimated, based on the capacity of the rockets and details Amazon has revealed about the possible size of its satellites. That's less than the roughly 578 satellites Amazon told the FCC it would need to operate a limited internet network.The Seattle tech giant has said it ultimately plans to launch 3,236 satellites, half of which must be in orbit by the end of July 2026, according to the terms of its Federal Communications Commission authorization. It's unknown who might build that fleet: Kuiper employs roughly 500 people, but Amazon has characterized its Redmond satellite facility as devoted to research and development, not manufacturing.Amazon's announcement comes amid a flurry of publicity for crosstown satellite internet rival Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Industry watchers expect the FCC to approve in the coming days a modification to Starlink's satellite fleet that competitors like Amazon's Kuiper say could make it more difficult for them to operate. NASA revealed Friday it had picked SpaceX to land the next Americans on the surface of the moon." SpaceX is sucking up a lot of air in conversations about the future of space," Farrar said. The ULA contract announcement "gets Amazon back out there as people to be taken very seriously."Starlink, which is also based in Redmond, has 1,300 satellites in orbit out of a planned 12,000. Its satellites are much smaller than the models Amazon is likely to unveil, making them easier to loft into space though critics of the Musk venture say it operates on a launch-first, update-later model that means its satellites fail at relatively high rates.Starlink benefits from the relative maturity of SpaceX's rocket program. Most Starlink satellites have recently been sent up on SpaceX rockets including one whose reentry into Earth's atmosphere sent fiery space junk streaking across Seattle skies last month. By contrast, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company, Blue Origin, recently delayed the launch of its first rocket capable of carrying people and payloads into orbit.A limited beta version of Starlink's satellite internet service is already operational. Early adopters which include Washington's Hoh Tribe and the state Department of Emergency Management pay $499 for the dish and then $99 a month.Musk and Bezos sparred in recent months over SpaceX's petition asking the FCC to allow its satellites to operate in a lower orbit than initially planned. Amazon has said that would risk interference and collisions with its planned Kuiper satellites.SpaceX's proposal "would hamstring competition among satellite systems," Amazon tweeted in January from its official news account.Amazon declined to disclose the value of the ULA contract.The Boeing-Lockheed partnership emerged in 2005, after Boeing was accused of stealing thousands of sensitive documents from Lockheed to gain an edge in the companies' ferocious rivalry for government rocket launch contracts. Boeing paid $615 million to settle a Justice Department investigation into those allegations. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit STEVENS POINT, Wis., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dairyland has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to help regenerate forests from coast to coast in communities where the auto and motorcycle insurance brand has a strong customer presence. Dairyland, a brand of Wisconsin-based Sentry Insurance, worked with the Arbor Day Foundation to identify locations where forest regeneration is needed due to natural disasters and other threats. Dairyland will plant more than 72,000 treesone for each customer who chose paperless billing in 2020. "Our customers have long had paperless billing options," said Pete Anhalt, Dairyland president. "After we told them we'd plant a tree on their behalf when they choose paperless billing, however, they enrolled in record numbers to support this important cause." Americans consume 446 pounds of paper products per person each yeara weight heavier than many car engines. By enrolling in paperless billing, Dairyland customers help reduce consumption and costs while also saving trees. As highlighted by the Arbor Day Foundation , trees help fight climate change, tame stormwater, clean our air, protect our drinking water, and provide needed habitat for wildlife. Dairyland initially intended to plant trees just in Wisconsin. This included the Bayfield County Forest where the Arbor Day Foundation will work with local planting partners on forest regeneration to create habitat for wildlife such as ruffed grouse, turkey, and deer. Bayfield County Forest also serves as an important nesting site for many types of songbirds. Due to Dairyland customers' resounding response to the paperless program, the company expanded the tree planting program to five additional locations throughout the country: Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida Hurricane Michael destroyed 12,000 acres of mature slash pine trees in 2018. Dairyland will plant more than 20,000 trees here. Hurricane Michael destroyed 12,000 acres of mature slash pine trees in 2018. Dairyland will plant more than 20,000 trees here. Angeles National Forest in California The 2016 Sand Fire destroyed old-growth trees, including big cone Douglas fir, in this public forest near Los Angeles . Restoration efforts will help rehabilitate watersheds on the Los Angeles River. The 2016 Sand Fire destroyed old-growth trees, including big cone Douglas fir, in this public forest near . Restoration efforts will help rehabilitate watersheds on the Los Angeles River. Bladen Lakes State Forest in North Carolina Cape Fear River flooding caused by Hurricane Florence in 2018 devastated young trees in this state forest. Reforesting will restore critical habitat for wildlife and help the area withstand future floods. Cape Fear River flooding caused by Hurricane Florence in 2018 devastated young trees in this state forest. Reforesting will restore critical habitat for wildlife and help the area withstand future floods. National Forests in Colorado Regional spruce beetles have taken a toll on mature trees in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison national forests. Planting a mixture of Engelmann spruce and Douglas fir will establish a young, resilient stand of trees to face a potentially harsh climatic future. Regional spruce beetles have taken a toll on mature trees in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and national forests. Planting a mixture of Engelmann spruce and Douglas fir will establish a young, resilient stand of trees to face a potentially harsh climatic future. Private lands in Texas Four centuries of clearing for agriculture and development has decimated longleaf pine ecosystems, which are well-known for their diversity of plant and animal species. This project focuses on working with private landowners who are committed to restoring longleaf stands on their lands. Dairyland, as part of its ongoing efforts to encourage customers to choose paperless billing, will continue to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to create a more sustainable and healthier future for us all. About Dairyland Dairyland is a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group. Auto and motorcycle policyholders of Dairyland brand insurance receive multiple coverage options, money-saving discounts, and outstanding customer service. For more information, including underwriting companies, visit dairylandinsurance.com. About Arbor Day Foundation Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than 1 million members, supporters, and valued partners. Since its founding, more than 400 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities, and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty, and hunger. As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. SOURCE Dairyland By Amy S. Rosenberg, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) Authorities in Cape May County, New Jersey, are investigating allegations in an anonymous Instagram account that members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol repeatedly preyed on younger female lifeguards, grooming and then sexually assaulting them as underage teenagers. The account, named OCBP Predators, has been growing since last week, both in followers and in posts alleging accounts of predatory behavior, leading city officials to refer the allegations to county prosecutors and to urge any other potential victims to come forward. The account was created by a former member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol who said in a telephone interview Monday that she started the account in response to a lifeguard who had been accused of improper behavior being allowed to return to the patrol. She declined to be identified by name. I had already come to the point where I was at peace with what happened to me, she said. I saw it happening to girls that I cared very much about. She said the county prosecutors office had, in fact, been in contact with her about the allegations. Ocean City officials said late last week they were aware of the account, took it seriously, and were investigating the allegations, some of which are from recent summers, others dating back years. There are 165 positions on the Ocean City Beach Patrol, of which about 30 are held by women, said city spokesperson Doug Bergen. The posts contain numerous references to alleged incidents in which girls as young as 13 were allegedly preyed upon by older lifeguards, who in several cases allegedly would expose themselves and, in several other cases, allegedly had committed sexual assault. Two lifeguards, one poster wrote, followed the same m.o. ... . flashing me their genitals, untying my bathing suit top, trying to take me under the music pier. The trauma these two caused runs so deep, the poster wrote. One poster was a visitor to the Jersey Shore town in 1996 who alleged that at age 12, she had lifeguards harass her for the entire two weeks she was on vacation, constantly asking if they could touch my breasts, and inviting her to parties. I cant believe this was a common occurrence, she wrote. How sad and disgusting. Mayor Jay Gillian posted a letter on the citys website saying that the Cape May County prosecutor was investigating, and that he had directed Fire Chief Jim Smith, whose department oversees the Beach Patrol, to build on existing policies and do whatever it takes to ensure employees feel safe coming forward. The city has strict sexual harassment policies and procedures in place and acts immediately on every reported complaint, Gillian said. One poster recounted an instance of reporting abuse to the police and being told the behavior patterns were well known. As a mother of three former OCPB lifeguards this page is needed but upsets me terribly, the poster wrote. My daughter and I once went to the police station to report inappropriate behavior. The @ocbp_predators Instagram account quickly gained posts and followers. On Monday, the account had more than 6,000 followers and 159 posts, each of which detailed allegations of harassment, abuse or assault by lifeguards, with the victims both other lifeguards and visitors to the beaches of the resort. The creator of the account, dubbed The untold stories of pedophiles, predators, and inappropriate behavior on the beaches of Americas Greatest Family Resort, said in the interview she personally knew the identities of the posters, though they are anonymous on the account. The girls who were Ocean City lifeguards allegedly recalled days on the lifeguard stands filled with sexual questions, with older male guards showing them pictures of their genitalia, or, in one case, taking their hand and placing it on them. Several posts described an apartment where parties were held that was the scene of some of the predatory behavior and alleged assaults, and a pattern of taking young lifeguards under the Music Pier. One poster described waking up after a party to being sexually assaulted by a lifeguard. The allegations do not identify any lifeguards by name. The mayor, in his letter, urged any potential victims to contact the prosecutors office at 609-465-1135, report it anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriffs Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net, or call Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-889-3597. More: Former Pa. cop faces 122 charges over accusations he sexually abused boys 20 years ago Suit accuses Lycoming College of tolerating sexual misconduct of female students The first batch of Sputnik V, Russia's COVID vaccine is set to arrive soon in India, according to the Indian Ambassador to Russia, Bala Venkatesh Varma, as per a News18 report. The production will start in May and it is expected to be as many as 50 million doses per month. In the previous week, the DGCI had registered the vaccine under the emergency use authorization procedure. It will be the third vaccine to be used in India against COVID. Reuters "We almost think Sputnik V is an Indian-Russian vaccine because lots of production of Sputnik V will be done in India. We publicly announced five production partnerships in India with some of the largest Indian pharmaceutical companies, said RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry gave in-principle approval to sanction supply credit to Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India to ramp up COVID vaccine production, as per a CNBC report. It will be sanctioned to the nodal ministers in charge who then shall pass it on to the companies to ramp up vaccine production, as per reports. PTI Rs 3000 crore credit for Serum Institute and Rs 1500 crore to Bharat Biotech is the division. From May 1 everyone above 18 shall be eligible to be vaccinated as India battles the surge of cases. USA has informed our government that it understands India's pharmaceutical requirements and promised to give the matter due consideration, as per PTI. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump had invoked the war-time Defence Production Act (DPA) that leaves US companies with no option but to give priority to the production of COVID-19 vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for domestic production to combat the deadly pandemic in America, the worst-hit nation. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer We all know how great the city of Houston is, and we always have the facts to back it up. SHOWTIME AT THE GRAMMYS: Houston artists bring it home at the 2021 Grammys On Monday, the fortune of tycoon Elon Musk fell by 5.6 billion dollars , as shares of Tesla , his electric vehicle company, fell about 6% . The loss would be related to a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model S car , allegedly self-driving, where two people died. Yesterday, around 9:00 am (GMT), Tesla shares registered their lowest price : 694.82 per unit . Just two days earlier, at the close of the markets on Friday, April 16, each share of Musk's company was trading at about $ 739.78 , according to data from Yahoo Finances . Image via Yahoo Finances . This left Elon Musk with a net worth of $ 174.1 billion , according to the Forbes Billionaires Ranking. Thus, the CEO of Tesla fell to third place on the list , and gave second place to French magnate Bernard Arnault , owner of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH , with a fortune of 180.300 million dollars . In the first place is Jeff Bezos , founder of Amazon , whose assets are around 195,000 million dollars . It may interest you: Ford CEO criticizes Tesla for treating customers 'like guinea pigs' Why did Elon Musk lose so much in such a short time? The fall followed an accident that occurred Saturday night on a highway north of Houston, Texas. A 2019 Tesla Model S car lost control while cornering, crashed into a tree and caught fire. Rescue services found the bodies of two men aged 59 and 69, one in the passenger seat and the other in the back seat. The authorities said they were "99.9%" sure that "no one was driving the vehicle at the time of impact," which led to the assumption that the Tesla would have activated the 'Autopilot' or autopilot function , one of the main characteristics of the firm. It took rescue teams about four hours to extinguish the fire, as the Tesla's high-voltage lithium battery continued to catch fire, even after putting out the initial fire. Read also: Elon Musk proclaims himself Emperor of Mars The autopilot wasn't engaged, says Elon Musk Yesterday afternoon, Elon Musk responded to a Wall Street Journal post , denying that the crashed Tesla was using the 'Autopilot'. "The data records retrieved so far show that the autopilot was not enabled and that this car did not buy FSD," Musk wrote referring to the full autonomous driving (FSD) function . "Also, the standard autopilot would require the lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have," he added. Your research as a private individual is better than professionals @WSJ ! Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have. - Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2021 Today, Tuesday, Musk's situation appears to be improving. At 9:15 am (GMT) , Tesla shares reached $ 735.97 , up 5.92% from their lowest price yesterday. Now, the Forbes Billionaires Index puts him back as the second richest person in the world , with an estimated fortune of $ 175.7 billion . This is the financial roller coaster, one day you go down and the next you go up, and if anyone has the super power to come back after a setback, that is Elon Musk . Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Demonstrators carry placards and flash the three-finger salute during an anti-military coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 19, 2021. EPA-Yonhap The EU on Monday announced sanctions on 10 Myanmar junta officials and two conglomerates linked to the military over the coup and bloody crackdown on protesters in their country. The military has ramped up its attempts to crush dissent following mass demonstrations against its ousting of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with at least 737 civilians killed and the press increasingly under attack. International pressure has been steadily building on the junta, although it has so far appeared to ignored all condemnation. Announcing the sanctions on officials, EU member states said the individuals "are all responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar/Burma, and for repressive decisions and serious human rights violations". The two firms hit with asset freezes and visa bans, Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC), were "owned and controlled by the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), and provide revenue for it", the statement added. The companies dominate sectors including trading, alcohol, cigarettes and consumer goods. The officials targeted are mostly members of the ruling State Administration Council seen as responsible for undermining the democracy in the southeast Asian nation, EU diplomats said. Japanese journalist arrested The announcement came after Japan urged Myanmar authorities on Monday to release from prison a Japanese journalist accused of spreading fake news, one of at least 65 reporters arrested during the junta's crackdown. Yuki Kitazumi was detained on Sunday, and a Japanese embassy spokesman confirmed that he had been transferred overnight from a police watchhouse to the Insein prison. Yuki Kitazumi speaks during an interview in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on April 1, 2013. AP-Yonhap Insein is notorious for holding political prisoners. Japanese diplomats had sought permission to visit him in jail but that request had not yet been granted, an embassy spokesman told AFP on Monday. "We are informed by the police he was arrested due to the suspicion of releasing fake news," he told AFP. Myanmar authorities told the embassy the journalist was not physically harmed during the arrest and was in good health. State media later confirmed he had been charged. "We are asking Myanmar for the person's early release," Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told reporters. "We will do our utmost to protect the Japanese national." The press has been caught in the junta's crackdown as the military attempts to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licences of five local media outlets. At least 34 journalists and photographers remain in custody across Myanmar, according to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN. 'Guerrilla war' Western powers have increasingly been seeking to target the junta's key moneymakers. The US and Britain have already imposed sanctions on the MEC and MEHL, while Washington has hit Myanmar's state gem company as well. The EU also hit junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and 10 other senior officials with sanctions last month. Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, presides an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap On Monday afternoon, the Bargaining Committee for the Graduate Workers of Columbia (GWC), an affiliate of the United Auto Workers (UAW), agreed to a tentative contract with the university that imposes a de facto pay cut in the first year. The BC accepted the tentative agreement in direct opposition to the will of rank-and-file members, who must still vote on the deal. The contract does not come close to meeting any of the graduate student workers original demands, including increased wages, child care, dental, third party arbitration and summer stipends. The three-year contract also includes a no-strike clause and guarantees the deduction of two percent of their wages for union dues payments to the UAW. Striking Columbia grad student workers (WSWS Media) Facing immense hostility from the rank and file, the Bargaining Committee is attempting to tightly control the ratification process. Graduate workers reported that at Monday nights general body meeting, the BC refused to answer questions on the timeline for the vote ratification. It did, however, make clear that it would be in charge of determining it. Three members of the BC who are part of the Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU), the so-called reform caucus of the UAW, have come out in nominal opposition to the contract. However, all three members have consistently postured as opponents of the other seven BC members while taking no measures to actually organize opposition. The three AWDU members reportedly made clear to the members, at multiple points in the meeting, that the official recommendation from the BC was to accept the agreement. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) urges Columbia graduate workers to campaign for a rejection of the tentative agreement, which will only exacerbate the dire conditions graduate workers face and set the tone for the many graduate student struggles on the horizon. Most importantly the IYSSE urges student workers to draw the necessary political conclusions from this entire experience: Not a single step forward can be taken within the confines of the UAW, and no trust can be put in the reform caucus members. Graduate students must form a rank-and-file committee to take the conduct of the struggle into their own hands and unite with grad student workers at New York University, who are set to walk out next Monday, to prepare common strike action. At the same time, this committee should appeal to workers throughout the cityeducators, public transit, UPS, Amazon, Verizon and other sections of workersto join in a common fight against the criminal response of the ruling class to the pandemic and its sacrifice of human life for corporate profit. Graduate workers must understand that they, like millions of workers in the city, the country and around the world, are engaged in a fight against powerful corporate and financial powers and their political representatives. Both the Democrats and Republicans are determined to impose massive austerity on workers to pay back the trillions of dollars that they handed to Wall Street and the corporations at the start of the pandemic. Columbia University and the UAW are working with a class strategy. In order for the strike to be taken forward, there must be an orientation to the natural class allies of the student workers: the working class. The attempt by the UAW to ram through this miserable sellout contract fully confirms the warnings advanced by the WSWS and IYSSE: The UAW has been preparing for the sellout since before the strike began. As the WSWS has reported in dozens of articles, everything that the UAW and the Bargaining Committee (BC) have done has served to demobilize the student workers. In the face of stonewalling from the university in over 60 bargaining sessions, the BC and the UAW made no attempt to broaden the strike of over 3,000 grad students, which began on March 15. In fact, the union local president, Maida Rosenstein, explicitly called for the separation of the Columbia University graduate workers struggle from the New York University (NYU) workers, who are a part of the same union UAW Local 2110. At every turn, the BC made concessions to the university. As the strike was gaining steam in its third week, the BC agreed to a pause in exchange for federal mediation, behind the backs of the rank-and-file members. Only days earlier, a poll of the unit revealed that an overwhelming 96 percent of the strikers wished to continue the strike. As for the UAW, they worked out of the same playbook they have used with autoworkers for four decades, isolating the struggle, keeping the strike hidden from their nearly 400,000 members and facilitating the economic blackmail against the strikers by issuing a meager $275 a week in strike pay. There is immense hostility among the rank and file to the tentative agreement, the BC and the UAW as a whole. A significant portion of grad student workers has already begun organizing a no vote through social media and other means. In the unit meeting held Monday night, workers denounced the contract with contempt. One worker, appealing to fellow students for a no vote, said, I dont want to spend time saying this is a bad contract. We know this is a bad contract. We are Ph.D. students. Just compare our demands with what is in the TA. If it was any other BC, you would vote it down. Many workers described the actions of the BC as cowardly and antidemocratic. They repeatedly called out the BC for going behind their backs. At least a dozen workers rightly raised concerns over how the vote will be carried out. The union was so nervous about opposition that in the General Body Meeting held to convince workers to accept the sellout, they disabled the chat and view of other participants. In other words, as opposed to every other General Body Meeting held in the history of the union local, at arguably the most important meeting, the organizers restricted the workers from being able to speak to each other or to unmute themselves. In response to the meeting format and the content of the agreement one worker said, This webinar is an indication of just how tyrannical this bargaining committee is. ... You want me to name my feelings? Ok. I feel double patronized. First, by Columbia, but then from you all. Many graduate student departments have made public statements denouncing the actions of the bargaining committee and vowing to collectively vote no on the contract. A statement issued from the graduate workers in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies even before the tentative agreement was agreed to reads: We condemn the BCs willingness to actively undermine the will of the majority of rank-and-file members. The BC has not only failed to leverage our strike at the bargaining table but has in fact done the exact opposite by consistently lowering our demands, claiming that our economic demands should be dropped because Columbia currently has financial difficulties. In suppressing intense opposition by unit members at every turn, the Bargaining Committee has done the work of Columbia for them. The unions are doing to graduate workers what they have done to other sections of the working class before: suppressing and isolating their struggles, while facilitating the implementation of austerity at the behest of the ruling class and its political servants in the Democratic and Republican parties. The UAW has a long history of vote-rigging, intimidation and threats against the workers, as well as ballot stuffing in order to force through contracts. A yearslong federal investigation and criminal probe into the international union proved that the UAW took at least $3.5 million in bribes from the Big Three auto companies between 2009-16 in exchange for company-friendly contracts. The probe uncovered extensive corruption and resulted in the convictions of 12 UAW officials, including the last two union presidents, Gary Jones and Dennis Williams. An autoworker from the Faurecia Gladstone Plant in Indiana, who is a member of a rank-and-file committee independent of the UAW, issued this statement to Columbia graduate workers: Yes, the UAW will betray you. It has betrayed all of its people in the automotive industry, in the schools, everyone. Look at the reports where the president of the union was arrested for embezzlement. It is all about the money for them. It is not about what is right for the members of the union. Its what they can get out of it. They are just an extension of the universitys grip over their employees to make them money. To make them do what they want. I would not trust them as far as I could throw them. They may ask you to vote on things, but if its not what the university wants, they are going to push through what the University wants. And they are going to out-and-out lie to the grad students. Like for example, they got this many votes in favor of the contract and there were only a small number against. I found out at my plant that our union stated that only 26 people had voted against the contract, and I talked to at least 75 people myself who had voted against it. And the union pushed it through. They out-and-out lie to you. Speaking to the WSWS, many Columbia graduate workers expressed their anger about the union and the tentative agreement. However, anger and militancy, while important, is not enough. Graduate workers must now adopt a new political strategy. The Columbia strike is unfolding amid a backdrop of workers struggles throughout the country, including Stellantis autoworkers who downed their tools at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit Friday over the refusal of the company and the UAW to protect them against the spread of COVID-19. Nearly 3,000 manufacturing workers at the Volvo Truck Plants New River Valley factory in Dublin, Virginia went on strike Friday, fighting to recoup the concessions the UAW handed to the multinational corporation over the last three contracts. Another 1,100 Warrior Met coal miners in Alabama, 1,300 steelworkers at Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) facilities in five states, and over 700 nurses in the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) in Worcester are also on strike. Columbia workers cannot rely on this or that union bureaucrat or politician to take up their fight. Rather they must turn to their class allies: autoworkers, nurses, Amazon workers, produce workers and all other sections of the working throughout the country for a common struggle against the capitalist system and for socialism. The new Kansas City fulfillment centre offers ecommerce brands two-day shipping TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Metro Supply Chain Group, a North American leader in end-to-end supply chain solutions, expands its fulfillment network with a third U.S. location to reach over 98% of consumers with two-day shipping. Operated by National Fulfillment Services, a Pennsylvania, U.S-based division of Metro Supply Chain Group, the new 100,701 square-foot Class A warehouse located in Kansas City, Missouri will provide expedited delivery options to its e-commerce customers through strategically located distribution points. "When Metro Supply Chain Group purchased National Fulfillment Services in 2017, our focus was continuing to enhance the ecommerce experience," said Martin Graham, Group President of Metro Supply Chain Group. "The launch of this new Midwest fulfillment centre allows our clients to reach most U.S. postal codes with expedited delivery, which is vital in today's competitive environment." The Midwest expansion met specific criteria, specifically transit times and proximity to major distribution hubs. "Kansas City is an ideal location; it's within 15 minutes of KCI Airport, has a vibrant labour market for employees and increases our footprint to support our clients' marketplace growth requirements," said Kathy McDevitt, Director of Operations for National Fulfillment Services. With most clients utilizing Amazon as a sales channel, National Fulfillment Services identified the need to offer Seller Fulfilled Prime and competitive transit times to customers. "This expansion is part of a multi-year strategy to reduce shipping times and costs by distributing orders closer to the end user," said Taylor Callahan, Business Development Manager for National Fulfillment Services. The new facility is expected to begin operations in May 2021. Ecommerce brands that are interested in partnering with National Fulfillment Services for two-day nationwide delivery can find more information here: https://www.nfsrv.com/contact About Metro Supply Chain Group Based in Canada, Metro Supply Chain Group operates a significant network of over 70 sites across North America and Europe with a team of more than 6,000 associates. Its scale, deep capabilities, and entrepreneurial structure enable it to solve its customers' most challenging supply chain needs. About National Fulfillment Services National Fulfillment Services is a client-focused logistics provider offering customizable solutions for multichannel distribution, order management, customer care and kitting. Based in Alton, Pennsylvania, National Fulfillment Services is a key division of Metro Supply Chain Group. SOURCE Metro Supply Chain Group Related Links www.metroscg.com Over the past several weeks, several cities in Northern Ireland have experienced their worst street violence since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement created a fragile truce between loyalists to the United Kingdom and Irish nationalists who want to unify the entire island under the Republic of Ireland. Riots in Belfast, Derry, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and Ballymena have injured at least 90 police officers and have produced the arrests of scores of people. Police have said that the riots have been carried out by youthful loyalist gangs but there are competing theories on the underlying cause. Attacks began soon after implementation of a complicated and controversial Brexit-related agreement between the U.K. and the European Union. It creates a border in the Irish Sea, and import/export regulations that have increased consumer prices and unemployment in Northern Ireland. But the attacks also coincided with a crackdown by the Northern Ireland provincial government against organized crime operations with which the street gangs are believed to be affiliated. The governments of Ireland, the U.K. and Northern Ireland have condemned the violence and have called for peace. In 1998, the United States played an indispensable role in producing the Good Friday Agreement. President Bill Clinton appointed George Mitchell as a special envoy and he became the trusted broker for all parties. Now, President Joe Biden should be prepared to preserve Mitchells work by naming a new special envoy to help reinvigorate the agreement and ensure that it does not collapse under the weight of criminal or economic pressure. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its ex post facto approval to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India's Director General of Trade Remedies and the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission to increase cooperation in the area of trade remedies, an official statement said. The MoU was signed on March 27 in Dhaka. The primary objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation between the two countries in the area of trade remedies, exchange of information, undertaking capacity building activities and activities in accordance with various provisions of World Trade Organization (WTO) in the area of anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures in bilateral trade between the countries. The MoU seeks to foster better cooperation between the relevant authorities of both the countries so as to discourage unfair trade practices and promote rule based bilateral trading, the statement added. BTS Jimin's costume, which has been unwashed since 2020, will be auctioned off. In September 2020, BTS performed "IDOL" at Gyeongbokgung Palace for NBC's "The Tonight Show", in which the performance featured the BTS members wearing hanbok, a traditional Korean clothing. According to media outlets, Myart Auction, an auction company based in Seoul that specializes in Korean arts, will be selling BTS Jimin's unwashed hanbok that he wore during the performance for "The Tonight Show" as a way to raise awareness on its first ever online auction. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: BTS RM Relationship Status 2021: Truth About MAMAMOO Hwasa, TWICE Chaeyoung and Ailee Dating Rumors The hanbok that Jimin wore has remained unwashed since September 2020, and according to Myart Auction, is a "work of art that is unique" and has Jimin's body odor unscathed from the clothing. A represenative of Myart Auction revealed that the auction company contacted the designer for BTS's hanboks in the performance, Kim Ri Eul, who initially hesistated on putting the hanbok on auction, but later agreed to do so as it relates to his work on integrating tradition with modernity. According to Korea Economic Daily, Jimin's hanbok will have a starting bid of around 5 million won ($4,480) and will be auctioned off starting April 22 at 10:00 a.m. KST, and will last for one week until April 29 at 5:00 p.m. KST. The hanbok will be featured under the slogan, "Tradition meets modern art to make the best," alongside other traditional modern and contemporary works. This is not the first time an item used by BTS has been auctioned off. In January 2020, a microphone used by BTS during their "Love Yourself" tour from 2017 to 2019 had been auctioned and sold for a whopping $83,200 by Julien Auctions, an auction company based in the United States. In addition, the auction company also auctioned and sold BTS's pastel-colored outfits from their music video for the popular song "Dynamite" for $162,500. BTS has been known to be one of South Korea's main economy boosters for their contribution both domestic and international. According to the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange's research in 2018, 7.6 percent of the country's foreign tourists in 2017 were motivated to visit the country due to BTS. Because of BTS's contribution to South Korea, the group was awarded the "Order of Cultural Merit" for their services in the field of culture and art, and promoting interest in national culture and national development. You can check out Myart Auction's official site here. Watch BTS's "IDOL" performance on "The Tonight Show" here: For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Robyn Joan Foreign spies have used social media platforms like LinkedIn to target 10,000 officials in the UK and abroad who have access to sensitive information and locations, the head of MI5 warns today. Ken McCallum said that fake accounts were being used on an 'industrial 'scale' in an attempt to steal state secrets. The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), which is part of MI5, said that the 10,000 figure, which covers the past five years, was likely to be a conservative estimate. Targets include people working in defence and security sectors, civil servants, pharmaceuticals and other sensitive industries. The CPNI is running a 'think before you link' campaign aimed at people working in these areas. Launching the campaign, Mr McCallum, who became the director general of MI5 last year, told the Times: 'Malicious profiles on professional networking sites are being utilised on an industrial scale'. 'This campaign, which harnesses the insight derived from our intelligence, behavioural science experts and co-operation of Five Eyes partners, will strengthen the UKs collective defences against this activity.' Mr McCallum, who became the director general of MI5 last year, told the Times: 'Malicious profiles on professional networking sites are being utilised on an industrial scale'. The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), which is part of MI5, said that the 10,000 figure, which covers the past five years, was likely to be a conservative estimate. The CPNI is running a 'think before you link' campaign aimed at people working in sensitive industries, warning people they could be giving access to dubious foreign regimes. In a statement LinkedIn said: 'We welcome the online safety efforts of the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and its work to expand their Think Before You Link campaign in the United Kingdom. 'Teams at LinkedIn work to keep LinkedIn a safe place where real people can connect with professionals they know and trust. 'We actively seek out signs of state sponsored activity on the platform and quickly take action against bad actors in order to protect our members. 'Our Threat Intelligence team removes fake accounts using information we uncover and intelligence from a variety of sources, including government agencies. 'Our teams utilize multiple automated techniques, coupled with human reviews and member reporting to maintain LinkedIn as a safe and trusted platform. And we enforce our policies, which are very clear: fraudulent activity with an intent to mislead or lie to our members is a violation of our terms of service.' It comes as the UK attempts to take a harder line with Russia and China over spying. On Monday it was revealed foreign spies operating in Britain will be prosecuted and deported under new laws to protect the country from hostile states. The Queens Speech on May 11 will reportedly be used by the Prime Minister to announce a bill outlining measures to protect Britain from the likes of Russia and China. It will mandate that all individuals working on behalf of foreign governments in the country will have to register their presence - not doing so will become a criminal offence, The Times reported. Intelligence agencies have warned that under current laws, foreign spies are immune from the law unless they are caught acquiring official secrets. It is believed that Britain will aim to have a similar register to the Foreign Agents Registration Act in the US, which extends to anyone representing the interests of a foreign state. The Official Secrets Act, which is intended to protect the United Kingdom from espionage, will be updated so it can be used against anyone attempting to undermine Britains interest from abroad. With some parts written in 1911, ministers hope to adjust the legislation so it can be used against those carrying out foreign cyberattacks. They are also considering whether to raise the maximum sentence - which is currently two years for most offences - for any breaches of the act. It comes after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Britain stood in 'full support' of Czech government after the country's police confirmed they were searching for two men who were suspects in the Salisbury novichok attack. The Czech Republic is expelling 18 Russian diplomats it has identified as spies in a case related to an explosion at an ammunition depot in the town of Vrbetice in 2014. I neither cared nor had interest when the squirrelies in Washington tried to impeach former President Donald Trump. I can see reason, particularly in his last days as he grew into a flaming temper tantrum, but the lies and character assassinations were coming so furiously, and the fact they were fueled by personal hatred, was not just wrong but guaranteed failure in both efforts as cooler heads prevailed. Conversely, I am in total agreement an 84-year-old tottering relic in our Congress should be sent home for clearly inciting a riot in strife-torn Minneapolis. Ever since the volatile racist Maxine Waters (D-Cal.) was elected by The Left Coast in 1991, she has increasingly become a rabble-rising ghoul and this weekend, when the woman oblivious to national shame and forever carrying a grudge, unmistakably incited a riot with the words that protesters must get more confrontational to law enforcement, I believe the Justice Department has due cause to put her evil self behind bars. Waters extolled the protesters to stay on the street, and to get more active more confrontational. Waters babble came after a curfew was called in Brooklyn Heights, Minn., a suburban area of Minneapolis where the murder trial of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin was placed in the hands of the jury late Monday afternoon. Waters shrugged off the curfew break, saying tersely that she didnt agree with it. Meanwhile, Minneapolis looks like a military installation at present, a huge presence of the National Guard on display, in addition to federal, state, and local police units on high alert. Other large cities across America have also fortified law enforcement. Controlling the impending national rage is the second side of a double-edged sword President Joe Biden is juggling today. Over three weeks ago he placed Vice President Kamala Harris in charge of the border catastrophe, and she has had no press briefing since. Rioting has never ceased in Portland after last years tumultuous summer and has been ignited anew in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other liberal-led cities. Waters surprised protesters in Minnesota Saturday night, explained she couldnt sleep after 20-year-old Daunte Wright was accidentally shot by a police officer there last week. In 2018, Waters was livid during Trumps first impeachment proceedings, saying, Lets make sure we show up wherever we have to show up, the octogenarian Congresswoman yelped. And if you see anybody from that (Minn.) cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they arent welcome anymore, anywhere! Saturday nights venom was just as vicious and many an observer believes Maxine was creating one last photo-op. Others, such as the New York Post editorial board, have called for Waterss impeachment, making it quite clear in the boards view that the Congresswomans irresponsible rhetoric is inciting violence. The Post op-ed noted Waters was quick to depart the Twin Cities early Saturday morning and likened her to an instigator who never stays in threatening situations to see the works of wrath occur. After pouring fuel on the fire in Minnesota, she encouraged everyone to keep protesting -though she herself would not be. The board wrote, Maxine Waters is trying to create a civil war, and her irresponsible rhetoric is inciting violence. House speaker Nancy Pelosi should strip her of her committee assignments and move for a vote to remove Waters from office. Not surprisingly, the 80-year-old Pelosi was true to her party. No, Maxine doesnt (have to apologize.) Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil right movement. I, myself, think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family, said the Speaker of the House. Theyve handled this with great dignity, and no ambiguity or lack thereof misinterpretation by the other side. So no, I dont think she should apologize, said Pelosi. Well, do you think Waters comments might incite violence? No, absolutely not. Oh mercy On behalf of law enforcement, and National Guard troops who never dreamed they would one day face insurrection on their own streets, might I offer: Wanna bet? royexum@aol.com Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Vanuatu has banned outbound travel from its main island for three days after a Covid-infected body washed up on a beach. The body of a Filipino fisherman was discovered near the capital of Port Vila on April 11 and was then taken to a local mortuary for testing. Vanuatu authorities detained a UK-flagged tanker after the remains were discovered, RNZ reported. Prime Minister Bob Loughman announced the body tested positive to coronavirus and imposed the three-day travel ban from the country's main island Efate. The body of a Filipino fisherman was discovered near the capital of Port Vila on April 11 (pictured, police at the scene) The restriction on travel was brought in while authorities conduct contact tracing to ensure the infection hasn't spread wider across the islands. Mr Loughman encouraged locals to get tested at Vila Central. Director General of Health Russell Tamata said 16 people are quarantining at Ramada Hotel following the discovery of the Covid-positive body. The quarantine hotel guests are mostly police officers who attended the scene when the fisherman was discovered. The likelihood of community transmission is minor, Mr Tamata said. Vanuatu has only recorded three coronavirus cases since the pandemic began over a year ago. A couple of weeks ago at a Starbucks in Fort Mill, John Kraljevich was joined by a man with something to sell. The man had recently procured a precious relic from a friend. It was an oval badge made of copper with a small hole at the top to accommodate a string or ribbon. The string was missing, of course, and the hole was packed with hardened dirt because the item had spent more than 200 years underground. Kraljevich noticed the word FREE embossed upon an image of a liberty cap on a pole. Along the edge were the partially abraded words CITY OF CHARLESTON and etched beneath the Phrygian cap was the number 147. Freedman's badges were made for free Black people in Charleston in the late 1700s, all were required by law to register with the Office of the City Clerk and obtain a badge, for which they paid 5 shillings. Kraljevich, a collector who trades in rare coins and metals and operates John Kraljevich Americana, was familiar with this item (he has another just like it in his collection), and he did not hesitate to purchase the badge. It is likely worth the price of a very good car, he said, declining to offer specifics. Who unearthed it? Ralph Fields, a Myrtle Beach resident and metal detectorist, was out with his equipment on Feb. 28 somewhere on the Cainhoy peninsula just north of Mount Pleasant, and within the city of Charleston scanning the grounds of a construction site for interesting objects when the clicks and whistles indicated he had located something. He was part of a group of 25 or so with permission to scan the grounds in an area known for its antebellum history, he said. After a couple days of uneventful searching, Fields was ready to go home, he said. But he showed up that Sunday for one last pass, planning to remain on site only for a couple of hours. Turns out it was time well spent. He left the group to focus on a flat area near a new road bed, probably where a house was to be built. He found the top half of a British button that dated to the Revolutionary War. Then his machine detected a lot of iron underground, along with something else. A coin perhaps? He dug no more than 4 inches and pulled out the badge. He had seen slave badges before, which were distributed to enslaved people hired out by their masters to do limited work. But hed only heard about the elusive freedmans badge. In my head, thats my holy grail, Fields said. Its a lightning strike. Its a once-in-a-lifetime find. Kraljevich caught wind of the discovery and quickly reached out to Fields on Facebook. But the detectorist was inclined to share his find with his friend and mentor in Virginia, who agreed to buy it. A more beautiful relic Ive never seen, the man told Fields. A few weeks later, the man made his way to the Starbucks in Fort Mill. Policing Black people The copper badge dates to the late 1700s after South Carolina became a state and before the White population began to feel threatened by the possibility of slave rebellions. Only a few hundred were produced, and no more than a dozen have been found. A relic hunter from Columbia, Hal McGirt, discovered one in 2012 at a Cooper River plantation site. Five of these freedmens badges are part of institutional collections the Charleston Museum has one; so does the College of Charlestons Avery Research Center. The rest are in private hands. The trend is for these things to move into institutions, Kraljevich said, citing two main reasons. Museums have given short shrift to the African American story, often failing to present it as part of mainstream American history, he said. But that is changing. Interest among collectors and institutions in the African American experience is growing. Yet, he said, there is a dearth of material objects available to help convey the narrative. Harlan Greene, director of the College of Charlestons Special Collections and lead author of Slave Badges and the Slave-Hire System in Charleston, South Carolina, 1783-1865, said the freedmans badge donated to the Avery was appraised five years ago at $20,000. A freedmans badge whose physical condition is worse than the one just found sold at auction in 2008 for $32,200. What makes free badges incredibly rare is they were only done in an extremely narrow window of time, Greene said. The city issued the medallions between 1783 (the year Charleston was incorporated) and 1789 only to males 15 years of age and older, and only within the borders of the city, which was enclosed to the north by Boundary Street (today, Calhoun Street). The city was quick to address the issue of slavery, passing an ordinance in November 1783 that required slave owners to secure a ticket or badge for any enslaved person he wanted to hire out for work, according to Greenes book. At the time, fewer than 600 Black people in Charleston were free, and all were required to obtain a badge. If they failed to display the badge on their persons, they could be fined 3 pounds which, if not paid within 10 days, could result in arrest and up to 30 days of labor at the city workhouse. They were still policing free people of color at that time, Greene said, debunking the idea that these badges represented some form of White largesse. The badge was less a privilege than a way of differentiating people and keeping tabs on them, he said. Only a few hundred were produced. Some were copper, others brass, and at least one was silver. 'Zones of significance' The city of Charleston has no rules in place that require archaeological investigation of certain sites slated for development. And unlike other historical cities such as St. Augustine, Fla., and Alexandria, Va., Charleston has no staff archaeologist. The Historic Charleston Foundation, Preservation Society of Charleston, Charleston Museum and other organizations have been pushing the city to pass an archaeology ordinance for years. It nearly happened before the COVID pandemic prompted a hiring freeze and other restrictions. Its astounding for people to learn that a city with such rich history ... has very few rules in place for (protecting) below-ground history, said Brian Turner, the Preservation Societys director of advocacy. Historic Charleston Foundation has argued that the proposed ordinance could be linked to the current permitting and design review process. The overarching goal of the ordinance would then be to prevent valuable cultural resources from being destroyed by large-scale development while placing as little burden as possible on the average homeowner. The city could define zones of significance, timetables, trigger points, and fees while seeking to strike a balance between preservation and business development. Those zones would include the historic district and possibly other areas of importance "that have special value because they have yielded archaeological resources or because of the probable presence of notable archaeological resources relating to the cultural and historical heritage of the city. Items found on private property would belong to the property owner, though the city would encourage the owner to donate such objects to a museum. Sites outside of specific areas of interest would not likely be subject to formal archaeological scrutiny by the city. They would continue to be the purview of amateur collectors armed with metal detectors. Today, local authorities can invoke the National Historic Preservation Act to require archaeological work on any project subject to federal permitting, but this provides insufficient protection, according to advocates of the city ordinance. The city is one vast (archaeological) site, and every spot in the city has something to tell, said Martha Zierden, curator of historical archaeology at the Charleston Museum. "Though you dont see the underground stuff, its a critical part of the whole fabric. It has an important story to tell." Our best chance Meanwhile, the developers seem to be busier than ever, and Turner worries that too much is lost. Most individual homes are not subject to any archaeological requirements, he said. And when surveys are conducted on bigger properties, they dont always identify the full range of potential treasure that could be buried there. We rely on voluntary compliance with the general ethic that you dont harm things, Turner said. Kraljevich, who once worked as a historical interpreter at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Virginia, and who has long had an interest in African American and antebellum history, is certain that many historical artifacts are getting bulldozed and buried, or drowned in nearby waters. So its especially thrilling to secure a freedmans badge. These are the most important objects of the American South in this era, he said. I dont think theres anything that offers more value. And until the city has a formal method in place to discover, secure and preserve such artifacts, museum curators, archaeologists and collectors will have to rely on independent relic hunters like Fields. Metal detectorists are usually the best chance we have of finding and saving stuff, Kraljevich said. Twelve jurors found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in killing of George Floyd last May on Tuesday. The nation waited for approximately an hour between the time the verdict was reached and when it was read. Seconds after the guilty charges were read, Texas public figures took to Twitter to share their thoughts given Floyd's murder sparked a global reckoning on racism and police brutality. From Texas mayors to U.S. representatives, all shared their thoughts on what the monumental outcome means for their communities. Chauvin's sentencing will take place in eight weeks. Read more of the statewide responses below. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Purcell Julie & Lefkowitz LLP, a class action law firm dedicated to representing shareholders nationwide, is investigating a potential breach of fiduciary duty claim involving the board of directors of Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OTC: NWBO). If you are a shareholder of Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. and are interested in obtaining additional information regarding this investigation, free of charge, please visit us at: http://pjlfirm.com/northwest-biotherapeutics-inc/ You may also contact Robert H. Lefkowitz, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 212-725-1000. One of our attorneys will personally speak with you about the case at no cost or obligation. Purcell Julie & Lefkowitz LLP is a law firm exclusively committed to representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and other types of corporate misconduct. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://pjlfirm.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. SOURCE Purcell Julie & Lefkowitz LLP Related Links http://www.pjlfirm.com More than 1,000 Jefferson County residents turned out to vote on the first day of Early Voting for local elections. Beaumont City Council Ward 2 candidates Mike Getz and Miles Haynes said there was a steady stream of people voting at Rogers Park throughout the day. However, there still werent as many people turning out as either expected. Anyone who wanted to vote could come and get in and out in 5 minutes, Haynes said. I expected, with so many candidates on the ballot, to have a surge in the morning. I dont know what the issue is, but I expected to see a line at least at 8 a.m. Getz attributed the slower-than-expected day to election fatigue after Novembers hotly contested presidential race. With election fatigue, I think this one just kind of snuck up on people, he said. I think as the week progresses, more people will go vote. Related: Southeast Texas May 2021 Voter Guide Those who did show up seemed to have their mind made up on which candidates they planned to cast a ballot for before even arriving at the polling place, he said. Jefferson County early voting times, locations 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 26-27 Beaumont Beaumont Courthouse, 1085 Pearl St. Rogers Park Recreation Center, 6540 Gladys Theodore Johns Library, 4255 Fannett Road John Paul Davis Community Center, 3580 E. Lucas Port Arthur Port Arthur Sub-Courthouse, 525 Lakeshore Drive Port Arthur Library, 4615 Ninth Ave. See More Collapse After talking with a number of voters, Haynes said voters seemed to be making their decisions based on candidates stance on crime, who garnered certain endorsements and what kind of community work each candidate did after the regions most recent storms. While voters were pretty well decided on their candidate on choice, Getz said he still saw confusion regarding the 16 charter amendments included for Beaumont residents. The proposed amendments largely are to clean up the charter or bring it in line with state law. Should measures in opposition to state law fail, City Attorney Tyrone Cooper said theyd stay in the charter but be largely unenforceable. One such change would remove a provision requiring an individual to be in good standing with their city tax bill before running for office or seeking a job. State law says such a requirement violates the equal-protection clause for the U.S. Constitution. The city previously has asked voters to remove the provision, but residents didnt support it. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox If it fails, we cant enforce it, Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames previously said of the item. I think the citizens read it and think, Well, I dont think they should run if they owe money. But the constitution requires it. While Monday didnt see a large surge in turnout, the county still seems close to on track to fall somewhere between the number of ballots cast early in the 2019 and 2017 local elections. According to data from the Jefferson County Elections Office, 1,155 people cast a ballot on Monday. Of those, 135 ballots were cast at one of the countys two Port Arthur polling sites. The city of Port Arthur was not included in the election run by the county in 2017 and 2019. However, even without the votes cast at these sites, Mondays turnout comes in at about 11% of early votes cast for Beaumont mayor in 2019 and just over 15% of those cast early for the same office in 2017. Related: Trailblazer Guidry reflects on 16 years as Jefferson County clerk This election is the first in 16 years without former County Clerk Carolyn Guidry at the helm. Interim Clerk Theresa Goodness said operations were largely quiet. We had a few calls and questions mainly about signs. There were a couple of places where candidates were too close to a polling place, she said. We did have one call about masks at a polling location. We noticed the city may have some signs requiring masks left over at city buildings. However, by the end of the day, the campaign materials were moved, and the signs requiring masks were taken down, she said. In nearby Orange County, which is about a third of Jefferson Countys size, 696 people turned out to vote early on Monday. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain Penpa Tsering, projected winner in the 2021 election for Sikyong, Tibet's exile political leader, speaks to RFA in an April 17, 2021 interview. The projected winner in the election for the next leader, or Sikyong, of Tibets Dharamsala, India-based exile government is pledging to work hard on behalf of Tibetans living in their China-ruled homeland and in exile, saying he has already received many messages of support. I know Tibetans inside Tibet dont have the right to vote, Penpa Tsering, former speaker of Tibets exile government, said on Saturday in remarks to RFA after final votes showed him the clear winner in this years election. However, I have been receiving your best wishes by word of mouth, and I would therefore like to thank all Tibetans both inside [Tibet] and living in exile, Tsering said. Resolving the issue of Tibet and taking care of the welfare of Tibetans in exile are now my core responsibilities, said Tsering, who has previously said he will look for ways to reject what he called Chinas assimilationist policies on Tibets language, culture, religion, and environment. The public has sincerely placed their trust in me, and I will not let this be in vain, Tsering said, adding that he will be guided in his work by the aspirations for the Tibetan people of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. I will work very hard, Tsering said, calling on Tibetans to leave behind the animosity [of the campaign] and remain united. Healthy discussions and dialogue will always be a part of enhancing our cause, he added. Now ahead in votes More than 83,000 Tibetans living in 26 countries around the world went to the polls on April 11 to cast their ballots in the third and final round of voting for Sikyong. Final votes counted in the U.S. on Friday showed a total of 33,924 ballots have now been cast for Tsering, compared with 28,595 cast for rival candidate Aukatsang Kelsang Dorjee, a former representative of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, according to unofficial counting by RFA. Official results wont be announced until May 14, but Tsering now leads with a comfortable margin of 5,329. Lobsang Sangay, a Harvard-trained scholar of law, has served two consecutive five-year terms as Sikyong, an office filled by candidates elected since 2011 by popular vote, and will leave that post when his present term expires in May. Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force 70 years ago, following which the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India and other countries around the world. Divisions persist in the Tibetan exile community over how best to advance the rights and freedoms of Tibetans living in China, with some calling for a restoration of the independence lost when Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Dalai Lama have instead adopted a policy approach called the Middle Way, which accepts Tibets status as a part of China but urges greater cultural and religious freedom, including strengthened language rights, for Tibetans living under Beijings rule. Both Tsering and Aukatsang support the Middle Way. Reported by Pema Ngodup for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney. (Newser) Two men were charged last month with dousing Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the Capitol riotbut a Monday ruling from Washington DC's chief medical examiner makes homicide charges unlikely in the 42-year-old's death. The medical examiner, Francisco Diaz, ruled that Sicknick died of natural causes, not homicide, USA Today reports. Diaz said Sicknick suffered two strokes and died the day after the Jan. 6 riot. Diaz tells the Washington Post that there was no sign Sicknick suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants, nor was there any sign of internal or external injuries. story continues below Diaz says, however, that Sicknick was among the officers who engaged with rioters, and "all that transpired played a role in his condition." Sicknick collapsed in his office hours after the riot and was hospitalized. Diaz says the strokes were caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to the base of the brain stem. He says privacy laws prevent him from disclosing whether Sicknick had a pre-existing condition. In a statement, the Capitol Police force said that it accepted the medical examiner's findings, but that the ruling doesn't change the fact that Sicknick died in the line of duty" courageously defending Congress and the Capitol, the AP reports. "The United States Capitol Police will never forget Officer Sicknicks bravery," the statement said. (Read more Brian Sicknick stories.) Pakistan's parliament has postponed until Friday a debate on whether the country should expel the French ambassador, as the government bids to appease a radical party that has threatened more violent protests unless the envoy is kicked out. The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has waged an anti-France campaign for months since President Emmanuel Macron defended the right of a satirical magazine to republish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed -- an act deemed blasphemous by many Muslims. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday said the government had held negotiations with TLP leaders, who agreed to call off the protests after learning a resolution would be discussed in parliament on the future of the French envoy. TLP leaders confirmed Tuesday they had called off further action, and thousands of supporters dispersed from a mosque where they had gathered in Lahore. "After the promise the government made to us... I feel there is no need for any protest or sit-in. Praise be to God our main demand has been fulfilled," said regional leader Muhammad Shafiq Ameeni. At a special session of the National Assembly earlier Tuesday, the speaker pushed back a resolution by a ruling party member on the issue, saying it should be tabled collectively by the government and opposition, before adjourning until Friday. "We have fulfilled our agreement... we said that we will bring a resolution in the house and a resolution was presented," Federal Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry said later. "Now if the opposition accepts it or not, or if they want to amend it and want changes, then it is a parliamentary process under which the matter will go ahead." Resolutions relating to sensitive Islamic issues are often passed unanimously in Pakistan's parliament, but are non-binding, with many previous votes not enacted by the government. - French urged to leave - Several police officers were killed in clashes with demonstrators this week, while 11 others were held hostage for several hours at a TLP mosque on Sunday, Lahore police said. Story continues The TLP says several of its supporters also died in skirmishes. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday pleaded with the radical group to end its violent campaign to oust the ambassador, saying the unrest was harming the nation. "It doesn't make any difference to France," he said in a national address broadcast on television. "If we keep protesting our whole lives we would only be damaging our own country and it will not impact (the West)." The French embassy last week recommended all its citizens leave the country, and on Monday a source at the foreign ministry said Paris was recalling all non-essential staff and their families. The Pakistan government banned the TLP last Wednesday -- effectively labelling the group a terror organisation -- and police arrested thousands of protesters during clashes, but Rashid said no action would be taken against them. "Cases registered -- including those under the fourth schedule -- will also be withdrawn," he said, referring to charges that fall under anti-terror laws. Few issues are as galvanising in Pakistan as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests, incite lynchings, and unite the country's warring political parties. Analysts say Khan's policy of appeasement is risky. "I think the prime minister has realised that appeasing the radical forces isn't an easy task because when you try to please them they demand more and more," security analyst Amir Rana told AFP. "So far he has failed to maintain the balance." "There is no doubt there is a bind," said political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi. sjd/kf/ecl/fox/reb Dans un communique mis en ligne sur son site web , lInformation and Communication Technologies Authority, a donne des precisions concernant les reseaux sociaux vises dans son Proposed amendments to the ICT Act for regulating the use and addressing the abuse and misuse of Social Media in Mauritius publie il y quelques jours et qui fait grand debats dans divers sections de la population mauricienne. Further to some press articles, private radio news items and online comments on social media platforms, the ICTA wishes to bring the following clarifications: The proposal in the Public Consultation paper on Proposed amendments to the ICT Act for regulating the use and addressing the abuse and misuse of Social Media in Mauritius pertains to social media platforms only as clearly spelt out in the paper title itself. As opposed to the rampant fake news propagated by ill-intentioned persons on the web, online messaging applications are not concerned. Online messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Threema, Wire, etc present a distinct characteristic, which is end-to-end encryption. This type of encryption is different from the https/TLS encryption described in the Consultation Paper. End-to-end encryption implies that each and every communication between two users of these online messaging applications are encrypted in such a way that nobody in the middle and not even the service provider has the ability to decrypt it. It has never been the intention of the ICTA to regulate the use of online messaging applications since these types of communication are of a private nature as opposed to public postings on social media platforms. ICTA has already sought the opinion of Facebooks office in South Africa to seek their views on the proposal and to further recommend alternative measures to tackle the issues of abuse and misuse of social media in Mauritius. In accordance with the recommendations made by the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg before the Senate of United States in April 2018, whereby he advised governments to put into place their own respective regulatory bodies to oversee fake news and illegal contents, the ICTA as per Sections 18(d) and (m) of the ICT Act, in accordance with its legal duty and obligations, will submit recommendations to the Government, only after this exercise of public consultation is completed. Furthermore, on the 30th of March 2019, following the Christchurch massacre in New Zealand, Mark Zuckerberg called on governments and other bodies to increase regulation around the sorts of data in which Facebook traffics. The public consultation exercise ends on the 5th of May 2021. The ICTA will thereafter analyse and dissect the opinions expressed by the general public and will submit its recommendations to the Government which will ultimately decide whether to go forward. Legislations may only be introduced into the National Assembly after Cabinet approval is sought and obtained. Further, once introduced into the National Assembly, any amendment is subject to parliamentary debate and scrutiny. 19 April 2021 Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Cherubim Interests, Inc. (OTC: CHIT) ("the Company"), a diversified holding company, announces a corporate update to shareholders and interested parties. Dear Shareholders, Please see below updates: OTC Markets Current Information The Company intends to have an audit conducted on the business and become an SEC fully reporting company. BudCube Cultivation Systems BudCube Cultivation Systems ("BCS") has developed a proprietary, fully portable and scalable Controlled Environment Agriculture Technology that serves as a turnkey solution for cultivators of legal medical and recreational cannabis, and many other plant species. Coupled with a real estate development and property management business model, BudCube Cultivation Systems can position itself anywhere in the world where the cultivation of cannabis is legal. BudCube Cultivation Systems ("BCS") is pioneering in the real estate development and medical as well as recreational cannabis cultivation industries. The Company will lease modular turnkey cultivation facilities to new and existing market participants in "mini-storage" or "co-op farming," as well as single tenant or "big box" concepts. "The Company initially conducts research to determine land purchase and improvements, as well as construction and deployment to location for leasing," says Patrick Johnson, CEO of CHIT. "These modules provide the floor space and square footage required for operations. We then deliver, install and connect the modules while providing standard operating procedures and ongoing maintenance as needed." Multi- Tenant (Co-Op) Concept The multi-tenant concept allows for multiple tenants to rent individual, self-contained BCS cultivation units at a secure location staffed with management, maintenance, and security personnel. BCS will offer either facilities constructed of retrofitted shipping containers or via modular building components. Local zoning variances, climate and logistics, will determine which application the Company will use. Single Tenant (Big Box) Concept The single-tenant concept allows for an entity to enter into a long-term lease agreement with an option to purchase the facility (plus land if applicable) at the end of the lease term for a sales price determined considering fair market value. This is a much larger square footage concept with construction techniques and materials determined on a case by case basis. "This industry is moving very rapidly," states Patrick J. Johnson, CEO of Cherubim Interests, Inc. "As we see the front of legalization push across States, companies are scrambling to catch up. The market is there, the demand is high, but the supply from legal cultivators is low. Cherubim Interests and BudCube Cultivation Systems are uniquely positioned at this perfect apex of an emerging, billion-dollar market; we are positioning ourselves to meet the impending demand by supplying the facility necessary to bring existing as well as start-up mom and pop businesses into full scale production in a matter of months." BCS Leasing Centers will offer the following services to consumers: Standard Operating Procedures Cultivation Inventory Control and Management Systems Genetics Counseling and Testing Procedures Extract Processing and Equipment Design, and Proprietary Product Line(s) "What makes this hybrid business model so compelling is that our facilities will command extraordinary high rental rates per square foot due to rental rates being charged in the cannabis industry across our nation," said CHIT CEO, Patrick Johnson. "Our concept, once deployed, will offer investors exponentially high rates of return compared to most traditional commercial real estate assets, and also increasing the companies' valuation significantly faster than traditional commercial assets would in the same scenario for our stockholders." Development of new forward-thinking infrastructure standards in residential/commercial renewable energy sector by use of Machine Learning, Analytics, and Cost Modeling in an effort to reduce traditional overhead pitfalls while meeting and/or exceeding current technology, installation, and best practices to achieve superior ground-up results Go Forward Strategy The Company will have an audit conducted on the business in order to become an SEC Reporting entity, and locate an updated real estate location to deploy the BudCube concept. We want to wish for the safety and health of our shareholders and their families at this time and thank you for your continued faith in the future of the Company. Warm Regards, Patrick Johnson CEO About BudCube Cultivation Systems BudCube Cultivation Systems developed a proprietary, fully portable and scalable, cultivation technology that serves as outdoor turn-key solution for cultivators of legal medical and recreational cannabis, as well as other various plant species. Coupled with real estate development and property management business model, The BudCube Cultivation Systems business model can be duplicated anywhere in the world where the cultivation of cannabis is legal. For more information, visit: http://budcubecultivationsystems.com/. About Cherubim Interests Inc. Cherubim Interests Inc. is a diversified holding company that focuses on acquiring assets in Alternative Energy, Traditional Energy, Real Estate, and Construction Sectors. The company was founded in 2006. For more information, visit: http://www.cherubiminterests.net/. Safe Harbor Statement This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E and/or 27E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the Company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's suppliers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties. For more information please contact: Cherubim Interests, Inc. Patrick J. Johnson Chief Executive Officer 529 W. Commerce Street Suite 212 Dallas, TX 75208 info@cherubiminterests.net Sources: https://stockhouse.com/news/press-releases/2017/01/18/cherubim-interests-inc-subsidiary-releases-conceptual-drawings-of-budcube https://stockhouse.com/news/press-releases/2015/08/31/cherubim-interests-inc-introduces-hybrid-business-model https://stockhouse.com/news/press-releases/2017/07/31/cherubim-interests-inc-subsidiary-releases-images-of-proprietary-cultivation To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/81064 House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks during his weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on March 18, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) McCarthy Announces Resolution to Censure Waters Over Dangerous Comments House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Monday that he will introduce a resolution to censure Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) over comments he says incited violence. This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence. Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters behaviorthats why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments, McCarthy said in a statement on Twitter. McCarthys move comes a day after he warned that he would bring action if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not condemn Waters dangerous rhetoric. Over the weekend, Waters attended a protest in Brooklyn Center following the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright where she made the controversial remarks. She said she was going to fight with all of the people who stand for justice and persuaded protesters to stay on the street, get more active, and get more confrontational, if former police officer Derek Chauvin isnt found guilty of murder for George Floyds death. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business, Waters said. She also said the former Minneapolis police officer should receive a guilty verdict for murder, eliciting a strong rebuke from the trial judge presiding over Chauvins case. I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function, the judge said on Monday, referring to Waters. If they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution. Chauvins lawyers argued that Waters comments had prejudiced the jury and would form the grounds for a mistrial. But the judge denied that request, while noting that the defense could submit press articles about her comments for an appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. Waters office did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. Waters dismissed the accusations that she had incited violence, telling theGrio that she is a non-violent person. She then shifted the blame to Republicans, claiming that the calls for her expulsion are all part of a political tactic by Republicans. Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to all of the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that, how this is a time for [Republicans] to raise money on [Democrats] backs, Waters said. The congresswoman also argued that her comments were related to confronting the justice system and policing thats going on. Similarly, Pelosi defended Waters on Capitol Hill on Monday, telling Capitol Hill reporters that she did not think her colleague had incited violence. She also added that she doesnt believe Waters should apologize for her comments. Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the Civil Rights movement. I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. Theyve handled this with great dignity and no ambiguity or lack of misinterpretation by the other side, Pelosi said. Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has introduced a resolution to hold Waters accountable for inciting violent riots and Black Lives Matter terrorism. China holds high-level forum on CPC history Xinhua) 15:24, April 20, 2021 Photo taken on Oct. 27, 2020 shows the replica of a boat, now referred to as the Red Boat, on which the founders of the Communist Party of China convened a historic meeting in 1921, on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- China has held a high-level forum on the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the first of its kind, as the CPC celebrates its centenary this year. The forum, held in Beijing, was organized by the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance). Over 50 experts and scholars attended the event. Addressing the forum, Li Shulei, vice president of the school, pledged in-depth research and more education on the history of the CPC, as well as more efforts in collecting and classifying relevant documents. The CPC Central Committee announced the decision to launch the Party history learning and education campaign among all Party members in February. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) RIDGEFIELD A majority of middle and high school students returned to classrooms for full, in-person learning this week for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The anticipation during morning drop off Monday was palpable, Scotts Ridge Middle School Principal Timothy Salem said. Today, I sensed an exuberance that I havent felt since prior to the pandemic, he said Monday. The district began planning a full return for grades 6-12 earlier this year as local COVID-19 cases declined and staff vaccinations ramped up roughly 95 percent of its K-12 faculty is vaccinated. District officials said they also gauged in-school transmission numbers among the towns elementary-aged students who have attended classes in person since September, and factored in vaccine eligibility for those 16 and older. Parents had the autonomy to decide whether their child would report to school or continue learning remotely for the rest of the school year. We all have a role in opening our schools and keeping them open, thus, we ask that we all stay committed to the implementation of our mitigating measures, Superintendent Susie Da Silva wrote in an April 14 email to faculty members and families. Scotts Ridge Middle School Scotts Ridge families were surveyed in mid-March in anticipation of a full return. Approximately 87 percent of students opted for full in-person instruction, and the remaining 13 percent will attend classes remotely through June. As the smaller of the districts two middle schools, administrators have taken proactive steps since last August to ensure learning spaces were appropriately set up for social distancing, Salem said. Assistant Principal Lisa Frese and I have become experts of the tape measure, he added. We added a number of hand-sanitizing stations in and throughout the building (at) high-frequency areas, such as the cafeterias and corners of hallways, and no use of lockers helps with congregating. Although theres roughly 10 weeks left of the school year, Salem said the decision will help students assimilate to a normal routine. East Ridge Middle School Ninety percent of students at East Ridge Middle School have opted for in-person learning. When they were dropped off on Monday, Principal Patricia Raneri said, It feels like the first day of school in a lot of ways. For many of them, this was their very first day in our building some of them have only seen their classrooms on camera, Raneri said. Students will continue to follow a two-way traffic flow in the halls and a one-way traffic flow, either up or down, in the stairwells, and be dismissed to their next period at staggered times. Teachers have organized their classrooms to ensure 3 feet of distance between each desk and will maintain an assigned seating chart for contact tracing purposes. Referring to East Ridges low transmission rates after winter break, Raneri said she was confident about the districts full return following spring break. Our kids have been so earnest in following mitigation strategies, she said. We wanted it to be a really strong finish and bring the cohorts together to have fun and interact thats what they miss the most. A teachers perspective Steve Ruland is an eight-grade social studies teacher at East Ridge. He is also president of the National Education Associations Ridgefield affiliate, a local teachers union that represents 440 faculty members districtwide. Since managing group projects and class discussion under the hybrid schedule was difficult, he said, he looks forward to instilling a renewed sense of normalcy for his students in academics as well as social-emotional growth. A lot of these students have been home for a significant amount of time, and weve prepared for any outcomes of that, Ruland said. We want to be able to get the kids back into an environment that they feel familiar with. We definitely feel this is the best way to go. Ridgefield High School Principal Jacob Greenwood could not be reached for comment on Monday. alyssa.seidman@hearstmediact.com MONTREAL - Quebecs secularism law is largely legal, a Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday, even as he acknowledged it violates the rights of Muslim women and has cruel and dehumanizing consequences for those who wear religious symbols. A Quebec Superior Court justice is set to issue a ruling Tuesday on the constitutionality of the province's secularism law, known as Bill 21. People hold up signs during a demonstration against Bill 21 in Montreal, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes MONTREAL - Quebecs secularism law is largely legal, a Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday, even as he acknowledged it violates the rights of Muslim women and has cruel and dehumanizing consequences for those who wear religious symbols. Justice Marc-Andre Blanchard upheld the bulk of the religious symbols law, while striking down clauses pertaining to English-language school boards and a ban on members of the provincial legislature wearing face coverings. In a 240-page ruling, Blanchard concluded that the law, known as Bill 21 "does not violate the Canadian constitutional architecture." The law was adopted in June 2019, and it prohibits public sector workers who are deemed to be in positions of authority, including teachers, police officers and judges, from wearing symbols such as hijabs, kippas or turbans at work. It was challenged in court by a number of groups, many of whom argued it was discriminatory and violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, their efforts were complicated by the Quebec government's decision to make pre-emptive use of the charter's notwithstanding clause, which shields legislation from most court challenges over violations of fundamental rights. Blanchard criticized the provincial governments liberal use of the notwithstanding clause but ruled it was legal to do so. The use by the legislator of exemption clauses appears excessive, because it's too broad, although legally unassailable in the current state of the law," the decision reads. Invoking the clause meant the law was largely allowed to stand, despite what the judge described as serious and negative impacts on people who wear religious symbols. He noted that people who fall into this category can no longer seek out new jobs in the public service without compromising their beliefs. We can easily understand that this is a cruel consequence that dehumanizes those who are targeted, he wrote. Blanchard also found that the law violates the rights of Muslim women, and particularly teachers who wear hijabs. "The court notes that the evidence undoubtedly shows that the effects of Bill 21 will negatively impact Muslim women first and foremost," the decision reads. "In one way, by violating their freedom of religion, and in another, in doing the same in regards to their freedom of expression, since clothing constitutes both pure and simple expression, and also the manifestation of a religious belief." However, Blanchard rejected the plaintiffs' claim that the sexual equality guarantees in Section 28 of the charter were not covered by the notwithstanding clause invoked by the Quebec government. "Section 28 of the Canadian charter, which guarantees equal rights for both sexes, has no scope other than interpretive and it does not independently invalidate laws," he found. Blanchard did, however, rule that certain provisions of the law are unconstitutional as they affect English school boards. He ruled that the portions of the law unjustifiably violated Section 23 of the charter, which guarantees minority language education rights and is not on the list of sections covered by the notwithstanding clause. He noted that previous court decisions have stressed the importance of protecting linguistic minorities' charter-protected rights to control many aspects of the education they offer, including choosing who to hire and making decisions that will help foster diversity. The judge also struck down a ban on members of the provincial legislature wearing face coverings, ruling that it violates Section 3 of the charter, which guarantees democratic rights, because it would prevent a person who wears a face-covering garment from sitting in the legislature, even if they were democratically elected. The trial combined four separate lawsuits that were heard over several weeks at the end of 2020. During the hearings, the Quebec government repeatedly argued that Bill 21 is moderate and supported by a majority of Quebecers, while critics argued it targets racialized minorities who choose to practice their religion. Simon Jolin-Barrette, the province's justice minister, said on Tuesday that the government will appeal Tuesday's ruling and the exemption established for English school boards. "There are not two Quebecs," he told reporters in Quebec City. "There is only one. The laws must apply uniformly on Quebec territory." Quebec Premier Francois Legault said the decision to uphold most of the law was a "victory for Quebecers." However, he said he was disappointed with the judgment's "illogical" conclusion about English schools. "Secularism and Quebec common values have no language barrier," he wrote on Facebook. The English Montreal School Board said it was elated with the ruling, with chairman Joe Ortona saying his reading is that English boards can begin hiring qualified teachers, whether they wear a religious symbol or not. Since it came into force, Ortona said qualified candidates have been refused employment, others have been denied promotions and many simply didnt bother to apply. We have seen the negative impact of Law 21 on our staff and on the culture in our schools and centres, Ortona said. The law is forcing individuals to choose between government employment and a desire to wear religious apparel. Furheen Ahmed, a teacher at Montreals Westmount High School and outspoken critic of the religious symbols law, said more work needs to be done. Of course Im happy, but this is one small victory because we live in a very big province, Ahmed said. My colleagues who work in the French system, they dont get to celebrate today, and all the other people who arent part of English schools, they dont get to celebrate today. Representatives of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the National Council of Canadian Muslims, who were parties to the challenge, said their fight wasn't over but they would study the judgment with their lawyers before deciding on their next steps. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. With files from Sidhartha Banerjee Police have released CCTV footage of a dementia-stricken pensioner who has been missing since Saturday - as officers say they are 'very worried'. Peter Bennett, 79, was reported missing by his carer who arrived at his house in Rosecroft, Finsbury Park, north London, four days ago and found he wasn't there. Mr Bennett, who speaks with a Newcastle accent, is described as white, of slim build, with balding grey hair and a beard. Video shows him at the junction of Finsbury Road and Trinity Road at 1.37pm on Saturday, before he is believed to have walked in the direction of Wood Green High Road. At the time of his disappearance he was wearing black jeans, a yellow and black striped shirt, a dark grey jacket and black shoes. He also wears glasses. Peter Bennett (pictured), 79, was reported missing by his carer who arrived at his house in Rosecroft, Finsbury Park, north London, four days ago and found he wasn't there Mr Bennett is known to frequent the Wood Green area of Haringey and has historic links to Camden. Detective Inspector Paul Ridley, from the North Area Public Protection Unit, is leading the investigation and has appealed for help from the public. He said Mr Bennett doesn't have any of his personal belongings, including vital medication. He added: 'The more time that goes by without a sighting or a trace of Peter, the more concerned we are becoming. 'He doesn't have any of his personal belongings and is badly affected by his dementia. He needs medication which he does not have with him. 'Since Peter's disappearance, searches have taken place and extensive enquiries have been completed. Sadly we are no closer to finding him.' He said the CCTV footage 'shows Peter was alone, moving slowly and did not appear aware of his surroundings. Mr Bennett is known to frequent the Wood Green area of Haringey and has historic links to Camden. Video shows him at the junction of Finsbury Road and Trinity Road at 1.37pm on Saturday, before he is believed to have walked in the direction of Wood Green High Road 'Another person walked past him and may have seen where he went next. I would appeal for that person to come forward,' he added. 'We are very worried. Finding Peter is a top priority and we are asking for the public's help.' Anyone who sees Mr Bennett should contact the police immediately on 999. He is likely to need medical assistance and will be confused and disorientated. A police spokesman said: 'Please keep that in mind when approaching him.' People who live in the Finsbury Park area, or elsewhere in Haringey, are asked to check any doorbell or dash cam footage for sightings. Information about where Mr Bennett has been will help to build an important picture of his movements. Anyone with information that could help in the search should call 101 providing the reference 21MIS010616. They can also contact the charity Missing People on 116000. The EU's medical regulator has given a green light to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine despite a 'possible link' to rare blood clots. Last week, the company halted its European rollout after U.S. officials recommended putting the vaccine on hold after detecting six very rare blood clot cases among nearly 7 million people who had been vaccinated. The EMA says that the benefits outweigh the risks, but a warning should be added to vaccine labels. Regulatory News: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies (ISIN: FR0013451044, Ticker: ALHGR) ("Hoffmann Green" or the "Company"), a pioneer in clinker-free low-carbon cement, announces the first pouring of concrete sheets manufactured with its H-UKR cement by GCC for the construction of a public establishment in Aizenay, Western France. Launched in October 2020, the Aizenay high school site is currently under construction. Designed to accommodate up to 800 students, this project is part of a program to build four new schools in Vendee, Western France to meet an increase in the number of high school students. The pouring of Hoffmann Green concrete is part of a global approach aiming to make this Aizenay high school an exemplary building from an environmental standpoint. Indeed, the specifications contain high environmental requirements: level 3 bio-sourced building label, E3-C1 Effinergie performance level and HQE sustainable building certification. To help meet these objectives, Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies and GCC have collaborated in order to propose installing very low-carbon concrete sheets. This is a first for a public facility made possible by the partnership established between the two entities in 2020. The purpose of this partnership is to develop effective low-carbon buildings on a national scale. The decision to use Hoffmann Green low-carbon cement was notably imposed by the CO2 savings generated. Indeed, the production of one ton of traditional Portland cement represents the emission of 881 kilos of CO2, while that of a ton of H-UKR clinker-free cement represents just 188 kilos of CO2. Following this collaboration with the Pays de la Loire region and the town of Aizenay, GCC is already positioning itself on other projects that foresee the use of decarbonized concrete in the region. About Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies Founded in 2014, Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies designs, produces and distributes innovative clinker-free low-carbon cement with a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional cement. Fully aware of the environmental emergency and the need to reconcile the construction sector, cement manufacturing and the environment, the Group believes it is at the heart of a genuine technological breakthrough based on altering cement's composition and the creation of a heating-free and clean manufacturing process, without clinker. Hoffmann Green's cements, currently manufactured on a first 4.0 industrial site with no kiln nor chimney in western France, address all construction sector markets and present, at equivalent dosage and with no alteration in the concrete manufacturing process, higher performances than traditional cement. For further information, please go to: www.ciments-hoffmann.fr About Group GCC The construction and civil engineering group consists of branches and subsidiaries and has three divisions: CONSTRUCTION ENERGY PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT. This organization allows the group to combine local knowledge, technical expertise and a good grasp of client expectations. With its 48 operational entities in France, Switzerland, Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire, GCC has close to 2,600 employees. In less than 20 years, this independent group has managed to establish itself as one of the top ten companies in the construction and civil engineering sector thanks to an organization based on the commitment, involvement and autonomy of its executive management. With 2020 revenue of 904 million, GCC is a solid, audacious and passionate group with connections and people at the heart of its growth dynamic. www.gcc-groupe.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005914/en/ Contacts: Hoffmann Green Jerome Caron Chief Financial Officer finances@ciments-hoffmann.fr +33 (0)2 51 46 06 00 NewCap Pierre Laurent Thomas Grojean/Quentin Masse Investor Relations ciments-hoffmann@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations ciments-hoffmann@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 Through the overhead lights from his car, the security guard saw that Stephen Vest was injured. The dark-haired 30-year-olds left arm appeared to be bleeding as he walked out of the park just before 8pm on a warm night last October. Whats wrong? What happened? What can I do to help? the guard asked Vest from his car. That evening at the park in Chico, a college town of 110,000 in the far north of California, people played tennis and pickleball, after smoke from wildfires had kept many indoors the month before. Yet Vest was in distress. In the next 10 minutes, he would allegedly pull out a knife and try to stab the guard. Vest was Tased and jumped on the back of a motorbike stopped at a traffic light. He would ask a truck driver to kill him, and pursue men through a pet store. Just outside the store, local police were waiting. They too attempted to Tase Vest. And then they fired their guns at him 11 times. Vest was a fire victim and was living on the streets after the deadliest US wildfire in a century destroyed his home town of Paradise a few years before. Wildfires are striking California, and the western US more broadly, with ever greater intensity as hotter and drier conditions bake the landscape. This new breed of megafires leave a humanitarian crisis of displacement and trauma that persists for years, ensnaring people like Vest in poverty and homelessness, and raising the question of whether the country is prepared for longer-term social impacts of global heating. Natural disasters are a new ticket to homelessness, particularly in California, said Laura Cootsona, the executive director of the Jesus Center, a non-profit homelessness services provider. It always disproportionately hits those who are already on the edge, who are paying too much for housing. Displaced by fire Vest had lived in Paradise, a mellow and affordable Gold Rush-era town of 27,000, for most of his life, and after his father died, when he was 12, he was mostly raised by his grandparents. Story continues With its single main high school, large numbers of retirees and sun-dappled forests, Paradise was a slow, albeit beautiful place to grow up, where Vest went hiking and camping with friends. He was a caretaker for his grandfather sometimes using the social security money he received after his fathers death to pay his grandparents bills. Around the time of his grandfathers death in 2016, for reasons that are not entirely clear, Vests housing situation became precarious and he struggled with homelessness, and he moved in with a devoted friend, Jeannette Kelsay. According to Kelsay, Vest was abused as a child, and as an adult struggled with episodes, in which he became paranoid and convinced other people were talking about him, and laughing at him. There are lots of things in Stephens life that happened that would totally push anyone over the edge, she said. Yet at her home he thrived, Kelsay said, helping her clear the house of her late fathers belongings, planting tomatoes in the garden, sketching, and restoring an old Mustang. Kelsay, whom Vest sometimes called Aunty G, knew him to be sweet and kind, but also self-conscious and shy. She had finally convinced him to see a psychiatrist when the Camp fire hit on 8 November 2018 and upended their lives. The blaze ignited in the early morning and blotted out the rising sun. It killed people caught unaware in their homes or trapped in their cars. Vest stayed behind to try to save the house, and the neighbors, with a hosepipe, Kelsay said. But the water ran out, and he was no match for flames that at one point were consuming almost 400 American football fields worth of land every minute. A home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, California. Photograph: Noah Berger/AP Evacuation centers filled with people. Kelsay fled to her mothers home in a nearby town and Vest joined her for a time, but eventually the tight quarters grew oppressive. By early 2019, he was homeless again, living in a dorm at the fairgrounds and then on the streets of Chico, and his mental state deteriorated. I think the fire traumatized everybody, said Lisa Currier, a homelessness advocate, who met Vest when he stayed at a winter shelter. Vest had no immediate family to fall back on, she added. He had friend support but sometimes he didnt reach out to them. On Facebook, he was asking for help because he was really depressed after the fire and didnt know what end was up, she said. He used drugs, Currier and others who knew Vest say, as a way to self-medicate and quieten his mental anguish. Related: Trauma, fear, homelessness: life after California's deadliest fire shows the future of climate crisis Vest was one of thousands who had nowhere to live following the Camp fire. Sparked by faulty equipment on an electricity transmission line, the blaze led to the deaths of 85 people and destroyed much of the town. At its peak the disaster displaced over 50,000 people from their perch in the Sierra Nevada foothills, but once the flames were extinguished, another crisis began to unfold. The fire had wiped out almost 14,000 homes in a county with an already limited housing stock. Chico, the mid-sized valley town 10 miles down the road, was reshaped by the fire, and grew by more than 10,000 people as fire evacuees settled there. Though some survivors scattered across the US, many of those affected stayed in the county. Housing became extremely scarce. The countys homeless population grew by 16%, including those sheltered with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), according to a 2019 count. Some of those on the streets were the very same people who had just been burned out. A new fire in 2020 killed 16 and wiped out an additional 1,200 single-residence homes in the county. Local service providers confirm that the number of homeless people has held steady. The stories are incredibly dire, said Cootsona. They were living precariously when they were housed up on the [Paradise] Ridge, and putting the pieces back together has rendered them long-term homeless. Vests last days Accounts from homeless service providers and other homeless people who knew Vest while he lived on the streets of Chico through 2020 depicted him as withdrawn and quiet. If he didnt talk, you wouldnt know he was there, said Robert Johansen, a homeless man who spends most days near the park. He never bothered anybody. But on Facebook, he at times indicated feeling desperate. Been under so much stress I can barely take itTiredSo tired, he wrote seven months before he died. Through 2020, Vest had many contacts with local police, according to a district attorney report. Frequently they were peaceful. Yet some were harrowing. In March 2020, according to police reports, officers tried to physically detain Vest, who bit one of them on the leg and then banged his own head on the sidewalk, requiring officers to put a helmet on him to stop him from hurting himself. A forensic clinical psychologist diagnosed methamphetamine-induced psychosis and also said Vest had no history of mental health disorders although friends and acquaintances strongly maintain otherwise. Vest was put on felony probation. The district attorney, Mike Ramsey, in his report into the circumstances of Vests shooting, said Vest had been offered help obtaining housing through the probation department but had said he preferred to find it on his own. Homelessness providers point out that Vest may have been in an impossible situation: perhaps too healthy, under California law, to be forced to seek treatment, but not in a fit state to make decisions for himself. On 12 October, Vest told his probation officer he was sleeping in a park but that he had taken a Covid test that would enable him to get into a shelter. On 14 October, his last day, he seemed in fine spirits to Johansen. Vests uncle, Jeff Vest, says he was on the phone with him shortly before the encounter with police and had been trying to get a ride to bring him to his home in nearby Magalia. Yet at about 7.30pm, a 911 dispatcher received a call from the Community Park after members of the public saw him to be bloodied and erratic. An autopsy later found a high level of methamphetamine in his body. According to the security guard, after he offered Vest help, Vest pulled out a knife with a 3.5-inch blade and tried to stab him through the passenger-side window. Vest jumped on the hood, the guard said, and fell off when the guard accelerated. The guard said he followed Vest, now walking along a road outside the park, and Tased him, to little effect. Garry McMillian, a homeless man who knew Vest and witnessed the interaction, said Vest fell to one knee and removed the barb, yelling at the guard: Leave me alone. The final details of Vests life come from the district attorneys report, and from police body-cam footage. Reaching an intersection at about 7.50pm, Vest banged on car windows, leaving bloody marks, and smashed the passenger window of one vehicle. He climbed on the back of a motorbike, but the motorcyclist knocked him off. At a large Petco store by the road, Vest jumped into a truck that was being unloaded and banged his head against pallets of goods. The driver fetched a gun from the cab, stuck it in his waistband, and then lifted his shirt to show it to Vest. According to the district attorneys report, Vest asked for the man to kill him. Vest chased the driver and a Petco employee through the store and emerged on the other side to find three police officers. He strode towards them as they shouted at him to drop the knife, their body cameras show. They Tased him, and Vest flinched but continued to walk. When Vest was just over 10ft away, one officer fired two bullets. A second officer fired nine, including three to four after Vest had fallen to the ground. They called medics, and then they handcuffed him. In his report released in January, the district attorney declined to press charges against the officers, and said they bore no criminal liability for Vests death. Ramsey, the district attorney, said in a statement to the Guardian that outside professional investigators from uninvolved state and local law enforcement agencies supply a complete, unbiased and uncompromised investigation to be reviewed by my office and that each case is closely examined on its own facts. Every case is a tragedy and should be viewed as such. The fact that there have been fewer officer-involved shootings in Butte county per capita than the rest of the state and that the vast majority of them are justified is a testament to the restraint shown in our local community. Related: How bad will Californias fire season be? Experts on the threat and what can be done Matt Madden, the Chico police chief, referred the Guardian to the district attorneys report, which he said shows that Mr Vest was not suffering from mental illness, but rather a harmful addiction to methamphetamine. (The National Institute of Mental Health defines drug addiction as a mental disorder.) He also said the countys behavioral health department was available to respond to mental health calls with the Chico police. Local police-reform advocates have demanded a state investigation. Police in Butte county have shot and killed 35 people and injured nine since 1997, but in only one shooting did an officer face criminal charges. And Vests death came after years of criticism of Chico police for two prior shootings of young men described as experiencing mental health disorders. He was high, depressed, in his mental illness, and thats not really an excuse [for his actions] its just what is, said Currier, the homelessness advocate. Im not making excuses, Im just saying this is what is. Kelsay, Vests friend, wishes he could have gotten the help he needed in time. He just couldnt take the bombardment any more, she said. More than 100 families affected by the fire are still living in Fema units, and a surge of badly needed affordable housing is years away, but up in the foothills, the rebuild of Paradise is proceeding. More than 700 homes have been constructed. Remarkably, the white two-bedroom home Vest shared with his grandparents for so many years still stands on Pentz Road. It is one of very few pre-fire houses remaining. Most of the surrounding lots have been cleared of rubble, and now the former Vest property appears to be standing alone, a memory of the town that was, amid open meadows dotted with flowers. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... MINNEAPOLIS Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black mans neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. Chauvin, 45, was immediately led away with his hands cuffed behind his back and could be sent to prison for decades. The verdict guilty as charged on all counts, in a relatively swift, across-the-board victory for Floyds supporters set off jubilation mixed with sorrow across the city and around the nation. Hundreds of people poured into the streets of Minneapolis, some running through traffic with banners. Drivers blared their horns in celebration. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Today, we are able to breathe again, Floyds younger brother Philonise said at a joyous family news conference where tears streamed down his face as he likened Floyd to the 1955 Mississippi lynching victim Emmett Till, except that this time there were cameras around to show the world what happened. The jury of six whites and six Black or multiracial people came back with its verdict after about 10 hours of deliberations over two days. The now-fired white officer was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvins face was obscured by a COVID-19 mask, and little reaction could be seen beyond his eyes darting around the courtroom. His bail was immediately revoked. Sentencing will be in two months; the most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Defense attorney Eric Nelson followed Chauvin out of the courtroom without comment. President Joe Biden welcomed the verdict, saying Floyds death was a murder in full light of day, and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see systemic racism. But he warned: Its not enough. We cant stop here. Were going to deliver real change and reform. We can and we must do more to reduce the likelihood that tragedies like this will ever happen again. The jurys decision was hailed around the country as justice by other political and civic leaders and celebrities, including former President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a white man, who said on Twitter that Floyd would still be alive if he looked like me. That must change. At a park next to the Minneapolis courthouse, a hush fell over a crowd of about 300 as they listened to the verdict on their cellphones. Then a great roar went up, with many people hugging, some shedding tears. At the intersection where Floyd was pinned down, a crowd chanted, One down, three to go! a reference to the three other fired Minneapolis officers facing trial in August on charges of aiding and abetting murder in Floyds death. Janay Henry, who lives nearby, said she felt grateful and relieved. I feel grounded. I can feel my feet on the concrete, she said, adding that she was looking forward to the next case with joy and optimism and strength. Jamee Haggard, who brought her biracial 4-year-old daughter to the intersection, said: Theres some form of justice thats coming. The verdict was read in a courthouse ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops, in a city on edge against another round of unrest not just because of the Chauvin case but because of the deadly police shooting of a young Black man, Daunte Wright, in a Minneapolis suburb April 11. The jurors identities were kept secret and will not be released until the judge decides it is safe to do so. It is unusual for police officers to be prosecuted for killing someone on the job. And convictions are extraordinarily rare. Out of the thousands of deadly police shootings in the U.S. since 2005, fewer than 140 officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter, according to data maintained by Phil Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University. Before Tuesday, only seven were convicted of murder. Juries often give police officers the benefit of the doubt when they claim they had to make split-second, life-or-death decisions. But that was not an argument Chauvin could easily make. Floyd, 46, died May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead. The centerpiece of the case was the excruciating bystander video of Floyd gasping repeatedly, I cant breathe and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyds neck for what authorities say was 9 1/2 minutes, including several minutes after Floyds breathing had stopped and he had no pulse. Prosecutors played the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, and told the jury: Believe your eyes. From there it was shown over and over, analyzed one frame at a time by witnesses on both sides. In the wake of Floyds death, demonstrations and scattered violence broke out in Minneapolis, around the country and beyond. The furor also led to the removal of Confederate statues and other offensive symbols such as Aunt Jemima. In the months that followed, numerous states and cities restricted the use of force by police, revamped disciplinary systems or subjected police departments to closer oversight. The Blue Wall of Silence that often protects police accused of wrongdoing crumbled after Floyds death. The Minneapolis police chief quickly called it murder and fired all four officers, and the city reached a staggering $27 million settlement with Floyds family as jury selection was underway. Police-procedure experts and law enforcement veterans inside and outside the Minneapolis department, including the chief, testified for the prosecution that Chauvin used excessive force and went against his training. Medical experts for the prosecution said Floyd died of asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, because his breathing was constricted by the way he was held down on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind him, a knee on his neck and his face jammed against the ground. Chauvins attorney called a police use-of-force expert and a forensic pathologist to try to make the case that Chauvin acted reasonably against a struggling suspect and that Floyd died because of a heart condition and his illegal drug use. Floyd had high blood pressure and narrowed arteries, and fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in his system. Under the law, police have certain leeway to use force and are judged according to whether their actions were reasonable under the circumstances. The defense also tried to make the case that Chauvin and the other officers were hindered in their duties by what they perceived as a growing, hostile crowd. Chauvin did not testify, and all that the jury or the public ever heard by way of an explanation from him came from a police body-camera video after an ambulance had taken the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Floyd away. Chauvin told a bystander: We gotta control this guy cause hes a sizable guy and it looks like hes probably on something. The prosecutions case also included tearful testimony from onlookers who said the police kept them back when they protested what was happening. Eighteen-year-old Darnella Frazier, who shot the crucial video, said Chauvin gave the bystanders a cold and heartless stare. She and others said they felt a sense of helplessness and lingering guilt from witnessing Floyds slow-motion death. Its been nights I stayed up, apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more, and not physically interacting and not saving his life, she testified. ___ Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press video journalist Angie Wang in Atlanta and writers Doug Glass, Stephen Groves, Aaron Morrison, Tim Sullivan and Michael Tarm in Minneapolis; Mohamed Ibrahim in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota; and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed. ___ Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd An Alabama man charged with conspiring to obstruct Congress in connection with the storming of the U.S. Capitol in January should be jailed after new evidence shows he assaulted multiple law enforcement officers during the chaos, federal prosecutors contend. Joshua James, a 33-year-old Arab man and a member of Oath Keepers, was indicted earlier this month on the conspiracy charge after previously being charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting and being in a restricted building or grounds. He is one of seven Alabamians charged in the Capitol riots. Six Alabama residents are awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 unrest at the U.S. Capitol. They are, clockwise, Lonnie Coffman, Joshua James, Joshua Black, Kari Kelley, William Watson and Phillip Bromley. (AL.com) According to federal authorities, the Oath Keepers is a large but loosely organized collection of individuals who explicitly focus on the recruitment of current and former military, law enforcement and first responder personnel. The Oath Keepers were part of the security detail for Trump ally Roger Stone, according to previous published reports. James, a U.S. Army combat veteran who reportedly received the Purple Heart, was released to home detention last week. However, prosecutors on Monday filed a request to reopen his detention hearing, saying investigators have discovered video showing James assaulting law enforcement officers inside the Capitol while screaming, Get out of my Capitol. This is my (expletive) building. The FBI claims 33-year-old Arab resident Joshua James participated in the riots at the U.S. Capitol, charging him with two federal counts for his alleged role. Earlier this month, attorneys on both sides presented arguments for whether James should be held pending trial. The judge noted that the decision was a close call,' but ultimately released him to home detention, saying the government did not present evidence that James engaged in, or planned, any violence. The new evidence, authorities contend in court documents filed Monday, includes a video from James phone and body-worn camera footage from two law enforcement officers involved in a confrontation with James. Records state that James and his conspiracy co-defendant, 36-year-old Roberto Minuta of Texas, traveled to the Capitol together and forced their way inside. The defendant and Minuta both pushed past officers who had placed their hands on Jamess and Minutas chest in an apparent attempt to stop them from entering, prosecutors wrote. The newly-discovered evidence sheds light on the defendants violent conduct while inside and belies any notion that the defendants merely operated as a security detail in aid of law enforcement on Jan. 6. In a video that appears to have been recorded by Minuta, authorities say, James can be seen engaging in a confrontation with a line of law-enforcement officers forming a barrier between the lobby and the Capitol Rotunda. The officers are surrounded by rioters both in front of them in the lobby, and behind them in the Rotunda. James, standing in the lobby, yells lets go, grabs the shoulder of another individual, and pulls that individual out of the Rotunda and into the lobby. Standing behind the defendant with the camera, Minuta yells, This is whats bound to happen, just get outGet these cops out! Its our (expletive) building. Get em out, get out. As Minuta yells, James turns back to the line of officers clad in riot gear. Other rioters begin yelling, Pull the cops out! Pull em out! James yells, You want out!? and forcefully grabs an officer by the arm. The officer straightens his arm and grabs James shoulder, but James yanks the officer toward the lobby and rioters, records state. Joshua James, a 33-year-old Arab man and a member of Oath Keepers, was indicted earlier this month on the conspiracy charge after previously being charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting and being in a restricted building or grounds. (Court documents) The video further shows surrounding officers having to force the defendant to stop pulling the officer before managing to push the defendant away. The defendant responds by approaching the officers again and grabbing another officer by both shoulders,' the motion states. The defendant, while aggressively yanking the officer toward the Rotunda exit, starts screaming, Get out of my Capitol! Get out! Get out of my Capitol! The officer breaks out of the defendants grip, but the defendant tries again to grab the officers shoulders and tugs the officer toward the lobby. Then the defendant grabs a separate officers hand and shield before pulling them both toward the lobby. The officer grabs the shield with both hands to prevent the defendant and others from stealing it. Nearby rioters join the defendant, and the group successfully rips the shield out of the officers hands, causing the defendant to fall backwards. James, authorities said, continues to scream, This is my building. A screenshot from an officers body-worn camera footage depicts the moment the defendant throws his body against a law-enforcement officer and yells, This is my Capitol. The officers collectively push back against the defendant and other rioters to prevent them from entering the Rotunda. A struggle ensues among the defendant, other rioters, and the group of officers, after which the defendant breaches the Rotunda, the motion states. At least one officer aims OC spray (commonly called pepper spray) specifically at the defendant after the defendants physical confrontation with the officers. Multiple officers push the defendant from behind, getting him to exit the Rotunda. Rubbing his eyes and face after being sprayed, the defendant then retreats into the lobby and eventually exits the Capitol. In conclusion, the motion states, James tried to violently take over the Capitol. In his own words, the Capitol was his (expletive) building. Law-enforcement tactics were no deterrent: he swerved around marked-vehicle blockades as he rushed to the Capitol, pushed past an officer as he stormed inside, and physically assaulted riot officers in an attempt to get them out of [his] Capitol. The judge has not ruled on the prosecutors request. Slovenia has reduced its emissions of virtually all traditional air pollutants, including SOx, NOx, NMVOCs, CO and NH3, as well as those of particulate matter and heavy metals. While significant structural changes to Slovenias economy led to a notable drop in GHG emissions in the 1990s, performance in this area since 2000 has been uneven. Emissions from the manufacturing, commercial and residential sectors have decreased, but not enough to offset an increase from the transport sector. This chapter reviews policy initiatives implemented during the review period to reduce local and transboundary air pollution, institutional and strategic frameworks, and mechanisms in place to monitor implementation. It assesses progress in using market-based instruments (e.g. energy and vehicle taxes) and analyses the effectiveness of measures implemented in the energy and transport sectors, including those promoting renewable and energy efficiency. Interactions between different policy instruments are also considered. Slovenia 2012: Climate change and air pollution 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. WINNIPEG - The mother of a young Manitoba woman who was stabbed to death in a random meth-fuelled attack says her daughter's life was stolen just as it was beginning. The Manitoba Law Courts building is shown in downtown Winnipeg, Monday, Aug. 18, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG - The mother of a young Manitoba woman who was stabbed to death in a random meth-fuelled attack says her daughter's life was stolen just as it was beginning. Brittany Bung, 19, graduated high school a few months before she was killed in 2017 during a brutal and violent encounter with Jordan Belyk. "She had a heart of gold and was a kind, caring, passionate girl," LeeAnn Bung said in a victim impact statement read by a Crown prosecutor during a sentencing hearing in Winnipeg on Tuesday. "Thinking of what she went through tears us apart." Belyk, 24, was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year. Justice Joan McKelvey found that Belyk was in the throes of methamphetamine-induced psychosis when he attacked Bung which prevented him from having the criminal intent to be convicted of second-degree murder. Crown prosecutors are asking for between 12 to 15 years behind bars, while the defence has recommended eight years. McKelvey reserved her decision until May 11. Court heard Bung worked in a restaurant in Lac du Bonnet, about 90 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. She was excited to enrol in culinary school and dreamed of opening a cafe. Bung was stopped at the town's gas station on her way to work that October morning when she ran into Belyk. Court heard he had been awake for days. He was not wearing a shirt and was acting erratically with gas station staff and customers before he jumped into Bung's vehicle and told her to drive. The two didn't know each other, court heard. After driving a short distance, court heard Belyk began to stab Bung multiple times in the face, neck and chest. She had defence wounds all over her hands. While Bung was able to get out of the vehicle and call 911, she died a short time later on the way to hospital. "(We've been) given a life sentence of pain," her mother's statement said. "Her right to life was taken from her." Belyk told court he understands that his struggle with addiction resulted in the death of an innocent person. "I'm truly sorry," he said. Defence lawyers told court that Belyk doesn't expect forgiveness because he knows the grief that comes with a tragic death. His mother was murdered. Saul Simmonds said his client's life was a "perfect storm." Belyk is Indigenous and his family suffered from the impacts of colonization. His father was absent and his mother and grandmother struggled with addictions. He has also been diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Court heard that Belyk experienced violence as a child and was introduced to drugs and alcohol at a young age. He was eventually removed from his biological family and placed with a foster family, although he continued to have contact with his mother. When he was about 12 years old, his mother was murdered and it caused him to spiral into trouble and addiction. Belyk began using drugs every day, his lawyer said. Simmonds said his client has a strong sense of "guilt, shame and remorse" for taking a life. He has been taking his sobriety seriously since his arrest, the lawyer added. Prosecutors argued Belyk will remain a significant risk to reoffend and must serve a longer sentence. Belyk had received a suspended sentence for an assault in Winnipeg and was placed on probation a week before he killed Bung. Prosecutor Danielle Simard said despite acknowledging his addiction issues before that court, he went to the small Manitoba town and began using methamphetamine immediately after his release. "He was essentially a ticking time bomb in Lac du Bonnet." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. Better late than never. Having at first declined to hold hearings on the Greensill scandal, the chairman of the Treasury Select Committee Mel Stride is now in full cry. It took immense political focus on the crass lobbying activities of David Cameron for up to seven separate probes into Greensill to be triggered. What has been missing from the narrative is any public debate about the role of regulators in allowing this excrescence to develop. In the frame: It took immense political focus on the crass lobbying activities of David Cameron for up to seven separate probes into Greensill to be triggered Not before time the committee is to hold hearings on 'Lessons from Greensill' and will be calling the Bank of England's governor Andrew Bailey and the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority Nikhil Rathi to testify. The mystery is how, after the catastrophe of the 2007-09 financial crisis, no City regulator was alert enough to notice the rise of a multi-billion shadow bank, with tentacles stretching to Germany, Switzerland, the US and Australia, sitting in the heart of London and engaged in dodgy lending practices. What is predictable is that when the City grandees make their appearance, there will be much talk of perimeters activities beyond supervision as there was when London Capital & Finance collapsed. European-style rule-based regulation may also be invoked for limiting the enforcers' ability to act. Bailey used both explanations in providing testimony on LCF and the Neil Woodford scandal. The City is anxious to build a reputation as Europe's go-to place for financial technology. There is a proliferation of new players in Revolut, Atom Bank, Monzo and Starling. Greensill, bringing new technology to supply-chain financing, looked to be part of this. The danger signs about Greensill were everywhere. It deployed a second division auditor, Saffery Champness, when the big four fought shy. Lending was concentrated on a narrow number of clients, including Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, a loose collection of steel and metal firms now collapsing like dominoes. There were questions in the Lords as to what Greensill was up to in Switzerland. It turned out it was passing on invoice-backed loans to fund manager GAM and then Credit Suisse. These were diced and sliced, insured by Tokio Marine and sold onto unsuspecting investors. It is an embarrassment for the FCA and Bank of England that all of this took place in plain sight, yet the only enforcers taking an interest are in Frankfurt and Zurich. UK regulators have so far escaped scrutiny but the moment of truth is approaching. Frock fever When online fashion purveyors Asos and Boohoo snapped up Arcadia brands, it was clear immediately that they were not interested in the High Street. Primark is living proof that if you have the right offering, customers will rock up. The reopening of English and Welsh stores last week has brought shoppers back in record numbers. After months living in joggers, tracksuits, woolly socks and pyjamas, it is now spring and summer frocks, blouses and trousers which are in demand. Primark has maximised the footfall in its stores by protecting tills with Perspex to minimise delays at check-outs. Marble Arch in the heart of London has been adversely affected by a lack of overseas visitors. The group expects 68 per cent of selling space to be open by the end of this month. Ireland and chunks of Europe are closed still. Owners Associated British Foods also reports that US stores on the Eastern Seaboard in Miami and Chicago are going well. In spite of the national surge in digital shopping, chief executive George Weston is adamant that its website is for promotions only and the margins don't work for home delivery. With income from Twinings tea, ingredients and sugar strong, ABF feels confident enough to refund 21million of furlough to the Government and restart the half-year dividend after a 2020 break. Full year results will be down, but far from out. Job lot No pandemic measure has been more expensive than furlough, which has already cost 62billion and rising. But it has performed well. Mass unemployment has been avoided, the overall jobless rate is off its peak at 4.9 per cent of the workforce and vacancies are rising. The real impact won't be known until furlough ends in September, but depression-era dole queues predicted by the Bank of England and others at the start of Covid have been avoided. Don't hear very much about that from Labour. VANCOUVER, BC, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that it has received the formal Wicheeda Rare Earth Element ("REE") Project continuous hydrometallurgical pilot plant proposal from SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS"). Defense Metals is currently advancing the road accessible Wicheeda Critical Rare Earth Element (REE) Property, which is located close to infrastructure approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Prince George, British Columbia (BC). The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements) and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO1. The Company's highly successful 26-tonne flotation pilot plant campaign, also completed at the SGS Lakefield, ON metallurgical test facility, yielded approximately 1,200 kilograms of high grade REE mineral concentrate. Initiation of the hydrometallurgical pilot plant test program is the next step in establishing overall flowsheet operability at scale. The test program will utilize representative flotation concentrate generated during the flotation pilot plant campaign and is expected to be completed in stages comprising initial gangue leach; caustic crack; primary acid leach; caustic re-crack; impurity removal; and REE precipitation. Parallel investigations into operability of acid and caustic regeneration; operability of gangue leach and caustic crack and primary acid leach circuits using recycled reagents; in addition to tailings neutralization studies will also be completed. Once initiated, subject to the Company securing sufficient financing, completion of the various staged pilot campaigns is expected to take approximately 6 months. Key objectives of the planned hydrometallurgical pilot plant will be: To provide proof of operability of the proposed hydrometallurgical flowsheet for treatment of flotation concentrate under representative processing conditions including recycled process streams; To produce sufficient purified mixed rare earth hydroxide sample for downstream REE separation testing (leading to the production of a saleable NdPr oxide product); To confirm final product purity; To generate representative samples for solid-liquid separation testing, for use in the development of engineering cost estimates for key equipment. _________________________ 1 Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, effective June 27, 2020 and prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Steven J. Nicholls, B.A. Sc., MAIG and Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P.Geo.) is available under Defense Metals Corp.'s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) As previously announced SGS (see Defense Metals News Release dated March 1, 2021) SGS is nearing completion pre-pilot infill hydrometallurgical testwork, initiated during late 2020, designed to assist in the finalization of the pilot plant flowsheet. The Company expects SGS to complete the remainder of pre-pilot testwork within 4-6 weeks time. Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, stated: "Since initiating its option to acquire 100% of the Wicheeda REE Project in late 2018 and subsequently collecting a 26-tonne bulk sample, Defense Metals has rapidly advanced Wicheeda from an attractive prospect to compelling resource-stage project. Flotation and hydrometallurgical flowsheet development was completed in parallel with our highly successful 2019 diamond drill campaign that led to an upgraded and expanded mineral resource estimate. We are now excited to take the next step in demonstrating scale-up operability of the Wicheeda REE beneficiation process, leading to the production of a saleable NdPr oxide product." About the Wicheeda REE Property The 1,708 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways. Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the southwestern United States, which includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE) deposits. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein. About Defense Metals Corp. Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of "GREEN" energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,708 hectare Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D". Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to the pilot plant proposal from SGS, the completion of the pilot plant and the expected outcomes, plans for its Wicheeda Property, the advancement and development of the Wicheeda Property, expected demand for REE products, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law. SOURCE Defense Metals Corp. Menopause Health, a new dedicated clinic to support women with all aspects of the menopause has been launched this week Dr Caoimhe Hartley is an Irish trained GP who has dedicated her career to supporting women with the menopause. She is the only medical practitioner in Ireland to have been accredited by both the North American Menopause Society and the British Menopause Society and has recently been appointed as a British Menopause Society trainer. She brings her extensive experience to bear in establishing Menopause Health which is now open to women nationwide to book video conference or in-person consultations. Menopause Health will offer women holistic advice and treatment to manage the full range of symptoms that are associated with perimenopause and the menopause. Often an under-served area of womens medicine, this dedicated clinical service will be delivered in a welcoming, caring environment. Dr Hartley expects to grow her team of accredited menopause specialists over the next 12 months. Menopause Health will offer a range of services including HRT, HRT alternatives and lifestyle advice all of which can have a positive impact on the menopause. The clinic will also offer procedures including health screening and/or referral for mammogram, DEXA scans etc; contraception counselling; cervical smear screening, IUD counselling, insertion and removal; endometrial and labial biopsy; pessary counselling and fitting; and STI screening. As a GP, Dr Hartley will manage most concurrent medical issues for patients in midlife in a general and holistic manner. Commenting on the establishment of Menopause Health, Dr Caoimhe Hartley said, All women in Ireland should be able to approach their menopause with confidence. Confident that they can access the best support, information and expert care to help them through what can be a challenging time. On returning to Ireland, I could see that for many women the menopause is often an after-thought, symptoms are misconstrued as a normal part of the ageing process and stigma can stop women from seeking the help that they need. The reality is that the symptoms of the menopause can be greatly improved by the correct medical intervention. My experience and personal passion lie in womens health so establishing Menopause Health was the natural progression for me and I look forward to welcoming women into my clinic to support them with all their perimenopause and menopause needs. Perimenopause and the menopause are driven by hormonal changes in the body. Hormonal changes at this stage of life can impact on all aspects of health and life including symptoms that are physical or emotional in nature. Symptoms are often different for everyone and can range from mild to severe in terms of impact on health and lifestyle. Menopause Health will work with the individual to identify the symptoms and deliver bespoke care tailored to those needs. Mental or emotional symptoms can include memory loss, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and a loss of confidence. Physical symptoms can include hot flushes, irregular periods, insomnia, facial hair, sore or swollen breasts, acne and heart palpitations. A loss of libido, vaginal dryness and bladder issues can also be caused by changing hormone levels. A full list of symptoms and more information on Menopause Health is available at www.menopausehealth.ie. Women aged 35 plus, who are experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or the menopause, can make an appointment at Menopause Health by email info@menopausehealth.ie or 01 538 3726. In addition to the virtual consultations available, Menopause Health will also offer in-person consultations at the dedicated clinic which is located in Dalkey, Dublin. Also read: PROPERTY WATCH: Take a look at this fabulous five-bedroom home in the heart of the town Police have charged a man with murder over the death of Gold Coast mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson, whose burnt body was found in the backyard of her Arundel home on Tuesday. A homicide investigation was launched after Ms Wilkinsons body was found about 6.40am at a house in Spikes Court following a neighbours report of a disturbance. Kelly Wilkinson was regularly seen walking her children to a nearby school. Credit:Internet On Tuesday night, police charged a 34-year-old man, from New Beith in Logan, with murder and breaching a domestic violence order. The man, who remains under police guard in hospital, was due to have the charges presented to the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday in his absence. Supplier News 20 April 2021 Ona Hotels has selected SiteMinder, the world's largest open hotel commerce platform, to support the process of digitally transforming its 25-year business and consolidating its technology as it prepares for future growth. The appointment will see Ona Hotels adopt a more dynamic pricing strategy with SiteMinder and distribute its portfolio of 8000 rooms through SiteMinder's platform. With the new capabilities, Ona Hotels will refocus on the experience and satisfaction of its guests. "We want to improve the processes that will help us to accelerate our growth over the next few years," says Nacho Barrau, CEO at Ona Hotels. "At a socio-environmental level, we are working towards the future, out of respect for our environment, out of our love for the sea and the areas in which we are present. Along this journey toward digital transformation, optimization of tools and sustainable evolution, we want technology partners that can provide us revenue through an optimal rate distribution strategy across different sales channels. Ona Hotels trusts in SiteMinder's demonstrated experience in the hotel sector over the years." Ona Hotels specializes in offering travelers hotels and aparthotels that bring out the best of the local destination, with a Mediterranean influence. Ona Hotels properties are located throughout Spain's main travel hubs and the group has plans to expand in other parts of the EMEA region. Since the start of the pandemic, Ona Hotels has pivoted toward a more agile business strategy. Along with adopting dynamic pricing and broadening the reach of its distribution to target new customer segments, the group has moved away from restrictive-contract-based partnerships to prioritizing flexible arrangements, such as the personalized cost structures offered by SiteMinder. Karla Brooklyn, Global Vice President - Enterprise at SiteMinder, says, "The past year has highlighted the need for hotels to be nimble, and we commend the team at Ona Hotels for embracing new ways that will ultimately set them up for greater success in the future. We're very pleased to be a part of such a critical stage in the group's journey, and look forward to supporting them as they prepare for the imminent recovery in travel and beyond." About SiteMinder In an age of rising choice and accessibility for curious travelers, SiteMinder exists to liberate hoteliers with technology that makes a world of difference. SiteMinder is the world's largest open hotel commerce platform, ranked among technology pioneers for its smart and simple solutions that put hotels everywhere their guests are, at every stage of their journey. It's this central role that has earned SiteMinder the trust of more than 35,000 hotels, across 160 countries, to generate in excess of 100 million reservations worth over US$35 billion in revenue for hotels each year. For more information, visit siteminder.com. About Ona Hotels We are a hotel company that works, with care and professionalism, to offer each guest an experience of the destination from a local point of view and with a Mediterranean essence. We currently manage 33 establishments, including aparthotels and hotels in nine destinations. All are located in Spain's main tourist areas of the peninsula and islands; Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Sol, Barcelona, Costa Calida, Costa Blanca and Andorra. For more information visit onahotels.com. With the Centre deciding to open vaccination for all above 18 years from May, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the government should ensure adequate availability of vaccines. "Finally the Central govt has relented & taken decision to allow everyone above 18 to be vaccinated. The Central govt should now ensure adequate availability of vaccines so that people above the age of 18 years can be vaccinated asap, " he tweeted. "We look forward to a rational & transparent strategy for vaccine distribution among states in the coming days," he added. The Centre announced on Monday that everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1 and allowed states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers. Under the third phase of the national vaccination drive commencing next month, the vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the central government and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to state governments and in the open market. Also read: COVID-19 in MP: No permission for weddings in Indore till May 30 The FTSE 250 grocer suggested Aldi should come up with its own character A public relations move by put s ( ) in a potential pickle by calling for all UK caterpillar-shaped cakes to club together to raise money for charity. After being taken to court over claims its cake is a knock-off of M&S's Colin the Caterpillar, the German discounter said on Twitter that its Cuthbert the Caterpillar needs the help of Curly, Clyde, Cecil, Charlie, Morris and Wiggles, tagging ( ), ( ), Asda, s ( ), s Waitrose and Co-op. While Waitrose replied count us in, M&S called for to use your own character. Hey @AldiUK we love a charity idea (Colin's been a BIG fundraiser for years). We just want you to use your own character. How about #kevinthecarrotcake ? That idea's on us... and we promise we won't do Keith ???? M&S (@marksandspencer) April 20, 2021 The PR stunt by Aldi comes amid a sour fight over Colin the Caterpillar cake copyrights. Hey @marksandspencer can Colin and Cuthbert be besties? Were bringing back a limited edition Cuthbert and want to donate profits to cancer charities including your partners @macmillancancer & ours @teenagecancer. Lets raise money for charity, not lawyers #caterpillarsforcancer. Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 20, 2021 M&S is claiming in the High Court that Aldis Cuthbert is a knock-off of its long-running Colin the Caterpillar, a cake that M&S has been selling in its shops since 2004. We want to protect Colin, Connie and our reputation for freshness, quality, innovation and value, a spokesman for Marks & Spencer said, explaining why it wants Aldi to stop selling the Cuthbert range or anything similar to it in the future. However, Aldi isnt the only one to sell a cousin of Colin, as Curly, Clyde, Cecil, Charlie, Morris and Wiggles can be bought in the aforementioned UK grocers. We deem M&S, and any other brand owner, to be correct to protect its innovation and sub-brands, something that we have been amazed that other brand owners have not been so disciplined about over the years, analysts at house broker Shore Capital commented. And it is not as if the German Aldi discount supermarket does not have much form in this respect. Hence, whilst this is good banter of sorts, there is also a serious business protection point; maybe Aldi would like to introduce Wolfgang to the market and see how he does on the shelf-edge. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The Department of Science and Technology said the country is preparing to conduct clinical trials for the use of ivermectin against COVID-19. DOST chief Fortunato dela Pena said this during a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday. Dela Pena said Friday last week that he and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III discussed the matter after Duterte raised it in their Thursday meeting. On Saturday, it was agreed that an expert would lead the trials. Dr. Aileen Wang from the Philippine General Hospital will be spearheading the clinical trials that will involve quarantine centers near the said healthcare facility. The Heath Department has already allocated funds for the said program, he noted. It's an apparent deviation from officials' earlier pronouncements. The government said on April 10 that it has no plans to conduct such trials to determine efficacy of the anti-parasitic drug against the coronavirus since similar studies are ongoing in other parts of the world. Hopefully po ay pag natapos ang trial na iyan ay magkakaroon tayo ng mas reliable estimates ng epekto ng ivermectin bilang isang anti-viral agent na makapagre-reduce ng virus shedding sa mga mild at moderate patients at makikita natin ang epekto ng ivermectin sa hospitalization ng iba, Dela Pena explained. [Translation: Hopefully after this trial we will have more reliable estimates of the effect of ivermectin as an anti-viral agent that will reduce virus shedding in mild and moderate patients and we will see the effect of ivermectin on hospitalization of others.] However, he said this could run for six months, depending on the number of volunteers that will join the program. Earlier, the Food and Drug Administration granted two hospitals special compassionate permits for the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 patients. This was despite warnings from experts that the drug has unproven efficacy against the disease, and high doses of it could cause brain damage or death. Apart from the special permit, the regulator only allows the use of oral ivermectin products on animals to prevent heartworm diseases and treat infections due to parasites. Doctors can also prescribe topical ivermectin to treat parasitic infestations such as head lice and other skin conditions for humans. Trial for other treatments The Cabinet official also said they have recently approved holding clinical trials in the country to use methylprednisolone on COVID-19 patients. This corticosteroid hormone is currently used to treat arthritis, blood disorders, and immune system disorders, among others. The clinical trial for melatonin, a drug most commonly used for insomnia, is also underway at the Manila Doctor's Hospital. DOST is also in the process of studying other natural products such as virgin coconut oil, lagundi, and tawa-tawa as therapeutics. "Marami po tayong sinusubukan. Hindi man bakuna (pero ito) ay makakapagpabilis po sa recovery kung sakali," dela Pena said. [Translation: We are looking at many medicines. Even though these are not vaccines, it could help fast track the recovery of patients.] A woman rescued at sea receives help at Arguineguin port in Gran Canaria. Angel Medina G. / EFE The Facebook page of the Arguineguin Barbershop in Gran Canaria has the message: Well be back soon with the prayer emoji. Since the post was shared on April 14, there have been no new messages. On April 9, the Spanish National Police arrested the owners of the barbershop the Akrams, a married couple from Morocco who had been living on the island for years for running one of the most important people-smuggling rings from the Canary Islands to the Spanish mainland, as well as to other European countries such as France, Italy and the United Kingdom. A total of 45 people were arrested in the police operation 28 in the Canary Islands and 17 in mainland Spain. The operation is the latest of four sweeping probes against people-smuggling rings that have been carried out since last December by the Network Investigation Brigade, a group of just 100 police officers that is the only force in all of Europe exclusively focused on the lucrative trafficking business which, they say, is going to grow more. The brigade has created a network of informants in the area, set up monitoring and cooperative units with police from the home countries of those smuggled, and spent hours alongside interpreters listening to wiretaps authorized by judges. According to police sources, this work has revealed that people-smuggling mafias are no longer in Africa, but in Spain. Whats more, they are using drug-trafficking structures to send people from the Canary Islands to the mainland. A conclusion that has been backed by the brigades four latest operations. For years, the Arguineguin Barbershop and its branch in the shopping mall in Puerto Rico in the popular tourist Mogan district operated just as hairdressers. But as thousands of migrants began to arrive to the Canary Islands by boat a total of 23,000 reached the archipelago in 2020, and nearly 4,000 have arrived so far this year the owners saw an opportunity to do business. An opportunity reflected in the registry of the barbershop, which was just 300 meters from the Arguineguin port facility where the smuggled migrant departed from. There are hundreds of names and none of them went there to get a haircut, explains one investigator. The order of arrival was scrupulously respected and they paid an advance of between 1,500 and 2,000, depending on whether or not they had documentation. According to a travel agency, located in the same shopping mall in Puerto Rico as the hairdresser, whose owner was also arrested, the migrants were sent by plane or boat to the Spanish mainland or other European countries, and were given other peoples passports so they could board with a fake identity. They had a bag of passports that they used over and over again, a member of the network went with them on the trip to the mainland and returned with the documents to use them again with the next ones, and so on, the officers explain. They started to change the routes for departure: at first they left directly from Gran Canaria, then they changed island, as we cut off routes, they add. Last December, when the surge in boat arrivals was putting the region under great pressure, some migrants were still able to fly from the archipelago to the Spanish mainland. This sparked a crackdown and the Spanish Interior Ministry began to ask for more documentation and to control ships leaving the region. The Canary Island turned into a barrier, instead of a bridge. People-smuggling mafias are no longer in Africa, but in Spain Police sources In the meantime, the migrants who had arrived in the archipelago and were being kept in shelters or hotels, began to pressure or openly threatened the Akrhams and their partners to get them off the island. Its not worth paying for the boat to stay in the Canaries, one voice was heard saying in the police wiretap. They began to put them on trucks within ferries, explains one investigator, who says there was so much volume of work that people working with the Akrhams started their own smuggling routes, with one-fourth of the business being conducted remotely from Murcia. In one raid, police found 300,000 in cash. The police officers explain that investigating people-smuggling networks is difficult: There are many pieces and they have to be put together, by finding people [who tend to flee], documents, money, shipments and logistical elements of the organization Yet, the criminal sentence is very low: between two and four years in prison. This breeds a certain feeling of impunity, the police sources say. In addition to the rising number of migrants to the Canary Islands, the coronavirus pandemic which has led to strict border restrictions has also encouraged drug traffickers to start to traffic with people. They have everything set up and they dont even have to hide the goods because they can run away on their own two feet, explain the officers. Indeed, in the people-smuggling probe Operation Neptune, the very people being smuggled were in charge of stashing the drugs when they arrived in Tenerife, the investigators add Last October, an investigation was opened into the beating of a young Moroccan man over an alleged debt in La Linea de Concepcion in the southern region of Andalusia. This probe ended up busting the criminal organization Campos Gallego, which was using ships for transporting drugs from Campo de Gibraltar province to bring people from the North African exclave of Ceuta to the mainland. The man allegedly responsible for the beating was the captain of one of these ships, which sank on February 7. The captain, who had been hired by Campos Gallego, died along with two migrants and a member of the organization who were also on board. Four other crew members miraculously survived, according to investigators. The police raids on people-smuggling mafias have uncovered ships, firearms, ammunition, gasoline drums and jetskis. Until March 20, when police busted the Campos Gallego group, not even police cars entered the territory of the feared criminal organization, which specialized in robbing rival gangs, according to investigators. English version by Melissa Kitson. BATTLE CREEK, MI Two fires burned Tuesday morning at a house where two people were killed in October 2020. Firefighters responded twice in the early morning hours of April 20 for suspicious fires that started on the exterior of the vacant house at 203 Post Ave., the Battle Creek Fire Department said. Those were the third and fourth fires reported at the house, when a landlord allegedly killed a couple Oct. 7. Police say Chad Allan Reed, 53, confessed to killing his tenants, Joseph Soule, 34, and Soules girlfriend, Jaclyn Lepird, 31. Related: House where landlord allegedly killed couple burns again, firefighters say Firefighters first responded at 2:41 a.m. Tuesday for a fire on the exterior of the house and had it under control in minutes, the fire department said. Then, 15 minutes after leaving the house, they were called back at 3:56 a.m. for a second fire in a different part of the homes exterior, the department said. The second fire was also quickly put out, and no one was injured in either fire. The Battle Creek Police Department and fire marshal are investigating the cause of the fires. Police and fire officials were already investigating a March 30 fire at the house, which they believe was arson. Related: Police investigating series of fires ruled arson in Battle Creek There have now been four fires at the home since October. Reed turned himself in Oct. 15 and told police he had killed the couple at the Post Avenue house. He is facing two felony counts of open murder, three charges of felony firearms and one felony charge of possession of firearm by felon in Calhoun County Circuit Court. No upcoming hearing date is set, according to court records. Anyone with information on the fires is asked to call the fire department at 269-966-3519. More from MLive: Butt pinches, threesome requests and a glass ceiling: sexism is systemic in Michigans political culture We want to see them shut down, protesters say of Kalamazoo bar accused of drink tampering Kalamazoo City Commission approves $5K raise for clerk 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. 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Updated on 10/7/2020 Dog the Bounty Hunter calls on police officers to use non-lethal bullets Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, announced his new campaign to encourage police officers to model after his example by pursuing criminals using non-lethal bullets. The popular reality show star has been captured on screen for years, taking down those who run from the law as a bail bondsman. In a recent interview with Fox News, the 68-year-old explained that he has taken down suspects thousands of times and never once had to use lethal force. His campaign is called "Take the Lead Out." "I've arrested over 8,000 fugitives in a 43-year career and have never shot anyone and killed them," Chapman explained. "We've used all non-lethal weapons. We're going to get the lead out of the bullet and replace it with rubber and or wood. I've shown a thousand arrests on different networks in America in the last 15 years, and I've been attacked [by] ... machetes, shopping carts, guns, knives," he continued. "I've shot a lot, but I've never killed [anyone]. Because on my team, you will not use a lethal weapon. It's not the gun that kills or the officer. It's the lead in the bullet," Chapman added. The Fox News host told the bounty hunter that officers get very skeptical of using non-lethal methods. Officers think that they need their guns, he noted. However, Chapman maintained that "[Police officers who] shoot someone right now, you got a problem. He said that Americans have seen him take fugitives down thousands of times, and he shot many of them with non-lethal weapons. It works. All you need to do is get them down so you can cuff him," the reality star insisted. "You need to stop killing them. And I don't think they're killing them on purpose, he said of those in law enforcement. Nevertheless, he noted that police officers are trained to kill. Because of that level of training, he repeated, Let's take the lead out of their bullet," Chapman said the idea could be a "bipartisan bill" and again stressed the need to "get the lead out of that bullet." "Who's going to want to keep the lead in so you can kill someone? Who's going to do that, and that will separate the men from the boys, he said. I think every cop in America, every citizen, we got to stop them. They're coming at you. They just robbed a store, kidnapping someone; you got to stop them. "A wood bullet, a rubber bullet will stop them just like the lead bullet. But they will not die," he concluded, adding that only someone shot in the head from wooden or rubber bullets can result in death. Chapman's new campaign, which can be reached at taketheleadout@gmail.com, comes on the heels of the recent criticism on police officers and their use of firearms following the death of Daunte Wright in Minnesota. Wright was shot during a traffic stop by veteran police officer, Kim Potter, who said the killing was accidental. Body-camera footage of the killing shows Potter shouted "Taser" before firing. HOLLYWOOD, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Demonstrating the brand's commitment to its "Save The Plant" motto, Hard Rock International once again joined World Wildlife Fund in its Earth Hour movement. In 2019, 18 Hard Rock Hotels around the world participated and conserved 11,919.41 kilowatts; enough energy to power more than 50 outdoor concerts. This year, the brand upped its numbers drastically with participation from 24 Hotels, 10 Casinos and 67 Cafes, conserving over 200,000 kilowatts. The Earth Hour movement is an annual event orchestrated by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) an international non-governmental organization that works to preserve wildlife and the environment which encourages millions of people, businesses and landmarks across the world to "go dark" for 60 minutes and show their commitment to fighting climate change and protecting the planet. Hard Rock has played an integral role in previous years' Earth Hour movements and contributed in numerous ways to the 2021 event, including: Cafes: 67 Hard Rock Cafes participated, some with their marquees switched off to a black screen, and others who turned off their guitar display in the front of the building 67 Hard Rock Cafes participated, some with their marquees switched off to a black screen, and others who turned off their guitar display in the front of the building Hotels: 24 participating Hard Rock Hotels went dark for 60 minutes by shutting off non-essential lights and had additional related amenities available for guests to enjoy, varying per location. Activations included glow-in-the-dark cocktails, yoga in the dark, beach clean-up, luminous painting, a fire show and much more 24 participating Hard Rock Hotels went dark for 60 minutes by shutting off non-essential lights and had additional related amenities available for guests to enjoy, varying per location. Activations included glow-in-the-dark cocktails, yoga in the dark, beach clean-up, luminous painting, a fire show and much more Hotels & Casinos: The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood shut down its renowned Guitar Facade from 8:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. to "go dark." Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana turned off non-essential lights in public areas and the guitar at the front of the hotel, while also inviting guests to turn off lights in their room and watch a fluorescent dance show. Seminole Classic Casino turned off its lights at 8:30 p.m. within the designated area and had an acoustic performer begin their set to commemorate Earth Hour "Hard Rock is incredibly honored to once again participate in the Earth Hour initiative organized by World Wildlife Fund, and support this important and impactful effort through a company-wide contribution of over 200,000 kilowatts in saved energy," said Jim Allen, Chief Executive Officer for Hard Rock International. "Hard Rock continuously works to enforce our 'Save The Planet' motto substantial action that makes a real difference in the world. We look forward to supporting the Earth Hour initiative for many years to come!" Participating Hard Rock properties include: Cafes: Las Vegas , New York , Pigeon Forge , Niagara Falls, Philadelphia , Chicago , Orlando , Miami , Hollywood Blvd, Boston , Foxwoods, Denver , Pittsburgh , Hollywood FL , Myrtle Beach , Key West , San Francisco , San Antonio , Biloxi , Seattle , Honolulu , New Orleans , Memphis , Baltimore, Washington DC , Nashville , Atlanta , , , Niagara Falls, , , , , Hollywood Blvd, , Foxwoods, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Hotels: Amsterdam , Bali , Cancun , Dalian , Davos , Daytona, Desaru Coast, Dublin , Goa , Guadalajara , London , Los Cabos , Madrid , Maldives , Orlando , Penang , Punta Cana , Riviera Maya, San Diego , Shenzen, Tenerife Ibiza, Vallarta, REVERB Downtown Atlanta , , , , , Daytona, Desaru Coast, , , , , , , , , , , Riviera Maya, , Shenzen, Tenerife Ibiza, Vallarta, REVERB Downtown Atlanta Hotels & Casinos: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, Seminole Classic Casino, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Imagery and video of Hard Rock's Earth Hour participation can be found here. About Hard Rock: Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in 68 countries spanning 239 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 86,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. In 2021, Hard Rock International was awarded the Top Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming, and Entertainment Industry by Forbes and also designated as a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal. In 2020, Hard Rock was honored as one of Forbes Magazine's Best Employers for Diversity and a Top Employer for Women. Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos also received first place ranking in the 2020 Casino Gaming Executive Satisfaction Survey conducted by Bristol Associates Inc. and Spectrum Gaming Group. In addition, Hard Rock Hotels was named one of the top performing hotel brands in J.D. Power's North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study for the second consecutive year. Hard Rock destinations are located in international gateway cities, including its two most successful flagship properties in Florida and home to the world's first Guitar Hotel in South Florida, Global Gaming's 2020 Property of the Year. The brand is owned by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com. SOURCE Hard Rock International China's justifiable judgment tolerates no foreign interference 10:45, April 20, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily To punish lawbreakers according to law is a matter of course. Recently, nine anti-China disruptors, including Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Martin Lee Chu-ming and Albert Ho Chun-yan were convicted according to law, which was an unquestionable matter that mirrored justice. Jimmy Lai leaves the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) However, some people in a few western countries, on pins and needles, once again made statements, which was not surprising at all, to attack the justifiable act of China in the name of the so-called human rights and democracy, expressing their arrogant stand in supporting anti-China disruptors. What they did was a blatant violation of international law and the norms governing international relations and gross interference in China's domestic affairs. We warn sternly again that Hong Kong is a part of China, and Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs. No foreign force has the right to interfere in them. Truths tell everything. No matter how these people are slandering China, they'll end up in vain. In recent years, especially since the amendment bill disturbance in 2019, anti-China disruptors have arbitrarily fanned up populism and violence, openly advocated "Hong Kong independence," tested the limits of the one country, two systems" principle, and disrupted Hong Kong with external forces. Their practices not only posed serious threats against national security and the stability of Hong Kong, but also damaged the interests of citizens and trampled on the rule of law. What they did challenged the constitutional order of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and was a provocation against the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR. Such calamity, if not eliminated, would bring ceaseless troubles to Hong Kong. Democracy of a civilized society must be protected by rule of law. The law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR has initiated a significant transition of Hong Kong by ending chaos and resuming stability, improved the electoral system of the special administrative region, and developed its democratic system, offering institutional guarantee for the long-term stability of the one country, two systems" principle and safeguarding lasting peace in the HKSAR. To put in jail the leading anti-China disruptors who had long troubled Hong Kong and undermined national security is an inevitable requirement of rule of law, as well as a common expectation of Hong Kong citizens. In today's Hong Kong, violence has been significantly reduced and social orders are getting back to normal. This registers an active achievement in safeguarding interests for the people. All sectors of the HKSAR are now united as one to fight COVID-19, develop economy and improve livelihood, which mirrors the common aspiration of the people. Laws must be observed and strictly enforced in a society ruled by law. Anyone who violates the law must be held to account. However, such a self-evident truth has irritated some people in a few western countries. They ignore the facts that the Chinese government and the government of the HKSAR are handling Hong Kong affairs according to law, and are blatantly interfering in Hong Kong's judicial acts. It unquestionably desecrates the spirit of rule of law upheld by all countries, and undermines Hong Kong's judicial independence. It's noteworthy that they cheered for the chaos in Hong Kong while worrying about the resumption of stability there. Such mentality, which is extremely abnormal, exactly reveals their vicious intention to contain China's development with Hong Kong affairs. Hong Kong affairs are a mirror that reflects the bizarre phenomenon in certain western countries that still hold onto colonialism, power politics and hegemony, and don't want to wake up from the Cold War dream. They are doing everything to make something new out of cliches and shamelessly playing the old tricks of new wine in old wineskins. However, they don't see that their mean practices to interfere in China's internal affairs, including Hong Kong affairs, will only further strengthen the resolution of the Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, to safeguard the long-term stability of the HKSAR. History always moves forward. Though sediments are sometimes brought to the surface of the ocean, tides are always advancing in an unstoppable way. Hong Kong will only see a brighter future. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The debate was attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and senior leaders of 15 UNSC member states and five regional organisations. This is the first time a senior Vietnamese leader has presided over an important activity of the UNSC, sending the highest-level message of orientations, visions and aspirations for development, foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and friendship of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam; and strongly affirming the countrys voice, position, commitment and responsible contributions to mutilateralism, the UN and common efforts for peace and development in the world. Speaking at the debate, the UN Secretary-General and leaders of UNSC member states highly evaluated Vietnams initiative to organise this important event, affirmed their support for enhancing cooperation between the UN and regional organisations as well as among regional organisations to prevent and settle conflicts, especially through confidence-building measures and dialogues. In his speech, President Phuc emphasised the importance of trust, confidence and dialogue in international relations and highly appreciated the cooperation between regional organisations and the UN in conflict prevention and resolution. The President highlighted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)s comprehensive and important achievements in building a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community and promoting cooperation and dialogue with the UN and relevant partners, as well as its efforts to promote dialogue and build trust in settling regional matters, including the East Sea and Myanmar issues. On this basis, President Phuc put forward three proposals. First, the interactions and complementarities between the UN and regional organisations are inherent. They offer a two-way linkage to share knowledge and coordinate joint endeavours. The UN should take the lead in increasing cooperation activities and exchanges of experience and best practices in confidence-building and dialogue to prevent conflicts. On the other hand, regional organisations, with their unique strengths in practical experience, resources and diverse demands, should bolster cooperation with the UN, engage in dialogues and share experience at various forums to enhance capacity in preventing and resolving conflicts. Second, the UN and regional organisations should further promote the role of multilateralism and uphold the UN Charter and international law, for this is the most concrete and solid foundation to build trust and promote dialogues. Third, it is necessary to continue enhancing cooperation between the UNSC and regional organisations through dialogue and co-frameworks, and early warning mechanisms for volatilities. The UNSC needs to continue acknowledging and respecting the perspectives, role and contributions of regional organisations. It is essential to mainstream conflict prevention and resolution strategies via dialogue and confidence-building in UN Missions, and create favorable conditions for regional organisations to uphold their central role. In response, regional organisations should further strengthen their proactive and leading role in preventing and resolving conflicts in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. This can only be achieved when each and every member state has strategic trust in each other and share a common political resolve, he said. The President also affirmed that Vietnam will spare no effort to strengthen the cooperation between the UN and regional organisations, including ASEAN, and elevate such ties, for peace, security and development around the world. Also in the debate, President Phuc chaired the approval of the UNSC Presidents Statement proposed by Vietnam with the aim of affirming the connection between the UN/UNSC and regional organisations in conflict prevention and resolution with trust-building and dialogue being essential factors. The statement called on regional organisations to uphold their support roles and put forward recommendations for conflict prevention and resolution to member states in line with the UN Charter and relevant agreements. It also proposed the UN Secretary-General suggest solutions to promote trust-building measures and dialogue in the coming time. Sleeper Gold Project Land Claims Paramount acquired the South Sleeper claims for $350,000 in a combination of cash and shares. Paramount acquired the South Sleeper claims for $350,000 in a combination of cash and shares. 152 lode claims totalling approximately 3,100 acres New claims will be included in exploration and drill programs expected to commence this summer WATCH VIDEO SUMMARY OF THE PRESS RELEASE WINNEMUCCA, Nev., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSE American: PZG) announced today it has completed the purchase of 152 unpatented lode claims (~3,100 acres) from South Sleeper Resources LLC. The claims are located only two miles south of Paramounts wholly-owned former high-grade producing Sleeper Gold Mine. With the acquisition of the South Sleeper claims, Paramount has increased its total land position to over 40,000 acres in the prolific and highly prospective Sleeper district situated at the intersection of two major Nevada mining trends - the Battle Mountain-Eureka and Western Nevada Rift. The claims were formerly owned by several Nevada companies that collectively conducted numerous geophysical surveys and completed a total of 11 drill holes which intersected gold values up to 9.48 g/T over 3.05 meters (10 ft.) in alluvium. These drill results were never properly assessed or followed up. Paramount CEO, Rachel Goldman commented: This acquisition fits with our strategy of consolidating prospective targets near our material projects and applying our significant district knowledge of the geology to develop and execute successful exploration programs. On the merits of these new claims, Glen van Treek, Paramount President and COO, explained: The Sleeper deposit sits on the margins of one of many major structural and lithological occurrences known as a range front fault where several Nevada deposits have been found. In the Sleeper district, this feature, which is found throughout Nevada, is marked by a transition from high density Jurassic-Triassic rock to the lighter Tertiary volcanic sequences where the Sleeper mineralization is hosted. This major transition or break, together with other favourable structural zones, can be mapped in the field by geologists or, when covered by alluvium, using geophysical surveys. Our team has used a gravimetric survey to map the variations in density due to rock changes or significant alteration processes. At Sleeper, these favourable structures trend south-south-west (SSW), converging on our newly acquired claims. (see image below) Story continues Paramount acquired the South Sleeper claims for $350,000 in a combination of cash and shares. Paramount has engaged several renowned consultants including Mine Development Associates, Inc. (a division of RESPEC) to assist the Paramount team in the review of all available data including drilling, geophysical surveys and geochemistry with the objective of developing an exploration program at the district sized Sleeper project which is now complemented by the addition of the South Sleeper claims. The drill program is expected to commence this summer. About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. is a U.S. based precious metals exploration and development company. Paramounts strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and to realize this value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account. Paramount owns 100% of the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 8,200 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain Gold Project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which results of a positive Feasibility Study have been released and key permitting milestones accomplished. Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada, the worlds premier mining jurisdiction. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares). The Sleeper gold project is host to a large gold deposit (over 4 million ounces of mineralized material) and the Company has completed and released a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment. With higher gold prices, Paramount has begun work to update and improve the economics of the Sleeper project. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements This release and related documents may include "forward-looking statements" and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) pursuant to applicable United States and Canadian securities laws. Paramounts future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Words such as "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although these words may not be present in all forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements included in this news release include, without limitation, statements with respect to the use of proceeds from the Offerings. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analyses and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the conclusions made in the feasibility study for the Grassy Mountain Gold Project (the FS); the quantity and grade of resources included in resource estimates; the accuracy and achievability of projections included in the FS; Paramounts ability to carry on exploration and development activities, including construction; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits; the price of silver, gold and other metals; prices for key mining supplies, including labor costs and consumables, remaining consistent with current expectations; work meeting expectations and being consistent with estimates and plant, equipment and processes operating as anticipated. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: uncertainties involving interpretation of drilling results; environmental matters; the ability to obtain required permitting; equipment breakdown or disruptions; additional financing requirements; the completion of a definitive feasibility study for the Grassy Mountain Gold Project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs and between estimated and actual production; the global epidemics, pandemics, or other public health crises, including the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global health pandemic, and the spread of other viruses or pathogens and the other factors described in Paramounts disclosures as filed with the SEC and the Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commissions. Except as required by applicable law, Paramount disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document. Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Rachel Goldman, Chief Executive Officer Christos Theodossiou, Director of Corporate Communications 866-481-2233 Twitter: @ParamountNV A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a73191d-d6ea-4bfb-8834-b1864c3fbc7b Scott Rudin Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Producers Guild Producer Scott Rudin says he is stepping away from film, streaming, and Broadway projects. Rudin has been behind Hollywood hits like "The Social Network" and major Broadway productions including "The Book of Mormon." He's accused of abusive behavior against his employees and fostering a toxic work environment. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Producer Scott Rudin says he is going to "step back" from his work on films, streaming projects, and Broadway productions amid accusations of abusive behavior in the workplace, Variety reported. He previously told Variety he was just "stepping back" from Broadway. "When I commented over the weekend, I was focused on Broadway reopening successfully and not wanting my previous behavior to detract from everyone's efforts to return," Rudin told Variety in a statement on Tuesday. "It's clear to me I should take the same path in film and streaming." Rudin - who produced films including "The Social Network," "Uncut Gems," and "Ladybird" during his decades-long career and is behind Broadway hits like "The Book of Mormon" - was accused of engaging in abusive behavior in a report from The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month. Among the allegations, Rudin is accused of smashing a computer monitor on an employee's hand and fostering a toxic work environment in which people slept in the office, experienced ulcers, and lost hair because of stress. "I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior has caused and I take this step with a commitment to grow and change," Rudin said in his statement to Variety. Read the original article on Insider OAKLAND, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Xantrion Inc. announced it has been named for the sixth consecutive year to CRN's Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list, this year as one of the MSP Pioneer 250. The annual list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants in North America whose leading approach to managed services enables their clients to improve operational efficiencies, cut costs, get more value from their IT investments and successfully leverage technology to achieve a greater competitive advantage. In today's world of outsourced IT, the expertise of MSPs has become increasingly important to organizations. The choices in technology procurement can be overwhelming. To help facilitate companies' selection and adoption of managed services and providers, CRN, the leading media outlet for technology solution providers, has identified the top 500 MSPs. The list is divided into three categories: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on-premise and off-premise services; and the MSP Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premise, cloud-based security services. "MSPs meet a critical need in the IT market, providing customized, turnkey services that allow for effective control of expenditures, precise allocation of limited resources and convenient access to on-demand and pay-as-you-go technology. We congratulate the service providers of the MSP 500, who continually reinvent themselves to successfully meet their customers' changing needs, helping businesses get the most out of their IT investments and sharpen their competitive edge." "We are honored to be a member of the Pioneer 250. In particular, we are excited about being recognized for our holistic approach to managed services as well as our cloud-based cybersecurity and compliance services. We pride ourselves on our track record and expertise in these areas," said Anne Bisagno, President, Xantrion Inc. About Xantrion Inc. Experts in cybersecurity and technical support, Xantrion provides outsourced IT services for midsized companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its team of IT experts brings impeccable technical and business skills to every assignment. Featuring an award-winning strategic approach, SOC2 Type II certified security practices, 24/7 help desk, fixed fees, and a 99.9% uptime record, Xantrion is a proven partner for managed IT and security services. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com The MSP 500 list is able to be seen online at www.CRN.com/msp500 Anne Bisagno, 510-272-4701, [email protected] SOURCE Xantrion Inc. Related Links http://www.xantrion.com A group of Latino lawyers on Tuesday called for the Department of Justice to investigate the fatal shooting of Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer. The group, which includes the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Pilsen Law Center, called on the DOJ to investigate the "circumstances that led to and resulted" in Adam's death. The group also pushed for stronger policies regarding foot pursuit and car chases, clearer training guidelines, and more guidelines on police interactions with children. "Faith and trust in the police department are in short supply in the Latino community," said Pilsen Law Center founder Arturo Jauregui at a Tuesday news conference. "An objective investigation conducted by the Justice Department would send a message to our community that this time is different." He added: "We cannot trust the police department to investigate itself. It just doesn't work." Jauregui also asked Mayor Lori Lightfoot to invest federal COVID-19 dollars to help Latino youth in Adam's neighborhood. He suggested adding 300 more counselors and 500 more social workers to schools to support Latino youth, who he said have been "traumatized" by police shootings. Jauregui called for an $80 million investment into the Little Village neighborhood where Adam, a 13-year-old of Mexican descent, lived and died. "We cannot wait another month," Jauregui said. "We cannot wait another year." Ruben Roman, the 21-year-old man police say was with Adam the night he was shot, has been released from Cook County Jail after posting $40,000 bond on Saturday. He is now on electronic monitoring. During the press conference, Chicago Alderman Michael Rodriguez said "the federal government should step in" to investigate. He praised the coalition of lawyers and community leaders for emphasizing the need to invest more resources in Chicago's predominantly Latino schools and communities. Story continues "These leaders are calling for increased investments in our communities so that Adam Toledos prosper in our city, prosper in our neighborhoods," Rodriguez said. Earlier this month, Lightfoot called called for a "thorough, expeditious" investigation into the shooting and for changes to Chicago police foot pursuit policies, saying such pursuits are one of the most dangerous activities police engage in because they are often separated from their partners and communication becomes difficult. She said there will be focus groups of officers and community members to evaluate best practices. "We cannot and will not push the foot pursuit reform off for another day," Lightfoot said at a news conference. "No longer can we afford to put off to tomorrow what we can address today, because lives are truly at stake." Mayor responds: Chicago mayor calls for reform after 13-year-old Adam Toledo shot dead by police Chicago agreed to hundreds of changes in policing under a 2019 decree after a Department of Justice investigation found a decades-long record of racism and abuse by Chicago police. The 2014 police killing of Laquan McDonald, a Black teen, prompted the investigation. The city fought to suppress footage of the shooting, which later led to Jason Van Dyke, a white officer, being convicted of murder for shooting McDonald 16 times. The Pilsen Law Center called the police shooting of Adam Toledo "yet another reminder to our community that much critical work remains to be done to prevent use of lethal force through polices focusing on community outreach and police training," according to an April 15 statement. Chicago protests: Over 1,000 in Chicago gather to remember Adam Toledo At Roman's bail hearing Saturday, prosecutors said surveillance video shows Roman firing the shots that brought police to the scene. Roman faces felony charges of unlawful use and reckless discharge of a firearm, as well as child endangerment and violating probation. The relationship between Adam and Roman is unclear. What we know: Outcry grows as police officer in Adam Toledo shooting is identified as Eric Stillman An illustrated view looking northeast at the spot where 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed by Chicago Police on March 29. Disturbing videos released last Thursday showed an officer, later identified as Eric Stillman, chase Adam, who appeared to slow down and toss a gun behind a fence before he turned toward Stillman, who is white, with his hands up. The video cast doubt on prior accounts from police and city officials describing the incident as an "armed confrontation." The footage sparked outrage and protest in the city, including a demonstration of over 1,000 protestors last Friday. Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern. Contributing: The Associated Press. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Adam Toledo: Latino groups call for DOJ probe of police shooting VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Heatherdale Resources Ltd. ("Heatherdale" or the "Company") (TSX.V:HTR) today announces that it has completed the name change to "Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd" with trading under the new name on the TSX Venture Exchange will commence at the opening of trading on April 22, 2021 under the new symbol (TSX.V:BWCG) Trading in the United States will continue under (OTC PINK:HTRRF). "Our name change to Blackwolf Copper and Gold better reflects the Company's Spirit and Vision, particularly with consultation and inclusion with Indigenous People," said Rob McLeod, President & CEO of Blackwolf Copper and Gold. "Growing up in the Pacific Northwest on the border of Alaska and British Columbia, I was fascinated with the distinct wolf packs that were either traditional grey, or with dominantly black fur. We see Blackwolf as a symbol for the strength, inclusion and loyalty within our own pack of mining professionals and the transboundary nature of our business strategy." Shareholders are not required to exchange their existing share certificates for new certificates bearing the Company's new name and the name change does not affect the Company's share structure or the rights of the Company's shareholders. No further action is required by existing shareholders. In addition, the Company announces that it has granted to an officer, employees and consultants of the Company stock options (the "Options") exercisable to acquire up to a total of 280,000 common shares in accordance with the Company's Stock Option Plan. The Options have an exercise price of $1.00, which will vest in 3 months from the date of grant, after 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively, from the date of grant and have a 5-year term in accordance with the Stock Option Plan. About Blackwolf Copper and Gold Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd.'s founding vision is to be an industry leader in transparency, inclusion and innovation. Guided by our Vision and through collaboration with local and Indigenous communities and stakeholders, Blackwolf builds shareholder value through our technical expertise in mineral exploration, engineering and permitting. The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Niblack copper-gold-zinc-silver VMS project, located adjacent to tidewater in southeast Alaska. For more information on Blackwolf, please visit the Company's website at www.blackwolfcopperandgold.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Robert McLeod" Robert McLeod, P.Geo President, CEO and Director For more information, contact: Rob McLeod 604-617-0616 (Mobile) 604-343-2997 (Office) rm@bwcg.ca Liam Morrison 604-897-9952 (Mobile) 04-343-2997 (Office) lm@bwcg.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; and changes in the Company's business plans. In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, including without limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company seeks safe harbor. The Company's "Mineral Resource Estimate" refers to a November 2011 NI 43-101 Report authored by SRK Consulting Independent of the Company and Deon Van Der Heever, Pr. Sci. Nat., Hunter Dickinson Inc., a Qualified Person who was not independent of the Company. Net Smelter Return (NSR) cutoff uses long-term metal forecasts: gold US$1,150/oz, silver US$20.00/oz, copper US$2.50/lb, and zinc US$1.00/lb; Recoveries (used for all NSR calculations) to Cu concentrate of 95% Cu, 56% Au and 53% Ag with payable metal factors of 96.5% for Cu, 90.7% for Au, and 89.5% for Ag; to Zn concentrate of 93% Zn, 16% Au, and 24% Ag with payable metal factors of 85% for Zn, 80% for Au and 20% for Ag. Detailed engineering studies will determine the best cutoff. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com. SOURCE: Heatherdale Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641277/Heatherdale-Resources-Announces-Name-Change-to-Blackwolf-Copper-and-Gold-Ltd-Stock-Symbol-Change-and-Grants-Stock-Options [April 20, 2021] Evolve Announces World's First Ether ETF Begins Trading Today on TSX TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Evolve Funds Group Inc. ("Evolve") is pleased to announce the launch of the world's first Ether ETF ("ETHR"). ETHR has closed its initial offering of units and will begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") today under the ticker symbols: ETHR and ETHR.U. As an immediate value opportunity for investors, Evolve is waiving the full 0.75% management fee on ETHR until May 31, 2021. Ticker Effective Management Fee* (after waiver) ETHR (Unhedged) 0% ETHR.U (USD Unhedged) 0% * Following May 31, 2021, the effective management fee of the Ether ETF will revert back to 0.75% of net asset value, plus applicable sales taxes. "The launch of the world's first Ether ETF provides investors with simple and efficient access to the second largest cryptocurrency," says Raj Lala, President and CEO at Evolve ETFs. "While Bitcoin is often considered a store of value, Ether via the Ethereum blockchain provides a highly efficient and flexible platform to many different types of smart contracts and decentralized finance. We are very pleased to be working with CF Benchmarks and Gemini in bringing another cryptocurrency investment product to market. The Ether ETF helps round out Evolve' suite of crypto offerings and gives investors another option in the rapidly growing digital finance marketplace." ETHR provides investors with exposure to the daily price movements of the U.S. dollar price of Ether by utilizing the benefits of the creation and redemption processes offered by the exchange traded fund structure. The daily NAV will be calculated based on the CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference Rate ("ETHUSD_RR"), a once-a-day benchmark index price for Ether denominated in U.S. dollars and administered by benchmark administrator, CF Benchmarks Ltd. Gemini will act as the Sub-Custodian in respect of ETHR's holdings. ETHR will directly own Ether on the Ethereum blockchain, held in Gemini's offline, "cold", storage system and protected in accordance with industry-leading protocols. "We are excited to partner with Evolve to help bring their Ether ETF to market. Gemini Fund Solutions is proud to support one of the world's first Ether ETFs by providing world-class clearing, trade execution, and custody services," said Tyler Winklevoss, CEO of Gemini. "The approval of the Ether ETF gives investors in Canada efficient and secure access to Ethereum, one of the world's top cryptocurrencies on one of the most innovative blockchains in the industry." For more information visit https://evolveetfs.com/product/ethr/ About Evolve Funds Group Inc. With approximately $1.8 billion in assets under management, Evolve is one of Canada's fastest growing ETF providers since launching its first ETF in September 2017. Evolve is a leader in thematic ETFs and specializes in bringing disruptive innovation ETFs to Canadian investors. Evolve's suite of ETFs provide investors with access to: (i) long term investment themes; (ii) index-based income strategies; and (iii) some of the world's leading investment managers. Established by a team of industry veterans with a proven track record of success, Evolve creates investment products that make a difference. For more information, please visit www.evolveetfs.com. Join us on social media: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with exchange traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. ETFs and mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. There are risks involved with investing in ETFs and mutual funds. Please read the prospectus for a complete description of risks relevant to ETFs and mutual funds. Investors may incur customary brokerage commissions in buying or selling ETF and mutual fund units. Please read the prospectus before investing. Commissions, management fees, expenses and applicable sales taxes all may be associated with an investment in the exchange traded funds managed by Evolve Funds Group Inc. (the "ETFs"). ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to a future outlook and anticipated distributions, events or results and may include statements regarding future financial performance. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Evolve undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law. CF Benchmarks Ltd Index Data is used under license as a source of information for certain Evolve Funds Group Inc. products. CF Benchmarks Ltd and its agents have no other connection to Evolve Funds Group Inc. products and services and do not sponsor, endorse, recommend or promote any Evolve Funds Group Inc. products or services. CF Benchmarks and its agents have no obligation or liability in connection with the Evolve Funds Group Inc. products and services. CF Benchmarks and its agents do not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of any index licensed to Evolve Funds Group inc. and shall not have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. SOURCE Evolve ETFs [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Brandman University's robust online and on-campus programs are designed to support non-traditional students who need to pursue their studies on their own schedules. It is in support of these non-traditional enrollment programs that Brandman originally partnered with Regent, the only independent provider of financial aid automation solutions for institutions offering non-traditional enrollment models. Thanks to Regent's automation of Brandman's semester-based and non-term CBE programs, instead of focusing on unnecessary workarounds, financial aid staff members are now free to deliver the personalized support that a community of students from diverse backgrounds with diverse needs requires. With the additions of Regent Plan and Regent Award for Salesforce, Brandman will further enrich its support services and, ultimately, its student experience. "At Brandman, we have focused on providing students assistance at each stage of their academic careers. This includes Enrollment and One-Stop advising to support students' financial aid journeys," indicated Gary Brahm, Chancellor of Brandman University. "Regent's automated planning tools and integration with our enrollment- and student-advising Salesforce tools provide a valuable extension of financial aid planning and visibility to ensure our students successfully progress through their programs." "Regent's financial aid automation across any enrollment model should extend to the student and counselor. By providing a range of tools, including dynamic borrowing comparisons and insightful CRM integration with Salesforce, the Regent Suite can enhance markedly the range of student financial aid support our clients can provide," said Jim Hermens, Chief Executive Officer at Regent Education. In October, Brandman rolled out Regent Award for Salesforce, providing key financial aid indicators into the CRM, and deployed Regent Plan in February across the entire student, One-Stop, and Enrollment-Advisor populations. About Brandman University Brandman University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. As part of the Chapman University System, Brandman blends a legacy of academic excellence with innovative programs and support services designed for students with busy schedules. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, credential and certificate programs. Brandman serves about 24,000 students, more than 14,000 of whom enroll in academic credit programs at 25 physical campuses in California and Washington as well as online. Brandman offers fully online courses for students anywhere in the United States and for military personnel serving abroad. For additional information, visit https://www.brandman.edu/. About Regent Education Regent Education is a leading provider of SaaS solutions that simplify the financial aid process for higher education institutions offering traditional and nontraditional enrollment models. Regent offers a suite of solutions encompassing the automation of financial aid management, verification processes, student financial planning, and state financial aid application. Regent's financial aid management solutions offer institutions an unprecedented ability to automate the financial aid process to increase efficiency, mitigate compliance risks, expand enrollment, improve the student experience, and enhance financial management and financial aid lifecycle visibility. To learn more about Regent Education, visit https://regenteducation.com. Contact Regent Education Diane Eves, Marketing Director (301) 662-5592 or [email protected] SOURCE Regent Education Related Links http://regenteducation.com A convicted killer who is fighting a possible June execution date that would make him the first person put to death in Nevada in 15 years is calling for the state to consider the firing squad as an option, a rare method in the United States. Attorneys for Zane Michael Floyd say he does not want to die and are challenging the state plan to use a proposed three-drug lethal injection, which led to court challenges that twice delayed the execution of another convicted killer who later took his own life in prison. 'This is not a delaying tactic,' Brad Levenson, a federal public defender representing Floyd, said Monday. But a challenge of the state execution protocol requires the defense to provide an alternative method, and Levenson said gunshots to the brain stem would be 'the most humane way.' 'Execution by firing squad ... causes a faster and less painful death than lethal injection,' the attorneys said in a court filing Friday. Nevada once allowed firing squads, but state law now requires the use of lethal injection in sentences of capital punishment. Zane Michael Floyd, a Nevada death row inmate convicted of killing four people and wounding a fifth in a shotgun attack at a Las Vegas supermarket in 1999 Three U.S. states - Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah - and the U.S. military allow capital punishment by gunfire. The last time that method was used in the United States was in Utah in 2010. The only man to be executed by gunfire in Nevada was Andriza Mircovich in 1913. The Nevada State Prison guard was unable to find five men to form a firing squad and instead a shooting machine was requisitioned and built to carry out the execution. Floyd's attorneys are asking a federal judge in Las Vegas to stop Floyd from being put to death until prison officials 'devise a new procedure or procedures to carry out a lawful execution.' Levenson said he and attorney David Anthony are fighting multiple issues in state and federal courts, with the possibility that Floyds death could be set for the week of June 7. Prosecutors will seek an execution warrant at a state court hearing next month. The newly completed execution chamber at Ely State Prison in Ely, Nevada. Nevada hasn't carried out an execution since 2006, and two state lawmakers have proposed abolishing capital punishment altogether The 45-year-old was convicted in 2000 of killing four people with a shotgun in a Las Vegas supermarket in 1999 and badly wounding a fifth person. Floyd appeared to exhaust his federal appeals last November, and the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear his case. Floyd wants a chance to seek clemency at a June 22 meeting of the Nevada State Pardons Board, Levenson said. Floyd's attorneys argue that a three-drug injection combination the state wants to use - the sedative diazepam, the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl and a paralytic, cisatracurium - would amount to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of his constitutional rights. Anthony made similar arguments on behalf of Scott Raymond Dozier before Nevada's last scheduled execution was called off in 2017 and 2018. Dozier killed himself in prison in January 2019. A judge blocked the first date after deciding that use of the paralytic might cause painful suffocation while Dozier was aware but unable to move. Pharmaceutical companies that made the three drugs stopped the second date with arguments against using their products in an execution, an issue several states are facing. Floyd would be the first person executed in Nevada since 2006, when Daryl Mack asked to be put to death for his conviction in a 1988 rape and murder in Reno. Nevada has 72 men awaiting execution, a state Department of Corrections spokeswoman said. New Delhi, April 20 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday tested positive for Covid-19. He shared this information on social media and asked people to follow Covid guidelines. He tweeted, "After experiencing mild symptoms, I've just tested positive for COVID. All those who've been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe". Congress leader P. Chidambaram wished him speedy recovery: "Learned that Mr Rahul Gandhi has tested positive and has isolated himself. Deeply concerned. I wish him a full and speedy recovery." Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi demanded that the government should transfer money into the accounts of the migrants who are compelled to go back home due to the lockdown and pandemic. He tweeted in Hindi, "Migrants are again moving back, so this is the responsibility of the Union government to transfer money to their accounts. Will the government, which is blaming the public for the spread of the Covid, take such a public supportive step." The Congress has questioned the government over the handling of the Covid pandemic. "Where has the money of Covid tax and the PM-CARES fund gone?" asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text After several nights of protests against a police killing in nearby Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis law enforcement agencies and community groups asked for peace during a news briefing Monday, as the trial against the former police officer Derek Chauvin comes to a close. Minneapolis has been preparing for eight months for potential unrest following a verdict. More than 3,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed in Minneapolis to assist local law enforcement, schools will move to remote learning, and businesses have been boarded up. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo asked that protesters express themselves peacefully and promised that the police response would be grounded in de-escalation. He said law enforcement had listened to feedback over the police response to protests in Brooklyn Center and would adjust their approach. During those protests, officers deployed rubber bullets and pepper spray, protesters were arrested and journalists were rounded up and ordered to lie on their stomachs until officers could photograph their press credentials. On Friday night, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order that bars Minnesota state law enforcement officers from arresting or using force against the press, which remains in effect this week. 58 Shares Share We recently received the news that a patient had died during the night from mysterious clots related to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (OAZv). This tragic news came shortly after the U.K. revised its vaccination policy to restrict the use of the OAZv in younger adults and many countries paused the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, concerned over its link to rare forms of blood clots. ERs in the U.K. are flooded with an endless stream of unusual patients; young, vaccinated health care workers excruciatingly worried over blood clots. This is the latest in a series of fears of what the virus does in the body and how a vaccine may harm. All of this comes more than a year into a fog of changing health information causing the dilemma of how to adhere to public health directives. Its no wonder that people are scared. But the question is one of medical ethics both for the public good and for individuals. Both have consequences for fear and trust and when it comes to vaccine programs, both matter. The OAZv project has been controversial from the start. This month, growing evidence linking the OAZv to thrombotic events, and its suspension of use in many countries has dealt a further blow to public confidence in this vaccine. Yet, even though the most recent events, Britain has managed the incredible achievement of preserving public trust in their national vaccine, with the lowest rates of hesitancy in Europe. However, people with blood clots raise the question of fear and trust in health care, and the role of information, ethics, and politics in shaping their expression amongst the population. Indeed, vaccine nationalism has been a predominant feature of the British governments strategy, and a useful proxy in the Brexit war. It started with the U.K.s emergency approval of the vaccine ahead of the EU. Then followed the open accusations about supply and stockpiling. There was national pride in producing an efficient vaccine, in a clever use of reverse innovation to benefit from trial errors and deviations to advance the science of vaccines, and eventually in developing one of the most efficient vaccination programs worldwide. These, supported by a proactive communication campaign, contributed to shaping public perception and trust in the OAZv. But as time elapsed and the link between the OAZv and the rare thrombotic syndrome named VITT in younger age groups became clearer, could communication and political agendas have taken precedence over public trust? Indeed, on April 7, the U.K. published its revised recommendations; this decision came three weeks after its neighbors. What age is safe to receive OAZv? It depends. In the U.K., its 30 and above. Elsewhere it varies from 50 to 65. On the outside, the public opinion has remained unshaken, yet A&E waiting rooms across the country tell a different story. A feeling of self-censorship and political incorrectness appears to have developed around diverging opinions confusingly different directives. This matter resonated with me when an accomplished medical professional reported attending a COVID debrief: For the first time in months, the situation on the wards were settling. When the vaccine agenda came up, I mentioned that four young patients were admitted with unusual clots in the weekend just gone. It could be a referral bias, of course. But, in 25 years as a hematologist, I hadnt seen so many cases in such a short time. Perhaps we should consider reviewing our vaccination policy for younger staff. There was a hushed silence; I thought I would be kicked out. This hushed silence represents another fear. The fear that asking questions or raising concerns will cause one to fall into a bucket of anti-vax. Still, why were these health care workers worried? Could it be the denial? The U.K. acknowledged this problem three weeks later than its neighbors. Could it be the wide variation in recommendations? Or the seriousness of possible threats to the blood supply to the brain or gut, or liver? Or the worry that expressing these fears could cost them their jobs? The fear of a terrible consequence is not based on confusion, false understanding, or anti-science sentiment. It is the fear of the unknown. It is possible that the current fear of terrible thrombosis will subside with reassurance. But reassurance is a double-edged sword. Yes, health care providers can remind the public that thrombosis is vanishingly rare, there is some understanding of risk demographics, and people can watch out for warning signs. What they cant say is that those who develop clots will be ok. CVST and SVT are complex conditions; the terminology and outcome data are befuddling to doctors, let alone the lay public. In the reported cases so far, the mortality has been a horrendous 20 to 25 percent. These could explain the fear. Governments and policymakers hold an ethical obligation that surpasses the risk-benefit ratio when it comes to addressing the risk of what and the risk to whom? It includes taking concerns seriously instead of dismissing them as barriers to public health. It means respecting peoples autonomy caught in a rash of changing data trying to make logical decisions without coercion. Public health is paramount when it comes to vaccines, but it does not negate health cares responsibility to individual concerns. Medical doctors so far consider clot-related to be a misfortune. We all want insurances against misfortune. Denmark even ceased the use of this vaccine. So, while individual doctors have obligations to both the individual and public health, their first concern is their patients. And these decisions have to acknowledge fears and respect the stance. Providers must balance reassurance with acknowledgment, care, data, and the intent to do no harm. It is undeniable that the COVID vaccination has saved countless lives and will be crucial to come out of this crisis. In particular, the OAZv has many advantages for global use. But the success of a vaccination program should not expend of public trust or we may jeopardize the future of global public health. Mallika Sekhar is a hematologist-oncologist. Lisa Hardy is an anthropologist. Kevin Gillmann is an ophthalmologist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com [April 20, 2021] Sungrow Supplies Iowa's Largest PV Power Plant SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, has supplied 34 inverters completing a 127.5 MW solar facility in Wapello, Iowa. The Wapello Solar project, developed by Clenera and constructed by RES, progressed with little to no delays despite beginning construction during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the largest solar project in Iowa, Wapello Solar entered into commercial operation on March 8, 2021. "Wapello Solar highlights RES' vision to create a future where everyone has access to affordable zero carbon energy, and we are pleased to see this project achieve commercial operation," said Tim Jordan, Senior VP of Solar Construction at RES. "This project is a real credit to all the construction workers, suppliers and stakeholders who worked tirelessly to get to the finish line." Occupying nearly 800 acres of land in Louisa County, the project features 318,000 Risen Energy bifacial solar panels, which are fixed to FTC Solar's Voyager single - axis trackers. Louisa County is already realizing the significant economic benefits, with an anticipated $5.2 million in tax revenue. "Sungrow continually delivers high-performing products and service to Clenera's projects throughout the country. Having dependable technology partners, such as Sungrow, is a necessary component to ensure that Clenera continues to work toward providing reliable, affordable and clean energy," said Clenera's VP of Construction, Michael Gallego. "The Wapello Solar project is another landmark for the strong multi-year partnership between Sungrow and Clnera. Clenera's entrepreneurial and impressive PV and Storage portfolio met with Sungrow's bankability and technological prowess will continue to effectively support the national mobilization towards building the renewable future," said Hank Wang, President of Sungrow Americas. "We look forward to supplying Clenera projects through dynamic industry leaders like RES and are energized by their enthusiasm in selecting Sungrow as a long-term technology partner," added Karsten Mall, Sungrow's recently appointed General Manager of the Company's North American division. The project will power 21,000 homes. Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) is purchasing the demand and energy from the plant through an exclusive 25-year power purchase agreement. About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 154 GW installed worldwide as of December 2020. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 24-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 150 countries. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com. About Clenera Clenera, LLC ("Clenera") is a privately-held renewable energy company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Clenera acquires, develops, builds and manages utility-scale solar farms and energy storage facilities throughout the United States. Combining breakthrough technology with a deeply integrated team approach, Clenera provides reliable, affordable energy systems and helps its utility partners become clean energy leaders in their communities. Clenera's current operating portfolio exceeds 1.6 GW, with more than 15 GW of solar and storage assets in development. Learn more at www.clenera.com. About RES RES is the world's largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage, transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for 39 years, RES has delivered more than 19?GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding?7?GW worldwide for a large client base. We understand the unique needs of corporate clients and have secured 1.5 GW of power purchase agreements, enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs more than 3,000 people and is active in 10 countries.?For more information, visit www.res-group.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sungrow-supplies-iowas-largest-pv-power-plant-301272187.html SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pune, India, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North America feeding tubes market is set to gain momentum from the increasing shift of people towards enteral feeding from parenteral feeding because of its several benefits. It promotes the local immune function of the gut and eliminates villous atrophy. Hence, manufacturers nowadays are developing novel products to cater to the high demand. In June 2020, for instance, Applied Medical Technology, Inc. (AMT) introduced AMT ONE Source, its latest mobile app to offer easy and quick access to the companys educational materials. This information is given by Fortune Business Insights in a new report, titled, North America Feeding Tubes Market, 2021-2028. As per the report, the North America feeding tubes market size is expected to grow from USD 516.1 million in 2020 to USD 1,014.9 million in 2028 growing at a CAGR of 7.9% in the forecast period. The market stood at USD 397.0 million in 2019. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/north-america-feeding-tubes-market-105112 COVID-19 Pandemic: Rising ICU Admissions in 2020 Has Affected Growth Positively The COVID-19 pandemic affected the North America feeding tubes industry positively in 2020 because of the rising number of ICU admissions. The surging cases of coronavirus resulted in the increasing admission of patients in the ICU, especially in the U.S. These patients require enteral feeding as they are incapable of chewing and swallowing food on their own. We are providing detailed research reports to help you better understand the current scenario of the market. To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/north-america-feeding-tubes-market-105112 Segmentation- Diabetes Segment Generated 13.9% Share in 2020 Based on the type, the market for North America feeding tubes is divided into nasogastric tube, nasojejunal feeding tube, gastric tube (G tube), jejunostomy tube (J tube), and orogastric tube. By age, it is segregated into pediatric and adult. Based on the application, it is fragmented into diabetes, gastroenterology, oncology, and others. Out of these, the diabetes segment earned 13.9% in terms of the North America feeding tubes market share in 2020. This growth is attributable to the rising prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. requiring enteral feeding. Based on end-users, the market is classified into homecare, specialty clinics, hospitals, and others. Lastly, by geography, it is bifurcated into Canada and the U.S. Quick Buy North America Feeding Tubes Market https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/105112 Report Coverage- We have conducted extensive primary and secondary research to collect data about numerous aspects of the market for North America feeding tubes. We have also conducted interviews with marketing managers, sales managers, product managers, and C-level executives to derive insights, such as raw material supply & demand, application patterns, growth rate, and average pricing. Drivers & Restraints- Urgent Need to Feed Children with Chronic Illnesses will Favor Growth Feeding tubes are gaining more traction from pediatrics. These are considered to be an essential alternative for children living with chronic illnesses. These tubes help them to easily ingest food. But, medical professionals often face various issues, such as tube placement errors during tube feeding. Therefore, several companies present in the North America feeding tubes industry are conducting research and development activities to introduce innovative feeding tube systems. However, rising number of product recalls on account of manufacturing defects may hamper the North America feeding tubes market growth in the upcoming years. For instance, in July 2020, the U.S. FDA recalled Kentec Medical, Inc.s Ameritus Medical Products ENFit polyurethane and silicone feeding tubes because of the possibility of breakage or fracture. It would have caused serious health hazards. Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/north-america-feeding-tubes-market-105112 Competitive Landscape- Key Players Focus on New Product Development to Satiate Demand from Healthcare Sector The market for North America feeding tubes is partially consolidated with significant companies, such as Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter, and Cardinal Health accounting for the major share. They are majorly focusing on new product development to fulfil the rising demand from the healthcare sector in the U.S. and Canada. Below is one of the latest industry developments: July 2020: Baxter International Inc. signed an agreement for commercializing the VIPUN Gastric Monitoring System. It possesses a smart enteral feeding tube that can effectively measure stomach motility. This unique feature will aid clinicians in detecting enteral feeding intolerance and make better decisions related to nutrition therapy. A list of prominent North America feeding tubes manufacturers operating in the market: Cardinal Health (Ohio, United States) BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (New Jersey, United States) B. Braun Melsungen AG (Melsungen, Germany) Avanos Medical Inc (Georgia, United States) Baxter (Deerfield, United States) Vygon SA (Ecouen, France) Applied Medical Technology, Inc. (Ohio, United States) Other Prominent Players Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/north-america-feeding-tubes-market-105112 Table of Contents Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Prevalence of Key Indications (Cancer, Diabetes, Gastric Disorders), North America New Product Launches, By Key Players List of Key Distributors of Major Players Overview of Distribution Channel in North America Impact of COVID-19 on the market Average Selling Prices, Key Players / OEMs Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships) North America Feeding Tubes Market by G-Tubes North America Feeding Tubes Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Type Nasogastric tube Nasojejunal feeding tube Gastric Tube (G tube) Jejunostomy Tube (J tube) Orogastric tube ToC Continue Have a Look at Related Reports: Adult Diapers market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Underwear & Briefs, Pads & Guards, and Drip Collectors & Bed Protectors), By Gender (Male and Female) By Distribution Channel (Institutional Sales, Retail Stores, and Online Channels) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Recombinant Vaccines market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Subunit and Live Attenuated), By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Disease Indication (Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Herpes Zoster, Meningococcal B, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2020-2027 Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (PCV10, PCV13, and PPSV23), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Others) and Region Forecast, 2019-2026 Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment market Size, Share & Covid-19 Impact Analysis, By Ulcer Type (Neuropathic Ulcer, Ischemic Ulcer, Neuro-ischemic Ulcer), By Product (Wound-care Dressings, Wound-care Devices, Active Therapies, and Others), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Homecare Settings), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. 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 Wilson was involved in a shooting in Baltimore seven years to the day before Tuesdays supermarket shooting, records show. According to police, Wilson and another man fired shots at each other and were hospitalized with lower body wounds. Attempted murder charges against Wilson in that case were later dropped, records show. It felt like "Christmas" for Pastor Miles McPherson and Rock Church as they welcome 5,000 congregants back on Sunday, a first since the COVID-19 virus hit. McPherson is in a jubilant mood seeing that they are finally back to congregating in person on Sunday. The service was livestreamed via a Facebook broadcast. "What's up Rock family? What's up Rock family! One year has gone by; we are back!" he cheered. The Senior Pastor of Rock Church in San Diego, California pronounced blessing over all the campuses in which they are affiliated as well as everybody that is watching. He thanked them for their patience and faithfulness. "COVID came, but COVID did not knock us out. Come on now! God will not stop the church. We are back. It is so exciting!" he declared. On a more solemn tone, McPherson also acknowledged the many losses over the past year since the virus hit. "Over the last year, we've gone through so much. A lot of y'all lost loved ones, lost jobs, businesses, but God is going to sustain you," he said. "We don't realize how much we need each other, to look each other in the eyes, to see our faces and the expressions we're making," he added while noting that people are made for relationships, hence the depressing feeling when the warmth of physical connection was suddenly cut off during the quarantine. McPherson continued by offering words of comfort and hope. "He's going to sustain you as we talk about in this new series called 'Relaunching,' He's going to get you through," affirmed Rock Church's spiritual oversight. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, McPherson did not hold indoor services since until the state lifted the restrictions for churches last week. "It was so good to see our family back together," he told the Tribune after their weekend service. "It was like Thanksgiving or Christmas when you get to reunite with your family and reestablish your relationships." It was a notable service, indeed for Rock Church with the more than 5000 attendees from the four campuses and the 300,000 who joined the service online. Like McPherson, those who were present in their place of worship felt elated at the prospect of getting back to normal. Karla Ghancous, 27, who shared that it is her birthday said that she was overjoyed to be back on Sunday morning and it felt like a gift from God. "I kid you not, the Holy Spirit just caught me the moment those double doors opened and I heard the music. I'm ready to run back in right now," she said. California lifted capacity limits on houses of worship In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow California churches to congregate but only at a 25% limit. The ruling obligated Gov. Gavin Newsom to do revisions on the guidelines for indoor worship services. On April 9, the limit was totally lifted, and California churches were free to meet at 100% capacity. Good news aside, McPherson believes that it's still a time for Christians to be responsible. "With the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing churches to meet indoors, the Rock Church leadership has been meeting to assess the feasibility of how to do it safely," he said in a statement. This requires preparation of the worship place as well as trainings for staff and volunteers to ensure that safety precautions are followed. Chad is not a monarchy. There can be no dynastic devolution of power in our country, the rebels said in a statement late Tuesday. The forces of the Front for Change and Concord are heading toward NDjamena at this very moment. With confidence, but above all with courage and determination. 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. Former Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has asked those in leadership position in the party to step down if for some reason they don't believe in the ethos of the party. He warned in support of the Cadres in the NDC that the current leadership of the party will not be allowed to change the philosophy of the party. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the Chief Executive Officer of the Atta Mills Institute insisted that those in leadership position who don't believe in the spirit of revolution should quietly quit and form their own party. "If you enter the NDC and you are given leadership position and for some reasons, you don't believe in the ethos of the NDC, step out, it is not by force. Go and form your own party; if you don't believe in the ethos, the spirit of revolution, just quietly step out and go and form your own party," he warned. "If you think you are more popular and bigger than the NDC, go and form your party; nothing stops you from forming your own party and test how popular you are. Changing the party to a new NDC with what philosophy? A philosophy of me, myself, and I is that the philosophy? Is that the new NDC they are proposing?", he wondered. He warned of stiff opposition to any agenda to change the NDC's mass political party doctrine belonging to the grassroots to "me, myself and I" party. "That is the problem we are facing in NDC. That doctrine "me, myself and I" will not work; it cannot be 'you, you and you'. The NDC is for all of us. Look at the UP tradition. They still talk about Danquah, Busia, and Dombo because they have a tradition," he indicated. "So, nobody can talk about the NDC minus Jerry Rawlings. Nobody can talk about the NDC minus John Evans Atta Mills and so let people get that fact very clear. It is not about 'you, you and you' because the Cadres own this thing called NDC," he stressed. "If you come and you think that you want to throw away everybody and that the past does not matter, it will not happen; there is no new NDC, there is only one NDC. If there is anybody who gave newness to NDC, it was Professor Mills; how we won the 2008 elections, that is the newness he gave to the NDC by bringing everybody back on board because the Reform people had gone by 2000, but by 2008 the new NDC led by President Mills brought everybody back on board . "If you are creating a so-called new NDC where you want to sack everybody and disrespect the old people, what kind of new NDC is that? Then go and form your own party, you are popular and the people like you, so form your own party and see how many votes you will get in an election. Don't disturb the NDC," he admonished. Watch video below Source: Daniel Adu Darko/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 "Today's business intelligence systems are frustratingly dumb and unintuitive. They feature complicated 1990s drag-and-drop interfaces that confuse non-technical users," said Marcos Monteiro, co-founder and CEO of Veezoo. "We wondered why nobody had created an intelligent system to make it easy for people without a degree in computer science to get the answers they need from cloud data warehouses. So, we decided to build one." Six years later, their initial concept has evolved into a sophisticated 'Siri for enterprises' that turns natural-language queries of a cloud database into insightful answers in the form of text, data tables, and rich visualizations. Veezoo's 'connect once, explore everything' philosophy empowers sales, marketing, and operations teams to get instant answers to complex questions, understand and compare dynamic trends, and derive insightful business analyticsall without hiring a data scientist or asking the IT department to implement a costly business intelligence module. Veezoo encourages data exploration "We know from experience that some of the best insights are triggered by the spark of an idea an ad-hoc question that occurs during a meeting. We wanted to give decision makers a tool that encourages a free-form, inquisitive thinking process. Veezoo is a powerful business analytics tool that fosters exploration and supports our natural curiosity to make sense of information," added Monteiro. Veezoo's simplicity and ease of use belies its true power. Veezoo's proprietary NLP technology decodes the complex structure and contenteffectively the meaningof a cloud database, and then instantly responds to complex questions (currently asked in English, German, Italian and French) with meaningful and insightful answers. Yamo, a DTC provider of organic baby food, has been using Veezoo to make fast, data-informed decisions. "Prior to Veezoo, our marketing team could not get all the answers they needed from our sales data in order to adjust to a highly dynamic business environment," said Tobias Gunzenhauser, CEO of yamo. "Veezoo is so simple to use that it has created a facts-first culture in which everyone can make data-supported decisions in real time." A major innovation that Veezoo brings to the market is the ability to understand compound questions. For example, a user can first ask "Which were the top 5 machine products sold by our Zurich office?" and then ask "Which corporate customers bought these products?" Also unique to Veezoo is its ability to automatically suggest useful, related answers based on common follow-up questions. For example, "Show me last year's sales" will yield the right answer, along with breakdowns by category or region. Veezoo connects to popular cloud-based data warehouses from Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake, and more. Underway are connectors for market-specific databases such as Shopify or Salesforce. Designed for data-driven professionals Veezoo is ideal for fast-track, emerging companies with an urgent need for accessible data analytics but have yet to invest heavily in business intelligence. It is particularly relevant for companies that are rapidly amassing data in data-intensive industries: Veezoo is for ecommerce store owners that want to understand the key drivers of their businessfrom identifying which marketing activities deliver the highest conversion rates to identifying friction points along the purchasing process. Veezoo is for marketing teams that don't want to limit themselves to overall metrics and need to get a deep understanding of which marketing activities are working and which are not Veezoo is for sales managers who are frustrated with the limitations of their sales dashboards and don't have the time to wait for someone to build new dashboards for them. Powerful data exploration accessed via a conversational interface Formulating a database query in plain English is fast and easy. Simply ask a question and visualize the answerno more drag-and-dropping data variables, calculating formulas, and building charts and dashboards. Veezoo encourages database interrogation; a user can ask follow-up questions and scroll up and down through the entire data exploration story. Flexible semantic capabilities that support a dynamic business Veezoo delivers market leading accuracy right out of the box, but its built-in semantic modeling can be extended by data teams to achieve even higher accuracy. This hybrid approach differs from rigid 'black box' models that struggle to adapt to the unique characteristics of a rapidly evolving business. The fastest time to value Unlike classic data analytics and business intelligence systems that require months of integration and user training, Veezoo users put data-driven insights to work in minutes. For qualified customers, Veezoo offers a "no-risk" trial that includes initial set-up support and training. Learn more about Veezoo Watch Veezoo in action in this video. Set up a free trial of Veezoo . ABOUT VEEZOO Founded in Zurich in 2016, Veezoo is on a mission to empower organizations with fast and easy access to big data insights. Powered by AI and inspired by the simplicity and power of natural-language questions, Veezoo's innovative, cloud-based analytics approach replaces the inefficient drag-and-drop interfaces of traditional business intelligence solutions with an intuitive, conversational interface. Veezoo evolves the data analytics experience: non-technical users can quickly discover critical trends and relationships in complex datasets to make smarter, better-informed decisions. To learn more, visit veezoo.com . SOURCE Veezoo Related Links http://veezoo.com This is the moment a SWAT team approaches a suspect's trailer in an armoured vehicle and brings him into custody in Florida. The suspect, named as Christopher Beckett, 37, refused to respond to commands to step out of a trailer, and a woman inside told officers that Beckett was not there. The police used a Lenco BearCat armoured vehicle to approach the trailer and breach a window. Beckett was wanted on sexual battery and narcotics charges. The US SWAT team approaches a suspect's trailer in an armoured vehicle and brings him into custody in Seville in Volusia County in Florida The suspect Christopher Beckett, 37, is arrested and handcuffed in Seville The suspect Christopher Beckett, 37, is arrested and handcuffed. Local police shared the footage on social media The suspect then gave himself up and came outside where he was detained without incident. The incident took place in Seville in Volusia County in the US state of Florida on April 16. Local police shared the footage on social media two days later. The Volusia Sheriff's Office said on Facebook: 'On Friday, SWAT arrived at a campground at 1600 Lake George Road, Seville, for a suspect who was wanted on sexual battery and narcotics charges.' The incident took place in Seville in Volusia County in the US state of Florida on April 16 The Volusia Sheriff's Office said on Facebook: 'On Friday, SWAT arrived at a campground at 1600 Lake George Road, Seville, for a suspect who was wanted on sexual battery and narcotics charges' The Volusia Sheriff's Office said: 'A handgun was found inside the trailer. Two dogs were secured by Animal Control. 'Annisa Walker, 48, who misled deputies about Beckett's whereabouts, was charged with providing false information to law enforcement and accessory after the fact to sexual battery.' The investigation into the two suspects continues. [April 19, 2021] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS CYDY, RIDE, ROOT, VRM INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits NEW ORLEANS, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits: Lordstown Motors Corp. (RIDE) Class Period: 8/3/2020 - 3/24/2021 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 17, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-lordstown-motors-corp-securities-litigation CytoDyn, Inc. (CYDY) Class Period: 3/27/2020 - 3/9/2021 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 17, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-cytodyn-inc-securities-litigation Root, Inc. (ROOT) br />Class Period: 10/28/2020 - 3/8/2021, or shares issued pursuant and/or traceable to the October 2020 Initial Public Offering Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 18, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD, MISLEADING PROSPECTUS To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-root-inc-securities-litigation Vroom, Inc. (VRM) Class Period: 6/9/2020 - 3/3/2021 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 21, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-vroom-inc-securities-litigation If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above. If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Teen Tech Guru Assists Seniors The technology we use to gather information and connect with others is more important than ever in this time of pandemic, and one Florida teenager is helping seniors in his community catch up. Sam Friedman, a 17-year-old high school student in West Palm Beach, Florida, has always been the tech-savvy member of his family, helping his aunts, uncles, and grandparents with everything from phones to televisions to computers. Over time, Friedman realized that there were many other seniors in his community who didnt have somebody like him to help them with their technical difficulties. In an effort to address this need in his community, he founded South Florida Tech for Seniors in 2019. In the early days of the organization, Friedman would go to local synagogues by himself and offer his expertise. Today, South Florida Tech for Seniors has about 40 student volunteers. The organization has gone from working with just a couple of seniors to sometimes receiving 300 tech assistance requests a week. Were trying to expand and to help as many of them as possible, Friedman said. Information and Connection Before the pandemic, Friedman and volunteers would work with seniors in person. South Florida Tech for Seniors is still offering individual support, and the elderly are calling their phone line, which is the easiest option. Seniors with some technological ability can request help through the organizations website. All services are free of charge. South Florida Tech for Seniors offers a variety of services including help with email and Facebook. Since the pandemic began, the main request for assistance has been how to use Zoom. A lot of people are really looking to learn how to use Zoom, and use that to stay connected with their friends and family, Friedman explained. South Florida Tech for Seniors has about 40 student volunteers. (Courtesy of Sam Friedman) Friedman always tries to empathize with the people he works with. One of the things I always try to keep in mind is to try to see the issue from their perspective. I realize that most of this stuff is not really made with them in mind, Friedman said. I think once you take a step back and realize where their frustration is coming from, you can try to be more understanding. The Tech Reckoning For most seniors, getting online and using devices has been the only way to connect with friends and family, and access critical information. Friedman says that while many people had resisted modern technology, the pandemic has forced them to reconsider. All of the sudden, you couldnt say no to it anymore. It was the only option for communication and access to information, and particularly for a lot of these seniors; theyre often the most isolated out of anyone, Friedman said. Now all of the sudden with this pandemic when nobody is even allowed to come see them, being able to use the technology is even more important than it ever was before. South Florida Tech for Seniors provides assistance over the phone, via Zoom, and can remotely access computers. Seniors with hardware issues such as a faulty computer battery can even drop off their devices for repair. The organization also features a number of video tutorials as part of its Tech Tip Tuesday series. Sam Friedman assists an elderly woman with her iPhone. (Courtesy of Sam Friedman) While Friedman has been in the teacher role, hes also learned from the seniors he works with. His work has made him look at issues from a different perspective, and hes learned how to explain complex topics in simple terms. Hes also gained a greater appreciation for human connection, especially during the pandemic. Friedman plans to continue with South Florida Tech for Seniors after he leaves high school and will pass on responsibilities to his younger siblings and volunteers. Hed also like to expand the organizations efforts outside of West Palm Beach. He plans to attend college and will likely study computer science and technology. Ultimately, hed like to start his own technology company. Modern technology has opened a whole new world of possibilities, from connecting with people around the world on Facebook to the NASA Perseverance rover transmitting video footage of the Red Planet back to Earth, Friedman said. The opportunities for what you can do with technology really are endless, and I think it takes people who know how to use that technology to be able to make a difference with it. SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National Coronavirus Hotline (NCH), an online information resource and treatment center for COVID-19 coronavirus built and managed by Pandemics Projects Inc. is launching in California after concluding its beta testing. After completing two months closed beta testing with over 2000 patients from all over California, NCH is proud to announce that it is launching in all of California. Public health departments and stakeholder groups want to quickly deploy healthcare services to large populations during health emergencies and NCH automates and simplifies this mass delivery of healthcare services. NCH is unique because it enables, cities, counties, states, non-profits, foundations, and for-profit companies to launch targeted healthcare campaigns to deliver healthcare-related services to their constituents at scale and track the performance of these services in real-time. NCH makes it possible, with the click of a button, to buy and distribute healthcare-related services - just like any online service - in less than 15 minutes. "Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we now understand better that most cities, counties, states, foundations, and non-profits are not prepared to deal with a major public health emergency, and vulnerable populations face disproportionate risk compared to those with greater means," stated Dr, Michael J. Garbade, project lead. NCH is starting off with coronavirus, flu, and respiratory medical issues with more services to be added in the future. NCH is following the new trend of consumerization of healthcare services. Eligible users can apply for access to free services: Telemedicine. Eligible users in California can book and initiate a video call with participating physicians and other medical professionals from the comfort, safety, and convenience of their homes. Medical experts will assess symptoms, determine if a COVID-19 test is needed, and provide medical advice on how to take care of anyone in the household who is sick. Mental Health Service. Stress, worry, and anxiety are normal feelings during uncertain times, and mental health is just as important as physical health and even more so during public health emergencies. With NCH, patients can speak with licensed mental health professionals to get support and advice without having to leave their homes. Disinfection Services. Eligible users in California that are worried about the presence of the virus in their home or facilities, can book professional disinfection services. NCH is building a scalable software infrastructure for governments, states, counties, and private foundations to deliver services to people in a traceable, lean, and cost-efficient way. For more information about NCH, visit NationalCoronavirusHotline.com. About National Coronavirus Hotline Based in San Francisco, CA, NCH is run by Pandemics Project Inc., a community project in San Francisco. NCH is an information resource and treatment center for the COVID-19 coronavirus. You can book an appointment with a coronavirus doctor, speak with a therapist or obtain other professional disinfection services. Mary Smith, [email protected] Related Images image1.png SOURCE National Coronavirus Hotline (NCH) Our Pacesetter Awards in Production Print Applications are aimed at finding the digital print manufacturing vendors that best support their customers in terms of driving applications to success. Keypoint Intelligence, the worlds leading independent provider of testing services and analytical information to the document imaging industry, today announced the recipients of its Buyers Lab (BLI) PaceSetter Awards in Production Print Applications. Based on research conducted in the North American market, these accolades celebrate those OEMs that best support their customers on reducing costs and/or increasing business based on different printing applications. The winners for 2021-2022 are: Electronics for Imaging, Inc. BLI 2021-2022 PaceSetter in Production Print Applications: VDP Enabler Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. BLI 2021-2022 PaceSetter in Production Print Applications: Output Variety Xerox Corporation BLI 2021-2022 PaceSetter in Production Print Applications: Market Expansion Our Pacesetter Awards in Production Print Applications are aimed at finding the digital print manufacturing vendors that best support their customers in terms of driving applications to success, said German Sacristan, Director of On Demand Printing at Keypoint Intelligence. This trio of winning companies helps buyers communicate more effectively via print, which ultimately contributes to the growth of digital printing. EFI ENABLES VARIABLE DATA PRINTING GROWTH Variable data printing is very powerful and relevant not only for the digital print market but marketing and communications, too, Sacristan said. Following the right steps of segmentation and profiling to build a personalized communication campaign is imperative, at the same time software vendors need to make it easier for PSPs to acquire, use, and learn the technology. All the user needs to get started with Fiery FreeForm Create is the master document with static content, along with a spreadsheet that contains the variable information. Users can drag-and-drop elements like text, images, and barcodes. Fiery FreeForm Create is free for designers and provides an easy path to getting started and learning VDP, which will contribute to the potential growth of digital printing and more relevant and effective communications. KONICA MINOLTA PROVIDES OUTPUT VARIETY GALORE Being able to print in a larger variety of substrates increases the number of applications that a PSP can produce and sell. The Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1e with UV inks enables users to print on an array of media that other cut-sheet technologies cannot, while greeting cards, gift cards, hotel room keys, and even ID badges can be printed on texture film or PVC. Other applications could be printed on synthetics, PET adhesive, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Art applications printed on canvas sizes up to 23x29.5" can be output on the KM-1e, Sacristan said. Additionally, the KM-1 has an offline laser-cutting system specifically built for the B2+ sheet size that is capable of producing different types of sleek finishes. Also important is that Konica Minolta supports its customers success with business development and a customized professional service program. XEROX COLOR EMBELLISHMENTS PROGRAM DRIVE OPPORTUNITIES Color embellishments can capture the attention of an audience and create a perception of value for a brand, a product, or even a person or an event. Often underutilized, color embellishments are a great way to better communicate and market a messageand Xerox is doing its part. To help PSPs grow and print buyers achieve more effective communication, Xerox not only has the technology to produce color embellishments such as metallic, white, clear, fluorescent, and a range of extra gamut colors but also has the program to drive market expansion, Sacristan said. The Xerox Genesis program supports PSPs in promoting, selling, designing, and pricing color embellishments with tools, training, and an array educational and marketing materials. Additionally, Xerox facilitates a network of PSPs that have color embellishments capabilities. ABOUT KEYPOINT INTELLIGENCE For 60 years, clients in the digital imaging industry have relied on Keypoint Intelligence for independent hands-on testing, lab data, and extensive market research to drive their product and sales success. Keypoint Intelligence has been recognized as the industrys most trusted resource for unbiased information, analysis, and awards due to decades of analyst experience. Customers have harnessed this mission-critical knowledge for strategic decision-making, daily sales enablement, and operational excellence to improve business goals and increase bottom lines. With a central focus on clients, Keypoint Intelligence continues to evolve as the industry changes by expanding offerings and updating methods, while intimately understanding and serving manufacturers, channels, and their customers transformation in the digital printing and imaging sector. ABOUT BLI PACESETTER AWARDS Based on exhaustive questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and a proprietary rating scale, Buyers Lab PaceSetter Awards recognize those document imaging OEMs that have shown market leadership in a variety of categories, including technologies, services, and key vertical markets. SOCIAL MEDIA Connect with Keypoint Intelligence on LinkedIn Follow Keypoint Intelligence on Twitter CONTACT Deanna Flanick +1 973-797-2100 deanna.flanick@keypointintelligence.com [April 20, 2021] Argo Group Announces that 2021 Annual General Meeting Will be Held in Virtual Format Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO) ("Argo" or the "Company") today announced that, due to the recent increase in COVID-19 infection rates in Bermuda, and the resulting mandatory stay-at-home order from the Bermuda government, the Company will not hold its 2021 Annual General Meeting in Bermuda and will instead be holding it in a virtual format only. The Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at noon local Bermuda time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time) in a virtual meeting format only at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ARGO2021. As described in the proxy materials for the Annual General Meeting previously distributed, shareholders as of the close of business on March 15, 2021, the reord date, are entitled to participate in the Annual General Meeting. To participate, shareholders will need the 16-digit control number included in the proxy materials delivered to such shareholder. A notice regarding the change of location of the Annual General Meeting (the "Notice") is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission together with this press release. Additional information regarding the Annual General Meeting, shareholder participation and voting is provided in the Notice. ABOUT ARGO GROUP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD. Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO), is an underwriter of specialty insurance products in the property and casualty market. Argo offers a full line of products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims-handling needs of businesses in two primary segments: U.S. Operations and International Operations. Argo and its insurance subsidiaries are rated 'A-' by Standard and Poor's. Argo's insurance subsidiaries are rated 'A-' by A.M. Best. More information on Argo and its subsidiaries is available at www.argolimited.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006164/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] UPDATE: Michigan school district says girl, 7, asked to have her hair cut MOUNT PLEASANT, MI Outrage is hanging over a Mount Pleasant school in the wake of a 7-year-old girl having her hair cut off by a classmate and then by a staff member of the institution. In an interview with the Associated Press, Mount Pleasant father Jimmy Hoffmeyer said his daughter Jurnee arrived home from school on March 24 with the hair on one side of her head cut off. Jurnee, who is biracial, had long, curly hair prior to it being cut. The cutting had been done by a female classmate on a school bus, the scissors having been obtained from a classroom at Ganiard Elementary School, 101 S. Adams St., according to Bernita Bradley, Midwest delegate for the National Parents Union, or NPU, which is working with Hoffmeyer. Hoffmeyer took Jurnee to a barber, who said the cut was so severe, the only options were to provide an asymmetrical style or to cut off the remaining hair, Bradley said. Jurnee was very clear that she didnt want to look like a boy, Bradley said. The barber trimmed Jurnees hair for free and said further work would be done to even out the hair once more grew in. This undated photo provided by Jimmy Hoffmeyer shows his daughter Jurnee Hoffmeyer, 7, after a classmate and a teacher cut her hair on separate occasions. (Photo provided by Jimmy Hoffmeyer) Two days later, Jurnee returned home from school with nearly all her hair cut off down to a few inches from her scalp. Jurnee told her father her library teacher had cut off her remaining hair. She was crying, Hoffmeyer said in his AP interview. She was afraid of getting in trouble for getting her hair cut. I asked what happened and said, I thought I told you no child should ever cut your hair. She said, But Dad, it was the teacher. The teacher cut her hair to even it out. Hoffmeyer also learned the staffer in question had previously made comments to Jurnee about her hair, Bradley said. Hoffmeyer met with school administration personnel, who asked what they could do to make this go away, Bradley said. The dad took issue with the response, countering by asking what the school was planning to do with the staffer who cut his daughters hair, Bradley said. Hoffmeyer said he received a call from the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Verleger about a week after the schools spring break, who offered to have Im sorry cards mailed to the family, according to the AP interview. I got mad and hung up, Hoffmeyer said. Hoffmeyer is Black and white and Jurnees mother is white. The school staffer who cut Jurnees hair is also white. Im not one to try to make things about race, Hoffmeyer told the AP. Ive pretty much grown up with only white people, myself. Hoffmeyer in mid-April contacted NPU, self-described as a network of highly effective parent organizations and grassroots activists across the country that is united behind a set of common goals and principles to channel the power of parents. Our family advocates improve the quality of life for children across the United States and define the education conversation. Bradley described the incidents as modern-day scalping and said the matter is racially motivated. Thats exactly what it is, she said. It equates to the fact that you dont like something that naturally grows out of my body and to ostracize me, you scalp me. Hoffmeyer has removed Jurnee from Ganiard and placed her in another school, Bradley said. MLive has been unable to reach Verleger or Ganiard Principal Marcy Stout for comment. Hoffmeyer and Bradley have said the incidents have left Jurnee traumatized. Journee and her siblings are literally on edge, Bradley said. Jurnee just doesnt have the same spark in her smile anymore, and her dad said the most traumatic thing to him right now is the fact that Jurnee wont sleep by herself. Jurnee feels infiltrated. Her whole demeanor is different. Bradley said Hoffmeyer and NPUs immediate goals are for the school district to release any and all video footage of both hair-cutting incidents and to acknowledge what the plans are for the staffer who cut Jurnees hair. NPU is also working to raise awareness for the Crown Act, a bill that would ban race-based hair discrimination. The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, who reintroduced the bill in February. The acts name is a backronym for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. States including California, Washington, New York, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut have adopted the Crown Act as law. In Michigan, Ingham County on March 23 passed a resolution on to become the first county in the state to ban hair discrimination against public employees. Its something that needs to go into effect to protect students, Bradley said. Who would think that in 2021 we are protecting people over hair? She said Jurnees experiences have galvanized movement for the Crown Acts adoption. When you mess with our babies, you mess with us, she said. The incidents have spurred international outrage, which was showcased during a Monday, April 19, meeting of the Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board. The meeting was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and went until about 11:30 p.m. due to the influx of speakers during the public comment stage. People from as far away as Texas, California, and Australia voiced their opinions to the board. During the meeting, board President Amy Bond said the board is aware of the allegations but cannot comment on it. She added reports the board has reviewed are inaccurate. On social media outlets, the matter has gained traction via the hashtag #JusticeForJurnee. Read more: Prosecutors: Police justified in shooting death of Michigan man during meth raid City Markets grocery in Bay City may close due to pandemics effect on business Man airlifted to Flint hospital after arriving to Saginaw hospital with gunshot wound to his face Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 21:07:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's exports of avocados hit 26,000 tonnes between January and March compared to 15,000 tonnes registered in a similar period in 2020, a government official said Tuesday. Benjamin Tito, director of Horticultural Crops Directorate, told Xinhua via phone that the main markets are Europe and the Middle East region. "The key driver for expanding exports is increased demand of Kenyan avocado which is equatorially grown and hence the flavor, oil content and dry matter are well developed," Tito said. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture show that avocado is the most important fruit for export to the east African nation. Tito noted that Kenyan farmers have embraced avocado due to increasing foreign demand. He observed that there has been an increase in area under cultivation and a shift from the traditional avocado growing zones to the Rift Valley and parts of Western Kenya. Enditem Another biotech company has announced it is coming to the Triangle. Invitae Corp., a medical genetics company based in San Francisco, plans to build a testing and laboratory in Morrisville, according to an announcement from Gov. Roy Coopers office. The company says it will create 374 jobs at the facility over the next decade, Cooper said. Ken Knight, Invitaes CEO, said the company wanted an East Coast location to better serve customers and also help it recruit and hire talented people. Our mission is to make genetic information affordable and accessible for billions of people, Knight said in a written statement. Our new location near the Research Triangle Park will help us bring that mission to reality. Invitaes decision was made easier by a Job Development Investment Grant approved by the states Economic Investment Committee on Tuesday. Over the 12-year term of the grant, the company could receive up to nearly $6.8 million in state tax breaks. This is a developing story and will be updated. Hi all, I have a major vacation problem related to Lufthansa. I'm supposed to go to Egypt on Wednesday. Egypt has a line in their covid test requirements that says your covid test results have to have a stamp from the lab on them. This is something that's virtually non-existent in the US where I live. According to the folks on the Egypt forum, Egypt isn't actually checking for this stamp, and Americans have been going there without issue since last June. But suddenly in the last two days, there have been two reports of passengers being denied boarding to passengers who had valid covid test results, but didn't have a stamp. One of the airlines was Qatar and I believe the other was Emirates. Naturally, I called Lufthansa, and they have been most unhelpful. They have said that they will deny me boarding without the stamp, but that I *may* be able to go with a signature on my covid test and will not advise me either way. I have spoken to several different people there. One of them suggested calling the Lufthansa office at IAD. There's no public phone number for that, and they claimed they were unable to connect me on a subsequent call. Same thing on Twitter. They don't care. I live in a second-tier city, and would rather not go through being denied boarding in DC or Frankfurt. My favorite part of this was how the Egyptian embassy in the US told me that it's up to the airline. lol. I could print that email too. I wonder if that plus the signature would be enough. Does anyone have a contact at Lufthansa that might be helpful other than their standard customer service number? LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Horizonte Minerals Plc (AIM:HZM)(TSX:HZM) ('Horizonte' or 'the Company'), the nickel company focused on Brazil, is pleased to announce that it is hosting an investor webcast on Friday 7th May at 2pm BST. Jeremy Martin, CEO, will be providing a corporate update, with a Q&A session following the presentation. Shareholders are encouraged to submit questions prior to the event by following instructions in the registration link. There will also be an opportunity for participants to ask questions on the webcast. Please register for the event at: https://webcasting.brrmedia.co.uk/broadcast/6079752a0386285386cc92c5 . For further information, visit www.horizonteminerals.com or contact: Horizonte Minerals plc Jeremy Martin (CEO) Anna Legge (Corporate Communications) info@horizonteminerals.com +44 (0) 203 356 2901 Peel Hunt (NOMAD & Joint Broker) Ross Allister David McKeown +44 (0)20 7418 8900 BMO (Joint Broker) Thomas Rider Pascal Lussier Duquette Andrew Cameron +44 (0) 20 7236 1010 About Horizonte Minerals: Horizonte Minerals plc is an AIM and TSX-listed nickel development company focused in Brazil. The Company is developing the Araguaia project, as the next major ferronickel mine in Brazil, and the Vermelho nickel-cobalt project, with the aim of being able to supply nickel and cobalt to the EV battery market. Both projects are 100% owned. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the Company to complete the Acquisition as described herein, statements with respect to the potential of the Company's current or future property mineral projects; the success of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration, production and development; the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; the ability of the Company to complete the Placing as described herein, and the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: the inability of the Company to complete the Acquisition as described herein, exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, the inability of the Company to complete the Placing on the terms as described herein, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Horizonte Minerals PLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641252/Horizonte-Minerals-PLC-Announces-Investor-Webcast 19/04/2021 - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is delighted to announce the creation of the International Programme for Action on Climate (IPAC), led by France. The objective of IPAC is to offer participating countries a new steering instrument, complementary to and consistent with the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, to pursue progress towards the transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal and a more resilient economy by mid-century, thanks to a precise evaluation of their action and the sharing of good practices. IPAC would leverage the OECDs proven working methods to develop evidence-based analysis and sharing of good practices and results, building on existing data and indicators, policy tools, advice and guidance developed by the OECD family, including the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). The IPAC programme will have four pillars: An Annual Climate Action Monitor , building on a set of commonly agreed climate-related indicators, which will provide a digest of countries progress towards their climate policy objectives, alignment with the Paris Agreement goals and examples of good practices. , building on a set of commonly agreed climate-related indicators, which will provide a digest of countries progress towards their climate policy objectives, alignment with the Paris Agreement goals and examples of good practices. A dashboard of climate-related indicators . A small number of indicators will be used for benchmarking national efforts and performances and a broader set of indicators will complement the analysis. This will allow for a tailored assessment of countries progress against national and international objectives in a timely manner. . A small number of indicators will be used for benchmarking national efforts and performances and a broader set of indicators will complement the analysis. This will allow for a tailored assessment of countries progress against national and international objectives in a timely manner. Concise country notes with targeted policy advice , informed by the set of climate-related indicators. The country notes will take into account countries economic structure, specific social and geographical factors. , informed by the set of climate-related indicators. The country notes will take into account countries economic structure, specific social and geographical factors. An interactive platform for dialogue and mutual learning across countries. The platform will provide online discussion among countries using a dedicated Community site. The IPAC initiative seeks to be broader than OECD membership. It will be open to OECD Key Partners, the six prospective OECD members and G20 countries. IPAC will be funded by voluntary contributions. IPAC will be launched by Ministers in the context of the 2021 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, on 31 May 1 June: https://www.oecd.org/climate-change/ipac/. For further information or to arrange interviews, journalists should contact the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 9700). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. (Originally published by Alma) When Barbra-Streisand-as-Fanny-Brice enters the scene of her deflowerment in Funny Girl, she cant keep her clothes on. Compelled by the throbbing power of vermillion walls, plush curtains, suggestive female statues, crystal fixtures, and an all-too-inviting divan, her wrap drops to the floor. As Omar Sharif, playing Nicky Arnstein, kneels to retrieve the purple, puffy, duvet-cover-like fabric, Streisands body quivers in delight. Hes below her, and she likes it. After banter underscored by lush strings and suggestive clarinet, their pre-coital number begins, its message simple: You are woman, I am man, warbles Nick. Lets kiss. Though mired in outdated notions of seduction and consent, this number positions Barbra Streisand as a sex object a revolutionary act in 1968, when the film debuted, given her Ashkenazi Jewish persona and look. At the time Gloria Steinem hailed Streisands casting as changing the American idealforever by presenting the Jewish body, the Jewess body, as glamorous and desirable. ADVERTISEMENT By 25, Streisand had become a superstar, engaged in a scandalous affair with Sharif and tied for the Oscar with stately WASP Katharine Hepburn. Hello, gorgeous, Streisand said as she gripped the statuette, quoting herself as Brice. Yet despite the universal acclaim she won for her performance, a current of insult undermined the adulation. Every profile included a literal profile, spotlighting the Semitic nose that earned her the moniker big beak in elementary school. Popular wisdom held that shed achieved success despite her appearance, with a Funny Girl screenwriter commenting that Streisand had improved life for homely Jewish girls. I first saw Funny Girl in 2000, at age 7, in my grandmothers den. Barbra had long since peaked. Sure, she was an icon then, as she is now, but this transformation came at a cost. As Joseph Litvak traces in his essay Jew Envy, Streisand has morphed into a modern-day kitsch object, her notoriously controlling and self-obsessed behavior rendering her an unwitting self-parody of Hollywood vanity, megalomania, [and] middlebrow banality. Yet despite this cultural derision, its impossible to ignore Streisands influence. Her spiritual children from Ilana Glazer to Judith Light to Rachel Bloom populate American television. Messy, sexy, and Jewish, these characters embrace their Yiddishkeit, participating in what Daniel Boyarin calls Jewissance: a powerful sense of being rootedin a world of memory, intimacy, and connectedness. Its this sense of kinship and connectedness that keeps me coming back to these comedians creations, and back to Barbra. The pleasure I take in these performers, however, does not cancel out the painful experience of being an American Jewess with an appetite. A woman who wants, but who is afraid to want. Jess Zimmerman articulates this anxiety well in the remarkable essay Hunger Makes Me, writing that, admitting you have an appetite is a source of cavernous fear for women who seek to appear both satisfied and satisfiable. Instead, Zimmerman tries to adhere as I have to a precept that governs both her physical and emotional hunger: Want less, and you will always have enough. Though Jewesses can hardly claim ownership over a troubled relationship to hunger, a Jewish, female identity does come with special complications. Dont buy too much; youll look like a Jewish American Princess. Dont eat too much; youll get zaftig. Dont demand too much; youll come across as a castrating bitch. These stereotypes coalesce around an overabundance of want: The Jewish American Princess wants material possessions. The zaftig Jewess wants food. The Jewish mother wants emotional supremacy. In fact, even the virulent antisemitic tropes of the last century exhibit this trait. The Nazis and their forebears warned of the Jewess-as-succubus, a diseased, incestuous prostitute characterized by her sexual voraciousness and perverted appetites. Today, the most cutting portrayals often come from Jewish men, who use their disdain for Jewish women to distance themselves from their own culture (Im looking at you, Philip Roth). It is not difficult to identify elements of both sexism and antisemitism in Barbra Streisands troubled reputation, though her own behavior hasnt helped. Too hungry for success, too nakedly ambitious, Streisands become a stereotype herself, that of the demanding, Jewish diva a trap into which wannabe-Barbra-heir Lea Michele recently and irrevocably fell. Yet in returning to Funny Girl, the story that gave Streisand her start, it is possible to uncover an alternative narrative of female Jewish hunger. While Barbra and the fictive Fanny Brice are often conflated, here they diverge. Whether she longs for recognition that Im the Greatest Star or lusts after the gorgeous Nicky Arnstein, Funny Girl never mocks Fanny for wanting or implies that she is wrong to do so. Instead, more fairytale than biopic, the film creates a reality in which a Jewess with bottomless hunger gets exactly what she desires. As she rises from humble beginnings in Brooklyn to a star slot in the Ziegfeld Follies, a glamorous marriage to the man of her dreams, and eventually a successful career as a nationally known comedian, Fanny never stops seeking out what she wants nor does she ever stop wanting more. Streisands role as the generative force behind this Jewish American fairytale cannot be overstated. As fashion bloggers Tom+Lorenzo observe, the film contains internal tensions between its musical biopic form and the star that it showcases. The narrative depends on Fanny not being pretty / Like a Miss Atlantic City. One of its central conflicts, on the page, is Fannys battle with her own self-doubt. Yet according to Tom+Lorenzos reading, Streisand simply refuse[s] to play this character as anything less than brimming with self-confidence. Armed with anachronistic winged eyeliner, a pale lip, manicured nails, and a series of fashionable costumes all of which she fought for, at odds with acclaimed costume designer Irene Sharaff and director William Wyler Streisand presents her character as glamorous even when the script says otherwise. What results is far more compelling and profound than Funny Girl as originally written. Rather than experiencing the tremendously dispiriting spectacle of a young and frankly gorgeous Streisand pretending to hate herself, modern viewers instead get to watch a voracious, ambitious woman grow into her own appetites. Physically and mentally resilient she shakes off both male insults and rollerskate crashes Fanny quickly proves her talent, replacing a tall blonde in an evening gown to sing the romantic Id Rather Be Blue (Thinking of You), her raw charisma overcoming the fact that she wears a hideous drop-waist dress, a bunch of grapes in her hair, and the aforementioned rollerskates. With those rollerskates still securely strapped, Fanny meets her second great desire: Nicky Arnstein. Appearing like a knight in shining ruffled shirt, Nick is so desirable that he literally lubricates Fannys movements, her rollerskates bringing the two together in one smooth, continuous glide. Fannys obsession with Nicks beauty is showcased throughout the movie, but it never feels like that of an ugly woman who cant believe her luck. Instead, as played by Barbra, Fanny cant help but revel in the fact that this man her man is. Just. So. Hot. Sharifs much-derided portrayal of Nick (Roger Ebert complained that hed never seen a more wooden male performance in a musical) makes sense in the context of Fannys desire. His strange passivity serves to underline his partners agency, furnishing Fanny with an object of desire often expressed by long, wordless shots during which she simply stares at his beautiful image. Doing so reverses the dynamic that characterizes the theatrical side of Fannys life, in which she is the object of an audiences hungry gaze. But this is, after all, a movie, and so as Fanny watches Nicky, its viewers watch her. Or perhaps we watch Barbra Streisand. Many of these shots take place in profile, framing a contour that had become familiar in 1968 and unmistakable by 2020, featuring Barbras nose in place of pride. Freud associates the nose with female genitalia, while other nasal theorists associate this protuberance with the phallus. In these scenes with Nick, perhaps Barbras nose replaces a sex organ, its unmistakable shape signaling her physical desire. Psychosexual metaphors aside, noses often happen to be objectively funny, and despite lack of grounding in truth, noses with deviation like Streisands remain associated with Judaism. Meanwhile, unlike Streisand, who refused at 18 to have her nose fixed, the real-life Fanny Brice actually did have her nose bobbed when she was mid-career. Thus in these profile shots, Streisand brings it all together: comedy, Judaism, desire, and her creation of a Jewish fairytale that differs significantly from real life. In fact, though Funny Girl centers around a fictional depiction of an actual woman, it remains unclear whether the film elucidates more about Brice or Streisand. So forceful was the young star on set that director Wyler quipped, It wasnt too hard to work with her considering that it was the first movie she ever directed. In Fannys story, Barbra saw an opportunity not just to ensure her own stardom, but to create a fairytale for Jewish girls like me, homely or not, who needed it. It is not Fanny Brice, but Barbra-as-Fanny-Brice, whom I watched and wanted to be when I was 7 (and 27). It is Barbras hunger that animates the film, and her confidence in her own appetites that makes her portrayal of Fanny so original and alive. Thats why I find it so appropriate for Funny Girl to end as it does: with Fanny-Barbra alone onstage in a plain black gown, singing the ballad My Man. As the song continues, the lights dim. Streisands body fades until only her glowing face, neck, and hands are visible, floating in a sea of darkness. With her sleek updo, modern makeup, and lacquered nails, the woman on screen is unmistakably Barbra; she has consumed Fanny Brice. As she belts, Oh my man, I love him so / Hell never know, her pale skin sucks up every ray of light and shred of attention, her boundless hunger clear for all to see as the camera fades to black. Gabrielle Hoyt (she/her) is an MFA candidate in Dramaturgy & Dramatic Criticism at the Yale School of Drama. She owes it all to her group chats, excessive caffeination, and her decision to never wear hard pants again. When governments around the world introduced coronavirus restrictions requiring people to stand two meters apart, jokes in Finland started circulating: Why cant we stick to the usual four meters? Finns embrace depictions of themselves as melancholic and reserved a people who mastered social distancing long before the pandemic. A popular local saying goes, Happiness will always end in tears. But for four consecutive years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which publishes an annual report evaluating the happiness of people around the world. The latest report, published last month, has led some Finns to ask: Really? Four times in a row is too much, said Jukka Lindstrom, a writer and standup comedian. The weather is like the worst day in London, every day, he said. Theres definitely something in our history that makes us have this kind of low self-esteem as a nation, always feeling like an underdog. Washington, Apr 20 (UNI) Former US vice president Walter F Mondale died at his home in Minneapolis on Monday. He was 93. "Its with great sadness that [First Lady] Jill [Biden] and I learned of the passing of Vice President Walter Mondale, but great gratitude that we were able to call one of our nations most dedicated patriots and public servants a dear friend and mentor," US President Joe Biden said in a Monday statement. According to The New York Times, Kathy Tunheim, a spokeswoman for the Mondale family, announced the death on Monday but did not specify a cause. "Jill and I had the opportunity to speak to Fritz and his family over the weekend, to reflect on the years of friendship we shared, and how much we learned from and leaned on each other," Joe Biden said. Mondale ran as the Democratic candidate for president in 1984, losing to President Ronald Reagan. President Biden recalled that Mondale was the first presidential nominee of either party to select a woman (Geraldine Ferraro) as his running mate. "I know how pleased he was to be able to see Kamala Harris become Vice President," Biden said. CBS reported on Monday that Mondale died "peacefully from natural causes." Over the weekend, the former vice president spoke with former US President Jimmy Carter, under whom he served. Carter said in a statement after Mondales death that he was the "greatest vice president" in the history of the US and a "dear friend." UNI XC-RHK1050 This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are anxious as the nation awaits the verdict in former police officer Derek Chauvin's trial, fearing a not-guilty decision could exacerbate racial tensions and spark a new wave of riots. Why it matters: Leaders on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are trying to figure out how to calibrate any personal or legislative response, while also acknowledging how the final outcome in Chauvin's murder trial in the death of George Floyd could affect their district and them politically. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. The D.C. National Guard is activating about 250 members to support local police "in response to potential First Amendment demonstrations." What we're hearing: Many lawmakers, both from and beyond Minnesota, have spent the weekend watching greater Minneapolis teeter on the brink both over Chauvin's trial and last week's police shooting of Daunte Wright in nearby Brooklyn Center. "I'm very worried," Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "I don't think anyone in Minneapolis, frankly, anyone in the United States or over a good part of the world would understand any other verdict other than guilty." Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is concerned about parallels to the Rodney King riots that erupted in Los Angeles in 1992, after four white police officers caught on camera beating an unarmed King were acquitted, her spokesperson told Axios. Aides to other top Democrats tell Axios they see a potential flashpoint not only in the jury's verdict but in any sentencing to follow. "Finding him guilty may not be enough," one senior Democratic aide said. Meanwhile, Republicans have made Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) a focal point back in D.C. She said in Minnesota last weekend that protesters need to be more confrontational if Chauvin is acquitted. She clarified to theGrio on Monday that she was talking about "confronting the justice system, confronting the policing thats going on, Im talking about speaking up." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted Monday that he will introduce a resolution to censure Waters over her comments. The RNC also sent an email blast attacking Waters, as well other Democrats for defending her. "Democrats are the 'no-more-policing' party," the subject line read. The Republican Study Committee sent a similar email, labeling her "Kerosene Maxine." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shut down any notion of letting such a measure against Waters pass, telling reporters Monday she doesn't think the congresswoman should apologize. Story continues Chauvin's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, complained about the comments after closing arguments, telling the judge: "There's a high probability that members of the jury have seen these comments, heard these comments." Judge Peter Cahill acknowledged the remarks and singled out Waters by name at the trial as he complained about legislators making comments that could affect the operations of a c0-equal branch of government. This is also a huge moment for President Biden. During a closed-door meeting last week with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Biden said he was concerned about the potential fallout from the trial. The president is not planning to leave Washington this week and is likely to address the outcome of the trial, CNN reports. Asked on Monday if Biden should address the nation after the verdict, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said: "I would not be presumptive enough to give the president of the United States advice, but I think it would be helpful. Between the lines: The Chauvin trial and Wright's shooting have also led to renewed calls for additional police accountability legislation, both in Minnesota and nationally in Congress. Biden vowed during the 2020 campaign to introduce legislation reforming the country's criminal justice system, but he's left that promise unfulfilled during his first few months in office. The administration instead has focused on gun control measures and signed onto another police reform bill already under consideration in Congress. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free A new update on the Tesla Autopilot crash sheds new light on what happened to the two men that died in Texas on Saturday evening, as CNBC reported. Tesla's Autopilot system was thought to be involved in the accident, as police reported that nobody was driving the 2019 Tesla Model S that went off the road, crashed into a tree, and was engulfed by fire. However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk denied the result of the preliminary investigation, tweeting that data logs recovered reveals the Tesla Autopilot system was not activated. Musk also noted that the Tesla car involved in the accident didn't buy Tesla FSD (Full Self-Driving) feature. The tech billionaire added that the standard Tesla Autopilot system requires lane lines to turn on and the street involved in the accident doesn't have them. Tesla's Full-Self Driving software is currently available to Tesla car buyers as a premium option for the price of $10,000 on top of the original value of the vehicle. However, Tesla cautioned drivers that FSD does not guarantee that it would work under all driving circumstances and should be used with active supervision. Tesla Autopilot can make a mistake and might see bike lanes or sealed road cracks as another road marker. Critics also raised concerns that Tesla's Autopilot branding makes many people believe that self-driving cars no longer require supervision, resulting in abuse and misuse by some owners. Read Also: Tesla Model X Crashes to Wall in South Korea, Car's Autopilot Driving Function Being Investigated Some YouTube videos of influencers even show people driving Tesla cars hands-free for a prolonged time or while asleep behind the steering wheel. Police investigators insist that they are certain that the Model S in question was driverless and nobody was driving when the fatal crash happened, CNN reported. Investigators added that one of the men was sitting in the front passenger seat, while the other was in the back seat during the accident. Tesla Autopilot Safety Musk previously tweeted that Tesla Autopilot--when engaged--offers a nearly 10 times lower chance of accident compared with 100 percent human-operated vehicles. The Tesla founder referred to the data gathered by the company showing that Tesla cars with activated Autopilot were involved in just a single accident for every 4.19 miles driven during the first quarter of 2021. He noted that the number is much lower than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data that show human-driven cars were involved in a crash for every 484,000 miles. NHTSA, meanwhile, has created a Special Crash Investigation team to look closer into the accident. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) is also conducting its safety investigation. Authorities added that the fire resulting from the Tesla car crash took firefighters four hours and used 32,000 gallons of water before being fully extinguished. Electric vehicles (EVs), like the Tesla Model S, house a large battery that normally takes longer to ignite when damaged in a collision, making a fire risk lower than in the case of vehicles running on gasoline. The NHTSA and the NTSB are in constant communication with local police as the fatal crash investigation continues. Tesla stock (TSLA) dropped 2.5 percent before the official market trading on Monday, after the weekend crash surfaced, as per MarketWatch's report. Related Story: New Tesla Autopilot Feature Now Reads Traffic Lights And Signs To Maneuver Accordingly On Its Own Viewers have reacted to a heartbreaking new documentary, Lucy, the Human Chimp, which tells the story of Lucy Temerlin, a female chimpanzee raised as a human from birth in a domestic environment. The KEO Films and Channel 4 documentary centres on an emotionally charged first-person account of the chimps life with Maurice and Jane Temerlin, psychologists from the University of Oklahoma. In 1964, the chimp was taken away from her mother and raised as part of an investigation led by the couple into the principle of nature versus nurture. The mammal was brought up like a human child where the parents taught her to eat with cutlery, read magazines, build models, dress, and make a gin and tonic. However, at the age of 11, Lucy turned violent, and the couple was forced to hire a young graduate student named Janis Carter who used to care for the chimp and clean her cage when surprisingly, the pair formed a special bond. Not long after that in 1977, the family and Carter moved to Gambia, Africa, to teach the mammal to adjust to the natural world where the chimp resided on an uninhabited island in the Gambia River for seven years. Jane Temerlin and Lucy on Lucys first birthday (Channel 4) Lucy with Janis Carter in Gambia (Channel 4) During those years, Carter urged Lucy to collaborate with different chimps. In the trailer, Carter said: I was completely alone for years. She needed to do this in order to survive and in order for me to leave. It was emotionally difficult, there was no more chimpanzee/human, I just thought of us like family. The caretaker left Africa in 1985 after the human-chimp was attacked by a young male, taking her place as the leader. I think Lucy recognised that there were chimps, but I think she saw herself as a human. She couldnt have survived on that island alone, Carter said in a preview clip of the documentary shared by Channel 4 on Twitter. One viewer wrote: One of the hardest things I have watched in a long while, heartbreaking. Many spectators from around the world expressed anger at the idea of Lucy being separated from her mother, and praising Carter for being so supportive for the chimp. One wrote: Too sad, messing with nature. Poor Lucy, my heart breaks. Thank god for Janis! Janis. What a woman. Incredible film. wrote another person. Another viewer wrote: Got to credit Janis ... devoted her life to Lucy ... I reckon Janis needed Lucy Just as much as Lucy needed her. Im in bits after watching Lucy, The Human Chimp. Janis Carter did everything she could to help her and yet she still met a sad end, said another. Lucy, the Human Chimp aired on Channel 4 on 19 April and will air in the US on HBO Max on 29 April. The Ghana Nuts Company Limited at Techiman in the Bono East region has taken steps to address the environmental concerns raised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its operations. The EPA during a site inspection at the factory directed the company to take immediate steps to prevent its wastewater from polluting the Tano River which is the source of potable water for some people in the Techiman municipality and its environs. The company has since complied with the directives and was currently planning to install a modern facility to enable it to reuse the wastewater to prevent those waters from entering the river. It has also acquired compressors which are fully operational to improve filtration to reduce Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Additionally, the company has directed its wastewater to pass through pipes to enable it to detect leakages which could enter the Tano river while a laboratory with demarcated sampling points have been set up to test the level of pollution of the wastewater. Mr Kwadwo Obeng Aboagye, General Manager of GNC told EPA officials during a follow-up visit to the factory over the weekend that the main aim of the company was to give employment opportunities to the youth in the area and not to engage in any activity that could harm the people. He said the company would continue to work hard to improve its production process to ensure that its activities did not cause any environmental damage. Mr Samuel Oteng, Ashanti Regional Director of EPA who led the team to inspect the site encouraged management of the company to cooperate with EPA to protect the environment as well as the aquatic life of the river. Samples of the river water were collected by EPA for the purpose of analyses. 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 NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yotpo, a leading eCommerce marketing platform, has announced the winners of the 2020 Yotpo Partner Awards. This annual program celebrates outstanding eCommerce agency and technology companies for their collaborative spirit as a Yotpo Partner, innovative strategies and execution, and ability to create captivating eCommerce experiences that drive a merchant's direct-to-consumer (D2C) growth. "We are thrilled and honored to be partnered with companies that can be considered the 'best of the best' in eCommerce," said Will Schnabel, SVP Business Development and Partnerships, Yotpo. "The winners of the Yotpo Partner Awards represent some of the boldest, most creative, and edgy approaches for implementing Yotpo solutions, making brands' digital experiences both memorable and highly profitable." Drawing from hundreds of nominations from a thriving ecosystem of over 500 system integrators, agencies, and technology providers, the Yotpo Partner Awards highlight the companies and brands that are at the cutting-edge of producing digital experiences that spark and sustain customer relationships. Award winners offer a range of expertise: from exceptional design and meticulous work built on the leading eCommerce platforms to cutting-edge digital marketing strategies that tap Yotpo solutions for user-generated content (UGC), loyalty programs, and SMS marketing. WINNERS OF THE 2020 YOTPO PARTNER AWARDS Excellence Awards Recognizing an outstanding agency for boundary-pushing work that elevated client growth and expertise in Yotpo implementations Winner, North America: Zehner, for their work with Barefoot DreamsZehner redesigned and re-platformed barefootdreams.com to deliver a flexible, customized shopping experience for the brand and its community. Winner, EMEA: LiveArea, for their work with Nuun LiveArea helped design a loyalty program for Nuun that fosters an emotional connection between customers and the brand. Winner, APAC: Overdose, for their work with SignetOverdose re-platformed Signet's legacy business to showcase their wide range of products and support personalization. Best Shopify Plus Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on Shopify Plus Winner, North America: BVA, for their work with Lifetime Brands BVA migrated nine of Lifetime Brands' storefronts to Shopify Plus to bolster their D2C presence and establish deeper relationships with their customers across their various brands. Winner, EMEA: Eastside Co, for their work with Grenade Eastside Co designed a customized Shopify Plus store for Grenade to extend their global footprint, engage customers, build community, and drive conversion. Best Salesforce Commerce Cloud Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on Salesforce Commerce Cloud Winner, North America: DEG, for their work with SPY Optic DEG built SPY Optic a state-of-the-art website on Salesforce Commerce Cloud to provide an intuitive and mobile-optimized shopping experience. Winner, EMEA: Tryzens, for their work with Whittard of ChelseaTryzens re-platformed Whittard of Chelsea to Salesforce Commerce Cloud, providing the necessary framework to support the brand's expansion goals. Best Magento Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on Magento (Adobe) Winner, North America: Blue Acorn iCi, for their work with LovesacBlue Acorn iCi designed and optimized Lovesac's site on Magento Commerce Cloud to bring the showroom experience online. Winner, EMEA: Vaimo, for their work with Iconic Lights Vaimo created a robust and modern site for Iconic Lights on the Magento Commerce 2 platform to support their goals of growing their brand and online business. Best BigCommerce Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on BigCommerce Winner: The ZaneRay Group, for their work with Black Diamond Equipment ZaneRay revamped Black Diamond's website to allow their customers to elevate the brand experience with animated pages and dynamic content. Best Digital Marketing Agency Recognizing a forward-thinking agency whose creative marketing strategies have tangibly impacted merchant growth Winner: Hawke Media, for their work with Alkaline Herb Shop Hawke Media implemented an SMS marketing strategy for Alkaline Herb Shop that helped the brand exceed revenue goals and connect with customers on a personal level. Best Design Agency Recognizing cutting-edge eCommerce site design and boundary-pushing UGC and customer experiences Winner: Pointer, for their work with JuneShine Pointer overhauled JuneShine's website to feature a unique interactive layout that improved visibility and UX Best Tech Partner Recognizing a partner for their innovative technology and industry leadership Winner: Klaviyo, for their work with Tentree Klaviyo helped Tentree extend their immersive brand experience through email to create dynamic, data-powered conversations with customers. Best Integration Partner Recognizing a game-changing application of a Yotpo solution that helped propel business growth Winner: ShoppingGives, for their work with TomboyXShoppingGives helped TomboyX create a unique loyalty program that combines rewards with charitable donations and creates positive impact. Rising Star - SMS Marketing Honoring an agency and its efforts to drive growth for eCommerce businesses through innovative SMS marketing strategies and intelligent campaigns Winner: CURIO, for their work with American Hat MakersCURIO created a customized SMS marketing plan for American Hat Makers that added new text flows, grew their subscriber list, and created tailored campaigns. Yotpo's 2020 Partner Awards program saw a 120% increase in nominations from more than 100 partners in 20 countries. Winners were determined by a committee of judges from Yotpo that represent every facet of eCommerce--from CEO & Cofounder Tomer Tagrin to experts from product, partnerships, customer success, design, marketing and communications. All Yotpo Partner Award winners and brand experiences are showcased at Yotpo.com. Through the Yotpo Partner Program, Yotpo works with preeminent eCommerce agencies around the world and offers dozens of technology integrations for seamless eCommerce marketing efforts. For more information on the Yotpo Partner Program, please contact: partners@yotpo.com ABOUT YOTPO Yotpo, a leading eCommerce marketing platform, helps forward-thinking brands like Patagonia, Steve Madden, Princess Polly, Helly Hansen, Brooklinen, and GoPro accelerate direct-to-consumer growth. Yotpo's single-platform approach integrates data-driven solutions for Loyalty, SMS Marketing, Reviews, and more, empowering brands to create smarter, higher-converting experiences that spark and sustain customer relationships. Yotpo integrates with the tools online businesses use every day, including Google and Instagram, and is available on all major eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Magento (An Adobe Company), and BigCommerce. Yotpo is a Forbes Cloud 100 company with offices worldwide including New York, London, Israel, and Bulgaria. Yotpo is hiring! Visit yotpo.com/jobs. Press Contact: | press@yotpo.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yotpo-names-the-years-best-agencies-and-technology-companies-propelling-d2c-ecommerce-growth-301272853.html SOURCE Yotpo Republicans on Tuesday held a press conference to criticize Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for traveling out of state, something they say was hypocritical as she advised others not to do so. Whitmer and her administration urged people to avoid travel. Rep. Matt Hall, R-Marshall, said he had not traveled out of the state during the pandemic and the trip demonstrated Whitmer was not holding herself and her administration to those same standards. Whitmers office confirmed on Monday Whitmer had traveled out of state on a trip of short duration to visit her father, who suffers from a chronic health condition. Related: Whitmer visited her father in out-of-state trip In a Washington Post interview, Whitmer echoed those remarks and pointed out she had traveled out of state three times: for inauguration, to visit National Guard troops, and for this. Its maddening because a lot of these same people would accuse me of not having family values if I didnt show up when a family member needed some help, right? It was a two-day trip, I wasnt out partying in Miami. Its a very different situation than what theyre portraying and I think unfortunately in this environment, it seems like I think people are more focused on scoring political points and actually doing the work to keep people safe and to get our economy back on track, Whitmer said. Republicans say it was the hypocrisy, and not the purpose of the trip itself, they were scrutinizing. We do not take issue with the governor wanting to visit a family member. What we take issue with is that shes doing this at the same time shes telling Michiganders you cant see family members, Michigan Republican Party spokesperson Ted Goodman said, pointing to the fact that family members have been prohibited from visiting family members in nursing homes and hospitals for large portions of the pandemic. Rep. Matt Maddock, R-Milford, also spoke at the press conference and said some had been arrested for violating pandemic orders. Why wasnt she arrested by the Michigan State Police? he said. Its not clear what Maddock is advocating she be arrested for, as no ban on travel has been in place, either in law or in pandemic orders, for months. In its current guidance, the state recommends against, but does not prohibit, travel. Maddock himself has traveled out of state. He and wife Meshawn Maddock, co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, were in Washington, D.C. ahead of the Jan. 6 capitol riot. Goodman said there was a distinction between Whitmer traveling after recommending against it and lawmakers traveling. Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite said Maddock took a whole group with him to Washington, D.C. and it was hypocritical of him to criticize Whitmers travel. The unhinged games just dont stop for Michigan Republicans, not even during a pandemic. Today they reached a new low in attempting to politicize tending to an elderly parent, Applewhaite said. More on MLive: Whitmer visited her father in out-of-state trip Butt pinches, threesome requests and a glass ceiling: sexism is systemic in Michigans political culture Michigan reports 5,259 new coronavirus cases, 85 deaths Tuesday, April 20 Thiruvananthapuram: The state government on Monday (April 19) announced a two week long night curfew in Kerala amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the state. The decision was taken by a core committee of COVID-19 management headed by the Kerala Chief Secretary. "Restriction on non-essential activities and movement at night between 9pm and 5 am shall come into force from 9 pm of April 20. No gatherings of any kind shall be permitted between 9 pm and 5 am. Essential services (medical stores, hospitals, fuel stations, night shift employees, milk, newspaper, media etc), goods transportation and public transportation are exempted from the night restriction," said the government order issued by the Chief Secretary. The order also directed the tuition centers to only function through online medium and not hold physical classes. Additionally, all malls, shopping complexes and cinema theatres have been asked to close by 7.30 pm by rescheduling their timings accordingly. "All meetings, training events and other programs under all government departments, organisations shall be held through the online medium as far as possible. All places of worship must limit public participation with a minimum number of priests, managers, and others employed in those places of worship. All regular worship and festivals may be broadcast online," the order said. The state government also ordered that all government tests will now be postponed for two weeks, adding that the Public Service Commission will also be requested to postpone all exams for two weeks. "All shops, establishments, markets, etc. which are not adhering to COVID-19 protocols shall be closed immediately for a period of minimum two days. The Sectoral Magistrates and police will ensure this. The number of days would depend on the severity of the violation," the order read. Additionally, the state government has revoked its decision to conduct Thrissur Pooram with fanfare and has decided to limit the temple festival to rituals. Only the organisers of the festival will be allowed on the grounds that they will follow COVID-19 regulations thoroughly. Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu temples, who are considered the main organisers of the Pooram festival had earlier maintained that the Pooram should be held in a full-fledged manner, have now agreed to the restriction by the government. The authorities also put up a special COVID-19 Protocol Enforcement Campaign which will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday across the state. "All additional measures decided shall be in force for a period of two weeks and extension of the same shall be decided based on the pandemic scenario later," the order further said. Earlier, on Sunday (April 18), the authorities ordered that all domestic travellers will have to carry a RT-PCR test report taken within last 48 hours before or after the arrival. Meanwhile, on Monday, Kerala reported 13,644 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the state health bulletin. As many as 21 deaths were reported and 4,305 people recovered in the said period. Currently, the state has 1,03,004 active cases. (With Agency inputs) Live TV Mumbai: Amid the worsening COVID-19 situation, the first Oxygen Express departed from Central Railway`s Kalamboli Yard on Monday evening to ferry liquid oxygen for Maharashtra from Vishakhapatnam steel plant in Andhra Pradesh. In a statement, the Ministry of Railways informed that the Mumbai Division built a ramp overnight within 24 hours at Kalamboli goods yard to facilitate loading/unloading of tankers in/from flat wagons. "The Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) service with seven empty tankers departed from Kalamboli goods yard for Visakhapatnam steel plant siding at 8.05 pm on Monday," the ministry said. This train will move via Vasai Road, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Raipur Junction to Visakhapatnam steel plant siding in ECoR zone where it will be loaded with Liquid Medical Oxygen. Railways is running its first Oxygen Express in its fight against COVID-19. The Ro-Ro service with 7 empty tankers departed from Kalamboli, Maharashtra for Vizag today. Oxygen Express will move via a green corridor for loading with Liquid Medical Oxygen. pic.twitter.com/TonlClDdQf Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 19, 2021 On Sunday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had informed that the central government was creating a green corridor for fast movement of `Oxygen Express` trains to facilities for the smooth transport of oxygen to states. "A decision has been taken to start transportation of oxygen cylinders or tankers in trains. The transportation of cylinders has already started. Green corridors will be introduced to ensure a fast supply of oxygen where these trains can reach their destination at a high speed," Goyal had said. "For the transportation of liquid oxygen, military wagons will be used to transport 3.3 meter high tankers. These trains will not be stopped so that they can reach their destination at a fast speed," he added. The worsening COVID-19 situation has seen a surge in the demand for medical oxygen and beds for the COVID-19 patients and many states are reporting a shortage in essential medical supplies. Live TV The Texas Department of Public Safety will premiere its first episode Tuesday of a YouTube show about unsolved cold cases in Midland, Odessa and other parts of West Texas. The show, titled Cold Case Investigations of the Texas Rangers, is in partnership with the Midland County Sheriffs Office and DRB Media Communications. During each episode, well highlight a new case in hopes of bringing attention and hopefully encouraging and inspiring someone who may have seen something to come forward, DPS Sgt. Oscar Villarreal said during a press conference on Monday. The episodes will cover unsolved murders, sexual assaults, missing persons and unidentified human remains, he said. Midland County Sheriff David Crinersaid several of the Sheriffs Offices open homicide investigations will be featured in the series. The Midland County Sheriffs Office welcomes the assistance of [Ranger Jeff Strain] and his staff and we look forward to working with the DPS once again, he said. DPS was inspired to create the show because of the success of series like Unsolved Mysteries and other true crime shows in bringing attention to cold cases and unearthing new details, Villarreal said. With COVID, all the movies and everything was at almost a dead stop, and when you couldnt go to the movies, people wanted to start solving crimes on their own, he said. Each episode will be three minutes long and available for streaming on DPSs and DRB Medias YouTube and Facebook pages. The first episode will premiere at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Help us bring closure to families and solve these cases at the same time, Villarreal said. South Africa: Department assesses impact of Special Economic Zones Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister, Nomalungelo Gina, has kicked off her week-long visit to KwaZulu-Natal with a visit to the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ). Ginas visit is part of the national Siyahlola Programme whose purpose is to assess progress made in the implementation of the Special Economic Zones Programme (SEZ), Revitalisation of Industrial Parks Programme and the sector-specific Master Plans that are part of the re-imagined national industrial development strategy. Gina met with the City of uMhlathuze Mayor, Mduduzi Mhlongo, RBIDZs Chairperson Mel Clark, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Simangele Ngcobo and other senior government officials from KwaZulu-Natal. The Deputy Minister reiterated that the SEZ programme is one of the key instruments that are used to achieve the objectives of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. The SEZ Programme has managed to attract a significant number of investors. This has seen the value of operational investments increasing from R17.7 billion by the end of the third quarter of the 2019-2020 financial year to R19.5 billion by the end of the third quarter of the 2020-2021 financial year. This is a positive increase of R1.8 billion. During the same period, the number of investments have increased from 129 to 143, Gina said on Monday. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, as a critical stakeholder in the implementation of the RBIDZ and custodian of the SEZ programme, is happy with the progress made in relation to the investment drive and job creation efforts. Government has to create a platform where shareholders and investors can be able to feel the impact of our intervention when it comes to foreign and domestic direct Investments in these zones. We need to look at the whole value chain and identify projects that will be able to empower all surrounding areas including entrepreneurs outside these zones, Gina said. She said programmes like Siyahlola will result in tangible things being achieved through the sharing of ideas at all levels. RBIDZs Acting Chief Executive Officer, Simangele Ngcobo believes that the programme will strengthen all efforts aimed at turning around circumstances caused by COVID-19. The recorded progress is evidenced by the commencement of construction by the two catalyst investment projects being Wilmar Processing SA (Pty) Ltd and Nyanza Light Metals (Pty) Ltd, which are investing a combined private investment value of R5.8 billion. They are expected to create approximately 800 direct jobs. These investments are expected to create an estimated 2 200 construction jobs. These projects come at a time when there has been a sharp decline in the construction sector and an increase in unemployment globally, said Ngcobo. Ngcobo also expressed appreciation for the support by all spheres of government - nationally, provincially and locally. She added that RBIDZ is pleased that the Deputy Minister commended the positive progress by the entity and further committed to intervene in resolving bottlenecks with speed. RBIDZ remains a strategic asset that will help change the face of the province moving forward. We are determined to contribute towards the creation of employment leveraging on the direct investments with different sectors of the economy being targeted to drive growth, spiralling skills transfer as well as value chain benefits to the people at large," said Ngcobo. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Loews Corporation (NYSE: L) will report first quarter 2021 financial results on Monday, May 3, 2021. The conference call for investors will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be hosted by the Company's chief executive officer, James S. Tisch, and chief financial officer, David B. Edelson. Loews invites shareholders to submit questions for management in advance of this conference call. Management may address some or all these questions during the call. Questions may be submitted to [email protected]. Contributors of questions will not be named on the call. The news release and a live webcast of the conference call will be available online at the Loews Corporation website (www.loews.com). Those interested in participating should dial (877) 692-2592, or for international callers, (973) 582-2757. The conference ID number is 9887092. A replay of the call will be available at www.loews.com or by dialing (855) 859-2056, or for international callers, (404) 537-3406. The telephone replay requires conference ID number 9887092 and will be available through June 7, 2021. About Loews Corporation Loews Corporation is a diversified company with businesses in the insurance, energy, hospitality and packaging industries. For more information, please visit www.loews.com. SOURCE Loews Corporation Related Links http://www.loews.com Donald Trump is looking 'very seriously' at running for president again in 2024, he announced on Monday night, as he attacked Joe Biden for his handling of the southern border and returned to his 2016 campaign warning that Latin America was 'sending rapists' into the United States. In his first televised interview since leaving the White House, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he was definitely weighing up a bid to retake the presidency. 'I am looking at it very seriously,' he said. 'Beyond seriously.' The former president also attacked the FDA, saying that the agency is protecting Pfizer by choosing to halt Johnson & Johnson's vaccination program. Donald Trump, in his first post-White House televised interview, spoke on Monday night The former president invited Sean Hannity of Fox News into his Mar-a-Lago estate He said he believed his high poll ratings - what he termed his 'tremendous numbers' - was due to disappointment in Biden's rule. 'I've got tremendous numbers. Nobody has ever gotten the numbers I got. No sitting president has come even close. There is more popularity now the end there was the day before the election,' he said. But, the 74-year-old said he was not ready to officially declare his candidacy. 'From a legal standpoint, I don't want to really talk about it yet,' he added. Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, said that he was most proud of 'helping people'. He singled out having reduced taxes, reduced the cost of prescription drugs, created Space Force, and built parts of a wall along the border with Mexico. The former president said he build 450 miles: the vast majority of the 450 miles was in fact repair or reinforcement of existing structures, and only 80 miles was newly created in locations where no barriers previously existed. He said that his immigration policies were working, telling Hannity that Biden's unpicking of his work was having a devastating effect. More than 170,000 migrants were taken into custody at the U.S.-Mexico border in March - the highest monthly total since at least 2006. Migrants from Haiti, Cuba and Mexico climb into a CBP pickup on Monday in Arizona A man from Brazil carries his nine-month daughter towards Border Patrol in California Monday A line of young migrants wait to be tested for COVID in Donna, Texas on March 30 Unaccompanied minors who crossed the border alone are seen at a facility in Donna, Texas 'All he had to do was leave it alone,' said Trump, pointing out that tens of thousands of migrants are currently arriving, and claiming that they were criminals and drug traffickers. 'They are sending us not their best people,' Trump said, reprising his infamous 2016 campaign claim. 'They are sending us people that in many cases - not in all cases - are murderers, drug dealers, human traffickers, rapists, really bad people. 'They are sending people from prisons.' Trump, who cut financial aid to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras in a bid to pressure them to stem the flows of migrants, said that the Biden administration was misguided in their discussion about restoring aid to the Central American nations, from where the majority of migrants currently arrive. He praised Mexico's leader, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and spoke warmly of their working relationship - despite their differing ideologies. The former president said that all his work on the border was being unpicked. 'It's a horrible situation,' he said. 'It could destroy our country. People are pouring in.' The billionaire businessman has bucked tradition by remaining firmly in the political fray on leaving the White House. While most former presidents, by convention and out of respect, refrain from commenting on their successor's first years, Trump has been issuing regular press releases and granting multiple interviews. Trump told Hannity he was looking forward to campaigning in the 2022 election season He told Hannity that he was looking forward to campaigning on behalf of Republican candidates for the 2022 election, and said they should embrace his policies 'if they want to win'. He singled out Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former press secretary who is running for the governor of Arkansas, and races to watch in Florida, North Carolina - where his daughter-in-law Lara is considering a Senate run - New Hampshire and Ohio. 'We've got to take back the house in '22,' he said. 'We have a real chance.' Turning to the coronavirus pandemic, Trump said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 'hated' him, because he pushed them for a speedy approval of the COVID vaccines, and that Pfizer resented him for driving down the price of pharmaceuticals. He claimed that 'Pfizer is in with the FDA' - and alleged that the FDA deliberately thwarted Johnson & Johnson's vaccination program, in a bid to boost demand for Pfizer's alternative. Johnson & Johnson's COVID vaccine was called into question by the FDA last week after six people out of 6.8 million given the vaccine reported blood clots. One of them, a woman in Virginia, died. Trump said he felt the decision by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to warn against Johnson & Johnson's drug was 'so stupid.' He said: 'That is the worst thing they could have done from a public relations standpoint. 'They paused to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And it probably affects the other vaccines a little bit. It has had a devastating impact. 'They get along with Pfizer so well. And Pfizer, Pfizer doesn't like me because I pushed them on prescription drugs. 'And I'll tell you something. I think it is very suspect what they did with Johnson & Johnson. 'Because the only people that are happy about that are Pfizer and Moderna.' Tras cuatros dias consecutivos de vacunacion territorial, un total de 66 348 adultos mayores de 80 anos de Lima y Callao recibieron la primera dosis de la vacuna contra la COVID-19, iniciando su proceso de inmunizacion. #PongoElHombro ???? pic.twitter.com/Gd1LC1Pa6S Nepals former King Gyanendra Shah and former Queen Komal Shah have tested positive for the coronavirus on their return from India after participating in the Maha Kumbh at Haridwar, according to a media report on Tuesday. The 73-year-old former King and 70-year-old former Queen recently returned from India where they had taken a holy dip at Haridwars Har Ki Pauri during the Maha Kumbh -- a religious congregation of Hindu seers and devotees, according to the Health Ministry. Also Read | Kumbh Mela returnees will spread Covid-19 like 'prasad', says Mumbai mayor Their samples for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test were confirmed positive for the Covid-19 infection, The Himalayan Times reported. According to the report, hundreds of people had gathered at the airport in Kathmandu to welcome the former king and queen during their arrival back home. The authorities have also initiated a contact tracing to test anyone who came in contact with the royal couple. Shah was crowned as the king of Nepal in 2001 after his elder brother Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and his family were killed in a massacre at the Royal Palace. An investigation blamed Birendra's son Dipendra, who was among the dead, for the massacre. Shah stepped down in 2008, after a popular revolt forced him to abdicate, and the centuries-old monarchy was abolished, turning the country into a republic by the Constituent Assembly. He became deeply unpopular when he seized direct control of the nation in 2005, claiming mainstream parties had failed to tackle the deadly Maoist insurgency. He has kept a low-profile and has occasionally made public appearances. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi says Kumbh Mela participation should now be kept symbolic amid Covid-19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week appealed to the sadhus to observe the remaining duration of the Kumbh only in a symbolic manner in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The Maha Kumbh formally began in Haridwar on April 1 with several restrictions imposed on devotees coming to attend the event amid rising cases of Covid-19 in various states including Uttarakhand. A negative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test report not older than 72 hours before arrival was made mandatory for devotees gathering for the event. It was for the first time in the history of the grand religious congregation held on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar once in 12 years that its duration was curtailed to just one month due to the pandemic. In normal circumstances, the Maha Kumbh is held for nearly four months. Its last edition was held in Haridwar from January 14 to April 28 in 2010. Britain on Tuesday vowed an ambitious 78 percent cut to carbon emissions by 2035, but faced calls for more policy specifics from sceptical environmental groups ahead of US-led summit talks London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :Britain on Tuesday vowed an ambitious 78 percent cut to carbon emissions by 2035, but faced calls for more policy specifics from sceptical environmental groups ahead of US-led summit talks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his latest legally binding target, which is 15 years earlier than once planned, ahead of staging COP26, the UN's annual climate gathering, in Glasgow in November. On Thursday, Johnson will also address a climate summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, as he attempts to make Britain a world leader on the issue. "We want to continue to raise the bar on tackling climate change, and that's why we're setting the most ambitious target to cut emissions in the world," he said in a statement. "We want to see world leaders follow our lead and match our ambition in the run-up to the crucial climate summit COP26, as we will only build back greener and protect our planet if we come together to take action." The UK has set a target of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century and has already ramped up its targets. In December, it unveiled plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than two-thirds, compared to 1990 levels, this decade. Britain's carbon dioxide emissions have already halved since 1990, taking the country half-way to its prior 2050 commitment, according to a study released last month. But environmental group Friends of the Earth said the UK government is "struggling to meet its existing, less ambitious climate goals". "Targets for cutting emissions are important, but without the right policies they simply won't be achieved," it added. - 'Hard work begins' - The latest 78 percent reduction target for the middle of the next decade was among the recommendations made last year by the UK government's independent advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). For the first time it will also cover emissions from international aviation and shipping, a long-standing demand of environmental activists. The CCC noted there would have to be more electric vehicles, an extension of offshore wind power generation, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption, and the planting of new woodland. Britain has vowed to quadruple offshore wind power capability within the next decade, and plans to ban sales of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. However, Johnson's government has faced persistent criticism that its rhetoric on climate change has not been matched by meaningful policies. A flagship subsidy scheme to help improve homes' energy efficiency was withdrawn recently after a chaotic rollout. Environmentalists are also furious ministers said last month that they could license further oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Meanwhile, controversy has swirled for months around a planned deep-coal mine in northwest England. The government performed a U-turn in March by saying it would intervene to review whether it should go ahead. Greenpeace UK said the latest emissions commitment could be the boldest global pledge to come this week, as Biden's virtual summit gets underway, but warned "targets are much easier to set than they are to meet". "So the hard work begins now," its head of politics Rebecca Newsom said. "In order to actually deliver on this commitment, new measures to slash emissions from homes and transport should already be well under way," she added. Dad sentenced to 6 months for breaking gag order, objecting to daughter taking testosterone Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Canadian dad was sentenced to six months in jail after breaking a gag order by publicly objecting to his teen daughter being given cross-sex hormones as part of a medicalized gender transition. Robert Hoogland of British Columbia, referred to as "CD" in court documents, was sentenced last week to six additional months in jail for violating court orders by identifying himself publicly objecting to his trans-identifying daughter being put on testosterone. Sources close to the situation told The Christian Post that Hoogland could be released earlier than six months, taking into account the time he has already served. The sentence may wind up being between three and four months. Later this week, Justice Michael Tammen, who sentenced Hoogland for criminal contempt because he violated publication and identification bans, is expected to publicly release his reasons for the imposition of the sentence. According to sources, Hoogland's response to the judge's sentence is a "stoic acceptance of what he considers an overly strict sentence for a first offense." The Canadian father will be unavailable for interviews until his time in prison is completed. Hoogland has been in jail for a few weeks already after breaking a gag order that forbade him from publicly identifying himself as the dad in the contested case. His plight comes amid the ongoing case in Texas of James Younger, a boy whose mother calls him Luna and wants him to transition into a girl against the objections of his father, Jeff Younger. A hearing in the matter, which made national headlines in the fall of 2019, is scheduled for Friday morning. According to the curators of the "Save James" Facebook page Monday, attorneys for Younger's ex-wife intend to argue that the father should be stripped of his parental rights, lose the ability to be notified when his ex-wife makes medical or psychological decisions for the boys, be imprisoned for six months, placed on probation for 10 years, have less custody of the boys and pay for all attorneys fees. Meanwhile, Texas state lawmakers have in recent days held hearings on legislation that prohibits medicalized gender transitioning of minors, similar to a bill that was recently passed in neighboring Arkansas. A handful of other states are considering similar bills. Last month, the high court in British Columbia reportedly chastised Hoogland for breaching the order that required his identity to remain concealed from the public. Hoogland's name appeared on a GoGetFunding crowdfunding page, which was a violation of the court order. He was warned that if his name was not removed from the page before his court date, then it would "not go well for him," a source told CP. The court denied Hoogland's request to be released for two days so that he could use his home computer and take his name off of the crowdfunding page and other sites. Canadian news outlets are reportedly barred from using Hooglands actual name in their coverage in an attempt to protect his daughter's identity, who is said to be 15 years old. According to reports, Hoogland's daughter has suffered from several complex issues, all of which were attributed to gender confusion. His daughter was referred to an endocrinology unit at a nearby hospital at the recommendation of psychologist Wallace Wong, a known proponent of transgender affirmation. Hoogland has consistently stressed that these experimental practices were being done without his consent and that the school where his daughter was taught gender identity lessons had hidden from him what was going on with his child. The father accused the school of enabling and facilitating his daughter's newfound transgender persona. When his daughter was in grade 7, the school "socially transitioned" her and began referring to her by a different name without informing her parents, according to The Post Millennial. Hoogland has also emphasized that his daughter's long-term health is in jeopardy because of how the hormones will impact her body. I had a perfectly healthy child a year ago, and that perfectly healthy child has been altered and destroyed for absolutely no good reason, Hoogland said in an exclusive interview with The Federalist in February 2020. She can never go back to being a girl in the healthy body that she should have had. Shes going to forever have a lower voice. Shell forever have to shave because of facial hair. She wont be able to have children, the father was quoted as saying. Sometimes I just want to scream so that other parents and people will jump in, understand whats going on. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Foran Mining Corporation (TSX-V: FOM) (OTCQX: FMCXF), an exploration and development company with a strategy to build the world's first copper mine designed to be carbon neutral from day one of production, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Foran Mining Corporation upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market. Foran Mining Corporation ("Foran") begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "FMCXF." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Dan Myerson, Executive Chair of Foran, commented: "We are delighted to commence trading on OTCQX. This means that investors in the USA can now gain exposure to our strategy to build the world's first copper mine designed to be carbon neutral from day one of production. By using renewable energy and electric fleets at our McIlvenna Bay project, which is located in Canada in one of the world's premier mining jurisdictions, we anticipate delivering superior returns for our shareholders, beyond what would be achievable from traditional forms of mining. "We are re-imagining mining from the underground up, protecting the earth with zero-emission technologies and carbon-reducing practices, and focusing on worker safety, quality of life, and community. This will mean that the products we need for our daily lives and the world of tomorrow, like cell phones, solar and wind technologies, and electric vehicles, have a lower social, environmental and economic cost. The recent board appointment of Dr. Jean Rogers, who has almost 20 years of experience at the forefront of the development of ESG standards and principles, together with a range of top engineering and environmental consultants, demonstrates our commitment to responsible mining. Our compliance with ESG principles also removes the reputational risk and barriers that can prevent some from gaining exposure to the strong returns which are traditionally associated with investing in mining projects. With this in mind, we look forward to welcoming new investors to our register." Securities Law USA, PLLC acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor. About Foran Mining Corporation Foran is an exploration and development company, and committed to supporting a greener future and creating maximum value for all stakeholders creating safe jobs, supporting local communities as well as both preserving and enhancing the environment. Our goal is to build the first mine in Canada designed to be carbon neutral from day one of production. We are in the feasibility stage of development for our flagship McIlvenna Bay project in eastern Saskatchewan. McIlvenna Bay is a copper-zinc-gold-silver rich VMS deposit intended to be the center of a new mining camp in a prolific district that has already been producing for 100 years. McIlvenna Bay sits just 65km from Flin Flon, Manitoba and is part of the world class Flin Flon Greenstone Belt that extends from Snow Lake, Manitoba, through Flin Flon to Foran's ground in eastern Saskatchewan, a distance of over 225km. McIlvenna Bay is the largest undeveloped VMS deposit in the region. The Company filed a NI 43-101 Technical Report for the PFS on the McIlvenna Bay Deposit on SEDAR on April 28, 2020. Foran's copper-zinc VMS Bigstone Deposit is expected to serve as additional feed for the mill at McIlvenna Bay. The Company filed a NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Bigstone Deposit's first resource estimate on January 21, 2021. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc. +1 (212) 896-4428 [email protected]kets.com SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc. Related Links http://www.otcmarkets.com Republicans Hope to Unveil Infrastructure Counterproposal by End of Week Republicans are hammering out an infrastructure proposal that is aimed at serving as a counter to the $2.3 trillion plan from President Joe Biden, with an eye on unveiling it soon. Hopefully by the end of the week, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is helping craft the counterproposal, told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. A subset of GOP senators are working on the slimmed down package, which is likely to come in between $600 and $800 billion. In contrast to Bidens expansive plan, which includes $400 billion for elder and disabled care, the Republican one will focus on what has traditionally been considered infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. There will be a clear contrast between some portions of the Biden proposal and the one the GOP is working on, Capito said. She hopes lawmakers can go the old-fashioned way with infrastructure, engaging in give and take and ending up with a final plan that receives bipartisan support. Capitos team is in touch with the White House about the counterproposal. Republicans have expressed dismay with the disparate components of the Democrat proposal, which comes on the heels of Biden and congressional Democrats ramming through a $1.9 trillion bill that was ostensibly for COVID-19 relief but included portions that had little to do with the pandemic. I think the president has laid down a pretty big, a pretty big proposal, a huge proposal. And theres a lot in it that were talking about as Republicans and saying, this is good, hard infrastructure that we need,' Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another senator involved in the GOP counterproposal, told reporters in Washington. But theres also a feeling of, Do you need to use this as a vehicle for everything that youve ever wanted at any time? she added. And I think this is where theres room for fair discussion. President Joe Biden (C) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (C, L) meet with a bipartisan group of members of Congress, including Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) in Washington on April 19, 2021. (Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images) Even with the most generous definition of infrastructure, about 80 percent of Bidens proposal would allocate money for other things, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said. So were trying to narrow it down to true infrastructure. And then, of course, were looking at ways to pay for it. And we want to make it bipartisan, he told reporters. Biden has expressed a willingness to hear concerns about the plan, but there are few signs thus far that he will accept a narrowed down package. I am prepared to compromise, prepared to see what we can do and what we can get together on, he told reporters at the White House in Washington on Monday, before meeting with a bipartisan group of Congress members on infrastructure. But he soon added: I put a lot in the package; I think it all should be included. Biden asked the members for their feedback, discussed follow-up proposals, and underscored that inaction is not an option, according to an administration readout. I think the fact that the President Biden talking to Republicans is really encouraging. I think theres a deal somewhere between $800 and a trillion, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Democrats have largely coalesced behind Bidens plan. I think the presidents proposal is the right one, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) separately told reporters in Washington. Another bipartisan plan would chop the infrastructure pieces from Bidens proposal and hold a vote on that portion. The rest would be in a separate bill that Democrats could ram through using budget reconciliation, which avoids needing any Republican votes in the Senate as long as all Democrats support it. I think that if we come together in a bipartisan way to pass that $800 billion hard infrastructure bill that you were talking about, that Ive been urging, then we show our people that we can solve their problems, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Conn.), who is working on that two-piece proposal, said on Fox News Sunday. Weve all agreed for a long time that we need to invest more in American infrastructure, we just disagree about how to pay for it. And I think in the next few weeks, we should roll up our sleeves and sit down and find ways that both parties can support to make these critically needed investments, he added. Inmate Accused of Assaulting Guard at KY State Pen By West Kentucky Star Staff EDDYVILLE - Police are investigating a reported assault on a prison guard by an inmate at the Kentucky State Penitentiary.The Kentucky State Police Post 1 says troopers got a call at 6:40 p.m. Monday from the prison regarding a female guard who had been assaulted by a male inmate.According to prison personnel, 30-year-old Lawaun Colvin of Louisville threw a female guard to the ground and attempted to remove her clothing and sexually assault her.Colvin was quickly restrained by other guards. The female guard was treated for minor injuries.Trooper Casey Hamby opened an investigation which will be presented to a Lyon County Grand Jury. Xi-Macron-Merkel video summit positive signal of win-win global climate governance, say experts Xinhua) 11:29, April 20, 2021 BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The recent video summit among leaders of China, France and Germany has sent a positive signal to the world community for jointly tackling global challenges such as climate change, experts have said, noting the summit bears great significance for building a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a video summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing on Friday. The leaders of the three countries exchanged in-depth views on cooperation in coping with climate change, as well as on China-Europe relations, anti-pandemic cooperation, and major international and regional issues. Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China, said that the gathering of China-France-Germany signals the three sides' firm stand for maintaining their obligations towards the climate and sends a very positive message to other countries to be part of the actions to reduce emissions. The former ambassador hailed China as "a model for the international community in the field of tackling global emissions". "The summit shows the commitment to climate action extends from China to Europe and this is essential if we are all going to implement the Paris Agreement which requires raising ambition in the next decade," Richie Merzian, director of Climate and Energy Program at the Australia Institute, told Xinhua. Climate change is a global challenge that requires active participations of all countries in the world, said Humphrey Moshi, a professor at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. This summit has set a good example for dealing with global issues such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic through international cooperation, said Moshi. President Xi has announced that China will strive to bring carbon dioxide emissions to a peak before 2030 and become carbon neutral before 2060, said Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, adding that this is a major commitment, which reflects China's responsible attitude towards climate change. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) The continuing increase in Covid-19 infections in many parts of the world deepened concern among traders about the future of demand, which led to an outflow from oil futures contracts, Reuters John Kemp wrote last week. Funds had cut their positions across the six major oil contracts for two out of the last three weeks, given the pandemic situation and the persistent uncertainty around jet fuel demand recovery. An earlier report from Reuters this month cited a refining executive as saying there were signs of a pick-up in jet fuel demand. Jet fuel demand numbers are starting to improve and show signs of life, allowing refiners to drop less jet into diesel which will eventually provide well-needed relief on distillate stock, Joe Israel, chief executive of Wet Coast refiner Par Pacific, told Reuters earlier this month. Meanwhile, the EU is still struggling to rein in the disease, with cases on the rise in many parts of the continent despite lockdowns and curfews, and cases are also rising in the United States, which is perhaps more worrying because, unlike the EU, the U.S. has done well with vaccinations. At more than 4 million vaccinations daily over the past week, the U.S. inoculation drive is accelerating, but new cases eclipsed the average for July last year, with states reporting a total of 70,000 new diagnoses on average every day during the period. To further complicate the outlook for oil, India is also reporting a sharp rise in new infections. As one of the main drivers of oil demand and one of the two main reasons prices rebounded after the worst of the pandemic, the news from India is particularly depressing for oil bulls. Related Video: Drivers Get Ready For Summer Gas Shock No wonder then that traders are exiting their oil positions, leaving the total at 799 million barrels across the six most traded crude oil and fuel contracts in the week ending April 6, Reuters Kemp reported. Thats down from a peak of 913 million barrels hit on March 16, he added. Meanwhile, oil prices appear to be stuck around the $60 mark with only slight movements up and down driven, most recently, by a weaker U.S. dollar, Bloomberg reported earlier this week. The increasingly frequent attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi oil infrastructure, on the other hand, have failed to push prices higher for any length of time, likely because of the limited damage they tend to do, if any at all. Oil is in wait-and-see mode for the next catalyst, Giovanni Staunovo, commodity analyst at UBS Group, told Bloomberg. The accelerating pace of vaccination we already see slowly will result in less mobility restrictions and support oil demand and prices. U.S. airlines are already reporting higher passenger numbers, which bodes well for the immediate future for jet fuel demand. However, the rising infection rates continue to be a strong headwind. Other headwinds, according to Morgan Stanley at least, include increased U.S. oil drilling and Irans growing production. In a recent note, the investment bank said it expected oil prices to remain range-bound between $65 and $70 per barrel during the summer, largely because of these two factors, which, according to the banks analysts, are taking the steam out of the oil price recovery. U.S. shale drillers were reluctant with their latest production ramp-up, but as prices remained consistently higher than last years, many braved a step-up in production. The countrys average is still far from pre-pandemic record levels of 13 million bpd, but the output ramp-up trend may turn out to be a steady one in the absence of sudden disruptions of the current market situation. Iran, meanwhile, is banking on reaching an agreement with the United States soon, so the U.S. could return to the nuclear deal and lift sanctions. In anticipation of this lifting, Tehran is also boosting oil production at a time when OPEC+ is also beginning to relax its production curbs, planning to add some 2 million bpd to global supply over the next three months. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A 64-year-old man was arrested at a Derry shopping centre yesterday for carrying a large 'machete-type' knife. Stephen Greer, from Somme Park in the city, appeared at Derry Magistrates Court today in connection with the incident in the Tesco store at Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre yesterday. The court was told that police were called to the store around 9am yesterday. A manager at the store told officers that Greer had been observed removing a tag from a bottle of gin and hiding it on his person. Greer was confronted by the manager and agreed to go an office to await for police to attend. However, the court was told that whilst in the office, Greer became 'agitated' and told staff that he was leaving and they could not stop him. The manager blocked the door to prevent him from leaving but Greer told him that he was carrying a knife. Staff then restrained Greer until police arrived. A police officer said a 'large machete-type' knife was found in a holster around Greer's waist. The officer said police would be opposed to Greer being released on bail given their concerns that he would reoffend. The court was told that he had received a suspended sentence last month for possession of a knife in a separate incident. Applying for bail, a defence solicitor said alcohol was a 'driving factor' in the situation. Addressing the court, Greer said he had been carrying the knife because he claimed he had been 'stabbed in the neck' the day before outside the Tesco store in an 'unprovoked attack'. However, the judge said there was 'no excuse ever' for carrying a knife in public because this can result in a situation where 'people get killed'. The bail application was refused and Greer was remanded in custody. The case was adjourned until May 13. Video has emerged of a wild fight that broke out between a mom and the operator of a Ferris wheel at a Florida flea market. The brawl happened at the Opa Locka Hialeah Flea Market on Saturday night in Opa-locka. Video shows a mother getting off the Ferris wheel and quickly exchanging words with the operator of the ride. It's not clear what she says, but the carnival ride employee is seen physically attacking her, at one point nearly stepping on one of her children. The operator of a Ferris wheel at a Florida flea market wound up involved in a brutal brawl The brawl began after a mom and the employee shared words after she got off the ride 'Beat his a**, beat his a**!,' one onlooker screams during the fight. As they fight, footage shows a crowd of people jumping over a barrier around the ride, and throwing punches and kicks, seemingly at the Ferris wheel operator. At some point during the fight, the Ferris wheel starts moving again, with the onlooker accusing the operator of not allowing people to get off and speeding up the ride. Another employee managed to stop the ride before it flew further out of control. A video of the moments directly before the fight seem to show the Ferris wheel operator shoving a child and confronting a fellow employee. The employee then physically attacked the mom, knocking her and her child over From there, people started hopping the barrier to defend the mom and attack the employee Off-duty police officers called for backup due to an 'escalating disturbance' at 9:44pm, according to Local 10. When officers arrived, however, people ran toward the exit. The police's criminal investigations department was able to identify the victim, though, and she was interviewed the next day. 'The Opa-locka Police Department does not tolerate any criminal acts of violence and will prosecute those individuals to the fullest extent of the law,' the Opa-locka PD said in a statement. The employee was attacked by the crowd. Adding insult to injury, he was later suspended They also revealed that they had 'probable cause' to arrest the Ferris wheel operator. It was not clear if anyone was injured during the fight. NBC Miami has learned that the Ferris wheel operator was suspended from his job and is talking to police about the incident. The flea market has been open for over 40 years and attracts 30,000 visitors per week, the market's website states. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin presents his proposal during the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs meeting in the House chamber at the State Capitol Wednesday April 15, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. The committee listened to Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin's proposal to change the 2020 presidential preference primary election and the 2020 municipal general election and to consider written emergency plan for the elections. One of the worlds oldest industries is about to receive a technology upgrade. Global search for disruptive solutions facilitated by Gulftainer and OneValley ends with innovative projects selected from over 2,000 applications across 200 cities SAN MATEO, Calif., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Four tech start-ups from three countries are leading breakthrough work to transform the ports and logistics sector by piloting projects with Gulftainer. eYard, Morpheus.Network, ThroughPut, and ZaiNar, have emerged as winners of Gulftainers Future of Ports 2021, which saw more than 2,000 applicants from over 200 cities vie to create disruptive technology that will reshape the sector. Gulftainer, a leading privately held global port operator, has recently concluded its Future of Ports 2021, a global pitch event offering tech start-ups a platform to showcase how their solutions can create a disruptive impact and address current challenges in the industry. The winning teams were selected through a rigorous screening process across various categories comprising the Internet of Things and Robo-Doctors, Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Drones, Big Data and Advanced Analytics, and Blockchain. ZaiNar is an innovative application that enables real-time 3D location with sub-meter precision designed to transform how ports manage operations and assets. The company is developing next generation wireless radio location tracking technologies for mobile and IoT applications that provide enterprises with data needed to remain competitive. Commenting on the win, Daniel Jacker, CEO of ZaiNar, said: "Port operations and supply chain logistics everywhere depend on accurate location tracking, and ZaiNar is thrilled to work with Gulftainer to enable reliable 3D positioning for the ports and supply chains of the future. eYard won the AI category for leveraging the technology to analyze thousands of potential operational scenarios that can create unprecedented levels of efficiency for container terminals. It envisions making ports more competitive and innovative and contributing to shaping a smarter and sustainable global trade following the European Commission Green Deal TCFD/ SDG towards a climate-neutral economy. They aim to achieve this by getting rid of unproductive container moves and optimize delivery time and storage space. Story continues Pablo Fernandez-Pena, co-founder and CEO of eYard, commented: "We are delighted with the opportunity of working with one of the worlds leading terminal operators around the world. We are convinced that AI will transform the industry in the coming years, and having the right partners is crucial." ThroughPut, the winner for Big Data solutions, uses existing data to rapidly optimize supply chains and address operational bottlenecks. It seeks to improve business outcomes for port operators and their customers using this powerful new tool. "The future of ports requires the scaling of centuries of operational expertise with the latest and greatest technology enablers, such as AI, that allows operations to sense demand changes in real-time and automate proactiveness using existing data systems. We look forward to collaborating with Gulftainer to help improve container flow not only at the ports, but across the entire end-to-end global supply chain," stated Seth Page, COO of ThroughPut Inc. Morpheus.Network, the winner of the blockchain category, offers a SaaS middleware platform that enables trusted and compliant data-sharing across the supply chain, unlocking broad opportunities to improve operational efficiency and customer experience. The platform also provides supply chain managers with a Digital Footprint, making shipment and items visible in an automated, safe, and secure supply chain system, thereby saving time and money. Karl McDermott, global head of business development at Morpheus.Network, commented: "We are honored to begin working with Gulftainer, one of the worlds leading port operators. I am confident that our shared vision of digital port operations as part of an end-to-end logistics ecosystem will result in mutual growth and success. Commenting on the importance of the competition, Charles Menkhorst, CEO of Gulftainer, said: Technology plays a big role in addressing the key challenges in the industry, such as lack of tech standards and high cost of legacy systems, while real-time data access and sharing remains a challenge. Companies that seek to expand their offerings toward end-to-end services using new technologies will gain a competitive edge over the long term. Menkhorst added: Start-ups can deliver the key solutions that will address simple customer problems in their daily operations, and this is the best way to attract the attention of port operators. It does not have to be groundbreaking, but it must address their problems in the best possible way as the industry prefers evolution over revolution. We congratulate the winners for showcasing the most promising solutions, and we look forward to seeing those technologies deliver the desired transformation across the industry. Nikhil Sinha, CEO of OneValley, and Gulftainers partner in the global pitch remarked: As part of OneValleys mission to support entrepreneurs and accelerate and empower innovative start-ups globally, the Future of Ports is a great example of the exceptional talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship that thrives from all corners of the world. Our partnership with Gulftainer provided us the opportunity to identify and surface the most exciting forward-thinking start-ups transforming the future of ports, supply chain and logistics. We believe initiatives such as this are powerful catalysts to spur innovation. We are honored to be their partner in this endeavor. To watch the grand finale event featuring the winning ideas, finalists, and other speakers, please visit FOP.Gulftainer.com. About Gulftainer Established in 1976, Gulftainer is a privately owned, independent port management and 3PL logistics company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and for more than 40 years it has been delivering a world-class performance to its customers. Its global footprint including operations in the UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. Gulftainer is excited to create an open, collaborative platform to lead the port industrys revolution, engaging startups, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to create the future of the ports and logistics industry. For more information on Gulftainer, visit www.gulftainer.com. About OneValley OneValley, formerly GSVlabs, is a global entrepreneurship platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, that supports entrepreneurs, accelerates startups, and empowers organizations across the world that foster innovation communities. OneValley directly supports over 40,000 members and indirectly another 175,000+ through our enterprise partnerships and platforms, powered by our online platform Passport, the worlds most comprehensive innovation platform connecting Silicon Valley to the World and the World to Silicon Valley. For more information about OneValley, visit www.theonevalley.com. Attachment CONTACT: Gulftainer Global: Neena Dominic, Gulftainer Communications Gulftainer +971 50 2861274 communications@gulftainer.com USA: Kathryn Bradley, Gulftainer Communications Gulftainer (302) 354 4096 kbradley@gulftainer.com Vanessa Torre, Head of Marketing OneValley vanessa@theonevalley.com 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. As of Monday, every American aged 16 or older in all 50 states is now open to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, meeting President Joe Biden's promise to deliver vaccines to all adults by April 19. "If you're 16 or over, it is your turn to get vaccinated, no matter where you live," Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for COVID-19 response, said during a briefing Monday, CBS News reported. Although Biden set the April 19 deadline earlier this month, most states had already expanded access to over-16s earlier than that. And the nation is close to meeting Biden's goal of 200 million shots in arms by his 100th day in office. Half of all Americans aged 18 or older have now gotten at least one shot in the arm of a COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sunday. The agency said that almost 130 million people50.4% of the U.S. adult populationhave received at least one dose of vaccine, while almost 84 million adults, or nearly a third (32.5%), are fully vaccinated. For many, the protection that comes with immunization has meant a relaxation of rules and precautions that have separated loved ones for more than a year. "It's a little emotional. I haven't been able to see my grandmother in a year and a half almost," Alabama resident Amanda Grimsley, 35, told the Associated Press. "And that's the longest my entire family has ever gone without seeing her. And we'll be seeing her in mid-May now." Where can you find information on accessing your shot? States are setting up their own vaccine-finder websites, and big chains such as Walmart, Walgreens and CVS are helping to administer them. The CDC also has a vaccine locator website at VaccineFinder.org. In the United States, efforts to vaccinate are now beginning to shift from getting shots into the arms of those who were eager for immunization, to trying to convince the many who are still hesitant. Politics and geography remain key factors in vaccine acceptance. According to a poll conducted in late March by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, 36% of Republicans said they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated, versus 12% of Democrats. And while less than one-quarter of people living in cities say they are hesitant about getting a shot, that number rises to one-third of Americans living in rural areas, polling found. Nevertheless, overall acceptance of the vaccines is on the rise. According to the AP-NORC poll conducted in January, 67% of Americans said they'd be willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but that number has risen to 75% in the latest AP-NORC poll. Race also seems to be playing less of a role: In January, an AP-NORC poll found 41% of Black Americans, 34% of Hispanic Americans and 31% of white Americans saying they would probably or definitely not get vaccinated. However, the latest poll found those numbers had fallen to 24%, 22% and 26%, respectively. Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine in limbo after clotting reports In the meantime, the fate of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine hangs in the balance after a government advisory committee said it needed more time and evidence to determine whether unusual, but severe, blood clots seen in a handful of people were caused by the vaccine. So far, only six clotting cases have been officially reported out of more than 7 million shots given of the one-dose vaccine. But on Tuesday, U.S. health officials recommended a pause in J&J vaccinations. On Wednesday, advisers to the CDC held an emergency meeting to look at the evidence and decided they did not have enough information or time to recommend how to proceed, the AP reported. A second emergency hearing has been scheduled for next week. Speaking with CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he expects the CDC panel to issue a decision on whether to resume using the J&J shot by Friday. But some vaccine specialists who watched the deliberations said the public shouldn't have to wait for more advice. The CDC advisors stressed they need to proceed carefully. "I continue to feel like we're in a race against time and the variants, but we need to [move forward] in the safest possible way," said CDC adviser Dr. Grace Lee, of Stanford University, who was among those seeking to postpone a vote on the vaccine, the AP reported. Authorities have studied the clots for only a few days and have little information to judge the shot, said fellow CDC adviser Dr. Beth Bell, from the University of Washington, the AP reported. "I don't want to send the message [that] there is something fundamentally wrong with this vaccine," Bell said. "It's a very rare event. Nothing in life is risk-free. But I want to be able to understand and defend the decision I've made based on a reasonable amount of data." One of the most worrying things about the clots is that they are atypical and require different treatment. They occur in unusual places, such as in veins that drain blood from the brain, and in people with abnormally low levels of clot-forming platelets, the AP reported. The six cases raised an alarm bell because that number is at least three times more than experts would have expected to see of more typical clots, said the CDC's Dr. Tom Shimabukuro. "What we have here is a picture of clots forming in large vessels where we have low platelets," Shimabukuro explained to the AP. "This usually doesn't happen," but it is eerily similar to European reports of clotting with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The J&J clotting cases in the United States were all among women younger than 50. In Europe, most but not all cases following AstraZeneca vaccinations have been among women under 60, leading different countries to deploy that vaccine in more limited ways. Also, a 25-year-old man experienced a similar clot during U.S. testing of J&J's vaccine, something the government scrutinized at the time but could not link to the shot. And on Wednesday, the company also brought to the CDC's attention a woman whose clot did not occur in the brain, the AP reported. So far, the clots have occurred between one and three weeks after people received the J&J vaccine, and officials cautioned that more reports could surface, the AP reported. Booster shots a possibility Vaccinated Americans will probably need booster shots to guard against emerging coronavirus variants in the future, a White House adviser and Pfizer's CEO said Thursday. The United States is already planning for future booster shots, Dr. David Kessler, chief science officer for the pandemic response, said during a House subcommittee hearing on the country's vaccination efforts. And in remarks released Thursday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the most likely scenario included the need for a third vaccine dose six to 12 months after initial inoculation, after which "there will be an annual revaccination." "There are vaccines like polio where one dose is enough, and there are vaccines like flu that you need every year," Bourla said in a conversation hosted by CVS Health, CNBC News reported. "The COVID virus looks more like the influenza virus than the polio virus." In February, Pfizer said it was testing a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine to understand the immune response against new variants of the virus. And Moderna said this week that it was at work on a booster for its vaccine, while Johnson & Johnson has said that its single-shot vaccine will probably need to be given annually, The New York Times reported. Kessler, who runs the Biden administration's vaccine effort, told the House subcommittee that the government was looking ahead, the Times reported. While he emphasized the "strong efficacy" of the current vaccines, including against the new variants, he said the government was "taking steps to develop [the] next generation of vaccines that are directed against these variants if in fact they can be more effective." The U.S. coronavirus case count passed 31.7 million on Tuesday, while the death toll topped 567,000, according to a Times tally. Worldwide, more than 142 million cases had been reported by Tuesday, with over 3 million dead from COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus. Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating WSFS Financial Corp. ("WSFS" or the "Company") (WSFS) relating to its proposed acquisition of Bryn Mawr Bank Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, Bryn Mawr shareholders are expected to receive 0.90 shares of WSFS per share. The investigation focuses on whether WSFS Financial Corp. and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the transaction is properly valued. Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/wsfs-financial-corp. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. About Monteverde & Associates PC We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases. If you own common stock in WSFS Financial Corp. and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC Related Links http://www.monteverdelaw.com ADVERTISEMENT The Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech) has released the cut-off marks for placement of candidates for its full-time National Diploma (ND) programme for the 2020/2021 academic session. Joe Ejiofor, the deputy registrar of the college, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday. Mr Ejiofor said that the cut-off marks were fixed by the institutions admissions committee for departments. According to him, the cut-off marks have been ratified with fairness after the committees meeting. He described the process as authentic, official and acceptable by Yabatech. The Admission Committee saddled with the responsibility of the process and cut-off marks for the 2020/2021 academic session has concluded its work and submitted the necessary guidelines for all departments. This, we are making official and available, while advising various departments to corroborate the efforts in preparing their admission lists, using authentic cut-off marks as criteria and guide, he said. The deputy registrar, who doubles as the Public Relations Officer of Yabatech, said that the merit admission list would include candidates who were able to meet or surpass the cut-off marks, as released by the committee. Some of the candidates recorded credible performance which has been noted and approved by the Admission Committee and their names will appear specially on the admission merit list, he added. Mr Ejiofor listed some of the departments and their cut-off marks as; ND Accountancy, 59.75, ND Agricultural Technology 50, ND Agricultural Bio-Enviromental Engineering 50.88. ALSO READ: YabaTech fixes date for Post UTME He also listed the cut-off marks for ND Business Administration/Management as 58.50 and ND Building Technology 59.63, amongst others. The deputy registrar said that the committee also pegged 50 as cut-off mark for the 2020/2021 B.SC full-time Computer Education. YabaTech, now over 70 years old, has eight schools and thirty-four academic departments with a total of seventy accredited programmes, across ND,HND and Post-HND levels, the institution said on its website. The College also offers certificate courses. YabaTech offers B.Sc (Ed) courses in Technical and Vocational Education, and Postgraduate Diplomas in Engineering, Urban & Regional Planning. The programmes, the college said, are run in conjunction with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Federal University of Technology, Akure. The student population of YabaTech, which is made up of both full-time and part-time students, is in the range of 15,000, while the staff strength is 2063. (NAN) Mark Dunphy A standoff between deputies and a man who allegedly assaulted his wife ended peacefully after about five hours. After investigators confirmed that children inside the far North Bexar County home were safe, they left the scene to deescalate the situation, officials said. The incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. Monday at a home in the 5600 block of Southern Oaks, which is located within a gated community, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. has approved conservative app Parler's return to the iOS following improvements the company made to better detect and moderate hate speech. According to a letter the iPhone maker sent to Congress, since the app was removed from Apple's platform in January for violations of its policies, Parler "has proposed updates to its app and the app's content moderation practices". On April 14, Apple's app review team told Parler that its proposed changes were sufficient, the letter continued. Now, all Parler needs to do is to flip the switch, CNN reported on Monday. " anticipates that the updated Parler app will become available immediately upon Parler releasing it," Apple's letter said. Parler, an alternative to Facebook and Twitter that bills itself as a haven for free speech, was removed from major tech platforms in early January following the US Capitol riots of January 6, the report said. Parler was kicked off of and Google's app stores, as well as Amazon Web Services, which had been hosting the company's product. The app came back online on February 15, but not before Parler's CEO was terminated by its board. It took another two months for Apple to give its approval restoring Parler to its app store, according to the report. --IANS vc/rs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tsinghua urged to bolster innovation, cultivate more outstanding talents President Xi Jinping emphasized on Monday the need to build world-class universities with Chinese characteristics to serve national rejuvenation as he visited Tsinghua University ahead of its 110th anniversary, which falls on Sunday. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark when inspecting the country's prestigious university in Beijing. He is also a graduate of Tsinghua University. He urged Tsinghua to strengthen innovation and cultivate more outstanding, talented people to serve national development. He visited the Academy of Arts and Design, a laboratory on imaging and intelligence, an exhibition on the university's key education and scientific research achievements and a gymnasium, and learned about Tsinghua's reform, human resources development and innovation in education and scientific research. While speaking at a symposium attended by representatives of the faculty and students, Xi commended the university's development, achievements and its contributions to national development. He said that this year witnesses the start of a new journey of fully building China into a modern socialist country, and it is more imperative than ever to improve higher education and improve understanding of science and outstanding talents in order to serve the Party and the country's development. China's higher education should be based on the overall strategic situation of national rejuvenation as well as the profound changes in the international landscape unseen in a century, Xi said. It should assume its due responsibilities and make contributions to the country's prosperity, national rejuvenation and people's happiness, he added. Noting that a country's higher education system requires strong support from first-class universities, Xi urged Tsinghua to take historic opportunities in the new development stage, implement the new development philosophy and serve the building of the new development paradigm. Efforts should be made to synergize the development of science and technology, cultivate talented people and strengthen innovation in order to better serve the country's reform and opening-up as well as socialist modernization, he said. Xi stressed that the key to building a first-class university lies in constantly improving the quality of talented people in order to meet the pressing need for national development. He called for strengthening the cultivation of professionals in basic sciences, targeting cutting-edge technologies and key research fields, stepping up the development of urgently needed talented people, and continuing to raise creative and innovative capabilities. The university should take the lead in developing basic research and making breakthroughs in major technologies, Xi said. He urged Tsinghua to make bolder moves to make headway in core technologies in key fields that still limit the country's development, and strengthen collaboration with research institutes and industrial entities to promote the transformation of scientific results into productivity. Xi underlined the need for the university to uphold openness and cooperation, intensify international exchanges and cooperation and work with higher education institutions in other countries to cope with global challenges and enhance the common well-being of humankind. He also asked the university's students and teachers to firm up their beliefs and ideals to dedicate themselves to the country and the people. Bear Grylls has been granted permission to install two 'Private Property' signs warning tourists to stay off the Welsh island where he and his family live part-time. The television personality, 46, purchased the island of Saint Tudwal's West on the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales, in 2001 for 95,000. He is said to split his time between the Welsh island - which is less than half a mile long - and his main home in London, with his wife Shara, 47, and their three sons Jesse, Marmaduke and Huckleberry. Now, Grylls will be able to ensure would-be visitors are deterred from visiting his island home by putting up signs warning it is private property. The presenter has been granted permission from Gwynedd Council to install two stainless steel signs, one in English and the other in Welsh. Bear Grylls (pictured) has been granted permission to install two 'Private Property' signs warning tourists to stay off the Welsh island where he and his family live part-time The 46-year-old presenter, whose real name is Edward, purchased the island of Saint Tudwal's West (picture) in 2001 for 95,000 The signs will be fixed to the slipway safety rail, with the English sign measuring 3.9 feet across, and 1.3 feet high, and the Welsh sign measuring 4.8 feet across, and 1.3 feet high. They will read 'St Tudwal's Island West Private Property'. There were no objections to the plans, but one neighbour said: 'Information signs near the jetty on the Island are reasonable and the type and size are appropriate to the location. 'Strongly suggest, however, that the Welsh name "Ynys Tudwal Fawr" is included on the Welsh sign to reflect language and the culture of the Peninsula that is part of the archaic unique character.' The rocky, grass-covered island is one of two St Tudwal's Islands, off the north-west coast of Wales. It measures around 2,000 feet long and 650 feet wide, and is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and a landscape of outstanding historical interest. Grylls, who is the youngest-ever Chief Scout, won planning permission to install a steel slipway on Saint Tudwal's West in 2015. The former SAS reservist encountered stiff opposition from conservationists, who feared his proposals would 'impair the natural character' of the island. The signs will be fixed to the slipway safety rail, with the English sign measuring 3.9 feet across, and 1.3 feet high, and the Welsh sign measuring 4.8 feet across, and 1.3 feet high The area surrounding the island is inhabited by grey seals, bottle-nosed dolphins, otters, choughs and porpoises. But Gwynedd Council were onside with his controversial proposal to create the 129ft slipway, which supports and launches two of his boats. And, in 2013 Grylls pulled down a cliff slide he had installed into the sea after the local council launched an investigation into whether he had broken planning rules. He has also previously had an application to create a harbour on the island refused. He is said to split his time between the Welsh island - which is less than half a mile long - and his main home in London, with his wife Shara, 47, (pictured on the island) and their three sons Jesse, Marmaduke and Huckleberry There were no objections to the plans, but one neighbour said: 'Information signs near the jetty on the Island are reasonable and the type and size are appropriate to the location' Following the death of Prince Philip on April 9, Grylls hailed the Duke of Edinburgh as a 'a total inspiration to me because he was all about encouraging other people, and empowering young people to get out there and live their lives with eyes wide open and full of anticipation and excitement and service.' He also recently spoke out in support of Max Woosey, 11, from Braunton, Devon, who has raised more than 500,000 for charity by sleeping out in a tent for a year. Max began his challenge after his neighbour Rick Abbott, gave him the tent to 'have an adventure in' before he died of cancer in February 2020. He will donate the money to the North Devon Hospice which helped Max's family care for Mr Abbott ahead of his death. Apple Original Films and the Oklahoma Film + Music Office announced the start of production on Killers of the Flower Moon on Monday. Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio in the film. ADVERTISEMENT Killers of the Flower Moon, based on David Grann's book, is about a string of murders of Osage Nation members in 1920 over oil found on their land. Scorsese said in a statement that Osage Nation consultants were assisting in the filming. "To be able to tell this story on the land where these events took place is incredibly important and critical to allowing us to portray an accurate depiction of the time and people," Scorsese said. DiCaprio previously starred in Scorsese's Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street. Screenwriter Eric Roth adapted Grann's book. Scorsese added that local Oklahoman cast and crew were working on Killers with him. Additional cast includes Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Tatanka Means, Michael Abbott Jr., Pat Healy, Scott Shepherd, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson. When trades reported Apple's financing deal for the film in May 2020, the plans were for a theatrical release ahead of its streaming premiere. Today's announcement made no mention of a theatrical release. Scorsese signed a first-look deal with Apple in Aug. 2020 with his Sikelia Productions. Apple also has a deal with DiCaprio's Appian Way. Apple previously premiered the Tom Hanks movie Greyhound after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented its June 2020 theatrical release. Apple also premiered Cherry and Palmer on Apple TV+. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Scorsese made his streaming debut when Netflix produced his film, The Irishman. The Irishman did receive a theatrical release in Nov. 2019 before its Netflix premiere. Three in every five Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, a new survey by polling firm Infotrak indicates. The survey shows 65 percent of Kenyans dont approve of the direction the country is taking, citing the high cost of living, unemployment, and the governments handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Infotrak, three in five Kenyans (62 percent) see Covid-19 as a personal finance issue rather than a personal health issue. Only nine percent of Kenyans see the pandemic as a personal health issue. Another three in five(61 percent) said the move by the government to lift the Covid-19 tax relief measures in December last year made the cost of living extremely high. 51 percent of those interviewed said the poor state of the economy, even as the government continues to borrow heavily to finance its needs, were the reasons they believed the country was heading in the wrong direction. According to Infotrak, 48 percent of Kenyans want the Government to urgently address the state of the economy. The survey also showed that three in 10 Kenyans closed businesses because of the pandemic, 28 percent no longer had an income, 17 percent had their salaries slashed, six percent were unable to buy food, while another two percent were unable to pay rent, support relatives or send money to their dependents. The feeling by a majority of Kenyans is that the economy is not being handled well, coupled by the accelerating number of the unemployed, issues like bad politics and even the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Angela Ambitho, the Infotrak managing director said. A Scottish financial technology firm has joined with Mastercard to offer a new service that will allow workers to receive their salaries weekly or even daily. Hi55 Ventures, created last summer by David Brown, 55, wants to change the traditional monthly salary system to benefit both employees and employers and has received the backing of an unnamed global investment firm with over $50 billion of assets. The company says it wants to provide a lifeline to employees 'shackled' by monthly pay, leading to reduced financial stress and increasing productivity and well-being. Mastercard has agreed to provide cards to Mr Brown, who has also set up partnerships with NTT Data, a technology specialist, and Railsbank, a banking platform. Hi55 is currently undergoing a pilot with NTT staff which Mr Brown hopes will bolster support for his firm. Mastercard is backing Hi55 which wants to revolutionise the way workers get their salary (stock photo) Mr Brown added that his firm has a vision of empowering the individual so they can access their hard-earned cash at any time. Under the system, Hi55 will step in to pay employees for a 'low cost', and allow employers to defer payments for eight to twelve weeks. He told Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'We've actually brought a win-win for both parties where we can help the employer finance payroll and also improve the well-being of the employees by allowing them access to pay, or more frequent pay, free of charge, therefore eliminating payday lenders. 'The services are called early wage access. Predominantly, most of them, charge employees to access their wages whereas we refuse to charge the employee any fee for accessing their money because we think that's fundamentally wrong. 'If I can change how you are paid, then I should be able to help how you pay. A good example of that would be, if you have credit card debt and you can pay it weekly, then you would actually save 25% of the repayment because you are actually paying a month interest rather than just a week. That can happen in all of the products in your life.' The entrepreneur also believes his firm can help businesses by giving them a new stream of capital. Hi55 Ventures was created last summer by David Brown, 55 The investment firm will provide an undisclosed sum of funding for companies to pay their workers under the new system. This, Mr Brown says, would allow companies and hit by the economic effects of Covid-19 to recover and rebuild. He explained: 'We charge the employer 3.50 per employee because effectively we're re-engineering their payroll. 'If the employer is very highly-rated, which some of our clients are, then it can work out at less than 2% interest a year on the financing. If the employer is an SME, then that would go closer to 7% a year. 'The overall vision of Hi55 and the partnership we've just announced with Mastercard is, wouldn't it be nice if payroll was like a credit card where at the end of the month you can determine whether you want to pay the interest only, whether you want to pay part of it or all of it. Wouldn't be great for the employer to have that flexibility in payroll? ? That's what we're heading towards.' He says bringing in external funders gives employers more time to pay. The investment is secured because employees count as senior preferred creditors, which means that, if the employer goes bust, workers are high up in the queue of parties who will be paid. According to Brown, this means that giving firms credit based on salaries is low-risk for investors. He added: 'This isn't a loan. It's been structured in such a way that it is a credit facility against payroll. This is structured to pay around pay asset finance, which is your employees are your greatest asset and if they can help you financially stabilise your company that's actually in the benefit of the employer and employee.' NORWALK Norwalk Hospital is the only site in Connecticut participating in a new study determining the effectiveness and safety of a condensed breast cancer treatment regimen. The study, conducted by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, looks at the efficacy of an expedited radiation therapy treatment for women with early stage invasive breast cancer, said Dr. Pradip Pathare, of Norwalk Hospitals Whittingham Cancer Center. Norwalk Hospital is the sole hospital in the state which partners with and acts as a satellite of Memorial Sloan Kettering, leading to the hospitals involvement in the study, Pathare said. Between two and four years ago, they came and looked at hospitals in Connecticut, Pathare said of the partnership. They liked what they got to see at Norwalk and the quality of work. They said we will enter into partnership with you, but we will run the radiation department to our own standards. Those eligible for the study must be 45 or older and been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ or early stage invasive breast cancer. The cancerous tumor must measure less than 3 centimeters and be able to be removed with a lumpectomy, according to a hospital statement. Typically, women with early stage breast cancer who underwent a lumpectomy receive radiation therapy to the whole breast over the course of three weeks, or partial breast treatment over a five- to 10-day period, Pathare said. In the partial breast treatment study, patients will receive the same total dose of radiation, but in three sessions rather than between five and 10 sessions, Pathare said. As the same amount of radiation is being used over the three days of treatment, the level of radiation in each treatment will be higher, which is the key factor the study is testing, Pathare said. Partial breast treatment has been around for a while, but the way it was initially being done is patients had to go in twice a day for the whole work week, Pathare said. The treatments were disruptive. Partial breast treatment allows patients to retain more of the breast and treats only the problem area rather than receiving a mastectomy, if it can be avoided. The study, which received approval in February and began in March, was born of necessity due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pathare said. Last year when the pandemic struck and patients were reluctant to go into Manhattan for radiation treatment for fear of catching the virus Memorial Sloan Kettering said lets see if we can shorten the number of treatments, Pathare said. A similar study was recently conducted in Florence, Italy, where a higher fraction of radiation was used in a shorter number of sessions and the results were encouraging, Pathare said. Among Memorial Sloan Kettering and its various satellite cancer centers throughout New York, New Jersey and in Norwalk, the study has 140 participants, Pathare said. The participants arent exclusively from Fairfield County or even Connecticut, but anyone who attends Sloan Kettering for treatment and is willing to drive to Norwalk or another satellite hospital to participate in the study. Its very attractive to the patients, Pathare said. They dont have to take time off of work for more than four sessions, one is planning and three treatment, so that is so much better. The goal of the study is to see if the ultra-short treatment is well-tolerated and effective for preventing the cancer from returning, according to Sloan Kettering study description. While the immediate results have been positive, it will take at least three years of monitoring to see if the study has truly been successful, as the main concern is long-term effects of the increased radiation doses, Pathare said. Radiation is typically done in conjunction with a lumpectomy, as the surgery alone leads to a recurrence rate more than twice that of lumpectomy and radiation treatment recipients, Pathare said. While the study is nearly full, he said more studies are sure to arise. There are so many nuances in breast cancer, it isnt just one disease, Pathare said. When one study ends, we start another one. So, dont be discouraged if you cant get into this one. Women who may be eligible or physicians looking to refer a patient can call 203-739-7997 for more information. abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com Press Release 20 April 2021 Building on its 25 years as one of the world's leading full-service travel companies, today, Expedia Brand announces a new direction as the world prepares for the return of travel demand. Launching a new global positioning grounded in the understanding that who you travel with matters, today marks the beginning of Expedia's journey in becoming the ultimate travel companion, helping travelers every step of the way. Advertisements Expedia's renewed commitment to travelers comes on the heels of what has arguably been one of the toughest years for the travel industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. After months of conducting deep customer research to understand and address critical traveler pain points, the new positioning marks a pivotal moment for the brand as it looks to overhaul its business to better cater to travelers who value maximizing their time and want to get the most out of their overall travel experience. From an updated look and feel to enhanced product offerings, Expedia is looking to double down on efforts to deliver on travelers' evolving wants and needs in a post-pandemic world. "For the past 25 years, we've been focused on volume and transactions as our way of growing our business. What we've found however, over the past year, is that our customers want more from a travel company. They want a trusted partner who is there with them every step of the way, supporting them to ensure they get the most out of their trips," said Shiv Singh, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Expedia Brand. "Like many travel brands, COVID-19 has forced us all to look inwards and reflect on who we are as a brand and what that means to our consumers. It became clear to us that in order for our travelers to have an amazing trip, it matters who they travel with, and we need to understand the important role we play in being that partner," said Singh. "As travelers adjust to the new norms post-COVID, we must adjust as well, and this is just the first chapter in a multi-year journey to really deliver against our mission of being a brand that is there for travelers from start to finish." FRESH LOOK AND EXPERIENCE At the heart of the rebrand is a refresh of Expedia's platform experience across its award-winning mobile app and more than 70 websites. The new home screens reflect a clear and simple layout, with product features that will empower travelers to build a complete trip that suits their needs and interests, bringing together multiple trip elements seamlessly. Along with the ability to purchase flights, lodging, cars, activities and more on a single platform, Expedia introduces a series of updates aligned to its brand vision of being the ultimate travel companion: 1. Everything in one place: A new itinerary experience now allows travelers to see all the details of their trip in one place, be it on the mobile app or web, saving time and making future travel planning convenient for those who recognize the value in booking all of their travel elements on a single platform. Available now on the Expedia mobile app, travelers have the ability to pick up where they left off with a 'keep planning' feature that plays back recent searches as well as recent bookings to help travelers build a complete trip. Expedia will soon be launching a new package offering that will provide 'pre-bundled products' (flights + accommodation + activities) with upfront total pricing, reducing the stress of sifting through thousands of options while still allowing for easy customization such as adding or removing travel components. 2. Support from start to finish: Today marks the beginning of a new journey for the evolution of the insurance offering at Expedia, which will evolve over the coming months with a vision to unlock an industry-leading customer experience. Over the course of the year, Expedia will simplify the insurance experience including translating the policy wording into easy-to-digest content, improving the process of submitting claims through clear steps on documents required as well as the status and next steps once a claim is submitted. It also means enhancing coverage, adding broader functionality and delivering value in real-time by monitoring the events of a user's trip journey for claim eligibility. Expedia will also continue to invest in its virtual agent platform. Through the 'one-click cancel' function, travelers can cancel their entire trip or ask the virtual agent questions about their itinerary, including viewing the health and hygiene information for a particular hotel for fast resolution and no wait times. To help travelers discover and experience more of the destination, travelers can now see the popular activities near their accommodation on the accommodation details page. The activities will be available post-booking and in-trip to help travelers easily identify ways to continue maximizing their trip. 3. Getting the most out of every trip: Today Expedia announces that its Expedia Rewards program will be simplified by merging with the existing account setup process, allowing 25 million travelers who were not already enrolled in Expedia's loyalty program to start earning points on travel experiences the next time they log in. Expedia will be introducing additional benefits to the Expedia Rewards loyalty program over the course of the year making it easier for travelers to understand how they can earn and use points while providing a richer program offering. In an effort to help travelers find the right flight and fare type to deliver the best travel experience that suits their needs, Expedia recently embarked on a new flight shopping experience to provide travelers with a clear view of their flight options so they can make informed choices. Whether it's knowing if a carry-on bag is allowed or seat selection is available, these small details are incredibly important to travelers and a clear opportunity for Expedia to help customers find the best flight experience. Expedia recently launched the ability to shop by lodging amenities a first for the travel industry. Previously, many of the features included in each room rate were bundled such as parking or a complimentary breakfast, making it difficult for travelers to compare and fully understand what they were getting in their booking. Travelers can now shop with confidence as Expedia explicitly calls out the difference in pricing for amenities to take the guesswork out of what's included in a displayed rate. REIMAGINING TRAVEL Alongside platform enhancements, Expedia will be unveiling its new global creative across multiple touchpoints supported by the brand's largest marketing spend in more than five years. Using a singular creative platform and a new tagline "It matters who you travel with" travelers will see the idea of Expedia as the ultimate travel companion come through in unique ways across various channels, creating a cohesive message that will resonate as people start traveling again. A new approach for 2021, the U.S. film creative will feature American actor, writer, director and producer, Rashida Jones, and the U.K. and European spots will feature English actor Naomie Harris. Both will serve as perfect representations of Expedia's new brand attributes intuitive, travel-savvy and positive. Using relatable and empowering individuals such as Jones and Harris, the global creative puts companionship at the core of its narrative. Through the creative's brilliant scripting and song-writing, Jones and Harris will engage with travelers to deliver inspiration and support in an upbeat and uplifting way. The result is an anthem spot that highlights the importance of being an empowering travel companion for all. "Our new brand positioning acts as a promise to the traveler who wants to be engaged by possibilities, but now more than ever needs to feel supported throughout their journey. We know that people want to get back to travel, we want them to feel confident in the travel experience they can have with Expedia." concludes Singh. View the new creative here, and follow Expedia on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for campaign updates and behind-the-scenes videos from its latest creative. MARTLESHAM, England, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Muhdo will be partnering with Ageing Research at King's College London (ARK), embarking on collaborative research around health, lifestyle through innovative data sciences. This year we will be focusing on how artificial intelligence (AI) can help us to better understand the value of health and lifestyle data for both the end consumer as well as helping to guide the research to enhance healthy longevity. The gap between life and health expectancy is growing larger every year. Our health and lifestyle needs are also changing, and more research is required to reduce the risk of preventable ageing-related diseases to improve physical and mental wellbeing throughout the life course. We might be living longer, but unfortunately not healthier, with more multiple long-term conditions like asthma, diabetes, obesity and heart disease on the rise. It's actually estimated that around 75% of health and life expectancy after the age of 40 is modifiable. Muhdo is pioneering Epigenetics testing in the workplace and community, which will help each of us to understand our biological age and better predict our future health, bridging the gap between consumer wellness and technology. This will allow people to be more proactive in helping to manage their health and wellbeing through lifestyle changes. Together with ARK affiliated academics and healthcare professionals as well as industry partners, Muhdo aims to develop the next generation of consumer epigenetics testing integrated with other biomarkers of lifestyle and environmental data through AI and advanced data analytics. In particular, Svitlana Surodina, ARK's new Entrepreneur in Residence and researcher in the Department of Informatics at King's, will be developing novel technologies for integrating with Muhdo's platform. Muhdo is also extremely pleased to be working closely with Dr Richard Siow, ARK Director, who will be joining Muhdo's Scientific Advisory Board. His research focuses on nutrigenomics for healthy longevity and the mechanisms ageing. He has published extensively leading biomedical journals and is the UK Lead for the International Society on Ageing and Disease. He is an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Genetics and Frontiers in Nutrition and a member of the Advisory Board of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Longevity and The Lancet Healthy Longevity. Nathan Berkley, CEO of Muhdo, said: "We at Muhdo are very excited to be partnering with one of the most respected universities in this field and carry out this cutting-edge research looking at health and wellbeing data and the value it can provide to everyone in terms of looking after their own wellbeing", expresses the Chief Executive of Muhdo, Nathan Berkley. "DNA and epigenetics have the capability to help everyone at every stage of life to reach their full health potential. We believe this is a true milestone in the global application of epigenetics" Richard Siow, Director of ARK, said: "We're always searching for novel ways to push the boundaries of our research in applying the scientific breakthroughs to the real-world problems and partnering with market leaders to deliver a major impact on people's lives and society at large. We are delighted to start this cooperation with Muhdo which will apply the data science and AI innovations to improve global health and longevity. About Muhdo Muhdo is the first company in the world to offer a true internal wellness epigenetic profiling programme direct to companies and consumers, inspiring and supporting people to live healthier, happier, longer lives. As a next generation genetic and big data company, its vision is the mass personalisation of preventive and curative health through epigenetics and analytics, delivering a truly holistic and objective health and wellness programme. About Ageing Research at King's (ARK) From its base at King's College London, ARK is a cross-faculty multidisciplinary consortium of global researchers and innovators working on ageing and longevity. ARK brings together expertise in healthy ageing in multiple complementary areas and represents King's world class excellence for research from basic mechanisms in biogerontology and clinical translation to social impact of ageing and technology transfer. The primary purpose of ARK is to enhance interdisciplinary collaborations within King's to better understand the mechanisms of ageing, improving health-span and longevity leading through innovation and entrepreneurship. As ageing consists of complex systems at the level of biology, psychology, society and public policy, in order to understand the processes of ageing and the nature of old age itself, it is important to bring together innovation from complimentary disciplines. ARK is uniquely positioned to address the challenges of an ageing world, and to provide solutions at multiple levels, from cellular mechanisms and therapeutics to technology innovations, social impact and data sciences, facilitated through the ARK academic-industry hub and our global partners. About King's College London King's is one of the top 10 UK universities in the world* and is London's most central university, with five campuses in the capital. Our faculties, institutes and schools deliver world-leading research, enabling groundbreaking new discoveries. This research underpins all of King's teaching and enables us to make the world a better place. *QS World University Rankings 2021 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491713/Muhdo_Health_Limited_Logo.jpg Modern Networks, a UK-based provider of IT Managed Services and Connectivity to the Real Estate and Construction industry, received a 40m investment from Horizon Capital. Alongside Horizon Capitals investment, debt finance for the acquisition and a committed facility for acquisitions has been provided by specialist SME lender DunPort Capital Management. The company intends to use the funds to pursue acquisitions alongside its organic growth within the commercial sector and also in adjacent sectors. Established in 1999 by Matthew Reeve, who continues as CEO, Modern Networks provides IT Support, connectivity and communications in an integrated solution to over 2,000 sites across the UK. From its support centre in Hitchin, the company delivers a 24/7 service to users and serves a number of the largest commercial property managers in the UK. As well as providing their own services, the business is also a certified partner for Microsoft, Cisco and HP. Modern Networks works closely with many of the UKs top Real Estate and Construction firms providing services to over 2,000 sites across the UK. They also provide services to over 140 varied enterprise clients including architects, media companies, accountancy firms, not-for-profits and travel agents. Reeve will be joined by Chairman Lee Shorten, who was previously UK MD of Avaya and Acquisitions Director Andy Roberts, formerly CEO of Horizon portfolio company Sabio. Managing Director James Tizzard and Finance Director Nikki Sandham complete the team. FinSMEs 20/04/2021 Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin now faces up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter, per a CNN report. Floyd grew up in Houston's Third Ward. Houstonians shared their reactions after Chauvin's verdict was read. REFLECTIONS IN MUSIC: Jim Jones' new project explores social justice, police brutality and George Floyd Rapper and activist Trae tha Truth has supported the Floyd family throughout the case, and attended the trial in person. He shared a video after the announcement of the verdict. "Guilty Of All Counts...Only the beginning.... #Justice4GeorgeFloyd," he wrote. Rapper Slim Thug also shared a video of himself watching the verdict, with a caption that read, "we can smoke to that." Megan Thee Stallion also shared a reaction to the verdict. She writes in the caption, "JUSTICE #georgefloyd." Floyd graduated from Jack Yates High School. In a statement released after the verdict was announced, Houston Independent School District interim superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan wrote: "On this day we say his name: George Floyd. His face is seared into our memory, and his final words have pierced our hearts. His image is emblazoned on murals from all over the world to Jack Yates High School, his alma mater. An HISD alum awakened not only the moral consciousness of a nation, but the world." IN HIS HONOR: George Floyd honored with street mural in front of Jack Yates High School Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a press conference that this is a "time for reflection" and "as a country we have a lot of work to do." "This is not a jump up and down moment," Turner said. New Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said during the press conference that "regardless of race, it's good to see justice being served." House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks during his weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 18, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) House Republicans Outline Their Stance on Climate Change and Clean Energy House Republicans on April 19 outlined their stance on climate change and reducing global emissions, advocating for developing clean U.S. energy resources without sacrificing American energy independence and American jobs. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), ranking member of the House Select Climate Committee, said Republicans want to further reduce emissions around the world and protect the environment by exporting the United States cleanest energy. And at the heart of thisAmerican innovators, domestic resources, and free markets, said Graves in a video summary of GOP view on climate change and clean energy. We must utilize these tools in a way that enhances the American workers competitiveness and improves our energy and national security. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday that Republicans in the House will be featuring dozens of bills and policy ideas on energy and climate in the coming weeks of 2021. Our members have been working for years to develop thoughtful targeted legislation to reduce global emissions by ensuring we can develop and build a new technology at home that is clean, affordable, and exportable, said McCarthy. Unlike Democratic plans, ours dont kill American jobs or make American energy more expensive to increase taxes and regulations. Instead, House Republicans are focused on solutions that make American energy cleaner, more affordable, and also reduce emissions around the world. President Joe Bidens recent executive orders on climate change state a goal of setting the United States on course to creating a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050. To achieve these goals, the Biden administration is having all relevant federal agencies adopt its climate change agenda and subsidies are being cut off from the fossil fuel industry. The order establishes the National Climate Task Force, assembling leaders from across 21 federal agencies and departments to enable a whole-of-government approach to combat the climate crisis, the order states. Secretary of the Interior is to pause any new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or offshore waters to the extent possible, the order continues. In all, the order mandates that the United States move away from fossil fuels. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on the Republicans position on climate change and U.S. energy independence. America is the world leader in reducing emissions, and in energy research and development, said Graves. What weve got to focus on with our clean energy strategies is looking at the entire globe because this isnt a problem that the United States can solve itself, many of the very climate solutions that have been pushed by the left actually result in increased global emissions. One such policy is the Obama-era Paris climate accord, which Trump pulled the United States out of but Biden has rejoined since taking office. Conservatives are opposed to the pact because it does not require countries like China, the worlds biggest polluter, to reduce their carbon emissions to the extent that the United States is required to. Graves said for every ton of emissions the United States is required to reduce, China increases by 4 tons. Conservatives believe that even if the United States were to achieve net-zero emissions by paying higher energy bills and bearing the brunt of a weaker economy, this would not help global emissions because larger countries like China and India would still be increasing their carbon footprint. Graves, Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), and Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Michael McCaul (R-Texas) recently introduced the Paris Transparency and Accountability Act. This bill calls for renegotiating the Paris agreement or developing a new agreement to ensure China and all major carbon emitters have results comparable to the United States. The United States has been a global leader in reducing emissions and the GOP wants this to continue by putting the focus on exporting U.S. clean energy to other countries since global demand for energy is projected to increase almost 50 percent by 2050. Republicans want to fill that global demand with clean U.S. natural gas energy without sacrificing American jobs and American resources. The Biden administrations policies are canceling projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline, which is said to have cost thousands of jobs and millions of dollars as well as making the U.S. less energy independent. 14 Attorneys General wrote to Biden in Feb. to ask him to reverse the decision on the pipeline and to prevent the economic damage that many keystone states will experience. The pipeline states and their local communities will also suffer dramatically. In Montana for instance, killing Keystone XL will likely cost the state approximately $58 million in annual tax revenue, the letter states. Meanwhile, Graves said, the U.S. spends more money on basic energy research than every other country in the world combined, said Graves. Our oil and gas are going to have demanded all over the world. Since its the cleanest the most efficient, we need to be exporting it to these countries to displace the dirtier fuel sources for Russia and China. Not only that, but Graves said his party believes China is using the climate change crisis to advance its military strategy, which is a direct security threat to the United States. China has gone and dominated the rare earth and strategic minerals markets. Theyve cornered or monopolized the resources around the world, and theyre one of the top producers, said Graves. Continuing down this path of flawed energy and climate strategies only plays into the hands of China, and their national military strategy. The anchor Bible verse for those working on the locally produced series Breaking Strongholds is John 1:5 Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot over come it. Thats exactly what were planning to do, shine a light on very dark issues, said Terry Weaver, who plays one of the characters in the series. The eight-episode series from locally based Reflective Media is being filmed in Montgomery and it shines a light on teen suicide, depression, abandonment, spiritual darkness and more. The cast and crew recently wrapped on filming Part 1 of the series, which includes episodes 1-4. The series has been submitted to Netflix and Amazon Prime hoping to get the series on one of their streaming services. The series could be available for streaming as early as the fall. Last week, the pilot was accepted into a major international film festival in Canada, Weaver said. Reflective Media Productions is a faith-based organization focused on creating impactful media resources that promote mental and spiritual wellness. The production group already has the films We Are Stronger and First Love to its credit. Author, speaker, and film producer, Carla McDougal, is the founder of Reflective Life Ministries, Reflective Media Productions and the Stronger Alliance. Weaver said it was put on McDougals heart to address the topic of teen suicide. Its a very dark issue thats not talked about a whole lot, but there are a lot of people who have been effected by it, Weaver said. He has a notebook that he writes in everyday. He has a list of 10 friends from this area who have lost people to suicide. So this project was an answer to his prayer of how to help with this community issue. He met McDougal by chance while volunteering at an event. Then out of the blue, seven months later she called him and asked him to audition for the part of a detective in a new series she was working on that addresses teen suicide. What she didnt know was I was praying the simple prayer, God use me to shine your light, he said. McDougal had seen one of his promotional videos and sought him out. I believe this is a God connection and an answer to my prayer, he said. In the series, when a teens plan to end his life is interrupted by a mysterious stranger, he finds an unlikely mentor and uncovers the dark secret motives of the towns newest celebrity. Weaver plays detective and father Ethan James. John Chance plays his teen son, Ryan James. Amy Kramr plays James daughter, Riley. Teenagers, Ryan and Riley James, are left with unanswered questions after their mothers death five years before. Their father, Ethan, numbs the pain by pouring himself in to his work as a police detective, but misses the mark within the walls of his own home. Ryan struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide. With his moms death, an absent father, and rejection from his childhood sweetheart in his mind, there is no other way out. Is this the end for Ryan? NO! In his attempt to end it all, the most unlikely person halts his exit strategy. Riley is popular and out-going, but has her own identity issues that leave her susceptible to the dark side. Redman Quinn, the well-known ego-centered author and Thought Leader has recently moved his multimillion-dollar company to town. Despite the surge in prosperity, spiritual darkness settles over this quiet little community. Slowly, Riley is drawn into his self-help ideology that leads her down the path to isolation and denial. Then Grace, the school counselor, enters her life. Community donations from corporations and individuals have funded the project thus far. Major corporate support has come from Spirit of Texas Bank, TWFG Insurance, Woodforest National Bank, The Rieser Family Foundation and HFG Wealth Management. Weaver said the young actors in the series are purpose-driven in their roles and carrying out their ministry through this project. Everyone on set is a part of this mission to make an impact and do something about this teen suicide epidemic, Weaver said. Visit https://www.breakingstrongholds.com/ and https://www.reflectivemedia.org/ for more about this project. shernandez@hcnonline.com Reuters While there is a shortage of plasma, doctors insist that plasma therapy is not the only option for COVID patients, as per TOI. According to them, not all COVID patients require it. Plasma is not the primary therapy for Covid-19 patients. A person who is already on a ventilator or has multiorgan failure will not benefit from it, said Dr Sarin, the director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. Read more ICSE Exams Cancelled; UPSC Defers Civil Service Interviews Representational Image The ICSE class 10 board exams have been cancelled in view of the worsening COVID-19 situation and the option for students to appear later has been withdrawn, board secretary Gerry Arathoon said. Last week, the board had postponed both class 10 and 12 exams. The Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) had announced that class 10 students will get an option to either write the exams later or get evaluated on the basis of an alternative criteria. Read more Sputnik V Vaccine In India Soon, Govt Approves Financial Aid For SII Reuters The first batch of Sputnik V, Russia's COVID vaccine is set to arrive soon in India, according to the Indian Ambassador to Russia, Bala Venkatesh Varma, as per a News18 report. The production will start in May and it is expected to be as many as 50 million doses per month. In the previous week, the DGCI had registered the vaccine under the emergency use authorization procedure. It will be the third vaccine to be used in India against COVID. Read more Delhi HC Comes Down Heavily On Govt Over Vaccine Wastage, Oxygen Shortage BCCL The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the Centre to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said according to news reports there is a daily wastage of six per cent of vaccines and till now 44 lakh vaccines out of 10 crore have been wasted, maximum in Tamil Nadu. Read more Muslims Cremate 60 Hindu COVID Victims As Kin Miss Funerals In Fear Of Getting Infected Reuters It is said that humanity is the biggest religion and it is at full display these days at the cremation grounds of Bhopal where two Muslim men have been cremating Hindu COVID victims without worrying about their own lives. Danish Siddiqui and Saddam Qurashi, both residents of Bhopal, have been performing last rites of COVID victims ever since the new surge hit the country. So far, they have cremated around 60 Hindu covid victims whose families missed the funerals. Read more SHANGHAI, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cango Inc. (NYSE: CANG) ("Cango" or the "Company"), a leading automotive transaction service platform in China, today announced its subsidiary Shanghai Cango Network Technology Co., Ltd. ("Cango Network Technology") has entered into a strategic agreement with Zhengzhou Nissan Auto Sales Service Co., Ltd. ("Zhengzhou Nissan"), to jointly develop a new retail model for automotive transaction in China's lower-tier markets. Min Gu, General Manager of Cango Network Technology, commented, "We are honored to have reached this strategic agreement with Zhengzhou Nissan. Leveraging our efficient trading service platform, extensive network and industry expertise in the lower-tier markets, we look forward to collaborating with Zhengzhou Nissan to build a new retail model for automotive transaction in these markets." Xiaoqiang Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Zhengzhou Nissan, said, "Zhengzhou Nissan has always adhered to its dual-brand strategy and has been exploring new segments and consumer markets for many years. Since Cango has been well-established in the lower-tier markets for more than ten years, and its performance has been well recognized by the industry, we expect this new cooperation will not only create a new business model but a win-win situation for both parties." As part of the agreement, both parties will collaborate and innovate in the areas of automotive sales and marketing in the lower-tier markets through the development of a new automotive retail model. In addition, Cango Network Technology will also provide auto financial products and services to all customers of Zhengzhou Nissan's certified secondary dealer stores. In addition, Cango Network Technology will leverage its more than 50,000 car dealers and 80 local warehouses as well as efficient logistics across the lower-tier markets, serving as an effective supplement to Zhengzhou Nissan's existing sales channels. In addition, Cango Network Technology will work to solve Zhengzhou Nissan's efficiency problem in the lower-tier markets, while offering financial and other supporting services. Notably, based on Cango's decade-long industry experience in automotive services in the lower-tier markets, Cango Network Technology will also help Zhengzhou Nissan obtain and operate traffic from the lower-tier markets, together with tailored precision marketing and promotion, as it taps into emerging rural and suburban markets. The strategic cooperation with Zhengzhou Nissan marks an important milestone for Cango in the car trading transactions business. The move will complement both parties' advantages, as they jointly explore the new retail model of cars and provide better quality car-related products and services for the majority of consumers in the lower-tier markets, making car purchases simple and enjoyable for customers. Cango Network Technology, a subsidiary of Cango, is the main platform of Cango's car trading transactions business and focuses on auto trading, auto leasing services, used car brokerage and other businesses. With its deep network in the lower-tier markets, it offers quality car products and services to customers while also providing one-stop services for the car purchase process. Zhengzhou Nissan is a leader in China's pickup truck market. It has achieved remarkable results since its establishment 28 years ago. With the rising standard of living in China and the upgrade in consumption, car buyers have put forward higher requirements for the new ecology of "people, cars, nature and society." Zhengzhou Nissan grasps the precise pain points of consumer demand and continuously enriches its pickup truck product matrix to meet the various needs of customers. About Cango Inc. Cango Inc. (NYSE: CANG) is a leading automotive transaction service platform in China connecting dealers, financial institutions, car buyers, and other industry participants. Founded in 2010 by a group of pioneers in China's automotive finance industry, the Company is headquartered in Shanghai and engages car buyers through a nationwide dealer network. The Company's services primarily consist of automotive financing facilitation, car trading transactions, and after-market services facilitation. By utilizing its competitive advantages in technology, data insights, and cloud-based infrastructure, Cango is able to connect its platform participants while bringing them a premium user experience. Cango's platform model puts it in a unique position to add value for its platform participants and business partners as the automotive and mobility markets in China continue to grow and evolve. For more information, please visit: www.cangoonline.com. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the "Business Outlook" section and quotations from management in this announcement, contain forward-looking statements. Cango may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Cango's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Cango's goal and strategies; Cango's expansion plans; Cango's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Cango's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its solutions and services; Cango's expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with dealers, financial institutions, car buyers and other platform participants; general economic and business conditions; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Cango's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Cango does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Investor Relations Contact Caesar Cao Cango Inc. Tel: +86 21 3183 5088 ext.5581 Email: [email protected] Emilie Wu The Piacente Group, Inc. Tel: +86 21 6039 8363 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Cango Inc. Related Links http://www.cangoonline.com Associate Professor in the Department of History at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza since 2006, he obtained his doctorate in modern and contemporary history from Ain Shams University in Egypt. He is the author of numerous books as well as 36 studies in Arabic and English in Arab and international peer-reviewed journals. PublishingPageContent The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies has published Yusuf Hussain Omars Turkey: Modern and Contemporary Political History (1923-2018), a compendium of research that draws upon fundamental original sources. This book is the fruit of the authors methodologically judicious approach to history, meticulously objective in shunning jingoistic nationalist or fanatically sectarian dogmas. The books first chapter narrates Turkeys history from the Ottoman Empire until the Declaration of the Republic and from the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the First World War alongside Germany up until the entrance of the Grand National Assembly forces under Shukri Naili Pasha into Istanbul. The second chapter discusses Ataturk's abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate and measures he took to secularize modern Turkey up until his death. The third chapter examines the election of Mustafa Ismet Inonu as President of Turkey, World War II and subsequent European pressure on Turkey to counter propagation of communism with democracy, leading to the 1950 elections won by the Democratic Party. The author also takes time to discuss Turkey's foreign relations and relationship with NATO and other regional alliances along with the advent of the (unresolved) Cyprus problem. In the fourth chapter, the author delves into the Second Turkish Republic (1960-1980) and the reappearance of democratic discourse in Turkey, culminating in the Justice Partys landslide victory in the 1965 elections and Suleiman Demirels arrival to power. The chapter concludes by examining the mounting political violence, massacres of Alevis, the Second Turkish Republics foreign relations, and the growth of Armenian terrorism. Chapter Five takes up the 1980 military coup that extirpated the existing political system to usher in the Third Turkish Republic (1980-2002) which equally suppressed opposition and proclaimed a new Turkish of the constitution. He examines ensuing attempts to restore democracy and touches on the role played in Turkish political life by salons of enlightened currents of thought, the growing influence of Islamism and the return to nascent democracy that brought Suleiman Demirel back to power in the 20 October 1991 elections. With the 1993 death of Turkeys eighth president Turgut Ozal, Islamists triumphed in the 1994 municipal elections, provoking a revival of Kemalism in the militarys 1997 post-modern coup. The sixth chapter the author discusses Turkeys domestic policy and the war against Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), as well as the status of human rights in the Turkish deep state. He then turns to Turkey's status vis a vis both the United States of America and the European Union and its accession or Copenhagen criteria. Chapter Seven documents a new phase of political life with the Justice and Development Partys 2002 success in general elections, and the controversies that followed. Chapter Eight then turns to address the AKP government's foreign policy and relations with the European Union and the United States in the 2002-2018 period. In closing, this chapter turns to Turkish-Russian relations and the recent downing of a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 over Syria. In the ninth and final chapter the author first takes up Turkeys regional relations, including the relationship with Iran and the Arab Spring countries, and the cooperation on the Kurds. The author looks at the deterioration of Turkey-Israel relations with Erdogan's criticism of Israel at the Davos conference, the Mavi Marmara events, subsequent Turkish measures against Israel (2012-2013) and then a settlement agreement and normalization of relations, but with a return of tense Turkish-Israeli relations in the wake of US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Finally the chapter concludes with an assessment of Turkish efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and end the civil war through the Astana conference. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. (Alliance News) - Kavango Resources PLC is partnering with underground mapping firm Spectral Geophysics to aid in the discovery of "world-class mineral deposits", it said on Tuesday. The partnership will see Spectral map Kavango's Kalahari Suture Zone project in Botswana. In return for Spectral's surveying services, Kavango will issue it with 3 million Kavango shares at 3 pence per share and 3 million warrants kfor shares exercisable at 4.25p a share. Kavango shares were up 5.2% to 3.26p each in London on Tuesday morning. Kavango also said underground mapping had revealed a "promising" discovery at the northern Hukuntsi section of Kalahari Suture Zone project. Kavango Chief Executive Michael Foster said the firm was "encouraged to have identified a conductive body of this size", but further work was needed to confirm the finding. Spectral carried out the surveys at the site. Commenting on the partnership, Foster said: "Spectral is now among the continent's leading specialists in ground-based EM surveys, having worked on projects in 18 countries for many of the world's largest mining firms. "With Spectral's assistance and experience, Kavango will now be able to deploy more sophisticated methods and remote sensing technologies into the Kalahari Suture Zone. Following the success of the first two TDEM surveys we completed at Hukuntsi, this is a major step forward for Kavango and significantly bolsters our exploration capabilities." By Will Paige; willpaige@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of CytoDyn Inc. ("CytoDyn" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: CYDY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether CytoDyn and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On March 5, 2021, CytoDyn issued a press release providing an update on its product "Vyrologix (leronlimab-PRO 140), a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications." The press release stated, in part, that "the Phase 3 trial of leronlimab for the treatment of severe-to-critical patients with COVID-19 demonstrated continued safety, substantial improvement in the survival rate, and faster hospital discharge in critically ill COVID-19 patients." Although the press release touted purportedly positive results, industry observers and analysts quickly characterized the Company's press release as misleading. For example, on March 8, 2021, Seeking Alpha published an article by Paul Santos entitled "CytoDyn: Parsing Failure." The article asserted that Cytodyn's "leronlimab Phase 3 trial on COVID-19 severe-to-critical patients failed . . . to meet both its primary endpoint and all secondary endpoints with any statistical significance" and described the Company as having effectively "buried" the results in its press release. Santos noted that "[a] normal biotech company would have stated this clearly, both in its PR titles and in their text bodies. Cytodyn, however, did something else." As the market digested the actual significance of CytoDyn's announcement, the Company's stock price fell $1.70 per share, or 41.98%, over the following two trading sessions, closing at $2.35 per share on March 9, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] SOURCE Pomerantz LLP The Senate is considering a bill that will create a database for livestock. The bill for an Act to establish national livestock and management (protection, control and management etc) bureau scaled second reading on Tuesday. It is sponsored by Bima Enagi (APC, Niger South). The legislation is aimed at solving the challenge of animal identification and management by establishing the National Livestock Bureau for the purpose of livestock identification, traceability, registration, cattle rustling control and livestock disease control. Debate Leading the debate, Mr Enagi noted that although livestock identification was originally intended to indicate ownership and prevent rustling, it has been expanded to include information on animals origins (birthplace, parentage, sex, breed, genetics) as well as the ability to trace an animal product back through the marketing chain to its source. He said the movement of livestock and their products has increased the spread of diseases, increased the threat to human health and reduced consumer confidence in animal products. The Bureau, when established, will ensure the traceability of animal products into the country, in order to safeguard the lives citizens. Some objectives of the Bill include: * Creation of a National Livestock Identification database. * Ensure management, traceability, and control of movement of livestock. * Ensure livestock health and disease management through disease surveillance, prevention and quick response to disease outbreaks. * Food safety through the traceability of animal products. * Enhance transparency and information in the food chain. * Deter animal theft, especially as it affects the incessant cattle rustling crisis. * Aid intelligence gathering by security agencies towards mitigating the incessant conflicts between herders and farmers and * International market access and trade, thereby diversifying the economy. The lawmaker said the database would serve as a guide for policy formulation by government and ensure the regulation of participants in the livestock business. Breakdown of the bill The Bill contains 28 Clauses with a Schedule. Clauses 1-6 deals with the establishment, objectives and functions of the Bureau while Clauses 7-8 provides for appointment of staff and pension matters and clauses 9 -12 contains provisions for funds of the Bureau, annual estimates and report. Clauses 13-17 deals with the establishment and functions of Zonal offices. ADVERTISEMENT Niger senator Sabi Abdullahi seconded the bill describing it as timely. After passage, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development further legislative work and public hearing. The panel is to report back in four weeks. Global Ports Holding PLC - London-based cruise port operator - Spends USD44.7 million buying back bonds in tender offer. Weighted average purchase price was about 90% of face value. Company had offered to buy back up to USD75.0 million of the USD250.0 million 8.125% bonds due this year. Current stock price: 122.00 pence Year-to-date change: up 20% By Ivan Edwards; ivanedwards@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. A compilation of racial reconciliation resources and efforts as the United States continues to grapple with racial injustice and tension. Image: Unsplash/Aaron Blanco Tejedor Recently, I was invited to a dialogue hosted by the Agora Institute of Johns Hopkins University on racial justice and reconciliation efforts of evangelical churches. You can watch the conversation, which was described by the hosts as: This event will convene prominent evangelical leaders, including those working to build racial justice within the church, for a follow-up discussion focusing specifically on what evangelicals are doing and can do to confront this divisive moment. Evangelical Christians have been engaging in racial justice conversations across the United States. Many of these conversations were accelerated after the murder of George Floyd, which brought racial justice conversations into the mainstream. In addition to the protests exploding across the country which received wide coverage, churches and church leaders began to work together to understand, to learn, and to be a part of change. In preparation of the Agora meeting, we reached out to find examples of churches and leaders engaging in efforts toward justice and reconciliation and were pleasantly surprised to receive hundreds of responses. The following series offers a sampling of responses in five categories: church leaders and churches, individual churches taking action, training and curriculum available to help, some examples of denominational engagement, and ministry initiatives related to reconciliation. While there are far more initiatives and activities taking place than these, we can be encouraged that the conversation continues. Note: These lists are, therefore, intended to provide links and ideas, not full endorsements of all the information and efforts here. Note: You might also find helpful the American Bible Society conversation from Martin Luther King Day this year, called Repairing the Breach, including AR Bernard and Nicole Martin. Churches of various ethnicities have been gathering together to pursue justice and reconciliation for decades. But in 2020, those efforts seem to have accelerated in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. Here are examples of responses via Twitter from across the country, identified geographically from the eastern U.S., to the middle of the country, to the west. Eastern U.S. South Carolina: Church planter and pastor Will Browning (@Willbrowning) reported from the Charleston area: We had over 20 inter-denominational churches in Charleston, SC, do a shared sermon series together in July. Virginia: Brian Ayers (@BrianAyers) shared about three churches in Northern Virginia who teamed up for a series of messages about race. Watch week one here. Also, Community Church (@CommunityChurch) did a series call Uncomfortable Conversations that was really good. Mac Pier @macpier added, We have been meeting every Saturday for 40 weeks by zoom with a bi-racial community of faith in the 757 region of Virginia. We are committed to finding solutions together. New Jersey: Austin Bogues (@AustinBogues) sent us a news story about a white and black pastor in Asbury Park, N.J., and their growing relationship following the killing of George Floyd. Image: Shore Christian Church North Carolina: New City Church (@newcity_us) did a sermon series in the summer called Blind Spots: Seeking Justice from the Inside Out and shared a video series called A Just City Conversations, along with resources for groups, families, and individuals at ajustcity.us. Pennsylvania: Matthew Bomberger (@MattBomberger) sent us a Facebook live conversation. The conversation featured Pastors Stefan Bomberger, and Daren and Tasha Miller about the Christian response to racism at the Memorial Church of God in Christ in Haverford, PA. Across the Middle of the Country Arkansas: Jay Armisen (@Jay_Arms_) shared about pastors working together in northwest Arkansas through NWA United. Michigan: Wendy M. Wetzel (@wendymwetzel) told us of the organization Congregations Organizing for Racial Reconciliation in Grand Rapids, MI. Oklahoma: Rick Thompson (@rickhthompson) sent a news report about pastors Rick Thompson of Council Road Baptist Church and Rodney Payne of Bethlehem Star Baptist Church working together with their churches. Missouri: William Marshall (@bro_wmmarshall) and Kenny King (@KennethKing10), co-pastors of Grace Bible Fellowship, took churches working together next level when they merged two churches (King's was predominantly black, Marshall's predominantly white) to form a diverse church in a community that didnt have one. Marshall said you can learn more about it on their podcast. In addition, David Mason (@JesusSojourner) spoke of the establishment of meaningful relationships and conversations with all ethnic groups in our NW Missouri town. Out West California: Benjamin Chung (@benjaminlchung) from the SF bay area said "20 churches (of all different backgrounds), led by us pastors, gathered our members together. 120 ppl total. We just finished discussing John Perkins's book One Blood over zoom for 6 weeks. Purposefully had mixed small discussion groups. Healing. Broke barriers." Oregon: Ron Clark (@God2Chances) head of Kairos Church Planting shared about their church planting series addressing ministry in the midst of bias, racism, and Black Lives Matter. Here you can watch a Zoom discussion for our Spring Surge Kairos Church Planting Series addressing ministry in the midst of bias, racism, and Black Lives Matter. Spring Surge: Bias, Racism, and Ministry is the third in our series that focuses on two ministers and their perspectives on Black Lives Matter, Racism, and Christianity in the US. Dr Tifre also shared her experience with racism and discusses how churches can support those facing oppression in their community. San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Tryp Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: TRYP) (OTCQB: TRYPF) ("Tryp" or the "Company"), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing clinical-stage compounds for diseases with unmet medical needs, reported today on the Company's significant progress since successfully completing its Initial Public Offering in December 2020. Tryp is advancing two drug development platforms: Psilocybin-for-Neuropsychiatric Disorders (PFNTM) targeting chronic pain and eating disorders; and razoxane for soft tissue sarcomas. Both platforms are based on chemistries with known safety profiles allowing Tryp to advance directly into Phase 2 clinical trials. Tryp's PFNTM program is part of a wave of research and development activities in the pharmaceutical industry over the past few years exploring the medical benefits of psychedelic compounds through regulated, clinical development. The Company expects the administration of psilocybin-based compounds by medical professionals with accompanying psychotherapy to provide a safe and effective treatment option for conditions lacking effective alternatives including fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, phantom limb pain, and a variety of eating disorders. A selection of Tryp's achievements in 2021 include the following: Expanding the Company's roster of world class scientific advisors . Tryp appointed Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D., as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board in February 2021. Dr. Carhart-Harris is the foremost global expert in the administration of psychedelic compounds for medical indications and is the Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London. Tryp also appointed Joel Castellanos, M.D., as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board in February 2021. Dr. Castellanos is a leading chronic pain researcher and physician at UC San Diego Medical Center and is the lead author of a breakthrough publication detailing the mechanism of action for the use of psychedelics for chronic pain. William Schmidt, Ph.D. joined Tryp's Scientific Advisory Board in January 2021 and brings a wealth of expertise related to the development of drugs for pain indications. . Tryp appointed Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D., as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board in February 2021. Dr. Carhart-Harris is the foremost global expert in the administration of psychedelic compounds for medical indications and is the Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London. Tryp also appointed Joel Castellanos, M.D., as a member of its Scientific Advisory Board in February 2021. Dr. Castellanos is a leading chronic pain researcher and physician at UC San Diego Medical Center and is the lead author of a breakthrough publication detailing the mechanism of action for the use of psychedelics for chronic pain. William Schmidt, Ph.D. joined Tryp's Scientific Advisory Board in January 2021 and brings a wealth of expertise related to the development of drugs for pain indications. Hiring additional members of the Company's executive team . Tryp appointed Greg McKee as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in April 2021. Mr. McKee brings significant prior experience as CEO of publicly traded drug development companies to the role and had been serving as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company since February 2021. The Company also appointed Luke Hayes as Chief Financial Officer in March 2021. Mr. Hayes has more than 20 years of experience in life sciences in finance, investment, business development, and technology transfer positions to help lead the company through this next growth phase. . Tryp appointed Greg McKee as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in April 2021. Mr. McKee brings significant prior experience as CEO of publicly traded drug development companies to the role and had been serving as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company since February 2021. The Company also appointed Luke Hayes as Chief Financial Officer in March 2021. Mr. Hayes has more than 20 years of experience in life sciences in finance, investment, business development, and technology transfer positions to help lead the company through this next growth phase. Initiating collaboration for clinical trial activity . Tryp announced in February 2021 a collaboration with Jennifer Miller, M.D. of the University of Florida as the Principal Investigator for a Phase 2a clinical trial to treat the symptoms associated with certain eating disorders using the Company's psilocybin product. . Tryp announced in February 2021 a collaboration with Jennifer Miller, M.D. of the University of Florida as the Principal Investigator for a Phase 2a clinical trial to treat the symptoms associated with certain eating disorders using the Company's psilocybin product. Advancing the Company's manufacturing capabilities for synthetic psilocybin . Tryp partnered with Albany Molecular Research, Inc. ("AMRI") for the manufacturing of the Company's synthetic psilocybin using proprietary methods and announced a key milestone in February 2021 that AMRI had initiated the process of manufacturing a 200 g non-GMP demonstration batch of psilocybin. . Tryp partnered with Albany Molecular Research, Inc. ("AMRI") for the manufacturing of the Company's synthetic psilocybin using proprietary methods and announced a key milestone in February 2021 that AMRI had initiated the process of manufacturing a 200 g non-GMP demonstration batch of psilocybin. Expanding the Company's intellectual property portfolio . Tryp filed a new provisional patent in March 2021 describing novel methods for improving the formulation, delivery, and dosing of psychedelic compounds. . Tryp filed a new provisional patent in March 2021 describing novel methods for improving the formulation, delivery, and dosing of psychedelic compounds. Increasing funding for the Company with a strategic investor . Tryp announced in February 2021 the completion of a $2 million private placement led by Marc Lustig, Founder and former Chairman of Origin House, acquired by Cresco Labs in 2020. . Tryp announced in February 2021 the completion of a $2 million private placement led by Marc Lustig, Founder and former Chairman of Origin House, acquired by Cresco Labs in 2020. Expanded access for purchasing the Company's shares . Shares of Tryp began trading on the OTCQB and became DTC eligible in April 2021, expanding access for purchasing shares of the company to millions of prospective investors in the United States. As the Company looks ahead to additional milestones for 2021, it expects to achieve the following: The initiation of at least two Phase 2a clinical trials, placing Tryp in a rare class of psychedelic drug development companies with active Phase 2 clinical trials. The announcement of several new clinical research collaborations with leading academic research institutes. The successful manufacturing and formulation of GMP synthetic psilocybin using Tryp's proprietary methods. The filing of additional intellectual property applications. Commenting on Tryp's progress in 2021, Chairman and CEO Greg McKee said, "It has been a dynamic few months for Tryp since our IPO, and is only the start of a highly productive year for the Company as we move our primary compounds into the clinic." About Tryp Therapeutics: Tryp Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing compounds with known activity and safety profiles for the treatment of rare and other diseases with unmet medical needs. Tryp's psilocybin-for-neuropsychiatric disorders, or PFN, program is focused on the development of synthetic psilocybin as a new class of drug for the treatment of certain neuropsychiatric-based disorders. Tryp's lead PFN drug candidate is TRP-8802 for the treatment of fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome estimated to affect more than 5 million people in the United States. The Company is also preparing to initiate a Phase 2a clinical study for eating disorders in partnership with the Dr. Jennifer Miller at the University of Florida. In addition to its PFN Program, Tryp is developing TRP-1001, an oral formulation of razoxane for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare and diverse group of tumors that account for about 1% of all cancers in adults and 7% in children. Based on the prevalence of soft tissue sarcomas in the United States, Tryp believes it is a rare disease and that TRP-1001 should qualify for Orphan Drug status. For inquiries, please contact us at: T: 1-833-811-TRYP (8797) E: investors@tryptherapeutics.com W: www.tryptherapeutics.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 a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Tryp 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 greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Tryp's final prospectus available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Tryp; 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 Tryp 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. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPTED 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/80996 The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has made three new appointments to its team of experienced professionals. Joining the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton DIFC are Edwin Calimano, Director of HR; Sabry Balboul, Director of Engineering; and Frida Audi, Director of Sales and Marketing. Hailing from the United States, Edwin Calimano brings a glowing track record with experience working mainly in luxury hotels from around the globe. Prior to his role at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Calimano served at hotel brands such as Accor Hotels-Fairmont, Jumeirah Group-Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, One & Only Le Royal Mirage, IHG, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and the Four Seasons. In his capacity, Calimano supported many HR projects and pre-openings in the region and around the world. Originally from Egypt, Sabry Balboul brings a massive track record having worked all around the MEA. Joining the Ritz-Carlton DIFC from the Hilton International, Balboul supported many pre-opening projects in the region. Alongside his incredible experience, Balboul holds a pre-Master diploma and BA in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cairo. Frida Audi, originally from Lebanon, brings to the table extensive knowledge of the dynamic UAE market having worked in luxury hotels across the region including The Oberoi, Dubai. Joining the team at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Audi is no stranger to Marriott International with her previous work tenure at The Ritz-Carlton Doha. Audi brings an impressive skill set to the position as she successfully spear-headed the Sales and Marketing teams at Habtoor Grand Resort Autograph Collection by Marriott and Al Habtoor City Hotels by Hilton Dubai, where she worked in the capacity of a Cluster Commercial Director. Commenting on the new appointments the hotel's General Manager, Fadeel G. Wehbe added: We are incredibly enthusiastic to welcome the newest members to join the Ladies and Gentlemen at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC. Each new addition brings a host of expertise, experience, creativity, and new perspectives to our team. We are confident that each new member will prove to be invaluable to the legendary Ritz-Carlton brand and help us improve our strategies and increase the overall satisfaction for our employees and guests." - TradeArabia News Service DANVILLE, Ill., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The staff of Sunset Funeral Homes and Cremation Center would like to inform the communities we serve to be aware that beginning April 12, families that experienced the death of a loved one due to COVID-19 may be eligible for up to $9,000 in funeral assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Two pieces of legislation passed by Congress - the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 - authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to families that incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020. If eligible, reimbursement funds come directly from FEMA, and Sunset Funeral Homes will assist community members in securing funding, regardless of the location of the prior funeral home. As a third party, Sunset will not directly provide or receive any funds through this program. "This has been an extraordinarily difficult year as hundreds of thousands of families throughout the country have unexpectedly had to plan a funeral as a result of COVID-19," said Linda Darby, CEO, Sunset Funeral Homes and Cremation Center. "Our hearts are with not only the families we served but everyone who is grieving the death of a loved one due to the pandemic. While this assistance cannot take away pain and grief, it will make a tremendous difference by enabling them to meaningfully honor the life of their loved one and lay them to rest with dignity." Funeral assistance is intended to assist with expenses for funeral and memorial services, and burial, interment, or cremation, as well as markers and monuments. The FEMA website has complete information about eligibility requirements, documentation applicants will be required to provide, and how to start the application process. Visit https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance. "We are happy to assist members of the communities we serve with the application process, even if you sought services through another funeral home previously. We can order copies of a death certificate or provide copies of receipts or contracts showing the expenses that were incurred - please call us," said Darby. Families may wish to visit SunsetFuneralHome.com for ideas on how to honor loved ones and other information that may be useful as they continue their grief journey. Sunset Funeral Homes, Memorial Park and Cremation Center is a family-owned funeral service provider with funeral homes located in Danville, Oakwood, Westville, Georgetown, Mahomet and Champaign Illinois and Covington, Indiana. Since 1960, the dedicated and experienced Sunset Family Service team has helped families in the community by providing knowledgeable guidance and offering a full range of personalized services to suit their end-of-life wishes and requirements. For press inquiries contact, Yaunah Hairston, Marketing Director (217) 960-2265 or [email protected]. Related Images sunset-logo.png Sunset logo SOURCE Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center Dan Murphy's workers will be taught to recognise the signs of domestic violence as part of a training scheme being rolled out to more than 28,000 staff. Staff at the liquor chain, BWS and Jimmy Brings will start training in 1,400 stores nationally this week to help them notice customers who are victims of family violence. The training program was set up after a young woman sought refuge from her male partner inside a BWS store earlier this year. Dan Murphy's workers will be taught to recognise if customers visiting their store are victims of domestic violence as part of a new training program (stock image) Up to 65 per cent of domestic violence incidents reported to police involve alcohol, according to The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. 'Team members quickly locked the door and called the police. The team acted bravely and did the right thing to keep the woman, team members and other customers safe inside the store,' BWS Managing Director Scott Davidson said. 'The new training will build awareness, but also empower team members to handle situations like this safely.' The three retailer's parent company Endeavour Drinks has developed the training in partnership with 1800RESPECT. 1800RESPECT's head Fiona Mort said staff would be taught to pick up on red flags like women being spoken to disrespectfully. 'They might see somebody is actually interjecting in conversations that are disrespectful about women,' she told NCA NewsWire. 'It's actually about picking up on and interjecting in those conversations like, 'You run like a girl, you play like a girl or girls can't umpire.' That's disrespectful.' Pictured: A Dan Murphy's supermarket. Up to 65 per cent of domestic violence incidents reported to police involve alcohol Staff will be taught in the training - developed alongside 1800RESPECT - to pick up on red flags like women being spoken to disrespectfully The national counselling service estimates one in four Australian women have experienced intimate partner violence. 'To address this issue at its core requires everyone to play their part to turn it off at the tap,' Ms Mort said. 'This includes corporates, government, local community groups, schools, universities and amongst friendship circles. 'A program like this is a step in the right direction.' Credit: CC0 Public Domain Research from the University of Aberdeen has found that general aviation pilots do not consider stress to be as great a risk to flight safety as other factors such as inclement weather. This is contrary to guidance from flight safety bodies that state stress can compromise performance. General aviation (GA) is the largest, and most dangerous category of flight in the UK and these pilots frequently fly for recreational or business purposes and, unlike commercial aviation pilots, often fly alone. Risk perception and management are therefore key areas of research vital to improve safety in this group. A team of researchers from the Applied Psychology and Human Factors (APHF) group at the University led by Dr. Amy Irwin along with Ph.D. researchers Nejc Sedlar and Oliver Hamlet set out to examine the risk perception of GA pilots and how this impacts decision-making in relation to take-offspecifically in deciding whether it is suitable, and safe, to take-off or not. The study, published in the journal Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors showed that GA pilots were more likely to take off than not in scenarios involving a pilot under stress, or missing equipment such as checklists or sunglasses. However, they were less likely to proceed in scenarios depicting a pilot who was ill, an aircraft with a faulty air speed indicator, or a faulty seatbelt. Postgraduate researcher Nejc Sedlar who worked on the project explained: "The idea behind the study was to determine whether GA pilots viewed all the various categories of risk as equally risky, or whether certain types of risk might be more likely to be ignored or managed in favor of a positive take-off decision. "In terms of decision making, GA pilots face very different challenges than their commercial counterparts. To address these GA specific challenges, studies like this are necessary so we can better understand potential areas of concern for future safety and training programs." Postgraduate student and researcher, Oliver Hamlet learning to fly Credit: University of Aberdeen The team presented 101 pilots with a series of 12 take-off scenarios across four categoriescompromised performance (pilot stressed, fatigued or ill), environmental hazards (thunderstorm, ice, wind), faulty equipment (power, noise, ASI) and missing equipment (checklist, sunglasses, seatbelt). Pilots were then asked if they would proceed in each scenario and to explain their reasoning. "The results suggest that not all of our scenarios were judged to be equally risky," Dr. Amy Irwin who led the study explains. "The pilots' reasoning for their decisions suggests that although they were aware of the risks of flying while ill or tired, the pilots considered flight to be a stress relieving activity, and so they were less likely to cancel a flight based on being under stress. This is despite guidance from aviation regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Authority indicating that stress can potentially compromise flight performance. "General Aviation pilots are generally safety conscious, but not all risks are considered equal, so it is important to highlight the potential impact of stress on flight safety going forward to encourage pilots to consider the risks of flying stressed. "The more we know about how and why GA pilots make decisions and manage risk, the better able we will be to develop interventions and training solutions to improve safety. "Based on our research it seems apparent that training on the impact of stress on cognition and performance would be useful, along with training in situation assessment and the validity of various risk mitigation strategies." Explore further Airtime: Flight simulators keep pilots sharp during pandemic More information: Amy Irwin et al. Flying Solo, Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors (2020). Amy Irwin et al. Flying Solo,(2020). DOI: 10.1027/2192-0923/a000189 On Wednesday, April 21, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a online conference entitled "Growth of Political Tension inside and outside. What is awaiting Ukraine soon?" Participants include expert of Hardarika Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko; Director of the Institute of Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov; Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko; political scientist, co-founder of the National Platform "Dialogue on Peace and Safe Reintegration" Oleh Sahakyan (8/5a Reitarska Street). The press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. During the period of the restrictive measures imposed in Kyiv due to COVID-19 pandemic, media representatives are not allowed in the agency's press center, only speakers are present. It is possible to follow the event and ask questions to the speakers in the broadcast chat. Waterbirds that have historically migrated to the UK during winter have stopped doing so because of global warming, a new survey reveals. Many species of duck and swan arrive on British shores as winter arrives because temperatures here are balmier than where they are coming from. But with many northern regions, such as Scandinavia, getting warmer in autumn and winter than ever before in recorded history, many birds are choosing to stay put. Scroll down for video The report revealed numbers of Scaup (pictured) - a type of diving duck - arriving on British shores have dropped by three-quarters since 1973 The latest Wetland Bird Survey Report (WeBS) published today by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) reveals current numbers of birds in the UK. But data from the survey shows that the winter holidays of many migratory species have fallen out of fashion. The report revealed numbers of Scaup - a type of diving duck - arriving on British shores have dropped by three-quarters since 1973. Goldeneye and Bewick's Swans are also remaining on the other side of the North Sea in increasing numbers during the winter months, the figures show. The number of these birds seen in the UK dropped by 58 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively, between the winters of 1993/94 and 2018/19. Coot numbers have also fallen by 15 per cent over the same period. In Northern Ireland, Scaup sightings have fallen by 60 per cent between 1993 and 2019, although Lough Neagh remains the wintering stronghold in the UK. Goldeneye and Bewick's Swans (pictured) are also remaining on the other side of the North Sea in increasing numbers during the winter months, the figures show. The number of these birds seen in the UK dropped by 58 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively, between the winters of 1993/94 and 2018/19 Following a sharp decline in the late 1970s - linked to a decline in the amount of waste grain from whisky distilleries ending up in river estuaries - Scotland has seen its overwintering Scaup numbers further fall by just over a fifth (22 per cent) between 1993 and 2019. Climate change 'will end England's snowy winters in 20 years' Winter scenes of settled snow could become a thing of the past due to climate change, according to the Met Office. An analysis suggests by the 2040s the South of England will no longer see freezing days. And by 2080 only very high ground and parts of northern Scotland could experience sub-zero daytime temperatures. The Met Office warned sledging and snowball fights could be consigned to history without action to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Advertisement Goldeneye and Coot both fell by 38 per cent in Scotland over the same period whereas, in Wales, Scaups fell by 77 per cent, Goldeneye by 43 per cent, and its wintering population of Bewick's Swans fell by 90 per cent. Simon Wotton, senior conservation scientist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: 'Whilst the decline of some wintering waterbirds here in the UK means certain species are not migrating as far, there is concern over where they are now spending most of their time. 'Wetlands across Europe are vital for millions of waterbirds every year and provide them with a much-needed home through winter, but not all are created equal. 'Many of Europe's wetlands have been drained, exploited and some are without protection altogether. 'Ensuring these areas are designated and protected appropriately will become even more critical in safeguarding the ongoing survival of many of our migrating waterbirds.' Teresa Frost, WeBS Manager at the BTO, said 'The big drop in Scaup in Scotland in the 1970s was linked to a reduction of waste grain from whisky distilleries ending up in estuaries. 'But the continued decline since then is driven by milder winters in the Baltic Sea - and that's affecting lots of species. 'We are fortunate to still have many hundreds of thousands of waterbirds visiting the UK in winter, even if the numbers are not quite what they used to be for some species, and we are grateful to the many volunteers who count them for us and make it possible to understand what's changing.' Theres a glass ceiling in the Michigan Capitol. Designed as a glass floor for the buildings rotunda, its a big draw for school groups and other Capitol visitors. Little girls lay on it, faces pressed to the cloudy glass to see if they can make out shapes moving one floor down. But to the women entering below staff, consultants, public relations professionals, interns, journalists, lobbyists and lawmakers its a visual reminder of what theyre pushing up against. More than 40 women who work in and around Lansing politics spoke with MLive about how the states political culture can be damaging to women and their careers. A pinch on the butt. Feeling tokenized as the lone woman in rooms. Being accused of sleeping with your boss. Warding off propositions for threesomes. Seeing your male subordinates promoted while you spin your wheels. Explicit conversations in the workplace. A mental checklist of men to avoid finding yourself alone in the elevator with. The women on Lansings political scene come into work every day with more work than their male peers, running complex calculations on how to strike the balance between avoiding uncomfortable situations and being taken seriously. And they remain outnumbered, particularly in leadership roles and other powerful positions. For Abby Clark, owner of Athena Strategies, the glass ceiling crystalized when she watched men shed mentored get jobs in the tier she couldnt seem to break into in progressive politics. Glass ceiling is a phrase we heard our whole lives. I did not know what it actually meant until I ran into it with my head, very hard, Clark said. Laura Cox, former Michigan Republican Party chair and the only woman ever to have run the powerful House Appropriations Committee in the Michigan Legislature, said her personal experience in Lansing was positive, but acknowledged theres still work to be done in terms of getting more women elected to office or hired to into leadership roles. Women have a different perspective and experience in life, and I think that they are definitely a value add to the legislative process, whether thats a role as an elected official or as a staffer, she said. Over a two-week span in April, MLive surveyed 40 women who work or have worked in the states political arena, and found 32 had experienced sexual harassment. Only seven chose to formally report the harassment. Many respondents who did not file an official complaint cited concerns about career repercussions or a lack of faith that reporting would address the issue as factors in their decision. But 93% of respondents said they informally relayed concerns about another persons conduct to friends or colleagues. Elizabeth Battiste, who has spent nearly a decade working in and around the capitol in Democratic and now nonpartisan roles, has a supportive team at public relations firm Martin Waymire. But when she leaves her office, its easy for her to see the scope of the problem. Its pervasive. Its every day. Its every single day. When I get dressed up for work in an outfit I feel confident in, I get stared at, I get catcalled. Its every single day, she said. There have been a few high-profile incidents of sexual harassment, lately. Former Vanguard Public Affairs employees have described inappropriate workplace behavior and sexual harassment from firm owner TJ Bucholz, a progressive political consultant. Women who have worked with him and for him say he asked one woman to address him as daddy, repeatedly solicited another woman for threesomes, and called women into his office to comment on the physical appearance of female news anchors. Last year, it was former Sen. Pete Lucido, R-Shelby Twp., under the microscope for sexual harassment. A female reporter wrote about him making a crude comment that a group of high school boys could have a lot of fun with her, which he denied. Other women including one of his fellow senators came forward saying hed behaved inappropriately. More recently, former Lansing Mayor and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero has been accused of sexual harassment, including allegations he touched women without their consent, asked one woman to expose her breast and propositioned women for a threesome. But women say the way Capitol culture treats women is bigger than any one incident and runs across partisan lines. This is not partisan. It goes across the political spectrum of conservative to liberal, Republican, Democrat and anyone in between, said Jenell Leonard, a political consultant who owns Marketing Resource Group and came up through Republican politics. How one story paved the way The state Capitol is a venerated institution with a written tradition kept in records like committee minutes, bills and daily journals from each chamber. But its women keep alive an oral tradition, too. For decades, women have been quietly telling their stories to each other as a form of protection. It acts as a buffer between a vulnerable workforce and the men who control it. Its how women know which jobs not to take, or which men not to find themselves alone with. Of the 40 women MLive surveyed, few had filed official reports about sexual harassment. But 93% reported having discussed another persons conduct with friends or colleagues. Until recently, these conversations were mostly private. But last month Emily Dievendorf, a Lansing-based political consultant, decided to put one of her stories out in the open. When she saw a full-page ad in the Lansing City Pulse against Americas Horniest Mayor, former Lansing Mayor and current mayoral candidate Virg Bernero, she thought about all the women who would have a visceral reaction to seeing their sexual harasser, and all the progressive male political consultants who blew past that to score political points. So, she wrote about her experience with one of those consultants, Bucholz. In a March 18 Facebook post she wrote about how he would show her pictures of his wife in a bikini, and repeatedly proposition her for a threesome, when they worked together on a campaign in 2010. She wrote about how he would call her into his office and ask her to close at the door, and stare at her with his mouth hanging open. She wrote about how he treated other women like this, too. I told my story about TJ because to me, that was, that was my most visceral experience with sexual harassment and sexual violence in the workplace, and a consultant who claims to be progressive treating women in politics like they are nothing, Dievendorf said. Afterward, other women came forward to describe Bucholzs inappropriate behavior. One of them was Ashlea Phenicie, who previously worked at Vanguard. Speaking out publicly about the workplace and sexual harassment she experienced which included being an audience for comments hed make about womens appearances on television and an innuendo-laden incident where he asked her to touch his gun -- was intimidating. This was a man who had powerful politicians and state lawmakers on speed dial. A longtime player in the Lansing political scene, Bucholz opened his own firm in 2014 and did communications work for political figures. But Phenicie felt protective of Dievendorf, whose work Bucholz would bad-mouth, and other women ensnared in his indiscretions. I felt really guilty that the same things that had happened to us was continuing to happen or may have been continuing to happen to young women, Phenicie said. In all, eight women spoke on the record about Bucholzs inappropriate behavior. More contacted Dievendorf to share their own experiences. And women are ready to talk about something bigger, too: the Michigan political culture that enabled it. All of a sudden feeling this pinch A few years ago, Jen Flood was working as a lobbyist at Dykema, a Lansing-based law and government relations firm. She was tracking a bill during a late-night session and five or six other lobbyists, all male, were waiting outside the Senate chamber as well. One of them was talking about how his wife was pregnant, this was going to be the last one, and snip snip. And then it devolved, and they were literally all talking about their junk, said Flood, a Democrat. She doesnt remember exactly what she said, but recalls trying to shut it down by drawing attention to how absurd the topic of conversation was. It just was so startling that they were so unaware about who they were around and that maybe not everyone was a man or wanted to talk about or hear about their genitals, Flood said. Other women described similar experiences working in Lansing politics, where locker room talk is common in otherwise professional settings. But the whole field is fueled by how you interact with other people, locker room talk or not. So much of working in politics is relationship building and I was limited by the fact that I couldnt bro out with the bros - whether it was other lobbyists, stakeholders, legislators or staff. Thats a lot of what the job is, she said. Sarah Hubbard, principal at the lobbying firm Acuitas and a Republican, spent years working at the Detroit Regional Chamber with one foot in the corporate world and the other in state government. The corporate side of her job tended to be more formal, with networking opportunities like lunches. The world of state government is different. The culture around the Capitol is driven by the culture of the Legislature. The Legislature being significantly male dominated. And that I think does drive a fair amount of the networking opportunities and more casual interaction between particularly female lobbyists and male politicians of all levels, she said. People who work in Lansing politics have a set of official duties. But they also have an unofficial one. In non-pandemic times, happy hours, dinners, off-premises conferences and other extracurricular events attended by Lansings powerbrokers are considered part of the job description. It was at one of her first Democratic Party fundraisers that Battiste, the public relations professional, had an unwelcome experience. I remember specifically riding down an escalator in Cobo Hall. And all of a sudden feeling this pinch. Not a squeeze, not a tap, a pinch to my rear end. And I was 21 at the time, in my very first job... I turned around and saw that it was a pretty prominent labor leader. An older gentleman, significantly older than me. And I didnt say anything about it. She told the person she was dating at the time, and some friends. But it was treated kind of like a rite of passage, of like Oh, you met so and so. And I certainly would approach that situation differently right now, but I also dont know if it would have happened if I was older and more confident. The power dynamic is changing, but at a snails pace Michigans Capitol, of course, started out as a literal boys club. In 1920 the first election in which women could vote Michigan elected its first female lawmaker: Republican Sen. Eva McCall Hamilton. Since then, the number of women serving in the state House and Senate has increased, albeit slowly. As of this year, 30.9% of state lawmakers in the U.S. are women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers Universitys Eagleton Institute of Politics. Thats a record high, but state legislative demographics still fall far short of reflecting the gender and races of populations they represent. In Michigan, the number of female lawmakers peaked in 2020, with 54 36.5% of the states 148 House and Senate seats filled by women. Currently, 53 women are serving in the Michigan Legislature, 11 in the state Senate and 42 in the state House. Like the rest of the country, Michigan saw a dramatic uptick in female elected officials at all levels of government following the 2018 election cycle, with voters electing an all-female statewide ticket and increasing women representation in Congress and the state Legislature. But increased representation alone doesnt solve institutional inequities it takes time for women, once in the political sphere, to build power and hold sway beyond their single vote to influence the legislative agenda and enact meaningful change, said Kelly Dittmar, the Center for American Women in Politics director of research. For the last two sessions, women have held the top leadership slot in the minority House Democratic Caucus former Rep. Christine Greig and current House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Twp. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer served as the Senate Minority Leader during her time in the Legislature, and former Rep. Dianne Byrum served two terms as House Democratic Leader, the first woman to lead a caucus in state history. No woman has ever been elected House Speaker or Senate Majority Leader in Michigan. While women have made gains over the last several decades, theres definitely still an old boys network thats in place in Lansing, said state Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor. Geiss said she believes shes been spared the brunt of what she might have otherwise experienced during her legislative career because her husband, Doug Geiss, preceded her in the Legislature. But the political environment still poses significant challenges for women that need to be addressed and taken seriously, she said, and the onus needs to be on men to address the behavior. We need to be forthright and honest about these conversations, otherwise youre going to have women who are going to make decisions to not be in these spaces, Geiss said. Historically, Democratic women have made more gains in state legislatures than Republicans, although the number of Republican women serving increased in the last election cycle. Its an issue Cox said she and other Republicans in Michigan have worked to resolve, making an effort to recruit women who have experience to bring to the table but may not have otherwise seen themselves in that role. In some instances, Cox said her experience as a mother sparked her interest in or made her the right fit for policy issues, such as an effort to update the states car seat safety law. And it was her past experience on crafting government budgets, not her gender, that made her the right fit for the Appropriations Chair position, she said. As an elected official, I always tried to encourage women to get involved...to make positive change, get that confidence, she said. (Electing more women) is something were going to continue to work on as a party, and thats something thats important to many people. And we want to continue to have those voices heard in our caucus as well. Lena Epstein, a Republican who ran for the 11th Congressional District in 2018, is passionate about getting more women and more conservative women to run for office. She operates in two male-dominated industries: the oil industry, where she is an owner of and does industrial sales for the oil company VESCO, and politics. If theres somebody in the room that questions why Im in the room, I tend to outperform by the virtues of my knowledge of oil, my knowledge of business or if its in the political environment, by the virtues of my knowledge of policy. So, I counter that by being over prepared, Epstein said. Just prior to running for congress she had given birth to her daughter, Emma. She continues to be a strong example for her. Im raising Emma to know that she can follow her dreams regardless of any naysayers, regardless of anybody who would see her (as) less equipped because of her gender, Epstein said. No safety net for those who push back or speak up Theres a layer of politics you read about in the news: lawmakers, party officials, statewide officeholders. But behind the scenes, theres another layer of employees who make all of that possible. Each caucus has a central staff that includes people working on policy, communications and constituent services. Then, each lawmaker has a small number of staff assigned specifically to his or her office. Dievendorf started out as an intern and then a staffer in the House in the early 2000s, and quickly learned that, women, rarely, if ever, advanced. They were often pushed into constituent services, but her interest was in the male-dominated policy realm, where she fought to gain a foothold by asserting herself and directly asking to be part of policy conversations. She advanced to serve as Chief of Staff for former Rep. Andy Coulouris, D-Saginaw, who she said was a good boss and respected her work. But people who worked on both sides of the aisle, including Dievendorf, said having a good boss doesnt insulate you from the sexism or sexual harassment that permeate Capitol culture. I was treated in disgusting, sexual ways by other men in the Legislature, Dievendorf said. When I walked outside the office, when they came into the office, they would send me direct messages over social media. I remember once I went out to a networking event and a legislator was talking to me and he had had just a little bit to drink, and he actually curled up a flyer and shoved it down my shirt, she said. And the whole time she worked with Coulouris, she said people would ask them if they were sleeping together, based solely on the fact that people thought they were both good-looking. When she hired a female intern people regarded as good-looking, the rumors would start about her. I just felt like women couldnt win. Like, they would be treated like crap if they werent considered attractive, they would be treated like crap if they were considered attractive, they were never considered competent enough, Dievendorf said. One former Republican staffer said she had a really good experience as an intern, but later realized it was because the women in charge of her internship worked to shield her from certain people and situations. Later, she came to work at the legislature as a full-time staff member and was charged with hiring interns herself. She launched a search for the most qualified candidates and hired two: a male and a female who happened to be attractive. That last choice met with approval. I was told by my superiors to try to get more girls that looked like her. Nothing about her work ethic, just that I should get more girls that look like her, said the former staffer, who asked not to be named because her work still involves politics. Current and former employees of the House and Senate say the process of officially reporting inappropriate behavior can be daunting and seem like a dead-end because elected officials cant be fired unless they are recalled by voters or the chamber votes to expel them. Both the House and Senate have business offices that oversee human resources matters. They do a sexual harassment training and have sexual harassment policies, but neither bodys is currently publicly available online for people in peripheral fields like lobbying and communications to reference. Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, has led efforts in both the House and Senate to update the chambers policies. She recently led a bipartisan workgroup that spent months coming up with changes to the chambers sexual harassment policy, the bulk of which are expected to take effect later this month. The goal is to try to move towards a culture where harassment is not tolerated, and also where people feel more comfortable reporting, Chang said. For some women, speaking up comes with potential career repercussions. One former Democratic staffer who experienced a toxic work culture that targeted women spoke up about it after she left and was criticized by lobbyists for her new employer. The lobbyists requested to meet with her, and then said somebody had come to them with concerns and questioned what she would gain from speaking about this publicly. It wasnt explicit, but the implication was that if she continued to speak up, there might not be a job for her in the future. She asked not to be named in this story due to potential career consequences and understands why more women dont speak up about the problems they experience working in politics. You know what happens if you speak up. It doesnt ever tend to work out well for you. And Lansing is a small town. I think people forget that theres a lot of people who can make things difficult for you, she said. Theres a place for women, but not in power or big money roles A lot of women work in politics, and make a salary doing it. But its harder for women to reach the sort of upper echelons, like managing statewide campaigns, attaining top positions with caucus leadership or owning their own firms. Men outnumber women in lead legislative staffing roles, although women are closer to achieving parity there. An analysis of top legislative aides of the 146 lawmakers currently in office compiled by MLive found women held 43% of lead staffing roles. Clark, who founded Athena Strategies on her own, said the principals of political consulting firms are overwhelmingly male. When you look at who really has the power and the money, who really makes money, who really pulls the strings, its just kind of stunning. Kelly Rossman-McKinney, a longtime public relations professional who is now communications director for Attorney General Dana Nessel, started her political career as a legislative secretary in the House in 1979. Back then, she said it was a more freewheeling atmosphere flirting, relationships and affairs between lawmakers and staff were common. I think women, for the most part, felt that they had to tolerate the wisecracks, sexual innuendo, the hugs, the kisses, all that, Rossman-McKinney said. Particularly women my age, because there were so few women in power positions, it was all men. As she advanced her career and started her own business, Rossman-McKinney said she had to rely primarily on male role models for advice and guidance because there were so few women who had gone before her. I felt I had a commitment to be that role model for other young women, she said. Leonard, also a firm owner, said shes heard more from women about barriers theyve overcome than barriers that have stopped them, and has been lucky to have women she looked up to in the field. Women, she said, are integral to the political systems and its aims. Theres such an opportunity here because women offer such a critical voice and perspective in the political world, Leonard said. She pointed out that both parties have realized the importance of suburban women in the last few cycles, and women have valuable insight on several key issues parties have targeted, too. Having women part of that process and actually respecting their voice in the process is all the more critical to winning majorities, and winning elections during the election cycle, Leonard said. Women are meaningfully participating in Michigan politics, and have worked for years to keep each other away from bad actors. But theyre ready for true change in Michigans political culture. I understand its going to be a learning process. And we do need to give each other a little bit of grace, but that cant be exclusive from recognizing how pervasive that is, and the need for accountability and systems and boundary changes, Battiste said. MLive is continuing to report on women in Michigans political culture and will explore potential policy solutions in a series of articles. Do you have a story to share or a fix youre passionate about implementing? Contact Lauren Gibbons at lgibbon2@mlive.com or Emily Lawler at elawler@mlive.com. 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We respect your time and needs, and our priority is to be available to serve you. We will answer your calls and emails. We will answer all your questions. QUALITY Quality service is the foundation of any successful accounting and tax firm. Our Firm's reputation reflects the high standards we demand of ourselves. Our professionals have extensive experience and expertise in a wide variety of industries and with individuals, businesses, and organizations of all types. Our client central culture ensures that you will work with the team that can best serve you. Or deep knowledge and our commitment to serve you is what sets us apart. About Xfuels Inc. Xfuels Inc. is a fully integrated energy company that products responsible products both traditional and renewable. Our continued focus on carbon footprint reduction and cutting-edge technologies not only benefit the environment and local communities but also add value to Xfuels bottom line. Cycle Energy Services Cycle Energy Services owns and operates combo wireline-service rigs and Hydrovac Units. The focus of Cycle Energy Services is primarily end of life abandonment and reclamation of non-producing assets. The company excels by supplying fixed cost services via our custom rigs and equipment that results in reduced time onsite, faster rig in and rig out times as well as reduced number of vehicles onsite. Cycle's efficiencies reduce the amount of fuel burned to complete the abandonment and reduces the carbon footprint to abandon wells. Cycle Hydrocarbon Technologies provides both R&D capabilities as well as previously developed and licensed technologies that aid in increased production, reduced lifting, and operation costs as well as gas and oil field intelligence. Cycle Energy Technologies immediate focus our small-scale Blue Hydrogen production plants are scheduled to roll out mid to late summer 2021 our flag ship technology the mobile GTL (gas to liquid) system will roll out shortly after. This technology brings forth increased value to the group through Cycle's internal production of gas. The value is added by turning the gas into chemicals and C5+ hydrocarbons as a 3-4x multiple which is industry groundbreaking. Cycle Oil and Gas Xfuels owns 40% of Cycle Oil & Gas through its ownership in Cycle Energy Industries Inc. Cycle Oil & Gas focuses on acquiring & optimizing underdeveloped oil & gas assets and employs in-house developed & licensed technologies to increase production, optimize performance & reduce costs. The company currently produces approximately 80 barrels/day of oil as well as several non-operational properties and GORRS (Gross Overriding Royalties). Safe Harbor This release contains statements that constitute 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. These statements appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Xfuels Inc., its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "can," "believe," "potential" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Xfuels Inc.'s ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. More information about the potential factors that could affect the business and financial results is and will be included in Xfuels Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further information please contact : Xfuels Inc. Public Relations and Shareholder Information Email: mikem@xxfuels.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80998 Rudy Gallardo is marking milestones. Now in remission after being diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer in late 2019, the Clear Lake resident undergoes biannual checkups to make sure his cancer has not returned. Every clear scan and every bell-ringing ceremony is cause for celebration. But its (cancer) always in the back of your mind, Gallardo said of his continuing journey as a cancer survivor. Its been quite an ordeal. Gallardo, 55, had his surgery in November 2019 and had 25 chemo treatments and 28 radiation treatments at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake. Gallardos first and most critical phase of treatment occurred just three months before COVID for a time essentially halted elective procedures such as colonoscopies, mammograms and other preventive measures that can mean the difference between early detection and disease progression. Thats a scenario doctors at the hospital, previously Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, are bracing for one year after the first wave of COVID-related closures and disrupted services. Colorectal cancer facts In 2018, the American Cancer Society updated screening guidelines to encourage adults to begin screening at age 45. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, colorectal cancer (cancer that starts in the colon or rectum) is the third most-diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. For information on colorectal cancer, visit the American Cancer Society website at https://bit.ly/3n2s31Q See More Collapse Those COVID interruptions, which also caused many people to delay care and screenings even after services resumed, have impacted the rate of early detection of colorectal cancer, said Dr. Ted Voloyiannis, a surgeon at HCA Clear Lake and chairman of colon and rectal surgery for the U.S. Oncology Network. Statistically, we anticipate there will be a 15 percent increase of cases that are too late when the cancer is advanced and treatments options are often limited, Voloyiannis said. We (predict) we will now see more advanced cases, and that leads to more complex procedures. That will lead to more deaths because they were not diagnosed in time. Interdisciplinary treatment approach The pandemic, said Voloyiannis, has overshadowed efforts to meet the challenge, including an initiative developed at HCA Clear Lake to treat patients through an individualized, comprehensive program. HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake is the site of the first National Accredited Program for Rectal Cancer program in Texas, and it is where Gallardo received treatment. The program, led by Voloyiannis and instituted at the hospital in 2019, was developed through the Commission on Cancer and the American College of Surgeons and is one of 20 accredited programs in the nation that uses a multidisciplinary approach to treat colorectal cancers. Gallardo began the NAPRC treatment process immediately following his diagnosis with a comprehensive team of specialists in place at HCA Clear Lake. When a person is diagnosed with colorectal cancer, they rely on word of mouth when they wonder where to go and what doctor to see, Voloyiannis said. The reality is that its not one person, and its important to have a group or team of specialties involved in the treatment of colorectal cancer. That team includes a colorectal surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, the pathologist, radiologists and an extended group of administrative staff from the hospital who will navigate the patient through the journey. Also involved are nurses, nutrition and genetic specialists and rehabilitation personnel. It takes a huge support system from the hospital to pull all this together, Voloyiannis said. The NAPRC approach not only increases the rate of recovery but also can boost patients quality of life post-treatment. Gallardo, for instance, will not need to use a colostomy bag, something many patients dread, Voloyiannis said. In 2018, the American Cancer Society revised guidelines encouraging people to begin colon cancer screening at 45, a change spurred by statistics showing more younger people being diagnosed. Part of that is because symptoms related to colorectal cancer can also be associated with other unrelated and benign, common symptoms, which makes them easier to ignore, said Voloyiannis. Sometimes the symptoms are so vague that you may not link them to colorectal cancer, or they may be not be colorectal cancer, Voloyiannis said. So, relying on developing symptoms to go get checked is not a good idea. Thats why were stressing the importance of screening. I like to see patients when they have a normal colon or tiny polyps that can be removed, and we dont have to see them again for five years. The floor fell out from under me Gallardo had put off having a colonoscopy until he experienced symptoms. He didnt think anything of the bleeding at first, but it increased, and at the age of 53, after his first colonoscopy, he was diagnosed. The floor fell out from under me, and everything started spinning, he says of that moment when the doctor told him. But Gallardos survival instincts took over and he began his journey. It has been the biggest challenge of his life but also a saving grace. It gave me the true gift of empathy, he said. Cancer can be a lonely experience. When youre sitting there, waiting to get chemo and looking at a 2-foot steel door with a radiation sign people will say they understand what youre going through, but they cant until they experience it, Gallardo said. Although Gallardo started treatment before the pandemic, it impacted his recovery process, even with immediate family around him. I relied on FaceTiming, long calls, texts, people sending prayers, and I was not able to go to church as much as I would have liked, but I cant empathize enough how important it is to have those embraces, he said. Theres a lot to be said about hugs and holding someones hand while theyre pumping this poison into you. Gallardo sees friends and acquaintances confronting cancer that has returned and counts his blessings. His father, Rudy Gallardo Sr., who died in late March, was by his side from his diagnosis to his last treatment and was his greatest source of strength. The journey otherwise would have been harder, Gallardo said. Gallardos journey isnt completely over until his five-year-cancer-free bell-ringing ceremony. When youre in the waiting room and you see patients coming out announcing, Im still cancer-free! were all in the same boat, and empathize, and its so vitally important, he said. Gallardo, who works in news production at ABC13, has taken on his role as an advocate for awareness and the importance of getting regular checkups. His father, he said, would be proud that he has taken a painful experience and turned it into a life-affirming mission. That fear (of recurrence) is always there, and I dont want to face it again without my dad, but this is going to be a calling for me, to encourage people to get their colonoscopies, he said. Early detection is key to a successful outcome, and I want encourage men especially, who seem more hesitant to get checked, to go. If youre fine, then you dont have to worry about it. Its piece of mind. In August 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman died at age 43 following a five-year battle with colon cancer. The public reacted with surprise that someone who was relatively young could be a casualty of the disease, but Voloyiannis said that reaction was a reflection of the misconceptions about colorectal cancer. People are shocked and say, He was so young, how could that happen? but for us (at HCA), its an everyday reality, Voloyiannis said. For the patients that are not celebrities, their families and friends know very well whats happening. We see those stories every day. For more on the HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake NAPRC, visit https://bit.ly/32tlDiL yorozco@hcnonline.com Livestock feed prices are on the rise, and theres no clear sign when that trend will reverse. These escalating costs may have dairy farmers reconsidering their current rations. Change is happening, said University of Illinois Mike Hutjens during the April Hoards Dairyman webinar, Feeding cows with $5 corn and $450 soybean meal. He went into more detail on prices for the major ingredients used to feed dairy cattle. Earlier this month, corn grain price had reached $5.40 per bushel. Soybeans were at $14.20 per bushel, and Hutjens said soybean meal was up $100 per ton compared to last summer. Prices for high-quality hay are also moving upward, reaching $200 a ton. Similarly, the price for distillers grains was climbing due to the high corn price and growing exports to China and other countries. Corn and soybeans tend to pull other feed ingredients with them, Hutjens explained. According to planting estimates released by the USDA in February, U.S soybean acres are expected to be up 8.3% this year; corn acres, up 1.3%; wheat acres, up 1.6%; and cotton acres, down 1%. Still, Hutjens said a lot of questions remain about the size of the 2021 crop at this point. In June we will have a better picture because we will know where our acreages are at, he said. In August and September, we will know what the crop looks like standing out there in the field. Coupled with these high feed prices are unpredictable milk prices. Hutjens encourages farmers, nutritionists, and dairy consultants to hang on to their hats amid the uncertainty of what milk prices will do for the remainder of 2021. In contrast to these fluctuating prices are the basic requirements of a dairy cow. Some things just dont change, Hutjens said when it comes to nutritional needs. Cows dont change much even if corn goes up to $6 a bushel. For starters, he shared that dairy cows need amino acids, glucose, energy, and fatty acids to produce milk and milk components, and in some cases to maintain fertility and build on immunity. Next, optimal milk yield means optimal profitability. High-producing cows make a lot of money, so I dont want to give up much milk, he noted. In addition, he said dry matter intake dictates nutrient intake. If we start making changes that lower dry matter intake, we may need to change nutrient density or suffer the consequences, Hutjens explained. His final point was that rumen fermentation is a must and should be optimized. These things have not changed with our current feed prices, he reiterated. To learn more, watch the April Hoards Dairyman webinar, Feeding cows with $5 corn and $450 soybean meal." The webinar was sponsored by Kuhn. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021 April 19, 2021 Kimberley Cameron was killed when she was hit by a police car on Friday evening The family of a 27-year-old woman who died in a car crash with a police vehicle have paid tribute to her today. Kimberley Cameron, from Aylesbury, died after a crash which took place at just before 5.50pm in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Friday evening. The police vehicle was responding to a crash in nearby Waddesdon when it hit Ms Cameron. Thames Valley Police said that despite the best efforts of medical professionals, Ms Cameron, who was from Aylesbury, died of her injuries at the scene. The A41 was closed in both directions for several hours as a result of the two crashes. Today her family issued a tribute to her in which they said: 'Kimberley was a very much loved daughter, sister, granddaughter, and niece. 'She was a truly remarkable, independent young woman, who, despite having Type 1 diabetes lived every day to the full and never let it define who she was. 'She was a passionate cyclist and runner who aspired to be a role model to all diabetics by pushing and challenging her physical limits daily. 'Kimberley was always positive, full of joy and her smile lit up every room she entered. The fatal crash occurred at just before 5.50pm on Friday evening on the A41 in Aylesbury The police vehicle was responding to a crash in nearby Waddesdon when it hit Ms Cameron 'She touched many hearts and will be truly missed by her family, friends, and work colleagues. We are incredibly proud of the woman she became. 'On behalf of all of the family, we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to all of the emergency services, doctors and members of the public who tried to save and comfort Kimberley in the moments before she passed away. 'It is a comfort to know that she was not alone.' Kath Abrahams, Director of Engagement & Fundraising at Diabetes UK, said: 'We are very saddened to hear about the tragic passing of Kimberley Cameron, and our thoughts go out to her family and friends. 'Kimberley, who lived with type 1 diabetes, was a dedicated fundraiser for Diabetes UK and we are tremendously grateful for her generosity and support..' Thames Valley Police has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Police have refered themselves to the force watchdog after Kimberley Cameron was killed having been hit by response car in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Friday evening (pictured) Neither officer who was in the vehicle at the time was injured during the incident. Gold Commander for Thames Valley Police, Chief Superintendent Tim Metcalfe, said on Saturday: 'This is a tragic incident and my colleagues and I are keenly aware of the shock and impact for the woman's family and friends. We are thinking of them all at this difficult time. 'Her family are being supported by specially trained officers, and we would ask for their privacy to be respected. 'Our officers, who were responding to the Waddesdon incident, are understandably distressed that this happened while they were carrying out their duties as police officers, going to the aid of others. 'It is too early to speculate on the cause of the collision, but we have made a mandatory referral to the IOPC, and they will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances. 'Thames Valley Police is fully co-operating with this investigation and will continue to do so, and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.' The IOPC has been contacted for comment. A national parent-child reading event was held on Sunday in the run-up to the 26th World Book Day on April 23. Aimed at passing down revolutionary legacy to future generations, this year's event featured a series of activities including awarding of revolutionary history books to family representatives and a tour of the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing in which children and their parents participated. During the event, over 100 kinds of books were recommended to the participating families, which introduce the revolutionary history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Some books were read out at the event. The event was also held in tandem with cities and places renowned for rich revolutionary heritage, including Shanghai, where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921, and the Jinggang Mountains, known as the "cradle of the Chinese revolution", in east China's Jiangxi Province. States Step In It Comes With Teeth Racial Undertones Late last year, commissioners in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, proposed cutting police funding in half over the next decade and redirecting the money to mental health and social services. The bill didnt pass, but the idea alone so outraged the Georgia legislature that lawmakers decreed it would not happen on their watch.The legislature passed a bill that would restrict similar measures in Athens or any other Georgia county or city. The bill now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, who has indicated he favors it.State Rep. Houston Gaines, a Republican representing parts of Athens and the surrounding counties, and chief sponsor of the bill, told Fox News that he supports local control, but when you have local governments that are out of control and theyre putting their communities and families in those communities at risk, thats where I believe we have to step in."The move didnt sit well with the local commissioners.You have to admire the contradiction in terms when these members of the Republican Party claim a desire for smaller government, said Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Mariah Parker, a Democrat who championed the police resolution. To have that from folks who might not have their ear to the ground in our local community is frustrating.The state bill would prevent a local government from cutting its police budget by more than 5% in a fiscal year, except under extraordinary circumstances such as a large decrease in overall revenues. Any intent to do so would trigger an automatic local public hearing.The situation in Athens embodies a trend toward states preempting local laws and ordinances, a movement fueled by the twin calamities of COVID-19 and the chaos surrounding the 2020 elections. The pandemic provoked conflicts between state and local governmentsparticularly in cities run by Democrats and states controlled by Republicanswhen it came to COVID-19 rules such as mask ordinances and regulations on when businesses could open and at what capacity.And the false claims by former President Donald Trump of widespread election fraud emboldened state elected officials to wrest control of elections from local officials, most notably in Georgias recent voting changes.Name a political issue, theres probably a dozen preemption cases around the country, said David Luchs, a team lead at Ballotpedia, which tracks 11 categories of preemption fights. He said Ballotpedias categories run the gamut from really hot-button political issues like firearms regulations, to something hopelessly dull and dreary like ride-sharing or plastic bags. Some of the highest profile preemption cases will be around immigration and firearms.States have exerted authority on a range of issues.The Indiana General Assembly in February overrode Republican Gov. Eric Holcombs veto of a measure that preempts local housing regulations. It was aimed at the city of Indianapolis, which launched a program providing tenants with a list of rights and coordinating lawsuits against landlords who took what were perceived as retaliatory actions.In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill in October establishing a one-year moratorium on local plastic bag laws. At the time the bill was signed, the city of Cincinnati and Cuyahoga County, home to Cleveland, had plastic bag bans in place. Similar bans have triggered other state and city fights as well, with many ending up in the courts.That same month, the city of Philadelphia, on behalf of 10 residents, filed a lawsuit challenging a state statute that prohibits municipalities from enacting their own firearm restrictions or bans. Pittsburgh joined the suit , arguing that the state law disproportionately harms people of color.And the South Carolina House, emulating Georgias strict statewide election law signed this month, passed and sent to the Senate a bill that would strengthen the State Election Commissions oversight of county conduct of elections. The proposal came from House Speaker Jay Lucas, a Republican. The Senate approved a version that would strengthen oversight of state election officials, but not county ones. The two chambers are now seeking compromise.Lucas told The State that the bill would ensure county boards are complying with state and federal election laws, and standardize the election process.Isaac Cramer, project manager for the Charleston County Board of Elections, disagreed with that reasoning. The state already has the power to make sure voting procedures are uniform, he pointed out.Were concerned about the issue of absolute authority and what that looks like, Cramer said in a phone interview. We know best where were supposed to have our absentee and in-person voting places. [The bill] could take that authority away from us.As an example, he noted that his county has a satellite voting unit in a trailer that he can bring around to polling places in the county to beef up polling stations or to set up voting for a special election. The state election board could tell us we cant use that unit because other counties dont have that unit, said Cramer, who also is the legislative chair of the South Carolina Association of Registration and Election Officials.Data compiled in July 2020 by the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University and the National League of Cities showed that the most extensive preemption laws were related to firearms (46 states), property tax rate limits (37 states), tax levy limits (36 states), rent control (31 states) and paid leave (23 states).Hawaii is the only state without preemption in any of the 12 issues the center studied. The research focused on health and welfare topics and did not get into pandemic-related preemption or police funding.Generally speaking, not only is there more preemption [lately], it comes with teeth, said Alexandra Hess, a law and policy analyst with the center at Temple who worked on the July data. There are fines or penalties for enacting laws outside of the bounds of preemption. This is aimed at keeping local legislatures from trying or even thinking about it.Hess pointed out that many of the state preemption laws are similar and are sometimes based on model legislation written by lobbyists or interest groups. Chief among them is the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC, which offers such legislation on its website.For example, ALEC living-wage model legislation has formed the basis of many state laws eliminating the ability of localities to require a higher minimum wage than is mandated by the state, said Mark Treskon, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank.ALEC did not answer requests for comment.Brooks Rainwater, a senior executive at the Center for City Solutions, the research arm of the National League of Cities, cited a case in Missouri two years ago. St. Louis enacted a higher minimum wage than the states, and workers were beginning to feel it.People had the ability to buy more groceries and put gas in their car, he said. Then the legislature clawed that back. They had a raise and it was taken away. We can talk about the legalistic reasons for this, but the real problem with preemption is the effect it has on people.The response to COVID-19 was both a matter of state preemption and statewide coordination, Treskon said.My sense of it is that COVID exacerbated what was happening previously, he said. If you were in a state that did more preemptions anyway, you were likely to preempt for COVID.A September 2020 study by the progressive Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, found that Southern states are more likely than states in other regions to use preemption to stop local governments from implementing worker protections such as raising the minimum wage or guaranteeing paid sick leave.That stance, the institute wrote, is rooted in a long history of events and actions that have sought to promote the interests of historically privileged property owners and perpetuate the Souths racist past.Julia Wolfe, one of the studys authors and a state economic analyst at the institute, said these preemption laws seem to be targeted at preventing action in more progressive cities.Jonathan Entin, law professor emeritus at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, who has studied preemption issues, also argued there are racial undertones to some of these issues. We can talk about them as cultural but in most states where these issues have come up, the local governments are leading communities with more people of color.Im not saying its racist Republican legislators taking it out on Black cities; there is the potential that some of the larger social tensions we see are getting played out here as well, he said. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a partisan division and a racial division.While the relationship between the federal government and state governments is spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, the relationship between the states and smaller jurisdictions is more fluid. Historically, cities, counties and other small political entities retained only those rights granted to them by the states. But about 50 years ago, a home rule movement swept the country, and cities, towns, counties and boroughs sought and received powers of their own.In the coronavirus pandemic, those disparate powers came into clearer focus. Still, there were power vacuums, according to the Economic Policy Institute. For example, many Southern states, including Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, prevented localities from enacting stronger stay-at-home orders than those imposed by the states, according to the Economic Policy Institute.By contrast, Maryland created a regulatory floor for the restrictive travel orders and allowed county leaders to issue stricter prohibitions.Entin, the Case Western professor, also stressed that the pandemic and the hotly contested election simply accentuated the trends [of preemption] that were already there.The Democrats or the local governments would probably say the state legislatures have gotten more aggressive in policing what the local governments can do, he said, and the legislators might say they are responding to more aggressive local policies than weve seen in the past. FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CarSaver, the leading provider of automotive e-commerce solutions, has been selected as a finalist for the 2021 Automotive News PACETM Awards. CarSaver is among an elite group, with technical innovations from 27 suppliers around the world being named as finalists. The Automotive News PACE Award, now in its 27th year, is given to suppliers in recognition of a technological innovation in product or processes that has reached commercial application. Judged by an independent panel of technologists, the PACE Awards are recognized around the world as the industry benchmark for innovation. Automotive News PACE Awards finalists from previous years include Bose Corp., Hyundai Mobis, and Toyota Boshoku Corp. "This year's class of PACE finalists showcases the rich innovation underway worldwide in the business of moving people and things," said Steve Schmith, director of Automotive News PACE judging. "The finalists represent companies operating throughout the automotive value chain who are not only driving game-changing approaches to product development, but also reimagining the customer experience and creating new ways of generating revenue." CarSaver is being recognized for launching the first end-to-end, 100% online car buying platform for new, used and CPO vehicles. The platform enables a customer to buy on their phone and have the car delivered to their door through a fully automated online buying process from their first click to home delivery. CarSaver supports all tiers of the industry from manufacturers like Nissan to local dealers to retail partners like WalMart and SHOP.com. Nissan selected CarSaver to power its new online shopping platform, Nissan [email protected] CarSaver's enterprise technology enables Nissan and Nissan dealers to be the first to sell new, used and CPO vehicles 100% online. The Nissan [email protected] purchasing experience integrates CarSaver's industry leading features including: End-to-end online purchase of new, certified pre-owned and used vehicle inventory VIN specific pricing and payments Real-time, OEM direct rebates and incentives AI enabled deal structuring Captive and retail lender loan and lease integration eF&I eContracting Guaranteed online trade-ins Vehicle delivery management software "It is truly an honor to be selected as a finalist for the Automotive News PACE Awards," said Chad Collier, CEO of CarSaver. "I want to thank Walmart, Nissan and all the participating dealers across the U.S. for trusting CarSaver to help them deliver contactless commerce to save their customers time and money by making it easy to buy online and by removing all the friction in the process." "Nissan [email protected] changes the customer buying and ownership experience and helps to deliver contactless commerce," said Jack Jackintelle, Chief Operating Officer, Coral Springs Nissan. "I can see why JD Power ranked this ecommerce platform the best for OEMs, because it has everything we need and it's really easy to use." Winners will be announced at the Automotive News PACE Awards ceremony in Detroit on Thursday, September 30, 2021. To learn more about CarSaver click here and to view testimonials from dealers, visit www.CarSaverCommerce.com . ABOUT CARSAVER CarSaver is the leading provider of automotive ecommerce solutions. CarSaver's end-to-end digital retail platform automates the entire online buying process, from the first click to home delivery. CarSaver is the first and only enterprise platform that makes it easy to do everything 100% entirely online; buy, finance, lease, insure, repair and sell, all the top brands of new and used vehicles online. CarSaver's e-commerce platform is being utilized by car companies, dealers and trusted brands, like Nissan, Walmart, SHOP.COM and iHeart Media to help their customers save time and money when buying new and used cars online. For more information, follow CarSaver on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn . For more information: Erin Haworth, High10 Media for CarSaver, [email protected], 201-602-0881 Maria Maestro, CarSaver, [email protected] SOURCE CarSaver A high school in Britain said a former student mailed in an overdue library book that was originally supposed to have been returned 32 years earlier. ADVERTISEMENT St. John Fisher Catholic High School in Peterborough, England, said a book called Manners Make a Difference arrived in the mail recently and officials soon discovered it had last been checked out from the school library 32 years earlier. The book was accompanied by a note reading: "Sorry! Just 32 years overdue! Call it Catholic guilt." The book, published in 1954, offers advice on how to behave at school, in church and other social situations. Rosie Roe, the school's chief of administration, was the one who opened the package and identified its contents. "It was a real surprise when I opened it and saw what was inside, I thought it's a real shame they didn't leave a name because I was at the school at that time and wonder if I know them," Roe told the Peterborough Telegraph. School officials calculated the book would have accrued about $1,163 in late fees, but they don't intend to try to collect any money for the tardy tome. Officials said the book is now considered outdated and will not be returned to circulation, instead going on display in the school's study center. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration reported that six women of childbearing age who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine contracted a rare form of blood clotting in the venous drainage of the brain one associated with a low platelet count. Sadly, one of the six died and another is in critical condition at the time of this writing. The FDA recommended pausing the use of the J&J vaccine until more information can be gathered. But even though this was less than a one-in-a-million event more than 6 million Americans have received the J&J vaccine and the risk of blood clots in women taking oral contraceptives is higher, the advisory panel established by the FDA to study the problem punted. It decided to not decide waiting instead to see if any more cases get reported. We may never know how many people will die from COVID who would have gladly taken their chances with the vaccine. The FDA is also sitting on a decision to grant emergency-use authorization to the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Though it has been widely used throughout the developed world, reports of the same rare complication resulting from the AstraZeneca vaccine which, like the J&J vaccine, uses an adenovirus as a vector have kept the FDA from approving its use. Yet the U.S. government is giving roughly 4 million doses of its stock of the vaccine to Mexico and Canada. The FDA wont allow Americans to act on their own assessments of the risk of dying from COVID versus the risk of a complication from these two vaccines. Instead, it has forced the public to accept the risk-benefit assessment of the majority of its advisory-committee members. And this is nothing new: For more than 80 years, the FDA has infringed on the right of people to make their own lifesaving decisions. The FDA secured authority over deciding which drugs will be prescription-only and which will be available over the counter in 1951. That power denied women ready access to emergency contraception the morning-after pill for more than twelve years, despite the recommendations of expert advisory panels and its availability in Europe. It ultimately took a court order for women to get access to the drug without restriction. Story continues To this day, the FDA still requires a prescription for hormonal contraceptives, despite appeals from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Family Practice to allow American women to join women in 102 other countries who get birth-control pills over the counter. For years, the FDA deprived people of access to safe, non-sedative antihistamines without a prescription while permitting them to buy much more dangerous sedative antihistamines over the counter. And the FDA still hinders efforts to combat drug-overdose deaths by classifying the overdose antidote naloxone as prescription-only, despite tacitly admitting it should not require a prescription. Self-administered, at-home tests for various medical conditions have required pre-market FDA approval since 1976. The FDAs paternalistic concern for consumers has delayed or blocked patients from accessing at-home pregnancy tests, at-home HIV tests, at-home genetic-screening tests, and most recently, at-home COVID tests. FDA procrastination in approving drugs for the market, sometimes influenced by vocal special-interest groups, causes countless unseen patients to suffer or die waiting for permission to use a lifesaving drug. This phenomenon, known as drug lag, spurred civil disobedience from AIDS activists in the 1980s and inspired the Right to Try movement of the last decade. The severe costs of securing FDA approval, in money and time, are responsible for what health economists call drug loss, the phenomenon whereby pharmaceutical manufacturers choose not to invest in the development of new drugs because they dont believe theyll be able to recoup the considerable approval costs. Aside from political pressures, as Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman pointed out, FDA regulators fear the fallout from potential adverse reactions to approved drugs. Yet they are insulated from the unseen consequences of drug lag and drug loss, so they have an incentive to maintain the status quo. In a Cato Institute white paper, Michael F. Cannon and I have traced the history of how private organizations monitored, reported on, and regulated pharmaceuticals prior to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. Organizations such as the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention and the American Medical Association Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry engaged in safety and quality testing of drugs on the market. Only drugs with the AMAs Seal of Acceptance could be advertised in the various AMA journals. The AMAs Chemical Laboratory continuously tested products for purity and composition. The AMAs Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry was shuttered in 1955, as the FDA continued to accumulate unchallenged authority to regulate drugs. But even today, the AMA maintains a registry of reported adverse drug reactions. And other organizations, from Consumer Reports to health-insurance companies to academic journals to foreign regulatory agencies, continuously monitor and report on the safety and efficacy of drugs and vaccines. The FDA itself relies on research and trials conducted in the private sector. In 2015 and again in 2019, Senators Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Mike Lee (R., Utah) introduced the Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments (RESULT) Act. The proposal would allow consumers to choose between FDA-approved drugs and drugs approved by the regulatory agencies of a number of developed countries. Though it is too deferential to FDA regulators and doesnt provide nearly enough choice, it would still be a step in the right direction. But it failed to advance out of committee both times it was introduced. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided many examples of how regulations and bureaucratic stasis can impede a rapid and nimble response to a public-health emergency. To deal with the emergency, the FDA temporarily suspended many of its regulations and other red tape a tacit admission that they were blocking the way. If anything good comes out of the pandemic, let it be a widespread recognition that the 21st century has no use for this sclerotic, politicized relic of 20th-century central planning. More from National Review LAS VEGAS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nevada Justice Association has named Las Vegas attorney Peter S. Christiansen the recipient of its 2021 Trial Lawyer of the Year award. Christiansen was selected by his fellow trial lawyers to receive this prestigious honor, one of the highest distinctions a trial lawyer can earn in the state. Las Vegas attorney Peter S. Christiansen has been named 2021 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Nevada Justice Association. He is the founding partner and lead trial attorney at Christiansen Trial Lawyers. Christiansen is the founding partner and lead trial attorney at Christiansen Trial Lawyers, a boutique firm focused exclusively on trying catastrophic personal injury cases and criminal matters, as well as fraud and business-related disputes. Since 1994, he has represented clients in state and federal courts throughout Nevada and taken hundreds of personal injury and criminal defense cases to trial with a proven track record of success. "This award reflects Pete's decades of dedication to fighting for the under-privileged and winning despite taking on cases most thought could not be won," says R. Todd Terry, who was one of several attorneys to nominate Christiansen for the honor. "His commitment to justice is unwavering, and even in a year defined by a global pandemic and widespread shutdowns, he continued to try new cases and negotiate significant settlements for his clients and do so without laying off a single employee of the firm." In addition to his recognition as Trial Lawyer of the Year, Christiansen has the distinction of being one of the youngest attorneys ever inducted into the renowned American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only group of exceptional trial lawyers nominated by their peers and members of the judiciary. The honor is only afforded to those who have "demonstrated the very highest standard of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, professionalism and integrity." Christiansen also takes an active role in furthering legal education within the state of Nevada by teaching continuing education courses and serving as an adjunct professor and contributing substantial time and resources to UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law. The Nevada Justice Board of Governors will officially present Christiansen with the 2021 Trial Lawyer of the Year award at its Annual Summer Gala in Las Vegas on June 24. To learn more about Peter S. Christiansen and Christiansen Trial Lawyers, visit christiansenlaw.com/. Contact: Jonathan Crain Christiansen Trial Lawyers 702-570-9262 SOURCE Christiansen Trial Lawyers Dr Anthony Fauci has weighed in on gun control and says he believes it is a 'public health issue' after a 'horrifying' number of mass shootings in the last month, but he still didn't address the potential health crisis at the border. 'Myself, as a public health person, I think you can't run away from that,' Fauci said when asked about gun violence during an appearance on CNN with Dana Bash. 'When you see people getting killed, I mean, in this last month, it's just been horrifying what's happened. How can you say that's not a public health issue?' He made the comments amid mounting pressure from the Biden administration and Democrats for sweeping gun control legislation. It follows a series of mass shootings in the US over the past month. Scroll down for video Dr Fauci has weighed in on gun control and says he believes it is a 'public health issue'. 'Myself, as a public health person, I think you can't run away from that,' Fauci said when asked about gun violence during an appearance on CNN with Dana Bash Fauci, as the face of the COVID response since the Trump administration, has rarely spoken up about other policy issues. Last Friday, in a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, President Biden slammed the use of assault rifles and called for their ban. 'Theres no reason someone needs a weapon of war with 100 rounds, 100 bullets, that can be fired from that weapon, Nobody needs that. 'I strongly, strongly urge my Republican friends in the Congress who refuse to bring up the House-passed bill to bring it up now. 'Who in Gods name needs a weapon that can hold 100 rounds, or 40 rounds or 20 rounds. Its just wrong, and Im not going to give up until its done.' Republicans are mainly united on gun control and have blocked attempts at legislation. Last week Biden also criticized having to lower White House flags to half-staff 'again' after a gunman killed eight people at an Indianapolis FedEx plant. Meanwhile, Fauci has been blasted for refusing to speak out about the migrant crisis at the southern border. Earlier this month, South Carolina Sen Lindsey Graham claimed that the thousands of new arrivals present a health risk to Americans amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Graham made the claim after the infectious diseases expert - who serves as Biden's chief medical advisor - criticized some southern states for completely reopening. 'Paging Dr. Fauci: You need to go to the southern border and witness in person the biggest super spreader event in the nation President @JoeBiden's immigration policies,' Graham tartly tweeted. 'Thousands of migrants from Central America are coming into the country with a 10 percent COVID-positive rate. They have 900 people staying in a room built for 80 overcrowded by more 1,000 percent'. Graham continued in a separate tweet: 'Migrants in these facilities are intermingled and on top of each other. After being around COVID-positives, they are dumped off in Texas and taken to other parts of the country furthering the spread.' He then directly told he doctor: 'If you are worried about the spread of COVID, you should be gravely concerned about what is happening at our southern border. There is no end in sight on this super-spreader event until these policies are changed.' 'When you see people getting killed, I mean, in this last month, it's just been horrifying what's happened. How can you say that's not a public health issue?' He made the comments amid mounting pressure from the Biden administration and Democrats for sweeping gun control legislation He made the comments amid mounting pressure from the Biden administration and Democrats for sweeping gun control legislation. It follows a series of mass shootings in the US over the past month. Fauci has not spoken out about the crisis at the border, despite strongly critiquing Republican governors who have lifted restrictions in Texas and Mississippi. Just last week other House Republicans complained to Fauci for not letting Americans eat at restaurants, while charging that COVID-positive migrants are being released into the country - and people's liberties are being lost. Fauci was chided by Reps Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan as he testified alongside Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on Thursday before the House Select subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. 'We had 15 days to slow the spread turned into one year of lost liberty,' Jordan said. 'What metrics, what measures, what has to happen before Americans get their freedoms back?' 'COVID-positive migrants are released into the country, and that's allowed - but a vaccinated person can't go to a restaurant?' Scalise said. 'Kids packed in crowded, poorly ventilated cells six inches, not six feet, apart for 20 hour a day or more - but we can't open schools for in-person learning?' Fauci answered Scalise's questions more delicately, while pushing back on Jordan's assertions. 'No doubt it's a very difficult situation at the border,' Fauci told Scalise. 'I mean obviously everyone would like to see that situation fixed, I know that it's a very difficult situation,' he added after the Louisiana Republican asked if migrants in custody should be following COVID-19 social distancing protocols. To Jordan's question about when Americans would have their 'freedoms' restored, Fauci explained that the level of infection in the country would need to be much lower. 'You're indicating liberty and freedom I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying and going to the hospital,' Fauci also said. 'I don't look at this as a liberty thing, Congressman Jordan, I look at this as a public health thing.' Speaker Nancy Pelosi bizarrely thanked George Floyd for 'sacrificing your life for justice' in remarks after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of three counts of murder and manslaughter. 'Thank God the jury validated what we saw,' Pelosi said at a press conference on Capitol Hill, referring to the video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes. 'Thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice, for being there to call out to your mom,' she said. 'Because of you and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous with justice,' she added. She later tweeted a clarification of her remarks, writing: 'George Floyd should be alive today. His familys calls for justice for his murder were heard around the world. He did not die in vain. We must make sure other families don't suffer the same racism, violence & pain, and we must enact the George Floyd #JusticeInPolicing Act.' Speaker Nancy Pelosi bizarrely thanked George Floyd for 'sacrificing your life for justice' in remarks after Derek Chauvin was found guilty Derek Chauvin is pictured in court on Tuesday as the jury found him guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd. The jury returned its verdict on Tuesday afternoon after just 10 and a half hours of deliberation. Pelosi said she spoke to the Floyd family Tuesday afternoon. 'Around three o'clock I spoke to the family, to say to them: thank you. God bless you for your grace and your dignity,' she said. She made her comments surrounded by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The lawmakers watched the verdict together in a room off the Capitol. The speaker and other black lawmakers called for police reform, including the passage of The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. 'This is the first step,' Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, said of the verdict. 'Today we start to change the world.' The legislation would prohibit choke holds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, limit them at the state and local level, and restrict the use of qualified immunity, a legal shield for police against civil suits. Congress has limited power to regulate the police, most of whom fall under state jurisdiction. Speaker Pelosi joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus, led by caucus chair U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, at a press conference after the verdict After the verdict was read from the Minneapolis courthouse, cheers rose from the crowds that had gathered outside and down at the intersection of 38th and Chicago now known as George Floyd Square. Cup Foods, the store in which Floyd was last seen alive, shuttered its doors ahead of the decision. Floyd's younger brother, Philonise, 39, who took a knee at the courthouse steps at the start of the trial, was in court to hear the verdict read. He hugged Attorney General Keith Ellison and trial attorney Jerry Blackwell, whose voice was the first and last heard by the jury as he delivered both the states opening statement and their final rebuttal. President Joe Biden spoke to Philonise on Monday after the jury went into deliberations. He, Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the Floyd family after the verdict was rendered. Good management of the free cash flow , reflecting the sound management of the company during the health crisis; , reflecting the sound management of the company during the health crisis; Higher net cash , thanks to new financing, to cover company needs until operational breakeven point is reached; , thanks to new financing, to cover company needs until operational breakeven point is reached; Business development activities in line with the strategic plan for priority markets (Data Center and Automotive) and many additional opportunities under discussion on Edge Computing to position Kalray as the future European champion of intelligent processors; for priority markets (Data Center and Automotive) and many additional opportunities under discussion on Edge Computing to position Kalray as the future European champion of intelligent processors; Implementation of industrial operations , in order to engage volume production of Coolidge and Kalray accelerator cards in 2021; , in order to engage volume production of Coolidge and Kalray accelerator cards in 2021; Confirmation of higher net sales objective in 2021, with the ambition to reach 100 million in 2023. Grenoble - France, April 20, 2021 - Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris: ALKAL), a leading provider in new generation of processors specialized in Intelligent Data Processing from Cloud to Edge, communicates its annual results for 2020 and confirms short & mid-term objectives for the company. Eric Baissus, President and CEO, declares: "2020 has been a pivotal year for Kalray. By finalizing the developments of our new generation of processor, Coolidge, and by placing it in the hands of our industrial partners and future customers, we have prepared the marketing phase of our product on a large scale. We are currently putting in place all the industrial and logistical processes for the transition to volume production in a context of a booming semiconductor market due to growing structural needs in all industries. This transformation is taking place within a particularly healthy financial situation for Kalray as we have secured new funding in order to maintain a high level of technological innovation. This innovation dynamic is fundamental to maintaining our leadership position, at a time when the entire industry is looking for solutions to more effectively process the gigantic flows of data generated by new use-cases. While the historical players seek to meet new challenges with their traditional processor architectures, x86 or GPU in particular, the technology that we have developed is a disruptive approach and a technological innovation, inspired and designed from the outset to respond precisely to these new needs and overcome the limitations of traditional architectures. This new vision is attracting more and more players to our ecosystem and we intend to deploy it on a large scale in the years to come in order to become the new European champion in the field of Edge Computing. " MARKET INTRODUCTION OF COOLIDGE, THE 3RD GENERATION OF INTELLIGENT PROCESSORS As previously announced, 2020 was marked by the arrival of Coolidge, the 3rd generation of MPPA processors, to address intelligent systems market and the launch of new MPPA-DEV4 development stations combining the AccessCore 4.0 software offer and K200 development boards, integrating the Coolidge processor. Kalray is now working with its customers to develop their next generation of products, particularly in the data center and automotive sectors. As the first results of this effort, the beginning of the year was marked by the introduction of new products by Kalray's customers. In the data center world, Wistron, one of the world's largest server manufacturers, has announced the release with Kalray of the FURIO1200TM storage node appliance based on Coolidge processors. The FURIO1200TM is a revolutionary storage appliance, leveraging NVMe-oF technology and the performance of Kalray processors to deliver storage solutions 5 to 10 times more efficient in terms of speed, latency and consumption than existing solutions. In the strategic automotive segment, NXP Semiconductors officially launched in 2020 its BlueBox 3.0 platform, integrating Kalray's Coolidge intelligent processor, to provide car makers with an integrated and scalable solution, in particular driver assistance ("Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems"), monitoring or autonomous driving. Announcements from Kalray's customers and partners of the launch of their first products incorporating Coolidge demonstrate that Kalray has reached the ultimate pre-commercial milestone and in preparation for the ramp-up of orders expected in 2021. EBITDA IN LINE WITH ANNOUNCED TRENDS AND BEGINNING OF AMORTIZATION OF COOLIDGETM Sales of development boards and stations, as well as related licenses and services, generated 1,033 K in revenue in 2020, a level comparable to that of 2019 (1,265 K). This turnover is in line with the objectives announced in 2020, a year of preparation before the start of the commercial deployment in volume of CoolidgeTM scheduled for 2021. Total operating revenue reached 10,756 K up +12% on one year, due to the increase in capitalized production linked to R&D work on CoolidgeTM. The 2020 annual EBITDA[1] is down very slightly (-5%), at -5,862 K. Operating expenses were forecasted up +20% over the year, but actually only increased by +10%, showing the company's strong capacity for reactivity and adaptation. The +17% increase in personnel costs is directly linked to the planned increase in the workforce (86 employees on average in 2020 compared to 76 a year earlier) and to the presence of all operational teams during the health crisis. This increase is partly amortized by the stability of other external charges, in particular linked to the limitation of travel. Taking into account the increase in depreciation and amortization (+50% to 8,818 K), linked in particular to the amortization of CoolidgeTM development costs and manufacturing masks, and after taking into account the research tax credit (+ 24% to 2,993 K), restated operating income[2] came to -11,687 K compared to -9,014 K a year earlier. The net result is -11,818 K in 2020 against -9,085 K in 2019, in line with the trends announced. GOOD CONTROL OF FREE CASH FLOW AND INCREASE IN NET CASH OF 4.5 MILLION The annual free cash flow[3] is, as expected, slightly higher than that of 2019, at -15,054 K against -14,187 K in 2019. At the same time, financial resources were reinforced by 19,567 K (net) by the investment of NXP Semiconductors, the establishment of a State Guaranteed Loan (PGE) granted by banking partners (Bpifrance, BNP Paribas and CIC), a capital increase through private placement and grants and advances. At December 31, 2020, Kalray's available cash thus stood at 20,238 K, compared to 15,725 K at December 31, 2019. Bank debt stands for 5,531 K (mainly the PGE amortizable over 4 years from 2022) and conditional advances for 6,306 K. Equity stood at 28,434 K at the end of 2020 against 26,665 K at the end of 2019. To supplement its financial resources, Kalray set up, in January 2021, an equity line with Kepler Cheuvreux of up to 12,000 K over a maximum period of 24 months. As of March 31, 2021, the use of this line enabled the company to raise 3,042 K through the issue of 77,271 new shares. Thanks to its cash available at December 31, 2020, the expected subsidies for R&D projects and the equity line, Kalray considers it can cover its financial needs until operational breakeven is achieved. In 2021, Kalray anticipates a further increase of around 20% of its operating expenses, linked to the continued increase in staff and the ramp-up of new programs, notably the collaboration with NXP. GROWING NEEDS IDENTIFIED FOR EDGE COMPUTING MARKETS In parallel and facing the growing needs in the Edge Computing market, of which Kalray is a pioneer, the company continues to work with players from other industries, such as machine vision (analysis and identification of faults on production lines, for example), or 5G, very promising sectors for Kalray technology. Kalray works in particular with major European contractors (telecom operators, server manufacturers, car manufacturers, etc.) and universities in order to demonstrate the relevance of Kalray products at the heart of the next generation of open solutions and sovereign 5G. New developments could thus emerge in 2021. READY FOR VOLUME PRODUCTION IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2021 In full alignment to its roadmap, Kalray is now entering the commercialization phase. In particular, the very first pilot tests under real conditions of use of the Wistron storage node appliance, the FURIO1200TM, integrating the Coolidge processor and co-developed with Kalray, have just started. These pilots are confirming the performance of the product and their number will accelerate in the coming weeks. At the same time, and in order to ensure its capacity to respond in volume to the orders projected during the second half of 2021 and in the coming years, Kalray has set up with its partners all the industrial processes and the necessary logistics organization. In particular, Wistron and Kalray have collaborated to set up the entire production chain for the K200TM acceleration cards, cards which are specifically at the heart of products like the FURIO1200TM. This work will make it possible, starting this summer, to have the manufacturing tools and capacity in place to manufacture several thousand cards per month according to the order book. In this context, Kalray confirms its ambition to generate significantly higher annual revenues from 2021, in the order of several million euros, and its objective of reaching 100 million in annual turnover by 2023. Next meeting: Monday July 12, 2021 (after market close): Activity for the first half of 2021 PROVISION OF THE 2020 ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT The annual and consolidated financial statements were approved by the Management Board and examined by the Supervisory Board on April 19, 2021 and are available in the "Financial documents" section on the company's website www.kalray-bourse.com. The annual financial report, including managing report, the accounts as at December 31, 2020 and their appendices, will be available soon on the company's website. RISK FACTORS The public's attention is drawn to the risk factors relating to the Company and its activity appearing in the 2021 annual financial report which is available free of charge on its website (www.kalray-bourse.com). The realization of all or part of these risks or deterioration of all or part of the assumptions made by the Company is likely to have an unfavorable effect on its activity, its financial situation, its results, its development or its prospects. ABOUT KALRAY Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris - FR0010722819 - ALKAL) is a fabless semiconductor company, leading provider in a new generation of processors specialized in Intelligent Data Processing from Cloud to Edge. Kalray MPPA Intelligent Processors are able to capture and analyze on the fly massive data flows, and interact in real time with the outside world. These processors are capable of running demanding AI algorithms and simultaneously a wide set of different processing and control tasks such as intensive mathematical algorithms, signal processing, network or storage software stacks. Kalray's Intelligent Processors can be deployed in fast-growing sectors from Cloud to Edge: modern data centers, 5G telecom networks, autonomous vehicles, healthcare equipment, industry 4.0, drones and robots Kalray's offering includes processors, acceleration cards and a software suite, for a broad spectrum of customers such as next generation data center equipment manufacturers and service providers, system integrators and consumer product manufacturers such as car makers. Founded in 2008 as a spin-off of CEA French lab, Kalray counts among its investors: Alliance Venture (Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi), Safran, NXP Semiconductors, CEA and Bpifrance. Read more at: www.kalrayinc.com INVESTOR CONTACTS Eric BAISSUS contactinvestisseurs@kalrayinc.com Tel. +33 (0)4 76 18 90 71 ACTUS finance & communication Jerome FABREGUETTES-LEIB kalray@actus.fr + 33 1 53 67 36 78 MEDIA CONTACTS Loic HAMON communication@kalrayinc.com Tel. +33 (0)4 76 18 90 71 ACTUS finance & communication Serena BONI sboni@actus.fr Tel. +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92 ANNEXS PROFIT & LOSS K - audited data 2019 2020 Net Sales 1,265 1,033 Subsidies 6,217 7,579 R&D capitalization 1,942 2,127 Other revenue 142 17 TOTAL REVENUE 9,566 10,756 Cost of sales (257) (307) Operating expenses (14,871) (16,311) including Salaries & contributions (7,932) (9,257) including other expenses (6,939) (7,054) EBITDA 1 (5,562) (5,862) Amortization & Depreciation (5,867) (8,818) OPERATING RESULT (11,429) (14,680) Research Tax Credit 2,415 2,993 NET OPERATING RESULT 2 (9,014) (11,687) Financial result 3 (110) Exceptional result (74) (22) NET RESULT (9,085) (11,818) 1 EBITDA: earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation, and amortization 2 Net operating income: operating income + research tax credit BALANCE SHEET K - audited data 31/12/2019 31/12/2020 31/12/2019 31/12/2020 NON CURRENT ASSETS 22,217 24,020 EQUITY 26,665 28,434 Intangible assets 16,935 19,115 DEBTS & LIABILITIES 11,799 16,336 Tangible assets 4,673 4,286 Provisions 89 112 Financial assets 609 620 R&D refundable advances 5,904 6,306 CURRENT ASSETS 18,508 23,063 Bank loans 775 5,531 Inventories 240 134 Accounts Payable 3,128 2,776 Accounts receivable 764 526 Taxes & contributions payable 1,549 1,487 Other receivable (CIR, CICE, subsidies) 1,779 2,165 Other debts 354 124 Cash 15,725 20,238 Deferred revenue (Subsidies) 2,676 2,734 Accrued expenses 414 420 TOTAL ASSETS 41,140 47,503 PASSIF 41,140 47,503 CASH FLOW STATEMENT K - audited data 2019 2020 Operating CF before Capex & WC variation (5,204) (5,092) Change in working capital (incl. R&D tax credit) 1,138 (528) OPERATING CASH FLOW (4,066) (5,620) Capex (5,335) (2,920) R&D capitalization (6,217) (7,579) Investment subsidies 1,431 1,065 INVESTMENT CASH FLOW (10,121) (9,434) FREE CASH FLOW (14,187) (15,054) Net Cash from investors 96 13,551 Bank Debt (net) 318 4,756 R&D conditional advances and prepaid subsidies (net) 716 1,260 FINANCING CASH FLOW 1,130 19,567 ANNUAL CASH IN / (CASH OUT) (13,057) 4,513 Cash beginning of period 28,782 15,725 CASH END OF PERIOD 15,725 20,238 [1] EBITDA: earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation, and amortization [2] Restated operating income: operating income + research tax credit. [3] Free cash flow: operating cash flow + investment cash flow ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mpmeaZRqaGaUyGudlchmnGhnZ29jxpKZa5bJlWiaapycbW1ox2lpbsqaZm9pnGlr - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-68745-cp_kalray_ra_2020_en_vdef.pdf The Rose Festival Treasure Hunt is notorious for its complex, often maddening clues that send dedicated treasure hunters into a frenzied, two-week search through the Portland metropolitan area each spring. This year, however, the Portland Rose Festival Foundation is evening the odds with four Spring Training events designed for novice treasure hunters, getting clue solvers in shape for the main event later this season. One Spring Training Treasure Hunt event will take place each week until the main hunt begins, the foundation announced Monday, with each hunt centered around one of four counties in the Portland Metropolitan Area. The first hunt will run April 20-25 in Multnomah County, with the following hunts running April 27-May 2 in Clackamas County, May 4-9 in Washington County and May 11-16 in Clark County. Clues posted daily will help treasure hunters discover the location of four exclusive Rose Festival pins, each packed into a small canister and hidden in its respective county. Clues will be posted each morning at 10 a.m. at rosefestival.org/p/programs/treasure-hunt/spring-training-hunt, where you can also find the official rules for the Spring Training Treasure Hunt. Once the Spring Training hunts are done, the big hunt can begin. The traditional Rose Festival treasure hunt will start May 30, the Rose Festival Foundation announced, though no further details have been released. Treasure hunts in recent years have lasted two weeks, with clues released online each morning. The big prize for the traditional treasure hunt is usually a medallion encased in a block of lucite, which earns its finder a cash prize and a one-night stay at Spirit Mountain Casino. In 2020, the cash prize was reduced from $1,000 to $500, as the Rose Festival Foundation struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation has not yet announced this years prize. First started in 1983, the Rose Festival Treasure Hunt was discontinued in 2005 and brought back to life in 2014. Clues typically draw on treasure hunters knowledge of local geography and history. Community groups have since popped up on Facebook to share in the experience and aid in the deciphering of clues. --Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB RIDGEFIELD The Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Award of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) for its multi-program project initiative, SISTERS. The CLHO committee was impressed with this effort to grapple with difficult history head on, according to executive director Amrys Williams. By bringing thorny issues around race, gender and enslavement to life through theater and connecting the play to a series of educational activities and public conversations, the SISTERS project offers a model of the sort of innovative work that small organizations in Connecticut can do. The SISTERS initiative includes component public and school programs based on the original play of the same name. At the heart of Sisters is the story of two women Anna Resseguie, a white woman, and Phillis DuBois, a Black woman, who lived at the Resseguie Hotel (the present site of the museum) in the mid-to-late 19th century. The play explores the complicated dynamics of the womens relationship and was co-written by Royal Shiree, who is Black, and Joanne Hudson, who is white. It was informed by historical records from the museums archives and the lived experiences and imaginations of its playwrights. The play was virtually staged for school and public audiences in 2020 and was accompanied by programming and lessons for students and a community talkback for the public. Shiree emphasized the importance of encouraging present-day reckoning with and discussion of historical injustices. In co-authoring Sisters, I appreciate the opportunity to un-silence a bit of history to give voice and agency to the unaccredited many, she said. I'm honored that in some way I helped to spur thought and conversation hopefully until the need to do so does not exist. Shirees coauthor also expressed her appreciation for the collaborative nature of the play and its accompanying programs.I am filled with love for everyone involved in this project, Hudson said. Its a great honor for SISTERS to be recognized for the intention we envisioned. SISTERS program components fulfill the museums renewed effort to speak truth to history by critically examining how Keeler tells its history to ensure that all voices are heard truthfully and completely. This includes the sites stories at the intersection of race, gender and privilege, such as those told in SISTERS. Keeler focuses on using the sites history to reflect upon and contribute to town, state and national identities with the goal of affecting structural change and changing behavior and outcomes for a more just society. Additionally, the school program uses historiography the study of how the writing of history changes over time to challenge students to think about how history was interpreted and taught in the 19th century and today. We are honored to receive this award, and we want to recognize the many people who helped make this project possible, said Keelers executive director Hilde Grob. Combining history and theater, SISTERS is exceptional because it harnesses the power of the humanities to create honest, open and critical engagement with the past, including difficult history, to provide context for the present. Keeler will receive the Award of Merit at CLHOs Annual Business Meeting on April 20. To book the award-winning school program of SISTERS, contact the museum at education@keelertavernmuseum.org. Future productions of SISTERS public program will be announced at keelertavernmuseum.org/events and on social media. Do you want to retire or invest in real estate in the most attractive Caribbean islands? If yes, Grenada is for you. It offers you lots of benefits, both as an investor and citizen. The best benefit of investing in Grenada is that you can get your Grenada citizenship by investing in real estate. Known as the "Island of Spices'', Grenada is a true gem of the Caribbean islands on all fronts. Getting Grenada citizenship among others is a crucial point to emphasize on if you are investing in real estate in the region. Grenada is the 2nd largest exporter of the world's expensive spice nutmeg. It is home to one of the world's most beautiful landscapes, which forms another fantastic attraction for the people moving here. If you admire luxury or are a high-end investor, Grenada would never disappoint you. It has a small population of over 110,000 and a stable government ruling for over 35 years. The people of Grenada count as the happiest population ever. All these reasons prove why investing in Grenada's real estate is a profitable decision for every investor. Benefits of investing in Grenada real estate Grenada has everything to bring high-end investors from around the globe. This is to fulfill the government's aim to transform the "Island of Spices" into a global investment hub. For this, the government came up with its CBI, i.e., citizenship by investment program, in 2013. Grenada CBI program means that you can get Grenada citizenship by investing in any pre-approved real estate if you want your second citizenship. In other words, invest a pre-set amount in Grenada's real estate and get your Grenada citizenship without hassles. Though the results of the CBI programs display huge success, there are still some doubts in peoples minds about investing in real estate. So, below are the benefits of doing the same. Over the years, especially post 2013, Grenada has become an investment hub for investors aiming to invest in real estate. Due to this, the real estate market is growing like never before. And several high-end properties are up for sale at pretty low prices due to the same. Even if you have never been to Grenada, you can rest assured that its friendly population is ready to welcome you with both hands. According to a survey by the Grenada government, its population ranks among the top 10 most friendly populations. You can invest in malls, parks, hotels, bars, restaurants, buildings, apartments, or anything else. Hence, the sky's the limit when it comes to the availability of properties to invest in Grenada. Grenada is also well-known for its beautiful scenery and landscapes, which are the best in the Caribbean islands. For connectivity to the other countries, Grenada connects well to the other parts of the world. For example, you can get flights to/from the UK at low prices like 90. Another advantage of investing in Grenada is visa-free access to major economies like China and Russia. The entire application process is a remote affair. That is, you don't need to visit Grenada for any application-related purpose. Plus, you can add up to any number of members to your application like your spouse, children (between 0-30), parents, and even siblings. Finally, the significant advantage of investing in Grenada real estate is the tax exemption you get. So, as an investor, you get to save your bucks in several ways. All these benefits prove why people wish to get Grenada citizenship by investing in real estate. If you're wondering about the process for the same, here it is. How to buy Grenada real estate? If you wish to buy or invest in Grenada real estate, there are two simple options. The first is to apply for the alien landholding license that amounts to 10% of the property's price. If not this, you can also register in Grenada's CBI program. In this citizenship by investment program, you can either: Invest as an independent investor in any pre-approved real estate at the least amount of $350,000. Or invest with a partner at a least of $220,000 (i.e. $440,000). It's important to note here that the investment has to be held for a least five years to become eligible for Grenada citizenship after investing. Conclusion Grenada came up with its CBI program in 2013 to transform into a global investment hub. And the program has delivered good results over the years. For any doubts, the comment section is always open. Hence, in case of doubts, let's serve you in the best possible way. Dragon Quest XI S Gets a Demo on Xbox One Today With up to 10 Hours of Content Most of the private and some public schools in the city of Buenos Aires opened their doors on Monday after a court ruling annulled the decree of President Alberto Fernandez that had suspended face-to-face classes in the country's main district until the 30th of April as the nation experiences a second wave of coronavirus. On Sunday afternoon, a local appeals court ordered the Buenos Aires mayor's office to guarantee face-to-face education in public and private educational establishments for three levels of education. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit by a group of parents and civil organizations that appealed to the courts against the presidential decree signed Friday. And while most private schools opened, the majority of public schools were closed due to a teachers' union strike in support of the presidential measure. The court ruling applies only to the Argentine capital and does not apply to schools in the surrounding suburbs, which remained closed. Parents and students from the metropolitan area demonstrated in front of the presidential residence demanding face-to-face classes. President Fernandez's decision to close schools in Buenos Aires aggravated social tension with sectors of the population that no longer support the management of the pandemic as before and deepened differences with the opposition at a time when Argentina is going through the peak of the pandemic with an average of 25,000 new cases of coronavirus per day. For the national government, the reopening of schools between February and the first days of March in the capital and its surroundings -after being closed for much of 2020- increased the circulation of people and social encounters that partly explain the growth of cases that happened in the last few weeks. In a contrasting view, the mayor of Buenos Aires and one of the opposition leaders, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, argued that schools are not a source of contagion and that the percentage of circulation in public transport in the educational community is low compared to that of other activities. So far, Argentina has registered 2.69 million infections and more than 59,200 deaths from coronavirus, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Two Documentaries Up for Oscars Tell Stories of Nonagenarians The Oscar isnt the only one celebrating its 93rd trip around the sun at the Academy Awards ceremony this year. The shorts category features two documentaries, A Concerto is a Conversation and Colette, about fellow nonagenarians who have led extraordinary and extraordinarily different lives. One, Horace Bowers, is a 93-year-old Black man born in the Jim Crow South who became a successful business owner in California and the grandfather of a prominent composer. The other, Colette Marin-Catherine, is a French woman who was part of the resistance during World War II. She turns 93 on April 25, the day of the ceremony. Neither ever dreamed that they would have any connection to the movies at all, let alone Hollywoods greatest honor. I do think its an amazing coincidence and sort of feels fateful that both Horace and Colette are not only very close to the same age but that the Oscars itself was born at almost the exact same time as they came into the world and that almost a century would pass before their stars aligned, said Ben Proudfoot, the co-director of A Concerto is a Conversation. Its like a Halleys Comet that all these threads would come together at this exact moment. I think its pretty special. ADVERTISEMENT Proudfoot co-directed A Concerto is a Conversation with Horace Bowers grandson Kris Bowers, an accomplished composer and pianist whose Hollywood credits include When They See Us, Green Book, Bridgerton and the upcoming Space Jam sequel. Kris Bowers looked to his grandfathers wild decision to hitchhike out of Florida as the reason hes now performing his own violin concerto at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Born in Bascom Florida, Horace Bowers remembers distinctly a peer of his calling his father boy when he was 6 or 7 and knowing at that moment that he had to leave. Almost by accident, Bowers found his way to Los Angeles where he saved his money and bought a dry-cleaning business. Recently, a stretch of the South Los Angeles corridor where he founded his business was designated the Bowers Retail Square. At the same time Bowers was dreaming of escaping the South, Marin-Catherine was an ocean away in the Normandy region and war was breaking out around her. She was just 10 years old when the Germans invaded France. Soon after, she and her family joined the French Resistance. Being so young, all she was asked to do at the beginning was to write down the registration numbers of passing trucks. Later, she and her mother assisted at the hospital. In 1943, her older brother Jean-Pierre was arrested as a political prisoner and taken to the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp near Nordhausen, Germany, where he would die three weeks before it was liberated. In the emotional 25-minute film from director Anthony Giacchino, Marin-Catherine sets foot in Germany for the first time since before World War II to visit the concentration camp where her brother died in 1945. Shes accompanied by then-17-year-old Lucie Fouble, an aspiring historian researching French deportees to Dora during the war. Speaking through the films co-producer Alice Doyard, who translated, Marin-Catherine said her connection to Fouble continues to this day. Both Bowers and Marin-Catherine have found the experience of being in films a little overwhelming and both did it for family. Bowers remembers being a little confused about why Proudfoot and his grandson wanted to film him demonstrating how to press clothes, but he obliged. I told them, as long as I can help you, Ill stay here all you want, Bowers said. If Im going to help him to succeed, then thats what I want. Marin-Catherine, similarly, considers Colette to be a tribute to her brother. She thinks of herself as a very small part of the endeavor even though it bears her name. And while both films are competing in the same category, no one is feeling especially competitive. ADVERTISEMENT Were the short documentary category. Im sure that all the filmmakers behind these films are most of all interested in raising what their story is about on an international stage. We want to support each other, Proudfoot said. Whoever wins, we will all be cheering because its a win for the entire short documentary community. Bowers, who has had a difficult year undergoing cancer treatments, is especially looking forward to the ceremony. Marin-Catherine, meanwhile, will be watching from home. The academy members have to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to celebrate someone whos almost the same age as the academy, Marin-Catherine said. It will be rarer and rarer. If Colette wins, she said, shell have two pieces of chocolate that night instead of one. Jennifer Dorsey is chief copy editor and Business section coordinator. She worked in Washington, D.C., and Chicago before moving to the Tetons. GOVERNMENT is headed for a showdown with health workers after it scrapped non-claimable night-duty allowances. This was announced by Health Services Board (HSB) executive director Ruth Kaseke last week in a letter gleaned by NewsDay, where she was responding to the apex panel which had written requesting for a review of the health-sector specific allowances. The changes are effective April 1, 2021. The situation is likely to further agitate health workers whose morale is already low and might trigger industrial action. Its noted that at the health sector bipartite negotiating platform meeting of April 7 2020, apex panel requested for review of health sector-specific allowances. Please be advised that Treasury has affirmed its position, as communicated to the board in letters dated January 7, 2020 and March 2, 2020 and as communicated in previous bipartite meetings, that the review of health sector-specific allowances will ideally take subject to changing the payment framework for the allowances from non-claimable to claimable, Kaseke wrote. You may note, however, that Treasury acknowledged that only nurse managers and special health allowances may remain non-claimable due to the nature of allowances. It is in this regard that on-call, night-duty and standby/callout allowances have to be claimed on a monthly basis after review. Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo yesterday said the government was being cruel to its workers, adding that nurses would not tolerate the removal of the allowances. There is no way that we expect the government to remove what it had given to its workers. Its tantamount to victimisation and provocation. We feel that the government wants to provoke workers so that they take the matter into their own hands. Its the trend globally that workers who work overtime are paid. It shows that the employer is very cruel, instead of thanking their workers by giving them remuneration; they want to thank them by removing the peanuts which we were being given since 2018. That is bad and we are not going to tolerate that, Dongo said. The government position comes two years after nurses went on a crippling strike, demanding living wages and better working conditions. However, the government responded by firing thousands of nurses who went on strike and later re-engaged them. Newsday Everyone at the Western Front cannabis dispensary in Chelsea looks up to Marvin Gilmore. Not many would guess that a 96-year-old who has never used cannabis would want to build a dispensary. But for Gilmore, breaking into the cannabis industry was just another way to create opportunities for communities of color. As he put it, a way to find people who needed jobs and a better way of life. You take them off the street and give them something to do. Very important, Gilmore said in a phone interview from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where he was recovering from a recent surgery. Theres not many opportunities or ideas for us and so this came about when cannabis went mainstream, so we took it and we ran with it. Gilmores name is not a new one in Greater Boston, and this venture just another addition to a resume rife with accomplishments. Hes a World War II veteran and was the President and CEO of the Community Development Corporation of Boston for decades, staying involved from the 1970s until December 2014. Hes also a co-founder of the Unity Bank and Trust Company in Roxbury. And, Gilmore ran the Western Front club in Cambridge, a popular spot for reggae until it closed in 2013. Im a workaholic, by the way, said Gilmore, his charisma seeping through the phone. My life, Ive been working and bringing jobs to the community and changing the lives of people. That has kept me young. When the opportunity to start a dispensary, one that is part of the state Cannabis Control Commissions economic empowerment program, came up, Gilmore and Dennis Benzan worked to get a team together. Benzan, the former vice mayor of Cambridge, and Gilmore are co-founders of the dispensary. Western Front has more than 20 investors, the majority of whom are Black and Latino, Benzan said. More than 95% of Western Fronts employees are people of color and more than 70% come from communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition. Right now, about 26 people work at the dispensary, Benzan said, and Western Front has contracts with minority companies for other services, like security. Being able, as a minority company, to offer those opportunities, not only because its required of us, but because thats Marvins background, thats my background, of hiring people from communities of color, it was really important, Benzan said during an interview at the dispensary, as customers buzzed in and out. Its like a natural part of our business. Western Front is one of just a few economic empowerment businesses that have been able to open so far in Massachusetts. Obtaining capital has remained a barrier for equity companies looking to join an industry that has surpassed $1 billion in gross sales. The COVID-19 pandemic has kept Gilmore from visiting the dispensary all the time, but the employees there say when he does come in, his incredible presence is palpable. Basically, the room stops for Marvin, said Cassandra Leetz, the general manager at Western Front. Hes one of the most accomplished individuals Ive personally ever met. Everybody looks up to him. Its awesome whenever he can drop by and he does usually come by, COVID-allowing. As the team was working to get the dispensary started, Benzan had asked Gilmore if the name could honor the memory of the Western Front Club in Cambridge. As we evolved as a company we realized that as more and more companies come online, we need to really establish our niche and our niche is: sure, we provide you with cannabis products and some accessories, but at the same time we provide you with the music and art experience and really try to highlight local artists and others that are an important part of the community, especially now during the pandemic, Benzan said. The dispensary has a spacious waiting area where music plays from a speaker. One wall is a mural with black and white images of Gilmore and others playing music. Adjacent walls act as a gallery space, displaying works for sale by local artists. Bright blue couches and orange chairs provide ample seating, giving the space a homey feel. Gilmore describes the dispensary as exceptionally beautiful. Thinking back about the Western Front club, Gilmore said his favorite memories are the people. Bringing people together, making their lives happy, he said, thats what life is all about. Gilmore, who studied percussion at the New England Conservatory, has four children. One of his sons, David Gilmore, is a professional guitarist and a professor at Berklee College of Music who started building his interest in music from discovering his fathers piano and vibraphone at home. That interest grew with visits to the Western Front club. When we were kids, he would bring us down there to scrub the bathrooms and clean up and everything. While he was going off on errands, we would often fiddle around on the bands instruments that were left there, David Gilmore recalled. We had a lot of fun times playing on other peoples instruments and then when we got old enough, we brought our own and played on many, many occasions there. That was my first experience playing in a club, was playing at my fathers place. Marvin Gilmore has always wanted to continue the legacy of his mother, who was able to buy her own home in Cambridge and then purchase more properties to rent out to help others, David Gilmore said. He often cites his mom as being the most powerful influence on him. So his legacy is continuing his mothers legacy and helping Black people around the country to better themselves and to be proud of themselves. I think its ongoing now, with the cannabis business its just continuing to empower minorities to better themselves, David Gilmore said. David Gilmore said his father never spent much time talking about his experience in WWII because the memories were so painful. But his fathers service made a lasting impact. I think it was a motivating factor in his career, coming back here and being a fighter and really I think it just gave him a motivation to really make something of himself given that experience at such a young age, David Gilmore said. Leetz, the dispensary manager, is a Navy veteran who thinks skills from the service can easily transfer into the cannabis industry. Both are known for strict regulations. Shed like to see more veterans at the dispensary, adding to its already diverse staff. For customers, Leetz said she hopes the dispensary offers something a little out of the ordinary. Were a dispensary but we also have a great impact with music and were trying to offer the largest menu in the Boston area. I think were doing pretty well with that. We just want [customers] to come here whether youre a brand-new person to cannabis or a seasoned veteran, if you will, Leetz said with a laugh, and you to have a good time and feel like youve learned something when youve left. Leetz said shes proud to be leading the company under Marvin Gilmore. Gilmores advice for a long life, he said, is to be yourself, dont get into problems, and to keep a smile on your face. I think after 96 years its time to slow down and smell the roses, Gilmore said with a chuckle. Im laughing because Im so very fortunate to be alive. Im very fortunate to see what my history and my life have done. Im very fortunate to be me. Im very fortunate to see what I have accomplished and what legacy I am now leaving for the future generation. Related Content: New York, April 20 : Severe allergic reactions to Covid-19 vaccines remain exceedingly rare, thus people with high-risk allergy histories can safely take the jabs, according to a study of 65,000 people. Individuals with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, bee stings or venom can safely receive the Covid-19 vaccines, stated the experts led by allergists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US. "Our main goal is to enable as many individuals as possible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine safely and avoid unnecessary vaccine hesitancy due to a lack of knowledge around allergic reactions to vaccines," said lead author Aleena Banerji, clinical director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit at MGH. However, people with a recent severe allergic reaction to polyethylene glycol (PEG) -- an ingredient in the vaccines -- should see an allergist before getting the jabs, they recommended. The findings are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. The study examined possible allergic reactions to Covid vaccinations in more than 65,000 people who have become fully vaccinated, with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid vaccines. PEG is the common excipient in both the mRNA Covid vaccines, whereas polysorbate 80 is the excipient in the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described the rate of anaphylaxis after receipt of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines as 4.5 cases per million doses administered, with 89 per cent occurring within the 15- to 30-minute observation period. However, Polysorbate 80 caused anaphylaxis is extremely rare. If a person is allergic to PEG, he or she should not receive an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, instead speak to the physician about receiving the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine, the team suggested. On the other hand, if you are allergic to polysorbate 80, you should not receive the Janssen vaccine and instead speak to your physician about receiving the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines. The CDC, has since April 13, placed the Janssen vaccine on "pause" while investigating adverse events of thrombocytopenia and central venous thrombosis. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Chris Boyle Published: April 20 2021 Police are canvassing the area and nearby schools have been notified to lock out and secure their buildings. Police say that Gabriel Dewitt Wilson (pictured above) is the person of interest in a West Hempstead shooting. *UPDATE* Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has confirmed that the suspect in this shooting incident, Gabriel Dewitt Wilson, is now in police custody The original article is below. The Nassau County Police Department is investigating an incident that occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 11:19 a.m. in West Hempstead. According to Police, there has been an active shooter incident at the West Hempstead Stop and Shop, located at 50 Cherry Valley Avenue. Three people have been shot. A male victim, 49, has been pronounced deceased at the scene by a Police Medic. The other two gun-shot victims have been transported to an area hospital. The Nassau County Police Department is canvassing the area and nearby schools have been notified to lock out and secure their buildings. The person of interest in this incident is Gabriel Dewitt Wilson. He is described as a male black, 62, wearing a black hat, a black mask and a black sweatshirt. He was last seen heading westbound on Hempstead Turnpike. If anyone has any information regarding this incident or the person of interest to contact the Nassau County Police Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244- TIPS or call the Fifth Squad at 516-573-6552. If anyone sees the person of interest call 911 immediately. All callers will remain anonymous. (@FahadShabbir) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 20th Apr, 2021) Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has donated AED1 million to provide one million meals in the regions largest food donation campaign 100 Million Meals. Launched on April 11th, the 100 Million Meals campaign aims to provide food parcels for disadvantaged individuals and families across 30 countries in the middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and South America during the Holy Month of Ramadan after food relief operations were recently expanded. The campaign continues to collect donations from companies and individuals inside and outside the UAE, and every AED1 donated provides one meal to beneficiaries in the targeted countries. Hasan Abdulla Al Shamsi, Area Manager at ADIB Abu Dhabi Central Area and Estidama Council Member, said, "We are pleased at ADIB to be part of the 100 Million Meals campaign, and to help families in need across the Arab region, Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. We are also proud to be contributing to fight the international hunger challenge by partnering with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives to provide food parcels during the Holy Month across 30 countries worldwide. This initiative is in line with ADIBs commitment to support the wise vision of the UAE government as well as its commitment to enhance and develop its social responsibility towards various communities." Donations can be made on the campaigns website www.100millionmeals.ae; by making a transfer to the designated bank account through Dubai Islamic Bank (AE08 0240 0015 2097 7815 201); by sending "Meal" on SMS to specified UAE numbers (Du or Etisalat) listed on the campaigns website; and by contacting the campaign call center on the toll-free number 8004999. Apr. 20A collaborative effort has been formed among Honolulu prosecutors, the Sex Abuse Treatment Center Hawaii, the Children's Justice Center, Child Welfare Services and the Honolulu Police Department to help victims of sexual assault. Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm said the prosecutor's office won 135 convictions in sex assault cases a year before the COVID-19 pandemic. The assaults are often committed by people close to their victims, Alm said, not by "a stranger jumping out of the bushes." "This is a huge problem in our community, " Alm said Monday at a news conference. Alm said 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men will be victims of sexual assault, and 80 % of sexual assault cases are committed by people who are close to their victims. "No offense, but that's the mother's boyfriend, that's uncle, that's grandpa, " Alm said. To stop sexual assault "it's going to take getting the word out, and it's going to take talking about it when it may be an uncomfortable subject at times, " he said. Deputy Prosecutor Rochelle Vidinha, who leads a team of prosecutors dealing with sexual assault cases, said her team is on call seven days a week to respond to reports of sexual assault. "While we seek to achieve justice for the victims and to hold defendants or suspects accountable, we also want to ensure these cases are handled in a way that doesn't re-traumatize the victims, " Vidinha said. When asked whether sexual assault cases by priests, teachers, families and police officers are treated the same way, Vidinha said, "Regardless of the status of the offenders, whether it's a police officer or not, our team has prosecuted police officers. If they committed the crime, we treat it exactly the same way." Even though there's heightened distrust between the community and police officers, Vidinha encouraged victims of sexual assault to contact the Sex Abuse Treatment Center Hawaii. Story continues "We want to stress to the community that there's a system in place and that we all care, " Vidinha said. "While the system is not perfect, we want to ensure that the victims are supported and receive the care they need." Cindy Shimomi-Saito, executive director of the Sex Abuse Treatment Center Hawaii, said her organization has a 24-hour hotline and other services for victims dealing with trauma. "The impact of sex assault is so complex, " Shimomi-Saito said. "It impacts what people say, how they respond, how they remember and how they disclose the details of what happened to them." Support hotline Victims of sexual assault can call the Sex Abuse Treatment Center Hawaii's 24-hour hotline at 524-7273. [April 20, 2021] Tauriga Sciences Inc. Increases Size of Initial Production Run for its Delta 8 THC Infused Tauri-Gum Version This Initial Production Run has Been Doubled, Due to Strong Indications of Demand & Pre-Orders NEW YORK, NY, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire-- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, with a proprietary line of CBD & CBG infused Supplement chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant, Cherry Lime Rickey, Golden Raspberry, Evergreen Mint), additional product offerings, as well as an ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative, today announced that it has doubled the initial production run total(s) for its Delta 8 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 8 THC) infused version of Tauri-Gum (9thoverall product line SKU). This Tauri-Gum product version is infused with 10mg of Delta 8 THC (per each piece of chewing gum) and is manufactured in Evergreen Mint flavor MSRP per Blister Pack is $18.99. The Company is experiencing strong levels of performance and growth in its retail business. The Company has already generated record monthly sales (by a substantial margin), for the month of April 2021 (in just 20 days of this month). Driving the record performance in its retail business are the following factors: continued strength in E-Commerce business segment, Pre-Orders for its enhanced 25mg CBD/CBG infused versions of Tauri-Gum, and Pre-Orders for its Delta 8 THC infused version of Tauri-Gum. The Companys previous monthly sales record of approximately $47,000, was established during July 2020. Lastly, the Company continues to realize important and material progress, with respect to its ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative. This initiative refers to the Companys ongoing development of its proposed, Cannabinoid based, Pharmaceutical grade Anti-Nausea chewing gum, targeting nausea that emanates from ongoing chemotherapy treatment. The Company expects to issue additional update(s) to shareholders within the near term. ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidil (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant), (Vitamin C + Zinc Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Pear Bellini), (Caffeine Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Cherry Lime Rickey), & (Vitamin D3 Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Golden Raspberry). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com Complementary to the Companys retail business, is its ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative. This relates to the development of a proposed Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed for the following indication: Patients Subjected to Ongoing Chemotherapy Treatment). On March 22, 2021, the Company announced that it had Converted its U.S. Provisional Patent Application (filed on March 17, 2020) into a U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. On December 18, 2020 the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Master Services Agreement with CSTI to lead the Company's clinical development efforts. The Company is headquartered in Wappingers Falls, New York. In addition, the Company operates two full time E-Commerce fulfillment centers: one located in Montgomery, Texas and the other in Brooklyn, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other periodic filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 4 Nancy Court, Suite 4 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Company Instagram: @taurigum Personal Instagram: @sethsms47 Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com Attachment 04_20 PR Image [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Panaji, April 20 : Colloquially dubbed as a mini-Russia within Goa for more than a decade now, the warm sands of Arambol beach will now root for incarcerated Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Wednesday evening. As the sun sets over the seas off Arambol, a beach village in North Goa, Russians, many of them long-staying Goaphiles, have come together to stage a meet in solidarity with Navalny, whose fate hangs in balance in a Russian prison, with his doctor even suggesting that the key Putin critic may not have long to live. This is the first such solidarity meet organised in Goa by Russian expats with a political flavour. One of the organisers of the protest meet, Roman Naumov, a Russian living in Goa for several years now, said that the objective is to "attract the world's attention towards total lawlessness in Russia against real opposition", especially at a time when other political parties in Parliament speak in one voice, in praise of president Vladimir Putin. On Monday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had warned of "consequences" if Navalny, who is currently on hunger-strike, dies. The protest in Goa on Wednesday evening is part of a united effort by the Russian diaspora to express solidarity with Navalny, who has emerged as a rallying point for Putin's detractors. Since the late 2000s, Russians have edged out Britishers as the top contingent of foreign tourists to Goa, especially during the tropical state's mild winter season from October to March. In 2018, over three lakh Russians visited Goa, followed by 1.3 lakh tourists from the UK. The numbers dropped in 2019 after some leading global charter flight operators hit financial trouble. The 2020-21 season was also derailed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the years, beach villages like Arambol, Morjim and Ashwem have emerged as the favoured hubs for Russian tourists. Tell tales signs like Russian signages, Russian language classes and even menus in Cyrillic make the visitors feel at home in sunny Goa. No wonder then that the solidarity meet in favour of Navalny is scheduled to be held in Arambol, where Russian longstayers can be spotted regularly. According to another lead organiser, Alina, also a Russian national, the protest in Goa would involve a prayer-cum-meditation meet, along with a procession with a portrait of the Russian opposition leader, against the backdrop of the setting sun. "I am doing this because I want to save Alexei from death. He is in a very critical condition. People are very worried. All I can do here is go to the beach with his portrait as a sign of support," Alina said. Naumov said that the protest meet would observe all the Covid-19 SOPs put in place by the state government, as well as follow the spirit of Section 144 CrPC -- a prohibitive law which debars assembly of people. "We will ensure that all the laws and guidelines of the land are followed during the solidarity meet," Naumov said. When asked if as an organiser of the event in Goa, he is worried about any retributive action by the Russian government, Naumov said: "I am not doing anything illegal, but I am not scared to express my opinion. We just want to attract the world's attention towards the issue. It might put some pressure on the Russian government." Rep. Roy Seeks to Force House Vote on Keeping Trumps Anti-COVID-19 Border Rules Being a Texan, Republican Rep. Chip Roy knows all about big things, so it may not surprise his constituents back home that hes taking on one of the biggest legislative challenges possible. Roy filed a discharge petition on April 19 to force Rep. Yvette Herrells (R-N.M.) H.R. 471the Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry from COVID-19 Act of 2021out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and onto the floor for a decision by the full House. House rules allow representatives to file discharge petitions, which can force a bill out of a committee in which its held and to the floor for an up or down vote. Discharge petitions are challenging because they require the signatures of at least 218 members of the House in order to suspend the usual legislative process and move the targeted bill straight to the floor. For Roy to succeed, he must receive the signatures of all 212 of his Republican colleagues and at least six Democrats. There are also additional procedural technicalities that can further complicate the process. The most recent publicly available report on the discharge petition includes this observation: Discharge is generally the only procedure by which Members can secure consideration of a measure without cooperation from the committee of referral, or the majority-party leadership and the Committee on Rules. For this reason, discharge is designed to be difficult to accomplish and has infrequently been used with success. Herrells proposal has 46 co-sponsors, all Republicans, with the most recent being Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.). Herrells bill would require President Joe Biden, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to continue enforcing Title 42 regulations, created by President Donald Trump to block entry into the United States by individuals carrying the CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Enforcement could only end when all state and federal lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, curfews, and other COVID-19 mandates end; all public and federal public health emergencies for COVID-19 end; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traveler health risk level for Canada and Mexico is reduced to Level 1. When the new administration came in, President Biden ended President Trumps Title 42 enforcement for thousands of children and families, and he may still decide to end enforcement altogether, all to appease his anti-borders base, Roy said in a statement. Suspending Title 42 enforcement in part has already signaled to cartels and coyotes that the era of catch-and-release has returned and encouraged them to expand their atrocious operations across our border and into our communities. What remaining enforcement the administration has left in place is the one thing standing between the current crisisas bad as it isand a full-scale rush on our southern border. With Congresswoman Herrells legislation and this discharge petition, Congress has the power to override this administrations reckless policies now and prevent this crisis from getting worse. There is no reason that we shouldnt vote on this as soon as possible. I look forward to finding out how many of my colleagues in each party agree. Herrell said in the same statement that Title 42 border health protections may be the only thing keeping Bidens border crisis from becoming a full-blown catastrophe. Congress must act to ensure the Border Patrol keeps their authority to quickly expel migrants who have or may have been exposed to COVID-19, she said. Advocates of strict immigration policies support Roys discharge petition, according to the statement. It is absolutely critical, as this pandemic continues, that the protections put into place by executive branch agencies under the last administration are kept in place, said Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations for NumbersUSA. Congressional correspondent Mark Tapscott may be reached at mark.tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. A total of 149 undocumented immigrants were discovered inside a tractor trailer during a roadside inspection in Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. U.S. Border Patrol agents ordered the driver of a commercial truck to stop at a checkpoint on Interstate 36 north of Laredo on Friday. While scanning the truck, Border Patrol agents detected abnormalities within the trailer. The agents then opened the trucks cargo area and found the migrants, CBP said in the statement released Monday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced via a statement Monday that 149 undocumented immigrants were found inside a tractor trailer after U.S. Border Patrol agents instructed the driver, a U.S. citizen, to stop at a checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 north of Laredo, Texas, on last Thursday CBP said that the 149 migrants are citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador The undocumented immigrants were identified as citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. All of the migrants and the truck driver were detained. 'Human smugglers continue to have no regard for the safety and health of the people they exploit for profit,' CBP said in its statement. 'With a noted increase in COVID-19 infections among detainees, the transporting of large groups of people without PPE in close dangerous quarters endangers the individuals and safety of our Nation.' A CBP monthly report released April 8 showed Border Patrol agents apprehended 172,331 migrants during March after stopping 101,028 people in February. The agency also reported 18,663 unaccompanied children were taken into custody in March. Border Patrol stopped 9,271 migrant minors who unlawfully entered the United States from Mexico in February. As more companies move to virtual offices and transactions, more incidents of data leaks and hacking attacks are reported. With this, organizations and consumers alike are concerned about their security online. There are many questions about this that linger in the minds of every online enterpreneur. To shed light on some of these queries, we will share with you some insights from Mana Security CEO and founder Tim Ismilyaev. TechTimes was given the oppurtunity to interview the famed cyber expert about this topic. TechTimes: We'd love to hear about how the company started. What moved you to establish this company? CEO Tim Ismilyaev: We were building security for Cindicator Capital, a hedge fund for crypto assets. Our defense system consisted of fundamental security measures and a detection/response team for advanced threats. We noticed that vulnerability management parts frequently required our attention: every day, new vulnerabilities appeared for apps we used for daily work-Microsoft Office, browsers, developers' tools, and many others. These vulnerabilities could stay unpatched for months if our cyber team manually didn't notify colleagues about them. It usually required 3-4 pings within a few weeks before our colleagues solved the problem. For a team of our size (70+ people), it occupied 20% of two security engineers' time. That is a lot because we always had a ton of work in other parts of security processes. It became apparent that the current vulnerability management approach was invented 20-30 years ago when companies had much fewer apps to maintain. So cyber teams could easily manage to verify that all systems run the latest software. We started to investigate how other cyber teams tackle this issue. We figured out that most teams use one of the following approaches: regular manual reminders; has a dedicated VM team that find the most critical updates and then asks IT engineers to fix the shortlist; enforce a whitelist of apps for all company computers/servers and has a maintenance hour to update them in the morning. None of these solutions worked well for most SMBs and us. We came up with an idea to delegate the update process to team members and incentivize them using game mechanics used in MMO games. After successful trials of this approach in several companies, we decided to launch a new company to help other teams to solve this problem in their organizations. Read Also: Ransomware Canada 2020: Business Attacks Would Not Slow Down in the Next Two Years-Cyber Experts Warn TechTimes: Can you please tell us about what Mana Security does? How does it work? CEO Tim Ismilyaev: I regularly play many computer and mobile games, including Dota 2, Hero Wars (mobile MMO RPG), and learn Spanish in Duolingo. All these apps have many mechanics to keep gamers return to their apps, and we use some of them in Mana. When our users install updates for apps on their workstation, we reward them with points. Mana announces who was best in security this week and who failed to update at the end of each week. When you fail to update on time, you put your company at risk, and this motivates people to be more active next week. The other mechanic is to make daily updates more interesting: we split all employees into pairs and notify each side about their opponent. They both have a few hours to install updates. If one fails to complete tasks on time, she loses some points, and the other side gets additional rewards. Most employees usually have 2-3 updates to install per week. So when they don't have vulns, we reward them with "daily chests" for staying secure. It becomes a routine for clients: many start their day by opening "daily chests" and getting a portion of dopamine by helping the company to stay secure. TechTimes: Some are saying that no matter how secured a server or platform is, hackers can still get into it. Is this true? What are your thoughts about different hacking incidents? CEO Tim Ismilyaev: Statistics show that most data breaches could be stopped if companies followed simple rules: updated apps on time and had the right hardening policies. Both rules aren't that hard to implement and don't break end-users' experience. Criminals aren't interested in most businesses, so when they fail to break into a company in 1-2 attempts, they switch to other targets with a less robust defense. The rest data breaches usually comprise businesses with high stakes: financial institutions, popular e-commerce platforms. Adversaries can spend much more time on them because they have a higher upside: steal millions from bank accounts or get a ransom for unpausing the company's operation. The goal of defense for these companies is to make an attack much longer in time, leaving multiple traces during the attack. Even when they use a 0-day vulnerability, they still have to execute malicious code and put a backdoor. There're plenty of techniques to detect these actions, and then security teams would be able to react to it. For example, Coinbase detected malicious actors who used 0-day for Firefox, quickly isolated affected workstations, and stopped the targeted attack. TechTimes: In what way can you help with an organization's data protection and cybersecurity? What needs to be done by companies and organizations to avoid data breach? CEO Tim Ismilyaev: Any attack starts from two major attack vectors: exploiting missing patches during reconnaissance; sending phishing emails. According to recent researches (Ponemon Institute - 60%, Automox - 58%), the first vector is the most popular. Mana Security helps a lot with it, because when a business fixes vulnerabilities on time, there're no easy paths to intrude the company. We met potential customers during our sales and noticed that their cyber teams focus on the wrong parts of security. Instead of building fundamental security first, they start to developing detection&response processes and systems. The costs to build D&R ranges from $200k (Red Canary estimation) to $1.2M...2.4M (LINKBYNET estimations) per annum. For SMBs I recommend implementing fundamental security first. It's fast to build, and one security engineer can easily maintain it. The fundamental security consists of several pieces: Mandatory 2FA. Password managers. Installing app/OS updates within 1-2 weeks. Hardening. Specify attack vectors from MITRE ATT&CK for relevant OSes and harden them. Unified endpoint management. It is used to distribute hardening policies across all workstations. Binary whitelisting. Enforce the same OS: one for workstations and one for servers. It's much easier to protect a limited amount of operating systems, especially when you have one or two security engineers. Do backups of all workstations and store them offline. In case of a ransomware attack, you'll be able to resume normal business operations. TechTimes: Is Mana Security designed for teams or organizations or does it also work for individuals (say, influencers)? CEO Tim Ismilyaev: We now only focus on products for businesses because they realize the problem much better. TechTimes: What's your advice to online users to ensure privacy and data protection when using social media, emails, etc? CEO Tim Ismilyaev: The bare minimum for personal computers and smartphones: Install updates within 1-2 weeks. Use two accounts on a computer: the non-administrative account for daily tasks and the account with admin permissions for the occasional cases. If you see an unexpected popup that requires admin permission, safely press "Cancel." Utilize 2FA, at least for essential accounts: email, social networks, banking, messengers, smartphones. Use Password manager - it helps to create strong unique passwords for each application/service and store them in secured encrypted storage. Use apps only from native app stores: Mac App Store, Windows Store, iOS App Store, Google Play. They have security verification tests, so it's hard for crooks to get there. As a last note: never use Torrent clients. They connect to thousands of suspicious computers while downloading files-there're many cases when attackers easily compromised computers utilizing a vulnerability in popular Torrent clients. For more advanced users I strongly recommend hardening running new software on computers. This way, even if a criminal will try to execute some malicious program on your PC, he'll fail: Install binary whitelisting on personal computers: Google Santa for macOS and AppLocker for Windows. They prevent running unknown software if you don't allow them explicitly. It's a bit hard in the beginning, but it will pay off in the future many times. Consider uninstall or blacklist developer tools (bash, python, etc.) if you don't require them. Related Article: DarkSide Ransomware's New Data Leak Service In Iran Will Spread and Store Victims' Stolen Data 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A pastor in California addressed a disturbing speculation about COVID-19 vaccines. Pastor Greg Laurie clarified that the vaccine for COVID-19 is not "the mark of the beast." He tackled the question both in his sermon last Sunday and on Twitter, Faithwire reported. The "mark of the beast" is mentioned by the Bible in Revelation 13:15-17. The Scripture said that the mark will be forced on all people, "small and great," and no one will be able to sell or buy unless marked with the number of God's enemy. "Is the COVID vaccine "The mark of the beast? Short answer - No.," Pastor Laurie tweeted, alongside a short video clip explaining his answer. In the video, the pastor explained that the vaccine is not "the mark of the beast" since taking it will require allegiance to the antichrist, thus people will be made aware of the mark. "When people take the actual mark of the beast, which, of course, is 666, they will know they're taking it, because you will have to pledge allegiance to the antichrist," he said. "So there can't be a mark without an antichrist. And the antichrist cannot be revealed until Jesus Christ returns for His church and catches us up to heaven," Pastor Laurie added. He also stated that people will have full knowledge about the mark because even an angel will warn them not to take it. "So, when you take the mark - and I'm talking to someone maybe in the future - if you were to take the mark, you would know you're taking the mark. The Bible says an angel will fly through the heavens saying, 'Don't take the mark of the beast.' So, if you take it, you'll know you're taking it," he stated further. He continued by saying that during the time that the "mark of the beast" is introduced, it will be popularized by celebrities themselves, encouraging others to take the mark too. In conclusion, the pastor advised that people must get rid of the vaccine concern and focus on serving God instead. "But listen, we're not there yet. So don't spend your time worrying about if you've taken the mark or who the antichrist is. It's not revealed yet. Focus on Jesus Christ and following Him," he said. Is the COVID vaccine "The mark of the beast?" Short answer- No. Here's why- pic.twitter.com/5v5zNbr1Hs Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) April 19, 2021 The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) also tackled people's doubts on taking vaccinations. Speaking to Premier Christian News, Steve Fouch of CMF said that vaccines had been instrumental in eliminating the most deadly diseases such as small pox, along with other major illnesses that have ravaged the human race, improving people's life expectancy. He added that vaccines are "the biggest lifesaving medical technology" ever developed. "We have to remember that God enables science and medicine," Fouch further said. Skepticism on COVID-19 vaccines rose after several individuals articulated their concern that it can be "the mark of the beast," including Kanye West and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. West stated last year that he is cautious about the vaccine, believing that it may be the "chip" that the antichrist was planning to install on people, causing them to be alienated from God. Greene also criticized the vaccine passports, calling them Biden's "mark of the beast" and that the implementation of such is "corporate communism." FAW-Volkswagen employees work on an assembly line at the automaker's Tianjin plant. [Provided to China Daily] Stable pace fueled by moves to further expand domestic market Foreign direct investment into China is expected to grow at a stable pace this year, thanks to the country's moves to further expand its domestic market and its status as the biggest trading partner of more than 120 countries and regions, said experts and business leaders. After surpassing the United States as the world's biggest recipient of foreign investment last year, China continues to see fast FDI growth this year. The country's actual use of foreign capital soared by 43.8 percent year-on-year to $44.86 billion in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce. Even though many countries have resumed production since the second half of last year, their completeness of industrial and supply chains cannot compete with China's, and the nation's overall situation of using foreign capital will remain optimistic this year, said Liang Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing. Backed by GDP growth and strong performances in manufacturing, services and foreign trade, China, supported by the new "dual circulation" development paradigmin which the domestic market is the mainstay and the domestic and foreign markets reinforce each otherhas emerged as a safe and lucrative market for FDI, he said. Liang predicted that the country will attract over $150 billion in foreign capital this year, while its consumption scale is expected to amount to 42 trillion yuan ($6.5 trillion), with both maintaining positive momentum. Proposed by the central leadership, the dual-circulation growth pattern emerged as the overriding economic theme, with innovation, opening-up and the need to boost domestic demand identified as priorities during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. Robust FDI growth between January and March highlighted the confidence of global businesses in the resilience and strong potential of the Chinese market, as well as the government's continuity, stability and sustainability of policies, said Ren Xingzhou, a research fellow and former director-general of the Institute for Market Economy of the Development Research Center of the State Council, China's Cabinet. While expanding domestic demand and ensuring the smooth flow of internal circulationthe domestic cycle of production, distribution and consumptionChina's efforts also focus on boosting exports and imports alike. This strategy will not only build a broader platform for global cooperation, but also encourage more foreign companies to invest in China, said Cha Sheng, general manager for China at Vorwerk Group, a German industrial and technology company. Vorwerk will establish a digital solution center in Shanghai this year to facilitate its transformation from a manufacturing company to a service-oriented manufacturer. Olivier Blum, chief strategy officer for French industrial conglomerate Schneider Electric SA, said that since innovative, green and low-carbon products and solutions, including 5G, artificial intelligence, big data and new energy vehicles, will be the driving force of China's economic growth, the group will turn all its 23 plants in China into green factories and help more local partners push sustainable growth in the coming years. Driven in recent years by surging inflows of foreign capital into high-tech industries, especially high-tech services, China saw the actual use of foreign capital in the high-tech sector expand 32.1 percent year-on-year in the first quarter this year, while investment in the services sector rose 51.5 percent year-on-year, according to Ministry of Commerce data. Saravoot Yoovidhya, CEO of Thailand's TCP Group, which owns the energy drink brand Red Bull, said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement will lead the way in driving global economic recovery and building a post-pandemic world that is more resilient, sustainable and inclusive. China has been working closely with 14 other partners to ratify the RCEP, which will establish the world's largest free trade zone, before the end of the year. Yoovidhya said the company will invest more than 1 billion yuan to build new plants and conduct other commercial activities in China from 2021 to 2023. China's effective control of the pandemic and quick economic recovery have also helped the country sign more free trade deals, said CK Tan, vice-president for the Asia Pacific region at Lubrizol Corp, the United States-based specialty chemical product manufacturer. China will "integrate itself deeper into the world economy, offering huge growth opportunities for other nations", Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a news conference in Beijing early this month. During the first quarter of this year, FDI from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increased 60 percent, while FDI from economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative rose 58.2 percent and from the European Union, 7.5 percent, according to Ministry of Commerce data. What a Foxx! Jamie Foxx, 53, set pulses racing as he revealed his ultra-ripped physique in a new Instagram Story post on Monday. The Academy Award winner, who is currently preparing to play boxer Mike Tyson, showed ex Katie Holmes what she was missing as he stripped off his shirt to show off his six-pack abs while spending time with his dogs King and Kong. Muscle man: Jamie Foxx showed off his shredded body and six-pack abs while hanging out with his dogs King and Kong in an Instagram Story shot Jamie went with Western vibes for the rest of his look, rocking a cowboy hat, distressed jeans and well-worn leather boots. Though it was obvious the Terrell, Texas native could make knees weak, it's unclear who Foxx is currently romancing. He was last linked to 26-year-old model and waitress Dana Caprio in 2020, a little less than a year after his split from girlfriend of six-years Holmes. Right now, it looked like actor/musician was putting everything into his workouts as he trains up to play notorious fighter Mike Tyson in a forthcoming streaming series. Single? Though it was obvious the Terrell, Texas native could make knees weak, it's unclear who Foxx is currently romancing. He was last linked to 26-year-old Dana Caprio in 2020, a year after his split from Katie Holmes Hot wheels: Later in the day he shared a snap from the inside of one of his luxury cars, captioning the shot '#focused' Throwback: Above Jamie is seen back in 2018 while still dating Holmes The show will span Tyson's whole life, tracing his highs as Heavyweight Champion Of The World and lows, like his time behind bars. More recently, Foxx has been collaborating with his daughter Corinne on the Netflix series Dad Stop Embarrassing Me, which came out last Wednesday. Jamie celebrated his daughter's first big producing credits late last month, telling his 27-year-old 'soooo proud of u!' in a chic Instagram of his girl. In the show, Foxx plays 'a single dad and cosmetics brand owner [who] figures out fatherhood on the fly when his strong-minded teen daughter moves in with him,' according to IMDb. Champ: Right now, it looked like actor/musician was putting everything into his workouts as he trains up to play notorious fighter Mike Tyson (above 1989) in a forthcoming streaming series Family affair! More recently, Foxx has been collaborating with his daughter Corinne on the Netflix series Dad Stop Embarrassing Me, which came out last Wednesday Talking about her new gig with Forbes last week, the USC grad said: 'It was a really big learning experience because I was the youngest and the only female producer on the show.' 'I was stepping into these rooms with Netflix executives, with people who were seasoned and had these long careers,' she explained. 'Not to say that any of them were weren't sweet and amazing to me, but I knew these were big shoes to fill, and I had to level up very quickly. 'At first, I was very intimidated by it, but then I remembered no one knows the material better than me because this is based on my life. I think that took some of the pressure off because no one can speak to this more than I can.' Dad Stop Embarrassing Me eight-episode first season is available to stream via Netflix now. FILE - In an Oct. 30, 2012, file photo, former Vice President Walter Mondale, a former Minnesota senator, gestures while speaking at a Students for Obama rally at the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost the most lopsided presidential election after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died Monday, April 19, 2021. He was 93. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) PHOTO:AP Photo/Jim Mone, File Former Vice President Walter Mondale Dies at 93 By The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS - Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost one of the most lopsided presidential elections after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died Monday. He was 93. The death of the former senator, ambassador and Minnesota attorney general was announced in a statement from his family. No cause was cited. Mondale followed the trail blazed by his political mentor, Hubert H. Humphrey, from Minnesota politics to the U.S. Senate and the vice presidency, serving under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. In a statement Monday night, Carter said he considered Mondale the best vice president in our countrys history. He added: Fritz Mondale provided us all with a model for public service and private behavior. President Joe Biden said of Mondale: "There have been few senators, before or since, who commanded such universal respect. ... It was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency as a full partnership, and helped provide a model for my service. Mondale's own try for the White House, in 1984, came at the zenith of Ronald Reagans popularity. His selection of Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate made him the first major-party presidential nominee to put a woman on the ticket, but his declaration that he would raise taxes helped define the race. On Election Day, he carried only his home state and the District of Columbia. The electoral vote was 525-13 for Reagan the biggest landslide in the Electoral College since Franklin Roosevelt defeated Alf Landon in 1936. (Sen. George McGovern got 17 electoral votes in his 1972 defeat, winning Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.) I did my best, Mondale said the day after the election, and blamed no one but himself. I think you know Ive never really warmed up to television, he said. In fairness to television, it never really warmed up to me. Years later, Mondale said his campaign message had proven to be the right one. History has vindicated me that we would have to raise taxes, he said. It was very unpopular, but it was undeniably correct. In 2002, state and national Democrats looked to Mondale when Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., was killed in a plane crash less than two weeks before Election Day. Mondale agreed to stand in for Wellstone, and early polls showed him with a lead over the Republican candidate, Norm Coleman. But the 53-year-old Coleman, emphasizing his youth and vigor, out-hustled the then-74-year-old Mondale in an intense six-day campaign. Mondale was also hurt by a partisan memorial service for Wellstone, in which thousands of Democrats booed Republican politicians in attendance. One speaker pleaded: We are begging you to help us win this election for Paul Wellstone. Polls showed the service put off independents and cost Mondale votes. Coleman won by 3 percentage points. The eulogizers were the ones hurt the most, Mondale said after the election. It doesnt justify it, but we all make mistakes. Cant we now find it in our hearts to forgive them and go on? It was a particularly bitter defeat for Mondale, who even after his loss to Reagan had taken solace in his perfect record in Minnesota. One of the things Im most proud of, he said in 1987, is that not once in my public career did I ever lose an election in Minnesota. Years after the 2002 defeat, Mondale returned to the Senate to stand beside Democrat Al Franken in 2009 when he was sworn in to replace Coleman after a drawn-out recount and court battle. Mondale started his career in Washington in 1964, when he was appointed to the Senate to replace Humphrey, who had resigned to become vice president. Mondale was elected to a full six-year term with about 54% of the vote in 1966, although Democrats lost the governorship and suffered other election setbacks. In 1972, Mondale won another Senate term with nearly 57% of the vote. His Senate career was marked by advocacy of social issues such as education, housing, migrant workers and child nutrition. Like Humphrey, he was an outspoken supporter of civil rights. Mondale tested the waters for a presidential bid in 1974 but ultimately decided against it. Basically I found I did not have the overwhelming desire to be president, which is essential for the kind of campaign that is required, he said in November 1974. In 1976, Carter chose Mondale as No. 2 on his ticket and went on to unseat Gerald Ford. As vice president, Mondale had a close relationship with Carter. He was the first vice president to occupy an office in the White House, rather than in a building across the street. Mondale traveled extensively on Carters behalf, and advised him on domestic and foreign affairs. While he lacked Humphreys charisma, Mondale had a droll sense of humor. When he dropped out of the 1976 presidential sweepstakes, he said, I dont want to spend the next two years in Holiday Inns. Reminded of that shortly before he was picked as Carters running mate, Mondale said, Ive checked and found that theyre all redecorated, and theyre marvelous places to stay. Mondale never backed away from his liberal principles. I think that the country more than ever needs progressive values, Mondale said in 1989. That year, Democrats tried to persuade him to challenge Minnesota GOP Sen. Rudy Boschwitz, but he decided against making the race, saying it was time to make way for a new generation. One of the requirements of a healthy party is that it renews itself, he said at the time. You cant keep running Walter Mondale for everything. That paved the way for Wellstone to win the Democratic nomination, and go on to upset Boschwitz. Wellstone had been preparing to take on Mondale in a primary but would have been a heavy underdog. The son of a Methodist minister and a music teacher, Walter Frederick Mondale was born Jan. 5, 1928, in tiny Ceylon, Minnesota, and grew up in several small southern Minnesota towns. He was only 20 when he served as a congressional district manager for Humphreys successful Senate campaign in 1948. His education, interrupted by a two-year stint in the Army, culminated with a law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1956. Mondale began a law practice in Minneapolis and ran the successful 1958 gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Orville Freeman, who appointed Mondale state attorney general in 1960. Mondale was elected attorney general in the fall of 1960 and was reelected in 1962. As attorney general, Mondale moved quickly into civil rights, antitrust and consumer protection cases. He was the first Minnesota attorney general to make consumer protection a campaign issue. After his White House years, Mondale served from 1993-96 as President Bill Clintons ambassador to Japan, fighting for U.S. access to markets ranging from cars to cellular phones. He helped avert a trade war in June 1995 over autos and auto parts, persuading Japanese officials to give American automakers more access to Japanese dealers and pushing Japanese carmakers to buy U.S. parts. Mondale kept his ties to the Clintons. In 2008, he endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, switching his allegiance only after Barack Obama sealed the nomination. When Democrats came to him after Wellstones death, Mondale was working at the Minneapolis law firm of Dorsey & Whitney and serving on corporate and nonprofit boards. He returned to the firm after the brief campaign. Mondale and his wife, Joan Adams Mondale, were married in 1955. During his vice presidency, she pushed for more government support of the arts and gained the nickname Joan of Art. She had minored in art in college and worked at museums in Boston and Minneapolis. The couple had two sons, Ted and William, and a daughter, Eleanor. Ted Mondale served six years in the Minnesota Senate and made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1998. William Mondale served for a time as an assistant attorney general. Eleanor Mondale, who became a broadcast journalist and TV host, died of brain cancer in 2011. Joan Mondale died in 2014 at age 83 after an extended illness. Hyundai Motor Company has officially launched its new Staria multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) lineup via a digital world premiere, establishing a model for its future Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs). Starias debut furthers Hyundai Motors transformation as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider and embodies the companys inside-out design methodology that emphasises interior spaciousness and usability. Staria is Hyundais response to shifting consumer needs by offering them purposeful, innovative features and redefining in-car travel experiences in line with the companys vision of Progress for Humanity. Staria is available in 2- to 11-seat configurations and in two variants: Staria and Staria Premium, the latter elevating mobility to the next level with upgraded features and variant-exclusive finishes for a more luxurious look and feel. We are thrilled to introduce Staria, which represents our latest effort to spearhead the evolution of mobility, and to address emerging lifestyle needs as we adapt to new ways of living, said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer. Staria is a step forward in connecting us more closely with our environments so that we can get more out of our everyday lives and do more for ourselves in transit. Staria will go on sale in select markets starting from the second half of 2021. Evoking the streamlined form of a spaceship, Starias sleek exterior is defined by a single stroke running from front to rear inspired by the curve of light that illuminates the Earths horizon at sunrise when viewed from space. Starias front is embellished with horizontal daytime running lights (DRLs) and a positioning lamp, together running across the width of the vehicle, complemented by a bold, wide radiator grille with a unique pattern. Its clean silhouette is further accented by a pair of low-set headlamps. Hyundai uses the same body colour for all frontal parts to maximise the vehicles modern and pure style. Staria Premium model features a variant-exclusive tinted brass chrome treatment, applied to the Hyundai emblem, grille, headlamp bezels, front and rear bumpers, wheels, side mirrors and door handles to emphasise the vehicles premium and modern look. Lowered beltlines and panoramic side windows improve overall visibility and create a feeling of openness. This sense of spaciousness inspired by traditional Korean hanok architecture allows passengers to feel as if the outside scenes are an extension of the vehicle interior. The design theme carries over to the rear, featuring a wide window framed by elongated vertical tail lamps, with Staria Premium models receiving Hyundais unique Parametric Pixel lamp design and garnish on top. The rear bumper is lowered so passengers can easily load and unload cargo. Staria models are available in eight exterior colours: Abyss Black Pearl, Creamy White, Graphite Gray Metallic, Moonlight Blue Pearl, Shimmering Silver Metallic, Dynamic Yellow, Olivine Gray Metallic and Gaia Brown Pearl. Staria interior applies a simple and modest layout to highlight drivers convenience and passengers comfort, while staying faithful to its original value as an MPV. The cruise ship-inspired interior delivers an open and unique atmosphere through its innovative design architecture. The vehicles lower beltlines and panoramic windows create a spacious, stimulating environment for all passengers. The driver and passenger seats in the first-row are designed to offer a feeling of space and comfort. Starias simple interior layout focuses only on the essentials to provide more room and flexibility to passengers. A glove compartment in the first-row passengers seat is moved forward to provide extra legroom space. The drivers seat has a futuristic high-tech look with an advanced 10.25-inch front display screen, touch-based centre fascia and a button-type electronic shift lever. The digital cluster is located on top of the dashboard, providing an unobstructed view for the driver. Storage space is available on top of the overhead console, bottom of the cluster, and top and bottom of the centre fascia. Both driver and passengers also have access to a centre console equipped with cup holders, USB ports and additional storage space. Staria Premium offers a variety of additional interior features that will transform the passengers mobility experience. The 7-seat Premium model is equipped with Premium Relaxation Seats in the second row that recline electronically and also have sliding capabilities for easy reach or to maximise cargo space. The one-touch relaxation mode makes the seats recline automatically to a posture that comfortably disperses the passengers weight and improves overall body balance. Even when the seats are reclined by this mode, there is enough room for an adult passenger to sit comfortably in the third row, thanks to Starias spacious interior layout. The 9-seat Premium models individual seats in the second row can swivel 180 degrees to face passengers in the third row. This makes Staria Premium ideal for corporate vehicles or mobile offices as passengers can turn their seats around and conduct meetings face to face. Families will also find these swiveling seats convenient as rear-facing passengers will have easy access to those seated in the third row. A 64-colour ambient mood lamp, available in all Staria Premium variants, provides a lush interior atmosphere. The harmonious direct and indirect lighting can selectively illuminate the cockpit, console, doors and cargo areas. The premium feeling is further enhanced by the Bose sound system. Additionally, Starias generous legroom is among the best in its segment and can be converted into expansive additional cargo space when all seats are pushed together made possible by the versatile long sliding seat function. Moreover, the full-flat mode applied to rear passenger seats of Staria standard model makes this vehicle the perfect choice for activities that require a lot of room and interior flexibility, such as camping and equipment-intensive sports. Staria is not just reinterpreting spatiality, but also reimagining time spent in transit for the future. Designing for mobility isnt about vehicle design. Its about designing to accommodate a variety of lifestyles, said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Hyundai Design. Starias interior space and functionalities aim to transform how people experience in-car travel, optimising journeys by making the most of time in transit. Starias interior is available in these colours: Black, Black and Beige two-tone, Black and Blue two-tone. The Premium variant offers additional options of Gray and Brown two-tone as well as Gray and Light Gray two-tone. Starias innovative interior space utilisation is made possible by the MPVs 3,273-mm wheelbase with an overall length of 5,253 mm and width of 1,997 mm. Its overall height of 1,990 mm is optimised for passengers to conveniently enter and exit the vehicle and is high enough for an average school-aged child to stand upright and move with ease. The cargo space availability varies depending on how the seating configurations are arranged. The 2- and 3-seater, optimised for business use, offers maximum cargo space of almost 5,000 litres. The cargo space dimensions have also been increased to carry three Euro pallets at once. Staria offers powertrain options of a diesel-powered 2.2-liter VGT engine and a gasoline-powered Smartstream G6DIII 3.5-liter MPI engine. The diesel engine is newly improved and mated with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering an estimated power output of 177 PS and 44 kgf-m of torque. Its high-efficiency, air-cooled turbocharger has an improved compressor and turbine wheel performance for better low speed torque performance. The gasoline-powered G6DIII 3.5-L MPI is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering an estimated power output of 272 PS and 33.8 kgf-m of torque. Its integrated thermal management system provides fuel efficiency improvement by optimising control of coolant temperature according to vehicle operating conditions. An integrated roller swing arm helps to further improve fuel efficiency by reducing friction. New stainless-steel castings help improve exhaust interference for more power. Hyundai Motor optimised each powertrain option for low noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), better shift sensation for high torque performance and improved acceleration. It also optimised the direct valve control body for increased hydraulic efficiency, the oil pump for fuel efficiency, and the multi-plate torque converter for control and fuel efficiency. Mechanical upgrades also resulted in improved ride comfort thanks to the application of a multi-link suspension at the rear axle. Starias upright inclination angle and lever ratio of shock absorbers also contribute to improved ride comfort. Likewise, upgrades in brake calipers and discs provide stable stopping power even with the models large size. On top of mechanical upgrades, aerodynamic upper body design and under body improvements result in improved drag coefficient for better fuel economy. Staria has secured the highest level of vehicle safety. Staria offers an option to add as many as six airbags 4 , and all seats come with three-point seat belts and headrests. Safety is further bolstered by smart features such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA). Staria also offers other safety features. Wireless Module Seat Belt Reminder (WM-SBR), the worlds first seat belt reminder system using wireless communications technology, enables passengers to enjoy the benefits of seat belt reminder and long sliding capabilities at the same time. In a situation where a passenger attempts to open the power sliding door while a rear-side vehicle is passing by, Safe Exit Assist (SEA) prevents the door from opening. Rear Occupant Alert (ROA), available in select markets, uses a radar sensor to detect and alert the driver if a rear passenger is left in the car after exiting the vehicle. Staria also comes with Hyundais smart infotainment system and is equipped with a wide-angle camera that enables the driver and front passenger to view rear passengers in the back seat on display screen. Families can use this feature to conveniently monitor children and pets, while business users such as ride-hailing services also will benefit from this feature. The infotainment system also enables the driver and front passenger to communicate with rear passengers using a unique speaker function that allows all occupants to clearly hear one another. The infotainment system also enables the driver and front passenger to communicate to rear passengers with a unique speaker function so that all occupants of the vehicle can clearly hear one another. Moving forward, Hyundai plans to launch Special Vehicle lineups of Staria, such as limousines, ambulances and camping car. In addition, eco-friendly variants of Staria are scheduled to be added in upcoming years.-- Tradearabia News Service Build and Release Engineer Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary Posted: Apr 18, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200238789 The Connected Media team is looking for Build and Release Engineers to implement, maintain and constantly improve the build eco-system. Our team implements and maintains features such as AirPlay, Printing, and MediaExperience. In this role, you will work closely with development teams to understand architectural diagrams, and utilize the information to develop automated build pipelines. If you're passionate about delivering Continuous Integration that enables the experience of millions of customers, this is your kind of role. You'll be embedded in a team of hardworking engineers that are already focusing on development, quality, performance, and reliability. Key Qualifications 5+ years experience in build engineering or related areas Love CI/CD and how to optimize for deployment and QA velocity Programming in Python, Bash, C/C++, Object-C, and/or Swift UNIX administration and strong software debugging skills Knowledge of operating system, network, and compiler concepts Description We are looking for an innovative Build and Release Engineer who is dedicated to build systems, continuous integration and shipping high quality releases. On our team, you will play a key role in supporting sophisticated build trains and CI systems. The role requires a deep insight into the software development lifecycle for embedded platforms and also gives you lots of freedom with the responsibility to complete your goals. You'll be on a team that is responsible for: Designing and implementing a build system and infrastructure that delivers high quality software at a rapid pace Enhancing/restructuring builds to increase the velocity of the build process and improve code sharing capabilities Communicating with a wide variety of teams to assemble requirements and build collaboration. Eliminating road blocks and enhance flow from development to production Providing support to development teams, senior management and QA teams Education & Experience BS or MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience Additional Requirements Desired but not required: macOS, iOS, or UNIX development experience Experience with TeamCity, Jenkins, Spinnaker Familiarity with Docker, Nomad, EKS, Kubernetes DALLAS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy Stephens, Founder & Designer of MyCause Brand, successfully launched his new awareness shoe brand on April 15 on Indiegogo. He is now announcing the launch of a sister campaign on Kickstarter. The three-cancer survivor developed his line of MyCause Awareness Shoes to support others battling diseases and medical conditions. His colored-ribbon MyCause Awareness shoes give people a visible voice and draw more attention to their causes. Watch The MyCause Brand story MyCause Awareness Shoes feature strength clouds on shoes' sides, back, and sole. MyCause Awareness shoes feature a three-ribbon design on each side and are available in more than 3,000 color combinations to represent all the different causes. The shoes feature a "strength cloud" on the shoe's back and side and a raised "Strength Cloud" design on the shoe's sole, which leaves an imprint on soft surfaces like dirt or wet sand. The Strength Cloud words include love, power, strength, believe, family, cure, persevere, and numerous others. The MyCause Brand company's goal is to give a voice and visual recognition to fighters, survivors, and caregivers. Founder Jimmy Stephens explains, "As a three-time cancer survivor, I know what it takes to fight back and battle a disease every day. I know the strength it requires and the love and much-needed support given by our loved ones. I wanted to give people a fun, obvious way to show their support of the causes and the people closest to their hearts. The Awareness shoes are made from EVA-recyclable, eco-friendly materials, are anti-odor, and both comfortable and durable enough for walking, hiking, or running. This is not a cheap shoe. "They also have a Give-Back component. All MyCause Shoes purchases include a 20% donation of the total price to the charity or cause of the buyer's choosing. The responses from people about our Awareness Shoes have been overwhelming; I am answering about 100 emails a day." Kickstarter and Indiegogo backing for the shoes also feature MyCause Brand peripheral items as incentive bonuses at the different sponsor levels. Bonus items include MyCause Paracord Ribbon Keychains, MyCause Strength Cloud Blankets, and MyCause 30 oz. Stainless Tumblers. Access the MyCause Brand campaign on Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mycause/mycause-brand-shoes-with-a-soul-purpose?ref=845ujj&token=b9d369b7I See it on Indiegogo at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mycause-brand-shoes-with-a-soul-purpose#/ For more information on the MyCause brand and Awareness shoes, go to http://www.mycausebrand.com, or visit their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mycausebrand. COMPANY INFO MyCause Brand is located in Dallas, Texas. Founded by a three-time cancer survivor, it is an Awareness and Cause brand with a purpose: to give back to causes near and dear to our hearts through making a beautiful awareness shoe product to showcase the cause, research, and charity organizations individuals choose to support. 20% of all company profits are donated to charities individually chosen by purchasers of their product. For more information, please visit www.mycausebrand.com, call 214-980-9811, or email [email protected]. Contact: Jimmy Stephens - Founder & Designer MyCause Brand 214-980-9811 [email protected] www.mycausemyshoes.com SOURCE MyCause Brand Related Links http://www.mycausebrand.com The familiar murkiness of waters in the Gulf of Mexico can be off-putting for beachgoers visiting Galveston Island. Runoff from the Mississippi River makes its way to local beaches and causes downstream water to turn opaque and brown. Mud is one factor, and river runoff is another. However, concern tends to ratchet up a notch when pollution enters the river runoff discussion on a national scale, specifically when smaller, navigable intrastate bodies of water push pollution into larger interstate waters often involved in commerce (i.e. the Mississippi River, Great Lakes, Ohio River). A recently published research analysis in the journal Science, co-authored by Victor Flatt, Dwight Olds Chair in Law at the University of Houston Law Center, demonstrates how the supposed benefits of retracting federal oversight on these transboundary waters and defaulting that responsibility to individual states failed to account for economic and scientific evidence that said otherwise and violated the bounds of justifiable law. In the article, "A water rule that turns a blind eye to transboundary pollution," Flatt contributed as the sole legal researcher, explaining how the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which retracted federal oversight of interstate waters, did so with the overt assumption that state governments would fill in the oversight gap. Not only did the evidence point toward an alternate outcome but the rule's federalism rationale was incorrect, according to the researchers. "New administrations get to implement new policies, but those policies have to be consistent with statutes, the Constitution and be logical," Flatt said. "The legal phrase is: 'they cannot be arbitrary and capricious.' An administration can only do what is allowed by the law and must be rational and logical. This fails that. This is a policy disagreement, but it is a policy disagreement that is out of the bounds of what is allowed by law." The cleanliness of larger transboundary rivers falls under the responsibility of the federal government and under the 2015 Clean Water Rule (CWR) enacted during former President Barack Obama's administration. This included small wetlands and streams that could push pollution runoff to these larger rivers that bisect several states. In 2020, under the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), the federal regulation of some of those smaller, linked bodies of water was withdrawn, leaving individual states with the responsibility to fill in the gaps. However, many states did not assert control over these waters as assumed by former President Donald Trump's administration, leaving room for pollution to make its way to interstate waters. "One prominent example is 31 states' challenge to the 2015 CWR in court, arguing that it would impose excessive costs. Inexplicably, the NWPR's economics analysis projected that 14 of these states would now change their position," according to the Science article. As Flatt explains, this assumption was the misstep. "The Army Corps and EPA said in their analysis that 31 states will move into the breach and help protect the wetlands that the federal government would no longer protect," Flatt said. "But best practices for economic analysis state that you cannot speculate about future state actions. When I looked at this, I found a lot of these states are even prohibited from enacting a rule more stringent than the federal government. Here, the data is flawed." In March, President Joe Biden's administration proposed a $111 billion investment in water infrastructure. Flatt said that the implementation of the investment will include review of previous policy and research, including information uncovered in the Science article. ### Research to inform this article was funded by the External Environmental Economics Advisory Committee, with funding and support from the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Co-authors for the paper include Sheila Olmstead, professor of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin; David Keiser, associate professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Kevin Boyle, professor of agriculture and applied economics at Virginia Tech; Bonnie Keeler, assistant professor at the school of public affairs at the University of Minnesota; Catherin Kling, Tisch University Professor at the school of applied economics and management at Cornell University; Daniel Phaneuf, Henry C. Taylor Professor and Chair of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Joseph Shapiro, associate professor at the University of California, Berkley and Jay Shimshack, associate dean and associate professor of public policy and economics at the University of Virginia. A Minnesota jury on Tuesday found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. Floyds killing sparked unrest in the Bay Area and across the country, and a reckoning over the treatment of Black people at the hands of police. Chauvin faced charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter. The jury had the opportunity to convict or acquit Chauvin on all, none or a combination of those charges. Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. Chauvin and other Minneapolis police officers responded to a store after reports that Floyd had tried using a counterfeit bill. In video captured by bystanders that has since been widely viewed, Floyd is shown prone on the ground, with Chauvins knee on his neck for more than nine minutes. Floyd repeatedly pleaded for air and cried out that he could not breathe. The video and Floyds killing sparked massive protests, and in some cases, looting and vandalism, in Minneapolis, the Bay Area and across the United States. Whats your response to the Derek Chauvin verdict? Tell us here. Latest updates: 7:15 a.m. Justice Department to probe Minneapolis Police Department: Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to announce an investigation into the practices inside the Minneapolis Police Department, The Associated Press reported. The investigation will focus on the departments use-of-force practices, among other police practices. 6:24 a.m. Chauvins conviction called a turning point in race and policing: The three-week trial of Derek Chauvin, as legal experts observed, was a test of the legal system. While juries in most criminal cases are asked to decide what the defendant did, that was no mystery for jurors and millions of television viewers who watched Chauvin kneel on Floyds neck for more than nine minutes last May after an arrest for using a counterfeit $20 bill. Read the full story here. 6:20 a.m. Derek Chauvin is a convicted murderer. Now what?: The former Minneapolis cops conviction on three charges in the killing of George Floyd was met with relief and two more police-related deaths. Dominic Fracassa spoke to Black Lives Matter organizer Melina Abdullah, police reform expert Alex Vitale, Oakland activist Akil Riley and Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer on Fifth and Mission about where America goes from here. Listen to the episode here. Updates from Tuesday, April 20: 8:43 p.m. Vigil held at San Jose church: Dozens gathered Tuesday evening on the steps of Grace Baptist Church in San Jose to commemorate George Floyd and others killed by police following the conviction of Derek Chauvin. Beneath a painted banner that read George Floyd Rest in Power, attendees lit candles in honor of the victims of police brutality, including Jacob Dominguez and Anthony Nunez, who were fatally shot by San Jose police. 8:32 p.m. Chauvin arrives at correctional facility: Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was transferred to a Minnesota correctional facility late Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Chauvin was immediately taken into custody and moved to the facility hours after guilty verdict was announced, Minnesota Department of Corrections spokeswoman Sarah Fitzgerald told reporters. 7:10 p.m. Pelosi walks back remarks thanking Floyd for sacrificing his life: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanked George Floyd for sacrificing his life in remarks Tuesday afternoon, then quickly sought to clarify her statement, which was widely criticized. Thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice, the San Francisco Democrat said at a Capitol Hill press conference. Because of you and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous for justice. She later offered an addendum to the remarks, tweeting, George Floyd should be alive today. 6:52 p.m. Las Vegas Raiders hit for tweet after Chauvin verdict: The Las Vegas Raiders drew viral criticism online Tuesday over a tweet they posted shortly after a jury convicted Derek Chauvin of George Floyds murder. I can breathe 4-20-2021, read an image the NFL team tweeted hours after the verdict was announced. In a statement obtained by The AthleticNFL later on Tuesday, the teams owner, Mark Davis, said the tweet was a reference to comments by Floyds brother Philonise Floyd after the verdict. He had said, Today, we are able to breathe again. If I offended the family, then Im deeply, deeply disappointed, Davis said in his statement, adding that the tweet will not be taken down. 6:47 p.m. Teen who filmed Floyd footage: I just cried so hard Darnella Frazier, just 17-years old when she filmed George Floyds killing on her cell phone last year, took to Facebook Tuesday to express her relief at the verdict, writing, I just cried so hard. This last hour my heart was beating so fast, I was so anxious. Frazier captured the viral footage showing Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyds neck for more than 9 minutes. Now 18, she testified last month that she felt guilty for not intervening in the May 25, 2020 murder. 6:45 p.m. East Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee calls the verdict a glimmer of hope: This verdict has cracked open the door to accountability, but true justice is a world in which this never happened to Mr. Floyd, or to countless others, Congresswoman Barbara Lee said. Let this be a reminder that we must move forward and never turn back. Black and Brown communities are tired of being traumatized. She pressed for an end to qualified immunity a legal principle that shields police from being personally liable for some forms of misconduct. 5:25 p.m. A witness event planned at Stanford: A Tuesday evening community gathering at Stanford Universitys White Plaza was planned for 7 to 9 p.m., following the conviction of Derek Chauvin in George Floyds death. Standing for Justice and in Community for George Floyd was organized by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, vice provost for student affairs, and other campus groups which urged people to come together and stand in witness in this moment. 5:18 p.m. V.P. Harris says, A measure of justice isnt the same as equal justice: Speaking at the White House after Derek Chauvins murder conviction, Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in Floyds memory. Today, we feel a sigh of relief, Harris said. Still, it cannot take away the pain. A measure of justice isnt the same as equal justice. This verdict brings us a step closer and, the fact is, we still have work to do. We still must reform the system. 4:56 p.m. Ecstatic crowd celebrates near courthouse: Crowds celebrated near the Minneapolis courthouse where former police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murdering George Floyd. Elated people flooded downtown streets around the courthouse. Cars blared their horns and people ran through traffic, waving banners. As the judge asked jurors if they had reached a verdict, a hush fell on the crowd 300 in an adjacent park, with people listening on their cellphones. When the final guilty verdict was announced, the crowd roared, many people hugging, some shedding tears. 4:23 p.m. Biden uses Chauvin verdict as call to action: President Biden on Tuesday said in reaction to the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin: We cant leave this moment looking away, thinking our work is done. He said the nation must change hearts and minds on racial attitudes, not just policies. We have to listen, he said and repeated George Floyds final words: I cant breathe, I cant breathe. We cant let those words die with him. Lets keep hearing those words, Biden said. We must not turn away. We have a chance to change the trajectory in this country. This can be a moment of significant change. 4:19 p.m. The murder and trial triggered trauma across CSU campuses: The horrific death of Mr. Floyd and the trial itself have been traumatic experiences for many African Americans and other people of color across California State University campuses, Chancellor Joseph Castro said in a statement. The trauma is rooted in generations of systemic racism in our country I urge all of us in the CSU to actively embrace anti-racist policies and practices, and to be courageous in modifying policies and practices that we discover have a disparate negative impact on people of color. 4:12 p.m. Cat Brooks, head of Anti-Police Terror Project, sees progress: I think Im shocked to be honest with you, said Cat Brooks following the Chauvin verdict. Brooks noted that the verdict doesnt mean state terror has ended or that white supremacy has been dismantled. It does mean that we are making progress. It does mean we are pushing the envelope further open. Im not going to claim all-out victory. The stats and the data about the quality of Black life tell a different story, but we are making some progress. This would not have been possible just 10 years ago, Brooks said. 4:11 p.m. Oakland Councilman voices relief: Councilman Loren Taylor said in a statement to The Chronicle that he was relieved the criminal justice system finally got something right when it comes to police violence... At the same time, I am not naive to the fact that this is just one verdict in one trial. The situation we faced was one that is so egregious that the jury had no choice but to convict. This is a great step forward and gives us cause to celebrate, but the real test of how far we progress will come when a guilty verdict is rendered in a situation that less extreme, but no less inhumane, racist, or unconstitutional. We are progressing, yet cant afford to be complacent... But I will sleep better tonight. 4:10 p.m. Oaklands police commission chair calls verdict a big step in police accountability: Regina Jackson, the chair of Oaklands police commission, said she watched the news live from her house and said, Today is a new day. Police accountability has actually arrived, Jackson said. It is my hope that more officers who operate outside of compliance with the department policies are held accountable, that they dont just lose their jobs, they are charged. 4:05 p.m. State Senate President Toni Atkins says justice cannot be a one-time thing: In a statement, Sen. Atkins said, Our country has been continually rocked and in mourning over the killing of Black community members... Justice was served today, but it cannot be a one-time thing. Training, accountability, and decertification certainly are all good strategies, but the real change has to start with recognizing that systemic racism and our implicit biases account for the biggest piece of the problem. We, as a societynot just Black, Brown, Asian, or ethnically-diverse individualsare beginning to confront the reality that systemic racism is the real root of the problem. We have to continue that change from within, accept the reality of what has been happening, and chart a course for change. If we dont start with thateven as we work to implement laws, policies, guidelines, and measures to ensure progressit either wont have a lasting impact or wont happen at all. 4:01 p.m. Oakland police call for unity: The Oakland Police Department issued a statement, saying this moment is about accountability, justice, and reform. We must be compassionate, empathic, and forgiving. All sides must unite as one community to effectively communicate. Together we will work towards rethinking policing in America. In unity, we will move towards finding solutions for the safety of all people, notwithstanding your age, race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. We stand as one community grieving and healing as we move towards finding real solutions to effect change as we seek to strengthen police and community relations. We extend our deepest condolences to George Floyds family and all communities. 4 p.m. John Burris, civil rights attorney, told The Chronicle he feels profound relief: John Burris, a civil rights attorney who was co-counsel on the trial of four officers who beat Rodney King and has represented numerous Bay Area families in cases against police, said he watched the verdict with his staff in his office. You always wonder if a case as big as this will have a profound impact on change, Burris said. We dont really know that. This case is a continuum of those cases that have been in the public eye since Rodney King. 3:59 p.m. Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne reacts with letter to Stanford community: First, to our Black community at Stanford, I want to say: Your lives matter, and your voices matter. While the violent events and senseless deaths we have been seeing in America have been sickening and overwhelming for all of us, I recognize the special pain felt by members of our Black community, and the added emotional and physical burden that you carry. Seeing accountability for the killing of George Floyd may provide a sense of justice, but it surely does not erase this burden. You are essential and valued members of our community, read part of the letter Tessier-Lavigne wrote. He went on to say there will be a gathering at 7 p.m. on White Plaza. 3:51 p.m. Berkeley councilman reacts to verdict: Councilman Terry Taplin said in a statement to The Chronicle that he only has one thing to say about the verdict. Today we saw a sworn officer held accountable for taking the life of George Floyd, a civilian, but until the day we no longer have to recite the names of Black men and women executed during traffic stops, on transit, sleeping in their own homes, in moments of crisis, not until that day will we have seen justice. 3:50 p.m. Oakland As call verdict an important step in addressing systemic racism: Prior to their game against the Minnesota Twins, the Oakland As released a statement saying: Our thoughts continue to be with George Floyds family, the Minneapolis community, and others impacted by violence. The jurys decision is an important step in addressing systemic racism, and we are heartened that there is accountability for George Floyds death. We remain committed to doing our part in Oakland to advance equity and inclusion and to support Black communities. 3:21 p.m. Oakland Council president says Chauvin verdict is not justice for George Floyd: Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas on Twitter said the guilty verdict is not justice for George Floyd and all whove lost their lives to state violence. She urged people to address anti-Blackness and said government officials must transform public safety and law enforcement systems that devalue Black, Brown, Asian, Pacific Islander and Indigenous lives. 3:25 p.m. S.F. Police Chief Bill Scott says the work of doing justice for George Floyd doesnt end: In a statement posted on Twitter, the police chief said his hope for all of us in criminal justice roles is that we rise to this moment, and learn the lessons that history has frankly been trying to teach us for decades... Those of us entrusted with the responsibility of law enforcement must build trust where we have it, restore trust where weve lost it, and earn trust even where weve never had it. 3:24 p.m. The jurys work is done, but our work is not finished, CA college chancellor says: While the jurys work in this case has concluded, the work ahead of us as a nation and in the California Community Colleges must move forward with the urgency and moral clarity that our students demand and deserve, Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said in a statement. He called on politicians, college leaders, faculty, staff and students to advance anti-racist practices together, guided by justice, peace and respect. Our work is not finished, and history will be our judge. 3:17 p.m. Dr. Amos Brown: Justice was raised up in this land today: Dr. Amos C. Brown, longtime pastor of Third Street Baptist Church and the president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP, was watching television in his office as the verdict came down. Ive been on the battlefield for 65 years, and I am doing better than I have, said Brown, who was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1941, the same year as Emmett Till. Till was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being wrongly accused of offending a white woman. Emmett Tills murder has lingered and has haunted me all my days. I hate the verdict happened to [Chauvin] but justice was raised up in this land today. Brown reflected how even his older brother, Clarence Warren Brown, was once beaten to a pulp by police in Mississippi. The continued violence against Black people inspired Browns work in civil rights, which began after Tills murder when he began registering voters in Mississippi with civil rights icon Medgar Evers. Brown said the verdict in George Floyds murder especially resonates given the prevalence of racism today. There is much work to be done in every community, including San Francisco, he said. San Francisco has been infected with this subtle sneaky racism, he said. The election of Willie Brown and London Breed, that did not translate into the empowerment of us. The Black population was 15% in 1970 and now it is down to about 3.9%. That did not happen by accident. That happened by intent. They called it urban renewal but that was Black removal... We have been rendered invisible in this town. 3:07 p.m. Oakland Councilwoman Carroll Fife says she cant stop crying: In a statement posted to Twitter, Fife said There can be no justice when lives are stolen. Only accountability. ... I cant stop crying, she added. 3:06 p.m. Verdict shows no one is above the law, UC leaders say: This verdict will not ameliorate the incredible pain and grief the Floyd family are experiencing, University of California President Michael Drake and UC Regents Chair John Perez said in a joint statement. It does, at least, reaffirm the principle that no one is above the law, especially not a peace officer trusted with protecting a communitys safety and security. 3:01 p.m. Barack Obama says justice requires much more: In a statement posted to Twitter, former president Barack Obama said a jury did the right thing, in response to the Chauvin verdict. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied, he said. 2:59 p.m. Biden, Harris call Floyd family after Chauvin conviction: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both called George Floyds family immediately after Derek Chauvin was convicted for his murder, according to video posted on Twitter by Floyd family attorney Ben Crump. Nothing is going to make it all better, Biden said during the call, but at least now theres some justice. 2:57 p.m. California Police Chiefs Association calls verdict a deliverance of justice: Chief Abdul Pridgen, the president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said in a statement the killing of George Floyd has helped bring further attention to the ongoing need to improve and advance law enforcement practices and continue to build trust in our criminal justice system. It is our commitment, as Californias police chiefs, to continue working towards these shared goals each and every day. 2:56 p.m. Pelosi thanks George Floyd for sacrificing life: In remarks that were immediately criticized for being tone-deaf, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanked George Floyd for sacrificing (his) life for justice. The remarks came during a press conference, after former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in Floyds murder. Because of you, and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous with justice, Pelosi said. 2:54 p.m. Berkeley mayor reacts to verdict: Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin tweeted his reaction to the verdict and said justice has been finally delivered. Its my hope that we can build on this moment, he said. We must act swiftly to build lasting trust and to prevent more senseless violence. 2:38 p.m. Editorial: Derek Chauvin is guilty. So is American policing. The San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board writes that the dubious police shootings that came to light as Chauvins trial proceeded underscored their numbing regularity. Read the editorial here. 2:36 p.m. S.F. Supervisors President Shamann Walton emotional at pivotal verdict: Walton, the first Black man to serve as the Board of Supervisors president, said during the boards meeting Tuesday that the result of the trial was a pivotal verdict. Its a pivotal time for us in this country and this city and for law enforcement to understand that if youre going to wear a badge and be in community, your job is to work with communities to keep people safe, and its not to attack people of color and communities of color. He said we need to make changes to policies like qualified immunity, not hiring people who have histories of violence and negative attitudes of communities against people of color. Walton said it would be hard to get through the rest of the meeting since he was emotional. 2:31 p.m. Verdict provides accountability, Newsom says: Reacting to the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said, No conviction can repair the harm done to the Floyd family, but todays verdict provides accountability. George Floyd would still be alive if he looked like me, Newsom tweeted. That must change. 2:29 p.m. Verdict is painfully earned justice, Floyd family lawyer says: Ben Crump, a lawyer representing George Floyds family, called the jurys decision to convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on all charges in the murder of George Floyd a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement. Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyds family and the community here in Minneapolis, Crump said, but todays verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. 2:28 p.m. S.F. Mayor Breed says tide is turning: Mayor London Breed in a statement following the guilty verdict, said, This verdict does not bring back the life of George Floyd. It cant replace the years of his life that were robbed from him, nor the life experiences and memories that would have been made with his friends and family. What this verdict does reflect is that the tide is turning in this country, although still too slowly, toward accountability and justice. 2:24 p.m. San Francisco District Attorney reacts to Chauvins verdict: San Francisco District Attorney said Chauvins verdict has brought relief for many, but it does not bring justice. It doesnt heal the pain George Floyds family has suffered, Boudin tweeted. 2:16 p.m. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reacts to Chauvins verdict: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted the deep structural racism that pervades our country and leads to the state-sponsored murder of Black men like George Floyd and too many others must end. 2:14 p.m. Chauvin will be sentenced at later date: Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd, will be sentenced at a later date. He likely faces decades in prison. 2:13 p.m. Oakland Council president at council meeting addresses Chauvin trial: Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas started the City Council meeting Tuesday by listing names of people who have been killed by police: George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Erik Salgado, Adam Toledo and Joshua Pawlik. I know that there is real anger, real trauma as we await of the verdict of the Chauvin trial in the next hour, she said. I want to urge us to all take care of each other. 2:12 p.m.: Chauvins bail revoked: A Minneapolis judge on Tuesday revoked the bail of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and remanded him to custody, moments after a jury found Chauvin guilty on all charges in the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin was handcuffed and taken out of court. 2:07 p.m. Jury convicts Derek Chauvin: A Minnesota jury on Tuesday found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges in the killing of George Floyd, whose death last May sparked massive protests and galvanized the country into demanding more equitable treatment of Black people at the hands of police. Chauvins trial began March 29 and concluded Monday. The jury deliberated for about 10 hours. before rendering its verdict, and Chauvins conviction marks the rare instance in which a police officer is convicted for killing someone while on duty. We will be covering the latest news on the verdict and reactions across the Bay Area and California. Check back for more updates. COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins has downplayed the chances of New Zealand's latest community case impacting the trans-Tasman bubble, even if new cases are announced. On Tuesday, Kiwi health authorities reported a fully vaccinated cleaner, with responsibilities to clean planes from high-risk countries at Auckland Airport, had caught the virus. A major contact tracing exercise has followed, with the person quarantined, their close contacts tested and isolated, and the community informed of three locations of interest from the person's recent movements. NZ Covid Minister confirmed new case wont impact the trans-Tasman bubble (pictured: passengers waiting to board a flight to New Zealand) NZ Covid Minister Mr Hipkins said if more cases found they 'will contain them without escalation' (pictured: Sydney International Aiport when the trans-Tasman bubble re-opened on April 19) So far, no further cases have been found. The case has also brought fear it could scuttle the newly-established trans-Tasman bubble. Mr Hipkins said the knowledge of a likely infection source and the lack of identifiable community transmission meant planes would still be flying between Australia and NZ. 'On both sides of the Tasman, our first expectation is that we look to contain any cases using contact tracing,' he told Radio NZ on Wednesday morning. 'I'm relatively confident based on what we know at the moment that we should be able to do that.' Mr Hipkins said the agreed threshold for the suspension of flights was 'unidentified community transmission cases'. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has thanked the cleaner for doing their high-risk job Australian travellers began to arrive in New Zealand on April 19 when the trans-Tasman bubble opened 'Where it's a link to a border worker, if that spreads further by one or two cases and we can contain those and contain their close contacts, that's not the sort of thing that would need to disrupt trans-Tasman travel,' he said. 'As we've shown in the past we can contain those without alert level escalation. 'The sorts of things that give us an alert level escalation are the sorts of things that might disrupt trans-Tasman travel.' Genome sequencing has shown the strain of the virus is the same as a positive-testing traveller from a fortnight ago, who was detected in quarantine. Authorities are yet to deduce the exact cause of infection, and may never. 'It's possible that the air conditioning systems are turned off when the planes are being cleaned,' Mr Hipkins said. 'If a person with COVID-19 have been leaving droplets in the air ... the air's still stagnant so it's possible it was still hanging in the air when someone went in to clean the plane.' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has thanked the cleaner for doing their high-risk job, who Mr Hipkins described as diligent with testing and scanning into venues. 'By all accounts, this person appears to have done everything right,' he said. Charleston officials, law enforcement and clergy leaders stood together in a call for peace and unity in anticipation of the verdict in the murder case of a White police officer accused of killing a Black man. The Rev. Matthew Rivers and others gathered April 19 outside St. John's Chapel on Charleston's East Side and urged the city to come together following the conclusion of the trial. George Floyd, a Black man, died at the hands of a White Minneapolis police officer last year. A verdict is expected this week in the trial involving that former officer, Derek Chauvin. "Whichever way that decision comes out, we're asking for unity," Rivers said. Mayor John Tecklenburg, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano, Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds and several officers were present and stood in solidarity. Tecklenburg said he agrees with the call for peace. The mayor, who acknowledged he hasn't heard all the arguments during the trial, called Floyd's death a "racial injustice." "Everything I know about this case is that an innocent verdict would be a racial injustice," Tecklenburg said. The mayor referenced Charleston's own legacy of injustices that have taken course throughout the city's 350-year history. He said Charleston has worked to address that past, including the city's 2018 apology for slavery. A commission formed last year to look at ways to address racial inequity will report back to the mayor May 11 with additional actions to promote equity, Tecklenburg said. In regards to policing, the city had a racial bias audit done of the police department to come up with several recommendations to improve public safety and equity, the mayor said. "We, as a community, are working together on many fronts," he said. In calling for peace, the mayor reflected on how the city responded nonviolently in 2015, when a self-avowed white supremacist killed nine Black people inside Emanuel AME Church. Sign up for the Charleston Hot Sheet Get a weekly list of tips on pop-ups, last minute tickets and little-known experiences hand-selected by our newsroom in your inbox each Thursday. Email Sign Up! People can peacefully march and protest if the Chauvin verdict "goes another way," Tecklenburg said. "We have shown folks that we can do this in Charleston," he said. "We will do it again. We will come together as a community." In addition to calling for people to come together, Rivers talked about several initiatives being undertaken to promote fairness. In a partnership with the Sheriff's Office, St. John's Chapel is working to raise $30,000 to get criminal records expunged for 100 people so those they can get back into the workforce. People can donate to that cause by emailing Rivers at stjohnschapel878@gmail.com. "There are people who've made mistakes," Rivers said. "All they need is another chance." Additionally, the church has recommended to the police department an expert who can conduct diversity training and community building for officers and residents. The pastor also encouraged people to attend the fall session of CPD's Police Citizens Academy, where people have hands-on training with officers to understand why officers sometimes have to make "split-second decisions," Rivers said. "This is the thing you've been asking for," said Rivers, speaking to the community. The call for togetherness comes almost a year after a peaceful protest on May 30 was followed by riots along King Street in response to Floyd's death. After city, clergy and officers called for unity April 19, they prayed. The Rev. James Keeton, pastor of Morris Brown AME, asked that God's presence of love would abound around the world. The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has said it only took him a few weeks to realize enforcing coronavirus restrictions was doing more harm than good in his state and wishes he'd have acted sooner. Speaking to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, DeSantis, who is a Republican, explained that he felt the extreme restrictions were not particularly effective with many other states simply 'blindly' following the advice of the nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. 'If I had more data, I would have had the ability to say, 'Wait a minute. Why would we need to close a gym for two weeks?' he asked. 'These are younger people going to work out. If you're healthy, you're going to end up dealing with the virus better.'' Florida has taken heavy criticism for DeSantis' more relaxed approach to social and business restrictions in the pandemic California, which has pursued aggressive lockdowns, has roughly the same per capita death toll as Florida, with 154 deaths per 100,000 versus Florida's 160 per 100,000 Over the last week, there has been a 27% decline in deaths. 61,000 have died in Florida The number of cases is down 12% over the last week with around 2,375 on average However, over the last month, there has been a steady rise in the numbers of infections being detected with around 6,700 new cases a day and around 65 deaths a day. 2,197 are in hospital ICU capacity has remained in the medium to high range since the fall of 2020 "We're not doing Fauci-ism." Florida @GovRonDeSantis opens up to "@TuckerCarlson Today" about the early days of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and what he learned to lead his state effectively. Hear his full interview on Fox Nation: https://t.co/8CfnIODceO pic.twitter.com/1VTJ8Ykg5v Fox Nation (@foxnation) April 19, 2021 'And so I think that it took me a few weeks, March and into April, to get enough data to say, 'Okay, we're not doing Faucism, we're going to make sure our states open,'' he said. 'We're going to get the kids back in school and we'll just focus our protection on elderly people, who are the ones at riskSome of the restrictions we did, I think, were ineffective.' Strict lockdowns were rolled out across the nation in the majority of states, but DeSantis has reveled in the fact he reopened Florida for business earlier than many others, with infection rates not necessarily any higher than in states which stuck to their respective lockdowns. The virus peaked in Florida at the start of January and has followed a steady decline until very recently. Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci has led efforts to control the virus but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has grown frustrated with him Even with tens of thousands of youngsters arriving for Spring Break partying, the state did not see any significant rebound in infections. However, over the last month, there has been a steady rise in the numbers of infections being detected with around 6,700 new cases a day and around 65 deaths a day. 'Some of these states like Minnesota, California I think the fact that they were locked down and had the opportunity in Florida to go out and do stuffadded fuel to the fire,' he said. Last week, DeSantis, a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump and himself a potential presidential candidate, sued President Joe Biden's administration over its stance on the cruise industry, while also signaling to Florida media that his ban on 'vaccine passports' would preclude cruise ships from requiring vaccinations. Cruise travel was one of the early victims of the pandemic, and live television broadcasts of the arrival of liners carrying Covid-infected passengers were among the first signs of the national emergency the virus was to become. California, which has pursued aggressive lockdowns, has roughly the same per capita death toll as Florida, with 153 deaths per 100,000 versus Florida's 159 DeSantis has long faced criticism from Democrats for his handling of the pandemic, saying he allowed the state to be too open too quickly and for making the wearing of masks entirely optional. One recent example was spring break, where tens of thousands of college students from around the country and globe crowded into Miami Beach with few masks and no social distancing. The city imposed a curfew to curtail the crowds. DeSantis contends Florida has fared better medically than many states with stronger restrictions. College students and others descended on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach to make the most of the warm weather and freedom from lockdown thanks to the state's lax restrictions Crowds defiantly gather in the street while a speaker blasts music an hour past curfew in Miami Beach in March. Law enforcement worked to contain unruly crowds of spring break tourists Florida, overall, is near the middle of states in COVID-19 deaths per capita, with a rate of 159 per 100,000 since the pandemic began 13 months ago. Some states that had tougher lockdowns like New York and New Jersey have much higher rates of about 260 per 100,000 - but were also hit harder early in the pandemic before restrictions could take affect and before medical treatments for the disease were improved. California, which DeSantis also likes to cite as a lockdown failure, has a slightly lower death rate of 153 per 100,000. Over the past week, Florida's daily death rate per capita has been lower than those three states. With cruise voyages from the United States mostly barred, it remains unclear when the industry will return to normal but the state of Florida is suing the Biden administration On Friday, DeSantis hit out at the Biden administration for telling the public to keep wearing masks and to maintain social distancing even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. My view is if you get a vaccine, the vaccines are effective, youre immune, and so, act immune, the Republican told a crowd in Lakeland, Florida. If you got a vaccine, youre immune, the governor said. You should enjoy yourself and have confidence. DeSantis criticized Biden and Dr. Fauci, for terrible messaging on the vaccine, saying that keeping in place mitigation measures will discourage wary Americans from getting the shot. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis earlier hit out at the Biden administration for telling the public to keep wearing masks and to maintain social distancing even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine I also think it's a problem that people, where, you're telling people to get a vaccine and yet people who have been vaccinated for months are wearing two masks, DeSantis said on Friday. "If the vaccine is effective, why would you be wearing two masks? Like some of these folks are doing. It doesn't make sense. Public health officials in recent weeks have encouraged the public to wear two masks in order to offer protection against coronavirus variants that are believed to be more contagious. Fauci has been the face of government efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. His support for measures including masks and social distancing has drawn the ire of Republicans who claim that the efforts to kerb the virus have caused damage to the economy. SHENZHEN, China, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As a national, internationalized and comprehensive exhibition and negotiation occasion for the exchange of international technological innovation and talents, the 19th Conference on International Exchange of Professionals (CIEP) is to be held in Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center on April 24 and 25, based on the theme of "innovation, development, cooperation, and win-win". The CIEP has been successfully held for 18 sessions so far. This year, it is set to host organizations, institutions, companies and talents from around the world with a new look. Focusing on offline venues, this 19th CIEP will integrate online and offline platforms for a more connected and boundaries exchanging experience for all parties. Exhibitions, forums and summits, recruiting events, project matching opportunities, virtual meetings and other themed activities build this year's CIEP a comprehensive platform for communicating, cooperating and trading on the global level. The 19th Conference on International Exchange of Professionals Shenzhen Forum & Opening Ceremony of CIEP are again ready to impress visitors on April 24. It brings together senior leaders from Ministry of Science & Technology and Shenzhen Municipal Government, as well as business leaders, industry pioneers, scientists and technological talents etc., to share innovation achievements at the international platform. At the opening ceremony, Dr. Thorsten Keiter, Senior Vice President of Greater China, TUV Rheinland, will be present. Mr. Horst Vogel, National Friendship Award Winner, Chief Scientist of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology CAS, Member of the Swiss Academy of Sciences, will deliver a speech to show his better vision for global technology and talents exchange. With the theme "Gathering Talents for Building a Technological Community During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period", Shenzhen Forum will present worthy-sounding collision of ideas from all circles. The "Night of Shenzhen" Exchange Activity for Chinese and Foreign Guests also provides a platform for the free communication of thoughts. This year's conference is also introducing new segments answering to the needs of China's fast-developing economy and society by highlighting sci-tech. The Special Area for Exhibition and Transaction of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Achievement, for example, exhibits innovation achievements by China and beyond. It's both a chance for enterprises to present their latest achievements, and one for the public to learn about technological advancement made by humankind. Born with the original purpose of facilitating domestic and global talent exchange, CIEP today is also joining China's effort to cultivate talents in the sci-tech innovation field, with newly launched sector on science and technology popularization. For global talents, CIEP is furthering its role as a window bridging them and opportunities in China. Over the past years, CIEP has served tens of thousands of experts and students worldwide. This year, it is stepping up efforts of making sure the foreign expats find the best fit in China and integrate well into the society. The 11th Job Fair for Foreign Professionals will be held during the conference, attracting around 150 companies and more than 3000 well-paid job opportunities for global talents. And the conference designates a zone to exhibit the services offered to international talents by government agencies, institutions and organizations. Global talents are a crucial part of Shenzhen, CIEP's host city, in the past four decades as a special economic zone of China, and the city is showcasing that in a special exhibition. With Shenzhen dubbed by many as a "window" of China's reform and opening-up, CIEP is also developing into a window of the rich opportunities that China offers to businesses and individuals worldwide. Television personality Andrew O'Keefe has been hit with another domestic violence assault charge as he continues his hospital stay. The former Seven Network presenter is accused of assaulting his girlfriend Orly Lavee in Kangaroo Valley, south of Sydney, on January 20. The assault occurred just after 6.30am that Wednesday, police say. O'Keefe was arrested in the early hours of the morning on January 31 in Randwick after what is alleged to have been a night of escalating violence against Ms Lavee, a haematologist. Andrew O'Keefe has been hit with another domestic violence assault charge as he continues his hospital stay He has already indicated guilty pleas to two charges - a common assault, then an assault occasioning actual bodily harm - over the Randwick incident. The new charge was mentioned at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday. O'Keefe was excused from appearing because he remains an in-patient at the Sydney Clinic, a private mental health hospital, magistrate Ross Hudson said on Tuesday. The former Weekend Sunrise host hasn't entered a plea on the fresh charge. His case is due back at Waverley Local Court on June 25 for an application for it to be dealt with under mental health legislation. The former Seven Network presenter is accused of assaulting his girlfriend Orly Lavee (pictured together) in Kangaroo Valley, south of Sydney, on January 20 Police allege O'Keefe assaulted Dr Lavee (pictured on February 1) at her Randwick apartment between 11pm and 11.30pm A domestic violence order protecting Ms Lavee will remain in place until at least that date. O'Keefe's lawyer told the court in February he had been an involuntary in-patient at Prince of Wales Hospital since his January 31 arrest. O'Keefe, a former lawyer and son of former NSW Supreme Court judge Barry O'Keefe, was a founding member of the domestic violence charity, the White Ribbon Foundation, where he served as chairman in 2017. The organisation went into liquidation in 2019. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his service to television and charity work. White Ribbon has distanced itself from Mr O'Keefe since his arrest. The Shrimp Basket restaurant is offering new hires, and employees who recruit new hires, a chance to win a new car. The incentive plan announced Tuesday comes in an economic climate in which operators of many businesses, particularly restaurants, have lamented difficulty hiring and retaining entry-level employees. Some have blamed an increase in unemployment benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic, though the picture may be more complex: The Alabama Department of Labor recently announced that the states unemployment rate was 3.8%, well below the national rate of 6% and the lowest since the pandemic began. The department said Alabamas pre-pandemic level was 2.6% in March 2020. The Shrimp Basket, a regional chain based in Gulf Shores, is offering what appears to be a new Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV under the slogan Work with us, win with us. The incentive program runs from May 1 through Sept. 10. According to rules posted on the companys website, employees will receive an entry for every 30 days they work during that period. Employees can receive additional entries for referring new employees, but those referrals must still be working for the chain on the day of the drawing in order to count. Only an employee in good standing at the time of the drawing can win. Other incentives promised by the chain include a $500 referral bonus and a $1.50 per hour summer retention bonus. According to the company, it will pay sales tax, title and registration of the vehicle. The winner will have the option of taking a $22,500 cash payout, minus taxes. Full details and restrictions can be found at https://sbrcargiveaway.shrimpbasket.com/. Potential employees can begin the application process at www.shrimpbasket.com or by texting the word SHRIMP to 72345. The company has stores throughout Alabama, with the biggest concentration along the coast. What is common to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav? Besides the latter being a joint recipient of her letter, written last month to 15 Opposition stalwarts asking them to join forces to fight assaults on Indias constitutional federalism, both have also recently publicly displayed their Hindu identities. Mr Yadavs efforts at projecting his Hindu identity was unfortunately followed by his testing Covid positive, possibly because he had bathed at Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela and met with a Hindu seer, who was perhaps infected with the coronavirus. Ms Banerjee demonstrated that she was not a lesser Hindu than her adversary-in-chief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when she recited the Chandi Path to launch her campaign in Nandigram several weeks ago. Ms Banerjee, as well as Mr Yadav, in ways more than one, embody the majority of Indias Opposition leaders who have since 2014, taken recourse to startling innovations to wear their hitherto invisible Hindu birthmarks on their sleeves. Rahul Gandhis efforts to publicly display being a Dattatreya Brahmin in the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly polls are widely known and were commented upon adequately. Alongside widely embracing their religious identity, the (Hindu) Opposition leaders now mask past commitment and efforts at increasing the political representation of religious minorities, especially Muslims. They also no longer promise minority-specific development programmes with the same gusto as they once did. Some years ago, Sonia Gandhi had bemoaned that her party suffered electorally due to its pro-minority image. The contagion of overanxious display of ones Hindu identity is in complete contrast to the unanimity in the political class, at dawn of the republic in 1950, that Indias majority community was obligated to make the religious minorities, especially the Muslims, feel secure, respected and instil in them the belief that the majority was sensitive to their faith and tradition. The chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, drew strength from this unspoken agreement when he mocked Prime Minister Modi for his refusal to wear a skull cap offered by a Muslim cleric in 2011. It is useful to recall Nitish Kumars didactic advice: In a country as diverse as ours, symbols must be respected. In order to maintain harmony with everyone, sometimes one has to wear a cap and sometimes one needs to sport a tilak. Barely eight years after this taunt, the fortunes have reversed. Mr Kumar is now a much-diminished executor of Mr Modis policies, albeit with a baulk at times on matters related to hard Hindutva. The Prime Minister has also successfully politically coerced his opponents to become mindful of the ways of the New India, where being merely sensitive towards the concerns of religious minorities is deemed a political handicap, or perilous. The Opposition parties are driven by their assessment that in the peoples perception, whatever may be shortcomings of Prime Minister Modi and his governments deliveries, he has one most important accomplishment beneath his belt -- that he has fixed Muslims. The Opposition parties are driven by their perception of majoritarian elation and are now unwilling to risk loss of support among Hindus. In more states than one, the Opposition to the BJP is its veritable B-team. Take the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party for instance in Delhi. This explains Akhilesh Yadavs conscious decision to refrain from critiquing Hindu nationalistic politics in recent years, especially after 2017, the way his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi patriarch, did three decades ago when he pledged in October 1990 not to allow even a single bird to flutter over Ayodhyas skies on the day of the Vishwa Hindu Parishads promised commencement of the kar seva at the disputed site. The impression that there has a complete reversal is the outlook of large sections of Hindus towards Muslims is reflected in several of Mamata Banerjees decisions too, most visibly in the significantly lesser number of Muslims she has nominated as candidates in these elections. Ms Banerjee and Mr Yadav have another commonality. Prashant Kishor and his brand of ideological agnosticism is part of their campaign to return to power, the formers currently and Mr Yadavs in 2017. Since his advent in Indias political space as an electoral strategist, first for Mr Modi and later for others, Mr Kishor has preached that political commitment to ideas and policies is redundant. Winning polls, he asserts, is all about reading the data right, an effective communication strategy and making the right moves at opportune moments. His philosophy enables him to move to one client party from another. Mr Kishor's belief in post-ideology politics is reflected in the weakened commitment to political beliefs of Ms Banerjee, Mr Yadav and several others. His influence was visible in Ms Banerjee's letter to the Opposition leaders. It was an unambiguous effort at opening a door for a post-poll pact with the Congress while staking claim to a national role in the event of the Trinamul Congress returning to power in West Bengal. But Ms Banerjee chose not to criticise the BJPs corrosive ideology. Instead, she used the passage of the law that clipped the powers of the Delhi government and held it as evidence of the ruling sides objective of establishing one party authoritarian rule in India. Ms Banerjees letter was silent on the abrogation of Article 370 and taking away Jammu and Kashmirs statehood, a precursor to the law clipping the Delhi governments powers. The letter listed the reasons why the Opposition parties must forge a common cause. But none of these were ideological. Ms Banerjee limited herself to listing instances showing that the BJP consistently undermines Indias federal character; hang-handed governors, using investigative agencies to target political opponents, limiting fiscal independence of states, dissolution of consultative bodies, worsening Centre-state relations and so on. Mamata Banerjee has not sought allies among the Opposition parties to protect India from a majoritarian onslaught. Instead, it is a call to unite to safeguard its federal character and autonomy. Although people in more than one hundred seats are still to vote, the letter is the final proof of the BJP winning this round politically. Whether it has secured West Bengal electorally too shall be known only on May 2. The LOI covers VANTAS and T-GO branded vehicles that HAAH and the Sicar joint venture will be developing and selling in North America. The first two vehicles to go on sale will be the large-size SUV VANTAS VX and the mid-size SUV VANTAS TXL. Next to enter the market will be two T-GO vehicles including one pickup truck model. They will be followed by additional SUV and passenger car models with intelligence and electrification capabilities. Sicar and HAAH share the vision for world class intelligent and electric vehicles. While the first two vehicles the brands sell in North America have internal combustion engines, those vehicles are seen as a bridge to a future where electric vehicles will become the product mainstays. "This agreement expansion is a major step forward as we prepare for the launch of these two brands in the United States and Canada, including future electric vehicles. It expands upon our earlier pact regarding the sales, distribution, and service of vehicles for the VANTAS and T-GO brands. There is no question that electric vehicles are the future in North America, and we're excited to let everyone know of our plans," said HAAH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Duke Hale. "While we aren't ready to discuss details of our electric vehicle program just yet, EVs will become the core of our future offerings for VANTAS and T-GO," said Executive Vice President of Sales Bob Pradzinski. "We are eager to join the movement toward a sustainable future filled with electric vehicles and are firmly committed to being a big part of that movement. We're already working on an initial program with one electric vehicle, and there will be more to come." While all plans for the U.S. manufacturing plant remain in place, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a delay in the selection of a site. The pandemic created travel restrictions, both in China and the United States, which made it impossible for the company to complete all of the necessary manufacturing engineering reviews for plant location selection as quickly as planned. The company now plans to bring in fully assembled SUVS to North America by the end of 2022. However, even the very first vehicles brought in will have U.S.-made content and that content will grow significantly over time. This will accommodate the high level of eagerness among VANTAS and T-GO dealers to begin selling vehicles as quickly as possible. The initial VANTAS VX and TXL SUV models will be supplied by Sicar which will be contract assembled in China. About HAAH Motors Holdings HAAH Motors Holdings is a privately held company located in Lake Forest, California. HAAH was formed to fill a void in the market by re-defining the 21st century auto retail experience and by providing a unique turn-key market entry solution for global OEMs seeking to manufacture and sell high-quality, affordable vehicles in the North American market. More information can be found at http://www.haahauto.com About SICAR Shanghai Automotive Technology Development Co., Ltd. (SICAR) is an engineering company located in Shanghai, China, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chery Automobile Stock Co., Ltd. (Chery). Sicar has full capability to develop and engineer a world class vehicle from concept to start of production (SOP) through rigorous program management processes and with contracted services from domestic and global engineering service suppliers. Sicar has developed a series of premium vehicle models marketed under EXEED by Chery. SOURCE HAAH Automotive Holdings Related Links https://haahauto.com .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON The Biden administration is privately weighing how to handle the upcoming verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, including considering whether President Joe Biden should address the nation and dispatching specially trained community facilitators from the Justice Department, aides and officials told The Associated Press. Closing arguments began Monday in Chauvins trial with a prosecutor telling jurors that the officer had to know he was squeezing the life out of George Floyd as he cried over and over that he couldnt breathe and finally fell silent. Chauvin faces murder and manslaughter charges. The plans for possible presidential remarks are still fluid, with the timing, venue and nature of the remarks still being considered, in part depending on the timing of the verdict, according to two White House aides who were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The White House has been warily watching the trial proceed in Minneapolis and then another shooting of a Black man by a white police officer last week and are preparing for the possibility of unrest if a guilty verdict is not reached in the trial. Biden may also speak after a guilty verdict, the White House aides said. The verdict and the aftermath will be a test for Biden, who has pledged to help combat racism in policing, helping African Americans who supported him in large numbers last year in the wake of protests that swept the nation after Floyds death and restarted a national conversation about race. But he also has long projected himself as an ally of police, who are struggling with criticism about long-used tactics and training methods and difficulties in recruitment. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the White House has had a range of conversations about preparations for the upcoming verdict and added, Our objective is to ensure there is space for peaceful protest. Of course well let the jury deliberate and well wait for the verdict to come out before we say more about our engagements, Psaki said. Psaki said administration officials have been in contact with leaders in Minnesota and in other cities and states that saw unrest after Floyds death last year. She declined to answer if Biden would be disappointed if a not guilty verdict was reached. Meanwhile, the FBI and the U.S. attorneys office in Minnesota have been working with local officials to support law enforcement as they prepare for the possibility of unrest after the verdict, officials said. And the Justice Department has also dispatched specially trained community facilitators ahead of a verdict, according to a senior Justice Department official. The official could not discuss the plans publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The officials, part of the Justice Departments Community Relations Service, tout themselves as Americas Peacemaker by mediating disputes in communities and holding listening sessions to help prevent future conflicts. A federal civil rights investigation, separate from the trial, remains ongoing. Several witnesses were subpoenaed earlier this year to appear before a federal grand jury considering charges against Chauvin. The Justice Departments civil rights investigation has been focused on Chauvin and some of the witnesses, including other officers who worked with Chauvin, people familiar with the matter have told the AP. Chauvin was prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder in George Floyds death before then-Attorney General William Barr personally blocked the plea deal last year. Barr rejected the deal in part because he felt it was too soon, as the investigation into Floyds death was still in its relative infancy, law enforcement officials said. Across the country, police departments are also preparing for the possibility of rioting or other unrest, with some canceling vacation time and increasing the number of officers available for shifts. The federal government hasnt detailed its plan in the event of widespread or sustained civil unrest. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that there has been a request from officials in Washington, D.C., for D.C. National Guard forces in the event there is civil unrest in the nations capital, and it is currently being reviewed by the Army. He said the Army secretary has the authority to approve any request for D.C. National Guard but did not have details on the request. __ Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NAA B-Radio is celebrating rapid growth over the past year. What started out with one (1) station has expanded to fifteen (15) stations in just the past year alone. NAA B-Radio executives project future expansion to over Twenty (20) by the end of the year. These stations cover popular musical genres including Hip Hop, R&B, K-Pop, EDM, Gospel, Jazz, Country, Rock, Latin, POP, Soul and more. Recently, NAA B-Radio announced an opportunity for new and undiscovered talent to find fans among millions of listeners worldwide with their New Music Monday Showcase. The company has also opened Inside Justice, a show to keep listeners up to speed on the Criminal Justice system. NAA B-Radio is also proud to support humanitarian and public interest causes including Black Lives Matter, Hate is a Virus and more. Millions of listeners tune into NAA B-Radio programming every day with live streams on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram hosted by DJ Orphin, DJ Dakster, and DJ Sketch. Listeners have also tuned in using the NAA B-Radio apps on the App Store or on Google Play Promotional Plans on NAA B-Radio New Music Monday Showcase isn't the only way for music artists, producers, and agencies to get the word out. NAA B-Radio offers three promotional plans that are designed to build hype and buzz for music artists. Music artists can find their fans and audience through these leading promotional plans. Advertising on NAA B-Radio a Tyco Media's industry leading digital music service, is reaching out to businesses to offer exclusive national reach advertising deals. Advertising with NAA B-Radio connects companies, brands, and products with diverse audiences in local and national markets. The website has a station search function so companies and individuals can reach out to local representatives. We have listeners around the world listening on over 15 platforms and over 20 different connected devices, making it ideal for businesses seeking broader advertising reach. Tyco Media also offers national opportunities through an impressive range of media assets including online and live events. These assets create proven campaigns that are in use by many of the country's largest companies. Businesses can request further advertisement information by contacting NAA B-Radio through the web PRESS CONTACT: Michael Anderson Public Relations Manager Tel: 212-212-504-3046 [email protected] SOURCE NAA B-Radio The COVID-19 pandemic showed multiple ways people could adjust to life while making minimal to no person-to-person contact, including food drives. Recently, DuPont released the results of a remote food drive it did in partnership with food relief non-profits in the Metro Detroit area and the Great Lakes Bay Region. The initiative, titled Together We Can, raised $7,585 worth of money and food between the two regions. The food drive lasted from March 15 to March 22. Community relations leader for DuPont Kayley Lyons said this was part of DuPonts community impact plan in Michigan to benefit the regions where the company is present. The main issue we wanted to hit on this first quarter was food insecurity, Lyons said. Food insecurity is on the rise amid the pandemic, our food banks are experiencing a tremendous shift in not only the need but also in the limited number of volunteers. This is where we wanted to focus our efforts and make an impact to start off 2021. DuPont worked with United Way of Midland to help funnel monetary donations to Hidden Harvest, a non-profit, food rescue program that operates in the Great Lakes Bay Region and Gleaners food bank in Southeastern Detroit. DuPont employees had the option to donate to either of these two organizations, Lyons said. Hidden Harvest President and CEO Samantha McKenzie said DuPont workers in Midland, Saginaw and Auburn Hills were given an Amazon wish list full of foods the food organizations accepted. Dupont also matched the total monetary amount raised in each region up to $1,000. On our side, we got really cool packages in the mail, multiple times a day for two weeks straight, McKenzie said. It was really cool. In total, $3215 of money and $1,850 worth of food was raised for Hidden Market. For Gleaners, it was $2,120 in money and $400 in food and 280 pounds of physical food and cookware. Food insecurity in the Great Lakes Bay Region increased dramatically over the pandemic, with the food insecurity rates increasing by 138%, McKenzie said. That is an increase from about 51,000 people, to 71,000 people. She said many of their sources for food, such as food and grocery stores, have been cut down since the pandemic started. Many of Hidden Markets food donations have been fresh foods, so foods drives that provide more shelf-stable foods is helpful, she said. Food drives like this provides shelf stable items that you can sustain a (persons) personal cupboard for quite a bit longer than that box of perishable food, McKenzie said. Specimen BHI 3033, later renamed "Stan" after its discoverer, proved to be a phenomenal T. rex skeleton. More than 30,000 hours of excavation revealed a remarkable 68-percent-complete fossil. The excavation itself required the skills and resources of the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc. under the lead of paleontologist and Black Hills Institute President, Peter Larson in July 1992. This Wednesday, April 21, almost 30 years after Stan's excavation, Great Minds will install their very own T. rex weighing approximately 1100 lbs. and standing 14 feet tall and 40 feet long. The installation will be led by none other than Pete Larson and will be broadcast in real time via a livestream and Facebook Live. Please visit https://gm.greatminds.org/rvastantrex for more information. "At Great Minds, we are dedicated to making the world a more knowledge-rich place for all children it is our goal to inspire them to achieve the greatness we know they are each capable of," said Lynne Munson, CEO of Great Minds. "What is better than a life-size dinosaur to inspire us as educators and to challenge children to think about all the possibilities the world has to offer? We are thrilled to welcome Stan to Great Minds' new home in Virginia." Twelve-year-old George Munson will assist in the assembly and completion of Stan by attaching his skull. George first met Pete when he was nine years old and his family took a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota to visit the Black Hills Institute where several dinosaurs, including Stan, had been discovered. Great Minds is in the final stages of renovating its new headquarters and, along with Stan, will display a permanent collection of carefully curated art, mid-century modern furniture and other pieces as part of their 'House of Learning.' The company also plans to offer tours to school groups beginning in the fall of 2021. Quick Facts / Media Details: The install is being live-streamed at https://gm.greatminds.org/rvastantrex Stan the T. rex install at Great Minds on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 beginning at 9:30 a.m. install at Great Minds on beginning at 9:30 a.m. Great Minds is located at 840 Hermitage Road in Richmond (The Sauer Center) (The Sauer Center) Lynne Munson and Pete Larson are available for interviews and are available for interviews Stan weighs 2700 lbs. crated / 1100 lbs. uncrated and is 40 ft long and 14 ft tall This is one of 10 Stan replicas in the United States and the only one in Virginia and the only one in Virginia The Great Minds building will be open to school tours in the coming months ABOUT GREAT MINDS Great Minds PBC is a public benefit corporation and a subsidiary of Great Minds, a nonprofit organization. In addition to Wit & Wisdom, the company offers Eureka Math, PhD Science, and Geodes books for emerging readers, developed in collaboration with Wilson Language Training. Great Minds in Sync adapts the materials for remote or hybrid learning. Learn more at greatminds.org. SOURCE Great Minds PBC Related Links www.greatminds.org U.S. says Chad rebels heading towards capital from north A Chad army tank is seen on the street, as fighters from the rebel Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) appeared to be moving toward the capital according to the United States (Photo : REUTERS/Stringer) The United States said rebel fighters in Chad appeared to be moving towards the capital N'Djamena and ordered non-essential staff to leave, warning of possible violence. A spokesman for the rebel Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) said its fighters had "liberated" the province of Kanem, some 220 km (136 miles) from the capital N'Djamena, but the government denied this. Advertisement "The authors of these false statements are not even on the ground, but somewhere in Europe," the government said in a message posted to Facebook. A day earlier the British government urged its citizens to leave Chad because of information that two rebel convoys on the move, one near the town of Faya, some 770 km (478 miles) northeast of N'Djamena, and another by the town of Mao, the provincial capital of Kanem. On Sunday morning, a Reuters reporter saw large numbers of heavily armed Chad security forces patrolling the streets of the capital. Partial election results showed President Idriss Deby on course to extend his three decades in power, despite signs of growing discontent over his handling of the nation's oil wealth. Deby has won a majority in all but two of the 84 departments announced so far, and secured a plurality in the other two, with 28 departments remaining, according to the Independent National Election Commission (CENI). Deby, who seized power in 1990 at the head of an armed rebellion, is a staunch ally of France and the United States in the fight against Islamist militants in the arid Sahel region. "Due to their growing proximity to N'Djamena and the possibility for violence in the city, non-essential U.S. government employees have been ordered to leave Chad by commercial airline," the U.S. State Department said in a statement late on Saturday. Chad's army said it had destroyed a rebel convoy in the north of Kanem province on Saturday afternoon. "The column was totally decimated," army spokesman Azim Bermandoa Agouna said in a statement late on Saturday. FACT, which is based on Chad's northern frontier in Libya, attacked a Chadian border post on the evening of April 11, just as polling stations were closing. FACT spokesman Kingabe Ogouzeimi de Tapol said rebels had "liberated" Kanem and were still trying to root out remaining state security forces. "We reassure the population of the city of N'Djamena and its surrounding area, in particular diplomatic personnel, United Nations staff, partners, and expatriates working in Chad, to remain calm and to avoid any non-essential travel outside the city," Ogouzeimi said in a statement posted to Facebook. A group of 14 opposition leaders, who had called for their supporters to boycott the election, signed a petition on Sunday calling for a ceasefire to allow for an "inclusive national dialogue." Australia's largest diamond ring, a 25.02-carat monster, is expected to sell for more than $1million at auction - shattering sales records. The luxury sparkler is expected to break an Australian sales record when it sells at auction in Woollahra, Sydney, at 6pm on Tuesday. So enormous is the jewel that it dwarfs engagement rings warn by Jennifer Lopez (15 carats), Kim Kardashian (15 carats) and Meghan Markle (six carats). The ring is expected to break an Australian sales record when it goes to auction in Woollahra on Tuesday night The diamond comes from Canada where it was 'ethically mined' and is worth about $990,000 to $1.2 million making it the most expensive to ever be offered in Australia. The ring is decorated with a square cut stone on top of the ring, then a line of baguette diamonds running down the side, adding roughly 3.25 carats. Auction house Leonard Joel's head of important jewels, Hamish Sharma, claimed the diamond had all the features of a flawless stone. '[It is a] little bit of warmth but [is] not "warm",' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. The ring has an estimated value of between $990,000 and $1.2million Mr Sharma said when it comes to the rarity of the ring, 'it's one of a kind', he told 9 News. 'It's like a holy grail... not quite - but where do you find another?' he said. 'When you look into it, it sort of mesmerizes.' 'If youre judging it from a point of view of beauty, its unparalleled. If youre looking for rarity its the only one of its kind in the world,' Mr Sharma told The Sydney Morning Herald. Hamish Sharma has described the ring as 'one of a kind' The diamond is understood to have been cut from a 47.961 carat rough in the Canadian tundra. The owner of the ring is an Australian ex-pat who bought the diamond only a few months ago and is looking to make a profit from the investment. Many interested investors are young and middle-aged people of high wealth, and some older, wealthier Australians have also noted their interest. According to a 2020 Australian wedding industry report, the average price spent on engagement rings is $5,367, despite an old tradition where men would spend three months' salary on an engagement ring. WHITE ROCK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 19, 2021 / TDG Gold Corp (TSXV:TDG) (the "Company" or "TDG") has engaged Kristina Pillon of High Tide Consulting Corp. ("High Tide"), based in Vancouver, B.C., for corporate communications services. High Tide has been engaged for an initial six months with remuneration of C$6,500 per month. High Tide offers a suite of corporate communications and investor relations services for a variety of publicly traded companies. In addition, 100,000 stock options of the Company were granted to High Tide today, April 19, 2021, at an exercise price of C$0.50, 25% vesting immediately and 25% every three-months thereafter over a five-year term. About High Tide Ms. Pillon has over a decade of capital markets experience focused primarily in the resource sector holding various roles, including 6 years at a Toronto-based boutique exempt market dealer as Head of Retail Marketing and Vice President Institutional Equity Sales. Prior to that, Ms. Pillon acted as Manager of Investor Relations for several junior mining companies. About TDG Gold Corp. TDG is a major mineral claim holder in the Toodoggone District of northern British Columbia, Canada, with over 23,000 hectares of brownfield and greenfield exploration opportunities under direct ownership or earn-in agreement. TDG's key projects are the former producing, high-grade gold and silver Shasta and Baker Mines which are both road accessible, produced intermittently between 1979-2012, and have over 50,000 metres of historical drilling. In 2021, TDG proposes to advance the projects through compilation of historical data, new geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, and drill testing of the known mineralization occurrences and their extensions. TDG currently has 64,423,459 common shares issued and outstanding. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Fletcher Morgan Chief Executive Officer For further information contact: TDG Gold Corp. Telephone: +1 (604) 536-2711 Email: info@tdggold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that 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 the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. SOURCE: TDG Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641262/TDG-Gold-Corp-Engages-Corporate-Communications-Services The Defense Department is anticipating a $1.8 billion budget shortfall as the result of unexpected COVID-19 pandemic expenses, military health officials said Tuesday. Medical treatment and the military response to the pandemic are expected to push Tricare costs $1 billion higher than anticipated in the fiscal 2021 budget. The remaining $800,000 in unexpected increases will be in the military health system itself, according to Dr. Terry Adirim, acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. And that estimate could rise once the DoD assesses the financial impact of its pandemic response support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Adirim told members of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee during a hearing on the military medical budget. Read Next: Emptiness, Anger, Relief: Afghanistan Veterans Wrestle With Coming End of 'Forever War' Adirim said the DoD doesn't anticipate asking Congress for additional funds and instead will look inside the department and at "sustainment and modernization funding and postponing facilities maintenance" to cover the costs. "We are working within the department to try and mitigate these shortfalls, but it's challenging," she said. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the DoD has seen more than 280,000 cases of COVID-19 among U.S. military personnel, family members, DoD civilians and contractors. The virus has caused 324 deaths across the department, including 24 service members. For the DoD, the pandemic prompted the unanticipated purchase of millions of pieces of personal protective equipment and ventilators, medical treatment for COVID-19 patients, vaccines and all associated personnel costs of supporting the department's response. That includes the deployment last year of two Navy hospital ships and establishment of at least six expeditionary field hospitals, as well as deployments of medical personnel to civilian medical centers to bolster staff. As of mid-March 2021, nearly 3,000 military medical and support personnel were deployed to 11 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist with community vaccinations, according to U.S. Army North. The Defense Health Agency's total fiscal 2021 budget was nearly $51 billion, including almost $18 billion in personnel, construction and health care accrual costs. The program's nearly $33.6 billion in discretionary funding was $500 million more than the department's budget request, and the health program received an additional $365 million provided to the program from overseas contingency operations. The department also was awarded $10.5 billion in pandemic relief funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act, $4.4 billion of which it planned to use for coronavirus-related medical care, including protective equipment. The service surgeons general told senators they don't anticipate the budget constraints to affect readiness, saying they "identify our readiness requirements up front." "Right now, we do not have a shortfall, as we've worked through our readiness requirements ... but we'll have to assess that as the fiscal year continues," said Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle. "Medical readiness of our force is paramount and No. 1," Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg said. "Everything that we do will be directed toward that and so, at this point, no shortfall. I do have a concern as we move forward, if there is a shortfall, how that's going to get covered." Navy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham agreed, saying, "I think this is something that we will watch carefully and continue to work internally." Two lawmakers on the panel noted several areas where they believe the Defense Health Agency could save money. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., questioned what he called redundancies between DoD medical research and programs at other agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., asked why the department spent $1 billion on a mandatory anthrax vaccine in the past five years when much of the force faces a larger threat from the current pandemic and future threats. "I'm concerned that our spending priorities are not aligned with both current and emerging threats," Baldwin said. "We've known that a pandemic based on a novel virus that would attack the respiratory system could cripple our country, yet we did not purchase PPE, we did not re-shore manufacturing of critical medical supplies or vaccines." The Biden administration has not yet released its proposed fiscal 2022 federal budget, although it has issued a statement that it will ask for $715 billion in discretionary funds for the DoD and will eliminate separate funding for overseas contingency operations, rolling those requests into the base budget. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Lawmakers Renew Efforts to Eliminate Tricare Young Adult Premiums The South Korean Embassy in Indonesia has shut down temporarily after the ambassador tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. The embassy said it will halt operations through Thursday after reporting virus patients, including the South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Park Tae-sung. Workers at the embassy, as well as those at the South Korean mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, are currently being tested for the novel coronavirus, officials said. According to World Health Organization data, Indonesia's total COVID-19 cases topped 1.6 million cases as of Monday, with its death toll surpassing 43,000. Its daily virus cases have been hovering around 5,000 since late February. The embassy said 116 South Korean residents in Indonesia have tested positive for COVID-19, but the actual number of virus patients could be larger considering that some cases may have not been reported to the authorities. A total of 246 South Koreans tested positive for COVID-19 on their homeland after flying in from Indonesia, the data showed. The embassy previously closed its buildings over virus concerns in November and last month. (Yonhap) North Rhine-Westphalia Governor Armin Laschet will lead Germany's center-right bloc into September's election after his rival Markus Soder conceded a leadership race on Monday. Why it matters: The election will be the first in which Angela Merkel will not lead the Christian Democratic Union since 2002. She has been chancellor for 16 years, representing the most stable reign of any G7 leader this century. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free The state of play: Germany's conservatives made up of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party in Bavaria, the Christian Social Union (CSU) have seen their polling numbers slide amid a slow vaccine rollout and corruption scandals. General election polling had favored the more media-savvy Soder, the premier of Bavaria, over the Merkel ally Laschet. But after a weeks-long internal feud, Soder acknowledged on Tuesday morining: "The die is cast. Armin Laschet will be the chancellor candidate." The big picture: Like Merkel, Laschet is seen as a champion of German industry who backs close economic ties with China and Russia, but "the tide is turning" on those issues, says Sudha David-Wilp of the German Marshall Fund. Laschet has come under scrutiny for his positions on allowing Huawei into Germany's 5G networks and maintaining good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We have to look at what he said in the past as a reflection of his role as the governor of a state with lots of business interests with China and Russia, but now hes in a new role," David-Wilp says. "He'll still have to support German business, but voters in Germany are starting to see Russia and China in a new light." Go deeper: Feud on center-right could help Greens succeed Merkel Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Only vendor with 100% of its customers willing to recommend the Indusface solution BENGALURU, India, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Indusface, a leading application security SaaS company that continually detects security risks, provides real time protection and improves performance of applications, today announced that its product 'AppTrana' has been ranked #1 in overall ratings in the March 2021 Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer' for Web Application Firewalls (WAF). Indusface AppTrana had the highest overall rating of 4.9/5, only vendor with 100% of its customers ready to recommend AppTrana, recognised as "Customers Choice" in APAC region and highest rating of 4.9/5 in customer support and service. "With businesses embracing digitization for their very survival, we had put a bigger thrust to enable our customers go digital fearlessly by making it extremely easy and fast to secure their web, API and mobile applications," said Ashish Tandon, Founder & CEO of Indusface. "Independent endorsement by our global customers on the Gartner platform is by far the best validation we could get of our platform." Gartner defines Web Application Firewalls (WAF) as solutions designed to protect web applications and APIs from a variety of attacks, including automated (bots), injection and application layer denial of service (DoS). "Indusface AppTrana" award-winning platform is the industry's only fully managed SaaS solution that continually detects security risks in applications and provides real-time protection. Gartner Peer Insights reviews that contributed to the company's recognition include these highlights: Disruptive Cost-Value proposition compared to other alternatives available in the market- CISO in the Finance Industry. (Read Full Review) alternatives available in the market- CISO in the Finance Industry. (Read Full Review) Value for money service and managed Cloud WAF product - DevOps And Cloud Head in the Finance Industry (Read Full Review) Compelling value with Zero False positive. Fully Managed Cloud WAF - IT Manager in the Finance Industry (Read Full Review) Ensures round-the-clock security with 360 view of my application security- Head - Managed Security Services, in the Services Industry (Read Full Review) Very Cost- effective Enterprise WAF with fully managed service included in the offering -CISO in the Finance Industry (Read Full Review) "Excellent Product that we want to use multi-year" -Chief Information Officer in the Healthcare Industry (Read Full Review) To learn more, please check out the resources below: Indusface AppTrana cloud WAF Click here Blog - Indusface AppTrana Ranks #1 Click here About Gartner Peer Insights Gartner Peer Insights is an online platform of ratings and reviews of IT software and services that are written and read by IT professionals and technology decision-makers. The goal is to help IT leaders make more insightful purchase decisions and help technology providers improve their products by receiving objective, unbiased feedback from their customers. Gartner Peer Insights includes more than 350,000 verified reviews in more than 340 markets. For more information, please visit www.gartner.com/reviews/home. About Indusface Indusface is a leading application security SaaS company which secures critical Web, Mobile & API applications of 2000+ global customers using it's award winning fully managed platform that integrates web application scanner, web application firewall, DDoS, BOT Mitigation, CDN and threat intelligence engine. The company has been funded by Tata Capital Growth Fund, is Great Place to Work certified, mentioned by analysts like Gartner, Forrester etc in their reports and has been the recipient of many awards such as the Economic Times Top 25, Nasscom DSCI Top Security Company, Deloitte Asia Top 100 and several other such prestigious recognitions. www.indusface.com Media Contact: Hariharan. P hariharan.p@indusface.com A 911 caller reported that a man in Lents Park was acting like James Bond and like a cowboy by doing quick-draws with a gun but not pointing it at anybody, responding Portland police Officer Zachary DeLong told dispatchers. Only minutes later, DeLong shot and killed Robert Douglas Delgado, 46, according to a timeline and a dispatch recording released Monday by police of the fatal shooting last Friday. DeLong arrived at the park at 9:36 a.m. and alerted dispatch that he saw the man by the east side of the park, with no shirt on and black pants, according to the radio transmissions. The officer said he had eyes on the man, planned to pull into the parking lot and address him from a distance and that he didnt see a gun. But a short time later, DeLong radioed, Hes not compliant...hes flipping us off and that others in the park were saying the man had a gun, according to the police radio transmissions. The officer called for other police to contain other parts of the park. Very noncompliant, DeLong radioed a short time later. I think the guns in his back pocket. Four minutes after officers arrived at the park near the Portland Pickles ball field, police reported that shots had been fired at 9:40 a.m. The shooting occurred 12 minutes after the first 911 call came in at 9:28 a.m., police said. Shots fired, suspect down. I cant see him, an officer radioed. DeLong, who was hiding behind a tree, fired an AR-15 rifle from about 90 feet from Delgado. Seeking cover behind the same tree was Portland Officer Samantha Wuthrich, who had a less-lethal weapon. A replica orange-tipped gun found near where Robert Douglas Delgado was pronounced dead in Lents Park after he was shot by a Portland police officer Friday, April 16, 2021. Delgado was shot once and collapsed behind a tree near the fence along the outfield of the ball field near Southeast 92nd Avenue and Holgate Boulevard. Police called a sergeant to bring a shield to the scene so officers could safely approach Delgado. Officers reported Delgado moving his right arm initially, according to the radio transmissions. Police planned to drive up to the man in a police SUV. A minute after the police reported shots fired, an ambulance was sent to the park. About 9:47 a.m., officers called for emergency medical workers to come into the scene. A minute later, police approached and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. By 9:53 a.m., police said emergency medics took over. Wuthrich was one of two officers who had fired munitions from less-lethal 40mm launchers. Wuthrich, a former traffic officer, is believed to have fired either slightly before or at the same time of DeLongs rifle shots. The shooting remains under investigation. Police recovered a replica handgun with an orange tip on it and a magazine to the gun that Delgado had. Police photographed the gun lying on the grass in the park but did not specify exactly where it was. Delgado suffered from anxiety and depression and had been living on the streets, in parks and couch surfing, according to his family and court records. The magazine to a replica orange-tipped gun that Portland police recovered near the body of Robert Douglas Delgado. In an unusual step, Acting Police Chief Chris Davis and a police captain provided a briefing on the shooting to all city commissioners via Zoom about 4 p.m. Friday. With new city commissioners, the briefing was held to make sure they understood how the city investigates police shootings, said Jim Middaugh, spokesman for Mayor Ted Wheeler. Police said Monday that witness officers and DeLong have been interviewed by investigators with Portland police and the East County Major Crimes Team. The investigation will be presented to a grand jury for review. A parallel internal administrative investigation also is proceeding. We ask for continued patience as we work through the complex process of investigation and administrative review in this case and we will share information as we can, Davis said in a statement. Davis is acting chief for Chief Chuck Lovell, who is out of state on vacation. Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call Detective Anthony Merrill at 503-823-4033 or anthony.merrill@portlandoregon.gov or Detective Joe Cornona at 503-823-0508 or joseph.corona@portlandoregon.gov. -- Maxine Bernstein Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Derek Chauvin should be put under the jail for death of George Floyd, Pat Robertson says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment If the decision to convict Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of George Floyd's murder was left up to Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, Chauvin would be put under the jail. Speaking on The 700 Club last Thursday, Robertson raised concern about the "onslaught" of police violence in the wake of the killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on April 11. Kimberly A. Potter, a white Brooklyn Center police officer who resigned after shooting the 20-year-old Wright, has since been charged with second-degree manslaughter after days of protests and riots. "I am pro-police, folks. I think we need the police, we need their service and they do a good job. But ... they cannot do this," Robertson said. "Derek Chauvin, I mean, they oughta put him under the jail. He has caused so much trouble by kneeling on the [neck] of George Floyd ... It's just terrible what's happening. And the police, why don't they open their eyes to what the public relations are? We've got to stop this stuff." President Joe Biden revealed on Monday that he spoke with Floyds family. He suggested that even though the evidence in the case is overwhelming, the family is urging peace regardless of the verdict reached by the jury in the case. I can only imagine the pressure and anxiety they are feeling, and so I waited until the jury was sequestered, and I called, Biden explained. They are a good family, and theyre calling for peace and tranquility no matter what that verdict is, Biden said. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is, I think its overwhelming, in my view. He further noted that: I wouldnt say that unless the jury was sequestered now, and not hearing me say that. But so we just talked a little. I wanted to know how they were doing, just personally. We talked about personal things. Floyds brother, Philonise Floyd, told NBC's "TODAY" show on Tuesday that President Biden offered prayers for his family as they await the verdict. "He knows how it is to lose a family member, and he knows the process of what were going through. So he was just letting us know that he was praying for us, hoping that everything will come out to be OK," Floyd said. He also expressed optimism about the outcome of the trial against Chauvin. "Me and my family, we pray about it every day," he said. I just feel that in America, if a black man cant get justice for this, what can a black man get justice for?" While he also called directly for protests to be peaceful regardless of the outcome, he added that I cant stop people from doing the things that theyre doing because people are in pain." The jury in Chauvin's trial continued its second day of deliberations Tuesday and reached a verdict. A group of Democratic senators, led by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), sent a letter urging the Education Department (ED) to restore defaulted student loans to on-time status amid the ongoing payment pause, Yahoo Finance has learned. "The Department has the authority to address these accumulating financial pressures and inequities by automatically removing 7.5 million borrowers with federally-managed student loans from default status," the April 19 letter addressed to ED Secretary Miguel Cardona and seen by Yahoo Finance stated. The interest-free payment pause is set to expire in October. Rohit Chopra, President Biden's nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), previously warned that "an avalanche of defaults" could follow the end of the moratorium. "Removing borrowers from default status and eliminating their record of default will provide them significant financial benefits," the new letter stated. "It will ensure these borrowers do not immediately face the garnishment of wages, tax refunds, and Social Security, and additional collection fees, once the nationwide forbearance expires." Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on voting rights on Capitol Hill in Washington,DC on April 20, 2021. (Photo: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, a loan can be rehabilitated from default status by making nine on-time payments over 10 consecutive months. After this process, any record of default is expunged from their credit history and any garnishment of wages stops. The letter argues that since the pandemic pause on loans counts each month as an on-time payment and 10 months have passed, "all defaulted borrowers with federally-held student loans have now met the requirement for completing nine payment obligations and are thus eligible to exit default status." ED has the ability to make various adjustments to these federally-backed loans. The Biden-era ED previously halted interest and debt collection on about 1.14 million defaulted loans in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and erased roughly $1.3 billion in student debt for 41,000 borrowers with total disabilities. Story continues The letter stressed that debt relief is a matter of racial justice given that the student debt crisis has been "particularly devastating for Black, Latino, and Native communities, who face significantly higher rates of student loan default and delinquency compared to white borrowers." (Graphic: David Foster) Aarthi is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. She can be reached at aarthi@yahoofinance.com. Follow her on Twitter @aarthiswami. Read more: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey summoned Sweden's ambassador on Tuesday to protest Swedish government officials contacts with Syrian Kurdish groups that Ankara classifies as terror organizations, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said. During the meeting with Ambassador Staffan Herrstrom, Turkish officials strongly condemned a recent video conference that Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist had with the leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, and from the groups political arm, the Syrian Democratic Council, the official said. The Turkish officials also protested similar communication by Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, the ministry official said. The official provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish government regulations. The U.S.-backed SDF is mostly made up of Syrian Kurdish fighters linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which since 1984 has led an insurgency in Turkey. The United States and the European Union also have listed the PKK as a terrorist organization. They don't, however, consider the Syrian Kurdish groups as terrorist organizations, leading to frictions with Turkey. The ministry official said Sweden's ambassador was told his country was not only supporting those who target Syrias territorial integrity and Turkeys security, but is also openly violating international law and causing harm to (Turkish-Swedish) bilateral ties. Turkey invited Sweden not to support terror organizations and to spend efforts toward Syria's unity, territorial integrity and lasting stability, the official added. Backed and funded by the United States, the SDP fought against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. Turkey launched military incursions into Syria to drive Syrian Kurdish fighters away from its border. PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of the countrys economic recovery efforts, representatives of the Ministries of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) and the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), recently held a virtual meeting with a majority of the tourism industrys stakeholders to discuss how to further profile the importance of the countrys vaccination campaign, the latter, seen as a key instrument in the further economic recovery of the nation. The goal is to vaccinate at least 70% of the local population by June 1st in order to achieve what epidemiologists refer to as herd immunity, i.e., where a sufficient number of people in a community become immune to an infectious disease. As Minister of TEATT, I would like to thank the private sector for their participation and contribution and look forward to their continued cooperation and support in this important endeavor. Our national recovery is dependent on the current vaccine strategy along with the other continued observance and application of COVID-19 public health and safety protocols within the community. Everyone has a role to play in our recovery effort, said Minister of TEATT Ludmila de Weever on Monday. During the meeting, participants provided suggestions on how to encourage staff to receive vaccinations, including financial incentives and non-financial incentives such as time-off, hotel stays, as well as owners and managers leading by example and getting vaccinated. Some owners, managers, etc., have indicated they have already done so. Additionally, it was also suggested allowing the Human Resource (HR) managers to assist employees - and their immediate family members - with the registration process to increase the number of registrations, in particular amongst those that are not tech-savvy. The government has agreed to send hard copies of the registration forms to the various businesses and business organizations, to distribute to their employees and others in order to further facilitate the registration process. The importance of communicating in different languages was also stressed and registration in the three main languages (English, Spanish & Creole) was also seen as an asset in getting more persons to register for the vaccine. The stakeholders were also informed of the possibility to arrange information sessions with the staff to address some of their concerns, as well as a shuttle service to and from the vaccine administering sites for staff and their immediate family members. Lastly, the business representatives were encouraged to incorporate vaccination messaging in their places of business and via their ad campaigns. The meeting concluded with all indicating a willingness to help the Government reach the target goal of herd immunity before the start of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Businesses interested in scheduling group vaccinations should contact the Ministry of VSA Collective Prevention Service (CPS) Epidemiologist, Sanne van Kampen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For the scheduling of group information sessions, they should contact Bart van /de Meijden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The meeting was attended by representatives of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trades Association (SHTA), St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA), Restaurant Association, Port St. Maarten, local fuel suppliers, major food wholesalers, hardware importers, various restaurants, and the Indian Merchants Association (IMA). Separate meetings will be held with the Airport and its concessioners, the Taxi associations, and the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) in the near future. A family of Tamil asylum-seekers removed from the Queensland town of Biloela three years ago are 'struggling and coping' in immigration detention. Priya and Nades Murugappan and their two young daughters have been held on Christmas Island since August 2019 as the government tries to deport them to Sri Lanka, despite a community campaign to let them stay. Labor senator Kristina Keneally is among those who have spent years calling for the family to be released. Senator Keneally has spent the past four days with the family, who have been detained for more than 1,000 days. Priya and Nades Murugappan and their two young daughters (pictured) are being detained in a demountable building on Christmas Island at a cost of $4,000 a day Kopika (left) gets taken to school by guards while Priya stays inside to look after three-year-old Tharunicaa (right) 'They are struggling and coping, as you can imagine, particularly these young girls,' she told ABC radio from Christmas Island. Senator Keneally said Priya was clearly lonely and depressed in detention. 'Nades, the father, is the quieter of the two but I sensed a deep and profound sadness in his face,' she said. 'He is stuck in a situation he cannot resolve. He can't work, he can't look after his family, and he can't get a way out.' Senator Keneally said Nades genuinely feared being killed if he was deported to Sri Lanka. 'He just wants to care for his wife and children, and he doesn't want to make his daughters orphans.' Figures released last year showed the government has spent more than $6million detaining the family. Pictured: Priya and Nades Tharunicaa (pictured) was just a few months old when her family was arrested and has spent the vast majority of her life locked up by the Australian Government Their two Australian-born girls, Kopika and Tharunicaa, are happy when they are allowed to attend school or visit a recreation centre once a week. 'But back in detention they are, Priya says, they are dead, they have no joy,' Senator Keneally said. 'These two parents both look at their most overwhelmed when they are talking about the impacts of detention on their children.' The family has access to health and welfare services on Christmas Island, including school and recreation services. Three years ago: While on bridging visas, the family rented a small house, paid for with money Nades earned by working at an abattoir Priya and Nades met in Sydney before getting married and settling in Biloela, Queensland where they had two children But the girls are the only two children housed in an immigration detention centre in Australia. Senator Keneally called on Karen Andrews, who was recently promoted to the home affairs ministry, to intervene. She wants the family to return to their adopted home of Biloela in central Queensland. At the very least, Senator Keneally wants them to be able to live in community detention on Christmas Island while their case goes through the courts. SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) Chiles Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday approved a bill to allow euthanasia and assisted suicide for those over 18. It now goes to the Senate for debate. Under the legislation, which was submitted to congress by the center-left opposition in 2014, a person seeking euthanasia would have to be diagnosed by two doctors as having a serious and incurable disease, be conscious when making the request or have previously established the request, and suffer from unbearable physical ailments. The initiative seeks to regulate euthanasia, in which a doctor administers a drug that causes death, and assisted suicide, in which a doctor gives a drug that the patients take themselves. Cecilia Heyder, 53, hopes to become the first to use euthanasia if the legislation is finally approved. Heyder has metastatic breast cancer and lupus and a couple of years ago developed a deficiency in one of the proteins involved in blood clotting. This causes me multiple hemorrhages, bruises," she said, adding that doctors have told her there is no cure. It is my dream to fall asleep and not wake up anymore. That is what I am waiting for, she said. Because it is not life that I am leading. Pablo Villar, Heyders lawyer, had criticized the bills slow progress. Dona Cecilia cant wait any longer, he said. Pro-government lawmaker Leonidas Romero said the leftist Broad Front and the Communist Party, which promoted the bill, "are suffering from the James Bond syndrome: license to kill. Supporters of the bill say doctors would have the right to refuse to participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide. Opposition lawmaker Leonardo Soto said the decision by a terminally ill person to use the law if it wins final approved will always depend on the person, the patient. One of its articles states that a third party cannot request euthanasia or assisted suicide. The updates on this story stopped at 9 p.m. EDT. Civil rights investigation is ongoing Attorney General Merrick Garland weighed in on the verdict Tuesday night. While the states prosecution was successful, I know that nothing can fill the void that the loved ones of George Floyd have felt since his death, Garland said in a statement. He added that a federal civil rights investigation into George Floyds death is ongoing. Biden addresses nation following verdict President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation Tuesday following the guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. I cant breathe. Those were George Floyds last words, Biden said. We cannot let them die with him. We have to keep hearing them... It was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see ... the systemic racism... a stain on our nations soul, the knee on the neck of justice for Black Americans, Biden continued. Most men and women who wear the badge serve their community faithfully, Biden said, adding that those who fail to uphold that duty must be held accountable. No one should be above the law and todays verdicts send that message. But its not enough. Harris said much work remains to be done on racial injustice in the United States. Heres the truth about racial injustice: It is not just a Black America problem or a people of color problem. It is a problem for every American, Harris said. It is holding our nation back from reaching its full potential. We are all a part of George Floyds legacy and our job now is to honor it and honor him, she said. Floyd family reacts to verdicts The family of George Floyd expressed relief but also a determination to keep fighting for justice after the guilty verdicts against former Chauvin. Im going to put up a fight every day, because Im not just fighting for George anymore. Im fighting for everybody around this world, said brother Philonise Floyd. Its been a long journey. Justice for George means freedom for all. Story continues This is for everyone thats been held down and pinned down, said brother Rodney Floyd. We said, God, we need justice and we need it now, and He answered, said brother Terrence Floyd. Today we are able to breathe again. George Floyds family reacts to Chauvin verdict Biden relieved by guilty verdicts Biden on Tuesday said he was relieved that a jury delivered a guilty verdict on all three charges against Chauvin in the Floyds death. Were all so relieved, not just one verdict, but all three, guilty on all three counts, Biden said. He and Harris spoke to the Floyd family by phone shortly after the verdicts were announced. Biden says guilty verdict for police officer in George Floyd death much too rare We usually never get justice George Floyds brother, Philonise, was in the courtroom Tuesday as the guilty verdicts against former Chauvin were read. Philonise Floyd prayed with his hands clasped as the verdicts were announced, CNN reported. His hands began to shake as the three guilty verdicts came in. Afterward, he hugged prosecutors. I was just praying they would find him guilty. As an African American, we usually never get justice, he told CNN. THANK YOU GOD: Darnella Frazier, who filmed George Floyds death, reacts to verdict A huge day for the world Celebrations broke out across Minneapolis and the nation after a jury found former police officer Chauvin guilty of all charges in Floyds death. A crowd gathered in George Floyd Square in Minneapolis cheered and applauded as the verdict was announced Tuesday evening. Never doubted it, Courteney Ross, Floyds girlfriend, told a CNN reporter outside the courthouse. A huge day for the world. Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyds family, said Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America! For the first time in Minnesota state history, a white police officer has been held accountable for killing a Black man, the American Civil Liberties Union wrote on Twitter. True justice would mean George Floyd was never killed in the first place. Today, a jury did the right thing, said former President Barack Obama in a statement posted to Twitter. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied. We hope this guilty verdict begins to show that white supremacy will not win, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation said in a statement. But let us also be clear that this still does not bring our loved ones back. We do not get George Floyd back. I would not call todays verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step toward justice, said Michigan Attorney General Keith Ellison. Im thankful for George Floyds family that justice was served, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Twitter. America was forever changed by the video of Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd. However, a guilty verdict doesnt mean the persistent problem of police misconduct is solved. Well keep working for meaningful change. Celebration and tears: Reactions pour in after Derek Chauvin found guilty Guilty verdicts announced Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd during an arrest. The jury deliberated 10 hours over two days before reaching a verdict Tuesday. Judge Peter Cahill revoked Chauvins bail and remanded him to the custody of the sheriffs department. I have to thank you on behalf of the people of Minnesota for not only jury service, but heavy duty jury service, Cahill told the jury. Chauvin looked baffled as the verdicts were read. Clapping and cheers could be heard in the street outside the courthouse. A sentencing hearing was set in eight weeks. Sports world reacts to Derek Chauvin guilty verdict. They finally got one case right Biden praying for right verdict Biden said earlier Tuesday hes praying for the right verdict in the case against former Minneapolis officer Chauvin, who is accused of murder in Floyds death. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict, Biden said. Which is I think it is overwhelming in my view. Biden made his remarks after the jury had been sequestered for its deliberations. Biden says hes praying for the right verdict as Chauvin jury deliberates case The trial Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died while in police custody on May 25, and his death sparked an avalanche of protests across the nation. He died after Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer who is white, pressed his knee into Floyds neck for more than nine minutes, as three other officers didnt intervene. A 17-year-old bystander took video of the incident, in which Floyd can be heard saying, Please, please, please, I cant breathe. Chauvin faced charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. His trial opened March 29, and the case went to the jury for deliberations Monday. Prosecutors argued that Chauvin violated police training and procedures, causing Floyds death. You were told Mr. Floyd died because his heart was too big, said prosecutor Jerry Blackwell. The reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvins heart was too small. Defense attorneys argued that Floyds death could have been caused by other factors and that Chauvins use of force didnt violate police guidelines. The standard is not what should the officer have done, said defense attorney Eric Nelson. The standard is what were the facts known to this officer at the exact moment he used force. Officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were also fired and arrested, charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Floyd was arrested after being accused by a store employee of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy a pack of cigarettes at a Minneapolis grocery store. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday reintroduced the bold and expansive Green New Deal, a climate- and justice-based energy and economic resolution that now includes a push to create a 1.5 million-strong group of civilians to work on conservation, renewable energy and public health projects. The Green New Deal, introduced in early 2019 by the longtime Massachusetts environmental advocate and New York progressive leader, seeks to significantly curb greenhouse gas emissions and blunt the economic and health impacts of climate change, particularly in frontline and minority communities. The resolution also calls on the federal government to jolt the economy with green jobs and sustainable infrastructure, goals aligned with President Joe Bidens $2 trillion American Jobs Plan. The updated resolution includes a proposal built off the concept of the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps. The 1.5 million-member Civilian Climate Corps will receive on-the-job training and work with community groups on federally-funded projects, including efforts to reduce emissions, aiding the transition to renewables and recovery following climate disasters, the lawmakers said. This is the moment to think big, act big, Markey told reporters Tuesday when asked if progressive lawmakers were pushing further than the Biden administration. We are calling for the highest aspirations that our country can reach. Were here today to say we want to go big, even bigger. While conservatives have openly mocked the Green New Deal, which also has its share of doubters among moderate Democrats, Markey and Ocasio-Cortez noted Tuesday that communities, federal lawmakers and even large businesses have shifted to greener policies since the resolutions unveiling in 2019. They also argue its become a benchmark thats pressed the Biden administration toward a more progressive agenda. We made bold climate action not only a voting issue but a winning political issue, Markey said in a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol. Climate justice is finally taking over the halls of the United States Congress. General Motors, Markey noted, is now moving to produce only electric vehicles, a notion thats the very DNA of the Green New Deal that was not on the scoreboard two years ago. More than 100 cities nationwide have committed to 100% clean, renewable energy, he said, citing resolutions in New York, Maine and Seattle. He and Ocasio-Cortez argue the resolution addresses recognized links between racial injustice, economic injustice, housing, jobs and climate change. The Civilian Climate Corps called for by Biden in an executive order in January combats the interlocking crises of the moment, Markey said. Half of the projects will be conducted in frontline environmental justice communities, and half of the corps itself will be made up of members of those communities, the senator said. Rebuilding and strengthening our neighborhoods especially those that have been devastated by climate change and racist housing and health care policies and supporting our labor force must be our highest priority in the months and years to come, Markey added. Ocasio-Cortez, who also proposed a Green New Deal for housing with Sen. Bernie Sanders, and for cities with Rep. Cori Bush, said the Civilian Climate Corps puts more than a million young people to work, strengthening our communities and preserving our lands doing everything from remediating blight and maintaining trails to creating entirely new green spaces. The program also provides the support needed to turn this work into a career path including childcare, eldercare and tax-free educational grants to be used for student loan debt payments or higher education, she added. Americans across the political spectrum support the CCC now we need to ensure the program is funded at a scale to reach every community. Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Tuesday that for too long, the movement toward a more sustainable was divided by a false notion: that we have to choose between our planet and our economy. We decided to come together in sweeping legislation, she said, that not only rejects that notion but creates a plan for 20 million union jobs in the United States of America to rebuild our infrastructure, restore public housing and boost transit and the electrification of vehicles, as the transportation sector is the top producer of emissions in the U.S. It is going to be an all hands on deck approach and we refuse to leave any community behind in the process. Bidens recently-announced American Jobs Plan, already facing criticism from Republicans and conservative Democrats concerned about spending after the presidents $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, calls for hundreds of billions of dollars to upgrade the U.S. power grid, retrofit schools and public housing, improve water quality and invest in renewable energy and manufacturing. When pressed on how the resolution will pass in an evenly-divided Senate, Markey said if Republicans refuse to come on board in a meaningful way, the Democrats may try to approve the Green New Deal through annual budget reconciliation, a move that only requires a simple majority vote. Alternatively, Markey suggested the Senate could seek to eliminate the legislative filibuster that requires support from at least 60 senators on most legislation, assuming 10 Republicans dont support the plan. Ocasio-Cortez countered the idea that the resolution was made up of message bills, arguing that clean water, access to health care and housing are not about politics. Democrats, she said, have a mandate to combat climate change and systemic injustice. When people trust us with power, we have a responsibility to use it and steward it to benefit their lives. Period, she said. And that means taking bold, courageous action. The greatest risk is doing nothing on climate, or doing too little. Related Content: Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 02:35:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations launched a global funding appeal of 29.2 million U.S. dollars on Monday to aid citizens of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines affected by the major eruptions from La Soufriere volcano, pledging to remain a "steadfast partner," UN News reported Tuesday. The funding will provide immediate lifesaving humanitarian assistance, including clean water, and support a sustainable recovery for everyone impacted. The UN and partners will also assess the economic, social and environmental toll on all the countries touched by the fallout, including ash removal and improving environmental health provisions. Another UN priority is to continue preventing the spread of COVID-19, according to the report. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, located in the southern Caribbean, consists of more than 30 islands and cays, nine of which are inhabited. At 4,000 feet or 1,220 meters tall, La Soufriere dominates the largest island of Saint Vincent. Silent since 1979, the volcano began spewing smoke and rumbling in December, before a full-blown eruption on April 9. With over 12,700 evacuees having been registered in public shelters and in private homes, close to 20,000 people are expected to be displaced, UN News said. Entire villages have been covered in ash, buildings damaged, schools and businesses closed, crops and livestock destroyed, and residents left with limited access to clean drinking water. And further eruptions are expected in the coming weeks. "The level of destruction that has befallen this beautiful country and the widespread disruption caused by this event will forever be etched in my mind. The devastating impact of this event on thousands of people is undeniable," UN News quoted UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Carribean, Didier Trebucq, as saying. A call for international solidarity has been made to provide a lifeline to the most vulnerable people in Saint Vincent as well as in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada and Saint Lucia, which have been hit with severe ashfall. This crisis comes as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is recovering from its largest COVID-19 surge amid the pandemic, the region's worst Dengue outbreak in recent history, and a new deadly hurricane season. Meanwhile, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock announced the allocation of 1 million dollars from the UN's Central Emergency Respond Fund to urgently assist affected people, especially those who have had to be evacuated, UN News reported. Enditem What are the most pressing challenges New Orleans schools face? Is it that schools lack socioeconomic or racial diversity? That they don't adequately prepare students to succeed in life? That test scores are too low? Should New Orleans public schools offer free gifted and talented programs for all preschool children, rather than just at a few locations? And should state law be changed to give charter schools more or less autonomy? These are just some of the questions being posed to parents, teachers, students and others by NOLA Public Schools, the local district that oversees nearly 80 charter schools, as part of a new strategic plan that kicked off this year. The process, which is done every few years but is now being created with community input for the first time in recent history, will help schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. and the Orleans Parish School Board map out the school system's priorities through the next four years. "Now is the time to channel this knowledge gained by our unique community of schools, as we came together this past year to keep our staff, teachers, and students safe," Lewis said, noting the district's response to the pandemic. "And now is the time to plan for the future, to grow a district that continues to care for all its students, no matter who they are or where they come from." The district began collecting data for the strategic plan on March 1, according to a presentation that will be shared with Orleans Parish School Board members during a committee meeting on Tuesday afternoon. 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 Officials are still gathering community input via online surveys and inviting residents to take part in focus groups. The group overseeing the planning process, Caulfield Consulting Group, noted that recent studies show growth in the perception that public education is improving in the city, and that school quality is the most important factor parents consider. The consulting group said there's also increased confidence that public education will improve. However, the consulting group also said there are "gaps in the shared understanding" of the district's role and how it aligns with the School Board and independent charter organizations, and that the system needs additional long-term funding to be able to fully deliver what children need. They said specialized education and transportation systems could be improved in the city's network of charter schools. In an interview, School Board President Ethan Ashley praised the district for including community input and acknowledged that local schools could improve. "With a strategic planning process done well, with goals that are smart and measurable, and with the right resources and talent, we can accomplish a lot for the students of New Orleans," Ashley said. Community members can visit nolapublicschools.com/nola-ps-strategic-planning to learn more, share ideas, sign up for a focus group or ask the district questions. Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, 31, was taken into custody at about 3.15pm on Tuesday at an apartment building about 2 miles from the Stop & Shop in the Long Island neighborhood of West Hempstead An employee who allegedly shot dead a colleague and injured two others in a crowded New York Stop & Shop supermarket has been arrested hours he fled. Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, 31, was taken into custody at about 3.15pm on Tuesday at an apartment building about 2 miles from the store in the Long Island neighborhood of West Hempstead. The shooting happened just before 11.30am inside offices upstairs from the shopping floor. Police spent hours hunting for Wilson after he fled the area dressed all in black and wearing a mask. By mid-afternoon, police had cordoned off streets around an apartment complex where they believe the suspect had fled to after the shooting. Police had earlier said that Wilson had been employed at the store but it wasn't immediately clear if he still worked there. Wilson was carrying a small handgun as he fled westbound on Hempstead Turnpike after the shooting. Police the person who was killed was a 49-year-old Stop & Shop employee. The two wounded were hospitalized and were conscious and alert. The shooting happened inside a manager's office, which is upstairs from the shopping floor. The shooting broke out inside the supermarket in the Long Island neighborhood of West Hempstead just before 11.30am The shooting broke out inside the supermarket in the Long Island neighborhood of West Hempstead just before 11.30am. Dozens of ambulances and police vehicles remain on the scene outside the store as the search for the gunman continues Dozens of ambulances and police vehicles remain on the scene outside the store. Officers carrying long guns could be seen patrolling in the parking lot Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said there were around 'a couple hundred' people inside the store at the time of the shooting. Dozens of ambulances and police vehicles remained on the scene outside the store in the hours that followed. Officers carrying long guns could be seen patrolling in the parking lot. Police had urged local residents to remain indoors in the hours before the suspect was taken into custody. The West Hempstead School District immediately went into lockdown following the shooting. Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid issued a statement in which he said the company was 'shocked and heartbroken.' 'Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and the first responders who have responded heroically to this tragic situation,' Reid said, adding that the store would be closed until further notice. By mid-afternoon, police had cordoned off streets around an apartment complex where they believe the suspect had entered Spain's national train operator Renfe is changing its high-speed train fare system to make it dynamic; tickets during the hours and days when there is less demand will be cheaper, and prices will fluctuate depending on the number of tickets sold throughout the weeks and days prior to departure - much like low-cost airlines. The public company will soon eliminate its old rates and travel classes and will introduce three new options (Basic, Choice and Premium) and a la carte services. In this way, as is already the case on flights, passengers will be able to choose the class and extra services can be added. This will apply to both the AVE services and Renfe's 'low cost' Avlo brand. The cheapest (Basic) ticket offers a standard seat, without allowing changes or cancellations. The Premium class will have everything included, with the possibility of making changes and cancellations, as well as choosing the seat. The prices will be dynamic, based on demand-driven algorithms, like those of the airlines; according to Renfe's calculations, in some cases the discounts may be up to 75 per cent of the current fares. The sooner the ticket is bought, the lower the price, and if it is bought at the last minute, it will be likely be more expensive, said the company boss, Isaias Taboas, in a recent meeting with the media. China has held a high-level forum on the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the first of its kind, as the CPC celebrates its centenary this year. The forum, held in Beijing, was organized by the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance). Over 50 experts and scholars attended the event. Addressing the forum, Li Shulei, vice president of the school, pledged in-depth research and more education on the history of the CPC, as well as more efforts in collecting and classifying relevant documents. The CPC Central Committee announced the decision to launch the Party history learning and education campaign among all Party members in February. The Biden administration will put the climate crisis at the centre of its foreign policy and national security, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said, asserting that American diplomats will challenge the practices of countries whose action or inaction is setting the world back. In a major foreign policy speech at the picturesque Chesapeake Bay Foundation here, Blinken gave details of how the state department will leverage the US foreign policy to deliver for the American people on climate. Well put the climate crisis at the centre of our foreign policy and national security, as President Biden instructed us to do in his first week in office. That means taking into account how every bilateral and multilateral engagement every policy decision will impact our goal of putting the world on a safer, more sustainable path. It also means ensuring our diplomats have the training and skills to elevate climate in our relationships around the globe, Blinken said. This, however, does not mean that countries can hide behind progress on climate for bad behaviour in other areas that are important to US national security. The Biden-Harris Administration is united on this: Climate is not a trading card its our future, he said. As other countries step up, the state department will mobilise resources, institutional know-how, technical expertise from across our government, the private sector, NGOs, and research universities to help them. In the last few weeks alone, we announced new funding for clean energy entrepreneurship and more efficient renewable energy markets in Bangladesh and to help Indias small businesses invest in solar energy. These investments move us toward our climate goals and bring energy access to people who had never had it before, he said. Blinken said the US will emphasise on assisting countries being hit hardest by climate change, most of which lack the resources and capacity to handle its destabilising impacts. Asserting that US embassies will lead on the ground, Blinken said they are already helping governments design and implement climate-smart policies, while looking for ways to draw on the unique strengths of Americas public and private sectors. We will use all the tools in our kit to make US clean energy innovators more competitive in the global market." "That includes leveraging instruments like financing provided by the Export-Import Bank to incentivise renewable energy exports; the proposed expansion of tax credits for clean energy generation and storage in the presidents American jobs plan; and the administrations ongoing efforts to level the global playing field for American-made products and services, he said. American diplomats, he said, will challenge the practices of countries whose action or inaction is setting the world back. When countries continue to rely on coal for a significant amount of their energy, or invest in new coal factories, or allow for massive deforestation, they will hear from the United States and our partners about how harmful these actions are, he warned. And finally, well seize every chance we get to raise these issues with our allies and partners, and through multilateral institutions. At NATO, for example, there is consensus that we need to adapt our military readiness for the inevitability of climate change and reduce the reliance of the Allies forces on fossil fuels, which is both a vulnerability and a major source of pollution, he said. We will convey a strong message to the meeting of the G7 next month, whose members produce a quarter of the worlds emissions. And Ill also represent the United States at next months ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, where Ill reaffirm Americas commitment to meeting our climate goals and encourage other Arctic nations to do the same. All of these efforts, at home and abroad, will allow us to lead from a position of strength when the world comes together in November for the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow, he said. Blinken said that the Biden-Harris administration will do more than any in history to meet the climate crisis. This is already an all-hands-on-deck effort across the government and across the nation. Our future depends on the choices we make today, he said. If America fails to lead the world on addressing the climate crisis, we wont have much of a world left. If we succeed, we will capitalise on the greatest opportunity to create quality jobs in generations; well build a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable society; and well protect this magnificent planet. Thats the test we face right now, Blinken said. Image Credits: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Charlotte's Web added to Health Canada's List of Approved Cultivars (LOAC) for Cultivation in 2021 BOULDER, Colo., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc. ("Charlotte's Web" or the "Company") (TSX: CWEB) (OTCQX: CWBHF), a certified B Corporation and the market leader in hemp CBD extract products, today announced that three of its proprietary hemp cultivars were approved for registration on Health Canada's List of Approved Cultivars ("LOAC") for outdoor cultivation in Canada. These are among the first hemp CBD cultivars on the LOAC that are early flowering and early maturing for outdoor cultivation and harvesting within the shorter Canadian growing season. The approved cultivars include the Company's original "CW1AS1" U.S. patented genetics, clearing the way for Charlotte's Web to cultivate its leading CBD wellness products in Canada in 2021. Currently, Charlotte's Web Products are not easily available in Canada because laws do not allow for bulk importing of USA grown hemp CBD or related products into Canada. "Today, Charlotte's Web is the leading hemp wellness company in the U.S. with the most recognized and trusted hemp CBD extract," said Deanie Elsner, Charlotte's Web president and CEO. "We aspire to be the world's leading botanicals wellness company, entering countries with an asset light model where federal laws permit hemp extracts for health and wellness. Israel and Canada are included in the first steps of our international expansion." In addition to the Company's CW1AS1 cultivar used for its leading Original Formula and other full-spectrum hemp extract products, Charlotte's Web is bringing two early maturing hemp varieties to Canada named "Duchess" and "Ambassador" - developed for cultivation in shorter northern climate growing seasons. Charlotte's Web's approved cultivars are three of 15 added to the 2021 LOAC. "The majority of approved cultivars on the LOAC to date have been for industrial hemp grown to produce food, fiber, and animal feed. Now our approved cultivars are paving the way for full-spectrum hemp CBD demand in Canada and most importantly, will provide access to Charlotte's Web products in Canada1," explained Jared Stanley, co-founder and chief cultivation officer of Charlotte's Web. Hemp-Derived CBD in Canada Despite Canada being one of the first countries to federally legalize the sale of cannabis, the hemp CBD wellness category is underdeveloped in Canada, with limited offerings of quality full-spectrum hemp extract products1. Most CBD products in Canada are produced from cannabis with THC levels well above 0.3% which have an intoxicating effect. Charlotte's Web hemp cultivars are cultivated below 0.3% THC, resulting in full-spectrum extracts with wellness benefits, but without the intoxication from THC. Currently, Health Canada treats hemp CBD under the same regulatory regime as cannabis THC. The Canadian hemp industry is lobbying the Canadian federal government to change the regulations for hemp CBD to a natural health supplement that could be added to food, drinks, cosmetics and other wellness products. Hemp CBD products could then be sold in all types of retailers across Canada, which would help meet demand for the product. In September 2020 a report prepared by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy1 (IFSD) concluded that if Ottawa regulated CBD like regular health products it would open an annual market worth more than C$2 billion with immense potential for exporting CBD to other countries. About Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc. Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc., a Certified B Corporation headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is the market leader in the production and distribution of innovative hemp-derived cannabidiol ("CBD") wellness products under a family of brands which includes Charlotte's Web, CBD Medic, CBD Clinic, and Harmony Hemp. The Company's premium quality products start with proprietary hemp genetics that are 100-percent American farm grown and manufactured into whole-plant hemp extracts containing a full spectrum of naturally occurring phytocannabinoids including CBD, CBC, CBG, terpenes, flavonoids and other beneficial hemp compounds. The Company's CW Labs R&D science division is located at the University at Buffalo in New York which is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system of 64 universities. Charlotte's Web product categories include CBD oil tinctures (liquid products), CBD gummies (sleep, stress, inflammation recovery), CBD capsules, CBD topical creams and lotions, as well as CBD pet products for dogs. Charlotte's Web is the number one CBD brand in the USA and is distributed through more than 22,000 retail locations, select distributors and online through the Company's website at www.CharlottesWeb.com. Subscribe to Charlotte's Web investor news. 1. Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) at the University of Ottawa: "Assessing the Economic Impact of Regulating CBD Products as Health Products" September 14, 2020. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "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" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Charlotte's Web to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including assumptions as to the efficacy and results of research; and the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Company's operations. These foregoing lists are not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors which could affect the Company's operations or financial results are included in the Company's most recent annual information form and other public documents on file with the Canadian Securities regulatory authorities on www.sedar.com. SOURCE Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc. Related Links https://www.charlottesweb.com/ MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AliveCor, the global leader in FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology and services, today announced that it has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), alleging Apple's infringement of three AliveCor patents. Starting in 2011, AliveCor has invested heavily in bringing advanced, AI-powered cardiological detection technology to consumer users. These investments have produced unique, market changing products including: KardiaMobile, the most clinically-validated personal ECG in the world KardiaMobile 6L, the first and only six-lead personal ECG KardiaBand, the first FDA-cleared medical device accessory for Apple Watch SmartRhythm, revolutionary artificial intelligence that continuously evaluates heart activity for signs of arrhythmias In December 2020, AliveCor filed a federal lawsuit alleging Apple infringement of the same patents. AliveCor contends that Apple Inc. is infringing AliveCor's asserted patents through the sale of Apple watches that employ infringing functionality. Filing in the ITC "is one step, among others, AliveCor is taking to obtain relief for Apple's intentional copying of AliveCor's patented technologyincluding the ability to take an ECG reading on the Apple Watch, and to perform heartrate analysisas well as Apple's efforts to eliminate AliveCor as competition in the heartrate analysis market for the Apple Watch." About AliveCor AliveCor, Inc. is transforming cardiological care using deep learning. The FDA-cleared KardiaMobile device is the most clinically validated personal ECG solution in the world. KardiaMobile provides instant detection of Atrial Fibrillation, Bradycardia, Tachycardia, Sinus Rhythm with Supraventricular Ectopy, Sinus Rhythm with Premature Ventricular Contractions, Sinus Rhythm with Wide QRS and Normal Heart Rhythm. Kardia is the first AI-enabled platform to aid patients and clinicians in the early detection of atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia and one associated with a highly-elevated risk of stroke. AliveCor's enterprise platform allows third party providers to manage their patients' and customers' heart conditions simply and profitably using state-of-the-art tools that provide easy front-end and back-end integration to AliveCor technologies. AliveCor protects its customers with stringent data security and compliance practices , achieving HIPAA compliance and SOC2 Type 1 and Type 2 attestations. AliveCor is a privately-held company headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. "Consumer" or "Personal" ECGs are ECG devices available for direct sale to consumers. For more information, visit alivecor.com . Melissa Schapiro [email protected] (212) 886-2226 SOURCE AliveCor Related Links alivecor.com About 40% of eligible residents those 16 and older are fully vaccinated. About 57% of eligible residents are at least partially vaccinated. More than 90% of residents age 65 and older are fully vaccinated, the report said. Supervisor Ryan Gregory said the county previously told residents to sign up on the states MyTurn system for vaccination and wait to be notified. Now, there are other ways to register for various types of clinics and appointments. Unfortunately, we dont have a one-stop-shop to sign up for all of these vaccinations, Relucio said. That leaves the country trying to get the word out about the various vaccination opportunities. One method is sending email alerts to residents. On Tuesday, a mass vaccination clinic was scheduled at the Meritage Resort and Spa from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The county at 11 a.m. sent out an email advising that appointments were still available and giving the webpage link to sign up. Walk-ins were also being taken. We just need to keep pumping the information out, Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht said. New Delhi: In a ghastly incident, dismembered body of 26-year-old Vipin Joshi, a native of Uttarakhand, was found stuffed inside a fridge in south Delhi's Saidulajab area, police said on Saturday. The police stated that family members of Joshi, who was missing since two days, reached his friend Badal Mandal's house on Thursday night in search of him. Though the house was locked, they were alarmed by a foul stench coming from the building, after which they informed the police about the same. The police broke into the house where they found the victim's body parts inside the fridge. A case has been registered and efforts are being made to trace Mandal, police added. (With inputs from PTI) An Auckland Airport worker who has tested positive to coronavirus visited major shopping centres, including a Bunnings Warehouse and Westfield while infected. The cleaner tested positive just one day after Australians and New Zealanders resumed travel between the two countries without having to quarantine and was put into isolation as contact tracing began. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Covid-positive case, who is fully vaccinated against the virus, was employed cleaning planes from high-risk countries. The airport worker was regularly tested for Covid and the infection was found following a swab on Monday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks at an airport in Wellington, New Zealand on Monday as the trans-Tasman bubble is opened The worker's most recent negative test was a week earlier on April 12. 'This was a border worker who did work in an environment where they were coming into contact with the planes that are used to transport people from red zones; so from high-risk countries,' Ms Ardern said. On Monday, thousands crossed the Tasman Sea to enter Australia and New Zealand after the long-awaited end of mandatory quarantine. There were 15 flights into Auckland and 17 departures. Under the terms of the trans-Tasman bubble agreement, all states, territories and New Zealand can suspend quarantine-free travel with places that have outbreaks. But the two nations have made assurances that small outbreaks won't result in the bubble being closed. Pictured: Passengers lining up to check in for Qantas flight on Monday 'We accept that's going to be part of our journey together. Australia accepts that,' Ms Ardern said on Tuesday. Ms Ardern has brought in a traffic light system similar to the one used in Victoria, with specific hotspots designated as 'red zones' - meaning people only from that area would be unable to fly. Recent studies from the Centre for Disease Control showed the vaccines were anywhere between 59 per cent and 90 per cent effective at stopping asymptomatic transmission, despite being highly effective at preventing serious illness or death. This means a person who is fully vaccinated can still catch the virus and pass it along without noticing any symptoms. Mr Ardern said the isolation of close contacts of the airport worker was underway. 'What's really important is we knew this was someone who was tested only recently,' the Prime Minister said. 'They were negative on the 12th and then their more recent test was positive. So we've picked them up in that routine screening which is always helpful.' IRVINE, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WNC, a leading provider of investment, asset management and development services in the affordable housing industry, announced today it has closed WNC Institutional Tax Credit Fund 50 LP (WNC Fund 50). The fund raised $176 million in institutional low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity that will be used to develop and renovate more than 2,160 affordable housing units in 16 states. A total of nine investors participated in WNC Fund 50, which will develop and renovate units for families and seniors at 32 properties in California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. A portion of the units at 13 properties will be set aside to help special needs tenants, including at-risk/formerly homeless individuals, people with physical and mental disabilities, veterans, single parents, persons recovering from chemical dependency, and frail seniors. "For five decades, WNC's core mission has been to put a safe, quality and affordable roof over the heads of those in need," said WNC Executive Vice President of Investor Relations Christine Cormier. "As we near our official 50th anniversary next month, we're pleased to announce the closing of this fund our largest institutional LIHTC fund to-date which raised additional equity to further our core mission." WNC Fund 50 includes six new development partners for WNC. Among the projects within the fund is a 96-unit affordable seniors housing project, Perennial Senior, which will be constructed for ages 55+ in Bozeman, Montana. The new development will feature an onsite healthcare facility that has been pre-leased to Community Health Partners, a local non-profit organization. Additionally, in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, a historic high school building will be refitted to construct 41 units of family affordable housing. The completion of WNC Fund 50 brings WNC's total equity raise since inception to approximately $5.9 billion, which has helped develop and renovate more than 96,000 affordable housing units across the country. To-date, the firm has acquired approximately $13 billion of assets in 47 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, there is a shortage of 7.1 million affordable housing homes available to rent for households making 50 percent or below of their area's median income level. About WNC WNC, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a national investor in affordable housing and community development initiatives. The firm has acquired approximately $13 billion of assets totaling in excess of 1,500 properties in 47 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. WNC's investor base exceeds 19,500 institutional and retail clients, including Fortune 500 companies, multinational banks, and insurance companies. Additional information is available at www.wncinc.com. Contact Julie Leber Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.1391 [email protected] SOURCE WNC Man Facing Caldwell Endangerment, Other Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff PRINCETON - A man was arrested early Tuesday morning in Caldwell County on multiple charges, including wanton endangerment.The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said deputies were dispatched just after midnight to Highway 293 North in reference to a reckless driver coming into Princeton. Deputies located the vehicle, and after a brief period, the driver stopped on the shoulder of the roadway.Upon further investigation, deputies arrested the driver, 42-year-old Dustin Cooper of Bowling Green. Cooper is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, reckless driving, wanton endangerment of a police officer, failure to wear seat belt and failure to maintain required insurance. He was also served an active Lyon County District Court Warrant for theft by unlawful taking Under $500.Cooper was lodged in the Caldwell County Jail. Artificial intelligence, the cloud, robots - these are concepts and products we associate with the IT industry. But there is one notoriously traditional, slow to innovate industry that is now determined to make it part of their sector too. Oilfield service providers are looking to digital technology to help them weather the effects of the pandemic-induced sector crisis. In the process, tech may even make them more profitable. Its all about profitability, really. The pandemic will end sooner or later, and the world will return to something that at least resembles normal. Since oil will continue to be a fixture of this normal, oilfield service providers are going nowhere. And they are embracing digital technology like their fellow industry players from exploration and production. A recent Forbes article notes that Halliburtons deal with Microsoft and Accenture will enable the migration of Halliburtons data centers to the cloud, boosting the oilfield services majors digital product offering. And the deal is already bearing fruit despite the pandemic. Two companies last year contracted Halliburton to provide digital technology-enabled services to Thailands PTTEP Exploration and Production and Kuwait Oil Company. In all fairness, oilfield service providers have been expanding their ties with Big Tech for quite some time. Last year, Google virtue-signaled by declaring that it would no longer make products for the oil and gas industry, prompting some concern that, like some banks, technology companies might start turning their backs on the unloved oil and gas industry. Yet, it seems that some tech majors are more pragmatic than idealistic. Soon after Googles declaration, IBM sealed a cloud computing deal with Schlumberger. Related Video: Drivers Get Ready For Summer Gas Shock Baker Hughes, for its part, has been working consistently - and successfully - to become a technology company with oil and gas services as just one of its divisions. This is the clearest sign yet that the industry that decades ago existed to drill wells and maintain them, along with all related tasks, is morphing into another segment of the digital technology industry. The trend was highlighted in an EY survey last year, which found that most oil and gas companies feel that investment in digital technology has become urgent amid the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the timeline for some digital technology adoption from five years to three months, said EY Global Oil & Gas Leader, Andy Brogan at the time. The cost savings digital can deliver is critical for survival in todays low-price environment, as oil and gas companies look to gain greater operational efficiencies and drive productivity across the value chain. The same is true, if not truer, for the companies that service E&Ps. They usually tend to suffer more damage from price crashes, and the pandemic-induced crash has not been an exception. This means that oilfield service providers will likely double down on their move towards technology in order to improve their share performance. It is a no-brainer. The adoption of digital technology such as cloud computing helps keep costs under control, streamlines operations, and enhances efficiency. This, in turn, strengthens the financial performance of a company, boosting its bottom line and making shareholders happy and willing to buy more shares in that company. Despite the bad rap that the oil and gas industry gets, it pays to be practical if you are an investor, even if you are an ESG investor. One side effect of all the benefits of digital technology is that it allows oilfield services to better control their emissions footprint and gives them capabilities to reduce this footprint. A good 3example of this is the methane leak detection systems that were made possible by digital technology. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: When Covid-19 hit the world in the beginning of 2020, many organizations and employees braced themselves during the unprecedented times. Odoo, leaning on its own software, continued to run their business, grasping market opportunities, and assisting their regional clients and partners to grow their own businesses. Optimal strategies taken up by Odoo, allowed the office to grow both in number of staff as well as clients. Currently supporting 600,000+ users in the Middle East with its business applications, including renowned companies such as PepsiCo, KFC, Geely Auto Group, MoTeC Middle East, STRATA, and Morgan International. Odoo's unique value proposition is for its Apps to be user-friendly and fully integrated. Working with their expanding partner network, that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic grew by over 40% to 430+ partners in the region, has helped form new streams of revenue for companies hit by COVID-19. With more than 5 million users worldwide, Odoo's solutions are designed to support businesses of all sizes, with a flexible suite of Apps to run and manage all aspects of a business. Odoo's functionality encompasses traditional ERP, including accounting, stock, and CRM, as well as broader business needs such as project management, marketing, human resources, website, eCommerce, and more. With a modular approach, Odoo provides affordable and easy-to-use software that scales with business needs as a company grows. Odoo operates with an open core business model, a model based on community, knowledge sharing, and transparency. While traditional ERP is expensive and frequently fails to adapt to the unique needs of a business, Odoo focused on listening to the companies they help serve. Providing solutions that fit the businesses in the Middle East, helping them bridge the gap between different departments. With revenue growth consistently above 50% over the last ten years, Odoo is a leading technology success story, operating international offices in Belgium, Luxembourg, USA, India, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Dubai, simplifying the way businesses operate globally. With its flexible suite of applications and a relentless focus on product, Odoo is ideally positioned to capture a compelling market opportunity, recruit top talent for their regional headquarter, and provide the necessary tools for regional companies to run their businesses successfully. About Odoo Odoo is a leading provider of all-in-one open source business software for companies worldwide ranging from startups (1 user) to large enterprises (300,000+ users). Founded in 2005, Odoo thrives in a unique and fully open ecosystem combining the resources of its community and partners to deliver a full range of easy-to-use, integrated, and scalable business applications. The software is available online on www.odoo.com SOURCE Odoo Middle East DMCC Related Links https://www.odoo.com/ Our strong relationships and marketing expertise has not only allowed our clients to thrive but has also led to us surpassing our goals and achieving incredible success. - John Lincoln Ignite Visibility, a top-rated digital marketing and advertising agency, is pleased to announce its recent recognition as a 2021 UpCity National Excellence Award Winner as well as a 2021 UpCity Local Excellence Award Winner for San Diego, CA. This is the third consecutive year that Ignite has won the National Excellence Award. They also won the Local Excellence award previously in 2019. Our success is due to our strong team. Through our collaborative work approach, weve been able to adopt multi-channel strategies that take into account all the digital services and how they complement each other. By establishing mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with our clients, we are able to create custom solutions tailored to meet each clients needs. says John Lincoln, CEO. Our strong relationships and marketing expertise has not only allowed our clients to thrive but has also led to us surpassing our goals and achieving incredible success. We are so proud of the systems that we have created and the work that we are doing here. To have it acknowledged by UpCity is just the icing on the cake. Every year, UpCity.com uses a variety of online and third-party resources to determine the winners on both a local and national level. They are given to B2B companies who have a strong brand integrity and documented exceptional customer satisfaction. In addition to winning both the National and the Local Excellence Awards, Ignite Visibility prides itself on being one of the highest recommended agencies on UpCity.com. For more information on Ignite Visibilitys past awards and wide range of digital marketing and advertising services, visit https://ignitevisibility.com/. About Ignite Visibility: Ignite Visibility is a premier full service digital marketing agency based in San Diego, CA. Consistently named one of the top SEO, paid media, social media, email marketing, Amazon and CRO companies in the USA, Ignite Visibility has used the same strategies they use for clients to become a four-time Inc. 5000 company (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020). To learn more, visit https://ignitevisibility.com/. Its a privilege to team up with dvm360, the authoritative source for veterinary news Merchant Centric, a leader in identifying actionable operational intelligence and reputation management, announced a partnership with dvm360 today. Its a privilege to team up with dvm360, the authoritative source for veterinary news, said David Bay, CEO of Merchant Centric. Working with dvm360 we can share with Veterinarians what millions of Pet Owners are saying they like and dislike about their experiences. Taking action on this will help them increase their satisfaction levels and increase their revenues. We are pleased to have Merchant Centric as a new partner and look forward to joint efforts in advancing the veterinary profession together, says Adam Christman, D.V.M., chief veterinary officer of dvm360. dvm360, a leading media-content provider in the veterinary market, has been in operation for more than 50 years. It provides readers with top-of-the-line digital and print content that focuses on every aspect of a veterinary professionals life. dvm360 is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, a full-service medical media company in North America. dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels. ### About Merchant Centric: Merchant Centric is the Reputation Management solution that helps thousands of veterinary practices and hospitals improve their online reputation and presence where pet owners visit most. Merchant Centrics solution makes it easy to understand and engage with pet owner feedback. Now vets can focus on actions that will attract more pet owners to increase satisfaction and revenues. For more information, please visit http://www.merchantcentric.com or contact Adam Leff, adam@merchantcentric.com, (818) 889-1688. Mumbai, April 20 : Amid a clamour by all the Maharashtra ministers on Tuesday to impose a total lockdown, School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad announced that the upcoming state SSC Board exams for 2021 have been cancelled. "Earlier we had declared plans to conduct the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education Class 10 exams in June. However, given the current Covid-19 situation, the state cabinet has decided to cancel the state board SSC exams this year," Gaikwad said in a statement. She added that her ministry will soon decide the process to be followed for promoting all the Class 10 students to Class 11 (Junior College) based on internal assessment and other criteria. The development comes days after other boards also decided to scrap the SSC/Class 10 exams in view of the worsening pandemic scenario in the country. Gaikwad's announcement came as all state cabinet ministers of the ruling Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress combine unanimously demanded that a complete lockdown should be imposed in the state in view of the galloping Covid-19 cases and deaths, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here. "We have all requested CM Uddhav Thackeray to impose a total lockdown from Wednesday 8 p.m. Now the final decision will be taken by the CM after further consultations," Tope told mediapersons after a cabinet meeting. The ministers' demand came in the wake of the continuously worsening Covid-19 situation in the state and hours after the government announced a daily 20-hour curfew, with essential buying restricted to only 4 hours daily from Tuesday. Besides the huge daily spike in cases and fatalities, the state is also grappling with shortage of essential medical supplies, hospital beds, Remdesivir injections, oxygen, ventilators and other requirements to treat the patients, especially the critical ones. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A station for health declaration in Ha Tien Town of Kien Giang Province for people returning from Cambodia. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Phuong. The Health Ministry has geared up the southern border against infection threats from Cambodia, urging local provinces to not let their guard down. With timely actions to set up a field hospital and raise testing capacity as well as sending medic forces to support Kien Giang Province, the Ministry of Health has proved its proactivity, said Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor to the ministry's public health emergency operations center. "To fight the pandemic, we need to be one step ahead and avoid staying passive," Phu told VnExpress on Tuesday. A delegation led by Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has arrived in Kien Giang to help the province set up a field hospital in its beach town of Ha Tien by making use of a cultural center there. A team of 13 doctors and nurses from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, a top public hospital in southern Vietnam, has also been sent to Kien Giang, with more medics expected to arrive in future. The ministry has also equipped the province with two real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines, currently the most trusted method in the world to determine new coronavirus infection, to raise local testing capacity, currently at only 600 samples per day. Kien Giang shares a border of 56 kilometers (34.8 miles) and 62,000 square kilometers of sea area with Cambodia. Daily, thousands of fishing vessels and boats trading oil and seafood operate across this maritime area, with managing entry a hard task, a provincial representative said at a meeting last week. Since Feb. 20 to date, around 1,300 people have entered Vietnam via Ha Tien from Cambodia, 13 illegally, according to official ministry data. With the ongoing outbreak in Cambodia, not only Kien Giang but the entire border area, including Mekong Delta provinces, are now "major hotspots" at high risk of possible Covid-19 outbreaks, Minister Long said last week. Vietnam's border with Cambodia spans 1,137 kilometers, including the four Mekong Delta provinces An Giang, Dong Thap, Kien Giang and Long An. Other Vietnamese provinces bordering Cambodia are Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh near HCMC, and Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Dak Nong in the Central Highlands. Now with Health Ministry preparation, Phu said the risk of infection would be reduced, adding local authorities, including those in Kien Giang, should not let their guard down anytime soon. Cambodia reported a record 618 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, in a spike in infections following an outbreak first detected in late February. The country recorded 431 new cases on Tuesday. Phnom Penh and a satellite district of the capital entered lockdown Thursday last week to curb the spread of infections. Under the lockdown, most people are banned from leaving home for two weeks except to go to work, buy food or for medical treatment. "Yet even when the outbreak is large outside the border, we can still hold the defensive line if we guarantee prevention." If all border guards, police officers, and quarantine staff fulfill their tasks, the risk will be minimized. "If these steps are followed, an outbreak in Vietnam would be easily contained," he said. As per Vietnamese protocol, all those entering the nation from abroad must be quarantined for 14 days, during which they will be tested at least twice. Illegal entrants are those evading checkpoints to avoid quarantine. For almost a month now, Vietnam has not recorded any community transmission but the number of imported cases has been increasing gradually, with many returnees from Cambodia. So far, 1,570 of Vietnam's 2,791 Covid-29 cases have been local transmissions. [April 20, 2021] Carnegie Learning Acquires Zorbit's Math to Strengthen Its Supplemental Software Offerings Carnegie Learning, a leader in artificial intelligence for education and formative assessment, announced today the acquisition of Zorbit's Math, a supplemental math software solution and curriculum that uses game-based adaptive learning to help elementary students develop a deeper understanding and positive growth mindset towards math. With this acquisition, Carnegie Learning expands its portfolio of proven supplemental ed tech solutions to encompass all of K-12 math and reading. Zorbit's is an all-in-one math learning software as a service (" SaaS (News - Alert) ") platform that helps students discover their love for learning math. With digital and offline tools and resources, formative assessment insights, and rich interactive support, Zorbit's empowers teachers to craft lesson plans for exceptional math learning in class, at home, and anywhere in between. Zorbit's Math Adventure encourages students to explore rich math tasks in the context of an exciting narrative. This play-based experience is supported by a library of hands-on teaching activities that are adaptable, engaging, and classroom-tested. As students interact with Zorbit's, the adaptive learning system collects and analyzes data to reveal critical insights for teachers, schools, and districts. Teachers can build assignments from recommendations based on student activity in Zorbit's to help close skill gaps, giving each student a truly personalized experience. Zorbit's Math has been proven to directly impact student achievement in math. An independent research study showed that over the course of eight weeks, students using Zorbit's saw numeracy development equal to that of one full year of natural development. Launched in 2014 and headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Zorbit's has rapidly become a favorite resource to students and teachers across Canada. This combination with Carnegie Learning will introduce Zorbit's to a wider audience across the U.S. and provide Canadian customers with access to the full suite of Carnegie Learning resources. Ed J. Martin, CEO of Zorbit's Math, says, "We are extremely proud to be joining Carnegie Learning. I can think of no other company more perfectly aligned with our approach to empowering teachers, and our philosophy of building students' conceptual understanding of math. Our primary/elementary math expertise and leadership in play-based learning, combined with Carnegie Learning's middle and high school math expertise and leadership in artificial intelligence and formative assessment, make this a perfect fit." Proven Solutions to an Unprecedented Challenge School districts need provn solutions like Zorbit's Math to help their students overcome learning loss from the past year and accelerate learning. The American Rescue Plan funding provides support for evidence-based solutions to identify the academic needs of students, differentiate instruction accordingly, and monitor student progress. Carnegie Learning offers a number of supplemental solutions that meet these needs: MATHiaFlex (grades 6-12) mirrors a human tutor with more complexity and precision than any other math software and gives teachers deep, ongoing insight into student learning in real time. MATHiaFlex uses sophisticated AI technology to adapt at a very detailed, skill-by-skill level, giving students personalized just-in-time feedback and contextual hints while assessing their knowledge every step of the way. The Standards Navigator tool shows teachers at a glance how proficient students are on any assigned standard, and lets them easily assign content aligned to that standard. Fast ForWord (grades K-12) harnesses the science of reading to accelerate learning and reading growth for all students, whether they are below, at, or above grade level. By applying an adaptive 3-in-1 approach that simultaneously develops literacy, cognitive, and SEL skills, Fast ForWord helps all students achieve their full learning potential. Zorbit's Math is a powerful addition to this portfolio of supplemental solutions that offer differentiated, personalized learning experiences to support student growth and drive better outcomes. Barry Malkin, CEO of Carnegie Learning, says, "We're excited to continue to expand our offerings at a time when educators need them the most. This past year was extremely challenging for educators and students alike, and we're here to support them in accelerating learning to get back on track. Zorbit's Math is designed to give students the differentiated instruction they need to master key math skills, while keeping students truly engaged in their learning. It is a perfect fit for our mission of delivering high-quality, proven educational tools to drive the best learning possible, and we are excited to welcome Ed and the rest of his talented team to Carnegie Learning." Zorbit's customers will continue to receive the world class support they have come to love and appreciate from the company, while Carnegie Learning customers can look forward to learning more about Zorbit's. ABOUT CARNEGIE LEARNING, INC. Carnegie Learning is shaping the future of education. Born from more than 30 years of learning science research at Carnegie Mellon University, the company has become a recognized leader in the ed tech space, using artificial intelligence, formative assessment, and adaptive learning to deliver groundbreaking solutions to education's toughest challenges. With the highest quality offerings for K-12 math, ELA, literacy, world languages, professional learning and more, Carnegie Learning is changing the way we think about education, and creating powerful results for teachers and students alike. For more information, please visit: www.carnegielearning.com. ABOUT ZORBIT'S MATH Zorbit's Math is a blended learning platform that builds students' conceptual understanding of math through the use of digital and offline tools and resources. Its foundation is the Zorbit's Math Adventure game for students that features a broad library of activities based on research-backed models and manipulatives embedded in an exciting adventure. Zorbit's empowers teachers and students to discover their inner math person. For more information, please visit: www.zorbitsmath.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005240/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] To understand the future of American downtowns after the pandemic, do a little experiment. If you live in an apartment, is there a place in it that is more than 30 feet from a window? Odds are there isnt. That simple rulethat no space in an apartment, whether by code or by custom, be more than 30 feet from a windowis the key to figuring out what happens to Americas office buildings if no one wants to come back to work. Advertisement Thats far from a given. Expectations about the staying power of remote work may change dramatically once pandemic public health restrictions are lifted. But for now, lots of companies say they will require less office space going forward and be flexible about their employees presence there. Many business districts face the highest vacancy rates in decades, and a hundred million square feet of new supply from the pre-pandemic cycle is still coming online each quarter. As a result, commercial rents are falling. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike during the early days of the pandemic, however, few people still feel that urban life itself is going out of style. This gap between flagging office demand and the out-of-control housing market suggests an obvious solution: turn offices into homes. We already turned our homes into officeshow hard could it be the other way around? Advertisement That is what New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is advocating for Manhattan. The New York Times is presaging a wave of building conversions not seen since the crash of the late 1980s. The nations other major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, and Atlanta, all have even higher vacancy rates than Manhattans three office districts. Theres ample precedent for adaptive reuse as an engine of urban revitalization. Light industrial buildings in New York Citys Cast Iron Historic District (todays SoHo) were converted into live-work lofts starting in the 1960s. The rich stock of 20th century office buildings in Chicago and Los Angeles have been converted into apartments. New England mills have been appropriated as hotels and museums. Advertisement Adaptive-reusing a building is one of the greenest constructions you can do, said Scott Maenpaa, a project manager at Boston-based the Architectural Team, which has undertaken several office-to-residential projects. (New buildings may be LEED Platinum, but a ton of energy goes into making and transporting their materials, to say nothing of all the site work.) It is also, he said, almost always cheaper than building something from scratchby 20 to 30 percent, especially if you would have had to demolish a building first. Plus, its faster, and time is money. Advertisement But one year into a pandemic that has reset expectations about the value of office space, architects, developers, and city planners say theyre not so sure a wave of converted housing is in the offing. The city of Boston, for example, has not recorded a single permit filed for office-to-residential conversion this year. Dreams of downtowns transformed into lively, 24-hour vertical neighborhoods are not coming true anytime soon. Advertisement Why not? For one thing, office owners think long term. They sign decadelong leases with tenants, which is one reason that almost no U.S. business district has a vacancy rate over 25 percent despite a year of no-show employees. Residential conversion is a bet that office demand will still be low in several years. (In Boston, at least, the more common path right now is converting offices to laboratory spacea far simpler transition.) It would have to be a fairly extreme loss of value to make this economically viable, said Christopher Ptomey of the Urban Land Institute. Moodys says office rents will fall by less than 10 percent, after a long pre-pandemic run-up, and bottom out in 2022. In hot markets such as D.C., offices could go for twice as much per square foot as rental apartments. Advertisement Advertisement In big markets, the bottom just hasnt fallen out yet. The bid-ask spread is so wide you cant justify the conversion right now, said Andrea Himmel, the director of acquisitions at Himmel + Meringoff, which owns office buildings in Manhattan. In other words, office owners by and large arent yet trying to unload their buildings at conversion-friendly prices. (In fact, New York City office rents havent budged yet, though that does not account for non-rent concessions and incentives.) Owners are either hoping things bounce back or focusing on easier changes like bringing Class B space up to Class A. They are struggling, the suffering is there, but theyre kicking the can down the road, Himmel said. Advertisement Another factor stopping conversions is the architecture. Office buildings need to be a certain size to make a switchover worthwhile. But not too big. Many postwar office buildings were built with vast floor plates that cannot easily be carved up into apartments because of that 30-foot rulethe apartments would form a ring around a lightless core of wasted space. Maenpaa, the Boston architect, told me of one project with floor plates so deep the owners gave up on housing and leased to a marijuana firm instead. Thats going to be a problem for cities like San Francisco, whose recently built office space will not make an easy target for housing developers. Advertisement Big floor plates are not a deal-breaker. But carving out a light well down the center of a skyscraper is expensive, complicated, and highly regulated. And thats before you deal with issues like HVAC (apartments need access to outdoor air), electrical, and plumbing, which typically comprise more than a third of project costs. Its really expensive. Weve tried to do it, said Himmel. Residential conversions arent on our agenda within our own portfolio. Advertisement To some extent, the first wave of office-to-resi conversions, which swept through lower Manhattan in the 80s, downtown Chicago in the 90s, and cities like Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles thereafter, took a lot of the low-hanging fruit: high ceilings, ornate fixtures, huge windows. A lot of that stock [in New York] has been used up, said John Cetra, a Manhattan architect who has worked on conversions of pre- and postwar buildings. The latter, he said, are considerably more difficult. Donald Trump, who claimed to have performed the first residential conversion of a postwar office building in New York with Trump International Hotel & Tower, was blessed with a floor plate too small for commercial tenantsand an unbeatable location facing Central Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naturally, much of the conversion fervor has focused on New York City. The countrys longest commutes make a return to the Manhattan cubicle unappetizing, but residential demand is robust. The housing problem in our cities has gotten worse, but the crisis of growing vacancies in our commercial property provides an opportunity, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in January, endorsing a state law to ease the conversion process in Manhattan. Take the negative and make it a positive. If only it were so simple. There are at least two competing proposals at the state level to ease the path toward adaptive reuse in New York City, and after conversations with a handful of architects, lawyers, and developers, I still struggled to understand exactly what is legal, where, and why. Thats not just a problem for journalists, but for would-be developers trying to make sense of a byzantine regulatory environment. The current controls in place make it really difficult to be able to convert from office or hotel to residential, said Sheila Pozon, a land use lawyer at Kramer Levin. Advertisement Eye-catching conversions may happen here and there, but a bigger trend will require a push. The governor, together with the Real Estate Board of New York, is targeting Manhattans older, lower-rent office stock. Converting just 10 percent of that space, REBNY senior vice president Paimaan Lodhi has said, could yield 14,000 apartments. But city planners havent always been keen on parting with the older stock, arguing that cheaper, bite-size office space is an invaluable resource to long-standing tenants of the garment district and younger firms that cant afford to splurge. If New York City has office space to lose, this shouldnt be it. Advertisement Nothing happens, at any rate, without subsidy. Dallas and Baltimore are just a few of the cities that did not see significant conversion of older offices until they offered sizable tax breaksalso a key to New York Citys own boom in adaptive reuse. Eye-catching conversions may happen here and there, but a bigger trend will require a push. Advertisement Zoning and subsidy are required to get things going, said Will Blodgett, a developer at Fairstead who is converting an Upper West Side hotel into affordable housing. Hotels, he suggests, are where the real opportunity is. Its substantially easier to convert a hotel into affordable housing than an office building. He ticked off some reasons: Egress, elevators, risers, plumbing. The city is full of old hotels that havent been kept in form; Vornado Realty plans to demolish one of them, across from Penn Station, for a skyscraper called Penn15 (which would be unbelievable if one of the worlds most prestigious architecture firms did not already have the website Big.Dk). Hotels are also a more fickle business than offices; their tenants are booked night by night, not decade by decade. Around the country, vacant or shuttered hotels have been transformed into temporary housing for the homeless during the pandemic, which many advocates would like to see made permanent. California is doing just that, and the American Rescue Plan Act that President Joe Biden signed last month includes $5 billion that could be allocated toward such projects. Advertisement Advertisement Hotel conversions are so hot that adaptive reuse investors have pushed prices higher than they were before the pandemic, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. From a city perspective, one problem with widespread hotel conversion might be that hotels arent necessarily that screwed. Rental cars are in short supply, and flights are filling up fast. Office work may be changing, but tourism appears to be bounding back. In New York City, which has put in place a bizarre ban on new hotels, expensive hotel rooms had already sent tens of thousands of visitors into Airbnb rooms that eat up the citys housing stock. On the other hand, if the homes are going to be hotels, why not let the hotels be homes? Laois Offaly Gardai are among the busiest in Leinster outside Dublin when it comes to the issuing of Covid-19 fines for breaches of the Covid-19, according to the latest figures. The latest Policing Authority report on policing performance by the Garda Siochana during the COVID-19 crisis shows that guards in the division issued 608 Fixed Charge Notices (FCN) since the powers were granted to penalised the public if travel and other rules were broken. The Laois Offaly figure up to April 15 compares with 399 in Kildare, 452 in Carlow Kilkenny and 256 in Westmeath. Only Wicklow and Louth gardai had higher figures in Leinster counties. However, breaches of the regulations in the two counties account for just 3% of the 20,242 FCNs that have been issued up to the middle of April around Ireland by gardai. People leaving their homes without a reasonable excuse is the largest reason for issuing FCNs, accounting for 72.4% (14,650) of the total. MORE BELOW GRAPHIC ON THE FCNs issued. The Policing Authority says that it is worth noting that while these account for the vast majority of FCNs issued, Gardai have stated that these are frequently issued to those travelling to or returning from house parties and similar gatherings. In addition to this, approximately 4.0% (803) were issued to organisers of events, in both non-dwelling and dwellings, while a further 14.1% (2,855) were issued to those who attended events in dwellings only. Non wearing of face coverings accounted for just 1.7% (341). The proportion of FCNs issued for breaches related to international travel increased. FCNs for non-essential international travel accounted for 5.9% (1,186) while fines for persons travelling into the state who are not ordinarily resident accounted for 2.0% (407). In terms of the age and gender breakdown, those aged 18 to 25 received the highest number of fines, accounting for 53% of all fines issued, while 75% of the total fines were issued to males. The region with the highest number of FCNs issued remains the Southern Region, accounting for approximately 29% of the national total. Cork City, DMR North and DMR West are the Divisions with the highest number of fines issued, standing at 2,091, 2,062 and 1,408 respectively. The period from Thursday 1 April to the bank holiday on Monday 5 April accounted for 1,294 FCNs alone. The Policing Authority say it is too early to state definitively the degree to which the easing of restrictions will influence trends in enforcement. It says the majority of restrictions on gatherings are still in place, as are restrictions and conditions for international travellers. The Authority says it will continue to monitor trends and engage with the Garda Siochana as to their approach to policing the restrictions which are still in place. Chennai, April 20 : Tamil Nadu, which is seeing Covid cases mounting, is now hit by a shortage of vaccines. Several people who have taken their first shots are being sent back from hospitals when they reach for their second shot after four weeks. C. Rajeev, Director, of Chennai think tank Centre for Policy and Development Studies, told IANS: "I had taken the first shot of the vaccine and was planning to take the second shot this week... when I enquired at the hospitals, they said that there is no vaccine in stock and hence I have to wait further. I don't know what is happening as far as shortage of vaccine is concerned." The second wave of Covid has created a situation of panic with the people worried over the lack of vaccines in the state. In Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and other parts of the state, there is a shortage of vaccine. In Coimbatore, representatives of private hospitals, who reached the Regional Vaccine Centre, had to return empty-handed as the officials pleaded helplessness. Shanmuganathan, a representative of a private hospital at Coimbatore who reached the RVC on Tuesday, told IANS: "The officials told us to come back after two days as fresh stocks would arrive soon. However we are not sure whether this will happen... there is an acute shortage for the people." In Madurai also, the situation is bleak, with the health officials totally unsure of the possibility of providing vaccine stock to private hospitals. Manimeghalai, a homemaker at Madurai, told IANS: "I had taken a first shot of Covaxin and was asked to come today but unfortunately the Government Rajaji hospital turned me down, stating that there is no vaccine stock." However, GRH authorities said that 256 persons received Covishield and 161 persons received Covaxin on Saturday and on Sunday and Monday, 248 and 256 doses of these vaccines were administered. However, there was total deficiency of the vaccines at all places in Madurai. In Tiruchy also, the vaccines went out of stock with the authorities maintaining that it would be replenished with immediate effect. Deputy Director of Health Services, Tiruchy, in a press release, said that the district has about 1,000 doses of Covaxin and 2,000 doses of Covishield left. Kanyakumari also witnessed a heavy shortage of vaccines in the district and the health authorities are expecting a replenishment of stocks. K.M. Karuppayan, 46, a trader who had taken the first shot of vaccine six weeks ago, was sent back from the Government hospital, Kanyakumari on Tuesday as there was no vaccine available. "There is shortage of vaccines at Kanyakumari and I was sent back from the Government hospital. While the authorities told me that I will be called in a couple of days time, it is still uncertain," he said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Former North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager was arrested on murder charges, after video emerged of him shooting an unarmed black man in the five times A federal judge has upheld a 20-year prison sentence for former police officer Michael Slager, who had previously pleaded guilty to shooting and killing Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, in April 2015. Scott, 50, was pulled over in North Charleston, S.C., on April 4, 2015 for a broken taillight on his 1990 Mercedes. He fled the scene in his car, eventually pulling over to an empty lot, where Slager first tased Scott and then shot him with a gun five times in the back as he ran. A bystander took a cellphone video of the shooting, which shows Scott running from Slager on foot, and shots ringing out. Scott soon falls to the ground, at which point other officers arrive on the scene, and see Scott lying face-down on the grass. Slager, now 39, is then seen calling for dispatch units, claiming that Scott had stolen his Taser, which was later proven to be false. When the other officers arrived on the scene a short while later, they tried to administer CPR at the scene, incident reports said, but Scott was already dead. The CPR attempts were not included in the video, which the bystander brought to local authorities immediately following the fatal shooting. Scroll down for video Slager checked on Scott after he fell to the ground, and found him not moving A video taken by a bystander shows Slager, right, shooting Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, in the back as he ran Video of the shooting soon went viral, and Slager, who had been a member of the North Charleston Police Department for five years, was arrested less than an hour later and was charged with murder and federal civil rights violations. He pleaded guilty to the civil rights violations in 2017, following a mistrial into his murder charges, and admitted he did not shoot Scott in self-defense, but rather used excessive force. In court last week, Slager said he only agreed to that plea deal because his attorney at the time, Andy Savage, did not tell him about another offer which would have resulted in him facing 12 1/2 to 15 1/2 years in prison. Savage had encouraged him to take the plea deal assuming federal judge David Norton would rule the incident as manslaughter, and Slager would only face a maximum of eight years in prison. Savage said he had a private conversation with Norton in which he said it is 'not a murder case,' leading to his assumption that Norton would rule it manslaughter. Norton, however, said he had been referring to Slager's state trial on murder charges when he said it 'is not a murder case.' That trial, in 2016, resulted in a jury comprising 11 white people and 1 black person declaring a mistrial, as they could not reach a consensus Walter Scott was killed in the incident. His family said he was likely fleeing the scene because he owed child support payments 'I had misinterpreted signals that I received, one of which was from Judge Norton,' Savage said in court last week. 'I wanted Michael to get the best possible outcome, and he didn't.' Slager's state murder charge was dropped as part of the federal plea deal. He could have faced life in prison if convicted of that charge. The length of his sentence depended on how federal judge David Norton interpreted the shooting. If it was voluntary manslaughter committed in the heat of passion, sentencing guidelines meant Slager might have faced as little as seven years. Norton decided, though, to sentence Slager to 20 years in prison, the longest sentence any police officer has received in recent history for shooting an unarmed subject, ruling in 2017 that the shooting amounted to second-degree murder, as Slager fired a total of nine shots and lied about Scott stealing his Taser. Defense attorneys Andy Savage, left, Don McCune, and Miller Shealy, right, sit around former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., in 2016 Authorities also said their investigation found that Scott got back up after Slager had hit him with a Taser and was shot from a distance of about 15 feet as he ran. Scott's family later said they believed he was fleeing the scene because he owed $18,000 in child support, a criminal offense in the state. There were no violent offenses on his record, an attorney for the family said following the incident. 'At sentencing, Petitioner attempted to blame the victim,' federal judge Richard Gergel wrote in his decision to uphold the sentencing on Monday. 'Now, he attempts to blame his defense counsel and the trial judge. But a careful review of this entire tragic episode makes plain that Petitioner has no one to blame for his present predicament and sentence but himself,' Gergel wrote. Gergel also praised Savage and his fellow lawyers in his ruling for being 'zealous advocates' and said their work that led to a four-day sentencing hearing that cost nearly $100,000 in taxpayer money 'far exceeded a minimally acceptable standard of performance and showed elements of originality and creativity in the face of a daunting set of facts.' In the end, even a great lawyer could not overcome the video of Slager shooting nine times at a running mans back and then lying about it, Gergel said. 'Attorneys are advocates, not magicians, and they could not make this damning evidence disappear,' Gergel wrote. Chuck Geschke, a computer scientist and entrepreneur who helped develop fundamental ways of creating, sharing and printing digital documents in the early years of the personal computer, notably the now-ubiquitous PDF, died on Friday at his home in Los Altos, Calif. He was 81. His wife, Nan, said the cause was cancer. In 1980, at Xerox PARC, a research lab in Silicon Valley, Dr. Geschke and his fellow researcher John Warnock created a way of sending documents between a computer and a printer. Their bosses at Xerox said the company could get the technology to market in about seven years. Dr. Geschke (pronounced GESH-kee) and Dr. Warnock, believing they would miss a huge opportunity if they did not move faster, left Xerox and founded their own company, calling it Adobe. They immediately started work on a new incarnation of their printing technology. The Apple co-founder Steve Jobs visited their tiny office in Mountain View, Calif., in 1983 and soon offered to buy this newborn start-up. Dr. Geschke and Dr. Warnock declined, but before the year was out, Apple had agreed to license their technology, called PostScript. A month later, Apple unveiled the Macintosh, which served as a template for the next four decades of computer desktops, laptops and smartphones. Its printer, the LaserWriter, unveiled the next year, was based on PostScript and built in partnership with Adobe. With Dr. Geschke as chief operating officer, Adobe became a key player in the rise of so-called desktop publishing. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 19:14:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Health Ministry on Tuesday said it will begin to administer the second doses of the COVID-19 vaccinations from the first week of May as health experts here said it was best to give the second dosages after 14 to 16 weeks. Chief Epidemiologist of Sri Lanka's Health Ministry Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, as quoted in local media reports, said the second doses would be administered in the same order as the first doses were administered, starting from front line and health workers. Initially, the recommended interval between doses for the vaccine was four weeks but Sri Lankan medical experts increased it to up to 12 weeks for better efficiency. Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19 Shavendra Silva told Xinhua that the second doses would roll out as decided after 14 to 16 weeks, saying Sri Lanka had sufficient stocks of the AstraZeneca vaccines to complete vaccinating front line workers. The government said they are expecting more doses to arrive from the Serum Institute in India, as nearly 1 million people in the island's Western Province had been inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccines. Sri Lanka began its mass scale vaccination program since Jan. 29 and has to date inoculated residents only from the Western Province, the worst-affected by the COVID-19 virus. The country has to date detected over 97,000 positive COVID-19 patients since the first local patient was detected in March last year, Health Ministry statistics showed. Out of the total 97,105 patients detected, 93,374 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals, bringing down the active patient count to 3,111. The country had recorded 620 deaths from the virus. Enditem On April 17, the Syrian state news agency SANA published a story claiming that Denmark was telling Syrian refugees its safe to return to their home country. This was based on the appearance of advertising billboards in the Danish capital of Copenhagen with a message aimed at refugees. Now you can return home to sunny Syria, your homeland needs you is a phrase spread widely on billboards in streets of Copenhagen, the Danish capital, in a campaign that confirms the fact that Syria became safe after most of its territories have been liberated from terrorism and aims to encourage Syrian refugees to return to their homeland. This message is highly misleading. The number of Syrian refugees in Denmark since the start of the war in 2011 is just over 32,000, although some estimates put the figure as high as 35,000. On April 14, reports emerged that the Danish government refused to renew the temporary residency permits of at least 189 Syrian refugees. Danish authorities justified this based on their claim that safety in Syria had improved significantly. According to a BBC report, on April 19, Denmark is examining the cases of 461 refugees from the Damascus area, and 350 from the surrounding area. But the billboards are another matter. They appear to have been designed by a movement called Generation Identitaer (Generation Identity), whose name and logo appear at the bottom of the ads. Both the name and logo are associated with Generation Identitaire, a French far-right party that spawned affiliates in several European countries beginning in 2012. The Danish groups website features stories about the billboard campaigns as well as articles urging the Danish government to send Syrian refugees home. The movement was accused in several hate crimes and even tried to prevent European coast guard vessels from rescuing incoming refugees at sea. The French organization engaged in a number of confrontational stunts such as occupying the roof of a mosque under construction in Portiers and blocking the road between the town of Calais and the large migrant camp near there known as the "Calais jungle" in 2016. France banned the group in March of 2021. None of that is mentioned in the SANA article. Regardless of the source, is Damascus really safe for refugees? While it is true that the Syrian capital is no longer a front-like area in Syrias 10-year civil war, many refugees have something else to fear retaliation from the states security services. A 2019 report from the Syrian Network for Human Rights states that from the beginning of the war in 2011, nearly 100,000 Syrians were disappeared into the states prison system, where they face torture and denial of medical care. Many of those targeted by the regimes secret police were in places recaptured by the regimes forces, which include areas around Damascus. Males also risk being drafted into Assads military. In addition, the Syrian economy is in shambles. There has been very little reconstruction, and food prices have skyrocketed. Many homes lack basic utilities. The Danish governments decision to return refugees on the basis of Damascus and its surroundings being safe ignores the fact that many refugees were not only fleeing the fighting, but the Assad regime, its militias and secret police. The relative peace in and around the Syrian capital does not necessarily mean refugees will be safe. On April 19, a group of Syria experts and analysts published an open letter via Human Rights Watch, criticizing the Danish governments decision. We, the undersigned analysts, researchers, and other experts on the Syrian context, strongly condemn the Danish governments decision to remove temporary protection for Syrian refugees from Damascus, the letter begins. The writers claim the Danish immigration service cited their work on Syria to justify its decision that refugees would be safe, but that this is not an accurate reflection of their conclusions. Damascus may not have seen active conflict hostilities since May 2018 but that does not mean that it has become safe for refugees to return to the Syrian capital, the letter explains. Many of the key drivers of displacement from Syria remain, as the majority of refugees fled, and continue to fear, the governments security apparatus, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, military conscription, and harassment and discrimination. Aya Faiz, a Chelsea high school sophomore, told members of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education during a meeting Tuesday that she was suspended for two days in middle school for saying a curse word. She said her white peers had used curse words in school and got detention instead. It has made her feel cautious about her behavior in school, she said. Advocates who want to see changes in vocational school admission standards say harsher punishments for students of color, like what Faiz described, contribute to seeing a student body in career schools that is less diverse than its pool of applicants. A students discipline record is among the criteria currently used to rank prospective students. Simply put, we are handed higher expectations despite usually being in schools that have less resources, and were punished more severely for not meeting them, Faiz said. Given that the vocational admissions policy is based off of these expectations, we are literally being set up for failure when this policy chooses us based on these aspects. If we want our students of color to succeed, this policy needs to change. Following more than a year of discussion between Massachusetts education officials and stakeholders, the state education board voted Tuesday to solicit public comment on proposed changes to vocational admission standards. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will compile comments on the proposed amendments and incorporate feedback, planning to bring the topic back to the board in June for a final vote. Currently, vocational schools admit students based on criteria of grades, attendance, discipline record and counselor recommendation. Groups calling for a change to the policy, including the Vocational Education Justice Coalition, have said current criteria is discriminatory because it leads to the exclusion of students of color, English language learners, special needs students and economically disadvantaged students. DESE proposed to the board that the admission policy be modified, getting rid of the requirement that vocational schools use the current criteria and prohibiting the consideration of excused absences and minor behavior or disciplinary infractions, as well as removing language that schools may condition admission on a student having passed courses in English Language Arts or its equivalent and mathematics for the school year immediately preceding their enrollment. Instead, the department wants to give vocational and career programs more flexibility to develop data-informed local admissions policies that promote equitable access. And, DESE is seeking to clarify its authority to intervene in cases of non-compliance, and in such cases, to order changes to admissions policies that may include requiring a lottery. The proposed changes to the regulations follow over a year of stakeholder engagement and discussion on these issues. These discussions, along with the Departments analysis of enrollment and admissions data, have made clear that applying a single set of state-prescribed admissions criteria is not in the best interests of students, families, and vocational schools and programs, DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley wrote in a memo to the education board. Other proposed changes include that vocational schools and programs using selective criteria will not use criteria that have the effect of disproportionately excluding persons in protected classes; that admission policies using selective criteria may be used only when there are more applicants than available seats; that each vocational school and program annually submit its admissions policy to DESE by August 15; a requirement that admission policies include strategies to promote equal educational opportunities and attract, enroll, and retain a student population that, when compared to students in similar grades in sending districts, has a comparable academic and demographic profile; and that the admission policy must be approved annually by the schools board of trustees or school committee, among other changes. Dan French, of Citizens for Public Schools, told board members that he still feels the admission standard should be a lottery. French and other members of the Vocational Education Justice Coalition have also posed questions about one specific part of the proposed modifications. They have sought more information about the meaning of the word minor in the part of the proposed changes to prohibit the consideration of excused absences and minor behavior or disciplinary infractions for admission. Board member Paymon Rouhanifard posed the same question Tuesday. He said that part of the proposal seems the most consequential, but also has the potential to be problematic. Cliff Chuang, DESEs senior associate commissioner for educational options, said the department plans to issue guidance on the topic, which will provide more information on the issue. So far, DESE has had discussions with some schools that have been thoughtful about separating disciplinary offenses that might impact safety in shop courses from other non-violent disciplinary issues, he said. The commissioner has previously said that middle schoolers learn from mistakes and that such mistakes dont keep them from opportunity in the future, Chuang said. Groups like the Vocational Education Justice Coalition have argued the same point. Caitlin Looby of DESEs legal team said the department wants to address concerns that students like Faiz have raised. She also noted that there is an appeal process that students could use for situations like what Faiz had explained, like being suspended for using a curse word. Related Content: VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - The Vigo County School Corporation is using technology to protect students. Many students within the corporation are using Google Chromebooks. Since their introduction, the district is using something called 'Lightspeed.' Lightspeed is an internet filtering service that blocks inappropriate content. Some sites are blocked. In other cases, artificial intelligence helps filter material. "I think people don't realize there are thousands of hours of video uploaded to Youtube every day. So Lightspeed uses some AI to filter out content there as well," Bill Riley, the Director of Communications for the Vigo County School Corporation told us. Lightspeed also monitors what students search for on the internet. It will provide an alert for a potential violent activity or mental health concerns. When the school corporation receives an alert, staff will discuss the search history with the student. From there, staff will contact parents if needed. The Chromebooks are monitored at all times. Not just during school hours. Cybersecurity White House launches cybersecurity push targeting electricity sector The White House on Tuesday announced the first pilot program to improve the cybersecurity of the nation's electricity infrastructure as part of a broader initiative focused on industrial control systems. "The 100-day plan includes aggressive but achievable milestones and will assist owners and operators as they modernize cybersecurity defenses, including enhancing detection, mitigation and forensic capabilities," according to an April 20 statement from Emily Horne, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council. The pilot is being managed by the Department of Energy and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, has previously discussed the public-private partnership effort which is being launched around the same time the administration is expected to publish a wide-ranging executive order also focused on cybersecurity. "Today, we cannot trust those systems because we don't have the visibility into those systems," Neuberger said April 8 during an event hosted by the Council for Foreign Relations. "And we need the visibility of those systems because of the significant consequences if they fail, or if they're degraded. So that's the threshold of success we seek from a cyber perspective, and there are many efforts that we'll need to do to get there." Eric Goldstein, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, said on Tuesday the "60-day sprints" being organized by CISA are meant to complement the White House's efforts. A sprint focused on industrial control systems, and scheduled to begin this summer, will consider risks arising from the use of computer operated physical systems to deliver infrastructure including water, electricity and natural gas. "The goal of these DHS cyber sprints is to complement the 100-day plans being led by the Biden-Harris administration and coordinated out of the White House by making a national call to action for control system cybersecurity," Goldstein said during a CISA-hosted event. Goldstein said CISA is looking to engage with private companies managing infrastructure for the chemical sector, dams, energy, transportation and water and wastewater. "We're also developing our control environment laboratory resource which is an environment for government and the private sector to partner and actually experiencing the possible effects of a cyberattack resulting in physical manifestations," Goldstein said. Although sometimes overshadowed by the attacks against SolarWinds and Microsoft, cybersecurity for industrial control systems has become an increasingly popular topic for both the executive branch and lawmakers this year. The push follows a close call at a Florida water facility where a hacker nearly altered the chemical balance of the community's drinking water to include dangerous levels of lye. Separately, the Department of Justice on March 31 indicted Wyatt Travnichek of Kansas with one count of tampering with a public water system and one count of reckless damage to a protected computer. The indictment stated Travnichek "knowingly accessed the Ellsworth County Rural Water District's protected computer system without authorization. During this unauthorized access, it is alleged Travnichek performed activities that shut down the processes at the facility which affect the facilities cleaning and disinfecting procedures with the intention of harming the Ellsworth Rural Water District No. 1, also known as Post Rock Rural Water District." On Capitol Hill, Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) in March introduced bipartisan legislation that would centralize CISA's role in responding to cybersecurity breaches of industrial control systems. (Alliance News) - Energy sector investor Kistos PLC on Tuesday said it plans an equity raise to go towards its EUR222.8 million acquisition of Tulip Oil Netherlands BV. London-based Kistos first announced plans for the deal back in March. Tulip Oil Netherlands is focused on offshore gas field exploration in the Dutch North Sea. The EUR222.8 million deal with sellers Tulip Oil Holding BV includes EUR60 million in cash and the issue of EUR15.8 million of shares to Tulip Oil Holding. The deal will also see Tulip Oil Netherlands issue EUR60 million worth of bonds to Tulip Oil Holding, while a EUR87 million bond refinancing makes up the rest of the acquisition fee. Tulip Oil will become a shareholder and debt holder of Kistos, upon completion of the deal. To help fund the deal, Kistos will sell shares to raise up to GBP52.5 million at 155 pence per share. The accelerated bookbuild will be launched immediately and led by Panmure Gordon Ltd. Kistos shares were suspended from trading in March as the deal is classed as a reverse takeover. "I am delighted to be announcing the acquisition, and the associated fundraising, this morning," commented Chair Andrew Austin. "This represents the culmination of many months of work and is, in my view, a hugely exciting development for stakeholders in Kistos. The portfolio of assets that we have acquired include profitable and cash generative producing assets, plus exploration and appraisal assets from which we are looking to deliver significant upside for our shareholders." A general meeting will be held on May 14 to seek approval to proceed with the acquisition. By Will Paige; willpaige@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. Easton police and Pennsylvania State Police on Tuesday morning entered two apartments in the citys West Ward, leading to the arrest of two targets of a multi-agency probe into methamphetamine sales in the neighborhood, an official said. The Easton police Special Response Unit just after 6 a.m. went into Apartment 1 at 1124 Lehigh St. to serve a narcotics search warrant and an arrest warrant, and a state police Special Emergency Response Team at the same time went into Apartment 1 at 1153 Washington St. -- less than two blocks away -- to serve a search warrant, Lt. Matthew Gerould. The investigation was conducted by Eastons Vice Unit, the Wilson Borough police Vice Unit, the Northampton County Drug Task Force and the Northampton County District Attorneys Office, Gerould said. Controlled buys were made at both locations and about $34,000 in meth, $1,000 in crack cocaine and $18,000 in cash were recovered Tuesday between the two apartments, Gerould said. John Abel, 53, on April 20, 2021, looks across the 1100 block of Lehigh Street in Easton toward his mother as he is being searched before being taken away after he was arrested in a drug probe.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor John Abel, 53, was arrested on a drug delivery warrant at the Lehigh Street address, Gerould said. He is also charged with criminal use of a cellphone and possession with intent to deliver meth, Gerould said. As Abel was being walked from a side door to a waiting police cruiser, his mother, a small woman wearing a black hoodie and who lives down the street, repeatedly asked why as her son acknowledged her with a pass of a hand, a nod and a shrug of the shoulders. She began to walk toward Abel, saying he was her son, but police asked her to step back and let the arrest be completed. She had walked up the street several minutes earlier and stood at the mouth of the South Elder Street alley across the street from the converted single-family home. She asked in a quiet voice if it was a drug raid. She said her son had been visiting the Lehigh Street address. Easton police just after 6 a.m. entered an apartment in the 1100 block of Lehigh Street and made an arrest in a multi-agency methamphetamine probe.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor As state police entered the Washington Street address, Corey Holmone, 35, -- the target at that address -- tried to destroy suspected drugs, Gerould said. He also struggled with state police before being taken into custody, Gerould said. Holmone is facing charges of possession with intent to deliver meth, possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence, Gerould said. Those two men worked together in distributing meth from the two apartments in the several block area in that part of the neighborhood, Gerould said. Holmone was arraigned at 12:35 p.m. before District Judge Richard Yetter III and held in lieu of 10% of $100,000 bail, records show. His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. April 30 in Yetters court in Wilson. Abel was arraigned just after Holmone on the possession with intent to deliver charge and held in lieu of 10% of $100,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is also tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. April 30 in Yetters court. He received the same bail and court date on the delivery and cellphone counts, records show. Lori Knoble, 49, who was at the Washington Street apartment, was charged with possession with intent to deliver meth, possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia, Gerould said. Knoble was arraigned after Abel. Her bail was the same as was her tentative court date. None of the three had attorneys, according to court records. Two other people were taken into custody at the Washington Street apartment and are facing misdemeanor possession of meth charges, Gerould said. No one was hurt in the operations and no weapons were recovered, Gerould said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription. Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Reuters DUBLIN (Reuters) -Ireland's finance minister said he remained confident the country's low-tax economy would continue to attract multinational investment and jobs even as an overhaul of global corporation tax rules moved a major step closer on Saturday. The United States, Britain and other leading nations agreed to back a minimum global rate of at least 15% and for firms to pay more tax in the markets where they sell goods and services rather than in countries like Ireland where they book profits. Ireland, long resigned to having more to lose than most from the reforms due to the attractiveness of its 12.5% rate to foreign multinationals, continued to press the case that any final deal must meet the needs of small and large countries. George W. Bush described today's Republican Party as 'isolationist and nativist' and said it was not his vision of the what the GOP should be in his first live TV interview in three years. The former president spoke to NBC's 'Today Show' as part of his tour promoting his new book, 'Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants.' In the interview he expressed his disappointment with the direction his political party has taken and the migrant crisis can be fixed with 'border enforcement with a compassionate touch'. He tore into the Republican and said he hopes moderate can succeed in the party primary in 2024, just hours after Donald Trump made his strongest indication that he would run again. Bush also said he was concerned President Biden's decision to pull US troops from Afghanistan will leave women and girls at risk of violence from the 'brutal' Taliban. 'I would describe it as isolationist, protectionist and to a certain extent nativist,' Bush said when asked to describe the GOP. 'It is not my vision but I am just an old guy they put out to pasture. Just a simple painter,' he added. George W. Bush described today's Republican Party as 'isolationist and nativist' and said it was not his vision of the what the GOP should be in an interview with NBC's 'Today Show' George W. Bush and Laura Bush attended an immigration ceremony aired live on 'Today' 'I think if the emphasis is integrity and decency and trying to work to get problems solved, I think the person has a shot, he said of his hoped 2024 candidate. He also said the January 6th MAGA riot at the Capitol, which left five dead and a trail of destruction throughout the building, made him 'sick.' 'It kind of made me sick. It did make me sick. I felt ill. I just could not believe it. The truth the matter is, I was optimistic that we would survive that because I believe strongIy in the institution of our country. It did survive,' he said. But he said he remains troubled about the amount of false information out there. 'What's troubling is how much misinformation there is and the capacity of the people to spread all kinds of untruths,' he said. 'I don't know what we are going to do about that? I know what I am doing about it. I don't do Twitter or Facebook or any of those stuff.' Bush did not mention former President Donald Trump by name. Trump riled up the January 6th crowd with his false claims he won the election and had it stolen from him. He faced a second impeachment trial for his actions but was acquitted in the Senate. George W. Bush was on NBC's 'Today Show' as part of his book tour for his new tome, 'Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants' Bush said he was trying to be a 'different voice' on immigration at a time many in the GOP were echoing Donald Trump's isolationist policy Bush also expressed concern about disinformation on the internet Bush declined to discuss any of his successors in the Oval Office, joking if he did: 'Michelle Obama may not be my friend.' He enjoys a friendship with the former first lady that has transcended politics. In the wide-ranging interview, Bush also expressed concerns that the Taliban would take advantage of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan to erase gains made by women in that country. 'My first reaction was wow, these girls are going to have real trouble with the Taliban. A lot of gains have been made so deeply concerned of the women and girls in that country,' he said. 'I think the administration hopes that the girls are going to be okay through diplomacy, we'll find out,' Bush added. 'All I know when they had the run of the place, the Taliban, they were brutal.' Bush spoke on stage with his daughter Jenna Bush Hager after he swore in 20 new American citizens in a naturalization ceremony The pair shared a laugh on stage and embraced during the wide-ranging interview The former president was also joined by his wife Laura as they welcomed the new citizens While first lady, Laura Bush made women's rights in Afghanistan one of her signature issues and she visited that country. George W. Bush began the war in Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11th attacks on the US. President Joe Biden announced last week that he would withdrawal all US troops from that country in September, by the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack. He called Bush before his speech to inform him of his decision. George W. Bush is on a book tour for his new tome 'Out of Many, One' As part of his interview and book publicity tour, Bush and Laura Bush attended a naturalization ceremony that was aired live on the 'Today Show.' He said he included portraits of immigrants in his book because 'I had a kinship with veterans and great empathy with immigrants. We were all raised mainly, a woman came up from Mexico with nothing.' He also said he's trying to have a 'different voice' on the immigration issue at a time many Republicans in public office echo Trump's call for an isolationist strategy. 'It is a beautiful country that we have and it is not beautiful when we condemn and call people names and scare people about immigration. It is an easy issue to frighten some of the electorate and I am trying to have a different kind of voice,' Bush said. Posted Monday, April 19, 2021 12:14 pm It doesnt seem that long ago when the press and Democratic party decried the use of executive orders. Fast forward a few months seems all is well as Biden adds another to the already long list of EOs signed during his short time in office. Most recent and disturbing is the executive order to establish a presidential commission to study changes to the Supreme Court. This is a monumental waste of time, energy and resources at a time when we are in a short supply of all. Some curious minds might ask is: In light of ALL the unprecedented issues and crises pressing down on people and nation, why this EO? Why now? To what end? The obvious answer is, this is a blatant partisan political power grab. It is straight out of a political playbook of a prominent Democrat who said, One should never let a crisis go to waste. Meaning there are things a person with power can do in times of a crisis that they could not do otherwise. Seems this is good advice when you have a press and party who will give you all the political cover needed to do so. Yet, not so good for a country who is reeling from the controls and mandates of those in power making decisions on our behalf. Lough Ree Access for All has officially welcomed the arrival of a specialised passenger boat to their Ballyleague-Lanesboro shores. The boat is designed to allow easy access for wheelchair users, people with disability and special needs to access the waterways of Ireland, but the service is open to all visitors to the area. There will be three boat trips daily, adding a welcomed boost to local tourism. The custom built boat was made in Tallinn, and is the first licensed passenger boat of its kind in Britain and Ireland. It can carry up to eight wheelchair users plus crew per sailing, which last two hours twenty minutes. The boat was the brainchild of long term volunteer Alan Broderick, who witnessed the continuous struggle that wheelchair users encountered. Alan said, This was born out of wanting people with disabilities to feel included, equal and independent and to focus on their abilities and not their disabilities. There are 31,000 wheelchair users in Ireland and we hope that each person will visit and experience what we have to offer over the coming years. The accessible vessel operates similar to a small car ferry, the bow lowering to facilitate wheelchair users to independently roll onto and off the vessel, eliminating the need to lift or hoist wheelchair users anymore. While it is primarily for those with disabilities, the boat is accessible to all. The project received significant backing in January with financial and business advisory support from DPD Ireland. In line with their investment in people, the company was delighted to get involved in the project. Des Travers, Chief Executive of DPD Ireland said, We are very proud to be involved with this venture. This is a very special project and is the start of change for wheelchair users. We have a growing in-house team getting involved and feedback is heart-warming. Were committed to helping further this project wherever we can. The project design, which took six years to complete, involved consultation with wheelchair users and the disabled community, including Irish Wheelchair Association and Independent Living Movement, who advised on key aspects such as design features and boat journey times. Wheelchair user James Cawley of Independent Living Movement Ireland said, It is a trail blazing project designed universally which enables disabled people the opportunity to participate in a recreational activity like no other. The experience was inclusive and very positive for me and my Personal Assistant, one I would like to use regularly. The Access All Areas boat service is located within 20 minutes of Roscommon town, Longford town and Strokestown. Lanesboro is 35 minutes from Athlone and 45 minutes from Carrick-on-Shannon and Galway. The boat has a capacity of 10 people plus crew in normal sailing seasons. However, due to social distancing this capacity is limited in 2021. The boat is available, by prior booking, for special one day excursions to the islands of Lough Ree where experienced guides will bring you on a tour of the ruins of 7 churches of Inchcleraun or visit the medieval village of Rindoon on the Roscommon shoreline. It is a fully licensed vessel operating a 7 day service in high summer and all year around service, with trained staff accredited by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Department of Transport Marine Survey Office. The project for people with disability is supported by Pobal, the department of Rural & Community Affairs, Roscommon Integrated Development Company under the EU Leader programme, Waterways Ireland, the Sliabh Bawn community funds and Inland Fisheries Ireland Enquiries can be made to 043 33 21734 or email: loughreeaccessforall2020 @gmail.com Bookings can be made through the website www.loughreeboattrips.com .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... The settlement between Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former campaign spokesman James Hallinan, who accused her of inappropriate conduct during a campaign meeting, is right out of the informal PR manual on how to deal with potential fallout from a sordid allegation. First, say the claim is absolutely without merit, even scurrilous and defamatory. Then, open up a checkbook and pay the person making the allegations, with details shrouded in confidentiality. Finally, say the settlement was made only to avoid the continuing distraction and significant expense of possible litigation. Donald Trump did a lot of that. Hallinan, who now runs his own communications company, accused Lujan Grisham in a 2019 Christmas Day tweet of pouring water on his crotch, then grabbing his crotch through his clothes as she laughed, in mid-2018 in front of other staffers. He went public with his claim a year after leaving the campaign and says he was talked out of reporting it by the campaign manager. Of course anybody can say anything. Proving it is another matter. Thats what courts are for. Put up or shut up. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ According to the Governors Office, other staff members at the meeting referenced by Hallinan say the alleged wrongdoing did not happen. But there wont be a judicial determination of the truth thanks to a previously undisclosed agreement reached late last year. No lawsuit was ever filed, but documents filed last week with the Secretary of State show the governors campaign has paid Hallinan $62,500 in five monthly $12,500 payments November through March, listed as legal expenses. It isnt clear if more will be made. If there is a release or settlement agreement, it has not been made public. Hallinan, a familiar political operative, isnt talking. His Atlanta-based attorney, Rachel Berlin Benjamin, said the sides have resolved any differences or issues to their satisfaction. I am not able to provide any further information. A spokesman for the governor last week said the payments were part of a settlement resolving numerous dubious and disputed potential claims by Hallinan, including issues regarding his search for employment after the 2018 campaign. Getting rid of the distraction is important and allows the governor and her team to concentrate on working for the people of New Mexico during this pandemic. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Olivers office said the payments were an appropriate use of campaign funds since they were spent on a campaign personnel issue. Its up for debate if the governors campaign contributors agree. It appears the heretofore confidential agreement will head off a lawsuit. But will it eliminate the distraction? Not a chance. The Republican Governors Association pounced, noting $62,500 is a lot of money for a sexual harassment scandal Lujan Grisham originally called bizarre, slanderous and categorically false. Lujan Grisham is head of the Democratic Governors Association and a political target at a time when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is struggling with a host of sexual misconduct allegations. Expect this topic to come up over and over in future campaigns. Campaign cash, not taxpayer dollars, bought the silence. But it wont put to rest the truth or falsity of the allegations unfortunate for the governor and New Mexicans. editorials This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Founded in 1988, San Francisco based Athleta is a purpose-driven brand with a powerful mission to empower women and girls to realize their limitless potential. Designed for women, by women, the brand was built on the belief that what unites active women and girls is stronger than any obstacles in their way, and sport and fitness create confidence, courage and powerful bonds. In 2016, Athleta Girl was launched along with the brands community-driven Power of She campaign. The brand's mission comes to life through inclusive and sustainable product design, connecting with customers through unique experiences in stores, online and within local store communities. The brand plans to open between 20 and 30 stores a year, adding to its existing profitable fleet of over 200 stores across the United States. Athleta stores remain top customer acquisition and brand awareness vehicles and are a key component of the growth and future of the brand. New entry points, including wholesale partnerships and international expansion through franchise and company operated stores, are strategic steps towards growing the brand to two billion dollars in net sales by 2023. In 2020, Athleta surpassed one billion dollars in net sales and had 16% annual sales growth. "International expansion is a key component of our growth strategy to reach two billion dollars in net sales by 2023, and we are very proud to introduce Athleta to customers in Canada," said Mary Beth Laughton, President and CEO, Athleta. "As a purpose-driven brand, we are excited to expand our community of empowered and confident women and girls to Canada and bring them a differentiated and inclusive offering in the performance lifestyle category." Athleta will also launch an e-commerce site in Canada, making its assortment of sustainable, inclusive, versatile product available to all Canadian consumers. Product will be fulfilled by the Gap Inc. Distribution Center in Brampton, Ontario, eliminating international taxes and lengthy shipping times for Canada-based consumers. E-commerce in Canada is fast-growing, and the pandemic further accelerated the channel's growth. Additionally, Athleta experienced double-digit online growth in the U.S. last year, and 60% percent of the business was generated from e-commerce. As a customer-led brand, Athleta conducted extensive research to understand the behaviours of the Canadian consumer. The findings support customer demand for a purpose-driven performance lifestyle brand. Athleta's differentiated brand focus on wellness, sustainability and inclusivity coupled with versatile product will resonate across geographies into the Canadian market. Athleta is a purpose-driven company with a mission of empowering a community of active women and girls. Inclusivity is core to Athleta's brand DNA and in turn, it will bring a differentiated product offering to the Canadian market including extended sizing in approximately 500 styles in stores and online. Athleta believes in using business as a force for good and became a certified B Corp in 2018. The brand will join the over 230 certified B Corp businesses operating in Canada. Today, over 70% of Athleta product is made from sustainable materials. For more information on Athleta, please visit www.athleta.com and www.gapinc.com or athleta.ca/comingsoon Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than those that are purely historical are forward-looking statements. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," and similar expressions also identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding store openings in Canada and across North America, and growing sales to two billion dollars by 2023. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Information regarding factors that could cause results to differ can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2021, as well as the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on information as of April 20, 2021. The company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized. About Athleta: A certified B Corporation, Athleta is a performance lifestyle brand with a mission of empowering a community of active women and girls. Athleta's versatile premium performance lifestyle apparel is designed by women for women with inclusivity at its core. Founded in 1998, Athleta integrates performance and technical features across its collection to support women across their entire lifestyle from yoga and training to travel and sleep. In 2016, the company launched Athleta Girl mirroring its signature performance in styles for the next generation. Based in San Francisco, CA and a Gap Inc. brand (NYSE: GPS), Athleta apparel is available at its over 200 retail stores across the United States, through its catalog, and at Athleta.com . About Gap Inc. Gap Inc., a collection of purpose-led lifestyle brands, is the largest American specialty apparel company offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Old Navy , Gap , Banana Republic , Athleta ,and Intermix brands. The company uses omni-channel capabilities to bridge the digital world and physical stores to further enhance its shopping experience. Gap Inc. is guided by its purpose, Inclusive, by Design, and takes pride in creating products and experiences its customers love while doing right by its employees, communities, and planet. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase worldwide through company-operated stores, franchise stores, and e-commerce sites. Fiscal year 2020 net sales were $13.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com . SOURCE Athleta For further information: Heather Hopkins, [email protected] Related Links https://athleta.gap.com/ Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have said the jury 'made the right decision' in finding Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges. In separate statements on Twitter, the pair praised the conviction with Hillary writing, 'always and forever, black lives matter'. Barack and Michelle Obama, however, said more needs to be done in a joint statement on Tuesday. The pair said the trial was 'far from a sufficient step' towards 'eliminating racial bias' from the nation's criminal justice system. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have said the jury 'made the right decision' in finding Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges (pictured, at President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021) In a statement on Twitter Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's 2016 presidential nominee, said: 'George Floyd's family and community deserved for his killer to be held accountable. Today, they got that accountability' Bill Clinton said the George Floyd's death and Derek Chauvin's trial had made 'painfully clear' that America ' must do much better in recruiting, training, and holding law enforcement accountable to the communities they serve' Hilary wrote: 'George Floyd's family and community deserved for his killer to be held accountable. Today, they got that accountability.' Bill Clinton said the George Floyd's death and Derek Chauvin's trial had made 'painfully clear' that America 'must do much better in recruiting, training, and holding law enforcement accountable to the communities they serve'. 'The failure to do so continues to plague America, as we have seen in recent days.' He added that 'the color of a person's skin still determines far too often how they will be treated in nearly every aspect of American life' 'While the verdict won't bring George Floyd back, it can help us prevent more senseless deaths and hasten the day when we are all treated equally in matters of life, liberty, dignity, respect, and opportunity'. However, in a joint statement released after the verdict was announced the Obama's said more needs to be done and called for more 'concrete reforms' in policing. They said: 'For almost a year, George Floyd's death under the knee of a police officer has reverberated around the world inspiring murals and marches, sparking conversations in living rooms and new legislation.' 'But a more basic question has always remained: would justice be done?' 'In this case, at least, we have our answer. But if we're being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial.' Barack and Michelle Obama have said the jury did 'the right thing' in finding Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges but said more needs to be done In a joint statement released after the verdict was announced, they said: 'For almost a year, George Floyd's death under the knee of a police officer has reverberated around the world inspiring murals and marches, sparking conversations in living rooms and new legislation.' 'Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied,' he said. Minutes after the verdict, President Biden phoned family members and lawyers for George Floyd just minutes after a Minnesota jury returned a verdict in the trial that captured the nation's attention and brought new focus on racial justice issues. Biden phoned along with Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden. Lead attorney Benjamin Crump played the call on speaker phone. 'Feeling better now,' Biden told tearful listeners who gathered around Crump's phone. 'Nothing is going to make it all better. But at least now there's some justice. Biden referenced comments by Floyd's daughter, Gianna, that her late father is going to change the world. 'He's going to start to change it now,' Biden said. Biden previously revealed he also called the jury Monday, with the outcome uncertain and as the White House noted repeatedly, the jury was sequestered. He told the family afterward: 'You're an incredible family. I wish I were there.' He told them he was with White House advisor, former Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana. 'We've been watching every second of this and the vice president, all of us. We were all so relieved, not just one verdict but all three,' Biden said. Crump tweeted out video of the exchange. 'It's really important. I'm anxious to see you guys, I really am. We're going to get a lot more done,' he promised them. That prompted Crump to push Biden to act on and sign the George Floyd policing act, which is stalled in the Senate. 'You got it pal. That and a lot more,' Biden promised. He also spoke about confronting 'genuine systemic racism.' Earlier Tuesday, Biden said he is praying for the 'right verdict' in George Floyd trial and called the evidence 'overwhelming' in series of extraordinary comments that come as the jury begins its second day of deliberations in the Derek Chauvin case. People celebrate in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts Minneapolis residents hugged in the street at the news Chauvin faces decades behind bars Mumbai: The Maharashtra Board has decided to cancel the class 10 Board exams as the COVID-19 situation in the state and across the country deteriorates. Taking to Twitter, state School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad informed: "Given the worsening situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maharashtra government has now decided to CANCEL the state board exams for class 10th. The health and safety of our students and teachers is our topmost priority." Given the worsening situation of the #Covid-19 pandemic, the Maharashtra government has now decided to CANCEL the state board exams for class 10th. The health & safety of our students and teachers is our topmost priority.#exams #ssc #hsc pic.twitter.com/C8xCY3VVdX Varsha Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) April 20, 2021 The minister further, wrote that as the current atmosphere is not conducive to exams other boards had been requested to cancel and reschedule now as that decision has been taken the Maharashtra board exams have cancelled too. "The criterion on the basis of which results will be declared for class 10th & date of result declaration will soon be announced. The School Education Dept is committed to devising a "fair and accurate" assessment criterion," she wrote. Earlier, the Maharashtra State Board Of Secondary And Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) had postponed the exams and had said that it would announce the revised dates in May. On April 12, Maharashtra had announced the postponement of the state board exams for classes 10 and 12, the Class 10th exams was postponed and was reported to be conducted in June but now it has been cancelled. Recover at home virus plan THAILAND: The Public Health Ministry has reacted to the spike in COVID-19 infections by drawing up a plan to allow patients with less serious symptoms to self-quarantine at home to save hospital beds for the most serious cases. CoronavirusCOVID-19healthdeathVaccineSafety By Bangkok Post Tuesday 20 April 2021, 09:14AM People wait for their turn to be tested for COVID-19 behind a royally-donated mobile medical unit that is stationed at Khao San Road in Bangkok yesterday. Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya. Under the home isolation plan unveiled yesterday (Apr 19), hospitals may consider allowing COVID-19 patients with no symptoms to recover at home, albeit with a number of conditions. Hospitals will be required to follow a set of criteria when considering COVID-19 patients to self-quarantine it is only recommended if the patients do not develop other symptoms and they would be required to self-quarantine for a full month. The contingency plan is in response to growing concerns that hospital beds are filling up fast in the current third wave of the pandemic, and that swift action must be taken in case the situation worsens. The Public Health Ministry was quick to point out last night that even though the home isolation system was under consideration, it is not yet necessary because about 3,000 beds were still available. Department of Medical Services (DMS) director-general Somsak Akksilp said fears over the current situation related more to long waits for hospital beds rather than a shortage of beds and said coordinated efforts were already being made to address the issue. Dr Somsak said hospitalisation was still compulsory for all COVID-19 patients but that mild and asymptomatic cases, known as Green cases, could be sent to field hospitals and so-called hospitels. Were making preparations for the home isolation programme but it is not yet implemented, he said. He said all hospitals under the ministrys supervision were being instructed to set aside ICU beds as more severe cases were anticipated this week. The DMS is working closely with medical schools in the management of ICU beds. We have a total of 9,317 beds, an increase from 6,000-7,000 beds. About 3,000 beds are still available, he said. Dr Somsak said work is also under way to increase the number of COVID-19 patient transport vehicles across the country to 100, noting that the limited capacity to transport infected patients had also contributed to long waits over the past week. Suksan Kittisupakorn, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administrations Medical Service Department, said it had 2,756 beds to accommodate COVID-19 patients and nearly 3,000 more beds were being added. Under the home isolation plan, COVID-19 patients must be asymptomatic, under 40 years old and not be categorised as obese and/or have other underlying health problems, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, stroke, or other diseases doctors rule as unsafe for self-care at home. They must also provide consent to home isolation and, if they live in condominium units or dormitories, the building supervisors must also grant permission. Hospitals would be required to check on those patients on a regular basis for 14 days and hospitalise them if their symptoms deteriorate. Move Forward Party MP Wayo Asvarungruang yesterday expressed his support for the home isolation plan, but called on the government to do more to educate the public about it. Saowalak Thongkuay, member of Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said the government should set aside 15% of field hospital beds for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups. She said the facilities should also be designed to handle the special needs of this group of people. People with visual or audio problems need communication aids. This is not a privilege, she said. Meanwhile, the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) yesterday reported three more COVID-19 fatalities and 1,394 new infections, raising the total of deaths to 104 and 43,742 cases since the start of the pandemic in January last year. Yesterdays caseload was significantly lower than the record-high 1,767 new cases registered on Sunday but it remains to be seen if this is the start of a downward trend. The first fatality was a 56-year-old man in Buri Rams Prakhon Chai district, who had worked at a bar near Nana Plaza in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok before returning to his home province during the Songkran holiday. Records show that an 84-year-old woman who died on Friday had been in contact with her grandson who worked at a nightspot on Ratchadaphisek Road and was infected with the virus. The third fatality was a woman, 61, who died on Sunday after testing positive for the virus at a hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khans Hua Hin district. It was the first time in three days that the number had dropped below the 1,500 mark. Bangkoks new cases dropped to 293 from 346 on Saturday, while new transmissions in Chon Buri plunged to 98 from 229. In Chiang Mai, however, infections rose from 164 to 197. Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cyber security solutions, has announced that Qatars Boom Construction Company (BCC) has successfully deployed a comprehensive cloud-based Trend Micro solution to protect the construction companys digital estate. Part of the Boom Group, BCC is one of Qatars largest construction firms and is a key player in National Vision 2030s goals of environmental development through state-of-the-art infrastructure and mega-projects. In March last year, amid the Covid lockdown, BCCs head office was hit with a ransomware attack that left more than 200 users without access to business applications and emails. Downtime was not an option, so in response to the attack, BCC contacted several vendors for support, and found a trusted future partner in Trend Micro, said the statemenrt from the IT group. Trend Micro engineers on site identified the ransomware and its entry point, and offered continued support to control the damage. Boom Constructions entire infrastructure was live and stable within 15 days a fraction of the two months associated with similar attacks. The company estimates that seven more weeks of downtime would have costed around QR5.5 million ($1.5 million), it added. Mohammed Ali Hosho, Senior IT manager at BCC, said: "We have undergone a security transformation with the implementation of Trend Micro solutions. It has saved us invaluable time and millions of dollars of avoided business downtime." "We now have full visibility and control over our IT infrastructure, and with real time threat intelligence we are able better prevent attacks, speed up investigation and response, enabling us to better protect our digital assets and workforce," noted Hosho. The foundation of BCCs security is Trend Micro XDR, which provides detection, prevention, and response across email, endpoints, servers, cloud workloads, and networks. "The company has also adopted Trend Micro Apex One for endpoint security and USB device control, Deep Discovery Inspector for 360-degree visibility of traffic monitoring, the Smart Protection Suite, and Trend Micro Cloud One Workload Security for automated workload protection," he explained. "We have found a partner we can rely on who can take care of our security needs, while we focus on growing our business in the digital era," added Hosho. Assad Arabi, Managing Director, Trend Micro Gulf Cluster, said: "Threat actors continue to take advantage of the vulnerabilities that organizations face in the new normal. As such, multi-layered protection can empower them to better protect, detect and respond to attacks in the cloud, across networks, and endpoints." "We were pleased to be able to support BCC in its security transformation, and stand committed to assist every private and public entity in their battles against digital aggression," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A groom-to-be stabbed his brother to death in a 'fit of rage' days before he was due to get married, a court has heard. Bernard John Robbins is charged with murdering Gregory Robbins at a home in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast in 2019. Three days later 59-year-old Bernard Robbins was due to get married. His brother had arrived in Queensland from Perth on June 12 to attend the wedding. He didn't even get to unpack his bag before the 61-year-old was stabbed seven times in a 'crime of passion', dying in hospital in the early hours of the next morning, the Brisbane Supreme Court was told on Tuesday. The men had been drinking on the patio of the house pensioner Bernard Robbins shared with the woman he was due to marry, Sally Doring. Bernard John Robbins is charged with murdering Gregory Robbins (pictured) at a home in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast in 2019 They talked about general matters before 'bickering over stupid things', the trial is expected to hear, prosecutor Christopher Cook said in his opening. But things escalated with Bernard Robbins becoming enraged due to an argument with his brother 'about family matters' and perhaps suggestions from his bride-to-be that the wedding may not go ahead. Bernard Robbins' daughter and both men's partners were in the unit at the time. Mr Cook said the women are expected to tell the jury they separated the men once, but Bernard soon became angry again, slamming a door and throwing something at Gregory across a table. 'I expect you'll hear from multiple people that there was... some jeopardy put on the wedding,' he said. Bernard Robbins then told his brother to leave, saying his bags were on the driveway. Gregory Robbins and his partner were walking out the garage when the older man was stabbed about 10pm. 'In a fit of rage Bernard Robbins stabbed his own brother Gregory and killed him,' Mr Cook told the jury. In an audio recording of a triple-zero call Bernard's daughter Annie Robbins is heard shouting 'stop it, stop it, stop it'. The home old the Sunshine Coast where the stabbed allegedly occurred after the argument Mr Cook said Gregory Robbins suffered four stab wounds, eight to 12cm deep, close to his heart. He was also stabbed twice in the back. 'This is a crime of passion,' Mr Cook said. He said no one saw Bernard Robbins get the knives, but a chef's paring knife and a white handled-knife with a long blade were found on the garage floor. Bernard Robbins told police 'it has just been the usual family f**king s**t,' according to footage from an officer's bodycam. Police later estimated Bernard Robbins had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.182 at the time of the stabbing, while his brother's BAC level was 0.217. The trial, set down for five days, is expected to hear from the three women who were in the house at the time, neighbours and police. FRENCH immersion teachers and parents fear sweeping reforms to the public school system could put second language education on the sidelines in Manitoba if board staff who have long-advocated for quality programs lose their jobs. FRENCH immersion teachers and parents fear sweeping reforms to the public school system could put second language education on the sidelines in Manitoba if board staff who have long-advocated for quality programs lose their jobs. Last month, the province released the K-12 review, an action plan to boost educational outcomes, and Bill 64 (Education Modernization Act), which aims to replace boards with a central authority of government appointees. While the action plan discusses improving French immersion curriculum and taking steps to "fully implement" it in schools, nowhere in the proposed legislation is the program mentioned. "We dont see ourselves represented at all French immersion teachers, staff, anybody invested in it," said Alyssa Rajotte, a Grade 5/6 teacher at Ecole Sage Creek School. It is not lost on Rajotte, who graduated from immersion and currently has children enrolled in the program, that there is no designated seat for a board member with immersion expertise on the education authority board. It is also unlikely one of the 16 members on a new advisory council to the education minister, which will be composed of elected parents from 15 new regions and a trustee from the francophone school division, will include such a perspective, she said. "If you havent been in immersion, its difficult to understand its unique programming needs," added Rajotte, noting French teaching resources typically cost more than English ones. Manitobas most recent immersion enrolment statistics show 24,381 students were in the program in 2016-17, nearly 12 per cent of total K-12 pupils. Despite growing demand for immersion, the president of the Association manitobaine des directrices et directeurs des ecoles dimmersion francaise said it remains a minority that could be lost in the looming shuffle. The majority of the population three-quarters of it is concentrated in the capital, which means the odds a single Winnipeg region representative, who will oversee more than 100,000 students, is a French immersion parent are not promising. Amy Haworth said she has more questions than answers about the future of both dual-track and French milieu programs. Not all divisions prioritize the expansion of immersion, embrace the same principles of it, or even offer the program. Louis Riel School Division has made a name for itself as a leader in programming, in part, because of the boards ongoing support for French milieu schools: buildings in which all students sing O Canada in French daily and all teachers, secretaries and custodians can speak French. It is written in policy immersion is single-track in the division, save for exceptional circumstances (only Ecole Sage Creek School is currently dual-track because the division is waiting for another school to be built to separate streams). "Were really very proud of the French immersion program here and the work that we do collectively to see it thrive," said superintendent Christian Michalik, a Franco-Manitoban who has spent his entire professional career working in French immersion. In total, 30 per cent of Louis Riels student population is enrolled in the program. The division is also unique in its immersion graduates must obtain all high school credits, with the exception of English, in French. The province mandates only 14 of the minimum 30 credits required to graduate are obtained by French immersion graduates. How successful an immersion program is can be traced back to how keen people in the board office are about it, said Joel Ruest, an instructor of education at Saint Boniface University, who researches French immersion. Ruest has concerns emphasizing parent voices will quiet expert educator perspectives and allow for misconceptions about immersion to flourish and affect programming. "Theres definitely some distrust right now. The relationship is strained. French language educators dont have much confidence in the Pallister government," added Ruest, noting the provinces decision to axe the assistant deputy minister position from Manitoba Education in 2017. The termination of the role of a French speaker in charge of the Bureau de leducation francaise, which has been downsized in and of itself, prompted outcry from the francophone community. The department currently has a special adviser to the minister on French language education. "Our government remains committed to advancing French immersion education. As we work with all Manitobans, including the francophone community, our Better Education Starts Today (strategy) will build on what teachers and school divisions have accomplished," Education Minister Cliff Cullen said in a statement. Among the provinces action items: launching an online high school with French immersion courses; developing a strategy to recruit and retain French language teachers; and expanding work-integrated learning opportunities for immersion students. A new French education fact sheet prepared by the province in the wake of the release of Bill 64 states consultations on the education authority structure will ask for input on immersion program needs and issues. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie Since vaccine eligibility opened up to all Pennsylvanians over age 16 last week, vaccine supply and demand have remained consistent in Schuylkill County. While other parts of the state have seen a dip in demand, John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, said that has not been the case here. Not here as much as Ive heard in other areas, Matz said. Some of my counterparts in other counties have stressed that theyve been having community vaccination clinics, and theyve been having a lot of no-shows or cancellations. Matz said he thinks Schuylkill Countys method of operating through health care networks and pharmacies has been successful, as opposed to having mass vaccination sites. However, Matz said the agency is working to educate the community on the vaccine to reduce any hesitancy people might have. One tactic has been to work with companies to help get their employees vaccinated. Particularly larger employers may find it advantageous to look for a partner to hold a clinic at their facility, Matz said. Other ones are saying, we only have X number of people, and as long as they can get scheduled in the next couple of weeks, that would be beneficial. Matz said it will take a couple of weeks to gauge the data on recently eligible groups, such as those ages 20 to 59, but previous age groups have seen progress. The emphasis prior to last Tuesday was to get those 65 and above done, Matz said. Weve actually done a pretty good job of getting a lot of that, thanks to the efforts of the Office of Senior Services, working with the health care networks and some of the pharmacy companies to get people scheduled. Matz said as of Friday, 51.5% of those age 80 and older had been fully vaccinated, and 19.5% had been partially vaccinated. For 70 and older, 55.6% had been fully vaccinated, and 30% partially. A substantial number of those over 60 have at least one shot, and they were over 70% of all cases, Matz said. As of Monday, 21,027 people in Schuylkill County have been partially vaccinated, and 33,877 have been fully vaccinated. Compared to previous months, Matz said the countys weekly vaccine supply has been more consistent. Now, the hospitals have been getting regular shipments of vaccines, Matz said. Since its been consistent, theyve been able to operate six days a week. M. Michael Peckman, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill marketing and public affairs specialist, said the hospital has been running its vaccine clinic six days a week, administering around 300 shots per day and 500 on Saturdays. The hospital has 4,700 appointments scheduled for the next 30 days, but Peckman said there are still slots available. So far, LVHSchuylkill has seen a strong vaccination schedule, but capacity remains, depending on the day, Peckman said. In some cases, same day appointments are a possibility. Peckman said the schedule for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week was close to capacity, while Thursday and Friday still had openings. However, Peckman said, last week, the schedule filled up as the week continued. We have noticed that appointments are filling, but closer to a particular day or clinic, which means that now is a very opportune time for people to call and schedule an appointment, he said. Now that eligibility is open to everyone over 16, Peckman said appointments can be scheduled without filling out an eligibility questionnaire on the Lehigh Valley Health Network website or going through a myLVHN account, though the latter can still be used. Instead, click on the COVID-19 Vaccine appointments. Schedule Now link at the very top of lvhn.org or, for those without internet service, call 833-584-6283. Samuel Kennedy, St. Lukes University Health Network corporate communications director, said the network has not seen a decline in demand for the vaccine or an excess of doses. We do not have an excess of doses, Kennedy said. We do not take doses out of cold storage until they are needed, so there is no risk of spoilage, should demand decrease. Kennedy said newly eligible individuals have been signing up for appointments, but that has not caused a shortage of supply as of now. County cases The county added seven new positive COVID-19 cases Monday for a total of 13,635. There have been 387 deaths, with no new deaths reported Monday. The Blue Mountain School District reported five new cases at the Elementary East on Monday, resulting in a shift to virtual instruction on Tuesday and Wednesday. Matz said although Mondays case number was lower than it has been recently, the county is still back to what it had been like in the fall. Up until September, all through last summer, we were actually below 20 cases a day, Matz said. It peaked in mid-January, and it had come back down quite a bit. Back in March, the numbers started going up again, and were now at a level like we saw in November. Matz said he hopes if people continue to practice precautions and get the vaccine, that starts making a difference in the community. The company selected Missouri due to its central location, which will help reduce lead times as regional demand grows. Tweet this The company is a diversified manufacturer and supplier of premium building products and related technologies for the commercial and residential construction markets. The new facility in Missouri will be its fiftieth location nationwide. "The new polyiso facility adds to our industry leading capabilities and represents the company's ongoing commitment to delivering a world-class customer experience," Nick Shears, President of CCM, said. "It is strategically located to better serve the central U.S. and will result in improved service for CCM customers in the region. The production of energy-saving insulation and reduction of shipping lanes are both important to Carlisle's ESG leadership position." The company selected Missouri due to its central location, which will help reduce lead times as regional demand continues to grow for construction materials. The state's workforce, low cost of doing business, and community support also helped attract the new investment. "Congratulations to Carlisle Construction Materials on this new expansion," Missouri Director of Economic Development Rob Dixon said. "The continued investment from this company in our state demonstrates the growth potential for all businesses in Missouri. The high-quality jobs created through this project will have a huge impact on Sikeston and the surrounding area." "Our community is excited to welcome Carlisle Construction Materials to Sikeston, Missouri," Mayor Steven Burch said. "Economic development is a team sport, and that was especially true with this project. I'm proud of the partnerships between the local, regional, and state leaders, including BNSF Railway, that helped us bring this outstanding company to Sikeston. We are looking forward to watching them grow here for years to come." The company plans to begin construction in the summer of 2021. They join a growing list of companies that have recently announced plans to open new facilities in Missouri, including Accenture Federal Services, Chewy, Inc., and Melaleuca, Inc. In just the past year, Missouri Partnership has partnered with communities across the state to help attract companies in manufacturing, distribution and logistics, financial and professional services, and food solutions- totaling more than $286 million in capital investment. Media Contact: Janelle Higgins (314)932-3977 [email protected] SOURCE Missouri Partnership Related Links www.missouripartnership.com Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has announced the top online programs for 2021. The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 1,280 accredited colleges and universities in the nation. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The methodology also uses an algorithm which collects and analyzes multiple rankings into one score to easily compare each school. Students who pursue any one of these programs can expect to gain employment much quicker in comparison to candidates without a degree. In addition to accessibility and cost, the steady job growth in this market is one of the many reasons Intelligent.com researched and ranked the Top Online Masters In Legal Studies Degree Programs. Intelligent.com analyzed 177 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 30 making it to the final list for Online Masters In Legal Studies Degree Programs. To access the complete ranking, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/best-online-masters-in-legal-studies-degree-programs/ 2021 Online Masters In Legal Studies Degree Programs featured on Intelligent.com (in alphabetical order): Albany Law School American University Arizona State University California University of Pennsylvania Drexel University Florida State University Hamline University Hodges University Liberty University Northeastern University Nova Southeastern University Pepperdine University Regent University Saint Leo University Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law Seton Hall University St. Mary's University Trinity International University University of Arizona University of Illinois Springfield University of Oklahoma University Of The Pacific University Of Tulsa Vermont Law School Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Webster University West Virginia University Western Michigan University Widener University About Intelligent.com Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. The website offers curated guides which include the best degree programs as well as information about financial aid, internships and even study strategies. With comprehensive, user-friendly guides and hundreds of program rankings, Intelligent.com is a trusted source among students and prospective students. To learn more, please visit https://www.intelligent.com/. They've had one of the strongest relationships on this year's season of Married At First Sight. And Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight, both 30, looked like the picture perfect couple as they arrived back to their Sydney hotel after a 13-hour shoot filming Sunday's reunion. Photos exclusively obtained by Daily Mail Australia, show the reality star newlyweds holding hands and looking just as loved-up as they did on their wedding day. Perfect combo! Married At First Sight's Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight were the picture perfect couple holding hands after filming the reunion on Sunday evening The smitten couple were all smiles as they arrived back at their hotel in the early hours of the morning. Kerry showed off her incredible physique in a pink midi tiered frock with tassels. The Brisbane-based occupational therapist was glammed up for the occasion and wore a full face of makeup. She completed her look with a pair of Perspex heels. Late night: The smitten couple were all smiles as they seen arriving back at their hotel in the early hours of the morning Pretty in pink! Kerry showed off her incredible physique in a pink midi tiered frock with tassels Meanwhile, Johnny looked suave in a black button up shirt paired with jeans and black shoes. The professional theatre actor was seen responding to text messages after a long day of filming. Earlier in the day, the couple chatted and laughed as they waited for their lunch to be brought over to them before filming the reunion. Dapper: Meanwhile, Johnny looked suave in a black button up shirt paired with jeans and black shoes Like their fellow co-stars, the pair were isolated from their cast before filming the show's much anticipated reunion. Johnny and Kerry held hands underneath the table as they chatted to a producer while waiting for their food. The sighting comes after the both agreed to commit to each other during the show's final vows. Hungry work! Earlier in the day, the couple chatted and laughed as they waited for their lunch to be brought over to them before filming the reunion Happy: Johnny was seen cheekily giving cameras a grin while his bride put her earrings on Standing in front of each other during the ceremony, an emotional Johnny confessed his love for Kerry. 'I began this journey not knowing if I could ever be in a serious relationship again after a long period of dark times,' he began. 'My heart had been ripped out of my chest and my world was turned on its head. But I worked hard to get back on track and that I did.' Going strong! Johnny and Kerry held hands underneath the table as they chatted to a producer while waiting for their food He then confessed that although he was initially hesitant going into the experiment, Kerry helped bring down his walls. 'I was happy, but not truly happy. I was avoiding finding love because I was scared of the heartache. I threw myself into this crazy experiment and this was one of the biggest leaps of faith in my life,' he said. 'And I can safely say I have found so much more out of this than I could have ever hoped for. Kerry you literally took my breath away. Our eyes met and yours sparkled. 'You are such a great listener and I could talk underwater. I'm frantic, you're calm. I'm often late, and you're always on time. I just really think we make a perfect double act.' Johnny also admitted that he had concerns about their relationship, but was willing to make it work. 'I began this journey not knowing if I could ever be in a serious relationship again after a long period of dark times. My heart had been ripped out of my chest and my world was turned on its head. But I worked hard to get back on track and that I did,' he said The LSOP has a net present value of $614 million at an internal rate of return of 21%, which is estimated to deliver annual EBITDA to the company of $124 million. APC is set to produce organically certified, environmentally sustainable green Sulphate of Potash. ( ) has completed a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for Lake Way Sulphate of Potash (LSOP) Project that positions the K-Brite product at the premium end of the global SOP market. SOP is a premium potassium fertiliser required for healthy plant growth, plant metabolism, optimisation of crop yields and quality of produce. It is a necessary fertiliser for high-value, chloride-sensitive crops such as avocados, cocoa, coffee beans, grapes, berries and tree nuts, and helps transform arid and acidic soils. Through optimised sustainable SOP development at LSOP, APC will produce 170,000 tonnes per annum of premium-priced K-Brite SOP products for distribution across the worlds most lucrative markets. Produced through sustainable means Australian Potash managing director and CEO Matt Shackleton pointed to the Lake Wells projects significant environmental upside compared with competitors as a key reason for investors to be excited for the companys future. The LSOP has always been somewhat unique across the peer space for being the only project to be developed with 100% bore-field abstraction of brine, with no re-charge or rainfall factors included in the largest Australian JORC-compliant measured SOP resource of 18.1 million tonnes. And the mine plan uses a mere 24% of this resource over the projected 30-year mine life, he said. We are immensely proud to be developing an operation using an industry high 44% renewable energy penetration rate, and we will produce Australias lowest carbon footprint SOP and will generate approximately one-third of the emissions attributable to a comparable sized Mannheim SOP process. As well as being certified for use in organic agriculture in many countries into which it will be distributed, the LSOP has received Green Loan verification, so K-Brite SOP can rightly be regarded as a truly green fertiliser. FEED study results Shackletons comments are backed up by economic results from the FEED study. The LSOP has a net present value of $614 million at an internal rate of return of 21%, which is estimated to deliver annual EBITDA to the company of $124 million. Pre-production costs are expected to hit $292 million, including granulation and bragging circuits, with the operating cost set at US$251 per tonne. Annual production is estimated at 170,000 tonnes SOP per year, with an estimated mine life of 30 years. The company already has in place five binding take-or-pay offtake agreements covering 90% of optimised forecast output executed with Tier 1 global fertiliser distribution partners, providing downside price protection and uncapped upside premium. Australian Potash has an approved $140 million, 17-year loan facility from the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility, conditional approval for a $45 million, 10-year loan facility from Export Finance Australia, and several commercial banks undergoing due diligence on the project. LSOP is positioned as the lowest CO2 emitting SOP project development in Australia, enhancing global decarbonising of the fertiliser supply chain with APCs K-Brite SOP set to replace the traditional, energy-intensive Mannheim SOP process currently used in key markets. As reported by Proactive, K-Brite products have been reviewed by European organic certification agency ECOCERT and classified as suitable for use in international organic farming in compliance with European regulations. Next step: final investment decision Shackleton told investors the board would now focus on a final investment decision. We have significantly de-risked the construction of the LSOP with more than 75% by value of project contracts being arranged on a lump sum EPC basis, he said. These arrangements provide our stakeholders with protection against time and cost overruns, and in operations, guarantees for performance. In addition, approximately 20% of all construction contracts will be awarded to Aboriginal businesses or joint ventures that are majority controlled by Aboriginal corporations. We now look forward to progressing to a final investment decision to develop the Lake Wells SOP Project. - Daniel Paproth In a study conducted at the University of Helsinki, researchers found a cause for severe epilepsy resulting in death in Parson Russell Terrier puppies at a few months of age. A change in the PITRM1 gene can lead to a dysfunction of mitochondria, the cellular energy pumps. Concurrently, amyloid- accumulation and widespread neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease were identified in the puppies' brains. Changes to the PITRM1 gene in humans also cause a severe but slowly progressing brain disease. Some Parson Russell Terrier puppies were seen to suddenly develop epileptic seizures at 6 to 12 weeks of age. The disease progressed very rapidly, in a matter of hours in the worst cases, to a situation where the seizures were continuous and unresponsive to medication. "All of the sick dogs either died spontaneously or had to be euthanised. On the tissue level, neuronal necroses, or dead neurons, were identified throughout the brains of the deceased dogs. In the neurons, we observed crowding of mitochondria, the cellular energy pumps, and accumulation of amyloid- typical of Alzheimer's disease. Such an accumulation is expected to be found in old dogs only," says Docent Marjo Hytonen from the University of Helsinki and the Folkhalsan Research Center. With the help of several research groups at the University of Helsinki and international partners, samples were collected from around Europe, making it possible to pinpoint the gene defect underlying the disease to the PITRM1 gene. This gene encodes an enzyme that is important to mitochondrial function. Due to their responsibility for cellular energy metabolism, mitochondria are key to the functioning of cells. "In the study, we determined the presence of the variant in nearly 30,000 dogs from 374 breeds, identifying the gene defect only in Parson Russell Terriers. Fortunately, the carrier frequency was low, only 5%. The findings will benefit dogs immediately, as a gene test made available based on the results helps identify carriers and avoid breeding them to produce sick puppies. We have already previously reported the gene test results for the roughly 700 dogs tested in the study," says Professor Hannes Lohi from the University of Helsinki. The disease associated with Parson Russell Terriers is a recessive trait, which means that, for the disease to develop, the defective gene must be copied from both parents to the offspring. The defect is found in this specific breed only. "The PITRM1 protein serves as a kind of mitochondrial cleaner that breaks up unnecessary pieces of protein and also the harmful amyloid-. The accumulation of these substances in mitochondria disturbs their function, while neurons in particular tolerate deficient cellular respiration poorly, which explains the early-onset neurodegeneration in dogs. The gene defect results in the disappearance of two amino acids in the PITRM1 enzyme and inhibits it from functioning normally," Hytonen says. In humans, changes in the same PITRM1 gene also cause neurodegeneration that results in cerebellar ataxia with psychiatric and cognitive abnormalities. "The human disease progresses slower, but the clinical picture and mechanisms are similar. Our canine study confirms the significance of PITRM1 to mitochondrial and neuronal function, also strengthening the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration. For now, there are few human patients diagnosed with this disease, which makes the canine model groundbreaking in terms of understanding it," says Professor Lohi. ### The study is part of Professor Hannes Lohi's canine gene research programme at the University of Helsinki and the Folkhalsan Research Center. The study was supported by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the Academy of Finland and HiLIFE - the Helsinki Institute of Life Science. A Buddhist monk in Thailand reportedly cut his own head off with a guillotine in the hope it would lead to being reincarnated as a higher spiritual being. Thammakorn Wangpreecha, 68, had been planning the ritual for nearly five years and constructed the home-made decapitation instrument next to a religious statue at his temple. His body was found on April 15 at the Wat Phu Hin temple in Nong Bua Lamphu province, in the north-east of the country by his nephew Booncherd Boonrod, as reported by the IB Times. Boonrod said his uncle had left a note detailing his plans. He said: In the letter it was stated that chopping his head off was his way of praising Buddha. In the letter he said that he had been planning this for five years now. His wish was to offer his head and his soul so that the Lord could help him reincarnate as a higher spiritual being in the next life. It is understood that Wangpreecha had been serving as a monk for 11 years but recently told other priests he would be leaving. However he did not share his plans about the guillotine. Following his death last Thursday more than 300 devotees arrived to help prepare funeral rites for the monk. His remains were carried to a forest in a coffin and burned. One of his followers, called Yu, said he had fulfilled his goal and met enlightenment. However the National Office of Buddhism has said that the practice was not being encouraged in the religion. Followers are instead encouraged to give money or free captive birds as a sacrifice. Its A Matter Of Trust Why Smart Organizations Rely On Automated PKI By the end of the year, cybercrime is expected to cost upwards of $6 trillion annually across the globe but why are threats becoming more disruptive, and how can organizations better prepare for them? Read this e-book to find out, and discover the role of digital trust and automated PKIs in the future of data security. DSS Webinar Cloud-Based Digital Signatures: Digital Signatures Made Easy Most organizations embrace digital processes wherever they can in order to be more efficient at a lower cost but why are so many teams reliant on paper when it comes to signatures? Watch this webinar for a closer look into this issue and an overview of cloud-based digital signatures. AEG Webinar Real-Life Remote Work and Security Challenges: Solved In this webinar, join cybersecurity experts at GlobalSign as they discuss how security challenges have grown in the era of remote work, the impacts of manual IT processes, the relationship between automation and agility, and more watch now to get started. The Rising Demand For Automated Identity Management Solutions To keep pace with todays cyberthreats, organizations are embracing the benefits of automation wherever they fit best. Read this data sheet to see how automation can be used to enhance identity management and information security capabilities. Grow Your BusinessWith the Power of GlobalSign One of the challenges faced by digital organizations today is managing digital identities eSignature compliance, email security and mobile device management all can be made simpler with a cohesive digital identity management platform. View this e-book to see how GlobalSigns public key infrastructure (PKI) may be able to help. Digital Signing Service In this data sheet, take a closer look at the key features, potential benefits and additional capabilities provided by GlobalSigns Digital Signing Services (DSS), designed to deploy digital signature capabilities to any application in one simple API integration read on to get started. 1Identity in the Era of Remote WorkThe Hidden Costs of Microsoft CA Last summer, 62% of Americans were working from home even before the pandemic, more than half (54%) would have left their current role for a remote one. Microsofts Certification Authority (CA) is a popular choice for meeting the needs of a growing remote workforce but is it the best choice? Read this e-book to find out. Digital Signatures Made Easy To ease the electronic transition, seamless document processing is becoming more useful than ever and the key to it all are digital signatures. Check out this e-book to run through 5 key phases of the digital signature implementation process to effectively digitize your content. Simplifying management and lowering total cost of ownership for SSL certificates This white paper explains the basics of using a Managed PKI for SSL solution to alleviate such issues, the benefits of using GlobalSigns Managed SSL Solution and how this solution enables organisations to quickly and simply manage their SSL Certificates, as well as significantly reduce the operating costs of using SSL. GlobalSign Malware Monitoring: Protecting your website from distributing hidden malware This paper gives you a solution to keeping your websites safe, protecting your customers and securing the reputation of your company. The members of the security subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for resolving the situation in Donbas managed to make significant progress in agreeing the text of the Addendum to the measures for strengthening the ceasefire regime, agreed on July 22, 2020, the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) reports. "Thanks to the professional assistance of coordinator of the subgroup on security, head of the OSCE SMM mission, Ambassador Yasar Halit Cevik, the parties passed the first reading in full ... The Ukrainian draft Addendum was taken as a basis," the Ukrainian delegation said on its Facebook page following an emergency meeting of the security subgroup on Tuesday. It is noted that the date of the next meeting for the second reading will be determined by the representatives of the OSCE. However, it is possible that such a meeting may take place before the end of this week. In addition, as the Ukrainian delegation said, "there is a hope that at the next meeting of the TCG at the level of heads of delegations, which is scheduled for April 28, the document establishing additional measures to comply with the ceasefire regime will be presented in a fully agreed version." Only a fraction of Australians in disability care residences have had a coronavirus vaccination despite being in a priority group. A total of 1,640 doses have been delivered out of 25,000 people in disability residential care. Health department associate secretary Caroline Edwards conceded aged care residents had been prioritised. 'Disability facilities has been a much slower start than we would have liked. We're now turning our attention to that,' she told a Senate inquiry on Tuesday. Health department boss Brendan Murphy said he hoped to have all vulnerable Australians in phase 1a - including people at disability residential facilities - vaccinated by the middle of the year. 'We are ramping up disability as we speak and we are absolutely cognisant of getting them protected as soon as possible.' Health Minister Greg Hunt was cautious on Tuesday when asked about a new timetable, saying the rollout was accelerating (pictured, a nurse is given the vaccine in Sydney in March) Professor Murphy said the risk of coronavirus had alleviated since last year because there was now no community transmission, but winter could pose a new challenge. Officials have gone back to the drawing board for the vaccine rollout after the AstraZeneca jab was linked to rare blood clots. The Pfizer jab is now the preferred vaccine for Australians under the age of 50. Health officials have undertaken modelling which will be considered by national cabinet on Thursday. Prof Murphy said national cabinet - made up of the prime minister and state leaders - would reach a clear policy position on the rollout. The only direction so far is the advice on Pfizer being preferred for under 50s. 'The states are interpreting that in their own ways at the moment which is why we need to get the national cabinet to agreement on that,' Prof Murphy said. Officials have gone back to the drawing board for the vaccine rollout after the AstraZeneca jab was linked to rare blood clots Health Minister Greg Hunt was cautious on Tuesday when asked about a new timetable, saying the rollout was accelerating. About 1.7 million doses having been delivered so far nationally. Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles said the coalition's complacency in focusing on just a handful of vaccine candidates risked Australia's economic recovery. Meanwhile, a vaccinated border staffer in New Zealand has tested positive for coronavirus just one day after the start of a two-way travel bubble with Australia. Mr Hunt said Australian authorities had full confidence in New Zealand's containment system. MONTERREY, Mexico, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ALFAA) (ALFA), manages a diversified portfolio of subsidiaries with global operations announced today its unaudited results for the first quarter of 2021 ("1Q21"). All figures have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). 1Q21 HIGHLIGHTS ALFA 2021 EBITDA Guidance revised up 13% to US $1.637 billion due to stronger Alpek outlook Obtained approval to expand ALFA's foreign neutral investment trust from 50% to 75%. New limit expected to be enacted shortly as other required approvals are underway Leverage ratio (Net Debt / EBITDA) of 2.9x; below 3.0x for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic Sigma EBITDA up 7% y-o-y driven by growth in Europe (+51%), Latam (+13%) and Mexico (+3%) Foodservice channel recovery trend accelerated in March amid increased mobility Launched second generation call-out to startups via "Tastech" program. Invested in a minority stake in Latam startup selected among first generation participants Alpek 1Q21 Comparable EBITDA of US $203 million (+38% y-o-y), driven primarily by strong volume and higher than expected reference margins 2021 EBITDA Guidance revised up 34% to US $750 million based on strong 1Q21 results and improved outlook Announced JV to develop CO2 capture & liquefaction facility in Mexico; first carbon negative asset Axtel Actively engaging with potential buyers who have shown interest for its Infrastructure unit 1Q21 EBITDA on track with full-year guidance Message from ALFA's President "We hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy. 1Q21 results reflect a strong start for the year, extending the positive momentum from previous quarters as the global economy continues to recover. ALFA achieved better-than-expected Revenue and EBITDA driven primarily by outstanding performance at Alpek. 1Q21 Consolidated EBITDA of US $535 million is the second highest quarterly figure in our history. Sigma is on track with its full-year target supported by a 51% year on year increase in EBITDA from Europe and a steeper Foodservice channel recovery trend observed in March. Axtel's results are also in line with its 2021 EBITDA Guidance. Whereas, Alpek exceeded expectations by capitalizing on strong volume, higher reference polyester and polypropylene margins, a favorable rise in oil and feedstock prices, and temporary disruptions caused by the polar vortex affecting the U.S. Gulf Coast. As a result, full-year EBITDA Guidance for Alpek and ALFA has been revised up to reflect a more positive view on certain key variables for the remainder of the year. ALFA's new 2021 EBITDA guidance is US $1.637 billion. The first quarter was also marked by progress on top Corporate priorities, including: i) expanding the "Nafinsa Trust" to allow for higher foreign ownership of ALFA shares and ii) our Unlocking Value strategy. We recently obtained the required approval to expand ALFA's foreign neutral investment trust, which is also known as the "Nafinsa Trust". The Foreign Investment Directorship of the Mexican Ministry of Economy authorized to increase the maximum threshold of the "Nafinsa Trust" from 50% to 75% of ALFA's total shares. The next steps include an amendment to the Trust and certain authorizations from the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV). We expect to enact the new 75% limit shortly. In addition, we reaffirmed our commitment with shareholders at our recent Annual Meeting to continue moving forward with our gradual and orderly transformational process towards fully independent businesses to unlock ALFA's high value potential, based on three key implementation directives: 1) Reduce debt, 2) Focus on core businesses, and 3) Enhance business independence. 1. Reduce debt. Deleveraging is imperative as we go through the transformation process. Our goal is to reach a 2.5x Net Debt/EBITDA target through strategic initiatives and organic cash flow generation. We remain committed to reducing debt through the potential sale of Axtel or other strategic alternatives. Axtel is actively engaged with potential buyers who have shown interest for its Infrastructure unit. Better than expected 1Q21 EBITDA is also important for this key implementation directive. This is the first time since the onset of the pandemic that Alfa's consolidated leverage was below 3.0 times, supported by Alpek at 1.6x and Sigma at 2.6x. 2. Focus on core businesses. Supporting growth and business-enhancing initiatives at Sigma, Alpek and Axtel is important to boost underlying value amid ALFA's transformation process. Sigma is diligently implementing a comprehensive plan to achieve the full potential of its European operations; targeting a double-digit EBITDA margin by 2025. The Company expects to achieve this through portfolio optimization, ongoing operational efficiencies and pursuing high-growth opportunities. As part of its innovation pipeline, Sigma recently launched its second-generation call-out of "Tastech", challenging startups and other smaller companies in three areas: i) Future food, ii) Green tech, and iii) Power connections. We are excited by the prospects of this initiative after Sigma received more than 120 submissions from the first generation, and invested during 1Q21 in a minority stake in The Live Green Co., a LATAM startup that blends plant nutrition, biotech and machine learning to develop plant-based foods of the future. Alpek announced a JV with ContourGlobal to develop a 70,000-ton CO2 recovery & liquefication facility in Mexico to meet the increasing demand for food-grade CO2 while at the same time reducing the Company's carbon footprint. On the financial front, Alpek successfully issued a 10-year US $600 million bond at a record-low 3.25% coupon. The average maturity of Alpek's debt was extended from 4.4 to 7.2 years as proceeds were used to refinance shorter term debt. 3. Enhance business independence. Nemak was our first business to become fully independent, and we had the opportunity to celebrate this milestone with our shareholders at the Annual Meeting. Going forward, the focus is for individual businesses to achieve service-related independence from ALFA while we reach our target leverage ratio. A joint analysis between ALFA and each of its businesses is underway to determine the most appropriate allocation and effective transition of shared service capabilities. Our capital allocation strategy includes a comprehensive approach to balance deleveraging, growth and returning value to our shareholders. During our recent Annual Meeting, shareholders approved a cash dividend of US $98 million, which was paid on April 7, 2021. This was in addition to the US $25 million dividend paid in January 2021. Shareholders also approved a maximum amount of Ps $5,800 million (approximately US $280 million) for share buybacks. Buybacks have been another means through which we have provided value to our shareholders as we believe the current share price does not adequately reflect the fundamentals and long-term growth prospects of the business. Lastly, shareholders approved the cancellation of all ALFA shares held at Treasury (145.9 million shares) - ALFA effectively transferred a benefit to shareholders that was equivalent to 2.9% of total shares. The strong start for 2021 reinforces our positive view on the prospects of the ongoing recovery. We look forward to continue building upon the positive momentum of recent operational results and consistent progress with our strategic initiatives amid better than expected macro conditions." Keep well/Stay safe, Alvaro Fernandez SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION (US $ Millions) 1Q21 4Q20 1Q20 Ch. % vs. 4Q20 Ch. % vs. 1Q20 ALFA & Subs with Nemak as Discontinued Operations ALFA Revenues 3,388 3,218 3,261 5 4 Alpek 1,614 1,392 1,433 16 13 Sigma 1,613 1,662 1,637 (3) (1) Axtel 140 150 157 (7) (11) ALFA EBITDA1 535 419 415 28 29 Alpek 324 201 111 61 193 Sigma 181 178 169 2 7 Axtel 45 51 156 (12) (71) Majority Net Income2 154 (63) 170 346 (10) CAPEX & Acquisitions3 79 165 82 (52) (4) Net Debt4 4,864 4,699 6,323 4 (23) Net Debt/LTM EBITDA5 2.9 3.1 3.0 LTM Interest Coverage6 4.3 4.4 4.7 1 EBITDA = Operating Income + depreciation and amortization + impairment of assets. 2 Majority Net Income includes Majority Net Income from Discontinued Operations (Nemak). 3 Gross amount; excludes divestments and Capex from Discontinued Operations (Nemak). 4 Net Debt adjusted for Discontinued Operations (excluding Nemak) at the close of 3Q20; previous periods unchanged. As reference, 1Q20 Net Debt includes US $1.210 billion from Nemak. 5 Times. LTM = Last 12 months. Ratio calculated with Discontinued Operations for all periods. 6 Times. LTM = Last 12 months. Interest Coverage = EBITDA/Net Financial Expenses with Discontinued Operations. 1Q21 EARNINGS CALL INFORMATION Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT (NY) / 12:00 p.m. CDT (CDMX) By Phone: United States: +1-877-451-6152 International: +1-201-389-0879 Mexico: 800-522-0034 Conference ID: 13718399 Webcast: http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=144229 Replay: https://www.alfa.com.mx/RI/conference.htm About ALFA ALFA a company that has developed a diversified portfolio of leading businesses with global operations: Sigma, a leading multinational food company, focused on the production, marketing and distribution of quality foods through recognized brands in Mexico, Europe, United States and Latin America. Alpek, one of the world's largest producers of polyester (PTA, PET and fibers), and the leader in the Mexican market for polypropylene, expandable polystyrene (EPS) and caprolactam. Axtel, a provider of Information Technology and Communication services for the enterprise and government segments in Mexico. Newpek, an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in Mexico. In 2020, ALFA reported revenues of Ps. 263,867 million (US $12.3 billion), and EBITDA of Ps. 32,597 million (US $1.5 billion). ALFA's shares are quoted on the Mexican Stock Exchange and on Latibex, the market for Latin American shares of the Madrid Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.alfa.com.mx Disclaimer This release may contain forward-looking information based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain. They involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and financial market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately. These uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, such as the scope and duration of the outbreak, government actions and restrictive measures implemented in response, availability of workers and contractors due to illness and stay at home orders, supply chain disruptions and other impacts to the business, or on the Company's ability to execute business continuity plans, as a result thereof. Accordingly, results could vary from those set forth in this release. The report presents unaudited financial information. Figures are presented in Mexican Pesos or US Dollars, as indicated. Where applicable, Peso amounts were translated into US Dollars using the average exchange rate of the months during which the operations were recorded. Financial ratios are calculated in US Dollars. Due to the rounding up of figures, small differences may occur when calculating percent changes from one period to the other. SOURCE ALFA, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links http://www.alfa.com.mx STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A 26-year-old Staten Island woman was arrested over the weekend at a popular night club in Florida after an alleged altercation with a police officer. Authorities say the incident unfolded as Alexis Supino, of the 700 block on Post Avenue in West Brighton, was being escorted out of Tin Roof in Delray Beach, just after 1 a.m. Saturday. Court records didnt indicate why security became involved. Supino caused a disturbance with security, at which point an off-duty police officer working a security detail at the club stepped in to help remove her from the premises, authorities said. When the 32-year-old officer grabbed Supinos arm, she allegedly shoved his face. He then took her to the ground and handcuffed her, according to court documents. Supino faces charges of resisting an officer with violence and battery of an officer. She posted a $2,000 cash bond $1,000 for each charge and was released from custody on her own recognizance, records indicate. A subsequent court date and her attorneys name werent immediately available. Shootings more than doubled in New York City last year, and homicides increased 44 percent. But the numbers dont tell the whole story. Each tragedy is specific, and each impacts a whole community. There was Davell Gardner Jr., age one, killed while sitting in his stroller at a summer barbecue. Edward James, a church custodian, shot in the back inside of a house of worship. Anthony Robinson, a father, killed holding his daughters hand as he helped her cross the street. And many others. To Louis Straker Jr., pastor of Reflections Church in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, it felt like the city was overcome by violence, a sense that only intensified when protesters filled all five boroughs with the names of Black people killed by police, the city imposed a curfew, and some officers reacted to protesters with force. In late May, Straker and other clergy in the community were called to the corner of Church Street and Bedford Avenue to try to keep peace. When Straker got there, a police car was on fire, officers were in riot gear, and protesters were throwing garbage. That was one of the worst nights, Straker told CT. But the presence of God was there, and that made all the difference. Storefront ministries and small, deeply rooted urban churches have long been on the frontlines of the spiritual battle against violence in New York City. With the increase in shootings, the stress of the pandemic, and conflict over racism in the streets, Straker and other city pastors knew their work was more necessary than ever. They responded the way they always do: with their feet. Gilford Monrose, pastor of the historic Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day, says his team has been responding to community violence for over ... 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. MINNEAPOLIS - Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black mans neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. MINNEAPOLIS - Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black mans neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. Chauvin, 45, was immediately led away with his hands cuffed behind his back and could be sent to prison for decades. The verdict guilty as charged on all counts, in a relatively swift, across-the-board victory for Floyd's supporters set off jubilation mixed with sorrow across the city and around the nation. Hundreds of people poured into the streets of Minneapolis, some running through traffic with banners. Drivers blared their horns in celebration. "Today, we are able to breathe again," Floyd's younger brother Philonise said at a joyous family news conference where tears streamed down his face as he likened Floyd to the 1955 Mississippi lynching victim Emmett Till, except that this time there were cameras around to show the world what happened. The jury of six whites and six Black or multiracial people came back with its verdict after about 10 hours of deliberations over two days. The now-fired white officer was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. In this image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listen to Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read instructions to the jury before closing arguments, Monday, April 19, 2021, in the trial of 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) Chauvin's face was obscured by a COVID-19 mask, and little reaction could be seen beyond his eyes darting around the courtroom. His bail was immediately revoked. Sentencing will be in two months; the most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Defence attorney Eric Nelson followed Chauvin out of the courtroom without comment. President Joe Biden welcomed the verdict, saying Floyds death was "a murder in full light of day, and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world" to see systemic racism. In this image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listen to Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read instructions to the jury before closing arguments, Monday, April 19, 2021, in the trial of 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) But he warned: "Its not enough. We cant stop here. Were going to deliver real change and reform. We can and we must do more to reduce the likelihood that tragedies like this will ever happen again." The jury's decision was hailed around the country as justice by other political and civic leaders and celebrities, including former President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a white man, who said on Twitter that Floyd "would still be alive if he looked like me. That must change." At a park next to the Minneapolis courthouse, a hush fell over a crowd of about 300 as they listened to the verdict on their cellphones. Then a great roar went up, with many people hugging, some shedding tears. New signs are on a fence at the Hennepin County Government Center, Monday, April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis where closing arguments are being heard 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) At the intersection where Floyd was pinned down, a crowd chanted, "One down, three to go!" a reference to the three other fired Minneapolis officers facing trial in August on charges of aiding and abetting murder in Floyd's death. Janay Henry, who lives nearby, said she felt grateful and relieved. "I feel grounded. I can feel my feet on the concrete," she said, adding that she was looking forward to the "next case with joy and optimism and strength." Protesters rally outside the 3rd Precinct Monday, April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis as the murder trial against the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd advances to jury deliberations. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Jamee Haggard, who brought her biracial 4-year-old daughter to the intersection, said: "Theres some form of justice thats coming." The verdict was read in a courthouse ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops, in a city on edge against another round of unrest not just because of the Chauvin case but because of the deadly police shooting of a young Black man, Daunte Wright, in a Minneapolis suburb April 11. The jurors' identities were kept secret and will not be released until the judge decides it is safe to do so. In this image from video, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin listens as his defense attorney Eric Nelson gives closing arguments as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill preside Monday, April 19, 2021, in the trial of Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis. Chauvin is charged in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd , Minn. (Court TV via AP, Pool) It is unusual for police officers to be prosecuted for killing someone on the job. And convictions are extraordinarily rare. Out of the thousands of deadly police shootings in the U.S. since 2005, fewer than 140 officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter, according to data maintained by Phil Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University. Before Tuesday, only seven were convicted of murder. Juries often give police officers the benefit of the doubt when they claim they had to make split-second, life-or-death decisions. But that was not an argument Chauvin could easily make. In this image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson gives closing arguments as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides Monday, April 19, 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) Floyd, 46, died May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead. The centerpiece of the case was the excruciating bystander video of Floyd gasping repeatedly, "I cant breathe" and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyds neck for what authorities say was 9 1/2 minutes, including several minutes after Floyd's breathing had stopped and he had no pulse. Prosecutors played the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, and told the jury: "Believe your eyes." From there it was shown over and over, analyzed one frame at a time by witnesses on both sides. FILE - In this April 15, 2021, file image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin address Judge Peter Cahill at the courthouse in Minneapolis during Chauvin's trial in the death of George Floyd. (Court TV via AP, Pool, File) In the wake of Floyds death, demonstrations and scattered violence broke out in Minneapolis, around the country and beyond. The furor also led to the removal of Confederate statues and other offensive symbols such as Aunt Jemima. In the months that followed, numerous states and cities restricted the use of force by police, revamped disciplinary systems or subjected police departments to closer oversight. The "Blue Wall of Silence" that often protects police accused of wrongdoing crumbled after Floyds death. The Minneapolis police chief quickly called it "murder" and fired all four officers, and the city reached a staggering $27 million settlement with Floyds family as jury selection was underway. In this image from video, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, center, is taken into custody as his attorney, Eric Nelson, left, looks on, after the verdicts were read at Chauvin's trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Police-procedure experts and law enforcement veterans inside and outside the Minneapolis department, including the chief, testified for the prosecution that Chauvin used excessive force and went against his training. Medical experts for the prosecution said Floyd died of asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, because his breathing was constricted by the way he was held down on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind him, a knee on his neck and his face jammed against the ground. Chauvin's attorney called a police use-of-force expert and a forensic pathologist to try to make the case that Chauvin acted reasonably against a struggling suspect and that Floyd died because of a heart condition and his illegal drug use. Floyd had high blood pressure and narrowed arteries, and fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in his system. In this image from video, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is taken into custody as his attorney, Eric Nelson, left, looks on, after the verdicts were read at Chauvin's trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Under the law, police have certain leeway to use force and are judged according to whether their actions were "reasonable" under the circumstances. The defence also tried to make the case that Chauvin and the other officers were hindered in their duties by what they perceived as a growing, hostile crowd. Chauvin did not testify, and all that the jury or the public ever heard by way of an explanation from him came from a police body-camera video after an ambulance had taken the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Floyd away. Chauvin told a bystander: "We gotta control this guy cause hes a sizable guy ... and it looks like hes probably on something." Peoplke cheer after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Minneapolis, Minn. Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) The prosecutions case also included tearful testimony from onlookers who said the police kept them back when they protested what was happening. Eighteen-year-old Darnella Frazier, who shot the crucial video, said Chauvin gave the bystanders a "cold" and "heartless" stare. She and others said they felt a sense of helplessness and lingering guilt from witnessing Floyds slow-motion death. "Its been nights I stayed up, apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more, and not physically interacting and not saving his life," she testified. Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press video journalist Angie Wang in Atlanta and writers Doug Glass, Stephen Groves, Aaron Morrison, Tim Sullivan and Michael Tarm in Minneapolis; Mohamed Ibrahim in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota; and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed. Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd California Rep. Maxine Waters said Tuesday she was 'not celebrating' following the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin case days after her own call for protesters to get 'confrontational' caused an uproar. She made the comment after the 12-member jury who heard the case pronounced the former police officer guilty on three counts. 'You know, someone said it better than me, Im not celebrating, Im relieved,' she said. Her statement came after Waters and Democratic leaders also found relief on the House floor after a motion to censure the longtime Democratic officeholder failed narrowly in the closely divided House. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy moved Tuesday to formally censure Waters for her comments urging protesters to 'get more confrontational' depending on the outcome of the Chauvin trial. He moved quickly to force the issue, after a host of GOP lawmakers condemned the comments. The House voted to table, or kill, the effort on a party-line 216-210 party line vote. The result was to temporarily set aside an effort that would have served as a high-profile rebuke by the Congress, although lawmakers could still seek other measures. The resolution quoted from Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over the trial, and who told the defense Waters 'may have given you something on appeal.' The House vote came just as the nation was bracing for a verdict in the Chauvin trial for the killing of George Floyd. The nation heard the outcome just minutes after the House vote. California Rep. Maxine Waters presided over a House Financial Services Committee hearing Tuesday, as Republicans demanded she lose her committee seats or be kicked out of Congress for her call for protesters to 'stay confrontational.' The House voted to table a resolution to censure her over the comments If censured, Waters would have been be required to appear in the well of the House a solemn repercussion the House last experienced in the censure of former Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York. Democrats needed to hold together nearly their entire majority, given their razor-thin margin. In a sign of how little room for error they had, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer were seen outside the doors of the chamber where they could see lawmakers entering. McCarthy tweeted out the resolution earlier Tuesday, writing: 'Chairwoman Waters' actions are beneath the dignity of this institution. They raised the potential for violence, directed lawlessness, and may have interfered with a co-equal branch of government.' House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif. moved Tuesday to censure Waters which drew an immediate tabling motion on the House floor Democrats immediately pointed the finger at McCarthy for failing to take any action against Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia after her own past comments about Q Anon, slavery, George Soros, and Muslims were unearthed. The House ultimately voted to strip Greene of her panel assignments. McCarthy's move got a stern rebuke from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Mich.), the chair of the Democratic caucus. 'Clean up your mess, Kevin,' he said in words directed at McCarthy. 'Sit this one out. You've got no credibility,' he said, pointing to GOP members like Greene with their own issues. 'Lauren Boebert is a mess. Matt Gaetz is a mess. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a mess,' Jeffries said, referencing a trio of GOP lawmakers. The resolution contained several of Waters' quotes from her weekend visit to Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, including saying: 'We're looking for a guilty verdict.' It also included her comments urging people to 'stay on the street' and that 'we've got to get more confrontational.' Waters sought to explain her comments Monday, and said they were non-violent and compared them to tactics of the civil rights movement. She also defended herself in a brief exchange with CNN at the Capitol. 'I love my colleagues and they love me. I don't want to do anything to hurt them or hurt their chances for reelection. I will make sure that they are comfortable with my kind of advocacy so that we can all be sure that we can do the right thing,' she said. Amid the uproar, Waters presided over a House Financial Services Committee hearing Tuesday from the powerful committee perch she holds even as Republicans threaten to try to yank her assignments, censure her, or even throw her out of Congress. Waters, 82, climbed to her prized position under the seniority system in the House with the blessing of the House Speaker and the House Steering Committee. As such, she has the ability to shape major banking and securities legislation and help determine what bills make it to the House floor and when. Republicans want to deny the longtime California Democrat that authority, following Waters' comments that protesters might need to 'get more confrontational' after a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. The hearing was to mark up budget legislation, while holding hearings on legislation dealing with artificial intelligence and a resolution on financial technology. Waters wore a black face mask that said 'RECLAIMING OUR VOTE' that included her name. Some lawmakers have called on fellow Californian Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take action against Waters. Others, including New York candidate for governor Rep. Lee Zeldin and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have called for her expulsion of Congress. Greene herself had her committee assignments stripped following revelations about her social media postings and statements about Q Anon. If just three Democrats bolt on a censure motion, Democratic leaders would stop short of being able to table it to keep it from coming to the floor. Waters made no mention of her political situation as she kicked off the hearing Tuesday, although she did appeal for efforts to improve 'racial justice and 'improve diversity and inclusion and create fairness in our housing system. ' One bill at the hearing would require regulators to evaluate the 'diversity and inclusion' of banks when determining ratings for them. The White House on Tuesday got pressed repeatedly on Waters, and Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Waters had 'clarified' her comments. Waters told CNN Monday night after the judge in the Chauvin case admonished her for her comments: 'The judge says my words don't matter.' She said her remarks would not be grounds for an appeal, and said: 'The whole Civil Rights movement is confrontational.' Her routine committee action came after Republican Sen. Ted Cruz blasted her for saying in Minneapolis Saturday that Black Lives Matter protesters should 'get more confrontational' if officer Derek Chauvin is found not guilty. 'Listen, in Minneapolis and all across the country, shop owners, cities are preparing for violent riots. And there are Democrats like Maxine Waters who are encouraging, they want to see more stores looted, they want to see more police cars firebombed, they want to see the violence because they think it serves their political ends,' Cruz said Monday night on Fox News Channel. Cruz said the problem was bigger than just Waters, who hasn't been publicly reprimanded by fellow Democrats. 'And the dirty little secret is, as bad as Maxine Waters comments were, they're not an outlier in the Democratic Party,' Cruz continued. Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, saying she wanted to see police cars firebombed and stores looted 'because they think it serves their political ends' He pointed a finger at Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that she had tweeted out information to help protesters pay bail during last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the death of George Floyd. Cruz also said he believed Waters should be censured. Democrats have hit back at Cruz and other Republicans who voted to acquit President Donald Trump after his own calls for supporters to 'fight' on the day of the January 6 Capitol riot. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night. During an interview with on Fox News Primetime, McCarthy said the congresswoman 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury that started deliberations on Monday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong. I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior,' McCarthy continued. He was referring to Waters' 2018 remarks when she told Californians to 'get in the face' of Trump administration staffers if they see them in public. McCarthy said he believes there are 'probably 10 to 15' Democrats who would vote for censure. Kevin McCarthy (left) has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters (right) after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night 'It will all come down to the pressure of what Democrats will put on them to just try to vote to table it - not even to have the discussion,' he added. McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend. He then accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of 'ignoring Waters' behavior,' which he said prompted him to introduce 'a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments'. McCarthy's move came as the judge in Chauvin's trial said the congresswoman's comments could have given the defense grounds for an appeal. Speaking after the jury was sent out on Monday afternoon, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson once again made a bid to have the case against his client thrown out on grounds that there was no way the jury could be untainted by the excessive publicity surrounding the case. 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial it's frankly mind-blowing,' Nelson said. Taking it into consideration Judge Peter Cahill said: 'I grant you Congresswoman Waters may have handed you grounds for appeal and the turning over of this trial.' Judge Cahill denied Nelson's move for a mistrial but he said: 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' He said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswoman's opinion really doesn't mean much.' McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend Maxine Waters, congresswoman for California, was in Minnesota on Saturday evening, saying that demonstrators needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together. White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn her remarks and Pelosi insisted Waters shouldn't apologize. But Republicans pounced on Waters' remarks to the Black Lives Matter protesters. Cruz had previously criticized Waters, as did controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But many of these Republicans accusing Waters of inciting violence did not make the same charge against then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, that left five dead and a trail of destruction throughout the Capitol. Cruz and Greene were some of Trump's most ardent defenders. McCarthy did take to the House floor to declare Trump, who riled up the crowd with his false claims the election was stolen, 'bears responsibility' for the attack on Congress. McCarthy later flew to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the former president after Trump became furious at him for his words. Republicans have turned Waters into a punching bag before - notably for her urging the public to harass Trump White House staffers when they saw them in public. People gather at George Floyd Plaza in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis Minnesota to listen to the families of victims of police violence A bullet hole in a National Guard vehicle is seen after Guardsmen were targeted on Sunday Waters traveled to Minneapolis the weekend before closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with murdering George Floyd on May 25. The city is bracing for the verdict in the Chauvin case. More than 3,000 members of the National Guard are in Minneapolis, in addition to 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of what has been termed Operation Safety Net. Waters said she hoped Chauvin was found guilty. 'I am not happy that we have talked about police reform for so long,' Waters said, demanding a guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial and adding: 'If we don't [get it], we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street.' She added that protesters needed 'get more active, more confrontational' and they should ignore the curfew in place. 'We've got to stay on the street and we've got to get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business,' she said when it comes to police shootings. Hours after Waters' passionate speech, a Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police team were fired upon in a drive-by shooting. The team was providing neighborhood security in Minneapolis when, at about 4.19am local time, a light colored SUV drove by and blasted shots at an occupied National Guard vehicle. The city of Minneapolis prepares for a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial with National Guard on patrol in the streets No team members were seriously injured, though two National Guard members suffered minor injuries: One was injured by shattered glass and taken to a local hospital, while the other suffered only superficial injuries. 'Why is Maxine Waters traveling to a different state trying to incite a riot? What good can come from this?' asked Lauren Boebert, representative for Colorado. Fellow Colorado Rep. Ken Buck said: 'Why is a sitting member of Congress encouraging protesters to get 'confrontational?'' Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs added: 'The Radical Left don't care if your towns are burning, if there's violence in your streets, or if the police are too defunded to defend their communities. 'As long as the Left appeases their anti-America base, their job is done.' Greene, congresswoman for Georgia, called for her to be expelled from Congress. Waters is pictured with demonstrators outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Waters joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Peaceful protesters in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Saturday night Demonstrators raise their fists at Union Station near the U.S Capitol, during a march in Washington, DC, on Saturday A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter sign during a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday 'As a sitting United States Congresswoman @MaxineWaters threatened a jury demanding a guilty verdict and threatened violence if Chauvin is found not guilty. This is also an abuse of power. #ExpelMaxineWaters' She called Waters 'a danger to our society.' On Twitter, others joined in the outrage at Waters' remarks. 'Of course she'll get away with saying that while anyone else would've been thrown in jail,' Rick Santella tweeted. Another user tweeted, 'Good grief lady, leave get out of here.' One person also accused Waters of 'stirring people up again with her calls for violence.' President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday backed making Washington D.C. the 51st state as the House prepares to vote this week on legislation that would make it so. 'For far too long, the more than 700,000 people of Washington, D.C. have been deprived of full representation in the U.S. Congress,' the administration said in a statement of policy release by the Office of Management and Budget. 'This taxation without representation and denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.' Biden's administration called the move 'long overdue' and said would make a more stronger union. 'Establishing the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state will make our Union stronger and more just,' the administration said. President Biden's administration backed making Washington D.C. the 51st state The House will vote this week - likely on Thursday - on legislation to make DC the 51st state after Democrats prioritized the issue. The bill, H.R. 51, passed out of committee last week in a party-line vote. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Democrat who represents D.C. in the House but has no voting power in the chamber since it's not a state, thanked the Biden administration for its support. 'Thank you to the Biden administration,' Norton said. 'The residents of our nation's capital deserve voting representation in Congress and full local self-government, and with Thursday's House vote and expected passage, along with Democratic control of the Senate and White House, we have never been closer to statehood.' Republicans - like Congresswomen Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Liz Cheney of Wyoming - oppose DC statehood as the highly Democratic area would give Dems another House seat Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Democrat who represents D.C. in the House but has no voting power in the chamber since it's not a state, thanked the Biden administration for its support Even with Democratic control of Congress, H.R. 51 faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Democrats would need 10 Republicans to cross over and support the legislation in order to have the 60 vote margin needed to advance legislation to a final vote. Republicans voiced opposition to the bill. If DC became a state, the highly-Democratic area would give Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats another seat in the House along with two Democratic senators. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina argued 'DC wouldn't even qualify as a singular congressional district and here they are - what they want is the power and the authority of it being an entire state in the United States, and they want that power.' Baton Rouge Police and others at the scene of a shooting at Jim & Lu convenience store, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The shooting happened Tuesday morning in the 1700 block of Government Street, according to BRPD spokesperson Sgt. Don Coppola Jr., who said that currently, injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. Hyundai Engineering, the plant engineering arm of Hyundai Motor Group as pictured above, plans to go public, by the third quarter at the earliest. Korea Times file By Yi Whan-woo The planned initial public offering (IPO) of Hyundai Engineering is raising hopes among other unlisted construction companies who could not list on the markets due to a lack of interest among investors. The listing of the plant engineering arm of Hyundai Motor Group is expected to be finalized by the third quarter at the earliest. If realized, it will be the first for a major construction company since the IPO of Daewoo E&C in the 2000s. Among conglomerates' construction affiliates, SK E&C, POSCO E&C and Lotte E&C were thought to be interested in going public, but none have made any moves to date. Builders have generally been undervalued on the IPO market compared to IT firms and companies in other promising sectors. The average price-to-earnings ratio (PER) of IT firms and biotech companies was more than 100 and 120, respectively, according to industry sources, compared to builders average of just 10. The PER indicates the market value of a company compared to its earnings. The higher the ratio, the higher the share price compared to its profits. "It's not surprising there has not been an IPO of a construction company for almost 20 years," a source said. This has put builders at a disadvantage when it comes to financing, as they have to borrow money and fall into debt, instead of raising money on the market. Given such unfavorable circumstances, the monetary value of Hyundai Engineering is worth watching, according to industry sources. This is estimated at 7.5 trillion won ($6.74 billion) on the over-the-counter market but is expected to increase to 10 trillion won if the firm debuts on the KOSPI. Accordingly, the PER of Hyundai Engineering in relation to its over-the-counter market value could rise from the current 43.6 to 58.2, according to a report by KTB Investment and Securities. "The PER of Hyundai Engineering is exceptional considering the average PER of construction companies is 10," the Seoul-based brokerage firm noted. Meanwhile, market observers picked Samsung Engineering, the plant construction unit of the country's No. 1 conglomerate, as the next possible candidate for an IPO. Samsung Engineering saw sales rise 5.6 percent to 6.72 trillion won from 2019 to 2020, although its operating profit fell 8.9 percent to 351 billion won. The performance, according to observers, is comparable to that of Hyundai Engineering. During the 2019-20 period, Hyundai Engineering's sales increased 5.3 percent to 7.18 trillion won, while operating profit fell 36.6 percent to 258.7 billion won. A source said Samsung Engineering's latest multi-million dollar deal in Saudi Arabia also deserves attention. The firm won a $653 million contract, April 14, to build a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant for Advanced Global Investment, a subsidiary of the country's Advanced Petrochemical Co. PDH is a step in the process of producing the plastic propylene from propane. The agency had declared in 2018 that it intended to do so, but Altria had said it wasnt clear whether that was technically achievable or would lead to reduced smoking. Since then, 22nd Century Group, based in Williamsville, New York, has come out with reduced nicotine cigarettes. Ramallah, April 20 : Palestinian official believe that Israel won't respond to the the request for allowing residentis in East Jerusalem to participate in the upcoming general elections. "Ignoring the official Palestinian request is a clear response that the Israeli government doesn't want to allow the Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem," Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday. The 2021 general elections include the legislative elections on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, on August 31. Earlier in the day, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke by phone with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on the occasion of Ramadan, the official news agency WAFA reported. WAFA, however, didn't say if they discussed the Palestinian request to hold elections in East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Hana Nasser, chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (PCEC), said that the PCEC is ready for holding the legislative elections in East Jerusalem and the entire Palestinian territories. "The Commission is ready for holding the elections in Jerusalem under the agreed-upon protocols with the Israeli side that allow the voting at six voting centres at the post offices in the eastern part of the city," he said. According to Nasser, there are 150,000 Palestinians in East Jerusalem who re eligible to vote. In case Israel doesn't respond until April 30, "the Commission has other arrangements to ensure the success of the voting process", the official noted. Israel allowed the holding of elections in East Jerusalem in the last legislative elections held in 2006. The Palestinians seek to elect a new parliament and a new president through general elections in all territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The World Bank forecasts that rubber prices will increase by 3 per cent this year In the first quarter, DakLak Rubber Investment JSC (DRI) recorded more than VND16 billion ($695,650) in net profit thanks to increased consumption volume and high rubber prices. DRI sold 3,126 tonnes of rubber latex with an average selling price of $1,693 a tonne, up 212.4 and 136.8 per cent over the same period last year. Revenue for the period reached VND125 billion (5.43 million), higher than the VND53 billion ($2.3 million) in the previous first quarter. Other companies also reported rising export prices. Typically, the average price of a ton of rubber in the first two months of Dong Phu Rubber JSC (DPR) reached VND46 million ($2,000), up 25.5 per cent on-year, according to a report by BIDV Securities Company (BSC). Additionally, Tay Ninh Rubber JSC (TRC) reported an average price of VND46.3 million ($2013) a tonne, an increase of 35 per cent compared to the average price of 2020. Data from the Agency of Foreign Trade showed that accumulated in the first three months, rubber exports reached about 435,000 tonnes, worth $722 million, up 89.7 per cent in volume and 116.6 per cent in value over the same period of 2020. Particularly in March, Vietnam's rubber export reached about 140,000 tonnes, worth $243 million, up 33.6 per cent in volume and 40.3 per cent in value compared to February. Compared to the same period last year, rubber exports in March increased by 130.7 per cent in volume and 178.5 per cent in value. According to MB Securities, Asian rubber prices are expected to rebound due to global economic recovery. In particular, the World Bank forecasts that rubber prices will increase by 3 per cent this year. During the period from March 15 to April 15, rubber prices witnessed a significant decline in the context of the number of COVID-19 infections continuing to increase globally. However, in the long term, with the prospect of global economic recovery as well as concerns about the shortage of rubber supply in Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, rubber prices are expected to rise again. In addition, China's domestic rubber supply has plummeted as rubber plantations were strongly affected by droughts and floods in 2020. Another reason for this trend is the fact that car manufacturers are facing a potential shortage of rubber, the main material used to produce tires and many other important car parts. The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) said that natural rubber (NR) supply is estimated to recover at 1.3 per cent on-year to 910,000 tonnes in March, while global consumption is projected at 1.234 million tonnes, up 7.4 per cent during the same reference period. Favourable market fundamentals in the NR sector have supported the price growth in the futures and physical markets, except the Shanghai Futures Exchange. Muslims in Xinjiang observe Ramadan Xinhua) 11:46, April 20, 2021 URUMQI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Muslims in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are observing the fasting month of Ramadan "normally and freely," local imams said on Sunday. This year's Ramadan began on April 13. Yiminjan Kerim, an imam of the Tuanjie Mosque in Korla City, helped arrange religious activities and services. To prevent COVID-19, the mosque also applied daily disinfection measures to guarantee the smooth operation of religious activities, the imam said. Ma Jirong, an imam at the Shaanxi Grand Mosque of Yining City, said that during Ramadan, local Muslims practice religious activities in mosques or their own homes according to their own free will, and these rights are protected by law. Memet Ehet, an imam of the Restjama Mosque in the region's Aksu City, said that during Ramadan, Muslims of different ethnic groups are free to decide whether to fast or not according to their own circumstances. "I observe the Islamic tradition of fasting, and so does my wife. She prepares the evening meal that marks the end of daily fasting for me." (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) The United Kingdom has said it is not sure if the current COVID-19 vaccines which it is using are effective against the new coronavirus variant found in India. A new double mutant variant of the novel coronavirus has been found in India, classified as 'B.1.617'. Experts believe this variant might be the reason for the resurgence in new cases in the country. "We are acting on a precautionary basis because I can't give him that assurance. And, of course, we are looking into that question as fast as possible," British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said while replying to a question asked by Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi in Parliament about the double mutation variant detected in India and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against it. Also read: 44 lakh vaccine doses wasted; Tamil Nadu tops list with 12.19%: RTI Hancock said one of the concerns about the Indian variant is that the vaccines may be less effective, in terms of transmission and/or in terms of reducing hospitalisation and death. "It is the same concern that we have with the variant found in South Africa and is the core reason why we took this decision today," Hancock said, referring to UK's decision to add India to its COVID-19 travel 'red list'. The decision effectively bans all travel from India and makes a 10-day hotel quarantine compulsory for UK residents arriving back to the country. The new rule will come into force from Friday. The move to add India to the red list came hours after Downing Street announced the cancellation of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to the country next week due to a spike in coronavirus infections in the country. Also read: Covid-19 vaccine: How much can Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech jack-up prices? The Pallister government introduced legislation Monday enabling it to rebate 25 per cent of the value of education taxes to residential and farm property owners this year. The Pallister government introduced legislation Monday enabling it to rebate 25 per cent of the value of education taxes to residential and farm property owners this year. Then, it dared the Opposition not to delay it. Because Bill 71 was introduced late in the Manitoba legislative session, there are no assurances it will be enacted before the house rises for the summer June 1. That would delay the planned mail out of rebate cheques worth $248 million to an estimated 658,000 property owners, Finance Minister Scott Fielding said. The average Winnipeg homeowner is expected to receive a rebate of $481 this year. "Until we get (legislative) approval, the cheques will not be flowed to Manitobans," he said Monday, after introducing the bill in the legislature. The size of the education property tax rebate was one of the biggest surprises of Fieldings April 7 budget. The government vowed to rebate 50 per cent of the current education tax to property owners over the next two years. It promised renters two years of rent freezes beginning next year. Bill 71 (Education Property Tax Reduction Act) would allow the provincial cabinet to decide the pace of future education tax reductions in the coming years. During the 2019 election, the Progressive Conservatives promised to phase out the tax over a 10-year period. The Opposition NDP would not say Monday whether it will delay the bills passage. It has argued the PC government could fulfil its rebate promise without legislation by simply boosting existing provincial tax credits. "They could give the rebate out to everyone. They could do it with a cabinet order. Just take the money right off the top of the property taxes that are being charged. But because Mr. Pallister wants to pay people to like him, now were going through this whole exercise (Bill 71)," said NDP Leader Wab Kinew. Pressed on whether he would support the bill, Kinew said he will need to talk to the government first. "This is clearly a last-minute rush job that theyre trying implement here. So were willing to be flexible. Were willing to be reasonable, but I think we need to have some negotiations with them first to see what we might be able to get out of the situation." Kinew said that could include delays in the passage of what he called "very, very damaging" bills now before the legislature. He didnt cite examples. Fielding said the government introduced legislation to implement the tax break after consulting with legal experts. Recent COVID-19 pandemic support programs initiated by the province received legislative approval, including a $200 payment to all Manitoba seniors, he said. "We truly believe that Manitobans need a break, especially during the pandemic," the minister said of the education tax rebate. Meanwhile, the premier brought up his own property tax refund situation Monday, while answering an unrelated question in the legislature. "I would encourage the Opposition, when they cite my education tax rebate to do so accurately," he said. "They missed it by several thousand dollars." Pallister told the legislature his education property tax saving this year (from a commercial property and a home in the Portage la Prairie area) would be $1,318. The Wellington Crescent mansion the premier calls home in the city is technically owned by his wife. According to its assessed value, the education property tax savings this year from the budget announcement on that home would be around $4,000. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca 1. You're dying to let someone you perceive as a vaccine line cutter know that you are not okay with what you see as her me first behavior. What's a little honesty between friends? In this case, a little honesty may not actually be the best policy. Stay in your lane, advises Lisa Grotts, an etiquette expert known as the Golden Rules Gal. Most of the experts we talked to agree with Grotts that the best approach is to steer clear of this kind of confrontation. Amy Dickinson, who writes the syndicated advice column Ask Amy, says her approach to COVID-related topics is different than the often frank advice she offers in other areas. I have turned the corner and have finally adopted a live and let live attitude, she says. I have been very fortunate. I have been able to live what I would consider a normal life. Because I live in a rural area, I'm outside a lot. I am able to enjoy nature and see other people outside. I still have my job. But I have family members and close friends who have had radically different experiences with the pandemic and radically different attitudes about the pandemic. And I respect that." Besides, notes Jodi RR Smith, president and owner of Boston-based Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, There are a lot of people with medical issues maybe a temporary illness or a long-term situation that's not easily visible and they don't necessarily want others to know what their situation is. So it's possible that questioning someone about their vaccine eligibility could bring up private health issues they'd rather not discuss. 2. Now that you've been fully vaccinated, you're ready to start getting together with friends and family. How do you handle socializing when not everyone has gotten the vaccine? It is up to the host to establish guidelines, says Syndi Seid, owner of San Francisco area-based Advanced Etiquette. I personally would require everyone to be vaccinated to ease the minds of all of my guests, she says. One caveat? Doing so can be acceptable in a small group of friends, while asking people you don't know well about their vaccination status or questioning coworkers, for example can seem invasive. Same goes for seeking information on who's had COVID itself. What if you're the guest considering an invite when no such information has been included? It's fine for a guest to ask if everyone has been vaccinated. Then it's up to the guest to accept or decline the invitation. Keep in mind, says Smith, that without any information to the contrary, you should proceed as if people have not had the vaccine or have had the vaccine but might still be contagious. In my book club, there are seven people, and three have been vaccinated but all seven of us are still going to wear masks, says Smith, who adds that until everyone is fully vaccinated, she'll be providing very clear preemptive guidelines to guests before any get-together. As the host, I'll say, Rain or shine, we're having a book club in my backyard. If it's raining, we'll be on my deck, underneath the awning, so please dress appropriately. Everyone needs to bring and wear a mask. I will be providing refreshments. I do ask that you try not to sip at the same time as other people, so only one person has their mask off at a time. Normally, I'd be giving everyone a big hug, but no touching until everyone is fully vaccinated.'" 3. Your brother is vocal in his anti-vaccination opinion, and you're concerned for his health and safety. What can you do to change his mind? Not a lot, says Dickinson. I've been writing an advice column for 18 years, and one thing I know is that you can't control other people you can only control yourself. In this case, that means you can only get a vaccine for yourself, and you can't make anyone else do so. Ultimately, notes Grotts, the burden is on the people who haven't been vaccinated." But you can also control whether or not you interact with someone who declines the vaccine. As Smith says, If this person is making it perfectly clear that they do not plan on getting a vaccination, that, right now, is their prerogative. But I also don't need to spend time with them. Or I can spend time with them outside, and say, I understand that you don't believe in COVID, but I do. So if you do come over, I'm going to ask that you humor me and wear a mask. The bottom line, says Dickinson, is that some tolerance may be in order. I personally feel that anybody else's vaccination status is their own business. In right-minded people good, kind people the pandemic has brought out a side that is judgmental and punishing. As she sees it, you aren't responsible for getting someone killed by minding your own business. 4. A family member has just gotten her second vaccine good for her. But posting a photo of herself getting that second jab seems kind of braggy when others are still waiting right? "At the beginning of the process, there was a lot of misinformation and mistrust about vaccines, Smith says. It was important, as a part of a public health campaign, to have everyone who was part of those initial waves of vaccination make it public. Any time we saw those in the medical profession get the vaccine, that was a signal the vaccine was something we should take seriously and get the second we had the option to. But, notes Smith, we're a bit further on now, and if you're the one ready to share the news of your second shot, it pays to be sensitive. There are a lot of people who are still waiting to get vaccinated. I would caution people to think twice before posting on social media. You want to think: Have most of my friends been vaccinated? Or are they setting their alarms for 2 a.m. in order to get on a website and land an appointment?" The European Council President Charles Michel will visit Georgia in the afternoon to meet with the leaders of the political parties who signed his proposal yesterday in Tbilisi to solve the political tension in the country which began following the 2020 parliamentary elections. The proposal by Michel covers electoral and justice reforms, offers pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests and the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections in 2022 if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43% of votes in this years municipal elections., Agenda.ge reported. The Georgian Dream ruling party, Lelo opposition party, Citizens, Republicans, Strategy Agmashenebeli and Girchi signed the agreement in the presidential palace yesterday. Former Member of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze and a member of the United National Movement opposition party Salome Samadashvili signed the agreement individually. The United National Movement which received most, 34 of 60 opposition mandates in the 150-member parliament, has not signed the agreement so far, as well as European Georgia opposition party and Labour party. A federal judge on Monday declared two Proud Boys leaders too dangerous to remain free while they await trial on charges they planned and coordinated the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January. He ordered them to be arrested. In his decision, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly concluded that there are no circumstances which would be adequate to keep Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs out of jail. Kelly said the two men 'facilitated political violence' by organizing a gathering of Proud Boys members at the Capitol on Jan. 6, even if they were not armed and did not assault anyone themselves. Federal prosecutors claim Joseph Biggs, left, and Ethan Nordean, right, led more than 60 Proud Boys to the Capitol on Jan. 6 The two are charged with conspiring to impede Congress' certification of the Electoral College vote, obstructing an official proceeding, obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder and disorderly conduct. Kelly's ruling Monday overturned that of another federal judge in Washington D.C. who had ordered home confinement for Nordean, a 30-year-old from Auburn, Washington. According to federal prosecutors, Nordean, and Biggs, a 37-year-old from Florida who had been free since he was arrested on Jan. 20, communicated in encrypted chats about 'storming the Capitol' and hiding their tracks to avoid criminal charges. Biggs, in the gray plaid shirt, posed with other members of the Proud Boys before being arrested for his role in the insurrection Joseph Biggs, left, and Ethan Nordean, right, are being held in custody prior to their trial proceedings for their roles in the Capitol siege on Jan. 6 Then on the morning of Jan. 6, prosecutors say, Nordean and Biggs, along with Charles Donohue, 33, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Zachary Rehl, 35, of Philadelphia, led more than 60 other Proud Boys to the Capitol while then-President Donald Trump was addressing supporters near the White House. The Capitol siege: A timeline of events 6 a.m. - Thousands prepare for pro-Trump rally 11 a.m. - The Save America rally begins 12:15 p.m. - President Trump addresses the crowd 1 p.m. - Lawmakers gather for a joint session to certify election results 1:10 p.m. - Rioters begin confronting Capitol police 2:11 p.m. - Rioters breach the Capitol Advertisement Nordean and Biggs also allegedly knocked over a police barrier, which Assistant U.S. Attorney James McCullough said sent a signal to their followers that violence was permissible. 'There can be no adequate safeguard against [either's] ability to mobilize his men in support of a new, unlawful objective,' McCullough wrote in court filings earlier this month. He and other prosecutors urged Kelly last month to revoke Nordean and Biggs' release, claiming Nordean endorsed violence in online videos, criticized police and mobilized a '1776-style' revolt on encrypted message groups. They also sought to detain Biggs, who describes himself as a Proud Boys organizer and allegedly forcibly entered the Capitol twice that day, managing to even reach the Senate Chamber, where then-Vice President Mike Pence was presiding. Attorneys for Nordean and Biggs, however, challenged the notion that the two were leaders in the riot, in which nearly 140 police officers were assaulted, according to the Washington Post. 'Unless it is claimed that the defendants had a plan to topple the world's most powerful government in approximately one hour or less (without any weapons), immediately leave the scene without any law enforcement concern and then throw a carefree music party blocks from the scene of the world-historical crime, both of these contentions cannot be true,' David B. Smith, Nordean's attorney wrote in court filings. The prosecutors dismissed these claims, though, saying the way in which the Proud Boys' organized and their plan to confront police directly led to the insurrection. Back in 2015 I wrote that Pythons data science training wheels increasingly lead to the R language, suggesting that the more serious companies get about data science, the more theyll want the heft of R. Boy, that perspective hasnt aged well. In fact, as a recent Terence Shin analysis of more than 15,000 data scientist job postings suggests, Python adoption keeps growing even as the more specialist R language is in decline. This isnt to suggest that data scientists will drop R anytime soon. More likely, well continue to see both Python and R used for their respective strengths. Even so, if Nick Elprin is correct and 2021 is the year in which [data science] will become an enterprise-wide capability that impacts every line of business and functional department, then the language most likely to dominate is the one that is most accessible to the broadest population within the enterprise. Game. Set. Python. Fueling the data science boom The technologies and skills topping the data science charts in 2021 should look familiar: Terence Shin After all, theyre quite similar to what we saw in 2019, as detailed by Jeff Hale: Jeff Hale Yet there are some trends that appear if you squint a bit at the charts. As Shin calls out: There is a huge increase in skills related to the cloud. Similarly there is also a large increase in skills related to deep learning, like PyTorch and TensorFlow. SQL and Python continue to grow in importance, while R remains stagnant. Apache products, like Hadoop, Hive, and Spark, continue to decline in importance. Easy does it Dig a bit deeper, and the technologies/skills that seem to be growing fastest are those that are easiest to learn. Hence, while TensorFlow and PyTorch both saw growth, PyTorchs growth significantly outpaced TensorFlow, for reasons Ive outlined before. PyTorchs popularity is starting to play out in the projects themselves, too, with cumulative PyTorch contributors set to exceed the number of TensorFlow contributors in the near future (whereas the number of contributors to PyTorch over the last 12 months already surpasses that of TensorFlow). A few years back Redmonk analyst James Governor decreed that convenience is the killer app where developers are concerned. From MongoDB to Fastly to GatsbyJS, our go-to defaults across a wide range of technologies are those that enable developers to become productive faster. Which brings us back to Python. And R. R remains highly relevant in data science, something that we shouldnt expect to change in the near future. Yet weve seen far more data scientists switch from R to Python than vice versa (twice as many, in fact). Reasons include better usability, performance, ecosystem, and more for Python, argues Emmett Boudreau. R remains broadly used for statistical computing, but as more and more companies (and their developers and data scientists) embrace data science from a technical, not scientific, standpoint, Python will continue to soar. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 20, 2021) put a stay on Allahabad High Court's order to impose lockdown in five COVID-19-hit cities in Uttar Pradesh. The Apex Court also appointed senior advocate PS Narasimha as amicus curiae to assist it in future hearings in the UP lockdown case. The top court took note of the Yogi Adityanath-led government that it has taken steps to check the spread of coronavirus. The UP government told the Supreme Court that a lockdown by a judicial order may not be the right approach. It said that it will impose a lockdown whenever it feels that there is a need. The Supreme Court, however, asked Uttar Pradesh to submit before the state High Court its various steps and measures taken to control the COVID-19 spread within a week. Meanwhile, the state government has announced to impose a weekend lockdown. The COVID-19-induced lockdown will come into effect on Friday at 8 pm and will remain in place till Monday 7 am. Only essential services will be allowed. Night curfew will remain in place in all the districts. Earlier on Monday, the Allahabad HC had ordered lockdown in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Kanpur and Gorakhpur. The court chided the state government for not handling the COVID-19 pandemic well enough. This is to be noted that Uttar Pradesh on Monday registered its highest single-day rise in COVID-19 deaths. The disease claimed 167 more lives, besides infecting 28,287 people. The state has so far witnessed a total of 8,79,831 COVID-19 cases Live TV For at least two decades, historians had been searching for the site of the cabin in which Harriet Tubman lived with her family as a young adult. Land records told us it was here somewhere, said Julie M. Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist at the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, who led an excavation of the swampy terrain on Marylands Eastern Shore beginning last fall. We couldnt understand why we werent finding anything. It was like, Where is this place? Then, on a whim, Schablitsky swept a metal detector along the side of an abandoned road, closer to the river. And she found a coin from 1808 the same year that Tubmans parents, Ben Ross and Harriet Green, known as Rit, were married. And, not far away, she found ceramic shards that dated to the 1820s to 1840s. It was then that she knew: She had located the cabin of Benjamin Ross, the father of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad conductor. She had lived there roughly between the ages of 17 and 22, from 1839 to 1844. Lucky numbers were 5, 33, 17, 13, 44, 38 and supplementary were 22 and 32 Winning entry was bought at Winston Hills newsagency in Western Sydney One lucky Australian has become the nation's newest millionaire after winning $1.1million - but three days later the lucky punter has still not been found. The ticket was bought at a Winston Hills Newsagency in Western Sydney, but officials have no way of contacting the individual as the entry is unregistered. The lucky recipient is one of five division one winning entries in the April 17 draw, with each player now $1,145,653.60 richer. Mystery Australian has scooped up a whopping $1.1million in Saturday's jackpot (pictured: stock image) Newsagency worker Barbara Veitch said she was excited that her store had sold a winning ticket. 'We would love to know who our winner is. I certainly hope they come forward soon,' she said. The Lott spokeswoman Lauren Cooney said was eager to unite the mystery winner with their million dollar prize. The winning numbers were 5, 33, 17, 13, 44, 38 and supplementary were 22 and 32 (pictured: stock image of Lotto balls) 'We're urging all players who purchased a Saturday Lotto ticket from Winston Hills Newsagency to check their tickets today,' she said. 'It's likely this winner has been going about their day as normal with no idea they've just won $1.1 million.' The winning numbers for Saturday April 17 were 5, 33, 17, 13, 44 and 38, while the supplementary numbers were 22 and 35. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal A cold front is forcecast to drop temperatures in eastern and northern New Mexico this week and bring strong winds to the rest of the state, leading up to a weekend that could record the highest temperatures yet this year. The air mass is expected to bring overnight freezes to the states northeast corner, said Alyssa Clements, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque. Some areas of the eastern plains will be 20 to 25 degrees below average on Tuesday, she said. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Across the Rio Grande valley in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe metro areas, that front is going to be reinforced Tuesday night, so we are looking at a strong gap wind, with gusts around 40 to 45 miles an hour Tuesday night, Clements said. Western New Mexico will be dry on Wednesday, with wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph. Statewide temperatures will also begin to rebound. With that comes the return of critical fire weather conditions, Clements said. We are looking at high fire danger pretty much for the western half of the state. Albuquerque is forecast to reach a high of 71 degrees on Wednesday. Isolated showers may bring some rain to areas near the Colorado state line, but precipitation chances are minimal across New Mexico. The weekend is expected to be clear and sunny in Albuquerque. The city is expected to reach a high of 82 degrees on Sunday. RALEIGH, N.C., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The business jet market is expected to reach $37.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.30 percent between 2020 and 2030, says Beroe Inc. The Global Business Jet Industry Outlook forecasts that the demand for business jets will increase by 8,750 aircraft at a CAGR of 6 percent. The demand for business jets had come down overall because of COVID-19. Travel restrictions in North America, the EU, and APAC had impacted both the supply and demand of business jets. However, the demand drop was not as steep as the commercial sector since safety-conscious travelers started opting for business jets. As lockdown restrictions are being lifted globally, the demand for business jets is expected to slowly recover. Companies are formulating strategies to restart their corporate travel in 2021. Also, organizers are gearing up with new policies and plans that can revive the industry once the pandemic is over. Beroe, which is based in North Carolina, further stated that procurement experts can access this report on its recently launched market intelligence platform Beroe LiVE.Ai: https://www.beroeinc.com/beroe-live-ai/ When it comes to business jets, North America, Europe, and CIS are mature markets, while Latin America, Middle-East, Africa, and APAC are growing markets. The major drivers of the business jets market growth are new geographical models, technological advancements, and trade globalization. Rapid technological advancements in avionics, the addition of new models, the entry of new players in the business aircraft market, and growing economies are the major factors supporting the business jet market's growth. The COVID-19 pandemic showcased how useful private planes are when commercial aviation options are either eliminated or reduced in response to geopolitical or health emergencies. However, airport infrastructure and high taxes continue to be some of the major constraints in the business jets market. Per the market outlook (2019-2027), in North America, the demand growth rate is 1-2 percent, and sales revenue is expected to be $150 billion. In Europe, the demand growth rate stands at 11-12 percent and sales revenue is expected to be $54 billion. While wealth creation by high-net-worth individuals is leading to a 50 percent increase in lifestyle spendings with correlation to private use of business aviation services, one of the biggest challenges is the recent political instability in several countries. Economic downturn and trade disagreements with NA are impacting business aviation. Since entry and exit barriers are high in the industry, any new player entering the market will have to make a considerable financial investment in infrastructure and supply chain. The competitive rivalry in the business jets market is high because all top suppliers are trying to improve quality and innovation. Moreover, the number of players in the industry is also limited. Key Findings Demand for corporate jets is high in North America , owing to the presence of a large number of high-net-worth individuals. Top OEM manufacturers are also present in this region . , owing to the presence of a large number of high-net-worth individuals. Top OEM manufacturers are also present in this region The demand has reached 85-90 percent of the pre-COVID levels in the last quarter of 2020. The recovery in the business jets industry is expected to be a V-shaped curve and faster than the commercial airline sector. A new set of high-net-worth individual customers and corporate users are choosing business jets to travel safely with social distancing. During the COVID-19 crisis, many aircraft cabins were arranged to carry life support equipment. This shows there is potential for growth in the configuration of Aircraft cabins. The report from Beroe includes: Market analysis Market monitoring insights report Supply analysis COVID-19 impact Global Business Jets Market: Drivers and Constraints Procurement best practices About Beroe Inc Beroe is the world's leading provider of procurement intelligence and supplier compliance solutions. We provide critical market information and analysis that enables companies to make smart sourcing decisionsleading to lower costs, greater profits, and reduced risk. Beroe has been providing these services for more than 15 years and currently works with more than 10,000 companies worldwide, including 400 of the Fortune 500 companies. For more information about Beroe Inc., please visit https://www.beroeinc.com/ . Media Contact: Debobrata Hembram [email protected] SOURCE Beroe Inc. CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IG Global Group LLC ("IGG"), (the "Company") is pleased to announce the entry into Kazakhstan via the establishment of a 100% owned Kazakh subsidiary: "IG Copper and Gold Ltd." IG Global Group sees world class opportunities in the mineral rich country of Kazakhstan. IGG's team and experience in the Russian Far East and Asia is a strategic advantage in its ability to operate in this region. Kazakhstan has huge potential in its mining industry sector in magnitude and scale of projects The country boasts abundant resources that position the country well on the global mining scene Kazakhstan has implemented international standards and a modern framework for investment in the mining sector Kazakhstan is extremely rich in mineral resources thanks to the very favourable geographical position of the country. It has a very diverse geological composition, including: gold, copper, chrome iron ore deposits, polymetallic deposits, tungsten, molybdenum and uranium ores, as well as a large supply of oil and natural gas resources. Kazakhstan has spent the last five years establishing an efficient mining investment framework. In 2016, Kazakhstan became a member of the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Standards, and in 2017 it adopted simplified mineral licensing after the Australian model, ensuring open access to geological data and its digitization, as well as a simplified procedure for providing subsoil use rights, establishing and classifying mineral resources. Some of the very large, modern projects being developed in Kazakhstan are Aktogay (large scale open pit mine located in the East Kazakhstan Region (KazMinerals), Bozshakol (large scale open-pit copper mine in the Pavlodar Region (KazMinerals), and Koksay (copper mine development project in south-eastern Kazakhstan). Thomas E. Bowens, President & CEO of TCM and IGG, stated, "We are very excited to have established IG Copper and Gold Ltd and our first corporate offices in Kazakhstan. IGG will initially be targeting high value gold and porphyry copper gold assets for exploration and development. This marks our entry into the third country following on from our highly successful operations in both Russia and the United States. We look forward to much upcoming success in the Republic of Kazakhstan." About IG Global Group LLC IGG is a private international holding company focused on the exploration and development of world class mineral deposits. The Company's collective activities consist of mineral exploration, mining operations and mining service companies, with projects and clients in the United States and the Russian Far East. IGG was founded in 2010 by Thomas E. Bowens, a Certified Professional Geologist, with degrees in Economics, Geological Engineering. Contact: info@igglobalgroup.com (Newser) Nine people under 18 were injured, and two of them remained in the hospital Monday following a weekend shooting at a 12-year-old's birthday party in Louisiana that was rooted in an ongoing feud, authorities said. Eight of the victims of the Saturday night shooting were boys, and all were between the ages of 12 and 17, the AP reports. A 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head and a 16-year-old boy shot in the stomach remained hospitalized while the others were treated and released, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office said. The sheriff's office had said six people were injured but updated the number to nine on Monday. Sheriff Mike Tregre said the investigation has been frustrating as detectives work to make arrests with no help from anyone who was there. "We have not one witness, not one person that saw anything yet," Tregre said. story continues below The shooting happened around 8:30pm Saturday during a birthday party in LaPlace attended by about 60 young people. Tregre said two groups of boys with an ongoing feud met at the house and began arguing. Several shots were fired, and more than one weapon was used, Tregre said. The others injured were a 17-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his arm, a 16-year-old boy with a graze wound to his side, a 15-year-old boy with a graze wound to his ankle, a 15-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his foot, a 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his leg, a 13-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his leg, and a 12-year-old girl with gunshot wounds in both legs. Tregre said his office has received tips but no one has made a formal statement. He said the investigation will continue. "Somebody's got to come forward," he said. "This cannot just go like this." (Read more gun violence stories.) Eva Mendes sparked a debate about parenting choices after sharing a quote correlating spanking children to 'hitting a spouse.' The 47-year-old actress noted that she's often asked about her favorite red carpet looks before adding a 'favorite parenting quote' to accompany the post. After sharing a shot in a fabulous Versace dress, Eva posted a note: 'Spanking does for a child's development what hitting a spouse does for marriage.' Bold: Eva Mendes sparked a debate about parenting choices after sharing a quote correlating spanking children to 'hitting a spouse' 'Im often asked what my favorite red carpet dress is,' she wrote. 'This @Versace is definitely up there. Im not often asked what my favorite parenting quote is, but Ill post it anyway.' Eva shares daughters Esmeralda, six, and Amada, four, with her partner of nearly 10 years, Ryan Gosling. The note drew many supporters praising the Hitch actress for her stance against violent parenting, but it also sparked conversations in support of spanking from a few fans. Talk about it: The 47-year-old actress noted that she's often asked about her favorite red carpet looks before adding a 'favorite parenting quote' to accompany the post Vocal: The note drew many supporters praising the Hitch actress for her stance against violent parenting, but it also sparked conversations in support of spanking from a few fans. One follower countered that spanking was not like hitting and more of a 'loving correction.' 'Love you but completely disagree,' Instagram user @garbagemanswife wrote. 'The goal in raising kids is not to have to spank, but its correcting before they can reason behavior out with you. Completely different than hitting someone. Thats not correcting behavior. We raised 5 respectful loving kind kids that were a joy to be around. Good fruit shows from loving correction.' Eva responded: 'I totally respect you. Thank you for a respectful comment. So nice to disagree with respect. I found the quote powerful and wanted to pass it on. Lotsa love to and yours ' A stance: Another user disagreed with Mendes and wrote: 'I don't know. I was spanked and now I'm a respectful adult. And believe me, I deserved those whoopings. I was a brat.' Another user disagreed with Mendes and wrote: 'I don't know. I was spanked and now I'm a respectful adult. And believe me, I deserved those whoopings. I was a brat.' The Training Day star responded, 'thank you for your comment. So happy to agree to disagree. Want this page to offer that in a loving way. We all parent our own way and I have no idea what I'm doing most the time.' 'This didn't come with a manual so when there's something that resonates with me, I pass it on. Lotsa love ,' she added. Lucknow, April 20 : In view of the reported black marketing of medical-grade oxygen, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has now asked the authorities to monitor all oxygen vehicles with GPS tracking devices. "Provide police protection to all oxygen plants. Monitor oxygen vehicles through GPS devices. Take every possible step to prevent black marketing and profiteering of oxygen and other life-saving drugs," the Chief Minister said on Tuesday. He directed authorities to ensure that each hospital has at least 36 hours of backup oxygen. According to the government spokesman, "Given the special circumstances, the chief minister has asked officials to ensure that oxygen produced at all small and large industrial units, including MSMEs, is used only for medical purposes. These oxygen plants should be connected to their nearest hospital. A comprehensive action plan in this regard should be prepared today itself." The Chief Minister also informed that the process of setting up five new oxygen plants has started in the state. "For further preparedness, the setting up of oxygen plants in all hospitals with a capacity of more than 100 beds should be made compulsory. Modern technology like air separation units should be encouraged. Its capacity should be increased in the state," he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) Preparations for the Pasig River cleanup project are underway with San Miguel Corporation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Works and Highways working together in a bid to extract 600,000 metric tons of waste per year. A statement from SMC on Tuesday said the first intensive studies on the riverbed are ongoing, with the actual cleanup to begin in May. The initial bathymetric survey, or the study of the river floor, has been finished. Further studies of the Manila Bay to Pandacan area are also now underway, added the statement. "This is a very important environmental effort, and we want to do it right. Cleaning up the Pasig River has been a dream for many Filipinos, even our older generations, so we want to make sure our plan is strategic and effective. While we will use science and utilize modern technology, this project can only succeed with the cooperation of all stakeholders," said SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang. A soil test for every 400 meters from Manila Bay to Pandacan is also being eyed, the statement said. Apart from the studies, Ang relayed that the draft memorandum of agreement between SMC and the DENR is now undergoing review, with DPWH also a signatory, to formalize the formation of a joint venture between SMC and the government agencies. The cleanup of the Pasig River is in line with SMC's proposed 95.4 billion plan to construct the Pasig River Expressway. SMC is also part of the dredging operations along the Tullahan River to further support current flood mitigation measures in the cities of Navotas, Malabon and Valenzuela before the start of the rainy season. Officer Eric Stillman was responding to a call of shots fired around 3 a.m. on March 29 when he chased Adam into a dark alley in the Little Village neighborhood, a predominantly Latino area southwest of downtown. Bodycam video released last week shows the youth appearing to drop a handgun and begin raising his hands less than a second before Stillman fires his gun and kills him. His bodycam footage later shows Stillman shining a light on a handgun on the ground near the boy after he shot him. The Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee of Connecticut will hold a virtual ceremony this month to mark the 106th anniversary of the event, according to a release. The event, set for 10:30 a.m. via Zoom, will remember those who died and also those who survived, the release said. For decades Armenians around the world have gathered together in April to honor the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, Southern Connecticut State University professor Armen Marsoobian, a member of the Genocide Commemoration Committee and vice president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, said in the release. In 2020 the pandemic interrupted our customary Hartford State Capitol commemoration but this year we are grateful to virtually gather to commemorate the martyrs of the genocide. Attorney Harry N. Mazadoorian of Kensington said in the release that this years program is the first since the 2019 recognition of the Armenian Genocide by both houses of Congress. Speakers at the program will include Tatul Hakobyan, an Armenian reporter and author based in Yerevan, Armenia; and Lilly Torosyana, who has been based in Armenia since shortly before the 44-day war with Azerbaijan in 2020 over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. John C. Geragosian, Connecticut state auditor and a member of the committee, will serve as master of ceremonies, the release said, adding that Geragosian stated the committee this year is particularly interested in informing the public about the 44-day war and its aftermath. The flag of the Republic of Armenia will fly over the state Capitol for a week and the raising of the flag will be presented to event attendees by video, the release said, and the Armenian-American community is hopeful that President Joe Biden will also recognize the 1915 events as genocide. The April 24 program will begin with a special Martyrs Service, the release said, in which clergy from four Armenian churches in Connecticut will participate, the release noted. The commemoration program will follow the service. Registration is required to obtain the Zoom link; to register,v isit https://bit.ly/3ti5iJ5. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Australian State Needs 11,000 More Public School Teachers Within the Next Decade New South Wales (NSW) will need to recruit thousands of new teachers in the next 10 years to meet the demand from record-high student enrolment numbers. A new report (pdf) by economist Adam Rorris commissioned by the NSW Teachers Federation Union projects that public schools need to hire at least 11,000 additional teachers by 2031 to meet the surging number of kindergarten to year 12 enrolments. However, the education department has found that the state already has existing teacher shortages, particularly in STEM fields and rural locations. This is projected to worsen due to a combination of student population increases, an ageing workforce, and fewer people going into teaching, NSW Auditor-General Margaret Crawford said in an audit report from 2019 (pdf). Shortfalls are likely to be more acute in rural and remote areas and areas of low socioeconomic status, she said. The shortages mean NSW has the lowest teacher-student ratios in the country. If it rises to the national average, the required number of additional teachers in the next decade rises to 14,000. NSW is facing a classroom crisis. The independent Gallop Inquiry was clear that the NSW Government wont fix the shortages or recruit the additional teachers required without a significant increase in salaries, NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said. The workloads of teachers have risen, while their salaries have fallen every year compared to other professions. If we dont pay teachers what they are worth, we wont get the teachers we need, Gavrielatos said. Lake Wallis Teachers Association president Stuart Ireland said schools in NSW were facing a severe staff shortages, which would only get worse if no action on salary and workload is taken. Principals across the state are working, on average 62 hours a week while teachers are working on average 55 hours a week, attempting to meet all the complex needs of students while dealing with the compliance and administration burden that the NSW Department of Education has saddled us with, Ireland told Manning River Times. The difficulties with staff retention rates were also highlighted, as NSW Education Standards Authority research (pdf) found that graduate teachers are leaving the profession in rising numbers. The number of newly accredited teachers has remained consistent, at around 7 500 per year. However, between 2009 and 2013, 10.7 percent of graduate teachers left the profession, which grew to over 12 percent by 2015. There are also concerns around the shortage of specialist teachers for the increased number of students with disabilities, which is expected to increase by 50 percent within the next decade. Education Minister Sarah Mitchell told the Sydney Morning Herald that a cultural shift towards the teaching profession was needed for the sector to see a growth in high-quality teachers. I think everyone from schools, current teachers, universities, and the union have a role to play in this regard, she said. Mitchell also said she has asked the department for a long-term workforce strategy and expects to see a draft soon. Gavrielatos said with the greater amount of work expected from teachers; there needs to be an increase in their salaries by 10 to 15 percent over the next two years. Investing in the profession will pay off for kids across NSWnow and in the future, he said. Walkup vaccine clinics have popped up in Boston, but theyre far from the norm. The pause in Johnson & Johnson shipments, following reports of a six women suffering blood clots, makes expanding the walkup option more difficult, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday. Asked about walkup options for vaccines, Baker said appointments have been crucial to ensuring that health care workers who administer vaccines dont end up with waste at the end of the day after removing the doses from cold storage. The Pfizer vaccine can only be stored at room temperature for six hours. Modernas vaccine can last up to 12 hours in room temperature. One of the things that made J&J prior to the federal pause that got put in place such an attractive product was it didnt have many of those issues around storage, prep and supply management, which really does complicate walkups, the Republican governor said during a news briefing outside the Massachusetts State House. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration last week recommended pausing the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six cases of rare blood clots were reported in a group of women a week after getting the shot. Federal regulators are investigating whether the blood clotting is linked to the vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the presidents chief medical advisor, said he foresees the pause being lifted Friday and doesnt see the J&J shots use being entirely canceled, the Washington Post reported. Massachusetts opened eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to all people ages 16 and up on Monday. Most Massachusetts residents seeking COVID-19 vaccine shots must secure an appointment through a hospital, regional collaborative, pharmacy or mass vaccination site. More than 2 million people are fully vaccinated in Massachusetts, including 203,316 people who received the single-dose J&J shot before the pause. Related Content: GRAND RAPIDS, MI Steelcase announced Monday that President and CEO Jim Keane will retire Jan. 7, 2022. Keane, who has been with the Grand Rapids-based furniture company for 25 years, will be replaced by Sara Armbruster. She joined the company in 2007, during which time she has led Steelcases corporate strategy and acquisition activities, the company said. She will be the companys 10th CEO in its 109-year history. Keane, 61, will stay on as president and CEO until Oct. 4, after which he will transition to the role of vice chair. He will serve in that role until his retirement. I have never been more excited about the future of Steelcase, Keane said in a statement. Still, after 25 years, its the right time for me to move forward, and with the crisis ending, the recovery taking shape, and a number of innovative new products ready to go, it will be the perfect time for the company to welcome a new CEO. Steelcase was established in 1912. The global company has about 1,600 office workers and 1,800 factory workers in West Michigan, and reported $2.6 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2021. A news release issued by Steelcase said the companys board of directors began planning the CEO transition about two years ago, and that a final assessment process took place during recent months. Keane joined Steelcase in 1997. In addition to president and CEO, hes also served as chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and has led global teams responsible for corporate strategy, IT, research, product development, design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, and distribution. The companys news release states that he transformed the company into a globally integrated enterprise, curating a strong organizational culture of rapid and decentralized decision-making. The Board of Directors and I would like to thank Jim for his incredible leadership as CEO these past seven years and dedication to Steelcase the past quarter of a century, Rob Pew, chair of Steelcases board of directors, said in a statement. Under his leadership, the company has experienced tremendous levels of innovation and growth. Jim led the business through the recent global crisis and leaves Steelcase in a strong strategic and financial position. We wish him the best in his retirement. Pew praised Armbruster, and said shes well qualified to take the reins of the company. She has degrees from Yale University, Johns Hopkins University and Dartmouth College, according to a news release. Her strategy expertise, leadership style and over two decades in executive positions uniquely qualify her to step into this role, Pew said. Read more: Unlock Michigan petition signatures deemed valid by Secretary of State Active COVID-19 outbreaks rise another 9% in Michigans April 19 report Residents can now pay overdue Kent County property taxes online Kelly Osbourne has revealed that she has relapsed after nearly four years of sobriety in a candid video shared on Monday. The 36-year-old daughter of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne took to Instagram to admit she was 'not proud' over her decision but wanted to be 'honest' with fans. Kelly insisted that she is now 'back on track' with her recovery and that she is just taking things one day at a time. Candid: Kelly Osbourne has revealed that she has relapsed after nearly four years of sobriety in a candid video shared on Monday The TV personality went sober in 2017 and previously admitted that she never thought she would be alive at 35 after passing out every night from drugs and partying at the height of her battle. Speaking in a video shared with her 1.3million followers, Kelly said: 'This is a little hard for me to talk about but I've always promised you I will be honest with you about where I'm at and what's going on on my road to recovery. 'I relapsed, not proud of it but I'm back on track and I will be doing a podcast this week where I tell everybody about what's going on and what happened.' Kelly added that she is taking things just 'one day at a time' and wanted to tell her followers the truth as she never lies. Way back when: The 36-year-old daughter of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne took to Instagram to admit she was 'not proud' over her decision but wanted to be 'honest' with fans (pictured in 2002) She continued: 'I just want to let you know that I'm sober today and I'm going to be sober tomorrow but I've truly learned that it is just one day at a time and I wanted to tell you guys the truth cause I never ever want to lie to you.' Thanking fans for their support at the end of her video, Kelly signed off with: 'Thank you so much for your support and love and you'll be hearing from me soon.' In 2020, Kelly spoke about her past battle and said that she used to take so many drugs she 'embalmed' her body every night. The former wild child said she doubted she would be alive at 35 after passing out every night from drugs and partying. Recovery: Kelly insisted that she is now 'back on track' with her recovery and that she is just taking things one day at a time Photo: Kelly later took to Instagram to share a glamorous selfie and proclaim 'sobriety rocks' Kelly admitted that she regularly took a cocktail of amphetamines, tranquillisers and marijuana at the height of her battle. The star told her friend DJ Fat Tony on his podcast, The Recovery: 'I never thought I'd be alive at 35 years old. 'A lot of my friends didn't make it and burying them was hard. I had survivor's guilt for a long time. I'm almost three years sober.' The reality star also revealed how she would convince her mum Sharon that she was sober by showing her stolen Alcoholics Anonymous sobriety chips. Sobriety: The TV personality went sober in 2017 and previously admitted that she never thought she would be alive at 35 after passing out every night from drugs and partying at the height of her battle (pictured in 2007) She said: 'I never truly slept, I would pass out from whatever I drank or took and came to. 'I was in a haze of hangovers and withdrawals. I don't know how I did it for as long as I did. I embalmed my body.' Kelly has been to rehab seven times and she was even locked in a padded cell to keep her off drugs. She said she had her awakening in 2017 and decided she needed to change her ways. Past: In 2020, Kelly spoke about her past battle and said that she used to take so many drugs she 'embalmed' her body every night (pictured with parents Sharon and Ozzy in 2020) Kelly revealed: 'I was so wasted the whole time. I hadn't been to a grocery store in three years or done normal things. I thought, "I don't want to live like this any more". 'I'd put blackout curtains in my house so I didn't know what time it was. I realised I wasn't going to make it. I'd be dead if I keep doing this. 'I picked up the phone and I was really drunk when I called my brother Jack.' Kelly said that he arrived in minutes, even though his efforts to help before had resulted in Kelly being abusive to him. She said: 'I got into his car. I was wearing a T-shirt and underwear. I remember saying to him, crying, "I don't want to be a fat drunk loser any more. I want to be a skinny winner".' Kelly then checked into a new facility with a renewed energy and the help from her family. She said: 'I went to therapy for the first six months, for about six hours a day. I was like, "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to really do it".' During the height of her battle, Kelly admitted that the longest she went off substances was a month. She said: 'I've only ever had about 30 days of clean time, which is when I was in treatment, then I would come out and get high again. 'But I lied about it. I used to steal 60-day AA chips and give them to my mum so she would take me out for dinner.' Fears: The former wild child said she doubted she would be alive at 35 after passing out every night from drugs and partying (pictured in 2009) In 2019, Kelly appeared on Lorraine where she prepared to celebrate two years of sobriety. The TV personality said: 'I am [in a great place]. I am almost two years sober and it's completely changed my life. 'I didn't think I could do anything if I wasn't drunk or high, because I was scared of everything. I let it get the better of me. 'Now seeing that I don't need that and my life is better... I don't have any drama in my life. 'I have accepted the fact that, and I know I have said this throughout my whole life but I really understand it now, that I am not perfect and I am never going to be and I don't want to be.' Kelly has recently lost over 90-pounds with help from a gastric sleeve procedure and eating clean, saying she had to get her 'head right' before even embarking on the surgery. She had previously revealed she had issues with food on account of being an 'emotional eater,' and had to reprogram that relationship with help from therapy. Her newest business venture comes in the form of a podcast with entrepreneur Jeff Beacher who hosted the live theatre series Beacher's Madhouse and it will debut on May 4 under the name: The Kelly Osbourne and Jeff Beacher Show. Speaking to Page Six about the venture Kelly revealed that the podcast will also touch on both hosts' weight loss (Beacher lost over 240 pounds) as well as her journey to sobriety. 'We are not perfect. And there's only one way to make things right, and that is to learn, to educate and to learn from your mistakes from the past, share what you have learned with others. And that's something that's so important,' she said. For help with similar issues call Narcotics Anonymous on 0300 999 1212 or Alcoholics Anonymous on 020 7407 0700. Were thrilled to expand our partnership with Pace University and bring a full suite of graduate-level business and technology programs that match current job market needs to professionals looking to advance their careers, said Joe Diamond, CEO of All Campus. All Campus, which partners with leading, traditional higher education institutions to grow their online enrollment and maximize market share, today announced 12 new online graduate and undergraduate degree program launches for Pace University in 2021, continuing its strong, multi-year partnership with the institution. Earlier this year, All Campus launched and manages three graduate-level Master of Science degrees in Cybersecurity, Data Science, Software Engineering, as well as two Advanced Certificates in Software Engineering. All Campus also re-launched and manages a Master of Public Administration program. Over the next few months, All Campus will launch several other online graduate and undergraduate programs with the institution, including a Master of Arts in Communications and Digital Media, Master of Science degrees in Accounting, Finance, Computer Science, an Advanced Certificate in Health Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. Were thrilled to expand our partnership with Pace University and bring a full suite of graduate-level business and technology programs that match current job market needs to professionals looking to advance their careers, said Joe Diamond, CEO of All Campus. Our growing partnership with Pace University serves as validation of Paces commitment to its students and our commitment to the university to provide the highest value and best service to sophisticated online education leaders and their students. All Campus currently manages 10 graduate and undergraduate programs with Pace University. Online graduate programs range from the first program All Campus launched a Master of Science in Information Technology to an MBA and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs. Online undergraduate degrees that All Campus manages with Pace University include a Bachelor of Science in Professional Communication Sciences, a Bachelors of Science in Professional Technology Studies and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Studies. Under the partnership, All Campus provides its full suite of offerings, managing student recruitment and enrollment, market research and advertising, and creative services. Pace University provides students with access to robust campus and online programming, full-time faculty and amenities, including career services. For the past three years, All Campuss in-depth research, deep expertise and tailored services have ensured we provide exceptional value and programs to our current and prospective students, said Shawn O'Riley, Associate Vice President, Professional Education and Special Programs at Pace University. Were looking forward to expanding our partnership with All Campus this year and bringing new programs to market that are flexible and meet students needs by advancing career development and matching current job market demands here on Wall Street, but also across the county on main street and beyond. To learn more about Pace Universitys online graduate and undergraduate programs, please visit online.pace.edu. To learn more about All Campus, please visit allcampus.com. About All Campus All Campus creates value for leading universities by expanding their reach and cultivating relationships with students who seek to advance their lives through education. It offers comprehensive, tailored online program management (OPM) services, powered by industry-leading technology all with the universitys unique identity and brand top of mind. It has built its reputation on delivering measurable results, being an honest broker, and providing high levels of service to its two primary constituencies: prospective and enrolled students, and university administrators. All Campus deep research, powerful insights and understanding of current job market and employer needs helps its partners tailor their offerings to optimize student outcomes and return on investment. The companys flexible payment and service options include bundled or unbundled offerings and fee-for-service management or a customized low and sustainable revenue share plan. About Pace University Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard Universitys Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo on Tuesday explained the regulatory body's decision to grant the emergency use application of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson despite rare blood clot reports possibly linked to the inoculation. Domingo said vaccine manufacturers applying for EUA need to prove that the benefits of using the vaccine will far outweigh the possible risks -- and Johnson & Johnson has met this requirement. The FDA in the United States temporarily halted the use of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccines on April 14 after six people who received the shots were found with low level of platelets in the blood in combination with a rare and severe type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). It is currently reviewing the cause. Domingo said if proven that the blood clotting incidents were caused by the single-dose vaccines, the benefit of protecting people still outweighs the risk. "Even if it is later found to be connected to the vaccine, yung one per one million na adverse event ay mas matimbang pa rin ang one million na maaari nating protektahan kung nabakunahan sila," he explained. [Translation: "Even if it is later found to be connected to the vaccine, the one million that we can protect if they received the shot far outweighs the one per one million adverse event.] The Janssen vaccine has been approved for use in 40 countries and got the nod of the World Health Organization. The FDA said it has advised the Health Department to ensure safeguards by clearly informing the public of possible risks, such as low platelet count, when receiving this vaccine. "We told the DOH na bago i-rollout ito kailangan gumawa ng very clear guidelines para ma-inform ang mga magbabakuna at ang babakunahan what to watch out for at kung magkaroon ng ganitong symptoms ay saan po sila pupunta at kung paano sila gagamutin," Domingo said. [Translation: We told the DOH that it needs to make clear guidelines before the roll out. Those who will administer and receive the vaccines need to be informed what symptoms they need to watch out for and how they should be treated.] The Philippines has approved the emergency use of six COVID-19 vaccines namely Janssen, Covaxin, Sputnik V, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac. Domingo said Covaxin was given a "conditional EUA" because they need to submit one document before they can import the vaccines. The DOH and the FDA recently resumed the rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines for people under 60 years old after investigating blood clot reports. Secretary of Education nominee Miguel Cardona testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 3, 2021. (Susan Walsh/Pool/Getty Images) Biden Admin Promotes 1619 Project, Critical Race Theory in Proposed K-12 Education Rule The Biden administration is seeking to prioritize funding education programs that incorporate the ideas of the New York Times 1619 Project and critical race theorist Ibram X. Kendi into their teaching of U.S history and civics. In a proposed new rule released April 19, the Education Department outlined new priority criteria for a $5.3 million American History and Civics Education grant, as well as exemplary materials for K-12 educators to use. Specifically, the Education Department cited the 1619 Project, the exhibition of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Kendis antiracism as leading examples for the kind of content it wants to use taxpayer dollars to promote in history and civics classrooms throughout the country. None of the three teaching models is free from controversy. The 1619 Project, which centers around the idea that the United States is inherently racist, consists of a collection of essays that argue, among many other controversial claims, that the primary reason for the American Revolution was to preserve slavery. Its historical accuracy has also been challenged by a variety of scholars, including the projects own fact-checkers. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is part of the taxpayer-funded Smithsonian Institute, also came under fire last year because of a display about whiteness. The Washington-based museum suggested that valuing things such as the nuclear family, self-reliance, objective, rational linear thinking and rigid time schedule are manifestations of an alleged white culture. Meanwhile, Kendi is best known as a vocal advocate of critical race theory, through which one sees racial oppression everywhere in society and considers those who disagree to be proponents of the alleged oppression. In his latest book Antiracist Baby, Kendi uses rhymed verses to explain to preschoolers how they can reflect on and purge their inherent racism and how their parents can help raise future antiracist activists. According to the Education Department, the reasoning behind its choices of examples is President Joe Bidens executive order that aimed to advance racial equity and better support underserved communities. The Department recognizes that COVID-19with its disproportionate impact on communities of colorand the ongoing national reckoning with systemic racism have highlighted the urgency of improving racial equity throughout our society, including in our education system, reads the document, which is undergoing a 30-day public review period in the Federal Register. The proposed rule marks the Biden administrations latest move to teach American students that historical racism remains deeply embedded in todays America. On his first day in the White House, Biden dissolved the Trump administrations advisory 1776 Commission and tossed its first and last report, which called for a return to patriotic education focusing on how generations of Americans overcame racism to live up to the nations founding ideals. The idea the United States is fundamentally racist is also shared by United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who recently said that the American founding documents are weaved with white supremacy, and that the United States is just as guilty as China, where a genocide is ongoing under the Chinese communist regime. CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Navy Pier, Chicago's iconic lakefront destination and nonprofit institution, will begin its phased reopening on Friday, April 30, restoring public access to select outdoor spaces and attractions and cautiously resuming partial operations with public health and safety at the forefront. As part of this initial phase, the following will be open and accessible to the public: Navy Pier parking garages, Polk Bros Park, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, North and South Docks, Pier Park (including select rides and attractions), East End Plaza, tour boats and cruises, the new Sable hotel, and select restaurants at limited capacity (per government guidelines). Hours of operation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during this phase, although hours may vary per establishment. Navy Pier has been temporarily closed to the public since Labor Day to limit the financial impact and implications of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on the nonprofit organization and the nearly 70 small and local businesses it houses. "Following Navy Pier's longest closure in recent history, we are anxious to reopen our spaces and safely welcome guests back to the Pier," said Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner. "We recognize the critical role Navy Pier, as a key economic driver and cultural anchor for the city and state, plays in leading our community out of the devastation from the pandemic. With mass vaccination rollouts now underway, we are eager to help guests safely reconnect to Chicago and its most treasured experiences, and remain committed to helping revive the city and region." Navy Pier is able to initiate this phased reopening thanks to the generous support of our dedicated board of directors and key individual, private foundation and corporate donors. As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Navy Pier relies on philanthropic contributions to advance its mission as a world-class public place that celebrates and showcases the vitality of Chicago and provides for the enjoyment of local residents and guests year-round. While this early philanthropic support funded the Pier's reopening efforts, continued support from the donor community will be critical to ensure Navy Pier remains a transformative cultural and community resource for residents and guests, local artists, fellow nonprofit organizations and Chicago businesses. To celebrate its reopening, the Pier will host a special 10-minute fireworks show every Saturday in May at 9 p.m. until Memorial Day Weekend. The first fireworks presentation on Saturday, May 1 will be dedicated to healthcare professionals and frontline workers in honor of their hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to helping our community navigate the ongoing pandemic. Guests are welcome to enjoy the display from the Pier's open areas. Restaurants and attractions that will be open as part of the initial reopening phase include Billy Goat Tavern, Giordano's, Harry Caray's Tavern, Margaritaville, Odyssey, Offshore Rooftop and Bar, Shoreline Sightseeing, Seadog and more. In addition, Sable at Navy Pierthe new 223-room, Hilton-operated hotel on the Pierand its Latin-inspired restaurant, Lirica, opened in March and will continue to accept reservations. Pier Park will also resume operations on select rides and attractions, including the iconic Centennial Wheel, Pepsi Wave Swinger and Carousel. The opening of new rides will follow in the coming weeks. Both of Navy Pier's parking garages will also resume operations at a $29 flat rate until Memorial Day Weekend. The rest of the Pier, including interior spaces, food experience, retail shops and other select attractions will reopen sometime in May, along with Navy Pier's free community programs. The full reopening date is to be determined based on state and city guidance. Upon reopening, guests can expect the same level of heightened public health and safety measures as last summer. In addition, Navy Pier has gone above and beyond to ensure that its safety practices are of the highest standard. The organization recently earned the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation, the cleaning industry's gold standard accreditation for outbreak prevention, response and recovery, from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a division of ISSAThe Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. The accreditation involved a comprehensive 20-element review process and thorough evaluation of the Pier's facilities, cleaning procedures, staff training practices and more. Navy Pier has also partnered with NTT Corporation, City Tech Collaborative and a consortium of other leading technology and design partners to implement a Smart Solutions pilot program, which will leverage a data-driven approach to enhance Navy Pier's guest experience and existing safety measures. This innovative capacity intelligence program will allow the organization to carefully monitor guest volume and traffic across high-traffic zones on the Pier and alert staff members when a particular space or area is reaching its zone capacity. At that point, Navy Pier employees would make necessary adjustments to ensure social distancing practices and other safety protocols are maintained. In addition to these new safety measures, returning practices and protocols include, but are not limited to: Standard CDC and Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines: Guests must wear a face mask at all times while visiting Navy Pier and try to maintain six feet of distance between individuals who are not from the same party. Guests should also wash hands regularly and/or utilize the 90+ hand sanitizer dispensers available throughout the Pier. Those who are sick, have COVID-19 symptoms or diagnosis, or have been exposed to someone with symptoms or diagnosis should stay home or seek medical attention. Guests must wear a face mask at all times while visiting Navy Pier and try to maintain six feet of distance between individuals who are not from the same party. Guests should also wash hands regularly and/or utilize the 90+ hand sanitizer dispensers available throughout the Pier. Those who are sick, have COVID-19 symptoms or diagnosis, or have been exposed to someone with symptoms or diagnosis should stay home or seek medical attention. Physical distancing practices : Navy Pier has designated Social Distancing Ambassadors, who will be circulating the Pier to cordially remind guests to practice physical distancing. Signs marking appropriate amount of space are placed throughout the Pier for guidance. The volume of people at Navy Pier's public programs, events and within indoor and outdoor spaces at a given time will be limited to a number that is proportional and conducive to physical distancing for that space. Gathering of large groups of more than 10 people are strictly prohibited. Guests in violation of these practices will be subject to removal from the premises. : Navy Pier has designated Social Distancing Ambassadors, who will be circulating the Pier to cordially remind guests to practice physical distancing. Signs marking appropriate amount of space are placed throughout the Pier for guidance. The volume of people at Navy Pier's public programs, events and within indoor and outdoor spaces at a given time will be limited to a number that is proportional and conducive to physical distancing for that space. Gathering of large groups of more than 10 people are strictly prohibited. Guests in violation of these practices will be subject to removal from the premises. Employee training and expectations: Face masks or coverings will be required for employees while in public spaces. Temperature screenings will be conducted prior to each shift. Cleaning and disinfecting supplies will be provided to staff. Employees have also been equipped with guidance on individual health and safety measures and will receive ongoing training as new information becomes available from the CDC and CDPH. Face masks or coverings will be required for employees while in public spaces. Temperature screenings will be conducted prior to each shift. Cleaning and disinfecting supplies will be provided to staff. Employees have also been equipped with guidance on individual health and safety measures and will receive ongoing training as new information becomes available from the CDC and CDPH. Multiple layers of stringent cleaning and disinfecting: Navy Pier is utilizing electrostatic anti-microbial spray treatments on all rides and sanitizing high-touch surfaces, common areas and Pier-wide attractions after each use with a disinfectant that is of the same quality found in healthcare facilities. In addition, more than 90 hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed and made available for guest use. Navy Pier is utilizing electrostatic anti-microbial spray treatments on all rides and sanitizing high-touch surfaces, common areas and Pier-wide attractions after each use with a disinfectant that is of the same quality found in healthcare facilities. In addition, more than 90 hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed and made available for guest use. Pier Park measures: All Pier Park rides and attractions will operate at a limited capacity and be cleaned after each use. Digital ticketing kiosk screens will also be sanitized frequently. Centennial Wheel riders will only be placed in gondolas with those within their party; gondolas and surfaces will be cleaned after each use. All Pier Park rides and attractions will operate at a limited capacity and be cleaned after each use. Digital ticketing kiosk screens will also be sanitized frequently. riders will only be placed in gondolas with those within their party; gondolas and surfaces will be cleaned after each use. Parking garage measures: Parking personnel have been trained on physical distancing practices, proper handwashing, glove usage, disinfection protocol and other best practices for infection control. Navy Pier offers the following touchless, self-parking payment options: Parking personnel have been trained on physical distancing practices, proper handwashing, glove usage, disinfection protocol and other best practices for infection control. Navy Pier offers the following touchless, self-parking payment options: Apple Pay and Tap features at pay stations and in-lane equipment Online parking reservations through the Navy Pier website, ParkWhiz and SpotHero The cleaning and safety measures outlined above will apply indefinitely until further notice. Given the fluidity and nature of the situation, Navy Pier is prepared to modify procedures as necessary. Click here for a full overview of the Pier's COVID-19 safety measures. A top civic space and nonprofit institution in Chicago, Navy Pier is home to nearly 70 independent businesses, several pop-up neighborhood markets, hundreds of annual events and many local artists who regularly showcase their work at the Pier, enriching the lives of Chicago residents and visitors, alike. Collectively, the on-site restaurants, retailers, attractions and nonprofit partners typically employ more than 3,000 people annually and contribute to the Pier's reputation as one of the largest first employers for diverse young individuals in the city. In addition, the Pier typically hosts more than 250 free public arts and cultural programs annually to educate, inspire and connect communities across the city and globe. With the undertaking of its critical nonprofit mission, Navy Pier recognizes its responsibility to the greater Chicagoland community and is committed to restoring the vitality of the Pier, its partners and the local economy as the city works to recover from the pandemic and its harrowing impact. For more information, visit the www.navypier.org. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS NAVY PIER'S PRESS KIT, INCLUDING B-ROLL, PHOTOS AND LOGO. ABOUT NAVY PIER Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the top nonprofit tourism destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and typically welcoming nearly 9 million annual guests. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities and more. The Pier recently celebrated its 100th anniversary with the unveiling of the iconic Centennial Wheel, Polk Bros Park, Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion and Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion. In 2021, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing Pier-wide redevelopment effortsincluding Sable, a 223-room Hilton hotel, new restaurants and partnerships, and thrilling additions to Pier Park. The Pier is also proud to continue providing free, year-round arts and cultural programming designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. Click here to donate to Navy Pier, a mission-driven 501(c)(3) organization, in support of the organization's post-pandemic revival and free public programming. For more information, visit www.navypier.org. Navy Pier Mission Statement Navy Pier is the People's Pier, Chicago's lakefront treasure, welcoming all and offering dynamic and eclectic experiences through partnerships and programs that inspire discovery and wonder. CONTACT April 20, 2021 Navy Pier | Payal Patel (312) 595-5073 | [email protected] TimeZoneOne | Marla Cichowski (312) 497-1871 | [email protected]m SOURCE Navy Pier Related Links www.navypier.org PHILIPSBURG:--- In a press release issued by the Sint Maarten Police Force KPSM and Prosecutors Office on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, it was stated that a woman with the initials J.D.W and a man with initials B.E.H.S. were arrested for alleged lewd criminal acts involving minors. KPSM and the Prosecutors Office request the assistance of the public of Sint Maarten in this ongoing investigation. J.D.W is suspected of inappropriate sexual behavior towards underaged children while in her care and while providing tutoring at her home. B.E.H.S. is also suspected of similar acts while these minors were in the care of J.D.W. Through this press release, we are requesting the communitys assistance to come forward and report possible wrongdoings by these two suspects. If your child, you, or someone you may know has been in contact with suspect J.D.W. or BE.H. S. in any way deemed inappropriate, we are asking you to contact the Youth and Morals Department to report it at +1721-5491117. Police made several arrests over the weekend in connection to criminal acts. Over the last few days, the police started to carry out checks in connection with closing time and other violations in the area of Simpson-Bay, Maho, Cole Bay, and surrounding areas. During a control that took place on April 18, 2021, around 12.30 am, officers, observed two young men standing next to a scooter parked on Rhine road. Upon seeing the police officers the young men started to act very suspiciously and tried to slowly walk away from the scooter. It emerged that the scooter was probably stolen as it was missing several parts. The two were stopped and controlled by the officers. On one of the young men, the officers found a small amount of marijuana which immediately confiscated. A control was also carried out on the scooter that was parked. A handgun was found under the seat that was also confiscated. The two suspects with initials M.M.K. and R.R. respectively were arrested and transported to the police station in Philipsburg where they were held for questioning. Central Dispatch directed several police patrols on April 18, 2021, around 2:30 am to a gas station in Simpson Bay for an assault case. The preliminary investigation shows that the man with the initials J.H had assaulted the pump attendant after he had refused him entrance to the gas station store. When approached by a police patrol, the individual threatened officers and smashed one of the store's windows. Suspect J.H. who was allegedly under the influence of intoxicants resisted when police attempted to apprehend him. He was later transported to the Philipsburg police station where he is being held for questioning. Man arrested for ill-treating his partner An official complaint was made by a female victim against her boyfriend with the initials J.D. after an argument. After a short investigation, the officers became aware that the suspect ill-treated his partner. Officers arrested the male suspect at his job site on April 15, 2021. He was brought to the police station in Philipsburg where he was interrogated. After questioning the suspect was handed over to the personnel of immigration as he was not in possession of legal documents to reside in St. Maarten. KPSM Press Release. A testing and quarantine free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand launched with lopsided demand, according to airlines and data firms, with an unusually high number of the travellers departing from Australia. The initial results from Asia's first restriction-free travel bubble since the pandemic hit, which opened on Monday, showed that travel patterns can depart from their norms after such a long closure and may take time to return to normal. "Right now, it's one-way traffic, with almost three times as much travel going to New Zealand as in the opposite direction," said Olivier Ponti, vice president insights at travel data firm ForwardKeys. Before the pandemic hit, travel between the countries was relatively equal despite Australia having a population around five times as large as New Zealand. In 2019, 1.5 million Australians travelled to New Zealand, while 1.4 million New Zealanders travelled to Australia, according to their respective tourism marketing organisations. Ticketing from April 6 to 12 for travel from New Zealand to Australia recovered to 27% of the volume seen in the same period in 2019, while the opposite direction recovered to 69% of the 2019 level, according to ForwardKeys data provided to Reuters. Ponti said the initial travel rush from Australia to New Zealand was probably partly explained by there being around 600,000 New Zealanders living in Australia versus 60,000 Australians living in New Zealand, as well as Australians looking to head to New Zealand's ski fields for holidays. Air New Zealand Ltd said of the 5,200 passengers booked on Monday, 59% were travelling to New Zealand. Qantas Airways Ltd Chief Executive Alan Joyce said last week that demand from the New Zealand end had been sluggish relative to that from Australia, though he expected it would pick up within a few months. Qantas plans to run 83% of its pre-COVID capacity between Australia and New Zealand, while Air New Zealand is flying 70%. Before the pandemic, around 20% of traffic between the countries was comprised of international tourists from places such as the United States and China, Joyce said. The Charger Blog A host of faculty members in the University of New Havens School of Health Sciences have shared their expertise, advice, and insights with media outlets around the world, helping to educate the public about COVID-19. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications Summer McGee, Ph.D., answers WFSB Eyewitness News viewers questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. A dedicated public health expert and educator, Summer McGee, Ph.D., has been front and center on campus, as well as nationally and internationally, going above and beyond to foster awareness and education throughout the global coronavirus pandemic. Dean of the Universitys School of Health Sciences and the Universitys COVID-19 coordinator, Dr. McGee has been a media staple for news organizations reporting on the pandemic. Whether she has answered WFSB Eyewitness News viewers questions about the COVID-19 vaccine or discussed the removal of a mask mandate in Texas, Dr. McGee has offered insights aimed at keeping the public safe. She has also offered her expertise on the development of the vaccines and the importance of achieving herd immunity. Every time there is a new COVID-19 infection, we are giving the virus a chance to mutate and develop more transmissible or deadly variants, Dr. McGee recently told NBC News. The sooner we reach herd immunity and stop chains of transmission, the less impact these variants are likely to have because it will be so much harder for COVID-19 to find an unvaccinated individual. Dr. McGee has not been alone in her efforts to promote public health and safety. Colleague Karl Minges, Ph.D., MPH, chair of the Universitys Health Administration and Policy Department, has, most recently, been discussing the COVID-19 vaccine with a variety of media outlets. He has weighed in on whether or not companies might make the vaccine mandatory, as well as the effectiveness of the vaccine. Theyre highly effective, theyre safe. But at the end of the day, theyre not 100 percent entirely effective, Dr. Minges told Boston 25 News. So, you could have a scenario where someone gets the COVID-19 vaccination and then they are one of the five percent or 10 percent or, in some cases, 20 percent of people who still get the virus. Maybe they dont even know it. And then theyre going to even these small gatherings and spreading that virus. Karl Minges, Ph.D., MPH was recently featured on Boston 25 News. We want to get as many people to get vaccinated as possible The question of whether or not employers can require workers to get the vaccine is a topic that Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, and associate provost of diversity and inclusion, has also discussed with the media. He recently reached a national audience, discussing the issue with Business Insider. "If they are able and willing to incentivize workers to get the vaccine, I commend that because we want to get as many people to get vaccinated as possible," he said, stating that he would be in favor of private employers mandating vaccination while allowing employees with specific objections to opt out. Faculty members have also discussed issues facing Connecticut, as well as states around the country. Jessica Holzer, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Universitys Health Administration and Policy Department, recently spoke with KTVU, a California-based television station, when Santa Clara County officials wanted an exemption from the state's COVID vaccination plan. "The difference between counties in California is that a state-wide protocol is just not going to meet the needs for everyone in the county," she said. "So, county-level professionals are going to know their county best. Theyre going to know their populations, theyre going to know their doctors. Theyre going to know their pharmacies. Theyre just going to have the tightest relationship." Michael Urban, OTD, MBA, M.S. in a recent interview with PIX11 News. Its going to happen within minutes Discussing everything from travel to COVID-19 variants and face coverings, faculty members have answered questions from reporters and the public, clarified misinformation, and offered their evidence-based recommendations to the public. Michael Urban, OTD, MBA, M.S., a senior lecturer and director of the Universitys Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program, offered his insight on vaccine distribution and side effects of the vaccine, in a recent interview with PIX11 News in New York. For some people, it depends on the compound used to make that vaccine, he said. There are different types. People may have a sensitivity or an actual reaction to that compound within the vaccine. Youll know if youre having an adverse reaction like if youre allergic to shellfish. Its going to happen within minutes. People raise their fists during a demonstration near the George Floyd Memorial in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 18, 2021 after the shooting death of Daunte Wright. ((Photo by KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images)) In a Minnesota court on Tuesday, Derek Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of murdering George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, and could face up to 40 years in prison. Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyds family and the community here in Minneapolis, but todays verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world, Ben Crump, an attorney representing the Floyd family, said in a statement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement. The case was seen by many as test for whether the justice system, after nearly a decade of Black Lives Matter activism, would finally begin bringing its weight down on police officers accused of wrongdoing, rather than on people of colour. The trial only lasted a few weeks, and jury deliberations only 10 hours or so, but this verdict follows months of massive protests in Minneapolis and nationwide against systemic racism, and centuries of fighting for a more equal country for Black people. During the trial, jurors, and the public watching from home on a livestream, were reminded of the graphic details of what many people saw in a viral video last summer: Mr Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyds neck for more than nine minutes, pressing him face-first against the pavement during an arrest for a counterfeit $20 bill last May. Mr Floyd was unarmed and in handcuffs throughout his entire arrest, and pleaded for air and told police he couldnt breathe 27 times. Three officers held him down until he lost consciousness and didnt have a pulse without offering any form of medical aid. Police only removed themselves minutes later once paramedics arrived and lifted Mr Floyds limp body onto a stretcher. Video of the incident, which spread widely on social media as many were stuck at home and immersed in the collective despair of the coronavirus pandemic, inspired between 15 and 26 million people in the US to protest against police brutality and systemic racism that summer, the largest mass demonstrations in American history. In Minneapolis, where communities of colour have faced decades of disproportionate police violence, mostly peaceful demonstrations continued for months, and sporadic rioting caused more than $500 million in property damage. Story continues Mr Chauvins conviction will not undo these decades of harm, nor will it change the systems that produced them, but it is nonetheless a watershed moment. Mr Chauvin is only the second on-duty Minneapolis police officer in the departments over 150-year history to be charged with murder, and the first one who is white. Last year, Mohamed Noor, who is Somali-American, was convicted in 2019 of murdering a white woman, Justine Ruszczyk, who had called the police to report a potential sexual assault in progress. (He is appealing the conviction). According to Duchess Harris, a professor of American studies at Macalester College in nearby St Paul, Minnesota, a conviction will not change the entire system, but it does set an example in future cases, while the trial process itself was unprecedented, too. I think that it will set legal precedent, she said. Its going to have a different impact in the world of law than it would in society. In the bigger picture, she says, the trial started new conversations among the numerous people watching it in the community and around the country. A trial like this matters a lot. People were not talking about abolish the police to the extent that they started to talk about it after George Floyd was killed. There have always been activists who were engaging with defunding the police, abolish the police, but it had never gotten to the level of the Minneapolis city council, she added. The trial is also important because it was being live streamed, which is not common. People are quarantined and on their electronics all day every day. The world is watching. In general, it is exceedingly rare for police to be charged with murder. None of the officers who killed Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black people who died in lesser-known police encounters have been convicted of any crimes, and many are never charged to begin with. Now the conviction is not evidence of a working system, said Ebony Chambers, a Black resident of North Minneapolis who volunteers to organize churches and barber shops around social justice issues. A broken clock is right twice a day. The murder of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, and many more is proof that the system needs to be completely overhauled. Just ten miles away from the courthouse where Mr Chauvins trial took place in downtown Minneapolis, police in the suburb of Brooklyn Center killed another unarmed Black man, Daunte Wright, before this historic case could even come to a close. On 11 April, former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter shot and killed Mr Wright, 20, during a traffic stop. Authorities say Ms Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, mistook her gun for her Taser before pulling the trigger. (Ms Potter resigned and has been charged with manslaughter.) Mass protests resumed as a city still mourning the death of one Black man confronted the death of another, this one also captured in graphic video. Kenda Zellner-Smith, 24, grew up in Minneapolis and began collecting murals honouring George Floyd and others killed by police violence that had been painted onto boards used to reinforce buildings during last summers mass protests. For her, it was a way of preserving that moment in time, remembering both the pain and the solidarity that tributes to Black people on plywood could represent. She continued collecting boards throughout this year, until she began seeing a new name written on the walls: Daunte Wright. Were still reeling from that, Ms Zellner-Smith, who is Black, said. You dont know if thats going to be your father, your mother, your uncle your aunt. Whos going to be the next name? Whos going to be the next hashtag thats trending on Twitter? Its been really hard to drive around now and see another name. While officer Chauvin was released on a $1 million bond for months until he was taken back into custody following his verdict, more than 270 people were arrested in recent days for violating curfews and other protest-related offenses. Police have been accused of targeting journalists with riot weapons in violation of a federal court order, flooding nearby apartments with tear gas, and using the kind of violent tactics that sent protestors to the streets in the first place last summer and many seasons before that. Clearly then, the trial has not put an end to the painful estrangement between Minneapolis police and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. Most residents say real justice is not Chauvin or Ms Potter going to jail, but a world where Mr Floyd and Mr Wright, and so many people who look like them but never became headline names, are still alive. However, the trial shone a light on how the city conceives of itself and its law enforcement, and where, at least in this one case, the line been excessive force and proper policing really is in the eyes of law. Meanwhile, on the streets outside the courthouse each day, many argued thats a distinction without a difference. The case ultimately came down to two related questions: did Mr Chauvin use an objectively reasonable amount of force given his training and the situation at the crime scene, and did the knee on Mr Floyds neck cause his death. Mr Floyd, who had been in handcuffs the entire time, initially resisted attempts to be put into a squad car, telling officers he was claustrophobic and afraid of catching Covid again in jail, and kicking and squirming as they tried to force him in anyway. Eventually, after being pulled back out of the car, he submitted and even thanked officers once he was dragged onto the ground. Derek Chauvin did exactly what he had been trained to do over his 19-year career, defence attorney Eric Nelson said during his opening statement. But throughout the trial, numerous current and former Minneapolis police officers, as well as outside experts, testified that Mr Chauvin, a 19-year veteran on the force who had received nearly 900 hours of training, wasnt following department rules or normal police practice when he applied deadly force to the neck of a mostly compliant suspect during a forgery call. Its a low-level crime which often results in a ticket, not a fatal arrest. Theres an initial reasonableness in trying to get him under control in the first few seconds, Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo said. 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, is not part of our training, and is certainly not part of our ethics or values. As rare as it is for police to face charges for killing people in the line of duty, its even rarer for their colleagues to testify against them. Observers have called this reluctance to call out potential wrongdoing from the inside the Blue Wall of Silence. In addition to exploring whether Mr Chauvin used an appropriate, legal amount of force, jurors were tasked with answering what ultimately caused Mr Floyds death. On the witness stand, Dr Andrew Baker, the county medical examiner who performed Mr Floyds autopsy, reiterated his original findings that the death was a homicide. Police restraints were the main cause of death, he concluded, while other factors like Mr Floyds heart disease and drug use played a role without being direct causes. Mr Floyds use of fentanyl did not cause the subdual or neck restraint, he said. His heart disease did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint. Outside experts called by the state reached similar conclusions, ruling out a drug overdose or heart disease. Dr Martin Tobin, a lung specialist, compared police treatment of Mr Floyd to a vice that squeezed the air out of his body. A healthy person subjected to what Mr Floyd was subjected to wouldve died as a result, he said. Another, Dr Bill Smock, argued that officers shouldve carried out their legal duty and career training to provide medical care to someone in their custody much sooner, rather than waiting for the ambulance they called for Mr Floyd. As soon as Mr Floyd is unconscious, he shouldve been rolled over, Mr Smock said. We have documentation on the video that the officer says, I cant find a pulse. Thats clearly, when you look at the video, it shouldve been started way before. The defence argued Mr Floyds underlying health conditions and drug use ultimately killed him, not the knee on his neck. Dr David Fowler, a former Maryland chief medical examiner and an expert witness for the defence, argued a confluence of different factors fentanyl intoxication, pre-existing heart disease, potential exposure to carbon monoxide from a police cars tailpipe, and officers restraints all had an impact on Mr Floyds death. As a result, he said, the cause of death shouldnt be considered a homicide, but rather be understood as undetermined. When you put all of those together, its very difficult to say which of those is most accurate, Dr Fowler said, as part of his day-long turn on the witness stand. I would fall back to undetermined in this particular case. But it was clear to the bystanders who testified that they were witnessing a murder. Its been nights I stayed up, apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more, and not physically interacting and not saving his life, said Darnella Frazier, 18, whose live-streamed cell phone video of the arrest was shared widely. When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles, because theyre all Black, she added. I have a Black father. I have a Black brother. I have Black friends. Another bystander, Donald Williams, who had extensive martial arts training, recalled telling Mr Chauvin his restraint amounted to a blood choke that could kill someone, prompting him to berate officers and eventually call 911. I believe I witnessed a murder. I felt the need to call the police on the police, he said. He just pretty much killed this guy that wasnt resisting arrest, he added. Others, like off-duty firefighter Genevieve Hansen testified about her efforts to provide first aid to Mr Floyd, and how officers kept her away even as Mr Floyd went unconscious and they couldnt find a pulse. Mr Chauvin even reached for his mace at one point in an apparent effort to ward her off. There was a man being killed, and had I had access to a call similar to that I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities and this human was denied that right, she told the court. Notably absent was any testimony from Mr Chauvin himself, who declined to testify, and remained silent and withdrawn as the verdict was announced on Tuesday. Jurors instead were left to draw their own conclusions about his actions from statements caught on police body cameras. Weve got to control this guy because hes a sizeable guy, Mr Chauvin tells a bystander , Charles MacMillian , in an exchange after Mr Floyd was carried away by paramedics. It looks like he was probably on something. In another clip, during the arrest itself, Mr Chauvin can be heard casting doubt that Mr Floyd really wasnt able to breathe. Then stop talking, stop yelling. It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk, Mr Chauvin replies. Multiple medical experts testified during the trial that someone can be in medical and respiratory distress even if they can speak or breathe. Also missing from this trial was any exploration of the deeper factors that influenced the interaction between Mr Floyd and Mr Chauvin, though this is by design, according to University of Minnesota sociologist Michelle Phelps, who studies the criminal justice system. At a very literal level, courts are poorly designed to create structural change. Courts are designed to assess individual guilt and individual culpability, and assign appropriate individual level punishments for those acts, she told The Independent. Even in the rare instance an officer is convicted, Ms Phelps argues, its unclear what kind of deeper impact that can have. Use of force policies and strong penalties for police misconduct have been on the books for decades, yet police continue to kill people without much scrutiny, since courts often differ to an officers judgement. For decades police departments have enacted this violence and faced very little consequence for it, and every day in and day out, there are reports of police misconduct, police violence, she said. Its unclear how much this one case will really shift that, and its unclear too how much in these moment-to-moment interactions, how salient thats going to be for officers. The jury did not hear about Mr Chauvins long record of using force, often against people of colour, which continued through the days just before he arrested George Floyd and resulted in 22 complaints or internal investigations over his 19 years on the force, but only one formal instance of discipline. Nor did the trial probe how Mr Chauvin, who trained other officers, influenced the wider conduct of the police around him. Both the prosecution and the defense insisted this trial wasnt about politics or mass outrage, even as they spoke from a courthouse fortified with tens of thousands of dollars of riot defenses, in a region brimming with thousands of National Guard troops on high-alert, after city officials settled a civil wrongful death suit from George Floyds family for $27 million. There is no political or social cause in this court room, attorney Eric Nelson told the court during opening arguments, and this frame persisted throughout weeks of testimony. This case is called the state of Minnesota vs Derek Chauvin, state prosecutor Steve Schleicher said on Monday in his closing. This state is not called the state of Minnesota versus the police, before adding his case was a pro-police prosecution because it sought to punish someone who deviated from his training. But the facts of life in Minneapolis and Minnesota at large suggest some level of politics and their consequences was inescapable in this fatal arrest and the case that followed. Mr Floyd was a troubled man, in a troubled place, where resources are largely devoted to using police as the primary tool to contend with social problems. Police officers framed their violent arrest of Mr Floyd as necessary because he was high on drugs. Indeed, both post-mortem toxicology reports and Mr Floyds girlfriend confirmed in testimony that he used opioids and methamphetamine. Black people are two times more likely to die of a drug overdose in Minnesota, and the city of Minneapolis spent six times more on police than health services the year Mr Floyd was killed. Charles McMillian, one of the bystanders who watched Mr Floyd die, said he recognized Mr Chauvin from previous patrols in the neighborhood. But the vast majority of Minneapolis police officers, 92 per cent by some estimates, live outside of the city, one of the highest proportions in the country. And those officers are more than seven times more likely to use force on a Black person than a white one, according to a recent New York Times analysis. Regardless of the courts ruling in the Chauvin case, people in the Twin Cities said that following the deaths of Mr Floyd and Mr Wright, a fundamental shift had occurred in the wider culture of the place, though how much that will translate into institutional change reminds to be scene. The continued deaths of Black people at the hands of police, combined with the heavy law enforcement response to mostly peaceful protests that followed, has forged a new consensus among many that the citys approach to public safety needs a fundamental re-imagination. Ms Osman, the arts organizer, said she realized a switch had been flipped as she headed to the first night of the Daunte Wright protests. Even though Brooklyn Center is in the Minneapolis suburbs, out of the reach of much of the citys public transportation, she saw car after car of protestors arrive, many with food and other supplies to share with the community. They have an energy about them that feels really hopeful, she said. Theres something thats different in the way that a lot of protests last summer felt like despair. Its so different to not have been in action for a year, for that to be the first scene, people looking out for each other. Its been a show of community and solidarity. Police violence has always happened in Black communities, and there have always been Black activists fighting back against it, but the movement for a new law enforcement system is increasingly multi-racial in Minnesota. Ive been doing this a long time. Quite frankly for a while I was going to protests and marches and it was just Black people, Ms Bates, from the faith group ISAIAH, said. Wed be there mourning for our kids, crying and wailing, and going home. In recent months, in this past year, we have seen a drastic shift, where folks across race and region are coming together. Ms Harris, the American studies professor, urged people to remember that Black communities have faced violent police tactics since the days of proto-police slave catchers, underscoring just how revolutionary the current shift in popular opinion around policing really is. This is all weve known since before we were even citizens, Mr Harris, who is Black, said. The status quo is over. I dont know how this is going to work on a national level, but I feel very comfortable saying that Minneapolis-St Paul is not going to tolerate the status quo. There will be a push for movement and it will be consistent. That new energy on the ground has inspired a range of responses, even from a set of local leaders whove been reluctant to make big changes to policing in the past. After Mr Floyds death, following months of protests and hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in Minneapolis, the biggest systemic changes the region could muster was outlawing chokeholds, which many argued were already illegal, and cutting a sliver off the Minneapolis police departments $176 million budget, even though the overall ratio of spending on police to other city programs has remained virtually the same. Now, according to Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, elected leaders in Minnesota are finally taking her calls quickly, discussing the organizations model bills, and responding almost instantly to demands for officials in Brooklyn Center to resign or be fired. Weve never seen something where you demand something and they do it right away. That was pretty crazy, she said. Weve had to fight every scrap of every inch along the way, and suddenly the governor, who weve been trying to have meetings with, suddenly reached out to us and wanted to have meetings with us. Deciding what level of the system to reform is anything but simple. Policing is controlled by local government, state law, federal policy, the US Constitution, and centuries of court rulings and civil rights settlements, as well as the much more nebulous world of culture, ideology, identity. Some in Minneapolis, like the the city council and community activists from groups like Black Visions Collective, want to replace the MPD entirely, and are proposing a city charter amendment and November ballot question which could advance such a plan. Others want to renegotiate the police union contract, build more civilian oversight over discipline and police use of force investigations, and shift police resources to other departments like health or housing. At the state level, Democrats are pushing for bills that would make it easier to sue officers, establish more community scrutiny of police, and limit police authority to detain people for minor traffic stops, all of which Governor Tim Walz supports. You have so many different diagnoses of what the problem is, Ms Phelps, the UMN sociologist said. Is it inside or outside policing, or both, and different ideas, even among people who agree on really the long-term vision, what the best short term steps are to get there. Its baked into our system. Policing in the United States is locally administered. Theres over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the country. Some, especially young activists who came of age during the Black Lives Movement and saw how slow the system is to catch up with big shifts in popular feeling, have far less hope that their sense of grief and possibility will turn into concrete change. That hasnt stopped them from fighting for it anyway, though. We will burn it all down again until you guys understand that youre not going to get away with this, said Ms Zellner-Smith, who collected the murals, said. I dont have another option. People that are darker skinned than me dont have another option. They dont have the option to do anything but be resilient and fight back and do what they can. To council member Ellison, the massive police response to the Daunte Wright protests suggests just how far city and state leaders are from understanding the depths of pain Black people go through under the current policing system. Thousands of National Guard troops are in the city, and on Monday, governor Walz declared a state of emergency and called even more officers from out of state to patrol the city. They have this image of our community being these rabid animals with no impulse control, all they want to do is burn things, Mr Ellison, who is Black, said. Its a fantasy that you can only have if youve never taken the time to sit with people, and be with them. No matter what this moment amounts to, theres no denying some kind of cultural shift is taking place at the ground level. Jeanne Burns, the white Minneapolis resident, said that she and her neighbours are trying to weave a new social safety net for Black people in the community in the absence of a government one. Recently, a young Black man on her street in North Minneapolis appeared to be in the midst of a mental health crisis. We knew because he was a Black man and having mental health issues, it wasnt a good idea to call the cops, she said. Eventually though, as the young man began harming himself, they decided they had no choice but to call 911. We felt like we had no other option, she said. A neighbour found somebody whos familiar with mental health issues and brought them over. She called the cops, and had to ask them specifically not to draw their guns, and a bunch of us went over and filmed what was going on. Three police cars showed up, but the young man was eventually loaded into an ambulance not a squad car, and hasnt had any problems since. Ms Burns says where the city goes from here is a complicated issue, one that doesnt fit into easy blocs of opinion based on age or race. She has Black neighbours who dont want to cut the police, having experienced a sense of state abandonment during the crack epidemic of the 1980s, and white ones who want to abolish the MPD after arriving at a newfound consciousness around racism in recent years. But shes hopeful. I hope that the world can see that there can be some amount of justice here, and I hope it can lead to reform, not just reform, but profound change, she said. TICKERS: KSU Source: Streetwise Reports (4/20/21) Shares of Kansas City Southern traded 15% higher after Canadian National Railway Co. made a competing offer to acquire the company in a stock and cash transaction valued at $33.7 billion. Canadian National Railway Co. (CNI:NYSE; CNR:TSX) (CN) announced that it has "made a superior proposal to combine with Kansas City Southern (KSU:NYSE) (KCS) in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $33.7 billion, or $325 per share." The company stated that the merger of the two companies will create "the premier railway for the 21st century, seamlessly connecting ports and rails in the U.S., Mexico and Canada." The competing takeover bid comes less than one month after Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP:NYSE; CP:TSX) (CP) and KCS announced that they had agreed to a $29 billion, $275 per share purchase price for KCS. KCS was not a joint participant in today's announcement, but in a news release did acknowledge that it had received the unsolicited proposal from CN and that its Board of Directors will review the proposal and respond in due course. Canadian National Railway's President and CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest commented, "CN is ideally positioned to combine with KCS to create a company with broader reach and greater scale, and to seamlessly connect more customers to rail hubs and ports in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. CN and KCS have highly complementary networks with limited overlap that will enable them to accelerate growth in single-owner, single-operator, end-to-end service across North America." Canadian National's Board Chair Robert Pace added, "We firmly believe our proposal is far superior to KCS' existing agreement with CP because it offers superior financial value over the immediate and long-term, a more complementary strategic fit, greater choice and efficiencies for customers and enhanced benefits for employees and local communities. We look forward to engaging constructively with KCS' Board and all relevant stakeholders to deliver this superior transaction." In a letter penned to the Board of Directors of KCS, CN's Ruest advised of his company's proposed offer to combine the two firm's operations. Ruest highlighted that "the combination of CN and KCS represents an unparalleled opportunity to create a premier railway for the 21st century connecting ports in the U.S., Mexico and Canada to facilitate trade and economic prosperity across North America." In the letter, Ruest further noted that although CN has not yet undertaken a formal due diligence study of KCS, the firm is well acquainted with KCS and has spent much time examining the benefits of a merger of the two companies businesses. Ruest remarked, "We are convinced that a transaction between CN and KCS on the terms outlined in this letter is clearly superior to the proposed transaction with Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) and constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal" under KCS' merger agreement with CP." Under the terms of acquisition, CN stated that its offer is to pay KCS shareholders $325 per common share as well as to assume approximately $3.8 billion of KCS's debt., which implies a total enterprise value of $33.7 billion. CNS indicated that "under our proposal, KCS shareholders will receive $200 in cash and 1.059 shares of CN common stock for each KCS common share, with KCS shareholders expected to own 12% of the combined company and KCS' preferred shareholders will continue to receive $37.50 in cash for each preferred share." CN claimed that this bid was superior to that from CP in that it is 27% higher than KCS' closing share price as of April 19, 2021 and represents a 21% premium to the implied value of the proposed transaction with CP. CN believes that CN and KCS have highly complementary networks with minimal overlap and the combination will serve to create significant new revenue opportunities that expand the total addressable markets by approximately $8 billion across market in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. CN indicated that its intentions are to continue operating the KCS business in the U.S. and Mexico under the Kansas City Southern name and that it the headquarters of the combined company's U.S. operations will be based in Kansas City, Mo. In addition, CN offered to add four KCS directors to its own Board at the appropriate time. CN advised that its Board of Directors has already unanimously approved the proposal submitted to KC and that it has the financial arrangements lined up in order to go forward without any added delays. The company listed at it has successfully secured $19.3 billion in financing commitments and is prepared to enter into a definitive merger agreement when terms are agreed upon. The company stated that the merger would require the exact same regulatory approvals as those required under the agreement on with CP and that it has the ability to navigate the process. CN commented that unlike the offer from CP, the transaction will not require the specific approval of CN's shareholders. Canadian National Railway is a leading rail and transportation logistics provider headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. The company stated that each year throughout North America it transports greater than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products and finished goods. The firm noted that it is unique in that it is "the only railroad connecting Canada's Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 19,500-mile rail network." Kansas City Southern is a transportation holding company with operations based in Kansas City, Mo. The company owns and operates railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. The firm's primary and largest asset is the Kansas City Southern Railway Company which provides rail services to the central and south central U.S. Kansas City Southern began the day with a market cap of around $22.3 billion with approximately 90.9 million shares outstanding and a short interest of about 1.5 %. KSU shares opened 13.5% higher today at $291.12 (+$34.72, +13.54%) over yesterday's $256.40 closing price and reached a new 52-week high price today of $299.5158.75. The stock has traded today between $290.99and $299.515 per share and closed for trading at $295.50 (+$39.10, +15.25%). [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Stephen Hytha compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Aruba, one of the many tourist magnets in the Caribbean, is mulling the restart of a crude oil refinery after the pandemic devastated the global tourist industry. Reuters reports that the island suffered a 67-percent drop in tourist arrivals last year, which led to a 25.5-percent shrinkage in economic growth, despite the mitigating effect of government stimulus organized with the assistance of the Netherlands, of which it is a constituent country. However, the assistance has conditions tied to it, Reuters notes. The Netherlands had insisted that Aruba effected some reforms, including salary cuts for public servants and economic diversification. The restart of the refinery seems to be one way to diversify the Aruba economy, which like most local ones, is heavily reliant on tourism revenues. The facility has been idled since 2012 when its operator Valero Energy said it wasnt profitable enough to keep operating. The facility has a daily processing capacity of 235,000 bpd of heavy, sour crude. Valero bought it in 2004 from El Paso Corp. for $465 million. Five years later, the U.S. refiner shut down the facility because it incurred a loss on it. Its second shutdown came amid a generally worsened economic situation for Caribbean refineries that also prompted the shutdown of another facility, the Hovensa refinery, on the island of St. Croix. That facility, jointly owned by Hess Corp. and Venezuelas PDVSA, was converted into a terminal. Conversion into a terminal is one possible future for the idled refinery on Aruba. Another, according to the Reuters report, is replacing it with a liquefied natural gas import terminal. The island is reportedly in talks with one U.S. company for the possible construction of an LNG terminal on the refinery site and with another for the restart of the refinery. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: By Joseph White DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co on Tuesday outlined plans to allow remote work after the pandemic, in part to cast a wider net for recruiting programmers, marketers and other talent needed for its connected, electric vehicle strategy. "The future of jobs will not be a one-size fits all approach," the automaker said in a statement explaining its "Work Appropriately" program to cover 155,000 employees worldwide. Instead, many employees will be allowed to keep working remotely, coming to an office as needed, as long as their tasks are not tied to assembly lines or on-site equipment. That would allow GM to recruit a programmer who lives in Boston without requiring that employee to move, GM global talent acquisition director Cyril George told reporters on a videoconference. In North America, GM has already sought to expand its recruiting footprint beyond its Detroit area base by setting up "innovation centers" for employees in technical and marketing fields in Austin, Texas; Chandler, Ariz. and Roswell, GA. GM's more flexible approach to office attendance reflects a broader rethinking of traditional workplace practices across industries, accelerated by the pandemic. For Detroit automakers, an archaic class system of "blue collar" manufacturing workers and "white collar" salaried employees is giving way to a new distinction: Those who must work on-site, and those who can do their jobs remotely. Technology adopted during the pandemic has expanded the universe of GM employees who can work from a distance. Members of the team that developed the GMC Hummer EV were able to remotely monitor testing of a prototype at the company's Milford, Michigan test track, said Jeff Massimilla, executive director of connected customer and mobility solutions. GM officials said the new workplace approach is not aimed at shrinking the automaker's office space, and declined to say what cost impact flexible work policies could have. (Reporting By Joe White; Editing by David Gregorio) Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Rarely does a cinematic exploration of sexual violence make it all the way to the Oscars. The 93rd Academy Awards, however, have proven to be an exception. The film Promising Young Woman seeks to subvert the rape-revenge genre, replacing mindless fantasy tropes with deliberate and realistic elements. Regardless of the films merits (or lack thereof), what this years Oscars have reminded me of is an event over 70 years agothe 21st Academy Awards, in which another cinematic exploration of rape received even more notable attention. The year was 1949. Oscar nominated films included the likes of Joan of Arc (starring Ingrid Bergman) and Laurence Oliviers Hamlet. The film with most nominations, however, was Johnny Belinda. With an awkward title and promotional poster, the movie might not look like anything special to a modern audience, but belying its uncouth outer shell is an artistic powerhouse of a film. To this day, Johnny Belinda remains one of the most Oscar-nominated films in all of cinema history. (It was nominated for a whopping 12 Academy Awards; the current record is 14.) And even though it walked away from the ceremony almost empty-handed, it did secure the Best Actress awarda notable feat, considering Jane Wymans character had no speaking parts in the film. Johnny Belinda is additionally noteworthy because it is recognized as the first Hollywood film specifically about rape, dealing directly with the taboo subject, acknowledging the trauma, judgment, stigma, and lack of assistance to the victims. The way the narrative unfolds demonstrates both traditional and modern sensibilitiesand I mean that in a positive way. Another Promising Young Woman This movie centers on a deaf/mute character named Belinda. Early on in the film, she is raped by one of the townsfolk, and the fallout from that act drives the story forward. The sordid aspects of the assault are explored with discretion and artistic integrity. While there are no instances of gratuitous violence or sexual actions, the effects of sexual violence are poignantly displayed through stellar acting. As an audience, we long for the rapists comeuppance. We dont need to see him commit the actual act in order to believe in his depravity; there is still plenty we see and hear that leads us to despise his character. This movie shows how you can create a despicable antagonist without having to show all the gritty details of his actions. The film is emotionally affecting without resorting to shock-value imagery. Once the reality of the rape is realized by Belindas father and the doctor who has been teaching her sign language, they argue over the logistics of finding the perpetrator and taking him to court. The doctor insists doing so would de facto put Belinda on trial and destroy her. This reality has been played out throughout human history. What we have seen, time and time again, is victims of sexual assault are treated with suspicion and even accusation. They are often the ones who are put on trial, figuratively if not literally. They are asked bogus questions, like, What were you wearing when he raped you? and What did you do to encourage him?as if it is the victims fault for the violence committed against her. Johnny Belinda recognizes this reality, an encouraging acknowledgement in and of itself, but even moreso when considering the film was made in the 1940s. A Promising Approach In contrast with modern films about sexual violence, Johnny Belindas protagonist is not defined by the rape or the rapist. If anything, she is defined by becoming a caretaker and pouring out her love on others (including one vulnerable character in particular), which proves to be a huge part of her healing process. There is one powerful scene about midway through the movie where we realize Belinda refuses to be a victim of her circumstances: after someone close to her dies (and we as an audience know this person was actually killed), she leads all the men around her in the Lords Prayer. Belinda is dealing with yet another tragedy in her life by relying on the Lord rather than herself. Its not an explicit factor throughout the movie, but Gods presence in Belindas life is what empowers her to deal with tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. We might even say the rest of the movie is an answer to her prayer in the above scene. At first, the resulting plot complications dont look like an answer to prayer: circumstances continue to worsen for Belinda, making it feel like the noose is tightening around her neck. Nevertheless, in the end she is vindicated. Whats more, there is a climactic confrontation with the rapist, the details of which I wont share here. What I will say is that her actions provide a stark contrast to modern-day treatments of the subject of rape. In revenge/exploitation films, the rape victim often attempts to enact a retributive form of evil against her rapist, as if the slate can be wiped clean through a further act of violence. Belindas actions reject such a faulty (if understandable) paradigm; she acts decisively, but not out of vengeance, bitterness, or a sense of vigilante justice. No, rather than eat from the forbidden tree of revenge, she chooses a sweeter, better, and more powerful option. Belinda refuses to return evil for evil, and she still winsmore decisively and cathartically than she otherwise would have, in fact. A Promising Form of Justice The reality is that vengeance doesnt satisfy justice. By its very nature, it cannot. Vengeance is unjust, and no amount of injustice can correct a previous act of injustice. As such, the revenge fantasy film is just thata fantasy that allows audiences a false sense of catharsis. It might provide for a certain amount of escapist entertainment, but no real relief or redemptionno narrative cadence. Rather than relying on a twisted sense of justice to conclude its story, Johnny Belinda offers a more genuine and truly redemptive portrayal of justice. As such, it does greater justice to the treatment of rape than a lot of modern films do. So if you want an Oscar-worthy and emotionally affecting depiction of the horrors of sexual assault, forget the latest exploitation flick and check out Johnny Belinda instead. [April 20, 2021] InCloudCounsel Announces Strong Momentum for 2021 as the Company Tackles Increased Volume and Complexity in Legal Contracts InCloudCounsel, the leading technology and services provider of contract automation and intelligence for many of the world's biggest and most innovative companies, today announced tremendous momentum as the company wrapped up its first quarter of 2021, highlighted by a large increase in recurring revenue and customer growth, key hires across the organization, and global expansion in the Asia Pacific region. The first quarter also marked the historic launch of Insight, the first software solution purpose-built for fund obligation management, which kicks off an aggressive product roadmap dedicated to advancements in legal technology that automate and streamline repetitive legal activities. Since the launch, more than a dozen marquee asset managers from leading firms like Silverlake, AllianceBernstein, and Battery Ventures have brought Insight into their businesses. Key Leadership and Employee Additions Further Company Growth InCloudCounsel is in the midst of impressive growth in revenue, customers, and headcount. To support this rapid growth, the company bolstered its leadership team with the strategic appointments of Luke Ruse as General Counsel, Nani Shaffer as VP of Marketing, and Laura Veith as VP of People. Ruse, who serves as InCloudCounsel's first general counsel, manages the day-to-day legal operations and is preparing the company for its next stage of growth. Ruse joined InCloudCounsel with over a decade of legal experience, most recently as partner with Kirkland & Ellis. Shaffer was tapped to lead the marketing department after various leadership roles at DemandBase, and Veith will focus on maintaining an outstanding company culture after holding key positions at AOL, Gawker (News - Alert) , and Etsy. In addition to reinforcing its leadership team, InCloudCounsel continues to bring in top-notch talent across all departments. The company doubled employee headcount in 2020 and is on track to continue this trend by again doubling in size by the end of this year. A large portion of the hires have been in R&D to support an aggressive and innovative technology roadmap-hiring includes roles focused on machine learning, UX, data, dev ops, product management, and engineering. "This is an exciting time for InCloudCounsel and I'mthrilled to welcome so many kind, hard working, and curious people to the team," said Troy Pospisil, CEO of InCloudCounsel. "Our focus has always been to deliver global enterprises and talented lawyers the freedom to focus on impactful, engaging work by automating and streamlining repetitive legal activities. In order to do so successfully, we are dedicated to building a values-focused, world-class team of talented and passionate professionals across all functions of the company." Industry-First Product Launch and Strong Roadmap Showcase Dedication to Legal Technology According to Wolters Kluwer, more than 70% of lawyers are dealing with an increased volume of contracts and level of complexity in contract information. As a result, they are looking for productivity and efficiency gains to alleviate the manual labor associated with repetitive legal activities, which is the goal of InCloudCounsel's product set. Just last month the company launched Insight, the first purpose-built software solution that allows fund managers to organize and actively manage obligations to their investors across all of their funds in one centralized platform. Insight turns complex legal contracts-like side letters, limited partnership agreements and MFN elections-into data and allows fund managers to assign obligations to individuals across their organization, track compliance with obligations in real time and build a comprehensive digital audit trail. In addition, InCloudCounsel's product roadmap remains hyper focused on transforming legal technology through contract automation and intelligence. The company is investing heavily in data infrastructure and machine learning and has built a human-in-the-loop system to feed their mountain of data back into their AI predictions. "Combining our machine learning tools with our contract data and volume creates a rare opportunity for us to continuously expand our position as a market leader," said Mitch Spierer, VP of Product at InCloudCounsel. "This human-in-the-loop system means that over time our process will continue to be better, faster, and cheaper than any alternative so that our customers have the freedom to focus on the higher value aspects of their jobs that require creative human attention." Expansion in APAC Signals InCloudCounsel's Strong Global Presence InCloudCounsel further expanded its footprint in the Asia Pacific region with the recent opening of an office in Singapore, following the opening of Hong Kong office last fall. By continuing its expansion into Singapore, InCloudCounsel furthers its ability to provide truly global solutions for existing and potential customers operating in the Asia Pacific region. To support InCloudCounsel's growing presence, the company continues to appoint strong global leadership talent with Jon Crandall as Managing Director for Asia Pacific and Oscar Wang as Sales Director in Hong Kong. To learn more about InCloudCounsel, visit www.incloudcounsel.com. About InCloudCounsel InCloudCounsel is a legal technology company that combines highly experienced corporate attorneys with cloud-based software to offer a scalable, end-to-end solution for negotiating and managing routine legal work. We help many of the world's leading companies effectively streamline their contract processes, free up resources, and achieve substantial cost savings. Our global network of highly experienced attorneys are specialists in specific document types in asset management, investment banking, real estate, and healthcare. The InCloudCounsel software platform is designed to maximize organization, efficiency, and insight by providing a robust set of document management and data reporting capabilities. Each customer-specific solution is led by a dedicated account manager with deep Big Law experience to ensure a consistent, high-quality work output. InCloudCounsel is headquartered in San Francisco, California. with global operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at incloudcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005002/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Twitter users have gone wild over the news that Marks & Spencer is suing Aldi over a copycat version of their 7 Colin the Caterpillar cake - and shared hilarious memes to poke fun at the decision. The grocery giant claimed Aldi was 'riding on the coat-tails' of its reputation and launched an intellectual property claim with the High Court last week week. And since the news broke, social media users have rejoiced with #CaterpillarWars and #FreeCuthbert trending. Morrisons also joined the trend joking their cake Morris was in disguise to not get caught One Twitter user joked that Netflix would be making a documentary about the trial of the cakes Some have joked other supermarket's caterpillar cakes - such as Sainsbury's Wiggles for 6 and Tesco Curly the Caterpillar - will form a jury to help. Some have joked other supermarket's caterpillar cakes - such as Sainsbury's Wiggles for 6 and Tesco Curly the Caterpillar - will form a jury to help. Others have used a meme of Oprah made popular by Harry's and Meghan's interview, asking the cakes if they were 'silent or silenced'. Some even joked the cakes will appear on the now defunct Jeremy Kyle show to resolve their issues. M&S has argued the similarity of Aldi's 4.99 Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake to its product misleads consumers, who might think they are of the same standard. Some joked that M&S new 'cake in the jar' in the Colin variety was 'sent to Cuthbert as a warning' Others have used the meme made popular by Harry's and Meghan's Oprah interview, asking the cakes if they were 'silent or silenced' Aldi have also got in on the action, in a series of Twitter posts, the German discounter joking online that they were planning to pitch a ten-part documentary to Netflix with the title 'Making a Caterpillar', a reference to the popular series Making a Murderer. In another post, they shared an image of their rival product with prison bars over the front of it. Above the image they wrote: 'Packaging update'. They also mocked M&S's name by calling it 'Marks & Snitches' and jokingly referred to its famous advertising tagline by adding: 'This is not just any court case, this is...'. One person shared a picture of a caterpillar cake in legal gear joking they were the lawyer Other shared pictures of their homemade Colin Caterpillar cakes saying they 'hope they don't sue' Topical: One social media compared the saga to Line of Duty saying they were interested in 'catching bent caterpillars' M&S only launched their legal action against ALDI, but other supermarkets also carry similar products on their shelves. Sainsbury's sells a caterpillar cake called Wiggles for 6 and Tesco features Curly the Caterpillar for the same price. Despite this, M&S wants Aldi to remove the cake from sale as well as agree not to sell anything similar in the future. In their Twitter response, Aldi also joked in one post: 'Just Colin our lawyers'. They also referenced their other rivals' versions by adding: 'Cecil, Wiggles, Curly, Clyde. We got you.' Another post showed a jokey court sketch of Cuthbert the Caterpillar flanked by guards, along with a hash tag of 'FreeCuthbert'. Another joked that UK Twitter was at a standstill over the cake saga comparing it to the Suez Canal blockage One Twitter user even joked that Cuthbert and Colin will be on the Jeremy Kyle show Bank Monzo even joked that they were starting a legal fund for Cuthbert to fund his defence Another person compared the law case to Mr Bean meeting a Queen's Guard who famously cannot laugh The British High Street favourite launched Colin the Caterpillar around 30 years ago and his appearance has been substantially unchanged since around 2004, except for adaptations for events such as Halloween and Christmas, and related products such as Connie the Caterpillar. They also sell a gummy sweet version of Colin Caterpillars. Meanwhile, reports of the Cuthbert the Caterpillar version first emerged in 2019. Earlier this week, M&S took to Instagram with an image of the signature cake which was annotated with the slogan: 'The original and the best' Two years ago M&S responded to a customer's Tweet about Aldi's cake with a picture of spiderman and the comment: 'Hmm, my spidey senses are tingling... we definitely spot an impostor.' The product is central to M&S's partnership with cancer charity Macmillan, and the retailer has created a Colin product for the annual World's Biggest Coffee Morning fundraising event. The cake is a sponge with milk chocolate and buttercream, topped with chocolate sweets and a smiling white chocolate face. M&S has three trademarks relating to Colin, which the retailer believes means Colin has acquired and retains an enhanced distinctive character and reputation. Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer delighted fans by releasing individual versions of Colin the Caterpillar's face for just 1. Colin's Mini Faces quickly became one of the bestselling confectionery lines at M&S Food after the retailer launched them to celebrate their 30th anniversary last August. Identical to the cake, Colin's face is made of solid, creamy white chocolate with milk chocolate eyes. Colin has also been central to Marks & Spencer's marketing campaign, and they've delighted fans with a series of TikTok videos, which sees Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar reenact a famous love scenes. Amelia Gray Hamlin recently returned from yet another vacation with her boyfriend Scott Disick in sunny Miami. And the 19-year-old model daughter of Real Housewives vet Lisa Rinna continues to spend time with the 37-year-old reality star as she took an afternoon dip in his pool. Wearing a colorful bandeau top and bright orange bikini bottoms she showcased her abs while not-so-coyly asking: 'water you all up to on this fine monday?' Quick dip: Amelia Gray Hamlin, 19, showcases her abs in a colorful bandeau top while taking a dip in boyfriend Scott Disick's pool Amelia kept her face to the sun while flaunting her model figure and tanlines as she posed in the Hidden Hills infinity pool. Disick had taken to Instagram on more than a few occasions to share snaps of he and Kourtney Kardashian's three kids by the pool, which ties Amelia to his backyard. And one of Disick's longtime buddies David Einhorn who is partners with Kardashian-adjacent nightlife kingpin Dave Grutman commented 'get that sun booo,' as she continues to be inducted into his circle. The pair first stepped out together in October ahead of Kendall Jenner's birthday party and continue to get serious. Spending time: Disick had taken to Instagram on more than a few occasions to share snaps of he and Kourtney Kardashian's three kids by the pool, which ties Amelia to his backyard They celebrated New Year's in Tulum and Valentine's Day in Miami ahead of which they went Instagram official. Though Scott had shared on Keeping Up With The Kardashian's that Kourtney would always be a 'priority' in his life, which caused a fallout with girlfriend of nearly three years Sofia Richie, it has been reported that Amelia is 'not bothered' by the relationship. 'Amelia's not bothered by Kourtney,' a source told Us Weekly on April 9. 'Scott and Amelia have been enjoying spending a lot of time together and hanging out with their friends. Their relationship has been heating up and you can totally tell they're serious,' the insider added. Additionally it was said that the strength of their relationship is evident in that he is opting to spend more time with Amelia than Kourtney. 'Scott's relationship with Amelia is different from his last in that he's spending more time with Amelia and not Kourtney.' Heating up: An Us Weekly source said 'Their relationship has been heating up and you can totally tell they're serious,' as they continue to spend time together on both coasts; pictured April 7 Gushing tribute: Scott paid tribute to Kourtney on her 42nd birthday April 18 where he called her 'the best mom and some more' It was noted that the model is in no way 'jealous' of the couple's history and that any type of relationship they might have is 'not an issue.' The Talentless designer paid tribute to his former partner on her 42nd birthday writing: 'Happy birthday 2 the best mom a child could ask for and some more!' Despite the well wishes and his previous hinting that he still loved Kourtney, the Poosh founder currently in the throws of love with longtime friend turned boyfriend Blink-182's Travis Barker. Recently Amelia showed off a few beaded bracelets to pay tribute to her beau, one that reads 'Scott' and another that reads 'The Lord' a nod to his nickname and Instagram handle. And she had previously called him 'my dream man,' in a loved up snap of the two at dinner, but despite her affection for the Talentless designer it seems her parents Lisa and Harry Hamlin have still been processing it. Quality time: 'Scott's relationship with Amelia is different from his last in that he's spending more time with Amelia and not Kourtney,' the insider added Devotion: The model debuted a series of beaded bracelets to pay tribute to her man, one that read 'the lord' and another that read 'Scott' In a teaser for the upcoming season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Amelia can be seen telling Lisa she's going to hang out with her 'friend, Scott,' which elicits some shocked reactions from the ladies on account of their age gap. Castmate Kyle Richards says 'he's too damn old,' to which Rinna responds 'I know!' the sister of Kathy Hilton later adding 'and he's got three kids.' Despite the seemingly large age gap which Amelia had hit back at before as she talked about people being 'weird and judgemental,' the Us insider said that it's not an issue for them. 'They have more in common than people would think... He sees himself as being younger than he is. Amelia is really mature and acts older than she is, so they get along pretty well.' Thirteen of the 19 crewmen aboard the Seacor Power when it left Port Fourchon on Tuesday are now either dead or presumed to have perished in the Gulf of Mexico, as the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday halted its massive search-and-rescue operation around the capsized boat on its seventh day. The grim news of an end to the Coast Guard search came to family members of the eight missing crewmen in a firehouse in Port Fourchon where many have held vigil, awaiting good news that hasnt come. The Seacor Power left the port Tuesday afternoon before running into a fierce storm and capsizing eight miles out. The presumed death toll would make it among the worst maritime accidents in the Gulf in recent memory. The Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 killed 11 workers. Divers working for Seacor Marine, the company that owns and operated the lift boat, will continue to sweep it, the companys president said in his first public appearance since the calamity. But the Coast Guard said Monday it was making way for the National Transportation Safety Board, as the response turned from rescue to recovery and salvage. "We've had to make the difficult decision to suspend search and rescue efforts at sunset today," said Capt. Will E. Watson, commander of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. "The overall factor is the probability that a person can survive given the conditions they're experiencing." Six of the 19-member crew were rescued in the search for survivors Tuesday night, after the Seacor Power flipped in 60 feet of water during a storm that produced hurricane-force winds. None have been rescued since. The remains of five crewmen, Louisianans from across the state, had been recovered as of Monday. Soon after officials announced an end to the Coast Guard search, relatives of 36-year-old crewman Lawrence Warren were pulling up to his home in the Jefferson Parish community of Terrytown. Lafourche Parishs coroner identified Warren as the fifth confirmed death of a crew member. Dr. John King, the coroner, said Warren's remains were recovered from the second level of the capsized lift boat. A relative said it had been a grueling day and that the family wouldnt have an immediate comment. The relative said Warrens survivors included his wife of eight years and a young daughter. Photographs on social media show him celebrating holidays with them, teaching his daughter how to ride a bicycle with training wheels and holding her at a Carnival parade with a float in the background. The other crew members whose bodies have been recovered since Wednesday were Anthony Hartford, 53 of New Orleans; James Tracy Wallingsford, 55, of the northeast village of Gilbert; Capt. David Ledet, 63, of Thibodaux; and Ernest Williams, 69, of Arnaudville. Officials havent released the names of the eight missing Seacor Power crewmen. Members of the Seacor Powers extended family, however, have identified them as Jay Guevara, Dylan Daspit, Gregory Walcott, Quinon Pitre, Chaz Morales, Jason Krell, Darren Encalade and Cooper Rozands. Guevara, Daspit, Walcott and Pitre are from the Acadiana region. Morales is a Slidell resident; Encalade is from Belle Chasse; Rozands is from Houma, and Krell is from Texas, according to information in online public records. Ledets body was recovered Wednesday in waters near the vessel and the Coast Guard found Williams on Thursday about 30 miles to the west of the Seacor Powers wreckage. Divers found the bodies of Hartford and Wallingsford on Friday night in the vessel's port side engine room. Warren was on the second of three levels between the ship's boat house and galley when Seacors hired divers pulled him from the wreckage. The divers were working amid much improved weather conditions Sunday and Monday following several days of storms across the region that kept divers out of the water in the earliest days of the search. Forecasters expect the weather to be clear through Friday, which should aid the contracted divers efforts to finish searching the doomed ship. 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 John Gellert, president and CEO of Seacor Marine Holdings Inc., said 17 divers were in the water on Monday, when for the first time he addressed questions about the decision to leave port ahead of a storm. Gellert said the "go/no-go decision" to depart Port Fourchon in bad weather was "entirely the captain's. He described the boats captain as a "very prudent and conservative" mariner with five decades of experience. Gellert declined to detail communications that led up to the decision to depart, deferring to the NTSB investigation into the 234-foot-long jack-up barge. But he confirmed that a leg of the vessel that remained out of the water was partially extended, about five feet. That suggested that the captain had been trying to lower its legs to put the Seacor Power in its more stable position, standing on the sea floor. With their legs up in transit, lift boats are top heavy and not meant for rough seas. Gellert suggested an apparent attempt to lower the boats legs didn't last long before it capsized. It would have taken a minute for the legs to retract those five feet, but 12 minutes to reach the sea floor 60 feet below. "The weather they ultimately encountered was well beyond the forecast," Gellert said. Reports from the vessel were normal until very shortly before the incident occurred. One of the six rescued crew members was on the bridge with the captain before the vessel capsized and would have been involved in deciding whether to set out, Gellert said. He said contract divers had been through about half the vessel and would continue to search as weather conditions allow. "The families continue to have hope and prayers and we would like everyone to continue their thoughts and prayers for the families of those still missing," Gellert said. NTSB officials have been on the ground in Louisiana since last week, for a probe that lead investigator Drew Ehlers said will take between 12 and 24 months. The investigation will look at the weather conditions at the time of the accident. It will also look at the people involved, the vessel and its equipment. NTSB officials are asking people who were on the water that day and may have seen something to contact eyewitness@ntsb.gov. Ehlers said Seacor Marine will develop a salvage plan for the lift boat, which the Coast Guard must approve before it is brought into shore and searched. "We will go through the vessel inch by inch to see what we can find out," Ehlers said. Watson, the Coast Guard commander, described a lot of hugging and a lot of crying" at the meeting with families on Monday. "There was a lot of sadness and grief." Spencer Gremillion, a friend of Guevara, had been posting updates on social media following briefings given to the Seacor Power crews loved ones. On Monday, he wrote: The families and friends need your prayers as well as the rescue teams. Its never easy. The search involved four Coast Guard Cutter crews, airplanes and helicopters and spanned 172 hours and 9,200 nautical square miles. After six anxious days, family members of the missing crewmen had few words Monday. The Coast Guard did all they could, said Maddy Boteler, Morales 17-year-old niece, as she headed back home. A member of the National Guard stands outside the Library of Congress in Washington on April 17, 2021. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images) DC National Guard Approves Deployment of 250 Troops Ahead of Verdict in Chauvin Trial The D.C. National Guard on Monday approved the deployment of 250 troops requested by the city ahead of the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who faces second-degree murder and other charges in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. City officials initially, however, had requested as many as 1,000 troops ahead of the verdict, as city leaders anticipated potential civil unrest, The Associated Press reported. The death of Floyd, an African American man who died in Minneapolis police custody, sparked peaceful protests as well as riots, arson incidents, vandalism, and looting nationwide last summer, leading to tens of millions of dollars in property damage. A police officer stands amid smoke and debris as buildings continue to burn in the aftermath of a night of protests and violence following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Several Black Lives Matter supporters have suggested that if Chauvin isnt found guilty, there will be further riots and violence. The D.C. National Guard confirmed on Monday that acting Army Secretary John Whitley approved the deployment of 250 troops after days of debate and discussion. In an April 8 request signed by Christopher Rodriguez, director of the citys Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the city asked the D.C. Guards commander, Maj. Gen. William Walker for six teams to monitor Metro stops, Guard members to staff 30 traffic checkpoints, and a quick reaction force of at least 300 guardsmen to be staged at the D.C. Armory with the ability to respond within thirty (30) minutes to a request for assistance. Calling the request precautionary, Rodriguez noted the potential for First Amendment demonstrations to occur in the District of Columbia in response to the verdict. These demonstrations are congruent with the demonstrations that occurred during 2020, where the District saw a large influx of participants and general disorder and criminal activity, he said. He asked that the troops be ready to assist local law enforcement beginning Monday. The D.C. National Guard said in a statement that troops are approved to assist law enforcement until May 9. Other areas also activated troops, including Illinois. According to The Associated Press, the request for as many as 1,000 troops has been met with frustration from Defense and Guard officials who believe the city is relying too heavily on National Guard troops and should instead be seeking support from federal law enforcement agencies in the region. Some 26,000 National Guard troops were deployed in the nations capital for the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20 in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. In March, Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, expressed concerns about the ongoing D.C. deployment requests. Hokanson said in a memo that the continued indefinite nature of this requirement may also impede our ability to man future missions as both adjutants general and guardsmen alike may be skeptical about committing to similar endeavors. It would be preferable, he said, if D.C. pursued other law enforcement options. Guard members have to take time off their regular jobs when called to serve. Separately, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has deployed 125 National Guard troops to Chicago ahead of Chauvins verdict, which is expected to be reached in the coming days. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan A veteran Pakistani journalist who has been critical of the countrys powerful military establishment was shot near his home on Tuesday but survived, officials said. The shooting sent a chill through Pakistans journalist community, which has come under withering pressure from the military and its allies in the nations governing party. The journalist, Absar Alam, who has also served as the chairman of the countrys electronic media regulatory authority, was wounded when he was shot during an evening walk at a park near his residence in Islamabad. Officials said Mr. Alam was in stable condition. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the countrys interior minister, said he had ordered an investigation, and Fawad Chaudhry, the information minister, condemned what he called an assassination attempt. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 15:48:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Tuesday said he greatly valued China's leading role in helping other countries to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In a speech delivered via a videoconference to the opening session of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021, Hun Sen said the COVID-19 pandemic continues posing serious threats to global public health and overall development. "No country is safe unless all countries are safe," he said. "Cambodia greatly values China's attentiveness and commitment in the implementation of the Health Silk Road under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the leading role in providing medicines, medical supplies and COVID-19 vaccines in a timely manner to many countries," he added. The Cambodian prime minister said China's humanitarian assistance "bears vivid testimony of China's global leadership." He also expressed his profound gratitude to the government and people of China for supplying medicines, medical supplies and COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia. The 2021 BFA was held online and offline in Boao, a coastal resort in South China's Hainan Province, under the theme "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation." Hun Sen said the world does need a global governance that upholds multilateralism and respects international laws and sovereignty of each individual nation, regardless of its size or wealth, with the United Nations as the core. "Cambodia recognizes the central role of multilateralism in addressing complex and interconnected global challenges. In this context, each country should play more active roles in global governance with a flexible, constructive and responsible manner," he said. Speaking of the BRI, Hun Sen foresees a more reinvigorated BRI that is capable of bringing about solidarity among all countries to contribute to the recovery process. He said the positive momentum achieved under the BRI, since its inception, has contributed to boosting regional and global cooperation in terms of hard and soft infrastructures, economy, trades, investment opportunities, cultural exchange, and people-to-people connectivity. "At the time of this economic downturn, BRI remains as a driving force to continue expanding cooperation among countries in the region and the world for the cause of peace, security, prosperity and sustainable development," he said. Enditem People hold up signs during a demonstration against Bill 21 in Montreal, Sunday, October 6, 2019. The controversial Quebec secularism law bans some public-sector employees from wearing religious symbols in the workplace. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes) Quebec Court Upholds Most of Provinces Controversial Secularism Law, Exempts English School Boards MONTREALThe Quebec Superior Court has largely upheld the provinces law that bans certain public sector workers from wearing religious symbols on the job. Justice Marc-Andre Blanchard did however rule that certain provisions of the law are unconstitutional as they pertain to English school boards. The judge also struck down a ban on members of the national assembly wearing face coverings. Bill 21 was adopted in June 2019 and prohibits public sector workers who are deemed to be in positions of authority, including teachers, police officers and judges, from wearing symbols such as hijabs, kippas or turbans at work. In a ruling of nearly 240 pages, Blanchard concluded that Bill 21 does not violate the Canadian constitutional architecture or the rule of law. The law made pre-emptive use of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms notwithstanding clause, which shields legislation from most court challenges over violations of fundamental rights. In a bid to get around the notwithstanding clause, the plaintiffs had invoked certain guarantees that they maintained were not covered by the notwithstanding clause. Blanchard wrote that the use of the notwithstanding clause was legal, though excessive. The use by the legislator of exemption clauses appears excessive, because its too broad, although legally unassailable in the current state of the law, the decision reads. While he concluded that certain clauses in the bill violate Section 23 of the charter, which guarantees minority language rights, he declined to overturn the substance of the law. The plaintiffs notably invoked the sexual equality guarantees in Section 28 of the charter, arguing that the law disproportionately affects women particularly Muslim women who wear hijabs. Blanchard found that while the evidence undoubtedly shows that Muslim teachers will be the most impacted by the law, he disagreed with the plaintiffs argument that the relevant segment of the charter is not covered by the notwithstanding clause. Section 28 of the Canadian charter, which guarantees equal rights for both sexes, has no scope other than interpretive and it does not independently invalidate laws, the decision reads. In a series of Twitter messages, the English Montreal School Board said it was elated with the decision to strike down the provisions of the law that pertain to it. We value the diversity of our students and staff and respect their personal and religious rights, which are guaranteed both by the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights, board chairman Joe Ortona wrote. This legislation runs contrary to what we teach and to the culture of respect for individual rights and religious freedoms within Englishlanguage schools. JAKARTA (dpa-AFX) - United Airlines is adding three new flights to Croatia, Greece and Iceland, which are starting to reopen to vaccinated visitors. The move would give travelers more options for summer travel by flying direct to these countries. Last month's searches on United.com for flights to Croatia, Greece and Iceland were up 61 percent. Starting in July, United will offer new direct flights to Dubrovnik, Croatia from Newark Liberty International Airport; to Athens, Greece from Washington Dulles International Airport; and to Reykjavik, Iceland from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, all subject to government approval. United will add service to Croatia on July 8, and will expand service to Greece and Iceland beginning July 1. All services will be operating through October 3. Booking for the new routes at United.com and on the United mobile app started on Monday. Responding to increased demand, United is also adding three new markets in Africa, with Ghana beginning May 14, Lagos, Nigeria later this year and South Africa beginning June 3, subject to government approval. The company is also expanding its India portfolio to 5 daily flights beginning May 27; growing service to Tel Aviv, Israel; and resuming service to Rome and Milan, and to Munich, Amsterdam, and Tokyo Haneda. In June, United will resume flights between San Francisco and Tahiti. As more travelers begin to plan long-awaited getaways with family and friends, United Airlines in late March had announced a robust May schedule that includes the addition of 26 new nonstop routes between Midwest cities and popular vacation destinations. United said in total, it plans to operate 52% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019. The travelers are required to upload their COVID-19 testing and vaccine documentation through United's Travel-Ready Center to get it certified ahead of check-in. With this, customers can get their boarding pass before getting to the airport. The company added that vaccinated travelers may still be subject to local country restrictions related to quarantines, testing, curfews and other requirements. 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. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 20 April 2021: The Report Nordic Regulatory Affairs Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Service, By Service Provider, By Company Size, By Category, By Product Stage, By Indication, By End-use, By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028 The Nordic regulatory affairs market size is expected to reach USD 272.7 million by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2021 to 2028. An increase in R&D activities in countries such as Denmark and Norway, drug pipeline, and clinical trial applications are some of the key factors expected to drive the market. Denmark is the hub of R&D activities in Europe. The country is known for its long tradition for collaborative R&D and the fastest approval of clinical trials makes it a preferred destination to perform drug discovery and development. Denmark also has the largest commercial drug-development pipeline in Europe. Thus, the urge for a faster drug approval process is one of the key factors expected to drive the market in the country. In Sweden, as stated by the SwedenBIO, around 148 companies have 420 drug development projects; an increase by 51 projects compared to 2016. In addition, around 6% of the total exports from Sweden are related to pharmaceuticals. Hence, this is projected to create demand for regulatory affairs services in the country. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is expected to create the need for regulatory affairs in the Nordic countries. Countries such as Sweden and Denmark, which are the hub of clinical trials, are expected to witness an increase in demand for regulatory services as many of the trials are put on hold. In addition to this, due to COVID-19, a significant number of vaccines and drugs are in the development stage, which requires faster approval. This is possible only through clearance by regulatory bodies. Thus, the need for regulatory affairs is expected to increase in the Nordic countries. Access Research Report of Nordic Regulatory Affairs Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/nordic-regulatory-affairs-market Nordic Regulatory Affairs Market Report Highlights By service, the regulatory writing and publishing segment led the market in 2020 owing to an increase in the outsourcing of selected regulatory functions by major life sciences companies Based on category, the medical devices segment held the largest share in 2020. The segment is driven by stiff competition owing to the increased demand for wearable devices Sweden dominated the market with a share of 59.6% in 2020 due to a rise in the number of drug development projects Changing regulatory landscape, increasing need for companies to focus on core business activities, and economic and competitive pressures are the main factors responsible for the market growth List of Key Players of Nordic Regulatory Affairs Market Pharma Assist Sweden AB GenPact Ltd. PRA Health Sciences Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. ICON plc Parexel International Corporation, Inc. Freyr Global Pharma Consultancy AB Accell Clinical Research LLC Regsmart Lifesciences AB Access Press Release of Nordic Regulatory Affairs Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/nordic-regulatory-affairs-market-analysis A nurse who hunts in her spare time was cruelly targeted by trolls who said they would 'put her baby in a blender' after she posted pictures of dead animals online. Kate Small, 30, from Boise, Idaho, began hunting with her stepfather Tom when she was 19-years-old, something she now does with her husband Justin and hopes to share with her two daughters. The registered nurse insisted hunting promotes sustainability by managing animal populations, but she has received massive backlash for her love of the hobby. After posting photographs of her dead hunts online, Kate received 'thousands' of death threats from trolls who threatened to kill her daughter Finley, two. Kate Small, 30, from Boise, Idaho, was targeted by trolls who said they would kill her 'baby in a blender' after she posted pictures of dead animals online (pictured with a wolf she harvested) Despite the grisly threats, Kate tries to laugh them off and said condemning someone for hunting animals and then threatening to kill their pets and children is a double standard. Kate said she gets the most backlash on her photographs of dead bears, which she believes is because people see them as 'cute or cuddly'. She explained: I'd never wish these comments on my worst enemy. I've received thousands of death threats and hundreds of people have told me they will rape and murder my two-year-old daughter. 'I recall one person saying, "I'm going to put your baby in a blender and listen to her scream." 'I've also had people say they are doing to murder my dogs which doesn't make any sense. If you're mad that I've killed an animal, why would you then kill an animal? 'Sometimes I respond. I try and educate and explain but sometimes my sarcasm gets the better of me and I'll approach it with humor.' The nurse began hunting with her stepfather Tom when she was 19 years old, something she now does with her husband Justin and hopes to pass on to her two daughters After posting photographs of her dead hunts online, Kate received 'thousands' of death threats from cruel trolls who threatened to kill her daughter Finley, two, and her dogs Kate said she gets the most backlash on the pictures of dead bears (above) she shares online, which she believes is because people see them as 'cute or cuddly' Kate said hunters are able to manage animal populations by hunting certain species and without this, herds could suffer from an overabundance of predators or lack of vegetation. She said that she salvages enough meat in the hunting season to feed her family for most of the year, while she uses the animal hide and head for mounting. Kate claimed that because each animal is hunted for meat or conservation, very little goes to waste. The only animals Kate does not eat are wolves or vermin species like badgers and coyotes due to the parasites they carry. She explained: 'Hunting truly is conservation. We do it to help manage wildlife in the United States. 'I salvage as much meat as I possibly can. I never take animals for fun. It's always for food or conservation.' The biggest animal Kate has hunted was a Shiras moose, which weighed around 1,000lbs and was six-feet tall, while her hardest kill was a wolf because they are 'extremely intelligent with extraordinary vision'. She has received an outpouring of support from within the hunting community, but the photographs of dead animals she has posted online prompted floods of hateful messages. She added: 'I've been fortunate enough to have received a lot of support from the hunting community. There's nothing but love and positivity from those who understand. 'For those who don't, I get questions from people who are curious and want to know more and then of course, there's the plain old-fashioned hate. 'It's usually geared toward my wolf or bear hunting pictures because people tend to see these predators as cute or cuddly.' Kate began hunting with her stepfather Tom when she was 19-years-old, who she also spent months with setting up trail cameras and tracking animal behaviours. She explained: 'My stepdad had grown up hunting and it was something he wanted to pass along to me. 'I started joining him when I was nineteen and it was a way for us to bond and connect. It quickly became a passion of mine and it's still something we do together. Kate said the biggest animal she has hunted was a Shiras moose (pictured), which weighed around one-thousand-pounds and was six-feet tall The hunter insisted she has an 'immense respect' for animals and 'deeply cares' about them, while she is keen to educate others on the benefits and legality of hunting Kate, who hunts with her husband Justin, hopes to teach her daughters (all pictured) as she is keen on providing for her family and values the organic meat she is able to harvest 'It takes months of effort and strategizing including finding the right areas, setting up trail camera, tracking animal habits, and preparing for days to weeks spent in the backcountry. 'On a typical day, I'd get up before sunrise and find a good area to glass from at first light. Once I've spotted an animal, I will stalk in on it - factoring in wind and thermals so it doesn't catch your scent. 'You can end up hiking for over ten miles in one day. If you are lucky enough to harvest an animal then the real work begins - quartering the animal, and preserving and packing the meat and hide. 'It's trying work yet very rewarding. If I'm not working, I'm usually hunting.' Kate, who now hunts with her husband Justin, hopes to teach her children hunting because she said she is keen on providing for her family and values the organic, nutritious meat that she is able to harvest. She continued: 'I like being able to know exactly where my food came from and that I worked hard to get it. I can provide organic, nutritious meals for my family. 'At the same time, I can create everlasting memories with friends and family. Even if I don't harvest an animal, memories made on a mountain whilst battling the elements and being pushed to your limits are invaluable. 'Hunting is a way of life; being able to connect with Mother Nature, watching and learning the habits of God's creatures, the views as the sun rises and hits a mountain peak. 'It's a mind game that tests not just your physical endurance, but mental resilience too.' Despite the negative backlash from her hunting, Kate said she is keen to educate others on the benefits of hunting, including its 100 per cent legality and the fact that hunters raise more money for domestic wildlife conservation than any other group in the United States. She insisted that she has an 'immense respect' for animals and 'deeply cares' about them, while she said she is always happy to answer questions from people on social media. Kate explained: 'If people have questions, I'm more than happy for people to contact me on Instagram. It's important to me to educate those who don't understand. 'All of the hunting I do is one-hundred per cent legal and I would like people to know that hunters raise more money for conservation than any other group combined. Kate said salvages enough meat in the hunting season to feed her family for most of the year, while she uses the animal hide and head for mounting The nurse (pictured with dead bear) insisted that 'Mother Nature' is more cruel than hunting, saying she believes a 'single shot' is a 'much better way to go' rather than dying slowly Kate (pictured with kill) said hunters are able to manage animal populations by hunting certain species in the United States and without this, herds could suffer from overpopulation 'I have an immense respect for animals and deeply care about them. Every year, fish and game quotas are released specifying how many of each species in each particular area can and should be hunted. 'These quotas are based on scientific research which aims to keep populations at their healthiest. Hunting helps these animals combat spread of disease and competition for food.' The nurse also claimed that 'Mother Nature' is more cruel than hunting, saying she believes a 'single shot' is a 'much better way to go' rather than dying slowly and painfully. She added: 'I know people think hunting is cruel but it isn't. You know what is cruel? Mother Nature. 'Have you ever seen an elk get half eaten by wolves and suffer for hours while it slowly and painfully dies? Have you ever seen a mule deer gradually waste away and eventually die of starvation? 'I don't know about you but a single shot to the vitals sounds like a much better way to go. 'I've had many great conversations with people that are against hunting. If they are willing to listen to the facts and science behind it, they usually indicate they understand the reason and importance for hunting. 'Sadly, a lot of people I talk with let emotions control their viewpoints so all reasoning is lost on them.' Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research Dubendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 20.04.2021 - Since 15 April, it is official: The Technology Transfer Center for 3D Printing in Medical Technology Swiss m4m Center, in short meets the requirements of ISO standard 13485:2016; it is thus allowed to produce implants and instruments for human patients. The starting signal for promising projects with Swiss SMEs: The partner network already comprises 45 companies and research institutions. The idea is as appealing as it is obvious: After a diagnosis of painful hip osteoarthritis, medical imaging creates a high-resolution 3D image of the defunct hip joint and thus the basis for a customized implant. The data is processed further and ultimately ends up as a digital blueprint in a 3D printer, which produces the individual piece with a precise fit and at optimized cost. The goal of the Swiss m4m Center in Bettlach in the canton of Solothurn is to promote these and other ideas 3D printing has made possible. Only opened in September 2020, it has now been successfully certified according to the demanding ISO 13485:2016 standard for medical devices. This step allows the m4m experts to fabricate real products for patients with a production line they installed and tested in the past months. The technology is complex: Three massive 3D printers are ready to go supplemented by several "colleagues" that are just as necessary for the operation. For instance, a refrigerator-sized device to sift and clean the raw material for the printer, such as a powdered titanium alloy. The "depowdering" machine, which rotates and turns finished workpieces under vibration until every last grain of powder has trickled down. And a "furnace", in which printed parts are gradually heated to 600 to 800 degrees: stress-relieving annealing to eliminate internal stresses that heated 3D printing leaves in the material. The extensive equipment park shows two things: First, 3D printing is more complex than it appears at first glance. And second, it is costly: According to Nicolas Bouduban, CEO of the Swiss m4m Center, the investment amounts to around two million Swiss francs. These investments are additionally supported by all partners with a goodwill for open cooperation, says Bouduban: "Everyone contributes and gets visibility, project orders or know-how in return." Geared to the needs of Swiss SMEs So it's a give-and-take, with benefits for everyone: material manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, software developers for process and quality management, potential users such as clinics that can use novel medtech products. And above all for Swiss SMEs that neither own such equipment nor have the required know-how to operate it. For them, the Swiss m4m Center should become a "breeding ground" for industrializing innovative joint or dental prostheses and other medical products from A to Z, from the idea to market analysis and transfer all the way to serial production. Specific ideas? Yes, says Bouduban, they already exist. For example, precision-fit spinal implants to replace intervertebral discs based on 3D data from the patient. But before such projects can take off, there is always the question of whether an idea is suitable for 3D printing at all, explains board member Andreas Wenger, general manager of Precipart SA, which supplies companies worldwide with medical technology components. "With today's hype around 3D printing," says Wenger, "it's important to know where this technology makes sense." After all, there are proven processes in metalworking. Take milling, for example: If a desired product can be manufactured efficiently with it, 3D printing is often no longer competitive because it is too time-consuming and hence too expensive. "Development engineers have to think in 3D to get the most out of this new technology," says Wenger. "At the Swiss m4m Center we pass on this know-how." The process can bring significant advantages for complex workpieces for example, when an implant can be shaped in just one step without the need for subsequent drilling or milling. There is also great potential in applications where several parts are combined and produced into a single component. As an example, Wenger mentions an implant that is currently being co-designed in Bettlach with tubular structures inside: hidden channels that provide cooling. "You can't produce this with any other process in one step." His conclusion: 3D printing can be a worthwhile solution for demanding requirements; for small to even high volumes an opportunity for SMEs in the supply chain and also for medtech companies. Potential is abundant in Switzerland: The medtech industry, strongly represented in the southern foothills of the Jura, sold products and services worth almost 18 billion Swiss francs in 2019 thanks to around 1400 companies and the know-how of a total of 63,000 employees. Much support from industry Thus, interest in the Swiss m4m Center is soaring. 45 partners have come on board since the opening in September 2019. Followers are multiplying steadily on business platforms such as LinkedIn. And a webinar by Swedish titanium powder manufacturer Sandvik, where CEO Bouduban presented the center, was watched by several thousand people. "The project seems to be hitting a nerve," says Pierangelo Groning, member of Empa's Board of Directors, who was instrumental in setting up the Swiss m4m Center as a co-founder of the AM-TTC initiative. "A non-profit production line with open access for SMEs: This has never existed in Switzerland before." In addition to technology transfer, the Swiss m4m Center will also focus on knowledge transfer. A training concept has been developed together with Hohere Fachschule Technik Mittelland. Likewise, Empa offers continuing education courses with experts in Bettlach and will also send its apprentices there for training in AM. The Swiss Foundation for Microtechnical Research (FSRM) in Neuchatel is also offering a course. Since recently a training managerin is specifically responsible for training and further education. The response so far makes Nicolas Bouduban confident, even if work is really only just beginning. Whether implants for patients who have suffered complicated fractures, whether in oral surgery or for custom-fit prostheses: Individualized solutions are a growth market for Bouduban. "The possibilities in the medtech sector are far from exhausted," he says. "And more and more companies want to gain a foothold in this area." A Swiss network for technology transfer The Swiss m4m Center is part of the AM-TTC Alliance (Advanced Manufacturing Technology Transfer Centers) and is funded by several sources. Financial support for the 2019/20 start-up phase was provided by the ETH Board. The Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, which has classified the Swiss m4m Center as a "research institution of national importance" towards the end of last year, is contributing funding until 2024. In addition, the cantons of Bern and Solothurn as well as numerous partners from the industry are supporting the project. The AM-TTC Alliance was founded on the initiative of Empa and has a mandate from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation to evaluate applications and monitor the development of AM-TTC centers. Besides the Swiss m4m Center, there is currently ANAXAM (Analytics with Neutrons and X-Rays for Advanced Manufacturing) at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Later this year, the AM-TTC Alliance will launch a call with the goal of establishing two to three additional centers. Currently, the Alliance comprises 22 member organizations, among them, in addition to Empa, ETH Zurich, EPFL and other research institutions, companies such as ABB and Siemens, and industrial associations. More information: www.am-ttc.ch Address for enquiries Dr. Pierangelo Groning Empa, Board of Directors Head of Departement Advanced Materials and Surfaces Phone +41 58 765 40 04 pierangelo.groening@empa.ch Nicolas Bouduban CEO Swiss m4m Center Phone +41 79 601 32 38 nicolas.bouduban@swissm4m.ch Publisher Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research http://www.empa.ch FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced a $1 million commitment over five years to UNICEF USA in support of UNICEF's work to uphold the rights of all children and help every child survive and thrive. The cash donation will be used to support UNICEF's efforts to eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) in at-risk countries around the world. In 1997, BD was the first U.S.-based corporation to establish a maternal and newborn tetanus program with UNICEF. With the support of BD, UNICEF is working to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide by seeking to vaccinate all women and girls of childbearing age, by promoting clean childbirth delivery practices such as clean umbilical cord cutting methods and by utilizing surveillance to enhance health professionals' understanding of the circumstances under which tetanus can be transmitted. Between 2000 and 2018, newborn deaths from MNT have declined by 88 percent.1 As the first and longest-serving corporate partner in UNICEF USA's campaign to eliminate MNT, BD has now provided or committed more than $10.8 million in cash and product donations to the organization, including 55 million BD SoloShot Auto-Disable Syringes and BD Uniject Non-Reusable Devices. "The initiative to help eliminate MNT was the first philanthropic program established by BD," said Tom Polen, CEO and president, BD. "Over the past 24 years, the MNT initiative has grown into an international public-private partnership that includes governments, global humanitarian organizations, non-profits and corporate partners, all with one mission to prevent unnecessary deaths from maternal and neonatal tetanus. This $1 million commitment continues our collective efforts to expand access to health care among the vulnerable populations who need it most and is part of our broader purpose advancing the world of health." "UNICEF won't stop working until maternal and neonatal tetanus is eliminated," said Michael J. Nyenhuis, UNICEF USA President and CEO. "We're grateful for the long-standing partnership with BD and their commitment to UNICEF in helping to ensure every child is protected from this preventable disease." Neonatal tetanus is a deadly disease that kills one newborn every 21 minutes, or approximately 68 newborns every day.1 Typically contracted through unhygienic childbirth practices, the disease has a high mortality rate, but it is also highly preventable. Accessible health care services for women and newborn children, as well as an affordable vaccine given to women of reproductive age, can help prevent maternal and neonatal tetanus.1 1 World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/MNTE_initiative/en/ About BD BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo . Contacts: Jessica Offerjost Kristen M. Stewart, CFA BD Public Relations BD Investor Relations 201-847-5297 201.847.5378 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Related Links http://bd.com U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will return to Washington for consultations, as he himself said on Tuesday. "I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations between the United States and Russia," he pointed out. "Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year, and that is another important reason for me to return home for a visit. I will return to Moscow in the coming weeks before any meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin," TASS cited the ambassador as saying. According to the U.S. embassy, "Ambassador Sullivan is returning to the United States for consultations this week." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on April 16 that Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov at a meeting with Sullivan had recommended that the US ambassador return to Washington for consultations. ISLE OF PALMS A routine walk on the beach has left a dog with stitches in five different places. Coyotes were the culprits. And now the dog's owners want to bring awareness to the coyote problem in the Charleston area, especially since tourist season is already underway. Karen Britton of Mount Pleasant said she and her dog Lula were out for a morning walk on the beach last week when the pup was attacked by four coyotes in the sand dunes. Britton said at the time of the incident, she was picking up after the dog. When she stood back up, Lula was not in sight. She figured the dog must have walked up toward the dunes. Isle of Palms permits dogs to be on the beach without a leash 5-9 a.m. during the spring and summer months. When Lula didn't answer her call, Britton went up to the dunes and saw the coyotes attacking her. It all happened within a minute. "One had her on each hind leg, one had her by the throat, and one was about to rip her stomach open," said Chip Britton, Karen's husband. When Britton approached the area, she said she thinks she scared the coyotes because they quickly went away. "And she (Lula) got up and came to me," Britton said. "She's a strong little dog." But the 2-year-old Boykin Spaniel will need some time to recover. She had to get stitches in her head, neck and three other places where she was bitten. Britton said they even thought the dog would need to have stomach surgery because of a bad bite in that area. This isn't the first report of coyote attacks in the Charleston area. Earlier this year, a Mount Pleasant man said coyotes were to blame for the death of two of his cats in the fenced Sandpiper Pointe II neighborhood. And an Isle of Palms resident reported on the social media app Next Door that he and his wife heard a pack of coyotes "shredding" someone's pet on 31st Avenue last week. Britton said when she reported the incident, an animal control worker told her there is a den of coyotes at 24th Avenue. "It seems like they would at least put up some signs that would warn people about the coyotes," Britton said. She said she would also like to see the city trap the coyotes if they know where they are. On April 20, an Isle of Palms Police Department staffer said the officers have not confirmed that coyotes attacked a dog. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has called on hunters to help control the coyote population throughout the state, and deer hunters are encouraged to shoot any they may see while hunting. But municipalities and counties may have different rules and methods for controlling the animals. According to DNR, no hunting license or permit is required for people to shoot coyotes on their property within 100 yards of the home. Night hunting is permitted on registered properties or with a depredation permit. Trapped coyotes may not be relocated. The predators have a presence in each of the state's counties and are extremely adaptable. They are detrimental to deer, turkey and other native species that are important in South Carolina. After months of monitoring the shifting winds of vaccine sentiment, last week Tauel Harper observed a distinct change. His weekly analysis of social media found that all the top posts were negative, unsurprising perhaps after days in which a rare likely complication of the AstraZeneca vaccine dominated headlines. Confidence in the vaccine rollout has taken a hit in recent weeks. Credit:Jason South Its widely agreed the news will be a significant hit to public confidence, resulting in some people who were previously happy to have it now reconsidering the vaccine. But just how big a blow it will be to vaccine uptake is unclear. Dr Harper, from the University of Western Australias Coronavax project, said the news that AstraZeneca would be limited mostly to older Australians and the first local death due to a suspected rare side effect was yet to translate to any significant growth in online membership of anti-vaccination groups. (Sharecast News) - Stocks are set to dip following the release of an unexpectedly weak reading on UK employment for the three months to February. Also dragging on market sentiment were the moderate falls seen on Wall Street overnight, driven by weakness in technology stocks focused on Tesla and chip-maker Nvidia. The latter fell after the UK government said it would look into the national security implications of its acquisition of ARM Holdings. Swissquote analyst, Ipek Ozkardeskaya, sounded a bearish note on the outlook for stocks. Ozkardeskaya told clients: "Stocks are poised to extend gains through uncharted territories, even with the valuations that do no longer make sense as stock prices trade on average near 40 times this year's earnings and some 23 times the next year's earnings according to Bloomberg. "Suppressing shorts is now adding a perilous asymmetry to the market valuation and increases the risk of seeing a bigger bubble built as we inevitably move toward tighter financial conditions on the back of improved economic data." As of 0700 GMT, futures tracking the FTSE 100 were down by 4.5 points at 6,961.5, while cable was edging up 0.01% to 1.3988, having earlier briefly hit 1.4237. UK payrolls fell unexpectedly, dropping by 56,000 in March, the first decline in four months. The unemployment rate for the three months to February also surprised to the downside, falling by one tenth of a percentage point to 4.9% (consensus: 5.1%), but only as a result of Britons leaving the workforce. Across the Channel meanwhile, the spotlight will be on the European Central Bank's Bank Lending Survey for the first quarter of 2021. The European Union's General Affairs Council is also due to meet via video conference to analyse the state of relations with the UK, among other matters. No major economic releases are scheduled in the US, with the spotlight expected to be on Netflix's earnings which are due out after the close of trading in New York. ABF to return furlough monies, pay interim dividend Associated British Foods saw its bottom line more than halve over the half-year ended on 27 February. However, citing its "success" in a number of new markets, ranging from Poland to Florida, the board announced that the food ingredients maker would repay the monies received from the government's job retention scheme during the present financial year and declared an interim dividend. Group revenues fell 18% at constant currencies to reach 6.31bn. Adjusted profits before tax meanwhile halved to 319m while earnings per share reduced by 59% to 25.1p. Net debt including lease liabilities stood at 2.72bn at period end. ABF's board declared a dividend payout of 6.2p. Rio Tinto reported a 7% improvement in Pilbara iron ore shipments year-on-year to 77.8 million tonnes for the first quarter on Tuesday, with production down 2% to 76.4 million tonnes. The FTSE 100 mining giant said bauxite production slipped 2% to 13.6 million tonnes, while aluminium production grew 3% to 0.8 million tonnes. Mined copper production of 120,500 tonnes was 9% lower than in 2020, while titanium dioxide slag production was 5% lower year-on-year at 279,000 tonnes and production of pellets and concentrate at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) was 8% lower than in 2020. Cybersecurity software company Avast said first quarter revenue rose 10.4% to $237.1m on an organic basis, with its Consumer Direct business continuing to deliver good growth, while the SMB business also sustained positive momentum. The FTSE 100 company said adjusted EBITDA was 10.3% for the period at $133.7m, resulting in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 56.4%. Covid-19 is going to kill more people in 2021 than it did last year. If you want to see why, look at whats happening in India. Cases have been surging in the country of 1.37 billion people. On Sunday alone, 261,500 new infections were recorded. Thats as bad as the U.S. during all but the worst five days of the pandemic in December and early January. Case counts are rising far more quickly, too. Average infection numbers over the past seven days have run at nearly three times the level two weeks ago, a pace of growth that the U.S. last saw in the early days of the outbreak a year ago. The real numbers may be yet higher. The city of Bhopal used Covid-19 protocols to cremate or bury 84 people last Tuesday, according to the Hindustan Times, while declaring only five Covid deaths. The B.1.617 variant, which isnt well understood yet, has features associated with higher infection rates and lower antibody resistance. It's turning up in more than half of viral samples taken in India. Chart As caseloads push medical facilities toward capacity, the health system itself is starting to crack. Vaccine stocks, hospital beds and even oxygen supplies are running short, leading to bitter arguments between the states and the federal government. In some places, the dead are being transported by truck because cities have run out of hearses. Elsewhere, crematoria have started to break down because of the sheer number of bodies being burned. If things dont change soon, the country will be facing 3,000 deaths a day twice its current level, and 10 times what was being seen through most of this year Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan, wrote last week. As my colleague Mihir Sharma has written, arrogance, hyper-nationalism and incompetence helped foster a fatal sense of complacency amid Indias apparent success against the outbreak earlier this year. Until a few weeks ago, restrictions had been progressively loosening for months. Cinemas were allowed to open to full capacity Feb. 1. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan declared the country in the endgame of the Covid-19 pandemic in early March, at almost precisely the point that cases started to surge again. Worryingly, the clear signs of a second wave havent prompted much course correction since. With elections underway in the states of Assam and West Bengal, the Twitter feed of President Narendra Modi has been interspersing updates about the virus with Trump-style footage of him, unmasked, addressing mass rallies. The other side isnt necessarily doing much better, either. West Bengals chief minister, an opponent of Modis BJP, only got around to canceling her campaign rallies Sunday. Worse may be to come. The Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage festival thats normally the largest mass gathering on earth, is now underway on the banks of the Ganges, attended by an estimated 3.5 million people. Thats well down on the numbers in a normal year, and even Modi, far too late, urged over the weekend that the event be purely symbolic rather than physical. Still, its far above the mere thousands allowed to other mass events like last years Hajj in Saudi Arabia and Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq. Even held outdoors, such events carry a profound risk of spreading the most infectious variants to every corner of the country. Close to 10% of people returning to Gujarats largest city, Ahmedabad, from the festival tested positive for Covid over the weekend, the Press Trust of India reported Monday. Hitherto, the has mostly hit the relatively affluent, urbanized parts of the country that are best able to cope with it, such as the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka, the capital Delhi, and Maharashtra, home to Mumbai. If the Kumbh Mela seeds it in rural districts, where the majority of Indias population lives, the death toll could be higher still. Theres a lesson in this for the world. The 1.2 million people whove died from Covid so far this year already represent about two-thirds of the 1.8 million fatalities in 2020. Yet people are behaving as if its already over. That's removing the sense of unified urgency that led many nations to make such strides in turning around the pandemic last year. Vaccine supplies for the richest (and, thanks to global initiatives, poorest) countries are relatively ample. Yet those for middle-income nations, where the majority of the planets population lives, are grossly inadequate, blocked by restrictive patent rules. India, with one of the worlds largest pharmaceutical industries, is far better placed than most midsize economies to cope, but even it is crumbling under the strain. The more people infected in emerging countries while the rest of the world looks away, the more opportunities Covid-19 will have to develop into fresh strains and prolong this death and misery. We must do better. The globe is still under attack, but our defenses are in disarray. Monday blues: Second Covid-19 wave stings indices as markets drop 1.8% The worsening crisis triggered yet another sell-off in the domestic stock market on Monday, with the benchmark indices dropping more than 3 per cent before recouping some of the losses. A sharp jump in Covid-19 cases and fresh curbs to contain the spread of the virus have stoked concerns about the revival of the economy and corporate earnings, prompting some investors to pull back. Read More Delhi under for a week as rising Covid cases stretch health infra With more than 25,000 daily Covid cases stretching Delhis health infrastructure to its limit, patients gasping for oxygen, and bed occupancy running full, the capital went into a week-long lockdown, starting 10 pm on Monday until 5 am on April 26. Meanwhile, the high court in Telangana gave a two-day ultimatum to the state government to decide on a or curfew. Read More Serum, Bharat Biotech to get suppliers' credit for 300 mn Covid-19 doses Vaccine manufacturers Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech will together get Rs 4,500 crore from the Centre as suppliers credit, sources in the know said. This will be an upfront payment for the vaccine doses that these two companies will supply to the government. At Rs 150 per dose, excluding taxes, this roughly works out to be 300 million doses. Read More Govt fast-tracks Covid-19 fight, to start vaccination for 18+ from May 1 In a much-awaited move, India has allowed Covid vaccination for all above 18 years of age, starting May 1. The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, is expected to change the course of the pandemic currently raging through the country. India Inc and political parties have for long demanded the opening up of vaccination for all adults. Read More Tech firms reach out to employees as Covid-19 cases rise in India Infosys, Facebook, Genpact, Cognizant among others have reached out to employees and offered support in different ways as the second wave of Covid cases sees an exponential rise. Companies are advising employees not to venture out of their homes and give prominence to the health and safety of the family. This is of significance as several IT and Tech firms were going to take a call of work-from-home scenario from June and had plans to allow some employees to come back to offices. But that seems to be now extended. Read More How GIC's ownership problem is keeping insurance biz from growing up Like the rest of the insurance industry, General Insurance Corporation of India, or GIC Re, had a difficult FY21. At the worst of the trough in the first quarter of FY21, the solvency ratio, a key indicator showing how far assets cover commitments to future payments, went down to 1.52 in June 2020, just above the insurance regulators mandated 1.5. Read More Mankind Pharma eyes 50% revenue from chronic therapy drugs in 3 years Mankind Pharmaceuticals, a key player in acute therapies, has sharpened its focus on chronic therapy drugs (like anti-diabetics and cardiac) and is eyeing 50 per cent revenue from this segment in three years. In fact, it recently applied to drugs regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), seeking approval to start phase 1 human trials of its novel anti-diabetes drug, which has completed animal trials. Read More Amazon vs Future: SC stay on proceedings at Delhi HC; hearing on May 4 A day after lenders to Future Retail approved a debt recast plan extending repayment of its loans by up to two years, the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday stayed all proceedings pending before the Delhi High Court (HC) in the Amazon versus Future case. The matter will be next heard on May 4 in the SC, by when the two sides have been asked to complete their pleadings. Read More Akur8 is delighted to announce their global cooperation agreement with Munich Re to boost Munich Re's pricing capabilities for their Global Consulting Unit1. With this agreement, Munich Re will have access to a new state-of-the-art rate modelling solution and Akur8 will reinforce its footprint by partnering with one of the world's leading providers of insurance, reinsurance and insurance-related risk solutions. This non-exclusive cooperation is global, with users in multiple Munich Re operating geographies. All Munich Re entities and clients can benefit from the joint approach and tap into this solution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005018/en/ Specifically developed for insurance, Akur8's solution enhances insurers' pricing processes by automating risk and demand modelling, using transparent Artificial Intelligence proprietary technology. The core benefits for insurers include a reduction in modelling time which will accelerate time to market, increase predictive power, while keeping full transparency and control over the models created. Munich Re's Global Consulting Unit is driving transformative change in insurance pricing through the application of data science and digitalization, bundled with risk transfer. A dedicated global practice of several insurance pricing experts develop product and pricing solutions: all clients of Munich Re can tap into these via the reinsurance relations. Akur8 will boost their pricing capabilities, bringing increased value and pricing sophistication to their customers, with a pricing tool that leverages AI in a transparent way. Munich Re teams will be using Akur8 for the end-to-end insurance pricing proposition. "Akur8 is extremely excited about this cooperation with Munich Re, which is one of the most renowned worldwide players in the insurance consulting space let alone their reinsurance and primary insurance activities. This cooperation is also a demonstration of the relevance and attractiveness of Akur8's solution for numerous types of players from primary insurance carriers to reinsurers to solution providers to consulting firms.", says Samuel Falmagne, CEO at Akur8. "Our strategic cooperation with Munich Re represents a significant strategic step in our development, spanning a global footprint. Our combined expertise and strengths will allow both of our companies to bring significant value added", says Brune de Linares, Chief of Sales at Akur8. "Akur8 is an impressive solution for risk and demand modelling, that represents a real leap forward in terms of pricing sophistication in the insurance industry. We are convinced that Akur8's solution will enable us to bring added value to our customers across our various consulting projects, notably by allowing our large consulting practice to work collaboratively in dedicated client workspaces, improving predictiveness of the models to eventually bring significant loss ratio improvement.", says Joachim Mathe, Global Head of Global Consulting at Munich Re. "Akur8's strengths, pivoting on the commodification of prediction power, allow for what we call "The third wave" of insurance pricing: while keeping full control on the process, most of the time of the domain expert is spent on understanding the problem and applying the right solution, not in tedious repetitive modelling tasks. Although they are a start-up, the Akur8 team's professionalism, credentials, and reactivity along the whole process were determining factors in our choice which was made after an in-depth selection process where each player's value proposition and strengths were thoroughly reviewed.", says Massimo Cavadini, Global Head of Actuarial Consulting and Data Analytics at Munich Re. About Munich Re Munich Re is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions. The group consists of the reinsurance and ERGO business segments, as well as the asset management company MEAG. Munich Re is globally active and operates in all lines of the insurance business. Since it was founded in 1880, Munich Re has been known for its unrivalled risk-related expertise and its sound financial position. It offers customers financial protection when faced with exceptional levels of damage from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through to the 2019 Pacific typhoon season. Munich Re possesses outstanding innovative strength, which enables it to also provide coverage for extraordinary risks such as rocket launches, renewable energies or cyberattacks. The company is playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry, and in doing so has further expanded its ability to assess risks and the range of services that it offers. Its tailor-made solutions and close proximity to its customers make Munich Re one of the world's most sought-after risk partners for businesses, institutions, and private individuals. About Akur8 Akur8 is revolutionizing insurance pricing with transparent AI. Akur8 developed a unique AI-based insurance pricing solution that automates modelling for insurance companies while keeping full transparency and control on the models created, as required by regulators worldwide. Akur8 is the only solution on the market reconciling Machine Learning and Actuarial worlds enabling customer lifetime value-based price optimization. 1 https://www.munichre.com/en/solutions/reinsurance-property-casualty/global-consulting.html View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005018/en/ Contacts: For Munich Re Dr. Massimo Cavadini (mcavadini@munichre.com, Global Head of Actuarial Consulting Data Analytics) Dr. Davide Burlon (dburlon@munichre.com, Global Akur8 Product Owner) For Akur8 Felix d'Alancon (felix.dalancon@akur8-tech.com, Global Partnerships) Smokers say its hard to quit cold turkey. Its why theres big business in vaping, nicotine patches, prescription quitting aids and chewing gum both nicotine-laced and the regular kind. Theres one big exception to the difficulty that addicted smokers have in climbing that cold-turkey mountain. Atlantic City casinos have found it very easy to cease smoking in an instant. They did it with a stroke of Gov. Phil Murphys pen last September, a day or two after Murphy inexplicably allowed lighting up to resume as gaming halls reopened from their mandated COVID-19 hiatus. After considerable pushback, Murphy did a speedy 180: He banned the butts again. Reinforcing the strangeness of Murphys first instinct to OK casino smoking resumption was that New Jersey later was one of the few states to put smokers smokers of all ages, we might add in a top priority category to receive then-rare vaccine. Why? The governors health team said smokers are at elevated risk for severe outcomes if they catch the virus. So, now, anti-tobacco advocates are pushing a bid to make all casinos smoke-free. They conclude, reasonably, that the best time to snuff out this behavior is when a pandemic becomes a long-term game-changer. It certainly makes zero sense to return to smoking sections while A.C. patrons still must wear masks, and just recently won the right to remove them briefly to eat or drink at the slots or a card table. Casinos were a big, big, exception to New Jerseys nearly all-inclusive smoking ban inside public places. About 15 years ago, casino owners retained the ability to set aside limited smoking areas by claiming that a total ban would destroy their business, and by promising to invest in sophisticated ventilation systems. So much time has passed that its incredible to see the Casino Association of New Jersey trot out the same old response to renewed talk of a ban. Banning smoking permanently would have long-term financial implications for the industry and the region, the group said in a statement. Going completely nonsmoking would place Atlantic City casinos at a competitive disadvantage with other nearby casinos that allow smoking. The casino association knows that the threat of hotels being forced to shut for lack of gamblers always resonates with lawmakers. Except, lawmakers should consider this: The theory that no smoking means no business hasnt been tested since 2008, and even then only briefly. The world has changed much since then. A couple of A.C. casinos have operated profitably with smoke-free policies. And, currently, the misery of cold turkey in Atlantic City has company. Pennsylvania has halted smoking in its casinos, too, under COVID-19 restrictions. The American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation states that casinos in 20 states are now smoke-free. It would be best if New Jersey and all surrounding states with casinos were to adopt a regional compact swearing off smoking, just as theyve done with some air pollution regulations. It would improve health outcomes, especially for second-hand-smoke-breathing employees. It also would neutralize the competitive disadvantage excuse. Absence of a multi-state agreement shouldnt stop New Jersey from giving a full smoking ban some permanence. If a forever law still cant pass, require reevaluation of the ban after two years. One wonders if the Casino Association of New Jersey is less afraid of losing customers than losing some ability to maximize those customers losses. Sitting with an adult beverage and a smoke makes it comfortable for many bettors to linger longer than financial common sense would dictate. But, that just boosts the incidence of problem gambling, which the casino operators must pretend publicly to dislike. With a smoking ban, casinos would still have the alcohol. If all else fails, maybe they can make the comps for high-rollers redeemable only for packages of NicoDerm. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Grave desecration acknowledged A Georgia county has acknowledged it paved over part of a Black Baptist graveyard during road construction 52 years ago. St. Paul Baptist Church in DeKalb County was pushed out of its historic location by white neighbors in 1930 but maintained a church graveyard. The county built a road over part of it in 1969. DeKalb officials refused to acknowledge the desecrationdespite the many letters and protests of a longtime deaconuntil it was reported by a local news station. The deacon is asking the county to move 26 bodies, put up a plaque, and construct a fence around the remaining burial grounds. Muslims can work on churches The Grand Mufti Shawki Allam issued a fatwa in January allowing Muslim laborers to work on the construction of new churches. The religious ruling overturns previous teaching that building a church violated the Qurans prohibition against helping sin and rancor. According to a government council, land has been designated for 10 new churches in Egypt, in addition to the 34 already under construction. The ruling marks a significant step toward Christian toleration in the country. In 2018, the government began allowing churches to be licensed. Since then, 1,800 have registered, including 310 Protestant churches. Another 960 Protestant churches are waiting to be processed. UN demands reason for church closures The United Nations Human Rights Council is demanding an explanation for the closures of Protestant churches. More than a dozen churches with the Protestant Church of Algeria have been closed since 2018, and another 49 have been threatened with closure. The association lost its legal status in 2013 after 70 years, and no Protestant church ... 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. While coronavirus vaccines are essential for protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its corresponding variants, vaccinating the world is easier in theory than in practice. Many factors, such as income equality and a history of health disparities in minority populations, have contributed to a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. A new study led by Bisola O. Ojikutu of Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston suggests not only do these communities have a higher infection, but they are also experiencing lower vaccine distribution. The team suggests that reformation for equitable vaccine delivery is necessary to eliminate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The researchers write: Disparities in vaccine delivery highlight ongoing inequities in our approach to COVID-19 and imperil efforts to control the pandemic. The study Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination-to-Infection Risk, Massachusetts, 2020-2021 is available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review. How they did it The research team collected vaccination data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the Boston Public Health Commission from January 29, 2020, to April 9, 2021, to evaluate the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections. In total, they analyzed data from 276 cities and towns and 15 Boston neighborhoods with over 3,000 residents and used the data to predict future infection risk. Population estimates from the MDPH and the American Community Survey with data from 2014-2018 were used to evaluate age, race, and a communitys predominant ethnic/minority population. Socioeconomic vulnerability was also assessed in the study. The vaccination-to-infection risk (VIR) ratio among Massachusetts communities with a population greater than 25,000 residents, ordered by socioeconomic vulnerability. The VIR ratio is calculated as the cumulative number of fully vaccinated individuals divided by the cumulative number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in each community reported from January 29, 2020 through April 9, 2021. Lower COVID-19 vaccinations correspond to lower socioeconomic classes Results showed 8.9% of Massachusetts residents had SARS-CoV-2 infections, and 21.8% were vaccinated but the numbers varied widely across different communities. Communities with residents of lower socioeconomic status experienced more infections and fewer vaccinations being administered in the area. Further analysis showed Black and/or Latinx made up 20% of communities with decreased vaccination and higher infection rates. Having a large percentage of residents 65 years or older was associated with increased vaccine delivery. The researchers estimate 330,000 more vaccines will need to be distributed to under-vaccinated communities to correct vaccine inequity. The disparities reported here are greater than those previously reported using county-level data, and emphasize the importance of monitoring and targeting smaller geographic units to guide the equitable distribution of vaccines. 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. The Yogi Adityanath government has acquired 750 tons of oxygen from the Centre and the 81 units across the state are producing more than 900 tons of oxygen per day. Claiming that there is no shortage of oxygen in the state, the government spokesman said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked all hospitals with 100 beds or more to set up their own oxygen plants. This would reduce their dependence on liquid oxygen to a great extent, the spokesman said. "The Chief Minister said that a plan should be prepared to implement this in existing hospitals and all hospitals which come in future, should have this facility. MLA funds can be used for this purpose," he said. The Chief Minister further said that National Security Act and Gangsters Act will be invoked against anyone hoarding and black-marketing lifesaving drugs and oxygen. The government will also take steps to confiscate their properties. The state government has also decided that the oxygen produced by all enterprises will be used only for medical purposes. The MSME and industrial development departments have been asked to constitute a team and follow up on this and ensure that hospitals close to these units are supplied the oxygen. Officials concerned have been asked to constantly assess the state's current and future demand for oxygen. This would help ensure that there is no shortage of oxygen. Additional chief secretary (information) Navneet Sehgal said, officials have been appointed to coordinate between the district administration and oxygen producers so that oxygen could be made available in any area where there was a shortage. Alok Kumar, principal secretary (medical education) said, 13 oxygen plants are being set up in the state, five of which are being set up by DRDO in Ram Manohar Lohia Institute and Cancer Institute in Lucknow and medical colleges in Kanpur, Agra and Jhansi. YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian and Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan visited the village of Davit Bek in Syunik province, the Ombudsmans Office told Armenpress. A meeting was held with the Mayor of Kapan and the leaders of Davit Bek and Kaghnut villages. The situation in the village after the 2020 September-November war has been discussed. Conditioned by the start of agricultural works, the social problems further intensified in the village as people have been deprived of their lands as a result of demarcation processes. Peoples personal problems have been discussed in details during the meeting. The Offices of the President and the Ombudsman will sum up the results of the joint visit, and respective actions will be taken. The residents of Davit Bek village have suffered from the Azerbaijani attacks during the recent war: a civilian has been killed, and many others have been wounded. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan BETHLEHEM The house fire that killed 65-year-old Michael F. Jeram was not deliberately set, police said. The town police department disclosed the information Monday as they revealed the name of the man who perished in Saturday's fire at 228 Bender Lane. Though investigators ruled out arson, the cause of the fire has not yet been made public. Jeram's name was released after an autopsy was completed but police have not disclosed the specific cause of death. Firefighters arrived at the home at 3 a.m. Saturday to find the building engulfed in flames. Fire departments responding included Elsmere, Delmar, Selkirk and North Bethlehem. Also assisting at the scene were Albany County Sheriff paramedics and Delmar-Bethlehem EMS. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Scope: Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylates Market to surge at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period (2016-2023). Market Drivers and Growth Factors: The mounting sale of ointments and creams is expected to favor the market, as fatty alcohol ethoxylates are the primary components in these products. Then, the surge in product demand in industrial applications, including wetting agents and anti-foam is bound to do wonders for the market in the long run. The manufacturers transform ethylene oxide into different types of products with a series of chemical reactions. The manufacturers also produce a high volume of fatty alcohol ethoxylates along with a broad range of products that meet with the consumer demands and also expand revenue. These have been identified as prime factors responsible for the lucrative run of the market during the review period. Get a Free Sample of This Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3860 Currently, consumers are laying strong emphasis on the use of environmentally safe products and are ready to shell out for higher priced products. The spike in demand for fatty alcohol ethoxylates to be used in detergents and low foam cleaners can be expected to do wonders for the market in the following years. Leading Companies: The leading companies in the worldwide fatty alcohol Ethoxylates Market include Rimpro-India (India), BASF SE (Germany), Huntsman International LLC. (US), Clariant (Europe), Unitop Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (India), Akzo Nobel N.V. (Netherlands), GUJARAT CHEMICALS (India), P&G Chemicals (US), Ecogreen Oleochemicals (Germany), Shree Vallabh Chemicals (India), and others. Industry Update: June 2019 From July 2019, Bluesign will be releasing black limits in finished products including textile auxiliaries which are considered to have reprotoxic, mutagenic or carcinogenic properties. The Bluesign System Black Limits (BSBL) is expected to be integrated into other substances that are part of POP (persistent organic pollutant) regulation, in addition to the monomers utilized in textile dyes along with chemicals including ethylene oxide, acrylonitrile or acrylamide. Market Segmentation: The worldwide Alcohol Ethoxylates Market Analysis has been segmented on the basis of derivatives, application, and end users. The derivatives-dependent segments in the market are lauryl alcohol ethoxylates, ceto stearyl alcohol ethoxylates, stearyl alcohol ethoxylates, behenyl alcohol ethoxylates, oleyl cetyl alcohol ethoxylates, tridecyl alcohol ethoxylates, and others. With respect to application, the market can be considered for scouring, cleaning, emulsifying, foaming, and others. The end users mentioned in the report cover textiles, agriculture, personal care, household, paper, and others. Regional Analysis: The key markets for Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylates are Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and North America. Asia Pacific emerges as the largest fatty alcohol ethoxylates market, backed primarily by the increasing per capita income of the middle class, mostly in household and personal care industry. Prevalence of modern lifestyle, the rising cost of living and expanding population are elevating the adoption of surfactants across several industries like agriculture, textiles, household, personal care, and others. As a result, the regional market is deemed to mark a highly lucrative run during the evaluation period. Europe, as the second largest fatty alcohol ethoxylates market, is led by the United Kingdom (UK), Italy, Germany, and France. The regional market can expect significant gains in the coming years on account of the high demand for environment-friendly products within the personal care sector. The EU members have banned the use of NPE toxic substances that are present in clothing, expanding the market size in the process. With the third largest share of the worldwide fatty alcohol ethoxylates market, North America will be spearheaded by Canada and the United Mexican States. These countries are at the forefront of the market with respect to the demand for fatty alcohol ethoxylates. Interestingly, Middle East & Africa along with Latin America is touted to have rather healthy growth in the global fatty alcohol ethoxylates market in the following years. This growth will only get better during the assessment period, the trade pundits predict. Browse key industry insights spread across 137 pages with 47market data tables & 13 figures & charts from the report, Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylates Market Information- by Derivatives (Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylates, Ceto Stearyl Alcohol Ethoxylates, Stearyl Alcohol Ethoxylates, Behenyl Alcohol Ethoxylates, Oleyl Cetyl Alcohol Ethoxylates, Tridecyl Alcohol Ethoxylates, and Others), by Application (Scouring, Cleaning, Emulsifying, Foaming, and Others), by End Use Industry (Textiles, Agriculture, Personal care, Household, Paper, and Others), and by Region- Forecast till 2023 in detail along with the table of contents @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/fatty-alcohol-ethoxylates-market-3860 Donald Trump, during his time in office, has established a connection with the likes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. He defended his relationship with the fearsome duo as a good thing, not a bad thing. Donald Trump got along better than President Biden In a recent interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Trump told the actual score on his relationship with Russian and North Korean leaders. He called the ties he built with them is "a good thing and not a bad thing.", reported Business Insider via MSN. A week ago, the Biden administration went after Trump with a released document that points out Russia got Trump's campaign data during 2016. Even after getting clear of alleged Russian connections, Joe Biden and the Democrats, via their media connection, are casting doubt on Trump, associates, and Moscow. This week, the Biden White House threatened sanctions against Russia after the opposition leader Alexei Navalny was allegedly poisoned last year. Instead of talking about the rehashed stories about Russian interference, the former president instead dismissed what those opposed to him think of his closeness to Vladimir Putin's. He was one of the last world leaders to give acknowledgment of Biden's victory over Trump. His conversation with Sean Hannity, one of his supporters on Fox News. Donald Trump was quoted to say about his warm personal relationship with the Russian in this statement. "I got along great with President Putin. I liked him, he liked me. That's a good thing, not a bad thing." Vladimir Putin Disappointed that Joe Biden Avoids Live Debate But, for the detractors of the 45th president of the United States, this was interpreted to be a wrong thing. He should do what President Biden does, make pronouncements and call someone a "killer." Putin answered it takes one to know one and challenged Biden in a public debate which he declined. Meanwhile, reports by human rights groups this April warn that a famine in North Korea is coming under Kim Jong Un's regime. During Trump's time, he had several summits with the North Korean leader. In the Hannity interview, Trump was all praises for Kim Jong Un and mentioned they corresponded. It was a testament to Trump's ability to connect and reach a personal connection with the world leader commanding nuclear capability. Trump said that President Obama said that North Korea is a big concern to watch out for. He said that Obama was afraid of nuclear hostilities, but nothing happened, no war. Now, North Korea is getting more belligerent as President Biden's seemingly wrong decisions on foreign policy are not helping to cool down Kim Jong Un. On another point, Trump's approach in foreign policy is a far cry from Biden's awful missteps, causing problems unlike when ex-president Trump was in office. Trump got quoted on this statement about Kim. "Kim Jong Un writes me letters. I like him, he likes me. There's nothing wrong with that." In the era of Donald Trump, instead of having an adversarial attitude to NoKor and Russia, the ex-president strived to have a relationship to make it easier to deal with Putin and Kim Jong Un. Putin Wants Live Debate Versus Biden After 'Killer' Remark Kim Yo Jong Authorizes Using Nuclear Weapons Against the US With Kim Jong-Un's Support @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (OTCQB:CLSH)(CSE:CLSH), the 'Company' or 'CLS', a diversified cannabis company operating as Cannabis Life Sciences, today announced the development of an exclusive line of collaboration products through its branded wholesale division, City Trees. The brand has secured an agreement with renowned Nevada cannabis cultivator, Nature's Chemistry, to produce a co-branded line of cured and live resin concentrate products, for release commencing in April 2021. In its second fully co-branded collaboration project, City Trees will be producing cured and live resin products made exclusively from Nature's Chemistry high quality input material, starting with 5,000 units of cured concentrate. The project has been structured as an equal net revenue split, and will be sold collaboratively by both entities to encourage rapid sell-through and expanded market penetration. With this highly anticipated release generating excitement across the state, driven by both brands' reputation for quality, many dispensaries have already earmarked an allotment of these new concentrates with pre-orders. "We are thrilled to be working with a cultivator like Nature's Chemistry that has a reputation for, and regularly delivers on, some of the highest quality cannabis in Nevada," remarked City Trees Director of Laboratory Operations, Dr. Dominick Monaco. "We are extremely selective when we consider co-branding a product, as we're very protective of the brand we've built and our growing reputation for quality concentrate products. The strains grown by Nature's Chemistry absolutely adhere to the quality we seek out. We see it in the phenomenal yields we're achieving in the extraction process - almost double what we would normally see for hydrocarbon extraction of this type." Ari Yazdanpanah, co-owner and operator of Nature's Chemistry, said that "We are glad to have found a formidable extractor in City Trees to add to our distinct group of partners. The quality of their concentrates and the way in which they run their facility is exemplary. The quality of our flower always comes first, so finding an extractor that adheres to those same high standards and translates that same quality into a concentrate is vital for us. We're glad for the partnership and look forward to a very long and lasting relationship." City Trees' first fully co-branded product, a live resin concentrate produced with popular regional cultivator State Flower, was released in November 2020. As the brand continues to gain notoriety for producing some of the highest quality extraction products in the state, the Company looks forward to fielding future requests for collaborative product development to raise the bar for cannabis in Nevada as a whole and to continue producing unique and innovative products. About CLS Holdings USA, Inc. CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (CLSH) is a diversified cannabis company that acts as an integrated cannabis producer and retailer through its Oasis Cannabis subsidiaries in Nevada and plans to expand to other states. CLS stands for "Cannabis Life Sciences," in recognition of the Company's patented proprietary method of extracting various cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and converting them into products with a higher level of quality and consistency. The Company's business model includes licensing operations, processing operations, processing facilities, sale of products, brand creation and consulting services. https://www.clsholdingsinc.com/ Twitter: @CLSHoldingsUSA Founded in 2017, City Trees is a Nevada-based cannabis cultivation, production and distribution company. Offering a wide variety of products with consistent results, City Trees products are available in numerous dispensaries throughout the state of Nevada. https://citytrees.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and 'forward-looking statements' as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, the 'forward-looking statements'). These statements relate to, among other things, the impact of the COVID-19 virus on our business, the results of our initiatives to retain our employees and strengthen our relationships with our customers and community during the pandemic, the effect of our initiatives to expand market share and achieve growth during and following the pandemic, results of operations and financial performance, anticipated future events, and the effectiveness of our business practices during the pandemic. The continued spread of COVID-19 could have, and in some cases already has had, an adverse impact on our business, operations and financial results, including through disruptions in our cultivation and processing activities, supply chains and sales channels, and retail dispensary operations as well as a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession. Due to the uncertainties associated with the continued spread of COVID-19 and the timing of vaccinations, it is not possible to estimate its impact on our business, operations or financial results; however, the impact could be material. In some cases, you can identify forward looking statements by terminology such as 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'should,' 'intends,' 'expects,' 'plans,' 'goals,' 'projects,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'predicts,' 'potential,' or 'continue' or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should be considered together with any written or oral forward-looking statements that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect actual results, later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. See CLS Holdings USA filings with the SEC and on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com for additional details. Contact Information: Corporate: Chairman and CEO Jeff Binder President and COO Andrew Glashow 888-438-9132 Investor Relations: investors@clsholdingsinc.com SOURCE: CLS Holdings USA, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641097/A-Joint-Venture-CLS-Branded-Division-City-Trees-Partners-with-Renowned-Nevada-Cultivator-in-Exclusive-Collaboration Georgian police have detained one individual with a previous conviction for the illegal purchase and possession of drugs in especially large quantities, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition in the Adjara region. During a search of the vehicle and apartment owned V.E., police officers seized 535 pills containing buprenorphine, four syringes containing buprenorphine and methadone, COMBAT-PPI and ZORAKI M906 pistols, a hand grenade, a grenade launcher, 82 magazines and a large amount of money. The crime is punishable by eight to 20 years in prison, Agenda.ge reported. Fon Angwafo III concerts with the elite of Mankon Mankon Fon's Palace Since 1987, the people of Mankon in Bamenda II Subdivision have been waiting for the construction and tarring of the road from Ntahbeng to the Mankon Fons Palace. 34 years after it was earmarked for construction, works on the NtahbengMankon Palace Road have finally taken off. Meeting at the Mankon Fons Palace on Saturday, the elite of Mankon took a firm commitment to ensure the successful tarring of the NtahbengMankon Palace Road. The ceremony came following fears that Edge Construction Company may withdraw from the project citing insecurity. Weeks back, armed separatists kidnapped and maimed some workers of the company. Last week, reports have it that some heavy-duty vehicles of the company were seized the cashier kidnapped. With execution works slowed on the project site, the elite used Saturdays ceremony to call on the people of Mankon to take ownership of the project and ensure its protection. As the event went on, armed separatists staged a fierce attack. They fired several shots near the event venue, sending shock waves down the spines of the population. The deafening gunshots notwithstanding, attendees say the event was very successful. It emerged that the armed separatist fighters are demanding money before they can allow the execution of the project. These are mostly Amba children from other villages. A sane Mankon child would not block such a project aimed at developing his or her village. There is another war now between Mankon children who are in Amba and their counterparts seeking refuge in Mankon. The few Mankon children left in the Amba thing are ready to leave if the project is disturbed, a source familiar with the situation told Cameroon-Info.Net. Cletus Anye Matoya, a political figure and elite of Mankon says they cannot sit back and watch the incessant attacks on the project. The brilliant economist who doubles as Director-General of the North West Development Authority (MIDENO) said the Ntahbeng-Mankon Palace Road is for Mankon people and all should come on board to protect it. "We have to improve on the accessibility to the palace come rain, come shine. Those who think that the road is not for the Mankon man should have a rethink," he said. "Most of the road construction in the urban perimeter of Bamenda is in Mankon. It is our project and we must stand by it," Matoya told the people. On his part, Prof Fru Angwafo III, President of the Regional Assembly and elite of Mankon urged the population to protect the various development projects going on in Mankon. "Parents should do everything within their power to instill discipline in their children," he said. His Royal Majesty Fon S.A.N. Angwafo III recalled that the tarring of the Ntahbeng-Mankon Palace road is a dream come true, the reason why the people of Mankon must work to see that the project is realized as soon as possible. Before Saturdays meeting closed, the quarter heads and members of the Mankon traditional council promised to protect the equipment of the various construction companies and ensure that development projects go on hitch-free It was also an opportunity for the Mayor of Bamenda II, Chenwi Peter to announce the roofing of one of the buildings at the entrance to the historic palace of Mankon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Tuesday night. In his 20-minute-long address, the Prime Minister spoke at length about the current COVID-19 situation in the country. PM Modi stated that the nations need to focus on containment zones and to consider lockdowns as a last resort. "We have to protect the nation from lockdown. I urge states to treat lockdown as the last resort. We need to focus on micro-containment," said PM Modi. He also stated that the government is working hard to address the oxygen crisis in the country. "We are trying to ensure that every patient gets oxygen," added the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's speech has created a storm on Twitter. His speech has attracted varied reactions from Twitterati. Inspiring #PMModi Let's unite and fight. We all are at WAR. #IndiaFightsCorona - shivam dixit (@its_skd) April 20, 2021 It's a big challenge, but we need to fight it out with all our might: PM Narendra Modi in his address to nation on COVID-19 situation - Afternoon Voice (@Afternoon_Voice) April 20, 2021 Glad to hear #PMModi, a frontline leader's call of sensitivity and empathy for the nation to stand together in support. @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCoronahttps://t.co/DiS1U1OcSS - Navita Srikant (@NavitaSrikant) April 20, 2021 Some Netizens were relieved that PM Modi didn't announce a nationwide lockdown #PmAdressesNation Thank God No lockdown will impose.. Stay safe, stay calm.. United we stand, divided we fall.. Let's fight againt Covid #nolockdown #PMModi - KOMAL (@Kittu289) April 20, 2021 Of course, not all were happy with the Prime Minister's address Disappointed by speech of PM Modi @narendramodi. There was no substance in his talk. There were no specific resolutions. Most of the talk was focused on goverment giving assurance. Delhi has run out of ventilators. ICU beds are also almost not available. Just assurance won't work - (@abhivyakti1_) April 20, 2021 PM speech today is like that student who didn't expect an interview call and hence didn't prepare but was called for interview last minute. No plan. No specifics. Pure globe!!#COVID19India #COVIDSecondWave #ModiResign #Covid_19 #PMdoesntCare - Akshat Modi (@Akshat_Modi) April 20, 2021 "We must save ourselves from a nationwide lockdown. #Lockdown is the last option" - PM Modi said in his address to the nation. Nothing concrete from a highly anticipated speech at a time when #India is amidst an unprecedented #Covid19 crisis. #COVID19India #Covid #coronavirus - Syed Mahammed Rafi (@JournalistRafi) April 20, 2021 Ukraine's president has warned Vladimir Putin 'millions of lives are at stake' if conflict erupts between the countries. Volodymyr Zelensky told the Russian leader he wanted to meet in the centre of the warzone in the Ukrainian Donbass. It comes after Russia insisted it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting international criticism amid Western worries about a Russian troops buildup near Ukraine. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) told the Russian leader he wanted to meet in the centre of the warzone in the Ukrainian Donbass The US also aired its concern Monday, with State Department spokesman Ned Price saying 'this represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilise Ukraine.' Price noted that the move 'is particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop buildup in occupied Crimea and around Ukraine's borders.' The European Union also voiced concern about the troop buildup and the navigation restrictions. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said restrictions on foreign naval ships were in line with international agreements, arguing it's common practice to limit areas where military drills are held. He said restrictions would not interfere with commercial shipping, according to Russian news agencies. In a separate move, Russia on Tuesday also announced restrictions on flights near Crimea for five days starting Tuesday. It comes after Russia insisted it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting international criticism amid Western worries about a Russian troops buildup near Ukraine. Pictured, Vladimir Putin on Monday The Russian military is holding massive Black Sea manoeuvres this week, involving more than 20 warships and dozens of aircraft. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued such airspace closures are common international practice. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after the country's former Russia-friendly president was driven from power by protests. Moscow then threw its weight behind separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the conflict there has killed more than 14,000 people in seven years. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with increasing violations of a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and a massive Russian troop buildup along the Ukrainian border. Moscow has rejected Ukraine and Western concerns, arguing that it's free to deploy its forces and claiming they are not threatening anyone. Pictured, Ukrainian forces taking part in a tank drills in Donbass region on April 18 But at the same time, Moscow sternly warned Ukrainian authorities against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel east, noting recent statements by Ukrainian military officers who held the door open for an offensive. The Kremlin said Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region. Mr Shoigu accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine and lashed out at the US and NATO for what he described as 'provocative actions' in the Black Sea area. The US and its NATO allies have regularly sent navy ships to the Black Sea and the US flew strategic bombers over Ukraine, vexing Moscow. This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows overview of tanks, self propelled artillery and armoured vehicles at Opuk training area at the Black Sea coast of Crimea However, the US reversed a planned deployment of two destroyers in the Black Sea earlier this month amid the heightening tensions. The Russian military has conducted a series of drills in southwestern Russia, in Crimea and other areas. On Tuesday, a pair of Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers flew over the Baltic Sea for eight hours, and the Northern Fleet conducted massive maneuvers in the Arctic, the Defence Ministry said. President Zelenskyy, who previously Russian counterpart Putin was refusing to take his calls, offered the Russian leader a meeting in eastern Ukraine to defuse tensions. 'Ukraine would never start a war, but would always stand until the end,' he said in a video address. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted Tuesday that Kyiv wasn't planning any offensive in the east. Russian Sukhoi Su-34 military aircraft are pictured at Morozovsk Airbase, Russia 'No, Ukraine is not planning any offensive, military escalation or provocations,' he said at a news conference, adding that 'we are making every effort for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the conflict.' Kuleba said the Russian buildup across the border is continuing and is 'expected to reach a combined force of over 120,000 troops' in about a week. He urged the West to beef up sanctions against Moscow by targeting entire sectors of the Russian economy. On Monday, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, told reporters there are 'more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea,' and doubled down on the figure later before his services had to correct it in the transcript, saying the real figure was over 100,000. Recent satellite images showed hundreds of Russian military vehicles stationed at multiple bases, firing ranges and field camps along the border with Ukraine and dozens of warplanes parked at air bases in southwestern Russia and Crimea. Gigi Hadid looked blissful as she posed for a selfie with her baby girl, Khai, under the cherry blossom trees in full bloom at her mom Yolanda's serene Pennsylvania home. In the sweet snap, the 25-year-old model held her seven-month-old daughter in a red plaid baby carrier as they enjoyed some fresh air on their walk. 'Spring at the farm,' the Vogue cover girl captioned a stunning slideshow of mainly nature photography on Instagram, from small yellow flowers to an incredible wisteria tree. Doting mom: Gigi Hadid looked blissful as she posed for a selfie with her baby girl, Khai, under the cherry blossom trees in full bloom at her mom Yolanda's serene Pennsylvania home While Gigi gave her little one a tour of her mother's gorgeous, fully-restored 32-acre oasis, purchased in 2017, she wore a warm cardigan and her ginger hair in a ponytail. Among the pictures was a cute black and white snap of Khai, taken from above, with her hand balled into a fist, after seemingly reaching out to play with some flowers. The infant could be seen wearing a black long sleeve onesie and a fur-trimmed pink hat for warmth. Exciting: In the sweet snap, the 25-year-old model can be seen holding her seven-month-old daughter in a red plaid baby carrier as they enjoyed some fresh air on their walk 'Spring at the farm,' the Vogue cover girl captioned a stunning slideshow of mainly nature photography on Instagram, from small yellow flowers to an incredible wisteria tree Earlier this week, Gigi and boyfriend Zayn Malik took their daughter to an adventure to the New York Aquarium. Little Khai also went on a family trip to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art with Gigi's dad Mohamed Hadid. Gigi gave birth to Khai back in September 2020, reportedly at Yolanda's farm, where she stayed with her sister Bella throughout much of her pregnancy. Zayn seems to be loving life as a father, and he gushed about how 'amazing' parenthood has been for him on the iHeartRadio show Valentine in the Morning. Nature: While Gigi gave her little one a tour of her mother's gorgeous full-restored 32-acre oasis, purchased in 2017, she wore a warm cardigan and fiery-red hair in a ponytail Beauty: Among the cute pictures was a black and white one of Khai, taken from above, with her hand balled into a fist, after seemingly reaching out to play with some flowers Springtime: Among the cute pictures was a black and white one of Khai, taken from above, with her hand balled into a fist, after seemingly reaching out to play with some flowers 'Honestly, it's amazing,' he said. 'A lot of people that I was speaking to, obviously, before she was born and stuff were like, "It's a big adjustment, and it's going to be a massive change and stuff." 'But honestly, she's an amazing baby. It's been really easy for me and Gig to kind of just ease into it. She kind of made it easy for us, she sleeps really well, she loves her milk. It's just feeding and changing diapers at the moment. It's wicked. I'm enjoying it, for sure.' Gigi and Zayn have been dating since 2015, though they were rumored to have broken up briefly in late 2016, and they officially broke up in March 2018. Culture: It was clear Gigi was raising her little girl to be a true New Yorker, sharing video from a family trip to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art with dad Mohamed Hadid Classics: Mohamed was fascinated by the artwork Yet the two were seen together only a month later and resuscitated the relationship later in 2018. The two reportedly broke up again in January 2019, but after hints of a reunion (including a cooking post in which Gigi made a recipe from Zayn's mother) the two confirmed their romance was in good health again in January 2020. The lovebirds announced just two months later that they were expecting their first child together. Although Gigi has been careful to preserve her infant daughter's privacy, she has shared several sweet photos of herself caring for little girl since giving birth. Earlier in March, the daughter of Yolanda Hadid made her return to the runway when she appeared with her sister at the Versace show for Milan Fashion Week. Loving it: She's been over the moon about motherhood since welcoming her girl last September So sweet: The model reportedly welcomed her baby at her mother Yolanda Hadid's farm in rural Pennsylvania, where she stayed with her sister Bella throughout much of 2020 BJP declared that it would not hold big poll campaign rallies in the state; public meetings with not more than 500 persons will be held Kolkata/New Delhi: Rattled by the explosion of Covid-19 cases amid Assembly elections in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday cancelled all her poll campaign in Kolkata and also curtailed the length of her district rallies to 30 minutes. The BJP too, singed by criticism over the rising cases and non-adherence to Covid protocols at election rallies, announced that it will reduce the crowd strength at each rally of its star campaigners, including Prime Minister Narendra, to a maximum of 500 for the remaining three poll phases. The move by the Trinamul Congress supremo and the BJP came two days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi cancelled his campaign in the state. Ms Banerjee, however, clearly ruled out immediate enforcement of either a lockdown or night curfew by her government in the state. The state witnessed a new record in daily spike in Covid-19 cases on Monday with 8,426 people testing positive and 38 dying in the last 24 hours. On Monday afternoon Ms Banerjee said in Malda, "At present 2,000 patients are in serious condition in the state. In Greater Kolkata, we will not conduct any big campaigns. All will be small in size. I, myself, will also not campaign in Kolkata. Besides, I have also curtailed my rallies. On the last day of the poll campaign, i.e. April 26, I will hold a small rally only." Asked about lockdown or night curfew, like it's being clamped in other states to break the chain of infection, she explained, "Nothing will happen out of the night curfew. It is not a solution. We are not imposing lockdown now also. If it is done suddenly, won't the people suffer? Will a lockdown solve the problem? Bus, train and flights are operating. Lakhs of people have come here from outside. I feel that the people should not be forced into anything. What cannot be done under force is possible through love. Solution is we have to avoid political pollution. All we need to do is to be careful." In the evening the BJP, which has been facing flak from rivals and also on the social media for holding big rallies and road shows of its leaders amid the pandemic, declared that it would not hold big poll campaign rallies in the state. It said, "In West Bengal, the Assembly polls have been underway. It is also important that this constitutional and democratic process should be completed. Keeping it in mind BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda decided that small public meetings with a crowd of not more than 500 persons will be organised for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central leaders in West Bengal. These rallies will be held in open places under Covid guidelines in Bengal." The saffron party's statement came after its national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted, "In view of the Corona infection, instructions have been received from the Prime Minister's Office to change the form of the meetings of Hon'ble Prime Minister. Special attention should be taken for social distancing." According to BJP sources, Mr Modi addressed 18 campaign rallies for BJP candidates during his 12 visits to the state so far. In his next visit, the PM is expected to address four rallies: one each in Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Bhowanipore in South Kolkata on April 23, party insiders revealed. He was earlier supposed to address two rallies in Malda and Murshidabad on April 22, when the state will go to the sixth phase of polls, and in Bhowanipore and Birbhum on April 24, sources said. The BJP's IT wing head Amit Malviya, who is also the party's co-incharge for the state, said the BJP would leverage its "massive digital footprint" and take the message of Mr Modi and other leaders to lakhs of people. Meanwhile, state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is in home isolation after coming in touch with some who tested positive during the campaign. The state government also preponed summer vacation, to be effective in all schools from Tuesday, after reducing the staff strength to 50 per cent at public workplaces. Hyderabad, April 20 : The Telugu film industry on Tuesday decided to do only emergency film shootings in view of the surge in Covid-19 pandemic, the Telugu Film Producers Council said. It said the emergency film shootings will be carried out with a maximum of 50 workers duly following necessary guidelines. All precautionary measures will be taken in shooting/post production places. This will be scrupulously followed by Telugu film industry, said Council's honorary secretaries T. Prasanna Kumar. The decision came on a day when the state government announced imposition of night curfew across the state to contain the spread of Covid. Though the government allowed cinema theatres to screen the shows till 8 p.m., cinema theatre owners' association decided to voluntarily shut down theatres from Wednesday. It was in June last year that the state government had permitted resumption of shooting for films and television programmes after all activities relating to film industry had come to a halt in March. Cinema theatres, however, were allowed to re-open in December. Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe celebrated what's believed to be her second anniversary of dating fiance Brandon R. Frankel with an ATV adventure 'in the mountains' on Monday. The Brooklyn-born 37-year-old and her 36-year-old 'soulmate' both shared romantic tributes declaring they'd be together 'forever.' Gabourey - who boasts 2.3M Instagram/Twitter followers - gushed: 'Here's to many more years and many more terrifying adventures with my Boo!' 'Here's to many more years and many more terrifying adventures with my Boo!' Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe (R) celebrated what's believed to be her second anniversary of dating fiance Brandon R. Frankel (L) with an ATV adventure 'in the mountains' on Monday 'Can't believe we have another trip around the sun together,' Brandon gushed on his page. 'You're the love of my life, my best friend, and the best mother to our cat children. Every day is bright with you - together, we can literally move mountains. Never not fun - can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Happy Anniversary my love.' Much ado was made over Sidibe and Frankel both rocking rings in Beverly Hills on April 11, but he appears to have been wearing two bands on both ring fingers as far back as December 3. The Cameo senior talent exec famously proposed to the Independent Spirit Award winner in the buff using balloon letters on their bed covered in rose petals back in November. 'We doin this forever': The Brooklyn-born 37-year-old (2-R) and her 36-year-old 'soulmate' both shared romantic tributes declaring they'd be together 'forever' Brandon gushed: 'Can't believe we have another trip around the sun together. You're the love of my life, my best friend, and the best mother to our cat children' He continued: 'Every day is bright with you - together, we can literally move mountains. Never not fun - can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Happy Anniversary my love' Sparking marriage rumors? Much ado was made over Sidibe and Frankel both rocking rings in Beverly Hills on April 11, but he appears to have been wearing two bands on both ring fingers (pictured) as far back as December 3 'It's weird that people think we're already married but I guess our hearts and intentions for each other are just that clear to see,' Gabourey wrote on November 24. 'My BFF proposed and now I get to hold him forever. The funniest man I've ever met. The sweetest human to exist. @brandontour made up a song for when I put my bonnet on at night. The second I look a bit stressed and overwhelmed, he jumps into action to take over what he can for me. Every moment with him is a joy. 'He is the partner I thought I was too independent to need. I've learned so much about myself through him and I feel grateful and excited to learn more about the entire world with him by my side. My partner, my best friend, my cats' daddy, my mans, my heart, my fiance!' Career-wise, Sidibe received an NAACP Image Award nod for supporting actress for her role as Dawn in Gerard Bush & Christopher Renz's dismally-reviewed 2020 thriller Antebellum. 'Will you marry me?' The Cameo senior talent exec proposed to the Independent Spirit Award winner in the buff using balloon letters on their bed covered in rose petals back in November Gabourey - who boasts 2.3M Instagram/Twitter followers - wrote on November 24: 'It's weird that people think we're already married but I guess our hearts and intentions for each other are just that clear to see' And a year ago, the Borough of Manhattan Community College grad concluded her role as Head of A&R Rebecca 'Becky' Williams in the sixth (and final) season of Fox series Empire. 'I've heard the idea that I'm just lucky before. I've heard that. I'm an extremely unlucky person, actually. I'm very, very unlucky in a lot of ways. I work really, really hard though. I work really, really hard,' Gabourey told Collider Ladies Night in September. 'An no, the Hollywood seas didn't part for me in the same way that it might have for maybe Anna Kendrick who was nominated for the first time [in 2009] as well, who then went on to star in films and television and the whole thing. The seas did not part that same way for me and I assume that there are a few factors that made that so, but I am still working 10 years later.' In 2016, Sidibe reportedly shed half her 300lb, 5ft5in frame after undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Last acting gig: Sidibe received an NAACP Image Award nod for supporting actress for her role as Dawn in Gerard Bush & Christopher Renz's dismally-reviewed 2020 thriller Antebellum TEHRAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. This year the number of participants of the Armenian Genocide commemoration events in Iran will be limited due to the coronavirus pandemic, representative of the Armenian Diocese of Tehran Alex Karapetyan, who is also the chair of the central committee for the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, told Armenpress, noting that the commemoration events are being adjusted to the situation in the country. This year we will not be able to hold peoples events because of the pandemic, the gatherings are banned, schools are operating online. We adjust the works with the current situation. This year the events will launch on April 23. A candlelight vigil in memory of the Armenian Genocide victims will be held that day, however, everyone will do that at home. This ceremony will be broadcast on social media, we will try to spread it in order to make it available for the broad public, Alex Karapetyan said. On April 24 there will be an event near the Monument of Martyrs where the people will lay flowers for the memory of the victims. Again there will be limited number of participants. The event will be broadcast live on social media. Remarks will be delivered during this event. At the end of the program there will be a declaration in Persian. Our statement will focus on Turkeys expansionist policy and the threat coming from that country to the countries of the region, Karapetyan said. In addition to these main events, more than 20 Armenian organizations in Iran will hold their April 24-related programs. April 24 is the 1915 Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told President Biden Monday they are opposed to increasing the corporate tax rate to pay for his proposed $2.25 trillion infrastructure package, according to people familiar with the matter. Why it matters: The opposition from Romney and Hoeven, the only two Republican senators in Mondays bipartisan Oval Office meeting, suggests Biden is going to have a difficult time finding any Republican support to pay for his road, bridge and health care spending proposals by increasing corporate rates. The White House is still looking for evidence there are any Republicans willing to entertain some of the presidents proposals, including Bidens plan to raise the corporate rate from 21% to 28%. If administration officials conclude Republican senators are only interested in drawing red lines, they may be more inclined to pursue a purely partisan path and look for 50 Democratic votes in the Senate to pass a bill via the budget reconciliation process. The president himself told reporters at the outset of the meeting: I am prepared to compromise, prepared to see what we can do and what we can get together on. What they are saying: While both Romney and Hoeven are in favor of an infrastructure package, they sat they want to see a more targeted payment mechanism gas taxes and user fees to help fund individual projects. There is broad support for infrastructure, and I believe a bipartisan bill is possible, but we need to find agreement to make these updates in a targeted way that doesnt raise taxes, Hoeven said in a statement. I know that my Democratic friends are more inclined to look for the general revenue fund for taxpayers to pick up the bill, but my inclination is more towards the people who actually use a facility to be the ones that pay for it, Romney told reporters on Capitol Hill. Behind the scenes: Biden began the meeting by yielding the floor to Maine's Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats and a was once public television host. King ensured that everyone in the room had an opportunity to air the views and explain their positions. Romney acknowledged as much and praised the president. He was in listening mode, and, and was gracious to solicit our respective points of view, he said. The bottom line: Negotiations between Senate Republicans and the White House are just beginning, but their opening positions are miles apart. "Youth of May" piqued the viewers' interest with its powerhouse cast and jaw-dropping visuals. Back in December 2020, KBS2 confirmed that they would release a new show about a sentimental period drama set in the '80s. Helmed by "School 2017" director Song Min Yeop and written by Lee Kang, the forthcoming melodrama revolves around the lives of two young people who met during the whirlwind Gwangju Uprising. This is said to be one of the most significant times in the history of South Korea after almost 2,000 people were killed, mostly Chonnam University students who at the time demonstrated against the government's martial law. "Sweet Home" stars Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si reunited to lead the cast of KBS2's new evening drama that is scheduled to premiere on May 3 and will be aired every Monday and Tuesday. They are joined by "Once Again's" Lee Sang Yi and Geum Sae Rok from the "Class of Lies." The "18 Again" actor is set to portray the top-notch medical student Hwang Hee Tae who exudes a mysterious and mischievous personality. At the Seoul National University College of Medicine, he met Kim Myung Hee, played by Go Min Si, the hard-working nurse who opted to stay alone in Gwangju and leave her family. As mentioned above, "Youth of May" has been making it to the headlines after the broadcasting network teased viewers with stunning visuals. With that being said, here are three times that the upcoming melodrama made the viewers' hearts flutter. Newest Teaser Poster At the start of the month, KBS2 continues to update the fans with still cuts, official posters, and videos of "Youth of May." Recently, the drama dropped their latest official poster featuring lead stars Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si The visuals give off a warm feeling as the 26-year-old actor gazed straight at the "Love Alarm 2 "actress. Lee Do Hyun Serenades Go Min Si in "Youth of May's" Official Teaser Video On April 13, KBS2 unveiled the drama's first teaser video featuring the budding relationship of Hwang Hee Tae and Kim Myung Hee. The scene starts off with the university student bringing a bouquet as he placed him near the record player. He then picked up a guitar and started serenading Kim Myung Hee, who at the time was staring at Hwang Hee Tae. In the latter part of the clip, the beautiful music was interrupted by a loud gunshot, foreshadowing an upcoming tragedy. "Youth of May" Producers Lauded Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun's On Screen Chemistry In a previous report, producers of the upcoming drama shared their insights regarding the "Youth of May" cast. According to a South Korea outlet, the producers pointed out that the lead stars perfectly portrayed the emotions of Hwang Hee Tae and Kim Myung Hee and highlighted that the two exude undeniable chemistry on screen. "Actress Go Min Si has been perfectly capturing the complicated inner feelings of Kim Myung Hee during filming. Actor Lee Do Hyun has also made the brazen Hwang Hee Tae even more charming with his acting." IN CASE YOU MISSED: Go Min Si of "Sweet Home" Has an Astounding Job Before Making It on the Small Screen KDramastars owns this article. Written by Geca Wills The crazy night out shared by Married At First Sight stars during filming of the cast reunion has all been captured on my car dashcam as I found myself driving some of the main cast members around Sydney's nightspots. The reunion episode which screened on Sunday was filmed back in February, and when the cameras weren't rolling on the dramatic season finale, the stars really let their hair down. Pressed into service as their designated driver, I ferried them across the city as the dashcam captured their excited banter. This is the inside story of how the night unfolded. STARS FLY IN The cast members began returning to Sydney after a two-month break on February 6, four days before filming the reunion. And while some cast members were still adjusting to becoming household names through their roles on Australia's most watched and discussed reality program, others wanted to make the most of their fifteen minutes of fame. The cast knew me all too well, as I spent much of the previous two and a half months camped outside their Sydney CBD apartment to get the inside stories. Inside the wild Married At First Sight after-party you didn't see on TV as the boozy brides and rowdy grooms stay up until 3am in Sydney - and bring Daily Mail Australia reporter ALI DAHER along for the ride. Pictured alongside: Beth Moore, Booka Nile and Jake Edwards Car selfie: The cast already knew me by name, having spent the past two and a half months camped outside their Sydney CBD apartment to catch any drama. After learning when the cast would be flying in, I knew the airport was the place to be, to see which couples were still together and who had split since filming the final vows. Booka Nile was among the first cast members to arrive in Sydney, and a lot had changed since she was last in the city just a few months earlier. She was wearing a face mask and appeared overwhelmed with the number of photographers waiting for her arrival. Action: After learning the cast would be flying in, I knew the airport was the place to be to see which couples were still together and who had split since filming the final vows Incoming! Booka Nile (right) was among the first cast members to arrive in Sydney, a lot had changed since she was last in Sydney just a few months earlier 'Welcome back to Sydney, are you ready for the reunion?' I asked. 'I am, I'm wondering if we have to wear masks or not because apparently, they're very mandatory now,' she replied. 'What about outside? I've worn this for like four hours now and my face is feeling dirty,' she then asked 'Welcome back to Sydney, are you ready for the reunion?' I asked. 'I am, I'm wondering if we have to wear masks or not because apparently, they're very mandatory now,' she commented- referring to the recently introduced rules that face masks must be worn inside the airport We briefly chatted about her new haircut before I walked her over to the express pick up where she took an Uber. The following day Jake Edwards, Rebecca Zemek and Sam Carraro, Samantha Harvey and Joanne Todd arrived on separate flights. Jake, the 32-year-old charity CEO and former AFL player, was one of the nicest cast members to speak with during filming, and also the most active. Indie cool! We briefly chatted about her new haircut before I walked her over to the express pick up where she was picked up by an Uber You could set your watch by his daily double espresso shot at the nearby cafe or coming back from a jog. Having just completed a COVID-19 test after walking off the plane, he did not seem in the mood to talk on camera. Instead, I cheekily asked him where his ring was, trying to get an indication whether he and his on-screen 'wife' Beck were still together. Friendly: The following day Jake Edwards (pictured), Rebecca Zemek and Sam Carraro, Samantha Harvey and Joanne Todd arrived on separate flights Friendly: You were almost guaranteed to spot him picking up his double espresso shot from the nearby cafe every morning or coming back from a jog. Jake pictured in November 2020 Keeping coy, Jake said it was packed away in his suitcase and was keeping it safe. Later that night, Jake's business partners were coincidentally in Sydney and were out celebrating a birthday. I was already following them on Instagram and to my luck, they were sharing updates on their movements while tagging the name of the restaurant, so I headed on over. Lucky me! Jake's business partners were coincidentally in Sydney and were out celebrating their birthday. Booka, Sam and Patrick were also in attendance Uber? Two days before reuniting on screen, Booka Nile (left) was spotted leaving a trendy Sydney restaurant with her fellow co-stars. Pictured with Jake Edwards and Sam Carraro THE MEAL To my surprise, Jake had been joined at the restaurant by co-stars Booka, Sam Carraro and Patrick Dwyer. We chatted as they came out of the restaurant regularly for cigarette breaks, as they cheekily posed for photos. Hours, multiple meals and drinks later, all four exited the restaurant at 11pm and no-one was in the mood to call it a night. Ready to party! Hours, multiple meals and drinks later, all four participants exited the restaurant at 11pm very excited, and ready to continue their night Need a ride? I cheekily then asked the group if they needed a ride before they got in Standing at the top of the Overseas Passenger Terminal and almost 50 metres away from the road, the out-of-towners pondered where they could get a ride. I suggested they walk down to the main street for a cab and cheekily asked 'where are we going?' The next destination was a few blocks away, so one of the grooms asked: 'Have you got a car?'. 'Yeah - I can drive you guys if you like, it's not far,' I replied. Unsure if I was joking, the group were still standing on the footpath when I pulled up and told them to 'jump in'. Belts on! Sitting in the back seat, Patrick was heard laughing: '[Sam] didn't want to get in the car,' before joking, 'I'm an Uber. I didn't see any cabs today.' Upon entry into my car, the wild reality stars were instructed to put their seat belts on before they embarked on a 15-minute drive from Sydney's Circular Quay to George Street. Pictured with Beck Zemek later in the night THE RIDE They all managed to squeeze into my Toyota Corolla and we set off for an entertaining 15-minute drive from Circular Quay to George Street. The group joked about the rules they were breaking by being in a reporter's car, after months of being warned by the show's producers to keep away from the press. 'This is the highlight of the f**king experiment,' Sam joked, and a laughing Jake added 'it's f**king classic.' Sitting in the back seat, Patrick was heard laughing: '(Sam) didn't want to get in the car,' before joking, 'I'm an Uber. I didn't see any cabs today.' The reality stars then flipped roles on this reporter by asking me some questions, including who my favourite cast member is. 'Obviously Jake, Patrick...' I began before Sam called out 'don't leave me hanging!' 'Sam I loved you until you blocked me on Instagram,' I replied, which sparked a laugh at his expense from fellow cast members. During the drive, I was asked who my favourite cast member from the show was, Naturally I replied, 'Obviously Jake, Patrick...' before Sam called out to say, 'Don't leave me hanging' A few hours, and presumably several drinks later, one of the cast members was refused entry to a bar. Heated words were exchanged between the offended groom and a security guard before another cast member decided it was time to call it a night and asked if I could drive him back to his hotel. I felt responsible to get him back safe. Friendly: Brett Helling appeared only too happy to be photographed leaving the reunion Naughty! After several hours later, and what may have been one drink too many, one of the cast members was refused entry to a bar, so I drove him back to his hotel MEETING THE BOSS Two days after my night out with the cast - day two of the reunion - I decided to get to Grounds of Alexandria a few hours early and get something to eat. To my luck, the much-feared Married At First Sight boss - Tara McWilliams (aka Queen of MAFS) - parked her car right by mine. 'I thought there wasn't a better time to introduce myself, 'The infamous Ali,' she said. Tara later asked if there was anything that she needed to be worried about, I replied 'Not really,' ... she then thanked me for taking care of her 'naughty' cast. Chance encounter: To my luck, the much-feared Married At First Sight boss - Tara McWilliams (aka Queen of MAFS) - parked her car right by mine. 'I thought there wasn't a better time to introduce myself, 'The infamous Ali,' she said A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED Despite getting the cast into trouble with producers, it was a night to be remembered where cast members could briefly put aside life under the Married at First Sight microscope and forge friendships. It was a rare opportunity to glimpse the true personalities of the cast outside 'the experiment' and not just the characters the rest of the country watched and judged. Bilateral contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden and other heads of state are not planned within the framework of the upcoming climate summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "No. Such contacts are not planned," the spokesman said, answering the relevant question. The U.S. President invited 40 world leaders, including Putin, to the climate summit, which Washington intends to organise on April 22-23 in a virtual format. On Monday, the Kremlin announced that Putin had accepted the invitation, that he would speak at the 22 April meeting via video conference and outline Russia's approach to the issue. Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed preparations for the summit, Sputnik recalls, MARCY, N.Y. New York State Police are looking for two persons of interest regarding vehicle thefts at the Canal Trail parking lots in Marcy. Police say items were stolen from two cars parked near the trail on Sunday. The rear window was smashed and a purse was stolen from a vehicle parked in the access lot on Mohawk Street. A wallet was also stolen from an unlocked car in the Lock 20 parking lot on River Road. Both the purse and wallet included several credit cards. The stolen cards were used at the Walmart stores in New Hartford and North Utica. Police released security footage of two people theyre looking to speak with regarding the thefts. Anyone with information that may help identify them can call state police at 315-366-6000. BELMOND, Iowa - A man who received more than 10 pounds of meth from Mexico and planned to redistribute it in the Wright County area has pled guilty in federal court. Rafael Perez-Mercado, 29, of Belmond, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute. It was also determined he was in the United States illegally. In October of 2020, law enforcement intercepted a package from Mexico that was to be delivered to Perez-Mercado. A controlled delivery was held two weeks later and he was taken into custody. Perez-Mercado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. SALT LAKE CITY, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Brennan Investment Group, a private real estate investment firm that acquires, develops and operates industrial facilities throughout the United States, has announced the acquisition of 32.57 acres located at 5933 West 2100 South in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is situated within the combined Airport, California Avenue and West Valley submarkets, largest and most diverse industrial concentration in the Salt Lake City region. This site is situated at the southwest corner and will have direct access to the intersection of both Highway 201 and the Mountain View Corridor, which is currently under construction. It will have frontage on both Highway 201 (east-west) as well as the newly constructed Mountain View Corridor (north-south). Brennan's strategy is to develop two modern rear load multi-tenant Class-A industrial facilities, a shallower building with 190' depth and a deeper building with 270' depth, totaling approximately 397,600 rentable square feet. "We project shell completion by second quarter 2022." said Brian Roach, Managing Principal at Brennan Investment Group. "This will be the second project in the Salt Lake City area for Brennan and we will be employing the same design-build team from our first development in the area." "Utah is the fastest growing state in the country with a net increase of roughly 400,000 people moving into the state in the last 10 years." said Scott McKibben, Chief Investment Officer, Managing Principal. "This population boom combined with the increased e-commerce and safety stock demand drivers have made this development viable and necessary." About Brennan Investment Group Brennan Investment Group, a Chicago-based private real estate investment firm, acquires, develops, and operates industrial properties in select major metropolitan markets throughout the United States. Since 2010, Brennan Investment Group has acquired over $4 billion in industrial real estate. The company's current portfolio spans 29 states and encompasses 44 million square feet. Brennan Investment Group co-invests with private and institutional capital to achieve outstanding risk-adjusted returns. The firm's management team is among the most accomplished in its industry, having invested in over 4,000 properties covering more than 60 cities throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. For more information on Brennan Investment Group, go to brennanllc.com. Media Contact: Ursula Walendzewicz, [email protected], (847) 443-2716 SOURCE Brennan Investment Group, LLC Theres so much chatter about California tech companies moving to Texas. While a few have landed in San Antonio, many choose other cities, usually Austin. The avalanche of tech firms moving to, or expanding in, the capital is impressive: Tesla, Apple, Samsung, BAE, Google, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard the list goes on. Its going to be the biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years, at least megaboom, Elon Musk, head of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and other companies, said recently on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Megaboom? Can yall send some of that 80 miles south? Compared to Austins megaboom, San Antonios wins seem far and few between. In fact, San Antonio has even lost some tech companies recently. According to the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the area lost bids to land three tech companies in 2020. Another got out of its real estate leases to go fully remote. While the misses pale in comparison to the trauma of the AT&T headquarters move to Dallas in 2008, they still sting. More like when Cisco Systems bought local cybersecurity firm WheelGroup in 1998 and moved it to Austin just two months later. On April 12, I reported about a New Braunfels-based tech firm, TaskUs, preparing to make an initial public offering. The buried news in that story is that TaskUs recently moved its headquarters from Santa Monica, Calif., to New Braunfels. The New Braunfels decision came despite the company already having 1,160 employees at its leased facility in Rackspace Technologys headquarters in Windcrest. Its the latest on a list of tech companies opting out of what the EDF calls Cyber City, USA. According to the New Braunfels Economic Development Corp., the TaskUs deal was in the works for more than a year. TaskUs didnt respond to my question of why not San Antonio, but there was a hint from a company exec when it opened an office in New Braunfels in 2018. The company had been outgrowing its San Antonio footprint, and with the downtown area falling short on needed employee parking, TaskUs had been looking around for room to grow, he said. The parking argument seemed shaky then, and it might be a different conversation today, especially in light of a pandemic that has more people across many industries working remotely. And its probably only one of the reasons the company opted for New Braunfels. Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, SAEDFs chief executive, said San Antonio and Bexar County didnt offer incentives to TaskUs. TaskUs was interested in New Braunfels because of the access to the talent that New Braunfels had, and then also the real estate play there, she said. From my perspective, the incentive ($300,000 in grants and tax breaks from New Braunfels and Comal County) was simply just icing on top of the cake. Even though TaskUs headquarters didnt land in San Antonio, Saucedo-Herrera sees it as a win in line with the EDFs new regional strategy. This is a great example of how that regional approach plays out. Its certainly not San Antonio or Schertz or New Braunfels competing, she said. If we can get that growth, and those jobs, to stay within the region, or to locate in the region initially, thats a win for us. Not only is it a win for the region we located them here and then they expanded here they doubled down on the region based off access to talent and, obviously, real estate. And, she said, the EDF did help TaskUs connect with Rackspace when it was looking to move from the Finesilver building on Camaron Street. Another tech firm, FunnelAI, made a splash in 2017 when it joined the RealCo accelerator in San Antonio. Apparently things went well for FunnelAI. But after it raised capital and grew here, it left the nest for Austin in the past year. Pat Matthews, founder and CEO of Active Capital, a firm that invested in FunnelAI, declined to comment on its move but said, Many of our companies, regardless of previous headquarters, have gone fully remote. Remote working isnt going away anytime soon, which bodes well for San Antonio. We have the opportunity to benefit from talented people moving from big cities like San Fran, New York and even Austin, Matthews said. Even if we dont get all of the company headquarters, I think we could benefit from individuals who are now working remote and prefer to live in San Antonio since they can now live where they want and work from anywhere. Weve also seen out-of-state companies gobbling up local firms. Most recently, Minnesota-based HelpSystems bought local cyber firms Digital Defense and GlobalScape. While both companies plan to keep their San Antonio operations, the little-spoken truth is that when ownership is somewhere else, it gets easier to make changes especially at the place thats 1,200 miles away. Megaboom aside, its tough to compare San Antonio to the techtropolis to the north. That means we need to be focused both on keeping and growing what we have, and working to bring in more companies that want to be here. Brandon Lingle writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. brandon.lingle@express-news.net Stuttgart, Germany, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2021 ) :Former Stuttgart champion Laura Siegemund will face world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia in the second round of the clay-court WTA tournament after seeing off qualifier Mona Barthel on Tuesday. Siegemund, 33, who won the Stuttgart tournament in 2017 and reached the 2016 final, needed just over two hours to seal a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 first-round win over Barthel, who fired down four aces without reply. Barty will make her debut in Stuttgart in the second round against the 33-year-old Siegemund, ranked 58th in the world, having won the only previous meeting between the pair in Doha on hard court last year. "I am looking forward to it, but it won't be an easy task for sure," said Siegemund of facing top-seed Barty. "It wasn't an easy first match for me. I hadn't played for a few weeks, while she came through qualifying, so there is room for improvement," Siegemund added having made 30 unforced errors. Stuttgart is the second clay-court tournament this season for Barty, the 2019 French Open champion, who lost to Spain's Paula Badosain in the quarter-finals of the Charleston tournament at the start of April. Former double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic won her first round match with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady of the USA. Kvitova, the seventh seed in Stuttgart and the 2019 champion, will face Maria Sakkari of Greece in the second round. "I was surprised to have to face her so early," said Kvitova, with Brady ranked 14th in the world, just four places below her. "It could just as easily have been a Grand Slam quarter-final or something like that. "I struggled with my serves at the start, but it was great to be back on the court and I feel well here. I'm looking forward to playing Maria."Earlier, Anett Kontaveit of Estonia set up a second-round tie with third-seed Sofia Kenin of the USA after a 6-2, 6-3 win over German qualifier Julia Middendorf. (Newser) The FBI says it is trying to find more potential victims of two long-distance truckers accused of conspiring to kidnap women in multiple states. The FBI says New Jersey-based trucker Brian Summerson contacted women through dating and escort sites and then kidnapped or attempted to kidnap them. An indictment says Summerson, 26, tried to coerce the women into working as prostitutes for Chicago-based trucker Pierre Washington and would demand ransom from their families if they refused, Fox13 reports. Both men have been indicted in a federal conspiracy case filed in Memphis. Before the indictment, Summerson had already been arrested or questioned in connection with kidnapping, attempting to kidnap, or assaulting women in at least four states, starting in June 2019, reports USA Today. story continues below Court documents and law enforcement records state that a New Jersey women told police in January 2020 Summerson kidnapped her and she escaped from his truck days later. FBI records state that he had sent messages to a contact called "Pedro," saying, "Should I keep her and make her work for me or dump her out on the highway on an exit ramp away from everyone? He also told "Pedro" to call making threats related to having her child. Police say he wasn't arrested because the woman's story was inconsistent. Weeks later, he was arrested in connection with an alleged kidnapping and ransom demand in South Carolina, where deputies say they found a screaming woman in his truckbut his bail conditions allowed him to keep working. The FBI's appeal for more information says the investigation has uncovered videos, photo, and communications with more women on Summerson's devices. (Read more kidnapping stories.) Restrictions on international travellers have been extended until at least May 21. Canada extends travel restrictions again Restrictions on international travellers have been extended until at least May 21. Canada extends travel restrictions again Restrictions on international travellers have been extended until at least May 21. Canada extends travel restrictions again Restrictions on international travellers have been extended until at least May 21. Mohanad Moetaz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canada has extended travel restrictions until May 21, 2021 for travellers of all countries, including the U.S. The announcement was made by Canadas Public Safety minister Bill Blair via Twitter. As cases rise and variants of concern continue to emerge across the country, we will continue to do what it takes-for as long as it takes-to keep Canadians safe. Restrictions on non-US international travel into Canada have been extended until May 21st, 2021. Bill Blair (@BillBlair) April 20, 2021 Non-essential travel restrictions with the United States have been extended until May 21st, 2021. We will continue to base our decisions on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe from #COVID19. Bill Blair (@BillBlair) April 20, 2021 International flights continue to be accepted through only four Canadian airports: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. Incoming travellers who are exempt from the travel restrictions are required to show a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before coming to Canada. They are also required to take another test upon arrival. Travellers must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for three days while they wait for their results. Quarantine requirements have also been extended. All travellers to Canada are required to quarantine for 14 days. The three day government-mandated hotel stay can count towards your quarantine period. Only essential travellers do not have to quarantine. This includes emergency service providers, truck drivers, some technicians or specialists, those living in a trans-border community and those who regularly cross the border to work. Discover if you are eligible for Canadian immigration When will the border re-open? Last week, Health Minister Patty Hajdu reiterated that now is not the time to travel. Hajdu did not say when Canada is considering to reopen the border. However, she did mention that there are a few things that Canada needs to monitor before that happens. We monitor a number of different metrics including domestic spread, provinces and territories capacities to manage cases in their own jurisdiction, as well as the situation internationally, Hajdu said at a press conference alongside other officials on Tuesday, April 6. Like many other countries, Canada is facing a third wave of the COVID-19 virus. Canadian provinces and territories are struggling with the surge in cases. Are vaccinated travellers exempt from the travel restrictions? Canada is currently keeping an eye on the effectiveness of vaccine passports for the moment. There is a lack of evidence to suggest whether vaccinated people can spread the virus to others. Justin Trudeau, Canadas prime minister, highlighted that Canada must first consider what measures are appropriate for those who are vaccinated, particularly those who are vaccinated by vaccines that are not approved by Health Canada. Who is exempt from the travel restrictions? Only certain people are exempt from the travel restrictions, and will be granted entry into Canada. Those include Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their family members. Some temporary foreign workers, and international students attending a school that has a COVID-19 response plan, are also allowed into Canada. Protected persons and people coming to Canada for compassionate reasons are also exempt. For a full list of who can travel to Canada, visit this government webpage. Compassionate reasons include those who wish to travel to Canada: to be present during the final moments of life for a loved one, or to provide support or care for someone who is critically ill; to provide medical support to a person who needs it; or to attend a funeral, or end of life ceremony. Compassionate travellers are required to fill out an application to get limited release from quarantine before the end of the 14 day period. In all cases, Canadian border services officers have the final say on who is allowed into Canada. Discover if you are eligible for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The US Department of State, on April 20, branded Russian plans to bloc parts of the Black Sea as an unprovoked escalation in the contested region. Amidst the surging possibilities of a Russo-Ukrainian war in the Donbas region, reports of Moscow closing parts of the Black sea to foreign military and ships for six months surfaced. If that happens, Russia could successfully affect Ukrainian ports located in the Sea of Azov, which are all connected to the Black Sea only through the narrow Kerch Strait. "This represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilise Ukraine," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. "This development is particularly troubling amid credible reports of the Russian troop buildup in occupied Crimea and around Ukraine's borders, now at levels not seen since Russias invasion in 2014," he added. Russias plan to block parts of the Black Sea to certain maritime traffic is aimed to undermine Ukraine. We support Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. https://t.co/r14NWp8hhO Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) April 20, 2021 Bigger than Crimean annexation In a build-up which is larger than 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, more than 100,000 troops have massed on the eastern Ukrainian border. On Monday, European Unions Top Diplomat Josep Borrell stated the number as 150,000 before revealing the source. Elaborating on the same, Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said that the military build-up was very seriously concerning. Just two days ago, British Media confirmed that fleets of British warships will sail for the Black Sea in May. While Kyiv has still not been granted NATO membership, the deployment is aimed at showing UKs solidarity to the eastern European country as well as other NATO allies. Earlier in April, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelelnsky dialled Johnson twice urging them to facilitate his state's accession to NATO while also increasing its presence in the conflict-hit region. Kyiv has accused Moscow of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders along with the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow back in 2014. 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 conflict has claimed over 13,000 lives since 2014, as per the United Nations (UN) tally. Since July 2020, an uneasy cease-fire has been in effect. 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. (Image: Associated Press) Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, said the verdict was the only reasonable one and marked a moment where future generations can look back and see that we as a nation came together and rightfully demanded justice and accountability. ... Pray for peace as we continue on our journey towards a more just and equitable world. Optoelectronic integration at low temperatures using superconductors may be easier than at room temperatures using semiconductors. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 -- As artificial intelligence has attracted broad interest, researchers are focused on understanding how the brain accomplishes cognition so they can construct artificial systems with general intelligence comparable to humans' intelligence. Many have approached this challenge by using conventional silicon microelectronics in conjunction with light. However, the fabrication of silicon chips with electronic and photonic circuit elements is difficult for many physical and practical reasons related to the materials used for the components. In Applied Physics Letters, by AIP Publishing, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology propose an approach to large-scale artificial intelligence that focuses on integrating photonic components with superconducting electronics rather than semiconducting electronics. "We argue that by operating at low temperature and using superconducting electronic circuits, single-photon detectors, and silicon light sources, we will open a path toward rich computational functionality and scalable fabrication," said author Jeffrey Shainline. Using light for communication in conjunction with complex electronic circuits for computation could enable artificial cognitive systems of scale and functionality beyond what can be achieved with either light or electronics alone. "What surprised me most was that optoelectronic integration may be much easier when working at low temperatures and using superconductors than when working at room temperatures and using semiconductors," said Shainline. Superconducting photon detectors enable detection of a single photon, while semiconducting photon detectors require about 1,000 photons. So not only do silicon light sources work at 4 kelvins, but they also can be 1,000 times less bright than their room temperature counterparts and still communicate effectively. Some applications, such as chips in cellphones, require working at room temperature, but the proposed technology would still have wide reaching applicability for advanced computing systems. The researchers plan to explore more complex integration with other superconducting electronic circuits as well as demonstrate all the components that comprise artificial cognitive systems, including synapses and neurons. Showing that the hardware can be manufactured in a scalable manner, so large systems can be realized at a reasonable cost, will also be important. Superconducting optoelectronic integration could also help create scalable quantum technologies based on superconducting or photonic qubits. Such quantum-neural hybrid systems may also lead to new ways of leveraging the strengths of quantum entanglement with spiking neurons. ### The article "Optoelectronic intelligence" is authored by Jeffrey Michael Shainline. The article will appear in Applied Physics Letters on April 20, 2021 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0040567). After that date, it can be accessed at https:/ / aip. scitation. org/ doi/ 10. 1063/ 5. 0040567 . ABOUT THE JOURNAL Kate Middleton is set to 'step up' and 'take on the role of future Queen' following the death of Prince Philip, a royal expert has claimed. Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, royal biographer Phil Dampier said Kate is 'maturing rapidly in her role' as she approaches her 10 year anniversary of marrying Prince William and becoming a royal. The Duchess of Cambridge, 39, is said to have played peacemaker between Prince William and Harry at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last week, because 'like the Queen she doesn't hold grudges or seek revenge'. 'At Prince Philip's funeral Kate really came of age,' Phil told FEMAIL. 'She comforted Prince Charles with an affectionate kiss and hug, brought William and Harry together, and very much gave a quiet dignity to proceedings. Kate Middleton is set to 'step up' and 'take on the role of future Queen' following the death of Prince Philip, a royal expert has claimed. The Duchess of Cambridge is pictured at the funeral of Prince Philip on Saturday 'She reportedly took part in a chat at Frogmore Cottage, along with Charles and William, to heal the wounds with Harry,' 'That must have been hard after what Harry and Meghan said about her in the Oprah Winfrey interview, but Kate is maturing rapidly and wants to do what's best for the royal family,' she added. During Meghan and Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah last month, the Duchess of Sussex claimed her sister-in-law made her cry before she married Prince Harry. While she insisted that she has now forgiven Kate Middleton and said she bought her flowers to apologise about the row which made headlines around the world after a supposed falling out over dresses for the flower girls. Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, royal biographer Phil Dampier revealed Kate is 'maturing rapidly in her role' as she approaches her 10-year anniversary of marrying Prince William and becoming a royal. She is pictured on her wedding day in 2011 Next week, William and Kate will celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary with the couple still mourning William's grandfather Prince Philip, who died on 9th April at Windsor Castle. Following the loss, Phil said that the royal is set to take on more responsibility within the firm. 'She has picked up many of the Queen's qualities of tolerance and pragmatism, not overreacting to situations but trying to decide what is best in the long run,' he said. 'Like the Queen she doesn't hold grudges or seek revenge. 'Kate realises that the Queen needs her and William more than ever and she will do all she can to support her,' he added. Next week, William and Kate will celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary with the couple still mourning the loss of William's grandfather Prince Philip, who died on 9th April at Windsor Castle. Following the loss of Prince Philip, Phil Dampier said that Kate is set to take on more responsibility within the firm. William and Kate are pictured at Prince Philip's funeral last weekend Phil also explained that the royal is likely to take on a bigger role as the Queen, Charles, Camilla and Anne age. 'I expect to see her alongside the Queen on public engagements in future, as well as other members of the family,' he said. 'With the Queen now 95, Charles, Camilla and Anne in their seventies, a lot is resting on William and Kate. 'They have enjoyed long periods of family life in Norfolk, trying to give their children the most normal upbringing as possible. 'But now they will have to step up to the plate as a future king and queen and Kate looks ready to play her part,'. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will go to Washington this week for consultations with the Biden administration and will return to Moscow "in the coming weeks," the Axios portal reported citing a U.S. State Department spokesperson. "Ambassador Sullivan will be returning to the U.S. this week to visit his family and meet with members of the new administration with whom he has not had a chance to consult since he agreed to continue serving in his post indefinitely," a State Department spokesperson told Axios. "He will return to Moscow in the coming weeks," the spokesperson noted. Earlier Axios reported that Sullivan was not planning to leave the country despite Moscows advice to go back to Washington for consultations. According to the report, Sullivan's view is that if Moscow wants him to leave, it has to "force" him. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference on April 16 that Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov briefed Sullivan on Russias retaliatory measures at their meeting in Moscow. Ushakov advised Sullivan to go back to Washington for consultations. Lavrov noted that Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov was continuing his consultations in Moscow. U.S. President Joe Biden on April 15 signed an executive order to impose sanctions on Russia. In part, the U.S. prohibits its companies from acquiring Russian debt liabilities issued by the Central Bank, the National Wealth Fund and the Ministry of Finance. Also, the Department of Commerce imposed sanctions on 16 organizations and 16 individuals, allegedly responsible for Russias rumored interference in U.S. elections. Besides, sanctions were introduced against eight individuals and legal entities related to Crimea. Also, the United States is expelling ten diplomats, who are deemed as "representatives of Russian intelligence services." On April 16, Russia announced tit-for-tat measures. The U.S. ambassador was advised to head to Washington for consultations. Russia asked ten U.S. diplomats to leave Moscow and launched a procedure that stops the practice of hiring citizens of Russia and third countries by the U.S. diplomatic missions in Russia. Apart from that, Russia barred entry for eight incumbent and former U.S. high-ranking officials and figures, who have been involved in devising and pursuing the anti-Russian policy. Among them are the U.S. attorney general, the FBI director, the director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. April 20, 2021 Xi's Boao Forum Speech And The Messed Up Reporting Around It A Reuters piece about a speech held by China's President Xi Jinping reveals how 'western' reporting skew the view of global issues: China's Xi calls for fairer world order as rivalry with U.S. deepens BOAO, China (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for a rejection of hegemonic power structures in global governance, amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over a widening range of issues including alleged human rights abuses. Speaking at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, Xi criticised efforts by some countries to "build barriers" and "decouple", which he said would harm others and benefit no one. China has long called for reforms of the global governance system to better reflect a more diverse range of perspectives and values from the international community, including its own, instead of those of a few major nations. The bolted sentence is wrong. China has not called 'for reforms of the global governance system' but for a return to the existing global governance system that the 'west' over the last years tended to ignore. Here is the relevant section of his speech (emphasis added): - We need consultation on an equal footing to create a future of shared benefits. Global governance should reflect the evolving political and economic landscape in the world, conform to the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and meet the practical needs in addressing global challenges. We need to follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold true multilateralism, and make the global governance system more fair and equitable. We need to safeguard the UN-centered international system, preserve the international order underpinned by international law, and uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core. World affairs should be handled through extensive consultation, and the future of the world should be decided by all countries working together. To 'safeguard', 'preserve' and 'uphold' existing laws and organizations is not a 'call for reform' of the global governance system but a call for a return to its foundations which were set after the second world war. The Reuters writer pretends, like some 'western' politicians, that those foundations no longer exist. The Reuters piece continues: [China] has also repeatedly clashed with the biggest stakeholders in world governance, particularly the United States, over a range of issues from human rights to China's economic influence over other countries. "The world wants justice, not hegemony," Xi said in remarks broadcast to the forum. "A big country should look like a big country by showing that it is shouldering more responsibility," he said. While Xi did not identify any country in his remarks, Chinese officials have in recent times referred to U.S. "hegemony" in public criticisms of Washington's global projection of power in trade and geopolitics. Who please are 'the biggest stakeholders in world governance'? While the U.S. might be a 'big stakeholder' China is by population size and economic power a way bigger one. And who are the other 'biggest' besides the U.S.? India and Russia may come to mind but both have offered the same critic about a 'western' centric system as China does. The above Reuters snippet also leaves out the most central quote from Xi's speech (emphasis added): We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others, or allow unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world. What we need in todays world is justice, not hegemony. Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and with a greater sense of responsibility. We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others, or allow unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world. What we need in todays world is justice, not hegemony. Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and with a greater sense of responsibility. Reuters also includes this slight: As the Biden administration rallies other democratic allies to harden their stance on China, Beijing is seeking to strengthen ties with its autocratic partners and economically dependent neighbours in Southeast Asia. It is a rhetoric trick to put the U.S. into the corner of 'democracy' and to associate China with 'autocratic partners'. For one - many of the U.S. 'partners', especially in the Middle East, are 'autocratic' ones or even worse. China itself is a democracy: Elections in China are based on a hierarchical electoral system, whereby local People's Congresses are directly elected. All higher levels of People's Congresses up to the National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature, are indirectly elected by the People's Congress of the level immediately below. The Boao forum is not Chinese, it is an international one. It was initiated by former leaders of the Philippines, Australia and Japan - all three democracies. The 26 founding countries of 'Asia's answer to Davos' are mostly democracies. In his speech Xi Jinping lists democracy as a 'common value of humanity': We must advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity, and encourage exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to promote the progress of human civilization. To purpose of the Boao forum is not to peddle to autocrats. Unless of course one counts the high profile U.S. businessmen who are taking part as such: A slew of U.S. business leaders will be participating in the conference, including Apple Inc.s Tim Cook, Tesla Inc.s Elon Musk, Blackstone Group Incs Stephen Schwarzman and Bridgewater Associates Ray Dalio. To sum up: The Reuters piece about Xi's speech at Boao is framed with a 'western' mindset and colored by 'western' hegemonic ideology. It leaves out the essence of the speech then adds bits that make the reader assume that the high level international event is a solely Chinese one, thereby disturbing its context. It does not inform but propagandizes. Posted by b on April 20, 2021 at 16:21 UTC | Permalink Comments Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on April 17, 2021. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) House Votes Down Resolution Condemning Maxine Waterss Remarks on Chauvin Trial The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted down a resolution that would have censured Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). The party-line vote saw 216 Democrats reject the resolution and 210 Republicans back it. Two members from each party did not vote. Waters traveled to a Minneapolis suburb over the weekend and urged demonstrators to be more confrontational if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were not convicted on charges in the death of George Floyd. Were looking for a guilty verdict, she also said. The proposed resolution (pdf), filed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), included most of Waterss remarks. It also referenced how Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill commented on them in the courtroom, saying in part: I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. McCarthy charged that Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence. On the House floor in Washington before the vote, Democrats disputed that claim. Chairwoman Waterss remarks reflect the very profound anger and sense of hopelessness that she and so many others, myself included, feel when we see African-Americans being killed during encounters with our law enforcement. And their families not seeing justice, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told colleagues. He accused Republicans of taking Waterss remarks out of context to hold a gotcha partisan vote. In a statement after the vote, McCarthy said, Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi, and every other House Democrat, had the opportunity to condemn the violent rhetoric of our colleague Representative Waters, a chairwoman and senior member of Congress, to protesters to get more confrontational.' Instead, they condoned it. And the House and our justice system are worse off because of it, he added. Every single House Democrat just voted to stand with Maxine Waters. They made it clear: Democrats are fine with Democrat politicians inciting violence and chaos, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote in a tweet. Pelosi had defended Waterss remarks, saying she did not need to apologize. Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement, Pelosi told reporters on Monday. I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. Theyve handled this with great dignity and no ambiguity or misinterpretation by the other side. No, I dont think she should apologize. [April 20, 2021] MedX Health to Present at the Planet MicroCap Virtual Event on April 22, 2021 MedX Health Corp. (TSXV: MDX) ("MedX" or the "Company"), a global leader in teledermatology, will present at the Planet MicroCap Showcase: VIRTUAL on Thursday, April 22nd at 12:00 PM EDT. Mike Druhan, President of Dermatology Services, will present at the event, outlining MedX's vision for scaling access to its unique dermatological image capture technology and its fully integrated telemedicine platform, DermSecure. Unlike other teledermatology screening tools available, MedX's DermSecure Screening Platform features high-resolution image capture technology for moles, lesions and other skin conditions, providing a complete, virtual dermatological assessment by a certified dermatologist within just 72 hours. To access the live presentation, please use the following details: Planet MicroCap Showcase: VIRTUAL 2021 Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021 Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/40755 To book a one-on-one investor meeting with MedX or to watch the Company's presentation, please register for the virtual event here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup One-on-one meetings will be scheduled and conducted via private, secure video conference through the conference event platform. The Planet (News - Alert) MicroCap Showcase: VIRTUAL website is available here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/ For those unable to attend the live presentation, all company presentation webcasts will be available directly on the conference event platform on this link under the tab "Agenda": https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/agenda About MedX MedX, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, is a leading medical device and software company focused on skin health with its SIAscopy on DermSecure telemedicine platform, utilizing its SIAscopy technology. SIAscopy is also embedded in its products SIAMETRICS, SIMSYS, and MoleMate, which MedX manufactures in its ISO 13485 certified facility. SIAMETRICS, SIMSYS, and MoleMate include hand-held devices that use patented technology utilizing light and its remittance to view up to 2 mm beneath suspicious moles and lesions in a pain-free, non-invasive manner, with its software then creating real-time images for physicians and dermatologists to evaluate all types of moles or lesions within seconds. These products are Health Canada, FDA, TGA and CE cleared for use in Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Brazil and Turkey. MedX also designs, manufactures and distributes quality photobiomodulation therapeutic and dental lasers to provide drug-free and non-invasive treatment of tissue damage and pain. www.medx.com 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005954/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Discord is no longer looking to sell, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Sources close to the process tell the publication Discord has walked away from potential acquisition deals, including one that reportedly came from Microsoft. According to those sources, Discord has opted to stay independent for the time being, though the potential for a sale down the line is still there. Rumors of a potential sale took off several weeks ago following stories from other publications back in March. At the time, Microsoft was rumored to be the frontrunner with a potential offer of over $10 billion. Two other unnamed companies were reportedly interested in buying the popular chat app as well. Sources in those earlier reports have theorized that an IPO is just as likely, if not more so, for Discord, though the company has yet to express interest in going public in any official capacity. You are here: China A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday urged the United States and Japan to abide by the one-China principle and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when asked to comment on a U.S.-Japan joint statement expressing concern over issues relating to Taiwan. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question, as China's internal affairs, brooks no external interference," Ma said. Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, who are relying on foreign support and are merely pawns of anti-China forces, will only put Taiwan in a more dangerous situation, Ma added. Former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao listens to speeches during the closing session of the rubber-stamp legislatures congress in Beijing, China on Oct. 24, 2017. (GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas Former Premier Wen Jiabao Gets Censored Chinas former premier Wen Jiabao published an article to memorialize his deceased mother on April 15. However, the essay was censored, possibly because Wen called obscurely for fairness, justice, humanity, and liberty for the country. Wen, now 78, was Chinas second-highest official from 2003 to 2013. He said in the article that his life in the position was like walking on thin ice. Chinese people have been shocked knowing that even Wen cant escape the regimes increasingly stringent censorship. WeChat censored Wen Jiabaos poignant tribute to his mother at Qingming festival, [a tomb-sweeping day in China]. It really [made me] speechless! Gao Yu, Chinese journalist and columnist, posted on Twitter on April 19. Gao said that Wen would understand the communist ideologies very well and strictly self-censor, leaving many Chinese surprised to see his article banned. Feng Chongyi, associate professor in China Studies at the University of Technology Sydney, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on Monday that Wen expressed his disappointment and dissatisfaction to Xi Jinpings regime indirectly by writing in the tribute about his parents experience and his own feelings, which is the reason why the regime wont allow people to read it. Wens Essay Wens mother passed away in late 2020 at the age of 99. To express his sadness and gratitude, Wen wrote a long article before the Qingming festival, which was on April 4. From March 25 to April 15, Wens essay was separated into four parts and published in the Macao Herald, a Macao local newspaper with its headquarters based in the neighboring Zhuhai city in southern Chinas Guangdong Province. In the article, Wen recalled the life of his mother, and described how his father was tortured during the decade-long Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, because he was a teacher. Father was detained inside the school, and was frequently interrogated, scolded, and beaten. One day, the rebels hit his face and caused swelling. The swelling is so severe that he couldnt see anything, Wen wrote. Chinese communist regime sent almost all scholars, literati, and teachers to rural areas to work as farmers, as well as humiliate them in public during the cultural revolution. Wen talked several times about how his mother taught him to be a righteous man and righteous official that cherishes and follows the moral standard, as well as takes care of vulnerable groups. When Wen was appointed premier, he said his mother wrote him letters to encourage him. He then wrote: I have worked at Zhongnanhai (Chinas central government) for 28 years I followed the orders very carefully, like walking on the thin ice or beside a dark abyss. I always prepared to be fired from day one. At the end of the article, Wen expressed his wish: In my heart, China should be a country full of fairness and justice. In this country, peoples will, humanity, and humans nature should always be respected, and the spirit should always be youthful, free, and diligent. Former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao (C) walks past former Chinese leader Hu Jintao (L) and the current leader Xi Jinping (R) at the closing session of the rubber-stamp legislatures congress in Beijing, China on March 17, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) Be Censored Wens essay didnt attract much attention initially because the Macao Herald targets mostly readers in Macao. On April 17, the article was shared hundreds of thousands of times on Chinese social media after it was reposted by commentators and Hong Kong-based pro-Beijing news outlet the Phoenix as a complete article. Hours later, the essay was banned by Chinese social media platforms and the Phoenix removed the article as well. But an archived version of the webpage as well as cached copies can still be accessed outside of China. Against Xi? Tang Jingyuan, a U.S. based China affairs commentator told The Epoch Times in a phone interview on April 19, Wen said he received a great education from his mother. He was implying that Xi Jinping wasnt taught well by his parents. Xis father is a liberal within the Communist party. He [Xis father] was against the cultural revolution [which was launched by former Chinese leader Mao Zedong], he supported free business and a market economy, Tang explained. Xi holds a different political opinion from his father. He tries to adapt Mao Zedongs policies to current China. At the same time, Wens calling is totally opposing Xi Jinpings strategy, Tang said, pointing out that Xis administrations are building a totalitarian country by controlling every single person by strict rules and regulations. Who dares to talk about freedom, justice, or humanity publicly in China? Tang asked. Wens writing is blaming Xis regime for pursuing the injustice, inhumanity, unfairness, and persecution in China. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks during a news conference following the close of the National Peoples Congress in Beijing, China on March 14, 2012. (Feng Li/Getty Images) Moreover, Xi ordered that all Chinese officials and people build a correct view of the partys culture, which means no matter whats has unfolded in history, people talking publicly must only present an image of the great, glorious, and correct Communist Party of China. Like the child in the story The Emperors New Clothes who blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all, Wens cultural revolution story has revealed the truth of life in China which Xis regime doesnt allow people to talk about, Tang added. DALLAS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J)/Morrison Utility Services Joint Venture (JV) has been awarded a place on National Grid's six-year Substations Engineering Procurement Construction Framework in the U.K. The framework will provide collaborative and long-term support through program management, early contractor involvement, design and construction to deliver National Grid's performance-based substation regulatory program under RIIO-T2, where revenue generated is realized through a combination of incentives, innovation and outputs. National Grid estimates the contract value at $1.3 billion (1 billion). As principal designer and principal contractor, the Jacobs/Morrison Utility Services Joint Venture will deliver new build, extension, replacement and decommissioning of high voltage electricity substations. The framework aims to develop the transmission network to maintain security of supply, while facilitating the ongoing transition to and connection of low-carbon generation and renewable technology. "This project creates further opportunities to build on more than 13 years of working collaboratively with National Grid," said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President Europe and Digital Strategies Donald Morrison. "We look forward to driving innovative solutions to reduce benchmark costs and program duration, enabling transition to the sustainable energy system of the future." The JV will also focus on solutions to challenge convention and help National Grid support the low-carbon economy, using innovation to reduce materials, cost, carbon and scheduling. Organizational and delivery behaviors are aligned with the Project 13 Framework, an industry-led response to infrastructure delivery models in the U.K, where performance is incentivized against outcomes, using collaborative and integrated teams to challenge and maximize value. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 2, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 1, 2021, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 SOURCE Jacobs Related Links http://www.jacobs.com 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 With PathUp, I hope the conversations we have with CEOs and execs from different backgrounds can help all of us gain a greater understanding of what it takes to build a successful career and inspire people to reach higher. Insticator, the global leader in engagement and revenue solutions for publishers, today announced the launch of PathUp, an equity and inclusion initiative aimed at inspiring all people carving out a professional path in an increasingly global, multicultural world. Through a series of storytelling events and conversations with a broad spectrum of industry leaders, PathUp will demystify how professional success can be achieved and challenges overcome through connection, compassion and resilience. There are some defining moments in the growth of any business that help shape its culture, this is one of ours. It is with extreme pride that I get to announce the launch of PathUp. It makes me smile from ear to ear. said Zack Dugow, Insticators founder and chief executive officer, As someone who has created a business I've fielded a lot of questions from aspiring entrepreneurs. With PathUp, I hope the conversations we have with CEOs and execs from different backgrounds can help all of us gain a greater understanding of what it takes to build a successful career and inspire people to reach higher. PathUps first engagement is In Conversation..., a speaker series where every month we sit down with a leading voice in the industry to hear their stories and find inspiration on finding that path up. To date, five PathUp In Conversation events have been held. Replays of those conversations can be found at the PathUp site. On Thursday, April 22 at 12:00 PM EDT, PathUp will continue In Conversation with Amanda Baldwin, President of prestige skincare brand, Supergoop!. Anyone is invited to join the conversation. Register here. To learn more about PathUp, visit insticatorpathup.com ABOUT INSTICATOR Insticator is the global leader in increasing engagement for publishers. Our suite of engagement products empowers publishers and consumers alike to amplify their voices and express their opinions in safe, interactive environments. From our human-moderated Commenting Unit that facilitates healthy, respectful discourse, to our Content Engagement Unit that enables audiences to share their opinions and interact with content that speaks directly to them, Insticator reaches over 350 million consumers monthly across our vast network of premium publishing partners including Ancestry, WebMD, Fox Sports, RealClear Media Group and more. Headquartered in New York and Miami, Insticators global footprint spans the US, Canada, India, the Philippines, Portugal, Ukraine and the UK. Visit insticator.com to learn more. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Scenario: Rare earth elements are the set of seventeen chemical elements found in the periodic table. These elements include europium, holmium, erbium, lanthanum, terbium and others, and are found in huge quantities in the earths crust, despite their name. These elements are found together in the earths crust and are difficult to separate from each other. The global rare earth metals market is majorly driven by the increase in demand of rare metals such as Neodymium and Praseodymium, for the production of high power metals which are used especially in electric vehicles and wind turbines. The market is further expected to be driven by the increase in use of large number of rare earth metals in offshore wind turbines in the forecast period. The demand for electric vehicles is expected to increase with the application of strict regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, across the globe. This increase in the production of electric vehicles is expected to further drive the market for rare earth metals over the forecast period. Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2261 Study Objectives of global rare earth metal market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 5 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global rare earth metal market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyse the global rare earth metal market based on various factors such as supply chain analysis, and Porters five force analysis To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to regions and their respective key countries To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, application and region To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global rare earth metal market Regional Analysis of Rare Earth Metal Market: The rare earth metal market can be geographically segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). Asia pacific is expected to be the largest consumer and producer of global rare earth metals with the high consumption of these metals in China. North America is also expected to grow rapidly as it is a leading importer of rare earth metals from China, the largest extraction region of rare earth metals. Key Players: The key players of rare earth metal market are Lynas Corporation, Ltd.( Australia), Molycorp Inc. (U.S.), Alkane Resources Ltd (Australia), Baotou Steel Rare-earth (China), Ucore Rare Metals Inc.(Canada), Tantalus Rare Earths AG (Germany), Tasman Metals Ltd. (Canada), Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd. (Australia), Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (Canada) and others. Intended Audience: Rare earth metal extractors Distributer & Supplier companies End Users consultants and Investment bankers Government as well as Independent Regulatory Authorities Product Analysis: Product matrix which gives a detailed comparison of the market for different recycled product types Additional Information: Regulatory Landscape Pricing Analysis Macroeconomic Indicators Geographic Analysis: Geographical analysis across 15 countries Company Information: Profiling of 10 key market players In-depth analysis including SWOT analysis, and strategy information of related to report title Competitive landscape including emerging trends adopted by major companies The report for Rare earth metal Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions. Heirs mulling over donating Lee Kun-hee's art collections By Baek Byung-yeul As the due date for paying inheritance tax owed by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee's bereaved family is approaching, observers are looking at how the heirs will pay one of the world's largest inheritance tax bills estimated at around 13 trillion won ($11.7 billion). Industry sources said Tuesday that Samsung Group may officially announce a payment plan for the tax, which is due by the end of this month, next week although a company official declined to reveal any details on the matter. The heirs are Lee's widow Hong Ra-hee, son and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, oldest daughter and Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin and younger daughter and Samsung Welfare Foundation Chairwoman Lee Seo-hyun. The late chairman passed away in October, 2020, aged 78, leaving behind 19 trillion won in stocks, and artwork and real estate with an estimated value of around 3 trillion won. As seen in previous cases such as the LG Group owner family after Chairman Koo Bon-moo's death and the family of the late Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho, the Samsung Group heirs are expected to opt to pay the tax over a five-year period after first paying a one-sixth installment of around 2 trillion won. The inheritance tax on the stocks is calculated based on the average price of the shares over a period of four months two months prior to death and two months after. But attention is being drawn to how the late chairman's enormous art collection will be dealt with. According to media reports, the heirs decided to donate some of the art to local museums. Samsung Group refused to confirm this, saying "the bereaved family will deal with the inheritance issue." The late Samsung chief was known to be an avid art collector and a supporter of artists such as celebrated video artist Paik Nam-june. He had collected around 13,000 pieces, ranging from ancient Korean to contemporary art. The late chairman's love for art was inherited from his father and Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chull, who collected antique works. He inherited his father's collection and became Korea's biggest individual collector of rare artefacts including 20 National Treasures and works by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. In regard to dealing with the collection, local art experts have expressed concern that some pieces may be sold to raise the necessary money to pay the massive inheritance tax. Given the country doesn't allow heirs to pay inheritance taxes with works of art, the experts have called on the government to revise the current Tax Law so that the late chairman's valuable art collection can be kept together in the country. In response to this, ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Lee Kwang-jae proposed a bill to revise the law last November. However, a local art scene official said the heirs won't be able to pay the tax with works of art as the relevant revision has yet to be enacted. "The bill to revise the Tax Law is still waiting for a vote in the National Assembly. Given the due tax date in April, the late chairman's scions won't be able to pay the inheritance tax with artwork," Chung Joon-mo, president of the Korea Art Authentication and Appraisal Research Center and former curatorial director at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, said. In the early 2010s, Chung was the first person to raise the need to revise the Tax Law to allow people to pay inheritance tax with works of art. Since then scholars, artists and officials on the local art scene have agreed that the current law needs to be amended to allow people to do this so that the country can officially preserve the legacy of artists who have passed away rather than seeing their works auctioned off. Moscow, April 20 : US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan on Tuesday said that he will return to Washington for consultations "about the current state of bilateral relations" between the the two nations. "I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations between the US and Russia" he told Russia's TASS News Agency. "Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year, and that is another important reason for me to return home for a visit. I will return to Moscow in the coming weeks before any meeting between Presidents (Joe) Biden and (Vladmimir) Putin," the Ambassador added. According to the US embassy, "Ambassador Sullivan is returning to the US for consultations this week". Sullivan's announcement comes after an exchange of harsh sanctions between the two countries, including mutual expulsions of 10 diplomats. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on April 16 that presidential aide Yuri Ushakov at a meeting with Sullivan had recommended that the US Ambassador return to Washington for consultations. Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to Washington returned to Moscow amid worsening bilateral ties on March 22 after he was recalled following President Biden's remarks on March 17 that Russia will "pay a price" for its alleged interference in the 2020 American election. An accountant and a pilot have been jailed over an elaborate scheme to fly a quarter of a tonne of the drug ice over the Pacific Ocean and into Melbourne in a light aircraft. Peter Caluzzi and Hugh Gorman were friends from the Freemasons and in 2016 became embroiled in a plan by former Sydney cafe owner Jim Soukoulis to fly ice from northern California to Melbourne, deliver it to others and make millions of dollars. The Cessna aircraft that was intended to take the ice from California to Melbourne. Credit:Australian Federal Police. On Tuesday in the County Court, Caluzzi, 61, was jailed for 17 years and Gorman, 75, for 14 years after both pleaded guilty to conspiring to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. Caluzzi also pleaded guilty to unrelated drug trafficking in 2013. Soukoulis remains at large after the 55-year-old was granted bail and failed to report to police in November 2019. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - ScreenPro Security Inc. (CSE: SCRN) ("ScreenPro" or the "Company") is pleased to update that the Company continues to execute on its main business, Covid-19 testing for the film and television industry in Canada. We are proud to share that the unaudited number of tests processed by the ScreenPro team for the month of March were over 30,000. On March 16, 2021 the Company announced that it had processed approximately 60,000 tests in the months of January and February 2021. The test used by the Company is the 1Drop PCR test kits, supplied by Datametrex AI Limited (TSXV: DM). ScreenPro is proud to confirm that the Company is using "best of class" test kits to ensure the safety of its clients' workplace. The manufacturer has confirmed that these tests can determine the new variants which is key as we navigate the third wave and the variants that are spreading at a fast pace globally. John McMullen CEO, "I am proud to share this update. Fiscal year-to-date, the company has processed approximately 90,000 tests. It is through hard work, client care and competitive pricing that ScreenPro has successfully become one of the larger testing companies for the Film and Television Production industry in Canada. We continue to add infrastructure to accommodate our clients needs, such as the launch of our first clinic in Vancouver, the new Rapid Antigen tests and GoStop app, which are key to driving new business. The Board of Directors have decided to report these testing results on a quarterly going forward." Test Negative. Stay Positive. About ScreenPro ScreenPro provides turnkey coronavirus screening solutions to the private sector including testing, track and tracing with GoStop alerting software. ScreenPro's unique access to multiple manufacturers of high quality South Korean test kits and its strategic partnership with Canvas Labs in Vancouver and Integrated Explorations in Ontario. This platform allows ScreenPro to be a nationwide provider of a full-service testing solutions across Canada. In addition to providing test kits, ScreenPro has its own nursing professionals, and access to high quality PPE to ensure that its clients are protected in all aspects of their testing needs. GoStop's passport was developed with a privacy preserving approach that will enable individuals to use the alerting software and downloadable app with authentication certificates. The alerts can be scheduled on an on-demand, daily, weekly, or monthly basis and can be used also for vaccine scheduling. For additional information on ScreenPro and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.screenprosecurity.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information please contact: John McMullen Email: John@screenprosecurity.com Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements relating to expectations regarding the future development of ScreenPro's business. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The actual results of ScreenPro could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which ScreenPro operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to ScreenPro's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of ScreenPro. Management of ScreenPro believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents ScreenPro's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. ScreenPro disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80960 Homicide detectives are investigating whether the murder of a woman 27 years ago in the Hunter region was a domestic violence incident. The battered body of Melissa Hunt, 22, was found near the weir wall of Burrenjim Dam, Bluegum Creek via Stockrington, NSW, on April 25, 1994. A 1$ million reward offered in December led to a tip-off which prompted police to return to the Hunter Region on Tuesday. The body of Melissa Hunt (pictured) was found in the Burrenjim Dam in NSW on Anzac Day in 1994 but no one has ever been arrested over her death Unsolved homicide squad detectives, along with forensic specialists executed a search warrant at a home at Lambton Road, Waratah, a northwestern suburb of Newcastle, while police divers are scouring the Burrenjim Dam. Homicide squad commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said Strike Force Circulo detectives were looking for any remaining forensic evidence that could help the investigation. 'This Sunday marks the 27th anniversary of Melissa's murder and detectives are hopeful that the new information we have received, together with today's searches, will progress the investigation,' Det Supt Doherty said. 'Police are exploring a number of new lines of inquiry, including whether Melissa regularly attended a home at Waratah and if a domestic incident took place at the residence prior to her death.' A memorial cross is erected at the site where Ms Hunt's body was discovered at Burrenjim Dam The 22-year-old mother-of-two died from head injuries, with her body believed to have been in Burrenjim Dam (pictured) for up to six days before it was found Detectives were 'leaving no stone unturned' and were in contact with police in South Australia, Queensland and Victoria in a bid to trace associates and witnesses, now living interstate. 'As our investigations into Melissa's death continue, we are urging anyone with information to contact police so we may provide much-needed answers to Melissa's family,' Det Supt Doherty said. Strike Force Impey, comprised of detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District and the State Crime Command's homicide squad, was formed to investigate Ms Hunt's death but no arrests were made. Her case was sent to the unsolved homicide unit following a coronial inquest in 1998. Former Amazon employee, Christian Smalls, stands with fellow demonstrators during a protest outside of an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island on May 1, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island have started a union drive. This follows a failed union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. The Bessemer drive was tied to an existing union - the Staten Island workers want an independent union. See more stories on Insider's business page. Amazon has another union fight on its hands. A group of workers at the tech giant's warehouse in Staten Island, New York, announced Monday they were starting a union movement. It comes after a failed union vote at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. The Staten Island group calls itself the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). It is working with The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW), a labor-activism group founded by former Amazon worker Chris Smalls. The union push in Alabama was affiliated with the Retail, Wholesale, an Department Workers Union (RWDSU), but the Staten Island workers want to establish an independent union. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. One Staten Island worker, Derrick Palmer, told Truthout that even though the Alabama vote failed, it was still "historic." "We all wanted the union push to be successful in Alabama, especially with the odds being totally against them, being that Alabama is a nonunion state," he said. "But the fact that they had the opportunity to vote as a facility was historic ... We have to take the bruises and pick it up where they left off. If anything it started a movement. It's going to be like a domino effect." Chris Smalls, a former worker at the Staten Island warehouse who was fired in March last year after organizing protests against working conditions, said the ALU would have a better chance if it was independent and "worker-led." "That will build more confidence for workers that want to join because they'll be like, 'Hey look, this is something that is employee-driven, this is not a third party coming in, this is you guys creating your own union with your own set of rules and negotiations,'" Smalls said. "I think that's more appealing to the worker." Story continues He added the ALU planned to learn from the RWDSU's mistakes in Bessemer, where workers ran into anti-union tactics. The RWDSU filed 23 objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Monday, alleging Amazon interfered illegally with the Bessemer vote. Amazon said at the time that it fired Smalls for "violating social distancing guidelines." He was told to stay home after coming into contact with another worker who had tested positive for COVID-19, Amazon said. Staten Island staff say management is already lobbying against union Organizers in Staten Island believe management there has already begun to lobby against union organizing. Palmer told Truthout that in February, he was instructed to attend a training on handling potentially hazardous materials. Instead, he and others were shown a video about Amazon's "code of business conduct and ethics," which advised them not to discuss "sensitive" information such as worker safety on social media. An Amazon spokesperson told Insider: "We respect our employees' right to join, form or not to join a labour union or other lawful organisation of their own selection. "Across Amazon, including in our fulfilment centres, we place enormous value on having daily conversations with each associate and work to make sure direct engagement with our employees is a strong part of our work culture." Amazon's Staten Island warehouse has already been scrutinized during the pandemic: New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the company over its COVID-19 response in the warehouse in February. In her lawsuit, James claimed Amazon took retaliatory action against both Smalls and Palmer. Palmer was disciplined by the company, but not fired. Read the original article on Business Insider A crowded congressional special election in Texas' 6th District could give Republicans a first look at Donald Trump's staying power in the party ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. The race also gives Democrats a chance to compete after falling short of their 2020 goals in the state. Twenty-three candidates, including 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, have jumped into the race to succeed Republican Ron Wright, who died in February from COVID-19 and lung cancer. He had just won reelection in November by almost 9 points. All the candidates will appear on the same ballot on May 1 and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will move on to a summer runoff if no candidate cracks 50%. Republicans have garnered most of the out-of-state attention in this race. Dan Rodimer, a former WWE wrestler, rode a bull in his campaign launch and showed off a southern accent - that was lacking in ads from his 2020 House run in Nevada's 3rd District. In a hit on CNN, Rodimer chalked up any perceived difference to losing his voice. Sery Kim, a Trump administration official in the Small Business Administration, said at a forum earlier this month that she didn't want Chinese immigrants in the country. The comment cost Kim, who is Korean-American, her endorsements from Korean-American Republican Congresswomen Young Kim and Michelle Steel. Sery claimed she was referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Marine Michael Wood calls himself an anti-Trump Republican. He's picked up financial backing from Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger (whom Wood says he talks with "every day"), Ohio Congressman Anthony Gonzalez and Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney. All three Republicans voted to impeach Mr. Trump in January. But local Republicans point to three others as the front runners: newly-elected State Representative Jake Ellzey; Brian Harrison, former Trump administration Health and Human Services chief of staff; and Wright's widow, Susan Wright, a longtime local party activist. Story continues Ellzey, who narrowly lost in the 2018 GOP primary for the seat, has been endorsed by former Texas Governor Rick Perry and has raised almost $500,000 in direct contributions, more than any GOP candidate since January. The conservative Club for Growth Action PAC has spent close to $160,000 opposing Ellzey. Susan Wright has made her experience during her husband's tenure part of her pitch, citing her familiarity with district outreach and how Congress works. She's been endorsed by the state party, local party officials and five Texas U.S. House members. Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs and New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and her E-PAC organization are also backing her. "Their support in my mind is a reaffirmation that I'm ready to do this job," she said, adding that she's also talked to Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow, who also recently lost her own husband, the late Congressman Luke Letlow, to COVID-19 and won the special election to take his seat "Running for this seat is both challenging and rewarding, but I don't question my decision to do it," she said. Part of Harrison's pitch is his own time in Washington, particularly his work at HHS during the Trump administration. The occupation listed on his filing is "HUSBAND, FATHER, SWAMP DRAINER." His campaign website shows a picture of him and Mr. Trump in the Oval Office and says he was "recruited by the Trump Administration." Mr. Trump has not endorsed anyone in this race, though Harrison's campaign points to endorsements or donations from more than 100 "senior Trump officials." The district has been trending further away from national Republicans during Trump's tenure. Mitt Romney won the seat by 17% during his 2012 run, while Mr. Trump won by 3% in 2020. Ellis and Navarro counties are GOP strongholds, but the district's portion of Tarrant County has grown demographically and is where you'll find the most "purple," according to Tarrant County Republican Party Finance Chair Mona Bailey. "I think we're a 50-50 mixed bag right now concerning Trump," said Bailey. "Most of us think he had the right message. Some people think maybe he wasn't the right messenger. But in Tarrant County, you're not going to find that said out loud a lot." "I do think that a lot of people are trying to figure out what 2022 is going to mean to us and ultimately 2024. And I'm not sure Trump is an automatic part of that conversation for everybody anymore," added Tarrant County GOP Chair Rick Barnes. Both Barnes and Bailey have backed Wright. Harrison has no reservations about courting Mr. Trump's base and doesn't expect it to alienate other GOP voters. "Voters in Texas are tired of establishment Republicans talking a good talk in Texas but not fighting the fight and delivering victories in Washington," Harrison said. Democratic candidates are tying GOP candidates to Mr. Trump and Republican state leadership after a winter storm roiled the state's power grid in February. "Families who have power are bringing in strangers during a pandemic. But our Senator leaves for a beach vacation," said non-profit worker and educator Shawn Lassiter in her campaign launch. Republicans are betting on antipathy toward President Biden in their campaign pitches. Mailers from Susan Wright's campaign show President Biden with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and claim she'll "End the Biden Border Crisis." One from Ellzey says he'll stop "the Biden Tax Increase, the Biden Border Crisis, the Biden War on Jobs," and "Biden's Attacks on the 2nd Amendment." Harrison has filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration over its actions around Title 42, which was invoked by Mr. Trump and allowed the suspension of U.S. asylum laws due to the pandemic. "We cannot solve the crisis at the border with brute force. We need to get to the core of the problem," Democratic candidate Jana Lynne Sanchez responded when asked about the border. Democrat Lydia Bean, who was a state house candidate in 2020, says the stimulus checks and the American Rescue Plan have been popular with voters. "People are mad that none of our Texas Republicans voted for the American Rescue Plan, which is just shameful," she said. "People feel enthusiastic about the Biden administration so far." Democrats are running a different race compared to 2020, this time, they're knocking on doors in person instead of virtually. The remote campaign, according to a state party assessment that said it caused them to fall behind Republicans, who talked to voters in person. "That's probably the biggest mistake that Democrats made, was not doing the door-to-door canvassing in 2020. When I'm able to talk to voters directly about my plan to create a healthier, more equitable, more prosperous Texas, they respond to that," Sanchez said. Polls show Sanchez as the most likely Democrat candidate to reach a runoff, and prevent a Republican vs. Republican match-up, although Lassiter has raised more than any Democrat, with $322,254 in contributions according to her latest FEC report. Bean also has a slight advantage over Sanchez in cash on hand going into the remaining weeks before the election. While the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee doesn't play in primaries, Sanchez has been backed by BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The Collective PAC, which backs Black candidates, has given $5,000 to Lassiter. China and Japan's reliance on coal challenges climate change efforts New book goes behind the scenes of Nancy Pelosi's life and political career Ndrangheta: Hunting members of the mafia thats bigger than La Costa Nostra THE HAGUE, Netherlands ABN AMRO has agreed to pay 480 million euros ($574 million) as part of a settlement with prosecutors who accused the Dutch state-owned bank of serious shortcomings in tackling money laundering, prosecutors and the bank said Monday. The settlement was made up of a 300 million-euro fine and 180 million euros paid to cover unlawfully obtained gains, prosecutors said. The fine reflects that as a result of the serious shortcomings, certain clients that engaged in criminal activities were able to abuse bank accounts and other services of ABN AMRO for a longer period of time, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service said in a statement. ABN is not the first major Dutch bank to agree a multimillion-euro settlement over lax adherence with a law aimed at clamping down on money laundering and terrorism financing. In 2018, ING paid 775 million euros ($897 million) to settle a huge money laundering case. Prosecutors said Monday that the ABN AMROs breaches are attributed to the bank, but added that their investigation also identified three former members of its board who presumably are effectively responsible for the violations. It did not identify the three and said investigations are continuing into whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute them. However, in Denmark, Danske Bank said its CEO Chris Vogelzang had resigned after being named as one of the suspects. Gerrit Zalm, a former Dutch finance minister and ex-ABN AMRO board member, also quit Danske Banks board. Vogelzang said he was surprised by the Dutch probe. I left ABN AMRO more than four years ago and am comfortable with the fact that I managed my management responsibilities with integrity and dedication, he said. My status as a suspect does not imply that I will be charged. ABN AMRO said in a statement that it deeply regrets the situation and recognizes the seriousness of the matter, and that it has fallen short in the fulfilment of its role as gatekeeper aimed at combatting money laundering. CEO Robert Swaak added: This is unacceptable and we take full responsibility for this. *** Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Oswald Feliz wasnt getting too much attention ahead of the March 23 special election for New York City Council. Lots of money was being spent by independent expenditure committees on other candidates, and one of his opponents was hoping to make history as the first transgender member of the City Council. But it was the low-profile Feliz, a tenant lawyer at Bronx Legal Services, who came out on top. And after a three-week wait to count votes in one of the citys first elections using ranked-choice voting, Feliz is taking office in the 15th Council District in the Bronx, which had been vacant since Rep. Ritchie Torres left for Washington, D.C. Its a privilege of a lifetime to represent my neighborhood, and also the local public schools that I attended, said the 30-year-old Feliz. The son of a home attendant and a cab driver, Feliz is also an adjunct professor at Hostos Community College, and previously served as Bronx director for Rep. Adriano Espaillats 2016 congressional campaign. City & State talked with Feliz about Dominican American politics, who he ranked on his ballot and his love of birds. You had a lead on election night, but had to wait almost three weeks for the Board of Elections to count all the votes and declare you the winner. How did it feel over the past few weeks? Yeah, we were extremely anxious. (Laughs.) I think the fact that we had a 7-point lead was very helpful in lowering the anxiety. Extremely anxious, but super proud of the campaign that we ran, the work that we did and all the support that we received. But yeah, the waiting period was you know. Youre Dominican American, and you got support from prominent Dominican electeds like Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Assembly Member Victor Pichardo. Do you see your victory as another sign of the communitys growing political power? How do you fit in? I would say yes. This is a district that is extremely diverse. It has a strong Hispanic population, a strong African American population. The Hispanic population is predominantly Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, but still very mixed. But absolutely. The population in the Bronx in the Dominican community is growing. We received support from people in every corner of the district based on the (election district) breakdown. But I think this race says a lot about the growing population and political power within the Dominican community. Thousands of dollars poured in from outside sources, but barely any of it was focused on you. Were you able to slide by without the attention? How did that affect the race? I think my community, my history in the district played a big role. On Election Day, I was speaking to people who I taught. People that said, Oh, Professor Feliz, you remember me? I was your student last year. And also, especially my work as a tenant lawyer. I represented many tenant associations, including one of the largest tenant associations in the 15th Council District: 2111 Southern Blvd. I represented 50 to 60 tenant associations. I was able to develop a great relationship, a personal relationship, with many of the tenants. And I was also able to deliver results for them. Holding their landlord accountable, bringing back nearly $100,000 in damages for the lack of gas in the building for six months. Also, we negotiated a settlement where they didnt have to pay rent for approximately a year and a half. So my results spoke louder than anything else. Results is what people in the Bronx need. And thats what theyre asking for, right, someone who could deliver results, and someone who could help resolve the problems that we have, whether its housing, education, public safety. We took our message directly to the people. And I think our message resonated. You have to run again in June, and Elisa Crespo, the fourth-place finisher who got a decent percentage of the vote, will not be on the ballot again. How do you think that race will be different than the special election? Are you changing your strategy? The strategy remains the same for the most part. Were going to continue speaking to every voter about the issues that they have, and also listening to the voters about issues that they care about, and also talking about solutions to all of the problems that we have. We actually looked at the election night results, and we did extremely well in every corner of the district, regardless of race, regardless of income and everything else. We won I think most of the Assembly districts, and those that we didnt win, we were very competitive in. For example, the 79th Assembly District, I was losing by about eight votes. This special election was on the same day as the special election in neighboring Council District 11. And then in June, itll be a huge election. Have you created any partnerships or worked with any other candidates in other districts or races? We are still chatting about that. For the most part, were fully focused on the 15th Council District, but we will be working with additional candidates as well for City Council, for borough president, for comptroller. Were absolutely in talks. This was one of the first elections using ranked-choice voting. Did you rank other candidates on your ballot? If so, who? Absolutely. I ranked based on the issues that I heard from the people of the Bronx. Issues that people care about are housing, education, health you know, we have an asthma crisis in the Bronx and also public safety. I put Jose Padilla, I think it was, as No. 2. Hes done a great job in the Belmont area in the Bronx where he lives. Hes been very active, hes done a lot of great work, especially on the public safety issue. So I put him as No. 2. Nos. 3, 4 and 5, I dont perfectly remember. But he was certainly my No. 2. The City Councils budget vote was relatively contentious last year. If you were a council member then, would you have voted yes? I think I would have voted yes, but only with a few conditions, with a few modifications, which Ill have to look into. But I think negotiating a large budget, the size of the New York City budget is tough. You wont be able to get everything that you want. But you should of course get as much as possible. So I would absolutely ask for more resources for the Bronx. What do you want to get involved with on the council? Any bills you want to introduce or a committee you want to lead? Theres a few bills and a few proposals theres actually a lot of proposals that relate to education. Specifically, equitable funding, but also racially and economically desegregating our public school system, which is currently the most segregated system in the country unacceptable in a city like New York City. So thats one area that Im going to be very highly invested in. Also affordable housing, public safety, but also the health crisis in the Bronx. I look forward to partnering up with elected officials, including our congressman Ritchie Torres, who represents an overwhelming percentage of the area around the Cross Bronx Expressway. We have to redesign the Cross Bronx Expressway. Its caused (an) asthma crisis in the most vulnerable communities in our city. In some areas of the district in the Bronx, 20% of the people suffer from asthma, and people are hospitalized with asthma at 20 times higher rates than people from other neighborhoods. People are literally dying due to the Cross Bronx Expressway, (and) the health issues that its caused. And also, Im not even going to mention how that area was severely affected by COVID-19 due to the fact that they had asthma and were at higher risk of COVID death due to their health conditions created by the Cross Bronx Expressway. Youre also a political science professor at Hostos. Have you taught your students about your campaign? (Laughs.) I wish I had spoken more about it. Not so much, only because I took a semester off so I could fully dedicate myself to running for office. But also last semester, we were doing online classes. So some of them did learn about it, but not because I told them. You now get to represent the Bronx Zoo. Whats your favorite animal there? Dont laugh: I love birds. Ive had all types of birds while growing up. I had parakeets, parrots, finches, cockatiels, sparrows. We rescued a pigeon that was not doing so well so we took it home for one day and then we released it. I dont know if thats legal, by the way. It was actually hanging out in my window, and we helped it survive a very rainy night. Montana man dies following attack by grizzly bear (Getty/iStock) A man has died after he was attacked by a grizzly bear in Montana that officials think was protecting a moose carcass. Carl Mock, 40, suffered a massive stroke and other severe injuries after being mauled near a campground just outside Yellowstone National Park. Officials say that Mr Mock, who is from West Yellowstone, Montana, died at an Idaho Falls hospital on Sunday, several days after the attack. Investigators and wildlife officials, including bear specialists, visited the area the day after Thursdays attack to assess public safety. Authorities say that as they made noise to move on any bears still in the area, they were charged by one of the animals. The older male grizzly was shot and killed by the investigators and died within 20 yards of the group. Further investigation found the moose carcass within 50 yards of the original attack site, and experts believe the bear had been defending the food source when Mr Mock was injured. Experts say that attacks by grizzly bears are rare and that the animals tend to move away form humans if they hear them coming. Read More UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures George Floyds brother has a message for America Doctor charged with trying to hire hitmen to kidnap his wife (@FahadShabbir) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2021) Canada and other International Space Station (ISS) partners are in discussions about the future of the multinational project amid Russia's planned exit in 2024, a Canadian Space Agency spokesperson told Sputnik. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told public broadcaster Rossiya 1 on Sunday that Moscow will exit the ISS initiative in 2025 and will inform its international partners about that decision. "Partners are currently committed to continue participating in the program until at least the end of 2024. What happens to the Station beyond 2024 will be determined by the ISS partners. Discussions are ongoing, and Canada is at the table," Andrea Matte said in a statement on Tuesday. 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 A rich cache of data on some 533 million Facebook users was posted to a hacker forum over the weekend and is available to download for practically free. The information is from a data breach that occurred in 2019, but hasn't been widely available until now. The data was posted to an English-speaking cybercriminal forum called RaidForums by a hacker going by the handle TomLiner. "The Facebook data was first listed for sale on RaidForums on June 6, 2020, but the initial sale allegedly asked users for US$30,000 in exchange for the data," explained Ivan Righi, a cyber threat intelligence analyst with Digital Shadows, a San Francisco-based provider of digital risk protection solutions. "TomLiner's post exposed the data for eight forum tokens -- approximately $2.52," he told TechNewsWorld. "The data has been unlocked by close to 3,800 users, generating TomLiner over $9,500." Michael Isbitski, a technical evangelist with Salt Security, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based provider of API security, added that at the time of that incident in 2019, Facebook indicated the data of 220 million users was scraped prior to the company restricting access in the platform to preserve users' privacy. "It's plausible that this is partially the old data set resurfaced and combined with other scraped data sets since the number has now ballooned to 533 million users," he told TechNewsWorld. Phone Number Flaw In a statement provided to TechNewsWorld by Facebook, the company said it is confident the posted information is old data that originated from a weakness in its contact importer feature that was discovered and fixed in August 2019. At that time, it explained, the company removed people's ability to directly find others using their phone number across both Facebook and Instagram -- a function that could be exploited using sophisticated software code to imitate Facebook and provide a phone number to find which users it belonged to. Using that software, it continued, it had been possible to input multiple phone numbers and, by running an algorithm, connect numbers to specific users. Facebook never returned a phone number, it explained, the attacker provided the numbers by which to do the matching. Through this process, it was possible at that time to query user profiles and obtain a limited amount of publicly available information, it added. Playbook for ID Theft Although the data may be old, it still has value to hackers, cybersecurity experts told TechNewsWorld. Admittedly, the data's value has been diminished as a saleable asset, observed Andrew Barratt, managing principal for solutions and investigations at Coalfire, a Westminster, Colo.-based provider of cybersecurity advisory services. "But the data is still a ready-made playbook for identity theft, impersonation, and potential Facebook account take over, which often has more far reaching consequences if Facebook accounts are used to access other sites, or services," he said. "Look at the number of fitness tracking systems, which log relevant healthcare data that leverage a Facebook login to get in," he added. Righi noted that it is likely that most phone numbers are still active and remain linked to legitimate Facebook users. "Cybercriminals can use information such as phone numbers, emails and full names to launch targeted social engineering attacks, such as phishing, vishing, or spam," he said. "As most users are still working from home due to the pandemic, these attacks could be effective if personalized to target victims." "Now more than ever it is important to seriously reconsider using phone numbers as logins or sharing phone numbers with apps," added Setu Kulkarni, vice president for strategy at WhiteHat Security, a San Jose, Calif.-based provider of application security. "Switching phone numbers is inordinately more taxing than switching email IDs," he added. Exploiting the Pandemic Being in the middle of a pandemic may also add value to the recycled data from the Facebook breach. "Having access to all the data may be a golden nugget for criminals orchestrating large spam or phishing campaigns, many of which have been tailored to pandemic-themes -- stimulus checks, mask politics, geographical restrictions or track and trace scenarios," observed Barratt. "Whether it's more or less valuable is complex because of the general state of the global economy," he continued. "It might be harder to scam an individual for a higher amount of money, however it might be possible to scam a larger volume of people for smaller amounts that are 'on trend' from a pandemic perspective," he explained. Saryu Nayyar, CEO of Gurucul, a threat intelligence company in El Segundo, Calif. added that the global scope of the pandemic can be an asset to scammers armed with data from the Facebook breach. "Every country is in different stages of grappling with their Covid-19 vaccine rollout, and cybercriminals can absolutely use this data to socially engineer vaccine misinformation," she told TechNewsWorld. "I can already see the targeted phishing email headlines: Get your vaccine today -- new vaccination center near you! Find out which of your neighbors have Covid-19. Choose which vaccine you get with our new app," she described. Daniel Markuson, digital privacy expert with NordVPN, a VPN service provider based in Nicosia, Cypress noted in a statement that his company found that vaccine-related Google searches in the United States grew by 1,900 percent since January. "This shows that Americans are becoming increasingly anxious to get their Covid-19 vaccine and might be an easy target for hackers," he reasoned. Markuson added that in December, Interpol issued an alert to law enforcement across 194 countries, warning them to prepare for crimes revolving around Covid-19 vaccines. Investigators have also reported vaccine-related activities on the Dark Web, he added. No Stranger to Breaches Over the years, the social network has been the target of a number of headline-grabbing data breaches. "Facebook has been hit with data incidents from every angle," observed Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate at Comparitech, a reviews, advice and information website for consumer security products. "It has left user data sitting on exposed servers, allowed app developers to abuse access to user accounts, and left bugs in code that hackers could exploit to steal data," he told TechNewsWorld. "On top of that, most Facebook profiles are public, which means third parties can scrape them using bots," he said. Data security and privacy was never high in the minds of the Facebook developers when they built the platform, maintained Purandar Das, CEO and cofounder of Sotero, a data protection company in Burlington, Mass. "On the other hand, the platform was all about monetizing the users' data," he told TechNewsWorld. "When you design products or platforms that start with no attention to security and privacy," he said, "it becomes very hard to go back and retrofit those capabilities." 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 coronavirus continues to spread through Pennsylvania at an alarming rate, with the state now recording nearly 5,000 cases a day, double the rate a month ago. An average of 40 people are dying across the state each day, and the surge of new cases portends a new wave of deaths in the coming weeks. The number of hospitalizations has doubled since mid-March to almost 3,000, 20 percent of which are in intensive care units (ICUs). Pennsylvania classroom with in-person instruction (Credit: Conestoga Valley School District Facebook page) This rapid rise in cases and hospitalizations takes place roughly a month after schools reopened in Philadelphia and throughout the state, and is occurring despite the ramping up of vaccinations. More than 42 percent of Pennsylvanians have received their first shot and 25 percent are fully vaccinated. However, there are still millions of people who are vulnerable to infection. Under these conditions, the spread of more contagious and deadly variants is particularly concerning. An estimated one-third of all COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania are caused by a variant strain, and 28 percent of cases are caused by the B.1.1.7 UK variant. With limited resources for genome sequencing, the true prevalence of the UK variant is likely much higher. The largest group of those infected has reduced in age to those 45-64, and the UK variant has shown a proclivity for infecting young people aged 5-17. Despite the fact that Pennsylvania has entered a fourth wave of the pandemic, state officials have explicitly stated their intention to continue the relaxation of standard public health measures. Alison Beam, Pennsylvanias acting health secretary, said the state did not have plans to impose new lockdowns. She encouraged people to wear masks, social distance and get vaccinated, but refused to acknowledge the threat of a new wave, saying, At this stage, our hospitals have not indicated to us that they are overrun or that they foresee being overrun. That will be truly one of our key gauges of when any further mitigation effort would need to be even contemplated. This is an act of criminal negligence, tantamount to informing a cancer patient to wait until the illness is terminal before receiving treatment. The communications director of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, James Garrow, acknowledged that cases were rising as restrictions were relaxed, but echoed Beams statements. He indicated that the city would only seriously discuss reimposing restrictions if cases continued to rise for another month. These state officials are promoting the ruling class policy of herd immunity, based on letting the virus continue to spread uncontrolled long before all Pennsylvanians are able to be fully vaccinated. Every person that is infected and dies within the next few months is a death that could have been prevented by proper public health measures. These policies pose a serious threat in public schools in particular, which have gone through an aggressive phase of reopening over the past two months. Schools have been singled out by the Biden administration and state governors as the most critical focus in protecting the interests of the rich. Children must return to class to be warehoused so that their parents can be compelled to return to work generating profits. One Philadelphia parent spoke with the World Socialist Web Site about her concerns on returning students to the classroom. She said, I think we need to keep things cautious until we can figure this out. I am okay with school staying virtual. I know parents that previously sent their kids to school knowing they were sick. While Pennsylvania does not collect data on COVID-19 outbreaks in schools, the emergence of schools as the primary source of outbreaks in Michigan, the new epicenter of the pandemic in the US, demonstrates the threat in Pennsylvania schools. In Philadelphia, two schools have been forced to temporarily close due to outbreaks, and at least 126 infections have occurred since schools reopened in March, with many others throughout the state. A high school in the Boyertown Area School District closed for just one day after seven students tested positive between April 5 and April 9. Penns Valley Area School District also closed their elementary and high schools last week after multiple cases were reported. Both schools reopened Monday under new state guidance that reduces the amount of time that a school must remain closed following an outbreak to just a few days. Most schools have confined school reopenings to elementary and middle schools, but Scranton School District is the largest district to return high school students to in-person class. On Monday, just under half of the districts high school students returned for in-person instruction. High school class structures will present new challenges to teachers and staff and potentially accelerate the rate of infections, which have totaled 30 students and staff since April 1. These outbreaks are occurring at the same time that school districts are planning to host in-person summer schools, which is also being pushed aggressively by the Biden administration. Pittsburgh has already identified 1,500 students who would qualify to attend, with a potential further 3,000 students who could enroll. Some of the charter schools in Philadelphia have also begun drafting a similar plan. According to teachers, the district is attempting to entice staff with a promise of double pay if they agree to teach in-person for the summer. This plan comes after attempts by the school board to reopen the schools were thwarted by teachers who organized opposition to the plan. Fearing the independent organization of teachers, the district backed down and reversed its decision. Officials present the summer schools as offering students a chance to make up for lost learning during online instruction, but given the current trajectory of new cases, schools will be highly unsafe in the summer. Children under the age of 16 are not likely to be eligible for vaccination until late summer or the fall. Pennsylvania is also leading the nation in reducing the distance between students from six feet to three. Even before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved this guideline, schools in Pennsylvania began implementing the shorter distance. Teachers throughout the state reacted with outrage after American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten voiced approval of the shorter distance. The Philadelphia teacher commented, I listen to the media quite a bit, and Ive heard many, many references to three feet in school. But I dont hear any medical rationale for why that has been changed. Nor have I heard any medical evidence as to why three feet would be appropriate in schools, but not in other social gatherings. The fact that the union leadership, which claims to be for workers and the kids we teach, has affirmed something about which I have heard zero evidence, is an objective, irrefutable demonstration that they are not for the students and they are not for the teachers. This is just like police departments that wont show the body-cam video. It is irrefutable proof that they dont work for you. In a similar fashion, this is a public declaration by the union that they dont work for you. Another Pennsylvania teacher added, This doesnt surprise me. They have no intention of fixing this for anybody. They are the firemen for the ruling class, putting out fires to keep people in line. A teacher from Ohio commented, To me this ties into Bidens claim that children do not catch COVID. We know this is complete nonsense, its a complete lie to everything that we have seen, including the materials published on the WSWS. Both of these claims go hand-in-hand to downplay the severity of this crisis upon our children and our schools. The pandemic has also resulted in staffing issues in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh School District has reported that a shortage of school bus drivers has resulted in a deficit of 1,300 seats affecting 30 schools. According to the district, they need at least 200 drivers by May 3 to accommodate the number of students who use district transportation, and at least 350 are needed by the fall when the district plans to be fully in-person. The shortage of drivers is a result of the pandemic, with many drivers choosing to leave the profession in search of more stable employment or to stay home with family. Many have also cited concerns for their health and safety due to the risk of infection. Problems with staffing will continue to plague Pennsylvania schools after the end of the pandemic as districts face revenue losses. A recent report by Good Jobs First found that tax breaks for real estate development companies across the country are costing schools an estimated $2.37 billion a year. The district with the single largest loss is Philadelphia, which is losing an estimated $112 million a year, or $800 per student. These funds have been concentrated in already wealthy neighborhoods, with just 7 percent of properties receiving 50 percent of the tax abatement benefits. Issues with budgets and school funding will inevitably force teachers and staff into struggle with their districts as they fight for better funding and wages. Last week, 900 teachers in Scranton, Pennsylvania, voted overwhelmingly to go on strike. Scranton Federation of Teachers (SFT) President Rosemary Boland said that Scranton teachers would like to go on strike right now. Theyre outraged. Theyre fed up. Theyre tired. Theyre tired of being taken for granted. Theyre just plain tired. While posturing as oppositional, the union will do everything possible to dissipate teachers anger and keep them isolated should a strike develop. When the previous contract expired in 2017, teachers voted to strike but the union did nothing, forcing them to work for the past four years without a contract. Teachers are prepared to fight for tens of thousands of dollars in back pay and pay raises that have been delayed for years, but this cannot be won through the pro-corporate union, which is beholden to the AFT, its state affiliate and the Democratic Party. It is critical that Scranton teachers join and help build the Pennsylvania Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee as a genuine fighting organization, independent of the unions and both big business parties. This committee has opposed the unsafe reopening of schools throughout the past year, and is fighting to defend the public and save lives. Sign up today to get involved! [April 20, 2021] Poly Studio P15 Continues Winning Streak with iF DESIGN AWARD MUNICH, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Poly (NYSE: PLT) announced today that the Poly Studio P15 personal video bar is a winner of this year's iF DESIGN AWARD, the world-renowned design prize. The international award celebrates the pro-grade Poly innovation for modern workers looking to not just show up, but stand out during their meetings. With Zoom and Microsoft Teams certifications and an intelligent video conferencing technology, the stylish new Poly Studio P15 video bar beats the barriers to all meetings and boosts personal performance and productivity. No noise is too much for the AI-powered Poly Studio P15 that excels through NoiseBlockAI technology combined with speaker-conscious automatic camera framing capability in 4K clarty, so you are never out of frame. "Poly takes pride in delivering outstanding, cutting-edge technology for the modern worker, as we realize that work can be done from anywhere. Our Poly Studio P15 brings out the perfect combination of design and technical excellence which the iF DESIGN AWARD applauds Poly for. We are on a mission to raise the bar for the modern workers of today," said Tom Puorro, executive vice president and general manager of products for Poly. Poly Studio P15 is part of the Poly Studio P Series, which is the industry's first pro-grade personal video conferencing equipment. About Poly Poly (NYSE: PLT) creates premium audio and video products so you can have your best meeting -- anywhere, anytime, every time. Our headsets, video and audio-conferencing products, desk phones, analytics software and services are beautifully designed and engineered to connect people with incredible clarity. They're pro-grade, easy to use and work seamlessly with all the best video and audio conferencing services. With Poly (Plantronics, Inc. formerly Plantronics and Polycom), you'll do more than just show up, you'll stand out. For more information visit www.Poly.com. Poly, the propeller design, and the Poly logo are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. About the iF DESIGN AWARD For 67 years, the IF DESIGN AWARD has been recognized as an arbiter of quality for exceptional design. The iF label is renowned worldwide for outstanding design services, and the iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most important design prizes in the world. Submission are awarded in the following disciplines: Product, Packaging, Communication and Service Design, Architecture and Interior Architecture as well as Professional Concept, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI). All awarded entries are featured on the iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE and in the iF design app. Poly Media Contact: Sonal Bisht Head of corporate communications, EMEA +44 1753 723 726 sonal.bisht@poly.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/poly-studio-p15-continues-winning-streak-with-if-design-award-301273168.html SOURCE Poly [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Temperature swings and rainy days are often par for the course when it comes to spring. Although warmer weather is welcome after a cold winter, it can leave cattle housed in outdoor yards standing in mud. Bill Halfman, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension county-based agriculture agent, addressed the impact poor weather conditions and dirty lots can have on cattle during the I-29 Moo University Dairy Beef Short Course. In Northern climates, the months of November to April can bring cold and wet weather challenges. While freezing temperatures, muddy pens, and wet hair coats would have a similar effect on dairy heifers and cows, Halfman spoke specifically about dairy steers in this presentation. Almost every decision we can make in our dairy steer enterprise can influence our return on investment, he shared. He said decisions can be grouped into two general categories: those that influence growth and performance, and those that are overhead costs and non-feed related expenses utilized or allocated to the enterprise. Some of them have a domino or additive affect, he said. If we are not doing well in one area, it can fall over into others. One such management area is pen cleaning and bedding. Studies in beef cattle have shown that matted, dirty coats exacerbated the impact of cold stress, and a wet hair coat made it even worse. We know its important in wintertime for cattle to have a clean, open hair coat that can trap that air and serve as insulation. If its not clean, we start seeing declines, he explained. Halfman illustrated this point by sharing a study in which cattle with wet and muddy hair coats had half a pound less of average daily gain, a pound more feed needed per pound of gain, and an extra 35 days on feed before finishing. This all contributes to additional rearing costs. When it is cold and windy and the feedbunk is outside in an open area, Halfman said there is a point where cattle just wont go out to eat. This is especially important to note for dairy steer raisers, as Holsteins are more susceptible to cold stress because they have thinner hides and a thinner subcutaneous fat layer. Mobility a problem, too As for mud, Halfman shared that a layer of mud and manure at a depth as shallow as the dewclaw elevates the energy cattle expend simply walking around. He compared it to how humans feel walking in winter boots rather than shoes. He said muddy pens also elevate the chance of feet and leg injuries. Wet feet are softer, raising the risk of digital dermatitis and foot rot. These ailments can lead to mobility problems and impact an animals fitness for transport. Halfman said that providing clean pens and adequate bedding is especially important for farmers raising dairy beef. Dairy steers face a greater impact from dirty, wet conditions than beef steers, he noted. In addition to the increased cost of gain during the stressed season, Halfman said more days on feed, the amount of feed needed, and extra yardage costs all add up. The differences may appear to be small on a daily basis during normal winter weather, but over several months and several head per pen, the small differences add up in a hurry, he shared. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021 April 15, 2021 A portion of the proceeds from all fries sold April 20 to May 10 will help support families with sick children TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada today announced Fries for RMHC, which will see a portion of the proceeds from every order of fries sold donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC). With the fundraiser running from April 20 to May 10, there has never been a better time for Canadians to order McDonald's World Famous Fries. Becoming a 'fry-lanthropist' is a delicious and easy way to give back. Across the country, Canadians can show their support by purchasing fries at McDonald's drive-thru or using curbside pick-up, McDelivery, take-out or dine-in. They can also share their fry-love online by using the new 'I bought #FriesforRMHC' sticker on Instagram. Quotes: "Supporting RMHC is at the centre of McDonald's Canada's commitment to families," says Jacques Mignault, President & CEO, McDonald's Canada. "Since RMHC opened its doors in 1981, McDonald's, together with its franchisees, crew, suppliers and guests, have all grown a lot of heart for the cause. I'm so proud to say that over the last 40 years we've been able to help RMHC support more than 425,000 families on their child's treatment journey and I look forward to seeing what we can do together in the next 40 years." "This year marks 40 years of RMHC supporting families with sick children in Canada, and vital to that support has been the continued commitment from our founding and forever donor partner McDonald's Canada, along with its franchisees, crew and guests, said Cathy Loblaw, CEO, RMHC Canada. "We are so grateful to Canadians for supporting our mission of keeping families close over the years through McDonald's restaurant initiatives such as Fries for RMHC. It's this support that makes it possible for us to be there for families with sick children across the country when they need us most, now, and into the future." Facts: The Fries for Good initiative was initially launched by McDonald's Canada in May 2020 to help support the Canadian Red Cross. In only two weeks, the initiative raised more than $1.1M before returning in November of 2020, where it helped raise more than $1.8M for RMHC across Canada in to help support the Canadian Red Cross. In only two weeks, the initiative raised more than before returning in November of 2020, where it helped raise more than for RMHC across By renaming the fundraiser previously known as Fries for Good for this initiative, McDonald's is reinforcing its connection to RMHC as its founding and forever partner Every day, Canadians can also round up their order bill to the nearest dollar at the front counter, drive-thru or kiosk at participating restaurants and donate the difference to support RMHC families Coin boxes and cashless donations are also available at point-of-purchase, while a portion of proceeds from the sale of every Happy Meal and RMHC Cookie also go to RMHC About McDonald's Canada In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast-to-coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca. About Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC Canada) In Canada, 65 per cent of families live outside a city with a children's hospital and must travel for treatment if their child is seriously ill. Annually, the RMHC network of programs in Canada helps to keep more than 26,000 families close to their sick child and the care they need. The 16 Ronald McDonald Houses provide out-of-town families with a home to stay at while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital, while the 17 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a comfortable place for families to rest and recharge, right inside hospitals. For more information, please visit rmhccanada.ca. SOURCE McDonald's Canada For further information: McDonald's Media Relations, [email protected] Weber State Celebrates Earth Day April 19, 2021 OGDEN, Utah Sustainability remains a top priority at Weber State University, even amidst the challenges presented by a global pandemic. April 22 marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, and WSU is celebrating its continued sustainability efforts. Sustainability Practices and Research Center (SPARC) Director Alice Mulder said the actions of governments, businesses and communities around the world to keep people safe in response to COVID-19 have provided a number of valuable lessons for addressing climate change. Importantly, we have learned we can adapt quickly when we are informed by science, Mulder said. We can recognize a pressing collective challenge and put our minds to it, with individuals benefiting themselves and the larger community. During the year, we both reduced the spread of the virus and saw reduced emissions and improved air quality as many people worked remotely. New and Ongoing Sustainability Efforts: Carbon Neutral Goal I n 2007, Weber State set the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Since then, the university has reduced its electricity consumption by 36%, natural gas consumption by 35% and total greenhouse gas emissions by 34%. In the process, WSU has saved more than $15.9 million in energy costs in the last 10 years, including $2,298,775 on its water and energy costs in fiscal year 2020. This has all been accomplished while adding 566,751 square feet in new and renovated buildings to the WSU campus. The university is set to reach carbon neutrality, 10 years ahead of the original goal. New Ground Source Field The university has begun construction on its third ground-source field, which is designed to provide all of the heating and cooling energy for the new Noorda Building for Engineering, Applied Science & Technology, as well as provide supplemental energy to campus. The ground-source field runs water through 190 wells dug approximately 350-feet deep, taking advantage of the earths constant underground temperature. Weber State uses water to heat and cool buildings; thus, the pre-heated or pre-cooled water reduces energy costs, making it a key part of the university's carbon neutral strategy. Sustainability Summit Held Virtually In March, WSUs Intermountain Sustainability Summit was held virtually for the second year in a row. The summit welcomed hundreds of sustainability professionals and emerging leaders from Utah and across the nation for two days of events. Keynote sessions were presented by nationally recognized sustainability experts. Jasmine Sanders, director of Our Climate, shared stories of Americans forced to move as a consequence of climate change in her home state of Louisiana. Hazel Henderson, founder of Ethical Markets Media, and Vicki Robin, co-author of Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence, discussed green economics. Solve Climate by 2030 As part of a national event called Solve Climate, Weber State hosted the Utah Solve Climate by 2030 webinar on April 7. The live event attracted over 130 attendees who tuned in to hear from the four panelists: John Curtis, Utah Rep. for the 3rd District; Vicki Bennett, Salt Lake City Sustainability director; Thomas Holst, Senior Energy Policy Analyst of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; and Olivia Juarez, Latinx community organizer with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. More than 250 people, including teachers and students from Utah schools, registered to watch either the live webinar or the recording. Campus-Wide Green Department Certification Program WSUs Green Department Certification Program engages more than 80 campus offices and departments in various efforts to make the university more sustainable. Participants in the voluntary program assemble a Green Team and earn points by selecting from a wide range of sustainable strategies such as reducing energy consumption, reducing waste and transitioning office purchases to environmentally friendly products. Points achieved determine certification at the bronze, silver, gold or green levels. Classrooms For the second year, faculty have applied to have a sustainability attribute or SUS added to their course, indicating a focus or inclusion of sustainability content in some way. Over 50 classes have the SUS attribute, representing disciplines from all colleges. The connection to sustainability across disciplines is evident in classes including, anthropology, economics, physics, nursing, interior design, English, math and chemistry. Empower Northern Utah Program Last fall Weber States Empower Northern Utah program helped over 340 northern Utah households increase the energy efficiency of their homes. The program provided 264 discounted and no-cost smart thermostats and over 1,500 high-efficiency LED light bulbs at no cost. The program was designed to empower residents to lower their carbon emissions and utility bills through easy efficiency upgrades. Completed Sustainability Projects: W10 Parking Goes Solar In the fall of 2020, Weber State completed its first solar-covered-parking array over the W10 lot on the northwest corner of the Ogden campus. The array houses 550 kilowatts of solar panels that feed into Lindquist Hall and the campus electrical grid. The power produced by the array is expected to offset 80% of Lindquist Halls energy consumption. Net Zero House In the summer of 2020, WSU completed its first collaborative community project to build a highly efficient, all-electric, renewably powered home in Ogdens east central neighborhood. An interdisciplinary team of WSU students helped design and build the 2,540-square-foot home. The home also included battery backup for emergencies and produced enough solar power to charge an electric vehicle to travel 20 miles per day. The project won the Energy Performance category of the international Solar Decathlon Build Challenge hosted by the Department of Energy. Renewable Energy in Action Additional completed renewable energy projects at Weber State include two ground source fields that help heat and cool campus and a seven-acre solar field that supplies the energy needs to the WSU Davis campus in Layton. These projects are a vital part of helping the university reach its carbon neutral goal. In reflecting on the year, Mulder noted, At Weber State weve made a serious commitment to work toward sustainability and address climate change. When the university first committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, we didnt know how we would do it. However, once we put our minds to it, we found practical and economically beneficial pathways to success. We have spent this year updating our Climate Action Plan, including moving forward our goal to 2040, and are working to help other organizations make and reach their own sustainability goals. Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. Scientists have developed a new biomaterial that regrows blood vessels and bone, potentially providing a single-stage approach when repairing large bone defects. The study, led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and SFI AMBER Centre, is published in the Journal of Controlled Release. Previous RCSI-led research had found that activating a mechanosensitive gene, called placental growth factor (PGF), at different doses promoted bone regeneration and grew new blood vessels. Using this knowledge, the researchers developed a biomaterial that delivers PGF at different concentrations. Inspired by the natural way in which bone defects regenerate, the biomaterial first releases a high dose of PGF, promoting blood vessel growth, and follows it with a more sustained lower dose, which promotes bone regeneration. When tested in a pre-clinical model, the biomaterial successfully repaired large bone defects while also regrowing blood vessels. Current biomaterials that promote both blood vessel and bone growth typically require using more than one therapeutic drug, which means designing a more complex system that faces more challenges. Furthermore, drugs that have been approved for use in the clinic have been controversially associated with dangerous side-effects, highlighting the need for new strategies. "More testing is needed before we can begin clinical trials, but if proven successful, this biomaterial could benefit patients when repairing bone defects by providing an alternative to current systems," said Professor Fergal O'Brien, the study's principal investigator and RCSI's Director of Research and Innovation. "In addition to repairing bone defects, our approach to regenerative medicine executed in the study provides a new framework for evaluating regenerative biomaterials for other tissue engineering applications. We are now applying this concept of 'mechanobiology informed regenerative medicine' to identify new therapeutics in other areas, including cartilage and spinal cord repair." The biomaterial was developed by researchers from the Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) based at RCSI and the SFI AMBER Centre. Their work was supported by the Irish Research Council, the EU BlueHuman Interreg Atlantic Area Project, the European Community's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under European Research Council Advanced Grant agreement n 788753 (ReCaP) and the Health Research Board of Ireland under the Health Research Awards - Patient-Oriented Research Scheme. "By using a mechanobiology-informed approach, we were able to identify a promising new therapeutic candidate for bone repair and also determine the optimal concentrations required to promote both angiogenesis and osteogenesis within a single biomaterial," said Dr Eamon Sheehy, the study's first author and researcher in TERG. "The regeneration of large bone defects remains a significant clinical challenge, but hopefully our new biomaterial will continue to prove beneficial in further trials." ### About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences Ranked number one globally for Good Health and Well-being in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2020, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is an international not-for-profit university, with its headquarters in Dublin. RCSI is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the THE World University Rankings (2020) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education. Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise. People arrive to attend the Huawei keynote address at the IFA 2020 Special Edition consumer electronics and appliances trade fair on the fair's opening day in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) CCP Using Huawei, Other Chinese Institutions for Espionage, House Committee Hears Experts from Canada, the United States, and New Zealand warned of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using companies such as Huawei to infiltrate and control key sector in Western countries, a House of Commons committee heard on Monday. Carolyn Bartholomew, chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, told the House Special Committee on Canada-China Relations that while Western governments use technology from Chinese companies in building smart cities, they are likely giving the CCP and its affiliated companies access directly or indirectly into things like controlling traffic, controlling water supplies, which could be used against these countries. During the hearing, Bartholomew referred to a report by Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant on April 17 that said the Netherlands largest mobile telecommunications company KPN had commissioned the Capgemini consultancy firm in 2010 to conduct an internal investigation on the security of using the Huawei core network. The Capgemini report revealed that Huawei was able to penetrate the KPN system, gaining access to its 6.5 million users, including the Dutch prime inister. Huawei even knew which numbers the Dutch police and intelligence service the Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienstwere tapping into. I have been suspicious of Huawei all along, Bartholomew said. I think that this concept that they are free and independent of the Chinese government is ridiculous. We all have concerns on the commission about how Chinese telecommunications can be used both to access data, access information, collect intelligence, and again, shut things down, if they want to do them, she said. The Huawei logo is seen at the IFA consumer technology fair, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Michele Tantussi/Reuters) Michel Juneau-Katsuya, an expert in national security and intelligence and former staff at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told the committee that the CCP has created front companies for the purpose of collecting intelligence for the Chinese regime. While a number of these front companies were created in Hong Kong before the United Kingdom returned the colony to China in 1997, some of them have also made their way to Canada. Several of the companies were so-called front companies, they came here to get information, and they seem to want to collaborate with Canadian companies, but once they got the necessary information they needed, they disappeared once again, Juneau-Katsuya said. Juneau-Katsuya referenced Chinas Confucius Institute (CI), which he said are spy satellites that also do espionage work for Chinese authorities. He noted that the director of the Confucius Institute in New Brunswick was asked to leave Canada in 2019 due to suspicious activities. The province has announced plans to remove CIs programs from its education system by 2022. Throughout the world were seeing lots of different incidents, based in the Confucius Institutes or with other companies, who have stolen technology and information, Juneau-Katsuya said. He added that the Chinese regime and organized crimes also collude to a certain extent in Canada, which is currently under investigation by a money-laundering inquiry in British Columbia. The inquiry is looking at how Chinese gangs and organized crimes are using casinos and real estate for money-laundering. Anne-Marie Brady, a professor at the University of Canterbury, told the committee that the CCPs political interference activities, often known as United Front work, targeting Canada and other countries include several active measures. First, the CCP seeks to control Chinese diaspora and use them as its agents. Second, Brady said, is elite capture, in which the CCP captures and uses foreign political and economic elites for its espionage activities. The third is a global information strategy in which China tries to bend international narratives to its favor. You can see how political interference fit with Chinas much more aggressive foreign policy as a tool of the foreign policy, its a means to achieve Chinas goals without military force, to weaken opposition to Chinas objectives even to establish collaboratives within our elites, to get information and technology. In other words, espionage, to control the diasporas, to control the diaspora discourse, and to control the international discourse on issues of interest to China, Brady said. Bartholomew said while the CCP makes use of all these tools to boost its influences and expand its authoritarianism, its important to draw a distinction between the CCP and the Chinese people, who are often also victims of the communist regime. Countries around the world are experiencing the push and pull of the CCPs desire for power, influence, and primacy, Bartholomew said. We share the challenge of facing the CCPs influence operations, and must all work together on effective responses. Revelations that two Russian spies accused of a nerve-agent poisoning in Britain in 2018 may have been behind earlier explosions at a Czech ammunition depot that killed two people sparked outrage and anger in the Czech Republic. The allegations by Czech intelligence have plunged relations between Prague and Moscow to their lowest level since the end of Soviet domination of Eastern Europe in 1989. Amid the escalation of tensions, Prague has expelled 18 Russian diplomats, and Moscow, which dismisses any role in the blasts and described it as a provocation concocted by Washington, has kicked out 20 Czech Embassy staff in Moscow. It also comes amid a series of incidents that have roiled relations over the last few years, including claims, later dismissed, that Russia had smuggled ricin into Prague in 2020 to poison three municipal officials who had taken action or supported positions that angered the Kremlin, mostly to do with disputes over the Soviet role in World War II. In 2020, the Czech Republic reported a series of cyberattacks on key institutions, including hospitals, that Czech intelligence suspected were the work of state-backed Russian hackers. The fresh claims have triggered support for the Czech Republic and condemnations for Russia's alleged role from the European Union, the United States, and others, including Ukraine. For many in the Czech Republic, the alleged attacks by two officers of Russia's GRU military intelligence service in Vrbetice in the southeast of the country in October and December 2014 was an act of terrorism, if not war. Many of those voicing such charges are opponents of Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who has been dogged by corruption allegations -- some involving EU subsidies -- that he denies, and President Milos Zeman, one of the European Union's most Kremlin-friendly leaders. Just Some "Goods" Babis, who along with another top official first made public the blockbuster charge on April 17 in an emotional address in which he stressed the loss of life and widespread damage, two days later took a softer tone. Babis, accused but cleared in 2015 by a court of working with communist secret police in the 1980s, said it was an unacceptable operation by Russian agents that went wrong. "Russia was not attacking the Czech Republic. The agents attacked the goods of a Bulgarian arms trader, who was probably selling these arms to parties fighting Russia," Babis told a news conference on April 19. "The ammunition was supposed to explode en route. Of course it is unacceptable that GRU agents were undertaking the operation here -- which they bungled," he said. Acting Czech Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek on April 19 confirmed the trader to have been Emilian Gebrev, an arms-factory owner who survived an attempt to poison him in 2015. Bulgarian prosecutors charged three Russians in absentia in 2020 with his attempted murder. Gebrev's company, EMCO, denied on April 19 that it had made or planned any shipment from the Czech warehouse in the months before the explosion or for at least a year after the blast. Prague has previously said the warehouse blast was caused by the same GRU agents blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain in 2018. Moscow denies involvement in the Skripal poisonings, which both victims survived. 'Heinous' Act Babis's apparent downplaying of the ammo-depot blast left many Czech politicians dumbfounded and spawned social-media memes ridiculing his comments. "What Prime Minister Babis says is nonsense. An action resulting in deaths is an act of state terrorism, in contradiction with international law and the rule of bilateral relations in the 21st century," said Pavel Zacek, a member of the opposition ODS party, in comments to Czech media on April 20. Facing a backlash for the remark, Babis a day later said he was sorry for using the term "goods" and specifically said it was a "heinous and completely unacceptable terrorist act." Zeman, who holds less power than the prime minister, however, has been slammed not for what he has said, but for refusing to speak publicly on the matter yet. He says he will do so on April 25 during a TV program. Zeman, who became the first directly elected Czech president when he took office in 2013, is rarely shy about sharing his views, often sharp-tongued, on domestic and foreign-policy matters. He has criticized Western sanctions on Russia and insulted journalists, among others. Big blue letters reading "High treason" lit up Prague Castle, the official residence of the Czech president, on the evening of April 19. The message was delivered by a group calling itself Stop High Treason, which in a statement said it wanted Zeman brought before the country's highest court to face charges of betraying the country. A day after the stunt, Zeman's spokesman lashed out at the country's opposition. "A vote for the opposition is a vote for war. Remember that when you go to the polls," Jiri Ovcacek wrote on Twitter. The findings on the Vrbetice explosions by the Czech Security Intelligence Service (BIS) and the National Center for Combating Organized Crime (NCOZ) came amid efforts pushed by Zeman and his supporters to secure the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, as well as support for the Russian nuclear energy giant Rosatom in its bid to secure a lucrative deal to build a reactor at the Czech Dukovany nuclear power plant. Czech Health Minister Jan Blatny was fired on April 7 by Babis, whose government is dependent on Zeman's political allies, a month after the president called for his dismissal for his refusal to use the Russian vaccine without approval by the European Medicines Agency. Also losing his job in part due to his stance against the Sputnik V vaccine was Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek, whom Zeman dismissed on April 12. Petricek had clashed with his rival, the aforementioned Hamacek, over control of the Social Democratic Party. Petricek had also suggested the party should cut its ties to Babis's populist ANO party. Petricek had also opposed efforts by Zeman and his supporters to push Rosatom on the Dukovany contract. At the time of his dismissal, Petricek said that "the minister's office has windows facing east" on Facebook. "Sometimes when you defy physics and other forces, you can look completely, calmly, and boldly toward the West and Europe," Petricek said. "It's no secret that I have not been well regarded by the Prague presidency for some time," he told reporters. Who Is 'Facing East'? Zeman has characterized the BIS as a bunch of "incompetents" and is on less-than-friendly terms with its director, Michal Koudelka, pressing him last year for a list of Russian spies in the Czech Republic. Zeman has said he will not recommend Koudelka be given another term at the head of the BIS once his current mandate runs out this summer. With Petricek out of the way, Hamacek -- also still holding the post of interior minister -- had reportedly planned to travel to Moscow on April 19 to negotiate on Russian deliveries of Sputnik V. Those plans were quashed after he and Babis announced on April 17 the BIS and NCOZ findings on the 2014 Vrbetice blasts as relations between Prague and Moscow plummeted. And Russia was effectively shut out of the multibillion-dollar contract for Dukovany when Czech Industrial Minister Karel Havlicek announced on April 19 that Rosatom would not take part in security assessments before a planned tender. However, the Czech news website Aktualne reported that not only had senior Czech politicians known about the BIS and NCOZ findings much earlier, on April 11, but a special session of the country's security council had been canceled. Asked why he had only canceled his trip to Moscow at the last moment despite knowing of the alleged Russian role in the blasts much earlier, Hamacek said on April 18 that he never had any intention of flying to Moscow, and that it had all been a "coordinated action." That left few convinced and many suspected that those with friendly ties with the Kremlin were intent on at least delaying the release of the BIS and NCOZ findings. "If the FM (Foreign Ministry) AB (Andrej Babis), Hamacek and others had known about Vrbetice for some time and still got rid of Petricek, after which Hamacek wanted to go to Moscow," said Jiri Pehe, a longtime political analyst and director of New York University in Prague on Twitter on April 18. "The whole affair begins to take on the dimensions of a huge political scandal, one in which treason cannot be ruled out." VICTORIA - The British Columbia government says it's inviting people 18 years and older to register for a COVID-19 vaccine over the next week. VICTORIA - The British Columbia government says it's inviting people 18 years and older to register for a COVID-19 vaccine over the next week. A Ministry of Health statement Sunday says more than 1.8 million people will now be invited to register for their COVID-19 vaccine through the province's Get Vaccinated program. The ministry says the registration program starts Monday with people 40 years and older asked to sign up first, with those 35 and older registering Tuesday. The ministry says the registration program will continue through Wednesday for those 30 and older, Thursday 25 years old and above and people 18 years and older should sign up Friday. The statement says vaccine registration is the first step and residents will be contacted about booking an appointment once they've signed up. The ministry says as of Saturday, 1.2 million people in B.C. have received their first vaccine dose. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2021. New York, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market Research Report by Type, by Farm Type, by Connectivity, by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06063037/?utm_source=GNW Market Statistics: The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR GBP, JPY, and AUD. This helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. 1. The Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market is expected to grow from USD 12,364.29 Million in 2020 to USD 20,341.77 Million by the end of 2025. 2. The Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market is expected to grow from EUR 10,841.24 Million in 2020 to EUR 17,836.05 Million by the end of 2025. 3. The Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market is expected to grow from GBP 9,637.89 Million in 2020 to GBP 15,856.29 Million by the end of 2025. 4. The Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market is expected to grow from JPY 1,319,583.57 Million in 2020 to JPY 2,170,982.88 Million by the end of 2025. 5. The Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market is expected to grow from AUD 17,954.60 Million in 2020 to AUD 29,538.96 Million by the end of 2025. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: "The Maintenance is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period" Based on Type, the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market studied across Maintenance and Operations. The Maintenance commanded the largest size in the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market in 2020, and it is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. "The Offshore is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period" Based on Farm Type , the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market studied across Offshore and Onshore. The Onshore commanded the largest size in the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market in 2020. On the other hand, the Offshore is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. "The Stand Alone is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period" Based on Connectivity, the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market studied across Grid Connected and Stand Alone. The Grid Connected commanded the largest size in the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market in 2020. On the other hand, the Stand Alone is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. "The Residential is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period" Based on Application, the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market studied across Commercial, Industrial, and Residential. The Commercial commanded the largest size in the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market in 2020. On the other hand, the Residential is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. "The Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period" Based on Geography, the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. The Americas commanded the largest size in the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market in 2020. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Company Usability Profiles: The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market including ABO Wind, Apex Clean Energy, Inc., Baettr Sales & Services A/S, Connected Wind Services, Deutsche Windtechnik AG, EDF Renewables, Enercon GmbH, Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica, GE Wind Turbines, Guodian United Power Technology Company Ltd, Ingeteam Power Technology S.A., Invenergy LLC, NextEra Energy Resources, Nordex SE, ROBUR Wind GmbH, SEMIKRON Elektronik GmbH & Co KG, Siemens Wind Power GmbH, STEAG ENERGY SERVICES, Suzlon Group, Upwind Solutions, Inc., Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, WindESCo , Inc., wpd AG, and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technologies Co. Ltd. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06063037/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ DALLAS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RealFoundations (RF), the world's foremost provider of management consulting solutions and managed services for the real estate industry, today announced the hiring of industry ace, Andrew Chumley, to help manage the firm's growing Data Services delivery. Andrew Chumley, Senior Manager - Data Services, RealFoundations Andrew will serve as Senior Manager, Data Services, which is a new position created to provide greater oversight on delivery of data services to current clients and to support both expansion of the offering and on-boarding and overall management of new clientele. Andrew's responsibilities include ensuring that client needs and expectations are well-understood, formally documented and clearly tied to operational goals and outcomes. He will advise clients, as well, on opportunities to tap additional RF managed services so they can achieve even stronger business results. In recent years, RealFoundations' Data Services practice has grown significantly as real estate companies increasingly recognize that among their most valuable assets on par with their physical properties is the underlying data associated with those properties and related business operations. They are realizing that the health and success of their organizations directly correlate to the effort and investment they make to manage this critical asset that, ultimately, better data management allows for more timely and higher quality reporting which, in turn, enables more informed and profitable decision-making. Andrew brings to RealFoundations over a decade of broad experience in commercial real estate. His background spans disciplines from property operations, asset management and real estate technology to the movement of both financial and operational data sets. Andrew's expertise in data movement is particularly valuable to investor and investment manager clients, as it ensures they will consistently receive consolidated views of portfolio performance along with actionable insights to make informed decisions. Prior to joining RealFoundations, Andrew spent six-plus years as a technology professional in the realty management division of Goldman Sachs, one of the world's leading investment banking and financial services companies. He also was Director of Customer Success at Pereview Software, which offers asset management software and portfolio analytics to the global commercial real estate industry. Additionally, Andrew was a senior manager at Saxony Partners, a management and digital consulting firm that helps clients use their data more effectively for business decision-making. "In today's digital world, real estate data management is very complex and challenging due to the lack of standardization of data models across organizations, technology platforms and even data categories," said Jim Valente, Global Head of Data Services, RealFoundations. "Andrew's expertise in real estate and technology, particularly data services, adds great depth to the RealFoundations team and will benefit clients daily. He knows what it takes to ensure that clients get their data in complete and accurate form to the right place, in a timely manner, and can easily access and leverage it when they need to do so." For more information about careers at RealFoundations, visit www.realfoundations.net/careers or contact Tony Dodder, Director of People Services | (646) 825 7962 | [email protected]. About RealFoundations RealFoundations is the world's foremost professional services firm focused solely on the real estate industry. Through our delivery of Management Consulting and Managed Services, we help companies that develop, own, operate, service or invest in real estate make better, more profitable decisions. We are proud partners to over 450 real estate companies around the globe, providing accelerated solutions that solve some of real estate's most complex challenges. We Make Real Estate Run Better. SOURCE RealFoundations Related Links http://www.realfoundations.net The lockdown across Maharashtra to combat the second wave of COVID-19 has affected the celebrities as much as the man in the street. Shraddha Das, who is currently in Mumbai, says shes having a tough time, but Buddhist chants are helping her cope with the situation. I have been sitting at home for the last 10 days doing nothing, shares Shraddha. The lockdown is so frustrating. I used to work out regularly earlier, but with the new restrictions I am unable to go out. Revealing that she hadnt felt this bad even during the previous lockdown, she says perhaps her mothers health condition has had an impact on her. My mother tested positive for COVID-19 last month. That news terrified me. I stay in Andheri West while she stays in Chembur. I called her every 15 minutes to check up on her, and would get scared when she didnt answer my call sometimes. It was so tough on me, the actress says. Those 20 days were a test of endurance, and the anxiety took a lot out of me. Shraddha says she has been practicing Buddhism, and if it hadnt been for this, she would have gone crazy. I chant Nam myoho renge kyo. It gives me peace, strength and makes me stay composed, she shares. It was fellow actress Poonam Bajwa who introduced Shraddha to Buddhism six years back, and it has wrought several changes in her life. It gave me a different perspective about life and made me stronger, the actress says. On the work front, Shraddha Das will be seen as a Sanyasini in the Telugu film Ek Mini Katha directed by Karthik Rapolu. While the film stars Santosh Shobhan and Kavya Thapar, Shraddhas role is crucial. Its a quirky and fun role; its an impactful role that makes a lot of difference to the film. Moreover, I had never played a Sanyasini earlier, so when the role was offered to me it was intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed playing the character, explains the actress. Looks-wise too, I have never sported such a hairstyle on screen; I was initially worried how I would look, but the director designed my character and costumes beautifully, the colour palettes he used were also inspiring, the actress says adding that she wears sarees throughout the film. Shraddha says the role resonated with her because certain aspects of the character matched her real-life personality. I always ask for the scenes early so that I can prepare. I have never been to the sets unprepared. This role is short but impactful, she signs off. DUBAI, UAE, March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tristar Transport (PJSC - under incorporation) ("Tristar" or the "Company" or, with its subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings, the "Group"), a leading global integrated liquid logistics solutions provider headquartered in Dubai, UAE, today announced its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (the "IPO" or the "Offering") on the Dubai Financial Market ("DFM"). Established in 1998 as a road transport service provider for the petroleum industry in the UAE, Tristar has evolved into a leading integrated energy logistics company serving a diversified customer base of "blue-chip" investment grade companies. The Group has operations in 21 countries and territories across three continents and has over 2,000 road transport assets and 35 maritime vessels, including the operation of 69 fuel farms and over 100 remote fuel sites, providing a wide spectrum of integrated service offerings. With a strong reputation for quality, built over two decades of operations and a commitment to safety and operational excellence, Tristar has become a trusted brand in the global logistics industry. The Group is a partner of choice for leading International Oil Companies ("IOCs") and National Oil Companies ("NOCs") in the energy sector. Tristar's diversified and integrated offering spans fuel logistics services to support Intergovernmental Organisations ("IGO") peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in remote geographies (remote fuels) as well as commercial enterprises (commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. Tristar has a unique position as an integrated, end-to-end energy logistics solution provider to an enviable blue-chip global client base. The Group has a strong track record of growth demonstrated by a 12.4% CAGR in operating cash flows between 2018 and 2020 and a consistent EBITDA margin between 20.1% to 22.8% in the years 2018 to 2020. In the year ended 31 December 2020, the Group had a consolidated revenue of $453.4 million, and EBITDA of $103.6 million. This record is underpinned by a strong business model, operational excellence and rigorous financial management. Commenting on today's announcement, Eugene Mayne, Group CEO of Tristar said: "I am proud to have witnessed the evolution of Tristar from a local road transportation business into a global world-class integrated energy logistics solutions provider serving blue-chip clients, with an offering that spans road and maritime transportation, specialized warehousing, fuel farms, and fuel supply operations. "Our business, which enjoys a strong reputation, developed through years of operational excellence, underpinned by a customer centric model, and a commitment to the highest quality and safety standards, has become a trusted logistics partner for major oil companies globally. "Tristar has always been a 'Business for Purpose' with the ambition to make a positive impact on our communities and to keep our corporate responsibility at the core of everything we do. In 2011, we signed on to the United Nations Global Compact supporting the advancement of Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Labour and Environment, demonstrating the extent of our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. "Tristar's IPO marks an exciting milestone in the Group's story as we continue to grow, innovate and shape the future of the logistics industry." Offering Highlights Intention to list on the DFM Offer size is expected to represent up to 24% of the total issued ordinary shares after the Offering in the capital of Tristar (the "Shares). The Offering is expected to comprise new shares issued by Tristar (the "New Shares") and shares to be sold by existing shareholders (the "Existing Shares") (collectively the "Offer Shares"). Tristar expects to receive between $120 to $160 million of gross primary proceeds from the Offering. to of gross primary proceeds from the Offering. Admission of Shares on the DFM is expected in April 2021 , subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE (the "SCA"). , subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE (the "SCA"). The Offering will be made available to qualified investors. Five percent of the Offering will be reserved for offer to the Emirates Investment Authority (the "EIA"). The Offering is expected to be declared Sharia compliant, subject to confirmation by the Sharia Supervision Committee, on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering and upon the use of a portion of the proceeds to repay around AED 197 million in loans and payables due to related parties. About the Offering If all of the Offer Shares are allocated, the Offer Shares will represent up to 24% of the Shares. The Offering will comprise a primary issuance of 199,000,000 New Shares in addition to a secondary offering of up to 88,760,000 Existing Shares by the existing shareholders. The Existing Shares are being offered by Agility Tristar SPV Ltd (of which Agility Public Warehousing Company K.S.C.P. is the sole ultimate beneficial owner), Star Holdings Ltd (of which Gulf Investment Corporation is the sole ultimate beneficial owner), and Diamond SPV Limited (of which Mr. Eugene Mayne is the sole ultimate beneficial owner) (the "Selling Shareholders"), who currently own 65.12%, 19.61%, and 15.27% of the Shares of the Company respectively. The Offering comprises an offering of the Offer Shares to qualified investors in the United Arab Emirates and in a number of jurisdictions. The Offering is expected to be allocated to certain types of juridical persons and high net worth individuals and who are qualified investors as defined by SCA , with a minimum application size of AED 500,000 (for further details please see the FAQs set out in Tristar's IPO website - https://ipo.tristar-group.co). In addition, the EIA has the right to subscribe for 5% of the Offer Shares in accordance with the requirements of article 127 of the UAE Federal Law No. 2 for the year 2015 with regard to commercial companies, and its amendments. If the EIA does not exercise its preferential rights to apply for Offer Shares, then those Offer Shares will be made available. The completion of the Offering is currently expected to take place in April 2021, subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the SCA. Furthermore, the Offering is expected to be declared Sharia compliant, subject to confirmation by the Sharia Supervision Committee, on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering and upon the use of the proceeds to repay around AED 197 million in loans and payables due to related parties. A syndicate of banks has been appointed for the Offering comprising BofA Securities and Citigroup Global Markets Limited as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC as Joint Regional Coordinator, Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited as Joint Regional Coordinator and Joint Bookrunner, Societe Generale as Joint Bookrunner and Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C. ("Markaz") as Co-Lead Manager. BofA Securities, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Societe Generale and Markaz are herein referred to as "Managers". Moelis & Company is acting as Independent Financial Advisor to Tristar. Overview of Tristar Tristar is an integrated energy logistics solutions provider. Its services include fuels (remote fuels and commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing and fuel farms. The Group is headquartered in Dubai (UAE) and operates in 21 countries and territories across three continents. With over 2,000 road transport assets and 35 maritime vessels and a wide spectrum of integrated service offerings, including the operation of 69 fuel farms and over 100 remote fuel sites, the Group has built a global and scalable platform, which enables it to provide an integrated logistics offering to the energy industry. Key Investment Highlights Tristar has a differentiated investment proposition as a leading integrated liquid logistics solutions provider to the energy industry globally. The Group's competitive strengths include: Its trusted brand with a proven track record of established partnerships with a diversified, blue-chip client base . In the year ended 31 December 2020 , approximately 67.2% of the Group's consolidated revenue was derived from investment grade customers and only 0.1% were non-investment grade, with 32.7% of customers unrated. . In the year ended , approximately 67.2% of the Group's consolidated revenue was derived from investment grade customers and only 0.1% were non-investment grade, with 32.7% of customers unrated. Its reputation for quality with a track record of safety and operational excellence . The Group's well-established safety systems and best practices have contributed to the Group consistently bettering the UK road fatality benchmark indicator of 0.00487 (fatality rate per million KM). . The Group's well-established safety systems and best practices have contributed to the Group consistently bettering the UK road fatality benchmark indicator of 0.00487 (fatality rate per million KM). Its unique integrated and scalable capabilities with high barriers to entry . The Group's diversified service offering includes fuels (remote fuels and commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. The Group's operations are extensive and well invested across emerging markets, including Africa and the Middle East . . The Group's diversified service offering includes fuels (remote fuels and commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. The Group's operations are extensive and well invested across emerging markets, including and the . Growing end verticals with emerging market exposure underpinned by logistics outsourcing trends. The Group's business model is supported by a continued global outsourcing trend, further embedding the Group in its clients' supply chains and thereby increasing customer retention. The Group's business model is supported by a continued global outsourcing trend, further embedding the Group in its clients' supply chains and thereby increasing customer retention. Its customer-centric business model with strong expansion and diversification potential . The Group's service offerings have expanded from one business segment to four, creating further customer penetration potential and further embedding the Group within its customers' supply chains. This is highlighted through multiple diverse long-term contracts secured by the Group with key customers. . The Group's service offerings have expanded from one business segment to four, creating further customer penetration potential and further embedding the Group within its customers' supply chains. This is highlighted through multiple diverse long-term contracts secured by the Group with key customers. Stable cash flow profile, with a history of consistent profitable growth and attractive financial returns , as indicated by revenues derived from long-term contracts consisting 78.9% of total for 2020, operating cash flows at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2018 to 2020 and a 21.0% average EBITDA margin between 2018 to 2020. , as indicated by revenues derived from long-term contracts consisting 78.9% of total for 2020, operating cash flows at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2018 to 2020 and a 21.0% average EBITDA margin between 2018 to 2020. A founder-led management team driving a business for purpose. Led by Eugene Mayne , the Group has grown to become one of the Middle East's largest privately-owned liquid logistics company, since its inception in 1998. Group Strategy The Group developed a business model which places its customers at the centre of what it does and a strategy with multiple growth opportunities arising from: intrinsic organic growth from the Group's existing assets; in-market expansion from the launch and ramp-up of newly signed contracts; and the potential to expand existing capabilities and into adjacent areas as well as consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. The execution of the Group's strategy relies on the following principles: Continuing to deliver high quality services and maintaining the Group's position as partner of choice. Widening its client base in existing segments and expand into adjacent segments. Deepening its range of core services / capabilities and expanding into adjacent offerings. Strengthening its position in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and Africa and enter new markets across the Middle East and South and East Asia . and enter new markets across the and South and . Maintaining attractive and sustainable profitability and returns through disciplined financial management. Remaining a responsible and respected business in its local communities. Capital Structure and Dividend Policy The number of primary shares offered in the Offering is expected to be fixed, as required by the SCA. As such, the amount of primary proceeds to be received by Tristar will depend on the final offer price and is expected to be in the range of $120 to 160 million. The Group is targeting a reduction in the ratio of consolidated net debt to EBITDA (as at 31 December 2020) to approximately 2.2-2.5x as compared to the reported 3.5x. The Company undertakes to repay AED197 million in loans and payables due to related parties on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering, with the balance of the net proceeds used for general corporate purposes including the funding of planned capital expenditure. The Group intends to maintain a conservative capital structure with medium term target leverage of 2.0-2.5x while retaining flexibility to execute on sustainable growth opportunities as they arise. The majority of the Group's indebtedness is targeted to remain asset-backed financing secured against maritime vessels with back-to-back contracts and limited recourse to the Group. For the dividend declared with respect to the year ending 31 December 2020, Tristar paid $29.6 million to the Selling Shareholders, $10 million as an ordinary dividend for the year ending 31 December 2020, and the rest as special pre-IPO dividend. The Selling Shareholders will pay all offering expenses (estimated to be $19.6 million), of the IPO. For the dividend to be declared with respect to the year ending 31 December 2021, Tristar targets a pay-out ratio of 60-70% of net income. Tristar intends to pay $12.5 million dividend in the third quarter of 2021 as an interim dividend, with the remainder expected to be paid in the second quarter of 2022 as a final dividend. Thereafter, Tristar intends for dividends to be paid on a yearly basis at a pay-out ratio of up to 60% of net income. Environmental, Social and Governance As a responsible business, Tristar has adopted the Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") framework for a holistic and long-term sustainability approach to its business in line with its mission to be a "Business for Purpose". Operating in 21 countries including conflict zones, in its daily operations the Group cultivates and reinforces the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (the "UNGC") which focus on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. In line with these principles, the Group takes an active approach to address social issues including access to education, clean water and good health in the communities where it operates, since becoming a signatory of the UNGC in 2011. As a participant and board member of the Global Compact Local Network UAE, the Group actively engages and encourages its stakeholders to adopt sustainable business practices. Tristar's commitment to sustainability is publicly disclosed to its stakeholders through its annual Sustainability Reports published since 2012. As part of its sustainability strategy and ESG initiatives, the Group recognises its responsibility to protect the environment and to reduce its carbon footprint through the adoption of latest technology, resource efficiency and the use of renewable energy. The Group strives to engage with local communities and foster a relationship of trust and collaboration to work towards the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ("United Nations SDGs"). The Group supports the United Nations SDGs through the adoption of local projects and the engagement of employee-volunteers in order to address community needs in the 21 countries and territories in which it operates. Additionally, in 2019, the Group signed the Women Empowerment Principles by reaffirming its commitment towards diversity and Gender Equality. Corporate Governance The Group has established a framework of corporate governance policies, rules and practices which comply with the requirements of the Code of Governance issued by Decree of the Ministry of Economy No. 518 of 2009 and the Chairman of Board of Directors of SCA Decision No. 3 of 2020 concerning the Approval of Joint Stock Companies Governance Guide and take into consideration international best practices as appropriate. The Board of Directors (the "Board") will consist of seven members and is vested with the power to manage Tristar and conduct its business in accordance with the Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 concerning commercial companies of the UAE as amended. The Board will comprise six non-Executive directors and one Executive Director, and four of its members are independent non-Executive directors. An elected Chairman will preside over the Board. The board members are elected for a term of three years and will meet at least every three months. There are currently two permanent Board Committees: the Audit and Risk Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Offering Subscription Information on how to subscribe for the IPO can be found on Tristar's IPO website (https://ipo.tristar-group.co). The contents of this announcement have been prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Group. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. The information in this announcement is subject to change. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. This announcement and any subsequent offer of securities may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons receiving this announcement or any subsequent offer should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any Offer Shares or any other securities nor shall it (or any part of it) or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefore. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any shares referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information in the international offering memorandum (the "IOM") in its final form expected to be published by Tristar in due course in connection with the proposed initial public offering on the Dubai Financial Market. Before subscribing for or purchasing any Offer Shares, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks which will be set out in the IOM when published. This announcement does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, Offer Share or any other securities into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or in any jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. The Offer Shares referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or offered in a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. The offer and sale of Offer Shares referred to herein has not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada or Japan. Subject to certain exceptions, the Offer Shares may not be offered or sold in Australia, Canada or Japan or to, or for the account or benefit of any national, resident or citizen of Australia or Canada. There will be no public offering of the securities described herein in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan. No offer of the Offer Shares to the public is being made in any member state of the European Economic Area (each, a "Relevant State") that would require the publication of the prospectus or any other offering document in such other Relevant State. This announcement is only being distributed in member states of the European Economic Area , and is only directed at, persons in the European Economic Area that are qualified investors ("qualified investors") within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1120 (the "Prospectus Regulation") or to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated without the requirement for a prospectus to be approved by any EU competent authority. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available, in any member state of the European Area, only to such persons., This announcement and any offer subsequently made is, and will be, addressed to and directed only at persons, in the United Kingdom, who are (a) both "qualified investors" within the meaning of the UK version of the EU Prospectus Regulation (2017/1129/EU) which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "UK Prospectus Regulation") and either (i) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (ii) who are high net worth entities falling within Article 49 of the Order; or (b) other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons under (a) and (b) together being referred to as "relevant persons") Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in the United Kingdom only to relevant persons. Exempt Offer Statement (DIFC): This announcement relates to an Exempt Offer in the DIFC in accordance with the DFSA Rulebook. It is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in those rules. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this announcement nor taken steps to verify the information set out in it and has no responsibility for it. The securities to which this announcement relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers and subscribers of the securities offered should conduct their own due diligence on the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this announcement, you should consult an authorised financial adviser. Exempt Offer Statement (ADGM): This announcement is an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Market Rules of the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. This Exempt Offer document is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Market Rules. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority has not approved this Exempt Offer document nor taken steps to verify the information set out in it, and has no responsibility for it. The securities to which this Exempt Offer relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered should conduct their own due diligence on the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this Exempt Offer document you should consult an authorised financial advisor. Notice to Prospective Investors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: This document may not be distributed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia except to such persons as are permitted under the Rules on the Offer of Securities and Continuing Obligations (the "Saudi Regulations") issued by the Board of the Capital Market Authority (the "Capital Market Authority") pursuant to resolution number 3-123-2017, dated 27 December 2017G, based on the Capital Market Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/30 dated 2/6/1424H (as amended by Resolution of the Board of the Capital Market Authority number 1-7-2021 dated 14 January 2021G). The Capital Market Authority does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this document, and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this document. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered hereby should conduct their own due diligence on the accuracy of the information relating to the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this document, you should consult an authorised financial advisor. This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as assumptions about future events. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. In addition, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "will", "may", "should", "would", "could", "is confident", or in each case, their negative or other variations or words of similar meaning, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Undue reliance should not be placed on any such statements because they speak only as at the date of this document and reflect Tristar's current view with respect to future events. Forward-looking statements are, by their very nature, subject to known and unknown risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Group's business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth or strategies and can be affected by other factors that could cause actual results, and Tristar's plans and objectives, to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (i) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (ii) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (iii) local implementing measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Shares to be issued in the Offering have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Shares may decline and investors could lose all or substantially all of their investment; the Shares to be issued in the Offering offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Shares to be issued in the Offering is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own Target Market Assessment in respect of the Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK MiFIR Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the UK MiFIR Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Shares to be issued in the Offering have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, as respectively defined in paragraphs 3.5 and 3.6 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels (the "UK Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Shares to be issued in the Offering offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Shares to be issued in the Offering is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The UK Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, the underwriters will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties. For the avoidance of doubt, the UK Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively of the FCA Handbook Conduct Business Sourcebook; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own UK Target Market Assessment in respect of the Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. Each of Merrill Lynch International, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Societe Generale and Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C. (the "Managers" and each, a "Manager") and their respective affiliates expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Any purchase of Offer Shares in the proposed Offering should be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the final IOM to be issued by Tristar in connection with the Offering. The information in this announcement is subject to change. The date of Admission may be influenced by things such as market conditions. There is no guarantee that Admission will occur and you should not base your financial decisions on Tristar's intentions in relation to Admission at this stage. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons considering making such investments should consult an authorised person specialising in advising on such investments. This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the Offering. The value of shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the Offering for the person concerned. Merrill Lynch International and Citigroup Global Markets Limited, each of which are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, are acting exclusively for Tristar and the Selling Shareholders and no-one else in connection with the Offering. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the Offering and will not be responsible to anyone other than Tristar and the Selling Shareholders for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the Offering, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. In connection with the Offering of the Offer Shares, the Managers and any of their affiliates, may take up a portion of the shares in the Offering as a principal position and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell for their own accounts such shares and other securities of Tristar or related investments in connection with the Offering or otherwise. Accordingly, references in the IOM, once published, to the Offer Shares being issued, offered, subscribed, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription, acquisition, placing or dealing by, the Managers and any of their affiliates acting in such capacity. In addition, the Managers and any of their affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps, warrants or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which the Managers and any of their affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of shares. The Managers do not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so. Moelis & Company UK LLP ("Moelis UK") is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Moelis & Company UK LLP DIFC Branch ("Moelis Dubai" and together with Moelis UK, "Moelis & Company") is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Moelis & Company is acting exclusively for Tristar and no-one else in connection with the IPO and it will not be responsible to anyone other than Tristar for providing the protections afforded to its clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the IPO, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. None of the Managers, Moelis & Company or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to Tristar, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1471744/Tristar_Founder__CEO_Eugene_Mayne.jpg Jing Tian: "The ANZ region has huge market potential and I look forward to working closely with our customers and partners to successfully execute and achieve success on their technology and business strategies." In a statement, the company said it had increased its staff numbers by a fifth in the last six months. Sales, channel partnerships, customer success and business development with integration and subscriptions were parts of the business that saw staff numbers grow. "I'm excited to be joining Software AG which is a market leader with innovative technologies in the area of integration, application management, business transformation, the internet of things and data analytics, which are key to running many digital transformation projects," said Tian. "The ANZ region has huge market potential and I look forward to working closely with our customers and partners to successfully execute and achieve success on their technology and business strategies." Tian has been in the ICT industry in the region for 19 years, and has held senior roles at Oracle, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Symantec, EMC (RSA & VMware) and the SAS Institute. She was sales director at Oracle and head of Sales Development Asia Pacific at LinkedIn. A community leader at the Oracle Women's Leadership program in Australia, Tian helped push through initiatives that helped engage and empower female workers. Daisy Santosa, chief operating officer, Software AG Asia Pacific and Japan, said: "I am delighted to welcome Jing to the company. Her experience in the ICT industry will be key in accelerating the adoption of our Digital Business Platform. In addition, her skills in building and leading sales teams will be invaluable as we look to expand our customer base in Australia and New Zealand. "The ANZ region is an important one for Software AG and we are extremely excited about the opportunities this market offers. The pandemic has only highlighted the importance of how organisations can use technology to pivot to new ways of working so as to ensure business as usual and succeed in their digital transformation journey." Guests travelling with Etihad Airways from now until May 31 from Abu Dhabi to Chicago, New York, Washington and Toronto, will be the first to trial the IATA Travel Pass app to easily manage their travel health credentials. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: With the dynamically changing health requirements for travel, Etihad believes that a digital health passport solution will provide additional clarity and ease for travellers. Etihad has partnered with IATA so that together, a globally unified approach to a travel pass can be simplified to make travel easier once governments decide what regulations are required to cross borders in either direction. To participate in the trial, guests simply download the IATA Travel Pass app from the Apple App Store and book an appointment with Life Diagnostics at Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street or BioGenix Labs at Masdar City. At the clinic, guests inform reception they are participating in the IATA Travel Pass trial and should be ready to show their passport and mobile device with the IATA Travel Pass app downloaded. Once the test result is ready, travellers will be able to view it on both the IATA Travel Pass app and through the testing clinics own digital platform. Etihad Airways' trial of IATA Travel Pass will help build confidence among governments and travellers that digital health apps can safely, securely and conveniently help restart aviation. The app gives travellers a one-stop-shop to help them comply with the new rules for travel, and for governments complete assurance in the identity of the passenger and the authenticity of the travel credentials being presented, said Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security. The IATA Travel Pass will enable Etihads guests to create a digital passport to receive Covid test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey. Importantly, IATA Travel Pass will keep passengers in control of their data and facilitate the sharing of their test with airlines and authorities for travel. It will also make it convenient for passengers to manage travel documentation throughout their journey. Guests participating in the IATA Travel Pass pilot will benefit from priority queue access at Life Diagnostics and Biogenix Labs for their PCR test, faster check-in at the airport and a free 90mb Wi-Fi voucher to use in-flight. Guests who do not wish to participate in the trial can continue to follow the existing method of sharing PCR test results with Etihad by presenting a printed copy of their results at check in. - TradeArabia News Service Princeton University students cant come on campus next fall unless they have proof theyve received the COVID-19 vaccine, school officials announced Tuesday. The Ivy League school joins a growing list of universities including Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey that will require the vaccine for students as they prepare for the 2021-2022 school year. Princetons requirement applies to its nearly 7,800 students, including undergraduates, graduate students and international students. But, some exceptions will be made. Medical and religious exemptions from the vaccination requirement will be granted in accordance with the universitys reasonable accommodation policies and legal requirements, Princeton said in its announcement. Students must upload proof they have had their final dose of a U.S.-approved vaccine to the universitys online health portal by Aug. 1. It is unclear if professors and the rest of Princetons faculty and staff will be required to get the vaccine. The university has not yet decided whether to require faculty, staff and others working or otherwise present on campus during the 2021-22 academic year to provide proof of having received an authorized vaccine. However, the university highly recommends vaccinations for all employees and other members of the campus community, the announcement said. Rutgers University was among the first large schools to announce a vaccine requirement last month. The 71,000-student state university will require students to be vaccinated against the virus before the fall semester. Faculty and staff will not be required to get the vaccine, Rutgers officials said. Fairleigh Dickinson University, the states largest private university, announced last week that the 12,000 students on the Metropolitan Campus in Hackensack and Teaneck and the Florham Campus in Madison must be fully vaccinated to enroll for fall classes. Several New Jersey campuses, including Stockton and Rowan universities, have said they strongly recommend, but do not require, vaccines for students. Other local colleges and universities have either not announced a decision yet or said they are watching the virus rates and awaiting guidance from the state before making any vaccine requirements. Across the country, colleges are divided over whether they can or should mandate vaccines for fall enrollment. Brown, Cornell, Northeastern and the University of Notre Dame are among the schools that have announced vaccines will be mandatory for students. Other schools, including Virginia Tech, have said they do not believe they can legally require students to get the shots because the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only approved emergency use of the vaccines and has yet to give them full approval. There are also questions about whether requiring faculty and other employees to get vaccine shots will lead to legal challenges. Federal law already requires colleges to exempt students from getting vaccines, including the meningitis vaccine, for medical reasons. Most schools also allow exemptions for religious reasons. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. The documentary is an 80-minute film on the contemporary state of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The documentary will walk the audience through the local life through four parts: Changing Times, Following the Money, New Generations, and Man and Nature. The documentary encompasses stories on how the government has supported the Xinjiang people, how the locals have pursued their dreams, the local culture inheritance and development as well as the harmonious coexistence displayed between human and nature. Featuring 24 individuals living in areas north and south of the Tianshan Mountains amid vibrant socioeconomic changes, it aims to break stereotypes and clear up misconceptions from outside the region. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIoAul77LgE SOURCE CCTV+ Residents of far-western NSW are gearing up for the arrival of floodwaters flowing down the Barwon-Darling to give Menindee Lakes its first big fill in about five years. Heavy rainfall in southern Queensland and inland NSW weeks ago are filling the river at outback towns such as Brewarrina and Bourke, with flood peaks of 9.4 metres expected to reach Wilcannia by late May, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Water flows from Lake Wetherell into Lake Pamamaroo, and will end up soon in Menindee Lakes. Credit:Graeme McCrabb The expected flows mean the NSW government will open the flood gates between Lake Pamamaroo and the Menindee Lakes on Thursday for the first time since 2016. Its a good, heartening feeling to know that water will be coming back into Menindee Lakes, Graeme McCrabb, a resident, said. I expect 1000 gigalitres [one trillion litres] to flow over the Wilcannia weir with about 950 gigalitres reaching Menindee. The phrase the kingdom of God expresses a vision that is central to Gods sending his Son to reconcile for our sins. The phrase describes a new world order in which we fulfill Gods purpose. It is a challenging spiritual concept to grasp, one that confused the disciples and continues to stump Christians today. Adding to this promise of living in Gods kingdom is Lukes inspiring statement that the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). Jesus teachings about God within us contrasted sharply with the extensive body of rules to follow in the Jewish Torah. In the first century after Jesus' death, Luke and Paul wrote to the early church, attempting to explain the meaning of the kingdom of God is with you. The Gospel of Luke refers to the kingdom of God 32 times, more often than in the other three Gospels. Matthew uses the term kingdom 53 times but writes of the kingdom of God only four times, the same number of mentions as in Marks Gospel. Johns Gospel has only two mentions of the kingdom of God and one mention of a kingdom in John 18:36: Jesus answered, my kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is not the time of my kingdom. The words of John 18:36 illustrate the challenge of understanding Jesus use of the word kingdom and the phrase kingdom of Godand the concept that the kingdom of God is within us. Lukea close friend and ally of Paul (who wrote Only Luke is with me in 2 Timothy 4:11), a medical doctor, and most likely a Gentile and wealthy Roman officialrecorded Jesus ministry on earth for Gentiles and the world in the first century A.D. New Christians and skeptics needed to understand Gods purpose, how God would establish his kingdom through His son Jesus life, death, and resurrection. Modern Christians need clarification of the kingdom of God as well. James Dunn, a British New Testament professor and scholar, asks in an essay from 2011, Was Jesus talking about an historical kingdom, a political kingdom, one based beyond physical spatial realities, or one at the end of history? This article will attempt to answer these questions, based on Scripture. What Is the Meaning of the Kingdom of God Is within You? A kingdom suggests riches untold, material wealth, and a ruler over it all. Luke, being of high social status and comfortable financially, could write on the topic of a kingdom. The word kingdom also suggests a domain, a place where a leader rules. Jews were disappointed in Jesus as a messiah; He was not what they had anticipated for centuries. Jesus continually made statements that shook up the law-quoting teaching of the Jewish Pharisees, but He did not overthrow the Roman government that was oppressing Jewish people, just as the Egyptians had oppressed Jews in their earlier history. Jesus ministryand his use of the phrase the kingdom of God is within youwas and is all about relationships, kindness, and attention to individuals. A Supper House ministry in my city illustrates the kingdom of God in action. In a recent Supper House newsletter article, a displaced, homeless woman visits Supper House and finds the kingdom of God operating. As the article says, When she entered Supper House, she found a community of hearts who were also willing to pray for her. Food, conversation, caring and prayerall a part of Supper House. How blessed we are to serve in this ministry!! This is faith in actiona hint of how the Kingdom of God is supposed to be? Gods kingdom is wherever his believers exist and live their faith by giving to others. The Holy Spirit teaches us Gods way and how to accomplish His purposes on earth. When teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus included the words Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-13). What Is the Context of Luke 17:21? The middle section of the Gospel of Luke has many parables, stories Jesus used to explain His kingdom on earth. Some of Jesus parables clearly point out the vanity of status and riches and emphasize Gods mercy. The Great Banquet, in which a host invites people living off the street when higher status guests are too busy to attend (Luke 14:15-24). The Lilies of the Field, when Jesus teaches his followers not to worry about material things because God will richly provide (Luke 12:27-24). Another parable Jesus told his followers points out the difference between acquiring material possessions and acquiring Godly wisdom. The Rich Fool parable in Luke 12:15-21 has a man concerned with where to store his vast supplies of grain. Jesus reveals the rich mans vanity. Then He said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, This is what Ill do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And Ill say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God. A bigger house, a flashier car, more elaborate stuffthe parable of The Rich Fool easily translates into a modern culture obsessed with gathering material objects rather than spiritual growth. The heart of people in Jesus parables matters more than their status or outward appearance. This was always true, from the days when God led the prophet, Samuel, in choosing the first king of Israel (I Samuel 16:7). God sees our hearts, deep inside us, and so His kingdom is within us. True riches are spiritual in nature, not material, according to all the parables in Lukes Gospel (Luke 16:11). These parables lead directly to the summary statement that the kingdom of God is within you in Luke 17:21. And God within you directs your loving, charitable actions. The social context of Luke 17:21 is Jesus being challenged to explain himself by the Jewish Pharisees. Jesus proposes belonging to the kingdom of God is more important than following Jewish laws to a tea. What Are the Characteristics of God's Kingdom? Robert Stein, in his 1994 essay, The method and message of Jesus teachings, states that the term kingdom or basileia, in Latin, refers to a reign. He claims there are times in the Gospels of Jesus when the word kingdom could refer to a territory or realm, but mainly the phrase kingdom of God speaks directly to the reign of God. Stein also states that Jesus never defined exactly what he meant by the kingdom of God or heaven, as He assumed his listeners would understand. Jewish Pharisees expected the kingdom of God to consist of people keeping the Torah perfectly. The huge body of writing in Jewish law supported this idea. The Pharisees' view conflicted with some of Jesus ministry. For example, the Pharisees disapproved of Jesus healing people on the Sabbath, a day of rest according to The 10 Commandments. Yet Jesus also said, For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Traditional Jewish people also expected a kingdom of God that was political in nature and would fulfill the promise of God to restore the Israelites land and culture and defeat all their enemies. Jesus healing ministry discouraged political and personal conflict and was a showcase for the actual kingdom of God. In Jesus' brief explanation of God's kingdom, He first establishes His divinity before the Pharisees questioning His actions. The kingdom of God is within you, from Luke 21:17, translates to mean His kingdom is among youpresent in the acts and words of Jesus ministry. Jesus brought Gods kingdom to His followers. Many followers were skeptical; they were unable to recognize Gods sent a messiah in Jesus. Mary the mother of Jesus recognized the kingdom of God was coming with her babys birth. In Marys song after Gabriels announcement to her, she sings the words He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble (Luke 1:52). Mary sang about the new world order that her Son would bring: the poor and disenfranchised will be victorious. It is the same world described by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). The Revelation of John, in addition, describes a new world where there are no more problems: He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4 NIV). Revelation 21:1-4 tells us about a new, perfect heaven and earth that will replace our broken world. This new world will be the future kingdom of God. What Does 'the Kingdom Is within You' Look like if the Kingdom Is Here but Not Yet? Luke refers to Jesus as the way into the Kingdom. Before Jesus died on the cross, our sins separated us from Gods presence; God cannot abide with darkness because He is light. Jesus brought light into the world. Jesus paves the way for our salvation, as expressed in Mark 1:14-15: The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! When we repent and believe, we become joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). This means we are sons and daughters of the King, full participants in Gods great work, and Gods kingdom is fully present in us. We spread his reign on earth. As John wrote, We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign (Revelation 11:17). God uses us to bring light to the world as we share our gifts in the here and now. In teaching, feeding, and listening to each other we expand the kingdom of God, his reign on earth. Meanwhile, we await the ultimate kingdom of God. Our royal home lies in the future: But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). A blessed, Christlike life now and in a future world describes the kingdom of God. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you (Luke 12:31). Further Reading A Closer Look at How the Kingdom of God Is within You Photo credit: Getty Images/1971yes Betty Dunn hopes her articles in Crosswalk.com help you hold hands with God, a theme in her self-published novel Medusa. A former high school English teacher and editor, she is working on new writing projects from her home in West Michigan, where she enjoys woods, water, pets, and family. Check out her blog at Betty Dunn and her website, www.elizabethdunning-wix.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! Commentary: Asia's indispensable role in building better post-pandemic world Xinhua) 15:01, April 20, 2021 Photo taken on April 8, 2021 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center in Boao Town, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) Asia, as it has done in the past, will continue to be a force for common good in this world of unprecedented change and challenges. And the international community can expect new inspirations over the coming days in Boao, southern China. BOAO, China, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) was born 20 years ago at a time when Asian economies just emerged out of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and were striving to build up momentum for regional development and integration. Over the past two decades, Asia has seen almost unparalleled economic leapfrog and social progress, contributing immensely to the world's stability and vitality. And the BFA has grown in prominence to become a key global venue for world leaders, business titans and scholars of the region and the wider world to feel the pulse of the times, inspire each other with new and creative ideas, and amass greater consensus for cooperation. This year's forum, scheduled for April 18 to April 21, comes at an age of great uncertainties: the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is still not in sight; the global economy is struggling to get back on its feet; pressing challenges like climate change are demanding stronger global cooperation; and the global governance system is in a desperate need for an update. Aerial photo taken on April 8, 2021 shows the scenery of Boao Town, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) Asia, as it has done in the past, will continue to be a force for common good in this world of unprecedented change and challenges. And the international community can expect new inspirations over the coming days in Boao, southern China. To beat the pandemic remains a top priority. Over the past year, many Asian countries have done an impressive job in containing the spread of the deadly pathogen. The fact that this year's BFA can be held offline is a clear evidence for the effective epidemic control of the host country. What can be learned from Asia's fight against the pandemic are the spirit to put human lives first, responsible governments with determined measures, citizens willing to make personal sacrifices for public good, as well as stronger regional solidarity and cooperation in the face of a once-in-a-century health crisis. Those are also enlightening tips for the human race to solve other global challenges, including climate change. Seeking an economic rebound worldwide is equally challenging. Asia's role as a stable powerhouse and a champion of free trade for a steadfast global recovery in the post-pandemic era is both reliable and indispensible. Last year, GDP (gross domestic product) growth in East Asia reached a positive rate of 1 percent, despite that the global economy shrank by 4.3 percent, according to a UN report on global economic situation and prospects. As the world's largest economy by continent, an economically dynamic Asia can further unleash huge growth potential and send positive spillover to the rest of the world if the region is further integrated in trade and common development. The signing ceremony of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement is held via video conference in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Nov. 15, 2020. (VNA via Xinhua) For instance, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, signed last year and expected to become effective in 2022, brings together China, Japan, and South Korea for the first time in a common regional agreement. It forms the world's largest free trade zone across a wide assortment of indicators. According to forecasts by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, this mega free trade pact will raise annual global incomes in 2030 by 186 billion U.S. dollars. In the meantime, infrastructure is also key to spurring investment and common growth in Asia and elsewhere around the world. That is why delegates gathering at this year's BFA will elaborate on how to electrify high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. What Asia can contribute to the world is not just material, but also ideational. Over the millenniums, Asia has been the cradle of an array of distinct civilizations. It is also the land that gave birth to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the now widely-acknowledged international diplomatic tenets. Tolerance to diversity and respect for differences among Asian nations is part of the reason why the continent can always maintain its exuberance. Building a more sustainable and just world in the post-pandemic era requires more than ever different countries to accommodate each other's development interests, and build effective partnership to fix daunting global problems. Thus countries worldwide should not view their differences as an excuse for hostility, but rather translate them into fresh impetus for progress and cooperation. Participants pose for a group photo with the logo of the 2021 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) That is why Chinese President Xi Jinping noted in his keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of this year's BFA on Tuesday that the world wants justice, not hegemony, and stressed that the global governance system should be made more equitable and fair, and that rules set by one country or some nations cannot be imposed on others. Many political leaders and experts around the world are trying to define the 21st century as the "Asian century." That is correct in some sense because of Asia's unmatched vigour and promise. Yet ultimately, in this highly interconnected and interdependent world, Asia and the rest of the globe share one common future. And building a better world for all nations is only possible when this grand project is done by all. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Photo: The Canadian Press The Rogers Logo is photographed on a Toronto office on Monday, September 30, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin Rogers Communications Inc. is offering customers a credit after a massive nationwide wireless outage left millions without voice calls, texting and data service for several hours on Monday. The company says a credit equivalent to Mondays wireless service fee will be appliedto a future bill. Rogers says the credit will be done automatically and no action is required by customers. The telecom giant says the root cause of the intermittent wireless service was a recent software update by its network partner Ericsson. Rogers says it's undertaking an in-depth review in partnership with Ericsson to prevent similar issues from happening again. Many users expressed frustration with the outage as they work from home under ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and experts say the nearly daylong outage had deep economic repercussions. By Bernard Rowan This past week, Prince Phillip of the United Kingdom passed away. Even though I'm a Yankee, as some of my pupils in York called it, the United States has a special relationship with the U.K. Mind you, having overthrown monarchy and colonialism in our revolution, we've come a long way to stand as allies, now as strong as ever. The Anglo-American alliance is necessary for global security, whatever else may be said of the limits of European ideology and values these days and past. Critics should also think that America and Britain have spawned the global technology that is constitutional democracy, no small feat for human civilization. But I'm not going to write on about this, or about Phillip. His death, as a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, does remind me of elders in Korea, of several men, who if not my grandfathers, are at this point for others. Some have passed on. I want to praise Korean grandfathers of the 20th century, of this generation. Korean men born early and to the middle of the last century lived through two world wars, Japanese occupation, the 1950-53 Korean War, and the period of poverty following. They also wrought the miraculous developmental tide that now places South Korea among the world's most prosperous and secure nations. They championed the era of Park Chung-hee, but also lived to celebrate the end of military rule in South Korea. South Koreans must remember that their advance to democracy likely is what has saved them from juche delusions that prevail elsewhere. Korean grandpas have worked and toiled in factories, forests, fisheries, dockyards, and farms. They've invented and developed cities great and towns small. They've continued to set up and to preserve dozens of fine universities and schools. They've lived to support their children, whose daughters, wives, and female children achieve on par with men. Thanks to the work of Korean grandpas, women enjoy greater equality than grandmas may ever have thought possible. There is still much work to do, but they've achieved much for their daughters and sons. When I think of several men of this generation, I remember meeting them as a young man and finding their manner and guidance encouraging and consoling. Even as a foreigner, I never met an elderly Korean man who lacked interest in Americans as well as in his family members. The axis of harmony in Confucian cultures relies on virtuous elders. They pass on love and positive attention to the right and proper pathways of life. My best friend's father, my best friend's uncle, and my senior and mentor, all exude these qualities. They and others begin to pass on, but I see their virtues emerge in behaviors and thoughts of my friends, their sons and grandsons, nephews, and grandnephews. Recently, I learned of the poetry of Yoon Dong-ju and accounts of Korean War children through the life and work of the late Choi Yearn-hong. This opened to me the realization the Korean War and aftermath achieved success through countless small and great sacrifices of what are now Korean grandfathers. The life of Korea over the last 50 years owes more than we know to their sacrifices and commitment. Today's grandfathers as a generation are heroes and path builders for over 50 million Koreans today. I hope Korea's national, provincial, and local leaders will celebrate the lives and memories of their seniors, their grandpas, as we move toward Father's Day. It's not too early. There also isn't much time to remind many of the world's unsung heroes just how much they mean. Beyond celebrating and remembering grandpas, their wisdom, example, and insights should guide the lives of today's fathers, sons, and other family members. Grandfathers are the least-tapped set of teachers for today and tomorrow. Their stories, memories, and lessons should not go unheard. Young Koreans should collect and publish what their grandfathers say, know, and have learned for the good of the present and future generations of Koreans and beyond. Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University. For the second year in a row, the COVID-19 pandemic has thwarted Australias Eurovision plans, with SBS announcing it will not send an Aussie artist or delegation to Rotterdam for the song contest in May. However, singer Montaigne whose first Eurovision attempt last year was nixed after the contest was cancelled for the first time in 64 years will still compete in this years competition with her earworm Technicolour, albeit remotely. Australias hopeful Montaigne will be competing in Eurovision remotely. Credit:Jess Gleeson Josh Martin, SBS commissioning editor and Australian head of delegation for Eurovision, said Australias unique challenge in being so far away from Europe forced the decision. Were still in the middle of a global pandemic, and we have tried to overcome every obstacle to get from one side of the world to the other, but the challenges are just so big and so varied. 'San Francisco Should Pay Yosemite the Dam Rent' Visitor access and recreation in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park has been unduly restricted for the past century contrary to the expectations of Congress when it allowed San Francisco to construct a reservoir and flood the valley floor, according to a new report released today by Restore Hetch Hetchy. In light of these findings, the report offers five principal recommendations for improving access for park visitors at Hetch Hetchy. Keeping Promises: Providing Public Access to Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite National Park,' is released coincident with the National Park Services Transformation Tuesday and as uncrowded outdoor recreation has become increasingly important as a result of the pandemic. The report details how the Raker Act of 1913, which allowed San Francisco to build a dam within Yosemite National Park, was conditioned on the premise that interference with park visitors would be expressly limited. While San Francisco has long received its benefits authorized by the legislation, visitor access has been restricted and the public has been shortchanged. The situation at Hetch Hetchy today is a far cry from what Congress intended when it passed the Raker Act, said Spreck Rosekrans, Executive Director of Restore Hetch Hetchy. Camping, lodging, boating and fishing are not available. There are few trails. The entrance gate is open only during limited daylight hours, so its the rare visitor who sees a sunrise or sunset at Hetch Hetchy. Its no wonder Hetch Hetchy is the least-visited and most under-appreciated area of Yosemite and receives barely 1% of the parks visitors. Keeping Promises asks the National Park Service to initiate a public dialog to consider five specific recommendations, including: 1. Expanding and improving trails, 2. Offering a quiet, nonpolluting electric tour boat to provide upstream access to Hetch Hetchy, 3. Allowing camping, 4. Extending gate hours, and 5. Providing public transportation to Hetch Hetchy. Keeping Promises provides a detailed account of how San Francisco's use of Hetch Hetchy exclusively as a municipal water source has limited the American public's access. said Sara Sutherland, a Lone Mountain Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center and author of a policy brief on Hetch Hetchy: San Francisco Should Pay Yosemite the Dam Rent. It raises important questions about whether the time is right to modernize the century-old arrangement between Yosemite and San Francisco. There couldnt be a more important time to find better ways to welcome visitors to Yosemite National Park, added Rosekrans. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a surge in demand for safe access to our national parks. In addition, communities which have not traditionally felt welcome in places like Yosemite are now beginning to understand parks really are for everybody. Theres a tremendous to opportunity to effect transformational change at Hetch Hetchy Valley by improving access while protecting the areas wilderness character and wildlife. A downloadable copy of 'Keeping Promises: Providing Public Access to Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite National Park' is available at https://hetchhetchy.org/keeping-promises. For a hard copy, contact Restore Hetch Hetchy at 510-893-3400 or admin@hetchhetchy.org. We will gladly arrange interviews with Restore Hetch Hetchy Executive Director Spreck Rosekrans. ABOUT RESTORE HETCH HETCHY: The mission of Restore Hetch Hetchy is to return the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to its natural splendor while continuing to meet the water and power needs of all communities that depend on the Tuolumne River. Media Relations Contact Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, (424) 603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com Oil slumped alongside a broader market rout as a resurgent virus in some of the worlds top oil importers highlighted the uneven road to recovery. West Texas Intermediate fell as much as 3% with U.S. equities on track for their first back-to-back decline since late March. While the oil futures curve suggests growing confidence in a demand recovery, the virus is rampant in countries such as India. Annual crude imports in the Asian country fell for the first fiscal year since the late 1990s as refiners cut run-rates amid lower demand. Oil is dropping along with the broader risk market decline, said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities. At the same time, variants are wreaking havoc on some economies, and its uncertain how the whole demand picture will evolve. RELATED: Gasoline prices fall as demand weakens Still, the market is a far cry from where it was a year ago today, when an unprecedented crisis saw U.S. benchmark crude futures closing at negative $37.63 a barrel. The historic plunge came as lockdowns savaged demand and key producers Saudi Arabia and Russia flooded the market in a price war. A restoration of OPEC+ unity marked by deep supply cuts, as well as vaccine distribution around the world, have helped prices to climb back. Despite the near-term headwinds surrounding surging caseloads in top oil-consuming regions, there are also points of optimism for an upcoming surge in global oil consumption. Driving is soaring in the U.K. as more than 60% of its population over 18 has received a first vaccine dose. Vitol Group, the worlds biggest independent oil trader, expects demand to come roaring back, echoing optimistic views from OPEC and the International Energy Agency. Along with concerns around the lagging demand recovery in some regions, signs of progress being made in talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal raises the prospect of additional Iranian supply further out. A return to the deal could include lifting U.S. sanctions on the Persian Gulf countrys oil exports. Meanwhile, U.S. oil stockpiles are expected to have fallen last week, which would extend the streak of drawdowns to four weeks, according to a Bloomberg survey. The American Petroleum Institute will report its figures later Tuesday ahead of U.S. government data. BEDFORD, NS / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (TSXV:SSE)(FRA:S6Q1) ("Silver Spruce" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the approval for its Informe Preventivo, the environmental application required for drilling on the El Mezquite Project ("El Mezquite" or the "Property"). The permit was received and granted to the concession holder, Yaque Minerals S.A. de C.V. ("Yaque") by the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) for El Mezquite, a drill-ready precious metal project located 10 km northwest of the town of Tepoca, and 170 km southeast of the capital city of Hermosillo, eastern Sonora, Mexico. "We are very pleased to move forward from the permitting to the drilling activities for El Mezquite. The environmental application for Yaque was very thorough and required no revisions for its approval. The timely receipt of the permit speaks volumes to the high-quality technical report prepared by Sr. Ruiz and his team at Green & Ceo," stated Greg Davison, Silver Spruce Vice-President Exploration and Director. "The Company has completed the planning for the Phase 1 2,000 metre drill program and will select the drill contractor shortly. Mobilization of the rig and geological team to the Property is planned during the first week of May." Figure 1. Looking north to principal gossan and alteration zones and El Mezquite Phase 1 drill targets; easy access to ranch trail from Highway #16 crossing E-W in background. Silver Spruce contracted Green & Ceo, Asesorio Profesional y Securidad en Ambiente, of Hermosillo, Sonora to manage the environmental permitting process. The permit allows for fourteen (14) drill pads over the targets in the northern area of the concession as tabulated below in Table 1. Table 1. Proposed and permitted pads and collars for Phase 1 El Mezquite exploration drill program Project Background The 180-hectare Property is easily accessible from Mexican Highway #16 via a southerly-trending unpaved road which traverses through the centre of the known gold mineralization (see Figure 1). High voltage power lines are positioned along Highway #16. The El Mezquite Project is located within the west-central portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Complex within the prominent northwest-trending "Sonora Gold Belt" of northern Mexico and parallel to the well-known, precious metals-rich Mojave-Sonora Megashear (see Figure 2). The Property is very well situated in terms of logistics for exploration and is located only twelve kilometres northwest of the Nicho deposit currently under mine development by Minera Alamos. Figure 2. Location Map of El Mezquite Property and Mines of the Sierra Madre Occidental Qualified Person Greg Davison, PGeo, Silver Spruce VP Exploration and Director, is the Company's internal Qualified Person for the El Mezquite Project and is responsible for approval of the technical content of this press release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), under TSX guidelines. About Green & Ceo Green & Ceo, Asesorio Profesional y Securidad en Ambiente (Professional Advisory and Safety in the Environment), based in Hermosillo, Mexico, specializes in solving, optimally and sustainably, all matters of Environmental Management, Safety and Hygiene, typical of current Economic Development. Green & Ceo is a CEDES Accredited Service Provider (Prestador de Servicios Acreditado por CEDES). With its background of knowledge and more than 12 years of experience in this type of permit for the mining industry, Green & Ceo takes investors hand in hand to obtain Authorizations, Licenses, Permits, as well as the Environmental Management and Security of any economic venture (www.green-ceo.com). In particular, the Permit has been developed by Sr. Saul Ruiz (Green Star) who has a track record of more than twenty-seven years. About Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior exploration company which has signed Definitive Agreements to acquire 100% of the Melchett Lake Zn-Au-Ag project in northern Ontario, and with Colibri Resource Corp. in Sonora, Mexico, to acquire 50% interest in Yaque Minerales S.A de C.V. holding the El Mezquite Au project, a drill-ready precious metal project, and 50% interest in Colibri's early stage Jackie Au project, with both properties located only 12 and 6 kilometres west from Minera Alamos's Nicho deposit, respectively. The Company also is pursuing exploration of the drill-ready and fully permitted Pino de Plata Ag project, located 15 kilometres west of Coeur Mining's Palmarejo Mine, in western Chihuahua, Mexico. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. continues to investigate opportunities that Management has identified or that have been presented to the Company for consideration. Contact: Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Greg Davison, PGeo, Vice-President Exploration and Director (250) 521-0444 gdavison@silverspruceresources.com Brian Penney, Chairman (902) 430-8270 info@silverspruceresources.com www.silverspruceresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements," Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including but not limited to, statements regarding the private placement. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of metals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. SOURCE: Silver Spruce Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641333/Silver-Spruce-Obtains-SEMARNAT-Approval-for-Informe-Preventivo-and-Granted-Permit-to-Drill-El-Mezquite-Au-Project-Sonora-Mexico Another group of Amazon workers, inspired by the union push in Bessemer, are attempting to create their own labor union. Markets Insider is reporting that workers in Staten Island, N.Y. want to form the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). They are working with The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW), a labor-activism group founded by former Amazon worker Chris Smalls. Amazon workers in Bessemer rejected a bid to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union (RWDSU). It's time. We're picking a fight with Amazon in Staten Island. Workers have had enough of the company's abusive and exploitative behavior. We need all the support and solidarity we can get. Stand by for more info! #UnionizeAmazon https://t.co/grII4NgxCr Amazon Labor Union (@amazonlabor) April 19, 2021 One worker, Derrick Palmer, was quoted by Truthout as calling the Alabama vote historic. We all wanted the union push to be successful in Alabama, especially with the odds being totally against them, being that Alabama is a nonunion state, he said. But the fact that they had the opportunity to vote as a facility was historic. We have to take the bruises and pick it up where they left off. If anything it started a movement. Its going to be like a domino effect. Organizers say they are forming an independent union that would be led directly by the facilitys workers, and can grow to represent workers at other company facilities. They also say they are learning from the effort in Bessemer. For example, they plan a slower approach to build support. There were some missed opportunities that [RWDSU] didnt do that we learned from going down there, so were going to try to learn from those mistakes, Smalls told Truthout. The RWDSU has filed 23 objections to the Bessemer election, which decisively went against unionization, with only about 12.5% of the eligible workers at the center voting to unionize with the RWDSU after a mail-in election period that lasted for almost two months. Here is full coverage of the Alabama Amazon unionization effort An Amazon spokesperson said, We respect our employees right to join, form or not to join a labor union or other lawful organization of their own selection. A Sydney high school teacher has pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual intercourse with an underage student, ahead of a planned trial later in the year. Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, was due to stand trial in the NSW District Court in September on allegations she sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy on multiple occasions in June and July last year. Monica Elizabeth Young outside Downing Centre court in February. Credit:Brook Mitchell She was arrested at her Greenacre home on July 10 and in February pleaded not guilty to 12 charges. But on Tuesday, Young struck a deal with prosecutors in a pre-trial hearing in the NSW District Court. Presented with a fresh indictment, she pleaded guilty before Judge Kate Traill to three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under 16. Workers stormed a construction site demanding unpaid wages and fewer hours of work for Ramadan. Police say they intervened to avoid attacks against 900 Chinese workers. Humanitarian organisation is seeking compensation for the families of the dead. China's investments play a major role. Chittagong (AsiaNews) Bangladeshi police killed five workers who were protesting last Saturday at a China-funded coal-fired power plant under construction in Banshkhali sub-district, the authorities said. About 3,500 Bangladeshi workers were protesting over unpaid wages and the right to work fewer hours during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month dedicate to fasting and prayer. According to official reports, the crowd set some vehicles on fire and attacked law enforcement. Police apparently intervened to prevent protesters from attacking some 900 Chinese workers employed in the plants construction. The authorities have charged some workers of arson and looting. However, only 11 have been identified. According to BenarNews, the damage amounts to 150 million taka (US$ 1.8 million). Meanwhile, the humanitarian organisation Ain-O-Salish Kendra has submitted to the government a claim for compensation of 30 million taka (US$ 350,000) for each family of the five dead. S. Alam Group, a Bangladeshi company, owns 70 per cent of the plant, while the remaining 30 per cent belongs to China's SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corp and the HTG Development Group. Bangladesh is building several coal-fired power plants with Chinese capital. Critics say the investment is unnecessary, as the current national energy capacity exceeds consumer demand. Bangladesh is a partner in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, Xi Jinping's project to turn China into the world leader in trade. Since its launch in 2013, Bangladesh has received US$ 26 billion in Chinese investment. Michael Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, goes over COVID-19 case trends during an April 2 press conference updating the public on the states response to the pandemic. By Ami Takahashi, KYODO NEWS - Apr 20, 2021 - 11:31 | Feature, All, Japan A team of Japanese and Austrian researchers has named a new mite species "twitter" after its discovery through photos posted on the social media platform by an amateur photographer visiting a fishing spot near Tokyo. The new species -- formally called "Ameronothrus twitter" -- was recognized after Satoshi Shimano, a professor who specializes in the study of mites at Japan's Hosei University, came across the tweeted photos by chance and then contacted the poster to find out where they were taken. Shimano said the find shows social media can "help speed up the time-consuming discovery of new species" and even "contribute to the development of science." His co-researcher, Tobial Pfingstl, a professor at the University of Graz in Austria, told Kyodo News by email that his first reaction was surprise. "It is very unusual that somebody not working as a scientist takes photos of mites and posts on Twitter," he said. Despite the researchers' optimism about tweeted photos revealing new species, this has only happened once before so far, they say. Experts from the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark identified a new parasitic fungus through a post last year, also using "twitter" as part of the name they gave it. The new species of mites was discovered in May last year by Takamasa Nemoto while fishing at a wharf in Choshi port in Chiba Prefecture adjacent to Tokyo. While he did not catch any fish that day, the tiny bugs caught his eye, and as a keen photographer and insect enthusiast, he took snaps and posted them on Twitter. A few days later, after an exchange of tweets, Shimano went to the location and found the colony. Measuring 613 to 766 micrometers in body length, the mites were living on metal parking blocks at a wharf, according to a paper published in March on Species Diversity, a specialized journal. The new species is of a similar type to coastal mites that generally inhabit rich natural environments in cold temperatures and feed on algae and lichens. Shimano and Pfingstl had previously found coastal mites in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. The researchers were thus surprised to find the new mites in a fairly warm climate off the coast about 100 kilometers east of central Tokyo. The new species is believed to have "adapted to warmer climates and is able to successfully colonize in man-made structures," Pfingstl said. "Most of the Japanese coast is still unexplored in terms of coastal mites and we are very sure that there are still many things to discover," he added. Despite the common perception that mites are mainly a household pest, about 80 percent of the world's mites live nowhere near humans and are generally "harmless," according to Shimano. The joint research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Austrian Science Fund. The team published a paper confirming the new species on March 22. In anticipation of iQOOs upcoming 7 Legend smartphone, the brand has confirmed that its top-performing device will feature BMWs M Motorsport branding that represents the true spirit of track racing. The iQOO 7 Legend will feature BMWs tri-color racing stripes, engraved with the tagline: Fascination Meets Innovation. The Chinese variant of the iQOO 7 announced back in January features the same branding that we can expect from the upcoming 7 Legend heading to India next week. The following image has the same BMW M branding that was confirmed in todays announcement from iQOO. The partnership started in 2020 with a BMW M4 DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) that was entered in the DTM race with IQOO as the sponsor. Another sponsored IQOO vehicle will be participating in the 2021 24H Nurburgring race in June. iQOO 7 Series with BMW M branding The iQOO 7 has a 6.62-inch AMOLED screen with FHD+ screen resolution and variable 120Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ comes standard, as well as the centered punch hole selfie camera and in-display fingerprint scanner. The iQOO 7 will be powered by the Snapdraegon 870 while the 7 Legend will is expected to arrive with the Snapdragon 888. Although the device is offered in China with 120W charging, the variant heading for India will be limited to 66W for (presumably) a 4,000 mAh battery. Meanwhile, the triple camera setup consists of a 48MP main camera joined by a 13MP ultrawide camera and a 13MP telephoto unit. Pricing of the iQOO 7 and 7 Legend are not yet final, but the iQOO 7s starting price will be below INR 40,000. iQOO will be announcing the Indian launch of the smartphone lineup on April 26. Source From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. For many years, a deadly type of childhood cancer has escaped sciences best treatments. But now doctors have made progress with an unusual treatment. They inject a virus into the brain to infect the tumors. This causes the bodys immune system to attack. Many children treated this way lived more than twice as long as patients that did not have the treatment. Doctors reported this news Saturday at an American Association for Cancer Research conference and in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press reported on the findings. Although in the end, most of the children died of their disease, a few are alive and are doing well over a year after treatment. This is something unheard of in this situation. This is the first step, a critical step, said the leader of the study, Dr. Gregory Friedman. He is a childhood cancer specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Friedman added that their goal is to improve on this latest finding. He said that first, they will use this new treatment as soon as the tumor is found. They also plan to combine this treatment with other treatments, he said, to increase the effectiveness of the bodys immune system. The patients in the study were given the experimental treatment after other treatments failed to help their illnesses. The study involved gliomas. They make up 8 percent to 10 percent of childhood brain tumors. These tumors are usually treated with operations, chemotherapy, or radiation. However, they often come back. Once they return, survival averages just under six months. In such cases, the immune system has lost the ability to find and attack the cancer. So, scientists have been looking for ways to make the tumor a fresh target. To do this, they turned to the herpes virus. It creates a strong immune system response. A company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, called Treovir, developed the treatment. Researchers there genetically changed, or modified, the virus so it would infect only cancer cells. Doctors gave the modified virus to 12 patients ages 7 to 18. In all of them their cancer had worsened after usual treatments. Half also received one treatment of radiation. Radiation is thought to help the herpes virus spread. In 11 of the 12 patients, imaging tests or tissue samples showed that the treatment was working. Average survival was just over a year. That is more than two times longer than in the past. As of last June, four of the patients were still alive at least 18 months after treatment. Tests also showed high levels of specialized immune system cells in their tumors. This suggests that the treatment had created help needed from the body to attack the disease. No serious safety issues were seen. Jake Kestler had the treatment when he was 12. It went very well. He lived for a year and four months after that, said his father, Josh Kestler. This gave his son enough time to celebrate his bar mitzvah, go with his family to Hawaii, and see a brother be born. Jake died April 11, 2019. But his father told the AP that they have no regrets whatsoever about trying the treatment. He and his wife have started a foundation, Trail Blazers for Kids, to continue this research. Its a devastating disease for these patients and their families, said Dr. Antoni Ribas. He is a cancer specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and president of the group holding the conference. He added that early results suggest the virus treatment is helping. However, the findings need to be confirmed in a larger study. Doctors are now planning such a study. Friedman said studies are continuing in adults as well. He added that there are plans to try this treatment on other types of childhood brain tumors. U.S. government grants and several foundations paid for the study, and several doctors have financial ties to the company Treovir. Only one similar virus therapy is currently approved in the United States. It is called Imlygic and is also a modified herpes virus. It is used for treating melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. And thats the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo. Marilynn Marchione reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. Quiz - Unusual Treatment Shows Promise for Kids With Brain Tumors Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________ Words in This Story tumor n. a mass of tissue found in or on the body that is made up of abnormal cells immune system n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections patient n. a person who receives medical care or treatment critical adj. extremely important chemotherapy n. medical : the use of chemicals to treat or control a disease (such as cancer) radiation n. medical : the use of controlled amounts of radiation for the treatment of diseases (such as cancer) herpes n. a disease caused by a virus that causes painful spots on the skin foundation n. an organization that is created and supported with money that people give in order to do something that helps society devastating adj. causing extreme emotional pain therapy n. the treatment of physical or mental illnesses With Indian COVID-19 patients struggling to find medical oxygen in the middle of a second deadly wave of coronavirus infections, shares in companies that produce the gas - or simply have it in their names - are rallying. Bombay Oxygen, National Oxygen Ltd and Bhagawati Oxygen Ltd - all tiny firms not listed on any major stock index - have surged 47% or more in April, a period in which India's broader market has slumped 2%. Over the past few days, India has ramped up oxygen production nationwide as supplies of the gas have fallen short and infections surge. Hospitalised COVID-19 patients who are seriously ill often need supplemental oxygen to increase its supply in the blood and lungs. Meanwhile, prices for oxygen cylinders in many parts of the country have more than doubled. National Oxygen and Bhagawati Oxygen produce industrial gases including oxygen, but Bombay Oxygen ended its gas operations in 2019 and is now a non-bank lender, according to its latest annual report. Formerly known as Bombay Oxygen Corp Ltd, it is now Bombay Oxygen Investments Ltd. Its shares have climbed 112% since the start of April. They fell 5% on Tuesday. A portion of Bombay Oxygen's website, however, still says it makes oxygen and other industrial gases. Reuters could not reach company representatives for comment. "Once COVID-19 cases start going down, and oxygen supplies go up, the prices will come to normal levels and the stocks should go back (to earlier levels)," said Rusmik Oza, senior vice-president at Kotak Securities in Mumbai. Shares in notable gas producers like Linde India Ltd , the local partner of the U.S.-German industrial gas maker Linde, have more than doubled since the end of January, around the time India's second wave of COVID-19 infections began. Petrochemicals companies including Reliance Industries Ltd and Indian Oil Corp have begun supplying medical oxygen to plug the shortage. Shares in both companies are down about 4% each this month. Shares of Gagan Gases Ltd, a distributor of fuel gas commonly known as LPG, have also climbed 47% this month - despite not having any significant news. A Gagan plant manager said the company does not produce oxygen. Reuters could not reach other representatives for comment. It may be a case of success by association, but it is also short-lived. "It's an opportunistic, tactical trade," Kotak's Oza said. Also read: China's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia rise 8.8% in March Do you live in Canada and want to apply for PR? Learn more by watching the webinar hosted by Campbell Cohen and CanadaVisa. Watch the Webinar Recording: Essential Workers & International Graduates in Canada: How to Apply for PR Do you live in Canada and want to apply for PR? Learn more by watching the webinar hosted by Campbell Cohen and CanadaVisa. Watch the Webinar Recording: Essential Workers & International Graduates in Canada: How to Apply for PR Do you live in Canada and want to apply for PR? Learn more by watching the webinar hosted by Campbell Cohen and CanadaVisa. Watch the Webinar Recording: Essential Workers & International Graduates in Canada: How to Apply for PR Do you live in Canada and want to apply for PR? Learn more by watching the webinar hosted by Campbell Cohen and CanadaVisa. CanadaVisa Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A CanadaVisa and Campbell Cohen hosted a free webinar on Tuesday April 27, 2021 called How to Apply for PR. The webinar recording is below for your convenience. The purpose of the webinar was to provide an overview to essential workers and international graduates currently residing in Canada of the six new permanent residence programs that are launching on May 6. Watch the webinar recording below. You may view the webinar slides by clicking here. Webinar: Essential Workers & International Graduates How to apply for PR CanadaVisa and Campbell Cohen are proud to be hosting a free webinar.The purpose of the webinar is to provide an overview to essential workers and internatio Want to find out if you are eligible for the six new PR streams launching on May 6? Use CanadaVisas Free Eligibility Tool! About CanadaVisa CanadaVisa.com was founded by Attorney David Cohen in 1994 as the online platform of the Campbell Cohen Immigration Law Firm. Since then, CanadaVisa has grown to be one of the worlds most trusted sources on how to move to Canada, and settle here. CanadaVisas web properties include cicnews.com and its weekly newsletter, the CanadaVisa Forum, and more. All the resources provided by CanadaVisa are meant to help people around the world access trusted, factual, and timely information to support their Canadian immigration journey. About Campbell Cohen Campbell Cohen is one of Canadas leading immigration law firms with more than 45 years of experience. Led by Attorney David Cohen, Campbell Cohen features over 60 immigration lawyers, paralegals, and other professionals committed to helping clients achieve their Canadian immigration goals. Campbell Cohen has vast expertise in Canadas over 100 different pathways to permanent residence. Its client base is diverse, consisting of both individuals and corporate clients who utilize the law firms expert knowledge of Canadas multitude of permanent and temporary resident streams. (Newser) The presence of Russian forces along Ukraine's borders is growing. So too is the speculation, reports the New York Times, which is quick to state that few in the West or in Ukraine believe Russia will actually invade eastern Ukraine, which has been the scene of a 7-year-long war with Russia-backed separatists. But the moves, which include the sighting of Russian amphibious assault ships in the Azov Sea last week, make clear that Russia is up to something. The Wall Street Journal reports much the same, referencing satellite photos it reviewed that show Su-30 warplanes stationed at an air base in Crimea that weren't there just weeks ago. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Monday said more than 100,000 Russian troops are currently present on Ukrainian borders and in Crimea, which he called "the highest military deployment of the Russian army on the Ukrainian borders ever," per the AP. story continues below The speculation is plentiful. Axios cites a leaked document from Ukraine's ministry of defense that suggests Russia could be trying to "distract from domestic problems ahead of legislative elections in September ... counter NATO exercises and bully Ukraine into reversing its 'positive political developments'" or, yes, poke the bear so that it can justify an invasion. The Times suggests it could be the precursor to "Russia's possible recognition or annexation of the separatist-held territories in eastern Ukraine." The Journal says Vladimir Putin could be trying to "send a message" to President Biden, or pressure Ukraine into reversing its decision to cut off the flow of water to Crimea. All the theorizing leaves many eager to listen for clues in Putin's annual state-of-the-nation address Wednesday. (Biden had a tense phone call with Putin last week.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The recently-passed New York State budget includes critical funding that will provide law enforcement agencies with the specialized training needed to recognize and prosecute drivers under the influence of cannabis. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on March 21 making New York the latest state in the country to have legalized adult-use recreational marijuana. A Drug Recognition Expert is a police officer who has received specialized training and is considered an expert in the field and therefore can provide expert witness testimony at a trial against a defendant to ensure that the case against them could move forward. Initially $36 million was earmarked for the training through the states newly formed Office of Cannabis Management, however, an additional $10 million was added following advocacy from Assemblyman Michael Reilly (R-South Shore) for DREs, totaling $46 million. The Advance/SILive.com reported in 2018 that there were 15 DREs citywide and only one on Staten Island. In 2018, Staten Island police officers received similar specialized training through the The Impaired Driving Awareness Course, which is similar to the training that DREs receive, in that it allows police officers to recognize certain behaviors of a driver who is under the influence of drugs, as they differ and may be more difficult to identify. However, DRE training is approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); the Impaired Driving Awareness Course was a citywide effort. COMMON SENSE PREVAILED Reilly, who voted against the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), has been an advocate for more DREs since 2013, shortly after the opening of the 121st Precinct and has since increased when legalization became a reality. The assemblyman said he made a promise to his constituents that he would vote no on the legalization bill and made good on his promise. As a member of the Assembly Minority Conference, I knew that I would virtually have no role in the negotiation of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, but that didnt stop me from making several attempts to share suggestions and express my concerns with the governor or those in legislative leadership, Reilly said. His background in law enforcement is part of what drove him to push for the additional funding for increased training and DREs across the state. I am fortunate that, in the end, common sense prevailed, and that we were successful in securing this additional funding so that communities across the state can rest easy knowing that their law enforcement officers are trained to detect and prevent marijuana-impaired driving. Unlike in most budget negotiations, one side did not score a win over the other. Instead, this is a victory for all New Yorkers, from Staten Island to Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and beyond, he said. District Attorney Michael McMahon said he and other district attorneys have serious concerns about recreational marijuana legalization and its impact on safe roads and quality of life for Staten Islanders. Assembly member Reillys dogged advocacy for additional funding to train Drug Recognition Experts means more specially trained law enforcement officers will patrol the streets of our borough to hold those who drive while high accountable for their selfish and reckless decisions, and I commend him for his successful efforts, McMahon said. FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER. This is publicity you cant buy Locals in Byron Bay, unhappy with suggestions their town will form a backdrop to an upcoming Netflix docusoap, took to water to stage a protest. A protest-paddle was staged on water this morning over objections to the recently announced, Byron Baes planning to follow a feed of hot Instagrammers creating drama content. Their objections have already reached as far as the BBC and Hollywood Reporter. This comes before any evidence of how the tourist town may be portrayed in the series. Local mayor Simon Richardson told ABC he has no problem with local influencers posting from Byron. I guess what the problem is, is if external organisations exploit who we are, exploit or community, exploit.. I guess a 30 to 40 year old developed reputation and energy thats here. He added, Its not the people themselves its how its portrayed. if we become a laughing stock through a vacuous, fake show it could have big sensitivity challenges for us but actually economic challenges. But Associate Professor David Waller, who heads the University of Technology Sydneys marketing faculty, said the protesters were giving the show they hate free publicity. [Netflix] will be loving it. Its getting them a lot of free publicity and coverage on television networks, Dr Waller, who has previously worked in the film industry, said. Its a clever strategy, a lot of companies will use controversy to build awareness if youre getting your opposition to talk about you, you must be doing something right. He added, This footage of the opposition and protests may end up in the documentary even. Photo: ABC Related The woman who was found dead with burns to her body in the backyard of a Gold Coast home has been identified as mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson (pictured) The family of a man accused of setting alight and killing his estranged lover set up a mysterious fundraiser for him just days before the alleged murder. Kelly Wilkinson's charred body was discovered early on Tuesday morning in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast. Police were called to the Spikes Court property at 6:40am after neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion. Her estranged partner Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious' state. He was charged with murder on Tuesday night and will have the charges presented to Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday in his absence as he remains under police guard in hospital. Police will allege Johnston set the 27-year-old mother on fire. Her three young kids, aged from two to nine, were inside the home at the time of the alleged murder and are all safe. On April 6, exactly two weeks before the alleged murder, Johnston's sister Kelly Kruft created the 'Help Brian and his Children' GoFundMe page. 'I'm Kelly Brian's sister, this is all I know to do to help my brother currently since he is in Australia! He needs our help! Please and Thank you! God Bless,' the vague description for the fundraiser read. Brian Johnston (right), 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious' state. He was charged with murdering his estranged wife Kelly Wilkinson (left) Just two days before Johnston (right) allegedly set alight Ms Wilkinson (left), his sister set up a mysterious GoFundMe page A day after creating the crowdfunding page, which featured a photo of Johnston's three children, Ms Kruft took to Facebook to plead for donations. 'We are asking for your help and most definitely your prayers please! I cant go into details currently but Brian needs his family and friends!!!!' she wrote. On Tuesday night, Ms Wilkinson's heartbroken sister Danielle Carroll shared her fury on social media, lashing out at Ms Kruft for posting about the fundraiser page. Ms Kruft took down her Facebook page late on Tuesday night after being bombarded with thousands of abusive messages directed to her brother. Johnston is currently under police guard at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition with burns to his hands and airways. Ms Wilkinson's body was found in the backyard of her Gold Coast home early on Tuesday morning Johnston's sister asked her Facebook friends for donations for the mysterious fundraiser (Johnston is pictured with estranged wife and one of their children) A separate GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson's sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her 'beautiful angel'. 'Unfortunately Kelly has passed away... we are trying to raise money to pay for the funeral, the kids schooling and all other costs,' she wrote on the page. The GoFundMe has already seen donations totalling more than $50,000 in less than a day. Ms Wilkinson's sister asked for friends and family to 'help the children' through the difficult period. In a tragic double blow, Kelly's mother, Karen, passed away in February. Several people responded to Ms Wilkinson's sister's post, expressing their condolences and devastation at the news. 'Thinking of you and your family,' one friend replied. 'Oh babe... my heart reaches out to you all... If u need anything we are only a call away,' another said. 'I am so so so sorry Natalie,' another said. Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street The house where police say Johnston was found unconscious and with burns to his hands and airways Neighbours said they saw a bleeding man run from the scene on Tuesday morning. 'He turned up in the bushes in the house next door to me his left arm was heavily bandaged,' one resident told 9News. '(A passerby) saw the fella and asked you know, 'are you okay mate?' He made some remark like, 'I'm fine', but he had his head down.' Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn of the Gold Coast Police said the alleged killer was in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways. He had fled the scene of the incident and was found at a property in nearby Langer Place. 'The forensic examination will take some time. 'There may be further evidence that has left that scene. Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case). They are investigating as to whether there had been domestic violence calls made to the house in the past. Ms Wilkinson's body was found early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents Local resident Fred Davies, who has lived on the street for 20 years, told the Courier Mail the situation was 'pretty traumatic'. 'When we lived in a street for as long as we have, and we all know one another, I have no idea who it is, what's happened, but to see this many police here obviously something's pretty traumatic has happened,' he said. 'They won't tell me nothing. They wouldn't say a word. They've just asked to have a look at the cameras.' Rubbish collection in the area was stopped on Tuesday afternoon as police searched bins for evidence possibly discarded by the alleged offender as he left the property. 'There may be further evidence that has left that scene,' Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said. 'Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case).' Another forensic investigation officer was seen photographing what appeared to be a crumpled black garment at a nearby bus stop on Allied Drive, where it's believed the man stopped as he fled the scene. Mid-afternoon an SES crew from Southport joined police in searching Spikes Court and the surrounding neighbourhood for any evidence left behind by the alleged offender. Police examined bins in Spikes Court in case the man had left anything as he fled the scene 16:00 | Lima, Apr. 20. "This will enable us to advance in our purpose, with the goal of reaching the end of June covering those over 60 years of age, who belong to the most vulnerable population group ," Granados told Andina news agency. Along these lines, the official said that very intense work is being carried out in Lima with district mayors in order to activate vaccination centers in their jurisdictions. Granados indicated that as of April 19 nearly 70,000 adults over the age of 80 have been vaccinated , representing 60% of citizens in this age group, who must be immunized in 22 districts belonging to Lima Metropolitan Area and Callao region. He added that next weekend May 23 to 25 the immunization will continue in 27 districts of these jurisdictions. "There is a lot of commitment from the families. Besides, we have seen plenty of joy and hope in those over 80, who have had a very emotional day that encourages us to continue working," he stressed. Granados explained that adults who have not been vaccinated to date are those who cannot get immunized following a medical evaluation, while others who have mobility problems did not get the corresponding information or simply did not want to be immunized. Nearly a decade after the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the creation of a green bank to finance solar arrays and other clean energy systems, U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal have revived a proposal for the federal government to create a national green bank. The proposed Green Bank Act of 2021 would allow the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue up to $50 billion in green bonds to provide backing for state-based programs like the Connecticut Green Bank. The Hartford-based authority provides upfront financing for clean-energy projects that are paid off through varying means, including one mechanism under which project owners pay off amounts due through additional assessments on property taxes over time. Conference call to be held in connection with the Company's Q1 2021 results to be released in May 2021 WINNIPEG, MB, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV: MPH) (OTC: MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, today reported its results from operations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020. Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2020 Highlights: Recorded total net revenue of $11.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $20.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and; during the year ended compared to for the year ended and; Recorded total net revenue of $2.4 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to $3.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 and; during the quarter ended compared to for the quarter ended and; Recorded total net revenue from the sale of AGGRASTAT of $10.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $19.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and; of during the year ended compared to for the year ended and; Diversified product portfolio with ZYPITAMAG revenues of $453,000 and revenues from the Marley Drug business of $340,000 during the year ended December 31, 2020 and; revenues of and revenues from the Marley Drug business of during the year ended and; Reduced selling expenses to $5.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $13.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and; for the year ended compared to for the year ended and; Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA 1 ) for the year ended December 31, 2020 was negative $3.9 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of negative $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and; ) for the year ended was negative compared to adjusted EBITDA of negative for the year ended and; Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $6.8 million compared to $19.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 ; Financial Results The decrease in AGGRASTAT revenues when compared to the same periods in the previous year, as described above, is the result of decreases in the volume of AGGRASTAT sold in 2020 when compared to 2019, due mainly to fewer procedures being performed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and a decline in the overall use of the drug class. In addition, the Company continues to experience pricing pressures from competitors which contributed to the decline in revenue from AGGRASTAT. ZYPITAMAG contributed $453,000 of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $183,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. With the acquisition of the Marley Drug business in December of 2020, including direct to patient marketing, and improved insurance coverage experienced during 2020, the Company has seen some growth in interest in ZYPITAMAG during 2020. COVID-19 has provided some challenges with physician access, however, the Company continues to pursue innovative marketing strategies to grow the usage of the product. The Marley Drug business, acquired on December 17, 2020, contributed $340,000 of revenue to the Company for the period beginning on December 17, 2020. Marley provides excellent customer service, cost competitive medications, expedited direct to patient delivery, and is licensed in 49 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Its advanced operating systems include automated pill dispensing, an extended supply generic drug program, and an effective customer communication system. Marley has been successful in marketing directly to customers, providing access to medications without the need for insurance, and building a nationwide customer base. Additionally, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), which was first sold commercially during 2020, contributed $116,000 of revenue during the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company also earned $95,000 of revenue from ReDSTM during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $618,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was negative $2.9 million compared to negative $1.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019. The decrease in adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2020 is the result of lower revenues when compared to the same period in 2019 and higher general and administrative expenses as a result of increased legal expenses resulting from the patent challenge litigation which was settled during the three months ended December 31, 2020. Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2020 was negative $3.9 million consistent with negative $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2020 resulted from lower revenues, however this revenue decline was offset by lower selling and research and development expenses when compared to 2019. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded $860,000 in government assistance resulting from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. The funding has been recorded as a reduction of the related salary expenditures with $595,000 recorded within selling expenses, $159,000 recorded within general and administrative expenses and $106,000 recorded within research and development expenses. Net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was $4.4 million or $0.41 per share compared to net loss of $15.5 million or $1.08 per share for the three months ended December 31, 2019. The main factors contributing to the decrease in the net loss recorded for the three months ended December 31, 2020 were the impairment loss recorded on the ReDSTM license, and a loss recorded upon the settlement of the holdback receivable during the three months ended December 31, 2019, partially offset by lower revenue experienced during the three months ended December 31, 2020. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $6.8 million or $0.64 per share compared to $19.8 million or $1.32 per share for the year ended December 31, 2019. The main factors contributing to the decrease in the net loss recorded for the year ended December 31, 2020 were the impairment loss recorded on the ReDSTM license, and a loss recorded upon the settlement of the holdback receivable during 2019, partially offset by lower revenue experienced during the year ended December 31, 2020. At December 31, 2020, the Company had unrestricted cash totaling $2.7 million, down from the $13.0 million of unrestricted cash held as of December 31, 2019, primarily due to cash used in the acquisition of Marley Drug. The Company is in the process of obtaining debt financing from a commercial bank to replenish its cash balance. Cash flows used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 totaled $2.2 million compared to $14.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. All amounts referenced herein are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. The Company plans to hold an investor conference call in early May 2021 to present the results for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the three months ended March 31, 2021 with date and dial in information to be provided. The full financial statements are available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.medicure.com. Notes (1) The Company defines EBITDA as "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other income or expense" and Adjusted EBITDA as "EBITDA adjusted for noncash and non-recurring items". The terms "EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA", as it relates to the three months and year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 results prepared using IFRS, do not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS. It is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. About Medicure Inc. Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the U.S. cardiovascular market. The present focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets in the United States, where they are sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma Inc. Medicure also operates Marley Drug, Inc. ("Marley"), a pharmacy located in North Carolina that offers an Extended Supply mail order drug program serving 49 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marley is committed to improving the health status of its patients and the communities they serve while reducing overall health care costs for employers and other health care consumers. For more information visit www.marleydrug.com. To learn more about The Extended Supply Generic Drug Program call 800.286.6781 or email [email protected]. For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com. For additional information about AGGRASTAT, refer to the full Prescribing Information. For additional information about ZYPITAMAG, refer to the full Prescribing Information. To be added to Medicure's e-mail list, please visit: http://medicure.mediaroom.com/alerts Neither the 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. Forward Looking Information: Statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "may", "plans", "will", "estimates", "continues", "anticipates", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. federal securities laws (such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are hereinafter collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, include estimates, analysis and opinions of management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors which the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, the Company's future product revenues, expected results, including future revenue from P5P, the likelihood of receiving a PRV, expected future growth in revenues, stage of development, additional capital requirements, risks associated with the completion and timing of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market the Company's products, the ability to protect its intellectual property, dependence upon collaborative partners, changes in government regulation or regulatory approval processes, and rapid technological change in the industry. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: general business and economic conditions; the impact of changes in Canadian-US dollar and other foreign exchange rates on the Company's revenues, costs and results; the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals for the Company's research and development projects; the availability of financing for the Company's commercial operations and/or research and development projects, or the availability of financing on reasonable terms; results of current and future clinical trials; the uncertainties associated with the acceptance and demand for new products and market competition. The foregoing list of important factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of factors, other than as may be required by applicable legislation. Additional discussion regarding the risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and its business can be found in the Company's other filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities or the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and in the "Risk Factors" section of its Form 20F for the year ended December 31, 2020. AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets are registered trademarks of Medicure International Inc. Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) As at December 31 2020 2019 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,716 $ 12,965 Restricted cash 1,394 - Accounts receivable 5,253 10,216 Inventories 5,139 6,328 Prepaid expenses 1,174 1,855 Total current assets 15,676 31,364 Noncurrent assets: Property and equipment 1,640 1,282 Intangible assets 13,596 9,599 Goodwill 2,986 - Other assets 156 39 Total noncurrent assets 18,378 10,920 Total assets $ 34,054 $ 42,284 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 6,979 $ 9,384 Current portion of royalty obligation 362 872 Current portion of acquisition payable 637 649 Holdback payable 1,876 - Current portion of contingent consideration 1,925 - Current income taxes payable 164 517 Current portion of lease obligation 367 240 Total current liabilities 12,310 11,662 Noncurrent liabilities Royalty obligation 335 1,176 Acquisition payable 1,132 1,655 Contingent consideration 51 - Lease obligation 1,080 849 Total noncurrent liabilities 2,598 3,680 Total liabilities 14,908 15,342 Equity: Share capital 80,917 85,364 Warrants - 1,949 Contributed surplus 10,294 8,028 Accumulated other comprehensive income (6,497) (5,751) Deficit (65,568) (62,648) Total Equity 19,146 26,942 Total liabilities and equity $ 34,054 $ 42,284 Consolidated Statements of Net (Loss) Income and Comprehensive (Loss) Income (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) For the year ended December 31 2020 2019 2018 Revenue, net Product sales, net $ 11,610 $ 20,173 $ 29,109 Cost of goods sold 6,480 7,272 4,152 Gross profit 5,130 12,901 24,957 Expenses Selling 5,359 13,399 15,580 General and administrative 4,579 3,395 3,922 Research and development 3,299 4,349 6,681 13,237 21,143 26,183 Other expense (income): Revaluation of holdback receivable - 3,623 1,473 Impairment loss on intangible assets - 6,321 - - 9,944 1,473 Finance (income) costs: Finance (income) expense, net (765) (1,115) (1,061) Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net (497) 2,570 (6,461) (1,262) 1,455 (7,522) Net (loss) income before income taxes $ (6,845) $ (19,641) $ 4,823 Income tax (expense) recovery Current - (22) (678) Deferred - (123) (219) - (145) (897) Net (loss) income $ (6,845) $ (19,786) $ 3,926 Item that may be reclassified to profit or loss Exchange differences on translation of foreign subsidiaries: (746) (683) 595 Item that will not be reclassified to profit and loss Revaluation of investment in Sensible Medical at FVOCI - (6,336) - Comprehensive (loss) income $ (7,591) $ (26,805) $ 4,521 (Loss) earnings per share Basic $ (0.64) $ (1.32) $ 0.25 Diluted $ (0.64) $ (1.32) $ 0.24 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) For the year ended December 31 2020 2019 2018 Cash (used in) provided by: Operating activities: Net (loss) income for the year $ (6,845) $ (19,786) $ 3,926 Adjustments for: Current income tax expense (recovery) - 22 678 Deferred income tax expense (recovery) - 123 219 Impairment of property and equipment - 95 - Impairment of intangible assets - 6,321 - Revaluation of holdback receivable - 3,623 1,473 Amortization of property and equipment 307 485 103 Amortization of intangible assets 2,466 1,438 196 Sharebased compensation 317 417 1,022 Write-down of inventories 682 1,983 95 Finance (income) expense, net (765) (1,115) (1,061) Unrealized foreign exchange (gain) loss (497) 362 (5,323) Change in the following: Accounts receivable 5,081 (318) (1,341) Inventories 723 (4,072) (1,259) Prepaid expenses 703 842 (1,793) Other assets - 78 - Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (3,802) (4,992) 7,132 Interest received (paid), net 22 1,685 255 Income taxes paid (306) (477) (2,041) Royalties paid (326) (1,355) (1,539) Cash flows (used in) from operating activities (2,240) (14,641) 742 Investing activities: Acquisition of Marley Drug, Inc, net of cash acquired (7,238) - - Investment in Sensible Medical - (6,337) - Proceeds from Apicore Sale Transaction - - 65,235 Receipt of holdback receivable funds - 6,719 - Redemptions (purchase) of short-term investments - 47,747 (44,100) Acquisition of property and equipment (2) (186) (197) Acquisition of intangible assets - (13,660) (1,281) Cash flows from investing activities (7,240) 34,283 19,657 Financing activities: Repurchase of common shares under substantial issuer bid - (26,139) - Repurchase of common shares under normal course issuer bid (522) (4,145) (3,021) Proceeds from exercise of stock options - 20 363 Repayment of lease liability (244) - - Cash flows used in financing activities (766) (30,264) (2,658) Foreign exchange (loss) gain on cash held in foreign currency (3) (552) 1,138 (Decrease) increase in cash (10,249) (11,174) 18,879 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 12,965 24,139 5,260 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 2,716 $ 12,965 $ 24,139 SOURCE Medicure Inc. Related Links www.medicure.com New HOrizons Ahead with the new Asian partner to consolidate global growth Regulatory News: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005984/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) ENGIE has announced the signing of a Sale Purchase Agreement with Taiwanese company TCC for its 60.5% stake in the share capital of ENGIE EPS (Paris:EPS). TCC, with an over $10 billion market capitalization, is one of the pre-eminent industrial groups in Asia, with activities in battery manufacturing, cement production, power generation, environmental services, chemicals, logistics and infrastructures. TCC has been very active in recent years in developing renewable energy and energy storage systems. The completion of the transaction, executed at Euro 17.10 per share, corresponding to an aggregate consideration of Euro 132 million and an implied Enterprise Value of over Euro 240 million, will be followed, in accordance with applicable regulations, by the filing of an all-cash simplified mandatory tender offer for all outstanding shares of ENGIE EPS. In accordance with the AMF General Regulation, the Board of Directors has formed an ad-hoc committee and will appoint an independent expert and will issue, notably on the basis of the report of the independent expert, a reasoned opinion (avis motive) on the merits and consequences of the tender offer for ENGIE EPS, its shareholders and its employees. ENGIE EPS is assisted by Lazard. Following the transaction, which is subject to customary approvals and regulatory consent, ENGIE confirmed it will pursue commercial partnerships with ENGIE EPS. Upon completion of the transaction, expected during the summer of 2021, ENGIE EPS will become NHOA. Carlalberto Guglielminotti, Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE EPS declares, "This acquisition by a leading, visionary industrial group like TCC, represents the ultimate recognition of our world-class technology leadership and a transformational opportunity to consolidate our growth globally. It will give us instant access to a world leading supply chain and to the Asian markets, as well as the financial breadth to credibly position as a global leader in the turnkey delivery of energy storage systems and a global enabler of the eMobility revolution. More importantly, with TCC we share the mission, which inspired our new brand NHOA, to shape a better future for a next generation living in harmony with our planet. Roberto Di Stefano, Chief Executive Officer of Free2Move eSolutions, the Joint Venture between ENGIE EPS and Stellantis, declared, "We welcome TCC which represents an unparalleled opportunity to support the electric mobility transition in Asia, the most advanced e-mobility market worldwide. "Together we will make a difference to the world and the Earth," said Nelson Chang, Chairman of the Board of TCC, commenting the announced acquisition and creation of the new brand NHOA. New HOrizons Ahead: this is NHOA. A new brand that represents the enlightened and sustainable future backed by TCC, and the mission to unlock the global transition towards clean energy and sustainable mobility. To seal a global vision built on heritage within our core values, NHOA takes its inspiration from Noah, the founder of a renewed humanity. The underline in the new logo represents the horizon, and the "omega", symbolizing in the Ohm's law the electrical resistance, inspires a rising sun: the dawn of a new era. The website www.nhoa.energy has already been launched and, upon closing of the transaction, will become the new corporate website of the company. The investor conference call is scheduled on 20 April 2021 at 8:00am CET, the dial-in details and the presentation will be available on ENGIE EPS' corporate website: engie-eps.com/events About ENGIE EPS Engie EPS is the technology and industrial player within the ENGIE group, developing technologies to revolutionize the paradigm in the global energy system towards renewable energy sources and electric mobility. Listed on Euronext Paris regulated market (EPS.PA), Engie EPS forms part of the CAC Mid Small and CAC All-Tradable financial indices. Its registered office is in Paris, with research, development and production located in Italy. For further information, please visit www.engie-eps.comandwww.nhoa.energy. follow us on LinkedIn About ENGIE Our group is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services. Together with our 170,000 employees, our customers, partners and stakeholders, we are committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions. Inspired by our purpose ("raison d'etre"), we reconcile economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, building on our key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to our customers. Turnover in 2020: 55.8 billion Euros. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe, Euronext Vigeo Eiris Eurozone 120/ Europe 120/ France 20, MSCI EMU ESG, MSCI Europe ESG, Euro Stoxx 50 ESG, Stoxx Europe 600 ESG, and Stoxx Global 1800 ESG). Forward looking statement This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are not undertakings as to the future performance of ENGIE EPS. Although ENGIE EPS considers that such statements are based on reasonable expectations and assumptions at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual performance to differ from those indicated or implied in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include without limitation those explained or identified in the public documents filed by ENGIE EPS with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), including those listed in the "Risk Factors" section of the ENGIE EPS Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on Wednesday 7 April 2021 (under registration number n D.21-0273). Investors and ENGIE EPS shareholders should note that if some or all of these risks are realized they may have a significant unfavourable impact on ENGIE EPS. These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the verbs or terms "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "intends", "may", "plans", "build- up", "under discussion" or "potential customer", "should" or "will", "projects", "backlog" or "pipeline" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and that are to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on ENGIE EPS' business operations, financial results and financial position and on the world economy. They appear throughout this announcement and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the ENGIE EPS' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the ENGIE EPS' results of business development, operations, financial position, prospects, financing strategies, expectations for product design and development, regulatory applications and approvals, reimbursement arrangements, costs of sales and market penetration. Important factors that could affect performance and cause results to differ materially from management's expectations or could affect the ENGIE EPS' ability to achieve its strategic goals, include the uncertainties relating to the impact of Covid-19 on ENGIE EPS' business, operations and employees. In addition, even if the ENGIE EPS' results of operations, financial position and growth, and the development of the markets and the industry in which ENGIE EPS operates, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. The forward-looking statements herein speak only at the date of this announcement. ENGIE EPS does not have the obligation and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005984/en/ Contacts: Press Office: Simona Raffaelli, Image Building, +39 02 89011300, eps@imagebuilding.it Corporate and Institutional Communication: Cristina Cremonesi, +39 345 570 8686, ir@engie-eps.com The BJP's Delhi unit on Monday accused the Arvind Kejriwal government of failing to protect the people from surging COVID-19 cases in the city and demanded it to come out with a white paper on preparations made to tackle the deadly virus. BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that Delhi is facing the crisis because the AAP government "failed" to take timely steps to control COVID-19. Hitting back, the AAP government said it is "extremely disappointing and unfortunate that the BJP is politicising an issue that involves the precious lives of people of Delhi. "The AAP government should focus on Delhi and stop indulging in politics. The situation Delhi is facing is due to its failure to take timely steps.The government should come out with a white paper on the COVID-19 situation in Delhi and preparations to handle it," Bidhuri said. "The positivity rate in Delhi has soared to 30 per cent which is about double the national average of 16.69 per cent. Also Delhi's death rate is more than the COVID 19 death rate at the national level, he said. "Is this the Kejriwal model that was being touted by the AAP leaders? The AAP government should tell how many ventilators and ICU beds were added in the hospitals in the last one year of the pandemic," he questioned. He claimed that only 27 per cent of the total COVID-19 patients were admitted to Delhi government hospitals while the remaining were being treated at central government and private hospitals. The Delhi government has already dedicated majority of its hospital beds to the coronavirus patients, said a statement from the city government. "But the Centre has only set aside 1,800 of 10,000 beds in its hospitals in Delhi for Corona, whereas the MCD has set aside only 200 of its 3,200 beds," it said. Instead of working on such issues that could save the lives of people of Delhi, BJP leaders have chosen to indulge in "hypocrisy and blame-game", it alleged. The statement said Chief Minister Kejriwal has made it clear that the Delhi government does not want to do any politics on the issue and is willing to work with everyone to ensure lives are saved. Also read: Another extended lockdown? Thousands of Delhi migrants head home fearing repeat of last year The great-grandmother who died after jumping 20ft from the first floor of her home to escape an arson attack has been pictured today. Tributes have been paid to Peggy Wright, 83, who was killed while trying to get out of her burning home in Birmingham, West Midlands on Sunday. She was rushed to hospital but died from her injuries. Her son, Andrew, 52, suffered severe burns and is in a stable condition. It is alleged that a firebomb was pushed through the letterbox of her home in Lapworth Grove, Balsall Heath, sparking the blaze. A 46-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder was today detained under the Mental Health following an assessment by experts. In a tribute, her family said: 'Peggy was a much-loved and respected member of her local community over a period of many years. Tributes have been paid to great-grandmother Peggy Wright, who died after trying to escape an arson attack at her home in Balsall Heath, Birmingham Emergency services attended the scene of the incident in Balsall Heath, Birmingham 'A mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, she was devoted to her family but always had time to show compassion and understanding to others. 'Her loss following the sudden and devastating events of the weekend has left her loved ones and many friends beyond grief, in a state of bewilderment and has created a void in her family that can never be filled. 'The family would like to express sincere thanks and appreciation for the many good wishes and messages of support, but would respectfully request some privacy at this sad and most difficult time.' Roslin Henry, 89, said Peggy had lived opposite her home for four decades. She said: 'All I can say is she was always a really nice woman to me. 'Both of us used to help each other out. We would meet at the wall for a chat. She just lived with her son, Andrew. He's in hospital with very bad burns. 'I just can't understand how this could happen. I just feel so much pain in my heart. She was such a nice woman.' Another neighbour added: 'We were at home inside when the fire brigade came. She's tried to get out of the windows out the back. 'She was a really nice lady. She didn't deserve this at all. She was like Peggy from EastEnders - full of life and always there for everyone. Peggy from Balsall Heath.' The fire dog, Kai, was brought in to help to trace the seat of the fire and any accelerants used Mrs Wright, who had breathing difficulties, had lived in Lapworth Grove for more than four decades after moving from London. A neighbour, Liz, 54, said: 'Peggy was from London. She had a husky voice and you would hear her laugh a mile off. 'I've known her for 40 years - I'm gutted. We've all grown up with her. It's heartbreaking. We are gutted. 'She was a lovely lady. She won't be forgotten around here. She will be missed.' Police described the Sunday morning incident as 'really tragic case'. DI Wes Martin, from West Midlands Police homicide team, said: 'This is a really tragic case where a woman has sadly died after her own home, a place that should be safe, was set on fire.' The end-terrace house was cordoned off to allow officers and firefighters to conduct a full forensic investigation of the scene. Witnesses say they heard the Mrs Wright 'screaming for dear life' as the property became engulfed in flames. One neighbour said: 'I was hanging the washing out and thought someone's TV was on because I could hear a commotion and shouting. Mrs Wright was heard 'screaming for dear life' before she jumped from the window after her home in Balsall Heath, Birmingham was torched before 9.30am yesterday 'It sounded like someone was screaming for dear life. When I heard sirens and saw smoke coming from the house I knew something awful had happened. 'I didn't know the woman who lived at the house but another neighbour said they believed a man lived there with his old mum. 'It's appalling to think that someone has tried to burn them to death in their own home. What kind of a person would do that?' Rescue teams including two ambulances, paramedics and an air ambulance scrambled to the scene within minutes of neighbours dialling 999. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called to reports of a property fire on Lapworth Grove at 9.27am on Sunday. 'Two ambulances, two paramedic officers and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene. 'On arrival we discovered two patients, a man and a woman. 'The woman was found to have suffered serious injuries and received specialist trauma care before being taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by land ambulance. 'The doctor from the air ambulance travelled with the patient to help continue treatment en route to hospital. 'The man was treated for serious injuries before being taken to the same hospital, also by land ambulance.' Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced Tuesday the city would issue a blanket pardon to all those convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges in municipal court between 1990 and 2020, which could affect more than 15,000 people. The citys Pardons for Progress program started in 2019 to make it easier for people to have minor marijuana charges pardoned and sealed. But the program required an application and granted only 9 pardons since its launch. Many applications came from people who had been convicted outside of Birmingham. Tuesdays announcement of an automatic, blanket pardon will not affect those with open cases in municipal court. Those cases must be resolved before a pardon can be issued, said City of Birmingham spokesman Rick Journey. Possession of marijuana remains illegal under state and federal law. Three dozen states have legalized medical marijuana and 16 have authorized recreational use, but Alabama has not done either. Lawmakers are considering a medical marijuana bill, although past efforts to create a system for use by patients have failed. Alabama Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Birmingham, created a bill to remove charges after five years, but it has not passed the legislature. Birmingham officials have said the program is designed to make it easier for people to get jobs. People with misdemeanor charges may have a more difficult time passing background checks required for employment. Heres why were doing this no one should be held up by a single past mistake, wrote Woodfin in a Twitter thread. No one should be denied job opportunities or freedoms due to missteps from the past. No longer will these residents be bound to their past. They deserve a chance to be part of our work force, to provide for their families and to achieve success on their own. That new life starts rights here, today, with forgiveness and redemption. No action or fees will be required by people who have been convicted of misdemeanor marijuana charges in Birmingham municipal court. 17 Shares Share Most of the world knows by now that on the afternoon of April 11th, a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright was killed by a police officer in an inner-ring suburb of the city I call home: Minneapolis. Most of the world is watching Minneapolis as Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who knelt on George Floyds neck, is tried on charges of manslaughter and homicide. Several hours before I typed this, the defense rested their case. My city, tense since May, has the breath-holding feel of a man walking a tightrope as it waits for the jury to hand down a verdict: was George Floyds death murder, or was it accidental? Most of the world has an opinion on that, as well as an opinion on the death of Daunte Wright. Was Dauntes death deliberate, or was it accidental? No comment from the shooter, Officer Kim Potter, who resigned from the police force on April 13th. I believe it is worth noting several things about Ms. Potter here. First, she did not live in Brooklyn Center in fact, none of the Brooklyn Center police officers live in that suburb. Second, Ms. Potter immediately relocated herself and her entire family out of Minnesota within 48 hours of Daunte Wrights death, implying that the magnitude of this event was not lost on her. Finally, she was responsible for training other police officers on the Brooklyn Center police force, instilling both the spoken and unspoken curriculum and culture of that police force in new hires. Accidental, said Tim Gannon, former Brooklyn Center police chief, reporting that he had watched the body cam footage without giving further detail at that time. To his credit, he released bodycam footage within 24 hours and resigned from office before 72 hours had passed. To his detriment, he characterized the shooting as an accidental discharge within 12 hours of Dauntes death. Deliberate! No justice, no peace! Hands up, dont shoot! Shout the signs of the protesters outside the police station. Tonight, no one has yet deployed chemical agents or less-lethal rounds. This is likely a relief for the tenants of the apartment building across the narrow street, where infants and toddlers live. I remember how it felt to breathe tear gas as an adult last May, as the crowd control measures rolled through my neighborhood with the wind and every mucous membrane reacted. My opinion is built from my years as a pediatrician with a focus in complex care and disability. It is built from my years as the mother of a son who is both disabled and a POC who was tiny and adorable once, but who is an adult who could be viewed as a threat now. Daunte Wright was tiny once. Daunte Wright was someones son. Daunte Wright was disabled. He had a learning disability. He never graduated from high school. This is where the holes in the Swiss cheese line up and the double burden of racism and ableism create a load for disabled POC youth like Daunte and my son a load that is lethal under the right, all too common circumstances. Racism Daunte told his mother he was pulled over for a dangling air freshener, which is, indeed, against the law in Minnesota (although this has been challenged several times). The ACLU has challenged this law as being the basis for pretextual stops, targeting persons of color. (As an example, for WNBA fans? In 2012, Lynx player Seimone Augustus was pulled over for the same reason and then questioned about her out-of-state license plates, being at a suburban mall and theft at the mall.) Officer Potter was clearly agitated in the body cam footage. If Daunte had been white, I wonder if she would have been that agitated, shouting, Im going to tase you! Taser! Taser! A large body of research spanning decades clearly shows that stress and agitation shut down the prefrontal cortex that enhances planning and decision-making capacity. Daunte was Black, male, adult and struggling. Potter was agitated, stressed and had two weapons at hand as well as at the least institutional racism and bias influencing her actions. Ableism Daunte had a learning disability. Again, research shows us that under stress, higher brain functions shut down, and those brain functions include complex things like verbal communication. Even individuals without a disability want to get away from whatever is causing stress and often do not process what is being said to them well or efficiently. In the bodycam footage, someone has grabbed one of Dauntes wrists; several people are talking at loud volume, hands are reaching his direction. The situation is chaotic and noisy not optimal for someone with a learning disability. If he were eight, we would think, Of course he isnt listening. If he had Down syndrome, trisomy 18, cri-du-chat, or was in a wheelchair, we would think, Of course he isnt cooperating. Just because Dauntes disability is invisible, no one bothers to check for it, and we think, My God, why doesnt he just stand still? The holes in the Swiss cheese line up. And that double burden of assumptions lands squarely on the victim, dragging him down with a bullet in his chest and a diagnosis of homicide, made at the Hennepin County Medical Examiners office. Heres the thing about the holes in the Swiss cheese being lined up: when you can see all the way through the holes to that end result, the people gathered and mourning around their fallen loved one can see you right back. So now? Now you have a choice. You can choose to look away, and let that double burden continue to kill disabled people of color. You can do nothing, and nothing will change. Or you can choose to act. You can ask the questions that stand at the heart of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice: Who is in the room? Who is trying to get into the room but cant? Has everyones idea been heard? Whose ideas wont be taken seriously because they arent in the majority? Or just ask the simplest question of all: What would love do? Stella Evans is a pediatrician. mage credit: Shutterstock.com Brisbanes historic Gabba stadium would be essentially demolished as the Queensland government pushes ahead with plans to redevelop and lift the stadium for the 2032 Olympic Games. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Gabba, which has been home to Queensland sport including cricket and AFL for 126 years, would host the opening and closing ceremonies. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed the Gabba as the proposed main stadium should Queensland host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Every Games needs a home, the Premier said. The Gabba has been home to our sport since 1895. In this courtroom sketch, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listens as defense attorney Eric Nelson makes closing arguments during Chauvin's trial for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) READ: Jury Instructions in Derek Chauvins Trial Jurors in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were told to follow the law in determining whether he is guilty of any of the three charges against him, even if they do not agree with the law. The jury was also instructed to consider all the evidence they heard and saw during the trial, and disregard anything they may have heard or seen elsewhere about the case. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, which took place on May 25, 2020. Floyd was arrested for allegedly using a fake $20 bill at Cup Foods in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He resisted arrest and was restrained on the ground by Chauvin and two other officers. Chauvin knelt on Floyds neck and back. After approximately nine and a half minutes, Floyd was taken away in an ambulance. He was not breathing and was soon declared dead. Prosecutors argued in the trial that Chauvin killed Floyd while the defense said the death was caused by Floyds drug use and health history, including an enlarged heart, with carbon monoxide poisoning as a possibility. The Hennepin County Medical Examiners Office ruled the death a homicide by law enforcement restraint, with drugs and Floyds heart conditions listed as contributing factors. Jurors were told that Chauvin is presumed innocent and that the presumption remains unless he has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That the Defendant has been brought before the court by the ordinary processes of the law and is on trial should not be considered by you as in any way suggesting guilt. The burden of proving guilt is on the State. The Defendant does not have to prove his innocence, the instructions state. Proof can be established through facts, which can be proven by direct or circumstantial evidence. Direct evidence includes what witnesses see. Circumstantial evidence includes what people glean from other facts. For example, if person watches deer crossing a snow-Covered field, the person has direct evidence of deer walking in the field because the person sees it. If the person does not see deer, but finds deer tracks in the snow, the deer tracks are circumstantial evidence that deer walked in the field because that factual conclusion can reasonably be inferred from the tracks found in the snow, the instructions say. There is no minimum or maximum time for deliberations. Jurors entered isolation on Monday after closing arguments and will be sequestered until they reach a verdict on each count. Jurors adjourned at 8 p.m. on Monday and began deliberations again on Tuesday at 8 a.m. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Petra Diamonds Ltd - diamond miner - Reports third quarter revenue of USD106.0 million, up 16% on a year ago as prices recovered to pre-virus levels. Third quarter production 704,498 carats, down from 932,456 carats year-on-year, with group's quarterly revenue increase driven by improved pricing. On a like-for-like basis, realised diamond prices increased around 12% from those achieved in the first half of the financial year. "We are seeing encouraging signs of a recovery in the diamond market, supporting better pricing, reflected in the third quarter revenue numbers. Post completion of the capital restructuring, Petra is in a far stronger position, with a solid platform for future growth and development," says Chief Executive Richard Duffy. Zoo Digital Group PLC - London-based provider of cloud-based localisation and digital distribution services - Says full-year revenue expected to be USD39.5 million, up from USD29.8 million a year ago and ahead of guidance for at least USD38 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for year ended March 31 is expected to more than double to USD4.5 million from USD2.1 million. Adds that trading in first weeks of new financial year has been strong. "Looking ahead, we expect new title production to resume and back catalogue migration to continue. Q1 of our new financial year has begun well," says Chief Executive Stuart Green. IG Design Group PLC - consumer gift packaging business - Says revenue for financial year ended March 31 rose 40% to USD870 million, driven by full year of trading from CSS Industries Inc. "These results reflect strong growth in the Americas as a result of the CSS acquisition, and a much better than expected performance in International, particularly in Australia and Europe," company says. Like-for-like revenue, stripping out CSS, fell 5%. Says full-year earnings anticipated to be in line with current market expectations and it plans to pay a final dividend in line with market expectations. Expects "significant year on year growth in both revenues and earnings in FY2022, in line with current market expectations." Adds that Greg Hodder has resigned for personal family reasons as a non-executive director, effective April 30, and the board has started a search for his replacement. Urban Exposure PLC - provides finance to property developers - Says pretax loss for 2020 GBP26.8 million, swinging from profit of GBP200,000 in 2019. Notes negative income of GBP900,000 - versus gain of GBP11.1 million the year before - recognised due to a reduction in fair values of the group's loan receivables due to changes in market values that occurred largely as a result of the uncertainty created by Covid-19. Given progress made in realising loan portfolio and the ongoing costs of remaining as a quoted company, the board believes it is best to start preparations to appoint liquidators to implement a solvent members' voluntary liquidation and cancel AIM admission. "In September 2020 the board estimated the amount of capital to be returned to shareholders to be in the range 72p to 78p per share. The board has reviewed this estimate and now expects the final distributions to shareholders in respect of the company's outstanding shares to be within a range of 72p to 75p per share," firm says. Franchise Brands PLC - Macclesfield-based multi-brand franchise business - Says performed strongly in first quarter of 2021, with adjusted Ebitda growing 24% to record of GBP2 million. Turnover returned to pre-virus levels by the end of the quarter, despite the hospitality sector having not yet reopened. "Our ability to achieve 24% growth in Ebitda underpins the organic growth element of our strategic financial targets of GBP100m in run-rate revenues and adjusted Ebitda of GBP15m by the end of 2023. We continue to seek opportunities to deploy our considerable balance sheet strength to complement our organic growth through earnings enhancing acquisitions," says Executive Chair Stephen Hemsley. BlueRock Diamonds PLC - South African-focused diamond miner - Says first quarter tonnes sorted up 16% to 86,005 year-on-year, with carats produced up 40% to 3,507. Carats sold rise 23% to 4,004 at an average price of USD446 per carat, up 37% year-on-year. "We are still targeting production in excess of the bottom end of our existing guidance of 850,000 tonnes for 2021 although, for prudence, we are reducing our published guidance for 2021 of tonnes processed to 750,000 tonnes to 850,000 and carats produced to 30,000 to 39,000. Once the expansion project is complete, annual throughput will be circa 1 million tonnes," says Executive Chair Mike Houston. IronRidge Resources Ltd - African-focused minerals exploration company - Reports additional high-grade lithium pegmatite drill intersections, including multiple drill intersections over 2% lithium oxide, at new targets adjacent to the Ewoyaa lithium project. "We have surpassed our previous highest grade intersected to date with over 4.2% Li2O over 1m in hole GRC0269A and can report multiple drill intersections over 2% Li2O at new targets tested," says Chief Executive Vincent Mascolo. Anglo-Eastern Plantations PLC - palm oil and rubber producer in Indonesia and Malaysia - Says board compelled to delay the announcement of the 2020 audited results to around mid-May 2021 after virus-driven delays to audit process. Says plantations and mills are operating close to normal despite Malaysia and some parts of Indonesia being in lockdown. For three months to March-end, production of fresh fruit bunches was 281,900 tonnes, up 14% year-on-year due to improved yield from the young palms in North Sumatera and Kalimantan. DX Group PLC - Slough-headquartered courier - Adds 300 new vehicles to delivery fleet, taking total fleet to over 900 vehicles. Of the new additions, 65 are bespoke vehicles for carrying irregular dimension and weight freight. "The investment marks the latest step in DX's extensive expenditure programme to support future growth and the ongoing expansion of its network. Investment is focused on sites, technology and equipment," company says. Yellow Cake PLC - Jersey-based uranium investor - Says estimated net asset value as at March 31 was GBP2.41 per share, falling to GBP2.28 at April 19. "Our view on the longer term outlook for uranium is unchanged and we believe supply demand and fundamentals continue to support our investment thesis," says Chief Executive Andre Liebenberg. City of London Investment Group PLC - specialist asset management company - Says funds under management at March-end USD11.1 billion, up slightly from USD11.0 billion at end of 2020. "Strong investment performance across CLIG's investment strategies was largely a result of good NAV performance," it notes, adding that flows were negative in the period as clients continued to rebalance following "significant equity market gains". Maestrano Group PLC - London-based artificial intelligence platform for transport corridor analytics - Appoints Mechanical Testing Inc as a distributor for its Nextcore products in the US. MTI is a New York-based provider of drone services for the construction industry, and the addition means there are now 16 Nextcore distributors internationally. Nextcore provides high accuracy LiDAR from moving drone airframes, processing and delivering rich and usable data directly to surveyors, planners, constructors and maintainers. Herald Investment Trust PLC - invests for capital gains from smaller technology, communications and multi-media stocks - Reports "strong start" to 2021, with net asset value per share rising 11% year-to-date as at April 16 after growth of 37% in 2020. "As it has anticipated the end of the pandemic the market has seen some rotation with profit taking from some of last year's strong performers which saw increased demand during lockdown and some of last year's lagging performers catching up," firm says. Reabold Resources PLC - Australia-based minerals exploration company - Says cased hole logging programme and vertical seismic profiling operations on the West Newton B-1Z well have been completed. CHLP results confirmed the presence of a good cement bond of the production liner and well bore integrity, and data from the VSP is in Romania being processed. "The next phase of operations will be conducted utilising a service rig and will be comprised of perforation and stimulation of the Kirkham Abbey formation and subsequent flow testing of the well," firm says. Reabold holds a 56% interest in West Newton via its 59% shareholding in Rathlin, which, in turn, has just under a 67% interest in PEDL183. In addition, Reabold has a a 16.7% direct licence interest in PEDL183. Union Jack Oil PLC holds a 16.7% interest in PEDL183. PEDL183 contains the WNA-1, WNA-2 and WNB-1Z hydrocarbon discoveries. Marwyn Value Investors Ltd - investment company managed by Marwyn Investment Management LLP - Says the Marwyn Funds have invested a further GBP12 million into each of Marwyn Acquisition Co II Ltd and Marwyn Acquisition Co III Ltd through the issue of A shares to support the execution of each company's strategy. Of each GBP12 million investment, approximately GBP9.2 million is attributable to the ordinary shares of Marwyn Value Investors. "The board also notes today's announcements by MAC II and MAC III that each is actively considering a possible further equity issue of up to GBP200 million which, should either proceed, is expected to consist of redeemable shares and warrants. The issue of these securities is targeted for completion in advance of, and not conditional on, any M&A transaction," company says. By Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Just Life Group announces that it has acquired 60% of the business of Designer Tanks Ltd (www.designertanks.co.nz). Designer Tanks is a nationwide business, which supplies designer water tanks for Kiwi homes. The rationale to invest is that this is a growth business in a growth segment: 1. Sustainability is the future, and conserving rainwater will play a big part in ensuring that there is sufficient drinking water for all. 2. Droughts have become regular events in New Zealand, and rainwater tanks are becoming seen as a necessity in every household. 3. Large round tanks are a thing of the past - domestic consumers want rainwater tanks that fit into the environment. Tony Falkenstein, Chief Executive of Just Life Group, added: Although an early-stage business, the future is excellent, and we intend to invest in the brand nationally. Gone are the ugly round tanks and in its place are the beautiful designer tanks. Chloe Barrott, the General Manager of Designer Tanks and Ingrid Cook, the Operations Manager, started the business only a year ago, but with the growth from both local and national customers, they were looking for an investor to scale the business. Chloe said, We welcome Just Life Group as a partner in the business, for the expertise and knowledge they have developed as a company which began the same way as a start-up. The business will continue to operate from its base in Hamilton, with full support from the Just Life Group team. Please see the link below for details: JLG invests in domestic rainwater tank business Source: Just Life Group Limited Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Fletcher Building Limited (NZX: FBU) Share Buyback to Commence on 10 June 2021 4th June 2021 Morning Report 3rd June 2021 Morning Report New Zealand King Salmon Investments Limited (NZX: NZK) Market Update Me Today Limited (NZX: MEE) Confirms $10m Placement to Wholesale Investors 2nd June 2021 Morning Report New Zealand Rural Land Company Limited (NZX: NZL) Rights Issue Documents Infratil Limited (NZX: IFT) Update on Infratil Infrastructure Bond Offer 1st June 2021 Morning Report Synlait Milk Limited (NZX: SML) Update Following Canterbury Flooding Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 21:32:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 26 persons including 19 children have been rescued from trafficking during a law enforcement operation in Nigeria's southern state of Edo, authorities said on Tuesday. In a statement, Kontongs Bello, a police spokesperson in Edo, said the victims comprise 19 children, one teenager and six women who were trafficked from the southeast states of Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Anambra and Akwa Ibom. He said they were heading toward Evbuotubu in Ekenwan road axis of Benin city before rescue came their way. According to the police spokesman, the women were lured from their various home states by a woman named "Jennifer", noting that the suspect is now on the run. "They were lured in a guise that Edo state government is giving financial support to single mothers with newborn babies especially twins," he said. "The women said they were forced to go for street begging for their mistress Jennifer. They further stated that only peanut is given to them to take care of their children," he said. Enditem Mimecast Report: 78% of Organizations in the UAE were Infected with Ransomware in 2020 April 2021 by Mimecast Mimecast Limited announced the publication of its The State of Email Security report. The report shows enterprises faced unprecedented cybersecurity risk in 2020 from increasing attack volume, the pandemic-driven digital transformation of work, and generally deficient cyber preparedness and training. The fifth annual The State of Email Security, report is based on a global survey of 1,225 information technology and cybersecurity leaders, and supported by Mimecasts Threat Center data, which screens more than one billion emails per day. Ransomware Looms Large A full 86% of respondents indicated their companies had experienced a business disruption, financial loss or other setback in 2020 due to a lack of cyber preparedness. Respondents identified ransomware as the chief culprit behind these disruptions. Other insights include: 78% in the UAE indicated they had been impacted by ransomware in 2020, a massive increase from 66% of companies reporting such disruption in last years The State of Email Security report. Companies impacted by ransomware lost an average of six working days to system downtime, with 29% of the companies in the UAE saying downtime lasted one week or more. 43% of ransomware victims paid threat actor ransom demands, but only 44% of those were able to recover their data. More than half (56%) never saw their data again, despite paying the ransom. The ransomware epidemic continues to rage, and the approaches to and results of remediation vary wildly. Many companies are choosing to pay ransoms rather than risking extensive business downtime and expensive consulting fees to conduct self-remediation but this introduces its own set of risks, including threat actors not holding up their end of the bargain. Paying ransom also makes companies an attractive target for subsequent attacks, since theyve demonstrated theyre willing to pay. Said Josh Douglas, Vice President of Threat Intelligence. Threat Actors Exploit the Pandemic While ransomware was a big problem for organizations in 2020, it wasnt the only one. Mimecasts The State of Email Security report also revealed additional threat trends, including: A 64% year-over-year increase in threat volume. An increase in email usage in seven out of 10 companies 40% of survey respondents noted they saw an increase in email spoofing activity. In the UAE, 88% said they are concerned about the risks posed by archived conversations from collaboration tools compared to the 71% globally. All of these data points can be attributed to the pandemic: work-from-home increased email and collaboration tool usage, and threat actors sought to capitalize on the new digital office with massive waves of COVID-19-related social engineering attacks. Cyber Preparedness is Lacking Despite facing an elevated threat volume, the report found that companies arent doing well in the area of threat prevention. In addition to the 86% of local respondents who indicated a lack of cyber preparedness (compared to 79% globally), other notable findings include: As many as half of those surveyed in the UAE said their organisations fall short in one or more critical areas of email security systems (compared to 40% globally), leaving employees open to phishing, malware, business email compromise and other attacks. 50% of the respondents in the UAE said that employee naivete about cybersecurity is one of their greatest vulnerabilities, and yet only one in five respondents indicated they have ongoing (more than once per month) security awareness training in place. Companies know they are exposed but are not committing to the technology and training required to protect their environment. These exposure points are inflamed by so many companies rapidly adopting digital office models. Leaving employees untrained and unprotected in this highly distributed digital environment puts organisations at risk of digital deception. added Josh Douglas. Given these factors, its not surprising that 75% of survey respondents in the UAE believe their business will be harmed by email attacks in the next year. In 2020, 60% of respondents said they felt this way. The question of whether to run [in the elections] in the format of a party or an alliance is being discussed and no final conclusion has been made yet, Arman Yeghoyan told reporters. Pashinian formed an alliance ahead of the last elections held in December 2018. The bloc dominated by his Civil Contract party and called My Step won 70 percent of the vote at the time. Pashinian pledged in March to hold fresh elections in late June amid renewed anti-government protests staged by opposition forces blaming him for Armenias defeat in last years war with Azerbaijan and demanding his resignation. Under the Armenian constitution, such polls will have to be held within two months if Pashinian resigns and the Armenian parliament twice fails to elect another prime minister. Yeghoyan reaffirmed Pashinians plans to step down for that purpose before the end of this month. He made clear that Pashinian will continue to serve as prime minister after his tactical resignation. Most of Armenias leading opposition parties are expected to participate in the forthcoming vote on their own. Another opposition heavyweight, former President Robert Kocharian, said earlier this month that he will lead an electoral alliance comprising at least two opposition parties. Kocharian is not affiliated with any party. The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has frowned on the re-emergence of petrol queues in different parts of the country, assuring that the situation would normalise in hours. Mr Kyari gave the assurance when he addressed State House correspondents after giving an update on the petroleum sector to President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kyari attributed the sudden re-emergence of the fuel queue to strike action embarked upon by the association of petrol tanker drivers. Tanker drivers strike suspended The GMD, however, revealed that following the intervention of the leadership of the NNPC, the strike had been suspended for one week and the tanker drivers had resumed lifting of petroleum products from all fuel depots across the country. He said, These queues will go away. Its because there was an industrial action by petroleum tanker drivers against their employers, the National Association of Road Transport Owners, around their compensation package. And those issues were not resolved up till yesterday, until we intervened to ensure that theres an amicable settlement between the parties so that they will have peace and then normal loading operations will commence from the depots. As I speak to you at this moment, loading has commenced in all depots in the country, dispatches of trucks are ongoing in all the depots in the country and they have called off the strike for a period of one week to enable us intervene and find a solution. So, theres really nothing fundamental that is happening now. Fuel queues not caused by fuel subsidy Mr Kyari further stated that the petrol queues had nothing to do with the ongoing issue of petroleum subsidy. Subsidy is a policy matter. Im sure youre aware of this. There are engagements going on within the government to get the best framework for having a fully deregulated PMS market. As this is going on, we are engaging all parties and all stakeholders as government and to make sure that at the end of the day, theres an exit that is beneficial to the ordinary man. That is why we know we will not be able to complete that in the month of May and therefore, we declared that there will be no increase in fuel price. I have no update in hand now. This is beyond me, but were engaging to make sure that we have the right timeline, he added. The GMD also said the rising crude oil price had both benefits and drawbacks of the corporation. You know, it works both ways. Once prices increase, your revenue also increases. So, I dont have any numbers around it, but I also know that your obligation to the price of petroleum increases and your net revenue also increases. Theres a balancing factor. I dont think theres anything much to worry about, he said. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that fuel queues resurfaced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, barely two months after petrol scarcity hit major cities across Nigeria. ADVERTISEMENT This newspapers correspondent who visited petrol stations Monday evening found that some of the stations were shut while others were besieged by motorcyclists, tricycle owners, as well as private and commercial drivers. This newspaper also found that some NNPC retail stations were equally shut. Theres enough fuel in stock Mr Kyari had in reaction said there was enough fuel in stock. He also said NNPC would not increase the ex- depot price of petrol in May. Ex-depot price is the price marketers buy products from depot owners. It also determines the pump price at filling stations. READ ALSO: Fuel queues resurface in Abuja as NNPC speaks on price hike We want to inform oil marketing companies that NNPC will not increase the pump price of PMS in May, the NNPC said. I am giving the assurance and I ask Nigerians to go about their normal businesses; we have over 20 billion litres of petrol in our custody. Many of you are aware of this and with the assurance with tanker drivers and NUPENG, there is no need for panic buying of the product. Petrol will be available in all the depots in the country including NNPC dispatched depot across the country, so nobody should panic in buying the product, he said. Commenting on the strike by PTD, the NNPC boss said it was due to NARTOs inability to increase their compensation which was not resolved last week. (NAN) Walter Mondale, who died Monday at the age of 93, was the first modern vice president, serving not just as a running mate to win electoral votes that the main candidate might otherwise lose but alsoafter the victoryas a senior policy adviser in the White House. This was a condition that Mondale demanded before he joined the Democratic ticket in 1976, and a promise that President Jimmy Carter fulfilled. Mondale was the first vice president to get briefed on the nuclear war plan and to participate in nuclear-attack drills. (Carter was appalled that no previous president had let the No. 2 in.) He also heard intelligence briefings, took part in cabinet meetings, and joined the debates at National Security Council sessions. Advertisement The contrast with previous vice presidents was stunning. Advertisement Advertisement John Nance Garner, a former speaker of the House who held the job for the first two of Franklin D. Roosevelts four terms, later told Lyndon Johnsona man who followed a similar path to powerthat the vice presidency aint worth a bucket of warm shit. (Schoolbook historians bowdlerized the last word to spit.) Harry Truman, Roosevelts final VP, didnt even learn about the Manhattan Project to build the atom bomb until after FDR died and he took over as the commander in chief. Dwight Eisenhowers view of his No. 2, Richard Nixon, can be summed up in his reply to a reporter who asked for an example of an idea of Nixons that the president had adopted: If you give me a week, I might think of one. Advertisement John F. Kennedy shrewdly picked Lyndon Johnson as his running mate in order to win the South but afterward rarely saw, much less heeded, the former Senate powerhouse. Johnson was put in charge of the space program, which JFK had quickly lost interest in after shoving it into life with his stirring we shall go to the moon speech. When Johnson moved into the Oval Office at Kennedys assassination, he treated his veep, Hubert Humphrey, with no more respect. One joke from the time has Humphrey asking Johnson, as they passed on a stairway, Hows your health, Mr. President?to which Johnson replies, Is that all you think about, Hubert? Advertisement Richard Nixon let Spiro Agnew, a former Maryland governor, serve as his attack dog on liberals, hippies, and the media, while Nixon tried on a new, more moderate image, but otherwise ignored him. When Agnew resigned after being indicted for criminal conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax fraud, Nixon named Michigan Rep. Gerald Ford as his new veep, apparently to protect himself from impeachment over Watergate. When Nelson Rockefeller dropped in to the Oval Office for a visit, Nixon pointed to his presidential desk and said, Can you imagine Jerry Ford sitting in this chair? (This was after Ford had become vice president.) Advertisement In 1976, when Ford ran for the job he inherited, he made two fatal mistakes: He picked Bob Dole as his running mate, and he allowed not just three presidential debatesresuming a practice that had been moribund since the Kennedy-Nixon debates of 1960but also one vice presidential debate, an historic first. In that debate, Mondale appeared calm and competent; Dole came off as a bitter lunatic, at one point denouncing Democrat wars, including World War II. Martin Nolan, the Boston Globes chief political reporter, likened the spectacle to a debate between Winston Churchill and Bob Hope. Advertisement A friend of mine at the time, who worked at a private polling firm doing work for the Carter campaign, later told me that 2 percent of respondents said they voted for Carter entirely because of Doles performance in the veep debate. Carter won the national popular vote by 2 points, so, depending on the margins geographically, it may be that Mondale vs. Dole, more than Carter vs. Ford, was the crucial contest. Advertisement In 1980, amid a tumbling economy, the hostage crisis in Iran, and a general sense of weakness and dread, Carter got slammed by Ronald (Morning in America) Reagan, losing the popular contest by 9 points and picking up just 49 electoral votes. Four years later, Mondale picked up his partys torch, beating down insurgent candidates Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson in a string of primaries, only to lose to Reagan by an even wider margin18 points in the popular tally, with just 13 electoral votes, an even bigger blowout than Richard Nixons over George McGovern in 1972.* (After his defeat, Mondale asked McGovern, When does it stop hurting? McGovern replied, When it does, Ill let you know.) Advertisement Mondale, from his days as a Minnesota senator, was a fighter for the underdog at home and abroad. As vice president, he was the driving force behind a law to let South Vietnamese refugees into the United States. He was an amiable man, universally liked. In the second debate of the 1984 contest, when Reagan was asked if he was too old to run for president again, the 73-year-old incumbent replied: I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponents youth and inexperience. Mondale laughed along with the audience, but you could see a light go out of his face for the rest of the match and campaign. He knew the race was over. Advertisement Advertisement I vividly remember Mondale in both of those election debatesin 1980 and 1984but have almost no memory of him in the decades following. Bill Clinton named him ambassador to Japan, where he did a very professional job. He tried to run for senator again in 2002, after Paul Wellstone died, but by that time politics had changed, in Minnesota and beyond, and Mondale lost to conservative Republican Norm Coleman by a couple of points. His legacy is still felt daily in the office of the vice president. Every one of his successorsfrom George H.W. Bush to Kamala Harrishas enjoyed the same access to power, and the same privilege of a portfolio, as Mondale won from Carter. If nothing else, it means that, if the president goes down, the vice president is at least a bit ready to take over. Advertisement Correction, April 20, 2021: This column originally stated that Mondale won 49 electoral votes in 1984, losing in the biggest landslide since 1972. It was only 13 votes and an even bigger landslide than 1972. Jesse Jacksons first name was also misspelled. In my six years at Slate, Ive written about multiple national elections, social movements, and major cultural phenomena. With support from Slate Plus members, Ive also gotten to dive deep into stories and angles no other outlets were covering, and that Slate wouldnt have otherwise had the time or resources to tackle. Christina Cauterucci, senior writer Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 03:41:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Amazon on Monday announced nine new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects in the United States, Canada, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The company now has 206 renewable energy projects globally, including 71 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 135 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide, which will generate 8.5 GW of electricity production capacity globally, the announcement said. "Many parts of our business are already operating on renewable energy, and we expect to power all of Amazon with renewable energy by 2025 -- five years ahead of our original target of 2030," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. Investing in renewable energy is one of the many actions Amazon is taking as part of The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement, the company said. Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019, which now has 53 signatories. Enditem [April 20, 2021] INFORM Continues International Expansion - Brings Unique Digital Decision Making Approach to Latin America ATLANTA and SANTIAGO DE CHILE, Chile, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ -- INFORM, an internationally known software development and business process optimization specialist with US regional headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, has set up a joint venture with its Chilean partner, Workforce Solutions SpA. The new company has officially been operating as INFORM Software SpA since April 12, 2021. The aim is to continue the over 50-year-long success story of INFORM's Digital Decision Making technology based on Operations Research and Artificial Intelligence in Latin America. - Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) - INFORM Software SpA is headquartered in Santiago de Chile, Chile. The joint venture allows INFORM to expand its presence in Latin America and cover the region's increasing demand for financial crime fighting solutions, as well as intelligent decision making and planning solutions for airline and airport operations, logistics, transportation, and workforce management. The smart, rapid and interactive systems elevate decision making for many dynamic business operations, enabling management to best deal with operational complexity and uncertainty. In addition, INFORM will continue to work with its two longstanding partners Portia LAC in Brazil, and Quantomm Tech in Colombia, which will continue to assist in serving INFORM's customers. INFORM's Digital Decision Making technology integrates mathematical optimization algorithms from Operations Research and Artificial Intelligence, including Fuzzy Logic and Machine Learning. Renowned companies such as Volkswagen Mexico, LATAM Airlines, Zurich Insurance Mexico, Zurich Insurance Argentina, Brazilian retailcompany Via Varejo and Chilean Mercedes-Benz importer Kaufmann are already among the satisfied customers in the region. Strategic expansion in Latin America Based in Santiago de Chile, the value-added reseller Workforce Solutions SpA previously acted as an important partner, serving customers in Latin America on behalf of INFORM, which has its corporate headquarters in Aachen, Germany. INFORM will invest significantly in the new joint venture and acquire shares, while the remaining stock will be held by former shareholders and executives of Workforce Solutions SpA, including the former and new CEO Federico dos Reis. "I am delighted by this special opportunity," Reis said. "Together, we will be in a more strategic position to help companies in this market make better decisions and operate more efficiently through the implementation of software based on Artificial Intelligence." "We see the Latin American countries as a strategically important growth market in which we are happy to invest," added Dr Andreas Meyer, CEO of INFORM GmbH. "As we move forward with this joint venture, we will expand personnel resources for sales, project delivery and customer support. It will enable us to enhance our service to our customers in Latin America and further expand our market position." More printable images and the document as PDF can be found here: https://www.inform-software.com/fileadmin/Presse/210420_PR_EN_INFORM_Joint_Venture_Latin_America.zip. About INFORM GmbH As one of the leading software companies for Optimization and Artificial Intelligence, INFORM develops industry-spanning software for optimizing business processes, anti-financial crime solutions and Digital Decision Making. Over 800 employees from more than 30 nations support more than 1,000 companies worldwide. Customers include corporations and medium-sized companies in industry, trade, aviation, logistics, ports, banks, and insurance companies. INFORM's technology integrates mathematical optimization algorithms from Operations Research and Artificial Intelligence, including Fuzzy Logic and Machine Learning. Specific mathematical algorithms optimize operational processes in the areas of supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, workforce management, fraud prevention and risk management. Due to the constantly growing availability of data in companies and the continuous improvement of computing power and algorithms, many more applications for Digital Decision Making can be expected across industries in the future. www.inform-software.com | www.inform-latinoamerica.com Press Contact INFORM GmbH Corporate Communications Alexander Jatscha Tel.: +49 151-17159-505 Sabine Walter Tel.: +49 2408-9456-1233 E-Mail: pressoffice@inform-software.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inform-continues-international-expansion---brings-unique-digital-decision-making-approach-to-latin-america-301271322.html SOURCE INFORM GmbH [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Antigua and Barbuda's lesser-known third island has long been a vital breeding spot for migrant birds from all over the world, as well as a sanctuary to animals found nowhere else on the planet. Removing Rats in the Island It appeared ambitious when activists first proposed eradicating thousands of native black rats and a herd of wild goats trying to wipe them out. Five years later, uninhabited Redonda's once desolate landscape is now a lush green paradise, teeming with fresh new flora, and native lizard populations have soared. Work on the initiative started in 2016, but its true achievement was only recently discovered when conservationists returned for the first time in 18 months. Results of the Efforts It was an "emotional moment," according to Shanna Challenger of the country's Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), which worked with the government and foreign organizations on the project. She recalls, "It was such a stark contrast from the first time I saw Redonda in 2016 when it was practically crumbling into the sea." "I could see all these little dots of green as the helicopter got closer, and I realized they were brand new trees and shrubs. The flora has not only healed but is flourishing." Related Article: Only 3% of the World's Ecosystems Still in Pristine Conditions Arrival of Invasive Species Long-horned goats brought by early colonists 300 years earlier had been slowly eating nearly all of Redonda's plants to the point that they were starving to death. The rodents preyed on snakes and ate rare bird eggs after arriving with a 19th-century guano mining group. The removal of both animals was not without its difficulties. The fearful goats, who had never been exposed to humans, were herded and flown by helicopter to mainland farmers who wanted to breed them for their drought-resistant genes. How Did They Kill the Rats To get rid of the rodents, Ms. Challenger reveals that she painstakingly placed bait in nooks and crannies around the landscape, flavored with everything from peanut butter to chocolate, "to make sure we caught the picky ones." The lure was laced with a poison that rats loved, but birds and reptiles didn't. Since 1995, Fauna & Flora International (FFI), which was also interested in the mission, has successfully eradicated non-native mammals from about 25 islands. Still, the rugged volcanic topography of Redonda posed unique challenges. It had become dangerously precarious due to severe erosion exacerbated by deforestation, with collapsing precipices and repeated rock falls. Ms. Challenger explains, "We have lowered bait by helicopter and had climbers abseiling the cliffs to ensure no part of the island was missing." In July 2018, Redonda was formally ruled rat and goat-free. The team returned daily to check on developments until the coronavirus pandemic aggravated transportation issues. They were welcomed by brown boobies with chicks, red-billed tropicbirds, frigates, and peregrine falcons on their return. Ms. Challenger grins as she adds, "And don't even get me started on the lizards." "Because of the vegetation, they have more larvae to feed, and their numbers have exploded to the point that they're creeping all over you." "Seeing these critically endangered species flourish in a suitable ecosystem and seeing the impacts of our work so clearly and visually displayed was humbling." The number of Redonda's rare tree lizards has risen eight-fold, according to FFI. The island's previously 17 plant species have increased to 88, including a new ficus tree, cactus, and fern, as well as the return of more than a dozen ground bird species. And the squad was overjoyed to discover no evidence of the mice. According to Helena Jeffery-Brown of the government's environment ministry, Redonda is home to 1% of the world's brown boobies. Successful Operation "Rehabilitating the habitat of a globally important ecosystem has been incredible," she says. "In the past, you couldn't walk a foot on Redonda without stepping on bird's eggs, and we're steadily restoring that. I'm ecstatic about what we've accomplished." Redonda, according to FFI's Dr. Jenny Daltry, is "a blueprint" for how other Caribbean islands where invasive species have decimated local biodiversity can be restored. "Redonda has turned from barren rock to a lush gem of an island right before our eyes and faster than we could have imagined," she says. "In a time when much of the news about the condition of our world is understandably depressing, the regeneration of this island demonstrates that if we give nature a chance, it can and will recover." Also Read: Conservation or Preservation: What's the Difference? For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! [April 20, 2021] MSCI Calls on Capital to Lead the Net-Zero Revolution Addressing climate change will require the largest reconstruction of the global economy since the Industrial Revolution (News - Alert) , according to a report published today by MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. 'The Role of Capital in the Net-Zero Revolution' highlights how capital markets participants must be a powerful and positive force to urgently drive the systemic transformation needed to avert climate catastrophe. This call to action identifies specific steps that companies as well as owners and managers of capital must take to drive the achievement of a net-zero economy by 2050. Analysis by MSCI of its All Country World Investable Markets Index (MSCI ACWI IMI) - a measure of approximately 9,000 publicly listed companies across 50 developed and emerging markets with a market value of over USD 70 trillion1 - revealed those companies annually emit an estimated 11.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e)2. Our model indicates that, without any change to current practices, the annual emissions of these companies could reach 16.8 gigatons of CO 2 e by 20503, leading to a planet that is 3.5C warmer by the end of the century4. This trajectory demonstrates the tremendous challenge in reaching net-zero and the urgency to act now. Therefore, MSCI calls upon: Asset owners including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, endowments, insurance companies and individuals to reallocate capital to less emission intensive investments and to green solutions aligned with accepted warming scenarios; target a year-on-year decarbonization of portfolios that allows for a reduction in the world's total emissions by 10% a year; and transition to a policy benchmark to help portfolios move toward net-zero including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, endowments, insurance companies and individuals to reallocate capital to less emission intensive investments and to green solutions aligned with accepted warming scenarios; target a year-on-year decarbonization of portfolios that allows for a reduction in the world's total emissions by 10% a year; and transition to a policy benchmark to help portfolios move toward net-zero Asset managers to use their voting rights and direct engagement with companies to urge them to align with net-zero targets; support owners of capital by building expertise to fund clean energy; and develop risk management and reporting expertise in accordance with the guidelines of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to use their voting rights and direct engagement with companies to urge them to align with net-zero targets; support owners of capital by building expertise to fund clean energy; and develop risk management and reporting expertise in accordance with the guidelines of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Banks to support businesses with capital to invent and scale clean energy; and drive developments in corporate lending and corporate debt and equity issuance linking terms of capital to net-zero objectives to support businesses with capital to invent and scale clean energy; and drive developments in corporate lending and corporate debt and equity issuance linking terms of capital to net-zero objectives Companies to set emissions targets to reach net-zero no later than 2050; articulate credible and specific strategis to achieve these reductions; and incorporate best practices when reporting and disclosing data and initiatives undertaken Henry Fernandez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSCI, comments, "On the current trajectory, MSCI ACWI IMI will be scarcely greener in 2050 than in 2020, with an estimated 80% of companies exceeding the emissions budget needed to be well below 2.0C5. This is not a path to net-zero. Capital markets are an essential and critical force to drive the transition to net-zero with concerted action from all participants, ranging from a reallocation of capital by asset owners, to effective channelling of funds by asset managers and banks to greener investments and innovation, alongside the commitment of companies. "A global index such as the MSCI ACWI IMI can serve as a measure of the carbon trajectory of the world's companies. By acting as the objective and transparent measure of progress, we can help drive accountability, reflect the voice of the world's largest investors and identify the companies making progress to power the systemic transformation needed for a net-zero revolution." MSCI, as a company, has committed to the goal of net-zero emissions throughout its global operations before 2040. MSCI's transition strategy focuses on reducing emissions through carbon-reduction initiatives and engaging suppliers to achieve shared net-zero goals. More information about MSCI's net-zero commitment can be found here. About MSCI Inc. MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data, and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or performance and involve risks that may cause actual results or performance differ materially and you should not place undue reliance on them. Risks that could affect results or performance are in MSCI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year ended on December 31 that is filed with the SEC (News - Alert) . MSCI does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. No information herein constitutes investment advice or should be relied on as such. MSCI grants no right or license to use its products or services without an appropriate license. MSCI MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OTHERWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION HEREIN AND DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. ________________________________ 1 Based on the sum of the free- float- adjusted market capitalization of all MSCI ACWI IMI constituents as of March 31, 2021. 2 Calculated as of March 31, 2021, based on the sum of MSCI ACWI IMI constituents' Scope 1 emissions, using publicly reported data where available and MSCI's Carbon Estimation Methodology where no reporting is available. One gigaton is equal to one billion tons. 3 Projection based on the sum of MSCI ACWI IMI constituents' Scope 1 emissions, taking into account publicly announced carbon-emissions reduction targets. The projection uses an annual emission growth rate of 1.4%, which is the average annual emission growth rate of the world between 2010 and 2019. See: "Emission Gap Report 2020." UNEP, Dec. 9, 2020. 4 Compared to pre-industrial temperatures, as estimated by MSCI's Warming Potential model, as of March 31, 2021. As highlighted in the TCFD's Forward Looking Financial Sector Metrics consultation, the financial industry is currently working on aligning the core parameters between the methodologies for implied Temperature Rise metrics such as MSCI's Warming Potential model. 5 "Climate Reality Bites: Actually, We Will Not Always Have Paris." December 2020. MSCI.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005775/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Durham, NC - A phase 2 clinical trial whose results were released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine might point to a way to overcome bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a major cause of death in preterm infants. The study, conducted by researchers at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University and Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital in Seoul, evaluates the effectiveness of treating these infants by transplanting umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) directly into their tracheas. Early results showed signs of improvement for the most immature infants included in the trial. BPD is a serious breathing disorder in which the lungs do not develop normally. Most infants who develop BPD are born more than 10 weeks before their due date, weigh less than 2 pounds at birth, and have breathing problems. Infections that occur before or shortly after birth also can contribute to the disorder. Despite recent advances in neonatal medicine, BPD remains a major cause of mortality and long-term respiratory and neurologic problems in premature infants. Won Soon Park, M.D., Ph.D., of Samsung Medical Center and Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, and Ellen Ai-Rhan Kim, M.D., Ph.D., of Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan, are both pediatricians who have been searching for a way to treat BPD. As such, the two were co-authors of the recent study, which was a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial designed specifically to learn whether human UCB-derived MSC intratracheal transplantation might mitigate BPD in extremely preterm infants. "While intratracheal transplantation of human UCB-derived MSCs has proven to be safe and feasible in recently conducted clinical trials, its therapeutic efficacy had not been assessed in a clinical setting prior to this study," Dr. Park said. Choosing the optimal MSCs for transplantation was also a critical point of their work, added Dr. Kim. "We focused on UCB-MSCs, as they exhibit several advantages over adult tissue-derived MSCs, including lower immunogenicity, higher proliferation capacity, paracrine potency and therapeutic efficacy both in vitro and in vivo," she said. "Moreover, allogenic transplantation of MSCs, which come from a donor rather than the patient, might have a logistic advantage as they can be used at an early active stage of disease." Sixty-six preterm infants ranging in age from 23 to 28 gestational weeks (GW) were included in the study. All were on ventilators and each also had experienced significant respiratory difficulties between five and 14 days after birth. The infants were grouped by age - either 23-24 GW or 25-28 GW - and then further randomly divided into groups that received either UCB-MSCs or a placebo. The infants were then assessed for six months. In their final analysis, the team verified that intratracheal transplantation of MSCs appears to be safe and feasible. "At the same time, we learned that MSC transplantation did not significantly improve the primary outcome of death or severe/moderate BPD in infants in the 25-28 GW group. However, our subgroup analysis showed that the secondary outcome of severe BPD was significantly improved - dropping from 53 percent to 19 percent - in the younger 23-24 GW group," Dr. Park said. Dr. Kim added, "Further study with a larger sample size is required to solidly prove therapeutic benefits for infants in this group who are at the highest risk for BPD or death. Accordingly, we are now conducting an additional larger and controlled phase II clinical trial focusing on 23-24 GW infants. We hope to publish these data in the near future." "This study suggests that the transplantation of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells directly into the tracheas of preterm babies might mitigate their breathing challenges," said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "The data are encouraging and useful and should lead to a larger, future clinical trial." ### The full article, "Stem cells for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: A randomized controlled phase II trial," can be accessed at https:/ / stemcellsjournals. onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ abs/ 10. 1002/ sctm. 20-0330 . About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation. About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS, celebrating its 39th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist, also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 26th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www. wiley. com . About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives. HOUSTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a contract by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, the managing and operating contractor of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), to provide engineering, advisory and evaluation services. NREL is a national laboratory within the US Department of Energy complex which specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration and sustainable transportation. Leveraging the company's global sustainable technology expertise and US government mission understanding, KBR will provide engineering design evaluation and cost analysis for various biofuel and biorefinery projects, advancing NREL's renewable energy research and development. "This award aligns with KBR's focus on climate change and affirms our position as a leader in the sustainable biofuels arena," said Jay Ibrahim, President Sustainable Technology Solutions. "We take great pride in our role supporting NREL in their quest to advance sustainable renewable biofuels technologies. KBR's experts are excited to support NREL's mission to identify, develop, and evaluate alternative energy R&D and to be a part of the team that takes these solutions from the laboratory into the real world with the goal of ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our carbon footprint." For over 10 years, KBR has developed and/or designed dozens of sustainable and renewable fuels projects across the globe. About KBR We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 29,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long- term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the significant adverse impacts on economic and market conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic; the company's ability to respond to the challenges and business disruption presented by the COVID-19 pandemic; the recent dislocation of the global energy market; the company's ability to realize cost savings and efficiencies relating to the streamlining of its Energy Solutions business; the company's ability to manage its liquidity; the company's ability to continue to generate anticipated levels of revenue, profits and cash flow from operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and any resulting economic downturn; the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. SOURCE KBR, Inc. Related Links http://www.kbr.com NSW Health authorities remain stumped by the transmission of the highly contagious COVID-19 UK variant within a Sydney quarantine hotel as staff continue to return negative test results. The ministrys weekly COVID-19 surveillance report shows increasing numbers of returned travellers have tested positive for the highly contagious B117 variant (also known as the UK strain), which is categorised as a variant of concern by NSW Health. Premier Gladys Berejiklian says NSWs slowing vaccine rollout is progressing more quickly than she expected. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer On Sunday, a family of three who had recently returned from overseas were reclassified as locally acquired cases after it emerged they had the same viral sequences as a family of four who were also quarantined at Town Halls Adina hotel. Between March 14 and April 3, variants of concern made up 44 per cent of overseas acquired cases, although they constituted one in five cases in the week ending April 10. Disability home operators frustrated by the pace of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout are trying to book their residents into GPs for immunisations as the federal government admits only 6.5 per cent of this vulnerable group have been inoculated. It came as the new military head of the governments vaccine operations committee, Navy Commodore Eric Young, said he was focused on fixing issues with the rollout, after what one bureaucrat described as a slow start in aged care that was now gathering speed. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt with the newly appointed head of the Vaccine Operations Centre, Commodore Eric Young. Credit:Chris Hopkins Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday more than 1.7 million doses had been administered across the country, with 115,000 of those given to aged and disability care residents and staff. Thats a six-fold increase in total vaccinations in four weeks since the GP rollout, or phase 1b, began, he said. So that acceleration which was predicted has occurred That is an extraordinary achievement. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Bernalillo Countys top elected law enforcement officer is now campaigning for Albuquerques highest-ranking leadership role. Presenting himself as the tough-on-crime candidate, Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III has officially declared his campaign for Albuquerque mayor. He registered as a candidate more than a month ago, but said in recent weeks he was still only exploring the opportunity. He finally confirmed his intentions in a video and news release issued Monday. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Albuquerque deserves much better than what we are getting, Gonzales said in the video. If you look around, you know we have big challenges in the city. Gonzales, an Albuquerque native, joins a field that includes first-term incumbent Mayor Tim Keller and two other challengers: Nicholas Bevins, a 25-year-old activist, and Patrick Ben Sais. All four are seeking public campaign financing and are now in the midst of the two-month qualifying period. Mayoral candidates have until June 19 to prove public interest in their campaign by gathering $5 contributions from 3,779 voters. The election will take place on Nov. 2. Sheriff Gonzales has immediately begun drawing comparisons between himself and Keller when it comes to public safety. Gonzales, a former Marine, has more than 28 years of law enforcement experience, according to his website. If people believe Albuquerque is now a safe place, then they should vote for my opponent. But if they believe we must do more to fight crime, then Im humbly asking for their support, Gonzales said in his news release. Gonzales, 57, used his announcement video to tout Albuquerque as a great place to live, but also a city rife with crime. The second-term sheriff is the top elected law enforcement officer in Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque. But the city-managed Albuquerque Police Department is the primary responding agency within city limits, where over 82% of the countys population lives. The city of Albuquerque has long grappled with crime. In 2019, Albuquerque broke its record for homicides, with 80. While the number dipped slightly in 2020, the city is currently on pace to beat the record in 2021. Albuquerque has, however, lowered property crime; APD data posted online shows total property crime fell 10% in 2019 and another 10% in 2020. Gonzales department does not post annual crime data on its website and it waited weeks to alert the public about two recent homicides in its jurisdiction though a Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman, in response to a Journal request, provided unofficial data on a limited number of crime categories. BCSO data shows eight homicides in 2020, down from nine the year before and 10 in 2018. The total number of property-related crimes provided to the Journal including auto theft and larceny fell 20% in 2020 after rising 2.5% in 2019. In an interview, Gonzales said APD which is operating under U.S. Department of Justice oversight due to the DOJs finding that APD had a pattern and practice of unconstitutional policing has been politicized with too many people involved in department decisions. He said hes particularly concerned about policies that stop officers from enforcing laws related to lower-level crimes. Theres bits and pieces of what theyre being told to do and not to do that are in conflict with their sworn positions (as officers), Gonzales said. The sheriff on Monday declined to discuss his specific strategies for combatting homelessness or developing the economy, saying he would reveal details later. I did chair a working group for homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness (under former President Donald Trumps law enforcement commission), so I definitely have the information, I definitely have the relationships and I have a great idea of the strategy moving forward, but at this point I wouldnt discuss the strategy publicly, he said. His news release notes he is a fiscal conservative whose family had a small business. He told the Journal he wants to make city government easier for small businesses to navigate, but provided no specific examples. City elections are nonpartisan, though Gonzales ran for county sheriff as a Democrat, losing his first bid in 2010, but winning in 2014 and again in 2018. While Gonzales is riding his law enforcement background, he has as sheriff faced criticism both for his tactics including the sharp uptick in high-speed BCSO pursuits during his first term and his reluctance to implement body cameras in his department. BCSO deputies this year began wearing cameras after the New Mexico Legislature passed a law mandating them, but Gonzales had for years resisted calls to use them, often saying he wanted the money to go toward deputies. However, a county-funded independent analysis released in 2020 found the department was adequately staffed with deputies. It did, however, raise concerns about insufficient training in such BCSO units as homicide and criminal investigations, and a stark lack of clearly articulated policies and procedures in some BCSO specialty units. The department was also at the heart of a major legal settlement last year. Bernalillo County paid $4 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Elisha Lucero, a mentally ill woman killed by BSCO deputies responding to a misdemeanor battery call in 2019. Lucero who ran out of an RV with a kitchen knife was shot 21 times. Her familys lawsuit alleged Gonzales fostered a culture of aggression at BCSO and did not have enough officers trained to handle mental health calls. The county admitted no fault in settling the case. New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan extended his best wishes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a speedy recovery from COVID-19. Taking to Twitter, Khan wrote, "Wishing ex Indian PM Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery from Covid 19." Wishing ex Indian PM Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery from Covid 19. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 20, 2021 The senior Congress leader contracted the COVID-19 infection on Monday and was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre in Delhi. While earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declared that he tested positive for COVID-19. "After experiencing mild symptoms, I've just tested positive for COVID. All those who've been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe," he wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, India reported 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and the highest single-day deaths with 1,761 new fatalities registered in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,80,530. With this, the country's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,53,21,089, the daily active cases tally rose to 20, 31,977, according to the Health Ministry data. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Harry Potter New York will set a new standard for themed retail, combining breath-taking design, exquisite craftsmanship, hand-crafted props, exciting interactive elements and exclusive products - inviting fans to experience the Wizarding World in a brand-new way. Spanning three floors and over 21,000 sq. ft., the store will house the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof. (PRNewsfoto/Warner Bros. Studio Tour London) Harry Potter New York features 15 different themed areas, each one carefully and uniquely presented to bring the magic of the Wizarding World to life. Entering the store, customers will pass under a huge model of Fawkes the Phoenix gazing down from the ceiling. Fawkes was created especially for Harry Potter New York by a team of specialist propmakers over a number of months, the impressive model weighs over 220lbs and is just one of many painstakingly detailed, handmade props, each one created to surprise and delight customers as they explore. Stepping inside Harry Potter New York, witches, wizards and Muggles will encounter a number of exciting experiences. Fans are invited to strike their best pose at one of many photo opportunities, including posing inside a London phone box for a photo as if transporting themselves into the Ministry of Magic, or even seeing themselves as if they were inside Hagrid's boots! For those who have always dreamed of bringing their favorite Harry Potter character to life, the interactive wand table lets them pick up a wand and put it to the test. Harry Potter New York will incorporate digital technologies throughout the store including integration with the Harry Potter Fan Club app. Users will find a number of Enchanted Keys throughout the store that unlock exclusive behind-the-scenes facts, figures, and videos that bring the store to life. Also available for fans will be two exciting and immersive multiplayer virtual reality experiences. The full sensory VR adventures are location based, allowing real-time interactive exploration of the Wizarding World as never before. "Chaos at Hogwarts" lets hopeful witches and wizards step into a magical journey to Hogwarts Castle and become part of the adventure where magical creatures and secrets await. Fans will need their wands at the ready as "Wizards Take Flight" prepares guests to fly on brooms with the thrills of a magical wand battle against Death Eaters over the skies of London and around the enchanting grounds of Hogwarts Castle. The "Chaos At Hogwarts" and "Wizards Take Flight" virtual reality experiences are scheduled to open in-store this summer with more details to be revealed soon. Looking for a gift? What to get the fan who has everything? The Personalization Area offers a huge amount of inspiration and unique products. Fans can bring their fandom to life and choose from a host of personalisation options, including engraving a wand, embossing a journal or embroidering a House robe with their name. Aspiring witches and wizards will be able to browse for Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in an area inspired by the whimsical surroundings of Honeydukes. Once they have taken a look at the goodies on offer, they can stop under the Dirigible Plum tree, a special area where they can find their favorite magical creature soft toy. Usually found guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, every aspiring Hogwarts student will recognize the majestic Griffin rotating in the store's grand main atrium. From here, fans will be invited into the Wand Shop to browse over 50 wands inspired by characters, locations and props from the Wizarding World, including the Golden Snitch wand, exclusive to Harry Potter New York. "The level of artistic detail and quality of the design inspired by the movies means Harry Potter New York will bring a completely new shopping experience to the city,' said Sarah Roots, EVP Warner Bros. Worldwide Tours and Retail. 'With over 1,000 Wizarding World props on display (including some authentic items which featured in the movies), the incredible theming, along with experiences such as photo opportunities and the fantastic range of products, there will be something special for every fan." In addition, the store will be home to America's only House of MinaLima. Within the walls of Harry Potter New York, MinaLima, the graphic design duo on all Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies, will create a gallery and store showcasing the graphic art of the Wizarding World. Fans will discover prints of the Daily Prophet covers, Harry's Hogwarts acceptance letter and the Quibbler, all hand designed by MinaLima in a space modeled after their iconic London shop. Alongside the main collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products, fans will be able to choose from a range of brand collaborations including Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly handbags and many other fan-favorite ranges including Pottery Barn Teen. Keen to check out what's available before the store opens its doors? While this magical store is having the finishing touches added at 935 Broadway, a hand-selected range of products are available to purchase from the Harry Potter Shop at www.harrypottershop.com. More exciting details will be revealed between now and the official opening. Store imagery can be found here. Fans can keep up to date by following Harry Potter New York's social channels or signing up to our newsletter. Facebook.com/HarryPotterNewYork Twitter.com/HarryPotterNY Instagram.com/HarryPotterNY Notes to Editors Virtual Queue Harry Potter New York will open with a virtual queueing system in place. When customers visit the store, they will scan a QR code to join the virtual queue and return when notified. COVID-19 The store will follow all CDC guidelines, opening at a reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing can be maintained throughout. All customers will be required to wear a face covering when visiting the store. About Wizarding World More than two decades ago, a young Harry Potter was whisked onto Platform 9 at King's Cross Station, and readers everywhere were swept along with him into a magical universe, created by J.K. Rowling. In the years since, the seven Harry Potter bestsellers have inspired eight blockbuster movies, an award-winning stage play, and, more recently, the start of the Fantastic Beasts five-film series. People of all ages have been enthralled by these extraordinary adventures, set within an expanding universe, inspired by the vision of J.K. Rowling. For today's growing worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, the Wizarding World welcomes everyone to explore more of this magical universe past, present and future. The Wizarding World also provides fans with an instant, trusted kite-mark of quality and authenticity. Harry Potter New York will be part of an expanding portfolio of Warner Bros. owned Wizarding World experiences that include Warner Bros. Studio Tour London The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo and the Platform 9 retail shops. Sign up to receive more information at HarryPotterStore.com #HarryPotterNY SOURCE Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Over the past decade, significant pillars of the evangelical community have wavered in their convictions about marriage and human sexuality. In 2014, World Vision announced it would hire Christians in same-sex relationshipsonly to reverse course after a backlash threatened donations. Things have gone differently for Bethany Christian Services, one of the countrys leading adoption providers, which recently disclosed its plan to place children with same-sex couples. While the organization stressed that discussions about doctrine are important, the decision effectively severs a Christian doctrine of marriage from the practice of adoption. Conservative evangelicals have reacted by trying to purify the ranks of the faithful. In 2017, the Nashville Statement, put out by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, responded to weakening evangelical adherence to Christian teachings on sexuality. The ill-fated effort did little to build evangelicals confidence that their witness on sexual ethics would be simultaneously orthodox and also welcoming toward LGBT individuals. Nonetheless, there is reason to be seriously concerned about the future of evangelical communities in an increasingly post-Christian America. The Supreme Courts decisions in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized and legitimized same-sex marriage, and Bostock v. Clayton County, which extended nondiscrimination protections to LGBT individuals, have ratified the long reshaping of Americas norms on marriage and sexuality. They have also raised serious questions about the rights of faith communities. Despite enjoying unprecedented access to the White House during the Trump administration, evangelicals secured few religious ... 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. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called for the swift passage of a bill aimed at curbing COVID-19-related hate crimes targeting Asian-American communities, insisting anyone opposing the bill would shame themselves. His remarks came hours before the Senate was set to vote on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. "I dare any senator to vote against this legislation and if they do, shame on them," Schumer said at an event in Manhattan's Koreatown. He was joined by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), local politicians and Asian-American community leaders. The legislation, if enacted, would allow the federal government to crack down on hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. More than 3,800 bigoted incidents were reported in 2020 alone, which marked a sharp increase from a year earlier, according to Vice President Kamala Harris, who has attributed the increase partly to former President Donald Trump and his administration for instigating ill will against Asian communities. The former president frequently referred to the new coronavirus as the "China virus" or "kung flu." If the U.S. Senate votes in favor of the measure, it will be put to a vote in the House of Representatives within two weeks. The Senate earlier voted 92-6 to open debate on the bill. (Yonhap) More than 28 percent of Texans 16 and older are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, having received either one shot of the Johnson & Johnson or two of Moderna or Pfizer. But as scientists continue to study the virus and emerging variants, theyre concluding that even the fully vaccinated may need booster shots to stay protected. It might be necessary because of waning immunity, said Dr. Wesley Long, an infectious disease expert at Houston Methodist Hospital. It might be necessary if we have a variant strain of COVID that maybe the original vaccines doesnt protect against as well. So far, its looking probable people will require a booster shot around the holiday season. But there are still many unknowns. Although the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the globe for a year now, clinical trials for the vaccine havent been around as long. The most recent data from vaccine manufacturers show that the shots offer at least six months of protection, but researchers wont know until the end of the year whether immunity lasts a full 12 months. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said on MSNBC Thursday that most vaccine recipients should expect a booster shot in the next six to 12 months. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are working on booster shots and expect their vaccines will require annual re-vaccinations. Pfizer is running a booster shot trial based on emerging variants, said Pfizer spokesperson Kit Langley. The drug manufacturer recently confirmed its COVID-19 vaccine offers protection for at least six months. Moderna reported similar results from its study. MORE FROM OUR HEALTH TEAM: Less than 1 percent of fully vaccinated Houston residents are catching COVID-19, officials say We will continue to monitor participants in the trial for up to two years after their second dose to assess continued safety, efficacy, and durability, Langley said. What happens if we lose protection To test whether patients have lost protection, public health agencies and vaccine manufacturers will likely keep a close eye on the rate of hospitalizations and deaths. If people lose immunity, itll likely taper off gradually rather than come to an abrupt end. One of two things can happen: We may lose protection against all COVID-19 symptoms, the mild and the severe, which would be a problem, right? said Dr. Hana El Sahly, an associate professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. Or it might be that we only lose protection against the mild symptoms, but retain protection against the severe symptoms. Researchers are still studying how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is similar to other respiratory illnesses. While the disease has drawn some comparisons to influenza strains, the vaccines may work differently than flu shots, which require new vaccines every year to fend off emerging strains. Even if the COVID-19 vaccine goes the way of the flu shot, experts say its not a bad sign. People shouldnt be surprised, and it doesn't mean that the original vaccines are a failure at all, Long said. The vaccine will still keep people from dying and help them avoid the hospital. After six months, both Pfizer and Moderna show promising results in the remaining antibodies in their clinical trial participants, said Dr. Pei-Yong Shi, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. The Moderna clinical trial participants have been followed 209 days post-vaccination thats about six months, Shi said. Results show there was a slight drop in antibodies after six months in patients aged 16 and older. But Shi says they still maintain active neutralizing antibody levels, which is really good news. But what about up to 12 months? he asks. We dont know because only time will tell. In addition to the predicted drop in efficacy, scientists also factor in a possible breakthrough when the vaccine does not protect against a specific variant when calculating the need for boosters. On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County ends vaccine waitlist as Hidalgo says there's more supply than ever' When will it happen Scientists expect theyll know for certain by the end of 2021 whether and when the public will need booster vaccines. Data on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines in the real world will become more available by December, the one-year anniversary of when health care workers began to receive Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Clinical trials such as Pfizers and Modernas will likely release efficacy data around that time. And when the time comes, Texas will be ready, said Dr. David Lakey, a member of the Texas COVID-19 Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel. The current vaccination system will be easy to adjust if Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson data shows a stalling, or disappearing, efficacy rate, Lakey said. Were concentrated on the primary vaccinations of individuals, but there is a system put in place that we can adjust accordingly if the data said we need to do that, Lakey said. COVID Help Desk: I had an appointment for a Johnson & Johnson shot. What do I do now? Those who have already been vaccinated, such as travel agency owner Donna Daniels, accept that booster shots are part of their future. Daniels, who co-runs Fox Travel Agency in The Woodlands with her husband James Bailey, saw COVID-19 shots as part of the journey to traveling like normal again. Although she does not require her clients to be vaccinated before booking vacation plans, many already have and are ready to get back on planes and cruise ships. If you made the decision to get the original vaccine, why wouldnt you get a booster every year? Daniels said. gwendolyn.wu@chron.com julie.garcia@chron.com Thiruvananthapuram, April 20 : With just 12 days left for the votes to be counted, both the traditional rival fronts in Kerala continue to exude confidence that victory would be theirs. In the past two days there was a thread bare assessment that was done by the CPI-M and the Congress, the two parties that lead the present ruling Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front respectively and the outcome was the same, as both of them have concluded that 80 seats will be there for each of them. This, however, cannot happen as the Kerala Legislative Assembly has 140 members only. Incidentally, the LDF convenor A.Vijayaraghavan went a step forward and said that it could well cross 100. However, on Monday it was the turn of the State Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran who interacted with each of the 14 district party presidents and at the end of the day, he too was supremely confident that the UDF will win trumps up and the final tally could well be 81. What's surprising is that the BJP-led NDA, however, is yet to come out with its threadbare assessment, though they had claimed soon after election day on April 6 that they are going to improve upon the 2016 tally of one seat. A media critic however summed up all these utterances as nothing but to instil confidence in the rank and file of each and every party and both the traditional fronts are also ready with a bag full of reasons, should they lose. "For sure, should the ruling Left lose, they will be going to town with their stock statement that the BJP and the Congress was hand in glove and hence they lost. In case it's the Congress party that ends up in the runner up post, they too would say that the BJP tied up with the Left to oust the Congress, as the national enemy of the BJP is the Congress party and not the Left," said the media critic. However, the public utterances of some of the top Left leaders in the past few days reveal that the confidence that they had shown up soon after the election day appears to have waned and this has brought cheer to the UDF fold. Meanwhile on Monday, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, one of those angling for the post of Chief Minister, should the UDF win, has gone on record that he will take the full responsibility, should the UDF fail to touch 71 seat mark. The otherwise reticent Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who after his goof up on Covid protocols, for which he came under huge attack has gone silent and that too is seen by the UDF top brass, as a sign that victory for them has reached their door step. And with Covid cases for the first time in the state crossing the one lakh-mark, the orders have also come, irrespective of which front wins, there should be no rallies or victory celebrations on May 2nd . Though the fate of the traditional rivals has been sealed on April 6, with every passing day from now on, pressure on the top brass of the traditional rivals will be mounting as none would like to take the runner up position. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Attorneys and witnesses have used the words reasonable or unreasonable often at the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder and manslaughter in George Floyd s death. Derek Chauvin's defense attorney put the concept at the center of his closing argument on Monday. Its no coincidence. The concept of reasonableness has been crucial at trials of officers ever since the landmark Graham v. Connor ruling 32 years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court. Here is a look at the issue and the key role its likely to play as Chauvins trial draws to a close . WHAT WAS GRAHAM V. CONNOR ABOUT? Before the Graham v. Connor ruling in 1989, lower courts were often at odds about how to determine whether an officer on trial used an unreasonable, and therefore illegal, amount of force. Graham v. Connor involved a 1984 arrest in North Carolina in which officers manhandled diabetic Dethorne Graham, brushing off his pleas for treatment when he said he was having a potentially deadly insulin reaction. It bore some similarities to the arrest of Floyd last May 25, when Floyd repeatedly said he couldnt breathe as Chauvin , who is white, kneeled on the Black mans neck for nearly 9 1/2 minutes. WHAT CRITERIA DID THE HIGH COURT SET? In its unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the court said whether an officer used a proper level of force had to be viewed from the officers perspective. The reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight, Rehnquist wrote. That means jurors must not consider what they would have done in Chauvins shoes, but rather, what any reasonable officer would have done under the same circumstances. Among the implications of Graham v. Connor was that an officers actions leading to a suspects death may be legal if the officer believed his or her life was at risk even if, in hindsight, it becomes clear there was no such danger. The assertion that an officers perception of fear could trump the actual danger has led to acquittals of many officers over the years. Jurors found four Los Angeles police officers not guilty in the 1991 beating of Rodney King after being instructed to use the Graham v. Connor criteria. Some legal experts believed Chauvin might have wanted to testify because of the importance the high court placed on what an officer was thinking. Chauvin said Thursday he would not testify . WHAT ABOUT THE JURY INSTRUCTIONS? Before closing arguments began Monday, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read aloud from jury instructions drawn up by the court with input from prosecutors and the defense. Those instructions included a definition of the reasonable use of force that adhered closely to the wording in Graham v. Connor. Cahill told jurors they would be allowed to take copies of the instructions to deliberate. Many jurors rely on instructions to help them interpret the evidence. WHATS THE DEFENSE POSITION? Defense attorney Eric Nelson used his closing argument Monday to focus juror's attention on another portion of those instructions, directing jurors to decide whether Chauvin acted reasonably in light of the totality of the facts and circumstances. Nelson said jurors have to consider all the information Chauvin had from dispatchers, his arrival as two officers struggled to push Floyd into a patrol car and the increasingly upset people standing nearby and loudly pleading with them to get off the Black man. He played shaky footage captured by the three other officers' body cameras as they unsuccessfully tried to get Floyd into the car's backseat before pinning him to the ground. You have to take into account that officers are human beings, capable of making mistakes in highly stressful situations, Nelson said. "In this case, the totality of the circumstances that were known to a reasonable police officer in the precise moment the force was used demonstrates that this was an authorized use of force, as unattractive as it may be, and this is reasonable doubt. Nelson also called witnesses to tell jurors that suspects, especially large men like Floyd, can suddenly present a threat even if bystanders cant see that. Witness Barry Brodd, a former California police officer, testified that Floyd appeared to be under the influence of drugs. They (those under the influence) may have superhuman strength, or they may have an ability to go from compliant to extreme noncompliance in a heartbeat, he said. Brodd told jurors he believed Chauvin was justified, was acting with objective reasonableness in how he treated Floyd. Nelson also sought during cross examination to undermine one state witness who had asserted that merely placing Floyd on his stomach in the first place even before Chauvin wedged his knee into his neck was unreasonable and excessive. Reasonable minds can disagree, agreed? Nelson asked the witness, law professor Seth Stoughton. On this particular point, no, he replied. HOW HAVE PROSECUTORS EXPLAINED THE CONCEPT? Some lawyers for officers charged in fatal shootings have won acquittals under those criteria by arguing their clients were in chaotic situations with mere seconds to decide whether to pull a trigger. That wasnt Chauvins situation. Prosecutors have said its clear Chauvin faced no imminent threat and was never forced to make the kind of split-second decisions the high court envisioned. They also called leaders in the Minneapolis Police Department, including the chief who testified that officers were not trained to hold suspects down by pressing a knee into the person's neck as Chauvin did. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher, delivering the state's closing argument, said Chauvin did not act as a reasonable officer would. He again argued that a reasonable officer, particularly with Chauvin's experience and training, would not consider the force he used against Floyd to be necessary. You cannot justify this use of force, Schleicher said. "Its impossible. Not if you apply the rules, not if you apply the standards." During testimony, Schleicher asked one defense witness to explain how Floyd could have posed a continuous threat, even if he did momentarily, since he was handcuffed and pinned face down by Chauvins knee on his neck, as well as officers at his back and legs. Would you agree that the application of use of force must be reasonable at the start and at the end (of an incident) and at all points in between? Schleicher asked the defense witness Brodd. Brodd said he agreed. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) There is something about Piagets Limelight Gala collection, with its perfectly integrated cambered case and asymmetrical lugs, that immediately catches the eye. The original design dates back to 1973, and it was re-introduced in 2013, for its 40th anniversary, under the name of the Piaget Limelight Gala Collection. Since then, Piaget has been having an enormous amount of creative fun with the collection, letting its artisans loose on all aspects of its adornment. This year is no exception and the Maison is unveiling six showstopping new models that reveal the exceptional level of savoir-faire that Piaget has mastered in-house over its almost 150-year history. Limelight Gala Precious Rainbow This is the first time that Piaget has created a rainbow setting and the Limelight Gala was definitely made for such an array of colourful tsavorites and sapphires that take centre stage around the bezel and on the lugs. The challenge with this kind of setting is always the sourcing of the stones. Finding the exact shade of colour takes time, but also finding the right dimensions as the stones differ in size. Limelight Gala Piaget In addition to the rainbow setting, the Limelight Gala Precious Rainbow is decorated with the Maisons Palace Decor, a rare engraving technique that has been mastered at Piaget for over 70 years. It takes Piagets artisans over eight hours to engrave the bracelet and another two hours to complete the dial. The timepiece is powered by a self-winding movement that can be seen through a sapphire crystal case back and shows the Maisons expertise in watchmaking, goldsmithing, and gem-setting. Limelight Gala Precious Sunrise If you could capture the sunrise in a timepiece, this could well be it! This Limelight Gala Precious Sunrise Limited Edition of 18 pieces comes in a 32mm 18-karat white gold case that is set with an array of blue brilliant-cut sapphires and diamonds, depicting the bright blue colour of a sunny morning sky. The dial is adorned with a snow setting of diamonds, while the bracelet has been engraved using the Palace Decor technique, and the movement is automatic. Limelight Gala Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Zenith Continuing on into the warmest part of the day, the Limelight Gala Precious Zenith is adorned with a gradient of sunny yellow sapphires and diamonds on the case, dial and bracelet. For the bezel and lugs, the sunrays start with the deepest yellow in the centre of the bezel and radiate out along the lugs. Like the abovementioned timepiece, the Limelight Gala Precious Zenith comes in a 32mm white gold case and is powered by an automatic movement with an open caseback. It is limited to eight pieces. Limelight Gala Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Sunset The trio wouldnt be complete without a sunset version. This 50-piece limited edition Limelight Gala Precious Sunset comes in an 18-karat rose gold case that sparkles with brilliant-cut pink sapphires and diamonds. It comes fitted with an elegant white mother-of-pearl dial and an equally shimmering white satin strap. Limelight Gala Piaget Limelight Gala Mother-of-Pearl Palace The Limelight Gala Mother-of-Pearl Palace timepiece comes in a 26mm 18-karat rose gold case and is fitted with a delicately hand-engraved mother-of-pearl dial, making each one truly unique. The timepiece is also adorned with the finest quality diamonds, comes on a white alligator strap, and is limited to 300 pieces. Limelight Gala Piaget Limelight Gala High-Jewellery Black Opal Concluding with a watch that was made to steal the show, the Piaget Limelight Gala High-Jewellery Black Opal accentuates the curves of the timepieces design with a row of diamonds and a spectacular row of marquise-cut emeralds that are held in place with delicate claw settings that testify to Piagets extraordinary high-jewellery expertise. Limelight Gala Piaget The dial is made of a rare Australian black opal, one of Yves Piagets favourite stones. This semi-precious stone has a unique crystallographic pattern that reflects glorious shades of blue and green that are further accentuated by the emeralds. Now we just need the gala evenings to start up again so we can enjoy dressing up again! Wilkes University has selected David M. Ward as its senior vice president and provost to serve as chief academic officer. Ward will start at Wilkes in June and will lead the universitys scholarship programs and initiatives and work with the deans and faculty. Ward is coming from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he served as provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs from 2017 to 2020. I am eager for David to join me as a senior member of our leadership team and to help lead our University through the pandemic and into a new strategic vision, Wilkes President Greg Cant said in a news release. Wards selection followed a national search. Prior to joining UNC Pembroke, Ward was the dean of the College of Health Professions at Georgia Southern University, formerly Armstrong State University, in Savannah, Georgia, where he also served a one-year term as interim provost. Ward also had served as dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions at the University of New England and served in other administrative positions and various faculty positions since 1993. His research activities have focused on the use of cost-effectiveness analysis and linear programming for increasing the efficiency of health care spending. Ward received his doctorate and masters degree in public administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. He earned his bachelors degree in political science from Colgate University. [April 20, 2021] Schneider Electric to support the development of Sharjah's first waste-to-energy plant EcoStruxure Electrical and Automation Solutions will improve energy efficiency and safety at the cutting-edge facility, which is a joint venture by Masdar and Bee'ah MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Schneider Electric has been awarded the contract to supply a range of electrical solutions at the Sharjah Waste to Energy facility, the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates. The company will supply and install the facility's medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear and EcoStruxure Power SCADA Operation (PSO) software, which will provide real-time situational awareness of the plant's electricity network and ensure the power systems are optimized and performing safely. The software will also protect the system through built-in cybersecurity features. The waste-to-energy (WTE) plant is owned by Emirates Waste to Energy Company, a joint venture between Bee'ah, the UAE's leading sustainable environmental services company, and Masdar, one of the world's leading renewable energy companies. French industrial company CNIM, a European leader and reference for the design and build of WTE plants, is contracted to build and operate the facility, located within Bee'ah's Waste Management Center in Sharjah, UAE. HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee'ah, said: "Through a holistic and integrated approach to waste management, Bee'ah has managed to achieve a 76 per cent waste diversion from landfill rate here in Sharjah. With the first waste-to-energy facility in the UAE, we will close the gap to achieve zero waste to landfills for the Emirate, while diversifying the alternative energy mix. We are proud to be working with leading partners such as Schneider Electric, to ensure that our waste-to-energy facility will be held to the highest international standards of safety and operational excellence." Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: "Masdar firmly believes in industry collaboration as the most effective way of advancing the deployment of commercially viable technologies, while supporting the UAE's goals forsustainable economic development. We are proud to be working with our partners at Bee'ah, CNIM and Schneider Electric to deliver yet another landmark project for the UAE." The Sharjah Waste to Energy facility will process 37.5 tons of non-recyclable solid municipal waste per hour, diverting over 300,000 tons from landfill each year in support of the UAE's waste management goals. The facility will generate up to 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which will be supplied directly to the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority's (SEWA) grid and will power around 28,000 homes. The plant will be compliant with global standards of environmental safety and sustainability. It will also displace almost 450,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year and save the UAE 45 million cubic meters of natural gas per year. "The Sharjah waste-to-energy project is ground-breaking, and we're delighted to be able to play our part in its development," said Ahmed Khashan, Cluster President, Gulf Countries, Schneider Electric. "Our EcoStruxture technology will ensure the plant is working to its full potential, with a host of safety and cybersecurity features that will keep the plant's staff and the electricity grid safe. Most importantly, the plant will be future-ready, with the option to add in sensors that'll ensure the plant remains at the cutting-edge of the region's energy generation sector for decades to come." The waste-to-energy process converts waste into heat, which is then recovered through a boiler to produce steam that drives a turbine generator to produce electricity. Bottom ash is discharged and deposited into storage, and converted into usable recycled materials, and the flue gas is treated through stringent air pollution controls. The remaining steam is pushed through an air-cooled condenser to transform it into water that is reused within the plant. About Schneider Electric Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency. We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries. We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. www.se.com Hashtags: #EcoStruxure #Utilities #Industry About Bee'ah An innovation leader and a pioneering force for sustainable solutions in the Middle East, Bee'ah is a public-private partnership company that was founded in 2007. With ventures in industries ranging from Waste Management, to Environmental Consulting, Renewable Energy, Technology, Sustainable Transportation, and Training & Development, Bee'ah is creating a better quality of life for all cities and communities in the region. Bee'ah has executed a comprehensive strategy focused on sustainability and technology, which has reaped rich benefits in the form of the region's highest waste diversion rates, and the GCC's first waste-to-energy plant. Bee'ah has supported the region's agenda for a circular economy and personifies the UAE's ambitions in leading the dialogue surrounding sustainability in the MENA region. For more information, please visit: http://www.beeah.ae and connect at facebook.com/beeahuae and twitter.com/BeeahUAE. About Masdar Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company Masdar is advancing the commercialization and deployment of renewable energy, sustainable urban development and clean technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, the strategic investment company of the Government of Abu Dhabi, our mandate is to help maintain the UAE's leadership in the global energy sector, while supporting the diversification of both its economy and energy sources for the benefit of future generations. Today, Masdar is active in more than 30 countries, including the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Egypt, Morocco, the UK, the US, Australia, Spain, Serbia, India, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and many more. SOURCE Schneider Electric Canada Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Biden calls border a 'crisis' after state officials raise concerns over national security, trafficking VP Harris skips border, plans to visit Guatemala to address 'root cause' of mass immigration Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Joe Biden has for the first time described the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as a "crisis," days after nearly 300 sheriffs in 39 states sent him a letter urging him to change his policies due to a rise in sex trafficking and concerns about national security threats. On Saturday, Biden was asked by a reporter in Delaware about his reversal on the refugee admissions cap after his administration released a memo to keep in place the Trump-era 15,000 cap on refugees who can be allowed into the United States. Were going to increase the number. The problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people, Biden said in response. We couldnt do two things at once. But now we are going to increase the number. Earlier this month, the sheriffs sent a letter spearheaded by Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson of Bristol County, Mass., accusing the president of exposing the nation to cartel trafficking and potential terror threats by enabling mass illegal immigration and overwhelming Border Patrol agents. President Biden is knowingly and intentionally undermining Americas Sheriffs and our collaborative efforts with our local, state and federal public safety partners to enforce the rule of law, Hodgson said, according to the Sun Chronicle. He and the policies of his administration are placing our citizens, neighborhoods and our nation in public safety and public health danger. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents apprehended 172,331 migrants along the border in March, which is a 71% increase from February. That number included 18,890 teenagers and unaccompanied children, which is a 100% increase since February and has led to massive overcrowding at border facilities. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, described it as the biggest surge that weve ever seen in the history of the Border Patrol, during a roundtable with Republican members of Congress, Texas landowners, and law enforcement on April 7, as reported by The Epoch Times. In the letter to Biden, Hodgson and over 270 sheriffs noted how both the Trump and Obama administrations recognized the threat posed by illegal immigration and said it's critical that he respond. You must act now before our nations public safety resources are overwhelmed with the criminal side effects of unchecked illegal immigration, including transnational gangs, guns, dangerous drugs and human trafficking, the sheriffs added in the letter. Americas Sheriffs urge you, Mr. President, to reverse course and help us protect our communities by securing the southern border. Prominent evangelical leader and president of Samaritans Purse, Franklin Graham, posted a portion of the letter on Facebook last Monday, sharing the sheriffs' concerns. I appreciate the boldness of this group of law enforcement leadersthey are right, Graham wrote. Lets pray together that President Biden will heed this warning, and that God would give him wisdom and strength to do the right thing and find solutions to this crisis quickly. We need a safe process for legal immigration that works. Hodgson appeared on "Fox and Friends" after sending the letter to discuss the impact of the border crisis on the rest of the nation in greater detail. Sheriffs across this country are mobilizing. , Hodgson said. Open borders dont work and they are exposing our citizens to more transnational gangs, violence in our communities, more drugs pouring into our communities, sex and human trafficking out of control and national security threats. This comes after several Republican states have filed lawsuits against the Biden administrations border and immigration policies. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit Tuesday, which asked a federal judge to order the Biden administration restart the Remain in Mexico policy, The Washington Times reported. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich also filed a lawsuit arguing that the relaxed immigration policies caused the surge and an environmental disaster, which violated the National Environmental Policy Act. Former Trump officials have also called on the Biden administration to respond to the crisis. "Id say the vice president (Kamala Harris) needs to go to the border, needs to understand the conditions that are being experienced, needs to understand and talk to the men and women of the Border Patrol because its all interrelated," former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said at a Heritage Foundation news briefing, Fox News reported. Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the charge in responding to the border crisis through diplomatic efforts. Since being tasked with this on March 24, Harris has not visited the southern border, which has sparked heavy criticism. Harris said, plans are in the works to travel to Guatemala and Mexico soon to address the root causes of immigration, she said at a Northern Triangle security roundtable on Wednesday, Fox News reported. Until Saturday, the Biden administration had refused to call the historic surge in immigration a crisis, instead calling it a challenge. Last week, Biden tapped Chris Magnus, police chief of Tucson, Arizona, and vocal critic of Trumps immigration policy, to head Customs and Border Protection, The New York Times reported. Despite Biden signing an executive order to halt the Trump administrations border wall construction, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told department employees that they might begin rebuilding gaps in the wall, The Washington Times added. Rio Tinto lifted its iron ore shipments, battled wet weather and labour shortages and escalated efforts to repair broken relationships with traditional owners from the Pilbara to Arnhem Land during a critical first quarter for new chief executive Jakob Stausholm. While Mr Stausholm has been touring the country striving to restore trust following the disastrous destruction of the Juukan Gorge Indigenous rock shelters last year, Australias second-largest miner increased exports of its top commodity, the steel-making ingredient iron ore, by 7 per cent from the same time last year. Rio Tinto is the worlds biggest exporter of the steel-making raw material iron ore. Credit:Louie Douvis Rio shipped 77.8 million tonnes of iron ore in the three months to March 31, its quarterly review said on Tuesday, as Chinese industrial activity drove greater demand and global economic growth continued to rebound. However, iron ore production volume fell 2 per cent year-on-year to 76.4 million tonnes as above-average rainfall across Western Australia and labour shortages affected mine and port operations, Rio said. by Melani Manel Perera The Archbishop of Colombo wants two symbolic acts to mark the second anniversary of the 21 April 2019 bombings. He also renewed his protest against the government's reluctance to inquire. The Sri Lankan Muslim Council also calls for prayers for the victims and demands the truth. Colombo (AsiaNews) Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith of Colombo said that Catholic schools will remain closed tomorrow on the second anniversary of the Easter Sunday 2019 attacks. To mark the occasion, he also called on Sri Lankans to observe two minutes of silence. The cardinal made his appeal while reiterating his dissatisfaction with the results of the commission of inquiry set up to shed light on the bombings. He accused again the government of playing political games that are undermining his confidence in the probe. In spite of this, tomorrow there will be no street protests against the slow progress by the authorities in seeking out those who carried out the attacks, as some feared a few weeks ago. At a press conference in Colombo yesterday, Card Ranjith urged in particular Catholics and all religious leaders to observe two minutes of silence tomorrow at 8.45 am, the time when the first bomb went off at the St. Anthony's Shrine (Kochchikade) on 21 April 2019, which was followed by series of bombings that killed 279 people and wounded more than 500 people. The prelate announced that all Catholic schools will remain closed on this second anniversary. He also used the occasion to slam the government for the shortcomings of the investigation into the attacks. Political wheeling and dealing seem to overshadow efforts to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice, lamented the cardinal. When asked about his intention to protest in streets because of the governments failure, Card Ranjith said that all we want is serious action. We will continue to show that our people are with us. We will continue this struggle until we have a clear sign that the government is going to truly investigate and reveal the matter to the public. It is not a problem for Christians or Catholics. This is a problem for the country and its security. The Archbishop of Colombo added that ad hoc arrests and releases are not building trust in the investigation. Prayer vigils will be held this evening with Eucharistic adoration at the St. Anthonys Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, and at the St. Sebastian Church in the Katuwapitiya, Negombo, both hit in the attacks. Services will continue tomorrow. A police spokesperson said that security measures will be beefed up around the countrys churches on the anniversary. Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) issued a communique expressing its support for the archbishop's invitation to observe the two minutes of silence tomorrow in memory of the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks. We call on Muslims to pray for these dead in the holy month of Ramadan, says MCSL Vice President Hilmy Ahamed. The Council too called on the government to speed up its investigation into the tragedy of 21 April 2019 and bring the real culprits to justice without relying on unfounded evidence. The Muslim community condemns suicide bombers, since Islam totally prohibits the killing of innocents even during a war, reads the communique. This is why the Muslim community denied the suicide bombers a Muslim funeral. It goes on to say: Let's strengthen our resolve to denounce and resist all forms of terrorism and violence, and help promote peaceful coexistence, understanding and harmony among all citizens in Sri Lanka. Advertisement Harry Potter fans will be able to visit the official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York City next to the iconic Flatiron building on Broadway from June 3 - and first-look images show what a treat they're in for. Harry Potter New York will 'set a new standard for themed retail, combining breath-taking design, exquisite craftsmanship, hand-crafted props, exciting interactive elements and exclusive products - inviting fans to experience the Wizarding World in a brand-new way'. Spanning three floors and over 21,000 sq ft, the store will house the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof. Inside the official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York City, which will open next to the iconic Flatiron building on Broadway on June 3 On entering the store, customers will pass under a huge model of Fawkes the Phoenix gazing down from the ceiling, pictured Harry Potter New York features 15 different themed areas, each one 'carefully and uniquely presented to bring the magic of the Wizarding World to life'. A statement for the launch of the store says: 'Entering the store, customers will pass under a huge model of Fawkes the Phoenix gazing down from the ceiling. 'Fawkes was created especially for Harry Potter New York by a team of specialist propmakers over a number of months. The impressive model weighs over 220lbs and is just one of many painstakingly detailed, handmade props, each one created to surprise and delight customers as they explore. 'Stepping inside Harry Potter New York, witches, wizards and Muggles will encounter a number of exciting experiences. Fans are invited to strike their best pose at one of many photo opportunities, including posing inside a London phone box for a photo as if transporting themselves into the Ministry of Magic, or even seeing themselves as if they were inside Hagrids boots! 'For those who have always dreamed of bringing their favorite Harry Potter character to life, the interactive wand table lets them pick up a wand and put it to the test. Spanning three floors and over 21,000 sq ft, the store will house the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof A statement for the store opening says: 'For those who have always dreamed of bringing their favorite Harry Potter character to life, the interactive wand table lets them pick up a wand and put it to the test' 'Harry Potter New York will incorporate digital technologies throughout the store including integration with the Harry Potter Fan Club app. 'Users will find a number of Enchanted Keys throughout the store that unlock exclusive behind-the-scenes facts, figures, and videos that bring the store to life.' Also available in the store will be 'two exciting and immersive multiplayer virtual reality experiences'. The full sensory VR adventures are location-based, allowing 'real-time interactive exploration of the Wizarding World as never before'. Within the walls of Harry Potter New York, MinaLima - the graphic design duo on all Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie - will create a gallery and store showcasing the graphic art of the Wizarding World The statement adds: 'Chaos at Hogwarts lets hopeful witches and wizards step into a magical journey to Hogwarts Castle and become part of the adventure where magical creatures and secrets await. 'Fans will need their wands at the ready as Wizards Take Flight prepares guests to fly on brooms with the thrills of a magical wand battle against Death Eaters over the skies of London and around the enchanting grounds of Hogwarts Castle. 'The Chaos At Hogwarts and Wizards Take Flight virtual reality experiences are scheduled to open in-store this summer with more details to be revealed soon.' When it comes to buying gifts, the store says its personalization area 'offers a huge amount of inspiration and unique products'. The statement explains: 'Fans can bring their fandom to life and choose from a host of personalization options, including engraving a wand, embossing a journal or embroidering a House robe with their name. The statement says: 'Fans will discover prints of the Daily Prophet covers, Harrys Hogwarts acceptance letter and the Quibbler, all hand-designed by MinaLima in a space modeled after their iconic London shop' 'Aspiring witches and wizards will be able to browse for Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans in an area inspired by the whimsical surroundings of Honeydukes. 'Once they have taken a look at the goodies on offer, they can stop under the Dirigible Plumtree, a special area where they can find their favorite magical creature soft toy. 'Usually found guarding the entrance to Dumbledores office, every aspiring Hogwarts student will recognize the majestic Griffin rotating in the stores grand main atrium. 'From here, fans will be invited into the Wand Shop to browse over 50 wands inspired by characters, locations and props from the Wizarding World, including the Golden Snitch wand, exclusive to Harry Potter New York. 'In addition, the store will be home to Americas only House of MinaLima. Within the walls of Harry Potter New York, MinaLima, the graphic design duo on all Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies, will create a gallery and store showcasing the graphic art of the Wizarding World. 'Fans will discover prints of the Daily Prophet covers, Harrys Hogwarts acceptance letter and the Quibbler, all hand-designed by MinaLima in a space modeled after their iconic London shop. The exterior of the new flagship Harry Potter store in New York, which can be found at 935 Broadway 'Alongside the main collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products, fans will be able to choose from a range of brand collaborations including Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly handbags and many other fan-favorite ranges including Pottery Barn Teen.' Sarah Roots, EVP Warner Bros Worldwide Tours and Retail, says: 'The level of artistic detail and quality of the design inspired by the movies means Harry Potter New York will bring a completely new shopping experience to the city. With over 1,000 Wizarding World props on display (including some authentic items that featured in the movies), the incredible theming, along with experiences such as photo opportunities and the fantastic range of products, there will be something special for every fan.' While the store has the finishing touches added at 935 Broadway, a hand-selected range of products is available to purchase from the Harry Potter Shop at www.harrypottershop.com. ADVERTISEMENT Movement of vehicles and passengers along the Enugu-Abakaliki Highway in Nigerias south-east was disrupted on Tuesday, following heavy shooting at the Ezilo axis of the highway by unknown gunmen. Two persons were killed on Monday in a renewed boundary dispute between Ezzilo community and neighboring Iyionu community. Both communities are in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It could not be immediately established if the shooting had any connection with the dispute. A passenger who was travelling to Enugu said travellers were stranded at Okpoto for about one hour. He said military vehicles were patrolling the highway, but that motorists were advised not to get into the road. Many people are looking for another route to take. Some have gone back to take Afikpo road. I am looking for a way to go back to Abakaliki, he said. Police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Loveth Odah, confirmed the development. She said the Police Commissioner, Aliyu Garba, has dispatched police patrol teams to restore peace and open up the road for users. She, however, said the shooting could not be related to the boundary dispute as the disputed area is not close to the highway. Governor David Umahi earlier confirmed the killing of two persons in the dispute, after a security council meeting in Abakaliki. He expressed dismay at the role played by the councilor representing the area in the crisis. According to him, the state government committee working on the land dispute was on the verge of resolving the dispute, having declared the disputed land as buffer zone. But the councilor took some foreign investors to the land and this led to shootings during which two persons died, he said The governor ordered the arrest of the councilor. Mr Umahi also condemned the renewed crisis in the Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area which he blamed on publications in some conventional and social media by one Pascal Oluchukwu. His publication in a national daily at a time peace was gradually returning to the area heightened tension and led to recent killings in the area, he said. The judge overseeing the murder case against former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd on Monday slammed Representative Maxine Waters for giving comments that could lead to an appeal in the event of a conviction and overturned. Waters' comments came as the jury for the Derek Chauvin trial case begins their deliberation, New York Post reported. The California representative urged the protesters to "stay on the street" and "get more confrontational" if the defendant was found not guilty in the death of George Floyd. Maxine Waters gave her comments while in a crowd of protesters in Brooklyn Center on Sunday, in light of the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright. READ NEXT: Derek Chauvin Case: 3 Jurors Now Chosen for His Murder Trial Chauvin Trial Judge on Maxine Waters Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill emphasized that it was abhorrent of Waters to tell those comments in front of the protesters, Reuters reported. Waters reportedly said to the demonstrators that she hoped to get a verdict that "says, guilty, guilty, guilty." And if the opposite happens, she told protesters "to stay on the street" and "get more active." "We've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business," Waters added. Cahill was not impressed by the comments that the representative had given, hoping that elected officials would stop talking about the Derek Chauvin trial, "especially in the manner that's disrespectful to the rule of law and the judicial branch and their function." Cahill's comments came after Derek Chauvin's defense lawyer requested a mistrial, arguing that Waters' comments had tarnished the proceeding. Defense Attorney Eric Nelson said that the statements made by the elected official could reasonably be interpreted as threats against the "sanctity of the jury process." Nelson added that it had the effect of "threatening and intimidating the jury." "I don't know if this particular representative made a specified threat of violence," Prosecutor Matthew Frank told Cahill, emphasizing that the vague allegations of Waters could not "muddy" the record without specific evidence offered in the court, USA Today reported. Frank noted that Waters' statements should not be allowed to become part of the court record. But Cahill allowed the defense to supplement the record with news articles about the lawmaker's comments. Cahill said he was aware that Waters talked about the Derek Chauvin trial and the "unacceptability of anything less than a murder conviction." However, Cahill noted that although Waters may have given the defense something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned, "a Congresswoman's opinion really doesn't matter a whole lot." Views on Maxine Water's Comments Apart from Cahill blasting Maxine Waters for her comments, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy led an effort to condemn the California representative formally. Republicans criticized Waters' rhetoric, accusing the representative of inciting violence. In a tweet, McCarthy announced his plans to introduce a resolution formally condemning her words. McCarthy noted that Maxine Waters broke the law by "violating the curfew and then incited violence." This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence. Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters behaviorthats why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments. Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 19, 2021 McCarthy added that what drove him to introduce censorship for the representative is because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ignores Water's behavior. Pelosi has defended Maxine Waters, arguing that the representative talked about "confrontation in the manner of civil rights movement," and for that, Waters do not need to apologize. Derek Chauvin, who is white, was accused of killing George Floyd as he pushed his knee into the neck of the 46-year-old handcuffed Black man for more than nine minutes in May 2020. George Floyd's death sparked protests around the world over police brutality. READ MORE: Medical Expert Defends George Floyd's Cause of Death Focusing on Oxygen Loss WATCH: Judge Slams Maxine Water's Remarks on Chauvin Trial - From Wahington Post (Newser) You've seen the photoa young woman kneeling over the body of Kent State student Jeffrey Miller, after he and three other students were fatally shot by National Guard troops on May 4, 1970. What may come as a surprise is that the young woman in the photo was only 14 at the time. Her name is Mary Ann Vecchio, and she gives a rare interview to Patricia McCormick for a profile in the Washington Post. In regard to the photo, Vecchiowho'd left her Florida home earlier that year and was hitchhiking across the countryremembers talking to Miller moments before the shots rang out. As she knelt over his body, she remembers crying, "Doesn't anyone see what just happened here?" and "Why is no one helping him?" And to the soldiers who approached with their guns drawn, "Why did you do this?" story continues below The photo by John Filo would become "one of the most important images of the 20th century," writes McCormick, one that in her view helped end the Vietnam War. She also interviews Filo for the piece. Of that moment: "I knew the boy was dead, but I could tell she didn't know," he says of Vecchio. "I could see something building in her, and all of a sudden she lets out this scream and I shoot." Vecchio left the scene moments later and made her way to Indianapolis over the following days. She might have stayed anonymous had not an Indianapolis Star reporter told authorities where she was, a move that got her sent to a juvenile detention facility and made her world-famous for a timeas well as the object of hatred in some quarters. She now lives a quiet life in Florida. "That picture hijacked my life," she says. "And 50 years later, I still haven't really moved on." Read the full piece. (Read more Kent State stories.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) President Rodrigo Duterte has personally ordered to hold clinical trials in the country for the use of antiparasitic drug ivermectin on COVID-19 patients, according to Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo. The FDA chief on Tuesday said the President gave the orders to the Departments of Health and Science and Technology to determine if the drug originally prescribed to treat animals can be used on humans infected with COVID-19. The order came despite repeated warnings from the FDA and DOH that there is not enough evidence on the drug's efficacy against the virus. Experts also said high doses of it could cause brain damage or even death. "Si Presidente po mismo ang nag-utos noong Huwebes sa DOST at DOH na aralin," Domingo told a media briefing. "Kasi marami din siyang naririnig at nababalitaan na may mga sumusuporta at meron ding siyentipikong nagsasabing kulang pa ang ebidensya. So inutos niya talaga sa pamahalaan na aralin na rin." [Translation: The President himself gave the order to DOST and DOH last Thursday. He has heard from many supporters and experts in the medical field who are saying there needs to be more evidence.] Domingo revealed that the DOST explained there are already several trials globally that are expected to be completed in the next few weeks, but the President insisted. "Kaya lang, si Presidente, gusto niya talaga sigurong subukan sa ating mga Pilipino kaya inutos niya sa DOST na aralin din sa atin," the regulatory chief said. [Translation: However, the President probably wanted to try it out on Filipinos so he ordered the DOST to look into it.] The DOST is leading the clinical trials on ivermectin. Dr. Aileen Wang of the Philippine General Hospital was tasked to spearhead the trials that will involve quarantine centers near the healthcare facility. The DOH has already allocated funds for the program. The President's order is a deviation from previous pronouncements. The government on April 10 said it has no plans to conduct clinical trials to determine the efficacy of the anti-parasitic drug against the coronavirus since similar studies are ongoing in other parts of the world. Apple Inc. launched a new accessory called AirTag that will find physical items like bags, wallets and keys, entering a market with competitors including Tile and Samsung. The accessory, announced Tuesday at Apples product event, looks like a small white-and metal puck and can attach to a key chain by way of a leather sleeve with a clip. The company said it would sell an individual AirTag for $29 or in packs of four for $99. The gadget will be available April 30, Apple said. The accessory will work with an updated version of the Find My app on all of the companys major devices, adding third-party items to Apples service for tracking the location of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other products. AirTags have been in development at the Cupertino, California-based technology giant for more than two years and have been reported on by Bloomberg News multiple times. The company had intended to introduce the item-tracking gadget last year around the time of the iPhone 12 launch, but delayed the release, Bloomberg has previously reported. For an unannounced product, the AirTag has been quite controversial. The device has given smaller companies antitrust fodder against the iPhone maker. Tile, which has made a similar accessory for years, has filed antitrust complaints about Apples Find My app and the perceived advantage Apple would give its own upcoming product. Earlier this month, Apple opened its Find My app to third-party devices. Its also allowing the makers of third-party devices, such as bicycles and headphones, to integrate location chips to be found by the Find My app without additional hardware. Samsung has been selling versions of its own physical item tracker. Sales of AirTags would likely be included in Apples growing segment of Wearables, Home, and Accessories, which generated more than $30 billion in the fiscal year ended in September. Nairobi county has set aside Sh40 million for the rehabilitation of street children and other vulnerable groups in the capital city. The county government intends to rescue and place 300 street children in child care facilities starting July. The project will be carried out in phases; phase 1 will involve rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration at a cost of Sh5 million. Another Sh3 million will go towards family reunification and integration, Sh2 million on supervised child care facilities, and Sh2 million on trauma and therapy sessions. County Education executive Janet Ouko said the money will be used to run the four childrens homes in Nairobi Makadara, Kayole, Shauri Moyo and Joseph Kangethe as well as complete the Ruai rehabilitation center. Lori Joaquin holds her 2-year-old son, Zac, alongside her sister Robyn Vasquez as they grab lunch at Philippe the Original near downtown Los Angeles on March 15. The restaurant, which has operated since 1908, resumed limited indoor dining after L.A. County loosened COVID-19 restrictions. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County saw a $735-million drop in sales tax revenue due to the pandemic-related economic slowdown, but the county will avoid layoffs and furloughs and funding to large departments, including the Sheriff's Department, will remain largely unchanged, according to a budget proposal unveiled by officials on Monday. County Chief Executive Fesia Davenport said in a presentation to reporters that despite the financial hit from the pandemic, her "leaner" budget proposal still includes millions to help finance services to address homelessness, child welfare, healthcare and mental health. "The pandemic has exposed and increased the gap between the haves and have-nots in Los Angeles County, Davenport said. This budget seeks to address that." That includes directing almost $427 million to finance Measure H strategies, a jump of about $17 million, that'll be directed at expanding and sustaining interim housing beds and motel vouchers, and increasing money spent on permanent supportive housing. Davenport also recommends adding about $30 million to expand mental health crisis and intervention services, a response to the sharp increase in demands placed on the county's mental health system including a 30% increase in phone calls to the county Department of Mental Health's helpline. The budget also proposes the county spend $57 million to increase foster care resources, and an additional $35 million on "fair and efficient elections." Almost $20 million is recommended to create jobs for young people and workers displaced by the pandemic. Two offices the Alternatives to Incarceration initiative, and the county's anti-racism initiative would receive $3.6 million to finance 10 new positions in the CEO's offices to lead those efforts. Davenport said her budget recommendations include a small increase of 304 jobs, primarily in health, bringing the total number of county workers to 110,499. Story continues The last budget, approved amid the COVID-19 crisis, included $369 million in cuts to departments funded with locally generated money and eliminated 2,586 positions. That money doesn't appear to be returning, and sacrifices will be made. County departments submitted more than $2 billion in requests that won't be likely funded. Of this, only $530 million of the most critical requests will be considered later this year as the county knows more about tax revenues and other revenue streams. Last year, the county received $1.2 billion in CARES Act one-time funding that it spent on testing, rent relief, food, small business assistance grants, laptops for children in need, and the overall emergency response. Officials anticipate receiving $1.9 billion in federal coronavirus aid this year, $950 million of which should arrive in May, "So what's our economic outlook? We are cautiously optimistic," Davenport told reporters. "That optimism is tempered by very real concerns." The county is on a slow yet steady path to recovery. Recent reports by economists suggest that economic recovery will speed up later this year, according to the county chief executive office's analysis. Thousands of residents are being vaccinated each day, but the county's recovery hinges, in part, on whether the vaccine supply stays steady. Additionally, if L.A. County sees another surge, that could prompt another round of shutdowns. Over the last few years, county supervisors have pushed for a "care first, jails last" approach to the county's criminal legal system, which has included proposing the closure of the county's decrepit Men's Central Jail and far more dollars to finance alternatives to jail and prison. However, Davenport's budget proposal does not include a proposal for creating the Department of Youth Development, an agency proposed by the county Board of Supervisors in November, which would transition children and teenagers in the county probation department's custody to the new agency's care. The supervisors had asked for an initial investment of $75 million for the new department in the next fiscal year. Davenport said it would be premature to allocate the money and that more work is needed before the county is ready to launch those efforts. The budget proposal marks the first time the county will allocate money to Measure J, a ballot measure passed in November that requires 10% of locally generated, unrestricted county money be spent on a variety of social services. The county is prohibited from using the money on prisons, jails or law enforcement agencies. How much the county must spend to fulfill Measure J remains to be determined. Davenport is recommending the county allocate $100 million for a "down payment" to start implementing Measure J, financing direct community investments and alternatives to incarceration. The money did not come from the Sheriff's Department budget, which remains relatively unchanged at about $3.4 billion, she said. The county has until June 2024 to figure out how much it is legally obligated to allocate to meet the 10% threshold. If nothing changed between now and the 2023-24 fiscal year, the county estimates that the full annual set-aside for Measure J would be $300 million. But local advocates have taken issue with those estimates and plan to press the county for more. The JusticeLA Coalition, which advocates for reimaging the county's criminal legal system, was busy Monday organizing residents to call into the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday to voice their discontent with Davenport's recommendation, which the organization called "a measly $100 million." Organizers argued that the county wants to allocate only $300 million on Measure J over a three-year period when their analysis estimates the true amount to be set aside as $966 million. "This offering is yet another attempt to preserve the status quo and silence the voices of LA County residents," according to a script being prepared Monday by JusticeLA for callers to read. "We did not march for racial justice in the streets, phone bank and go to the ballot box to have the county throw pennies at our communities." The supervisors will discuss Davenport's proposal Tuesday and vote on a final budget in June. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he is willing to deploy military ships to the South China Sea to assert the country's claim over oil deposits Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he is willing to deploy military ships to the South China Sea to assert the country's claim over oil deposits in a contested part of the waterway. Duterte, who has embraced China since taking power in 2016, has faced growing domestic criticism for his reluctance to confront Beijing over its activities in Philippine-claimed waters. Tensions spiked last month after hundreds of Chinese vessels were detected at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands, which are contested by several countries, including the Philippines and China. Beijing has refused repeated demands by the Philippines to call back the ships, which Manila says are maritime militia vessels and China says are fishing boats. "I'm not so much interested now in fishing. I don't think there's enough fish really to quarrel about," Duterte said Monday. "But when we start to mine, when we start to get whatever it is in the bowels of the China sea, our oil, then by that time... I will send my grey ships there to state a claim," he said, while also emphasising his desire "to remain friends" and "share whatever it is". Duterte spoke the day after top military leadership rejected a rumour that a social media group involving members of the armed forces had demanded the president denounce China or they would no longer support him as their commander in chief. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the waterway, which is believed to hold rich deposits of natural resources. In 2016, a UN-backed tribunal rejected its claims. Beijing has ignored the ruling. Duterte has repeatedly said conflict with China would be futile, and on Monday warned of "bloodshed" if the Philippines tried to take back the waters. Renewed tension in the region has alarmed several countries. The United States, a key military ally of the Philippines and its former colonial ruler, recently reminded China of its treaty obligations to Manila. Story continues The dispute comes as the Philippines receives millions of doses of Covid-19 jabs from China's Sinovac -- many of them donated. The jabs have underpinned the country's inoculation efforts as it waits for the delivery of vaccines from Russia and the West. mff-amj/lb By Melvyn B. Krauss STANFORD In French President Emmanuel Macron, the United States has the best ally it could hope for in the Elysee Palace. In fact, Macron may now be the only U.S. allied leader with a genuine liberal-internationalist worldview to match that of U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden's options for a truly reliable partner in Europe are, sadly, few nowadays. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may fancy himself as the second coming of Winston Churchill, but as long as he is in power, his Trumpian-scale mendacity and madcap approach to policymaking will make it essentially impossible for the Biden administration to find much value in the old "special relationship." Germany, meanwhile, had over recent years increasingly come to look like America's key ally in Europe, owing to its economic heft, and cool, deliberate leadership under Chancellor Angela Merkel. But Merkel's 15-year chancellorship will end later this year, and that will undoubtedly change the strategic calculus. Given this, Philip Stephens of the Financial Times is not wrong to suggest that, "if Biden wants a reliable European partner, he would do better to look to America's oldest ally": France. While Merkel "will admit no equal when it comes to bold declarations about upholding democracy, playing by the multilateral rules, and respecting human rights," nor will she (or presumably her successor) allow these concerns "to threaten Germany's economic interests not least its business dealings with China and Russia." With a commitment to France's economic revival to match that of Merkel's in Germany, Macron also offers something that she does not: namely, a clear, realistic assessment of the world and of the challenges facing the West. Unlike any other Western leader today, Macron not only grasps the global power shifts underway, but has initiated a far-sighted military reform agenda to confront this new age of uncertainty. He understands that France needs not only greater military readiness but also an updated military doctrine, and has now put the country on track to meet its NATO pledge to spend 2 percent of gross domestic products (GDP) on defense. But Macron, buffeted by the pandemic, faces a difficult presidential election next April. Although he retains a lead over his main rival, Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally, there is no denying that it could be a close race. For his part, Biden clearly understands that a Le Pen victory would be a disaster for the transatlantic alliance, the European Union, and ultimately the U.S. The West will have traded Donald Trump in Washington for his female doppelganger in Paris. The big winner, once again, would be Russian President Vladimir Putin, because Le Pen whose party previously relied on loans from Russian banks would surely set about destroying both NATO and the EU. For the U.S., then, it is time to act. The first and best thing the Biden administration could do to bolster Macron's standing is to send more vaccines to France immediately. To be seen brokering a deal for a reliable supply of vaccines would be a giant feather in Macron's cap. Indeed, the pandemic has created an opportunity for American ingenuity to serve both U.S. domestic and security interests. Biden should seize it. Moreover, Biden and Macron are closely aligned on a number of key economic issues. While Biden wants to claw back tax money from Big Tech firms, Macron has been demanding the same within the OECD, and his finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, has been conducting talks with the U.S. to that end for years. With Trump in power, these French efforts mostly went nowhere. But now a new grand bargain has become a realistic prospect. Just this month, Le Maire expressed hope that "we can also move forward with (U.S. Secretary of the Treasury) Janet Yellen on the taxation of digital services to reach a comprehensive agreement at the level of the OECD in the summer." And his German counterpart, Olaf Scholz, added, "It is now realistic to expect that we will reach agreement this year on an international framework for a minimum tax rate for companies, alongside better taxation of the digital economy." Until now, the sticking point has been U.S. opposition to letting other countries tax the sales revenues that Big Tech companies generate in their jurisdictions. But now that the Biden administration needs to clinch a global corporate tax deal, it may concede this point, offering a victory to the leader who has been championing a digital-services tax: Macron. If the U.S. and France can both agree to a global minimum corporate tax rate, the OECD will be likely to go along; and where the OECD goes, the world will follow. In this way, a global grand bargain could offer a big boost to U.S. tax revenues at a critical moment, and a significant political victory for Macron, who is too often wrongly portrayed (by the far left and far right) as a tool of big business. Melvyn B. Krauss is professor emeritus of economics at New York University. This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). After moving to Brandon in January, Lucie Lederhendler said her role as curator for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba has come into sharper focus. Advertisement Advertise With Us After moving to Brandon in January, Lucie Lederhendler said her role as curator for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba has come into sharper focus. Lederhendler told the Sun on Monday that this smooth transition can be attributed to the community as a whole, with various Brandonites going out of their way to make her feel right at home in this new position. For example, one of the first projects that Lederhendler spearheaded as AGSM curator is "i {heart} Brandon," an exhibit designed to give Westman residents from different walks of life the chance to express what the Wheat City means to them. Having lived in Montreal for two decades, Lederhendler said the act of collecting and displaying close to 100 individual pieces of local art really helped her get to know the community as a whole, especially at a time when COVID-19 restrictions are putting a limit on everyones social mobility. "There is no way to meet people organically," she said. "I keep waiting for my little meet and greets. But i {heart} Brandon has kind of been my replacement for that, just through triangulating all of these different artists." Over in AGSMs main gallery, Lederhendler also got the opportunity to work with Brandon-based artist Chris Reid, whose latest exhibit, "Nothing Smells in Absolute Zero," explores issues like social housing and homelessness in a pop-surrealist style. Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba curator Lucie Lederhendler poses for a photo in her office on Monday afternoon. Lederhendler moved to Brandon in January to take on this role at AGSM, having already served as the curator of Montreals Studio Beluga since 2011. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun) Reids various paintings and 3D models directly reference local examples of urban decay like the old Eighth Street bridge, which hammers home the citys inner-city landscape for a newcomer like Lederhendler. "I had just moved to Brandon and it really highlights social problems that a lot of places share," she said. "And then, meanwhile, i {heart} Brandon was this absolute celebration of my new home. So there was this really great balance." In December 2020, AGSM officials named Lederhendler their newest curator following the departure of Alyssa Fearon earlier in the year. In the gallerys original press release announcing the new hire, AGSM executive director Deirdre Chisholm championed Lederhendlers impressive track record as both an artist and an educator, having held positions at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Concordia Universitys FOFA Gallery and McGill University. Lederhendler also served as the curator of Studio Beluga in Montreal since 2011. "She has a subtle and insightful understanding of community-based artistic practices and an accessible and open demeanour," Chisholm said in the original news release. "I am very excited to collaborate with her and to see the direction it will take the gallery in the future." Curator Lucie Lederhendler showcases all the submissions she received for the i {heart} Brandon exhibit, which is currently on display at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun) While her role as AGSMs curator is off to a good start, Lederhendler admits that putting together programming in the age of COVID poses a significant challenge, since public health restrictions are always changing. But even if the gallery is forced to close its doors again, Lederhendler is confident her planned exhibits can move ahead, since digital projects co-ordinator Ana Camelo has done a great job of building up AGSMs online presence. "I think the exhibition processes will become more accessible through these digital media (platforms) as well," she said. "The question is: just how intense it is going to be?" In the meantime, Lederhendler is looking to finalize AGSMs programming block for the spring/summer season, which includes exhibits featuring the works of photographer Shelley Niro and graduating arts students from Brandon University. "Overall, its a really good start. Im already seeing that the planning process is getting earlier and earlier," she said. "So were getting our rhythm together." AGSM will virtually unveil the winners of the "i {heart} Brandon" contest on Thursday, with four individuals walking away with $500 each for placing first in the "youth," "teen," "adult" and "audience choice" categories. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter:@KyleDarbyson A woman has been found dead with several burns to her body in the backyard of a residential Gold Coast home as police wait to speak to a 'semi-conscious' man who had burns to his hands at a house nearby over the homicide. Her body was discovered early on Tuesday morning with several burns on Spikes Court in Arundel, north of the city's CBD. Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street before speaking to neighbours about what they had seen. A 35-year-old man was located nearby in a semi-conscious state with burns to his hands and airways. He is currently under police guard at Gold Coast University Hospital where investigators are waiting for him to wake before interviewing him. There were three young children under the age of nine present in the house where the woman's burned body was found. They are all safe. A woman's body has been found in the backyard of a residential Gold Coast home Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street Police say they believe the man and woman were in a 'previous relationship' Detective Inspector Chris Ahern of the Gold Coast Police said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways. He had fled the scene of the incident and was found at a property in nearby Langer Place. 'We are in the early stages of that investigation and we need to positively identify the victim,' he said. 'One of the lines of inquiry is the male person located and the deceased female person were known to each other and were potentially in a previous relationship.' They are treating the incident as a homicide and have no other suspects. They are investigating as to whether there had been domestic violence calls made to the house in the past. The house where police say the man was found unconscious and with burns to his hands and airways Detective Inspector Chris Ahern said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways Three children aged under nine were also found at the property, Det. Insp. Ahern said. They were taken from the property earlier this morning and will be interviewed by police Three children aged under nine were also found at the property, Det. Insp. Ahern said. They were taken from the property earlier this morning and will be interviewed by police. 'They are currently in safe custody,' he said. Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents. It's believed a neighbour phoned police after hearing a disturbance and raised voices at the house. Spikes Court remains closed off except to residents and forensic investigators. SES crews investigate the scene where a woman died and a man suffered burns, police say Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents The body, believed to be a woman's, was found early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, north of the city's CBD Local resident Fred Davies, who has lived on the street for 20 years, told the Courier Mail the situation was 'pretty traumatic'. 'When we lived in a street for as long as we have, and we all know one another, I have no idea who it is, what's happened, but to see this many police here obviously something's pretty traumatic has happened,' he said. 'They won't tell me nothing. They wouldn't say a word. They've just asked to have a look at the cameras.' Police examined bins in Spikes Court in case the man had left anything as he fled the scene A police forensic officer examines an object left at a bus stop near where the incident occurred Rubbish collection in the area has been stopped as police search bins for evidence possibly discarded by the alleged offender as he left the property. Another forensic investigation officer was seen photographing what appeared to be a crumpled black garment at a nearby bus stop on Allied Drive, where its believed the man stopped as he fled the scene. Mid-afternoon an SES crew from Southport joined police in searching Spikes Court and the surrounding neighbourhood for any evidence left behind by the alleged offender. NORWALK, Conn., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WUSTHOF is pleased to announce Florian Kohfink's appointment as the Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Global Executive Leadership Team, effective April 19, 2021. Kohfink's responsibilities will include global finance, controlling, supply chain management, logistics, IT, and the management of the Solingen campus. He will report to WUSTHOF's global CEO, Jan-Patrick Schmitz. WUSTHOF USA, Inc. Kohfink brings wide-ranging international expertise and will play a key role in helping shape the WUSTHOF family business into a global premium brand. He has acquired extensive experience working with family companies and multinationals in locations ranging from Munich to London and Chicago. Early in his career, he worked for European toy manufacturer Ravensburger, both as the CFO of their American branch and as Director of Finance of a listed German subsidiary. He then spent over 13 years at McDonald's Corporation, where he held various executive positions. Kohfink joins WUSTHOF from Vinnolit GmbH & Co. KG, part of the Westlake Chemical Corporation, where his most recent appointment was Division Controller/CFO Europe & Asia and Director of Finance & IT. "I am pleased that Florian is joining us," says Jan-Patrick Schmitz, WUSTHOF's global CEO. "With his razor-sharp mind and exceptional strategic experience, he will advance the optimization of our business processes and, consequently, increase the efficiency of our global operations. Florian's intercultural competence will be an important contributor to the further internationalization of the WUSTHOF brand." "I'm delighted to be joining WUSTHOF at this crucial stage of development," says Kohfink. "As a passionate home cook, I'm well acquainted with the brand. I am excited to actively shape the group's future and support the growth journey through globally standardized, integrated, and efficient processes and systems. The international market potential is enormous, and I look forward to working with the highly motivated WUSTHOF team to grow it even further." WUSTHOF.COM Press Contact Adam Fischer VP of Marketing T +1 (203) 970-8403 E [email protected] WUSTHOF USA, Inc. 333 Wilson Ave. Norwalk, CT 06896 United States of America T +1 (203) 852-8000 Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE WUSTHOF USA, Inc. The Biden administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a petition calling for the men-only draft registration to be declared unconstitutional and let Congress decide the future of the Selective Service System. In a brief filed to the court April 14, Acting Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said consideration of the case -- the National Coalition for Men v. Selective Service System -- would be "premature at this time," since Congress is "actively considering the scope of the registration. Prelogar, the Justice Department official who argues cases before the Supreme Court, pointed out that previous court decisions "made it clear that the Court should defer to Congress where possible in this sensitive military context," and said legislation has been introduced to address the issue. Read Next: The Coast Guard May Get Its First Female Four-Star Admiral She also argued that Congress has not had time to consider more than 160 recommendations made last year by a blue-ribbon commission on the future of the draft and national service. "This Court should afford Congress a reasonable opportunity to consider the Commission's recommendations, particularly given their breadth and timing," Prelogar wrote in her brief. The case challenges the constitutionality of a requirement that all American men aged 18 to 26 register with the Selective Service System in the event that a national emergency warrants a military draft. The plaintiff, the National Coalition for Men, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, argues that registration should be expanded to include men and women. In February, 10 retired military general and flag officers, including retired Air Force Gen. Mike Hayden, former director of the National Security Administration; Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal; and Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, penned a brief supporting that argument. "Including women in the selective service would double the pool of candidates available to draft, raising the overall quality of the conscripted force and enabling the nation to better meet its military needs," the officers wrote. But Prelogar made no mention of expanding the registration to include women. Instead, she focused on a previous case, Rostker v. Goldberg, in which the justices ruled the registration constitutional because its function was to furnish combat troops during a period of national emergency. At the time of the ruling in 1981, women were barred from serving in combat roles and thus would not be able to contribute. But the Defense Department lifted the ban on women in combat in 2013, and all military specialties became open to women in 2015. "Rostker itself made clear that the Court should defer to Congress where possible in this sensitive military context," Prelogar argued. She also noted the work of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service, which produced a 245-page report last March making 164 recommendations to Congress on Selective Service, the draft, civic education, and non-military national or public service. The commission said Selective Service registration should be extended to women, and commission members included the provision in proposed legislation that accompanied their report. That proposal, the Inspire 2 Serve Act, was introduced in the House in March 2020 but never made it past committee, overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. "The timing of the Commission's finalization of the report -- which coincided with the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic -- may have interfered with Congress's ability to take immediate action in response to the report," Prelogar wrote. "Congress has not had even one full legislative cycle to consider whether to adopt the recommendations in the Commission's March 2020 report." The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the panel's recommendations in March 2021. Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation to abolish the Selective Service System, calling its $25 million annual cost a waste of taxpayer dollars. Introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., as well as Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Rodney Davis, R-Ill., the legislation would dismantle the system. Military conscription ended in 1973 when the U.S. military moved to an all-volunteer force. "Congress hasn't come close to reinstating a military draft in 50 years, and I can't imagine a scenario where it would," Wyden said in a release on the proposed legislation. "It has been nearly 50 years since the draft was last used. I've long stated that if a war is worth fighting, Congress will vote to declare it and people will volunteer. This outdated government program no longer serves a purpose and should be eliminated permanently," Paul said. The Supreme Court now must decide whether to hear oral arguments in the case or request more information from the parties. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Debate Over Draft Registration For Women Takes a Deadly Twist Firefighters in Florida came to the rescue of a family of ducklings who fell into a storm drain near a bridge. ADVERTISEMENT The Iona McGregor Fire District said in a Facebook post that a crew responded to a weekend call from a member of the public who reported a group of ducklings had fallen into a storm drain near the Cape Coral Bridge. The firefighters opened the drain cover and Engineer Josh Wright climbed into the opening to lift the ducklings to safety. The baby birds were reunited with their mother. "There will be no bill for these ducks, it's all in a days work," the fire district said. Former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro kept a low profile after bowing out of last years election amid growing voter discontent with his hard-nosed prosecutorial practices. But he burst back onto the scene Tuesday, when Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced that Cannizzaro, 68, will serve as co-director of his criminal division, replacing a Landry ally who resigned in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. Cannizzaros co-director is Marty White, a longtime employee of the division who will be retiring soon. Landry said they'll work together for now in order to "pass the baton." The new job could give Cannizzaro a say in some cases in Orleans Parish, where hes practiced law for decades as a prosecutor, public defender and judge. Jeff Landry attacks credibility of those who reported sexual harassment by his top deputy Flanked by a cadre of women who work for him, state Attorney General Jeff Landry spent much of an hourlong news conference Tuesday trying to p Cannizzaro won campaigns for district judge, appellate judge and district attorney as a Democrat. Landry, one of the leading right-wing voices in Louisiana, said the appointment reflects his ability to work across the aisle. He has a long and distinguished legal career, Landry said. Mr. Cannizzaro will bring his experience to bear in continuing the tough work of the criminal division. Just as Ive done with any directors or leaders in this department, I choose them based on their experience and qualifications for the job at hand. Some of that experience is a negative for Cannizzaros detractors, including groups like the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana. They lambasted Cannizzaro when it was revealed that his prosecutors for years used bogus subpoenas to pressure witnesses and victims to speak with them. Civil rights lawyers are still pressing a lawsuit against the District Attorneys Office over those fake subpoenas with Cannizzaro listed as a defendant, although its now up to new District Attorney Jason Williams to defend the case. Whistleblower in Attorney General Jeff Landry's office comes forward, alleges more misconduct Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes has resigned from Attorney General Jeff Landry's office after he said that Landry has targeted him f It wasnt just Cannizzaros tactics that drew criticism. Cannizzaro also found himself increasingly out of step with the criminal justice philosophy of other New Orleans officials, who signed onto a campaign to reduce the inmate population at the city jail. During one February 2019 speech, Cannizzaro criticized those policies as a grand social experiment espoused by sheltered academics and naive politicians. Cannizzaro announced that he would not run for a third full term with minutes left left to go during the July qualifying period last year. At the time he said he had decided to retire in order to "spend more time with my family, especially my nine grandchildren born since I first took office. While Williams didnt face Cannizzaro on the campaign trail last fall, he often used the retiring district attorney as a foil. A career criminal defense attorney, Williams pledged to abandon use of the states habitual offender law and keep youths in juvenile court whenever possible, policies that stand in stark contrast to his "tough on crime" predecessor. Within days of taking office, he fired several of Cannizzaro's most senior lieutenants. 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 Given that Williams and his law partners often defended clients at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, Williams has handed control of a number of cases to the Attorney Generals Office since taking over on Jan. 11. +3 Sentenced to 23 years after stealing two shirts, a New Orleans man just walked free Guy Frank wears a silver watch on his right arm. Its a memento from his brother Joe, who died of cancer last April during Frank's 20th year i Through Feb. 26, Williams office recused itself from at least seven cases, according to records from the Attorney Generals Office. They included that of Glen David Andrews, the trombonist accused of armed robbery and domestic violence who performed at Williams inauguration. More recently, the District Attorneys Office was recused by defense motion from the appeal of Keith Kisack, whos serving a life sentence as a habitual offender for possession of a contraband cellphone inside Orleans Parish Prison. Williams was defending Kisack against a murder charge, and wound up testifying about text messages he received from his jailed client. Williams said he didn't know who was on the other end of the conversation. While Cannizzaro and Williams have radically different views on criminal justice, Cannizzaro has little authority to launch prosecutions of his own or to overrule Williams. Aside from recusals and referrals, under the state Constitution, the Attorney Generals Office can only take over local criminal cases for cause, and it must win court approval. The grounds for intervention arent further defined by the Louisiana constitution, although the state Supreme Court once said the attorney general would have to make a showing that the district attorney is not adequately asserting some right or interest of the state. +10 New Orleans DA Leon Cannizzaro says he won't run again, ending era and controversial career Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro announced on Friday that he will not seek a third term, a blockbuster decision that leaves th Dane Ciolino, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, said interventions are extremely rare. The way the Louisiana constitution is written, the local DAs in the local districts are virtually all-powerful, he said. The attorney general can really only come in when the local DA asks the attorney general to come in, or theres some sort of conflict or recusal. Louisiana housing agency leader faces sex harassment claims; he's on paid leave The leader of the state's affordable housing agency has been suspended while he's being investigated for allegations that he sexually harassed In the past, Landry himself has taken a narrow view of his ability to override district attorneys. When faced with calls for a statewide probe of sex abuse by Catholic clergy in 2018, Landry said he would have to receive requests from local authorities first. Aside from defending constitutional challenges to criminal laws and handling cases referred by local prosecutors, the criminal division also prosecutes insurance and Medicaid fraud. Its not like the Department of Justice in Washington they truly oversee all the federal criminal prosecutions, Ciolino said. Its very much different for the attorney general of the state of Louisiana. South Africa: Support for students affected by fire The City of Cape Town has commended businesses who have stepped up to support over 1 000 students affected by the Cape Town fire. Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC, David Maynier, said the immense response to the Cape Town fire from across government, civil society and the private sector has been incredible. In particular, I would like to thank businesses in Cape Town, especially those in the tourism and hospitality industry, who have stepped up to quickly assist those affected by the fire, especially University of Cape Town (UCT) students, who had to be evacuated from their residences, Maynier said on Tuesday. Maynier said through the co-ordination efforts of the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) and Ubuntu Beds, over 29 accommodation businesses provided 560 rooms to almost 1 000 UCT students on Sunday, and the support continues to increase. The MEC said ongoing accommodation will be provided to students until such time they are able to return to their residences. Old Mutual has offered their premises in Pinelands as a collection point for donations and kitchen facilities as a base for the preparation of over 12 000 meals, which have been distributed by Gift of the Givers and Hospital Heroes to the students. Restaurants and fast-food outlets such as Den Anker, Burger King, Tigers Milk, City Grill Steakhouse and others are also providing meals to UCT students. In fact, just this morning I had the privilege of visiting Den Anker to meet with management and the team working hard to provide meals to the students. "With the assistance of donors, they've already provided 40 meals to students on Sunday night and 350 meals on Monday night, Maynier said. Maynier has also visited Makers Landing and met with representatives from the V&A Waterfront to hear about their efforts to feed students from the venue. Since Sunday, over 4 000 sandwiches have been made and 1 000 lunches, 1 000 dinners and 1 000 breakfasts have been served. Makers Landing is also available to students as a work space with free wi-fi, and the V&A Waterfront are providing personal care items to the students that are currently being housed in temporary accommodation at Breakwater Lodge. Other retailers and brands such Massmart, Engen, The Foschini Group, Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Pioneer Foods, Blue Ribbon bread and Coke have also offered donations and supplies, while Uber and Bolt have provided free trips to transport students and deliver meals, and we are grateful to them for their support as well. These are just a few examples of the many impressive efforts made by the private sector, many of whom have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic yet are showing great initiative to support our fire-fighting heroes and those displaced by the fire, Maynier said. Maynier further commended hundreds of volunteers, who have given generously their time to assist, saying these efforts could also not have been achieved without their help. This comprehensive and immediate response to the crisis is also a result of lessons learnt and systems implemented to accommodate healthcare workers and stranded international tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Cape Town fire has caused great damage to property and the irreplaceable loss of historical works and important research, the cost of which will only be full counted in the days and weeks to come, the efforts of business to step up and assist in this moment of crisis are welcomed and are certainly a positive during this tragedy, Maynier said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. JOHNS ISLAND For the past 14 years, Fred Neuville has served many helpings of Lowcountry cuisine with a French flair at his Maybank Highway restaurant. But very soon, Neuville and wife Joan will leave the rustic dining venue. The Fat Hen will close for good April 26. The 35 employees were notified April 20. The Neuvilles are selling the 2-acre site for $2.39 million to an investment firm behind The Neighborhood Dining Group, according to Jim Moring with The Commonwealth Co., which handled the sale for the buyer and the seller. Moving into the Fat Hen location will be Minero, one of several restaurants in the Neighborhood Dining Group stable. The Mexican-inspired venue is expected to open by late summer, down the street from another site that the ownership had originally targeted when looking to relocate Minero from East Bay Street in Charleston. It scuttled the move when the coronavirus outbreak struck and closed the downtown location. We had a Johns Island location of Minero in the works last year, but the pandemic caused us to press pause until conditions improved, said David Howard, president of Neighborhood Dining Group. "We started looking around and this opportunity presented itself," Howard said. Were excited to resume plans for this location in an even bigger and better way than we had originally thought. We cant wait to serve the community on Johns Island and bring Minero back to the Charleston area. The company operates another Minero in Atlanta as well as Husk in Charleston, Nashville and Savannah; Husk Barbeque in Greenville; and Delaney Oyster House in Charleston. Howard said the new restaurant will require 30 to 40 workers and that current employees are being offered positions. The renovations over the next few months will include kitchen modifications and an expanded and covered front patio area with a retractable awning to accommodate more diners. The Coop, an outdoor bar and dining venue behind the restaurant, will be dismantled. In addition to many of its regular items such as house-made tortillas, slow-cooked meats, tacos, burritos, fire-grilled wings, margaritas, and tequila and mezcal, the restaurant will offer several new dishes for its all-day service seven days a week. It will replace a popular dining venture that the Neuvilles took a risk on in 2007 after borrowing against their home. "People said we were crazy," Fred Neuville said. "It was way out in the country, and no one would go there." But after the couple had lunch at what was then St. Johns Island Cafe, they felt it was the right location. They bought the business for $89,000 in April 2007, renovated it and opened three months later. "It was the biggest risk of our lives," said Neuville, who later became a co-owner of the nearby Wild Olive down the street from 2008 to 2010. "If we hadn't opened on July 8 (2007), we wouldn't have opened because we were out of money." He figured the Fat Hen's business plan to serve an average of 89 customers a night when he first opened. It turned out to be closer to 350 instead. 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! The venture was so successful the Neuvilles bought the 2-acre property for $1.1 million in 2009. "We were very fortunate," Neuville said. "It was definitely a dream come true." With business booming and people lining up to get in, The Coop was added in 2014. "We needed a waiting area, and it just evolved into what it is now," he said. The site includes a covered bar and outdoor seating for 40. When COVID-19 struck, he added a tent next to it. As for surviving during the pandemic, Neuville said it was a challenge at first because he was not used to serving to-go meals. When the economy began to emerge from the lockdown in May and allowed partial inside seating, he worked around it, but said the federal Paycheck Protection Program and expanded outdoor seating saved the business. "This past winter was OK, but not great," Neuville said. "But since spring break, we are doing great and we are matching numbers from 2019 when we were open seven days a week. We're now closed two days a week Sunday and Monday." Neuville said the coronavirus brought its challenges, but the decision to sell is one he and his wife have been mulling over for two or three years. She's ready to retire and he, now 55, wants to move on to a new venture. "I've been in the business since I was 13, and it's time to do something else," Neuville said. "I will continue to do some kind of work. If it's food service, it is. If not, I'm sure I will find something to do." Neuville said he will miss certain parts of the restaurant business, but not all of it. "There are a lot of things about the hospitality industry that I love and a lot that have changed and I don't enjoy, but you have to do it," he said. "I'll replace it with something else. I plan to keep my toe in the water." Wherever he lands, his credentials will follow him. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America when he was 19, Neuville accepted his first executive chef position at age 20 in a Richmond, Va., restaurant. From there, he moved around for several years, working in restaurants in Baltimore, Washington, Aspen, Colo., and Denver, where he met his wife and got married in 1996. She wanted to move to the coast, so they chose Charleston and he took a job as executive chef at the Jasmine Porch on Kiawah Island. He left there and worked for an events company before launching Rue de Jean in 2000 on John Street and the neighboring Coast Bar & Grill two years later. In 2004, he started Good Food Catering in the old Rice Mill building on the peninsula. Three years later, his wife saw a notice just before Christmas about a restaurant for sale on Johns Island. They checked it out, bought it and have never looked back. EAST HAVEN The town is on the hunt for a new town assessor following the retirement of the current one, who was on administrative leave pending an investigation. Assessor Michael Milici, who has held the job for 31 years, submitted a notice of retirement dated April 12 to Mayor Joseph Carfona. In a brief email, Milici asked to set up a meeting to review his retirement options. Carfora, in an email obtained by the New Haven Register, accepted the retirement. Town Attorney Michael Luzzi would not comment on the investigation that led up to the retirement but confirmed the town has taken steps to find someone to fill the assessor role on a temporary basis. Weve been in contact with individuals associated with the professional Connecticut Assessors Association and are in process of speaking with retired individuals interested in stepping into our location, on an interim basis, as we start the process for a full-time replacement, said Luzzi. The town hopes to have in interim assessor in place within 10 days. In the meantime, other staff in the assessors office are handling day-to-day operations, officials said. Milici, like all town department heads in East Haven, was a union employee and is entitled to a pension. The assessor was put on administrative leave in March pending an investigation into issues related to claims that employees under your supervision have worked overtime and without being paid in accordance with state and federal law. Luzzi would not go into details, calling a personnel matter. The overtime issue was raised by Milici during a virtual Board of Finance budget workshop in March. During the workshop, Milici requested the restoration of a clerk position from part-time to full-time status. In his request to restore a third, vacant full-time position in the office, he said staff were working additional hours without pay. Milici had said his other two staff members have been stressed to the limit this year, trying to keep the office up to date. They have both worked additional hours without pay to complete our duties effectively. During the meeting, Assistant Director of Administration and Management Michelle Benivegna said the open position in the assessors office historically has been part time and vacant for most of the year. By keeping it part time, she said there is $64,000 savings to the town. The newly proposed budget does include some funds for overtime. The department has been functioning, meeting all the guidelines and requirements they need to make, Benivegna, who also serves as human resources director for the town, said during the meeting. As far as the staff morale goes, I am a little concerned, Mike, about you saying that theyve been working without getting paid, Benivegna continued. Thats a conversation that we need to have because this is the first Im hearing about it. Milici responded that employees did the work because it needed to get done. And I myself put hours in myself that I did not charge for. We just wanted to get the work done. We wanted to get it done on time, Milici said. Were all very diligent about what we do. An internal town investigation into matter included interviews but has closed, Luzzi confirmed. Milici retired before he could be interviewed. Milici did not return calls seeking comment. As the United States prepares to withdraw its last troops from Afghanistan, lawmakers and Defense Department leaders are trying to figure out exactly how to prevent that nation from once again becoming a terrorist haven. Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said at a hearing Tuesday that he's concerned the Taliban could overrun the Afghan government once the U.S. leaves, which would risk Afghanistan once again becoming a "breeding ground" for terrorists. "I have yet to hear how the president intends to conduct counterterrorism operations without any U.S. troops in the region," Rogers said. "There had better be a plan for that, and I expect the administration to explain it to us as soon as possible." Read Next: Emptiness, Anger, Relief: Afghanistan Veterans Wrestle with Coming End of 'Forever War' Amanda Dory, acting undersecretary of defense for policy, testified before the hearing that the military is working to figure out how it will apply counterterrorism pressure to threats that may come from Afghanistan once troops leave. Surveillance and intelligence will be a key part of this effort, Dory said. President Joe Biden and his national security team considered a range of scenarios for the future of Afghanistan and the U.S.'s ability to pressure terrorists, Dory said. And she expressed confidence the nation will not fall victim to terrorist attacks after the last few thousand troops leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11. "The commitment is that there will not be threats emanating from Afghanistan against the U.S. homeland," Dory said. Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told the committee that he is considering options for keeping an "over the horizon" counterterrorism capability to rapidly respond to a terrorist threat in Afghanistan against the United States. He said he will present Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with the possible options by the end of the month. But if the U.S. needs to go back into Afghanistan to conduct such operations after it leaves, he said, it will need "heavy intelligence support" to first find and then fix the target. That will be harder -- but not impossible -- to do, McKenzie said. Currently, an MQ-9 Reaper drone stationed in Afghanistan can take off and be over its target in a matter of minutes, he said. After the U.S. withdraws, however, MQ-9s will need to be based farther away, he explained. The U.S. is looking at other nations in the region where these sorts of assets can be based, and diplomats will negotiate with those countries, he added. "Some of them may be very far away," McKenzie said. "And then there would be a significant bill for those types of resources, because you'd have to cycle a lot of them in and out." Once the U.S. has a target in sight, he said, it will minimize collateral damage and ensure it has a precise target when it strikes. There are several ways to do that, including long-range precision fires, manned raids and manned aircraft strikes, all of which carry their own risks and benefits, he said. "I don't want to put on rose-colored glasses and say it's going to be easy to do," McKenzie said. "I can tell you that the U.S. military can do about anything, and we're examining this problem with all of our resources right now to find a way to do it in the most intelligent, risk-free manner that we can." McKenzie told Rogers that while the physical "caliphate" claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was destroyed, remnants remain in both nations. While it is difficult, if not impossible, for those remaining fighters to hold ground, McKenzie said, they are still conducting small-scale terror attacks. ISIS is not going away, McKenzie added, and there will continue to be bloodshed in Iraq and Syria. But partner forces in those nations are largely able to handle that threat on their own, without significant assistance from the U.S. or European allies, he said. The U.S. provides support and high-level advice and assistance to Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, he said, but is not patrolling with them on the ground. The military's significant counterterrorism pressure in Afghanistan in recent years has dealt a serious blow to al-Qaida and ISIS and its offshoot there, McKenzie said. ISIS probably has several hundred fighters in Afghanistan now, he said. Its branch known as ISIS-Khorasan Province is a little bigger, he explained. But ISIS-K is itself disaggregated and has not been able to successfully hold ground in Afghanistan's east. The Taliban promised not to allow ISIS to take a stronger presence in Afghanistan, McKenzie said -- but added that he'll believe it when he sees it. "With the Taliban, I've learned to not listen to what they say, but rather to watch what they do," McKenzie said. "So we will watch closely what they do." He said that all U.S. contractors will leave Afghanistan along with service members, and most other contractors in the country will leave as well. The military in recent years has attempted to shift its focus away from fighting terrorists and other violent extremists to a "great power competition" strategy of preparing for a fight against a major nation such as China or Russia. Those nations are very active in Africa, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command, told the committee -- particularly China. Continuing to assist African countries against terrorists and violent extremists can be a form of engaging in great power competition against major competitors, Townsend said -- though some partners in Africa don't like that term, so AFRICOM describes it as "global power competition," he added. "What's the purpose of global power competition, but to expand America's access and influence?" Townsend said. "By doing counter [violent extremism], or counterterrorist operations, supporting our African partners, we are gaining access and influence. In Africa, counterterrorism operations are a way of global power competition." -- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey. Related: US Likely to Up Afghanistan Force to Ensure Safe Drawdown SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue, New York's Hometown Airline, has appointed Discover the World, the travel sales and representation specialist, to drive sales in the UK market as the airline is poised to launch its first transatlantic flights. Discover the World, with its global portfolio of over 100 clients in 60 countries was chosen as JetBlue's sales partner in the UK as it presented the major American carrier with a tailored strategy to leverage the UK's travel trade and build a new customer and revenue base across the Atlantic. Together, Discover the World and JetBlue have jointly appointed a dedicated sales team, headed up by Senior Sales Manager Claire Herbert, previously at Finnair and Aero Mexico, and supported by Sales Executive Alexandra 'Axel' Joyce, who comes from a TMC background at Reed & MacKay and BCD Travel in New Zealand. Both will provide the first point of contact for TMCs and leisure agents. "JetBlue is a challenger brand and provides customers with an extraordinary product at disruptive fares. Our new transatlantic product is the result of enormous research over the last few years. London will be JetBlue's first 'BlueCity' across the pond and we are confident that we have chosen the right partner to make it a success," said Maja Gedosev, General Manager, Europe. "We are delighted JetBlue believes in our vision to harness the expertise and sales prowess of the travel agent and TMC community to build a strong business model in the UK. We are tremendously excited to be the sales partner in the UK for JetBlue," said Ian Murray, CEO of Discover the World - Global. "JetBlue's new transatlantic routes will provide a welcome change of narrative for the trade with an inspiring new product. We know that both TMCs and leisure agents are crying out for a great new offering that they can genuinely be enthusiastic about. JetBlue will offer a sustainable, safe and affordable route back to the States. This is the right product at the right time - and you can't get better than that as we emerge from this pandemic!" IATA has officially welcomed JetBlue (B6* 279) as a BSP Airline in the United Kingdom and agents are invited to request the ticketing authority with the JetBlue dedicated team. Agents are currently able to book JetBlue flights operating within the Americas, with transatlantic flights coming soon. Details on JetBlue transatlantic fares, schedules and which London airport will be served will be announced at a later date. About Discover the World Discover the World has earned a reputation as an innovative global sales representation leader in the travel industry through a worldwide network of 85 offices in more than 60 countries. With a portfolio of over 100 clients utilizing its sales, marketing and business process outsourcing services, the work of Discover the World has a direct positive impact on the growth of its clients and trade industry partners every day. For more information about Discover the World, visit discovertheworld.com or call +44 203 598 8030 or +1 480 707 5566. About JetBlue Airways JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the US, Caribbean and Latin America. For more information, visit jetblue.com or call +1 718 709 3089. SOURCE Discover the World Related Links https://www.discovertheworld.com Paris: UNESCO's executive board on Friday chose former French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay to be the UN cultural agency's next leader over a Qatari candidate in an unusually heated race overshadowed by Mideast tensions. The US announcement this week that it's quitting UNESCO rocked the multi-day election and heightened concerns about the agency's funding and future direction. Azoulay succeeds outgoing Director-General Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, whose eight-year term was marred by financial woes and criticism over Palestine's inclusion as a member. On Thursday, the US and Israel said they plan to pull out of the Paris-based organization over its perceived anti-Israel bias. The 45-year-old took the stage to chants of "Audrey! Audrey!" following her victory and said the response to UNESCO's problems was to reform the agency, not to walk away, an understated rebuke of the US and Israel. "In this moment of crisis, I believe we must invest in UNESCO more than ever, look to support and reinforce it and to reform it. And not leave it", she said. In a short address, she also thanked "the Executive Board member states that gave me their trust" in her surprise 30-28 vote win over Qatari candidate Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari. UNESCO's general assembly will have to sign off next month on the executive board's leadership pick, but it's seen as a formality. Read more: Trump says Pakistan now starting to have real relationship with US The new director will set priorities for the organization best known for its World Heritage program to protect cultural sites and traditions. The agency also works to improve education for girls, promote an understanding of the Holocaust's horrors, defend media freedom and coordinate science about climate change. Azoulay, a Jewish woman, had started the week's voting with much less support but built up backing as other candidates dropped out and won a runoff earlier on Friday against Egypt's candidate. The vote was a huge blow to Arab states, who had long wanted to lead the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO has previously had European, Asian, African and American chiefs, but never an Arab one since the organization was founded in 1945 following World War II to promote world peace through culture. The agency's inclusion of Palestine as a member state in 2011 complicated this push, as did Qatar's diplomatic dispute with Arab neighbors over accusations of sponsoring Islamic extremism. Azoulay will be the second French leader of the organization since Rene Maheu, UNESCO's director general from 1961-74. Azoulay's father is Moroccan and was an influential adviser to Moroccan kings, so she does have a connection to the Arab world. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. EMA Confirms Overall Benefit-Risk Profile Remains Positive Company to update the COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen Summary of Product Characteristics and Package Leaflet to include important information on very rare adverse event Johnson & Johnson remains committed to supplying 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union, Norway and Iceland NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) today announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has provided updated guidance for use of the Company's COVID-19 vaccine and confirmed the overall benefit-risk profile remains positive. The guidance follows PRAC review of a small number of cases of a very rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts that can occur within approximately one to three weeks following injection with the Company's COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, Johnson & Johnson will update its COVID-19 vaccine Summary of Product Characteristics and Package Leaflet to include important information on the diagnosis and management of this very rare adverse event. Healthcare professionals will be alerted to the signs and symptoms of thromboembolism with thrombocytopenia, as well as the appropriate course of treatment. Following the PRAC recommendation, the Company will resume shipment of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union (EU), Norway and Iceland. The updated EMA and Healthcare Professionals guidance will be available to national healthcare authorities. "The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We appreciate the rigorous review of the PRAC and share the goal of raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of this very rare event to ensure the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. "We strongly believe in the positive benefits of our single-shot, easily transportable COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the health of people everywhere and reach communities in need globally. We are committed to equitable access and to bringing an affordable COVID-19 vaccine to the public on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use." Data from the global ENSEMBLE Phase 3 trial demonstrated the Company's single-dose vaccine provided protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death across demographics and geographies, including areas with emerging variants.1 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently are reviewing these same cases.2 On April 14, 2021, the CDC convened a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to review these cases and assess their potential significance.2 The ACIP plans to reconvene on April 23, 2021, for further discussion. Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, received Conditional Marketing Authorization from the European Commission on March 11, 2021, to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.2 This decision was based on the totality of scientific evidence, including data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study that demonstrated the vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease across all regions studied, and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination.3,4 For more information on the Company's multi-pronged approach to helping combat the pandemic, visit: https://www.janssen.com/emea/our-focus/infectious-diseases-vaccines/respiratory-infections/covid-19. About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.janssen.com/emea/. Follow us at @JanssenEMEA. About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at https://www.janssen.com/emea/. Follow us at @JanssenEMEA. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding development of a potential preventive vaccine for COVID-19. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. REFERENCES: 1 Janssen. Johnson & Johnson Announces Single-Shot Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Met Primary Endpoints in Interim Analysis of its Phase 3 ENSEMBLE Trial. Available at: https://www.janssen.com/emea/sites/www_janssen_com_emea/files/johnson_johnson_announces_single-shot_janssen_covid-19_vaccine_candidate_met_primary_endpoints_in_interim_analysis_of_its_phase_3_ensemble_trial.pdf. Last accessed April 2021. 2 Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Granted Conditional Marketing Authorization by European Commission. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-single-shot-covid-19-vaccine-granted-conditional-marketing-authorization-by-european-commission. Last accessed: April 2021. 3 Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized by U.S. FDA For Emergency Use - First Single-Shot Vaccine in Fight Against Global Pandemic. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-authorized-by-u-s-fda-for-emergency-usefirst-single-shot-vaccine-in-fight-against-global-pandemic. Last accessed April 2021. 4 European Medicines Agency. EMA recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen for authorisation in the EU. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-recommends-covid-19-vaccine-janssen-authorisation-eu. Last accessed April 2021. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/403394/Johnson_and_Johnson_Logo.jpg Flanked by a cadre of women who work for him, state Attorney General Jeff Landry spent much of an hourlong news conference Tuesday trying to poke holes into the accounts of employees who complained about sexual harassment by Pat Magee, a former top aide to Landry. Landry and his staffers said that the employee whose complaint set off an investigation should have reported the accusations about Magee, who headed the office's criminal division, long before he did so. Another woman, they said, was incorrect when she complained she hadn't been interviewed about her complaints against Magee. And they noted that a third never reported harassment by Magee while she worked for the Attorney General's Office, though she filed a complaint after she left the office. While Sandra Schober, deputy director of Landry's administrative services division, said that it was clear that Magee engaged in inappropriate workplace conversations, she reiterated that Magee's actions did not rise to the level of sexual harassment. Landry's office continues to refuse to release records that explain how officials came to those conclusions, though Schober has released a memo that details some of her thinking, and on Tuesday, she noted that some of the complaints against Magee were a "he said-he said" situation, in a reference to the male whistleblower. Our goal is to serve the citizens of Louisiana irrespective of what shows up in the newspaper," Landry said, one of a number of jabs he took at the coverage of his office's handling of the matter by The Advocate | The Times-Picayune. +2 Whistleblower in Attorney General Jeff Landry's office comes forward, alleges more misconduct Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes has resigned from Attorney General Jeff Landry's office after he said that Landry has targeted him f Landry also announced that that former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro is taking over part of Magee's role; he will become co-director of the office's criminal division. Cannizzaro will serve along with co-director Marty White, who is expected to retire soon. After the news conference, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes -- who served as deputy director of the criminal division under Magee -- publicly identified himself as the whistleblower who reported his former boss's misconduct. Derbes resigned from the office on Monday, saying Landry was clearly retaliating against him for raising his complaints. He wrote in his resignation letter that he'd been passed over for a promotion and then "effectively demoted" after he complained about Magee. "My sincerest hope was that the sexual harassment and my other reports would be addressed fully, fairly and without retaliation," he wrote in his resignation letter. "Instead, this office has targeted me and those who had the courage to stand up." Though Landry did not name Derbes at his news conference, he repeatedly said that a high-ranking staffer's reports of sexual misconduct from Magee were not credible because of other problems that the office had turned up with the person who made them. Landry accused the staffer of sending texts that were "sexist in nature" and said he'd formerly been investigated by a state agency for impersonating a state employee on social media. Pat Magee aide to Jeff Landry resigns amid second sexual harassment complaint Pat Magee, a top aide to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, resigned Thursday as a second sexual harassment complaint against him came to Its abhorrent to me that he would call the victims liars and that he would portray their complaints in such a manner as to essentially deflect from his own responsibility," said attorney Jill Craft, who is representing Derbes. Craft said that the social media posts were a joke from 10 years ago and that the investigation wrapped without repercussions for Derbes, until now, which she said made Landry's motives clear. Derbes has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is the first step toward filing a lawsuit about retaliation or employment discrimination. Its a shame that the chief law enforcement officer in the state of Louisiana has chosen to the perpetuate the myth that sexual harassment victims lie and that people who blow the whistle should be vilified when in fact they should be applauded," Craft added. "Unfortunately, it seems to be a commentary on why sexual harassment is such a big problem in this state. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Landry called the news conference as questions continued to mount over how his office has handled the whole matter. Derbes' complaint, filed late last year, accused Magee of sexually harassing women in his office, and referenced five instances of women being on the receiving end of inappropriate behavior from Magee. The complaint said that Magee suggested one female attorney join a case because "male jurors would want to have sex with her," while it said that Magee repeatedly told another woman in his office that she was no longer as attractive as she once was in law school. Attorney General Jeff Landry's office targets whistleblower who reported sexual harassment Two months after Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit to prevent records about sexual harassment accusations against one of his top em Landry hired the Taylor Porter law firm to investigate the allegations. When the investigation was complete, Schober, who oversees human resources, announced that Magee was not found to have sexually harassed anyone, but that he had behaved inappropriately and used unprofessional language at times. He was docked $20,559 in pay and ordered to attend a series of training seminars. A second complaint filed last month, after the discipline was announced, said that Magee often relegated women in his office to cases that he deemed less serious, like traffic tickets. The woman who filed the second complaint, a lawyer, said she left the Attorney General's office over her treatment by Magee, and said that he affected her career path by pigeonholing women in his office to work on cases that he deemed "good for women." Magee resigned shortly after the second complaint . Schober said her office has no record that that employee filed a complaint while working for the the Attorney General's Office, suggesting that the complaint lacked credibility as a result. She also read the final lines of the employee's resignation letter from September 2019: "Your office has been a wonderful place to begin my legal career and I will be forever grateful for the unforgettable opportunities provided to me during my time here." The woman told a reporter when she filed her complaint last month that she had been afraid of coming forward about Magee while she still worked for Landry. Our Views: Want to blow the whistle on misconduct? Jeff Landry will turn on you instead When our reporter Andrea Gallo asked Jeff Landry for a copy of a sexual harassment complaint against a key Landry deputy, the attorney general During the news conference, Landry seemed to reference a female employee of the Attorney General's Office who appeared in a recent WBRZ-TV interview, with her face hidden and her voice distorted. The woman said that not enough employees were interviewed as part of the Taylor Porter law firm's investigation into Magee. But Schober insisted that she had previously interviewed the woman in the WBRZ interview, which she said addressed the woman's complaint. Landry said that no one involved in the entire matter should be considered a "whistleblower," noting that the office's policy requires supervisor to report misconduct as soon as possible. But Derbes apparently reported far more than just the potential sexual harassment in Landry's office. His resignation letter says he raised various other red flags as well. Another instance that Derbes said prompted him to come forward was "preferential treatment" for a "politically connected" person who faced 20 counts of child pornography involving juveniles under age 13. Was Jeff Landry aide 'joking?' Louisiana sexual harassment training says that's no defense When Attorney General Jeff Landrys office set out to discipline criminal division director Pat Magee over allegations of sexual harassment, i Asked about that allegation, Landry instead questioned a reporter about how she had seen a copy of the resignation letter, given that his office had not released it. He said he had not seen those allegations in the resignation letter, but Craft said that it was hand-delivered to Landry on Monday. Landry is due in court next week for a hearing in his lawsuit against a reporter for The Advocate | The Times-Picayune. While a Baton Rouge judge ruled against him last month and ordered that the initial complaint against Magee be publicly released, the judge is expected to rule on whether the Taylor Porter investigation into Magee should also be released. (Newser) Police say the suspect in a shooting that killed one and injured two at a Long Island grocery store Tuesday morning had ties to the store. They say its unclear whether Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, 30, is a current or former employee, CNN reports. More than a hundred people were at the Stop & Shop in West Hempstead at the time, but the shooting took place in an upper-level office. A 49-year-old man died and two other victims were taken to a hospital. Nassau County police said a man wearing all black walked into the Stop & Shop office, shot three people, and escaped, possibly on a bus, NBC New York reports. The department tweeted that the suspect was apprehended roughly 4 hours later. story continues below Local schools went on lockdown, and local police were encouraging residents to stay indoors. The store released a statement saying it was "shocked and heartbroken." The president of a local labor union representing many of the stores employees said union reps will be available to support essential workers who are already surviving a pandemic. "These workers have been through a tremendous amount and should never have to fear for their safety. We as a society must recognize that gun violence is a workplace safety issue," John Durso said. (Read more shooting stories.) Bengaluru, April 20 : Karnataka Governor, Vajubhai R. Vala deciding to preside over an all-party meeting to assess the Covid situation, has not only surprised the Opposition party, Congress but also the ruling party, BJP. Just hours prior to the high profile meeting was to commence, Karnataka rural development and panchayat raj minister, K. S. Eshwarappa on Tuesday told reporters that he was stunned when he first heard the news about the Governor presiding over the meeting. "Karnataka has an elected government and it is only that Chief Minister, B. S. Yediyurappa is taken ill but he is attending crucial meetings virtually. It has 'stunned' me not surprised me, why all of a sudden Governor (Vala) has decided to preside over this meeting. What is the message he is trying to convey to the people," he wondered. He added that as a minister, he does not have any qualms about the Governor taking stock of Covid situation or reviewing any issue but this kind of meeting certainly gives the wrong impression about the ruling party. "This is the first time in the history of Karnataka something like this has happened, that too when the elected government is still functioning," he said. While on its part, the principal opposition Congress party slammed the ruling BJP government in the state for allowing Governor Vajubhai Vala to preside over an all-party meeting on Covid-19. Taking to Twitter, Karnataka Congress hurled several questions in Kannada and also raised doubts about Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's administrative capabilities. "What does it indicate when the Governor is called to address the all-party meeting? Isn't there an elected government in the state? Is the government incapable or is it part of the Yediyurappa Mukt BJP," Congress asked in a series of tweets on Tuesday. The Congress also sought to know whether the state government has any capability to confront the opposition or has given up due to its inability to face the challenge? The party also charged that the Yediyurappa government which lacks vision and commitment cannot protect the lives of people. "All this while the Karnataka government was just visionless, now with the Governor taking centre stage, the ruling BJP has also conceded that it is a faceless too," the Congress alleged. The all-party meeting is scheduled at 4.30 pm, which will be addressed by Vala. Chief Minister Yediyurappa, who is undergoing treatment for the relapsed Covid-19, will attend the meeting through video conference. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Previewing how SCOTUS will sort through Rehaif reverberations | Main | Mixed messages on mandatory minimums from executive branch in New Jersey witrh a retroactive kicker April 19, 2021 New report highlights need for improved criminal justice data and means thereto I was very pleased to see that Arnold Ventures has produced this great new report focused on the need for, and means to, better criminal justice data infrastructure. At this webpage, Stuart Buck describes the effort this way: One of the most notorious process problems with Americas criminal justice system is the lack of data. For an institution charged with administering justice and responsible for decisions that profoundly impact peoples lives, it is frighteningly antiquated when it comes to collecting and analyzing data. Experts say long-term, sustainable change is doomed if we cant track our changes and their impacts.... For years, criminologists and other experts have made the point that criminal justice data is so scarce or unreliably reported that in most jurisdictions, we can barely come up with a simple count of the number of people charged with misdemeanors each year. Arnold Ventures released a list of six recommendations for how the new Biden administration could improve criminal justice data and research in order to support reform. The report is the product of an expert roundtable that we organized with the guidance of Jane Wiseman from the Harvard Kennedy School, and it has been signed by over 25 national experts. The report addresses the Biden administration because the federal government must take the leadership role on this issue indeed, a major problem with criminal justice data is that there are many thousands of county and state agencies reporting data in inconsistent ways (or not at all). The 25-page report should be read in full, but its executive summary provides a helpful overview. Here are excerpts from that summary: The Biden administration has shown a willingness to push for bold ideas, with early executive orders advancing racial equity, making greater use of facts and data in federal policymaking, and ending for-profit federal prisons. Comprehensive criminal justice reform should be an important next step on the Biden administrations agenda... An ambitious criminal justice reform agenda will require a strong commitment to building a modern, nimble, comprehensive data infrastructure. Accomplishing this goal will serve multiple purposes. An effective data infrastructure will promote transparency and allow the public to hold its officials accountable. A modern data architecture will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of justice agencies. A strong data system will provide a baseline for measuring progress toward better outcomes, in particular progress toward racial equity. Unfortunately, criminal justice reform is made more difficult by data that is incomplete and fraught with error. Indeed, due to the lack of reliable data, it is often difficult even to document systemic racism in the justice system (such as racial disparities in misdemeanor arrests), let alone to promote solutions to the fair and impartial administration of justice. In this moment of heightened awareness of the fragile compact between the public and those whose job it is to make our communities safe, it is time to reimagine both the system and its underlying data infrastructure. Recommendations toward that end developed by a group of experts include: Recommendation #1: Establish an accurate baseline of facts about the criminal justice system, and envision a 21st century system Recommendation #2: Radically increase accountability of the justice system through data transparency Recommendation #3: Modernize the production and dissemination of criminal justice statistics Recommendation #4: Improve the integrity of data used for decision-making, research, and policy Recommendation #5: Make criminal justice data more actionable, by linking data for greater insight, and by building capacity to turn insight into action Recommendation #6: Harness modern technology to equip decision-makers with more timely and accurate information This report describes each recommendation, along with implementation action steps. April 19, 2021 at 10:05 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment TROY, Mich., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Investors, also known as BetterInvesting, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anne M. Nichols, CFA to BetterInvesting Magazine's Editorial Advisory and Securities Review Committee (SRC). The SRC, formed over 60 years ago, meets monthly to guide the editorial comments of the Magazine as well as to analyze, discuss and select the Stock to Study which will be considered for potential investment by BetterInvesting's members and magazine subscribers. "We have high ethical standards for members of the SRC in order to support the unbiased investment education that we provide to our members," remarked NAIC/BetterInvesting CEO Ken Zendel. "We rarely add someone to the SRC for example, Walter (Kirchberger) has been a member of the committee for well over 40 years. We are thrilled to add Anne Nichols to the committee due to her alignment with the NAIC time-tested approach as well as her overall expertise," continued Zendel. Nichols has more than 30 years of investment experience beginning at Manufacturers National Bank and then, via merger, at Woodbridge and Munder Capital Management. In 2000, Nichols joined Fifth Third Bank as senior portfolio manager, and in 2005 joined NorthPointe Capital as an equity research analyst. She joined Comerica Bank in 2009 as senior portfolio manager working with individuals and nonprofits. She also managed the U.S. Large Cap Growth Strategy for Comerica's trust department. In 2016, she joined Fern Capital as a Managing Director, where she continues to this day. Nichols holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and earned a bachelor of science (Finance) from Marquette University. She is also a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Detroit. Nichols serves on the Mercy High School Finance and Investment committees. She also serves on the Michigan Women's Forward Investment Committee. Past leadership positions have included: Mercy High School Board of Directors, Catholic Youth Organization board member and secretary, and CFA Society of Detroit board member. Like NAIC founders, George Nicholson Jr., and Tom O'Hara, Nichols is a past president of the CFA Society of Detroit. About BetterInvesting BetterInvesting, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit, investment education organization, has been empowering everyday Americans since 1951. Also known as the National Association of Investors (NAIC), we have helped more than 5 million people from all walks of life learn how to improve their financial future. BetterInvesting provides unbiased, in-depth investing education and powerful online stock analysis tools to create successful lifelong investors. BetterInvesting staff, along with a dedicated community of volunteers across America, teach the organization's principles and time-tested methodology to individuals and investment clubs. For more information about BetterInvesting, please visit www.betterinvesting.org Media Contact: BetterInvesting 1-877-275-6242 SOURCE NAIC-BetterInvesting A Cornell lecturer claims she was 'fired' in late March after suggesting Kamala Harris rose to vice president only because of her mother's privileged Indian caste - but she hasn't actually worked at the university since October, a source said. J. Khadijah Abdurahman said she was fired from her role as visiting lecturer and researcher at Cornell Tech by Associate Professor Tapan Parikh over an argument that broke out online late last month. Abdurahman admitted in a post on Medium that she had shared a GIF of Harris sipping tea to make the argument that America's first South Asian VP was able to rise up the ranks to the White House because of her 'immense social privilege'. She said she shared the image on Twitter to call out what she said was South Asian 'anti-blackness' and speak out against ethnic cleansing in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in defense of another professor's syllabus that focused heavily on black and indigenous scholars. The post sparked an angry response from Parikh, she said. She said he bombarded her with 'racist direct messages' on Twitter before firing her the next day. But a source familiar with the matter told DailyMail.com that Abdurahman was not fired and had only worked as a temporary employee for Cornell Tech's Milstein Program from February 2020 until October 2020. A Cornell lecturer has claimed she was 'fired' after suggesting Kamala Harris rose to vice president only because of her mother's privileged Indian caste but sources have said she hasn't actually worked at the university since October. J. Khadijah Abdurahman above She has not been employed by the university since then, the source said - five months before the online spat erupted after which Abdurahman claimed she was fired. Parikh, however, was removed from the Milstein Program following the March incident, according to the source. He was the co-director of the New York City program. He continues to be employed by the university, however. His online biography details that he is an associate professor at Cornell Tech and in the Information Science Department at Cornell University. His bio makes no mention of the Milstein program that specializes in combining technology and humanity. Parikh did not return a request for comment. The exact details of the altercation are not fully clear but, according to Abdurahman, the saga first erupted back on March 23 when Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Sucheta Ghoshal posted the syllabus for her Critical Technology Practice class on Twitter. The syllabus was focused on black and indigenous scholars, which prompted a backlash from some South Asian scholars who 'began to question the absence of 'global south scholars', Abdurahman wrote in the April 5 blog post. She said she 'knew' the criticism was really about some academics questioning the heavy weighting given to black scholars. '...a series of South Asian scholars began to question the absence of 'global south scholars' which I knew with relational/information was truly a gesture to 'Why so black?' she wrote. Abdurahman said some of the critics suggested Ghoshal take inspiration from one of Parikh's syllabus - a suggestion she said was 'upsetting' because she knew he featured 'almost zero' black scholars in his syllabus. J. Khadijah Abdurahman admitted in a post on Medium that she had shared a GIF (above) of Harris sipping tea to make the argument that America's first South Asian VP was able to rise up the ranks to the White House because of her 'immense social privilege' 'In fact, the only Indian scholar assigned was Gandhi, well known for being anti-Dalit, anti-Black and slept naked with children as a 'celibacy test',' she wrote. At this point, Abdurahman admitted she posted the GIF of Harris, to make her point claiming the vice president rose to her position due to her heritage. 'The politics here might not be immediately legible, but Harris' ascension to the second highest office in the United States is inextricably linked to the immense social privilege she inherited by being born to a Tamil Brahmin mother, extensive career as a prosecutor and her mandate to create a Bureau of Children's Justice which might be the Clinton Crime Bill of our era in its ambitious expansion of juvenile detention and child protective services,' she wrote. 'Indian caste discrimination is imported into Silicon Valley. The few Dalit engineers who receive an H1B visa come to the United States only to find the caste system thriving here as well.' Harris's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a Tamil Brahmin who moved to the US as a 19-year-old student in 1958. Brahmins are considered to be at the top of the hierarchy of India's caste system, descended from Hindu priests. People of the Dalit caste, on the other hand, are considered 'untouchables,' according to the system. Tamil Brahmins originate from Tamil Nadu, the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and have long benefited from greater education, literacy and land-owning opportunities than other groups. Abdurahman said she was fired from her role as visiting lecturer and researcher at Cornell Tech by associate professor Tapan Parikh (above) over a row that broke out online last month. A source said Parikh has been removed from the Milstein Program following the incident Abdurahman claimed that the meme about Harris sparked a 'series of egregious, racist direct messages from Tapan Parikh on Twitter'. In one of the messages she said he told her 'all these kinds of actions do is make it harder for ppl like sucheta to get tenure because they have to decide whether they want to sit at this lunch table or the other one' in reference to her colleague at the University of Washington. In another, she said he 'unprompted drew in the Ethiopian state's Oromo-phobic rhetoric, stating 'anyway u and noname can go start your black liberation oromo front and make podcasts, remixes or whatever. I dont think I share a lot in common with that agenda, nor u for that matter.' The Oromo are one of Ethopia's two largest ethnic groups. The Amhara, another ethnic group, share a border with the Oromo and there have been clashes between the two. Abdurahman said she has often spoken out about the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia where around two million are thought to have been displaced and thousands of civilians killed. Abdurahman said she responded to Parikh asking him to leave her alone but that he continued 'to harass me with 17 additional messages for over 6 hours'. She said she asked him again to leave her alone later that night and he stopped sending her messages. The next morning, she said she received a two-sentence email telling her she was fired and that she must return her university ID to campus. 'We should no longer work together right now or in the future and drop off your headset and ID at Cornell Tech,' the email read, she told the Cornell Sun. It isn't clear why she still had an ID or headset, or whether she had any privileges at the school after no longer being employed there as of October 2020. Abdurahman said in the blog post (above) that her GIF sparked an angry response from Parikh, who bombarded her with 'racist direct messages' on Twitter before firing her the next day However, a source familiar with the matter told DailyMail.com that Abdurahman (above) was not fired and had only worked as a temporary employee for Cornell Tech's Milstein Program from February 2020 until October 2020 She said the professor then sent an 'apology email' to Ghoshal telling her that his issue was with Abdurahman's 'incendiary social media comments abt the brewing ethnic conflict in Ethiopia.' Abdurahman said she has often spoken out about the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia where around two million are thought to have been displaced and thousands of civilians killed. She said her alleged firing was an effort to silence her for speaking up in support of black scholars and in support of people in Ethiopia. 'My termination is part of a broader pattern in academia and industry of silencing Black scholars who speak out against injustice,' she wrote in the Medium post. 'It also sends a horrifying message to Tegaru and other marginalized people that the systematic state sanctioned and extrajudicial rape, murder and starvation they're experiencing can't even be spoken.' Tegaru the name of an ethnic group in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Abdurahman demanded her 'immediate reinstatement' as lecturer in the Cornell Tech Milstein Summer Humanities & Technology Program as well as her 'privileges associated with being a year round Visiting Researcher at Cornell Tech'. She also called for her 'reinstatement' to ensure she not be 'vulnerable to Tapan Parikh's racist harassment', a public, written apology from Parikh and a statement from Cornell Tech Dean Greg Morrisett about 'how academic freedom will be protected at the university given the dangerous precedent my dismissal sets'. Cornell Tech (pictured) told DailyMail.com in a statement that it had reviewed the incident and determined that both Abdurahman and Parikh 'did not act appropriately and will not be involved in the Milstein Program moving forward Abdurahman also hit out at that there has been 'no full time, Black faculty at Cornell Tech since its founding'. Her blog post was signed by 245 activists and academics, including some affiliated with Cornell Tech. Cornell Tech told DailyMail.com in a statement that it had reviewed the incident and determined that both Abdurahman and Parikh 'did not act appropriately and will not be involved in the Milstein Program moving forward.' 'After a comprehensive review of the recent issues at Cornell Tech, we determined that both parties involved in this matter did not act appropriately and will not be involved in the Milstein Program moving forward,' they said in a statement. 'Cornell Tech is deeply dedicated to making the campus and our industry more inclusive and equitable for everyone, and this dialogue makes clear that we still have much work to do. 'We are very proud of our work across the tech ecosystem with our K-12 and Break Through Tech programs, and we are committed to bringing that same energy to making change at Cornell Tech.' Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 15:42:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021, on April 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on all countries in Asia and beyond to answer the "call of our times," defeat the pandemic through solidarity, strengthen global governance, and keep pursuing a community with a shared future for mankind. When delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021, Xi said that the world needs consultation on an equal footing to create a future of shared benefits. Marking the 20th anniversary of the BFA, this year's annual conference is themed "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation." "Global governance should reflect the evolving political and economic landscape in the world, conform to the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and meet the practical needs in addressing global challenges," Xi said. All countries should follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold true multilateralism, and make the global governance system more fair and equitable, Xi said. "What we need in today's world is justice, not hegemony," he said. "Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and with a greater sense of responsibility." Calling for the building of an open world economy, Xi said that openness is essential for development and progress and holds the key to post-COVID economic recovery. "We need to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, deepen regional economic integration, and enhance supply, industrial, data and human resources chains," he said. Efforts should also be made to boost the digital economy, and step up exchanges and cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine and modern energy, to turn the fruits of scientific and technological innovation into greater benefits for people in all countries, according to Xi. On creating a future of health and security with solidarity and cooperation, Xi said the key role of the World Health Organization (WHO) must be given full play in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. "We must put people and their lives above anything else, scale up information sharing and collective efforts, and enhance public health and medical cooperation," he said. For this purpose, international cooperation should be bolstered on the research and development, production and distribution of vaccines, so that everyone in the world can access and afford the vaccines they need, said the Chinese president. On climate change, Xi stressed the importance of following the philosophy of green development, advancing international cooperation and doing more to implement the Paris Agreement. He also said the world needs to be committed to justice to create a future of mutual respect and mutual learning. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made it all the more clear to people around the world that we must reject the cold-war and zero-sum mentality and oppose a new 'Cold War' and ideological confrontation in whatever forms," he said. Xi also underscored the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual trust in state-to-state relations, which "must be put front and center." "We must advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity, and encourage exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to promote the progress of human civilization," Xi said. Enditem As vaccines that help protect against COVID-19 become available for more people across the United States, questions have been raised about whether institutions like schools and universities should require their students and staff to become vaccinated. A new study by Simon Haeder, assistant professor of public policy at Penn State, found that a majority of those surveyed supported mandates that required students and teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, more people supported broader vaccine mandates that don't specifically include those against COVID-19. Haeder said political partisanship, along with race and gender, helped account for these differences. Even if children are less likely to get severely ill, vaccination of students has been shown to have benefits such as lower numbers of community deaths, particularly among the elderly. Mandates may serve as a crucial policy tool to help reign in COVID-19 and reach herd immunity, which we otherwise might not reach any time soon." Simon Haeder, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Penn State Haeder added that the findings -- recently published in the journal Vaccine -- suggest that while the majority of Americans would be supportive of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in educational settings, about one in five would be indifferent and another one in five would be opposed. Since the beginning of the pandemic, policy makers have debated about how to determine whether educational institutions are safe enough for students to return in person. The development of safe and effective vaccines, Haeder said, offers a potential way for society to eventually return to normal. He added that while making vaccines mandatory -- also known as vaccine mandates -- has been a strategy to control epidemics in the past, they have not been without controversy. "Massachusetts mandated smallpox vaccinations in the early 1800s, Alaska and California used mandates in the 1970s to control measles, and in more modern times, there are often certain vaccine mandates for living in the dorms on some college campuses," Haeder said. "But these policies have often been met with vocal opposition from certain groups of Americans, and with the pandemic being so politicized, we were curious about how Americans felt about potential COVID-19 vaccine mandates." For the study, Haeder developed and sent a survey to 2,404 participants in the fall of 2020. The nationally representative survey included questions about how the participants felt about requiring vaccines for students and teachers in three different educational settings: daycares, K-12 schools, and universities and colleges. The survey also asked participants questions designed to measure political partisanship, political knowledge, and beliefs about whether schools are an appropriate place to deliver health care, as well as demographic information such as race, ethnicity, education and gender. The researchers found that Democrats were consistently more supportive of vaccine mandates than moderates or Republicans. White Americans and people who believed schools were appropriate settings for providing health services were also more likely to support any vaccine mandate. Haeder said there are several possible reasons for some of these differences. "Partisanship has permeated everything related to COVID-19 and lots of misinformation has been spread, including from individuals in leadership positions," Haedaer said. "Additionally, there's a general growing distrust of science and its elites, which when combined with the novelty of the illness and vaccines, could contribute to this lack of support for vaccine mandates in certain groups." Additionally, the researchers found that in daycare settings, about 70% of participants "definitely" or "probably" supported general vaccine mandates for students, a little over 50% supported COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students, and about 60% supported COVID-19 vaccine mandates for teachers. For K-12 schools, about 68% supported general mandates for students, just over 50% supported COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students, and just under 60% supported COVID-19 vaccine mandates for teachers. For colleges and universities, the results were about 65%, 55% and 58%, respectively. Haeder said that in addition to helping to guide policy makers as efforts continue to be made to control the pandemic, the findings have other implications, as well. "Efforts to provide Americans with more information about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines should be undertaken to help alleviate fears around the COVID-19 vaccines," Haeder said. "Also, efforts could be made to reduce potential barriers for vaccinations, including providing the vaccine free of charge, making scheduling appointments easier, avoiding long travel times, and offering convenient opening hours." Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 06:08:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Preparing for further escalation of the fighting in Yemen's Marib governorate, the United Nations and humanitarian partners anticipate about 105,000 displaced people by September, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. The humanitarians continue "to scale up the response and prepare for potential further escalations, as some 105,000 people are projected to be displaced by this September if the fighting continues," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Since the beginning of the year, over 1,900 families, more than 13,000 people, in only six districts in Marib governorate have received shelter and non-food item assistance, the office said. "Enough food rations for one month have also been provided to about 350 families, as part of one-off food assistance," OCHA said. Assessments are taking place to identify and assist families in need. Emergency stocks include some 2,000 non-food item kits and 1,000 shelter kits going to Marib to help meet increasing demand. At least 2,625 families were displaced in Marib from early February to April 10, while an additional 692 families reportedly were displaced to other governorates, OCHA said. The United Nations said Yemen continues to be the world's worst humanitarian crisis and largest aid operation. However, only about 21 percent is funded of the 3.85 billion U.S. dollar 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan to help 16 million people. Enditem New Zealand avoids discussing U.S. Pres. Joe Biden's 'Alliance of Democracies' to counter China as the country maintains its good relationship with the Communist Party. The top Kiwi diplomat gave its ties with Beijing a bill of "good health" during her major foreign policy speech. New Zealand Avoids Biden's 'Alliance of Democracies' According to a recently published article in the Washington Examiner, New Zealand avoids discussing Pres. Joe Biden's 'Alliance of Democracies' to counter China. New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahut said on Monday, "That hasn't been brought to my attention. That would require a conversation, but that's not yet been brought to my attention." She said this when asked about the U.S.-touted group to counter the Communist Party. In a recently published article on The Wall Street Journal, Mahuta told the reporters that New Zealand's relationship with China is in good health at any level. She explained that they engage with China in different issues in a respectful, predictable, consistent relationship. US Warns China Its Obligation To Defend Philippines Taiwan New Zealand as a Known Ally of the U.S. According to a published article in the News Room, Biden announced last month his desire to form 'Alliance of Demoracies' to discuss the tensions and threats caused by the Communist Party towards its neighboring countries. Meanwhile, New Zealand maintains its economic dependence on China and chooses to have a respectful attitude towards the country. It is even though New Zealand is a known ally of the United States. New Zealand is part of the intelligence-sharing network known as "Five Eyes" along with four other countries, the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It can be remembered that the group released a statement in January condemning China's crackdown on Hongkong. New Zealand Unwilling to Get Involved in International Conflict There are many reasons why New Zealand is avoiding an international conflict, most especially with China. This is even though the other four members of the "Five Eyes" have been very aggressive in coordinating their attacks against China. In January, New Zealand reached an agreement to "upgrade" its free trade pact with China. Because of Beijing's use of coercive economic policies to blacklist neighboring Australia in the aftermath of political tensions linked to the coronavirus pandemic, the economic decision gained diplomatic resonance. Taiwan Independence Means War, the Province Is a Sovereign of China Former Senate Intelligence Committee deputy staff director Emily Harding, now a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, "They want to get along with everybody. As the Five Eyes partnership goes, nobody's been looking to them to be a leader on the China issue, but ... there's a lot of conversations going on with them, the same way we were with the Brits, about [the need to] watch out for the Chinese." In November, New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O'Connor recommended that the Australian government "follow us and show interest, and, I think, show a little more diplomacy from time to time and be careful of the wording" to have a stronger economic partnership with China. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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 If you tune to 90.7 on the FM dial this weekend, you may believe that not only is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival actually happening but that producer Quint Davis has added time-traveling to his trick bag. Community radio station WWOZ launches the 2021 edition of its hugely popular Jazz Festing in Place broadcast Thursday at 11 a.m., the day and time the 2021 Jazz Fest would have opened at the Fair Grounds were it not for the coronavirus pandemic. The broadcast, complete with its own festival-style scheduling cubes, features classic recordings from throughout Jazz Fests 50-year history. It airs at 90.7 FM and on the WWOZ website from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, then continues April 29 to May 2. The station, whose broadcast license is held by the same nonprofit foundation that owns the festival, first came up with Jazz Festing in Place to fill the void left by the cancellation of the 2020 Jazz Fest. It served as a much-needed aural balm for festival fans bummed about the loss of the annual springtime gathering, as well as a way of uniting the far-flung Jazz Fest community. While fans couldnt gather physically, they could, as the station put it, celebrate and groove together while remaining safely apart. How popular was it? WWOZ reportedly required 15 times the streaming capacity normally used on Mardi Gras, traditionally the busiest day for the stations website. That website racked up more than 2.3 million page views during last years "Jazz Festing in Place." Listeners in 196 countries tuned in, according to the stations data, including at least a couple of music lovers in Afghanistan, Madagascar, Gabon and Greenland. Many musicians who would ordinarily have been performing at the Fair Grounds also tuned in, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas and Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews among them. I was catching all of it, Neville said after last years broadcast. It done me good, here in my house, hearing the people I love. The station received more than 1,000 photos of listeners all over the world wearing festival attire for their own makeshift, backyard Jazz Fests, seeking and finding solace by hearing live music from the Fair Grounds, even if it was years or decades old. WWOZ general manager Beth Arroyo Utterback and director of content Dave Ankers spearheaded Jazz Festing in Place again this year. They worked with Rachel Lyons, the archivist for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit that owns the festival, to track down tapes of live performances. Jazz Festing in Place 2021 kicks off at 11 a.m. Thursday with a 2001 recording of Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers at the Fair Grounds. The days schedule then time-travels to catch Cajun bandleader Bruce Daigrepont in 2003; Ella Fitzgerald with surprise guest Stevie Wonder at the Municipal Auditorium in 1977, an encore presentation from last year's broadcast; Burning Spear in 2008; Leroy Jones in 2001; Donald Harrison Jr. in 2007; Richie Havens in 1991; the Treme Brass Band in 2014; Eric Lindell in 2019; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 1970; Henry Butler in 2012; Shirley Horn in 2004; Marcia Ball in 2009; and Tab Benoit and the Voice of the Wetlands Allstars in 2010. The first days time-machine headliner is the Meters, recorded at the inaugural 1970 Jazz Fest during a daytime set inside the Municipal Auditorium. Other closers for the first weekend of 2021's Jazz Festing in Place include the Dave Bartholomew Big Band with Fats Domino from 1999, airing Friday evening; an Allen Toussaint set from 2015, airing Saturday; and the 1997 Dr. John and Toussaint tribute to James Booker on Sunday. The "Jazz Festing in Place" roster spans the festival's entire history. The first year, 1970, is represented not just by the Meters, but by Mahalia Jackson, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Duke Ellington and Clifton Chenier, all of whom performed evening concerts at the Municipal Auditorium or aboard the Riverboat President. Recordings from the most recent Jazz Fest, in 2019, include the Electrifying Crown Seekers, Eric Lindell, Regina Carter and trumpeter Wendell Brunious. New music from New Orleans is also represented by Tank and the Bangas from 2017 and Big Freedia from 2016. Other classic sets on the first weekend's schedule include Sonny Rollins in 1977, Danny and Blue Lu Barker in 1989 and drummer Ed Blackwell in 1977. You can also revisit the James Taylor and Joe Cocker sets from 2009, Willie Nelson from 1999, Alejandro Escovedo from 2008 and Toots & the Maytals from 2005. A handful of slots on the scheduling cubes are listed as TBA, as the WWOZ staff continues to sort through material and hold back some surprises. Times, as at the in-person festival, are subject to change. But unlike the real Jazz Fest, with its dozen stages going simultaneously, there are no scheduling conflicts on the broadcast. The 2020 Jazz Festing in Place" was festival fans' only option: the actual festival had already been canceled. This year at least holds out the hope of experiencing the real deal, as the postponed 2021 Jazz Fest is scheduled for Oct. 8-17. Until then, Jazz Festing in Place is the next fest thing. Mining giant BHP appears on course to hit the top end of its full-year iron ore target, posting a record-breaking nine months at its West Australian mines just as the price of the key steel-making ingredient tests an all-time high. During the March quarter, BHP shipped 66 million tonnes of iron ore from WAs Pilbara, 2 per cent less than the same period last year. But the result was largely in line with analysts forecasts and brings BHPs year-to-date output to a record of 211 million tonnes, according to the miners latest figures. Booming iron ore prices are set to boost the coffers of Australias top mining companies. Credit:AP Australia's largest miner said the strong output reflected record-high production volumes from its Jimblebar mine and placed the company on track to achieve the upper end of its full-year iron ore target range of 276-286 million tonnes. We are reliably executing our major projects, bringing on new supply in copper, petroleum and iron ore, BHP chief executive Mike Henry said. ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. First-quarter sales of $10.5 billion increased 35.3 percent on a reported basis and 32.9 percent on an organic basis, which excludes the impact of foreign exchange. increased 35.3 percent on a reported basis and 32.9 percent on an organic basis, which excludes the impact of foreign exchange. First-quarter GAAP diluted EPS was $1.00 and adjusted diluted EPS, which excludes specified items, was $1.32 , reflecting 103.1 percent growth versus the prior year. 1 and adjusted diluted EPS, which excludes specified items, was , reflecting 103.1 percent growth versus the prior year. Abbott projects full-year 2021 diluted EPS from continuing operations on a GAAP basis of at least $3.74 . Projected full-year adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of at least $5.00 remains unchanged and reflects growth of more than 35 percent versus the prior year. 2 . Projected full-year adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of at least remains unchanged and reflects growth of more than 35 percent versus the prior year. Global COVID-19 testing-related sales were $2.2 billion in the first quarter, led by combined sales of $1.8 billion from Abbott's BinaxNOW , Panbio and ID NOW rapid testing platforms. in the first quarter, led by combined sales of from Abbott's BinaxNOW , Panbio and ID NOW rapid testing platforms. First-quarter sales increased 7.6 percent on a reported basis and 5.7 percent on an organic basis, excluding COVID-19 testing-related sales. In January, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expanded reimbursement coverage eligibility for Abbott's revolutionary MitraClip device, which significantly increases the number of people who can benefit from this market-leading, minimally invasive heart device. device, which significantly increases the number of people who can benefit from this market-leading, minimally invasive heart device. In March, Abbott announced the U.S. launch of NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic, a first-of-its-kind technology that allows patients to communicate with physicians, ensure proper settings and functionality, and receive new treatment settings remotely as needed. Virtual Clinic, a first-of-its-kind technology that allows patients to communicate with physicians, ensure proper settings and functionality, and receive new treatment settings remotely as needed. In April, Abbott announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Self Test for individuals with or without symptoms and without the need of a prescription. "We're off to a very strong start to the year, with all four of our major businesses achieving strong growth," said Robert B. Ford, president and chief executive officer, Abbott. "We're particularly pleased with the growing momentum of several recently launched products and continue to forecast more than 35 percent EPS growth for the year." FIRST-QUARTER BUSINESS OVERVIEW Note: Management believes that measuring sales growth rates on an organic basis is an appropriate way for investors to best understand the underlying performance of the business. Organic sales growth excludes the impact of foreign exchange. Following are sales by business segment and commentary for the first quarter 2021: Total Company ($ in millions) % Change vs. 1Q20 Sales 1Q21 Reported Organic U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total Total * 3,838 6,618 10,456 34.4 35.9 35.3 34.4 32.0 32.9 Nutrition 836 1,200 2,036 3.0 9.8 6.9 3.0 9.0 6.4 Diagnostics 1,641 2,373 4,014 104.4 131.9 119.8 104.4 122.9 114.8 Established Pharmaceuticals -- 1,070 1,070 n/a 2.5 2.5 n/a 6.2 6.2 Medical Devices 1,351 1,969 3,320 9.6 15.6 13.1 9.6 8.2 8.8 * Total Q1 2021 Abbott sales from continuing operations include Other Sales of approximately $16 million. n/a = Not Applicable. Note: In order to compute results excluding the impact of exchange rates, current year U.S. dollar sales are multiplied or divided, as appropriate, by the current year average foreign exchange rates and then those amounts are multiplied or divided, as appropriate, by the prior year foreign exchange rates. First-quarter 2021 worldwide sales of $10.5 billion increased 35.3 percent on a reported basis and 32.9 percent on an organic basis. Nutrition ($ in millions) % Change vs. 1Q20 Sales 1Q21 Reported Organic U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total Total 836 1,200 2,036 3.0 9.8 6.9 3.0 9.0 6.4 Pediatric 508 558 1,066 (1.8) (2.3) (2.1) (1.8) (3.1) (2.5) Adult 328 642 970 11.4 23.1 18.9 11.4 22.1 18.3 Worldwide Nutrition sales increased 6.9 percent on a reported basis and 6.4 percent on an organic basis in the first quarter. Strong performance of Ensure, Abbott's market-leading complete and balanced nutrition brand, and Glucerna, Abbott's market-leading diabetes nutrition brand, led to global Adult Nutrition sales growth of 18.9 percent on a reported basis and 18.3 percent on an organic basis. In Pediatric Nutrition, sales growth was negatively impacted by a difficult comparison versus the first quarter of 2020 when consumers increased purchases in advance of stay-at-home directives as a result of COVID-19. Diagnostics ($ in millions) % Change vs. 1Q20 Sales 1Q21 Reported Organic U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total Total 1,641 2,373 4,014 104.4 131.9 119.8 104.4 122.9 114.8 Core Laboratory 271 911 1,182 1.9 26.1 19.6 1.9 21.3 16.1 Molecular 175 272 447 168.7 267.0 220.9 168.7 250.2 212.0 Point of Care 92 37 129 (11.4) 7.8 (6.6) (11.4) 3.8 (7.6) Rapid Diagnostics 1,103 1,153 2,256 199.7 500.6 302.8 199.7 477.7 295.0 Worldwide Diagnostics sales increased 119.8 percent on a reported basis in the first quarter and increased 114.8 percent on an organic basis. Strong growth in the quarter was driven by demand for Abbott's portfolio of COVID-19 diagnostics tests across its rapid and lab-based platforms. Global COVID-19 testing-related sales were $2.2 billion in the first quarter, led by combined sales of $1.8 billion from Abbott's BinaxNOW, Panbio and ID NOW rapid testing platforms. Excluding COVID-19 testing-related sales, Core Laboratory Diagnostics sales increased 10.7 percent and Molecular Diagnostics sales increased 31.5 percent on an organic basis in the first quarter.3 Established Pharmaceuticals ($ in millions) % Change vs. 1Q20 Sales 1Q21 Reported Organic U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total Total -- 1,070 1,070 n/a 2.5 2.5 n/a 6.2 6.2 Key Emerging Markets -- 821 821 n/a 1.0 1.0 n/a 6.7 6.7 Other -- 249 249 n/a 7.8 7.8 n/a 4.2 4.2 Established Pharmaceuticals sales increased 2.5 percent on a reported basis in the first quarter and increased 6.2 percent on an organic basis. Key Emerging Markets include India, Brazil, Russia and China along with several additional emerging countries that represent the most attractive long-term growth opportunities for Abbott's branded generics product portfolio. Sales in these geographies increased 1.0 percent on a reported basis in the quarter and increased 6.7 percent on an organic basis. Organic sales growth was led by strong growth across several geographies, including China, India and Brazil. Other sales increased 7.8 percent on a reported basis in the quarter and increased 4.2 percent on an organic basis. Medical Devices ($ in millions) % Change vs. 1Q20 Sales 1Q21 Reported Organic U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total U.S. Int'l Total Total 1,351 1,969 3,320 9.6 15.6 13.1 9.6 8.2 8.8 Rhythm Management 241 278 519 5.6 13.4 9.6 5.6 6.1 5.8 Electrophysiology 179 252 431 9.3 12.3 11.0 9.3 5.5 7.1 Heart Failure 145 49 194 (4.7) (4.3) (4.6) (4.7) (10.8) (6.2) Vascular 219 416 635 (4.7) 5.4 1.7 (4.7) (0.4) (2.0) Structural Heart 169 208 377 24.3 14.3 18.6 24.3 6.7 14.2 Neuromodulation 145 39 184 6.1 (1.4) 4.4 6.1 (8.3) 2.8 Diabetes Care 253 727 980 35.7 28.3 30.2 35.7 19.5 23.6 Worldwide Medical Devices sales increased 13.1 percent on a reported basis in the first quarter and increased 8.8 percent on an organic basis. Strong growth in the quarter was driven by continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In Diabetes Care, sales of FreeStyle Libre and Libre Sense were $829 million in the quarter. FreeStyle Libre now has more than 3 million users worldwide. ABBOTT'S EARNINGS-PER-SHARE GUIDANCE Abbott projects 2021 diluted earnings per share from continuing operations under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of at least $3.74. Abbott forecasts specified items for the full-year 2021 of $1.26 primarily related to intangible amortization, expenses associated with acquisitions, restructuring and cost reduction initiatives and other net expenses. Excluding specified items, projected adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations would be at least $5.00 for full-year 2021. ABBOTT DECLARES 389TH CONSECUTIVE QUARTERLY DIVIDEND On Feb. 19, 2021, the board of directors of Abbott declared the company's quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share. Abbott's cash dividend is payable May 17, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 15, 2021. Abbott has increased its dividend payout for 49 consecutive years and is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have annually increased their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years. About Abbott: Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews. Abbott will live webcast its first-quarter earnings conference call through its Investor Relations website at www.abbottinvestor.com at 8:30 a.m. Central time today. An archived edition of the webcast will be available later that day. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Abbott cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Abbott's operations are discussed in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, and are incorporated herein by reference. Abbott undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law. 1 First-quarter 2021 diluted EPS from continuing operations on a GAAP basis reflects 233.3 percent growth. 2 Full-year 2021 guidance for diluted EPS from continuing operations on a GAAP basis reflects growth of at least 50 percent versus the prior year. 3 Excluding COVID-19 testing-related sales, Core Laboratory Diagnostics sales increased 14.1 percent and Molecular Diagnostics sales increased 33.9 percent on a reported basis in the first quarter. Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings First Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) 1Q21 1Q20 % Change Net Sales $10,456 $7,726 35.3 Cost of products sold, excluding amortization expense 4,401 3,281 34.1 Amortization of intangible assets 509 561 (9.2) Research and development 654 578 13.3 Selling, general, and administrative 2,783 2,548 9.2 Total Operating Cost and Expenses 8,347 6,968 19.8 Operating Earnings 2,109 758 178.0 Interest expense, net 124 121 2.2 Net foreign exchange (gain) loss 3 5 (44.7) Other (income) expense, net (61) (1) n/m Earnings from Continuing Operations before taxes 2,043 633 222.7 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations 250 89 180.6 1) Earnings from Continuing Operations 1,793 544 229.5 Earnings from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes -- 20 n/m Net Earnings $1,793 $564 217.8 Earnings from Continuing Operations, excluding Specified Items, as described below $2,368 $1,162 103.8 2) Diluted Earnings per Common Share from: Continuing Operations $1.00 $0.30 233.3 Discontinued Operations -- 0.01 n/m Total $1.00 $0.31 222.6 Diluted Earnings per Common Share from Continuing Operations, excluding Specified Items, as described below $1.32 $0.65 103.1 2) Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding Plus Dilutive Common Stock Options 1,792 1,781 NOTES: See tables titled "Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Financial Information From Continuing Operations" for an explanation of certain non-GAAP financial information. n/m = Percent change is not meaningful. See footnotes on the following table. 1) 2021 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations includes the recognition of approximately $80 million in excess tax benefits associated with share-based compensation. 2) 2021 Net Earnings and Diluted Earnings per Common Share from Continuing Operations, excluding Specified Items, excludes net after-tax charges of $575 million, or $0.32 per share, for intangible amortization and other net expenses primarily associated with certain litigation, acquisitions and restructuring actions. 2020 Net Earnings and Diluted Earnings per Common Share from Continuing Operations, excluding Specified Items, excludes net after-tax charges of $618 million, or $0.35 per share, for intangible amortization expense and other expenses primarily associated with acquisitions and restructuring actions. Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Financial Information From Continuing Operations First Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) 1Q21 As Reported (GAAP) Specified Items As Adjusted % to Sales Intangible Amortization $ 509 $ (509) $ -- Gross Margin 5,546 549 6,095 58.3% R&D 654 (28) 626 6.0% SG&A 2,783 (154) 2,629 25.1% Other (income) expense, net (61) (12) (73) Earnings from Continuing Operations before taxes 2,043 743 2,786 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations 250 168 418 Earnings from Continuing Operations 1,793 575 2,368 Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations $1.00 $0.32 $1.32 Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $509 million and other net expenses of $234 million, primarily associated with certain litigation, acquisitions, restructuring actions and other expenses. See tables titled "Details of Specified Items" for additional details regarding specified items. 1Q20 As Reported (GAAP) Specified Items As Adjusted % to Sales Intangible Amortization $ 561 $ (561) $ -- Gross Margin 3,884 599 4,483 58.0% R&D 578 (15) 563 7.3% SG&A 2,548 (58) 2,490 32.2% Other (income) expense, net (1) (42) (43) Earnings from Continuing Operations before taxes 633 714 1,347 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations 89 96 185 Earnings from Continuing Operations 544 618 1,162 Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations $0.30 $0.35 $0.65 Specified items reflect intangible amortization expense of $561 million and other expenses of $153 million, primarily associated with acquisitions, restructuring actions and other expenses. See tables titled "Details of Specified Items" for additional details regarding specified items. A reconciliation of the first-quarter tax rates for continuing operations for 2021 and 2020 is shown below: 1Q21 ($ in millions) Pre-Tax Income Taxes on Earnings Tax Rate As reported (GAAP) $2,043 $ 250 12.2% Specified items 743 168 Excluding specified items $2,786 $418 15.0% 1Q20 ($ in millions) Pre-Tax Income Taxes on Earnings Tax Rate As reported (GAAP) $633 $89 14.0% Specified items 714 96 Excluding specified items $1,347 $185 13.7% 1) 2021 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations includes the recognition of approximately $80 million in excess tax benefits associated with share-based compensation. Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries Details of Specified Items First Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Acquisition or Divestiture- related (a) Restructuring and Cost Reduction Initiatives (b) Intangible Amortization Other (c) Total Specifieds Gross Margin $ 19 $ 19 $ 509 2 $ 549 R&D (2) -- -- (26) (28) SG&A (13) (1) -- (140) (154) Other (income) expense, net -- 1 -- (13) (12) Earnings from Continuing Operations before taxes $ 34 $ 19 $ 509 $ 181 743 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations (d) 168 Earnings from Continuing Operations $ 575 Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations $ 0.32 The table above provides additional details regarding the specified items described on table titled "Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Financial Information From Continuing Operations." a) Acquisition-related expenses include integration costs, which represent incremental costs directly related to integrating the acquired businesses and include expenditures for the integration of systems, processes and business activities. b) Restructuring and cost reduction initiative expenses include severance, outplacement, and other direct costs associated with specific restructuring plans and cost reduction initiatives. Restructuring and cost reduction plans consist of distinct initiatives to streamline operations including the consolidation and rationalization of business activities and facilities, workforce reductions, the transfer of product lines between manufacturing facilities, and the transfer of other business activities between sites. c) Other primarily relates to the net costs related to certain litigation, the acquisition of a research and development asset, and the impairment of an equity investment. d) Reflects the net tax benefit associated with the specified items and excess tax benefits associated with share-based compensation. Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries Details of Specified Items First Quarter Ended March 31, 2020 (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Acquisition or Divestiture- related (a) Restructuring and Cost Reduction Initiatives (b) Intangible Amortization Other (c) Total Specifieds Gross Margin $ 23 $ 15 $ 561 $ -- $ 599 R&D (4) (6) -- (5) (15) SG&A (28) (30) -- -- (58) Other (income) expense, net 2 -- -- (44) (42) Earnings from Continuing Operations before taxes $ 53 $ 51 $ 561 $ 49 714 Tax expense on Earnings from Continuing Operations (d) 96 Earnings from Continuing Operations $ 618 Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations $ 0.35 The table above provides additional details regarding the specified items described on table titled "Non-GAAP Reconciliation of Financial Information From Continuing Operations." a) Acquisition-related expenses include integration costs, which represent incremental costs directly related to integrating the acquired business and include expenditures for retention, severance, and the integration of systems, processes and business activities. b) Restructuring and cost reduction initiative expenses include severance, outplacement, and other direct costs associated with specific restructuring plans and cost reduction initiatives. Restructuring and cost reduction plans consist of distinct initiatives to streamline operations including the consolidation and rationalization of business activities and facilities, workforce reductions, the transfer of product lines between manufacturing facilities, and the transfer of other business activities between sites. c) Other primarily relates to the impairment of an investment. d) Reflects the net tax benefit associated with the specified items and excess tax benefits associated with share-based compensation. SOURCE Abbott Related Links http://www.abbott.com An Idaho grandmother left her missing eight year-old granddaughter's vomit-encrusted corpse inside her Lexus for two days, a court heard. Connie Smith, 54, was originally arrested last Thursday on a charge first-degree murder over the death of eight year-old Taryn Summers, found dead in a garbage bag in her car. But during her arraignment hearing in Gem County Court on Monday, it emerged that charges against Smith have been downgraded to felony failure to notify of a death and destruction of evidence. According to a probable cause affidavit, law enforcement officials last week discovered Taryn Summers - identified in court records by the initials T.S. - dead in the trunk of Smith's Lexus. Prosecutors have yet to say how Taryn died. Connie Smith, 54, has been charged with failure to notify of a death and destruction of evidence in connection with the death of her granddaughter, Taryn Summers (right) Taryn's body was discovered in her grandmother's Lexus parked outside her home in Emmett, Idaho, on April 14 The child was reported missing from Smith's home on Airport Road in Emmett on April 12, months after her two older siblings, 16-year-old Tristan Sexton and 14-year-old Taylor Summers, ran away from home. The older children are not considered to be in danger. According to court documents cited by EastIdahoNews.com, Smith called the police last week and claimed that 'T.S.,' who is believed to be her granddaughter, Taryn, had run away from home on April 12. The grandmother claimed that Taryn had defecated on a carpet at her home, and she cut out the carpet and burned it. Taryn's older siblings, 16-year-old Tristan Sexton (left) and 14-year-old Taylor Summers (right), ran away from home last fall Investigators later learned that Smith was driving a black Lexus with Taryn sleeping in the backseat on the day of the child's purported disappearance, and that she carried the girl to a bedroom at home. Two days later, police searched Smith's Lexus and found her granddaughter's body stuffed inside a black trash bad on the floor of the rear seating area. Smith was initially arrested on a count of first-degree murder, but that charge was later amended; prosecutors say more charges could be filed The affidavit revealed that the child had vomit in her hair and on her shirt. During a search of Smith's residence, forensics investigators observed a small brown spot on a bedroom wall, which they presumed to be blood, the document stated. Jennifer Sexton, who identified herself as Taryn's aunt, wrote in the description of a GoFundMe campaign that Smith was the foster mother of the girl and her older siblings. 'Taryn had a personality twice her size and was a very funny and smart little girl who could always make everyone laugh,' wrote Sexton. EastIdahoNews.com previously reported that the children's biological mother was arrested in 2019 after Taylor, Taryn and another sibling tested positive for illegal narcotics. At Smith's arraignment on Monday, Judge Tyler Smith called the allegations against the woman 'disturbing.' Prosecutors Erick Thompson told the court that additional charges could be filed against Smith, and asked the judge to set her bond at $1million. Smith's defense attorney argued that his client is not a flight risk because she has strong ties to the community, have lived in Idaho for 20 years and raised eight children there. A judge set Smith's bail at $800,000 on Monday and ordered her to wear a GPS monitor, if she is released He also said that she is a person of modest means, and any bond amount would be difficult for her to pay. The judge set Smith's bail at $800,000. If released from jail, she will be required to wear a GPS monitor, surrender her passport, and stay in western Idaho. She is also prohibited from having any contact with children. Smith is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on May 3. Border restrictions could be lifted by end of June The Manx Government has published a revised version of its COVID-19 Exit Framework which, subject to the approval of Tynwald, will guide the Island as it begins a new chapter in dealing with the virus. The document outlines the indicative conditions and target dates for changes to the Islands current border restrictions. The framework also describes how individuals, businesses and government all have increasingly a role to play in minimising the risk to the community as the Island learns to live in a world with COVID-19. The Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said: We have always said that we would not be able to keep our borders restricted for ever. This framework details how we hope to move away from many of the restrictions we have seen over the past year. Its development has been a team effort. The document that we will debate in Tynwald this week is based on discussions with a wide range of stakeholders including our clinical and public health teams. It takes into account information from the Isle of Man, the United Kingdom and beyond on vaccination progress and infection rates The time has now come for us to move into our Transition Phase, and to an approach of mitigation where we increasingly will need to learn to live in a world where the virus is still present around us and may well return to our Island. We are not there yet and the risk the virus presents if it were to break out again in our community is still very real. We must continue to maintain restrictions and mitigations on our borders in the short to medium term. Equally, this risk is reducing with every passing day and we must recognise that for many, Island life will not be back to normal until we are able to once again resume unrestricted travel to and from our Island. I am also grateful to Members of Tynwald for their input and the constructive manner in which they have approached the creation of this document over recent weeks. I look forward to further debate in the Tynwald chamber. We have heard from people and businesses here that the last thing anyone wants is another lockdown. For that reason, the plan is careful and incremental. But we also heard that what everyone now seeks is clarity on the future. This is the balance that we have sought to achieve in proposing version two. Version one set out the broad framework and phases. This version now takes us into the next phase and the next level of progress we hope to make. For many reasons there is still a great deal of uncertainty around how best to respond to the threat the virus poses, but as always the Council of Ministers has to take into account a broad range of factors and strike the best balance for the Island its people, its businesses and society as a whole. I believe version two of the framework, building on our progress, building on feedback and input, and building on more information and knowledge provides a solid basis on which we can start to plan our future beyond these restrictions and move into a long term position where we can all better live in a world with COVID. The Exit Framework document will be debated in Tynwald as part of a Supplementary Order Paper. The motion reads: That Tynwald receives and approves the revised Exit Framework version two, and welcomes continuing consideration of, and work, on it; and in particular approves: The move into the Transition Phase with the emphasis going forward being that of Mitigation as a primary response; The three strategic goals for this phase including the return of unrestricted travel with the British Isles by the end of June; and The publication of the proposed indicators and dates that aim to support a gradual adjustment on the borders between the 1st May and the 28th June; and agrees that [] this transition will be dependent upon the continued positive progress of the Islands vaccination programme, and the continued improved overall position within the UK including the containment of any variants of concern. The Prison Officers' Association has directed all prison officers to adhere strictly to their duties in the prisons, in what is effectively a withdrawal of goodwill by staff in a row over when officers will be vaccinated against Covid-19. Confirmation that officers are in dispute emerged in Dublin where a Circuit Court judge said he would start handing down indicative sentences which will be formally given at a later date, due to the ongoing prison officers' industrial action. A number of sentences due to be dealt with at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday morning had to be adjourned after prison officers failed to arrive at court by 1pm. The action has caused some issues in the prisons, including delays in escorting prisoners to and from jail for court appearances. Eight sentences which were due to be heard in court five in the Courts of Criminal Justice were adjourned to later this month by Judge Martin Nolan. Tomorrow we are going to be facing the same thing, Judge Nolan told the court. He said he would deal with all bail cases first and would then start handing down indicative sentences in cases where the Prison Service was not available. There'll be no Prison Service until God knows when, Judge Nolan said. I'll give an indicative sentence and postpone imposing the sentence for a few weeks. It seems the situation is not going to get much better. It's likely to get worse. Judge Nolan said he had hoped prison officers would have arrived in the building by 12pm Tuesday but they were only filtering into the building at 1pm. He adjourned court as he was due to be in court in Tallaght. The social network on Monday said it is building a series of new audio-focused products, including virtual rooms where users can host live discussions, and a feature called soundbites that lets users post short audio snippets to their feed like they would a photo or video, according to Fidji Simo, head of the Menlo Park, California-based companys main service. Facebook will also create a podcasting feature so users can download and listen to podcasts directly from the main app, which will give the company a chance to compete with existing players like Apple Inc. Recode reported earlier on Facebooks plans. We have seen a massive rise of audio experiences during the pandemic, Simo said, including an increase in voice calls and audio messages on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which spurred the company to build the new products. Live Audio Rooms in Facebook and Messenger are coming soon (Facebook) Twitter is also pushing aggressively into audio. It has a Clubhouse competitor, called Twitter Spaces, which exists within its app, and launched an equivalent to Facebooks soundbites product called voice tweets last summer. Microsoft Corp.s LinkedIn and Slack Technologies Inc. are also working on audio rooms competitors. U.S. lawmakers have accused Facebook of copying competitors and the company is under antitrust investigation from state and federal regulators. Simo said Facebook is trying to put its own spin on these products. On Clubhouse and Twitter, for example, audio rooms are ephemeral and disappear after a room is closed. On Facebook, users can save their room discussions and let people download them as a podcast, she said. Facebooks artificial intelligence technology will eventually recommend the most popular parts of a live discussion to be shared as soundbites, she added. Facebook will also enable tipping in audio rooms as a way to help content creators make money from their fans, something the company has done in the past with live videos. Many of these products are still weeks if not months away. Facebook said it hopes to launch its live rooms product by summer. By Kurt Wagner Despite recommendations from career staff, a federal watchdog for the Secret Service last year declined to take up probes into the agency's handling of Black Lives Matter protests in D.C., and on the spread of COVID-19 among Secret Service members, according to the Project On Government Oversight. Flashback: Law enforcement agencies used tear gas and physical force to remove protestors from Lafayette Square last year, allowing the Secret Service to take then-President Trump across the street to a photo-op in front of a church. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. The church's clergy accused Trump of using their building as a prop. Some individuals who walked with Trump to the church apologized for their participation or said they were not aware of what was happening. What we know: Department of Homeland Security inspector general Joseph Cuffari rejected a recommendation by career staff to look into Secret Service's role in the incident. Cuffari also declined to investigate Secret Service protocols on COVID-19 and how they apply to agents and officers who are in close proximity to the president. "An investigation would also likely have examined Secret Service protocols last October when Trump, presumably still contagious with COVID-19, ignored medical advice and rode around waving to supporters from a presidential SUV as Secret Service agents were sealed inside with him," POGO notes. What they're saying: Our office does not have the resources to approve every oversight proposal, a spokesperson for Cuffaris office told POGO. We have to make tough strategic decisions about how to best use our resources for greatest impact across the Department. In both of these cases, we determined that resources would have a higher impact elsewhere. Of note: Cuffari still holds his role three months into the Biden administration. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free ADVERTISEMENT Tinubus alleged presidential ambition has driven up hypertension levels across regions. But his ambition if it exists, is unpopular. Not even his own Yoruba people have bought into it, despite the pretensions of a vocal minority. I really dont think Asiwaju Tinubu wants to be president, nor will he be. Most of the politicians whose names have been mentioned in connection with Nigerias 2023 presidential election, either as hopefuls or aspirants would readily tell you that it is too early to talk about the next election. Dont buy that. They are lying. The race for the next Nigerian elections began immediately the last general elections ended. The politicians are at best hedging their bets. Perhaps for this reason: The two major political parties the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are busy watching and spying on each other. They have so far refused to announce their zoning formulas, but even with all that talk about merit and competence, both parties will still adopt a zoning principle at all levels. The way I see it, the questions to consider are as follows: Will the presidency be zoned to the North, the East or the South? The people of the South-East have already stated clearly, and they are not joking about this, that the only way to ensure equity, fairness and justice is to allow the presidency go around the six geo-political zones before anyone begins to reject zoning. Meanwhile, what we have seen across the countrys six geo-political zones, are persons who have been testing the waters, flying kites, engaging in whispering campaigns, auto-suggesting the future of Nigeria. I intend to devote some time to a deconstruction of the emerging trends, particularly in the South-West, where members of the APC have made it clear that there is an outstanding Memorandum of Understanding within the party dating back to 2014/2015. The understanding is that after President Muhammadu Buharis tenure, the presidency will be zoned to the South-West. Key political figures in the South-West wing of the APC are relying on this promise and agreement. Who are they? What is the state of play? Will the APC keep the promise? My preliminary reading is as follows: The most dominant name, figure and player in South-West politics at the moment is Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu, former two-term governor of Lagos State, the man who led the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) into the alliance with Buharis Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the new PDP, a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to form the APC, the Special Purpose Acquisition Company that grabbed power by hook or crook from the PDP in 2015. Tinubu is a national leader of the APC. The big elephant in the APC room is that he, the well-known godfather, wants to be president in 2023. His posters are all over the country. Yesterday, I saw one of those posters proclaiming his 2023 presidential ambition around the Ikoyi-Lekki link bridge in Lagos. And I was like: Really, so this thing is true? A few days earlier, social media was awash with images of small bags of rice with Tinubus image being distributed in parts of the North. His spokesperson says he has nothing to do with that. Just the handiwork of benevolent volunteers who are distributing rice, in the godfathers name, in the spirit of Ramadan. there are problems: Osinbajo is a teacher of letters, the law and the word of God. He doesnt have a political base of his own. It is too late for him to create one. He is, therefore, completely, a creation of Tinubus political machinery. If Tinubu is genuinely interested in becoming Nigerias president, I dont see Professor Osinbajo challenging his former boss and benefactor. Before that particular monkey business, Tinubu was also shown cosying up to the North; his 69th birthday colloquium was held in Kano, and he has been seen, lately, trying to be more Northern than the average Northerner. Tinubus alleged presidential ambition has driven up hypertension levels across regions. But his ambition if it exists, is unpopular. Not even his own Yoruba people have bought into it, despite the pretensions of a vocal minority. I really dont think Asiwaju Tinubu wants to be president, nor will he be. In the course of his political career, he has made more than enough enemies and acquired more than enough baggage, stepping on toes, and playing the role of a Grand Architect. If he steps forward to grab the Crown, he faces the prospect of being told ugly and unpleasant stories. My view is that Asiwaju Tinubu is savouring the talks about his possible presidency just to re-establish and reinforce his own relevance. In case some people have forgotten, he more or less single-handedly handed over the South-West to President Buhari in 2015 and 2019. He is today the only person in the South-West who can stand up to the same North to remind other elements in the APC of the MOU that was signed when he decided to lead the South-West to support Buhari and keep him in office. He wants to remain relevant and have a voice in determining who becomes president in 2023. His greatest strength is in identifying and building talent. He is exceptional in that regard in contemporary Yoruba politics. The only problem is that other Nigerians would not want to hand over Nigeria to him so he can run it with the same kind of totalitarian grip that he has over Lagos. His presidential ambition, for that reason alone, is dead on arrival. His strength is his hubris. But once he achieves his goal of remaining relevant and being the go-to-person in the South-West, he will be fine, and that is all I believe he can get. Tinubus so-called presidential ambition is all about tactics, so finely honed that anybody who wants to be president from the South-West cannot side-line him. With the noise made so far about his imagined presidency, Tinubu appears to have already checkmated every other likely aspirant from the South-West. But that may not be the true picture of things. There is the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. He has been facing his assignment as Vice President dutifully, doing only what they allow him to do and keeping his head slightly above water. In six years of being Vice President in a cabal-dominated environment, he is beginning to look like he has learnt his lessons. However, there are persons who think that he is President Buharis safest bet as a successor. He is not likely to probe the Buhari administration for sure. That would amount to self-immolation. The way the Buhari government has played its game so far, if power gets into the hands of an adversary, every member of that government would have to leave town or prepare to go to jail. There are forces and elements waiting to expose and humiliate President Buhari the moment he leaves office and they are wielding all kinds of weapons: their pens, laptops, tongues and smart phones. An Osinbajo Presidency will naturally serve as a bulwark against that, to the extent that a President Osinbajo is not likely to betray his boss. There is also the view that Pastor Adeboye once predicted that a member of his church would one day rule Nigeria. Could he have been referring to Osinbajo? But there are problems: Osinbajo is a teacher of letters, the law and the word of God. He doesnt have a political base of his own. It is too late for him to create one. He is, therefore, completely, a creation of Tinubus political machinery. If Tinubu is genuinely interested in becoming Nigerias president, I dont see Professor Osinbajo challenging his former boss and benefactor. He can try but he wont succeed. If Tinubu backs him, however, he will be a main player. If Buhari supports him also, then he would have received divine anointing. His Redeemed Church politics may however count against him. My take is that the biggest challenge to anybodys presidential ambition in the South-West today is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He wont be president. But will he also be allowed to determine Nigerias future? And unfortunately, we are all bound to revisit that perennial controversy about religion and ethnicity. There is also Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun State. His name has been mentioned as a potential president of Nigeria from the South West. Amosun has been senator twice representing Ogun Central. He has also been a two-term governor of Ogun State. He has both bureaucratic and legislative experience. He also spent his initial years as a key player in the private sector, so it can be said of him that he has quality and a broad-range experience. He, Tinubu, and Osinbajo are not likely to be tongue-tied at an international conversation forum, whether on radio, television or in person. But Amosuns biggest obstacle is that his fortunes depend almost entirely on President Buhari. He is Buharis man and friend. Can President Buhari make him president? I am not sure. There are forces in Amosuns immediate constituency that will fight tooth and nail to stop him. Tinubu. Osoba. Gbenga Daniel. Dapo Abiodun. And others. Besides, Amosuns main constituency is Abeokuta, where he has proven to be a loyal son of the Realm. A Nigerian president of whatever regional extraction will need a lot more than village support. He is also a Muslim like Tinubu and Buhari. That could be a problem. There is also Kayode Fayemi, the current governor of Ekiti State. Some people tell me he is the man to look at if the APC zones the presidency to the South-West. Like Amosun, he has been governor twice in his State of birth. Like Vice President Osinbajo, he is well educated. He has also been a Minister of the Federal Republic in charge of Mines and Steel Development. He can write, talk, and hold his own in international circles. He has a Ph.D in War Studies. And Nigeria just happens to be at war. He is also the only one who does not have the kind of baggage that the others carry on their backs like the curse of Atlas. Fayemi has not said he wants to be president, but there are persons pointing in his direction. I tell them he is my friend and brother and that he has one of the best wives anyone can get who will make an excellent First Lady for Nigeria. In Ekiti State, he has put up a great performance. He is also unencumbered, compared to the others from his zone. But people dont become president because they have everything in place, from the other room to the public sphere. Will Fayemi no longer be part of the conversation when he ceases to be Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum? Is his Chairmanship an advantage? My take is that the biggest challenge to anybodys presidential ambition in the South-West today is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He wont be president. But will he also be allowed to determine Nigerias future? And unfortunately, we are all bound to revisit that perennial controversy about religion and ethnicity. II. Eyimofe: A Film To Watch It is a powerful psychological drama about the existential struggles that man endures as he tries to make sense of reality, strengthened or made more vulnerable, by his or her capacity to remain optimistic and forge ahead despite every odd that fate and circumstances project. Eyimofes story is that of every man. I was at the Ebony Life Place on Adetokunbo Ademola, Victoria island, Lagos on Sunday, April 18, to attend the Nigerian premiere of the award-winning film, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire). It was my first visit to that events centre in a well-appointed neighbourhood in Victoria Island, established by the television mogul and cultural entrepreneur, Mo Abudu, and my first major trip to a cinema in more than a year. COVID-19 has turned us all into recluses. With everyone masked up, you have to imagine the identity of the person before you, by over-relying on voice or mannerisms. The screening of Eyimofe provided an opportunity to reconnect with others. I had heard about the film, produced by GDN Studios, a movie and documentary arm of The Guardian newspapers, midwifed by Toke Alex-Ibru and Mrs Maiden Ibru an attempt to broaden the scope of The Guardian, and fully explore the manifold possibilities of media expression in an age of convergence. The film has won many awards including, the Golden Gate Award New Directors Prize at the San Francisco Film Festival (SFFILM); the New Directors Competition Grand Jury Award at the Seattle International Film Festival; Winner, Best Fiction, New Filmmakers at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival; winner, Achilles Valdosta Award at the Torino Film Festival. For a film that made its world premiere last year at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020, Eyimofe has had an impressive run. It has also featured in film festivals in Germany, the UK, Spain, Brazil, Austria, Scotland, the UAE, Canada, USA, Greece, Egypt and China. It finally made it home last Sunday. Home is Nigeria, the cultural and social landscape that feeds the narrative, as well its photography, scenery and cinematic progression. Is it not worrisome that films produced by Nigerians, telling our stories, have to make international rounds first before they finally make it back to their roots, the same country that has given the world Nollywood, but which nevertheless, lacks strong incentives and an enabling environment for creativity? Nigerias achievement in the creative industry is driven more by the passion, creativity, enterprise and incandescent talent of a few who enjoy what they do within the industry and relish the meaning that they find. Eyimofe proves the point. It is a tribute to creativity, talent, and entrepreneurship: the deft blending in this respect accounts for its success. As a directorial debut for the Esiri twins (Arie and Chuko), there is more than a promise on display. Further enrichment with musical scores could have lifted the mood and rhythm but this is a work of remarkable accomplishment. It pushes us into a reflective mode: What constitutes success? What is the true meaning of life? This is more remarkable because it is not a commercial film in the sense in which that term has been abused. It is a powerful psychological drama about the existential struggles that man endures as he tries to make sense of reality, strengthened or made more vulnerable, by his or her capacity to remain optimistic and forge ahead despite every odd that fate and circumstances project. Eyimofes story is that of every man. Mofe, a factory worker and technician, the main character and Rosa, a hairdresser, believe like many Nigerians that going abroad is the best passport to better life, away from the squalor and poverty at home. But then life happens. Eyimofe loses his wife, son, and nephew due to poisoning by generator fumes. More woes pile upon agony. We follow Eyimofe through the journey of his becoming: death, grief, burial, family relations, but in the end, true meaning exists in the same environment that he and Rosa had planned to abandon. There are moments of cultural dissonance, but far more gripping is the photography, the choice of locations and scenery which convey the sound and shape of the Nigerian condition. Haunting, telling imagery abound in this film where silence is as loud as the spoken word. As a directorial debut for the Esiri twins (Arie and Chuko), there is more than a promise on display. Further enrichment with musical scores could have lifted the mood and rhythm but this is a work of remarkable accomplishment. It pushes us into a reflective mode: What constitutes success? What is the true meaning of life? How much of it is within our control or beyond us? About two hours long, Eyimofe opens to the general public from April 23. We were later treated to an after-party at the rooftop of Ebony Place: a classy, clean, accommodating, well-put together centre, just like its owner, Mo Abudu. I am impressed. I will return. Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos. Beginning April 12 through July 11, Bar Louie will donate $1 of each Melon Margarita sold to WCK. Guests can also contribute by making a $1, $5, or $10 donation during checkout, in-store and online. The new Melon Margarita is made with Casamigos Blanco, Bacardi Lime, Monin Rock Melon, lime, basil and cantaloupe. "We are so grateful as an organization to be in a position where we can prioritize giving," shared Stephanie Davidson, Chief Marketing Officer for Bar Louie. "Although we have not yet returned to full capacity in the majority of our locations, the guests who have returned seem eager to join us in supporting our communities through giving. It is not uncommon for a guest to sample our signature cocktail and then to write in a donation during checkout. It is simply amazing," she continued. As an arm of Bar Louie's charitable giveback program Louie Loves, Cocktails for a Cause offers a unique way for guests to give back to their community. "When Chef Steve Madonna first shared his vision for creating unique cocktails to bring awareness and support for non-profits, our leadership team was immediately supportive," Stephanie shared. "We knew the positive impact to the community would be exciting, but we underestimated how passionate our Team Members would be in support of this initiative, and how important giving is to them personally. Focusing on serving others is truly life giving." For more information on Bar Louie and their support of WCK, visit barlouie.com. About Bar Louie Founded in downtown Chicago in 1990 and headquartered in Addison, Texas, Bar Louie is The Original Gastrobar with an award-winning collection of neighborhood bars with lively, social atmospheres. With more than 70 locations across the United States, Bar Louie is known for its signature hand-crafted martinis and cocktails, Gastrobar menu of appetizers, craft burgers and scratch built sandwiches served every day until close. For more information on Bar Louie, visit www.barlouie.com. To learn about franchising opportunities with Bar Louie, go to www.barlouie.com/franchise. SOURCE Bar Louie Related Links http://www.barlouie.com Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category "We're thrilled to align with local partners to repurpose this beautiful ingredient and use it to create something truly unique a 'sustainable spirit'," said Dave Ortiz, local partner of Our/New York. "Working with a fresh ingredient like basil is an intricate process, requiring a lot of time and care to get just right. It's a complex, yet familiar flavor that makes for a really compelling drink on its own or in any number of cocktails." Our/New York developed the unique infusion in partnership with Rethink Food, whose mission is to create a more sustainable and equitable food system by transforming excess food into nutritious meals for communities impacted by food insecurity. The project demonstrates how New Yorkers can come together to repurpose otherwise perishable products into exciting new initiatives. "There is a collective urgency to create lasting change in our food system, especially in such challenging times," said Matt Jozwiak, Rethink Food's Founder and CEO. "We are very excited to be partnering with Our/New York and Square Roots to reduce food waste and raise awareness on food insecurity." To create Our/New York Basil, the basil is hand-chopped and added to a mixture of base spirit and water, before allowing it to infuse for 24 hours. The infused liquid is filtered and distilled to remove the basil itself, while keeping the distinct flavor. The basil distillate is then blended with triple-filtered New York City water and a corn-based neutral spirit; and finally, hand-bottled, all in their distillery on 26th Street. Our/New York Basil will be available in a limited run beginning April 2021 at select retailers, bars and restaurants throughout New York City, which can be found at ournewyorkvodka.com/basil. Our/New York is the first distillery in Manhattan since Prohibition and is part of the Our/Vodka family of urban micro-distilleries. The distillery plans to unveil additional collaborations in the future, with the goal of creating compelling products through partnerships with local artists, urban farms and in everything in between. Learn more about the distillery at ournewyorkvodka.com. About Our/Vodka Our/Vodka is a Pernod Ricard-funded venture that prides itself in crafting exceptional vodka while celebrating the world's greatest cities. Through its small batch distilleries in city centers, and by collaborating with local individuals and organizations, Our/Vodka is injecting local flavor, globally. Each of its distilleries is united by a single recipe that allows Our/Vodka to stand out from the rest. The unique location of the distilleries in downtown LA and NYC allows them to connect with metropolitan culture in a way that others can't by being a part of the story that their cities tell, every single day. About Our/New York Our/New York is a vodka distillery located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City and is part of Our/Vodka a family of urban micro-distilleries. Our/New York was the first legal distillery to open in Manhattan since Prohibition, and prides itself on creating world-class spirits that celebrate NYC. It is born out of a partnership between Our/Vodka and local New York skatewear entrepreneur Dave Ortiz, founder of local skate and fixed gear companies DQM (Dave's Quality Meat) and Dave's Wear House. For more information, visit ournewyorkvodka.com, or follow them on Instagram (@ournewyorkvodka). About Rethink Food Rethink Food is a nonprofit whose mission is to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Founded in 2017, Rethink Food developed a process to transform excess food from restaurants, corporate kitchens, and grocery stores into nutritious meals and distribute them via community-based organizations (CBOs). With food insecurity escalating and restaurants facing widespread closures during the pandemic, Rethink Food leveraged its experience as a food rescue and distribution model to launch Rethink Certified, a partnership program that provides grants and resources to local restaurants, so they can prepare community meals as a part of their daily operation. The purpose is twofold: feed local communities and keep restaurants in business, not just in times of crisis. Since the launch of the program in April 2020, Rethink Food has provided over 2.4 million meals for those impacted by food insecurity, partnered with 55 restaurants, and invested over $12M into local restaurants and communities. Rethink Food also utilizes two other practical models to reduce food insecurity across communities: The Rethink Cafe, a donation-based cafe that invites everyone to enjoy a nutritious meal for a suggested donation of $5, and the Rethink Commissary, which converts donated food items into nutritious meals to deliver to CBOs at no cost. For more information, visit rethinkfood.org. Follow Rethink Food on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. About Square Roots Square Roots is a leader in urban indoor farming. Its scalable farm-tech platform brings fresh, local food to urban areas year-round. With active farms in Brooklyn NY, and Grand Rapids MI (with more to come in 2021), Square Roots has a mission to bring local, real food to people in cities across the world while empowering the next generation of leaders in urban farming. For more information, visit squarerootsgrow.com, or follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @squarerootsgrow. SOURCE Pernod Ricard USA Related Links http://ournewyorkvodka.com Deutsche Telekom Invests in Public Blockchain Network Celo Deutsche Telekom (News - Alert) is investing in the future of the decentralized financial economy - with a significant purchase of Celo's native asset (CELO). Celo is an open-source blockchain ecosystem focused on making decentralized financial (DeFi) systems and tools accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Deutsche Telekom will be the first telecommunications company to join the global Celo Alliance for Prosperity. "Our investment in CELO, combined with infrastructure operated by T-Systems (News - Alert) , allows our company to take a strategic approach to participating in a public blockchain network. We are able to secure the Celo network with our investment and our own cloud infrastructure while facilitating user onboarding and use-case development on top of the Celo network," says Adel Al-Saleh, Member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG (News - Alert) and CEO of T-Systems. Deutsche Telekom will operate infrastructure across the Celo ecosystem. To do so, Deutsche Telekom's subsidiary T-Systems MMS will operate as a validator utilizing the Open Telekom Cloud (OTC). The OTC fulfills the strict security and compliance requirements of the European regulatory framework, ensuring secure financial services are available via smartphone worldwide. In addition, Deutsche Telekom will open up its SMS API to allow validators to send verification text messages using their service. Increasing the diversity of SMS providers on th Celo platform improves both the security and reliability of the decentralized phone verification protocol, which plays a central part in making the Celo blockchain easy to use. With its more than 130 Alliance members, Celo's mission is to build a financial system that creates the conditions of prosperity - for everyone. "We're excited to have Deutsche Telekom help secure the Celo network, develop the Celo infrastructure, and make meaningful contributions as a validator," said Rene Reinsberg, co-founder of Celo. "The powerful combination of owning CELO and building on its mobile-first platform will help accelerate mass market adoption of digital assets and enable safe, secure and cost-effective payments for smartphone users everywhere." The resources used to run the Celo network are carbon-neutral. Deutsche Telekom's CELO purchase will be made by the Telekom Innovation Pool (TIP). TIP is Deutsche Telekom's strategic investment fund and is advised by Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners (DTCP). Further information for the media at: www.telekom.com/en/media https://www.telekom.com/en/media/mediacenter/images www.twitter.com/deutschetelekom www.facebook.com/deutschetelekom www.telekom.com/blog www.youtube.com/deutschetelekom www.instagram.com/deutschetelekom About Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom at a glance About Celo Celo is a mobile-first, open-source ecosystem of technologies, organizations and individuals that all share a common mission of building a financial system that creates the conditions for prosperity for everyone. The Celo ecosystem includes a decentralized, proof-of-stake blockchain technology stack (Celo Platform), a native asset (CELO), two stablecoins (cUSD and cEUR) and the Celo Foundation's Alliance for Prosperity, with over 130 organizations around the world, including Andreessen Horowitz, Anchorage, Coinbase, GSMA (News - Alert) , Mercy Corps, Grameen Foundation, Prosegur, Abra, and cLabs, a service organization dedicated to growing and developing the Celo ecosystem. For more information on Celo, please visit celo.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005276/en/ A spy drone manufacturing plant that could employ 100 workers is being proposed for Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island. Site plans presented to the city of Charleston show a light industrial development called "Project Rose" that includes three structures near an abandoned taxiway at the airfield off River Road. Charleston-based Qatari defense firm Barzan Aeronautical is identified on the document. The company's website says it is "focused on the application and use of aerial (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems that support the defense and security requirements of Qatar, the United States and NATO allies." Barzan established a Charleston operation "to build out a large military aircraft initiative that is expected to support numerous jobs," according to a white paper distributed to members of Congress by Qatars ambassador. The company was formed in 2018 after Qatari officials met with South Carolina political and business leaders and Boeing Co. executives at the planemaker's 787 Dreamliner campus in North Charleston. At the time, leaders with the Qatar Investment Authority said they were looking for investment opportunities in the Palmetto State. A Barzan representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Johns Island project. Elliott Summey, CEO of Charleston County Aviation Authority, which owns the small airport, declined to identify the manufacturer, citing a confidentiality agreement. But he called the project "a nice investment" of possibly several million dollars and said it could create about 100 jobs at the general aviation airfield near Kiawah and Seabrook islands that serves small planes and corporate jets. Site plans show a 54,000-square-foot aircraft manufacturing plant, an 18,400-square-foot office building and another structure near the parking area with offices, conference room and classroom. The assembly plant design shows spaces for five small aircraft inside the building next to several smaller production spaces. 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! They include a 3,500-square-foot machine welding shop, a nearly 5,000-square-foot shipping and receiving room, a nearly 1,300-square-foot electronics department and a 4,300-square-foot systems integration lab. The proposed main office building includes several offices as well as a lunchroom with a kitchen and another kitchen for employees. An adjacent structure with the classrooms and conference space is flanked by two large fountains and adjoins a smaller manufacturing structure. Next to it is room for a future hangar. "Project Rose" is expected to take up about 10 acres on the 1,333-acre airport site. A 200-space parking area is proposed to the west of the abandoned taxiway, according to site plans. Plans also show a 20-by-40-foot cooling tower as well as a future assembly building of just over 11,000 square feet and a future multiuse structure of 4,850 square feet. The company has reportedly secretly developed a drone called Nightwarden, which can be armed, in Charleston after previously purchasing an Aerosonde unmanned aircraft from Providence, R.I.-based Textron Systems. The Nightwarden aircraft is based on the Aerosonde technology, and both companies have been production partners since 2019, according to a recent report by the Online Intelligence website. The drone Barzan purchased from Textron weighs 80 pounds, has an 11.9-foot wingspan and a 20-pound payload capacity, according to the companys marketing materials. The aerial device, which can be operated from a mobile control center, has a 15,000-foot ceiling and a 75-mile range. Ahead of the site plan filing, Barzan held meetings with the Aviation Authority and Charleston County economic development officials, according to a Barzan filing under the federal Foreign Agent Registration Act. Barzan Aeronautical is a division of Barzan Holdings, which is owned by the Qatari Ministry of Defense. According to the Barzan website, the entity is responsible for empowering the military capabilities of the Qatari Armed Forces through partnerships with international companies. Barzans website says the company picked Charleston because it is home to one of the largest hubs in aviation, engineering and advanced manufacturing in the United States. It also touted the region's "can do" business attitude and academic institutions that the company said "made Barzan's decision easy." Editor: Judicial and school board candidates will be on the ballot in the May 18 primary election. Under current law those candidates can cross-file on the Democratic and Republican ballots as a means of keeping politics out of the system. Unfortunately, this leads to politicization of the ballot at a greater level. Essentially, most such races are decided in the primary, making the November election a foregone conclusion, as it is likely the same candidate in these races will tie up the nomination for both parties. Third party and independent candidates historically have little chance of competing, let alone overcoming such obstacles. Short of having open primaries, which would obey the state constitution which mandates all elections to be open and equal, the only solution to this situation is to ban judicial and school board candidates from the primary altogether. The parties still could endorse for November but not use the primary ballot to usurp the votes of third party and independent electors in races that are supposed to be apolitical. Instead, all such candidates should follow the same rules as independent and third party candidates to gain access to the November ballot. Sadly, it will not change the current Catch-22 we suffer, where the two dominant parties maintain control of the Legislature and will not void such partisan authority. It maintains their current status. Nor will electors change their registration to a third party as they want to continue voting in primaries even though most dont actually participates. Fewer than one in four qualified electors do, on average. As the cartoon character Pogo says, We have met the enemy and he is us. DAVID KVERAGAS NEWTON TWP. Editor: Lauren Telep glorified Donald Trumps dismal adventure as president (Liberal menace, April 3). True, Trump built part of a southern border wall, about 80 miles of new construction, and enforced 33 miles of existing barrier. Mexico still has not paid for it. The Obama administration built more than 100 miles of new border wall and replaced existing restrictions in El Paso and near San Diego. Wall sections that washed away by flooding were rebuilt during those years as well. As for Trump contributing to U.S. energy self-sufficiency: In 1973, President Nixon lifted the mandatory oil import quota program, causing U.S. dependence on foreign oil to rise. Americas energy self-sufficiency has increased since 2005. Each president since then contributed to that claim. In 2014 U.S. imports hit a 25-year low. Who was president then? Telep reports Trump oversaw one of the largest tax cuts in history. She should remember 1981, when President Ronald Reagan instituted the Economic Recovery Act, the largest tax cut in history. Trumps cut ranks as the 12th-largest as a percent age of GDP and the fourth-largest in real dollars. Telep failed to mention that many Republicans in Congress have as much tenure as Democrats. Sen. Chuck Grassley, 87, has 40 years. Sen. Mitch McConnell, 79, has 36. Neither communism nor socialism are on the horizon. We should then rid our country of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. This is a democracy. Since Telep tells me to be afraid, heres what I fear: I am afraid of a man who, as president, was capable of inciting hate crimes, divided a country on political belief, race and national origin, did not believe in science and incited riots and attacks on the Capitol because he didnt win the election. JUDITH SENKOW-RICHARDS DICKSON CITY Editor: A pastor in Louisiana recently encouraged his flaky flock to disregard face coverings and COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, a significant number of Americans say that when it comes to protecting others as well as themselves, they dont give a shot. In other words, after months of claiming a pandemic that has killed more than half a million Americans is overblown, some objectors continue to argue that the shots are just too risky to consider. This is troubling because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that normalcy wont return until about 70% of Americans are inoculated. Only then will we achieve herd immunity. Until then, we sadly must deal with nerd impunity. VINCE MORABITO SCRANTON Editor: In the liturgical season of Easter, it seems somehow important to not entirely let go of Lent. That is, in order to remember, we were left with Holy Saturday. It didnt appear too holy or happy at first; in fact, it was so bleak for the disciple Peter that he decided to go fishing. Easter will be proclaimed as the greatest day in recorded history. At another time in 1969 President Richard Nixon said the greatest week occurred during the first moon landing. Secular history and sacred life can render different accounts. The Old Testament contains something little known or reflected upon, at least in Christian congregations. It begins chronologically with the book of Amos in 750 B.C. There are 20 or so of these writing prophets, major and minor. The difference is not so much in importance as a measure, but in the length of the book or message. Unlike what often happens today, the meaning of secular events is weaved in an accurate interpretation of Scripture. Good knowledge of the Bible and logical interpretation of that Scripture can happen, but a failure of deep understanding exists. An example from 40 years ago: The Rev. Jerry Falwell and the Rev. Pat Robertson made the case that the AIDS epidemic was punishment for gay lifestyles. The realization should have been that God never hits the man who is down: the dispossessed, the disadvantaged, the poor. He more likely takes on the powerful, the secure and the proud. On Easter the first lesson was Acts 10:34-35: Peter says, I truly understand that God shows no partiality but in every nation anyone who fears (reveres) him and does what is right is acceptable to him. RICHARD J. YOST SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Tracesafe Inc. (CSE: TSF) ("TraceSafe"), a global leader in wearable safety tech and connected workforce solutions, including large-scale venue management and asset tracking, announced today a new partnership with Hubbcat Telecommunications, a cutting-edge provider of private secured radio networks and telecommunications solutions. TraceSafe and Hubbcat will work together to increase the reach of TraceSafe solutions in European markets. Hubbcat will offer TraceSafe's solutions and intelligent wearables into new global markets, providing businesses its intelligent wearables, and connected worker solutions. The partnership extends TraceSafe's reach into new markets with Hubbcat's existing operations currently in 20 countries around the world, with over 130,000 users. Commenting on the partnership, Hubbcat Chief Commercial Officer Niall O'Toole said: "Hubbcat are delighted to join forces with TraceSafe. TraceSafe's technology is tried and tested, and we are delighted to offer their products and services to our customers. We look forward to working with the TraceSafe team over the coming months. At Hubbcat, we are passionate about the power of using clever technology to deliver a meaningful impact on both people's lives and organisations' operations. TraceSafe are ideally positioned to support this passion." "This partnership is an exciting next step in TraceSafe's expansion," said Wayne Lloyd, TraceSafe CEO. "Hubbcat is active in North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean and APAC, and we are thrilled about this extensive global market reach for our workplace safety and efficiency solutions." Established in late 2019, Hubbcat is based in Ireland with satellite offices in three locations in the Caribbean. The firm provides ruggedized devices, and full set up including agnostic network SIM cards to ensure continuous coverage, as well as full licensing. About TraceSafe TraceSafe is a full suite of real-time location management services and contact tracing solutions enabled through advanced low power bluetooth beacons and enterprise cloud management. TraceSafe's leading cloud management solution ensures both user privacy and comprehensive administrative control. TraceSafe's patented contact tracing bracelet has already been deployed in mission critical quarantine applications around the world in partnership with leading governments. In addition to their government work, TraceSafe is developing leading edge solutions for Enterprise, Healthcare, Education, Government and large-scale venue management. For further information, please contact: Wayne Lloyd, CEO +1 (604) 629-9975 wayne@tracesafe.io Emily Graham, CFO +1 (604) 356-8111 emily@tracesafe.io The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Statements in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on TraceSafe's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates, including with respect to expectations regarding scaling of the business of TraceSafe, TraceSafe's future growth and rate of future expansion, future business plans and relationships, future developments in respect of COVID-19 and solutions adopted in response to the virus, and the deployment and acceptance of the TraceSafe technology. Although TraceSafe believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict, including the suitability of our products to help businesses and governments reopen, competition, the spread or containment of COVID-19 and government responses thereto and general economic and market conditions. Therefore, outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and TraceSafe undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances unless otherwise required to do so by law. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80984 At least 25 people were injured when a floor collapsed into a crawl space during a house party near the University of Georgia early Friday. The party was held at a two-story house in Athens, Georgia, and the first floor of the house collapsed about 1 a.m. Friday, according to Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. The injuries sustained by partygoers were minor, ranging from cuts and bruises to a potential fractured arm, as per PEOPLE. A two-story house in Georgia collapsed, injured 25 partygoers No one was rushed to the hospital, though some participants stated that they would seek medical help, said Barnett. Firefighter Capt. Nate Moss of the Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services Department said that entering the house was difficult due to "large numbers of vehicles lining the driveway," the Associated Press reported. Most of the first floor fell into the crawl room due to dozens of partygoers who overcrowded the space during the event. "We are grateful that this unexpected event didn't turn out any worse," Moss told the AP. "Overcrowding could lead to deck and flooring failures, especially in older structures. Teen Dies After Police Shot Him When He Fired At Officers in Knoxville, Tennessee High School Police, firefighters responded to a house party where the floor collapsed When firefighters arrived, Athens police were still on the scene, pulling people from the property. Thanks to "huge numbers of traffic and pedestrians lining the roadway," fire trucks had a tough time getting to the scene. The property was approached by code enforcement to see if it should be condemned. In this situation, it was the lack of elevation that helped. These people should be thankful for their good fortune. Clayton Harden, a University of Georgia senior who lives nearby, told Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA that the loud crash jolted him awake. Harden said he watched people being taken out on stretchers from his window. "And everyone was keeping an eye on each other." At Least 8 People Dead Including Suspect in Massive Shooting at Indianapolis FedEx Facility Devin Jones, another student, told WAGA that he witnessed students breaking down the basement door to free trapped partygoers. Jones said that his roommate jumped in to help people and provided ice to some wounded partygoers. He told the outlet that it was all they could do. Harden said the area had seen some "pretty big celebrations," but Friday's party was "perhaps the largest" he had seen. According to Barnett, the local code enforcement officer responded to the incident early Friday and declared the property hazardous. Firefighters said none of the 25 people who were injured were rushed to the hospital by medics. They said that a lot of them decided to drive themselves or make a friend drive them. The collapse was shown in photos provided by Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services. The house's brick foundation buckled from the outside. When the first floor of the house collapsed into a crawl room, police reported that 500 people were at the party. 7-Year-Old Girl Dies, Father Severely Injured in Chicago McDonald's Drive-Thru Shooting @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On April 15, Preident Biden signed an Executive Order on Blocking Property with Respect to Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation. Contrary to its title, this EO is not about Russia. It is designed to allow the Biden administration to deprive American citizens and organizations of their rights and property by arbitrarily linking those persons to real, imagined, or vaguely defined activities of the Russian government. The Biden administration unilaterally makes the determination and requires neither criminal acts nor intent. The punishment is blocking assets and a prohibition on any dealing with the accused person. Spouses and adult children of individuals found guilty by accusation under this EO are punished, too. The EO was preceded by some distracting maneuvers, both diplomatic (hostile rhetoric toward Russia) and military (sending naval ships toward the Black Sea and recalling them back, as if dealing with Russian threats). Thus, many people assumed that the EO was directed at Russia, and completely missed the fact that it is directed at dissent here, at home. Over the past four years, the Democrat Party, Fake News, and Big Tech have been frequently portraying their opponents as Russian trolls or Russian misinformation operators. The Russian collusion narrative, initially invented to overthrow the Trump administration, has been used to smear many conservative movements. Now this effort has been crowned by an Executive Order. Bidens administration has been recently pushing so many other radical changes, such as packing the Supreme Court, eliminating the filibuster, restricting Second Amendment rights, etc., that the real ramifications of this new EO went completely unnoticed. In my opinion, this EO is the most dangerous of them all. It allows the Biden regime to eliminate its opposition, quickly and quietly. Section 1 of the EO enumerates prohibited activities and defines guilty persons as those determined by the Secretary of Treasury and/or Secretary of State in consultation with the Attorney General to be: (a)(ii) responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, any of the following for or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation: (A) malicious cyber-enabled activities; (B) interference in a United States or other foreign government election; (C) actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad; (D) transnational corruption; Some of the language in this EO borrows from another: EO-13224 - Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism. George W. Bush signed EO-13224 on September 23, 2001, in response to 9/11. However, Bidens EO is as similar to Bushs EO as an atomic bomb is to a sniper rifle. Bushs EO targeted financing terrorism. It defined terrorism clearly and narrowly. It minimized legal jeopardy to US persons. It did not strip away the standard for criminal liability requirements of action and intent. It did not target spouses or children of accused individuals. Additionally, Bush made a legally meaningful promise to use it with due regard to culpability and the Bush administration used it with restraint. Even so, Democrats criticized it harshly, opposed it, and fought it in courts. In contrast, Bidens new EO is directed mostly at US persons. It criminalizes speech and political activities, based on whimsical and arbitrary definitions. The Biden administration can define malicious activities, democratic processes or institutions, and the activities that undermine them as it wants. The Biden administration is also free to interpret what constitutes interests of the Russian Government. Such broad and vague language allows the Biden regime to select US citizens and political organizations arbitrarily, and then deprive them of their property and rights without anything reminiscent of due process. The EO does not even require that anybody commit an actual crime somewhere. False cyber-attribution or fake bounty claims are sufficient. Bidens remarks to the EO showed no regard to the culpability of any targeted US citizens or other persons. Leftist pseudo-elites have been eager to ban speech based on allegations that such speech may be beneficial to Russia. Such ideation has been present among Big Tech influencers for a long time. This EO effectively gives Big Tech, banks, and credit card companies a new pretext to deplatform conservatives and anyone else who opposes the Biden regime by claiming that they are now engaged in illegal activity. Bidens EO appears to allow the Democrat party to deny Americans the right to advocate against it in future federal elections. This might be accomplished through a determination that Russia is interfering in elections against democratic candidates. Thus, any US citizens who also oppose Democrats could be found to acting for Russias benefit, directly or indirectly. The list of prohibited activities justifying a Biden administration determination to deprive American persons of their property and other rights (referred to here as a Deprived Person) states: [a] (iii) to be or have been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of: (C) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; For comparison, Bushs EO only covered the leaders of terrorist-supporting entities, not multiple officials, executives, or directors. Unprecedently, Bidens EO targets children and spouses: [a] (v) to be a spouse or adult child of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection (a)(ii) or (iii) of this section; and countless associations: [a] (vi) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of: (A) any activity described in subsection (a)(ii) of this section; or (B) any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order ... [a] (vii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. Notice the infinite reach these subsections afford. Those connected to a Deprived Person can receive the same designation, and so on. There is no limit to the number of iterations. Deprived Persons essentially become untouchables, as dealing with them in any way is expressly prohibited without additional determinations: Sec. 2. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include: (a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and (b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Giving legal representation, hosting the website, selling food, and giving medical care to a Deprived Person is automatically prohibited. Section 4 prohibits transactions that cause a violation of this EO, even absent intent or knowledge. This serves as a hint to pre-emptively cut ties with anyone the Biden regime targets. Section 9 exempts UN bodies and related organizations (NGOs) from any responsibility for interfering in US elections and other activities under this order. The Russian Federation is mixed into the EO only for distraction and as a primer, triggering expanding layers of culpability. I do not expect any putative human rights organizations or large media outlets to hold the Biden regime accountable for how it applies this EO or to defend its victims. So far, these outlets have either ignored it or defended it. Image by Andrea Widburg To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. New Delhi/Washington, April 20 : While China will overtake the United States as the largest economy in the world by 2040, India will be a distant third contributor to the global GDP. This statistical prediction made by Oxford Economics has been published in the seventh edition of the US National Intelligence Council's Global Trends report. The document, published every four years since 1997, assesses the key trends and uncertainties that will shape the strategic environment for the United States during the next two decades. As per the report, India is going to double its contribution to the global GDP by 2040 at 6.1 per cent from 3.1 per cent in 2020. India in 2020 was at the sixth rank, globally but by 2040 will be the third largest economy. The report said India will replace Japan in the global rankings. Even as China and India are poised to be the largest contributors to the global GDP at 29 per cent together by 2040, the standards of living or per capita GDP are likely to remain well below those of advanced economies. By 2040, developing countries in Asia are projected to account for approximately 35 per cent of global GDP, with India and China as the largest contributors at 29 per cent of global GDP, according to Oxford Economics. During the next 20 years, the world's population will continue to increase every year, adding approximately 1.4 billion people to reach an estimated 9.2 billion by 2040, but the rate of population growth will slow in all regions. Population growth in most of Asia will decline quickly, and after 2040, the population will begin to contract. Although India's population growth is slowing, it will still overtake China as the world's most populous country around 2027, the report said. However, the US Intelligence Council said, "India's population size-projected to become the largest in the world by 2027 - geography, strategic arsenal, and economic and technological potential position it as a potential global power, but it remains to be seen whether New Delhi will achieve domestic development goals to allow it to project influence beyond South Asia. As China and the United States compete, India is likely to try to carve out a more independent role." India, the report said, "may struggle to balance its long-term commitment to strategic autonomy from Western powers with the need to embed itself more deeply into multilateral security architectures to counter a rising China. India faces serious governance, societal, environmental, and defense challenges that constrain how much it can invest in the military and diplomatic capabilities needed for a more assertive global foreign policy." ADVERTISEMENT France bears significant responsibility for enabling foreseeable genocide against ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda that happened in 1994, a report commissioned by the Rwandan government has concluded. The 628-page report commissioned in 2017 was authored by the U.S. law firm Levy Firestone Muse LLP with the involvement of three Rwandan local law firms in its preparation. It was released during its formal presentation to the Rwandan cabinet. French officials armed, advised, trained, equipped, and protected the then Rwandan government and were heedless of its commitment to the dehumanisation and, ultimately, the destruction and death of Tutsi in Rwanda, said the report. However, the report found no evidence that French officials or personnel directly participated in the killing of Tutsis. Frances role during the April-July 1994 genocide has for years been the subject of intense scrutiny and much controversy. Rwanda has been accusing France of backing the genocidal regime government and covering genocide suspects through Operation Turquoise, but the claim was denied by France. The central African country severed diplomatic relations with France in 2006 after a French judge issued nine arrest warrants against Rwandan officials in the case of an attack on an aircraft of Habyarimana in April 1994, which triggered the genocide. Although the two countries restored their diplomatic relations in 2009, France has no ambassador in Rwanda since the last one left the post in 2015. (NAN) PARIS WITHOUT HER A Memoir By Gregory Curtis Following the death of my wife, Aura, who was fatally injured while bodysurfing in Mexico, I received a signed copy of a grief memoir along with a personal note from its famous author, who advised, Read lots of poetry. Since then, Ive passed that advice on, sometimes with a copy of the grief book I wrote. Early on, only poetry could give concrete expression to my lost loves not-thereness, and to raw grief. But that author and I both turned our struggles into prose. The bereaved cannot communicate with the unbereaved, is an oft-quoted sentence by Iris Murdoch, expressed by a character in An Accidental Man, who in the next sentence reflects, Only one is not bereaved for long. Prose often focuses on whatever it might take to emerge from bereavement, however long endured. In Gregory Curtiss memoir Paris Without Her, inspired by the death of his wife of many years, Tracy, he describes drowning in waves of grief. But on the same page he declares, I wanted to use memories of all our good times to try to reconcile our past together with my future alone. Memoirs of grief typically narrate a struggle to recover a sense of lifes meaning, through understanding, or will, or memory, especially of love. As part of the Artist Response Program, announced in January, five Chicago artists and artistic teams have been awarded $100,000 grants from DCASE. Those moneys have flowed to Tonika Lewis Johnson; Santiago X; Kirsten Leenaars with Circles and Ciphers; Pilsen Housing Cooperative with Hector Duarte, Nicole Marroquin, and Gabriel Villa; and an artist team with Aquil Charlton, William Estrada, Andres Lemus-Spont, and Marya Spont-Lemus. Other artists will be supported by $50,000 to $100,000 grants sent to other arts organizations and designated for regranting to artists. Those organizations were named as ConTextos, Folded Map Project/Englewood Arts Collective, Full Spectrum Features, Greater Southwest Development Corporation, Jazz Institute of Chicago, Kartemquin Films, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. UPDATE: Prosecutors office investigating Perth Amboy cops seizing bikes, arresting teen MORE: Should N.J. cops have seized teens bicycles? Experts weigh in on controversy. A video circulating on social media Tuesday morning shows Perth Amboy police officers stopping a group of primarily Black and Latino teenagers riding their bicycles through the city, confiscating several bikes after they said they wouldnt and ultimately handcuffing one of the teens. Portions of the video were posted on several social media channels including YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and caused Perth Amboy to be trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning. The videos show a group of teenagers riding BMX-style bicycles through the streets of Perth Amboy, at a few points weaving into the wrong side of the road and riding against traffic. Throughout the more than 17-minute version of the video shared on Youtube, the teenagers are seen popping wheelies with their bikes as they ride through Perth Amboys streets. The group of cyclists grew to more than a dozen, but the group split up after police cars began trying to stop the bikes, which ultimately led to one of the riders being handcuffed and his bike seized. The incident comes amid a national conversation about policing targeting young people of color and relying on outdated ordinances to justify stops and harassment, as well as discussions about the role of community policing. This is Perth Amboy, NJ, Amol Sinha, the executive director of the ACLU New Jersey, wrote on Twitter. Are the police really arresting kids over bike registrations? Does it really require this many officers to address whatever situation this is? Police CANNOT continue to be our response to EVERYTHING. Multiple calls and emails to Perth Amboy police and the mayors office were not returned. Messages to the person who posted the original video - and is seen riding his bike as part of the group - were not immediately returned. At one point in the video, several Perth Amboy police cars are seen tailing the group of teens, before the group rides into a park. Later in the video, an officer orders the group to stop over a speaker and the group obliges on an unidentified street. One officer gets out and talks to the group of four to six cyclists - most of them Black or Latino - alleging that a group of cyclists were creating a disturbance in traffic for drivers who couldnt get around the large group. You guys are supposed to have licenses and all that kind of stuff, the officer is heard telling the group. Guys, we dont make the rules. You guys know when theres 30 or 40 of you together, it creates a problem for people driving. Several times, the first officer tells the group the police would not be taking their bikes, but that the group would eventually need to get licenses for their bicycles. License tags are required for bicycles, according to the Perth Amboy municipal ordinance. I appreciate you guys stopping, okay, the officer tells the group. I told you, I promised you were not taking your bikes. He then issued them a verbal warning about obtaining licenses for the bike and thanked them again for stopping. Guys, please be a little safer for your safety, the officer told them before walking away as the bike riders clapped. The video then cuts to another officer reaching for the handlebars of two of the teens bikes, before ordering that other officers confiscate the teens bikes. Take their bikes, the officer, who is identified as a sergeant, is heard saying. One teenager refuses to give the officers his bike, arguing with the sergeant. The sergeant threatens the teen with arrest if he does not get off and hand over his bike, then he is handcuffed and put in a patrol car moments later, according to the video. It is unclear if charges were ultimately filed against the teenager who was handcuffed. The video drew outcry from people on social media many claiming that the number of officers deployed to stop the teens was excessive and outrage at the arrest of a Black teenager for a bike offense. Ultimately, the one teenager who was arrested was released, according to the video, and the four bikes confiscated were returned. The officer who arrested the teenager is seen in a police station speaking to one of the cyclists, claiming she told the group to stay on the sidewalk. However, according to the municipal ordinance, riding a bicycle on the sidewalks on State Street, between Market Street and Fayette Street, or on Smith Street, between Elm Street and High Street is not allowed. The same officer says in the video that police were not required to return bicycles if they were not registered in Perth Amboy. But according to the ordinance, a confiscated bicycle is supposed to be returned upon payment of any fine imposed or upon any final adjudication. Perth Amboy Council President William A. Petrick praised the officers for defusing the situation, and said that he saw no arrest, rather that the teen was taken into protective custody. I think the first officer who eventually got a very small handful of all of them to stop, I think, handled himself very well and diffused the situation I think the second officer that came on scene had asked some of the group, and they ignored her and they just kept going. And so she was coming into the different emotional level. But I think that she did the right thing, and that she confiscated the bikes and brought them back to the police station, and the minor, young adult, that she took into protective custody because I did not see an arrest. Echoing the first officers comments in the video, Petrick said there had been an uptick in large groups of young cyclists this spring, many of whom did not appear to be following traffic laws. What happens is they do create a dangerous situation that could end up with one of them getting injured or killed, and then its not their fault, its the operator of a motor vehicles fault, he said. Petrick acknowledged that the public perception of police taking a Black teen into custody was not good, but said he believed the teen was handcuffed due to his stance with police officers. The visuals of that, especially now, under whats going on in the country, yeah, the visuals are very bad, and how it happened to be, but also it appeared, and were watching the video from the perspective of one of the other cyclists, he said. And the visual of that-- yeah, its, its a difficult thing. But he was not being very cooperative with the police, and why they decided to take him into protective custody, it may have been the stance he was taking with them. In a statement, Sinha said that the police stop of the cyclists was another instance of law enforcement over-policing residents of color. The incident in Perth Amboy is an example of the kind of excessive criminalization that invites selective enforcement by police officers, Sinha told NJ Advance Media. Black and brown people are targeted and racially profiled for normal activities like riding bikes, walking down the street, or driving a car. No one should be threatened with arrest or have their bike confiscated just for riding down the street rather than the sidewalk, he added. And we should be alarmed when police use their authority to brand normal behavior as crimes. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. South Africa: Millions processed for ECD relief fund payments The Department of Social Development says a total of R140 369 138 has been processed for the Early Childhood Development Employment Stimulus Relief Fund (ECD-ESRF) payments. Applications for the ECD-ESRF closed on 26 February 2021. The department said despite the challenges, it was able to process a number of batches to provinces for payment, which relates to 8 087 ECD services and 33 533 employees, respectively, for a total payment value of R140 369 138. The department said 28 283 applications were received from ECD services for 126 125 employees, and after validation of employees, the number was reduced to 116 578. The department said multiple support mechanisms were put in place, in collaboration with its partners, for provision of assistance to ECD services to correct their information in order for the department to move forward with processing of the applications for payment. To assist with the process of making payments to ECD services that captured incorrect staff identity (ID) numbers, the department had to review its initial plan of making only one payment to an ECD service for all employees to making partial payments to the ECD service for employees that have passed the ID verification process so that the ECD service receives some funding. This means that some ECD services will receive funding for some of their employees, while the ECD service is still updating information for the rest of their employees, the department explained. May deadline In addition, there are a number of ECD services that failed banking verification and captured information incorrectly. This has prevented the department from processing the applications for payment as speedily as planned. The department said the responsibility lies with the ECD service to correct and update their applications accordingly. In order to enable the processing of the remainder of payments, the department emphasised that it completely dependent on ECD services that have received notifications through SMS to update their details by not later than 7 May 2021. ECD services can go to www.ecd.gov.za, which will allow applicants to update and correct their applications, as well as check their application status using their reference number. For failed banking verification, ECD services can go to https://secure.csd.gov.za to update or correct their banking information. The departments partner, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, will be hosting information sessions which can be accessed on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87228536319?pwd=cnE5S3dCOGIxcXBvdEkzR2ZhOFUrQT09 from Monday, 19 April to Friday, 23 April 2021, from 09h00 11h00 daily. Enquiries can be directed to ecd@dsd.gov.za or ecdstimulus@dgmt.co.za. All ECD employees to receive funding The department said it has removed the cap that was placed, where up to only four employees were going to be paid for ECD centres and only one employee was going to be paid for non-centre-based services. This means that ECD services that have passed all the necessary verifications will receive funding for all the employees that they applied for. The value of the payment for each employee is R4 186... This payment is directed to the employees of ECD services that have been applied for by the ECD service, the department said. The department also acknowledged that the 2020/21 financial year has ended and this makes it difficult to process any further payments. To address this challenge, the department has been engaging with National Treasury for guidance on all supporting documents that are required to secure the finalisation of outstanding payments as soon as possible. However, the department warned that this process will result in some delays in making payments to ECD services. Monitoring visits to approved organisations Meanwhile, the department will be conducting monitoring visits to organisations that have been approved for payment by provincial Departments of Social Development, and have received funding. The visits are part of the ongoing due diligence processes. ECD services are reminded to keep expenditure reports and payroll records (employment contracts etc. and signed acknowledgement by employees that they have received their funds) so that these can be presented when site monitoring takes place, the department said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Were desperately in need of housing sites, Mayor Scott Sedgley said last week. The site is designated by the city for public-serving uses rather than housing, a leftover from its former life as a Health and Human Services campus. That designation should change with the city's ongoing General Plan update. If the county finds a qualified buyer for the Health and Human Services Agency property, I think there would be a great desire to move as quickly as possible on that development, Sedgley said. The property is a fixer-upper. It has five buildings and numerous portable buildings left over from the Health and Human Services campus that closed in 2016. Napa County is selling the site as-is," leaving the buyer to knock down the buildings. A big question is how many of the buildings will go. Three of those buildings were part of the old county infirmary and are on the National Register of Historic Places. Two were built in 1912 and another in 1897 and expanded in 1934. Local history advocates have lobbied to keep the three buildings. Tearing them down would leave more land available for housing. Sedgley called the historic buildings the gorilla in the room. State Duma backs legislative proposal to ban officials from holding dual citizenship RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:49 20/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 20 (RAPSI) - The State Duma adopted a draft law prohibiting state and municipal officials to hold dual citizenship in the third and final reading on Tuesday, according to the official website of the parliaments lower house. The bill was introduced by President Vladimir Putin in furtherance of the national Constitution on November 30, 2020. The initiative envisages that state officials will be obliged to report about termination of their Russian citizenship and obtaining of documents confirming their rights to reside abroad; otherwise they could be dismissed from their posts. The US ambassador to Russia is reportedly refusing to leave the country after he was told to return home just days after President Joe Biden's new sanctions on the Kremlin for interfering in the 2020 US presidential election. Sources told Axios that John Sullivan, the US Ambassador, met with top foreign policy official, Yuri Ushakov, who advised that he go back to Washington, DC. But Sullivan has reportedly refused the recommendation. According to the sources, Sullivan said if Russian President Vladimir Putin wants him to leave, then he'll have to force him out. The revelation comes just days after Russia responded to a barrage of new US sanctions by saying it would expel 10 US diplomats and take other retaliatory moves in a tense showdown with Washington. The US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan (pictured), is reportedly refusing to leave the country after he was told to return home just days after President Joe Biden's new sanctions Sources said Sullivan met with top foreign policy official, Yuri Ushakov, who advised that he go back to DC. But Sullivan has reportedly refused the recommendation to leave. Pictured is the US Embassy in Moscow, Russia The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday also published a list of eight current or former US officials barred from entering the country, including US Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said Moscow will move to shut down those US nongovernment organizations that remain in Russia to end what he described as their meddling in Russia's politics. Russia will also deny the US Embassy the possibility of hiring personnel from Russia and third countries as support staff, limit visits by US diplomats serving short-term stints at the embassy, and tighten requirements for US diplomats' travel in the country. The others banned from entering Russia are Susan Rice, a former UN ambassador and now head of the Domestic Policy Council; John Bolton, who was a national security adviser under former President Donald Trump; James Woolsey, a former CIA director; and Michael Carvajal, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On Thursday, the Biden administration announced sanctions on Russia for interfering in the 2020 US presidential election and involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies - activities Moscow has denied. The US ordered 10 Russian diplomats expelled, targeted dozens of companies and people, and imposed new curbs on Russia's ability to borrow money. While the US wields the power to cripple Russia's economy, Moscow lacks levers to respond in kind, although it could hurt American interests in other ways globally. Lavrov called Washington's move 'absolutely unfriendly and unprovoked,' and he said that while Russia could take 'painful measures' against American business interests in Russia, it wouldn't immediately move to do that and 'save them for future use.' The sources claimed that Sullivan said if Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) wants him to leave, then he'll have to force him out On Thursday, the Biden administration announced sanctions on Russia for interfering in the 2020 US presidential election and involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies - activities Moscow has denied He warned that if Washington further raises the pressure, Russia might ask the US to reduce the number of its embassy and consular staff from about 450 to 300. He said both countries host about 450 diplomats, but that includes some 150 Russians at the UN in New York that he argued shouldn't be included. Russia's economic potential and its global reach are limited compared with the Soviet Union that competed with the US for international influence during the Cold War. Still, Russia's nuclear arsenal and its leverage in many parts of the world make it a power that Washington needs to reckon with. Aware of that, Biden called for de-escalating tensions and held the door open for cooperation with Russia in certain areas. Biden said he told Putin in Tuesday's call that he chose not to impose tougher sanctions for now and proposed to meet in a third country in the summer. Lavrov said Russia had a 'positive attitude' to the summit offer and was analyzing it, but a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry shortly after noted that it 'was being studied in the context of the evolving situation.' The ministry charged that Russia would like to avoid further escalation and engage in a 'calm and professional dialogue,' but has other means to retaliate if Washington tries to crank up the pressure. While the new US sanctions further limited Russia's ability to borrow money by banning US financial institutions from buying Russian government bonds directly from state institutions, they didn't target the secondary market. 'It's very important that therere no sanctions on secondary debt because that means that non-US persons can buy the debt and sell it to the US persons,' said Tom Adshead, director of research at Macro-Advisory Ltd, an analytics and advisory company. Timothy Frye, a Columbia University political scientist, noted that Biden chose not to target the prospective Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany or go after large Russian state-controlled companies. 'That's part of the broader strategy of using sanctions but also reaching out to the Kremlin to propose talks on strategic stability and eventually on a summit,' he said. Tougher restrictions would also hurt Western businesses, inflict significant economic pain on ordinary Russians and allow Putin to rally anti-US sentiments to shore up his rule. Ramping up sanctions could eventually drive Russia into a corner and provoke even more reckless Kremlin action, leading to a potential escalation in Ukraine, which has seen a surge in clashes with Russia-backed separatists in the east and a massive Russian troop buildup across the border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Paris on Friday to discuss the tensions with French President Emmanuel Macron. After a joint call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the three urged Russia to pull back its troops to de-escalate the situation. Fyodor Lukyanov, a top foreign policy expert who leads the Moscow-based Council for Foreign and Defense Policies, predicted Putin would likely accept Biden's invitation to join next week's call on climate change but could drag his feet on the summit offer. 'There is no way to make any deals,' Lukyanov said. 'There is a mutual antipathy and a total lack of trust.' He said the only practical outcome of the summit could be an agreement to launch long and difficult talks on a replacement to the New START nuclear reduction agreement that Russia and the U.S. extended in February for another five years. Lukyanov noted that the growing US pressure will push Russia and China closer in the long run. 'Closer cooperation with China on coordinating actions to contain the United States will develop more quickly now as the Chinese are interested in that,' he said. While Russia lacks tools for a symmetrical answer to the US sanctions, 'it has ample capabilities to stimulate changes in the world order,' he added. Konstantin Kosachev, the Kremlin-connected deputy speaker of the upper house of parliament, said that by imposing sanctions and proposing a summit at the same time, the US sought to take a commanding stance. 'Russia's consent would be interpreted as a reflection of its desire to soften the sanctions, allowing the US to secure a dominant position at the meeting, while our refusal to meet would be a convenient pretext for more punitive measures,' Kosachev wrote on Facebook. He argued that Russia should not rush to accept Biden's summit offer. 'Revenge is a dish best served cold,' Kosachev wrote. 'I believe the saying is quite adaptable to a situation when we talk not about revenge but a due answer to aggressive action by an opponent.' Some predicted the US sanctions could discourage Russia from cooperating with the US on international crises. 'The Russian position will grow tougher on Syria, the Iranian nuclear deal and other issues,' Ivan Timofeev, program director at Russian International Affairs Council, said in a commentary. Instead of acting as a deterrent, he warned, the sanctions would 'only anger Russia and make its policy even tougher'. But despite the soaring tensions, Russia and the US have shared interests in many global hot spots. For example, Moscow fears that instability could spread from Afghanistan to former Soviet republics in Central Asia, and it is interested in a political settlement there. As for Iran, Moscow also doesn't want to see it with nuclear weapons, despite its friendly ties with Tehran. Lukyanov said Russia wouldn't try to use global hot spots to hurt the US and would wait patiently to see them erode US domination. 'It's not a matter of playing the spoiler here or there,' he said. 'The ongoing developments will help accelerate the process of consolidation of leading powers against the US domination.' CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago Atlantic Advisers, LLC ("Chicago Atlantic") today announced Tom Miles has joined the firm as Vice President based in Chicago. Tom's primary responsibilities will include originating and executing new investments, conducting due diligence, and portfolio monitoring for Green Ivy Capital, Chicago Atlantic's affiliated credit platform focused on providing financing to companies in the cannabis space and related industries. Green Ivy Capital Prior to joining Chicago Atlantic, Tom was a Vice President at PNC Bank originating and executing senior secured loans in support of private equity-led buyouts, recapitalizations, and restructurings. Prior to PNC, Tom worked within FTI Consulting's transaction advisory group. Tom holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Miami. "We are very excited to add Tom to the Chicago Atlantic team," said Tony Cappell, Partner and Co-founder of Chicago Atlantic. "He is a great cultural fit for our organization and a strong addition to our investment team." "The growth in our Green Ivy credit team is indicative of the increased demand for financing we are seeing in the cannabis space, especially as we see regulatory tailwinds for the industry," said Andreas Bodmeier, Partner and Co-founder of Chicago Atlantic. "As the risk/return parameters for cannabis credit become more and more attractive, we believe it is the right time to expand our dedicated team of professionals in this focus area of our firm." About Chicago Atlantic / Green Ivy Capital Chicago Atlantic Advisers, LLC ("Chicago Atlantic") is an asset management firm specializing in direct lending and opportunistic private credit investing. Founded in 2018 by Tony Cappell, John Mazarakis, and Andreas Bodmeier, the firm seeks to capitalize on North American investment opportunities that are time-sensitive, complex, or in dislocated markets, where risk is fundamentally mispriced. Through its affiliate Green Ivy Capital, LLC ("Green Ivy"), the firm manages a diversified portfolio of credit investments in the cannabis space and is actively investing across the value chain. Green Ivy provides financing solutions for all cannabis verticals, from cultivation and processing to retail dispensaries. Credit solutions include term loans to support refinancing's, acquisitions, build-outs, construction and equipment loans, and bridge financing. For more information, please visit www.chicagoatlantic.com. Contact Information: For financing inquiries regarding Chicago Atlantic, please contact: Tom Miles Vice President Chicago Atlantic Advisers, LLC (847) 373-5804 [email protected] For media and general inquiries regarding Chicago Atlantic, please contact: Andreas Bodmeier Partner & Co-founder (312) 809-7002 [email protected] SOURCE Chicago Atlantic Group, LLC We get lots and lots of calls from these tech companies trying to help or prey upon us struggling businesses, she said. But she was impressed by the low service fee and the fact that Table22 shared customer data. She started the service in October, hoping for 30 sign-ups; 100 people joined. Ms. Allison now has 300 subscribers and five employees working on the make-at-home cocktail boxes. This will 100 percent stay in the future, she said. I love this program. I thought it might cannibalize my to-go business, but it hasnt at all. Ping Ho considered signing up with Table22 to host the wine and meat clubs she offers at her Detroit restaurant and butcher shop, Marrow, and wine bar, the Royce. She decided against it, however, because her existing subscription platform, Zoho, gave her the essential tools. Its a bit more work, but theres more agency, she said. But because her website was mostly informational, she realized she did need help offering online ordering and a delivery system for the butcher shop. So Ms. Ho turned to Mercato, which enables e-commerce for independent grocers. In a bit of fortuitous timing, she had signed up a month before the pandemic struck. When stay-at-home orders were issued, she was able to quickly begin offering grocery items, such as milk and eggs, in addition to meats. Her sales jumped tremendously she said, although they have flattened out in recent months. Still, Ms. Ho intends to maintain the service. Mercato began in 2015, but 2020 was its year. In February 2020, the service had 400 stores across 20 states; it quickly ramped up to more than 1,000 stores in 45 states. It continues to grow and has added some big-name clients, including the Ferry Building Marketplace on San Franciscos Embarcadero, with dozens of merchants. "Data governance requires organizational alignment, clear objectives, detailed business rules and an enterprise-wide framework to establish data understanding and trust." Infogix, a leading provider of data solutions, today announced two speaking sessions and a platinum sponsorship at Dataversitys virtual Enterprise Data World (EDW) 2021, April 18-23, 2021. During Infogixs sessions, company experts will educate audiences on developing, executing and maintaining a data governance program and how businesses can build trust in data. EDW is the most comprehensive educational conference on Data Management in the world. This year is the show's 25th anniversary and will include over 100 live online instructor-led workshops, tutorials, product demos, case studies and keynotes for data-driven professionals from around the world. On Thursday, April 22, from 9-9:50 a.m. PST, Dave Woods, executive vice president of strategic services, will host Developing a Data Governance Roadmap that Generates Results. Woods and Colleen Henderson, senior director of enterprise data governance at Perrigo, will present a case study discussing how organizations can establish a clear vision and execute against a proven roadmap for long-term data governance success. Data governance requires organizational alignment, clear objectives, detailed business rules and an enterprise-wide framework to establish data understanding and trust, said Woods. Im excited to join Colleen Thursday to share with attendees how Perrigo constructed a data governance team, selected the technologies required and engaged key stakeholders to build a data governance program. Immediately following Woods session, Jeff Brown, Infogixs director of data quality and analytics, will present Data Trust: Gain Understanding and Confidence in Your Data - Thursday, April 22, from 10-10:30 a.m. PST. During his presentation, Brown will walk attendees through the critical components required to build and grow a foundation of confidence and trust in enterprise data. Organizations work every day to leverage enterprise data to make important business decisions. However, if data consumers cant trust the quality of the information, they wont have any confidence in the outcomes the data produces, said Brown. I am excited to share with EDW attendees the key to merging various data programs, tools and metrics to ensure data users trust organizational data. For 25 years now, EDW has offered in-depth training opportunities for data-driven professionals across industries. This year, EDW built an online community to bring forward networking opportunities typically only found at an in-person event. Attendees will have the chance to join pre-scheduled meetups, participate in live topic and sponsor-driven forums and chat with like-minded peers in private meetings. Learn more about Infogixs data governance and data quality solutions. Learn more about Enterprise Data World 2021. About Infogix, Inc. As an industry pioneer in our fourth decade, Infogix provides companies worldwide with a broad range of integrated and configurable tools to govern, manage and use data. Offering both stand-alone and integrated solutions, we enable organizations to deliver business-ready data that can be leveraged as an enterprise asset improving processes and pushing the boundaries of progress and innovation. By integrating advanced automation into data governance, data analytics and intelligent data quality, Infogix provides users the software they need to accelerate time to insights and confidently trust their data to make business decisions. Our best-in-class retention rate is proof of our customer-centric focus as we partner with them to thrive in todays data-driven economy. To learn more, visit http://www.infogix.com or @Infogix. A man arrested after the disappearance of Brunswick woman Maryam Hamka allegedly left the 36-year-old black and blue in an attack at his home in December last year, according to her family. Detectives arrested Toby Loughnane, 45, in Brighton on Friday in relation to the December assault and on Saturday he was refused bail charged with intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, aggravated assault and committing an indictable offence while on bail. 36-year-old Brunswick woman Maryam Hamka has been missing since April 10. Mr Loughnane has not been charged with any offence relating to Ms Hamkas disappearance. Ms Hamkas family holds grave fears for her safety. She has not touched any of her social media accounts, used her phone or bank accounts for 10 days. Ioan Gruffudd's estranged wife Alice Evans has claimed that the actor has accused her of being a 'neglectful parent' as their acrimonious divorce continues. The actress, 49, has been increasingly vocal about her bitter separation from husband of 14-years Gruffudd, 47 - with whom she shares children Ella, 11, and Elsie, seven - after announcing he had walked out on her in January. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Alice claimed that her estranged husband had told his lawyers that she is a 'neglectful parent'. Claims: Ioan Gruffudd's estranged wife Alice Evans has claimed that the actor has accused her of being a 'neglectful parent' as their acrimonious divorce continues (pictured in happier times) Update: The actress, 49, has been increasingly vocal about her bitter separation from husband of 14-years Gruffudd, 47 - with whom she shares children Ella, 11, and Elsie, seven - after announcing he had walked out on her in January The actress shared a sweet video of their youngest child Elsie, seven, doing an obstacle course on their swimming pool as she posted an update amid their divorce. Alice claimed: 'Oh no!! My husband is telling his lawyers that I am a neglectful parent. I bow unto my STBX [soon to be ex] husband but must honestly share thus clip as evidence that my offspring are as nutty as their mother.' In the video, it sees Elsie attempting to do an obstacle course on their swimming pool as she falls in leaving the mother and daughter in hysterics. Children: Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Alice claimed that her estranged husband had told his lawyers that she is a 'neglectful parent' as she shared a sweet video of their youngest child Elsie, seven, doing an obstacle course on their swimming pool Family: In the video, it sees Elsie attempting to do an obstacle course on their swimming pool as she falls in leaving the mother and daughter in hysterics During the footage, Alice jokes: 'Noo, oh my God I am so sorry, let's take you inside and get dry clothes, ok? I'm so sorry, I can't stop filming!' while her giggling daughter adds: 'I fell!' MailOnline has contacted Gruffudd's representative for comment. It comes after Alice continued to hit back at online critics in March while insisting the Welsh actor is not the man many admiring fans perceive him to be. Taking to Instagram, Alice defended her right to speak out against the 47-year old heartthrob after previously accusing him of abandonment. Speaking out: It comes after Alice continued to hit back at online critics in March while insisting the Welsh actor is not the man many admiring fans perceive him to be Vocal: Taking to Instagram, Alice defended her right to speak out against the 47-year old heartthrob after previously accusing him of abandonment Alice also claimed she had been a figure of contempt and jealousy for Gruffudd's predominantly female fan base ever since their engagement in 2006. She wrote: 'Have you ever been dumped OUT OF THE BLUE from a 20 year relationship where until a few weeks before you were planning holidays, and making plans for a family Christmas in the snow? 'It happened so fast that I can hardly catch my breath, let alone my kids. So yes, I saying my bit here. But do you know why I HAVE to? Why it is IMPERATIVE that I speak out now? 'Because about 500 of you belonged to the Ladies Of The Forum in the 2000s, which eventually became an I hate Alice website. But why? Why did you all hate me so much? You knew nothing about me, and not that I had met Ioan on a film, and we had hit it off. 'And you were so incredibly jealous that you refused to even see me a person that Ioan had fallen in love with. I wasn't what youd imagined. I wasnt Welsh ( funnily enough I am actually, but Ioans family made it clear that North Walians werent counted. They were called Gogs. )' Acrimonious: The actress has been increasingly vocal about her bitter separation from husband of 14-years Gruffudd after announcing he had walked out on her in January (pictured in 2015) 'True, said my father, who had grown up in Shotton, Deeside, where the nearest hospital is Hawardan, England. This didnt appear to cause any problems for my dad but there was a guy named Michael Owen who made a bit if a splash when he started playing for England. 'And you all loved it. ( apart from agnes from Italy, Claudia from Austria and Joanne from Canada).' The actress also suggested her estranged husband is colder and less caring than he is generally regarded, adding: 'But to return, my belief is that Ioan made you ALL THINK he was the man you wanted to marry. 'Its funny because hes been anointed many times as the man youd be proud to introduce to your mother'. 'Well, bizarrely, mum died suddenly about 17 hours before I first set eyes on Ioan in an audition. His first words? Condolences' 'I'm sorry': The actress took to Instagram in March to admit she 'should have been more careful with my words' about her children (pictured together in happier times) 'That's at least one silver lining already': A hopeful Alice joked her eldest has already 'worked out that she can get more deliveries by going back between two abodes' The post comes after Alice apologised for claiming their daughters 'cry every day' amid her ongoing divorce from Gruffudd. The actress took to Instagram in March to admit she 'should have been more careful with my words' about her children. A hopeful Alice joked her eldest has already 'worked out that she can get more deliveries by going back between two abodes' as she thanked her fans for their support following her public split. The screen star wrote: 'I cant find where I said this but Im sure I did, and I should have been more careful with my words. They cry a lot, but kids tend to anyway, and they cry every day is definitely hyperbole! Im sorry. 'Theyre doing much better than I would have imagined, to be honest. Just that there are certain discussions about the future (near and far) that come up that make them sad. And as yet, I dont have any answers. 'But Ella has already worked out that she can get a lot more Ubereats deliveries by going back and forth between two abodes. 'So thats at least one silver lining already. Thank you again for all your love and support. Youve no idea how much it means to me. Alice xx .' (sic) Back in January, Alice revealed she and the actor they were breaking up after 20 years in a shock Twitter statement and claimed he 'mentally tortured' her. The thespian has been taking to social media regularly to update fans on the split and, in a recent post, shared a picture of an columnist article on her page. 'Their dad abandoned them': Back in January, Alice revealed she and the actor they were breaking up after 20 years in a shock Twitter statement and claimed he 'mentally tortured' her The piece slammed her for opening up about her painful break-up from Gruffudd so publicly and commented on how it could affect her children in the years to come. Hitting back, Alice said her daughters had no idea about their public profile and 'probably never will'. She wrote: 'You know what they ARE upset about though? That their Dad walked out and abandoned them out of the blue. Without explanation. 'Yes that's what they cry about every day. Will their Dad ever come back and play in the pool or the yard with them? Will they ever have a family again?' Explaining why she has been so vocal about her split, she continued: 'I choose to share the details of my divorce because a) I am lucky enough to possess the gene that enables me to not give a s**t about what people think of me and b) I have realised that there are thousands, if not millions of women out there going through the same thing, who, during this endless pandemic, believe that they are completely alone. I want them to know they are not. 'Peace and love Alice. Xxx' MailOnline contacted Gruffudd's representatives for comment at the time. Fury: The thespian recently accused the Fantastic Four star of 'winding the s**t up me' as she posted a vitriolic video about their 'collaborative divorce' talks Alice also accused her estranged husband of 'winding the s**t up me' as she posted a vitriolic video about their 'collaborative divorce' talks. She said: 'I have been served with a petition for divorce and it's came out of the blue and I won't cry. But we've been 20 years together, we have two amazing kids. I don't know why. 'At the moment we're doing something called collaborative divorce which is somewhere between a really kind way of doing divorce and a phenomenal scam. 'Because in one way it's "okay, let's hear what you would want and take it to the court afterwards" and in another way it's like, people in the acting business will know when an agent says to you "we just can't find you the roles". 'It's a bit like, I'd like my daughter to stay with me on Saturday nights, "it's just not within our possibilities". The TV and film star then insisted he misled her with collaborative divorce, adding: 'And then I read nothing is binding in collaborative, absolutely nothing. 'So if I want my daughter to stay one more night in my house, the court hasn't said anything so I can do it. So my husband is winding the s**t up me, saying what he says is the law, well we haven't got to the law yet. 'Lawyers aren't the law. Lawyers are there to f*** the law. That's what I always said. Anyway I may have some more thoughts later Gruffudd's divorce papers cite irreconcilable differences as the reason behind his split from his wife of 14 years, Alice. Heartbreak: In another post, the TV star alleged that Gruffudd had changed her Twitter password The couple met on the set of 102 Dalmatians in 2000, when Alice was in a relationship with Pablo Picasso's grandson Olivier. The pair became engaged six years later after she gave him an ultimatum about their relationship, and tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Mexico in September 2007. Gruffudd recently stepped out without his wedding band for the first time. The document, which was filed Los Angeles Superior Court on March 1, also reveals the former couple separated on New Year's Day - a month before they went public with their relationship status. The papers state the exes are in a 'collaborative process and intend to resolve all issues including spousal support by written agreement' - which mirrors their joint statement about their shock break-up. Last month, they said: 'As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for our family and we remain committed to our children. Thank you for respecting our privacy.' Up and down? In February, the media personality confirmed the couple were pressing ahead with discussions over a 'legal separation' (pictured in 2018) Open: The blonde has taking to social media regularly to update fans on the split In January, Alice said the actor had walked out on the family in a shock Twitter statement, in which she accused the Liar star of 'mentally torturing' and 'gaslighting' her. The Blast claims that it is 'unclear' whether Gruffudd and Alice signed a prenuptial agreement or if the actress will ask for child or spousal support. News of the split came following his return from Australia, where he has been shooting season three of Harrow alongside Ella Newton, 30, and Anna Lise Phillips, 46, who plays his ex-wife. Gruffudd has spent three long spells in Australia filming the TV drama Harrow. Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has announced the top online programs for 2021. The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 1,280 accredited colleges and universities in the nation. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The methodology also uses an algorithm which collects and analyzes multiple rankings into one score to easily compare each school. Students who pursue any one of these programs can expect to gain employment much quicker in comparison to candidates without a degree. In addition to accessibility and cost, the steady job growth in this market is one of the many reasons Intelligent.com researched and ranked the Top Online Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy Degree Programs. Intelligent.com analyzed 144 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 30 making it to the final list for Online Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy Degree Programs. To access the complete ranking, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/best-online-masters-in-marriage-and-family-therapy-degree-programs/ 2021 Online Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy Degree Programs featured on Intelligent.com (in alphabetical order): Abilene Christian University Alliant International University Amridge University Antioch University Arizona State University California Baptist University California State University, Northridge Campbellsville University Capella University City University of Seattle Fresno Pacific University Grand Canyon University Houston Baptist University Indiana Wesleyan University John Brown University Lancaster Bible College Lee University Liberty University Messiah College Mid-America Christian University Northcentral University Palo Alto University Pepperdine University Regent University Southern California Seminary Touro University Worldwide University of Colorado Denver University of Massachusetts Boston University of West Alabama Walden University About Intelligent.com Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. The website offers curated guides which include the best degree programs as well as information about financial aid, internships and even study strategies. With comprehensive, user-friendly guides and hundreds of program rankings, Intelligent.com is a trusted source among students and prospective students. To learn more, please visit https://www.intelligent.com/. Albania wants to become a European holiday hotspot, its prime minister has said. Prime Minister Edi Rama said he wanted to turn the Mediterranean nation, one of Europes poorest, into a champion of tourism. More than 6 million tourists visited Albania in 2019, when tourism accounted for 9 per cent of the economy, although travel restrictions have seen tourism income drop by 40 per cent, according to figures from the tourism ministry. Mr Rama is seeking re-election this weekend. In an interview with the Associated Press, Mr Rama said a raft of new infrastructure, including the new international airport, Kukes International Airport Zayed-North Wings, would boost tourism to the country. The new airport, in the mountainous north of the country, is the second international airport and around 150km from capital Tirana. To celebrate the opening, a service by the flag carrier, Air Albania, arrived carrying the prime minister. Plans are afoot for a new airport along the coast, as well as turning cargo port Durres, near the border with Montenegro, into a destination for ferries and yachts. We are on the right path to transform this country into the Western Balkans champion for tourism, Mr Rama told the news wire. Albania has many charms for tourists: its capital, Tirana, with the sprawling Skanderberg Square; the Albanian Alps in the north; and the beautiful Albanian riviera along the coastline. In March, Albania kicked off a mass vaccination programme intended to open the country up before the summer holiday season. It first received doses of the Chinese vaccine Sinovac. It has since acquired doses of the Pfizer vaccine, according to a Facebook post by Mr Rama. A prominent human rights group called on the Malian transitional civilian government on Tuesday to investigate the alleged crimes committed by the country's soldiers during military operations in the central region of Mopti MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) A prominent human rights group called on the Malian transitional civilian government on Tuesday to investigate the alleged crimes committed by the country's soldiers during military operations in the central region of Mopti. Mopti is regularly rocked by hostilities between the terrorist groups active in the area and the national security forces, engaged in several counter-terrorist operations, including Barkhane, held jointly with the armies of neighboring states from the G5 Sahel bloc, and the French military. "Malian soldiers have allegedly killed at least 34 villagers, forcibly disappeared at least 16 people, and severely mistreated detainees during counterterrorism operations in Mali's central Mopti region," the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement, adding that "Mali's transitional government should conduct credible and impartial investigations into these incidents. " Although the Malian government launched investigations in the towns of Libe and Kobou, it has still not contacted the relatives of the victims, according to HRW. "Mali's military prosecutors should independently investigate the allegations and suspend officers implicated in serious abuses. The Defense Ministry should ensure that gendarme military police, mandated to promote discipline and safeguard the rights of detainees, are present in all military operations," the watchdog said. The situation in Mali destabilized in 2012 when the Tuareg militants seized vast territories in the northern part of the country. The conflict escalated even more over the activities of Islamists, forces loyal to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as well as French interference. Brian Garrett, Founder of Sage Real Estate Sage represents not just our many years of experience, but the way we educate our clients. Its always been our mission to make sure they understand the implications of every decision they make. Brian Garrett Real Estate Group, one of the first teams to partner with real estate technology company Side, today announced Sage Real Estate and its expansion into Marin, the East Bay, the Peninsula, and Silicon Valley. Founded in late 2016 by Brian Garrett, Sage Real Estate just reported its most profitable quarter ever, with $17.3 million in sales. Some of that success can be attributed to the addition of two elite agents, Sally Thompson-Hawks and Nicole Gambino, which prompted the companys name change. Thompson-Hawks has worked with Garrett over the last 15 years and specializes in staging, marketing, and relocation clients. Gambino, a former client of Garretts, has a decade of experience as a tax lawyer, most recently as a partner with Wilson Sonsini. As our team started to grow, we needed a name that reflected the depth of the service we offer, said Garrett. Sage represents not just our many years of experience, but the way we educate our clients. Its always been our mission to make sure they understand the implications of every decision they make. The companys explosive growth is also due to its performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. As its mostly-referral clientele sought properties in more suburban areas, the San Francisco-based team assisted them in navigating their way out of the city. A recent client transaction was 75 Zircon Place in San Francisco, which sold for $5.1 million last month, $350,000 over the asking price. As housing trends continue, Garretts team is uniquely positioned to be a resource for buyers and sellers looking to relocate anywhere in the region. Garrett closed $20.3 million over the last 12 months, mostly remotely. Im looking forward to spending more time with my clients and team in San Francisco in 2021, but last year made it clear that we could be of service to clients throughout the Bay Area, even during a pandemic, he said. Raymond Solis, whos our East Bay expert, has been spearheading Sages buy/sell transactions, which are some of the most complicated around. Plus, our partnership with Side has ensured that we can operate seamlessly, no matter where we are. In March, Side announced a $150 million Series D funding round led by Coatue Management, a top global technology-focused investment firm. Side is led by experienced industry professionals and world-class engineers who develop technology designed to improve agent productivity and enhance the client experience. Based on its belief that homeownership is a fundamental human right, Side is on a mission to improve the public good by providing top-performing real estate agents, teams, and indie brokerages with the best system, support, service, experience, and results. Its also the fastest real estate company to reach the $1 billion valuation milestone, doing so in just four years. About Sage Real Estate Sage Real Estate uses the wisdom gained over more than 40 years in the Bay Area real estate industry to create stress-free experiences for its clients. By anticipating potential roadblocks and setting expectations upfront, the firm eliminates surprises. Their mission is to ensure that clients understand the far-reaching implications of every decision they make. Headquartered in San Francisco, Sage Real Estate serves the Bay Area, from Marin to Silicon Valley. To learn more, visit http://www.sageteam.com. About Side Side transforms high-performing agents, teams, and independent brokerages into successful businesses and boutique brands that are 100% agent-owned. Side exclusively partners with the best agents, empowering them with proprietary technology and a premier support team so they can be more productive, grow their business, and focus on serving their clients. Side is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.sideinc.com. Nine hours before Kenneth Gleason allegedly killed the first of two Black men he's accused of fatally shooting in September 2017, surveillance video captured him driving his red car into a Baton Rouge parking lot, removing the license plate and placing tape over the vehicle's identifying markings. The Custom Security Systems video from the early afternoon of Sept. 12, 2017, was shown Tuesday to an East Baton Rouge Parish jury in Gleason's first-degree murder trial, which is in its second week. A former Custom Security employee testified she was sitting near the front door of the business in Oak Villa near Cortana Mall when she noticed a red car, a Ford Focus, pull into the front parking lot. She said she watched as the driver, a White male, got out and removed the license plate from the four-door car, then covered over identifying markings. The video shows Gleason in the parking lot for about six minutes, at times glancing at other vehicles as they passed by in the street. The employee said she reported the suspicious activity to her supervisors. Courtney Rushing, the company's manager, testified she contacted police that same day after viewing the video, but police did not immediately respond. Three days later, after both Bruce Cofield and Donald Smart had been shot to death, Rushing said she read an article in The Advocate about the search for a White male driving a red car and decided to call police again, telling them the man in the video may be the person for whom they were searching. +3 At alleged serial killer's trial, witness describes shooting of Louie's Cafe worker in a park A former LSU student testified Monday that he watched in horror the night of Sept. 14, 2017, as a man made a u-turn in front of a BREC park ju Police responded to the business that same day Sept. 15, 2017 and retrieved the video. Based on further descriptions of Gleason and the red car that were gleaned from the video, police detained him the following day driving that same car. The license plate was back on the car. He was ultimately booked in the killings on Sept. 19, 2017. The car had the same dent in the back bumper and an American flag sticker shown on the Custom Security surveillance video, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III said previously. Cofield, a 59-year-old homeless man, was killed the night of Sept. 12, 2017, at a bus stop near the intersection of Florida Boulevard and South Acadian Thruway. Smart, 49, was slain two nights later on Alaska Street in front of BREC's Alaska Street Park as he was walking to his overnight shift at Louie's Cafe near the north side of LSU's campus. +4 At alleged serial killer's trial, tearful testimony about homeless man's death at bus stop A woman who says she saw a 59-year-old homeless man shot and killed during what prosecutors called a "four-day streak of terror" in 2017 spoke Gleason, 27, also is accused of firing shots on Sept. 11, 2017, into the home of the only Black family on the block where he lived with his parents in the Hickory Ridge subdivision off Coursey Boulevard. He's charged with first-degree murder in Smart's killing, second-degree murder in Cofield's slaying, and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in the nonfatal shooting on Sandy Ridge Drive. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Gleason is standing trial only in Smart's killing, but evidence from the Cofield homicide and the nonfatal shooting also is being introduced at the trial. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged in Smart's death. The verdict must be unanimous. Prosecutors chose not to pursue the death penalty after consulting with Smart's family. +4 Accused serial killer inflicted '4-day streak of terror' on Baton Rouge, prosecutors say The trial of a man accused of killing two Black men along city streets and shooting into the home of a Black family that lived down his street In other testimony Tuesday, Saundra Watts, a Baton Rouge police detective, said the Smart and Cofield killings were "strikingly similar" in that witnesses reported a White man in a red car fired shots at both victims, then got out and fired additional shots at the victims. Police Cpl. Kerry Hidalgo said 10 shell casings were found at the Smart crime scene. Officer Raymond Taylor said he was at a traffic light at Airline and Old Hammond highways on Sept. 16, 2017, when he spotted Gleason's car. He radioed that he found the vehicle, and then followed it until other police units arrived. Gleason was detained at the Hammond Aire Plaza shopping center, police Sgt. Robert Cook testified. Authorities have said the three nighttime shootings were apparently random and possibly racially motivated. They also said Gleason is linked to Cofield's killing and the nonfatal shooting through DNA evidence, and to both deadly shootings and the nonfatal incident through ballistics evidence. Cook acknowledged Tuesday under intense questioning from Jarrett Ambeau, one of Gleason's attorneys, that the initial arrest warrant he submitted to a state judge on Sept. 19, 2017, incorrectly stated that Gleason was linked to the Smart slaying through DNA evidence. Cook said he notified the judge of the error, amended the warrant and put it into Gleason's booking records. The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab determined that casings recovered from all three shooting scenes were fired from the same 9 mm gun, but the weapon has never been found. Gleason is not charged with a hate crime, but prosecutors have said his cellphone records, which will be used at the trial, contained repeated references to Adolf Hitler and "cleansing." +3 Swastika can't come up at alleged Baton Rouge serial killer's trial; Hitler references can A sketch of a swastika found in a suspected Baton Rouge serial killer's holding cell won't be used at the upcoming trial of the White man accu Gleason's lawyers have said he studied German at LSU. He attended the university for one year starting in the fall of 2012. By Joe Pennacchio For nearly a year, Republicans in the New Jersey Legislature have called for bipartisan legislative oversight of the Murphy administrations handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. We pushed our Democratic colleagues to join us, and when they continued to resist after 10 months of trying, we moved forward with independent hearings on our own. As a result of our efforts and explosive revelations by the media, were more certain than ever that a bipartisan select committee with subpoena power must be formed. Its the only way well get the answers we need to understand what went wrong and ensure tragic mistakes arent repeated. Unfortunately, Trenton Democrats, who chomped at the bit to investigate matters of lesser importance in recent years, are suddenly frozen in inaction. Its inexplicable. Early in the pandemic, there were private discussions on both sides of the aisle that Gov. Phil Murphy was incapable of responsibly managing the vast emergency powers that our states laws grant to the chief executive and his cabinet. By May, more than 5,000 seniors had died as a result of his administrations directives forcing nursing homes to accept coronavirus patients from hospitals despite their concerns. Thousands of small businesses, suffocated by overbearing executive orders, had closed their doors forever with no financial lifeline or reopening plan forthcoming from the governor. And more than 800,000 out-of-work New Jerseyans were confronted with a broken website, jammed phone lines, and locked doors at walk-in unemployment offices when they tried to access the unemployment insurance benefits they needed to survive. It seemed apparent that significant legislative oversight was needed to understand what the Murphy administration did wrong so we could set New Jersey on the right path. On May 11, 2020, I announced a resolution to form a bipartisan investigative committee, and Senate Democrats after a little prodding seemed ready to work with us. Less than two weeks later, Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, issued a joint statement with Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean announcing the planned creation of a bipartisan Review and Recovery Committee to address our mutual concerns. It seemed, for a moment, that we were all on the same page. We started discussing the committees membership and the scope of its work. When we pushed for a timeline, we were told there were concerns in the Democrats caucus that needed to be worked out, but not to worry. Days went by without answers or action, and then weeks. We continued pushing our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to move the process forward but it was clear something had changed. Far-left Democrats were refusing to allow Governor Murphy, a fellow progressive, to be held accountable for the unnecessary harm he had caused. More importantly, their stonewalling was preventing efforts to understand what kinds of internal safeguards or systemic changes could make a difference. Over the ensuing months, we gained important hints at the magnitude of the problem through the diligent work of reporters who fought to pierce the Murphy administrations veil of secrecy. Their efforts were made more difficult by the administrations abuse of public health emergency laws to block the release of important documents and records. Still, we learned that health care workers in state-run veterans homes were threatened with punishment for wearing gloves and masks without permission, ultimately leading to outbreaks that took nearly 200 lives. We know the Governors Office was directly involved in developing penalties for mask insubordination, but we still dont know why because documents were redacted or never released following public record requests. We also read about secret recordings made when nursing homes were ordered to admit COVID-19 patients from hospitals and prohibited from testing to see if those patients were still infected. As NJ.com reported, nursing home administrators warned Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli and other Murphy administration officials on a call last March that the directive would lead to tragedy. One administrator warned that segregating sick residents wouldnt work, while another said bluntly, Patients will die. Sadly, none of Governor Murphys people listened to the warnings that could have prevented many of the estimated 10,000 nursing home deaths that occurred in subsequent outbreaks. We need to know why the Murphy Administration blindly followed New York Governor Andrew Cuomos lead in issuing and implementing the disastrous nursing home order over extremely vocal concerns. With questions growing and continued inaction from the Democratic majorities in the Legislature, Senate and Assembly Republicans held a series of independent hearings last month to see what we could learn. We invited key officials in the Murphy administration to testify and extended Democratic legislators the opportunity to participate. All declined. In the three hearings, we heard from victims families, unemployed workers, and struggling business owners, along with subject-matter experts. Many expressed their outrage and disappointment that Democrats refused to participate in the oversight process at any level. The Murphy administration called it a partisan effort in the press but it was only partisan because the other side refused to show up for nearly a year. While we learned much, we couldnt ask some of the most important questions of the decision-makers in the Murphy administration who refused to appear. Their absence, perhaps unintentionally, demonstrated exactly why a select committee is still needed. Without subpoena power to compel Governor Murphys team to show up and testify under oath about their flawed pandemic response, New Jerseyans will never get the honest answers or solutions they deserve. State Senator Joe Pennacchio represents the 26th Legislative District, which includes parts of Essex and Morris counties and West Milford in Passaic County. 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. Another brief, scientifically sound book on climate is What We Know About Climate Change by MIT climatologist Kerry Emanuel. In an updated version of this book, Emanuel outlines the science of global warming and warns that unchecked, it will contribute to an increase in the power of hurricanes, flooding and more rapidly advancing deserts. Emanuel makes a plea for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gases and criticizes the media for downplaying the dangers of global warning. Where theres smoke Of course just the mention of fire season pushes all of our panic buttons in the wine country. While our city, county, and other private and government organizations are working on ways to prevent and put out wildfires, several books have been written that can help us better comprehend these terrifying events. Fire in Paradise is a dramatic narrative by Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano, California-based journalists who conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews with residents, firefighters and police, and scientific experts after the fire in Paradise, CA. The two reveal the heroics of the first responders, the amazing escapes of those who got out of Paradise, and the tragedy of those who were trapped. While it doesnt offer fire prevention tips, the book tells the story of the fierce new kind of fire behavior that firefighters must contend with now. Firoz Tarapore, Chief Executive Officer of DAE, said: "We are delighted to deepen our already strong relationship with Boeing. Including this order, we own and manage 162 Boeing aircraft. An increasing number of global aviation regulators are returning the MAX to the skies. We are confident in the success of these aircraft as domestic and regional air travel are seeing strong signs of recovery." The new purchase is DAE's second investment in the 737 MAX in the past year. In the third quarter of 2020, the lessor signed an agreement with American Airlines to purchase and lease back 18 new 737-8 airplanes. Since the agreement, the lessor has delivered 17 of the jets to the U.S. carrier. DAE previously completed a similar purchase-leaseback deal with Brazilian carrier GOL for five 737-8s. "DAE has been instrumental in helping its customers realize the operating economics and environmental performance of the 737-8. We are delighted that they have come back to add more 737 aircraft to its growth plan as it positions itself for the recovery in commercial passenger traffic," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "We are honored by DAE's trust in the 737 family and we look forward to partnering with them to serve the fleet requirements of airlines around the world." The 737-8 is a member of the 737 MAX family which is designed to offer more fuel efficiency, reliability and flexibility in the single-aisle market. The airplane can fly 3,550 nautical miles about 600 miles farther than its predecessor allowing airlines to offer new and more direct routes for passengers. Compared to the airplanes it replaces, the 737-8 also delivers superior efficiency, using 16% less fuel and significantly reducing CO 2 emissions and operating costs. Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As a top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries, leveraging the talents of a global supplier base. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth. Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd. is a global aviation services company headquartered in Dubai. DAE serves over 170 airline customers in over 65 countries from its seven office locations in Dubai, Dublin, Amman, Singapore, Miami, New York and Seattle. DAE's award-winning Aircraft Leasing division has an owned, managed, committed and mandated to manage fleet of approximately 425 Airbus, ATR and Boeing aircraft with a fleet value exceeding US$16 billion. DAE's Engineering division serves customers in Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia from its state-of-the-art facility accommodating up to 15 wide and narrow body aircraft. It is authorized to work on 13 aircraft types and has regulatory approval from over 25 regulators globally. More information can be found on the company's web site at www.dubaiaerospace.com. Contact Dana Salloum Boeing Communications +971 50 228 9791 [email protected] Dmitry Krol Boeing Communications +1 206 661 2903 [email protected] SOURCE Boeing Related Links http://www.boeing.com Daimler Trucks Veteran Lori Heino-Royer Joins Autonomous Trucking Company Plus CUPERTINO, Calif.--Plus (formerly Plus.ai), a leading provider of self-driving truck technology, announced that Lori Heino-Royer, who had a long career at Daimler Trucks North America in roles across finance, sales and marketing operations, technology and business development, has joined Plus as Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships. Heino-Royer will leverage her deep understanding of the trucking business to help cultivate and manage relationships with fleet and other industry partners. Lori is joining Plus at a very exciting time as we begin mass production of our autonomous driving system this quarter. She has learned the trucking business from the ground up at one of the best truck manufacturers in the world, and will be a tremendous resource to our team and all fleets and partners we work with in our global deployment, said Shawn Kerrigan, COO and co-founder of Plus. Heino-Royer started her career at Daimler Trucks North America in the finance and operations functions, then assumed more leadership responsibilities in the business innovation and strategy group. Later she championed a cross-functional team in the development of autonomous truck business models and spearheaded opportunities that helped the company expand its customer-focused digital offerings. Having worked in the trucking industry for almost two decades, I have so much respect for everything that goes into making it possible to move commercial goods smoothly and safely from one destination to another. Autonomous trucks will revolutionize the trucking industry, and joining Plus now provides me the unique opportunity to shape how the technology is rolled out, working closely with our trucking partners, fleets, and other industry peers, said Lori Heino-Royer. About Plus Plus is a world leader in self-driving truck technology. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the company was founded in 2016 by a group of serial entrepreneurs and industry veterans, each with over 20 years of experience in automotive technology and artificial intelligence. Plus specializes in providing full-stack self-driving technology to enable large scale autonomous commercial transport. Plus is currently working with leading truck manufacturers, largest shippers, and top fleet operators to begin mass production of its automated driving system. A Tennessee judge has set a July 26 start for a trial to decide damages against an opioid manufacturer in a lawsuit over the companys role in the epidemic. Sullivan County Circuit Court Chancellor E.G. Moody set the date earlier this month after previously entering a default judgment against Endo Pharmaceutical, a rare case of a judge making a decision before a trial was held over the companys liability. The judge said it was necessary because of a coordinated strategy by Endo and its attorneys to delay proceedings, deprive plaintiffs of information and interfere with the administration of justice. The issues surrounded the discovery phase of the case. The company disagreed with the judges assessment and has said it will appeal. The lawsuits plaintiffs include a child born addicted to opioids. They are seeking $2.4 billion. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Tennessee Manufacturing [April 20, 2021] Ucell Looks to a Public Cloud Future with ZephyrTel Businesses celebrate three years of working in partnership to deliver digital communications excellence across Uzbekistan AUSTIN, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZephyrTel, a provider of public cloud solutions serving global telecommunications operators, and Ucell Uzbekistan, a mobile network operator company in Uzbekistan, are celebrating a three-year working partnership. Having implemented ZephyrTel's ResponseTek cloud-based Customer Experience Management (CEM) solution in 2017, Ucell is keen to develop the relationship further and to take advantage of ZephyrTel's public cloud vision. Sergey Melnikov, CTO at Ucell, explains: "We have a commitment to empower Uzbekistan's society by driving digital transformation and enriching people's digital lives. Today, Ucell is the first largest mobile operator in Uzbekistan and we unconditionally appreciate that ZephyrTel helps us to achieve this. Future-proof vision for telecommunications providers, combined with its use of the public cloud and the sheer breadth of its solutions portfolio means ZephyrTel is the perfect partner for us. We're keen to develop our long-standing relationship, moving our CEM deployment to the public cloud, something we're actively looking to explore further at the moment". ResponseTek enables customer feedback to be captured as close to the customer experience as possible. This has allowed Ucell to continuously monitor and improve customer experience in real-time, optimizing experiences, services, and processes based on in-depth and in-context customer feedback and insight. ResponseTek underpins data-driven decisions across the business and has helped Ucell develop long-term, meaningful relationships with their customers. Michael Speranza, CEO at ZephyrTel comments: "We're committed to maximize the value our customers gain from our solutions, and we're continually developing our offerings to revolutionize the cost equation for the Telco industry. And, with over 300 Telco customers globally, we're the industry leader in migrating Telcos to the public cloud. We have a great working relationship with the team at Ucell and we are exploring the option to move them to the public cloud which will result in a substantial reduction in Ucell's Total Cost of Ownership. It's something we're looking forward to delivering over the coming months, not only to Ucell but to all ZephyrTel customers around the world". About ZephyrTel ZephyrTel offers the largest breadth of solutions based on the public cloud to telecom operators around the world. Our strategy is to deliver solutions for the Telco space which are based on the public cloud and stand to truly transform our customers' businesses, revolutionizing the cost equation and make them more competitive. www.zephyrtel.com About Ucell Uzbekistan Ucell is the first largest mobile network operator in Uzbekistan, owned and operated by the Uzbek company COSCOM. The Ucell network offers mobile telephony and mobile internet services in Uzbekistan using GSM, UMTS, HSPA, LTE and 5G technologies. Ucell was established in 1996 under the brand Coscom. In 2021 USM Telecom, MegaFon and Ucell, are creating Digital Holding, a joint venture designed to become the technological leader of the largest telecommunications market in Central Asia. www.ucell.uz CONTACT: Simon Gilford, VP of Marketing, simon.gilford@zephyrtel.com Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490737/ZephyrTel___A_new_way_forward.mp4 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India's largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp on Tuesday said it would shut its factories in a staggered manner for four days between April 22 and May 1 to protect the health and safety of its workers because of the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Hero is the first automaker to announce a complete shutdown even though it is not mandated by any state government yet. Hero has factories in Haryana, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. "In keeping with its commitment to the safety and welfare of its people, Hero MotoCorp has decided to proactively halt operations temporarily at all of its manufacturing facilities across the country, including its Global Parts Centre (GPC), in view of the ongoing escalation in the spread of COVID-19 across the country," the firm said in a statement. "Each plant and GPC will remain shut for four days, in a staggered manner between April 22 - May 1 basis the local scenario. All corporate offices of the company are already in Work from Home (WFH) mode and very limited colleagues are in offices on rotation basis for continuity of essential services." It also said the shutdown will not impact sales as it would utilise the time for annual maintenance work. Any production loss would be compensated by higher productivity in the rest of the quarter. "The Company will utilise these shut-down days to carry out necessary maintenance work in the manufacturing plants," the statement said. "The shutdown will not impact the company's ability to meet the demand, which has been impacted due to localised shut-downs in many states and production loss will be compensated during the remainder of the quarter. All plants will resume normal operations post this short shutdown period." In fiscal 2020-21, the company sold 55,99,859 units in the domestic market registering a 10.14 per cent decline over 2019-20. The overall two-wheeler industry posted a drop of 13.2 per cent at 1,51,19,387 units during the year. Also Read: Covid-19 vaccine: How much can Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech jack up prices? Also Read: COVID-19 crisis: Need 'complete trust' between industry and govt, says FM Sitharaman Also Read: Why wait till May 1 to vaccinate everyone? Delhi HC asks Centre Every year, Hydro Ottawa strives to not only maintain its environmental commitments, but also to rise to new challenges. Hydro Ottawa invests in producing clean, renewable energy, but the vision for environmental sustainability encompasses far more. The company has adopted an end-to-end approach to sustainability transitioning to cleaner energy production, helping customers conserve energy and lead energy efficient lifestyles, designing its facilities to LEED Gold standards, implementing green technology, and improving waste management. In spite of a global pandemic, Hydro Ottawa has remained committed to these initiatives through: a strategic partnership with the Zibi Canada and Kruger Products; shifting its youth education program to online promotion of conservation and clean energy jobs; collaborations with the City of Ottawa; and, refurbishment plans to sustain a growing city with additional clean, safe and renewable power. Hydro Ottawa owns and operates three subsidiaries: Hydro Ottawa Limited, which distributes electricity across the nation's capital; Portage Power, which generates 128 megawatts of clean renewable energy annually; and Envari Holding Inc., which offers large-scale sustainable energy solutions for businesses, governments and utilities. Quick Facts Portage Power is Ontario's largest municipally-owned producer of green power, with hydroelectric, solar and landfill gas-to-energy generation facilities generating enough renewable electricity to power 107,000 homes. largest municipally-owned producer of green power, with hydroelectric, solar and landfill gas-to-energy generation facilities generating enough renewable electricity to power 107,000 homes. Solar energy generation at Hydro Ottawa's new facilities offsets approximately 18 per cent of the energy demand at its East Campus and 100 per cent at its South Campus. Hydro Ottawa diverts on average more than 90 per cent of its waste from landfill. diverts on average more than 90 per cent of its waste from landfill. Now offered in a virtual format, Hydro Ottawa's education program, in partnership with Electricity Safety and Conservation and Relay Education, builds awareness and a culture of conservation and sustainability among elementary-aged children; the program has educated just over 280,000 local students since its inception. In October 2020 , Hydro Ottawa partnered with Zibi Canada and Kruger Products to introduce zero-carbon thermal district energy to their 34-acre site, making the Zibi development project the region's first zero-carbon-emission community. , Hydro Ottawa partnered with Zibi Canada and Kruger Products to introduce zero-carbon thermal district energy to their 34-acre site, making the Zibi development project the region's first zero-carbon-emission community. The first phase of Envari's streetlight conversion and maintenance project for the City of Ottawa was completed ahead of schedule, and a contract for streetlight conversion in the Town of Renfrew was awarded. was completed ahead of schedule, and a contract for streetlight conversion in the was awarded. Two of Hydro Ottawa's hydroelectric generating stations across the Ottawa River in Quebec are being refurbished to bring additional clean, renewable power into Ontario . are being refurbished to bring additional clean, renewable power into . Hydro Ottawa is a community partner of the City of Ottawa's Energy Evolution project, designed to advance energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy generation. is a community partner of the Energy Evolution project, designed to advance energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy generation. Hydro Ottawa is a catalyst member of EnviroCentre and Carbon613, a growing network of organizations that are setting and achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets in Ottawa . is a catalyst member of EnviroCentre and Carbon613, a growing network of organizations that are setting and achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets in . The City of Ottawa is looking to Envari to upgrade the systems at one of its wastewater treatment plants. Replacing the plant's three cogeneration engines, and adding a fourth, will eliminate 1,565 tonnes of CO2 per year and reduce utility costs by $80M over 25 years. Quotes "Safety and sustainability are the foundation of a healthy and happy city. This is why Hydro Ottawa has placed these elements at the core of all its business operations. As we transition into a new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we only lean harder into our vision for the health and safety of our employees, customers, and our community. With determination, grit, and innovation, we position ourselves for continual growth in environmental stewardship." - Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer About Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose core businesses are electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, and energy and utility services. Hydro Ottawa owns and operates three primary subsidiary companies: Hydro Ottawa Limited delivering electricity to more than 340,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman; Portage Power the largest Ontario-based municipally-owned producer of green power that has over 128 megawatts of installed green generation capacity enough to power 107,000 homes; and Envari an energy solutions company offering products and services that help reduce energy consumption and costs for municipalities, industrial and commercial clients, and various local distribution companies. SOURCE Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. For further information: Media Contact : Josee Larocque, Manager, Media and Public Affairs, Hydro Ottawa, Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345, [email protected], www.hydroottawa.com Related Links https://hydroottawa.com/ Vietnam first acted as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during 2008-2009. What has the country achieved specifically since that tenure, and how has Vietnams international prestige and status increased since then? Bui The Giang, former Ambassador and former Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations It is virtually impossible to measure it in material or monetary terms. As 2008-2009 was the first time our country was elected a non-permanent member of the UNSC, we were like a novice in everything. We didnt have experience and expertise, nor an expansive network of diplomatic representative missions in major parts of the world to support our UNSC team in New York, while the UNSC - often half-jokingly referred to as the executive cabinet of the worlds government was to cover the entire planet. This is specially so when it came to Africa, which accounted for approximately 60 per cent of UNSC agenda. As a developing nation, we never had easy funds. We also had to work hard to manage the personnel issue: Our full UNSC team consisted of a meagre 11 members, including three ambassadors. And apart from UNSC assignments, our team members were to be responsible for Vietnams activities in the UNs General Assembly and six principal bodies as well, like the rest of the New York-based mission staff. Remember, the US, for instance, had five ambassadors, and several other countries had more or less the same number of ambassadors, let alone a considerably bigger UNSC team. From day one until the very end of the two years at the UNSC, we worked almost around the clock, and almost without weekends off, in the context of uncountable issues and problems taking place throughout the world those days. Thank God we didnt have COVID-19 then. As I have sometimes recalled, we participated fully and responsibly in more than 1,500 meetings of the UNSC. Likewise, we were part of all the work related to the councils adoption of over 100 resolutions, more than 80 presidential statements and more than 80 press statements. We were an active participant in all council agenda items and activities, from pronouncing position statements, engaging in negotiations, designing resolutions and other documents, to serving as a chair and vice chair of a number of the councils subcommittees. On a personal note, I was assigned to join the Security Council Ambassadors team to Afghanistan in 2008, having unforgettable memories of the Afghan country and people, and of the cooperative and friendly spirit among council members. Moreover, proactive and innovative as we were, we spent remarkable time and energy thinking about possible new and practical ways in Security Council operations while treasuring positive lessons and experiences from other countries. This resulted in encouraging outcomes. Most notable were an open debate that we initiated on protection of children in armed conflict and a presidential statement that the council adopted, attaching importance to development as an essential part of a solution to childrens involvement in armed conflict; and an open debate that we initiated on women, peace, and security and Resolution 1889 that was also adopted. This was the first UNSC resolution that viewed women not simply as victims in conflict and post-conflict situations, but contributors to designing and implementing solutions to women-related problems in those contexts. These two initiatives were launched under Vietnams presidency during July 2008 and October 2009 respectively, and this resolution was the first ever initiated by Vietnam and accepted by the UNSC. In the same vein, when we proposed broad-based consultations with the UN member states in preparing the Security Councils 2007-2008 annual report, this initiative was favourably embraced by the organisations membership, for it reflected a long-cherished wish of member states to have a role to play in the operations of this most important and powerful organ in the world. At the end of our UNSC membership, UNSC colleagues and foreign friends alike heartily congratulated us on our performance, saying how impressed they were with Vietnams professionalism and effective operation as a UNSC member. All this constituted what we can call the countrys uplifted international status and prestige. And this, in turn, has enabled the country to reach out further and farther to friends and partners, for closer friendship and broader cooperation, and with multiple economic, trade, and investment opportunities for development. What differences can you see in such a Vietnamese undertaking at the UNSC this time around? Todays world is hugely different from the world more than 13 years ago. The increasingly fierce competition per se between the US and China for the last several years provides us with a best example, let alone the COVID-19 pandemic which has upended the entire world, resulting in unpredictable consequences for each and every community as well as mankind at large. The United Nations has also undergone remarkable changes, particularly relating to its leadership structures under Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in terms of gender parity, for the better, of course. Meanwhile, with challenges and opportunities untoldly intertwined, the United Nations Charter and the Security Council rules and procedures have remained substantially unchanged. Todays Vietnam is also very different from the nation of more than 13 years ago. Both its strength and posture have improved visibly as a result of its over-30-year process of comprehensive renewal. Yet, challenges remain increasingly multiple and complicated, both domestically and internationally. More efficient and effective governance, higher economic and trade efficiency and competitiveness, and better conduct of the scientific and technological revolution, particularly the combined digitisation, digitalisation and digital transformation under the umbrella of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, are just a few areas demanding much greater endeavour from the whole political system and nation. Let alone the ever-growing heat of East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) flashpoints, threatening to wash away the many hard-earned peace and development gains if allowed to develop beyond control. I dont want to be alarmist, but I sense something imminent could be around the corner, and we all need to be on alert. Vietnamese Ambassador Bui The Giang (third from left) shakes hands with ISAF Western Region Commander Brig. Gen. Paolo Serra as the UNSC ambassador team arrives in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2008 What does Vietnam need to continue doing in order to be seen as a success at the UNSC? During 2008-2009 UNSC membership, what mattered to us the most was the countrys aggregate strength. This was not something given for free. Having achieved real strength at gigantic costs, we were able to stand firm on our own feet. This facilitated our operations to a great extent at the council. For the countrys aggregate strength to be built, maintained and further developed, and for Vietnams UNSC team to be productive then, we also benefitted from an astute leadership, clear-sighted vision and well-grounded strategies and policies. No less importantly, we enjoyed the heartfelt support from our compatriots and effective collaboration from our colleagues. The friendship, cooperation and support of foreign partners and counterparts represented an indispensable factor in our successful UNSC membership. And, last but not least, the dedication, wisdom, and unanimity of every individual member of our UNSC team were the last drop that made our success materialised. All this needs to be redoubled if we are to again accomplish the heavy yet honoured membership during these two years. On April 19, Vietnam will organise a high-level discussion session on enhancing cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in trust-building measures to prevent conflicts. What is your assessment of the importance of this? Given the inherent close-knitted links between the UN and regional organisations as foreseen by the organisations founding fathers, and in the context of Vietnams chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020 coinciding with its UNSC membership in 2020-2021, we determined earlier that the cooperation between the UN and regional organisations would be among top priorities of Vietnams UNSC agenda. Naturally, this should not only be understood as confined between the UN and ASEAN, but between the UN and all other regional organisations. This is particularly imperative in Africas case in consideration of the role of the African Union and the role of the UN and the UNSC in addressing the frequency, magnitude and scope of so many protracted conflicts in this continent. As regards ASEAN, with Vietnam being a 25-year-old member of this regional community, and with ASEAN efforts to realise its centrality in the evolving regional security architecture, Vietnam should and can serve as an effective channel to further the time-tested cooperation between the United Nations and Security Council with ASEAN on issues beyond ASEAN boundaries. What do you believe are the chances of Vietnam taking up a place as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for a third time in the future? The UNSC has never been as important as it is today for the world, and for Vietnam. With that in mind, I do not think that this 2020-2021 UNSC membership is the last chance for our country to be on the council. However, when we would campaign for membership again depends on developments in the region and the world, as well as on the countrys endogenous strength and international creditability. So far more than 60 United Nations member states have never been a Security Council member. And of more than 50 countries in Asia, fewer than 30 countries have served as a Security Council member. So, as for Vietnam, we must work harder, improve ourselves better, prove in both words and deeds that we are truly a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community, and patiently wait for the right time to step forward. Water usage in San Antonio is now further restricted as drought conditions worsen in the area and across the state. The San Antonio Water System moved to Stage 2 of its drought management plan Monday, and the Edwards Aquifer Authority predicted the area could be in Stage 3 by midsummer. Stage 2 restrictions are triggered when the 10-day rolling average level of the Bexar County aquifer index well falls below 650 feet above sea level. Monday, it measured 649.9 feet. Paul Bertetti, the Edwards Aquifer Authoritys director of aquifer science, said a lack of rainfall that has plagued the area for more than two years leaves a bottom 10 percentile forecast likely in store this summer. In an average year, San Antonios rainfall total is about 32 inches. But the city recorded about 22 inches in 2019 and 20.7 inches last year. Near the end of the first four months of 2021, the city has seen just 3.15 inches. Were not at absolutely no rain, but it looks like its at the bottom 10 percent in terms of water levels for this summer, and thats what we should anticipate, Bertetti said. Obviously, that could change if we just got some modest amounts of rainfall or even a couple of unexpected storm events. But without those, it looks like were in for an extended Stage 2 or Stage 3 period this summer. On ExpressNews.com: Watering limits implemented even before summer begins Bertetti said it is unlikely, based on statistics dating to the 1930s, that the index well would dip below 630 feet, triggering Stage 4 restrictions, before temperatures begin to moderate in September. Record lows for the San Antonio index well are 612.5 feet in August 1956 and 622.7 feet in June 1990. The numbers that we have suggest that it probably wont get as low as Stage 4, but it could be as low as weve had in the last four or five years, Bertetti said. Right now, according to our forecasts, which are based on historical data, the uncertainty of rainfall suggests that we might have an extended period in the summer where we might be below 635 feet. So we would be in Stage 3, but still above Stage 4. Under a local ordinance, City Manager Erik Walsh, in consultation with SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente, declared Stage 2 on Monday. Since June, the city has received less than 40 percent of its normal rainfall, according to the utility. SAWS and other permitted users are required to reduce pumping by 20 percent under Stage 1 of the Edwards Aquifer Authoritys rules, 30 percent under Stage 2 and 35 percent under Stage 3. To help carry the region through droughts, SAWS has sought to develop alternative water supply sources. Although SAWS has plenty of water to meet customer demand coming from water projects such as the Vista Ridge pipeline project, our desalination plant and various others, city ordinance requires SAWS to enter Stage 2 watering rules when the Edwards Aquifer level is triggered, Puente said. We have worked hard to diversify our water sources to ensure that San Antonio is water secure for generations. As a reminder, Stage 2 watering rules are primarily focused on moderating business and residential landscape watering. Watering days stay the same in SAWS Stage 2 as in Stage 1. However, the hours during which watering is allowed are shortened. Watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose is allowed only between 7 and 11 a.m. and 7 and 11 p.m. on a designated weekday, based on street address. Watering with a hand-held hose is still allowed anytime on any day. Stage 3 watering rules, if implemented this summer by the city, would limit SAWS customers to wetting their lawns with sprinklers, irrigation systems or soaker hoses no more than once every two weeks. On ExpressNews.com: SAWS denies claims Vista Ridge water was wasted The next hope for rain is a couple of days away. The National Weather Service has predicted a chance of showers later in the week that could elevate the aquifer level. A 30 percent chance of rain Thursday increases to 40 percent Thursday night and 60 percent Friday. The Edwards Aquifer Authoritys forecast is based on historical well data and doesnt consider other trends affecting water use, such as urban growth and supply projects. The Vista Ridge pipeline came online about a year ago, carrying water more than 140 miles from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in Central Texas. Bertetti said it could provide a buffer for the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer, which provides for endangered species at Comal and San Marcos springs. We dont know how thats going to affect water levels currently, Bertetti said. It may be that as SAWS is able to bring more of that online and put alternative water sources in play, theyre able to stem the water level because theyre pumping less and less (from the Edwards). And so that way, we stay in Stage 2 for a longer period of time and really dont enter into Stage 3. But we dont have enough data. shuddleston@express-news.net A box of Janssen vaccines is shown by pharmacist Zsolt Szenasi at a warehouse of Hungaropharma, a Hungarian pharmaceutical wholesale company, in Budapest, Hungary, after the arrival of the first batch of the Johnson & Johnson, made one-dose vaccine against the new coronavirus in the country, on April 13, 2021. (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP) EU Regulator Finds Possible Link Between J&J Vaccine and Blood Clots The European Unions medicines regulator said on Tuesday that there is a possible link between Johnson & Johnsons COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots, but said its overall benefit-risk remains positive. At a meeting on Tuesday, the safety committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that a warning about unusual blood clots should be added to the product information for COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen, which was developed by Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. EMAs safety committee (#PRAC) recommends adding very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low blood platelets to the list of side effects for Janssen #vaccine. Overall benefit-risk remains positive. https://t.co/hNusE5blWm pic.twitter.com/5kX1ECgogz EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) April 20, 2021 The blood clot events should be listed as very rare side effects of the vaccine, the committee said. The committee said it took into consideration all currently available evidence including eight reports from the United States of serious cases of unusual blood clots associated with low levels of blood platelets, one of which had a fatal outcome. All these cases occurred within three weeks after vaccination in people under 60, most of whom were women. The EMA said specific risk factors have not been confirmed based on available information. The safety committee noted that the blood clots occurred mostly at unusual sites such as in veins in the brain and the abdomen as well as in arteries, together with low levels of blood platelets and sometimes bleeding. The committee said one plausible explanation is an immune response, leading to a condition similar to one seen sometimes in patients treated with heparin called heparin induced thrombocytopenia, HIT. The EMA said healthcare professionals and people who will receive the vaccine should be aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within three weeks of vaccination. But it emphasized that the cases are very rare and the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects. The United States authorized Johnson & Johnsons shot last month and has administered over 7 million doses as of April 13. The shot was authorized in the European Union on March 11 but the roll-out of the shots has not started yet. Another COVID-19 vaccine, from the UK-based AstraZeneca, was previously investigated by the European Medicines Agency after reports of post-vaccination blood clots. The agency concluded on April 7 that there was a possible link between the vaccine and clots but recommended countries still use the jab, ruling the benefits outweigh the risks. The EMA said on Tuesday that the blood clots cases associated with the Janssen vaccine were very similar to the cases that occurred after vaccination with the AstraZeneca jab. Zachary Stieber and Jack Philips contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 22:40:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SINGAPORE, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Western criticisms over issues concerning China's Hong Kong and Xinjiang come partly from their "sudden realization" in recent years that China is becoming successful and strong, said Singapore's former Foreign Minister George Yeo. China has been making very good progress since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November 2012, at which Chinese President Xi Jinping became the party leader, Yeo told Xinhua in a recent interview. For some countries which used to think that China was still backward, they were surprised to realize that China is becoming very successful and strong, and indeed advanced in many technological areas, he said. "This (China's rise) did not happen overnight. This has been going on for many years. But for some reason it is only in the last few years that this realization has become widespread. As a result, the Western sense of insecurity has grown stronger," he added. The sudden realization of China's rise "partly explains why in recent years they criticize China on many issues," said Yeo. "China is not a threat to the West but it is a threat to the long historical dominance of the West in the world." Yeo, who once lived in Hong Kong and commuted between Hong Kong and Singapore for many years, spoke highly of the recently-adopted law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, saying that he is "very glad that finally stability has returned to Hong Kong." "How can Hong Kong be said to have less democracy today than under the British (rule)? Under British colonial rule, the governor was appointed by London. No one had any say," he said. Recalling his first visit to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 1991, Yeo said he was surprised to see all the road signs bearing Chinese, English and Uygur characters. He was told that Uygur characters were not used until the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Yeo rejected the claim of genocide in Xinjiang made by some Western countries, saying it is a misuse and an abuse of the word. "There are political reasons for pushing this as genocide. It goes back to what I said earlier about the fear of a rising China, and the fear that the China-proposed Belt & Road Initiative will increase China's influence in a larger part of Asia," he said. "I tell my Western friends, when they look at the situation in China, instead of focusing on the pimples, and China's appearance is by no means perfect, they should look instead at the whole face and make an overall assessment," he added. Enditem RESTON, Va., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Women's Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC) announces a workforce program, Virginia Cyber Skills Academies (VCSA), which provides reskilling and upskilling in cybersecurity to individuals in Northern Virginia whose livelihood was impacted by COVID-19. This project was funded in part by GO VIRGINIA, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that strengthens and diversifies Virginia's economy and fosters the creation of higher wage jobs in strategic industries. VCSA The Virginia Economic Commission announced that Virginia had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.1% as of March 26, 2021. Many industries such as retail, hospitality, and travel were hit especially hard with slower recovery rates than other sectors. However, the demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to see an increase. Q2 2020 saw an 11% year-over-year increase in cybersecurity positions, despite COVID-19 (Dice, Q2 Tech Report ). The shift to remote work because of COVID-19 has compounded the need for trained cybersecurity professionals as cyberattacks have increased. "Cybersecurity professionals are thriving right now, and we're extremely proud to support this program. All of us at WSC have fulfilling, financially rewarding, and interesting careers because we're a part of this profession, so we look forward to bringing on more people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds," said Mari Galloway, Chief Executive Officer at Women's Society of Cyberjutsu . The program is composed of two academies: The Reskilling Academy is for individuals who have no background in cybersecurity and trains those individuals for key industry certifications that qualify them for mission critical jobs. The Upskilling Academy assists those with some IT background or security-specific experience to learn the additional skills needed to find more advanced roles, exposing them to even more job opportunities. Graduates of this program will not only fill a need in the local economy but also increase their long-term earning potential. "We regularly hear from employers that they can't find enough qualified people to meet their needs for technical cybersecurity professionals. SANS is pleased to offer training and supports WSC and their efforts to increase and diversify the cybersecurity workforce. We believe this program represents an exceptional opportunity, through hands-on learning, for individuals interested in cybersecurity to acquire the knowledge and skills required for an in-demand career in Information Security," said Maureen Shrewsbury, Cyber Workforce Development Programs Manager at the SANS Institute . "It's 100% scholarship-based training and accredited certification in an in-demand and meaningful profession that you can accomplish in months, not years." This state-sponsored program will provide technical skills training, industry recognized certifications, mentorship, and soft skills to individuals living in Virginia Region 7 (Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park; and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William). Selected students will go through all training virtually and as part of a cohort with like-minded peers. Applicants will submit resumes, complete an assessment, interview, and submit application documents, to verify their eligibility for this program. "We are thrilled at the opportunity to work with Virginia Cyber Skills Academies to help support our citizens in returning to work with new or updated skills in cybersecurity," said Susan Baker, Managing Director, GO Virginia Region 7 . "We also want to thank our partners who are launching this program and look forward to the results." Local employers will benefit from VCSA bringing much needed new technical talent into the cybersecurity workforce. Several local leading organizations are partnering with the program and include, Leidos, Northern Virginia Technology Council, Alexandria and Arlington Regional Workforce Council, Alexandria Economic Development, Loudoun County Economic Development, Recorded Future, Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business, Fairfax County Economic Development, Prince William County Economic Development, Fairfax County Economic Development, US Cyber Range, Dark Cubed, NinjaJobs, Secure Anchor, FlexProfessionals, CrossCountry Consulting, and many other contributing partners. "This program is designed to change lives. Some of the best cyber professionals come from diverse backgrounds, because it's about having a tenacity to solve problems and contribute to a team. Many clients of our cybersecurity-focused marketing agency are looking for talent because they're experiencing growth. Individuals of all ages with zero cyber skills will walk away with the credentials to help them secure a fruitful career," said Jessica Gulick, CEO & Founder, Katzcy TM. In collaboration with state and local leaders, three locally based organizations have come together as founding partners to manage the program, support the students, and coordinate with employers. Founding Partners: The Women's Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC) serves thousands of women, men, and girls across the globe by bringing awareness to, and advancing careers in, cybersecurity. WSC provides platforms for networking, skills building, mentorship, and a jobs board to aid in increasing historically underrepresented groups' participation in the Cybersecurity Workforce. (WSC) serves thousands of women, men, and girls across the globe by bringing awareness to, and advancing careers in, cybersecurity. WSC provides platforms for networking, skills building, mentorship, and a jobs board to aid in increasing historically underrepresented groups' participation in the Cybersecurity Workforce. The SANS Institute (SANS) is the most trusted and by far the largest source for information security training and security certification in the world. Each year more than 50,000 cybersecurity professionals are trained by renowned SANS instructors through 65+ courses. The SANS Institute is GIAC's preferred affiliate for cybersecurity certification preparation. Institute (SANS) is the most trusted and by far the largest source for information security training and security certification in the world. Each year more than 50,000 cybersecurity professionals are trained by renowned SANS instructors through 65+ courses. The SANS Institute is GIAC's preferred affiliate for cybersecurity certification preparation. Katzcy is a social impact company committed to helping our tech and cybersecurity community grow through impactful marketing strategies, community workforce initiatives, and skill-oriented tech competitions. Through our PlayCyber line of business, Katzcy is helping build a stronger and more diverse community of cybersecurity professionals by delivering an exciting cyber games experience. VCSA will begin accepting applications on April 20, 2021, and interested participants should visit www.vacyberskills.com to sign up for alerts on when to submit their materials. VCSA will host ongoing recruiting webinars as well as a Virtual Career Workshop on May 20, 2021. Interested employers or sponsors can request information by emailing [email protected]vacyberskills.com . Contact: Sarah Kneip (571) 445-0636 [email protected] SOURCE VCSA At the heart of the bizarre Twin Cities hellworld is Minnesota Governor Tim tear down this Walz. Today Tim is tearful. He called a press conference this afternoon to display his emotions and offer his characteristic deference to the mob throwing its weight around in the Twin Cities. Walz mouths the obligatory platitudes about systemic racism. He asserts that Daunte Wright died for a simple traffic violation. He even calls this a simple truth, even though it is a blatant lie. He yammers on at painful length in his characteristic Joe Isuzu style demanding that citizens defer to the demands of the mob. Walz called on Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter to make a few remarks. Both Frey and Carter are key players in the bizarre Twin Cities hellworld over which Walz presides. They go well together. Carter begins his remarks with a quotation from Chief Justice Taney in the Dred Scott case. Taneys doctrine in Dred Scott has now been endorsed as something like the official historical teaching of the Biden administration even though it was persuasively repudiated by Abraham Lincoln and defeated in our great Civil War, not to mention the related constitutional amendments. Carter continues his remarks with another gratuitous contribution to the forces arrayed against a fair trial for Derek Chauvin at the precise moment the jury has commenced its deliberations in his case. English French OTTAWA, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Canadian Legion is pleased to see this years budget not only contains a critical focus on pandemic support and recovery, but also outlines a range of investments that will prove beneficial to Veterans and their families. Given the needs arising due to the pandemic, we were not expecting this much welcome investment in our Veteran community and we are very happy to see our Veterans have not been forgotten, says Dominion President, Thomas D. Irvine, CD. We look forward to working collaboratively with the federal government and all partners to provide support wherever we can. Focus on Veteran mental health. Veterans mental health will be a major focus with $150 million in immediate funding to Veterans Affairs Canada for a new program. It will cover mental health treatment costs for Veterans with a range of diagnoses, while they wait for their disability benefit applications to be processed. The Legion is pleased with this outcome, as we have seen the toll that wait times have taken on Veterans. The strain on mental health has been further exacerbated by the pandemic. Reducing the benefit application backlog. The budget provides $29 million to allow Veterans Affairs Canada to retain personnel who are working to combat the current massive backlog of benefit applications, something the Legion helps Veterans complete. Enhancement of Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund. The investment of $15 million over three years for Veterans Affairs Canada to expand and enhance this fund, is welcome news. Projects will include supporting Veterans post-COVID-19, related to homelessness, employment, retraining and other health challenges. The Legion has been pushing for improvements in all of these areas. Reduction in Veteran homelessness. $45 million over two years, will allow Employment and Social Development Canada to pilot a program aimed at reducing veteran homelessness, a key Legion priority. Under the program, rent supplements and support services such as counselling, addiction treatment, and help finding a job will be included. Another priority for the Legion is improving transition services for Veterans, and we hope this pilot program will help strengthen knowledge about what works. Commitment to Long Term Care. We are pleased to see a $3 billion commitment to Long Term Care, in particular, an additional $90 million in funding for a Stay at Home Wellness Program to ultimately benefit our Seniors, including Veterans. Fighting misconduct. We applaud new funding for the Department of National Defence to help with legal costs for formal complaints related to misconduct, in addition to new resources to work on eliminating sexual misconduct within the military. There will be new external oversight mechanisms to bring greater independence to the processes of reporting and adjudicating sexual misconduct in the military, a crucial element expressed by Veterans the Legion has served. Protecting health and safety. We welcome new and ongoing funding to ensure that Canadian Armed Forces members receive timely access to health care. Further investment to pilot online and in-person peer support groups for CAF members and Veterans who have experienced sexual misconduct during their service is a crucial commitment. The groups will be tailored to military experience. Defence and Security. The budget provides significant funding for defense spending including needed dollars for equipment such as fighter aircraft and a new frigate. The Legion believes our military requires the best and most modern tools to do the job. We are pleased to see a commitment to modernize NORAD, which helps detect and defend against threats to our continent. Further support to sustain existing continental and Arctic defense capability is also positive news. In addition the budget provides for higher Canadian contributions to NATOs common budget and military activities. For more information on the full list of Legion priority areas, please visit: https://www.legion.ca/advocating-for-veterans/advocating-for-change About The Royal Canadian Legion Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canadas largest veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S., and Europe. With close to 250,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers. Public Relations / Media Inquiries: Nujma Bond 613-591-3335 ext. 241 or PublicRelations@Legion.ca Legion.ca Facebook.com/CanadianLegion Twitter.com/RoyalCdnLegion Instagram.com/royalcanadianlegion youtube.com/user/RCLDominionCommand A mouse shocked diners as it scurried down a wall and along the floor of a popular Mexican restaurant. Diners fled in disgust from Beach Burrito Co on Jetty Road in Glenelg, Adelaide, after squealing and cringing at the rodent. Footage shows the mouse running down the wall from the ceiling before scurrying off into a small hole in the wall on April 12. The mouse was filmed by a shocked onlooker as it ran down the wall, across the floor and into a hole 'That was a bit worrying to see that going in a restaurant, somewhere that serves food,' a local told 7 News. Beach Burrito Company chief operating officer Angus Warren said that the restaurant goes through regular inspections from City of Holdfast Bay health inspectors, the Adelaide Advertiser reported. 'In the past seven years we have always enjoyed at least a four-star rating (with five being the highest possible),' he said. 'I remind everyone that we at Beach Burrito take the health and safety of our customers as our highest priority and maintain best practice food handling procedures in our kitchen.' He said the business' most recent inspection was completed on April 15 - three days after the mouse video. Mr Warren said he had seen the footage but defended his restaurant, saying rodent invasions were part of running a business in such a populated area. Witnesses can be heard squealing at the sight of the mouse 'I've had a chance to view the video, and it's always a little surprising to see a visitor where you don't want them,' he said. 'But things like this are a fact of life. It's part and parcel of living and operating a business in a densely populated and built up area. 'This video unfortunately showed the less glamorous side of hospitality that every operator is aware of.' Mr Warren said that the unwanted guest may have been from Beach Burrito Co's neighbours, one of which is a building that has remained vacant and derelict for the past 10 years. The popular Mexican restaurant Beach Burrito Co. has said the 'health and safety of our customers is our highest priority' 'On our other side we have an old building that has just had major renovations performed so you can imagine what that has done for the local furry friend population,' he said. He said the business had hired a company to inspect and maintain a high standard to hygiene within the restaurant. 7 News said, 'Holdfast Bay Council inspectors have carried out more than 200 inspections since July last year, issuing five fines.' The Glenelg Beach Burrito Co. is part of an Australian Mexican restaurant chain with ten venues around Australia. Arm could return to the stock market if its 29billion sale falls through, analysts have claimed. Japanese owner Softbank is in the process of selling the British chip maker to US giant Nvidia, but the deal has been beset by regulatory hurdles. There is also a mounting shortage of computer chips worldwide, with some analysts suggesting Softbank may find it easier and more lucrative to re-list Arm. There is a mounting shortage of computer chips worldwide, with some analysts now suggesting that Arm owner Softbank may find it easier to re-list on the London stock market Nvidia insists that it always expected tough scrutiny from regulators and has factored this into its plans. But a new security probe into the sale by UK authorities, calls in China for regulators to block it altogether and opposition from some of Arms customers have led some to conclude the deal is doomed. Matthew Byatt, managing partner and semiconductor expert at Acuity Advisors, said Nvidias takeover was facing severe headwinds that are getting stronger. But he said there is a strong case for Softbank to switch to an initial public offering (IPO) or float of Arm instead. Byatt said: What all the fuss about the Arm deal shows, really, is that the companys value is in its independence. So an IPO could now be the best outcome for shareholders, customers and the UK. Neil Campling, an analyst at Mirabaud Securities, said Softbank may even become the real winner if it manages to get bigger returns through an IPO. Arm was valued at 24billion when the Japanese firm bought it in 2016 and some analysts predicted its value had risen to as much as 40billion last year significantly more than what Nvidia has offered. On Monday the Government announced it was launching a review of the national security implications of the Nvidia deal, on top of an ongoing competition probe. When you think of fettuccine, you are likely to picture swirls of pasta coated in a creamy white sauce and lashings of parmesan cheese. So perhaps it's no wonder that Sydney baker Walla Abu-Eid's reinvention of the classic Italian dinner as a decadent, pancake-style dessert has attracted widespread attention on social media. The 31-year-old mother-of-three, whose creations have garnered an Instagram following of 115,000, makes dish with five ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, white chocolate, and a jar of Lotus Biscoff spread. In a video shared in a highlight reel, Ms Abu-Eid - who learned to bake on Google and YouTube and says 'anyone can do the same' - showed viewers how to make her 'easy and delicious crepes fettucine' in six simple steps. Scroll down for video Sydney baker Walla Abu-Eid's Biscoff fettuccine (pictured), a clever reinvention of the classic Italian pasta dinner as a decadent dessert To make the crepes, Ms Abu-Eid places one cup of plain flour, three eggs and two cups of full cream milk in a measuring jug and mixes using a hand blender until the batter is smooth. She sprays cooking oil into the base of a frying pan over a medium heat and pours some mixture in, swirling it round until it reaches the edges. When it's cooked on the bottom, she flips the crepe over to lightly brown the other side. Once she's cooked a few, Ms Abu-Eid stacks the crepes on top of each other and rolls them all into a Swiss roll shape before slicing it into a thickness similar to fettuccine pasta - about a quarter of an inch wide. The 31-year-old mother-of-three makes dish (pictured) with five ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, white chocolate, and a jar of Lotus Biscoff spread She lays the 'pasta' on a tray and drizzles with half a jar of Lotus Biscoff spread, which has been mixed with 10 tablespoons of boiling water to create a smooth, sauce-like consistency. Finally, Ms Abu-Eid grates some white chocolate over the 'pasta' to create a parmesan cheese effect. If the distinctive cinnamon flavour of Biscoff is not to your taste, Ms Abu-Eid suggests swapping it for Nutella, milk chocolate, white chocolate or peanut butter. Fans have branded the pasta a 'work of art' on social media, where a video of the preparation has racked up over 2,500 'likes'. Ms Abu-Eid (pictured) learned to bake on Google and YouTube and says 'anyone can do the same' Fans have branded the pasta (pictured) a 'work of art' on social media 'How cool is this,' one woman replied, while a second said: 'Wow these look delicious.' A third added: 'What a yummy fusion, you are so creative!' Others vowed to follow the recipe to make the crepes for their kids next weekend. And it's not the only Biscoff-inspired dessert on Ms Abu-Eid's Instagram feed, which is filled with carefully curated photos of doughnuts, mousses and tarts all built around the Belgian sweet. Standouts include Biscoff cheesecake truffles, Biscoff vanilla slices and a famous Biscoff lasagne made from five supermarket ingredients, just like the pasta. Self-taught Sydney baker Walla Abu-Eid's viral Lotus Biscoff lasagne (pictured), a clever reinvention of the classic Italian pasta dish as a decadent dessert Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in July, Ms Abu-Eid said her swift success on social media has been 'crazy'. 'People tell me my cakes look so professional, but I really just do it as a hobby whenever I have time,' she said. Asked if she had secured a paid partnership with Lotus to promote the brand, the baker laughed and said a collaboration like that would be a dream come true. 'I wish I had a deal with Biscoff, I just love the flavour. I actually did contact them, but no word yet!' she said. The European Union hopes that Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the request of the EU and the United States, will cease the military build-up near Ukraines border. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said this during a videoconference following a virtual meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on April 19, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The situation in the Ukrainian border is really very much worrisome. We invited the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to meet with us The Russian military build-up at the Ukrainian border is very concerning. There are more than 100,000 Russian troops amassing at the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea. The risk of further escalation is evident. We have to commend Ukraine for its restrained response and we urge Russia to de-escalate and to defuse tensions, Borrell said. It is the highest military deployment of the Russian army in the Ukrainian borders ever. It is clear that it is a matter of concern, because when you deploy a lot of troops a spark can jump here or there. The Minister [of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba] explained the number of casualties in the Ukrainian army compared with the same dates last year and it is clear that it is a very, very worrisome situation. Let us hope that this deployment will stop and that according to the request addressed to President [of Russia, Vladimir] Putin by, among other, Chancellor [of Germany, Angela] Merkel and President [of the United States of America, Joe] Biden, this deployment will be withdrawn," the EU High Representative said while answering journalists' questions. He noted that the message of all EU ministers was very much clear: a complete reiteration of strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and the request for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. We welcomed increased diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity. We confirmed that the European Union will attend the Summit of the Crimea Platform on the 23rd of August. At the same time, we talked about the need to speed up substantial progress on reforms. We welcomed Ukraine's ambition to approximate its policies to the European Green Deal. We talked about the delivery of vaccines by COVAX But the most important message is our strong support to Ukraine and our concern about the Russian military build-up that has to stop in Crimea and on the border," Borrell said. He also declared that at this stage, EU ministers did not consider the issue of new sanctions against Russia for its aggressive policy, but added that "things can change." As reported, on April 19, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council proposed a step-by-step plan on how to discourage Moscow from further escalation. The Russian armed forces have recently been building up troops near the state border of Ukraine in the north, east and south, as well as in occupied Crimea. In addition, the number of ceasefire violations by the armed formations of the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine has increased; there are losses among the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the Russian Federation is conducting a propaganda campaign to justify possible aggression against Ukraine. The U.S. and the EU announced their support for Ukraine and called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border. ish SparingVisionExpands Novel Ocular Disease Pipeline with Acquisition of GAMUT Therapeutics Adds unique gene-independent approach to treat the later stages of rod-cone dystrophies such as retinitis pigmentosa Broadens SparingVision's innovative genomic medicine pipeline to address both mid and late stages ofrod-cone dystrophies with the added potential to combine both products SparingVision's management team will hold a webinar to discuss the news today at 16:00 CET/15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT - please find a link to this webinar here Paris,April 20,2021 - SparingVision (the "Company"), a genomic medicines company developing vision saving treatments for ocular diseases, today announces it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GAMUT Therapeutics ("GAMUT"), a biotechnology company pioneering a unique gene-independent approach to treat the later stages of rod-cone dystrophies such as retinitis pigmentosa ("RP"). The acquisition, subject to legal formalities and approval by shareholders of both companies, will be paid mostly in new SparingVision shares and is expected to close in Q2 2021. Further financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed. Stephane Boissel, SparingVision's President and Chief Executive Officer said: "This acquisition reflects our drive to become a leader in the field of genomic medicines for ocular diseases and our bold strategy to disrupt this field through the exploration and development of new innovative approaches. In acquiring GAMUT Therapeutics, we have added a second gene-independent approach to our product pipeline for rod-cone dystrophies, which has the potential to be administered to patients at a more advanced stage of their disease, and also potentially in combination with our first pipeline product SPVN06. Our portfolio of ocular genomic medicines is already highly differentiated,and it is our intention to continue to build a suite of new cutting-edge vision saving treatments, that could radically change the way we treat blinding ocular diseases." GAMUT's lead product, now SPVN20, is a novel, mutation-agnostic gene therapy, which aims at restoring the function of dormant cone cells in the retina. Dormant cones are viable cones that have lost their function during the progression of a degenerative retinal disease. SPVN20 is an AAV vector-based product encoding for a variant of GIRK, a GPCR activated ion channel. In preclinical models, expressing GIRK has been shown to reactivate cone function, despite their progressive loss of outer segments, resulting in improved light responses in treated retinas. SPVN20 is highly complementary to SparingVision's SPVN06 treatment. While SPVN06 works predominantly on the metabolism of the cones, by facilitating glucose uptake and providing protection against oxidative stress in the absence of rods during early-stages of rod-cone dystrophies, SPVN20 works predominantly to restore the function of viable, but non-functional cones at a later stage in the disease. SparingVision also intends to evaluate the potential therapeutic synergy of the two products through the combination of SPVN06 and SPVN20 in a sequence of treatments and/or as a single construct to address a broader population of RP patients. Beyond RP, SparingVision will explore opportunities to evaluate SPVN20 in other retinal diseases, for which its mechanism of action could also be particularly relevant. As part of the acquisition agreement, SparingVision has the right to participate in the creation of a new GIRK-based cell therapy company, that would be started by the founding shareholders of GAMUT with a first GIRK-based product. GAMUT is a spin-out of the Institut de la Vision in Paris, focused on pioneering the unique research of scientific founder Dr. Deniz Dalkara and her collaborators. It was started in 2020 with seed funding from Advent France Biotechnology. Geoffroy de Ribains, Operating Partner at Advent France Biotechnology and CEO of GAMUTTherapeutics,commented:"We are really pleased with this acquisition - it provides a unique opportunity to speed up the development of GAMUT's gene therapy program and expand the potential of its technology, with the benefit of SparingVision's team and investor base. It also illustratesperfectly the success of Advent France Biotechnology's unique investment and company building strategy." SparingVision is also expecting to appoint Dr. Deniz Dalkara, Founder of GAMUT Therapeutics and researcher at the Institut de la Vision, as Chief Scientific Officer, subject to the closing of the transaction and the approval of the academic institutions she is affiliated with. Stephane Boissel, SparingVision's President and Chief Executive Officeradded:"Ilook forward to welcoming Dr Dalkara to the SparingVision team. Her innovative and award-winning work in the ophthalmology spacewill be of immense benefit to the growing team at SparingVision as we bring these unique products to the clinic." Dr. Deniz Dalkara, scientific founder of GAMUT Therapeutics, said "GAMUT was founded to progress cutting-edge science into application as a gene therapy product for patients. SparingVision is a company with a complementary scientific rationale and an established team with all the right skills and experience to takethe SPVN20 project forward. I'm looking forward to working alongside SparingVision's strong scientific, clinical and management teams to advance the next generation of ophthalmic medicines." Dr Deniz Dalkara has worked as a tenured researcher at INSERM since 2013, and as Group leader, Biotherapeutics Department, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France, since 2012. She was awarded the Euretina Science and Medicine Innovation Award in 2013 and MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35 award in the 2014 French edition as well as the Medical Research Award for Fondation de France this year. She gained her doctorate at the University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France under a Scholarship from the Ministry of Research and Technology, and conducted her first post-doctoral work at the Max Planck Fellowship as a Post-doctoral fellow at the Max Planck for Biophysics, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany, and subsequently worked as a Post-doctoral trainee at UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA, in the Nanomedicine Development Center for Optical Control of Biological Function prior to obtaining her position in France. SparingVision's management team will be holding a webinar to discuss the acquisition of GAMUT Therapeutics today. **ENDS** Contacts: SparingVision Stephane Boissel President and CEO Nathalie Trepo Investor Relations nathalie.trepo@sparingvision.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Olivia Manser, Davide Salvi, Priit Piip +44 (0)20 3709 5700 sparingvision@consilium-comms.com NOTES TO EDITORS: About SparingVision: SparingVision is a genomic medicines company, translating pioneering science into vision saving treatments. Founded to advance over 20 years of world-leading ophthalmic research from its scientific founders at the Paris Vision Institute, SparingVision is leading a step shift in how ocular diseases are treated, moving beyond single gene correction therapies. At the heart of this is SPVN06, a gene independent treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the most common inherited retinal disease affecting two million people worldwide. SPVN06 could form the basis of a suite of new sight saving treatments as it could be applicable to many other retinal diseases, regardless of genetic cause. The Company is supported by a strong, internationally renowned team who aim to harness the potential of genomic medicine to deliver new treatments to all ocular disease patients as quickly as possible. SparingVision has raised 60 million to date and its investors include 4BIO Capital, Bpifrance, Foundation Fighting Blindness. About SPVN06: SPVN06 is a proprietary, mutation-agnostic, AAV gene therapy approach comprised of one neurotrophic factor and one enzyme reducing oxidative stress which, acting synergistically, aim at slowing or stopping the degeneration of photoreceptors, which inevitably leads to blindness in patients with rod-cone dystrophies (RCD). SparingVision's primary disease target is Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), one of the most common inherited retinal diseases that affects two million patients worldwide. There is currently no treatment approved to treat RP patients independently of their genetic background. This approach is potentially applicable to many more diseases where the loss of rods is known to be an early signal of the disease. First-in-man trials, with SPVN06 in patients with RP, will be commencing in 2021. About SPVN20 SparingVision's second product, SPVN20, is another pioneering, mutation-agnostic gene therapy product, which aims to restore visual acuity and color vision in advanced and late-stage Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) patients with "dormant cones". An injection with SPVN20 provides cone cell bodies with a channel protein activating a short phototransduction cascade within the dormant cone, restoring its electric signal and thereby vision, regardless of the patient's genetic mutation. About Advent France Biotechnology Advent France Biotechnology The dust surrounding the controversial Atta Mills Memorial Library in Cape Coast will soon be settled following the assurance from the contractors to release the keys to the University of Cape Coast by May this year as originally planned. The Chief Executive of the Mandev Ghana Limited, the contracting firm that executed the project, Mr Joseph Kojo Mamphey, said he had received firm assurance that he would soon be paid all outstanding debts after which the library would be handed over spot and clean. Mr Mamphey, who had locked up the library after completion and inauguration by then-President John Dramani Mahama in 2016, expressed delight that the processes leading to the settlement of all outstanding issues was proceeding smoothly and positively. He said he had started putting finishing touches to restore little wear and tear that had occurred and clean the place in readiness for the handing over and expressed his gratitude to those involved in the negotiations and payment. Amount Asked about how much was left to be paid, he said it would be a sign of disrespect to mention the amount because by the grace of God, it was being resolved. Narrating the circumstances leading to the current state of the library, Mr Mamphey noted that Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, the Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Library Project did an excellent job in ensuring that he received the initial amount. Good He added that when the payment was being delayed, he contacted Mr Totobi Quakyi on the issue and that the UCC also made a representation to the government but all to no avail. He said he had come to realise that the non-payment became my headache but I have realised that God had turned it out for good. He singled out Mr Totobi Quakyi and Commodore Steve Obimpeh who was also a member of the committee and said but for some of their initiatives, the library would not have been completed. Asked to explain why he had locked up the library, Mr Mamphey said it was a principle to protest against the practice where Ghanaian contractors executed projects and when it came to payment, they were subjected to unnecessary delays. Sponsors When the question about the source of the project was put to him, he said because he received cheques from the government from the Jubilee House I want to believe that it was a private initiative but the government was involved. Mr Mamphey said he was aware that the Telecom Chamber was the main sponsor and added that when the payment was being delayed, he contacted Mr Totobi Quakyi, with the UCC also making representation to the government but all to no avail. Turnaround He said out of those delays, he was sure that something good was coming his way including the famous Cape Coast Green City Project which he did not give much detail about. Foreign Visitors Reacting to concerns that although he had locked up the place he opened it four times for visitors including Nancy Pelosi, Melania Trump and the celebration of Panefest among others, he explained that in all these instances my company bore the cost of hosting those people at the request of the Omanhen of Cape Coast, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II. 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 The Village of Skokie is grateful for our long-standing partnership with the City of Evanston through which we are able to purchase and deliver water to Skokie residents and businesses, said Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen. Evanstons meticulous oversight of water quality and the integrity of the system provide our community with a reliable source of high-quality water. Further, the new contract provides this important service at reasonable rates and includes carefully defined terms for rate increases which will serve the Skokie community for the next generation. Controversy has trailed the removal of Michael Ologunde as the Vice-Chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, by the Oyo State government. Mr Ologunde was asked to step aside last Friday by Governor Seyi Makinde over reasons not stated in a letter seen by PREMIUM TIMES. The governor in the letter signed by the states commissioner for education, science and technology, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, urged the VC to hand over to the principal officer next to his rank. His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State and the visitor to the Ladoke Akintola University, has directed that the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. M. O. Ologunde should step aside until further notice. Consequently, the VC has also been directed to hand over forthwith to the next principal officer in rank in order to ensure uninterrupted flow of normal activities of the institution, the letter read. Governors enemy While the government failed to explain the reason for Mr Ologundes removal, sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the VC allegedly instigated the universitys staff to agitate for the payment of their unpaid salaries. Makinde saw the VC as an enemy of his administration for instigating university workers to protest and demand payment of outstanding salaries immediately after the crisis in the school was resolved. Recall that the Osun government no longer has a say on the school and Makinde is just trying to ensure that things are in order in LAUTECH but felt betrayed by the VC. Speaking to The Nation newspaper on Mr Ologundes removal, the states commissioner for education, said the state has its reasons. The Governor only directed the embattled VC to step aside, he was not sacked, our reason for not disclosing details of the allegations in our press release was deliberate, he told The Nation newspaper on Monday. We cannot say because the Governing Council is yet to resume then we will look the other way and allow the institution suffer, that was why he was directed to step aside pending investigations into allegations levelled against him, and in due time, the Governing Council will act based on revelations from their investigations. We are not unmindful of the establishment laws of the institution and we have not acted outside of our powers as government, so it is not a vendetta against the former VC. Mr Ologunde did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES calls and text messages seeking to know his offences and clarification. Controversy Meanwhile, the governors decision has triggered reactions from various unions on campus. The unions urged the governor to reverse his decision. PREMIUM TIMES understands that by the universitys autonomy law which has been domesticated across state universities, the Visitor lacks the power to remove a vice-chancellor. The power to suspend or remove a vice-chancellor resides in the governing council of the University who will recommend such to the visitor. The Governing Council is empowered to recruit, discipline and sack a VC and other principal officers. In the absence of Governing Council (like LAUTECH), the Senate of the university takes charge. When confronted with this, Taiwo Adisa, the chief press secretary to Mr Makinde, defended his principals action. ADVERTISEMENT There is no confusion as to who the Visitor is. The Visitor is the head of the governing council. The governing council acts on behalf of the Visitor and in LAUTECH, there is no governing council. The VC has not been sacked but was simply asked to step aside. The visitor takes over the affairs of LAUTECH to strengthen things. There is nothing that says the Visitor is powerless as a governor. Asked why the VC was asked to step aside, he simply said: his offences are not meant for public consumption. He knows what he did wrong. University unions kick Following this development, the Chair of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in LAUTECH, Biodun Olaniran, in a statement on Monday, expressed the unions displeasure over the removal. The union said Mr Makinde violated the provisions of the University Miscellaneous Act as amended, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Law 2020 and the university conventions. (ii)that if there is any perceived misdemeanour on the part of any officer appointed by the law in the University, due process according to the law must be followed to address such. (iii)that the Union acknowledges the power of the Visitor to hire and fire on one part and that such power is premised on the recommendation of the Governing Council according to the extant laws; (iv) that as at today, the Governing Council has not been properly constituted in line with law of the university. Our union, therefore, requests that, to maintain industrial harmony on campus and the on-going restoration of the image of the university, the above resolutions should be considered with the necessary urgency, ASUU said. In a similar statement, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) in the institution, warned that the governor must allow due process and obey the rule of law. Professor Ologunde is a product of the Governing Council as the Vice Chancellor and the Council should be allowed to determine whether he should step aside or not through fair hearing especially as no allegation was levelled against him in the said memo written by the Commissioner, Sanusi Wasiu, NAAT chairman noted. The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) chair in the school, Fajoye Oyelere, also said in his statement that the step aside directive is considered hasty, cumbersome and incongruous to the order that brought in the current principal officers of the university on February 14, 2019, and should be reversed in the name of equity, fairness and good conscience. READ ALSO: Makinde moves to make LAUTECH conventional university We would like to remind His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde that on Saturday, February 20, 2021, on a live radio program anchored by the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State(BCOS), he informed the whole world that he heard on a good note that the Vice Chancellor incited the Unions on campus to go on strike to demand for the payment of their eight months outstanding salaries and allowances having paid eight billion naira to Osun State on the separation of joint ownership. Our Union is not interested in who becomes the Vice-Chancellor beyond the fact that we lobbied the last Governing Council to consider and give us a homegrown Chief Executive Officer of the University after more than 25 years of existence. Professor Ologunde can be removed by the Governing Council but not by the Visitor or his proxy. Even at that, his offense must be properly stated and investigated where he will be given an opportunity to present his case to the extent of being represented by a lawyer of his choice if need be. He is not a direct appointee of the Governor if we will like the rule of law to prevail. SSANU will not want a confused situation where legal turmoil and civil unrest will be unnecessarily unleashed within the university community. Crews land at Kawau to attend a jetski accident. Jetski collision A Westpac Rescue Helicopter assisted a male in his teens involved in a T-bone crash between two jetskis at Kawau Island on Easter weekend. He was given an emergency blood transfusion before take-off and transported to hospital in a critical condition. That same morning, the helicopter crew was tasked to Kawau Island to assist a male patient in his 50s suffering a medical complaint. The patient died before arrival. Overall, rescue helicopters attended four incidents in Rodney over Easter weekend. Student swiped at crossing A school student was swiped by a vehicle on Mahurangi East Road last week, between Amanda Lane and Rangimarie Crescent. The student ran across a pedestrian crossing in a hurry to get to school at 8.20am, before the road safety patrol had started. He was hit by a slow-moving car. A St John ambulance and first responder unit attended and treated the student for moderate injuries. Horizon School principal Helen Pearson says the road has been an ongoing cause of concern for schools in the area. Both Horizon and Snells Beach School have written to Auckland Transport, Auckland Council and the Rodney Local Board asking for a raised crossing and flashing lights. Plans are underway over the next two years, but this is not quick enough considering the speed of traffic and the number of children at risk, Ms Pearson says. Pohuehue driver lucky to be found A Westpac Rescue Helicopter came to the aid of a driver in her 50s this month whose car had veered off the road and plummeted down a steep bank on Cowan Bay Road in Pohuehue. She was fortunate that a local resident had stopped on his way home to have a chat with a lawnmower man. The resident heard a frightful noise and upon investigation found the crashed vehicle and promptly called an ambulance. The woman was flown to Auckland Hospital in a moderate condition. How did it get down there? From the cat-a-combs Warkworth Police were contacted at 9pm on April 5 by a distressed resident whose cat had got itself stuck down a drain. Rescuing pets is not a police matter, but Constable Natalia Panoho decided to help. Fire crews opened up a manhole and Constable Panoho climbed five metres down to where cries could be heard. She was able to reach the kitten, named Bonita, and safely return it to its owner. Apple has reached an agreement with the right-wing social app Parler that could lead to its reinstatement in the companys app store. Apple kicked out Parler in January over ties to the deadly siege on the US Capitol. In a letter to US lawmakers, Apple said it has been in substantial conversations with Parler over how the company plans to moderate content on its network. Before its removal from the app store, Parler was a hotbed of hate speech, Nazi imagery, calls for violence (including violence against specific people) and conspiracy theories. Parler was promoted as a social media app recognising Americans first amendment rights, but those rights dont extend to forcing Apple, Google or Amazon to host the app. Credit:AP Apple declined to comment beyond the letter, which didnt provide details on how Parler plans to moderate such content. In the letter, Apple said Parlers proposed changes would lead to approval of the app. Parler said it has implemented several new safeguards designed to detect posts that would not fall within the protections of the First Amendment, but added that it did not make broad policy changes. COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The United States of America and the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) have filed a lawsuit against Danske Bank and its former CEO in the Copenhagen city court, according to the attorney representing the parties. Shares in Danske Bank fell around 8% after the news, which was first reported by the business daily Borsen. The suit is linked to Danske's involvement in a major money laundering scandal, according to Borsen. It said the parties were initially claiming compensation of 10 million Danish crowns ($1.62 million), but that the number could rise to hundreds of millions. Between 2007 and 2015, 200 billion euros ($235 billion) in transactions were channelled through its small branch in Estonia, many of which the bank has said were suspicious. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), which manages almost $600 billion in federal retirement funds, lost money after buying shares in Danske Bank, according to Borsen. The bank faces several similar civil lawsuits, with total claims amounting to 12.4 billion Danish crowns ($2 billion) at the end of last year, according to the bank's annual report. "We will update any potential development on a quarterly basis, however, the sum of claims does not deviate materially from already disclosed numbers," Danske said in a statement on Tuesday following the news. "Danske Bank intends to defend itself against these claims. The timing of completion of any such lawsuits and their outcome are uncertain," it added. A spokesman for the Danish bank could not confirm or deny the lawsuit. Thomas Donatzky, the lawyer representing the claimants, confirmed the lawsuit when contacted by Reuters, but declined to give further details. Officials from for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and FRTIB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Danske's former CEO Thomas Borgen's lawyer Peter Schradieck declined to comment. Borgen left Danske in 2018 in the wake of the money-laundering scandal. Story continues Danske Bank is also being investigated by the DOJ over its role in the Estonia case. Shares in Danske closed 7.6% lower at 111.45 crowns each, the lowest level in two months. ($1 = 6.1831 Danish crowns) (Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Michelle Price in Washington DC; Editing by Kevin Liffey and David Evans) 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. [April 20, 2021] Ether Capital Corporation Announces Launch of Second Product Under Agreement with Purpose: The Purpose Ether ETF Ether Capital Corporation ("Ether Capital" or the "Company") (NEO:ETHC) is pleased to announce the launch of the second digital asset product under its agreement with Purpose Investments Inc. ("Purpose") announced on February 16, 2021. The second product under the agreement is the Purpose Ether ETF, which is the world's first physically settled Ethereum ETF. "The Purpose Ether ETF is a natural extension and second product to bring to market following BTCC, the already successful Purpose Bitcoin ETF," said Brian Mosoff, CEO of Ether Capital. "BTCC saw over one billion dollars of inflows in the first month and currently has over $1.4 billion in assets, which shows how much demand there is in the capital markets for a product like this. An Ether ETF gives retail investors an access point to Ethereum and its native digital asset, Ether, which is the world's second most popular cryptocurrency by market cap. Ethereum has a number of unique properties that are differentiated from Bitcoin, allowing for a host of novel use cases and distinct value proposition for Ether. The Purpose Ether ETF is another milestone for the Purpose Investments team, the Canadian financial community and the digital assets industry as a whole," he added. About Ether Capital Corporation Ether Capital is a Toronto-based technology company whose long-term objective is to become the central business and investment hub for the Ethereum and Web 3 ecosystem. Ether Capital has invested in Ethereum's native utility token "Ether" as a strategic asset, and selectively invests in projects, protocols and businesses that leverage the Ethereum ecosystem and Web 3 technologies. Founded by a highly experienced Board of Directors and management team, Ether Capital has the experience and relationships to support businesses and invest in industry-shifting disruptive technologies. For more information, visit http://ethcap.co/. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and the securities described in this press release may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 193. The content of this document is for informational purposes only, and is not being provided in the context of an offering of any securities described herein, nor is it a recommendation or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any security. The information is not investment advice, nor is it tailored to the needs or circumstances of any investor. Information contained on this document is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, an offering memorandum, prospectus, advertisement or public offering of securities. No securities commission or similar regulatory authority has reviewed this document and any representation to the contrary is an offence. Information contained in this document is believed to be accurate and reliable, however, we cannot guarantee that it is complete or current at all times. The information provided is subject to change without notice and neither Ether Capital Corporation, nor any of its affiliates, will be held liable for inaccuracies in the information presented. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements in regard to the Ethereum platform and protocol, the timing and implications of Ethereum's proof of stake network upgrade (including launch of the beacon chain), the Company's plans with respect to providing future updates on proof of stake developments, the potential for Ether Capital to earn a yield on a portion of its Ether holdings that it devotes to network validation and its plans in respect thereof, the market for crypto-assets, the anticipated transaction settlement volume over Ethereum in 2020, and the Company's business, plans and strategy. The Company cautions the reader not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "on pace", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate", "believes", and similar expressions or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might", or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available to management at the time they are made, management's current plans, estimates, assumptions, judgments and expectations. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical, technological and social uncertainties; uncertainties in regard to the development and acceptance of blockchain technology (including proof of stake and Ethereum 2.0), and the Ethereum platform and anticipated timing and impact of the Ethereum network upgrade, the impact of the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus on the Company, and the other risk factors discussed in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 25, 2020, the Risk Factors section in its most recently filed management's discussion and analysis and its other filings available on-line at www.sedar.com. Although the forward-looking information contained in this press release is based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. In addition, the Company cautions the reader that information provided in this press release is provided in order to give context to the nature of some of the Company's future plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005451/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, April 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday announced that with effect from April 22, only urgent matters will be listed for hearing amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In a circular, the top court's administration said: "In continuation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) dated July 4, 2020, and circular(s) issued earlier regarding mentioning of matter(s), it is hereby notified for the information of all concerned: (a) only urgent matters will be listed for hearing w.e.f April 22, 2021." The circular elaborated that advocate-on-record or party-in-person may send the signed and verified mentioning application, along with synopsis containing the grounds of urgency not exceeding one page in fresh matter, only by e-mail by 1 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and by 11.30 a.m. on Saturday. "The same shall be processed for listing on the next-to-next working day, subject to availability of the concerned Bench and approval of the Competent Authority. The mentioning applications received thereafter shall be processed for listing on the working day after the next-to-next working day," it added. The circular further added: "The mentioning applications received thereafter shall be processed for listing on the working day after the next-to-next working day, subject to availability of the concerned Bench and approval of the Competent Authority." "The advocate-on-record/party-in-person may send signed and verified mentioning-application along with synopsis containing the grounds of urgency not exceeding one page in the IA (Interlocutory Application) in pending matter and Miscellaneous Application (MA) in disposed of matter only by e-mail." In another notice, the court administration, citing the prevailing Covid situation, said: "The competent authority has been pleased to direct as follows: 1. The matters shown in the final cause lists of miscellaneous matters and regular hearing matters for April 22, 2021 (Thursday) will not be taken up for hearing and the same stand adjourned." In a separate notice, it said the matters shown in the final lists of Registrar's court and chamber matters for April 22 and 23 stands adjourned. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan says he will be returning to the United States for consultations this week amid rising tensions between Washington and Moscow. Relations between Washington and Moscow have entered a new phase of heightened tensions recently with U.S. President Joe Biden announcing punishing sanctions over cyberattacks, election interference, and threats against U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Further souring the mood has been the issue of the health of jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, Russia's buildup of troops along the border in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, and new allegations of Russian involvement in a deadly explosion at a munitions depot in the Czech Republic in 2014. "I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations between the United States and Russia," Sullivan was quoted on April 20 as saying by embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Ross. "Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year, and that is another important reason for me to return home for a visit. I will return to Moscow in the coming weeks before any meeting between Presidents Biden and [Vladimir] Putin," he added. White House press secretary Jen Psaki later told reporters that it is "absolutely the intention" for Sullivan to return to Russia after visiting his family and members of the new administration. "He'll return to Moscow soon," she said. State Department spokesman Ned Price told a news briefing that the ambassador's return to Washington is coming at an "opportune time" as the administration formulates "a new approach to Moscow." 'Serious Consultations' Sullivan's announcement comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week said that Putin's top foreign-policy aide, Yury Ushakov, had recommended that Sullivan return to Washington to conduct "serious consultations." Russia's envoy to the United States last month returned to Moscow for consultations after Biden suggested that he believes Putin is a murderer. Sullivan's announced departure also comes a day after U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed with his Russian counterpart, Nikolay Patrushev, bilateral issues, regional and global matters of concern, as well as the prospect of a presidential summit between the two countries presidents. Sullivan and Patrushev, the secretary of the Russian Security Council, agreed in their telephone call on April 19 "to continue to stay in touch," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement, which came after the Kremlin announced that Putin planned to speak later this week at an online summit on climate change organized by the United States. Patrushev and Sullivan "discussed the preparations for a potential summit between Putin and Biden, as well as possible directions for the development of Russian-U.S. cooperation," Russia's Security Council said in a statement, according to Russian news agencies. Biden has proposed to meet the Russian leader face-to-face to discuss bilateral relations. Putin has not yet indicated whether he would accept that invitation. "I will return to Moscow in the coming weeks before any meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin, Ambassador Sullivan said in his statement. With reporting by AFP and Reuters KYODO NEWS - Apr 20, 2021 - 14:29 | All, World Walter Mondale, a former U.S. vice president and ambassador to Japan who worked on a yet-to-be-realized plan to close a key U.S. air base in Okinawa Prefecture, died Monday at his home in Minneapolis, according to U.S. media. He was 93. The death of Mondale, known as a champion of liberal politics, was announced by a family friend and spokeswoman Kathy Tunheim but no specific cause was provided, according to The Washington Post. Mondale was U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1993 and 1996 under the then administration of Bill Clinton, after serving as vice president to Jimmy Carter for four years through January 1981. In April 1996, then Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and Mondale reached a key agreement between Washington and Tokyo that the land used for the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in a crowded residential area in Ginowan in Okinawa should be returned to Japan. The agreement was supposed to take effect within five to seven years as part of efforts to reduce the southern island prefecture's burden of hosting the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan. But the closure of the Futenma base has yet to be realized amid strong local opposition over a plan to build a replacement facility in the Henoko coastal area in Nago, also in Okinawa. "We extend our deepest condolences in receiving the news of the passing away of former ambassador to Japan Mondale," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo. "The government will inherit Mr. Mondale's will and gain the understanding of local people in seeking the full return of the (land used by) the Futenma air station as soon as possible and do our utmost to ease the burden of hosting bases," Kato said. Mondale, a native of Minnesota, had served as the Midwest state's attorney general from 1960 to 1964 and represented the state in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president. A Democrat, he ran for president in the 1984 election, but was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan, who won a second term. In 2008, the Japanese government conferred upon Mondale the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, one of the country's highest honors, for his contribution to enhancing friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. COVID 19 sees no privileges that one might have and the whole world has been trying to fight the pandemic. Just recently, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to inform that he has been tested positive and he has mild symptoms. He has requested everybody who came in contact with him to follow all safety protocols. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, "After experiencing mild symptoms, Ive just tested positive for COVID. All those whove been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe." After experiencing mild symptoms, Ive just tested positive for COVID. All those whove been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 20, 2021 After his announcement started to go viral, some people started to troll him for not taking the vaccination as he is already 50. People mocked his situation and even went on to say that he will go to Italy for getting himself vaccinated. Heres what people are saying: You are 50+ vaccine kyu nahi li? Praying for your speedy recovery jaldi jaldi phir BJP ke liye prachar karna hai aap ko. Mayaji (@TheMehtaji) April 20, 2021 He will go Italy to take vaccine Ritika (@Ritika62147893) April 20, 2021 So, will you take our BJP vaccine now? Bulla_Bawandar (@mandirwale1) April 20, 2021 So this was the real reason why @RahulGandhi cancelled his election rallies. FooIing the liberandus again and again. FireHawk (@IronLegion06) April 20, 2021 Oh that y cancelled your rallies in WB and now declaring you tested positive. Anyways get well soon n get bk to work.. Star campaigner of BJP.. Not many days left for 2 nd May Sanatani Thakur (@SanggitaT) April 20, 2021 Nonetheless, other people have been wishing for his recovery as they believe India needs his guidance more than ever these days. PM Narendra Modi wished him well on Twitter: I pray for the good health and quick recovery of Lok Sabha MP Shri @RahulGandhi Ji. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 20, 2021 Amit Shah too wished him a speedy recovery: Wishing Shri @RahulGandhi good health and a speedy recovery. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 20, 2021 My Respected Sir, you are a brave warrior leader, who leads from the front. You will soon defeat the #coronavirus.sir My sincere Prayers for your speedy recovery from 'covid'. SIR India needs your sagacious, visionary leadership. Get well soon future India pic.twitter.com/XVjd8X7u8M PS. Saravana Kumar s/o Late Shri Senniapa Gowda. (@PSSaravanakuma3) April 20, 2021 Get well soon. This country needs you now more than ever! Vishakha (@vishakhatalreja) April 20, 2021 Take Care, India needs you (@Nitin__10) April 20, 2021 Rahul Gandhi had held an election rally on April 14 in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur. He later announced the cancellation of all his rallies in West Bengal over a frightening surge in Covid-19 cases across the country. In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal. I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances, he had tweeted. Earlier today, he had also criticized the government over its COVID-19 vaccine policy, calling it discriminatory. "No free vaccines for 18-45 yr olds. Middlemen brought in without price controls. No vaccine guarantee for weaker sections. GOI's Vaccine Discrimination- Not Distribution- Strategy," he wrote in a tweet. India is one of the worst-hit countries now and we wonder when will we get back to being normal as we were. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) A command center aimed at helping prevent and investigate motorcycle crimes may be operational by mid-June, according to the Land Transportation Office. During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing on the implementation of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, LTO chief Asec. Edgar Galvante said the construction of a command center is ongoing and will likely be finished by June 18. "Part of the command center will be the motor vehicle recognition system, your honor. So that from the images captured by CCTV, this can help us establish the identity of the owner of the involved motorcycle," Galvante told the panel's chairman, Senator Richard Gordon. Under Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, the LTO and the Philippine National Police should establish a joint operations and control center "that shall be operational and accessible real-time, twenty four (24) hours a day and seven (7) days a week." Those who lost their plates or had their motorcycles stolen could report directly through the center. The LTO and the PNP's Highway Patrol Group shall also establish a hotline to specifically address concerns related to crimes committed by motorcycle-riding suspects. Gordon pointed out how stolen vehicles are usually used in the commission of crimes. This year alone, 108 individuals have been victimized by riding-in-tandem suspects, Gordon said, citing news reports. At least 84 have died, he added. Data from the Philippine National Police showed a total of 19,277 motorcycle crimes from 2016 until January 31 of this year. A third or 7,123 of these are murder cases. "Will the secretary of LTO please tell me, when are you going to save people's lives by opening up the operations center?" Gordon asked. Galvante said it's being constructed, and what the LTO has for now is a temporary alarm system. Gordon said he has not heard of it and demanded that LTO comply with the law and promptly establish the command center. When pressed for a date, Galvante said the target completion is on June 18. Gordon said he plans to summon LTO officials to another hearing on June 19 or 20 to see if they have made good on their word. It was the sixth Senate hearing on supposed failures to properly implement the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act. Gordon again lamented the continued delay in the release of bigger and more readable license plates which could deter crimes or aid in criminal investigations. He said he's ready to draft the committee report after Tuesday's hearing. Gordon earlier said his committee was preparing to recommend graft and plunder charges against former and current officials of the LTO and the Department of Transportation over the delay. Ghost Kitchen Operator Also Provides Expansion Update and Highlights Investor Materials and Website Information TSXV: JK VANCOUVER, BC, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. ("JustKitchen" or the "Company") (TSXV: JK), an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development of delivery-only food brands for customers across Taiwan, is pleased to announce that it has acquired the virtual branding rights to "Formosa Chang". Established over 60 years ago, Formosa Chang is an iconic household name in Taiwan, being a family-owned Taiwanese food brand that is cherished by locals and ex-patriots the world over. JustKitchen holds the for-delivery-only rights to offer Formosa Chang branded food items from the area southward of municipal Taichung City across Taiwan over an initial period of one year. "We are extremely privileged to be able to showcase Formosa Chang's storied brand, which has never been licensed on this basis before, and offer its classic food items on a virtual basis to our growing base of delivery-only customers. The combination of JustKitchen's unique hub-and-spoke operating model and technology-enabled ghost kitchens, with Formosa Chang's position as perhaps the top casual food brand in Taiwan, provides a great opportunity for us to scale up our businesses together," said Jason Chen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JustKitchen. "JustKitchen will rigorously apply Formosa Chang's standard operating procedures to maintain the consistency of the timeless dishes that people have come to know and love. Being granted this license further validates JustKitchen's business model and the quality of the food delivered to our customers," added Mr. Chen. Formosa Chang began when its founder, Yan-quan Chang, opened a stall in 1960 to sell braised pork rice opposite the Shuanglian Market in Taiwan. Based on the use of highly selective ingredients and accessible price points, the business quickly developed a loyal following that has translated into its current reputation as a staple provider of authentic Taiwanese comfort food. Formosa Chang's customers span generations and the company currently has over 70 bricks-and-mortar restaurant locations across Taiwan. Domestic and International Expansion In Taiwan, the Company continues to grow toward its goal of reaching 22 spokes in 2021 and 35 spokes in 2022. Beyond Taiwan, JustKitchen is evaluating various opportunities to expand into a number of new markets including North America, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The Company will update the market as and when these opportunities crystalize. Investor Materials & Websites For current and prospective investors, JustKitchen currently offers key information about the Company including but not limited to a fact sheet, an investor presentation and a list of frequently asked questions, which will all be updated regularly and can be accessed at investors.justkitchen.com. More information about the Company can be viewed on its English website at en.justkitchen.com, of which the investor website is a part. To view JustKitchen's primary consumer-facing Taiwanese website, interested parties can visit www.justkitchen.com. Lastly, to view the website of JustMarket, the Company's online grocery delivery business, please visit www.justmarket.shop. ABOUT JUSTKITCHEN JustKitchen is primarily an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development and marketing of proprietary and franchised delivery-only food brands for customers across Taiwan. JustKitchen uniquely utilizes a hub-and-spoke operating model, which features advanced food preparation taking place at larger hub kitchens and final meal preparation taking place at smaller spoke kitchens located in areas with higher population densities. The Company combines this operating model with online and mobile application-based food ordering fulfilled by third-party delivery companies, to minimize capital investments and operating expenses and reach more customers in underserved markets. The Company's other business, JustMarket, is an e-commerce grocery delivery platform that allows customers to purchase groceries for delivery or add select grocery items to meals ordered through JustKitchen. For more information about the Company, please visit investors.justkitchen.com. JustKitchen's final prospectus, financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, among other documents, are all available on the Company's profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur including but not limited to: the Company's opportunities for international expansion and the continued buildout of its hub and spoke model in Taiwan; and its ability to enter into new licensing and partnership arrangements. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks (including those risk factors identified in the Company's prospectus dated March 26, 2021) and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. SOURCE Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. For further information: Just Kitchen Holdings Corp., Suite 1430, 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2V6, Nick Kuzyk, Investor Relations, Toll-Free: 1-855-JST-KCHN (1-855-578-5246), Email: [email protected] Related Links https://en.justkitchen.com/ Bir Lahlou April 20, 2021 (SPS)- In a statement made , to the Sahrawi Press Agency SPS, in response to a question on what does the Sahrawi Republic expect from the Security Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow, April 21, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Minister of Foreign Affairs declared that " it becomes necessary for the UN Security Council to urgently accelerate the process aimed at ending the Moroccan occupation and thus close the chapter on the decolonization of Western Sahara, after thirty years of obstruction by Morocco towards the application of the agreement signed with the Saharawi side, under the auspices of the United Nations in 1991, because certain of the impossibility of gaining the referendum. " Under these conditions, the occupation by the Sahrawi Republic of its seat at the United Nations, as is already the case at the level of the African Union, becomes the logical response politically because it is historically inevitable. It is not only a legitimate and natural right, but it has become, in front of Morocco's rejection of the self-determination referendum, the only means likely to end the Sahrawi-Moroccan conflict. " The minister added: "The Security Council is legally, politically and even morally bound, before the Saharawi people and the international community, to assume its responsibilities in accordance with the United Nations Charter, its own responsibilities but also to the legal nature of the Saharawi question, to take the necessary and sufficient measures to guarantee the Saharawi people the enjoyment of their legitimate rights recognized by all international and regional organizations, by putting an end to their suffering and to the systematic violations that the Morocco continues to commit in the occupied territories. " Mr. Ould Salek also underlines that: "Since Morocco is unable to fulfill its commitments signed under the supervision of the United Nations Security Council; it is up to the UNSC, as guarantor of the agreement between the two parties, to conclude that the situation cannot tolerate further delay after thirty years of waiting, adding that it is impossible, after the assault of November 13th, 2020, that things can remain as they were in the past. The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirms that: "The SADR declares itself ready to start direct negotiations with its neighbor, the Kingdom of Morocco, with the aim of reaching a peaceful, just and final solution to the conflict in accordance with article 4 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the decision of the extraordinary summit "Silencing the guns" and the decision of the Peace and Security Council as well as the relevant resolutions of the African Union. He stressed that: "The transgression of international borders by the Kingdom of Morocco, its intransigence in continuing the occupation by force of a large part of our country and its refusal to apply the agreement signed with us are the cause of the return back to square one. In this regard, the Minister of Foreign Affairs declares that: The Sahrawi Republic holds the Kingdom of Morocco responsible for the disastrous consequences which will inevitably result from the continuation of the expansionist war against our people. Furthermore, the Sahrawi Republic recalls, with great regret, that without the blatant complicity with Moroccan aggression, the North West African region could have enjoyed peace and security for decade. " SPS 090110/ Re: It's not rocket science This is the second letter Ive seen in recent weeks commenting on how you know theyre from out of town because of X. And taking into consideration the incidents from last year, where vehicles with out of town plates were vandalized, tire lug-nuts were loosened, etc., I want to address the points that I can speak to personally, to hopefully ease some folks' concerns. Firstly, I agree with the general sentiment; there are absolutely tourists travelling to the Interior from outside of our region despite Provincial health orders strongly suggesting no one do that, and it is extremely frustrating. My initial reaction is one of annoyance when I see RVs that appear to be from out of town cruising Interior highways and crowding Interior campgrounds but I have to remind myself that I have no way of knowing for sure where their owner(s) live. In fact I have no way of knowing where many potential out of towners reside. Rather than jumping to conclusions, there are several things worth considering. According to stats Canada, Kelowna is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. Newcomers arrive frequently and many bring their vehicles with them. Im not personally from Kelowna like many, I moved up here later in life. But I kept the car I purchased in the Lower Mainland a decade ago. It still has the dealership logo/sticker on it, as well as the license plate frame from the dealership. Until very recently, it had not occurred to me that my car could be a target for vandalism or that I might be treated with hostility based on the assumption Im from out of town. Frankly its an alarming realization. Its also not unheard of for folks to travel to the Lower Mainland to purchase used cars, or to find a better deal, or to pick up the model/color vehicle they want because the dealerships up here dont have their preferred combo in stock. This applies to RVs, as well probably not all of the ones cruising the highways right now, but certainly some. Those vehicles, too, will have out of town dealership branding/advertising on them. All of this is to say that a dealership logo/sticker or license plate frame are unreliable clues regarding where the driver currently resides. I also understand the concern being expressed about American plates our border is supposed to be closed, so why are there all of these personal vehicles with American plates up here? The answer: because their owners are probably living here at the moment. We have several universities within the Okanagan, including UBCO, where many international students come to study. Some, particularly those who are close enough to reasonably do so, also bring their vehicles with them. If youre not familiar with international study (and unless you are or know an international student, why would you be?), when youre on a work/study visa you do not need to import your vehicle to Canada. From a financial standpoint, it makes sense not to; importing a vehicle is expensive, and if you plan to move back to the USA after completing your degree or until your visa expires, theres no reason to spend thousands of dollars to do so. Likewise, American car insurance is much, much cheaper than ICBCs (were talking half the price per month), and so in that respect as well, it makes sense not to import your vehicle until you have to eg. If you receive permanent residence status. For folks currently living in Canada with US plates who want to swap them, doing so is extremely difficult, if not impossible right now. In order to import a vehicle and swap plates, it must be processed at a port of entry, meaning a land border crossing is required. Importing a vehicle is not considered essential travel, and currently, US citizens with a student visa or even a Canadian permanent residence status card are not guaranteed re-entry into Canada. At this point, with no way to take them down to the US and be guaranteed re-entry, US vehicles already in Canada are basically stuck here for the time being. Its also worth mentioning that anyone who is able to cross the border (land or air) from the USA into Canada right now must complete a mandatory 14 day quarantine and when following those rules, individuals are unlikely to contribute to the spread of COVID (they are, after all, in a vehicle with perhaps a handful of occupants, travelling directly to a quarantine location where they will be checked in on for the next 14 days). There are strict requirements for entry to the country if you are not a Canadian citizen, and they wont just take you at your word youll need proof of your valid reason for entry. There are probably sill a few rule-breakers, but overall coming to Canada by land is no easy task right now. While its entirely possible that there are folks out there cheating the system (like the folks heading to Alaska via Banff last summer), its unlikely that every international license plate out there is flaunting these restrictions and requirements, particularly when having an international plate on your car already feels a lot like having a target on your back. Lets stop jumping to conclusions about who does and doesnt belong here, and start giving people the benefit of the doubt more often. Jennifer Letkemann Bengaluru, April 20 : Karnataka revenue minister R. Ashoka and Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister Basvaraj Bommai on Tuesday met Governor Vajubhai R. Vala at Raj Bhavan and briefed him about the measures taken to tackle Covid-19. This happened just hours after rural development and panchayat raj minister K. S. Eshwarappa and senior BJP leaders like A. H. VIshwanath took exception to the Governor presiding over the all-party meeting that was convened on Tuesday evening. The venue of the meeting that was previously fixed at Raj Bhavan was shifted to the Chief Minister's home office Krishna here. Even the Opposition parties had taken serious objection to Vala presiding over the meeting on social media sites. Briefing mediapersons after their meeting with Vala at Raj Bhavan, the revenue minister who also heads the Karnataka Disaster Management Committee, said that all that the Governor wanted to know was the state's preparedness to handle the Covid situation, which we both briefed him about. "He is deeply concerned about people complaining about shortage of oxygen, beds and medicines (antiviral drug Remdesivir). We told him that we are receiving 20,000 Remdesivir vials additionally, of which 10,000 vials will be given to private hospitals. Government hospitals have a stock of 25,000 vials already and they will keep this additional 10,000 vials with them as the number of patients treated in government facilities are more when compared to private hospitals," Ashoka explained. He added that the Governor also sought details about the number of beds, ventilators, stock of oxygen and other information which the government has given to him. Answering a question, Ashoka said the Governor was more concerned about what measures would be taken to prevent a spike in Covid cases, which have seen an exponential jump in the last one month. The ICSE class 10 have been cancelled in view of the worsening COVID-19 situation and the option for students to appear later has been withdrawn, board secretary Gerry Arathoon said on Tuesday. Last week, the board had postponed both class 10 and 12 exams. The Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) had announced that class 10 students will get an option to either write the exams later or get evaluated on the basis of an alternative criteria. "Given the present worsening situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the CICSE has decided to cancel the class 10 examination. The option for students announced earlier, stands withdrawn. The safety and wellbeing of our students and teaching faculty is of topmost priority and paramount importance," said Arathoon, Secretary and Chief Executive of the CISCE. "We are committed to devise a fair and unbiased criterion for declaring class 10 results. The criterion as well as the date of declaration fo results will be announced later," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MC2 will retire Midwest generated Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) equal to 100 percent of its customers energy consumption to celebrate Earth Day 2021. MC2 strives to continuously support the development of sustainable renewable generation resources in the Midwest. An equivalent to over 3,000 metric tons of CO 2 will be eliminated from the atmosphere. CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (MC2), a leading retail electric supply company located in Chicago, celebrates Earth Day 2021 with their annual green initiative. On Thursday, April 22, MC2 will retire Midwest-based Green-e Energy Certified Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) equal to 100 percent of the energy consumption during this day. This includes all residential, commercial, educational and governmental customers served by MC2 in Illinois and Ohio, states in which the company is a certified retail electric supplier. These RECs are in addition to existing state mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements. On Earth Day 2021, MC2 is projected to retire wind generated renewable energy certificates equivalent to over 3,000 metric tons of CO 2 eliminated from the atmosphere. MC2 is proud to celebrate Earth Day for a third consecutive year and help reduce the worlds carbon footprint, states MC2 founder and president, Chuck Sutton. MC Squared Energy Services offers electricity supply products and services that are backed by RECs as a way for customers to support the reduction of harmful emissions and help the environment. A REC represents 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity that has been generated from a renewable energy source. Each REC retired by MC2 is backed by Green-e Energy, a trusted global leader in energy certification. To bolster its environmental commitment, MC Squared Energy Services proudly offers its EcoGreen Power Supply Program. The program is designed to give customers the opportunity to support renewable energy backed by 100 percent Wind Green-e Energy certified RECs. The MC2 EcoGreen Power Program is Green-e Energy certified and meets the environmental and consumer protection standards established by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information on Green-e, visit www.green-e.org. For more information on MC Squared Energy Services and its EcoGreen Power Program, visit www.mc2energyservices.com. About MC Squared Energy Services, LLC Established in 2008 by veteran energy industry experts, MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (MC2) is a certified, retail electric-service provider headquartered in Chicago. MC2 helps municipalities, businesses and individuals with competitive electric supply products to fit their specific needs. The companys customer-focused team has the resources and knowledge to meet its customers electrical supply requirements. MC2 prides itself on being easy to work with and responsive to its customers. MC Squared Energy Services, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine Holdings. Founded in 1994, the Wolverine companies comprise a number of diversified financial institutions specializing in proprietary trading, asset management, order execution services and technology solutions. They are recognized as a market leader with a focus on innovation, achievement and integrity with clients and colleagues. The Wolverine companies are headquartered in Chicago with satellite offices in New York and San Francisco, and a proprietary trading affiliate office located in London. Illinois Required Disclosure (ComEd Service Area) MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (MC2) is not the same entity as your electric delivery company. You are not required to enroll with MC2. As of April 2021, the electric supply price to compare to is currently 7.069 cents per kWh1. The electric utility electric supply price will expire on May 2021. The utility electric supply price to compare does not include the purchased electricity adjustment factor. The purchased electricity adjustment factor may range between +.5 cents and -.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. For more information, go to the Illinois Commerce Commission's free website at www.pluginillinois.org. 1The electric supply price to compare is for residential customers. Electric supply price to compare for other rate classes (in cents per kWh) that are currently applicable include: Watt-Hour Non-Electric Space Heating - 7.099 cents/kWh; Demand Non-Electric Space Heating - 7.122 cents/kWh; Nonresidential Electric Space Heating - 6.911 cents/kWh; Dusk to Dawn Lighting - 3.645 cents/kWh; General Lighting - 6.587 cents/kWh. Illinois Required Disclosure (Ameren Service Area) MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (MC2) is not the same entity as your electric delivery company. You are not required to enroll with MC2. Beginning on April 2021, the electric supply price to compare to is currently 4.553 cents/kWh (Up to 800 kWh) and 4.400 cents/kWh (Above 800 kWh)1. The electric utility electric supply price will expire on May 2021. The utility electric supply price to compare does not include the purchased electricity adjustment factor. For more information, go to the Illinois Commerce Commissions free website at www.pluginillinois.org. 1 The electric supply price to compare listed above is for residential customers. Other rate class rates as of the month above (in cents per kWh): Small General Service (Secondary) 5.193; Small General Service (Primary) 5.092; Small General Service (High Voltage) 5.041. The press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Monday that the purpose of the training is to improve interdepartmental cooperation to counter possible terrorist and subversive threats, reports Xinhua news agency. Kiev, April 20 (IANS) Ukraine is conducting large-scale anti-terrorist exercises across the country to practice actions aimed at protecting strategically important infrastructures and state borders, authorities said. The regional divisions of the SBU, the National Police, the State Border Service, the National Guard, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, representatives of executive authorities and local government will take part in the trainings. The training conditions are as close as possible to the real ones, according to the SBU. Since last month, tensions have been escalating on the border between Ukraine and Russia. Commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak said that Russia was building up troops near the border in the northern, eastern and southern directions. The Russian military has deployed two armies and three airborne formations to western borders that has worried Ukraine. Parts of the conflict-ridden Donetsk and Luhansk regions along the Russian border have been controlled by rebels supported by Moscow for nearly seven years. According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed in fighting since 2014. Despite the imposition of the latest ceasefire in 2015, around 50 people have been killed since the beginning of the year alone. --IANS ksk/ Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it has scaled up its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin manufacturing capacity to 700 million doses per annum. According to a press release issued by the city-based vaccine maker, manufacturing scale up has been carried out in a stepwise manner across multiple facilities at Hyderabad and Bangalore. Sources said the company had 200 million doses capacity when it started producing Covaxin in the beginning. Capacity expansion in vaccines manufacturing is a long and tedious process, requiring investments and several years, the release said. "Bharat Biotech is able to expandCovaxin manufacturing capacity in a short timeline, mainly due to the availability of new specially designed BSL-3 facilities, first of its kind for manufacturing in India that have been repurposed and preexisting expertise and know how to manufacture, test and release highly purified inactivated viral vaccines," the firm said. Manufacturing partnerships are being explored with our partners in other countries, who have prior expertise with commercial scale manufacture of inactivated viral vaccines under biosafety containment, Bharat Biotech said. To further increase capacities, Bharat Biotech has partnered with Indian Immunologicals (IIL) to manufacture the drug substance for Covaxin. The technology transfer process is well underway and IIL has the capabilities and expertise to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale and under biosafety containment. Bharat Biotech uses a proprietary adjuvant Algel- IMDG, which has now proven to be a safe and effective adjuvant, especially to stimulate memory T cell responses. The synthesis and manufacture of the IMDG component has been successfully indigenized and will be manufactured at commercial scale within the country. This is the first instance where a novel adjuvant has been commercialised in India. Covaxin has received Emergency Use Authorisations in several countries across the globe with another 60 in process. EUAs have now been obtained from Mexico, the Philippines, Iran, Paraguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Guyana, Venezuela, Botswana, Zimbabwe, among several other countries. EUAs are in process in the USA and several European countries. Pricing for international markets and supplies to governments under EUAs have been established between $15-$20/ dose, the vaccine maker said. Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces stand next to an armoured vehicle during a training at a firing range in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 20, 2021. (Serhiy Takhmazov/Reuters) Ukraine Says Russia Will Soon Have Over 120,000 Troops on Its Borders KYIV/BRUSSELSRussia will soon have more than 120,000 troops on Ukraines border, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday, calling for new Western economic sanctions to deter Moscow from further escalation. Washington and NATO have been alarmed by the large build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine and in Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Western officials say the concentration of forces is now larger than during that annexation. The figure given by Kuleba is higher than Ukraines previous estimate of 80,000 Russian troops, of which 50,000 were new deployments. Russian troops continue to arrive in close proximity to our borders in the northeast, in the east, and in the south. In about a week, they are expected to reach a combined force of over 120,000 troops, Kuleba told an online news conference. Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces drive an armored vehicle during training at a firing range in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 20, 2021. (Serhiy Takhmazov/Reuters) This does not mean they will stop building up their forces at that number, Kuleba said, warning of what he said was Moscows unpredictability although he said Ukraine did not want conflict with Russia. The cost of preventing Russias further escalation will always be lower than the cost of stopping it and mitigating its consequences. It is way more effective to clearly make Moscow understand that a new stage of aggression will have dire consequences for Russia, international isolation, and painful economic sanctions. Kuleba also called for Moscow to re-commit to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed forces have fought Ukrainian troops in a conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people since 2014. Kyiv and Moscow have traded blame for a rise in casualties in the conflict in recent weeks. Kuleba said Russian snipers were killing Ukrainian soldiers to provoke Ukraine to counterattack. Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces attend training at a firing range in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 20, 2021. (Serhiy Takhmazov/Reuters) Russia has said its troop build-up is a three-week snap military drill to test combat readiness in response to what it calls threatening behavior from NATO. Moscow on Tuesday also accused the United States and NATO of provocative activity in the waters and airspace of the Black Sea. Kuleba attended a video conference with EU foreign ministers and said he openly called on colleagues to start considering a new round of sectoral sanctions against Russia. He said he did not feel EU ministers were ready for such a move but he told them that individual sanctions on Russian officials were insufficient. By Matthias Williams and Robin Emmott TechnipFMC (NYSE: FTI) (PARIS: FTI) today announced that it has been awarded a significant(1) subsea contract from Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) for the Marlim and Voador fields, located offshore Brazil. TechnipFMC will supply up to eight manifolds for production and injection, utilizing the all-electric Robotic Valve Controller (RVC). The contract also includes associated tools, spares and services. The RVC is a unique robotic technology that replaces traditional subsea hydraulics, as well as thousands of mechanical parts, while providing real-time data and analysis on system performance. This results in a manifold that is smaller, less complex and less costly with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Moreover, the RVC's software can be remotely upgraded and maintained subsea, increasing the overall reliability and availability of the subsea system. Jonathan Landes, President Subsea at TechnipFMC, commented: "We are honored that Petrobras has selected us to support the ongoing development of the Marlim and Voador fields. We look forward to executing this project using our local capabilities in Brazil and contributing to another important development in the country. "We are very excited to bring new technology and automation capabilities to this project through the use of the RVC to operate the manifolds. Our innovations in automation and electrification are helping our clients lower their operational expenditures and reduce the carbon intensity of their subsea projects." (1) For TechnipFMC, a "significant" contract is between $75 million and $250 million. Note: this inbound order was included in the Company's first quarter financial results. Important Information for Investors and Securityholders Forward-Looking Statement This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words "believe", "estimated" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. For information regarding known material factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results, please see our risk factors set forth in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which include our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of our forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. About TechnipFMC TechnipFMC is a leading technology provider to the traditional and new energy industries, delivering fully integrated projects, products, and services. With our proprietary technologies and comprehensive solutions, we are transforming our clients' project economics, helping them unlock new possibilities to develop energy resources while reducing carbon intensity and supporting their energy transition ambitions. Organized in two business segments Subsea and Surface Technologies we will continue to advance the industry with our pioneering integrated ecosystems (such as iEPCI, iFEED and iComplete), technology leadership and digital innovation. Each of our approximately 20,000 employees is driven by a commitment to our clients' success, and a culture of strong execution, purposeful innovation, and challenging industry conventions. TechnipFMC uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. To learn more about how we are driving change in the industry, go to www.TechnipFMC.com and follow us on Twitter @TechnipFMC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006067/en/ Contacts: Investor relations Matt Seinsheimer Vice President Investor Relations Tel: +1 281 260 3665 Email: Matt Seinsheimer James Davis Senior Manager Investor Relations Tel: +1 281 260 3665 Email: James Davis Media relations Nicola Cameron Vice President Corporate Communications Tel: +44 1383 742297 Email: Nicola Cameron Brooke Robertson Public Relations Director Tel: +1 281 591 4108 Email: Brooke Robertson An Indian railway worker has been hailed a "superhero" after he sprinted more than 30 metres along a track to grab a boy from the path of an express train Mumbai, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :An Indian railway worker has been hailed a "superhero" after he sprinted more than 30 metres along a track to grab a boy from the path of an express train. CCTV images of Mayur Shelke's incredible rescue have gone viral on social media with many lauding the selfless 30-year-old. The six-year-old boy was with his partially sighted mother on Saturday at Vangani station -- about 70 kilometres (about 42 miles) east of Mumbai -- when he fell off the platform edge onto the track. Shelke was alerted by cries for help from the mother and immediately started running along the track. He is seen in images released by the Indian Central Railways grabbing the boy, throwing him back onto the platform and then climbing up himself barely two seconds before the Udyan Express thundered through. "I saw the kid falling and the train speeding towards him. There was no chance he would have lived had I not intervened," Shelke was quoted as saying by the Mid-Day newspaper. He said he had been scared of the looming train, but added: "There was no time to think at all, I was determined to save him." Fatal accidents are common on India's vast, but often dilapidated railway network. Social media users called Shelke, whose job as a pointsman is to check the train signals, a "superhero". Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said Shelke would be rewarded for "motivating humanity with his work". Derek Chauvin Found Guilty on All Charges in Death of George Floyd Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on April 20 was convicted of all three charges in the death of George Floyd. Jurors convicted Chauvin of second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and third-degree murder. The most serious charge, second-degree murder, has a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Chauvin declined to testify in the trial. Jurors spent approximately eight hours and 20 minutes deliberating across two days. Traffic camera footage showed numerous vehicles exiting downtown Minneapolis just before the verdict was read, amid fears of fresh riots, though a sizable crowd gathered around the Hennepin County Courthouse, where the verdict was read. Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020, after being restrained by Chauvin and two other officers. Floyd was taken into custody on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at nearby Cup Foods but refused to be placed into a patrol car. Floyd was restrained on the ground by Chauvin and the other officers next to the car and steps away from the store in which he allegedly committed a crime. In this image from police body camera footage, Minneapolis police officers attempt to place George Floyd in a police vehicle, on May 25, 2020, outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis, as is shown in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of Floyd, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, on March 31, 2021. (Court TV via AP/Pool) In this image from police body camera footage, then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stands outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis, on May 25, 2020, as shown in the trial of Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP/Pool) Chauvin knelt on Floyds neck and back for nine minutes and 29 seconds. Floyd complained that he couldnt breathe and eventually stopped breathing. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital where he was soon pronounced dead. Chauvin, 45, joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 2001. He was fired along with three other officers involved in the arrest of Floyd the day after the incident. Former officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and Alexander Kueng are scheduled to go on trial for aiding and abetting murder charges later this year. Floyds death sparked protests and riots across the country. More than 1,000 buildings were burned or otherwise damaged in Minneapolis alone during the unrest. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared an emergency on April 19 because of concerns about potential fresh rioting. During the trial, jurors heard from a series of experts who testified that Floyd died from asphyxia, or lack of oxygen. A healthy person subjected to what Mr. Floyd was subjected to would have died as a result of what he was subjected to, Dr. Martin Tobin, a lung specialist at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and Loyola Universitys medical school in Chicago, told the trial. Dr. Andrew Baker, Hennepin Countys chief medical examiner, concluded that Floyds death was a homicide as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest in the context of law enforcement. The fentanyl and methamphetamines detected in Floyds body in the autopsy, in addition to his health history, contributed to the death, the medical examiners office found. It was the stress of that interaction that tipped him over the edge given his underlying heart disease and his toxicological status, Baker told the court. In this courtroom sketch, Hennepin County medical examiner Dr. Andrew Baker testifies as Judge Peter Cahill, top left, and former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listen, on the 10th day of the trial of Chauvin for second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., on April 9, 2021. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) People arrive for the verdict in Derek Chauvins trial in the death of George Floyd outside the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, on April 20, 2021. (Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images) Use-of-force experts and law enforcement officers called by the prosecution asserted that Chauvins actions went against his training and department policy. Both the knee across Mr. Floyds neck and the prone restraint were unreasonable, excessive, and contrary to generally accepted police practices, Seth Stoughton, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, said on April 12. Defense experts cast doubt on the case against Chauvin. Dr. David Fowler, who previously headed a medical examiners office in Maryland, told the court that the manner of death should have been undetermined, instead of being deemed a homicide. In my opinion, Mr. Floyd had a sudden cardiac arrhythmia due to his atherosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease during his restraint and subdual by the police, Fowler said last week, adding that fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyds systemas well as the paraganglioma tumor he suffered fromcontributed to his death. Barry Brodd, a use-of-force expert, testified that Chauvins force wasnt deadly and that what he did was justified. I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified, was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr. Floyd, Brodd said in the courtroom. The Centre on Monday announced that all Indian citizens above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against coronavirus starting May 1. This announcement was a part of the government's new guidelines for the COVID-19 vaccine. Reacting to the news, several prominent personalities took to social media to welcome the Centre's decision. Industrialist Anand Mahindra, Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhasker, Riteish Deshmukh among others welcomed the move. Also Read: COVID-19 vaccination to be available to all above 18 from May 1 Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, who is known for his witty and often inspirational social media posts, focused on the vaccine production part of the Centre's new guidelines which allows drug makers to sell vaccines in the open market at a pre-declared price. Hailing this decision, Mahindra tweeted, "The vital part of the new policy is that it allows the vaccine producers to sell a good percentage of their output in the open market at a pre-declared price. Profit is not a bad word; it is an incentive for higher production. The producers will rise to the occasion." The vital part of the new policy is that it allows the vaccine producers to sell a good percentage of their output in the open market at a pre-declared price. Profit is not a bad word; it is an incentive for higher production. The producers will rise to the occasion. https://t.co/Zwsrct2iSS anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 19, 2021 Among Bollywood stars, the first ones to react to the news were Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif. Both of them tested COVID-19 positive earlier this month, and fortunately enough, tested negative later. Also Read: Vaccine for all above 18 from May 1: Key highlights of govt's Phase 3 strategy Here's how Bollywood reacted: - Its a great decision by the government to open up the covid 19 vaccination for everyone above 18 years old. #vaccineforall Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) April 19, 2021 I just read that 18 plus years to be eligible for vaccination from May 1, 2021. #BestNews . #India#WeShallOvercome#COVID19 Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) April 19, 2021 May1 vaccine Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) April 19, 2021 Excellent news that all above 18 can get vaccinated . But all our young Indians do remember this vaccination is not making us SuperMan or IronMan - just SaferMan !! Got the point . We still need to mask up and be super careful - long journey ahead Ronnie Screwvala (@RonnieScrewvala) April 19, 2021 Here's how netizens reacted: - https://twitter.com/urstruly_nMiR/status/1384154481462439936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1384154481462439936%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.freepressjournal.in%2Findia%2Fnow-thats-some-good-news-twitter-heave-sigh-of-relief-as-centre-allows-covid-19-vaccine-for-everyone-above-18-from-may-1 Well done PM @narendramodi Ji for responding promptly to suggestions to vaccinate our young above 18 years, allowing sale of vaccines in open market and empowering states to purchase directly. This was the need of the hour. Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) April 19, 2021 The Rueben brothers have become one of Mallorca's biggest land-owners buying sizeable plots across the island. But who are the two brothers who now own 13 kilometres of Mallorca coastline? Early life and background The brothers were born in Bombay, British India, the sons of David Sassoon Reuben and Nancy Reuben, a prosperous Baghdadi Jewish family. The brothers arrived in London in the 1950s with their mother, Nancy, and lived in Islington; having run various businesses across the Indian Subcontinent from their bases in Bombay and Baghdad. The brothers attended state schools, with Simon never completing his formal education. Careers David joined a scrap metals business while Simon started out in carpets. Simon went on to buy out England's oldest carpet company from the receivers and made enough money from it to start investing in property, with early investments on Walton Street and the King's Road in Chelsea. The brothers increased their wealth during the 1970s and 1980s in both metals trading and property. Nearly half their fortune is in liquid assets such as cash and bonds. They avoid publicity. Metals business In the early 1990s, the brothers invested in the Russian metals market, financing significantly the production and distribution of metals. The Reubens became the world's third-biggest producer of aluminum. At its peak, their company, Trans-World Metals, and its associates controlled five-to-seven percent of the world's aluminum output. When Russian aluminum smelters were incapacitated by debt, Trans World entered into tolling arrangements with factories in which they paid for and delivered raw materials in return for finished aluminum, which it then sold for profit. The company's investment in Russia was US$1.5 billion (GB870 million), with global sales in 1995 topping US$8 billion. The brothers were involved with several members of the country's new oligarchy, including Roman Abramovich. Subsequently, they settled a multimillion-pound legal dispute with Oleg Deripaska which resulted in a substantial settlement being awarded to Reuben Brothers. In 2008, the Reuben brothers returned to the commodity business, expanding their mining interests with a portfolio of mines in Morocco, Indonesia and South Africa. Present activities Reuben Brothers By 2000, the Russian business environment resulted in the brothers selling all their Russian assets as they focused their business activities mainly in the UK property market, where they have a substantial portfolio of debt-free assets. With others, they have been involved in financing a number of major acquisitions and also have investments in technology companies. As of 2016 their business activities mainly involved real estate, both in the UK and abroad, venture capital, and private equity. Real estate UK properties owned by Reuben Brothers include: Millbank Tower; the John Lewis Partnership headquarters in Victoria; the American Express offices also in Victoria; Carlton House SW1; Academy House on Sackville Street; Connaught House on Berkeley Square; Market Towers; the London Primark store on Oxford Street; Sloane Street shops; and Cambridge House, the former premises of the Naval and Military Club, which comprises six freehold buildings which have a planning consent for a six-star hotel and private members' club. Other investments and developments include Merchant Square, a 1,800,000 sq ft (170,000 m2) development scheme of offices and flats, in the Paddington area of London; Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, a 50/50 joint venture in a new apart-hotel under the 'art'otel' brand in Hoxton, City of London; Hampton House, demolition and redevelopment of the 1960s office block opposite Tate Britain that was designed by Foster & Partners and features a mix of apartments and an apart-hotel on the River Thames next to the Park Plaza London Riverbank hotel; airports at London Oxford and London Heliport. In 2006 the Reuben Brother formed a partnership that injected private equity into the FTSE-listed McCarthy & Stone, a retirement home construction company, and divested the investment in 2013. Aldergate Investments Via both companies, the Reuben Brothers continue to be one of the largest investors in luxury leisure group Belmond Ltd. Other holdings include Travelodge Hotels; D2 Jeans and Blue Inc clothing retailers, with retailer Sir Stuart Rose; Luup and Metro Bank; The Wellington Pub Company, the largest free-of-tie pub estate in the UK with approximately 850 tenanted pubs; Global Switch, the largest wholesale carrier neutral data centre provider in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region; Arena Leisure and Northern Racing merged forming ARC (Arena Racing Company) which represents 40% of UK fixtures and a 45% stake in At The Races (ATR), the broadcaster taking UK and Irish racing to domestic & international audience; and a joint venture with British Marine, that in 2014 had eight vessels with plans to double the fleet size. Personal In 2006 Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London at the time, used a press conference to accuse Simon and David Reuben of jeopardising the 4 billion Olympic City development, in which the Reuben brothers held a 50% stake. Livingstone controversially told the media conference, referring to the Reuben brothers, that "If they're not happy here, they can go back to Iran and try their luck with the ayatollahs, if they don't like the planning regime or my approach." After a public complaint and a subsequent official investigation into Livingstone's comments that were alleged to be anti-semitic, the investigating officer dismissed the complaint and concluded that Livingstone had reason to be strongly critical of his understanding of the Reuben brothers' conduct, and that his criticism, whilst robust, was reasonable in the circumstances. The Reuben Foundation The family's philanthropic vehicle, the Reuben Foundation, is focused on the advancement of healthcare and education. The family founded the Nancy Reuben Primary School, an independent Jewish day school in Hendon in honour of their mother. The foundation has donated 80 million to support the creation of Reuben College, originally named Parks College. It will be a post-graduate college focused on climate change, artificial intelligence and cellular life. Personal wealth According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2020, David and Simon Reuben and their family had an estimated personal net worth of 16 billion, a decrease of 2.664 billion on the previous year. This makes them Britain's second wealthiest family. The Reuben's net worth has progressively increased over the last decade. The Times has reported that the brothers' businesses make extensive use of offshore tax havens. A spokesperson said that their businesses "fully comply with UK tax laws". The brothers are regular donors to the Conservative Party. Below is map showing all the properties the Reuben brothers own on Mallorca. The ones in blue are previous adquisitions. In red are the new ones. Amaravati, April 20 : Muttanagari Jalandar Reddy, a naxalite with Rs 20 lakh bounty on his head surrendered on Tuesday in the presence of Andhra Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Gautam Sawang. According to the state police department, Reddy surrendered because of lack of local public support, lack of recruitment from local adivasis (tribals), disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, extensive police outreach programmes and others. Reddy hailed from Bhoompally village of Mirudoddi mandal in Telangana's Siddipet district. He studied up to intermediate at government junior college in Siddipet district and got attracted to Maoist ideology, leading to his joining of the naxalite ranks as a member of the radical students union in 1998. Over the past several years, Reddy worked under various capacities within the different wings of naxalism, including playing a leading role in the abduction of Vineel Krishna, Malkangiri district collector in 2011. Appreciating his decision to give up naxalism, the AP government will give him a reward of Rs 20 lakh, along with a house plot and if required agricultural land and support for self-employment. Meanwhile, AP top cop appealed to the Maoists to shun armed struggle and join the mainstream, calling the Maoist party ideology as obsolete. "Cadre who voluntarily surrender and join the mainstream will be facilitated according to the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the AP government. Reward amount on their names along with rehabilitation and employment opportunities will be provided," added Sawang. Washington insider Doug Wead says that communists want to silence Christianity first. While some groups think that the experiences regarded as "cancel culture" by Conservative Christians were imagined or made up, Doug Wead, who was an adviser to two American presidents, confirmed to Charisma that it's really happening. "That's Karl Marx-taught," Wead says of cancel culture. "It's the 'religion is the opiate of the people'; they see religion as the enemy. It's fundamental-communism is fundamentally the opposite of Western culture, which is based on individualism, the Judeo-Christian concept ... totally different from Marxism." He went to explain that the cancelling of religious rights and beliefs is a manifestation of communism. "In communism, everything revolves around the 99 (from the Good Shepherd parable). The one can die, but the 99 must be saved and preserved, and it's the will of the commune," said Wead. The New York Times' bestselling author also thinks that Americans don't realize the gravity of the problem. He cited Amazon's cancellation of books marked as offensive from their platforms as example. Another thing which he believes Americans are not prepared for is the fact that they don't know what they don't know. "Once censorship begins, people get cocky," observes Wead. "The people I interviewed all across the former Soviet Union felt pretty confident that they could read between the lines when the government would issue a statement, they'd laugh and chuckle, and they'd kind of really know what's going on-'the government's lying to us; here's what really must be happening.'" Wead continued that most Americans think that they had common sense and that they have everything figured it out so the lies of the government are not seen as damaging which will have grave consequences in the long run. "What they learned when they experienced freedom was they had been greatly fooled," he explained and added that a huge chunk of history had been wiped out in their educational experience, thus, Wead say that there are many things that they did not know. Nonetheless, the conservative Republican believes that Christians should not stop from pushing back ideologies and culture that are damaging to the soul of the nation. "The good news is that Christianity can't be stopped. If it could have been stopped, Karl Marx would have done it...Christianity has survived the hatred of government and its enemies before, and it will survive this too."" declared Wead. More About Doug Wead Wead has served in the White House under George H. W. Bush and has worked as special assistant to the president. For six months, between 2014 and 2015, he also served as Senior Adviser - Religious Liaison to the Rand Paul Presidential Campaign. Wead has authored more than thirty books including "George Bush: Man of Integrity" and "Inside Trump's White House." Reportedly, he had interviewed six presidents, six first ladies and 30 siblings and children of the American presidents. Born in Muncie, Indiana in May, 1946, his bio said that he was raised in the home of an Assemblies of God minister and denominational leader. He attended a bible college in Springfield Missouri from 1964-1966 and was involved with several humanitarian and charity initiatives including the Mercy Corps. The report does not indicate any officers were shot at as no officers were outside of the building at the time. The report states nothing about any officers having to duck or being shot at. ... the officers were all inside of the building at the time shots were fired, Bown said. A missing persons investigator is appealing for help in identifying the body of a man that washed up on the Scilly Isles more than 40 years ago. The man, believed to be between 40 and 60 years old, was found by a passerby on the Isles of Scilly in February 1979, after apparently being washed in by the tide. Little is known about the man, except that he was white, with dark greying hair, and that he was wearing a blue and white shirt with a vest underneath. Little is known about the man, except that he was white, with dark greying hair, and that he was wearing a blue and white shirt with a vest underneath. He was also wearing a gold band, believed to be a wedding ring, with the inscription 'Giorgios and Katrina 1956' Now the team at Locate International, an organisation which works to reunite missing persons and their families, is trying to identify the man as part of a drive to put names to 23 of the 1,000 unidentified bodies across the UK. Speaking on the Missing Podcast, volunteer investigator Emma Tilley said: 'It will mean a lot to me, it will mean a lot to the organisation, to solve this case, for the central reason that we would like to give him his name back. Can YOU help? Investigators want to speak to: Anyone with expertise in tidal data - maritime accidents - or details which could feed into the theory that Giorgios was involved in an accident at sea. Anyone who has material, such as local papers, who may have reported on the discovery of the body in 1979. Anyone with family or friends in Greece. Spreading the word is the only way to try and reach Giorgios family. Advertisement 'We would like to give his family a place where they can come and visit and pay their respects and say a proper goodbye, which unfortunately they weren't able to do at the time.' The key to the case is a gold band he was wearing, believed to be a wedding ring, which was inscribed with 'Giorgios and Katrina 1956'. It is the only indication of a potential name for the man and possibly his wife. After searching through records from the time, investigators established the word 'and' was written in Greek, suggesting the man might have been from Greece. It is thought the man might have been a seaman who was in an accident at sea. He was in the water for approximately four months before being washed on shore. Searches of UK marriage records have not yet yielded any promising leads but investigators have expanded their search to the continent. Investigators have launched national TV and newspaper appeals in Greece and have focused on two sea accidents that occurred in the months before the body was found but have not yet found a match. Now Locate International is launching a wider appeal, hoping that a successful identification of the body might lead to fresh hope in similar cases. The man, believed to be between 40 and 60 years old, was found by a passerby on the Isles of Scilly in February 1979, after apparently being washed in by the tide 'It feels like we are incredibly close,' Emma said. The organisation is now appealing for help from anyone with expertise in tidal data - maritime accidents - or details which could feed into the theory that Giorgios was involved in an accident at sea. They are also seeking anyone who has local newspapers or similar records from the time of the discovery of the body. Emma continued: 'We would encourage members of the public to get involved. Members of the public have been instrumental to the progress in the case and there's a real sense of care, of warmth, of people wanting to solve these cases.' A picture of a father and daughter walking along a jetty was used as the 'bait' to lure a woman into an online dating scam that left her more than $15,000 out of pocket. A man using the name Mark Taylorward masqueraded as Sydney auctioneer Stu Benson after pulling photos from his social media accounts and uploading them to fake Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Tinder profiles. Mark, who said he was an offshore oil rig contractor based in San Diego, US, then duped single mother of three Jessica, from Germany, into sending him money through online bank transfer, claiming he needed it to pay the carer of his children. 'It's clear to see this person was masquerading as me and using my kids as part of the bait, which is horrific,' Mr Benson told A Current Affair. A picture of Sydney auctioneer Stu Benson walking with his daughter was used by a man going by the name of Mark Taylorward as part of an online dating scam One picture taken from Mr Benson's social media accounts showed the father-of-four holding hands with his daughter. Under the picture posted to Mark's Instagram was the caption: 'Nothing can be as peaceful and sweet as seeing your kids happy. Few years ago I and my daughter were at this spot and she loved it.' Jessica said she first interacted with Mark on dating app Tinder, and he later told her he did not have access to reliable internet because he was working offshore. He said he urgently needed to transfer money to the carer of his three children and provided Jessica with the password of his online bank account. Jessica was asked to transfer 5,000 (AU$7,754) from Mark's bank account to the carer but the transaction failed to go through because of 'multiple geographic logins'. She was then told by Mark to transfer money from her own bank account on two separate occasions, promising to pay her back. A picture of Mr Benson as it appeared on the Facebook profile of Mark Taylorward, who said he was an offshore oil rig contractor based in San Diego, United States Jessica (pictured), a single mother-of-three from Germany, said she transferred 10,000 (AU$15,515) to a man using the name Mark Taylorward 'The gentleman masquerading as me said, "well you've seen my bank account, you know I'm good for it, you transfer $5000 to the person looking after my children and once I'm back on shore I'll transfer you the funds, once I go to the branch and verify my identity",' Mr Benson said. Jessica then spent two months speaking with Mark through WhatsApp before becoming suspicious of his actions, prompting her to do a reverse search on his images which led her to Mr Benson. 'I quickly realised that all the pictures Mark Taylorward sent me or showed in his profiles are all of Stu Benson,' Jessica said. 'I didn't want to just ignore the fact that someone stole the visual identity of a man and his children. What these people write to you are just empty words an nothing else. 'I am a very good believer and have always assumed the best in people which has now cost me dearly. Don't trust anyone with personal information.' Mr Benson (pictured) said he felt 'sick to my stomach' when he found out his photos were being used on social media accounts under the name of Mark Taylorward Jessica contacted Mr Benson, telling him his photos were being used by someone else, which left him feeling 'stick to my stomach' 'All of my photographs were being used by somebody overseas to swoon women, lure them into a trap and ultimately steal money from them,' Mr Benson said. 'I started to investigate how this alleged person was using my identity and found it across multiple platforms and using them for quite a long time. 'The fact that it was on the other side of the world makes me feel really sick to my stomach.' SAN FRANCISCO and NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrick Capital Partners, a growth-oriented investment firm with more than $1B in assets under management, focused on software and software-enabled businesses, today announced the addition of Aaron Symanski as Senior Vice President of Technology Operations. In this role, Aaron will focus on thematic sourcing, due diligence and portfolio operations, focusing on key technology trends in cloud computing, data and application architecture and cybersecurity. "Aaron's technology experience across industries including finance and healthcare make him an extra-ordinary addition to our team. His leadership and organizational change experience across technology, operations, business models, and culture are especially timely in this rapidly evolving business environment," explained Carrick Capital Partners Managing Director Steve Unterberger. Aaron has been designing platforms, leading technology teams and overseeing operations and delivery in finance and healthcare for more than 25 years for such companies as Bank of America, ABN Amro, BISYS, and Change Healthcare, the largest independent provider of healthcare technology services. "I'm excited to join such a talented team and help support Carrick's process and portfolio. Their focus on tech-enabled businesses and their commitment to thoughtful due diligence followed by innovative operational optimization make this position a very attractive opportunity and a perfect fit for my areas of expertise," Aaron explained. Aaron earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University's Gies College of Business. Aaron holds patents for the Storage, Management and Analysis of Consolidated Electronic Health Records and the Semantic Database Platform. He is based in Carrick's Newport Beach office. About Carrick Capital Partners Headquartered in San Francisco and Newport Beach, Carrick Capital Partners is a growth-oriented investment firm that utilizes ABV (Approach to Building Value) to operationally scale fast-growing, technology-enabled businesses. Carrick adds value by taking a concentrated approach and dedicating significant resources post-investment. Leveraging decades of experience, Carrick helps scale great companies that deliver excellent returns for investors, stimulating economic growth and positively impacting the industry landscape. Working directly with CEOs and entrepreneurs, Carrick fulfills a vital need for investment capital and growth expertise. For more information, please visit www.carrickcapitalpartners.com. Contact: Machie Madden [email protected] 212/292-8560 SOURCE Carrick Capital Partners Related Links http://www.carrickcapitalpartners.com Amid the exponential surge in COVID-19 cases, multinational pharma giant Johnson & Johnson has now applied to India's drug regulator, seeking permission to conduct phase-3 clinical trials of its single-dose COVID vaccine in India as well as an import license. Sources have said that Johnson & Johnson has sought an early meeting of the subject expert committee on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (SCSCO) to take a decision on its application. This latest update comes after the Government of India on Monday evening announced that all above 18 years of age can be vaccinated against the Coronavirus. Earlier, in the last week, the Centre had decided to fast-track emergency approvals for all foreign-produced COVID vaccine jabs that have been given a similar nod by the World Health Organisation or regulators in the United States, Europe, Britain or Japan. J&J seeks India's permission to conduct phase-3 trials of its COVID vaccine The J&J vaccine can be stored for up to three months at a temperature between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. A source said, "Due to the technicalities involved, Johnson & Johnson has resubmitted its application on Monday." Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is a single-dose jab, whereas the three vaccines cleared by India so far are of doubles doses. So far, two vaccines -- Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine COVISHIELD manufactured by Serum Institute in India and indigenously developed COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech -- are being administered in India, while a third vaccine Sputnik V -- developed in Russia and to be imported and sold in India by Dr Reddy's Laboratories -- has also been approved by the Indian drug regulator. "Such vaccines will be given emergency use approval mandating the requirement of post-approval parallel bridging clinical trial in place of conduct of local clinical trial under the provisions of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019," the health ministry had said. Vaccination against Coronavirus opened up for 18+ Government of India announces a Liberalised & Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of #Covid19 Vaccination from 1st May Government has been working hard from over a year to ensure maximum numbers of Indians are able to get vaccine in the shortest possible of time: PM @narendramodi 1/2 PIB India (@PIB_India) April 19, 2021 In a massive push to ramp up vaccination, the Centre on Monday has liberalised its vaccination strategy allowing all adults over the age of 18 to get the vaccination from May 1. Currently, only those above 45 are allowed to get vaccine doses. India has administered 12,42,64,553 doses till date across India with 10,80,34,647 receiving the first dose. After a discussion between PM Modi and pharmaceutical manufacturers, the Centre has decided that all stakeholders will be given the flexibility to customise to local needs. Moreover, everyone above the age of 18 to be eligible to get a vaccine against Covid-19 and vaccine manufacturers will be incentivized to further scale up their production, as well as attract new national and international players. Vaccine manufacturers have been empowered to release up to 50% of their supply to State Govts. and in the open market at a pre-declared price. (Image: AP) Japan is making progress toward joining the Anglophone worlds post-war spying network known as Five Eyes, according to Japans ambassador to Australia. I am very much optimistic about the near future, said Shingo Yamagami, who took up his post in December, 2020. He said he would like to see this idea become reality in the near future. Australia and New Zealand in 1956 joined the US, Britain and Canada to complete the Five Eyes group and that was the last time any new member was admitted. Yamagami Shingo, Ambassador of Japan: Its a sign of these countries sharing universal values and strategic interests. Credit:Louie Douvis Logically, in terms of interests and capability, Japan is the best candidate, said the head of ANUs National Security College, Rory Medcalf. When the program begins July 1, it will connect 90 people between 16 and 24 years old with jobs or paid internships at businesses committed to fostering inclusive work environments. It will provide two years of job training and placement, assistance accessing social services, educational support and mental-health resources, with an additional year of follow-up support from case management workers and mental-health professionals. Mx. McGovern, who identifies as queer and transgender, said the long runway was meant to ensure that the people involved, many of whom have long faced rejection from family or community institutions, do not feel abandoned or left behind when the program ends. New York City has one of the largest populations of L.G.B.T.Q. residents in the country, and it has long been a haven for queer people escaping hostility in their communities. This is the city where everybody sees themselves making it, said Mx. Smith, who came to New York in 2019. I had that idea, too. When they came to the city, Mx. Smith had been in the United States less than a year. They had arrived, undocumented, from Jamaica at the end of 2018, going first to Florida and then to Massachusetts. As Mx. Smith came to realize they were transgender, they knew their mother would not be supportive. She didnt get it, Mx. Smith said. She was still in the customs of home. So I had to leave, because she wasnt going to understand who I was or where Im going. Mx. Smith arrived in New York with no job and nowhere to say. The Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that supports homeless L.G.B.T.Q. youth and is partnering with the citys Unity Works program, provided Mx. Smith with housing and helped them get their green card. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new report published by Polaris Market Research the worldwide Photovoltaic Materials Market is anticipated to reach around USD 44,073 million by 2026. In 2017, the Polycrystalline Silicon segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. In 2017, Asia-Pacific accounted for the majority share in the global Photovoltaic Materials market. The increase in the adoption of renewable energy sources drives the growth of this market. Growing concerns regarding environmental pollution caused by fossil fuels and their limited availability support the market growth. There has been an increasing demand of solar technology owing to low operating costs and less maintenance. Governments are increasingly investing in the development of solar technology to accelerate the adoption of renewable sources, thereby supporting market growth. However, high installation costs of solar systems limit the growth of the market. New emerging markets, and declining costs of photovoltaic materials would provide growth opportunities in the coming years. Get Sample Copy : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/photovoltaic-materials-market/request-for-sample Asia-pacific dominated the global Photovoltaic Materials Market during the forecast period. A significant rise in the initiatives taken by governments of China, India, and Japan to promote the use of solar technology to reduce carbon footprint supports the growth of the market in the region. Incentives provided by the governments to the commercial sector industries using solar technology has resulted in high demand of photovoltaic materials in the region. China leads the Asia-Pacific Photovoltaic Materials market during the forecast period. Regions such as North America and Europe export solar cells from Asia-Pacific, thereby supporting market growth in the region. Increasing awareness regarding use of renewable sources and green technologies augments the market growth in the region. Leading global players are expanding their presence in developing nations of India, Indonesia, and Malaysia to tap the growth opportunities offered by these countries. The various types of photovoltaic materials include Monocrystalline Silicon, Polycrystalline Silicon, Cadmium Telluride, and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide among. The Polycrystalline Silicon segment is expected to lead the market during the forecast period owing to affordable manufacturing process and use in varied applications. The Copper Indium Gallium Selenide segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Any Special Requirement | Speak to our Industry Expert : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/photovoltaic-materials-market/speak-to-analyst The well-known companies profiled in the report include DuPont, Targray Technology International, Inc, Shin-Etsu Chemicals Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Material Corporation, Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation LLC, Atecom Technology Co., Ltd., American Elements, Ferrotec Corporation, Topray Solar, Hangzhou First Applied Material Co. Ltd., 1366 Technologies Inc., NovoPolymers NV among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. (Alliance News) - Esken Ltd on Tuesday said it has signed an agreement for the sale of Stobart Air Unlimited Co and Stobart Air UK Ltd to Ettyl Ltd. Stobart Air operates regional flights under a franchise agreement for Air Lingus and Stobart Air UK owns Carlisle Lake District Airport. Ettyl is an Isle of Man-based company backed by private investors. Esken, an infrastructure, aviation and energy company formerly known as Stobart Group Ltd, said Ettyl will acquire Esken's economic interests in Everdeal 2021 Ltd and Everdeal Employees 2019 Ltd, who are both shareholders in Stobart Air Unlimited. Ettyl will buy Esken's interests for a token GBP2, plus the value of any cash on the balance sheet payable at completion. Esken said Ettyl also will pay a contingent consideration for Stobart Air Unlimited of GBP7.5 million upon and to the extent of the occurrence of certain trigger events up to July 1, 2024. Also as part of the Stobart Air Unlimited, Esken will make a payment on completion of up to GBP9.4 million. It said it also will be responsible for the settlement of pre-completion liabilities totalling GBP25.8 million, of which GBP19.1 million are the subject of pre-existing parent company guarantees. Esken also will take back 100% ownership of airline leasing company Propius for a token GBP1, and Esken will be responsible for the existing lease obligations of Propius until April 2023. Meanwhile, for Stobart Air UK, Ettyl will acquire Esken's entire shareholding for GBP15 million in cash, plus the value of any cash on the balance sheet. The sale of the businesses is expected to complete by early May 2021. "This has been a difficult and protracted process to conclude given the impact of the pandemic on air travel. Stobart Air remains a critical part of connectivity between Ireland and the UK, and I am pleased that we have managed to secure the future of that business and its 480 staff under a new owner with ambitions to grow its network of routes. The sale of the airline presents a significantly better financial outcome than that resulting from a closure," said Esken Executive Chair David Shearer. "Our operations at CLDA were peripheral to the main focus of our Aviation business at London Southend Airport and we have taken this opportunity to tidy up our portfolio of businesses at a fair value in current markets allowing us to minimise future cash burn and avoid management distraction," he added. Shares in Esken were down 4.0% at 33.78 pence in London on Tuesday. By Zoe Wickens; zoewickens@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Phuket to start testing unvaccinated, untested domestic arrivals PHUKET: Starting tomorrow (Apr 21), all people flying into Phuket will be subjected to an Antigen Rapid Test for COVID-19 unless they can prove they have been fully vaccinated or have had a test confirming they are are not infected with COVID-19 within 72 hours of arriving on the island. COVID-19Coronavirus By The Phuket News Tuesday 20 April 2021, 09:49AM The official notice announcing the new requirements. Image: PR Phuket The decision to test unvaccinated, untested domestic arrivals was announced last night (Apr 19). Photo: PR Phuket The new rule was announced by the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee, chaired by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, last night (Apr 19). The ruling has been announced as in effect from Apr 21-30. Those arriving from the red-zone areas who have already completed two injections of a vaccine and those who have a COVID-Free Certificate issued within 72 hours before arriving will be allowed to enter the province. Those who do not meet any of the requirements in No 1 and 2 are required to do an Antigen Rapid Test with a price of B300 and must wait for 15 minutes for the result, the announcement said. All arrivals by flight are required to be tested at Phuket International Airport upon arrival. Of those arriving in Phuket by road, only arrivals from the 17 other red-zone provinces are required to be tested, said the official announcement, posted after 9:30pm last night. The 18 red-zone provinces, including Phuket, currently comprise: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Phuket, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nonthaburi, songkhla, Tak, Udon Thani, Suphan Buri, Sa Kaeo, Rayaong and Khon Kaen. All arrivals must install the MorChana app, register their travel details through the www.gophuget.com web portal, and have their arrival and travel details reported to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the area where the arrival is staying, the announcement noted. Those who transport goods and do not stay in Phuket overnight and have a permission document are exempt from the new requirement, the announcement noted. The capsized lift boat Seacor Power is seen seven miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 18, 2021. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo) Coast Guard: Search for Missing Crew to Be Suspended CUT OFF, La.The U.S. Coast Guard said it will suspend the search for crew members who disappeared when a lift boat capsized off Louisiana last week at sunset Monday, and authorities do not expect to find more survivors from the vessel. The grim news from Capt. Will Watson, commander of the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, comes after days of searching for the missing workers from the oil industry lift boat Seacor Power, which capsized Tuesday during a fierce storm in the Gulf of Mexico about eight miles (13 kilometers) south of Port Fourchon. Six of the 19 workers on the boat were rescued within hours of the wreck; five more bodies were found in the water or on board the vessel in the days since then. Eight remain missing. Watson said officials had just come from briefing the families on the news. There was a lot of hugging and a lot of crying. There was a lot of sadness and grief, he said. The president of the Seacor Marine, which owns the boat, said during the news conference that divers from a company they have contracted with will continue to search the entire vessel. John Gellert said they are about halfway through the vessel as of midday Monday. Gellert also said that divers from a company Seacor contracts with were on the scene four hours after the ship capsized. We are steadfast in our efforts to return those who remain missing, Gellert said. But he added that efforts will depend on the weather, not just on the surface but below the surface. The currents are currently very strong. That will determine diving windows. When we are able to dive we will dive continuously. Rescue boats are seen next to the capsized lift boat Seacor Power seven miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 18, 2021. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo) Families who have been waiting for days for any news of their loved ones were already preparing for the worst earlier Monday. Arlana Saddler, the youngest sister of missing worker Gregory Walcott, told the AP earlier that she was trying to be realistic about her brothers chances of survival. Im being real. This is the seventh day, and even if they made it through the boat turning over and all that, theres no food, no water. Youre talking seven days, she said. Many families have been questioning why the ship was out in such stormy seas. Gellert said while there were warnings of bad weather, what the boat actually encountered when it was offshore was significantly worse than expected. There were warnings. There were not warnings on the magnitude of which we encountered, he said. The weather they were forecasted to encounter was well within the limits of the vessel. The weather that they encountered was well beyond the forecast, as far as we know, at this time. Gellert said the decision on whether to go or not was entirely up to the captain, but he emphasized that the captain had the companys full support. The captain, David Ledet, 63, was among the dead. He was one of our best captains. He was very prudent and conservative, he said. The capsized lift boat Seacor Power and two rescue boats, bottom left, are seen seven miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 18, 2021. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo) The coroners office has identified the other four people whose bodies have been recovered: Anthony Hartford, 53, of New Orleans; James Wallingsford, 55, of Gilbert, Louisiana; Ernest Williams, 69, of Arnaudville; and Lawrence J. Warren, 36, of Terrytown, Louisiana. The Seacor Power is a lift boat. Such vessels have three legs that can be lowered to the sea floor to raise the ship off the water to serve as a temporary offshore platform. The boats are often used in the offshore oil industry. When they are traveling the legs stick straight up in the air. Gellert said it appeared the legs were full retracted meaning all the way up and a position he described as its most vulnerable at the beginning of the voyage but there are indications that the captain was trying to lower the legs when the ship capsized. As far as we can make out there was about five feet of leg that was retracted from the hull, which leads us to believe the captain was starting, trying to jack down, said Gellert. He said it takes about a minute to move the legs down five feet. The ship capsized in about 50 to 55 feet of water. Late Sunday, officials told family members that they had recovered another bodythe fifth since the operation began. The coroner on Monday identified the body as that of Lawrence J. Warren, 36, of Terrytown, Louisiana. Frank Boeckl was Warrens uncle. He choked up while lovingly talking about his nephew Larry, but said he was glad that he had been found and that the familys ordeal was over. We just feel so blessed that we are able to take him home, and we hope for the rest of the families that they are able to take their loved ones home, too, he said. Were going to be able to take him home, and thats it. I just really pray for all the other families. Andrew Ehlers, marine accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board that is investigating, estimated that it could be as long as two years before an official determination is made of what happened. He said they will be looking at three main areas: people involved in the case both on the ship and on land, the ship and equipment, and the weather. Investigators are asking for anyone with information about the ship, people who might have served on it before and have photos or videos of it, or people who were out on the water that day to reach out. By Stacey Plaisance and Kevin Mcgill Apr. 20FAIRMONT The Fairmont Police Department recently received equipment from the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association to help it better serve and protect residents. Fairmont Chief of Police Jon Edwards said the department received six flashlights, 12 first-aid kits, four preliminary breath testers and two ballistic body armor vests for officers about two weeks ago. According to the USDSA, the breath testers will help the department counter "drunk driving and underage drinking." Edwards said the donation from USDSA makes a difference in small police departments like the FPD, which operates under budget constraints. And he is grateful to the organization for their donation, the police chief said. The supplies will help "to provide safety to the citizens through checkpoints (DWI)" and "help minimize the risk to citizens," Edwards said. "USDSA donates much-needed safety equipment to underfunded law enforcement entities at no charge, including ballistic body armor, PBTs, drug identification kits, traffic safety vests, first aid kits, and more," according to its website. "The United States Deputy Sheriff's Association (USDSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the support of law enforcement, their families, and their communities through equipment donations, a highly acclaimed national training program, End of Watch donations, scholarships, cash grants, and citizen awareness programs." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The Presidential Electoral Tribunal released on Monday the full copy of its decision dismissing the electoral protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo. In the decision, the PET said Marcos failed to prove his claims and that his allegations appeared bare, laden with generic and repetitious allegations and lacked critical information regarding the alleged irregularities. If, indeed, protestant was convinced of his claims in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Basilan, then he should have indicated those three as his pilot provinces. But he did not, to no fault of this Tribunal, it said. This is in relation to his cause of action to annul election results in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Basilan. In January this year, Marcos asked the tribunal to revise the results of the poll recount and to validate signatures from the said provinces due to alleged fraud and terrorism. However, in the Feb. 16 decision, seven magistrates fully concurred with the dismissal while eight concurred with the poll protest result. A highly-placed source in the Supreme Court said defeated candidate Marcos failed to present specific acts to back his claims of poll fraud, such as the time and manner of irregularities. READ: Supreme Court unanimously junks Marcos' VP poll protest vs Robredo The court said the lack of substantial recovery of votes from the said provinces led to the dismissal of the protest. Rule 65 of the Tribunal Rules also mandates the dismissal of a protest when the results of the revision and appreciation of ballots in the pilot provinces do not support the allegations of fraud or irregularities. According to its review, the body also said the total number of votes for Robredo increased by 1,510,178, while that of Marcos gained only 204,512, confirming the victory of the former. Moreover, PET said Robredo would still maintain her lead even if a third cause of action would be conducted. Marcos failed to make out his case, the PET said. To entertain the third cause of action is to risk frustrating the valid exercise of the nations democratic will and subject it to endless whims of a defeated candidate. After losing the 2016 vice presidential election, Marcos filed an electoral protest against Robredo on June 30 in the same year. He questioned the result of the polls where he was defeated by Robredo by 263,473 votes. The tribunal in October 2019 found that Robredo's lead grew by around 15,000 votes after a recount of ballots from the 5,415 clustered precincts in the pilot provinces of Iloilo, Negros Oriental, and Camarines Sur Robredo's bailiwick. CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. A citizen gets a COVID-19 vaccine in Seoul on April 15. Yonhap A "vaccine swap" agreement that South Korea is looking at with the United States could be a loan deal in which the country receives surplus COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. and gives the same amount back later, sources said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said during a parliamentary session earlier in the day that the country is discussing a "vaccine swap" arrangement with the U.S. "fairly seriously" and the issue was a key focus in his talks with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, who visited Seoul last week. Chung did not elaborate on what a swap deal means. Foreign ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam also declined to provide details, only saying that the country is making multifaceted efforts in terms of vaccination cooperation with the U.S. But sources said that one of the possible options is to strike a loan deal with the United States under which South Korea receives vaccines that the U.S. is not using, and gives the same amount back after the country is provided with its own vaccines. The U.S. has similar deals with Canada and Mexico. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said last month that the U.S. has "7 million releasable doses" of the AstraZeneca vaccine and was working on arrangements to loan 1.5 million doses to Canada and 2.5 million doses to Mexico. The AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the U.S. "That is one theory, but we can explore various ways," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity. The loan deals that the U.S. has with Canada and Mexico were "actually impossible under the contract because most of the contracts with pharmaceutical companies ban cross-border movement of vaccines. But it seems that they have politically made it work," the official said. Some form of bartering, for instance, exchanging medical equipment for vaccines, could also be considered, the official added, citing Korea's "low dead space" (LDS) syringes designed to minimize wasted vaccine doses. Talk of such a potential swap deal has gained traction as the U.S. appears to have a vaccine surplus, with its records showing that more than half of its adult population has at least received one vaccine shot. The U.S. has pledged greater contribution to increasing vaccine supplies and global immunization efforts. (Yonhap) (Natural News) Got a Democrat governor? Youre screwed. Start making plans to get involved and change your leadership or sellout and go to a state with a Republican governor, or face the wrath of the Marxist Democrats. You will be made an example of for the masses to fall in place. Mask laws will not ever be lifted in Blue States because more disease is on the way, and not by chance. Social distancing has nothing to do with preventing the spread of the virus, but everything to do with keeping people from collaborating, which enables people to figure out just how manipulative their government is. How deep does the corruption run, youre thinking, when you hear from Red State friends how virus numbers have dropped considerably where the citizens dont wear masks, dont social distance, and where most people are not vaccinated with those dirty mRNA jabs. Yes, forced vaccination is already underway in several Blue States, including California and New York. Millions of people are being denied from going to work, school, daycare, and even their own businesses, because they arent agreeing to be vaccinated with dangerous, deadly, experimental mRNA inoculations. Remember, virus mitigation advice quickly becomes guidelines, which quickly become rules, then mandates, then emergency orders, then legislation and laws. Once you break those laws, you are made an example of, thrown in jail, fined, abused. This is blasted all over the news, national and local everywhere, for the nation to fear. Step out of line and this is what you get, in the Marxist Blue States. Civil War II: red states vs. blue states war nearly inevitable now Welcome to the States of America. We are no longer united. We are divided. Divided by a fake pandemic. Divided by gun control laws. Divided by mask-wearing laws. Divided by a fake race war. Divided by gender fluidity madness and perverted thoughts. Divided by forced shuttering of businesses by tyranny. Its all based on confusion, fake news and fear. Yes, fear is big business. We learned about that when two skyscrapers (plus building 7) were brought to the ground with demolition accuracy, or have you forgotten? Are you one of those people who still think jet fuel brought down the World Trade Center? We learned that fear is big business with those darned WMDs we bombed Iraq about, or did you already forget that big Saddam fear lie? Those evil doers got away with mass murder on American soil. Now Marxists are running Washington DC, and every Democrat governor must bow down and kiss the ring or be suicided Seth Rich style. A Civil War, our countrys second one, is inevitable now. As tens of millions of patriotic republicans and whats left of a few sensible Democrats (there must be at least 100) hunker down in the hills (landowners) with their registered guns (plus millions more automatic weapons and grenades), get ready, because the British (CCP and the Obama Regime) are coming! Once all the vaccinated sheeple are put to sleep next year, well see a mass invasion from illegal aliens, and a mass staged (but real) event that will act as the first shots fired of the new war. Red state land grab underway now People are leaving Blue States in waves. Theyre done tolerating the Democrat-promoted crime, debilitating Covid restrictions, high taxes, shuttered businesses, drug addicts, homelessness, plus BLM-Antifa legalized rioting and vandalizing. Its a mass exodus as people move away from Blue States in droves. Property values have dropped. Seniors are dying in nursing homes where Covid is imported on purpose. Theres one choice left: Move to a Red State, or go broke and die (from Covid or get murdered by BLM/Antifa Soros-paid psychos). Even celebrities are selling their Blue State mansions to escape the insanity. Tune your internet frequency to Pandemic.news for updates about the MSM and CDC lies, so you dont get caught in the deadly Marxist traps of the Blue States. Really, ask yourself, why have open borders but closed businesses, schools and restaurants? Sources for this article: NaturalNews.com TruthWiki.org The death toll from COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh crossed the 10,000-mark on Tuesday with 162 more fatalities, while the infection tally exceeded nine lakh after detection of 29,754 fresh cases, according to a senior official. The state had recorded 167 coronavirus-related deaths, its biggest single-day death count so far, on Monday and the largest one-day spike of 30,596 fresh cases on Sunday. The recovery count rose to 6,75,702 in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday with over 14,391 patients discharged in the past 24 hours, Additional Chief Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters. The number of active cases now stands at 2,23,544 in the state, he said. The new fatalities and cases pushed the death toll in the state to 10,159 and the infection count to 9,09,405, the senior official said. Among the fresh cases, a maximum of 5,014 were recorded in Lucknow, 2,175 in Allahabad, 1740 in Kanpur, 1,637 in Varanasi, 1,287 in Meerut, 913 in Bareilly, 640 in Gautam Buddha Nagar, a health bulletin issued here said. Of the fresh deaths, a maximum of 28 were reported from Kanpur, 19 from state capital Lucknow, 13 from Allahabad, eight from Gautam Buddh Nagar and seven from Varanasi, it said. On the bright side, the number of recoveries is also increasing. While 3,590 patients were discharged in Lucknow, 1,855 were discharged in Varanasi, 1,734 in Allahabad, 954 in Allahabad, the bulletin added. Of the total active cases, 1,76,760 are in home isolation, 4,455 are undergoing treatment at private hospitals and the rest are admitted to government hospitals, Prasad said. He said over 3.86 crore samples have so far been tested for COVID-19 in the state, which included over two lakh tests on Monday. About the ongoing COVID vaccination drive, he said a total of 1,09,34,566 doses were administered to people in the state. (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.) Now a household name in most Christian circles after his standoff with Calgary policemen at his church went viral, Pastor Artur Pawlowski expressed concern about the future of churches in Canada. According to The Epoch Times, Pastor Pawlowski fled communist Poland in 1990. His experiences growing up have shaped in him a steel determination to stand strong in faith when faced with communist-like suppression of religious liberties. "It was about 50,000 communists that were ruling over 36 million Poles," he said while recounting his story in an interview. "They could come into your house [at] five in the morning, beat you up, torture, even murder. A number of clergymen were murdered," he said in reminiscent of his Polish past. Pawlowski has made it his practice to do research and to fact-check anything that a government says. He explained that he grew up in a country where the government and the mainstream media were pretty much in cahoots to deceive people. In 1995, he came to Canada in hopes of experiencing freedom. He would later realize that his host country's government would one day exploit a global health emergency to deprive people their civil liberties. Epoch Times noted that Pawlowski has been fined for holding church services beyond the allowed capacity, considered a violation under the new public heath order. But when policemen entered his church during a Passover service on April 3, the pastor had enough. He took his phone and filmed the confrontation with the authorities. "I just did it for my own protection," he said. "And when I posted it, I said well, maybe a couple thousand people will watch it and that's it. But what happened-it looks like it sparked some kind of hope in people's hearts that it's OK to fight, it's OK to stand up," he added. Pawlowski said he received about 40,000 emails, texts, and messages from people around the globe expressing their thanks and appreciations for making a stand on and in behalf of churches worldwide. He also noted the plight of GraceLife Church in Edmonton and their pastor James Coates. He said that he fears people will soon lose their rights and other liberties due to restrictions flanked by state governments. "That's the state telling the people what they can do, what they cannot, with whom they can, and how," comments Pawlowski. "... Seeing what they're doing, which is a repetition of history in front of my eyes, it scares me. Very scary stuff, what is happening." The pastor pointed out that the so-called physical distancing and the prohibition to congregate are meant to destabilize the family-like structure that keep people sane and strong as one body. Now an evangelical pastor who has been serving for twenty years, he and his church, the Cave of Adullam, have continuously demonstrated fealty amid the crisis. "People are losing hope. There are lots of people that are suicidal, turning into drugs and alcohol. So we have a church in the poor neighborhood of Forest Lawn, trying to help as many as we can," he said. GET THE niggers, was their slogan, / Kill them, burn, them, set the pace. / Let them know that we are white men. /Teach them how to keep their place. AJ Smitherman, The Tulsa Race Riot and Massacre (1922). I had just left Harvard University as an assistant professor and was doing Time to Talk, a series of interviews for T&T Television. Nearly a week after their arrests in the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, Paul and Ruben Flores pleaded not guilty Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court to respective counts of murder and accessory. A judge also ruled that Paul Flores will remain in jail without bail and scheduled a hearing Wednesday to find out what, if any, bail amount Ruben Flores can afford given his assets. Ruben Flores bail is currently set at $250,000. Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle, the lead prosecutor in the case, had said last week that he expected to seek a higher bail amount for Ruben Flores. Both men appeared before Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen via Zoom conference from San Luis Obispo County Jail, with Paul Flores again appearing in a suit and tie and Ruben Flores in an orange jumpsuit. San Pedro resident Paul Flores and his 80-year-old father, Arroyo Grande resident Ruben Flores, were arrested last Tuesday, and the District Attorneys Office announced the criminal charges the following day. For the first time, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow publicly alleged that Paul Flores committed the murder during the commission of an rape or attempted rape. Paul Flores, 44, was the last person seen with Smart before her disappearance. He faces a sentence of at least 25 years to life if convicted of first-degree murder. Ruben Flores faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison if convicted of the charge, Peuvrelle said in court Monday. Last week, van Rooyen approved a defense request for a gag order preventing parties involved including county Sheriff Ian Parkinson and District Attorney Dow from making any public statements regarding the proceedings outside the courtroom. At the conclusion of Mondays hearing, van Rooyen also scheduled two routine pre-preliminary hearings for May 17 and June 21, and a preliminary hearing which will feature testimony and evidence submitted in the case for July 6. The preliminary hearing, during which van Rooyen will decide whether the prosecution has established probable cause to justify the charges in the case, is expected to take 12 full days of testimony, van Rooyen said. Prior to Mondays hearing, Paul Flores attorney, Robert Sanger, filed a motion to set a bail amount for his client, who Sanger wrote does not pose a risk to public safety and is not a flight risk. He argued that keeping his client in custody will impact his ability to participate in his defense and make informed decisions regarding his case. Mr. Flores has been subjected to a substantial amount of pre-arrest publicity and accusations over the last 25 years, Sanger wrote. He and his family have also been subject to numerous interrogations and highly publicized searches of their premises and property. Nevertheless, Mr. Flores has remained in the Southern California community. A bail report filed in the case also shows that the Smart family opposed bail for Paul and Ruben Flores, issuing the following statement to the court: Our family strongly opposes any bail being offered to Paul Flores. Given the charges filed against him that he murdered our daughter, sought and received help from his father, Ruben, and then the two collaborated to hide her and deny any knowledge of their actions for the next 25 years is simply reprehensible. This is not how mature, responsible adults act! Given the charges against Paul, we fear his release on bail directly threatens the safety of our family. We know the primary purpose of bail is to help ensure that a person accused of a crime does not leave town or miss specified trial dates in court. Obviously, after 25 years of deliberately hiding the truth, we are gravely concerned this lifelong coward will seek to run if freed on bail. ... Just as importantly, we believe he and his father are seeking bail simply because they do not like being held in confinement. They want to be released and return to the comfort of their homes. Do not treat them as children and give into their wishes. Treat them as adults who knew better but selfishly acted to protect themselves, lie about their actions, and withhold knowledge for 25 years while denying our family the chance to lay our daughter to rest. Offering him bail merely rewards his past actions while penalizing our family once again. The pain of his release and potential threat to our family would be devastating. We have lived with their deplorable actions long enough and do not want anything to stand between us and justice for our precious daughter and sister. We have waited 25 years to recover Kristin and his release or reduced bail would clearly jeopardize our chance to lay Kristin to rest in the embrace of her family. There is nothing more important. Smart family spokesman John Segale sent a statement to media following the hearing saying that the family does not have any statement regarding the proceeding. 2021 The Sacramento Bee. Visit at sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. HORRY COUNTY The Horry County Solid Waste Authority debunked a blogger's report of high levels of E. coli in its retention ponds. County government officials were told at an April 13 infrastructure and regulation meeting that there might be high levels of E. coli in the retention ponds of the landfill. By April 19, the county proved the allegations were not true. While there was one site which reported a medium-high E. coli reading, all of the other sites were substantially lower than the unverified report. "We do not currently have a reason to believe that this outfall directly impacts the water quality of Sterritt Swamp or the Waccamaw River," said Kelly Moore, county spokesperson. "Ultimately, it is premature, and inappropriate to draw conclusions from one or two pieces of data. As such, this review will continue until the concerns are addressed." In addition, Moore said that Coastal Carolina University confirmed that seagulls droppings can shed high amounts of E. coli, which could be impacting the water readings. The county is working with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and water quality experts at CCU, Moore said, to make sure the landfill is meeting water quality standards and that the water along S.C. 90 at Sterritt Swamp is not impacted. 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! Local blogger David Hucks told solid waste and county officials at the April 13 meeting that a whistleblower told him there was high quantities of E. coli in the retention ponds. Hucks was not able to grab samples himself, so he received the samples from the whistleblower and got them tested. He said he felt it was best to bring the issue before county officials before publishing a story. Councilman Al Allen devised a plan that involved testing the retention ponds themselves as a county. The samples from Hucks could not be verified, as Hucks did not take them himself. On April 14, Horry County officials, Sgt. Heather Wilson along with some additional officers and Coastal Carolina University officials took samples abd ultimately tested them at CCU. Danielle Viso, CCU's environmental quality lab operations manager, executed the testing at four different locations. The samples were immediately put on ice and were taken back to CCU to be tested. Due to a quality control issue, the samples had to be re-tested and were re-sampled on April 15, Moore said in an email. Editor's note: This is an occasional roundup of charitable, nonprofit and giving news in the Upstate. Want to contribute an item? Email rgilchrest@postandcourier.com with the subject line 'Good News.' United Bank recently gave $5,000 to support the YMCA of Greenville's RECESS program. The program is for adults with diverse abilities and focuses on nutrition, independent living skills, fitness and social responsibility, according to a YMCA of Greenville news release. "We are proud to partner with the YMCA of Greenville on such a special program," United Bank market president Jim Boyd said. "RECESS helps this often overlooked population lead more independent, healthy and happy lives, and for us it was an easy decision to support the cause." Christian Assembly of God in Greenville currently donates the space for the RECESS program. YMCA of Greenville is currently working on its $1.1 million annual fundraising campaign. SHARE leadership program Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources (SHARE) is currently registering participants for its Youth Leadership Program, which provides "income eligible, middle and high school students with the educational opportunities that target individual improvements in academic, behavioral and social achievement," according to the SHARE website. Sign up for our Greenville weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Upstate. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Greenville news staff. Email Sign Up! According to information from SHARE forwarded broadly by the Greenville Branch of the NAACP, "participants must meet specific income guidelines (200 percent of the 2021 Federal Poverty Guidelines) to register." SHARE is a nonprofit community action agency serving low- and middle-income Upstate residents. SHARE is located at 254 S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. Due to pandemic precautions, most of the activities for the program are virtual or distanced. There is no cost for those accepted. Additional information can be obtained by contacting SHARE Youth Leadership Program case manager Jessica Primus at jprimus@sharesc.org. New HQ for Senior Action Senior Action, a Greenville-based nonprofit, will open its new headquarters near the intersection of E. North Street and Howell Road on May 3. The organization works to keep adults over 55 "active, healthy and engaged in meaningful activities," according to a news release. The 35,000 square foot facility is more than double the size of its current building. "There are more than 84,000 seniors right here in Greenville County, and Greenville is considered one of the best places to retire in the U.S.," Senior Action CEO and executive director Andrea Smith said. "In order to continue addressing the ever-changing needs of our growing senior population, we had to find more space." The new facility includes a fitness studio, a conference center that can seat up to 400, and space for fire arts, pottery and dance. They've been married since May 2018 and share three children together. And Hugh Grant and his wife Anna Eberstein enjoyed some quality time away from their work and parenting duties as they cruised through King's Road in Chelsea on his Vespa on Tuesday. The actor, 62, and the Ace Slippers founder, 42, nailed sporty style as they held onto their helmets before continuing their journey across the English capital. Just the two of us: Hugh Grant and Anna Eberstein enjoyed some quality time away from their work and parenting duties as they cruised through King's Road on his Vespa on Tuesday Screen star Hugh cut a typically sharp figure in a grey jumper, dark jeans, a navy jacket and classic shoes. Meanwhile, the businesswoman styled a cropped coat and a turtleneck top with suede boots. The Swedish beauty rounded things off with circular framed shades and a designer handbag, while she wore her locks loose. Off they go: The actor, 62, and the Ace Slippers founder, 42, nailed sporty style as they held onto their helmets before continuing their journey across the English capital Out and about: The duo looked every inch the stylish couple as they treated themselves to some fun in the sun Their outing follows reports that his next role could be in Sex And The City for the upcoming reboot as Sarah Jessica Parker wants a 'big' male star to join the cast. The Brit is reportedly 'at the top of the list' to star in the show to help smooth over the absence of Samantha Jones, played by Kim Catrall, and with questions remaining over Mr Big's return, played by Chris Noth. The father-of-five is reportedly being 'wooed' by his friend and former co-star Sarah Jessica, 56, as she tries to convince him to join the revived series as the pair have worked well together in the past. Casually cool: Screen star Hugh cut a typically sharp figure in a grey jumper, dark jeans, a navy jacket and classic shoes Low-key: Meanwhile, the businesswoman styled a cropped coat and a turtleneck top with suede boots All in the details: The Swedish beauty rounded things off with circular framed shades and a designer handbag, while she wore her locks loose Going strong: They've been married since May 2018 and share three children together According to The Mirror, an insider said: 'Sarah Jessica has it in her head that she needs a big - and I mean big - male star in the SATC reunion ensemble. 'To help smooth over the absence of Kim [Cattrall] and the potentially diminished role with Chris Noth, whose deal to return is not yet done and whose exact role is still being figured out. 'At the top of SJP and HBO Max's wishlist to join the series is Hugh Grant, who loves the show and had a great time working with Sarah Jessica in the past, and with HBO just last year on his massive hit The Undoing.' Long-term: Notting Hill star Hugh and Anna have been together for nearly nine years Chatting it up: At one point, the pair appeared deep in conversation during their outing Close: The film executive pulled a series of animated facial expressions throughout their talk Radiant: The blonde complemented her youthful-looking complexion with neutral-toned make-up Taking in the atmosphere: At another point, the parents stood outside of a pink shop complete with floral decorations The co-stars first met in 1996, on the set of crime thriller Extreme Measures and went on to star together in the 2009 romcom Did You Hear About the Morgans?. The Sex And The City revival, titled 'And Just Like That,' will consist of ten episodes, which will premiere exclusively on HBO Max and and will see the return of most main characters. New Yorker Sarah, of course, be at the forefront alongside Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, playing Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda respectively, with the notable absence of Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall. Christian university sues to block HUD order forcing male student placement in female dorms Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Missouri Christian university is suing the Biden administration over a federal directive that its lawsuit claims requires religious schools to open their dormitories and showers based on "gender identity. The College of the Ozarks, a four-year liberal arts college in Point Lookout, filed a lawsuit in response to a February order from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that forces any entities that receive federal dollars covered by the Fair Housing Act to place transgender-identified biological males into female dormitories and assign them as females roommates. The lawsuit argues that the rule forces religious schools to violate their religious beliefs and states that the order was issued "without notice or the opportunity for public comment." The lawsuit contends that the policy was issued without considering alternative policies that "respect the interests of private religious colleges." Representing the school is the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, which argues that the directive violates both women's sex-based rights and the school's religious liberties. The government cannot and should not force schools to open girls dorms to males based on its politically motivated and inappropriate redefinition of sex, ADF senior counsel Julie Marie Blake said in a statement. Women shouldnt be forced to share private spaces including showers and dorm rooms with males, and religious schools shouldnt be punished simply because of their beliefs about marriage and biological sex. Government overreach by the Biden administration continues to victimize women, girls, and people of faith by gutting their legal protections, and it must be stopped. The federal order instructs organizations and agencies that receive grants through HUDs Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP), in carrying out activities under these grant agreements, must interpret sex discrimination under the Fair Housing Act to include discrimination because of sexual orientation and gender identity. Violators of this directive will potentially face fines and punitive damages. The lawsuit was filed in the southern division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis believes the Biden administration's action constitutes a violation of the most basic freedoms outlined in the founding documents of the United States. Religious freedom is under attack in America, and we wont stand on the sidelines and watch, Davis said in a statement. To threaten religious freedom is to threaten America itself. College of the Ozarks will not allow politicians to erode this essential American right or the ideals that shaped Americas founding. College of the Ozarks is colloquially known as "Hard Work U" as all students work while they are students on campus and receive tuition-free four-year degrees. In a statement on its website about the lawsuit, the liberal arts college said that it "holds to the Christian belief that biological sex is not changeable, and it operates its dorms accordingly." "The Colleges sincerely held religious beliefs influence their policies, including dormitory policies, which prohibit male students from living in female residence halls, and vice versa." Commenting on the lawsuit on Twitter Friday, evangelist Franklin Graham praised the school for its "bold stand" and asked, "Can you believe this government overreach?" The HUD directive that reinterprets "sex" to include gender identity follows the Biden administration's executive order signed on his first day in office "Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation" which directed federal agencies within 100 days to adjust their policies to do likewise. The Jan. 20 order cited the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that firing someone on the basis of "transgender status" was a form of sex discrimination that is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the section pertaining to employment. The high court ruled only on workplace discrimination and did not speak to other areas of public policy, such as housing or education. Click here to read the full article. Netflix head of global TV Bela Bajaria says that staying authentically local is key to global success for the giant streaming platform. Speaking at the opening day of the annual Asia Pacific focused APOS conference, a virtual affair for the second year in a row due to COVID-19, Bajaria said that the localization process is led by on-ground leadership. Bajaria described extraordinary empowered, local decision makers, who make the decisions in their own time zone in their own country and in their own language. Bajaria said that traditionally, Hollywood has exported stories around the world, but that model is changing. Now what were doing is exporting local authentic stories and shows everywhere around the world, Bajaria said. All of these stories are different points of view, a different lens and very specific cultural lens. This approach is being adopted in Asia as well. (It) is very important to us is to be part of the local ecosystem, Bajaria added. We are not trying to come in and do American things in Asia, or try to do a different model. The shows that have been the most successful globally have been the most authentic and the most specific, said Bajaria. To do that and to do it well, you have to have a local team on the ground which has great taste, great relationships and knows how to back those visions. Bajaria pointed to the global success of culture-specific shows like Barbarians from Germany, Lupin from France, Who Killed Sara? from Mexico and Space Sweepers from Korea as shining examples of the local global. The executive also highlighted how international viewing of anime has grown by 100%, viewing of Korean dramas has tripled, and how non-English viewing in the U.S. has grown by 50%. So its not just one countrys shows that travel, Bajaria said. Bajaria said that the pandemic affected production at different times in the 20 countries where Netflix is making shows. Certain countries or certain linear networks (suffered when) everythings shut down at the same time in the country. We didnt have that. We were sort of staggering where countries started shutting down and when countries started coming back up, she said. Korea was one of the best early responders to the pandemic and Bajaria said that production continued there. She said that the firms Korean slate is pretty solid and the streamer is ahead of schedule for 2021 content from the territory. Regarding Japan, Bajaria said that in addition to anime, the streamer is investing in live action, such as The Naked Director, and also in non-fiction. Were very excited about also really expanding more into original content and the non-fiction side in Japan, Bajaria said. Bajaria has ethnic Indian roots, said confirmed a personal affinity towards India. She remarked that India did not have the kind of strong local team like other territories until Monika Shergill was hired to build a diverse local slate in 2019. The company was hitherto best known for crime drama Sacred Games. I think sometimes when were in a country, we make the first couple shows people externally and even sometimes internally perceive us as just (producing) premium or edgy dramas, said Bajaria. We want to please many more members than that. The executive points towards the robust, slate of more than 40 Indian titles unveiled in March, and talks up women-centric drama Bombay Begums and the upcoming second season of International Emmy-winning series Delhi Crime. She also spoke about having a wider breadth of shows from India, including those suitable for family viewing. For all of this local content, to be honest, the focus is always massive local impact, thats the most important thing Bajaria said. And if it travels, thats great, but we really want to make sure we are super serving the local audience. Bajaria was in conversation with Vivek Couto, executive director & co-founder of consultancy firm Media Partners Asia, organizer of the conference. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. MOSCOW, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) and Laboratorios Richmond SACIF pharmaceutical company today announced the production of the first batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus in Argentina. Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to start the production of Sputnik V. RDIF and partners facilitated the technology transfer to Laboratorios Richmond. The first batch will be shipped to the Gamaleya Center for the quality control. Full-scale production of the vaccine is due to start in June. Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to officially register Sputnik V. The vaccine was registered in the country under the emergency use authorization procedure and vaccination against coronavirus with the Russian vaccine started on December, 29 2020. Sputnik V produced in Argentina could be exported to countries of Central and Latin America at a later stage. To date Sputnik V has been registered in 60 countries globally with total population of 3 billion people. Efficacy of Sputnik V is 97.6% based on the analysis of data on coronavirus infection rate among those in Russia vaccinated with both components of Sputnik V from December 5, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors and 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. Alberto Fernandez, President of Argentina, commented: "We are very excited about the possibility of producing Sputnik V in Argentina, a vaccine with which we are already protecting a large part of our population with excellent results. It will be a great opportunity to advance in the fight against the pandemic not only in Argentina, but also in Latin America." Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said: "Argentina was the first country of Latin America to approve Sputnik V and begin using it to vaccinate the population. Today we are delighted to announce that Argentina has become the first country of the region to launch the production of Sputnik V thanks to parthership between RDIF and Laboratorios Richmond. Sputnik V is approved in more than 10 countries of Latin and Central America and production in Argentina will help facilitate deliveries to other partners in the region." Marcelo Figueiras, President of Richmond Laboratories, said: "Laboratories Richmond is proud to have the support of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that relied on our scientific and technical platform to produce the Sputnik V vaccine in Argentina. We celebrate this recognition that we will reward with work, commitment and professionalism, to facilitate availability of the vaccine in the shortest possible time for Argentina and the entire Latin American region." Sputnik V has a number of key advantages: Efficacy of Sputnik V is 97.6% based on the analysis of data on the coronavirus infection rate among those in Russia vaccinated vaccinated with both components of Sputnik V from December 5, 2020 to March 31, 2021 ; The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, which cause the common cold and have been around for thousands of years. Sputnik V 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. The safety, efficacy and lack of negative long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines have been proven by more than 250 clinical studies over two decades. There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik V. The storage temperature of Sputnik V at +2+8 C means it can be stored in a conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure. The price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world. Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB2 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1140939/Russian_Direct_Investment_Fund_Logo.jpg SOURCE The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) "In 2018 we pivoted toward growing industrial hemp for non-THC cannabinoids. Expanding from our expertise in hops, we quickly realized terpene rich feminized, high CBD genetics need to be on Health Canada's List of Approved Cultivars. Today, we see a landmark change toward feminized seed and we are proud to offer two of the best cultivars available to Canadian farmers.", remarked Dwayne Stewart Painted Lady and Eighty-Eight are patented genetic varieties developed by Davis Farms of Oregon LLC. BC Hop Company Ltd. has the exclusive distribution rights for these award-winning cultivars in Canada Expert plant breeder and owner of Davis Farms of Oregon Jeremy Klettke explains "We chose to partner with BC Hop Company because they have a history of getting things done right, as this accomplishment shows." A cultivar is a unique and proprietary plant variety achieved through selective breeding. Both Painted Lady and Eighty-Eight are frost tolerant, mold and mildew resistant, rapid to root and thrive in moderate climates. They are high in terpenes (aroma and flavour creators) and are resistant to pests. Painted Lady has profiles of lemon grass and citrus with fuel like undertones. Eighty-Eight's profile hints of earthy tones with a honey and sweet citrus aroma. ABOUT DAVIS FARMS At Davis Farms their primary focus has been on breeding, to produce cannabinoid and terpene rich varieties of feminized industrial hemp seed. Their genetics are proven and selected for production based on several agronomic and performance factors. These genetics were created through an extensive research & development process, selected over many years of trialing across a wide cross section of plants. Breeding hemp for different microclimate challenges and latitudes is a key part of what they do. ABOUT BC HOP COMPANY: Founded in 2015, BC Hop Company Ltd. specializes in growing and processing plants for food and medicine. In 2018 they expanded beyond hops and began serving the Canadian Cannabis extractors and have since grown to be the premier provider of industrial hemp for extraction in Canada. Their flagship REx prepared-for-extract hemp is used by leading cannabis companies to create CBD extracts and concentrates for innovative medical, recreational, and health and wellness products throughout the legalized cannabis marketplace. LINKS: Website: https://www.loacseeds.ca/ Website: https://www.bchop.co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bchopcompany/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bchopco/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bc-hop-company-ltd/ SOURCE BC Hop Company Ltd. For further information: Dwayne Stewart, [email protected], 1 866 500 2844 The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has resolved to declare an industrial action nationwide if the Kaduna State government goes ahead with its plans to sack civil servants. The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. Mr Wabba did not explain the appropriateness of shutting down other states of the federation over an action taken by Kaduna State. Last week, Governor Nasir El-Rufai announced the plan to disengage civil servants in the state, citing fiscal reasons. Mr El-Rufai said a significant amount of the statutory federal allocations to the state is being spent on the wages of public servants. According to the governor, the decision was one of the necessary moves to salvage the states finances. Therefore, the state government has no choice but to shed some weight and reduce the size of the public service. It is a painful but necessary step to take, for the sake of the majority of the people of this state, the governor was quoted in a statement. The public service of the state with less than 100,000 employees and their families cannot be consuming more than 90% of government resources, with little left to positively impact the lives of the more than 9 million that are not political appointees or civil servants. It is gross injustice for such a micro minority to consume the majority of the resources of the State, Mr El-Rufai said. Although silent on the number of workers to be sacked, the state promised to work with the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAS) to expedite payments of the contributory pension benefits to cushion the effect of the disengagement. Mr El-Rufai also vowed to give preferential treatment to those disengaged that are willing to take advantage of the state governments various agricultural and entrepreneurship development schemes. Displeased with Kaduna Apparently displeased with the plan, Mr Wabba said the decision of the Kaduna government falls short of the legal process of redundancy in the Labour Act. He has violated the fundamental law that guides redundancy. Section 20 of the Labour Act. It provided three very important points that must be addressed before you declare redundancy. Item 1 says the employer shall inform the trade union, or workers representatives in this case, about the extent of anticipated redundancy. So, before you even anticipate, you must first inform the union which is the workers representatives. Mr Wabba said the Kaduna governor failed to consult with the trade union or negotiate the payments to the workers to be disengaged. The NLC President also disputed Mr El-Rufais claims and figures on the amount expended on salaries of civil servants. What he (El-Rufai) quoted as what is being paid to workers as salary is not correct because we are aware that he included the salary of political office holders. Mr Wabba, however, did not provide what the correct figure should be. He also said 90 per cent of over 20,000 teachers laid off by the El-Rufai-led administration in 2017 are yet to be paid their terminal benefits. PREMIUM TIMES is unable to confirm this as of the time this report was published Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Looming strike Mr Wabba said the NLC at a meeting of its National Representatives Council decided that the workers in the state should down their tools, after which a nationwide solidarity strike will follow if Mr El-Rufai insists on the planned retrenchment. So as I speak to you, that decision has already been taken by the national representatives council. The national executive council of the TUC and NLC will meet on Thursday to actually adopt that decision. When it is adopted were going to give you specific dates time on our that that decision will be taken, he told PREMIUM TIMES. He added that the NLC has written to President Muhammadu Buhari to call the governor to order. Meanwhile, a spokesperson to the Kaduna Governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, was yet to respond to enquiries on the number of those to be sacked and allegations levelled by the NLC President. Mr Adekeye acknowledged the receipt of PREMIUM TIMES questions on Monday morning but was yet to send his reply as of the time of this report. Following the upward review of the nations minimum wage to N30,000 in 2019 and the reduction in revenues as a result of the drop in oil price, states of the federation have been having difficulty paying salaries and allowances of their workers. In March, the Kano State government slashed the salaries of its political office holders by 50 per cent. Later it announced that it was reverting to the N18,000 minimum wage regime for civil servants. Ukraine has passed the peak of the third coronavirus (COVID-19) wave, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said. "The height of infections is now over. We saw nearly 13,500 fewer cases over the past week than we did the week before. The same happened to hospitalizations, which reduced by 3,500," Stepanov said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday. There are 12 regions in the red zone, the minister said, adding that the situation had been the most difficult in Kyiv (about 75% of hospital beds with oxygen supply are occupied), as well as Kyiv region (70%), Odesa region (73%), Sumy region (69.5%), Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 11:13:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BOAO, Hainan, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China is aiming to upgrade its domestic retail system by further developing its digital currency. Gradual steps will expand its use via trials, according to the country's monetary authorities and experts. The development of the digital yuan initially targets China's vast retail market of 1.4 billion people, said Zhou Xiaochuan, former governor of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank. "We hope to offer the public a more convenient and effective payment method via technological progress," Zhou told a sub-forum of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference. Zhou is also the vice chairman of the forum. China began piloting its digital currency in selected regions across the country at the end of 2019. The currency is expected to be issued by the country's central bank and legally backed by the government as an alternative to paper money. During the pilot programs in cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, and Suzhou, businesses such as groceries, daily necessities, and catering, among others, already supported payments using the digital yuan. The trials have so far been very successful, according to Li Bo, deputy governor of the central bank. Li particularly noted that controllable anonymity, an ideal feature of the digital yuan, has been realized to both help protect user privacy and stamp out financial crimes. China will steadily advance the research and development of digital currencies and actively participate in the formulation of international rules and technical standards. These rules apply to data security, digital currencies, and data tax, according to the outline of the country's 14th five-year plan for national economic and social development and the long-range objectives through the year 2035. "There is no detailed timetable on the progress of the digital yuan," said Li. He added that there are still things to be done before the nationwide rollout of the digital currency, including increasing the number of trials and expanding its scope. Li said authorities are considering launching trials in more cities and having them cover more usage scenarios to enhance the eco-system of the digital yuan. Efforts will also go into boosting the infrastructure for the yuan's digitalization to improve the security and reliability of the system and to establish a legal and regulatory framework to monitor relevant businesses, Li told the forum. Zhou, meanwhile, stressed that both digital currencies and digital assets should closely serve the real economy, which is a substantial consideration in China's financial regulatory policy creation. Speaking of the use of central bank digital currencies in cross-border payments, Zhou highlighted its complexity as every country needs to ensure its monetary sovereignty. "The priority of the yuan's digitalization is currently to promote its domestic use," said Li. China will cooperate with global partners to work out a cross-border payment solution for digital currencies over time, Li said. Enditem Bengaluru legislators and MPs on Monday unanimously favoured imposing Section I44 - prohibition of unlawful assembly of people instead of enforcing measures like lockdown, partial or night curfew. After the meeting convened by the Revenue Minister, R. Ashoka who also heads the state disaster management committee, that was also attended by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa virtually, Pradesh Congress Committee working president, R. Ramalinga Reddy told reporters that they (Congress) were completely opposed to measures like lockdowns and nigh curfew. "We have suggested that if at all the state government was planning to enforce lockdown, then the state government must take steps to pay at least Rs 25,000 per account in the state, which roughly translates to Rs 15,000 crore. This amount is for the poor people to look after their families," he said. He added that there was no need for such measures as it would be appropriate to impose Section 144, which will automatically prevent people coming out in groups and restrict people's gathering. Launching an attack on the government, Reddy charged that the meeting convened by the minister, Ashoka was just an eyewash and outcome of this meeting will have to be waited till Tuesday. "Yediyurappa who attended this meeting virtually has assured us that our concerns will be addressed appropriately during all party meetings on Tuesday," he said. He accused that neither Revenue minister, Ashoka nor the health minister, K. Sudhakar had answers about shortage of drugs, beds and oxygen in hospitals. "Despite having an year's experience tackling pandemic like this, they have failed miserably. They should have equipped themselves as soon as the second wave had hit the neighbouring state Kerala. But, unfortunately, they audaciously waited Covid to knock at their doors and then they woke up. This is an irony of this government, which lacks depth in handling crises like this magnitude," he slammed. Meanwhile, Congress party senior leader, C.M. Ibrahim told reporters that the Bengaluru legislators have appealed to the Karnataka government to take steps to clear doubts about Covid vaccines. "People are questioning us that some people are dying in a short duration after the vaccine is given. This is where the government's role comes in. They must take steps to allay fears," he said. He also added that the government must take steps to give decent burial to Covind deaths. "First of all government lacks clarity on many issues, when we question them, they do not even have proper response or solution to a problem," he said. --IANS nbh/pgh (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.) Baroness Betty Boothroyd is selling a haul of gifts she received during her impressive political career - because they won't fit inside her new country cottage. The 91-year-old former MP, who is the only woman to have been elected Speaker of the Commons, is auctioning off around 40 decorative items that tell the story of her colourful working life. The treasures include a gift box given to her by the late Russian president Boris Yeltsin during her eight years as Speaker, two Victorian crystal chandeliers and a decanter from the Royal Navy. A limited-edition ceramic figure of Lawrence of Arabia riding on a camel, which is one of only six made, will also go under the hammer to fetch an estimated 350. Baroness Boothroyd is parting with the gifts after downsizing from her London home to a small cottage in South Cambridgeshire, which she says is too small to accommodate them. Baroness Betty Boothroyd (seen with her Lawrence of Arabia ceramic figure) is auctioning off around 40 decorative items including gifts she was presented with during her political career The treasures include a gift box given to her by the late Russian president Boris Yeltsin (above). It is expected it will fetch between 30 and 50 at auction She said: 'I've just got to get on with it. I've cherished every single thing but I have to let go. 'I have loved everything. They're a reminder of a colourful life. But I am downsizing. 'It's an awful thing but that's the way it is, and there's no alternative. What are the items expected to fetch at auction on April 24? The ornamental box given to Baroness Boothroyd by Boris Yeltsin is expected to fetch between 30 and 50. A pewter beer jug engraved with the inscription 'All Party Parliamentary Beer Group' is set to fetch between 40 and 60. The Lawrence of Arabia figure is the most expensive item in the sale and is expected to fetch between 250 and 350. The St Petersburg Navy decanter and tumblers are expected to fetch between 30 and 50. Two Victorian chandeliers are expected to sell for between 100 and 200. A necklace worn by Baroness Boothroyd during her time as House of Commons Speaker is expected to fetch between 50 and 100. The cheapest item are a pair of green and white table lamps which have an estimated price of between 5 and 10. Advertisement 'I am moving to a country cottage in South Cambridgeshire. 'It's a lovely old place with beams but it hasn't got the deep windowsills or space I would need to display all the items I have in London. 'It's taken me a long time to go through everything. 'I am parting with lovely things I've collected over the years, or which were given to me as gifts during my public life. 'These little mementos, some bought during my travels to colourful countries like Cuba, mean so much. They're my life story.' One of the prized items which is expected to fetch thousands is an ornamental box given to her by Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia. Baroness Boothroyd said: 'I entertained President Yeltsin during a trip to London. 'He kissed my hand and gratefully presented me with the little box, which has a note inside from him. 'That would have been during the time I was Speaker between 1992 and 2000. 'Another object I absolutely love is a large, limited-edition ceramic figure of Lawrence of Arabia riding on a camel. It's one of only six. 'It was given to me when I was president of the All-Party Defence Group. 'When I left, they couldn't decide whether to give me something relating to the Army, Navy or Airforce so came up with Lawrence.' Other items set to go under the hammer include Baroness Boothroyd's mirror from her dressing room which includes a photo of her, costume jewellery, two pairs of Victorian crystal chandeliers and a ship's flat-bottomed decanter and glasses presented to her by the British Navy in St Petersburg, Russia. She said: 'I'm very sorry to have to part with them. 'The mirror is beautiful and has a distressed frame and the decanter and its matching glasses are lovely. 'As for the costume jewellery, I'm someone who likes to wear something different every day and have a little something to match to my outfits.' The Baroness Betty Boothroyd Collection will be sold at Hansons London, Teddington, on April 24. Also among the items are a ship's decanter and glasses presented by the Royal Navy. They are estimated to be worth up to 50 A limited-edition ceramic figure of Lawrence of Arabia riding on a camel, which is one of only six ever made, will also go under the hammer. It is expected to sell for between 250 and 350 Auctioneer Chris Kirkham said: 'It's been an absolute pleasure to meet Baroness Boothroyd and catalogue her items. 'This is an extraordinary opportunity to buy something owned by one of the most impressive women British politics has ever known. 'She brought order to the House of Commons. Now she's decided it's time to bring more order to her life by downsizing. 'For anyone who's admired her down-to-earth demeanor, remarkable achievements and ability to rise to the top in the male-dominated world of British politics, here's a unique chance to own a part of her life story. 'Baroness Boothroyd is a woman who's truly excelled. 'She's mixed with the great and the good including royalty and major political leaders like South Africa's Nelson Mandela and former American president Bill Clinton. The ornamental box, given to the Baroness by Yeltsin, is expected to fetch between 30 and 50 at auction Baroness Betty Boothroyd will also part with a signed autobiography on tape 'She's also received an Order of Merit, a rare honour given at the Queen's discretion. 'The Baroness puts her success down to being an only child who had to fight her own battles and just get on with it. 'That may be the case but her inner strength is extra special. 'She said lockdown hadn't bothered her at all as she was used to isolation and had lived through so much.' Ever since he got nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Made In Heaven, Arjun Mathur has become a household name. However, there is much more to him than that. After all, he has been in the industry for 17 years and seen the industry evolve from close quarters. Instagram/arjun__mathur An immensely talented actor, who started his training at Barry Johns Acting Studio, Arjun, knew right from the beginning that he wanted to be an actor. But what kind of an actor? Well, thats a question that perplexed him when he was younger. Instagram/arjun__mathur So, has he found the answer to that question? We found out when we sat with him for a riveting and free-flowing conversation, where we spoke about the changing scene of the Indian OTT space, him working as an assistant director, and his work beyond Made In Heaven. Following are the edited excerpts: Instagram/arjun__mathur You decided to become an actor, right after your schooling. Which actors inspired you to take up the craft? I grew up watching the masala films of the 1980s, so that has impacted me a lot. I grew up watching actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and the three Khans. I grew up idolising them. So straight after school, it was Barry John's institute, the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York for me. Instagram/arjun__mathur You worked behind the camera, before taking up acting. What made you switch, or rather what made you stay with acting? Although I am grateful for the opportunities that I got as an Assitant Director and working under the directors that I worked with, I always wanted to be an actor, that has always been the plan. I remember whenever I used to say this when I was young, the follow-up question would always be what sort of an actor. I did not have an answer back then, because I always thought, an actor is an actor, are there any differences? Instagram/arjun__mathur What would your answer be today, when asked what kind of an actor would like to be? I think I want to be someone like Irrfan, and Naseeruddin Shah, actors who really know what they are doing, and have reached the pinnacle of their craft. When you were working on Made In Heaven did you ever think that an Emmy nomination was in the cards? What was your first reaction when you received news of your nomination? We never thought of that, not at least when we started working on the show. The year before we started, Inside Edge had received a nomination, so we were aware that Indian OTT shows do get nominated, they have that reach, but no one thought of anything like that while we were working. When I was told that they were sending Made In Heaven for consideration, all I thought was Oh, cool, and that was that, I did not give it a second thought after that. When I learnt of my nomination, it was a surreal moment, to say the least. Instagram/arjun__mathur Has that nomination changed how people, mainly your co-actors behave around you? Not at all. I mean people, especially my directors, my fellow actors, all congratulated me, wished me well, but then, it was all back to business. On a set the focus is always on getting the job done. Has the nomination changed the kind of roles youre getting offered? Yes, there have been some changes, in the sense that I get more offers now. The kind of roles has become varied as well. Instagram/arjun__mathur The portrayal of LGBTQ characters have been sort of caricaturish, even in movies or shows that try to break stereotypes, and try to be responsible. Does that make Made In Heaven an outlier, or is the situation really changing? I dont think that Made In Heaven is an outlier at all. See, the people who you refer to, will continue to make such films because their sensibilities allow them to. Actors and directors whose sensibilities do not allow that sort of stuff wont work on those projects. There have been directors who have dealt with the topic in a very sensitive, and realistic manner, without resorting to caricatures. I did a film with Onir, I am, where I played a gay character, and I think it was portrayed very realistically all with its grey and dark undertones. Instagram/arjun__mathur How would you say has the Hindi film industry evolved? How big was OTTs contribution to that, or would it have happened, irrespective of OTT? Unfortunately, our film industry is a little slow to change. However, luckily, there have been some massive changes, mainly because of the audience. For a long time, we were making the same film again, and again, we were making films by a formula and calling them masala films. Now, the situation is changing, but we are not there yet. And yes, OTT platforms and OTT viewership has been instrumental in this shift. OTT platforms allow directors and artists to tell stories in an unrestrained manner. Now, with the changes in policies governing OTT platforms, that is set to change. Everyone will start playing safe, because, at the end of the day, this too is a business. Mediocrity is bound to creep in. Instagram/arjun__mathur We see so many actors and filmmakers get a voice and space for themselves, all thanks to OTT platforms. Is oversaturation ever a concern, or is the Indian OTT space large enough for all sorts of voices? I personally believe that oversaturation is a concern. Take the Indian television industry as an example. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, we had some amazing shows, with some very great concepts. Then, everything went downhill. I am afraid that something similar will happen with the Indian OTT space. I personally have to say no to about 80 per cent of the scripts that I get, because they are simply not something that I would want to get associated with, my sensibilities will not allow me to say yes to them. I think actors need to be responsible in their sensibilities, to what do they say yes to. Instagram/arjun__mathur How challenging was making a series like The Gone Game? It was great fun, but technically challenging as well. The show was conceptualised, shot and finished all during the lockdown. We all set up our own shots, lighting, everything, and the directors and everyone co-ordinated over video conferencing. We all had help in some way from the other. Like, my partner helped me a lot with the set-up and everything. I also happen to have the countrys best cinematographer as my neighbour, so yes, I had help. It was really a great experience, shooting our individual portions, in our separate bubbles. Instagram/arjun__mathur What can you tell us about Lord Curzon Ki Haveli? This is a project that I was very keen on working in. It is a dark comedy, set in a haveli, and we were supposed shoot it this year. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, we had to postpone the principal photography. We have a great cast in Parambrata (Chatterjee), Rasika (Duggal), and I am really keen on working with Anshuman (Jha). Lets see what happens, hopefully, things get sorted soon. Instagram/arjun__mathur Apart from Made In Heaven Season 2 & Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, what else are you working on? Apart from these two, I am also working on The Gone Game Season 2, and U Special, a series that was commissioned by Lionsgate Play. So yeah, there are quite a few things that I am looking forward to. Instagram/arjun__mathur An actor, is there a particular genre that you enjoy the most? It is actually a funny answer. The one genre that I really want to work in, is the one genre that nobody is offering me. I really want to do something in comedy. I guess I have that image of a very serious guy, so those are the only kind of roles I am getting. Almonty Industries Inc. ("Almonty" or the "Company") (TSX: AII OTCQX: ALMTF Frankfurt: ALI.F) is pleased to announce that it has closed two previously anticipated private placements and secured binding commitments from existing shareholders and insiders on a convertible debenture. The private placements were agreed prior to the recent appreciation of the share price with existing European shareholders and the Company felt that it was appropriate to honor the price agreed from that time. The pricing was for 2,000,000 shares at $0.85 per share and 308,333 shares at $0.90 per share for a grand total of US$1,579,358. The Company has also procured an additional US$8,010,642m of executed binding commitments from existing shareholders and insiders, linked to an unsecured 5% p.a. convertible debenture with a $1.05 strike price. The binding funding trigger for this convert is 5 business days prior to the financial close of the KfW-IPEX US$75.1m loan which is now due to occur shortly. The prospectus for the ASX Listing is nearing completion and will be submitted to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and ASX around the same time as the Company's audited financials are filed and released shortly. Almonty's Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Black commented: "As a shareholder owning more than 20,000,000 shares of the Company, I cannot state enough the importance to all shareholders that the financing of our Sangdong project had to be done in a way that ensured the maximum value upside was preserved for the benefit of all of our shareholders, both large and small. Every one of our shareholders have played an essential part in seeing this happen. The longevity of our Sangdong project meant this financing had to be constructed in a way to ensure that all shareholders will be able to benefit from the enormous value contained in this longevity. From major shareholders like the Plansee Group who have committed nearly US$40m to this financing, and Deutsche Rohstoff who, as an insider, has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Almonty team to fight to preserve this current and future value for all shareholders with their constant participation, to our smaller retail shareholders whose patience and commitment have now seen the value of their investments continue to increase and will do so for many years to come as the value that we have preserved is continually released. What all our shareholders have achieved through their commitment is to have put the Sangdong project on the best possible footing for success. I will update the market next week on the first major phase construction that will be scheduled to commence shortly. I congratulate and thank each and every shareholder." About Almonty The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in northwestern Spain. The Los Santos mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in northwestern Spain. Further information about Almonty's activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Legal Notice The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information When used in this press release, the words "estimate," "project," "belief," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "plan," "predict," "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements and information are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almonty's current expectations. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate from which the sale price of Almonty's tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almonty's operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almonty's business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almonty's shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almonty's tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almonty's mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almonty's mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate, the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almonty's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005355/en/ Contacts: Almonty Lewis Black Chairman, President and CEO Telephone: +1 647 438-9766 Email: lewis.black@almonty.com A juror was dismissed for snoozing during the Florida murder trial of a man and his father accused of dismembering the man's wife. The alleged crime is shocking, but it was not enough to hold the attention of Juror 16, who fell asleep multiple times. ClickOrlando reported that the juror was dismissed Tuesday before the day's proceedings. The juror was replaced by an alternate who assumably hadn't been struggling to stay awake in court. The trial for Christopher Otero-Rivera and Angel Rivera in Osceola County, Florida took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when a juror was dismissed for falling asleep (trial shown) Christopher Otero-Rivera, 33, and his father, Angel Rivera, 64, are charged with second-degree murder in the 2019 death of Nicole Montalvo, 35, of St. Cloud. They also are charged with abuse of a body and evidence tampering. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Montalvo disappeared on October 21, 2019, after she dropped her 8-year-old son off at the Rivera household. Montalvo was found four days after she was reported missing on a property owned by the Riveras. Her remains were dismembered. Christopher Otero-Rivera (left) and Angel Rivera (right) are accused of second-degree murder Her body had been burned and mutilated, and the body parts were buried in different areas. Otero-Rivera and Montalvo shared a son, but were separated at the time of Montalvo's death. Monday brought more witness testimony in the trial, including from Christopher's mother and Angel's wife, Wanda, who testified about the positive relationship she had with Montalvo and her grandson. According to WFTV, Wanda testified that Nicole didn't mention any plans to go away prior to her disappearance. Nicole Montalvo, 35, was found with her body dismembered days after her disappearance Otero-Rivera and Rivera are being represented in their trial by separate attorneys. During opening statements, Otero-Rivera's attorney pointed the finger toward Rivera. 'He was unquestionably the boss of the Rivera family,' Otero-Rivera's lawyer said of Rivera last week. 'He controlled things. He manipulated things.' Her body was found in multiple locations on a property belonging to the Rivera family Her body was dismembered, with it placed in different places with burns and mutilations A former jailmate of Otero-Rivera, Dustin Gonzalez, also testified on Monday that Otero-Rivera wanted Gonzalez to plant drugs on Montalvo in exchange for bail money. That testimony included a reference to Rivera wanting Montalvo to disappear, according to ClickOrlando. The state's final witnesses were set to testify at the Osceloa County Courthouse on Tuesday morning, after which it will rest its case, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Some women claim to be experiencing irregular, heavy or painful menstrual periods following their COVID-19 vaccine. But experts said, while theyve heard of the phenomenon, theyre not sure what might be causing it, and they say it should not dissuade someone from getting the vaccine. Are there reports of funky periods? Yes. Do we have a ready explanation? I dont think so, said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine. Minkin said she has heard of women having heavy periods, cramping and other problems after getting the vaccine, but theres no biological reason for it. Minkin said there are multiple causes that can lead to irregular or difficult periods, including stress, so its still unclear whether there is a link between the vaccine and the period. However, two researchers Kate Clancy, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Katharine Lee, a postdoctoral scholar in the division of public health sciences at Washington University have been seeking participants in a study on the impact of the COVID vaccine on the menstrual cycle. According to a research consent form now online, women who participate in the study will take a survey that asks about the timing of their vaccines, menstrual cycles and menstrual period. This research study is about your experiences with your period or other menstrual bleeding (such as spotting) and associated symptoms after receiving at least one dose of a vaccine for COVID-19, the form reads. Side effects are a common and even an important element of the vaccine response, and bleeding patterns can be an important way to understand how our immune systems are activated. Clancy had previously posted on Twitter, looking for anyone who had irregular periods following vaccination. A colleague told me she has heard from others that their periods were heavy post-vax, Clancy posted on Feb. 24. Im curious whether other menstruators have noticed changes too? Im a week and a half out from dose 1 of Moderna, got my period maybe a day or so early, and am gushing like Im in my 20s again. In addition to Minkin, obstetrician/gynecology Dr. Daniel Gottschall said he hadnt heard from patients having irregular periods after vaccination, but pointed out the vaccine is still relatively new. In Connecticut, most women young enough to still be menstruating werent eligible to receive a vaccine until about eight weeks ago, said Gottschall, vice president of medical affairs for the Fairfield region of Hartford HealthCare and St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport. There were some young women including health care workers who were eligible for the vaccine sooner, but Gottschall said its still too early in the process to know what the effects are on this population. I dont think theres a good cause and effect of how we understand the virus to work and how it might affect the menstrual cycle, he said. Even if there is a connection, Minkin and Gottschall said that shouldnt dissuade women from getting the vaccine. Everything has a risk/benefit, but the risks of this vaccination are very, very, very small, Gottschall said. Minkin agreed. If somebodys got menstrual pain, we can take care of it, she said. But we have a much harder time dealing with the COVID itself. A cold front bringing a polar blast of air has sent temperatures plummeting in parts of southeastern Australia, with residents also bracing for heavy showers, hail and snow. The front moved in over Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia on Tuesday morning, with temperatures in Melbourne falling from a peak of 19C at 10:30am to 13C less than 90 minutes later. The temperature in the city is expected to drop even further in the afternoon as cold, gusty winds associated with the front move in. The expected low of 9C in Melbourne will feel more like 4C thanks to the chilly winds, Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathon How said. Pictured, a satellite image shows a cold front moving across parts of southeastern Australia on Tuesday morning, which is bringing showers, cold winds, hail and alpine snow The cold front will bring snow down to 700metres in Tasmania, 1200metres in Victoria and 1400metres in NSW. Pictured is Warburton in Victoria last week 'The cold front is bring very icy conditions across the southern parts of South Australia, Victoria, including Melbourne, and in Tasmania,' Mr How said. The front dropped temperatures in Hobart from an early high of 16C to just 9C by midday and saw almost 20mm of rain fall in Mount Gambier, South Australia in the morning. Parts of Melbourne are also set to be lashed by up to 30mm of rain in the afternoon, with an alert issued for drivers to reduce their speed and keep a greater distance between the vehicle in front. Hail is also possible in the city in the afternoon. A strong wind warning is in place for Victoria's Port Phillip, Western Port, Gippsland Lakes, West Coast, Central Coast, Central Gippsland Coast and East Gippsland Coast areas, with gusts of up to 100km/h expected. Mr How said snow will fall to 700metres in Tasmania, 1200metres in Victoria and 1400metres in New South Wales and while there will not be heavy falls, there will be a 'decent dusting'. Up to 30mm of rain is expected to fall across parts of Victoria on Tuesday afternoon The cold front moved across South Australia's Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula on Tuesday morning, bringing almost 20mm of rain The rain behind the cold front will quickly dry out but temperatures will still be cool on Wednesday - Melbourne will get to a high of 15C, which is about 4C below average for April. Meanwhile, in North Queensland, towns between Cairns and South Mission Beach are expected to see daily rainfall totals of up to 300mm this week due to a nearby coastal trough. 'Northeast tropical Queensland likely to face daily totals of 100-150mm over coming days with isolated heavier totals up to 300mm possible,' BOM posted on Twitter on Monday afternoon. Just a touch south, Innisfail, Babinda and Tully received 24-hour rainfall totals of between 200-260mm on Monday. Parts of Queensland will see daily rainfall totals of up to 300mm, with flood warnings in place for two areas. File image A moderate flood warning has been issued for the Mulgrave River and minor flood warning is in place for the Russell River. 'Further widespread rainfall totals up to 235 mm were recorded in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday, with the heaviest rainfall recorded near the coast in the Russell River catchment,' BOM said. 'Further moderate to locally heavy rainfall is possible during Tuesday and Wednesday.' Appearing at a time when disco and punk were in vogue, Bat Out of Hell was defiantly different. It contained only seven songs, all of them heavy on drama and influenced by the opera music Mr. Steinman had loved since he was a boy. In an era of three-minute songs, the title track, which opens the record and is about a motorcycle crash, is a mini-opera in itself, clocking in at 9 minutes 48 seconds. Another track, Paradise by the Dashboard Light, is almost eight and a half minutes long and includes a segment in which Phil Rizzuto, the Yankee broadcaster and former star shortstop, narrates a sexual tug of war between Meat Loafs horny male character and a resistant female, a part sung by Ellen Foley. Bat Out of Hell sold slowly at first but eventually took off, propelled by Meat Loafs exhaustive touring and some favorable radio play in a few markets. It was one of Mr. Steinmans earliest successes, and it had recently come full circle in a sense: Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, a stage production written by Mr. Steinman, opened in Manchester, England, in 2017. Its story, a sort of post-apocalyptic Peter Pan, was something Mr. Steinman had envisioned almost 50 years ago. This was meant to be a musical, Meat Loaf told The New York Times in 2019, when the show had a brief run at New York City Center in Manhattan. I made it a rock show. Jimmy turned it around and made a musical. Thats what he wanted it to be. Meat Loaf and Mr. Steinman collaborated again on Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, a 1993 album that yielded another Meat Loaf hit, Id Do Anything for Love (but I Wont Do That). Among many other songs, Mr. Steinman also wrote Its All Coming Back to Me Now, a Top 10 hit for Celine Dion in 1996. The Sindhi Foundation is conducting a Long Walk to support the fight against human rights violations in the Sindh province in Pakistan. The walk, which began in New York City April 7, will end in Washington, D.C., April 29. (ANI photo) Maxine Waters, 82, is facing an intense amount of backlash for her Saturday comments calling for rioters to engage in 'more confrontation' as they await the ruling against Derek Chauvin. 'We've got to stay on the street and we've got to get more active, we've got to get more confrontational,' Waters demanded of rioters as she broke curfew to join them on the streets of Minneapolis over the weekend. The judge in Chauvin's case, where he is charged with murdering George Floyd during an arrest on May 25, acknowledged Waters' comments could be grounds for an appeal from the defense. Republicans have also lashed out at her comments and are seeking a censure and to strip Waters of her committee assignments for 'inciting violence.' The congresswoman has a long history of defending violent protests and riots and using inciteful language to encourage such acts. California Congressman Maxine Waters was in Minnesota on Saturday evening, saying that demonstrators needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' WHO IS MAXINE WATERS? Waters grew up in the projects of St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Los Angeles with her family after graduating high school in 1961 where she attended college and started her political career. She was the fifth of 13 children and was raised by a single mom after her father left when she was two. Notably, as a young woman in the 1950s she bused tables as a restaurant chain in St. Louis that refused to serve black customers. When she was taking a break, Waters had to eat her meals in the basement of the restaurant with other black workers. Maxine Waters (left) pictured April 1973 in Los Angeles Waters said she was never ashamed of her past working in that restaurant or depending on welfare for food and a roof. In 1976, Waters became a California State Assemblywoman and was the first woman to become Assembly Democratic Caucus head. In the 1980s, Waters became a strong advocate for affirmative actions so southern California colleges were forced to admit more black people into their schools to even out the diversity of the student body. Part of her championing that cause required a series of bills that decade, including one that authorized expenditure of $560 million in bond funds as part of a larger effort for the state to steer 15% of its contracts to minority-owned businesses and 5% to companies owned by women. Waters was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Californias 29th congressional district in 1990. CALLED 1992 LA RIOTS A 'REBELLION' Waters was vocal during the deadly LA Riots in 1992. She refused to call the violence a riot, instead dubbing it a 'rebellion' even though her office was burned down during the unrest. The riots ensued after the acquittal of four LAPD officers who beat Rodney King, a black man. A video of the incident was captured and circulated. 'There are those who would like for me to tell people to go inside, to be peaceful, that they have to accept the verdict,' Waters said during a 1992 press conference. 'I accept the responsibility of asking people not to endanger their lives. I am not asking people not to be angry,' she continued. 'I am angry, and I have a right to that anger, and the people out there have a right to that anger.' The death toll from the riots reached 64, which included nine shot by law enforcement. Of the dead, 28 were black. Reports at the time indicate as many as 2,383 people were injured in some capacity. Maxine Waters comments on the widespread LA riots during a press conference in 1992: 'There are those who would like for me to tell people to go inside, to be peaceful, that they have to accept the verdict' Waters insisted that the majority of the looting in LA during that time was just so poor mothers could get necessities for their children. At the time, she called the violence 'a spontaneous reaction to a lot of injustice and a lot of alienation and frustration.' 'There were mothers who took this as an opportunity to take some milk, to take some bread, to take some shoes. Maybe they shouldn't have done it, but the atmosphere was such that they did it. They are not crooks,' Waters defended while speaking on Michael Jackson's KABC radio talk show in 1992. She also told a Los Angeles Times reporter at the time: 'One lady said her children didn't have any shoes. She just saw those shoes there, a chance for all of her children to have new shoes. God damn it! It was such a tear-jerker. I might have gone in and taken them for her myself.' Waters said her office burning down in the riots was not personal. She said she wasn't 'angry at all' and the office was just 'one of the victims of the rebellion.' Waters and then-President Bill Clinton tour Los Angeles in May 1992 after rioters burnt buildings to the ground in violent riots TOLD SUPPORTERS IN 2018 TO PUBLICLY CONFRONT TRUMP OFFICIALS In June 2018, Waters told people to harass Trump cabinet members and other administration officials in public after the then-president imposed a 'zero tolerance' policy for illegal immigration at the southern border. 'Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up,' Waters said during a rally in LA. 'And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out, and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere,' she said. Trump's policies led to the separation of parents from their children after illegally crossing into the U.S. 'Mr. President, we will see you every day, every hour of the day, everywhere that we are to let you know you cannot get away with this,' Waters said at the rally. During a 2018 rally, Waters told her supporters to confront and harass Trump officials in public The congresswoman's comments came after several Trump officials had been recently confronted in public especially while dining at restaurants. In June 2018, then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family were asked to leave The Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia where they were dining that night because gay employees were uncomfortable with her politics. Also that month, Trump's then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled out of a Mexican eatery a couple blocks from the White House. A video emerged with protesters chanting 'shame' at Nielsen while she was dining. Two days before that, White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller was called a fascist while he was eating at a different Mexican restaurant, also in D.C. The same day as Waters' rally, the congresswoman appeared on MSNBC to encourage more confirmation. 'The people are going to turn on them. They're going to protest,' she said. 'They're going to absolutely harass them until they decide that they're going to tell the President, 'No, I can't hang with you.'' WATERS SAID IN 2018 SHE THREATENS TRUMP SUPPORTERS 'ALL THE TIME' Trump suggested in a 2018 tweet that Waters' comments inciting confrontations were directed at his supporters, instead of those working in his administration. But Waters said in September 2018 remarks, while she does threaten Trump supporters 'all the time,' she was not in that instance. 'I did not threaten constituents and supporters. I do that all the time, but I didn't do that that time,' Waters said to laughter from a crowd in LA. 'What bothered me so much was, they tried to frame that as violence,' Waters said. 'That's not violence.' 'The poster child for violence is the President of the United States. He's the one who threatens,' she continued. 'Don't forget at his rallies, when he said go ahead and beat them up, I'll take them out on a stretcher.' 'I do not advocate violence,' she said. 'I do not believe you should hit, kick, shoot,' Waters said. 'We have to tell people the difference between violence and incivility and protesting.' 'I said, if you see them anywhere, if you see them in a restaurant, if you see them in a department store, even at a gasoline station, just tell them, you're not welcome here or anywhere,' Waters recalled. 'Of course it frightened a lot of people.' TOLD GOP REP. JIM JORDAN IN 2021 TO 'SHUT YOUR MOUTH' DURING HOUSE HEARING Waters told Republican Congressman Jim Jordan to 'shut your mouth' when he asked Dr. Anthony Fauci when the pandemic will end and America will get their 'liberties' back. The House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee descended into chaos last Thursday when Jordan probed Facui on restrictions that have been in place for a year. 'We had 15 days to slow the spread turned into one year of lost liberty,' Jordan said during the session. 'What metrics, what measures, what has to happen before Americans get their freedoms back?' 'You're indicating liberty and freedom. I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying and going to hospital,' Fauci told Jordan and said the U.S. will return to normal when enough people are vaccinated. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters (right) told Republican Congressman Jim Jordan (left) to 'shut your mouth' when he asked Dr. Fauci when America will get their 'liberties' back 'You don't think Americans' liberties have been threatened the last year, Dr. Fauci?' Jordan added. 'They've been assaulted!'. Fauci then told Jordan 'you're making this personal' when the Ohio representative said no one was allowed to criticize him. 'You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth!' Waters then interjected. It came after she opened her testimony by saying: 'Dr. Fauci, I love you.' TOLD BLM PROTESTERS TO 'STAY ON THE STREETS' RIOTING IF DEREK CHAUVIN IS ACQUITTED Waters joined protesters in Minneapolis on Saturday where she told them to get 'more confrontational' as the trail of Derek Chauvin wraps up. The California representative traveled there over the weekend before closing arguments began Monday in Chavin's trial, where he stands charged with murdering George Floyd. Waters broke the city's curfew by taking to the streets Saturday night to join protesters, where she was videotaped saying she hoped Chauvin is found guilty. 'I am not happy that we have talked about police reform for so long,' Waters said. 'If we don't [get a guilty verdict], we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street,' she added. 'We've got to stay on the street and we've got to get more active, we've got to get more confrontational,' Waters demanded of rioters. 'We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' As the city awaited a verdict in Chauvin's trial, Black Lives Matter rioters took to the streets breaking curfew, burning buildings, looting and demanding he be found guilty. Waters is pictured with demonstrators outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night as she breaks curfew with other protesters Protesters gathered in Minneapolis on Monday as the jury started their deliberations toward a verdict in the case against Derek Chauvin, who faces murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd Local organizer Brandyn Tulloch speaks to the crowd during a demonstration on Monday In what has been dubbed Operation Safety Net, more than 3,000 National Guard members were activated in the city on top of the 1,100 public safety agency officers from across Minnesota. Hours after Waters' comments, two members of the National Guard were injured, though not critically, in a drive-by shooting around 4:20 a.m. Sunday morning. Waters supported impeachment against Donald Trump after he used similar language to her's before the January 6 Capitol attack. Democrats claim his words 'incited an insurrection', and therefore were grounds for his removal from office. 'If you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore,' Trump said during a rally before a mob of his supporters descended on the Capitol. Joe Biden's White House has refused to condemn Waters' call for more violent riots and confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. In what has been dubbed Operation Safety Net, more than 3,000 National Guard members were activated in the city on top of the 1,100 public safety agency officers from across Minnesota House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is leading the charge for Congress to take action against Waters. McCarthy claimed Monday that between 10-15 Democrats could vote for his motion to officially censure Waters for her Saturday night comments. During an interview on Fox News Primetime, the California congressman said Waters 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong,' he continued. 'I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior.' ?? Ahora | La presidenta del Consejo de Ministros, @VBermudezV, y el titular del @Minsa_Peru supervisan, por segundo dia consecutivo, el proceso de vacunacion a adultos mayores de 80 anos en el Campo de Marte.#PongoElHombro ???????? pic.twitter.com/hvmQ0bgHkl St. Tammany Parish Government purchased 45 acres of land last month to grow the Safe Haven campus and care for local veterans, a move that proves the parishs commitment to a worthy segment of the community, said Nick Richard, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-St. Tammany. Richard said the property, referred to as Cardinal Cove for a nearby street, is "an incredible asset" to help veterans who need housing or resources because they suffer from a mental health condition. The land, located adjacent to the Safe Haven campus east of Mandeville, has six rundown buildings on site currently, but those can be revitalized and made into proper housing, he said. They sacrifice so much of themselves to defend our country, yet dont always have access to the necessary resources to take care of themselves, Richard said. This new addition reminds our veterans that they are appreciated and supported and that they will always have a home in our parish. Safe Haven is located on the site of the former Southeast Louisiana Hospital across U.S. 190 from Fontainebleau State Park. The campus offers a centralized location for a network of resources and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse. NAMI-St. Tammany is headquartered on site, and the agency also operates a day center and its Peer Support Specialists program there. Richard said the Cardinal Cove project is part of a continued effort to support veterans, who often dont get treatment for mental illness and have a substantially higher suicide rate than the general public. On average, 22 veterans die by suicide every single day. Leaders within our community are building veteran specific programs, like the 22nd Judicial District Courts problem-solving Veterans court, to help provide a stronger support foundation to military communities, he said. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The six buildings located on the Cardinal Cove property are perfect for residential housing, said Amy Bouton, a spokesperson for St. Tammany Parish Government. She said the location of the property, which is separate from the main campus, gives the proposed housing its own identity, while still remaining a part of Safe Haven. She said the buildings were constructed in the 1960s and have been vacant since Hurricane Katrina nearly 16 years ago. Those structures will be completely renovated at a cost of $1.5 million, with the work expected to be complete within two years, Bouton said. Money for the land acquisition and renovations will come from remaining FEMA funds doled out following Hurricane Katrina, as well as from federal Community Development Block Grants, the state Capital Outlay Program and private grants. Once open, the space will contain 24 bedrooms for veterans, a common area and offices. The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs will determine who's eligible to live on site. Parish President Mike Cooper said creating bedspace and offering additional assistance to needy veterans is critical, considering many don't have access to housing programs supported by Veterans Affairs. The proposed Veterans Housing at the Cardinal Cove property will provide much-needed services for the veterans of St. Tammany Parish and the surrounding areas," Cooper said. For information on Safe Haven and its network of services, visit www.safehavenstp.org. Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com. [April 20, 2021] Lex Machina Extends State Court Coverage with Seven Major Counties in California MENLO PARK, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lex Machina and LexisNexis recently released our seventh California county, Orange County Superior Court. The team has now released the following seven major California courts: Los Angeles County Superior Court (serves 10 million citizens) Sacramento County Superior Court (serves 1.5 million citizens) San Diego County Superior Court (serves 3.3 million citizens) Riverside County Superior Court (serves 2.5 million citizens) San Bernardino County Superior Court (serves 2.2 million citizens) Alameda County Superior Court (serves 1.5 million citizens) Orange County Superior Court (serves 3.1 million citizens) These seven California counties are key courts for civil cases involving contracts, torts, employment, and other civil matters, and serve more than 24 million citizens. These modules leverage the benefits of Lex Machina's machine learning and attorney review to extract crucial data-driven insights from millions of state court documents. Legal Analytics are now available for any Superior Court civil trial case filed in any of these seven California courts. As the only Legal Analytics platform that combines an exclusive natural language processing technology with attorney review to analyze state court documents, Lex Machina is providing a unique solution to a significant technical challenge. In the absence of a unified system for state courts, Lex Machina does the difficult work of understanding the individual docketing practice of each state court system, and creates accurate analytics that reflect the unique aspects of the individual courts. This exclusive process allows Lex Machina to provide detailed data-driven insights about judges, law firms, individual attorneys, and parties in state courts. Lex Machina ensures the state court data and analytics are up to date by maintaining technology that continuously captures and enhances raw data from the state courts. State court expansion remains a top priority at Lex Machina. We plan to release more state court modules throughout the coming years. We are adding modules on a court-by-court basis, with an emphasis on strict data quality and inegrity. That includes downloading millions of state court documents to ensure that practitioners have access to the most complete, comprehensive, and accurate analytics available. For example, for Los Angeles County Superior Court alone, Lex Machina has downloaded nearly 2 million documents that serve as the content foundation for creating the highest caliber data for judges, law firms, attorneys and parties, and adding high-value case coding for cases that reach trial. "By achieving coverage of these seven key California courts, Lex Machina continues to help our customers succeed in new ways," said Karl Harris, CEO of Lex Machina. "These seven California state court modules cover over 1.5 million cases in courts that serve 24 million citizens. They are key milestones on our journey to expand our coverage to all jurisdictions, while ensuring we maintain the accuracy and detail our customers have come to expect from us." The California modules incorporate notable features such as filters for general jurisdiction cases, limited jurisdiction cases, collections cases, and CRC 3.4 complex cases. They also include an extensive collection of case types and document tags, including a document tag for CCP 170.6 challenges. The inclusion of these unique parameters will provide even greater capability in organizing and understanding the analytics. With our current set of California state court modules, our research uncovered the following data trends for all of the cases filed in the seven state courts between January 1, 2016 and March 31, 2021: Total amount of damages awarded at trial, including attorneys' fees, was $2,366,105,605 1,880 cases resulted in a jury verdict ruling In 2020, 269,724 total cases were filed In Los Angeles County Superior Court, the median time to trial (for 8,781 cases) was 467 days compared to Sacramento County Superior Court, where the median time to trial (for 979 cases) was 392 days These state courts join the other state court modules already available on Lex Machina, comprising a current total of 17 state courts. The addition of the seven California modules adds over 1.5 million civil court cases filed since January 2016 to Lex Machina's state court database, bringing our total number of state court cases to over 2.5 million. We are proud of this key achievement in our state court journey. About LexisNexis Legal & Professional LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help customers increase productivity, improve decision-making and outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis and Nexis services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 10,600 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. About Lex Machina Lex Machina fundamentally changes how companies and law firms compete in the business and practice of law. The company provides strategic insights on judges, lawyers, law firms, parties, and other critical information across 17 federal practice areas and select state courts. Lex Machina allows law firms and companies to predict the behaviors and outcomes that different legal strategies will produce, enabling them to win cases and close business. Lex Machina was named "2021 Legal Technology Trailblazer" (National Law Journal Trailblazer Awards, 2021), Winner of the "Media Excellence" Award for Analytics/Big Data (13th Annual Media Excellence Award, 2021), "Best Decision Management Solution" (AI Breakthrough Awards, 2019), and "Disruptor of the Year" (Changing Lawyer Awards, 2019). Based in Silicon Valley, Lex Machina is part of LexisNexis, a leading global provider of legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics. For more information, please visit www.lexmachina.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lex-machina-extends-state-court-coverage-with-seven-major-counties-in-california-301265793.html SOURCE Lex Machina [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Monosodium Glutamate Market Analysis The global monosodium glutamate market is predicted to touch USD 6,200 million at a 4.9% CAGR between 2016- 2022, reveals the new Market Research Future (MRFR) report. Monosodium glutamate or MSG is an amino acid that is naturally occurring in various foods. Its use as flavor enhancers and food additives has gained immense recognition over the years. Besides, it is also used in bakery and dairy products globally. In addition, monosodium glutamate is widely used in instant noodles, seasonal blends, cheeses, meat and milk products, and sauces. Apart from the food industry, MSG is also used in pharmaceutical/medical applications. These include hypertension neuroregulators and parenteral nutrition for congenital metabolic disease. It is also used in negligible amounts in animal feeds. Various factors are adding to the global monosodium glutamate market share. These factors, as per the new MRFR report, include extensive applications including preservatives, acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, additives, and others, growing demand in the food industry, rapidly growing animal feed industry, preference for fast food & processed food due to hectic lifestyle, and increasing use in different medical applications. Get Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2699 On the contrary, health concerns related to monosodium glutamate consumption such as nausea, chest pain, sweating, headache, and skin rash, coupled with its regulation by regional Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authorities, are factors that may limit the monosodium glutamate market growth over the forecast period. Key Players Key players profiled in the global monosodium glutamate market report include Jianyang Wuyi MSG Co. Ltd. (China), Shandong Shenghua Group (China), Shandong Qilu Biotechnology Group (China), Shandong Linghua MSG Co., Ltd (China), KYOWA HAKKO BIO CO.LTD. (Japan), Ningxia Eppen Biotech Co. (China), Vedan International (Holdings) Limited (Hong Kong), AJINOMOTO Co.Inc. (Japan), and Fufeng Group (China), among others. Monosodium Glutamate Market Segmentation The Market Research Future Report provides an inclusive segmental analysis of the global monosodium glutamate market based on end use industries and applications. By application, the monosodium glutamate market is segmented into preservatives, acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, additives, and others. Of these, flavor enhancers and additives will lead the market over the forecast period. This will be followed by acidity regulators and preservatives. By end use industries, the monosodium glutamate market is segmented into animal feed, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic industry, food processing industry, and others. Of these, the cosmetic and food processing industry will dominate the market over the forecast period for its burgeoning demand from Chinas growing economies. Besides, the increasing demand of monosodium glutamate from different end use industries is also adding market growth. Monosodium Glutamate Market Regional Analysis Based on the region, the global monosodium glutamate market report covers the recent trends and growth opportunities across Europe, the Americas, the Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Of these, the APAC region will spearhead the market over the forecast period. Factors propelling the global monosodium glutamate market growth in the region include use in different applications like flavor enhancers and additives in China and Japan, and burgeoning demand for fast food in South Korea, Taiwan, and India. The global monosodium glutamate market in North America is predicted to have the second-largest share over the forecast period. The US is the chief contributor in the region for the growing demand for the product from the food manufacturing industry coupled with the rising demand for Asian food. The global monosodium glutamate market in Europe is predicted to have a healthy growth over the forecast period for the rapidly growing food manufacturing sector. The global monosodium glutamate market in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa is predicted to have sound growth over the forecast period for the increasing use of monosodium glutamate in different applications like preservatives, acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, additives, to name a few. Access Complete Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/monosodium-glutamate-market-2699 Senior Wins Davis Award for Traffic Sign Project Nebiyat Esubalew 21 will put up road safety signs outside schools in Ethiopia. By Dashiell Allen 21 | Congratulations to neuroscience major Nebiyat Esubalew 21, who won the Davis Projects for Peace Award to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this summer to work on traffic safety. Nebiyat will install road signs in front of eleven schools in order to protect school children from life-threatening road and traffic accidents (RTAs). Ethiopia has some of the most dangerous roads in the world. In 2019, over 30,000 Ethiopians lost their lives to RTAs, according to the World Health Organization; such accidents are also considered to be a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder. Nebiyat says that RTAs in Ethiopia are systemicexacerbated by the blurring of car and pedestrian lanes, the absence of traffic lights at many intersections, and distracted drivers who often neglect rules. Growing up in Ethiopia, she was constantly reminded of the dangers posed by reckless drivers. Its hard to escape road traffic accidents, she says. You hear about them every day all over the news. This is an issue that Nebiyat has wanted to address for a long timeshe worried about her own safety walking to school, and about her father who regularly traveled across the country for work. Nebiyat plans to enlist support from the schoolstwo of which she attended herselfto help install the signs and will launch a campaign on social media to recruit volunteers. Nebiyat credits Shania Siron at the Center For Life Beyond Reed for helping her develop the project. She also thanks her thesis advisor, Prof. Suzy Renn, and her supervisors at Reed's Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Kori Lay and April Sams. My Reed education helped me become a problem solver, she says. Reed helped me to see that theres no point in learning if youre not going to go out there and do something with it. Founded in 2007, Davis Projects for Peace offers undergraduate students $10,000 for one summer to carry out a grassroots project promoting peace and conflict resolution anywhere in the world. Tags: Awards & Achievements, Cool Projects, International, Life Beyond Reed, Service, Students Researcher Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Stealing Trade Secrets to Sell in China A hospital researcher on April 19 was sentenced to 33 months in prison for conspiring to steal trade secrets from an Ohio childrens hospital to sell in China, according to the Justice Department. Zhou Yu, 51, pleaded guilty in December 2020 to stealing at least five trade secrets relating to exosome research from the Nationwide Childrens Hospitals Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, where he had worked for 10 years until 2017. Exosomes are small sacs of fluid released from cells that have increasingly been used in the research, identification, and treatment of a range of diseases, including liver fibrosis and liver cancer. Zhous co-conspirator was his wife, Chen Li, 48, who also worked as a researcher at another lab in the institute. She was sentenced in February to 30 months in prison for her role in the scheme after also pleading guilty. Zhou and his wife executed a scheme over the course of several years to set up businesses in China, steal American research, and profit from doing so, Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel for the Southern District of Ohio said in a statement. The couple started a company in China to create and sell exosome isolation kits using stolen trade secrets from the institute, court documents stated. They also received funding from Chinese authorities, including the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, prosecutors said. Zhous greed was encouraged and enabled by a series of Chinese Government programs which incentivize thievery in an attempt to supplement Chinas own research and development goals on the back of American ingenuity and investment, John C. Demers, assistant attorney general for the National Security Division, said in a statement. The couple had also applied for several Chinese-backed programs, including talent plansa method used by Beijing to facilitate the transfer of foreign technology to China, the department stated. As part of their conviction, the couple was ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution. They were also required to forfeit around $1.45 million as well as shares from their companies. The defendants were arrested in July 2019 in California. Zhous case is among dozens of prosecutions brought by the department in recent years targeting Chinese state-sanctioned theft of U.S. intellectual property. In December 2020, Zheng Zaosong, a Chinese medical researcher, was sentenced to time already served after pleading guilty to making false statements to federal investigators. Zheng, 31, came to the United States on a J-1 visa in August 2018 and conducted cancer cell research at Harvard Universitys Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He was arrested on Dec. 10, 2019, at Bostons Logan International Airport, where he was found with 21 vials containing biological materials in his luggage. He lied and answered no when asked by federal officers whether he was traveling with any biological items. Zheng later admitted that he intended to use the vials to conduct research at his laboratory in Chinas Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital and then publish findings under his own name. Frank Fang contributed to this report. The UK version of Bud Light Seltzer is to be a flavoured malt beverage (FMB), owner Anheuser-Busch InBev has revealed. The 4%-abv sparkling water will roll out in the UK from 29 April as the brand extension expands out of the US, where it launched early last year. A spokesperson for A-B InBev confirmed to just-drinks the UK formulation will follow the US model and will be an FMB. In the US, most hard seltzers are FMBs because of tax advantages, whereas many European hard seltzers use a spirit base. For past UK alcoholic seltzer launches, A-B InBev has favoured non-FMBs. However, Mikes Hard Seltzer, which the group owns outside of the US, used a spirit base when it appeared in the UK in late-2019. As well as their strong growth in the US, one of the appeals of hard seltzers for global brewers is that their formulation can be changed to suit different markets. For example, although Heinekens recently-launched Pure Pirana uses fermented sugar alcohol in Europe, the New Zealand version is beer-based. Speaking to just-drinks last month, Heinekens head of global flavoured beverages, Cecilia Bottai Mondino, said of formulation decisions: We look at three things the performance of the product has to be good, but then we look also at the excise, because there are a lot of differences in economic costs. The other thing is our facilities. Sometimes well have to adapt our facilities. Bud Light Seltzer will be on sale in the UK for GBP2 (US$2.80) per 33cl slimline can. Three flavours are planned Lemon Lime, Passionfruit and Strawberry. The A-B InBev spokesperson told just-drinks the alcoholic sparkling water is being brewed in Belgium but that A-B InBev is working to bring production in-market in the longer term to lower carbon emissions. Heinekens hard seltzer switch and the rise of ranch water Click here for a just-drinks focus This is the dramatic moment a shark drags a fisherman overboard off the Irish coast after a 20-minute tug-of-war. Fisherman Graham Smith, 43, estimates he lost more than 400 worth of equipment when his kayak overturned while battling a porbeagle shark off Donegal on April 3. In his footage the fisherman is seen trying to reel in the 200lb shark which had taken the bait of a large fish. The 6ft 9in-long shark then drags the kayak by the fishing line into choppy waters where Mr Smith calls for friends in a nearby boat to help tow him to calmer seas. However before the fisherman can be moved to safety the shark causes a 'swell' which capsizes the kayak leaving Mr Smith in the water with the animal. Mr Smith, from Moville, County Donegal, said: 'I go fishing for shark a couple of times a year off Donegal in Ireland. 'On that particular day, it was calm inside the headland but once you got outside it was rough. 'The porbeagle is a very clever shark. They're notoriously difficult. About 15 to 20 minutes I'd been fighting him.' He continued: 'Towards the end of the fight, he took me out [to sea] where it was very bad. 'Some lads that I know were there so I gave them a shout and said can you give me a quick tow out of this rough stuff then I can get the shark up and let him go. In dramatic underwater footage of the incident the shark can be seen keenly pursuing the bait with its teeth bared in the sea of Donegal, Ireland Graham Smith, from Moville, County Donegal, was on a fishing trip off the coast on April 3 when a porbeagle shark pulled him in 'But the shark caused a swell before we were ready and it just flipped the kayak.' In dramatic underwater footage of the incident the shark can be seen keenly pursuing the bait with its teeth bared. Mr Smith is then seen fighting for control of his fishing rod as the shark drags the line behind him and over his shoulder. As Mr Smith is towed towards shore by the other boat the shark drags the rod into the side of the boat, tilting the kayak past the point of no return. An unsecured kit box is then visible spilling its contents into the deep. The fisherman said a GoFish camera, a GoPro and his Huawei P30 mobile were among the items lost or destroyed. 'Including the phone, it'll be 500 (430) I lost,' he said. 'Thankfully, most of the electronics are all tied on and waterproof.' In the video a shark can be seen using its brute strength to capsize Mr Smith's boat whilst hooked on his fishing line An underwater view from a camera mounted on top of the kayak shows the moment it capsized 'It's only happened twice now in 13 or 14 years of kayak fishing. Another 15 minutes and I'd have had him up and let him go. It's one of those things, unfortunately.' Mr Smith was then able to flip his boat back over with some help from the crew who were towing him. The shark had won this encounter. 'I cut the line,' he said. 'I had to go home, I had to go to work.' It comes as a marine expert said a drop in maritime traffic due to Covid restrictions may be behind a surge in the number of sharks seen in British waters. There have been multiple sightings of basking and porbeagle sharks in recent weeks, including a young porbeagle shark spotted in two Plymouth marinas. David Sims, Professor of Marine Ecology, Ocean and Earth Science at the University of Southampton, said: 'Porbeagles large or small are rarely seen in marinas. 'One reason that it may have come so close is the reduced marine traffic associated with the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. 'During the main lockdown period in March - July 2020 in Europe, large pelagic sharks such as blue sharks were seen venturing into very shallow water and in harbours and marinas. 'This has been put down to "quieter" seas, as fewer passenger, fishing and tourism vessels were operating at that time.' Dharamsala, April 20 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday expressed sympathy and concern over former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has tested positive for coronavirus. In a letter written to him, the Nobel Peace Laureate said, "I pray that you will make a swift recovery." "As you know, I have enormous respect for you and count you as an old friend. "I hope we may see an early end to challenges the coronavirus pandemic poses as it threatens every nation across the world." His Holiness ended his letter by again offering his prayers and good wishes. Union says aerospace company has serious questions to answer over expansion plans after 240 staff were made redundant A union says it has reacted with surprise to news that an aerospace company in Wrexham will be expanding its operations after 240 jobs were lost at the factory last year. Magellan Aerospace, on Llay Industrial Estate, had put forward proposals to create an 8,000 square metre building adjacent to the existing factory to assemble, store and distribute aircraft parts. The development will also provide offices and welfare facilities for staff, along with on site car parking and a new access point off Miners Road. It is thought the development will create around 120 new jobs. These plans were backed unanimously by Wrexhams planning committee last Monday, with councillors describing it as a much needed boost to the local economy. However the expansion plans have been questioned by Unite the Union after 240 members of the Magellan Aerospace workforce were made redundant in October 2020. At the time a spokesperson for the Magellan Aerospace said due to the unprecedented impact on the aerospace industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic, customers had significantly decreased their orders As a result 240 jobs at the factory were lost. Commenting on the expansion plans, Dave Griffiths, Unite Regional Officer said: Our members who were made redundant last year on statutory redundancy terms will today be wondering why they lost their jobs when the company was at the same time planning to increase future capacity and production at the plant. Magellan Aerospace has serious questions to answer in relation this expansion. While Unite welcomes investment and more jobs for North Wales this development points to a devastating miscalculation on behalf of the employer. Magellan must rectify this by committing to re-employ workers who were made redundant, or at the very least offer them any employment opportunities in the first instance. Unite has a number of cases running to tribunal over last years redundancy process and we expect Magellan to take the socially responsible path and play fair with its past and present employees. We have contacted Magellan Aerospace and are awaiting further comment. A senior World Health Organization official spiked a critical report on Italy's response to coronavirus to avoid a political confrontation with Rome, according to Italian prosecution documents seen by AFP on Monday. Ranieri Guerra, currently a special advisor to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is being investigated by prosecutors from the Italian city of Bergamo for lying to them about the handling of the report. The 102-page WHO report, analysing Italy's early response to the pandemic and written by a small office of the UN agency in Venice, was released on May 13, 2020, and pulled the next day. It concluded that Italy had an outdated pandemic preparedness plan, dating from 2006, and its hospitals' first reaction to the virus was "improvised, chaotic and creative". "I was brutal with the idiots of the Venice document," Guerra, until recently one of 11 assistant director generals at the WHO, wrote on May 17, 2020, to a senior health official in Rome, according to the Italian prosecutors. "I sent profuse apologies to the (Italian health) minister... In the end I went right up to Tedros and I had the document withdrawn," he added. In another message to the same official, from May 14, Guerra said the Venice WHO team had "put in jeopardy a path of building trust and confidence" between Italy and the WHO that he had been working on. "Furthermore, they are putting at risk a very serious discussion that has started, also looking ahead to the G20 (which Italy would chair in 2021), and to a special relationship between Tedros and Italy." Two weeks later, Guerra told the health official he spoke with Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza and his chief of cabinet, and agreed with them to jointly rewrite the spiked report. The messages are quoted in a document complied by prosecutors in Bergamo which informed the WHO that they are investigating Guerra for lying to them and asking for the UN agency's help. The prosecutors say Guerra told them that Speranza called him the day the WHO Italy report was published to express his "displeasure", and that he passed on the message to the WHO Europe office in Copenhagen. Speranza, speaking on RAI public television on Sunday, denied putting any pressure on the WHO to scrap the publication, and insisted its contents were not particularly problematic for Italy. For its part, WHO has said the report was pulled by its Copenhagen office because of "factual inaccuracies", and denied that politics had anything to do with the decision. Guerra told AFP last week he did not wish to comment on the investigation. In earlier comments to Italian media, he professed his innocence. The report's main author, Francesco Zambon, has resigned and is accusing the WHO of compromising its independence with its apparent reluctance to criticise national governments. Bergamo prosecutors are conducting a wider investigation into the potential mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic when it first hit Italy early last year. More than 117,000 people have since died. As well as Guerra, prosecutors have placed five local and regional health officials under investigation, amid allegations that they failed to properly quarantine the Bergamo province at the start of the outbreak. Former north shore District Attorney Walter Reed, whose three-decade political career crumbled in the face of a federal corruption investigation and conviction, asked the state Supreme Court to allow him to resign permanently from the practice of law rather than be disciplined. The petition, dated Tuesday, was granted. The Supreme Court order says that Reed is permanently prohibited from practicing law in Louisiana or any other jurisdiction where he had been admitted. He cannot seek admission to practice law in Louisiana or anywhere else. Reed, who was sentenced to 48 months in prison after he was convicted on 18 fraud and corruption counts in 2016, was facing the prospect of being permanently disbarred by the court. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel had recommended that fate in January. At the time, Reed's attorney Richard Simmons, said that his 74-year-old client was focused on his health and might tender his law license based on medical issues. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Simmons said Tuesday that the situation hasn't changed and considering Reed's age and health, he would not have been looking to practice law in any event. Reed was released from federal prison in West Virginia in August and is under home incarceration until October. Efforts to remove his law license began shortly after he was convicted, and he fought to keep it. His attorneys presented letters from prominent figures on his behalf and pointed to his career with the New Orleans Police Department, which included working as an undercover narcotics agent. He also played a role in flushing out the sniper in the 1973 Howard Johnson's attack. But the Office of Disciplinary Counsel said his misconduct had harmed the public, the legal system and the legal profession. The Supreme Court order granting his request for permanent resignation notes his conviction on conspiracy mail and wire fraud, money laundering and making false income tax returns. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! In this image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin address Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill on April 15. (Court TV via Associated Press) As the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd went to the jury Monday, a parallel case of sorts was resubmitted to an American public that already has been in contentious deliberations over the 30 years since Los Angeles police officers brutally beat Rodney King. The question in Chauvins case is whether the officers actions on May 25, 2020, including his kneeling on Floyds neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, were within the scope of what a reasonable police officer would do in the same situation, given what was learned at the time he was dispatched to the scene, what he found when he got there, what his training taught him and how his departments policy guided him. As excessive-force prosecutions of police officers go, this one was unusually strong, in part because of the testimony of Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo that Chauvin violated department policy in his use of force against Floyd and in part because of the ready availability of damning video evidence. Even the defenses repeated replaying of body-camera video as part of its closing argument served to underscore the brutality of Floyd's arrest after he allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill. Among the arguments offered by Chauvins team is that Floyds statement while under restraint "I can't breathe," which chillingly replicated the final words of Eric Garner during his fatal 2014 arrest in Staten Island is itself proof that Floyd could indeed breathe. In the other case the one being tried in the court of public opinion against American policing and its toll of (on average) 1,000 civilian deaths a year, with an astonishingly disproportionate number of Black deaths two key bits of evidence were submitted while Chauvin was on trial in Minneapolis. One was the apparently mistaken fatal shooting, a few miles away, of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop by a police officer who reportedly thought she was firing a Taser instead of a gun. Why do we want armed officers pulling people over for infractions like having expired tags or air fresheners hanging from their rearview mirrors? Story continues The other exhibit was video released in the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago last month. Toledo may have tossed a gun behind a fence, but images show that his hands were empty when police shot him. Conviction of Chauvin would suggest that he was atypical of police, acting outside the bounds of reasonable officer conduct a rogue policeman, or a bad apple, to use the words often applied in the rare cases in which officers are actually found guilty of misconduct. Acquittal, conversely and perhaps ironically, would be another bit of evidence in the broader case against American policing. Policing as it is currently practiced in the United States is inherently unreasonable if it means a reasonable officer can cut off the oxygen to an unarmed persons brain and keep doing so after that person stops moving and stops breathing. All Americans are the jury in the case against policing, and we have been debating a verdict for decades, asking to review material and reconsider arguments from each side. Video evidence has been mounting since a bystander tested his new camcorder at the scene of Kings arrest in 1991. Much of the weary American jury took a recess the following year after the acquittal of four LAPD officers triggered an outpouring of violence, but the jury reconvened in 2014 after the deaths of Garner and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. We ramped up deliberations last year after Floyds death. Its time to render a verdict. Whether or not Chauvin is found guilty of murder, we are guilty of allowing American policing to go far too long without imposing significant changes on what kind of service to expect and how it is to be delivered. In Chauvins case, after the jury retired, the defense raised the irresponsible statement by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) calling on protesters to get more confrontational. The judge denied mistrial but had appropriate words for Waters, calling failure to respect the role of a co-equal branch of government abhorrent. But Waters is hardly alone. At least one group of organizers has called for a rally, after the Chauvin verdict is delivered, at Florence and Normandie, the place where the 1992 protests after the Rodney King officers verdict turned into a vicious attack on a truck driver and, from there, a deadly weeklong riot. Americans will be holding their collective breath until the Chauvin jury returns a verdict. But even if the response on the street is calm and we are all overdue for some calm our daunting task remains in front of us, and we can hardly afford to wait another 30 years to complete it. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that he had informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the specific and urgent needs of Ukrainian army and defense sector. "Yes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and I had a very good conversation a week ago in Brussels. I shared with him some very specific and urgent needs of Ukrainian army and defense sector. I have no evidence that the United States does not believe it is worth helping Ukraine, but, of course, it all depends on details and further behavior of Russia in these circumstances," Kuleba said at an online news conference on Tuesday. The foreign minister also named three big steps that Ukraine is proposing to its partners to take right now in order to discourage Russia from further escalating tensions. "We call on our friends and partners to be loud in support of Ukraine not only in communications with Ukraine, but even more importantly in their direct bilateral communications with Russia. Moscow should hear from every corner that Ukraine will not be alone. Moscow should hear from everyone corner that not two parties - Ukraine and Russia - are responsible for the escalation, but only Moscow is undertaking a significant buildup of troops, only Moscow is escalating the situation," he said. Kuleba said that the cost of preventing further escalation of Russia will always be lower than the cost of stopping it and mitigating its consequences. "And I hope that our friends and partners understand this. It is much more effective to make Moscow clearly understand that a new stage of aggression will have grave consequences for Russia: international isolation and painful economic sanctions," he said. According to the minister, this is precisely why, addressing the EU Foreign Affairs Council, he urged his colleagues to start considering the possibility of introducing a new round of sectoral sanctions against Russia. "The third step. We ask partners to discuss how they could help Ukraine defend itself in a worst-case scenario. This includes deepening cooperation with Ukraine in the field of security and defense," Kuleba said. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. GRANGEVILLE - On Saturday, April 17, 2021, at approximately 3:45pm, the Idaho County Sheriffs Office received a report of an ATV accident off of Highway 14 near milepost 5. First arriving crews found the ATV operator, 50-year-old Dave Spoolstra, of California, to be conscience, but unable to move. He was also in a location not accessible by vehicle. The Idaho County Sheriffs Office, with the assistance of Grangeville Mountain Rescue, the Idaho Sheriffs Posse, Syringa Ambulance, the Clearwater QRU, Two Bear Air and Life Flight, located and treated Mr. Spoolstra and transported him to receive medical attention. The accident happened about 3 miles uphill from the South Fork of the Clearwater River. Mr. Spoolstra was in his side by side on a skid trail when his ATV left the roadway. Rescue teams used a rope system to assist in bringing Mr. Spoolstra up from the deep ravine to a clear cut, where Two Bear Air was able to land and transport the patient. Sheriff Doug Ulmer would like to thank all agencies involved for their quick and professional response. We live in an age rife with challenges, full of hope: Xi Xinhua) 11:17, April 20, 2021 BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The combined forces of changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century have brought the world into a phase of fluidity and transformation, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday. Xi made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. Instability and uncertainty are clearly on the rise, Xi said, adding that while we live in an age rife with challenges, it is also an age full of hope. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) 2021-04-19 Maeci Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, has participated by videoconference in the informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union. The Ministers have discussed the situation in Ukraine and the European concerns over the health conditions of Alexei Navalny and exchanged views with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba. Minister Di Maio has reaffirmed Italy's full support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country, expressing strong concern over the ceasefire violations and full support to all efforts towards rapid de-escalation and ensuring compliance with the Minsk agreements. On Navalny's case, the Foreign Minister has reiterated calls for granting immediate access to the necessary medical care. Minister Di Maio has also informed his European counterparts of the results of the institutional visits recently carried out in Libya, highlighting the important opportunities that the establishment of the Government of National Unity may open up for both the success of the stabilisation process in Libya and the perspective of a high-profile role of the EU in the country. The situation in Ethiopia has also been discussed, an issue on which Minister Di Maio has reiterated Italy's concern about the situation in the Tigray region, emphasising the need to ensure full access to humanitarian aid and stressing the importance of the regional dimension. Finally, the meeting has enabled Ministers to review recent developments on the following dossiers: Iran/JCPoA, on the basis of the recent discussions in Vienna; Georgia, where European mediation efforts to resolve the internal political crisis continue; Myanmar, on which Minister Di Maio has expressed concern about the progressive deterioration of the situation on the ground; Mozambique, where the recent attacks in Cabo Delgado province require an integrated approach focused on stabilisation, humanitarian assistance and socio-economic development. Physicians can now earn external CPD credits using Wolters Kluwer point-of-care tool UpToDate, the clinical decision support tool from Wolters Kluwer, Health has been approved by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom as a continuing professional development (CPD) activity. The organization is a collaboration between the Royal College of Physicians of London, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. The colleges have more than 50,000 members among them worldwide. The approval of UpToDate comes following new guidelines introduced by the Federation that recognize the use of online resources with current medical content (e-libraries) as CPD. Earning CPD while caring for patients Members will now be able to earn and track credits eligible for continuing professional development while using UpToDate to research clinical questions at the point of care. CPD credits are earned from UpToDate by consulting information relevant to a specific clinical question, thus broadening clinical knowledge. UpToDate will provide physicians and surgeons with quick and easy access to evidence-based clinical topics and recommendations. CPD credits can be earned through UpToDate anytime, anywhere, on desktop or mobile devices. According to research of UpToDate use in 2020, 1 in 4 clinicians (26%) in the UK and Ireland changed their course of action to a more appropriate treatment or diagnosis after consulting UpToDate. Adrian Jennings, MD, Associate Medical Director for CPD at the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom, said, "Physicians within the Federation CPD scheme can now conveniently earn external (category 1) CPD credits when they are caring for a patient and need to research a clinical questions in UpToDate.'' "UpToDate will help our members and fellows keep their knowledge and skills current." Dr. Jennings added. Denise Basow, MD, President and CEO of Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, Health, said: "The Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom shares our aim of equipping physicians with the most current information so they can make point-of-care decisions based on the best available evidence. We are delighted to support Federation members in meeting their CPD requirements as they care for patients." An expert solution for clinical decisions and CPD UpToDate from Wolters Kluwer contains over 12,000 clinical topics and more than 9,500 graded recommendations to support better clinical decisions at the point of care. A rigorous editorial process is implemented by 50 physician editors on staff who work with over 7,300 expert authors, editors, and peer-reviewers from 50 countries around the world to continuously publish evidence-based clinical information and recommendations. Learn more about earning CPD credit with UpToDate. Read this story on our site. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,200 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005746/en/ Contacts: Media: Andre Rebelo Public Relations Manager Wolters Kluwer +1 781.392.2411 andre.rebelo@wolterskluwer.com [April 20, 2021] HomeServices of America Welcomes Steven James and Brad Loe to Leadership Team HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, today welcomed iconic leaders Steven James and Brad Loe to the company's leadership team as Executive Directors of Brokerage Development. James and Loe are among real estate's most recognized and influential leaders, known for their industry expertise, high profile clientele and superior customer service. In their new roles, James and Loe will provide guidance and support to multiple strategic growth initiatives, all while advancing the expansion of state-of-the-art technology platforms as HomeServices strengthens its value proposition to its agents and consumers. James and Loe will divide their time between HomeServices' corporate headquarters in Minneapolis and offices in Westchester County. Prior to joining HomeServices, James served as President and CEO of Douglas Elliman's New York City brokerage and director of sales for its East Side office, the single most profitable residential real estate office in the U.S. for over 15 years. Loe served as Executive Manager of Sales at Douglas Elliman's 1995 Broadway and 575 Madison Avenue offices and is highly respected as a mentor to his agents, bringing almost two decades of experience. "Steven and Brad have each had exceptionally successful careers and understand the needs and preferences of agents, buyers and sellers," said Gino Blefari, president and CEO of HomeServices of America. "This perspective will be invaluable as HomeServices works to reimagine the home buing and selling experience for consumers and the process by which our real estate agents serve them." "HomeServices is a strong, rapidly-evolving company with a sterling reputation," added James. "In today's fluid residential real estate brokerage landscape, the opportunity to work with a company of HomeServices' caliber, one that offers such an exceptional value proposition to agents, is extremely compelling. I look forward to furthering HomeServices' offerings on both a domestic and global scale." "HomeServices is an outstanding organization with a talented and experienced leadership team all committed to delivering exceptional customer service," noted Loe. "I couldn't be more excited to join this extraordinary company and to play a role in their continued growth and success." HomeServices of America is the nation's largest residential real estate company based on closed transactions and is the nation's premier provider of homeownership services including brokerage, mortgage, franchising, settlement, insurance, and relocation services. HomeServices is the owner of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and Real Living Real Estate residential real estate franchise networks. The company is consistently lauded for its operational excellence with many of its leaders recognized year after year for their merits and industry accomplishments, most recently including a multitude of appointments to the 2020 Swanepoel Power 200 roster. "Steven and Brad are well known for their energy, charisma and powerful industry presence," concluded Blefari. "And we're thrilled to welcome them to the HomeServices family." ABOUT HOMESERVICES of AMERICA HomeServices of America, through its operating companies, is the nation's largest residential real estate company based on closed transactions and is the country's premier provider of homeownership services, including brokerage, mortgage, franchising, settlement, insurance, and relocation services. HomeServices of America is the owner of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and Real Living Real Estate residential real estate franchise networks. HomeServices is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a consolidated subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. For more information visit www.homeservices.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005839/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Arriving passengers are guided by a quarantine official at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo Politicians are drawing criticism for violating the government's ban on gatherings of five or more people. Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea / Korea Times file The lawmakers raising eyebrows are all from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Jung District Office in Seoul said Tuesday that it plans to fine Rep. Woo Sang-ho for violating the government's social distancing rule that bans personal gatherings of five or more people across the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Woo, a four-term lawmaker and former DPK floor leader, has been under siege after being found to have had drinks with five acquaintances at a restaurant in the district, April 8, a day after the Seoul and Busan by-elections, in which the ruling party suffered a stunning loss. According to Woo's aides, the lawmaker and his two assistants visited the restaurant and were accompanied by another three who described themselves as his supporters. They also said the lawmaker stayed with them for only five minutes. The social distancing rules stipulate that restaurants are fined up to 3 million won ($2,709) in case of a violation, while customers are fined up to 100,000 won each. Rep. Lee Hack-young is also in the hot seat over an alleged violation of the social distancing rules. According to the main opposition People Power Party, Lee held a meeting with 10 party members in a vinyl greenhouse in his constituency of Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, April 14. Rep. Lee Hack-young of the Democratic Party of Korea / Korea Times file On April 11, a large explosion rocked the Natanz uranium enrichment site, where Iran operated its advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges, 250 miles south of Tehran. With its electrical supply cut off, Iran's nuclear plans suffered a severe blow. For that reason, the explosion marked a turning point in the recent round of negotiations between Iran and Western countries. According to specialists, Iran needs at least nine months to return to the situation before the blast. With the nuclear plant down, the Iranians lost a powerful tool for their efforts to blackmail the international community and extract more concessions in ongoing negotiations. At the domestic level, the explosion also dealt a major blow to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who's been meddling with Iran's upcoming presidential election in June 2021. With Iran's economy on the verge of collapse, which could trigger social unrest and widespread uprisings, Khamenei had hoped the recent negotiations in Vienna would lead to Biden lifting all sanctions against Iran, giving the Iranian economy some breathing room. However, the Natanz explosion and the negotiations' plodding progress have stymied Khamenei's expectations. With the threat of imminent nuclear power at its back, the regime could use threats and propaganda to instill fear in the region. For example, in 2018, Khamenei and Rouhani threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if Iran was not able to sell its oil to other countries. Addressing Trump on July 23, 2018, President Rouhani said: "Anyone who understands a little politics does not say that we will stop Iran's oil exports. We have many straits; the Strait of Hormuz is just one of them." Khamenei praised Rouhani's remarks, saying, "The president's remarks that 'if Iranian oil is not exported, then the oil of any state in the region will not be exported,' are important remarks that reflect the policy of the regime." Trump called Iran's bluff, and Iran proved not to have the will or the power to make good on its threat. Now, with Natanz seriously damaged, Iran's threats will be even more hollow. Thus, during an Iranian state TV program, Alireza Zakani, head of the Iranian Parliamentary Research Center, said, "Most of Iran's enrichment facilities have been lost." He explained that "several thousand of our centrifuges were damaged and destroyed during the Natanz incident, and that government officials' promise to install advanced facilities was a false promise." He claimed that "spies are rampant in Iran," without referring to a specific security agency. He described the situation as "worrying." Rouhani, meanwhile, has stressed that the regime needs to compromise to lift the sanctions. "Pursuing such haste, which has no justification in foreign policy, creates the mentality at home that the gentlemen (Rouhani's government authorities) are seeking to use the negotiations for electoral purposes," the Revolutionary Guardsaffiliated Young newspaper wrote, referring to Rouhani's insistence on a deal with the United States. "Therefore, in achieving it, they are ready to improvise and ignore Iran's foreign policy outlines." The benefit flowing to Khamenei from the Natanz disaster is that the Khamenei-affiliated factions can blame the incident on Rouhani's government. They claim that Rouhani's government "has crossed the red lines in negotiating with the West." The war between the two factions in Iran reflects the nature of the Iranian society's explosive conditions, which both factions fear. On the day of the Natanz bombing on April 11, retirees and pensioners gathered for their third large New Year protest rally in 27 cities. The pensioners were protesting government corruption and their past-due benefits. They were chanting (regarding the upcoming election in Iran), "We will not vote anymore; we heard many lies." In another slogan, they chanted: "They [the government[ are lying, our enemy is right here, it is not America." The chess pieces, whether put there by internal stresses or international maneuvers, are moving rapidly. With luck, the oppressive Iranian regime is about to be checkmated and ended. The pawns and the other pieces representing the people of Iran are determined to win this game once and for all. Note: I have translated the quotations from Farsi. The links have slightly different translations but support my word choices. The anti-aircraft guns at Natanz nuclear facility were useless against Israel's attack. Hamed Saber photo. CC BY 2.0. Hassan Mahmoudi is a social analyst, researcher, independent observer, and commentator of Middle Eastern and Iranian Politics. He tweets under @hassan_mahmou1. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. INDIANAPOLIS -- Patients who suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often need a great deal of healthcare services after the injury, but the extent of care utilization is unknown. A new study from research scientists affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Regenstrief Institute and IUPUI is one of the first to analyze how much care TBI patients use and identify areas of unmet need. "There is not a lot of information about traumatic brain injury care utilization available," said primary study author Johanne Eliacin, PhD, a Regenstrief research scientist and core investigator at the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Information at Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. "In fact, until a few years ago, TBI was viewed as a one-time event. The goal of this study was to look at the care sought by survivors in order to understand the struggles they face and address them." The study used the Indiana TBI registry for its cohort. The registry, funded by the Indiana Department of Health, contains all individuals diagnosed with mild, moderate and severe TBI listed in the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), which is managed by Indiana Health Information Exchange. The research team looked at patients who were hospitalized with a TBI from 2005 through 2014 and examined healthcare utilization data for one year after the TBI event. That data was broken down into three categories: emergency department, inpatient and outpatient care. Researchers found that many TBI survivors needed extensive healthcare services in the year after their injury, and a quarter of them were super-utilizers, having three or more emergency department visits or inpatient encounters or more than 26 outpatient visits during the year. The results indicate that health insurance impacted the amount and type of care utilized, as did race, gender and residency status. Study authors say these potential disparities are an important area to focus on in future research. "Because this is one of the first studies looking at these data, we are just beginning to identify patterns," said Dr. Eliacin. "More work is needed to dig into the social determinants of health that impact a TBI survivor's outcomes and to understand the struggles faced by those who are high utilizers of the healthcare system." A previous qualitative study published by Dr. Eliacin presented some of the challenges patients and caregivers reported, which included the struggle to understand what care was available and where to access it. "The Indiana TBI registry is an important resource to be able to understand the healthcare journeys of TBI patients," said study author Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, Regenstrief and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI director of public health informatics. "We can leverage these data to identify population needs and develop interventions to improve quality of life as well as the access to and utility of their care." "Characterizing health care utilization following hospitalization for a traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study" was published in the journal Brain Injury. In addition to Drs. Eliacin and Dixon, authors on the paper are Ziyi Yang, M.S. of IUPUI and Jacob Kean, PhD, of the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and the University of Utah School of Medicine. This work was supported, in part, by the Indiana Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Fund from the Indiana Department of Health. It was also supported by a VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Career Development Award IK2RX000879 to Dr. Kean. IHIE is a non-profit, software development organization that operates the INPC -- the nation's largest inter-organizational clinical data repository which houses more than 14 billion pieces of patient data from 95% of Indiana. ### 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 the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Information and Communication The Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC) group is a diverse cadre of researchers joining together to transform the healthcare system, both within and outside the VA so every patient receives consistent, high-quality care. About IUPUI As Indiana's premier urban public research university, IUPUI believes in the power of transformation. It is committed to providing educational opportunities that transform the lives of students, the community, and the changing world. It offers more than 450 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs from Indiana University and Purdue University. About the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI Located on Indiana's premier research and health sciences campus, the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI is committed to advancing the public's health and well-being through education, innovation and leadership. The Fairbanks School of Public Health is known for its expertise in biostatistics, epidemiology, cancer research, community health, environmental public health, global health, health policy and health services administration. About Johanne Eliacin, PhD In addition to being a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute, Johanne Eliacin, PhD, is a core investigator at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Information and Communication, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. She is also a research scientist at the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. About Brian E. Dixon, Ph.D., MPA In addition to his role as Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI director of public health informatics, Brian E. Dixon, MPA, PhD, is a research scientist at Regenstrief and an associate professor of epidemiology at the Fairbanks School of Public Health. He is also an affiliate scientist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Information and Communication, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. New Delhi, April 20 : In an effort to allay fear and panic amid the critical Covid-19 situation in the national capital, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that doctors were regularly visiting the dedicated wards in hospitals across the city, wearing PPE kits. Sisodia's remarks came after several there were complaints of mismanagement in government hospitals, including the shortage of beds and doctors not visiting wards. "Directors and health staff are working hard to bring the situation back to normal in Delhi. Doctors are regularly visiting the Covid-19 wards in all hospitals wearing PPE kits. But some people have started complaining that doctors were not attending patients. I will request people not to put a bad image of Delhi's hospitals and doctors and do not panic," Sisodia said while addressing a press conference. This is Sisodia's first press conference after he also took charge as Nodal Minister for Covid-19 management of Delhi last week. He along with Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been inspecting several gvernment and private hospitals in an effort to improve the city's health management which has reached at its limit. Sisodia informed that number of beds in Delhi have been increased to 19,000 from 6,000. An additional 2,700 beds will be added in the next two or three days. A day after he announced a total lockdown in Delhi that started at 10 p.m. on Monday until April 16, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday urged the people of the city to follow lockdown rules and help in breaking the Covid chain. On Monday, the national capital eported record 24 deaths due to Covid-19, the highest since the pandemic last year, and 23,686 new cases with a positivity rate of 26.12 per cent. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi: In an incident being reported from Faridabad, Haryana, five people have been beaten by self-styled cow vigilantes, or gau rakshaks on suspicion of carrying cow meat. An FIR under Cow Smuggling Act has been registered. Another FIR will also be registered on victims complaint and investigations are underway. The confiscated meat will also be tested, said the DCP. The incidents related to cow vigilantism have increased significantly in the year 2017. The Supreme Court had in September demanded status report from states on implementation of its September 6 judgment related to the menace of cow vigilantism. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had said states must frame schemes to compensate victims of crime, including those of cow vigilantism as envisaged under the Code of Criminal Procedure. The SC had said states were under obligation to compensate victims of violence by cow vigilante groups. Supreme Court said that all states are under an obligation to compensate victims of Cow vigilantism violence cases. Next hearing is on October 31st. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes has resigned from Attorney General Jeff Landry's office after he said that Landry has targeted him for blowing the whistle on sexual harassment from former criminal division director Pat Magee, among other issues. Landry called a news conference Tuesday in which he defended his actions in the Magee case. Magee resigned after a second sexual harassment complaint was filed against him last month. But Derbes, who penned the initial complaint, said in his April 19 resignation letter that he could no longer withstand the retaliation that he faced for coming forward. "My sincerest hope was that the sexual harassment and my other reports would be addressed fully, fairly and without retaliation," he wrote. "Instead, this office has targeted me and those who had the courage to stand up." +17 Jeff Landry attacks credibility of those who reported sexual harassment by his top deputy Flanked by a cadre of women who work for him, state Attorney General Jeff Landry spent much of an hourlong news conference Tuesday trying to p Derbes' attorney, Jill Craft, said Tuesday that Derbes filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination in the workplace, and that Landry had been notified of it. Filing that kind of charge is the first step necessary to file lawsuits on retaliation and employment discrimination. "Its a shame that Mr. Landry and his office have decided to target the whistleblower," Craft said. "Mr. Derbes is a person of true character." Landry repeatedly said that he would not use the term "whistleblower" about anybody involved in the Magee sexual harassment case. He instead attacked the employee who complained about Magee's misconduct without naming him, saying the employee should have reported something sooner. At the same time, Landry insisted that Magee's actions did not rise to the level of sexual harassment. Leon Cannizzaro is back: Former New Orleans DA now has top role under Attorney General Jeff Landry Former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro kept a low profile after bowing out of last years election amid growing voter discont Derbes wrote in his resignation letter, however, that Magee's behavior was "offensive, harmful to our female staff, and was open, obvious and pervasive in the workplace." And he wrote that it went on for as long as it did because Magee constantly threatened employees with termination, citing his close relationship to Landry, and employees were fearful of retaliation. Craft said that Derbes also remained in his position two years ago at Landry's behest, only agreeing to do so if Landry gave 10 percent pay raises to female attorneys in his office who were underpaid in comparison to their male counterparts. Landry did not name Derbes during his news conference Tuesday, nor would he confirm that an employee his office singled out was the same employee who resigned this week. But Landry alleged that a high-ranking member of his office's criminal division was not a credible source of information because the employee was previously investigated by another state agency on a claim that he impersonated a state official. Did Jeff Landry's office fully probe sexual harassment reports? Here's how many interviews happened When an employee in Attorney General Jeff Landrys office filed a complaint last year alleging that a top deputy sexually harassed women in th The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Craft said Landry was referencing a joke social media post that Derbes made 10 years ago about an official in former Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration. The results of the situation were handled more than 10 years ago Craft said. The fact that Landry brings it up now just shows the level of desperation hes going to sink to in order to deflect from his own responsibility. Landry also alleged that his office had uncovered texts from the same employee that were sexist in nature, but Landry said they would not release any documentation of them because of potential lawsuits. Attorney General Jeff Landry's office targets whistleblower who reported sexual harassment Two months after Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit to prevent records about sexual harassment accusations against one of his top em Derbes wrote in his resignation letter that Magee's actions were not the only problem he complained about in Landry's office. Another instance that he said prompted him to come forward was "preferential treatment" for a "politically connected" person who faced 20 counts of child pornography involving juveniles under age 13. Asked about that allegation at his news conference Tuesday, Landry instead questioned a reporter about how she had seen a copy of the resignation letter, given that his office had not released it. He said he had not seen those allegations in the resignation letter, but Craft said that it was hand-delivered to Landry on Monday. Derbes also said that he'd also raised red flags over the way that Landry's insurance fraud support unit was spending money that under state law was supposed to be dedicated to specific positions, and alleged that administrators had been "illegally manipulating this fund for years." He said that Landry's office declined to promote him last month because of his actions related to the Magee case, and instead was "effectively demoted." When Landry's office released a memo that targeted Derbes directly, saying they were opening an internal investigation into him, he believed that it "directly threatened" his job. Craft said he looks forward to "continuing his career where equal justice under the law means something." "The statements contained in that memorandum and the timing/manner of its release were clearly designed to cause me personal and professional harm," Derbes wrote. "Rather than supporting employees who follow this office's policy and the law, it is readily apparent to me that this office is retaliating against me as a whistleblower." Advertisement One of the victims of a fatal Tesla crash has been named as a 59-year-old anesthesiologist, who friends say wanted to test his Model S autopilot feature when the car crashed at speed into a tree with no one in the driver's seat. The accident on Saturday night has triggered two federal safety investigations and raised serious questions over Tesla's safety. Dr. Will T. Varner died on Saturday after his Model S crashed into trees just a few hundred yards from his $2million home in the gated community of Carlton Woods Creekside. Dr. Varner was an anesthesiology specialist who worked at Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center. He was driving with a 69-year-old friend at it was 11.25pm. Shortly after driving out of his driveway on Saturday, the car veered off of the quiet cul-de-sac and plowed into trees then caught fire. It took firefighters four hours to put out the blaze because the battery on the electric vehicle kept reigniting. Cops say they even had to phone Tesla to ask them how to put the fire out. When they eventually put the flames out, they found Varner in the backseat and the other man, who is yet to be identified, in the passenger seat. Now there are serious questions over how the car was able to move, let alone at speed, when no one was in the driver's seat. Harris County Constable Precinct 4 said immediately that there was no one driving the car when it crashed, which led to speculation that the pair had engaged the car's autopilot feature. Tesla CEO Elon Musk however insisted on Monday night that data logs show they had not engaged autopilot, nor had the driver bought the more advanced self-driving feature, Full Self-Driving Capability. 'Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have,' Musk tweeted. Scroll down for video This was what was left of the Tesla Model S after the fiery crash on Saturday in Spring, Texas The men drove from Varner's home, at the end of the cul-de-sac, and only made it a few hundred feet before crashing into trees To engage Tesla's autopilot, the car must think someone is at the wheel by detecting the weight of their hands on the steering wheel. If it doesn't, it'll stop but it can take up to 30 seconds for it to do so. THE QUESTIONS FOR TESLA AFTER CRASH HOW MIGHT AUTOPILOT ENGAGE WITH NO ONE AT THE WHEEL? To engage Tesla's autopilot, the car must think someone is at the wheel by detecting the weight of their hands on the steering wheel. If it doesn't, it'll stop but it can take up to 30 seconds for it to do so. NO ROAD MARKINGS ON PRIVATE STREET OF CRASH The second question is whether or not the men were able to engage autopilot when there are no markings on the private road they were on. Autopilot must detect road markings before it can be enabled, according to Tesla. SPEED LIMIT Thirdly, how - if autopilot was engaged - did the car reach a speed fast enough to crash at the pace police say the men did? Autopilot, according to Tesla, will never go above the speed limit and on the road in question, that limit is 35mph. Investigators have not said how fast the car was going but they have said it was at considerable speed. Advertisement The second question is whether or not the men were able to engage autopilot when there are no markings on the private road they were on. Autopilot must detect road markings before it can be enabled, according to Tesla. Thirdly, how - if autopilot was engaged - did the car reach a speed fast enough to crash at the pace police say the men did? Autopilot, according to Tesla, will never go above the speed limit and on the road in question, that limit is 35mph. Investigators have not said how fast the car was going but they have said it was at considerable speed. Tesla's shares dipped by 3.4 percent on Monday after the crash. Police say that Musk's tweet claiming to have recovered data from the car was the first they've heard of it. 'If he is tweeting that out, if he has already pulled the data, he hasnt told us that. 'We will eagerly wait for that data,' Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 said. He says witnesses have told him that the pair were driving on autopilot. 'We have witness statements from people that said they left to test drive the vehicle without a driver and to show the friend how it can drive itself,' he said. It's not clear how Musk's claims stack up against those of the local police, whose investigators said they were '99.9 percent sure' there was no one behind the wheel of the car. Three other people have died in Tesla autopilot-related incidents. The two men on Sunday were driving along Hammock Dunes Place in Spring, Texas, a street that is just 1,000ft long in a gated community where the average house price on the street is more than $2million. Tesla lovers are baffled by the crash because to engage autopilot, the $80,000 car must be able to identify clear road markings (which this street does not have). The men were also driving at night, at 11.25pm. After they plowed into a tree just a few hundred yards from the house they left, the vehicle caught fire and for four hours, firefighters battled the blaze while the victims' relatives watched on in horror. They had to call the carmaker and ask how to stop the battery from reigniting. In the end, they used 32,000 gallons of water but the two men were incinerated. The car did not turn along with the bend in the road and instead plowed straight into trees then caught fire Police say that the battery in the vehicle kept catching fire which made it impossible for them to put it out for hours Tesla insists that to engage autopilot, a person must have their hands on the steering wheel at all times, ready to take over if the automated systems fail. If no weight is detected on the steering wheel, the car sends the driver an alert reminding them of the rule, but it doesn't necessarily bring it to a stop - at least not right away. In some videos posted by car enthusiasts, it takes two minutes for it to even detect that no one has their hands on the wheel. In one from 2019, it took the two minutes to detect no one was behind the wheel. The car then sends the driver an on-screen prompt, then it starts beeping loudly before finally slowing down. In the 2019 video, it took 40 seconds from the first prompt for the car to stop completely. It's unclear how fast the men in the crash were driving but detectives say it was at considerable speed. Tesla will stop driving on autopilot if it cannot detect a person's hands on the wheel. To get around it, people have been doing this - putting an item on the wheel or lodging it there - to trick it Others have balanced water bottles on the steering wheels or attached them in drink holders to trick the car (left) or attached weighted bangles to it (right) Other drivers balanced water bottles on the steering wheel to make the car think they were still engaged with it This is what the driver is told via the screen in the car if, after 30 seconds or so, no hands are detected on the wheel. The car makes a loud beeping noise then it starts to slow down and comes to a stop but it can take half-a-minute to do so Elon Musk said on Saturday, just hours before the crash, that the cars were becoming more safe Both the NTSB (National Transport Safety Board) and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) are investigating the crash. The NHTSA said in a statement: 'We are actively engaged with local law enforcement and Tesla to learn more about the details of the crash and will take appropriate steps when we have more information. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Twitter it had dispatched two investigators to the scene, who 'will focus on the vehicle's operation and the post-crash fire. 'NTSB investigators will arrive in the area later this afternoon.' Tesla has not commented. Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4, says neither Tesla nor Elon Musk has given the cops any data On its website, it is vague about what exactly happens if no one is at the wheel when autopilot is engaged. 'Before enabling Autopilot, the driver first needs to agree to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times and to always maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle. 'Subsequently, every time the driver engages Autopilot, they are shown a visual reminder to keep your hands on the wheel,"' it says. Saturday's crash happened hours after Elon Musk tweeted that the autopilot function was becoming 'ten times safer'. On YouTube, car enthusiasts have been sharing videos for years about how to trick the steering systems with oranges, weighted bangles or just by simply giving the wheel a nudge. Some have wedged water bottles in the steering wheel to trick it too. After the crash, Tesla's stock plummeted by 3.32 percent on Monday. Hours before Saturday's crash, Musk tweeted: 'Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle.' Varner was identified by the hospital group he worked for. 'Dr. Varner was a tremendous human being who personally impacted many throughout our Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center family over the years. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family, and also to those who had the privilege of working and serving alongside him in various capacities. 'He will be dearly missed by so many, they said in a statement. [April 20, 2021] ExecOnline Partners with Tuck Executive Education to Bring New Leadership Development Experiences to World's Top Companies ExecOnline, the pioneer of online leadership development for enterprises, today announced a new partnership with the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Set to launch in June 2021, the first series of three experiences offered by Tuck Executive Education and ExecOnline will focus on strategic communication, a critical challenge for current and future business leaders across the world. "We are thrilled to partner with Tuck Executive Education to launch these pivotal learning experiences focused on strategic communication, as we continue on our mission to help the world's top companies invest in their leaders' development," said ExecOnline co-founder and chief product officer Julia F. Alexander. "In times of extraordinary change, effective communication is the bedrock of innovation, performance and impact. The need to equip leaders with comprehensive communication capabilities has never been greater, and offering Tuck's strategic communication experiences on our platform will provide even greater value to our enterprise clients." ExecOnline provides life-changing learning experiences by developing programs that not only support the growth and success of inclusive and empathetic leaders, but also drive meaningful business transformation. According to a winter 2021 ExecOnline survey of 1,662 leaders, 33 percent of those surveyed said that communication is a top barrier to effective work in their current virtual environment, noting that t is "difficult to gather and share information virtually." "Our faculty thought leaders are experts in the field of strategic communication," said Kevin Lane Keller, senior associate dean of marketing and communications and the E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing at Tuck. "We are excited to partner with ExecOnline to bring that expertise to a wide audience of the world's current and future leaders." The offering will be delivered on the ExecOnline Platform and registration is open now. About ExecOnline As the pioneer of online leadership development for enterprises, ExecOnline has delivered transformational learning experiences to corporate leaders at over 500 global organizations since 2012. Through partnerships with elite business schools such as Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth, Columbia, Tuck at Dartmouth, Duke CE, IMD, Ivey, MIT (News - Alert) -Sloan, Stanford GSB, Wharton and Yale, ExecOnline consistently provides top-tier leadership courses. As a Forbes "Technology Company to Watch," our proprietary online ecosystem combines the engagement of on-campus study with the convenience of online education, through dynamic, high-impact experiences tailored to the unique strategic, innovation and operation concerns of corporate executives. Follow ExecOnline on LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit execonline.com to learn more. About Tuck Executive Education Founded in 1900 as the first graduate school of management, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth develops wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business. Tuck Executive Education designs and delivers personalized learning initiatives that transform individuals and create tremendous impact at organizations while drawing on the school's rich legacy of teaching and learning. Visit exec.tuck.dartmouth.edu to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005267/en/ [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] Advertisement A significant rise in central London mega-mansions and penthouses has created a 'super-prime market' catering exclusively to billionaire buyers. Leading premium estate agents Wetherell say there are currently around 20 homes in central London either built or in the development pipeline with the value around or over 100 million. Over the last decade, a number of vast, historic London properties have become available for refurbishment or conversion back into private homes, in what Wetherell has called a 'residential renaissance'. These properties are located in just a few sought after addresses including Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Regent's Park and Hampstead and have led to the emergence of a 'giga-prime market' of the uber-wealthy looking for 'unique trophy assets'. Pictured, the grand staircase at 38 Hill Street in Mayfair. The house is one of the largest single addresses in Mayfair and if it were to be turned back into a private abode, it could be worth up to 100 million Once renovated - with refurbishments costing anywhere between 17million to 18million - the property (pictured) could become one of the most expensive properties in the capital Pictured, the living room of 2-8a Rutland Gate which was rumoured to sell last year for more than 200million. The 45-room mansion overlooking Hyde Park was originally built as four grand family homes before being converted in the 1980s Pictured, one of the numerous bathrooms at Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge which here features gold attachments and Baldi baths worth thousands Examples include 38 Hill Street in Mayfair - a private members' club where Prince Philip, Lord Mountbatten and other members of the notorious Thursday Club are said to have gathered - hit the market for 35million last month. The house, which at 17,131 square feet is one of the largest single addresses in Mayfair, has been a private members' club since 1946 - but if it were to be turned back into a private abode, it could be worth up to 100million. Meanwhile, a Chinese property tycoon was reported to have purchased 2-8a Rutland Gate for more than 200million in January last year. The 45-room mansion overlooking Hyde Park was originally built as four grand family homes before being converted in the 1980s and was previously owned by Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Pictured, the exterior of 38 Hill Street in Mayfair, a private members' club where Prince Philip, Lord Mountbatten and other members of the notorious Thursday Club are said to have gathered Pictured, the exterior of 2-8a Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge which overlooks Hyde Park and was previously owned by Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia Based in a Georgian mansion at 38 Hill Street in Mayfair, the Naval Club's home (pictured) was originally the property of the Earl of Chatham, brother of William Pitt the Younger, who served as Prime Minister between 1793-1801 and 1804-1806 Notable members of the Naval Club have included Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's uncle, with guests including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales. Pictured, a CGI photo of what the property could look like once refurbished Peter Wetherell, Founder and Chairman of Wetherell said: 'We have seen the establishment of a prime London market, a super-prime market, and now we are seeing the emergence of a giga-prime market, homes for billionaires that are priced at 100 million or above. 'These 100 million plus homes are two types, either vast mega-mansions or huge penthouses. They are unique trophy assets. 'There are three key reasons for the emergence of this giga-prime market in London, availability, desire and investment opportunity. 'Billionares like owning trophy homes in London because it is good for their image. A purchase always creates profile enhancing global publicity, they know that in London there is a fair and just rule of law, good governance and also safety for themselves and their families, and they also like London because each decade property prices go up, so the value of their property assets increase.' Then in 1946, the freehold of 38 Hill Street was purchased from the Raphael family and it has been the home of the RNVR and the Naval Club, which was established in 1919, ever since. Pictured, the reading room, which was formerly the ground floor dining room 2-8a Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge includes a large swimming pool, industrial-size catering kitchen, underground parking and several lifts. Pictured, one of the home's several bedrooms Wetherell says that there are currently there are just seven locations in the world where there is enough wealth to support similar prime housing markets. These locations include central London, within the so-called platinum triangle comprised of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia. Desirable locations overseas include Monaco, the French Riviera, Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Singapore and Hong Kong. The estate agents claimed this elite home market in London is dominated by buyers from Qatar, India, Britain, America, China, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with buyers from Qatar, America and China being the most prolific over the last 24 months. Millions of pounds worth of gold leaf are thought to adorn the internal decor and the property reportedly has no fewer than 41 chandeliers, including this stunning variation The 60,000sq ft property at 2-8a Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge (pictured) is London's most expensive home 'Crucially the giga-prime market is about investment opportunity', said Wetherell, 'If you buy a brand new home you pay a premium, if you purchase a second hand home you need to wait for the market to rise to make a return, but with a property that needs heavy refurbishment or planning and conversion to create a new mega-mansion the potential uplift in value for the owner is substantial.' Wetherell say that alongside the new homes there are several new 5-star hotels and premium residential developments currently being developed in Mayfair. They predict the volume of sales deals will rise by 50 per cent as buyers return following the pandemic. China in Focus (April 19): US Shifts Focus From Afghanistan to China The United States shifts its focus from Afghanistan to China and pulls troops from the region. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says thats because threats to the United States have moved. Australia seems to have taken sides. In the event of war between China and Taiwan, Australia would be likely to come to Taiwans aid, together with the United States. Will Beijing really attack Taiwan? A Japanese expert breaks down the Chinese regimes pros and cons list for a possible invasion. An experiment has engineered the worlds first-ever human-monkey embryo. But the unusual experiment is now raising a number of ethical concerns. Human rights lawyers in China work arguably one of the riskiest jobs out there. One of them who just escaped China spoke to NTD about his experiences. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. Gwyneth Paltrow is ready to jump into post-pandemic life in just about the Goop-iest way possible, dressed in $495 pants and a $145 T-shirt, drinking out of $50 mugs, and relaxing on a $1,049 gemstone heat therapy mat. The 48-year-old actress who was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic and has been battling some long-hauler symptoms admitted in a new Goop shopping guide that she's 'experiencing a little spring fever over here' and can't wait to 'step (cautiously) out of the small bubbles weve confined ourselves to for over a year'. But Gwyneth, of course, only ever steps anywhere in style, and to that end has unveiled a roundup of clothing, home goods, and spa essentials that she recommends for life after COVID. Ready to go! Gwyneth Paltrow is ready to jump into post-pandemic life and has shared some of her top picks for a post-pandemic spring Cozy: Though she is ready to wear pants again, 'they have to feel like sweatpants,' so she suggests $495 linen pants from her G. Label clothing collection Casual: Her guide also includes this $145 white T-shirt from G. Label Gwyneth's first two picks are from her G. Label clothing collection and though they're designed to be as cozy as the loungewear many people have lived in this past year, they're hardly bargain finds. 'For an entire year, weve joked about never wearing pants or makeup again. Now Im here to say Im ready for pants,' she wrote. 'Of course, they have to feel like sweatpants, so Ive bought two pairs of the Shiv Linen Pants, which feel like the roomiest sweats but look decidedly more pulled-together,' she said. The $495 linen pants can go with a plain white T-shirt for $145. Next, she recommends Goop Beauty's GoopGlow Glow Lotion for $52 a bottle, which she puts on every morning after she showers and will wear nothing else if she's not shooting anything. 'Though I havent worn makeup much in the past year, Im wearing even less now,' she said. 'I bring [the Glow Lotion] with me if Ive got a shoot or a TV appearance.' Her 16-year-old daughter, Apple, helped with the product development, and has even posed for photos and appeared in videos to promote it. Gwynnie's must-have: Next, she recommends Goop Beauty's GoopGlow Glow Lotion for $52 a bottle, which she puts on every morning after she showers 'Though I havent worn makeup much in the past year, Im wearing even less now,' she said. 'I bring [the Glow Lotion] with me if Ive got a shoot or a TV appearance' Showing it off: Gwyneth has promoted the new product on Instagram, and says it is often the only thing she wears all day Mini-me: Her 16-year-old daughter, Apple, helped with the product development, and has even posed for photos and appeared in videos to promote it What IS 'intuitive fasting'? Intuitive fasting is the combination of two dieting practices: intermittent fasting and intuitive eating. Intuitive eating has been described as the 'opposite' of a traditional diet because it encourages people to feed themselves, rather than restricting. Devotees are urged to eat whatever they're craving, while avoiding calorie counting and restriction of any kind. Those who follow an intuitive eating plan are told to learn what their body wants; they should eat when they feel hungry, but learn to know when their body is full and satisfied. A key principal of the practice is recognizing the difference between physical hunger - when the body needs food - and emotional hunger - the idea that you are eating to satiate an emotion. Intermittent fasting means going without food for specific periods of time during the day; rather than focusing on what you eat, it places the emphasis on when you eat. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, intermittent fasting will encourage the body to 'exhaust sugar stores and burn fat' while helping to prevent unnecessary calorie intake. Advertisement Gwyneth goes on to talk food, explaining that she's been sticking to Dr. Will Cole's intuiting fasting plan and suggests readers buy his book. 'Whats so powerful about Wills approach is the way it helps your body develop what he calls metabolic flexibility, where, with a healthier gut and better balance overall, foods your body might normally have difficulty processing no longer cause the problems they normally would, so treats are actually a thing,' she said. While Dr. Cole uses the title 'Dr.' and promotes ideas about health, he is not a graduate of medical school, but rather has a doctorate of chiropractic from Southern California University of Health Sciences, a private school that focuses on alternative medicine. His book, 'Intuitive Fasting,' is the first book to be published by Goop Press as part of the lifestyle brand's new publishing partnership with Rodale Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Gwyneth previously said she lost 11 pounds since she started Dr. Cole's intuitive fasting plan, which includes a week of bone broth. She has also attributed a recovery from COVID long-hauler symptoms to the eating plan, in addition to vitamins and exercise. Since these days she is feeling better less brain fog and fatigue she now treats herself occasional, and says she's excited to be able to have friends over for dinner again. 'After a years worth of Zoom being practically the only option, its exhilarating to find myself able to throw a dinner party for a small group of friends in the backyard,' she said. To give her dinner parties an 'extra kick,' she likes Social Studies, which allows customers to rent an entire tabletop look, from the decor to the place settings. Shilling: Gwyneth goes on to talk food, explaining that she's been sticking to Dr. Will Cole's intuiting fasting plan and suggests readers buy his book Luxury sips: For dinner parties and other food-related enjoyment, Gwyneth likes Richard Brendon's hand-cut crystal shot glasses $144 for a pair and $50 handmade ceramic mugs No low-class veggies here! Gwyneth said this $160 teak tray 'elevates even the simplest cut vegetables' For rich food: She also promotes a $270 French oven and a $360 round cocotte from Staub x Goop collaboration Fancy flowers: As for decorations, the Shakespeare in Love star's suggests cherry blossoms in handmade ceramic vase also by Roman and Williams Guild which cost $98 each Splurge! Finally, and most outrageously, Gwyneth finishes her list with HealthyLine's $1,049 Gemstone Heat Therapy Mat, which is made with amethyst, tourmaline, and jade gemstones Joy by utensil: Gwyneth said this $24 stirring spoon 'just makes me happy' Also for dinner parties and other food-related enjoyment, Gwyneth likes Richard Brendon's hand-cut crystal shot glasses $144 for a pair plus a $270 French oven and a $360 round cocotte from Staub x Goop collaboration. Other favorites include a $160 teak platter, $50 handmade ceramic mugs, and $24 stirring spoons from Roman and Williams Guild. 'Everything they touch is artisanal, original, and just beautiful,' she said. 'Those Japanese mugs just make anything you drink out of feel (and taste) so special, the teak tray elevates even the simplest cut vegetables, and that Jipo spoon just makes me happy.' As for decorations, the Shakespeare in Love star's suggests cherry blossoms in handmade ceramic vase also by Roman and Williams Guild which cost $98 each. Finally, and most outrageously, Gwyneth finishes her list with HealthyLine's $1,049 Gemstone Heat Therapy Mat, which is made with amethyst, tourmaline, and jade gemstones. 'While it might sound terribly goopy of me,' Gwyneth admits, 'my ongoing obsession with this heated gemstone mat is definitely going to continue. 'Talk about great energy, no matter the time of year.' [April 20, 2021] Two Practices with $232 Million Join Ameriprise to Reach Their Succession Planning and Growth Goals Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) recently added two advisor practices to its branch channel with $232 million in combined client assets. Steve Potter joined from Morgan Stanley in Charleston, South Carolina, and separately Frank Gordon, CLU and John Beninato, CDFA joined from MassMutual in Red Bank, New Jersey. Both practices were looking for a firm with deep expertise and personalized support to help them reach their goals. Potter, who manages $125 million in client assets, started evaluating firms 18 months ago and was particularly interested in how each one elevates the client experience, and facilitates advisor retirements and succession planning. He selected Ameriprise because the firm prioritizes serving clients well and has a formal succession planning program that will help him eventually retire on his terms. Reflecting on his decision, Potter said, "I wanted to move to a firm that would provide a more personalized service for my clients, which includes integrated technology and a broad investment offering. Additionally, I've spent over 20 years guiding clients to and through retirement. Now it's time to ensure my own family is secure for retirement and my clients are well supported. I moved firms because I wanted more options for the valuation of my hard work. Ameriprise provides advisors with equity and valuable succession planning options that put us in the driver's seat of what happens with our practices." Potter is supported by Ameriprise branch manager Jamie O'Brien. MassMutual advisors were seeking more 'horsepower' to reach their goals Gordon and Beninato, who manage $107 million in clent assets, evaluated firms for two years. They wanted a firm that is committed to financial planning and provides highly vetted, extensive asset management capabilities, and found Ameriprise was the best fit. "Ameriprise has a positive reputation and that stuck out to us. We value the firm's long history, and the strong brand name they've built in the industry," said Beninato, who has over a decade of experience. "We like Ameriprise's open architecture product platform, which offers us a wide array of choices. We don't feel there's pressure for us to sell certain products. Ameriprise's approach to products and solutions provides advisors choice and flexibility to offer what is best for clients, first and foremost." "We can concentrate on our clients here," said Gordon who has over 30 years of experience in the industry. "Ameriprise has the resources and financial planning, insurance, and asset management experts to help us craft plans that work for our clients' unique needs, while saving us time." Ameriprise branch manager Trevor Jones supports the team. "Ameriprise gives advisors more horsepower to develop their business and serve clients comprehensively. Frank and John said we were the best option to help them grow over the next 10 years, and I'm excited to support them in the years ahead." Ameriprise has continued to attract experienced, productive advisors, with approximately 1,700 joining the firm in the last 5 years.1 To find out why experienced financial advisors are joining Ameriprise, visit ameriprise.com/why. About Ameriprise Financial At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With extensive advisory, asset management and insurance capabilities and a nationwide network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of individual and institutional investors' financial needs. For more information, or to find an Ameriprise financial advisor, visit ameriprise.com. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. 2021 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 Ameriprise Financial 2020 10-K. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005996/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SHENZHEN, China, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 15, 2021, ImmVira presents the preclinical study results of MVR-T3011 via intravenous administration through publication in a virtual poster at the AACR annual meeting. MVR-T3011 is a replication competent and genetically modified oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 expressing human interleukin-12 and anti-PD-1 antibody. ImmVira owns the global right for development and commercialization of MVR-T3011 via intravenous administration. Oncolytic virus(OV) has been proven to inhibit tumor growth in a number of superficial tumors through intratumoral injection. From clinical studies, intratumoral injection of OV has been proved to provide effective treatment against tumor via its abscopal effect, transitions from immunologically cold to hot tumor and combination with other cancer therapies. However, to advanced tumors, especially the lesions of multiple metastasis are ideally treated via a systemic route. At present, common types of viruses that have been studied clinically for intravenous administration are Vaccinia virus, Coxsackie virus and Reovirus etc. However, for various reasons, most virus types used in developing oncolytic viruses including HSV-1 and adenoviruses, have not been fully studied for intravenous administration preclinically and clinically. In the preclinical study conducted by ImmVira, intravenous administration of MVR-T3011 demonstrated enrichment of viral DNA in tumor tissue. MVR-T3855, the surrogate of MVR-T3011 for mouse, was shown to significantly extend the survival time of several mouse with orthotopic tumors including primary and metastatic lung cancer and primary liver cancer, and repeated dose via intravenous administration has clearly enhanced antitumor effect. Furthermore, intravenous administration or intra-cavity of MVR-T3855 significantly delayed or prevented the formation of malignant ascites in mouse liver model. In terms of safety, the three-month pre-clinical study showed that the intravenous administration of MVR-T3011 and MVR-T3855 did not cause significant adverse reactions and had clinical significance. After administration, no histopathological change was found in non-target organs. ImmVira submitted an IND application for MVR-T3011 intravenous administration to the U.S. FDA in January 2021 and expects to recruit patients in five leading U.S. research cancer centers within the next few weeks. About ImmVira ImmVira is a biotechnology company focused on genetically modified oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. The company has developed science, technology and know-how to support ongoing research, development and commercialization of oncolytic viruses on the OvPENS (OV+ Potent, Enabling, Novel & Safe) platform. The OvPENS platform comprises of research, patents, gene-recombinant know-how, manufacturing technology and commercialization analytics to develop next-generation oncolytic viruses that reach drug development targets and that are potent, enabling, novel and safe. SOURCE ImmVira Related Links www.immvira-theravir.com LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of MOGU Inc. ("MOGU" or "the Company") (NYSE: MOGU) for violations of the securities laws. The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. MOGU disclosed its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021 on February 25, 2021. The Company stated: "Commission revenues decreased by 29.8% to RMB99.2 million (US$15.2million) from RMB141.2million in the same period of fiscal year 2020, primarily due to the restructuring of the Company's business towards a LVB-focused model," and that "Marketing services revenues decreased by 75.9% to RMB17.4 million (US$2.7million) from RMB72.5 million in the same period of fiscal year 2020 primarily due to the restructuring of the Company's business towards a LVB-focused model," and that "other revenues decreased by 46.4% to RMB29.9 million (US$4.6million) from RMB55.9 million in the same period of fiscal year 2020, primarily due to a decrease in online direct sales." The Company also reported a loss from operations of RMB123.2 million, "primarily attributable to a goodwill impairment incurred in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020." Based on this news, MOGU's ADR price fell by 17% over the next several trading sessions. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected]. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. CONTACT: The Schall Law Firm Brian Schall, Esq. 310-301-3335 [email protected] www.schallfirm.com SOURCE The Schall Law Firm Related Links www.schallfirm.com BRISBANE, Australia, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Insight Partners, a leading global software ScaleUp investor, has invested USD $172.5M for a minority stake in Brisbane-based continuous delivery and deployment automation company Octopus Deploy. The company is taking its first outside investment after eight years of strong organic growth and profitability in which it expanded its expertise in enterprise go-to-market and deepened its enterprise footprint. "When I started Octopus, I was obsessed with deployments and making software releases easier for teams. I was a huge believer in the power of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD), but frustrated that so much of CD in the wild ended with code that compiled and passed unit tests, but wasn't deployed anywhere", said Paul Stovell, founder and CEO. "Most software teams can set up a CI server rather easily, but many of them struggle to achieve full CD, because deployments were - and still are - the hardest part of software delivery pipelines." Octopus Deploy began in 2011 as a nights-and-weekends project for software developer Paul Stovell and his wife Sonia, but quickly became a profitable business in 2012. Since then, the company has grown consistently - now employing more than 100 people while remaining highly profitable and self-funded. Mr. Stovell said that Insight Partners made a compelling case that convinced him it was the right investor for Octopus Deploy. "In the last couple of years as our product has evolved, enterprises have become our fastest-growing segment. On the product side, we found we have a compelling solution for enterprises looking to create consistency in how they deploy software. But as an R&D-centric company, enterprise go-to-market didn't come particularly naturally to us, so traction to date has been organic. As we got to know Insight Partners, it was clear that they will be a great help as we grow and scale our sales and enterprise go-to-market." Insight Partners Managing Director Michael Triplett said it was incredibly rare to have the opportunity to invest in an entirely bootstrapped best-of-breed software company. "We routinely talk to our portfolio companies about the products they use or that their customers are using and Octopus Deploy came up over and over. The company has flown under the radar, but when you talk to their customers, they are huge fans. It is clear to us that Octopus is the leader in enterprise deployment automation." "As a firm with deep expertise in best-of-breed enterprise software we are excited to bring the full force of Insight's ScaleUp specialists to help Octopus in this next stage of growth, and we are very pleased to be making this investment." Octopus Deploy automates complex software deployments. Its approximately 100-person staff are primarily based in Australia, with contingents in the US and the UK. It has followed a product-led growth model where staff are heavily weighted to engineering, product and support, and the company's growth has been powered by organic adoption within the software development community. The 25,000 organizations using Octopus Deploy include 35 Fortune 100 companies and enterprise organizations such as Disney, NASA, StackOverflow, Xero and Microsoft. The company has embraced a remote-first work culture from day one, with staff encouraged to design their work to maximize their personal productivity. Octopus Deploy will shortly open its first large office in Brisbane. For more information, please visit octopus.com About Octopus Deploy Founded in 2012, Octopus Deploy has enabled thousands of companies to automate software deployments and complete their Continuous Delivery pipeline. Octopus Deploy provides best-in-class release management, deployment automation, and ops automation in a friendly platform. With the broadest range of supported application types and deployment targets, from on-premises to cloud-native and PaaS, Octopus is ideal for automating even the most complex deployments. Enterprises use Octopus Deploy to create consistency, meet compliance objectives, and tame complexity across thousands of projects. About Insight Partners Insight Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight Partners has invested in more than 400 companies worldwide and has raised through a series of funds more than $30 billion in capital commitments. Insight's mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success. Across its people and its portfolio, Insight encourages a culture around a belief that ScaleUp companies and growth create opportunity for all. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners. SOURCE Octopus Deploy Related Links https://octopus.com/ TAMPA, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shields Capital and KNR Therapy, a leader in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that provides individualized treatment to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is proud to announce its recent merger with Forbes Behavioral Services. Based in Mount Dora, Florida, Forbes Behavioral Services works with clients from the age of 2 to 25 years old. Forbes Behavioral Services now a division of KNR Therapy When KNR Therapy Founder & CEO, Frank Bequer, met Forbes Behavioral Services owner, Nicole Forbes, at the beginning of 2020, he was impressed with how closely FBS' clinical approach aligned with KNR's philosophy. "KNR Therapy was founded on the principle that every child deserves access to the highest quality therapeutic services possible," explains Bequer, "In partnership with the Forbes Behavioral Services team, we are excited to expand our geographic reach across Central Florida." In conjunction with the transaction, Nicole Forbes, MS, BCBA will move into the role of Chief Clinical Officer at KNR Therapy, where she will be responsible for leading the overall clinical organization across the greater Tampa Bay and Central Florida regions. In addition, this merger aligns with Forbes Behavioral Services' strategy of fueling continued growth while maintaining the same level of quality they always have. "KNR Therapy and Forbes Behavioral Services share the same mission of providing the highest quality ABA therapy services, and ensuring that a key part of those services center on parent training and support," says Forbes. "We are excited about this partnership, and what this means for the services we can provide our families, as well as the support we can continue to provide for our staff members." About KNR Therapy KNR provides home-based ABA Therapy to children across the Tampa Bay area. KNR's team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) leverage principles of ABA to provide carefully constructed, individualized treatment to children with autism and related disorders. KNR's model revolves around ongoing assessments and family participation training that drive optimal clinical outcomes. About Shields Capital Shields Capital is a sustainability-focused healthcare investment firm launched by Jack Shields, founder of Shields Health Solutions, a national specialty pharmacy integrator, and former President of Shields Health Care Group, the largest outpatient imaging provider in New England. Shields Capital incubates healthcare concepts from the idea stage through national scale and exit. The company circumvents venture capital & private equity fundraising norms and ensures partnership with portfolio leaders goes beyond just capital. Shields Capital has offices in Duxbury, MA, and Tampa, FL, and is proud to support KNR Therapy and its impactful work. Media Contact: Frank Bequer [email protected] (813) 438-6796 SOURCE KNR Therapy In five years, I see myself as the director of my graphic design company, introducing young Togolese designers to markets and businesses worldwide Yao Koumedzro, 31, from Kpalime, Togo I am a graphic designer of books, poster adverts and magazines. I am also in charge of PROJAD, the Youth in Action for Development Program. The program provides at-risk youth the very poor or drug addicted with jobs, health services and educational support. In terms of their day-to-day survival, government doesn't provide any public services to these children, many of whom are orphans. My five siblings and I were born in Tapagme, which is in the plateau region northwest of Kpalime. Both of my parents work: My father is a carpenter on public work projects, and my mother sells tomatoes. After high school, I left Tapagme for Lome to study language and communication at university. After two years, I switched to a vocational training programme in graphic design. I wasnt enjoying my major at university and, honestly, it become too difficult to keep up with tuition payments. But graphic design excited me, so the two-year professional training programme was a perfect solution. The AIDE programme of the Agence Nationale Pour Lemploi (national employment service)brought me to Kpalime for my first graphic design job with a local printing press. But I had always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur and so I set up my own studio. I am barely able to get by on what I earn, about 30,000 FCFA (about US$50) each week. There are even weeks when I make nothing. I need more clients and students but first, I have to find financing for better equipment, like computers. And government doesn't offer loans. But I know that I really only have myself and perhaps friends and family to depend on. For example, I have had friends bring me new graphic design clients. I am glad that Ive made the investments that I have in my education. My studies have shaped my ideas and helped me figure out what I want for myself. At the end of the day, even with all of our struggles, my generation is better off than my parents. We know that if we want more and better, we can get there though schooling and hard work. Learn more about the work of the Youth Inclusion Project in Togo Back to Homepage - Youth Inclusion Project Related Documents The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday described a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a man for whom Nigeria as a country currently yearns. Members of the House said this at plenary as they took time to eulogise the former governor of Lagos, who recently celebrated his 69th birthday. Speaking after lawmaker Victor Akande (Ojo 1) urged his colleagues to join him to wish Mr Tinubu a happy birthday, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said it had always been customary for the House to celebrate the Jagaban of Borgu on his birthday, but that this years celebration happened at a time the House was on recess. The Speaker, who said Mr Tinubu had earlier been honoured by attendees at a colloquium organised in his honour, added that the comments by lawmakers during Mondays plenary showed how the APC National Leader had impacted the lives of individuals. He agreed with members of the House that Mr Tinubu remains one man that can effectively steer the Nigerian ship to make the country attain greater success in the coming years. We all congratulate him and wish him all the good things of life, Mr Obasa said. We believe strongly in him and we have the conviction that he is a worthy man that can steer the ship of this nation. It is not about religion or ethnicity, but it is about wisdom, knowledge, experience and the capacity to lead. Earlier, Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu 1), described Mr Tinubu as a man who understands the country and has the needed experience. Mr Olowo said Mr Tinubu is a man that no one can love to hate because of his role in the advancement of the country. For Tobun Abiodun (Epe 1), Mr Tinubu is a father figure to most of us and we will continue to celebrate him for a long time to come. He is adjudged one of the most active politicians, Mr Abiodun said. As a father to us, we appreciate him. He recognises those who are loyal and brilliant. He is the only man that can lead this country to meet its goals. Supporting his colleagues, Rasheed Makinde called Mr Tinubu a man of the moment who believes in hunting talents and keeping them to prosper. He said even though Mr Tinubu has not held office for a long time, he still remains relevant because of his large heart and spirit of forgiveness. He urged Asiwaju to help lead the country in 2023. Richard Kasunmu (Ikeja 2), said he was delighted to share the same birthday with Mr Tinubu who he called an inspirational figure. The Asiwaju that I know is a builder of people, a stabiliser and one who loves selflessly. He is a man who loves other peoples progress, Mr Kasunmu said. I can only wish him many more fruitful years, first as a father and the National Leader of the APC. In a related development, the House also celebrated Oba Saheed Elegushi, who was described as a monarch that has brought advancement to his Ikate land while preserving the culture and traditions of his domain. Temitope Adewale, while moving that the traditional ruler, who recently clocked 45, be celebrated, said the monarch had made the state proud. The lawmaker was supported by his colleague, Desmond Elliot, who described the monarch as a 21st-century traditional ruler. ADVERTISEMENT In his contribution, Mr Obasa said the young monarch had endeared himself to the people because he has shown a strong passion for the peace and progress of the state. While praying for the traditional ruler, Mr Obasa added that Mr Elegushi was being praised for ensuring peace in the state. He said the commendation should be a challenge to other traditional rulers in the state to play positive roles in the growth and progress of society. The House further eulogised Musiliu Smith, a former Inspector-General of Police, IGP, who recently clocked 75. The House affirmed Mr Smiths importance noting that he has continued to serve the country as the chairman of the Police Service Commission. Speaker Obasa described him as a man of peace, a quintessential Lagosian and one who often expresses his views and suggestions about the effective running of the state. He thereafter directed the acting Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to write a letter congratulating each of the celebrants on behalf of the Assembly. SOURCE: Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly 90210 star AnnaLynne McCord has revealed she has dissociative identity disorder, a condition once known as multiple personality disorder. The 33-year-old actress shared her diagnosis while discussing her condition with brain disorder specialist Dr. Daniel Amen in a new YouTube video, in which she spoke out about the importance of removing the stigma that is attached the disorder - and the traumas that so often triggers it. 'The way this is talked about has so much shame - I am absolutely uninterested in shame,' the Atlanta native said in the video. 'There is nothing about my journey that I invite shame into anymore.' She continued: 'That's how we get to the point where we can articulate the nature of these pervasive traumas... as horrible as they are - so however we can get it out there, I am wanting to do it.' The Nip/Tuck star has previously revealed she was raped at the age of 18, which then triggered memories of the sexual abuse she suffered between the ages of five and 11. Before going through therapy for PTSD after the rape, McCord had no recollection of the childhood abuse. However, she is now examining how the abuse may well have led to her dissociative identity disorder (DID), a condition that usually develops as a response to trauma. The latest: AnnaLynne McCord, 33, opened up about her battle with dissociative identity disorder in a clip with Dr. Daniel Amen, saying she was disregarding any attached stigmas in hoping to encourage positive discussions moving forward McCord said she's 'absolutely uninterested in shame' in speaking up about the condition Many people with dissociative disorders like DID struggle with memory loss or amnesia around traumatic events or experiences. While speaking to Dr. Amen, the actress opened up in more detail about her own memory loss, explaining that she doesn't remember anything about her life before the age of five, and after that, she can only remember several 'incidents' of abuse, recollections that were triggered by her rape at age 18. What is dissociative identity disorder? Dissociative identity disorder (DID) was previously known as multiple personality disorder, and is classified by the presence of two or more distinct personality states in those who have it. Dissociative disorders - including DID - usually develop as a reaction to trauma, as a means of keeping difficult memories at bay. As well as the presence of alternate identities, DID symptoms can also include amnesia and other mental health problems, like depression and anxiety. The most commonly used treatments for DID are talk therapy and medication, however other methods may be suggested depending on the individual and their symptoms. Advertisement 'I don't have anything until around five, and then from five to 11, I recount incidents throughout,' she said, explaining that she also has gaps in her memory after the age of 11 - and is only able to recall one 'singled-out memory' when she was 13. 'And then when I was 13, I have a singled-out memory that was just one thing, that I don't have a sense of anything else at that time,' she said. However, McCord remembers having a split personality when she was 13, whom she describes as an 'anarchist from hell'. She added that the split personality was 'a nasty little creature', but noted that the feisty personality helped her to cope with the 'hell she was in' after enduring years of abuse. 'She was a balls to the wall, middle fingers to the sky, anarchist from hell who will stab you with the spike ring that she wears, and youll like it,' she told Dr. Amen. 'Then shell make you lick the blood from it.' McCord added: 'She was a nasty little creature, but I have so much gratitude to her because she got me out of the hell that I was in.' McCord, who received her DID diagnosis before meeting with Dr. Amen, revealed that her doctor told her she suffered from it 'pretty seriously', and that she likely had 'definitive splits' prior to her memory returning. Although McCord can now identify that split personality from the age of 13, she now looks back on her childhood behavior and says she can see evidence of the disorder at an earlier age, before her memories came back. 'Before my memories came back, I had definitive splits. In my history, youll see me, I would just show up with the black wig and a new personality and I was this tough little baddie, and then Id be the bohemian flower child,' she explained. The anti-trafficking activist now believes that her disorder also played a part in her work as an actress, explaining that all of her roles, in one way or another, were 'splits' - split personalities - although she was not aware of it at the time. The Nip/Tuck star said that a sexual assault she suffered at the age of 18 triggered memories of child sexual abuse she suffered McCord was engaged in an in-depth discussion with the doctor about the brain and how it works The actress says that she first became aware of her DID symptoms after filming 2012 movie Excision, after which she struggled to let go of the 'disturbed, strange' character she played Hours after wrapping the movie, McCord had to return to playing her bubbly 90210 character Naomi Clark, but says she 'couldn't get out' of 'dark' role she'd played in Excision In fact, it was not until she took part in the 2012 independent movie Excision that she began to become aware of the symptoms that she now recognizes as signs of DID. 'All of my roles were splits, but I didn't even realize I was doing it at all until I did [Excision],' she shared. In the film, which she filmed while on hiatus from hit Fox series 90210, McCord played the role of Pauline, a 'disturbed, strange girl', and she says that she struggled to let go of that character and return to her bubbly Beverly Hills role. 'I played a very, very cerebral, disturbed, strange girl, that was very close to to who I feel I am on the inside,' she said. 'And it was very exposing, confronting, and a little bit re-traumatizing without realizing it... and even healing as well. 'The crazy thing about it was that I wrapped that film at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday and had to be happy, crazy Beverly Hills blonde bombshell on Wednesday at noon and I couldn't find her, she was not accessible. I was dark, I was very deep into this character Pauline, and I couldn't get [out]. 'When I look back in hindsight, I'm like... oh my dear God.' McCord went on to recall that there was one moment when she 'experienced [her split personality] consciously' when she was 'co-conscious' with a split she referred to as 'little Anna'. 'I could be co-conscious with my "little" and was very clearly defined that I was me, anchored in real time, and "little Anna" was popping up,' she explained, although she added that she has 'spent a lot of her life as the [anarchist] split she was [from] 13 and on'. Dr. Amen explained that he scanned McCord's brain - and noted that the results are 'not like many of the other multiples he has seen', before questioning whether the actress has ever been given a bipolar diagnosis, which she confirmed she had. 'In 2017, I actually went [to a psychiatrist], knowing for years that I felt like I was [bipolar], considering the fact that I have family history and the symptoms seemed to line up,' she said. McCord, pictured with her mom (front) and sisters, has previously revealed she was raped at age 18, and the trauma of that attack brought back memories of childhood sexual abuse Candid: McCord opened up about a number of personalities she has taken on in the past Dr. Daniel Amen spoke with the Hollywood star about brain function and diagnosing McCord said that her goal is to shift the way society views people dealing with the disorder McCord explained that she had struggled with symptoms of bipolar disorder for years, but admits that she actually relied on her 'manic' behavior as a means of pulling herself out of a depressed state. 'I would use my manic symptoms to get me out of depression, I would kind of manipulate my symptoms,' she continued. 'I knew that if I went on a crazy sex spree, or a shopping spree, or any kind of heightened thrill-seeking type things, I could always manipulate myself out of depression so I never really got too stuck.' However, in 2017, she 'went down a depression spiral' that she could not bring herself out of 'no matter what she did'. 'I tried to go on no-sleeping benders to activate my mania, I tried sex, spending [sprees], I tried traveling all over the globe the first part of that year but I could not get out of the depression.' Referring to McCord's brain scan, Dr. Amen explained that he believes the actress used her split personalities as a means of 'managing' her childhood sexual trauma. 'When you've had intense childhood sexual trauma, you split as a way to manage it,' he said. 'And the brighter you are, the more you split.' He also suggested that the actress may have had an undiagnosed brain injury, which could also be an underlying cause of her condition. McCord - noting that there is a 'massive spectrum obviously' of disorder in how it impacts people battling it - said that her goal is to shift the way society views people dealing with the disorder. 'For me, my heart is to change this narrative around, these behaviors that follow trial of the trauma, and not treating someone or responding to someone or judging someone from their actions but asking what happened to you - how did we get here?' she said. If you or someone close to you is in need of mental health help, text 'STRENGTH' to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to speak to a certified crisis counselor. 6 years on, Xi's Pakistan visit booms development, friendship with shared future Xinhua) 08:44, April 20, 2021 -- Six years after Chinese president's state visit, a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future is becoming a reality and setting a fine example for the rest of the world. -- According to data by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has helped Pakistan rake in 25.4 billion U.S. dollars in foreign direct investment since inauguration, offering more than 75,000 jobs to local people. --The special friendship between China and Pakistan is a historical choice, and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, who have always extended a helping hand to each other in times of need. --The mutual support and bilateral cooperation in the face of huge challenges have shown the world the true meaning of an all-weather friendship. ISLAMABAD, April 19 (Xinhua) -- For hundreds of years, the lofty Karakoram mountain range has never been the hurdle between the two ancient civilizations of China and Pakistan, but rather a witness to the ever-deepening friendship between the two peoples. The rolling mountain observed a new height of friendly exchanges between the two countries in 2015 when the plane taking Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day state visit to Pakistan flew over it. During the visit, the two sides forged their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and mapped out strategic arrangements and a long-term plan for future bilateral development. Six years on, benefits of the fruitful visit thrive across the South Asian country. A closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future is becoming a reality and setting a fine example for the rest of the world. A train for the Orange Line arrives at a subway station in Lahore, Pakistan, Oct. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) CPEC's NEW CHAPTER Back to 2015, Pakistan was deeply-marred by terrorism, and few countries in the world were willing to invest in the country, said Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of the Pakistani Senate's standing committee on foreign affairs. The South Asian country was looking forward to an economic take-off to stabilize its society. "China and Pakistan need to align development strategies more closely to realize the dreams of our peoples," Xi said in a signed article published ahead of his Pakistan visit. During the visit, the two sides signed more than 50 cooperation deals, and agreed to center the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with four key areas namely the Gwadar Port, transport infrastructure, energy and industrial cooperation. The CPEC blueprint is now a reality. Three major coal-fired power plants with world's top environment friendly technologies have generated more than 71.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity since they were combined to the grid, ending Pakistan's history of power outages of an average of 12 hours per day. In 2020, major CPEC energy projects generated about one-third of the total electricity injecting into the national grid, said Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong. With planned hydropower plants including Karot and Suki Kinari under construction, Pakistan's energy structure will be further improved in the near future. Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2019 shows the expressway section from Havelian to Mansehra under the Karakoram Highway Phase Two project in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) The CPEC has also enhanced connectivity. The Karakoram Highway Phase Two project, along with the Sukkur-Multan Motorway, CPEC's largest transport infrastructure project, has connected the heartland of the country with its remote northern region and financial center in the south. The eco-friendly Orange Line metro train in Pakistan's cultural center Lahore has served over 10 million passengers within six months. Facing the Arabian Sea and the Middle East, the re-functioned Gwadar Port has welcomed Afghan transit cargo, facilitating goods movement in the region and "helping make Pakistan the hub of transit trade in the region," said Pakistani President Arif Alvi. With a new international airport and a coastal expressway linking the airport to a newly-built free trade zone, Gwadar is sailing towards the dream of becoming a "New Dubai" in Pakistan. According to data by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan in March, the CPEC has helped Pakistan rake in 25.4 billion U.S. dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI) since inauguration, offering more than 75,000 jobs to local people. In fact, China has been Pakistan's largest source of FDI for the past seven years, and its largest trading partner over the last six years. Xi's visit was very important, and what the two countries planned at that time "is in the pipeline, is happening, is going on," Alvi told Xinhua in a recent interview. Photo taken on Jan. 29, 2018 shows a view of Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Gwadar. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) ALL-WEATHER FRIENDSHIP "My friend's lovely image dwells in the mirror of my heart; I tilt my head slightly, and here it comes into my sight." Xi quoted an Urdu poem in the signed article to describe what Pakistan is like in his own heart. The special friendship between China and Pakistan is a historical choice, and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, who have always extended a helping hand to each other in times of need. When the devastating earthquake struck China's Wenchuan in 2008, Pakistan shipped its entire reserve of tents to China. When Pakistan was hit by a severe flood in 2010, China dispatched its largest ever medical team to the South Asian country. Amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, Alvi wrote a letter to Xi to express consolations to the Chinese people, and visited China in March 2020. Pakistan's National Assembly and Senate have both passed a resolution on offering full support to China's anti-pandemic fight. In return, China has sent medical teams and donated anti-epidemic materials to Pakistan. Besides, Pakistan became the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccine aid from China, and took part in the Phase III trial of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, ensuring more safety for its citizens while gaining first-hand medical experiences. "In every situation, on every step, our Chinese counterparts are always providing us firm support," recalled Omeira Naseer, supervisor of the vaccine trial at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. "We have a very nice experience with our Chinese counterparts." A handover ceremony of a batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccine is held at Noor Khan Air Base near Islamabad, Pakistan, Feb. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) The mutual support and bilateral cooperation in the face of huge challenges have shown the world the true meaning of an all-weather friendship. "By all-weather, we mean that our two countries will always move ahead together rain or shine. This description of China-Pakistan partnership is a most appropriate one, as it aptly defines the all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation between China and Pakistan," Xi said in 2015 at the Parliament of Pakistan. As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, Alvi said the anniversary will be a new starting point, and the all-weather friendship between the two countries will be stronger in the future. SHARED FUTURE "Over the years, thanks to the nurturing of generations of leaders and people from all sectors of both countries, China-Pakistan friendship has flourished like a tree growing tall and strong," Xi said in the signed article. Now younger generations have taken over the relay baton of exchanges. The Chinese education sector has welcomed an increasing number of Pakistani students, while more and more people in Pakistan are learning Chinese. Besides, there have also been closer cooperation between sister cities, media outlets and think tanks from both countries. During the state visit six years ago, Xi noted that the friendship between China and Pakistan is based on trust and mutual support. "Our friendship is a pacesetter for amicable relations between countries." Pakistan was the first Islamic country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Since then, the iron-clad relationship has set a good example of mutual learning and friendly cooperation between different civilizations. Students attend a Chinese language class at a campus of the Roots Millennium Schools in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) China has always taken the development of its ties with Pakistan as a priority in its neighboring diplomacy, while Pakistan continues to give China top priority in its foreign policy. The two sides firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests. The high degree of mutual trust has enabled the two sides to keep a close communication and coordination at international and regional fora like the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. "Committed to building a China-Pakistan community of common destiny, we cooperate to expand our converging interests and strive for common development," said Xi in the signed article. Noting that China-Pakistan relations "have gone well beyond the bilateral context," Xi during his state visit in 2015 called on both sides to "increase coordination and collaboration on major regional and global issues." Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in August last year that the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries is beneficial to international and regional peace and stability. The idea of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" proposed by Xi is the only option to defeat global challenges, said Alvi. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Absolute Denial A brilliant yet disturbed programmer sacrifices everything in his quest to build the most powerful AI system in the world. As its intelligence outstrips his own, things take a turn for the strange. Absolute Denial is overwhelmingly the work of Ryan Braund, who wrote, directed, produced, and animated the film (Chris Hees of Bridge Way Films co-produced). The subject matter may be futuristic but the technique is old-school: Braund hand-drew the 30,000-plus frames, doing much of it in lockdown. This is his feature directorial debut; he previously directed at the BBC. Absolute Denial had its world premiere at Amsterdams Imagine Film Festival earlier this month. SC Films International is handling worldwide sales. Empress of Darkness The empress has been slayed; the world is cursed into darkness. Thus begins this synth-scored slice of high fantasy, which follows Alpha as he is hunted by Graxuss evil horde. The gut-wrenching, blood-drenched fantasy adventure, as it is billed, must have been an adventure and a half to make: the film was directed, produced, and solo-animated by Nick DiLiberto, a Canadian artist whose studio Gorgon Pictures is based in Fukuoka, Japan. DiLiberto has done this before: in 2016, he released the apocalyptic sci-fi feature Nova Seed, which like Empress of Darkness he drew entirely on paper. Buy Empress of Darkness on DVD or stream it on Amazon Prime Video here. Junk Head In a dystopian near-future blighted by pollution, a virus, and other problems besides, a cyborg made from junk explores an underground realm populated by monsters and clone workers. The gonzo stop-motion feature is largely the work of self-taught Japanese filmmaker Takahide Hori, who worked with a tiny team. Seven years in the making, Junk Head grew out of an earlier short film that won at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. The feature was actually completed in 2017, when it played at a number of international festivals, but it only came out last month in Japan, where it has topped the mini-theater ranking. A follow-up is in the works. Junk Head does not currently have U.S. distribution. Navalnys doctors prevented from seeing him at prison clinic View Photo MOSCOW (AP) Several doctors were prevented Tuesday from seeing Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison hospital amid his three-week hunger strike, and authorities stepped up actions against his supporters on the eve of protests called by his team. Navalny was transferred Sunday from a penal colony east of Moscow to a hospital unit at a prison in Vladimir, a city 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital after his lawyers and associates said his condition has dramatically worsened. In a post on his Instagram account, Navalny said he underwent a grueling physical search that lasted for several hours before and after his transfer and wryly described his condition. You would laugh if you see me now a skeleton staggers around his cell, the post read. They can use me to scare children who refuse to eat: If you dont eat porridge, you will be like that man with big ears, shaven head and hollow eyes. Navalny added a serious note that he was glad to hear from his lawyer about broad sympathy and support for him in Russia and abroad. His personal physician, Dr. Anastasia Vasilyeva, led three other medical experts to try to visit Navalny at the prison clinic and the IK-3 prison in the city of Vladimir. They were denied entry after waiting for hours outside the gates. Its a show of disrespect and mockery of the doctors, Vasilyeva tweeted, adding that Navalnys life and health are clearly in danger. His lawyers visited him Tuesday at the hospital unit, which usually treats tuberculosis patients. One of them, Olga Mikhailovna, said Navalny had been given an IV drip of glucose on Sunday but none since then because paramedics apparently werent skilled enough to find a vein. Navalny looked extremely exhausted, she said. Hes very thin, he must have lost about 20 kilograms (44 pounds). He is very weak and appears to have difficulty speaking and sitting. Reports about Navalnys rapidly deteriorating health have drawn international outrage and concern. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price emphasized that Russia is responsible for Navalnys deteriorating condition and urged Moscow to allow for access to necessary and independent medical care immediately. Navalny, who is Russian President Vladimir Putins most adamant opponent, has been on a hunger strike since March 31 to protest the refusal by prison officials to let his doctors visit him and provide adequate treatment for back pains and numbness in his legs. Russias penitentiary service insists that Navalny was getting all the medical help he needs. Navalny was arrested in January upon his return from Germany, where he had spent five months convalescing from the Novichok nerve agent poisoning he blames on the Kremlin an accusation Russian officials have rejected. His arrest triggered the biggest protests seen across Russia in recent years. In February, a Moscow court ordered him to serve 2 1/2 years in prison on a 2014 embezzlement conviction that the European Court of Human Rights deemed to be arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable. The prison service said in a statement Monday that Navalnys condition was deemed satisfactory, but another of his physicians, Dr. Yaroslav Ashikhmin, said over the weekend that test results provided by his family show Navalny has sharply elevated levels of potassium, which can bring on cardiac arrest, as well as heightened creatinine levels that indicate impaired kidney function. Despite his worsening condition, Navalny still showed his sardonic humor. I laughed when I saw medical luminaries comments that with such a level of potassium that I had in my tests, I should have been either in emergency care or in a coffin, he went on. No, they wouldnt get me that easily. I wouldnt be scared with potassium after Novichok. In response to Navalnys deteriorating health, his associates have called for a nationwide rally Wednesday, the same day that Putin is scheduled to deliver his annual state of the nation address. Russian authorities, meanwhile, escalated their crackdown on Navalnys allies and supporters, with the Moscow prosecutors office asking a court to brand Navalnys Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his network of regional offices as extremist organizations. Human rights activists say such a move would paralyze their activities and expose their members and donors to prison sentences of up to 10 years. The Moscow prosecutors office on Tuesday detailed the accusations against Navalnys organizations, saying it has collected proof of their alleged efforts to destabilize social and political situation in the country by calls for violence, extremist activities and mass riots on behalf of unspecified foreign centers seeking to overthrow the Russian government. Navalnys associates rejected and derided the charges. They also criticized the decision by the Moscow City Court to close the hearings on the grounds that the case contained sensitive information. The court is due to open the hearings on Monday. - Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed. By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press New Delhi: India registered 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths in the last 24 hours, the data by the Union Health Ministry showed on Tuesday (April 20, 2021) morning. As per the official figures, there were also 1,54,761 coronavirus recoveries between Monday and Tuesday morning. India now has a total of 1,53,21,089 COVID-19 infections, of which, 20,31,977 are active cases. The country has so far witnessed 1,80,530 coronavirus-related fatalities. Earlier on Sunday, India had reported 2.61 lakh new cases followed by 2.73 lakh infections on Monday. India, notably, is the second-worst coronavirus-hit country in the world. ALSO READ | Second wave of COVID-19: These different variants of coronavirus are plaguing India The prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country has also led PM Narendra Modi to cancel his visit to France and Portugal. The Prime Minister was to travel to Portugal for the 16th India-EU summit that was scheduled to take place on May 8, following which he was slated to travel to France for a bilateral visit. The India-EU summit will now take place virtually. Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to India was also cancelled again due to a spurt in the COVID-19 cases. In response to the media queries on the upcoming visit of the UK PM, the Indian MEA stated, "In view of the prevailing Covid situation, it has been decided by mutual agreement that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will not visit India next week." The official statement added that the two sides will be holding a virtual meeting in the coming days to launch plans for a transformed India-U.K. relationship. Johnson's visit to India was scheduled for April 26 and would have been his first visit abroad since the UK left the European Union. Live TV With early spring temperatures rising, the Fenglin National Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang province recently welcomed increasing numbers of migratory birds. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] With early spring temperatures rising, the Fenglin National Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang province recently welcomed increasing numbers of migratory birds coming back from the South. Staff members in the reserve monitored migratory birds including scaly-sided mergansers, mandarin ducks, waxwings and mallard ducks. To provide a comfortable living and breeding environment for birds, 20 nests for scaly-sided mergansers and mandarin ducks had been installed in the reserve in early March. In addition, far-infrared cameras were installed near the nests to monitor the living habits of the birds and keep precious video data. "We welcomed the first couple of scaly-sided mergansers on March 25, nearly one month earlier than previous years," said Wang Quanbo, a staff member from the reserve. The scaly-sided merganser, also known as the Chinese merganser, is under first-grade national protection and classified as "endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. In the reserve, there are more than 220 species of wild birds and 747 kinds of wild animals. 5 1 [ Editor: SRQ ] A federal judge has upheld Michael Slager's 20-year prison sentence for the 2015 killing of Walter Scott, issuing his ruling a week after a two-day virtual hearing in Charleston. Slager, a former North Charleston police officer, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to violating Scott's civil rights when he fatally shot the motorist following an April 4, 2015, traffic stop along Remount Road, a foot chase and a struggle involving a Taser. Scott, 50, was Black. Slager, 39, is White. The shooting made international news after cellphone video recorded by a bystander surfaced in the days following the shooting, which contradicted Slagers initial account. The former officer was in court April 12 and 13 for an evidentiary hearing that hinged on a claim that Andy Savage his attorney during his state and federal cases was ineffective in his defense. On April 19, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel without comment denied Slager's request to change or overturn his sentence, according to court documents. During the hearing, Gergel said Slager lied repeatedly to investigators about the circumstances surrounding Scotts death, "destroying his credibility." "My suggestion is that he was the architect of his own demise, no one else," Gergel said. The judge found Slager's assertion that Savage's representation was ineffective to be "ridiculous." Seeds for the appeal were planted during an August 2019 federal prison visit. Savage, Savage's wife Cheryl and Don McCune, another member of Slager's former legal team, went to see the former officer in Colorado, where he is serving his sentence. During that visit, Slager said Savage told him there was a plea deal he was never told about, one that would have stipulated a lower prison term of 12 to 15 years. Throughout his testimony, Slager insisted he was not heavily involved in his defense after his state case ended in a mistrial in December 2016 and he had trusted Savage to keep him updated and work in his interest. Testimony by Savage and the attorney's associates painted a picture of a dedicated legal team that Gergel found to be scrupulous in their preparation. "Im not sure any defendants had a more vigorous and capable defense," the judge said near the end of the second day of testimony. "No matter how capable and creative the lawyer is, you cant turn lemons into lemonade sometimes." Much of Slagers case hinged on a comment made during a January 2017 hearing between Savage, members of his legal team and U.S. District Judge David Norton, an old friend of the longtime attorney. During that meeting, which was held to discuss funding for Slagers defense, Norton told Savage he did not think the former officers crime was murder. Although the former officer was charged with violating Scotts civil rights, whether the underlying offense was murder or manslaughter would play a significant role in sentencing. If Norton found Slager acted with malice, it would open the door up to a murder finding and significantly more prison time a conclusion Norton ultimately arrived at. In hours of testimony on Monday, Savage said he believed the judges comment, which was "unsolicited," may have colored his perception of the case and the odds of securing a lesser sentence. But Gergel felt differently. "In the end, there wasnt any impact at all," he said. Guwahati, April 20 : Over 66 per cent of the 2,532 voters on Tuesday cast their votes in the re-polling in four polling stations in three assembly constituencies in southern Assam, officials said. Election officials said that there is no untoward incident reported from any of the polling stations under Cachar, Karimganj and Dima Hasao districts. There were certain irregularities were found in these four polling stations, where normal balloting were held in the second phase of Assam assembly polling on April 1, forcing the poll panel to conduct re-polling. The re-polling was held in Indira M. V. School (Right) under Ratabari (SC) Assembly constituency, Madhya Dhanchari Lower Primary School under Sonai Assembly segment, Khothlir Lower Primary School and Mualdam Lower Primary School both under Halflong (ST) Assembly seat. Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker and BJP candidate Aminul Haque Laskar, who is contesting from the Sonai Assembly constituency as a BJP nominee, was quizzed twice while five police personnel attached to him were suspended after they allegedly opened fire at the public during the polling on April 1. Laskar, however, had told the media that the security personnel opened fire to protect his life during a clash between the rival political parties. The opposition parties have demanded his arrest. At least six polling personnel were suspended in Assam's Dima Hasao district after it was found that a booth -- Khothlir Lower Primary School -- with 90 valid voters registered 181 votes on April 1. The re-polling was also held at the Mualdam Lower Primary School in connection with the ballot mismatch in Khothlir Lower Primary School. The Election Commission earlier suspended the presiding officer, three other polling officials and an armed escort official associated with Indira M. V. School under Ratabari (SC) assembly constituency after an EVM was found in a BJP candidate's wife's vehicle on April 1. The police also arrested three people in this connection. The Karimganj District Magistrate (DM) Anbamuthan MP (Repeat Anbamuthan MP) and Cachar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Keerthi Jalli had ordered separate magisterial inquiries into these incidents. The three-phase elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly were held on March 27, April 1 and April 6. The results would be declared on May 2. History is alive and well in Southeast Texas and various communities have special occasions almost every year as they celebrate their heritage and their roots. On Saturday, it was Newton Countys turn to shine the spotlight on their community and celebrate 175 years of being the home of a diverse and extremely connected community. The 175th anniversary celebration was on the final day of the annual Newton County Fair with festivities all around the courthouse square. An event on the exchange between Vietnamese and Chinese folk music culture was held Saturday in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Hosted by the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University, the event featured performances by Vietnamese students of the two countries' folk music, including adaptations of famous Chinese and Vietnamese folk songs and Quan Ho singing, a traditional Vietnamese music style that entered the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of the International Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009. During the performances, Vietnamese experts also illustrated the characteristics of folk songs from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Quan Ho singing. "In the time of global integration, there is a greater need for young people to learn and promote the folk songs and culture from different ethnic groups," said Dinh Thi Thanh Nga, head of the department of Chinese language at Hanoi University, at the event. Such an exchange of Vietnamese and Chinese folk songs would help the peoples of the two countries know each other better, deepen the friendship between the countries, and facilitate the multi-dimensional cooperation within the region, Nga said. Peng Shituan, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, attended the event. The event was part of a program initiated by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on cultural exchanges between young people from the six countries along the Lancang-Mekong River, namely China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. If you get wrongly charged a fee or fraud hits your account, you may feel frustrated and impatient with your bank. If youre not being heard or treated fairly, it might be time to file a complaint. And be assured your actions can help more than just you. If multiple people complain about the same issue, hopefully you get a systemic solution, says Christina Tetreault, manager of financial policy at Consumer Reports, a nonprofit dedicated to consumer advocacy and research. Complaints can lead to enforcement actions against a bank and point the way for advocates like me [to] understand what consumer issues are out there, Tetreault says. Here are four steps to file a complaint against your bank and what else to know. 1. Work with your bank When an issue first arises, do your best to work with your banks customer support team. If you cant get a hold of someone, reach out in multiple ways, such as by phone and web-based messaging. Save any written messages and information from phone calls since you might need to reference them later. Take detailed notes, Tetreault says. When did you call [or message], who did you talk to, what did you say, what did they say? 2. Decide where to complain If you get nowhere with your bank after multiple days and attempts, its probably time to make an official complaint. You ultimately want to compel your bank to act, so choose a government agency or company that will get in touch with your bank. A good starting point is to file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The federal agency has a streamlined online submission process, which lets you track the message and receive email updates. You can also reach out to the CFPB via mail or phone. If another government agency, such as a regulator for a community bank or credit union, would be better able to help you, the CFPB forwards your message to them. The CFPB also publishes complaints in a public database, with personal details removed, and uses this data to enforce and create better rules and regulations. 3. Write your complaint This is your big opportunity to get help, so be as specific as you can. Gather up helpful documents, such as billing statements or messages from the company. If you have digital versions, consider attaching them to your complaint. The CFPB suggests five questions to help you structure the complaint: What is the complaint about? What type of product or service were you using? Was it a checking account, credit card or credit reporting? What type of problem are you having? Were you having trouble opening, managing or closing an account? What happened? Include dates, dollar amounts and any actions you and the bank took. Describe what a fair solution would be. What company is the complaint about? The CFPB supervises a range of financial companies, including banks, credit unions, lenders, financial technology firms and more. Who are the people involved? Did the issue affect just you or were there others? If you need more help, see this sample complaint letter. 4. Submit your complaint and wait As urgent as your issue might be, you probably wont hear back immediately. The CFPB states the general time frame is 15 days for most companies responses to complaints, but some companies may take as long as 60 days. Once a company replies, you have 60 days to give feedback on that, which ends the exchange. What else you can do Send more complaints. You can generally make one complaint per issue and per bank through the CFPB, but there are other sites like the Better Business Bureau and Twitter where your bank may respond. Consider a new bank. Depending on how bad the situation, you might move your money to a bank that treats you better. Heres NerdWallets guide to switching banks. What you probably cant do As much as you might want to, you generally cant sue your bank. Your legal actions are likely limited by the fine print in most customer contracts with banks, says Mike Litt, consumer campaign director at U.S. PIRG, a public interest firm focused on consumer advocacy in finance, health and other topics. Arbitration clauses are a key reason why class-action lawsuits might not be possible. Small claims court may be an option, Litt adds, but it may be best to consult a consumer attorney. More From NerdWallet Spencer Tierney writes for NerdWallet. Email: spencer.tierney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SpencerNerd. The article How to File a Complaint Against Your Bank originally appeared on NerdWallet. MILWAUKEE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) today reported net earnings of $1.11 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $0.03 per diluted share in the prior year period. Net earnings in the quarter were $62.0 million compared to $1.7 million a year earlier. Revenues for the first quarter were $4.9 billion, a 7% increase from the prior year period. Financial results in the quarter were also impacted by the weaker U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies compared to the prior year period. Earnings per share in the quarter were positively impacted by 6 cents due to changes in foreign currencies compared to the prior year. On a constant currency basis, revenues increased 1% compared to the prior year period. Excluding the prior year impacts of restructuring costs and a pension settlement charge, on a constant currency basis, net earnings per diluted share increased 28% during the quarter. Days Sales Outstanding improved by 3.7 days year over year reflecting our continued focus on collections and working capital efficiency. Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO, said, "Our first quarter results reflect a continuation of the global recovery coupled with a strong execution of our strategic initiatives. Despite increased restrictions in many key markets, we saw improving momentum for all of our brands. The combination of technology investments and our people-first approach is allowing us to confidently manage global uncertainty, deliver locally and collaborate remotely. We are pleased with the progress made during the first quarter of 2021 and remain confident that our Diversification, Digitization and Innovation initiatives are positioning ManpowerGroup for greater profitable growth in the future. We anticipate diluted earnings per share in the second quarter will be between $1.36 and $1.44, which includes an estimated favorable currency impact of 10 cents." In conjunction with its first quarter earnings release, ManpowerGroup will broadcast its conference call live over the Internet on April 20, 2021 at 7:30 a.m. CST (8:30 a.m. EST). Prepared remarks for the conference call are included within the Investor Relations section of our website at manpowergroup.com. Interested parties are invited to listen to the webcast and view the presentation by logging on to http://investor.manpowergroup.com/ i n the section titled "Investor Relations." Supplemental financial information referenced in the conference call can be found at http://investor.manpowergroup.com/ . About ManpowerGroup ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN ), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for our diversity - as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality and Disability and in 2021 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 12th year - all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements, including statements regarding economic uncertainty, the global recovery, financial outlook, the Company's strategic initiatives and technology investments and its positioning for future growth, as well as the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Company's efforts to respond to such impacts, that are forward-looking in nature and, accordingly, are subject to risks and uncertainties regarding the Company's expected future results. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those described or contemplated in the forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These factors include those found in the Company's reports filed with the SEC, including the information under the heading "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which information is incorporated herein by reference. ManpowerGroup Results of Operations (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31 % Variance Amount Constant 2021 2020 Reported Currency (Unaudited) Revenues from services (a) $4,924.4 $4,619.1 6.6% 0.6% Cost of services 4,156.3 3,895.1 6.7% 0.6% Gross profit 768.1 724.0 6.1% 0.5% Selling and administrative expenses 669.7 686.3 -2.4% -7.5% Operating profit 98.4 37.7 160.9% 145.7% Interest and other expenses, net 5.4 20.5 -73.6% Earnings before income taxes 93.0 17.2 439.2% 409.7% Provision for income taxes 31.0 15.5 99.3% Net earnings $ 62.0 $ 1.7 3562.0% 3361.0% Net earnings per share - basic $ 1.12 $ 0.03 3633.3% Net earnings per share - diluted $ 1.11 $ 0.03 3600.0% 3400.0% Weighted average shares - basic 55.1 58.7 -6.1% Weighted average shares - diluted 55.7 59.0 -5.7% (a) Revenues from services include fees received from our franchise offices of $3.6 million and $3.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These fees are primarily based on revenues generated by the franchise offices, which were $249.1 million and $82.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. ManpowerGroup Operating Unit Results (In millions) Three Months Ended March 31 % Variance Amount Constant 2021 2020 Reported Currency (Unaudited) Revenues from Services: Americas: United States (a) $ 608.8 $ 610.9 -0.3% -0.3% Other Americas 394.1 400.1 -1.5% 3.3% 1,002.9 1,011.0 -0.8% 1.1% Southern Europe: France 1,188.9 1,093.8 8.7% -0.5% Italy 402.8 327.7 22.9% 12.5% Other Southern Europe 568.6 523.2 8.7% 0.8% 2,160.3 1,944.7 11.1% 2.0% Northern Europe 1,133.8 1,068.5 6.1% -2.3% APME 627.4 594.9 5.5% 0.3% $4,924.4 $4,619.1 6.6% 0.6% Operating Unit Profit (Loss): Americas: United States $ 29.2 $ 2.3 1164.4% 1164.4% Other Americas 14.9 14.3 4.1% 8.8% 44.1 16.6 165.9% 169.9% Southern Europe: France 42.6 38.0 12.2% 3.0% Italy 19.4 14.2 37.2% 25.7% Other Southern Europe 11.4 0.8 1184.5% 1094.6% 73.4 53.0 38.5% 27.3% Northern Europe 4.8 (14.1) N/A N/A APME 18.8 16.9 10.7% 7.7% 141.1 72.4 Corporate expenses (37.2) (27.8) Intangible asset amortization expense (5.5) (6.9) Operating profit 98.4 37.7 160.9% 145.7% Interest and other expenses, net (b) (5.4) (20.5) Earnings before income taxes $ 93.0 $ 17.2 (a) In the United States, revenues from services include fees received from our franchise offices of $3.1 million and $3.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These fees are primarily based on revenues generated by the franchise offices, which were $117.5 million and $76.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. (b) The components of interest and other expenses, net were: 2021 2020 Interest expense $ 10.2 $ 11.1 Interest income (3.1) (3.7) Foreign exchange loss 2.5 3.1 Miscellaneous (income) expense, net (4.2) 10.0 $ 5.4 $ 20.5 ManpowerGroup Consolidated Balance Sheets (In millions) Mar. 31, Dec. 31, 2021 2020 (Unaudited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $1,522.7 $1,567.1 Accounts receivable, net 4,888.8 4,912.4 Prepaid expenses and other assets 199.1 186.9 Total current assets 6,610.6 6,666.4 Other assets: Goodwill 1,215.0 1,225.8 Intangible assets, net 240.4 248.6 Operating lease right-of-use asset 378.2 400.7 Other assets 659.9 651.6 Total other assets 2,493.5 2,526.7 Property and equipment: Land, buildings, leasehold improvements and equipment 599.0 614.7 Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization 472.4 479.6 Net property and equipment 126.6 135.1 Total assets $9,230.7 $9,328.2 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $2,723.4 $2,527.4 Employee compensation payable 205.7 231.8 Accrued liabilities 590.6 602.1 Accrued payroll taxes and insurance 678.2 752.0 Value added taxes payable 513.6 551.1 Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt 25.1 20.4 Total current liabilities 4,736.6 4,684.8 Other liabilities: Long-term debt 1,057.5 1,103.5 Long-term operating lease liability 285.3 305.1 Other long-term liabilities 773.9 781.2 Total other liabilities 2,116.7 2,189.8 Shareholders' equity: ManpowerGroup shareholders' equity Common stock 1.2 1.2 Capital in excess of par value 3,411.0 3,402.5 Retained earnings 3,450.8 3,388.8 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (437.8) (397.3) Treasury stock, at cost (4,058.9) (3,954.2) Total ManpowerGroup shareholders' equity 2,366.3 2,441.0 Noncontrolling interests 11.1 12.6 Total shareholders' equity 2,377.4 2,453.6 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $9,230.7 $9,328.2 ManpowerGroup Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 (Unaudited) Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net earnings $ 62.0 $ 1.7 Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 17.9 18.6 Non-cash operating lease right-of-use assets impairment - 8.2 Deferred income taxes (10.6) (5.0) Provision for doubtful accounts 5.2 5.2 Share-based compensation 7.5 4.6 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding the impact of acquisitions: Accounts receivable (90.5) 378.3 Other assets (29.8) - Other liabilities 179.2 (230.6) Cash provided by operating activities 140.9 181.0 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (12.7) (9.1) Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired (7.1) - Proceeds from investments, property and equipment 0.7 0.8 Cash used in investing activities (19.1) (8.3) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Net change in short-term borrowings 4.9 (9.6) Proceeds from long-term debt 0.1 0.3 Repayments of long-term debt (2.2) (0.1) Payments of contingent consideration for acquisitions (5.8) - Proceeds from share-based awards 1.7 10.0 Other share-based award transactions (4.6) (6.5) Repurchases of common stock (100.1) (63.8) Cash used in financing activities (106.0) (69.7) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (60.2) (29.3) Change in cash and cash equivalents (44.4) 73.7 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 1,567.1 1,025.8 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $1,522.7 $1,099.5 SOURCE ManpowerGroup Related Links http://www.manpowergroup.com NTU ZWZ - projekty uchwaL: podziaL zysku, wybAr audytora On April 30, 2021, the general meeting of shareholders of Public limited liability company Novaturas, code 135567698, registered at A. Mickeviciaus str. 27, Kaunas, the Republic of Lithuania (the Company), is being convened (the Meeting) upon the initiative and decision of the board of the Company. The place of the Meeting premises of Vilnius branch of Public limited liability company Novaturas, address: J. Jasinskio str. 16, Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania. The Meeting commences at 12 a.m. (registration starts at 11.00 a.m. and ends at 11.45 a.m.). Please note that on the day of publication of this announcement, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a quarantine has been announced in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania by the Government (the Quarantine), which includes a ban on organizing all events and gatherings in open and closed spaces. Quarantine is currently set until April 30, 2021, 12:00 p.m. (midnight). In the event that Quarantine and the aforementioned restrictions on organizing events and gatherings will still be in force, shareholders and their representatives will not be given the opportunity to come and participate in the Meeting in person. In this case, shareholders and their representatives will be given the opportunity to participate and vote at the Meeting in the way allowed by law and permitted in such circumstances to vote in advance in writing by filling in the general ballot paper and submitting it to the Company prior to the day of the Meeting at Vilnius branch, address J. Jasinskio str. 16, Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania. The Meetings accounting day April 23, 2021. Only persons who are shareholders of the Company at the end of accounting day of the general meeting of shareholders or persons authorized by them, or persons with whom shareholders concluded the agreements on the transfer of voting rights, shall have the right to attend and vote at the Meeting. The Board of the Company initiates and convenes the Meeting, which on 7 April 2021 has approved and on 20 April 2021 has amended the following agenda of the Meeting: 1) Approval of the audited annual financial statements and the Annual Report of 2020 (attached). Please note, that during audit Company made additional accruals for potential current assets value loss in the future and this led to increase in Group net loss for the year to EUR 5,750 thousand. Draft decision proposed: To approve the audited annual financial statements and the Annual Report of 2020. 2) Decision regarding distribution of profit (loss). Draft decision proposed: To distribute the Company's profit as follows: 1. Undistributed result profit (loss) of the previous financial year at the end of the accounting financial year 15,457 2. Net profit (loss) of the accounting financial year (5,085) 3. Dividends paid during year 2019 0 4. Total profit (loss) to be appropriated 10,372 5. Share of profit allocated: to mandatory reserves 0 to reserves of own shares 0 to other reserves 0 for payment of dividends 0 for other purposes (annual bonuses to Board members, etc.) 0 6. Undistributed profit (loss) as of the end of accounting financial year, carried forward into the following financial year 10,372 All amounts are in thousand EUR Taking into the consideration the ongoing situation regarding the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the state-level extreme situation and quarantine status to postpone the dividend allocation until the economic situation and Companys operation stabilizes. 3) Election of the auditor of the Company. Draft decision proposed: 1. To approve the election of the audit company Deloitte Lietuva, UAB (the Auditor) to audit the Companys financial statements for the years 2021 and 2022. To approve the payment terms for Auditors services by establishing that the remuneration for audit of the Companys annual financial statements per year shall not exceed EUR 86,000 (excluding VAT). 2. On the initiative of the Board the auditor of the Company for year 2022 may be re-elected by the Meeting approving the same or electing other audit company. 3. The general director of the Company is hereby authorised to execute on behalf of the Company the audit services agreement with the Auditor, as well as to determine other terms and conditions of its services, which are not established in this shareholders resolution. The total number of the Companys shares with the nominal value of EUR 0.03 each and the number of shares granting voting rights during the general meeting of shareholders is the same and amounts to 7,807,000. ISIN code of the Companys shares LT0000131872. A person attending the general meeting of shareholders and having a right to vote must provide a persons identification document. A person who is not a shareholder must additionally provide a document confirming his/her/its right to vote at the general meeting of shareholders. Each shareholder shall have a right in the manner established by the laws to authorise other (natural or legal) person to attend and vote at the general meeting of shareholders on his/her/its behalf. At the general meeting of shareholders an authorised person shall have the same rights as would be held by the shareholder represented by him/her/it unless the authorized persons rights are limited by the power of attorney or by laws. The authorized person must provide a power of attorney certified in the manner established by laws. A power of attorney issued in a foreign state must be translated into Lithuanian and legalised in the manner established by laws. The Company does not establish a special form of power of attorney. Shareholder shall have the right to authorize through electronic communication channels another person (natural or legal) to participate and vote in the meeting on shareholders behalf. Such authorization may not be approved by the notary public. The power of attorney issued through electronic communication channels must be confirmed by the shareholder with a safe electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The shareholder must inform the Company on the power of attorney issued through electronic communication channels via e-mail tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt not later than until 12.00 a.m. (noon) of the last business day before the meeting. The power of attorney and notification must be in writing. The power of attorney and notification to the Company must be signed with the electronic signature but not the letter sent via e-mail. By submitting the notification to the Company, the shareholder must include the internet address from which it would be possible to download free of charge software to verify an electronic signature of the shareholder. A shareholder or a person authorised by him/her/it shall have a right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the general ballot paper. Upon shareholders request, the Company, not later than 10 days before the general meeting, shall send the general ballot paper by registered mail free of charge. The general ballot paper is also provided on the Companys website at www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors. The filled-in general ballot paper and the document confirming the voting right (if any) must be submitted to the Company via registered mail or providing them against signature at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice and received by the Company not later than on the last business day prior to the meeting. The Company is not providing the possibility to attend and vote at the meeting through electronic means of communication. The shareholders holding shares that grant at least 1/20 of all votes shall have the right to propose to supplement the agenda. Draft decisions on the proposed agenda items must be submitted together with the proposal or, if the decisions do not need to be adopted, explanations on each proposed item of agenda of the general meeting of shareholders must be presented. Proposal to supplement the agenda must be presented to the Company via registered mail or by providing it against signature at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice. The agenda will be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than 14 days before the general meeting of shareholders. Each shareholder holding shares that grant at least 1/20 of all votes at any time before the general meeting of shareholders or during the meeting shall have the right to propose draft resolutions on the issues already included or to be included in the agenda of the Meeting, as well propose additional candidates to the members of the supervisory council of the Company (if elected). The proposed draft decisions must be presented to the Company in writing via registered mail or by providing them against signature at the address of the Company indicated in the notice. The shareholders shall have the right to present to the Company in advance and in writing questions related to the agenda of the Meeting, by providing the shareholders personal identification number and consent to process personal data personal identification number in the letter which should be sent to the Company via registered mail or delivered against signature. The Company undertakes to respond if the questions are received not later than 3 business days prior to the general meeting of shareholders. Responses of a general character shall be posted on the Companys website www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors. The Company will not respond personally to the shareholder if the respective information is posted on the Companys website. By arriving at public limited liability company Novaturas, address at A. Mickeviciaus str. 27, Kaunas, or by visiting the Companys website at www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors, the shareholders may get familiarised with the documents possessed by the Company related to the agenda of the Meeting, including notice on convocation of the Meeting, information about the total number of the Companys shares and the number of shares granting voting rights during the general meeting of shareholders, draft resolutions and other documents being submitted to the general meeting of shareholders, as well as to obtain information regarding exercise of the shareholders rights. Attached: 1. General voting ballot. 2. The audited annual financial statements and the Annual Report of 2020 and Remuneration report. Contacts: Tomas Staskunas CFO A. Mickeviciaus str. 27, LT-44245 Kaunas, Lithuania Tel. +370 37 750856, mob. +370 687 10426 fax. +370 37 321130 E-mail: tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt COOS BAY A former Douglas County sheriffs deputy has died more than 40 years after he was shot while working. Sheriff John Hanlin said retired Deputy Stanley Allen Burdics death was directly related to those injuries. Hanlin announced over the weekend that Burdic died March 11, The World reported. Burdic was hired as a Douglas County deputy in 1979 after a few years at the Canyonville Police Department. On Aug. 12, 1980, Burdic responded to a reported shooting at the Nutshell Tavern in Myrtle Creek. Hours later, Burdic located the suspect, Jack Flack, at a gravel turnout and Flack opened fire on Burdic, striking him twice. Flack then stole Burdics patrol car, running over his legs while fleeing. Burdic sustained serious injuries from the gunshot wounds, was unable to return to work as a deputy and was medically retired in 1982. He briefly returned to the Canyonville Police Department in 1984 before ongoing pain forced him to retire for good, Hanlin said. His family said he suffered extreme pain for much of his life and never fully recovered from the incident. Flack was later captured, convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for attempted murder and other charges. Deputy Burdics sacrifice while in service to the citizens of Douglas County, no matter the span of time between the shooting and his death, cannot go unmentioned, Hanlin said. --The Associated Press Page Content The government of Canada said it is committed to making the largest investment in Canadian history to train its skilled and multicultural workforce for the 2030s and beyond. A Future Skills Council report on behalf of the federal government from November 2020 focuses on fostering a culture of lifelong learning among Canadian workers so they can be prepared for the future of work. "Canada needs to develop a skilled workforce capable of adopting new technologies and business models while ensuring the well-being of communities and society," said Rhonda Fernandes, executive director of the Future Skills Office at Employment and Social Development Canada in Gatineau, Quebec. "Canadians want to develop skills that are in demand in the labor market to improve their ability to get and keep good jobs." The Canadian government invests nearly CAN$7.5 billion (approximately US$6 billion) each year to support employment and skills training programs. More than CAN$3 billion (approximately US$2.4 billion) is delivered to provinces and territories, targeting students, Indigenous groups and unemployed Canadians, according to Canada's Budget 2019. The report outlines the following priorities for strengthening Canada as a learning nation: Investing in emerging technologies in the workplace, while strengthening digital and cybersecurity skills and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into workforce development planning. Improving support for underrepresented groupssuch as youth, women, people with disabilities, Asian Canadians, Black Canadians and Indigenous peopleto bring down systemic barriers in their skills development. Encouraging more collaboration between employers, educational institutions and training providers to integrate learning into work. Employers and unions can play a key role in on-the-job training. "The federal government has taken a strong first step in identifying the skills Canadian workers need for the future," said Margaret Yap, Ph.D., associate professor in human resources management at Ryerson University's School of Business Management in Toronto. Skills for Tomorrow's Jobs COVID-19 has disrupted the Canadian workplace, as technological trends like automation, telework and e-commerce are changing on-the-job expectations, Fernandes noted. According to a 2020 Survey on Employment and Skills conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, 50 percent of the Canadian labor force said they have had no employer-delivered skills training in the last five years. To tackle this problem, business leaders need to develop digital skills and invest in training for workers and management, suggests the federal government. The best way to develop digital skills in Canadian workers is to make technology more accessible to them from the outset, explained Kevin Wang, chief operating officer at Wiz-Tec Computing Technologies in Calgary, Alberta. The federal government also proposes Canadian employers should tap into more experiential training programs to reskill workers at all stages of their careers, including augmented reality, virtual reality and AI. "Reskilling is teaching Canadians workers new skills that are important for staying relevant in a changing world," Wang added. "Employers must realize they share a responsibility in helping Canadians learn new skills." In the midst of automation and technological disruption, business leaders must further hone their social and emotional skills to succeed in the Canadian workplace, noted Leon Goren, president and CEO of PEO Leadership in Toronto. "Leaders must be able to actively listen, express empathy, show self-control and flexibility," Goren said. "They must have these skills so they can engage and inspire their employees to perform. People need to feel connected with each other, as well as to a greater purpose." Diversity Is Canada's Strength The pandemic has also exposed inequalities in the Canadian workforce, including pay gaps faced by disadvantaged groups and immigrants, noted Eddy Ng, Ph.D., a professor of management at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. Canadian women continue to earn 23 percent less in total income compared with men, according to a March 2021 ADP Canada survey. Canada's Pay Equity Act proposes to require employers in the federal government to take a proactive approach to correct gender wage gaps. If the act becomes law later in 2021, women will receive equal pay for work of equal value to men, Ng explained, but this act will only cover gender, not race. The untapped potential of Canadians who face barriers presents an opportunity for employers to meet their organizational needs by benefitting from a more diverse workforce and inclusive workplace, Fernandes stated. Many organizations in Canada have diversity and inclusion policies in place, but managers need to implement them for those policies to be effective, Yap said. "The commitment to building a diverse organization should come from the top," she added. "A mentoring program for new hires could help a company with retention." HR and the Future of Work HR plays an integral role in terms of thinking about skills development in the Canadian workplace, Fernandes explained. "The future of work in Canada requires job seekers, workers and employers to be adaptable and resilient in the face of continuous change," Fernandes concluded. "Promoting a culture and mindset of lifelong learning requires action by all Canadians. We all need to work together to ensure that skills policies and programs are flexible, [and to] adapt and adjust to evolving needs." Catherine Skrzypinski is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. In this Jan. 13, 2014, file photo, Billy Frank Jr. poses for a photo near Franks Landing on the Nisqually River in Nisqually, Washington. Gov. Jay Inslee on April 14, 2021, signed a measure that starts the process of honoring the late Frank, a Nisqually tribal citizen who championed treaty rights and protecting the environment, with a statue at the U.S. Capitol. Thirteen local people are being honored as finalists for the Jefferson award this year for their extraordinary service to the community. For the second year in a row, the event will be virtual because of the pandemic. There will be no get-together where they will be feted. From helping children diagnosed with cancer and their families to helping refugees navigate their way in their new country to collecting used musical instruments for schoolchildren who cannot afford to buy them to making beds for children who do not have them, these volunteers have spent countless hours pursuing causes to benefit others. Co-founded in 1972 by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Sen. Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard, a global leader in developing young leaders, the annual awards are named for Thomas Jefferson because the founders felt he reflected the spirit of excellence in America. Jefferson Awards are given at national and local levels. Locally, the annual awards are sponsored by St. Peters Health Partners, NewsChannel 13 and the Times Union. The following are finalists. Irvin Ackerman of Watervliet has transformed and likely saved the lives of several troubled young men in our community. A successful businessman and devoted family man, he is never too busy to assist a young person in need. As a man of color who has experienced bias and disappointment, Ackerman gives back through the U-CAN program, the first and only court-based mentoring program in New York state. When the program started about four years ago to assist trauma-stricken young defendants in need of a mentor, he was one of the first volunteers and spent a year mentoring a young man and ensuring he would leave court with no criminal record. As soon as one mentee completes the program, Ackerman signs up to assist another. He is a reliable, compassionate and thoroughly professional role model who uses his own experiences to help troubled young defendants. Ilham AlMahamid, Ph.D., of Slingerlands has been helping immigrants and refugees for years. But in 2016, when the homeless, tempest-tossed Syrian refugees arrived at our doorstep escaping the ravages of war, AlMahamid stepped up to help them find their way in the new country. With compassion and an indomitable spirit, she founded New York for Syrian Refugees. Staffed initially with just her family, she has, in her quiet and unassuming way, attracted a multi-age, multi-ethnic and multi-racial group of volunteers to assist in laying a foundation upon which families can rebuild their lives. She also connects with mosques, churches and other not-for-profits. Her organization assists about 240 individuals with housing, furnishings, medical access, government services, tutoring, job placement and transportation. She works tirelessly to secure donations. She empowered women through the creation of the refugee womens catering business Syrian Delights. She does this all while maintaining a career as a research scientist at the state Department of Health. Like Emma Lazarus' inspirational verse that is synonymous with the Statue of Liberty, AlMahamid is a beacon of light for refugee families and volunteers whose lives have been transformed through her love and care. Joni Bonilla of Niskayuna tirelessly works to assist United States military veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder while simultaneously saving the lives of shelter dogs. In July 2015, Bonilla founded Operation At Ease, which pairs shelter dogs with veterans for their mutual recovery. Since then she has been spearheading, managing and operating this service foundation. She finds shelter dogs, often from kill shelters, who are on the edge of being euthanized and veterans who are in despair due to their mental health condition. Bonilla pairs the vets and dogs, fostering their relationship along the way. Her method has shown to save the lives of the shelter dogs and the lives of the veterans. Countless men, women and canine companions have had positive life changes through the hard work and dedication of Bonilla through OAE. She truly epitomizes what it means to be an integral part of the community. Janine Cammarata of Clifton Park has contributed over the past decade to improving the lives of children being treated for cancer and their families. She is the founder of Nicks Fight to be Healed Foundation, a non-profit organization created in memory of her son Nick. Requests for financial assistance from families where a child is diagnosed with cancer are processed through Cammarata and the Melodies Center at Albany Med. The requests are confidential, but assistance has included mortgage, car and utilities payments as well as travel vouchers for medical treatments, all managed by Cammarata. She has organized an annual 5K race, a Ride to Be Healed motorcycle tour, a family pig roast, 25 Days of Giving and the building of a wheelchair ramp for a child to be able to live at her home while receiving treatments. Seven years ago, she created Nicks Round Table, a volunteer opportunity for teens. Some of its projects include making holiday gifts for children at the Melodies Center and helping with NFTBH events. Cammarata's most unique undertaking is the annual Dance to be Healed where brave and very ill children party. Clare Carroll of Albany has been a volunteer for local community-based organizations for over 20 years. She has volunteered at The Food Pantries for the Capital District in Albany for over five years, where she commits more than 250 hours each year inspiring others there by her compassion and passion. Growing up in a family of 11, she was aware the family would often have to stretch meals and on occasion, had to rely on food assistance to get by. She wanted to help those who found themselves in similar situations. Carroll has partnered with Grassroot Givers, and together they have arranged to feed not only bellies of the clients, but also their minds with donated books given to those who needed food. She never hesitates to sit on committees, take on a leadership role at events or boost morale with her positivity and humor. George Elmer of Albany has addressed the needs of the hungry by running the Food Pantry at Christ Our Light Catholic Church in Loudonville for the past five years. In 2020, nearly 52,000 meals were distributed to over 82 families because of the increased demand due to the pandemic. A retired insurance industry executive, Elmer tirelessly oversees this operation, including working with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York by placing orders and supervising deliveries, maintaining rigorous inventory controls, compiling individual family food orders, financial reporting and fundraising for the pantry. In 2019, Elmer spearheaded the arduous effort to relocate the food pantry to a larger and more convenient location for the needy families, back to its original home at the church. Elmer, who has led a team for Albanys annual CROP Hunger Walk, will be the first to say that that this operation would not be viable without the financial support of the parish as well as the efforts of over 50 volunteers. Christine Galvin of Voorheesville has volunteered for over a decade for The Legal Project, which provides vital civil legal services to victims of family violence and other crimes. While she officially retired in 2017 from legal practice, she has continued to share her legal skills by providing extensive pro bono representation to vulnerable immigrants. In response to the Central American migrant crisis and the anti-immigrant sentiment of the previous administration, Galvin was compelled to share her litigation experience and Spanish-language skills with the Immigration Program at The Legal Project. Over the past four years, she has become an unpaid attorney for this program representing over 40 children in applying for a special immigration status that enables them to obtain permanent residency visas. She has completed safety plans with undocumented parents to prepare for the possibility that they may be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lori Gardner of Wynantskill is a dedicated volunteer for the Alzheimers Association Northeastern New York Chapter. As a support group leader, she is a champion for those who care for their loved ones living with dementia. Her warm demeanor and her openness in sharing personal stories of her mothers journey with Alzheimers touches care partners. She has helped arrange several community awareness education programs and stresses the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Gardner is a passionate spokesperson for research, especially in the wake of her mothers brain donation to the Mount Sinai Gift of Knowledge Program for Alzheimers and brain research. She also volunteers for the Eddy Alzheimers Services and provides weekly support. She is an active fundraiser for the Alzheimers Association and has personally raised more than $40,000. Gardner volunteers as a committee member for the Walk to End Alzheimers Albany where her team Knocking Out Alzheimers has raised nearly $70,000 in the last six years. Ruth Murcia of Albany has spent many hours volunteering to help refugees in our community through the Refugee and Immigrant Support Services. Born in Honduras in 1983 to refugee Salvadoran parents, she was six when her family returned to El Salvador. After 16 years there, she arrived in the United States in 2005. Murcia came to RISSE through the Great Dane Community Service Internship at the University at Albany where she was a senior. During that school year, she was a classroom helper in RISSE English classes, tutored students outside of class and engaged in recreational activities with the children in its afterschool program. She worked shifts in its Clothing Closet, distributing donated clothing to students. Since RISSEs programming had to go virtual since March 2020, Murcia has assisted in outreach to refugee and immigrant families to determine need for food, assistance with technology and other services. Last summer she packaged and distributed hot meals to children in the Afterschool program. She virtually tutors students in English. Currently a graduate student in the Department of History at UAlbany, Murcia has provided in-service for RISSE staff on issues facing immigrants and refugees in the community. Dominick Purnomo of Albany was worried when the pandemic forced schools to close and had great concern for kids who ate two meals and a snack daily in school. The wine director and co-owner of Yono's and dp An American Brasserie, Purnomo got together with other hospitality industry leaders to formulate a quick plan of action to ensure these children and their families did not go hungry. By March 17, with the help of many dedicated volunteers, FeedAlbany was born and began feeding all those who needed meals. A year into the pandemic, FeedAlbany has continued to grow from a walk-up meal distribution point at Purnomo's restaurant location in Albany to filling in meal needs for many community organizations whose staffs were unable to come to the workplace including LifePath (formerly Senior Services of Albany), Ronald McDonald House, Albany Housing, Free Food Fridge Albany, St. Joseph's House and Shelter, church groups, The Center for Disability Services, Cancer Services Program, front line workers at hospitals and Colonie and Watervliet frontline workers, all richly deserving for their dedication, passion and commitment to our community. Jill Rifkin of Delmar has devoted much time and energy over the years to help with education and music. As a board member for Vanguard, volunteer supporters of the Albany Symphony, she helps collect musical instruments in good condition for Capital Region students who can't afford them. She has collected 258 no longer played musical instruments from community members which were donated to children allowing them to play in their schools' musical ensembles. For years an independent college counselor and owner of College Options, Rifkin tutored numerous Arbor Hill Elementary School second and third graders in reading, while striving to build their self esteem. She also encouraged them to create their own poems. She has tutored immigrants in English to help them navigate their way in their new country. She is on the board of Grassroot Givers, which provides clothing, books and household items to the poor. Rifkin is a former "Big Sister" to three children. Deborah Saxby of Waterford has volunteered at St. Catherines Center for Children in Albany since 2014. She demonstrates a real compassion for children in need, coordinating bedroom makeovers for children living in its residential homes. Bringing in family, friends and co-workers, she organized the painting and decorating of rooms to create a special space designed to meet the needs and personality of the child living in the room. For one young New England Patriots fan, Saxby decorated the childs room with team logos, colors and posters. She began visiting St. Catherine's residential homes and hosting pizza parties for the children. She also volunteered to take the children on outings, including trips to sporting events and concerts, and even on shopping trips. She and her daughter Bella have visited the center's children with the familys therapy dog. With the support of her employer, Janney Scott Montgomery LLC, Saxby has hosted Christmas eve parties with breakfast, games and Christmas presents for the children. James Welch of Mechanicville started the Sleep In Heavenly Peace chapter in his town in August 2018. He was inspired by a Facebook show "Returning the Favor," where he saw Luke Michelson who had started SHP in Idaho. After 26 years of military service, many as an Air Force medic, Welch visualized volunteers building beds and delivering them to children between the ages of 3 and 17 who did not have a bed. He works late into the evening on fundraising and finding sponsors and also speaks to groups to get the program recognition after a full day at work. Many of the deliveries are to single-parent homes going through financially difficult times. Some children, along with their mother, have left an abusive relationship and have lost everything. He often travels to other towns to help start a SHP chapter and help with its first build. He is a true believer in the SHP mission: "No kid sleeps on the floor in our town." It costs about $350 to make a bed and Welch and his group rely on donations and sponsorships. Volunteers make the beds and deliver them along with mattress and bed linens. Welch's chapter has built almost 500 beds so far. Ackerman, Almahamid, Bonilla, Cammarata, Carroll, Elmer and Rifkin have advanced to the medalist level. One will represent the Capital Region at the national level in June in Washington, D.C. By Azra Haqqie A hand grenade found at a yard sale in North Cape May over the weekend prompted authorities to evacuate an area surrounding the home, police said Monday. On Saturday, Lower Township police received a report of a hand grenade located at a yard sale on Shore Drive in North Cape May and responding officers determined the device was unexploded, police said in an alert. The area of Shore Drive between Racetrack Drive and Folsom Drive was evacuated. The Atlantic City Police Departments Bomb Squad Unit removed the grenade safely and transported it to a secure location, police said. The Lower Township Police Department would like to remind residents that if they discover artillery, it should not be touched or moved. Artillery should be left in place for appropriately trained and equipped authorities to assess and remove, police said in an alert. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. More: From New Jersey to WGAL, news anchor Danielle Woods plans to tell the stories Pa. needs New Jersey beach guide: What are the coronavirus restrictions? Can I still book a rental? George Floyd and Daunte Wright never met but there's a chilling overlap between the two men. They died within 11 miles of each other, Mr Floyd on the south side of Minneapolis and Mr Wright in Brooklyn Center to the north of the city. Their families now also share legal representation in attorney Ben Crump. Other similarities between the two specific cases have also been noted, with both involving white police officers killing Black men with lethal force during stops for alleged low-level crime, in Mr Floyds case a fake $20 bill, and in Mr Wrights a traffic stop. Both incidents were captured on video, and the two men were both unarmed. Apart from both being parents who died after encounters with police while living in the Minneapolis area, it was also announced on Tuesday that Mr Floyd's former girlfriend Courteney Ross taught Mr Wright in high school. During a press conference standing beside Mr Floyd's family and their attorney Ben Crump, Mr Wright's aunt Naisha Wright said: The craziest thing is to find out today that my family has connections to this man, to this family. His girlfriend was a teacher for my nephew. My nephew was a lovable young man. His smile, oh lord, the most beautiful smile. Announcing the decision to also represent the Wright family, Mr Crump said: Daunte Wright is yet another young Black man killed at the hands of those who have sworn to protect and serve all of us not just the whitest among us. As Minneapolis and the rest of the country continue to deal with the tragic killing of George Floyd, now we must also mourn the loss of this young man and father, Mr Crump added. Mr Wright was shot and killed on Sunday 11 April by officer Kimberly Potter amid the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee on Mr Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes on 25 May 2020. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said Ms Potter meant to use a taser. She has been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter. Both Ms Potter and Mr Gannon have left their jobs. Ms Ross told The Washington Post that Mr Wright attended Edison High School while she was a dean there. She said he was a silly boy, as goofy as can be, and added that he needed a lot of love. The last time Ms Ross saw Mr Wright was when she was walking through Brooklyn Center along with Mr Floyd and they witnessed Mr Wright being confronted by police during the summer of 2019. One year later, Mr Floyd was killed just miles away on the southern side of Minneapolis. Less than a year after that, Mr Wright also died after an altercation with law enforcement. Ms Ross said: Students like Daunte needed more resources but they never got more resources. Our system doesnt serve kids like Daunte. And now Im seeing, more than ever, this system I once believed in, were done doing what we need to be doing to protect Black life, she added. University of Texas history professor Peniel Joseph wrote for CNN that the connection between Mr Floyd and Mr Wright illustrates how some African Americans remain, despite racial progress, as vulnerable to police violence now as they were during the heyday of the civil rights era. Mr Floyd's younger brother Philonise Floyd said during the press conference on Tuesday that his family will stand in support with the family of Mr Wright. He said: "The world is traumatised ... Police officers are killing us, and we are being murdered at a rate I cannot imagine. We're here and we will fight for justice for this family, just like we're fighting for our brother. He added: There's a time for change and that time is now. The Minneapolis Star Tribune gathered data on every death involving a police officer in the state of Minnesota going back more than two decades. Since the year 2000, 208 people have died after a physical confrontation with police. Of those who died, 55 were black. At 26 per cent of the total number of deaths, black individuals are heavily overrepresented in these statistics as African Americans make up only seven per cent of the total population of Minnesota, according to the US Census Bureau. Denton, TX (76205) Today Isolated thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. The discovery of 77 cases of a new coronavirus variant, which first emerged in India, has caused concern among scientists and the government. Public Health England (PHE) said 73 cases of the B.1.617 variant have been confirmed in England as well as four cases in Scotland. Officials consider it a variant under investigation (VUI) rather than a variant of concern (VOC), which includes the Manaus, UK and South African variants. Why are there concerns about the Indian coronavirus variant? The Indian coronavirus variant is considered to have concerning epidemiological, immunological or pathogenic properties. Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the variant features two "escape mutations" E484Q and L452R which "are causing people to be concerned". "There's laboratory evidence that both of these are escape mutations," he told the PA news agency. "Basically, applying what we know about other human coronaviruses would suggest that this is going to be even less controlled by vaccine. But we don't know that for certain at the moment." This variant, along with others, has demonstrated the way in which Sars-CoV-2 can adapt to a human host when placed under selective pressures. Their unique mutations are specific to the three-dimensional spikes that coat the shell of the virus. If you think of a lock and key mechanism, the spike protein is the key and then the lock is the receptor on a human cell, said Professor Deenan Pillay, a virologist atUniversity College London. Through evolution, this structure has changed shape to make it easier for the virus to bind with and penetrate our cells, as seen with the UK variant. In some cases, as with the South Africa and India variant, it has mutated to become less recognisable to neutralising human antibodies which would normally attach to the viruss spike protein and block its entry. This type of mutation therefore allows Sars-CoV-2 to slip past the first line of immunological defence in people who have been vaccinated or previously infected, enabling the virus to carry on circulating. Dr Jeffrey Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said that B.1.617 should be "watched carefully" but it is "probably not at the top tier of mutations that generate the most concern". He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the first cases of the variant were identified late last year. "This variant has a couple of mutations that are among those that we think are important that should be watched carefully, but they're actually probably not at the very kind of top tier of mutations, for example in the B117 or Kent variant or the South African variant, that generate the most concern. 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 "And in terms of spread, clearly this variant has increased in frequency in India around the same time as their very large and tragic recent wave. "But I just don't think we know yet whether there's a cause-and-effect relationship is this variant driving that spread? Or is it happening at the same time perhaps due to a coincidence?" Will the UK ban travel from India? Covid-19 rates are soaring in India, with more than 13.9 million confirmed cases and 172,000 deaths. However, the country is not currently on the UK governments red list of travel ban nations. British or Irish nationals, or people with UK residency rights, are able to return from red list countries but must isolate in a quarantine hotel for 10 days. Boris Johnson has meanwhile cancelled his visit to Delhi next week as a result of the deteriorating situation in India. The Prime Minister's already-curtailed trip was scrapped altogether on Monday, with plans for him to instead speak to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi later in the month. Downing Street issued a joint statement from the British and Indian governments. "In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week," the statement said. How did the variant arrive in the UK? Prof Hunter said it is "not surprising" that the variant has come from India. "If you think about where the main variants have arisen South Africa, the UK, California, Brazil, and now India all of these are countries that have really struggled to keep case numbers down, he said. "So it's not surprising. India has got a huge pandemic, and therefore that's where you're going to be getting the variant." He added: "The big, big anxiety with this one is that it seems and again this is still a little bit speculative because it hasn't been confirmed but... there are two mutations here that are causing people to be concerned." How many variants does the UK have? There are now seven VUIs and four VOCs being tracked by scientists in the UK. A significant cluster of cases of the South African variant of the virus were found in the London borough of Wandsworth, Lambeth, Barnet and Southwark earlier this week. A total of 600 cases of the variant of concern have been detected so far in the UK, an increase of 56 in a week. It prompted a large-scale surge testing operation to test thousands of people living and working in those areas. The Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada will demand explanations from MP Yevhen Shevchenko regarding his meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, whom the EU and the United States do not recognize as legally elected. "It is expected that the faction will demand explanations from Mr. Shevchenko after his return," First Deputy Head of the faction Oleksandr Korniyenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday. He said that neither the Servant of the People party, nor the parliamentary faction of the same name, nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the President's Office of Ukraine delegated Shevchenko to hold any negotiations with Belarusian officials. According to Korniyenko, Shevchenko is not a member of the parliamentary delegation in the Republic of Belarus. "Accordingly, all the meetings that he will hold are his personal initiative. He acts as a private person, not a representative of the government," the first deputy head of the Servant of the People faction said. At the same time, Korniyenko said that such actions violate the procedure for implementing Ukraine's foreign policy and the principle of coordinated actions of all branches of government in international relations. In turn, Shevchenko said on the air of the Nash television channel that he had reported to the leadership of the faction about his intention to go to Minsk to meet with Lukashenko. He said that according to the law on the status of a MP, he has the right "to relations with representatives of other states" within his powers and "does not meddle in the president's affairs, in his politics." In addition, the MP said he is not afraid of a possible expulsion from the Servant of the People faction. "I have always said that if the faction decides to expel me, then these are the faction's problems, not mine. I do not hold on to the faction. Secondly, I think about the future of Ukraine and the interests of the Ukrainian people," Shevchenko said. Earlier on Tuesday, MP from the European Solidarity faction Oleksiy Honcharenko said on his Telegram channel that MP from the Servant of the People Yevhen Shevchenko held a meeting with Lukashenko in Minsk on April 20. The BelTA edition said that Shevchenko's meeting with Lukashenko took place in the Palace of Independence. This is not Shevchenko's first visit to Minsk: on February 11, 2021, he attended the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, which was chaired by Lukashenko. The Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in the Ashanti region is collaborating with the National Insurance Commission to clamp down on drivers with fake insurance documents. It follows the presentation of 90 pieces of GOTA communications devices by the Commission to the Service and the training of Police officers. Every district in the region is expected to have at least two such devices to help scan all insurance details to authenticate their validity. To climax the training exercise and roll out the programme, an operation dubbed: "weed the road off fake insurance" was mounted in some major roads in the region including the Santasi-Obuasi road. Indeed, most of the drivers arrested didn't even know they were operating with fake insurance because they acquired it through a third party. They were cautioned but their insurance documents were seized and asked to contact credible insurance companies to reinsure their vehicles. Commander The Ashanti regional MTTD Commander Superintendent, Mr Emmanuel Adu Boahene told the Daily Graphic that even without scanning the insurance cover, the vehicle documents could be used to detect whether insurance was fake or not. He said the MTTD was going to be ruthless and through the national exercise, all such fake third parties will be tracked and arrested. "This is a national collaborative exercise and we must all help as citizens to weed our roads off such miscreants," he said. The regional MTTD Commander said it was sad that it was only during an accident that most of these fake insurance were discovered. "Now with these devices, we will arrest such people before the worse happens," he said. Deputy Commissioner The Deputy Commissioner of insurance, Mr Kofi Andoh, said there were backup plans to ensure that the devices were quickly replaced or repaired if faulty. He said the collaboration with the police was going to be sustained until sanity was brought back onto the Ghanaian roads. 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 New Delhi, April 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the rule of law in a constitutional framework is fulfilled when law is substantively fair, procedurally fair and applied in a fair manner, as it held that the power to order a provisional attachment of property, including a bank account, of a taxable person, under the GST law is "draconian in nature". The top court emphasised that this power of attachment can't be used as an "unguided discretion" by the authorities. A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said: "The power to order a provisional attachment of the property of the taxable person including a bank account is draconian in nature and the conditions which are prescribed by the statute for a valid exercise of the power must be strictly fulfilled." The bench noted a provisional attachment under Section 83 is contemplated during the pendency of certain proceedings, meaning thereby that a final demand or liability is yet to be crystallised. "An anticipatory attachment of this nature must strictly conform to the requirements, both substantive and procedural, embodied in the statute and the rules," said the bench. In the 61-page judgement, the bench observed the formation of the opinion must be based on tangible material which indicates a live link to the necessity to order a provisional attachment to protect the interest of the government revenue. "The commissioner must be alive to the fact that such provisions are not intended to make pre-emptive strikes on the property of the assessee, merely because property is available," the bench said. The top court allowed an appeal by Radha Krishna Industries, challenging the Himachal Pradesh High Court order of January 1, 2021. The High Court had dismissed its plea against the order for provisional attachment of properties under the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 for tax liability of Rs 5.03 crore. The top court stressed: "The exercise of unguided discretion cannot be permissible because it will leave citizens and their legitimate business activities to the peril of arbitrary power. Each of these ingredients must be strictly applied before a provisional attachment on the property of an assesses can be levied." The bench noted that the High Court erred in dismissing the writ petition on the ground that it was not maintainable. "In the facts of the present case, there was a clear non-application of mind by the Joint Commissioner to the provisions of Section 83, rendering the provisional attachment illegal," noted the bench. The bench said the Commissioner was clearly misconceived in law in coming into conclusion that he had a discretion on whether or not to grant an opportunity of being heard. "The Commissioner is duty bound to deal with the objections to the attachment by passing a reasoned order which must be communicated to the taxable person whose property is attached," said the bench. As the very dry 2020-21 winter drove home the reality of another drought, a group of state legislators last week sent a letter to Browns successor, Gavin Newsom, urging him to also declare a drought emergency. This is the slowest, most foreseeable train wreck imaginable, state Sen. Andreas Borgeas, a Fresno Republican who fostered the letter, said. Newsom, however, is clearly reluctant to declare an emergency. Were preparing to do many things as it relates to preparing ourselves for the reality formally of second drought conditions, the governor responded. As it relates to the specific declaration of emergency which has all kinds of component parts, we are not prepared to do that at this moment. His response came as he announced an agreement with legislative leaders on appropriating more than a half-billion extra dollars to prepare for an expected surge in wildfires due to extremely dry conditions. His mention of component parts referred to the steps that might be taken after an emergency declaration, not only mandatory cutbacks in water use but a potential reallocation of scarce water supplies. HEBRON, KY / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Speed, power and precision are coveted qualities to Justin and Maryann Schaller, both in terms of the Schaller Group family-owned business and in their other shared passion of hydroplane racing. The speed, power and precision of Starrag's STC 800X are playing a role in both the Schaller business and their racing. The brother and sister duo have executive positions with the Schaller Group, a third-generation, Michigan-based precision metal forming and assembly company that manufactures parts found in the aerospace, military, automotive and medical industries. For 10 years, the Schaller siblings ran their own CNC machining company but in 2018 opted to bring their expertise back into the family-owned stamping business. The company expanded one of its plants to 90,000-square-feet. Designated for CNC machining, it is one of six specialized manufacturing plants operated by the Schaller Group in the Detroit, Michigan area. Ideal for complex aluminum workpieces The STC 800X is ideally suited for machining complex aluminum workpieces due to its precision capabilities and axis configuration. Being capable of continuous 5-axis milling with the use of a rotary table and a 120 kW tilting spindle (S1), Schaller is able to machine with up to 162 horsepower and 30,000 revolutions per minute. With the A-axis range -100/+60 degrees, no angle heads are necessary for machining aerostructures. The rotary table allows the economical machining by using a tombstone setup or multiple parts and fixtures on the same table. Additionally, the STC at Schaller has been integrated into a manufacturing system, allowing flexibility. The result is speed, power and precision. "This is the perfect machine for our growth plans," said Business Development specialist Maryann Schaller. "We recently poured the foundation to add a second STC 800X to our operation, and because we purchased a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) with the first STC 800X, we have the ability to have multiple machines in a single manufacturing line." One example of new opportunities is medical devices. In March of 2020, Schaller Corporation manufactured and donated parts for a prototype ventilator project at a University in the hopes of helping with the COVID crisis. And while that project did not take off as hoped, it showed Schaller another market where the precision and speed of the Starrag STC 800X will be greatly beneficial. "The speed and accuracy of these machines were big reasons why we chose Starrag," said Maryann. Buyer's journey was seamless Schaller Group Chief Technologist Justin Schaller said the customer journey from research to demonstration to purchase to installation of the STC 800X was seamless. "I don't even feel like a customer of Starrag," he said. "We have a relationship that's really more like a partnership." That relationship formed at the IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show), where Justin was introduced to Starrag products. "When the right project came along in 2020, it provided us the opportunity to purchase the Starrag STC 800X," said Justin. The foundation was poured and installation was completed in September 2020. However, the project was put on hold because the additive manufacturing customer converted its manufacturing to produce testing swabs for use by healthcare professionals during the pandemic. The customer is now re-engaged with Schaller Group to fulfill the original project. "It's typical for us to have long-term relationships with our customers, some extending several decades," said Starrag North America Sales Director Tim Mooney. "The STC 800X is ideal for machining 55-inch or smaller precision parts, which is what Schaller needs for the complex aerospace, defense and specialty industry markets it is expanding into." Diversify into high performance racing One such growth area being pursued is high performance racing where the Schallers combine their passion for CNC machining with their love of racing. High performance racing includes watercraft like hydroplanes and sleek offshore boats as well as various forms of auto racing like stock, drag and rally racing. All rely on quality-built aluminum parts. According to Maryann, "the Starrag STC 800X is the perfect machine for our expansion into the high-performance racing industry. Our experience racing hydroplanes has introduced us to a network of potential customers. The speed of the machine along with the ability to utilize tombstones on a multi-pallet system will allow us to be competitive in the manufacturing of engine blocks, heads, manifolds and other performance racing products." Precision, quality, total cost of ownership, guaranteed 95% uptime are all competitive advantages for Starrag's manufacturing technologies. One Starrag customer, with a nine-machine setup with FMS, has an uptime of 98%. "Having machines that are highly reliable and able to manufacture the most challenging parts consistently are part of the Starrag guarantee," said Mooney. "That's really what drives business, because manufacturers want their machines running 24-7 without the need for constant intervention." "We started in the aerospace industry in the 1980s," said Maryann. "It's a great growth market, but we also know the importance of diversifying." Schaller selected Starrag because the equipment can be utilized in a wide array of industries. It is not just for use in the aerospace industry, but any industry that requires high precision, complex parts. Examples include various racing vehicles, satellites or electrical vehicles. "Starrag's capabilities allows Schaller to meet those diverse, industry needs," said Maryann. The STC 800X has unique features like a 30,000 RPM, 162 continuous horsepower spindle, an all steel gear A-axis, and standard pallet changing. Other key features for optimum aluminum machining include ambient temperature controlled coolant, vacuum clamping, automated part measurement and automated machine calibration. The Schaller Group has poured the foundation for a second STC 800X and with the anticipated growth and diversification, "we'll be putting in a couple of more Starrag machines," said Maryann. "To us, Starrag and automation make sense." It's off to the races for the Schallers in 2021. Company profile Starrag High-precision machine tools for greater productivity Starrag Group is a global technology leader in manufacturing high-precision machine tools for milling, turning, boring and grinding workpieces of metallic, composite and ceramic materials. Principal customers are internationally active companies in the Aerospace, Energy, Transportation and Industrial sectors (Industrial Components, Luxury Goods, Med Tech). In addition to its portfolio of machine tools, Starrag Group provides integrated technology and maintenance services that significantly enhance customer quality and productivity. The umbrella brand Starrag unites the product ranges Berthiez, Bumotec, Dorries, Droop+Rein, Ecospeed, Heckert, Scharmann, SIP, Starrag, TTL and WMW. Headquartered in Rorschach/Switzerland, the Starrag Group operates manufacturing plants in Switzerland, Germany, France, the UK and India and has established a network of sales and services subsidiaries in the most important customer countries. The shares of Starrag Group Holding AG are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. For more information: Starrag Elena Schmidt-Schmiedebach Lead Marketing North America ussales@starrag.com www.starrag.com Related Images SOURCE: Starrag View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641083/Starrag-STC-800X-Provides-Diverse-Growth-Opportunities-for-Schaller-Group Former police officer Derek Chauvin listens as his defense attorney Eric Nelson gives closing arguments at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Out of Sight but Center Stage, Jurors Weigh Chauvins Fate MINNEAPOLISThe jurors who sat quietly off-camera through three weeks of draining testimony in Derek Chauvins murder trial in George Floyds death moved into the spotlight Tuesday, still out of sight but now in control of verdicts awaited by a skittish city. The jury of six white people and six people who are black or multiracial resumed deliberations Tuesday morning. Anonymous by order of the judge and sequestered now until they reach a verdict, they spent just a few hours on their task Monday after the day was mostly consumed by closing arguments in which prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May. The defense contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that the 46-year-old Floyd died of a heart condition and illegal drug use. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, all of which require the jury to conclude that his actions were a substantial causal factor in Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw, prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments, referring to the bystander video of Floyd pinned to the pavement with Chauvins knee on or close to his neck for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as onlookers yelled at the officer to get off. Defense attorney Eric Nelson gives closing arguments at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing that Chauvin did what any reasonable police officer would have done after finding himself in a dynamic and fluid situation involving a large man struggling with three officers. As Nelson began speaking, the now-fired Chauvin removed his COVID-19 mask in front of the jury for one of the very few times during the trial. With the case drawing to a close, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis. The courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard troops were on patrol. Floyds death set off protests last spring in the city and across the United States that sometimes turned violent. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old black man, Daunte Wright, in a nearby suburb on April 11. About 300 protesters marched in the streets outside the courthouse shortly after the jury got the case, lining up behind a banner reading, Justice 4 George Floyd & all stolen lives. The world is watching. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell had the final word Monday, offering the states rebuttal argument. The prosecutor, who is black, said the questions about the use of force and cause of death are so simple that a child can understand it. In fact, a child did understand it, when the 9-year-old girl said, Get off of him, Blackwell said, referring to a young witness who objected to what she saw. Thats how simple it was. Get off of him. Common sense. Defense attorney Eric Nelson (L) and defendant, former police officer Derek Chauvin listen to Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read instructions to the jury before closing arguments at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Under the law, police have certain latitude to use force, and their actions are supposed to be judged according to what a reasonable officer in the same situation would have done. Nelson noted that officers who first went to the corner store where Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill were struggling with Floyd when Chauvin arrived as backup. The defense attorney also pointed out that the first two officers on the scene were rookies and that police had been told that Floyd might be on drugs. A reasonable police officer understands the intensity of the struggle, Nelson said, noting that Chauvins body camera and badge were knocked off his chest. Nelson also showed the jury pictures of pills found in Floyds SUV and pill remnants discovered in the squad car. Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyds system. The defense attorney said the failure of the prosecution to acknowledge that medical problems or drugs played a role defies medical science and it defies common sense and reason. During the prosecutions argument, Schleicher replayed portions of the bystander video and other footage as he dismissed certain defense theories about Floyds death as nonsense. He said Chauvin killed Floyd by constricting his breathing. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher gives closing arguments at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Schleicher rejected the drug overdose argument, as well as the contention that police were distracted by hostile onlookers, that Floyd had superhuman strength from a state of agitation known as excited delirium, and that he suffered possible carbon monoxide poisoning from auto exhaust. The prosecutor sarcastically referred to the idea that it was heart disease that killed Floyd as an amazing coincidence. Is that common sense or is that nonsense? Schleicher asked the jury. Blackwell, his fellow prosecutor, likewise rejected the defense theory that Floyd died because of an enlarged heart: The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is that Mr. Chauvins heart was too small. Earlier, Schleicher described how Chauvin ignored Floyds cries and continued to kneel on him well after he stopped breathing and had no pulse. Chauvin was on top of him for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and he had to know, Schleicher said. He had to know. He said Chauvin heard Floyd, but he just didnt listen. The prosecutor said Floyd was not a threat to anyone and was not trying to escape when he struggled with officers but instead was terrified of being put into the tiny backseat of the squad car. He said a reasonable officer with Chauvins training and experiencehe was a 19-year Minneapolis police veteranshould have sized up the situation accurately. Chauvin showed little expression as he watched himself and the other officers pinning Floyd to the ground on bodycam video played by his attorney. He cocked his head to the side and occasionally leaned forward to write on a notepad. An unidentified woman occupied the single seat set aside in the pandemic-spaced courtroom for a Chauvin supporter. Floyds brother Philonise represented the family in court in the morning, followed later by a nephew, Brandon Williams. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill reads instructions to the jury before closing arguments at the Hennepin County Courthouse, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Schleicher also noted that Chauvin was required to use his training to provide medical care to Floyd but ignored bystanders, rebuffed help from an off-duty paramedic, and rejected a suggestion from another officer to roll Floyd onto his side. He could have listened to the bystanders. He could have listened to fellow officers. He could have listened to his own training, Schleicher said. He knew better. He just didnt do better. After closing arguments were done, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defense request for a mistrial based in part on comments from Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who said weve got to get more confrontational if Chauvin isnt convicted of murder. The judge told Chauvins attorney: Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. He called her comments abhorrent and disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch. By Amy Forliti, Stephen Groves, and Tammy Webber Portland police officers chase demonstrators after a riot was declared during civil unrest over the shooting in Minnesota of Daunte Wright, in Portland, Ore., on April 12, 2021. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Postcards From the Catastrophe Commentary Lets play one of these things not like the other. On April 11, a young black man named Daunte Wright was accidentally shot and killed while resisting arrest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. At first, rumors flew around that Wright had been pulled over because he had an air freshener dangling from his rearview mirror. In fact, he had an outstanding arrest warrant for first-degree attempted aggravated robbery when stopped. Who knows where the air freshener meme came from: probably from the same emporium that supplied the Hands Up, Dont Shoot lie to twist the true story of Michael Browns assault on the police in Ferguson, Missouri, a few years back. The officer who shot Wright did so inadvertently. Police released bodycam footage soon after the incident so we know exactly what happened. The officer had mistaken her pistol for her Taser. Bad training there, no doubt. But heres the thing. I say her because it was only a matter of hours before the Brooklyn Center police released the officers name: Kim Potter. Potter quickly resigned from the force. She was arrested and charged with manslaughter. As I write, she is out of custody on $100,000 bail. Contrast that story with the story of Ashli Babbitt, the young veteran and pro-Trump activist, who was shot and killed at the Jan. 6 melee at the Capitol. Babbitt was unarmed. She was going through a shattered window, but was in close proximity to several armed Capitol Police officers. Who shot her and why? We dont know the answers to those questions. What Kurt Schlichter aptly calls our garbage media has displayed a disconcerting lack of curiosity about the matter. Babbitt was a useful prop when the media was in overdrive describing the Jan. 6 events as an armed insurrection, in which wild supporters of Donald Trump, supposedly (but not really) at his instigation, attacked the Capitol with the intention of overturning the rigged 2020 election. That rigged is my addition to The Narrative. You remember The Narrative. According to it, five people, including Babbitt, died in the skirmish. Moreover, Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was actually bludgeoned to death by a raging Trumpster wielding a fire extinguisher. That gem came from The New York Timesspeaking of garbage mediaand it was instantly picked up and spread like a Chinese virus, much like the hysterical lies about the Covington kid Nick Sandmann were spread by a willfully credulous media. The boy was wearing a red MAGA hat, for Gods sake, he just had to be guilty! But he wasnt. And there was no armed insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Of course, its absolutely critical to the Democratic narrative that the Jan. 6 incident be made to seem as violent and crazed as possible. Only thus can pro-Trump Americans be excluded from what the left calls our democracy (meaning, not your democracy) and transformed into domestic extremists if not, indeed, into domestic terroristsyou know, the ordinary folks languishing in jails courtesy of Christopher Wrays corrupt FBI. (Dont miss Julie Kellys superb reporting on this truly egregious abuse of the police power of the state by the HarrisBiden administration and their deep state puppeteers.) Yes, five people died at or near the Capitol on Jan. 6 or a couple of days later. None was murdered by the protesters. Babbitt was shot in the neck at close range by we know not whom. That was the only shot fired at the Capitol that day. The liberal commentator Glenn Greenwald further diminished the armed insurrection meme in an important column titled The False and Exaggerated Claims Still Being Spread About the Capitol Riot. Kevin Greeson, Greenwald notes, was killed not by the protesters but died of a heart attack outside the Capitol; Benjamin Philips, 50, the founder of a pro-Trump website called Trumparoo, died of a stroke that day; and Rosanne Boyland, a fanatical Trump supporter, was, the NY Times says, inadvertently killed in a crush of fellow rioters during their attempt to fight through a police line. So, four of the five who died were pro-Trump protesters. And the fifth? Well, that was Sicknick, also pro-Trump, who, pace The New York Times, went home, told his family he felt fine, and died a day later from, as The Washington Post just reported, natural causes. 2 Tiers So: Potter is instantly arrested and charged with manslaughter. The chap or chapette who killed Ashli Babbitt? Not only do we not know who it was, we have recently been told that he or she will not be charged. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 event, Mad Max Maxine Waters screamed that Donald Trump was inciting violence and trying to create a civil war. Trump did nothing of the kind. But now, we see Waters traveling to Brooklyn Center and demanding that people stay in the streets. As the New York Post and others have reported, Waters broke the law by violating curfew (she didnt agree with it) and said that if Derek Chauvin isnt found guilty of murdering George Floyd (a conviction for manslaughter is not enough), then weve got to get more confrontational. How much more confrontation can the mob be? They are already looting, rioting, and destroying property in cities across the country. The Post is right: Waters is inciting violence. She is the one who is trying to create a civil war. Yes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should strip her of her committee assignments and move for a vote to remove Waters from office. But of course, she wont. Nor will Jack Dorsey remove her from Twitter. He removed Trump. James OKeeffe was just suspended for life because he embarrassed CNN. Dorsey and the rest of Big Tech tried to destroy Parler. But that is different becausereasons. In fact, we know the reasons. We are living in a society with a two-tier justice system. Moreover, it is a society with a two-tier system of social values. If you have that populist Walmart stink that attaches to those Hillary Clinton placed in her infamous Basket of Deplorables, then you belong to a different tribe, almost a different species, from those whom the governing bureaucracy has anointed. Its not what the founders of this country envisioned. But its been clear for some time that our masters hold everything associated with that dispensation, from the Constitution on down, in utter contempt. 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. New Delhi: An encounter took place between security forces and terrorists in Pulwama's Litter village in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning. The security forces gunned down two terrorists Wasim Shah and Hafiz Nisar. Updates # Authorities order Telecom companies to downgrade Internet speed to 2G in Jammu and Kashmir following Pulwama encounter Jammu & Kashmir: Authorities order Telecom companies to downgrade Internet speed to 2G in Kashmir following #Pulwama encounter ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # Terrorists have misused social media to lure youth in south Kashmir, no doubt about it: IG Munir Khan in Srinagar # 1 civilian died & another was injured in cross firing between terrorists and security forces during the operation in Pulwama: IG Munir Khan # Both the terrorists were first asked to surrender but instead they started firing, troops retaliated & gunned them down: IG Munir Khan 1 civilian died & 1 civilian got injuries in cross fire between terrorist and security forces during the operation in Pulwama: IG Munir Khan ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # Of the 2 terrorists Wasim Shah was very notorious and his elimination was a big success as he used to recruit cadre for LeT: IG Munir Khan # Operation was launched by Police, Army and CRPF after specific info was received about presence of 2 LeT terrorists: IG Munik Khan Pulwama Of the 2 terrorists Wasim Shah was very notorious and his elimination was a big success as he used to recruit cadre for LeT: IG Munir Khan pic.twitter.com/T7lSZFiUEI ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # One civilian injured in clashes in Pulwama. Operation was launched by Police, Army and CRPF after specific info was received about presence of 2 LeT terrorists: IG Munir Khan #Pulwama pic.twitter.com/KIV9MfXgBv ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # Terrorist Wasim Shah was involved in many cases and recruitment, his elimination is a huge success : J&K DGP SP Vaid on Pulwama encounter Terrorist Wasim Shah was involved in many cases and recruitment, his elimination is a huge success : J&K DGP SP Vaid on #Pulwama encounter pic.twitter.com/nFZxZ4g5Te ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # Locals resort to stone-pelting. Two terrorists Wasim Shah and Hafiz Nisar gunned down by security forces in an encounter in J&K's Pulwama (visuals deferred) pic.twitter.com/fHIUfyjW13 ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # Two terrorists Wasim Shah, LeT commander R/O Heff, Shopian and Hafiz Nisar, LeT R/O Litter, Pulwama gunned down by security forces in J&K's Pulwama. Weapons such as AK-47, 1 AK-56 along with 6 AK magazine recovered by the security forces. J&K: Two #LashkarETaibaterrorists WasimShah and Hafiz Nisar killed by #securityforces in #Pulwama. Locals resort to stone pelting pic.twitter.com/PdrF7AUYmY News Nation (@NewsNationTV) October 14, 2017 Pulwama(J&K): Both the terrorists Wasim Shah and Hafiz Nisar were a part of the LeT. ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 J&K: Two #LashkarETaibaterrorists WasimShah and Hafiz Nisar killed by security forces in #Pulwama pic.twitter.com/2y7SZgJw1K News Nation (@NewsNationTV) October 14, 2017 #UPDATE Two terrorists Wasim Shah and Hafiz Nisar gunned down by security forces in J&K's Pulwama pic.twitter.com/8BiIUjxSiS ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 # Army has surrounded the terrorists # The terrorists are reported to be from Lashkar - E - Taiba # J&K: Encounter underway between security forces and terrorists in Pulwama's Litter village. J&K: Encounter underway in Pulwama's Litter village between security forces and terrorists. More details awaited ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2017 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. DUBLIN, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Catering Software Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Deployment and End user" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. According to this report the global catering software market was valued at US$ 184.29 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 519.14 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2020 to 2027. North America dominated the catering software market in 2019 with a share of more than 30%, followed by APAC. North America comprises developed countries, such as the US, Canada, and Mexico. The technological advancements and developments have led to a highly competitive market for all industries across North America. It also attracts several technological developments from economically strong countries. The companies in the region are continuously enhancing the overall business processes to meet customer demands for delivering high-quality products and services in the best possible way. In North America, the US holds the largest share when it comes to travel and tourism, followed by Mexico and Canada. Further, the region has witnessed the increasing number of international arrivals since 2010. Meanwhile, the rate of tourism in Mexico is growing owing to the steady investments in resorts and hotels backed by government initiatives to promote travel industry in the country. Thus, the increasing number of travelers as well as positive outlook for the adoption of new technologies, favorable economic policies for technological developments, and eating out culture make North America a crucial region for the catering software market players. Also, the presence of market players such as Better Cater, Inc; CaterEase Software; CaterTrax, Inc.; and Restaurant & Catering Systems is another major factor anticipated to drive the market in this region during the forecast period. In 2019, APAC stood second in the global catering software market with a decent market share, and it is anticipated to witness a steady CAGR from 2020 to 2027. Presence of emerging economies and rise in adoption of innovative and advanced technologies are contributing to the overall development of APAC. By country, the catering software market in APAC is segmented into Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and the Rest of APAC. Rapid advancements in technologies, digitalization of economies, and sufficient support from government are among the key factors leading to the smooth evolution of these economies from a developing stage to a developed stage in terms of adoption of solutions such as catering software. The travel and tourism industry is experiencing rapid growth over the years and the region ranks second after Europe by recording the most international tourist arrivals. Increasing purchasing power, growing air connectivity due to rising number of airports, relaxed visa norms, and better exchange rate are among the factors attracting tourists from Europe and North America. Countries such as India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Australia are experiencing significant number of tourists. Also, countries such as Sri Lanka and Nepal are registering double digit of growth rate in tourism. Meanwhile, APAC is characterized by the presence of the large number of young population coupled with rising deposable income, which is the major factor propelling the tourism industry in this region. Further, fast food restaurant chains are heavily investing in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia, and South Korea owing to the growing food service industry in this region. Thus, growing rate of tourism in Asia Pacific, increasing inclination of population toward restaurant dining, rising trend of multicultural cuisine, and surging adoption rate of digitization and advanced technologies in this region are anticipated to drive the growth of the catering software market in APAC during the forecast period. Companies operating in the global catering software market adopt inorganic market strategies to expand their footprints across the world and meet the growing demand. These players mainly perform investments strategy to expand their business and maintain their brand name globally. For instance, in 2020, CaterZen invested programming hours since the beginning of March to confirm restaurants and caterers can continue operations by focusing strongly on online ordering and food delivery. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Catering Software Market Several governments across the world are announcing various containment measures, such as strict restrictions on the movement of humans and vehicles, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The lockdowns are hindering businesses, which depend on physical interaction to generate revenues. Also, several business organizations are reducing their operations. Thus, many companies are now focusing on driving conversions, interactions, as well as revenue through digital channels. Reasons to Buy Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global catering software market Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the global catering software market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Study Scope 1.2 Research Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 1.3.1 Catering Software Market - By Deployment Type 1.3.2 Catering Software Market - By End User 1.3.3 Catering Software Market- By Region 2. Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Coverage 3.2 Secondary Research 3.3 Primary Research 4. Catering Software Market Landscape 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 PEST Analysis 4.2.1 North America 4.2.2 Europe 4.2.3 Asia - Pacific 4.2.4 Middle East & Africa 4.2.5 South America 4.3 Ecosystem Analysis 4.4 Expert Opinion 5. Catering Software Market - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.1.1 Growing Popularity of E-Commerce Platforms 5.1.2 Increasing Integration of Payment Gateway 5.2 Market Restraints 5.2.1 Growing Security Concerns 5.3 Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Big Data Analytics Technology to Improve Catering Operations 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Machine Learning to Revolutionize Catering Business 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 6. Catering Software Market - Global Analysis 6.1 Catering Software Market Global Overview 6.2 Catering Software Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players 7. Catering Software Market Analysis - By Deployment Type 7.1 Overview 7.2 Catering Software Market, By Deployment Type (2019 and 2027) 7.3 Cloud 7.3.1 Overview 7.3.2 Cloud: Catering Software Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 7.4 On-Premises 7.4.1 Overview 7.4.2 On-Premises: Catering Software Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8. Catering Software Market Analysis - By End User 8.1 Overview 8.2 Catering Software Market Breakdown, by End User, 2019 & 2027 8.3 Caterers 8.3.1 Overview 8.3.2 Caterers Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4 Restaurants and Hotels 8.4.1 Overview 8.4.2 Restaurants and Hotels Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.5 Others 8.5.1 Overview 8.5.2 Others Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9. Catering Software Market - Geographic Analysis 9.1 Overview 9.2 North America: Catering Software Market 9.3 Europe: Catering Software Market 9.4 APAC: Catering Software Market 9.5 MEA: Catering Software Market 9.6 SAM: Catering Software Market 10. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Catering Software Market 10.1 Overview 10.1.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 10.1.2 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 10.1.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 10.1.4 Middle East and Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 10.1.5 South America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11. Global Catering Software Market-Industry Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Market Initiative 12. Company Profiles 12.1 Aptus Systems Ltd. 12.1.1 Key Facts 12.1.2 Business Description 12.1.3 Products and Services 12.1.4 Financial Overview 12.1.5 SWOT Analysis 12.1.6 Key Developments 12.2 BETTER CATER, INC 12.2.1 Key Facts 12.2.2 Business Description 12.2.3 Products and Services 12.2.4 Financial Overview 12.2.5 SWOT Analysis 12.2.6 Key Developments 12.3 CATEREASE SOFTWARE 12.3.1 Key Facts 12.3.2 Business Description 12.3.3 Products and Services 12.3.4 Financial Overview 12.3.5 SWOT Analysis 12.3.6 Key Developments 12.4 CATERTRAX, INC. 12.4.1 Key Facts 12.4.2 Business Description 12.4.3 Products and Services 12.4.4 Financial Overview 12.5 SWOT Analysis 12.5.1 Key Developments 12.6 CaterZen 12.6.1 Key Facts 12.6.2 Business Description 12.6.3 Products and Services 12.6.4 Financial Overview 12.6.5 SWOT Analysis 12.6.6 Key Developments 12.7 Flex Catering 12.7.1 Key Facts 12.7.2 Business Description 12.7.3 Products and Services 12.7.4 Financial Overview 12.7.5 SWOT Analysis 12.7.6 Key Developments 12.8 FOODSTORM CATERING SOFTWARE (CATERXPRESS) 12.8.1 Key Facts 12.8.2 Business Description 12.8.3 Products and Services 12.8.4 Financial Overview 12.8.5 SWOT Analysis 12.8.6 Key Developments 12.9 Curate 12.9.1 Key Facts 12.9.2 Business Description 12.9.3 Products and Services 12.9.4 Financial Overview 12.9.5 SWOT Analysis 12.9.6 Key Developments 12.10 PROFIT SYSTEMS INC 12.10.1 Key Facts 12.10.2 Business Description 12.10.3 Products and Services 12.10.4 Financial Overview 12.10.5 SWOT Analysis 12.10.6 Key Developments 12.11 Pxier 12.11.1 Key Facts 12.11.2 Business Description 12.11.3 Products and Services 12.11.4 Financial Overview 12.11.5 SWOT Analysis 12.11.6 Key Developments 13. Appendix 13.1 About the Publisher 13.2 Word Index For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/n6vop9? Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com In Heather Dawson's world, leaves can sprout anytime she wishes, they can change colour on a whim and never fall to the ground when autumn arrives. In Heather Dawson's world, leaves can sprout anytime she wishes, they can change colour on a whim and never fall to the ground when autumn arrives. They don't even need trees. Dawson is a glassmaker; creating glass leaves in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours is one of her specialties. She has worked on several custom projects before, but her fragile creations led to her being one of the few Canadian artists to have new work displayed in the United States, or anywhere internationally, during the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's something I enjoy doing, working with people to help make something they have in their mind come to reality," Dawson says. SHANNON VANRAES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Glass artist Heather Dawson uses sheets of glass as well as smaller glass pebbles to create her work. She caught the glass-making bug about 15 years ago while learning how to make stained glass at Prairie Studio Glass in Winnipeg. Dawson has since built a new studio next to her home in Teulon, about 55 kilometres north of Winnipeg, where she transforms varying sizes and colours of glass using three high-temperature kilns, ceramic moulds and her creativity into decorative and functional items. "I started with stained glass, took a class and it snowballed from there, she says. "I really fell in love with all the different colours that were available, all the different textures of glass. Just the beauty and the colour were what I was really drawn to." Dawson began making everyday items, such as bowls and coasters, and has branched out into jewelry, picture frames, and Christmas ornaments and decorations, before letting her artistic imagination team up with her glass-making skills. Last year, she began making glass daffodils to help raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society's annual spring campaign. Her technique is different from the romantic images of Venetian glass-blowers, who make intricate sculptures from thin bubbles of molten glass, or vase-makers on the Canadian-made Netflix competition show Blown Away. Dawson takes various sizes of glass, from large sheets to the tiniest pebbles called glass frits, and uses her three kilns to melt the glass in moulds to create the pieces she wants. "Everything I do is flat work in the kiln," she says, differentiating the two styles of glass art. "It's heated up on a kiln shelf flat, and then I can put it in the kiln a second time over a ceramic mould and then it'll slump into the shape of the mould. That's how I get 3D effects with the glass that I work with." What separates the artists like Dawson from everyone else is how she's able to create the colours the way she wants while the kilns heat up and melt the glass. Glass begins to melt and move at about 600 C and Dawson begins her casts when the kiln's bricks rise to 700 C. She has found out through trial-and-error that glass of different colours doesn't always mix well. SHANNON VANRAES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dawson caught the glass-making bug during a class at Prairie Studio Glass. "When it heats up, the glass flows and melts back together, so you end up with one glass piece from all these little individual pieces," she says. "If you're not paying attention to the colours you're using side by side, sometimes you'll end up with a big black piece because they reacted together." "The different sizes (of glass), when you're casting them, when they melt back together, they give different effects, so I experimented with what would look best when it was the finished product." Dawson started making large aspen leaves from a commercially made mould. The results, which she posted for sale on her website, glassbyheather.com, caught the eye of Karla Rikansrud, vice-president of philanthropy and social responsibility at the Frasier Retirement Community in Boulder, Colo. Rikansrud was seeking a way to thank and recognize donors to the community, and Dawson's glass leaves gave her the idea of an art installation, with each leaf representing a donor and mounted on a metal decorative panel. SHANNON VANRAES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dawson places items in a kiln at her backyard studio in Teulon. The only problem was Dawson's leaves were too big, and she had no mould handy to make a smaller one. So she turned to Alan Lacovetsky, a potter and fellow member of the Interlake-based Wave artists' co-operative. Together they designed and Lacovetsky fired moulds for smaller aspen leaves, and Dawson set about making 200 of them for the Colorado community's donor-appreciation wall. "It's why this project is so much fun. There really are a lot of similarities between glasswork and pottery. He was learning from me about different glass aspects and I was learning from him about the pottery aspects," Dawson says. "That's what's neat about our co-operative; people are so willing to share the information that they have and help you grow as an artist." After a couple of tests, Dawson went about the process of filling the moulds with glass, placing them in the electric kilns, setting the computers that regulate their temperatures and letting the heat do its job. SHANNON VANRAES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Glass sheets are carefully stored and organized by colour. Temperatures are also regulated for slowly cooling the freshly melted glass, which Dawson says releases the internal stresses from the glass. After a couple of hours, the kilns are turned off and the glass cools overnight, along with the kilns. The next day, she would start again with another batch, firing about 30 moulds at a time. After emptying them, she would make sure they were clean and start the next bunch. Once all 200 leaves were done not counting the ones that broke, a fact of life for anyone making glass art Dawson carefully packed them up and sent them to Boulder. Photographs of the final product were reassuring, because the pandemic prevented Dawson from travelling to Colorado to help out with setting up the installation. "I thought it looked great," she says. "It was a little bit nerve-racking because I couldn't go there and help with the installation and smooth over any issues that might have come up, but they did a really great job with it." alan.small@freepress.mb.ca Twitter:@AlanDSmall Last month New York became the 15th state (in addition to Washington, D.C.) to legalize recreational pot use. The bill that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed includes extensive provisions to address issues of racial equity. It not only expunges past convictions for marijuana-related offenses, but it also guarantees that 40 cents of every dollar in tax revenue from pot sales will go toward the minority communities that have been hardest hit by the consequences of drug enforcement. Congress is on the move, too. On Monday, the House easily passed a bill that would eliminate federal laws that make it a crime for banks to do business with marijuana companies in states that have legalized the weed trade; 106 Republicans joined a united Democratic conference in voting for the bill. But Mr. Schumer has indicated that hes loath to pass a smaller bill, when what hes really aiming for is all-out legalization. Ive always been of the view that while certainly we have to deal with the banking and financial issues that we should do them together with legalization, he told Marijuana Moment. The one major Democratic figure who has not yet come around on legalizing weed is the most prominent of them all: President Biden. He said on the campaign trail that he would support decriminalizing it but that he felt further study was needed before hed be comfortable legalizing it completely. Asked about legalization last month, the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said the presidents stance has not changed. As you might remember reading in this newsletter, the Biden White House recently fired five staff members at least partly because of their past use of marijuana. Mr. Biden, who was an architect of some of the most punitive legislation passed during the war on drugs, has been slow to match the Democratic Partys change of heart on marijuana policy. Bonita Bo Money, the founder of the National Diversity and Inclusion Cannabis Alliance, said her group and others that had supported Bidens presidential campaign last year were waiting on him to fully get behind legalization. Its not moving the way that we think that it should, she said of the administrations stance. By the same token, Ms. Money said she was wary of legalization happening too quickly, emphasizing the importance of developing a robust plan to create a pipeline into the cannabis industry for people in communities of color. Before the Biden administration gets behind legalization, she said, she hoped it would create a good social equity program. Rockaway Beach Briefly: N. Oregon Coast Icon in Photos Published 04/16/21 at 1:55 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Rockaway Beach, Oregon) For just over 100 years now, one little north Oregon coast spot has been paradoxically popular yet slightly ignored. Its been a fave destination for generations, providing more meaty, downhome and rugged bits of exploration and little of the flash of other spots, even that of nearby Manzanita. This seven-mile-long expanse of pure sands actually started off as a cluster of several different campsites in the early part of the century, which were at one point considered separate communities. Then, like Lincoln City on the central coast, they were eventually joined to become one city. Take a small photographic tour for yourself. First stop: the always-iconic Twin Rocks - seen above, in a decidedly pastel mood. Hotels in Rockaway Beach - Where to eat - Rockaway Beach Maps and Virtual Tours Much of Rockaway Beach is populated by sizable foredunes covered in beach grass. This is one of the beach accesses closer to northern edges. The iconic caboose houses the Chamber of Commerce and lots of visitor information. Its a nod to the locomotive history deeply ingrained in the area, but its not actually one of the trains that stopped here just after the turn of the century. The northern end of Rockaway Beach - called Manhattan Beach - hosts the southern jetty of the Nehalem Bay. Twin Rocks as seen during one of those commonly stunning spring days on the north Oregon coast. The main access in the middle of town, during a bit of a storm. No matter the weather, Rockaway Beach has its multiple charms. Downtown Rockaway Beach: its architecture is populated by some very retro stylings and buildings that visually hearken back to about a century ago. Tracks THAT run through the town host the always popular antique train rides, Oregon Coast Explorer Train. To see more of Rockaway Beach take the Rockaway Beach Virtual Tour. STAYING IN ROCKAWAY 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 Bidens fault Regarding Biden must do better, (A12, April 16): The best solution to solving the humanitarian tragedy at the border is to vote in 2022 for candidates who believe in Americans autonomy and will reverse this madness of open borders. The current administrations policy is a disaster and yes, it is President Bidens fault. Carole Paul Vesely, Houston Edge of tears Regarding Kindness can help break down barriers, (A17, April 14): I felt a mixture of happiness and sadness upon reading Susan Jhins article in Wednesdays paper. Seeing a familiar name from my past and recalling many good times from our association at the school where her children attended and where I taught brought me joy. She was one of my advisory moms (advisory being a sort of home room) during her younger sons eighth grade year. Kind, helpful and genuinely interested in the well-being of every one of us, Susan was a true godsend to me and our advisory group. Unfortunately, once I got past the byline and started reading the article, my heart dropped. Surely the shopper who told her to go back where she came from did not know the person I know, or such a thing would never have been said. The person I know is a huge benefit to our community and is someone we would very much want to stay here. The person I know made our school a better place for every child there. The person I know touched my life in such a way that reading about her mistreatment brought me to the edge of tears. Doug Elliott, Schulenburg Unreasonable legislation Regarding Texas House approves gun bill, (A1, April 16): On Friday morning I saw an article on Apple News on my smartphone reporting about the mass shooting in Indianapolis wherein eight people were killed. Then I picked up the Houston Chronicle and saw on the front page the article Texas House approves gun bill. This proposed legislation will allow anyone over 21 years of age to openly carry a firearm with no requirement for passing a gun safety class or applying for a permit to carry. Can our state legislators not read newspaper articles or comprehend TV news stories regarding mass shootings in the U.S? This proposed legislation is totally unreasonable and without merit and should be, but probably wont be, rejected by the Senate. It is more than unfortunate that this and other social issues continue to monopolize the legislative session. Surely the Legislature could spend its time on more pressing and substantive issues. Bill Bentley, La Porte The company received $10.6 million in valid subscriptions for the proposed $3 million SPP leading to the decision to upscale. Funds will be used for initiatives that will assist in accelerating the TECH Project. ( ) has upscaled its share purchase plan (SPP), which closed early on April 14, to $ 5 million following an overwhelming response from its shareholders. The company was originally seeking to raise $3 million from the SPP, however, the offer was strongly supported by QPM shareholders. Despite closing the SPP early, the company received valid subscriptions for $10.6 million, and as a result, the companys board decided to upscale the amount raised to $5 million. Funds raised in the SPP will be put towards initiatives that will assist with the acceleration and advancement of the TECH Project. SPP scaling In accordance with the SPP offer booklet, eligible shareholders were given the opportunity to subscribe for up to $30,000 of new fully paid ordinary shares in the company at an issue price of 8 cents per share. As per the booklet, the scale back of the SPP was up to the discretion of the QPMs board. Given the higher demand, the company felt there was no other solution that would ensure every shareholder who applied for the offer would be satisfied. In scaling each eligible shareholder subscription, the board considered the number of shares owned by that shareholder as on the record date and the number of SPP shares they had applied for. Issuance of shares and refund Under the SPP, the company will issue 62.5 million new fully paid ordinary shares on Friday, April 23, 2021. These shares will rank equally with existing issued shares of the company. Excess funds as a result of the scale back will be refunded to applicants without interest under the terms and conditions set out in the booklet. To enable shareholders to receive their refund as quickly as possible by electronic funds transfer (EFT), the company has asked shareholders to update their bank details on the computer share investor centre at https://www-au.computershare.com/Investor before Monday, April 26, 2021. For refunds not processed by EFT, cheques will be mailed in the post to the relevant shareholders registered address as shown in the share register. South Korea's oceans ministry said Tuesday it plans to conduct a joint operation with its Chinese counterpart to curb illegal fishing activities in the Yellow Sea. Fisheries authorities from both countries will conduct joint rounds of inspections in the Yellow Sea from Wednesday to Sunday, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Under the plan, South Korea will deploy a 2,000-ton patrol boat, while China will send a 3,000-ton vessel. South Korea and China have been carrying out joint operations since 2014. So far, a total of 31 unauthorized Chinese fishing boats were caught through the joint crackdown. "We have been making diplomatic efforts to prevent illegal fishing activities by Chinese boats," the ministry said in a statement. "We plan to continue cooperate with Chinese authorities to protect our marine resources." (Yonhap) When I arrived at the University, I was a blank canvas. I knew I wanted to tell a different story about slavery but not in the way its been done before. I wanted to change the narrative. A University of Wolverhampton arts student who has created a different narrative about historical racism using glass and ceramics has sold his work to high profile galleries across the UK and in America including the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum in London. Picture caption: Emmett Till Chris Day, 52 from Lichfield who is married with three children, was a full-time plumber who applied to the University four years ago to study for a Bachelors of Arts degree in Design and Applied Arts at the University of Wolverhampton School of Art. He is the only black glassblower in the UK. He secured a First Class Honours Degree and is now studying for a Masters degree in the same subject. The V&A Museum, billed as the worlds leading museum of art and design, has purchased Emmett Till, inspired by a 14 year old black teenager who was abducted, beaten and lynched by two white men in 1955. His murder galvanized the emerging Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The Scottish National Museum has purchased Back to Black and the Chrysler Museum of Art in Virginia, USA, has purchased Wander which depicts the tale of a luxury racing yacht setting sail from Charleston, South Carolina in 1858, on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. When it returned nearly five months later from West Africa to Jekyll Island, Georgia, it carried 487 new passengers on board each taken against his will to be sold illegally into the slave trade. The ship was one of the last ever to import slaves onto US soil. Picture caption: Wander He is currently in discussions with Rhode Island Museum about the potential purchase of one of his other pieces of work. Chris was recently one of 5 artists shortlisted for the 2021 Brookfield Properties Crafts Council Collection Award a leading craft prize for makers in Britain which supports the individual artist as well as the Crafts Councils national collection. Chris recently exhibited his work, the result of his research into black slavery and the civil rights movement, at Collect 2021 with Vessel Gallery - the 17th edition of the international art fair for contemporary craft and design presented by the Crafts Council which took place online. He also exhibited with Vessel Gallery at Crafting a Difference, an exhibition curated by Brian Kennedy showing artworks by over 70 artists represented by 4 London-based contemporary craft galleries. In 2020 he exhibited at London Craft Weeks Vessel Gallery an exhibition which celebrates outstanding British and international creativity. The festival brings together over 250 established and emerging makers, designers, brands and galleries from around the world. His talent was spotted by a Vessel judge when Chris was selected as one of 74 artists out of 200 to enter the international 2019 British Glass Biennale exhibition held in Stourbridge. His creative work has resulted in a series of personal pieces that discuss and investigate the treatment of black people in Britain and the United States. He also used materials derived from heating and electrical systems in reference to his other career. His research has focused on the history of the slave trade in the Eighteenth Century, with the copper cage in one piece representing the restriction of movement both physically and mentally, emphasising the complete control traders possessed over another humans life. Chris left school and worked in a variety of roles, first as an illustrator for marketing material with Derbyshire Life Magazine moving to baking biscuits in a factory before becoming an Engineering Apprentice and working with robotics whilst at the same time qualifying to become a self-employed plumbing and heating engineer. Chris said: Its been a real whirlwind for me since last year and the interest in my work has been phenomenal with major galleries showing interest in buying my work for display which is incredible. Im a storyteller at heart and I always work with a narrative behind it. I want my work to move people and continue the conversation thats needed to heal the rift that still exists in society Like the glass I have pushed my approach in how I work with glass and ceramics in both traditional and experimental methods, to create contemporary artworks that represent my passion for this part of our history. As a black glassblower, I am one of few and on a quest to find and inspire more. My main purpose, however, is to engage the audience on issues that are hard to confront on many levels, using art to help overcome some of the traumas that haunt our collective past. When I arrived at the University, I was a blank canvas. I knew I wanted to tell a different story about slavery but not in the way its been done before. I wanted to change the narrative. Id never thought about going to University and it was my wife who encouraged me to go to an Open Day and talk about my options. Id never considered it, but Id always loved art and did an Art O Level. It was something I always wanted to go back to and explore. But I was 48 at the time, with a mortgage and two kids. I cant thank the University enough for inspiring me, they have nurtured me and they have instilled confidence in me. I needed something to spark my enthusiasm. When I saw the studio and facilities at the School of Art, it was such an amazing space, I knew I wanted to work with glass Id never worked with it and its something that doesnt really want to be worked with so that was a real challenge for me from the start. The University gave me something that I can do for me. Ive got my career but as soon as I dipped my toe in the water even though I knew I probably wouldnt make money, but its a bonus if I do. This is my passion and its my personal journey. Paul McAllister, Course Leader in Glass and Ceramics at the University, said: Chris came to the University as a mature student and, despite him not having a portfolio of work, we could see that he was both hardworking and enthusiastic and we offered him a place on the undergraduate course. His choice of working with glass is really interesting because glass making came to the Black Country when Huguenot migrants established workshops in the Glass Quarter. What Chris is demonstrating is that there is real value to making things which are more than just nik naks. He is using materials to talk about a very complex historical period in time and he has worked really hard to establish those skills using his own personal language. Its difficult having to juggle full-time work, a family and study. Chris has demonstrated in his work, especially in light of the Black Lives Matter campaign, that you can really make heritage current whilst it has its place in history, there is also a future in getting currency from traditional skills and making them contemporary. The University of Wolverhampton has one of the largest, best-equipped glass-making facilities in Europe and includes a hot shop, kiln room and a cold processing room. Chris has been featured on BBC Midlands Today. He has also been featured in The Guardian. Anyone interested in studying degree courses in the University of Wolverhampton School of Art should register for one of our forthcoming Virtual Open Days. ENDS Boris Johnson today insisted it is 'premature' to speculate on which countries could be on the UK's foreign travel 'green list'. The Prime Minister apologised to holidaymakers and urged them to be patient as he said the Government will provide an update 'as soon as we possibly can'. Non-essential international travel is due to resume from May 17 at the earliest under the PM's lockdown exit roadmap. The Government earlier this month unveiled a new traffic light system which will see countries categorised as red, amber or green based on criteria like vaccination levels and coronavirus case numbers. Travel to green countries will be quarantine-free although passengers will still have to take Covid tests. Travel from red countries will require a stay in hotel quarantine while returning from amber countries will require 10 days of self-isolation at home. Boris Johnson today insisted it is 'premature' to speculate on which countries could be on the UK's foreign travel 'green list' Non-essential international travel is due to resume from May 17 at the earliest under the PM's lockdown exit roadmap. Blue Lagoon in Comino, Malta is pictured Mr Johnson refused to be drawn on which countries will be on the 'green list' this afternoon as he was grilled at a Downing Street coronavirus press conference. The PM said: 'On your very good question about travel, I would love to be able to give you and your readers a clear run down of the countries that we think may be either red, amber or green at this stage. 'We won't be able to do that yet, as we have said the Global Travel Taskforce has reported but what they have said is that we are really going to need to wait until early May before we can set out which countries are on the list. 'You can see some of the troubles and some of the problems that some of our friends are currently having. 'So I think it would be just premature to speculate about that. I am sorry about that, but we will be saying more as soon as we possibly can before May 17.' The Government's plans for resuming non-essential international travel were slammed by travel chiefs who said there was a lack of detail and too much uncertainty. There has also been a furious backlash over the testing requirement for travel from green countries. People will still have to take at least one lab-based PCR test which can cost 120. Ministers have vowed to drive down the cost but holiday firms fear the testing rules will price many families out of a trip abroad this summer. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said earlier this month that it is now possible for Britons to start thinking about booking a foreign holiday. Travel to green countries will be quarantine-free although passengers will still have to take Covid tests He said: 'My advice today would be moving on from where we were before, I am not telling people that they shouldn't book summer holidays and that is the first time that I have been able to say that for many months. 'But I think everybody doing it understands there are risks with coronavirus and of course actually I think people would want to be clear about which countries are going to be in the different traffic light system. 'People will predominantly of course be looking to book in a green country. So there is only two or three weeks to wait before we publish that list itself. 'But yes, tentative progress, for the first time people can start to think about visiting loved ones abroad or perhaps a summer holiday but we are doing it very, very cautiously because we don't want to see any return of coronavirus in this country.' Photo: (Photo : Anna Shvets / Pexels) The child tax credit has been improved to include babies born or adopted this year, so the families in the United States could now rejoice. Commissioner Charles Rettig told the Senate Finance Committee that the IRS expects to start submitting monthly payments from the proposed $3,000 child tax credit in July. President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law in March, which included a new and greatly increased child tax credit. For the 2021 tax year, families will earn a $3,000 annual bonus per child aged 6 to 17 and $3,600 per child under the age of 6. READ: Child Tax Rebate for Divorced and Unmarried Parents in COVID-19 Relief Bill Rettig testified just a few weeks ago that the IRS was not sure it would be able to start sending payments to families in July, and that the checks may not be monthly. He explained that the organization was overburdened by the extended tax filing season, which was pushed from April 15 to May 17 for individuals, and thus had less time and money to devote to developing and launching a child tax credit portal. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio and ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, asked Rettig if the IRS would be able to begin monthly child tax credit payments in July, and Rettig had a clear response. "We are," said Rettig. "If we are unable to stay on track due to an unexpected circumstance, we will inform you and the committee." ALSO READ: Child Tax Credit: Can Both Parents Qualify for the Same Kid? Here's Everything You Need To Know Children under the age of six pay $300 a month. Individuals with children and an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 or $150,000 for a married couple filing jointly are eligible for the full credit. Individuals earning $95,000 and married couples filing jointly earning $170,000 will no longer receive the additional advantage, which will be phased out over time. Families making less than $200,000 a year, or $400,000 for married couples, would also be eligible for the regular child tax credit, which is $2,000 per child under the age of 17 for families making less than $200,000 a year. Elaine Maag said, "It's trying to put the most benefit in the pockets of the lowest-income families." Beginning in July, the extended credit will be disbursed every month to qualifying families until December 2021. For older children, the monthly payment will be $250, and for children under the age of six, the amount will be $300. Families will be able to demand the remaining half of the credit in 2022 when they file their 2021 tax returns. READ MORE: New $3000 Child Tax Credit Could Raise Issues for Divorced Parents There is no limit on the number of children who can earn credit in a family as long as they fulfill the age and income criteria. Families with children must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit, according to Rettig. If a family fails to file a 2020 tax return, the IRS will be unable to deduct the amount owed to them. The child tax credit is an essential part of the effort to help millions of children escape poverty. The extended child tax credit and $1,400 stimulus checks to both adults and children will provide more than $14,000 in pandemic relief to a family of four earning less than $150,000 this year. According to a report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, about 83 million children live in households that would benefit from the expansion of the child tax credit. Furthermore, during the year that the strategy is in effect, the poorest 20 percent of households will see a rise in income of more than 37 percent. However, one criticism is that the credit is only extended for a year. Illinois Gov. Deploys 125 National Guard Troops to Chicago Ahead of Chauvin Verdict Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday authorized the deployment of the Illinois National Guard to Chicago ahead of the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who faces second-degree murder and other charges over the May 2020 death of George Floyd. Following a request made by Mayor Lori Lightfoot out of an abundance of caution, the Democratic governor said 125 troops would be deployed to assist Chicago law enforcement starting Tuesday. Pritzkers office said in a statement that their limited mission would include assisting with managing street closures during potential demonstrations. It comes as the nation braces for potential civil unrest over the verdict, which is expected in the coming days. Several Black Lives Matter supporters have suggested that if Chauvin isnt found guilty, there will be further riots and violence. Alongside peaceful protests, the death of Floydan African American man who died while in Minneapolis police custodyalso sparked riots, arson incidents, vandalism, and looting nationwide last summer, leading to tens of millions of dollars in property damage. It is critical that those who wish to peacefully protest against the systemic racism and injustice that holds back too many of our communities continue to be able to do so, the Illinois governor said in a statement. Members of the Guard and the Illinois State Police will support the City of Chicagos efforts to protect the rights of peaceful protestors and keep our families safe. The state of Chicago has recently seen several days of largely peaceful protests and vigils following the fatal police shooting of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old who was shot by an officer on March 29 after evading the police. Body-worn camera footage released by Chicago police shows officer Eric Stillman shouting drop it before shooting Toledo in the chest. The teenager doesnt appear to be holding a gun in the split second he is shot by the officer, but the body cam footage shows that the officer found a handgun on the ground near the spot where Toledo fell. A police union official in Minnesota has said Daunte Wright would still be alive he had complied with orders while a union official in Illinois called the fatal shooting of Toledo justified defensive action by police. The Illinois National Guard will not interfere with peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights, much the same role as Guard members played in previous deployments, Pritzkers office said in a statement. According to the statement, the troops are from the the 33rd Military Police Battalion and are trained specifically in riot control operations. The Illinois State Police will also assist the Chicago Police Department with additional troopers, Pritzker said. Chauvin, 45, has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyds death. Jurors could decide to convict him on all counts, convict him on one or two counts, or completely acquit him. The jury is being sequestered for the first time as they consider the three charges. There is no minimum or maximum time for announcing a verdict. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. HARRISBURG April 20 is a holiday in the world of marijuana, and here in Harrisburg, recreational users had a reason to celebrate this 4/20. The states lieutenant governor and two senators from different parties are supporting efforts that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in Pennsylvania and expunge the criminal records of those who have been convicted of marijuana-related crimes. More than 100 people gathered at a rally at the state Capitol Tuesday in support of the legalization of marijuana in Pennsylvania. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who has been outspoken about legalization, as well as two state senators who introduced a bill to that end, were among those who spoke at the rally. The event started with a gathering of supporters at Front and State streets, where they waved flags and signs and held up large banners with slogans like #LegalizePA. Passing cars honked in support. They then marched up State Street to the Capitol for a rally. Were here to march and be heard and demand legalization for everyone in Pennsylvania, said John Wronski of Lehigh Valley NORML. Its here for everyone. Hes optimistic that the state can get there, especially with the support he is seeing. After the cheering crowd arrived at the Capitol, Fetterman greeted them with a Happy 4/20, getting an even louder cheer. From an economic sense alone, legalization is a good idea, Fetterman told them as he introduced Yoko Miyashita, CEO of Leafly, a Seattle-based marijuana marketplace. Miyashita said her companys annual Cannabis Jobs Report showed the marijuana industry added 77,000 new jobs in the U.S. in 2020. No other industry comes close to this engine of job creation, she said. Medical marijuana jobs in Pennsylvania were a part of that equation, she said, noting that Pennsylvanians spent $810 million last year on cannabis and created 7,000 new jobs in the state. If Pennsylvania fully legalizes adult use, she estimates that would create 17,000 to 31,000 new, full-time jobs in the state, bringing in an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in annual sales during the first three to five years with $520 million in tax revenue. Without legalization, that is money that will go to neighboring states, like New Jersey and New York, where marijuana is legal, she noted. Beyond the finances, legalization would keep people out of jail for minor offenses, Fetterman told the crowd. If you have a stupid weed conviction in on your record, get your pardon application in now, Fetterman said. Pennsylvania fills Beaver Stadium every five years with stupid weed charges. 20,000 a year. Thats 100,000 over five years. Part of that effort will be the dedication today of a pardon drop box, to be placed at the Dauphin County Courthouse for those who want to apply for pardons of marijuana-related convictions. Fetterman announced his full support for legalization, which may be one step closer with a bipartisan Senate bill, which is currently in committee. Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie County, and Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, introduced that bill earlier this year. They attended todays rally to discuss their bill, which includes legalization for recreational use. I know Ive gotten a little of press simply because Im a Republican, but I consider myself to be a commonsense legislator thats here to solve problems, Laughlin said. This is just an issue in Pennsylvania that needs to be dealt with. We took a very pragmatic approach to this. Laughlin said this bill is about creating jobs and bringing in revenue. Its about freedom, and its about stopping the waste of resources that is harming of lives of the 20,000 Pennsylvanians who are charged each year in marijuana-related offenses. His co-sponsor, Street, told the crowd, The time to end the prohibition of cannabis has come. Right now, the law is not enforced equally, he said. The wealthy are much less likely to be arrested on marijuana charges than the poor and people of color, he said, adding, If we arent going to enforce it equally, we shouldnt enforce it at all. Too many lives have been ruined, too many people have been hurt, Street added. We are proposing that anyone who has ever been convicted of a cannabis crime can have their record sealed and the opportunity to have it expunged. In the bill, they are also proposing a small amount that can be grown at home for eligible medical marijuana patients, but not for recreational users. They are also proposing licenses that would allow small businesses to participate in a micro-grow program, allowing them to compete with the bigger companies. The crowd cheered loudly as Street said, Lets end the prohibition now and keep the revenue in Pennsylvania. Though Laughlin and Street have come together on the issue, not everyone in the state House and Senate supports this bill. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County, said, I dont see support in our caucus for legalizing recreation marijuana. Were still very supportive of the medical marijuana. I think theres an argument that would have a negative impact on that and on the research component of the medical marijuana. He added theyll watch the success and failures of other states that have legalized it, and make a decision, but I dont think this is something we need to rush into. House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre County, said his caucus was intricately involved in passing the medical marijuana law a few years ago, and they are still studying its medical effectiveness. I would say right now there isnt a lot of support to be taking a second step, he said, adding that the legalization of marijuana is not at the top of his priority list. Our priority is getting the economy opened up and getting people back to work, children in school and continue the vaccine rollout, Benninghoff said. Though Fetterman knows there may be a fight ahead for legalization, he told PennLive after the rally that hes hopeful. I would like to think we are getting closer every day, but I also know politics will play a role in this. It shouldnt because this is a true bipartisan solution for Pennsylvania, he said. This isnt a Democratic issue. This isnt a Republican issue. This is a Pennsylvania issue, and thats what today is all about. Longtime advocate and executive director of Lehigh Valley NORML Jeff Riedy said he is hopeful, as well. Im very excited about this, he said. Its a very exciting day in Pennsylvania. With the bill introduced by Laughlin and Street, and with some Republican support, he believes it can get out of committee and come before the full Senate with support. It may not be the perfect bill after some likely compromises are made, but he said its a step in the right direction. Getting legalization on the books is the most important thing right now in Pennsylvania, he said. Reporter Jan Murphy contributed to this report. User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! 59.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I was in my restroom when I felt like an airplane passing by but alas it was the quake that also shaked my bookshelf. | 2 users found this interesting. Miraflores district, Lima (68.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : moderate shaking, intensity varied from light to moderate. Windows rattled, some objects displaced. No damage | 2 users found this interesting. 60.8 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : ventanas sonando, objetos moviendose. inicio despacio e incremento un poco | 2 users found this interesting. Lima (59 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : . | 2 users found this interesting. Lima Peru (55.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : 2nd floor apartment felt entire floor shaking for two seconds | 2 users found this interesting. Miraflores, Lima, peru (61.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : A strong jolt followed by lateral shaking that slowly subsided. | 2 users found this interesting. Lima peru (76.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Fear | 2 users found this interesting. Lima, (69.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s : Like a explosion._. | 2 users found this interesting. 74.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Era aproximado 11:50pm del dia 19 de abril cuando estudiaba por mi cel , empezo a moverse las ventanas los perros ladraban y fue mas memos 10 seg algo asi y cuando sali las personas habian salido de sus ventanas asustados.se sentia el susto de las personas San borja, Lima, Peru / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Very scary. Loud rattling and shaking. Dogs got scared also started barking. Lasted a good 30-60 seconds. Im on the 3rd floor of apartment building. | 2 users found this interesting. 64.1 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s House shaking, dogs scared/alert. | 2 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Puente piedra / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was just scare, we were sleeping when it happened and then the hole house started shaking. | 2 users found this interesting. Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : We go out | 2 users found this interesting. Villa maria del triunfo nueva esperanza lima peru (72.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : post justo ahora acaba de suceder estaba buscando de cuanto fue | 2 users found this interesting. Santiago de surco, lima (61.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Not that long but kinda strong. | One user found this interesting. en Jicamarca, san antonio / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : al principio solo escuchaba las placas tectonicas pero luego todo se empezo a sacudir de manera fuerte luego se calmo En mi casa / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Senti demasiado miedo, ya que para mi duro mucho, yo dije: ya parara y seguia. Ha sido uno de los temblores mas fuertes que he sentido. Quiero saber donde fue el epicentro La Molina, Lima, Peru / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Probably the strongest and longest quake that I have ever felt in my life, and I have lived in Lima for over 12 years. lima cedros de villa (50.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : earth fall down and move side to side, in fiest 2 secs was hard, a little crach and fall sown. my english is bad sry | One user found this interesting. Chorrillos, Lima (51.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Lima (69 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s Lima (65.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s 71.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Felt si hard 75.9 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : los muebles se movieron por los movimientos del temblor. 59.9 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Un golpe fuerte. Pero uno solo. 67.1 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : felt gradually the increase of the rattling and lasted bit longer than usual down here in Peru. San isidro (62.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Lima (63.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light shaking. Heard hangers in closet moving 73.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s 74.8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : Circular motion of shaking 33.9 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Al principio medio mucho miedo. Agarre a mi hija y me coloque en un area abierta. 68.8 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s 73.2 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Asusta pero paso rapido 48.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s 65.4 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Piso 10. Sacudio mi cama. Me desperte. Peru Lima la Molina (64.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s 66.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) 73.3 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s Ate, Lima, Peru (68.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s Ate, Lima (63.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Miraflores, lima (60.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s lima - villa maria del triunfo (46.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : un temblor fuerte que se sintio demasiado 63.4 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s Lima, peru (68.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 20-30 s Punta hermosa (33.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Vibrating like a truck passing close 67.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s 53.4 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s 70.7 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Peru (69.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Lima, Peru (63.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima la molina (58.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Lima, Peru (58.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It was short but it woke me up. Lima (71.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s Lima, Peru (63.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s Callao, lima Peru (59.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Senti que vibraba toda mi habitacion mas que todo mi camarote ya que estaba en el celular Lima (50.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s Lima (68.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : A 58.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : H Magdalena del mar (64.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 75.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s 59.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s 61.9 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s 62.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s Victor maurtua 244 san isidro (62 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Thats all Peru, Lima (55.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s 55.4 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s Lima peru (65.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Se sentia un movimiento ligero pero mi casa temblaba y es de 2 pisos Lima, Peru (64 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Lima (58.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s Lima peru (81.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s Callao, La Punta (65.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s 69.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Peru (69.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Lima peru (79 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Soft Lima (58 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Las puertas temblaban como si fuese el aire que las moviera y el edificio crujia Lima (71.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s Lima,Peru (56.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Lima, Peru (60.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sideways vibrating. Not very strong but definitely noticeable. 61.8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Sounded very loud and it wasnt very long, it ended shortly. 57.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s 57.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s 57.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s peru (66.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Lima Peru (60.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Lima peru (79 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Soft Lima peru (79 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Soft Lima / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Slight movement side to side Lima / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Slight movement side to side Lima peru / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Vibracion y ruido Santiago de Surco / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : It went on a good while, all the neighborhood dogs were scared and barking, and a few minutes after everything had settled down, birds began chirping and calling for a few minutes (not their normal behavior for that time of night). Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s Miraflores Lima / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Los Olivos District, Lima Peru / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Lima peru (79 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Soft lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Slight movement side to side LIMA / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s 60.7 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Carapongo (70.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s Miraflores (61.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Lima / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Slight movement side to side lima (62.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Lima ventanilla / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Panic Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Canta, Lima. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sideways motion, very light. No objects moving, just whole house swaying. Woke one person in house Santiaga de Surco / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s San Bartolo (29.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s : Assez long (entre 30 et 60 secondes) qui a commence tres doux comme un bruit de trafic automobile pendant 10/20 secondes puis un grand crack de 2/3 secondes et ensuite de nouveau un bruit de trafic et s'est arrete. San miguel / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Very loud. Lasted 3 seconds. Decent shake but not alarming. Woke me up though! Lima (72.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Fue una experiencia algo rara primero fue algo leve despues de la nada como si fuera una bomba temblo con mucha mas fuerza estaba casi durmiendo (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s San Isidro lima / not felt 60.8 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s 48.6 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt a strong shake for only few seconds. 49.6 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe MiraFlores Lima / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Heard like a loud truck, felt a quick motion, dogs suddenly barked, then stopped very quick. It was night and otherwise perfectly silent before & after. Miraflores Lima peru / not felt Lima / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Strong movements Miraflores (59 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s : Me desperto San Borja, lima (61.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating Miraflores, Peru / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The quake woke me up 71.1 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was sleeping as they esrthquake tome un Peru was around midnight. I woke up and felt My Best moving sideways and they TV screen was vibrating. Miraflores / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s 58.8 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling Miraflores lima peru / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s la molina (60.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Lima / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s San Bartolo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s Chilca / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s Lima, Peru / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima Miraflores (61.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s En mi trabajo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Temor y preocupacion por mi familia ya que me encuentro lejos de ellos . Surquillo, lima / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s 66.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s Temblor con ecos y zumbidos fuertes (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s Chosica, Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Comas / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : golpe fuerte ondulante 48 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s 30.2 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Miraflores (59.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : We are scared Independencia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Jiron mexico / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Se movio la casa fuerte San Juan de Miraflores / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 10-15 s : Temblor con mucho ruido Lima, Peru (67.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Oquendo, Callao / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Estaba intentando dormir y de pronto senti que mi cama se empezo a mover durante un buen rato HUAYCAN , ate vitarte / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Estaba durmiendo y me desperto el sonido caracteristico de un temblor . San Juan De Lurigancho / Light shaking (MMI IV) En mi casa :v / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s Covima (64.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Lima / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Slight movement side to side Peru (82.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Primero solo fue sonido y un poco de movimiento,luego empezo a moverse feo y luego se fue calmando poco a poco Lince, Lima, Peru / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Shaking woke me up! I'm on the 12th floor of an apartment building in Lince. 68.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) Miraflores / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : I feel scared Lima / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Scary Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s Surco lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s 61.2 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Callao (70.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s LIMA / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Surco / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Villa el Salvador, Lima, Peru (281.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s Lima, cercado / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was short but strong in movement San Isidro, Lima, Peru (63.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Chilca, Peru (68.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s Pueblo Libre , Lima (66.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s I felt a moderated and short shake (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : V lima peru / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s San isidro lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s 51.8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Villa el salvador / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Fue suave al inicio , y fuerte a partir de los 5 segundos.. duro 20 segundos Lima (82.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Huarochiri / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Lima Peru puente piedra / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Estaba dormido y me desperto y todo se movia Los Olivos-Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s 60.2 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging San Juan de miraflores / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s : Felt it while visiting taught it was a loud truck passing late at night Miraflores / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Lima / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / very short Chaclacayo (75.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s Ate / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Lima (73.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s lima miraflores / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima (64.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s lima (62.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Chilca, Canete - Lima, Peru (20.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s Canete distrito de Asia km 94.5 / Light shaking (MMI IV) San Miguel, lima (66.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s callao , bellavista lima- peru / Moderate shaking (MMI V) LIMA CENTER / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s San Juan De Lurigancho / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Miraflores / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s San Miguel, Peru (61.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s Pachacamac / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : Horrible Lima Peru / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Miraflores lima peru / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Miraflores / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s : I felt shaking Lima ate / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Sa Isidro Lima Peru / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s San Martin de Porres Peru / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s La Molina / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Lima / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Ventanilla callao / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s Lima / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Lima / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s MONTREAL A Quebec court on Tuesday largely upheld a law barring public sector employees such as schoolteachers, police officers, and judges from wearing religious symbols while at work, in a ruling that human rights advocates said would undermine civil liberties in the province. But the ruling also made some big exceptions that dissatisfied the provincial government. Both sides said they intended to appeal. Religious minorities across the province said the decision marginalizes them. While the ban is supported by a majority of Quebecers, it has nevertheless proved deeply polarizing in Quebec society where minority lawyers and teachers, among others, say it has derailed their lives and careers, while fomenting Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. The law destroyed my career dreams, said Noor Farhat, a lawyer who wears a head scarf and aspired to be a public prosecutor. She represented a large Quebec teachers union that is one of the plaintiffs in the case. It is a clear violation of freedom of religion and the government is limiting human rights, she said. ADVERTISEMENT The police in Katsina State said they have killed three suspected bandits and recovered 330 stolen animals. The police spokesperson in the state, Gambo Isah, disclosed this to journalists on Monday in Katsina. Today, April 19, 2021, at about 04:00hrs, based on credible intelligence, DPO Kankara led a team of policemen to Mararabar-Gurbi, a notorious cattle route used by bandits. The bandits were armed with sophisticated weapons, passing with rustled domestic animals. Fortunately, the hoodlums, on sighting the police, engaged them in a gun duel, as a result of which, three bandits were neutralized, while others fled into the forest with gunshot wounds, he said. He said that the police recovered one AK 49 rifle, 160 cows, 170 sheep and two motorcycles at the scene. In a related development, Mr Isah said that the police, in collaboration with members of a vigilante group, arrested Ibrahim Maaruf, 40, of Tashar Bokiti, Runka in Safana local government area of the state a notorious arms dealer, kidnapper and cattle rustler. Nemesis caught up with the hoodlum when he was accosted at a spot between Dutsin-ma and Safana local government areas of the state with 40 rustled cows, he said. He said the suspect had been on police wanted list, citing an incident when the suspect on reaching a police checkpoint on Dutsinma-Safana road, abandoned 96 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition of AK 47 rifle and N780,000, and fled to escape arrest. (NAN) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. The gunshots fired at Minnesota National Guardsmen have led to an arrest for illegal weapons possession. Law enforcement says a light-colored SUV was driving on West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis around 4:20 am Sunday when someone inside fired multiple shots at a team of National Guard soldiers. One bullet went through the windshield of the teams military vehicle. One solider was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of wounds from shattered glass and another soldier was treated at the scene for superficial injuries. Minneapolis police officers patrolling late Sunday evening in the area of 6th Street South and Cedar Avenue South say they encountered a 2002 Ford Explorer that matched the description of the SUV involved in early morning shooting. The officers stopped the vehicle and placed the driver, Andrew Thomas, and a juvenile passenger in separate patrol cars. Police say they got a search warrant and found in the SUV a Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number, ammunition, and two discharged cartridge casings. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the State of Minnesota says Thomas, 28 of Minneapolis, has a prior felony conviction in Hennepin County and federal law prohibits him having firearms or ammunition. He has been charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Flash The old riddle of the chicken or the egg has sparked many arguments over the course of time. Recent negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, seemed to have gotten stuck in the similar reasoning: Will the U.S. lift its sanctions before Iran returns to compliance with the deal, or vice versa? Who should take the first step? In which way should the sanctions be lifted, step by step? Once and for all? These issues have become major hurdles in the JCPOA Joint Commission meetings in Vienna, Austria. Senior diplomats from the EU, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran met behind closed doors on April 6 and 9, negotiating on the U.S. rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, lifting sanctions and Iran's return to compliance with the deal. Nevertheless, the key stakeholders, namely the U.S. and Iran, communicated through European diplomatic shuttle diplomacy, as Iran refused to engage in direct talks with the U.S. The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Councilthe U.S., Britain, Russia, France and China, plus Germany) and the EU. Tehran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear weapons program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions. The U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018 and tightened sanctions on Iran under former President Donald Trump. In response, Iran partially suspended the implementation of its obligations under the deal. Although the meetings in Vienna were described as "constructive" and related parties sent out positive signals, the future of the Iran nuclear deal still faces multiple uncertainties due to the lack of trust between Iran and the U.S., amongst other complicated factors at play. Experts believe that arriving at a consensus in the short run will prove difficult. Tricky issues "All related parties, including the U.S., Iran and other stakeholders, showed their willingness to return to the Iran nuclear deal, but procedural issues and practical steps need to be negotiated, accumulating in a complicated process," Yin Gang, a research fellow with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said. After the meeting on April 6, the gathering saw the formation of two expert groups. One was tasked to review the sanctions the U.S. imposed on Iran and the other to assess what measures Iran needs to take to return to full compliance with the accord. Commendably, both the U.S. and Iran gave off hints of encouragement. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on April 7 that the U.S. is ready to lift any sanctions imposed on Iran that are inconsistent with the nuclear agreement but did not elaborate on "what chapter and verse those might be." Iranian Government spokesperson Ali Rabiei told reporters that "We are not optimistic or pessimistic about the outcome of this meeting now, but we are confident that we are on the right track." However, on the sanction-lifting part, the discrepancies did not narrow down. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted all sanctions imposed since January 2016, the date the agreement came into force, be lifted. Yet the U.S. countered the argument by stating several of the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration after it assumed office in January 2017 could be said to be non-nuclear related and so need not be revoked. The lines between nuclear and non-nuclear sanctions got blurred. According to one anonymous senior U.S. State Department official, "If Iran sticks to the position that every sanction that has been imposed since 2017 has to be lifted or there will be no deal, then we are headed toward an impasse." There are 1,500 sanctions to be categorized, according to The Guardian. Possible scenario The Joe Biden administration is facing pressure from the Republican Party at home as well as from Israel and some of its Arab allies not to make big concessions to Iran, Wang Jin, an associate professor at Northwestern University of China, told Beijing Review. On April 11, a blackout occurred at Iran's underground Natanz atomic facility, an event described by Iran as "an act of nuclear terrorism." Iran subsequently pointed the finger at Israel. Against this backdrop, the most likely scenario will see the U.S. gradually ease sanctions, such as allowing Iranian oil exports, followed by Iran's return to its JCPOA obligations, with both sides taking small steps forward, Yin said. It is impossible to solve this issue overnight, and the process is expected to be an exceptionally long one, he continued. It is worth noting that although the Biden administration differs from its predecessor in the approach toward the nuclear deal, their fundamental goals on the issue of Iran are similar, Wang Jin said. Trump adopted a policy of maximum pressure to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capability and missile technology, consequently limiting Iran's regional influence. This tactic eventually led to a deadlock between both countries and Tehran abandoned all the limits of its uranium stockpile, by enriching it up to 20-percent purity, a technical step away from the weapon-grade levels of 90 percent. After taking office, Biden has repeatedly stated that he would seek to revive negotiations with Iran. He resorted to constrain Iran via multilateral mechanisms. China-Iran cooperation As the old Chinese saying goes, it is better for the doer to undo what he has done. Since it was the U.S. who withdrew from the nuclear deal, a hard-won result of multilateral efforts, the time has now come for the Biden administration to return to the JCPOA unconditionally, according to Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at a press conference on April 9. "Regarding the unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S., China and other parties concerned clearly expressed their concerns at the meeting; they must be lifted immediately," Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the UN and Other International Organizations in Vienna, said on April 9 following a meeting with senior diplomats from other JCPOA signatories. During his visit to Iran in March, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out that the unilateral sanctions against Iran violate international law and cause harm to the Iranian people. He called on the U.S. to take concrete measures to ease unilateral sanctions against Iran and its long-arm jurisdiction over third parties. Iran, in turn, should resume fulfilling its nuclear commitments. Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif signed an agreement on enhancing comprehensive cooperation between the countries, which the Chinese diplomat said will promote the continuous upgrading of their comprehensive strategic partnership established in January 2016. The new deal maps out efforts to expand economic and trade ties and people-to-people exchanges between China and Iran. Experts say the signing of the agreement comes from both nations' need to pursue development based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results. "Iran needs this cooperation with China to break through the West's sanctions and enhance domestic infrastructure construction; China needs to import oil from Iran to ensure its energy security," Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, said. Jailed Russian critic, Alexey Navalny has been moved from prison to a regional hospital for prisoners as concerns grow amongst the international community over his health. Navalny has been on hunger strike since March 31, demanding "proper medical care" and to be examined by an independent doctor -- something his team claims he has been unable to get in the penal colony in Pokrov. Navalny's supporters say that his medical condition is rapidly deteriorating. His press secretary said over the weekend that Navalny was "dying" and his doctors said medical tests showed he is at growing risk of renal failure and heart problems. Biden Administration thereafter, announced it will punish Russia if anything is allowed to happen to Navalny who was allegedly given nerve poison by Russian agents in 2020, an act that almost claimed his life. Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) said in a statement Monday that the opposition leader had been moved to the hospital, which specializes in "dynamic" observation of patients. The hospital is located on the "territory" of another penal colony, in the Vladimir region. The statement said that Navalny was in "satisfactory" condition and is being examined by a doctor every day. With Navalny's consent, he has been prescribed "vitamin therapy," the penitentiary service added. Russia's move also comes after nearly a dozen Russian politicians published an open letter to Russian President, Vladimir Putin, saying that he was personally responsible for the Navalny's life. Responding to the letter from politicians, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday April 19, that "frankly ... the overwhelming majority of those who signed this letter have no information at all about whom and what this is all about." When asked how the Kremlin perceives warnings from US officials that Russia will face consequences if Navalny dies, Peskov said: "We in no way perceive such statements, which are voiced by representatives of other states. The state of health of convicts on the territory of the Russian Federation cannot and should not be a topic of their interests." Navalny's allies have announced rallies across Russia on April 21 in support of him. 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 Hope College Orchestra will present a concert on Friday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. The concert can be viewed online at hope.edu/live Out of an abundance of caution due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no in-person audience. The program will feature two guest artists from Hope's faculty. Dance faculty member and tap dancer Heather Cornell will be one of the featured soloists on Afro Blue, by the Afro-Cuban conguero (conga player) Mongo Santamaria. This is a new arrangement written for strings and percussion by music faculty member Christopher H. Fashun, conductor of the Hope College Orchestra. Joining Cornell on Afro Blue is tenor saxophonist Jordan VanHemert of the music faculty, who is director of jazz studies at Hope. His recently released solo album I Am Not a Virus, has received high praise nationally and in South Korea. Fashun will also debut another arrangement for strings and percussion called Festa na Lagoa, a Brazilian choro tune written by the ensemble Choro das 3, with who Fashun has performed on tour. In an ongoing commitment to feature works of underrepresented composers, the orchestra will be opening the concert with Strum, a composition for string orchestra by Jessie Montgomery, a contemporary African American composer, violinist and educator whose music interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, language and social justice. The program will conclude with John Rutters Suite for Strings, a four-movement work based on folk songs from Great Britain. A bill that would impose a host of new restrictions on voting in Florida passed a key committee in the State Senate on Tuesday after a fiery debate among senators and hours of citizen testimony opposing the measure. The vote set the stage for a possible full floor vote in the Republican-controlled chamber in the coming weeks. The bill, known as S.B. 90, had significantly been revised last week by Dennis K. Baxley, the Republican state senator who introduced it, to roll back some of the more strident restrictions in the original bill, like banning drop boxes. It passed the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday along a mostly party-line vote, with one Republican member of the committee, Jeff Brandes, voting against it. The measure also bars outside groups from giving water to voters within 150 feet of a voting location; adds more identification requirements for absentee ballots; requires voters to request an absentee ballot every election rather than be on an absentee voting list; limits who can collect and drop off ballots; and empowers partisan observers during the ballot tabulating process. [April 20, 2021] Valley TeleCom to Enhance Broadband Services with 1FINITY Solution from Fujitsu and Power & Tel Fujitsu Network Communications and Power & Tel today announced that Valley TeleCom Group will deploy the Fujitsu (News - Alert) 1FINITY optical networking platform and Virtuora Network Controller (NC), evolving their existing network to support higher bandwidth and software-defined operations and management. Valley has been delivering communications services to rural communities throughout Arizona and New Mexico since 1962. By deploying Fujitsu 1FINITY L100 Lambda blades, plus T300 & T310 Transport blades, Valley TeleCom is enabling greater network capacity and scalability in a minmal footprint. 1FINITY T-Series blades can be combined with 1FINITY L-Series blades to quickly and efficiently create CD or CDC ROADM (News - Alert) nodes that scale from small to large network applications. With the software-defined management and control provided by Virtuora NC, Valley adds the management framework for SDN-enabled applications and interfaces that provide the control center of the modern network. "Valley is evolving our network to continue delivering innovation that our subscribers expect," said Kristi Lee, chief operations officer at Valley. "By partnering with Fujitsu and Power & Tel (News - Alert) on this latest network enhancement, we can continue to provide quality services that support our local businesses, schools and families." "Valley's decision to upgrade their network reflects a common need among many rural service providers," said Annie Bogue, head of sales and marketing at Fujitsu Network Communications (News - Alert) , Inc. "By selecting the 1FINITY platform, Valley is able to meet their bandwidth needs today, while ensuring a cost-efficient path for network evolution." "Connecting our customers with the best possible products and solutions that are cost-effective and enhance their business is our goal," said Jennifer Sims, chief executive officer at Power & Tel. "We are delighted that we could help Valley TeleCom in the deployment of the 1FINITY platform. We firmly believe our customers deserve a partner that they can rely on for the right material at the right place at the right time - every time." About Fujitsu Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com. About Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., is a trusted partner to a broad spectrum of customers across all industries, enabling them to realize the maximum value from their communications networks. We are a market-leading U.S.-based manufacturer of network equipment and a top U.S. patent holder in optical networking. Our solutions combine the best wireline, wireless, and software technology with extensive multivendor services expertise to deliver custom, end-to-end network integration and management solutions. For more information, please see http://us.Fujitsu.com/telecom or connect with us on LinkedIn (News - Alert) at www.linkedin.com/company/Fujitsu-network-communications. About Power & Tel Founded in 1963, Power & Tel is an industry leader in the material management and distribution of product solutions to the worldwide communications marketplace. Power & Tel's extensive distribution system provides service providers and contractors an effective way to get the wide range of products needed to build and maintain communication networks. As a Certified Woman Business Enterprise and value-add partner, the company also offers efficient solutions for the management of material and transactions, asset visibility, and maximizing resource and facility capacity. To learn more, visit www.ptsupply.com or call 800-238-7514. Fujitsu, the Fujitsu logo, 1FINITY, Virtuora, FLASHWAVE, "shaping tomorrow with you" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. All rights reserved. All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005205/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Dallas police officers fatally shot a man Monday evening in north Dallas after he pulled a replica handgun, authorities said. Police have not released the name of the man. Police responded to a call about a carjacking in the Rolling Hills area in which a caller said the perpetrator was armed with a handgun around 4 p.m. Officers arrived and confronted a man who pulled what appeared to be a handgun, police said. Officers were unable to stop the suspect at that point and he fled the area. A new call came shortly after from a CVS in the area of LBJ Freeway, or Interstate 635, and Coit Road. The suspect fled the area, running across all lanes of Interstate 635 when officers responded, according to police. Officers pursued the individual, who police said pulled a realistic replica handgun. Officers opened fire on the man and he was hit at least once before being transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police described the incident as a tragedy. A similar, earlier call came from a nearby Fiesta Market, where a person was using what appeared to be a real handgun in a robbery, police said. Police are still investigating the incident and have not yet determined if the Fiesta Market incident was related to the same suspect. The person who robbed the Fiesta Market matched the description of the man who was shot, police said. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Japan's decision to dump nuclear wastewater "extremely irresponsible": experts Xinhua) 09:00, April 20, 2021 File photo taken on Oct. 12, 2017 shows huge tanks that store contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. (Xinhua) BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese experts have condemned Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea, calling it "extremely irresponsible." Dumping wastewater resulted from the accident at Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea is not Japan's only option, said Liu Senlin, a researcher with the China Institute of Atomic Energy. Japan's unilateral decision to release the wastewater into the ocean is extremely irresponsible, Liu said. The choice, which involves the lowest economic cost to Japan, was made before seeking consensus with the international community and stakeholders, and before exhausting all available options. According to Liu, there are several other options for wastewater disposal include burying it underground or evaporating it into the air, but Japan merely opted for the cheapest plan. "The decision passes the responsibility that should be borne by Japan itself to the whole world, setting a very bad precedent," he noted. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management rests with the State, he said, citing Convention on Nuclear Safety, and Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Japan is a signatory, also requires that contracting states take all measures necessary to ensure that pollution arising from incidents or activities under their jurisdiction or control does not spread beyond the areas where they exercise sovereign rights. People protest against Japan's decision to dump radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean outside Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea, April 14, 2021. (Photo by Xu Ruxi/Xinhua) Japan should implement prudent measures in a manner that takes responsibility for its own people and the international community, said Liu, adding that it should choose the best way to dispose of the nuclear wastewater with participation and supervision from stakeholders. It is also doubtful whether or not Japan's treated wastewater truly meets discharge standards, said Zhao Chengkun, an expert with the China Nuclear Energy Association. As of December 31, 2019, 73 percent of the nuclear wastewater still exceeds Japan's discharge standards after treatment by an advanced liquid processing system (ALPS) capable of removing most contaminants, according to a report from an organization researching the treatment of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear accident. Moreover, Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator handling wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear accident, has a record of covering up and falsifying information, Zhao noted. Liu Xinhua, a researcher with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, added that there is a fundamental difference between wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant accident and liquid effluents from the normal operation of nuclear power plants in terms of source, radionuclide type and processing difficulty. The liquid waste discharged after the Fukushima nuclear plant accident contain radionuclides and extremely toxic transuranium elements such as Plutonium and Americium. However, liquid effluents discharged normally from nuclear power plants do not directly come in contact with the fuel pellets and barely have the transuranium elements, Liu Xinhua said. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. KHABAROVSK, Russia -- A court in Russia's Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk has sentenced a supporter of the imprisoned former governor of the Khabarovsk Krai region to one year in a prison settlement for using pepper spray against police at a rally in September 2020. The Zheleznodorozhny district court on April 20 found Denis Posmetyukhin guilty of resisting police during one of the ongoing rallies that demanded the immediate release of the region's former governor, Sergei Furgal, and sentenced him the same day. A prison settlement is a penitentiary in which convicts live close to a facility where they work. Investigators say Posmetyukhin used pepper spray against police officers on September 25, 2020, when law enforcement officers tried to detain Andrei Maklygin, who was driving a minibus that Furgal's supporters called the Furgalomobil and used it during their rallies. Posmetyukhin said after his sentence was pronounced that he had used pepper spray to stop violence. "In order to prevent a conflict between the parties, so that the people went to one side and police went to the other, to prevent possible use of firearms against people and so on, I used pepper spray," Posmetyukhin said. Authorities said after Posmetyukhin's arrest in September that probes had been launched against the police officers involved in the case on the charge of abuse of power. Located near the Chinese border, Khabarovsk has seen regular protests since Furgal was arrested in July on decades-old, murder-related charges and taken to Moscow. Furgal has denied the charges, which his supporters say were engineered by his opponents with help from the Kremlin. Furgal, of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, was elected in 2018 in a runoff that he won handily against the regions longtime incumbent -- a member of the Kremlin-controlled United Russia party. Supporters believe the charges against him were fabricated. The protests highlight growing discontent in the Far East over what demonstrators see as Moscow-dominated policies that often neglect their views and interests. President Vladimir Putin's popularity has been declining as the Kremlin tries to deal with an economy suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and years of international sanctions. With reporting by Sota Vision Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 09:42:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Demonstrators are seen outside the Hennepin County courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States, April 19, 2021. Jurors in the trial of Derek Chauvin, who was charged with killing Minnesota black man George Floyd last May, started deliberating the verdict after hearing closing arguments from the prosecution and the defense starting Monday. (Photo by Ben Brewer/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Jurors in the trial of Derek Chauvin, who was charged with killing Minnesota black man George Floyd last May, started deliberating the verdict after hearing closing arguments from the prosecution and the defense starting Monday. In their closing arguments, both the prosecution and the defense focused on the concept of reasonable doubt, with the prosecution arguing that there was none and that jurors can believe what the video evidence had shown, while the defense claiming that the restraint Chauvin put on Floyd was not what caused the latter's death and imploring the jurors to consider other factors that could put Chauvin's role in Floyd's death in doubt. "This case is exactly what you thought when you saw it first, when you saw that video. You can believe your eyes," prosecutor Steve Schleicher said, referring to the video that showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. "It's what you felt in your gut. What you now know in your heart. This wasn't policing. It was murder." Schleicher tried to convince the jurors that Chauvin didn't follow the trainings he received as a police officer and instead acted with cruelty and indifference while Floyd was begging for his life. "The defendant knew how to do it, he had the training. He knew better. He just didn't do better," Schleicher said. "George Floyd did not have to die that day, should not have died that day. But for the fact that the defendant decided not to get up and not to let up, George Floyd died." Defense attorney Eric Nelson said that Floyd's death might be caused by a variety of other factors unrelated to Chauvin's actions, including Floyd's underlying heart problem and drug use, as well as the delay in paramedic's resuscitation efforts. He said ignoring what happened during the 16 minutes and 59 seconds prior to the nine minutes and 29 seconds was not the "proper analysis." "There's lots of what-ifs that could have happened. What could have happened, what should have happened. Lots of them in lots of regards," Nelson said. He asked the jury to view the case from the perspective "of a reasonable police officer at the precise moment with the totality of the circumstances when it comes to the use of force." "When you review the entirety of the evidence, when you review the law as written and you conclude it all within this, all within a thorough and honest analysis. The state has failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt," Nelson said. "Therefore, Mr. Chauvin should be found not guilty of all counts." Chauvin was charged with second-degree and third-degree murder as well as second-degree manslaughter, all of which he had pleaded not guilty to. The 12 jurors who heard the closing argument started deliberating the verdict later in the afternoon. They will have to rely on recollections of the highly publicized trial, which lasted three weeks, and notes they were allowed to take during the process in reaching at the verdict. Enditem (Natural News) We had no doubt that Joe Biden was exactly the wrong person at the wrong time in world history to become president, and our worst fears are about to be realized. When Americans have elections, the world watches. Thats just true; everyone wants to know who is going to lead the most powerful nation on the planet, and that is especially true of our enemies. No one watched with more interest and then bemusement after it was announced the Bidens handlers managed to steal the election from Donald Trump than our enemies. China was elated. Iran was elated. North Korea was elated. Russia was elated. Because all of them saw what rational, thinking Americans saw: Biden is mentally and physically incapable of being president, and as such, our enemies were going to test him early and often to see what his responses would be and, importantly, whether they could get away with pushing us and various other countries around. The Iranians have let us know: They blew off Bidens offer of rapprochement to the nuclear deal made during the Obama regime. The Chinese disrespected our top diplomat, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on our own soil when they met in Alaska. And now Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing Biden. ABC News reports: Speaking at a meeting with the top military brass, Shoigu said the ongoing exercise was a response to what he claimed were continuous efforts by the United States and its NATO allies to beef up their forces near Russias borders. In the past three weeks, the Russian military has deployed two armies and three airborne formations to western regions as a response to the alliances military activities threatening Russia, the defense minister said. The troops have shown their full readiness to fulfill tasks to ensure the countrys security, he said. What did Biden do? He called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop it. Essentially. No doubt that left Putin quaking in his boots. Putin has seen Biden in recent months forget names, forget where he is, be unable to read a teleprompter, forget key numbers and stats, sound like hes in the throes of early dementia, and fall on the steeps leading up to Air Force One. And Putin isnt concerned about what Biden might do. At all. (Related: Russia deploying real-deal doomsday weapon that can flood U.S. coastal cities with nuclear tsunamis.) No one knows this as well as former President Donald Trump and his diplomatic and security team. In an interview with Fox News Mark Levin that aired Sunday, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe agreed that our nemesis, Russia, is putting Biden to the test to see how hell respond, which will then dictate Putins next move. (Courtesy: Fox News) Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Heres my concern. Joe Biden is a guy who his very close friend Robert Gates, who served as the secretary of defense with him in the Obama administration said Joe Biden was wrong on every national security and foreign policy decision in the last forty years, he said. Its one thing to be wrong when youre a United States senator or the vice president, but hes the president of the United States, and hes very early on reflecting that hes still making those wrong decisions when it comes to our national security and foreign policy, and foreign leaders see that and theyre taking advantage of it, Ratcliffe added. He went on to address Russia specifically. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is an ex-KGB thug, but hes engaging in the same kind of activity that he did in the Obama-Biden administration when he stole Crimea and crossed over Obamas red line, Ratcliffe told Levin. And now, four years later, hes testing whether or not the president, the new president of the United States that he sees on TV and has made some conclusions about, whether or not he thinks hes a strong leader or not. But hes going to test hes testing him right now, and all of these world leaders are. See more reporting like this at NationalSecurity.news. Sources include: MilitaryTech.news ABCNews.com Highlights include: Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m)* Au (g/t) NFGC-20-57 71.00 73.45 2.45 19.25 NFGC-20-60 136.90 140.30 3.40 8.46 NFGC-20-62 NSR NFGC-21-103 236.50 240.00 3.50 19.28 NFGC-21-106 220.70 223.20 2.50 9.49 NFGC-21-114 212.35 214.50 2.15 15.58 NFGC-21-137 71.50 78.70 7.20 261.33 *Note that the host structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are estimated to be 70% to 80% of reported intervals. Intervals are calculated at a 1 g/t Au cut-off grade; grades have not been capped in the averaging. This table shows highlight intervals, a number of these holes returned additional intervals of gold mineralization and as reported in Table 2 below. The outstanding interval of 261.3 g/t Au over 7.2m in Hole NFGC-21-137 yields a grade x width of 1,882 m * g/t Au which is the highest result to date from the Keats drilling in terms of this metric, exceeding the 1,761 m * g/t Au from the 92.7 g/t Au over 19.0m intersected in NFGC-19-01. in Hole NFGC-21-137 yields a grade x width of g/t Au which is the highest result to date from the Keats drilling in terms of this metric, exceeding the g/t Au from the 92.7 g/t Au over intersected in NFGC-19-01. Holes NFGC-21-137 and NFGC-20-57 provide further confirmation of the vertical extent of high-grade mineralization at shallow depths above the interpreted south-plunging dilational zone (Figure 1). Holes NFGC-20-60, 103, 106, and 114 continue build definition of high-grade gold mineralization to depth within the host Keats baseline fault zone (Figure 1). The Company has decided to increase the drill count at Queensway North from 8 to 10 drills. The 8th and 9th drills are on site and scheduled to start by the end of April, with the 10th drill anticipated to start by mid-May. Denis Laviolette, President of New Found, stated: "The 261.3 g/t Au over 7.2 m in NFGC-21-137 is an exceptional and exciting result further defining the extent of a wide zone of near-surface high-grade gold mineralization at Keats. Drilling at Keats has defined a thickened, south plunging dilational zone infilled with veining and high-grade gold mineralization within the plane of the Keats Baseline Fault and open to depth. Drilling is also indicating that veining and high-grade gold mineralization continues outside of this dilational zone within the broad host fault zone, particularly between this dilational zone and surface. Mineralization remains open in all directions and drilling continues to step-out and infill at Keats." Note: Au g/t x m calculations include all Keats Main intervals for each hole as reported in Table 2. Drillhole Details Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m)* Au (g/t) Zone NFGC-20-57 71.00 73.45 2.45 19.3 Keats Main Within 69.70 73.45 3.75 12.9 And 129.00 132.85 3.85 2.9 Keats FW And 142.10 144.45 2.35 1.8 And 146.45 148.50 2.05 8.8 NFGC-20-60 136.90 140.30 3.40 8.5 Keats Main Within 136.90 160.35 23.45 2.4 NFGC-20-62 NSR Keats NFGC-21-103 192.00 206.55 14.55 2.4 Keats Main And 216.90 219.50 2.60 2.0 And 236.50 240.00 3.50 19.3 Within 235.15 245.40 10.25 8.9 NFGC-21-106 220.70 223.20 2.50 9.5 Keats Main Within 218.75 227.35 8.60 3.6 And 286.40 288.80 2.40 1.2 Keats FW NFGC-21-114 212.35 214.50 2.15 15.6 Keats Main Within 212.35 216.85 4.50 8.1 NFGC-21-137 71.50 78.70 7.20 261.3 Keats Main And 87.50 92.50 5.00 4.1 And 114.00 116.00 2.00 1.6 Keats FW And 135.00 137.00 2.00 3.5 Table 2: Summary of results reported in this release. *Note that the host structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are estimated to be 70% to 80% of reported intervals. Intervals are calculated at a 1 g/t Au cut-off grade; grades have not been capped in the averaging. Hole No. Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) UTM E UTM N NFGC-20-57 300 -45 150 658145 5427436 NFGC-20-60 300 -45 200 658256 5427425 NFGC-20-62 300 -45 218 658291 5427537 NFGC-21-103 300 -45 261 658227 5427328 NFGC-21-106 300 -45 326 658221 5427289 NFGC-21-114 300 -45 264 658249 5427316 NFGC-21-137 300 -45 152 658185 5427454 Table 3: Location details of drill holes reported on in this release. Drilling Update, Expansion to 10 Drills Since commencing its 200,000m drill program in August 2020, New Found has completed 160 diamond drill holes for a total of 35,756 meters. There are currently 7 drills operating on the Queensway Project. To support the planned grid drilling at the Keats and Lotto discoveries and to pursue the planned drilling of multiple targets along 7.8km of the Appleton Fault Zone and 12.4km along the JBP Fault Zone, as well as to execute on the planned regional drilling along these corridors, the Company has decided to increase the drill count at Queensway North to 10 drills. The 8th and 9th drills are on site and anticipated to start by the end of April, with the 10th drill anticipated to start by mid-May. Sampling, Sub-sampling and Laboratory True widths of the intercepts reported in this press release have yet to be determined but are estimated to be 70% to 80% of reported core lengths. Assays are uncut, and calculated intervals are reported over a minimum length of 2 meters using a lower cut-off of 1.0 g/t Au. All HQ split core assays reported were obtained by either complete sample metallic screen/fire assay or standard 30-gram fire-assaying with ICP finish at ALS Minerals in Vancouver, British Columbia, or by entire sample screened metallic screen fire assay at Eastern Analytical in Springdale, Newfoundland. The complete sample metallic screen assay method is selected by the geologist when samples contain coarse gold or any samples displaying gold initial fire assay values greater than 1.0 g/t Au. Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results is performed by qualified persons employing a Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with National Instrument 43-101 and industry best practices. Standards and blanks are included with every 20 samples for Quality Assurance/Quality Control purposes by the Company as well as the lab. Approximately 5% of sample pulps are sent to secondary laboratories for check assays. Qualified Person The technical content disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Greg Matheson, P. Geo., Chief Operating Officer, and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Matheson consents to the publication of this news release dated April 20, 2021 by New Found. Mr. Matheson certifies that this news release fairly and accurately represents the information for which he is responsible. About New Found Gold Corp. New Found holds a 100% interest in the Queensway Project, located 15 km west of Gander, Newfoundland, and just 18 km from Gander International Airport. The project is intersected by the Trans-Canada Highway and has logging roads crosscutting the project, high voltage electric power lines running through the project area, and easy access to a highly skilled workforce. The Company is currently undertaking a 200,000-m drill program at Queensway. Seven rigs are currently in operation with the eighth expected to start in the next several weeks. With a current working capital balance of approximately $75 million, New Found is well funded for this program. Please see the Company's website at www.newfoundgold.ca and the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Acknowledgements New Found acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Contact To contact the Company, please visit the Company's website, www.newfoundgold.ca and make your request through our investor inquiry form. Our management has a pledge to be in touch with any investor inquiries within 24 hours. New Found Gold Corp. Per: "Craig Roberts" Craig Roberts, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer Email: [email protected] Phone: (604) 562 9664 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement Cautions This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to further the exploration and drilling on the Company's Queensway gold project in Newfoundland. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. SOURCE New Found Gold Corp. Related Links https://newfoundgold.ca/ The Burmese military regime refused to restore Burmas path toward democracy and instead continues to target, attack and kill peaceful protesters in addition to conducting random attacks on bystanders. This includes security forces brutal actions on March 27 that left over 100 people dead. The security forces have killed over 600 people, including dozens of children. In response to these acts of violence, the United States sanctioned Myanma Gems Enterprise, a state-owned enterprise, pursuant to Executive Order 14014. The Burmese military exploited gemstones and other natural resources to enrich itself, and Myanma Gems Enterprise is the leading company responsible for gemstone activities in Burma. These sanctions are directed at the regime and not at the people of Burma. This action highlights Treasurys commitment to denying the Burmese military sources of funding, including from key state-owned enterprises throughout Burma, said Andrea Gacki, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The United States will continue to work tirelessly, including with partners throughout the region and the world, to support the restoration of democracy and rule of law in Burma and to bring accountability to those who seek to undermine these values. The U.S. took this action as military leaders participated in a gems emporium in Nay Pyi Taw, under the auspices of Myanma Gems Enterprise. By imposing targeted sanctions on this entity, noted Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement, we are sending a clear signal to the military that the United States will keep increasing pressure on the regimes revenue streams until it ceases its violence, releases all those unjustly detained, lifts martial law and the nationwide state of emergency, removes telecommunications restrictions, and restores Burma to the path of democracy. The United States, in close coordination with its allies and partners throughout the region and the world, remains steadfast in its commitment to press the Burmese military and security forces to cease all violence against peaceful protestors, to support the restoration of Burmas path to democracy, and to promote accountability for the coup and the horrific violence perpetrated against the people. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said Prime Minister Imran Khan is a "polarising figure" who is creating divisions in the society. "When the head of the state is a polarising figure who is always creating a divide in society, then no [man], no party, and no leader can single-handedly address such issues in the country," Iqbal said in reference to the recent violent countrywide protests and the subsequent clashes of a banned religious organisation (Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan - TLP) with the police. On Sunday, police in Lahore launched a crackdown against TLP in which 3 people were killed and many were injured. TLP has recently been banned by the Pakistan government after violent protests following the arrest of their chief Saad Hussain Rizvi in Lahore on April 12. He went on to say he is "convinced" the ruling PTI-led government would "further polarise society" and exploit the resources as long as it stays in power, reported Geo News. "Imran Khan should admit that running a country is beyond his [capacity] and he is not fit for this job," he said. "The only solution to the problems of this country is a free and fair election. For God's sake, have mercy on this country and step down from your office instead of pushing the country into the quicksand of problems." Iqbal also said that if PM Imran Khan's government was serious about resolving issues, then it would have taken the matter of expelling a country's ambassador to the Parliament instead of taking ad hoc decisions without consultation. Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan is a hardline religious group with a massive following across Pakistan. TLP is demanding that the French ambassador be sent home and import of goods from France be banned over blasphemous caricatures published in French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Iqbal also referred to PM Imran Khan's address earlier today in which he had accused the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif of staying silent when Salman Rushdie's blasphemous book was published, reported Geo News. Khan has alleged that Nawaz Sharif had not protested against Salman Rushdie's book during his tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan. Iqbal dismissed the allegations as baseless because the book was published in 1988, while Nawaz Sharif took over in 1990. (ANI) Also Read: Kamala Harris condoles demise of former US Vice President Walter Mondale Hope you havent packed away your jackets for the winter yet. It may feel more like February than April starting on Wednesday. A severe-weather-free cold front is scheduled to roll through the state starting tonight, and it will bring some rather chilly air in its wake. Highs on Wednesday will be well below normal for areas behind the front, with only 50s expected in north Alabama, low 60s in north-central Alabama, and upper 60s to low 70s in south Alabama, according to the National Weather Service (see the map at the top of this post). Near record lows will be possible statewide by Thursday morning, as well as some frost for those in north and north-central Alabama. Lows on Wednesday night into Thursday morning will range from the mid-30s in north Alabama to the low 40s in south Alabama: There could be some frost in spots in north and north-central Alabama from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Here are the Thursday morning forecast lows. That will be close to record territory for some, according to the weather service. Here are some record lows from around the state for April 22 and when they happened: Anniston: 34 (1993) Birmingham: 31 (1993) Huntsville: 34 (1993) Mobile: 42 (1993) Montgomery: 38 (1993) Muscle Shoals: 34 (1908) Tuscaloosa: 34 (1993) The cool shot wont last long. Temperatures are expected to moderate on Friday, with the next chance of rain expected by Friday night. There will be a chance for severe weather for those in south and south-central Alabama on Saturday, though the details are still uncertain. A healthcare worker fills a syringe from a vial with a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 at a hospital in South Africa on Feb. 18, 2021. (Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images) Possible Link Found Between Unusual Blood Clots and J&J Vaccine: EU Agency European Unions drug regulator said it has found a possible blood clot link with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine but stressed the benefits of the shot outweigh the risk, coming about a week after U.S. health regulators recommended a pause. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said its safety committee concluded that a warning about unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be added to the product information for COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen, according to a statement published Tuesday. Healthcare professionals and people who will receive the vaccine should be aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within three weeks of vaccination, the statement added. The agency said it researched at least eight reports, including a death, from the United States about cases involving unusual blood clots occurring after the COVID-19 vaccine was administered. It noted that more than 7 million people in the United States have been given the single-shot vaccine so far. All cases occurred in people under 60 years of age within three weeks after vaccination, the majority in women. Based on the currently available evidence, specific risk factors have not been confirmed, EMA added. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that J&Js vaccine shot should be suspended out of an abundance of caution due to the reports of blood clots. And J&J, as a result, confirmed that it will now delay the rollout of the shot in Europe. Last week, South Africa suspended its use of the vaccine in the wake of the U.S. pause, and countries including Italy, Romania, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Croatia put their J&J doses into storage. The delay was a further blow to vaccination efforts in the European Union, which have been plagued by supply shortages, logistical problems, and concerns over unusual blood clots also in a small number of people who received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Experts worry the temporary halt on J&Js shot could further shake vaccine confidence and complicate worldwide COVID-19 immunization efforts. Following the FDA and CDC statements, some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, said the pause in using the J&J vaccine is was poorly conceived. Trump, in an interview with Fox Newss Sean Hannity on Monday night, noted that what the FDA did with Johnson & Johnson is so stupid, referring to last weeks decision by the agency. Thats the worst thing you could have done from a public relations standpoint. And it probably even affects the other vaccines a little bit, the former president commented. The Epoch Times has contacted J&J for comment. COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The fight for clean air is perfectly aligned with Aprilaires priorities. Yes, May is Clean Air Month but here at Aprilaire thats our number one goal 365 days a year and has been since our founding in 1954," said Dale Philippi, president of Aprilaire. May is Clean Air Month and Aprilaire, the nationwide leader in indoor air quality products and solutions, offers spring cleaning tips and suggestions for allergy and asthma sufferers, as well as a checklist of benefits of healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) in the home. Aprilaire is supporting the American Lung Associations (ALA) Fight for Clean Air Climb and is a National Proud Partner of the ALA, being the preferred resource for air filters with the Aprilaire Healthy Air System leading the way. May is not only Clean Air Month, but also National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and several special days are commemorated. Air Quality Awareness Week is May 3 through 7 and May 4 is World Asthma Day. May 22 marks ALAs Fight for Clean Air (FFCA) event in Milwaukee in which Aprilaire employees will participate in the stair climbing fundraiser both virtually and in person at Milwaukees American Family Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers MLB team. The fight for clean air is perfectly aligned with Aprilaires priorities, Dale Philippi, president of Aprilaire and newly appointed CEO of Aprilaires parent company, Research Products Corporation. Yes, May is Clean Air Month but here at Aprilaire thats our number one goal 365 days a year and has been since our founding in 1954. Were thrilled to partner again with ALA and, beyond that, we want to educate all Americans about how to be healthy and improve indoor air quality in their homes. Data in an October 2020 survey by Carbon Lighthouse showed 91% of consumer respondents believe indoor air quality was key to preventing the spread of COVID-19. According to the EPA, people spend 90% of their time indoors yet that indoor air can be five times more polluted that outside. Applying the 79-70-50 rule (the average person lives to be 79 years old; of those 79 years, 70 of them are spent indoors; of those 70 years indoors, 50 of them are spent in your own home), its clear that indoor air quality is vital for healthy living. Healthy Indoor Air Quality Checklist Aprilaire emphasizes that time is now to care about clean air and offers a checklist about the benefits of healthy indoor air quality. With air quality solutions for the entire house, the company especially highlights its smart, all-in-one, whole house fresh air ventilation/air filtration/humidity control innovation. Aprilaires Healthy Air System, introduced last fall, simultaneously maintains the homes humidity level for a host of benefits, including helping to prevent the proliferation of viruses by introducing healthy, fresh air while helping to remove airborne dust, allergens, bacteria and viruses which can battle various health conditions. Healthy indoor air can reduce illness by removing airborne contaminants with a MERV 16 filter for at least 95% efficiency on 0.3 microns. This healthier air can eliminate pests that thrive in homes with dust, dirt and mold, can alleviate allergies and foster improved sleep, can improve energy efficiency by managing humidity, and can increase a homes overall value. 50 Million Americans Suffer with Allergies According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), more than 50 million Americans live with nasal allergies and about half of them have seasonal pollen allergies. Since May marks not only National Asthma and Allergy Awareness but World Asthma Day on May 4, Aprilaire offers an overview of the spring forecast for weather-related in a blog post. The information includes the top 10 cities nationwide predicted by the AAFA to have the worst conditions for allergy sufferers in 2021: Richmond, Va.; Scranton, Pa.; Springfield, Mass.; Hartford, Conn.; McAllen, Texas; New Haven, Conn.; San Antonio, Texas; Bridgeport, Conn.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Pittsburgh, Pa. 23 Green Spring Cleaning Tips and Hacks Beyond healthy IAQ systems to improve overall health and wellness, there is just no way around good old spring cleaning that requires a little elbow grease. Aprilaire has compiled 23 green cleaning tips and hacks to lighten the load in the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry room and beyond. Aprilaires multiple homemade, natural cleaning hacks include using coconut oil to polish stainless steel, applying a baking soda/vinegar combination to clean drains, and rubbing half a lemon on faucets to remove water spots. Decorative throw pillows add charm and personality to living areas but are often a breeding ground for dust mites; clean them effectively and non-toxically by throwing them in the dryer on the high setting. A top tip includes using equal amounts of vinegar and water on a microfiber cloth to naturally clean windows and glass, but clean on an overcast day to prevent sun streaks. About Aprilaire Aprilaire, a division of Research Products Corporation (RPC) is on a mission to enhance peoples health by improving the air in their homes. Headquartered in Madison, Wis. since 1954, Aprilaire has been creating and delivering the best solutions to manage air purity, humidity, temperature, and fresh air supply for homes in all types of environments. The company has an unparalleled reputation as the brand of choice among tens of thousands of professional contractors and the millions of homeowners who use their products every day. In the midst of a global pandemic, it has never been more important to care about healthy air. To learn more about creating healthy air in your home and find a healthy air professional in your area, call 1-800-334-6011 or visit http://www.Aprilaire.com. # # # Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The Associated General Contractors of America, its Houston chapter and construction firm Tellepsen will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for hundreds of construction workers from dozens of local firms on Wednesday afternoon. The clinic was set up to vaccinate 300 people, but its supplier informed Tellepsen it had 1,000 excess vaccines it needed to use before the end of the week. The clinic is open to any construction worker in the Houston region, free of charge and no insurance required. Mr. Chris Keller is leading the way in South Texas and has this to say about his franchise development, "I have been researching franchises for 6 years and was interested in joining a team that had a proven track record. I knew that finding the right team to develop and educate its franchisees was a must. I knew NuSpine was a perfect fit. I felt that the background they had in franchising was exactly what I had been looking for. I look forward to creating real value and promoting the brand as a business and way of life." President, Dr. Todd Hedlund says, "I'm thrilled to see that chiropractors and business owners are seeing our model and joining the NuSpine family. Operating a business model that can make a quality profit with excellent margins is one thing, but achieving that through providing a service that is improving the overall health of our communities is something we can all be proud of." NuSpine Chiropractic offers chiropractic and hydrotherapy services in the most affordable, convenient way possible. Chiropractic is a proven method of preventative healthcare, but has historically been delivered in a very difficult, expensive, and tedious way. NuSpine is bringing its proven service to people exactly how they want it. Fast, Affordable, and Convenient. www.nuspinefranchise.com 402-975-2500 SOURCE NuSpine Franchise Systems, LLC Related Links www.nuspinechiropractic.com Our company is renewable energy and environmental improvement-focused company based in Indonesia. We provide the biomass residue to make up Wood Pellet comes from the responsibility sourced from local community. We supply cost-comparative carbon neutral pellet fuel as an environmental friendly fuel to keep cost down and energy production up. Wood Pellet comes from the responsibly sourced, residual raw material, sourced from 100% sustainable forest management and We source from local community. We offer our best wood pellete in USD 170 per ton (FOB) and it's negotiable. Here is our product specification: Moisture Content: 5,4% Ash Content: 0.54% Chlorin: 0.007% AFT: 1400C Sulfur: 0% Gross Calorific Value: 4138 kcal/kg Size: 6-8 mm Grade: A1 If you need any other details, you can contact me anytime. I will send the offering letter to your company. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The Manila International Airport Authority appealed to the public to travel responsibly during the pandemic following the interception of at least 138 COVID-positive prospective travelers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport since the start of the year. MIAA on Tuesday said the data was as of April 15 and that the departing passengers were intercepted at security and airline checkpoints. They were bound for different foreign destinations. They cited several reasons, most common of which is that they just learned about their test result when they were already in NAIA, the agency said in a statement. Others also claimed their recruitment agencies instructed them to proceed to the airport and wait for their swab test results there, it added. MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal expressed alarm over the apparent disregard for health guidelines, especially as the country continues to tally high numbers of COVID-19 cases daily. "Let us not take chances. The airport security and airline check-in staff will always check on your requirements and truth will be known in the process, he said. The latest Health department data showed over 945,000 people nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19. Of this total, 14.9% or around 141,000 are active cases or currently ill patients. (Natural News) The latest data released by the federal governments Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) shows that all of the vaccines currently being administered for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) cause blood clots. These include not just the jabs from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which have received the most attention, but also those offered by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna these later two contain messenger RNA (mRNA) technology that permanently alters a persons DNA. Based on 795 reports from the latest dataset about post-injection blood clots, VAERS revealed that 400 of them are attributed to Pfizers jab, while 337 are attributed to Modernas. The J&J jab, meanwhile, was linked to 56 post-injection blood clots. These figures were pulled from between Dec. 14, 2020, and April 8, 2021. Despite all this, only the J&J jab has been temporarily halted along with the AstraZeneca jab in parts of Europe even though it is linked to the fewest number of post-injection blood clots. Jabs from Pfizer and Moderna, meanwhile, continue to be mass-injected into Americans bodies with haste. VAERS is the primary mechanism for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed, notes Megan Redshaw, J.D., writing for LifeSiteNews. Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received through a specified date, usually about a week prior to the release date. Todays data show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and April 8, a total of 68,347 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 2,602 deaths an increase of 260 over the previous week and 8,285 serious injuries, up 314 since last week. Why risk death from an injection for a virus that has a 99.99 percent survival rate? VAERS, it turns out, only captured maybe one percent of all vaccine-related injuries and deaths. This means that the true number of vaccine-injured people who developed post-injection blood clots or other adverse effects are not reflected in the official figures. Still, the official numbers show that tens of thousands of people are being injured or killed by the lethal injections, which is tens of thousands too many. To this day, we are told that everyone should wear mask because if doing so saves even one life, then it is all worth it. Based on that same logic, all experimental Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines need to stop being administered because if ending Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed (OWS) program could save even just one life, then it is all worth it. What we know is that about one out of every four deaths caused by Chinese virus injections occurs within 48 hours of vaccination. Roughly one in five deaths occurs within 24 hours of vaccination. Nearly half of all people who become ill post-injection do so within 48 hours of vaccination. According to the latest VAERS data, 19 percent of all vaccine-related deaths involve cardiac disorders. Most deaths occur in males and the media age of death is 77. The youngest reported death post-vaccination occurred in an 18-year-old. As of April 8, 408 pregnant women reported serious adverse events related to getting a Wuhan flu shot, while 114 reported miscarriage or premature birth. There have also been 678 reported cases of Bells palsy, 59 percent of which occurred in relation to the Pfizer-BioNTech injection. Another 77 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) have been reported, also mostly from the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. A whopping 20,021 reports of anaphylaxis have also been reported post-vaccination. No one knows anything on how this gene therapy will impact people in the longer term, noted one LifeSiteNews commenter about future adverse events. To keep up with the latest news about injuries and deaths caused by Chinese virus injections, be sure to check out ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Stable operational situation with no incidents has been maintained along the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact of the Armenian state border overnight April 19-20, 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. GG Spring Festival Headliner Champions Crowned; Gottlieb Wins Fourth Title April 20 2021 Will Shillibier It was another night of intense poker action on GGPoker with the continuation of the GG Spring Festival. The series, which features a line-up of 110 events across three tiers each including two $10M guaranteed tournaments, is on pace to outstrip the $185M tournament series record set by PokerStars last year. On the penultimate weekend, PokerNews was on hand with extensive live reporting of five different events, with three winners crowned in the $400 PLO-NL Headliner-M, the $400 NLHE Headliner-M and the Bounty Hunters Main Event. Be Part of GGPoker's Biggest Spring Series Ever Find out more about the $150M guaranteed GG Spring Festival! Click Here Connor Drinan Wins Headliner By Completing Epic Comeback in Record Time The GGSF Headliner-M: $400 PLO-NL, $1M GTD saw 1,962 unique players rebuy 709 times. That meant the 2,671-entry field resulted in a $1,004,296 prize pool. On Day 2, 451 players returned to action looking to play down to a winner. After 8.5 hours of play, it was poker pro Connor Drinan walking away with the title and accompanying $127,453 first-place prize. Drinans win was especially impressive given he was down to just one big blind during three-handed play, but only 10 minutes later he was the last player standing. It was a testament to the big swings involved in a pot-limit Omaha variant that featured no-limit action after the flop. Read More: GGPoker Launches New 'OmahaSquad' GGSF Headliner-M: $400 PLO-NL Final Table Results PLACE PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE 1 Connor Drinan Canada $127,453 2 Mads Amot Norway $92,150 3 Rui Ferreira Brazil $66,626 4 Kosei Ichinose Japan $48,172 5 Ami Barer Canada $34,830 6 Jin JackLuck Su China $25,182 7 Mark Berente Hungary $18,207 Read Full Updates on Drinan's Comeback Win Juan Pardo Wins GGSF Headliner-M: $400 NLHE, $2.5M GTD for $381,668 After almost nine hours of play, Juan Pardo came out on top of the GGSF Headliner-M: $400 NLHE, $2.5M GTD. He made it through more than 9,000 Day 1 runners, and 1,365 Day 2 players to take down the top prize of more than $380,000. That was the biggest share of a prize pool that ended up at $3,403,176, well over the $2.5 million guarantee. Pardo is no stranger to the winner's circle or big prizes. With more than $3 million in live poker winnings, this score would only rank fifth on his best live cashes. His biggest score came in 2019 at EPT Barcelona where he won the 50,000 No-Limit Hold'em for more than $1.1 million. GGSF Headliner-M: $400 NLHE Final Table Results PLACE PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE 1 Juan Pardo Spain $381,668 2 v_Nistelrooy Russia $286,206 3 Elliott "gr00thedegen" Peterman United Kingdom $214,624 4 Daniel Smiljkovic Austria $160,945 5 Byron Kaverman United States $120,692 6 Anton Wigg Sweden $90,506 7 5Dinks4all Andorra $67,870 8 Joshua "IyasusSake" Gebissa Germany $50,895 9 Hazes Austria $38,166 Read Full Updates from the $400 NLHE Headliner-M Lev "LevMeAlone" Gottlieb Wins Fourth GGSF Title in $5,250 Bounty Hunters Main Event ($316,692) After winning three GGSF events so far, Lev "LevMeAlone" Gottlieb has now made it four by taking down the 2021 GG Spring Festival H-72: $5,250 Bounty Hunters Main Event for a whopping $316,692 which including an amazing $214,297 in bounties. The tournament attracted 228 unique players who reentered 89 times. This created a prize pool of $1,585,000 with 44 players cashing. After winning H-05: $10,300 Super MILLION$ for $586,075, H-15: $10,3000 Super Tuesday for $320,729, and H-35: $10,300 PLO-NL High Roller for $199,771, Gottlieb has increased his total winnings on GGPoker to $2,210,839 which is an incredible achievement in itself. The WSOP online bracelet winner was near the top of the counts for most of the day and came into the final table second in chips to close it out in the end by defeating Chris Klodnicki heads-up. H-72: $5,250 Bounty Hunters Main Event Final Table Results PLACE PLAYER BOUNTY PRIZE TOTAL 1 Lev "LevMeAlone" Gottlieb Mexico $214,297 $102,395 $316,692 2 Chris Klodnicki United States $36,719 $102,237 $138,956 3 Gergely "Land on it!" Kulcsar Hungary $41,406 $78,467 $119,874 4 Arie Muller Germany $10,156 $60,178 $70,334 5 Sami Kelopuro Finland $11,250 $46,151 $57,401 6 Ottomar Ladva Estonia $7,188 $35,394 $42,582 7 Hannes "BlackFortuna" Speiser Austria $19,375 $27,144 $46,519 8 Anton Wigg Sweden $32,422 $20,817 $53,239 9 Darrell Goh Austria $15,469 $15,965 $31,434 Check Out Updates from Gottlieb's Fourth GGSF Win GGSF Final Tables confirmed Two final tables were confirmed last night in Event H-75: $25,500 Sunday 5 Million and GGPoker Spring Festival Super MILLION$ $10,300 ME-H. Be sure to head to the PokerNews GG Spring Festival Live Reporting Hub to follow along until a winner is crowned! Fox and Badziakouski Lead Star-Studded Sunday 5 Million Final Table Out of a field of 208 entries, only nine players remain in the $25,500 Sunday 5 Million to battle for the lion's share of the $5,200,000 prize pool. In order to get there, the 107 unique entries fired an extraordinary 101 re-entries and four of the finalists entered multiple times. Elio Fox ended up as the chip leader with a stack of 3,656,185 while Mikita Badziakouski follows fewer than half a big blind behind with 3,632,732. Timofey Kuznetsov completes the overnight podium with 3,338,980 chips. Among the finalists is also Michael Zhang, who required six bullets to run up the stack and finished Day 1 with 1,833,032, good enough for the sixth position. POSITION PLAYER COUNTRY CHIP COUNT BIG BLINDS 1 Elio Fox United States 3,656,185 73 2 Mikita Badziakouski Belarus 3,632,732 73 3 Timofey Kuznetsov Russia 3,338,980 67 4 Matthew "Nator" Hyman Mexico 2,475,159 50 5 Michel "CrossfireX" Dattani Portugal 1,929,184 39 6 Michael Zhang United Kingdom 1,833,032 37 7 Sebastian "TheodoreRhye" Trisch Germany 1,595,152 32 8 Sean Winter United States 1,271,052 25 9 Ronny Kaiser Switzerland 1,068,524 21 Joakim Andersson Leads GGSF Super MILLION$ $10,300 ME-H Final Nine In one of the biggest online poker events of the year, a field of 1,089 across five starting flights in the GGPoker Spring Festival Super MILLION$ $10,300 ME-H has been reduced to a final table of nine after about seven hours of Day 2 play. The remaining players have a very handsome prize of $1,537,605 waiting the champ, with everyone having locked up $192,201. The player who has best positioned himself for that career-defining score is Joakim Andersson. A Swedish player without much in the way of live cashes, Andersson has been a consistent force in the biggest online stuff over the past year or so, and he'll bring a very impressive stack of more than 100 big blinds into the final day. The final table participants get the next day off before convening on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. EDT for the live-streamed final table. Come back to PokerNews and the GGPoker channels to find out who becomes the next poker millionaire. PLAYER COUNTRY CHIPS BIG BLINDS Joakim Andersson Tunisia 31,727,557 105 level29 India 22,041,776 73 Julian Stuer Austria 15,894,312 53 Roman "RRomashka" Emelyanov Russia 8,691,020 29 Darrell Goh Austria 8,518,257 28 Stevan "Steve Austin" Chew Indonesia 7,026,744 23 Alex Foxen Canada 6,281,784 20 Gergely "Land on it!" Kulcsar Hungary 5,797,126 19 Taylor Paur Canada 2,921,424 9 Be sure to watch the final table live stream this Tuesday on GGPoker.TV and follow along with the PokerNews live updates. Sign Up for a GGPoker Account Through PokerNews If you want to play in this record-setting festival, you'll need to sign up for an account at GGPoker. The great news is if you don't have an account you can help yourself to an amazing welcome package. Simply, download GGPoker via PokerNews and you will be awarded a huge welcome bonus with your first deposit 100 percent matched up to a maximum of $600, setting you up nicely in time for the Spring Festival. The bonus releases into your account in $10 increments each time you earn 6,000 Fish Buffet Points, which is the equivalent of $60 in rake or tournament fees. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque Public Schools has been ordered to pay more than $400,000 to two news organizations for failing to turn over public records in a timely manner and not adhering to deadlines in responding to requests for documents related to former Superintendent Winston Brooks departure. The judge awarded the Journal $293,625 after finding the school district violated the state Inspection of Public Records Act in its handling of requests made by the newspaper in 2014. KOB-TV, which made similar requests, was awarded $118,000. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Judge Nancy Franchini also ruled that the Journal and KOB are entitled to costs and reasonable attorney fees. APS said it will appeal. The news organizations joined to sue APS, and a trial was held in the case on Feb. 22-23. Journal Editor Karen Moses praised Mondays decision. With this ruling, the court has sent a clear message of the importance of public bodies following the Inspection of Public Records Act, she said. Noncompliance of the states open records law has been a longstanding issue with APS. And when public bodies fail to follow the requirements for timely production of public records, the community is deprived of information that it is entitled to. The records requests were related to the abrupt resignation of Superintendent Brooks in August 2014 two years before the end of his contract. Then-school board president Analee Maestas said at the time that during a closed meeting in July a serious item of concern to Board members was raised and discussed. She identified the issue as a confidential personnel matter and provided no other details. She said she had hired an outside attorney to look into the matter. The attorney produced a report that remains secret to this day. The judge previously denied the Journals request to order the district to release the report, determining that it was exempt from disclosure. The Journal also requested all billing records between APS and the attorneys law firm, all documents generated by or received by members of the school board pertaining to Brooks termination, and all complaints or allegations of misconduct against Brooks and his wife. KOB-TV requested all communication between school board members and the attorney and all emails and documents to or from members or employees regarding the attorneys investigation report. The station also asked for all emails or communication between Brooks and an APS spokeswoman. APS, through its record custodian Rigo Chavez who had 17 years of experience handling public records requests did not respond to the Journal or APS within deadlines set out in the Inspection of Public Records Act, Judge Franchini wrote in her ruling. Furthermore, she said, the district did not produce materials that should have been public under IPRA, including billing records, correspondence and complaints. She deemed many of the districts actions to be unreasonable. After denying the request for the billing records, Mr. Chavez became aware that APS in fact possessed the bills, Franchini wrote in the ruling. Despite this, he did not produce them to the Journal or to KOB-TV. APS also had a spreadsheet documenting complaints against Brooks, which Franchini said is subject to IPRA. She ordered the school district to turn over the spreadsheet in the next 10 days. APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta said the district will appeal the ruling. APS works diligently to be transparent in responding to all records requests, and this matter was no different, Armenta said. In this same case, the Court previously sided with APS and found that the District correctly withheld the investigatory report regarding former Superintendent Winston Brooks. Moses said the Journal intends to appeal the courts ruling that the investigative report is protected from disclosure to the public. The Journal believes much of the report was factual information, which should be public, rather than protected opinion in a personnel file, Moses said. That factual information was used to determine that Brooks would be paid $350,000 in tax dollars as a buyout. Michelle Donaldson, the vice president and general manager of KOB-TV, stressed that public records laws are there to ensure transparency and accountability. A school district cannot pick and choose when to obey the law, especially when its writing six-figure checks to outgoing personnel, Donaldson said. People cannot have faith in the system when the laws are ignored. Its regrettable that it took so many years for a public school district to get the message that the public deserves transparency and honesty. Alexei Navalny's doctors have again been denied access to him despite growing concerns over his health as Russian state TV imposed a news blackout on his hunger strike. The jailed Kremlin critic, 44, has been striking since March 31 demanding medical treatment for a litany of ailments and a team of medics including his personal doctor has repeatedly tried to visit him without success. The opposition politician's lawyers said on Tuesday he is 'very weak' after being transported to prison hospital on Sunday, saying he has not been receiving any medical care and demanding he be treated in a civilian hospital. 'He is very weak. It's difficult for him to speak and to sit up,' lawyer Olga Mikhailova told reporters outside the prison colony, adding that 'medical care in this case is not being given'. Over the weekend, his doctors warned that Navalny's health was failing so rapidly he could die at 'any minute' as the United States threatened Russia with 'consequences' in the event of his death. In Russia, major news channels have refused to report on his condition, with no TV bulletins mentioning his transfer to hospital or the EU meeting which ruled Russian authorities were responsible for Navalny's health. It comes a day ahead of planned protests in 77 cities in support of the opposition leader, coinciding with Vladimir Putin's key annual state of the national address to parliament. Alexei Navalny's doctors were again denied access to the jailed Kremlin critic on Tuesday despite growing concern over the hunger-striking Russian opposition figure's failing health Alliance of Doctors union's leader Anastasia Vasilyeva (right) attended the penal colony where Alexei Navalny is being held on Tuesday, but was denied access to the patient A team of medics (pictured) has been attempting to see the 44-year-old since early this month, after President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken opponent launched a hunger strike on March 31 demanding proper medical treatment for a litany of ailments Russia's prison service, which has repeatedly prevented Navalny's doctors from visiting him, said on Monday that he had been moved from his penal colony in the Vladimir region some 60 miles east of Moscow to a medical facility at another colony in the same region. His personal physician, Dr. Anastasia Vasilyeva, led three other medical experts to try to visit Navalny at the prison clinic and the IK-3 prison in the city of Vladimir. They were denied entry after waiting for hours outside the gates. 'This is super disrespectful to people who came to fulfil their human duty, a medical duty to help a patient,' Vasilyeva told AFP outside the colony. 'We are talking now only about health and life.' Navalny's lawyers also arrived at the penal colony on Tuesday and were allowed in, an AFP journalist at the scene reported. But Navalny's chief of staff Leonid Volkov tweeted that the lawyers were being told to wait and predicted they would not be allowed to see their client. A team of physicians including Navalny's personal doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva (pictured) travelled to the new colony on Tuesday morning and was once again barred from seeing him Navalny's doctors have warned that Navalny's health is failing so rapidly he could die at 'any minute,' as the United States threatened Russia with 'consequences' in the event of his death Russia's prison service said on Monday that he had been moved from his penal colony in the Vladimir region some 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Moscow to a medical facility at another colony in the same region Navalny is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for violating parole terms on old fraud charges he says are politically motivated. His lawyers and allies are demanding he be transferred to a regular hospital, but the Kremlin has said Navalny is not entitled to special treatment. Putin's spokesman told the West to mind its own business over Navalny, who the president never mentions by name. 'The health of convicts in the Russia Federation cannot and should not be a topic concerning them,' said Dmitry Peskov. Several pro-Kremlin newspapers and news websites mentioned the story but it was absent on news bulletins of the state-run media. Concern has grown in the West in recent days over his condition. Germany said the European Union would be closely watching to ensure Navalny received necessary care, while Britain called for his release. Navalny is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for violating parole terms on old fraud charges he says are politically motivated His lawyers and allies are demanding he be transferred to a regular hospital, instead of the IK-3 penal colony (pictured), but the Kremlin has said Navalny is not entitled to special treatment The Kremlin has dismissed the outcry, saying that Russian convicts do not concern Western countries. Navalny was arrested on his return to Russia in January from Germany, where he had spent months recovering from a poisoning attack with the Novichok nerve agent. He blames the attack on Putin, a claim the Kremlin has repeatedly denied. The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on Russia over the poisoning, and on Monday threatened Moscow with further penalties in the event of Navalny's death. Navalny launched his hunger strike demanding proper medical treatment over severe back pain and numbness in his limbs. His team over the weekend said a blood test had shown showed high potassium levels and elevated creatinine, indicating Navalny could be suffering from impaired kidney function and risked cardiac arrest. Russia's prison service insisted his condition was 'satisfactory', despite moving him to the medical facility (pictured), and said he was taking vitamin supplements as part of his treatment Russia's prison service insisted his condition was 'satisfactory', despite moving him to the medical facility, and said he was taking vitamin supplements as part of his treatment. Navalny's team has called on supporters to take to the streets across the country on Wednesday - when Putin is due to deliver his annual state of the nation address - to protest how he is being treated. The anti-corruption campaigner's allies, who routinely face police searches and arrests for their activism, are facing increasing pressure from the authorities ahead of the rallies. Navalny's team said on Twitter on Tuesday that police were searching their offices in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk and had detained their coordinator in the Urals city of Kurgan. [April 20, 2021] USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Chooses 3M for Campylobacter Testing in Poultry ST. PAUL, Minn., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M Food Safety has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) for Campylobacter1 detection with the 3M Molecular Detection System. The award makes the 3M Molecular Detection System the primary method to be used by USDA FSIS for the detection of Campylobacter in poultry. 3M has begun working with USDA FSIS to initiate the transition process and the USDA FSIS will announce when the transition is complete for testing Campylobacter with the 3M system. USDA FSIS previously named the 3M Molecular Detection System as the primary method for Salmonella2 and Listeria monocytogenes3 testing for meat, poultry and egg products. For poultry processors, the 3M Molecular Detection System, which uses assays for both Campylobacter and Salmonella, is a complete solution that can be used in parallel to test both bacteria. 3M's system, utilizing a single protocol for both pathogens post-enrichment, allows processors to perform up to 96 tests of both pathogens in a single 60-minute run. In addition to the assay, 3M offers ready-to-use 3M Campylobacter Enrichment Broth, a simplified enrichmen medium that requires addition of only sterile water, eliminating many steps in preparation of traditional media. To read more about poultry pathogen testing data, access a copy of the whitepaper at www.3M.com/PoultryPathogens. "The 3M Molecular Detection System has proven to be a highly accurate and efficient tool for many food producers and contract labs globally," said Srini Raman, 3M Food Safety vice president. The 3M Molecular Detection System makes molecular detection of foodborne pathogens simpler and faster. Utilizing loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification (LAMP) technology, the system provides food manufacturers previously unavailable speed and ease in identifying these pathogens. As an emerging pathogen, consistent and accurate monitoring of Campylobacter prevalence within the pre-production and production areas can control its occurrence in poultry products. Individuals interested in learning more about the 3M Molecular Detection System and its various test kits can contact their local 3M Food Safety representative or visit www.3M.com/3MMolecularDetectionSystem. FSIS to modernize its microbiological testing system for campylobacter. FSIS Constituent Update, 24 (31). United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. April 2021 . Available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/news-press-releases/constituent-update-april-2-2021 Isolation and identification of salmonella from meat, poultry, pasteurized egg, and siluriformes (fish) products and carcass and environmental sponges. USDA. January 2019 . Available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-03/mlg-4.pdf Isolation and identification of listeria monocytogenes from red meat, poultry, ready-to-eat siluriformes (fish) and egg products, and environmental samples. USDA. January 2019 . Available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-03/mlg-8.pdf About 3M At 3M (NYSE: MMM), we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews. 3M 2021. All rights reserved. 3M and the 3M logo are the worldwide trademarks or registered trademarks of 3M. Trademarks of other parties are identified wherever possible, and 3M acknowledges their rights. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usda-food-safety-and-inspection-service-chooses-3m-for-campylobacter-testing-in-poultry-301271844.html SOURCE 3M [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Company forms wholly-owned subsidiary, HS Brands, Inc., and signs major supply agreement WATERLOO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / SponsorsOne Inc., (CSE:SPO)(Frankfurt:5SO)(OTC PINK:SPONF), a company that utilizes its proprietary platform that combines digital marketing, wholesale and retail distribution, branding, and operational & funding capital, giving it a competitive first-mover advantage in rapidly selling proprietary brands focused in the Alcohol, Functional Beverage and Hemp Sectors, announced today we have incorporated a new subsidiary company called HS Brands Inc which will focus on launching pre-rolled smokable Hemp within the USA and Internationally. Myles Bartholomew, CEO of SponsorsOne, said: "We have secured the highest quality producer of pre-rolled smokable Hemp to deliver the quality, quantity, and consistency needed to scale a major brand in this category. The pre-rolled smokable Hemp market is looking for a leading pre-rolled product of the highest possible quality for the cigarette smoker wanting to transition away from tobacco-based smokes to the healthier Hemp-based CBD product". According to a report from the Hemp Business Daily, which partnered with Neilson Research, noted that in 2020 the smokable hemp market was worth between $70-$80 million, and Neilson projected that by 2025, Nielsen expects the smokable Hemp market to reach $300 million to $400 million." 1 SponsorsOne on March 30, 2021, secured a five-year purchase and manufacturing supply agreement with a six-generation tobacco cultivation and processing company that has served the domestic and international tobacco industry for over 150 years. Besides having their extensive acreage, our manufacturing partner has secured multiple supply contracts with experienced hemp farmers, cultivating thousands of acres in one of the best agricultural lands in multiple states and overseas. The processing and packaging facilities are on their fourth generation of automation design, showing experience and commitment to large-scale hemp cultivation and production of superior quality pre-rolled smokable Hemp. SponsorsOne anticipates the first production run of its proprietary Brand to be completed by the end of Q2 2021, shipping products in early Q3 2021, with an expected online marketing presence shortly after that. About SponsorsOne Inc. SponsorsOne is the leader in the next evolution of brand creation and digital marketing through influencer marketing, storytelling, and digital-commerce with the SponsorCoin platform and its highly scalable - smart contract-based digital-currency. Combined, this allows the brands to build and manage exclusive and highly engaged communities of influencers (from pro to micro-influencers) within the social realm. The SponsorCoin platform provides for data-driven marketing campaigns that will change the way brands connect with their customers. SponsorCoin is a tool for brands to inspire real movements around their products and services. Their most valuable customers become their best salespeople, producing far higher ROI than current social media advertising methods. SponsorsOne, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SponsorsOne Media Inc., provides full creative and Brand building/management services to all our Brands and manages the influencer communities for each Brand. For making the Brand big, our wholly-owned subsidiary S1 Brands Inc., builds wholesale/retail distribution channels for the Brand, acting as a master distributor. S1 Brands provides sales and marketing on behalf of the Brand to its vast network of national wholesalers and retailers and provides purchase order financing to assist the Brand fulfilling every order. Premier Beverage Consortium LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary and is brand building for the global spirits market with its flagship "Ready to Drink" product called Doc Wylders.. Ownership of the Brand combined with distribution, digital marketing innovation, and capital is the winning formula to build the next billion-dollar Brand. To learn more, please visit www.sponsorsone.com. Contact: info@sponsorsone.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Gary Bartholomew, Executive Chairman The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this Press Release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause 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. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: risks associated with marketing and sale of securities the need for additional financing requirements and access to capital, reliance on key personnel the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects the volatility of the volume and price of the Common Shares, the failure of the business strategy, the integrity of the Company's patents and proprietary intellectual property and competition. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors, and other uncertainties and potential events, including the risk factors, set out in the Company's Listing Statement. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to above will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION. 1 https://hempindustrydaily.com/exclusive-smokable-hemp-market-worth-up-to-80-million-for-2020-with-five-fold-growth-predicted/ SOURCE: SponsorsOne Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641315/SponsorsOne-Announces-Its-Entry-Into-the-Pre-Rolled-Smokable-Hemp-Market Felix Silla, the actor best known for playing the hairy Cousin Itt on the sitcom The Addams Family, died on April 16. He was 84. The cause was cancer, Mr. Sillas representative, Bonnie Vent, said in a statement. She did not say where he died. Mr. Silla, who stood less than four feet tall, appeared as Cousin Itt in 17 episodes of The Addams Family, although his face was not seen and his voice was not heard. Sporting a floor-length hairpiece, sunglasses and a bowler hat, Cousin Itt spoke in a high-pitched mumble (his voice was provided by someone else in postproduction), which was understood only by the other members of the family. The Vietnamese health ministry has announced the decision to divert 110,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, originally meant for police and army personnel, to local centres for disease control (CDCs) instead. A military officer receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot in Vinh Yen City, the northern province of Vinh Phuc. These are among the 811,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that Vietnam received via COVAX Facility, the global COVID-19 vaccine sharing scheme, on April 1, adding to the 111,000 doses bought from the company that had been used in the first-phase of the inoculation drive. Two weeks ago, the distribution plan in the second-phase of inoculation using COVAX doses was announced, but it has been revised. Regarding the total 80,000 vaccine doses previously destined for the army, the army would now get 35,000 doses. 34,500 doses will go to 44 local CDCs 15,400 for the northern region, 8,200 for the central region, 3,450 for the Central Highlands region, and 7,250 for the southern region. 10,650 doses will be supplemented to five southern provinces and cities in the southwestern border An Giang (2,200), Tay Ninh (2,250), Kien Giang (2,200), Dong Thap (2,000) and Long An (2,000) likely to protect frontline and essential workers and high-risks groups against the serious spike in coronavirus infections in neighbouring countries including Thailand and Cambodia. The 30,000 doses previously intended for the police forces will instead go to 62 local CDCs (except for Hai Duong Province in the north, the epicentre of the countrys third wave of infections lasting from late January until late March, which received 43,000 doses). Provincial and municipal CDCs will report to their respective health department and coordinate with the provincial and municipal public security agencies to decide the number of public security personnel that would receive the jabs. With this addition, Hanoi and HCM City, the two biggest urban centres in the country, still have been allocated the most doses. 49 provinces and cities out of the total 63 have received the doses in the second-phase distribution, and the remaining 14 would soon receive their share. The doses provided by COVAX will expire by the end of the May, and the health minister is urging faster administration of vaccines for priority groups and localities must use all of their allocated doses by May 5 or the unused doses would be redistributed. Eligible people for COVID-19 vaccine are those within the 10 priority groups detailed in the Governments Decree 21, which are frontline workers (medical workers, COVID-19 steering committees, police and military forces directly involved in the fight against the pandemic); Vietnamese diplomats and relatives sent on overseas missions and diplomatic delegations and UN representative offices in Vietnam; customs, exit and entry officers; essential service workers (utility, airlines, transport, tourism, etc.); teachers and education institutions staff or those working at front-facing administrative offices; people with chronic diseases; the elderly (above 65 years old); people in COVID-19-hit outbreak areas; poor people and social welfare beneficiaries; people authorised by the State to work or study overseas. By Sunday, nearly 80,000 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Monday report from the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation. Five provinces in the north have already begun second-phase inoculation using COVAX vaccines. Moderna import rumours The health ministry has also addressed recent information of a private pharmaceutical group Vimedimex (based in Hanoi) requesting to import 50 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which has drawn public attention given the countrys current limited supply. Many businesses have officially notified the ministry that they have managed to make contact with parties that could supply COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sputnik V, to Sinovac, Curevac, according to the health ministry. To date, the health ministry has only approved AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines for emergency use. So far, the ministry has only received Vimedimexs notification of its intent to look for Moderna vaccine suppliers to import into Vietnam, not the groups request for the Moderna vaccine to be approved for use. In March, in response to warning from the Interpol regarding busted rings of COVID-19 vaccine scams, the health ministry has issued a notice warning organisations and companies to be careful when approached by parties offering supplies of vaccines. VNS Vietnam to pilot small-scale vaccine passport Vietnam is considering piloting vaccine passports at tourist sites and some golf courses, according to Dr. Dang Quang Tan, director of the Preventive Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health. If the charges facing ex-Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in the May 25 death of George Floyd appear unfamiliar, it is because some of them do not exist in New York. Different states have different laws and in the case of Chauvin, 45, all of the charges require the jury to conclude that Chauvins actions were a substantial causal factor in Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. The charges include: Second-degree (unintentional) murder: Under Minnesota law, this is when someone causes the death of another person, without intent to kill anyone, while attempting to commit another felony (outside of criminal sex conduct charges or a drive-by shooting). It carries up to 40 years in prison. In New York, all murder sentences have a maximum of life imprisonment. Third-degree murder: This charge does not exist in New York state. Under Minnesota law, this is when a person, without intent to kill, causes the death of another person by committing an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life. It carries up to 25 years in prison. Second-degree manslaughter. Under Minnesota law, this is when a person negligently creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another. It carries up to 10 years in prison. The charge in New York carries an indeterminate sentence of 5 to 15 years. While the trial is in Minnesota, the case is being closely watched in the Capital Region where fatal and life-altering clashes between police and Black civilians have led to decades of mistrust. Floyd's death inspired countless protests last year around the region and the country. Demonstrations were held in Albany and Troy last week. One held Wednesday to protest the police killing of Daunte Wright, 20, in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, included a confrontation between police and protestors at South Station. Some demonstrators have remained at the station for days to keep attention on last week's clash and to demand the firing of an Albany police officer who grabbed at the protesters' light and megaphone. I have followed the trial against Derek Chauvin and believe that the prosecutors did their job to secure a conviction on the top count in that case," said Albany County District Attorney David Soares, the first Black district attorney in Albany history. "The jury has an important job to do, and they are equipped with all of the facts to get that job done. As for our local preparations, we always support the First Amendment rights of citizens to peacefully protest. As long as there are no attempts to injure officers or damage property, we stand by our approach to support peaceful protests. Offenders that cross that line will be held accountable. The region has seen a number high-profile police killings as well as confrontations that left people gravely injured. On Aug. 29, 2018, Ellazar Williams, 19 at the time, was shot by police in his left upper back, leaving him paralyzed below his chest. An Albany County grand jury cleared the since-retired detective, James Olsen, who said Williams was armed with a large hunting knife and charged at him in a courtyard outside the former Tony Clement Center for Education at 395 Elk St. Police said Williams was trying to pick up a knife as he ran. At the time, police sought suspects in a confrontation at a Central Avenue store. Williams' lawyers said an enhanced surveillance video showed that Williams ran away from Olsen, fell and got up to run away again before shots were fired. Soares dropped the charges against Williams after Olsen was cleared. A federal civil case is ongoing. On April 17, 2016, Edson Thevenin, 37, was fatally shot by Troy police following a DWI traffic stop and police chase that ended on the Collar City Bridge. A patrol sergeant, Randall French, said Thevenins Honda Civic crashed and pinned him against his patrol car, forcing him to open fire. An internal investigation, kept secret, found that French forced Thevenins vehicle into a barrier and opened fire as he was moving, not pinned, and then lied about it. French died last April. Prosecutors for Attorney General Letitia James said former Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove rushed the case through a grand jury in a whitewash. Abelove was tried and acquitted by a judge of charges of official misconduct and perjury. On April 2, 2015, Donald "Dontay" Ivy, 39, an unarmed mentally ill black man with a history of heart disease, died following a confrontation with Albany police. He was shocked with a stun gun, chased and tackled while walking down an Arbor Hill street. Police said they confronted Ivy because he had his hands in his sleeves as he walked on a city street. The city of Albany paid $625,000 to settle a civil suit. April 2016, an unarmed black man. On July 8, 1984, in Albany, a mentally ill man, Jesse Davis, 35, was fatally shot by police in his Arbor Hill apartment. Officers, who claimed Davis lunged at them with a knife and fork, were cleared of wrongdoing. In 1993, the Times Union reported that a lawyer for Davis family had found a photo of Davis at the scene. He had a key case in one hand, a toy Matchbox truck in the other. SCHENECTADY With the springtime thaw in Schenectady comes dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles racing through the streets. Now, following years of complaints from residents, the City Council has proposed legislation cracking down on their operation. The new law would boost impound fees for ATVs and dirt bikes seized within city limits to $2,350 and allow police to sell them for scrap within 60 days if the fines are not paid. Theyre definitely causing havoc, said Councilwoman Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas, the bills sponsor. Theyre not following the rules of the road. Theyre surrounding vehicles theyre doing wheelies and standing on the seats and they dont have a helmet on. Zalewski-Wildzunas introduced the legislation on Monday, and the council will schedule a public hearing for later this spring. The legislation was modeled after legislation adopted in Albany earlier this month. I think theyve done a great job, Zalewski-Wildzunas said. Why recreate the wheel when we have a municipality right next door who are in the same boat as we are? Drivers will be required to provide proof of ownership to get their vehicles out of impound. Operators must also pay towing fees. City police issued 17 tickets to ATV riders last year, but have said data on dirt bikes is more hazy. Both are illegal to operate within city limits. Lawmakers did not discuss the proposed law at length on Monday, nor did police comment. But police brass have previously said theyre supportive of legislation that would curtail the practice, which lawmakers said also presents a safety threat for their operators. Vice President Kamala Harris sat in the same spot as civil rights legend Rosa Parks during a surprise visit Monday to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Harris, the first woman and woman of color to hold the office of vice president, walked in and asked where Parks had sat, telling staff she wanted to sit there too. Parks visited the center in 1995 and posed alongside the A&T Four - the four black men who in 1960 staged a lunch counter sit-in at Woolworth's in Greensboro - a key moment in the civil rights era. Vice President Kamala Harris sat in the same spot as civil rights legend Rosa Parks during a surprise visit Monday to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina Vice President Kamala Harris sits in Rosa Parks' seat at the lunch counter at the International Civil Rgiths Center & Museum Monday in Greensboro, North Carolina Vice President Kamala Harris adjusts a plate as she sits in Rosa Parks' seat at the lunch counter that formerly was the Woolworth's department store Vice President Kamala Harris was accompanied by (from left) Melvin Skip Alston-Guilford, County Board of Commissioners, Rev. Anthony Spearman and John Swain, the museum's director Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and woman of color to be vice president, stands below a sign that reads 'colored entrance' at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum In 1960 four black students - called the A&T Four - sat at an all-whites lunch counter at Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina - now the site of the museum They were inspired by civil rights icon Rosa Parks (right), photographed after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was illegal in. 1956. Parks visited the Greensboro site in 1995, 10 years before her death A Montgomery, Alabama Sheriff's Department booking photo of Rosa Parks after she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and was arrested in December 1955 Parks had inspired the four men - David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Jibreel Khazan and Joseph McNeil, freshmen at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College - by refusing to move to the back of the bus to make room for white passengers in December 1955. She was arrested for her disobedience, which inspired the Montgomery bus boycott. Five years later when Richmond, McCain, Khazan - then named Ezell Blair Jr - and McNeil sat down at Woolworth department store's all-white lunch counter, they said they were inspired by Parks. 'We'd always reflect on Rosa Parks,' McCain told Greensboro's News & Record in 2005, shortly after Parks' death. For the story, the A&T Four recalled meeting Parks at that same lunch counter 10 years before. 'She said she was very proud of what we did, and we said, "You laid the foundation for us,"' recalled Khazan. Her visit to the site helped begin fundraising for the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which was built at the site of the former Woolworth's. Harris told reporters that she, too, got to meet Parks before she passed away in 2005 at the age of 92. Prior to the surprise stop, the vice president delivered remarks at Guilford Technical Community College and toured Thomas Built Buses, a company that builds electric school buses. Pennsylvanias largest public pension system, in the midst of an FBI probe of its operations, revised its investment performance returns, which in turn will increase how much money thousands of educators contribute to their retirements. In December, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System board kept employee contribution rates flat based on the slimmest of margins. The legislature requires the system to increase employee contribution rates if the system failed to meet certain investment benchmarks. The system reported an average annual rate of return of 6.38 percent across the prior nine years, just barely above the minimum threshold of 6.36 percent. That barely averted a rate increase. On Monday night, PSERS board voted 12-to-1 to revise those investment returns to 6.34 percent. It also increased the contribution rates for several classes of employees, classes that are determined based on when they began employment and what benefit elections they made. The changes are included in the table below: Class Old total contribution rate New total contribution rate T-E 7.5 8 T-F 10.3 10.8 T-G 8.25 9 T-H 7.5 8.25 Assuming the changes are not stayed, the new contribution rates would take effect July 1 and continue through at least June 30, 2024. State Sen. Pat Browne, a board member and the only one to object to the revised rates, raised concerns that the legislation that created this shared cost system never anticipated a situation like this. He added that the boards vote Monday could be completely invalidated unless the law is changed. The current statute, as written without amendment, requires us to change the law before were able to recertify, he said. Browne did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. PSERS officials acknowledged that the agency is the subject of a federal investigation that, according to a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer, is scrutinizing the systems real estate investments, including purchases of a number of properties near the PSERS headquarters in Harrisburg. During Mondays meeting, the board also agreed to hire an outside consulting firm to oversee any investments made during the course of the FBI and internal investigations. PSERS investments have drawn scrutiny for the significant fees the system pays and for returns that historically have lagged the S&P 500 stock market index. Over the same nine years that PSERS reported an annualized rate of return of 6.34 percent, the United States 500 largest publicly traded companies returned 10.02 percent. To give you an idea what this means in real dollars, $100 invested in the S&P 500 would have netted you $234.28 vs. $174.48 using PSERS investment strategy over the same nine-year period. And that period includes the March 2020 coronavirus-fueled downturn that saw the S&P 500 lose about a third of its value in the span of a month. According to the most recent estimates, the system reported an unfunded pension liability of at least $44 billion. That means it has just over 59 percent of the money necessary to meet current pension obligations. The board also switched legal counsel: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius will replace Sidley Austin. Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook. Read the The hunt for Ray Gricar. The "Europe Specialty Chemicals Market 2020-2027 by Application (Construction, Food Feed, Pharmaceutical Cosmetic, Water Treatment, Paper Pulp, Oilfield, Others), Product Type, and Country: Trend Outlook and Growth Opportunity" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The European specialty chemicals market accounted for $66.12 million in 2020 and will grow by 4.3% annually over 2020-2027 driven by growing demand from the end-user industries, technological advancements, and increasing demand of various specialty chemicals in emerging economies. This report is based on a comprehensive research of the entire European specialty chemicals market and all its sub-segments through extensively detailed classifications. Profound analysis and assessment are generated from premium primary and secondary information sources with inputs derived from industry professionals across the value chain. The report is based on studies on 2017-2019 and provides estimate/forecast from 2020 till 2027 with 2019 as the base year. In-depth qualitative analyses include identification and investigation of the following aspects: Market Structure Growth Drivers Restraints and Challenges Emerging Product Trends Market Opportunities Porter's Fiver Forces The trend and outlook of the European market is forecast in an optimistic, balanced, and conservative view by taking into account COVID-19. The balanced (most likely) projection is used to quantify Europe's specialty chemicals market in every aspect of the classification from perspectives of Application, Product Type, and Country. Based on Application, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2017-2027 included in each section. Construction Chemicals Protective Coatings Adhesives Sealants Concrete Admixtures Asphalt Additives Other Construction Chemicals Food Feed Additives Food Flavors Hydrocolloids Flavor Enhancers Other Food Additives Pharmaceutical Cosmetic Chemicals Emollients, Film formers, Moisturizers Surfactants Single-Use Additives Other Pharmaceutical Cosmetic chemicals Water Treatment Chemicals Coagulants Flocculants Biocides Disinfectants Corrosion Scale Inhibitors Activated Carbon Anti-Foaming Agents pH Adjusters Softeners Other Water Treatment Chemicals Paper Pulp Chemicals Bleaching RCF Chemicals Functional Chemicals Coating Chemicals Process Chemicals Pigments Fillers Oilfield Chemicals Drilling Fluids Fracturing Acidizing Cementing Other Types Textile Chemicals Colorants Auxiliaries Hydrocolloids Finishing Chemicals Surfactants Other Textile Chemicals Agrochemicals Electronics Chemicals Polymer Additives Adhesives Sealants Other Specialty Chemicals Based on Product Type, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2017-2027 included in each section. Surfactant Chemicals Defoamers Corrosion Inhibitors Flame Retardants Antioxidants Biocides Catalysts Specialty Coatings Specialty Pigments Other Product Types Geographically, the following national/local markets are fully investigated: Germany UK France Spain Italy Russia Rest of Europe (further segmented into Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, and Finland) For each key country, detailed analysis and data for annual revenue are available for 2017-2027. The breakdown of key national markets by Application and Product Type over the forecast years is also included. The report also covers current competitive scenario and the predicted trend; and profiles key vendors including market leaders and important emerging players. Key Players Profiled: AkzoNobel N.V. Arkema SA Bayer AG Chemtura Corporation Clariant AG Eastman Chemicals Evonik Industries AG Huntsman Corporation Novozymes A/S Rhodia S.A. Solvay SA The Dow Chemical Co. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ma1b7p About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005556/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Sylvan Learning, the worlds leading supplemental and enrichment education brand with 750 points of presence across North America, has associated with Corporate CARE Solutions, a corporate Backup Care benefit provider, for the ability to offer employees of companies contracting with Corporate CARE access to a 15% discount on all tutoring services. "This connection is the next step in a continued trend we believe will only evolve over the next few years, said John McAuliffe, the CEO of Sylvan Learning. Children have lost a year of in-person schooling and are falling more and more behind. Working parents need this type of support to keep their sanity, get their work done and keep their children's education moving forward." Now, companies offering Corporate CARE Solutions Backup Care benefits can receive discounted prices at Sylvan Learning centers across the country by simply mentioning they are a Corporate CARE Solutions client when registering with Sylvan. We could not be more excited to deploy national Tutoring Support Services to our valued clients. Sylvan is the perfect source to deliver those aha educational moments to so many children in need, said Sharon Lurtsema, the CEO of Corporate CARE Solutions. CorporateCARE Solutions understands the pandemic has created a challenging situation for working parents who often struggle to guide their children through distance learning while focusing on the demands of their job. As strong believers in the power and importance of education, Corporate CARE Solutions is proud to announce its association with Sylvan Learning, a trusted brand that brings proven results. Sylvans Options for Parents At learning centers across North America, Sylvan offers a variety of delivery options for its best-in-class tutoring services that cater to every student and schedule. Virtual tutoring, in-home tutoring and in-person tutoring in Sylvan centers all come to Corporate CARE Solutions clients at a discounted rate. For parents working from home, Sylvan offers School Support, an in-person service that helps kids through their day of online learning. Online, the SylvanSync platform can automatically update to keep a child engaged and learning with the same quality and attention a student would receive in-center. All Sylvan Learning centers practice social distancing, temperature checks and all recommended precautions to help every student and parent feel at ease with the process. Corporations Increasingly Choose Sylvan Sylvan is quickly becoming the source of choice for corporate America as major businesses realize the best outcome for the parents they employ, depends on supplemental education. Federally, employers are allowed to offer education benefits to employees. Smart benefit providers like Corporate CARE Solutions have already discovered that Sylvans proven methods are a win for students, parents, employees and corporations alike. Learn more here. ABOUT CORPORATE CARE SOLUTIONS, INC. Armed with seasoned Backup Care experts, Pay-As-You-Go-Hourly Billing and SHRM award-winning technology, CorporateCARE Solutions delivers a refreshing approach to the national Backup Care arena. Delivering Backup Child Care, Adult Care, Pet Care and Tutoring Support services nationwide ensures the needs of todays families are covered. CorporateCARE Solutions associates only with the nations premiere Care Providers to deliver optimum care. Vetting, insurance and safety are paramount to CorporateCARE. Their My Choice program is designed to meet employees in their comfort zone. Employees have the ability to self-select any caregiver or daycare center of their choice. When My Choice is selected, employee compensation is provided. Pay-As-You-Go-Hourly Billing is the biggest game-changer, making Backup Care affordable for business of all sizes. For more information, visit https://www.CorporateCAREsolutions.com. ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING, LLC With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvans proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync technology on the iPad for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGESTEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit http://www.SylvanLearning.com or SylvanLearning.com/blog. The family of former Vice President Walter Mondale announced his death on Monday at the age of 93. No cause of death was indicated. Early Life of Vice President Walter Mondale He was born in Ceylon on January 5, 1928, and later relocated to Elmore. He went to Macalester College in St. Paul before graduating from the University of Minnesota. Since serving in the Army during the Korean War, he used the GI Bill to attend law school at the University of Minnesota. Mondale had an early interest in politics, and his success was linked to that of fellow Minnesotan Hubert H. Humphrey. In 1948, he worked for campaign manager Orville Freeman and helped mobilize students for Humphrey's Senate campaign. After directing Freeman's gubernatorial campaign in 1960, he was named state attorney general. In 1964, he assisted Humphrey in handling a tense crisis at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, a heated disagreement about the ethnic makeup of Mississippi's all-white delegation, according to a published article on CNBC News. Biden Contacting Local Authorities for Possible Protests After Chauvin's Verdict Mondale's Achievements in the Country In a recently published article on the USA Today, Ira Shapiro, in his 2012 book, mentioned, "Mondale had been an impressive senator in his own right. He had a fine legal mind, loved to legislate, and got along well with colleagues in both parties." Among the accomplishments cited by Shapiro were his contributions on behalf of human rights reform and efforts to assist migrant farm workers. He was also a member of the panel headed by Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho) that investigated the FBI and CIA's covert operations. In a published article on NPR News, as a former lawmaker, Mondale spent most of his time at the Capitol Hill lobbying for the president's political goals. He was also a key player in the talks between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, which resulted in the signing of the landmark Camp David Accords by the two former adversaries. In addition, he sought to end the refugee crisis that had ravaged Southeast Asia in the aftermath of decades of conflict and injustice. "Let us honor the moral values we inherit," Mondale said in July 1979 at a United Nations conference on refugees. "Let us do something significant - something profound - to alleviate this pain. We are dealing with a global problem. Let us have a global solution." On his official website, it is also stated, "As a senator, vice president, and presidential candidate, Mondale played a transitional role in the Democratic Party, seeking to bridge the generational and ideological divisions that racked the party during and after the 1960s." New Zealand Avoids Discussing Biden's 'Alliance of Democracies' to Counter China Mondale's Former Colleagues Mourn Former President Jimmy Carter, who is now 96 years old, said in a statement, "Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country's history. During our administration, Fritz used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency." Al Gore, one of his successors as vice president, once said, "You can divide every vice president in American history into two categories: pre-Walter Mondale and post-Walter Mondale." @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A leading investor has come to the defence of Glaxosmithkline boss Emma Walmsley amid talk that Wall Street activists could force her out. The top 20 shareholder, which declined to be named, said Walmsley should be 'given time' to push through a shake-up at the pharmaceuticals group and dis- missed suggestions of her removal. It said she had 'done admirably' since taking charge in 2017 and that big changes at pharmaceutical companies which spend years developing drugs that may ultimately fail in trials were 'difficult' to accomplish quickly. Glaxosmithkline boss Emma Walmsley has come under fire from US activist investor Elliot Mangement There have been suggestions that Walmsley could be forced out, after US activist investor Elliott Management revealed a 'multi-billion pound' stake in GSK last week. The fund has a track record of aggressively agitating for change in boardrooms and company strategies, such as its campaign to force hotel and restaurant group Whitbread to sell Costa Coffee more speedily. But the top 20 investor said: 'Since taking over the reins, Emma Walmsley has done admi- rably in our opinion.' Since taking over as chief exec- utive of GSK, Walmsley has already sought to slash costs and increase spending on research and development to restock the British firm's increasingly bare cupboard of new medicines. Bui Minh Tuan, lecturer at the Meteorology and Oceanography Faculty under the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences, has been nominated for the Ta Quang Buu Award this year for his research on weather forecasting. Bui Minh Tuan believes that hydrometeorology sector is an interesting discipline and offers many opportunities for young people to be truly passionate about natural sciences. Photo kienthuc.net.vn Tuan, 33, specialised in research on rain forecast over a period of 10 - 90 days during his studies for a master's degree at the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences. Rain is an extremely important factor for the development of most countries in the world including Vietnam. If rainfall is too heavy, it can lead to flooding, causing serious damage to people and materials. But too little rainfall can cause drought, a lack of water for drinking and can destroy crops. Therefore, rain forecasting is always the top concern of meteorologists around the world, said Tuan. The meteorological sector in recent years has seen strong development. Weather forecasts for five days have the same accuracy as one-day forecasts of 30 years ago. But, Tuan said, this does not mean that in the next 30 years, the forecasts will be five times more accurate. There are big obstacles that the meteorological industry has not been able to overcome. Technically, a computer can help to make forecast bulletins that cover a month or longer, however, the reliability of the forecast will drop very quickly after five or seven days, Tuan told vietnamnet.vn. Currently, theoretical foundations for short-term forecasting, from one to five days, have been gradually finalised. Therefore, weather forecasts for this time period are relatively good. However, atmospheric changes on a longer time scale, from 10 to 90 days, are not fully understood. This is also one of the main reasons why the forecast is not reliable at this time. Those concerns have prompted Tuan to study changes in rainfall patterns from 10 to 90 days, towards expanding the accuracy of forecasts. From 2013 to 2019, Tuan tackled a number of issues, including the cyclical fluctuations of rainfall in Vietnam and how these relate to climatic regions. Tuan said it took him a year to read and understand the algorithms and build computation programmes for large atmospheric data sets over the course of 30 years, in the 1980-2010 period. These are complex algorithms, requiring high programming skills. But due to the lack of support from information technology specialists, I have had many difficulties in dealing with this problem, said Tuan. After the computational results have been obtained, analysing the physical process based on those results is also a challenge. The reason is that Vietnam's climate is very complicated, affected by many large circulation systems and has strong differentiation between regions. The characteristics of rain and the mechanism of precipitation in the country still causes a lot of controversy in the meteorological community. Therefore, selection of important aspects for analysis also requires a lot of time. Tuan took another year to analyse the results. What he collected during this time helped uncover the oscillation pattern of rain. The physical mechanisms involved in this volatility have also been shown. He found a relationship of this oscillation with the occurrence of heavy rain in Vietnam. This brings a lot of value, because heavy rain is considered anomalous and difficult to predict. Tuan's research is an important theoretical basis to expand the ability to predict rain and heavy rain from 10-25 days. Thanks to these results, by early 2019, his article was published in the Journal of Climate - a climate magazine of the American Meteorological Association. But, Tuan still says there is loneliness in science. The computer system was there, but to improve, the human factor is a prerequisite. In Vietnam today, the number of people who choose to follow the research path in this field is very small, he said. The meteorology industry still seems to be "out of the general trajectory of development", when after nearly 10 years, despite some changes, it is still slow and only motivated by a few individuals. There are not many people doing research in the same field, so it is very difficult to find an academic exchange. Part of the reason, Tuan thinks, is that the support for young researchers is still relatively low compared to the general level of society. This will likely lead to a crisis in high-quality human resources in the future. Currently, each training course in his faculty recruits only about 30-40 students. While majors require people who are good at math, physics or programming, very few people choose meteorology. The young lecturer said that the industry was still not respected because people think this sector is mostly theoretical. But in fact, it has a huge impact on the life, economy and society, such as planning production activities, forecasting diseases and preventing natural disasters. "I hope in the future, society will know more about the hydrometeorology sector. This is an interesting discipline and offers many opportunities for young people to be truly passionate about natural sciences, said Tuan. The Ta Quang Buu Award, started in 2015, is the award of the Ministry of Science and Technology, annually held to encourage and honour scientists with outstanding achievements in basic research in the fields of natural sciences and engineering, contributing to promoting Vietnam's science and technology integration and development. VNS Vietnam improves weather forecasting capacity Vietnam has made progress in weather prediction, extending the typhoon and tropical depression forecasting and warning to between three and five days, according to the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council of Cannabis Medicine (ACCM) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with multiple cannabis-industry stakeholders to increase collaboration and allow the industry and legislators to gain a deeper understanding of and support for U.S. medical cannabis and its impact on the diverse stakeholder community represented. The pressing objective is to facilitate legislation that advances medical cannabis at the federal level. "As a practicing physician for nearly 40 years, it's exciting to see the tremendous progress being made when it comes to bona-fide healthcare uses for cannabis," said Jeffrey S. Block, M.D. Dr. Block is a physician, botanist, cannabinoid-medicine thought leader, and ASCM Board of Regents member. "This memorandum represents a step forward in advancing medical access and clinical research." Narith Panh, CSO for Dragonfly Wellness (Utah) and ACCM Cannabis Industry Liaison Committee Member recently stated, "As a vertically integrated company, we operate cultivation facilities, extraction and processing facilities, and retail pharmacy, so we understand all aspects of the industry. As the voice of the Medical Cannabis Industry, ACCM shares our vision and values. We are pleased to join in the MOU." "The MOU formalizes relationships established over the last few years and was officially announced at ACCM's Stakeholder Alliance meeting April 19, 2021," says Jeff Kanter, ACCM Membership Leader. "Signatories actively participate. The Alliance has over 200 stakeholders and organizations collaborating on issues and accelerating progress toward expanded research and patient access through effecting federal action." Meetings included representatives from the Zermatt Medical Institute, American Society of Cannabis Medicine, Allegiance, Healthcare Freedom Hub, EM2P2, Inc., Dragonfly Wellness, Global Product Makers, CannaScripts, Member First Health Network, and Association Health Partners led sessions and shared insights about moving the industry toward traditional healthcare models enabled under reasonable federal legislation. "Real clinical research and proper legislation is long overdue. Our focus is the translation of real science merged into current medical practices for the implementation of cannabis into patient care," said Annabelle Manalo-Morgan PhD, Zermatt Medical Institute Research Committee Chairperson, ASCM Board of Regents Member, and ACCM Clinical Research Committee Co-Chair. "Cannabis needs to get to a point where leaders and the people can trust it. Our approach will revolutionize the cannabis industry and normalize the administration of cannabinoid products by the medical space." Gennaro Luce, CEO of EM2P2, Inc./CannaLnx and ACCM Medical Industry Committee Co-Chair, added "Over the last few years ACCM has been a very powerful working group that understands the significant medical ramifications of the industry for options in patient-centric care. "As an industry-leading company originating in traditional medicine, EM2P2/CannaLnx is pleased to strengthen its involvement with such a prestigious group, as a signatory of the new professional Alliance." "As a pioneer in medical-cannabis, it is very exciting to see the progress," said Noemi Perez, CEO of Green Book Academy, Director for NACDT and ACCM Education Committee Co-Chair. "From its inception, ACCM has been a valuable resource for legislators as well as multiple legislative initiatives, pushing high standards on education and professionalism in multiple states." "With 45 years of political and legislative experience, it's great to be working with a group so focused on real medical solutions through federal and state legislative initiatives," said Mark Block, CEO of Mother Nature's Trading Company, ACCM Legislative Committee Co-Chair, and ACCM CBD Industry Liaison Committee Co-Chair. "As the only national group focused exclusively on medical cannabis on Capitol Hill, they have really taken the lead." ACCM represents the America's medical-cannabis industry, which supports millions of U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement supporting millions of beneficiaries. Members produce, process, and distribute medical cannabis through state-licensed programs, companies supporting them healthcare industry, physicians, researchers, health and wellness providers, insurance companies, systems, and patient advocacy groups. They participate in ACM's 14 standing area-centric committees. ACCM was started in 2016 as a Capitol Hill working group has developed into a 501c4 that is the voice of the American medical cannabis industry. Reach the American Council of Cannabis Medicine at 202-349-9650, or visit www.accmforum.org. Contact: Ken Grubbs 202-349-9650 ext. 800 [email protected] SOURCE American Council of Cannabis Medicine Related Links https://accmforum.org/ Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) Senator Richard Gordon is pushing for the "nonjudicial punishment" of policemen involved in killings and other crimes. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman took a detour during the panel's hearing on the implementation of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act on Tuesday. He asked Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas about the alleged indiscriminate firing in Nueva Ecija of two Metro Manila cops. "We have already investigated that case. Nadisarmahan na po, nag-report na po 'yung regional director (They have been disarmed, the regional director has already filed a report)," Sinas answered without disclosing other details. Gordon said the policemen should have been dismissed from service right away. "You should ask for a bill that will immediately grant the power of removal to you," he told Sinas. "I don't care about due process for this people. When they kill people, they don't give due process," Gordon said. "Give them due process, the minimum, and if they cannot answer, remove them." Sinas said the PNP has been policing its ranks in accordance with law. Under Republic Act No. 8551 or the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, its Internal Affairs Service shall conduct motu propio, automatic investigations on incidents involving personnel's discharge of firearms, as well as deaths and human rights abuses during police operations. Gordon said he will support a measure that would grant the PNP chief stronger disciplinary powers, something that was also being pushed by Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a former top cop. "Nagloko ka, nanampal ka, kulong ka. Nonjudicial punishment. Wala nang due process, due process doon. Magdemanda sila hanggang gusto nila," Gordon said. [Translation: You fooled around, you slapped someone, you should be jailed. Nonjudicial punishment. No more due process. They can file a case if they want to.] The lawmaker recalled Sinas' community quarantine violation when his men threw a "mananita" or birthday celebration for him despite the ban on mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said this is nothing compared to killings and other crimes perpetrated by some members of the police. "Maliit na bagay sa akin 'yun. Ang malaking bagay 'pag namamatay at hindi natin sino-solve," Gordon said. [Translation: That's a small thing for me. The big issue is when killings go unsolved.] Sinas said he took note of Gordon's remarks and that his office will submit a report on how to improve the situation at the PNP, as requested by the lawmaker. 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 Shoppers are cutting up their credit cards after paying off vast amounts of debt with lockdown savings while providers rein back spending limits and offers. Credit card titan Barclaycard is facing a mass exodus of loyal customers after butchering the credit limits of more than 100,000 spenders by up to 99 per cent - with little warning. Now banking experts say more credit card firms could follow suit over fears unemployment will peak later this year as Britain emerges from the pandemic. Barclaycard is facing a mass exodus of loyal customers after butchering the credit limits of more than 100,000 spenders by up to 99% The latest figures from banking trade body UK Finance show credit card use has plummeted. In January, 196 million credit card transactions were made - down almost a third compared with December, and 31 per cent lower than in January last year. Meanwhile, national credit card debt has plunged from 71.9 billion to 54.7 billion in the past year, according to the Bank of England. Its research also shows the amount of credit that lenders are happy to offer has dropped since the start of the year. The average credit limit at the end of last year was about half that available at the start of 2020, according to credit data firm ClearScore. Market statistics already suggest a decline with the number of cards available standing at just 125 today, down from 147 in April 2020 and 165 in 2019, according to analysts Moneyfacts. Barclaycard is facing a growing backlash after Money Mail last week revealed how it was writing to legions of customers to let them know their credit limit had been reduced to as little as 250. The move has since resulted in a customer service meltdown, with some waiting for more than an hour to speak to the provider on the phone. Scores of angry customers say they are cancelling their Barclaycards after decades of holding one. Rosemary Senior has just had her borrowing limit cut from 12,000 to 250 But the provider is now facing questions over why it has had to make such heavy-handed cuts on such a scale. The average UK credit card limit is between 3,000 and 4,000, according to comparison site Uswitch. But Barclaycard has this month cut some by more than 20,000, prompting concerns that it has loaned customers too much in the first place. It comes just six months after the firm admitted it 'may have' set limits too high for thousands of card-holders. An internal review found that it had not considered all of the financial circumstances of some applicants. Thousands of customers received refunds of 230 on average for interest, fees and charges as a result. In December, parent bank Barclays was fined 26 million for failing to help borrowers who had fallen into arrears or were experiencing financial difficulties. And it has paid out almost 273 million to 1.5 million of these customers in the past four years. Barclaycard insists this recent round of cuts is because it is taking into account the 'ongoing economic impact of coronavirus' and how this may impact customers' ability to manage their borrowing. It is also taking a stronger stance against other forms of unsecured debt, including personal loans and some car finance plans. If you go from one extreme to the other, it suggests Barclaycard has loaned an inappropriately high figure to customers in the first place Martyn James, Resolver But Money Mail has spoken to Barclaycard holders who have had their credit limit slashed despite having seen no changes to their circumstances. Consumer champion Baroness Ros Altmann says: 'It's about time banks started taking unaffordable debt more seriously, but this does seem to have been a heavy-handed approach. 'If a customer's finances haven't been impacted by Covid-19, then what is the reasoning behind it?' Martyn James, of complaints site Resolver, says: 'If you go from one extreme to the other, it suggests Barclaycard has loaned an inappropriately high figure to customers in the first place.' And James Daley, of consumer group Fairer Finance, adds: 'It's likely Barclaycard has identified that it's given too much credit to some customers and is trying to rein them back in. 'I think other banks could start reducing their credit limits, too.' The average UK credit card limit is currently between 3,000 and 4,000, according to comparison site Uswitch Henry Edmunds, 70, has a monthly pension of 1,700 a month and had a credit limit of 10,500 before it was slashed to 250. The retired lorry driver has had a Barclaycard since 1978 and used it for big, one-off purchases, such as a TV or washing machine. He has two other credit cards with a limit of 7,500 on his Lloyds card and 500 on his Debenhams card. Henry, who lives with his wife, Fay, 58, in Monmouth, says: 'Over the years Barclaycard has increased my credit limit even if I haven't asked for it sometimes by 1,000 at a time. I am furious that after 40 years it doesn't seem to care about me.' Unemployed Rosemary Senior, 64, has just had her borrowing limit cut from 12,000 to 250. The mother-of-one, who was made redundant from her job in administration at a funeral director at the start of the pandemic, has an income from a private pension and a rental property, and has missed a repayment only once. Rosemary, who lives near Bath, says: 'I used my credit card because it offers consumer protections, but reducing its credit limit to 250 makes it useless for holidays and larger purchases.' The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts 2.2 million people 6.5 per cent of all workers could be unemployed by the end of 2021. The furlough scheme is also due to end in September. Personal finance analyst Sarah Coles, of investment service Hargreaves Lansdown, says: 'Barclaycard could be making decisions based on what it thinks the economy will be like by the end of the year. By then, there will be an awful lot of pain and banks are likely to try to reduce their exposure to risk by lending less.' Yet Laith Khalaf, analyst at investment platform AJ Bell, says: 'I think we are in a far better situation than six months ago, and I don't think this is going to happen across the banking sector.' Barclays' annual report said its UK credit card division's income fell 24 per cent to 1.5 billion 'as reduced borrowing and spending levels resulted in a lower level of interestearning lending balances'. Rebecca O'Connor, from the investment broker Interactive Investor, adds: 'Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason for lenders' decisions. But people have been spending less on credit, which can trigger a reduction in credit availability.' It is understood the amount of revenue generated by a customer does not influence Barclaycard's lending decisions. Rival firms Santander and Virgin Money say they are not reducing any credit limits, to support those hit hard by Covid-19. Barclaycard confirmed some customers can appeal the change if their new lower limit is more than their highest balance at any point over the past two years; others will have to wait six months to apply for more credit. A spokesman says: 'If we believed that we may have set a customer's credit limit too high we would apologise and put things right. However, that's not the case for these decreases.' A spokesman for regulator the Financial Conduct Authority says: 'Setting credit card limits is a commercial decision for firms. 'However, we expect firms to assess customers affordability, including whether credit limits are appropriate.' f.parker@dailymail.co.uk KOSSUTH COUNTY, Iowa - A death investigation is underway after a 17-year-old was found unconscious at a hog site before she was pronounced deceased at Kossuth Regional Health Center. The sheriffs office said the victim has been identified as Victoria Lerdo, 17, of Rockwell City. Officials said it was reported that the female had been assisting in the cleaning and power washing of the facility when she was found by another person also working in the area. The Iowa Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny will be conducting an autopsy. The incident was reported Monday night at 407 390th St. near Swea City. New Delhi, April 20 : Amid the Covid-19 surge and shortage of oxygen cylinders across the country, the Indian defence industry has given On-Board Oxygen Generation Technology developed for Light Combat Aircraft Tejas to private industry, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Uttar Pradesh government has placed an order for five such oxygen generation plants, Singh said during a meeting to review preparedness with Defence Ministry officials, Armed Forces and defence organisations on Tuesday amid the spike in Covid-19 cases. During the meeting, a roadmap on how military infrastructure could be used to ramp up the fight against Covid-19 was discussed. Singh also delegated the emergency powers of procurement to defence establishments so that critical needs are met expeditiously. He urged the Ordnance Factory Board, Public Sector Undertakings, and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to work on a war footing to provide oxygen cylinders and extra beds to the local administrations. The Defence Minister called upon the Armed Forces to be in close contact with the state governments and be ready to provide any required assistance. He said SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) based supplemental oxygen delivery system developed for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas could be used for Covid-19 patients as their condition becomes similar. The product, he said, would be available soon in the market as per the technology provided by DRDO. The Defence Ministry also suggested to utilise the services of vaccinated retired Armed Forces personnel to assist the civil administration/state governments to deal with the current situation. Singh also discussed ways to contain the spread of Covid-19 among the Armed Forces and the officers and staff working in the Defence Ministry. He focused on Covid-appropriate behaviour at the workplace, stressing on the need to strictly follow all the Covid protocols such as wearing face masks at all times and maintaining social distancing. Singh was briefed about the measures taken by the Armed Forces Medical Services, DRDO, Defence Public Sector Undertakings, Ordnance Factory Board and the National Cadet Corps in providing aid to the civil administration. The Minister was informed by the DRDO Chairman that a Covid-19 facility developed by the DRDO has again been made functional in New Delhi and efforts are being made to soon increase the number of beds from 250 to 500. He said the ESIC Hospital, which was converted into a Covid hospital in Patna, has started functioning with 500 beds, adding that work is going on to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, a 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and a 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad. Health Minister Greg Hunt says he has complete confidence New Zealand can contain a new COVID-19 case after a fully vaccinated cleaner at Auckland Airport tested positive for the virus. The case came the day after quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel restarted between New Zealand and Australia. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says New Zealand can handle its latest COVID-19 case, detected in a vaccinated Auckland Airport cleaner. Credit:Chris Hopkins Mr Hunt said he had been briefed on the case by Australias top health officials. Theyre watching New Zealand, but they have high confidence that New Zealand has this in train, he said on Tuesday. Intermedia Cloud Communications Announces Makoto Omi President of Japanese Operations By Luke Bellos - Editor, Virtual PBX Cloud solution provider Intermedia Cloud Communications named Makoto Omi as the new President of the companys business operations in Japan. Omi previously held the position of Senior Vice President of NECs unified communications division, and holds over 30 years of experience in the communications industry. As President, Omi will now be responsible for all aspects of the company's operations within the country, which includes sales, support, operations, business development, marketing, and strategic alliances. "Intermedia offers a tightly integrated communications and collaboration platform with superior support and a partner-first go-to-market model that is ideal for the Japanese channel community. commented Makoto Omi I am honored to have joined such an innovative and impressive team, and, with the one-of-a-kind partnership that NEC and Intermedia have established, I look forward to working with NEC and its partners throughout Japan to grow our collective success in the cloud." Last April, NEC and Intermedia formed an officially strategic partnership, with Intermedia being selected as NECs designated cloud communications provider. As part of the collaboration, the two companies worked together to create UCaaS, CCaaS, and other solutions under the NEC UNIVERGE BLUE brand. Omis familiarity with the brand makes him an ideal ambassador for the solutions upcoming launch in Japan, which are currently only available in North American and Australian markets. "I have worked closely with Makoto as we built our NEC partnership, and over the last year of working together, I have been impressed with his management and industry expertise, his significant accomplishments, and the well-earned respect that he has garnered throughout NEC and the Japanese business communications market," said Michael Gold. "Makoto has a deep understanding of what is necessary for us to win in NEC's largest market, and he has the abilities, leadership, and drive to make it happen. There is no better person to lead Intermedia's business in Japan and, needless to say, we are very excited to have him join us." Please enable JavaScript to view the Edited by Maurice Nagle Maryanne V. Scott, a graduate of Temple University and an advocate for Alzheimers research, has completed her new book An Eight Year Goodbye: A Memoir: a gripping and potent depiction of watching a loved one suffer from a fatal disease. It has been said that Alzheimers disease is called the long goodbye. I am here to tell you that it is a long goodbye that takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions each and every day and leaves you feeling exhausted and helpless. For my brother and I, it was an eight year goodbye filled with fear, sadness, confusion, anger, and loss, writes author Maryanne V. Scott. There are over five million Americans living with Alzheimers disease today and over sixteen million caregivers riding this emotional roller coaster. These caregivers are also saying goodbye to their loved onesa long, painful goodbye. Ive been in those shoes. Ive been on that terrible ride. I said goodbye to my father a little bit each and every day from the fall of 2005 until he took his last breath in January 2014. It was a roller-coaster ride I couldnt wait to get off of. Here is my story. Published by Page Publishing, Maryanne V. Scotts heartbreaking tale tells the story of Samuel Valenti, the authors father, an unpretentious, humble man who required very little in life to make him happy. Sam grew up during the Great Depression, working on the family farm in New Jersey, growing tomatoes to sell to Campbell Soup Company. Seeing the Hindenburg fly over his farm, receiving visits to the farm from his cousin, Anne Bancroft, and serving his country in World War II were a few of the highlights of his young adult life that he spoke of often. However, marrying the love of his life and having his daughter and son were the basis of what sustained him every day as he lived the American dream of working hard and prospering. Life had always been wonderful for Sam until later in his life when he started to lose his precious memories and abilities to Alzheimers disease. His slow cognitive decline lasted for eight long years with his children by his side, helping him to navigate through the stages of the disease. This book is the story of Sams journey through this debilitating illness with some helpful suggestions from the author on how to handle some of the heartbreaking challenges that Alzheimers presents. It is also a touching story of love and compassion as Sams children watch their father go from the vital, independent, vibrant man that they grew up with to the feeble, confused man who was no longer able to communicate with his family. This story will touch the heart of anyone whose loved one has experienced or is experiencing the long, slow deterioration that Alzheimers disease brings. Readers who wish to experience this potent work can purchase An Eight Year Goodbye: A Memoir 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 and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Marvel Discovery Corp. (TSXV:MARV)(Frankfurt:O4T1)(OTC PINK:IMTFF) (the "Company") is pleased announce that it has entered into a purchase agreement for two claim groups, located approximately 85 km northeast of Prince George, British Columbia. The properties are located within an approximately 40 km long belt of carbonatite and related rocks, including the Wicheeda Carbonatite - Rare Earth Element (REE) Project at the northwest end and the Cap Carbonatite - Rare Metal (RM) Project near the southeast end. The Wicheeda Rare Metal Belt (WRMB) covers a multitude of REE and RM bearing carbonatites and syenites that form as either elongate to elliptical or sub-circular bodies intruding Proterozoic and/or Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. No carbonatite occurrences have been documented on the Company's properties to date; however, the geology is considered favourable to host such mineralization styles associated with carbonatites. Mr. Karim Rayani, President & Chief Executive Officer commented, "We are very excited to have acquired two separate property groups, each with potential to host rare metal mineralization, at a time when the world's need for green energy metals is growing at an ever-increasing rate. Coupled with our existing holdings, Marvel is now one of the largest landholders in the Wicheeda Rare Metal Belt." Carbonatite-related rocks are exceptionally rare, with less than 700 complexes know worldwide. They are a major host for rare metals, such as niobium and tantalum, and rare earth elements (REE's), and are also known to host economic concentrations of copper, gold and other base metals. The world's largest niobium mine, Araxa in Brazil, and several of the world's largest rare earth element deposits, including Lynas Corporation's Mt. Weld deposit in Australia and MP Material's Mountain Pass Deposit in the United States, are all hosted by carbonatites. Wicheeda North Property The Wicheeda North Property, the main property of interest, consists of six mineral claims, which encompass 2135.6 ha, immediately northwest of the Wicheeda Property, which hosts the Wicheeda Carbonatite, currently being explored by Defense Metals Corp. This brings the company's total land holdings within the WRMB to just over 4,423.8 ha across a total of 18 claims. The Wicheeda Carbonatite Deposit, held by Defense Metals Corp., is host to an indicated resource of 4.89 million tonnes (Mt) at 3.02% light rare earth oxide (LREO) and an inferred resource of 12.1 Mt at 2.90% LREO, using a cut-off grade of 1.5% total metal (see "Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, Canada" with an Effective Date of June 27th, 2020). Management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximal properties (i.e. the Wicheeda Carbonatite Deposit) may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties (i.e. Wicheeda North). The property was originally acquired to cover a distinct, oval, aeromagnetic feature. The magnetic feature is flanked by two areas of above-background magnetics, indicating a complex magnetic environment, similar to that observed at Wicheeda. Two additional claims totaling about 113 ha, are located within the south-central parts of the WRMB. The projects were acquired from Zimtu Capital Corp. and prospecting associates for a one-time cash payment of $22,500 for a 100% interest. Green Infrastructure Within the USA, the recent announcement of $2 Trillion USD of green infrastructure spending and jobs plan will focus on modernizing and electrifying the US energy grid to handle modern electric vehicles that will result in a carbon-neutral economy by 2035. In order to facilitate this transition, a dramatic surge in demand for green energy metals and minerals will take place. These include light rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium (used in the creation of permanent magnets), niobium, and copper. Marvel Discovery Corp. is actively positioning itself to ensure it is well placed to capitalize on this growing market. Qualified person Jody Dahrouge, P.Geo., of Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. About Marvel Discovery Corp. Marvel, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange for over 25 years, is a Canadian based emerging resource company. The Company is systematically exploring its extensive property positions in: Exploits Zone, Newfoundland (Slip and Victoria Lake - Au Prospects ) ) Atikokan, Ontario (BlackFly - Au prospect ) ) Red Lake, Ontario (Camping Lake - Au prospect) Elliot Lake, Ontario (Serpent River/Pecors - Ni-Cu-PGE discovery) & (Uranium- REE's) Quebec (Duhamel - Ni-Cu-Co prospect & Titanium, Vanadium, and Chromium prospect) Prince George, British Columbia (Wicheeda North - Rare Earth Elements prospect) The Company's website is: https://montororesources.com/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Marvel Discovery Corp. "Karim Rayani" Karim Rayani President/Chief Executive Officer, Director Tel: 604 716 0551 email: k@r7.capital Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Marvel Discovery Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641293/Marvel-Discovery-Corp-Acquires-Rare-Metal-Project-Northeast-British-Columbia With all of the phony Kansas City MSM celebration over Mayor Q's new wife and bebe - A story our blog community broke over the weekend - The boring cowtown headlines have now been replaced by critical questions from constituents. Background on a predicament concerning mayor's new wife . . . Katherine Carttar is the economic development director for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. From the human resource guide in The Dotte: It is the policy of the Unified Government that all employees be required to reside within the geographical limits of Wyandotte County, Kansas. And let's not forget the KCMO restrictions that police and the fire department continually challenge . . . Mayor Quinton Lucas said hes against lifting the (KCMO) residency requirement. And so . . . BUSYBODY LOCALS WANT TO KNOW HOW KANSAS CITY MAYOR Q AND HIS NEW WIFE WILL NAVIGATE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS OF THEIR JOBS!!!! Moreover . . . Given that Mayor Q is an advocate of local residency restrictions he does, in fact, owe the public some explanation if only to offer guidance for quite a few metro area voters caught in similar circumstances. Still, we notice locals thinking far too conventionally . . . Let's not forget that filmmaker Woody Allen and star Mia Farrow lived in separate residences during their marriage and that worked out okay . . . For a while at least. Developing . . . 20 April 2021 Type Newsletter Information and updates from the Grass10 team Download Publication (PDF) The key messages in this weeks newsletter are: PastureBase data for the week & Elodie Ruelles MoSt Grass Growth Prediction Model. After a cold week & heavy rain on the western seaboard, growth predicted to rise dramatically over the next 7 days. After a cold week & heavy rain on the western seaboard, growth predicted to rise dramatically over the next 7 days. Mike Bermingham, 2019 Dairy Category winner from the Grassland Farmer of the Year discusses managing grass on his farm as we approach 1 st May. May. Grazing advice for farmers who have an AFC of less than 550 Kg DM/Ha. Grazing Update from Grassland Farmer of the Year Grassland Merit award winner, David Brady from Co. Cavan. 2nd Rotation grazing starting in Athenry- Sheep Update from Philip Creighton, Teagasc, Athenry, Co. Galway. Caroline Walsh, the Overall & Dairy Category winner of the 2020 Grassland Farmer of the Year hosts a social media takeover on Wednesday, 21st April along with a live interview at 7.30pm. More information at http://bit.ly/CarolineWalshSMT (Newser) "I live right, all I know," Hester McCardell once said when asked about her longevity. The North Carolina woman, who was the oldest living American, died peacefully on Saturday at the Charlotte home where she had lived for more than 60 years, CNN reports. Her exact age was unclearone set of Census Bureau records put it at 115, another at 116but either way, she was among the oldest people in the world, with a date of birth as close in time to the French Revolution as to the present day. Ford, who was born on a farm in South Carolina in either 1904 or 1905, had 12 children, 68 grandchildren, 125 great-grandchildren, and at least 120 great-great-grandchildren, per the Charlotte Observer. story continues below Relatives say Ford lived in the same house on her own for more than 50 years after husband John Ford died in 1963. Relatives moved in to help after a fall at age 108 caused her first-ever hospitalization. "She was a pillar and stalwart to our family and provided much needed love, support and understanding to us all," great-granddaughter Tanisha Patterson-Powell tells the Observer. "She was the seed that sprouted leaves and branches which is now our family." The new oldest living American is 114-year-old Nebraska resident Thelma Sutcliffe, according to the Gerontology Research Group. The oldest person alive is believed to be Kane Tanaka, a 118-year-old woman in Japan. Ford's death makes Tanaka the only known living mother of a World War II veteran. (Read more oldest person stories.) ROME, APR 20 - Premier Mario Draghi had a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday afternoon, the premier's office said in a statement. It said the conversation focused on global issues within the framework of the Italian presidency of the G20, including international cooperation in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, combatting climate change, and the economic and social recovery, with special attention to the most vulnerable countries. They also talked about the main international crisis areas, Libya in particular. (ANSA). Independent. Always. This most modern of two-word mantras succinctly sums up the raison detre of The Sydney Morning Herald over the past 190 years, although its first credo Alexander Popes Sworn to no master, of no sect am I should never be forgotten. In congratulating the Herald on its 190 years, I reflect on NSW history at the time of that first edition. Governor Ralph Darling was in the last few months of his term. At that time and, as it sometimes seems, always freedom of the press was under fire. The Newspaper Regulating Act and its January 1830 amendment had compelled publishers to lodge 300 to ensure payment of any fines for libel and empowered the courts to order banishment from the colony on conviction for a second offence. We can, therefore, feel both a sense of gratitude and relief for the bravery of three recently arrived English immigrants who founded The Sydney Herald and released its first edition of 750 copies on 18 April, 1831. The Sydney Morning Herald has been part of my life since I was a child indeed, even before I was a child. My mother featured on its front page in a photograph on August 15, 1945, after Victory in the Pacific was declared, ending the Second World War. Running up Park Street, she can be seen in the left of the image, joining revellers hitching a ride. Businesses celebrate three years of working in partnership to deliver digital communications excellence across Uzbekistan AUSTIN, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZephyrTel, a provider of public cloud solutions serving global telecommunications operators, and Ucell Uzbekistan, a mobile network operator company in Uzbekistan, are celebrating a three-year working partnership. Having implemented ZephyrTel's ResponseTek cloud-based Customer Experience Management (CEM) solution in 2017, Ucell is keen to develop the relationship further and to take advantage of ZephyrTel's public cloud vision. Sergey Melnikov, CTO at Ucell, explains: "We have a commitment to empower Uzbekistan's society by driving digital transformation and enriching people's digital lives. Today, Ucell is the first largest mobile operator in Uzbekistan and we unconditionally appreciate that ZephyrTel helps us to achieve this. Future-proof vision for telecommunications providers, combined with its use of the public cloud and the sheer breadth of its solutions portfolio means ZephyrTel is the perfect partner for us. We're keen to develop our long-standing relationship, moving our CEM deployment to the public cloud, something we're actively looking to explore further at the moment". ResponseTek enables customer feedback to be captured as close to the customer experience as possible. This has allowed Ucell to continuously monitor and improve customer experience in real-time, optimizing experiences, services, and processes based on in-depth and in-context customer feedback and insight. ResponseTek underpins data-driven decisions across the business and has helped Ucell develop long-term, meaningful relationships with their customers. Michael Speranza, CEO at ZephyrTel comments: "We're committed to maximize the value our customers gain from our solutions, and we're continually developing our offerings to revolutionize the cost equation for the Telco industry. And, with over 300 Telco customers globally, we're the industry leader in migrating Telcos to the public cloud. We have a great working relationship with the team at Ucell and we are exploring the option to move them to the public cloud which will result in a substantial reduction in Ucell's Total Cost of Ownership. It's something we're looking forward to delivering over the coming months, not only to Ucell but to all ZephyrTel customers around the world". About ZephyrTel ZephyrTel offers the largest breadth of solutions based on the public cloud to telecom operators around the world. Our strategy is to deliver solutions for the Telco space which are based on the public cloud and stand to truly transform our customers' businesses, revolutionizing the cost equation and make them more competitive. www.zephyrtel.com About Ucell Uzbekistan Ucell is the first largest mobile network operator in Uzbekistan, owned and operated by the Uzbek company COSCOM. The Ucell network offers mobile telephony and mobile internet services in Uzbekistan using GSM, UMTS, HSPA, LTE and 5G technologies. Ucell was established in 1996 under the brand Coscom. In 2021 USM Telecom, MegaFon and Ucell, are creating Digital Holding, a joint venture designed to become the technological leader of the largest telecommunications market in Central Asia. www.ucell.uz CONTACT: Simon Gilford, VP of Marketing, simon.gilford@zephyrtel.com Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490737/ZephyrTel___A_new_way_forward.mp4 Its one of Russias major exports, a source of symbolic pride and commercial revenue: atomic energy, in the form of civilian technology to build and maintain nuclear reactors around the world. State-owned company Rosatom is the driver of that policy, with ambitions for nearly $15 billion in revenues from outside Russia by 2024. Now, a snowballing spy scandal in the Czech Republic, involving a pair of 7-year-old explosions and Russia's military intelligence agency, threatens to pull the plug on one of Rosatoms higher-profile international forays: a new $7 billion-plus nuclear power facility in the Czech Republic. With relations between Prague and Moscow thrown into turmoil -- the head of the Czech Senate called the 2014 blasts an act of state terrorism -- Czech government officials said on April 19 that they were kicking Rosatom out of the bidding for the project in Dukovany, about 220 kilometers southeast of Prague. The Czech deputy prime minister, Karel Havlicek, said the decision was made out of security. The final bidding process would be limited to companies from France, the United States, and South Korea, he said. Rosatom described the decision as politically motivated. We regret this decision of the Czech authorities, because the Russian and Czech nuclear industries had serious prospects for the development of a mutually beneficial partnership, not only in the Czech Republic, but through joint work in third countries as well, Rosatom said in a statement. The Russian offer envisioned the involvement of hundreds of Czech and European companies in the Dukovany nuclear power plant expansion project, which could have included contracts worth billions of euros. Thus, by excluding Rosatom from the tender, the Czech authorities are pushing aside their own national industry." This is a game changer, said Pavel Havlicek (no relation to the deputy prime minister), a political analyst at the Prague-based Association for International Affairs. In terms of rhetoric, diplomacy, politics, this is a very significant gesture, that things will not be the same in the future." Nuclear Ambitions The Czech Republic generates more than one-third of all its electricity from nuclear power, from two sites: one, in Temelin, about 120 kilometers south of Prague, with two reactors, and the other at Dukovany, with four reactors. All are Soviet designs; the first went into operation in the mid-1980s. Both facilities are majority owned by the state energy company Ceske Energeticke Zavody (CEZ). Rosatom, and its immediate predecessors, has been the main holder of contracts for helping to maintain the reactors, and also for reprocessing spent fuel. The U.S. energy giant Westinghouse was brought in after the 1989 Velvet Revolution to modernize two of the Temelin units and also supply some of its fuel. But the Czech authorities later switched the fuel supply back to Russia. Russia now supplies all fuel for Czech reactors. By the mid-2010s, the Czech government forecast a substantial increase in power demand and the need to switch the countrys electricity supply away from coal. So it decided to build another unit at Dukovany and held talks with six companies, including Rosatom and Westinghouse. Czech relations with China, plagued for years by criticism from mainly liberal Czech lawmakers concerned about Beijings authoritarian policies, ultimately led to China General Nuclear Group being frozen out of the process. Rosatom, meanwhile, was long seen as a leading contender, given Moscows history with the Czech nuclear industry. For Rosatom, its both money and prestige, said Martin Jirusek, an energy expert and an assistant professor at Masaryk University in the Czech city of Brno, and managing editor of the Czech Journal of Political Science. He said the costs for building the new Dukovany facility were probably closer to $12 billion, when ancillary costs are figured in. The governments time line for finishing construction in 2029, and starting generation by 2036, was already unrealistic, he said, even before the spy scandal October Parliamentary Elections Despite the heated rhetoric and the move to remove Rosatom from the bidding, its not a certainty that will happen, Jirusek said. The current stage that Rosatom is being removed from entails a security review by Czech government agencies. And theres nothing at this stage to prevent Rosatom from being allowed to rejoin the process, depending on the outcome of October parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic. Kicking Rosatom out of the screening process is kind of a big deal. But at the same time, it doesnt say anything about the future of the process, Jirusek said. If the ruling coalition -- led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis ANO Party -- wins a new mandate, that would potentially reopen the door for Rosatom. And President Milos Zeman, who supports closer business and political ties with Moscow, has said openly in the past that Rosatom should win the tender. Zeman aside, Czechs opinion of Russian policies, while never particularly warm, soured markedly after Moscows 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, Havlicek said. The latest spy scandal means the issue of Russias role in Czech society is likely to be a prominent election issue; opposition groups have already come out with strong, clear statements critical of the Kremlin. That includes the opposition president of the Czech Senate, who called the findings that a Russian military intelligence unit was behind the 2014 deadly explosions at the ammunition depot an act of state terrorism. This is about credibility of the country, our position in the world. Czechs are bit of an egotistical people, Havlicek said. We want to be seen. We want to be recognized. And we dont want to be subordinate to Russia. We know what it means to be dependent on Russia, he said. Atomic Soft Power Since being established in 2007, Rosatom, which was formed out of a reorganization of the Atomic Energy Ministry, has played an important role expanding Moscows commercial ties outside the country. Between 2009 and 2018, Russia accounted for 23 of 31 export orders for nuclear power facilities around the world, according to a 2020 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank. And the company initiated construction on 10 reactor units overseas between 2007 and 2017. That compares with just four between 1986 and 2007. In its 2018 annual report, the company said it had $133 billion in overseas orders spanning a 10-year period. Nearly three-quarters of that figure came from construction of nuclear plants; the rest came from fuel supplies and uranium products. Its reported overseas revenues that year were $6.5 billion Unlike with private companies in the West, like Westinghouse, Rosatom is state-owned. For customers, that means Rosatom can provide contract sweeteners, like financing backed by the Russian state. The company has become an instrument of soft power for the Kremlin, Jirusek said. He said there were parallels with another major Russian state-owned company -- Gazprom -- whose natural-gas exports to Europe and elsewhere have been tinged with political calculations. I see there is a strong government hand in what Rosatom has been doing lately, and the support the Russian government gives...resembles how the government did that with Gazprom a decade before, he said. To help it clinch contracts abroad, it often comes with political strings. Its a geopolitical thing, he said Close Watch live as White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds briefing Joe Biden pledged additional pandemic supplies to India as the country faces a rapidly increasing number of new Covid cases. In a call with prime minister Narendra Modi, Biden committed to providing emergency assistance including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials, and therapeutics. The Supreme Court has announced it will hear a major gun rights case on whether New Yorkers should be able to carry concealed handguns in public. Under New Yorks long-held handgun licensing law, handgun owners must be able to demonstrate proper cause to hold the firearms in order to obtain a license. Those who want an unrestricted license to carry must demonstrate that they have a special need to protect themselves. The challenge, which is backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) questions that, with gun rights advocates calling on the court to rule that residents have a constitutional right to carry their weapons outside their homes. If the justices vote in their favour, it could be the most significant ruling connected to the Second Amendment in years. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr has been mocked along with a number of other MAGA supporters after racing to defend his right to eat red meat in response to a viral story wrongly suggesting Mr Bidens new climate plan could limit Americans burger consumption. After the Daily Mail suggested that cutting back on red meat could be a way for the US to push towards the presidents goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions, the story was quickly misinterpreted to suggest that Mr Biden would be enforcing such a plan. Mr Trump Jr responded quickly to the perceived, but non-existent threat, tweeting: Im pretty sure I ate 4 pounds of red meat yesterday. Thats going to be a hard NO from me. Trust is hard to regain once it has been lost, and Prince Harry might be in the middle of this problem with his family. He recently reunited with fellow royals for Prince Philips funeral, but according to a source, they are not embracing him with open arms. In fact, Harrys family reportedly does not trust him, and they showed it with one action. Prince Harry | Joe Giddens/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle openly criticized the royal family Harrys rift with his family started years ago. However, it was likely exacerbated after he and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussexes, aired their grievances about the royal family in an explosive interview. Sitting down with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan talked about various events that had transpired. For example, they addressed the racism they experienced at the hand of an unnamed royal. They also alleged that the palace denied mental health care for Meghan when she was pregnant. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have allegedly leaked information to the media RELATED: Who Introduced Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Each Other? After the Oprah interview aired, Gayle King shared on CBS This Morning that Harry had a talk with his brother, Prince William. King revealed that the conversation was not productive. A source told Us Weekly that Harry had leaked information about their talk to King, and William was uncomfortable with this situation. Harry and Meghan have also been accused of leaking information during Philips funeral. The couple sent a wreath as a tribute to Philip, and a source shared details about it. However, as a journalist for News.com.au reported, we do not have information about any other wreaths at the funeral. As such, it seems likely that either the Sussexes themselves or their team chose to release it to the world. Prince William and Prince Charles reportedly cant trust Prince Harry RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan Markles First Netflix Production Is About a Topic Close to Harrys Heart According to the Daily Mail, William and Prince Charles have talked with Harry since the funeral. However, they reportedly took steps to ensure their words would not leave the conversation out of context. A source said William and Charles talked to Harry without staff members around and that they did it together. There was no official wake after the funeral, but Charles, William and Harry took the opportunity to speak and catch-up face to face after many months apart, the insider shared. They were only able to spend a short time together outdoors given Covid restrictions and also without staff, including senior courtiers, overhearing what was being said. It was important to Charles and William that they were both there together. It means nothing spoken about can be misconstrued in the future. Williams wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was present for some of the conversations. Meanwhile, another source revealed, There is much pain and hurt on both sides, so this reconciliation will take place in baby steps. First, they need to decide on some ground rules as to how they conduct business going forward in a way that makes all parties feel safe and protected. Old Gits Running Club are organising a virtual 5km/10km fun run or walk for the Kilkenny Alzheimer Day Care Centre to take place over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Registration for the event is free, and can be done here with participants asked to make a small donation to the group's GoFundMe page for the Kilkenny Alzheimer Day Care Centre at the following link. Kilkenny Alzheimer Day Care Centre provide dementia specific, person-centred care to meet the needs of those with dementia in a warm, welcoming and safe environment while providing support and stimulation. They work with each person to ensure they feel comfortable and supported and their individual needs are meet as far as possible as well as offering a wide range of activities including reminiscence therapy, music sessions, gentle exercises, arts and crafts and personal care. "We have chosen this charity as it is near and dear to the hearts of some of our group members," Old Gits Running Club write. "The funds raised will go towards the relocation of the Centre to Millennium Court Kilkenny." Choose your own route and start time over the May Bank Holiday weekend and email a picture of your recorded time and distance to us at 'niamhoshaughnessy17@gmail.com'. There will be male and female prizes for each age category. The Old Gits Running Club are a loose collection of like-minded runners from the Kilkenny city area who enjoy running and 'celebrating' their successes, most notably on their annual trips to the Ballycotton 10, the Trim 10 Miler and the Kilkenny and Dublin Race Series. [April 20, 2021] RBC Tech for Nature announces new partnerships focused on tackling climate change From farmland carbon sequestration and blockchain-based data sharing for water, to geospatial and satellite imaging, RBC Tech for Nature is enabling change through its support of sustainable innovations TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Since its inception in 2019, RBC Tech for Nature has brought together more than 125 organizations to protect the world's most precious resource our natural ecosystem through tech-based community investments totaling over $27 million. Today, RBC announced its 2021 roster of partnerships, made up of 100 community organizations located around the world. With the impacts of climate change permeating all communities and sectors of the economy, there has never been greater opportunity for leadership, collaboration, ingenuity, and vision to achieve the transition to net zero. Rooted in the belief that the innovative use of data and technology can fundamentally transform and improve the world we live in, RBC Tech for Nature advances the new ideas, technologies, and partnerships required to solve pressing environmental challenges. "As a society, we need to chart out our shared path towards a smart transition. That is why developing a diverse network of partnerships has never been more important," said Valerie Chort, Vice-President, Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability, RBC. "With our continued investment in RBC Tech for Nature, we are harnessing the power and ambition of environmental science, innovation, and community to co-create solutions and build the sustainable, inclusive future we all want to see." Bringing together community partners, technology experts, the public and private sectors and RBC's own capabilities and convening power RBC Tech for Nature is building the multi-partner coalitions needed to protect the environment. New partners announced today, and their innovative solutions, include: ALUS : An award-winning charitable organization whose name stands for "Alternative Land Use Services," reflecting the idea that farmers can use their land to produce ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration or pollinator support, as wll as food and fibre. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting the development of a new scientific modelling tool to empower community decisions about natural infrastructure projects created and maintained by hundreds of farmers in the Lake Erie Basin. These projects will reduce the harmful nutrients entering waterways which cost communities $272 million annually, while mobilizing action to address climate change and improve resiliency. : An award-winning charitable organization whose name stands for "Alternative Land Use Services," reflecting the idea that farmers can use their land to produce ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration or pollinator support, as wll as food and fibre. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting the development of a new scientific modelling tool to empower community decisions about natural infrastructure projects created and maintained by hundreds of farmers in the Basin. These projects will reduce the harmful nutrients entering waterways which cost communities annually, while mobilizing action to address climate change and improve resiliency. Datastream : A blockchain-enabled open access platform providing much-needed data sharing infrastructure for monitoring, research, and innovation in the water sector. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting the organization's expansion across Canada , with the goal of becoming the country's first national water data hub. RBC Foundation played an integral role in bringing blockchain to Datastream, convening the community partners who made the project a reality by contributing to the design and development of the blockchain solution that Datastream now uses. : A blockchain-enabled open access platform providing much-needed data sharing infrastructure for monitoring, research, and innovation in the water sector. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting the organization's expansion across , with the goal of becoming the country's first national water data hub. RBC Foundation played an integral role in bringing blockchain to Datastream, convening the community partners who made the project a reality by contributing to the design and development of the blockchain solution that Datastream now uses. Ecotrust Canada: An organization working to realize Canada's immense community-led and nature-based carbon mitigation potential. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting the use of blockchain technology to enable the issuance and exchange of Canadian governmental forest carbon credits and the international trading of Blockchain Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (BITMOs). Built on the Ethereum blockchain, this platform will establish a critical piece of carbon market infrastructure for the operationalization of the Paris Agreement, helping Canada to advance towards its own targets. An organization working to realize immense community-led and nature-based carbon mitigation potential. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting the use of blockchain technology to enable the issuance and exchange of Canadian governmental forest carbon credits and the international trading of Blockchain Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (BITMOs). Built on the Ethereum blockchain, this platform will establish a critical piece of carbon market infrastructure for the operationalization of the Paris Agreement, helping to advance towards its own targets. The Nature Conservancy ( New York ) : The New York chapter of a global environmental nonprofit working to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting efforts to leverage cutting-edge science and geospatial technology to identify, map, and conserve networks of connected landscapes in the Eastern U.S. These landscapes range from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to the boreal forests of Canada and play a critical role in sequestering carbon from our atmosphere and protecting against biodiversity loss by providing a safe place for plants and animals to thrive as the climate changes. : The chapter of a global environmental nonprofit working to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting efforts to leverage cutting-edge science and geospatial technology to identify, map, and conserve networks of connected landscapes in the Eastern U.S. These landscapes range from the Blue Ridge Mountains of to the boreal forests of and play a critical role in sequestering carbon from our atmosphere and protecting against biodiversity loss by providing a safe place for plants and animals to thrive as the climate changes. Nature United : A national conservation organization supporting Indigenous leadership, sustainable economic development, and large-scale conservation. RBC Tech for Nature is supporting National Climate Solutions which mitigate greenhouse-gas emissions by protecting, managing, and restoring ecosystems through new science showing its potential in Canada , as well as the use of geographic information systems, remote sensing, and computer-assisted interpretation of satellite imagery. The support will ultimately mitigate up to 10 million tonnes of CO2e across Canada (measured cumulatively over 3 years). RBC Tech for Nature is a core pillar of RBC's Climate Blueprint an enterprise strategy to accelerate clean economic growth and support our clients in a socially inclusive transition to net-zero. To learn more about RBC Tech for Nature or view the complete partner roster, visit RBC.com/techfornature. About RBC Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 86,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 34 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.? We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. SOURCE RBC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 20, 2021] Kodiak Robotics And Dover Air Force Base Partner To Develop Autonomous Flightline Vehicles MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dover Air Force Base (Dover AFB) and Kodiak Robotics, Inc. today announced that Kodiak has been awarded an AFWERX Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop autonomous vehicles for the Dover AFB flightline. Flightline vehicles represent a natural fit for autonomous technology, given the structured driving environment and high demand for drivers. Through this SBIR Phase II, Kodiak and Dover AFB will also partner to identify the flightline vehicles best suited to automation. This SBIR grant demonstrates the Air Force's growing interest in automation technology's potential to increase efficiency and safety. The Air Force's SBIR program, which is administered by AFWERX, is designed to help startups and small businesses adapt their civilian technology for Air Force use. Through this SBIR Phase II grant, Kodiak will partner with Dover AFB to adapt Kodiak's solution to the needs of flightline vehicles, and validate the software in simulation. At the completion of the SBIR project, Kodiak will be eligile for a SBIR Phase III grant that will fund autonomous flightline vehicle deployment. "Kodiak's SBIR partnership with Dover AFB shows the flexibility of the Kodiak Driver to adapt to a wide range of deployment environments and customers," said Don Burnette, Kodiak's CEO. "We are excited to partner with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron to bring the benefits of autonomous technology to the flightline." About Kodiak Robotics, Inc.: Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in April 2018 to develop autonomous technology that carries freight forwardso people, partners, and the planet thrive. Kodiak is building and operating self-driving trucks designed to operate on highway routes, making the freight industry safer and more efficient. Kodiak has developed the industry's most advanced technology stack purpose-built specifically for long-haul trucks. Kodiak delivers freight daily for its customers between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, operating autonomously on the highway portion of the route. In January 2021, Kodiak became the first company in the autonomous trucking industry to announce disengage-free customer deliveries, and released footage of over 1000 miles of disengage-free driving. Learn more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and on Medium, LinkedIn and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kodiak-robotics-and-dover-air-force-base-partner-to-develop-autonomous-flightline-vehicles-301271945.html SOURCE Kodiak Robotics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The first of January has been cultured to be a day of establishing goals for a new years vision board. It takes the course of some persons trying to visualize things not yet accomplished craving manifestation, or it could be something crazy that God has promised or purposed you to do. We write these visions for our lives, but when the storms of life try to overtake us, we shun away from walking in the light of an Omnipotent Father. We give up and discard the goals and purpose for our lives within the words and pictures on our vision board or our annual planner. This year, like others, I did not engage in this activity because of the routine of the action marrying the disappointing unfulfilled dreams from the prior year. But why did I choose to disengage in something fundamental to my earthly and spiritual life? Because I had forgotten the supernatural power of God and now rested in the arms of a commercialized ritual for unforeseen events. Creatures have reshaped a concept that the Creator meant for His glory; marketed to achieve more than our earthly predecessors marrying the concept with scriptures. But where do the plans to prosper us materialize? Through subscribing to the visions, He has for your life. No, I am not saying that your earthly vision will not be fulfilled, however, I am reminding you of (St. Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 GNB), Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. All these other things that we set out in an annual plan to achieve on our own terms, speed, will and time will be added onto us by God. Regardless, we fail to understand is the fundamentals of Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 2 that causes us to forfeit divinely orchestrated and manifested visions for society-inspired goals embedded in our feelings or the desire to prove our circumstances wrong. We have metamorphosed into children craving sweets of miracles, signs, and wonders, yet not the vegetables of prayer, fasting, reading His words and maintaining a relationship to form the vision together. Union birthing Prescribed Dreams We have positioned ourselves for self-actualization that we neglect the necessity of God guiding our goals. We need to reconstruct our one-sided marriage with God and seek His direction on achieving His plans for us. And therefore, I believe that the 3 weeks of prayer and fasting and the weeks of seed faith and harvest serve as a necessary construct to formulating a vision to which you are the vessel. God needs vessels to fulfill his purpose and whilst this goes against what I have believed for years, He wants to use you. Yes, you! Why not you? Whilst in that period of prayer and fasting, God reveals things to you just as He did to Moses in Exodus chapter 24 verses 15-18. He reveals Himself to us and visions He wants to be fulfilled. This is the roots of how Moses, 4 chapters prior, made the vision of the commandments visible by writing it down for the people of Israel to see. The vision must be visible Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 2-3 concurs, And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. I had a teacher in high school who told us to write things down because what you write will outlast whatever you say whether through goodwill or emotions. Writing things down is like a contract giving you reminders of the terms and conditions of this deed and who is partnering with you in this venture. God is our Partner through this venture of life and writing down the visions made in private with Him will be a faith reminder for you and a responsibility check for Him to manifest these things through you. Fear of Dreaming too BIG Now, I know my Heavenly Father is magnanimous and will instruct some impossible human-looking things of us, but He will make a way. I encountered this same fear of dreaming big to study in Wales because of my familys financial constraints and my own lack of belief in the supernatural, but God wants us to BELIEVE BIG. Even though the dream, the promise, the vision may tarry, it will surely happen. Vision does not have to make sense to anybody. Vision does not have to check with your bank account. Vision does not have to take into consideration your past. All vision must do is come from God. Stop making your vision a MAYBE, IF, OR circumstance. Maybe He will elevate my church if its under new leadership. If I were qualified, I could be CEO. No! God gave you a vision, stick with it to the end. The direction or path may change, but the purpose, vision or promise never changes. Fighting with My Strength and NOT HIS Many of us have been fighting with our strength to accomplish our society-inspired desires and now we are broken, torn, distressed, and confused. Even in your season of brokenness and obscurity, our Good Father still wants to use us. Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish/The LORD will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm. (Exodus chapter 14 verses 13-14 AMP) As Trudy-Ann Davis (2021) said, You are not destroyed because God who is mighty in battle is on your side and He is fighting on your behalf. You have already overcome because greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world! Think about it: What If You VALUED THE VISION? Trot Insider has learned that O'Brien Award winning millionaire pacer Secrets Nephew has passed away at the age of 19. "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that Faith Valley Ranch announces the passing of Alberta stallion Secrets Nephew," said the farm in a statement, noting that the stallion passed away in late March. "[He] was fine in the morning and we found him that afternoon laying in his paddock. Our vet is confident that Secrets Nephew suffered an Aneurysm. "We are devastated. Although 'Secrets' had only been with us here in Alberta for one year, he was certainly one of the farm favourites from the get go," the statement continued. "We loved him dearly and really enjoyed his sweet personality. He will be forever missed. We have buried Secrets here on the farm underneath his favourite tree." The farm had 10 mares booked to Secrets Nephew this season at the time of his passing and "were so looking forward to his foals." The son of Camluck-Table For Seven, who retired from racing with 36 wins, purse earnings of $1,193,648 and a race record of 1:48.4, was regarded by many as the iron horse that tackled some of the finest horses in the nation week in and week out for trainer/driver and co-owner Lyle MacArthur. MacArthur shared ownership of his homebred during his career with co-breeder Frank Grandinetti. After his racing retirement in 2010, Secrets Nephew stood stud at Mac Lilley Farms in Dutton, Ont. His home was at Mac Lilley Farms right up until moving to Alberta last summer in 2020. In limited stallion opportunity, his starters averaged more than $62,000. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Secrets Nephew. The local Veterans Affairs medical center has COVID-19 vaccine doses available, and not only to current and former service members enrolled in its care. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston has doses of the Pfizer vaccine ready to inject. A bill President Joe Biden signed into law March 24 expanded the hospital's capability to give the vaccine to any veteran regardless of whether they are enrolled with the VA, as well as to their spouses and caregivers. The medical center says it has "numerous" appointments available. It has given out 57,000 doses so far and serves patients both in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. "Since the start of the pandemic we have been focused on vaccinating as many veterans as possible," the medical center's director and CEO, Scott Isaacks, said in a statement. Anyone interested who thinks they might qualify for a shot through the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center can call 843-789-6900. Statewide numbers New cases reported: 362 confirmed, 202 probable. Total cases in S.C.: 476,506 confirmed, 94,100 probable. Percent positive: 6.2 percent. New deaths reported: 2 confirmed, 1 probable. Total deaths in S.C.: 8,237 confirmed, 1,118 probable. Percent of ICU beds filled: 69 percent. Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! How S.C. ranks South Carolina ranks 41st in the nation regarding the number of vaccines administered per 100,000 people as of April 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hardest-hit areas In the total number of newly confirmed cases, Greenville County (61), York County (37) and Charleston County (27) saw the highest totals. What about tri-county? Charleston County had 27 new cases on April 20, while Berkeley had 18 and Dorchester had 15. Deaths The two confirmed deaths were patients 65 and older. Hospitalizations Of the 537 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of April 20, 149 were in the ICU and 66 were using ventilators. What do experts say? The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a mental health crisis and a rise in overdose deaths due to prescription opioids, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Roughly half of abused prescription drugs come from the medicine cabinets of family or friends. To head off the potential for unused drugs to be misused, the Drug Enforcement Administration wants people to dispose of any pills they don't plan to take during its annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 24. In South Carolina, 70 sites across the state will participate. Anyone interested can go to takebackday.dea.gov to find a site nearest to them. Tata Consumer Products, the consumer products company has announced the appointment of Deepika Bhan as the Companys new President - Packaged Foods, India, effective April 27, 2021. She will take over from Richa Arora, the former President of packaged foods, who has taken a decision to leave the Company. Before joining TCP from Unilever, she was a global brand director at Haircare for South Asia. Bhan has varied stints in Sales, Customer Marketing, Media, Brand and Category/ P&L roles in her career where she has led large teams across brands and portfolios. She was also associated with organizations like PepsiCo and Tata Motors. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 01:20:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A medical worker administers a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Rabat, Morocco, on April 20, 2021. Morocco's COVID-19 tally rose to 506,669 on Tuesday as 720 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours. (Photo by Chadi/Xinhua) RABAT, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's COVID-19 tally rose to 506,669 on Tuesday as 720 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours. The death toll hit 8,959 with seven new fatalities, while 376 people are in intensive care units, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health. The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 492,725 after 625 new ones were added, the statement said. The COVID-19 fatality rate in Morocco stands at 1.8 percent while the recovery rate is 97.2 percent. Meanwhile, 4,684,557 people have received so far the first vaccine shot against COVID-19 in the country, and 4,193,888 people have received the second dose. The North African country launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Jan. 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines. Enditem ADVERTISEMENT Chadian President Idriss Deby has won a sixth term in office, provisional results released by the election commission showed on Monday. Mr Deby, who has ruled Chad for 30 years, was re-elected with 79.32 per cent of the votes cast. He had campaigned for peace and security in the country afflicted by violence. On Monday, the Chadian army said it had defeated a rebellion launched on election day April 11 and killed more than 300 enemies who have been making an incursion into the north of the country for the past eight days. It adeed that it had taken 150 prisoners and lost five soldiers in the fight, while the government assured that the situation was under control. The turnout was 64.81 per cent for the election, which the head of state won unsurprisingly in the first round, according to Africa news. The Supreme Court still has to approve the results after considering possible appeals. Mr Debys former prime minister, Albert Padacke, came second with 10.32 per cent of the votes cast. Meanwhile, the first woman to run in a presidential election in Chad, Lydie Beassemda, came a third with 3.16 per cent of the votes. Nine candidates were officially running against Mr. Deby, but three had announced their withdrawal and called for a boycott of the election, citing the violent repression of all the peaceful marches organised in recent months to demand change of power. The president was expected to give a victory speech to supporters but his campaign director, Mahamat Zen-Bada, said he had instead gone to visit Chadian soldiers on the front lines. The candidate would have liked to have been here to celebrate but right now, he is alongside our valiant defence and security forces to fight the terrorists threatening our territory, Al Jazeera quoted Mr Zen-Bada as saying. Mr Debys re-election was never in serious doubt, looking at the divided opposition, boycott calls, and a campaign in which demonstrations were banned or dispersed. The United States had ordered all of its non-essential embassy staff to leave the country on Sunday. The British government had urged its citizens to leave the previous day. TACOMA, WA / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / IONIC BRANDS CORP. (CSE:IONC) (OTC PINK:IONKD) (FRA:1B3) ("IONIC BRANDS" or the "Company"), a regional manufacturer of innovative cannabis consumables and concentrate extract products, is pleased to announce that together with M2 Partners, LLC, has executed a License and Marketing Agreement ("LMA") granting Berkshire Welco, d/b/a THE PASS, a Massachusetts based Recreational Cannabis Manufacturer with endorsements to produce, manufacture and distribute Edibles, Extracts, Topicals, Concentrates, and Industrial Hemp, the sole and exclusive distribution rights to license all brands and products within the IONIC BRANDS portfolio. The companies are targeting an early Spring 2021 timeframe for product availability in retailers across Massachusetts and will likely offer IONIC White & IONIC Black Infused Prerolls, WICKED Infused Prerolls, IONIC Black, Full Spectrum Cannabis Oil Vape Cartridges, and selected edibles from the well-known, ZOOTS Brand, including ZootDrops & ZootRocks. Furthermore, IONIC BRANDS will be bringing certain products produced by THE PASS to the Washington and Oregon markets as part of the Company's brand expansion strategy. IONIC BRANDS is constantly looking for best of breed products to introduce into the markets it serves. The Company remains extremely impressed with the quality of THE PASS product lines, and believes THE PASS products will round out the IONIC BRANDS' portfolio, providing a greater sales opportunity in the flower segment of cannabis sales. IONIC BRANDS Chairman and CEO, John P. Gorst, commented, "The partnership with M2 and subsequent launch in Massachusetts with THE PASS marks another exciting step forward for the IONIC BRANDS 2.0 plan. We are enthusiastic for the future and where this newest group of partners will take IONIC BRANDS. We will continue our licensing strategy down the east coast for the balance of 2021, expanding our brand equity. We will continue evaluating additional brands to bring to the Pacific Northwest markets, as well as, finding the best of breed products." Chris Weld, CEO of THE PASS was quoted; "It is not often that an opportunity comes around to work with people who share a similar vision and like mindedness with attention to details . Berkshire Welco is thrilled to have found such an opportunity with this newly forged partnership. We feel that the synergy is palpable and we are looking forward to seeing many great things come to fruition from our present and future collaborations." About Berkshire Welco, LLC. Founded in 2018, Berkshire Welco, d/b/a THE PASS, a vertically integrated producer of reliable and remarkable adult, cannabis products, with a mission to support human consciousness - to inspire, connect, and calm the mind and body - through intelligent consumption of their natural flower, extractions, and infused products. About Ionic Brands Corp. The Company is dedicated to building a regionally based multi-state consumer packaged goods company with a highly respected cannabis concentrate brand portfolio with strong roots in the premium and luxury segments of vape, concentrates and consumables. The cornerstone Brand of the portfolio, IONIC, is a top concentrates brand in Washington State along with its economy brand Dabulous and has aggressively expanded throughout the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The brand is currently operating in Washington and Oregon. IONIC BRANDS' strategy is to be the leader of the highest-value segments of the cannabis market. On behalf of IONIC BRANDS CORP. John Gorst Chairman & Chief Executive Officer For more information visit www.ionicbrands.com or contact: John P. Gorst Investor.relations@ionicbrands.com +1.253.248.7927 To stay better informed with the current events of the company you can join our investor community at https://www.ionicbrands.com/investor-community The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various 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 risks are without limitations the price for cannabis and related products will remain consistent and the consumer demand remains strong; availability of financing to the Company to develop the retail locations; retention of key employees and management; changes in State and/or municipal regulations of retail operations and changes in government regulations generally. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the Canadian Securities Exchange, the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and the Alberta Securities Commission. SOURCE: IONIC Brands Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641271/Ionic-Brands-Corp-Expands-Brand-Portfolio-to-East-Coast-with-M2-Partners-and-Signs-License-and-Marketing-Agreement-with-Berkshire-Welco-dba-THE-PASS (TNS) A Cuyahoga County Council committee on Monday approved a $5 million loan to JumpStart Inc. to invest in start-up businesses primarily related to health care and information technology.The loan, subject to approval by the full Council, would go to the entrepreneurial support and funding organization, which has offices in Cleveland and Toledo, as part of its so-called JumpStart NEXT II Fund.JumpStart will use the fund expected to have at least $30 million to buy ownership in promising, early-stage companies, most of which are expected to be software-related, JumpStart CEO Ray Leach told council members Tuesday.Such investments, totaling an estimated $2 million or so each, would likely go to businesses with between 5 and 15 employees, which have already established their first customers and received their first batch of revenues, Leach said.This fund is very, very much focused on companies we believe have the ability to create hundreds if not thousands of high-paying jobs in Cuyahoga County over the next decade, Leach said.The fund is expected to invest in 20 or more companies based in Cuyahoga County and create an anticipated minimum of 333 new jobs, interim Economic Development Chief Paul Herdeg told the committee.If approved, the county would get back its $5 million, plus 2% annual interest, at the end of the seven-year loan.The county could get paid back earlier if start-ups are sold to larger companies prior to the end of the term of the loan, Herdeg said.The county could also get extra earnings if JumpStart earns more than double its investment, if the company that benefitted from the loan is sold off, Leach said.The administration of County Executive Armond Budish proposed the countys contribution in response to March news that the fund secured $10 million through the Ohio Third Frontier Commission. JumpStart is also contributing $10 million to its fund, Leach said.JumpStart would secure its county loan with something called a cognovit promissory note. Such notes promise repayment, and in cases of default, allow a creditor to obtain a judgment against a debtor without notice. JumpStarts money, inventory, letters of credit, investment properties and other collateral could be tapped if needed, Herdeg said.Herdeg said this method is similar to the kind of security Cuyahoga County got from JumpStart in 2016 when it gave JumpStart a loan of $4.5 million for similar start-up investments. (That loan has already been repaid.) The Czech Republic on Tuesday threatened to expel all Russian diplomats from Prague, accusing Moscow of orchestrating an "unprecedented terror attack" on Czech territory in 2014. "I am ready for everything. Even to build relationships from scratch. Which means we would send them all home," Foreign and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on Facebook. Czech lawmakers endorsed the move later Tuesday, calling on the government to "reset relationships with the Russian Federation and significantly cut diplomat numbers at the Russian embassy in line with the principle of reciprocity". Hamacek had earlier told reporters he would summon the Russian ambassador Wednesday to disclose further steps after the expulsion this weekend of 18 Russian diplomats believed by Prague to be secret agents, and of 20 Czechs from Moscow in retaliation. "We are calling for collective action of EU and NATO countries aimed at solidarity expulsions," Hamacek said. The call comes after Prague accused Russian secret services of being behind an explosion at an ammunition depot near the eastern village of Vrbetice in 2014 that killed two people. Czech police are seeking two men in connection with the blast, along with a second non-fatal explosion in the Czech Republic in 2014. The men have also been identified as suspects in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called the 2014 explosion "an unprecedented terror attack on our territory which is unacceptable". He apologised for having remarked a day earlier that the explosion did not appear to be an act of state terrorism, as it targeted goods owned by a Bulgarian arms dealer. The Russian diplomats who were expelled left their posts at the sprawling Russian embassy in Prague on Monday, as did the staff ordered to leave the much smaller Czech representation in Moscow. "We have expelled 18 officers of the (secret services) SVR and GRU and we are able to prove that every single one of them was just that," Hamacek said. He said he had summoned Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky to protest against what Prague views as a disproportionate response in expelling 20 Czech diplomats from Moscow. "It is only logical that if the Czech Republic takes further action, the Russian ambassador must be the first to hear it," Hamacek said. A NATO official told AFP the Czech ambassador to the alliance briefed his counterparts on the expulsions, adding "allies will consult on the situation with the Czech foreign minister later this week". - Escalating tensions - As the row escalated, the Czech government announced that Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom would be excluded from a tender to build a new multi-billion-euro unit at a Czech nuclear plant. Hamacek also said that Prague would no longer consider buying Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19. Citing an intelligence report, the Czech government has said Russia's military secret service GRU orchestrated the two explosions in 2014, both of which struck ammunition depots. Babis said that the ammunition targeted belonged to a Bulgarian arms dealer who probably sold arms to entities fighting against Russia, although he did not say where. The attacks happened the same year that Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and a conflict broke out between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in the east of the country. - Important mission - The Czech weekly Respekt, working together with other media outlets including investigative website Bellingcat, said six GRU agents including the head of the agency's 29155 unit, which carries out foreign operations, were involved in the explosions. "At the moment we only know about two events involving (unit chief Andrei) Averyanov outside Russia, and given his high position in the GRU, this suggests they must have been important for the Russian government," Respekt wrote. The weekly identified the Czech operation as one of these two events. Bellingcat said Averyanov had travelled on one other mission -- in 2015 and under a false identity -- but did not give further details. AFP was not able to verify the information independently. Babis said Monday that the fatal attack was "fumbled", as the military material was probably meant to explode on its way to Bulgaria and not on Czech territory. The Bulgarian arms dealer -- the Emco company owned by Emilian Gebrev -- has denied any deals involving the depot at that time. Gebrev himself was the victim of an attempted poisoning in 2015 in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, and an investigation for his attempted murder is ongoing. (Nikkei Asia) Energy multinationals have decided to halt natural gas development projects in Myanmar amid concerns that the junta is deriving foreign currency from the ventures. But Frances Total is poised to remain, arguing that the public stands to lose from electricity shortages. Malaysian oil major Petronas announced early this month that it would indefinitely suspend production at the Yetagun gas field off the southern coast of Myanmar. It declared force majeure over a drastic decline in production level since January, with output well below the technical turndown rate, an executive said in a news release. Petronas holds a 40.9% interest in Yetagun. Interests of 19.3% each are controlled by Thailands state-backed PTT Exploration and Production and by a three-way joint venture of the Japanese government, JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration and trading house Mitsubishi Corp. The remaining 20.5% is owned by state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). Australias Woodside Petroleum, which had been developing a new gas field off the coast of Myanmar, condemned human rights violations in a statement on the deeply distressing reports of violence against participants in peaceful protests. We have reduced our presence in country and full demobilization of our offshore exploration drilling team has been completed, the company said in a news release. Woodside does not have any producing assets in Myanmar, nor do we currently generate any revenue in Myanmar. Woodside finished pulling relevant staffers and machinery out of the country in March, according to its communications team. Woodside won rights to develop a block through a partnership with Total and a Myanmar energy company. The project would have involved billions of dollars in spending. Natural gas used to be the source of foreign currency for Myanmars military government that had been in power until 2011. The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, a group of ousted lawmakers allied with detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in mid-March publicized open letters urging international energy groups to cut ties MOGE. About 80% of Myanmars natural gas is transported to Thailand or China via pipeline. United Nations statistics show $3.3 billion in exports last year for the category including natural gas in gaseous form accounting for 20% of all goods exports by Myanmar. Although natural gas share of exports has diminished with the rise of the textile industry, the fuel remains the countrys core source of foreign-currency revenue. The oil and gas sector is the single largest source of revenue flowing into the hands of this criminal enterprise, said Thomas Andrews, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the country, in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in late March. So, I think its critical ... that we cut it off. Kelley Currie, who served in the Trump administration as ambassador at large for global womens issues, said in written testimony that Western partners of oil and gas joint ventures with MOGE should invoke a three-month force majeure suspension of payments, and work with their governments financial authorities to establish an escrow mechanism to facilitate continued contractual payments. This would force the junta to take them to arbitration or refuse to take delivery of refined fuel, she argued. A standstill in gas production would threaten the livelihood of Myanmar citizens. About a fifth of the natural gas is consumed domestically, mainly in the power industry. At 6 gigawatts, gas accounted for 40% of the nations power generation capacity in fiscal 2019, according to the government. Production at four existing undersea gas fields is due to decline in the early 2020s as reserves get depleted. Imports of liquefied natural gas began last year while the government promoted the development of new gas fields. Local energy companies lack the resources to explore for gas on their own, so the exit by foreign partners would eventually lead to a shortage of power, as well as foreign currency. Total, which runs Myanmars largest undersea gas field in terms of output in volume, plans to continue production there. The field supplies about half of Myanmars natural gas used for power generation. A production stoppage would equate to a loss of electricity for millions of people, Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in an opinion piece for a French newspaper. If Total does halt gas production, we are convinced the junta will not hesitate to resort to forced labor, Pouyanne wrote. Posco International, a trading affiliate of South Korean steel giant Posco, produces natural gas off the coast of Myanmars Rakhine state. The company has continued to maintain output with no problems and expects to keep up normal operations in the foreseeable future, a representative told Nikkei. Another group company, Posco Coated and Color Steel, recently announced that it would dissolve a joint venture with a conglomerate tied to the military. But the Posco group appears poised to persist with its natural gas operations. PTT Exploration and Production, which holds interests in multiple gas fields, has remained silent since the Feb. 1 coup. It seems unlikely the company will abandon the gas interests, since Myanmar is the source of more than 40% of Thailands imported gas. Sanctions targeting natural gas will be a powerful trump card against the junta but would negatively impact the public and neighboring countries. An energy major that withdraws from a gas project will find it difficult to reenter the market once the dust settles. The balancing act against international opinion complicates the dilemma. This article was originally published by Nikkei Asia Contact editor Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Follow the Chinese markets in real time with Caixin Globals new stock database. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Carlisle Companies Incorporated (NYSE: CSL) announced today plans to invest more than $60 million to build an innovative, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Sikeston, Missouri. Consistent with Carlisles Vision 2025 strategy to invest in high-returning businesses, the plant will support organic growth initiatives and also create jobs for the city of Sikeston and surrounding communities. This 445,000 square foot facility will be the 50th for Carlisles Construction Materials segment, CCM, a diversified manufacturer and supplier of premium, energy-efficient building products and related technologies for the commercial and residential construction markets. CCMs new facility will be constructed in accordance with the latest advances in LEED building and ESG principles. Additionally, this central location will both reduce the carbon footprint of CCMs supply chain and improve material lead times for customers in this region where the use of insulation in the building envelope is steadily increasing. At this new facility, CCM will manufacture energy-efficient polyiso insulation, which not only lowers energy costs for building owners and operators, but also helps reduce a buildings GHG emissions. Construction is planned to commence in the summer of 2021, with the first phase of the facility expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2023. Chris Koch, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, I am extremely pleased to announce this investment in CCM and in the state of Missouri, which demonstrates our continued commitment to be a leading supplier of innovative products for energy-efficient buildings, utilizing ESG principles in our processes and products, and delivering the premium Carlisle Experience to our customers. In addition, CCM's sustainable cash generating abilities provide Carlisle with the financial and strategic flexibility that supports our conviction in achieving Vision 2025. This new facility is not only an opportunity to bring more jobs to the area, but it allows CCM to better meet the needs of our customers in this important and growing region. Todays announcement confirms that we are at the leading edge of innovation and manufacturing excellence, helping CCM shape the future of the industry. Nick Shears, President of CCM, said, The new polyiso facility adds to our industry-leading capabilities and represents the companys ongoing commitment to delivering a world-class customer experience. It is strategically located to better serve the central U.S. and will result in improved service for CCM customers in the region. The production of energy-saving insulation and reduction of shipping lanes are both important to Carlisles ESG leadership position. About Carlisle Companies Incorporated Carlisle Companies Incorporated is a diversified industrial company with a global portfolio of niche brands that delivers energy efficient and highly engineered products and solutions for its customers. Driven by our strategic plan, Vision 2025, Carlisle is committed to generating superior shareholder returns by investing in high-ROIC businesses and maintaining a balanced capital deployment approach, including investments in our businesses, strategic acquisitions, share repurchases and continued dividend increases. Carlisle is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its worldwide team of employees generated $4.2 billion in revenues in 2020. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006013/en/ Jim Giannakouros, CFA Vice President of Investor Relations Carlisle Companies Incorporated (480) 781-5135 jgiannakouros@carlisle.com Source: Carlisle Companies Incorporated Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 06:14:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. National Guard members stand guard near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 20, 2021. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter over the death of George Floyd, the judge presiding over the high-profile trial announced Tuesday, reading the jury's verdict. The District of Columbia National Guard activated approximately 250 personnel in response to potential demonstrations related to the Derek Chauvin trial. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter over the death of George Floyd, the judge presiding over the high-profile trial announced Tuesday, reading the jury's verdict. Right after judge Peter Cahill announced the verdict, which came after the 12-member jury was sequestered Monday afternoon and deliberated for about 10 hours, Chauvin, who listened in the courtroom, was handcuffed and taken into custody by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. The jurors found Chauvin, a white man, guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter, all three counts he was charged with over the killing black man Floyd. Chauvin pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Chauvin would face presumptive prison sentences of 12.5 years for the second-degree murder charge, 12.5 years for the third-degree murder charge, and four years for the second-degree manslaughter charge, according to Minnesota sentencing guidelines. Since Chauvin has no previous criminal record, he would avoid the maximum sentence for each of the three charges, which is 40 years for second-degree murder, 25 years for third-degree murder, and 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors, though, said they will seek a harsher sentence. Cahill said he will announce the sentencing "eight weeks from now." Enditem Discovering What Is True Everyone has a certain perspective on how life works. It is the lens through which we see life. It is what most people call a worldview. When we are born, we begin to try and understand how life works. Over time, we formulate a philosophy of life - a worldview. This worldview influences how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we live our lives. Author and literary critic Adam Kirsch of the New York Sun penned this insightful quote: The best atheists agree with the best defenders of faith [in God] on one crucial point: that the choice to believe or disbelieve is existentially the most important choice of all. It shapes ones whole understanding of human life and purpose, because it is a choice that each must make for him or herself. If we are seeking to discover what is true about God, we must remember that truth is discovered and not invented. It is discovered by examining the available evidence that enables us to come to a rational conclusion. If something is supported by evidence, it is worth believing. William Kingdon Clifford was a philosopher who lived in England more than 150 years ago. He was not very well known because his life was cut short at age 33. His recently discovered essay entitled The Ethics of Belief is receiving a great deal of attention. In this essay, written in 1877, Clifford says that it is our moral obligation to believe responsibly. We must base our beliefs on sufficient evidence that we have diligently investigated. He believed this to be of such great importance because beliefs influence ones actions. They are foundational to life. In commenting on this essay, journalist Francisco Mejia Uribe contends that Clifford is on to something because when we believe something, the stakes are high. Every single belief has the capacity to be truly consequential, particularly if the belief is in error and involves the most significant issues of life. This insight has caused me to wonder how many people examine the evidence on the existence of God before they come to belief. How many of them believe responsibly? I often think people make their decisions about spiritual reality based on subjective preferences. It reminds me of Pascals observation that most people invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof (evidence) but on the basis of what they find to be attractive to them. It is quite clear, however, that truth is not a matter of subjective taste but that which is based on objective evidence. I might add that this tendency of not believing responsibly is true of atheists and Christians. In both cases, they cannot give a good explanation of the position they have taken; they cannot explain the evidence that has led them to belief. I am reminded of Sir Hector Hetherington, who, for 25 years, was the Principal (President) of the prestigious University of Glasgow in Scotland. In Samuel Leiths bookThe Impossibility of Agnosticism, Hetherington had this to say about our search for spiritual truth: There are issues on which it is impossible to be neutral. These issues strike right down to the roots of mans existence. And while it is right that we should examine the evidence, and make sure that we have all the evidence, it is equally right that we ourselves should be accessible to the evidence. We cannot live a full life without knowing exactly where we stand regarding these fundamental issues of life and destiny. Do we not care about what is true? Are we afraid to look reality in the eye because it may take us in a direction we dont want to go? I believe this is one of the great flaws in our human character. We stubbornly hold on to our beliefs because they generally reflect how we want life to be rather than how life actually is. For this reason, evidence does not seem to matter. A great example of this is Dr. Francis Collins. Many consider Dr. Collins to be one of the most effective and ground-breaking scientists in the world. Collins graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia. He earned his PhD in chemistry at Yale and then decided, for good measure, he would go to medical school at the University of North Carolina. From there, he returned to Yale and later, the University of Michigan. He is most noted for having been chosen to chair the Human Genome Project where, in 2003, he led an international collaboration of two thousand scientists in sequencing the human genome. More recently, he was appointed by President Obama to be the Director of the National Institutes of Health. Clearly, he is a prominent scientist, but what is perhaps even more interesting is his spiritual journey. He began this journey as an atheist. In his third year of medical school, while he was working in the hospital, he was attending a woman who had exhausted her options for treatment. She suffered from a heart condition and was going to die soon. Collins was moved by this kind and faithful woman. She had a strong faith, and she shared it with him. She said, You know, Im ready to go. Dont worry about me. And then she said, Dr. Collins, youve been so kind to listen to me and care for me and listen to me share with you about my faith. Tell me about your faith. Tell me what you believe. Collins later wrote in this collaboration of writings by leading thinkers: Nobody had ever asked me that question before, not like that, not in such a simple, sincere way. I realized I didnt know the answer. I felt uneasy. I could feel my face flushing. I wanted to get out of there. The ice was cracking under my feet. All of a sudden, by this simple question, everything was a muddle. Collins began to wonder if he was an atheist because he had chosen the position of reason or because it was the answer he wanted. Finally, it came to him. Collins shares in this collection of stories: As a scientist, I had always insisted on collecting rigorous data before drawing a conclusion. And yet, in matters of faith, I had never collected any data at all. I didnt know what I had rejected. So, I decided that I should be a little better grounded in my atheism. I better find out what this is all about. So, I challenged a patient of mine who was a Methodist minister. And, after listening to my questions and realizing that I was not dealing with a very full deck of information, he suggested that I read the Gospel of John, which I didI found the scripture to be interesting, puzzling, and not at all what I had thought faith was about then I began to read C.S. Lewis and realized there was a great depth of thinking and reasoning that could be applied to the question of God. Lewis convinced him that reason and faith go hand in hand, though faith has the added component of revelationthe Bible. Collins had previously believed that Jesus and the stories of the Bible were nothing more than mere myths. Again, as he studied the historical evidence, he was stunned at how well documented and how historically accurate the Bible is. He also saw a surprising fidelity of the transmission of the manuscripts that were passed down over the centuries. And, over time, Francis Collins, based on the accumulation of the evidence that he observed, concluded that God exists, and that Jesus is the Son of God. He also concluded that most of the religious skeptics that he knew and that he meets today are just like he was. That is to say, they didnt want to think about these things and never looked at any evidence, never drawing conclusions from the real evidence that was available. This is what Dr. Dallas Willard, former professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California, believed was a major problem with individuals who considered themselves to be agnostic or atheist. Willard found that so many of the students and scholars he encountered on campus and in the world were guilty of what he called irresponsible disbelief. These bright men and women would often choose to disbelieve in something without any significant commitment to an investigation of that disbelief by way of sound reasoning and careful examination of the evidence. Over 40 years ago, I read the wonderful bookA Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken. The book details his long spiritual journey as an agnostic. Though Vanauken lived in different places in the world, he somehow struck up a long-distance friendship with C.S. Lewis. Much of the book is an exchange of letters between the two of them. Vanauken was seeking to get answers to the spiritual questions that troubled him the most. Lewis answers provided the evidence that he needed to finally make a personal decision. After coming to the conclusion that God exists and that Jesus was the Son of God, Vanauken was able to look back on his life and realize that he had contempt towards Christianity, but it was a contempt against something he realized he knew nothing about. He realized, like Francis Collins, that most of the people who reject Christianity know almost nothing of what they are rejecting. This article is from Richards best-selling book Reflections on the Existence of God. a series of short essays that reveals the powerful evidence for Gods existence. Get your copy today on Amazon or at reflectionsontheexistenceofgod.com. Preview Chapter 1 for free here! Richard E. Simmons III is a Christian author, speaker, and the Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership, a non-profit, faith-based ministry in Birmingham, Alabama. His best-selling titles include The True Measure of a Man, The Power of a Humble Life, Wisdom: Life's Great Treasure, and his newest book, Reflections on the Existence of God. Follow Richard on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn @thecenterbham. Tune in to Richard's Reliable Truth Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) Some Metro Manila mayors will not require community pantries to secure permits to operate. This was the sentiment of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, and Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto. "Good deeds need no permits," said Moreno in a tweet on Tuesday. He also directed Manila police to avoid blocking the pantries' operations. There are now over 120 community pantries all over the country, offering necessities such as food and medical supplies to residents for free. Gatchalian also gave a warning to people who would get in the way of the pantries in Valenzuela. "If somebody gives you trouble let me know... ako bahala sa kanila [I will take care of them]," he said. Their statements came after Interior Undersecretary Martin Dino told ANC's Headstart that special permits may be required before a pantry is set up to ensure health protocols are still followed. He later took back his statement and said permits will no longer be needed. Red-tagging Pantries have also been the subject of red-tagging by anti-communist task force officials amid alleged links of some organizers to communists - a claim that has not been proven. The red-tagging forced the first community pantry in the country located in Maginhawa, Quezon City to temporarily shut down over fears for the owner's security. There were also reports of supposed police asking for personal details of pantry managers. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte assured the public the local government supports the community pantries, adding she will meet with city police officials to discuss the security concerns of Maginhawa pantry owner Patricia Non. PBGen Antonio Yarra, Quezon City Police District Director, said the force apologizes to the affected parties and said they are reaching out to Non. Lawmakers were also disturbed by the red-tagging and called for unity and support from the government instead of preventing others from doing good. "The government should back off," Senator Sherwin Gatchalian told CNN Philippines' News Night. Senate President Tito Sotto voiced a similar appeal to the government. "I appeal to our officials not to make it difficult for those who want to help," he said. "[P]lease leave them alone." Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay said "Ganyan na ba ka-paranoid na pati ang pagtulong sa kapwa ay minamasama? Anong ambag n'yo?" [Translation: Are we that paranoid that we have to find fault in offering help? What is your contribution?] Click here to read the full article. ViacomCBS International has partnered with the Rakuten Group to launch the Nick Plus streaming service on RakutenTV in Japan. The deal is explained as an example of the U.S. media giants flexibility and willingness to engage in partnerships that are tailored to different market needs. The kids streaming service will be available on Rakutens video-on-demand platform from April 28. The agreement covers consumer access via mobile, set-top-box/dongle, web and smart TV devices. The partnership also includes the creation of a dedicated Nickelodeon zone on Rakuten Ichiba, Japans leading e-commerce platform. This long-term agreement with Rakuten connects the world of streaming to the world of consumer products for the first time. The integration of Nick Plus and the Nickelodeon digital storefront into the Rakuten ecosystem will enable us to create an interconnected Nickelodeon experience for consumers and leverage strategic cross-platform promotional opportunities, said Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International. He announced the deal on Tuesday, on the first day of the APOS conference, which is being held virtually this year. This innovative deal is testament to ViacomCBSs expertise in developing unique and versatile partnerships and it will allow us to explore additional collaboration opportunities outside of Asia, Annecchino said. Nick Plus will carry shows including SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bubble Guppies, Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues & You!, Deer Squad, The Loud House, Game Shakers and The Thundermans. Through these new initiatives, families across the country will have even more reasons to engage with our services and enjoy the rich customer experience of the Rakuten ecosystem, said Koji Ando, Rakuten Group managing executive officer and senior VP of Rakutens communications and energy company. The virtual store will allow Japanese audiences to easily purchase products including fashion, stationery and collectibles, featuring characters from Nick franchises. Following a 2019 merger of CBS Corp. and Viacom, ViacomCBS is the second incarnation of the U.S. media corporation that stretches from the Paramount Pictures movie studio to network television. Its Simon & Schuster book publishing unit is to be sold, pending regulatory approval. Annecchino said that the reorganized group enjoys strength from: including both free and pay services; from operating globally-known brands such as Paramount, Showtime, CBS, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon; and from having a large production operation in Viacom Studios. He said that corporate development will focus on streaming, studios and networks, with the addition of real-world partnerships in Asia. The Pluto TV ad-supported VOD service is currently available in 25 markets and will be rolled out further. Premium SVOD service, Paramount Plus will be launched in Australia later this year, Annecchino said. The corporation already owns free-to-air channel Network 10 in Australia, which it acquired in 2017. Annecchino said that owning a direct-to-consumer service and a linear channel in the same country enables shows to be optimized and moved between platforms. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Officials said Monday that a Montana backcountry guide died after being mauled by a massive grizzly bear reportedly guarding a nearby moose carcass just outside Yellowstone National Park. Charles "Carl" Mock, 40, of West Yellowstone, was killed two days after being targeted while fishing alone in a forested area along the Madison River many miles north of West Yellowstone, according to Gallatin County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Christine Koosman. When the male bear, weighing at least 420 pounds, attacked wildlife workers investigating the assault, he was shot and killed. Related Article: [VIRAL VIDEO] Man Punched By Kangaroo on Christmas Day Defending a Moose Carcass According to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks spokesman Morgan Jacobsen, the moose carcass was discovered about 50 yards (45 meters) from the attack spot. Managing to Call 911 Mock, who had extensive scalp and facial wounds, contacted 911 after the assault and was identified after only 50 minutes of searching. According to the sheriff's office, he was driven to an ambulance by toboggan and snowmobile before being rushed to a hospital in Idaho Falls, where he died. Who is Mock? According to the company's Facebook page, Mock worked as a guide for Backcountry Adventure, which offers snowmobile rentals and tours in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding national forest areas. Following the mauling, a fundraiser campaign set up on Mock's behalf claimed that he was an avid outdoorsman and a well-liked guide for Yellowstone travelers. When Mock was threatened, he had bear spray, a Mace-like deterrent that he used to shield himself. Bear spray residue was discovered on Mock's clothes, but authorities could not determine how effective it was against the bear. "He was the only one there, and we never got a chance to speak with him," Jacobsen said. Death of the Grizzly The grizzly was killed on Friday after charging a party of seven game wardens and other workers who were approaching the attack site. According to Jacobsen, several people shot at the cat, which died about 20 yards (18 meters) from the party. Officials believe the bear that was killed was the same one that struck Mock. Related Article: A Nutty Rampage: Squirrel Attacks Residents of a Queens Neighborhood Bears in Yellowstone More than 700 bears live in the Yellowstone range of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Human fatalities are uncommon, but they have become more common in recent decades. The grizzly population has grown, and more residents have migrated into rural areas near the bear habitat. Eight people have been killed by grizzlies in the Yellowstone range since 2010, including Mock. Within the park, three people died. The most recent death occurred in Wyoming in 2018, when a hunting guide and his client were stabbed, with the guide being killed. Outside of Alaska, grizzly bears have been federally protected as an endangered species since 1975, after widespread extinction by trappers and hunters in the early twentieth century. Grizzly bear hunting is prohibited. However, legislators from Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming attempt to compel conservation authorities to loosen protections, allowing bears to be hunted. Also Read: Rising Number of Shark Attacks in Australia Reveals A Darker Story For the recenet news about the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. World politics has themes. Some are associated with certain leaders. Some cling to geographical locations. Yet some, like flora, come and go with a season. Another Russian invasion of Ukraine is one such theme. For many years, every spring we start to hear about an impending escalation. Every spring, President Putin shows either a fist or a middle finger toward the Western neighbor, and some military units get moved closer to the border. A White House administration issues a noncommittal warning, and then, in a few months, everyone forgets about Ukraine unless the U.S. president makes a phone call. Yet this spring it is different. The number and the quality of the troops Russia has amassed at the border with Ukraine, their locations and posture all point toward hostile intentions toward its western neighbor. The U.S. administration, in its habitual form, issued some vaguely formulated warnings. Germany and France sufficed with the same approach. The vast majority of analysis focuses on how a hypothetical war with Ukraine may fit into the grand Russian strategy. This approach in itself is mistaken. Russia under Putin does not have a grand strategy (the only country that does have one nowadays is China). To understand Russia, one needs to understand how organized criminal elements in Russia operate. Russia's tactics masquerading as a strategy is based on a crime of opportunity. It constantly scans the near and the far for items left unsupervised. Currently, it senses the weakness exposed by the U.S. Ukraine, as far as Putin is concerned, is a lost wallet, one that previously belonged to Russia, now, in turn, dropped by the U.S. It does not have much cash inside, but it is not completely empty, either. And the latest owner does not care much about the lost possession, either. A war is an unpredictable affair. However, as far the world reaction to the potential invasion is concerned, the most Russia may expect is for its former citizens changing their Facebook user pick by attaching Ukrainian flag in place of the one of Belarus. That one has been dragging for too long. Image: Metal Chris. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Click here to read the full article. Walter Mondale, the former vice president to Jimmy Carter and staunch democrat who lost the 1984 presidential election to Ronald Reagan, has died. He was 93. Mondales family announced his death in a statement on Monday and did not mention a cause of death, according to the Associated Press. Mondale was a United States Senator, representing Minnesota, from 1964 to 1976. He then served as the 42nd vice president under the Carter administration from 1977 to 1981. Mondale was the Democratic nominee for the 1984 presidential election, and ultimately lost the position in a landslide vote to Reagan, who was running for his second term in office. Born in Ceylon, Minn., Mondale graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1951. He served in the Army during the Korean War, returning to marry his wife, Joan Adams Mondale, in 1955 and receive his a law degree in 1956. Mondale worked as a lawyer and was eventually made Minnesotas attorney general in 1960. In 1964, Mondale was appointed to Hubert Humphreys Senate seat after Humphrey was elected vice president. During Mondales 12 years as a Senator, he championed topics such as fair housing, education, tax reform, migrant workers and the desegregation of schools, and was also a part of the Church Committee, which investigated abuses by the CIA, NSA, FBI and IRS. Mondale gave up his Senate seat in 1976, when Carter selected him as his running mate for that years presidential election. Carter and Mondale won the presidency, beating out Gerald Ford and Bob Dole. In his role as vice president, Mondale traveled around the world as a liaison to the administrations foreign policy. He is credited with being the first activist vice president due to the many causes he championed in office, and expanded the role to include advising and troubleshooting duties. Mondale also held weekly lunches with President Carter, a tradition that has continued throughout the administrations that followed. Carter and Mondale ran for the presidency again in 1980, but were defeated by Reagan and George H.W. Bush. In 1984, Mondale was selected as the democratic nominee for the presidency, but lost in a landslide, earning only 40% of the popular vote and winning just Minnesota and the District of Columbia. After his presidential defeat, Mondale returned to law, working for the Minnesota-based firm Dorsey & Whitney. He was later appointed as the U.S. ambassador to Japan in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, and retired from the position in 1996. Mondale returned to politics for a short stint in 2002, when he ran for Senate to replace Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash. Mondale lost the race, and later worked as a lawyer and part-time professor at the University of Minnesota. Mondale is predeceased by his wife, Joan, and their daughter, Eleanor. Mondale is survived by two sons, Ted and William. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Russian President Vladimir Putin will address an international climate summit hosted by American President Joe Biden on April 22, the Kremlin confirmed on Monday. In a statement, the Russian administration added that Putins speech would be centred on the countrys approach to international collaboration aimed at reversing climate change results. Biden has invited 40 global leaders including Xi Jinping of China, as part of his focus on addressing global warming. "Vladimir Putin will outline Russia's approaches within the context of establishing broad-ranging international cooperation aimed at overcoming the negative consequences of global climate change," the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday. On April 22, Vladimir Putin will address Leaders Summit on Climate via videoconference https://t.co/wACnvbQM1O President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) April 19, 2021 Russias confirmation comes amidst a time when both Moscow and Washington have been openly trading barbs on a variety of issues including the detention of Russian leader Alexei Navalny and conflict in eastern Ukraine. Last month, their severed ties came into the public eye after Biden termed his Russian counterpart as a killer. Retaliating to the same, Putin said that it takes one to know one. Top officials meet Meanwhile, US national-security adviser Jake Sullivan held a telephonic discussion with his Russian counterpart on bilateral issues, regional and global matters of concern, as well as the prospect of a presidential summit between the two countries presidents, Radio Free Europe reported. Sullivan and Nikolay Patrushev, the secretary of the Russian Security Council, agreed in their telephone call on April 19 "to continue to stay in touch. President Joe Biden on April 13 proposed a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months to discuss the issues faced by Russia and the US. He called for de-escalating tensions and held the door open for cooperation with Russia in certain areas. Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement said Russia had a positive attitude to the summit offer and was analyzing it. The ministry later issued a statement and noted that it "was being studied in the context of the evolving situation". It further said that they would engage in dialogue with the US but Russia would retaliate if Washington tries to crank up the pressure. While Biden has expressed a clear desire to hold a face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart, the latter has not indicated any response as yet. Image Credits: AP Advertisement The killing of George Floyd by cop Derek Chauvin in May last year galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement, making it a household name around the world and raising millions for an organization that many had never heard of before. But as people rushed to support the cause, horrified by Floyd's killing and other instances of racism in America and beyond, cracks began to appear in the organization that, in the last 12 years, has reshaped much of the country. When it first launched, BLM sought to bring attention to and prevent police violence against African Americans. Today, it describes its mission as one that will 'eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes'. It's because of the issues spearheaded by BLM and its organizers that schools have been renamed, statues have been torn down and industry rules have been entirely rewritten. Supporters say the organization is finally correcting decades of injustice and rebalancing the scales. Critics say they are trying to rewrite history and erase any indicator of white success, particularly in America. Over the last 12 months, troubling truths about the organization have emerged including its ties to convicted domestic terrorist Susan Lisa Rosenberg, who was part of the May 19th Communist Organization that wanted to overthrow the government in the 1970s and 1980s. There are also questions over the organization's opaque financials. A Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas, on July 26, 2020. It wad one of thousands of events, marches and protests where the movement's activists appeared over the last year as a cultural shift swept America One of the organization's founders, Patrisse Cullors, tearfully defended owning multiple homes worth a combined total of $3million after questions arose over how she paid for them. She insists she's never been paid by the charity branch of the organization, but has received $120,000 from the movement between 2013 and 2019. BLM founders Alica Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors on the cover of TIME last year. They started the organization in 2013 in outrage over the acquittal of George Zimmermann, who killed Trayvon Martin She said she was paid as a spokesperson and for 'political education work', but that the bulk of her income comes from other jobs. Earlier this week, the family of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Kentucky cops as she slept in her Louisville apartment in March - months before Floyd's death - say the organization is a 'fraud' which has 'never done a damn thing' for them. I have never personally dealt with BLM Louisville and personally have found them to be fraud, (state Rep.) Attica Scott another fraud,' her mother Tamika Palmer wrote on Facebook, in reference to her local chapter of the organization, last week. She has since removed the post. BLM was founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. They describe themselves on the organization's website as 'radical Black organizers' who came together in outrage over the acquittal of the George Zimmerman, who shot dead Trayvon Martin in 2012. In other interviews, they describe themselves as 'trained Marxists'. In its infancy, BLM was a hashtag used to sum up feelings of frustration against systemic racism. After the police killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown Jr. in 2014, it gained more traction online and was often seen with the hashtags '#HandsUpDontShoot' and '#ICantBreathe.' BLM gained more followers in 2014 after the killing of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri. That killing led to nights of rioting (above) BLM largely started as a hashtag. As more police killings of black American men happened, it grew in support online Now, there are more than 40 chapters around the world and the organization has three parts to it - The BLM Global Network Foundation, BLM PAC, and BLM Grassroots. Between them, they raided $90million in donations in 2020 and spent $8.1million. Nowhere on the organization's website do they offer a detailed breakdown of expenses. Patrissee Cullors, one of the founders, describing herself as a 'trained Marxist' in a 2015 interview. She also has $3million worth of property which she says she bought with money that has nothing to do with the charity In their 2020 Impact Report, the organization says the number 'represents dollars spent on staffing, operating and administrative expenses, civic engagement, programs and field expenses, rapid response, and crisis intervention'. 'After our expenses and grant disbursements, we are left with an approximate balance of $60 million. 'Returning to fiscal sustainability, it is important that an organization not end its year at a balance of $0. 'Few foundations will disburse more than 8% of their total assets; for BLMGNF to have committed 23% of its assets is groundbreaking,' organizers say, justifying their spending and financials in the impact report,' they say. They go on: 'We are no longer a small, scrappy movement. We are an institution. We are mature. 'We are a growing entity developing its stake in the philanthropic world. We are entering spaces previously unimaginable. We want to show folks that we have a voice here, and that our voice carries weight.' They point to a single campaign that cost $2million as one of their justified expenses. A Black Lives Matter painting is seen on 16th street near the White House as protests against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, continue in Washington, U.S., June 5, 2020 BLM has over 40 chapters. It made $90million in donations last year and spent $8.1million but it won't give a detailed breakdown on where exactly the money went BLM did not respond to DaiylMail.com's inquiries on Tuesday about how much it spends on what. Questions of spending arose earlier this year after tens of millions of dollars were raised following Floyd's death. The BLM LA Chapter sought to answer some of those questions on GoFundMe in June 2020. 'Some questions have recently come around how funds are being spent. To be honest, until the last month, we had received relatively little in donation support, and had to significantly augment our work with funds from the pockets of volunteers. 'To be clear, to date, BLMLA has been powered by volunteers. No one earns a salary. We do this work because we see it as our "sacred duty." 'With the murder of #GeorgeFloyd, people have been extremely generous and we have received more donations in the last month than we had in the entire seven years of our existence. 'So what have we done with the recent donations? This movement-moment has been intense,' chapter organizer Melina Abdullah wrote. The donations, she said, were spent on; modest support to the families of those killed by police, materials for protests, rallies, demonstrations, and events, tech support/upgrades, security and food for gatherings and mutual aid. But she also said it was spent on interns and 'transportation for families and volunteers.' Both she and the main organization say that the vast majority of funds have not been spent yet. There have also been questions over some of the figures attached to it. Susan Rosenberg, for example, who is on the board of one Thousand Currents. Rosenberg was a member of the M19CO - the May 19 Communist Organization. She spent 16 years in prison on weapons and explosives charges before receiving a pardon from Bill Clinton in January 2001. She was due to serve 58 years. Thousand Currents has a tax exemption where BLM doesn't. For that reason, among others, they teamed up and Thousand Currents acted as a sponsor for the organization. When Rosenberg's affiliation to it was made public last year, critics - including Rudy Giuliani - were up in arms. 'Black Lives Matter is an organization run by three Marxists and financed by a convicted terrorist who I happened to have convicted, who got 58 years in jail and got a corrupt pardon from Bill Clinton. 'This is not a benign organization. I cant say yet that we can prove its a terrorist organization. It's certainly a violent organization and I believe in the course of time it will be shown to be a terrorist organization,' he said. Along with calls for justice came calls to defund entire police forces. Above, protesters outside City Hall in New York City, where protesters sat for days, vandalized property and had clashes with cops Susan Rosenberg is on the board of Thousand Currents - an organization which helps manage BLM's donations. She was also part of a group in the 1960s and 1970s that the FBI said was actively trying to overthrow the government. She was sentenced to 58 years in prison but served 16 then had her sentence commuted by Bill Clinton The Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument statue is lowered to the ground in Libby Hill Park, Wednesday, July 8, 2020. It was one of many statutes that was taken down in the wake of the movement They defended the association. 'We provide administrative and back-office support, including finance, accounting, grants management, insurance, human resources, legal and compliance. 'Donations to BLM are restricted donations to support the activities of BLM,' a spokesman for the charity told Politifact last year. Online, Thousand Currents said that it had been subjected to 'attacks' from the 'right wing media'. The organization is just one part of a much wider movement that started as outrage over racism and has given way to cancel culture across the country and around the world. Last summer, amid heightened tensions across the US, there was a marked cultural shift in America: companies lined up to throw their support behind BLM and others. There were widespread calls to defund police forces all over the country. It came at a period of increased anxiety in the country because of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid growing political uncertainty ahead of the November Presidential Election. q Since the events of last summer, there have been radical changes at almost every level of American society as a result of the issues BLM stands for. Now, many - particularly Conservatives - say it is going too far. Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor's mother, fumed on April 14 that BLM in Louisville has given her family no help Some have pulled their children out of private schools where classes and courses have been completely redesigned. Others have protested over the decision to rename schools and playing fields, or tear down statues in southern towns that were named after Confederate figures. In San Francisco, for example, the Board of Education, earlier this month reversed its decision to rename dozens of schools because they were named after historical figures that they decided were now racist or represented oppression. The decision was reversed after criticism over the fact the researchers consulted Wikipedia instead of historians. remaining of Thank you for reading! This is your last free article before you will be asked to subscribe. Already have a paid subscription? Sign in MIDDLETOWN The Community Health Center, Inc. administered its 300,000th vaccine dose Tuesday at the health centers Middletown clinic. The milestone comes at a time when the health center, which is one of the largest COVID-19 vaccine providers in the state, has ramped up efforts in multiple towns and cities, getting tens of thousands of doses into arms each week. The dose was given to Edward Cho, a Middletown resident, the release stated. The health center has been vaccinating Connecticut residents from Danbury to Middletown to Stamford and East Hartford, including a drive- through mass vaccination site at Danbury Fair mall, which they ran alongside Nuvance Health. Even after hitting 300,000 doses, the health center is shouldering on. With multiple sites and mobile clinics in operation, theyre now looking to organize clinics for high schools and colleges to vaccinate younger residents. The press release states that their hope is to allow the states youth to end their school year on a hopeful note and look forward to a more normal summer. They have started running Pfizer clinics this week for Western Connecticut State University students. The clinics pivoted last week from offering Johnson & Johnson to Pfizer after the federal and state governments called for a pause on the one-shot vaccine. Now that the Governor is lifting all COVID restrictions on May 19, were here to help people get vaccinated quickly at our sites statewide, Mark Masselli, health center founder and CEO, said in a statement. The health centers mass vaccination sites are accepting appointments at various locations, and are generally open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central government has waived the custom duty on Remdesivir injections and the active pharmaceuticals ingredients (API) after "being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest to do so", a statement from Ministry of Finance said. The government also ended customs duty on Beta Cyclodextrin (SBEBCD) used in the manufacture of Remdesivir. The waiver for this item is subject to the condition that the importer follows the procedure set out in the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Rules, 2017, the Finance Ministry noted. ALSO READ: COVID-19: Two arrested for black marketing Remdesivir This customs duty waiver will remain in effect till October 31, 2021, and is among the measures to increase the production and supply of the anti-COVID-19 drug as infections rise rapidly. Although being approved as an investigational drug for strict use under hospital conditions, Remdesivir has seen a surge in demand over the recent few days in India as the second wave of COVID-19 cases is sweeping across the country. With this increase in demand, central government has been trying to ramp up the production of the drug as well as reduce its prices. ALSO READ: Remdesivir now at Rs 899; producers cut prices post govt intervention Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya had held meetings with drug manufacturers and other stakeholders on April 12 and 13 in which decisions were taken to increase production and reduce prices of Remdesivir. Seven manufacturers in India have reduced the prices for their brands of Remdesivir in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,700. As per government data, the current total installed capacity of the seven manufacturers of Remdesivir is 38.80 lakh vials per month. Fast-track approval has been given for seven additional sites having production capacity of 10 lakh vials per month to six manufacturers. Another 30 lakh vials per month are lined up for production. This is expected to ramp up the production capacity for manufacturing to around 78 lakh vials per month. ALSO READ: COVID-19: Amid shortage, Remdesivir being black marketed on OLX (Edited by Vivek Punj) Patna, April 20 : 202 police personnel have been infected with Covid-19 while five, including a sub-inspector and inspector, have succumbed to the virus in Bihar so far while performing duty, an official said on Tuesday. Following the surge of cases in the frontline warriors, DGP S K Singhal has come up with fresh guidelines for the police personnel of the state. Sources said that the guidelines have come after the Bihar Police association had written a letter to the DGP on Monday raising concerns over the health security of the police personnel. "We have informed the DGP about the health issues of the policemen and challenges they are facing while being on duty. So far, 202 police personnel have been infected with the virus of which many are struggling to get a bed in the hospitals," said Mritunjay Kumar Singh, president of Bihar Police association. "There were several complaints that the DGP was not responding to the phone calls so we sent messages on Whatsapp group and have also written a letter asking him to take initiative for the treatment of police personnel," Singh said. "On Monday, Triloki Nath Rai, a sub-inspector deployed in Motihari and Jaydev Bhagat, inspector deployed in a special branch in Patna, died due to Corona. On Tuesday, Raj Kishore Prasad, inspector of GRP at Keul railway station also died due to Corona infection," Singh added. Besides this, a large number of police personnel and their family members are infected with deadly virus despite taking the second dose of vaccine. Among infected officials, several are of DSP rank officers. The officials are either in home isolation or fighting for their lives in the hospitals. As per the fresh guidelines issued by the DGP, every police personnel have to wear a face mask and follow the social distancing. Unnecessary entry of outsiders in police stations, posts and other offices has also been banned with immediate effect. "Only genuine persons are allowed to go inside after thermal screening and sanitization. If Covid symptoms are found in any police personnel then they have to be in quarantine. The authority will have to make arrangements for the officials who are Covid positive and living in the police line. The authority can utilize lesser utility buildings to develop a quarantine centre inside the premises," Singhal said referring to the guideline. "The IGP or DIGP have been appointed as nodal officers to take care of the infected police personnel and arrange medical treatment for them. We have deployed DSP rank officers at DIGP, IGP and DGP control room to coordinate with them," the guidelines said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A kitchen porter has described the desperate battle with a terrorist who went on a knife rampage at a prison rehabilitation event in London. Usman Khan murdered two people and stabbed three others at Fishmongers Hall, before being chased onto London Bridge by men wielding makeshift weapons including a fire extinguisher and narwhal tusk. Lukasz Koczocik was putting up Christmas decorations in the staff area of the venue when a colleague ran in shouting that someone had been stabbed on 29 November 2019. Mr Koczocik, who is Polish, told the inquests into the attack that he ran upstairs to check what was happening and see whether anyone needed first aid. I saw three men holding different objects, including a chair and a sign, throwing them and trying to defend themselves from someone, he said. Mr Koczocik could not see who the men were fighting until he moved further into the reception area, and saw Usman Khan standing in the middle of the room armed with two knives. He was fighting with those men, he was defending himself from the objects that were hitting him, the witness added. A man took the chair and really with a lot of strength hit him in the head. I was expecting [Khan] to fall down but he didnt. Another porter, Dmitri Anishenko, described the struggle as a battle and said that although Khan was struck with enough force to break the chair, he did not fall or drop his knives. Mr Koczocik said he was shocked by the scene and momentarily froze, before following the group as the fight moved towards Fishmongers Halls grand staircase. For some reason I decided to grab the boarding pike that was on the wall, he recalled, describing a long wooden spear with a metal end. I decided [Khan] had got to be hurt. The porter tried to jab Khan in the face but he batted the pike away, and Mr Koczocik then took aim at his stomach. Usman Khan and Saskia Jones talking at a Learning Together event at Fishmongers Hall before he launched his attack (Metropolitan Police) I hit him but it didnt do any damage, he added. I heard some metallic noise coming from my hit and I thought he had some armour or something like that. The pike is believed to have hit Khans fake suicide vest, which he concealed under a large jacket before launching his attack. Mr Koczocik said the terrorist, who had taped a large knife to each hand, then grabbed the pike and used it to pull him closer. He cut me in the hand and to the shoulder and then it becomes blurry, he added. I dropped the pike because he cut my tendon in my hand so I couldnt grip it. The porter, now unarmed, described backing away as Khan came towards him, before other men ran in wielding a narwhal tusk and fire extinguisher. Jeffrey Stevelman, a butler at Fishmongers Hall, described seeing Mr Koczocik fighting Khan amid absolute chaos as chairs and objects were thrown at the attacker. He said Khan backed into a doorway as he came under attack, comparing the situation to a Mexican standoff. It seemed like everything stopped, he told the inquest. He backed off, shouting call the police. He opened his jacket and said Ive got a bomb and then I saw the vest. The fake suicide vest Fishmongers Hall terrorist Usman Khan was wearing (Met Police) Mr Stevelman said he believed the suicide vest, which was later confirmed to be a decoy, was fake but could not be sure. It didnt look real to me but thats hard to say, he added. In that split second, none of it seemed real. Mr Koczocik fell back after being disarmed and stabbed, but the men wielding the narwhal tusk and fire extinguisher forced Khan back towards the entrance to Fishmongers Hall. Andrew Ransom, a maintenance engineer at Fishmongers Hall, told how the terrorist held a knife to his chest and ordered him to open the f***ing door. I paused because I thought about what would happen if he gained access to London Bridge and the people outside who had no idea what was going on, he said, but a colleague shouted for him to let Khan out and he complied. Mr Ransom and another man then threw themselves against the door to make sure it automatically locked, as Khan turned around and bashed on the window. But the knifeman was not allowed back into Fishmongers Hall and walked down the steps on to London Bridge. Mr Koczocik followed the terrorist out, shouting a warning to people passing by that he was armed with a knife and to get away. Khan was then chased and pinned to the ground by attendees of the event and members of the public, before being shot dead by armed police. The inquest has been shown photos of Mr Koczocik shouting warnings to the public, while blood was dripping from his wounds onto the steps outside Fishmongers Hall. He was later evacuated for medical treatment. Inquests being held at Londons Guildhall are examining the circumstances of his victims deaths, including Khans preparations and monitoring after he was released from prison following a terror sentence. A separate inquest will follow in June to examine the circumstances of Khans death. MPs Say UK Should Send Aircraft Carrier Through Taiwan Strait The UK should send its aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait amid increasing tension in the area, according to some British MPs. However, experts have mixed views on how significant the gesture would be. A British carrier is set to be deployed late next month to the Indo-Pacific region as part of a UK-led freedom of navigation operation. The long-anticipated voyage has been heralded as a warning against Beijings bullying of its neighbours in the South China Sea. Robert Clark, a defence researcher at the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), said that the strategic messaging the carrier will send by going to the South China Sea is important. If the Chinese regime is allowed to further its claims in areas such as the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands, it will only further embolden them to go further and farther afield into the third island chain, for instance, which includes U.S. and British territory, Clark told The Epoch Times, adding that it would give Beijing the ability to shut down important sea lanes, which the entire global economy really rest upon. Beijing has stepped up military activity near Taiwan recently, as it tries to force the government in Taipei to accept Beijings claims of sovereignty. Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the UKs Defence Select Committee, and former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Telegraph that they think the Carrier Strike Groupled by the UKs HMS Queen Elizabethshould sail through Taiwan Strait on its way to Japan. Ellwood said that it would otherwise diminish the purpose of the operation, which is to stand up to the authoritarianism of China. MP Tobias Ellwood speaking during the Veterans Mental Health Conference at Kings College London on March 14, 2019. (Gareth Fuller/WPA Pool/Getty Images) James Rogers, co-founder and director of research at think tank the Council on Geostrategy, said he believes that Taiwan is less of an area of contention. The South China Sea is where China has made a number of illegitimate and unlawful claims, both in relation to various fake and artificial islands China has built on coral atolls, but also this establishment of a so-called strait baselines around a number of existing Chinese islands to extend the perimeter of Chinas maritime claims which are not considered to be legitimate by the international community through the UNCLOS agreements, Rogers told The Epoch Times, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. That is where the area of contention is, and where the freedom of navigation must be upheld. In other areas, it is less contested. So it depends on perspective, he added. According to The Telegraph, HMS Queen Elizabeth will steer clear of the Taiwan Strait to avoid provoking the Chinese regime, although this has not been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence. Map showing China, Taiwan, and the Taiwan Strait. (Central Intelligence Agency) Clark told The Epoch Times that the UK remains purposefully ambiguous regarding the Taiwan question to maintain leverage. He said that going through the Taiwan Strait would be an overt political message of support, but its a message the UK should send. There is no legitimate reason why the UK cant do this, Clark told The Epoch Times on Friday. And really, it should, in the face of increased Chinese belligerents towards Taiwan. Clark said that the Chinese regime continually seeks to dictate in the maritime domain, such as the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and increasingly into the South Pacific. Taiwan Strait is actually [a] part of the South China Sea. Its an extension of that belligerent Chinese behaviour, where it feels that it can pretty much do what it pleases, Clark says. And this is a sizable and significant way that the UK-led Carrier Strike Group can actually counter that, and mitigate it, and really hold Chinese actions to account a bit more than just continually allowing them to almost bully and dominate its regional partners, including Taiwan. Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a five-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines, on March 12, 2018. (Romeo Ranoco/Reuters) HMS wouldnt be the first warship to go through Taiwan Strait if it is to do so. French frigate Vendemiaire has passed through the strait in April 2019. As a result of the passage, France was uninvited to a naval parade to mark the 70 years since the founding of Chinas Navy, and Beijing said it made stern representations with France for what it called an illegal passage. Clark said that the precedent has made it easier if the UK opt to make the move, and theres plenty of international waters between the Exclusive Economic Zone for Taiwan and China, where the Carrier Strike Group can transit through legally and justifiably under the UN convention law, the Law of the Sea. However, Clark also recognised that passing through the Taiwan Strait will trigger a Chinese reaction, which he said he couldnt speculate, and that its hard to say how welcoming Taiwan would be to the idea. Thats something that the UK has got to seriously think about if they did go through the Taiwan Strait, and obviously communicate that well in advance with Taiwan, in order to mitigate the potential Chinese backlash against both the UK and Taiwan, he said. Besides Vendemiaire, two Royal Canadian Navy ships also sailed through the Taiwan Strait on June 18, 2019. Gray Sergeant, a China expert from the HJS, said that apart from sending a warship through Taiwan Strait, a move which he considers to be largely irrelevant, there are other ways for the UK to help Taiwan. The UK and its allies should be working to reduce Taiwans diplomatic isolation and help make the countrys economy more resilient. In this respect, the precise route of the HMS Queen Elizabeth is neither here nor there, Sergeant said on Monday in an email to The Epoch Times. He said that efforts would be better spent supporting Taiwans bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, as this would help Taiwan reduce its dependency on China for trade, which in turn would weaken Beijings ability to economically punish or coerce the Taiwanese people. Reuters contributed to this report. Three members of the Dail Rural Independent Group have said they are profoundly alarmed at the decision by KBC Ireland to exit the Irish banking market. Deputies Carol Nolan, Mattie McGrath and Michael Collins were speaking after KBC Ireland CEO Peter Roebben confirmed that the bank is negotiating the sale of its loan book to Bank of Ireland and that it is also divesting its non-performing, or bad loans. In a joint statement the three Rural TDs noted: In December 2018 we engaged in a peaceful sit-in protest at the KBC branch on Baggot Street in Dublin in order to highlight the banks distressing lack of engagement with customers in arrears and those who were having trouble making repayments. We followed that up in January 2019 with a meeting with senior representatives from KBC where we again highlighted the fact that many of the companys customers felt like they were being driven to the brink in terms of the aggressive and relentless debt collection strategies that were being employed. Now we have the news that KBC is intent on selling its loans to Bank of Ireland while it will also be seeking to sell on its so called non-performing loans, most likely to vulture funds as no other bank will touch them. As always, the central problem here revolves around exactly what criteria the bank will use to determine what is or is not a non-performing loan. The vast majority of customers make meaningful and constructive engagement with banks; yet they are still being categorised as non-performing because they cannot meet the unrealistic and harsh repayment conditions that are being imposed upon them. KBC say that all of this will be subject to regulatory and Government approval. Our view is that this firmly places the next move squarely in the government's court. Irish customers cannot be left to the mercy of a vulture fund feeding frenzy. However, with the exit of Ulster Bank and now KBC it appears that it is open season on the struggling Irish mortgage holder, farmer and small business. This government better get its act together and make a stand for the Irish customer, because to date the evidence is simply not there to suggest that there is anything like the kind of political spine needed to prioritise their interests over those of the vultures. A rideshare driver is accused of assaulting a woman in Boston last week, according to authorities. The woman entered the Boston Police Departments District 14 station in Brighton on April 14 to report she was assaulted by the driver, officials said. Detectives from the departments Sexual Assault Unit were able to identify the driver, 25-year-old Sonpreet Singh, and obtain an arrest warrant for him, according to a statement from the department. Singh went to District 14 three days later to surrender himself, police said. The Somerville man was arrested on a straight warrant for indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. He will be arraigned in Brighton District Court. [April 20, 2021] State of Qatar Supporting World Central Kitchen to Benefit Communities Across the U.S. Qatar's Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, is proud to announce that the Embassy will join forces with Chef Jose Andres' nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) to donate more than 27,000 meals across the United States during the month of Ramadan. The Embassy's donation to World Central Kitchen will support its mission of using the power of food to nourish communities and provide comfort and hope during times of crisis and beyond. Ramadan is a revered month, a time of prayer, reflection, and giving back. These donations are integral to the belief that Ramadan serves as a reminder to care for members of the community who may be struggling or have fallen on hard times. Giving back is especially important as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year. While Ramadan is largely recognized as a time of fasting and prayer, it is also a time to help the less fortunate, to reach out and ensure the well-being of others. "Ramadan is a very special time for the Muslim community. It represents a season of giving and charity. We are honored to partner with Chef Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen to join in their ongoing pursuit of food security for communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," said the Ambassador. "Our hope is that bycreating greater awareness of those in need, we will inspire others to do the same and participate in the tradition of giving." WCK, a nonprofit typically devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters, is working across America to safely distribute individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support. These meals are available for families and children and are delivered directly to at-risk communities and seniors who cannot venture outside. To date, WCK has provided over 36 million meals in more than 400 cities as part of its COVID relief efforts. "At World Central Kitchen, we believe that a plate of food is so much more than just a meal - it is hope and dignity, our way of saying that we care and we will be here for each other in this difficult time. This generous support from the Embassy of Qatar and His Excellency Ambassador Meshal will help us to provide tens of thousands of meals to communities in need as we continue to fight hunger together," stated Chef Jose Andres, founder of WCK. About the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the United States The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, D.C. houses Qatar's diplomatic mission to the United States. The primary purposes of the Embassy of Qatar are to highlight Qatar's policies on regional issues, strengthen Qatar-U.S. bilateral relations, and to assist Qatari citizens who travel or live in the U.S. The current Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States of America is His Excellency Sheikh Meshal Bin Hamad Al-Thani. About World Central Kitchen Founded in 2010 by Chef Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has created a new model for disaster response through its work helping devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. WCK has served more than 50 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including The Bahamas, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Venezuela, and the United States. WCK's Resilience Programs in the Caribbean and Central America have trained hundreds of chefs and school cooks, advanced clean cooking practices, and awarded grants to farms, fisheries and small food businesses while also providing training and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005826/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hong Kong said it would ban flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines for two weeks starting on Tuesday after detecting its first local case involving a variant of the coronavirus. A man who tested positive on Friday, after returning from Dubai and then completing his mandatory 21 days of quarantine, is the Asian financial hubs first case outside quarantine found to carry the N501Y spike mutation. This change appears to help the virus bind to cells and occurs in several variants that have spread rapidly around the world, including B.1.1.7, first detected in Britain. On Sunday, a friend the man had stayed with after quarantine also tested positive for the virus, with a preliminary positive for the N501Y mutation. Though other residents of the building tested negative, the authorities ordered about 80 of them to quarantine at a government facility. The N501Y mutation has been a focus of the Chinese territorys efforts to keep out coronavirus variants: The India, Pakistan and Philippines travel bans came under a policy announced last Wednesday blocking flights from any country whose Hong Kong arrivals yielded more than five positive tests for the mutation within seven days. In the neighboring Chinese territory of Macau, the quarantine requirement for arrivals from India, Pakistan and the Philippines was extended on Monday to 28 days from 21. Floyd, 46, died May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead. I want to be more of an uncle to my sons. Legally, the boys have three uncles: Uncle X, Uncle XX and my husbands brother, Uncle Not X. All three have kept a safe distance from our family, approximately the width of one continent. Semi-legally, it gets a little murky. Two dads. No moms. Birth brothers in other adoptive families. There are no rules, so the Fisher-Paulsons have made them up: The adoptive sister of your adoptive brothers birth brother can be your cousin. This makes the father of your adoptive brothers birth brothers sister your uncle. But again, these uncles have also kept a somewhat safe distance approximately the width of one bay. So, weve invented a few relatives for our chosen family: My husband, Brian, chose me, and I chose him back. The boys chose us, and we were adopted. Since then, Buddyboy, Bandit and Queenie each chose the Fisher-Paulsons as their rescue humans. Which brings us back to uncles. The going price for an uncle title in the outer, outer, outer, outer Excelsior is pretty low: about three movies. Uncle Payo earned the honorific by setting up the outdoor Christmas lights. Uncle David earned it by dating Uncle Payo. At first, Zane thought all our adult neighbors were uncles, so Dorla became Uncle Doya and her dog was called Uncle Sparky. For a while, they called the bovine on top of Susans house Uncle Roof Cow. The boys have even made up their own titles. When Zane picked out a stuffed bunny for Aunt JJs granddaughter Sierra, he reasoned that were halfway between cousin and uncle. Well call ourselves Cruncle Zane and Cruncle Aidan. But Uncle Jon is our alpha uncle. He babyproofed the Bedlam Blue Bungalow before the triplets even moved in. Hes never missed a birthday, Christmas or graduation day. Except during the pandemic, this guy has shown up for movie night every Saturday for 17 years, consuming more than 800 buckets of popcorn while sitting through Catwoman, Son of the Mask, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Dirty Grandpa. For this alone, Uncle Jon will spend no time in purgatory. I dont get to join on the uncle fun, though; I must tend to the serious business of parenting. Weve hit a rough patch during the teenage years. Aidan swore up and down hed done his homework, until we got his report card with straight Ds. Zane secluded himself for almost three straight nights alone in his room with his iPhone listening to music he was sure I would not like. When I knocked on the bedroom door, he asked Who is it? Daddy, I said. Rolling his eyes, Not Daddy. Dad. Get it right. This is why fathering is a verb but uncling is not. Fathering is work. Uncles get to take a Saturday off. So, is it any wonder that this father wants to cry uncle? I want to be the happy relative. I want my job to be about joy. I want to be an uncle to the boys, the way I am an uncle to Queenie, Bandit and Buddyboy: the indulgent guy who takes them on long walks and feeds them treats. Uncles seem to have more fun. You can bet Uncle Fester never changed a diaper. You can bet Uncle Buck never had to figure out algebra homework. The only time an uncle gets in trouble is when he tries to parent: Uncle Bill in Family Affair. Uncle Donald Duck. Just to name a few. No, the smart uncles take their nephews out for Mitchells Grasshopper Pie Ice Cream and then drop them off before the blood sugar surges. But pigs make the best bacon. I am what I am: Dad. Not Daddy. Not Uncle. I may not get weekend afternoons watching Godzilla movies, but at least I know that uncles eventually go back to their own houses. As a dad, Ill be there forever. Some nights its a burden; most days its an honor. Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com Leader of the Reclaim Party, Laurence Fox, at the launch of its party manifesto for the London mayoral election in Parliament Square, central London. (PA) Laurence Foxs plan to reduce knife crime if elected mayor of London has been branded idiocy by a legal expert. The Lewis actor, who earlier this year announced his candidacy in May's election, said he would bring in five-year jail sentences for anyone caught with a knife on the streets. But the Secret Barrister - an anonymous lawyer who has written extensively about systemic problems in the justice system - has slammed Foxs strategy. The lawyer tweeted on Tuesday: Mayors dont have the power to set minimum sentences. Read: Company director jailed and wife fined for pushing cyclist off bike Parliament has the power to set minimum sentences." The Secret Barrister shared one of Foxs posts which showed a video of the mayor candidate speaking to people on the streets in Sutton about knife crime. Fox wrote: People want see an end to Khan's crime capital. "As your mayor, anyone caught carrying a knife will be given 5 years in prison or have to spend 5 years making their community a better place. Its your London. Reclaim it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. But the Secret Barrister said that what Fox was proposing would not be effective in combating knife crime. The unknown writer said: Speaking as someone who has actually met criminals, a minimum sentence of 'FIVE YEARS IN PRISON or a community order' is unlikely to be the deterrent you think it is. The Secret Barrister added: I appreciate the country has probably had enough of barristers bashing Foxes, but this mans idiocy needs knocking on the head. *FETCHES KIMONO* It comes as knife crime in London soared to record-high levels over the last few years. Incumbent mayor Sadiq Khan has been severely criticised for his track record of combating the problem during his time in City Hall, leading to knife crime becoming one of the key talking points in this election. Watch: Laurence Fox on COVID jabs, lifting lockdown and 'woke' Sadiq Khan Andy Cook, the outgoing chief constable of Merseyside Police, recently told the Guardian that cutting poverty and inequality is the best path to reducing crime, including knife crime. Story continues Asked what he would do if he were given 5bn to cut crime, Cooke said he would prioritise reducing inequality and deprivation by putting 4bn into tackling poverty compared to 1bn into law enforcement. He said also said that simply trying to scare people into not offending does not work, citing the US approach that has led to ridiculous prison sentences as deterrence, and all they end up doing is building more prisons, and you dont see reduction in firearms crime or a reduction in murders over there. Why do people get involved in crime and serious crime? Its because the opportunities to make money elsewhere arent there for them. And never more so than in our inner cities and in our more difficult to police areas, he added. Fox, who has sparked fierce criticism over his views in the past, made a late entry to the mayoral race as head of the Reclaim Party. His campaign calls for an immediate end to lockdown and pledges to offer a voice to those who are being dominated into silence and combat extreme political correctness. Fox is running against Labour mayor Khan and Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey - the two main candidates in the race to City Hall. Read more: Was your local area one of 140 to report zero COVID deaths last week? Revealed: Hundreds with fake COVID certificates trying to enter UK every week Khan is focussing his campaign on recovery from COVID, protecting jobs and opposing austerity. He is also launching a review into the legalisation of cannabis. Meanwhile, Bailey is pledging to tackle crime, improve the transport network and making home ownership in the capital more accessible. Other candidates include Valerie Brown, running under the banner Burning Pink who plans to abolish the role if elected. Jeremy Corbyns brother Piers, who questions the existence of COVID and climate change, is running for the Let London Live Party. Luisa Porritt is running for the Liberal Democrats and Sian Berry is running for the Green Party. The election will also see the return of intergalactic space warrior Count Binface, formerly known as Lord Buckethead, as a political candidate. Watch: Tory London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey justifies manifesto plans STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Its honeybee swarm season, according to Nick Rozak, a Staten Island bee keeper, and owner of Green Stinger Trading. Rozak keeps beehives in Stapleton, Rosebank, New Brighton and Port Richmond. We got our first reported bee swarm on Staten Island (Sunday), said Rozak. Swarming bees are relatively harmless despite their scary appearance, but if you find one near your home, they should be removed due to the likelihood of them moving into your house or car. Rozak recommends not spraying the bees and calling him or a beekeeper for professional removal. First, do not panic and just leave them alone, said Rozak. The bees form a huge cluster to protect the queen bee and to regulate the temperature of the cluster. Swarms that form clusters are simply resting as scout bees go out looking for a new home. They are not planning to stay at that location for more than a few days at most. Most of the bees you are looking at are so bloated with honey and other resources that they can not physically use their stingers nor fly correctly. Rozak says he or any beekeeper will safely remove the bees from your property and relocate them into a new home. Do not spray them and do not call an exterminator, he says. If you do call a good exterminator, they will call a beekeeper, anyway. If they are not so good, they might attempt to kill them and charge you for it. This beehive swarm was removed recently by beekeeper Nick Rozak, owner of Green Stinger Trading, Stapleton. (Courtesy Nick Rozak) SAVE THE BEES! The recent decline of bees and other pollinators threatens U.S. crop yields and is a risk for global food security, according to a recent study. Most of the worlds crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination, so declines in both managed and wild bee populations raise concerns about food security. We all need to help restore the bee population and they need your help as much as we need them to survive, added Rozak. In New York City, beekeepers try to remove all the swarms we can because there is very little natural habitat left for them, the chance of them dying or moving into an attic or garage is very high. When a beekeeper applies for a NYC Beekeeping permit, we all agree to help remove these swarms. If you dont call a beekeeper soon enough and bees to move into you walls and start building a new hive, that will be a totally different removal that will cost you. WHY DO HONEYBEES SWARM? Honeybees are a super organism that can only survive in colonies, or hives. Swarming is how honeybees create new hives, said Rozak. Once or twice a year a healthy hive will split in two, create a new queen and send the old queen away with half the bees to form a new hive somewhere else. Seeing honeybee swarms in your neighborhood a great sign that your environment is improving and that the bees are healthy, the plants are healthy. This beehive swarm was removed recently by beekeeper Nick Rozak, owner of Green Stinger Trading, Stapleton. (Courtesy Nick Rozak) According to Rozak, the location of the cluster is very random normally in a tree. But on Staten Island, it could be on the side of your house, on a car, a bike or patio umbrella, he said. Once a beekeeper sees the swarm and decides the location is safe to work (i.e., not on an electric wire or traffic light), the beekeeper will set up a box and try to shake most of the bees into the box. Once most of the bees are in a safe box, the beekeeper waits, sometimes until after sunset for all the scout bees to come back so the bees can be transferred to the box as well. The bees will know that the queen bee has moved into the box and will naturally follow her in. Once the Beekeeper feels all the bees are in the box and not flying anymore, we will transport them away and set them up in a local apiary, said Rozak. If you find a honeybee swarm, call 311 or 911; the NYPD has an official beekeeper that will safely remove them, but if the bees are in a safe location using a local Beekeeper is preferred. Rozaks bee removal is free. He may be reached at (347) 267-9095 or GreenStingerTradingCo@gmail.com. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Scientists have developed a new biomaterial that regrows blood vessels and bone, potentially providing a single-stage approach when repairing large bone defects. The study, led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and SFI AMBER Centre, is published in the Journal of Controlled Release. Previous RCSI-led research had found that activating a mechanosensitive gene, called placental growth factor (PGF), at different doses promoted bone regeneration and grew new blood vessels. Using this knowledge, the researchers developed a biomaterial that delivers PGF at different concentrations. Inspired by the natural way in which bone defects regenerate, the biomaterial first releases a high dose of PGF, promoting blood vessel growth, and follows it with a more sustained lower dose, which promotes bone regeneration. When tested in a pre-clinical model, the biomaterial successfully repaired large bone defects while also regrowing blood vessels. Current biomaterials that promote both blood vessel and bone growth typically require using more than one therapeutic drug, which means designing a more complex system that faces more challenges. Furthermore, drugs that have been approved for use in the clinic have been controversially associated with dangerous side-effects, highlighting the need for new strategies. "More testing is needed before we can begin clinical trials, but if proven successful, this biomaterial could benefit patients when repairing bone defects by providing an alternative to current systems," said Professor Fergal O'Brien, the study's principal investigator and RCSI's Director of Research and Innovation. "In addition to repairing bone defects, our approach to regenerative medicine executed in the study provides a new framework for evaluating regenerative biomaterials for other tissue engineering applications. We are now applying this concept of 'mechanobiology informed regenerative medicine' to identify new therapeutics in other areas, including cartilage and spinal cord repair." The biomaterial was developed by researchers from the Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) based at RCSI and the SFI AMBER Centre. Their work was supported by the Irish Research Council, the EU BlueHuman Interreg Atlantic Area Project, the European Community's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under European Research Council Advanced Grant agreement n 788753 (ReCaP) and the Health Research Board of Ireland under the Health Research AwardsPatient-Oriented Research Scheme. "By using a mechanobiology-informed approach, we were able to identify a promising new therapeutic candidate for bone repair and also determine the optimal concentrations required to promote both angiogenesis and osteogenesis within a single biomaterial," said Dr. Eamon Sheehy, the study's first author and researcher in TERG. "The regeneration of large bone defects remains a significant clinical challenge, but hopefully our new biomaterial will continue to prove beneficial in further trials." Explore further Researchers develop new biomaterial that helps bones heal faster More information: Eamon J. Sheehy et al, Mechanobiology-informed regenerative medicine: Dose-controlled release of placental growth factor from a functionalized collagen-based scaffold promotes angiogenesis and accelerates bone defect healing, Journal of Controlled Release (2021). Journal information: Journal of Controlled Release Eamon J. Sheehy et al, Mechanobiology-informed regenerative medicine: Dose-controlled release of placental growth factor from a functionalized collagen-based scaffold promotes angiogenesis and accelerates bone defect healing,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.03.031 Provided by RCSI NEWPORT NEWS, Va., April 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division reached a major milestone on the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of USS George Washington (CVN 73). Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, sailors ate the first meal prepared in the galley in the nearly three years since it arrived at Newport News. The opening of the crew galley is one of the last significant steps before the first 1,100 sailors are expected to move aboard in June. George Washington has gone through a transformation since it arrived at Newport News for the mid-life refueling overhaul and maintenance availability, said Todd West, Newport News vice president, in-service aircraft carrier programs. The crew beginning their move aboard and the reopening of berthing spaces and galleys, all supporting our nearing completion of the RCOH, is a sign that the ship is being brought back to life. We look forward to continuing our work with our Navy partners to redeliver the ship to the fleet. A photo accompanying this release is available at: https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file/cvn-73-galley. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is in the final stages of testing, which is designed to exercise all aspects of the propulsion plant systems and will certify the systems and components for future operations over the next 25 years of service. The RCOH is more than 85% complete, and the ship is on track to be redelivered to the Navy in 2022. Huntington Ingalls Industries is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HIIs Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HIIs Technical Solutions division supports national security missions around the globe with unmanned systems, defense and federal solutions, and nuclear and environmental services. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 42,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit: HII on the web: www.huntingtoningalls.com HII on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries HII on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hiindustries HII on YouTube: www.youtube.com/huntingtoningalls HII on Instagram: www.instagram.com/huntingtoningalls Contact: Duane BourneDuane.A.Bourne@HII-co.com(757) 380-3581 Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Monday urged the federal government to allow states to exploit their respective minerals and pay royalty to the central government. Mr Wike made the call when Uchechukwu Ogah, the minister of state for Mines and Steel Development, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt. The governor said the call became pertinent because the federal government which unilaterally controls the countrys rich mineral endowment has failed to translate the mineral wealth into overall economic development. He said for the country to benefit from its vast mineral endowment, the federal government should concentrate on the formulation of policies that will facilitate an improvement in the governance of the mining sector to improve social welfare. The federal government is carrying so much load that they are not supposed to carry, allow states to develop these minerals and pay royalty to the federal government, that is the way its supposed to be, Mr Wike said. He urged the minister to push for reforms that will enable states and local governments to take charge of the mining of solid minerals in their domains and then pay tax to the federal government. It is very important for people to know that part of the problem in this country is that everybody is depending on oil, when we are also supposed to look at other minerals. Minerals play a great role in terms of raising revenue for any country, so our overemphasis on oil has reduced our impact on other minerals. If the country fully harnesses the gold deposit in Zamfara as well as other minerals in other states of the federation, the country will make a lot of revenue from these minerals that can accelerate development. The failed Ajaokuta Steel Company project would have helped to create thousands of jobs and also lift Nigeria to become a major player in the global steel industry, but for the failure on the part of the federal government, the governor said. The Rivers State Government, he said, was prepared to collaborate with the federal government to develop the mineral sector of the country. Mr Wike advised the federal government to stop playing politics with issues of economic development and strive to entrench the ideals of good governance in the country. Responding, the minister told the governor he is in the state to share with him the vision and policy focus of the federal government for the development of the nations solid mineral resources. Mr Ogah stated that his visit is to solicit for the support and partnership of the state government in ensuring the orderly and efficient exploitation of huge deposits of silica sand, glass sand and clay which are in the state for construction purposes and glass manufacturing. In addition, permit me to also remind you of the abundant sea salt yet to be exploited in Rivers as a state bordering the Atlantic Ocean, which might also be an interesting area for collaborative development, Mr Ogah said. He commended the governor for the peerless successes his administration. Your administration has accomplished its mission as seen in the massive infrastructures, cultural integration, provision of essential social amenities and many other legacy projects for the prosperity of Rivers State people and Nigerians living and doing businesses in the State, the minister said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT A snake catcher who started vomiting and convulsing within 10 minutes of being bitten on the thumb by his deadly pet tiger snake named Wesley Stripes says his wife's quick thinking saved his life. Ben Avery was feeding the reptile - which is the third most toxic in Australia - at his home in Redlands, in Brisbane's south-east, on April 8 when the hungry reptile launched out of its enclosure and grabbed his thumb. 'He was hungry and thought I was food, so it pumped all his venom straight into my bloodstream,' the father-of-two told Daily Mail Australia. Ben Avery (pictured) started vomiting and convulsing within 10 minutes of being bitten on the thumb by his deadly pet tiger snake Mr Avery was feeding Wesley Stripes (pictured) at the at his home in Redlands, in Brisbane's south-east, on April 8 when the hungry reptile launched out of its enclosure and grabbed his thumb The 38-year-old described his wife Melissa Avery, 39, as a hero who didn't panic, wrapped bandages around his entire arm within 30 seconds and called triple-0. 'If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead,' Mr Avery said. Within 15 minutes he was in the most excruciating pain of his life and started losing consciousness. Mr Avery was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital as his kidneys shut down and 'pretty much melted' from the venom. His platelets were so low he needed four blood transfusions over his 11-night stay in hospital, where he scored the record for the worst bite on record. 'I've known a lot of snake catchers who have been bitten and I don't know anyone who was out as fast as me,' he said. 'Doctors said that if I get bitten by one of those again, it's game over.' The hospital's toxicology team are now using his extraordinary close call as a case study for dealing with snake bites. The 38-year-old described his wife Melissa Avery, 39, (pictured together with child) as a hero who didn't panic, wrapped bandages around his entire arm within 30 seconds and called triple-0 Mr Avery was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital after being bitten on the thumb as his kidneys shut down and 'pretty much melted' from the venom Following the ordeal, Wesley Stripes will be rehomed where a highly-trained snake handler can take care of him. Despite the near fatal experience, Mr Avery insists he's still not afraid of snakes. 'We still have about 40 snakes,' he laughed. 'Eastern browns, coastal taipans - the works, but that's just because a few have babies at the moment.' He said the family normally have about 12 snakes they keep as pets, and sell the others. However, this arrangement is set to change. 'I won't be keeping venomous snakes anymore, I can't risk putting my family and friends through that again,' Mr Avery said. He's now set to undergo kidney dialysis for about four weeks, but is expected to make a full recovery. RSM Canada provides perspectives on proposed tax and economic measures TORONTO, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - RSM Canada, the leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market, issued key perspectives for Canada's middle market businesses following the tabling of today's federal budget. RSM Canada Logo (CNW Group/RSM Canada) As part of its highly anticipated budget unveiling, the Government of Canada laid out key tax policy changes aimed at creating new sources of federal revenue, including limits on interest payment deductions, a digital services tax on large technology corporations at a rate of three per cent of revenue, and a luxury tax on high-cost items. In a move to cool a hot property market, the government also announced plans for a tax on non-resident, non-Canadian owned vacant properties. The budget did not include any significant changes to personal taxes, nor did it include an increase in the GST or the creation of a wealth tax. "The deficit spending outlined in this year's federal budget hinges on full recovery of the Canadian economy over the next few years. It also leans heavily on new sources of revenue with new taxes that focus on a crack-down on tax evasion including a national tax on vacant property owned by non-Canadian non-residents, a luxury tax on big-ticket items and a digital services tax," explains Maria Severino, national tax leader at RSM Canada. Additional plans include robust new measures aimed at increasing fairness, such as: Enhanced reporting requirements Enhanced audit power for the Canada Revenue Agency Extended reassessment period in certain circumstances In addition, the government also laid out plans to continue support for small and medium-sized businesses, including: Extension of the wage subsidy (CEWS) and rent subsidy (CERS) programs Canada-wide hiring program to make it easier for businesses to hire back laid off employees or bring on new ones Canada Recovery Benefit extended Reform the current Employment Insurance (EI) program Alex Kotsopoulos, partner, projects and economics at RSM Canada added "With more than 200 new spending measures, including new and extended business aid programs and income support, Canada's small to medium-sized businesses remain at the forefront of our country's economic recovery. Support for them through programs like the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support recognize just how important these businesses are to creating jobs and growth." Story continues For more information about the Federal Budget's implications for Canada's middle market, visit the RSM Canada website and follow RSM Canada on LinkedIn. About RSM RSM's purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities through world-class audit, tax and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today's ever-changing business environment. RSM Canada LLP provides public accounting services and is the Canadian member firm of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with more than 41,000 people in 116 countries. RSM Alberta LLP is a limited liability partnership and independent legal entity that provides public accounting services. RSM Canada Consulting LP provides consulting services and is an affiliate of RSM US LLP, a member firm of RSM International. For more information visit rsmcanada.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and/or connect with us on LinkedIn. SOURCE RSM Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2021/20/c5241.html The Irish Catholic Association Leitrim branch have confirmed that the illegal gathering in Drumshanbo last Sunday, April 18 was a prayer meeting organised by them. Read: Gardai disperse gathering in Drumshanbo at the weekend Leitrim Gardai attended the scene of a religious gathering that took place on Sunday April 18, at Drumshanbo at 3.30pm. The gathering was in violation of the Health Act (Section 31A-Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No.10) Regulations 2021, as amended, which are currently in force. Gardai say they engaged with those present and a file will be prepared for the DPP. The Irish Catholic Association Leitrim Branch confirmed to the Leitrim Observer today, that they held a prayer meeting in Drumshanbo on Sunday last. In a statement issued to the paper today they said, "We were reported by member of the public to An Garda Siochana and a patrol car arrived as reported in the Garda Siochana press release. The Garda asked the secretary of the Leitrim Branch Sean Wynne that the meeting cease. This instruction was complied with. "The Irish Catholic Association was setup in the aftermath of the abortion referendum to highlight and campaign for family values which is under constant attack in the current society from many well organised quarters. As Matthew 10:28 say's "And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". "We live in an age of mass deception and we most all pray for those making these decisions." The statement concludes by saying that the branch await the decision of the DPP and will be making no further comment until this time. Read: Gardai disperse gathering in Drumshanbo at the weekend Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has donated 100,000 Euros to boost global efforts to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to anyone, anywhere, who needs them, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday Nigeria recorded 70 new COVID-19 cases and zero fatality on Monday, according to official figures. Monday thus became the seventh consecutive day that Nigeria recorded no fatality from the virus that has caused over 3 million deaths globally and over 2,000 deaths in Nigeria in the past year. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which provided the update, also said it has conducted 1,870,915 COVID-19 tests in the country of over 200 million people since February 27, 2020. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the health agency tested some 32,741 samples for the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past week; lower than the 34,997 tests conducted the previous week. The NCDC said that the 1,870,915 tests were carried out in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, since the beginning of the pandemic in the country. It disclosed that an additional 70 people across the country were affected, bringing the total number of infections to 164,303 as of April 19, 2021. It stated that the additional 70 infections were registered from five states Lagos with 27 infections, Kaduna and Ondo, 16 cases each, Yobe, six, and Bauchi, five cases. The public health agency said that additional 52 people have been discharged after testing negative to the disease, with no coronavirus related deaths reported as of April, 19, 2021. According to the data, the cumulative number of recoveries in the country is now 154,384, while the death toll stands at 2,061. The NCDC said, however, that the countrys active caseload increased by 18 on Monday, in addition to the 7,840 previously reported on Sunday. It noted that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, had continued to coordinate the national response activities in the country. It stated that since the start of the outbreak, the agency has worked tirelessly to achieve testing for the virus through the rapid expansion of laboratories across the country and increased surveillance activities. This has enabled the prompt detection of cases reported, even at our points of entry, it explained. The agency said that the reality of decreased transmission, test positivity rate and confirmed cases in the country do not mean that Nigerians should let their guard down. It said there is the need for a stricter adherence to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) such as; the proper use of face masks, frequent handwashing and maintenance of physical distance of at least two meters. Meanwhile, the agency said that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a step towards protecting yourself, your loved ones and fellow Nigerians. Its a step towards helping us finally get back to the things we love. As of today, all people aged 18 and above are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. We have real-world data that the COVID-19 vaccines work. One of the most important things we all can do to protect our loved ones and to get back to the things we love is to get vaccinated, it advised. ADVERTISEMENT Nigeria began vaccinating its citizens in March after receiving about 4 million doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Over one million people have, so far, been vaccinated. Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Advises Consumers of Free Process to Appeal Health Insurer Denials Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Advises Consumers of Free Process to Appeal Health Insurer Denials Media Contact: Laura Hall, 517-290-3779, halll17@michigan.gov Consumer Hotline: 877-999-6442, Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2021 (LANSING, MICH) The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is reminding consumers of an important free tool for consumers to appeal an insurers denial of a health insurance coverage decision or claim. Consumers may feel frustrated when their health insurance company denies coverage for a medical treatment or service, and they may not know that they have another opportunity to be heard if they are not satisfied with the results of the insurers internal appeal process, said DIFS Director Anita Fox. Michigans Patients Right to Independent Review Act (PRIRA) gives consumers the opportunity to have an external review of health insurance decisions to obtain the health care services to which they are entitled. When a health insurer decides that a health care service will not be covered, it will issue an official notification called an adverse determination. If a consumer disagrees with that decision, the consumer has the right to file an appeal. There are two levels of appeal: an internal grievance , initiated by the consumer with their health insurance company and; , initiated by the consumer with their health insurance company and; an external review with DIFS, which may be initiated after the consumer has gone through the health insurers internal grievance process or if the insurer fails to provide a decision within the timeframe required by law, which is 30 calendar days for a pre-service denial or 60 days for a post-service denial. Since 2019, DIFS has issued nearly 1,000 PRIRA orders to health insurance companies. For more information related to filing a request for an external review, contact DIFS 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 877-999-6442 or visit the DIFS PRIRA website. Consumers have 127 days after they receive the health insurers final denial to file a request for external review with DIFS. Consumers may request an expedited external review in situations where the normal PRIRA review timeframe could seriously jeopardize their life, health, or ability to regain maximum function. Expedited reviews require that the treating physician verify the necessity of expediting the external review and are conducted within 72 hours. The normal PRIRA process many take a significant period of time to be resolved. It is important that Michiganders know about PRIRA so that they can take advantage of this key consumer protection, said Fox. DIFS is first and foremost a consumer protection agency and we are always here to help answer questions or concerns that consumers might have related to their insurance or financial services. DIFS can help consumers with health insurance questions and complaints and can provide information about the current Health Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period that will be open through August 15. Contact DIFS Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-999-6442 or Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance. The mission of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services is to ensure access to safe and secure insurance and financial services fundamental for the opportunity, security, and success of Michigan residents, while fostering economic growth and sustainability in both industries. In addition, the Department provides consumer protection, outreach, and financial literacy and education services to Michigan residents. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/DIFS or follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. #### House rejects resolution to censure Maxine Waters for controversial comments on Derek Chauvin trial Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats came to the defense of Rep. Maxine Waters, rejecting an attempt by Republicans to censure the California Democrat for telling activists to get more confrontational if ex-police officer Derek Chauvin was acquitted in the George Floyd murder trial. Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the Civil Rights movement. I, myself, think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family, Pelosi said during an appearance on CNN Monday. Theyve handled this with great dignity and no ambiguity or lack of misinterpretation by the other side. No, no, I dont think she should apologize, the fellow California Democrat added. Waters faced a censure resolution from Republicans over comments she made at a protest in Minnesota Saturday in response to the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who had a warrant out for arrest and was shot by a police officer after he attempted to resist arrest last week during a traffic stop. The protest took place in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, not far from the location of the pending trial for Floyds murder in downtown Minneapolis. Were looking for a guilty verdict. Were looking for a guilty verdict. And were looking to see if all of this [inaudible] that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd, Waters, D-Calif., said at the protest, according to the Daily Wire. If nothing does not happen, then we know that weve got to not only stay in the street, but weve got to fight for justice. But I am very [hopeful] and I hope that were going to get a verdict that will say guilty, guilty, guilty, Waters continued. And if we dont, we cannot go away. Judge Peter Cahill, the judge presiding over the murder trial, was asked by Chauvins defense attorney, Eric Nelson, to declare a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct and Waters controversial comments. Nelson said the jury might be influenced by external factors that could affect jurors due to the inflammatory nature of the comments made just two days before closing arguments began. He moved for a mistrial on Monday, but the judge denied the motion. Cahill said he wished elected officials would not reference the case, especially in a way that is disrespectful to the rule of law. The judge called for lawmakers to let the judicial process play out as intended, according to Politico. Ill give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned, Cahill was quoted as saying. On Tuesday, a jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Many Republican members of Congress have accused Waters, 82, of inciting violence. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced he would introduce a resolution to censure Waters due to the confrontational comment if Pelosi did not take action. This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence, McCarthy tweeted. Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters behavior thats why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments. However, the House on Tuesday rejected the attempt to censure waters, according to The Washington Post. The vote to kill the censure resolution was along party lines: 216 to 210. Democratic leaders in the House called the censure attempt a ploy to turn attention from inflammatory rhetoric used by Republicans in Congress. I think its a totally phony effort to distract from what the Republicans know has been the rhetoric of so many of their members, which has in effect, aided and abetted and condoned violent activity, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R.-Ky., also criticized Waters' weekend actions. Its harder to imagine anything more inappropriate than a member of Congress flying in from California to inform local leaders, not so subtly, that this defendant had better be found guilty or else there will be big trouble in the streets, McConnell said, per Politico. Waters, who serves as the House Financial Services Committee chairwoman and has been a member of Congress since 1991, defended her inflammatory comments. She said during a Sunday interview on MSNBC that it is up to those who hold significant positions to stand up and call for justice when dealing with the criminal justice system. Waters previously faced backlash in June 2018 for calling on supporters at a rally in Los Angeles to publicly confront or harass members of the Trump administration. Lets make sure we show up wherever we have to show up, Waters said at the rally. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them theyre not welcome anymore, anywhere. Congressman Scott outlines path to equality in virtual conversation Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (top left) joined students, faculty and staff and other members of the local community on April 8. Faculty hosts of the event included Professor Vivian Hamilton, director of the William & Mary Center for Racial & Social Justice, and Professor Francis Tanglao Aguas (bottom left) and Professor Deenesh Sohoni, co-chairs of the Asian Centennial at William & Mary. Photo - of - Hide Caption Congressman Robert C. Bobby Scott spoke about efforts to redress longstanding racial and economic inequality and systemic racism in the United States during a virtual conversation on April 8 with students, faculty, staff and other members of the local community. The event was sponsored by the William & Mary Center for Racial & Social Justice, the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and the Black Law Students Association. A number of faculty welcomed Scott and the audience to the event including A. Benjamin Spencer, dean of William & Mary Law School; Vivian Hamilton, director of the William & Mary Center for Racial & Social justice; and Professors Francis Tanglao Aguas and Deenesh Sohoni, co-chairs of the Asian Centennial at William & Mary. Tolulope Olaniyan, a third-year law student, coordinated questions from the audience. The event was part of the ongoing observance of the Asian Centennial at William & Mary. The Centennial commemorates the enrollment in 1921 of Pu-Kao Chen, Class of 1923, who is believed to be the first student of Asian descent and the first international student of color to attend William & Mary. Aguas said the centennial offers the opportunity for celebration and reflection, and also is envisioned to be a platform to enhance the dialogue for diversity, social justice, inclusion, race, and racism at William & Mary. Scott, who is himself Afro-Filipino, told the audience that the discussion came at a difficult time for our democracy. The pandemic has disproportionately affected minority communities and exposed systemic inequalities, not only in healthcare, but in education, employment, criminal justice, policing, housing, and a lot of other areas, he said. Scott has represented Virginias third congressional district in the U.S House of Representatives since 1993. He has the distinction of being the first African American elected to Congress from Virginia since Reconstruction and is also the first American with Filipino ancestry to serve as a voting member of Congress. He sounded a warning that white supremacy and racial violence will smolder and continue to spread if ignored. The anti-Asian rhetoric of some American politicians and pundits has fueled a rising tide of hate crimes since the start of the pandemic, he said. Such rhetoric contributed to the mass shooting in Atlanta in March that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent. Those murders were evidence, he said, of the forces of discrimination and sexism that have been allowed to grow in our country and that have been given a platform by certain elected officials who are supposed to be looking out for the safety and security of all their constituents. Scott spoke about ongoing, multi-pronged efforts he has championed in areas such as education, housing, healthcare and employment to dismantle inequalities. Congresss ability to make progress in other areas such as criminal justice reform is not impossible, he said. But, he stressed, the threshold question is if we are going to follow the evidence and research or codify simple slogans and soundbites. He noted that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 sought to quickly address the disproportionate toll of the pandemic on lower-income people and children, and contained provisions, for example, that made the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to everyone in the country and provided funding to schools to ensure they could safely reopen. He fielded questions from the audience asking for his perspective on a range of issues, including the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act and calls to defund the police, D.C. statehood, student loan forgiveness and the ability of the Democratic Party to energize voters. Scott said it truly makes a difference who you elect to public office and how they vote. He quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. But, Scott, cautioned the audience, also dont forget that it doesnt bend by itself. Ole Anthony of Trinity Foundation, nemesis of televangelists, dies at 82 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Ole Anthony, president of the Dallas, Texas-based televangelist accountability group Trinity Foundation, and a small congregation that modeled itself on first century Christianity in lifestyle and mission, died at the age of 82, the church announced. Describing Anthony as a longtime nemesis of televangelists and a thorn in the side of prosperity gospel televangelists, his congregation, called Community on Columbia, said he died Friday, four years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. In 1972, Anthony and other Christian leaders founded the Trinity Foundation, a watchdog group that monitors religious fraud around the world, and he led it through the 1990s and 2000s on investigations and lawsuits against televangelists, including Robert Tilton, Benny Hinn and Jan and Paul Crouch. Anthony was also a founding member of a congregation that worked to help the Dallas homeless population in the 1990s and continues to help East Dallas families, according to The Dallas Morning News. He was also actively involved with the Community on Columbia, a church congregation that split off from the Trinity Foundation in 2010, taking over the Bible study and ministries to the needy, leaving the foundation to continue investigations and monitoring religious broadcasting. Both entities remained on good terms, and as long as his health lasted, Anthony remained an active part of both organizations, the congregation recalled, adding that he adopted the saying of Martin Luther, CRUX sola est nostra theologia, meaning The cross alone is our theology. In 2016, when Donald Trump was the Republican presidential front-runner, Anthony remarked that Trump was popular among prosperity preachers due to the worldly values he represented. The love of the world, of power, of recognition and credibility from the world. That appears to fit perfectly with the prosperity gospel, Anthony told The Christian Post at the time. The scriptures are clear if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The word love is from the verb form agapeo, which simply means giving importance to. Anthonys comments came in response to Mike Murdock, the televangelist leader of The Wisdom Center, who endorsed Trumps presidential campaign at the time. . In 2007, Anthonys foundation assisted the Senate Finance Committee in its national investigation of televangelist abuses, looking into financial statements and records of Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Allegations involved governing boards that werent independent and allowed generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls-Royces. Its about time some sanity is brought to these religious nonprofits, Anthony said at the time, according to The Tampa Tribune. Some are committing outright fraud, and its getting worse, not better, as time goes on. Anthony, who never married, was preceded in death by his sister, Sandra Anthony. He is survived by his nieces. He will be buried in St. Peter, Minnesota, and a memorial service has been scheduled for May 1 in Dallas, Texas. Solar power panels seen at Trung Nam Thuan Bac Solar Power Plant in the central province of Ninh Thuan. Photo courtesy of ACIT. The Trungnam Group has sold a 49 percent stake in a central Vietnam solar power plant to an electricity equipment manufacturer. The 49 percent stake, whose value has not been disclosed, has been bought by A Chau Industrial Technology, a manufacturer of electrical equipment that has been showing increasing interest in solar power development in recent years. It now operates five solar power plants nationwide. Trungnam, the HCMC-based group with interests in real estate, infrastructure and energy, had begun operating its VND5 trillion ($217.63 million) 204-megawatt Trung Nam Thuan Bac Solar Power Plant in Ninh Thuan Province almost three years ago. The plant could produce 450 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year with its 700,000 solar panels. However, the group had in early February requested intervention from the National Assembly and the government after the plants output was cut because the national grid was getting overloaded. It had said then that on January 31, the plants output was reduced by half to just 118 megawatts. The cut in output, effected by state-owned utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) that said it was a necessary step to ensure power stability, exerted intense pressure on Trungnam, with plunging revenues making it difficult to repay loans. Elizabeth Kolbert staff writer for the New Yorker and also the writer of the book "The Sixth Extinction," which won the Pulitzer Prize, gave a warning that the Earth is "very close to another mass extinction" in large part because of climate change. Kolbert was born in 1961. She is an American journalist, author, and she usually visits Williams college. Kolbert spent her early childhood in the Bronx, New York; her family then moved to Larchmont, New York, where she stayed until 1979. Major Mass Extinctions In the last 500 million years there have been about five major mass extinctions, Kolbert gave an explanation to Major Garrett, CBS News chief Washington correspondent in an interview for the episode of this week's "The Takeout" podcast. The world is presently in a "moment of a very increased rate of extinction," and if rates keep up at this high level, the earth could face an incident similar to dinosaur extinction in the near future. Kolbert said: "We are close to another major mass extinction unless we shift course dramatically. The question of how much we're in charge of it is pretty 100%. We have no cause to think we would be viewing these increased extinction rates were it not for all the ways we are altering the earth more rapidly than other species can develop, to adapt to." Also Read: Scientists Identified the Cause of the Biggest Mass Extinction on Earth Mass Coral Bleaching In February, a new book written by Kolbert named "Under A White Sky," was released. The book looks at some of the people who are making effort to reverse climate change effects by intervening in nature. One instance she cites is the team of scientists in Australia making attempt to produce "super coral" that can repel a hotter climate. There have currently been examples of mass coral bleaching because of climate change. "This is taking place more and more as our influence become greater and greater and the results become larger and larger," Kolbert said about the intervention of humans in the natural world. "We're highly faced with conditions where the choices aren't great." Kolbert also recognized that there is much importance to the conditions that have aggravated change in climate, like advancement in technology. Damages to the Earth She said It can be true that we as individuals and even that human society generally has gained from technology, and it can also be accurate that there are many dangerous consequences. Kolbert added that the key to reversing some of the damage to the earth is not "going to be faultless."We have to understand that there's a lot of destruction that's been done that's sort of baked into this system," Kolbert said. "We can abandon a serious problem for our children or we can abandon a disastrous problem for our children." Related Article: Mass Extinction Hits Australia With The Death of 13 Species For more news, updates about mass extiction and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! WINDSOR, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - In the early morning hours of April 15, 2021, members of Windsor Detachment Border Integrity, Marine Operations, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in collaboration with the Windsor Police Service Marine Unit and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) intercepted two American charter fishing boats on the Detroit River. RCMP Shiprider vessel (CNW Group/Royal Canadian Mounted Police) The marine operation was in response to public concerns about American fishing boats violating the Quarantine Act, the Customs Act and the Reopening of Ontario Act. Four charter fishing boats, registered in the United States, were observed operating on the Canadian side of the Detroit River. RCMP and Windsor Police Service patrol boats were able to intercept two of the boats while two fled back into United States waters. The fishing boats were escorted to a nearby port of entry and were subject to examination by Canada Border Services Agency officers. The Windsor Police Service issued violation tickets to ten individuals under the Reopening of Ontario Act for a total $8800. All ten individuals were identified as United States citizens and were subsequently served with a notice of Direction to Return to the USA by the CBSA under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Quarantine Act. The RCMP continues to work in strong collaboration with federal, provincial and municipal partners to secure our borders and address illegal activities. Twitter: @RCMPONT Facebook: RCMP.Ontario Instagram: rcmpontario YouTube: RCMPGRCPOLICE Website: RCMP in Ontario SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2021/19/c9565.html This month, Ghana fishing authorities have discovered hundreds of dolphins stranded on its beaches. This is the latest incident in a number of similar beaching incidents on the African coast that have been documented for the past year. Fortunately, there were a handful of survivors. About 38 of those washed ashore were still alive and authorities immediately set to work getting them back into the ocean. It has also sent the local fisheries commission scrambling to prevent locals from potentially scavenging the bodies for consumptions (or even to sell to underground wildlife markets). Deaths of Ghana dolphins still a big mystery Despite all investigative efforts, however, the causes of these various beaching incidents have been very elusive. Historically, much of the deaths that severely diminished the dolphin population near Africa's shores have been heavily blamed on its fishing industry. Still, the industry's culpability lay within its use of harmful gillnets, and not causing mass beach strandings. There is also another strange complication in this particular case: hundreds of dead fish had also washed up ashore alongside the dolphin carcasses. This put Ghana's fisheries commission on high alert, suspecting that some of the locals have already scavenged them for meat. In fact, not longer after, dismembered heads and tails of dolphins had begun washing up on shore. This was then followed by a local police report stating that a truck illegally transporting dolphin carcasses was just intercepted. More authorities are now on the scene to prevent further illegal activity. Also read: Dolphin Language Could Be Translated Using Artificial Intelligence By 2021 Ghana authorities ruling out chemical pollutants killing dolphins To date, there have been a number of theories based on the only known causes of dolphin beaching incidents. Most of these involve pod leaders suffering some form of illness and trauma, thereby misleading their group to wash up on shore. In the cases of Ghana though, there were no signs of such trauma being inflicted. The possibility of underwater oil drilling or disruptive shipping activity has been ruled out as well. Out of the other previous instances of dolphin strandings, the few causes ever surmised were weather related (such a sudden change in tides or water pressure). Some groups, however, think that the country's waste management crisis may have at least an indirect contribution to the declining quality of marine life in the area. Each year, significant amounts of textile garbage have been found clogging up the nation's beaches and these groups have been conducting more in-depth research between this problem and the impact it has had on local aquafauna. On the other hand, the Ghana fisheries commission has stated it has not found any contaminant in the water or in the bodies of the fishes and dolphins it has analyzed. And to be sure, they then requested that all locals who had consumed meat scavenged from the site are to undergo medical testing and treatment. Fishing activities in the area have also been suspended as further investigation is being conducted (while also preventing future instances of illegal scavenging and dolphin trafficking). Also read: 10 Disturbing Facts About Dolphins You'll Wish You Never Knew! (Natural News) More than 4,500 people converged in Tulsa, Okla., over the weekend to hear Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and dozens of other speakers talk about health and freedom issues. Nobody wore a mask at the event and nobody got sick or died, which just goes to show that Anthony Faucis Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic narrative is an absolute fraud. One would think that a superspreader event such as this would have resulted in dozens of new cases of the Chinese virus, especially since nobody was covering their mouth and nose with health-destroying plastic. Everyone was just fine, it turns out, even though there was plenty of face-to-face interaction, hugging, and other normal human activities. How can it be that event speakers and attendees were not dropping dead all over the place? If masks and distancing really do protect people against the Wuhan flu, then the place should have been a giant morgue. And yet those who were there are now healthier, it could be argued, than they were prior because engaging with other humans through interaction and touch is life-giving. Listen below as Adams tells all about what took place at the event, including behind-the-scenes observations about how people behaved. It was almost as if there was no plandemic at all during the event, which is exactly the point of all this. If the Chinese virus was really still a threat, everyone at the conference would now be sick or dead What seems to be clear at this point in time is that the plandemic only still exists within the minds of people who believe it exists. For everyone else, including all of the attendees and speakers at the Tulsa Health & Freedom Conference, life is as normal as it can be, all things considered. What the Tulsa Health & Freedom Conference proved is that Fauci is wrong. There is no need to continue living in fear about a scary, invisible virus, especially when the only people still getting sick or dying are those who recently got jabbed with a Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) injection. It is safe to say that few, if any, of the speakers and attendees at the Tulsa Health & Freedom Conference have been vaccinated. Most of them probably also never wear a mask unless forced to at Costco or on public transportation. Adams, by the way, drove to Tulsa in order to avoid having to wear a mask on a commercial airline. Rather than restrict his natural breathing, Adams chose to exercise his right to drive freely without a mask, and he is still alive and kicking despite disobeying Faucis orders. As word gets out about the maskless Tulsa Health & Freedom Conference, Faucis narrative will only further collapse. More Americans will come to the realization that they can safely remove the mask, hug their friends and family, and live their lives without fear. Adams also got the chance to speak behind the scenes with the Resistance Chicks about other elements of the Tulsa Health & Freedom Conference that attendees and viewers may not have seen. Be sure to watch below: You can also check out the latest Situation Update with Mike Adams to learn more about the event: As this writer has been saying all along, masks are nothing more than a symbol of slavery. They do not protect against viral transmission and if they did, scientists who work in top-level biosafety labs would ditch the full-body biohazard suits and simply slap on a face covering. To learn more about how to protect and defend your health freedom, visit HealthFreedom.news. Sources for this article include: Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com Brighteon.com Brighteon.com India: Family beaten, forced into home confinement for converting to Christianity Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian family in an indigenous community in eastern India was beaten and forced to remain confined in their home for months after converting to Christianity and were subsequently charged by police for breaching the peace and public tranquility. A woman, identified as Asha Korwa, and her family, who live in Khala village of Jharkhand states Garhwa District, converted to Christianity in early January and the harassment began soon after that, Morning Star News reported, noting that Korwa is a mother of two young children, ages 3 and 6. Taking about one of the earliest attacks on Jan. 31, she told MSN, The mob brought with them the village president, media and police officers. As the media clicked our pictures and videotaped the attack, the police watched as mere spectators. They did not stop the assailants or the media. The Christian woman said the attack took place around midnight and her husband, Sukender Korwa, and two children were also beaten. Police officers at Garhwa police station summoned my husband to the police station and told him that he has been held responsible for the breach of peace and public tranquility under Section 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Korwa was quoted as saying. They told him that nobody from my family will step out of the village and that, if necessary, they would take our entire family into custody. Korwa added, The first 10 days of February, we could not breathe in our own home. The police officers were stopping by to inquire if we have committed a breach of peace. They would go to our neighbors to take their report as to whether we behaved well. The family was also physically attacked on Jan. 22. Our house is very close to the main road, and they get annoyed by even the slightest of the noises that can be heard when we praise and worship, the woman said. On the day of the first attack on Jan. 22, a batch of strongmen from the community stormed into our home and started badgering us, Why are you shouting hallelujah? How dare you worship a foreign god! The villagers beat her husband and threatened to chase down and kill the family if they ever heard Christian worship from their home again. About 40 members of the Korwa community have put their faith in Christ, but they could not gather for prayers even during Holy Week. They worshipped secretly in their homes. Last month, a mob of about 70 people carrying weapons attacked a group of Christians who were praying at a believers home in Surguda village in neighboring Chhattisgarh states Bastar District, burning Bibles, destroying furniture and injuring at least six Christians, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported at the time. The persecution of Christians in tribal or indigenous communities in the two states is taking place amid radical Hindu groups campaign to stop the countrys tribal people from converting to Christianity. These groups have been demanding that the government ban those who convert from receiving education and employment opportunities. Most tribals do not identify as Hindu; they have diverse religious practices and many worship nature. However, the governments census identifies them as Hindu. Radical nationalist groups, which have been working in tribal-majority areas to compete with Christian workers, have influenced some groups among the tribal population. In three separate attacks in Chhattisgarhs Kondagaon district last September, tribal villagers vandalized 16 houses belonging to Christians from the same tribe and attacked at least one tribal Christian woman, forcing all-male family members to flee into jungles for safety at the time. The Christian men were able to return to their homes days later after the Bilaspur High Court passed an order in a Public Interest Litigation filed by 12 Christians to seek security for the displaced Christians. Since the current ruling party (Bharatiya Janata Party) took power in 2014, incidents against Christians have increased, and Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences, noted Open Doors World Watch List last year, which ranked India as the 10th worst country for Christians. The view of the Hindu nationalists is that to be Indian is to be Hindu, so any other faith including Christianity is viewed as non-Indian. Also, converts to Christianity from Hindu backgrounds or tribal religions are often extremely persecuted by their family members and communities, Open Doors said at the time. After allegedly threatening violence against a Japanese American Olympic athlete, a man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an elderly Korean American couple at a Southern California park, police say. Sgt. Phil McMullin stated that the 25-year-old man allegedly attacked the Korean couple who were in one of the evening walks. The Korean couple, ages 79-years-old and 80-years-old were doing their daily routine walk when they were approached, unprovoked, and punched both faces of the elderly. The assault put them on the ground of Grijalva Park on Sunday. Based on the Orange police's Facebook post, they arrested the 25-year-old man, Michael Orlando Vivona, for suspecting him of elder abuse and committing another hate crime. But it was not immediately disclosed if he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. According to the Associated Press, the Korean couple was treated right away at the scene and cleared for any serious injury. The suspect was surrounded by individuals present at the scene as he was wearing the same clothing in an earlier attack. The individuals at the park also made sure that the suspect will be arrested as they waited for the police to arrive. In addition, Sgt. McMullin stated that the attack was racially motivated as the victim has a hate tendency or fixation with Asians. Authorities also confirmed that it is not the first time that Vivona was involved in the same situation. Vivona also yelled at an athlete who will represent the United States in the karate competition at the summer Olympic Games. The athlete was identified as Sakura Kokumai, who at the time was working out in preparation for the upcoming international game. The incident was recorded by the athlete on her cellphone. Vivona was caught yelling the word 'Chinese' to Kokumai and even threatened to assault her. The suspect had a Corona address. However, McMullin stated Vivona appeared to be living out of his car and was not known to Orange Police. ALSO READ: California Lawmakers Push New Gun Tax Amid Surge in Mass Shootings Furthermore, the arrest was a result of recent reports of violence against Asian Americans in several communities, which include vandalism, assaults, and snatchings. Some activists have blamed the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in the city of Wuhan in China, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Rampant Hate Crimes On the other hand, a man from Fullerton has been charged after he threw rocks at an Asian woman and her 6-year-old son. The victims were driving down a street in Orange County City on March 31. The windshield of the woman's vehicle was damaged, but both of them were not hurt. The county district attorney's office stated in a news release that the man shared to the police that Koreans in the area were trying to control him. He has pleaded not guilty to felony charges. Meanwhile, last month, the Orange County Board of Supervisors passed two anti-hate crime resolutions to resolve the hike in racial crimes, especially against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Orange County Human Relations Commission also stated that these crimes increased more than ten times in the past year. RELATED ARTICLE: Seven-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Shot Several Times While Waiting in Line McDonald's Drive-Thru WATCH: Man attacks Korean-American women in California; calls her "nuclear terrorist" - Arirang News [April 20, 2021] Cision's 2021 Global State of the Media Report Reveals Top Trends Impacting Journalists and PR Pros - Global Survey of 2,700+ Journalists Provides Surprising Insights and Tips for PR Pros - Public Trust and Freedom of the Press Remain Key Concerns for Journalists - Cision to Host Free, Virtual State of the Media Summit Featuring Speakers from Leading News Organizations and Corporate Brands TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ -- With a seemingly infinite supply of crises, 2020 made an indelible mark on newsrooms around the world with a host of challenges that continue to influence the media today from editorial strategies and work behaviors to what they want and expect from PR professionals. To provide deeper insight into the current media landscape and how PR teams can be better partners to journalists going forward, Cision released its much-anticipated 2021 Global State of the Media Report, chock full of emerging trends you can't afford to ignore, best practices for an evolving normal and "aha" moments you can act on quickly. Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8882651-cision-2021-state-of-the-media-report/ View the full report. This is Cision's 12th annual study and is based on a survey of more than 2,700 journalists in 15 countries around the world from February 1 to March 1, 2021. The report features: Top challenges impacting the media today Technology's influence on the way journalists evaluate stories The types of stories journalists are looking for this year Best and worst days and times to pitch and follow up Fastest ways to get on a journalist's "block/don't call" list Inside tips to build and maintain successful partnerships with journalists Key Findings: Journalists' views on public trust in the media have steadily improved over the last five years, but the challenge continues. More than half (53%) of journalists feel the public lost trust in the media over the last year, down from 59% in Cision's 2020 survey.* Looking specifically at the U.S., where contentious relationships between the White House and certain media outlets were aired publicly over the last four years, 36% of journalists feel the new Presidential administration will help the public gain trst in the media going forward. More than half (53%) of journalists feel the public lost trust in the media over the last year, down from 59% in Cision's 2020 survey.* Looking specifically at the U.S., where contentious relationships between the White House and certain media outlets were aired publicly over the last four years, 36% of journalists feel the new Presidential administration will help the public gain trst in the media going forward. Censorship remains a significant concern. Nearly half (46%) of journalists worldwide predict a continued deterioration of freedom of the press over the next three years.* Nearly half (46%) of journalists worldwide predict a continued deterioration of freedom of the press over the next three years.* Journalists are both overwhelmed and underwhelmed by pitches. PR pros need to build highly targeted media lists. More than 1 in 4 journalists (28%) receive over 100 pitches per week with most ending up in the virtual trash due to irrelevance. And, contrary to popular belief, a sizeable percentage say they like receiving pitches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. PR pros need to build highly targeted media lists. More than 1 in 4 journalists (28%) receive over 100 pitches per week with most ending up in the virtual trash due to irrelevance. And, contrary to popular belief, a sizeable percentage say they like receiving pitches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Journalists want PR pros to help make their jobs easier. Nearly half of journalists cover 5+ beats and file 7+ stories per week. They're looking for press releases (according to 78%) and original research (68%) along with multimedia elements (photos, videos, etc) and invites to interview experts or attend events. Nearly half of journalists cover 5+ beats and file 7+ stories per week. They're looking for press releases (according to 78%) and original research (68%) along with multimedia elements (photos, videos, etc) and invites to interview experts or attend events. PR pros need to anticipate, monitor and quickly act on trending stories. With increased competition for eyeballs, journalists are closely assessing whether a story idea has the "it factor" that will translate into traffic and social shares (and ultimately ad revenue). With increased competition for eyeballs, journalists are closely assessing whether a story idea has the "it factor" that will translate into traffic and social shares (and ultimately ad revenue). PR pros should avoid pushing journalists' biggest buttons. Spam, pitches that sound like marketing brochures, lack of transparency and following up repeatedly are among the top pet peeves for journalists. Maggie Lower , Chief Marketing Officer for Cision. "After a year like no other, the partnership between the media and PR pros and the technologies they use to develop and distribute content are becoming even more critical. PR teams who are not actively using data intelligence and newswires to guide and promote their campaigns are at risk of falling behind as they compete to have their stories heard." Cision is hosting its first-ever State of the Media Summit on May 11th and 12th, featuring a who's who lineup of speakers from leading news organizations and brands. The agenda is jam-packed with actionable insights, best practices and tech tips for PR pros. Register for the webinar. Methodology Cision conducted its 2021 State of the Media Survey between February 1 and March 1, 2021. Surveys were emailed to Cision Media Database members, which are vetted by the company's media research team to verify their positions as media professionals, influencers and bloggers. The survey was also available to media professionals in the PR Newswire for Journalists database. This year's survey collected responses from 2,746 respondents in 15 countries across the globe: US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia. *Certain data points, identified in the report, didn't include APAC markets due to variations in questions asked. About Cision As a global leader in PR, marketing and social media management technology and intelligence, Cision helps brands and organizations to identify, connect and engage with customers and stakeholders to drive business results. Cision, a network of over 1.1 billion influencers, in-depth monitoring, analytics and its Falcon.io social media platform headline a premier suite of solutions. In addition, Cision has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brandwatch. Cision has offices in 24 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC. For more information about Cision's award-winning solutions, including its next-gen Cision Communications Cloud, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter. Press Contact: Mary Lorenz Communications and Content Lead cisionpr@cision.com SOURCE Cision Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The results support the companys view that the Swedish project is a skarn system, not a volcanogenic massive sulphide system as previously thought. A new, 20,000-metre drilling campaign is underway with two diamond rigs in action and a third being mobilised. Ltd ( ) has returned shallow, high-grade assay results from the first drill holes at its Greater Falun Copper-Gold-Silver Project in Sweden. AQI shares jumped 10% to 11.5 cents in early Tuesday trading on assays of up to 3.7% copper and 2.3 g/t gold, which are consistent with Alicantos geological model and highlight the potential for an extensive mineralised system. The results come from Alicantos now-completed 4,000-metre drilling campaign at the project, which kicked off in October last year. Further assays are pending, and an expanded 20,000-metre drilling program is underway. Immense potential Alicanto managing director Peter George said the results built on the immense potential of the Greater Falun project. These are genuinely high-grade results and they are an outstanding start to our exploration campaign, he said. Our geological model, which is based on extensive mining history in the area, our detailed mapping and now these initial drilling results shows there is potential for a large system with areas of very high-grade mineralisation. Skarn v VMS George said the assays were particularly important because they supported Alicantos belief that the project was a skarn ore deposit, rather than a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) system as previously thought. Both skarn and VMS are types of hydrothermal mineral deposits, ie, accumulations of valuable minerals formed through hot water circulating in the Earth's crust through fractures. However, recent multi-faceted studies undertaken by Alicanto are leading company geologists to believe that Greater Falun is a good example of a tight skarn system with a strong polymetallic character, which could explain the deposits copper-gold rich nature with massive limestone and skarn being preserved in the southern parts of the deposit. The grades point to the potential for an extensive mineralised system, they are shallow and they support our view that Greater Falun is not a VMS as long thought but is actually a skarn-hosted system, George said. This is a major breakthrough because it shows we are on track to crack the code, which could open the door to a world-class system. Next steps Alicanto has begun a 20,000-metre drilling campaign with two diamond drill rigs in action and a third being mobilised to the Sala deposit. It will follow up on the multiple outcropping granitic intrusions or heat engines delineated in the previous drilling, believed to be the drivers of the proximal skarn mineralisation. Structural folding of the newly defined stratigraphic sequence is creating bonanza style widths at Falun, with the potential also seen in the most recent drilling and field mapping within the Greater Falun project. We expect to have a far more detailed picture of the project over the next few months, George added. - Daniel Paproth Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao joint ventures strike gold in Greater Bay Area Xinhua) 15:06, April 20, 2021 Aerial photo taken on Aug. 18, 2020 shows the Hengqin Port. The new port has facilitated travel between Macao and Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, and boosted development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) GUANGZHOU, April 19 (Xinhua) -- It takes just 3 patacas (about 38 U.S. cents) and half an hour for Macao resident and apprentice lawyer Cheung Sze-yuen to travel to work in Zhuhai, a city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). His employer, ZLF Law Office, is the first joint venture law firm in the country comprised of law firms from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. It is situated in an innovation park in the Hengqin New Area. Every workday, Cheung takes a bus from his home in Macao to the park, and walks to his office after passing clearance. Cheung Sze-yuen (left), a Macao resident and an apprentice lawyer at Zhuhai-based ZLF Law Office. (Xinhua/Xu Hongyi) "The booming GBA is where I can learn and earn more," he said. Having passed the national bar exam, known for its extremely low pass rate, he hopes that he can put what he's learned into practice in the mainland. ZLF has four lawyers registered in the mainland, 11 in Macao and 16 in Hong Kong. According to its website, the company is an innovation in legal services cooperation between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao under the practice of "one country, two systems." The company provides one-stop legal services not only for people in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, but also caters to the diversified legal needs of those facing various legal systems in other countries and regions. The firm's turnover has continued to grow since its establishment more than four years ago. More and more mainland enterprises are going global under the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Chen Yi, director and a senior partner of ZLF. Mainland lawyers know the laws of the mainland, while Hong Kong and Macao lawyers are more familiar with foreign laws and international rules, which highlights the advantages of ZLF. "We are optimistic about the GBA market and have full confidence in the integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the development of the country," she said. Just steps away from the law firm sits the country's first company jointly operated by construction professionals from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao -- Huazhong United Design and Consulting Co., Ltd. Its director Yan Shu said that thanks to the integrated development of the GBA, they have successfully implemented Macao and Hong Kong engineering models in the mainland, opening doors to the vast market for construction engineering professionals from the two special administrative regions. Yan Shu, director of Huazhong United Design and Consulting Co., Ltd. (Xinhua/Xu Hongyi) In September 2019, Zhuhai passed the country's first local regulation allowing professional enterprises and professionals in the field of construction engineering from Hong Kong and Macao to provide direct services. Yan was one of the main drafters of the regulation and its chief consultant. "The introduction of this regulation has attracted great attention from the engineering industry in the GBA, especially in Hong Kong and Macao. Within a year, more than 100 professionals and dozens of professional enterprises from Hong Kong and Macao have registered and practiced in Hengqin." Subsequently, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and other GBA cities have introduced similar regulations, and more and more Hong Kong and Macao professionals have come to the mainland to provide services and explore the markets. "The industrial structure of Macao is relatively simple. Thus the recognition of qualifications, enabled by those regulations, allows a broader development space for young people in Macao," said Wu Chou-kit, chairman of the Macao Institute of Engineers and a director of Huazhong. "I believe that starting from the construction industry, more young people will come to the GBA for development. This is an opportunity to promote Macao's industrial diversification, and it also gives Macao's young people a brighter future," he said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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The Prime Minister is understood to be preparing to commit to cutting emissions by 78% by 2035 compared with 1990 levels, in line with the recommendations of the UK government's climate advisers. The announcement is scheduled to be made ahead of a major US summit on Thursday, where President Joe Biden is expected to set out a new US target for reducing emissions. It would mark a significant step forward on the current UK commitment to cut emissions by 68% by 2030 a already seen as one of the most ambitious plans among developed nations. But environmentalists said it would make the government's GBP27 billion road building scheme and airport expansions even harder to justify, and that measures to slash emissions from homes and transport should already be under way to deliver the commitments. The new target is in line with the advice of the Climate Change Committee, published last year, for the government's sixth carbon budget. It would put the UK on track to meet its legal goal of a 100% cut by 2050, or "net zero", which requires cutting emissions to as close to zero as possible and taking steps such as planting trees to offset any remaining pollution. It is expected to include emissions from aviation and shipping for the first time. In its report, the committee said setting its recommended target for 2035 would effectively bring forward the UK's previous commitment to get to an 80% reduction by 2050 by 15 years. To meet the target, the committee said that there would have to be more electric vehicles, an extension of offshore wind power generation, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption and the planting of new woodland. The pending move comes at a time when the government is anxious to give a clear lead on climate change in the run-up to the international Cop26 talks the UK is hosting in Glasgow in November. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said that ministers would be making an announcement "shortly". For Labour, shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said the government had repeatedly failed to match ambitious promises on emissions with effective action on the ground. "While any strengthening of our targets is the right thing to do, the government can't be trusted to match rhetoric with reality," he said. "We need a government that treats the climate emergency as the emergency it is. "This year, as hosts of Cop26, the UK has a particular responsibility to lead the world and show the way forward for a greener future. This Government isn't up to the task." Greenpeace UK's head of politics, Rebecca Newsom, said the announcement could be the boldest pledge in the week of the US summit, which is expected to see a number of countries increase their ambition on climate action. "This major shift in gear from the government makes destructive projects like new road building and airport expansion even harder to justify. "Targets are much easier to set than they are to meet, so the hard work begins now. "In order to actually deliver on this commitment, new measures to slash emissions from homes and transport should already be well under way. "So unless the government's policies urgently fall in line with its ambitions, there could still be awkward questions for Boris Johnson at the global climate talks in the autumn," she said. Ed Matthew, campaigns director for the climate change think tank E3G, said an ambitious emissions reduction target would boost the UK's diplomatic efforts to persuade other countries to do the same. "The UK now has the opportunity to spark a global green industrial revolution, but ultimately its credibility will rest on action. "It must now put in place the policies and investment needed to achieve the target. That is the mark of true climate leadership," he said. source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The Journalists Association of New York, a nonprofit organization that advocates for radio, television and print journalists from dozens of news media organizations and colleges throughout New York state, is calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to immediately cease his recent practice of closing all of his public appearances to the press. This practice is an affront to the public that the governor serves; that public is represented by journalists when they are covering the activities of elected officials. Since allegations of sexual misconduct became public in late February, the governor has held numerous public events in which he has made announcements around the state, but he has refused to allow journalists to attend any of them. The effect has been that the governor has not had to answer questions from journalists in person. The governor has cited COVID-19 restrictions as reason for many, but not all, of these events being closed to the press. Most have been held in large facilities or outdoors where social distancing protocols could easily be followed by journalists, just as they were by the invited guests who have attended. We are taken aback that New York journalists who have been on the front lines covering COVID-19 for a year and cover communities across the state have seen their access curtailed. On a sunny Tuesday morning, Terry Johnson, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area, watched as workers attached boards over shattered windows and doors lining the front of a club in Northeast Portland. The night before, protesters calling for racial justice caused nearly $20,000 in damage to the club, which houses services for mostly Black and brown children and families in Portland. We totally understand the need to protest and all of the systemic issues that exist in our country around criminal justice reform, around police brutality and system oppression, Johnson said. But we ask protesters to make sure theyre considering our mission and the work we do in Black and brown communities, because our mission work is part of that protest. The organizations Blazers Club, which is closed Tuesday as it undergoes repairs, was one of several buildings damaged during Monday nights protest, which saw about 80 people marching from Woodlawn Park to the Portland Police Bureaus North Precinct. Last nights event was one in a string of recent protests that have culminated in vandalism and police declaring an unlawful assembly. After 9 p.m., protesters began marching south along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard toward the North Precinct, across the street from the Blazers Club. Along the way, some in the crowd smashed windows and caused damage to a Popeyes restaurant, a U.S. Bank building and an ATM. As they marched, Portland police warned people to not engage in criminal activity and that they could be subject to arrest, use of force and munitions. Police declared an unlawful assembly just before 10 p.m. and ordered the crowd to disperse to the north. After standing briefly outside the North Precinct, the crowd eventually began marching south along MLK, with some people causing damages to a Natural Grocers. The group turned onto Prescott Street before dispersing, police said. Portland police arrested Emma Lightstone, 27, and Emily Keppler, 27, and charged both with one count each of criminal mischief. Lightstone was also charged with participating in a riot. Portland police have said the bureau is discussing and planning for the possibility of sustained civil unrest in the coming months similar to what the city experienced last year after the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Just after 2 p.m. Tuesday, a Minneapolis judge announced a jury had found former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three counts, second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter charges in Floyds death. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency lasting 24 hours that would allow him to impose a curfew, close city streets and take other extraordinary measures should widespread political unrest occur. The mayor also said the city of Portland would have the state police and National Guard on standby. A significant threat to our ability to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic towards a more equitable and inclusive Portland is the group of 100 or so largely white, self-described anarchists who engage in the criminal destruction of our economy and our confidence, Wheeler said. They stand in stark contrast from those who stand for meaningful change and racial justice that is sorely overdue. An open letter signed by 38 Black protesters and addressed to the larger Portland Protest Community was published Tuesday in We Out Here Magazine, calling on protesters to stop doing damage to us, our communities, and our resources. Over the last year we have watched as people have profited from and damaged our movement without our consent or approval, the letter states. Actions that neither increase solidarity nor broadcast purpose while making the lives of local Black communities more difficult are not acceptable. For Johnson, the hope of residents and business owners in Northeast and North Portland is that these protests dont cause further damage to their neighborhood. Look at the history of Northeast Portland and North Portland and how its been gentrified over the years and the effort to bring more Black and brown families back to this community, Johnson said. When we damage businesses locally it has a direct impact on the local economy, and it impacts jobs for this community as well. We need to protect and care for the community instead of tearing it down. Pump jacks used for gas and oil extraction are seen over the Monterey Shale formation in Lost Hills, Calif., on March 24, 2014. (David McNew/Getty Images) Republican States Block Natural Gas Bans As initiatives to ban natural gas ramp up in some U.S. cities, especially Democrat-led cities, a growing number of Republican-introduced bills are seeking to preemptively quash any such bans on a statewide level. Berkeley, California, was one of the first cities to implement a natural gas ban. Some cities in Washington, New York, and Massachusetts have followed suit. Most bans prohibit natural gas hookups in new construction only, but some have goals to gradually implement the bans in existing homes. Iowa and Kansas passed state laws this month to prohibit their cities from imposing natural gas bans, following the example of Arizona, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Louisiana last year and earlier this year. Several other midwestern states have introduced similar bills. We are preventing folks from interfering with the free flow of energy at market prices, and we are preventing cities from interrupting local decision-making at the family levels, Republican Iowa House Representative Jon Jacobsen told The Epoch Times. He is the one who introduced Iowas bill against natural gas bans. Although cities in Iowa and Kansas havent explicitly moved to ban natural gas yet, the state bills were introduced preemptively. Some cities in those states have strong renewable energy goals, and the fear is that those goals will inspire gas bans. In Iowa Des Moines, the largest city in Iowa, has committed to a 100 percent carbon-free grid by 2035. But the city is not planning to ban natural gas to achieve it, said City Councilmember Josh Mandelbaum. In Des Moines, a number of new houses are built without natural gas hookups just because thats what the customers want. You dont need to ban it to move things in that direction, he told The Epoch Times. He said, however, that he wouldnt rule out a ban either. He thinks Jacobsens bill was pushed by gas industry lobbyists. Jacobsen said he is not against renewable energy, but coming from a financial investment background, he said he believes in the diversification of assets. You dont put all your eggs in one basket, he said. Thats precisely what we need to do in our energy policy. In Kansas Republican Kansas State Sen. Mike Thompson proposed the bill that passed this month preventing future natural gas bans in the state. He led the move after the City of Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas, adopted the goal 0f 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. Thompson felt Lawrence would likely try to ban natural gas in the future, so he took preemptive action. These policies are ideologically driven, and theyre cutting off their nose to spite their face, he told The Epoch Times. This is all part of the movement for the Green New Deal. We try to stem that tide from happening in Kansas. He said low-income residents would be hurt by the likely rate volatility caused by natural gas bans. He pointed to backlash against bans from low-income communities in California. The bans there have met with bipartisan resistance. Partisan Lines Democratic California Assemblymembers Jim Cooper, Blanca Rubio, and Patrick ODonnell wrote a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission last year, as quoted by Natural Gas Intelligence. They asked the Commission to consider energy affordability and reliability for low-income residents as it moves toward renewable energy. Cooper said in an interview with The Power Hungry Podcast in December, The growing ban natural gas chorus has become more aggressive. He said some of the lead environmentalists making the call, however, have not talked enough about the impacts on consumers struggling with utility costs. It appears their belief is cost increases should not be a determining factor with regard to approval of new energy policies, because the need to address climate change trumps all concerns. In Indiana, where a bill to quash gas bans is awaiting consideration in the House, Kerwin Olson, executive director of the environment-focused Citizens Action Coalition, told The Epoch Times, This is hyper-partisan reactionary politics, based on fear of the clean-energy transition and the change that comes with it. Exports of UK beef remained well down in February compared to a year before, according to the latest trade data from HMRC. The UK exported 4,200 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef in February, 59% - or 6,000 tonnes - less than the same month a year ago. A 21% fall in the average price of these exports brought the total value of shipments to 10.3 million, down 68% year-on-year. However, UK beef exports were up a staggering 81 percent on January volumes. After the exceptionally low level of trade in January, exports to most markets rose compared to the previous month. The largest growth in volumes were seen in shipments to Ireland, Hong Kong and France, the data shows. However, compared to February last year exports were lower to most markets, with shipments to the EU down 78% at 1,700 tonnes. Hannah Clarke, AHDB livestock analyst, explained: "Shipments to Ireland (-2,300 tonnes) and the Netherlands (-1,700 tonnes) accounted for the majority of the overall fall. Volumes also fell to France, Poland and Italy. "One of the few countries to receive more beef from the UK during February was the Philippines, with volumes up 76% year-on-year at 570 tonnes. "More beef was also sent to South Africa, Senegal and Liberia." For imports, the UK took in 11,600 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef in February, 40% (7,600 tonnes) lower than the same month a year ago and 7% lower than January 2021. Lower imports from Ireland accounted for the majority of the overall annual drop, with Irish volumes totalling 8,700 tonnes for the month. Volumes from Poland and the Netherlands also fell, by 28% and 42%, respectively. "While volumes fell, the average price of imports rose by 11% year-on-year in February," Ms Clarke explained. "This meant total imports were valued at 49.7 million, down 33% from a year ago." Flash Iran on Monday urged the United States to move away from the anti-Iran policies imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump to help advance the current nuclear talks underway in the Austrian capital of Vienna. "If the United States decides to distance from Trump's failed legacy and to live up to its commitments, the consultations will advance easily," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly press conference. Khatibzadeh also called on the U.S. government to lift sanctions and adhere to its obligations. Iran's decision to scale back from some of its nuclear commitments "will only stop when the United States lifts sanctions, and we can verify them," he added. FLINT, MI -- The Genesee County Sheriffs Office is set to hold a public unveiling this week of its new education facility for former Genesee County Jail inmates with a felony on record. The unveiling will be held at 5601 North Saginaw Street during Sheriff Chris Swansons 1 p.m. weekly news conference on Wednesday, April 21. The new facility is an expansion of the departments IGNITE program, which aims to break the cycle of generational incarceration negatively affecting families and communities. The program is made possible in partnership with Mt. Morris Consolidated Schools. The idea behind the program is simple, Swanson said: make sure inmates that leave the jail dont come back. In jail, the program gives inmates the option to not only earn their GED, but enroll in college courses, earn a food and beverage certification and obtain a Commercial Drivers License. The new facility will provide aftercare for inmates after they are released from jail and a second chance, Swanson said. Im not interested in making better inmates. Im interested in making better people so they dont make decisions that make them ever come back, he said. Were paying $2.2 billion at the state level for prisons and, at the county level, from $32 to $65 a day per inmate to house people. Thats a cost that all of us pay. So if we were to reduce that because the populations not committing crimes, everybody wins. The expansion is made possible through a partnership with community pastor Ronnie Wiggins, a former inmate, who is granting the sheriffs office his building. Related: New facility to provide education for any former Genesee County Jail inmate with a felony The facility will be able to offer 12 trade programs not available in the jail. Programs that will be offered through this facility include cosmetology, barber classes, an automotive program, HVAC, an electrician program, plumbing, welding, quality control, carpentry and financial literacy classes, he said. Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and other counseling services will also be available. IGNITE has been touted as the first program of its kind in Michigan. In addition to offering education in certain trades, the expansion since September has included opportunities for career awareness, using multiple platforms to show inmates career options they didnt know existed otherwise. Many government programs people start and they, over time, just kind of go by the wayside, Swanson said, noting that he will not let IGNITE lose momentum. After reviewing the building, Swanson said he anticipates further people and organizations will reach out to partner with IGNITE. Programming is expected to begin next month, he said. Anyone looking to get involved in IGNITE may call dispatch at 810-257-3422 or leave a message at 810-257-3407. Read more on MLive: Ive got a second chance at life: Genesee County celebrates IGNITE graduation of three inmates New inmate education program hopes to end generational incarceration Flint man becomes first Michigan inmate to get ServSafe certified in jail Another goal to achieve: Former Flint inmate describes life anew as community cook Weeks after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was criticized for not having a single Black member, its former president sent out an email critical of the Black Lives Matter movement and its leadership. In the email obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Philip Berk, who served eight terms as president of the Golden Globes organization, shared a post on Sunday that called Black Lives Matter a racist hate movement and described its co-founder Patrisse Cullors as the self-proclaimed trained Marxist. The article emailed by Berk took issue with Cullors buying a $1.4 million home in Topanga Canyon a year after race rioters burned buildings and terrorized communities. The house is down the road from one of the homes involved in the Manson murders which seems only appropriate since Manson wanted to start a race war. And Black Lives Matter is carrying on Mansons work, the post stated. It was emailed by Berk to the associations members, staff and the groups general counsel and chief operating officer, Gregory Goeckner. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the association distanced itself from Berk, saying Since its inception, the HFPA has dedicated itself to bridging cultural connections and creating further understanding of different backgrounds through film and TV. The views expressed in the article circulated by Mr. Berk are those of the author of the article and do not in any way shape or form reflect the views and values of the HFPA. The HFPA condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and hate speech and finds such language and content unacceptable. Berks email comes a month after the association pledged to make transformational change and retained a strategic diversity advisor, as well as an outside law firm to audit and review its policies and membership requirements and bylaws. More recently, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association reached out to the National Association of Black Journalists and NAACP and is expected to announce a set of reforms on May 6. None of the groups 87 members are Black and there has not been a Black member in its ranks in nearly 35 years, according to the advocacy organization Times Up. Join AHF and other advocates for the launch of a new global call to action to urge world leaders, vaccine manufacturers and public health organizations in a VOW to provide equal access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. Call to action will kick off starting this week with global multimedia advocacy and newspaper ad campaigns, followed in the coming weeks by press events in Bangkok, Johannesburg, London, Sao Paulo and Washington, D.C. If the immorality of vaccine rationing doesn't bother you, the danger it poses to the world should With the vast majority of countries tragically behind in securing enough-or for some, even any-COVID-19 vaccines for their citizens, it is painfully clear that the world needs an urgent and innovative call to action to have a real chance at defeating the global pandemic. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care and treatment worldwide, is spearheading a global initiative calling on governments, vaccine manufacturers and international public health institutions to 'VOW' to protect humanity and provide equal access to COVID-19 vaccines and "Vaccinate Our World!" The 'VOW' call to action kicks off this week with a multimedia advocacy campaign, which will be followed in the coming weeks with formal and/or virtual press events in Bangkok, Johannesburg, London, Sao Paulo and Washington, D.C. This ambitious but achievable 'Vaccinate Our World' call to action includes five primary tenets: The global COVID-19 vaccination effort must secure $100 billion from G20 countries, It must produce and provide seven billion vaccine doses worldwide within one year worldwide within Companies and governments must waive or suspend ALL COVID-19 vaccine patents during the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccine patents during the pandemic, Countries must also be 100% transparent in sharing information and data, and finally, World leaders must also promote far greater international cooperation as the driving force for ending the pandemic, not continue with politics as usual. "If the immorality of vaccine rationing doesn't bother you, the danger it poses to the world should. Even though wealthy nations said at the start of the pandemic that everyone would get vaccines, low-income countries have received less than one percent of the total 773 million worldwide doses that have been administered," said AHF President Michael Weinstein. "We've exceeded 140 million worldwide COVID-19 cases and more than 3 million deaths globally. Meanwhile, wealthy countries selfishly hoard vaccines, and experts predict it will likely take until the end of 2022 to get lifesaving doses to the world's most vulnerable populations. That is unacceptable NO country will be safe until every country is safe and every ember of the COVID-19 wildfire is extinguished. The world must collectively VOW to end this pandemic by taking all necessary steps to 'Vaccinate Our World' now!" World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently remarked that 87% of the more than 700 million vaccines administered globally have gone to high-income or upper-middle-income countries, while low-income countries have received a mere 0.2%. High-income countries have vaccinated on average 1 in 4 people, whereas only 1 in more than 500 people in low-income countries has received a COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to securing sufficient funding for vaccine procurement, vaccine production must be increased worldwide, and access to patents should be free-flowing to allow for the rapid scale-up of production. Ending the pandemic will also require much more information sharing and cooperation between nations-including removing self-imposed restrictions on vaccine exports for those countries with a surplus. Leaders from the G20 and global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank must also VOW to step up their contributions immediately. "There is hard work and heavy lifting to be done but with a world united we can, and must do it," added Weinstein. "Nations around the globe have spent trillions of dollars in fighting the novel coronavirus-and lost trillions in productivity and with their economies devastated. $100 billion is a small price to pay to protect everyone on the planet with lifesaving vaccinations. World leaders, vaccine manufacturers, international public health organizations and everyday citizens-we all must VOW together to 'Vaccinate Our World' if we're truly going to defeat this pandemic." "Vaccinate Our World" will launch this week, beginning with advocacy on social media and via other public awareness materials that will be distributed throughout several of the 45 countries where AHF operates. AHF partners and advocates will also roll out newspaper ads in support of the global campaign to Vaccinate Our World running in major daily newspapers in at least eight countries around the world. The VOW newspaper ads will run first in India starting this week. Here is a list of the countries and news outlets where VOW campaign ads will be published: INDIA Times of India Mint BRAZIL: Globo Folha de Sao Paulo Somma Comunicacoes MEXICO El Universal Reforma UKRAINE "K????????????" (Korrespondent) "?????" (Focus) EUROPEAN UNION EU Observer The Guardian NIGERIA PUNCH The Guardian THIS DAY KENYA Daily Nation Nation.Africa SOUTH AFRICA The Citizen Daily Sun Daily Maverick Isolezwe Sowetan Sunday Times In addition to the press conferences and events coming up in the following weeks, be on the lookout for VaccinateOurWorld and VOWnow actions-join the fight and VOW to protect humanity! For more information on the campaign, please visit www.VaccinateOurWorld.org AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.5 million clients in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005516/en/ Contacts: US MEDIA CONTACTS: Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF +1.323.791.5526 cell ged.kenslea@ahf.org Terri Ford, Chief of Global Advocacy Policy, AHF +1.213.399.1001 terri.ford@ahf.org Denys Nazarov, Director of Global Policy Communications, AHF +1 323.308.1829 denys.nazarov@ahf.org Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) welcomes Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at the presidential palace in Jakarta ahead of a bilateral meeting, Feb. 5, 2021. Malaysia, during a special ASEAN summit Saturday that the Burmese military leader is expected to attend, will press the junta of member-state Myanmar to allow observers from the regional bloc into that country, the top Malaysian diplomat said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also announced that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin would attend the summit in Jakarta. That would make Muyhiddin one of only four leaders confirmed to participate, so far in addition to Myanmars Min Aung Hlaing in what was supposed to be a high-level meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss the post-coup turmoil in Myanmar. We hope that with our discussion in Jakarta, Myanmar will agree to receive representatives from the ASEAN chair Brunei or from the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta to observe and help Myanmar back to normalcy, Hishammuddin told reporters, according to a video he posted on Twitter. The normalcy that Hishammuddin was referring to was pre-coup Myanmar. Since the Myanmar military toppled Aung San Suu Kyis elected government on Feb. 1, the governments armed forces and police have killed more than 700 people mostly anti-coup protesters according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Myanmar human rights group based in Thailand. Hishammuddin said he reiterated Malaysias stand on the situation in Myanmar to the United Nations chief late on Tuesday. Just now, received a phone call from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Spoke on Myanmar and reiterated Malaysias stand that the violence must stop; the political detainees must be released; and an ASEAN rep [resentative] must be allowed to meet with all parties involved, Hishammuddin said. Malaysia and Indonesia had spearheaded the call for an ASEAN leaders summit on the crisis in Myanmar, a move that was strongly supported by Singapore. The ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta formally confirmed on Tuesday that its offices would be the venue for the meeting on Saturday. But as of Tuesday, Muhyiddin was only the fourth ASEAN leader, after Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, to confirm that he would be going to the summit at the blocs headquarters in the Indonesian capital. Also on Tuesday, Brunei said that Prime Minister Bolkiah would chair the April 24 meeting, Reuters reported, citing a statement from his office. The sultanate on Borneo Island is this years holder of ASEANs rotating chairmanship. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, a former junta chief, wont be attending, he confirmed on Tuesday. Regarding the ASEAN summit I decided to send [Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister] Don Pramudwinai to attend and I know that many countries are also sending their foreign ministers, Prayuth told reporters. How this affects ASEANs response to the grim situation in Myanmar remains to be seen. Notably, a special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, called shortly after the military coup, failed to reach a consensus on demanding the immediate release of Myanmars civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and others detained by the military. Instead, ASEAN merely called for a halt to violence in Myanmar and urged dialogue to end the crisis. Muhyiddin will remain firm on Malaysias stand on Myanmar ASEAN has been lambasted for not being able to reach a consensus on how to deal with Myanmars junta in the more than two months since the coup and ensuing bloodshed carried out by the government forces. The regional bloc, after all, has its share of former military leaders and one-party states, such as Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. On Monday, U.N. chief Guterres also said he was disappointed by divisions within ASEAN that have prevented a united response from the regional grouping on Myanmar. Malaysias foreign minister said Muhyiddin would reiterate to the Burmese junta that it must end the violence and release all political detainees. General Min [Aung Hlaing] will attend [the meeting]. Coincidently, he will be seated next to us but we are firm with our stand and principles as stated by the Prime Minister previously, Hishammuddin said. [T]he Prime Minister will remain firm on the Min [Aung Hlaing] stand during the meeting that we will attend on Saturday. I will inform other countries foreign ministers when I met them on Malaysias stand and what the Prime Minister will bring to the ASEAN leaders meeting, Hishammuddin said. In the run-up to the special meeting officials from across ASEAN, including host-nation Indonesia, have mostly been tight-lipped about the summit. The ASEAN Secretariats statement Tuesday was similarly very short on details it did not even say the meeting would discuss Myanmar. Officials at the secretariat did not immediately respond on Tuesday to follow-up queries from BenarNews about the statement. Meanwhile, there has been a renewed backlash against ASEAN after word came out that Min Aung Hlaing was invited to the April 24 meeting. On Tuesday, an Indonesian coalition of civil society groups including Amnesty International Indonesia, Milk Tea Alliance Indonesia and Forum Asia said it deplored and rejected the participation of the Burmese junta chief. The coalition said Myanmar must be represented by the legitimate National Unity Government (NUG) at the ASEAN summit. NUG is a parallel government launched Friday that comprises lawmakers who won seats in the November 2020 election, which the Myanmar military overturned by force. The coalition also said ASEAN must secure a guarantee from the junta to allow health and humanitarian groups into conflict areas in Myanmar. And it urged the Indonesian government to work with ASEAN to investigate Myanmar military personnel involved in the killings of unarmed civilian pro-democracy protesters. Irine Putri, a lawmaker from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), had said earlier that Min Aung Hlaing should not be welcomed in Jakarta and ASEAN should invite NUG representatives. The government of Indonesia must not grant recognition to the junta as the legitimate government of Myanmar, because this regime has massacred civilians and suppressed the democratic movement, Irine said in a statement on Monday. The NUG, for its part, deplored Min Aung Hlaings expected presence at the Jakarta meeting. If ASEAN is considering actions related to Myanmar affairs, I would like to say it will not work unless negotiating with the NUG, which is supported by the people and has full legitimacy, NUG Deputy Foreign Minister Moe Zaw Oo told Voice of America on Sunday. Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok and Ahmad Syamsudin in Jakarta contributed to this report. Statewide, the seven-day positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests is 3.8% as of Monday, down from 4.3% one week ago. In the city of Chicago, the figure is higher but also showing improvement, with a seven-day rolling positivity rate as of Monday of 5.5%, down from 5.7% a week earlier. The average daily positive cases in the city went down 6% from last week and is now at 657. PM Eduard Heger, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok after the meeting of Security Council (Source: TASR) This is the Tuesday, April 20, 2021 edition of Today in Slovakia. Learn about politics, business, and other notable events of the day in Slovakia in less than five minutes. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you. Security Council has met, but no action taken yet Slovakia's Security Council has received information about the current activities of foreign intelligence services at its April 20 meeting, but PM Eduard Heger (OLaNO) failed to provide more details. "The intelligence services and the security forces will continue to secure the protection of Slovakia's interests and, of course, the safety of its people," he said. The Security Council meeting was convened following information from the Czech Republic on the alleged involvement of Russian secret agents in the 2014 explosion in the ammunition depot in Vrbetice. The agents from the GRU 29155 elite unit allegedly operate in Slovakia, and the men who were involved in the Vrbetice explosion, Alexandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov (the names in the passports they were using), are reportedly members of that unit as well. Their real names are Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga, as the Sme daily reported. Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) said that the previous governments knew about their various activities in Slovak territory. Russian agents also operated in Slovakia. Expulsion would make things harder for Moscow Read more Little progress on structural reforms The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in worldwide socio-economic turbulence, but it also offered governments from across the globe a chance to reform their economies. This stems from the OECD reform, which said that these reforms should be aimed at reaching inclusive and sustainable growth along with the resolution of structural issues. The pandemic has shown how important it is to raise the level of qualification across the population, which would support the employment of people belonging to this socially vulnerable category. At the same time, it would also boost the productivity and resistance of the economy against future impacts while preparing it for digitalisation. OECD recommends Slovak government supports education and innovations Read more Coronavirus and vaccination news 642 PCR tests of a total of 7,959 carried out on April 19 were positive, representing 8.07 percent. Out of 196,518 antigen tests 729 were positive (or 0.37 percent). carried out on April 19 were positive, representing 8.07 percent. Out of were positive (or 0.37 percent). While more than 100 people were dying on a daily basis during the worst pandemic winter months, several dozens still die every day, with the number usually ranging between 50 to 70 deceased. This could be caused by the correction of data , as deaths due to Covid-19 are reported by the authorities with a certain delay. with the number usually ranging between 50 to 70 deceased. This could be caused by the , as deaths due to Covid-19 are reported by the authorities with a certain delay. Teachers who have received the first AstraZeneca vaccine shot will soon be invited for the second jab. About 16,000 teachers are expected to receive the second dose in the coming days. AstraZeneca vaccine shot will for the second jab. About are expected to receive the second dose in the coming days. Hungary prolonged border controls until May 23, the Foreign Affairs Ministry reported. Picture of the day Museums and galleries reopened on April 19. These are exhibitions in the capital: Feature story for today A continuing low rate of vaccinations among the elderly will lead to problems in the summer, experts warn. The result may be that Slovakia will have strict pandemic restrictions still in place compared to those countries that have successfully vaccinated their elderly people. Warnings sounded over low vaccination uptake among elderly Read more In other news The prosecutor of the Special Prosecutors Office filed criminal charges against former special prosecutor Dusan Kovacik , for the crime of establishing, conceiving and supporting a criminal group, the crime of accepting a bribe and others. , for the crime of establishing, conceiving and supporting a criminal group, the crime of accepting a bribe and others. Six parties would make it to the parliament, according to the latest AKO poll. The representatives of Za Ludi and the extremists would not pass the 5-percent threshold. would make it to the parliament, according to the latest AKO poll. The representatives of Za Ludi and the extremists would not pass the 5-percent threshold. People in western Slovakia felt an earthquake on the night of April 20, with the epicentre in Austria. on the night of April 20, with the epicentre in Austria. Pavol Nad was selected as the first president of the newly established Supreme Administrative Court, winning 17 votes from the Judicial Council members in the election. His appointment needs to be approved by President Zuzana Caputova. was selected as the first president of the newly established winning 17 votes from the Judicial Council members in the election. His appointment needs to be approved by President Zuzana Caputova. MP Miroslav Kollar, who left the Za Ludi party in mid-February, joined the non-parliamentary party Spolu . who left the Za Ludi party in mid-February, joined the . African swine fever has been confirmed in 18 districts . Most recently, it has occurred in the districts of Detva, Zvolen and Stara Lubovna, the Agriculture Ministry said. has been confirmed in . Most recently, it has occurred in the districts of the Agriculture Ministry said. Bratislava airport served 15,157 travellers in the first quarter of 2021, down 95 percent year-on-year. Do not miss on Spectator.sk today Tram line in new downtown stirs emotions among Bratislavans Read more Police officer attacked a homeless person lying on the ground. He stole alcohol, the police explained Read more The most decorative church in Kosice Read more If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. A Sunday morning hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist remains under investigation, Houston police said. Around 8 a.m., the cyclist, identified as James Turley, 73, was riding northbound along Spur 5 near Elgin. As Turley turned onto Elgin riding his three-wheeled recumbent bike, he was struck by a westbound driver on Elgin. Police said the driver did not stop. A recumbent bike is a vehicle that allows the rider to sit down and pedal with their legs or in some cases their hands. Recumbents often sport three or four wheels. UNSAFE STREETS: 2020 was the year Houstonians stayed out of their cars and grabbed a bike. A record 34 of them died. Turley was pronounced dead at the scene. In a release, police said they were unsure who had the right of way when the collision happened. Officials did not provide any description of the vehicle. Regardless of the circumstances, it is illegal to leave the scene of an injury crash or fail to stop and verify if anyone was harmed. dug.begley@chron.com A 74-year-old New Jersey man died Sunday evening when a lawnmower he was working under fell on top of him, police have confirmed. John Levinski, of Hillsborough in Somerset County, succumbed to injuries suffered during what police officials are ruling an accidental death. Levinskis neighbor on the 400 block of Township Line Road called police at about 5 p.m. when they found him under a lawn mower not breathing, police said. According to the Hillsborough Township Police Department, Levinski was working underneath (the) commercial lawn mower which was hoisted in the air by a cable attached to a Kubota tractor. The cable broke and the lawnmower fell on Levinski, who died at the scene, police said in a statement. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Hillsborough Township police Lt. Mark Szymanski said he could not provide additional details. Steven Rodas may be reached at srodas@njadvancemedia.com. More: N.J. favorite named one of countrys 25 most popular beach towns Daughter was killed 4 minutes after police left family dispute: dispatch records Japan's central government will consider declaring a fresh state of emergency in the western prefecture of Osaka the third one since the outbreak of the pandemic in a bid to curb a spike in COVID-19 cases after consulting experts, Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) Japan's central government will consider declaring a fresh state of emergency in the western prefecture of Osaka the third one since the outbreak of the pandemic in a bid to curb a spike in COVID-19 cases after consulting experts, Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the Osaka authorities officially requested the central government to declare the emergency in the area a few weeks after the previous one was lifted due to a critical situation in hospitals caused by a surge of severe cases. According to the latest data, only 2 percent of hospital beds for patients in serious condition are free in the prefecture. "The government as a whole will consider (the need to declare a fresh state of emergency) after hearing expert opinions," Tamura said, as cited by the Japanese Kyodo news agency, adding that Tokyo will work with the prefecture's authorities to implement tougher restrictions if the experts consider current measures insufficient. The third state of emergency in the western prefecture will reportedly envisage stronger restrictions than the currently existing quasi-emergency measures, such as the closure of major amusement and commercial facilities. The news agency also reported, citing sources, that Tokyo was also considering requesting a new emergency for the metropolitan area later this week after holding consultations with health experts. In the meantime, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged to discuss the issue as soon as possible. If declared, the state of emergency will not affect the opening of the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the prime minister noted. Ex-head of Komi Republic Gaizer freed from punishment for abuse of office RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 17:13 20/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 20 (RAPSI) A court in Russias Syktyvkar has sentenced ex-head of Russias Komi Republic Vyacheslav Gaizer to 1.5 years in penal colony for abuse of office and released him from punishment due to the running of the statute of limitations, according to the Investigative Committees statement. Investigators claimed that Gaizer, when holding his post in the Republic of Komi in 2013 through 2014 unlawfully instructed the head of Syktyvkar urban municipality Ivan Pozdeyev to allot plots of land for construction of apartment blocks without organizing a tender as required by law in order to benefit a company owned by an acquaintance of the defendant. The respective damages to the municipal budget are estimated to make about 8.7 million rubles ($121,000 at the current exchange rate). In June 2019, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow found Gaizer guilty of fraud, money laundering and receiving bribes and sentenced him to 11 years in high security prison. In addition to the prison term, Gaizer was fined 160 million rubles (nearly $2.5 million) and banned from holding public posts for 5 years. In October, the Moscow City Court upheld the ruling. However, the court acquitted Gaizer and some other defendants in the case of creation of a criminal community. In the framework of the same case, Gaizers deputy in the Komi Republic was sentenced to 9 years in a penal colony and fined 160 million rubles; ex-senator Vladimir Toropov was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony and fined 500,000 rubles; other defendants were imprisoned for terms from 5 to 8.5 years. KITUI, Kenya When Kenyan farmer Waki Munyalos crop of lentils shrank by three quarters last year because of unusually low rainfall, disaster was averted thanks to a simple remedy that was previously unavailable to most African farmers insurance. Munyalo, a 38-year-old mother-of-three, had taken out an insurance policy with Kenyan start-up Pula, which aims to reach a vast, untapped pool of African farmers grappling with new disruptions linked to climate change. Munyalo made a claim on her Pula policy and received a compensation payment of 12,000 Kenyan shillings ($110), close to what she would have earned if her crop had flourished. That meant she could afford school fees for her youngest son. Without the payment, he would have had to drop out. Farming is the biggest contributor to many African nations economic output, including Kenya where 600,000 farmers have taken out policies with Pula in the six years since it launched. Key to the firms success is affordability: farmers can insure their crops with Pula for as little as $5 to $10. Across Africa, small-scale farmers who collectively are crucial to feeding the continent are struggling to cope with the impact of climate change on weather patterns and the land on which they depend. Those challenges, combined with the spread of mobile phone technology, have created the conditions for Pulas rapid growth. Looking beyond Kenya, the company has signed up 4.6 million farmers in Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia and other African countries. CEO Thomas Njeru co-founded the company in 2015 with Dutch entrepreneur Rose Goslinga after the pair spotted a gap in the insurance market. Because of climate change, farmers are having to contend with unpredictable rain patterns, frequent droughts and even the emergence of new pests and diseases, Njeru said. The risk increases because of climate change, increasing the need for farmers to have insurance, he said. To sustain its business while keeping premiums low, Pula uses a mobile phone application to register users, machine learning algorithms to cluster farmers whose land have similar characteristics and digital tools to assess claims in the field, Njeru said. If you use the traditional model of proposal forms and policy documents, the numbers wont add up, he said. To be able to deliver such a low-cost product at that price you have to use technology and most companies dont have that capacity. Pula also aggregates demand for farm insurance, serving banks, traditional re-insurers, governments, development agencies, and even fellow tech firms like Safaricom, which has its own platform for farmers. For that service, Pula does the actuarial risk analysis, insurance placements and negotiations along with physical assessments in the field, he said. In January, Pula raised $6 million in a funding round led by London-based TLcom Capital, to invest in new markets, strengthen existing products and design new ones. Njeru said the companys next targets are Brazil and India. ($1 = 107.9000 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Edwin Waita; additional reporting by Nazanine Moshiri and Duncan Miriri; writing by Duncan Miriri; editing by Maggie Fick and Estelle Shirbon) Topics InsurTech Agribusiness Climate Change Startups Commission statement on FedEx facility mass shooting Commission statement on FedEx facility mass shooting April 19, 2021 The Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission (MAPAAC) condemns the unnecessary loss of life and violence that took place at the recent FedEx facility mass shooting in Indiana, where four of the eight victims were Sikh Asian Americans of Indian descent. Although not a targeted hate crime, gun violence in this country is an epidemic that disproportionately negatively affects the most marginalized among us, or our black, brown, and immigrant communities. We also cannot ignore the long history of hate violence against Sikhs in this county. FBI hate crimes data shows Sikhs to be one of the most commonly targeted religious groups - behind Jews and Muslims - in modern America. We call for safety for our communities and awareness of rising violence that often does target us because of who we are. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the families of the victims and our Sikh American community. Catherine Zeta-Jones just made her mid-season debut on Prodigal Son. And all eyes were on the Welsh beauty, 51, as she shot a scene with co-star Tom Payne in New York on Monday. Catherine looked both mysterious and stylish as she donned a chic olive green trench coat during a late-night rendezvous with Payne, 38. Small screen stunner: Catherine Zeta-Jones wowed while shooting a late night scene of her show Prodigal Son in NYC on Monday Her ensemble was elevated with leather elements, like a black sash and over-the-knee boots with chunky heels. Catherine's brunette locks were styles smoothly, flowing past her collarbone. She played up her natural good looks with smoky eyeshadow and a nude lip. The Academy Award-winner was seen mid conversation with Payne, who plays brilliant, but troubled, investigator Malcolm Bright, who finds himself working with his murderer father Dr. Martin Whitly to solve crimes.- Zeta-Jones has joined season two of the crime procedural as Vivian Capshaw, a resident medical doctor at Claremont Psychiatric Hospital where Sheen's character is locked up. Though Sheen's character is a brutal killer, she finds herself getting close to the criminal. Mystery: The Welsh beauty looked both mysterious and stylish as she donned a chic olive green trench coat Action! The Academy Award-winner was seen mid conversation with star Tom Payne The star, whose last three projects have been for the small screen, said starting the show mid-season meant she had to hit the ground running, a fun challenge for the performer. 'For me, as an actor, it was just zero to 60 to 100 in three seconds,' she told The Wrap last week. 'Plotting out the character, I had to come in at a certain level,' 'So the first two episodes I had not many scenes, and it was a wonderful exercise for me as an actor of not having 90 minutes to explain a character to my audience, which is a luxury that you have if you do a movie. 'It's a luxury if you're in every scene of 13 episodes of a Season 1 or 13 episodes of a Season 2. What's up doc? Zeta-Jones has joined season two of the crime procedural as Vivian Capshaw, a resident medical doctor at Claremont Psychiatric Hospital where Sheen's character is locked up Happy birthday! The following day was a special occasion for the actress and husband Michael Douglas, who welcomed daughter Carys 18 years ago 'But when you come into an existing show and you have a very very definite idea of the character but very little screen time to do it in, it was an excellent exercise for me.' The following day was a special occasion for the actress and husband Michael Douglas, who welcomed daughter Carys 18 years ago. The Zorro beauty paying tribute to her beautiful girl with a few adorable Instagram throwbacks, writing: 'Happy 18th Birthday Carys Zeta! You are everything, and everything is you. Thank you for the joy you bring me. 'At 5 am this morning, you texted me to thank me, for giving birth to you. Thats the kind of woman you are. Kind. Your wisdom out numbers your years. You beauty is deep and your heart is big enough to love and envelop the world, your sense of humor......very important.... is insurmountable. I could go on. Your Japanese needs some work, but thats doable. I love you angel. Mama.' Carys is Catherine and Michael's youngest. They are lso parents to son Dylan, 20. DETROIT, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravity Software (Gravity), a mid-market accounting solution written on the Microsoft Power Platform (aka Microsoft Dataverse), recently helped client, MyDocPlus grow their organization and gain significant efficiencies by replacing QuickBooks with Gravity's cloud-based accounting software. "I basically did all our financial reporting in spreadsheets because I couldn't get reports out of QuickBooks that were consolidated," said Kadidia Cooper, Controller at MyDocPlus. "We simply couldn't access the data the right way to know if a doctor is costing us money or bringing in money. We knew we had to upgrade our accounting system . . . to make a switch to Gravity Software." After implementing Gravity, MyDocPlus has saved significant time and gained real-time insights they need to achieve their strategic goals. Users can now access the information based on security roles with Gravity's robust accounting capabilities, a fully integrated CRM, intelligence tools like Power BI and more. Company leaders expect MyDocPlus to continue growing and acquiring more medical practices in the coming months. "Gravity is the perfect fit for companies that need more features than entry-level and/or legacy applications can provide while being easier to use and less expensive to own than traditional enterprise applications. Gravity has developed an amazing multi-entity module that drastically increased MyDocPlus' productivity," states John Silvani, President of Gravity Software. "MyDocPlus' accounting team can instantly generate reports across the entire organization without having to log in and out of databases. By upgrading their system to Gravity, MyDocPlus is able to run consolidated reports across all companies and drill down to evaluate the performance of specific medical practices or physicians." "I haven't seen many products that are in the middle between QuickBooks and larger ERP solutions, but Gravity is the perfect in-between product," Cooper said. "There are a lot of companies out there that are our size and I think Gravity would be perfect for them." The case study published today outlines the results that MyDocPlus achieved by upgrading to Gravity. The full case study can be seen here, and highlights include: MyDocPlus's Results with Gravity: Consolidated Multi-Company Financial Reporting Increased Overall Efficiency Eliminated Duplicate Data Entry Real-Time Insights into Key Profitability Metrics to Fuel Future Growth If you're an organization that is managing multiple companies in separate databases, it's time to do your due diligence and take a look at Gravity Software. Even better, if you're a healthcare provider, Gravity's accounting solution is built on the Microsoft Power Platform to satisfy HIPAA compliance requirements! Learn more about Gravity Software and schedule your online demo at https://www.gogravity.com/schedule-a-demo today! About Gravity Software Gravity Software, LLC (Gravity) is a cloud-based business management software company that provides financial solutions to companies that have outgrown their entry-level accounting software. Gravity's robust solution is built on the Microsoft Power Platform (aka Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM), an open platform that hosts up to five million users worldwide. It has become one of the most reliable and scalable platforms available today. Gravity Software Better. Smarter. Accounting. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and like us on Facebook! About MyDocPlus MyDocPlus is building a network of integrated concierge medical practices located in San Francisco, California. The organization operates medical offices and clinics of medical doctors in the healthcare sector and is focused on providing affordable and accessible primary care. Follow MyDocPlus on LinkedIn. Gravity Software and the Gravity logo are trademarks of Gravity Software LLC. All other company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Contact: Mandy Vogt, Director of Marketing, Gravity Software Email: [email protected] Direct Line: (248) 564-3122 SOURCE Gravity Software Related Links https://www.gogravity.com/schedule-a-demo [April 20, 2021] Integrity Continues to Innovate Insurance with Acquisition of Data Analytics Company Deft Research DALLAS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Marketing Group, LLC ("Integrity"), the nation's largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, announced today its acquisition of Deft Research, LLC ("Deft Research"), the healthcare industry's leading source for consumer and market data. As part of the acquisition, Deft Research Co-Founders Randy Herman, Dan Freier and Rich Hamer, along with Executive Vice President George Dippel and Senior Vice President Tim Brousseau, will become Managing Partners in Integrity. All of Deft Research's employees will continue in their current positions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Over the last 15 years, Deft Research has developed a full suite of market research services that offer invaluable insights into the senior and commercial market as well as overall healthcare industry trends. Initially founded to better understand seniors transitioning to Medicare, Deft Research now helps all health insurance stakeholders make confident, educated decisions, create new product offerings and set higher standards of care. Deft Research gives a voice to the consumer in ways that were previously unheard of in the health insurance industry. Deft Research is the largest provider of syndicated market research in the healthcare industry. Insights from their studies are used to understand consumers across the industry, shaping strategies for carriers, distributors and marketers. Findings from their data shape models that help predict consumer behavior including interest in product type and which marketing and distribution channels reach consumers most effectively. This allows companies to understand what motivates purchase decisions and perceptions of coverage options, which in turn helps them better serve consumers. "To truly innovate insurance, Integrity must ensure that customer voices are always heard and then constantly find better ways to serve them," explained Bryan Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity Marketing Group. "No one in the industry understands consumer needs and preferences like Deft Research. We want to make buying, selling and marketing insurance easier for all stakeholders. This strategic partnership brings powerful synergies that will help us in our mission to better understand and serve Americans, so we're thrilled to welcome Deft Research to the Integrity family." "Deft Research provides health insurance stakeholders with actionable insights they use to enhance their business operations," said Randy Herman, Co-Founder and CEO of Deft Research. "As the industry has become more data-driven, we are unlocking immense opportunities to create value for carriers and agents by accessing Integrity's platform and network of partners. Whenever a consumer is making a decision about insurance purchasing, we want to have a viewpoint about what's driving that decision. Ultimately, this partnership will help carriers develop the right products for the right consumer and help agents present products to consumers in ways that best highlight the benefits they value most." More than 120 of the country's largest health insurance carriers utilize Deft Research to conduct custom market research that helps them improve their products and member experence. Carriers use the findings from these proprietary studies to reduce uncertainty or financial risks and make better business decisions. Deft Research's industry insight and knowledge are unparalleled in the health insurance space. Plan member experience studies conducted by Deft Research help carriers understand the "why" behind member responses that drive carrier plan ratings. They also provide key insights into what drives change, giving partners a road map to continue to improve quality of membership. "Integrity is bringing together experts across the industry to finally yield the full picture of how to best serve healthcare consumers," said George Dippel, Executive Vice President of Deft Research. "We are constantly innovating new product and service ideas and we see that same commitment to innovation in Integrity. The sky is the limit as to what we'll accomplish together." This partnership further enhances Integrity's value chain, with Deft Research able to augment almost every component. Deft Research is the latest acquisition in Integrity's journey to innovate the health insurance industry. Other recent strategic partnerships include CSG Actuarial, ThomasARTS, Connexion Point and SeniorCare Benefits call centers, Access Capital, Brokers International and Insurance Administrative Solutions' third-party administrator building a solid foundation for Integrity's change trajectory. With access to Integrity's fast-growing network of partners, Deft Research can also add a new dimension to the depth of its insights by delving into the agent-customer relationship. The data and results garnered will help Integrity reach consumers where they are with relevant products designed to better fit their needs. In addition, both carriers and agents can recognize changes in the marketplace as they are happening, providing new opportunities for growth. "The Integrity partner network is extremely collaborative, which offers significant advantages for today's opportunities," shared Tim Brousseau, Senior Vice President at Deft Research. "By representing the voice of the consumer in these collaborations, we'll uncover critical ways to enhance the insurance experience overall. We'll see the insights we provide impact and improve the industry in real time it's incredibly exciting and we're thrilled to be a part of it." As an Integrity partner, Deft Research will gain access to a wealth of proprietary data and resources only available to Integrity's platform of industry leaders. The visibility into Integrity's network will provide insights and data to accelerate innovation in the industry. Additionally, Deft Research will utilize Integrity's centralized business functions, including HR, accounting, IT, legal, and a full-service marketing and advertising firm to maximize business efficiencies. Deft Research employees will also receive meaningful company ownership through the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan. "A partnership between Integrity and Deft Research is what innovation in action looks like," said Steve Young, Chairman of the Board at Integrity. "The entire industry takes a step forward when we create efficiencies that give the consumer an improved insurance experience. We will see transformational changes to consumer relationships and the product development process from this powerful partnership." For more information about Deft Research's partnership with Integrity, view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/DeftResearch. About Integrity Marketing Group Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on meeting Americans wherever they are in person, over the phone and online. Integrity is innovating insurance by developing cutting-edge technology designed to simplify and streamline the healthcare experience for everyone. In addition, Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity's almost 5,500 employees work with over 345,000 independent agents who service more than seven million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place over $7 billion in new premium. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com. About Deft Research Deft Research, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the leading resource for timely, reliable health insurance consumer insights and market information. For over 15 years, Deft Research has helped health insurance stakeholders improve their member acquisition, member retention, product development and quality improvement activities by providing insightful, innovative and actionable information. For more information, visit www.deftresearch.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integrity-continues-to-innovate-insurance-with-acquisition-of-data-analytics-company-deft-research-301272808.html SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency Tuesday as jurors convicted a Minneapolis police officer of the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after the officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. The emergency declaration will last 24 hours and would allow the mayor to impose a curfew, close city streets and take other extraordinary measures should widespread political unrest erupt, Wheeler said during a press conference held with law enforcement officials and several Black community leaders. The mayor also said the city of Portland has the state police and National Guard on standby while Portland police can summon assistance from the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office and other law enforcement agencies in the metro area. Wheelers remarks came just moments before Derek Chauvin, the former police officer, was found guilty of all three criminal counts brought to trial second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyds death last May, which bystanders captured on video, ignited nearly a year of protests, rioting and political unrest in Portland more than in any other city and thrust the issues of police violence and systemic racism into the middle of the national conversation. Regardless of the verdict, Portlanders of all walks of life demand that we address fundamental inequities faced by Black, brown, indigenous, communities of color and others, said Wheeler, who said he felt a guilty verdict was justified by the facts presented at the trial. Those injustices are reflected in the justice system, barriers to housing, in health care, jobs, education, and in so many other areas we know we need to improve. But the mayor and other city leaders urged calm among those who might take to the streets. In the last week, a group of demonstrators decrying a recent string of fatal police shootings locally and around the U.S. have clashed with officers, rampaged through downtown and set fires that have burned the police union headquarters as well as several stories of a commercial building. Protesters calling for racial justice on Monday night caused nearly $20,000 in damage to the Boys and Girls Club in Northeast Portland, which houses services for mostly Black and brown children and families. Commissioner Mingus Mapps, one of two Black members on the Portland City Council, said that while the status quo is unacceptable and people should be protesting in the streets, he believes destructive acts do little to further substantive change. To our white allies out there, before you throw that brick through a museum window, a church window, a restaurant window, Mapps said, Please take a moment and have this conversation with at least three people of color: As a person of color will trashing this Starbucks make your life better? I suspect you will discover that acts of vandalism and violence are completely disconnected from the project of helping people of color. Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Sara Boone, meanwhile, warned that those who continued to set blazes at demonstrations pose a significant danger, given the long spell of dry weather this spring. The risk to the common good is too high, Boone said. During the press conference, Wheeler also spent several minutes singling out a group of 100 or so largely white, self-described anarchists who engage in the criminal destruction of our economy and our confidence. Even the Boys and Girls Club in Albina is not immune to this threat, the mayor said. These people are not protesters. They are criminals. Asked why the city and its police force appeared to be unable to stop demonstrators from committing acts of arson, vandalism and property damage, Wheeler said Portland has an unwavering commitment to the First Amendment. People have constitutional rights to assembly and free speech, he said. We cannot preemptively, for example, go to a park and arrest people for showing up. Catalina Gaitan contributed to this report. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Alexander Sosonyuk, a consul of the Consulate General of Ukraine in St Petersburg, is being detained in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 17, 2021. TASS-Yonhap Ukraine's foreign ministry on Monday said it had expelled a Russian diplomat after Moscow ordered a Ukrainian consul in Saint Petersburg to leave Russia, accusing him of trying to obtain sensitive information. The expulsions come as tensions have soared between Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks, with Kiev accusing Moscow of massing troops on its border. "Today the Ukrainian foreign ministry sent a note declaring persona non grata one of the advisers of the Russian embassy in Kiev," foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP. "He must leave the territory of our state within 72 hours." On Saturday, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had a day earlier detained a consul of Ukraine's Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, Alexander Sosonyuk. The domestic intelligence agency said Sosonyuk had been caught "red-handed" during a meeting with a Russian national as he sought to receive "classified" information. Sosonyuk was ordered to leave Russia within 72 hours. A sign at the Russian embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, April 19, 2021 / TASS-Yonhap Press Release 20 April 2021 Cycas to manage the E&O Group's first European serviced apartment property, in London Cycas has also taken over the management of Qbic Brussels and Qbic Manchester, which opens May 2021 Advertisements Cycas Hospitality's European expansion plans continue, following the signing of three hotel management agreements across the UK and Belgium so far this year. The first property deal is with Eastern & Oriental (E&O) to manage the E&O Group's inaugural European serviced apartment property; a 54-room luxury extended-stay property in the heart of London. Expected to open in summer 2021, The Lincoln Suites will offer 28 one-bedroom suites, and 26 studios with high-end amenities, set within a converted 1920s neo-classical building in Holborn. Thanks to its central location along Kingsway in Westminster, guests will enjoy easy access to the capital's transport local and national connections, including six London Underground lines within a nine-minute walk. The hotel operator has also taken over the management of two Qbic-branded properties in the UK and Belgium; the 148-room Qbic Brussels in the vibrant Ixelles neighbourhood, south of the city centre, and the 261-room Qbic Manchester, which is set to open next month on a prominent site in the city centre. Both properties incorporate the brand's Motley Bar & Restaurant plus meetings and gym facilities. Asli Kutlucan, Chief Development Officer at Cycas Hospitality, said: "Given E&O's reputation for providing exclusive developments for discerning travellers, we are delighted to be working together to help bring their distinctive style to Europe. "With Cycas's experience of successfully introducing both extended-stay and lifestyle brands to new markets, we're excited about the opportunities to drive leisure and corporate business across three dynamic destinations." Posted Monday, April 19, 2021 1:07 pm As the 2021 Washington State Legislative session draws to a close, Gov. Jay Inslee has started to sign numerous bills into law that have passed both the state House of Representatives and the state Senate, with lawmakers representing Clark County receiving four signatures from the governor over the past two weeks. During the first major round of bill signings April 7, state Sen. Lynda Wilsons SB 5338 received Inslees signature. The bill is intended to allow fire protection districts the authority to have safety and training courses, according to a staff summary of testimony. It seeks to rectify a recently-discovered issue with state law that prevented such training to take place. In a release following the bills signing, Wilson, R-Vancouver, gave credit to Clark County Fire District 5 Commissioner Roy Rhine for bringing the legislation to her attention. Rhine testified before the Legislature as the bill made its way through, according to the staff summary. The district has offered safety and training courses over the past 20 years, but a recent finding by the state auditors office stated the district did not have statutory authority to do so. Fire District 5 operates the Northwest Regional Training Center, located north of Fourth Plain Boulevard on State Route 503, which has provided safety training to employees of the city of Vancouver. Without being able to provide training at the regional center, supporting testimony stated the cost of a piecemeal approach would triple. By clarifying that fire protection districts have the authority to provide workplace-safety training, this new law will allow that productive relationship to continue, and I have to believe it will benefit other fire districts in Washington as well, Wilson said in the release. SB 5338 received unanimous approval in both the state Senate and House of Representatives on its way to the governors desk. Fellow Clark County lawmaker, Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, also sponsored the bill. A week later, Inslee signed into law a bill from Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, regarding forest roads. House Bill 1491 is designed to provide greater access for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on roads in forestland that have functionally become United States Forest Service (USFS) roads, stated a summary of public testimony in a House bill report. The bill, signed April 14, specifically makes it so the DNR does not have to issue a right-of-way certificate for land the federal government claims the exclusive right over, according to the bill report. The legal risk to the DNR has prevented the department from granting rights-of-way to the USFS for over a decade, according to the report, with the forest service in turn refusing to grant its own easements on land that it has claimed. Removing the need for the DNR to grant an easement will help the department tremendously in its forest health efforts, according to the bill report. Two days later, two more bills brought forth by Clark County lawmakers were signed into law by Inslee. Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, had House Bill 1063 get the governors signature April 16. The bill will grant a waiver for certain behavioral health credential renewals during the time of a governor-declared emergency. The bill would waive requirements specifically for substance use disorder professional trainee certifications, and associate licenses for social workers, mental health counselors, as well as marriage and family therapists, according to the House bill report. Harris introduced the legislation after one of his constituents expressed they had a difficult time finishing their licensure hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Behavioral health care workers play a very important role in the overall health and well-being of our communities," Harris said in a release following the bills passage out of the Legislature April 6. "This piece of legislation will allow them to do their jobs and help people suffering from mental illness and other behavioral disorders." HB 1063 passed both the House and Senate unanimously. The bill contains an emergency clause, the release stated, meaning it would go into effect immediately. "This bill would provide some assistance to the health care workers who need it. I wish it would have moved a little quicker, but I'm happy to see it passed by the Senate," Harris said. Sen. Rivers was able to get her bill regarding acupuncture and Eastern medicine signed this year, following a technical error in a version of the bill last year that resulted in a veto from Inslee. Senate Bill 5018 allows acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioners (AEMPs) to use local anesthetics, epinephrine, and oxygen in their practice, according to a Senate bill report. Testimony in support of the bill included in the report explained that local anesthetics are widely recognized as part of that type of therapy, and being able to use oxygen and epinephrine was important for patient safety. The bill report notes that AEMPs will receive education and training based on requirements that the Washington State Department of Health will set. Testimony included in the Senates bill report stated the bill is nearly identical to one that passed the Legislature in 2020, but was vetoed by Inslee over a drafting error that was corrected in 2021s version. In his veto statement, the governor expressed concern that the error would limit the ability for Eastern medicine practitioners to diagnose medical issues, limiting their scope of practice to therapeutic means. Currently those practitioners have been able to diagnose conditions, and the omission of that ability in the proposed legislation could have resulted in insurance companies denying claims, the statement read. An ambassador for China in Australia presented journalists with propaganda videos and pressured the media on its reporting during a press conference in the countrys capital on April 7. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said the hostility towards Australian media must cease and Australian journalists should be allowed to safely report on and in China without intimidation or interference. During a press conference in Canberra on April 7, the Chinese Ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jinye presented misleading information using propaganda videos and testimony from residents in Xinjiang to defend its treatment of Uyghurs. The ambassador denied multiple reports that any Uyghurs were in detention camps, stating : The claims that you said 1 million Uighurs are in detention is utterly fake news. As China faces mounting pressure over its alleged mass internment and alleged abuse of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, IFJ research shows how the Chinese government and its media apparatus have unveiled an increasingly sophisticated strategy to influence the world's media and its reporting on critical issues related to China. China's approach towards foreign journalists within China became increasingly hostile in September 2020 as Chinese officials forcedAFR journalist, Mike Smith, and ABC journalist, Bill Birtles, to flee the country. The IFJ continues to report on the concerning numbers of other foreign journalists who have reported on the situation in Xinjiang and have also been forced to leave China and migrate to Taiwan and other countries in the region. The MEAA said: Xi Jinping must allow all foreign journalists to operate freely in Xinjiang province and across China and be protected from state-sponsored harassment. It is essential Australian journalists are allowed into China to cover the biggest story of this century. The IFJ said: The IFJ continues to express solidarity with foreign journalists who continue to advocate for the truth despite pressure from China and calls on the Chinese authorities to open access to reporting. The IFJ also reminds Chinas diplomatic representatives that it is not their role to advise or dictate the media on its professional duties outside their country. Chinas blocking of media to openly report on human rights issues raised in the country continues to raise questions of what China has to hide. Post-Uruguay round negotiations: 1994 to 1996, a second attempt Ministers hoped that through the extension more liberalization could be captured as the negotiations could take into account some of the reforms under way in telecommunications regulatory regimes and rapid advances in technology. The negotiations began in May 1994, initially with the participation of 33 WTO Member governments, under the auspices of a group called the Negotiating Group on Basic Telecommunications (NGBT). The Ministerial Decision directed the negotiations to conclude by 30 April 1996. Participation in the NGBT was voluntary and, by the end of April, 53 WTO Member governments had decided to participate fully in the Group. Another 24 governments (including some in the process of accession to the WTO) requested to participate with observer status. By April, the talks had resulted in offers from 48 governments (contained in 34 offers), but some saw the package as not yet sufficient to successfully complete the talks. At the meeting in April 1996, WTO Director-General Ruggiero said he wished to preserve the results achieved so far in the negotiations. He suggested attaching the results to a Protocol and the establishment of a one-month period early in 1997 during which participants could re-examine their positions on market access and m.f.n. treatment and modify their attachments to the Protocol. Participants accepted the Director-General's proposal in a Decision adopted 30 April by the Council for Trade in Services. The Decision affirmed the opportunity to negotiate further to try to secure improvements and established 15 February 1997 as the closing date. After April, a new body the Group on Basic Telecommunications (GBT) was responsible for implementing the further extension of negotiations. This Group agreed to modify the rules on participation in meetings so that all WTO Members had a full voice in its activities and only those governments under accession to the WTO participated, upon request, as observers. Post-Uruguay round negotiations: 1996 to 1997, the third attempt is a success Back to top The talks resumed in July 1996 and then in the autumn of 1996 participants met monthly and held numerous bilateral negotiations on their market access offers. They also maintained informal contacts at the December 1996 WTO Ministerial Meeting in Singapore and returned to Geneva in January 1997 to prepare to meet the February deadline. Following the successful outcome, participants devoted the remainder of the year to conducting domestic procedures, if necessary, for accepting the Protocol and to preparing for implementation of the commitments made. The Fourth Protocol Back to top The Fourth Protocol, to which the schedules and MFN exemptions lists tabled in February 1997 were annexed, was initially open for acceptance until 30 November 1997, a deadline which was later extended to 31 July 1998 to allow some remaining participants to complete ratification. The Protocol and its annexed documents entered into force on 5 February 1998. On that date, the schedules on basic telecommunication services of the signatories became an integral part of the GATS schedules of services commitments already in force since the Uruguay Round concluded in 1994. In a number of schedules, a Member's commitments for particular services are to be phased in. For these, while the schedule formally entered into force on the date of the Protocol as a whole, the actual implementation date for such commitments will be on the date specified in the schedule. The reference paper Concerns related to establishing a regulatory environment conducive to market entry were discussed at length during the negotiations. Many participants suggested that regulatory disciplines might be inscribed as additional commitments in schedules as a way of safeguarding the value of market-access commitments undertaken. Participants succeeded in elaborating a set of principles covering matters such as competition safeguards, interconnection guarantees, transparent licensing processes, and the independence of regulators in a commonly negotiated text called the Reference Paper. They also agreed that each would use the text as a tool in deciding what regulatory disciplines to undertake as additional commitments. By the February 1997 deadline, 63 of the 69 governments submitting schedules included commitments on regulatory disciplines, with 57 of these committing to the Reference Paper in whole or with a few modifications. This compares favourable with the April1996 results, when 44 out of the 48 governments submitting offers included commitments on regulatory disciplines and only 31 of these inscribed the Reference Paper. Coming today from the NIAC world is something called APPLE. Thats not the Apple you think, but short for Atomic Planar Power for Lightweight Exploration. We know, that doesnt explain much, but read on.The concept, created by Joseph Nemanick from the Aerospace Corporation, is described as an enabling architecture for deep solar system missions on low mass, fast transit space platforms. Coupling the power of solar sails with a radiation-hard battery could push a spacecraft for great distances in a very short time.For instance, the author behind the idea says a spaceship using APPLE could cover the distance to Jupiter in six months. Thats 811 million km (504 million miles), and just to put things into perspective, it took Perseverance seven months to cover the 290 million km (180 million miles) distance to Mars.Similarly, it would take this hypothetical craft one year to reach Saturn and four to hit Plutoagain for reference, it took New Horizons 9.5 years to reach the non-planet.To get places fast, APPLE relies on a layered structure of radioisotope material backed with layers of solid-state, radiation-hard battery and thermal-to-electrical conversion technology.According to Nemanick, work on a radiation-hard battery is already underway at the hands of the Oak Ridge National Labs (ORNL) and the Aerospace Corporation, but no deadline as to when we should get a final design was announced.Also, when picking the NIAC projects, NASA said that inclusion in the program doesnt automatically mean any of the hardware will become part of some future mission. Pakistans prime minister has called for Muslim nations to unite in order to pressure Western countries to criminalise insulting the Prophet Mohammed, as violent protests rocked the country amid an ongoing row over cartoons. Appearing on national television on Monday, Imran Khan said he would lead a campaign to convince countries of the need to avoid offensive references, warning it could result in a trade boycott. We need to explain why this hurts us, when in the name of freedom of speech they insult the honour of the prophet, Mr Khan said. When 50 Muslim countries will unite and say this, and say that if something like this happens in any country, then we will launch a trade boycott on them and not buy their goods, that will have an effect. He equated insulting the Prophet to questioning the Holocaust, which is illegal in several European countries, including Germany and France. His statements came as violent protests hit Pakistan after France defended the right to show cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. At least four policemen were killed and several taken hostage during demonstrations. Mr Khans government has opened negotiations to quell the protests with hard-line far-right political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP), which has played a major role in fomenting anti-France sentiment across Pakistan. France urged its all citizens to leave Pakistan temporarily following the riots, with the French embassy in Islamabad warning of "serious threats to French interests in Pakistan". The embassy said on its website: In this context, and because of the serious threats to French interests in Pakistan, French nationals are recommended to temporarily leave the country via existing commercial airlines. Supporters of the banned Islamist political party Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) chant slogans during a protest in Lahore (REUTERS) TLP supporters pelt stones in Karachi on Monday after a nationwide shutdown was announced (AFP via Getty Images) Since November, the TLP leaders have been demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador over the statements made by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who strongly defended freedom of expression and the right to republish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. The group gave 20 April deadline to expel the French ambassador. Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws which mean insulting the Prophet Mohammed can lead to jail terms and even death. Depiction of the Prophet is considered a taboo in Islam. Protests escalated in Pakistan after the government designated the group as a terrorist organisation and arrested TLPs leader Saad Hussain Rizvi on 12 April. More than 200 activists have been arrested by police in subsequent clashes. On Monday, TLP released 11 police officers it had abducted following a crackdown on police stations and four were killed, Pakistans interior minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, said. Three rounds of talks have already been conducted and the next stage of talks will be held with the interior minister. Destroyer JS Akebono docks at the Tan Cang Port in Hai Phong, April 20, 2021. Photo by Vietnam Navy Newspaper. Japanese destroyer JS Akebono docked in the northern port city of Hai Phong Tuesday, beginning a three-day visit to Vietnam. The destroyer with 247 crew members and Captain Hamasaki Shingo at the helm will be seeking logistics and technical services in the city, besides having some friendly meetings with the Vietnam Naval Academy, which will be held online as a Covid-19 safety precaution. The visit is part of efforts to boost defense and security cooperation between Vietnam and Japan and maintain the countries strategic partnership, officials said. JS Akebono (DD-108), commissioned in March 2002, is the eighth ship of Murasame-class destroyers. A former head of the army has dismissed a Sinn Fein apology for the 1979 IRA assassination of Prince Philip's uncle Louis Mountbatten. Lord Dannatt accused the republicans of trying to 'rewrite history' and put themselves in a 'kinder light'. The IRA, of which Sinn Fein was the political wing, carried out the killing as part of the decades-long conflict waged between Irish republicans and those who wanted Northern Ireland to remain in British hands. Mary Lou McDonald, now president of the party, said on Sunday that the bomb attack which killed Lord Mountbatten as he holidayed with his family at Classiebawn Castle was 'heartbreaking' and she is 'sorry it happened'. But Lord Dannatt, who served in Belfast during the 1970s, told Times Radio: 'We all want to see continuing more peaceful times in Northern Ireland, and we want to see people increasingly being able to live side by side, but I think we also have to be aware that Sinn Fein is quietly trying to rewrite history.' He added: 'You can't get away from the fact that terrible things happened during the period of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. 'That is a fact. That is history. No one wants to dwell on the past, but I think we have to be very wary of Sinn Fein trying to rewrite history, and place that movement into a kinder light than it actually deserves.' Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (right) described the killing of Lord Mountbatten (left) by the IRA as heartbreaking as she apologised the day after his nephew Prince Philip's funeral The leader of Ireland's Sinn Fein party - once the political wing of the IRA - has apologised for the 1979 assassination of Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip's uncle (pictured together in 1965) Lord Dannatt accused the republicans of trying to 'rewrite history' and put themselves in a 'kinder light' Ms Mcdonald's comments came the day after Prince Philip was laid to rest at St George's Chapel in Windsor in front of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, after his death at the age of 99. 'Of course I am sorry that happened, of course that is heart-breaking,' Ms McDonald told Times Radio. 'I am happy to reiterate that on the weekend that your queen buried her beloved husband.' It marked the first time the political leader of Irish republicans has apologised for the bombing. Gerry Adams, her predecessor, pointedly refused to apologise for the attack when he met Prince Charles in 2015. Lord Mountbatten, who was known as the last Viceroy of India and had overseen its partition, was a popular and well-known royal figure who had not been involved in the fighting in Ireland, but held a prominent position as mentor to Prince Charles. The IRA had repeatedly threatened to assassinate him, and came close in 1978 when a sniper reportedly tried to fire at retired admiral from a boat - but was unable to take his shot due to bad weather. Lord Mountbatten had dismissed the threats, one quipping: 'Who the hell would want to kill an old man?' But in 1979, the IRA succeeded using a 50lb remote-control bomb fastened to the hull of Lord Mountbatten's custom fishing boat, the Shadow V. The explosion took place while the 79-year-old was on his yearly holiday to Classiebawn Castle in County Sligo - close to an area of known IRA activity - along with members of his family. On the night of August 26, two members of the IRA had snuck down to the docks where the boat was moored and affixed the bomb to its hull. The following day, a Bank Holiday, the Earl had taken Shadow V out on an expedition alongside six others - his daughter Patricia, her husband, Lord John Brabourne, their 14-year-old twins, Timothy and Nicholas, and Lord Brabourne's mother, the dowager Lady Doreen Brabourne. Louis Mountbatten pictured with members of his family on Shadow V at Mullaghmore, County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland, circa 1975. He was killed on a similar fishing trip in 1979 Around 30 minutes into the voyage, the bomb was detonated - killing Lord Mountbatten, Nicholas and Paul instantly. Lady Brabourne died the next day of her injuries. The attack also coincided with a major attack on British armed forces at Warrenpoint in a roadside bomb ambush. Eighteen soldiers died in what was the heaviest one-day loss of life for the army since The Troubles began. The group stated at the time that the 'bombing was a discriminate act to bring to the attention of the English people the continuing occupation of our country'. Lord Mountbatten was Philip's maternal uncle as the brother of Philip's mother Alice and it is thought the two were extremely close up until his death. Lord Mountbatten's daughter, Lady Patrica Brabourne, 55, her husband Lord Brabourne, 54, the Dowager Lady Brabourne, 82, and Nicholas's twin brother, Timothy, also were on board and were taken to hospital. Lord Mountbatten was also a mentor to Philip's son Prince Charles. Ms McDonald said Sunday that 'my job, and I think Prince Charles... would absolutely appreciate this, is to lead from the front now, in these times. 'It's all of our jobs to make sure that no other child, no other family, irrespective of who they are, face the kind of trauma and heartbreak that was all too common sadly in all sides on this island and beyond,' she said. Around 3,500 lives were lost in the conflict between unionists and nationalists over the future of Northern Ireland that ended with a landmark peace deal in 1998. On Saturday, Irish prime minister Micheal Martin warned against a 'spiral back' into sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, as a week of riots raised fears for the future of the fragile deal. How COVID and SolarWinds are driving secure modernization When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, agencies past investments in IT modernization paid off, but security risks exposed by the SolarWinds breach has forced them to rethink their roadmaps. Participants Artie Chin Chief Digital Services Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development Danny Connelly Chief Information Security Officer, Americas, Zscaler Allen Hill Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Category Management, General Services Administration Pamela Isom Deputy CIO for Architecture, Engineering, Technology and Innovation, Department of Energy Wanda Jones-Heath Chief Information Security Officer, Department of the Air Force Mark Montgomery Executive Director, Cyberspace Solarium Commission Katie Olson Deputy Director, Defense Digital Service Jose Padin Director of Pre-Sales Engineering, U.S. Public Sector, Zscaler Maria Roat Deputy Federal CIO, Office of Management and Budget Francisco Salguero CIO, Federal Communications Commission Sid Sripada Director, Cloud Adoption and Infrastructure Optimization, Centers of Excellence, General Services Administration Courtney Winship Deputy Chief Data Officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Note: FCW Editor-in-Chief Troy K. Schneider led the roundtable discussion. The Feb. 8, 2021, gathering was underwritten by Zscaler, but both the substance of the discussion and this recap are strictly editorial products. Neither Zscaler nor any of the roundtable participants had input beyond their Feb. 8 comments. A group of IT leaders recently gathered to explore how their IT modernization efforts were holding up and where further adjustments were expected. The roundtable discussion hosted by GCNs sibling site FCW was on the record, but the quotes -- which are not for individual attribution (see sidebar for the full list of participants) -- have been edited for length and clarity. Here's what the group had to say. SolarWinds: A wake-up call and an opportunity The exploit of SolarWinds' Orion IT management software, which was discovered in December 2020, directly affected at least nine federal agencies and made clear the limitations of the Department of Homeland Security's Einstein network protection program. The roundtable participants said the breach also illustrated the urgency government should feel about modernizing legacy infrastructure and systems. Although the risks that can lurk in the supply chain are definitely a concern, one official said, the SolarWinds exploit showed how legacy IT can too easily let attackers "laterally move across the enterprise." "We're still talking about that hard shell and the soft squishy interior, and that's got to get fixed," the official said. "It scares me to death on some of the older systems that are out there and what could happen with those older systems that you can only put a hard shell around. Zero trust is not built in through the entire stack, and those applications are at risk." Some participants said their modernization plans had already evolved or at least taken on greater importance. The SolarWinds incident "heightened how we're looking at our future modernization," one said. "If you move to a zero trust-architected network, you have to modernize your infrastructure. We've got to get off the old technologies." Additionally, several participants said, the cybersecurity argument was more likely to win funding and executive support than making the case for improved efficiency and future cost savings. "A lot of times it's easier to say, 'Well, it's security-related,' so then all of a sudden that piques their interest and keeps them engaged," one said. Post-COVID infrastructure Although past modernization efforts, especially the government's move to cloud services, made the pandemic-related switch to massive telework feasible, plans for 2021 and beyond are still adapting to a new normal that has yet to be fully defined. One challenge will be managing the full life cycle of systems and solutions that were deployed on an emergency basis in 2020. Participants cited the Defense Department's Commercial Virtual Remote environment as a prime example. That DOD-wide instance of Microsoft Teams is now being retired in favor of individual but interoperable tenancies for each military service. But countless smaller projects will need to be scrutinized, participants said. "There have been a number of tools specifically related to dealing with a health pandemic that there's not a clear home for," one executive said. Although active use of some of those solutions will likely end in the coming months, "I'm hoping that the next administration takes a look at what are the digital tools and digital health infrastructure we need to put in place for if and when this happens again. And our team is not set up to maintain some of these tools forever." Others pointed to the need to reassess dramatically expanded virtual desktop licenses and extra bandwidth. The agencies that were able to use software-defined wide-area networks and other infrastructure-as-a-service solutions "are saving a lot more money," one official noted, which could give others the evidence they need to make similar moves. Government should have vendors take over low-level legacy infrastructure, "replace it with modern technology and move to an as-a-service solution," that official said. "And then that way you have the ability to expand a contract based on your needs as an agency or a service." More important than any specific system, however, is ensuring that agency employees who have been scattered and stretched are set up to succeed. "I think it's really going to be interesting to see how this translates in the future because we have proven that, to a certain extent, knowledge workers are capable of getting a job done outside a physical office," one participant said. "There are tools that can make their lives better, and there are tools that can make security better. So when it comes down to being able to attract talent and keep talent to help the government," the old approach of issuing a laptop and VPN access should give way to "modern technology with security that sits in line in the cloud and you can quickly get to anything." An argument for agile modernization The roundtable participants noted that multiyear funding remains one of the biggest obstacles to foundational IT modernization (the discussion took place before the most recent relief bill provided $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund), but they also said 2020 demonstrated the value of rapid and incremental improvements. Traditionally, one official said, IT modernization has been "looked at as this big five- or 10-year program. And what happened [during the pandemic], because it had to happen, is that we were able to modernize in pieces. And I think what we should be learning from this is not only the specific technologies that assisted, but the fact that you can modernize in pieces. You can find technologies that can help in both the near term and long term. It's amazing to see it in action." A longer version of this article was first posted to FCW, a sibling site to GCN. Tristar Transport, a leading global integrated liquid logistics solutions provider headquartered in Dubai, UAE, has announced its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). Established in 1998 as a road transport service provider for the petroleum industry in the UAE, Tristar has evolved into a leading integrated energy logistics company serving a diversified customer base of "blue-chip" investment grade companies. The Group has operations in 21 countries and territories across three continents and has over 2,000 road transport assets and 35 maritime vessels, including the operation of 69 fuel farms and over 100 remote fuel sites, providing a wide spectrum of integrated service offerings. With a strong reputation for quality, built over two decades of operations and a commitment to safety and operational excellence, Tristar has become a trusted brand in the global logistics industry. The Group is a partner of choice for leading International Oil Companies ("IOCs") and National Oil Companies ("NOCs") in the energy sector. Tristar's diversified and integrated offering spans fuel logistics services to support Intergovernmental Organisations ("IGO") peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in remote geographies (remote fuels) as well as commercial enterprises (commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. Tristar has a unique position as an integrated, end-to-end energy logistics solution provider to an enviable blue-chip global client base. The Group has a strong track record of growth demonstrated by a 12.4% CAGR in operating cash flows between 2018 and 2020 and a consistent EBITDA margin between 20.1% to 22.8% in the years 2018 to 2020. In the year ended 31 December 2020, the Group had a consolidated revenue of $453.4 million, and EBITDA of $103.6 million. This record is underpinned by a strong business model, operational excellence and rigorous financial management. Eugene Mayne, Group CEO of Tristar said: "I am proud to have witnessed the evolution of Tristar from a local road transportation business into a global world-class integrated energy logistics solutions provider serving blue-chip clients, with an offering that spans road and maritime transportation, specialized warehousing, fuel farms, and fuel supply operations. "Our business, which enjoys a strong reputation, developed through years of operational excellence, underpinned by a customer centric model, and a commitment to the highest quality and safety standards, has become a trusted logistics partner for major oil companies globally. "Tristar has always been a 'Business for Purpose' with the ambition to make a positive impact on our communities and to keep our corporate responsibility at the core of everything we do. In 2011, we signed on to the United Nations Global Compact supporting the advancement of Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Labour and Environment, demonstrating the extent of our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. "Tristar's IPO marks an exciting milestone in the Group's story as we continue to grow, innovate and shape the future of the logistics industry, he added. Offering highlights Offer size is expected to represent up to 24% of the total issued ordinary shares after the Offering in the capital of Tristar. The offering is expected to comprise new shares issued by Tristar and shares to be sold by existing shareholders . Tristar expects to receive between $120 to $160 million of gross primary proceeds from the offering. Admission of shares on the DFM is expected in April 2021, subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE. Five percent of the offering will be reserved for offer to the Emirates Investment Authority ( EIA). The offering is expected to be declared Sharia compliant, subject to confirmation by the Sharia Supervision Committee, on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering and upon the use of a portion of the proceeds to repay around AED197 million in loans and payables due to related parties. The offering will comprise a primary issuance of 199,000,000 new shares in addition to a secondary offering of up to 88,760,000 existing shares by the existing shareholders. TradeArabia News Service Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 18:03:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is scheduled to pay a three-day official visit to Iran from Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said in a statement on Tuesday. The ministry said Qureshi will have delegation-level talks with his Iranian counterpart to review the bilateral relations with a view to further deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. (Pakistan-Iran-Visit) - - - - MANILA -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 953,106 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 7,379 new cases on Tuesday. The DOH said 93 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, bringing the death toll to 16,141. (Philippines-COVID-19) - - - - PHNOM PENH -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Tuesday said he greatly valued China's leading role in helping other countries to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In a speech delivered via a videoconference to the opening session of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021, Hun Sen said the COVID-19 pandemic continues posing serious threats to global public health and overall development. (Cambodia-China-COVID-19) - - - - HERAT, Afghanistan -- Three people, including an assailant, were killed and three others wounded when a suicide car bomb rocked a police station in Afghanistan's western province of Herat early Tuesday, the provincial governor confirmed. "The incident occurred outside police station of Ghoryan district, in the western part of Herat roughly at 2:00 a.m. Tuesday local time," Governor Sayyed Waheed Qatali told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Car bomb) Enditem Supplier News 20 April 2021 With summer right around the corner, it's not just the weather that's heating up. Tripadvisor's 2021 Summer Travel Index reveals that - with every passing day - travel is making a big comeback. Nearly half of Americans (43%) in a recent Tripadvisor survey believe travel activity will rebound within three months. With Americans no longer settling for staycations and local trips, it appears true vacation getaways are coming back en vogue. Over two-thirds of Americans (67%) are planning to travel this summer (June 1 - August 31), which is a 17% increase from those who traveled this spring (March 1- May 31). Millennials are the most excited to get back out there with the vast majority (72%) of the generation planning trips. Although many still plan to drive to their destination (43%), 19% plan to fly, up 4% from this spring. Americans are done with quiet staycations and hanging out idly in their homes; they're excited to get out and about. Compared to the first week of January, hotel searches are up 65%, searches for experiences (attractions and tours) increased by 78%, and restaurant searches are up 53%1. What's hot this summer? Of those planning to travel, 74% of Americans will take a domestic trip and 13% will travel internationally. and 13% will travel internationally. Americans ready for longer R&R , with 29% taking a weeklong trip and 28% vacationing for 10 days. , with 29% taking a weeklong trip and 28% vacationing for 10 days. Most popular travel weeks begin June 21 and June 28, timed around Independence Day. begin June 21 and June 28, timed around Independence Day. Summer splurge : Over half (53%) of Americans plan to spend more on trips this year vs. last summer, rising to 66% for millennials. Globally, Americans are the biggest summer spenders, planning to shell out 9% more than the average traveler around the world. : Over half (53%) of Americans plan to spend more on trips this year vs. last summer, rising to 66% for millennials. Globally, Americans are the biggest summer spenders, planning to shell out 9% more than the average traveler around the world. Hottest amenities: Clean hotels, free cancelations, hotels with restaurants. Beach destinations continue to shine this summer, with travelers most interested in sunny Florida and Mexico. Their choice of where to stay reiterates that desire: the most popular accommodation types for 2021 summer trips are all-inclusives and beach resorts. Most popular destinations for Americans this summer (and what to do in each 2) Photo: TripAdvisor Globally, nearly half (48%) of travelers are planning summer trips, with more than a third (38%) staying domestic and less then one in ten (9%) venturing internationally. Luxurious destinations like Bora Bora and Dubai top the list of most searched international destinations this April, while Greece and Iceland gained the most momentum in the last several months. President Biden, claiming to fight against racism in the U.S., issued an order banning the use of terms such as"China virus" and "Wuhan virus" when referring to COVID-19 in federal communications. Following his inauguration, President Joe Biden highlighted his administration's commitment to disavow racism and xenophobia toward Asian Americans, especially after the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. In a review of an executive order, it was revealed that Biden had directed federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) whether "xenophobic" references like "China virus" or "Wuhan virus" are found in any existing federal communications published by the previous administration. According to CBS News, a look into federal communications did not find any references to the "Wuhan virus" or "China virus," despite former President Donald Trump insisting on calling COVID-19 with those terms. If any federal communications are found to use those terms, the Biden executive order will require its removal. The report said that Biden's executive order is a "critical step away from some of the race-baiting language used by the Trump administration." "Labeling COVID-19 a foreign virus does not displace accountability for the misjudgments that have been taken thus far by the Trump administration," then presidential candidate Joe Biden said in March 2020, as per NBC News. "The coronavirus does not have a political affiliation. It will infect Republicans, independents and Democrats alike. And it will not discriminate based on national origin, race, gender or ZIP code." But OANN is pointing out that Biden's move to remove the terms "Wuhan virus" and "China virus" in federal communication is "politically motivated" and that it only targets specific terms that former President Trump said without acknowledging the hate crimes against other communities, some of which have fallen victim to hatred from left-wing activists. The report also revealed that there has been an increase in Americans' negative attitudes towards Russians. A 2016 Gallup report (via OANN) found that at the time, 39% of Americans saw Russia as a "critical threat" to the U.S. but in 2019, that statistic had risen to 52%. Many believe that this was influenced by political ideology. Back in 2016, Gallup's study revealed "no measurable difference between Democrats and Republicans in their attitudes to Russia," but in 2019, 46% of Democrats believed Russia was the enemy versus only 14% of Republicans. Political ideology has also paved the way for the CCP to create its own narrative, distracting away from the true origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan. The CCP has come up with several unfounded conspiracy theories to divert attention from their failed attempts of covering up the origins of COVID-19. They even went as far as claiming that COVID-19 was deliberately brought to Wuhan by the U.S. military, an unfounded theory. In the U.S.' fight to combat racism within the nation, President Biden is toeing the line of being politically correct and condemning hate crimes against Asians and siding with the CCP, which claims that people should not call COVID-19 the "Wuhan virus" despite evidence proving that it originated from Wuhan, China. Chinese government censors have prevented social media users from sharing an article penned by former premier Wen Jiabao that appeared to take a subtle sideswipe at ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping. The eulogy from Wen to his mother, who died recently, was published in the Macau Herald weekly newspaper on , and has since appeared in full on the social media platform WeChat. Soon afterwards, it had been blocked from being shared or retweeted. "In my mind, China should be a country full of fairness and justice, always with a respect for the will of the people, humanity, and human nature," said the last paragraph of Wen's article, which did not directly discuss China's current political environment. While the article didn't address contemporary politics in China, it described some of the struggles of Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) under late supreme leader Mao Zedong, in connection with Wen's mother. Analysts said the article was likely seen as a challenge to ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping, as it offered a perspective from an earlier leadership, when controls over freedom of speech weren't so stringent as under Xi, and when Wen once told the foreign media that pressure from within China for freedom and democracy was "inevitable." The blocking of the article comes as the CCP launches an all-out propaganda offensive to sanitize and take control of public narratives about its own history ahead of its centenary on . The Cyberspace Administration last week set up a hotline for people to report each other to the authorities for failing to toe the party's freshly revised line on matters of history. Fear of democracy and rule of law Cai Xia, a former professor at the Central Party School in Beijing who now lives in the United States, said the article had likely already been subjected to self-censorship before publication. "This shows just how much the totalitarian regime in mainland China fears democracy and the rule of law," Cai said. "They are afraid to give rights to the people." Premier Wen told CNN in 2010 that freedom of speech was "essential," while he viewed the Chinese people's desire for freedom and democracy as "inevitable." U.S.-based scholar Wu Zuolai said the 78-year-old Wen's huge cachet as a former Chinese leader likely led to the restrictions on the article. "This is a former national leader at the rank of premier, and they have blocked even a moderate article like this one," Wu said. "These means they won't allow any articles that could be seen as offering veiled criticisms or of fomenting dissatisfaction [with and within the CCP]," he said. He said the overall political line alluded to by Wen's article is taboo under Xi, who is currently serving an unlimited second term in office after changing the constitution. 'Reform' remarks in 2012 Wen is remembered in particularly for a 2012 press conference at the National Peoples Congress (NPC), his last in office, during which he mentioned the word "reform" several times, including in the context of political reform. "It's not just the economic system that must be reformed; it's the political system as well, especially reforms to the party and state leadership system," he told reporters at the time. Meanwhile, Xi was also calling for "justice" in what analysts said was the harbinger of a new era in foreign policy more closely akin to the Cold War than recent approaches. "The world wants justice, not hegemony," Xi said in remarks broadcast to the Bo'ao Forum on . "A big country should look like a big country by showing that it is shouldering more responsibility," he said. While Xi did not identify any country in his remarks, Chinese officials have in recent times referred to U.S. "hegemony" in public criticisms of Washington's geopolitical stance. Xi's remarks came amid widespread international criticism of the human rights situation in Xinjiang, which the U.S. government has said is an ongoing policy of genocide against the Uyghur people. Chinese state media have also begun hitting out at social media accounts that engage in ostentatious displays of wealth, with one celebrity content creator Big LOGO apologizing for a recent video showing off wealth. "This is a warning to everyone that they can't shout about this kind of luxury lifestyle," a Beijing resident surnamed Yu told RFA. "They fear there will be an online reaction, and maybe even some looting and smashing, so they are trying to control that [before it happens]." Zhang Kunlun, a scholar from the northern city of Taiyuan, said the criticisms come amid a growing gap between haves and have-nots in China. "The economy isn't doing well in wake of the pandemic, so the gap between rich and poor has widened," Zhang said. "The government wants to avoid a scenario in which that provokes public resistance [to the CCP]." Reported by Mia Chen, Qiao Long and Lau Siu Fung for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Australian experts say there is no evidence mixing COVID-19 inoculations is safe and effective, as France and Germany race ahead with plans to give people two different vaccines. The two countries announced that young people who had received their first dose would get a second dose of a different vaccine, after a rare clotting syndrome was linked to AstraZenecas vaccine earlier this month. Rosie Gibuma receives a vaccination at the Boigu community centre from Queensland Health nurse Ruth Ferguson. Credit:Brook Mitchell/Getty Images But so far, cases of the rare syndrome have been seen only in people having their first dose. In Australia, everyone who has received a dose of AstraZeneca including people under 50 should have a second dose of the same vaccine, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Market Intelligence today introduced new enhancements to S&P Global Marketplace (Marketplace) that will further enable market participants to test, analyze and visualize its leading traditional and curated alternative data seamlessly and efficiently. Today's launch includes the addition of more than 25 new and enhanced datasets from S&P Global, the introduction of S&P Global Marketplace Workbench, a collaborative analytics platform, the addition of a new machine learning solution from Kensho, along with numerous platform enhancements. The new enhancements feature the launch of the S&P Global Marketplace Workbench (Workbench), which allows users to explore pre-built notebooks, and visualize and collaborate with colleagues in a modern and simple-to-use web-based environment. "This release is the most significant since the debut of S&P Global Marketplace in 2020 and includes the addition of new data sources, expanded platform capabilities, and enhanced solutions to an already powerful roster," explains Warren Breakstone, Chief Product Officer of Data Management Solutions at S&P Global Market Intelligence. "There has been a strong market response to Marketplace as our clients appreciate the ease of use and robust selection of content, research, delivery options, and technical solutions. With the addition of Workbench, clients will now benefit from a powerful collaborative environment to run their data analysis and explore vast datasets with languages and tools of choice." Developed in collaboration with Databricks, Workbench includes features that allow users to: Explore a library of pre-built notebooks to quickly understand and evaluate various Marketplace datasets; Perform exploratory data analysis with built-in visualizations and model development capabilities, all within a cloud-hosted environment without needing to transfer data; Collaborate seamlessly with colleagues with real-time co-authoring and commenting across multi-language supported notebooks (R, Python, SQL, Scala). "With so much new data available for our clients to evaluate, Workbench enhances and streamlines the client data exploration experience" said Jay Bhankharia, Senior Director and Head of Platforms for S&P Global Marketplace at S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Workbench integrates the data, code, and workflow capabilities which further reduce any friction for our clients when analyzing and evaluating data from the S&P Global Marketplace." The latest Marketplace release also includes: In September 2020, S&P Global Market Intelligence announced a collaboration with Snowflake to enable delivery through a cloud-hosted environment for its datasets. With this release, there are now over 55 S&P Global Marketplace datasets available via Snowflake. To learn more please visit the S&P Global Marketplace. About S&P Global Market Intelligence At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we understand the importance of accurate, deep and insightful information. We integrate financial and industry data, research and news into tools that help track performance, generate alpha, identify investment ideas, perform valuations and assess credit risk. Investment professionals, government agencies, corporations and universities around the world use this essential intelligence to make business and financial decisions with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics in the global capital and commodity markets, offering ESG solutions, deep data and insights on critical business factors. S&P Global has been providing essential intelligence that unlocks opportunity, fosters growth and accelerates progress for more than 160 years. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence. Media Contact Amanda Oey S&P Global Market Intelligence Tel: 212-438-1904 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE S&P Global Market Intelligence In a presentation to NAATBaat International, Talon outlined its proposal for smart green nickel, focusing on tracking nickel from the mine to the final product Talon told investors that the US will need nickel to produce battery cathodes for the next generation of electric vehicles Talon Metals Corp ( ) (OTCMKTS:TLOFF) (FRA:TAO) has presented its plan to help build a domestic US battery supply chain to members of NAATBaat International, an advocacy group for advanced battery technology in North America. Members of NAATBaat include companies like Honda, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, CATL, Nissan and Glencore. In a presentation to the group, Talon outlined its proposal for smart green nickel, focusing on tracking nickel from the mine to the final product. Talons flagship Tamarack nickel project is in Minnesota. "When it comes to high-grade nickel deposits like the Tamarack Nickel Project, the world is out of deposits like this, specifically that are high-grade and on infrastructure, Talon CEO Henri van Rooyen told the group as part of the companys presentation. I believe that there is enough nickel in the United States for nickel independence - what's missing is a USA-based refinery that could be used to convert nickel into a final product that can be used for batteries." Talon told investors that the US will need nickel to produce battery cathodes for the next generation of electric vehicles, which will boast longer ranges and higher production volumes. Currently, the only operating nickel mine in the US the Eagle mine in Michigan sends 100% of its nickel to Canada because the US does not have its own refinery. Once Eagle closes (expected in 2026), Talon believes that Tamarack will become the only source of high-grade nickel in the US. Green Nickel supply chain The firm is proposing the construction of a US-based refinery that would allow for an integrated Green Nickel supply chain where all steps from mining and refining of nickel to the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles remains within the country. "End-use customers are demanding more information about the materials in the products they buy, van Rooyen said. Talon is aiming to produce the first Green Nickel supply chain that is traceable and independently verified across responsible production practices and CO2 emissions. "Not only is the Tamarack deposit well-positioned geographically to feed into the North American battery supply chain, but it can leverage the high environmental, labour and human rights standards of the USA to assure customers and consumers that the nickel was produced responsibly. The CEO added that Talon is exploring ways to use blockchain technology with a number of partners to create the first nickel production with traceable and transparent provenance in the electric vehicle supply chain. Tamarack is part of a joint venture with ( ) and comprises the Tamarack North project and the Tamarack South project, which spans an 18-kilometre land position with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. A copy of the presentation can be found on the company's website at: https://talonmetals.com/corporate-presentations/ Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas A medical examiner's office concluded that natural causes triggered the death of Brian Sicknick, one of the victims of the Capitol Insurrection that happened on January 6, 2021. The ruling was made by the medical examiner's office from Washington, D.C. on Monday, Associated Press reported. Officer Brian Sicknick is one of the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol when the rioters stormed inside the building while Congress is voting to certify President Joe Biden's electoral winning. Although the cause of Sicknick's death was not determined until Monday, investigators initially theorized that the cop's cause of death was when he was hit with a fire extinguisher in the head. READ NEXT: 4 People Die in Chaotic Capitol Riot, Including a Woman Fatally Shot by Police Medical Examiner on Brian Sicknick's Death The medical examiner's office noted that Brian Sicknick suffered from a stroke that leads to his death the day after the rioters came into the Capitol, Reuters reported. Francisco Dias, the Chief Medical Examiner pointed out in an interview that the entire incident of Sicknick confronting the rioters "played a role" in the condition he suffered, CNBC reported. Diaz's office pointed out that the official cause of Brian Sicknick's death was "acute brainstem and cerebral infarcts due to acute basilar artery thrombosis." Meanwhile, the United States Capitol Police noted that they have accepted the medical findings of the Chief Medical Examiner. However, Capitol Police reiterated that the ruling will not change the fact that their officer had died in the line of duty as he courageously defended Congress and the Capitol. "The attack on our officers, including Brian, was an attack on our democracy," the Capitol Police highlighted in their statement. Drawbacks Caused by the Medical Examiner's Findings Despite the findings of Brian Sicknick's cause of death, the Associated Press noted that the determination of natural causes as the doorway to the officer's death will make it challenging for the federal prosecutors to pin murder charges on the case. However, the ruling will serve as the determining factor whether a homicide charge can be brought to the case of the two men who were taken into custody after spraying a chemical irritant against the officers. The two men were identified as Julian Khater and George Tanios. The lawyers of the two suspects spraying the chemical on officers did not give an immediate comment on Monday after the ruling of the medical examiner's office was released. Federal prosecutor Michael Sherwin noted that the imagined murder charges would be brought if the medical examiner ruled that the chemical spray played a role in the officer's death. Brian Sicknick became the fifth person in history to be buried in the Capitol Rotunda. The area was designated as the burial site of those who are not elected as officials, judges, or military leaders. Having natural causes, the medical examiner's findings as Brian Sicknick's cause of death, the United States Capitol Police noted that they are working with the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Columbia, Metropolitan Police Department, F.B.I.'s Washington Field Office in ensuring that the people responsible for the assault of their officers be held accountable. READ MORE: House GOP Questions Pelosi on Capitol Riot Security Failures WATCH: Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes, medical examiner says - from CBS Eveneing News A person of interest in the shooting was in police custody, and police are investigating the shooting, Davis said. Police declined to release details on where Woods was shot, whether the person in custody knew Woods or what might have motivated the shooting, she said. "Campbell's inspiring leadership of our international teams and his demonstrated strong personal values have steadfastly served our customers and their thriving businesses, especially throughout the challenging circumstances of this past year," said Brian Dick, GSF corporate executive vice president and chief operating officer. "With his keen focus on developing teams, supporting customers, and thinking strategically, Campbell brings great value to our organization and will certainly contribute meaningfully to our future endeavors as GSF's newest executive officer." With more than two decades of industry leadership experience, Campbell has successfully led GSF's international teams in improving quality, associate engagement, operational efficiencies, profitability, and key relationships with iconic quick service restaurant and retail customers. Under Campbell's leadership, the company's international food manufacturing businesses have significantly grown business and forged multiple partnerships to maintain that growth in the future. In supporting customer success, Campbell will continue to build upon the talents and deep experience of GSF's team of about 1,000 international associates. As president, international business group, Campbell Cooper has overseen operations in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East since late 2019. Among numerous accomplishments in the past two years, GSF Fresh! China opened a second Produce Products facility and earned three 2020 McDonald's supplier recognitions, including the Collaboration Award and Encouraging Improvement Award, as well as the A Quality Award for the fourth consecutive year. Additionally, Tim Hortons honored KanPak China, a GSF company, as a 2019-2020 Top Ten Best Business Partner. After joining GSF as group vice president, GSF Fresh! in 2018, Campbell played a key role in the company's introduction into the Taiwanese market through a joint venture partnership. He also spearheaded GSF's expansion in China and Australia, working closely with GSF customers to ensure that GSF meets their needs across the global supply chain. Prior to GSF, Campbell served as general manager, functional foods for Royal Cosun, where he developed a five-year global strategy, research and development platform and investment plan to encompass markets in Europe, the United States and Asia. Previously, Campbell successfully held tenures at global food brands like Fronterra, Nestle Purina Europe and Zespri International. Originally from Havelock North, New Zealand, Campbell earned his bachelor's degree in Horticultural Science from Lincoln University in New Zealand. About Golden State Foods Golden State Foods (GSF), one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice and retail industries, feeds 5 billion people every day! Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., the company is values-based with proven performance in superior quality, innovation and customer service. Established in 1947, GSF currently services 100+ leading brands (125,000+ restaurants/stores) from its 50+ locations on five continents. Its core businesses include: manufacturing of liquid products, protein, produce, dairy/aseptic, and provides custom distribution services. The company employs approximately 6,000 associates and is 100 percent management-owned and run. Golden State Foods also operates a national non-profit organization, the GSF Foundation. Media Contact: Janie Le, Porter Novelli [email protected] 714-914-4928 SOURCE Golden State Foods Related Links https://goldenstatefoods.com/ Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 22:57:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China is willing to work with Saudi Arabia and other members of the international community to build an equitable climate governance regime that is cooperative and beneficial to all. In a phone conversation with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi also called for concerted efforts to push for a comprehensive and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are both major challenges facing mankind and should be tackled with a collective response by all countries within multilateral frameworks, Xi stressed. The Chinese side, he said, supports Saudi Arabia's proposals and measures on promoting global climate governance and sustainable development, and stands ready to work with the international community to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Xi asked Mohammed to convey his greetings to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Pointing out that China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners and also important cooperation partners, Xi noted that over recent years, bilateral relations have witnessed comprehensive development, with political mutual trust growing ever deeper and cooperation in various areas expanding continuously. The two countries, he added, have become good friends, good partners and good brothers that trust each other and commit to win-win cooperation and common development. Xi said China views its ties with Saudi Arabia from a strategic and long-term perspective, and respects Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and development path. China stands ready to work with Saudi Arabia to build an all-round, high-level cooperation pattern that covers such areas as energy, economy, trade and high technology, and deepen coordination on international and regional affairs, so as to lift the China-Saudi Arabia comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels. Mohammed conveyed King Salman's sincere greetings and best wishes to Xi. Calling China a trustworthy good brother and important strategic partner of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince said his country is willing to work with China to deepen their friendship and mutual trust, strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation in such fields as energy, economy and trade, and cement the strategic synergy between Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to further lift the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Saudi Arabia, he said, firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests. Saudi Arabia appreciates China's intended nationally determined contributions, he said, adding that his country has proposed the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, and is willing to strengthen strategic cooperation with China on climate response and environment protection. Enditem Hina Khan's Father Dies Due To A Cardiac Arrest, Actress Returning To Mumbai From Kashmir It is a tragic day for actress Hina Khan. The Ye Rishta Kya Khelata Hai actress has lost her father who died due to a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. Hina who usually keeps her fans posted on her day to day life have been missing from social media for the past two days. Hina who has been keeping busy with work was shooting for a music video with actor Shaheer Shaikh in Kashmir when she got the tragic news of her fathers demise. The actress will reportedly be flying down to Mumbai soon. The actress was incredibly close to her dad and never shied away from flaunting their close bond. Hinas father frequently appeared in her posts on social media and during the nationwide lockdown last year some of their fun videos also went viral with fans loving their adorable bond. Hina who hails from Shrinagar had once spoken candidly about her father being her partner in crime and shared how she had run away to Mumbai to start a career keeping only her father in the loop. We pray his soul rests in peace and hope Hina and her family find the strength to cope with this big loss. (CNN) Beachfront property owned by China's political elite. Washington-accused drug lords and gun runners operating blocks apart. Companies enabling North Korea's purported sanctions-busting fleet. All the above exist in Hong Kong and were exposed, in part, by investigations using Hong Kong's Companies Registry, a public database that has become the subject of a fierce debate between the city's government and a coalition of investors, lawyers, journalists and advocates for transparent governance. Though the registry's online search engine looks and operates like it was created 20 years ago, it is a crucial tool for a smattering of industries because it contains identifying information for the nearly 1.4 million active companies in Hong Kong and the people in charge of them. Investors use the registry to research the business connections of potential partners. Lawyers use it to find the addresses of businesses they want to sue. Labor unions use the registry to issue complaints against management. And journalists use it to investigate possible wrongdoing. The Hong Kong government, however, alleges that the registry's data has been "weaponized" by people looking to bully their political opponents. It says people are procuring the home addresses or identification numbers, available on the database for a small fee, of others and then sharing them widely online. That tactic is known as doxxing and spiked during the city's political unrest in 2019. To prevent people from misusing the registry, the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau wants to remove the need for directors to provide a home address, and partially mask their identity cards or passport numbers. The government said this proposal strikes a "reasonable balance" between privacy and the public's right to information. "Overseas countries also have similar measures to prevent doxxing or weaponizing personal information, the government is only addressing the same problem they are also facing," said the city's leader, Carrie Lam, said at a news conference last month. The government has said its proposal would be in line with places like Australia and the United Kingdom. However, those countries operate registries that are much easier to navigate, and the British one is free. The global trend is tilting toward transparency, not obfuscation, experts say. It's unclear exactly how often the Companies Registry is used for doxxing. Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data received 1,036 doxxing complaints in 2020, but did not specify whether any of those cases used information from the public registry. Doxxing cases fell by 76% last year, compared to the year prior, the privacy watchdog said. Critics say the move will have serious consequences for Hong Kong's free press and its reputation as an easy place to do business. Many are concerned it adds to the perception that Hong Kong is becoming what's known as a "secrecy jurisdiction," a place where it's easy to evade taxes and hide dirty money. The Tax Justice Network, a non-governmental organization that monitors and studies tax havens around the world, ranks Hong Kong fourth on its Financial Secrecy Index. The group claims Hong Kong's "classic see-no-evil approach to financial regulation" is "designed to attract offshore business, dirty and clean, with few questions asked." In a letter to lawmakers who debated the issue on April 9, JP Lee, the chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce's Hong Kong, said the organization did not understand why authorities were so eager "to push through the measures with seeming disregard to the adverse consequences." The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents club urged the government to reconsider based on the belief that the proposal "will be harmful to press freedom and transparency in the city." And Jane Moir of the Asian Corporate Governance Association said on Bloomberg TV this month that "the only people who are going to benefit are companies and individuals who want to keep their affairs secret." "This is a system that has served Hong Kong well for decades, without any problems," she added. A unique identifier In Hong Kong and greater China, where 1.2 billion people share the same 100 surnames, it can be hard to ascertain who owns a company from their name alone. Government-issued ID numbers, however, are unique to each individual. David Webb, a former investment banker turned campaigner for transparency in corporate governance and financial markets, says obscuring these ID numbers will limit the ability to identify company directors with common names, like a "John Smith" in English. Complicating matters is the fact that the Companies Registry does not require directors to use their exact legal name, meaning people can use nicknames or a combination of English and Chinese names that do not match their identity cards. The government put forward a similar proposal more than a decade ago. But Hong Kong's Standing Committee on Company Law Reform the body tasked with advising the city's Financial Secretary on matters relating to company law came to a similar conclusion as Webb when it addressed the issue in 2009. It found "the option of masking 3 or 4 digits of an identification number" wouldn't work as many people have "similar identity card numbers." By 2013, the government backed off. But it is now trying to push through the proposal again. John Scott, who finished his six year run as chair of the standing committee in January, said the proposal to mask directors did not come up during his tenure. He worries the government's sudden decision to push ahead with these changes will make it harder for corporate lawyers to investigate who is behind complex, interlocking corporate structures. "I'm genuinely concerned about losing an area of information that would otherwise be available to litigators like myself," said Scott, who is now senior counsel at Des Voeux Chambers. A spokesman for the US State Department said Washington is concerned the steps would "erode a longstanding history of transparent business practices" in Hong Kong. A CNN investigation last year found that Hong Kong was home to more than 120 people and companies sanctioned by the US government. Experts say Hong Kong is a popular place for US sanctions evasion, in part because of how easy it is to form a front company in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. "Reducing transparency will harm Hong Kong's business environment in many ways," the State Department spokesman said. "It will hinder efforts to fight financial crimes, corruption, and trafficking. It will also create barriers for companies carrying out normal business practices like conducting due diligence, managing business development, and resolving business disputes." 'Doxxing does happen' For Holden Chow, the debate on the changes to the Companies Registry is personal. Chow, a prominent pro-Beijing member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, and his wife were both doxxed in 2019 because of Chow's opposition to the massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests that began that summer and largely continued until Covid-19 shut down the city. Chow's home address, his Hong Kong ID number and his wife's ID number were all released online. He said he does not know how the people who doxxed him got their information. "People called for all sorts of nasty conduct against my home on internet," Chow said. When the Panel on Financial Affairs debated the new measures on April 9, Chow supported the government with one suggested change require directors to use their legal names. "We cherish transparency but doxxing does happen and causes severe harm to Hong Kong people," he said. While pro-Beijing politicians like Chow have been doxxing targets, police officers are the most common victims. Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung, who previously ran the Companies Registry, said in January that 38% of the doxxing cases in 2019 and 2020 involved police officers and their families. But protesters, government critics and journalists have been doxxed, too. CY Leung, the city's former leader, last year published online the addresses of teachers charged over their involvement in the demonstrations. While several lawmakers besides Chow supported the government's proposal at the April 9 meeting, there did not appear to be a consensus. Fellow pro-Beijing lawmaker Michael Tien said he would not vote for the legislation as it stands. While Tien, a successful entrepreneur, agrees with allowing directors to make their identification numbers private, he feels the government needs to do more to allow users to uniquely pinpoint the director of a company if their ID number is going to be obscured. As one of the only remaining pro-democratic politicians left in Hong Kong's legislature, Cheng Chung-tai was predictably the government's harshest critic. He alleged authorities were pursuing political objectives that would make Hong Kong "an international safe haven for money laundering." Trust Hong Kong is already one of the world's easiest places to set up a company. Some firms advertise the ability to do it in under an hour. Critics worry the new proposal will allow directors to quickly set up their company and then hide behind new layers of anonymity and bureaucracy. Though government and banks will still be able to investigate allegations of wrongdoing, investors, lawyers and others outside of government will not have full access to the registry at least not without the government's permission. The government said "specified persons" including law enforcement agencies, company shareholders, anti-money laundering professionals and liquidators will be able to apply for access to full personal information on the register, though it has not made clear how much red tape that process will involve. The media, as of now, will not. When asked why at a news conference, Lam said she "can't see why journalists should enjoy such privileges." The new system effectively asks the public to place its trust in the government. Trust the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau when it says the public will still be able to pinpoint company directors. Trust that the Companies Registry won't deny most applications for full director data. Trust that police and government will investigate financial wrongdoing, even if there's no media coverage to push them into taking an interest in a case. But trust in Lam, the police and the rest of Hong Kong's institutions has cratered since the 2019 protests and Beijing's decision to institute a draconian national security law last summer, according to opinion polls. Will the public trust the Companies Registry to give full access to reporters investigating police wrongdoing, for example, at a time when the Hong Kong Justice Department pursues charges against a journalist for using a public registry to investigate the alleged police mishandling of a violent mob attack? Will the public trust the government to give full access to an accountant investigating violations of US financial sanctions, when Lam herself is subject to US sanctions. Will the public trust the registry to allow a corporate lawyer investigating a labyrinthine corporate structure to access identifying information on who is behind that company, even if the paper trail leads to someone tied to the upper echelons of the Chinese Communist Party? "For once the interest of the banking, accounting and legal community coincides with that of the media and the free press," said Scott, the former chairman of the Standing Committee on Company Law Reform. "I hope we get some proper debate on the subject." CNN's Jadyn Sham contributed reporting. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Hong Kong's zealous anti-doxxing campaign could make it even easier to hide dirty money in the city." Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Advertisement People across the United States celebrated on Tuesday as Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd after cities across the country had been on high alert for protests in the case of a not guilty verdict. Hundreds of people who had gathered outside a courthouse in Minneapolis could be heard inside as they cheered when the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty in the murder of George Floyd. The crowd had been patiently waiting outside the Hennepin County Courthouse on Tuesday when the jury reached a verdict. It arrived after about 10 hours of deliberations over two days. In a clip from the scene, the crowd was mostly quiet until someone shouted: 'Guilty! Guilty!' The crowd erupted immediately with cheers and people jumping up and down. Another person is heard quietening the group again before yelling: 'Derek Chauvin's been found guilty!' 'Say his name,' the man continued. The crowd responded: 'George Floyd!' Scroll down for videos MINNEAPOLIS: Vigils are set up outside of Cup Foods in George Floyd Square on Thursday after the verdict was announced MINNEAPOLIS: Terrence Floyd, brother of George, joins people celebrating the guilty verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial at George Floyd Square MINNEAPOLIS: George Floyd's brother Terrence joins people celebrating the verdict at George Floyd Square MINNEAPOLIS: People break out into dance to celebrate MINNEAPOLIS: The celebrations continued into the night with fireworks pictured going off in George Floyd Square MINNEAPOLIS: Vigils are set up outside of Cup Foods in George Floyd Square on Thursday after the verdict was announced MINNEAPOLIS: Vigils are set up outside of Cup Foods in George Floyd Square on Thursday after the verdict was announced MINNEAPOLIS: People pay their respects outside of Cup Foods, where Floyd was killed MINNEAPOLIS: Flowers and memorials are set up outside of Cup Foods MINNEAPOLIS: Vigils are set up outside of Cup Foods in George Floyd Square on Thursday after the verdict was announced MINNEAPOLIS: A crowd celebrates in George Floyd Square following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial on April 20, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS: Reverend Jesse Jackson joins local residents around a wood fire after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin Chauvin was convicted on charges of third-degree murder, second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis last Memorial Day. Outside of Cup Foods, where Floyd had been just before he was killed, a man tearfully led people gathered in cheering his name. Philonise Floyd, a brother of Floyd, was seen raising his hands in victory with attorney Ben Crump during a news conference after the verdict was read. His other brothers Rodney and Terrence Floyd also spoke during the press conference. NEW YORK: Protesters march following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn NEW YORK: A protester holds a sign following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in Brooklyn MINNEAPOLIS: Fireworks are set off to celebrate the verdict ATLANTA: People march through the streets after the verdict was announced MINNEAPOLIS: A protester holds a 'guilty' sign after the verdict MINNEAPOLIS: A crowd masses in George Floyd Square to celebrate NEW YORK: People celebrate in Washington Square Park in Manhattan MINNEAPOLIS: Terrence Floyd, George Floyd's brother, speaks at George Floyd Square NEW YORK: People march through Manhattan after the guilty verdict Floyd's young daughter Gianna also attended the press conference. A tearful Roxie Washington, Gianna's mother , was seen crying while leaving Hennepin County Courthouse after the verdict. His girlfriend, Courteney Ross, also spoke to reporters outside of the Hennepin County Courthouse. The celebrations continued into the night with fireworks pictured going off in George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. In Louisville, Kentucky - where Breonna Taylor was killed last year - a man named Neal Robertson said: 'It's about damn time,' WHAS reported. PORTLAND: Protesters hold a sign to honor Makhia Bryant, a 15-year-old black girl shot Tuesday by police in Columbus, Ohio, during marches after the Chauvin verdict PORTLAND: Flowers are seen on the ground as people gather on the streets MINNEAPOLIS: More than 100 people who had gathered outside a courthouse in Minneapolis could be heard inside as they cheered when the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty in the murder of George Floyd MINNEAPOLIS: Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother, is pictured with Reverend Al Sharpton and others following the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin MINNEAPOLIS: George Floyd's cousin's daughter Tedra McGee, center, poses with members of The Original Black Panthers of Minnesota after a press conference following the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin MINNEAPOLIS: People gather in front of Cup Foods to celebrate after a jury found former Police officer Dereck Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd MINNEAPOLIS: George Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross speaks to reporters outside of the Hennepin County Courthouse MINNEAPOLIS: A crowd reacts to the guilty verdict in the State v. Derek Chauvin trial at the location where George Floyd was murdered Verdict in the State v. Derek Chauvin trial WASHINGTON D.C.: Mahkhyieah Lee, 5, of Scranton Pa., hugs her mom Erin Lee as they visit Black Lives Matter Plaza with other family members near the White House on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS: People react after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in front of Hennepin County Government Center MINNEAPOLIS: People react after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in front of Hennepin County Government Center MINNEAPOLIS: A man cries as he hugs someone after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in front of Hennepin County Government Center MINNEAPOLIS: A woman cries as she hugs a man outside of the Hennepin County Government Center after Chauvin's verdict was read MINNEAPOLIS: People react to the news of the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial at George Floyd Square with crying and hugging MINNEAPOLIS: People cry and hug each other at George Floyd Square while another man, left, smiles with joy at the guilty verdict MINNEAPOLIS: A person wearing a Black Lives Matter mask hugs another person after the verdict for Derek Chauvin was read on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS: A woman holding a beverage puts her hands into a prayer sign after the guilty verdict was read for the murder over George Floyd MINNEAPOLIS: A woman holds a guilty sign while people react to the guilty verdicts for Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd MINNEAPOLIS: A woman holds a Black Lives Matter sign out of the sunroof of a vehicle after the verdict is read on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS: A woman clutches her hands to her face after the verdict was released 'Welcome to America. It's about time. We're waiting for this,' the man says. A woman screams through a megaphone: 'It's guilty! It's guilty!' 'We have to build back up our city too. We've got a lot of work to do. Not only with Breonna Taylor, we've got a lot of other things we have to do. You know what it is,' Robertson said. 'It means so much to me,' said Venisha Johnson, a black woman who cried at a gathering in what has been dubbed George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. 'I've been praying for George every day, every morning at 6am. I'm just so happy. The way he was murdered was terrible! But thank you, Jesus.' MINNEAPOLIS: Hugs and cheers of joy were found in abundance MINNEAPOLIS: A man celebrates with both arms in the air outside of the Hennepin County Government Center MINNEAPOLIS: People throw money into the air after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin NEW YORK: Jibrill Morris reacts after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City WASHINGTON D.C.: People watch the announcement of the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin WASHINGTON D.C.: Joseph Ravago wipes tears from the eyes of Kamaile Elderts on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Washington, after the verdict in Minneapolis, in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was announced NEW YORK: AniYa A motions as she walks through Times Square in New York, while talking on her cell phone after a Minnesota jury found Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter NEW YORK: AniYa A motions as she walks through Times Square in New York, while talking on her cell phone after a Minnesota jury found Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter MINNEAPOLIS: A person burns an American flag outside of the Hennepin County Government Center after a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd MINNEAPOLIS: A person holds a cutout of a middle finger outside of the Hennepin County Government Center after a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd NEW YORK: Protesters march past people dining outdoors in Brooklyn while the nation reacts to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict NEW YORK: BLM protesters on bikes gathered at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn to hear the verdict of police officer Derek Chauvin NEW YORK: People in Brooklyn react to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict on Tuesday near Grand Army Plaza NEW YORK: People in Brooklyn react to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict at Barclays Center on Thursday WASHINGTON D.C.: Allison Haywood, left, hugs her mother, Cheryl Haywood, as she reacts to the verdict in Derek Chauvin's trial near St. John's Episcopal Church MINNEAPOLIS: People celebrate the guilty verdict in the Dereck Chauvin trail at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue MINNEAPOLIS: People celebrate the guilty verdict in the Dereck Chauvin trail at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue MINNEAPOLIS: A woman cries as the verdict is announced in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota WASHINGTON D.C.: London Williams, left, and Stephanie Toledo, right. react after a Minneapolis jury convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin on all counts of the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Black Lives Matter Plaza HOUSTON: Charles Hall talks about the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in the neighborhood where George Floyd grew up In Houston's Third Ward, the historically black neighbourhood where Mr Floyd grew up, a small crowd gathered under a tent near a mural of Mr Floyd to listen as the verdict was read on TV. People driving by honked their car horns and yelled, 'Justice!' 'We feeling good. We thank everybody that stood with us. It's a blessed moment,' said Jacob David, 39, who knew Mr Floyd and wiped away tears. 'We've just become so accustomed to not receiving justice. I'm just so very, very overwhelmed right now,' said Tesia Lisbon, a community activist in Florida's capital of Tallahassee, who was one of 19 people arrested by police last September during a Black Lives Matter march. 'We just got so used to not hearing good news, to not having the justice system on your side for so long.' Tuesday's celebrations were tempered with the heavy knowledge that Chauvin's conviction was just a first step on the long road to address racial injustices by police. Many said they had prepared for a different result after watching countless deaths of people of color at the hands of police who went unpunished. The shooting death of another Black man, Daunte Wright, by officers in suburban Minneapolis during the trial and of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago last month heightened tensions and muted the court victory for many. 'Finally we did get some justice,' Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, a Black man who died at the hands of police in New York City in 2014, said after pronouncing herself 'elated' at the verdict. No criminal charges were brought in her son's death; his last words were 'I cant breathe,' which became a rallying cry among activists. WASHINGTON D.C.: Diners at a restaurant stand up and cheer, clapping their hands after the verdict was read on the television WASHINGTON D.C.: Diners at a restaurant stand up and cheer, clapping their hands after the verdict was read on the television WASHINGTON D.C.: President Joe Biden speaks after the verdict was announced on Tuesday WASHINGTON D.C.: Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) watches the announcement of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial on her phone in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol WASHINGTON D.C.: People gather to celebrate the guilty verdicts in the case of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd Verdict in the State v. Derek Chauvin Trial NEW YORK: Ingrid Noel And Robert Bolden embrace, after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City NEW YORK: Spike Lee takes a photograph with children after the hearing the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in Brooklyn, New York City NEW YORK: After former Minneapolis, Minnesota Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges in the death of George Floyd, a group of Black Lives Matters and members of the Justice For George group held a Community Peace Walk and walked by the famous Apollo Theater on 125th Street in Harlem NEW YORK: Tyler Miggins reacts in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan after the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is facing murder charges in the death of George Floyd NEW YORK: A crowd gathers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd NEW YORK: A protester holds a sign following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in Times Square NEW YORK: A protester speaks into a megaphone following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in Midtown NEW YORK: A protester holds a sign following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in Times Square NEW YORK: A protester holds a sign in Times Square saying 'stop the genocide' following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd In St. Louis, a police association of about 260 predominantly Black officers called the verdict important but 'a pebble in the ocean.' 'Yet, why should we be thankful for something that is right? Why should we be thankful when George Floyd doesnt have his life or his future?' the Ethical Society of Police said in a statement. Many saw the trial as a litmus test for how sincere Americans are about racial justice and consequential police reform after Floyd's death set off global protests. Jurors in the high-profile case deliberated for 10 hours over two days. Chauvin was handcuffed and taken into custody immediately after the verdict was read. 'It means so much to me,' said Venisha Johnson, a Black woman who cried at a gathering in what's been dubbed George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. 'Ive been praying for George every day, every morning at 6 a.m. Im just so happy. The way he was murdered was terrible! But thank you, Jesus.' In Los Angeles, several dozen people gathered to celebrate at the corner of Florence and Normandie avenues, which was the scene of chaos and violence in 1992 when the city dissolved into riots after four officers were acquitted in the beating of motorist Rodney king. A Black man in a Lakers cap danced and chanted: 'Get used to this, get used to justice!' Passing cars blared their horns as demonstrators waved signs and Black Lives Matter flags. HOUSTON: Ceci Munoz sits in the street as she cries and reacts at Yates High School, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Houston, Texas after learning that former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd HOUSTON: People gather inside a convenience store in the Houston neighborhood where George Floyd grew up, to listen to the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin HOUSTON: People gather inside a convenience store in the Houston neighborhood where George Floyd grew up, to listen to the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin SACRAMENTO: Stevante Clark, right, brother of Stephon Clark who was fatally shot by Sacramento Police, is hugged by his cousin Steven Ray Collins, left, at Cesar Chavez Park as they listen live to the guilty verdict ATLANTA: People react near a mural of George Floyd after former Minneapolis Police Department Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts MINNEAPOLIS: People react after the announcement that the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis MINNEAPOLIS: A woman lays flowers at a memorial for George Floyd after the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial on Tuesday NEW YORK: A woman places a placard at a makeshift memorial with the image of Daunte Wright after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd HOUSTON: Ronaly Brooks walks past a mural in the neighborhood where George Floyd grew up Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Houston HOUSTON: Lee Singleton reacts to the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, Tuesday after listening to the verdict in the neighborhood where George Floyd grew up HOUSTON: Lee Singleton reacts to the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, Tuesday after listening to the verdict in the neighborhood where George Floyd grew up HOUSTON: Ralph Smith reacts to the verdict in the murder trial against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in the neighborhood where George Floyd grew up NORTH CAROLINA: Jesse Padilla, owner of The Right Cut Barber Shop, in Cary and customer Andrew Bardsley watch as the verdict is read in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin. Padilla said he was happy to see the verdict and see Chauvin be held accountable for the death of George Floyd. 'It is not the end, but a step in the right direction,' he said MINNEAPOLIS: A man stands on top of a vehicle with his fist raised in the air after the trial of Derek Chauvin MINNEAPOLIS: A man stands in the bed of a truck after Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all counts NEW YORK: NYPD officers stand ready for possible protests in Times Square as news comes that the jury has reached a verdict came in on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS: Police officers in full riot gear outside of the Hennepin County Courthouse before the verdict was announced NEW YORK: A sign reading 'GUILTY' rests next to a candle at Carl Schurz Park after the verdict in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd ATLANTA: The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic observe the guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin case prior to the game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia ATLANTA: The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic observe the guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin case prior to the game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia NEW YORK: Mark King rejoices at a rally outside Barclays Center on Tuesday in the Brooklyn borough of New York MINNEAPOLIS: People react to the guilty verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis NEW YORK: 'They're not listening to us,' Josue Germain said rallying outside Barclays Center on Tuesday NEW YORK: People march with signs past diners after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin HOUSTON: Daryel Simmons reaches up to touch the names of Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor as she came to a George Floyd memorial mural after learning of the guilty verdict on all counts in the murder trial of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd MINNEAPOLIS: People react to the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial at George Floyd Square on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS: People react to the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial at George Floyd Square outside Cup Foods on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS: Family and friends react during a news conference following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial After the guilty verdict was read, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that it had called a tactical alert 'in an abundance of caution.' 'There are no current unlawful assemblies and the department is proactively taking initiative to ensure adequate resources to respond to any situation should the need arise,' the LAPD tweeted. 'We remain committed to ensuring the balance of ensuring public safety of all and being respectful to the community. We strive to protect and serve every member of the community equally.' In Washington D.C., people were seen standing up and cheering and clapping inside of a restaurant as the verdict was read on the television, WUSA reported. While Minneapolis was fortified for the duration of the two-week trial - with fences erected and buildings bordered up - there were fears of unrest all across the nation if a not guilty verdict was returned. Cities across the United States are on high alert in the wake of the Derek Chauvin 's murder trial. The 12-person jury found Chauvin guilty on all counts Monday afternoon after just 10 hours of deliberations MINNEAPOLIS: In this image from video, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is taken into custody as his attorney Eric Nelson, left, watches, after his bail was revoked after he was found guilty on all three counts in his trial MINNEAPOLIS: Chauvin is taken into custody as his attorney Eric Nelson, left, watches, after his bail was revoked after he was found guilty on all three counts in his trial In addition to Stoll News reporting that the Chicago Police appear prepared to deploy tear gas to disrupt large crowds, Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned residents that looting would not be tolerated. 'We are prepared to arrest and bring to prosecution anyone who would dare try to take the dreams of our small businesses by looting,' she vowed. 'Don't test us because we are ready.' Meanwhile in Portland - which has been rocked by frequent unrest since Floyd's death - Mayor Ted declared a state of emergency and called for calm. 'It's my hope that regardless of the jury's decision, Portlanders will respond with the safety of their neighbors in mind,' he stated before the verdict was handed down. Elsewhere, tens of thousands of New Yorkers were planning to hit the streets for demonstrations in spite of the guilty verdict. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis had signed a bill into law on Monday that created a new crime called 'mob intimidation' that would deny bail to protesters until their first court appearances, NPR reported. 'If you riot, if you loot, if you harm others, particularly if you harm a law enforcement officer during one of these violent assemblies, you're going to jail,' DeSantis said at the bill signing on Monday. Under the new Florida law, local officials can also be held liable for lawsuits if someone is injured during protests and strengthens penalties for protesters who block roadways or deface public monuments, according to the outlet. According to Politico, officials in Washington DC were reportedly debating whether to re-erect outer fencing around the US Capitol amid fear protests would last days or weeks. Kate Middleton attended late Prince Philip's funeral on April 17 at St George's Chapel alongside her husband Prince William. With her choice of meaningful outfit, The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to not just Philip but also to the Queen and the late Princess Diana by wearing an iconic Japanese pearl necklace that actually belongs to Britain's Queen as per the reports by Hello Magazine. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were seen in customary black mourning dress as the Royals ditched military uniforms in a notable break with tradition. Prince William and Kate Middleton have arrived at Windsor Castle to attend the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke of Cambridge will play a part in the day's proceedings. William will walk alongside his cousin Peter Phillips in the procession. pic.twitter.com/1WYBWkwuR0 The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) April 17, 2021 Kate was spotted in a long-sleeved black dress with a veiled fascinator and a four-row pearl choker jewellery that featured a diamond clasp. The reports also mentioned that Kates matching pearl dropped earrings also belong to the Queen. She previously wore the same piece of jewellery during celebrations of the Queen's 70th wedding anniversary to Prince Philip. The same necklace Princess Diana wore for a state banquet in the Netherlands in 1982. The choice veiled fascinator was also symbolic it was reminiscent of the late Princess of Wales' iconic headpiece she chose for Grace Kelly's funeral. Kate wore jewellery borrowed from the Queen. That necklace has been worn by Princess Diana too. It's so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/ayyQ7hH52W SMPeters - CambridgeSwiftie (@asksab2) April 18, 2021 So lovely to see William & Harry and kate , walking together and chatting #PrincePhilipfuneral pic.twitter.com/GHlOULRYJ3 Dawn (@ShawMackem) April 17, 2021 Kate Middleton- class, intelligence, elegance, beauty, but most of all - respect! RIP Prince Philip! God Bless America & the UK! pic.twitter.com/zBG0la1uC6 Bella (@bellausa17) April 17, 2021 Prince Philip's funeral Prince Philip, the longest-serving consort in British history, passed away "peacefully" at Windsor Castle at age 99 on April 9 and was laid to rest on April 17. The funeral service was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic as there was a limit of 30 mourners at St George's Chapel. More than 730 members of the armed forces took part in funeral proceedings. Due to the restrictions, the Queen was seated alone in the chapel. Members of the public stayed away from Windsor for Prince Philip's funeral, except for a determined few. The Duke of Edinburgh's coffin was seen covered with his sword, a wreath of flowers and his Naval cap. The cascade was brought into the inner halls of Windsor from the Queens private chapel by the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. Several key members were forced to miss the service including Prince George and Meghan Markle. Image Credit: Twitter-@yaumiruhmaniar/AP Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) plans to issue up to $1 billion in sukuk (Islamic bonds) by the year-end, reported Reuters. A wholly-owned unit of the kingdom's sovereign fund, Public Investment Fund, SRC was set up to increase home ownership among Saudi nationals. Last month, the company had sold SR4 billion ($1.06 billion) in a two-tranche private placement of sukuk, guaranteed by the Saudi finance ministry, said the report. It will enhance the provision of liquidity in the real estate finance market and contribute positively to reducing the cost of real estate financing for our citizens who wish to own adequate housing. SRC has a portfolio of loans of SR6.5 billion at the end of 2020. It has been assigned an 'A' credit rating by Fitch Ratings before a planned issuance of international bonds, reported Saudi TV channel Al Arabiya. The company plans to issue between $500 million and $1 billion in bonds by the end of this year, likely with a tenor of between 10 and 12 years, the report added. To many, the question of whether the nations capital should be a state was asked, answered and enshrined in the Constitution more than 200 years ago. Regardless, the debate will rage for as long as it is unlikely that a president signs into law the 51st star amid Americas red and white stripes. The White House has formally supported legislation that would establish Washington DC as the Douglas Commonwealth, the nations first new state since Alaska and Hawaii joined the union in 1959. The Office of Management and Budget said in a statement of administration policy that it endorsed House bill HR51. Known as the Washington DC Admissions Act, its likely to pass the Democrat-controlled House before withering on the vine of an evenly-split Senate like an identical bill in June 2020. While the difference this year is the one-party control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, its almost guaranteed not to land on the Resolute Desk for the signature of Joe Biden short of the abolition of the filibuster (more on that later). The arguments for and against the idea land firmly in each tribe of conservative and progressive politics. Republicans call it a power grab to pack Congress just as they accuse Democrats of wanting to pack the Supreme Court. Democrats call it fixing systemic inequality that is critical to achieving racial justice. Before dissecting those team-based extremities of the left and right wings in the US, its worth revisiting why the District of Columbia is, by design, not already a state to begin with. Like most American origin stories, it dates back to the Founding Fathers and the Constitution ratified in June 1788. Specifically, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17, which says Congress shall have power to exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of Government of the United States. Founding Father James Madison, who went on to be the fourth president of the United States, gave the reasoning behind that provision in Federalist 43. He said complete authority at the seat of government was an indispensable necessity. Without it, not only the public authority might be insulted and its proceedings interrupted with impunity; but a dependence of the members of the general government on the State comprehending the seat of the government, for protection in the exercise of their duty, might bring on the national councils an imputation of awe or influence, equally dishonourable to the government and dissatisfactory to the other members of the Confederacy. In other words, the concern was that a capital that doubled as a state gave its representatives in government an outsized level of influence over other states. The seat of the federal government should be neutral in matters of the sovereign states, they argued. While the US Constitution has so far proven difficult to amend, proponents of turning the District of Columbia into the Douglas Commonwealth have been gradually chipping away at the institutions and opinions standing in the way. One influential recent event in the debate was the breach of the US Capitol by pro-Trump rioters on the day Congress formally counted the Electoral College votes in favour of Mr Biden. As the House Oversight and Reform Committee met on 22 March to discuss HR 51, the Washington DC Admission Act, the Constitution came up against the chaos of 6 January. If you want to argue originalism, what was of concern to the Founding Fathers in creating a federal district was to protect the government from riots, like Shays Rebellion, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said, via Roll Call. The District came to your rescue, yet we were impeded in trying to send the DC National Guard because we are not a state. As mayor of a city, Muriel Bowser did not have the authority to send in the National Guard. As governor of a state, she would. A day after the riot, the long-term advocate for statehood invoked the security risk of domestic terrorism to demand Congress transfer command of the DC National Guard to the citys mayor and get a DC statehood bill on the desk of Mr Biden within 100 days. Congress DC Statehood (2021 CQ-Roll Call, Inc.) Before rebellion became the lightning rod for DC statehood, Ms Bowsers argument weaved together the refrain of no taxation without representation with todays civil rights lobby against systemic racism. In her DC statehood website, she outlines the 200 years of systemic inequality that has denied the full voting rights, citizenship and representation in Congress for residents of Washington DC, despite paying more per capita than any state. DC now has 712,000 residents, comparable with Delaware and Alaska, and more than Vermont and Wyoming. All of those states benefit from two senators each, regardless of population (giving Republicans a slight advantage from sparsely populated rural areas that lean conservative), and a differing number of congressmen and women. DC, conversely, has no senators and only a non-voting congressional delegate who is empowered to draft legislation, but not to vote. The Districts lack of representation is a wider oppression and disenfranchisement of Black Americans, the website says. That justification for statehood was echoed in the Biden administrations official endorsement of the HR51 bill. This taxation without representation and denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our nation was founded," the OMB statement says. In response attorneys general from 22 states sent a letter to the president and congressional leaders calling the proposed legislation unconstitutional and saying it would require an amendment. Not only does Congress lack the authority to create an entirely new state out of the District, but it also does not have the authority to reduce the size of the District to the equivalent of a few federal buildings and surrounding parks, the letter said. While the Constitution is deliberately difficult to amend, its not impossible, as 27 previous amendments have shown. The 23rd Amendment in 1961 gave residents of DC the right to vote in presidential elections and the Electoral College. Seemingly aware of an uphill battle to change the Constitution, the Democrats have devised a way to circumvent its provisions in their latest bill by arguing the Constitution sets only a maximum size of the federal district not exceeding 10 miles but not a minimum. They want Congress to redraw the boundaries of a new federal district to a two-mile radius around the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court and National Mall, to be called the National Capital Service Area. Constitutional scholars will continue to fight over that, as did the Cato Institute legal theorist Roger Pilon in testimony to Congress against the concept in 2014, where he said: Their mention of ten Miles square, together with Congresss nearly contemporaneous creation of the District in 1790 from ten square miles of land ceded to the federal government by Maryland and Virginia, is strong evidence of what they intended. Either way, Democrats have a reason to back the bill (it would likely give them two extra seats in the Senate), for the same reason Republicans would oppose it. This bill is about two new Senate seats, ranking Republican committee member James Comer said during the House committee hearing on the bill. Its also why the GOP wouldnt support the statehood of Puerto Rico (population three million), as Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said in a September interview with the Guy Benson Show, thats four new Democratic Senators in perpetuity. And heres what theyre going to do after they change the filibuster: theyre going to admit the District [of Columbia] as a state. Theyre going to admit Puerto Rico as a state, he said. And once they get a hammerlock on the Senate, theyre going to then pack the Supreme Court. About that filibuster. The HR 51 bill, the debate, the vote, and the outcome are all academic given the current 50/50 split of the Senate between Democrats and Republicans. A simple majority with the vice presidents deciding vote wont cut it and the Democrats dont have the supermajority needed to spoil the filibuster. Although not part of the Constitution or, its opponents argue, the Founding Fathers intentions, the filibuster has developed as a spoiler tactic that can be used by a minority of senators to block legislation favoured by the majority. While for decades during the 20th century it was most often employed by southern senators to block civil rights legislation, such as anti-lynching laws and voting rights, it has become a regular tactic used to frustrate even those bills with wide bipartisan support. Republicans argue it is an essential check against any party exploiting a narrow electoral majority to enact sweeping changes to US society. Abolishing the filibuster has become a pressing issue for some Democrats, with even previously staunch supporters of keeping the manoeuvre, like former President Barack Obama, changing their position over time. At the funeral of civil rights icon John Lewis last year, Mr Obama made a major return to political campaigning to call for the full enfranchisement for the citizens of Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. If all of this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then thats what we should do, Mr Obama said. Given the HR 51 bill doesnt have the votes in the Senate, the White House was asked if the current president would be pursuing DC statehood as a major priority of his administration. Press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily briefing on Tuesday that it was ultimately up to Congress to pass legislation and send it to his desk. He supports it, so hed be happy to sign it, but in terms of the rank priorities Im not going to get into a situation of doing that, she said. PLA Macao Garrison assesses troops' special operations capability China Military Online) 14:32, April 20, 2021 Members of a special operations force assigned to the PLA Macao Garrison participate in a comprehensive combat capability assessmentin order to check the combat capabilities of its special operations forces on coordination, skills and tactics on Apr 18, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Fang Zhao) (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Patna, April 20 : The Patna high court has formed a two-member committee in Bihar to inspect Covid hospitals and submit a report to the court. The committee visited Patna Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday. The High Court has appointed a director level officer of Patna AIIMS and a top official of Human Rights Commission as members of the committee. The two-judge bench of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Mohit Kumar Shah authorized the committee to conduct surprise inspections of any hospital in the state and submit report to the court. The High Court has also directed the committee to inspect Nalanda Medical College and hospital (NMCH) on Tuesday. Both the judges have given strong remarks against the state having no permanent drug controller. They have asked the state government to explain why there is no drug controller. Besides, the High Court also asked the Bihar government to inform about action taken to combat Covid-19 in the state. The High Court on Monday evening, started a hearing through video conferencing. During this, the director of AIIMS informed the court about the shortage of Remdesivir, a key drug to fight Covid. He further said that the number of beds has been increased in AIIMS Patna and such enhancements are also required in government hospitals like PMCH, NMCH, IGIMS etc. The court gave strong remarks on unavailability of life saving drugs and oxygen cylinders. "Deaths due to unavailability of drugs and oxygen cylinders are violation of human rights. The state government should arrange necessary life saving drugs, oxygen cylinders in all dedicated Covid hospitals, medical colleges and private hospitals and other sub-divisional hospitals where Covid patients are admitted," the court said. Manoj Kumar, special secretary of health in Bihar government admits that the state has not received a single unit of Remdesivir injection on Sunday. He said that the Bihar government had received 1000 Remdesivir injections on Thursday. On Saturday, 200 more injections came. "We have ordered 50,000 units of Remdesivir injections for Bihar and we are expected to receive drug consignment from the start of next week," the special secretary said. Sources have said that due to scarcity of the injection, the touts are active around the hospitals in search of potential buyers and selling them on high prices in black. ADVERTISEMENT An Uyo-bound passenger on Ibom Airline, George Etuk has commended the Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal two (MMA2), operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) after receiving his lost baggage containing the sum of N2.3 million and other vital documents. The incident, according to BASL AVSEC Manager, Olatubosun Okeowo, occurred at about 1715hrs recently while the passenger who just returned from the United States of America was at the terminal to link up with an Uyo-bound airline. It was gathered that the passenger was at the Ibom Airline Check-in counter alongside other intending passengers and along the line he got carried away and lost concentration on his bag. During the CCTV investigation by BASL AVSEC Team, it was discovered that the bag was accidentally picked up by a fellow passenger. According to Mr. Okeowo, during our CCTV investigation, it was discovered that the bag belonging to Mr George Etuk was accidentally picked up by another intending passenger with the same airline. They were not aware at all. But after the flight was delayed, and the passengers had to find means to relax ahead of the rescheduled time, the anomaly came to the fore. The other passenger who took the baggage unknowingly, too, had disappeared. On receiving the prompt message, our AVSEC Team immediately swung into action to unravel what went wrong. With the aid of the CCTV, we were able to identify what happened and my duty supervisor and his team quickly went after the man who picked the bag. The man was intercepted at the Drop Off Zone area when he was about leaving for a nearby hotel to relax since the flight was rescheduled for 2200hrs. The statement said the bag was then retrieved and handed over to the owner who confirmed that the bag content (N2.350 000) was intact in the presence of the AVSEC duty Supervisor with his team, The Police and the Airline representative. The highly elated Etuk who could not hide his gratitude, expressed appreciation for a thorough job and the professional manner with which the investigation was carried out, saying their quick intervention was commendable because it saved the day. Alex Wong/Getty Images As a winter resident of southern Arizona, I welcome the Biden administrations recent efforts regarding immigration. Most new arrivals are fleeing El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, willing to risk their lives to obtain a better future for themselves but especially for their children, just as migrants everywhere have done for eons when the conditions they face allow no alternative. The majority of Guatemalans and Hondurans live below the poverty line and most are employed in the informal sector without any social protections. The pandemic has deepened poverty and food insecurity dramatically and shown the inadequacies of government responses. These are among the most dangerous countries in the world with high murder rates, domestic violence and gang recruitment of minors. A Louisiana Senate committee on Monday advanced legislation that would remove the permitting requirement for the concealed carrying of handguns. Senate Bill 118 would allow anyone aged 21 or older to carry a concealed handgun, unless theyre prohibited by state or federal law from owning a firearm. State Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, the sponsor of the so-called "constitutional carry" proposal, said that citizens shouldn't have to get permission from their government to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. Louisiana currently allows gunowners to carry without a permit if the firearm is visible. "Some people are not comfortable carrying openly and they shouldnt have to go before their government and pay fees to get permission to have that right," Morris said. Opponents of the measure, including several law enforcement officials, worried that lifting the permitting requirements, which mandate at least 9-hours of firearms training, could result in a proliferation of untrained gunowners. We strongly oppose any legislation that would create the potential for what could be thousands of untrained individuals bringing weapons to the streets of the City of New Orleans, wrote NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson in a statement. Louisiana Spotlight: A hardy perennial of legislative debates, TOPS, is back this session Debates about Louisiana's free college tuition program known as TOPS are cyclical in the Legislature, cropping up every few years as lawmakers "The bottom line is: were not opposed to concealed carry. Were opposed to concealed carry without education and without training," said Fabian Blache Jr., executive director of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The proposed legislation maintains a requirement that gunowners alert law enforcement of their concealed weapon when approached. Still, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said without the required training, that responsibility may not be fully understood. "I see this issue an officer safety issue," Paul said. Dan Zelenka, president of the Louisiana Shooting Association, said that the current permitting process can be cost prohibitive for lower-income residents, noting that the five-year permit costs $125 and the mandatory training can cost up to $200. Most Louisiana lawmakers have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine; see who has, hasn't With the Louisiana Legislature entering the second week of its 2021 session, at least 68% of the legislators say they have been vaccinated aga "The permitting system creates a financial barrier to exercising a constitutional right," Zelenka said. The permitting process wouldn't go away if the measure becomes law. Louisiana's concealed carry permit is valid in dozens of other states, and Zelenka said it can be used in place of a background check when purchasing firearms from certain vendors. Members of the Senate Judiciary C Committee voted by a 3-2 margin to report the bill favorably to the full Senate. Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, Sen. Rick Ward, R-Port Allen, and Sen Mark Abraham, R-Lake Charles voted in favor of the bill, with opposition from Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, and Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans. The other companies did not respond to requests for comment. Experts have had difficulty estimating how many laborers may have been coerced into working in Chinese solar facilities given restrictions on travel and reporting in Xinjiang. Many multinational companies have also struggled to gain access to the regions factories to rule out the risk of forced labor in their supply chains. Mark Widmar, the chief executive of First Solar, a solar panel maker based in the United States, said exposure to Xinjiang was the unfortunate reality for most of the industry. How the industry has evolved, its made it difficult to be comfortable that you do not have some form of exposure, he said. If you try to follow the spaghetti through the spaghetti bowl and really understand where your exposure is, thats going to be tough. The revelations have attracted attention from lawmakers and customs officials, and prompted concerns among solar investors that the sector could be destined for tougher regulation. Under the Trump administration, American customs agents took a harder line against products reportedly made with forced labor in Xinjiang, including a sweeping ban on cotton and tomatoes from the region. Those restrictions have forced a reorganization of global supply chains, especially in the apparel sector. The Biden administration has said it is still reviewing the Trump administrations policies, and it has not yet signaled whether it will pursue other bans on products or companies. But both Mr. Biden and his advisers have insisted that the United States plans to confront China on human rights abuses in Xinjiang. A spokeswoman for the National Security Council said that the draconian treatment of Uyghurs cannot be ignored, and that the administration was studying ways to effectively ensure that we are not importing products made from forced labor, including solar products. Icebreaker.vc, a Helsinki, Finland-based venture capital firm, closed its second fund, at 100M, and raised a separate 20M Opportunity Fund. The firms second fund invests 150800k in startups in Estonia, Finland and Sweden at their angel and pre-seed stage while the opportunity fund will be used to continue investing in their Fund 1 portfolio companies. Led by Riku Seppala, Icebreaker has broad investment scope, focusing on strong domain-expert founding teams with complementary skills (or helping build those), strong technology and global markets. The firm has created a portfolio development practice for Founder Development, Hiring, Growth Program and support companies in planning and strategy. Icebreaker collaborates internally, sharing knowledge and learning from mistakes and successes. In addition to the investment team Icebreaker has a core operational growth team, and they aim to connect with the best external parties for specific topics in hiring, branding, law, etc. FinSMEs 20/04/2021 A look at the major movers on the London market on Tuesday DX Group PLC ( ) has moved higher after delivering expansion news. The parcels and courier group is up 4.13% or 1.25p to 31.55p after announcing the addition of 300 new vehicles to take its fleet to more than 900 strong. Chief executive Lloyd Dunn said: "[This is] a significant expansion of our fleet, and part of our wider investment programme in the business. The new vehicles support our ambitious growth plans, increasing our capacity and operational efficiency in support of our ambitious growth plans. "We have further investment planned across sites, technology and equipment." 3.08pm: Diamond company sparkles Limited ( ) has a bit of sparkle after its latest update. Its shares have added 3.33% or 0.05p to 1.55p after it reported a 16% rise in third quarter revenues to US$106mln, with prices back to to pre-COVID-19 levels. After the period end it sold what it calls an exceptional 11.82 carat blue stone for US$9.5mln and an exceptional 39.34 carat blue stone was recovered, to be sold via special tender. A successful capital restructuring saw net debt fall from US$700mln to US$290mln. Chief executive Richard Duffy said: We are seeing encouraging signs of a recovery in the diamond market, supporting better pricing, reflected in the third quarter revenue numbers. Post completion of the capital restructuring, Petra is in a far stronger position, with a solid platform for future growth and development." 1.10pm: Investment manager beats expectations ( ) has put on a near 10% gain as it said full year results would be ahead of analyst forecasts. The investment management and IFA support services group, saw strong growth in revenue and profits, while assets under management (AUM) rose 35.2% for the year to 9bn. Chief executive Paul Hogarth said: "TAM continued to make very good progress this last financial year, building on a positive first half performance and delivering an even stronger second half of the year. I am particularly pleased with the 30% increase in net flows in the second half and reaching a milestone of 9.0 billion of AUM despite considerable market uncertainty. "Our strong performance proves the resilience of our business model which is supported by a high degree of annual recurring revenues and cashflow generation creating a strong balance sheet which is the bedrock of all good businesses. "As we enter the new financial year, we carry forward good momentum and expect to make further progress in the execution of our strategy." Its shares are up 9.79% or 37p at 415p. 12.18pm: Electronics group positive Electronics firm discoverIE Group PLC LON DSCV) has sparked higher after an upbeat trading statement. The specialist in customised components said sales in the last two months of its financial year grew by 17% and it now expected underlying earnings to be at the top end of market expectations. It said a strong order book provided a solid base for organic growth and further investment in growth initiatives. The shares are up 54p or 7.26% at 798p. 10.23am: Healthcare group climbs ( ) has been boosted by positive results from clinical trials of its COVID-19 test. The SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test was clinically evaluated in Europe and identified 96 out of 98 positive patients correctly with a 20 minute read time and 101 out of 102 negative samples. Chief executive Dr Alastair Smith said: "I am delighted with the clinical data from this larger clinical study, which has robustly evaluated the AffiDX antigen test ... The results are very impressive and mark a major step in obtaining a CE mark for professional use. "As part of the study the same clinical samples were tested with two leading, commercially available lateral flow antigen tests, and the data show that the AffiDx test had better clinical sensitivity across the range of Ct value and in particular at lower viral loads. "We are completing the necessary assessment of the product from our manufacturing partner Global Access Diagnostics, including stability testing that will complete the technical file for CE marking, which we expect will happen in early May. "We are very excited by the potential of this high quality SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test and we are looking forward to updating the market as we commercially roll-out the AffiDX test in the coming months." Avacta's shares are up 10.9% or 25.5p at 259.5p. 9.10am: Software company loses some of its recent gains It's unfortunate for a company to see its share price soaring, supposedly on the back of imminent good news, and then have to pour cold water on the idea. So spare a thought for software group i-nexus Global PLC (LON:INX). Its shares were up nearly 40% on Monday on speculation of potential new contract awards. But they have now dropped back nearly 24% or 3.7p to 11.8p after the company clarified things. Put simply, no new big contracts. It said: "The company confirms that business activity has continued in the ordinary course since the announcement on 2 December 2020 of the company's audited results for the year ended 30 September 2020 and that there have been no new material contract awards since that date." The company says its software supports Hoshin Kanri, a Japanese methodology which "aims to ensure that the strategic goals of a company are properly communicated to all employees." Perhaps that should include the stock market too. 8.34am: Painting an upbeat picture A pleasing update from ( ) - yes, it is a cosmetics company - has seen its shares move sharply higher. The company, which owns the W7 and Technic brands, said that after a strong second half of 2020 that momentum had continued into the first quarter of the new year. Despite lockdown and the closure of retail outlets for its products, it said sales for the first three months were higher than the same period last year, which was only impacted by COVID-19 in the last few weeks. Margins have also improved, and cash balances rose from 3mln to 5.2mln. Sales of W7 products through Tesco stores in the UK continued to perform well, with Tesco stocking an additional 15 W7 product lines in over 600 Tesco Extra stores and supermarkets from the end of May 2021, and a substantial Christmas order has been placed by Tesco for delivery later in the year. It has restructed its US business, and after a successful trial with retailer , W7 products are now being stocked in over 1,000 of its stores. The compay has also been increasing its online presence and it launched launched Amazon FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) in the UK and US, with a launch onto Amazon EU planned for the near future. Darren Shirley at house broker Shore Capital said: "The past twelve months have been tough for many operating in the UK and global consumer economy, with varying social restrictions leading to considerable trading volatility. However, Warpaint has worked hard through the period, and enters the reopening phase a broader business, with building momentum across the UK and a developing international capability. The rock-solid balance sheet also provides both considerable comfort, reassurance and importantly flexibility." The update has seen its shares jump 10.46% or 11.3p to 119.3p. Also heading higher is professional services group ( ). The company, which includes law firm Rosenblatt, a litigation finance business and a corpororate finance operation, said group revenues rose 8% and pretax profit edged up from 7.6mln to 7.7mln. It is also expanding by paying 30mln for specialist international law firm Memery Crystal. Chief executive Nicola Foulston said: "2020 was a year when the Group demonstrated the resilience of its evolving business model, and how our diversified revenue streams can deliver robust and sustainable financial results, despite the challenges of the pandemic... "Across the group, we have experience in supporting clients in times of upheaval which means we can react to the opportunities and challenges the current crisis will inevitably offer. Our services will be in demand. We have a solid balance sheet, and we are optimistic that the group will continue its positive progress over the coming year." RBG has added 11.79% or 14.15p to 134.15p. Proactive news headlines ( ) made a strong start to the year, it said, with underlying earnings (EBITDA) growing 24% to 2mln in the first three months of 2021 as turnover returned to pre-Covid levels towards the end of the period. s ( ) quarterly activities update said the Merlin well is able to be re-entered to drill a side-track that could be flow-tested. It comes after the well provided some evidence of oil but due to equipment failure and poor hole conditions, could not be fully tested. ( ) has updated investors on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and proposed partnership between its Gibraltar subsidiary Nifty Labs Ltd and Indorse, a Singaporean firm in which it owns a 10% stake. ( ) said it has appointed Thomas Preising as its new chief revenue and transformation officer with immediate effect. ( ) added 935 and 750 new customers in the US and UK respectively in 2020, despite the pandemic. The kitchen services provider said the upward trend in business levels in the second half of 2020 has continued into the current year. DiscoverIE Group PLC ( ) expects earnings for the fiscal year just ended to be at the upper end of market expectations. ( ) has identified an electro-magnetic anomaly in Target Area A in the Hukuntsi section of the company's Kalahari Suture Zone project. ( ) has reported additional high-grade lithium pegmatite drill intersections, including multiple drill intersections over 2% lithium oxide, at new targets adjacent to the Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana. ( ) said it expects to report full-year revenues and earnings ahead of previous expectations despite what it said were significant operational challenges caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Esken Limited ( ) has agreed the sale of Stobart Air and Carlisle Airport to Isle of Man-based Ettyl. (LON:GAL, TSXV:GAL) plans to raise as much as C$6,6mln (3.8mln) through a private placement to provide the financing to bring the Galantas gold mine in Northern Ireland into full production and said its chief executive would be stepping down. BlueRock Diamonds PLC ( ) reported higher production, grades and prices from its Kareevlei diamond mine in South Africa in the first quarter. (LON:THR, ASX: THR, ) has appointed Nicole Galloway Warland, previously exploration manager, to the board as managing director with immediate effect and announced that Mick Billing will relinquish the role of chief executive. ( ) told investors the West Newton B-1Z appraisal well has successfully completed cased hole logging and vertical seismic profiling operations. The next phase of work will see a service rig used to perforate and stimulate the Kirkham Abbey formation ahead of flow testing. ( ) appointed Simon Harford as a new non-executive director with immediate effect. The boardroom hire adds US and global expertise to the management team. ( ) will hold a general meeting at 11.00am on Wednesday 5 May 2021. The purpose of the meeting will be to effect a reorganisation of the companys share capital. ( ) announced that its annual general meeting will be held on 8 June 2021 in London, with voting to be done by proxy ahead of the meeting. Shareholders will be able to follow proceedings online through the Investor Meet Company platform. ( ) has posted its annual report and accounts for 2020 ahead of its annual general meeting, which will be held at the company's registered office in Bath on 14 May. Shareholders can only submit proxy votes in advance. (LON:HZM, ) will host an investor webcast on 7 May at 2pm BST where chief executive Jeremy Martin will provide a corporate update and take questions. ( ) will host an investor presentation on 29 April at 7pm BST via the Proactive One2One Virtual Forum. Those wanting to register interest in attending can do so via the following link: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1048/gwwg2hxy9. AFC Energy ( ) will host a virtual capital markets event for investors and analysts on Wednesday 5 May at 2pm BST to provide a full overview of the company's commercial progress. The CME will be hosted by chief executive Adam Bond, alongside the board's chief operating officer, chief finance officer and chief engineer and product officer, who will take questions after the presentation. SCHENECTADY City police have fenced off the entrance to their headquarters after activists chalked up the building last week. Metal barriers went up around the Liberty Street entrance earlier this week. Weve had protests for quite some time and all of them have been peaceful, Sgt. Matt Dearing said. But with the vandalism, its an extra precaution that were taking. The downtown location has been the epicenter of multiple demonstrations since George Floyd was killed by now ex-police officer Derek Chauvin last May in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a verdict announced Tuesday afternoon, Chauvin was convicted of murder in Floyd's death. While activists have previously scrawled anti-police slogans on the sidewalk and concrete barrier walls, a demonstration last week marked the first time people defaced the actual building, Dearing said, actions that could net a class B misdemeanor charge. A glass door was broken during the protest, and an investigation into that incident is ongoing. Tensions between activists and police have been heightened for over a week following the fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Minnesota, which prompted last weeks Schenectady protest. The protective barrier was erected days after police in Albany used pepper spray on racial justice protesters following a skirmish outside of a police precinct last week. Demonstrators remained encamped in front of South Station on Tuesday, demanding the termination of the officer who grabbed at a light and megaphone held by protesters. Meanwhile, the city recently completed the state-mandated effort to reform police operations with community feedback. Following a series of panel discussions that drew nearly 200 participants, the department pledged to create new community policing units, bolster outreach, facilitate anti-racism training, boost wellness programming for officers, explore the creation of a new police substation and begin steering mental health calls to outside agencies. The City Council adopted separate reforms last week for the city's civilian oversight panel. One allows convicted felons to serve on the panel, while another makes it easier for the group to obtain investigatory materials. Mikayla Foster, an organizer with All of Us, was tapped by the city to sit on the steering committee guiding the reforms but has been largely dismissive of the process, calling it performative. All of Us contends the reforms dont go far enough and said the process should have been wholly led by residents of over-policed communities not the police chief and mayor. That fence stands as an example of the relationship between the police and many in our community, a barrier between the people of the community and those sworn to serve them, a barrier to understanding and change, Miles said. This seems to be a priority of policing: police protecting the police. Chief Clifford and chiefs across the state and the nation continue to ignore the voices of the people, refusing to open the honest dialogue necessary to create change." Police said they support the right for people to peacefully assemble and protest, but circled back to the damage, citing vandalism caused by multiple individuals as the rationale for installing the fencing. As a result of the criminal investigation that followed, and intelligence gathered, a decision was made by the command staff to take the necessary steps to further protect city property, which includes the Police Department and City Court. The entrance is accessible to the public by a narrow passageway through the fencing, and the department remains open to the public for police and court-related business. (Natural News) British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is already working on a new vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) variants that the mainstream media is manipulating Americans into believing are a real threat. The worlds first injection for the so-called South African variant could be ready by the end of 2021, an AstraZeneca official in Austria told the media. Sarah Walters, who manages AstraZenecas operations in Austria, said her companys current injection for the Chinese virus is ineffective, and that more vaccines are needed to address future variants. AstraZeneca and Oxford University have started on modifications to the vaccine for the South African variant and we expect it will be ready by the end of the year, should it be needed, Walters proudly told the Kurier newspaper. The current AstraZeneca jab, it is important to note, has been put on hold or permanently banned in some countries for causing deadly blood clots. This writers guess is that the companys new jab for the South African variant will be just as, if not more, deadly. Walters complained that AstraZeneca has had a difficult time delivering vaccines as quickly as it would like due to the complex process involved with development. We had to work without keeping a supply in reserve. As a result, we couldnt make up for unexpected events, she said. We are confident that we will fulfill our commitment to deliver 300 million doses to the European Union this year. To learn more about the injuries and deaths caused by Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) injections, visit ChemicalViolence.com. Just say no to Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) injection drugs Walters did not address the ongoing scandal of deadly blood clots arising from its current jab, which was placed on hold in more than a dozen European countries over the past several weeks. The European Union recently put a warning label on the vaccine notifying recipients that the injection could cause extremely rare blood clots. Denmark, however, has decided not to risk it by imposing a full-scale ban on the jab. When asked about the thousands of people in Austria who are canceling their appointments for the AstraZeneca injection, Walters offered a canned statement about how her company is supposedly committed to providing information about efficacy and safety to doctors so that they can adequately inform people about the risks involved. Currently, both British and EU authorities are insistent that the AstraZeneca injection is perfectly safe and effective, and that people should not worry about receiving it and suffering from any side effects. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is working hard to unveil new jabs for every new variant that comes along, which could be infinite suggesting that there is no end to the plandemic, and no end to the number of new vaccines that will be rolled out and forced on the people as a condition of entry into the new normal. If we are truly dealing with a virus, the variants are myriad and ongoing, changing by the MINUTE, wrote one commenter at The Epoch Times. There is no way to develop vaccines against each and every variant. Think about the silly influenza vaccines they keep pushing. These are actual vaccines, in that they do contain actual viral particles. But they are last years strain, and there is a very low chance that it will prevent the flu. According to CDCs own website, they figure a good year to be 20% protection, this person added, warning that all the latest talk about scary new variants is just more fearmongering by the establishment. People need to THINK and then REFUSE to comply, this same person added about each new protocol or injection the powers that be roll out as the latest cure for the plandemic. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Bob Owen / Staff photographer Save some money for the blackjack tables and fly to Las Vegas for less than $50. The Sin City is beginning to emerge from the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, and a $48 price tag for a one-way nonstop flight may be enticing enough for some to try their luck in Vegas. Frontier Airlines is offering the deal on a May 8 flight. South Africa: Cuba shares technical skills with SA's water engineers Government will this week welcome 24 Cuban engineers, who have been seconded to South Africa to enhance governments efforts in water delivery and related services. Water and Sanitation spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, said the highly qualified Cuban specialists will assist as advisors at provincial and local level across the country, sharing their vast skills in the areas of mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, as well as project management. Some of the engineers core responsibilities include the practical exploration of sustainable use of water resources, maintenance and management of water supply and sanitation infrastructure, and the strategic planning of those resources, particularly in rural and other disadvantaged communities, Ratau said. The arrival of the engineers follows a 2014 bilateral agreement between South Africa and Cuba on cooperation in the fields of water resources management and water supply. Water and Sanitation Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, together with South African Ambassador to Cuba, H.E Shope-Linley and Ambassador Rodolfo Benitez Verson, as well as the President of the Cuba Hydraulic Institute, Antonio Rodriquez-Rodriquez, will lead the welcoming ceremony in Pretoria East, on Thursday. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. KYODO NEWS - Apr 18, 2021 - 11:39 | All, World The United States and China said Saturday they have agreed to take enhanced actions to strengthen the implementation of the Paris climate accord following talks between their climate envoys, sidestepping their disputes on human rights and other issues. "The United States and China are firmly committed to working together and with other parties to strengthen implementation of the Paris Agreement," said a joint statement issued by Biden's climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua, who met in Shanghai for two days through Friday. They also said the two countries "look forward" to a virtual climate summit to be hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden next Thursday and Friday. Biden has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping, among other leaders, to the summit. The Biden administration has been signaling its desire to work with China, the world's largest carbon emitter, in combating global warming, even as it has lashed out at Beijing over human rights abuses of the Muslim Uyghur minority in China's Xinjiang region as well as its assertive actions toward Taiwan and others. Kerry, a former U.S. secretary of state under former President Barack Obama, became the first senior official under the Biden administration to visit China. In the joint statement, the two countries acknowledged that the climate crisis is an issue that "must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands." Recalling what they termed their "historic contribution" to the entry into force of the Paris agreement in 2016, the two countries also said they will pursue "enhanced climate actions that raise ambition in the 2020s" in the context of the climate accord. They also said they share the planned climate summit's goal of "raising global climate ambition on mitigation, adaptation," and will cooperate toward a successful U.N. climate conference scheduled for later this year in Britain. The United States rejoined the Paris accord in February under Biden, reversing his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to pull the country out of the deal. The Paris Agreement, a framework to involve every country in reining in greenhouse gas emissions, aims to keep rising global temperatures to "well below" 2 C above preindustrial levels, so as to limit the occurrence of droughts, floods, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and other results of global warming. Many countries have aimed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, including the United States and Japan. China has pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2060. "The United States and China will continue to discuss...concrete actions in the 2020s to reduce emissions aimed at keeping the Paris Agreement-aligned temperature limit within reach," the joint statement said. Related coverage: U.S. envoy Kerry confirms cooperation with China on climate change Suga, Biden commit to take on China challenges, affirm Taiwan stance China voices "firm opposition" to U.S.-Japan summit statement [April 20, 2021] Mindray Unlocks Vast Patient Monitoring Potential with M-Connect Universally Connected Platform SHENZHEN, China, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindray (SZSE: 300760), a leading global developer and provider of medical devices and integrated solutions, has launched its universally connected platform, M-Connect, which unlocks the potential of individual patient monitoring with an integrated IT solution. This innovative platform helps medical providers build a well-rounded healthcare ecosystem and greatly boosts efficiency. Consisting of various integrated IT solutions, the M-Connct platform can connect patients, health providers, devices, and healthcare systems for greater visibility, streamlined workflows, enhanced clinical decision-making, and better patient privacy. These solutions allow healthcare providers to allocate resources efficiently and empower clinicians to access patient data anytime, anywhere. "The intelligent world is arriving. 5G, AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies promise new possibilities, opportunities, and experiences for everyone, everywhere," said Dr. Li Xinsheng, the Group Vice President at Mindray. "M-Connect is shaping the future, inspiring a new age of connection, and connecting patients with their medical providers. Together, we can leverage the benefits of technology for the healthcare industry." Aiming at improving clinical decision-making and workflows, the M-Connect is equipped with smart tools, such as 24-hour ECG summary and continuous blood pressure analysis, to help clinicians react more confidently to adverse events and to diagnose and treat patients more efficiently. Moreover, the M-Connect can greatly increase the management efficiency of medical devices and protect hospital investment. Employing Mindray IoT (M-IoT) technology, this universally connected platform can obtain information on all connected medical equipment, provide equipment statistical analysis, and output the distribution and usage of equipment in various departments in a graphical manner. Furthermore, with the integration of complete data from all medical devices, the M-Connect lays a solid foundation for big data analytics, allowing healthcare professionals to comprehensively analyze patient data and construct better treatment strategies throughout the whole patient journey. Moving forward, Mindray will continuously work with industry partners to leverage the innovative technology of the M-Connect, thereby advancing the development of the entire healthcare industry. To learn more, please visit: https://www.mindray.com/en/solutions/M_Connect.html SOURCE Mindray Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA gun lobby, has blood on his hands. So does every member of the NRA, because they pay his salary. And every member of Congress, almost all Republicans, who says gun victims need our thoughts and prayers, say time and time again that now is not the time to talk about gun control, and refuse even to debate banning assault weapons. And the hands are bloody of every member of the flourishing gun industry, that provides an absolute torrent of guns flooding into our society and walks away from the carnage with their obscene profits. Unfortunately, thanks to all these, there is plenty of blood to go around. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday kicked off the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for the high-risk vulnerable population after it received 1.7 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses through COVAX Facility last month. The drive was launched by the DR Congos Health Minister Eteni Longondo at University Clinics of Kinshasa in the presence of some of the representatives of the EU, according to Africa news. The Central African country lifted the curfew last week in areas that recorded a low tally of the novel COVID-19 infections. The country had imposed a strict curfew in the capital Kinshasa, which recently started to record the dip in the daily average of COVID-19 cases. DR Congo had postponed the vaccination drive from 15 March," as a precaution after the reports of blood clots from the AstraZeneca vaccines emerged. Interior Minister Gilbert Kankonde told African news that a team of Congolese experts had inducted a detailed analysis into the efficacy of the vaccine and have reassured that the AstraZeneca vaccine does not present any inconvenience to the population. Furthermore, speaking at a public news conference, Health Minister Eteni Longondo said that there were more advantages than disadvantages to being vaccinated. In order to encourage the public to get the jab, he was among the first to be inoculated at the University of Kinshasa's Faculty of Medicine. The African country plans to inoculate the frontline health workers, medics, elderly vulnerable population, people with comorbidity among others from its population of more than 80 million. Rich discussion at today's @CoDA_Africa dialogue on ensuring equitable access to #COVID19 vaccines. As it responds to the pandemic, Africa must build homegrown capacity and embrace partnerships across the continent and beyond. pic.twitter.com/pB0lz8jqd1 Thabani Maphosa (@MaphosaThabani) April 19, 2021 World Bank funding Last month, World Bank on Tuesday raised an emergency COVID-19 vaccine fund to help start the mass vaccination campaign for the vulnerable groups in at least 30 African countries. The efforts were initiated after the African continent hit the grim milestone of 3.9 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and close to 104,000 fatalities with no access to the immunization. Meanwhile, the rich countries procured enough supplies to give each person at least four doses, according to an analytical report. The vaccine disparity between rich and poor countries grew wider with wealthier nations ramping up the supplies. The financially challenged African nations heavily relied on World Health Organization (WHOs) vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX. The World Bank, meanwhile, announced that it was funding for African countries which includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Niger, Mozambique, Tunisia, eSwatini, Rwanda, and Senegal, without disclosing the actual amount. Actors Jin Sun-kyu, left, and Park Ho-san posted photos of themselves doing the three-finger salute on Instagram, March 30, to show support for the people of Myanmar. Screen captured from Jin Sun-kyu's and Park Ho-san's Instagram By Kwak Yeon-soo The organizers of Korean film festivals have expressed solidarity with the people of Myanmar in their opposition to the military coup, showing support for their collective bravery in fighting for democracy. In a joint statement released Tuesday, the organizers condemned the violence against peaceful protestors that has led to numerous deaths of civilians, including children. The presidents of 11 film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival will hold a press conference April 30 during the 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival to voice support for the filmmaking community in Myanmar. The filmmakers are taking part in the civil disobedience movement aimed at restoring democracy, and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms such as freedom of artistic expression in Myanmar. "We strongly condemn the ruthless massacre of peaceful protesters and call for an end to all of the violence. We also call for an immediate halt to searches and imprisonment of filmmakers who are trying to tell the truth by resisting the coup. We urge the military to immediately cede its power to the rightful democratic government chosen by its people," the film organizers said in a joint statement. They urged the military to immediately release all people who have been detained arbitrarily, including members of the government, and to rescind arrest warrants for Myanmar filmmakers. "The ongoing violence by the military in Myanmar brings back vivid memories of the violence committed by dictators that took place in Korea not so long ago," they said. "The bold actions of Myanmar filmmakers to regain democracy, peace, human rights, and freedom remind us of how Korean filmmakers fought for freedom of expression in the past. We have not forgotten the filmmakers from around the world who stood with us at that time." The festival organizers also stressed the need to raise solidarity with Asian cinema to overcome the crisis together and protect the autonomy of the cultural arts, freedom of expression, and the civic rights of minorities. On March 30, actors Park Ho-san and Jin Sun-kyu posted photos of themselves on social media doing the three-finger salute that was inspired by "The Hunger Games" films, to show support for the Myanmar people. "Even now, the people of Myanmar are threatened by soldiers who should be defending them. Sadly, Korea experienced a similar history in which the military seized control of the country. I will pray for Myanmar so that a democratic spring comes to the country," Park wrote on Instagram. OXIS has been collaborating with European manufacturers on the development of Solid-State Li-S technology for almost 4 years. As a result of a technological breakthrough three years ago, OXIS has filed 9 new families of patents to protect both Quasi and Solid-State Intellectual Property Rights. With an identical manufacturing process to conventional Li-S and Li-ion, the delivery of the Quasi Solid-State batteries is achievable by late Autumn 2021. The first generation Quasi Solid-State Li-S cell at 450Wh/kg Specific energy with an Energy density of 550 Wh/L will be delivered by the Summer of 2022. A target of 550Wh/kg, 700Wh/L has already been set for the Autumn of 2023. The above key performance indicators have been agreed commercially between OXIS and Sanyo Trading company Ltd of Japan to meet customer requirements for the Japanese market. The cell capacity will range between 10-20 Ah. Independently of the above, OXIS has set forecast targets of 600Wh/kg and 900Wh/L to be achieved by 2026. Huw Hampson Jones, CEO, OXIS Energy, said, "With immediate effect, existing clients have been informed that all new programmes will use OXIS Solid-State Li-S cell technology. Based on our US client base, we know that aircraft manufacturers welcome the move from conventional to Solid-State Li-S. OXIS Li-S cell technology is inherently safer than Li-ion, as sulfur acts as a passivation of the lithium metal. OXIS has perfected mechanisms whereby greater levels of safety and longevity are achieved as we move towards roll-out of Quasi Solid-State Li-S in 2021/2022. In 2020, OXIS successfully powered an all-electric US aircraft, meeting client and Federal Aviation Authority requirements." The attraction of OXIS cells for vehicle markets, is that on average, the battery systems are up to 60% lighter than conventional Li-ion battery systems. OXIS will commercialize the mass production of the chemical composition of its Quasi and Solid-State cell at its Welsh Plant in Port Talbot, UK. The cells will be mass produced at its cell manufacturing plant in Juiz de Fora, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. NORDIKA Pharmaceutical of Sao Paulo has already commenced the design work at the factory with completion expected in the Autumn. Commissioning is expected in 2023. Unlike Li-ion, the cells chemistry manufactured by OXIS Energy does not contain cobalt, manganese, nickel or copper, all of which present serious supply chain and environmental concerns. Editor's Notes: OXIS Energy Ltd is involved in the design, development and now the move towards commercial production of Solid-State Lithium Sulfur cells for battery systems. OXIS manufactures and produces all aspects and components in the making of the cell. With over 43 patent families, OXIS has been granted 204 patents for its Lithium Sulfur cell technology. There are 101 patents pending. www.oxisenergy.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491003/OXIS_Energy.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1216929/OXIS_Energy_Logo.jpg SOURCE OXIS Energy 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. Looking at Where You've Been This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden Then I said to you, Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deuteronomy 1:29-31 The Israelites had traveled through the desert for more years than they wished to count. Spies had been sent out to inspect the Promised Land. Upon returning, the men reported that the people were larger and stronger and the people of Israel were scared. They cried out to Moses and asked why God had brought them there to die. Then, Moses said something along the lines of, Quit looking forward and being paralyzed in fear. God will fight for you! Look at all He has done in the past. He carried you in your time of need. He guided you in the darkness when you couldnt find your way and was with you in the light when things seemed easier and clearer. Trust in Him! This is something I need to be reminded of regularly. A friend once told me, Lifes a lot like rowing. You only know where youve been. How true. We may not know what lies ahead, but we know where we have been. Wherever you are in your journey, whether in a time of light or in a time of darkness, God is with you. As the Israelites demonstrated to us over and over, it is often too easy to forget how God has carried us in the past when challenges face us ahead. If you find yourself wondering where God is, or becoming paralyzed with fear over what is next, hold tight to this: The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in _______. (Fill in the blank.) God will carry you as He has done before, as He always will. GOING DEEPER: 1. What makes it difficult for you to fully put your trust in God when it comes to the future? 2. Make a list of at least three ways God has delivered you in the past. FURTHER READING: Deuteronomy 1; Psalm 13; Romans 15:13 For more information and resources please visit HomeWord.com. Read More Homeword, with Jim Burns Sharon Stone has opened up about her custody battle over her son Roan following her 2004 divorce from journalist Phil Bronstein. The Basic Instinct actress, now 63, lost her appeal to have primary custody of her son Roan, then eight, in 2008, four years after her split from Bronstein. She has now released a book, titled The Beauty of Living Twice, where she reflects on her career and personal battles, including a life-threatening stroke that brought her career to a halt in 2001, when she was 43. Speaking to Saga magazine in an interview published next week, the Hollywood star revealed she 'couldn't function' after losing custody of her son, and would spend her days crying. Court papers circulated at the time revealed that Stone wanted to put Botox in her son's feet to keep them from smelling, and the judge reportedly said Stone's 'overreactions' to medical issues were a painful 'problem' for the child, Hello Magazine reported. Hollywood actress Sharon Stone, 63, has opened up about her custody battle for her son Roan following her 2004 divorce from journalist Phil Bronstein. Pictured with her son Roan in April 2004 Stone, who lost primary custody of her son in 2008, and was only granted monthly visits, said she could do nothing but 'cry,' at the time and couldn't think of anything else but get her child back in her arms (pictured with Roan in 2019) 'Moreover, because it has come to a point where Father basically tunes Mother out because she has overreacted to so many alleged medical problems in the past,' the judge added in the court papers. 'After I lost primary custody of Roan, I couldnt function. I just lay on the couch. I was so damn tired. I would cry,' she said. 'I couldnt focus on anything but having my son back in my arms. Nothing else mattered, just getting him back,' she added. Stone has since then signed a confidentiality agreement about the custody battle. The star was married to Roan's father, Phil Bronstein, now 70, from 1998 to 2004. Bronstein, pictured in 1999, was married to Stone from 1998 to 2004, when the pair split and entered a custody battle for Roan At the height of his career, Bronstein was a well-known war correspondent and investigative journalist, who was a finalist for the Pultizer Prize for reporting on the fall of Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Stone wanted a family with Phil, but had trouble conceiving. The star suffered three miscarriages before the couple adopted Roan in 2000. After her life-changing stroke in 2001 and the end of her marriage three years later, the couple entered a bitter custody battle, which Stone lost. Stone and Roan are due to star in a film together in 2022. Now 21, Roan is making his first steps in Hollywood (pictured in 2019) Phil was awarded primary custody, with Sharon getting visits from her son every month. Now 21, Roan is making his first steps in the acting world, and will star in What About Love, with Andy Garcia playing his on-screen father. Following the divorce, Sharon went on to adopt her son Laird in 2005 and son Quinn in 2006. She hasn't remarried since, and made headlines in 2019 when she was blocked from dating platform Bumble after creating a profile that was thought to be a catfish. Reflecting on love in the Saga interview, Stone said she felt she 'deserve a loving relationship,' and said:'I have a greater understanding of what that is than ever before. She added she had learned from her years of dating, quipping the most successful men are often the 'least available for a relationship.' Speaking candidly of her dating experience, she also said she dated 'liars and charlatans.' I learned a lot about men and their behaviour that men who are the most successful are often the least available for a relationship, and the least thoughtful. Some were quirky, and nice and interesting. Others were liars and charlatans. Her book the Beauty of Living Twice, which was released on March 30 caused a stir upon its publication. The actress left no things unsaid in the work, which spanned her career, personal life and family life. Opening up about her career in the boo, the actress revealed she was misled into doing the infamous Basic Instinct vagina shot (pictured with her son Roan in 2019) She also revealed she had several negative experiences working in Hollywood, and that the notorious Basic Instinct scene was unplanned. In the thriller starring Stone and Michael Douglas, the actress shocked audiences by uncrossing her legs during a police interview, revealing she had no underwear on. In the book, Stone revealed she was told to take off her underwear because it was reflecting the light, and she was reassured her crotch wouldn't be seen. Upon watching the movie for the first time and realising she had been misled, Stone revealed she slapped director Paul Verhoeven before calling her lawyer. She eventually allowed for the movie to be released, citing it was 'right' for the character. Dutch Paul Verhoeven denied the fact Stone didn't know of the vagina shot in 2017, saying she only had an issue with it after watching the preview film with other American people. Tata Motors has issued a statement stating that the company is running operations at its plant located in Pune, Maharashtra with limited employees. The statement was issued after rumours suggested that the production of certain models was stopped. Tata Motors revealed that the Pune plant is operating in compliance with the guidelines mentioned by the government under the Break the Chain order. The brand is undertaking testing at plant gates and providing support for employees affected due to the Coronavirus. Additionally, vaccination drives have commenced at the plant for eligible employees. The company issued an official statement that said, Tata Motors is running operations at its Pune plant in strict compliance with the guidelines mentioned in the Break the Chain order of the Maharashtra government. A limited number of employees are attending duties adhering to all safety protocols, distancing norms, and hygiene standards. We continue to remain vigilant about the safety and wellbeing of our employees. In addition to mandated testing, screening at plant gates is robust and if a symptomatic case is identified, we ensure that the employee is isolated and provided with all support for quarantine and contact tracing thereafter. Our medical teams have also begun vaccination drives in our plants by collaborating with local health authorities, for our eligible employees of age 45 years and above. Tata Safari 14.99 Lakh Onwards Tata | Safari | Tata Safari WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- We could all use a little good news these days, and an announcement today from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) begins with some, noting that "the nation's economy continues to reopen safely." But for American workers displaced by the long COVID-19 crisis, that's where the good news ends. For an administration that, in its first three months, has thrown open our borders and ended all meaningful enforcement of immigration laws, the first signs of a labor market recovery are an opportunity to make sure those jobs are filled by foreign workers instead of American workers. DHS, in conjunction with the Department of Labor (DOL), announced that it would make 22,000 additional H-2B temporary worker visas available (in addition to 66,000 already authorized for this fiscal year) to fill lower-skill non-agricultural jobs in industries including landscaping, construction, and hospitality. These are precisely the sort of jobs desperately needed by those American workers who were hardest hit during the COVID-19 crisis. "Today's action by the Biden administration to increase the availability of foreign guest workers is nothing short of a kick in the teeth to the blue-collar workers President Biden claims to champion," charged Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "This latest move erases all doubt that what this administration is pursuing is a radical effort to achieve unrestricted immigration national security, public health and safety, and American workers be damned." Adding insult to injury, DHS touts the H-2B increase as part of an effort to address the root causes of mass migration from Central America by setting aside 6,000 of these visas for citizens of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. "Having touched off a humanitarian, national security, and public health crisis at the border, and stubbornly refusing to take any meaningful steps to end it, the Biden administration is now offering up thousands of American jobs as part of its plan to discourage illegal immigration by 'expand[ing] lawful pathways for opportunity in the United States,'" Stein said. "Under this administration it seems the only people who are not entitled to pathways for opportunity in the United States are American citizens." The DHS/DOL announcement includes the usual blather about requiring employers to certify that American workers are not available, with zero chance that that requirement will ever be enforced. "So now, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of migrants in search of American jobs, who have crashed our borders since President Biden took office, American workers will have to compete with an additional 22,000 foreign workers who can legally take their jobs. "American voters turned to Joe Biden last November to unify our nation and lead us out of a historic crisis. It's hard to imagine that chaotic borders and a wholesale giveaway of American jobs is what they had in mind," Stein concluded. Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected] ABOUT FAIR Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Related Links http://www.fairus.org [April 20, 2021] Panopto Partners with K1 to Accelerate Growth and Acquire K-12 Video Platform SEATTLE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Panopto, the leading video management system provider for education and enterprises, today announced it has received a significant investment from K1 Investment Management, LLC ("K1"), a leading investment firm focusing on high-growth enterprise software companies. The investment will allow Panopto to continue to scale its operations in the enterprise and education markets, and will help the company add complementary offerings and technologies by leveraging K1's dedicated operations team and direct sourcing capabilities. "We are excited to partner with K1 and accelerate our mission to help anyone share knowledge using video," said Eric Burns, CEO and Co-Founder at Panopto. "We believe video should be easy to securely create, share, search, and view, and we will relentlessly invent new ways to make this a reality. I have never been more optimistic about the road ahead." Sean Gorman, COO at Panopto added, "Video has become a mission-critical way for organizations to communicate. Panopto is a video management system with enormous opportunity to expand its reach and simplify every aspect of video. Now is the perfect time to accelerate our growth path, fueled by K1's partnership." Panopto's secure, searchable video management system has been adopted by more than 1,000 companies and universities worldwide, including Brown University, Cornell University, Imperial College London, National University of Singapore, Northwestern University, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and the University of Washington. Fortune 500companies that depend on Panopto to keep their employees productive include Dana, Freeport Minerals, John Hancock, Kimberly-Clark, New York Life, Sanmina, Tableau, and VMware. "The tools we had at Dartmouth weren't working for us. Our innovative partner at the Thayer School of Engineering recommended Panopto, and once we explored it, we were off to the races," said Mitch Davis, Dartmouth CIO. "Our entire adoption of Panopto was based on improving the user experience. Panopto puts the user first, which aligns perfectly with Dartmouth's mission." "The rapid growth of remote work and live meeting recordings meant that HubSpot had to find a way to scale. We turned to Panopto because we needed a secure, easy-to-use solution that offers great support and is nimble enough to handle our many feature requests." said Johny Jacques, HubSpot collaboration engineer. "With Panopto, we now have a secure, searchable video and meeting recording library that we all love." Working alongside K1, Panopto recently completed its acquisition of Ensemble Video, a video platform focused on the K-12 and higher education markets. Ensemble Video has been successfully deployed in hundreds of organizations with a goal of simplifying video management. "Panopto has an impressive history of industry leadership with customer-friendly solutions and rapid growth," said George Mansour, Principal at K1. "We look forward to assisting Eric and Sean in their vision to help organizations build, manage, and search highly secure video libraries of institutional knowledge. The acquisition of Ensemble complements Panopto's strengths in recording video from any source, and delivering it securely wherever viewers go to find knowledge." About Panopto Panopto helps businesses and universities create secure, searchable video libraries of their institutional knowledge. Since 2007, the company has been a pioneer in video capture software, video management, and inside-video-search technology. Today, Panopto's video management system is the largest repository of expert learning videos in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Pittsburgh, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney, Panopto has received industry recognition for its innovation, rapid growth, and company culture. For more information, visit www.panopto.com. About K1 K1 builds category-leading enterprise software companies. As a global investment firm, K1 assists high-growth businesses to achieve successful outcomes, and invests alongside strong management teams that continue to guide their organizations on a day-to-day basis. With over 100 professionals, K1 and its operating affiliate, K1 Operations LLC, change industry landscapes by assisting with operationally-focused growth strategies designed to assist portfolio companies scale efficiently. Since inception of the firm, K1 has partnered with over 150 enterprise software companies including industry leaders such as Apttus, Buildium, Checkmarx, ChiroTouch, Clarizen, ControlUp, Emburse, FMG Suite, Granicus, Graduway, IronScales, Litera Microsystems, Onit, Rave Mobile Safety, RFPIO, Smarsh, WorkForce Software and Zapproved. For more information about K1, please visit k1capital.com or follow us at linkedin.com/company/k1im. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panopto-partners-with-k1-to-accelerate-growth-and-acquire-k-12-video-platform-301272616.html SOURCE K1 Investment Management [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] thierry Ehrmann, President and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department, acknowledges that " it is still a little early to disentangle the effects of each of the powerful factors currently shaking the art market: Covid, Brexit, NFTs, etc. But their consequences are already visible". Artprice is therefore redoubling its efforts to ensure continuous monitoring of the market's most sensitive indicators and keep a close eye on its overall health. Artprice wishes to share the conclusions of its econometrics department in order to contribute to the market's transparency. 1. A record number of transactions Despite the logistical complications linked to the health crisis, fine art auction transactions have never been as numerous as in Q1 2021. In total, 112,200 lots were sold around the world, i.e. 6% more than in Q1 2019 (105,600 lots sold). The digital transition undertaken by the major auction houses has enabled the emergence of an online market that is particularly suited to the middle market. 2. A declining unsold rate An key indicator of the balance between supply and demand in the market, the unsold rate varied only very slightly over the period 2010-2019, fluctuating between 31% and 34%. In other words, the art market has become accustomed to seeing a third of the lots offered for auction fail to reach their reserve prices. But in Q1 2021, only one in four sales (25%) failed: demand is therefore increasing a little faster than supply! 3. A gradual geographic rebalancing Q1 turnover figures are usually dominated by London, which hosts the first prestige sales of the year. In 2021 the agenda had to be postponed by several weeks but nevertheless went ahead. However, the dominance of the UK capital appears weakened: London accounted for 37% of global sales revenue in Q1 2021 versus 48% in Q1 2019. New York, which managed to generate 27% of the global turnover in the first three months of the year, appears to be the main beneficiary. 4. The NFT revolution The sale of Beeple's NFT Everydays marked the start of a possible revolution on the art market. The work was purchased for $69 million in a Christie's online auction using the Ether cryptocurrency. Indeed, this new market appears to have become even more 'intangible' since Sotheby's generated $16.8 million by selling "The Fungible Collection", a digital work offered online in unlimited quantities and created by the anonymous and mysterious Pak. 5. Red-chips dethrone blue-chips Since the end of 2020, art auctions around the world have hammered some surprising results for extremely recent works. Journalist Scott Reyburn (in The Art Newspaper) cites, as an example, Christie's "20th Century: Hong Kong to New York" sale on 2 December 2020 and says he was surprised to see Dana Schutz's canvas Elevator (2017) fetch $6.5 million and Andy Warhol's "classic" Campbell's Soup Can (1962) sell for just $6.1 million (especially as the latter reached $7.4 million in 2014). Reyburn concludes that the arrival of new collectors, in search of the latest novelties ("red-chips") is overtaking the desire to possess "blue-chip" artworks. www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/the-rush-for-red-chip-art Images: [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-1-Fine-Art-Turnover-Q1-since-2000.png] [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-2-Fine-Art-Lots-Q1-since-2000.png] Copyright 1987-2021 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com Don't hesitate to contact our Econometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: [email protected] for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artmarket: Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987. See certified biography in Who's who : imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/10/biographie_oct2019_WhosWho_thierryEhrmann.pdf Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 770,000 artists. Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians. Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code). Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art. Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2021: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2020 Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department: serveur.serveur.com/press_release/pressreleaseen.htm Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5 million followers) twitter.com/artmarketdotcom twitter.com/artpricedotcom Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013 L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 (4.5 million followers) https://vimeo.com/124643720 Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department - Contact: Thierry Ehrmann, [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491811/Artmarket_Artprice_1_Fine_Art_Turnover_Q1_since_2000_Infographic.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491812/Artmarket_Artprice_2_Fine_Art_Lots_Q1_since_2000_Infographic.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1009603/Art_Market_logo.jpg SOURCE Artmarket.com By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/19/2021 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. alum Jorge Nava has welcomed his first child into the world."There's no Love that can match what I have for my family," Jorge, 32, recently captioned a photo of his girlfriend holding their newborn, along with a family emoticon."I Love them more than anything in this world," he added.Jorge's girlfriend apparently gave birth on Wednesday, April 7.Jorge announced in late November 2020 that he was expecting a baby , about five months after his early release from prison under community supervision."Thankful for all of my blessings," Jorge wrote alongside a sonogram photo at the time.Three months earlier in August 2020, Jorge posted a slideshow of photos kissing his girlfriend in the water and wrote, "Summer Vibes," along with a heart emoji.Jorge debuted "the love of [his] life" in June 2020 by posting a photo of the couple embracing during a hike on the Devil's Bridge trail in Sedona, AZ."Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her," Jorge had captioned the picture, which was taken so far away fans couldn't see the woman's face."Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor," he added at the time."Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is the tree of life to those that embrace her; those that lay hold of her will be blessed."The woman -- who thanked the photographer in the comments section of Jorge's June post -- goes by MsBlua on Instagram and definitely has a look that resembles his estranged wife Anfisa Arkhipchenko , whom he married on Season 4 of .Jorge previously told fans in his Instagram Stories he'll "share at 1,000,000 followers" the identity of the woman who's captured his heart, according to People. But as of Monday, April 19, Jorge only has 302,000 followers.Jorge opened up in November 2020 about his relationship after ending his marriage to Anfisa and said he first connected with his girlfriend over Instagram."It was actually a friendly relationship before it became the relationship that it is today," he explained to E! News."When I went out to California to visit my family, we went on our first date and then a week after that, she came and stayed with me and we've kind of been together ever since."Anfisa, 25, filed for divorce from Jorge in August 2020 after being separated for months, according to Us Weekly.Jorge told E! News at the time he just wanted a "clean split" from Anfisa so he could move on with his life.Jorge began serving an initial 22-month prison sentence in September 2018 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of marijuana transportation.Jorge dropped down from 275 pounds to 190 pounds in prison and had quite the physical transformation leading up to his May 11 release Jorge insisted in April 2020 his dramatic weight loss definitely contributed to his breakup with Anfisa."I think she was just jealous of the attention that I was getting," Jorge previously explained to In Touch Weekly. "The news about my weight loss didn't sit with her very well."Jorge also told In Touch at the time he'd be interested in returning to reality television as well as "exploring different avenues to get back into the legal marijuana business."Meanwhile, Anfisa went Instagram official with a new boyfriend, Leo Assaf, in March 2020; however, Anfisa's Instagram currently provides no indication she is still in a serious relationship.Jorge was a 27-year-old from Riverside, CA and Anfisa was a 20-year-old from Moscow, Russia when Anfisa arrived in America on a K-1 visa to be with her love.Anfisa didn't exactly deny she was in the relationship for Jorge's money, but she believed he, in turn, was dating her primarily for her looks. Regardless, the pair got married in a simple courthouse ceremony.Jorge was arrested at age 28 in February 2018 with nearly 300 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car in Arizona.Jorge claimed around that time his prior criminal record -- which includes two previous convictions for cultivation of marijuana -- is why he didn't receive a lighter sentence to begin with."With the charges against me, I was looking at around 24 years or something like that. [It was] some ridiculous number," he told TMZ in 2018."But luckily, my lawyer was able to work out a plea agreement and I got the charges dropped and I ended up pleading to a class 4 felony in Arizona."After originally appearing on Season 4 of , Jorge and Anfisa -- who met on Facebook -- were also part of the cast of Seasons 2 and 3 of : Happily Ever After?.Jorge and Anfisa, however, confirmed in October 2018 they wouldn't be returning to .Anfisa dedicated her time to fitness while Jorge spent his time in prison, and she has since become a competitive bodybuilder."To fill the void that I felt after Jorge was sentenced and I was left on my own I decided to try to stay busy and do what I enjoy the most and it was working out," Anfisa previously said on Instagram.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brit Moore Gilmore has joined ESG Impact Investing firm, Aneuvia, as Director of Business Development. Brit has focused on social impact with an emphasis on workforce development and diversity, equity, and inclusion for more than a decade. She is the former President of a social enterprise called The Giving Keys, where she helped build the company for seven years, doubling revenue for four consecutive years while creating employment opportunities for more than 130 people transitioning out of homelessness. She founded Hi Impact, a social impact and business consultancy, that has provided consulting services for organizations like the United Way of Greater LA, Los Angeles County, Imagine LA, and Conscious Culture amongst others. Brit understands the value of investing in economic development to create a more equitable and sustainable future. While working on her Masters in Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California (Class of 2021), she shifted her focus to impact and ESG investing. A man close to his roots, Innocent never stopped talking about retiring to his village in Mbaise in Imo State and starting a local musical group. I still remember teasing him about it during his farewell party at Ford Foundation a few months ago. Whether he meant it or not, we will never know. What we know, sadly, is that we have lost our Innocent, and it hurts! Two weeks ago, I lost a comrade, brother, and friend, Innocent Chukwuma. Innoma, as I called him, was 55, and until a few months ago when he retired, the regional director (West Africa) of Ford Foundation. Every waking moment in the last two weeks has left me thinking about life and Innocent Chukwumas death. I had a busy day on Saturday, April 3. Earlier that day, my spouse had informed me of the news of the death of the political activist, Yinka Odumakin, national publicity secretary of Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group. At 2:22 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, I was about to put my phone on flight mode for a nap when I received a message from Dr. Chidi Odinkalu. The first message read: Good evening sir. How are you doing? It was followed by two questions; all three messages in a space of one minute: Family? Have you heard about Innocent? I replied immediately, Good. Thanks. Innocent? I became apprehensive when I didnt get an immediate reply. My apprehension soon turned into distress. I couldnt take my eyes off the phone. A minute later, I sent another message: Are you there? I asked. No response. My anxiety increased. I was about to dial his number when Dr. Odinkalu called with the devastating news. We may have lost Innocent, he intoned. My stomach tightened. I didnt know how to process the news. All I could ask was, When, how, what happened? He went on to explain how Innocent had taken ill and had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) two days earlier and was about to start chemotherapy the day he died. I first came across the word leukemia many years ago in an article about the death of Frantz Omar Fanon, the psychiatrist and political philosopher from Martinique. Fanon died of leukemia in the U.S. in December 1961 after military expeditions in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. He was 36. For many in my generation, Fanon was the quintessential primer for political education. In his seminal work, The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon admonished: Each generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it. In life, Innocent Chukwuma epitomised the words of Fanon, one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. He discovered his mission and fulfilled it, and he is deservedly being honoured in death. A lot has been written about Innocent and his contribution to the civic space in Nigeria and outside. Every sector has a story to tell about his impact. I have nothing to add. My tribute is to pay homage to our friendship, his humanism and good-naturedness. Innocent and I became close the moment we met. We had a relationship that bordered on brotherly love. I dont know what it was, but we seemed like kindred spirit. Many years ago, in the middle of a conversation about the trouble with Nigeria, he averred that a big part of the trouble with Nigeria started in 1966 when the first military coup took place, propelling a chain of brutal events including a civil war that have left the country comatose. He proposed that those of us born in 1966 we were born two months apart should spearhead the effort at national redemption. He then suggested the formation of a group, the Class of 66, to undertake that task. Like many in our generation, we met and became friends in the students movement. Our first contact must have been in 1988, but what I remember now is how he frequented my hostel at the University of Calabar in the late 80s for refuge anytime he was in trouble at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Fate would bring us together again exactly thirty years ago at the Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, Maiduguri, Borno State, for our national service. It was a great reunion. I worked as a reporter with the camp radio. I needed an ally like Innocent to stand up to the highhandedness of the impetuous camp commandant. Just as he did in secondary school, he led the quest to ensure that corps members got what they were supposed to get at the cafeteria. And he was always willing to be interviewed by the camp radio. For our actions, we were punished and posted to far-flung places. He was posted to Monguno for his primary assignment, while I was posted to the remote village of Kwajafa, Biu, about 200 kilometres from Maiduguri. While Innocent was keen on national service, the dreary condition in Monguno left him with no choice. He returned to Lagos. I wanted to explore. Even though I had travelled extensively across the country as vice president, special duties, of the National Association of Nigerian Students in 1989, up until my posting, I had not been to Borno and Sokoto States. After a few months in Kwajafa, I redeployed to Maiduguri and travelled to Sokoto State immediately after service and then back to Lagos, where I reconnected with Innocent who had spent the remainder of his service year at the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO). I visited the CLO office regularly to see Innocent and other friends. During each visit, he would ensure that I had the latest publications and materials I needed to file stories on the human rights situation in the country. When I joined The News in 1995, Innocents three-bedroom apartment at Cement Bus Stop in the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos became my weekend hangout. Every Friday, after work, I would head to the apartment he shared with hometown friends, Geoffrey Anyanwu and Okey Nwanguma, Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC). You couldnt get bored in his company. He had a joke as a solution to every problem. His uproarious humour stood him out in every gathering The fecundity of his mind reminded you of a griot, the repository of oral tradition in West Africa. Innocent was friendly and accessible. The influence he wielded did not change his disposition towards friends or younger associates. Innocent Chukwuma loved life and he enjoyed it to the fullest. You couldnt get bored in his company. He had a joke as a solution to every problem. His uproarious humour stood him out in every gathering. He loved to curse in Igbo, but not out of anger or disrespect. The fecundity of his mind reminded you of a griot, the repository of oral tradition in West Africa. Innocent was friendly and accessible. The influence he wielded did not change his disposition towards friends or younger associates. When he took up the job at Ford Foundation eight years ago, he called to inform me. About the time he joined Ford Foundation, my teacher, mentor, and current chair of the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE), Jose Manuel Perez Tornero, invited me to apply for a doctoral programme in communication and journalism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain. I was 47. I told Professor Tornero that I was not interested in taking up the offer. Even though I had been a part of the faculty of UABs Journalism Summer School for a few years prior to 2013, I was not planning on a life as an academic. Professor Tornero persuaded me and pledged his support. Three years into the programme, I was at my wits end. Living in Canada, studying in Spain and working in Nigeria had left me mentally and financially drained. Worse still, instead of focusing on school, I had spent the early part of 2016 working on a book. A few days after the book was published in May 2016, I called Professor Tornero, who was my supervisor, and informed him of my plan to abandon the programme. He was alarmed. He insisted that I had to finish the programme, even if it meant switching to part-time. What I didnt tell him was the financial strain, particularly the travel costs. Amid my turmoil, Innocent had called to invite me to an event that he and his spouse, Josephine, were planning for their 50th birthday in Lagos. He tried to cheer me up by telling me that Dr. Mathew Hassan Kukah was the keynote speaker and that while in Lagos, he would arrange some television appearances to promote my book. We had a great time. It was an opportunity to meet friends we had not seen for many years and to reminisce about life as students. Unfortunately, I lost a bag containing personal effects. When the party ended, I went to Innocent and Josephine to tell them what had happened. While Josephine was comforting me, Innocent was teasing me that I had enjoyed myself so much that I had lost my belongings. The couple arranged for a hotel accommodation for me for the night and came back the following day to take me out to lunch. During lunch, Innocent asked about my research and when I was planning to finish the programme. I explained my situation and the decision to abandon the programme. Typical of him, he teased me about the effect of adult education. For someone who described himself as a lifelong learner, I knew he was only being mischievous. He asked me the most pressing need concerning my programme. I told him that I needed funds to travel to South Africa and Spain to complete my field research. He said if that was the only problem, I had no reason not to finish the programme. He said he would ask his people to get in touch with me. Before I left Lagos, I received an email from Ford Foundation asking me to fill out a form for a research grant. That grant enabled me to complete my programme. Innocent was a big man; tall and imposing. But it wasnt just his frame that defined him. He was a man of ideas, big ideas. He was also practical in every sense of the word. There was hardly any problem Innocent did not have a solution to. Whether you agreed with him or not, you had to respect the depth and originality of his ideas. Innocent was a big man; tall and imposing. But it wasnt just his frame that defined him. He was a man of ideas, big ideas. He was also practical in every sense of the word. There was hardly any problem Innocent did not have a solution to. Whether you agreed with him or not, you had to respect the depth and originality of his ideas. A few years ago, during a conversation on the political turmoil in Nigeria, he told me how worried he was and that he was planning to discuss with the countrys business elite to support the quest to rein in the political class to save the country. I told him I shared his idea. You couldnt argue with that. The business community needed a safe environment for their businesses to thrive. Much earlier, he had shared with me his idea of the Oluaka Institute in Imo State, a technology incubation village which he set up to bridge the technology gap and tackle youth unemployment. In 2019, when the current government and its spokesperson, Lai Mohammed, upped the ante in their anti-press rhetoric, I spoke with Innocent about the need to do something. He asked me to share a concept note for a conference to address the challenge of the shrinking media and civic space in Nigeria. That conference held in November 2019 with the support of Ford Foundation, Amnesty International, and Open Society Justice Initiative. A month after the conference, I shared the idea of a book project to mark Nigerias diamond jubilee. He found the project fascinating. Then COVID-19 struck, causing major dislocation globally. For a while I didnt hear from Innocent. Then, last September, I got a call from him asking if I was still keen on the book project. I told him we had started the project with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). He offered to lend additional support through Ford Foundation. The result is the book, Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices, a collection of essays by post-civil war Nigerians on what ails the country and how to tackle it. A day before I received the news of his death, I had planned to send him an advance copy of the book through a mutual friend returning to Nigeria from the U.S. I didnt know death had other plans. Innocents death reminds us of our mortality; his life, a testament to selfless service and its impact on humanity. A man close to his roots, Innocent never stopped talking about retiring to his village in Mbaise in Imo State and starting a local musical group. I still remember teasing him about it during his farewell party at Ford Foundation a few months ago. Whether he meant it or not, we will never know. What we know, sadly, is that we have lost our Innocent, and it hurts! Chido Onumah is the Coordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL). Twitter: @conumah ADVERTISEMENT A new attraction is roaring into the Alamo City. The San Antonio Zoo officially started construction on its one-of-a-kind, highly anticipated Jaguar Habitat Skywalk on Monday, April 19, according to a news release from the attraction. In 2020, the San Antonio Zoo displayed signs on its ground that the new skywalk is coming soon. The release noted the new addition will be the first of its kind in the U.S. ANIMAL HOUSE: All hail Bobcat Wife Guy, king of the digital wife-havers The zoo told MySA.com it anticipates opening the new attraction by the fall 2021. Guests will be able to see the jaguars from a new perspective, meaning you can look up and see them walk over you (so cool). The new space will also enough room for the zoo's jaguars - Arizona and Balam - to coexist, the release noted. The skywalk will feature multiple terrain options that closely match jaguars' native habitat. It will include a high, perched perspective and a lower view as well, closer to the water. San Antonio Zoo has a long history of conservation in Texas. In September 2016, the zoo welcomed a pair of cubs to parents Arizona and Balam, which was the first significant jaguar birth for the zoo since 1974. For more information on the zoos conservation efforts, visit sazoo.org The figures compound worries of an exodus out of the capital, as people look for cheaper accommodation with more green space amid working from home orders. Photo: Getty London has become the unemployment capital of the UK a stark example of the toll COVID-19 has taken on the region that drives the highest proportion of GDP in the UK. London's unemployment rate hit 7.2% in the three months to February 2021, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday morning. The capital's jobless rate was the highest in the country. All regions saw a rise in unemployment but London saw the largest jump, with an increase of 2.7 percentage points. The capital's workforce decreased by 60,000 in just the final 3 months of 2020, the ONS said. READ MORE: Primark-owner ABF to repay 121m in furlough money as profits dives The figures compound worries about a possible collapse in London's economy sparked by COVID. Many fear there could be an exodus from the capital, as people look for cheaper accommodation with more green space amid working from home orders. Watch: FTSE falls despite surprise drop in unemployment Large-scale moves out of the city would have huge knock-on effects for the businesses that serve inner London everything from coffee shops and sandwich bars to bank branches and hairdressers. Catherine McGuiness, policy chair of the City of London Corporation, told Yahoo Finance UK in an interview earlier this year she was "very worried" about these businesses. "The big financial and professional services firms, or even the small ones, are doing perfectly well working remotely," she said. "Its the supporting businesses that really rely on footfall that are going to be struggling. People are going to face enormous challenges." READ MORE: Unemployment rate drops for second month in a row London is home to a high proportion of people working in shutdown sectors such as hospitality and retail. ONS figures showed that London has the highest proportion of service-based jobs, at 92.2%. Last year Confederation for British Industry (CBI) chief Carolyn Fairbairn warned that city centres like London could become a "ghost town" as a result of the pandemic. Story continues "Some of our busiest city centres resemble ghost towns, missing the usual bustle of passing trade," she wrote in the Daily Mail. "This comes at a high price for local businesses, jobs and communities." Although the government has gone to great lengths to roll out job support schemes for hard-hit sectors, many businesses have still been forced to close or make cuts. The data on London's jobless rate was published alongside national figures that showed an unexpected fall in the headline unemployment rate to 4.9%. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: Protecting jobs and the economy has been my main focus since this pandemic began - through the furlough scheme alone we have protected 11.2 million jobs. As we progress on our roadmap to recovery I will continue to put people at the heart of the Government's response through our Plan for Jobs - supporting and creating jobs across the country. ONS data showed the region with the lowest unemployment was the South East, with just 3.4% of the working population out of work. Watch: How to create the perfect CV Shoppers have praised Morrisons for launching a 'discreet' initiative in stores which offers free period products for those in need. In a note spotted in one of its stores, which has since gone viral on Twitter, the supermarket urges customers to simply go to the front desk and ask for a parcel that 'Sandy' has left for you. Then, staff will hand over an envelope with a sanitary product inside. And it wasn't long before social media users commended the scheme, which aims to tackle period poverty. 'Brilliant work from some of Morrisons' stores to help combat period poverty discreetly,' enthused one, while a second penned: 'Morrisons you deserve praise for this.' Shoppers have praised Morrisons for launching a 'discreet' initiative in stores which offers free period products for those in need. Pictured, stock image In a note (pictured) spotted in one of its stores, which has since gone viral on Twitter , the supermarket urges customers to simply go to the front desk and ask for a parcel that 'Sandy' has left for you The note, which is circulating on social media, reads: 'Please don't feel shy. If you are in need or struggling for sanitary products go to our Customer Service Kiosk... and ask for a package that SANDY has left for you,' it read. 'You will be given a FREE discreet envelope with what you need, no questions asked. '#letsendperiodpoverty #welovetohelp'. However, while the initiative isn't yet running nationwide, Morrisons is considering rolling it out across the country. In the meantime, the store urged shoppers to check with their local supermarket to see if they are currently participating in the scheme. 'Came across this last night; Absolutely amazing I think; More shops need to do this. I salute you my friends,' wrote one, while a second penned: 'Wow, this is touching.' Taking to social media, one person praised: 'Morrisons you deserve praise for this' (pictured) A third added: 'Well done. Little initiatives like can make a big difference,' while a fourth commented: 'I love this idea. I wish this was a more widespread thing, not just for homeless people but other people who are caught with a spontaneous period!' It comes after news in January that free sanitary products will be available to all schools and colleges in England as part of a drive to stamp out period poverty. The move means that no schoolgirl should be forced to miss lessons because she is on her period. The Department for Education also hopes the change will help break down the stigma surrounding menstruation. Under the scheme, schools and colleges will be able to order a range of sanitary products, including eco-friendly options, so that they are on hand when students need them. Campaigners had been calling for the Government to take action following concerns that girls could miss class during their periods if they are unable to afford sanitary products. Research for charity Plan International UK in 2017 found that one in ten young women aged 14 to 21 in the UK said they had been unable to afford sanitary products while 12 per cent had to improvise. AKRON, Ohio A man shot in the head last week just east of downtown has died of his wounds, police say. The 27-year-old victim was wounded at about 2:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 11, near the intersection of Carroll and Beaver streets, according to police. The man was taken to Summa Health Akron City Hospital and his wounds initially were not thought to be life-threatening. The victim, whose identity has not been released, died Sunday in the hospital, police say. Police believe the shooting occurred during an altercation following a house party on the 600 block of Carroll Street. No arrests have been made and police are still trying to identify suspects. Anyone with information can call detectives at 330-375-2490 or Summit County Crimestoppers at 330-434-COPS. Individuals also can send tips by texting TIPSCO to 274637. Callers can remain anonymous. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Cleveland man shot by DEA agent did not pull gun from waistband, arrest records say Judge lowers bond for Cleveland mayors aide charged with rape Woman accused of killing mother in Cleveland had history of disputes with her mom, including on Judge Mathis show Drive-by shooting during vigil near Columbus kills 1, wounds 5 Residents and property owners in Victory Park Estate, Lagos, have alleged that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is encroaching on their lands in disregard of court orders. The lawsuit which was scheduled to be heard on April 14 in the Lagos High Court was stalled by the judicial workers union industrial action embarked upon on April 6. The property owners, under the aegis of Association of Victory Park Estate Bare Land Owners in Ikoyi area of Lagos, raised an alarm that AMCONs action violates the doctrine of Lis pendes, a Latin term for a pending suit. At the press conference on Tuesday, Mayowa Owolabi, a lawyer representing some of the property owners in the estate, questioned the legality of the action taken by AMCON. Allegations Mr Owolabi said AMCON is reselling the disputed properties in a clandestine manner and encouraging the buyers to start construction on the lands. To protect themselves from actions which would be inimical to the hearing of the suit, our members filed application for orders of injunction to restrain AMCON and other defendants from annexing any of the plots or giving effects to any purported contract of sale or carrying out any construction work on the plot which are subject of the suit. These injunctions have been granted in a number of cases. Mr Owolabi noted that the court order obtained by AMCON was to acquire one hectare of land but, instead, they laid claim to 49 hectares. They (AMCON) approached the court and said that this is what the company was owing, a certain amount of money and that they wanted an order that enables them to take over the asset of the company. Specifically they cited a title number for a deed for an area which they want the court to attach to cover the debt. That deed specifically, when we conducted a search on that deed, we realised that that deed only covered one hectare. Now ingeniously they have now begun to argue that in addition to that court order the court also gave them the powers to attach any other assets that will belong to the company, he said. Mr Owolabi said security operatives and hoodlums are stationed within the estate to prevent property owners who got consent from the state governor from taking possession of their lands. Furthermore a group of hoodlums and private security personnel who we understand are in the payroll of the Receiver Manager are stationed within the estate on a permanent basis to prevent our members from stopping the unlawful construction on their plots. These activities are being carried out in violation of the doctrine of Lis penden and subsisting order of injunctions. According to him, there are pertinent questions that should be answered by AMCON. He said as a responsible corporate citizen, is AMCON exempt from the obligation to obey court orders and also respect the sanctity of pending court processes? Is AMCON now a real estate development company given that the lawyers engaged by AMCON have continued to hold brief for the persons who have encroached on the disputed plots in the subsisting suit? He said the property owners in Victory Park Estate who filed a lawsuit are seeking the intervention of the federal and state governments to affirm their proprietary interests to the various plots which are located within Victory Park Estate, Igbokushu, Lekki Lagos. They maintained that their respective plots of land were acquired long before Lanre Olaoluwa was appointed as the Receiver Manager of Knight Rook Limited and therefore no longer forms part of the asset of the company. They further prayed the government to prevent AMCON and its receiver from encroaching on their respective plots of land within Victory Park Estate, Lekki, Lagos. One of the affected landowners, who identified himself as Mr Rashid, said he returned to Nigeria after spending 23 years abroad and bought the land after satisfying all legal duties but was evicted. Mumini Shittu, who also had a similar story, pleaded for the intervention of the government. AMCON reacts Meanwhile, reacting to the allegations, AMCON described them as an attempt to smear its image. In a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES, Albert Nwanozie, head of the corporations legal department, said they are also aware of a recent publication in the ThisDay newspaper captioned Businessman Recovers Lekki Property from Trespasser and of a video in circulation where criminal allegations were made against the Corporation and the Receiver/Manager in respect of Block B Plot 2, Victory Park Estate, Igbokushu Village, Lekki, Lagos. ADVERTISEMENT The agency said it denies all the allegations specifically the allegation that the Corporation and its Receiver/Manager are acting in defiance of the Order of Injunction made by the Lagos State High Court on October 24, 2019 in Suit no: LD/8418LMW/2019 Mr Adedayo Mumini Shittu & Anor v Knight Rook Limited & 3 Ors and the Judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on 15th December 2020 in Appeal no: CA/L/1266/2019 Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria v Mr Adedayo Mumini Shittu & 3 Ors. The takeover of the property known as Block B Plot 2, Victory Park Estate, Igbokushu Village, Lekki, Lagos (Attached Property/Block B Plot 2) was carried out on the basis of the Judgment delivered by the Federal High Court on October 3, 2017, in Suit no: FHC/L/CS/744/2017 Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria & 5 Ors which was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Appeal no: CA/L/698/2018 Rev Olajide Awosedo v Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria & 5 Ors on 3rd June 2019. The Judgement of 3rd October 2017 granted the Corporation powers to take over all the movable and immovable properties of Knight Rook Limited and other Judgment Debtors and apply the proceeds of their disposal in the settlement of the Judgment Debt, the statement reads. According to AMCON, although Mr Mumini-Shittu filed a claim at the Lagos State High Court, no order of injunction was made against the Corporation and its Receiver/Manager in respect of Block B Plot 2 as alleged. The agency said the order of injunction made on October 24, 2019, which is the subject of a pending appeal at the Supreme Court, was strictly in respect of Block B Plot 1, Victory Park Estate, Lekki, Lagos. Consequently, the purported recovery, which was curiously done in the absence of any Sheriff of the Lagos State High Court, was illegal and the allegations of criminality made against the Corporation and its Receiver/Manager are false, baseless, and defamatory. It added that the corporation works within the ambit of the law and with a sense of responsibility carry out its functions which is to recover an outstanding debt of the Knight Rook Limited with the powers vested in the corporation by the provisions of the AMCON Act, as amended while stressing that debtors should pay their debt for the sake of the Nigerian Economy. HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Seadrill Limited ("Seadrill" or the "Company") (OSE:SDRL,OTCQX:SDRLF) announces that Seadrill New Finance Limited (the "Issuer"), a subsidiary of the Company, has agreed to replace the existing forbearance agreement announced on 11 February 2021, and extended on 23 February 2021, 9 March 2021 and 23 March 2021 with a new forbearance agreement, with respect to the 12.0% senior secured notes due 2025 (the "Notes") with certain holders of the Notes (the "Note Holders"). Pursuant to the new forbearance agreement, the consenting Note Holders have agreed not to exercise any enforcement rights with respect to the Issuer and any subsidiary of the Issuer which is an obligor under the Notes to, or otherwise take actions in respect of, certain events of default that may arise under the Notes as a result of, amongst other things, the Issuer not making the semi-annual 4% cash interest payment due to the senior secured noteholders on 15 January 2021 in respect of their Notes and the filing of Chapter 11 cases in the Southern District of Texas by the Company and certain of its consolidated subsidiaries (excluding the Issuer and its consolidated subsidiaries) until and including the earlier of 17 May 2021 and any termination of the forbearance agreement. The purpose of the new forbearance agreement is to allow the Issuer and its stakeholders more time to negotiate on the heads of terms of a comprehensive restructuring of its balance sheet. Such a restructuring may involve the use of a court-supervised process. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes forward looking statements. Such statements are generally not historical in nature, and specifically include statements about the Company's plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in its business, the markets in which it operates and its restructuring efforts. These statements are made based upon management's current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risks described from time to time in the Company's regulatory filings and periodical reporting. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of these factors. Further, the Company cannot assess the impact of each such factor on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward looking statement. This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. CONTACT: [email protected] 020 3745 4960 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/seadrill-limited/r/sdrl---seadrill-new-finance-limited-announces-replacement-of-forbearance-agreement,c3328680 SOURCE Seadrill Limited Personal computer shipments continued their brisk-as-all-get-out pace in the first quarter, with year-over-year increases from 32% to 52%, a pair of research firms said last week. Analysts disagreed over whether these increases were tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting work-at-home orders, the latter responsible for driving buying sprees globally in 2020. Instead, analysts credited carry-overs from last year for the robust numbers early this year, saying that the disruption of supply chains 12 months ago sustained a year-long domino effect. "Unfulfilled demand from the past year has carried forward into the first quarter, and additional demand brought on by the pandemic has also continued to drive volume," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's mobile device trackers team, splitting the difference in assigning responsibility for the shipment numbers. "There is no question when entering 2021 the backlog for PCs was extensive across business, consumer and education," added Ryan Reith, IDC program vice president, also in a statement. IDC estimated the year-over-year shipment increase for the March quarter at 52%, with Apple's gain of 112% the greatest by far of the top five personal computer manufacturers. Gartner Research agreed that this year's first-quarter increase was at least partly due to the poor numbers of the same period of 2020. "Without the shipment chaos in early 2020, this quarters growth may have been lower," explained Mikako Kitagawa, a Gartner research director, in a separate statement. The comparison with what Gartner called "a pandemic-constrained market" of last year meant that this year's March quarter looked unusually good at 32%, it was the fastest-growing quarter since the firm began tracking PC shipments at the turn of the century, Kitagawa said. Analysts chalked up the boost in PC shipments during 2020 to work-at-home mandates and to remote schooling initiatives instituted by public and private schools as well as by colleges and universities throughout the developed world. Families which had relied on a single shared personal computer prior to the pandemic, even those where every member had their own smartphone, discovered that they needed more machines, one per child for schooling, others for the adults to work remotely. The shipment number upswell through the March quarter may soon end, the analysts added, because of component shortages, notably in silicon. "Semiconductor shortages are now adversely affecting the supply chain once again, with shipment lead times for some PCs extending to as long as four months," wrote Kitagawa of Gartner. Meanwhile, IDC noted that a combination of parts shortages and global shipping issues has triggered an increase in the average selling price, or ASP, of personal computers. Others have pointed out the resurgence in consumer PC shipments. In its earnings call for the December 2020 quarter, Microsoft said revenue from its "non-Pro" segment of Windows which represented sales of Windows 10 Home to computer makers was up 24% year over year. Of the top five computer makers Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, and Acer Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple was the winner in the increase sweepstakes for the March quarter, IDC and Gartner both asserted. Gartner said Apple increased shipments by nearly 49% while IDC estimated Apple's rise was, at 112%, more than double that. A similar northern bluefin tuna was sold in Japan for a record $2.6million Sydney Fish Market said the catch was 'spectacular' and in a 'good condition' Australian fisherman were left in shock after a 'spectacular' northern bluefin tuna was caught off the north coast of New South Wales. A northern bluefin tuna weighing a massive 271kgs was hooked by a longliner vessel on Wednesday morning off Coffs Harbour. Supply and business manager at the Sydney Fish Market Erik Poole, said the fish was in 'pretty good condition'. The world's most expensive fish, a 276kg bluefin tuna caught off the northern Aomori Prefecture in Japan, sold for $2.6million in 2020. It has not been revealed how much the Australian-caught fish fetched at market. The huge 271kg bluefin tuna caught off Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales (pictured) 'A fish of that size isn't something we'd target because they're just too big,' Mr Poole told 9News. 'The fish needs to be used within a few days so to use all of that sashimi is a big ask.' Mr Pool said the Australian market usually catch tuna around the 40kg to 50kgs mark - sending bigger hauls to Japan. The prized fish was sold to Claudio's Seafood at the Sydney Fish Markets and was an encouraging sign the food industry is recovering from the strain of the pandemic. 'Being able to afford to eat good quality fish like that opposed to something that comes vacuum-packed from overseas is great news and something we certainly encourage,' the Fish Market boss added. The northern bluefin reach a maximum length of 1.5m and up to 32kg in weight, but majority of fish caught by anglers weigh less than 15kgs, according to the Department of Primary Industries. It could be a record-breaker in NSW, with a previous largest tuna caught weighing 148kg. Sydney Fish Market said the massive bluefin tuna was 'spectacular' and in a 'good condition' (pictured) A San Francisco judge has dropped the criminal case against Jamaica Hampton, the 25-year-old man who was accused of attacking San Francisco police officers with a bottle just before he was shot and injured by one of the cops. Both Hampton and the rookie officer who shot him, Christopher Flores, were indicted by a grand jury last year for charges stemming from the confrontation on December 7, 2019. Rachel Marshall, a spokesperson for the San Francisco District Attorneys Office, said a judge dismissed Hamptons charges on Friday based on a technical deficiency around establishing Mr. Hamptons identification. We presented evidence of identification, including video evidence, but the judge ruled it was insufficient, Marshall said. Prosecutors plan to refile charges against Hampton, Marshall said. Hamptons attorney, San Francisco public defender Danielle Harris, declined to comment for this article. Footage of the incident showed Hampton attacking Flores and his training officer, Sterling Hayes, just as the two were stepping out of their patrol car at 23rd and Mission streets. Hampton at one point bashed Flores in the head with a glass vodka bottle, before leading the two officers on a brief foot chase around parked cars. Hampton was seen closing in on Hayes just moments before the training officer fired six rounds, sending Hampton to the ground. Flores fired his own weapon as Hampton attempted to stand up, and after critics argued that Hampton was no longer an immediate threat. It is unclear whether Flores shot struck Hampton, but the incident left him with serious and permanent wounds. Hampton lost a leg and partial use of his dominant arm as a result of the shooting, his attorney said. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who ran on a platform of holding police accountable for improper uses of force, came under fire from both of the defendants supporters after taking the cases to a grand jury. Harris, Hamptons attorney, called the case against her client wholly unnecessary after the time Hampton spent in the hospital. Officials with the San Francisco Police Officers Association said Flores used reasonable force to protect the lives of the public and himself. Flores, whose case is still pending in court, is charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and assault by a public officer, with two charging enhancements of personal use of a firearm during a felony. Hampton had faced seven charges four counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, a felony charge for battery on a peace officer, and two felony counts of resisting arrest. Flores is the victim named in the battery charge. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy Against that backdrop of dire news, the federal disaster declaration opens up aid for the states beleaguered growers and ranchers. The loans assist them for loss of crops, trees, land and livestock. Each farm operation could receive a loan of up to $500,000, based on its loss. The USDAs emergency loans were budgeted at $1.21 billion nationwide for this year. The federal agency considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator, Vilsack told Newsom in his letter. For farmers, the loans can make or break their operations, which are already on tight water allocation budgets. From the Oregon border to the Mexican border, California farmers will see sharp cuts in water supplies this year, said Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau. That means hundreds of thousands of acres of land will lie idle. It means thousands of people will lose jobs, in both rural and urban areas. It means Californians will have less locally grown food available. If the jury in the trial of Derek Chauvin finds him guilty on any of the three charges he faces, it will certainly be a dramatic televised moment when the verdict is read. But how much prison time Mr. Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the killing of George Floyd, would have to serve if he is found guilty will not be decided until several weeks later, after a pre-sentencing report about Mr. Chauvins background is produced. Judge Peter A. Cahill would also have to determine if there were special circumstances of the crime that would justify a higher sentence than the prison terms laid out by Minnesotas sentencing guidelines. Mr. Chauvin, who has been out on bail since last fall, might also be able to go home after a guilty verdict, as he awaits sentencing. It would be up to the judge to either order Mr. Chauvin to jail immediately, or let him remain out on bail, should he be found guilty. Mr. Chauvin is charged with two counts of murder second-degree unintentional murder and third-degree murder and the sentencing guidelines for each, for a defendant like Mr. Chauvin with no criminal history, is 12.5 years. But the maximum sentences for each charge differ: Second-degree murder could be as high as 40 years in prison, while the maximum for third-degree murder is 25 years. Mr. Chauvin is also charged with second-degree manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, but under the guidelines he would most likely be sentenced to four years. The state, however, has asked for a lengthier sentence should Mr. Chauvin be convicted on any of the charges what is known as an upward sentencing departure citing aggravating factors including, the state has said in court filings, that the killing of Mr. Floyd happened in the presence of children, that Mr. Floyd was treated with particular cruelty by Mr. Chauvin, and that Mr. Chauvin, as a police officer, abused his position of authority. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 04:11:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ALGIERS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Algeria said on Tuesday that it follows with "great concern" the developments in Chad after the killing of President Idrris Deby. "While paying tribute to late President Idriss Deby, Algeria calls on all the sons of Chad to show a sense of responsibility and to favor dialogue as the only way out to the crisis and preserve peace and stability in the country," the Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Algeria "reiterates its firm attachment to the cardinal principle of the African Union (AU) in terms of the rejection of any unconstitutional changes," it said. Chadian media reports said that Deby's son was named the interim president by a transitional council of military officers. Earlier on Tuesday, local media reported that Deby was killed in the front line of the fighting against rebels. Enditem Vanuatu has banned outbound travel from the main island of Efate for three days after a body that washed ashore near the capital of Port Vila tested positive for COVID-19. The body is believed to be that of a Filipino crewman who went missing from a UK-flagged oil tanker on April 11 and was later found at Pango Beach, about six kilometres south of the capitals wharf. Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman announced a domestic travel ban on Sunday. Credit:AP Authorities transported the remains to the local mortuary and they were tested for the virus at Port Vila Central Hospital on April 17, returning a positive result. Vanuatu has weathered the pandemic better than most other countries. According to World Health Organisation data, the Pacific Island nation has reported a total of only three COVID-19 cases and no deaths since January 2020. The countrys borders remain closed except with specific permission. Though Ryan Gosling has certainly had an illustrious acting career, there are a few roles that really stick out to fans. One such role was his portrayal of Noah Calhoun in the romantic film, The Notebook. The movie is often regarded as one of the best romantic dramas of all time and despite the fact that it premiered nearly 17 years ago, it is constantly finding new audiences. Ryan Gosling | Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic While its hard to picture anyone else being cast in the role of Noah, Nick Cassavetes (who directed The Notebook) had to fight for Gosling to be cast. While the director felt that Gosling had the perfect temperament to portray Noah, he had to convince New Line Cinema (the films production company) that the La La Land star was the right choice. While Gosling has undoubtedly earned heartthrob status now, back then, Cassavetes was drawn to him because he was different from other Hollywood stars. Why The Notebook director wanted to cast Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun [Cassavetes] called me to meet him at his house, Gosling shared in a 2012 interview with Company Magazine when asked about The Notebook. When I got there, he was standing in his backyard, and he looked at me and said, I want you to play this role because youre not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood. Youre not handsome, youre not cool, youre just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts. Gosling did some method acting in Charleston, South Carolina to prepare for his role The Notebook director may have believed Gosling looked a bit nuts but the actor still had to do a lot of work to get into the mind of his character. In fact, IMDb, revealed that Gosling did quite a bit of method work after he was cast. The actor actually lived in Charleston, South Carolina for two months prior to filming. Every morning, he would head out to the Ashley River to row and once that was completed he would come back home and build furniture. In fact, the table that is utilized in the dinner scene between Allie and Noah was of Goslings creation. RELATED: The Notebook: James Marsden Cried Like a Baby the First Time He Saw the Movie The movie was shot in reverse Naturally, Goslings intense preparation changed his body over time. In fact, the actor managed to pack on 20 pounds of muscle thanks to his intense regiment. This worked out well because The Notebook was actually shot in reverse. The scenes were Allie and Noah are reunited after seven years were shot first, so Goslings beard and more muscular physique certainly served the story and the passage of time. The actor had to quickly drop weight while filming The Notebook However, when it came time to film the beginning of the movie, Gosling had to rapidly shed the muscle hed packed on. Fortunately, the cast of The Notebook went on Christmas break between filming, so Gosling had a bit more time to drop the pounds. Still, the break wasnt very long and he had to work hard to quickly change his physique. Its pretty impressive that the actor was so dedicated to the role. Clearly, the method acting paid off for him. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 20:00:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close For 20 years, the Boao Forum for Asia has provided a space for regional cooperation and collectivity and has helped to amplify economic growth and sustainable development. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly made the remarks while addressing the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. This year's conference, attended by more than 2,600 guests from over 60 countries and regions, is themed "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation." The forum, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, has not only played a unique role in pooling consensus and putting forward valuable "Boao proposals," but also engaged countries in addressing global issues and promoting world development and prosperity. Produced by Xinhua Global Service China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page An amputee in a wheelchair has been captured on security camera footage having a violent and angry confrontation with staff at a Woolworths store; spitting at them, and throwing shopping baskets before a security guard tried to drag him from the chair. Footage posted to Reddit on Tuesday showed the man hurtling down an escalator at Newcastle's Marketown Woolworths before crashing through a security partition and then getting into a heated argument with a worker at the cigarette counter. He appeared very agitated and began throwing items across the counter at staff before spitting at a female worker. An amputee in a wheelchair (pictured) was captured having a bizarre supermarket meltdown He began hurling shopping baskets across the bread aisle before a security guard (pictured left) intervened He then moved to the supermarket entrance and started tossing shopping baskets at bread displays. A security guard then grabbed the man's wheelchair from behind in a vain attempt to subdue him. The security worker then backed off as the man in the wheelchair advanced toward him. Even after he fell from the wheelchair, the man aggressively pursued the security guard as he shuffled across the floor. Eventually, one woman helped the man back into his wheelchair as other stunned shoppers watched on. Upon leaving the car park, the man was captured on video knocking down a boom gate after soaring down the parking ramp. The man was not charged over the public meltdown. The security footage shows the man at Newcastle's Marketown Woolworths getting into a heated argument with a worker at the cigarette counter He appears extremely agitated on CCTV vision and begins throwing items across the counter at staff before spitting at a female worker 'Newcastle City police were called to a shopping centre at Newcastle West about 8.40pm on Wednesday 21 October 2020, following reports a man was behaving erratically and yelling at staff members,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'Anyone with information is urged to come forward immediately.' Woolworths told Daily Mail Australia the customer was subsequently banned from the store following the incident that occured six months ago. 'The safety of our team members is our top priority and we do not accept customer abuse in any circumstance,' a spokesperson said. 'Our team members do the very best they can to support customers, and deserve to be treated with respect on the job. The US government has advised an advisory to American citizens to avoid all travel to India, citing an unprecedented surge in the COVID-19 cases in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the top medical body of the US, has issued the advisory, stating that even fully inoculated travellers may also be at risk of contracting and spreading variants. "Because of the current situation in India, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to India. If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel. All travelers should wear a mask, stay 6 feet from others, avoid crowds, and wash their hands," the CDC said in a statement. Also Read: UK adds India to COVID-19 travel 'red list' amid new variant cases The US medical body also issued travel recommendations for travellers who are fully vaccinated. "If you are fully vaccinated, then do not have to get tested before leaving the United States, unless your destination requires it and you do not have to self-quarantine after you arrive in the United States," it added. Britain on Monday, April 19, had also imposed travel curbs on India, prohibiting all arrivals from the country apart from the UK or Irish nationals. The country has added India to its travel "red list" on a precautionary basis after logging 103 cases of a coronavirus variant first detected in the country, UK's health minister Matt Hancock said. Also Read: British PM cancels India visit due to COVID crisis, to holds talks remotely this month UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also cancelled his trip to India slated for next week."In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week," the UK and Indian governments said in a joint statement. The COVID-19 situation in India has been worsening in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 infections. During a phone call with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba enlisted the countrys support amid Russia's escalation. "Bujar Osmani expressed North Macedonia's solidarity with Ukraine against the background of Russia's escalation, reaffirmed strong support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea as an integral part of Ukrainian territory," the Foreign Ministrys press service reported. In particular, Kuleba spoke about the destabilizing actions of the Russian Federation, including the military buildup near the Ukrainian borders, the aggravation of the security situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the blocking of the Kerch Strait, reluctance to reaffirm commitment to the ceasefire regime and take measures to de-escalate. The minister separately informed about the results of the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council held on April 19, during which he presented a step-by-step action plan to deter Russia from further aggression. The interlocutors exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and North Macedonia, which is marked today, and praised the dynamics of bilateral relations at all levels. The Ukrainian foreign minister also congratulated his Macedonian counterpart on the first year of North Macedonia's NATO membership and wished success on the path to European integration. Bujar Osmani confirmed his readiness to visit Ukraine in the second half of this year at the invitation of Dmytro Kuleba. The parties paid special attention to the preparation of the events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. In the end, the ministers noted a significant increase in trade between the two countries at the end of 2020 and agreed to make joint efforts to further develop trade and investment cooperation. As reported, on April 19, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council proposed a step-by-step plan on how to discourage Moscow from further escalation. ish Over the weekend, Navalny's doctors said that blood tests -- provided by the opposition figure's lawyers to his family -- showed his potassium count had reached a "critical level." "This means both impaired renal function and that serious heart rhythm problems can happen any minute," said the letter, which was signed by Navalny's personal physician, Anastasia Vasilyeva, and three other doctors. "If they don't start treating Navalny, he will die within days," warned his other physician, Alexander Polupan. Allies of Navalny announced nationwide protests after the opposition figure's family and personal doctors released blood analysis results that suggested he was at high risk of cardiac arrest or kidney failure. The planned protests are scheduled for Wednesday and fall on the same day that President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual State of the Nation address from just outside the Kremlin -- all but ensuring a tense standoff between Navalny supporters and police in the capital, Moscow. Navalny's allies did not have an immediate response to the opposition leader's move to the hospital at a high security prison east of Moscow. Earlier Monday, a Navalny ally had warned that there was no hope of receiving good news about his health. Lyubov Sobol told Ekho Moskvy radio on Monday that Navalny's allies expect to receive an update about the politician's health status later in the day, according to the Reuters news agency. Russian prison officials said Monday that hunger-striking, jailed opposition politician Alexey Navalny has been transferred to a prison hospital. "At the present time, Navalny's health is assessed as satisfactory, and he is being examined daily by a physician," the federal penitentiary service said in a statement. "With the patient's consent, he was prescribed vitamin therapy." Navalny, 44, is currently on the third week of a hunger strike in an effort to gain access to medical treatment. He is serving a 2-year sentence in a prison 100 km from Moscow. On Friday, the opposition leader said prison authorities were threatening to force-feed him. Previously, he has detailed efforts by prison authorities to lure him out of his hunger strike -- including slipping candy into his pockets and grilling chicken in the prison barracks. For several weeks, Navalny has described acute pain in his back that caused a loss of sensation in his legs and arms. Through his lawyers, he has also complained of a severe cough and dizziness. Navalny maintains that his ailments are linked to an August 2020 poisoning attack with a military-grade nerve agent that nearly took his life, and that he and Western governments blame on the Russian government. The Kremlin has denied any involvement but also refused to investigate the incident -- saying that there is no definitive proof Navalny was ever poisoned. The government has also deployed state media to Navalny's prison to film reports that portray conditions at the penal colony as near ideal, and Navalny as seeking special treatment by faking his symptoms. Yet the latest blood results suggested Navalny's very survival was at stake, said his press secretary, Kira Yarmysh, on social media. A Poisoned Affair Navalny was sentenced to prison in February for violating parole obligations dating back to a 2014 fraud conviction he argues was politically motivated to disqualify him from taking part in Russia's political space. The parole violation charges appeared only after Navalny had spent months recovering in a German hospital from the poison attack. The action was widely seen as an effort by the Kremlin to strongly encourage the opposition figure to remain in exile. Instead, Navalny announced he was returning home to Moscow, where he was promptly detained at the airport by police in January. Following his conviction, it later emerged he would be serving out his sentence at the IK-2 facility in the town of Pokrov, a high-security prison known for imposing a strict regime of psychological pressure on prisoners, say former inmates. The United States and its European allies have demanded Navalny's release and issued sanctions against top Russian government officials and state entities involved. The Kremlin has rebuffed Western demands and sanctions as attempts to interfere in Russia's internal affairs. The news that Walter Mondale was in extremis had circulated a few days ago, and blurted out, predictably, by Jimmy Carter, about whom Mondale said on many occasions after 1980, I never understood how Carters political mind worked. Carters got the coldest political nose of any politician I ever met. It is still not well known that Mondale considered resigning as Vice President during Carters infamous navel-gazing Camp David retreat in July 1979 that gave us the awful malaise speech. Mondale was conventional enough to know Carter had lost his grip. Mondale was, to be sure, an old New Deal/Great Society liberal, and it is easy to arrange a catalogue of things he was wrong about. In 1971 Mondale said that The sickening truth is that this country is rapidly coming to resemble South Africa, which is ridiculous, but would fit in well today with the required Black Lives Matter slogans. But in other respects he was a moderate, and in person said to be charming and with a great sense of humor. Like Al Gore, electronic media was not kind to him. Robert Bartley, the legendary editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page who knew Mondale personally from serving with him on the board of the Mayo Clinic, wrote: The great mystery of the man is how and why he contrived to keep his personal wit and humor, readily apparent in even short conversation as vice president, from showing itself on the campaign trail. One of the more interesting stories of Mondale is how he invited a number of the prominent neoconservative Democrats to meet with Carter at the White House in January 1980 after Carter had indicated he wanted to be tougher on the Soviet Union, and when many Dem neocons were still longing to be loyal to their old party. The meeting was a total disaster, because Carter was clueless. And Mondale knew it. Jeane Kirkpatrick was in the group, along with Norman Podhoretz, Midge Decter, Ben Wattenberg, Elliott Abrams, Max Kampelman, retired admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Austin Ranney, and Penn Kemble. Perhaps, the group told Carter, he would now include some of this group in his administration, having spurned them before. Austin Ranney, speaking for the group, told Carter that they were encouraged by the change in Carters view of the Soviet Union, and hoped he would now appoint officials who were in harmony with a tougher policy. Carter cut off Ranney: Your analysis is not true. There has been no change in my policy. I have always held a consistent view of the Soviet Union. For the record, I did not say that I have learned more about the Soviet Union since the invasion of Afghanistan, as is alleged in the press. My policy is my policy. It has not changed, and will not change. Admiral Zumwalt told Carter that existing U.S. navy forces were incapable of defending the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean oil routes. Carter responded with what was described as a stare that in a less democratic society wouldve meant he was destined for a firing squad. Maybe, Carter went on to suggest when the topic moved on to human rights, this group could help with human rights in Uruguay. The meeting was the last straw for these neoconservative Democrats, despite Mondales efforts to repair the damage. Mondale knew the meeting had been a disaster, and asked the group to stay after Carter left. It was to no avail. Carter, Jeane Kirkpatrick told Morton Kondrake after the meeting, threw cold water on whatever hopes we had that Iran and Afghanistan would have a broad effect on the presidents foreign policy orientation. Kirkpatrick announced on the White House lawn after the meeting that she now intended to vote for Reagan. Watching the Biden Administration now, it is not hard to long for the kind of liberalism Mondale represented, for all of its flaws. Hed have been a much better president than Biden. Or Obama. I hope John and Scott will weigh in on this great Minnesotan, but for now: RIP. 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. [This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.] STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, April 20, 2021. Independent developer Fatshark today announced that the Chaos Wastes expansion to the award-winning and multi-million selling Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is available to download for free on Steam. Chaos Wastes The next chapter in the Vermintide 2 story has arrived, and its available as a free download. In Chaos Wastes, the players will -try- to reach the Citadel of Eternity, but only the pure at heart will be able to complete the journey. In order to survive the journey to the Citadel the heroes will have to leave their fancy and hard-earned armor behind and go back to the basics. The journey begins where it all began over three years ago, and armed only with simple equipment that will require skills to use effectively rather than just hiding behind a maxed out Iron Breaker (yes, talking to you, you know who you are!). The trek can only be completed by a true pilgrim to navigate through to the unpredictable region without a map and where no journey is the same. The Citadel of Eternity is a place most have only heard of through rumours. It is said to be located in a region under the influence of the Chaos Gods and apparently Saltzpyre knows how to get there - or so he claims. Chaos Wastes Release Trailer https://youtu.be/fqCVZwY2toM We are excited to invite everyone that owns Warhammer: Vermintide 2 to join us in the Chaos Wastes adventure. says Martin Wahlund, CEO Fatshark. The Chaos Wastes expansion is available for free for all players regardless of system. New Features Pilgrims Coins - Chaos Waste Unique coins that can be traded for godly favor or weapons along the path. A wise traveler hoards them well and spends them wisely. Chest of Trials - Those seeking additional challenges while on their Pilgrimage can find them by means of the rare Chests of Trials. Opening a Chest of Trials draws the attention of a monstrous foe. Defeat the foe, and claim the reward. Shrines - Uncorrupted shrines can be found in the Chaos Wastes. Heroes can seek the favor of wholesome gods in the form of Miracles & Boons. But, of course, such favors are not earned without sacrifice. Waystone Altars - A weapon stash that contains weapons employed by previous pilgrims. Accessible through sacrificing Pilgrims Coins. The more Pilgrims Coins the Reliquary demands, the more powerful the weaponry to be found within. Potions - The road is littered with mysterious potions that offer powerful benefits perhaps enough to help even the odds on a long and difficult journey. The Fifth Player Chaos Wastes includes the Twitch Integration - the streamer's favorite game mode - which lets the audience join in on the adventure and help the players on their journey by voting on what will happen next. Not playing Warhammer Vermintide 2? Pick it up now. https://store.steampowered.com/app/552500/Warhammer_Vermintide_2/ About Fatshark Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and established in 2007 independent developer Fatshark is comprised of a team of 100+ experienced games developers, who strive to create compelling interactive experiences. Apart from Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, the team has previously developed titles including Warhammer: Vermintide 2, Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide, Lead and Gold, Krater and War of the Roses. For more information, visit www.fatsharkgames.com About Games Workshop Games Workshop Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, UK, produces the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 games, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 529 of its own stores (branded Games Workshop or Warhammer), the www.games-workshop.com web store and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. More information about Games Workshop and its other, related, brands and product ranges (including our publishing division Black Library and our special resin miniatures studio Forge World) can be found at www.games-workshop.com. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2021. Vermintide 2, the Vermintide 2 logo, GW, Games Workshop, Warhammer, The Game of Fantasy Battles, the twin-tailed comet logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either or TM, and/or Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Fatshark AB 2018-2021. All rights reserved to their respective owners. In context: Last month, reports claimed that popular gaming-oriented chat client Discord was considering a $10 billion sale to Microsoft. The community's reception to that news was mixed, to say the least -- many users feared for the privacy of their conversations, or new rules and restrictions brought on by the control of a tech giant. However, those individuals can breathe a sigh of relief now. According to a new Wall Street Journal report, Discord's talks with Microsoft have fallen through: the former has walked away from the negotiating table to reconsider its options. The outlet says Discord has "fielded interest" from at least three companies regarding a potential sale so far, but it seems none of their offers have been persuasive. While it's unclear exactly what ended the buyout talks between Discord and Microsoft, there at least a couple of contributing factors. First, the WSJ's sources claim, Discord is happy with how things are going now. It's "performing well" (though it still is not profitable) and would prefer to stay independent, at least for the time being. Second, multiple reports suggest Discord is considering the possibility of taking itself public. Being bought out by a tech giant would jeopardize those plans, so it's perhaps understandable for the service to get cold feet with Microsoft (and presumably its other suitors). At the end of the day, all we can do is speculate. Discord's executives are the only ones who truly know what the future of the platform will look like. Regardless, we're along for the ride, and we'll let you know if any new information regarding the chat client's plans comes to light. Masthead credit: Viewimage H Marts highly anticipated San Francisco location opened Wednesday, making it the third location in the Bay Area. Based in New Jersey, H Mart is the largest Korean grocery chain in the United States. It is widely known for its massive selection of products, from kitchenware to frozen foods and colorful snacks. The H in its name stands for han ah reum, or one arm full of groceries. Heres what you need to know about H Marts grand opening Wednesday: San Franciscos location is in Ingleside Heights The new store is located at 3995 Alemany Blvd. in the Oceanview Village Shopping Center. The grand opening started at 10 a.m. According to H Marts website, the stores regular hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The 42,000-square-foot San Francisco store is the chains third in the Bay Area. There are two stores in San Jose one on Oakland Road on the north side of the city and one on De Anza Boulevard in west San Jose and more than 90 locations nationally. The San Francisco store includes a food hall with five stalls offering primarily Korean cuisine. Among the stands at the Ktown Food Hall are a location of the popular Korean restaurant Daeho Kalbijim & Beef Soup and a new Bay Area location of Left Wing Bar, a fried chicken chain based in South Korea. Two other stalls operated by Da Pan and Da S.F.C. offer casual Korean fare, and Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette will open a location at a later date. For many Asian Americans, H Mart is more than just a grocery store Chef Deuki Hong of Sunday Gather in the Bayview said he learned more of his Korean heritage by going to an H Mart in New Jersey, where he grew up, with his mother on Sundays. Thats how I got exposed to all the banchan, said Hong. Oh man, theres different types of kimchi I didnt know that, he recalled. Hong views H Mart like a cultural center because food is often how people learn about different cultures, he said. Amid the recent surge of attacks against Asian Americans, Hong said he hopes the grocery chain serves as a platform for people to learn more about Asian culture. Im hoping that [H Mart] provides a similar experience to some other people that may not have been exposed to Korean cuisine and culture, he said. Chef Chris Oh of Um.ma in the Inner Sunset said its exciting that San Francisco is finally getting a little touch of K-town, referring to the thriving Koreatowns in cities like Los Angeles and New York. Visiting H Mart is like going to Korea without having to go to Korea, said Oh. Now based in Los Angeles, Oh grew up in San Francisco. Back then, the city didnt have giant Korean grocery stores to go to like H Mart, he said. The San Francisco opening says a lot about the city diversifying even more, especially with Korean culture and cuisine, he added. In her newly released Crying in H Mart memoir about grief, food and Asian American identity, author Michelle Zauner writes, H Mart is freedom from the single-aisle ethnic section in regular grocery stores. Its also a place where she says she searches for memories about her mother, who died from cancer. I can hardly speak Korean, Zauner writes. But in H Mart it feels like Im fluent. Popular items chefs recommend that you try Among many things, H Mart is known for its colorful snack aisle. The Chronicles restaurant critic Soleil Ho lists five of her favorite snacks here to help you prepare for your grocery store trip. Hong recommends people to try literally anything in the snack aisle. Theres so many that you can probably go every week, Hong said. Hong and Oh both said people should pick up something from the meats and seafood section, which Hong said is very underrated. Chefs also recommend to buy banchan by the pound. You can have a meal with just getting rice and going crazy on the banchan, said Hong. Jessica Flores is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores A federal inmate housed in the Morgan County Jail who allegedly attacked a corrections officer Monday during meal time was charged Tuesday with assault, authorities said. Lemond Lawerance Burns, 21, of Alpine, allegedly punched Morgan County Jail Corrections Officer Kathy Evans twice around 4:30 p.m., said Morgan County Sheriffs Office spokesman Mike Swafford. Evans suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion and contusions around her mouth and eye, which is swollen shut, Swafford said. The corrections officer also bruised her back, head and arms from hitting the ground after being punched. She was distributing evening meals when Burns requested a smoke break. Evans told the inmate, who is set to be sentenced in Birmingham federal court in June on fraud charges and was charged with capital murder in the January shooting death of 22-year-old Alabama A&M student Dallis Patrick Ryan Wolfe, that he could get a smoke break once meal time was over. Thats when Burns allegedly walked up to Evans and quickly punched her twice, knocking her to the ground. The officer was taken to Decatur Morgan Hospital by ambulance. Our correction officers are unsung members of our team. They serve in a $13 an hour position, spending more time in jail than many of our inmates. This was a cold, unwarranted attack with no remorse, Swafford said in a statement. We hurt with Officer Evans, who is a model officer, is active in her community and has a heart for serving. This event is a reminder of their true value to our community. " Burns was charged with second-degree assault and given $50,000 bond. He is expected to face the assault charge after his state and federal cases finish, Swafford said. TEL AVIV - Clashes took place again on Monday evening in Jerusalem, for the sixth consecutive night, between young Palestinians and Israeli police near the Damascus Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City. According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, the clashes, which coincide with Ramadan, started at the end of the evening prayer in the mosques, when thousands of people left the Temple Mount and a crowd formed at the Damascus Gate. Police dispersed the crowd with the use of stun grenades, said WAFA. Israeli media added that in recent nights some Israelis were attacked by Palestinian passersby and that in at least one case a motorist was nearly lynched. Scenes of attacks on Orthodox Jews were also broadcast on Palestinian social networks. Israeli daily Israel Hayom said in East Jerusalem police arrested about 30 Palestinians involved in violence. In the meantime, similar tensions were also reported in recent days in Jaffa, the predominantly Arab suburb of Tel Aviv. As the pandemic begins to loosen its grip, facility managers and office coordinators across the country are preparing for when buildings and offices can begin to safely reopen. With that, comes the challenge of providing a safe and healthy working environment for staff, employees and guests. The Smartwell Countertop allows facility managers to give employees and guests a hands-free, hydrating experience that is both hygienic and sustainable. Space Saver The brand-new countertop unit is designed to fit under standard kitchenette cabinets, not taking up valuable floor space, while sitting perfectly next to other breakroom or lobby essentials. If clearance and counter space is limited, there is also an optional cabinet that can be purchased separately to serve as a stand and storage for the extra flavor and enhancement pouches. Touchless Operation With touchless activation, users can create custom beverages and view nutritional information from a mobile device, without having to touch the unit itself. Users can simply download the mobile app, scan the QR code, make selections, dispense, and enjoy fresh, filtered water. Healthy Hydration The dispenser provides an alternative to sugary beverages with filtered zero calorie water and allows for ultimate customization by offering choices of filtered still or sparkling water and delicious and natural fruit flavors and enhancements. With more than 70 custom beverage options, the unit can hold up to four fruit flavors at once (ten total flavors available), including raspberry, lemon and peach, as well as natural sweetener and enhancements such as Vitamin C, electrolytes and caffeine. Sustainable Solutions Smartwell can help save up to 152 pounds of single-use waste per month based on the facility beverage consumption*. Great for facility managers, Smartwell Countertop eliminates storing bulky cases of bottled water or cans, saving not only space but the cost of purchasing single-serve beverages, as well. The unit also utilizes compact, multiuse pouches that reduce waste from single-use plastic bottles and aluminum cans, helping companies and buildings sustain more eco-friendly practices. Maintenance for the Smartwell Countertop is also a breeze as the online portal monitors the unit and will send an alert when the flavor and enhancement pouches are running low and it's time to reorder. "The new countertop version of Smartwell helps us offer more customization options for all office and facility sizes and consumption needs," said Arti Lyde, General Manager, Smartwell. "As we begin to transition back to the office, people are looking for safe and thoughtful products such as the Smartwell Countertop, that offers the right solution when it comes to hygiene, sustainability and cost savingsall while bringing fun, flavor and healthy hydration." In addition to the recently launched Smartwell Countertop, the Smartwell Collection also comes in a floor-standing option. Both styles are equipped with a chiller, filtration system and easy-to-use touch screen interface with optional touchless dispensing. All Elkay Smartwell units are equipped with the Green Ticker feature, where users can see how much plastic bottle waste is saved. To learn more about the new Smartwell Countertop, in addition to the full Smartwell Collection, visit elkaysmartwell.com. *Based on the average weight of an empty plastic bottle and aluminum can. About Smartwell Smartwell is made by Elkay, an American-owned and -operated company that manufactures innovative plumbing products. Celebrating more than 50 years in commercial water delivery, which includes the introduction of the award-winning ezH2O bottle filling station commonly found in schools, gyms, airports and more. Elkay is excited to share the unparalleled benefits of Smartwell with businesses. About Elkay Family-owned since 1920, Elkay has been making innovative products and delivering exceptional customer care for almost a century. While proud to be America's No. 1 selling kitchen sink company, Elkay expanded its commercial offerings more than four decades ago, and today delivers faucets, water coolers, drinking fountains, Smartwell Water Delivery Systems, and the award-winning ezH2O bottle filling stations, in addition to world-class stainless steel and quartz sinks. Our Elkay Interior Systems business is a global leader in designing and building-out branded retail environments and commercial systems such as stainless steel products for commercial kitchens for leading international brands in the retail, hospitality, restaurant, and education markets. Like your family, Elkay has values and traditions that endure - like our commitment to sustainability and giving back to our community. Headquartered in the United States in Downers Grove, Illinois, Elkay employs over 2,400 employees worldwide, working from 28 locations across the U.S., China, and Mexico. For more information, visit www.elkay.com. Media Inquiries: [email protected] Related Links http://elkaysmartwell.com/ SOURCE Elkay Related Links https://www.elkay.com Toronto, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As prolonged COVID-19 related lockdowns continue across Canada, the restaurant and foodservice sector has reached a critical point where survival of the industry as a whole, may not be an option if viable widespread relief doesnt arrive soon. A major casualty of this crisis, is a growing mental health epidemic comprised of one of this countrys largest and most vulnerable work forces. Not 9 to 5, a global non-profit organization based in Toronto advocating for mental health in the foodservice industry was recently granted close to $240 thousand CAD by The Future Skills Centre (FSC) to provide critical support to this population. Just days ahead of CMHAs Mental Health Week in Canada, Not 9 to 5 is ready to amplify awareness and deploy help to the industry The hospitality industry is precarious even in the best of times and now the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the mental health crisis. The grant from FSC will be instrumental in leveraging our programming so that we can get help to those who need it, says Hassel Aviles, Executive Director at Not 9 to 5. The funded initiative helmed by Not 9 to 5 will address new issues caused by the pandemic and the immediate need for resources to assist workers in crisis. Aptly called Mind Your Health, this program will provide mental health education and substance use support for those affected in the food service industry from back of house staff to managers. Mind Your Health is one of 64 initiatives being funded by The Future Skills Centre as part of their Shock-proofing the Future of Work program that was specifically launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to encourage the creation of partnerships that to promote resilience in the face of further potential future disruptions. Based on research previously conducted by Not 9 to 5, the hospitality and foodservice industry have unique and extreme obstacles because it tends to attract people who live with mental health and substance use challenges. And with relatively low entry barriers and easy access to alcohol and illicit substances, these pre-existing challenges are further perpetuated. In addition, unconventional hours, low pay, high-stress pressure, reliance on tips, lack of healthcare benefits, and a culture that has traditionally encouraged workers to repress and suppress mental and emotional experiences, have created a toxic environment that during the pandemic has only become further inflamed. There is currently no comprehensive data examining mental health in the foodservice and hospitality industry in Canada, but according to Mental Health America (MHA), this industry ranks as one of the worst for workplace mental health. Conducted in 2017, the findings were based on data collection of workplace culture, stress, employee engagement and employee benefits to measure workplace stress levels and overall mental health. These findings further verified for Not 9 to 5, the need for Canadian-specific research, confirmation that a mental health epidemic already existed before the pandemic and has only intensified, and that help is needed with compounded urgency. The initial stage of programming by Mind Your Health, will be to conduct the first ever comprehensive, nation-wide research on the state of substance use and workplace mental health in the service and hospitality sector in Canada to support program development and knowledge mobilization. This research will be led by Not 9 to 5 in partnership with Reunion Inc., (under Ovare Group a management consultant firm that specializes in business transformation). Pedro Barata, Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre, says that tackling the issues of mental health and substance use challenges in the hospitality and food service industry is a perfect example of the programs FSC in investing in broader systems that support employers, service providers and vulnerable populations that creates a workforce of the future that leaves no-one behind. This programs approach takes into account the unique needs, challenges and barriers of the sector and offers an important step in the effort to create more resilient working environments that attract and retain workers. This is just one of the exciting shock-proofing projects that FSC is investing in to build a future playbook for shared prosperity, and help Canadian workers and businesses seize opportunities in our future economy, says Barata. After formal research, Mind Your Health will launch an online educational guidebook designed for mass comprehension across the sector, followed by a webinar series featuring mental health experts and key findings from the survey. This will be followed by a certification program to continue breaking stigmas, deepening practical mental health awareness and education for workers, and encouraging decision-makers in the industry to practise accountability. The announcement of the funding from FSC to support Not 9 to 5 in deploying Mind Your Health has been a welcome one for many industry insiders. Restaurants Canada, a non-profit national organization representing restaurants and the foodservice industry has been a long-time supporter of improving workplace mental health. Mental health was already a global issue within foodservice prior to COVID-19, says Roberto Sarjoo, Director of Marketing and Communications at Restaurants Canada. We encourage restaurant operators and staff to take advantage of programs like Not 9 to 5s Mind Your Health that are designed specifically for our community in order to help prioritize our industrys mental health and well-being. Mind Your Health is funded by the Government of Canadas Future Skills Centre. -30- For all media Inquiries: Jenny Shin, PR liaison E. jshin@milestones-pr.com T. +1 647-286-8584 About Not 9 to 5 Not 9 to 5 is a non-profit global leader in mental health advocacy for the foodservice sector. Since 2018, Not 9 to 5 has been reimagining the industry by breaking stigmas and fuelling hope through practical education and meaningful community-building. Instagram: @Not9to5_ About Hassel Aviles, Executive Director, Not 9 to 5 After years of struggling with anxiety and depression, Hassel was inspired in 2018 to co-found Not 9 to 5, a non-profit that empowers foodservice service workers like herself. As Not 9 to 5s Executive Director, this industry vanguard has made it her mission to dismantle the brigade system, so hospitality and restaurant workers can thrive. The organization provides support for mental health and substance use by mobilizing educational resources and creating safe space communities. Hassels strategic planning abilities helped grow Not 9 to 5 from a series of workshops, panels and webinars into a global vehicle for change. Now, with CNECTingNot 9 to 5s online educational platformHassel is leading a world-wide hospitality revolution to create work environments that are inclusive and proactive, rather than top-down and reactive. This is not the first time Hassel leveraged her industry experience to make great things happen. In 2011, Aviles took the leap into events by launching Toronto Underground Market (TUM). For three years, Hassel hosted this 2,200-person monthly culinary event, designed as an incubator for food entrepreneurs, chefs and home cooks. These days, she also holds a Principal Consultant position at Reunion Inc., which has helped companies such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Pusateris and The Drake with various strategic initiatives. A pillar of Hassels work at Reunion Inc. is to prioritize the individuals that make up these companies. About The Future Skills Centre (FSC) The Future Skills Centre (FSC) is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success. We believe Canadians should feel confident about the skills they have to succeed in a changing workforce. As a pan-Canadian community, we are collaborating to rigorously identify, test, measure, and share innovative approaches to assessing and developing the skills Canadians need to thrive in the days and years ahead. The Future Skills Centre was founded by a consortium whose members are Ryerson University, Blueprint ADE, and The Conference Board of Canada, and is funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills program. About Mind Your Health Partners Reunion Inc. is an Ovare Group-owned business transformation consultancy formed to help businesses unlock their full potential with services including customer and market research, strategy consulting, brand marketing, and advertising to other businesses. Reunion will be leading the research and data analysis component of the Mind Your Health project. Working Together specializes in organizational development, social design, digital facilitation, public engagement and strategic communication. Working Together will be leading the organizational development and learning strategy of Mind Your Health. Brandsicle is a design-obsessed creative studio specializing in creative direction, brand strategy and user experience. They will lead creative direction, strategy and brand development for Mind Your Health. Healthy Pour provides consultation and education to bars, restaurants, non-profit organizations and brands regarding mental health and support for individuals working in the hospitality industry. Founder Laura Green (Med, LPC) integrates her clinical and academic experiences into her work in beverage by directing her research and professional focus towards spirits education, the mental health and wellness of food and beverage professionals, and the holistic health of the beverage industry. Healthy Pour will be consulting and advising on all educational components of Mind Your Health. Attachments Jenny Shin Not 9 to 5 1-647-286-8584 jshin@milestones-pr.com Source: Not 9 to 5 BATESVILLE, Ind., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI) will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. ET. They will discuss the results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2021, which ended March 31, 2021. The live webcast, including a slide presentation, will be available at http://ir.hillenbrand.com under the "News & Events" tab and will be archived on the company's investor relations website through Friday, June 4, 2021. To access the conference call, listeners in the United States and Canada may dial +1 (877) 407-8012, and international callers may dial +1 (412) 902-1013. Please use conference call ID number 13718627. A replay of the call will be available until midnight ET, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, by dialing +1 (877) 660-6853 toll free in the United States and Canada or +1 (201) 612-7415 internationally and using the conference ID number 13718627. Hillenbrand will issue a press release reporting its results after the market closes on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. The full text of the release and financials will be available at http://ir.hillenbrand.com. About Hillenbrand Hillenbrand (www.Hillenbrand.com) is a global diversified industrial company with businesses that serve a wide variety of industries around the world. We pursue profitable growth and robust cash generation to drive increased value for our shareholders. Hillenbrand's portfolio includes industrial businesses such as Coperion, Milacron Injection Molding & Extrusion, and Mold-Masters, in addition to Batesville, a recognized leader in the death care industry in North America. Hillenbrand is publicly traded on the NYSE under "HI." SOURCE Hillenbrand, Inc. Related Links http://www.hillenbrand.com This article has been reflected to show the bill approved an private expenditure of funds. It previously stated the bill came from federal COVID-19 relief. LANSING, MI - The Michigan Senate unanimously approved a chunk of private money to provide better meals to National Guardsmen deployed in Washington. The appropriation would send $110,000 toward providing meal vouchers to National Guard members, many of whom reported poor food conditions to lawmakers. Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, put forth the measure to substitute the entirety of House Bill 4019, a broader appropriations bill originally sponsored by Rep. Thomas Albert. The Senate approved the substitute 35-0 during session on April 20. Barrett and Sen. Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, both expressed a bipartisan embrace for the amendment. Deployed troops reported that they received undercooked meals and had to spend money out-of-pocket for satisfactory food, Barrett said April 20 on the Senate floor. Thats just totally unacceptable, especially in our nations Capitol, he said, in a country with all the blessing that we have here in the United States. This amendment was an example of the Legislature working as intended, Hollier said. Barrett is a Chief Warrant Officer in the Michigan Army National Guard, and Hollier is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Over the last couple of weeks and over this year, there have been so many divisive things that have happened, but this was an incredible opportunity for us to come together and do something that was meaningful to each other, Hollier said. During this process, every single person that we reached out to was so excited to see a conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat from Detroit were working together to do something for other people. House Bill 4019 was originally a $868 million appropriation for COVID-19 vaccines and testing, as well as food and rental assistance. The funding would have been derived from a $5.6 billion pot of federal funds sent to Michigan in January, of which the state has used less than $3 billion. All of the references to the old federal COVID-19 relief bill were removed, a Barrett spokesman told MLive. The $110,000 is a one-time grant of private money divided equally among the deployed troops. The Legislature sent $4.2 billion to Whitmer for approval in March, but she vetoed about $1.5 billion tied to measures that would limit executive powers from the state health department. House Bill 4019 did not contain similar power-limiting measures when delivered from the House, as it instead included $22.5 million for Michigans COVID-19 vaccine program, $143 million for coronavirus testing, $510 million in monthly supplemental food benefits and $165 million in emergency rental and utility assistance. The House will have to approve the National Guard allocation substitute before the bill heads to Whitmers desk for final signature. Further negotiations are ongoing on how to appropriate more of $5.6 billion in federal money. Read more from MLive: Michigan Republicans back $4.2B COVID-19 spending plan tying certain funding to limits on administrations authority Whitmer vetoes $652 million in COVID-19 spending again, citing lack of negotiation Whitmer vetoes bill aimed at limiting health departments emergency powers Whitmer signs bulk of coronavirus aid package, but vetoes limits on executive authority SHENZHEN, China, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei's Enterprise Business Group (BG) released its strategic plan for partner business in 2021. According to the plan, Huawei will continue to develop, nurture, motivate, and support partners through better investment and incentives to build an open, collaborative, mutually beneficial ecosystem. In 2020, the sales revenue of the Huawei Enterprise Business reached CNY100.3 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23.0%, which would haven't been possible without our partners' valuable support. By the end of 2020, Huawei had over 30,000 partners. Among them, there were over 22,000 sales partners, 1,600 solution partners, 5,400 service and operation partners, 1,600 talent alliances, as well as 100 investment and financing partners. Moreover, over 19,000 partners have joined the HUAWEI CLOUD partner program. HUAWEI CLOUD has over 4,000 in-service applications on the Marketplace and has attracted 1.6 million developers, forming a thriving ecosystem. Ma Yue, Executive Vice President of the Enterprise BG, said that enterprises must work together to embrace the era of digital transformation, of which Huawei will become a leading partner. Huawei will focus on the following priorities to build a new ecosystem in the digital future: Continues to focus on cultivating, motivating, and supporting core partners, improving partners' capabilities, and building a mutual community. In 2020, 81% of the Enterprise BG's sales revenue was derived from partners. In 2021, Huawei will continue to increase this ratio and strive to boost cooperation with its core partners. Transforms the traditional partner system into one that covers the entire lifecycle from consulting to planning, design, sales, delivery, maintenance, and operations for enterprise digital transformation. In 2021, Huawei will build a partner pool for integration, operations, investment, planning, and consulting. Moreover, it will also establish dedicated development and support teams to collaborate with partners in helping customers realize digitalization. Strengthens the development of global talent alliances and cultivates ICT talent for industries to help improve the business environment. Huawei aims to establish 2,000 Huawei ICT Academies and certify another 160,000 professionals (560,000 people certified by then) worldwide by 2021. Huawei adheres to the "Platform + Ecosystem" strategy and strives to build a healthy ecosystem to meet customer requirements, and will continue to be fair and transparent in its partnerships as it seeks to create new value together and benefits for all. For more information, visit https://e.huawei.com/en/news/ebg/2021/build-new-digital-ecosystem MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss., April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Time To Be Bold (timetobebold.org) is a national public service awareness campaign helping the three million Americans 55 or older who are struggling with low vision regain their independence. From the Independent Living Older Individuals Who Are Blind Technical Assistance Center (IL OIB-TAC), a part of the National Research & Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) at Mississippi State University, this initiative, funded by two grants from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the U.S. Department of Education, is designed to educate, engage and empower people in this demographic to utilize the free and low-cost services in their states that will give them the tools, technology, training, and support they need to live their bold, best lives. Independent Living Older Individuals Who Are Blind Technical Assistance Center This campaign was created because less than 5% of the individuals with vision loss who are eligible for services actually seek them. The Time To Be Bold campaign of radio, television, and digital PSAs was launched on April 5, 2021, with the intention of promoting the campaign's website, timetobebold.org. The website is easy-to-navigate, low-vision friendly and links to a helpful database of state-by-state resources. The takeaway: People with vision loss, including those who are totally blind, can learn adaptive skills and the use of technology to live safely and independently. For more information, please go to timetobebold.org now or contact [email protected]. Related Images time-to-be-bold.jpg Time To Be Bold SOURCE Independent Living Older Individuals Who Are Blind Technical Assistance Center SANDUSKY Cedar Point continues to make baby steps toward a return to normalcy. The popular Ohio theme park known for big thrills announced this week that it will bring back its Fast Lane offering which allows guests to pay a typically pricey fee to move to the front of lines and save time in the park. The Fast Lane and Fast Lane Plus passes were not offered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both will go on sale on April 26. Reservations for both Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores Waterpark will also be required for most guests since the park is still maintaining a reduced capacity due to COVID-19. Details on how to make reservations will also be shared on April 26. RELATED: Cedar Points Castaway Bay wont open during 2021 season due to renovations Cedar Point, which is set to open for the 2021 season on May 14, will provide more updates in the future. Thanks for your patience and your commitment to visiting, its latest post reads. We cant wait to see you. The 2021 season will include several special events as Cedar Point celebrates its 150th anniversary. The anniversary celebration is set for the heart of summer while a nighttime parade and party, a new family river adventure ride and chances to win the ticket of a lifetime. FORT BENNING, Ga. For three nearly nonstop days, some of the Armys most-skilled soldiers overcame a lack of sleep to tough out brutal obstacle courses, miles-long runs and marches, and weapons and tactics challenges as they moved some 75 miles across Fort Benning for a chance at the title of Best Ranger. The grueling contest, which tests 52 teams of Ranger School graduates on a wide range of skills, returned to the Army post in Georgia last week after a rare cancelation in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic stopped nearly all military movement last spring. In the end, a team of first lieutenants from Fort Bennings own 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment walked away the winners of the 37th annual Best Ranger Competition. Its really a testament to what these individuals do in Ranger School limited sleep, limited food, moving long distances with different amounts of poundage on your back, said Col. Antwan Dunmyer, the commander of Fort Bennings Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, which hosts the competition. Just strenuous activity that is mentally and physically draining to include having to execute various technical and tactical skills along the way. I mean, this is the Super Bowl for the Army right here. This is the Super Bowl for Rangers. The competition began Friday with a predawn nine-mile run and ended Sunday afternoon with a final buddy run that saw Rangers 1st Lt. Vince Paikowski and 1st Lt. Alastair Keys cross the finish line first. In between those runs, competitors navigated a series of obstacle courses, an urban-assault course, eight marksmanship events with various firearms, a combat-fitness test, swims across Victory Pond, a nighttime land navigation course, and fast-rope jumps out of helicopters. That's what we ask our young Rangers to be able to do, [and] to be able to train young soldiers to be able to do this successfully in combat, Dunmyer said. I mean, everything we see within the Best Ranger competition is what we would do at some point in combat. Before last year, Best Ranger had only been canceled twice before in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm and again in 2003 during the opening weeks of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That, in part, is why Fort Benning officials worked so hard to hold the signature event of its annual Infantry Week contests this year, said Maj. Gen. David Hodne, the Armys chief of infantry, who oversees Infantry Week. Hodne and others began planning in the fall to bring a scaled-back Infantry Week to Fort Benning, and top Army officials in January approved the Best Ranger contest and the Best Sniper event held last week. Hodne, a veteran of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, cheered competitors on from the sideline Friday in the opening events of the Best Ranger competition. He said he was awed by the physical and mental displays the mostly young soldiers put on in the competition. Theyre all obviously exceptionally fit, Hodne said watching as Rangers navigated their first obstacle course of the contest completing chinups, climbing a rope, and finishing with a swim below razor-wire. Theyre going to show through these days that they have incredible physical skill, marksmanship, and theres a whole lot of strategy that goes into it. The winners, Hodne said, likely found the best pace to navigate the three-day course. He also said he hopes to see Fort Benning return to a full slate of Infantry Week events next year, bringing back the Armys Combatives Tournament and its Best Mortar competition, in addition to the Best Ranger and Best Sniper events held this year. Each of the competitions are unique and representative of each of these communitys expertise, Hodne said. And thats what I love about them. The sniper and mortar competitions those really allow for sharing of best practices, techniques, tactics and procedures. And then combatives is really important thats close combat, thats close with and destroy [the enemy]. Its the spirit of the infantry and we want to bring that all back. Jeff Fairburn's plans to create 'one of the UK's leading housebuilders' has set tongues wagging in the industry. The former Persimmon chief executive left the company controversially three years ago following a fierce backlash over an 82million bonus. But his comeback began last year through the buyout of small private housebuilder Berkeley DeVeer. Comeback: Former Persimmon chief exec Jeff Fairburn left the company controversially three years ago following a fierce backlash over an 82m bonus Fairburn this week upped the ante with his takeover of bigger rival Avant Homes. The deal, which saw him team up with feared Wall Street investor Elliott Management, is the strongest sign yet that Fairburn still harbours major ambitions despite already having made a fortune. The 54-year-old will become Yorkshire-based Avant's chairman, with both he and Elliott taking undisclosed stakes. And though the scorned executive remained tight-lipped about his plans, refusing interview requests, he has reportedly been on a land-buying spree across the north east to provide a pipeline of development sites. One housing industry source said: 'There's clearly some unfinished business there. I would imagine he's quite bitter about what happened at Persimmon and probably wants to prove a point.' Fairburn is a seasoned industry insider, starting at Persimmon in 1989 as a quantity surveyor for its Yorkshire business. He rose through the ranks, becoming managing director for the north east in 2000, division chief executive in 2006, group managing director in 2012 and group chief executive in 2013. Under his leadership, Persimmon became a stock market darling with booming profits, surging share price and big dividend payouts. In 2018 it reported a record profit of 1billion. Industry sources put the success down to ruthless cost controls, which one source said were the envy of rivals. However, a flip side to this success soon emerged, as customers complained about shoddy building practices highlighted by the Mail and Persimmon's rating in an industry survey tumbled from five to three stars. The mood turned against Fairburn as it emerged he would collect one of the biggest bonuses in corporate history potentially worth 110million. It prompted outrage, with critics saying the obscene sum was a classic example of corporate excess. Fairburn gave up part of his payout and Nicholas Wrigley, Persimmon's chairman at the time, resigned, saying he regretted not capping the bonuses. But the controversy refused to fade, with Fairburn's fate seemingly sealed after he flounced out of a television interview when asked about the large bonuses. Roger Devlin, the William Hill veteran who was brought in as chairman, asked Fairburn to leave. An independent review found that under Fairburn the company's culture had led to shoddy workmanship and 'potentially unsafe' homes being built that exposed customers to 'intolerable' fire risks. 'But he seems unbowed. He said he hoped to make Avant 'one of the UK's leading housebuilders'. An industry insider said: 'I don't think anyone expected Jeff to just go away and never come back. He's still a relatively young man and obviously wants another bite of the cherry.' TICKERS: MAG Source: Streetwise Reports (4/20/21) A CIBC World Markets initiation report states that MAG Silver Corp. offers attractive silver exposure as "its metal composition consists of ~56% from silver, which is one of the highest in our coverage universe." In an April 13 research note, CIBC World Markets Inc. research analyst Cosmos Chiu stated that the firm has initiated coverage of MAG Silver Corp. (MAG:TSX; MAG:NYSE A), an emerging Canada-based silver producer that owns a 44% interest in the high-grade Juanicipio mine located in Mexico's Fresnillo district. The analyst noted that MAG Silver's partner and operator at Juanicipio, Fresnillo Plc., is the world's largest primary silver producer. The report noted that since August 2020, 16,000 tonnes per month of bulk material from Juanicipio has been toll milled at Fresnillo's nearby processing plant. The analyst noted that a new plant capable of handling up to 4,000 tonnes per day is expected to be completed in Q4/21. The report from CIBC World Markets indicated that once the new mill is fully operational MAG Silver's 44% share of the asset will transform the company into a substantial producer. The analyst stated that for the first five years of deployment MAG Silver could annually produce around 7.8 million ounces (Moz) of silver at a lowest quartile all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of approximately $7.25/oz. CIBC's forecast calls for MAG Silver to produce a total of 7.25 Moz silver in FY/22 at an AISC of $5.76/oz that is estimated to generate free cash flow of US$120 million, resulting in a free cash flow yield of 8.1%. The analyst said that the existing resource and latest preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for Juanicipio were completed in 2017 and noted that since then several new discoveries have been made within this mineralized system including the Pre-Anticipada and Venadas I & II veins, which could serve to expand the resource. Chiu commented that MAG Silver offers a unique attractive exposure to silver in that "its metal composition consists of ~56% from silver, which is one of the highest in our coverage universe." The report stated that if silver prices were to increase by 20%, MAG's cash flow would increase by 26% and NAV would rise by 19%. The analyst remarked that MAG Silver is poised to benefit from the upward trend in silver prices. CIBC World Markets indicated that over the long term it sees robust upside potential for the asset from both plant expansion and additional resources. CIBC noted that in modeling its base case valuation scenario for MAG Silver, it assumed a $29/oz silver price in 2021, $31/oz in 2022, $30/oz in 2023 and $28/oz in subsequent years. CIBC World Markets presently has a Neutral rating for MAG Silver, with a target price of CA$27.00/share. The stock is currently trading at around CA$22.08/share. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Stephen Hytha compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: MAG Silver. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Disclosures from CIBC, MAG Silver Corp., Initiating Coverage, April 13, 2021 Analyst Certification: Each CIBC World Markets Corp./Inc. research analyst named on the front page of this research report, or at the beginning of any subsection hereof, hereby certifies that (i) the recommendations and opinions expressed herein accurately reflect such research analyst's personal views about the company and securities that are the subject of this report and all other companies and securities mentioned in this report that are covered by such research analyst and (ii) no part of the research analyst's compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed by such research analyst in this report. Potential Conflicts of Interest: Equity research analysts employed by CIBC World Markets Corp./Inc. are compensated from revenues generated by various CIBC World Markets Corp./Inc. businesses, including the CIBC World Markets Investment Banking Department. Research analysts do not receive compensation based upon revenues from specific investment banking transactions. CIBC World Markets Corp./Inc. generally prohibits any research analyst and any member of his or her household from executing trades in the securities of a company that such research analyst covers. Additionally, CIBC World Markets Corp./Inc. generally prohibits any research analyst from serving as an officer, director or advisory board member of a company that such analyst covers. 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(MAG.TO) 2g CIBC World Markets Inc. expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking services from these companies in the next 3 months: MAG Silver Corp. For important disclosure footnotes for companies mentioned in this report that are covered by CIBC World Markets Inc., click here: Disclaimers & Disclosures. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. BASEL, Switzerland, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Synendos Therapeutics (Synendos), a biopharmaceutical company focused on restoring the natural functioning of the endocannabinoid system to treat Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders, today announces an extension to its Series A financing with the addition of Ysios Capital to its syndicate of European investors. Ysios Capital's contribution brings the total raised to CHF 24 million, following a Series A financing co-led by Kurma Partners and Sunstone Life Science Ventures announced in November 2020. Synendos is developing first-in-class inhibitors that modulate a newly identified drug target in the body's endocannabinoid system, a key neuromodulator system in the CNS, enabling restoration of endogenous cannabinoid levels that are suppressed in certain pathological conditions. Proceeds from the financing will be used to complete preclinical development and advance Synendos' lead drug candidate through safety and proof-of-concept clinical studies in relevant and well-defined disease indications. Synendos has also secured a two-year grant from the Eurostars funding programme (EU funding scheme), named EndoCARE, to work as part of a group of four corporations and one academic institution. EndoCARE aims to expand proof-of-mechanism preclinical studies of the first effective and safe pharmacotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through the restoration of endocannabinoid homeostasis. EndoCARE also aims to explore potential biomarkers for early clinical studies. Furthermore, Synendos announces the appointment of Professor Jutta Heim as Chair to the Board. Dr Andrea Chicca, Co-founder and CEO of Synendos Therapeutics, commented: "As we continue to make promising progress at Synendos, we are very pleased to announce this series of positive developments, which reflects a recognition of the potential our innovative approach presents in addressing unmet needs in CNS treatment. "We are very pleased to both welcome Ysios Capital to our investment syndicate and to have Jutta as Chair. Their expertise will be invaluable as we target the development of a novel drug technology to address CNS disorders. We are also excited to have been chosen by a prestigious EU funding scheme for a pioneering R&D collaboration alongside top-quality private and academic partners. "Looking ahead, Synendos is on track to start IND enabling studies this year as we work towards reaching a clinical inflection point in the development of novel drug technology to help combat anxiety, mood and stress-related disorders." Dr Raul Martin-Ruiz, Partner at Ysios Capital, added: "We are very pleased to become investors in Synendos, a company that we have been monitoring since its inception. Their innovative approach to restore the natural functioning of the endocannabinoid system by modulating the levels of endocannabinoids has a great potential in terms of efficacy and safety for CNS disorders. "This investment has a clear fit with Ysios' strategy of supporting companies developing disruptive and breakthrough therapeutics for indications with clear unmet medical needs. We look forward to contributing to its success together with the team and our co-investors." Professor Jutta Heim said: "Synendos is developing a very exciting pipeline of molecules targeting the brain's endocannabinoid system for application in pioneering CNS therapies. I am very much looking forward to working closely with the team and my Board colleagues as we shape the next chapter in Synendos' progress to deliver future success." Professor Heim worked for more than 20 years at Ciba-Geigy/Novartis (CH and US) with increasing range of responsibilities, most recently as global head of lead discovery. Before she was elected to the boards of several emerging biotech companies, she led the discovery activities of Basilea Pharmaceutica AG and of Evolva SA. Synendos is scheduled to present at Bioquity Europe on 17-19 May 2021 and will be attending BioInternational/BIO Digital in June 2021. About Synendos Therapeutics Synendos Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of small molecules aimed at restoring the natural functioning of the endocannabinoid system in the brain with the potential for treating a wide range of Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders. Incorporated in April 2019, Synendos Therapeutics was spun out of the University of Bern and the drug discovery consortium, NCCR TransCure. The company's novel technology stems from 10 years of solid research on endocannabinoid biology and pharmacology carried out at the University of Bern by co-founders, Professor Jurg Gertsch and Dr Andrea Chicca, and centres around the development of selective endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitors (SERIs). SERIs act by increasing the levels of endogenous cannabinoids in a self-limiting mode of action, representing an innovative and potentially safer therapeutic approach to CNS disorders, associated with anxiety, mood and stress-related disorders, than is currently available. www.synendos.com Twitter @Synendos https://lichtsteinerfoundation.org/community/#synendos About SERIs SERIs are first-in-class endocannabinoid system modulators that mildly and selectively increase endogenous cannabinoids levels by inhibiting a newly identified drug target. SERIs act with a self-limiting mechanism of action that enables a fine-tuned modulation of synaptic transmission in major neuronal circuits in the CNS. The new mode of action of SERIs represents an innovative and potentially safer therapeutic approach to CNS disorders associated with anxiety, mood. About Ysios Capital Ysios Capital, a leading Spanish venture capital firm, provides private equity financing to early and mid-stage life science companies that develop disruptive therapeutic products and platform technologies. Founded in 2008, Ysios Capital manages over 350M through three dedicated funds in life sciences and is led by a team of professionals experienced in building biotech companies. For more information, please visit: www.ysioscapital.com Twitter @YsiosCapital About Eurostars Funding Programme Eurostars is a European joint programme, co-funded from the national budgets of 36 EUREKA countries and by the European Union through Horizon 2020. Eurostars has been carefully developed to answer to the specific needs of the R&D-performing SMEs, and targets the development of new products and services, giving easier access to international markets, thanks to the transnational nature of each project consortium. Eurostars applications pass through a highly-competitive selection process, being scrutinised by a panel of international research and business experts, to ensure that only the best business ideas and strongest partnerships get the support they need. SOURCE Synendos Therapeutics Noida: In a bid to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday (April 20) amended the Epidemic Control ordinance to bring stricter punishments for flouting safety guidelines. The government amended the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020, under which those who are caught not wearing masks or face covers in public would be fined Rs 1000 on the first violation. Repeating the offense would attract a fine of Rs 10,000, as per the new rules. Apart from this, those who are caught spitting in public would have to pay a fine of Rs 500. The measures have been taken in order to check the spread of the virus which is wreaking havoc across the state. Yogi Adityanath orders safe return of migrants With the imposition of lockdown in Delhi, Maharashtra, and other states, thousands of migrants have once again started flocking back to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh, just like it happened last year. To make their return safe and easy, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the officials to ensure that all the migrants returning from other states should be provided means of transport. The CM has instructed the state home department and the transport department to ensure that the migrants are returned safely and that all necessary arrangements must be done in this regard. Last year too, the Yogi government had helped the migrant workers of the state to travel back to their villages and hometowns. Earlier today, the UP government moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court`s order to impose lockdown in its five worst-COVID-19 affected cities. The apex court stayed for two weeks the High Court order directing weeklong lockdown in 5 major COVID-19 affected cities - Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur - of Uttar Pradesh. Live TV Boris Johnson has vowed to take action on the Northern Ireland Protocol if the EU refuses to ditch absurd aspects of the post-Brexit trading arrangements. The British Prime Minister said his government was currently working on sandpapering the Protocol, which governs Irish Sea trade post-Brexit, to address some of the concerns about trade disruption. In an interview with BBC NIs Spotlight programme, Mr Johnson was also questioned on the potential of a future poll on Northern Irelands constitutional status. The Taoiseach insisted the Protocol does not threaten the integrity of the UK (Julien Behal/PA) Mr Johnson said he could not envisage such a vote for a very, very long time to come. The programme also interviewed Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who insisted the Protocol was not tearing the UK apart. The new trading arrangements have been cited as a factor behind the recent upsurge of violence in loyalist areas in Northern Ireland. Loyalists believe the new economic barriers between the region and Great Britain have weakened their place in the UK. There has been unrest in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland amid fears over the Protocol (Niall Carson/PA) The Protocol requires a range of new regulatory checks on agri-food goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. Some GB goods are banned under the arrangements. Commercial goods also need to undergo various customs processes. The Protocol has yet to be fully implemented with various exemptions on checks currently in place. The EU has taken legal action against the UK for its decision to unilaterally extend some of those grace periods amid continuing talks between the two sides on ways to ease the red tape burden. Mr Johnson has repeatedly warned that he will trigger a mechanism to suspend the Protocol Article 16 if changes to the arrangements cannot be agreed. Mr Johnson called some of the trading arrangements absurd (Niall Carson/PA) If we cant make enough progress and if it looks as though the EU is going to be very, very dogmatic about it and we continue to have absurd situations so you cant bring in rose bushes with British soil into Northern Ireland, you cant bring British sausages into Northern Ireland, then frankly Im going to, well have to take further steps, he told the BBC. What were doing is removing what I think of as the unnecessary protuberances and barriers that have grown up and were getting the barnacles off the thing and sandpapering it into shape. Mr Martin said the Protocol posed no threat to the integrity of the UK. The Protocol is not tearing the United Kingdom apart, thats just an overly dramatic presentation of it in our view, he said. It explicitly affirms the constitutional position of Northern Ireland and the principle of consent. So its not a danger to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland at all, and was never intended to be. Press Release April 20, 2021 De Lima lauds Fil-Am groups' efforts to seek Biden's help for Moderna vaccines Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has commended Filipino-American healthcare groups for their collective effort to help speed-up the 20 million Moderna vaccines purchased by the Philippine government and the private sector from the American drug company as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country. De Lima, a known human rights defender here and abroad, said the move by the Filipino American groups including the US Medicare in the Philippines and the Philippine Medical Association of Metro Washington DC to seek for US President Joe Biden's help for Moderna jabs is laudable. "The members of these groups may be miles away from us, but they showed that distance can never prevent them from going the extra mile to show concern and love for their countrymen and ensure that their fellow Filipinos' lives will be protected," she said. "Amid the critical situation that we have in the country as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, we really need the help from the US government to ensure the early release of Moderna jabs in the Philippines," she added. Recently, Virginia-based nonprofit US Medicare in the Philippines and partners Philippine Humanitarian Coalition, the Philippine Medical Association of Metro Washington DC, the National Federation of Filipino American Association and the Philippine Nurses Association of America reportedly wrote a letter seeking for Biden's administration's help to bump up the delivery date of the doses of Moderna. "(W)e appeal to you to authorize the early humanitarian release of the 20 million Moderna vaccines -- Please consider an initial export release of 5 to 10 million vaccines this April--rather than in June or July. Your early decision will save thousands of lives in the Philippines," read part of the letter. The lady Senator from Bicol likewise lamented why Mr. Duterte does not bother to touch base with his United States counterpart on the matter of vaccines. "It he can do it with the Chinese or Russian Presidents, why not the US President, the US being a friend and the Filipinos' most trusted major ally? All it takes is a small ounce of humility and sincerity in seeking succor from the US and other western countries, to augment the still very deficient supply of vaccine coming our way," she said. "Sa panahong ito ng krisis na kailangan ng kababayan natin ng agarang bakuna laban sa nakamamatay na sakit, sana ay unang isipin ni Duterte ang kapakanan ng mga Pilipino at hindi ang anumang personal niyang hinanakit sa US," she added. The Philippines logged 9,628 additional COVID-19 infections, pushing the country's tally to 945,745 cases as of April 19. A couple in their sixties are in a legal battle with a hospital after claiming they were told their embryos were nonviable during IVF 20 years ago - only to learn they had been 'lost' by the clinic. Elaine Meyer, 63, and Barry Prizant, 69, from Rhode Island, underwent IVF in the late 1990s, welcoming a son Noah, and were left with nine embryos at Women & Infants Hospital in August of 2000 to try for a second baby. The couple say they were told all were thawed but were later told it was an unsuccessful procedure and they should pursue other means to have children, like adoption. In 2017, Elaine and Barry were shocked to be receive a hospital letter which said they still had 'two frozen embryos' which they later learned had been 'lost' by the hospital in 2000 and found in 2010. The couple are now at the center of a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, negligence, bailment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, with Elaine telling the New York Times: 'As a woman who had suffered miscarriages and infertility, all the powerful feelings of sadness, shame and grief came crashing back and the knot in my stomach was real.' Elaine Meyer, 63, and Barry Prizant, 69, from Rhode Island, are in a legal battle with a hospital after claiming they were told their embryos were nonviable during IVF 20 years ago - only to learn they had been 'lost' by the clinic Elaine, a psychologist, and Barry, a speech and language pathologist, met in 1985 during a conference at a psychiatric hospital before marrying in 1987. She finished graduate school before falling pregnant at 34, and suffered three miscarriages. They underwent treatment with Dr. Gary Frishman at Women & Infants, which is affiliated with Brown's medical school, in 1995. The first two cycles of IVF didn't work but during the third cycle, Elaine fell pregnant with her son Noah. After he was born in 1996, the couple were left with nine embryos and remained hopeful they could have another child. They signed agreements with the hospital to 'cryopreserve' them for transfer in the future. They underwent IVF in the late 1990s, welcoming a son Noah, and were left with nine embryos at Women & Infants Hospital in August of 2000 to try for a second baby (pictured, with Noah) In August 2000, they began the process of trying for a second child with the hospital thawing the nine embryos, and those that survived the process being transferred to Elaine's uterus. The couple have said they were told all nine embryos were thawed, but weeks later were called in for 'the failure conversion'. Dr. David Keefe, then the director of the hospital's division of reproductive medicine, said the process had been 'unsuccessful.' HOW DOES IVF WORK? The menstrual cycle is first suppressed with medication before other drugs are used to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. An ultrasound scan is carried out to check the development of the eggs, and medication is used to help them mature. The eggs are then collected by a needle inserted into the ovaries, via the vagina, before the eggs are fertilised with sperm. Finally the fertilised embryo is transferred into the womb to grow and develop. A single IVF cycle has an average success rate of 32.3 per cent for those under 35, dropping to five per cent for women aged 43 and 44 and only 1.9 per cent for those 45 and older. Despite IVF being most effective for the under 35s, 57 per cent of IVF cycles are undergone by women 35 or older. Advertisement He advised Elaine that because she was 43, the best path to having more children would be donor eggs or adoption. Emotionally exhausted and 'in a constant state of grief', the couple decided to focus on their son and not use other methods by which to have a second child. However, in July 2017, the couple were shocked to receive a letter which requested $500 payment for the hospital to 'continue storing the embryos.' Without the payment, the hospital would consider embryos 'legally abandoned' and discard them. Elaine repeatedly contacted the clinic, with little response, before they confirmed with her that there were still two frozen embryos. Dr. Ruben Alvero, then the director of the fertility center at Women & Infants, told her the embryos had been found in a glass vial at the bottom of the tank. He told her the vial had a crack in it, which meant that the embryos had been exposed to the nitrogen cooling agent and would most likely not be viable. The couple arranged a meeting with the hospital and, according to the legal complaint, the men representing the hospital apologized. They said that two embryos had disappeared sometime before the couple tried for their second child in 2000. The hospital made a note within Elaine's file which detailed that two embryos were missing. They said the embryos, which still had Elaine's name on the vial, were located in 2010 when the tank was emptied for cleaning or maintenance and re-entered into the inventory. When the clinic implemented a new storage fee policy in 2017, the couple received the bills. However, Elaine and Barry remained insistent that nobody had ever told them the embryos had been lost by the hospital, explaining if they had known they would have been on a 'different course of action' to have further children. At the meeting in December 2017, the couple were asked what might help them feel resolved about the situation. They said they wanted to find something meaningful to come from the careless treatment of their embryos, however felt they were met with a wall of silence for months. Elaine later received a phone call from Katherine Wills, the hospital's director of risk management, who she felt was telling her to 'get over it.' The couple then decided to take legal action and they are now seeking a jury trial and punitive, compensatory, consequential damages. In a legal filing, the hospital alleged that Elaine and Barry 'were guilty of comparative negligence' but provided no further detail. Elaine explained: 'I would not be true to myself if I let this be swept under the rug. 'It is our job as parents to give our children, and in this case embryos, every opportunity for life and for dignity. We were denied our right to fulfill our role as parents.' New Delhi, April 20 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal has tested Covid-19 positive, sources in the Delhi government told IANS on Tuesday. As per the official statement from the Chief Minister's Office, Sunita Kejriwal has isolated herself at home. Kejriwal too has quarantined himself. Delhi reported 240 deaths and 23,686 Covid positive cases on Monday. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text "One of the wonderful things about our model is that it's simple," says Mia Morrell, who did the research as an Emory senior majoring in physics. Morrell graduated last year and is now in New Mexico, left, where she is completing a post-baccalaureate physics program at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The dynamics of the neural activity of a mouse brain behave in a peculiar, unexpected way that can be theoretically modeled without any fine tuning, suggests a new paper by physicists at Emory University. Physical Review Letters published the research, which adds to the evidence that theoretical physics frameworks may aid in the understanding of large-scale brain activity. Our theoretical model agrees with previous experimental work on the brains of mice to a few percent accuracy a degree which is highly unusual for living systems, says Ilya Nemenman, Emory professor of physics and biology and senior author of the paper. The first author is Mia Morrell, who did the research for her honors thesis as an Emory senior majoring in physics. She graduated from Emory last year and is now in a post-baccalaureate physics program at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. One of the wonderful things about our model is that its simple, says Morrell, who will start a Ph.D. program in physics at New York University in the fall. A brain is really complex. So to distill neural activity to a simple model and find that the model can make predictions that so closely match experimental data is exciting. The new model may have applications for studying and predicting a range of dynamical systems that have many components and have varying inputs over time, from the neural activity of a brain to the trading activity of a stock market. Co-author of the paper is Audrey Sederberg, a former post-doctoral fellow in Nemenmans group, who is now on the faculty at the University of Minnesota. The work is based on a physics concept known as critical phenomena, used to explain phase transitions in physical systems, such as water changing from liquid to a gas. In liquid form, water molecules are strongly correlated to one another. In a solid, they are locked into a predictable pattern of identical crystals. In a gas phase, however, every molecule is moving about on its own. At what is known as a critical point for a liquid, you cannot distinguish whether the material is liquid or vapor, Nemenman explains. The material is neither perfectly ordered nor disordered. Its neither totally predictable nor totally unpredictable. A system at this just right Goldilocks spot is said to be critical. Very high temperature and pressure generate this critical point for water. And the structure of critical points is the same in many seemingly unrelated systems. For example, water transitioning into a gas and a magnet losing its magnetism as it is heated up are described by the same critical point, so the properties of these two transitions are similar. In order to actually observe a material at a critical point to study its structure, physicists must tightly control experiments, adjusting the parameters to within an extraordinarily precise range, a process known as fine-tuning. In recent decades, some scientists began thinking about the human brain as a critical system. Experiments suggest that brain activity lies in a Goldilocks spot right at a critical transition point between perfect order and disorder. The neurons of the brain dont function just as one big unit, like an army marching together, but they are also not behaving like a crowd of people running in all different directions, Nemenman says. The hypothesis is that, as you increase the effective distance between neurons, the correlations between their activity are going to fall, but they will not fall to zero. The entire brain is coupled, acting like a big, interdependent machine, even while individual neurons vary in their activity. Researchers began searching for actual signals of critical phenomena within brains. They explored a key question: What fine tunes the brain to reach criticality? In 2019, a team at Princeton University recorded neurons in the brain of a mouse as it was running in a virtual maze. They applied theoretical physics tools developed for non-living systems to the neural activity data from the mouse brain. Their results suggested that the neural activity exhibits critical correlations, allowing predictions about how different parts of the brain will correlate with one another over time and over effective distances within the brain. For the current paper, the Emory researchers wanted to test whether fine-tuning of particular parameters were necessary for the observation of criticality in the mouse brain experiments, or whether the critical correlations in the brain could be achieved simply through the process of it receiving external stimuli. The idea came from previous work that Nemenmans group collaborated on, explaining how biological systems can exhibit Zipfs law a unique pattern of activity found in disparate systems. We previously created a model that showed Zipfs law in a biological system, and that model did not require fine tuning, Nemenman says. Zipfs law is a particular form of criticality. For this paper, we wanted to make that model a bit more complicated, to see if could predict the specific critical correlations observed in the mouse experiments. The models key ingredient is a set of a few hidden variables that modulate how likely individual neurons are to be active. Morrell wrote the computer code to run simulations and test the model on her home desktop computer. The biggest challenge was to write the code in a way that would allow it to run fast even when simulating a large system with limited computer memory without a huge server, she says. The model was able to closely reproduce the experimental results in the simulations. The model does not require the careful tuning of parameters, generating activity that is apparently critical by any measure over a wide range of parameter choices. Our findings suggest that, if you do not view a brain as existing on its own, but you view it as a system receiving stimuli from the external world, then you can have critical behavior with no need for fine tuning, Nemenman says. It raises the question of whether something similar could apply to non-living physical systems. It makes us re-think the very notion of criticality, which is a fundamental concept in physics. The computer code for the model is now available online, so that anyone with a laptop computer can access it and run the code to simulate a dynamic system with varying inputs over time. The model we developed may apply beyond neuroscience, to any system in which widespread coupling to hidden variables is extant, Nemenman says. Data from many biological or social systems are likely to appear critical via the same mechanism, without fine-tuning. The current paper was partially supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU) ("World Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter agreement dated April 13, 2021 (the "Letter Agreement") with Cardero Resource Corp. (TSXV: CDU) ("Cardero"), whereby the Company has agreed to acquire 100% of Cardero's Zonia copper oxide project located in central Arizona ("Zonia") by way of business combination between the Company and Cardero (the "Proposed Transaction"). Under the terms of the Proposed Transaction and subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company would acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Cardero in consideration of the issuance of common shares of the Company (the "WCU Shares") to the shareholders of Cardero, such that upon the completion of the Proposed Transaction the number of WCU Shares held by former shareholders of Cardero, on a non-diluted basis, will be 40% of the then issued and outstanding WCU Shares with the remaining 60% held by the existing shareholders of World Copper (the "Exchange Ratio"). The Proposed Transaction involves a Non-Arm's Length Party (as defined in TSXV Policies) insofar as Hendrik van Alphen, the CEO and a director of the Company, is also a director of Cardero. World Copper CEO, Hendrik van Alphen, stated, "We are building a major player in the copper industry, and the acquisition of Zonia is a large step on that path. World Copper has a fantastic stable of assets in Escalones and Cristal, but to make our pipeline more complete, we have targeted Zonia, a late-stage development project that gives the Company a potentially shorter time-line to production. Copper prices have been buoyant and the global drive to electrification is set to make copper demand and prices robust for a long time. Therefore, the sooner we can generate cash flow in this dynamic, the better served shareholders will be. Our intent is to push forward with permitting, engineering and planning in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Arizona, USA to get Zonia up and running soon. We expect this will help to shift development financing of our Chilean assets from external to internal sources of capital, thereby mitigating future shareholder dilution and building long-term value. The team at World Copper is very excited about this acquisition and I look forward to providing future updates." About Zonia Zonia is located in the Walnut Grove Mining District, Yavapai County, Arizona, and consists of 261 patented (96) and unpatented (185) mineral claims, and 566.85 acres of surface rights acquired from the State of Arizona, all totaling 4,279.55 acres. Zonia is a near-surface, copper-oxide resource and a brownfields site having already been mined in the late 1960s and '70s. The project has been significantly de-risked with over 50,000 metres of drilling completed to date and with substantial amounts of detailed engineering completed. Zonia contains Measured resources of 15.6 million short tons grading 0.43% copper (129.3 million pounds of copper), Indicated resources of 61.4 million short tons grading 0.31% copper (380.6 million pounds of copper) and Inferred Resources of 27.2 million short tons grading 0.28% copper (154.6 million pounds of copper) at a 0.2% total copper cut-off grade. A preliminary economic assessment dated April 17, 2018, effective date March 22, 2018 (the "PEA") was prepared by Global Resource Engineering Ltd., which suggests that the project can be advanced utilizing low-cost open pit mining and heap leach with SX-EW processing to produce pure copper cathode (a copy of the PEA technical report is available on Cardero's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com). Zonia was pre-stripped during mining in the late 1960s and 1970s so that, as described in the PEA, the strip ratio is a low 1:1. Furthermore, GRE outlines a mine plan and development strategy entirely on private land, which significantly reduces the timeline for permitting. At a copper price of $3.00/lb, Zonia shows an after-tax NPV@6% of $225 million, and an IRR of 29.0%. The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and, as such, there is no certainty that the PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability as there is no certainty that all or any part of the resources will be converted into reserves. In addition to the established resource, the Zonia land position contains a copper-molybdenum geochemical anomaly (associated with depressed manganese values) that is similar in intensity and scale (1000 by 1500 metres) to the main resource, and within the same prospective geology. This anomaly is located two kilometers northeast of the resource and represents a high-priority copper-oxide porphyry exploration drill target. Summary of the Transaction It is currently anticipated that the Proposed Transaction will be completed by way of a plan of arrangement, however, the structure of the Proposed Transaction remains subject to negotiations between the parties and may be altered for tax, corporate, securities or regulatory reasons. The parties have agreed to negotiate in good faith a formal definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") which will contain representations, warranties and conditions of each party customary in transactions of this nature. Under the terms of the Letter Agreement, the parties have agreed to the following principal terms for the Proposed Transaction: all outstanding warrants of Cardero not exercised by the holders thereof prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction will be exercisable into WCU Shares in accordance with and subject to adjustment (as to number and exercise price) using the Exchange Ratio, the Consolidation (as defined below) and the rules of the TSXV; Cardero will have the right to appoint two members to the board of directors of the resulting entity; World Copper will assume certain debts of Cardero consisting of (i) approximately $2,329,163 in loans owed to a controlling shareholder of Cardero and/or entities related to it (collectively, the " Creditor Entities "), including interest accruing at 12% per annum; and (ii) approximately $1,019,836 in outstanding dividends on preferred shares in the capital of Cardero, formerly held by the Creditor Entities; and concurrently with the closing of the Proposed Transaction (or prior to the first anniversary thereof), World Copper will conduct a financing or financings, the aggregate gross proceeds of which, when combined with the gross proceeds from the exercise of certain warrants to be issued to the Creditor Entities in connection with the Proposed Transaction, shall be at least $10,000,000 (the "Private Placement"), on the terms and at such price as World Copper may determine. The net proceeds from the Private Placement are expected to be used in connection with drilling programs on the Company's Escalones and Cristal projects, the details of which will follow in a subsequent news release, and for general working capital purposes. Completion of the Proposed Transaction will be subject to the satisfaction of various conditions precedent, including: (i) the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, authorizations and consents, including acceptance for filing of the Proposed Transaction by the TSXV; (ii) receipt of all necessary corporate and shareholder approvals by the parties; and (iii) there being no material adverse change in the business or operations of any of the parties from the execution of the Letter Agreement by the parties until the closing of the Proposed Transaction. Subject to applicable regulatory and TSXV acceptance, the Company may pay finder's fees to certain finders in an amount to be agreed to by the parties. A subsequent news release will be disseminated when additional details regarding the Proposed Transaction are available. Consolidation In connection with the Proposed Transaction, the Company also announces that it intends to consolidate its issued and outstanding WCU Shares (the "Consolidation") in an amount of one (1) post-Consolidation WCU Share for every three (3) pre-Consolidation WCU Shares. Further details about the Consolidation, including the anticipated trading date for the post-Consolidation WCU Shares and new CUSIP and ISIN numbers, will be announced in a subsequent news release. The Company believes that the Consolidation will provide the Company with greater flexibility for the continued development of its business and the growth of the Company, including possible financing arrangements. Additional Information Additional information about the Company or Cardero is available under their respective SEDAR profile available at www.sedar.com. Qualified Person John Drobe, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Drobe is not independent of the Company as he is a consultant of World Copper. ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD. World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused the exploration and development of its two primary copper porphyry projects, Escalones and Cristal, both located in Chile. World Copper has laid claim to five copper porphyry targets, one with estimated resources, significant soluble copper mineralization, and exciting potential to expand the resource base. Escalones has estimated resources of 185 million tonnes of 0.33% copper (0.37% CuEq) Indicated and 254 million tonnes of 0.39% copper (0.43% CuEq) Inferred, based on nearly 25,000m of drill core from 53 holes. In addition, three significant hydrothermal alteration zones, each measuring between 2,000m and 3,000m in diameter, lie 8-10km to the north of the main discovery. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability as there is no certainty that all or any part of the resources will be converted into reserves. Inferred resources are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. It is reasonably expected that the inferred resources could be upgraded to indicated resources with continued exploration. The World Copper team has a unique skill in navigating the mining sector within Chile, with some members having worked in the country for more than 40 years and with discovery success. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of WORLD COPPER LTD. "Hendrik van Alphen" Hendrik van Alphen Chief Executive Officer For further information, or to schedule a Zoom meeting with Management, please contact: Henk van Alphen or Michael Pound Phone: 604-638-3665 E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldCopperLtd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldCopperLtd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldcopperltd Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, the Company's expectation that it and Cardero will be able to complete the Proposed Transaction, including entering into a Definitive Agreement, the closing and amount of the Private Placement, that Zonia can be advanced utilizing low-cost open pit mining and heap leach, the results of the PEA, including, without limitation the NPV6%, IRR, estimated costs, average rate of production, the anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the timing for the closing of the Proposed Transaction and the expected drilling programs at Escalones and Cristal, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that it will be able to negotiate and enter into a Definitive Agreement, and that it will obtain TSXV acceptance and the required corporate approvals of the Proposed Transaction and the Consolidation, that there will be investor interest in the Private Placement, market fundamentals will result in sustained copper and precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Company's projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of such projects and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, requirements for additional capital, actual results of exploration activities, including on Escalones and Cristal, the reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the results of the PEA for Zonia, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in the Private Placement, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals (including acceptance of the Proposed Transaction, the Private Placement and the Consolidation by the TSXV), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as the risk factors described in the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and in other filings made by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80905 The Maharashtra cabinet favours a "strict lockdown" and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is likely to make an announcement in this regard on Wednesday, a senior minister said here. Public Works Minister Eknath Shinde and Health Minister Rajesh Tope also informed that the cabinet decided to cancel std 10th exam of the state board. Maharashtra has been reporting over 50,000 cases every day in the last two weeks but people are flouting the existing restrictions on movement and gatherings, the ministers said after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. "All the cabinet ministers expressed views in favour of a strict lockdown to minimise the spread of COVID-19. Ministers come from all corners of the state, so it also indicates that the entire state needs this measure," Tope said. "Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray could make an official announcement about more stringent measures tomorrow," Tope added. The cabinet also decided that std 10th exam of the state board be cancelled, he said. The immigration office in downtown Seoul / Korea Times file By Jon Dunbar Many foreign business owners are facing an abrupt end to their entrepreneurial careers, as sudden changes in how immigration offices are handling the F-2-7 visa are causing chaos. Foreign business owners have been getting turned away at immigration offices when going in to renew their F-2-7 visas. Some have reported being told that they never should have been allowed to register their businesses in the first place, and have even been threatened retroactively with fines for activities that are supposedly now illegal. However, there was no announcement of any such changes, nor has there been any grace period to allow long-term foreign residents the time to find alternative solutions to save their businesses, according to Jang Man-ik, a licensed immigration specialist who runs the visa consulting agency, Visa in Korea . "It is harsh to retroactively eliminate benefits for foreigners who already have F-2-7 visas," he told The Korea Times. "There is no information about the changes. Even though visa policy has changed, there has been no grace period. Immigration had already accepted their businesses until last year, but they didn't reveal publicly how and when these rules changed." The F-2-7 is a point-based, long-term residence visa, valid for five years. Applicants must live in Korea for three years prior to receiving the visa, as well as score enough points through requirements based on yearly income, age, education level and Korean language ability, among others. Until recently, F-2-7 visa holders wishing to start a business only had to register it through their local tax office. This rule went into effect on June 1, 2016, opening the door to foreigners starting businesses on F-2-7 visas without a major lump sum of capital. But after the visa rules were changed last Dec. 1, immigration officers have been refusing to recognize foreign-owned businesses in the F-2-7 renewal process, even though they had last year while tax offices are reportedly continuing to do so. An F-2-7 holder, who wanted to be identified only as Ms. M, said that she applied for the visa almost five years ago in order to start her company, which promotes traditional Korean products. "We registered the business in 2016 and have since had name changes and new business registrations without any problems," she told The Korea Times. "In fact, putting the work in to get the F-2-7 by completing the Korean Immigration Integration Program (KIIP) was entirely for the purpose of registering a business independently. It took a year just to complete the courses and tests required in order to qualify, so of course we crossed our T's and dotted our I's, with consultations at the Seoul Global Business Center, consultations concerning tax accounting, business community seminars, and classes. Not once did we consider that our business could one day be in jeopardy due to sudden rule changes." The new visa rules introduced last December place higher emphasis on annual income over social integration programs like the KIIP. But as immigration officers have suddenly been refusing to recognize the visa holders' businesses, the incomes derived from their businesses are now not counted toward their visa points. So the affected business owners receive two hits at once: their visas no longer allow them to operate their businesses, and without their business activities, they are unlikely to qualify for the renewal of their visas. This situation constitutes a major problem for full-time business owners, whose primary occupation is their business, and has "called into question whether small businesses can even continue to operate in Korea," according to Ms. M. "The point system has fundamentally been changed to favor income rather than social integration, and F-2-7 holders attempting to renew are suddenly being told they are not legally able to operate a business license, despite having legal issuance from the tax office," she added. "The original point system category was clearly designed for those who wanted to integrate into Korean society and make meaningful contributions to their communities here. The highest points were allocated to language ability, the KIIP, volunteer work and higher education in Korea. Now the points are unapologetically about income, age and potential earning power," she explained. Under the changed way that the rules are being implemented, F-2-7 visa holders who own businesses face the closure of their businesses, and if they are also unable to renew their visas, they will drop to entry-level D-10-1 jobseeking visas. Jang Man-ik, immigration consultant / Courtesy of Visa in Korea A father repeatedly bashed and strangled his ex-girlfriend while she was breastfeeding their newborn son - then dragged her and the baby under a shower. Albany Magistrates Court heard that Dion James Cummings, 41, viciously assaulted his ex-partner while she nursed the infant at her home at Yakamia, in Western Australia, on August 10, 2020, in front of her four children. Her 10-year-old son told police he woke up to see Cummings punching her, 'a lot - about 10, 20, 30 times.' Dion James Cummings subjected his ex-partner to a horrific sustained assault - while she was breastfeeding and in front of her four young children As the woman, 35, gave video evidence to the court from a victim support room, Cummings angrily erupted and directed a stream of abuse at her, including s*** and c***. He shouted out 'I just want this over with' and demanded his plea be changed to guilty. The 10-year-old boy also appeared by video link and was cross-examined by his defence lawyer. The Western Australian Police prosecutor Sargeant Alan Dean told the court Cummings and the woman were drinking together but he became abusive and then violent after midnight while she was breastfeeding their six-week-old son. 'He walked over to where the victim was breastfeeding her baby, grabbed her by the hair and started punching her all over the head and face,' Sgt Dean said. Cummings then dragged her 'by the hair' while punching her, to the bathroom - while she clung onto the baby. He then forced them into the shower, turning cold water on them. Cummings caused an uproar in court while his ex-partner spoke to the court by videolink - demanding that his plea be changed to guilty Sgt Dean said Cummings then dragged her out of the shower and when he could not separate mother from baby, he began to strange her. 'The victim managed to escape from the accused and ran with the baby to the toilet, where she locked herself in, smashed the window and screamed for help,' Sgt Dean said. Cummings remains in custody and appears in court for sentencing on May 14. A primary school teacher who instructed students to make anti-police posters in which officers were called 'pigs' should be sacked, NSW Police Minister David Elliott said. Students in Years 5 and 6 at Lindfield Learning Village on Sydney's north shore made placards with the words 'stop killer cops' and 'pigs out of the country', slogans which have featured in the Black Lives Matter movement in the US. Others read: 'white lives matter too much' and 'you can't silence the speechLess'. A furious Mr Elliot called for the teacher involved to be stood down for demonising brave police officers. One of the offensive posters made by the students read 'stop killer cops' 'The headmistress should be fronting the media today to explain why taxpayers' dollars are being spent to educate children in this manner,' he told 2GB radio on Wednesday morning. 'They have completely let their student body down by indoctrinating and brainwashing them,' he added. 'We are supposed to be telling our kids that if you wear a uniform you're a hero and teaching these kids the history of Australia is one of tolerance and sacrifice and courage and then we get this crap stuck to us. 'If my kid was at this school I'd want my money back and I'd be getting my kid out of there.' Mr Elliott apologised to the parents of police officers. 'We don't think that your children are pigs, we think your children are fantastic,' he said. This was another of the posters made by the students at Lindfield Learning Village in Sydney's north 'Police haven't done anything wrong, they are the pillar of our society. This sort of mentality has no place in Australia.' Host Ben Fordham said the teacher should be sacked and Mr Elliot said: 'That's right.' Mr Elliot later spoke about the incident on Nine's Today show where he slammed 'ideologues that work in the education department'. 'Children don't need the police built up as some sort of bogey man which is what we're seeing with this indoctrination,' he said. Images of the posters were shared on social media and featured in the Daily Telegraph, which broke the story on Tuesday night. Education Minister Sarah Mitchell told the newspaper she would launch a review to find out how this happened. 'These posters should not be displayed in a classroom. Any teacher found to be politicising a classroom will face disciplinary action. 'Political activism has no place in a school,' she said. Radio host Ben Fordham said the teacher should be sacked and Police Minister David Elliott said: 'That's right'. Pictured: One of the posters Black Lives Matter is a movement founded in the US in 2013 to protest about some high-profile incidents of black men being killed by police. It came back to prominence after George Floyd was killed by a police officer who in Minneapolis, Minnesota last year. That officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on Wednesday morning Australian time of murdering Mr Floyd by leaning on his neck for nine and a half minutes on May 25. The BLM movement spread to Australia where Indigenous rights activists held marches in major cities last winter. One Nation's NSW Legislative Council MP Mark Latham backed calls for the teacher to be sacked, and said the principal should also be dismissed. 'For a student to be saying 'white lives matter too much' and for the teacher to display it in the classroom is appalling,' Mr Latham said. 'It is not education it is indoctrination, theyre polluting the minds of little kids. It is not humanity, it is not compassion, it is a warped mutant ideology shoved down the throats of little kids.' Derek Chauvin was handcuffed and led away on Tuesday to be held in jail before sentencing Lindfield Learning Village was established in 2019, with children not required to wear uniforms, and with no structured lessons or classrooms but instead using open-learning spaces. The Learning Village said its education model was based on 'three archetypal learning spaces the campfire, cave, and watering hole that schools can use as physical spaces and virtual spaces for student learning. 'Our approach is designed to create independent, resilient learners who possess the learning dispositions required for success in their life within and beyond school.' Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nine and a half minutes on May 25 outside Cup Foods The school's stated 'Code of Collaboration' vows to 'listen actively and challenge each other's ideas to help them grow'. 'We will notice what is not being said and enable all voices,' the code reads. The controversy came just a month after the school held Harmony Day 2021 in which students and staff were encouraged to wear orange or 'cultural dress' and to make donations to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's Feast for Freedom. CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- April 19 began eligibility for people 16 and older to get the Pfizer vaccine. Moderna is still only available for people 18 and older in Oregon. Jackson and Josephine County Public Health continue to urge people to get vaccinated. Major COVID-19 vaccine providers are still conducting research on whether or not is safe for age groups under 16. According to Harvard health, children can develop COVID-19. Many of them having no symptoms. Those who do get sick tend to experience milder symptoms such as low-grade fever, fatigue, and cough. Some children have had severe complications, but this has been less common. If you are 16 or older in Oregon you can make appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine at the Jackson County Vaccination Equity Center. Walk-through Moderna's vaccines are available for those 18 and older. If you cannot schedule an appointment public health is taking walk-ups for people who do not have an appointment. The drive-through Pfizer site at the the expo will open Wednesday, April 21. OTTAWA, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Cancer Society is pleased to see several important measures introduced in today's federal budget that will help to prevent cancer and support those living with the disease. The 2021 Federal budget delivers a much-needed extension of the Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefit to support people facing the financial burden that comes with a cancer diagnosis. The budget also includes significant tobacco control measures through a tobacco tax increase and an e-cigarette tax, as well as significant funding for palliative care and pediatric cancer research. For the hundreds of thousands of Canadians living with cancer, financial burden and illness are a day-to-day reality. The issue has only been heightened as a result of COVID-19 and supports for those with cancer have never been needed more. "Extending the EI sickness benefit is a strong start and will have a major impact on the lives of those living with cancer," says Kelly Masotti, Vice President of Advocacy at the Canadian Cancer Society. "We commend the government for making this important investment so no one is forced to choose between a paycheque and cancer treatment." The average length of treatment for people with breast and colon cancertwo of the most commonly diagnosed cancers for Canadiansranges between 26 and 37 weeks. Currently, a caregiver receives more time off (26 weeks) under the Compassionate Care Benefit to care for someone with cancer than the person with cancer receives themselves. Today's announcement is the first time the EI sickness benefit has been updated since it was introduced in the early 1970s. Extending the length of the EI sickness benefit has now brought it into alignment with the amount of paid time off given to caregivers through the compassionate care benefit. CCS has long advocated for an extension of the EI sickness benefit to ensure people living with cancer have more paid time off work to heal and recover from their treatment. Results from a 2021 Ipsos poll show strong support from Canadians: 88% support an extension to at least 26 weeks while 84% support an extension to 50 weeks. CCS will continue to work with the government and all parties to build on this historic investment so that even more people can access the financial supports they need to thrive through their diagnosis and treatment. Major gains in tobacco control The Canadian Cancer Society also commends the significant measures for cancer prevention and tobacco control in this budget. Measures committed to in Budget 2021 include an increase in tobacco taxes of $4.00 per carton of 200 cigarettes and implementation of a tax on e-cigarettes. "Higher tobacco taxes are the most effective strategy to reduce youth smoking," says Masotti. "Most smokers began to smoke as teenagers, which is why it is crucial to prevent youth from ever starting to smoke. The tobacco tax increase in the budget will have an important health impact. CCS is pleased with the government's intention to introduce a new tax for e-cigarettes. "A federal tax on e-cigarettes is essential to reduce youth vaping, which has increased dramatically," adds Masotti. "We have made such progress at reducing youth smoking. We do not want to see a new generation of youth becoming addicted to nicotine, but unfortunately that is exactly what is in process of happening." In just four years, youth vaping in Canada has more than tripled. Data from the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey found that for students in grades 10-12, vaping increased from 9% in the 2014-15 school year, to 15% in 2016-17 to 29% in 2018-19. The Canadian Cancer Society has for several years advocated for stronger e-cigarette measures as a means to protect youth and benefit public health. The new federal e-cigarette tax builds on recent federal regulations restricting e-cigarette advertising, draft regulations to set a maximum nicotine level in e-cigarettes, and regulations being developed to restrict e-cigarette flavours. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada, killing 45,000 Canadians annually, including about 30% of all cancer deaths. Based on 2019 data, there are still 4.7 million Canadians who smoke, representing 15% of the population aged 12+. An enormous amount of work needs to be done to reduce youth smoking and vaping and to achieve the objective of under 5% of Canadians using tobacco by 2035. Much needed investments in palliative care CCS is pleased with the government's announcement to provide nearly $30 million over six years to advance the palliative care strategy. The investment is intended to provide Canadians with better palliative and end-of-life care, including culturally sensitive care. CCS has long advocated for better access to affordable, high-quality palliative care, regardless of where they live and where they choose to receive care. "All Canadians should have access to the best care for them throughout their cancer journey and we look forward to working with the government on the advancement of the palliative care strategy," says Masotti. We are pleased to see additional investments to fund pediatric cancer research. Research to date has led to new and more effective treatments for childhood cancers and additional research funding will continue to support an increase in the number of children who survive into adulthood. About the Canadian Cancer Society The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) is the only national charity that supports Canadians with all cancers in communities across the country. No other organization does what we do; we are the voice for Canadians who care about cancer. We fund groundbreaking research, provide a support system for all those affected by cancer and shape health policies to prevent cancer and support those living with the disease. Help us make a difference. Call 1-888-939-3333 or visit cancer.ca today. SOURCE Canadian Cancer Society (National Office) For further information: Nuala McKee, Manager, Advocacy Communications, Canadian Cancer Society, 416-219-7281, [email protected] Related Links https://www.cancer.ca During the uprisings last summer, during the summer of 2020, people took to the streets to protest police racism, corruption, violence, and we all know that CPD officers responded with racism, corruption and violence, Bedi said. And last Friday during the peaceful protests that occurred, we saw clear indications that CPD plans to respond to protests that arise out of the tragic death of Adam Toledo and the George Floyd verdict with the same violence and racism. Bidar : , April 20 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) first MLA in south India, Syed Zulfiqar Hashmi from Bidar, died on Tuesday morning in Hyderabad due to renal failure, family sources said here. The family informed that he had been undergoing dialysis for the past four months and was admitted to Asara Hospital in Hyderabad two days ago due to deteriorating health. "He died without responding to the treatment at the hospital," afamily member told reporters. His Facebook page confirmed that his funeral will be held on his farm in Ashtur in Bidar. Elected from the Bidar constituency in 1994 on the BSP ticket, he was the first MLA from the party in southern India. Hashmi's last political message was given on April 16 on his Facebook page, in which he appealed to Muslim voters in Basvakalyan to vote in favour of Janata Dal-S candidate, Syed Yasrub Quadri, in the bypoll. In his appeal, he said that he was very good friend of B. Narayan Rao, Congress MLA who succumbed to Covid September 2020, due to which bypolls in Basvakalyana was necessitated. "Rao was a staunch follower of Ambedkarite-Phule ideology and with his help I had won my MLA election from Bidar in 1994 and I reciprocated to him. Besdies, he was never against promoting Muslim leadership at the grassroot level. But, now am not sure, whether the same will be followed by his family members. Therefore, I am supporting Quadri, though, he has not approached me," he wrote. Hashmi is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters. London: Coronavirus cases could be stopped in their tracks by take-at-home pills the British government plans to develop and distribute within six months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the search for new antiviral medication would revolutionise how COVID-19 is treated should the disease permanently circulate similar to the seasonal flu. The British government wants to support the creation of at least two antiviral pills. Johnson said a new taskforce would drive the development of at least two new pills or capsules by the onset of autumn in September. This means that if you test positive, there might be a tablet you can take at home to stop the virus in its tracks and significantly reduce the chance of infection turning into more severe disease, he said. Rental car prices in Hawaii and other major tourist destinations have reached astronomical heights in recent weeks. As more and more tourists from the U.S. mainland flock to Hawaii, the rare domestic destination that has the allure of a tropical beach vacation with relatively low COVID-19 infection rates, rental car prices in the state have spiked. Theyve gotten so high that authorities are investigating, according to a recent story by travel news site TravelPulse. The Hawaii Tribune Herald cited prices as high as $500 a day for the only available models, while other companies were completely sold out, with no available cars at all. For those with a cool $1000 (per day) burning a hole in their pockets, there might be a BMW convertible available. But for most Hawaii travelers, cars are both hard to come by and wildly expensive sometimes more than the cost of airfare or accommodations. A recent CNN story points to one potential cause: Rental car companies were hard hit by the pandemic and many had to sell off a significant chunk of their fleet. During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, many of the large rental car companies either parked cars or rented them at very low rates in order to weather the protracted downturn in tourism and business travel. They also ditched their inventory. wallix/Getty Images/iStockphoto The industry sold off more than a half a million cars, about a third of their combined fleets, just to generate cash they needed to survive the crisis, the CNN report said. Now that travel has returned to many popular destinations, there is a shortage of vehicles. But Stephen Levins, executive director for Hawaiis Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, isnt convinced the issue is as simple as supply and demand. When we do an analysis on this, just because there is a diminished supply doesnt necessarily mean that a company is justified in increasing the cost, Levins told Travel Pulse. Now that peak spring break travel is winding down, some markets are a bit more affordable than earlier in the month, when people were flocking to places like Maui, Miami and Los Angeles. But booking site Kayak still reports unusually high demand for this upcoming weekend in Miami (555% above normal) and a whopping 1,287% above normal in Maui, where the cheapest available car for this weekend is a Ford Fusion for $323 a day. Travel industry experts are advising travelers to plan ahead and book well in advance, especially in places like Hawaii, where it will take some time for car supply to catch up with the states popularity as a pandemic-era escape. Appointment 20 April 2021 Montara Hospitality Group, the Bangkok-based developer behind the award-winning luxury resort destination Trisara and Michelin-starred PRU, is developing Tri Vananda, a comprehensive health and wellness residential community in Phuket, Thailand, to be completed in 2023. Montara is investing over THB 6.6 billion (USD 220 million) in Tri Vananda, envisioned to become Asia's largest and most comprehensive wellness residential community. Dr. Stephen Barrie will join Montara Hospitality's executive board to help develop a holistic suite of world-class integrative health and wellbeing programs for Tri Vananda.Montara Hospitalityhad also tapped spa and wellness industry authority Susan Harmsworth, who sits on the Advisory Board of the Global Wellness Summit and the Global Wellness Institute. Lending their expertise to the designs of the residential community and resort are three celebrated Thai firms: Habita Architects, P49 Deesign, and Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect. Furthermore, the interior design of the Community House scheduled to launch in July 2021 has been completed by globally renowned hospitality design firm AvroKO. Dr. Barrie brings a wealth of expertise in the area of functional medicine to Montara. He is an internationally recognized physician, clinical medical researcher, lecturer, inventor, author and entrepreneur. For the past three years he has served as an executive at Viome - an artificial intelligence healthcare company developing diagnostics and therapeutics for chronic disease, based on the body's expression of mRNA. Dr. Barrie is the founder and former CEO and Chairman of Genova Diagnostics, the world's largest functional medicine clinical reference laboratory for physicians, which he started in 1986 to advance natural medicine and the scientific research of integrative and anti-aging medicine around the world. Dr. Barrie is also a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling author of several health books, including 7-Day Detox Miracle, Energize Your Life, and numerous scientific articles which have appeared in major medical journals including The Lancet, Agents and Actions, and Medical Hypothesis. Johnny Mercer launched a blistering attack on Boris Johnson last night after he was dramatically sacked by text message as veterans minister. The former Army officer had been threatening to resign over the failure to prevent elderly veterans being dragged through the courts in Northern Ireland. In a sensational open letter to the Prime Minister released last night, Mr Mercer tore into his record on issues affecting the veteran community. He claimed that former troops were being sectioned, drinking themselves to death and dying before their time because the Government could not find the moral courage to stop appalling injustices. He referred to Mr Johnsons Veterans Pledge which he signed in 2019 when he was running to be Prime Minister and accused him of abandoning troops. Johnny Mercer, pictured, has resigned this evening from Government in a row over the treatment of veterans accused of crimes in Northern Ireland Mr Mercer, who served multiple tours of Afghanistan as a Commando Engineer, told the PM: I had hoped your premiership would signal a step change in veteran affairs in the UK. 'While we continue to say all the right things, you will understand that if we fail to match that with what we deliver we risk damaging an already bruised veterans cohort further as I told you last month in our first face to face meeting, we crossed that line some time ago. He went on: Perhaps nothing embodies this more than what we are asking our veterans in their 70s and 80s to relive, through endless reinvestigations and inquests, into events often more than 50 years ago in Northern Ireland. We have abandoned our people in a way I simply cannot reconcile. Whilst endless plans are promised and solutions mused, veterans are being sectioned, drinking themselves to death and dying before their time because the UK Government cannot find the moral strength or courage we asked of them in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, in finding a political solution to stop these appalling injustices. Mr Mercer published his resignation letter which revealed he was 'forced' to leave Government Mr Mercer said he will lobby on behalf of Northern Ireland veterans in Parliament, having said he made promises to those troops in Mr Johnson's name Mr Mercer concluded: I made promises on your behalf to protect them. No discernible efforts have been made to do so and I can see no prospect of this changing. He will now return to the backbenches just as the Overseas Operations Bill, which he championed, returns to the Commons today after being defeated in the House of Lords. Yesterday, before he was sacked, the Government watered down the controversial Bill, dropping plans which would have made it harder to prosecute soldiers for historic war crimes. 10 Downing Street claimed Mr Mercer resigned, but the former veterans minister said he was 'relieved of my responsibilities in Government Mr Mercers sacking comes just days before two elderly Parachute Regiment veterans face a murder trial in Northern Ireland. Last night, former Life Guards soldier Dennis Hutchings, 79, who faces trial over a separate shooting incident, said: Here we have two lads being taken to court 50 years after the event. Its all political. 'As far as Im concerned, most of our politicians are spineless. I think its absolutely brilliant that Mr Mercer was prepared to stand up on this issue. The Prime Minister hasnt done a bloody thing to enact his promise to help Northern Ireland veterans. The big problem is the Northern Ireland Office and their need to appease Sinn Fein. Mr Hutchings added: Its good to see a politician with principles who is prepared to stand up and show other politicians what they should have been doing. This Government has done what Blair did. He sold us out to get peace with Sinn Fein. Mr Mercer entered Government as veterans minister in 2019. Last night a Downing Street spokesman said: The Prime Minister has accepted the resignation of Johnny Mercer. He thanks him for his service. Darrin and Paula Lewis of Superior Lumber & Hardware are seen outside the store in Superior, Arizona, (Photo : REUTERS/Caitlin O'Hara) Early last year, Darrin Lewis paid $800,000 for a hardware store in a tiny Arizona town where mining giant Rio Tinto Plc hopes to build one of the world's largest underground copper mines. Rio buys materials from Lewis's Superior Hardware & Lumber for its Resolution mine site, accounting for a third of the store's sales and helping to keep it afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement But U.S. President Joe Biden put the mining project on hold last month in response to the concerns of Native Americans who say it will destroy sacred land and of environmentalists who worry it will gobble up water in a drought-stricken state. That's fueled anxiety among Lewis and others here in Superior, Arizona, who want to reap the economic benefits of a mine that would harvest more than 40 billion pounds of copper. "I sunk everything I have into this place," said Lewis, surrounded by hammer drills, wrenches and other goods in his store. "It would absolutely devastate us if this mine doesn't open." In halting the project, Biden reversed a decision by predecessor Donald Trump that would have given Rio land for the mine. Biden ordered more government analysis of the project. The ongoing fight pits conservationists and Native Americans against local officials and residents who support its economic benefits. The complex debate is a harbinger of battles to come as the U.S. aims to build more electric vehicles, which use twice as much copper as those with internal combustion engines. The Resolution mine could fill about 25% of the demand for U.S. cooper. The Arizona dispute centers on Oak Flat Campground, which some Apache consider home to deities known as Ga'an. Religious ceremonies are held at the site, near the San Carlos Apache Reservation, to celebrate teenage girls coming of age. Many Apache have ancestors buried under the volcanic rock. In 2014, the Obama administration and Congress set in motion a complex process intended to give Rio 3,000 acres of federally-owned land, including the campground, in exchange for 4,500 acres that Rio owns nearby. Biden has paused that transfer. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. "If Rio gets this place, then the mine will kill the angels and the deities that live here," said Wendsler Nosie, a San Carlos Apache tribe member who has led a protest camp for 18 months at the site. A sign there describes the land, known as Chi'chil Bildagoteel in the Western Apache language, as the physical embodiment of the earth's spirit. Nosie has marshaled widespread support for his cause, helped by rising global attention to the rights of indigenous peoples. Rio itself fueled that cause last year when it blew up culturally significant Aboriginal rock shelters in Australia. If the land swap is approved, Rio has said it would keep the campground open for the next few decades before the underground mine causes a crater that would swallow the site. The company has also said it would seek tribal consent for the project and study ways to avoid causing the crater. "The land exchange gives us the opportunity to collect more data, then we can refine our plans and look for ways that we can do further avoidance and minimization" of site damage, said Vicky Peacey, a senior permitting manager for the Rio project. Rio, which is based in Australia and the United Kingdom, has also promised to preserve other cultural sites including Apache Leap, a rock cliff that overlooks Superior and where Apaches jumped to their deaths to avoid capture by U.S. troops in the late 19th century. 'AMERICAN COPPER' Politicians in Superior - a town of 3,000 residents that voted nearly two-to-one for Democrat Biden last November in a majority-Republican county - are now prodding the president to change his mind. The land swap, if Biden approves, would also let the town of Superior buy more than 600 acres that officials say is crucial to diversifying the local economy by expanding the airport, developing an industrial park and building affordable housing. "President Biden is going to have to make some courageous decisions," said Mayor Mila Besich, a Democrat. Mining is essential to accomplishing Biden's goal of expanding EV production, she said. "We're going to need more American copper," she said. While the region has long been popular with hikers and campers, it is better known as the "Copper Corridor," with mines from Freeport-McMoRan Inc and others. The closure of the Magma copper mine in 1996 devastated Superior's economy. Officials have pinned their hopes now on Resolution. Since the copper deposit was first discoved in 1995, Rio and minority partner BHP Group Plc have spent more than $2 billion to dig an exploratory mine shaft and dismantle an old Magma smelter. They have yet to produce any copper. BHP declined to comment. More than half of the buildings in Superior's downtown sit empty. Several Tesla Inc charging stations hint at the town's aspirations to be part of the EV boom. Nikola Corp and Lucid Motors are building their own EV plants less than 50 miles (80 km) away. Rio has promised to hire 1,400 full-time workers at an average annual salary of more than $100,000. That's nearly half the population in a town whose median income is a third below the national average. "What's sacred to my community is that people have a job and have a home," said Besich, the mayor. The mine would boost state, local and federal tax coffers by $280 million annually and add $1 billion to the state's economy, Arizona's governor said. Besich pushed back when studies showed Rio would only pay the town $350,000 a year in taxes, far below the $1 million would need annually for increased police, firefighting and road maintenance. Rio agreed to pay the town more, to guarantee Superior's water supply and to donate $1.2 million to the school district. Superintendent Steve Estatico said without Rio's support the district's schools - where enrollment has dropped 13 percent since 2016 - may close. "Rio's had to learn over the last few years that it cannot take host communities for granted," Besich said. STALLED NEGOTIATIONS The San Carlos Apache - one of the first Native American tribes to endorse Biden's presidential bid - have not negotiated with Rio because its tribal council favors direct talks with the U.S. government, said Chairman Terry Rambler. Rio's copper chief, Bold Baatar, said he hopes to negotiate directly with the tribe when he visits Arizona as early as June, once pandemic restrictions allow. "We are hearing the concerns from everyone," Baatar told Reuters. "There will not be a mine until we achieve maximum effort to seek consent." Not all local Native Americans oppose the mine. Some members of the White Mountain Apache tribe, whose reservation is just north of the San Carlos Apache's, say they do not consider the campground a sacred site. "The belief that the site is religious, that's news to me," said Alvena Bush, a White Mountain Apache councilwoman who supports the project. WATER WORRIES Rio has dug a mine shaft nearly 7,000 feet (2 km) underground on land it owns near the campground. The bottom of the shaft has become a staging ground for future mining operations. The miner is draining water from the nearby copper deposit to make it easier to extract. More than 600 gallons of water are pumped each minute to treatment plants on the surface for use in local farming. Rio plans to mine the copper using a technique known as block caving. It involves carving a cave out of a large section of rock, which then collapses under the weight of the rock above, creating a crater 2 miles (3 km) wide and 1,000 (304 m) feet deep. This method would damage aquifers that feed two local springs, according to an environmental study from the U.S. Forest Service. The entire mine would reduce available groundwater in the area, which has been in a drought since the late 1990s, the report said. "This land is going to be worthless if there's no water to go with it," said Henry Munoz, who leads a group of retired Superior miners opposed to the project. Biden is expected to decide later this spring on whether to give Rio the land for the mine. Lewis, the hardware store owner, hopes his plight will be considered among all the competing interests. "If I had one thing to say to President Biden, it would be: 'Let the mine open,'" he said. Oil marketing companies (OMC) kept and unchanged for the fifth straight day across cities on Tuesday. In the capital, was sold for Rs 90.40 per litre. Similarly, the price of the fuel in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata also was unchanged at Rs 96.83, Rs 92.43 and Rs 90.62 per litre, respectively. In line with petrol, prices of diesel also were same for the fifth straight day. The price of diesel in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata was Rs 80.73, Rs 87.81, Rs 85.75 and Rs 83.61 per litre, respectively. have been unchanged after declining on April 15. Meanwhile, BPCL has started the supply of medical grade oxygen to hospitals at 'no cost' in the view of shortage impacting critical patients of Covid-19. The company will be supplying around 100 metric tonnes per month. "With average daily cases of Covid-19 rising again since last one month, the demand for oxygen has significantly risen," the company said in a statement. "In fact, in most parts of the country, the cases are hitting new peak, thereby disrupting the demand-supply scenario for medical oxygen." Similarly, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) also began diverting oxygen produced at their refineries to supplement the availability of medical oxygen in states worst hit by Covid-19. In a statement, IOC said it has "begun the supply of 150 tonnes of oxygen at no cost to various hospitals in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab." "The first batch of the lifesaver medical grade oxygen was dispatched today to Maha Durga Charitable Trust Hospital, New Delhi," it said. "Delhi is already facing an oxygen emergency situation." In the international market, oil prices fell amid mounting concerns that surging caseloads of coronavirus infections in India and other countries will lead to stronger measures and hit economic activity, along with demand for commodities such as crude. Brent crude was down 43 cents, or 0.6%, at $66.34 a barrel, after rising 6% last week. U.S. oil was down 42 cents, or 0.7%, at $62.71 a barrel, having gained 6.4% last week. "With ... a resurgence of virus cases in India and Japan, topside ambitions continue to run into walls of profit-taking," said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at Axi. Heriot-Watt University Dubai (HWUD) has announced the opening of its brand new campus within the Dubai Knowledge Park. The new building occupies 218,000 sq ft, which are distributed over seven floors, with eight different types of teaching spaces that have been carefully designed to deliver a myriad of learning experiences. The dedicated campus will be serving nearly 4,000 students representing 105 nationalities from around the world who have joined Heriot-Watt seeking research-informed, industry-focused British education of the highest standard in the UAE. Prof Ammar Kaka, Provost and Vice Principal at Heriot-Watt University Dubai said: "I am extremely pleased to open doors to our new campus today. The development of this campus is a testament to our continued commitment towards offering world class education and enviable infrastructure to our students." "Our new campus building has been designed keeping the future student experience in mind; we believe that the supportive environment will allow us to deliver inspiring learning, increase academic success, cutting edge research and the holistic development of our students," he stated. Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said: "In 2005, Heriot-Watt University Dubai became the first campus of an international university to open in Dubai Academic City." "Since then, Heriot-Watt University Dubai has made an invaluable contribution to higher education in Dubai, helping to transform the sector into the international study destination it is today," stated Al Karam. "Students at Heriot-Watt University Dubai benefit both from the universitys rich culture and history, and its dynamic, future-focused approach. The new campus will not only enrich students academic learning, but also the authentic experiences and memories that will last a lifetime," he added. Classrooms have been designed to be interactive. Rather than traditional lecture theatres, the new campus houses collaborative lecture theatres which offer booth-style seating to encourage small-group discussions and group challenges at appropriate points; pod rooms which are designed to offer group-based learning and the sharing of learning between teachers and peers via interconnected PCs and screens; and teaching and seminar rooms which have been designed as flexible spaces for a range of classroom learning and teaching activities. The many laboratories and workshops cover automotive, chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical, energy, robotic and structural engineering, and offer facilities for students to learn through practical application as well as through formal timetabled classes. The new campus also features the Watt Inc., a business incubator run by the Edinburgh Business School, which will develop and support founders and start-ups, as well as the Bloomberg Trading Room where students can work with a simulated market environment using actual, real-time data, and a variety of functions simulating both trading and non-trading workflows. The building also features a multipurpose venue, aptly named the Town Hall, with a cafeteria and auditorium-style seating suitable for hosting Open Days, presentations, and other interactive events.-TradeArabia News Service A group of Venezuelans arrive at Recife International Airport en route to Igarassu, in Brazil's Pernambuco state. UNHCR/Allana Ferreira Geneva More than 50,000 Venezuelans have been relocated from Brazils isolated northern state of Roraima to 675 Brazilian cities, thanks to a model national initiative. Since the relocation strategy was launched three years ago, it has helped nearly one in five Venezuelans in the country to significantly improve their quality of life. A survey carried out by UNHCR with 360 relocated Venezuelan families showed that over 77 per cent had found employment within weeks of their arrival to their destination, compared to only seven percent being employed in Roraima. As a result, the families reported that within six to eight weeks of settling in a new city, their incomes had increased. Prior to the relocation, six out of ten of those interviewed lived in temporary shelters and three percent were homeless. Four months after being relocated, none were sleeping rough. The majority were renting homes, and only five per cent were living in temporary accommodation. Moreover, after being relocated, all families had at least one child in school, compared to 65 per cent before they moved. The relocation strategy is part of Operation Welcome (Operacao Acolhida), the federal governments response to the influx of Venezuelan refugees and migrants to Brazil. It aims to reduce the pressure on vulnerable border communities where Venezuelans arrive, and foster integration by helping refugees and migrants find new job opportunities in other cities. Brazil has been steadfast in its resolve to find long-term solutions to the plight of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, despite the added challenge posed by COVID-19, said Jose Egas, the Representative in Brazil of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The internal relocation strategy has proven effective in giving displaced Venezuelans the chance for a new beginning. It constitutes a model practice, both for the region and the world. Despite COVID-19, relocations have not stopped over the last year. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 1,000 Venezuelans have been safely relocated each month. The response implemented by the Brazilian government has successfully helped tens of thousands of Venezuelans to rebuild their lives in the country with dignity, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission in Brazil, Stephane Rostiaux. We have reached an important milestone amid a pandemic which has unexpectedly disrupted the lives of many. We must continue to work together to support the most vulnerable. All those who embarked on relocation flights were screened for COVID-19, while other measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Among those who have been relocated, 47 per cent are women and girls, and 37 per cent are minors. The vast majority, 88 per cent, travelled as a family unit. Approximately 260,000 Venezuelans refugees and migrants are currently living in Brazil, according to government statistics. Voluntary relocation efforts through Operation Welcome are supported by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform (R4V) composed of 48 organizations from civil society and the United Nations, under the leadership of IOM and UNHCR. Since 2018, IOM and UNHCR have assisted with the verification of documentation, conducting pre-departure medical consultations, funding travel costs, finding adequate reception facilities for people with specific needs and funding infrastructure improvements and other programme expenses. The agencies also help refugees and migrants secure job opportunities and onward travel, when necessary. The R4V platforms Refugee and Migrant Response Plan for Brazil requires US$ 98 million to assist Venezuelans in the country, including activities related to the relocation strategy. For more information, please contact: In Brazil: Luiz Fernando Godinho Santos, UNHCR ( [email protected] ) +55 61 9 8187 0978 ) +55 61 9 8187 0978 Juliana Hack, IOM ( [email protected] ) +55 61 3771 3772 In Panama: In Geneva: Bishop Mario Dorsonville, USCCB Chairman on Migration, has called on the US government to increase the number of refugees it admits into the country in order to respond to the immense resettlement need. He stresses that every person is created in the image of God and must be valued, protected and respected for the intrinsic dignity he or she possesses. By Vatican News staff writer The US Bishops Conference Committee Chairman on Migration, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, has expressed disappointment at the low number of refugee admissions for the fiscal year in the United States. However, he also expresses appreciation for announced moves by authorities that will permit resettlement in the US for a number of persecuted refugee families who could not previously travel. On Friday, the US Government announced that it will not increase the historically low number of refugees who can be resettled in the US for this fiscal year; however, it will restore the practice of allocating refugees from every region of the world, thus opening resettlement to some who were not included in restricted categories of the previous administration. Later that same day, the Biden administration stated that it will raise the cap on the number of refugees admitted this fiscal year in mid-May. Significant resettlement need Reacting to the Governments moves, Bishop Dorsonville noted in a statement that the number of refugees who will be welcomed this year is far short of what we can do as a country and is not an adequate response to the immense resettlement need. He also reaffirmed the commitment to work with the administration, state, local officials, communities and colleagues to ensure that all of the 15,000 refugees re-affirmed as this fiscal years admission ceiling are resettled safely and as quickly as possible. We expect the Administration to recalibrate and raise this ceiling, as it stated it would do Friday evening. We further encourage the Administration to build back the program to more normal and just levels by getting to an admission goal of 125,000, he added. Appeal to government Further emphasizing that the dire circumstances confronting refugees and asylum seekers have been of particular concern for the Church, Bishop Dorsonville noted that the work of the USCCB in assisting and advocating on behalf of immigrants and refugees is rooted in the recognition that every person is created in Gods image and must be valued, protected and respected for the inherent dignity that he or she possesses. He added, Given the unprecedented number of refugee families seeking new homes after being persecuted for religious, political, and other reasons, we appreciate that the U.S. refugee admissions program will now offer previously left out refugees an opportunity to resettle in our country. At the same time, Bishop Dorsonville said, we were hopeful that the Biden Administration would increase the ceiling for refugee admissions in this fiscal year, and we are disappointed that it has not yet done so. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and his wife, Peggy, joined the ranks of over 1.6 million South Carolinians on Monday by receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. They received their Pfizer shots at a CVS Pharmacy in Columbia. In a tweet, McMaster wrote, "To those who want a shot, get your shot!" Aiken Regional Medical Centers is holding two upcoming Moderna vaccine clinics at USC Aiken. The clinics will be held between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. this Wednesday and April 28 at the university's Student Activities Center, 471 University Parkway. There will be 900 first-dose vaccines available to walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis. There are also 1,740 second doses scheduled between the two clinics, requiring an appointment. The Moderna vaccine is available to anyone over the age of 18. Attendees must bring a valid photo ID and wear a mask. As of April 19, South Carolina has received 3,775,870 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and has administered 2,759,442. A total of 47,134 Aiken County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Almost 27% of South Carolinians are fully vaccinated. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider, visit scdhec.gov/vaxlocator or call DHEC's COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line at 866-365-8110. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control confirmed seven COVID-19 cases in Aiken County on Monday, along with 518 cases and 13 deaths across the state. None of the deaths were in Aiken County. The data reported Monday is for the date of April 17. Monday's report brings the total confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in Aiken County to 12,686, with 176 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths. Aiken County also has reported a total of 4,205 probable COVID-19 cases and 42 probable coronavirus-related deaths. Neighboring Barnwell and Edgefield counties confirmed four virus cases each Monday. Across the entire state, there are 505 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. There are currently seven COVID-19 beds occupied in Aiken County. The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC statewide Monday was 15,887, and the percent positive was 4.4%. The total number of cases statewide is now 476,123, with 93,909 probable cases, 8,235 confirmed deaths and 1,117 probable deaths. BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday urged the United States and Japan to abide by the one-China principle and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when asked to comment on a U.S.-Japan joint statement expressing concern over issues relating to Taiwan. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question, as China's internal affairs, brooks no external interference," Ma said. Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, who are relying on foreign support and are merely pawns of anti-China forces, will only put Taiwan in a more dangerous situation, Ma added. Rep. Hal Rogers faces a $5,000 fine for failing to submit to security screening before entering the U.S. House floor earlier this month. The House Ethics Committee levied the penalty after the 21-term Republican allegedly failed to adhere to an officers request to be wanded by a handheld device after setting off a magnetometer on April 14. According to a memo submitted to the committee by an anonymous sergeant, after an officer told Rogers he needed to be hand wanded, Rogers replied, Maybe later, I have to vote. Rep. Rogers returned after voting and asked what he needed to do now, the memo reads. Officer informed the member that all screening must be completed before entering the Chamber. In a statement, Rogers said he would be appealing what he described as a simple misunderstanding. On April 14, 2021, there was a simple misunderstanding on the House Floor after I went through the metal detectors to vote. I have filed an appeal with the House Ethics Committee, requesting an opportunity to explain the facts, the Kentuckian said. In the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered metal metal detectors installed outside of the House floor to bolster security. The new rule requires all members and staff to pass through them. Some Republicans have decried that they violate their Second Amendment rights. Rogers is the third House member to be sanctioned. Previously, GOP Reps. Louie Gohmert of Texas and Andrew Clyde have faced similar fines. Their appeals have been rejected. ROME, APR 20 - Populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) founder and stand-up comic Beppe Grillo's defence of his son over a charge of raping a girl with two other young men is "repugnant" because it allegedly blames the victim, the girl's family said Tuesday. Grillo on Monday posted a video saying his son was innocent and that the alleged victim had gone kitesurfing after the alleged assault and waited eight days to report it. "We are distraught. The attempt to put on a show at the expense of others is a repugnant farce," said the girl's family. Rival political parties accused Grillo of having a double standard on justice. The natonalist League party, whose leader Matteo Salvini was sent to truial Saturday on charges of kidnapping migrants with a closed-ports policy while interior minister, said "Grillo defends defendants' rights when it suits him. On Saturday he said Salvini was guilty, and on Monday his kid is innocent". The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) said "you can't blame the victim". In the video Monday Grillo said "my son has done nothing, arrest me instead of him". Many commentators accused the M5S founder of pre-empting justice and said he should wait for the Italian judicial system to run its course. (ANSA). [April 20, 2021] Cambridge Global Payments Announces New Partnership with North American Meat Institute Cambridge Global Payments ("Cambridge"), a FLEETCOR company (NYSE: FLT) and a provider of integrated cross-border payments and currency risk management solutions, is pleased to announce they have partnered with the North American Meat Institute ("NAMI"), a leading voice for major sectors of the meat and poultry industry from large, multi-national companies to small, family-owned businesses, to provide access to foreign currency exchange and international payments solutions for NAMI members across North America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005012/en/ Through this partnership, NAMI's members and their respective companies*, will have access to Cambridge's innovative solutions to help mitigate foreign exchange exposure for their day-to-day business needs in order to help them meet their stated financial goals. Additionally, Cambridge's award-winning trading platform will enable NAMI's members to manage their global payments from a single point of access. "Cambridge is honored to partner with NAMI, a trade association which represents a diverse industry that processes beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufactures some of the equipment and ingredients needed to produce safe, and high quality meat and poultry products. I am confident that their members will benefit from access to our innovative cross-border payments and currency hedging solutions," said Mark Frey, President, Cambridge Global Payments. "Our team members across North America lok forward to sharing our experience gained within the meat and poultry sector and helping NAMI members grow their businesses globally." "NAMI is excited to connect our members with the innovative services that Cambridge offers. Their expertise allows both processors and suppliers to stay focused on their businesses and manage payments with their customers and suppliers around the globe" says Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO, NAMI. "We are confident that they are in good hands with Cambridge and that NAMI members will benefit from this partnership." About Cambridge Global Payments Cambridge Global Payments1, a FLEETCOR company, is a provider of integrated cross-border payment services and currency risk management solutions. As a trusted partner for more than 25 years, Cambridge delivers innovative solutions designed to mitigate foreign exchange exposure and address unique business needs. Our award-winning capabilities and industry-leading technologies simplify the way businesses connect with the global marketplace. As one of the largest bank-independent providers globally, we are flexible and responsive, with offices and applicable licensing and regulatory approvals across North America, Europe, and Australia. Learn more at cambridgefx.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. About North American Meat Institute The North American Meat Institute is a leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. The Meat Institute's members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufactures the equipment and ingredients needed to produce safe, high quality meat and poultry products. 1Cambridge Global Payments is the trade name of various corporations in the Cambridge group of companies including Cambridge Mercantile Corp., Cambridge Mercantile Corp. (U.S.A.) and Cambridge Mercantile (Australia) Pty. Ltd. *Subject to Cambridge Global Payments credit and compliance approval View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005012/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The former Minneapolis Police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes last year was found guilty Tuesday of all three charges against him in one of the most consequential trials of the Black Lives Matter era. Derek Chauvin, 45, was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The jurors deliberated for more than 10 hours over two days before coming to their decision. Wearing a mask inside the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Chauvin had no apparent reaction to the guilty verdict. Afterward, his bail was revoked and he was placed in handcuffs and removed from the court through a side door. He was taken to a facility in Stillwater, Minnesota, about 25 miles east of downtown Minneapolis, officials said. The second-degree murder charge said Chauvin assaulted Floyd with his knee, which unintentionally caused Floyd's death. The third-degree murder charge said Chauvin acted with a 'depraved mind,' and the manslaughter charge said his 'culpable negligence' caused Floyd's death. Chauvin could face up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for manslaughter. Minnesota's sentencing guidelines recommend about 12.5 years in prison for each murder charge and about four years for the manslaughter charge. In this case, the state has asked for a tougher sentence than the recommendations provide. Chauvin's sentencing is set for eight weeks from now. The verdict comes about 11 months after bystander video showed Chauvin impassively kneeling on the neck and back of Floyd, handcuffed and lying prone on the street, for 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020. Under the officer's knees, the 46-year-old Black man gasped for air, repeatedly exclaimed 'I can't breathe' and ultimately went silent. His final moments illustrated in clear visuals what Black Americans have long said about the ways that the criminal justice system dehumanizes Black people, setting off mass protests across the country as well as incidents of looting and unrest. Inside court, Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's younger brother, clasped his hands over his head in prayer as the verdicts were read, according to pool reporters, including CNN's Josh Campbell. During the third guilty verdict, his hands shook back and forth and he kept his head down and eyes closed as his head nodded up and down, the report said. After court concluded, Philonise Floyd was seen crying as he hugged all four prosecutors. 'I was just praying they would find him guilty,' he explained. 'As an African American, we usually never get justice.' In the streets of Minneapolis, the verdicts led to cries of joy and sighs of relief among those nervously watching the trial, including many people outside the Cup Foods store where Floyd took his final breaths. Hundreds of people remained in what is now called George Floyd Square as night approached. Over about three weeks of testimony in court, Minnesota prosecutors repeatedly told jurors to 'believe your eyes' and rely on that video. 'This case is exactly what you thought when you saw it first, when you saw that video. It is exactly that. You can believe your eyes,' prosecuting attorney Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments. 'This wasn't policing. This was murder.' The defense called seven witnesses -- but not Chauvin himself, as he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. Defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that Chauvin's use of force was reasonable, that he was distracted by hostile bystanders and that Floyd died of other causes. Tears of joy in and out of court In a first for Minnesota, the trial was broadcast live in its entirety to accommodate Covid-19 attendance restrictions, giving the public a rare look into the heart of the legal system. Tensions have been high throughout the Twin Cities region, and authorities ramped up security in anticipation of a verdict. The Hennepin County Government Center has been surrounded by fencing and barricades since jury selection began in March. More than 3,000 Minnesota National Guard members have also been activated in the Twin Cities, while businesses in Minneapolis have boarded up windows. But the all-guilty verdict rapidly alleviated those fears. The Floyd family, the Rev. Al Sharpton, attorney Ben Crump and other close allies called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in a post-verdict news conference that was in turns triumphant, joyous, relieved and solemn. 'We frame this moment for all of us, not just George Floyd,' Crump said. 'This is a victory for those who champion humanity over inhumanity, those who champion justice over injustice, those who champion morals over immorality.' For Philonise Floyd, who testified about his brother at the trial, the verdict was personal. 'I feel relieved today that I finally have the opportunity for, hopefully, getting some sleep,' he said. 'A lot of days that I prayed and I hoped and I was speaking everything into existence. I said I have faith that he will be convicted.' After the verdict, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke on the phone with the Floyd family and their attorneys, according to video posted by Crump. 'Nothing is going to make it all better,' Biden told them, but 'at least now there's some justice.' Biden, in addressing the nation later, said, 'Nothing can ever bring their brother or their father back. But this can be a giant step forward in the march towards justice in America.' The President said that in order for their to be real change, lawmakers must help ensure a tragedy like this cannot happen and that people of color no longer fear being stopped by police. He said he told the Floyd family 'we're going to continue to fight for the passage of George Floyd Justice in Policing Act so I can sign it into law as quickly as possible. There is more to do. Finally it is the work we do every day to change hearts and minds as well as laws and policies. That's the work we have to do.' Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, cautioned that the verdicts were not the end of the road. 'I would not call today's verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step toward justice,' he said. The nation's largest police union, the National Fraternal Order of Police, also praised the trial as fair. 'Our system of justice has worked as it should, with the prosecutors and defense presenting their evidence to the jury, which then deliberated and delivered a verdict,' the statement read. 'The trial was fair and due process was served. We hope and expect that all of our fellow citizens will respect the rule of law and remain peaceful tonight and in the days to come.' Prosecutor says trial is 'pro-police' Prosecutors called 38 witnesses over the course of three separate phases of the trial. First, bystanders at the scene testified about their fear and horror as they watched Floyd slowly die under Chauvin's restraint. Next, a series of police supervisors and use-of-force experts -- including Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo -- criticized Chauvin's continued kneeling as excessive and unreasonable, particularly after Floyd had passed out, stopped breathing and had no pulse. Finally, five separate medical experts explained that Floyd died from a lack of oxygen when Chauvin restricted his ability to breathe in what's known as 'positional asphyxia.' In the state's closing argument, Schleicher said Chauvin knelt on Floyd for so long because of his pride and his ego in the face of concerned bystanders. 'He was not going to let these bystanders tell him what to do. He was going to do what he wanted, how he wanted, for as long as he wanted. And there was nothing, nothing they can do about it because he had the authority. He had the power, and the other officers, the bystanders were powerless,' he said. 'He was trying to win, and George Floyd paid for it with his life.' He contrasted Chauvin's 'ego-based pride' with the proper feelings of pride in wearing a police badge and praised policing as a noble profession. He insisted the state was prosecuting Chauvin individually -- not policing in general. 'This is not an anti-police prosecution; it is a pro-police prosecution,' he said. 'There is nothing worse for good police than bad police.' In response, Nelson said Chauvin acted as a 'reasonable officer' would in that situation and said there was no evidence he intentionally or purposefully used force that was unlawful. 'You have to take into account that officers are human beings, capable of making mistakes in highly stressful situations,' Nelson said. 'In this case, the totality of the circumstances that were known to a reasonable police officer in the precise moment the force was used demonstrates that this was an authorized use of force, as unattractive as it may be. This is reasonable doubt.' The three other former officers on scene -- Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao -- are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. They have pleaded not guilty, and their joint trial will be held this summer. Sputnik V pricing will be key for gaining a solid foothold in India With the Sputnik V vaccines recent approval, India now has three vaccines authorised for COVID-19 treatment. However, despite better efficacy over Serum Institute of India/ AstraZenecas Covishield and Bharat Biotechs COVAXIN, Sputnik V will face stiff competition in India, says GlobalData. Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) will receive Sputnik V from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) by mid-May 2021 and local production is expected to commence from JulySeptember 2021 timeframe. Sputnik V pricing will be key for gaining a solid foothold in India. Its price is expected to be slightly higher compared to Covishield and COVAXIN due to its higher efficacy. Prashant Khadayate, Pharma Analyst, GlobalData, comments, Supply issues for Covishield and COVAXIN are negatively impacting the vaccination drive. Considering this, the approval of Sputnik V will further ramp up the overall vaccination efforts in India. According to the government of India Co-Win dashboard, as of 20 April 2021, Covishield accounts for 91.1 per cent of the overall vaccine doses administered in India, whereas 8.9 per cent belong to COVAXIN. India has so far administered over 124 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. India has fast-tracked the approval process for vaccines developed outside the country. As a result, vaccines developed by companies such as Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to get fast-track approval. Khadayate concludes, Even though Sputnik V has better efficacy, its overall market penetration will depend on competitive pricing, government orders and the ability to meet soaring demand through timely supply. The overall COVID-19 competition will further intensify with the launch of foreign vaccines and Cadila Healthcares ZyCov-D soon in India. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... CHANDLER, Ariz. A man believed to be the leader of a neo-Nazi group has been arrested after allegedly threatening some Black men at gunpoint in a Chandler parking lot, authorities said Tuesday. Chandler police said 45-year-old Burt Colucci was taken into custody Monday on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. It was unclear Tuesday if Colucci has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. A group of Black men told police Colucci was throwing trash at their car Monday, using racial slurs and allegedly threatening to kill one of them. The group also said Colucci pulled out a gun and pointed it at them, but didnt shoot anyone. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Court documents show Colucci lives in Lakeland, Florida and came to Arizona for a protest last weekend. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Colucci is the current commander of the National Socialist Movement which is a prominent neo-Nazi group. At his initial court appearance Tuesday, a judge set Coluccis bond at $7,500. Colucci was told he must be back in Arizona for his next court appearance in five days or a warrant could be issued for his arrest and he would have to cover the costs of extradition. A Bay Area grocery store owner pled guilty last Wednesday to two counts of "flagrant" price gouging after officials found that items in the shop were marked up by up to 300%. Rajvinder Singh, the 51-year-old owner of Pleasanton grocery store Asia Bazar, formerly known as Apna Bazar, struck a plea bargain with the Alameda County Superior Court dismissing seven of the nine counts leveled against him in May. "The law prevents businesses from profiteering during a declared state of emergency," District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said in a statement. "This case marks the first successful prosecution in Alameda County for price gouging in the time of the pandemic." According to the initial complaints filed last May, at least nine essential items were flagrantly marked up in the matter of days. California law permits businesses to raise prices up to 10 percent following a proclamation or declaration of emergency. One item, priced at $2.99 just two days before Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on March 4, 2020, cost $4.99. Days later, it was raised to $7. A produce item was marked up from 49 cents a pound to $1.99, a 306 percent markup, within the weeks before and after Newsom's declaration. Thai hot chilis, Maggi noodles, loose teabags, yellow onions and pomegranates were among the items listed as part of the price gouging complaint. The store, one shopper claimed, charged whatever they want in the days following the state of emergency. Witnesses reported prices being removed or crossed out on the shelves and employees telling them the prices are what they are when scanned at check out, read the initial May complaint. When Serge Babka, an inspector for the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, contacted Singh days after the drastic markups were made public, Singh said that he was forced to turn to other suppliers to keep Apna Bazar stocked. He did not provide any evidence for these claims. Following that correspondence, Singh went radio silent until he was charged in May last year. Singh's punishment following the plea agreement is a $20,000 donation to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Representatives from the food bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. Bay City News Service contributed to this report. EBRD backs transformation of Sofia airport through financing and advisory services Private investment to boost growth in Bulgarian capital and beyond Concession to pave the way for greater private sector involvement in countrys infrastructure The airport in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, is set to transform into a modern and competitive European hub under a 35-year public-private partnership arrangement backed by a 50 million loan and advisory services from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Starting today, the airport will be operated by a joint venture between the France-based, infrastructure-focused equity firm Meridiam, Munich airport and the Austrian construction company Strabag. The consortium, also known as SOF Connect, has committed, among other goals, to an investment plan of a minimum of 624 million, which includes building a new Terminal 3 in the next 10 years as well as making environmental, health and safety upgrades. Sofia Airport is the sixth-largest international airport in central and eastern Europe, with around 7.1 million passengers in 2019. Its modernisation will benefit Bulgarias citizens, airport employees and partners, and will boost social, economic, environmental and inclusive growth in the capital and the wider country. The private operator has received financial backing worth 240 million, which includes the EBRD loan as well as financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, and commercial lenders UniCredit, Societe Generale, Kommunalkredit and DSK Bank. In addition, jointly with IFC, the EBRD has provided advisory services through its Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility to the Bulgarian authorities on the structure of the concession, paving the way for greater private sector involvement in the countrys infrastructure. The Bank is a major investor in Bulgaria, where it focuses on making local firms more competitive at home and abroad, financing modern, sustainable infrastructure and developing financial products and capital markets, given the countrys plans to adopt the euro. To date, the EBRD has invested 4 billion in the Bulgarias economy through 268 projects. By Rupam Jain and Neha Arora NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is hopeful the United States will soon lift a ban on vaccine raw materials that has threatened to slow output of shots in the country, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Monday, after the foreign ministers of the two nations spoke. One of the officials said the administration of President Joe Biden had told India that its request was being considered and would be acted upon "at the earliest". India's foreign ministry said it did not have anything more to add than Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's tweet that he and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had discussed, among other things, "issues pertaining to our health cooperation". The U.S. State Department confirmed the two diplomats discussed COVID-19, but did not give details. Washington has invoked the wartime powers of the Defense Production Act to preserve vaccine raw materials for its own companies, but the (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, has said this went against the global goal of sharing vaccines equitably. Asked about the restrictions on exports, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said inequities in access to vaccines were "completely unacceptable," but declined to detail additional U.S. action to address that. India is currently facing the world's worst surge in infections, which has led to a clamour for vaccines. India, with the world's biggest vaccine-making capacity, has also stopped major vaccine exports to meet local demand. The potential movement on raw materials comes days after the SII chief executive tweeted directly to Biden to end the supply curb. "U.S. needs to lift restrictions for APIs without which there cannot be vaccines for all," said one of the sources, referring to active pharmaceutical ingredients. SII is licensed to make the AstraZeneca shot as well another developed by U.S. company Novavax. (Additional reporting by Sanjeev Miglani, Euan Rocha and Simon Lewis; Writing by Krishna N. Das, Editing by William Maclean) (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.) COVID-19 patients who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop a more severe infection than patients of healthy weight, and they require oxygen and invasive mechanical ventilation more often. There is no increased risk of death . These conclusions, for which more than 7,000 patients were studied, appear from international research in eleven countries, including the Netherlands (Radboud university medical center). The study, led by Australian researchers, examined over 7000 patients from eleven different countries who were admitted to 18 hospitals. Of this group, over a third (34.8%) were overweight and almost a third (30.8%) were obese. COVID-19 patients with obesity required oxygen more frequently and were 73% more likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation. Remarkably, no greater mortality was observed in these groups of patients than in patients of healthy weight. The international results have now been published in scientific journal Diabetes Care. Immunologist Siroon Bekkering of Radboud university medical center, principal investigator of the Dutch part, explains that never before so many different data on obesity have been combined in one large study. "Several national and international observations already showed the important role of overweight and obesity in a more severe COVID-19 course. This study adds to those observations by combining data from several countries with the possibility to look at the risk factors separately. Regardless of other risk factors (such as heart disease or diabetes), we now see that too high a BMI can actually lead to a more severe course in corona infection." One explanation for this is that overweight and obesity are characterized by chronic inflammation, which can perhaps lead to increased susceptibility to viruses. This is also the case with the flu virus. Also, obese people are more likely to suffer from shortness of breath, which may lead to an increased need for ventilation. Different risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection More risk factors emerge from the study. For example, this study, similar to other international studies, confirms that men are more likely to have a more severe course of COVID-19 infection. In addition, this study also shows that people older than 65 years of age needed supplemental oxygen more often and are at greater risk of death. Cardiovascular disease and pre-existing respiratory disease may be associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death, but not with an increased risk of using oxygen and mechanical ventilation. For patients with diabetes, there was an increased risk of needing invasive respiratory support, but no additional increase in risk in those with both obesity and diabetes. There was no increased risk of death. [April 20, 2021] Church Mutual Receives National Attention for Culture Transformation Over the past few years, Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (a stock insurer) 1, has evolved its culture and redefined what the company and its employees stand for. That hard work has paid off with national recognition. Church Mutual is one of just two companies in the U.S. chosen to receive the 2021 Gallup Culture Transformation Award. "Our employees' honesty, dedication and commitment to Church Mutual provide the bricks and mortar for our strong culture," said Rich Poirier, president and CEO. "We developed our 'Stand for Good' values and culture based on employee input regarding our current state as well as their vision for the future. These efforts make our culture truly unique to us. That's why our cultural evolution has been so well received." According to Gallup, winners of the Culture Transformation Award live out their culture daily and create a shared, sustainable vision for success with measurable effects for their employees and business. For Church Mutual, this means incorporating the values that ring true to all employees - recognizing customers are the company, being powered by purpose, acting with honor, being courageous and bold - and placng them at the forefront of everything they do. This helps employees connect the values and culture to the work they do every day. "Ultimately, we stress that everyone owns our culture and values," said Poirier. "They define us and drive us forward cohesively." About Church Mutual Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, senior living facilities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. Church Mutual markets most lines of commercial property and liability insurance, including multi-peril, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance. In addition to insurance, Church Mutual provides a spectrum of value-added solutions that benefit its customers. Church Mutual holds the following honors: A.M. Best Company "A" (excellent) rating BenchmarkPortal (News - Alert) Top 10 National Customer Service Center Wisconsin 75 Top Private Company by Deloitte US, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Wisconsin 75 Distinguished Performer: Innovation by Deloitte (News - Alert) US 2019 2021 Gallup Culture Transformation Award recipient 2020 Women and Diversity Award recipient from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association Futuremakers Partner by Wisconsin Technical College System Celent Model Insurer for innovation and emerging technologies Award in Innovation for entrepreneurialism and innovation by National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies 2018-2019 Employer of the Year by Northcentral Technical College 1Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006027/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Tuesday held talks with Gen Philippe Lavigne, Chief of Staff of French Air and Space Force (FASF), on ways to further expand cooperation between the two sides. Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria is on a five-day visit to France from Monday. The Indian Air Force said Gen Lavigne and Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria in their talks noted the steady growth of operational exchanges between the two forces and explored ways to expand the cooperation further. "Air Chief Mshl RKS Bhadauria visited @Armee_de_lair HQs & called on Gen Philippe Lavigne to discuss op issues common to the two Air Forces. The Chiefs noted the steady growth of operational exchanges & explored avenues to expand IAF- FASF ties," the IAF tweeted. CAS visit to France Air Chief Mshl RKS Bhadauria visited @Armee_de_lair HQs & called on Gen Philippe Lavigne to discuss op issues common to the two Air Forces. The Chiefs noted the steady growth of operational exchanges & explored avenues to expand IAF- FASF ties. pic.twitter.com/Q4FC1vqoWX Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 20, 2021 On Monday, it said Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria's visit will be a significant step in further enhancing mutual cooperation between the two air forces. Gen Philippe Lavigne visited India in February last year. The cooperation between the Indian and the French air forces have seen gradual expansion in the last few years. Both the air forces have been carrying out exercise series 'Garuda'. Washington: India has the potential to grow at a reasonably high level in the next decade or two, owing to some structural changes by the government and a turnaround in the global economy, said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The whole environment of doing business has changed in a matter of months, Jaitley told a Washington audience at an event organised by the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum. "India has the potential to grow at a reasonably highlevel in the next one-two decades. This is mainly because ofthe series of structural reforms being carried out by thegovernment, turnaround in the global economy, and the massiveinvestment opportunity that the infrastructure sector offers,"said Jaitley. "I am certain that now that the growth is returning backto the world, the future holds an important direction as faras India is concerned. The sheer size of the country andeconomy would offer huge opportunity for investment in Indiain the next few years," he said. Jaitley said that when the BJP government came to powerin 2014, it had the choice to look the other way and allow the shadow economy to continue. "But it did not do so, as it took a series of courageous steps which ultimately culminated in demonetisation of high-value currency," the finance minister said. The government knew that there would be short-term impact on the economy, Jaitley said, "but, in the long term, it would benefit the country," he told a gathering of investors and corporate leaders. In an effort to pitch India as an investor-friendly destination, the finance minister said that his government hadtaken a series of steps to improve the ease of doing business. "India today is one of the most open, globally integrated economy. In the last few years, we are moving up the ease of doing business ranking," he said, as he listed out some of the key initiatives by his government. Among these are the "massive steps" that the Indian government has taken in using new digital technologies for governance and making them beneficial to the people, Jaitley said. "Today, almost everyone is connected to the banking system. Almost every adult in India has biometric. The integrated data has helped the government to reach everycitizen on digital platform," he said. "This has helped us save billions of dollars," he said,adding that India is now using technology "in a big way" inorder to ensure that the resources reaches the intended population. Speaking about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Jaitley said it was "a more efficient system which has brought thecountry together, even economically, allowed free flow ofgoods and services across the country." However, he conceded, that it could cause disruption fora quarter or two. The event closed a week of meetings that the minister attended in the US, including the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Members of the USISPF audience included senior representatives from companies such as Apple, Boeing, Google,etc. while senior officials from different departments of the US government also participated in the programme. Mukesh Aghi, president of USISPF, noted the importance ofthe minister's visit, saying India had witnessed vast reforms and gained an ability for significant economic growth in the last few years thereby opening it to huge investment potential. "US companies and investors are very much aware of thereforms the Indian government is making in order to expand the economy," he said. "With future reforms and increased partnership between US and Indian businesses, there is promising potential for this already important relationship," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Many foreign companies are maintaining toxic work environments According to a report by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), there were 36 cases of strikes and employees collectively halting work in the first quarter of this year, 12 cases fewer than the same period last year. According to a VGCL representative, their reasons were mainly bonus, salary, allowance, and social insurance. The findings show that major business and manufacturing hubs such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have seen significantly fewer strikes or employees collectively halting work than last year. In Ho Chi Minh City in 2020, there were 11 cases with the participation of 4,886 employees, much better than the figure in 2019 when there were 15 cases with the participation of 6,609 people. However, the VGCL also reported local increases in strikes and employees collectively halting work in the first quarter in provinces like Binh Duong. There were 10 cases with the participation of 3,400 employees, up three cases and 1,000 employees on-year. Eight of these cases were reported at foreign-invested enterprises from South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Figures about the number of strikes and employees halting work provide a great deal of insight, however, there remain a great many toxic workplaces where employees have to put up with stress and mistreatment without sending complaints to the authorities, a VGCL representative said. LG is a good example of hits. Over the past year, dozens of senior employees of LG Electronics Vietnam Haiphong have quit with complaints of stress and unfair (in cases straightout abusive) treatment. Some of the resigning employees pointed intrusive checks and audits by the company, affecting their performance and causing them a lot of stress. In one case, an employee of more than 10 years had his desk searched and personal items removed by company staff in their absence, while others said the company went through their emails and computers, violating their privacy rights. Others, who are still working at LG, told VIR that there are more internal troubles but they refused to divulge details as they are still working there. In a talk with VIR, Thanh Huyen, previously head of the marketing division of the company who resigned half a year ago, said, I don't know if the company does not know the local laws or if they deliberately break them, but there is no respect for employees' rights. Maybe they are just trying to pressure us into quitting, she said. However, discussing the issue with VIR, Ho Thi Kim Ngan from the VGCLs Labour Relations department said that it has yet to receive complaints from LG employees. We will collaborate with the department in Haiphong to explore these claims and support employees if necessary. If the corporation's or the local trade union cannot settle concerns, employees should send a complaint to VGCL to get support directly or indirectly to protect their rights, she emphasised. Last week, LG announced pulling the plug on its global smartphone business. This comes after the division reported nearly six consecutive years of losses totalling around $4.5 billion, according to Reuters. The business difficulties and the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic may offer a partial explanation for LG's reported mistreatment of its employees, as well as raise questions about the future of workers at LGs smartphone manufacturing factories. LG is one of the numerous foreign-invested companies running into trouble, especially South Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese ones, which are among the biggest foreign investors in Vietnam. Some foreign enterprises were reported a few years ago to be imposing overly strict rules for employees such as limiting the number of bathroom breaks allowed in a day (Daiwa Plastics, Shilla Bags, Young Woo) while some strikes also took place over benefits paid by Youngor Smart Shirts Vietnam (Nam Dinh province) in January, Hyundai Vietnam (Khanh Hoa province) last December, and Luxshare-ICT Vietnam (Bac Giang province) last September, among others. Former Seven presenter Andrew OKeefe has had two extra domestic violence charges levelled against him. The Sydney Morning Herald reports police allege he assaulted his partner Orly Lavee three times in two weeks. OKeefe was initially arrested in the early hours of January 31 and charged with common assault. Waverley Local Court was today told two additional charges have since been laid relating to an incident at Randwick on the same night, and at Kangaroo Valley on January 20. An application to have his original charge dealt with on mental health grounds is yet to be heard. His lawyer has also disputed the facts. Andrew OKeefe did not appear in Waverley Local Court today with Magistrate Ross Hudson saying he had received a medical certificate indicating Mr OKeefe was currently an inpatient at The Sydney Clinic. Seven parted ways with OKeefe last December with Larry Emdur since announced as a new host for The Chase. The matter will adjourned until June 25. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). Related New Zealand has said it will no longer confront China over human rights as part of the 'Five Eyes' intelligence network, reversing an earlier commitment to its allies. Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta said New Zealand was 'uncomfortable' with pressuring Beijing and wanted to pursue its own relationship with its largest trading partner. The intelligence sharing alliance, formalised during the Cold War, last year began issuing statements condemning China's human rights record. Defence ministers from Britain, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand agreed on this expanded remit last May to 'advance their shared values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.' The prospect of New Zealand being removed from the Five Eyes network has been raised in the past, with Peter Mattis - a former CIA China expert - saying in 2018 the country 'denied there's a problem' when it comes to China. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Wellington earlier this month. Her foreign affairs minister Nanaia Mahuta yesterday set out New Zealand's new position on Five Eyes, rejecting a new direction which it had pledged to take along with its allies Mahuta (pictured at parliament on Saturday) said that Wellington will 'not invoke the Five Eyes as the first point of contact on messaging out on a range of issues that really exist outside the remit of Five Eyes' Chinese president Xi Jingping. His foreign ministry has accused Five Eyes of ganging up on Beijing Mahuta, speaking to reporters after a speech on China, confirmed that the other members of Five Eyes had been notified of Wellington's changed position. 'It's a matter that we have raised with Five Eyes partners, that we are uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes relationship, that we would much rather prefer looking for multilateral opportunities to express our interests on a number of issues,' she said. China has accused Five Eyes of ganging up on it by issuing statements on Hong Kong and the treatment of ethnic Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang. Speaking on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping condemned countries for 'arrogantly' interfering in the affairs of others. What is Five Eyes? The origins of Five Eyes (FVEY) date back to the Second World War when British and American code-breakers started sharing information. After the war, Winston Churchill referred to the importance of 'the fraternal association of the English-speaking peoples' to prevent the Soviet sphere of influence from expanding. As the Cold War progressed, the intelligence sharing between the allies was formalised as ECHELON, a signals intelligence collection and analysis network. The network was established to monitor the Soviet Union and its allies but today monitors communications worldwide. In the late 1990s, ECHELON's existence was made public, revealing one of the most comprehensive intelligence network's of all time. During the 'war on terror' its monitoring of internet communications became controversial over fears that the member countries were operating outside the law. Its remit was recently expanded last year when it began issuing statements on behalf of its members to has since been expanded 'advance their shared values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.' Advertisement Without naming any country, Xi said: 'The destiny and future of the world should be decided by all nations, and rules set up just by one or several countries should not be imposed on others ... the whole world should not be led by unilateralism of individual countries.' He added: 'Equality, mutual respect and trust should be at the forefront when countries are dealing with each other. It is unpopular to arrogantly instruct others and interfere in internal affairs.' It comes amid coordinated sanctions on Beijing from the US, the European Union, Britain and Canada over human rights abuses against Uighurs in Xinjiang, which China denies. But for Australia and New Zealand, which are more reliant on China for trade, the issue of condemning the neighbour is more thorny. A recent US statement announcing sanctions against Chinese officials implicated in Xinjiang mistakenly included Australia in the list of countries imposing them. Australia and New Zealand were forced to issue a separate statement announcing concerns about Xinjiang but without announcing sanctions of their own. In November, after Five Eyes criticism of Beijing's actions in Hong Kong, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: 'No matter if they have five eyes or ten eyes, as soon as they dare to harm China's sovereignty, security or development interests, they should be careful lest their eyes be poked blind.' Mahuta said that Wellington will 'not invoke the Five Eyes as the first point of contact on messaging out on a range of issues that really exist outside the remit of Five Eyes.' In a statement to Reuters on Tuesday, Mahuta said the Five Eyes remained vital for New Zealand for intelligence, police, border security, defence and cyber cooperation. 'New Zealand is a real beneficiary of the arrangement and will continue to actively engage with the Five Eyes alliance as we always have,' she said. 'There will be some areas on which it's useful to coordinate through the Five Eyes platform; but there will be other areas - human rights for example - where we want to look to building a broader coalition of countries to take positions.' Schoolchildren clap during an English class at a primary school in Awati Township in Kashgar in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region during a government organized trip for foreign journalists on Monday. The United States has accused China of human rights violations against the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, the Chinese Government considers those accusations the 'lie of the century' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters that New Zealand was 'absolutely reaffirming our commitment to that Five Eyes partnership'. Ardern added that sometimes the Five Eyes will make collective statements, and in other cases New Zealand would make statements with Australia, or on its own. 'Not every issue we speak as New Zealand is a security and intelligence issue,' she said. Australia's foreign affairs minister Marise Payne will travel to New Zealand on Wednesday for meetings with Mahuta and Ardern, the first diplomatic visit between the neighbouring countries since borders reopened both ways. Testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in 2018, Peter Mattis, a former CIA China expert, raised the prospect of removing New Zealand from the Five Eyes network. 'In New Zealand, both the last prime minister, Bill English, and Jacinda Ardern, have denied that there's a problem at all,' Mattis said at the time. 'To quickly move to a recommendation, I think that at some level the Five Eyes, or the Four Eyes, need to have a discussion about whether or not New Zealand can remain given this problem with the political core. 'It needs to be put in those terms so that New Zealand's government understands that the consequences are substantial for not thinking through and addressing some of the problems that they face,' he said. He told the committee that both 'Australia and New Zealand both face substantial problems with interference by the CCP. In both cases, the CCP has gotten very close to or inside the political core, if you will, of both countries.' This is in response to the April 11 commentary, Worst suppression may be weakening the will to vote, by Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat. The author failed to recognize that strict ID requirements ensure voting integrity; they have been used in our democracy since the founding of our country. Voter ID requirements do not represent voter suppression but rather voter legitimacy. It is, therefore, not surprising the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 2008 ruling, upheld voter ID requirements in an Indiana law, stating in a majority opinion authored by the late Justice John Paul Stevens, not only is the risk of voter fraud real but it could affect the outcome of a close election. Ironically, while arguing her case, the author stated that, strict ID requirements ... often backfire by driving record numbers to the polls. I agree, since voters would have more confidence in the integrity of the election process. In fact, the legitimacy of the last election was doubted by millions of Americans; the riots at the U.S, Capitol happened for a reason. We cannot deny the publics concern with voting integrity. Clearly, strict voter ID requirements are critical to regain voter confidence in the process, and strengthen our democracy. V. John Comanita, Westlake [April 20, 2021] Payrix Accelerates into Q2 With Brand Evolution and Annual Revenue Growth Exceeding 700% ATLANTA, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Payrix, the acknowledged leader in embedded fintech, today announced a full refresh of its brand identity, website and user interface. The Company's enhancements and growth in revenue, client signings and private equity channel partnerships follow its international expansion into Australia and New Zealand in Q4 2020. Payrix is quickly becoming a global payment technology leader with loyal vertical software as-a-service (SaaS) clients and a growing geographic footprint. Payrix is achieving this by expanding its product set, ensuring client success and growing functional areas of the business. This evolution is a representation of the work done to unify the Company's growth story and create a stronger experience for new and existing clients. The Company's new logo, tagline and overall branding reflects its role as a trusted payments and infrastructure provider for vertically focused software companies, like Neon One , a generosity ecosystem. "We rely on Payrix to operate Neon Pay for 35,000 social good organizations. Payrix is a long-standing partner and we are excited to see resources being invested to enhance the user experience and to guide others like us on embedded payments," said Tim Sarrantonio , Head of Partneships and Business Development at Neon One. "We recently went through a rebranding process ourselves, and know it can be a real game-changer." Uniquely positioned in the high demand embedded payments market, Payrix provides clients like Neon One with a best of both world's solution that allows them to quickly monetize payments and create more customer value with empowered flexibility to become a payment facilitator if and when it aligns with their strategy. Over the past six months, the Company has implemented over 40 growing, innovative SaaS platforms and has seen it's revenue growth exceed 700% year-over-year. Through it's customer-centric approach, industry-leading expertise and first-of-its kind technology, Payrix is also forming relationships with growth equity firms like Mainsail Partners who focus on integrated software solutions in specific verticals. As more software companies seek to monetize payments while streamlining business operations and eliminating friction for customers, Payrix and its forward-thinking channel partners will continue showing the world of opportunity embedded solutions, like payments provide. About Payrix Payrix is a passionate team of payments and software experts who provide vertical software companies with an all-in-one platform and a white-glove approach to capitalize on the opportunities within embedded payments for growth, innovation, and transformation. Led by forward-thinkers from PayPal, Worldpay, Elavon, Chase Paymentech and more, Payrix is committed to delivering to its clients more freedom and peace of mind with a proven solution that helps eliminate friction, unleash their possibilities with new revenue, and make their customers' lives easier. Payrix is a privately-held company headquartered in Atlanta, GA and is backed by PSG and Blue Star Innovation Partners. For more information visit payrix.com . Media Contact: Katie Wickham, Director - Marketing katie.wickham@payrix.com 404-904-4174 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/payrix-accelerates-into-q2-with-brand-evolution-and-annual-revenue-growth-exceeding-700-301272570.html SOURCE Payrix [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Workers demolish old storage tanks including water processed in ALPS (Multi-nuclide retrieval equipment) after transferring to new tanks at tsunami-devastated Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma town, Fukushima Prefecture, Jan. 22, 2020 (reissued 13 April 2021). EPA-Yonhap A group of South Korean nuclear researchers on Tuesday called on Japan to withdraw its decision to release contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, urging for more information over the plan. South Korea has expressed concerns over Japan's announcement last week to release about 1.3 million tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the plant, citing potential health risks. A group of experts at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute said Japan has not provided specific information on the plan to the international society, expressing worries about the move's potential impact on neighboring South Korea. "The Japanese government should withdraw its plan to release water into the sea," the researchers said in a statement. The project is designed to produce spherical graphite products for export to Asia, Europe and North America using an environmentally responsible purification technology. The project will support the Australian Governments Critical Minerals Strategy and Western Australias Future Battery Industry Strategy. s ( ) proposed Kwinana Battery Anode Materials Facility has been granted major project status, which recognises the importance of the development and supports the Australian Governments Critical Minerals Strategy and Western Australias Future Battery Industry Strategy. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter along with the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt made the announcement. The state-of-the-art processing facility will produce spherical graphite products for export to Asia, Europe and North America using environmentally responsible purification technology to provide customers with sustainably produced, high-performance battery anode graphite. Delighted to receive support EcoGrafs managing director Andrew Spinks said: We are delighted to receive this support from the Australian Government. Our new Battery Anode Materials Facility forms part of Australias plans to expand its critical minerals processing and advanced manufacturing industries to provide sustainably produced, high-quality products for the global lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle markets. Aligns with Europe policy changes Spinks said: EcoGrafs development strongly aligns with recent legislative policy changes in Europe that require higher standards of environmental and social governance in battery supply chains. Unprecedented investment is currently underway globally to establish a self-sufficient and sustainable battery manufacturing supply chains to support the electric vehicle industry. Committed to boosting investment Minister Porter said: The Australian Government is committed to boosting investment in Australias critical minerals industry to help build our sophisticated manufacturing capability and deliver new jobs across the country, and particularly to our regional areas. This project will make a high-value contribution to the growth of our critical minerals industry and open up opportunities for further project developments. Environmentally-friendly process Minister Pitt said: EcoGraf is an excellent example of what we want to see more of in Australia our raw materials being downstream processed right here in Australia, adding value to our exports and creating well paid and sustainable jobs for Australian workers in the process. The project will also use EcoGrafs own purification technology that eliminates the use of hydrofluoric acid leading to a cost-effective and environmentally friendly purification process. [April 20, 2021] Cloud for Utilities to Partner with The Wall Street Journal | Barron's Group for Digital + Cloud Summit. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud for Utilities is pleased to announce it has partnered with The Wall Street Journal | Barron's Group advertising department to promote the 2021 Digital + Cloud Summit. "We are thrilled to partner with such an esteemed organization as The Wall Street Journal. We pride ourselves on delivering high value information and fostering thought leadership," said Rick Cutter, Co-founder of Cloud for Utilities, "We are a critical resource for utilities and partners as technology drives innovation in our industry." The Cloud for Utilities Summit began in 2017 to educate and advance technology models to the energy and utility industry. Whether regulatory, accounting, cloud best practices, or cybersecurity, Cloud for Utilities promotes creative dialogue and intelligence to help utilities make the inevitable technology transitions that are critical to their operations. Registration for the 2021 Digital + Cloud Summit is open now. For more information, please visit http://cloudforutilities.org/ to learn about Cloud for Utilities and the Summit. More information about Cloud for Utilities: Cloud for Utilities is the first and leading organization dedicated to educating energy and utility companies in all things related to digital and cloud computing. Their understanding of industry best practices and in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge technologies allows Cloud for Utilities to advise companies and address the major business issues that matter to utilities. Founded in 2017, Cloud for Utilities' goal is to educate, improve organizational success, and further mature the business models related to the various cloud models. They are the first industry-specific Summit focused on cloud and addressing the major business issues that matter to utilities. More information about The Wall Street Journal | Barron's Group: The most ambitious people in the world read The Wall Street Journal. Winner of 37 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism. It's a critical resource of curated content in print, online and mobile apps, complete with breaking news streams, interactive features, video, online columns and blogs. Published by Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal has been a trusted name since 1889 for unparalleled analysis and unique reporting informing decisions that drive the world forward. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloud-for-utilities-to-partner-with-the-wall-street-journal--barrons-group-for-digital--cloud-summit-301271842.html SOURCE Cloud For Utilities [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Classes in the Wilkes County Schools will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 25 in 2021-22 as a result of a calendar approved by the Wilkes Board of Education on Feb. 1. M&G has said it will reopen its property fund on 10 May - nearly 18 months after it was suspended - offering some relief to trapped savers. The investment firm froze its 2.1billion Property Portfolio Fund in December 2019, fearing that Brexit had caused too much uncertainty and that it would not be able to sell buildings fast enough to return cash to savers who wanted their money back. Since then, the pandemic has piled more uncertainty onto the commercial property sector as shops have been shuttered and companies are looking to cut back on office space. Reopening: Investors in M&G Property Portfolio Fund will be able to access their funds in May But the fund manager said it can reopen it as it now has 'suitable liquidity for client withdrawals, as well for those who want to remain invested, having sold off some of its buildings. While the fund was closed, manager Justin Upton sold or exchanged 38 properties for 702.7million, reducing the total number to 54, with another 253million worth of assets currently exchanged or under offer. Nearly 40 per cent of the assets sold were retail properties, with the fund's exposure to the retail sector reduced to 28 per cent, from a previous near-40 per cent. The fund's chair, Laurence Mumford, said: 'We deeply regret the inconvenience that suspension has caused our customers and clients. 'The decision to suspend was taken to protect the interests of all of our investors, enabling the fund manager to sell assets in an orderly fashion. 'We believe this has preserved value for customers, while also maintaining the integrity and future prospects of the fund.' M&G said it now had 33 per cent of its assets in cash - which suggests it expects 'material' redemptions from investors when it reopens, according to Oli Creasey, property research analyst at Quilter Cheviot. 'A fund such as M&G will typically aim to have c.20% of assets in cash (or other highly liquid assets) and so the increase to 33% suggests material redemptions are expected,' he noted. M&G, which reduced its fees by 30 per cent during the suspension, said this will continue until it reopens on 10 May. It will also continue to waive the annual management fee on cash held above 20 per cent until the end of 2021, although it will start charging customers after that. Meanwhile, it announced several changes to the fund, including moving to a dual pricing model on a full-spread basis to ensure that buyers of the fund pay the dealing costs of transacting in commercial property. It also said it would allow the actual property exposure to fall as low as 60 per cent in exceptional circumstances to help manage liquidity, 'for example as a result of unusually high levels of investor redemptions'. M&G has cut its exposure to the struggling retail sector to 28 per cent, from a previous near 40 per cent, by selling off some of its retail assets Moira O'Neill, head of personal finance at interactive investor, said: 'Investors in these M&G funds will be relieved to learn they can soon access their investment after a sixteen-month deep freeze.' The news comes as the results of a consultation in open-ended funds launched by the Financial Conduct Authority in August are still pending. Ryan Hughes, head of active portfolios at AJ Bell, added: 'While this reopening is welcome, we shouldnt forget that the outcome of the FCAs consultation into the appropriateness of property in an open ended structure is still outstanding. 'The consultation closed in November 2020 but as yet no findings and rule changes have been announced, although the key element of the consultation was the potential need to give up to 90 days notice to redeem your investment. 'This will have major implications for investors should this change be confirmed but ultimately would likely stop the huge liquidity mismatch risk that got not just M&G but the whole open ended property sector into this mess in the first place. During 2020, M&Gs first full year as a stand-alone company after spinning out of Prudential, it made an operating profit of 788million better than expected, but down from 1.1billion the year before. And while investors have been flocking to some platforms to put the cash they have saved during lockdown to work, M&Gs funds were not a beneficiary of this. Customers pulled out 12.1billion more from its retail investment arm than they put in. [April 20, 2021] PageUp named one of Australia's Best Places to Work in 2021 MELBOURNE, Australia, April 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PageUp was honoured to be recognised as one of Australia and New Zealand's Best Places to Work. The prestigious annual list, published by The Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine, is based on a rigorous assessment process managed by Australia's leading behavioural science consultancy, Inventium. We are honoured to rank 7th on the Technology list, from nearly 700 nominated organisations across Australia and New Zealand. The assessment comprised a PageUp staff survey and a written submission, with questions relating to policies, practices and programs that exist within our organisation to support and get the best out of our people. The methodology is underpinned by Inventium's Workplaces of the Future framework, which identifies ten key factors that are critical to employees feeling motivated and engaged at work and is supported by extensive research. PageUp was thrilled to be recognised for our practices and achievements in community building, flexibility, communication and transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Mark Rice, CEO, PageUp says, "At PageUp, we're passionate about using technology to help our customers deliver exceptional candidate and employee experiences and doing the same for our people. We are honoured to be recognised as one of the best places to work in Australia/span> and New Zealand. This award highlights the strong culture we've built at PageUp, and reflects our tireless efforts to create community, trust, and flexibility for our global team." ABOUT PAGEUP The powerful PageUp platform optimises each step of the talent management lifecycle so everyone can reach their full potential. PageUp Talent Management software enhances HR processes with technology that HR professionals, people leaders and employees love to use. From Recruitment Marketing including sophisticated content management, marketing automation and candidate relationship management tools through to Recruitment Management , Onboarding , Learning , Performance , and Succession all underpinned by Analytics . Customers love PageUp for its deep functionality and ability to be configured for a range of workflows and industries, all accompanied by outstanding customer service. Used in over 190 countries, PageUp is a truly global solution. PageUp has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, New York, London, Dublin and Singapore. https://www.pageuppeople.com ABOUT THE AFR BOSS BEST PLACES TO WORK LIST The AFR BOSS Best Places to Work list recognises and ranks the best places to work in Australia and New Zealand, by industry, and is the premier list of its kind. The list is judged and compiled by Inventium Australia's leading behavioural science consultancy, using unique research-based methodology. In 2020, the list comprised of ten industry lists, compiled from nearly 700 nominations. www.mostinnovative.com.au SOURCE PageUp [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Oracle has cut off essential technical services to Eskom following a payment dispute, but the impact on the power producers operations has been minimal. The payment dispute arose after Eskom allegedly added modules and users to its Oracle software services without paying the required license fees. An audit by Oracle revealed abuse by Eskom and the software giant initially claimed Eskom underpaid by R7.3 billion. Following discussions between the parties the amount was lowered to R380 million. Eskom, however, said it only owes Oracle R166 million. Oracle threatened to cut off essential technical services to the power utility unless it settles the outstanding R380 million. Eskom responded by launching an urgent court application to compel Oracle to continue providing technical support amidst the payment spat. The Johannesburg High Court dismissed Eskoms application, and shortly afterwards Oracle cut its essential technical services to Eskom. In its court application Eskom warned of catastrophic consequences if Oracle withdrew its support services. Eskom said it could affect its ability to supply electricity to South Africa which will have a crippling effect on the economy. To date the impact of Oracles decision to discontinue its support services has, however, been minimal. Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha confirmed that Oracle has cut off technical support services after their legal victory. Oracles technical support services have not been available to Eskom over the past week, Mantshantsha told Bruce Whitfield on The Money Show. Eskom has now implemented contingency plans which it developed in preparation for this scenario. Mantshantsha said at this stage there has not be a very big impact on Eskoms operations. This is partly because Oracles support was a supplement to Eskoms internal teams who have been working with the software for more than 20 years. We have activated those teams and they are holding the fort at the moment, said Mantshantsha. This raises the question whether Oracle technical support services were necessary in the first place. Mantshantsha said it is undoubtedly necessary to have the technical expertise of companies like Oracle to resolve problems with their software. We will continue to require such services and as such Eskom has embarked on an urgent procurement process to find the technical skills to replace Oracle, he said. Oracles decision to terminate its technical support services adds risk to electricity supply in South Africa, but Mantshantsha said they do not rely entirely on the experts from Oracle. There is a risk which Eskom has put mitigation measures in forbut we are able to operate without their support for now, he said. Eskom dismissed concerns that other providers will be hesitant to work with Eskom following this debacle. Any supplier which enters into business with Eskom can expect that Eskom will always honour its contractual obligations, said Mantshantsha. Oracle has been mum on the matter, only saying Eskom should pay the pending dues for Oracle software that they use. ROSEMONT, Ill., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent nine-month investigation into the U.S. drinking water conducted by Consumer Reports and the Guardian has revealed that an alarming number of American households continue to have harmful contaminants in their drinking water. The investigation is the latest in a series of probes into the poor quality of water conducted over the past few years. "Studies continue to show that many Americans are exposed to contaminants in drinking water at levels that could be deemed unsafe," said Judd Larned, President, Culligan North America, a world leader in water treatment. "People need to be aware of what is in their water and take steps to ensure its quality." Consumer Reports and the Guardian selected 120 people from around the country to test for arsenic, lead, PFAS (PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, and PFOS, or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), and other water contaminants. The samples were taken from water systems that service close to 20 million people. A total of 118 of the 120 samples had concerning levels of lead, arsenic and PFAS, man-made chemicals used in cleaning products, water proofing, and stain resistant carpeting, among other household products. These chemicals have been linked to cancer and other serious health issues. Specifically, the testing of the samples revealed: More than 35% of the samples had PFAS, at levels above Consumer Report's recommended maximum. About 8% of samples had arsenic, at levels above Consumer Reports recommended maximum. In total, 118 out of 120 samples had detectable levels of lead. This most recent report comes on the heels of last year's findings by the Environmental Work Group that cited at least 610 locations in 43 states with high levels of PFAS. With PFASs currently reaching millions of individuals through municipal water systems and/or private wells, Culligan, is offering tips to help ensure the water in their home is clean and safe as possible. "Nothing is more important than the quality of water in a home," said Larned. "That's why it's important that people know as much as they can about contamination risks. Education is the first step in dealing with this problem." RECOMMENDATIONS: Know where water contamination can occur. Water impurities are not just limited to the water source but can also happen in the distribution system after treatment from the local municipality or private well has already occurred. While many naturally occurring chemicals and impurities from local water treatments can be filtered at the source, contamination can occur in service pipes. These issues are commonly found in homes built prior to 1986 when lead pipes, fixtures and solder were regularly used. Learn about the filtration system currently in place at your home. Basic water filters such as charcoal pitchers and refrigerator cartridges can help improve the taste of water but may not remove harmful impurities such as PFASs. Water treatment solutions such as water softeners, reverse osmosis systems and specialty filters eliminate specific impurities that may be found in your water. Culligan's Total Defense Cartridge available on the Aqua-Cleer Advanced Drinking Water System is certified to NSF standards to reduce a number of contaminants including PFASs. Culligan also provides a Point of Entry PFAS reduction solution for homeowners with capacities certified to NSF standards. Culligan is the industry expert with thousands of PFAS systems installed. Notice any issues that may be caused by water impurities. Some signs of problem water include corroded plumbing fixtures, unpleasant odors, disagreeable taste, discolored water and even shortened appliance lifespan. It is important to note that some water contaminants cannot be detected by taste, smell or color. In these cases, only a water test can identify an issue. Schedule a test to identify impurities in your water. Water contamination can happen at any time, so it is important to have your water tested by a water expert who can determine the necessary steps to eliminate any harmful impurities that may be present. A basic water test from your local Culligan water expert is free and easy, and can detect impurities such as nitrates, hardness and total dissolved solids that are odorless and tasteless. A water sample taken straight from the tap can typically provide results in 10 minutes. If indicated by the on-site home analysis, Culligan can provide a more detailed water analysis in its Illinois EPA certified testing laboratory. Your Culligan professional can provide you with the details. While testing can be done at any time, Culligan recommends scheduling a water test after moving into a new house, if appliances that use water are collecting residue or burning out, and as soon as a noticeable change happens to your water's taste, odor or appearance. Well water should also be tested whenever any changes in your water such as color, taste, odor or cloudiness are noticed. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is recommended that well water be tested annually. Assess the current state of your water and treat any issues appropriately. Your water treatment professional will work with you to identify any impurities found in your test results and will recommend specific solutions for your water needs. Ensure your current water filtration system is up to date. If your home already has a water filtration system in place, it is important to continue the ongoing maintenance required. This includes scheduling filter replacements as needed. For more information about water treatment products, including water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for business, or to find your local Culligan representative visit www.culligan.com. About Culligan International Founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, Culligan International is a world leader in delivering water solutions that will improve the lives of their customers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration products. Culligan's products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for business. Culligan's network of franchise dealers is the largest in the world, with over 800 dealers in 90 countries. Many Culligan dealers have valuable equity in their communities as multigenerational family owners of their franchises. For more information visit: www.culligan.com. Media Inquiries Sandy Sapp Culligan International [email protected] 847.430.1423 SOURCE Culligan International Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased to report a new gold zone discovery in diamond drill hole TM-21-94, which returned 1.7 g/t Au over 82.5 metres, including 3 g/t Au over 45 metres. The new gold discovery, named the Ellen Zone, is located about 340 metres south of the U-V Zone and about 300 metres north of the Bench Zone. The area of the new discovery has seen no historical drilling and is open in all directions. The Tower Stock Gold Project (the "Property" or the "Project" or "Tower Gold"), which until now has not seen any exploration activity for more than eight years, is located about 40 km west-northwest of the port city of Thunder Bay, Ontario and covers approximately 1,968 hectares. Michael Stares, President and CEO of White Metal, commented, "I am extremely pleased to deliver these exciting drill results from our first drilling program. This newly discovered gold zone demonstrates the Project's excellent potential and how we can quickly build on the number of known gold zones within Tower Gold. With further drilling results expected shortly and final interpretation of the DasVision IP Survey (see Company news release dated February 17, 2021) expected in the coming days, the Company will soon be in an excellent position to aggressively advance this new discovery along with testing and expanding a number of other known zones on the Property. I am very confident that our exploration work will continue to enhance the Property and advance our understanding of the new and known gold targets within the Tower Mountain Gold Project." In fall 2020, White Metal personnel prospected the Ellen Zone area, which is largely covered by overburden, and discovered anomalous gold values in rock grab samples ranging from below detection (<5 ppb Au) to 1.3 g/t Au. Discovery drill hole TM-21-94 was set up approximately 70 metres west of the surface rock grab samples and drilled in a northeast direction at a 60 degree dip. The dip and strike of the Ellen Zone is not precisely known but based on historical data and information, it is thought that the geology strikes in a north-south direction. The recently completed Phase 1 (2021) drilling program, comprising 10 holes in 2,480 metres, was designed to (1) test the depth potential of some of the historical gold showings located throughout the Property, (2) test for down-dip extensions based on historical drilling, and (3) test new areas discovered as a result of the fall 2020 prospecting program such as the newly discovered Ellen Zone. Phase 1 drill holes were also widely spaced, with some as much as 500 metres apart. Further information on the Tower Stock Gold Project can be found at www.whitemetalres.com. In addition to the new Ellen Zone discovery the Company is also pleased to report on results from a further six (6) diamond drill holes targeting expansion of historical zones and new target areas determined from the fall 2020 prospecting program: TM-21-88 and 89 , located 700 metres to the east of the U-V Zone, these holes were designed to test the H Zone area in which sampling from the fall 2020 prospecting program outlined gold mineralization over a strike length of at least 100 metres (see Company news release dated December 10, 2020). The two drill holes intersected strong to moderate potassic alteration within a broad package of volcaniclastics over the entire length of the drill holes. Given the anomalous gold concentrations encountered in these drill holes, it is now thought that the H Zone may dip moderately to the southwest and the that the current drill holes, which were drilled west-southwest, were likely drilled underneath the interpreted moderate-dipping mineralization. White Metal is planning a stripping program on the H Zone to start in mid-May in order to obtain a better understanding of the orientation and projection of the H Zone. TM-21-90 , located at the U-V Zone, was designed to extend the length of historical drill hole TM-04-23, which was stopped at 300 metres length. By going back down the same hole, White Metal extended this drill hole a further 154 metres and was able to test the possible down-dip mineralized extension that was reported in historical drill hole TM-04-24, which returned 70.5 metres at 1.07 g/t Au (from 264.0-334.5 m). Drill hole TM-21-90 successfully intercepted the mineralized gold zone at depth, which assayed 0.9 g/t Au over 16.5 metres, thus extending the known gold mineralization by 50 metres to the southwest and providing evidence that this zone is still open for expansion. TM-21-92 was drilled in the area of the 04-36 Zone, located about 400 metres southwest of the U-V Zone where historical drill hole TM-04-36 returning 25.0 g/t Au over 3.0 metres. The best intersections returned from TM-21-92 were: 3.0 m at 0.96 g/t Au (from 50.5-53.5 m) and 10.5 m at 0.25 g/t Au (from 61.0-71.5 m). It must be noted that the true control of the higher grade gold is not clearly understood and more work is needed to help explain the complexity of this zone. TM-21-93 was designed to test the North Lee Zone which is located 400 metres to the south of the U-V Zone. This hole encountered various breccias and volcaniclastic rocks with up to 3% disseminated pyrite and potassic alteration. This drill hole returned two anomalous gold intercepts: 10.5 m at 0.39 g/t Au (from 8.0-18.5 m) and 57.0 m at 0.23 g/t Au (from 32.0-89.0 m). The weakly anomalous intercepts from TM-21-93 but especially the 85.0m mineralized intercept from TM-21-94 suggests there is significant potential that the UV Zone and Bench zones may be connected and represents a still mostly underexplored area to explore for higher grade zones and continuity of mineralization between the two zones. The Company is awaiting assay results for the following three (3) diamond drill holes: TM-21-95 was drilled to test the extension of historical diamond drill hole TM-03-08 which returned broad intercepts of anomalous gold. Hole TM-21-95 encountered potassic epidote and hematite altered volcanic rocks and local, narrow micro-syenite, with the lower 110 metres containing 5-10% disseminated pyrite. TM-21-96 was designed to test the A Zone where historical trenching by Noranda yielded assay results such as 6.17 g/t Au over 6 metres and 5.26 g/t Au over 7 metres (see News Release dated October 29, 2020). In addition, historical diamond drilling by Noranda had intercepts such as 16.5 g/t Au over 3 m which included 30.5 g/t Au over 1 metre. Hole TM-21-96 was orientated to test the depth extension of the this known gold mineralization. Similar lithologies, alteration and pyrite mineralization to that reported by Noranda were also observed in this drill hole. TM-21-97 was designed to test the down-dip extent of the lengthy intercepts of gold mineralization reported in historical drill holes TM-11-78, TM-11-79, and TM-11-86. Hole TM-21-97 is located on the west side of the Bench Zone and was orientated to the east-northeast where it also tested the down-dip extension of the Bench Zone. This hole encountered various volcanic rocks and micro-syenite and of particular note, an extremely complex 53 metre wide alteration zone containing 5 to 15% pyrite. A Qualified Person ("QP") has not done sufficient enough work to verify the historical assay results and technical information reported herein. All drill hole intersections represent drill core lengths (intervals) and are not true widths. Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. About White Metal Resources Corp (TSXV: WHM): White Metal Resources Corp is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada. For more information in regards to White Metal Resources Corp. you can visit the company's Web Page at www.whitemetalres.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp. Michael Stares President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Michael Stares President & CEO, Director 684 Squier Street Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8 Phone: (807) 358-2420 THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. 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Having not reached a new labor contract, both sides agreed Monday to extend their discussions until mid-May rather than declare an impasse. Changes in the disciplinary process for officers and specifically who should have the final say about punishment after an officer appeals has been a sticking point since contract discussions began in early February. Hanging over the negotiations is Proposition B, the charter amendment on the ballot. Early voting started Monday and election day is May 1. If Prop B is approved, the city would no longer have to collectively bargain with the union. The city said it would switch to a meet-and-confer method used by other cities. Negotiations would essentially function unchanged except bargaining with the union is optional, not required. The proponents of Prop B specifically want to see the city exert more authority over disciplining officers accused of misconduct. The current contract allows an independent arbitrator to overturn the police chiefs decision if the arbitrator believes the punishment is unfair. The city wants to change that rule, allowing the arbitrator to overturn the chiefs decision only when there isnt substantial evidence of misconduct, leaving the final decision to the chief or the city manager. On ExpressNews.com: Repealing discipline for San Antonio police officers accused of misconduct takes center stage in contract negotiations What were trying to establish is a process that ensures that the chiefs decision is given weight but also ensures due process for the officer, said First Assistant City Attorney Liz Provencio, one of the main negotiators for the city. Attorneys representing the union want the provision to be based on the preponderance of the evidence a tougher standard. They have argued that they need some check on potential overreach by the police chief to guarantee that officers who appeal their punishment have due process. The two sides have also disagreed over how to define whether the chiefs punishment was arbitrary and capricious a legal standard used to assess whether an agency was acting fairly. Youre saying youre not trying to waive due process for police officers, but I would argue that your proposal doesnt reflect that, said Craig Deats, an attorney representing the union. Ultimately, the two sides couldnt come to an agreement on how the provision should be worded. Deats said he would review the citys proposal to determine whether they could come to a compromise. On ExpressNews.com: Would Prop B hold San Antonio police accountable or defund them? Both arguments are a stretch Since February, when negotiations started, the city and union have met 11 times to discuss wages, benefits and working conditions. The city and the union have come to tentative agreement on some parts of the contract, including one provision that would give preference to San Antonio residents when choosing applicants for training and hiring. If the two sides hadnt extended negotiations, the city and union would have established a fact-finding panel to make recommendations and help them come to a compromise. The current contract, which expires Sept. 30, took more than two years to negotiate. It was ultimately finalized through court-ordered mediation sessions. eeaton@express-news.net Asserting that and India are to be a factor in the regional prosperity, President has said it is "a moment of choice" for neighbouring Pakistan as all its calculations have been "wrong" so far. Ghani, in an interview to CNN's Fareed Zakaria which aired on Sunday, said that verbally, the leaders of Pakistan all fortunately acknowledge that they do not want the Taliban government in Afghanistan, that they would like to see a peaceful, stable, democratic government in the war-torn country. We are key to their prosperity. The rate of growth in could enhance by two per cent in a stable and connected Afghanistan, we have to work together. So, there are two options Connect to Central Asia through us, share in the joint prosperity through the partnership for peace, gain credibility and support that they're all in need of, or opt for chaos, he said. The country that would be most damaged by insecurity or a renewed civil war in is Pakistan, and in that case, it would be a lose proposition, Ghani said. It's a moment of choice for Pakistan. All its calculations have been wrong, the Afghanistan President said. Afghanistan has in the past accused Pakistan of providing safe havens for terror groups that target its territory, especially the Afghan Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Haqqani group. Responding to a question, Ghani said that is not an interventionist power. It does not want to get engaged with military or proxy wars, and Pakistan in terms of its foreign policy obviously is hedging between and other countries, because it is still, its reliance on the rest of the region is quite significant. Pakistan can become an anchor of regional stability if it opts for peace in regional cooperation, he said. The discourse of Pakistan has changed, he said, adding that there was a security conference in Islamabad where the talk was really significantly about harmony and cooperation. To expect that China, after the great COVID reset and the significant adverse impact will get involved in regional conflicts directly, I think is remote. Furthermore, we have a lot of positive relationships with China and the growth of China now is going to be the factor as growth of India for regional prosperity. All of us are strong stakeholders not to get involved. And for Afghanistan, we do not want a replacement in terms of seeking to replace the United States and NATO with some form of patronage. We want to have a multi-aligned policy where we are friends with everybody and not part of their quarrels, and hence our agenda of permanent neutrality that will benefit everybody, Ghani said. Responding to a question on the withdrawal of US troops from his country by September 11, he said that this is a time of opportunity for Afghanistan. For the Taliban and for Pakistan, it's a moment of choice. Will they opt to become a credible stakeholder, with rules of game for a peaceful part of Asia and connectivity, or for opting for chaos? he said. Equally for the Taliban, the major excuse that this is a war to get the forces out of Afghanistan is over. There is no religious justification left for the war. Political settlement is a must. But the ball clearly is in the court of Taliban and their supporters, Ghani added. US President Joe Biden last week announced that the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan will start on May 1 and will be completed by September 11 this year, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York. He said: "It is time to end America's longest war. It is time for American troops to come home." Biden has said that India, Pakistan, Russia, China, and Turkey have a significant stake in the stable future of Afghanistan and these regional stakeholders should do more to bring peace in this war-torn country. (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 Data 0.6 percent were American Indian/Alaska Native. To reflect the community it should have been 1.1 percent, according to census voting age population data. 1.9 percent were Asian. To reflect the community it should have been 5.1 percent. 5.1 percent were Black/ African American. To reflect the community it should have been 6.8 percent. 2.5 percent were Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. To reflect the community it should have been 1.2 percent. 79.5 percent were white. To reflect the community it should have been 75.8 percent. 5.7 percent selected more than one race on the survey. To reflect the community it should have been 4.1 percent. 4.7 percent were Hispanic or Latinx. To reflect the community it should have been 5.9 percent. 'Could Not Believe It' Ramifications Solutions (TNS) Jurors are supposed to reflect their communities.But courts across the country struggle with an under-representation of racial and ethnic minorities in their jury pools.Jury pools lacking diverse representation can deny a defendant access to constitutionally guaranteed protections. The right to an impartial jury means, in part, one selected from a fair cross-section of the community.Researchers also have found diverse juries deliberate longer and come to fairer conclusions than homogeneous ones. "We're all biased, and the beauty of the jury system is it's supposed to draw people from different experiences so that bias has less opportunity to drive a result," said William S. Bailey, a professor at the University of Washington Law School who teaches trial practice techniques, which includes jury selection and jury behavior.A Seattle University study that surveyed people who responded to jury duty across the state found people of color were underrepresented in Washington jury pools.A Pierce County effort to map response rates to juror summons suggested more people were responding from less diverse communities."Studies show that racially diverse juries spend more time deliberating, make fewer errors, and result in fairer trials than non diverse juries," Lila Silverstein, an attorney with the Washington Appellate Project, said at a state Supreme Court jury diversity symposium in 2017. "Yet the Equal Justice Initiative has concluded that there is perhaps no arena of public life in which racial discrimination is more widespread, apparent and seemingly tolerated than in the selection of juries."She went on to explain: "The problem begins before the courthouse doors even open, when members of marginalized communities stay home with their children, or report to their job sites, instead of reporting for jury duty. For some it's because they never even received the summons. For others it's prohibitively expensive to forgo that day's wages or to pay for childcare. And for others it's a mistaken belief that a prior conviction precludes participation."Understanding that jury diversity is vitally important to our system of justice, Washington courts and lawmakers have been working on various solutions.In Lakewood this year court officials will ask residents directly about barriers that keep them from responding to jury duty.As the police chief of Normandy Park, Chris Gaddis used heat maps to figure out where to increase patrols. To identify hot spots for vehicle prowls, for instance.As the Pierce County Superior Court administrator, he's using heat maps to try to figure out how closely juries reflect the community. He's been the administrator, overseeing the operation of the court, since 2016."I have always geeked out about this GIS (Geographic Information System) work, and so when I got here and I found out that I had a whole GIS department at my disposal, it was pretty exciting," he said.He put the department to work mapping response rates to juror summons across the county, to see which areas had high response rates to those blue jury duty cards that come in the mail, and which areas had low response rates.That'd be a start, he said, to seeing how closely the county's jurors reflect the demographics of the community."They are critically important to the work that we do, and we just want to make sure that we are pulling from a pool that is representative of the community," he said. "We need jurors, and we need them to come from every walk of life, every socioeconomic background, every race, ethnicity, gender."That sort of demographic data is not collected in Washington. In fact, the only state court that does collect that data is New York, local officials said."One thing is just, it hasn't been a priority," said Bailey, the UW Law professor. "If something is a priority, we collect the information on it. And if it's less so, it just sort of languishes in the shadows."The jury system is just one reflection of that."Bailey also said: "I think that collectively the legal system is aware that this is a problem and more attention is being focused on it all the time."He noted that the court system is strapped for resources, and that there can be privacy concerns when it comes to the government gathering information."And when we're talking about a group of citizens that haven't had good experiences with the justice system generally, that raises a cautionary flag," he said. "... There's a way to set this up, but it comes down to who is going to do it, where is the funding going to come from for this, and who gets the information?"Gaddis' maps have identified Lakewood as a community with low response rates to jury summons. Along with the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts, Pierce County plans to convene a virtual focus group later this year in Lakewood to ask residents what barriers have kept them from being able to report for jury duty."We want to know why people aren't coming in the door" and how to change that, said Cynthia Delostrinos, manager of the Supreme Court Commissions with the Administrative Office of the Courts. "... It's a constitutional guarantee that people are judged by a jury of their peers.""We want to know exactly what are the barriers, the personal barriers as well as the policy barriers ... that we need to come up with solutions to," said Ruddy J. Salas, a University of Washington Tacoma graduate who is working on the project as part of an internship, and plans to attend Seattle University Law School.The "no response" rate to jury summons in Lakewood was 31.8 percent in 2016, Gaddis said while presenting the findings of the Pierce County study at the 2017 state Supreme Court symposium.Just over 18 percent of the summons couldn't be delivered. Just more than 12 percent of people receiving a summons completed their jury service. Others were excused or not qualified. A small number actually ended up being seated on a jury for a case.In the Springbrook area of Lakewood, along Interstate 5 next to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, those numbers were higher. The "no response" rate was 41.4 percent, and 32.1 percent were undeliverable. Only 6.8 percent completed their jury service.Census numbers for 2010 showed Lakewood's population was 59 percent white, 15 percent Hispanic/Latino and 12 percent African American. Data from the census tract that includes Springbrook showed the population was 42 percent white, 39 percent Hispanic and 13 percent African American.In University Place, the no-response rate for jury service was 22.1 percent in 2016, and 12.2 percent were undeliverable, with 17.7 percent completing their service. The population of University Place was 71 percent white, 8.5 percent African American and 6.7 percent Hispanic/Latino.In Fircrest, where 79 percent of the population was white, 7 percent African American and 4.6 percent Hispanic/Latino, the "no response" rate was 23.5 percent.Only 7.6 percent of summons were undeliverable, with 17.6 percent completing their service."We're getting more people responding from a less diverse community," Gaddis said during his presentation.He noted that fewer renters live in University Place and Fircrest than in Lakewood, and that many residents in Springbrook in particular live in apartment complexes. When someone moves and their address isn't updated on the jury source list, their summons becomes undeliverable. Jury source lists for courts across the state come from the lists of registered voters, driver's license holders and ID card holders in each county."They're not even getting the summons in the first place," Gaddis said at the symposium.He questioned whether there's an alternative to relying on addresses, such as using cellphone numbers, as a way to summon jurors.Asked how Pierce County is doing with this work compared to other places, Gaddis said staff availability to review data is the biggest problem."We're lucky in Pierce County that we collect this data as much as we do and are able to review it," Gaddis told The News Tribune. "But understand that right now we have two jury employees. ... It's me doing this type of work on nights and weekends."It's harder still, he said, for jurisdictions where the staff is even smaller."They do not have the time to do this kind of deep dive on their data," he said. "... It's not that they're holding out hope that everything is going right, it's that their focus has to be on what's in front of them."He hopes their study can lead to some best practices for the state."There are things we just can't know without studies," he said. "We don't know what the race data of our jurors is, from the entire pool down to people who come in the door."The best information available about juror diversity in Washington, Delostrinos and others said, is from a Seattle University study, which surveyed jurors across the state."Our courts aren't collecting race data for jurors, and we wanted to get kind of a snapshot of what that looks like," she said. "Anecdotally, the judges and others were noticing the lack of diversity."As part of the study, for a year in 2016 and 2017 courts across the state provided people who responded to jury duty with surveys to collect demographic data.One new report analyzing that data for the Washington State Gender and Justice Commission was under review at an academic journal as of earlier this year.It says in part: "To summarize, these findings indicate that people of color, especially Black, Native, and Asian Americans, as well as Hispanic/Latinx Americans, are underrepresented in nearly all Washington jury pools. As illustrated in the findings above, the level of underrepresentation does vary by court or court jurisdiction, however, all but one court system ( Clark County) showed underrepresentation."The authors, associate professor Peter A. Collins and assistant professor Brooke Gialopsos, also wrote:"There are clear patterns across all courts included in the present study that indicate that marginalized groups, in particular women of color, experience significant hurdles to participate in the jury process. Populations who experience multiple oppressions, such as those who identify as LGBTQ+, gender, and persons of color experience even more obstacles to participate."Of the 64,752 survey responses, 7,246 were from Pierce County.Those surveys showed 20.5 percent of jurors who responded in Pierce County were non-white. To reflect the makeup of the county, it should have been 24.2 percent, according to census voting age population data.The surveys from all the state courts showed 19.4 percent of respondents were non-white jurors. To reflect the state's population, it should have been 22.8 percent.Among the Pierce County respondents:"To me jury service, it is literally where the people have a voice, and so I think it's really imperative that we not only educate people about the importance of answering the call, so to speak, but increasing the accessibility for all of our community members I think is a really, really important thing," Collins said.During his decades practicing law, Lem Howell said, it seemed he did not have many people of color on his jury panels and that they were rarely seated as jurors to hear his cases.He started practicing law in the 1960s and retired in recent years."As a lawyer, his landmark lawsuits in Washington have made him a legend and arguably one of the best civil rights attorneys in the United States," his biography as a former president of the Loren Miller Bar Association says on the organization's website."You want a cross-section and you want them from all walks of life," Howell said. "... You talk about a jury of your peers. That means a jury from a cross section of the community."Howell remembers being astounded, he said, when two Black jurors heard one of his cases in 2006 in northern California. That never happened in Washington."I thought I was in heaven," he said. "... Couldn't believe it. Could not believe it. I looked up in amazement."Imperfect as it might be, he said, he always wanted a jury for his clients, as opposed to waiving a jury trial and having a judge hear the case."I want a jury of 12 every time," he said. "... I want discussion among people."Howell said he thinks getting more people in the door is "absolutely" part of the answer to making juries more diverse.He also talked about juror pay generally $10 a day in Washington which he said is a barrier for many people."They should pay proper compensation for jurors," he said. "I know it will dent the budget, but I think they've got to find a method for increasing the compensation for prospective jurors."Bailey also described compensation as a barrier."A lot of people just don't show up because they can't afford it," he said.Mary Moss, president of the nonprofit Lakewood Multicultural Coalition, said courts have noticed that their jury pools don't "reflect the rich diversity of our community, and they're committed to doing what they can," to address that.Moss said the Coalition hosts, co-hosts and participates "in activities to celebrate diversity. ... We provide a safe place for people to let their voices be heard."Moss said while the question of how to diversify jury pools is not something the Coalition has focused on: "We are open to finding out ways that we can support that. ... Justice demands that jurors reflect their diverse communities."Asked if jury diversity is something she thinks people talk about outside the legal community, she said yes."I hear it," she said. "I hear it. How can a jury make a decision when they don't know the facts or they don't know the demographic, they don't know the culture."Asked if she thought the plans for the virtual focus group would work in Lakewood to help understand the barriers residents face to jury service, she said: "When we pull together and work together there are great results that come from those things. ... That's a great idea."Someone facing a criminal trial has constitutional rights when it comes to how the jury is chosen.A 1986 United States Supreme Court decision in Batson v. Kentucky said using so-called peremptory challenges to strike potential jurors based on race violates a defendant's constitutional rights. The prosecution in the case used peremptory challenges to strike four Black jurors."The harm from discriminatory jury selection extends beyond that inflicted on the defendant and the excluded juror to touch the entire community," Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote. "Selection procedures that purposefully exclude black persons from juries undermine public confidence in the fairness of our system of justice."Washington's test for racial bias in jury selection changed in recent years following a Pierce County case.The state Supreme Court said a man convicted of attempted murder deserved a new trial because race might have been a factor in the dismissal of a juror from his case.Tyree Jefferson was in a fight in 2013 in Lakewood over a pair of designer sunglasses, and the dispute ended with another man being shot, according to court records.Jefferson argued race was a factor when the state decided to remove the only remaining African American juror in his case Juror 10.At the time the test for racial bias was for a judge to decide whether it had been proven that the state was purposefully discriminatory in striking the juror.The Supreme Court revised the test to ask whether "an objective observer could view race or ethnicity as a factor in the use of the peremptory challenge," and, if the answer is yes, the strike must be denied.Following the high court's ruling, Jefferson pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree assault and unlawful gun possession, and was sentenced to 17 years and three months in prison. His original sentence had been more than 28 years."We need to do better to achieve the objectives of protecting litigants' rights to equal protection of the laws and jurors' rights to participate in jury service free from racial discrimination," Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud wrote for the majority.Delostrinos also noted State Court General Rule 37. Its purpose is to "eliminate the unfair exclusion of potential jurors based on race or ethnicity," during jury selection, once someone responds for jury duty."Other states are looking at us because no other state has a rule like that," she said.In a press release about the rule when it was adopted in 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union said: "The rule will expand the prohibition against using race based peremptory challenges during jury selection. Not only is intentional race discrimination outlawed, but also challenges based on 'implicit, institutional, and unconscious' race and ethnic biases will now be rejected."The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported an assistant U.S. attorney asked a judge for a new jury after an all-white jury was recently chosen for the trial of three white St. Louis police officers accused of attacking an undercover Black colleague during protests in 2017.The attorney argued the defense lawyers struck three of four prospective Black jurors to make sure the jury was white, and the judge restored one, the newspaper reported.In the end the jury of 12 was still all-white, and two of the four alternates were Black.The judge denied the motion to select a new jury.Later one juror was replaced by a Black alternate.The trial ended with a mixed verdict, but no guilty verdicts, the Post-Dispatch reported.Following the Supreme Court jury diversity symposium, a 2019 report from the state's Minority and Justice Commission Jury Diversity Task Force made recommendations about data collection, expanding source lists beyond driver's license and voter registration data, adequately compensating jurors, providing juror child care, and streamlining juror summoning.When it comes to juror pay, the report said: "The Task Force recognized that juror compensation in Washington is inadequate. Data shows that financial hardship is the second highest reason to excuse a potential juror, behind undeliverable summonses. The Task Force believes that lower income and minority populations are disproportionally affected by the financial hardships of jury service. ... the Task Force recommended pursuing a statewide juror pay increase, as well as exploring the feasibility of tax credits or deductions for jury service."The report also made recommendations about clarifying that people with felony convictions can serve on juries if their right to vote has been restored. The law says someone who had their "civil rights restored" is eligible, which caused confusion on juror questionnaires. A bill that took effect in 2019 now defines "civil rights restored," as meaning "a person's right to vote has been provisionally or permanently restored prior to reporting for jury service."When it comes to collecting demographic data, the Task Force was unanimous in recommending that a permanent, statewide system be implemented."The Task Force also believes that tracking the demographics of each juror at each phase of jury selection (sent to courtrooms for voir dire, excusals for hardships, challenges for cause, and peremptory challenges) will provide never before seen transparency in the demographics of how jurors are empaneled," the report said.It went on to say: "Race based discrepancies in challenges for cause, hardship, and peremptory challenges are well documented and should be tracked. Such transparency may increase minority juror participation due to a renewed belief that the justice system is fair."The report noted that: "The Task Force is aware of only one state, New York, that currently collects juror demographic information."Delostrinos, with the Administrative Office of the Courts, said she doesn't know of others."I haven't heard of any other states who are collecting demographic data," she said. "... I know that other states are looking at Washington and the work that we are doing here as guidance as to how to address this issue."She said she thinks King and Pierce County in particular "are really trying to tackle this juror diversity issue and really trying to find solutions. I think the most passionate people are Chris, and then Judge Steve Rosen. ... even just a couple people who care so much about the issue can change it."King County Superior Court Judge Steve Rosen said courts across the state have been trying different solutions. One might add childcare, for instance, while another might make changes to how their summons is worded, and another might try free parking.Without monitoring the impact those changes are having, he said: "We'll never know what's working and what's not working. ... We need to measure that change so that we can recreate success."King County, for example, offers a daycare for families."We've tried a number of things and we just have to keep trying until we find something that works," he said. "... It's very, very difficult. It's not as if anybody who has looked at this has been able to come up with a silver bullet."He and Collins said they hope to do more surveys later this year."We hope to survey jurors in King, Snohomish and Pierce County for six months," Rosen said. "... We've made a number of changes because of the pandemic and we want to measure how that's affecting things."Rep. Steve Bergquist (D- Renton), said an episode of Last Week Tonight that comedian John Oliver did about jury diversity last year piqued his interest in data collection. Oliver talked about the systemic ways in which people of color are excluded from jury service in the United States, and Bergquist noted that part of the episode addressed the lack of access to jury data."I started just kind of digging into where our jury status was," Bergquist said.He learned that the state does not collect demographic data of its jurors, and spoke with his seatmate, Rep. David Hackney (D- Tukwila), who is a lawyer, about possible legislation."For me, it's really a cornerstone of who we are as a community, right?" said Bergquist, who has a background teaching high school social studies. "If we don't have people that look like whoever is on the stand in the courtroom or in the jury, we're not getting a fair shake. And it's really all about making sure that our process is seen as valid, and all about making sure that our communities have representation, and that we all have a voice."He said he thinks having the data about those disparities may bolster the argument for higher jury compensation and expanding how jury lists are sourced."They're all great things, but I think having the data first helps the arguments for doing more," he said.Hackney proposed a budget proviso to House budget writers that would appropriate $300,000 in order for all courts to have an electronic demographic survey for jurors, to collect data that the Administrative Office of the Courts can publish in a report online by June 30, 2023."The survey must collect data on each juror's race, ethnicity, age, sex, employment status, educational attainment, and income, as well as any other data approved by order of the chief justice of the Washington state supreme court," the proviso said. "This electronic data gathering must be conducted and reported in a manner that preserves juror anonymity."It was included in the House Democrats' budget plan this year.Another proviso from Hackney was to give the Administrative Office of the Courts $250,000 for a juror fee pilot project, to see how higher payment affects juror demographics. The chief justice of the state Supreme Court would choose a superior court for the project, which would pay jurors $120 a day. The court would advertise the increase, and would report juror demographics from the program.It was not included in the budget plan."Studies show that diverse juries make better decisions and consider more data than homogeneous juries," Hackney said in a statement about his provisos. "This funding will help us identify racial disparities across juries in Washington and test methods to remove barriers to access for underrepresented communities." By Kim Sang-woo The North Korean nuclear threat has been the most serious challenge to the South Korea-U.S. alliance for decades. At present, Washington and Seoul are not completely aligned on how best to deal with Pyongyang. Anxious to break the stalemate since the failed 2019 Hanoi summit, the Moon Jae-in government has expressed frustration at Washington's emphasis on sanctions and the reluctance to approve inter-Korean economic initiatives and humanitarian assistance for North Korea. On the other hand, the Joe Biden administration places democratic values at the center in its approach to foreign policy. Secretary of State Blinken criticized the Kim Jong-un regime for its repressive nature during his trip to Seoul in March, and declared that the U.S.' North Korea policy would emphasize not just security issues but also human rights. However, the Moon administration did not criticize the human rights violations, based on the assumption that not offending the Kim regime is the best way to speed up the peace process, and ultimately bring about positive change in North Korea. In accordance, Seoul recently decided not to co-sponsor a U.N. Human Rights Council resolution condemning North Korea's human rights abuses for the third consecutive year. As the Biden administration rallies its allies and partners to counter the destabilizing behavior of China and Russia, South Korea has refrained from criticizing either country, viewing them as potential partners for advancing its peace process on the Korean Peninsula. A few days after Blinken and Austin's visit to Seoul, the Moon administration hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for a bilateral meeting. The Global Times, the Chinese state-run newspaper, characterized the visit as a "countermove" to the U.S. diplomatic offensive against China and Russia. The meeting between the South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers on April 3, the same day as the national security advisers of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan met in the U.S., was also perceived as a similar move. Decades of sanctions have failed to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions. However, if Washington had acknowledged that it was unable to negotiate away North Korea's nuclear program, it would have been seen as accepting North Korea as a nuclear power or as presenting military conflict as the only recourse. Both options were politically unacceptable and risky, particularly when North Korea's nuclear progress remained limited and hopes for denuclearization diplomacy continued. However, with North Korea's nuclear program now "complete" and its delivery system more sophisticated, some argue that it's time to accept a new strategy based on realistic assumptions. The Biden Administration's North Korea strategy should be designed to deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea and an uncooperative China. Although the Moon administration believes that North Korea will give up its nuclear program once an acceptable guarantee for regime security is provided, the opinion gaining voice in Washington, however, is that North Korea will not give up its nuclear weapons, because they consider them to be the guarantee for regime security. The dilemma of a new strategy based on acknowledging North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, even temporarily, will be the surrender of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID), which has been the U.S. policy objective all along, and can be seen as a serious concession. However, it's also true that various attempts to bring about CVID have not worked and have only resulted in North Korea becoming a nuclear armed state that continues to develop its nuclear capability, eventually threatening the U.S. mainland. Those who argue for CVID say that sanctions are working and if strengthened, they will bring the North Koreans to the negotiating table again. However, necessary Chinese cooperation seems unlikely under current U.S.-China relations. Regardless, a U.S. approach to engage North Korea would surely be welcomed by President Moon. The U.S. might be able to accept humanitarian assistance related to COVID-19, which does not conflict with the terms of the U.N. sanctions, as a concession for a small deal, as well as the humanitarian assistance suggested by President Moon. Unfortunately, the reckless concessions made during Trump's presidency have raised the expectations of Kim Jong-un to make outrageous demands, such as the U.S.-North Korea summit, relief of essential U.N. sanctions, and the termination of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises. A pragmatic North Korea strategy is unlikely to be as politically attractive, amidst continued hopes of immediate denuclearization. To prevent any domestic and international fallout, these adjustments to strategic assumptions should be made without abandoning either coordination with China or the principle of not accepting North Korea as a nuclear power. On April 16, at a joint news conference after the summit at the White House, President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated that the goal was still the denuclearization of North Korea. Nevertheless, restraining North Korea to prevent nuclear tests, ballistic missile tests or military aggression would still be worth taking the risk to achieve. An essential condition for making such small deals, without the complete denuclearization of North Korea, would be the allies South Korea and Japan being assured that measures to deter possible nuclear missile attacks are in place. Military readiness should also be at its maximum level, while the long-term goal of the denuclearization of North Korea should be reaffirmed. The upcoming summit between Presidents Biden and Moon at the end of May in Washington will be a good opportunity to discuss all of these possibilities, and will hopefully result in a fully coordinated North Korea policy by the allies that will bring real progress. Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com) is a former lawmaker and current chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation. Got plans this weekend? This is a story about how disappointing news led Warren Buffett to make a bold decision, and how it ultimately changed his life. If you find it interesting, I hope you'll also download my free e-book, Warren Buffett Predicts the Future. It all took place on a Saturday in January 1951, but to set the stage, we have to go back to the previous year. That's when Buffett, aged 19, graduated from college with "good but not stellar" grades, according to Alice Schroeder's book, The Snowball, and fully expected to be admitted to Harvard Business School. But he got some bad news in spring 1950: a rejection. This led Buffett to apply at the last minute to Columbia University's program, where he was admitted so late that he couldn't get university housing. Instead, he rented a room at the YMCA near Penn Station. Besides being located in the New York, at the center of the financial world, Columbia offered Buffett a big silver lining, in that it was the academic home of his investing hero: Benjamin Graham, whose book The Intelligent Investor, Buffett had just read. "The time I spent in Ben's classes was a personal high," Buffett recounted in his 1995 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, "and quickly induced me to learn all I could about my hero." For example, he found out that Graham was the chairman of Government Employees Insurance Company, or Geico, which was to Buffett at the time, "an unknown company in an unfamiliar industry." "Pounded on the door" So, on a Saturday in January 1951, he made an intrepid choice. He walked the few short steps from his room to Penn Station and took the first train of the day to Washington D.C., where Geico's headquarters was located. There, Buffett says, he "pounded on the door until a custodian appeared," and he "asked this puzzled fellow if there was anyone in the office I could talk to." There was, in fact: Lorimer Davidson, a top executive who would later become CEO of Geico, and who gave Buffett four hours of his time after learning that he was Graham's student. "No one has ever received a better half-day course in how the insurance industry functions," Buffett recalled, or "in the factors that enable one company to excel over others." Buffett was so impressed by Geico's model (which had to do with marketing directly to low-risk consumers, instead of via insurance agents) that when he returned to Omaha later that year, he "focused almost exclusively on Geico." From Aunt Alice to $35 billion Among other things, Buffett made his first securities sale: 100 shares of Geico to his Aunt Alice, "who, bless her," Buffett recalled in another shareholder letter, "would have bought anything I suggested." He also wrote a short column about the company for a leading financial publication of the day (original here; opens as a PDF) and started started buying shares of Geico for himself -- $10,282 in total -- before selling the whole thing for about a 50 percent profit the next year. He should have held, he recalled, as it would have been worth $1.3 million 20 years later. But, as anyone who has followed Buffett knows, this is the beginning of the story, not the end. Buffett went on to buy Berkshire Hathaway in the 1960s, and then loaded up on Geico stock, eventually acquiring the entire company in 1995. Last year, Geico did $35 billion in business, and it and the other parts of Berkshire's insurance operations are the biggest part of Berkshire's holdings. Like a lot of Buffett's life stories, his story about Geico is made all the better by his manner of telling it -- and because of course, we know basically how it all ends: money, power, and status. But I also like this story for the simple inspirations it provides for anyone starting out now. Among them: Not getting what you want can be a big blessing. Had Buffett been admitted to Harvard, it's quite likely none of the rest of this story could have happened. Granted, Columbia is also a prestigious Ivy League school. But I'm including this point first, in case you happen to know a young student who just got bad news from his or her first-choice college. Tell him or her: Whatever that school is, forget it, they had their chance. Get out there and make them regret their foolish decision. They can't say yes if you never ask. Did Buffett truly think he'd be able to talk to someone at Geico that day in 1951? At the least, he was willing to try. Perhaps he thought that the worst case outcome would be that he'd have an interesting story to tell Graham the next time he saw him at Columbia. Regardless, I like the idea of taking this as an example. Resolve to "pound" on at least one door every day. Go big on the things you believe in. Buffett's 1951 investment in Geico at age 20 amounted to almost two-thirds of his net worth. He calls the company "my first business love," although maybe that should actually be reserved for the concept of business itself. Whether you're motivated by money, or fame, or growth, or artistic expression, or something else, find the thing you care about most and put as much into it as you possibly can. With medical visits picking up again among patients vaccinated against Covid-19, health providers are starting to see the consequences of a year of pandemic-delayed preventive and emergency care as they find more advanced cancer and rotting and damaged teeth, among other ailments. Dr. Brian Rah, chair of the cardiology department at Montana's Billings Clinic, was confused in the early days of the Covid pandemic. Why the sudden drop in heart attack patients at the Billings Clinic? And why did some who did come arrive hours after first feeling chest pains? Two patients, both of whom suffered greater heart damage by delaying care, provided what came to be typical answers. One said he was afraid of contracting Covid by going to the hospital. The other patient went to the emergency room in the morning, left after finding it too crowded, and then returned that night when he figured there would be fewer patients and a lower risk of catching Covid. "For a heart attack patient, the first hour is known as the golden hour," Rah said. After that, the likelihood of death or a lifelong reduction in activities and health increases, he said. Dr. JP Valin, executive vice president and chief clinical officer at SCL Health of Colorado and Montana, said he is "kept awake at night" by delays in important medical tests. "People put off routine breast examinations, and there are going to be some cancers hiding that are not going to be identified, potentially delaying intervention," he said. Valin is also concerned that patients aren't seeking timely treatment when suffering appendicitis symptoms like abdominal pain, fever and nausea. A burst appendix generally involves more risk and a week's hospitalization, instead of one day of treatment for those who get care quickly, he said. Dr. Fola May, a gastroenterologist who is also quality director and a health equity researcher at UCLA Health, worries about the consequences of an 80% to 90% drop in colonoscopies performed by the health system's doctors during the first months of Covid. "All of a sudden we were downplaying health measures that are usually high-priority, such as trying to prevent diseases like cancer, to manage the pandemic," May said. Along with exacerbating existing health problems, the Covid pandemic has also caused a host of new medical issues in patients. The American population will be coming out of the pandemic with teeth worn down from grinding, back problems from slouching at makeshift home-work stations and mental health problems from a combination of isolation and being too close to family. Dr. Despina Markogiannakis, a dentist in Chevy Chase, Maryland, said patients don't argue when she tells them they have been grinding or clenching their teeth and might require a root canal procedure, dental implant or night guard. "These are people stuck at home all day and feeling lonely and feeling a little depression. It is induced by the world we live in and all the changes in our lives," said Markogiannakis. A recent American Dental Association survey found that more than 70% of member dentists reported an increase in patients grinding or clenching their teeth since Covid. More than 60% reported an increase in other stress-related conditions, such as chipped and cracked teeth. Dr. Gerard Mosby, a Detroit pediatrician, finds his young patients are suffering more stress, depression and weight gain than before the pandemic. They are confined in their homes, and many are living in multigenerational homes or foster homes or have experienced Covid illnesses or death among family members. "Since their ability to get out is limited, they can't vent to friends or other family members. Also, most will not have access to mental health for grief counseling," Mosby said. Nancy Karim, a Bridgeport, Connecticut, licensed professional counselor and art therapist, said that, in addition to struggling with isolation, her patients are conversely stressed by living too closely with people without the benefit of breaks on work and school days. Meanwhile, optometrist Matthew Jones, who practices in Blytheville and Osceola, Arkansas, reports worsening eye conditions for patients, some of whom stopped taking drops during Covid for conditions like glaucoma. He's also seeing much more eyestrain "because people are spending so much time in front of a computer screen" and recommends eyeglasses that filter out blue light to his patients. Physical therapy needs are also on the rise. "Patients that have transitioned to remote work are typically working with poor ergonomic set-ups and spending a lot more time sitting," said Kaylee Smith, founder and president of Smith Physical Therapy and Performance Studio in San Diego. "I am seeing more pain and injuries related to poor posture (i.e., neck pain, low back pain, etc.) and a significant increase in patients coming in with tight hips related to increased sitting time," Smith said in an email. Some providers report they are finally nearing pre-Covid patient levels, but others still face Covid resistance. "Although we have seen an improvement over the past six weeks, it's still not much," said Neville Gupta of Gupta Gastro in Brooklyn and Far Rockaway, New York. "Our patients are still avoiding getting the care they need, no matter the safety precautions in place." Engraving of the Boston Massacre, where British Army soldiers killed five civilian men and injured six others after firing into the crowd, without orders, in Boston, Mass., on March 5, 1770. (Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images) Timeless Wisdom: John Adams, the Boston Massacre, and George Floyd Commentary Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. So said John Adams at the trial of the British soldiers involved in what, more than two centuries later, we continue to call The Boston Massacre. But theres a problem: it wasnt a massacre; all but one of the British soldiers was acquitted; and John Adamsa Founding Father and anti-British colonial patriotmade it happen. In short, what we call the Boston Massacre was anything but, thanks to an ideology-driven narrative of what took place, rather than a factual one. Today, something similar is taking place in the case of the George Floyd trial. Some are already attempting to elevate Floyd to a status that can only be compared with sainthood. Many are equating the trial with that of Christ, with the justice system in the role of Pontius Pilate, and accused officer Derek Chauvin in the role of Barabbas. In short, theyre attempting to use this trial as a tool in a larger macro-narrative about law enforcement, race, and the legitimacy of the American justice system itself. But, as well see in the case of the Boston Massacrean example I have constantly cited whenever any side rushes to judgment over the latest policing tragedysuch agenda-driven narratives are rarely based on truth. The Trial It was the winter of 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts. Tensions between American colonists and the British government had been rising for years. Armed British soldiers patrolled the streets. Tensions were high and burst into flames on the cold, wintry evening of March 5 when a British patrol clashed with a group of angry protesters. The result was the death of five colonists at the hands of the British soldiers. Patriot leaders such as Samuel Adams and Paul Revere kicked into high gear. Murder! they cried. For several years they had been arguing that the British Parliament and King were acting like tyrants. This, they argued, was evidence that what theyd been saying was true all along. So the British soldiers were brought to trial. But no one could find a lawyer willing to represent the bloodthirsty soldiers who now faced the prospect of execution. Most people would think John Adamsa patriot leader, and second cousin of Samuel Adamswould be one of the least likely candidates, having attacked British policy for nearly a decade. However, believing that all citizens of a free country are entitled to the presumption of innocence and the benefit of legal counsel, he agreed to represent the soldiers. The costs were immense. His legal practice was likely to suffer, if not completely dry up, if he defended the soldiers, whether he was successful or not. But, despite being faced with one of the most spoiled jury pools in history, he earned the acquittal of all but two of them, who were found guilty of manslaughter instead of murder. Adams argued that, faced with an angry mob who began attacking them, the troops reasonably feared for their lives and fired in self-defense. That was not what many colonists wanted to hear. Some saw him as a traitor to the colonial cause he had so ardently defended. Adams called on the jurors to focus not on their narrative of the bloodthirsty British, but on the facts and the evidence. In the midst of an angry and resentful time, Adams asserted that true justice is first and foremost based on truth, not ideological narrativeseven if the truth didnt align with the narrative toward which he himself was inclined. Human passions, Adams argued, have no power to change those stubborn things called facts. The law, he said (quoting 17th century British patriot Algernon Sidney), does not enjoin that which pleases a weak, frail man, but without any regard to persons, commands that which is good, and punishes evil in all, whether rich, or poor, high or low. Tis deaf, inexorable, inflexible. On the one hand it is inexorable to the cries and lamentations of the prisoners; on the other it is deaf, deaf as an adder to the clamors of the populace. He was despised for what he did. His legal practice temporarily suffered. But when the time came for the convocation of the first Continental Congress four years later, everyone in Massachusetts knew they wanted to be represented by, among others, John Adams. They realized in 1774 what they didnt in 1770: Far from abandoning the ideals of the colonial cause, Adams had defended them, showing that the very rights the colonists were struggling for were the patrimony of all British citizens, whether we liked them or not. In defending the British soldiers and proving that a fair trial was possible even among increasingly rowdy colonists, he was, in fact, defending the cause of the patriots. Lessons of the Boston Massacre What ought we learn from this? I trust many of the lessons are clear. It shouldnt for a second be presumed that by using this example, Im assuming that Derek Chauvin or the other policemen involved in George Floyds death were innocent. Far from it. The lesson of the Boston Massacre trial isnt that those entrusted with enforcing law and order are always, or even mostly, right. The lesson is that in all matters of justice, and particularly in times when so many have made ideological narratives and political gamesmanship the standard of their actions rather than truth and justice, its essential that we judge by facts and evidence. This is especially true given that one of the dearest rights every American citizen enjoys is the presumption of innocencea right all the more important when the weight of the law grows all the heavier, up to and including the death penalty. To this day, it remains false to say that what happened in Boston on March 5, 1770, was a massacre. The name itself is a vestige of a false narrativea narrative perpetrated by men who, while deserving of our respect and honor for their services to our country, were temporarily overcome by their own passions; men who, if not restrained by the integrity of others (like John Adams), would easily have ended up throwing their own integrity away. When it comes to the case of George Floyd, the facts of the case are not nearly as clear cut as some partisans like to pretend. I have my opinions about what the law requires given this set of facts. But at this moment, I dont know how it will turn out. Neither do you. Nor does anyone else. But I do know this: everyone is owed their day in court, due process of law, and the verdict should follow wherever the stubborn facts lead. We owe it to these menGeorge Floyd and Officer Chauvinto ourselves, our society, and especially to those minorities who have been denied justice because of assumptions, narratives, and prejudices leveled at them because of the color of their skin, to ensure that the presumption of innocence remains intact and inviolate, giving way, as John Adams said, to nothing but facts and evidence, whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions. Joshua Charles is a historian, speaker, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of several books. His work has been featured or published by numerous outlets. He has published books on topics ranging from the Founding Fathers, to Israel, to the impact of the Bible on human history. He was the senior editor and concept developer of the Global Impact Bible, published by the D.C.-based Museum of the Bible in 2017, and is an affiliated scholar of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center in Philadelphia. He is a Tikvah and Philos Fellow, and has spoken around the country on topics such as history, politics, faith, and worldview. He is a concert pianist, holds an MA in Government, and a law degree. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaTCharles or visit JoshuaTCharles.com Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. BELLEVUE, Wash., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bellevue-based startup Teal Communications has raised $9.1 million to fuel its intelligent eSIM platform for IoT and private networks and to expand its services into new verticals. Teal Communications, Inc. The company's Series A is led by StageDotO Ventures, an early-stage investment fund with offices in Seattle, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. Stormbreaker Ventures, Capital Eleven, Accellius Capital, the Alliance of Angels (AoA), and principals of Steelhead Partners also participated in the round. Additionally, Sunit Patel, the former CFO at CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications and former EVP in charge of T-Mobile's acquisition of Sprint, joins Teal as an investor. "We continue to believe Teal is a rare global opportunity where patented technology, domain expertise, and an exploding market provide a multi-decade software solution for managed IoT and private network connectivity. As more mission-critical data is consumed through IoT devices, cost-effectiveness, security, and redundancy are paramount to enterprise customers," said StageDotO Ventures' General Partner Mike Self. The company also announced the addition of telecommunications veteran Glenn Lurie to its Board of Directors. Lurie is the former CEO and President of Synchronoss Technologies and CEO and President of AT&T's Mobility & Consumer Operations. Lurie also led the original development of the Internet of Things (IoT) group at AT&T and sits on the boards of Bill Gates-backed Pivotal Commware and the Avis Budget Group. Teal was founded by Robert Hamblet and Michael Johnston to bring intelligent connectivity and networking solutions to the IoT industry. The company has been at the forefront of the extremely fast-growing Private LTE & 5G space and recently announced its participation in the 5G Open Innovation Lab which counts Intel, T-Mobile, Microsoft, Dell, and others among its founding partners. "We couldn't be more excited about the opportunity in front of us to build on Teal's success and enter new markets and verticals with our intelligent IoT offering. We're just scratching the surface of what's possible within the IoT and private networking space, and we look forward to growing our team and continuing to serve our customers around the world," said Teal's CEO Robert Hamblet. For media inquiries, please contact: Michael Johnston Chief Business Officer Teal Communications, Inc. [email protected] Related Images teals-co-founders-robby-hamblet.jpg Teal's Co-Founders Robby Hamblet (left) and Michael Johnston (right) SOURCE Teal Communications, Inc. Hong Kong paid lobbyists in Washington to stop the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, later adopted in November 2019. Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy activists go on trial. Every pro-democracy politician in Hong Kong is facing with three or four charges. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) The Hong Kong government spent HK$ 84 million (US$ 10.8 million) to US lobbying firms from 2014 to 2020 to stop the US Congress from approving the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the Hong Kong Free Press reported today. The efforts by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council failed however since the law was adopted by an overwhelming majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives in November 2019. Proposed in 2014 following anti-government protests by the Occupy Central movement, the Act calls on the US government to take punitive action against Hong Kong officials violating traditional freedoms enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong. According to documents released under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, former members of Congress were among the lobbyists acting on behalf of the Hong Kong government. At least six meetings were held with members of the US House of Representatives and the Senate to prevent sanctions. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council defended the lobbying activity, arguing that it was designed to explain the situation in Hong Kong to US officials and oppose the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. None of the US lawmakers contacted on behalf of Hong Kong voted against the Act. Following the laws adoption, then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in May 2020 that the Autonomous Region would lose its special status and different trade, economic and financial treatment from the rest of China. Former US President Donald Trump signed the order in July 2020 ending Hong Kongs special trading status. Meanwhile, media mogul Jimmy Lai, former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan and eight other pro-democracy activists are set to go on trial on more charges, namely participating in an unauthorised demonstration on 1 October 2019. Lai, Lee and eight pro-democracy leaders were convicted recently for organising and taking part in two anti-government rallies in August 2019. In yesterdays courtroom session, Figo Chan, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, noted that every pro-democracy politician in Hong Kong is facing at least three to four charges. [April 20, 2021] New Horizons Partners with Cybint for Global Launch of New Cybersecurity Training Initiative TAMPA, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, the leading global provider of career and technology training, is partnering with Cybint, a global cyber education company with roots in the Israel Defense Forces and MIT, to deploy its cybersecurity education programs as part of a new offering to corporate clients. This partnership with New Horizons spans hundreds of locations across 35 countries, including over 70 centers in the United States. The Cybint Cybersecurity Essentials Workshop at New Horizons provides expert-led cybersecurity training and access to their online learning platform for one year. COVID-19 forced millions of individuals to work remotely, enhancing the rise of cybersecurity threats. The increased focus on cybersecurity awareness and preparation in the workforce is what drove New Horizons to partner with the cyber education powerhouse. When it comes to businesses, the first line of cyber defense is its employees as human error accounts for 95% of cybersecurity breaches, according to Gartner. "Cybint has a proven track record in bringing highly effective cybersecurity training to Fortune 100 companies, and this is exactly the kind of training our customers have been demanding for a long time," said Dave Saben, EVP and Chief Experience Officer of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. "The impact of it serves as the base of the mission for both New Horizons and Cybint." Cybint's educational cybersecurity programs are structured to future-proof the workforce on a global scale with cyber skills, ensuring they can protect themselves and their organizations from emerging cyber threats. Cybint's programs are aligned with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework for cybersecurity skills, and they complement the existing New Horizons portfolio of certification-oriented cyber training. "We thank New Horizons for putting their trust in Cybint," said Roy Zur, Founder and CEO of Cybint Solutions. "We are working toward the common goal of increased cyber literacy and skills. Through this partnership, our educational programs become easily accessible to millions of corporate employees worldwide, and creates a robust cybersecurity culture in the workplace." You can find course dates and enrollment information at one of hundreds of New Horizons center here. About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: New Horizons IT and Business Training solutions has kept businessesfrom startups to global enterprisesahead of the technology curve for over 35 years. With more than 70 locations in North America, the New Horizons Franchise network spans six continents and over 35 countries embracing many cultures and languages. New Horizons provides measurable return on any company's training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world's largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Platinum Partner, and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit www.newhorizons.com About Cybint: Cybint is a global cyber education company with a commitment to reskilling the workforce and upskilling the industry in cybersecurity. With innovative and leading-edge education and training solutions, Cybint tackles cybersecurity's two greatest threats: the talent shortage and the skills gap. The Cybint team is comprised of military cyber experts, industry professionals, and educators united under the vision of creating a safer digital world through education, training, and collaboration. For more information, visit www.cybintsolutions.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-horizons-partners-with-cybint-for-global-launch-of-new-cybersecurity-training-initiative-301272871.html SOURCE New Horizons [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 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. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - US Copper Corp (TSXV: USCU) (FSE: C73) ("US Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its Form 211 application, filed with the governing U.S. securities regulator (FINRA), and its application to list its common shares on the OTC Venture Market (OTCQB) in the United States have been submitted. The company will provide further information once its common shares commence trading on the OTCQB, a U.S. based trading platform operated by the OTC Markets Group of New York. US Copper's stock is currently traded on the OTC Pink Sheets under the symbol CWMZF. The OTCQB market is a premiere marketplace for early-stage and developing U.S. and international companies that are committed to providing a high-quality trading and information experience for U.S. investors. Investors can find real-time quotes and market information for OTCQB-listed companies on the OTC Markets website. The company believes that trading on the OTCQB market will enhance liquidity as well as increase the company's visibility in U.S. capital markets. US Copper continues to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under its symbol USCU as well as on the BORSE in Frankfurt, Germany, under its symbol C73. About US Copper Corp. US Copper controls approximately 15 square miles of patented and unpatented federal mining claims in the Light's Creek Copper District in Plumas County, NE California; essentially, the entire District. The District contains substantial copper (silver) sulfide and copper oxide resources in three deposits - Moonlight, Superior and Engels, as well as several partially tested and untested exploration targets. The Superior and Engels Mines operated from about 1915-1930 producing over 161 million pounds of copper from over 4 million tons of rock containing 2.2% copper with silver and gold credits. The Moonlight Deposit was discovered and drilled by Placer Amex during the 1960's. Details of the resources on US Copper's property and the parameters used to calculate them can be found in the "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Moonlight Deposit, Moonlight-Superior Copper Project, California, USA" dated April 12, 2018 on both the company's website at www.uscoppercorp.com or on www.sedar.com under the US Copper Corp profile. Mr. George Cole is the Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101 responsible for the technical information contained in this news release, and he has reviewed and approved this news release. For Further Information Contact: Mr. Stephen Dunn, President, CEO and Director, US Copper Corp (416) 361-2827 or email info@uscoppercorp.com . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "hopes", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/81014 BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil is in talks to buy another 100 million doses of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine, Communications Minister Fabio Faria said on Tuesday, as the country scrambles to procure more shots after a sluggish start to its vaccination program. "The negotiation started about 20 days ago and the (government) is seeking to speed up the process," he wrote on Twitter. Brazil is one of the current epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic, driven by a new highly transmissible virus variant, a slow and patchy vaccine rollout and uneven restrictions to help curb the pathogen's spread. Brazil recorded 69,381 new cases of coronavirus and 3,321 new COVID-19 deaths, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. That takes Brazil's death toll to 378,003, the second highest in the world after the United States. Total confirmed cases now stand at 14.04 million. President Jair Bolsonaro's government has come under fire for failing to ensure vaccine supplies fast enough. If the deal is signed, the new supply of 100 million doses would begin to be delivered at the end of the year, in order to secure supplies for next year's immunization drive, a source with direct knowledge of the subject said. Brazil had already closed one deal for 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine produced with German partner BioNTech SE. The first delivery of that order is due to arrive next week. Between April and June, a total of 15.5 million Pfizer/BioNTech doses are due to arrive, the Health Ministry said. Separately, Pfizer said on Tuesday that Brazil's health regulator Anvisa had authorized the vaccine to be stored at minus-20 degrees Celsius (minus-4F) for up to two weeks, which will facilitate logistics across the large tropical nation. The Pfizer vaccine has a shelf life of six months when stored at minus-75C (minus-103F), which represents a logistical challenge in Brazil as it requires specialized freezers. By comparison, vaccines already used in Brazil against COVID-19 - Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac and AstraZeneca's shot - can be stored at temperatures of 2C to 8C. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia and Pedro Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Bill Berkrot) Bangalore: Hours after Kannada film director, Guruprasad, lashed out at Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, noted Kannada music director, comedian and director, Sadhu Kokila, on Monday appealed to the general public to be very vigilant about the COVID-19 pandemic and follow the safety protocols. While explaining his ordeal to procure a cylinder of oxygen for his brother's son, Kokila got emotional and told reporters that he could imagine the plight of a common man who is struggling out there to get treatment for their kith and kin in the worst times of pandemic. "Being a celebrity, I had to run from pillar to post just to arrange a single cylinder of oxygen for my brother's son, who had tested Covid positive. It was a horrible experience," he rued. He added that people should not take the pandemic lightly. "Whatever is coming in the media is absolutely true. There is shortage of oxygen, medicines, beds and even one has to wait for long hours to cremate or bury the dead ones. This is truly disastrous," he rued. Kokila told reporters on the sidelines of the 'Muhurat' of the Kannada film 'Lagaam' that though his brother's son has recovered now, he cannot forget the ordeal which he went through. On the work front, Kokila was last seen in the film 'Drona' which starred Shiva Rajkumar in the lead role. The last film for which he had composed music was 'Masti Gudi". [April 20, 2021] Artmarket.com: A Q1 as strong as before the Covid crisis, but Artprice identifies five big changes PARIS, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ -- With $1.6 billion hammered around the world in fine art auctions during the 1st quarter of 2021, the art market may look like it has already returned to a "normal" rhythm. True, the Q1 total is exactly the average Q1 total over the ten Q1 periods preceding the health crisis (2010 - 2019). But this impression, based on auction turnover alone, hides a very different situation from that which prevailed two years ago. thierry Ehrmann, President and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department, acknowledges that "it is still a little early to disentangle the effects of each of the powerful factors currently shaking the art market: Covid, Brexit, NFTs, etc. But their consequences are already visible". Artprice is therefore redoubling its efforts to ensure continuous monitoring of the market's most sensitive indicators and keep a close eye on its overall health. Artprice wishes to share the conclusions of its econometrics department in order to contribute to the market's transparency. 1. A record number of transactions Despite the logistical complications linked to the health crisis, fine art auction transactions have never been as numerous as in Q1 2021. In total, 112,200 lots were sold around the world, i.e. 6% more than in Q1 2019 (105,600 lots sold). The digital transition undertaken by the major auction houses has enabled the emergence of an online market that is particularly suited to the middle market. 2. A declining unsold rate An key indicator of the balance between supply and demand in the market, the unsold rate varied only very slightly over the period 2010-2019, fluctuating between 31% and 34%. In other words, the art market has become accustomed to seeing a third of the lots offered for auction fail to reach their reserve prices. But in Q1 2021, only one in four sales (25%) failed: demand is therefore increasing a little faster than supply! 3. A gradual geographic rebalancing Q1 turnover figures are usually dominated by London, which hosts the first prestige sales of the year. In 2021 the agenda had to be postponed by several weeks but nevertheless went ahead. However, the dominance of the UK capital appears weakened: London accounted for 37% of global sales revenue in Q1 2021 versus 48% in Q1 2019. New York, which managed to generate 27% of the global turnover in the first three months of the year, appears to be the main beneficiary. 4. The NFT revolution The sale of Beeple's NFT Everydays marked the start of a possible revolution on the art market. The work was purchased for $69 million in a Christie's online auction using the Ether cryptocurrency. Indeed, this new market appears to have become even more 'intangible' since Sotheby's generated $16.8 million by selling "The Fungible Collection", a digital work offered online in unlimited quantities and created by the anonymous and mysterious Pak. 5. Red-chips dethrone blue-chips Since the end of 2020, art auctions around the world have hammered some surprising results for extremely recent works. Journalist Scott Reyburn (in The Art Newspaper) cites, as an example, Christie's "20th Century: Hong KongNew York" sale on 2 December 2020 and says he was surprised to see Dana Schutz's canvas Elevator (2017) fetch $6.5 million and Andy Warhol's "classic" Campbell's Soup Can (1962) sell for just $6.1 million (especially as the latter reached $7.4 million in 2014). Reyburn concludes that the arrival of new collectors, in search of the latest novelties ("red-chips") is overtaking the desire to possess "blue-chip" artworks. www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/the-rush-for-red-chip-art Images: [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-1-Fine-Art-Turnover-Q1-since-2000.png] [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-2-Fine-Art-Lots-Q1-since-2000.png] Copyright 1987-2021 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com Don't hesitate to contact our Econometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: econometrics@artprice.com for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: econometrics@artprice.com Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artmarket: Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987. See certified biography in Who's who : imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/10/biographie_oct2019_WhosWho_thierryEhrmann.pdf Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 770,000 artists. Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians. Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code). Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art. Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2021: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2020 Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department: serveur.serveur.com/press_release/pressreleaseen.htm Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5 million followers) twitter.com/artmarketdotcom twitter.com/artpricedotcom Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013 L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 (4.5 million followers) https://vimeo.com/124643720 Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department - Contact: Thierry Ehrmann, ir@artmarket.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491811/Artmarket_Artprice_1_Fine_Art_Turnover_Q1_since_2000_Infographic.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491812/Artmarket_Artprice_2_Fine_Art_Lots_Q1_since_2000_Infographic.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1009603/Art_Market_logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artmarketcom-a-q1-as-strong-as-before-the-covid-crisis-but-artprice-identifies-five-big-changes-301272545.html SOURCE Artmarket.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Born and raised in New York and educated at the Juilliard School, Montgomery has also been a rising presence in Chicagos new music scene, according to the CSOA, thanks in part to current Mead composer Missy Mazzoli, who included some Montgomerys works in her MusicNOW seasons. She doesnt plan to relocate to Chicago for the part-time position but will be in town for a number of weeks every year. Leta Pezderic Leta Pezderic Natural Area Manager Prairie Grasslands Nature Conservancy of Canada Leta Pezderic grew up in Claresholm, Alberta, and then moved to Lethbridge to pursue her post-secondary education. She received her diploma in renewable resource management as well as a certificate in fish and wildlife technology from Lethbridge College. From there, she transferred to the University of Lethbridge where she obtained her degree in environmental science. Leta spent her summers working in Waterton Lakes National Park. After graduating, she was fortunate to work at a variety of places, including Cows and Fish, Lethbridge College and Alberta Environment. She spent nearly seven years with the Oldman Watershed Council as their program coordinator before joining the Nature Conservancy of Canada team in 2015 as the natural area manager for prairie grasslands. She is passionate about all things nature and tries to capture its beauty through photography; youll rarely find her without her camera in hand. Leta feels privileged to get to partner with stewards of the land working on initiatives to protect grassland species through the conservation of their habitat. She and her husband have put down their roots in the coulees north of Coaldale, along the Oldman River the perfect place for their three boys and all their critters to roam free! River Run Photography https://letapezderic.smugmug.com/ Instagram: @river_run_photography As many as 39 planes of four airlines were left unused and parked at airports or in hangars as of the end of the first quarter due to travel restrictions to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Aircraft are parked at the HCMC-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport. - Photo: VNA Among the planes left unused, 18 belong to the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, 14 to Vietjet Air, three to Bamboo Airways and four to Pacific Airlines. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) director Dinh Viet Thang has asked the airlines to rotate in-service and unused aircraft every month to maintain the good conditions of the aircraft. According to Thang, the aircrafts conditions can deteriorate if they lie unused for a long time, leading to errors and other problems when they return to service. Airlines must regularly maintain the aircraft and strictly comply with instructions provided by manufacturers in terms of maintenance of aircraft in case they are left idle for a long time. They must strengthen inspection and maintenance measures to promptly fix any errors, he said. Due to the large number of unused aircraft, manufacturers of aircraft and engines have provided airlines with documents of Alternate Procedure in case they dont have enough tools to protect the aircraft as instructed in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual. The country currently has 269 planes registered as Vietnamese, up 13 from the same time last year. These include 18 Boeing B787 aircraft, 14 Airbus A350, 33 A320, 136 A321, one A319, one A330, seven ATR72, three Embraer and 22 helicopters. SGT Airlines asked to quicken refund of tickets due to COVID-19 The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked airlines to quickly refund or exchange tickets for passengers who cannot fly to their destinations in areas under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new analysis of the upper body of famed fossil 'Little Foot,' a near-complete skeleton of a hominin that lived 3.67 million years ago, reveals she was a creature adapted to living in trees. Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) examined Little Foot's shoulder assembly, showing it supported arms well suited for hanging from branches and moving up and down trees similar to that of apes. The latest analysis 'provides the best evidence yet of how human ancestors used their arms more than 3 million years ago,' said Kristian J. Carlson, lead author of the study. The findings also suggests the structural similarities in the shoulder between humans and African apes are much more recent, and persisted much longer, than previously believed. Scroll down for video A new analysis of the upper body of famed fossil 'Little Foot,' a near-complete skeleton of a hominin that lived 3.67 million years ago, reveals she was a creature adapted to living in trees Little Foot was discovered in South Africa in 1994 and has allowed scientists to travel back in time to learn more about the evolution of humans. 'Little Foot is the Rosetta stone for early human ancestors,' Carlson said. 'When we compare the shoulder assembly with living humans and apes, it shows that Little Foot's shoulder was probably a good model of the shoulder of the common ancestor of humans and other African apes like chimpanzees and gorillas.' The specimen is also very rare, as it is a near-complete skeleton of an Australopithecus individual much older than most other human ancestors. Researchers used a high resolution computed tomography (CT) to scan the fossil and transfer it into a digital image so it can be deconstructive, allowing researchers to see every little piece of the shoulder component Experts speculate the creature was an old female that stood about four feet tall with legs similar to modern humans that allowed for bipedal motion. For the latest analysis, the team compared the creature's shoulder assembly to apes, hominins and humans. Little Foot's shoulder assembly shows it supported arms well suited for hanging from branches and moving up and down trees similar to that of apes They used a high resolution computed tomography (CT) to scan the fossil and transfer it into a digital image so it can be deconstructive, allowing researchers to see every little piece of the shoulder component. And in doing so, the team concluded Little Foot spent much of her time swinging effortlessly between trees. The pectoral girdle, which is the set of bones that connects to the arms on each side, shows that she had the ability to hang from branches. The scapula, or shoulder blade, shows a big, high ridge to attach heavy muscles similar to gorillas and chimpanzees. The shoulder joint, where the humerus connects, sits at an oblique angle, useful for stabilizing the body and lessening tensile loads on shoulder ligaments when an ape hangs beneath branches. The shoulder also has a sturdy, apelike reinforcing structure, the ventral bar. And the collarbone has a distinctive S-shaped curve commonly found in apes. 'We see incontrovertible evidence in Little Foot that the arm of our ancestors at 3.67 million years ago was still being used to bear substantial weight during arboreal movements in trees for climbing or hanging beneath branches,' Carlson said. 'In fact, based on comparisons with living humans and apes, we propose that the shoulder morphology and function of Little Foot is a good model for that of the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees 7 million to 8 million years ago.' The United States announced that it will provide $155 million in additional development funding to Ukraine through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve the lives of the Ukrainian people, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said on Tuesday. "The additional resources will be used to address key development challenges in Ukraine, including: support economic growth and improve health of Ukrainians some $34 million; enhance anti-corruption efforts some $14 million; counter Russian aggression some $63 million; strengthen democracy and governance some $44 million," the embassy said in the statement. The first article provides support of Ukraine's recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by improving essential health services; improvement of transparency and expansion of economic opportunities in energy, agriculture and finance to increase investor confidence, attract investment and improve economic investment in the agrarian sector. Enhancing anti-corruption measures includes strengthening reforms and safeguard anti-corruption institutions to counter entrenched interests and ensure all of Ukraine's resources benefit the Ukrainian people; reducing corrupt practices in the health sector and facilitate Ukraine's purchases of vital medicines to reduce informal payments by patients and provide access to less expensive, quality medicines; supporting the continued development of online e-government platforms that simplify access to services and streamline how Ukrainians receive their pensions, unemployment benefits, and more. Countering Russian aggression are planned to be used to human rights and ensure access to justice for the Ukrainians affected by Kremlin-backed aggression in the Crimea and Donbas; reduce Ukraines energy and economic dependence on Russia by advancing connections to Europes energy grid and strengthening businesses in the East; expand citizen access to high-quality, unbiased information to counter malign influence and disinformation, support European integration, and strengthen democratic processes. Strengthening democracy and governance involves expanding judicial reform; strengthening consolidated communities and expand quality service provision to their residents to advance Ukraine's decentralization reform efforts; encouraging youth leadership and innovation. A nurse of the year finalist who faced being struck off after she saved a woman's life has been cleared by an official inquiry, the Mail can reveal. Leona Harris, 48, who gave a blood transfusion in a speeding ambulance to a woman who was haemorrhaging after losing her baby, has faced a four-year nightmare, including the potential loss of her 24-year career and home to pay legal costs. Through no fault of Mrs Harris's, the required prescription for the use of the blood had not been taken on to the ambulance with the patient. Mrs Harris, a married mother of two, claims she has been the victim of bullying by senior NHS managers after she saved the life of the woman, then 31, as she was being rushed from the Royal Blackburn Hospital to Burnley General in February 2017. Leona Harris, 48, gave a blood transfusion in a speeding ambulance to a woman who was haemorrhaging after losing her baby in 2017 Now, four years on, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has concluded Mrs Harris 'undoubtedly acted in the best interests of the patient' and has 'no case to answer'. The ruling raises major concerns about the conduct of the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, which used inexplicably altered statements about Mrs Harris's conduct. The 600-page report will heap new pressure on Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who pledged that 'eradicating the curse' of NHS bullying would be one of his 'top priorities'. Labour health spokesman Justin Madders said last night: 'This is an absolutely terrible story and an awful way to treat those on the NHS frontline. Matt Hancock must now show he will stand up for our doctors and nurses and stamp out bullying across the NHS.' Mrs Harris was unable to return to work at the trust's insistence for ten months, and resigned after she lost a disciplinary hearing. She had to find work outside the trust and is now practising in Bury. She was a finalist for 2020 Florence Nightingale Nurse of the Year after raising 100,000 to buy iPads for Covid patients isolated from loved ones. Just as she was succumbing to a severe bout of coronavirus that led to pneumonia, she was told that her former employer had asked the NMC to declare she was 'unfit to practise'. Christine Pearson, the trust's director of nursing, said Mrs Harris had insisted that she would do the same if faced with a similar emergency, meaning she 'lacked insight'. But the NMC rejected the claim. The patient, a mother of three, told the NMC inquiry that Mrs Harris had saved her life. The woman was being rushed from the Royal Blackburn Hospital to Burnley General in February 2017 Four years on, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has concluded Mrs Harris 'undoubtedly acted in the best interests of the patient' and has 'no case to answer' She said yesterday: 'I will be for ever grateful to her.' What bosses did Three statements used against Leona Harris altered before disciplinary hearing East Lancashire Trust said doctor who instructed Mrs Harris had 'refused to cooperate' with hearing but he didn't know inquiry was taking place. Nor did patient. Mrs Harris ordered to sign off sick for ten months over stress, or be disciplined for 'unauthorised absence' despite wanting to work. Mrs Harris listed 11 witnesses at bullying inquiry but HR chiefs ordered matron holding it not to speak to them. All hospitals near her home are run by the trust. When she applied for jobs, HR boss Matt Ireland told her not to bother. Advertisement East Lancashire was also pushing for Mrs Harris to pay their legal costs for an employment tribunal meaning she faced a bill of about 100,000. Yesterday, the trust backed down and said it was waiving its costs claim. Key findings in the NMC report include that during East Lancashire's own, earlier inquiry, which led to Mrs Harris being disciplined, it interviewed neither the patient nor the doctor who treated her. The report also cited evidence that trust officials were unable to explain why statements made by colleagues about the incident were altered without their permission, making Mrs Harris look culpable and reckless. It also included evidence that Mrs Harris's claim she was being bullied was rejected after the trust failed to take evidence from 11 witnesses who were ready to support her. Mrs Harris told the Mail yesterday: 'I had no choice but to fight. I have been the subject of vindictive bullying. I just don't understand why, and I would like an answer from Matt Hancock about that.' A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said the case had caused 'significant pain and upset for many people over many years', adding: 'It has been very difficult and isn't reflective of the culture at the trust or the positive relationships that exist between colleagues across our sites ... 'We have followed appropriate processes and note the NMC has decided not to take the referral any further. 'A separate employment tribunal brought forward by Mrs Harris found in our favour but we have agreed not to pursue legal costs. 'Mrs Harris has appealed the decision.' Scandal to shake your faith in our 'wonderful' NHS As the ambulance raced through the night, blue lights flashing, siren blaring, Storm Doris was at its peak. Gusts of up to 100mph rocked the vehicle and nurse Leona Harris grew ever more fearful for her patient, a mother, 31, who had suffered a miscarriage and was bleeding heavily. Just five minutes away from the hospital, Leona could see her patient, who was receiving a blood transfusion, was suffering badly, beginning to turn grey. The nurse was faced with a life-and-death decision. Leona could see the blood bag was about to run out. She knew, too, that the time limit for the other bags of blood she had with her was about to expire. Finding and matching another supply when they reached Burnley General, would waste vital minutes. Leona Harris could see her patient, who was receiving a blood transfusion, was suffering badly, beginning to turn grey 'My instinct and experience told me I had to act,' Leona says. Not for a single second did she hesitate. She asked a paramedic to hold her steady. As the winds howled outside, and the ambulance shook, she carefully changed the blood bag. They arrived at Burnley soon afterwards, and her patient was rushed to surgery. The patient who has asked not to be named survived. She was able to leave hospital the next day and she immediately posted her thanks on Facebook to 'the doctors and nurses' who 'saved my life'. 'I was covered in blood. They couldn't stabilise my blood pressure or stop my bleeding. She acted fast and saved me,' she later said. Leona Harris had simply done what she was trained to do. From the age of four, she had dreamed of being a nurse. She had to leave school at 15 and worked in a pie factory, but she did extra shifts as a cleaner and put herself through night school. She rose to become a Band Six sister, spending most of her 24-year career at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, much of it in accident and emergency, 'dealing', as she puts it 'with everything from cardiac arrests to all types of trauma'. You may think that Leona should have been in line for an award for what she did on the night of February 23, 2017. The woman she saved thinks so. But what followed is a scarcely credible a four-year nightmare. For NHS bosses have doggedly pursued this most public-minded of public servants, who has faced no fewer than FOUR inquiries into her actions on that night, and even now still faces one more hearing to try to overturn an employment tribunal judgment against her. In the rush to transfer her patient from the Royal Blackburn to the obstetric operating theatre 30 minutes away in Burnley, Leona was without important paperwork. The blood she used to save the patient's life had not been prescribed and, through no fault of Leona's, the patient's notes had been left behind. Not only did she find herself facing a disciplinary inquiry, she says managers made her take time off sick, even as she was desperate to return to the job she loved. When she was eventually told she could return, there was a major catch: she could only do a desk job, or accept a humiliating demotion. Leona did the only thing she felt she could. She quit, and began a claim for constructive dismissal on the grounds of bullying. After losing that, Leona thought about throwing in the towel, but was persuaded to return as an agency nurse at Fairfield Hospital in Bury. She threw herself into her new duties. Last year, despite working 14-hour shifts on the Covid frontline, and catching the virus, Leona raised a staggering 100,000 to buy iPads for patients to stay in touch with loved ones. She was a finalist in the Florence Nightingale Nurse of the Year awards. And there were other accolades: TV appearances, an invitation to switch on the Blackpool lights and to the Royal Variety Performance. But still her former bosses pursued her. When she said she would appeal after losing the employment tribunal, East Lancashire Hospitals Trust more than three years after her life-saving actions referred her case to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the nurses' watchdog. Ms Harris remembers introducing herself to the patient, who was rushed to Blackburn after losing the pregnancy and collapsing at home. (Stock image) Incredibly, the trust asked that Leona be struck off as 'unfit to practise'. And highly unusually, East Lancashire demanded its legal costs for the tribunal, saying her claim was 'vexatious'. Taking it to appeal Leona has been granted one later this year on the grounds the initial decision was 'perverse' would cost Leona a six-figure sum, and, quite possibly, the house in Rossendale she shares with her husband Nick and father of her two adult daughters. But today the Mail can reveal two major developments. First, the NMC has comprehensively dismissed East Lancashire's case against Leona. The nurse, its 600-page report concludes, 'acted in the best interests of the patient'. She 'contributed to saving [the patient's] life'. And secondly, East Lancashire, in the light of the NMC ruling, has backed down on its demands for legal costs. The NMC report says: 'The consequences could have been considerably more serious if she had taken no action it is the opinion of the investigations team that there has been no wrongdoing on the part of Nurse Harris.' She has, it adds, 'no case to answer'. Little wonder, then, Leona, 48, was celebrating with Nick yesterday. 'When I got the news I'd been cleared, all I could do was cry. The relief was overwhelming. This had taken up more than four years of my life. It still doesn't seem real.' But what exactly can explain why all this happened? For while the NMC says the case against Leona is closed, questions are very much open when it comes to East Lancashire's handling of the affair. The NMC report, for example, highlights evidence where statements were changed, with the effect of making matters worse for Leona. It acknowledges that neither the patient Leona saved nor the doctor who treated her at Blackburn was interviewed by the trust for its disciplinary investigation. Dr Badal told the NMC that she was a highly skilled nurse and helped save the patient's life. And the NMC report contains evidence that the trust also neglected to interview 11 witnesses who supported Leona. Let us go back to the fateful night to tease out what went wrong. Leona remembers introducing herself to the patient, who was rushed to Blackburn after losing the pregnancy and collapsing at home. 'She was absolutely terrified. Initially, her vital signs suggested she was OK. 'But it's a 30-minute journey to Burnley, and as time went on I just knew things weren't right. She was pale ashen. I know from experience that young people's systems will compensate for loss of blood until they just crash.' It was an emergency transfer, and Dr Sarin had told Leona: 'Go now, just go.' In the rush, the patient's notes were left behind. And, it has now emerged, the blood had not actually been prescribed although it matched the patient's. Leona knew that changing the patient's blood bag without the prescription meant she was technically breaking the rules. She has always admitted it. But, she says: 'This was an emergency. Saving her life came before paperwork.' From the outset, though, managers at the East Lancashire trust took a very different view. Some time earlier, her nursing team had been merged with another to form an acute care unit. The NMC report quotes statements from other nurses claiming there was a 'culture of bullying'. After the transfusion, Leona was told by her boss she would have to do a day's training, and could then resume her normal duties. 'I had no problem with that,' she says. But it was only the start. Another manager told her she had to write a 'reflection' on the incident. 'I just wrote an account of what happened,' says Leona. But she was told this was 'not good enough', and that she had to admit that what she had done was 'unsafe'. Leona complied. 'I decided it was worth it to get back to work. I was feeling beaten. But I thought that would be the end of it.' Instead, she was notified she would face a disciplinary inquiry, and had to stay at home until it was complete. Following a recommendation from the occupational health department, Leona was told by her bosses she had to sign in sick from stress or face further disciplinary action for 'unauthorised absence'. In despair, she lodged a formal grievance, claiming she was being bullied. And in August, Leona faced the disciplinary hearing. Evidence in the NMC report shows statements about Leona by other hospital staff had been changed without the authors' permission. Among them, a description of an earlier incident when another nurse wrongly labelled a blood sample sent to the lab for cross-matching. It was Leona who had spotted the error and put it right but the altered statement made it look as if she had been at fault, suggesting a pattern of carelessness when it came to transfusion paperwork. Another altered statement had a colleague describing Leona as 'aggressive'. But the original, which the author had signed and approved, says no such thing. And an additional statement used at the hearing came from the paramedic in the ambulance on the night of the incident. When she saw it containing numerous inaccuracies she protested via her union. The paramedic even sent an email to divisional nursing director Jane Pemberton, saying: 'Knowing that your trust has continued to use information that has not been agreed by myself has caused [me] stress and upset ... Leona was professional throughout.' The trust gave Leona a formal warning, the first blemish on a perfect service record, threatening her promotion prospects. She was also told to stay off work, until her bullying complaint had been dealt with. It was rejected in December, nearly ten months after the incident. According to evidence cited by both the NMC and the employment tribunal judge, the senior matron handling the bullying grievance was instructed by the human resources department not to talk to any of the 11 witnesses who Leona said would support her. Leona says: 'I think what really made them want to get me was the fact I'd alleged bullying. This they could not accept.' Leona was told she could return to work but would have to do either a desk job or work on a lower pay grade. She quit on New Year's Day, 2018, and said in her resignation letter: 'My single aim is to return to the job I love with my employment record restored.' She lodged an employment tribunal case, claiming constructive dismissal, heard over ten days in 2019. The trust sent ten senior managers to attend every day. 'I felt they were there to intimidate me,' Leona says. Some of them, she adds, had no connection to the case. At the hearing, trust witnesses admitted statements had been changed, but could not explain why. They also claimed the reason there was no statement from Dr Sarin, who treated the patient in Blackburn and thought Leona did nothing wrong, was that he would not co-operate with their investigation Above all, the trust criticised Leona's insistence that faced with a similar emergency she would do the same again. This meant she had a 'lack of insight' into her actions and was therefore 'unsafe'. Christine Pearson, the trust's director of nursing, later gave the same reason for the complaint to the NMC. The tribunal ruling went against Leona. In January, she was granted a full appeal hearing, to be heard later this year, on the grounds that the ruling was legally 'perverse'. Leona worked hard during the Covid crisis. The NMC took statements from many of her Fairfield colleagues, who praised her skills and dedication. One patient, who lost her son in a neighbouring ward while she was herself being treated, said: 'Leona was my angel who saw me through the worst time in my life. She was so good and kind she never stopped.' Somehow, Leona found the energy to raise the money for iPads in her spare time. 'I did the fundraising because it needed to be done,' she says. 'But I didn't only do it to help the patients. I did it to help myself, because it was a distraction, and because I found it so rewarding.' Just as she developed Covid, she was told that her former trust had referred her to the NMC the fourth inquiry she had to face. 'The tears I shed, it felt like a constant battering,' says Leona. 'And I was so weak, I could barely get out of bed.' But it was also the turning point. The NMC found that Dr Sarin was unaware of the earlier inquiry and endorsed her actions wholeheartedly. Changing the bag had been an 'appropriate course of action', he said. 'If the patient had continued to suffer from a loss of blood, there would have been a risk of cardiac arrest.' In his view, despite the absence of paperwork, if Leona had not acted as she did, 'then this could [have been] considered neglect'. The patient, who had also not spoken to the trust inquiry, told the NMC she believed 'Leona was responsible for saving her life'. The NMC found not only had Leona done the right thing, but 'if it is accepted that [she] acted appropriately, then it follows that it would be difficult to criticise Nurse Harris for displaying a lack of insight by stating she would do the same again'. It added: 'It would be difficult to level any form of criticism of her.' And the woman she saved? 'Tell me she couldn't put the fresh blood up because she didn't have a piece of paper?' she says. SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BairesDev, a leading technology solutions company based in San Francisco, has been declared a winner in the 2021 edition of The Business Intelligence Group's Excellence in Customer Service Awards, which celebrates companies that provide a superior level of customer service. The company has been hailed as Organization of the Year as well as Outsource Partner of the Year in the Large company tier due to the outstanding customer service it has offered throughout the highly challenging 2020. BairesDev has shown a strong performance in the customer service department throughout the last couple of years, with 93% of the company's clients reporting a highly satisfactory experience. This achievement is a direct consequence of the company's commitment to delivering high-quality solutions and support for all its clients. "For all its challenges, 2020 proved to be a fantastic year for BairesDev, a year in which we strived to deliver elite customer service and value every single day" said BairesDev's CEO and Co-Founder, Nacho De Marco, "We have always embraced a customer-first philosophy and winning this award is a sign of our ability to continuously do so, even in the face of the harshest market conditions." BairesDev is now a global leader in the software development industry, offering high-quality delivery of custom software solutions for organizations of all sizes. With a constantly growing team made by the Top 1% of IT Talent, the company's expertise in managing distributed teams across the Americas has helped it build a solid reputation as a custom technology solutions provider with superior customer service. The Excellence in Customer Service Awards are granted by a panel of experienced judges that evaluates each nomination's value and relevance as well as their performance according to a proprietary and unique scoring system developed especially for The Business Intelligence Group. This award is yet another accolade for BairesDev in 2021, a year that already saw the company being recognized as one of the Fastest-Growing Companies in California in the Inc. 5000 Regionals as well as being named Most Outstanding Leader in Software Development at the 2021 Corporate Excellence Awards. This strong start of the year is a continuation of the incredibly successful 2020, in which the company was awarded multiple accolades by prestigious organizations, including Inc. 5000, Best in Biz, The San Francisco Business Times, CEO WA, American Business Awards, Comparably, and several others. For more information visit the 2021 Excellence in Customer Service Awards complete winners list. About BairesDev BairesDev is a leading technology solutions company based in San Francisco. By employing only the Top 1% of IT talent, our company is able to build tailored-fit development teams and provide fully customizable end-to-end solutions for startups, middle-market businesses, and more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies. Some of BairesDev's most notable clients include Google, Rolls-Royce, Pinterest, EY, SiriusXM, Motorola, ViacomCBS & Chime, among others. With a team of over 1,300 experts in practically every technology imaginable, BairesDev continues to expand its operations to the rest of the globe. No matter the project, there is always a common philosophy: to innovate and simplify in order to make the highest quality software in the most efficient way possible. For more information, please visit www.bairesdev.com SOURCE BairesDev Related Links https://www.bairesdev.com angsha INCORRECT Sybil rode alerting the soldiers. CORRECT Sybil rode, alerting the soldiers. alerting for alerting Hello,. What is the source of the question, if you do not mind my asking? In my view, the OA is flawed, but the rest of the answer choices all have their own problems. At a barebones level, (C) is saying that Sybil rode alerting the soldiers. I see the tag "Gerund" above the question, but the -ing phrase here is not a gerund, since it is not acting in the capacity of a noun. Rather, the phrase is a typical modifier, and a comma would make the difference between a correct and an incorrect sentence:I am happy to see new questions on the forum, but I think they have to be scrutinized to ensure that they are what they seem, and this one appears a little off to me. ((A) and (B) have verb tense issues, as does (D) in, while (E) is not idiomatically sound in saying that the girl rode.)I hope you can provide a source. Thank you for posting, and good luck with your studies.- Andrew_________________ (Newser) A tense standoff between the Kremlin and the US ambassador to Russia seems to have been averted, at least for the moment. After the United States imposed sanctions last week on the country over hacking American federal agencies and interfering in the 2020 presidential election, including via the expulsion of nearly a dozen Russian diplomats, Russia returned the favor, expelling 10 US diplomats and banning top officials like Attorney General Merrick Garland from coming to Russia. One person who wasn't officially kicked out, however: US Ambassador John Sullivan, who instead had it suggested to him by a Putin foreign policy aide that he head back to DC to talk with US officials, Axios reported Monday. "Sullivan's view," however, per the outlet, "is that if Putin wants him to leave, he'll have to force him," according to sources "familiar with [Sullivan's] thinking." story continues below Over the last day, Sullivan's thinking appears to have shifted. Now the State Department says the ambassador will be heading back to the States, though it stresses it's only a brief trip home, and that he'll head back to Moscow "in the coming weeks," per Axios. "I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington," Sullivan, who became US ambassador during the Trump administration, is quoted as saying by a US Embassy spokesperson, per Radio Free Europe. He added: "Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year." Axios notes President Biden is "handling a complicated and increasingly dangerous situation": In addition to the sanctions, the relationship between the US and Russia has been further strained by Russia amassing troops along its border with Ukraine and Crimea, as well as the apparently deteriorating health of dissident Alexei Navalny. (Read more Russia stories.) , 2021 12 2001 2008 2005 -, , , Law Day is held May 1 every year to celebrate the role of law in American society and to deepen understanding of the legal profession. Asked about Law Day this year, Craig M. Boise, dean of Syracuse Universitys College of Law, sees special significance: I think the events of just this year have illustrated how important the rule of law is. We saw an attack on the U.S. Capitol by people who would have overturned the results of a valid election. That was a wake-up call for people to realize we tend to take for granted the system that we have, where we believe that the law is supreme. Its more important than an individual, than an individual leader, that we have a system of law. Law Day celebrates that and hopefully draws attention to it outside of the community of lawyers. The rule of law is a fragile thing, and it can be lost. Even up until recent years, the U.S. has been an exporter of the concept of rule of law. The ABA (American Bar Association) has a project that works to implement the rule of law in other countries and develop sound legal rules. Its important that all of us inform ourselves about issues and that we participate, particularly in our local governments. Thats the kind of involvement with the law and development of policy that can draw people together because its local. I think that people should be involved and understand that its on us to preserve the democracy that we have. The pandemic has canceled the Onondaga County Bar Associations annual Law Day program. However, the association is streaming a Facebook Live interview with Anthony Ray Hinton at 5:30 p.m. April 29. Hinton survived 30 years on Alabamas death row and was freed in 2015 when it was proven he was wrongly convicted. The program, part of the Bond, Schoeneck & King series on Race and Justice, is free and open to the public; details are at www.onbar.org. Were you in leadership roles growing up? Not particularly. I was always involved in some pursuit, whether it was the school spelling bee or writing competitions or public speaking competitions, but not many leadership roles. I was treasurer of my high school chapter of the Future Farmers of America. Does that count? (Laughter) I grew up in Holt, a small farming town, about 50 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri. Growing up, I think I was mostly learning, observing, and absorbing a lot of things that have become useful. My aunt and uncle have a cow-calf operation in the Sandhills, west of Broken Bow in Nebraska. I spent every summer from junior high through high school on the ranch. One of my cousins married into a big farming family there. I was branding calves, fixing fences, riding horses, combining wheat, and running irrigation systems. Hence the interest in the Future Farmers of America. What lessons did you learn from those ranch and farm experiences? Definitely work ethic. I was surrounded by hard-working farm people. The work had to get done. Youre not afraid of hard work and long hours lets put it that way. That comes in handy for any leader, because leadership jobs are not 9 to 5. It involves a lot more. Walk me through college and your path to Syracuse. I didnt have a clear idea of what I would do after high school. A lot of my classmates went into the military or went straight to work the Ford plant or that kind of thing. A lot of kids did not go to college. I ended up going to college but not in an agricultural line. I had been playing the piano since about second grade. In a high school piano competition, one of the judges came up to me afterward and invited me to apply to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where he taught, to study piano. So thats what I did. I was a piano performance major for a couple of years, and then I ran out of money. I came from a very modest background. I did a couple of jobs. I worked in a warehouse briefly in Kansas City, and I worked for a law firm as a messenger. At that job, I met a paralegal who was a reserve officer in the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. One day she said: You really ought to think about applying to the police department. Theyre hiring. I applied, and I became a police officer. That was in 1986. I went through the Academy. Thats where I got interested in law. We had to learn Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment cases, criminal statutes, and so forth. I really did well in that area. I was in the department for five years. I was a field training officer, training new recruits. The last couple of years, I was on the SWAT team as a sniper. The last three years I was in the department I finished my undergraduate degree. I changed to political science with an idea of going to law school. In 1991, I left the department and went to law school at the University of Chicago. I clerked for a year after law school in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit for the Hon. Pasco M. Bowman in Kansas City. Then I went into practice, briefly in Kansas City, and then in New York at a couple of big firms. I got my masters degree in tax law at NYU while I was working in New York. My young family and I decided to move out of the city. We moved to Cleveland, where my wife was from and where I had relatives. I worked in a firm there for about three years before I got a call from one of my law school classmates who was teaching tax law at Florida State. He said: I know youve been doing high-level tax work, and were looking for a tax professor at Florida State. Would you be interested in applying? I had never considered teaching, but it made me think that I might want to pursue that. He and I had a number of conversations about what was involved with teaching, about the writing and publishing and so forth. In 2003, I went on the market and was hired by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. I taught at Case Western for six years. Then I was recruited by DePaul University in Chicago to head up their graduate tax program. I went to DePaul in 2009. I was there for two years and then ended up taking the dean position that came open at Cleveland State University in 2011. I was there for five years and came here in 2016. Whats your advice to lead effectively? For me, whats been helpful is to remember a few C words. The first C is consultation. As a leader, you cant be so arrogant as to think that your thought processes cant be improved by ideas and the input of your leadership team and the people we serve. Seeking that counsel, consulting with your team, reinforces your leadership, because people will appreciate that you respect the knowledge and ideas that they bring. The second one would be building consensus. When I make difficult decisions with high stakes, the wisest path forward is generally one that would be agreed upon by at least a plurality of those that I consult. Seeking consensus will also provide a built-in basis of support as you begin to implement and communicate that decision. Once youve made a decision, I think it becomes critical that you effectively communicate not just the decision, but also the rationale for the decision. Its important for key people to hear from you directly about what youre planning to do rather than through the grapevine. Its important that people know about that in the appropriate order. For instance, its much better that the chancellor hears about a decision Ive made from me directly than from a student or a faculty member. It conveys the respect that you have for peoples roles within the organization. And then I think the final C is to be prepared to correct course. Its inevitable that youll make a mistake at some point or youll overlook something. Its important to own that and correct course as necessary. What qualities do you see in good leadership and in leaders you admire? A good leader needs to be able to listen and I mean really listen to a range of perspectives. Listen carefully to what people have to say and let that marinate. The best decisions really require the ability to listen and not simply jump in and say, heres what I think we ought to do. My dad always would say your judgment is no better than your information. I dont even know what context he first said that to me, but it stuck with me over decades. Its so true. One component of poor leadership is making leadership all about yourself. Leadership is others trusting you with decisions about the direction and goals of the organization. You need to honor that trust by putting the well-being of the organization and the people in that organization first. If its just about you, I dont think youre going to be a successful leader. What attributes do you see in ineffective leaders? It comes back to not doing those four Cs. The leader that just doesnt listen. You can talk to that person and you realize theyre not really listening to hear you. Theyre already on to how theyre going to solve the problem or address it. One of the big failures that a lot of leaders have is in communication. I read The Chronicle of Higher Education. You see almost daily high-profile examples of where communication breakdown has led to a serious problem or a scandal or anger. Its impossible, I think, to over-communicate. What do you think employees need from their leaders? I think that people want to know that, first of all, somebody sitting in that CEO chair or the dean chair is competent, that they understand the business or the organization. Its very important that people are confident that the person whos leading knows the operation and has a vision for where the organization can go. People need to know that youre not just going to sit in the chair, but that you have some plan for moving the organization forward. It comes back to these basics. People need to feel that theyre heard and that their interests are accounted for in how the organization moves forward. They want to be consulted in the execution of that. They need ongoing communication, so they know they will not be left in the dark. Tell me about a time when your leadership was tested and how you handled it. I dont think that Ive had a more difficult set of leadership challenges than those that have been presented by the pandemic. Im an avid sailor in my spare time and dealing with issues of providing a legal education in the time of COVID-19 is like navigating in the dark without clear, reliable markers and no sense of where youre going. The pandemic created enormous challenges on a personal level for students, our staff, our faculty. All of these folks were dealing with the impact of this on themselves. And thats something that we needed to attend to as an organization. We needed to make sure that our people students, faculty, and staff were able to be OK in the course of this. And, of course, many lost loved ones. Theres a great deal of stress created by the conditions, the isolation, especially for students who are social and for whom being social is a big part of higher education. So, along with that, we had the logistics of mounting an educational program in the midst of shifting health mandates, strained fiscal resources, a great deal of general angst. It was one difficult decision after another. When you got to a point where you had a consensus around the decision, then the underlying assumptions changed, so, it was back to the drawing table. Last summer, our senior leadership team was meeting very frequently on a range of things. What is our fall semester going to look like? How do we do what we need to do? How do we account for the need to do something remotely? But also recognize that, particularly our first-year students, its very difficult to start without even being in the presence of faculty members. Then we had to respond to limitations. We could only use about a third of our space, so we had to prioritize that in some way. We ended up prioritizing the classroom space we had for our first-year law students. Of course, that made other students angry that they werent having that in-person experience, such as it was with masks, socially distanced and all. How do we facilitate faculty trying to manage a live classroom and accommodate the students who are not comfortable coming in person because of a particular health risk? We had to hire student assistants to help faculty members with the people who were Zooming in because they couldnt monitor both at the same time. There were a host of issues. How do we administer exams? We have exams that are proctored. Students come into a room, and theres a proctor. How do we do that when nobodys in a room and are we going to do these exams remotely? Hows that going to work? Thats a taste of the range of decisions that we had to address and also trying to feather in our decision making with what the university was doing, because of course that is a big relevant factor. We couldnt have done all that without consultation, consensus, communication, and in some cases course correction. You already had some experience with innovative online programs. Right? We were the first law school in the country, and were still one of only a handful, to develop a hybrid online JD program making use of the virtual classroom. We did that before COVID forced a lot of schools into that. We were also the first to develop a hybrid online joint JD MBA program. We admitted the first cohort of students in the virtual classroom in January 2019. It had taken some time to get approval from the ABA to do that. The ABA currently has a limit of 30 credit hours of online as part of the 90 credit hours that go into a law degree. And we had to go through a pretty lengthy process to get the program that we developed approved so that we were able to launch it. This past year, we ended up helping a lot of other law schools and their faculty pivot to the online space because of the experience we already had there. For us, its all about innovation and moving legal education into the 21st century. One recent example is when we launched an innovative pipeline program with three partner HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) to expand opportunities for students of color to pursue a legal education. The program is with Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. So youre experienced in leading innovation and change. Whats your advice for a leader to spark innovation and entrepreneurship in an organization? When we talk about being entrepreneurial, an entrepreneur is someone who creates a new business, bears most of the risks, and enjoys most of the rewards. Not everyone is by nature entrepreneurial. But I think most everyone is down for enjoying the rewards. And I think thats kind of the key to getting the people in your organization to think entrepreneurially. I really subscribe to Steve Jobs philosophy: Why would we hire really smart people and then tell them what to do? I think that my job is to free the people that work with me to leverage their own skills, knowledge, and imagination to move the whole enterprise forward. If you dont set that tone, people are afraid to take risks, and you wont see innovation and you wont see entrepreneurship within the organization. It doesnt happen by accident. You really have to cultivate that. I think it begins with letting people know that you have faith and confidence in what they bring to the table and that you want to see them use that. Youre not trying to stifle their creativity. The weekly Conversation on Leadership features Q&A interviews about leadership, success, and innovation. The conversations are condensed and edited. To suggest a leader for a Conversation, contact Stan Linhorst at StanLinhorst@gmail.com. Last week featured Karen Sammon, former CEO of PAR Technologies near Utica. NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Apart from being the CEO and founder of Lions View Development, Josh Aryeh also devotes his time to charity work by visiting sick and underprivileged children. His non-profit organization, Smiles Through Cars, aims to brighten the lives of the youth by dressing up as Batman. To this day, he has visited over 25,000 children and seeks to impact the lives of 1 million people with his team of volunteers. CEO, Founder & Superhero (PRNewsfoto/Josh Aryeh) Josh had a fascination with exotic cars. He had the chance to drive luxury cars because his cousin was a member of an exotic car club. One day, a parent humbly requested him to give a girl with cancer a ride. After coordinating the surprise with her parents, he successfully pulled off his first act of kindness. This life-changing moment prompted him to start his mission to change the world one smile at a time. Unfortunately, Josh's sister died at 18. It was a devastating blow to the whole family, especially for Josh. Despite the tragic event, he never wavered and continued his vocation. He started a movement and encouraged men and women from across the country to volunteer and dress up as superheroes to serve kids in hospitals. "Their strength, courage, belief, and determination amaze me. I always tell people that kindness is something that everyone can afford to give." In 2015, he partnered with the Triple Five Group. They use the American Dream Destination, The Mall of America, and the West Edmonton Mall in hosting private events for children with their families. Aside from disguising as Batman, Josh also started focusing on bullying due to the increasing cases of bullied children and suicide. "I was a victim of bullying until the age of 16. I wanted to do something about it." In 2019, he met Hersh and noticed that people were making fun of him. Without hesitation, Josh introduced himself and they connected. Soon, he discovered that Hersh was a victim of bullying and lived a tough life. Josh served as a beacon of hope for Hersh while overcoming his fears and doubts. With Josh's help, Hersh now has a full-time job, gained more self-confidence, and is a volunteer for the anti-bullying division that Josh has added to his organization. CONTACT: Kim Peterson www.zavomedia.com 707-278-6742 [email protected] About ZavoMedia Group: ZavoMedia Group is an NYC-based full-service public relations agency. We are experts in brand management and digital media. ZavoMedia works with small businesses, startups, entrepreneurs, and individuals to help them to become a recognized expert in their niche. ZavoMedia's team of professionals have encompassed a massive amount of experience in managing communications. We are hands-on with every client and work to develop a strategy distinctly crafted to meet your needs and business goals. Our focus is on increasing your brand's awareness, affecting your bottom line, and creating a lasting impression on your customers and target audience. SOURCE Josh Aryeh Related Links https://www.smilesthroughcars.com Longford Councillor Uruemu Adejinmi recently participated as a keynote speaker in an online training programme for migrants who are interested in running in the next local elections. The session took place as part of the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme being run by the Immigrant Council of Ireland. The newly launched programme is aimed at giving potential candidates from a migrant background insights into what is involved in running an election campaign, how to strengthen local connections, and practical information on canvassing and communications. Taking place last Tuesday (April 13), Fianna Fail Councillor and member of Longford County Council, Uruemu Adejinmi delivered the first keynote session of the programme. She shared details of her own political journey, her experience in running in local elections and her tips for migrants who are considering getting involved in local politics. Commenting on the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme to date, Teresa Buczkowska, Integration Manager at the Immigrant Council of Ireland, said: Migrant participation in politics is a vital element of integration. It is really important for people of migrant backgrounds to know that they can be involved in Irish politics whether that is through exercising their right to vote, or becoming actively involved with a party or campaigns they care about. It is also important for wider Irish society to have diverse political representatives reflective of the society we live in today. We are running the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme to provide clear information for participants on what is required to run and manage an election campaign. We are delighted that we have 18 participants from all over Ireland enrolled in the training and interested in running in the 2024 local elections. We look forward to supporting their growth and education over the coming weeks. Commenting on her involvement in the programme, Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi said: I was delighted to participate in the first session of the Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme, and share my experience as a migrant in the political arena. I became involved in politics because I wanted to be in a position to influence policies and highlight issues for minority groups in the community. It is a privilege to work for my constituents in Longford and affect positive change in society. For people from a migrant background who are considering entering into politics, it is important for them to know that it is possible if I can do it, so can they. The importance of representation cannot be understated. The Migrant Electoral Empowerment Programme will continue over the next five weeks with a number of local councillors from migrant backgrounds sharing their experiences and expertise. The programme is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Lough Ree Access for All Boat hailed as life changing for wheelchair users Lough Ree Access for All has officially welcomed the arrival of a specialised passenger boat to their Ballyleague-Lanesboro shores. UN chief highlights key role of ASEAN in finding peaceful solution to Myanmar crisis Xinhua) 10:57, April 20, 2021 UNITED NATIONS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Monday for leaders in Asia to bolster efforts towards finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in Myanmar, highlighting the key role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in this regard. Speaking during a Security Council meeting on cooperation between the world body and regional and sub-regional organizations, the top UN official underscored the relationship with ASEAN, underlining the bloc's important role in diplomacy, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. "Today, ASEAN's role is more crucial than ever as the region faces an urgent crisis in Myanmar," Guterres said. In this regard, UN cooperation with ASEAN is vital, the secretary-general said, as the situation requires a robust international response grounded in a unified regional effort. Guterres told the Council that his special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, is in the region and stands ready to resume dialogue with the military and others. The Security Council debate, held online, focused on an issue which the secretary-general said has been a key priority since he took office four years ago. Cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations has "grown exponentially" since its founding in 1945, he said, encompassing areas that include preventive diplomacy, mediation, counterterrorism, peacekeeping and promoting human rights, but also combating climate change and now the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN chief provided examples of this partnership across several continents, showcasing how working together can support countries to manage complex political transitions and find sustainable solutions to political challenges. In Sudan, for example, the UN supported the African Union and Ethiopia in facilitating negotiations which led to the establishment of the transitional government. "As we continue to support Sudan in its efforts towards democratic governance and an inclusive society, our collaboration remains essential," he said. The secretary-general said strengthening UN partnerships with regional and sub-regional organizations is integral to his vision for "a networked multilateralism." Despite the pandemic, he convened heads of regional organizations for a virtual dialogue last November, to shore up collaboration during crises. "I am committed to pursuing an even closer engagement to promote confidence-building and dialogue, in conflict prevention, management and resolution," he said. "We can only address our world's current and future challenges, including those exposed and heightened by COVID-19, through ambitious and coordinated multilateral action," said Guterres. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) (Natural News) The Department of Defense is slated to release a report on unidentified flying objects (UFO) that defy explanation, according to John Ratcliffe, ex-Director of Intelligence under former President Donald Trump. In an interview with Fox News on March 19, Ratcliffe hinted at what the Pentagon may disclose as part of an order contained in the Senate Intelligence Committees Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This act was included in the $2.3 trillion COVID relief bill that Trump signed into law last December. Ratcliffe revealed that military pilots and satellites detected many UFOs that engage in actions that are difficult to explain. He explained that such objects made movements that were impossible with current technology, such as traveling faster than sound without creating a sonic boom. He notes that analysts always try to explain an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) the Pentagons official term for a UFO by checking first if it is a weather anomaly or a piece of technology developed by Americas enemies. But there are many sightings that defy explanation, which he states the Pentagon may finally disclose to the public on June 1. I think that that information is being gathered and will be put out in a way that the American people see, Ratcliffe said. When asked where UAPs were seen, he told host Maria Bartiromo that sightings occurred all over the world, many of which remain classified. He went on to state that it would be healthy to get much of the information on UAPs out. In fact, Ratcliffe bared that he wanted to make a report on UAPs before he left office in January. But he was not able to convert the report into a declassified format. What the bill says the UFO report should contain A committee comment included in the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 requires the Pentagon, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other concerned agencies to produce a report on UAPs within 180 days of the legislations enactment on Dec. 27. According to the bill, the report should include a detailed analysis of UAP data collected by pilots, sensors and satellites. The report should also contain a detailed analysis of FBI data, which was taken during investigations of UAPs that intruded into U.S. airspace. Additionally, it should have an assessment of whether these activities could be attributed to U.S. enemies and whether they posed a threat to national security. Christopher Mellon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, said the bill appeared to be calling for an unclassified, all-source report. Consequently, its now fair to say that the request for an unclassified report on the UAP phenomenon enjoys the support of both parties in both Houses of Congress, he told the Debrief in January. Assuming the Executive Branch honors this important request, the nation will at long last have an objective basis for assessing the validity of the issue and its national security implications. This is an extraordinary and long overdue opportunity, he added. (Related: Are the recent UFO disclosures setting us up for a mass deception of epic proportions?) Nick Pope, who investigated UFOs for the U.K.s Ministry of Defence, also welcomed the order and said that it was proof of how seriously UAPs are being taken in the intelligence community. But he reminded that it remains to be seen whether the report would contain highly classified information. Questions remain about what the report will say and how much can ever be made public, given the highly classified nature of some of the material, but this is a step in the right direction, he said. News outlet Military noted that the UFO report would contain a classified supplement. Visit Truth.news to uncover the shocking secrets the government wants to keep hidden forever. Sources include: WND.com NYPost.com Military.com Georgian poet and artist Zurab Rtveliashvili, celebrated for his performances in Sweden where he had gained asylum in 2010, died in a Tbilisi clinic on Tuesday after a month-long illness at age 54. PEN Georgia, a union of Georgian authors and poets, reported the death of the artist - admitted at the Aversi Clinic with blood clot last month - along with local media. Winner of the 2012 Voloshin International Creative Symposium, Rtveliashvili published poetry collections and saw his plays staged at Stockholm's Teater Giljotin. In 2015 he was named Performing Poet of the Year at the Stockholm Museum of Ethnography after a show involving the Georgian with Iranian Sufi musician Kave Sharifi. In 2018 he was one of the Georgian literary personalities showcased in the country's Guest of Honour programme for the Frankfurt Book Fair, and was hosted in events introducing the Georgian scene to readers in Leipzig. Born in 1967 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Rtveliashvili later represented the "generation of post-Soviet artists that have radically changed the vector of Georgian literature" (Georgian National Book Centre). His published works included Irection (1997), Apocriph (2001) and Anarchy (2006) in Georgia and Dictatorship of Poetry (2016) in Sweden. The latter also earned the Saba Literary Award for Best Poetry Collection in his home country after its release in 2018. The poet also featured in the 2009 documentary At the Top of My Voice. SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, today announced that it will report its first quarter 2021 financial results on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 and will host a conference call and webcast that day at 4:30 p.m. Eastern / 1:30 p.m. Pacific to discuss its financial results and recent highlights. To access the conference call and webcast, please register at the link below: http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/6480598 Upon registering, each participant will be provided with call details and a registrant ID. Reminders will also be sent to registered participants via email. The live webcast of the call and slide deck, may be accessed here or by visiting the investors section of the company's website at ir.invitae.com . A replay of the webcast and conference call will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the company's website. Following prepared remarks, management will respond to questions from analysts, subject to time limitations. We encourage our shareholders and those representing them to send in questions to [email protected]. About Invitae Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com. Contact: Laura D'Angelo [email protected] (628) 213-3369 SOURCE Invitae Corporation Related Links www.invitae.com Gov. J.B. Pritzker has activated 125 members of the Illinois National Guard to assist Chicago police in anticipation of a verdict in the case of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree unintentional murder. Jurors are in the second day of deliberating a decision in the case against Derek Chauvin, who is charged in the death of George Floyd last year. Larger cities have started preparing for potential protests over the verdict. Major Hein Thaw Oo from the Myanmar militarys 99th Light Infantry Division recently went AWOL from his army base in Meiktila, Mandalay region, to join anti-junta protesters in northeast Shan state. He is the highest-ranked known military defector who has rejected the army amid bloody crackdowns on demonstrators and other civilians in the aftermath of the militarys coup on Feb. 1 that overthrew the democratic government of country leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Hein Thaw Oos division is notorious for its involvement, along with the 33rd Light Infantry Division, in the brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state in 2017, which left thousands dead and drove 745,000 others out of the country to Bangladesh. He says that several military officers and soldiers from his outfit want join the protests and civil disobedience movement against the military regime. But they are unable to defect because they have been offered financial incentives and other economic opportunities both legal and illegal to remain loyal to the army. He also says that senior officers exercise tight control over soldiers' families. In an exclusive telephone interview with Washington, D.C.-based reporter Khin Maung Soe of RFAs Myanmar Service, Hein Thaw Oo discusses why he turned on the military and what protesters and the parallel government must do to remove the junta. The Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. RFA: Why did you decide to leave your military post without permission? Hein Thaw Oo: The new officers who were appointed recently are pretty corrupt. They oppress the staff below them no matter how upright they are. If you are upright, it's certain that you will never get promoted. By the time you become a major in the military, you have been there long enough to know them pretty well. They use all kinds of tactics to make sure such officers dont quit. When you get to a high-ranking level, they are pretty concerned that you might betray them, so they offer you all kinds of opportunities, even though low-ranking soldiers are starving and barely surviving. In which other countries are soldiers forced to eat the bark of a banana tree? They take action against low-ranking military officers for accepting bribes of 200,000 or 300,000 kyats [U.S. $140-210], but they turn blind eyes to the high-ranking officers who take in 300 million kyats or as much as one billion kyats. The military guarantees that an officer can resign after 10 years of service, but [in reality] they dont allow anyone who wants to resign to leave. They give the excuse that an officer is required to own a house in order to resign. Its unpractical because those in service on the front lines cant afford to buy a house on their salaries. All the officers resort to corruption and take bribes as they continue their service. I decided that I could not continue that way any longer, so I left. RFA: What do you think about the military coup? Hein Thaw Oo: They [the military] always have plots for coups. They are not new. Military leaders are afraid of letting their power go. RFA: Were you aware of their plan for the recent military coup? Hein Thaw Oo: Yes, I was. RFA: Since when did you know about the plan? Hein Thaw Oo: I saw it coming as early as 2015 before they transferred the power to the National League for Democracy. I heard more revealing information in the last two years. RFA: What kind of information? Hein Thaw Oo: Before the [Nov. 8, 2020] election, the commanders of Special Command Division of the Ministry of Defense, who are of the lieutenant-general rank, toured military command divisions across the country. They lectured soldiers about the consolidation of intra-military unity. It is a topic they have frequently spoken about before. They asked them to make sure that none of the military units broke away no matter what the pressure was from outside elements. As I reflected on some of the speeches they had given before the elections, I knew that a military coup was coming. RFA: Whats needed for the Spring Revolution, as the protest movement is called domestically, to succeed? Hein Thaw Oo: There needs to be unity among ethnic armed groups. There is unity among the people in their minds, but it cannot be implemented on the ground. Thats because there are informers and spies among the people. The unity of the people must be formalized. There is a common motto among world armies that a soldier needs to know about his enemy and about himself. If you fight a battle without knowledge of these two, then you will lose. If the civil disobedience movement continues, there could be less need for outside aid. But if it fails, there will be greater need for outside aid. If you are going to do something, you have to make plans, keeping in your mind your potential losses and gains. Otherwise, more and more lives will be lost. You need to elect a good leader and follow the leaders guidance. In a war, whoever survives the battle will write its history. RFA: How do you assess the strength of the Myanmar military? Hein Thaw Oo: Among the infantry soldiers, some are fighting the battle on the front lines, while others are not going to the front lines. There are many soldiers who are not familiar with battle. They might be able to fire a gun, but they wont hit the target. At most, there are only around 200,000 soldiers who can skillfully fire a gun. But, in the end, the decisive factor for winning a battle is not the guns. It is the artillery and the operations behind them. RFA: If the plan to establish a federal army goes forward, what are the chances that Myanmar soldiers will defect and join the new force? Hein Thaw Oo: If that is the case, then it depends on how much of a guarantee they have for security for themselves and for their families. The majority of soldiers want to take the side of the righteous organization, but they are locked up in the incentives. They are prevented from doing so by fear. They are also hampered by deeply rooted beliefs. They also worried for their families. They are afraid that their families might be punished for their actions. Some are given wealth, possessions, and positions to stay. If the plans for a federal army succeed and the organization is successful, then it will erase their fears, and they will join it in droves. If the opposing sides can establish a free territory or a base in a city, then we will see divisions within the military. RFA: Are there other officers and soldiers in the military who are considering leaving without permission? Hein Thaw Oo: Yes, there are, and they might be thinking about the routes they will take. RFA: Will you work with the newly formed National Unity Government? Hein Thaw Oo: It depends on what happens next. If they need me, then I am willing to help them. Reported by Khin Maung Soe for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Burma Myanmar Mother Prays for Tortured Daughter Ma Khin Nyein Thu Myanmars regime has been killing and detaining those who oppose military rule. On April 17, as Myanmar marked its new year, junta forces detained six people from No. 4 Ward in Yankin Township, Yangon. The military-run media reported that arms, including homemade bombs, were seized with the six detainees. It broadcast photos suggesting they had been badly beaten. The Irrawaddy interviewed Daw Hla Hla Soe, the mother of one of the detainees, Ma Khin Nyein Thu, 31. How was Ma Khin Nyein Thu held? I dont live with my daughter so I only know what her neighbors told me. Police and soldiers arrived on Saturday night and searched homes in their neighborhood. My daughter and five others were detained. What is Ma Khin Nyein Thus stance? It is like many other people. She is demanding democracy. We heard Ma Khin Nyein Thu studied abroad. When did she arrive back in Myanmar? She studied in the UK for around five years, specializing in performance art. She arrived back nearly seven years ago. The Myawaddy and MRTV channels suggested they had been severely beaten. What do you want to say about it as a mother? I didnt watch the broadcasts. But I can feel what she is going through now. I am a Christian and I believe in God. I am praying for her. I dont expect much but I want her to live. I am praying for all of them to be saved by God. What do you want to say about the torture? It is unacceptable. I heard that they were sent from Yankin police station to the Shwepyithar detention center, which is a tough place. They may suffer there. After interrogation, I heard they will probably be sent to Insein Prison. I wish they will be released and receive medical treatment. I wish God hears my prayers. My thoughts are with the suffering hearts of other parents. If you didnt see the broadcast, have you seen your daughters face? I saw her at the police station on April 18. One of her friends informed me about her abduction. I couldnt go out that night due to the curfew. So the following day, I waited outside Yankin police station. I saw her coming out with two police officers. I shouted to her and as she turned around and I saw her face. I felt her pain. She could not walk well. I heard the torture is tougher in Shwepyithar and I fear she is suffering now. I dont want to see the photos. My daughters home is close to the police station so I rushed there whenever I heard she was being transferred [to Shwepyithar]. Had Ma Khin Nyein Thu already been tortured at the police station? Her face was quite swollen that morning. I could only see her from a distance. She could only walk slowly and her face was swollen. They were transferred on Sunday afternoon. She called me from the police station, saying they would be transferred to Insein. But I heard they were sent to Shwepyithar. I went to Insein Prison on Monday and was told they werent there. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Regime Orders Dismantling of Mausoleum to Slain Democracy Protesters Myanmar Regime Steps Up Arrests of Doctors as Strike Movement Takes Toll Villagers Flee Heavy Fighting Between KIA and Myanmar Military Philippine Coast Guard personnel are seen in rubber boats as they sail near ships believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia at Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea, April 13-14, 2021. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he would dispatch military ships to the South China Sea if Beijing began drilling for oil and minerals in territory that Manila claims in the disputed waterway. Duterte made the comments amid criticism that he has done too little to stop China from expanding its claims in the potentially mineral-rich maritime region, and following a controversy about more than 200 Chinese ships moored at Whitsun Reef and other waters in the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ). I already told the Chinese government, Im not so much interested now in fishing. I dont think theres enough fish really to quarrel about, Duterte said in a late-night address on Monday, referring to Beijings claim that its ships at the Whitsun Reef were fishing boats. I am addressing myself to the Chinese government. We want to remain friends, we want to share whatever it is. But when we start to mine, when we start to get whatever is in the bowels of the [South] China Sea, then by that time I will send my gray ships there to state a claim. That you can be sure of, Duterte said, according to official transcripts, which were released Tuesday. The Philippine president said Manila would act if any other country started exploration activities in the area. If you start digging for oil, [or] nickel there, [or] precious stones that would be the time because that is the time that we should act on it. In March, Manila filed a diplomatic protest with Beijing after Philippine security forces spotted what they described as 220 Chinese militia ships near Whitsun Reef, a shoal in the contested Spratly Islands. As of the first week of April, 44 of the Chinese ships remained near that location and showed no actual fishing activities, Manila had said. Last week, a government task force said that 240 Chinese Maritime Military ships were lingering in different Philippine-claimed areas of the South China Sea. Since then, there has been no official update on the Chinese presence, but a Philippine security official told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on Tuesday that some Chinese ships were still in the area of the reef, which China also claims. On April 13, Manila summoned Beijings envoy to Manila, Hung Xi Lian, over the continued presence of the Chinese ships. On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila and Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond publicly to Dutertes remarks. The president is perceived here as being soft on Chinas intrusions in Philippine territorial waters in the sea since he took office in 2016. After years of soft-pedaling on the issue, Duterte in September declared that a 2016 international arbitration courts ruling in favor of the Philippines claims in the South China Sea was beyond compromise. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea as its own, but five other Asian governments Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have territorial claims in the waterway. 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. Friendship with China will lead nowhere Duterte has often said that the Philippines stood no chance if war broke out with China over the South China Sea. Enforcing claims in the waterway would end in conflict, he reiterated on in his late-night speech. The issue of the West Philippine Sea remains to be a question forever until such time that you know, we can take it back. For me, the only way is by war, Duterte said, using the Philippine name for the South China Sea. There is no way that we can get back the Philippine Sea without any bloodshed. Dutertes comments appear to indicate that he has given up on the Chinese presence in disputed waters, according to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, a leading voice in the opposition. My colleagues in the Senate, military officers, business groups, fisher folk, civil society organizations, and numerous individuals have strongly condemned Chinas aggression in the WPS. But he could not even begin just to condemn them? Hontiveros said. No one was urging war, and the Philippine constitution explicitly renounces it, she said, but this did not mean giving up on the countrys rights. We should not accept a president who thinks the only way out of this dispute is through war, Hontiveros said. So if a war he cannot wage is the only way he can think of to confront China, then that betrays the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the highest office of the land. Besides, acquiescing to China on the disputed waters simply to prevent bloodshed would only lead to more losses for the Philippines, said Manuel Cabochan III, a member of the House of Representatives. Friendship with China will lead nowhere. The harassment of our fishermen and our soldiers has intensified, he said. The Philippine should not be silent to the abuse of China. We should be the one more confident to assert our rights, especially with the backing of a favorable arbitration ruling. Other countries in the South China Sea have been standing up to China in asserting their sovereignty, the lawmaker said. But there is no war, and in fact, their economic relations continue, Cabochan said. Duterte is just using that threat of war as a ruse for being a lapdog of China. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. [April 20, 2021] UnitedHealth Group Donates $30 Million to Increase Health Care Access for Underserved Communities Across Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans, a UnitedHealth Group company, is donating $30 million to increase access to health care and support communities on the Western Slope and across Colorado. The donation includes a $25 million contribution to the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation to fund STEM education among young women and people of color as well as other programs across the Western Slope. An additional $5 million is being used to establish the "Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado Fund" in partnership with the Colorado attorney general's office. The fund will support nonprofit organizations that provide mental health support and services, and opportunities for youth. "Addressing youth mental health was a top priority of the attorney general's office before the pandemic - and is even more urgent after its impact. This $30 million investment in education and mental health for young Coloradans has the power to change the lives of thousands," said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office helped facilitate contributions to several nonprofits in Colorado. "I am pleased to partner with Rocky Mountain Health Plans to support youth mental health, increase healthy outcomes, and decrease the use of the criminal justice system to address behavioral health challenges - now and in the future." The focus of the investments will meet identified needs across the state. America's Health Rankings, which offers a state-by-state comparison of public health measures, underscores the opportunities for Colorado to improve teen mental health, including addressing teen suicide, as ell as high school graduation rates. "This donation reflects Rocky Mountain Health Plans' long-standing commitment in Colorado. We are honored to work with Colorado's leaders to address the urgent challenges we face, such as the need for better access to behavioral health care. We are committed to creating opportunities for all Coloradans to achieve their full potential," said Patrick Gordon, CEO of Rocky Mountain Health Plans. "This investment will significantly strengthen the resources and impact of the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation, whose mission we share." Rocky Mountain Health Foundation will disburse the $25 million to community partners addressing critical needs and supporting the health of the underserved. An additional focus will be on investing in STEM education for women and people of color in an effort to grow and diversify the future health care workforce. The donation will ensure the foundation has the resources to support organizations that advance its mission for years to come. Aligned with UnitedHealth Group's long-term commitment to advancing health equity, the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation awards grants to programs and services that improve conditions for marginalized, socially, or economically disadvantaged people. "This remarkable donation paves the way to do more good things on the Western Slope," said Pat Riddell, chair of the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation. "We are very grateful and look forward to partnering with Rocky Mountain Health Plans and UnitedHealthcare to connect people with the programs and services they need to live healthier and happier lives." Initial grant partnerships formalized and funded with the $5 million Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado Fund include: $1,800,000 to three Corps of the Colorado Youth Corps Association: Mile High Youth Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, and Western Colorado Conservation Corps, to provide a new criminal justice diversion program promoting employment, education, mental health support and service opportunities for youth. $1,500,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado to expand programming and serve more youth across the state. $500,000 to Sources of Strength to expand access to youth suicide prevention programs in schools. $400,000 to The Center on Colfax to support career counseling and empowerment for LGBTQ young adults, as well as mental health services. $400,000 to The Place to increase stability and support for youth experiencing homelessness in El Paso County. About UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter (News - Alert) . View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005352/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ROME, APR 20 - The government is set to hold a fresh meeting with Italy's regions on Tuesday on easing COVID restrictions and 'reopening' the country starting on April 26. The meeting will be preceded by a session of the government's scientific and technical committee (CTS). On Wednesday or Thursday there will be a cabinet meeting on the issue. Eleven regions plus the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano are hoping to go into a low-to-moderate COVID risk 'yellow zone' when restrictions are eased on Monday April 26. The COVID positivity rate in Italy is a still at a relatively high 6%. Schools are at the centre of the debate. Among the ideas for reopening next Monday are staggered timetables, boosting school transport and saliva tests. The CTS is expected to rule on pushing back a curfew from ten o'clock to eleven o'clock or midnight and on vaccine passes. Nationalist League party leader Matteo Salvini said Tuesday that "we will propose a curfew at 23:00; on reopenings we are halfway through the job, and limiting them to open-air activities seems useless to me". Italy has passed 11 million people who have had at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. (ANSA). NEWAYGO COUNTY, MI A man accused of shooting a woman in a home late last month was extradited from Tennessee to face charges of assault with intent to murder, state police said. A 43-year-old woman was critically in the shooting, which happened around 2:20 a.m. March 29 on Fox Drive in Newaygo Countys Grant Township, state police said. The victim, airlifted to a Grand Rapids hospital by Aero Med helicopter, is in stable condition. Levi Daniel Hubler, 26, formerly of Belmont, was arraigned in Newaygo County District Court on two counts of assault with intent to murder, three counts of felony firearms, discharge at a building causing serious impairment and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, state police said Monday, April 19. He was living in Hixson, Tennessee, when he was arrested. Several shots were fired from outside the home, hitting the victim inside, police said. Police did not disclose any relationship between the victim and suspect but said the shooting was not believed to be random. Read more: Whitmer visited her father in out-of-state trip Steelcase CEO announces retirement We want to see them shut down, protesters say of Kalamazoo bar accused of drink tampering Truck drivers organized under the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union staged limited actions and pickets this past week at the Port of Los Angeles to demand the rehiring of workers fired in December 2019 and an end to the classification of drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. Los Angeles port drivers on strike (Twitter/@Teamsters) For just one hour on Wednesday, truck drivers were joined by several dozen dock workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to halt traffic at the Yusen Terminal by refusing to service trucks targeted by the Teamsters. On Monday, a smaller group of fired truck drivers picketed in front of Universal Logistics Holdings (ULH) to demand their jobs back. Despite the fact that truck drivers were fired in retaliation for seeking to unionize 15 months ago, the Teamsters leadership is only now staging token Hollywood strikes, focusing workers attention instead on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which recently ruled that ULH had in fact violated several federal labor laws. The Teamsters are working overtime to isolate the truck drivers from hundreds of other workers, who are going on strike across the country. Truckers at the port have powerful allies in the working class throughout the country, who are also entering into struggle. Truckers at Boeing in Seattle, Washington voted this week to go on strike after refusing a concessions contract that would fail to meet rising living costs. Meanwhile, Boeing executives are raking in millions in stock options while receiving bailouts from the CARES Act passed last year to inflate the pockets of the ultrawealthy. Similar developments are taking place at the Port of Montreal in Canada where dockworkers voted overwhelmingly to reject another sellout contract by the Maritime Employers Association. Workers there have been subjected to work speedups with the threat of slashed wages in light of cargo buildups at the port. Elsewhere, nearly 1,300 steelworkers at Allegheny Technologies Inc. in the Northeast US are in their second week of striking against steep concessions on raises, health care and pensions. Also, 1,100 coal miners on strike at Warrior Met in central Alabama have just rejected a sellout deal brokered by the United Mine Workers, in favor of continuing their strike. Truck drivers and dockworkers across the country are demanding increased protections, sanitation and financial assurance throughout the pandemic, which the port authorities have all but ignored while dozens of their coworkers have passed away due to COVID-19. In March, port truck drivers in Los Angeles also filed a complaint with Cal/OSHA [Californias Occupational Safety and Health Administration] to investigate the lack of a COVID-19 prevention program at Container Connection, another subsidiary of ULH. Dockworkers at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19 with record numbers of infections and deaths throughout the pandemic. Since the beginning of the year, over 700 dockworkers have contracted the virus. Another 60 have been infected at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. This winter, California was the center of the pandemic in the country, reporting over 35,000 confirmed cases every day, with Los Angeles alone seeing over 10,000 daily infections. Nationwide, at least a dozen longshore workers have already died this year. Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles is seeking to clear up a huge backlog caused by record imports. Ships at the port sit at anchor for up to eight days on average. Consumer spending has drastically increased compared to the first months of the pandemic, but the cargo pileup is also a direct result of the impact of the virus on workers. Eugene Seroka, executive director of the Los Angeles port, reported last month that nearly 1,800 dockworkers were currently not working either due to self-isolation because of limited contact tracing or awaiting test results. Many are staying at home out of fear of contracting the virus. Weve got more cargo than we do skilled labor, Seroka said. This places truck drivers and dockworkers in Los Angeles and Long Beach in a powerful position. Moreover, they have worker allies across the country that can come to their aid. But the unions at the ports are doing everything they can to prevent a serious work stoppage so the capitalists can keep making their profits. Last year, workers carried out wildcat strikes at the NASSCO site in Norfolk, Virginia in April in response to the death of an engineer and multiple positive cases of COVID-19. The NASSCO shipyard employees demanded that General Dynamics and BAE Systems, a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company, provide workers with personal protective equipment (masks, gloves and hand sanitizer) in addition to a coronavirus safety plan. Similar strike action took place at the Bath Iron Works in Maine, with 4,300 workers walking off the job last June. The strike emerged over low wages and cuts to health care, with an overwhelming majority of workers voting to reject the demands of General Dynamics for the expansion of outside contract labor. As workers mobilize to halt the emergence of a fourth wave of the pandemic, they are increasingly coming into direct conflict with the trade unions, which have actively collaborated with the companies to maintain production whatever the cost in infections and human lives. The WSWS encourages all dock, shipyard and other port workers to contact the Socialist Equality Party and begin forming rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the unions and democratically run by workers themselves, to oversee safety conditions and organize collective action against the sacrifice of human life for corporate profits. These committees must link up with autoworkers, health care workers, teachers and other logistics workers in a nationwide general strike to close all nonessential production to protect the lives of the working class. Three years ago, when art teacher Dezarre Boone arrived at Edison High School, she set out to advocate for a struggling department and its students. A lot of them. Shes one of three art teachers and has seven classes a day, about 32 students per class. The pandemic changed that to 10 in-person students, the rest learning remotely. Theyve struggled with technology, as have others, but many of her students didnt have laptops or internet access before the coronavirus. That makes for one positive outcome from the pandemic. Boone, 25, Mexican American and a San Antonio native, worries leadership at all levels doesnt truly know students like hers and what they face. Its one thing to know theyre in a low-income Title 1 school eligible for U.S. Department of Education aid, such as free meals. Its another to learn the flour in their pantries cant be used to make salt dough to bake Day of the Dead calaveras. Its too precious a commodity. Theyre overwhelmed, Boone said. Theyre living through trauma. Some of them got COVID-19, as did their parents. Some students dropped out, and some continued to work while in high school. Despite this, some did exceptionally well and are college bound. Some are in the running for a national art competition sponsored by an iconic shoe brand. Boone, who holds degrees from Our Lady of the Lake University and Boston University, comes from a family that includes artists and spiritual healers. Her late grandmother was a painter and tarot card reader whose clients included a young, not-yet-famous actress named Salma Hayek who traveled to the citys West Side to get her cards read. Like so many other teachers, Boone reaches into her own pocket to pay for classroom supplies, from snacks to sketch pencils, always in demand. She has taught painting with tea bags and coffee as pigment. The schools art students produced a 72-foot mural on campus inspired by Van Goghs Starry Night. It was a runner-up in Artpaces Chalk It Up contest. The majority of the schools students are Mexican American and most are Spanish-speaking, but they dont know a lot about their own culture, save for watching Coco. But they understand San Antonios tourism is built around it. Theyve worked or visited downtown and the River Walk. They may not frequent museums, but know that our culture keeps the city running, Boone said. A great many of her students are Latino boys, whose graduation rates are troubling. Theyre night owls, most creatives are, she said. Art is their escape at the moment. While searching for potential grant funding for Edisons art department, Boone found a contest by the popular shoemaker Vans. Open to schools nationally one design per school Edison students produced various designs, and 16-year-old Rogelio Zamarripas image of a Fiesta and Spurs-inspired design was selected. That deadline landed during San Antonios February snowstorms, creating challenges, but Edison made the 250-school cut. Edison then received five pairs of white canvas shoes from Vans. Nine students participated in designing them. Two pairs, including Rogelios, were submitted to the competition. His design has pop art and Fiesta vibes and features the Alamo on the left shoe and the River Walk on the right in Spurs vintage pink, teal and orange colors. Fifty pairs nationwide are competing in this last phase, and the public will get to participate in voting for their favorite. That website hasnt been set up yet. Five finalists will be announced May 17. The company will consider public input in selecting winners. Three schools will win $15,000 for their art departments, and one will get the top prize of $50,000. The company isnt promising, but theres a possibility the wining shoe will be mass produced. Rogelio is hopeful. He recently won $1,000 for the winning Fiesta medal design for the temp agency VIP Staffing. It will be mass produced. Even if it doesnt win, Edisons art department has lots of plans, Boone said. They want to revitalize its ceramics program and get its kiln repaired. They need a professional camera to compete in contests and a printer to produce large-scale banners, which will essentially create a print shop. The department is working on creating a dual-language art class. Boone is also hunting for more student competitions. Since art isnt a core subject thats tested, contests are the only way to show results. Rogelio is dreaming, too of more arts supplies. eayala@express-news.net SUV FWD CVT 4WD The debut of the Nissan Pathfinder model series took place about 35 years ago. Its first iteration had a timidly progressive kind of design wrapping a fairly traditional technical configuration: ladder chassis, longitudinally mounted engine, switchable 4x4 transmission with transfer box, and low range, with available manual and automatic gearboxes.The second generation was launched in 1995 and had a unibody structure, yet the transmissions concept was of the same type. In evolutionary terms, the model's lineage was interrupted by the first generation of the Nissan X-Trail, a decidedly modern SUV (unibody configuration, transversely mounted engine, transmission without low range).Later, the Pathfinder name was kept in the brands registry to describe a rather heavybuilt from 2004 according to the traditional concept: body-on-frame layout, non-permanent 4x4 transmission, and low range included. Actually, this Pathfinder was a close relative of the contemporary Nissan Navara pickup. The fourth generation of the Pathfinder came in 2012, changing everything once again with its modern unibody design, comfort-oriented functionality, and limited off-road abilities.In fact, its technical platform (-based,transmission) was also used for the Infiniti QX60, Nissan Altima, Maxima, Quest, and Murano. This generation was modernized twice, in 2014 and in 2017. There are only two certain aspects to mention regarding this evolution, from its beginning to present day: there's no way to get bored because it featured surprising radical changes and, from the customers' point of view, it was as baffling as it could be.What does the Pathfinder name have to tell? It tells that the car should be able to find paths in a savage land. Trying to do something like this using an FWD, road-oriented SUV equipped with a CVT transmission would be a big mistake. Well, it looks like somebody at Nissan figured that out, so the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder adopts a technical configuration better suited to the message given by its name.Jared Haslam, vice president, Product and Services Planning, Nissan North America, confirms the idea. Thirty-five years after the launch of the original model, Pathfinder has returned to its rugged roots, loaded with the benefit of everything learned along the way. Rugged roots? That's a bit too much to say. Even if the new design of the 2022 Pathfinder makes you think it is the direct successor of the 2005 Pathfinder (body-on-frame, low range, etc.), thats not really the case.The technical platform under this promising appearance is still FWD-based, with a transverse engine, and it has the same wheelbase as the previous model. The V6 engine was also carried over (3.5 liters, direct injection, 284 hp, and 259 lb-ft/351 Nm of torque). But the big steps forward are: getting rid of that CVT in favor of a 9-speed automatic transmission provided by ZF and adopting the all-new Intelligent Nissansystem with a 7-mode Drive and Terrain Selector.These modes are called Standard, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut, and Tow. The name of the one you engage is displayed as a pop-up notification on the meter cluster. The 4WD system features direct coupling, allowing for torque transfer directly on the clutch pack using oil pressure. This function emulates what a classic lockable coupling would do, allowing for a confident and accurate start in low-grip conditions.Attitude matters, and now we know that the 2022 Pathfinder has (almost) all that matters for fans of holiday adventures; it is also discretely larger. Equally important is the fact that its design contains references to cars known to be part of the off-road genre. The new Pathfinder looks a bit like a smaller Nissan Armada, while its dynamic profile might bring a hint of Land Rover Discovery; both of those are upscale references. There are no blingy ornamental details to mention, whether on the exterior or interior.Inside, the contours of the dashboard are rather simplistic but definitely not square. The virtual instruments cluster (optional, 12.3 inches) and the multimedia touchscreen (9.0 inches) on the center console give the feeling of advanced tech always being at your service. In fact, it is not just a feeling: NissanConnect, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all four trim levels, which are called S, SV, SL, and Platinum.The Platinum trim is equipped with a 10.8-inch head-up display. Also available are a wireless smartphone charging pad, WiFi hot spot function, Bose Premium Audio with 13 speakers, NissanConnect Services powered by SiriusXM, Nissan Door-to-Door Navigation, and Intelligent Around View Monitor. All versions of the 2022 Pathfinder are equipped with Nissan Safety Shield 360, a pack of advanced assistance functions including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, and Rear Automatic Braking. The Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Driver Alertness, and Rear Door Alert are also standard, while Blind Spot Intervention, Intelligent Lane Intervention, and Traffic Sign Recognition are optional.Ten airbags are standard. Among the available options, you'll find a 10-way power driver's seat, climate controlled front seats, Tri-Zone Automatic Temperature Control with 2nd row climate control, and heated rear seats. To make the choice easier, two equipment packages are available: SV Premium and SL Premium.Up to 7 or 8 passengers can be accommodated inside on three rows of seats. For the first time on the Pathfinder, the second row may consist of captain's chairs with a no-tool-required removable center console. The second row bench seat offers a one-touch release fold/side with push-button activation from both the driver and passenger sides, while the 60/40 split-folding third-row seat provides maximum flexibility for carrying passengers and cargo. With the third row of seats folded, the trunk volume reaches 45 cubic feet (1,274 liters). Folding the second row will raise the volume to 80.5 cubic feet (2,265 liters).The expected price range goes from $30,000 up to $50,000. Definitely, the 2022 Pathfinder wont be the bargain kind of SUV, yet it may come with very attractive price/equipment versions and with a tempting premium-flavored design. Life for its competitors, which include the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot, for instance, wont be as easy as it used to be. Presidente @FSagasti: Con el zarpe de la PIAS Ucayali, a traves del BAP Curaray, demostramos que con esfuerzo es posible llevar a las comunidades del pais, todos los servicios necesarios para que los ciudadanos ejerzan sus derechos plenamente. pic.twitter.com/pOyDrhgXY8 Indian aviation regulator on Tuesday allowed foreign-registered aircraft, which were grounded in the country since the March 2019 fatal crash of such a plane in Ethiopia, to overfly India after taking the agency's permission. Moreover, foreign lessors are allowed to fly their grounded 737 Max aircraft out of India after taking the regulator's permission, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) order said. On March 13, 2019, all planes were grounded in India by after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max plane on March 10 near Addis Ababa which had left 157 people, including four Indians, dead. The regulator said on Tuesday it would issue "special flight permits" to fly 737 Max plane "to a base for storage, repairs, alterations or maintenance". Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been modifying the 737 Max plane since March 2019 so that various countries' regulators, including the DGCA, permit its passenger flight operations again. The stated Tuesday that the ban imposed on March 13, 2019 would not be applicable on foreign-registered 737 Max plane that want to overfly "the Indian airspace". However, such a plane must have the permissions from "regulatory authority of the state of registry" as well as the DGCA. The second provision of DGCA's order said foreign-registered 737 Max plane, currently grounded in India, can conduct "operational readiness flight" followed by "ferry flight outside India" after taking permission from the Indian regulator as well as "regulatory authority of the state of registry". The second provision will allow foreign lessors to fly their 737 Max planes, currently grounded in the country, out of India. On March 13, 2019, SpiceJet had to ground 12 Max planes, forcing it to cancel a significant number of flights on that day as well as on the next day. Jet Airways also had five Max planes in its fleet but they were already grounded as on March 13, 2019, due to non-payment of dues to the lessors. A month later, the full-service carrier had shut down its operations due to lack of funds. In March 2019 itself, the 737 Max plane was banned by the regulators of almost all the countries, including India, in the world. The March 10, 2019, incident near Addis Ababa was the second in a period of five months. In October 2018, a 737 Max plane operated by Lion Air had crashed in Indonesia killing 180 people. On 737 Max plane, European Union's Aviation Safety Agency had expressed concerns about the requirements of pilot training as well as on malfunction of "angle of attack" system, which triggered an anti-stall system linked to the aforementioned two crashes. ISIS executes Coptic businessman in Egypt, sends message to 'all crusaders in the world' Church, family mourn death: 'A saint in the highest places of heaven' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Islamic State-linked terrorists killed a Coptic Christian man kidnapped in November and two others in Egypt, as Christians and those who support the Egyptian army continue to face terror in the Sinai region. A 13-minute video circulated by Islamic State media platforms Saturday showed Nabil Habashi Salama, a 62-year-old businessman and member of Egypts minority Coptic Orthodox Church, being shot in the head by a terrorist in the desert. A video screenshot showed Salama kneeling with his head down as the three militants stood behind him holding rifles with their faces blurred out. As for you Christians of Egypt, this is the price you are paying for supporting the Egyptian army, a militant was quoted as saying in the video. The released video also showed two young Sinai tribesmen being shot and killed in the desert by masked militants, who accused them of fighting alongside the Egyptian military, according to Agence France Presse. The militants used the video to send a message to "all crusaders in the world," Egypt Today reports. "As you kill, you will be killed, and as you capture, you will be captured," a militant was quoted as saying. On Monday, Egypts interior ministry confirmed that it killed the three terrorist elements linked to the Coptic mans execution after an intense firefight with security forces. A search is on for other suspected members of the terror cell. The statement said the suspected terrorists had plans to carry out terror operations against homes and Coptic houses of worship, according to AFP. The ministry noted that security forces found a suicide belt and hand grenade in the militants possession. A group affiliated with the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. Even though Salama has been missing since November, Middle East Monitor reports that Salama stated in the video released over the weekend that he had been held by the Islamic State-linked Wilayat Sinai group for three months. He claims to have been charged with the crime of building the only church in Bier El-Abd in North Sinai. Salama stated that the militants accuse the Coptic Church of collaborating with the army. Salama was abducted in broad daylight from northern Sinai in November 2020, and captors demanded a ransom of 5 million Egyptian pounds (about $318,000), according to the United Kingdom-based nonprofit watchdog group Christian Solidarity Worldwide. According to the organization, Salamas family owned jewelry and mobile phone businesses in Bir Al-Abed and built the towns Saint Mary & Anba Karas & St Abanob Church. The Coptic Orthodox Church and Salama's family mourns their loss but celebrates the dedication of his faith until the point of martyrdom. He kept the faith till the moment he was killed. ... The church affirms its steadfast support of the Egyptian states efforts in quelling hateful terror acts, a spokesperson for the Coptic Church said in a statement. In a statement shared by Archbishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Salamas son Peter said, we are currently telling our kids that their grandfather is now a saint in the highest places of heaven. He poured his heart and soul into this church, and always said, do not think that I am building this church for here; I am building for myself a home in heaven, he continued. In their efforts to have him abandon the faith, they humiliated my father and broke all his teeth to torture him. Yet, through all this, he held on, and we are so joyful for him." The son told an Egyptian newspaper that his family fled their homes and closed their businesses after their fathers kidnapping and continued to receive threats. A jihadist insurgency has afflicted the northern Sinai region of Egypt since at least 2011 following the election of Islamist Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi. Extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and Wilayat Sinai have targeted Christians in the region. The jihadist insurgency further intensified in 2013 when the army overthrew the Morsi government. According to Open Doors USA, there has been an increase in violent Islamic militancy in the Sinai region near the border with Gaza, which has led to Egyptian security forces conducting regular operations in the area. In its annual country dossier on Egypt, the watchdog group stated that it is very difficult to control the entire [Sinai] area and the security forces cannot prevent militant groups from attacking undermanned checkpoints and sometimes civilian targets. The Islamic State specifically called for attacks on Christians in Sinai in 2017, calling them our first target and favorite prey. This led to the storming and burning of Coptic homes, the killing of residents and a trend of other attacks against Christians in Egypt. A string of attacks against Christians in early 2017 caused hundreds of Christians to flee North Sinai in fear for their own lives. On Palm Sunday in 2017, bombings of two churches in Tanta and Alexandria killed nearly 50 Coptic Christians and wounded over 100 more. Egypt launched a nationwide military operation against the militants in February 2018, focusing specifically on North Sinai. Nearly 1,000 suspected militants have died in the campaign. Egyptian Coptic Christians were nominated for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their refusal to retaliate against recent anti-Christian acts of violence. This month, religious persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern reported that a driver of a three-wheel vehicle murdered a Coptic Christian woman and her 6-year-old son. Female Christians in Egypt are especially vulnerable since the media stigmatizes women who do not wear a veil. Open Doors ranked Egypt No. 16 on its annual World Watch List of countries where Christian persecution is most severe due to a very high level of persecution. Hong Kong: CE attends Boao Forum Chief Executive Carrie Lam attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 in Hainan and held a number of bilateral meetings today. Mrs Lam attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 opening ceremony in the morning. The theme of this year's conference is A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance & Advance Belt & Road Cooperation. President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech with the theme of Pulling Together Through Adversity & Toward a Shared Future for All via video at the opening ceremony, while Vice President Wang Qishan attended in person. In the afternoon, Mrs Lam attended the Invigorate Development through Vibrant City Clusters: The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a Model session to discuss with participating guests topics including how the GBA can draw on the development experiences of various city clusters around the world, construct a focused area of global innovation and technology (I&T) and emerging industries, and attract talents. She pointed out in her remarks that Hong Kong has unique advantages under one country, two systems and is a highly market-oriented and international economy underpinned by the rule of law, which can complement the advantages of the GBA cities to create synergy. On I&T development in particular, Hong Kong has top-notch capabilities in basic scientific research, and, coupled with the advanced manufacturing technology of the GBA cities in the Mainland, Hong Kong can promote the development of an international I&T hub in the GBA together with other cities. She said Hong Kong can also serve as a talent base in the GBA, leveraging its metropolitan status and attractiveness to entice overseas talents to work in the bay area, thereby enhancing the flow of talents. Mrs Lam also attended the Women Roundtable with women's power and social responsibility as the theme to discuss with outstanding female leaders from around the world how women can take up social responsibility in a better way and participate in economic activities more proactively in the post-pandemic era. The Chief Executive said that whether in Hong Kong or in other places of the world, many of the people who were involved in the fight against the COVID-19 virus in the past year or so were women, making remarkable contributions to public health. She pointed out that through the continued efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, good progress has been made in the promotion of women's development and rights. Mrs Lam said the Government will continue to roll out appropriate support measures to unleash the female labour force, allowing women to give full play to their potential. The Chief Executive had a number of bilateral meetings. Secretary for Innovation & Technology Alfred Sit and Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui also attended some of them. In the morning, Mrs Lam met China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) Vice Chairman Fang Xinghai. Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude to the CSRC for its long-standing support for Hong Kong's financial development, adding that Hong Kong will proactively integrate with the overall development of the nation. She hoped that with the support of the CSRC, Hong Kong will fully leverage its advantages as an international financial centre to contribute to the country's economic reform and opening up in the financial area. Mrs Lam also met State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) Chairman Hao Peng. She thanked the SASAC for its staunch support for the Hong Kong SAR Government for its work to promote the Belt & Road Initiative, including the Belt & Road Summit held every year in Hong Kong and the high-level roundtable conducted earlier this year, promoting exchanges and co-operation between state-owned enterprises and Hong Kong's business and professional services sector to take part in projects of the Belt & Road Initiative. The Chief Executive said the Hong Kong SAR Government will seize the opportunities brought about by the Belt & Road Initiative and continue to give full play to the city's advantages to serve as a vital connection platform under the countrys dual circulation strategy. At a meeting with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun, Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude to him for being the keynote speaker of the 14th Asian Financial Forum held in Hong Kong in January and congratulated the bank for completing its first five years of operation, enabling it to move from the stage of building up to that of expansion. She said the Hong Kong SAR will continue to provide unwavering support for the AIIB's operations including project financing, bond issuance, investment, financial management and foreign exchange management, and will actively participate in the bank's development at its next stage. Mrs Lam also met CPC Hainan Provincial Committee Secretary Shen Xiaoming yesterday and will meet Hainan Governor Feng Fei later today. The Chief Executive told Mr Shen that she was very pleased to travel to Hainan in person this year to participate in the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference. Noting that this year marks the Boao Forum for Asia's 20th anniversary, she wished Hainan's forum this year a great success. Mrs Lam also pointed out that Hainan is an important gateway at the forefront of China's new opening-up era. She said Hong Kong has all along been externally oriented with a free trade policy and a legal system in line with international standards and that the two places can work together to help Hainan enterprises go global. In addition to attending the events of the Annual Conference and holding bilateral meetings in the past two days, Mrs Lam gave interviews to a number of Hong Kong, Mainland and international media organisations. This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. he Lebanese government has said that it will adopt a modern design for the reconstruction of the Port of Beirut, which was badly damaged in the August 2020 twin explosions. Public Works and Transport Minister Michel Najjar has expressed, that Studies on the new port will include all logistic matters and a vision about the port's role in Lebanon and the region with a focus on establishing solid scientific bases for the port's administrative, legal and technical aspects. His remarks came during his meeting with Moscow's Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov and representatives of Russian investment companies interested in the construction of infrastructure projects and the Beirut port. The Russian delegation also expressed a serious desire to contribute to vital projects in Lebanon, most notably the Beirut port's reconstruction project. Earlier this month, German and French companies had also offered plans for the port's reconstruction. Two huge explosions ripped through the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, killing about 200 people, injuring at least 6,000 others and leaving 300,000 homeless. A big part of the Lebanese capital was destroyed in the disaster. Investigations pointed to the roughly 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate left at the port as the cause of the explosions. Germany and India sign accord on cities combating plastic entering marine environment Australia-New Zealand 'travel bubble' started today in pandemic milestone French Prez calls for tough stance against threat of military aggression with Russia In a recent New York Times op-ed, the current head of Planned Parenthood, Alexis McGill Johnson, lays bare their founders involvement with white supremacist groups, eugenics, and the medical exploitation of Puerto Rican women. She calls for a reckoning with Margaret Sangers sins, admitting that Sanger devalued and dehumanized people of color as well as people with disabilities. McGill Johnson then pledges on behalf of Planned Parenthood to fight the many types of dehumanization we are seeing right now. McGill Johnson wants you to know that her claims arent just virtue signaling. She outlines how Planned Parenthood has invested in anti-racist training and developed equity and inclusion standards. She also points out that their senior leadership team is diverse. What she fails to note is that, for all the diversity in their boardroom, each person there shares a key privilege: They were allowed to be born. Its easy to decry the hypocrisy of McGill Johnsonand its worth doing. The reassurance of racial equity is no real victory for aborted fetuses of color. As Alexander DeSanctis points out in National Review, the Planned Parenthood reckoning shows a breathtaking lack of self-awareness. They miss how eugenic assumptionsthat some lucky human beings merit more protection than othersare still alive and well in their organization today. However, its equally important to point out whats right about McGill Johnsons argument. She assumes that dehumanization is wrong and makes clear that systems of white supremacy rob people of not only their rights but of their God-given dignity. In its best moments, progressivism reaffirms that society has a responsibility to correct injustice, pursue fairness, and protect those who are marginalized, weak, excluded, and oppressed. We as a church can clearly affirm these goals as good and even biblical. But we can also call out the fact that pro-choice progressives fail to bring their moral logic to its inevitable conclusion: Human dignity applies equally to women, people of color, those with disabilities, the elderly, and the very youngeven those yet to be born. In a recent editorial, CT makes a related argumentthat although the anti-abortion campaign and the anti-racism movement are often treated as political adversaries, they in fact share the same moral nucleus. Those of us (like me) who are part of the whole life movementcommitted to protecting life from conception to natural endare at times treated by pro-lifers as if we are anti-abortion in name only. Because we complicate the message of anti-abortion groups, some conservatives assume we arent sufficiently committed to protecting the unborn. At the same time, progressives often view us as insufficiently committed to feminism or progressivism. In reality, however, we understand that there is a deep and unavoidable moral link between the various life issues that those on the Left and the Right pry apart. Whole-life advocates understand that once any of us is dehumanized, we all become dehumanized. Once we devalue one group of people, we begin to do the same with others. Dehumanization is a malignancy that spreads. And its always fatal. It always ends in death. Those of us in the pro-life movement would therefore be irresponsible to sneer at McGill Johnsons inconsistency without examining our own. Among some conservatives, theres a movement to decry woke-ism and so-called cultural Marxism. They condemn McGill Johnsons support of abortion but deem her concerns about unchecked white privilege silly or suspect. But ignoring 400 years of dehumanization of people of color is not simply anti-woke, its anti-life. Similarly, painting refugees and immigrants as dangerous or unwanted is not simply pro-American, its anti-life. Article continues below Injustice and inequality beget death. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reveal how problems in American healthcare disproportionately harm people of color, who have higher rates of serious illness and death from the disease. The CDC explains that racism and discrimination shape these factors that influence health risks; racism, rather than a person's race or ethnicity, is a key driver of these health inequities. Additionally, Black men are still disproportionally more likely to be sentenced to death for crimes, particularly if their victims are white. Migrants continue to die while trying to cross the Southern border. And the life expectancy for people of color lags behind white people, a death gap that is likely to increase. These are all life issues. Like abortion, they too point to patterns of dehumanization that lead to death. When we champion the protection of the unborn while ignoring the suffering of other groups, we are guilty of the same moral logic as Planned Parenthood. McGill Johnson feels an apparent moral obligation to reckon with the way her organization has mistreated groups of marginalized people. As Christians, we should applaud her for this. We should honor this impulse and pray she follows it to its natural conclusion by affirming that destruction of life is wrong in all its forms. We should also make this argument often and out loud: According to the very logic of progressivism, the dehumanization of the unborn is wrong. But we as a churchat the very leastneed to be as introspective and repentant as Planned Parenthood and seek to embody moral consistency where they have not. We cannot pick and choose which kinds of dehumanization are acceptable. Dehumanization is dehumanization. And dehumanization is always death-dealing. We must combat it in any form. Until we do, the church cannot be a truly alternative spiritual and political community, nor can we be truly pro-life. Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America and the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary and Prayer in the Night (IVP, 2021). By Kim Bo-eun A sign is seen in the corridor of the Financial Services Commission's office at the Seoul Government Complex in central Seoul. Yonhap EastEnders fans were left utterly horrified during Monday's show after Kush Kazemi's long-awaited exit from the soap saw him murdered by Gray Atkins. In explosive scenes Kush was hurled into the path of an oncoming train by a deranged Gray, after he vowed to have girlfriend Whitney all to himself. After a tense confrontation, Kush helped Gray escape the train by pulling him off the tracks, only for the serial killer to enact his plan by pushing him in front of the train. RIP: EastEnders fans were left utterly horrified during Monday's show after Kush Kazemi's long-awaited exit from the soap saw him murdered by Gray Atkins (pictured) Viewers have seen Gray (played by Toby-Alexander Smith) descend into madness in the belief that Whitney should be with him, after murdering his wife Chantelle and Tina Carter last year. Kush (Davood Ghadami) and Whitney (Shona McGarty) were planning to leave Walford so he could flee the authorities after confessing his involvement in a bank heist. But as the pair waited for their train, Kush's son Arthur said he needed the toilet, and once he and Whitney left the station, a hooded Gray suddenly emerged from the shadows. Dramatic: In explosive scenes Kush was hurled into the path of an oncoming train by a deranged Gray, after he vowed to have girlfriend Whitney all to himself Despite Kush's vow that he and Whitney would return to Albert Square, it was soon clear he had no intention of coming back to Walford. A furious Gray then shouted: 'You. You are ruining her life. She's everything to me! She's my life!' Grabbing Kush, a violent clash ensued that led to Gray falling onto the tracks with a train hurtling towards him. Despite Kush helping him to safety, the soap villain took his chance, and hurled Kush into the path of the oncoming train, before pulling up his hoodie and walking away as if nothing had happened. Scary: After a tense confrontation, Kush helped Gray escape the train by pulling him off the tracks, only for the serial killer to enact his plan by pushing him in front of the train Escape: Viewers had hoped that Kush and Whitney would escape Walford together, but killer Gray had other ideas Another one? As Gray walked away from the scene as if nothing had happened, viewers were stunned to see him claim the life of another Walford resident It was a death that caught many fans off-guard, as they'd been led to believe Kush would leave Walford to begin a new life with Whitney. Many fans took to Twitter in utter shock to share their reaction, with some demanding that Gray's crimes be exposed after adding yet another body to his kill count. One wrote: 'OMFG NO WAY!!!! NOT KUSH He saved Grays life and that's how he thanks him!!! FFS.' Another added: 'I'm sorry, but they didn't have to kill Kush. They could have just let him move away with Whit and then say they broke up and let Whit come back to Walford. Its just such a waste of a character.' 'Just caught up on tonight's #EastEnders. I just wanna talk to whoever wrote that ending for Kush, I'm not mad, I swear,' a third added. A furious fan tweeted: 'THEY KILLED KUSH ON A MONDAY? A MONDAY? KUSH DESERVED A FRIDAY THIS IS NOT IT.' One added: 'So Gray kills for the 3rd time??? CCTV anyone??' Raging: Many fans took to Twitter in utter shock to share their reaction, with some demanding that Gray's crimes be exposed after adding yet another body to his kill count A viewer also penned: 'I've got a question for the EE writers. What was the actual point of making the domestic abuse storyline if the abuser doesn't get caught?? If the aim was to make Gray a serial killer then did Chantelle really need to die?' Actor Davood finished filming the BBC One soap in early March, and admitted at the time it was 'tough' not being able to embrace his 'EastEnders' co-stars after six-and-a-half years on the show, as a result of social distancing guidelines. Sharing a picture of himself and James Bye (Martin Fowler), he wrote: 'Not going to lie today was bittersweet. I had to say goodbye to some of THE best people I could ever wish to know. 'Not being able to do the usual hugs was tough, though probably for the best as I might not have let go. I'm a very lucky lad. 'Thanks to the ones who made the 6 and a half years so special. You know who you are. The pic might even hint subtly at who one of them is... thanks for the ride (sic)' Goodbye: Davood finished filming scenes for the BBC One soap as Kush in early March, and shared a touching snap with co-star James Bye from his final day on set Davood has since announced he will be joining the cast of Holby City as Eli Ebrahimi, a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon. The news was announced on the Holby City official Twitter and Instagram accounts, along with a picture of Davood in costume, writing: 'Too excited for words! '@DavoodGhadami is joining #HolbyCity as Eli Ebrahimi, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon.; The actor re-shared the post to his own Instagram page, with the words: 'Big News!! So excited [alongside a party face emoji]. I need a doctor, call me a doctor.' EastEnders continues tonight at 7:30pm on BBC One. Shares of Marlboro producer Altria Group Inc. plunged on Monday following a report that the U.S. government is considering a rule that would lower the nicotine content of cigarettes. The Biden administration is mulling a requirement that nicotine be lowered to levels that arent addictive, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The Food and Drug Administration could also move to ban menthol cigarettes, the Journal reported. A small village located on the banks of the Yangtze River, in Sichuan Province, has become known as one of Chinas premier suppliers of ornamental stones, generating millions of dollars in revenue every year. Positioned in an idyllic location, right next to Chinas largest river and surrounded by green, forest-covered mountains, Hejiaba village gets a decent number of tourists every year, but tourism isnt the most profitable local business. That title goes to the collection and sale of ornamental river stones; not the small ones that fit in the pocket as good luck charms, but heavy boulders that enthusiasts all over China pay good money on to add them to their collections. Its estimated that Hejiaba village generates around 20 million yuan ($3.08 million) annually from the sale of this virtually inexhaustible resource. From February to April, when the Yangtze River enters the dry season, hundreds of villagers can be seen combing the banks of the river in search of beautiful, smooth boulders. There are more than 3,000 acres of pebbled river stone beach that stretches for nearly 10 kilometers along the banks, so theres plenty of stone to go around. But finding the most valuable ones isnt easy. What makes Hejiaba river stones so popular among collectors is the interesting patterns some of them feature. Some of these trigger the viewers pareidolia, others have almost geometrical patterns, and others are just nice to look at. The point is that not all river stones are worth selling, and its the job of local stone sifters to pick the ones that will fetch the most money. The stone sifters are usually men over 30 who have been collecting and selling river stones for a while, so they have a good idea of what the market is looking for. They pick the best ones from the bunch gathered by the locals, clean them, sometimes place them on custom wooden racks and then sell them to interested parties, keeping a percentage of the price as commission. It is said that the people of Hejiaba village have known about the beauty of their river stones for several decades, and some even brought the stones to their homes as decorations. But the business of collecting the stones and selling them for profit didnt develop until 2003, when a couple in Niutan Town allegedly saw some of these beautiful stones, took a few back home with them and sold them at the market for a pretty penny. The river stone trade has come a long way since then Some of the most valuable Hejiaba river stones can sell for thousands, even tens of thousands of yuan. One stone, which the owner actually named Difficult Shu Road after the pattern displayed on it, reportedly sold for a whopping 100,000 yuan ($15,400). Chinese media recently covered the unusual business, saying that many of the locals live off the trade, and some have become very affluent thanks to it. Every year, new stones flow down the Yangtze River from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and wash up on the beaches close to Hejiaba village, and each February the locals return to sift through the millions of stones, looking for their next big pay check. As long as the Yangtze flows and demand for ornamental stones remains high, the river stone trade will continue to thrive. Interestingly, Hejiaba is far from the only village on the banks of the Yangtze, but while it does see more stones wash up on its banks than most others, thats not what makes it special. This place has already built a reputation, with Hejiaba stones fetching a premium price compared to other ornamental river stones. [April 20, 2021] MyTelemedicine Receives Inc. 5000 Texas 2021 Award MCKINNEY, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MyTelemedicine has earned a spot on the second annual Inc. 5000 Regional Awards list, ranking in the top 50 fastest-growing private companies in Texas. As other companies were forced to scale back during the COVID-19 pandemic, the innovative telehealth service provider continues to expand its footprint in the virtual healthcare industry. The regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Texas economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. The companies that made the Inc. 5000 Texas 2021 Awards set a high bar, demonstrating leadership and strategic expansion that put them head and shoulders above their industry peers. "We are honored to receive the Texas 2021 Award and be recognized for our achievements in the past year," says Rey Colon, founder and CEO of MyTelemedicine. Colon conceived the vision for the technology-driven venture in 2014, long before the pandemic gave birth to a bevy of telehealth newcomers. In less than five years, MyTelemedicine grew from a small start-up to one of the most prominent players in the industry, earning a string of awards along the way. The company's success was built on its state-of-the-art virtual health technology platform that connects healthcare providers with patients remotely using encrypted, cloud-based technology. Hundreds of hospitals and practitioners nationwide have integrated MyTelemedicine's API into their patient management systems to offer a customized telemedicine experience. Today, the company's flagship technology is used to service more than 3 million members with access to a proprietary nationwide network of physicians for primary and specialized care. The same platform also powrs access to remote healthcare solutions through brands like Access A Doctor, Zeally Health, and GoLexi. "Just as important as our technology and customers are our people," says Colon. "We have worked hard to build a diverse, open, and collaborative environment, where creative and talented people contribute to solutions and services that truly matter." The focus on hiring and developing top quality employees continues to pay off for the telehealth pioneer. MyTelemedicine recently moved its headquarters to a new office space in McKinney, Texas, growing from 5,000 to over 13,000 square feet, and plans to double its workforce from 50 to 100 staff members over the next 12 months, while continuing to expand its office space to accommodate social distancing. Like MyTelemedicine, the companies earning the Inc. 5000 Texas 2021 Award showed stunning rates of growth across all industries in Texas. Between 2017 and 2019, these 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 210 percent. Moreover, in 2019 alone, they employed more than 44,000 people and added more than $9 billion to the Texas economy. "This list proves the power of companies in Texas, no matter the industry," says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. "The impressive revenues and growth rates prove the insight and diligence of CEOs and that these businesses are here to stay." About MyTelemedicine MyTelemedicine is a virtual health platform, powering access to modern remote healthcare technologies through brands like Access a Doctor & Zeally Health. Through its clinically driven solutions, cutting edge technologies & extensive API suite, healthcare providers can manage their patients virtually for common acute illnesses, specialty care & chronic conditions. Currently, MyTelemedicine's flagship brand, Access a Doctor, services over 3 million members nationwide with access to physicians for primary & specialized care. For more information, please visit www.mytelemedicine.com. About Inc. 5000 Inc. magazine's prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the Inc. 5000 gives founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. Media Contact: Kelley Kramer Ph: 469-640-9829 307885@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mytelemedicine-receives-inc-5000-texas-2021-award-301272391.html SOURCE MyTelemedicine, Inc [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Government contractor Kier has sold off its housebuilding arm to private equity baron Guy Hands in a cash deal worth 110million. The construction company announced the deal on Friday, saying it had agreed to sell its Keir Living business to a newly formed company called Foster BidCo owned by the billionaire investor. Hands, the founder and boss of private equity firm Terra Firma who's been living in Guernsey for tax reasons since 2009, said he was 'delighted' to buy the business, which has 'significant growth potential'. Deal: Private equity baron Guy Hands said Kier Living had 'significant growth potential' Private equity firms are infamous for making drastic cuts at the companies they buy and loading them with debt before selling them on for more money. Kier, which has been battling through a turnaround as it struggled to get its debt down, said the sale marked a milestone in its strategy to simplify the business and strengthen its balance sheet. The contractor is known for building schools and roads for the Government. It also recently won an eight-year maintenance contract with Transport for London. Kier Living is its housebuilding division with operations 'across four of the most affordable regions in England' which undertakes the building of 'well-priced, low-rise, mixed-tenure suburban family homes'. The sale will include its land bank of 4,677 plots, which Kier says represent around three years of land supply based on the business delivering around 1,600 homes per year. Kier Living generally acquires land where to build homes through joint ventures. In 2018, it partnered with Homes England and Cross Keys to develop 5,400 homes over the next 10 years. The group said Kier Living's stake in such ventures - which also include one with Cross Keys announced in 2017 in the east of England and one with Together Housing announced in 2016 - will be sold to Hands. 'The Kier Living Group's interest in these joint ventures (and the share of third-party debt) will indirectly transfer to the Buyer on Completion,' the group said in a statement. Kier also agreed to provide 'transitional services for a limited time' after the deal is completed, which include 'shared finance services, shared HR services, procurement services and IT services'. The deal is expected to complete in mid June. 'Affordable' homes: The sale will include Kier Living's land bank of 4,677 plots, which it says represent around three years of land supply Hands is boss of Terra Firma, the firm he set up in 2002, which has inked billions of pounds in deals, including buying and selling Odeon and William Hill. His disastrous takeover of music label EMI and subsequent legal dogfight with Citigroup blew a 1.75billion hole in his fund and almost pulled him under. He also bought the Four Seasons chain for 825million in 2012 before losing control to its largest creditor in 2017. Critics have argued private equity firms are too short-termist to invest in care homes. 'We are delighted to be acquiring the Kier Living business, which operates in the sweet-spot of the housing market, delivering affordably priced homes in areas with strong demand,' he said in a statement on Friday. 'Post-Covid, more and more people are thinking again about where they want to live, with a focus on having their own space, including more bedrooms and outdoor living areas. 'We believe the business, under a new, refreshed brand, has significant growth potential, and can play a critical role in delivering much-needed housing in communities across the UK.' People consuming more lemons for its Vitamin C as it would give immunity against infections like Covid-19. Representational image KAKINADA: Lemon prices are skyrocketing as more people are consuming lemon juice for its vitamin C, which is supposed to build immunity against Covid-19. Unfortunately, yield of lemons in the state has been poor. As a result, their prices have gone up between Rs. 2,500 and Rs. 4,500 per 45-kg bag in wholesale market. Traders say prices of the fruit will remain high for a month. Sources said lemon crop is cultivated over more than 60,000 acres, mostly in Nellore, West Godavari and Prakasam districts. Owing to cyclone and floods occurring thrice last year, lemon crop had got damaged in the flowering stage. Currently, most of the crop is in the growth stage. By the time it comes for harvest, it may be third week of May. At present, size of the fruit coming into the market is small. Yet the price is high. We are not purchasing lemon fruit in large quantities as consumers are buying them in smaller quantities due to high prices. A person who used to buy more than a dozen fruits is now purchasing only three or four lemons. Traders in Kakinada market are getting orders only for 3545 bags per day, as against 100 to 200 bags previously, said R. Gangadhar, a wholesale trader of lemons. Most of the crop coming to Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram is from Eluru. Local traders have also accusing wholesale traders of purchasing the fruit at cheaper prices from farmers and storing them in cold storages, thereby creating an artificial shortage, leading to higher prices. Horticulture deputy director S. Rammohan said lemon crop is being cultivated in Nellore, Prakasam and West Godavari to a large extent and in lesser quantities in East Godavari, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts. He advised farmers to grow the crop wisely based on seasons for getting a good crop and prices. He pointed out that consumption of vitamin C through lemon fruit as well as other fruits and vegetables has increased vastly following a surge in Covid-19 situation. Current 11th graders will not be required to take and pass the MCAS test to graduate during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, following a vote by the state education board on Tuesday. Typically, Massachusetts high schoolers must pass MCAS tests in English language arts (ELA), mathematics and science and technology/engineering (STE) to earn a competency determination (CD) and graduate. Students first have a chance to pass in their sophomore year and can retest in their junior and senior years if needed. But, the pandemic has meant the class of 2022 has not had any opportunities to take MCAS tests in ELA and mathematics. MCAS tests were canceled last spring, when all schools went remote because of the pandemic, and a retest was not available in the fall or winter. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve MCAS modifications for the Class of 2022 proposed by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley. Approval from the board means that current juniors are not required to take the MCAS test. Instead, juniors will be able to receive their competency determination by earning full credit in an approved course and demonstrating competency in that subject. But, juniors who want to take the MCAS this spring or fall to earn scholarships can do so, education officials have said. Education board member Matt Hills said that while the modification makes sense for current juniors, he is running out of room to see where further modifications for MCAS would make sense. I hope this is the end of modifications to MCAS, Hills said. Member Darlene Lombos, however, said she would like the board to further discuss the MCAS test in general and that she doesnt think opinions on the exam need to be within the binary of for or against the test. Jasper Coughlin, a Billerica high schooler and student member of the board, said he thinks the board should have further deliberations about MCAS because genuine concern about the test exists among students. He added that the vote to modify the requirement for the class of 2022 is one thing that shows students that the board cares about them. Additionally, the timeline to administer this years MCAS for students will be extended until June 11 to give school districts more flexibility. And, the test can be administered remotely for families that have opted to stay in remote learning through the end of the school year. Previously, the department already determined that this years MCAS would be shorter for students in grades 3 through 8, who will be tested on only a portion of each MCAS assessment in each subject. Current seniors already had their competency determination modified, and are allowed to receive their CD by passing an approved course and demonstrating competency in that subject. Additionally, Riley does not plan to name any new underperforming or chronically underperforming districts or schools in the upcoming school year based on this years MCAS. Last year, the board voted to modify the science and technology/engineering competency determination requirements for all students in the classes of 2021-2023. Though states under federal law are required to test students annually in math and English in grades 3 through 8 and in one grade level in high school, students in Massachusetts can choose to opt-out of the MCAS. This year, opponents of the test are encouraging families to opt out because of the impact of the pandemic on learning. Related Content: Advertisement A London secondary school rocked by allegations of racism, Islamophobia and transphobia was vandalised with hateful graffiti as pupils returned to class after the Easter holidays, while students who demonstrated against the academy last month have been reportedly threatened with expulsion. Students at Pimlico Academy in Westminster walked out of class and during a protest on March 31 over changes to the school curriculum, the flying of the national flag outside the building and a uniform policy which allegedly discriminated against black and Muslim students. In a bid to calm tensions, new headteacher Daniel Smith caved to the protesters by removing the flag and agreeing to revise his 'back to basics' uniform policy. However, senior management are said to have since taken a hardline approach by threatening to expel students who mutinied. In an email sent last Friday, ahead of students' return to school after the Easter holidays, Mr Smith told some parents they would need to attend a disciplinary meeting with their child on April 19. According to the Guardian, it said: 'Following [child's name] disruptive behaviour on the last day of term, she is required to attend a disciplinary meeting The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the nature of [child's name] disruptive behaviour on the last day of term and to give [child's name] the opportunity to reflect on their actions. 'You should be aware that if [child's name] is found to have committed a serious breach of the academy's behaviour policy and if it is deemed that [child's name] remaining in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of others, consideration will be given to permanently excluding [child's name] from the academy.' Last week, Tory peer Lord Nash, a former government minister who founded Future Academies, and headteacher Mr Smith wrote to parents threatening 'disciplinary action' if there are further protests. Yesterday morning, graffiti appeared on the walls of the embattled school which called for the dismissal of Mr Smith. The messages, which read 'They want to expel the students for speaking out' and 'Expel the racist headteacher', have since been covered over by Pimlico Academy. Male staff members in suits were 'frantically walking around when they saw the graffiti' and were 'stationed outside to stop the kids from revealing what lay under the paper', the Independent reported. However, it is not yet known who graffitied the school or how long the graffiti was visible before it was removed. Hateful graffiti appeared on the walls of Pimlico Academy yesterday calling for the expulsion of Mr Smith The messages, which read 'They want to expel the students for speaking out' and 'Expel the racist headteacher', have since been covered over by Pimlico Academy Headteacher Daniel Smith (left) welcomes pupils back to Pimlico Academy in Westminster on April 19, 2021 Now: The Union flag was no longer flying at Pimlico Academy in London on April 1, the day after a revolt by pupils The Union flag that usually flies outside the school all year round was still up before the protests Daniel Smith, whose students staged a walk-out at the London school in a rebellion against his 'back to basics' policies, was head of Ebbsfleet Academy in Swanscombe, Kent, from 2013 to 2017 Protesting pupils' list of demands presented to the head - and what he has already agreed to A statement purporting to be from the pupil protesters breaks down their 'demands'. An extract from this document is shown below, with changes that headteacher Daniel Smith has agreed to marked by an asterisk and italics. DISCRIMINATION We believe the school has unfairly targeted groups of students. The school should protect marginalised races, religions and other groups instead of target them. *CHANGE, UNION FLAG - Mr Smith has agreed to take down the Union Flag pending a review. Protesters at the school, where three-quarters of pupils are from ethnic minorities - had claimed it was 'antagonistic' and did not represent them. RACISM The academy placed new rules that would punish students with Afro hairstyles, clearly discriminating against Black students. *CHANGE, HAIR POLICY - The new wording still demands that hairstyles are 'conventional' but no longer includes the term 'understated' or references to styles that 'block the view of others'. Students were outraged that there was no recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement or Black History Month. *CHANGE, PSHE CURRICULUM - Mr Smith said the school will change the PSHE syllabus to include a discussion of 'current affairs' - a likely reference to BLM. ISLAMOPHOBIA The academy has faced further accusations of discrimination for saying hijabs must be black but other clothing can be any colour. This challenges young Muslim girls' identity. The new uniform policy includes that 'if students choose to wear a headscarf, it must completely cover the hair'. This is harmful and insensitive towards girls who have just started to wear the hijab or are struggling with it. It is a personal choice which shouldn't be decided by authorities who haven't experienced this. *CHANGE, HEADSCARVES: References to headscarves being 'conventional and understated in style' are removed although the school reinforced its policy that hijabs must be black or blue, in keeping with the school's colours. TRANSPHOBIA We believe the idea of gendered uniform for all students is a ridiculous, backwards ideal. This ostracises non-binary and gender non-conforming students, or those who are struggling with their gender identity. Advertisement The National Education Union, which supported the March 31 demonstration, said 32 members of staff have handed in their notices since September, and remaining staff will ballot this whether to go on strike. MailOnline has approached Pimlico Academy and Future Academies for comment. On April 13, Lord Nash told parents: 'Any repeat of the actions on the final day of term would jeopardise students' education. 'We all need to work together to ensure that this does not happen again and learn the lessons from it. 'We must particularly ensure that our students, your children, understand the consequences of any future disobedience, which will undoubtedly result in disciplinary action.' A second letter on April 15 sent by Mr Smith thundered: 'Any repeat of the actions on the final day of term would jeopardise students' education. 'I need to be very clear that if any students take part in a repeat of such actions, they will undoubtedly face disciplinary consequences.' Pupils, staff and parents alike rallied outside the school on March 31 in protest against changes introduced by Mr Smith after his arrival last September, including banning hairstyles that 'block people's view' and hijabs that are 'too colourful'. Critics claimed this was discriminatory against Muslims and people with Afro hairstyles at the school, where three quarters of children are from ethnic minorities. The outcry at the school was extended to include other policies which were allegedly discriminatory - including changes to the history curriculum to make it more chronological, which protesters said emphasised white kings and queens over BAME figures. The Union flag was removed and burnt by pupils in September before being put back up. However, it was taken down after the March demo and will not be flown again until a review has been concluded - a move condemned by local MPs. Blackpool South MP Scott Benton, a former teacher, said Pimlico pupils needed to 'be taught that disrespecting the flag disrespects us all'. He told the Times: 'The British flag represents all Britons, regardless of age, background or heritage.' MP Tom Randall, a former editor of the Flag Institute's quarterly journal, added: '[The Union Flag] should be a uniting symbol and in that sense those in the school who are calling for it to be hauled down have completely misunderstood what it should stand for and perhaps should be back in the classroom to learn something.' MP for Harrow East Bob Blackman told MailOnline the situation at Pimlico Academy was 'bizarre and ridiculous', adding: 'It is totally unacceptable to have a position whereby the flag of our country is not allowed to fly above public buildings.' Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, said: 'At a time when we are trying our very best to bring the country together after the problems with Brexit and coming out of the pandemic, it is very sad to see that this school feels it appropriate not to support the Union Flag. 'It is a symbol of the UK. It brings all four nations together. We should never forget that. To tear flags down, to say you don't want the flag flying on your building, is very divisive and it is not what we're looking for at this moment in time.' And Craig Mackinlay, representing South Thanet, added: 'The Union Flag should be flown with great pride, with what the country has brought to the world in freedom and democracy. In the US the flag is flown all over the place. I find it very sad that we want to denigrate that in this country.' Mr Smith's new regime was overseen by the school's parent academy chain, which is chaired by the Conservative peer Lord Nash, 72. MailOnline previously revealed that headmaster Mr Smith is a 'disciplinarian' who once had portraits of the Queen and Margaret Thatcher as well as a Union Flag above his desk, according to a former colleague. Mr Smith was vice head of Ebbsfleet Academy in Swanscombe, Kent, from 2013 to 2017. One ex-colleague, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline: 'He is very strict, a head who stands for no-nonsense, but he gets very good results. He had a little man syndrome in his approach.' During his time at Ebbsfleet, Mr Smith insisted that all shoes should be black, and no labels, coloured stitching or laces would be allowed. 'Anyone who'd inadvertently bought shoes such as Kickers before the new term had to cut off the labels and colour in the stitching with a felt-tip pen,' said the source. 'There was absolutely no leeway and anyone who transgressed was internally excluded and sent home for the day.' Students packed out the school playground for the protest on March 31. Many filmed it on their phones The British flag had been removed and burnt by pupils in September before it was put back up. Anti-flag graffiti previously appeared on the school walls saying, 'White schools for brown kids are u mad' and 'Pimlico Academy...run by racists... for profit'. Another slogan used by the protesters 'Ain't no black in the Union Jack' was notoriously used by National Front racists to suggest that people from ethnic minorities were not truly British The sign outside the school, which was defaced with stickers during the protest, was cleaned up the next day Parents and police wait outside the gates of Pimlico Academy on March 31 as school children demonstrate in the playground During his time at Ebbsfleet, Mr Smith (left) insisted that all shoes should be black, and no labels, coloured stitching or laces would be allowed. Pictured right: A poster for the March 31 protest A sit-down protest was held at the school against changes introduced by Mr Smith since he arrived in September The former colleague said Mr Smith ordered that lines of adhesive tape be stuck along the centre of the school corridors to make them 'one-way' and pupils were banned from speaking to one another during class changes. 'It was very militant, but didn't really take into account the kind of children who were at the school,' said the colleague. 'There weren't really issues around race at Ebbsfleet, as it's a predominately white working class area, but Mr Smith didn't show much interest in the family backgrounds of his pupils, he was only interested in discipline and exam results.' The source did acknowledge that results improved 'markedly' during Mr Smith's tenure, and the same uniform rules are in force there today, according to Ebbsfleet's website. Tory peer Lord Nash angrily hit back at claims the school is racist. He told MailOnline: 'You cannot accuse Pimlico of being racist. It is the most non-racist school. It is so lovely there when you see mixed friendships groups.' Asked about changes to the uniform policy that some pupils had claimed was racist, he said: 'I don't want to comment on these types of details. A lot of this has been blown up out of proportion.' He said he had worked to support people from ethnic minorities including the setting up of a school in the inner London area of Brixton. 'It has taken ten years, but we are very pleased to have opened a school in Brixton.' Another slogan used by the protesters 'Ain't no black in the Union Jack' has historically been used by National Front racists to suggest that people from ethnic minorities are not truly British. The rebellion is a significant challenge to traditional Conservative education reforms emphasising discipline and academic rigour similar to those promoted by Michael Gove when he was Education Secretary. Several protesters have specifically credited the Black Lives Matter movement for inspiring the protest, and some of the hundreds of pupils and parents who gathered outside the school carried BLM banners amid chants of 'we want change'. Officers stand outside the gates of the school on the morning of March 31 during the demonstration Students chanted 'we want change' as they protested against their head teacher's policy banning Afro hair and 'colourful' hijabs Tucker Carlson has said top Democrats will not punish and refuse to condemn Maxine Waters 'because they agree' with her calls for 'more confrontation' during Black Lives Matter protests. The Fox host slammed the California congresswoman's 'jury intimidation' and said she 'supports mob violence' after the judge in Derek Chauvin's trial said her comments could have given the defense grounds for an appeal. Both Nancy Pelosi and White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn Waters when probed on the matter Monday. And Carlson told his viewers: 'Leading Democrats aren't going to punish Maxine Waters because they're not embarrassed to Maxine Waters. Because they agree with Maxine Waters. 'Maxine Waters is someone who supports mob violence. 'Waters has never believed in Western justice. For decades, she supported the totalitarian government of Cuba, which replaced jury trials with summary mass executions of entire groups of people. 'That was fine with Maxine Waters. She's never had a problem with killing political enemies. 'Is Maxine Waters greater of guilty of greater incitement than Donald Trump? Well, of course, but that's not the point. 'People like Maxine Waters don't care if you point out that they're hypocrites. They don't care if you catch them lying. You're wasting your breath. They are not ashamed, and hey never will be ashamed.' Tucker Carlson on Monday slammed Maxine Waters' 'jury intimidation' and says she 'supports mob violence' after the judge in Derek Chauvin's trial said the congresswoman's comments could have given the defense grounds for an appeal Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., spoke to protesters outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department on April 17. She called for 'more confrontation' during Black Lives Matter protests That came after Nancy Pelosi said Waters' comments should be viewed in the context of the long struggle toward civil rights and said Waters should not apologize. 'Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the Civil Rights movement,' Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol. 'I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. Theyve handled this with great dignity, and no ambiguity or lack of misinterpretation by the other side,' Pelosi said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki also refused to condemn Waters' comments. She told reporters: 'Well, I can speak to the president's view. He has been very clear that he recognizes the issue of police violence against people of color, communities of color is one of great anguish and it's exhausting and quite emotional at times.' 'But as he also always says, protests must be peaceful. Thats what he continues to call for.' Carlson pointed to Waters' comments calling for protesters to 'let them know that we mean business' He added: '"We've got to make sure they know we mean business," she said. That couldn't be clearer. "Do what we say or we'll kill you." That's the message. 'Her demand was very clear. Convict Officer Derek Chauvin of first-degree murder or we will burn it down. 'Maxine Waters doesn't believe in the system, the one that she helps run. So she's demanding a first degree murder conviction. 'What is this called? It's called jury intimidation.' He went on to criticize her support of the LA rioters, adding: 'Maxine Waters cheered them on.' Nancy Pelosi, left, said Waters' comments should be viewed in the context of the long struggle toward civil rights and said Waters should not apologize. White House press secretary Jen Psaki, right, also refused to condemn Waters' comments Waters, 82, had told protesters in Minneapolis: 'Weve got to get more confrontational, weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Judge Peter Cahill - overseeing the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd in the city - called the comments 'abhorrent,' saying they could lead to a verdict being appealed and overturned. But Waters defiantly insisted on Monday afternoon that she stood by her words. 'The judge says my words don't matter,' she told CNN. When pressed on the judge stating that her remarks could be grounds for appeal, she replied: 'Oh no, no they didn't.' She insisted she was entirely justified in her call to action, saying: 'The whole Civil Rights movement is confrontational.' Waters reportedly requested police protection while on that Minnesota trip. According to a travel log obtained by Townhall editor Katie Pavlich, Waters requested a US Capitol Police escort on Saturday. Carlson said of that: 'It's almost hard to process facts like these. Calling for violence even as you demand that taxpayers protect you from the violence? 'Calling for whipping a dangerous mob into a frenzy at the very same moment you are trying to eliminate the police and then disarm the population through gun control? What is that? Well, it's totalitarian and we should be honest about it.' Judge Peter Cahill - overseeing the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd in the city - called the comments 'abhorrent,' saying they could lead to a verdict being appealed and overturned Maxine Waters, congresswoman for California, was in Minnesota on Saturday evening, saying that demonstrators needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' Waters had joined protesters on Saturday outside the police department of a Minneapolis suburb where a police officer fatally shot a Black motorist earlier this month. Waters, who is clack, told the crowd she wanted to see a murder conviction against Chauvin for Floyds death. When asked what should happen if Chauvin isnt convicted on murder charges, she replied: 'We gotta stay on the street, weve got to get more active, weve got to get more confrontational, weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Minneapolis is on edge as it anticipates the outcome of Chauvins trial and reels from the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center. The city is bracing for the verdict in the Chauvin case. More than 3,000 members of the National Guard are in Minneapolis, in addition to 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of what has been termed Operation Safety Net. In the early hours of Sunday, two members of the National Guard were injured - although not seriously - in a drive-by shooting. Chauvin's defense attorney had motioned for a mistrial in light of Waters' comments. Cahill denied the motion but called it 'disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch' for elected officials to comment on the outcome of the case. 'Their failure to do so, I think, is abhorrent, he said. 'But I dont think it has prejudiced us with additional material that would prejudice this jury. They have been told not to watch the news. I trust they are following those instructions.' Republicans have seized on Waters' comments, saying she is inflaming tensions as Minneapolis looks to prevent looting and destruction that occurred after Floyd's death last year. The House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter that he was introducing a resolution to censure Waters 'for these dangerous comments.' He claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion. Demonstrators gather for a solidarity rally lead by community organizers in the Black and Asian communities in memory of George Floyd and Daunte Wright outside Cup Foods, Sunday in Minneapolis A bullet hole in a National Guard vehicle is seen after Guardsmen were targeted on Sunday Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a speech that 'its harder to imagine anything more inappropriate than a member of Congress flying in from California to inform local leaders, not so subtly, that this defendant had better be found guilty.' The Kentucky Republican said that Waters' demand for a guilty verdict was 'like somebody window-shopping or ordering off a menu.' 'Every single American deserves a fair trial. This is sacred. You do not balance the scales of justice by trying to tip them,' McConnell said. The top Senate Republican noted that through much of the country's 'quest for civil rights and equal justice has been the fight to get rid of extra-judicial violence, to get rid of rigged trials where the outcome was molded by public sentiment or angry mob.' 'It is beyond the pale for a sitting member of the United States Congress to look at what happened last summer and imply there should be some kind of a sequel if a legal case does not unfold as she thinks it should,' he said. Kevin McCarthy (left) has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters (right) after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night Senator Ted Cruz and controversial Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized Waters. Cruz and Greene were some of Trump's most ardent defenders of Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Waters has been a galvanizing figure for decades, visiting communities nationwide to advocate for racial and economic justice, and an end to police violence. Its no surprise she would appear in Minnesota. She began focusing on policing issues in 1979 after the police shooting of a Black woman during a confrontation in Los Angeles over an unpaid gas bill and was a leading voice advocate for policing changes in the aftermath of the videotaped beating of Black motorist Rodney King by LAPD officers. Over three decades in Congress, the Los Angeles-area congresswoman has drawn criticism from Republicans and conservatives, who were quick to seize on her comments Monday. Tuberculosis, a pulmonary disease characterised by persistent coughing, killed more Nigerians in 2019 than the COVID-19 pandemic has so far done, health officials have said. The 2020 WHO global tuberculosis report indicated that an estimated 150,000 Nigerians died of TB in 2019 alone while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said 2,061 persons have died of COVID-19 in the country since the index case in February 2020. The different datas suggest that COVID-19 has so far killed only about 1.4 per cent of the number killed by TB in 2019 alone. This data on TB was discussed in Maiduguri on Tuesday at a media orientation on Tuberculosis organised by Breakthrough Action, an NGO supported by USAID. The WHO report on TB said Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of people dying from the disease, but only 31 per cent of the affected population have so far registered for treatment. It is estimated that 18 persons die of TB every hour in Nigeria. The media training had participants joining in through Zoom from seven states of Nigeria and was aimed at using the media to rekindle awareness of the disease. An official of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), Ebere Okoh, said the outbreak of COVID-19 last year has worsened the situation of the disease in Nigeria as patients suffering from the disease did not get access to medical treatment due to the lockdown. Mrs Okoh said 2020 WHO Global Tuberculosis Report indicated that an estimated 150,000 people have died in Nigeria as a result of the disease in 2019 alone. She said the WHO report also revealed that 47 per cent of Nigerians who develop active TB infection are children. The NTBLCP official said even though TB is more deadly than COVID-19, the Nigerian media still focus more attention on the pandemic. Sadly, the knowledge of TB transmission, its symptoms and prevention is still very low, she told journalists connected to the virtual training. One case of untreated pulmonary TB can infect 10-15 persons in a year. Mrs Okoh said while the pandemic continues to get the media attention, TB, being a worse killer disease, should also be given publicity to save lives. If we must kick out TB in Nigeria, the media must partner with officials of NTBLCP and other health officials in advocacy and increased budgetary provision for the TB control programme. A health official, Jumoke Adebari, said TB and COVID-19 share similar features and means of transmission. While COVID-19 is an instant killer, TB kills slowly, even though both have an equal capacity of spreading through coughing, she said. Nigeria ranks seventh among 30 high TB burden countries and second in Africa. ADVERTISEMENT Participants at the training listened to lectures on topics like the Roles of the Media in TB Reduction in Nigeria; Human Angle TB Stories Tips; and TB Situation in Nigeria, Why Media Needs to Talk About. Meanwhile, United expects to operate as many as 10 daily flights between the U.S. and London this summer if quarantine requirements end, he said. I think youre going to have a hard time finding a hotel room in the UK because theres going to be so many people wanting to go, Nocella said. WILLIAMSPORT An energy firm that services the natural gas fields in central and western Pennsylvania has been fined $2 million for 31 violations of the Clean Air Act. U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann on Tuesday levied the fine after Rockwater Northeast admitted to the violations. He also imposed a special assessment of $12,500. In a related matter, the government and Select Energy Services Inc., which purchased Rockwater in 2017 in a stock deal, have entered a three-year non-prosecution agreement. Select, a Texas company with more than 2,000 employees that provides water solutions to the oil and gas industry, has paid $2.3 million to the government and agreed to three compliance audits. We take matters like this very seriously, said Adam R. Law, the corporate officer who represented Select and Rockwater at the court proceeding. The scheme that led to the Clean Air Act violations involved removing hardware that controlled emissions on 31 heavy-duty diesel trucks used to transport water and wastewater in the Marcellus Shale natural gas fields. Six individuals who worked for or did business with the Rockwater operation based in Canonsburg previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the tampering that occurred between Aug. 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014. They admitted: Replacing hardware control devices with exhaust tubing or straight pipes that do not limit emissions. Removing the hardware control devices from their compartments and then re-welding the entry point to create a false appearance they remained installed. An estimated 26 tons of nitrous oxide plus particulate matter were released into the air from the trucks with tamper exhaust systems, assistant U.S. Attorney Philip J. Caraballo-Garrison said. The economic benefit to Rockwater through such things as fuel savings, reduced maintenance costs and less downtime was $250,000, he said. All 31 trucks have been taken out of service, Law said. The $250,000 was included in the $2 million fine that was part of a plea agreement. Rockwater was facing a maximum fine of $15.5 million. The company also admitted being responsible for arranging with third parties to issue certificates stating the trucks with disabled onboard diagnostic systems met state inspection standards. The six who have pleaded guilty are Brian Mellott, Joseph A. Powell, John E. Joseph Jr., Gavin Rexer, Dennis Paulhamus Jr. and Timothy Sweitzer. Mellott, the only one to be sentenced, received a six-month term in February 2020. He lost his job as an inventory and logistics analyst at Rockwaters Linden facility in Lycoming County. Powell was general manager of water management for Rockwell facilities in Linden, Hickory and Avella, the latter two in Washington County. Joseph was shop manager for Rockwell in Hickory and Rexer held the same position at Linden. Paulhamus owned a trucking firm that did hauling for Rockwater and Sweitzer owned a garage. Both businesses are in Jersey Shore. When they pleaded guilty, Paulhamus admitted selling $62,000 worth of defeat devices to Rockwell and Sweitzer acknowledged he passed for state inspection trucks without the required emission controls. ALSO READ: Pa. man accused of threatening to kill pregnant girlfriend gives up after standoff ALSO READ: First Qualitys decision to stop making tampons affects 150 employees in Clinton County Press Release April 20, 2021 Senators to police, NTF-ELCAC: End red tagging and harassment, leave community pantries alone SENATORS Nancy Binay, Leila de Lima, Frank Drilon, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, Grace Poe, and Ralph Recto urge the law enforcement leadership to investigate the profiling and red-tagging of community pantries' organizers in various parts of the country, and instead hold a dialogue with them. The senators also condemned the posts of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on social media. "The profiling of organizers must stop. It puts people's lives in danger, knowing how notorious some police, military officers, and personnel are in red-tagging progressives and now civic-minded citizens who only want to do good for their fellow men and women," they said. "Bakit hindi tanungin ng mga pulis ang kanilang pamilya at kamag-anak kung ano ba talaga ang pakay ng mga community pantry na ito? Malamang, marami silang kakilala na nakipila rin dito at naramdaman ang kabutihan ng kanilang kapwa Pilipino," they said. The senators stressed that "hunger is the problem and these relief efforts by private citizens should be encouraged." "The harassment and intimidation of those involved in these relief efforts exacerbate the hunger and hardships of our citizens. We condemn these acts," they said. "Hunger is the problem, which these relief efforts directly address. Imbes na pahirapan, pagbawalan, at ipasarado, tulungan na lang dapat ng PNP ang mga local government units (LGUs) na siguraduhing napapatupad ang minimum health protocols sa mga community pantries," they added. In a social media post, the organizer of the pioneering Maginhawa Community Pantry announced she is temporarily stopping its operations after law enforcers sought her personal information such as contact number and memberships in organization. Ana Patricia Non said she fears for her life after the inquiry of the uniformed personnel. On Monday, reports said that similar incidents were raised by community pantry organizers from other sites, about law enforcers demanding that they reveal their personal information and affiliation. "These community pantries have offered a venue for showing the true bayanihan spirit amid the hunger and poverty in this time of the pandemic. It is deplorable to paint this initiative with suspicions of communist links," the senators said. The senators support the call of Non's family for a dialogue between the organizers of the community pantries and government authorities on this bayanihan initiative. At the same time, the senators stood by all the organizers of community pantries nationwide and encouraged them to continue their efforts that demonstrate active citizenship and participation. "We see you. We all know this is a community effort. We celebrate your energies and we stand with you all. We will always protect and uphold our fundamental rights, especially those toward a functioning and participative democracy," they said. Battling department chain Target has revealed its long term business focus will be online sales as it pushes forward with plans to close 167 stores across Australia. Ian Bailey, who oversees the operation of both Target and Kmart, confirmed the future business direction over the next few years. 'I certainly believe online (sales) will be a very, very important part of the Target business and we are certainly investing in the growth of online for Target,' he said. 'It's already a very profitable channel for us, and we think it has a lot of potential to grow.' Target (pictured above in Sydney) has announced the closure of almost 170 of its stores In store and online sales for Kmart are encouraging, but the business needs to keep evolving to survive (stock image) Both Kmart and Target are owned by Perth-based retail conglomerate Wesfarmers, who decided in 2020 to axe dozens of stores as part of a radical $800 million restructure. Mr Bailey also stated it was 'unlikely' Kmart would one day completely replace Target, as shopping in-store remains popular with many loyal Target customers. Sale numbers at both department chains were generally encouraging during the Covid pandemic, despite the decision to reduce stock, following overseas models. It was a decision they lamented, with countless items flying off the shelves at some stages last year, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. In May last year, with the pandemic in full swing, Target announced it was closing 75 of its stores, and converting a further 92 into Kmarts. Following a financial review, the company revealed plans to drastically restructure as the brand suffered a $67 million sales slump. Ten to 25 large Target stores were poised to be closed, alongside 50 smaller Target Country stores. An additional 25 regional Target Country stores were set to be converted into small Kmarts, while between ten and 40 large stores will become bigger Kmarts. Owners Wesfarmers told investors at the time the restructure would reduce Target's 'unsustainable' cost base and allow it focus on the more-profitable Kmart. Target staff were to be offered jobs at Kmart or other Wesfarmers companies, including Bunnings and Officeworks. The closures and conversions were expected to cost between $120 million and $170 million. A further $140 million was allocated for one-off store conversion and stock clearance costs. Wesfarmers chief Rob Scott confirmed the company will look to channel its energy on growing online sales. Ian Bailey, (pictured above) who oversees the operation of Target and Kmart, knows online sales are the future 'The actions announced reflect our continued focus on investing in Kmart, a business with a compelling customer offer and strong competitive advantages,' he said last year. 'We are also improving the viability of Target by addressing some of its structural challenges by simplifying the business model. 'While accounting standards require us to recognise an impairment of assets within Target to implement the restructuring, these actions will allow us to enhance the overall value of Kmart Group and further strengthen Kmart.' But the company warned that even more stores could be shut entirely if landlords don't help with the costs of converting stores into Kmarts. After announcing the conversion of some stores, Wesfarmers said it was subject to 'landlord support'. 'To convert stores costs money and there are some stores that are not commercially viable in the current structure,' Mr Scott commented. 'In some cases it's better to close stores than to keep pursuing unviable stores. 'The opportunity is to work out how we jointly share the costs and share the benefits.' On April 28 last year, Wesfarmers fast-tracked a review into the commercial viability of Target after a worse than expected slump in sales. Many stores will be converted into Kmarts (pictured in Sydney) with the store still offering popular items Target designer Dannii Minogue (pictured) at the brand's fashion show during Melbourne Fashion Week in 2015, as the company tried to inject some glamour The department store chain's revenue and profits took a 'significant' hit during the coronavirus lockdowns, which have left shopping centres deserted as retailers temporarily close their doors. Announcing the fast-paced review, Mr Scott highlighted Target's 'unsatisfactory' financial performance in a trading briefing to investors, and said store closures were 'inevitable'. While sister department store chain Kmart remained profitable in deteriorating trading conditions, Target's earnings slumped significantly. In February 2020, Kmart swung to a 5.5 per cent first-half comparable sales growth from a 0.6 per cent decline a year ago, with revenue at the discount department store up $241 million or 7.6 per cent to $4.99 billion. Target's comparable sales went the other way, though, falling 2.3 per cent compared with 0.5 per cent growth a year ago as it recorded a worse-than-expected $67 million sales slump. Target is Australia's largest department store chain, with 284 stores across the country at its peak. Established in 1926, the retailer was originally known as Lindsays until 1968, when Myer Emporium bought the chain of 16 stores across Victoria, which were renamed Lindsay's Target. Wesfarmers fast-tracked a review into the 'unsatisfactory' performance of Target (pictured), which has resulted in the closure of some stores The retailer was renamed Target Australia in 1973. Market strategist Evan Lucas, from IG, explained why Target was 'consistently under-performing.' He said part of this was down to a change in the market, with the introduction of other high street clothing brands such as Topshop and Zara. 'Target has consistently underperformed as it's been wedged in that space now dominated by the interlopers,' he told the Herald Sun. 'They have much bigger turnover in apparel, which used to be Target's strength, and can offer higher discounts. 'Target now finds it has an inability to compete on price, these raiders can use cheaper labour from overseas.' It has been a difficult time for the retail sector, with many shops closed for months due to the coronavirus outbreak (pictured, shoppers in face masks in Sydney on April 27 last year) It comes off the back of a series of major closures changing the face of the Australian high street. Household names like Harris Scarfe, Bardot, Roger David and Napoleon Perdis dropped like flies in recent years, with dozens of stores closing resulting in heavy job losses. Experts claim that the could be the tip of the iceberg as consumers continue to turn more to online shopping over bricks and mortar stores. In 2020, Australian retail growth was at its worst level since the early 1990s recession and international giants like Amazon and Aldi look likely to further shake things up. Entrepreneur Dick Smith believes the outlook is so bad, high-profile collapses will accelerate until there's very little left. 'We will end up with just Amazon and Aldi and basically all the Aussie companies will be sent to bankruptcy,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'All those famous brands will go. Some of them might exist in name only but will be taken over by overseas companies.' Experts have warned Bardot (pictured) and Harris Scarfe are just the start of the downfall of big-name Aussie brands Kmart (pictured in Chatswood on May 6) has stayed open throughout the pandemic, attracting queues of customers Mr Smith watched the electronics chain that bore his name crash in 2016, decades after he sold it in 1980. The collapse was one of Australia's biggest retail failures. Target's boss Mr Scott admitted the department store faced 'a number of structural challenges', blaming the size of the shops and high rental costs. 'A lot of the structural challenges facing department stores relate back to the number of stores, the size of stores and the nature of occupancy costs in a world where online is more relevant,' he told The Australian Financial Review. 'Target is growing online sales quite strongly it's timely to review the store network. 'That could mean store closures, it could mean conversion of some Target stores to Kmart, and it could mean reviewing the size of the stores we have in the network.' People are sen walking around an empty Melbourne on March 19 (pictured) as city centres resembled ghost towns at the height of the pandemic 'With the exception of Target, Wesfarmers' retail businesses are well-positioned to respond to the changes in consumer behaviour and competition associated with this disruption.' As well as crippling a number of beloved high street stalwarts, the coronavirus crisis left thousands of Australians unemployed. The jobless rate soared from 5.2 per cent in March, before the shutdowns of non-essential businesses, to 6.2 per cent in April last year. It was the highest rate since September 2015 as a record 600,000 Australians either lost their job or gave up looking for one. A similar number had their hours cut, leaving Australia with a record unemployment rate. Unemployment was above the levels of the global financial crisis a decade ago, following the closure of pubs, clubs, gyms and cinemas to slow the spread of coronavirus. Sonia Kruger (pictured) showcases designs during the Jean Paul Gaultier x Target show during Melbourne Fashion Festival on March 9 2016 San Angelo, United States, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :Cattle rancher Bobby Helmers cranes to listen as the blades of his six giant wind turbines slice through the air in the same Texas fields that once echoed with the sounds of oil pumps. Like JR and Bobby Ewing, lead characters in the hit 1970s and 80s tv series "Dallas," Helmers hosted oil wells on his land for decades. But with renewable energy increasingly viable even in the petroleum-rich Lone Star State, the 79-year-old is among several ranchers who have plugged their pumps and made the shift to wind power. He still marvels at how little noise comes from the massive turbines, each of which cuts a 120-meter diameter over the property, and the taste of modernity that they brought three years ago to a traditional cattle ranch owned by his wife Sandra's family for three generations. "The Stetsons and the horses have been replaced by caps and pickups," Helmers said, referring to the iconic brand of wide-brimmed cowboy hats. The cows, however, remain on the ranch in San Angelo, some 250 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of Dallas. The Helmers and an employee raise 125 head of Brangus, a hybrid between the Angus breed prized for its tender beef and Brahman known for their resistance to heat. But today, half of the ranch's operating revenue comes from the turbines. - Texas wind champion - A few miles away, in a small building set among juniper bushes and cacti, Kevin DeFoor manages some 10 workers tasked with maintaining the wind farm of 76 turbines, including those on the Helmers land. "The region developed itself thanks to agriculture, ranching and oil," said 48-year-old DeFoor, an employee of French energy giant Engie, which manages the wind farm. It took a while before the area native realized that local riches were not just found in the soil. In 2007, DeFoor, a former prison warden, became the first in his family to work in the wind energy sector -- and he has been raving about the area's wind consistency ever since. "Our turbines turn 50 percent of the time," DeFoor said, in what he called a "great performance" for the US wind sector. President Joe Biden's call for a clean energy revolution has resonated in Texas. The state known for its fossil fuels has invested heavily since the early 2000s to become the nation's top wind energy producer and second-biggest producer of solar energy. "Contrary to popular belief, Texas governor (and later US president) George W Bush, and then his successor Rick Perry didn't want Texas to be solely reliant on oil," according to Joshua Long, an associate professor of environmental studies at Southwestern University near Austin. "They viewed Texas as 'The Energy State,' with a diversity of energy sources." As a result, fossil fuels and renewables have coexisted in Texas for years. - 'Stable' revenue - Such transformations will be in focus later this week when Biden hosts an Earth Day summit aimed at reinvigorating the world's climate change fight. But it is not out of environmental conviction that Helmers flipped from oil to wind. Installed in the early 1990s, his oil pumps began producing steadily shrinking returns, and after about three decades, the contractor operating them eventually threw in the towel. In a slice of good fortune, the Infinity Renewables group arranged to meet with Helmers and his neighbors in a nearby restaurant, where the potential royalties from wind energy the suitors described convinced Helmers to make the switch. Oil reserves and profits can drop, he said, while "in wind, the production is stable," and profit shares rise over the years as the investments are amortized. A full decade passed between the initial negotiations and construction of the first turbine on Helmers's property. By then, Engie had bought Infinity Renewables, and the technology had improved. "The turbines were supposed to be 1.5 Megawatt hours, and they are now 2.625," boosting revenues, the jeans-clad cowboy said in his living room, where hunting trophies adorn the walls. While his oil income fluctuated due to market volatility, Helmers now appreciates the steadier, although undisclosed, new income. Despite the successes, he experienced his first wind energy disappointment a few months ago when his turbines stopped spinning for 10 days during a historic cold snap that paralyzed the region. Noxon, whose name has been changed, started selling weed about eight years ago in Dutchess County. His legitimate job barely paid rent and bought food, but the discretionary income from selling weed and concentrated cannabis, including THC vape cartridges, which he said are diverted from the legal market in California, gave him what he called a quality-of-life cushion. He has no plans to stop. People dont like paying taxes, Noxon said of the prospect of competing against legal adult-use cannabis in New York, especially when they already have an established black-market connection. Noxon, and the black market as a whole, is one of the many wild cards in determining how many cannabis consumers in the state begin to purchase marijuana legally once dispensaries open. But a low tax rate on cannabis could shift consumers to the legal market more successfully than states like California. After years of starts and stops, legislation legalizing adult recreational marijuana was signed into law by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on March 31. The Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act [MRTA] was intended to make up for a $15 billion budget shortfall, nearly all of which will be filled by the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, though the law is still on the books. Once recreational marijuana sales begin, the law also places a 13 percent excise tax on recreational cannabis, but that doesnt take all the taxes into consideration, said Troy Smit, the deputy director for the New York chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). The tax structure also includes a half-cent tax on every milligram of THC in marijuana bud, and a three-cent tax on every milligram of THC in edible marijuana products. This total THC tax is placed on the product before it makes it to the dispensary, so this tax is compounded with the 13 percent tax during the sale. Still, said Smit, Comparatively speaking, New Yorks effective tax rate is relatively low low enough, he feels, to convert a large amount of consumers currently purchasing from the black market over to the legal market, once recreational dispensaries open in the state. Learnings from California and Massachusetts Alex Brough is the co-founder of Keneh Ventures, a private equity fund that invests in businesses ancillary to the legal marijuana trade, such as weed lounges, point-of-sale software and the Cannabition Cannabis Museum in Las Vegas. When asked how tax rates impact the success of the legal market, he points to California, where the sales tax, state cannabis tax, cultivation tax and optional local cannabis taxes can add up to 40 percent to a purchase. California has allowed a black market/grey market to exist alongside a legalized green market, and I think its extremely unfair to allow that kind of system to happen, he said. He compared a legal dispensary owner who does everything above-book to the guy who opens up a shop across the street whos selling bootleg products and untested marijuana for half the price. You dont know any better, youre not an industry expert, and you go to California, and you go to get an [eighth-ounce] of chronic at this place for $60, and at this place across the street, theyre selling it for $30. If youre at all budget-minded, youre going for the $30. smodj via Getty Images Taxes will be lower in New York, so the price differences between illicit and legal cannabis here may not be as stark but they are not the only factor in ensuring that the legal market eclipses the black market. Demian (not his real name), who has sold high-grade cannabis in the Hudson Valley for a decade, believes his product will be far cheaper for one important reason. Theres no overhead, he said. Demian does not need to rent a storefront, pay employees, or buy advertising. An eighth-ounce of his weed goes for $40 significantly less than in nearby Massachusetts, where the total price at dispensaries including tax is often more than $65. As an added bonus, Demian can make home deliveries. The number of dispensaries that open in New York state will also determine how robust the legal market will be. In California, three-quarters of municipalities do not allow dispensaries, according to the Sacramento News and Review, creating a glut of growers and consumers that continue to flock to the black market, which is triple the size of the golden states legal market. Uncertainties of regulated market The biggest question that remains is what New Yorks regulated market will look like. Right now we have a framework, said Smit. The gaps in the structure, which will be filled in once there the Office of Cannabis Management is staffed in the coming months, will determine everything from how to satisfy the mandate that half of dispensary licenses are awarded to social equity applicants those traditional underserved by the economy to what will constitute a microbusiness designation that will allow someone to both cultivate and sell adult-use recreational cannabis. The [law] is a framework that is really absolutely fantastic on the surface, Smit said. However, a large amount of the details of the [law] are left up to regulators as they say, the devil is in the details. A good way to ensure the profits from legal cannabis wont be concentrated in the hands of a few is to encourage black-market dealers to enter the legal marijuana trade, according to Smit, allowing the often economically disadvantaged dealers to continue making money off cannabis. One way to accomplish this, suggested Smit, is to pardon those arrested for cannabis crimes whose records have not been cleared by the new law. Though the new law vacates sentences for some low-level offenses, it does nothing for those convicted of marijuana offenses that are still illegal, such as sales over 25 grams, or less than an ounce. Another unknown is the number of municipalities in the Hudson Valley that would welcome retail dispensaries. At least four mayors in Suffolk County on Long Island, for instance, want to bar dispensaries according to The New York Post. The MRTA lets municipal governments opt out of allowing dispensaries within their borders, but these towns would be giving up the 4% tax revenue that goes to host municipalities. Gov. Cuomo announced the state could take in $350 million in tax revenues from the sale of weed once dispensaries were fully operational, but it will take years to see the real return from legalizing cannabis. New Yorks [regulated cannabis] industry is still a good 18 months away from opening, said Smit. Maybe even more because you have to take into account that once cultivators are off the ground, they have to grow product. It could be even 24 months before we see the first non-medical store start operation. Sharon Mccutcheon / EyeEm via Getty Images Consumer tastes could shape the market When dispensaries open, they will be required to test their products at independent laboratories to assure quality control, which may give confidence to consumers. Demian, though, isnt concerned about the trust factor. He believes his client base already has confidence in his product, and the legal market will not shut him down. I offer a certain product thats always good, he said. If I was a brewer and I made really good beer and beer nerds knew about my beer, theyd still come to me if a big brewery opened up a town over. Demain also said he has no plans to stop dealing. Smit believes consumers will eventually switch from the legacy market to dispensaries, saying the selection will be far greater than from dealers, and people will eventually become brand loyalists. One of the benefits a retail store will have over a dealer is that, if regulation permits, they can have a huge variety of products from low to high THC cannabis, to flower to concentrates to edibles. While some of these things may exist on the black market, he says, theres no mechanism that exists for the consumer to trust the product particularly items like gummies, sprays and other concentrated products. Flower is flower people trust that, said Smit, because you can guage its quality on sight and smell alone. Its harder to conduct the same casual quality test on processed cannabis, says Smit, and the counterfeit vape pens that caused so many health issues in recent years have made people wary of the safety of these products in general. Thats a big reason why people are distrustful of processed cannabis in the legacy market. But the biggest threat to black market cannabis may not be New Yorks legalization, but rather legalization across the entire U.S. The interstate commerce this would allow could mean a bigger, cheaper marketplace of cannabis for legal dispensaries in New York to sell. The timing could be close. In the same 24 months that it could take New York to open its first recreational dispensaries, said Smit, federal legalization could also be enacted. Im usually a pessimist, but Im feeling really good about federal legalization, he said. (Natural News) Over the weekend, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, spoke at the Tulsa Health & Freedom event, after which he engaged in an exclusive one-on-one conversation with the Resistance Chicks about health living, freedom issues, and his own personal faith journey. The conference was attended by more than 4,500 people who love America and really do want to see it become great again. Both the Resistance Chicks and Adams feel the same, which is why they are fighting to protect the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, and so much more. Though he usually does not travel much, Adams agreed to speak at the Tulsa Health & Freedom event because of everything it stands for. Like the Resistance Chicks and many others who were there, Adams wants to see free speech flourish online, which is why he created Brighteon.com as an alternative to YouTube. One of the things discussed during the interview watch below was how Natural News was one of the first independent media platforms to get canned from social media. Were gonna sue them under Texas law, Adams told the Resistance Chicks about what he plans to do next, thanks to recent legislative actions taken in Texas to protect online free speech. Lawmakers in Texas are allowing these lawsuits, and we can take it to a Texas judge and the judge can force Big Tech to reinstate all of our banned accounts. Without God, there is no hope for the future Another topic that came up during the conversation was Adams personal faith journey. Over the years, Adams has come to realize that the God of the Bible holds all things in His hands and will not extend His Grace forever. This is why the content at Natural News shifted to include not just natural health topics but also political and religious topics. Adams now recognizes that living healthy and naturally is not possible without dependence upon God, which in turn leads to the political structure moving in a better direction. I came to realize that you cannot have health without freedom, and you cannot have a sustainable society without God in your life, Adams says. As for his own personal health, Adams explained that he still relies on a method called defensive eating that involves eating certain foods along with other foods to lessen the negative impact of chemicals and other health disruptors. Eating a fiber-rich apple before scarfing down a plate of smoked barbecue brisket, for example, will help to minimize the damaging impact of charred carcinogens. In fact, eating fiber-rich fruit along with any meal will help to ensure that only the beneficial nutrients found in a meal are absorbed, while all of the toxins are mopped up and eliminated. Fruit fiber that is fiber from fruit that is not processed, like an apple or a pear or an orange fruit fiber mops up heavy metals and toxic chemicals that you eat, Adams says. For every toxic food thats out there, theres something else you can add and eat it at the same time to protect yourself from toxic food. When eating sugary foods, the same method applies. To slow down the glycemic impact of the sugar, Adams suggests eating fiber-rich fruit prior to the sugary treat. Adams talks about this subject and so many others throughout the interview. It is worth your while to check it out and hear the latest about what he is up to, and what the health freedom movement at large is doing during these difficult and strange days. To learn more about how to live and stay healthy in todays increasingly poisonous world, be sure to check out HealthFreedom.news. Sources for this article include: Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com Democrats in Congress, even those from New Jersey, say in private that anxiety among voters over immigration presents a grave political threat, and may offer Republicans their best chance to recapture Congress in 2022. The sad truth is that many Americans dont want to make room for the tired, the poor, the wretched refuse of the world. A global poll from Pew Research Organization in 2018 found that citizens of the following countries were more likely than Americans to welcome refugees fleeing violence and war: Germany, France Spain, Sweden, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, Great Britain and Canada. Maybe we should move that statue. Still, President Bidens decision on Friday to break his promise on refugees and endorse the miserly cap of 15,000 set by Donald Trump is shameful, and will go down as his first big mistake, for both the cruel policy and the incompetent politics. Hes backtracking in the face of protests, but even now the White House warns that he will not meet his promise to admit 62,500 this year. So, lets start with the policy. These refugees are living in squalid camps in places like Afghanistan, Congo, Pakistan and Syria. Roughly 35,000 have already been vetted in detail by United States officials abroad, a painstaking process that can take years. To win asylum, these refugees must show that they are targets of persecution, that they have no ties to terrorist groups, and that they present no threat to the public health or safety. In that sense, this is quite distinct from the chaos at the Mexican border, where a flood of refugees is crossing on their own, many seeking asylum. The refugees in the camps have already made their case, testifying about the mass rapes, ethnic purges and political vendettas that forced them to flee their homes. Several hundred were ready to board flights until Bidens order forced cancellations. Its back to the camps for them. For Democrats horrified by the cruelty of Trumps policies, Biden promised to be a savior who would restore traditional American decency. The promise was to lift the cap to 62,500 during this fiscal year, and to double it next year. So, this embrace of Trumps cap was met with a predictable roar of protest. And it wasnt just from the progressive wing of the party, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called it utterly unacceptable. It infuriated moderates as well, like Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, who tweeted, Say it aint so, President Joe. This is unacceptable. Within hours of Bidens announcement Friday, the White House was backpedaling, saying the administration will increase the number by mid-May, but refusing to say by how much. So, they have managed by now to alienate everyone except Bidens close relatives. Its not clear how Biden will crawl out of this hole. White House officials say the motive was not political, that the change was in response to the strain put on the immigration system by the crisis at the Mexican border. Experts are skeptical, noting that most of the resettlement work is done by private agencies, and noting that governments efforts at the border are distinct and rely on different staffs. But there is overlap, and given Trumps sabotage of the nations immigration machinery, and the Covid-19 crisis, practical concerns likely added to the core political concern. So, whats next? White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said its unlikely that Biden will keep his promise to admit 62,500 this year. The larger goal, to admit 125,000 annually, is clearly on shaky ground now. Can the United States absorb that many refugees? If you think its too much, please look at what much smaller and weaker countries have done in recent years to answer the global refugee crisis. Turkey had admitted 3.6 million by the end of 2019, according to the United Nations. Columbia took in 1.8 million, Pakistan 1.4 million, Uganda 1.4 million, and Germany 1.1 million. To say we can handle only 15,000 a year is cold-hearted stuff. Biden is a decent man, and his administration deserves some time to catch its balance on immigration. Lets hope it happens soon. Roughly half of the people stuck in the refugee camps are children. No time to waste. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. English French While Restaurants Canada welcomes the commitments unveiled today in the federal budget to extend the rent and wage subsidies, the hard-hit foodservice industry needs more sector-specific support. TORONTO, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restaurants Canada welcomes a number of commitments unveiled today in the federal budget most notably, the promise to extend the rent and wage subsidies until Sept. 25, 2021 but is continuing to call for more sector-specific support. We appreciate that the government has listened to our industry and others and is extending the critically necessary rent and wage subsidies beyond June, said Restaurants Canada President and CEO Todd Barclay. These programs are providing a lifeline to restaurants and other small businesses across the country. But our especially hard-hit industry is going to need more sector-specific support to continue reviving main streets and help the government keep its throne speech promise to bring a million Canadians back to work. Key Budget Promises for Restaurants In addition to extending the rent and wage subsidies beyond June, Restaurants Canada commends the federal government for committing to the following measures to support restaurants and other hard-hit small businesses: A new Canada Recovery Hiring Program for eligible employers that continue to experience qualifying declines in revenues relative to before the pandemic. Reductions in credit card transaction fees. A new line of credit product to help small businesses with liquidity and cover short-term working capital needs. Further Support Needed In response to a recent Restaurants Canada survey, nine out of 10 Canadians agreed that restaurants need assistance to stay in business and keep paying staff until the pandemic is over. To help the foodservice industry transition from survival to revival, Restaurants Canada has also been advocating for an evolution from emergency measures to a framework that supports business continuity and favourable economic relaunch conditions for the longer term. Restaurants Canada looks forward to discussing the following recommendations for further sector-specific support with key government policymakers at the next meeting of its Restaurant Revival Working Group. Survival Measures A further extension of the rent and wage subsidies until April 2022 and eligibility criteria that continue to reflect restaurant realities: Eight out of 10 restaurants are still either losing money or barely scraping by, and those still operating at a loss expect to take at least a year to return to profitability. Cutting off these vital sources of support just as restaurants are transitioning from survival to revival would hinder their ability to recover and continue bringing Canadians back to work. Eight out of 10 restaurants are still either losing money or barely scraping by, and those still operating at a loss expect to take at least a year to return to profitability. Cutting off these vital sources of support just as restaurants are transitioning from survival to revival would hinder their ability to recover and continue bringing Canadians back to work. Federal tax credits to help defray costs associated with COVID-19 safety protocols: An Employee Retention and Retraining Credit is needed to help restaurants and other hard-hit small businesses cover the costs of the unexpected and extraordinary expenses incurred during the global pandemic. An Employee Retention and Retraining Credit is needed to help restaurants and other hard-hit small businesses cover the costs of the unexpected and extraordinary expenses incurred during the global pandemic. Partial forgiveness for all government-backed loans (including the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program): Struggling foodservice businesses need more assistance to keep them from closing down due to crushing debt. Revival Measures The creation of a nationwide Dine In and Save Restaurants rebate program: Similar to the dine-in rebate initiative implemented on Prince Edward Island, allowing Canadians to save 50% when they dine at restaurants. Under this program, table-service restaurants would receive a government reimbursement of $15 per person, per meal (50% before taxes and gratuities for up to $30 spent per patron on food and non-alcoholic beverage purchases). Similar to the dine-in rebate initiative implemented on Prince Edward Island, allowing Canadians to save 50% when they dine at restaurants. Under this program, table-service restaurants would receive a government reimbursement of $15 per person, per meal (50% before taxes and gratuities for up to $30 spent per patron on food and non-alcoholic beverage purchases). An expansion of the current meals and expenses business tax credit: A temporary expansion of this existing tax credit from 50% to its original 100% to encourage businesses to boost restaurant spending after more than a year of reduced downtown dining. A temporary expansion of this existing tax credit from 50% to its original 100% to encourage businesses to boost restaurant spending after more than a year of reduced downtown dining. A culinary tourism incentive for the 2021 and 2022 tax years: Similar to the travel incentive implemented in New Brunswick, which included rebates for restaurant spending, this would encourage Canadians to travel locally and across the country to help support and celebrate our diverse restaurants and the critical role they play contributing to vibrant communities. Similar to the travel incentive implemented in New Brunswick, which included rebates for restaurant spending, this would encourage Canadians to travel locally and across the country to help support and celebrate our diverse restaurants and the critical role they play contributing to vibrant communities. A freeze on any further excise duty increases on beer, wine or spirits under the Excise Act and Excise Act (2001): Including increases that were scheduled for April 1, 2021, as these ever-escalating alcohol duties contribute to the perception that restaurants are gouging patrons on their drink menus. Including increases that were scheduled for April 1, 2021, as these ever-escalating alcohol duties contribute to the perception that restaurants are gouging patrons on their drink menus. The removal of merchant fees from the tax portion of restaurant bills: This currently allows credit card companies to profit from the taxes collected by business owners on behalf of the government and needlessly discourages restaurant spending. We are more than a year into the COVID-19 crisis and about 350,000 of the 1.2 million jobs that our industry typically provides have still not been recovered. We need the federal government to help us continue creating conditions to bring these Canadians back to work, said Olivier Bourbeau, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Federal and Quebec. Restaurant operators are resilient and resourceful, but they cant continue to operate at a loss for months on end. They are counting on the government to ensure they can preserve their livelihoods, and continue contributing to vibrant communities across the country. About Restaurants Canada Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing the potential of Canadas diverse and dynamic foodservice industry through member programs, research, advocacy, resources and events. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadas foodservice sector was a $95 billion industry, directly employing 1.2 million people, providing Canadas number one source of first jobs and serving 22 million customers across the country every day. The industry has since lost hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in sales due to the impacts of COVID-19. For more information, contact: Roberto Sarjoo Director, Marketing and Communications Restaurants Canada C: 416-389-7941 RSarjoo@restaurantscanada.org Marlee Wasser Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations Restaurants Canada T: 416-649-4254 Toll-free: 1-800-387-5649 ext. 4254 media@restaurantscanada.org (Natural News) A global survey by the Edelman Trust Barometer has found that trust in the tech sector fell around the world last year. The survey is a special tech edition of data collected for the annual trust barometer. It involved 31,000 people in 27 countries. Overall techs trust rating hit all-time lows in 17 of the 27 countries, including the U.S., U.K., France, China, Japan, Thailand, Brazil and Mexico, with data coming from comparable Edelman surveys since 2012. The tech sector included companies specializing in clean technology, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 5G and the internet of things. The Edelman survey found that favorable views of the tech sector globally dropped six points overall to 70 on a scale of 100. According to news site Axios, this is still ahead of other sectors of the business world, but represents a significant decline from prior years and comes as trust in corporations overall has risen. In the U.S., trust in the tech sector fell by nine points to an all-time low of 57, putting it basically in the middle of the pack of industries behind healthcare, retail and manufacturing but ahead of the energy, automotive and financial services sectors. A high trust rating from the public has helped protect the tech industry from critics and regulators in the past, but that shield has apparently weakened. Tech fell from the most trusted sector in the U.S. last year to ninth in the latest survey behind food and beverage, health, transportation, education, consumer packaged goods, professional services, manufacturing and retail. The study found that 52 percent of the people surveyed, including 50 percent in the U.S., fear that automation or other innovations will take their jobs. Globally, trust in AI companies and internet-of-things businesses fell in 25 of 27 countries; trust in clean-tech firms fell in 23 of 27 countries; trust in the VR industry fell in 22 of 27 countries and trust in the 5G sector fell in 21 of 27 countries. Edelman said the main reason for the trust fall is the increasingly complicated relationship between the public and technology. Some of the factors are the spread of misinformation, the rising privacy alarm and the bias in artificial intelligence. Spread of misinformation is Big Techs specialty The spread of misinformation is usually associated with Big Tech. Just recently, Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Twitters Jack Dorsey, and Googles Sundar Pichai appeared virtually before the House Energy and Commerce Committee for a hearing centered on misinformation. (Related: Matt Gaetz: Congress not going to rein in Big Tech, Congress owned by Big Tech.) It was the first time the executives took questions from lawmakers since the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and since the widespread rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine began. Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle asked all three executives whether they bore responsibility for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6. Nearly half of rioters charged in federal court allegedly used social media to post photos, live streams and other evidence of their involvement, according to a review of charging documents by George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism. Dorsey was the only executive who said yes, with the caveat that tech companies are not solely to blame. The CEOs were also reluctant to admit fault on issues like teenage depression, political polarization and vaccine misinformation. Instead, they highlighted their policies, how much they spend on monitoring their platforms and how much rule-breaking content theyve removed. Lawmakers frustration boiled over several times as they repeatedly tried to get the CEOs to answer yes or no questions. I think its irritating all of us, said California Rep. Anna Eshoo. No one seems to know the word yes or the word no. Which one is it? If you dont want to answer, just say I dont want to answer.' When lawmakers pressed the companies about how their advertising-based business models and automated recommendation systems may be amplifying misleading content, the executives rejected the idea that they benefit from harmful posts. If we woke up tomorrow and decided to stop moderating content, wed end up with a service very few people or advertisers would want to use, Dorsey said. Ultimately, were running a business, and a business wants to grow the number of customers it serves. Zuckerberg said the content on Facebook reflects problems in broader society. The reality is our country is deeply divided right now, and that isnt something that tech companies alone can fix, he said. Federal mandates to regulate Big Tech are coming Much of the hearing focused on Big Techs business models, which often reward inflammatory or misleading content. A recently released NPR analysis found that articles falsely connecting vaccines and death have been among the most highly-engaged-with content on the platforms this year. It is now painfully clear that neither the market nor social pressure will force these companies to take the aggressive action they need to take to eliminate this information and extremism from their platforms, said New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone. Your business model itself has become the problem, and the time for self-regulation is over. The tech leaders knew federal mandates are coming. Theyre now trying to make sure those mandates dont interfere too much with the way they do business. Dorsey warned that only the richest, largest platforms may be able to employ staff large enough to meet standards if they are imposed, which could hurt competition. Pichai said he has seen good proposals around transparency and accountability in some of the proposed reforms, but didnt endorse specific changes. Zuckerberg said big platforms should be more transparent about how they deal with content that breaks the law, but he added that those private companies shouldnt be arbiters of truth. Follow TechGiants.news for more news and information related to Big Tech companies. Sources include: Axios.com NPR.org TAMPA, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa-based Pineywoods Benefits (PWB) announced today its purchase of the employee benefits division of Blu Sky Benefits, an employee benefits and 401(k) advising firm located in Tampa. "We're excited for this first strategic partnership that expands local access to cost-effective, full-service employee benefits planning and administration for employers and human resource professionals in West Central Florida," said Jeff Lenderman, principal and founder of Pineywoods Benefits. "This alliance reflects our strategy to build business organically and sustainably through mutually beneficial collaborations with local firms that complement and expand our Pineywoods employee benefits business and portfolio of Pineywoods companies." Sam Martinez, President of Blu Sky Benefits is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), Retirement Plans Associate (RPA), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) with more than 17 years of employee benefits, 401(k), and investment experience. As founder of Blu Sky Benefits and S.mart Advising, Martinez will continue to provide employee benefits consulting to Pineywoods Benefits while he expands his 401(k) advising business through S.mart Advising. "Our companies are mutually aligned in culture and customer care. We both utilize a focused personal approach in meeting our clients' and their employees' benefits needs. Both agencies have also been strong adopters of technology and interactive communications to help keep our clients well informed and engaged in a more collaborative manner," said Martinez. Pineywoods Benefits invests in technology and creative communications solutions for increased client education, convenience and efficiency. Online enrollment platforms and benefits communications aimed at education are created, distributed and maintained in "digital formats." Rather than relying on traditional paper processing, multimedia microsites enable online enrollments, interactive video guides, voiceover enrollment meetings, text enrollments, and password-protected portals for other digital resources. "With an integrated multi-channel communication strategy, we can engage and interact with our clients more effectively and efficientlyit's a vital part of our employee benefits and insurance business," Lenderman said. "Online education is key in helping employers, human resource professionals, and most importantly employees better understand, access and appreciate the coverage and benefits being provided." Lenderman, along with the senior management team of Katz Capital, founded Pineywoods Benefits in July 2020 amid the pandemic. Lenderman has over 15 years of consulting experience working for top-ten insurance broker USI Insurance Services and helping to start up Paychex Agency in 2006. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and Employee Benefits Practice Leader for a large insurance, risk management and benefits brokerage firm based in Tampa. While there, Lenderman tripled the firm's benefits revenue in just five years and expanded its staff and offices to accommodate larger clients throughout Florida. Pineywoods Benefits was established as a local, cost-effective and client-focused employee benefits alternative to large national brokerage firms. "Having worked for larger insurance agencies, we understand the value we bring in providing premium employee benefit consulting services and administration at more competitive pricing," noted Lenderman. As part of the Pineywoods brand portfolio of companies, Pineywoods Benefits is funded by Katz Capital Management, a real estate and financial services-focused private equity firm. "Pineywoods Benefits expands our insurance lines of business, making Pineywoods a more well-rounded, one-stop service for insurance needs," said Brian Katz, CEO, and founder of Katz Capital. "Through our diverse Pineywoods portfolio of companies, we're building a strong local Florida-based brand that our customers can trust for a variety of services." About Katz Capital and Pineywoods Katz Capital, headquartered in Tampa, Fla., is a real estate and financial services-focused private equity firm. Its core holdings comprise six lines of affiliated businesses: Pineywoods Realty, Pineywoods Title, Pineywoods Insurance, Pineywoods Mortgage, Pineywoods Capital and Pineywoods Benefits. Media Contact: Linda Russo [email protected] 813-205-9732 SOURCE Pineywoods Benefits Australians Over 50 Given Increased Supplies of AstraZeneca Vaccine Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders have agreed on Monday to bring forward the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout for Australians over 50 and use mass vaccination centres for the rest of the population before Christmas. Due to the AstraZeneca vaccines rare but serious link to blood clots, Pfizer is now the recommended coronavirus vaccine to people under 50. The federal and state governments have agreed to use increased supplies of AstraZeneca vaccine for Australians over that age, with the revised vaccination plan to be outlined in detail on Thursday. There are strong, strong arguments for the bringing forward of over 50s with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is a safe and effective vaccine for those aged over 50, and particularly important for those aged over 70 who are already in that priority group, Morrison said ahead of the National Cabinet on Monday. The Prime Minister also hoped to vaccinate people under 50 in the last three months of the year by setting up mass vaccination centres to supplement the work of general practitioners of GPs. Theres a lot of work to be done given that would be effectively, if we wished, a 12-week sprint, he said. Thered need to be plenty of planning to achieve that. However, the use of mass vaccinations centres still depends on vaccine stock, considering that Australia needs to wait till October for 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and the yet-to-be-approved Novavax vaccine. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks at a press conference (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) Both NSW and Victorian leaders said the vaccine rollout needs to be sped up. I think we should be far less rigid in how we approach the vaccination rollout, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. Given we know there is no issue with anyone over 50 having the AstraZeneca, and theres quite considerable supply in Australia at the moment. We need to really crack on with it. We stand ready, willing and able to do more in terms of mass vaccination, but that is subject to supply, Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said. We want to see change, we want to see action, and most importantly, we want to see a sense of urgency coming out of our National Cabinet. However, Richard Marles, the deputy Labor leader, was critical of the Coalition government for putting all eggs. They really bet the house on the manufacture of AstraZeneca here and on it doing the lions share of the work of vaccinating Australia, Marles told Sky News on Tuesday. If the prime minister has got one job this year, it is to vaccinate Australia. Right now, that seems in peril, he said. Just outside the entrance to Smile Orthodontics, in a Minneapolis neighborhood of craft breweries and trendy shops, two soldiers in jungle camouflage and body armor were on watch Monday, assault rifles slung over their backs. Snow flurries blew around them. A few steps away at the Iron Door Pub, three more National Guard soldiers and a Minneapolis police officer stood out front, watching the street. A handful of other soldiers were scattered nearby, along with four camouflaged Humvees and a couple police cars. Across the street was a boarded-up building spray-painted with big yellow letters: BLACK LIVES MATTER ALL YEAR ROUND. Adam Martinez was walking down the street when he briefly stopped to stare at the scene. This city feels like its occupied by the military, said Martinez, a commercial painter who lives in nearby St. Paul. This is so weird. More than 3,000 National Guard soldiers, along with police officers, state police, sheriffs deputies and other law enforcement personnel have flooded the city in recent days, with a verdict looming in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murder in the death last year of George Floyd. But in the city that has come to epitomize Americas debate over police killings, there are places today in Minneapolis that can feel almost like a police state. It leaves many wondering: How much is too much? Concrete barriers, chain-link fences and barbed wire now ring parts of downtown Minneapolis so that authorities can quickly close off the courthouse where the trial is being held. Its become normal in recent days to pass convoys of desert-tan military vehicles on nearby highways, and stumble across armed men and women standing guard. One day theyll park their armored vehicles in front of the high-end kitchen store with its $160 bread knives and $400 cooking pots. The next theyll be outside the Depression-era movie theater, or the popular Mexican grocery store or the liquor store ransacked by rioters during the protests that followed Floyds death. Meanwhile hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of stores and other buildings have been boarded up across the city, from Absolute Bail Bonds to glass-walled downtown office towers to Floyds 99 Barbershop. Behind all the security are the days of violence that began with protests over Floyds death. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced withering criticism for not stepping in quicker to deploy the National Guard. City officials estimate the city suffered roughly $350 million in damage, mostly to commercial properties. Theyre between a rock and hard place, said Eli Silverman, professor emeritus at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a longtime scholar of policing. You dont want to overmilitarize and make it appear that youve converted a sovereign state into a police state. But on the other hand, you have to be prepared, too, in case protests flare again. More important than the size of the force, he said, is the expertise and planning behind it. Law enforcement leaders, for example, need to ensure proper crowd control training, and that officers from other jurisdictions are under a single command. Its not just numbers, its the strategic decisions that are incorporated in these things, he said. Minneapolis has a coordinated law-enforcement plan, called Operation Safety Net, that oversees planning and law-enforcement responses. Speaking on Monday to reporters, top law-enforcement officials stood alongside local community leaders and vowed to protect property, allow peaceful protests, and try to de-escalate tensions before demonstrations turn violent. Recent history, though, hasnt been so peaceful. A little over a week ago, 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black man, was killed by police during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. Protests outside the citys police headquarters regularly spilled into violence, with protesters lobbing water bottles and the occasional rock at an array of law enforcement officers, and law enforcement responding by going after protesters - and sometimes journalists - with pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets. We know we need to do better. What happened the last few days wasnt something we wanted, Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson said at the press conference. But we had to act to keep the community safe. And I will never back down from anybody when it comes to keeping this county safe. Many here doubt the promises of law enforcement, which has long had a troubled relationship with the citys Black community. Burhan Israfael, a community organizer who lives in Cedar-Riverside, a Minneapolis neighborhood with one of the largest East African communities in the country, said the presence of military vehicles and armed soldiers was terrifying. He said the terror strikes particularly sharply at the citys many immigrants who fled violence for the safety of the United States. I dont know anybody that experienced and lived through something like that, that feels comfortable coming outside, he said. To be faced with the violent image of somebody dressed in all that camouflage, sort of parading around those massive weapons is unsettling for sure. But plenty of others believe the city needs to be ready for trouble. The Rev. Ian Bethel, a leader in the citys Black church community, sounded almost angry Monday as he spoke alongside the law enforcement officials. Were at a difficult time here, all of us having emotions, anxieties and stress that most of us have not been able yet to express in a proper way, he said. But let me make this clear: One way you do not express whatever you got tied up in you is through violence. On Monday afternoon, soon after lawyers closing arguments and the Chauvin case going to the jury, about 300 protesters marched outside the courthouse. There was no sign of violence. ___ Associated Press writers Kathleen Hennessey and Mohamed Ibrahim contributed to this report. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / E mpress Royalty Corp. (TSXV:EMPR)(OTCQB:EMPYF) ("Empress" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Natascha Kiernan to the Board of Directors. Empress is also pleased to announce the appointment of Javier Reyes as a Strategic Advisor and David Laing as Technical Advisor to the Company. "I am excited to welcome Natascha, Javier, and David to the Empress Royalty team" stated CEO and President Alexandra Woodyer Sherron. "As we position ourselves for growth, the skills, business acumen, and experience of these new team members will not only strengthen our business strategy, it will support the creation of long-term shareholder value." Natascha Kiernan is a lawyer and consultant with over 15 years of experience specializing in transactions involving mining and other natural resources. Natascha has held senior positions with several prominent international law firms, including the New York and London offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and was listed as a "Top 40 under 40" rising legal star by the Financial News and is on the board of several public companies. She brings extensive legal experience in mining, as well as, corporate governance expertise. Javier Reyes is the Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Accendo Banco. He began his professional and financial career in 1996 with a well-known brokerage firm in Mexico City and has been involved in the finance and mining industries for over 25 years in Mexico. Javier holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Adminstration and also holds a Masters in Finance. Javier contributes extensive knowledge and expertise in Mexico and Latin America to Empress. David Laing has more than 35 years of experience in mining operations, projects, engineering studies, mining finance, M&A, and corporate development in both precious and base metals. Formerly a Technical Director of Endeavour Financial, David is responsible for mine technical analysis and has previously held senior executive positions at Endeavour Mining Corp., Equinox Gold Corp. (COO), True Gold Mining Inc. (COO), and Quintana Resources (COO). David has also held senior positions at Standard Bank, technical consulting at MRDI, and various roles at Billiton and Royal Dutch Shell's mining business. David brings significant global mining technical expertise and experience to Empress. STOCK OPTIONS GRANTED The Directors granted a total of 8,900,000 stock options to its Directors, Officers, Consultants and Employees, exerercisable for up to five years at a price of $0.50 per share being a premium to the closing price of the Company 's common shares on the day prior to grant. The options granted will vest equally over a three-year period. The options granted will be subject to applicable regulatory hold periods. ABOUT EMPRESS ROYALTY CORP. Empress is a new precious metals royalty and streaming company focused on the creation of unique financing solutions for mining companies. Empress has a portfolio of 16 investments and is actively focused on finding industry partners with development and production stage projects who require additional non-dilutive capital. The Company has strategic partnerships with Endeavour Financial in London, Terra Capital in Australia and Accendo Banco in Mexico which allow Empress to not only access global investment opportunities but also bring unique mining finance expertise, deal structuring and access to capital markets. Empress is looking forward to continuously creating value for its shareholders through the proven royalty and streaming models. ON BEHALF OF EMPRESS ROYALTY CORP. Per: Alexandra Woodyer Sherron, CEO and President For further information, please visit our website at www.empressroyalty.com or contact Alexandra Woodyer Sherron, CEO and President, by phone at +1.604.331.2080 or email at info@empressroyalty.com . Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains statements about Empress' expectations regarding the Alliance Agreement which are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "believes", "anticipates", "aims to", "plans to" or "intends to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Although Empress believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include Empress not being successful in identifying suitable investment opportunities, being able to successfully complete technical, financial or legal diligence in respect of investment opportunities it has identified, or being able to negotiate and enter into binding agreements for royalty or stream deals with potential counterparties. Readers are referred to the risk factors and contained in Empress' most recent annual information form for a description of the principal risks affecting Empress, its business and its securities. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and Empress undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. SOURCE: Empress Royalty Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641292/Empress-Strengthens-Board-and-Team Bridgerton 'superfan' Kim Kardashian was left starstruck when Nicola Coughlan revealed the Featheringtons are inspired by her famous family. The KUWTK star, 40, declared she's 'freaking out' after Lady Whistledown/Penelope actress Nicola, 34, reached out to her in a hilarious Twitter exchange on Tuesday. Businesswoman Kim also asked to come to a show fitting before the Irish thespian highlighted that legendary fashion designer Mr. Pearl made her corset shortly after creating the mother-of-four's undergarment for the 2019 Met Gala. 'I'm freaking out!' Bridgerton 'superfan' Kim Kardashian was left starstruck when Nicola Coughlan revealed the Featheringtons are inspired by her famous family A delighted Nicola said: 'As the world's number one @bridgerton Stan does @KimKardashian know that the Kardashians were a massive inspiration for the Featheringtons and we talked about them all the time during our fittings? 'Because I feel like she should know this.' (sic) Overwhelmed with excitement, the reality star replied: 'WHAT?!?! I am freaking out!!!!!! 'This tweet was sent to me on my @brigderton group chat! Can I please come to a fitting?!?! It would make my whole life!!!!!! I love you Lady W!!!' (sic) Homage: Lady Whistledown/Penelope actress Nicola, 34 (pictured R with Harriet Cains and Bessie Carter), reached out to the KUWTK star, 40, in a Twitter exchange on Tuesday Set to join forces: Businesswoman Kim also asked to come to a show fitting, before the Derry Girls star accepted her offer 'I can't even deal! The screen star was in awe too as she said: 'You know I've loved Kim for like over a decade' A lot in common: The Irish thespian highlighted that fashion designer Mr. Pearl made her corset shortly after creating the brunette's undergarment for the 2019 Met Gala (pictured) Emulation: The media personality pictured with her sisters Kourtney, 42, and Khloe, 36, last year The screen star was in awe too, adding: 'Omg yesss of course we would love to have you! 'Also did you know that Mr Pearl made your corset for the Met Gala and the very next one he made was mine for Bridgerton? 'You've been part of the Bridgerton world for longer than you know! You know I've loved Kim for like over a decade, I can't even deal'. (sic) Keen: Last month, TV star Kim revealed she binge-watched the programme with wine amid her ongoing divorce with estranged husband Kanye West While the first series of the Netflix hit focuses on the steamy relationship of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett (Rege-Jean Page), Nicola's character Penelope is also involved in a main storyline as she's later unveiled as gossip columnist Lady Whistledown. Last month, TV star Kim revealed she binge-watched the programme with wine amid her ongoing divorce with estranged husband Kanye West. The make-up mogul also reacted to Rege-Jean's shock departure from the show as she said: 'Wait!!! WHAT????' Producers announced Bridgerton was renewed for season two in January, before it was commissioned for two more series. Brandon Hole, the 19-year-old gunman who killed eight employees at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week. had been looking at white supremacist websites a year before the deadly shooting, police say The 19-year-old gunman who killed eight employees at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week had been looking at white supremacist websites a year before the deadly shooting, police say. Brandon Hole's mother had contacted Indianapolis police back in March 2020 to raise concerns that her son had just bought a shotgun and feared that he was going to commit 'suicide by cop', according to a newly released incident report. Hole became enraged when his mother asked what he planned to do with the gun before saying he was going to point the unloaded gun at police so they would shoot him. He told his mother, according to the report: 'This is not the life I want to live, I'll end it my way.' Police immediately responded to Hole's home and took him into custody. According to the report, Hole 'became immediately anxious' and begged officers to turn off the power strip on his computer because he didn't want 'anyone to see what's on it'. The officer who went into Hole's bedroom to seize his shotgun witnessed 'white supremist websites' on Hole's computer. The teenager was then taken to a local hospital for a mental health assessment. The details were included in a newly released incident report following the mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week. Hole, who had been fired from FedEx, shot dead eight employees before killing himself Police immediately took Hole into custody for a mental health evaluation and seized his gun after being alerted by his mother. The officer who went into Hole's bedroom at his family home (above) to seize his shotgun witnessed 'white supremist websites' on Hole's computer Investigators were also informed about the white supremist sites observed on Hole's computer. FBI agents who interviewed the teenager last year found no criminal violation at the time and determined he possessed no 'racially motivated violent extremism ideology', according to Paul Keenan, special agent in charge of the FBI's Indianapolis field office. Despite his detention, suicidal thoughts and white supremist content, Hole never appeared before a judge for a hearing under Indiana's 'red flag' law. If a judge had found him dangerous or incompetent at the hearing, Hole would have been barred from buying another gun. If not, his shotgun would have been returned to him under state law. Authorities did not seek such a hearing because they did not have enough time under the law's restrictions to definitively demonstrate Hole's propensity for suicidal thoughts, according to a prosecutor. They needed to demonstrate his suicidal thoughts in order to convince a judge that Hole should not be allowed to possess a gun. The 'red flag' legislation, passed in Indiana in 2005 and also in effect in other states, allows police or courts to seize guns from people who show warning signs of violence. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said prosecutors were limited in their ability to prepare a 'red flag' case against Hole following that incident due to a 2019 change in the law that requires courts to make a 'good-faith effort' to hold a hearing within 14 days. An additional amendment required them to file an affidavit with the court within 48 hours. Hole's bizarre final Facebook post offered little insight on what drove him to the shooting. Investigators had hoped Hole's online history would shed light on his motives - but Facebook said in the memo that his accounts focused mostly on My Little Pony. Known as 'Bronies' -- a mashup of 'bro' and 'ponies' -- the subculture of adult men obsessed with the kid's show 'has displayed elements of far-right and white nationalist extremism,' the memo said, but added that Hole's postings showed no clear indication those were motivations in the shooting 'This individual was taken and treated by medical professionals and he was cut loose,' and was not even prescribed any medication, Mears said. 'The risk is, if we move forward with that (red flag) process and lose, we have to give that firearm back to that person. Thats not something we were willing to do.' While police never returned the shotgun to Hole, the teenager went on to legally buy two rifles last July and September: One was a Ruger AR-556 Hole and the second was an HM Defense HM15F. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms determined that Hole purchased the guns legally through authorized dealers. Authorities have said he used the two 'assault-style' rifles to gun down eight people, four of them from the city's Sikh community, at the FedEx facility last Thursday before he killed himself. Investigators are still trying to seek a motive in the massacre. It has since emerged that FedEx fired Hole in October last year when he failed to show up for work. Meanwhile, Hole's bizarre final Facebook post offered little insight on what drove him to the shooting. 'I hope that I can be with Applejack in the afterlife, my life has no meaning without her,' wrote Hole on Facebook at 10.19pm on Thursday, less than an hour before the massacre, according to the Wall Street Journal. Applejack is the main character of the children's show My Little Pony. Hole had two Facebook accounts, which the company deleted soon after the shootings at the request of law enforcement, Facebook said in an internal memo obtained by the Journal. Victims: Amarjit Sekhon, 48, (left) was a mother of two boys, 22 and 16, and a member of the Sikh community, Jasvinder Kaur, 50, (right) moved to the U.S. in 2018 and had two children, a daughter and a son Amarjeet Kaur Johal, 66, was a member of the Sikh community, as well as a grandmother Pictured: Jaswinder Singh, 68, and Samaria Blackwell, 19, one of the youngest victims Pictured left to right: John Weisert, 74, was the oldest victim; Karli Smith, 19, who had contact with her family before the shooting; and Matthew R. Alexander, 32, who was a former student at Butler University Investigators had hoped Hole's online history would shed light on his motives - but Facebook said in the memo that his accounts focused mostly on My Little Pony. Known as 'Bronies' -- a mashup of 'bro' and 'ponies' -- the subculture of adult men obsessed with the kid's show 'has displayed elements of far-right and white nationalist extremism,' the memo said, but added that Hole's postings showed no clear indication those were motivations in the shooting. Brony subculture first emerged soon after the show's 2010 debut, and in the early days had links to the military, with many active-duty service members professing their love for the sweet children's cartoon. The first 'BronyCon' gathering in 2011 attracted just 100 adult fans, but swelled in size to more than 10,000 before the organizers held the last event in 2019, citing dwindling interest. While the subculture mostly consists of innocent fans of the show's wholesome themes, it has also been known to attract pedophiles and white supremacists, who spread hateful messages through fan art of the cartoon ponies with racist themes. Authorities have not revealed a motive in the shooting but the Sikh Coalition has called for an investigation into 'bias as a possible motive' after it was revealed four of the eight victims were from their tight-knit community. The Marion County Coroner's office identified the dead late Friday as Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Amarjeet Johal, 66; Jaswinder Kaur, 64; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74. Maninder Singh Walia, a leader of the Sikh coalition of the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis, speaks during a vigil at Monument Circle for the victims of the mass shooting at the FedEx facility on Sunday A religious rights organization intervened after some employees of a school district in suburban Chicago said they objected to getting COVID-19 vaccines. But officials at north suburban Glenview School District 34 said this week that employees were already allowed and some have been granted religious or health exemptions, even before the district was contacted by the conservative Christian group. In an April 7 letter to District 34 Superintendent Dane Delli, Florida-based Liberty Counsel said it was writing on behalf of six employees ... who have engaged us to secure their constitutional and statutory rights not to be required to undergo COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of their employment. Undoubtedly, many of their colleagues have similar convictions, and we write on their behalf as well, Liberty Counsel representatives Richard L. Mast and Horatio G. Mihet wrote. In a news release, the group called forced vaccination a violation of fundamental individual, economic, and religious liberties. But District 34 officials disagreed with the groups contention that its involvement had prompted a change in the districts stance. Officials said the school system was already allowing employees to seek vaccine exemptions. We want to clarify that it was always District 34s intent and practice to allow religious and health exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. ... Many district staff had been granted exemptions before the Liberty Counsel had contacted us, Glenview School District 34 spokeswoman Cathy Kedjidjian said in a Monday statement. In a survey of staff in January, only 2% of those who responded indicated that, when given the opportunity, they would not get the COVID-19 vaccine, she said. In addition, 90% were planning to or already received the vaccine, and 8% were undecided at that time, Kedjidjian said. While District 34 staff members are asked to take a self-assessment each day that includes the question, Are you fully vaccinated? Kedjidjian said the information is used by contact tracers to determine the need for quarantine because of close contact with an infected person. Story continues On Monday morning, 542 of the 750 staff members who entered District 34 buildings reported that they are fully vaccinated, Kedjidjian said. And since many employees received their second shot at local vaccine clinics on April 8 and 9, officials expect the fully vaccinated number will go up later this week, two weeks after those clinics, Kedjidjian added. Liberty Counsel represented Kim Davis, the former county clerk in Kentucky who was jailed in 2015 after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. kcullotta@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kcullotta Married At First Sight's Jake Edwards confirmed he's moved on from his 'ex-wife' Beck Zemek with stunning mother-of-four Sophie Guidolin over the weekend. And now, the 33-year-old charity CEO has revealed that a real life wedding and kids are on the cards. 'One of the conversations we had early, within 10 minutes I said to her I wouldnt waste any time we both want kids together,' he told The Daily Telegraph 'We both want kids together': Married At First Sight groom Jake Edwards, 33, has said marriage and kids are on the kids after going public with his new partner, Sophie Guidolin Jake told the publication that he 'didnt want to muck around' knowing Sophie, 32, already has four kids from a previous relationship. 'I didnt want to waste anyones time so I was straight into it with being married and anting kids. And Sophie was absolutely all for it,' he continued. 'Marriage is around the corner, I am hoping,' he added. 'One of the conversations we had early, within 10 minutes I said to her I wouldnt waste any time we both want kids together,' he told The Daily Telegraph. Jake and Sophie pictured together Hopeful: 'Behind every storm is a rainbow,' Sophie wrote alongside a photo of the couple on the beach Facebook official: The couple announced their romance on their respective social media accounts on Sunday night, after the show wrapped up on television The couple announced their romance on their respective Facebook accounts on Sunday night, as the show's finale played out on television. Jake and his new nutritionist girlfriend Sophie were spotted enjoying a romantic Noosa getaway. At the time, Sophie also confirmed she was in a new relationship by sharing a photo of herself cuddling a man whose upper-arm tattoos also matched Jake's. New man: Last month, Sophie also confirmed she was in a new relationship by sharing a photo of herself cuddling a man in a green shirt. While the man's face wasn't visible in her Instagram post, the shirt resembled one Jake was pictured wearing during filming in November Disaster: Jake 'married' Perth socialite Beck Zemek on the Channel Nine experiment It comes after Rebecca left Jake hurt and physically ill after she was busted kissing an old flame on camera during Sunday night's finale. Former AFL star Jake was visibly shaken while viewing the video and demanded to see it again, after Beck initially claimed it was her brother she was kissing in the clip. Beck had flown home to Perth to care for her sick dog, and during that time asked her ex to take the dog to the vet with her. Shocked: It comes after Rebecca left Jake hurt and physically ill after she was busted kissing an old flame on camera during Sunday night's finale In the video, she says to camera: 'I spoke to Jake before and made sure he was all okay without us.' She added: 'I'm only just waiting for the results back (for the dog), but hopefully can get back soon and see Jake again, cause I kind of miss him'. A man is then seen walking in the room, and the camera fell to the bed. 'Hey, my baby,' Beck said, before the man said, 'Hello' back and the pair were heard kissing out of shot as the dog jumped on the bed, obscuring the view. Commentary: Racism is suffocating U.S. Xinhua) 09:03, April 20, 2021 BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- "I can't breathe," moaned George Floyd in distress, moments before he died handcuffed, with his neck pinned to the ground under a U.S. police officer's knee. Floyd's last words have become the voice of protesters among his fellow African Americans and other minority groups who were once again calling for an end to generations of suffering under the U.S. systematic racism. Almost a year has passed since the black man's death ignited waves of protests against police brutality and racial injustice, yet as a country so entrenched in its original sin of racism, the United States can hardly act for a real change. To add insult to injury, footage recently released showed that two police officers in Virginia, without reasonable cause, held a black army officer at gunpoint and pepper-sprayed him. Ethnic minorities who were enraged at the December incident said that had Caron Nazario, the black officer, not worn the uniform, he could have well been shot. Actually, it is unsurprising to witness recurrent racist incidents in a country where white supremacy is part of its genes. Discriminatory policies were systematically implemented in what is now the United States as early as its colonial period, during which countless native Indians were massacred in targeted atrocities. Also in this land, numerous Africans were enslaved and tortured to death during the period between the establishment of colonies in North America and the American Civil War. Racial segregation against African descendants has not been fully abolished until the mid-20th century. Moreover, during the founding and development of the United States, the exclusion and discrimination against the laborers from Asia has been equally severe, as exemplified by the notorious Chinese Exclusion Act in the late 1800s. The historical and structural problem of racism has been festering like a cancer in nearly every aspect of the life of U.S. minority populations. Regrettably, the situation has never changed despite waves of anti-racism movements in the past decades, and seems hard to turn for the better in the foreseeable future because of the government's habitual inaction and a social system born with racist thoughts. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have become victims of surging racial violence and targets of hate crimes. Even more worryingly, in recent years, white supremacy in the United States has turned more extreme and violent. Racist extremists are forming organizations, including cross-border ones, which have a pernicious tendency towards fascistization. Last month, during the 46th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, representatives from 116 countries and international organizations reviewed the human rights situation in the United States and made 347 recommendations on human rights improvement, urging the country to effectively address such issues as racial discrimination, police brutality and hate crimes. If the United States, as touted by itself, is a melting pot for different racial groups, the pot has actually smashed. With interracial inclusiveness being depleted, even a slight incident could possibly evolve into social unrest as a result of the scourge of racism. "I can't breathe," this is Americans' lamentation for the country's shameful racist history and reality. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) (Natural News) In a study published on April 15 in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, an international team of researchers found that more than 5,000 tons of extraterrestrial dust fall on the planet every year. Tiny meteors in the form of interplanetary dust bombard Earth all the time. Some of these particles travel at exceptional speeds and turn into shooting stars in the process. Some survive the fiery trek through Earths atmosphere and reach the ground to become micrometeorites, which are dust-sized extraterrestrial rocks that land on the planets surface. Now, by scouring Antarctica for micrometeorites, the researchers were able to quantify how much interplanetary dust hit Earth on average. Looking for interplanetary dust in Antarctica The solar system teems with interplanetary dust particles shed from asteroids and comets. Some of these particles get pulled into Earths orbit and nosedive to the planet at extreme speeds. This fallout of dust happens every day but is seldom observed because the particles measure only a few tenths to hundredths of a millimeter. If these tiny specks of dust reach the ground, they are impossible to tell apart from normal, terrestrial dust. Over the last two decades, Jean Duprat, a scientist at the French National Center for Scientific Research and one of the researchers in the study, led six expeditions near the French-Italian research facility Concordia Station, or Dome C, in Antarctica. Located nearly 700 miles off the coast of Adelie Land in the middle of the continent, the area around Dome C is an ideal collection spot because it receives small amounts of snow and is virtually devoid of any terrestrial dust. Through the expeditions, the researchers were able to collect enough extraterrestrial dust particles that ranged from 30 to 350 micrometers wide to measure their annual flux the total mass that accreted on Earths surface per square meter every year. The teams measurements showed that the annual flux of interplanetary dust for the entire planet is around 5,200 tons per year. Meanwhile, larger objects such as meteors, which range between the size of a pebble to a fist, average less than 10 tons annually, suggesting that cosmic dust is the main source of alien matter on the planet. The researchers also found that 80 percent of Earths micrometeorites might have come from comets while the rest were from asteroids. Overall, scientists can use these findings to model Earths formation and better understand the potential role of interplanetary dust in supplying water to the planet. (Related: Asteroids impacting Mars may explain where all the water came from.) Mars also shed interplanetary dust A recent study from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) suggests that comets and asteroids are not the only sources of interplanetary dust in the solar system. Published last month, the study shows that Mars may also litter space with dust through its perennial dust storms. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after analyzing the data accidentally taken by NASAs Juno, the Jupiter-bound spacecraft that was launched in 2011 to study the gas giant. During its years-long voyage, Juno flew through a dust cloud near-Earth and was immediately pelted by tiny grains of rocks. The spacecrafts cameras were able to record these impacts and detected unfamiliar pieces of cosmic debris. After analyzing images from Juno, the researchers found that the majority of the impacts occurred between Earth and the asteroid belt. This suggested that the dust cloud extends from Earth to just beyond Mars, where the influence of Jupiters gravity acts as a barrier. Known as orbital resonance, this gravitational influence prevents dust particles from traveling any further into deep space. Additionally, it keeps dust in deep space from entering the inner solar system. The Jovian gravity barrier also indicated that the dust particles move in a nearly circular orbit around the sun. Because Mars, the dustiest planet in the solar system, is the nearest planet to the dust cloud with a circular orbit, the researchers concluded that the Red Planet also sheds dust particles into space through its dust storms. Visit Space.news for more stories about the solar system and the strange objects that populate it. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com ScienceDirect.com Space.com (@FahadShabbir) Europe's drug regulator was expected to rule Tuesday on the safety of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after fears it could be linked to extremely rare blood clots, as the US drugmaker said it was "very confident" in its shot The Hague, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :Europe's drug regulator was expected to rule Tuesday on the safety of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after fears it could be linked to extremely rare blood clots, as the US drugmaker said it was "very confident" in its shot. The announcement was expected as an EU official promised to have enough vaccines in hand to inoculate the majority of European adults by the summer -- a boon for the continent's sluggish rollout. The United States is also expected to announce its decision on the single-shot J&J vaccine by Friday, as nations around the world try to accelerate their rollouts and revive their pandemic-ravaged economies. The American drugmaker said Tuesday it was "very confident" in its vaccine, speaking ahead of a European Medicines Agency (EMA) briefing about very rare cases of blood clots reported among people who got the J&J shot. The number of reported clots were "extremely small" compared with the millions of J&J shots administered worldwide, the EMA has said. That comparison echoes the comments by top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci, who described the clots as "an extraordinarily rare event". Fauci said this week he believed the US would resume use of the jab, possibly with some restrictions or warnings. A top Johnson & Johnson executive said Tuesday he was confident in the jab and that he hopes for a speedy resolution to the current pause. "We remain very confident and very hopeful that the benefit-risk profile will play out," J&J Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk told CNBC. The company hopes "very shortly ... perhaps as early as the end of this week, to have some resolution with how we are going to proceed," he added. The J&J vaccine concerns follow similar reports of blood clots in a very small number of people who received the AstraZeneca shot. The EMA described those clots as a "very rare" side effect, stressing that the AstraZeneca jab's benefits outweigh the risks. The leaders of Europe are keen to accelerate vaccinations and expand availability after facing intense criticism over a sluggish rollout and with the public desperate for a return to some degree of normality. A senior EU official said Tuesday the bloc will have enough vaccine doses in hand to cover 70 percent of its adult population by mid-July, after the bloc struggled to secure supplies from drugmakers. "I am now certain of how many doses are currently in production and I know how many millions will be delivered each week," internal markets commissioner Thierry Breton told French daily Le Figaro in an interview. "This allows me to assure you that we well have by mid-July the number of doses necessary for vaccinating 70 percent of the European Union's adult population. " - Crisis in India - India, home to 1.3 billion people, is battling a worrying surge, with record daily case numbers overwhelming already stretched hospitals and medical supplies. Its capital New Delhi was locked down Monday for a week, and the government said all adults would be eligible for a vaccine from May as it tries to get a grip on the spike. The Delhi lockdown follows the strict restrictions already imposed in other Indian states. The US Centers for Disease Control on Monday advised against all travel to India because of the Covid-19 crisis, and the UK imposed restrictions on arrivals from the country. The brutal wave has dramatically increased the workload for crematoriums and gravediggers, with social media and newspapers flooded with horrifying images of row upon row of burning pyres. The chimney of one electric furnace in the western city of Ahmedabad cracked and collapsed after being in constant use for up to 20 hours a day for the past two weeks. And the iron frames inside another in Surat melted because there was no time to let the furnaces cool. At a cemetery in New Delhi, gravedigger Shamim told AFP: "At this rate, I will run out of space in three or four days." Concerns about a spike were growing in Japan too, where its third-most populated region Osaka on Tuesday will ask the central government to impose a state of emergency. Tokyo and several other areas are expected to follow suit, hoping to avoid the crisis in Osaka, where hospital beds for coronavirus patients in severe condition have run out. - Vaccine inequality - There are concerns that vaccine inequality between wealthy and poor nations will further complicate and prolong the pandemic. Climate activist Greta Thunberg became the latest high-profile figure to criticise the lopsided distribution, describing vaccine inequity as a "tragedy". Mass vaccinations are considered key for resuming regular life and economic activity, especially travel. But the World Health Organization's emergency committee said it was against international passengers being required to have proof of vaccination -- a proposal being mulled by numerous countries. The committee said such requirements would "deepen inequities and promote differential freedom of movement" because of the uneven global vaccine rollout. But the threat of the virus being spread by international travellers was brought into sharp focus in Hong Kong, where at least 53 passengers on a single flight from India tested positive. Congress Greene Twitter (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene's nativist congressional caucus celebrating the heritage of Americans but only the white ones ended before it ever really began. The "America First Caucus" was the brainchild of Ms Greene, who is perhaps best known for having been stripped of her committee seats for supporting assassination threats against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on social media and for openly flirting with a number of conspiracy theories, including one that alleged the Parkland School Shooting was fake as well as QAnon. The caucus members were to "follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation," according to a policy outline obtained by Punchbowl News. After Ms Greene announced her intentions to form the caucus and US Rep Matt Gaetz who is currently embroiled in an alleged child sex trafficking scandal announced his intention to join, liberals and leftists collectively and expectedly groaned at the developments. What is unexpected is that it appears other Republicans also balked at the idea, and that may be why Ms Greene ultimately scrapped the idea for the caucus. Ms Greene has claimed the caucus originated with her staff and that she put an end to the scheme when she found out about it. Shortly after a flier and internal staff draft proposal for the caucus were leaked online, GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy issued a tweet that appeared to reference the America First idea directly. "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans - not nativist dog whistles," he wrote. US Rep. Liz Cheney, the third highest ranking Republican in the House, was more direct with her criticism of the caucus. "Republicans believe in equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all. We teach our children the values of tolerance, decency and moral courage," she wrote. "Racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil. History teaches we all have an obligation to confront & reject such malicious hate." Story continues The organisation's proposal hits on a number of topics, such as election fraud conspiracies, states rights, complaints about "Big Tech" bias against conservatives, immigration, trade, infrastructure - specifically the aesthetics of new buildings - the coronavirus and the "Chinese Communist Party," among others. Immigration and trade were the longest and most developed sections of the policy document. Critics have pointed to the caucus's very open insistence on elevating supposedly "Anglo-Saxon" cultural ideas to the forefront of America's policies as white supremacy in the most literal sense. The Atlantics Adam Serwer penned an editorial about the caucus titled "Anglo-Saxon is what you say when 'whites only' is too inclusive," noting its history as a means for wealthy, established white people in the US to distance themselves from Jewish people and the immigrant whites arriving from places like Poland, Italy, Greece, and Russia. He argued that despite GOP leaders' attempts to distance themselves from the caucus, it is clear that Republicans who still follow Donald Trump are likely in full support of the ideas behind the caucus, even if they cannot support it publicly. "Despite McCarthys effort to distance the GOP from the America First Caucus document, its clear that prominent Trumpist officials and intellectuals, some of them descended from the very immigrant groups Anglo-Saxon was intended to vilify, agree with some of the presumptions of Anglo-Saxonism," Mr Serwer wrote. "The echo of the notion that, as Francis Walker wrote, non-Anglo-Saxons are biologically incapable of self-care and self-government can be heard regularly on outlets such as Fox News, where hosts like Tucker Carlson argue that Democrats wish to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots, with new people, more obedient voters from the Third World." On Tuesday, Ms Greene did a complete reversal , claiming that the media was making up stories about her and that she did not "need another caucus" because she was a "proud" member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline Republicans that coalesced several years ago. She attempted to portray media coverage of the short-lived America First Caucus as an attack on the House Freedom Caucus. This stands in contrast to a statement disseminated by her office on Friday, which told readers to "be on the look out for the release of the America First Caucus platform when it's announced to the public very soon." The congresswoman said she had "dealt with the staff" who allegedly wrote the seven-page policy document without her knowledge or consent, and said that while the words in the document were not hers and there was no caucus, she planned to continue pushing Mr Trump's "America First" policies. Ms Greene's spokesperson, Nick Dyer who had originally sent the statement advertising the upcoming caucus's platform told CNN after the fact that the "Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved." Mr Gaetz apparently thought the process was nearly complete; the scandal-plagued lawmakers issued a tweet on Friday proclaiming his pride in joining the group. US Reps. Paul Gozar, Louie Gohmert and Barry Moore were also listed as either involved or soon to be involved in the caucus prior to Ms Greene aborting the idea. In addition to claiming the whole incident was fake news, Ms Greene has also taken aim at one of the journalists who runs Punchbowl News, Jake Sherman. After Mr Sherman refuted her claims that she never intended to launch the caucus by highlighting that her staff said she was planning to do so on the record, she asked why Mr Sherman does not cover what US Rep. Maxine Waters says. Ms Waters called for racial justice protesters to "get more confrontational" if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted in the murder of George Floyd. Republicans have dutifully performed outrage over the comments, pointing to Ms Waters words as a call to incite violence against police officers by protesters. Mr Sherman pointed out his publication had been covering Ms Waters for days, which Ms Greene ignored. She then accused Ms Waters of trying to start a "race war" even though she had just allegedly tried to start a caucus built entirely on the idea of mandating Anglo-Saxon artistic and cultural expression in the country and called Mr Sherman a gossip blogger before refusing to further engage with the argument. Read More Marjorie Taylor Greene goes on bizarre climate change rant and calls AOC a 'little girl' Exposure to Twitter lowered Trumps vote share, study claims AOC re-introduces Green New Deal: This is life and death After making repeated allegations of illegal and unethical conduct against Northeastern School District officials, Christopher Leh has resigned from the school board, effective immediately. Leh sent his resignation letter to board Vice President Mike Redding on Friday. In the letter, he referenced his accusations as the reason for his resignation, saying that he did not want to participate in something that is either unethical or illegal. I find the recent behavior of the leadership abhorrent and beyond belief, Leh said in the letter. Board President Margie Walker said Monday morning she was not aware of Lehs resignation. Over the past two months, Leh made allegations during two board meetings, leading to several heated exchanges with Walker and district solicitor William Zee. At a board meeting April 5, Walker suggested personal grievances could be behind his allegations. Stated simply, Mr. Leh has and continues to abuse his position as a member of the Board of School Directors for personal benefit, Walker said in an email April 9. Lehs personal history with the school board dates back to at least 2015, when then-Superintendent Shawn Minnich attacked Leh after bursting into the home of Minnichs ex-wife, now Lehs wife, Kathy. The board waited six months before terminating Minnich during a tearful meeting after the state suspended Minnichs teaching certificate, making him ineligible for the post. He eventually spent almost three months in prison for the assault, and Leh, who was not on the board at the time, criticized board members for hesitating to dismiss Minnich. Reportedly still unhappy about the incident two years later, Leh himself was found guilty of harassing former board member Tyler Kramlick. Police said Lehs unwanted contact in 2017 partially had to do with his displeasure over the boards handling of Minnich. Leh was elected to the board in 2019. In addition, Kathy Leh filed a civil complaint against the district last year, alleging officials repeatedly harassed her over the course of several years in the wake of Minnichs assault. The case is still ongoing. Leh has not shared details about his allegations, but he hinted they were linked to an Oct. 19 board meeting at which the board voted to appoint a new school psychologist, Melissa Sefchick, which Leh opposed. Kathy Leh worked for the district for 21 years as a social worker and a long-term substitute school psychologist. She started working as a school psychologist for the York City School District this year. Leh referenced the Oct. 19 decision in his resignation letter, alleging it was a willful retaliation against an employee. Kramlick, the former school board member, also filed nearly a dozen public records requests to the district between Feb. 8 and March 9, all of which involved Leh, the Oct. 19 school board meeting and the school psychologist position. Kramlicks requests included emails sent to and from Christopher and Kathy Lehs accounts over the last year, legal fees and expenses associated with Kathy Leh while Christopher Leh served on the school board, records of the Oct. 19 board meeting and information about the hiring process for the school psychologist position. The York Dispatch reached out to Kramlick, but he declined to comment. Both Kramlick and Kathy Leh are running for seats on Northeasterns school board in the same region, according to York Countys primary candidates list. Each is listed as a candidate for two different seats in Region 1. According to the candidate list, five seats are up for grabs in the May 18 primary election, with no incumbents listed as a candidate including Walker, whose seat is up for election. Tiffany Robyn Weaver is running in the same region as Kramlick and Kathy Leh. Jamie Lagna, Andrew Shaw and William John Henry Volkert V are running in a different region. Walker has served on the board since 1998 and has been the boards president since 2012. Christopher Leh, in his resignation letter, said he considers it the greatest accomplishment in his political career that Walker will no longer hold a seat on the board. At recent meetings, Leh suggested his allegations relate to issues regarding transparency among board members, including Walker. Before the vote to appoint the new school psychologist on Oct. 19, Leh asked if any internal candidates applied for the position. District officials did not answer on the grounds that it was confidential personnel information, but Leh said he also wasnt allowed to discuss the matter during the boards executive session earlier the same night. Youre providing guidance to me where Im not allowed to talk about it anywhere, which creates a problem, Leh said. Leh also asked if the board follows any policies or contractual obligations that give preferential treatment to external or internal candidates when hiring. He claimed that the appointment violated a contract the board recently signed and asked the board to vote against the appointment, but he was ignored. The board also denied Lehs attempt to table the vote. Leh made several other accusations in his resignation letter, including that Zee threatened him with a retaliatory lawsuit after he asked questions about exploding legal and settlement expenses for the district, and that Walker held an executive session in February to discuss Leh without him present. Walker said in her April 9 email that the board has no knowledge of any illegal or unethical activity by the board or administration. Zee claimed in a March email statement that Leh had direct conflicts of interest that may contribute to his motivation behind the allegations, but he did not elaborate further. The York Dispatch reached out to Zee and Superintendent Stacey Sidle on Monday for comment on Lehs resignation, but neither could immediately be reached. ___ Erin Bamer of The York Dispatch, Pa, wrote this story. (c)2021 The York Dispatch (York, Pa.) Visit The York Dispatch (York, Pa.) at www.yorkdispatch.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Horrified roommates have received the shock of their lives after discovering a baby python had taken up residence in their inner-city apartment. The young women, who live on the thirteenth floor of a high-rise unit in the middle of Melbourne's CBD, said they had no idea where the snake had come from. Raymond Hoser, from 24/7 reptile relocation service Snakebusters arrived to the Elizabeth Street apartment during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The baby spotted python (pictured) was found during the early hours of Tuesday morning by the two female roommates Mr Hoser told Daily Mail Australia the 'cat-eater' python was most likely an escaped pet, as it was non-venomous and native to Queensland, not Victoria. He said he reassured the shaken roommates that it was unlikely the scaly intruder was the offspring of a larger snake still inside the unit block. The snake handler explained that snakes don't travel in groups and are generally solitary animals. 'They were worried about a mother snake dropping eggs and more babies running around', Mr Hoser said. The terrified roommates found the snake in their thirteenth floor apartment in the middle of Melbourne's CBD (pictured) 'In the sky rise, the doors dont sit about an inch off the carpet. In most likelihood, someone has bought a snake and left a cage door open and it has bailed out of the apartment.' Mr Hoser said he experiences a spike in calls in April and May from people asking for pythons, usually escaped pets, to be relocated from their suburban homes. The snake handler says he averages around 5-10 snakes during this period and hands all of his captives over to the government. He said the snakes are usually taken in by zoos or are re-homed, however some have to be euthanised due to bio-security risks. The baby spotted python was most likely an escaped pet as it is non-venomous and is native to Queensland, not Victoria Mr Hoser relocates around six snakes in and around Melbourne's CBD each year, however he admitted it was extremely rare to find one on the thirteenth floor. On Melbourne Cup last year the snake handler said he got a call from a McDonald's in South Melbourne to catch a red-bellied black snake. A year before that a Tiger snake was relocated from backpackers accomodation in Queen Street, and the year before that, he rescued a large python from the cabin of an eight storey crane in Sandringham. The brazen baby python found in the young women's apartment was handed to Unusual Pet Vets in Frankston, about an hours drive from the CBD. OKLAHOMA CITY, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unity Rd., the first cannabis dispensary franchisor in the nation, announced today its franchise expansion plans for the state of Oklahoma. The brand's growth strategy is twofold and includes both helping interested entrepreneurs enter the complex industry while also partnering with existing dispensary owners via its Local Alliance Program. The expansion is a key function of Unity Rd.'s mission to keep dispensary ownership and the wealth that comes along with it local. Bursting at the seams with potential, Oklahoma's cannabis industry continues to grow year after year more than doubling its 2019 medical cannabis sales to reach a record $831 million-plus in 2020. As of February 7, 2021, the state had registered over 370,000 active patient licenses roughly 10% of the population. However, it's clear there's still hesitancy and confusion around compliant dispensary ownership, as the state has licensed thousands of cannabis businesses, yet only 2,090 dispensaries are open and operational to serve the ever-growing patient population. Unity Rd. offers the safest route for local cannabis entrepreneurs looking to stake their claim in the fast-growing, complex industry. In addition to offering the franchise opportunity to entrepreneurs who may be new to the industry, Unity Rd. also partners with existing dispensary owners via its Local Alliance Program, providing access to the buying power, resources and supportive network normally reserved for multi-unit operators. Additionally, the dispensary franchisor's time-tested Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and veteran team guide franchise partners through every operational function of the business, whether it be assisting with cash flow, product selection or changing regulations. "We're keeping dispensary ownership local and thriving with the backing of a franchise system," said Unity Rd.'s VP of Franchise Development Justin Livingston. "The Local Alliance Program allows us to help existing dispensary operators learn from the experiences and best practices we've developed throughout our collective 120 years in cannabis. We're offering the supportive network and tools they need to reach new heights and achieve their business goals." Unity Rd. is initially targeting Oklahoma City, Stillwater and Tulsa for Oklahoma franchise expansion with at least 15 shops available across the state. The dispensary franchise is seeking partners who would benefit from the systems, process and ongoing support the franchise offers. Currently, Unity Rd. has multiple agreements signed with 13 entrepreneurial groups, who are in various stages of development nationwide. "As part of the Unity Rd. network, our partners can operate their dispensaries more efficiently resulting in more time to focus on growing the business rather than managing it," added Livingston. "It's all part of our overarching goal to inspire confidence in the benefits of cannabis for all. We truly believe franchising will be the vehicle to help drive the cannabis industry forward all while arming entrepreneurs across the country with the tools they need to be successful so that ownership and revenues stay local." Unity Rd. franchise partners receive even more resources and supply chain connections as the brand was recently acquired by Item 9 Labs Corp., an award-winning cannabis operator. The combination of the Unity Rd. cannabis retail franchise and premium Item 9 Labs products makes Item 9 Labs Corp. one of the first vertically integrated cannabis franchise companies in the nation. Known for its impressive catalogue of products, Item 9 Labs currently offers 75 active cannabis strains and 150-plus differentiated cannabis vape products as well as premium concentrates. As Unity Rd. grows its franchise network, Item 9 Labs plans to develop or partner with cultivation facilities in states where Unity Rd. franchise partners open cannabis retail shops. This move will give Unity Rd. operators front-of-the-line access to a reliable product supply chain. Despite economic challenges brought on by the pandemic, the demand for cannabis products surged to unprecedented levels with nearly every state experiencing record sales throughout 2020. The year ahead is poised to be big for cannabis law reform on both the state and federal levels opening opportunities for the industry to explode, with projections to top $24 billion by year-end. To learn more about the Unity Rd. franchise opportunity or its Local Alliance Program, contact [email protected], call 480-542-9420, or visit unityrd.com ABOUT UNITY RD. : Unity Rd. is bridging the two previously disconnected worlds of cannabis and franchising. The industry trailblazer is the first to bring the cannabis dispensary franchise model to the United Stateswith duality of prowess in both industries to back it up. Built up from a collective 200 years in the legal cannabis industry and franchising, the company helps eager operators enter the complex industry with ease. The marijuana franchise pioneer offers its partners the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support needed to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary. Launched in 2018, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with more than 10 entrepreneurial groups across the country. Recently, it was named one of the top cannabis retail leaders in the nation by MJBizDaily magazine and one of the "Best Cannabis Companies to Work For" in both the dispensary and cultivation categories in Cannabis Business Times' elite 2020 list. The company is also the first cannabis business to earn a Franchise Times Dealmakers award. For more information, visit unityrd.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Liz Robinson, Fishman PR, [email protected] , 847-945-1300 SOURCE Unity Rd. The Earth's temperature continues to rise unabated, with 2020 being one of the three warmest years on record, as extreme weather events combine with the coronavirus pandemic, impacting millions, and prompting the U.N. chief to say that the world stands "on the verge of the abyss" UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Apr, 2021 ) :The Earth's temperature continues to rise unabated, with 2020 being one of the three warmest years on record, as extreme weather events combine with the coronavirus pandemic, impacting millions, and prompting the U.N. chief to say that the world stands "on the verge of the abyss". According to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) flagship State of the Global Climate report, the global average temperature in 2020 was about 1.2-degree Celsius above pre-industrial level. That figure is "dangerously close" to the 1.5-degree Celsius limit advocated by scientists to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. The six years since 2015, have been the warmest on record, and the decade beginning up to this year, was the warmest ever. "We are on the verge of the abyss", Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a press conference announcing the findings at a press conference . The stark warning from WMO comes ahead of the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate this week, convened by United States President Joe Biden, to galvanize efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the targets of the historic 2015 Paris Agreement, agreed by all the nations of the world. The UN chief underscored that 2021, "must be the year for action", calling for a number of "concrete advances", before countries gather in Glasgow in November, for COP26 the 26th session of Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). "Countries need to submit ambitious new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that were designed by the Paris Agreement. Their climate plans for the next 10 years must be much more efficient." He also urged that climate commitments and plans must be backed with immediate action, and that the trillions of Dollars invested by mostly richer nations for domestic COVID-19 recovery, be aligned with the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and that subsidies directed to fossil fuels be shifted to renewable energy. "Developed countries must lead in phasing out coal by 2030 in OECD countries, and 2040 elsewhere. No new coal power plants should be built", Guterres stressed. The State of the Global Climate report also noted how climate change undermines sustainable development efforts, through a cascading chain of interrelated events that can worsen existing inequalities, as well as raise the potential for feedback loops, perpetuating the deteriorating cycle of climate change. Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-Secretary, cautioned that the "negative trend" in climate could continue for the coming decades independent of mitigation efforts, calling for greater investments in adaptation. "The report shows that we have not time to waste. The climate is changing, and the impacts are already too costly for people and the planet. This is the year for action", he said, calling for all countries to commit to zero emissions by 2050. "One of the most powerful ways to adapt is to invest in early warning services and weather observing networks. Several less developed countries have major gaps in their observing systems and are lacking state-of-the-art weather, climate and water services", he highlighted. Amongst its findings, the 2020 WMO report noted that concentrations of the major greenhouse gases continued to increase in 2019 and 2020, with global average for carbon dioxide concentrations having already exceeded 410 parts per million (ppm), with a further warning that if the concentration follows the same pattern as in previous years, it could reach or exceed 414 ppm this year. WMO also noted that ocean acidification and deoxygenation continued, impacting ecosystems, marine life and fisheries, as well as reducing its capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The report also said that the since the mid-1980s, Arctic air surface temperatures have warmed at least twice as fast as the global average, with "potentially large implications" not only for Arctic ecosystems but also for the global climate, such as thawing permafrost releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. In addition, record low Arctic sea-ice extent were observed in the months of July and October 2020, while the Greenland ice sheet lost approximately 152 gigatonnes of ice, between September 2019 and August 2020. Extreme weather events were also recorded in several locations globally, with heavy rains and floods, severe and long-term droughts, disastrous storms, and widespread and prolonged wildfires, such as in the US and Australia. Photo shows Dr. Sun Yangchun (R) operating the only colposcopy machine that detects cervical cancer at Juba Teaching Hospital, South Sudan, on April 16, 2021. [Xinhua/Denis Elamu] Chinese women doctors are earning public trust for their commitment and dedication to offering treatment to their South Sudanese patients. JUBA, April 17 (Xinhua) Chinese women doctors are increasingly earning public trust for their commitment and dedication to offering treatment to their South Sudanese patients. Liu Fang, a 38-year-old dermatologist with the eighth batch of the Chinese medical team in Juba is always seen busy in her office at the Juba Teaching Hospital with patients seeking treatment for various skin diseases. Liu treats both children and adults with skin diseases such as eczema, scabies, dermatitis, drug eruption and tinea. Liu from Anhui Province is also an expert in Chinese traditional medicine which gives her wide knowledge on how to treat several types of skin diseases in her patients. The number of patients who make daily visits demonstrates the trust and strong relationship she has built with the public in Juba, since arriving in Juba in August 2020. "My patients listen to my medical prescription and some of the patients who live far away are unable to come to me regularly for more medical examinations. This is the main reason why I prescribe them enough medicine so that they continue with treatment from home," Liu told Xinhua in Juba on Friday. Liu, who treats between 70-80 patients daily, however, said that at first, she experienced challenges due to the language barrier as most of her patients speak the local Juba Arabic language. "My challenge is the language but this is solved by our South Sudanese medical assistants who help us to translate into local Arabic for the patients. South Sudanese are very patient and very cooperative which helps my work," she said. "Most of the medicines I need to prescribe for the patients are available so the patients often get what they need. The treatment is free of charge," she added. Doctor Liu was part of the Chinese medical team that in December last year treated more than 2,000 locals in the Lado area of Terekeka in Central Equatoria State. Joseph Kenyi, a medical assistant who works with Liu in their crowded office hailed the Chinese medical team for their generosity. "I have been working with the Chinese medical teams for the last six years here. They are helping people with free treatment for skin diseases and their other teams are helping in treating other diseases. They are giving free treatment to South Sudanese who are suffering," said Kenyi. "We deal with many patients with tinea versicolor, tinea pedis, tinea corporis, tinea capitis that affect the nails. We are here helping people with free treatment," he added. Photo shows South Sudanese medic Joseph Kenyi (L) and Dr. Liu Fang (R) at Juba Teaching Hospital, South Sudan, on April 16, 2021. [Xinhua/Denis Elamu] Sun Yangchun, a 38-year-old gynecologist from Anhui Medical University, said that for the few months she has spent in the main referral hospital she noticed that the high number of women suffering from cervical cancer is largely due to lack of health awareness. "I think health awareness is still low in South Sudan, many women come here with terminal cancer and this is due to lack of health awareness. Some of these women do not turn up for timely checkup that is why some of these small problems turn into terminal cancer," said Sun who has worked for over 20 years as a gynecologist. She operates the only colposcopy machine in the hospital donated by the Chinese government to help detect cancer and other diseases among women. Sun disclosed that 30 percent of the inpatients in the gynecology ward suffer from cervical cancer, adding that a quarter of these suffer from terminal cancer which is extremely difficult to treat. "From what I know cervical cancer is prevalent among South Sudanese women because of early child marriages and also due to vaginal inflammation and this is worsened by failure to seek medical examination," said Sun. "What we can do is to use the colposcopy machine and do surgery but for terminal cancer there is no way we can treat," she added. (Source: Xinhua) Boeing's board of directors raised the mandatory retirement age for CEO David Calhoun from 65 to 70 just days after he turned 64. FILE- In this Sept. 30, 2020, file photo, a Boeing 737 Max jet, piloted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Steve Dickson, prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight in Seattle. Boeing says it has informed 16 of its customers that they should address a possible electrical issue in certain 737 Max aircraft before using them further. Boeing said Friday, April 9, 2021, that the recommendation was made Auto allow for verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system.Au (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) Boeing's board of directors raised the mandatory retirement age for CEO David Calhoun from 65 to 70 just days after he turned 64. The boards vote of confidence for Calhoun comes as Boeing continues to struggle to recover from two crashes of its bestselling airliner and the coronavirus pandemic, which has undermined demand for new planes. Boeing lost nearly $12 billion last year as orders and deliveries plunged. Boeing also announced Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Gregory Smith, 54, will retire in July. A search has begun for a successor to Smith, who has been CFO since 2011 and served as interim CEO after Boeing ousted Dennis Muilenburg in December 2019. The sudden departure of a top financial executive can rattle investors, who fear it might foreshadow bad news about the company. Cowen aerospace analyst Cai von Rumohr said he doesnt think thats the case with Boeing, and suggested that Smith is leaving because the extension for Calhoun blocks his path to become CEO. Boeing shares fell 4.6% in afternoon trading. The moves were announced shortly before the company's annual shareholder meeting, which was conducted online. The Boeing board has been criticized for its oversight during development of the 737 Max plane, and investors are suing several current and former executives and directors. A proxy advisory firm recommended that shareholders vote against Chairman Larry Kellner and another director, but the company said shareholders supported all 10 directors up for election. Shareholders rejected a proposal for Boeing Co. to issue a report on its lobbying spending, which has totalled nearly $180 million since 2010, according to opensecrets.org. The board opposed the measure. Max jets worldwide were grounded for nearly two years until late 2020, when regulators in the United States and many other countries approved changes Boeing made to a flight-control system implicated in the crashes, which killed 346 people. China, the plane's single largest market, has not yet allowed the planes to resume flying. Boeing's struggles with the Max and other planes have continued. This month, more than a dozen airlines including Southwest, American, United and Alaska grounded about 90 Max jets after Boeing told them to inspect the planes for a potential issue involving electrical grounding of some components. Boeing has not yet designed a fix. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency will thoroughly review any changes that Boeing proposes. Calhoun said Tuesday that those planes should be fixed in days, not weeks or months. However, the issue further complicates Boeings relationship with airline customers, which have had to scramble other planes to meet their flight schedules, and it could reinforce the views of passengers who worry about flying on a Max. Still, company officials said they will put both the Max crisis and the pandemic behind them. In recent weeks, Southwest and United have placed orders for more Max jets. Boeing has effectively navigated one of the most challenging and complex periods in its long history, Kellner told shareholders. Calhoun, he said, has increased confidence in the company among regulators and airline customers. After the rough stretch, a desire for continuity drove the board to allow Calhoun, who turned 64 on Sunday, to stay in the job potentially until early 2028, Kellner said. Michael Stumo, whose daughter Samya died in one of the Max crashes, said Calhoun, who was a General Electric executive and Boeing director before becoming CEO in January 2020, helped elevate cost-cutting over safety. Boeing needs to search for new leadership with demonstrated experience in and commitment to great engineering, flawless manufacturing and reinvesting in the business for the long term," Stumo said. David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter Sygnia is set to apply to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) to list a new cryptocurrency exchange traded fund (ETF) in South Africa. This is feedback from Sygnia CEO David Hufton, who was answering questions from MyBroadband about their plans in the cryptocurrency market. A Bitcoin ETF tracks the price of the cryptocurrency and allows investors to buy into the digital currency without trading Bitcoin itself. It also removes the complexities related to storing Bitcoin and moving money in and out of cryptocurrency exchanges. Sygnias latest Bitcoin ETF plan follows an unsuccessful attempt in 2017 to list the worlds first cryptocurrency ETF on the JSE. Unfortunately, at the last minute, the JSE decided not to proceed citing a lack of a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies as the reason, Hufton said. At the time John Burke, the JSEs former director of issuer regulation, said the exchange was not ready to approve cryptocurrency listings. He said the JSE had concerns regarding the robustness and transparency of the various cryptocurrency spot markets. Sygnias Hufton said while the opportunity to launch the first cryptocurrency ETF in the world was sadly missed, they intend to reapply to the JSE any day now. A lot of work went into designing the actual structure of the ETF in 2017 which we can reuse, he said. With cryptocurrencies becoming more mainstream, we are hopeful that the JSE will be more receptive to our application this time round. MyBroadband asked the JSE for feedback on allowing a cryptocurrency ETF on its platform, but the company did not reply by the time of publication. The JSEs director of issuer regulation, Andre Visser previously told Citywire there were important conditions to be addressed before it allowed a cryptocurrency product listing. They will also have to engage with other regulatory bodies like the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). Sygnia is not the only company planning to launch a Bitcoin ETF on the JSE. DCX Capital, which was founded by Earle Loxton and former CEO Michael Jordaan, is also planning to launch a Bitcoin ETF. Speaking to Moneyweb, Loxton said they have partnered with Easy Equities to list a cryptocurrency ETF on the JSE. Through our partner, Easy Equities, we will be lodging our application to become the first listed South African Bitcoin ETF, he said. He said while they have not submitted their application yet, they were hard at work to ensure they have all the necessary measures in place for a successful ETF listing. One of these measures was to ensure the safe storage of their cryptocurrency assets, which include the use of hardware wallets and web wallets. To meet listing requirements, they need the services of a dedicated, trusted, and regulated custodian. This has been put in place through Easy Equities custodian services they employ in their business, he said. People questioned whether Sygnia can list its Bitcoin ETF on the A2X exchange if the JSE does not approve it. Commenting on this issue, A2X CEO Kevin Brady explained that A2Xs licence conditions only allow for secondary listings. Were unable to offer primary listings for now of any asset class, Brady told MyBroadband. However, if a crypto ETF has a primary listing on regulated local exchange or even on an A2X approved international exchange we would most definitely consider secondary listing it on A2X. Now read: Why hedge fund manager Jean Pierre Verster is not investing in Bitcoin The most enlightening thing ever written about Bernie Madoff, the prodigiously corrupt financier who died in prison Wednesday, was a jailhouse interview he gave to Steve Fishman for New York magazine in 2011. Madoff, then kicking off his 150-year sentence for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that lost clients some $65 billion, sounded contrite. But he also had grudges. Like a certain former president, Madoff grew up in New York Citys outer boroughs, where he came to resent the high-hats of Wall Street. I was upset with the whole idea of not being in the club. I was this little Jewish guy from Brooklyn, he told Fishman. The little guy never got a break.... The market is a whole rigged job. Like many smart-aleck beginners, Madoff believed he had cracked the code of the market. He did well by his clients, even in downturns first legitimately, then very much not. But his resentments never lifted. While Madoffs client list increasingly tilted toward the posh and preening in Palm Beach and the Persian Gulf, it was Bernie from Brooklyn who thanklessly drove the engine, according to Fishman. And it would be Bernie from Brooklyn, the little guy, who took the fall. Of course, these days, Madoff, who owned three yachts, including a luxe 56-footer called Bull, is hardly considered the little guy. And seen from the perspective of Wall Street in 2021, where scrappy Redditors and Elon Musk sometimes seem like greater rainmakers than Goldman Sachs, the Madoff drama of a decade ago is almost quaint. First, the much-vaunted returns Madoff got for his clients (10% annually, no matter the financial weather) would strike many notably todays stonk day traders as a pittance. The Redditors who claim they squeezed hedge funds in January with an operation involving GameStop stock have spent many a spring day doubling and tripling their money trading cryptocurrencies that their elders still dont understand. And for the youngs who came to politics by way of Occupy Wall Street, Madoffs extreme notoriety only throws into relief the galling fact that not one Wall Street exec went to the clink for the 2008 recession. The bottom dropped out for many of us, but the recession didnt ruin many masters of the universe. Instead it crushed middle-class lives, creating widespread homelessness and destroying nearly $30 trillion of the worlds wealth. Making Madoff Wall Streets big bad apple may have served to let the others skate. Madoffs grudge with the white-shoe world is alive and well in the 20-somethings. The new little guys often are the ones who saw their early prospects thwarted when their parents lost their shirts, their homes and their kids college funds in the financial crisis. And just last week, as Madoff lay dying of kidney failure, the new hotshots in the market were making a killing. Where Madoff boasted of a head for math, the new punks have a head mostly for jokes. Last week, for example, they dumped money into a silly cryptocurrency called Dogecoin, an empty caper connected to a 2013 meme about a shiba inu embellished with words in the Comic Sans font. Dogecoin hit 25 cents per coin Thursday evening, which was up more than 300% from a week ago. Dont bother understanding Dogecoin. Its yet another cryptocurrency like bitcoin a virtual medium of exchange that gets its value from the people who use it the little guys. When bitcoin first appeared in 2009, Madoff already was in hot water. Unless he was sock-puppeting on Reddit from the prison library, its unlikely he ever got into crypto. This time the little guys are aiming to breach the club by ginning up their own currency and setting the value for it. For a while, it seems, they could get very, very rich. The rigged game will seem as though its finally licked. The crypto market will go up and up and up. Everyone will buy maxi yachts and name them Bull. And then, as late-stage Madoff might have predicted, it will come crashing down. Or so the history of the market tells us. Maybe itll be different this time. Dog-winking emoji. VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN writes for the Los Angeles Times. MANCHESTER, England, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ACE Money Transfer has launched global money transfer services in Australia. Bringing convenient and inclusive money transfer services to users worldwide, ACE focuses on expansion, innovation, exceptional customer experience and speed to market. After having served a customer base of 1.3 million individuals in United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) with a network of 100+ countries and 300,000+ payout locations, ACE Money Transfer has a new goal that is to build international digital payment services and serve Australian customers. At ACE, the approach is to digitize remittances and help making remittance services convenient and affordable - especially for migrant workers in Australia. Every transaction would be digital and would bear either no or minimal charges as compared to money transferred through physical agent locations that is usually subject to high fees. "It is imperative for companies to 'Feel' for their customers. That 'Feel' for customers made ACE to leap into Australia to offer them cost-effective, comfortable and convenient solutions to their money transfer needs," said by Mr. Rashid Ashraf, CEO of ACE Money Transfer. It is a great news for Individuals in Australia who wish to send their hard-earned monies back to their homes to support their families for livelihood. They will have the access to use services of ACE Money Transfer through its website or mobile App, at any time, and can transfer monies using their debit or credit card. Regardless of whether customers are making a regular transfer, they can get facilities of airtime, pay to mobile wallets and bill payments from the comforts of their homes. The utmost priority of any international remittance company is to meet faster expansion goals. ACE Money Transfer has grown its name by serving customers in United Kingdom and Europe for more than 15 years. Working in another continent is a logical step to showcase its ambitions. ACE Money Transfer (registered name "Aftab Currency Exchange Limited") is a Manchester based renowned financial institution which specializes in cross-border payments and provides online and App based money remittance services. To launch its operations in Australia, ACE Money Transfer acquired an Australian company with ACN number 626577268 named as "ACE Money Transfer PTY LTD". Australian subsidiary is duly licensed by and registered with AUSTRAC (Financial Regulator of Australia) and has a registered office at 30 Freemont Circuit, Truganina, Vic, 3029, in Australia. Contacts: [email protected] +44 161 3936 999 SOURCE ACE Money Transfer The UK's three levy boards have updated their guidance for sheep farmers on controlling worms more effectively in the future. The sheep industry has become more reliant on pastures grazed only by sheep, and as a result, the dependence on wormers has increased. Worm control is vital on any sheep farm, and heavy worm burdens can dramatically decrease lamb growth rates and the profitability of sheep systems. But for worm control to be effective long term it is important to preserve the efficacy of anthelmintics that are used by minimising resistance. In response to this, the three UK red meat levy boards will soon launch an update of the booklet Worm Control in Sheep. Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and the AHDB have joined forces with Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) to update it. Claire Jones, who works at Dolgellau Veterinary Practice in north Wales, is part of the Welsh government's herd health project Stoc+. She said the new guidance will be a useful tool for farming businesses looking to reduce the dependence on wormers. Anthelmintic resistance on farm, and the need to protect our existing classes of drenches is something that should be at the forefront of farmers minds when it comes to product selection and devising a drenching strategy for their farm. "The use of regular Faecal Egg Counts (FEC) and monitoring growth and performance should be part of all farm health plans going forward," she said. The information provided in Worm Control in Sheep will be a useful tool for farms, as well as setting out principles for best practice and the responsible control of worms. To launch the booklet, HCC is hosting a webinar on 26 April at 7:30pm. Farmers interested in joining can register on the levy board's website. Houston City Council this week will vote on whether it should spend more than $1 million to hire an outside law firm to fight a civil rights lawsuit filed after a fatal 2019 drug raid. The proposal, which is on Wednesdays City Council meeting agenda, provides a glimpse into the citys legal strategy for the ongoing court battle, breaking the litigation in two phases. Mayoral spokeswoman Mary Benton said complexity and scope of defending itself against the lawsuit prompted the decision to hire Beck Redden LLP. The City Attorney recommended Beck Redden after reviewing law firms qualifications and experience from the citys list of firms and conducting several interviews, she said, in an emailed statement. Beck Redden is considered one of the top litigation law firms, not only in Houston but nationally. REVERSED CONVICTION: Houston man who pleaded guilty after being arrested by Goines is declared innocent The first phase includes paying for legal services to prepare and file a motion for summary judgment arguing that the city and former chief Art Acevedo should be dismissed from the case. The second phase would pay for subsequent services including trial prep and trial itself, the council agenda show. The lawsuit dates back to the Jan. 28, 2019 raid of a home in south Houston. Police officers broke into the residence looking for drugs, and a firefight erupted, ending with the deaths of Dennis Tuttle and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas, and four officers shot. Police subsequently accused the lead narcotics officer, Gerald Goines, of lying to obtain the warrant he used to raid the home. He retired and is now charged with murder and other crimes. In the ensuing investigation, 11 other current and former narcotics officers were charged with other crimes. In January after close to 18 months of months of efforts in probate court to depose police relatives of Tuttle and Nicholas sued the city, Acevedo, and the other officers charged in the raid, arguing police had violated the couples civil rights. Courthouse observers said the request to hire outside counsel and authorize an initial outlay of more than $1 million was relatively rare, and reflected the liability the city faces in the case. To me, thats a sign of how concerned the city is, said Walt Cubberly, part of a team of attorneys that won a $260,000 settlement from the city after officers shot and killed Kenneth Releford in 2012. And those guys at Beck Redden are well respected attorneys. I dont know who cares about us: How Texas failed people with disabilities during the freeze The move also signals to plaintiff lawyers that the city intends to aggressively defend this case, said Ben Hall, former city attorney from 1992-1995 and who later ran for mayor. Im glad the City Council is going to consider approving that level of money and more because its needed, he said. According to the citys agenda, the city attorney recommended working with Beck Redden because the firm and its attorneys are pre-eminent in their representation of governmental entities in complex litigation, having successfully handled other high stakes section 1983 litigation meaning lawsuits alleging deprivation of civil rights. The Houston-based firm has dozens of staff, with specialties in appellate work, class action lawsuits, and several other areas. After citys plans to hire Beck Redden became public, Nicholas family attorney Mike Doyle accused Mayor Sylvester Turner of obstructing the efforts to learn more about what happened in the raid. Doyle said the citys lawyers have fought his pre-trial efforts over the last two years to obtain information about the incident or depose police officers. Lacking the courage to challenge HPD, the mayor has now forced taxpayers to fund a multi-million-dollar continuing cover up of the police departments worst scandal in generations, he said. How many millions of dollars will Sylvester Turner pour into hiding what happened before, during and after that murderous raid? HARDING STREET PLEA: Woman whose 911 calls led to Harding Street raid pleads guilty to lying charge Doyle was not the only critic of the move. Hai Bui, co-founder of We the People Organize, questioned why the city was spending money to hide misconduct by former narcotics officers. We want justice for the Tuttles, not a $1.2 million cover-up, Bui said. The fact is, Houston cops lied and the Tuttles died. The mayor and police chief should just face the truth, not run from it. Benton, the city spokeswoman, pushed back on those criticisms. The lawsuit was filed just a few months ago, she said. The city has not gone to great lengths to fight the lawsuit because it is at its inception, she said. Defending the city against a lawsuit filed against the city seeking public dollars is not incongruent with the mayors implementation of police reforms. Alvin Brooks wanted to be home for the news. But instead, he was stopped at a traffic light at East Red Bridge and Grandview roads when he heard the news over the radio. A jury had found Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges. I started hollering and applauding in the car. Thank God. Thank God. Justice is served, Brooks, one of Kansas Citys most beloved civic leaders, said. What a moment! Oh what this means for the conscious of this nation. Former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd last summer. Chauvin held his knee to Floyds neck for more than nine minutes last May. Floyds death led to protests across the country. Hundreds turned out for days in Kansas City. As for Kansas City, Brooks said, We can not let this just be a Minneapolis situation. This affects all of us. And the hour is now. That everyone stands up when there is injustice. He said the Civic Council, Chamber of Commerce and police department should take this as a sign to look inward and self reflect. Brooks served on the KC Board of Police Commissioners from 2010 to 2017. And I am hoping there will be those who will say to police and prosecutors you have to cooperate with one another, Brooks said. There must be collaboration on the right side of justice. For some Kansas Citians, the verdict felt like they could take a breath. Others said they thought of the families of others killed by police. And others called Tuesdays news bittersweet. Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on Twitter that This was the right result accountability. His post continued: George Floyd should be alive today, as should many others. I appreciate the jurys work. Now we must continue ours. Keep up the pressure. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, a Kansas City Democrat on the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, said in a statement that, This conviction feels like a monumental and important step towards equality for communities of color who have experienced violence and discrimination at the hands of law enforcement for far too long. Story continues She added: Our caucus hopes this ruling brings some measure of justice to Floyds family and friends. The Kansas City Police Department said in a statement that it supports the criminal justice process and the outcome in which it resulted in this case. The announcement of the verdict will spark powerful emotions in our community. Everyone is entitled to express those emotions and make their thoughts heard. It is the Kansas City Missouri Police Departments mission to safeguard and protect the Constitutional rights of all individuals participating in First Amendment activities and assemblies. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Several Kansas City faith leaders organized a brief demonstration Tuesday afternoon in the 18th & Vine District, pointing to the outcome in Chauvins case as a victory and a step toward justice. But they cautioned that there is more work to be done. For 400 years, our people have been holding our breath. And its good to finally breathe a fresh air of justice in America, said Rev. Darron Edwards, pastor of the United Believers Community Church. Emanuel Cleaver III, pastor at St. James United Methodist Church, contrasted Chauvins trial and verdict with the infamous Rodney King case of 1993. He said the verdict Tuesday signals progress, but we still need massive police reform. Change is often slow. But we are moving in the right direction, said Cleaver, who is the son of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II. And one thing we will never do is stop the struggle. Cassandra Wainwright, president of the Concerned Clergy Coalition, said the verdict was encouraging. This was not just a victory for Black America, it was a victory for justice, she said. The rally drew a small crowd of faith leaders and ended late Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Brandon Henderson, a 21-year-old student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said his reaction to the verdict is really hard to describe because he sees it as bittersweet. I dont think that putting Derek Chauvin behind bars is truly justice, he said. I think the only type of justice would be if George Floyd was not murdered. Henderson, who attended protests in Kansas City over the past year, said that people cant look at the verdict as if things are cool now and that the system is working. He said the movement needs to continue to move forward and advocating for a world where Black people are not afraid of being killed by the police for just being Black. Ryan Sorrell a leader with Black Rainbow KC, an organization that fights for the liberation of all oppressed people said he watched the verdict at home with his mom. When the judge read the verdict, he said he felt numb. And I wanted to feel joy but I couldnt. I wanted to convince myself that this was a positive thing, Sorrell said. But he felt torn between wanting to see accountability for the officer and balancing that with his belief that the existing court and incarceration systems are anti-Black institutions. Everywhere policing exists, Sorrell said, so does police brutality and white supremacy. Sorrell said Kansas Citians have been demanding real justice and know that the current system is racist. Real justice for the people of Kansas City is we all have an equal opportunity to live and thrive, Sorrell said, which means affordable housing, education, healthcare, mental health. Because the naked violence of police murdering Black people is only the tip of the iceberg of how white supremacy and policing kills Black people. In a statement posted to social media, Black Rainbow wrote that even though the trial is over, the conditions in KC/the US have not changed. The group pointed to the killings of 20-year-old Daunte Wright and 13-year-old Adam Toledo that occurred during the trial. The Jackson County Prosecutors Office wrote in a statement: Justice is served. Jackson County Executive Frank White issued a statement on Twitter, saying he watched the developments unfold in fear that Chauvin would walk free after murdering a black man. Todays verdict is the result of men, women, and children of all ages and races standing together and saying, Enough is Enough! White said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Shortly after the verdict was announced, Patrick Mahomes posted a praying hands emoji on Twitter. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, said she watched the verdict while working from home. She said she had a high level of anxiety while watching because the justice system has not worked in the past. She recalled watching the video of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers and their later acquittal. When the judge read the verdict, she took a sigh of relief. My hope is that we will see more charges filed, more prosecutions, more convictions, Grant said, that will hopefully send a strong message to law enforcement that they too will be held accountable for breaking the law. Grant said without local control and removal of police Chief Rick Smith, she doesnt have much hope for change in Kansas City. She called for a leadership change, stronger deadly force policies and external investigations of community complaints. This is a this is a victory on the battlefield for justice, but we have not won the war, Grant said. Rev. Vernon Howard, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City, said that as he watched the verdict at home, he thought of all the other families who have lived through the same experience as Floyds. He thought of the families who have had to relieve the pain and grief of losing their loved ones who police shot. He thought of the families of Donnie Sanders, Cameron Lamb, Terrence Bridges and Ryan Stokes. He thought of Stokes daughter, who has now gone eight years without a father. Because still in Kansas City, Black lives dont matter, Howard said. And the proof is right before us. Howard said the verdict signals a shift in the country. However, he said, Kansas City remains stuck in a cycle of police brutality. Lets keep in mind as we applaud the courage of the jury and celebrate this decision that George Floyd never should have died ... we have much more work to do. Community activist Justice Horn said he watched the verdict with a friend at City Hall. When the judge said the jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts, Horn said he had chills. This is finally a moment for us to breathe, Horn said. We have been on edge for a year. This is the justice we were talking about. This is a step in the right direction. The Stars Jeanne Kuang, Glenn E. Rice, Mara Rose Williams, Bob Cronkleton and Bill Lukitsch contributed to this story. The political storm over the treatment of women has given Labor an edge over the Coalition, with 55 per cent of voters saying Prime Minister Scott Morrison has not responded well to a series of scandals. More voters think Labor is the better party to handle issues affecting women, with 27 per cent backing the party compared to 21 per cent preferring the Coalition on the issue. Reserve Strategics polling on womens issues has given Labor an edge over the Coalition. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But the treatment of women is not driving voter choice to the same degree as other big policy questions, casting doubt on whether the ferocious debate will have a defining impact on the next federal election. The findings, in a new survey by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age with research company Resolve Strategic, show that issues such as sexual harassment, assault and gender equity are named as important by only 5 per cent of voters. This article by Sara K. Satullo (Bethlehem unveils climate action plan 1 year in the making) shows that Bethlehem is on the right track in addressing greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on the changing climate. They are impressive goals, and everyone should do their part. But Bethlehem alone cannot do what is needed to make a real difference, action is needed on a national level. Earlier this month, Florida Rep. Ted Deutch and 35 co-sponsors, including Lehigh Valley Rep. Susan Wild, introduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307) into the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would put a rising price on carbon pollution to get America to net-zero emissions by 2050. The carbon price revenue would be allocated to Americans through monthly dividend checks. Carbon pricing will quickly reduce the pollution causing climate change. Plus, a carbon dividend check will help people afford increased energy costs as America transitions to a clean energy economy. Reducing emissions will improve health, especially for respiratory illnesses, spur new technologies for conservation and carbon recapture, create paying jobs in the technology and energy sectors, and not grow government. It is revenue-neutral and protects vulnerable segments of the population. Carbon pricing is popular among the general populace. Here in the Lehigh Valley, this policy has been endorsed by many community leaders, local businesses, faith groups and local elected officials. Congress should waste no time implementing a policy like this and a Senate companion bill is needed. What are Pennsylvanias senators waiting for? John Gallagher Bethlehem Township A local high student is using his artistic ability to bring some attention to the Alamo City in the most puro way. Roger Zamarripa Jr. is one of hundreds of high school students competing in this years Vans Custom Culture competition. Last week, the junior at Edison High School unveiled his submission. Originally all-white Vans, Zamarripa chose bright, acrylic paints to create his masterpiece: an homage to San Antonio complete with detailed paintings of the River Walk, Alamo, and papel picado, with a common theme of the Spurs Fiesta colors of hot pink, orange, and teal. The first thing when I hear San Antonio, I think of Fiesta, Zamarripa said. Were known for that. While his shoes are an obvious hit in the Alamo City, Zamarripa said its been a process in terms of the nitty gritty details of the competition. The student said his art teacher asked him if he would be interested in submitting an idea for the nation-wide competition. Stuck at home during Februarys Snowpocalypse, the teen said he was able to put together a rough sketch of what he wanted the shoes to look like. A few weeks later, Vans sent blank shoes in this case, canvases to Edison for five students to fill with their art. Officials with the competition only sent shoes to 250 schools across the nation for the second round. READ MORE: Check out the first-ever million dollar NFT medal in Fiesta San Antonio history Zamarripa was able to bring the shoes to life in the most San Anto way. I wanted someone to have the culture of San Antonio on their shoes, Zamarripa said. I just love the culture here. Courtesy of Roger Zamarripa Jr. Now that hes finished his creation, Zamarripa said hell have to wait and see if his design moves on to the next round. On April 26, the top 50 pairs of shoes will be selected and part of a public vote. From then through May 7, the public will be able to vote for their favorite pair. Zamarripa hopes to continue to have the support of his fellow San Antonio residents. Its just so awesome to see how San Antonio is like a big family and that we can all express culture together, Zamarripa said of the response to his shoes after sharing pictures on Facebook. They hit home by calling me mijo. The top five winners of the competition will win a variety of cash prizes, with the grand winner securing $50,000 to be used for their schools art department. To be able to represent San Antonio this way with such a big brand as Vans is so awesome. Its an honor, Zamarripa said. Im excited to see what happens. San Antonians looking to support Zamarripa can find more information about the voting period here. Boeing announced on Tuesday that David Calhoun would remain CEO potentially through 2028 as the aviation giant navigates a multi-year comeback following the 737 MAX scandal and the Covid-19 travel industry collapse. Boeing raised the company's retirement age for Calhoun to 70, ensuring a measure of continuity during a still-uncertain time in aviation and as questions linger over the company's practices after two tragic MAX crashes claimed 346 lives. Boeing, which has a standard retirement age of 65, cited Calhoun's progress in "building regulator and customer confidence" and enabling the 737 MAX to return to service following a 20-month grounding. Changing Calhoun's retirement age allows "for flexibility," Boeing Chairman Larry Kellner said during an annual meeting. At the meeting, investors reelected the company's board and voted down proposals that would have given shareholders more influence on the selection of new board members and required additional disclosure of corporate lobbying practices. "Under Dave's strong leadership, Boeing has effectively navigated one of the most challenging and complex periods in its long history," Kellner said in a press release. "His dedication to renewing the company's commitment to safety, quality and transparency has been critical in building regulator and customer confidence as Boeing returns the 737 MAX to service." - Recovery ahead? - Calhoun, 64, expressed confidence in a long-term aviation recovery once international flying and business travel returns. His top priorities are to finance Boeing's capital budget and to reduce debt. "I'm confident the cashflow will come back and be robust," said Calhoun, who cited the global availability of coronavirus vaccines as critical. "I can't pick a date," he said. "We need the markets to come back, and I'm confident they will." But Calhoun gave no timeframe on when the company would resume an investor dividend. Shares of Boeing fell sharply, ending 4.1 percent down at $234.06. Story continues The company also said Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith, who is 54, would retire in July. Smith had previously been seen as a potential CEO. A longtime Boeing board member, Calhoun was named CEO in December 2019 as the company reeled from the scandal over the MAX. He moved into the corner office in January 2020, and just two months later Boeing was faced with a second crisis as the coronavirus pandemic devastated airline travel. Under Calhoun, Boeing slashed thousands of jobs and settled a Department of Justice criminal probe on the MAX, agreeing to pay $2.5 billion in fines. The company also weighed whether to accept direct support from the US government after Congress included $17 billion in relief aimed at Boeing in the CARES Act enacted to help businesses impacted by the broad lockdowns a year ago. Instead, Boeing raised $25 billion in publicly-traded bonds in an effort overseen by Smith. - MAX fallout - The company's fortunes began improving late last year when regulators cleared the MAX to resume service. Since that time, major carriers such as United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have announced large new MAX orders. And earlier Tuesday, Boeing said it had sold 15 MAX jets to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, a leasing company, for an undisclosed amount. But Boeing also has had some stumbles. The company halted deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner for several months last fall due to production problems, before resuming in March. Earlier this month, Boeing recommended that 16 airlines flying the 737 MAX address a "potential electrical issue." Calhoun said the company is working with the Federal Aviation Administration on the problem, and once the agency signs off, remedying the issue "will be measured in days, not weeks or months." Investment services and research firm Morningstar praised Calhoun, saying he was "dealt a difficult hand, and we are impressed that the firm achieved our goals in relatively short order." The company faces a series of "daunting" challenges, including ramping up 737 MAX production and lowering Boeing's debt level, Morningstar said, adding, "we're comfortable with the current leadership structure for Boeing's ongoing turnaround." But Michael Stumo, whose daughter Samya was killed on a MAX plane, slammed Calhoun's record dating back to his service on the board. "Boeing needs to search for new leadership with demonstrated experience in and commitment to great engineering, flawless manufacturing and reinvesting in the business for the long term," Stumo said. jmb/cs Judge Criticizes Rep. Maxine Waters for Confrontational Remarks During Chauvin Trial The judge presiding over the murder trial for former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin made a critical comment about Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) recent remarks that protesters should get more confrontational if a guilty verdict isnt delivered against the former officer. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill on Monday responded to a comment made by Chauvin defense attorney Eric Nelson who noted that over the weekend, a United States Congressperson was making what I interpreted to be threats against the sanctity of the jury process and threatening and intimidating the jury into delivering a guilty verdict against his client. The lawyer was referring to Waters, who traveled from California to a Minneapolis suburb and told a crowd that if a guilty verdict is not handed down by the jury against Chauvin, protesters should get more confrontational. Waters also told the crowd that were looking for a guilty verdict and were looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd. If nothing does not happen (sic), then we know that we got to not only stay in the street but we have got to fight for justice, she added. Cahill responded by saying that he was aware of Waters comments. I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function, Cahill said in response to Nelsons statement, noting that he was aware that Waters was talking specifically about this trial and the unacceptability of anything less than a murder conviction. If they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution, Cahill said. It came as Nelson argued that Waters comments could have prejudiced the jury and was could be grounds to declare a mistrial. Cahill denied Nelsons motion for a mistrial. However, the judge noted that the defense could submit press articles about her comments for an appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. A congresswomans opinion doesnt mean a whole lot, Cahill said. Chauvin is on trial in connection to the death of George Floyd, which was captured on video and later sparked months of protests, riots, and other acts of violence in Minneapolis and around the United States. Some Black Lives Matter supporters have suggested that if Chauvin isnt found guilty, there will be further riots and violence. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said over the weekend that he would take action against Waters if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) does not. Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolisjust as she has incited it in the past, McCarthy wrote. If Speaker Pelosi doesnt act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week. But Pelosi, speaking to reporters, said Waters did not incite violence with her comments, adding that the longtime congresswoman should not apologize. Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement, Pelosi added. I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. Theyve handled this with great dignity. Waters office has been contacted for comment. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Rain and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun shake hands at SK Innovation's battery factory in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, July 7, 2020. Courtesy of SK Group By Kim Hyun-bin The meeting between SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun last July is starting to bear fruit, with more SK electric vehicle (EV) batteries being added to Hyundai's latest lineup. The Genesis officially introduced its first G80 EV sedan at the 2021 Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. Together with Kia's EV6, both utilize SK Innovation's batteries. Hyundai Motor Group is the parent company of both Kia and Hyundai Motor Co. "Both the G80 and the EV6 utilize SK Innovation batteries," an industry official said. Hyundai says that the G80 EV is equipped with SK's 87.2 kWh battery pack and can travel up to 427 km on a single charge, equipped with a solar panel roof capable of charging an average of 830 KWh a day. The Kia EV6 model, with a 77.4 KWh pack, has a travel range of 510 km and charges up to 80 percent of battery capacity in 18 minutes. The two batteries are SK Innovation's NCM811 batteries, which were also supplied to Hyundai's Bongo EVs, electric buses and hydrogen trucks. Hyundai plans to launch more than 20 electric models in China by 2030, in a move to revive its sales through the world's largest automotive market. Industry watchers believe that SK Innovation will have opportunities to supply its batteries in a number of Hyundai's scheduled EV releases. For 2020, the two Korean carmakers suffered a collective 27 percent year-on-year decline in their China sales, impacted by a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Korea in 2017. Hyundai Motor Group aims to revive its China market share through the newly released EVs. SK Innovation, Hyundai Motor and Kia will also collaborate to co-develop batteries for their future hybrid electric vehicles. This occasion marks the first time Hyundai Motor and Kia, which together constitute the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, have directly engaged in battery development, after fully relying on partnerships with battery makers in the past. "The global EV market is expected to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years, and carmakers will need to make their own batteries, as the cost of batteries takes up a significant portion of the cost of an EV," an industry official said. The co-developed batteries are scheduled to be installed in Hyundai and Kia's hybrid vehicles, which are slated for release in 2024. "Through this partnership with the global battery technology company SK Innovation, we plan to upgrade our competitiveness in the eco-friendly vehicle market," a Hyundai official said. Since 2010, SK and Hyundai have worked together, mass-producing the carmaker's first EV, dubbed BlueOn. SK Innovation has maintained an especially close relationship with Kia, installing its batteries in the majority of Kia's eco-friendly car lineup, including in the Niro EV, Niro Hybrid, K5 Hybrid and K7 Hybrid. SK Innovation has also been chosen as the sole supplier of the first batch of vehicles produced from Hyundai Motor's EV E-GMP platform, which includes Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Kia's EV6. SK Innovation's EV battery factory under construction in Georgia, the U.S. Courtesy of SK Innovation WYOMING, MI -- Wyoming city leaders have pulled a proposed parking law from consideration after organizations raised concerns it would criminalize homelessness. The ordinance amendment would have fined, and later charged with a misdemeanor, people who stay in a parked vehicle for more than 30 minutes at night and more than two hours during the day on a roadway or city-owned parking lots. Under the proposed law, people would be hit with a $75 civil infraction for a first offense and then a misdemeanor for a second and any further offenses. The misdemeanor would be punishable with a fine up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail. Rohit Rajan, a West Michigan Legal Fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said the exceptions to the rule, which includes people who are working or waiting to pick someone up, make it clear the ordinance targets people living out of their vehicles. We just think its flat-out wrong, Rajan said. It seeks to criminalize homelessness in Wyoming in a time when so many people in the city and the country have lost a lot due to this pandemic. For many people, theyve lost access to housing, and this ordinance prevents them from getting back on their feet. Wyoming city officials say the proposed law was not intended to penalize homelessness. Instead, it was meant to address a number of issues, including stalking and people using street-parked recreational vehicles as guest housing. The city is continuously committed to connecting people experiencing homelessness with resources to find secure and permanent housing solutions before seeking avenues of enforcement, said Amanda Moore, the citys spokesperson. The proposed ordinance amendment intends to balance the public safety concerns of community members and provide clear limitations to what activities are appropriate in the public right-of-way. At the Wyoming City Council meeting Wednesday, April 19 -- when the ordinance was slated for a final reading before approval -- City Manager Curtis Holt told council he wanted to pull the ordinance from the agenda so staff could work with the ACLU, and others, on addressing some of the concerns. Were going to take the next couple weeks and set up a meeting and review that ordinance with those parties and make sure we bring back one that meets the needs of the city and those parties also, Holt said. Well bring it back to you at some point here in the near future. Holt did not describe the content of the concerns, which were brought to the city just days before. Council approved tabling the ordinance. No council members, nor the public, commented on the concerns around penalizing homelessness. City officials told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press the review of the ordinance amendment will allow staff to work with stakeholders and gain insight on how it may impact individuals and families living out of their vehicles. The ordinance was first introduced at Wyoming city councils March 15 meeting and had not drawn any public comment or questions until a few days ago, when the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness and ACLU raised concerns about it, city officials said. On Monday, April 19, ACLU officials wrote the Wyoming City Council, asking them to postpone consideration until the city ensures all people without shelter have access to individual housing examines imposing parking restrictions on just the most congested streets and parking lots and, lastly, examines the legal implications of it. Fearing a fine or misdemeanor, some people living in their vehicles may move elsewhere, potentially to less safe living arrangements, further from access to familiar, critical services and increase the spread of COVID-19, the letter stated. The proposed law is also counter to pandemic guidance on unsheltered people from the states health department, the ACLU noted. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services called for a moratorium on vehicle ticketing, towing and impoundments, as many people and families opt to live in their vehicle rather than congregate shelter spaces. (The ordinance amendment) not only entrenches the cycle of homelessness, but it also jeopardizes the public safety of the community at a time when COVID-19 cases are surging throughout Michigan, Rajan said. The ACLU also said the proposed law criminalizing people who have no choice but to live in their vehicles violates the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, specifically that no cruel and unusual punishments should be inflicted. According to city documents, a person can violate the proposed law by remaining in a parked or unmoved car at one location, or within 500 feet of that location, if they are on a public right-of-way or other city-owned property for longer than a specific period of time. Between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., that period of time is 30 minutes. Between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., that period is two hours. Right-of-ways include roadways and alleyways. Those who would be exempt from the law are: People waiting to pick someone up from work, school, a library, place of worship or other activity or event, so long as they leave soon after the awaited person gets in the vehicle; People in a vehicle at a worksite they are working at or overseeing; Government employees and officers doing their assigned work; Security personnel at a place where they are doing their work; and People conducting a study, such as observing traffic or wildlife, as part of their job or accredited academic program. In a staff report on the ordinance amendment to council members dated March 10, Holt wrote the city occasionally fields complaints about people sleeping in trailers or motorhomes parked on public streets, as well as other incidents where someone is occupying a vehicle for a long time. A time limit, Holt wrote, allows city personnel, which includes police officers, needed reasonable cause to inquire of the vehicle occupants or owners and make clear to the people in the vehicle what activities are and arent allowed. The experience of homelessness has increased in Kent County during the pandemic. Officials previously told MLive the number of families in homeless shelters in Kent County has doubled since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. In December, the city of Grand Rapids cleared an encampment of some 100 people living in downtown Heartside Park after an overflow shelter was opened for single adults. Advocates said they couldnt recall the last time an encampment that large was ever seen in the city. Read more: We want to see them shut down, protesters say of Kalamazoo bar accused of drink tampering Why is a pay raise recommended for Grand Rapids elected leaders? Its overdue, one committee member says Residents can now pay overdue Kent County property taxes online French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins has said that while developing the project of "Key Clusters for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements," France and Germany take into account Ukraine's position on "red lines" in resolving the armed conflict in the east of the country. The diplomat stated this in an interview with Ukrinform. "I really see that sometimes there are reports in the press about certain betrayal, about the possibility of crossing certain 'red lines' [when agreeing on 'key clusters']. In my opinion, this is an exaggeration being used by the media in pursuit of a sensation. As mediators, we respect Ukraine's position on these sensitive issues, we are fully aware of the 'red lines' that exist for Ukraine, and we try to take them fully into account," de Poncins said. He also added that when it comes to the project of "key clusters," the same confidentiality is needed as in any negotiation process. "I would like to note that the leak of information about the clusters in the press did not come from Germany and France; it came from the Russian side," the ambassador said. According to him, the task of Germany and France is to facilitate meetings in the Normandy format, because there are currently no other opportunities for direct communication between Ukraine and Russia. "Our priority with Germany is also to promote the success of these talks, and it was once again emphasized by our president and the German chancellor in Paris last Friday," de Poncins said. During a video conference on April 19, advisers to the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia agreed to continue work at the next meetings to agree on clusters designed to ensure the implementation of the Minsk agreements. On March 24, the Russian newspaper Kommersant published an article revealing the essence of the prepared German-French project "Key Clusters for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements" with proposals from the Ukrainian and Russian sides on their vision of resolving the situation. Oleksiy Arestovych, the information policy adviser of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group, said the content of the Minsk negotiation documents on key clusters for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, currently being discussed in the Trilateral Contact Group, was not disclosed before their signing at the request of France, Germany, and the OSCE. Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Andriy Yermak said that Russian media outlets were spreading a version of events as part of peace talks in eastern Ukraine, which is advantageous to the Russian side. op Relatives gather around the body of Mohammad Reza, one of five workers shot by police after a labor protest turned violent at a Chinese-financed power plant in Banshkhali, southeastern Bangladesh, April 17, 2021. Security has been beefed up for Chinese workers at a power plant in southeastern Bangladesh, and police have filed cases against thousands of local workers who went on a rampage Saturday, leading officers to shoot dead five of them, authorities said Monday. More than 3,500 Bangladeshi workers upset over unpaid wages and work hours during Ramadan allegedly burned vehicles and attacked police at the sprawling, facility still under construction in the Banshkhali sub-district of Chittagong, about 292 km (181 miles) southeast of Dhaka. The site is shuttered and many local workers have gone into hiding, some of them told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The mob was on the verge of attacking about 900 Chinese nationals on the premises of the Banshkhali Power Plant when police fired on them to prevent very, very serious incidents, a senior police official in the Chittagong region told BenarNews on Saturday. The Chinese are staying there. Additional measures have been taken to strengthen their security, Shafiul Kabir, officer-in-charge of the Banshkhali police station, told BenarNews on Monday. Police Sub-Inspector Md. Rashed filed a case against 2,500 unidentified Bangladeshis on Saturday night on charges of attacking police, according to Kabir. Shortly afterward, Faruk Ahmed, the chief coordinator of the under-construction plant, filed another case against 22 identified persons and more than 1,000 unidentified persons for arson and looting, Kabir said, adding that the Chinese workers were not included in the charges. He said no one had been arrested as of Monday over Saturdays incident. Ahmed confirmed that he had filed the case. The case has been filed according to the facts, thats all I can say, he told BenarNews. On Saturday, Md. Zakir Hossain Khan, a senior police official in the Chittagong region, said that workplace relations between 900 Chinese nationals and about 4,000 locals employed at the plant were strained over outstanding wages and demands for reduced hours during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, which began last week. Into hiding Since then, some of the Bangladeshi workers have gone into hiding, according to authorities. Kabir said he did not believe the workers had left the area over fears of arrest. He noted that about 1,200 workers had returned to the project location, but the places where they were staying had been looted. That is why the construction work of the plant is closed, Kabir said. Ali Haider Asif, a member of the union council and a safety officer for a Chinese contractor, denied allegations that he was among those accused. I was not present there during the incident, he told BenarNews, adding, Many locals like me who work or do not work there have been implicated. Asif said many of workers leave the area at night over fear of arrest. A Bangladeshi worker named Mashiur Rahman said he was among them. Like me, many more have gone into hiding, Mashiur told BenarNews. The case statement filed by Faruk Ahmed includes allegations of unauthorized entry inside the power plant of people armed with deadly weapons, arson in plant installations and vehicles, vandalism, damage and theft of goods, according to a copy obtained by BenarNews. Losses are estimated at 150 million taka (U.S. $1.76 million). Two committees whose members are with the civil administration and police have started investigating the incident. The S. Alam Group, the Bangladeshi partner which has a 70 percent stake in the power plant, also sent an investigation team from Dhaka. Seventy percent of the $2.49 billion cost of the facility was financed by China, according to information from S. Alam Group. Two Chinese firms, SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corp. and HTG Development Group, have a 30 percent stake in the project, according to Bangladesh government data. The plant had been scheduled to begin producing 1,320 megawatts of power in 2023. In Dhaka, the Chinese embassy and Bangladeshs Ministry of Power and Energy did not immediately respond on Monday to BenarNews requests for comment. Compensation sought Human rights organization Ain-O-Salish Kendra, meanwhile, announced that it served legal notice on the government seeking 30 million taka ($353,000) compensation for each of the families of the five people gunned down by police on Saturday. Ahmed Reza, one of the dead workers, was a resident of East Baraghona. His uncle, Md. Farhad Ullah, said Reza took the job a few days ago. We are helpless poor people. We cant afford to sue, he told BenarNews during a phone conversation That is why we will seek justice from Allah. Saturdays incident was not the first massive protest over the facility. Locals including fishermen and workers on salt and fish farms protested when the 3,000-acre project was approved in 2016. Bangladesh is building several coal-fired power plants financed by China even as critics note the nations power capacity exceeds current demand and coal is more expensive than other energy sources because the country has to import it. In September 2020, the government signed a deal to build a second 1,320 MW, coal-fired power plant at Payra in coastal Patuakhali district, near the Sundarbans, one of the worlds largest mangrove forests. Work on the first Payra plant halted briefly in June 2019, after a Bangladeshi worker fell to his death from a terrace and a Chinese worker was killed in a subsequent brawl. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. MUSKEGON, MI Muskegon Public Schools is pausing in-person learning for some students amid a recent increase of COVID-19 cases in the district. Students in grades 6-12 switched to online-only classes on Friday, April 16, and will continue learning remotely through Friday, April 23, according to an April 15 letter to families from Muskegon Superintendent Matthew Cortez. I am writing in response to the current COVID-19 rates in our Middle School and High School levels, Cortez wrote. Ninety percent (90%) of the cases we are seeing are at the 6-12 grade level. The announcement from Cortez came less than one week after the superintendent had previously said he was committed to staying in-person despite an April 9 recommendation from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that district should close their high schools for two weeks following spring break. RELATED: These West Michigan schools are staying in-person despite governors remote learning recommendation Elementary students will continue learning in-person this week, but parents were offered a choice to have their child learn virtually, Cortez said this weekend. Muskegon Public Schools has reported nine new cases since April 13, according to the districts COVID-19 data. The latest was reported April 18. Four cases were reported at Muskegon High, one at Muskegon Middle, two at Marquette Elementary, one at Moon Elementary and one at Oakview Elementary. The district has reported a total of 31 cases this school year since the first reported case on Oct. 15. The move to remote learning for some students further limits the amount of in-person instruction that Muskegon students have received this year. Muskegon High School has only been learning in-person since Monday, March 29. The middle school started learning in-person Monday, March 1. The last day of school is June 4. The district of roughly 3,500 students was fully virtual for the entire first half of the 2020-21 academic year. Muskegon was one of the few Michigan school districts to remain online-only through the start of February. After Whitmer announced her recommendation to close high schools, Cortez said he intended to keep the district open unless there was a surge in COVID-19 cases reported after spring break, which was the week of April 5 for most schools. The superintendent said classrooms are some of the safest places children can be because schools closely follow COVID-19 safety protocols like mask usage, social distancing and hand washing. My high schoolers are the ones that are most likely to follow all the rules and keep the social distance and keep the mask on, because theyre older and they kind of understand the situation a little better, Cortez said. A lot of times, the health department says the mitigation factors that were putting in place are actually a safer environment than what they would be not in school (for students). In his April 17 letter, Cortez thanked families for their patience amid the pandemic. If there are any changes I will immediately communicate with all of you, he said. Thank you for your continued understanding, patience and support as our Big Red Nation navigates these turbulent times. More on MLive: Forest Hills Public Schools scales back in-person classes for grades 7-12 due to COVID-19 surge Pushing back in-person learning increase met with resistance from some Chelsea parents Hudsonville parents, including some locked out of meeting, urge school district to make masks optional New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (April 20) expressed concern over the hoarding of some essential drugs, asking the Centre to act against people who are hoarding medicines, come out with some norms. The court also expressed displeasure over the "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the Centre to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage. The high court expressed hope that the Central government was allocating or diverting resources and medicines, like Remdesivir, based on the needs and situation of each state, otherwise "people will have blood on their hands". A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said "We will be doomed" and cautioned against non-application of mind in allocation and diversion of resources and medicines. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Moniika Arora told the court that medical opinion was divided on use of Remdesivir. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, told the court that doctors were prescribing Remdesivir and people are unable to get it from the market despite having prescriptions. "Long and short of it is that it (Remdesivir) is in short supply," the bench is quoted as saying by PTI. The bench further said that giving clearance for setting up units to manufacture would not yield quick results as establishing the facilities for manufacture takes time. HC displeased over huge wastage of vaccines The Delhi High Court expressed displeasure over the "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the Centre to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage. The bench of Justices said according to news reports there is a daily wastage of six per cent of vaccines and till now 44 lakh vaccines out of 10 crore have been wasted, maximum in Tamil Nadu. "This is a huge wastage. Give it to those who want it. Whomsoever you can vaccinate, please vaccinate. Whether 16 year old or 60 year old, all need vaccination. The pandemic does not discriminate," the court told the Centre. The court said young people are being affected more this time around, and a lot of young lives have been lost, adding if, at the end of a day, a few shots are available in a vial, then it be given to someone whether they fall in the approved categories for vaccination or not. No gap in oxygen supply to Delhi: Centre tells HC The Centre told the High Court today that there is no gap in oxygen supply to Delhi at present and its use has been banned for industrial purposes except for certain industries. The Centre also informed the court that it has provided Delhi government hospitals with around 1,390 ventilators. The Ministry of Health told the high court that there has been an inordinate increase of 133 per cent in the projected medical oxygen required, as of April 20, between the initial estimate of 300 metric tonnes and the revised estimate of 700 metric tonnes submitted by Delhi. Earlier in the day, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli had asked the Centre whether oxygen supplied to industries can be diverted for COVID-19 patients, observing "Industries can wait. Patients cannot. Human lives are at stake." It said it has heard that doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital were being forced to reduce oxygen being given to COVID-19 patients admitted there as there was a scarcity of oxygen. The ministry, in the affidavit filed through central government standing counsel Monika Arora, has also said that in order to increase the capacity of medical oxygen in Delhi, eight Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Generation plants are being installed by the support of PM CARES Funds. The ministry's affidavit said, "These plants would enhance the capacity of medical oxygen by 14.4 metric tonnes." Notably, the observations by the bench came during the hearing of a disposed of petition related to COVID-19 tests and the high court revived it on April 19 by noting that the virus has raised its "ugly head" once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse". (With Agency Inputs) Live TV said on Tuesday it has expanded its hyperlocal service to six new cities, seeking customers for of daily essentials during the coronavirus pandemic. Quick is now available in Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Noida, Hyderabad and Pune and will go to other cities this year gradually, said the company. Hyperlocal capabilities are invaluable in enhancing the online shopping experience for consumers and boosting supply chain operations for e-commerce companies, said Sandeep Karwa, vice-president, It is important to explore ecosystem partnerships to strengthen such capabilities and accelerate faster, reliable deliveries to customers. He said Flipkart remains committed to creating solutions that will not only deliver greater value to the customers but also boost local farmers and suppliers apart from providing a fillip to entrepreneurship. Flipkart Quick was launched in Bengaluru in 2020 to widen the accessibility of products and enable quick delivery for consumers who order products from Flipkart hubs in their location. The service offers an assortment of more than 3,000 products in categories such as fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, grocery, mobiles, electronics and baby care. Flipkart Quick leverages the companys investment in Ninjacart and strategic partnerships with other local vendors to build an end-to-end ecosystem that enables customers to get the best quality fruits and vegetables at a great value. Shadowfax, Flipkart Quick enables consumers to order online and get delivery within the next 90 minutes or even book a two-hour slot, based on their convenience. Customers get free delivery on their first order, and if their subsequent order size is more than Rs 499. Consumers will also have the choice to place orders at any time of the day and get them delivered between 6 a.m. and midnight. Calhoun said Tuesday that those planes should be fixed in days, not weeks or months. However, the issue further complicates Boeings relationship with airline customers, which have had to scramble other planes to meet their flight schedules, and it could reinforce the views of passengers who worry about flying on a Max. A fifth person was charged in connection with a deadly double shooting in the parking lot outside the Meadowlands Racetrack last year, authorities announced Monday. Davon Womack, 23, of Jersey City, was arrested on April 16 and charged with two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and weapons-related offenses, according to a statement from the New Jersey State Police. The shooting happened on Oct. 25 and the 10-12 gunshots were heard around 9:25 p.m. by a New Jersey Sate Police staff sergeant who was standing in the parking lot of FanDuel Sportsbook, according to probable cause affidavits. When he looked toward the sound of the shots, the staff sergeant saw three men running from the direction of the loud claps and hopping into a dark Audi SUV, police have said. As the three men piled into the SUV, the cars brake lights flashed, signaling to the state trooper that there was a fourth person waiting inside the car, the affidavit said. The trooper tailed the car as it made its way across the lots toward Paterson Plank Road, calling in the license plate number and found that it was a stolen vehicle, according to the affidavit. Moments later, after the state trooper turned on his emergency lights, the SUV crashed into the concrete divider on Route 120, prompting its occupants to run, police said. The four fled on foot and were apprehended by troopers shortly after the crash. When police searched the stolen SUV, they found a .38 caliber revolver and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun in the passenger compartment, the affidavit said. It was later found that the revolver contained five spent shell casings inside its chamber. Back at the FanDuel Sportsbook parking lot, state troopers found an Acura, with spent 9mm shell casings strewn on the ground, nearest the drivers side door, the affidavit said. Inside the car was Davonte Scudder, 22, of Paterson, in the passenger seat and 21-year-old Brian Astacio, also of Paterson, in the drivers seat, both nursing gunshot wounds. Scudder was pronounced dead at the scene and Astacio was taken an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said. An investigation alleges Womack noticed Astacio and Scudder at the complex and then communicated with the four other suspects, Tariq Gathers, 24, Victor Geslicki, 19, Nyshun Morris, 19, and a 16-year-old male, all of Jersey City, according to the release. The four then allegedly drove to the parking lot where and shot Astacio and Scudder, authorities said. Gathers, Geslicki, Morris and the teen were arrested a few days after the shooting and were charged with murder, weapons offenses and receiving stolen property, according to New Jersey State Police Col. Patrick J. Callahan and Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. Detectives learned that Womack traveled to Miami and was flying back to Newark Liberty International Airport on April 16, where authorities were waiting and arrested him at Terminal A, police said. He was lodged at the Bergen County Jail pending his detention hearing. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. My experience with CoderZ professional development was very positive. It provided the familiarity I needed to gather valuable data about student performance and helped me to better support my students when they are challenged. After a rigorous evaluation, the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) has added CoderZ to its online list of professional learning programs. The list enables K-12 computer science (CS) teachers to find quality professional development opportunities and associated curriculum that fit their needs and goals. An independent committee of experts evaluated the CoderZ professional development programs using a detailed rubric aligned to quality indicators such as the following: Content Focus Active Learning Collaboration Differentiation Models and Modeling Inclusivity Accessibility Feedback and Reflection Scale and Sustainability Efficacy Ongoing Support Sustained Duration The CoderZ professional development program introduces instructors to the concepts of teaching computer science and computational thinking using an online tool. Participants learn robotics and coding best practices as well as strategies to successfully leverage a graphic programming interface. In addition, the program hones the skills needed to reinforce student engagement, application, exploration and use of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. The professional development program is strongly aligned to CSTA programming standards and gives teachers opportunities to connect to Common Core Math, NGSS, and additional CSTA standards. Teachers receive a hands-on learning experience with guided practice. Afterward, they receive ongoing support through a facilitated Facebook community, weekly virtual office hours and email and phone support to process inquiries. We customize our professional development to meet educators needs, said Ido Yerushalmi, CEO of CoderZ. So, as participants learn how to develop and deliver STEM or CS instruction, our program can also help them integrate that new knowledge with their use of approaches such as differentiated and adaptive instruction. The CoderZ professional development program has received a lot of positive feedback from teachers who have taken it. One example is Todd Leff, a CS and technology teacher who has been teaching programming at Kingsview Middle School in Maryland. Another is Monica Maldonado, the director of technology for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in Texas. I signed up for the training because I wanted to know the ins and outs of CoderZ before I used it with my students, said Leff. My experience with CoderZ professional development was very positive. It provided the familiarity I needed to gather valuable data about student performance and helped me to better support my students when they are challenged. The schools in the Diocese of Corpus Christi had already implemented computer science instruction prior to the CoderZ training. However, they were adding instruction through CoderZ to their STEM learning initiative. The professional development was designed to provide training to our fourth and fifth grade teachers with small chunks of content and at a pace that would build teacher confidence over time and encourage successes, said Maldonado. Maldonado praised the supportive experience that the CoderZs professional development team had provided to the dioceses schoolteachers. We would definitely recommend CoderZs professional development to other teachers because they will adapt their learning approaches to fit your district or diocese to ensure a successful rollout, she said. About the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) CSTAs mission is to empower, engage and advocate for K-12 computer science teachers worldwide. CSTA is a membership organization which supports and promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines. The Association for Computing Machinery founded CSTA as part of its commitment to K-12 computer science education. For more information, visit csteachers.org, or email About CoderZ CoderZ is an innovative and engaging online learning environment. Developed for students in grades 2 and above, the gamified STEM solution allows student to work at their own pace, easily programming real and virtual robots from anywhere in the world. The platform enables students to acquire computational thinking, problem solving and creativity skills, together with coding and STEM learning, all via a flexible and scalable virtual solution. For more information go to http://www.gocoderz.com. # # # Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 20:16:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close N'DJAMENA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Following the death of Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno Tuesday, a transitional military council (CMT) headed by Mahamat Idriss Deby, son of ex-president Deby, is set up for 18 months, according to the spokesperson for the Chadian army, General Azem Bermandoa Agouna. A national transitional charter will be promulgated in place of the current constitution which is suspended, General Agouna said. For the past seven years, Mahamat Idriss Deby has headed the General Directorate for the Security of State Institutions (DGSSIE), the elite corps of the Chadian armed forces. He took the reins of the country the day after a rebel incursion into Chad from the Front for Alternation and Concord in Chad (FACT), an armed rebel group based in neighboring Libya. It was during the fighting with these rebels that ex-President Deby received injuries that cost him his life Tuesday. Enditem The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who has been charged in connection with the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died on May 25 after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, who is white, for more than nine minutes. Throughout the trial, which began on March 29, the jury heard from 45 witnesses, including bystanders and experts, viewed hours of video of Mr. Floyds arrest, and heard arguments from the prosecution and the defense, each presenting a different narrative of what caused Mr. Floyds death. Here are some of the key people in the trial. The Defendant Derek Chauvin, 45, had been an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department for more than 19 years before George Floyds death. During that time, he was the subject of at least 22 complaints and internal investigations. Mr. Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Mr. Floyd. The Judge Judge Peter A. Cahill is a 14-year veteran of the bench in Hennepin County. He has previously worked as a public defender, private defense lawyer and prosecutor, rising to become chief deputy under Amy Klobuchar, now a U.S. senator, when she served as the county attorney. The Jury The jury made up of 12 jurors and two alternates was chosen from a pool of more than 300 people from across Hennepin County. Throughout the trial, they have remained anonymous; their faces were not shown on camera. The jurors identities are secret, but the court has released some demographic information: There are three Black men, one Black woman, two women who identified as multiracial, two white men and four white women. They are from urban and suburban areas, ranging in age from 20s to 60s. The Prosecution The Defense From todays Down in Alabama podcast: Chalk one up for the people wholl be bothered to call Crime Stoppers on a convicted murderer. Law-enforcement had been looking for Maurice Nesbitt sine 2017, and he was featured last week on Americas Most Wanted. And after an anonymous tip, Nesbitt, who was found guilty of an Atlanta murder, was apprehended Monday morning in Birmingham, Alabama, reports AL.coms Carol Robinson. On the news briefing well cover that story as well as a hiccup in the plans to build new prisons and how Alabamas Pre-K is stacking up after a year of pandemic. The Down in Alabama podcast is short and free. Listen to it by clicking on the player above or subscribe by looking for Down in Alabama on the device of your choosing. Get this and other AL.com newsletters here. Click here for the Spotify podcast page Click here for the Alexa skill page on Amazon Click here for the Amazon Music podcast page Click here for the iTunes podcast page Click here for the Google podcast page ROME, APR 19 - The government on Monday will start to "verify the conditions for the granting of Italian citizenship to Patrick Zaki", Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova told Rainews24. Zaki is an Egyptian Bologna University postgraduate student who has been held in Egypt since February 7 last year on charges of "disseminating false news" and "incitement to protest". The Senate last week approved a motion calling on the government to grant him Italian citizenship. Della Vedova likened Zaki's case to the "tragic affair" of Italian student Giulio Regeni, who was tortured to death in Cairo in early 2016. "The parliamentary motion gives a commitment to the government, which came out in favour of the motion itself," he said. Zaki, a 29-year-old Coptic Christian, is pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master's Degree in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Bologna. He also conducts research and advocacy on gender issues and human rights for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a human rights organization based in Cairo. Petitions for his release have been rejected on countless occasion. Zaki was arrested on arriving at Cairo International Airport when he returned home from Bologna for a short family visit. The Egyptian National Security Agency reportedly arrested Zaki, interrogated him about his time in Italy and his human rights work, and took him to an undisclosed location. During interrogation, he was allegedly frequently threatened, beaten on his stomach and back and tortured with electric shocks. The European Parliament, Amnesty International and Scholars At Risk have been among the bodies calling for his release, along with the Italian government. (ANSA). Mark S. Weprin, a Government Law & Policy shareholder in global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs New York office was recognized as a 2021 Power Lawyer by Schneps Media. Power Lawyers recognizes the achievements and contributions of outstanding individuals of the legal industry who have created a significant impact in their fields. Weprin represents clients in legislative and regulatory matters at various levels of government, with a focus on the New York real estate industry and important corporate and not-for-profit organizations. Before joining the firm, Weprin served as Deputy Secretary of Legislative Affairs for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. Prior to working with the New York governors office, Weprin served as a member of the New York City Council where he chaired the Land Use Committee Sub-Committee on Zoning and Franchises. In addition, he also was chair of the Queens City Council Delegation. Before his election to the New York City Council, Weprin served 15 years in the New York State Assembly where he authored 63 laws and served as chair of the Small Business Committee. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: 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 Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange traded 58 points higher at 14,447, indicating a firm start for the benchmark indices on Tuesday. Here are the top stocks to track in today's session: Tech Mahindra: The company said it has acquired a 100 per cent stake in DigitalOnUS, a hybrid cloud and DevOps services provider, for $120 million (about Rs 898 crore) to augment hybrid-cloud offerings for enterprise customers globally. ACC: Cement maker ACC reported a 74.17 per cent YoY increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 562.59 crore for the first quarter ended March 2021, helped by an increase in sales and cost-efficiency. It had posted a profit of Rs 323.02 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Earnings Today: Nestle India, and 7 other firms will report their March quarter numbers today. Analysts expect Nestle to post up to 14 per cent YoY jump in Q1 PAT, led by increased in home consumption, better demand from rural and urban India, sustainable growth in Maggi noodles and new products launches. READ MORE Indian Overseas Bank: The PSU lender said it has convened an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next month to seek shareholders' approval for issuance of preferential shares to the government for Rs 4,100 crore capital infusion in 2020-21. Crisil: The company reported a 5.2 per cent YoY decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 83.5 crore for the first quarter ended March 2021 as against Rs 88.1 crore posted in the same period last year. The company follows the January-December financial year. ICICI Prudential: Despite reporting a good set of overall numbers, an accelerated provisioning of Rs 200 crore for the pandemic has crimped net profit of Life by 64.2 per cent to Rs 64 crore in the January-March quarter. Astrazeneca, Pfizer, DRL: Shares of vaccine makers are likely to be in focus today after the government allowed vaccination for all above 18 years of age, starting May 1. Caplin Point Laboratories: Ace investor Ashish Kacholia increased stake in Caplin Point from 1.08 per cent as of December 2020, to 1.16 per cent as of March 2021. ICICI Bank: The company board will meet on April 24 to consider fund raising by way of issuance of debt securities. Adani Ports and SEZ: The company board has approved the allotment of 1 crore shares of face value of Rs 2 each fully paid up, on a preferential basis to Windy Lakeside Investment at an issue price of Rs 800 per share, aggregating to Rs 800 crore. UPL: The company has appointed Carlos Pellicer as Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Pellicer will replace Diego Casanello who resigned from the position to pursue new opportunities outside the sector. Zuari Global: The firm announced a second interim dividend of Re 1 per share for FY21. The record date for the same is April 28. Snowman Logistics: Crisil has affirmed Snowman Logistics' long term rating at 'A/Stable'. Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi, April 20 : To avoid the Chamoli mishap from recurring, the Ministry of Science and technology with IIT Kanpur has conducted a study on how the satellite-based real-time monitoring of the Himalayan glacial catchments would improve understanding of flood risk in the region and help inform an early flood warning system that could help curb disaster and save human lives. "The integration of monitoring devices with satellite networks will not only provide telemetry support in remote locations that lack complete cellular connectivity but will also provide greater connectivity in coverage in the cellular dead zones in extreme topographies such as valleys, cliffs, and steep slopes," the authors explained. "This should be the future strategy to reduce loss of human lives during glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF)," said a study carried out by scientists from IIT Kanpur. The study was carried out by Dr. Tanuj Shukla and Prof. Indra Sekhar Sen, Associate Professor from IIT Kanpur, with support from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has been published in the international journal 'Science'. The IIT Kanpur team suggests that efforts to help mitigate GLOF events in the future should include the creation of a network of satellite-based monitoring stations that could provide in situ and real-time data on GLOF risk. Temperature and the numbers of extreme rainfall events are rising at an increased rate because of climate change. Suitably called Earth's "Third Pole", the Himalayan region is home to the largest ice mass outside of the planet's Polar Regions. The glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at a faster rate creating new lakes and expanding the existing ones. Besides, the rising temperatures and extreme precipitation events make the region increasingly prone to a variety of natural hazards, including devastating glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). GLOFs occur when either a natural dam containing a glacial lake bursts or when the lake's level suddenly increases and overflows its banks, leading to catastrophic downstream destruction. For example, in 2013, an avalanche caused the glacial moraine holding back Chorabari Lake in northern India to give way, releasing a sudden torrent of water, boulders, and debris that scoured the river valley below, resulting in the deaths of more than 5,000 people. With climate change, these events are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude throughout the Himalayas. However, the remote, challenging Himalayan terrain and the overall lack of cellular connectivity throughout the region have made the development of early flood warning systems virtually impossible. "In their recent work, the Scientists also point out that the surge of meltwater in mountain streams is most commonly caused by cloud-burst events during the monsoon season (June-July-August) time frame." However, the recent (February 7, 2021) sudden surge of meltwater in the river tributary of the Ganga, Dhauli Ganga, during the dry season suggests that this time frame needs to be expanded. The catastrophe in the upper Dhauli Ganga basin is linked to processes other than precipitation events, such as snow avalanches, rock landslides, or other unidentified drivers, and therefore determining all of the potential major and minor drivers behind sudden surges of meltwater into headwater streams is vital for understanding the hazard profile of the region. [April 20, 2021] Ultimaker transforms into a platform business driving innovation and growth globally UTRECHT, Netherlands, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ -- Increasing volatility in global markets, driven by events such as the current pandemic, highlight the need for businesses to increase the flexibility of their operations. Some turned to 3D printing technology and solutions to stay on top of their supply chains. Ultimaker, a leader in the professional 3D printing industry, today enables companies to make the most of their operations by bundling all Ultimaker 3D printers with Ultimaker Essentials software. This gives customers one platform to fully leverage the Ultimaker Ecosystem, offering the largest diversity of products and services in the industry. Today's announcement at the Ultimaker Transformation Summit also includes the launch of two new software subscription plans, Ultimaker Professional and Ultimaker Excellence, to help businesses globally scale and professionalize 3D printing. The Platform The 3D printing platform launched by Ultimaker enables the development, nurturing and orchestration of Ecosystem products and services including hardware add-ons, materials, software, and other services. To ensure the best customer experience Ultimaker will certify Ecosystem products and services that have been tested with the platform. Ultimaker will provide open interfaces, APIs and other tools for the development community and support these communities to drive further innovation and use cases. The platform focuses on the end-to-end workflows, from enabling engineers to collaborate on a design, to soring applications, and printing on demand. Jurgen von Hollen, CEO at Ultimaker: "Ultimaker is uniquely positioned as a leader in the professional 3D printing segment, delivering both hardware and software solutions. The platform is the evolution, elevating our current capabilities and enabling our partners and diverse ecosystem to deliver a seamless, innovative, and futureproof customer experience. Our belief is that all businesses: small, medium, and large, should have the opportunity to take advantage of the platform and ecosystem. This allows them to remain flexible and productive in a volatile world." New software In line with the new strategy, Ultimaker bundles all new 3D printers with Ultimaker Essentials. For companies that wish to further scale and professionalize their 3D printing activities, Ultimaker launched two new software plans. Ultimaker Professional: helps professionalize 3D Printing innovation through collaboration and advanced software. helps professionalize 3D Printing innovation through collaboration and advanced software. Ultimaker Excellence: a complete and custom solution aimed at accelerating the business' digital transformation. The software plans include five new elements: Additional e-learning for all plans Businesses can increase the success of 3D printing with new e-learning modules. Businesses can increase the success of 3D printing with new e-learning modules. Digital Library A global application library, hosted in the cloud, allowing for easy collaboration and application development. A global application library, hosted in the cloud, allowing for easy collaboration and application development. Reporting & analytics Users gain insight into individual printers, print fleet, projects, and applications, and access and analyze data with PowerBI. It simplifies data-driven decision-making and building a business case to show the ROI. Users gain insight into individual printers, print fleet, projects, and applications, and access and analyze data with PowerBI. It simplifies data-driven decision-making and building a business case to show the ROI. Seamless CAD and platform integration Users can directly open CAD files in Ultimaker Cura, skipping conversion to .STL. The Ultimaker Digital Factory also reduces any switching between software components. Users can directly open CAD files in Ultimaker Cura, skipping conversion to .STL. The Ultimaker Digital Factory also reduces any switching between software components. Expert support and full API access for Ultimaker Excellence Users can speed up digital transformation and experience full compatibility with established processes. They can also access expert support when needed. More information, pricing, and availability on ultimaker.com Ultimaker Established in?2011, Ultimaker is on a mission to accelerate the world's transformation to flexible, empowering and sustainable solutions. 380 employees collaborate globally to deliver a platform that enables customers to take full advantage of the unique Ultimaker Ecosystem that offers the largest diversity of 3D printing products and services in the industry. Ultimaker provides a seamless integration of hardware, software and materials that simply works. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491633/Ultimaker.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488711/Ultimaker_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ultimaker-transforms-into-a-platform-business-driving-innovation-and-growth-globally-301272674.html SOURCE Ultimaker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Covenant Medical Group is no longer running drive-through testing sites in Lubbock as a result of a decline of COVID-19 cases and low transmission numbers. The in-person testing locations remain open. Covenant Health provides rapid and PCR tests. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Those with symptoms who need to be tested can visit any of the following walk-in testing sites. Reactions are pouring in from many after the verdict in the Derek Chauvin case was released. Todays verdict brings us a step closer to making equal justice under law a reality. But the verdict will not heal pain that has existed for generations. It will not take away the pain felt by the Floyd family. Thats why we must recommit to fight for equal justice. Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 21, 2021 Today, a jury in Minnesota found former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. The verdict is a step forward. And while nothing can ever bring George Floyd back, this can be a giant step forward on the march towards justice in America. President Biden (@POTUS) April 20, 2021 The City of Rochester issued an official statement: "The City of Rochester is striving to be inclusive, where all people are treated with dignity and respect. While the verdict reached today in the Chauvin trial brings about closure to a time filled with varying emotions, the pain, mistrust, and historical trauma by members of our community will continue to stay open." "The City of Rochester has much more work to do to ensure that our community is safe, open, welcoming and inclusive for everyone. We are striving to live out our professed values as a compassionate community, and acknowledge the lived experiences and pain that has and is being shared right now, especially by members of our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residents. Recent egregious acts, even not within our city, still activate memories of experiences members of our community have had themselves, in other places and within our city." "We stay firmly committed as an organization to listen, to learn, and to build trust across our city, with a concurrent pledge to action. To that end, the City has been and continues to undertake efforts to acknowledge and address inequity in Rochester, including the recently hiring of the first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director." "Although efforts have been underway in the City, we realize we have only just started the work that needs to be done. Our promise to the community includes committing to: Address racial inequality in local government through a commitment at all levels of the organization. Update all City policies, practices, and procedures using an equity lens. Create a better system for effective, responsive, and culturally sensitive engagement. The implementation of the Blueprint for Re-envisioning Rochester Police Department, which is a reflection upon and acknowledgement of the need for a cultural change within the law enforcement profession. Developing and implementing the first ever City of Rochester Equity Plan." "In order to stand with our entire community, we must acknowledge the pain, both lingering and fresh, being laid bare and caused by racial inequities across our state and country. As an organization and as part of the community, the City of Rochester is committed to standing with our BIPOC community and charting a path forward together." "We affirm the statement made by the City in 2020; We see you. We hear you. We support you." From the Rochester Police Department: "Regardless of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, the Rochester Police Department reaffirms our commitment to providing the community the highest level of public safety. Through these challenging times, we remain dedicated to our core values including respect, compassion and service. We believe that every contact counts and that policing with our hearts is essential to building trust and legitimacy. We share this communitys concerns. With partnership and collaboration, we will strive toward a stronger Rochester." Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Funk: "At Albert Lea Area Schools we understand that our students may experience strong emotions regarding the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin. We appreciate and acknowledge the rights our students have in advocating for what they believe in." At this time, we encourage all parents/guardians to talk with your student(s) about how they may be feeling about the verdict and the importance of expressing themselves appropriately. We want to provide families with a few resources for these conversations (https://bit.ly/3dzT6yB)." We appreciate your continued support of a safe environment for our students and staff. Albert Lea Area Schools is committed to providing safe, healthy, and welcoming schools for all." Representative Liz Boldon (DFL - Rochester): I am relieved that the jury decided on guilty verdicts for all three counts today. While we can express relief that Derek Chauvin will receive accountability for his heinous actions, we cannot be satisfied with this as justice. Justice would be a world where George Floyd is alive, well, and valued by our society. We have more work to do to create a world that values Black lives, and I am committed to do my part to create that world. I am hopeful that this is a turning point, and we can work to enact the systemic changes necessary to bring true justice and equality. Representative Tina Liebling (DFL Rochester): Upon learning of the guilty verdicts in the trial of Derek Chauvin I feel a sense of relief mixed with sadness. Relief that justice has been done in this case, but sadness that basic accountability and justice are so hard to obtain. The work for real justice and accountability in our country is not over, but I hope today marks a turning point." We need a change in the culture of policing, so the profession attracts and empowers officers who want to protect and serve, and does not tolerate those whose conduct brings pain and distrust to communities. As a policymaker, I will continue to support laws and that move us toward that change. Our Black and Brown neighborsand all of usdeserve that and so much more. Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin: I am grateful that our legal system has reached a just verdict and held George Floyds murderer accountable, particularly given how often it fails to deliver justice in the cases of clear police misconduct towards Black Americans. It is my sincere hope that todays ruling is the beginning of a new paradigm wherein law enforcement is held to account when they abuse the trust and authority placed in them." While George Floyds murderer is going to jail, the fact remains that the very systems which led to this tragedy in the first place still exist. Thankfully, there was justice in the courts today, and now we need justice for George Floyd in the legislature. George Floyd should still be alive today, and until we pass serious police reform and accountability measures, the likelihood of this happening again here remains very high." Our state and national legislatures have work in front of them to pass real police reform and accountability measures to deliver on the promises we have made to ensure this never happens again. The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is committed to delivering those necessary reform measures and creating a public safety system that does right by each and every one of us. Sister Ramona Miller, President, on behalf of the Rochester Franciscan Community: "The trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin is over, and he has been found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd. This decision, made by a jury, has effects that ripple through all aspects of our society. We urge everyone to find it in their hearts to realize that we are all brothers and sisters." "In the wake of this verdict, we must first stop and praypray for George Floyd, his daughter, his family, and his community. We pray, too, for former officer Derek Chauvin and his family. We pray for the larger African American community that the time for healing and justice will come swiftly and build a greater country for the next generation together. We pray that law enforcement officers remain protected from daily threats and that they can safely interact with people whether they are assisting them or arresting them." "Regardless of where we stand politically, we need to listen to each other. We must strive for commitment to a shared humanity and a willingness to improve our communities." "We, the Sisters of Saint Francis, are committed to a culture of nonviolence in our daily lives, as active participants in our communities, in response to violence large and small." "Join us and follow examples of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi, and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and turn towards non-violent solutions. Forgiveness with Love will be the only antidote for a peaceful future." John Gordon, executive director of the ACLU of Minnesota: Today, for the first time in state history, a white police officer has been held accountable for killing a Black man. Now, we can finally say George Floyds name and make it synonymous not only with grief, anger, and loss over his brutal murder, but with a moment of justice. But to be clear, true justice would mean George Floyd was alive today, with his fiancee, his daughter, and his family." While this verdict brings a certain rare form of accountability for police, achieving this outcome for Mr. Floyd is only one step in addressing police abuse of power, disparate treatment, and excessive force against Black and Brown communities. We still must radically change policing in Minnesota and across the country, increase accountability and transparency, and create policies that combat racism in policing." The jury's decision to convict Derek Chauvin does not negate the fact that Mr. Floyds tragic murder is part of a horrifying local and national pattern of officers using excessive force against people of color. Mr. Floyd was one of more than 5,000 people killed by police since 2015." Mr. Floyd should not have died under an officers knee he should still be alive today. So should Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black people killed by police." Our elected officials, activists, communities, and organizations, including the ACLU of Minnesota, must continue to fight for racial justice in Mr. Floyds name. We must re-examine our entire system of public safety and public health, and root out the racism that pervades law enforcement. We must prohibit police mistreatment of communities of color, which leads to people being both underserved and overpoliced. We must divert funding from traditional policing toward community-based services, such as crisis teams, so all communities are truly safe. We must remove police from enforcing traffic infractions and low-level offenses. Taking another persons life is the most extreme action a police officer can take, and new standards for use of force, along with increased accountability and transparency, are needed to ensure that police violence and killings end." We join with Mr. Floyds family, our community, and our nation in mourning his death. We will never forget to Say His Name. Together, well work to ensure that one day, we can remember George Floyd in celebration of the true justice for all achieved in his name. U.S. Representative Angie Craig: George Floyds death represented yet another chapter in a long history of our nations failure to stand up for the basic human rights of every American, particularly those of Black men. It is my sincere hope that todays verdict can one day be understood as a turning point in our nations history and that this decision will bring a long overdue sense of peace to George Floyds family and friends." While we cannot bring George Floyd back, we can take steps to ensure that tragedies like this are never allowed to occur again. In Congress, I am dedicated to making substantive reforms to our law enforcement system to provide accountability. The House has passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act earlier this year, and the Senate must act now. The Minnesota Business Partnership, which represents the CEOs and top executives of more than 100 of Minnesotas largest businesses: Today, justice was served and hopefully some measure of healing can begin. This outcome demonstrates that our justice system, while imperfect, can work. We are pleased the jury carefully weighed the evidence and delivered a just verdict in this case, but we also recognize that the struggle for racial equality and equity is far from finished. It is not enough to secure a conviction after an injustice occurs, we must collectively work to adopt policies, practices and behaviors at a community and individual level to prevent the injustice from happening in the first place. Our state has done important work on police reform, but more remains to be done. We must continue working to ensure our laws conform to high standards and expectations and that the law is enforced fairly and equitably. But achieving true social justice requires measures that go beyond passing and enforcing new laws; our culture, attitudes and behaviors must also change. It is incumbent upon all of us elected officials, law enforcement agencies and officers, civil servants, community leaders, educators, the business community, and the public to take bold steps toward building a more equitable state for all Minnesotans. Justice is served for #GeorgeFloyd. Thank goodness. The struggle for a broader justice continues. Rob Sand (@RobSandIA) April 20, 2021 Convicting Dereck Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is a moment of accountability, and also a moment to recommit ourselves to the movement for racial justice his tragic murder sparked. Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) April 20, 2021 Progress Iowa executive director Matt Sinovic: "Whatever our race, wherever we come from, we all just want to make it home safely at the end of the day. George Floyd never made it home. Thankfully, his murderer was convicted today. But Black people still live under the threat of higher fatality from police brutality. And too many Iowa politicians seem intent on making it easier for police violence to occur, and less likely that guilty verdicts like the one announced today will happen in our state." "In the past few months, the Iowa legislature has created policies that would make it easier to not hold police accountable if they engage in the kind of brutality that killed George Floyd, all while making it harder to vote and harder to exercise our first amendment right to protest. Instead of investing in additional diversity training, restraint training and working to build a healthy rapport with marginalized Iowans, the legislature is focused on immunity for unconscionable behavior as opposed to working to prevent it. Their priorities are completely backwards, and will cause more death and more division if they continue down this path." "We hope today's verdict brings at least some peace to George Floyd's family, the Black community, and the entire country. But police brutality still happens too often, and too many Black Americans don't make it home safely as a result. We will continue the fight to change state and federal laws that fail to create accountability for police brutality, and stand with all those who work toward racial justice." Connie Ryan, Executive Director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa: The jury got it right in the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin on all three counts. On that fatal day eleven months ago, Chauvin kneeled on the neck of an innocent man and callously pushed the breath out of him minute by minute, second by second. The jurys decision today provided accountability for that action. Even with a decision that holds one police officer accountable for his grievous and inhumane actions, let us be clear that justice will only be served in the death of Mr. Floyd when we our society makes real, substantial systemic changes. Until our society makes change in laws, policies, and practice that ensure a Black man cannot unnecessarily and unlawfully die at the hands of a police officer, there is no real justice. Today is a reminder of what must happen in the United States. Will we take hold of this moment to create real change, or will we let it slip through our hands once again? Will more Black people have to be killed again and again for us to have the commitment to make change? Those are the hard questions that we must grapple with as a society. We must make a real commitment to change and take action today. My statement on the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/rJHDDP8vMO Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) April 20, 2021 Driver Jeff Proctor and navigator Evan Weller built an early lead along the rough, 280-mile loop course that started and ended along the Gulf of California town of San Felipe. Despite a pair of mid-race stops to replace cut tires, Proctor and Weller survived sand washes and multiple "square edge" ruts and jumps to build a 35-mile lead with 20 miles remaining, then cruised to the team's first SCORE win of 2021, and sixth victory in Baja for the Ridgeline. Making approximately 550 horsepower, HPD's 3.5-liter HR35TT engine uses the same block and cylinder heads as the production V6 that powers the production Ridgeline. Additional, custom elements of the powertrain include an HPD-designed intake plenum and custom Engine Control Unit programming. SCORE International San Felipe 250 Results 1st Class 7 [unlimited V6 trucks] Jeff Proctor / Evan Weller - Honda Ridgeline Quote JEFF PROCTOR (owner/driver Ridgeline Off-Road Race Truck) won Class 7 for unlimited V6 Trucks: "My co-driver Evan (Weller) navigated a flawless race. We had some pretty good lines in the sand washes, and it was one of those days that everything just clicked. We didn't really have any issues. We did have a couple earned flats, but for the most part it was a pretty good day for us. We are taking home the class win and couldn't be more excited to kick this 2021 SCORE Season with a 'W'. To get through all those nasty, sharp-edged rocks, all the square-edged whoops that San Felipe is known for, we are just stoked to be here at the finish line." Fast Facts This is the first San Felipe 250 win for the Honda Off-Road Racing Team, in its first appearance in the event for the Honda Ridgeline. 250 win for the Honda Off-Road Racing Team, in its first appearance in the event for the Honda Ridgeline. It is the sixth class win for the Ridgeline in the last 12 SCORE events on the Baja Peninsula for the Ridgeline since the debut of the program in 2015. for the Ridgeline since the debut of the program in 2015. In addition to this weekend's win in San Felipe , the Honda Off-Road Racing team has won its class four times in the Baja 500, and once in the Baja 1000. Next The Honda Off-Road Racing Team returns to action on the Baja peninsula June 12 for the 53rd annual SCORE Baja 500. Photos and information from the Ridgeline Off-Road Race Truck's efforts can be viewed on Instagram at @hondaoffroadracing and @proctor_race. Honda Racing social media content and video links can be found on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD). Additional features and long-form videos can be found on the Honda Racing/HPD YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV). SOURCE Honda Racing/HPD DUBLIN, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Europe High Speed Connector Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Product and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. According to this report the European high speed connector market is expected to reach US$ 910.30 million by 2027 from US$ 543.47 million in 2019. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.8 % from 2020 to 2027. The report provides trends prevailing in the Europe high speed connector market along with the drivers and restraints pertaining to the market growth. Rising electronics and infotainment systems in automotive sector and growth in networking and communication sector are the major factor driving the growth of the Europe high speed connector market. However, costly and technical challenges hinder the growth of Europe high speed connector market. In case of COVID-19, Europe is highly affected specially the UK and Russia. The European electronic component manufacturers are also experiencing tough times to supply their products in adequate quantities to respective customers. This is majorly due to the significant disruption in raw material supply chain business. The electronic components or high speed connector manufacturers are witnessing two or more weeks of delay in receiving raw materials, which is pressurizing the manufacturers to slow down the production pace, which is showcasing the declination trend in revenue generation. The UK and France have numerous electronic component manufacturers, while the Russia has significantly large number of equipment manufacturing sectors ranging from communication equipment manufacturers, aerospace & defense contractors, and automotive OEMs. The emergence of COVID-19 virus has negatively impacted the businesses of European equipment manufacturers as well as high speed connector market. Additionally, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy have been observing the second wave of COVID-19 over the past couple of weeks, which has again compelled the manufacturers to restrict their production unit workforce, resulting in deceleration in high speed connector demand. The Europe high speed connector market is segmented based on product, application, and country. Based on product, the market is segmented into board-to-cable, board-to-board, and others. The board-to-board segment held the largest market share in 2019 and board-to-cable segment is expected to be fastest growing during forecast period. Based on application, the market is segmented into communication, automotive, aerospace & defense, energy & power, electronics, and others. The aerospace & defense sector held the largest market share in 2019 and automotive sector is expected to be fastest growing during forecast period. Fujitsu Limited; Hirose Electric Co., Ltd.; IMS Connector Systems GmbH; Molex, LLC; OMRON Corporation; SAMTEC, Inc.; TE Connectivity Ltd.; Yamaichi Electronics Co., Ltd. are among the leading companies in the Europe high speed connector market. The companies are focused on adopting organic growth strategies such as product launches and expansions to sustain their position in the dynamic market. For instance, in 2020, Hirose Electric Co. Ltd. had launched new FX26 series that is a high contact reliable and durable board-to-board floating connector with a -40? to 140? operating temperature. This FX26 series had won the CES 2020 innovation award in-vehicle intelligence & transportation category held in Las Vegas, USA, and 16th JPCA (Japan Printed Circuit Association) show award. Reasons to Buy Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the Europe course authoring software market course authoring software market Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Europe course authoring software market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies course authoring software market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging market. Scrutinize in-depth Europe market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the course authoring software market, as well as those hindering it market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the course authoring software market, as well as those hindering it Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Study Scope 1.2 Research Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 2. Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Coverage 3.2 Secondary Research 3.3 Primary Research 4. Europe High Speed Connector Market Landscape 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Europe PEST Analysis 4.3 Ecosystem Analysis 5. Europe High Speed Connector Market - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.1.1 Growth in Networking and Communication Sector 5.1.2 Rising Electronics and Infotainment Systems in Automotive Sector 5.2 Key Market Restraints 5.2.1 Costly and Technical Challenges 5.3 Key Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Increasing Developments in Network Services 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Flexible, High-Speed, water-resistant, Small Size Connector 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 6. High Speed Connectors Market - Europe Analysis 6.1 Overview 6.2 Europe High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 6.3 Market Players Ranking 7. Europe High Speed Connector Market Analysis, by Product 7.1 Overview 7.2 Europe High Speed Connector Market, By Product (2019 and 2027) 7.3 Board-to-Cable 7.3.1 Overview 7.3.2 Board-to-Cable: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 7.4 Board-to-Board 7.4.1 Overview 7.4.2 Board-to-Board: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 7.5 Others 7.5.1 Overview 7.5.2 Others: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8. Europe High Speed Connector Market, by Application 8.1 Overview 8.2 Europe High Speed Connector Market, by Application (2019 and 2027) 8.3 Communication 8.3.1 Overview 8.3.2 Communication: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4 Automotive 8.4.1 Overview 8.4.2 Automotive: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.5 Aerospace & Defense 8.5.1 Overview 8.5.2 Aerospace & Defense: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.6 Energy & Power 8.6.1 Overview 8.6.2 Energy & Power: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.7 Electronics 8.7.1 Overview 8.7.2 Electronics: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.8 Others 8.8.1 Overview 8.8.2 Others: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9. Europe High Speed Connector Market Country Analysis 9.1.1 Europe: High Speed Connector Market, by Key Country 9.1.1.1 France: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.1.1.1.1 France: High Speed Connector Market, by Product 9.1.1.1.2 France: High Speed Connector Market, by Application 9.1.1.2 Germany: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.1.1.2.1 Germany: High Speed Connector Market, by Product 9.1.1.2.2 Germany: High Speed Connector Market, by Application 9.1.1.3 Italy: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.1.1.3.1 Italy: High Speed Connector Market, by Product 9.1.1.3.2 Italy: High Speed Connector Market, by Application 9.1.1.4 UK: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.1.1.4.1 UK: High Speed Connector Market, by Product 9.1.1.4.2 UK: High Speed Connector Market, by Application 9.1.1.5 Russia: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.1.1.5.1 Russia: High Speed Connector Market, by Product 9.1.1.5.2 Russia: High Speed Connector Market, by Application 9.1.1.6 Rest of Europe: High Speed Connector Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.1.1.6.1 Rest of Europe: High Speed Connector Market, by Product 9.1.1.6.2 Rest of Europe: High Speed Connector Market, by Application 10. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic 10.1 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11. Industry Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Market Initiative 11.3 New Product Development 12. Company Profiles 12.1 SAMTEC, Inc. 12.1.1 Key Facts 12.1.2 Business Description 12.1.3 Products and Services 12.1.4 Financial Overview 12.1.5 SWOT Analysis 12.1.6 Key Developments 12.2 Molex, LLC 12.2.1 Key Facts 12.2.2 Business Description 12.2.3 Products and Services 12.2.4 Financial Overview 12.2.5 SWOT Analysis 12.2.6 Key Developments 12.3 TE Connectivity Ltd. 12.3.1 Key Facts 12.3.2 Business Description 12.3.3 Products and Services 12.3.4 Financial Overview 12.3.5 SWOT Analysis 12.3.6 Key Developments 12.4 Hirose Electric Co., Ltd. 12.4.1 Key Facts 12.4.2 Business Description 12.4.3 Products and Services 12.4.4 Financial Overview 12.4.5 SWOT Analysis 12.4.6 Key Developments 12.5 Yamaichi Electronics Co., Ltd. 12.5.1 Key Facts 12.5.2 Business Description 12.5.3 Products and Services 12.5.4 Financial Overview 12.5.5 SWOT Analysis 12.5.6 Key Developments 12.6 Fujitsu Limited 12.6.1 Key Facts 12.6.2 Business Description 12.6.3 Products and Services 12.6.4 Financial Overview 12.6.5 SWOT Analysis 12.6.6 Key Developments 12.7 OMRON Corporation 12.7.1 Key Facts 12.7.2 Business Description 12.7.3 Products and Services 12.7.4 Financial Overview 12.7.5 SWOT Analysis 12.7.6 Key Developments 12.8 IMS Connector Systems GmbH 12.8.1 Key Facts 12.8.2 Business Description 12.8.3 Products and Services 12.8.4 Financial Overview 12.8.5 SWOT Analysis 12.8.6 Key Developments 13. Appendix 13.1 About the Publisher 13.2 Word Index For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tk98a1 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com [April 20, 2021] Woz Enterprise is Seeking Applicants for Technology Apprenticeships SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Woz Enterprise, in partnership with Infosys and HCL Technologies, is recruiting candidates looking to start a career in technology for its United States Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program. The Woz Enterprise technology apprenticeship program arms individuals with day-one job skills, places them in entry-level technology jobs, and sets them on the path to earn a bachelor's degree in an in-demand field like software development or application infrastructure and support. Potential apprentices need only a high school diploma, GED, or associate's degree to apply, depending on the opportunity. "The demand for technology jobs is only going to increase, yet people often shy away from looking into these stable and well-paying careers because they feel that they don't have the relevant experience to get into the industry or can't afford the training required to succeed," said Chris Coleman, President of Woz U. "With our apprenticeship program, candidates earn a salary, while gaining on-the-job-experience and credit toward a college degree with one of our education partners." In today's uncertain labor market, the technology sector still provides a stable stream of jobs for people wit the proper skill set. Woz Enterprise, Infosys, and HCL are currently looking for apprentices in software development, a field that is expected to grow 22 percent through 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, well above the growth rate of all other career fields. "The traditional pathways and technology degree programs aren't producing the necessary volume of ready-to-perform IT talent," said Coleman. "Apprenticeships are a great value proposition for all involved, meeting the staffing needs of top tech employers while providing income and great, flexible training to individuals." Selected applicants will receive eight weeks of online pre-apprenticeship training, working on real-world projects while earning a salary. Candidates may earn up to 30 college credits from partners like the University of Phoenix or Harrisburg University. Upon completion of training, selected individuals will be eligible for an apprenticeship or direct hire position. For more information, please visit the website. About Woz Enterprise Woz is an Arizona-based digital learning eco-system designed to train, cultivate, and upgrade talent in technology fields to meet the workforce needs of today and the future. As a division of Woz U, Woz Enterprise helps recruit, retrain, and retain qualified employees with flexible, customizable, career-focused training content, with the option to white-label programs using our proprietary learning experience platform. With a curriculum that is updated every two weeks, we are empowering individuals in high-demand technology careers and helping to close the skills gap while adhering to global technology education and business standards. We help companies achieve their objectives by providing valuable technology training tools to upskill their workforce and ultimately grow their business. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/woz-enterprise-is-seeking-applicants-for-technology-apprenticeships-301272743.html SOURCE Woz U [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mumbai, April 20 : Continuing the drive against hoarders, the Maharashtra Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) along with Mumbai Police raided two locations and seized large stocks of the much-in-demand Remdesivir injections, an official said here on Tuesday. In the first instance, the police-FDA teams swooped on the premises of an exporter and recovered 2,000 vials of Remdesivir from Marol in Andheri east. In the second action, the teams raided another exporter based in Marine Lines, south Mumbai and seized 200 vials of the injection. "These (2,200) vials of Remdesivir have been taken into possession by the FAD and shall be distributed for use by government hospitals," said Deputy Commissioner of Police and Mumbai Police Spokesperson Chaitanya S. He added that these stocks of Remdesivir were manufactured for export purposes but owing to the current ban, they were "kept stocked" by the export firms, but now the FDA is diverting them for public use by following the necessary protocols. Presently, Maharashtra is facing a massive scarcity of Remdesivir and despite the Centre last week ordering price control on the injection, the supplies remain erratic. Facebook is expecting more scraping incidents like a security breach that saw data from some 533 million users exposed, a leaked internal memo has revealed. The email was intended for Facebook's PR staff in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but was accidentally sent to journalists at the Belgian publication Data News on April 8. Rather than exclusively focusing on the security problem, the social media firm is planning to spin future leaks as a 'sector problem' as to 'normalise' the issue. The leak, involving data on users from across 106 countries, occurred back in 2019, but the trove of personal information was only freely published this year. Before being posted on a hacker forum, however, the database was sold and resold privately by various cybercriminals who likely took advantage of the information. Among users whose data was publicly leaked was Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and platform co-founders Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz. Facebook is expecting more scraping incidents like the 2019 breach that saw data from some 533 million users leaked, a leaked internal memo has revealed. Pictured: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the 2018 F8 summit, in which he promised in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal to make privacy protection the platform's top priority Zuckerberg's name, location and marriage information, date of birth and Facebook user ID were among the trove of stolen personal data SCRAPING EXPLAINED Scraping is technique where data is extracted from a website, database or platform by a third party. Scraping may involve software that directly accesses the internet, or it may be operated via a conventional web browser. It it typically undertaken automatically by a software called 'bots' or 'web crawlers' although scraping can be done by an individual manually. Advertisement In response to the memo's leak, a Facebook company spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are committed to continuing to educate users about data scraping. 'We understand people's concerns, which is why we continue to strengthen our systems to make scraping from Facebook without our permission more difficult and go after the people behind it. 'That's why we devote substantial resources to combat it and will continue to build out our capabilities to help stay ahead of this challenge.' The internal memo published by Data News reveals Facebook's intended public relations strategy for dealing with similar breaches in the future. 'In the long term we expect more scraping incidents and it is important to frame this as a sector problem and normalize that this happens regularly,' the email read. 'To do this, the team proposes a follow-up post in the coming weeks that talks more broadly about our anti-scraping work and provides more transparency around the work we do here. 'This may reflect much of the scraping activity, we hope this helps normalize the fact that this is ongoing and avoid the criticism that we are not transparent about specific incidents.' The email also revealed that Facebook plans to not make any further comments on the leak as long as media coverage of the incident continues to dwindle. Data News said that they were sent the memo accidentally after reaching out to Facebook for more information concerning the data breach. Facebook told MailOnline earlier this month that the leaked data 'was previously reported on in 2019. We found and fixed this issue in August 2019.' However, Data News noted, Facebook was warned of the issue by ethical hacker Inti De Ceukelaire back in 2017, and failed to address the security flaw at that time. It is thought that hackers acquired the information by taking advantage of a Facebook feature which, by default, allowed you to look up a person's profile using their email address or phone number. According to Mr De Ceukelaire, it was possible to import up to ten thousand contacts into the platform at the time allowing for comprehensive 'brute force' attacks trialling random numbers to see which had a profile attached. Rather than exclusively focusing on the security problem, the social media firm is planning to spin future leaks as a 'sector problem' as to 'normalise' the issue, the leaked memo suggests. Pictured: Facebook issued a full page ad in 2018 vowing better privacy protection after the Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal was revealed Facebook's PR team is not incorrect that scraping is a technique that can be used to extract data from similar social media platforms. Shortly after the Facebook leak, for example, it came to light that data scraped from 500 million LinkedIn accounts and 1.3 million profiles on the audio-based social platform Clubhouse were also circulating the internet. However, the difference between these incidents and the Facebook leak is that the former only involved data that was already publicly available on the platforms. In Facebook's case, however, it was the known-but-unclosed loophole in their systems that allowed data that would otherwise only be shared between 'friends' on the site to be made visible to third parties. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. ("Calibre" or the "Company")(TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) is pleased to announce that the Company has commenced advancing the 100% owned Eastern Borosi Project (EBP) located in northeastern Nicaragua. During March Calibre initiated a diamond drilling program to convert resources in three high-grade gold deposits from inferred to indicated classification and drill new, high priority gold-silver targets that have been outlined based on geochemical, geophysical and structural data. This work is being done with the aim of advancing EBP to be the next high-grade Mining Spoke as part of the Companys Hub-and-Spoke operating strategy. Highlights The 176 km 2 EBP hosts NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resources containing 700,500 ounces of gold and 11.4 million ounces of silver among six epithermal vein style deposits with a combined 4.4 million tonnes averaging 4.93 g/t Au and 80 g/t Ag (prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. dated May 11, 2018 with mineral resource summary provided below); EBP hosts NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resources containing 700,500 ounces of gold and 11.4 million ounces of silver among six epithermal vein style deposits with a combined 4.4 million tonnes averaging 4.93 g/t Au and 80 g/t Ag (prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. dated May 11, 2018 with mineral resource summary provided below); Mineral resources have been defined in six vein systems that are exposed along an eight-by-ten kilometre structural corridor that remains open for resource expansion and discovery to the northeast and southwest; The Mining Triangle of northeast Nicaragua of which EBP is a part has produced in excess of 8 million ounces 1 of gold but remains significantly underexplored; of gold but remains significantly underexplored; The initial infill and geotechnical drilling program is focused on Guapinol, the adjacent Vancouver, and the Riscos de Oro (Riscos) deposits which contain combined inferred resources of 1.97 million tonnes averaging 8.15 g/t Au and 69 g/t Ag containing 515,000 ounces of gold and 4,371,000 ounces of silver ; ; Calibre has made significant progress during Q1, 2021 to acquire surface land rights and commence technical work and baseline environmental studies to support an Environmental Impact Assessment; EBP is located approximately 400 km by road from the Company's 2.2 million tonne per annum Libertad Mill which is currently less than 50% utilized; Calibre intends to commence exploration drilling in Q3 to test the potential for expanding the Guapinol-Vancouver and Riscos de Oro resources, as well as high priority targets along the principal vein trends at EBP. Darren Hall, President & Chief Executive Officer of Calibre, stated: "During 2020, we implemented our "Hub-and-Spoke" operating strategy, which has exceeded expectations leading to a 30% increase in 2021 production guidance over 2020. So far this year, we have delivered on commitments by expanding our "Hub-and-Spoke" operation with the development of the new high-grade Mining Spoke at Pavon Norte open pit. With the surplus capacity at our Libertad mill we are now turning our attention to EBP, which represents an excellent opportunity to develop another new high-grade 'Mining Spoke', delivering potential lower cost production increases and extending processing life at Libertad." Mark Petersen, Vice President of Exploration, stated: "Calibres exploration success at EBP over the past 11 years demonstrates the projects excellent potential for the discovery of high-grade resources hosted within a district scale system of epithermal gold-silver veins. Not only do we see opportunities to expand resources around the known deposits at Guapinol, Vancouver and Riscos, we also recognize strong potential for additional new discoveries on less explored vein systems within the project area. Now that the infill drilling program is fully ramped up and underway, our exploration team is eager and ready to begin pursuing these earlier stage opportunities toward our next resource growth opportunity. The 100% Owned Eastern Borosi Property The EBP property package consists of 176 km2 of 100% owned mineral concessions within the Company's larger concession holdings in the prolific "Golden Triangle" region of northeastern Nicaragua. The property hosts gold-silver resources in multiple vein systems that are part of a larger district of epithermal style, gold-silver and base metal vein mineralization. Mineral resources have been defined in six vein systems that are exposed along an eight-by-ten kilometre structural corridor that remains open to the northeast and southwest. The individual resources are distributed among three different areas of EBP. The high-grade Guapinol, Vancouver and Riscos deposits are centrally located near the town of Riscos de Oro, with the Blag and East Blag deposits located approximately 6 km to the northeast and the La Luna deposit located the same distance to the southeast (see link to project area map below). A table summarizing the inferred resources for each of the deposits is provided below. Following the consolidation of project ownership to a 100% basis in August 2020 (see Calibre news release dated August 20, 2020), the Company initiated a comprehensive evaluation of EBPs overall exploration and development potential. The work was completed by members of Calibres in-house exploration and technical services teams working in collaboration with external exploration and mining consultants. Key outcomes of the evaluation included firstly the recognition of the potential for further development of a high-grade open pit resource at the Guapinol and Vancouver deposits in combination with an underground resource at Riscos de Oro. A second outcome was the recognition of EBPs significant potential for expansion of currently defined resources in combination with new discoveries on multiple other targets that have so far remained largely untested by exploration drilling. The current drilling program includes 22,000 metres of infill, geotechnical and metallurgical drilling to support technical studies to evaluate development options for Guapinol-Vancouver and Riscos de Oro. The Company also plans to initiate a 7,500 metre exploration drilling program beginning in Q3 to test the potential to expand resources at Guapinol-Vancouver and Riscos de Oro, as well as first pass testing of high priority gold-silver targets along the principal structural trends in the district. During the past 11 years, a total of 40 kilometres of exploration and resource delineation drilling and 2 kilometres of surface trenching have been completed at EBP. Between 2016 and 2019 drilling on five earlier stage targets intercepted high-grade gold-silver mineralization demonstrating further exploration upside that merits further follow-up. Highlights of previously reported drill results outside of current resources include: Cadillac Zone : 2.6 metres Estimated True Width ("ETW") averaging 8.93 g/t Au and 57.4 g/t Ag between 65.6 and 69.7 metres down-hole in drill hole LS15-008; : 2.6 metres Estimated True Width ("ETW") averaging 8.93 g/t Au and 57.4 g/t Ag between 65.6 and 69.7 metres down-hole in drill hole LS15-008; San Cristobal Zone : 5.7 metres ETW averaging 10.92 g/t Au and 859.0 g/t Ag between 87.8 and 95.9 metres down-hole in drill hole SC18-002; : 5.7 metres ETW averaging 10.92 g/t Au and 859.0 g/t Ag between 87.8 and 95.9 metres down-hole in drill hole SC18-002; Veta Loca Zone : 5.4 metres ETW averaging 10.15 g/t Au and 6.9 g/t Ag between 88.8 and 94.3 metres down-hole in drill hole GP16-046; and : 5.4 metres ETW averaging 10.15 g/t Au and 6.9 g/t Ag between 88.8 and 94.3 metres down-hole in drill hole GP16-046; and La Luna South Zone: 12.7 metres ETW averaging 5.75 g/t Au and 34.3 g/t Ag between 53.0 and 68.9 metres down-hole in drill hole LL18-012. Highlights of the 2019 drill results yet unreported to date outside of the 2018 Inferred Mineral Resource include: Southwest Riscos De Oro Zone: 1.15 metres ETW averaging 23.82 g/t Au and 26.0 g/t Ag between 98.0 and 99.2 metres down-hole in drill hole RD19-049; 1.15 metres ETW averaging 23.82 g/t Au and 26.0 g/t Ag between 98.0 and 99.2 metres down-hole in drill hole RD19-049; Southwest Riscos De Oro Zone: 3.57 metres ETW averaging 4.83 g/t Au and 15.8 g/t Ag between 112.4 and 116.1 metres down-hole in drill hole RD-19-050; and 3.57 metres ETW averaging 4.83 g/t Au and 15.8 g/t Ag between 112.4 and 116.1 metres down-hole in drill hole RD-19-050; and Pueblo Santos Zone: 1.67 metres ETW averaging 11.20 g/t Au and 9.20 g/t Ag between 56.9 and 59.8 metres down-hole in drill hole PS 19-004. (see Calibre news releases dated September 15, 2016, February 1, 2018 and December 1, 2018) To view a PDF of the Eastern Borosi Plan Map, long sections, and location of NI-43-101 Inferred Mineral Resources please go to the following link: Link 1 - Eastern Borosi Property Maps & Cross Sections Link 2 Eastern Borosi 2019 Drill Hole Tables Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark A. Petersen, P.Geo., VP Exploration of the Company, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. EASTERN BOROSI PROJECT Summary of Inferred Mineral Resources - March 15, 2018 Vein Category Tonnage (000t) Grade (g/t Au) Grade (g/t Ag) Contained Au (000oz) Contained Ag (000oz) Riscos de Oro Underground / Inferred 1,184 5.73 106 218 4,047 Guapinol 612 12.74 12 251 243 Vancouver 170 8.54 15 47 82 Subtotal 1,966 8.15 69 515 4,371 Blag Underground / Inferred 740 3.01 117 72 2,776 East Dome 513 2.23 219 37 3,611 Subtotal 1,253 2.69 159 109 6,387 Total Underground / Inferred 3,219 6.03 104 624 10,759 La Luna Open Pit / Inferred 1,199 1.98 16 77 601 Total Inferred 4,418 4.93 80 701 11,360 Notes : CIM (2014) definitions were followed for classification of Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 2.0 g/t AuEq for resources potentially mined by underground methods and 0.42 g/t AuEq for resources potentially mined by open-pit methods. Mineral Resources and gold-equivalent cut-off grades were estimated using long-term gold prices of US$1,500 per ounce and US$23 per ounce of silver. Gold equivalent cut-off values were calculated using the formula: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) / (101.8) A minimum mining width of 2.4 metres was used for underground and 3 metres for open pits. Bulk density is 2.65 t/m3 for Blag, East Dome, Riscos De Oro and La Luna, and 2.60 t/m3 for Guapinol and Vancouver. East Dome is included in the Blag resource model and Vancouver is included in the Guapinol resource model. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have economic viability. For further details refer to 'NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Eastern Borosi Project, Nicaragua' prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. dated May 11, 2018. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Darren Hall" Darren Hall President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Ryan King Vice President, Corporate Development & IR Calibre Mining Corp. T: 604.628.1010 E: calibre@calibremining.com W: www.calibremining.com About Calibre Mining Corp. Calibre Mining is a Canadian-listed gold mining and exploration company with two 100%-owned operating gold mines in Nicaragua. The Company is focused on sustainable operating performance and a disciplined approach to growth. Since the acquisition of the Limon, Libertad gold mines and Pavon Gold Project, Calibre has proceeded to integrate its operations into a 'hub-and-spoke' operating philosophy whereby the Company can take advantage of reliable infrastructure, favorable transportation costs, and multiple high-grade ore sources that can be processed at either Limon or Libertad, which have a combined 2.7 million tonnes of annual mill throughput capacity. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Calibre's control. For a listing of risk factors applicable to the Company, please refer to Calibre's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019, available on www.sedar.com. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Calibre's forward-looking statements. Calibre's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. Calibre does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Note 1: Joseph T. Arengi, 2002 report Marjorie Taylor Greene Freshman Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene could use some PR counsel to smooth some of her rougher edges in the aftermath of her "White People's Caucus." The Georgia Republican took flak for her involvement in the aborted launch of the America First Caucus, which was supposed to advocate for Anglo-Saxon political traditions. After Republican leader Kevin McCarthy trashed nativist dog whistles, Greene distanced herself from the caucus, saying it was nothing more than a proposal from an outside group that she hadnt bothered to read. She then trained her sights on the media and went into overdrive. The scum and liars in the media are calling me a racist by taking something out of context, said Greene in a statement. Its more proof so-called journalists lie and create false narratives. The media are ones focused on race and use it to divide the American people with hate through identity politics. The Congresswoman went on to say that she believes America First with all my heart and that means every American, of every race, creed and color." Shes confident millions of Americans stand with her and that the hyenas in the media are terrified of that. Those hyenas may get the last laugh. Dame Anna Wintour, global chief content officer at Conde Nast since 2020 and Vogue editor since 1988, told the Financial Times that it is wrong to think of Conde Nast as an elitist company: were a company that believes in quality and the best storytelling. Wintour admitted that the lines around the block at reopened Gucci and Dior stores in London are good news for Conde Nast. People have been locked out for a long time and they are going to go out and want to spend, said the 71-year-old Wintour. Shoppers at Diors New Bond Street store can snap up a womens paisley long jacket for 7,100 pounds (roughly $10,000), a pair of mens hightop sneakers for 1,050 pounds ($1,463) and a water bottle/holder/strap for 620 pounds ($864). Though Wintour denies Conde Nast is an elite company, she certainly has her eye on the super-elite crowd pounding on Diors door. Americans arent buying Wintours spin that pent-up demand and the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccinations are going to supercharge the global economy. The pandemic has left many Americans clueless about their financial future, according to the mixed results of a Allianz Life Insurance Co. survey released April 13. While nearly seven-in-ten (68 percent) of respondents expect their financial future will improve in 2021, 56 percent believe a recession is right around the corner and 52 percent predict a big market crash right around the corner. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) believe markets will remain volatile this year and about half (48 percent) are going to remain neutral and avoid playing the market. Investors seem to be in limbo right now, wavering between nervousness about the potential for volatility and hope for a better year, resulting in a lot of inaction that can be costly in the future, said Kelly LaVigne, VP-consumer sights at Allianz Life. Cluelessness about the future combined with supreme financial cautiousness is not the recipe for Boomtown USA. Facebook announced on Monday a set of measures in the runup to the verdict of Derek Chauvin to curb posts that may lead to civil unrest or violence, including posts that celebrate or mock the death of George Floyd WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2021) Facebook announced on Monday a set of measures in the runup to the verdict of Derek Chauvin to curb posts that may lead to civil unrest or violence, including posts that celebrate or mock the death of George Floyd. The trial of Chauvin has entered its concluding stages, with closing arguments beginning Monday and the jury's deliberation and verdict expected as early as this week. The hearings come amid week-long protests over the police killing of unarmed Black man Daunte Wright near Minneapolis on April 11. "Our teams are working around the clock to look for potential threats both on and off of Facebook and Instagram so we can protect peaceful protests and limit content that could lead to civil unrest or violence," the post said. "We are also working to protect the memory of George Floyd and members of the Floyd family from harassment and abuse. Under our policies, we will remove content that praises, celebrates or mocks George Floyd's death." Facebook promised in the post it will allow people to discuss, critique and criticize the trial and the attorneys involved but will remove pages, groups, Instagram accounts, and events that contain calls to take up arms or violate community policies on violence and hate speech. The social network said it considers George Floyd an involuntary public figure and therefore applies a higher level of protection to all posts about his death while Derek Chauvin is considered by Facebook a voluntary public figure, which means that only severe attacks will be removed, the post explained. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) A majority of the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out locally were usually mild, the National Adverse Effects Following Immunization Committee (NAEFIC) said Tuesday. The five most common adverse events of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine are elevated blood pressure, headache, injection site pain, dizziness, and rash while the top five side effects of AstraZeneca's shot are fever, headache, injection site pain, chills, and muscle aches. NAEFIC member Dr. Eileen Cuajunco said the time it takes for adverse events to appear varies, but most of them are "transient" and indicate that the body's immune system is responding to the vaccine. "The vaccine side effects can appear soon after like if the patient has stress-related response, it can be even less than 5 minutes," she told a briefing. "If the patient has an allergy, it can be in the next 30 minutes or an hour, it varies and depending on the response, or it can be even like general pain, fatigue, myalgia - the muscle pain that appears 1 to 3 days or as late as 5 to 7 days," she added. Infectious disease expert Dr. Anna Ong-Lim earlier said a history of severe allergy does not preclude COVID-19 vaccination unless that allergy is to the shot or its ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to provide more details on the adverse reactions related to the COVID-19 vaccination program on Friday. Pre-vaccination advice Meanwhile, people should not take drugs before getting their COVID-19 vaccine to prevent allergic reactions, the Department of Health said Wednesday. "We do not recommend taking these drugs prior to vaccination as according to our experts, [they] may dampen the immune system," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told CNN Philippines, when asked about those who reportedly take paracetamol or anti-allergy medicine before inoculation. Over 1.2 million Filipinos have so far received doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines. The government is conducting simultaneous vaccination of healthcare workers, elderlies, and people with comorbidities in light of the fresh surge in COVID-19 cases. The government aims to inoculate up to 70 million of the population this year to achieve herd immunity. CNN Philippines Correspondent Carolyn Bonquin contributed to this report China to remain committed to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation Xinhua) 14:08, April 20, 2021 Photo taken on April 5, 2021 shows Lingshui Li'An international education innovation pilot zone in Li'An peninsula of Lingshui Li Autonomous County, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that China will continue to work with other parties in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. While delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021, Xi said that China will expand health cooperation with various parties in infectious disease control, public health, traditional medicine and other areas to jointly protect the lives and health of people in all countries. China will build a closer partnership for connectivity, and work with all sides to promote "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, Xi said. He said the country will build a closer partnership for green development and called for strengthening cooperation on green infrastructure, green energy and green finance. Aerial photo taken on April 10, 2021 shows the scenery of Boao Town, south China's Hainan Province.(Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) He also called for improving the BRI International Green Development Coalition, the Green Investment Principles for the Belt and Road Development and other multilateral cooperation platforms "to make green a defining feature of Belt and Road cooperation." Xi stressed that China will work with all willing participants to build the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth. By 2030, Belt and Road projects could help lift 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty across the world, Xi said, citing a World Bank report. "We will act in the spirit of openness and inclusiveness as we work with all willing participants to build the BRI into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth, which will contribute positively to the common prosperity of humankind," he said. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) She endured a nasty split with her TV husband Liam Cooper on Married At First Sight. And on Monday, Georgia Fairweather was spotted for the first time since her appearance on the show, attending a business conference with her mother Dr. Jane Thomason in Sydney. The Brisbane-based events manager, 25, looked effortlessly stylish in an oversized fuchsia jacket she paired with an all-black ensemble. Married At First Sight EXCLUSIVE: Georgia Fairweather, 25, (pictured) nailed business chic as she stepped out for the first time following her nasty split with her TV husband Liam Cooper She was all glammed out for the outing, wearing light foundation. The blonde beauty wore her long tresses out, and completed her look with black leather boots. The reality TV bride appeared in good spirits as she was seen exiting a taxi with her mum and a bevy of friends. She means business! The reality TV bride appeared in good spirits as she was seen exiting a taxi with her mother Jane and a bevy of friends All smiles! Georgia, 25, looked effortlessly stylish in an oversized fuchsia coloured jacket paired with an all-black ensemble Georgia's stylish mother turned heads in an all-black ensemble which she paired with eye-popping gold jacket. The group were seen chatting and laughing as they registered before they attended the function. Jane briefly appeared on the show to offer her daughter some sage advice ahead of the final commitment to her TV husband Liam. Stylish: She was all glammed out for the outing, wearing light foundation. The blonde beauty wore her long tresses out, and completed her look with black leather boots That's where she gets it from! Georgia's stylish mother Jane turned heads in an all-black ensemble which she paired with eye-popping gold jacket, red framed spectacles and sneakers Happy: The group were seen chatting and laughing as they registered before they attended the function 'You've told me that there's 5 per cent of you that [Liam's] not comfortable with. He said you're too glamorous,' she began, sitting at a cafe with Georgia. 'You won't fit in with his life and his family will hate you. Do you understand that that is demeaning?' her mother explained. 'I have never known you in all my life to be inadequate or insecure, so something's going on, and I want you to really think about the way that you inter-relate, and if there's things that he's doing that's actually taking away your confidence.' Supportive: Jane briefly appeared on the show to offer her daughter some sage advice ahead of the final commitment to her TV husband Liam Cooper Entrepreneur! Since appearing on the Channel Nine reality series , the intruder bride launched a new social media platform spruiking her brand and new channel, GF Innovation Since appearing on the Channel Nine reality series, the intruder bride launched a new social media platform spruiking her brand and new channel, GF Innovation. According to the bio her new account, 'is dedicated to helping audiences access new advances in innovation spanning all technology sectors to increase personal wealth creation.' She also launched a YouTube channel with the same name featuring full interviews with leaders in the business and teach. New platform: She also launched a YouTube channel featuring full interviews with leaders in the business and teach The rare sighting comes after Georgia described Liam as 'manipulative and insecure' in her final vows, after he'd claimed his family and friends would not like her as she was 'too glamorous' for him. Shortly after leaving the experiment, a video obtained by Channel 9 showed a frustrated Georgia asking 'what the f*** is wrong with Liam?' 'I'm back home in Brisbane. First place I come to see my ponies. That's where I do my best thinking,' a make-up free Georgia said to the camera. Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, said the Big Cat Public Safety Act had the support of law enforcement organizations and dozens of zoos and sanctuaries, giving it significant momentum. Whether its Joe Exotic, Doc Antle or Joe Blow, we cant permit private individuals to keep big cats captive for pleasure or profit, she said in a statement. These operations endanger the public and produce the worst possible fate for the animals involved. Under Mr. Blumenthal's bill, it would be illegal for a private individual to transport big cats across state lines, breed them or own them. Zoos, sanctuaries and other exhibitors and organizations that are licensed by the Department of Agriculture or by a federal facility registered with the department would be exempt. Under the bill, no zoo or exhibitor could allow direct contact between members of the public and the animals. The law already requires all zoos to be licensed federally, according to Mr. Blumenthals office. Ms. Baskins organization, Big Cat Rescue, has long pushed for the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which was first introduced in 2012. The organization has been calling for a ban on cub petting for more than 20 years. There is almost nothing more adorable than a tiger cub, and its very understandable if you dont know the back story to want to pet a tiger cub and take a picture with it, said Howard Baskin, Ms. Baskins husband and the treasurer and secretary of Big Cat Rescue. Its a miserable life for the cub. The documentary was criticized by conservation groups and animal rights activists for not focusing enough on the abusive practices of roadside zoos and instead playing up salacious details, including the mystery around the disappearance of Ms. Baskins first husband. More tigers live in captivity in backyards, roadside zoos and truck stops in the United States than remain in the wild, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Employees of Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) say they have were blindsided with a 33 1/3 per cent pay cut in their salaries. While some workers were under the impression the cut was supposed to occur next fortnight, many were unprepared for managements move. One employee told the Express yesterday while talk was being bandied about a few days ago with regard to the pay cut, she thought more notice would have been given to staff since globally theres a pandemic. I am hurt and disappointed. Heather Stickell, Chief Designer, Hearst Let's face it, our moms deserve so much more recognition for all their hard work than they receive. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many mothers have become homeschool teachers while trying to balance their own jobs from home, which is challenging beyond words. This year, we wanted to help you with some ideas to celebrate your mom for all shes done and continues to do. From activities at home like cooking her breakfast in bed to fun outings like going to a local farmers market in Rice Village or spending a day at the Galveston Beach, we are sure your mom will feel loved with one of these activities. Trump: Biden Should Reimpose Travel Ban to Defend US Against Terrorism Former President Trump said in a statement that the White House should reinstate a travel ban from certain countries to defend the country against terrorism. In January, on the day he was inaugurated, President Joe Biden announced that he would rescind his predecessors ban that prevented certain individuals from entering the United Statesfirst from primarily Muslim countries and then from most African countries. Trump also issued bans on travel from North Korea, Venezuela, and Burma. If Joe Biden wants to keep our Country safe from Radical Islamic Terrorism, he should reinstitute the foreign country Travel Ban and all of the vetting requirements on those seeking admission that go with it, along with the refugee restrictions I successfully put in place, Trump said in a statement on Monday. The former commander-in-chief then added that terrorists operate all over the world and recruit online. To keep terrorism and extremism out of our country, we need to have smart, commonsense rules in place so we dont repeat the many immigration mistakes made by Europe, and the USA prior to Trump,' Trump wrote. Trump in the memo did not elaborate on what countries that Biden should place on the list. In 2017, he initiated a ban on most people from Syria, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, North Korea, and Venezuela. The list was then broadened to include Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania in 2020. Biden, according to a White House statement on Jan. 20, claimed that bans from mostly Islamic countries have undermined our national security and have jeopardized our global network of alliances and partnerships and are a moral blight that has dulled the power of our example the world over. He did not provide an explanation as to how. The statement from Trump on Monday may have been brought on by the Biden administrations indication that it would increase the refugee cap. White House press secretary Jen Psaki refuted an earlier memo that was issued saying that the administration was keeping the Trump-era cap of 15,000 refugees. America needs to rebuild our refugee resettlement program, Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser, also wrote in a tweet last week. We will use all 15,000 slots under the new Determination and work with Congress on increasing admissions and building back to the numbers to which weve committed. The memo drew condemnation from left-wing members of Congress, including Squad leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Psaki issued a statement hours later claiming there was some confusion about the memo. It has been suggested that cancel culture wont end until it comes for enough liberals, though I am doubtful. In any case, it is bemusing to see that the latest victim of cancel culture is the aggressively atheist and hyper-Darwinian Richard Dawkins, who has had his Humanist of the Year Award from 1996 rescinded by the American Humanist Association. Why, you ask? Heres the AHA statement: Regrettably, Richard Dawkins has over the past several years accumulated a history of making statements that use the guise of scientific discourse to demean marginalized groups, an approach antithetical to humanist values. His latest statement implies that the identities of transgender individuals are fraudulent, while also simultaneously attacking Black identity as one that can be assumed when convenient. His subsequent attempts at clarification are inadequate and convey neither sensitivity nor sincerity. Consequently, the AHA Board has concluded that Richard Dawkins is no longer deserving of being honored by the AHA, and has voted to withdraw, effective immediately, the 1996 Humanist of the Year award. Heres how The Guardianhardly an anti-leftist sourcereports on what Dawkins said to get his prestigious award rescinded by the august AHA: On Monday, it announced that it was withdrawing the award, referring to a tweet sent by Dawkins earlier this month, in which he compared trans people to Rachel Dolezal, the civil rights activist who posed as a black woman for years. In 2015, Rachel Dolezal, a white chapter president of NAACP, was vilified for identifying as Black, wrote Dawson on Twitter. Some men choose to identify as women, and some women choose to identify as men. You will be vilified if you deny that they literally are what they identify as. Discuss. [See below.] Dawkins later responded to criticism, writing: I do not intend to disparage trans people. I see that my academic Discuss question has been misconstrued as such and I deplore this. It was also not my intent to ally in any way with Republican bigots in US now exploiting this issue. In 2015, Dawkins also wrote: Is trans woman a woman? Purely semantic. If you define by chromosomes, no. If by self-identification, yes. I call her she out of courtesy. He forgot to say Orange man bad! The irony here is that the American Humanist Association says it stands for science above all. Just not when it comes to biology apparently. Of course, Dawkins has also said mean things about Islam, so hes a twofer in the PC-offending sweepstakes. But the Humanists seem to be overlooking this. Ive never had any use for the guy, and thus it is fun watching a gang of pretentious pecksniffs going off on one of their own. Christopher Ciolfi of Evolution Site Services shows the Zoning Board of Appeals maps demonstrating how a proposed cell tower would help fill coverage gaps for AT&T. The existing condition is on the top. The bottom two maps show in yellow the expanded coverage. Williamstown Zoning Board Contemplates Cost of Denying Cell Tower Permit WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Dozens of residents in the neighborhood of a proposed cell tower have addressed the Zoning Board of Appeals asking it to block the project. On Thursday evening, the board discussed what such a step might mean. "If enough roadblocks are put before the petitioner, eventually the carrier says, 'Forget it,' throws their hands up and walks away from the project," ZBA Chair Andrew Hoar said. "But it is my understanding the carrier also gets a certain amount of pressure from the FCC to provide coverage in underserved areas? "So, if not now, at some point, and I don't know when, the federal government steps in and says, 'There will be a tower here, and it will be this.' " The applicant, Christopher Ciolfi of Pittsfield's Evolution Site Services, agreed. "Unfortunately, what happens in that scenario is then the attorneys get involved," Ciolfi said. "I think this board has been very reasonable, and I enjoy working with you on this. But, unfortunately, at some point, if there is a denial, if there is not a solution, unfortunately sometimes we have to go to court. Sometimes, we'll let the judge decide. "We try to provide you answers to all the questions you have and as much information as we have. You have a good consultant on board who can tell you whether we've stated accurately a substantial gap in coverage. And that's kind of the buzzword. That's where case law and federal law will come into play: Did they prove there's a need? Did they prove there's a substantial gap in coverage? "And the other part of the [federal] telecom act is: Did the town make reasonable provisions for the deployment of wireless services. Right now, your bylaw is reasonable. But if we can't find a property in this part of town and every application that gets proposed gets denied, then those aren't reasonable provisions. We have to be able to build a tower somewhere in this section of town." Evolution, on behalf of AT&T, has a parcel in mind and has worked with Peter Phelps to build a 165-foot tower on part of his South Williamstown farm. To do so, Ciolfi's firm needs a special permit from the ZBA; part of that is a request for a variance from the town's setback requirements, an issue discussed at length the first time the board discussed the proposal. That March hearing was continued to Thursday night, when the board ultimately continued it again to its May 20 meeting. Cognizant of the numerous letters it has received and comments at both hearings from residents in the Woodcock and Oblong Road neighborhoods, the board spent some time Thursday talking about the limits of its discretion. "We can, as a board, put constraints on the project, trying to mitigate its impacts," Hoar said. "If it turns into a legal fight with the FCC getting involved, we may not have [that authority]. "This board has the ability to work with the petitioner and mitigate the impacts as much as possible. If it goes out of our hands and ends up in the courts, we lose that ability, and we get what we get. And it could be a 180-foot tower because somebody says, 'That's what we need.' " Rob Mathews concurred with Hoar. "The worst-case scenario is not that the carrier walks away, the worst case scenario is the carrier doesn't walk away and takes the town to court," Mathews said. "It's not Massachusetts state court, it's federal court. And it isn't pretty." David Levine noted that in an alternative scenario, the residents opposed to Evolution's tower could take the town and AT&T to court, perhaps alluding to a letter the board received this week from a Springfield attorney hired to represent an Oblong Road resident. Most of the objection to the Evolution plan has concerned its impact on the viewshed. The town's bylaw specifies that wireless service facilities "[p]rotect the scenic, historic, environmental and natural or man-made resources of the community." The ZBA has pressed Evolution to make its proposed project as short as possible while allowing for the addition of other carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon and, possibly, Dish Network, which entered the cell phone game after T-Mobile and Sprint merged last year). In the past, it also has worked with tower applicants to find the best color for the structure and on Thursday the board solicited input from neighbors about their preference for a lattice or monopole design for the Oblong Road project. Earlier this month, Evolution floated balloons at the site of its proposed tower to help the members of the ZBA get a sense of how visible it would be if built. "I ran into a birder on Sloan that morning that the balloon was flown," Hoar said. "We kept kind of crossing paths on Sloan Road. I thought she was looking for the balloon. I pulled up along and said, 'Are you looking for the balloon?' She said, 'Balloon?' She held up her binoculars and said, 'No, I'm birding.' "I said, 'Have you seen a balloon?' And she said, 'No, can't say that I have.' " Mathews said he could not see balloon from nearby Field Farm, a property of the Trustees of Reservations, which has joined the voices of opposition. "I would agree with Bob [Mathews] and Andy [Hoar]," Keith Davis said. "I drove up Sloan Road to Oblong and Oblong over to Woodcock, and until I got to, basically the intersection of Oblong and Woodcock, you could not see the balloon." At least one resident has raised objections to the project based on health concerns, pointing to a recent controversy in Pittsfield , where residents have complained of "cell tower sickness" from the radiation generated from a 115-foot tower on South Street. On Thursday, the board was advised that it cannot cite radiation as a justification for denying the special permit. "In reviewing the applications from 2011, the correspondence, particularly for the high school application, had numerous comments expressing deep concern about RF radiation and its impact on human health," said Andrew Groff, the town's zoning enforcement officer. "I should remind the board, that's not something you can take into consideration per FCC guidance and regulations." The ZBA denied a special permit request from AT&T Wireless for a tower on the Mount Greylock Regional School grounds after a hearing that began in April 2011 and ended in January 2012. Three years ago, the board granted a special permit to Verizon Wireless for a tower at the junction of Route 2 and U.S. 7 on the site of the former Taconic Restaurant, but Verizon never exercised that permit, which ultimately expired. That tower addressed a different coverage gap than the tower proposed by Evolution. On Thursday, the board opened the continuation of the Evolution hearing without an intention to resolve the matter, knowing it would need more information for May. Among the questions remaining from Thursday: the potential impact on South Williamstown coverage if AT&T adds an array to an existing monopole near the New Ashford town line and the practicality of squeezing smaller "pizza box sized" antennae to accommodate wireless internet carriers in between the larger cell phone arrays. Ciolfi has said that as much as 10 feet is added to the height of his current plan to allow for use by wireless internet carriers down the road. In addition, the town is going to re-warn the public hearing prior to May 20 to indicate Evolution may need a variance from the bylaw's provision on endangered and protected species. As discussed in March, the setback variance is needed to avoid a stand of Hitchcock's sedge; Ciolfi has been working with the commonwealth's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to get their signoff on the project. A woman rushed her dog to a vet after discovering a strange bone in her backyard next to a chilling anonymous letter warning the treat was laced with poison. Cheri Blair, 66, found her Portuguese Podengo Jolene near the bone in her backyard in the north Sydney suburb of Lane Cove at 6am on Monday. The seven-month-old dog was rushed to the vet after the poisoning incident, where she had to stay for the day. A woman found her puppy eating the bone in her backyard alongside this disturbing note Portuguese Podengo Jolene ate some of the bone in the north Sydney backyard on Monday Cheri Blair called her puppy Jolene 'sweet' When the puppy did not come back to Ms Blair in the morning like she usually does, she went out to find her at the side of the yard with the bone. 'I went down there and It was bone, and it was one of those ones that you have to go to pet store to get there like a freeze dried bone, quite big,' she said, adding she initially threw it back over the fence and headed back to the house. 'Something made me go down there [again], and then I looked down. There was a letter, but it was sealed in an envelope and it had the message on it.' The note said, 'Your dog is to be poisoned, to much barking, sorry but no choice, your falt [sic].' 'I just started freaking out and I started screaming at my husband, go get the bone,' said Ms Blair. 'They couldn't even spell, it was horrible.' The seven-month-old (pictured with owner Mark) was rushed to the vet after the incident Ms Blair's backyard, where the bone was found on the left side next to the house Jolene was rushed to the emergency vet North Shore Veterinary Hospital in Artarmon, who induced vomiting. 'We don't know for sure (the bone was poisoned), but I was going to take any chances. I mean it's obviously quite threatening,' she said. After being taken home, Ms Blair said Jolene started to shake and had to stay in the animal hospital for the day for monitoring. She said on the Saturday before the incident, Jolene and two other dogs had a barking fit for about 20 minutes. Ms Blair was selling her other pup - who didn't get along with the cat - to someone who brought over his dog to check their compatibility. Later that night, Jolene barked again because 'she was looking for her mate' in the yard and a female voice yelled out, 'shut up.' 'She was barking but we brought her back inside,' said Ms Blair, adding no one approached her after the incident. After being taken home from the first vet visit, Jolene started to shake and had to go back Ms Blair said on the Saturday before the incident, Jolene and two other dogs had a barking fit Ms Blair lives next to a 60 unit block, and got 'sweet' Jolene over Christmas after her other dog died from cancer. 'There's only one person I've had an issue with throughout the years. I don't think it was him because he's now get himself a Covid dog but he used to hate dogs,' she said. 'I'm here all the time, she doesn't bark at night at all.' After the first vet visit, Ms Blair contacted Chatswood Police who came to inspect the backyard and took the note for DNA testing. 'When I get back from the hospital the first time I called the police and they didn't even say "did you want us to come over", they said "we're coming over,"' she said. 'They went on and knocked on the door to get the body corporates number to contact everybody in the apartment.' Ms Blair said she hopes the perpetrator is caught or is at least scared off by the media attention the note has attracted. 'People take it seriously when you threaten a little puppy,' she said. Ms Blair and her husband Mark (pictured) and got 'sweet' Jolene after their other dog died HARRISON (dpa-AFX) - Mastercard is continuing its support for black women entrepreneurs with a multi-million dollar investment in a venture capital firm built by women of color for women of color. The payments company will invest in VC firm Fearless Fund as part of its Strivers Initiative that reinforces commitment to black women-owned businesses across the U.S. Strivers Initiative is a consumer-facing platform that elevates the visibility of Black female business owners overcoming obstacles to maintain and grow their business, as role models for the community and future generations. Mastercard announced the Strivers Initiative in mid-February. 'The need to narrow this gender and racial disparity is critical in driving forward innovation and fueling inclusive, sustained economic recovery across our country,' said Michael Froman, president of strategic growth, Mastercard. Black women-owned businesses are among the hardest hit by the impacts of the pandemic. Only three percent of the people actually leading investments at VC firms are Black, according to the National Venture Capital Association. Mastercard is now investing in Fearless Fund and partnering with them to bring innovative programs to market to help Black women founders get access to the capital and resources they need to achieve their full potential. The investment will allow Fearless Fund to further expand their portfolio of women of color founded and co-founded companies in the CPG, Food & Beverage, Beauty, Fashion, and Technology sectors. The investment will also play a significant role in job creation and wealth distribution in underserved communities. Mastercard had earlier partnered Fearless Fund to launch a grant program aimed at supporting black women business owners in cities across the U.S., providing not only funding, but also leveraging Mastercard digital tools to help the businesses build and bolster their digital presence. 'We have been working together with Mastercard for almost 3 years now and look forward to growing this relationship,' says Arian Simone, Co-Founder & General Partner of Fearless Fund. This investment in Fearless Fund builds on Mastercard's previously announced half-billion-dollar commitment to support Black communities over the next five years to help close the racial wealth and opportunity gap starting in seven cities. This includes products, services, technology and financial support, as well as concentrated investments that will focus on providing Black-owned businesses and Black people access to affordable financial tools and capital. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX MASTERCARD-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de WABASH VALLEY, (WTHI) - The FedEx shooting claiming the lives of eight individuals late Thursday night marks the 147th mass shooting just this year. Local experts believe this high number is due to the rise in gun violence in recent years. Local experts are calling the rise in gun violence a "Public Health Crisis." An analysis by Time Magazine and the Gun Violence Archive found that over 19,000 people were killed in shootings and firearm-related incidents in 2020. This is the highest death toll the nation has seen in decades Locally, experts are concerned over the recent rise in gun violence and how this impacts the safety of the community. "If this was an epidemic, if this was the virus, we would be dealing with this," Paul Helmke, the former president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence," said. "They have paused the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine because six people in the nation out of 7 million have blood clots. We had eight people killed in Indianapolis Thursday night, and are we pausing gun sales? Are we pausing any laws that make it so easy? No. We need to deal with the gun violence issue like we deal with a public health crisis." Helmke says this is an ongoing issue that is becoming more problematic because of the easy access to guns. According to BBC News, the United States is by far the highest gun-owning country with over 120 firearms per 100 residents. This is more than enough for every citizen to have at least one firearm. "Other countries don't have this level of gun violence, and it's because they don't have more than one gun for every man, woman, and child in the country like we do," Helmke said. Many community members would agree with Helmke, but others do not see it as much of a problem. A recent study by Gallup found that only 33% of Americans are very dissatisfied with the nation's current laws on gun policies. On the other side, only 20% are very satisfied with current laws. "Part of the argument is more guns make us safer, but that's not true," Helmke said. "If more guns make us safer, we would be the safest country in the world, and we are not." One local resident emphasizes that gun ownership is not the underlying problem. "The guns are not committing the crime," John Moon, a local resident, said. "It takes a person to commit that crime." Both Helmke and Moon emphasize that there should be stricter gun background checks. Additionally, Helmke says there needs to be a larger emphasis placed on mental health awareness going into the future. For the safety of the community, experts are advocating for residents to take a stand and speak up. If you are interested in making a change, you can contact your Indiana Legislators here. For Illinois Legislators, click here. Former Channel Seven star Andrew OKeefe has had two fresh domestic violence charges laid against him, with police alleging he assaulted his partner Orly Lavee three times in two weeks. Mr OKeefe, 49, the former host of Weekend Sunrise and The Chase Australia, was initially arrested in the early hours of January 31 and charged with common assault. Andrew OKeefe has had two fresh charges laid of assaulting his partner. Credit:Simon Schluter Police said at the time they had been called to a Randwick apartment following reports a 41-year-old woman had been assaulted between 11pm and 11.30pm on January 30. Mr OKeefe was taken to Maroubra police station, where he was charged and granted bail. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 15:16:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand reported one border case of COVID-19 and no new community cases on Tuesday. There is one border worker who has returned a positive test result for COVID-19. The worker works at Auckland Airport, according to the Ministry of Health. The worker is fully vaccinated and he works on cleaning planes that have come from high-risk countries of COVID-19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said people who are vaccinated will still get the virus. The Pfizer vaccine was 95 percent effective at reducing symptoms of COVID-19. Therefore, one still can catch the virus but is less likely to be very sick. The usual protocol of isolating the case, interviewing them, and tracing their contacts and movements is underway, said a ministry statement. There is one historical case of COVID-19 to report. This case is a recent returnee who is considered recovered, it said. The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is two. The total number of active cases reported in New Zealand is 86. Seventeen previously reported cases have now recovered, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand to 2,241, it said. Enditem Update 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Apr. 24, 2021 - Firefighters have full containment of the Turnout Fire on Saturday, Apr. 24, 2021. They expect to be aided by the cooler weather and scattered showers. No structures were damaged or destroyed and there have been no injuries. The fire burned vegetation southwest of Ukiah and northeast of Boonville at Milepost 12 on Highway 253. --- MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. A wildfire has burned 200 acres in Mendocino County. CAL FIRE said it is called the Turnout Fire. It broke out just before 6 p.m. Sunday near Highway 253 and Boonville Road. That is about halfway between Ukiah and Boonville. RELATED: View active fires across California The fire is currently 25% contained with 127 firefighters working on full control. Firefighters are challenged by steep, rugged terrain with difficult access, CAL FIRE said. No structures are threatened. CAL FIRE Butte County Unit said they have their strike team 9211c en route to the fire. Bombay High Court has refused to restrain Serum Institute of India from using the name 'Covishield' for its vaccine against COVID-19, noting that such an order would create confusion and disruption in the vaccine administration programme. A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and CV Bhadang dismissed an appeal filed by Nanded-based pharmaceutical firm Cutis Biotech, which sought that Serum Institute should be stopped from using the word as it belonged to them. The company had based its case on the action of Serum Institute passing off a product under the name which has been used by Cutis Biotech for its products in the past. The company said that in April last year, it had filed an application before the concerned authority for registration of the trademark 'Covishield'. The company had proposed this name for some Ayurvedic, Allopathic, medicinal and pharmaceutical products sold by it. ALSO READ: Covid-19 vaccine: How much can Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech jack up prices? The court in its order said it is now widely known that Covishield is a vaccine to counter coronavirus. "A temporary injunction directing Serum Institute to discontinue the use of mark 'Covishield' for its vaccine will cause confusion and disruption in the vaccine administration programme. In this case, thus, the grant of an injunction would have large-scale ramifications traversing beyond the parties to the suit," the order said. The court order noted that union government had rolled out an extensive vaccination drive and, as on March 16, 66 million doses of Covishield have been supplied to the Centre, while some 59 million doses have been supplied to 72 countries. The union government had placed a further order of 10 crore doses of Covishield. "Serum Institute has, to date, made a sale amounting to Rs 37,507 lakh through the sale of Covishield vaccine. With these facts, the balance of convenience is not in favour of Cutis Biotech. Grant of injunction against Serum Institute would have a serious impact on its business," the court said. ALSO READ: India needs to get multiple COVID-19 vaccine licences, ramp up production: Chandrasekaran The court, in its order, noted that neither Cutis Biotech nor Serum Institute have a registration for the trademark 'Covishield'. Serum Institute counsel Birendra Saraf, while opposing the plea, said that the company applied for registration of trademark 'Covishield' for its vaccine against coronavirus but has been using the term since March last year when it sought permission from the union government to start clinical trials of the vaccine. The court in its order said there is adequate evidence to show prior adoption and use, but Serum Institute has also continued its use (of the trademark) without a break, and, till date, the company had produced 60 million Covishield vaccine doses per month, of which 48 million were supplied to the Union government. The bench further said that Serum Institute had coined the word 'Covishield' and took substantial steps towards its development and manufacture. ALSO READ: COVID-19 vaccination to be available to all above 18 from May 1 June 2: "Opportunities and Challenges for Election Reform" will investigate various proposals for reform at the federal and state levels and look at how the electoral reform agenda could move forward, seeking lessons from the Carter-Baker Commission experience. Watch the recording > May 17: "Technology and Elections" will explore how the development of voter-verified paper trails, risk-limiting audits, ballot-tracking platforms and the Electronic Registration Information Center system have enhanced the accuracy of elections. Watch the recording > May 5: "Voter Registration and Voter ID" will examine reforms to help ensure that states with voter ID laws dont inhibit eligible voters from participating in elections. Watch the recording > April 28: "Voting by Mail" Record numbers of voters cast absentee or mail in ballots in 2020, but many continue to voice concerns about the security of the absentee process. A look at the pros and cons of voting by mail, safeguards already in place, and additional ways to enhance the security. Watch the recording > April 7: "Electoral Reform and Ballot Access" A look at ways to make elections secure while also making them easily accessible to as many eligible voters as possible. Watch the recording > President Carter and Secretary Baker speak at events associated with the 2005 Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform. (Photo: Courtesy of American University by Jeff Watts) Now the organizations these two leaders founded are teaming up to present a series of virtual panel discussions that use the recommendations of the Carter-Baker commission as a framework to examine current electoral reform issues. The Carter Center and Rice Universitys Baker Institute kicked things off on April 7 with a look at Electoral Integrity and Ballot Access, bringing together two Republicans and two Democrats to talk about ways to make elections both secure and easily accessible to as many eligible voters as possible. Future conversations will focus on mail-in voting, voter registration and voter ID, election technology, and opportunities and challenges for reform. In this Q&A, Avery Davis-Roberts, an associate director in the Carter Centers Democracy Program, talks about the original commission, why the Center and the Baker Institute thought it was important to work together, and what the goal of electoral reform should be. Lets start by revisiting the 2005 commission. Why was it created, who was on it, and what did it do? Confidence in U.S. elections waned after the controversial resolution of the 2000 election that pitted George W. Bush and Al Gore. Partisan politics were making it hard to reach consensus solutions to an array of challenges facing elections. President Carter and Secretary Baker agreed to co-chair a commissionmade up of 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans and one nonpartisan who were all well-versed in election issues to examine the way federal elections are conducted in the United States. Ultimately, they came up with 87 recommendations covering a range of issues, including voter registration, voter ID, nonpartisan election administrationand an issue that came up a lot in the last year: the need for additional research on voting by mail. Though there were some differences of opinion, all 21 members signed the report. Imagine87 recommendations that received bipartisan sign off! And now, 16 years later, their two organizations are coming together to talk about electoral reform. Why? Weve just gone through one of the most contentious U.S. elections in a century. Many supporters of both parties say they lack confidence in our electoral systemalbeit for different reasons. Doubts like these undermine the foundation of democracy, which is something that deeply concerns both of our organizations. It seems like its getting harder for people from different parties to even speak to each other about these issues. It does. People often talk AT each other rather than WITH each other. Politicians often seem more interested in scoring points than in working together to find solutions that are best for the people they represent. Both The Carter Center and the Baker Institute are strictly nonpartisan, and we believe that frank, constructive discussion between people with opposing views is not just possible but essential. Nothing good comes from refusing to speak with people with whom you disagree. Were bringing together smart, reasonable people with differing viewpoints in the hopes of shining a light on some of the problems confronting our electoral process and starting a national discussion about bipartisan solutions. Ultimately, when we talk about election reform, what should our goal be? First, Ill tell you what it shouldnt be: giving one party an advantage over another. Rather, reform should put the voter at the center of the discussion, with the objective of ensuring all eligible voters right to cast their ballots in elections that are secure. We should also be working to ensure that elections are conducted transparently, so that there is public confidence in the process and the results. In on our international work, we have learned that a key ingredient in public confidence is independent election management institutions that are responsible for administering elections and drawing district boundaries. In America, having barely survived the lies and turmoil of the last election, the lesson some states have taken is to make it harder for citizens to vote. Though the only proven fraud attempts were those undertaken by the former President, thats the bill of goods his party is trying to sell. But heres the bigger problem: America is locked into a perpetual election cycle. We all saw 2021 campaign posters sprout the week after Election Day 2020. Presidential campaigns drag on for two years while England elects a government and prime minister in six weeks, which is more in line with common practice in the worlds democracies. Who benefits? Not the average voter watching campaign horror ads and posturing in office while our infrastructure crumbles and nothing gets done. The Supreme Courts Citizens United decision sanctified dark money as the core principle of our politics. This assures that politicians always need money for endless elections, even senators whose six-year terms require millions to secure. You would think self-interest, which is not lacking in politicians, would move Congress and states to campaign reform. But unless you host a fundraiser on your yacht, whos going to hear you? (Andrew Kass is a West Brighton resident.) Tyrannosaurus rex the 'tyrant lizard king' may not have been a solitary predator, but instead hunted its prey in packs, just like wolves, a study has suggested. Palaeontologists have been studying a T. rex mass death site found back in 2014 in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. Analysis of the fossil bones and the surrounding rock has revealed that the dinosaurs died and were buried together, rather than being washed in from other places. Tyrannosaurus rex may not have been a solitary predator, but instead hunted its prey in packs (as depicted in this artist's reconstruction), just like wolves, a study has suggested Palaeontologists have been studying a T. rex mass death site found back in 2014 in southern Utah. Pictured: the skill of a T. rex found two miles north of the so-called 'Rainbows and Unicorns quarry' in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument T. REX: THE BASICS Tyrannosaurs rex was a species of bird-like, meat-eating dinosaur. It lived between 6866 million years ago in what is now the western side of North America. They could reach up to 40 feet (12 metres) long and 12 feet (4 metres) tall. More than 50 fossilised specimens of T. rex have been collected to date. The monstrous animal had one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom. Advertisement The so-called 'death assemblage' of T. rex fossils was first discovered in 2014 by palaeontologist Alan Titus of the US Bureau of Land Management, and, thanks to the sheer volume of material there, the site continues to be worked on to this day. In fact, the quarry in which the remains were found has since been renamed the 'Rainbows and Unicorns quarry' to reflect its abundance of rare fossils. 'I consider this a once-in-a-lifetime discovery for myself,' Dr Titus told the Associated Press during a virtual news conference earlier this week. 'I probably won't find another site this exciting and scientifically significant during my career,' he added. Alongside the tyrannosaur fossils, palaeontologists working in the quarry have also discovered two other kinds of dinosaurs, the near-complete skeleton of a juvenile crocodilian, seven species of turtles, as well as multiple fish and ray species. However, the experts said that, unlike the T. rexes, these other animals do not appear to have died together. The notion that tyrannosaurs might have been social carnivores was first mooted some two decades ago, when more than a dozen of the dinosaurs were found buried together at a dig site in Alberta, Canada. A second mass grave site was subsequently found in Montana and the Rainbows and Unicorns quarry assemblage makes for the third found to date. Despite the mounting evidence, many experts have contested the idea, arguing that dinosaurs simply did not have the brainpower needed for complex social interaction. 'Going that next step to understand behaviour and how animals behave requires really amazing evidence,' explained Denver Museum of Nature & Science's curator of dinosaurs, Joseph Sertich, at the news conference. 'I think that this site the spectacular collection of tyrannosaurs but also the other assembled pieces of evidence pushes us to the point where we can show some evidence for behaviour,' he added. The so-called 'death assemblage' of T. rex fossils (pictured) was first discovered in 2014 by palaeontologist Alan Titus of the US Bureau of Land Management and, thanks to the sheer volume of material there, the site continues to be worked on to this day However, Macalester College biologist Kristi Curry Rogers, who was not involved in the researchers, told the Associated Press that more work needs to be done to done to make the arguments for T. rexes living in packs. 'It is a little tougher to be so sure that these data mean that these tyrannosaurs lived together in the good times,' she explained. 'It's possible that these animals may have lived in the same vicinity as one another without traveling together in a social group, and just came together around dwindling resources as times got tougher.' The notion that tyrannosaurs might have been social carnivores was first mooted some two decades ago, when more than a dozen of the dinosaurs were found buried together at a dig site in Alberta, Canada. Pictured: a T. rex mounted on display in the Field Museum of Chicago Palaeontologists are among those pushing for the Biden administration to restore the both the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments to their previous size after their extent was shrunk by former president Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited southern Utah in preparation to submit recommendations on whether to reverse the monuments' downsizing, during which she was shown some of the fossils by Dr Titus. She 'appreciated getting to see the material', he said, adding that the Bureau of Land Management 'is protecting these fossils as national treasures.' 'They're part of the story of how North America came to be and how ultimately we came to be.' The quarry in which the remains were found in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah has since been renamed the 'Rainbows and Unicorns quarry' to reflect its abundance of rare fossils Kabul, April 20 : Six armed militants were killed and 28 people were freed from a Taliban detention centre after the Afghan army launched a special operation in Helmand province, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. "The commandos of Afghan National Army launched the raid in surrounding areas of Helmand's Musa Qala district. A gunfight took place when the troops arrived at the targeted facility, and six armed militants were killed," Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement. The freed people received medical checkups after they were shifted to an army camp, according to the statement. Taliban insurgents frequently detain civilians and off-duty soldiers from villages and highways and punish civilians for spying for government security forces. The Taliban militant group has not made a comment on the report so far. Zampatti died on April 3, one week after suffering a serious fall at the opening night of Opera Australias La Traviata on Sydney Harbour. She was farewelled in a state funeral at St Marys Cathedral last Thursday that was attended by a whos who of politics, fashion, business and media. The magazine shoot was done at Zampattis Italianate home in Sydneys eastern suburbs right before Christmas, and features her two daughters, Bianca and Allegra Spender, and five of her nine grandchildren. Carla Zampatti with her daughters, Bianca (right) and Allegra Spender, and five of her nine grandchildren. Credit:Corrie Bond for the Australian Womens Weekly. My customers keep saying, You cant retire! And anyway, I love it! Zampatti told The Australian Womens Weekly, in an interview conducted before the designers death, to be published on Thursday. Even as she approached her 79th birthday, Carla Zampatti never entertained the thought of stepping away from her fashion business. The Weeklys editor-at-large, Juliet Rieden, who wrote the feature for the magazine, had been sitting near Zampatti on the fateful night at the opera. She says the veteran designers last words to her were conveying her excitement about the forthcoming story, which focused on family and the connection between the women across three generations. Carla Zampattis children Bianca Spender (left), Alex Schuman (centre) and Allegra Spender give their mothers eulogy. Credit:Getty What was most poignant to me was there was absolutely no question about her retiring, her handing the business over, Rieden told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. We discussed what might happen to the business and she said that all of [her] children are involved and [shed] leave that to be dealt with after [her] time ... There wasnt any sense of any ending soon. She was very full of life, she was very excited about what she was achieving. During the interview, Zampatti spoke about the challenges of being a single mother in her 20s while trying to get her iconic brand off the ground, her second marriage, to politician-turned-diplomat John Spender, and Ken Howison, the Sydney doctor with whom she found love and companionship in the last two years of her life. Although she didnt name him in the piece, Zampatti told Rieden she was very happy in the newfound relationship. By this time most years, residents and tourists are riding out to Ship Island off the coast of Gulfport to spend the day playing in the sand, exploring the fort and splashing in the clear Gulf waters. Mississippis 10th natural disaster in 2020, Hurricane Zeta, hit Ship Island on Oct. 28, tore up the piers where the Ship Island Excursion ferries land and damaged other facilities. That canceled the end of the 2020 season and the excursions are on hold for awhile this spring until the repairs are made. A contractor has been selected, said Stephenie Wade, visual information specialist at the park, and the contract is in negotiations. The reopening schedule for visitor use is undetermined at this time., Wade said. Ship Island did reopen March 1 for private boats to anchor offshore or small boats to land on the island, so people can enjoy the beaches, she said. What needs fixing? All facilities the dock, pier, boardwalk, restrooms, pavilions, snack bar and Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island remain closed due to damage from Zeta. Long-time park superintendent Dan Brown retired Jan. 2 and a new acting superintendent is moving the project along. Capt. Louis Skrmetta, owner of Ship Island Excursions, said he recently met with park officials. A new type of porous decking will be used on the dock that leads from the ferry to the island, he said, to let water flow through. The cross-island boardwalk was lifted up when the water from Zeta flooded in and most or all of the one-third mile span will have to be replaced, he said. +3 First look: See released renderings for massive, lavish new $1.2B casino resort in Biloxi The proposed $1.2 billion UMUSIC Broadwater hotel and casino in Biloxi became a lot more real Thursday when a timeline for construction and a About a foot of water flooded the ranger station and other facilities, he said. The dock on the Gulf beach, the deck around the snack bar, the picnic pavilion and Fort Massachusetts also need repairs. 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 When could excursions resume? Skrmetta said hes hoping to be able to transport passengers and their beach gear out to the island again in about 8-10 weeks, or mid- to late-June. Hopefully theyll have everything done by the Fourth of July weekend, he said. Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs also had damage from Zeta. The campground and day use picnic areas are open again. The public restroom near the fishing pier is closed and portable restrooms are in place. Natures Way Trail remains closed. Making waves Ship Island Excursions continues to operate despite the challenges of 2020, when the coronavirus shut down excursions just as they were about to begin in March. Then Tropical Storm Cristobol in June caused damage to the pier at Ship Island and the waves of tropical weather flirted with South Mississippi. We had to move our boats to safer harbor four times, Skrmetta said. The company continues to take people out on harbor and dolphin tours from Gulfport. To give passengers a look at the sunset from the water, Were going to be expanding our evening cruises, he said, Service from Biloxi is halted this year because of restrictions of COVID-19, But we hope to bring that back, he said. See the latest updates about ferry tickets. By Mary Perez, The Sun Herald. Perez has won awards for her business and casino articles for the Sun Herald. She also writes about Biloxi, jobs and the new restaurants and development coming to the Coast. She is a fourth-generation journalist. This story originally appeared on www.sunherald.com. The Sun Herald, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate are news partners. Almere, The Netherlands April 20, 2021, 6 p.m. CET ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today reports its first quarter 2021 operating results (unaudited) in accordance with IFRS. Continued strong logic/foundry demand fuels record quarterly orders. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS EUR million Q1 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 New orders 333.5 378.7 410.6 Revenue 325.1 346.6 394.0 Gross profit margin % 44.5 % 45.2 % 49.5 % Operating result 78.1 77.5 124.5 Result from investments (excluding amortization intangible assets resulting from the sale of ASMPT stake in 2013) 0.7 27.1 13.9 Amortization intangible assets (resulting from the sale of ASMPT stake in 2013) (3.5) (3.0) (3.0) Net earnings 74.1 79.1 122.5 Normalized net earnings (excluding amortization intangible assets resulting from the sale of ASMPT stake in 2013 ) 77.6 82.1 125.5 New orders at 411 million were 8% above the level of last quarter. Revenue for the first quarter 2021 was 394 million and increased 14% compared to the previous quarter due to strong market demand. Gross profit margin was 49.5% in Q1 2021 compared to 45.2% in the previous quarter, mainly due to favorable mix. Operating result was 125 million compared to 78 million in the previous quarter. Normalized net earnings for the first quarter 2021 were 125 million, 43 million higher compared to Q4 2020. COMMENT "2021 started very strong for ASM," said Benjamin Loh, President and Chief Executive Officer of ASM International. "In the first quarter, we realized revenue of 394 million, well within our guidance of 380-400 million and up 14% from the level in Q4. The revenue level was again driven by continuous high demand in the logic/foundry segment. Our Q1 order intake, at 411 million, was up 8% from an already high level in Q4 and ahead of our guidance of 380-400 million, driven by solid demand in logic/foundry. Our gross margin was at a high level of 49.5%, caused by a favorable mix, while our operational cash flow showed a record high level in Q1. Based upon the strong cash position at the end of March, we plan to start a new 100 million share buyback program." OUTLOOK For Q2, on a currency comparable level, we expect revenue of 390-410 million. Q2 bookings, on a currency comparable level, are expected to be in the range of 420-440 million. Based upon the current market developments, the wafer fab equipment (WFE) market is expected to grow by a high-teens to low twenties percentage in 2021. 2021 is expected to develop in another year of solid growth for ASM. Based upon our current view, we expect our sales in the second half to be at least at the same level as in the first half. SHARE BUYBACK PROGRAM On February 25, 2020, ASMI announced the authorization of a share buyback program for up to 100 million. The program started on June 2, 2020, and was completed on March 2, 2021. In total, we repurchased 646,180 shares at an average price of 154.76, under the 2020-2021 program. ASMI announces today the authorization of a new repurchase program of up to 100 million of the Company's common shares within the 2021/2022 time frame. This buyback program will be executed by intermediaries and will end as soon as the aggregate purchase price of the common shares acquired by ASMI has reached 100 million. This repurchase program is part of ASMI's commitment to use excess cash for the benefit of its shareholders. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS On March 31, 2021, ASMI published the agenda for the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM), to be held on May 17, 2021, which, as also earlier announced, includes amongst others the following matters: proposal to appoint Mr. Paul Verhagen as member of the Management Board; proposal to re-appoint Mrs. Stefanie Kahle-Galonske as member of the Supervisory Board; proposal to declare a regular dividend of 2.00 per common share over 2020; and proposal to withdraw 500,000 treasury shares. Please refer to the AGM documents available on our website for more detailed information. About ASM International ASM International NV, headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, its subsidiaries and participations design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International, its subsidiaries and participations provide production solutions for wafer processing (Front-end segment) as well as for assembly & packaging and surface mount technology (Back-end segment) through facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASMI's website at www.asm.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, epidemics and other risks indicated in the Company's reports and financial statements. The Company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. ASM International will host an investor conference call and webcast on Wednesday April 21, 2021, at 14:00 Continental European Time (8:00 a.m. - US Eastern Time). The teleconference dial-in numbers are as follows: United States: +1 646 7413 167 International: +44 (0) 8444 819 752 The Netherlands: +31 (0)20 79 566 14 Access Code: 6352838 A simultaneous audio web cast and replay will be accessible at www.asm.com . CONTACT Investor and media contact: Victor Bareno T: +31 88 100 8500 E: victor.bareno@asm.com Attachment SINGAPORE, Apr 20, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - This April, Moonstake celebrates its 1 year anniversary. We've come a long way since our official launch, having established a strong position in the POS market in less than a year. Today, Moonstake total staking assets have reached over $900 Million and are entrusted by core blockchain companies as business partners and crypto users from all over the world. We've grown to become one of the top 10 staking providers in the world.On the celebration of Moonstake's first anniversary, Founder of Moonstake, Mitsuru Tezuka, says: "2020 was an incredible first year for Moonstake. We achieved over $900 Million in staked assets and earned the trust of investors and businesses worldwide with our staking wallet as well as staking-as-a-service solutions. In just one year, we've become one of the top 10 staking providers in the world. We're very excited to see how the Moonstake ecosystem will continue to grow from 2021 onwards, especially in the DeFi space, and we hope to experience all of it together with you again this year. Thank you for always supporting us!"Let's revisit Moonstake's milestone and look forward to the exciting future of Moostake from 2021 onwards with CEO Lawrence Lin and Shogo Ishida, Moonstake's Senior Advisor.Lawrence Lin: Hello, I'm Lawrence Lin, the CEO of Moonstake. It has been 1 year since we debuted Moonstake staking business with the aim to create the biggest staking network in Asia. We developed the most user-friendly staking wallets: Moonstake Web Wallet for web browsers and Moonstake Mobile Wallet on iOS/Android with support for over 2000 cryptocurrencies. Now, Moonstake's staking community can easily earn staking rewards from all the high demand POS coins on the market including Cosmos, IRIS, Ontology, Harmony, Tezos, Cardano, Qtum, Polkadot, Quras, Centrality and most recently, Orbs.Moonstake has also forged strategic partnerships with leading industry players, including public blockchains such as Emurgo (global blockchain solutions provider and founder of Cardano), NEO, Ontology, Wanchain, and decentralized projects Pundi X, RAMP DEFI, TZ Ventures, RockX, Stake Technologies, Orbs, Unido, and more. These partnerships not only allow Moonstake to enable staking of more PoS coins for our users but also make Moonstake's technology ecosystem more accessible to the global staking community.Question: What are the biggest adoption barriers for Proof of Stake and Staking right now and how should we solve them for investors and also blockchain businesses?Lawrence Lin: Definitely the lack of awareness and the still inaccessible user experience. The public mostly know about "the cryptocurrency with crazy price change" that is Bitcoin, but PoS coins aren't as prominent to the masses, especially since trading to make a profit is much easier to adopt due to being similar to investing with other asset classes like stocks, real estate, gold, etc. In reality, staking is basically like putting your savings into a bank, but much safer since it's on a decentralized network instead of the centralized banking system.However, staking isn't simply putting money in a safe. It's an activity that impacts the operations of the blockchain network since it's essentially selecting the validators (miners) to facilitate transactions. Such added technical complexities might make staking seem too intimidating to the average crypto investor, and even more so for businesses looking to adopt blockchain.Moonstake works to accelerate adoption of staking by addressing both these pain points for investors and businesses. By hosting initiatives like educational webinars and collaborating both blockchain projects and institutions, we want to help spread awareness of blockchain and decentralized technologies more effectively. At the same time, we develop the user-friendly Moonstake Wallet that supports only the most highly demanded PoS coins through official partnerships with the blockchain projects so that investors can earn well from their idle funds with optimal yield without having to deal with the technical complexities of PoS blockchains. We also offer Moonstake staking pool and node solutions to enterprises so that they can start utilizing and benefiting from implementing blockchain in their business with plug-and-play ease.Question: You have been professed to enter the DeFi domain, but what kind of development does Moonstake plan to try in the DeFi domain?Shogo Ishida: Recently, we announced their DeFi project Muse.Finance on March 31st. In addition to creating its own products, Muse.Finance will also be widely accepting applications from DeFi products that wish to connect to Its platform. This is a decentralized platform that allows crypto asset holders to profit from lending through wrapped assets while participating in staking and yield farming at the same time. Its ecosystem design, consisting of Muse Swap, Muse Lending and Muse Wrap, connects the DeFi ecosystem of tokens issued on Ethereum (ERC-20) with Ethereum 2.0 to create a liquidity-generating PoS platform. In addition, by using advanced cross-chain technology, Muse.Finance is expanding its crypto-asset economic zone, starting with Cardano and extending its service offerings to Polkadot, Solana, Oasis, Terra, Centrality and others.Muse.Finance will launch its first product, a wrap and swap platform, in May. Later in the year, we will gradually enhance Muse DeFi platform with Lending and Yield Farming.About MoonstakeMoonstake was recently established to develop a staking pool protocol to satisfy increasing demands in regional and global blockchain markets. Moonstake develops a staking pool protocol and provides business services through partners and companies.Moonstake aims to be the largest staking pool network in Asia by providing an active environment for crypto asset holders. Establishing a clear partnership roadmap with Moonstake represents another significant milestone for continuing to strengthen ties with leading platforms across Asia's burgeoning Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ecosystem. Partnership has been announced with Emurgo, Ontology and NEO to boost staking adoption, Binarystar, Japan's biggest blockchain hub, OIO Holdings Limited (SGX: OIO), a Singapore-listed company. Industry's reputed advisors, such as Lisk and Lawrence Lim of RAMP DEFI support Moonstake's innovative journey.With a full-scale operation launched in August 2020, we expanded our business and as of now, our total staking assets exceeded over USD 900 Million. https://www.moonstake.io/Source: MoonstakeCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Former U.S. President Donald Trump said that Republican candidates should adopt his political agenda "Make America Great Again" to win back the House and Senate. This was Trump's answer when he was asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity if Republican congressional candidates should follow the said agenda. "If you want to win and win big, you have to do that. You have to do it," Trump was quoted in The Hill report. The Alabama Republican Party has showcased Trump as one of the greatest and most effective presidents in "the history of the Republic," according to a Meaww report. Reports said that the proclamation was passed unanimously by the state's GOP and presented to the Trump at his current resident in Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "The resolution, basically, it just talks about the greatness of Donald J Trump, how he made America great again and I hope other states will follow suit," Perry Hooper Jr, a former state representative and a member of the state party's executive committee was quoted in a report. Hooper said that the proclamation is just recognizing the former president for what he has done for the country. This includes reviving American manufacturing, cutting taxes, building up the country's defense, and making "the best economy ever." About three months out of office, Trump has already been eyeing to run for the 2024 election. He has also remained as one of the most influential Republican in the country. READ MORE: Tulane Frat Bros' 'Make America Great Again' Wall Draws Harsh Criticism Trump in 2024 Presidential Election Meanwhile, Trump said in February that it was too early to make a bid for the 2024 presidential election. Trump said that he really wanted to be quiet about the matter. On the other hand, the former Republican president said that his team was still looking at options for returning to social media and talking to a few people. Trump has been banned on a few social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook. This was after the former president incited a Capitol riot on Jan. 6, which lead to deaths. Trump then created his own social media platform, which is known as 45office. However, experts forecasted that his social media platform is on its way to failure, according to a Business Insider report. Experts believe that the former president would have a difficult time garnering the same audience he had on Twitter. Professor Stephen A. Greyser, a marketing and communications expert at Harvard Business School, said that in his professional judgment, it is unlikely to grow Trump's following. Greyser added that it is dominantly oriented on maintaining his current following. Peter Loge said that they have to sell ads or data to make that work financially, which leads to needing enough people to buy the ads and the data. 45office contains features Trump's profile, as well as a link to contact Trump. This leads to options such as Share Your Thoughts, Scheduling Request, and Request a Greeting, according to a Yahoo News report. READ NEXT: US Manufacturing - American Industry to Never Rely on Foreign Supplies Again WATCH: Has Donald Trump made America great again? Looking back at his presidency - from Sky News Gigi Hadid's mini fashionista daughter Khai is turning seven months old. The model, 25, marked the occasion with two snaps of the tot wearing Versace on her Instagram account on Tuesday. 'Can't believe my baby is 7 months old this week,' Gigi lamented in the caption, along with a string of emojis, including a sad face and angel emoticon. That's her girl! Gigi Hadid posted two sweet snaps of her mini fashionista daughter Khai as the youngster turned seven-months-old Though her face was cropped out of view, little Khai looked as precious as can be laying atop a blanket. The youngster wore red velour Versace sweats and a tiny pair of black boots. The velvet outfit even caught the eye of designer Donatella Versace, who chimed in in the comments section: 'Baby Khai is growing up fast, @gigihadid! A very Versace baby, just like you.' Gigi welcomed her first daughter at her family's ranch in Bucks County Pennsylvania last year with her boyfriend Zayn Malik, her mother Yolanda, her sister Bella, a local midwife and her assistant by her side, according to Vogue. Fashionista-in-training: Khai wore a very stylish set of velour Versace sweats Parenthood: Hadid gave birth to baby Khai at her family's farm in Buck County, Pennsylvania The couple announced the arrival of their first child together over Instagram, where they shared photos of the infant's tiny hand. 'Our girl joined us earth-side this weekend and she's already changed our world. So in love,' Gigi gushed to her followers. Zayn seems to be loving life as a father, and he gushed about how 'amazing' parenthood has been for him on the iHeartRadio show Valentine in the Morning. 'A very Versace baby': Donatella Versace chimed in on the outfit in the comments section of the snap Domestic bliss: Hadid cuddled her tot while posing beneath cherry blossoms 'Honestly, it's amazing,' he said. 'A lot of people that I was speaking to, obviously, before she was born and stuff were like, 'It's a big adjustment, and it's going to be a massive change and stuff.' 'But honestly, she's an amazing baby. It's been really easy for me and Gig to kind of just ease into it. She kind of made it easy for us, she sleeps really well, she loves her milk. It's just feeding and changing diapers at the moment. It's wicked. I'm enjoying it, for sure.' Though obviously enjoying the early stages of motherhood, Gigi hasn't let it slow down her modelling career completely. The superstar returned to the runway during Milan Fashion Week, where she appeared in the Versace show with sister Bella. Happy birthday! Gigi received balloons and cupcakes ahead of her upcoming 26th birthday Yum! The star won't be turning 26 until April 23, but has already been given several gifts Bikini fun! Hadid also showed off the marijuana print bikini she received on 4/20 Paxton, IL (60957) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Overcast. Low 69F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) The Far Eastern University High School has condemned "in the strongest terms" reports of sexual harassment involving some of its faculty members which have surfaced on social media. The school issued the statement on Monday, saying its administration "takes these claims seriously." "We strongly urge our students to report these kinds of incidents to our Human Resources Office by sending an email along with supporting evidence to hr@feuhighschool.edu.ph, so these matters may be handled accordingly," it said. It added students may also seek assistance from their respective guidance counselors. The FEU high school assured that the identities of the parties involved shall be strictly kept confidential. "We assure the FEU High School Community that this matter is one that we take very seriously, and all efforts are being made to maintain a safe school environment free from any gender-based sexual harassment," it added. #FEUHSDoBetter has trended on Twitter after members of the high school, including alumni, shared multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Several of these claims tagged some teachers as perpetrators, who groom students before taking advantage of them. A number of Twitter users have also criticized the institution for supposedly falling short of protecting its students and in implementing appropriate actions even after some victims have come forward. On the other hand, the FEU High School Student Government slammed the reports of sexual harassment on students. We unequivocally condemn the alleged sexual misconduct and acts of inappropriateness by select FEU High School employees, both former and current, read the statement. Arrangements and conventions are in place for the appropriate filing of reports of such malicious incidents [] We call for accountability and justice to engage in efforts to inquire upon the issue and to effect changes in our system, it added. Pastor 'deeply sorry' for sermon telling women to keep slim, be sexually available in marriage Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Stewart-Allen Clark, a General Baptist minister in Missouri, has apologized after telling women in his congregation to keep slim, wear makeup and be sexually available for their husbands to keep their marriages healthy. In the sermon, I made insensitive remarks about women and made statements deemed unbiblical, said Clark in a statement posted on the website of First General Baptist Church of Malden, Missouri. To the ladies within the church, ladies in the community, and those viewing our Livestream; I want to say I am deeply sorry for any and all pain or distress that my words brought on you, he added in the statement addressed to Dear Church & Community. The pastor took a leave of absence starting Feb. 28 after receiving backlash in response to the sermon, first highlighted by artist Reagan Williams in a Facebook post. According to Word and Way, Clark has since been reaffirmed by church deacons, but it is unclear when he will return to the pulpit. In his February sermon, Clark quoted 1 Corinthians 7:4 to encourage women to be sexually available for their husbands, which says: The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. So whenever shes not in the mood [take out your body], he said. Earlier in the sermon, the pastor told the audience that husbands need their wives to stay attractive to keep them interested in marriage. I want you to know a need that a man has that he wont ever tell you about. But since Im the preacher man, Ill say it. Your man needs an attractive wife, he declared. I really dont believe women understand how visual men are. I really dont think women understand how important it is for a man to have a beautiful woman on his arm. Its really important to a man to do that, he said, questioning why women appear to stop paying attention to their physical appearance after marriage. Why is it that so many times, women, after they get married, let themselves go? Heres how way too many women are Ive got him now, the chase is over. Hey, thats where youre wrong. The chase aint never over, he said. He explained that his wife, who has had three children, gained weight during her pregnancies, but she responded to her weight gain by getting involved with the Weight Watchers program and he joined her to show his support. Because she knows its important. I want a good-looking woman on my arm, he said of his wife. She wasnt always a bean pole, but she is now. She has lost a lot of weight. She is thin and she wants to look attractive herself and she wants me to look at her and nobody else. One of her favorite expressions is food never tastes as good as skinny feels. In his new statement, Clark said he's been meeting with a professional counselor during his leave of absence. I want to say to the church that Im truly sorry that I embarrassed you, he said in the statement. I recognize and understand that what I said was imprudent and discourteous. I sincerely ask for your forgiveness and to be restored as your pastor. I genuinely believe this is the best way forward. After the sermon went viral, First General Baptist Church, a member of the General Baptist denomination, announced in a statement that Clarks message was not consistent with their values. The denomination also noted that Clark had resigned as moderator for the General Association of General Baptist meeting scheduled for July 2022. In a statement posted beside Clarks on the church's website, the deacons of the church also apologized for being complacent and accepting Gods blessings toward our church as signs of His favor without adequately attending to our responsibility that the complete principles, truths, and love of Christ are presented from our churchs pulpit." We, the deacons of the First General Baptist Church of Malden, Missouri, offer this unreserved apology to our congregation, our surrounding communities, our denomination, and the followers of Jesus Christ everywhere, they wrote. We bear the blame for not offering our pastor counsel, correction, and restoration when errors or inappropriate content was presented. The deacons urged prayer for unity and harmony in the congregation in the days ahead. We are called to model Christs love through forgiveness and restoration toward our Pastor, they wrote. This is our goal and we encourage the congregation toward the same love and forgiveness. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, April 20, said that there should be absolute trust between the industry and the government to support growth in the wake of the COVID-19 situation in the country. Addressing a seminar organised by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce & Industry, FM Sitharaman stated that the government has taken myriad steps to ensure that the economic revival continues despite the raging second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also Read: Modi govt has clear vision to achieve $5 trillion goal, says Sitharaman "There should be complete trust both between the government and the industry and vice versa to sustain growth. There should not be disturbances in the continuity, which lead to mistrust or distrust," the finance minister said. Speaking about West Bengal, FM Sitharaman said industries in the state require "oxygen" along with a globalised approach to prosper. "Industries in the state need a lot more oxygen to flourish. The history of India was written from Bengal... but even a signature product like the Darjeeling tea is now languishing," she noted. "Kolkata used to shine with industries in the past, it should do so again. Bengal and its traditions have to be preserved and protected," the finance minister added. Also read: 'Don't want to arrest economy': Sitharaman says govt won't go for lockdowns in a big way Later, speaking to reporters, FM Sitharaman said there is no doubt that the BJP is coming to power in West Bengal, "where every sector is in need of help." "Once the saffron power forms government in the state, funds will be provided to the farmers. Our manifesto had elaborated in detail about the revival of Bengal's economy," she added. (With inputs from PTI.) The post-pandemic world may well be different, but Dame Joan Collins proved old habits die hard as she paid another visit to her favourite Hollywood restaurant on Monday evening. The British screen icon, 87, was joined by fifth husband Percy Gibson, 56, while venturing out for her latest dinner date at the upmarket Melrose Avenue establishment Craig's. Sporting an elegant silk dress with a distinctive monochrome print, Joan caught the eye as former theatre manager Percy helped her from their car. Here she comes: Dame Joan Collins and husband Percy Gibson paid another visit to Hollywood restaurant Craig's on Monday evening The actress gave an already striking look a sophisticated flourish by draping a a tasteful white blazer across her shoulders, while a pair of grey and black heels rounded things off. In accordance with ongoing health and safety guidelines Joan covered her mouth and nostrils with a protective mask as the couple made their way inside. Joining his wife of 19 years, Percy looked dapper in a smart stone coloured suit and crisp blue dress shirt, teamed with slip-on loafers. Looking good: Sporting an elegant silk dress with a distinctive monochrome print, Joan caught the eye as the couple made their way inside the Melrose Avenue establishment Joan - whose marriage to Peru born Percy is her longest - recently told the Mail On Sunday's You magazine that she once turned down a pass from Robert F. Kennedy. 'Ethel, his widow, is still alive so I really dont want to go into it too much because I wouldnt want to hurt her,' she added diplomatically. That was one of the things I said to him: "Im married, youre married." But he was so charismatic.' Smart: The actress gave an already striking look a sophisticated flourish by draping a a tasteful white blazer across her shoulders Don't mind me: In accordance with ongoing health and safety guidelines Joan covered her mouth and nostrils with a protective mask Joan, who once starred in a movie called The B**** adapted by late sister Jackie from one of her own novels, has had a long and successful side-career as a raconteuse. She has performed one-woman shows about her life with help from Percy and is also the author of multiple saucy books. Her memoir Past Imperfect delivered a raft of stories about her career and love life, which included a turbulent engagement to Warren Beatty. Stylish: Joining his wife of 19 years, Percy looked dapper in a smart stone coloured suit and crisp blue dress shirt, teamed with slip-on loafers The London-born daughter of a theatrical agent, she enjoyed several affairs in between - and sometimes overlapping with - her various marriages. Joan was married at 18 to her actor first husband Maxwell Reed, who spiked her drink and raped her on their first date and whom she eventually left after he attempted to sell her for an night to an Arab sheikh for 10,000. Her later ex-husbands were Anthony Newley, with whom she had her daughter Tara and son Sacha, erstwhile Beatles manager Ron Kass, who sired her daughter Katie, and ex-pop act Peter Holm, whom she dismissively referred to post-divorce as 'the Swede.' Milestone reached as China assigns first on-board observers to distant-water fishing vessel by Mark Godfrey April 20,2021 | Source: SeafoodSource Five Chinese government-appointed observers have departed a Chinese port onboard a reefer, in what is potentially a major development for Chinas governance of its distant-water fleet. The five observers, appointed by China's Agriculture Ministry, are the first such observers to travel on Chinese fishing vessels, according to the ministry. They are now travelling on the transport ship to the Pacific and Indian oceans to ensure that no illegal catches are taken, according to a statement from the ministry. A ceremony marking the observers departure in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, was co-hosted by the Agriculture Ministrys Fisheries Management Office, along with the Distant Water Fishing Association. Also represented at the ceremony was the Fujian office of the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau and the Dalian Ocean University. Neither the vessels name nor its owner were disclosed. "This is the first time that my country has dispatched observers for reprinting of offshore fisheries on the high seas, which demonstrates my countrys determination to actively participate in international ocean governance and severely crack down on illegal fishing activities and the responsibility of a major country," China Ocean Fisheries Association Chairman Zhang Xianliang said in a speech at the ceremony. "As a responsible fishery country, my country actively participates in global ocean governance, implements independent fishing moratoriums in some areas of the high seas, and promotes scientific conservation and sustainable use of high-seas resources, which has been widely praised and recognized by the international community. The international community pays great attention to high-seas reporting activities, and dispatching observers to monitor high seas reporting is an important means to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishery activities." Data collected by the observers will be analyzed by staff of three Agriculture Ministry entities: the Ocean Fisheries Training Center, China Ocean Fisheries Data Center, and the Ocean Fisheries International Compliance Research Center. The observers were assigned as the result of an Agriculture Ministry document published in May 2020 that prioritized strengthening measures to ensure that Chinese vessels are compliant with rules set by regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs). The document also requires distant-water fishing vessel owners to compile records of ship movements as well as transshipments of their catches. Those records will then be compiled by the China Distant Water Fishing Industry Association (also known as the China Ocean Fisheries Association), a government-funded entity. Rongcheng is the same port from which 10 squid-jigging vessels owned by the Pingtan Marine Co. set sail last September after being licensed by the Agriculture Ministry to operate in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the Indian Ocean, the North Pacific, and the Southeast Pacific Ocean. While the ministry has stated that fishing companies will pay the costs of observers on board their vessels, its not clear if observers will also be boarding Chinese-owned vessels flagged to other nations. The U.K.-based Overseas Development Institute has claimed around 1,000 Chinese DWF vessels are flagged to countries other than China, the majority of which 518 in total are registered in African nations. The ODI also claims that China undercounts its distant-water fleet and that its true size is not the 2,500 vessels, as stated in official documents, but rather 16,966 vessels. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has consistently called on flag states to improve monitoring and control of transshipments or to prohibit the process as its blamed for enabling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and allowing illicit operators to relabel catches. Tabitha Grace Mallory, affiliate professor at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, and an expert in Chinas distant-water fleet, said she sees the observers' maiden trip as significant. This is the first time the Chinese have put observers on board to monitor transshipment, which is important because some Chinese fishing vessels remain at sea for months, if not years, and transfer their catch to reefers to land in ports, Mallory told SeafoodSource. China launched a small observer program for distant-water fisheries in 2001 in response to RFMO requirements, and has expanded it and strengthened it a couple of times since then through government policies issued in 2011 and 2016. China has increasingly reflagged reefers to other states too, so it will be interesting to see if the rules cover reefers flagged to other countries as well, in addition to any reflagged fishing vessels. 2021 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Aldi has fired back in its caterpillar war with Marks & Spencer by announcing the return of its Cuthbert cake amid the supermarkets' copyright row. Posting its latest response to the row on Twitter, the German discounter, which has over 900 stores in the UK, announced a limited edition of the cake will return to shelves next month with all profits to be donated to cancer charities. M&S lodged an intellectual property claim with the High Court last week, arguing the similarity of Aldi's product leads consumers to believe they are of the same standard and 'ride on the coat-tails' of M&S' reputation with the product. Aldi's post reads: 'Hey Marks and Spencer we're taking a stand against caterpillar cruelty. Can Colin and Cuthbert be besties? 'We're bringing back a limited edition Cuthbert next month and want to donate all profits to cancer charities including your partners Macmillan Cancer Support and ours Teenage Cancer Trust. M&S lodged an intellectual property claim with the High Court last week, arguing the similarity of Aldi's product (pictured right) to its Colin the Caterpillar cake (left) leads consumers to believe they are of the same standard The German discounter, which has over 900 stores in the UK, announced a limited edition of the cake will return to shelves next month with all profits to be donated to cancer charities Aldi also called on other supermarkets to join it and M&S in raising money for cancer charities through the sale of caterpillar cake, with Waitrose & Partners replying: 'Count us in!' M&S tweeted in response that it 'loves a charity idea' but encouraged the discounter to 'use its own character', adding: 'How about #kevinthecarrotcake?' 'Let's raise money for charity, not lawyers #caterpillarsforcancer.' M&S tweeted in response: 'Hey @AldiUK we love a charity idea (Colin's been a BIG fundraiser for years). 'We just want you to use your own character. How about #kevinthecarrotcake? That idea's on us... and we promise we won't do Keith.' Aldi also called on other supermarkets to join in raising money for cancer charities through the sale of caterpillar cakes. Waitrose & Partners replied: 'Cecil is a caterpillar of the community... count us in!' M&S wants Aldi to remove the product from sale and agree not to sell anything similar in the future. Aldi's social media team promptly responded with a stream of posts about the upcoming legal challenge and a sketch of Cuthbert in court. Starting off by mocking M&S' slogan, the budget supermarket tweeted: 'This is not just any court case, this is... #FreeCuthbert.' Aldi further announced a 'packaging update', showing Cuthbert locked up in a prison cell and then tweeted: 'Marks & Snitches more like.' On Friday, the budget supermarket even joked online that it was planning to pitch a ten-part documentary to Netflix with the title 'Making a Caterpillar', a reference to the popular series Making a Murderer. Another tweet showed a jokey court sketch of Cuthbert the Caterpillar flanked by guards, along with the hashtag 'FreeCuthbert' In a series of Twitter posts, the budget supermarket made fun of its rival after they launched an intellectual property claim with the High Court last week On Friday, Aldi joked online that they were planning to pitch a ten-part documentary to Netflix with the title 'Making a Caterpillar' Twitter users also got in on the fun by sharing hilarious memes, with #CaterpillarWars and #FreeCuthbert trending. Some wrote that other supermarket's caterpillar cakes - such as Sainsbury's Wiggles for 6 and Tesco's Curly the Caterpillar - will form a jury to help. Others have used a meme of Oprah made popular by Prince Harry's and Meghan's interview, asking Colin the Caterpillar if he was 'silent or silenced'. Social media users even joked the cakes will appear on the now defunct Jeremy Kyle show to resolve their issues. M&S launched Colin the Caterpillar around 30 years ago and his appearance has been substantially unchanged since around 2004, except for adaptations for events such as Halloween and Christmas, and related products such as Connie the Caterpillar. Morrisons also joined the trend joking their cake Morris was in disguise to not get caught One Twitter user joked that Netflix would be making a documentary about the trial of the cakes Some have joked other supermarket's caterpillar cakes - such as Sainsbury's Wiggles for 6 and Tesco Curly the Caterpillar - will form a jury to help Others joked that M&S new 'cake in the jar' in the Colin variety was 'sent to Cuthbert as a warning' Some have used the meme made popular by Harry's and Meghan's Oprah interview, asking the cakes if they were 'silent or silenced' One Twitter user shared a picture of a caterpillar cake in legal gear joking they were the lawyer The product is central to M&S' partnership with cancer charity Macmillan, and the retailer has created a Colin product for the annual World's Biggest Coffee Morning fundraising event. M&S has three trademarks relating to Colin, which the retailer believes means Colin has acquired and retains an enhanced distinctive character and reputation. Nevertheless, the M&S original has spawned a range of imitators since its launch, such as Sainsbury's Wiggles, Tesco's Curly, Morris by Morrisons, the Co-op's Charlie, Cecil by Waitrose and Asda's Clyde. A spokesman said: 'Because we know the M&S brand is special to our customers and they expect only the very best from us, love and care goes into every M&S product on our shelves. 'We want to protect Colin, Connie and our reputation for freshness, quality, innovation and value.' Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 15:23:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Laos has detected two more COVID-19 cases, with its total number of infections rising to 60. Director General of the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology under the Lao Ministry of Health, Phonepadith Xangsayarath, told a press conference here on Tuesday that the two new cases include a 25-year-old woman living in capital Vientiane, who had a close contact with illegal immigrants from Thailand on April 8. Another case is a 28-year-old woman, a Lao national who entered the country back from Thailand on April 19. The number of COVID-19 new cases in Laos increased rapidly in this month, said Phonepadith. Phonepadith stressed that all Lao citizens and foreign residents should comply with COVID-19 prevention and control measures, as well as remaining vigilant and being mindful of the dangers posed by the COVID-19. He added that authorities must work harder on monitoring borders to prevent illegal entry into Laos, and local authorities must coordinate more closely to share accurate information. Up to Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Laos is 60, with nine people undergoing treatment in hospitals. Laos confirmed its first two COVID-19 cases on March 24 last year. Enditem STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A three-inch folding knife was confiscated from a student at Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61) in Brighton Heights Monday, a source told the Advance/SILive.com. The box cutter was seen by another student who reported it to school safety agents, the source said, who added that the students parent was notified of the incident. The city Department of Education (DOE) said it would be providing support for the school following the incident. School must be safe havens for learning, and this item was immediately and safely recovered, said Nathanial Styer, a DOE spokesman. There is no place for weapons in our schools, and we are providing I.S. 61 with additional support. Safety in schools has been a fraught topic recently amid talks to reimagine the role of school safety officers. Ongoing proposals in the City Council have sparked frustration both from reform advocates who say changes will not go far enough to alter disproportionate policing practices and from school safety agents who believe that their presence is essential to creating a safe school environment. Gregory Floyd, the president of Local 237, the union that represents the citys school safety agents, said, The school safety agents are the foundation of the schools, and you will see a sharp decline in order once thats removed. The owner of Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre has revealed it collected less than half of rent due in the second quarter despite the recent easing of trading restrictions in the UK. Hammerson said only 40 per cent of total rent payments had been received by them, including 48 per cent in its UK division, around a third in Ireland, and just 23 per cent in France, where all non-essential retail stores are currently shut. It added that it does not expect its operational performance in France to 'materially improve' until the latter half of the year when it hopes the last of three proposed French government state aid packages regarding rent and fixed costs is enacted. Retail parks sale: Hammerson said it was in discussions but a sale may not be agreed in the end The group admitted that market conditions 'have remained challenging' since it released a trading update in March declaring that plummeting rental income caused it to take a 2billion writedown on its estate and record a 1.7billion annual loss. Yet, in the week since its flagship destinations in England reopened, footfall has been running at around 80 per cent of the levels seen at the same time in April 2019, and nearly 50 percentage points higher than when shops reopened last July. Ninety per cent of the firm's English outlets, which include London's Brent Cross shopping centre and Bicester Village, have been trading to customers since the UK government allowed non-essential retail shops to reopen. In comparison, Hammerson's establishments in Scotland, where harsher trading curbs are in place and stores are due to open again on Monday next week, had only 30 per cent of its stores currently trading. Even with tough lockdown regulations in Ireland, the high share of essential retail and food and beverage stores allowed footfall to be at an average of 40 per cent of their pre-pandemic levels. It stated: 'The company continues to work hard with brand partners to focus on improving collection rates on agreed rents. Quiet: Hammerson's outlets include the Brent Cross shopping centre (above). The group has been severely affected over the last year because of restrictions on non-essential retail 'Looking forward to when all occupiers are able to operate, we expect collection rates for both the current year and full-year 2020 to continue to improve as restrictions are eased across territories.' Hammerson also separately announced that Himanshu Raja would replace James Lenton as its new chief financial officer from next week. Raja has previously held the same roles at Countrywide and security firm G4S. Chief executive Rita-Rose Gagne said Raja, who will receive a gross annual salary of 43,000, is 'an experienced CFO who brings a blend of strong financial, strategic and leadership qualities.' Since Hammerson's flagship English outlets such as Bicester Village (pictured) reopened, footfall has been running at around 80 per cent of the levels seen in April 2019 Raja will join the FTSE 250 business a few days after it revealed rents for its retail tenants were being slashed by 30 per cent in order to try and revive trade following a year of lockdown restrictions. Hammerson is also in negotiations with Canadian private equity firm Brookfield to sell seven of its UK retail parks, including sites in Middlesbrough, Merthyr Tydfil, and Didcot, for 350million. These retail parks have performed comparatively better than Hammerson's shopping centres during the Covid-19 crisis, but the company is weighed down with almost 2.2billion in debt that has worsened over the last year. It has already sold a 50 per cent stake worth 274million in its VIA outlets business to a mutual fund and interests in two French sites to financial giant Allianz for 50.4million and raised another 552million through an emergency rights issue. Shares in Hammerson ended trading 4.5 per cent lower at 36.3p on Tuesday. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome | Mohammads Story Mohammads life was like that of any other active young man living in Lebanon until three blood clots were discovered in his arm. Local doctors said he would have to live with the condition. Then he found Ying Wei Lum, a vascular surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who diagnosed him with thoracic outlet syndrome. Lum had successfully treated many others with the condition. After treatment at Johns Hopkins, Mohammad returned home and is now living a normal life. SAN FRANCISCO, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FinancialForce, the leading customer-centric ERP and #1 professional services automation (PSA)* business suite, today announced one of its premier partners, Cattle Dog Digital, has dramatically improved its operations and scaled its business by using the same solution it implements for many of its clients: FinancialForce PSA. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Cattle Dog Digital delivers ERP, financial, revenue, and marketing operations technology solutions through seasoned practice teams. The firm was also recently named "Partner of the Year'' for the APAC region at this year's FinancialForce Partner Summit after doubling the size of its practice in 2020. As a fast-growing boutique consulting practice, Cattle Dog Digital needed a PSA system that could support the company's rapid growth while driving consistency across all its business processes. Before implementing FinancialForce PSA, the company relied on unconnected and siloed systems to manage its consulting practice, including Google Sheets and tools such as Jira, Trello, and Asana. "We are dedicated to providing the best digital transformation services and producing revolutionary results for our clients, and we wanted to apply that focus to our own business," said Matt Campo, Director of Operations, Cattle Dog Digital. "We needed to drive efficiency as we scaled, so getting everything in one system was important. As a FinancialForce partner, we understood the value FinancialForce brings to our clients, so it was the obvious choice for our business too." Since adopting FinancialForce PSA, Cattle Dog Digital has experienced tremendous time savings and productivity improvements. Project reporting has transformed from a manual process taking up to five hours of offline spreadsheet analysis to a quick pull of relevant info straight from FinancialForce PSA; this gives Cattle Dog's accounting team more time to focus on the strategic side of the business. Forecasting was another big challenge for Cattle Dog Digital. Achieving its goal of 80% utilization rate was sometimes at risk due to limited visibility into project teams. Implementing FinancialForce PSA resolved these issues by enabling the company to get the right people on the right projects at the right time. Having one source of truth, as well as a forward-looking view of the business, helped ensure the company was as prepared as possible for future projects and staffing. The digital transformation set in place by FinancialForce PSA impacted the entire business from time cards to invoicing. Financial processes that typically took 15 days to settle are now down to two or three days. Cattle Dog's improvements have led to an increase in repeat projects as well, with 85% of clients being repeat customers. "Cattle Dog Digital has been a fantastic partner in bringing our solutions to businesses across APAC and it's great to see the company make FinancialForce PSA part of its own digital transformation," said Simon Peterson, Managing Director, APAC at FinancialForce. "By running its business with FinancialForce on the Salesforce platform, Cattle Dog Digital can tap into the strategic insights and operational improvements it needs to keep customers happy and rapidly grow the business." Cattle Dog Digital provides full-stack implementation services, specializing in Salesforce and FinancialForce for clients, large and small. Always focused on delivering successful outcomes, the team adheres to best of breed governance practices with all teams fully aligned, using Agile delivery. The company uniquely provides expertise across all business functions including sales, marketing, services and finance which benefits clients with the most efficient, 360 degree end-to-end view of their business. Practice teams are fully certified across FinancialForce, Salesforce CRM, Marketing Cloud, Pardot and more. For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information, visit www.cattledogdigital.io. Please contact: hello@cattledogdigital.com or call (+61) 0408 819 933. About FinancialForce FinancialForce offers customer-centric business applications on the leading cloud platform from Salesforce. We accelerate business growth with the only modern ERP suite and the #1 professional services automation (PSA), enabling real-time insights and intelligent decision-making. See your customers in full color with Salesforce and FinancialForce. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, FinancialForce is backed by Advent International, Salesforce Ventures, and Technology Crossover Ventures. For more information, visit www.financialforce.com. *Most adopted PSA solution in SPI Research's 2021 PS Maturity Benchmark; most adopted PSA solution by Technology Services Industry Association in 2020; leader in IDC MarketScape for Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Midmarket Finance and Accounting Applications, 2020; #1 Enterprise and Mid-Market PSA and leader in Accounting by G2. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cattle-dog-digital-capitalizes-on-financialforce-psa-to-increase-productivity-and-fuel-rapid-growth-301271895.html SOURCE FinancialForce A major coalition of Black faith leaders in Georgia, representing more than 1,000 churches in the state, called on Tuesday for a boycott of Home Depot, arguing that the company had abdicated its responsibility as a good corporate citizen by not pushing back on the states new voting law. The call for a boycott, led by Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, who oversees all 534 African Methodist Episcopal churches in Georgia, represents one of the first major steps to put significant economic pressure on businesses to be more vocal in opposing Republican efforts in Georgia and around the country to enact new restrictions on voting. We dont believe this is simply a political matter, Bishop Jackson said in an interview. This is a matter that deals with securing the future of this democracy, and the greatest right in this democracy is the right to vote. Home Depot, Mr. Jackson said, demonstrated an indifference, a lack of response to the call, not only from clergy, but a call from other groups to speak out in opposition to this legislation. Mumbai: All Maharashtra ministers on Tuesday demanded that a complete lockdown should be imposed in the state in view of the galloping Covid-19 cases and deaths, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here. "We have all requested Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to announce a total lockdown from Wednesday 8 pm. Now the final decision will be taken by the CM," Tope told media persons after a cabinet meeting. (Natural News) Its been trending this way for years and became especially pronounced during the Trump era and presidency, but now its out in the open and blatant: America officially has two systems of justice, one for elites and one for the rest of us. During the 2016 presidential campaign cycle, reports laid bare that Hillary Clinton not only abused her authority as Barack Obamas secretary of state by installing and using a private email server against regulations (that Obama knew about), she was completely let off the hook despite the fact that on numerous occasions she: Shared and thus exposed classified information on an unsecured, hackable, open system; She deleted tens of thousands of emails that were supposed to be preserved because they were under congressional subpoena; She had dozens of servers and other devices physically destroyed in order to prevent anyone from accessing materials contained on them (which were believed to be a) classified; and b) documenting illegal activity). Hillary never faced a single charge. Meanwhile, Donald Trumps first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was directly targeted by Obamas Justice Department and FBI, as was Trumps entire campaign, via the use of FISA warrants that were illegally obtained. The only punishment was a slap on the wrist for a now-former FBI staff attorney, Kevin Clinesmith. Now this: The DoJ has opted not to press charges against a Capitol Police officer, who is still unidentified, though he shot and killed Jan. 6 Capitol riot demonstrator and former Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, even though she was unarmed and the officer in question never gave her a command or issued a warning. You have likely seen the viral video of Babbitt appearing to crawl through a broken window in a set of doors that led to the House chamber on that fateful day. She was part of the protests, no doubt; the protests, for the most part, consisted of a riot (not an insurrection as the liars in the Democrat Party and their media claim). But she was unarmed and at 5 2 tall and maybe weighing a buck ten, she was certainly not a physical threat to the officer who shot her. But he did it anyway, and now hes gotten away with it. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges against the U.S. Capitol Police officer involved in the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, the DoJ announced April 14. Officials examined video footage posted on social media, statements from the officer involved and other officers and witnesses to the events, physical evidence from the scene of the shooting, and the results of an autopsy. Based on that investigation, officials determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution, the statement continued. Meanwhile, police officers all over the country are being charged and prosecuted for a lot less and, in most cases, simply for defending themselves or for following departmental protocols. Those who are prosecuted are also usually fired. But not this Capitol Police officer who took the life of an American citizen who did not appear to be a threat to him in any way that justified drawing his weapon and killing her. The Babbitt family attorney was outraged, and rightfully so. The shooting of Ashli Babbitt on January 6, 2021 by an unidentified U.S. Capitol Police Officer was an unjustified use of deadly force which violated her constitutional rights, attorney Terrell N. Roberts III said. It is clear from video footage that Ashli did not pose a danger to the officer, or any other person, when she was shot. Ashli was unarmed. She did not assault anyone. She did not threaten to harm anyone. There was no excuse for taking her life, he added. Again, America, if it wasnt obvious to you beforehand, it should be now: We have two systems of justice, and under Biden its only going to get worse. See more reporting like this at PoliceState.news. Sources include: TrendingPolitics.com Justice.gov WhiteHouse.news Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 14:05:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks via video link with Oscar Eduardo Ramirez Aguilar, speaker of Mexico's Senate, in Beijing, capital of China, April 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu on Tuesday held talks via video link with Oscar Eduardo Ramirez Aguilar, speaker of Mexico's Senate, and both sides pledged enhanced cooperation to promote bilateral relations. Calling China and Mexico good friends and good partners, Li said China-Mexico relations have developed in an all-around way, as indicated by the sound momentum in various areas of cooperation, and the close coordination maintained over international and regional issues, making significant contributions to world peace and promoting common development. China greatly values its ties with Mexico, Li said, adding China will remain unswervingly committed to promoting the China-Mexico friendship and supporting Mexico's economic and social development, regardless of the shifts in the international situation. As the two countries stand poised to embrace the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties, Li said China is ready to work with Mexico to promote the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and deepen the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership. Li said China and Mexico, both major developing countries and emerging markets, present important development opportunities to each other, urging the two sides to maintain and enhance high-level political mutual trust. Hailing the strong resilience shown in pragmatic cooperation including vaccine cooperation against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Li said China welcomes Mexico to participate in jointly building the Belt and Road, and urged the two sides to better synergize development strategies, deepen people-to-people exchanges, and enhance coordination to jointly uphold multilateralism. Noting that communication between legislative bodies represents an important part of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said China appreciates the Mexican Senate's long-held stance of upholding the one-China principle and maintaining non-interference in China's internal affairs. China's National People's Congress is willing to continue to enhance cooperation with Mexico's legislature in order to promote the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and agreements of bilateral cooperation, Li added. Li also urged the two sides to enhance their exchange of experience in implementing the rule of law, achieving economic development and improving people's livelihoods, and better coordinate with each other on multilateral issues to defend the common interests of developing countries. For his part, Ramirez said Mexico regards China as an important partner of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, and thanked China for providing vital support to Mexico in its COVID-19 response. Mexico is firmly ready to make positive contributions to promoting ties with China, advance pragmatic cooperation and deepen friendship between the two peoples, he added. Enditem China expects to deepen int'l cooperation in poverty reduction Xinhua) 15:29, April 20, 2021 BOAO, Hainan, April 19 (Xinhua) -- China has long maintained close cooperation with the international community in poverty alleviation and rural development, and expects to deepen such cooperation, Wang Zhengpu, head of the national administration for rural vitalization, said on Monday. China's poverty reduction practices, including increased investment in infrastructure construction, targeted poverty alleviation and the mobilization of the country's impoverished population, are applicable in other countries, Wang said at a sub-forum of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference. "Now that China has eradicated absolute poverty nationwide, we are willing to share our experience with the rest of the world and contribute to the global cause of poverty reduction," he said. He added that China is learning from the experience of other countries in pushing forward its ongoing rural vitalization drive, and hopes for more support and assistance from the international community. Wang's views were echoed by Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and author of the bestselling book "The End of Poverty." Sachs attended the sub-forum and gave a speech by video link. Sachs said that China's poverty alleviation success is an important model and can provide assistance for Africa in the latter's own quest for development. Sachs said he appreciated that China will share its broad-based, goal-oriented development experience with Africa, and cooperate with Africa in areas such as infrastructure, agricultural innovation and business development. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Thiruvananthapuram, April 20 : Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Tuesday informed that she was going into quarantine after her son and his wife turned Covid positive. Shailaja informed this through her social media account and added that it was her decision to go into self quarantine. "I do not have any symptoms but since I became a primary contact, I decided to go on quarantine. In the past few days I have taken part only in online meetings and will continue to do so in the same manner," wrote Shailaja, presently resting at her home in Kannur. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is also in quarantine at his home in Kannur after he turned Covid negative last week. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Close up of hand drawing out vaccine liquid from a vial. (PHOTO: Getty Images) SINGAPORE The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 14 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on Tuesday (20 April) including one new case of locally transmitted infection, taking the country's total case count to 60,865. The local case resides in a dormitory, while the remaining 13 cases are imported. "Amongst the new cases today, 10 are asymptomatic, and were detected from our proactive screening and surveillance, while four were symptomatic," said the MOH. The sole local case is a 35-year-old male Bangladesh national who arrived in Singapore in July 2019 and resides at Westlite Woodlands Dormitory. The work permit holder is employed by Prosper Environmental & Engineering as a construction supervisor and works at Sembcorp Marine Admiralty Yard. The MOH said that the man developed a runny nose on 16 April but did not report his symptom. On the same day, he was tested for COVID-19 as part of the rostered routine testing regime. "His pooled test result came back positive for COVID-19 on 18 April, and he was immediately isolated and conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in an ambulance. An individual test was done on 18 April, and his test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection the next day," said the MOH. The man's earlier tests from the rostered routine testing the last being on 9 April were all negative for COVID-19. His serology test result has come back positive but this is likely a current infection, added the MOH. The ministry said that the man received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on 12 March, and the second dose on 13 April. They "likely" accounted for his positive serology test result as he has produced antibodies following vaccination, the MOH added. "However as it typically takes a few weeks for an individual to build up immunity after completing vaccination, he was likely to have been infected before he was conferred protection after vaccination," it said. Story continues Epidemiological investigations are in progress while all the identified close contacts of the case, including his dorm and workplace contacts, have been isolated and placed on quarantine, and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period. Serological tests will also be conducted for the close contacts to determine if he could have been infected by them. The MOH noted that the number of new cases in the community has increased from two in the week before to nine in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from two in the week before to four in the past week. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. 13 imported cases, including one Singaporean Among the 13 imported cases, one is a Singaporean, and two are permanent residents who returned from India and the Philippines. Another is a 34-year-old male Indian national, a dependants pass holder, who arrived from Sri Lanka, who is Tuesday's fourth symptomatic case. Four others are work pass holders who arrived from India and Malaysia. Two of them, a 31-year-old woman and a 56-year-old man are among Tuesday's four symptomatic cases. Another four are work permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar, of whom one is a foreign domestic worker. The remaining case is a short-term visit pass holder who arrived from India to visit her family member who is a Singaporean. All imported cases were placed on the stay-home notice upon their arrival here and were tested while serving their notice. Separately, the MOH confirmed that a previously reported imported case who arrived from India earlier this month "was probably re-infected" when he was in his home country and had been infectious when he came back here. The 43-year-old Indian national then went on to infect his sister-in-law and her husband, both permanent residents here. This comes as the ministry announced earlier on Tuesday a slew of revised border measures, including stricter ones for travellers arriving from India, to take effect from 11.59pm on Thursday. The US on the same day warned against travel to India, where authorities there had imposed tighter restrictions. 99% of total cases have recovered, 1 in ICU With 37 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Tuesday, 60,540 cases or 99.5 per cent of the total have fully recovered from the infection. Most of the 74 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while one of them is in the intensive care unit. A total of 221 patients with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive are isolated and cared for at community facilities. Apart from the 30 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four, whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease. Among the 173 confirmed cases reported from 14 to 20 April, 66 cases have tested positive for their serology tests, 89 have tested negative, and 18 serology test results are pending. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: Scores test positive for COVID-19 on India flight to Hong Kong World can bring pandemic under control within months - WHO chief Democrats have insisted that January 6 was a murderous white supremacist, Trump-incited insurrection. An important element in this narrative was the fact that Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died on January 7. Or according to Democrats, Trump supporters savagely attacked Sicknick with a fire extinguisher, making his death a murder. Fact after fact whittled away at that narrative, but they wouldn't let it go. The coroner has finally spoken, though, and Sicknick's death proves to have been the result of what his grieving mother always thought it was: a stroke. On January 8, the New York Times reported as fact that Officer Sicknick "died on Thursday night from injuries sustained 'while physically engaging' with pro-Trump rioters[.]" And then there was the infamous fire extinguisher: The circumstances surrounding Mr. Sicknick's death were not immediately clear, and the Capitol Police said only that he had "passed away due to injuries sustained while on duty." At some point in the chaos with the mob rampaging through the halls of Congress while lawmakers were forced to hide under their desks he was struck with a fire extinguisher, according to two law enforcement officials. Within a day, the media were insisting that protesters at the Capitol had effectively beaten Officer Sicknick to death. This New York Daily News story, which MSN republished on its website, is representative of these reports in the way it combines "facts" and an almost hysterically patriotic feel for the Capitol Police: Officer Brian Sicknick, mortally wounded by a fire extinguisher to the head while defending the U.S. Capitol from rioters, was a true American patriot: An Iraq War veteran, unafraid to question his country's leaders. Sicknick, a 42-year-old New Jersey native, passed away around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, one day after he was attacked by rioters who invaded the Capitol following an incendiary speech by President Trump. Flags at the Capitol flew at half-staff Friday to honor Sicknick, who joined the Capitol Police in 2008. No arrests were yet made in the killing of the veteran law enforcer, who was injured in a scuffle with protesters. Prosecutors were set to launch a federal murder investigation into his slaying. Aside from the fact that Officer Sicknick appeared to have been a genuinely decent and patriotic man, every "fact" in that report is a lie. Nevertheless, those lies saw Sicknick lying in state in the Capitol, a new martyr to the leftists' entirely successful efforts to lock down Biden's win and lock up the city of D.C. Sicknick's own mother countered the narrative, saying she was told her son had died of a stroke. Now we know she was correct. Following an inexplicable delay of three and half months from Sicknick's death (that is, long enough for the narrative to be set in stone), the coroner finally returned a verdict: Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes a day after supporters of President Trump rioted at the Capitol on January 6, the chief medical examiner for Washington, D.C., told the Washington Post on Monday. Francisco J. Diaz, the examiner, said Sicknick died after suffering two strokes the day after the riot, caused by a blood clot that prevented flow to the base of Sicknick's brain stem. Here's what happened on January 6: voters frustrated by the government's refusal to take seriously their concerns about election integrity did what Democrats have done for decades: they entered the Capitol, often with Capitol Police officers welcoming them in. We know now that the Democrats must have had word that this was going to happen because they rejected the National Guard and told police to stand down. There were provocateurs in the crowd. The people who died on that die were felled by strokes, heart attacks, and a drug overdose. No Trump-supporter (heck, not even a provocateur) killed anyone. After the event, while Democrats mostly would have vanished in the night, and those few arrested would have gotten suspended sentences and passes for their conduct, the Deep State has persecuted conservatives with vengeful fury based upon the false narrative they conducted a narrative aided in significant part by Officer Sicknick's tragic, but entirely coincidental, death. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. WASHINGTON No new blood clotting cases have been definitively confirmed one week after initial reports of such cases led federal regulators to recommend that states temporarily stop administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. That could change in the coming days, but the news may signal that the vaccine could be back in rotation within a matter of days. A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Yahoo News on Monday that the agencys database of vaccine-related medical complications, known as VAERS, is constantly receiving reports from individuals and providers. CDC scientists have received a handful of adverse events reported in VAERS since the pause announced last week. At this time, no additional cases of the rare form of blood clots post-vaccination with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been confirmed. During a Monday morning briefing of the White House coronavirus response team, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky similarly alluded to what appears, thus far, to be the extreme rarity of the blood clotting issue, which has affected eight people in the United States, killing one. Close to 7 million people received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine before distribution was paused. Right now, we are encouraged that it hasnt been an overwhelming number of cases, Walensky said. The CDC spokesperson said that agency scientists will investigate reports submitted to the VAERS database in the coming days in order to determine whether the clotting issue is more prevalent than it appears to be. If any additional cases are found in safety surveillance, data will be reported to ACIP at its Friday meeting, the spokesperson said. A Northeast Ohio Medical University student prepares a dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at Kent State University earlier this month. (Phil Long/AP) ACIP, or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is a federal advisory board that will decide whether the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe to use again. It met last Friday but took no action, citing the need for more data. If the handful of potential clotting cases remains just that, ACIP could decide when it meets again on Friday that states can resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, though with new guidance for both the vaccine recipients and medical professionals to be on the lookout for telltale symptoms of clotting, such as leg or abdominal pain. Story continues Speaking on Sunday morning in a CNN appearance, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top scientific adviser to President Biden, predicted that by Friday well get back on track one way or the other. Initial reports indicated that six women suffered from clotting after being given the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. One of those women died. Faced with an extremely rare but extremely serious side effect, public health officials in the Biden administration were confronted with the challenge of explaining a risk the scope of which they did not yet fully know themselves. Some criticized the Johnson & Johnson pause as a needless show of caution, given how low the risk of clotting appears to be. Dr. Anthony Fauci, left, Department of Health and Human Services Chief Science Officer for COVID Response David Kessler, center, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. (Susan Walsh/AP) Although Biden administration officials have pointed out that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine constitutes only about 5 percent of all doses administered in the United States, they also understand that members of the public may simply conclude from sensationalized media reports that all vaccines are unsafe. Safety and the perception of safety, in other words, are hardly the same thing, and the need to restore confidence in the vaccination effort is crucial. The two other vaccines approved for use in the United States are manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. They have not been tied to any reports of blood clotting, probably because they work using a technology called messenger RNA. The vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca use adenoviral vectors. AstraZenecas vaccine, which has not been approved in the U.S., caused blood clots in several dozen people across Europe. Regulators there ultimately determined that the risk of clotting was extremely low and that the vaccine was safe to use. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: Project Veritas Founder James OKeefe Sues Twitter for Defamation After Permanent Ban Project Veritas Founder James OKeefe filed a lawsuit on April 19 alleging that Twitter had defamed him by claiming that he operated fake accounts on the platform. The lawsuit, filed in the Supreme Court of New York in Westchester County, claims that Twitter knowingly defamed OKeefe in a statement the company issued explaining his permanent suspension from the platform. The false accusation that Mr. OKeefe operated fake accounts is particularly damaging for Mr. OKeefe because Mr. OKeefe is a journalist. As such, his reputation for transparency and accurate reporting is fundamental to his profession, the lawsuit states. Twitter permanently banned OKeefe on April 15 without advance notice or an explanation. Shortly after, the social media giant had disseminated a statement to journalists accusing OKeefe of operating fake [Twitter] accounts. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At the time of his suspension from the platform, OKeefe had more than 926,000 followers. In the days leading up to the ban, he published a series of undercover videos showing a technical director at CNN speaking about the networks campaign to remove President Donald Trump from office and intentional fearmongering over the pandemic for the sake of ratings. Twitter had suspended two Project Veritas accounts over the course of several days in February. The accounts, Project Veritas and Project Veritas Action, represent separate legal entities, according to the lawsuit. Twitter had explained at the time that the Project Veritas account was suspended due to a video of a journalist from the outfit questioning Facebook Vice President Guy Rosen outside a residence. The company claimed that the video violated its rules concerning the sharing of private information, an apparent reference to the fact that the video showed the number of the house. Days later, the social media giant suspended Project Veritas Action claiming that the account was suspended because it was created to circumvent the ban of Project Veritas. The lawsuit argues that Twitter routinely allows similar content to stay on the platform and that the video of Rosen included no other details about the address of the residence and did not mention that state where the clip was filmed. The lawsuit points to a popular CNN video in which a reporter questions a Trump supporter outside her home about being part of a Facebook group that was allegedly created by a Russian disinformation operation. The video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, remains on the platform to this day. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) ("TransCanna" or the "Company") subsidiary Lyfted Farms has much to commemorate this 4/20 (April 20th) known as the international day of celebration and celebratory consumption of cannabis. The Company fulfilled an impressive $100k initial order of 25 pounds of premium indoor exotic cannabis flower and concentrates that hit the shelves of 14 famed STIIIZY retail locations throughout California last week, just ahead of the biggest day in cannabis counterculture. STIIIZY retail stores are renown in the industry for their experiential, state-of-the-art immersive experiences such as art gallery quality exhibits, LED light tunnels featuring immersive projected imagery and scenes, and observation windows into real-time grow house cultivation giving participants the complete seed-to-sale experience. "Penetrating the STIIIZY ecosystem is a huge win for Lyfted Farms - enabling us to better reach and expand our consumer base in a pivotal new way," said Shaun Serpa, Director of Marketing for Lyfted Farms. "This next level of customer reach and more mainstream exposure is a great "coming of age" milestone for us." Lyfted Farms product is now available in STIIIZY stores in San Francisco, Modesto, Los Angeles, Rancho Mirage, Davis, and Alameda. Strains and products delivered to STIIIZY include: Vice Channel Star "The Donkmaster" Sage Thomas' 3.5gr Heads Up Pro Tree; Taste Deez Treatz Founder AG Cubano 3.5gr Fidel OG, and Maracuja; Fresca- Off The Couch; and Lyfted Farms/Summit Boys- 1gr Mobert X Unicorn Poop Caviar Badder, and the Leafly award winner Nump's Garlic Noodles. Lyfted Farm's brand association with STIIIZY bolsters its cache in the industry as an authentic brand with a loyal consumer bond and solid 'street credentials.' Like Lyfted, STIIIZY has stayed true to its honest, grass-roots commitment to cannabis lifestyle and culture since its inception. California-based STIIIZY exploded onto the scene in 2017 gaining instant popularity with their eponymous vape pen among cannabis enthusiasts and skate boarders. In addition to its premium product, experiential retail locations and extreme consumer popularity, STIIIZY leads the charge in good corporate citizenship, promoting minority own businesses, ensuring diversity across its brand, and donating partial sales proceeds to U.S. Military Veteran affairs, homelessness, and social equity. "The addition of STIIIZY stores and greater SoCal market penetration ties in perfectly with the expansion and increased output of our Daly facility," said Mr. Serpa. "This revenue growth and increased consumer exposure is all part of our consumer-connected strategy and our lifelong focus on serving and celebrating cannabis culture and cannabis enthusiasts." About TransCanna TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a California-based, Canadian-listed company building cannabis-focused brands for the California lifestyle, through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries. TransCanna's wholly owned subsidiary Lyfted Farms is California's authentic cannabis brand whose pioneering spirit has been continuously providing the finest cannabis flower genetics and cultivation methods since 1984. The Lyfted Farms brand of exclusive cannabis flower is sold at premium retailers throughout the state. With its new cultivation facility in Daly, California, the company is now poised to become one of the largest and most efficient vertically integrated cannabis companies in the California market. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com or email the Company at info@transcanna.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors Bob Blink, CEO Corporate Communications: investor@transcanna.com 604-200-8853 For updated information with respect to our company, please see our filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE at www.thecse.com. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: Certain information in this release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding future expansions and cost savings and plans regarding production increases and financings. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions concerning the completion of the expansion of the Daly Facility, government approval of pro-cannabis policies, greater access to financial services and increased cultivation capacity, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include unexpected increases in operating costs, a continued strain on farmers due to fires and the Coronavirus pandemic and competition from other retailers. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this release are made as of the date of this release and are included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80912 Figure for last two days surpasses the total for the previous 18 days combined Home Office also confirmed 113 migrants detained in seven incidents on Monday Around 100 migrants including a young child are thought to have crossed the Channel by small boats through foggy conditions so far today. Border Force intercepted several groups who made the treacherous crossing throughout the morning as people smugglers took advantage of improving weather conditions. The estimated figure includes a group of around 20 who managed to land their vessel on the beach at Dungeness, Kent. Kent Police officers were seen standing next to the migrants who were sat on the ground wrapped in foil blankets. It comes after the Home Office confirmed 113 migrants were detained on Monday in seven incidents, making it April's busiest day so far. Poor weather has scuppered people smuggling tactics this month with 161 migrants arriving up to April 18, comparatively low to the 831 arrivals in March. But conditions have improved over the last few days with Britain under an area of high pressure that has kept conditions at sea calmer. Another 60 migrants including a young child have arrived in Dover after making the most of improving weather conditions Border Force intercepted around 60 people making the treacherous journey across the Channel and brought them into Kent this morning Another crossing was intercepted shortly before 9am. A baby, teenagers and women were seen onboard the Border Force cutter Hunter A spokesman for the force said: 'Kent Police assisted Border Force after a report of suspected migrants near New Romney at 10.55am on Tuesday April 20 2021.' More migrants continued to be brought into Dover Marina, Kent on the back of Border Force vessels throughout the afternoon. A baby girl in a red woolly hat and polka dot one-piece was heard crying before officers wrapped her up in a warm blanket. The figure for the last two days surpasses the total for the previous 18 days combined, and more migrants are expected to reach UK shores later on today. The first group today attempted to cross the world's busiest shipping route under the cover of darkness and were rescued at around 2am. Another crossing was intercepted shortly before 9am. A baby, teenagers and women were seen onboard the Border Force cutter Hunter. The Home Office said that more than 2,000 people have been prevented from making dangerous crossings so far The group of men and a few woman wore red life jackets and face coverings as they were escorted up the gangway by Immigration Enforcement officers for processing Another crossing was intercepted shortly before 9am. A baby, teenagers and women were seen onboard the Border Force cutter Hunter The Home Office has not yet confirmed how many migrants have been intercepted today The group wore red life jackets and face coverings as they were escorted up the gangway by Immigration Enforcement officers for processing. Their two large rigid hulled inflatable boats, which appeared to be flimsy and poorly constructed, remain moored at the harbour. The Home Office has not yet confirmed how many migrants have been intercepted today. Monday's crossings mean 274 migrants have made the perilous 21-mile journey in 17 boats in April so far, taking the total to arrive so far this year to at least 1,636 A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Our New Plan for Immigration will break the business model of people smugglers who put lives at risk by facilitating dangerous journeys into the UK and overhaul our broken asylum system' Monday's crossings mean 274 migrants have made the perilous 21-mile journey in 17 boats in April so far, taking the total to arrive so far this year to at least 1,636. A Home Office spokesperson said on Monday night: 'More than 2,000 people have been prevented from making dangerous crossings so far this year thanks to close work with France and we have also secured more than 60 small boat related prosecutions since the start of 2020. 'This is a significant challenge and there is more work to be done. 'Our New Plan for Immigration will break the business model of people smugglers who put lives at risk by facilitating dangerous journeys into the UK and overhaul our broken asylum system.' During a difficult 2020, Brazils hydrocarbon sector demonstrated its resilience in the face of a price crash and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even those events along with heightened geopolitical risks and domestic instability did little to curb Brazils oil boom. For 2020, Brazils overall hydrocarbon output (Portuguese) rose 5.5% year over year to a record 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalent daily. This, according to Brazils hydrocarbon regulator, the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANH Portuguese initials) was almost 53% higher than in 2010. Crude oil production for 2020 averaged 2.9 million barrels per day or 43% higher than the 2 million barrels per day pumped on average during 2010. That notable increase was driven by the ongoing expansion of Brazils prolific offshore pre-salt crude oil production, which for 2020 grew by an impressive 18% year over year to just under 2.6 million barrels daily. The scale of Brazils massive offshore oil boom is underscored by how rapidly petroleum production has grown in roughly a decade. National oil company Petrobras renewed focus on expanding its pre-salt oilfields was responsible for this spectacular growth. This occurred at a time when weaker oil prices and the pandemic were causing crude oil production in most Latin American countries to decline sharply. It was Chinas insatiable demand for crude oil coupled with the introduction of IMO2020 in January 2021, significantly reducing the sulfur content of maritime fuel, that caused demand for Brazils sweet medium crude oil grades to soar. In a challenging year where many oil companies saw earnings plunge, Petrobras delivered a $1.1 billion net profit. Related: The World Still Needs Hundreds Of Billions Of Barrels Of Oil Production is poised to continue growing, although there are genuine fears that heightened political turmoil and an ever-escalating pandemic could derail Brazils oil boom. The latest numbers concerning the COVID-19 pandemic do not look good for Brazil. Latin Americas largest economy is now one of the worlds worst-affected countries, ranked third for its number of cases and second for its number of deaths. The rising intensity of the pandemic in Brazil is threatening oil industry operations. According to Reuters, there has been a spike in cases among offshore oil workers. Petrobras, late last month, limited operations at its Marlim Sul oilfield in the Campos Basin after a COVID outbreak on one of its floating storage and offloading vessels. That will temporarily reduce production from the field. A surge of COVID cases among oil industry workers has triggered a round of work stoppages and strikes impacting refineries and other operations. There are valid concerns that Brazils petroleum production could decline because of a sharp uptick in the volume of COVID cases among the petroleum industry workforce. President Bolsonaros spat with Petrobras CEO Roberto Castello Branco over fuel prices, which saw him replaced by former army general Joaquim Silva e Luna, unnerved markets causing the national oil companys stock to plummet. This event sparked fears of heavy-handed government meddling in Petrobras operations and that Lunas lack of industry experience will weigh on the national oil companys performance. That development, along with the worsening pandemic in Brazil, will certainly be accounted for by foreign energy companies considering whether to invest in the Latin American countrys vast offshore oil industry. The fallout from that event, the resultant political turmoil, and a worsening pandemic is causing investors to balk at a range of business deals across Brazil. A recent Reuters article indicates that this is weighing heavily on initial public offerings of Brazilian companies with some bankers indicating that up to half of the IPOs scheduled for 2021 will not go ahead. Related: Why Irans Return To Oil Markets Isnt A Major Threat The economic fallout will not stop there. Prior to Bolsonaros dismissal of Branco, Brazils petroleum industry was, according to the ANH, expected to attract considerable investment of around $13 billion for exploration and production activity during 2021. It was estimated that $1.2 billion alone, which represents an impressive 20% increase year over year, would be spent on oil well services, with $1 billion of that amount being spent on offshore drilling and development activities for an estimated 70 wells. Such significant investment will drive higher hydrocarbon production, with it estimated that Brazils 2021 hydrocarbon output will exceed an average of 3.9 million barrels per day. Annual crude oil production is expected to be just shy of 3.2 million barrels per day, with just over three million being produced offshore. There are mounting major headwinds threatening Brazils oil boom. These include a combination of ongoing political turmoil, triggered by Bolsonaros intervention in the operations of Petrobras, a rapidly riding COVID-19 case count, and volatile oil prices which all could cause investment in the energy sector to fall. If that occurs, it will impact Brazils economically important crude oil production, exploration, and oilfield development activities. This is all occurring after it had already been identified that further petroleum industry reforms were required in Brazil if it is to remain one of the worlds top destinations for offshore energy investment. There is also the threat posed by Irans potential return to global energy markets. China, which last year was a top buyer of Brazilian crude oil seeing the Latin American country become its fourth-largest supplier, is importing large quantities of Iranian crude oil, despite strict U.S. sanctions. Reuters recently demonstrated that this led to a sharp decline in demand for Brazilian crude oil cargoes because Irans were selling for a $6 to $7 per barrel discount to oil source from Brazil. If the Biden White House chooses to lift or ease sanctions against Iran, China will continue its buying spree leading to a sharp decline in Asian demand for Brazilian crude oil. At one point Brazil was poised to pressure OPECs attempts to control global energy markets. While oil production in Latin Americas largest economy will grow during 2021, there is the potential for the pandemic and considerable political turmoil in the country to slow its massive oil boom, which as late as December last year appeared unstoppable. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: GOTHENBURG, Sweden, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vicore Pharma Holding AB (publ) ("Vicore"), a pharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines for severe lung disorders such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), today announced that it will host a key opinion leader (KOL) webinar on C21, the company's lead asset for the treatment of COVID-19, on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 14:00 CET (8 am EST). The event will feature a presentation by KOL Professor Maureen Horton, M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who will discuss the current treatment landscape and unmet medical needs in treating patients with COVID-19. Professor Horton will be available to answer questions following the conclusion of the event. Vicore's Chief Medical Officer, Rohit Batta will also give an update on the results from the phase II study in COVID-19 and share the design of the upcoming phase III pivotal study with their lead drug candidate, C21, an angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) agonist. C21 is also being investigated in a phase II study in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and has orphan drug designation in this indication from the regulatory authorities in Europe and the USA. To register for the webinar, please click here. Maureen Horton, M.D. is Professor of Medicine and Environmental Health Engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, Co-Director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program in the department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and an attending physician at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical Intensive Care Unit. Professor Horton's research aims to understand the immunological dysregulation that promotes lung injury and fibrosis. Following earlier work in which she developed a novel vaccine-induced immunotherapy treatment for lung fibrosis, her research continues to discover novel metabolic treatments for both lung fibrosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). She has been the principal investigator or site PI in approximately 10 clinical trials of treatments for lung disease and has over 80 publications on pulmonary conditions including IPF, IPF cough, and lung fibrosis as well as respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19. Since 2020, Professor Horton has been involved in several studies looking at immune dysregulation in COVID-19 infections and is co-author of recent publication identifying distinct T cell and myeloid cells associated with acutely ill COVID-19 patients, providing important mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Professor Horton received her MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and undertook her internship, residency and fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. For further information: Carl-Johan Dalsgaard, CEO Tel: +46 70 975 98 63 E: [email protected] This information was submitted for publication on April 20, 2021 at 08:00 CET. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/vicore-pharma-holding-ab/r/vicore-pharma-to-host-key-opinion-leader-webinar-on-c21-for-the-treatment-of-covid-19,c3328665 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15668/3328665/1403857.pdf Vicore Pharma to host Key Opinion Leader webinar on C21 for the treatment of COVID-19 SOURCE Vicore Pharma Holding AB (Natural News) A new analysis shows that methanol fuel cells are more efficient at producing electricity than hydrogen fuel cells. Fuel cells use hydrogen the most abundant element in the universe to produce clean and efficient electricity to power cars, trucks, buses and ships, as well as even homes and businesses. Hydrogen is considered the cleanest fuel of all, as burning it only produces water. The same goes for the electrochemical process inside fuel cells, where hydrogen and oxygen are combined to form water, producing electricity in the process. But hydrogen is also highly flammable. It has a lower ignition energy than gasoline or natural gas, which means it can ignite quite easily. As such, handling it can be quite dangerous, and developing means of doing so in a manner thats safe for the average consumer has been one of the biggest challenges facing fuel cell technology. Methanol is much more efficient than hydrogen alone In their analysis, the Energy Industry Review outlines the many advantages of methanol as a hydrogen carrier. Not only is this alcohol less flammable than hydrogen, but it also packs more of hydrogen than even liquified hydrogen. This means vehicles and establishments can run much longer using methanol than with an equivalent amount of liquified hydrogen alone, with less safety risks. (Related: Breakthrough on-demand hydrogen fuel generator may make hydrogen cars safe and practical.) The analysis also points out that methanol can simply be reformed at an on-site fueling station to generate more hydrogen. In addition, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) such as cars and buses can also use onboard reformer technology. The latter means that FCEVs carrying methanol can travel longer ranges than those carrying pure liquified hydrogen alone up to 800 kilometers (497 miles) on methanol compared to just 200 km (124 miles) on pure hydrogen alone. In addition, the analysis points out that methanol can be produced much more economically than pure liquified hydrogen. The latter requires expensive and power-hungry electrolysis. At the same time, using renewable energy for hydrogen production so as to not defeat the purpose of switching to hydrogen in the first place was also expensive. It took until 2019 for researchers to say that hydrogen produced through renewable means was cost-competitive. But even then, it was only for niche applications. On the other hand, methanol can be cheaply produced from a wide range of conventional and renewable feedstocks. Because of this, the analysis calls methanol the most affordable, sustainable, and easily handled hydrogen carrier fuel. Commercial FCEV using methanol-based hydrogen generator currently in testing Developing a highly efficient and safe hydrogen infrastructure, whether or not it uses methanol as a carrier, is important as more companies start to develop fuel cell technology and FCEVs. The analysis notes that hydrogen development company Element 1, in collaboration with Co-Win Hydrogen Power, announced the road testing of the worlds first medium-duty fuel cell last September. The test uses Element-1s M-Series methanol-based hydrogen generator, incorporated into a medium-duty truck from a large truck manufacturer. Extended road testing of the vehicle is now currently under way in Asia. CO-WIN is both a valued strategic partner and licensee of e1, and we are excited to be working with them on this fuel cell truck project, said Dave Edlund, Element 1s Chief Executive Officer. The hydrogen generation technology being deployed is unique to [Element 1] and is a game changer for clean transportation. To my knowledge, no other company in the world can provide a commercial onboard hydrogen generation product comparable to our M-Series product line. Other FCEV efforts, both as test programs and actual vehicles for sale or lease, have come before. Most notable are Hondas FCX Clarity and Toyotas Mirai. But these have been limited releases targeted squarely at the passenger car market. Element 1s effort is one of the first to test hydrogen power on a commercial vehicle. Should it prove successful, the test could lead to greater use of hydrogen FCEVs using efficient, methanol-based systems in commercial applications. Our broad collaboration with CO-WIN is expected to result in the mass commercialization of fuel cell systems supporting not only transportation, but also telecom and distributed power applications throughout the Asian market, he added. Follow NewEnergyReport.com for more on hydrogen fuel cell technology and FCEVs. Sources include: EnergyIndustryReview.com Energy.gov CarbonBrief.org Australia and UNICEF jointly support COVID-19 vaccine delivery in Vietnam The Australian Embassy in Hanoi and UNICEF have announced a A$13.5 million package to help support the introduction and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines doses in Vietnam. From left to right: Deputy head of the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene Duong Thi Hong, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudi, and UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Rana Flowers. The package was announced at a meeting held on April 19 with the attendance of UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Rana Flowers, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudi, and deputy head of the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene Duong Thi Hong. According to the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, the Australia-UNICEF partnership will assist Vietnam across a range of areas that are vital to the successful delivery of a mass immunisation program against COVID-19. Addressing the meeting, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie said: Our support will help Vietnam purchase cold chain equipment to store and transport vaccine doses to where they are needed around the country, provide training courses and materials to ensure Vietnams health workers and officials are ready, and assist with the development of immunisation plans in Vietnams remote provinces to ensure equitable and uniform vaccine coverage. Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam told the meeting that introducing anew vaccine especially for COVID-19 is a colossal task for any government with many important steps involved. "Thanks to the partnership with the Government of Australia, UNICEF is committed to work with the Ministry of Health and other partners to support the introduction and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Vietnam," she said. "Mass vaccination againstCOVID-19 is an important step to contain the pandemic, protect frontline workers who serve children and for Vietnam to reopen to the rest of the world. Deputy head of the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene Duong Thi Hong shared that they would use the support effectively in order to successfully carry out the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. The program will support Vietnam to reach the prioritised 20 per cent of population by the end of 2022 and set the foundation necessary for immunising the remainder of the population as vaccines are rolled out nationwide. EDMONTON, AB, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - The federal government's decision to decline the proposal to have gym memberships and services as a tax deduction included in the budget is a huge disappointment for Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) and all Canadians. "We understand that there were a lot of demands on the government in this budget, but the ask wasn't simply for the benefit of the fitness industry it was for all Canadians," says Scott Wildeman, FIC President. "The fitness industry has been decimated by the pandemic, suffering financial ruin and tremendous job losses. We were hoping this tax deduction would help breathe life back into the industry. But we will move forward, with or without government support, because we are resilient, and exercise benefits all Canadians." FIC plans a major rollout of the Prescription to Get Active, a program that links physicians and health care providers with recreational fitness facilities in communities across the country. Each fitness facility involved in the Prescription to Get Active commits to providing 30 days of fitness for free. Together, FIC and Prescription to Get Active share a goal of getting 1.2 million Canadians active. This initiative positively impacts the employment of young people, the fitness industry as a whole, and the health of Canadians. Sara Hodson, the advocacy lead for the federal tax deduction, was equally disappointed with the budget, but says that the message that exercise is medicine cannot be ignored, and FIC will continue to advocate for the health of Canadians. "We presented the government with considerable data about the protective health benefits of exercise, for chronic illness and improved mental health, and how exercise can be used to reduce hypertension, protect the heart, and improve blood sugars," says Hodson. Diabetes Canada, Heart & Stroke and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society all endorsed FIC's proposal to make gym memberships tax deductible. "As fitness leaders, our mission is clear," says Hodson. "Canadians need trained exercise professionals to help lead them out of the dark times of the pandemic. Exercise is essential. Why the government failed to act on this is a question we should all be asking. But FIC will continue to look out for the best interests of all Canadians, and that means getting exercise to everyone who needs it. This isn't over." SOURCE Fitness Industry Council of Canada For further information: For interviews with Scott Wildeman and Sara Hodson please contact: Erin Phelan, Fitness Industry Council of Canada, 416-822-8621 "We are thrilled to have Guillermo and Joe at the helm of two critical areas of our organization," said Jim Holthouser, CEO for Focus Brands. "As our company grows, we will continue to put an intense emphasis on our people and culture, while providing best-in-class service to our brand franchisees and suppliers to drive our company forward." Cremer brings more than 20 years of human resources experience to Focus Brands, with a special emphasis on talent development, change management, building a strong culture, and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. He joins Focus Brands most recently from Kimberly Clark in Atlanta, where he spent seven years supporting different business units, including more recently the Professional division. In this role, he delivered strategic HR leadership, led development programs for employees and actively participated in an HR transformation to support the changing needs of the organization. While there, he also oversaw the HR function for the Latin America business unit. Guillermo has served in several HR leadership roles at General Mills and Procter & Gamble. He holds a master's degree from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree from Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico. Joe Guith, currently the president of McAlister's Deli, has been promoted to category president, Restaurant Brands. Over the past six years, he has held the brand president position at McAlister's Deli from 2018 to 2021 and Cinnabon from 2015 to 2018, with both brands seeing steady growth and expanded customer bases during his tenure. Joe's expertise of operating restaurants, combined with his passion for growing brands, accelerating digital capabilities and developing high-performing teams, will be incredibly valuable to the Focus Brands portfolio of restaurants. During his time in the food and beverage industry, he has also served in general management and strategic roles with The Coca-Cola Company and Yum! Brands. Joe has a bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of Michigan. About Focus Brands Atlanta-based Focus Brands is a leading developer of global multi-channel foodservice brands. FOCUS Brands, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes, and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and over 50 foreign countries under the brand names Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli, and Schlotzsky's, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more. Contact: Angie Champsaur Director of Corporate Communications, FOCUS Brands [email protected] SOURCE Focus Brands Related Links https://www.focusbrands.com A gunman has admitted to the daylight execution of solicitor Ho Ledinh outside a cafe on a busy shopping strip in Sydneys west. Arthur Kelekolio, 41, pleaded guilty on Friday to the 65-year-olds murder after a new indictment was filed the previous day in the NSW Supreme Court. Mr Ledinh, a criminal lawyer and father of five, was gunned down just after 3.35pm on January 23, 2018 as he sat with friends outside the Happy Cup Cafe in Bankstown. Criminal lawyer Ho Ledinh was shot dead in Bankstown in January 2018. Despite CPR efforts from witnesses, he died at the scene. PHU THO, Vietnam -- Thousands of people scaled the steps of a mountain temple in northern Vietnam on Tuesday to burn incense sticks and make spiritual offerings, shrugging off concerns about the coronavirus risks as outbreaks rage in nearby countries. As many as 30,000 people were expected to visit the Hung Kings temple in Phu Tho province, authorities said, to commemorate the anniversary of the death of a semi-mythical Vietnamese king, Lac Long Quan. Visitors were met by guards offering free face masks and hand sanitizer before navigating the temple steps, measures that Do Ti Yen, 64, said were reassuring. The whole world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, but coming to this temple of Hung Kings, I found that the organisers have implemented very tight preventive measures, he said. Worshippers burn incense sticks and make spiritual offerings at the Hung Kings temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 20, 2021. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre Vietnam has been one of Asias biggest success stories in fighting the coronavirus, credited with decisive measures to track infections and contain outbreaks. It has reported just 35 deaths and slightly over 2,800 cases. The festival comes as neighbouring Cambodia and nearby Thailand and the Philippines battle their biggest outbreaks so far, fuelled by the arrival of highly transmissible COVID-19 variants. The annual festival was recognised in 2012 by UN cultural agency UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Thousands of people visit the Hung Kings temple in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, April 20, 2021. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre I can see that Vietnam has squashed the virus, or is very close to doing so with only a few cases left, thats why I am not worried being here today, said Do Van Chung, 24. Nguyen Tai May, 62, said it was important to still take precautions. Vietnam has done wonderfully. I believe that its unlikely that Vietnam will have another outbreak again. We cant let our guard down but I think the number of cases will be very low, she said. Blackrock residents and retailers are looking forward to reopening the village community for Summer 2021. Their Tourism and Development Group are recruiting new business members who will join forces to promote Blackrock as the prime location to dine and shop as COVID restrictions are relaxed soon. It's been an extremely difficult year for businesses and residents alike in the village and we can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel said the group Chairperson Aine Corcoran. The indicators are going in the right direction and the signs from the Government indicate that large sections of community life will be back to normal by June or before. Many businesses who have not yet opened are preparing in the background and are recruiting staff to help reopen their doors soon. The Blackrock Business and Development Group have signed up over 25 members this year in a concerted effort to come together to promote business in the village. These small businesses are the lifeblood of the village and by spending money their now, it will make the difference between survival in 2021 or not. The Group would like to encourage everyone in the village to support local businesses and to shop local where possible. [April 20, 2021] Cforia Welcomes Karl Florida as New CEO Cforia Software, a leading global enterprise provider of order-to-cash (OTC) software, is excited to announce that it has appointed Karl Florida as Chief Executive Officer to lead the company into its next stage of growth. Florida brings more than 20 years of experience driving the growth of B2B technology businesses. He recently served as CEO of staffing software firm Avionte, where he led the company to three consecutive years on the Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list. Prior to Avionte, Florida ran several legal software, information, and marketing services businesses at global professional information provider Thomson Reuters (News - Alert) . He also co-founded Return Path, an email deliverability and optimization company, where he oversaw product, technology, and operations during its early growth period. "I'm truly honored to join the team," said Florida. "There is a tremendous opportunity to build on the strong foundation that co-founders Chris Caparon and Dave McIntyre have established. With a market-leading product and best-in-class customer support, Cforia is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the growing digital transformation in order-to-cash. I look forward to working with the great team at Cforia as we enter a new chapter and deliver even greater business value to our global enterprise customers." Florida will be succeeding founder Chris Caparon. Caparon will remain at Cforia and transition to the role of Chief Strategy Officer. "Karl is the right leader to scale our company to the next level. I'm thrilled to work closely with him in my new role," shared Caparon. "His experience within the softwre space combined with his proven leadership skills will enable growth without compromising Cforia's commitment to delivering value and optimizing customer success." Florida is the first executive hire since Cforia received equity funding from Gemspring Capital in 2020. "Optimizing cash flow will continue to be a critical priority for enterprises in a post-COVID world. Demand for solutions to better manage the order-to-cash process will reach unprecedented levels, which Cforia is well positioned to address. We are excited about the deep skill set and experience base Karl brings to the company in this moment," said Aron Grossman, Board Chairman at Cforia and Managing Director at Gemspring Capital. "He is a strategic leader with a strong track record of growing and building sustainable companies for long-term success. He cares deeply about building and delivering great products that enable enterprises to improve their growth and profitability." About Cforia Software, LLC Cforia Software, LLC is a global enterprise solutions provider, delivering industry leading working capital and accounts receivable (A/R) automation software. Cforia's expertly designed, automated order-to-cash platform makes B2B interactions simple, delivering everything clients need to create seamless customer experiences and drive better business results. With intelligent order-to-cash software solutions, Cforia empowers its clients to make every day an A/R success story. For more information, visit www.cforia.com. About Gemspring Capital Gemspring Capital, a Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm with $1.1 billion of capital under management, provides flexible capital solutions to lower middle market companies headquartered in the United States and Canada. Gemspring partners with talented management teams and takes a partnership approach to helping drive revenue growth and value creation. Target (News - Alert) companies have up to $500 million in revenue and are in the business services, distribution and logistics, financial and insurance services, healthcare services, industrial services, software and tech-enabled services or specialty manufacturing sectors. For more information, visit www.gemspring.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005232/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] An American woman whose Irish husband drowned their three-year-old daughter and himself is campaigning to have her body exhumed after agreeing to bury them together in a 'fog of grief and shock'. Rebecca Saunders, then 26, was planning to divorce Martin McCarthy, 50, before he vanished with their little girl, Clarissa, in March 2013. Their bodies were later recovered from Audley Cove in West Cork, with McCarthy having led their daughter into the sea. Father and daughter were buried together three days later in a single coffin in Schull, which Rebecca now admits was an 'awful decision'. Rebecca Saunders, then 26, was planning to divorce Martin McCarthy, 50, pictured together, before he vanished with their little girl, Clarissa, in March 2013 Rebecca told RTE Ones Claire Byrne Live programme she is campaigning to have her daughter's body exhumed after agreeing to bury her and her father together in a 'fog of grief and shock Appearing on RTE Ones Claire Byrne Live programme on Monday, Rebecca also revealed the chilling contents of the note McCarthy left her before committing the horrific murder-suicide. It read: 'If you can take Clarissa to America I can take Clarissa to heaven. You can now get on with the rest of your life as mine and Clarissa's is about to end. 'By the time you will get to read this letter I and Clarissa will be in heaven. You did not realise how much I loved you, I could not see my daughter being raised up by a stepfather.' Rebecca said she 'fell into shock' after reading the note, adding: 'It explained that because of my actions, because of wanting a divorce this was all due to my decision of my wanting to, as he saw it, take Clarissa away from him and dissolve the marriage. Rebecca (pictured with Clarissa) also revealed the chilling contents of the note McCarthy left her before committing the horrific murder-suicide 'The note didnt describe anything as far as you know Clarissas future or Clarissas wellbeing, it was just you have brought this on yourself because of the actions youve done, Ive tried to do everything I could. 'His last line on that letter was that you will never forget this day and that has definitely been the case and once I read that note thats when I fell into shock I told the guards that the coast guard needed to be called out.' Rebecca, who has since remarried and had two more children, said she deeply regrets allowing her daughter to be buried with her 'monster' father and wants her exhumed so that she can be laid to rest in Texas. She told the programme: 'Ever since Clarissas casket was closed and she was lowered down into that grave, I just felt like I had made a very grievous mistake. And while I understand the reasons why I decided what I had decided eight years ago, certain circumstances were brought to light that made me realise just how involved Martin's plan was and I feel like burying them together was a huge mistake. Rebecca, who has since remarried and had two more children, said she deeply regrets allowing her daughter (pictured together) to be buried with her 'monster' father and wants her exhumed so that she can be laid to rest in Texas 'I feel like I essentially abandoned her because I am not there any more and the grave and where shes buried and how shes buried and who shes buried with, just gives me a great deal of stress that I would just sleep better, I would be able to function better if I was able to take her home with me. 'I know that, I know that exhuming her is not going to bring her back to me but it will be some small amount of closure. And I hate to use that word but that is what it will be when I can exhume Clarissa, when I can take her home with me. 'There will be some small amount of closure that I no longer have to think that shes in the arms of that monster.' On her GoFundMe page, which has so far raised 29,580 of her 35,860 goal, she states she is 'resolute' in rectifying her 'awful mistake', despite the obvious hurdles she faces. On her GoFundMe page, which has so far raised 29,580 of her 35,860 goal, Rebecca states she is 'resolute' in rectifying her 'awful mistake', despite the obvious hurdles she faces It reads: 'Due to the length and breadth of exhuming Clarissa, we are uncertain of what costs may incur along this journey. If legal council has to be hired the process with be extremely time consuming and expensive. 'All funds not used in the process to exhume Clarissa will equally be donated to the following two worthy causes: Edel House that supports victims of domestic violence and Cork University Maternity Hospital Neonatal Unit.' Rebecca met McCarthy when she was a teenager studying in Ireland, and married in summer 2006. During an interview with the Opinion Line on Corks 96FM earlier this year, the mother said she doesn't feel she'll ever be able to forgive him for his despicable actions. 'I feel like he used his daughter as a sword to stab me in the heart with. And I think that is very very wrong,' she said. During an interview with the Opinion Line on Corks 96FM earlier this year, Rebecca said she doesn't feel she'll ever be able to forgive McCarthy for his despicable actions 'I think that the expectation that I had that I bury Clarissa so quickly was... it just wasnt fair. Clarissa and her father died on a Tuesday and they were buried on a Friday.' Rebecca added: 'In that small space of time I had to decide what happened to this little girl who was my world. 'The first thought that struck me in the shock that I was in was that I didnt want her to be alone. 'At the time I didnt know just how planned out Martin had gone. The totality of the steps he took to ensure that if it wasnt that day he had the steps in place to carry out his end game another day.' She later discovered McCarthy had approached a family court to ensure Clarissa wouldn't be allowed to leave the country if Rebecca went back to the US. 'He got a restriction put on her passport. If if I wanted to leave the country with Clarissa I couldnt have done that,' she explained. 'The way his will is written it makes it very clear to me he had planned what he was going to do as a punishment to me. He at least spent a month planning it. 'He started changing his will early February. I do think it was just a matter of time. He was given an opportunity that night and took it.' For confidential support, log on to samaritans.org or call the Samaritans on 116123. While most students will be in the classroom next school year, virtual learning will remain an option, and Lowcountry school districts are partnering to ensure it's done well. The Charleston County School Board voted 5-3 on April 19 to initially approve a virtual learning partnership through the Low Country Education Consortium, which includes the Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Colleton districts. The board will vote on final approval for the partnership at a regular meeting on April 26. The partnership allows for the districts to develop and share a virtual program for students who are not comfortable returning to the classroom in the fall. Although all of the districts will be offering full-time, in-person learning, the program will give the districts the opportunity to cater to students and families who are concerned about being in person because of the pandemic. The districts formed the consortium in June with the goal of improving student success throughout the region. Although district leaders have been meeting throughout the year to discuss virtual learning strategies, this will be the first time that a program like this is shared throughout the Lowcountry. "Every district at the start of it all had to do it alone and had to really figure it out because we were in the midst of (the pandemic) and planning at the same time," said LaShawna Rivers, director of instructional programs at Charleston County School District. "Through this proposed partnership, we'll be able to collaborate with other districts who have been here before and have experienced different levels of success." There are many details that the consortium is still working through, and each district will have a different level of involvement. Contribute to the education discussion Join our Facebook group for constructive discussion on education news in the tri-county area of Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester. Our reporters covering education will be in the group to help lead and moderate conversations. Join now In Charleston County, students in kindergarten through eighth grade who have applied to the virtual academy for next school year will be able to participate in full-time virtual learning through the program. Students in grades nine through 12 are able to participate in supplemental or "a la carte" classes, which means they can have entirely virtual schedules or take just a few classes online depending on what they need. The district closed its applications for the K-8 program at the beginning of April. At the meeting, Rivers said the district received 484 applications for the program. However, the district will be assessing the applications so that only students who can demonstrate they will succeed in a virtual learning environment will be admitted. Once admitted, those students will be enrolled in the virtual program through the consortium while high schoolers will have access to virtual classes. Ultimately, the partnership helps the districts get more bang for their buck. While the program likely won't be cheaper than Charleston County's current virtual academy option, it eases the pressure put on teachers and officials to operate a full-time virtual option and ensures that the online courses are nationally certified by Quality Matters. "This is generally going to be about the same cost ... but the advantage is we'll have opportunities to have more courses offered, a higher quality of courses, and it allows someone like Ms. Rivers and other staff members who have been deployed to the virtual academy to be redeployed for us to really focus in on the COVID and recovery priorities," Chief Academic Officer Karolyn Belcher said. Through the consortium, the districts involved will appoint or hire a principal to oversee the program. They will also allow teachers to move from their current school to the program to teach fully virtual, which means some students may be taught by a teacher from another school district. Because it's a program and not a school, the districts maintain federal per-pupil funding for the students enrolled. While the teachers will be from the Lowcountry schools, the courses will still be outsourced through a virtual learning platform such as VirtualSC or Florida Virtual. The details on which platform will be used haven't been decided. The program will also offer shared technical support for the district's teachers to use, which will help ease some of the challenges that come with virtual learning, Rivers said. "If I could reflect just on this year, the support needed to make sure that an online learning program is both high quality and meets the needs of students, it can not work without the proper technical assistance in place," she said. Charleston board members Cindy Bohn Coats, Helen Frazier and Kristen French all voted against the measure. The board members wanted further information about the program, its cost and other details before moving forward. "I understand that you want us to commit to forming a partnership with several other districts, but I just don't see a plan in place with a budget of what it's going to cost taxpayers," Frazier said. "Until that's done, I don't know how we're going to move forward." Belcher said the consortium will be able to present a more detailed plan once all of the districts have approval and the budgeting process is underway. MONTPELIER Three days after the Democrat-controlled Vermont House of Representatives passed a $10,000 tax exemption for military pensions, but turned down a larger benefit, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray has sided with Republican Gov. Phil Scott in an opinion column calling for a full exemption for former service members. But as the bill containing the $10,000 exemption and a number of tax proposals heads back to the Senate, its odds of emerging with the Houses additions intact appear to be slight at least, this session. Senate leaders say theres not enough time left to study the Houses proposed additions. In a column released Monday by Scotts press office (and published on page A4 of Tuesdays Reformer), Scott and Gray said eliminating taxes on military pensions would help retain and attract veterans to the state. Gov. Phil Scott and Lt. Gov. Molly Gray: It's time to end the tax on military entitlement pay Its well known that Vermont faces a demographic crisis. We have an aging population, with a We both share a deep respect for our veterans and a commitment to ensuring they can experience the quality of life Vermont has to offer, the column reads. Fully eliminating this tax is not only about honoring our veterans for their service and sacrifice, but also about growing our workforce and increasing diversity in our state. In a lengthy debate on Thursday night, the House voted to exempt the first $10,000 of military pension benefits from the states income tax. That vote came after the House, by a 79-55 margin, voted against increasing that exemption to $30,000. Lawmakers who voted no for the $30,000 exemption raised concerns about the impact on the General Fund, and said other states experience doesnt prove that the exemption would lure retired military members here. The larger exemption was estimated to cost about $2.9 million. California and Virginia are two other states that dont exempt military retirement pay and they have huge numbers of military retirees, Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Windham 2-1, vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee, said. She also cited the case of New York, which does exempt military retirement pay fully but has a much lower rate of retirees than we do. The Ways & Means Committee recommended against the $30,000 exemption. One of the amendments co-sponsors, Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington 2-2, was disheartened that the proposal was attached to a bill loaded with contentious tax proposals rather than given a debate on its own merits. Previous bills aimed at exempting military retirement benefits have been buried in committee, never getting a floor vote, Morrissey said. It should be appropriately done based upon the service our veterans have given to all of us, Morrissey said. We have to remember [Vermont is] one of only seven states that do not provide any tax exemption for veterans benefits. I find that shameful. Another co-sponsor, Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Windham-Bennington, said she didnt actually hear any strong arguments against the proposal. its certainly not a large amount of money, she said. I think theres a general shared sense in the General Assembly that we have a workforce problem. And I think a lot of folks understand that retired military personnel are a potential part of solving that issue. NO RUSH But its not clear that the Senate, which now has possession of the bill, S. 53, will consider an exemption of any sort this session. Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint said the Senate would rely on its Finance Committee to consider the proposed changes, rather than simply concur with the Houses work. And Finance Committee chairperson Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington, said the bill will be tabled for now while her committee works on the universal broadband bill, and will probably not emerge by the time the Legislature adjourns for the summer. S.53 was a single issue bill when it left the Senate. It has come back to us with several complex, even controversial, additions, Cummings said. I dont see any way the Finance Committee is going to find the time to rewrite the corporate tax code and make a decision on the cloud tax. I intend to ask to have S.53 tabled until the committee has time to give it the attention it deserves. The House version of S. 53 also removes the exemption on cloud computing services, a change Scott and Republicans oppose, and restructuring of the state corporate tax code to base taxes upon gross receipts rather than sales and property. When the bill originally passed the Senate, it exempted feminine hygiene products from the state sales tax. That provision remains in the bill. Since taking office in 2017, Scott has called for a full tax exemption for military retirees. That meshed with Grays campaign platform, which emphasized finding solutions to grow the states graying, shrinking population and address its workforce shortage. Gray said the end of 20 years of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan presents an opportunity to welcome retired servicemen and women to the state. There was a time when Vermont had more serving in Iraq and Afghanistan per capita than any other state, including my brother and so many young Vermonters, Gray said when asked about her decision to join with Scott. Gray said the tax on military retirement pay is one piece of the puzzle, but not a cure-all. Affordable, quality childcare for working families and universal broadband for every home and business are also necessary pieces of that puzzle, she said. I welcome every opportunity to put politics aside and work with Legislative leaders and the Governor to address our demographic crisis, Gray said. As I said throughout the last election, our future depends on our ability to keep a generation here, draw a generation back, and draw a new generation to Vermont. Jason Maulucci, Scotts spokesperson, said there was broad agreement on the issues, making the joint opinion piece relatively easy to write. It came up in conversation between staff a few weeks ago and [Scott and Gray] also discussed it on their check-in calls. We just traded drafts and were happy to issue it now, as its timely, Maulucci said The benefits of ending the tax, Scott and Gray said, would include adding skilled employees to the states workforce in fields including nursing, manufacturing and the building trades, and growing diversity in the state. More than 35 percent of active duty service members nationwide are members of the BIPOC community, compared to 6 percent in Vermont. LOCAL VOTES Among Southern Vermont lawmakers, amendment co-sponsors Morrissey and Sibilia voted yes, as did Reps. Sally Achey, R-Rutland-Bennington, Timothy Corcoran II, D-Bennington 2-1, and Kelly Pajala, I-Windham-Bennington-Windsor. The remainder of the Windham and Bennington delegation voted no on the $30,000 exemption. State Rep. David Durfee, a Ways & Means Committee member, said he wasnt convinced that the potential benefits of the bill would outweigh its cost. The proposed exemption is intended to recognize the service of our career military retirees, not to be a workforce development tool, Durfee said. Anecdotes aside, I havent seen any data to support the idea that an exemption of any size would actually bring more retired veterans to Vermont. He also said increasing the exemption would double its cost presenting an opportunity cost problem for other needs such as child care, which we know for a fact impacts the size and strength of our workforce. Rep. David Yacovone, D-Lamoille-Washington, raised similar concerns about cost during debate. But Sibilia said she was a little surprised considering the big-ticket items that havent drawn fiscal scrutiny this session. I think its a reasonable question to ask about fiscal impact, Sibilia said. I dont recall hearing that about spending $350 million on teachers pensions this year. I dont recall hearing that about broadband investment. I was surprised. Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington 4, said the fact Ways & Means had studied and recommended the $10,000 exemption factored in his decision. I am a believer in the committee process, especially when I am comfortable that the people on the committee are thoughtful and deliberate in their approach to complex issues, Bongartz said. I approach floor amendments, even when they hold instinctive appeal, with real caution because they can throw things out of balance and have often not been fully vetted. Fellow Bennington-4 Rep. Kathleen James had similar concerns. She said the $10,000 exemption was carefully considered and part of a balanced and revenue-neutral tax package. Rep. John Gannon, D-Windham 5, said the $10,000 exemption reflects the states progressive tax system and will exempt the full benefit for nearly 1,000 of the 3,900 Vermonters the proposal would affect. Morrissey said attaching the military benefits to S. 53 along with contentious tax proposals was not a way to do good legislation. So many good things could come out of this, Morrissey said. Not only that, but its a way to honor our veterans and their service. Sometimes I think we forget the privileges and freedoms we have are based upon the service of our veterans. April 20 : Kajol and Ajay Devgns daughter Nysa today turned 18, and is celebrating her special day today. While dad Ajay has already wished his daughter on social media, mom Kajol has shared a cute baby picture of her daughter on her 18th birthday, and wrote a long note saying that seeing Nysa become an adult, it seems that she has passed her exams with flying colours. Taking to her Instagram handle, Kajol shared an adorable picture of herself with baby Nysa. In the picture, Kajol can be seen beaming as she held baby Nysa in her arms. Wishing Nysa happy adulthood, Kajol advised her that she should fly high and shouldnt tone down her shine for anyone. She should use her powers for good. Kajol also expressed her nervousness when Nysa was born. She compared her bringing up to an exam of life when she had fears and feelings. As Nysa turned 10, Kajol realised that she has turned a teacher though learning new ways to bring up a child. I was so nervous when u were born. It was the biggest exam of my life and I had all those fears and feelings that go with it for a whole year at least. Then u turned 10 and I realised I was a teacher just part of the time most of the times I was a student learning new ways to do things and look at them, the actress wrote. Kajol further added, And now we come to today and I can finally say I passed with flying colours. U are what we all say women should be so fly high my darling and dont tone down ur shine for anyone. Ive got ur back! happy adulthood. You have the tools so use your powers for good. Kajol and Ajay tied the knot in 1999, and welcomed Nysa in 2003. They also have a son, Yug, who is 10 years old. Nysa is studying in Singapore. Nysa and Kajol share great bond. Last year, in a video, Nysa had reiterated about the bond she shared with her mom. I think me and my mom are very much like each other. Shes way more chill than I think she would ever admit. I know that both of us are really loud and that both of us dont really have a filter, Nysa had said. FENNVILLE, MI- Almost 10 years in the making, the very first beer from Virtue Cider is about to be released. Inspired by both Scandinavia and Michigan, Vestland is a Nordic-inspired lager that celebrates simplicity, and the next step for this popular cidery. Beer has been in the background for me for the last 10 years while I focus on cider, said Virtue Cider owner and head brewer Greg Hall. He founded Virtue in 2011, after leaving his position as brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Company, which he had held for over 20 years. This first beer from Virtue is called Vestland, and from the label to the liquid, its been inspired by Halls travels through Scandinavia. Ive spent a lot of time in the Nordic countries, Hall said. And Ive been inspired not just by their beers, but by the whole Nordic sense of things. One thing that stood out for Hall during his travels were the many similarities between Norway and West Michigan, from the landscape to many of the things that grow in both places, like the prolific juniper that ended up being one of the ingredients for the beer. The juniper adds a new dimension to the hop profile of this beer, adding a fruitiness and spiciness to the beer, Hall explained. The fact that its so prevalent in Michigan makes it that much cooler, Hall said, referring to using the juniper in Vestland. Hall has multiple juniper trees on his property, and in Norway, juniper is one of the main spices, both on the menu and in some of the small craft brewery beverages, and also in Aquavit. Its part of their land, and its part of our land, too. I found it very interesting how close, the two cultures are, said Hall. They celebrate all the deer, all the trees, all the fishing. Now, they have fjords, and we have Fords, but otherwise we are pretty similar. Vestland is a lager, which means it undergoes fermentation at a lower temperature, to help create this beer styles signature crisp flavor profile. Hall describes the beer as a light, golden lager, but not a pale one. He says it has a nice body, with some creaminess to it. Its definitely meant to be a drinking beer. In addition to the juniper, two more ingredients that are common to Nordic cuisine are added to this unique brew. Rye, which is not that uncommon of an ingredient in beer, is used for its spiciness and body that it gives the beer Hall said. Theyve also added caraway to the beer, which gives a nuttiness to the beer. The goal with this beer was to go in a little bit of a different direction than many of the beers that are out there right now, Hall said. He explained while there isnt anything wrong with smoothie beers, pastry stouts, or hazy IPAs, this beer was more about going back to a solid, very drinkable beer. The label of the beer has the clean lines and uncluttered design common to Scandinavia. Virtue also looked to the movies of director Wes Anderson for the label. Anderson behind the movies Fantastic Mr. Fox, Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums. What I love about Wes Anderson is there is always a horizon in all of his stuff, said Hall, via a press release. There is more sky than there is land. I think of that as a metaphor, the land and the buildings are what is, the sky is what could be. Having a lot of blue sky, the opportunities are endless. The beer will be available in distribution throughout the state starting in May, and will be packaged in six-packs of bottles, as well as in draft form. Virtue will partner with the West Michigan based furniture manufacturer Herman Miller for the release as a way to highlight Western Michigan and all the cool aspects we have here, not just the beer side, not just the furniture side, the lakefront, the nature, but also that we are a design center for the world here in Western Michigan. There will be a special giveaway from Herman Miller to celebrate the launch in May. You can check the Facebook page for updates. Many of Virtues ciders are small-batch offerings that dont make it into distribution. Recently, Virtue has started offering online ordering and delivery for all of their ciders, and soon, Vestland beer. Going back to beer has been a sort of homecoming for Hall, who started brewing back in 1988. He grew Goose Island Beer Company into one of the premier breweries in the Midwest, and was a leader in the barrel-aged beer movement. He brought Virtue Cider to West Michigan in 2013 to be close to the orchards that would provide the fruit for his beverages. In 2015, Virtue Cider joined the Anheuser-Busch family of craft brands, taking advantage of their distribution foot print, while maintaining independence in their brewing operations and management. This isnt a one and done for Virtue. Theyve applied for their Michigan brewers license, in addition to the federal license they already have. Well be brewing more beers at the Fennville farm, most of which will be small batch, Hall said. Look for some barrel aged beers, wild fermentation beers. Were kind of putting our toe in the water with beer, he said, referencing Vestland, to getting right back into it. While ciders will continue to be the main focus at Virtue, the new flagship beer is an exciting development for the company, and for Hall himself. This is a beer that Ive had 10 years to plan, said Hall. So I hope its a good one. Vestland beer will be out in the Michigan marketplace starting in May.Photo provided by Virtue Cider, used with permission. If you go: Virtue Cider 2170 62nd St, Fennville, MI 49408 (269) 722-3232 More info: https://www.virtuecider.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/virtuecider You can now order Virtues cider, and soon their beer, online. Find the link to order here. RELATED: New Michigan cider, Those Women From Michigan to be released Marzen beer at Cedar Spring Brewing Company in Cedar Springs, Michigan.John Gonzalez More Michigans Best: Drink up these dank beers to celebrate 4/20 Taste the Dragons Share with these hard seltzers from New Holland Michigans first dedicated gluten-free brewery to open this summer One of the top rated breweries in Indianapolis comes from Michigan How to get a Dragons Milk Boot from Wolverine Shorts Brewing brings its annual Anni party to you New Michigan cider, Those women from Michigan to be released Third Nature Brewing built for outdoor dining, and a pandemic Michigans largest winery celebrates a century of winemaking Amys Top Ten beers of 2020 Gonzos Top Ten beers of 2020 A beer trifecta for Grand Rapids The High Court has allowed convicted murderer Charlotte Mulhall permission to bring a challenge aimed at securing a transfer from Limerick Prison back to Mountjoy woman's prison in Dublin. In a judgement Mr Justice Anthony Barr said that he was prepared to allow Mulhall bring the challenge on grounds that the 2018 transfer had adversely impacted visits she received from family members. She claims that arising out of the transfer to Limerick, close family, who are based in Dublin, were unable to visit her. Through her lawyers, Mulhall claims this situation amounts to a disproportionate interference with her family rights. The judge said that he was satisfied that there was an arguable case that she is entitled to a transfer back to Mountjoy Women's Prison to secure her visiting rights with close family. At a minimum the judge said that Mulhall be provided with visiting arrangements that were previously in place where she was temporarily returned back to Dublin so that close family could visit her. She had been afforded such visits up until mid- 2019, but those were ended without any apparent formal notification to Ms Mulhall, the court noted. After granting leave the judge said that going forward the court requires further information, by way of sworn statements, on the impact of Covid19 on face-to-face visits in prisons. The court also required further information on issues including Mulhall's current position about activities available to her at Limerick Prison the judge added. The judge dismissed other aspects of her claim, including her challenge against the decision to transfer her to Limerick on December 24th 2018 was out of time. The Judge said the court was satisfied that Ms Mulhall knew that she had been transferred, and knew the likely reasons for her transfer and had done nothing about it for eight months. Given the circumstances the court said it did not have the jurisdiction to extend the time allowed so that Mulhall could bring judicial review proceedings challenging the transfer. The judge also said that the court had to take into account that visits had been curtailed, if not totally eradicated, due to the onset of the Covid19 pandemic in March 2020. After handing down his decision on whether the court should grant her permission to bring her challenge, the judge adjourned the matter to a date in May. Mulhall claimed she was transferred to Limerick from Mountjoy two days after she was seen by a prison officer sitting on another prison officer while performing a beauty treatment. She disputes allegations that anything inappropriate occurred or that she was in an allegedly compromising position with the female prison officer in question. She also claimed she has never been given the opportunity to address the prison authorities over what she says actually occurred. She further claims that her Dublin-based family, for a variety of reasons, have not visited her since she was moved to Limerick. She said in a sworn statement to the court that "I am lonely and sad" due to "the lack of visits from my family" and that she also missed her dog. As a result, she brought judicial review proceedings against the Irish Prison Service, the Governor of Limerick Prison, the Minister for Justice & Equality, Ireland and the Attorney General seeking a return to Dublin. Represented by Conor Power SC and Cian Kelly Bl Mulhall seeks various orders and declarations including that her rights have been breached, and that she should be returned to Dublin. The respondents opposed the application for leave to bring her action on grounds including that her action was out of time. The prison service also argued that it was entitled to make the transfer and that Mulhall had told the prison authorities that she was happy in Limerick Prison. Known as the 'scissors sisters' Charlotte, and her sister Linda Mulhall, were convicted in 2006 of the killing of their mother's boyfriend Farah Swaleh Noor, in March 2005. The dismembered body of Noor, who had a history of being extremely violent towards women, was found dumped in the Royal Canal, near Croke Park, some days afterwards. Following a high-profile trial at the Central Criminal Court Charlotte, who was aged 21 years at the time of the killing, was found guilty of murder. Linda was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison. and has subsequently been released from custody. Hastens, a leading Swedish furniture brand that has handcrafted the finest beds since 1852, has opened its flagship store in Dubai, inviting residents to explore a range of exclusive beds, expertly crafted to provide the best quality of sleep. The expansive 4,000-sq-ft flagship store, located on Sheikh Zayed Road, will showcase Hastens latest concept, representing a comprehensive destination for visitors to immerse themselves in the full Hastens experience while having the opportunity to test, feel and touch the brands ultimate bed collections, including linen and accessories, said the statement from the company. Recognised for making the best handcrafted beds in the world, every Hastens bed is handmade using only premium sustainable natural materials and techniques handed down through six generations. Hastens rich history started in the Swedish town of Koping - where the beds are still being made today and goes from its roots as master saddlers to being Royal purveyors, a journey filled with passion and skill, it stated. Upon entry, visitors will delve into the world of Hastens and embark on a journey to discover what it takes to achieve a good nights sleep, said a top company official. "Having built a very strong clientele in this market over the past few years, we are delighted to be opening this flagship store in partnership with the Mattress Store Group a market leader in the UAE for sleep solutions and to provide our customers with a full immersive Hastens experience," remarked its Regional Director IMEA Ludovic Letrillart. More than ever, people value their comfort and their home living environment and acknowledge the importance of natural materials, craftsmanship and long-lasting quality furniture. "We are on a mission to help people sleep better and live a better life and are committed to keep fulfilling our clients search for excellence, quality and better living," he added.-TradeArabia News Service ADVERTISEMENT Living through the Nigeria of today, the insecurity, mass slaughter, uncertainties, economic anxieties, in addition to the enemies within and without and, the saboteurs; this a warning from the Twilight Zone. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognise the worth, the dignity, the rights of Manthat state is obsolete. Logic is an enemy and truth is a menace. How true, how profound! Last week, before the Minister of communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantamis ugly past was unearthed, I was binge watching the classic American television series, The Twilight Zone. The show, written by Rod Sterling, first aired in 1961, long before I was born. Pantamis Jihadi past exposed the worthless value of background checks on government appointees in Nigeria. While we have long suspected the screening had always been mere theatrics and a Padi-Padi arrangement, the unlikely choice of Pantami to the sensitive position of Communications Minister, confirmed it. Like Alfa Shittu before him, it looks to me that Islamic fundamentalism is a prerequisite for the leading Ministry meant for digeratis and creatives. Nigeria is much like the aforementioned television series. Every day, life in Nigeria feels like an experience in The Twilight Zone. Season Two, episode 29, The Obsolete Man, is similar to Nigeria as presently constituted. In the said episode, the state determines who is obsolete and therefore condemned to death. Kernels of truths are sprinkled generously through all the episodes. There are ethical truths, religious truths, technology truths, as well as truths about human nature, fantasy, science, reality and even, government. The Twilight Zone is so strange that you may be catapulted there without knowing this. Nigeria is so strange as to lose ones essence in it without knowing this. Back to the Twilight Zone. In that episode, a character named Romney Wordsworth is a librarian, whom the state has declared obsolete. Much like Boko Harams territory in the North-East and in terror ravaged Nigeria as a whole, where education and virtue counts for nothing and vice is upheld as virtue. What is the significance of books, of education, of competence? How does our disdain for books, for education, for competence, fit into where we are as a country? How can a country have leaders who educate their own, while millions of Almajirai are begging on the streets? How about rewarding a hate monger, who probably radicalised some young people, with a cabinet position? Arent we obsolete? Isnt education obsolete? Isnt history obsolete? Isnt decency obsolete? What have we done to schools? To universities? We have shunned civilisation in favour of the caveman lifestyle. We have no use for dignity; the dignity to live as human beings. We are a nation of no books, where education is Haram Boko Haram. The harvest of illiteracy has built a cult of ignorant followers of fascists, hero worshippers, who follow and adulate those who do not act in their best interests. I can only explain our situation by using the words of the great historian, Barbara Tuchman: Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. Without books, the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are engines of change (as the poet said), windows on the world and lighthouses erected in the sea of time. They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print. Why did the president entrust a lover of terrorists and terrorism with our life our biometric data? Was he appointed to protect terrorists? Is his National Identity Number scheme enforced evenly throughout Nigeria? There are lots of questions based on new revelations about Pantamis past. As we collectively sleep walk into the twilight zone of our own making, certain questions come to mind. As the movie of our discontent continues to unfold, fear grips those of us who understand the combustible nature of our present circumstance. Was Pantamis appointment as Minister of Communications deliberate? Is there a sinister agenda behind this? Why did the president entrust a lover of terrorists and terrorism with our life our biometric data? Was he appointed to protect terrorists? Is his National Identity Number scheme enforced evenly throughout Nigeria? There are lots of questions based on new revelations about Pantamis past. Just like it is in The Twilight Zone, Rod Sterling sets the stage for the story by his opening narration: You walk into this room at your own risk, because it leads to the future, not a future that will be but one that might be. This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one. It has patterned itself after every dictator who has ever planted the ripping imprint of a boot on the pages of history, since the beginning of time. It has refinements, technological advances, and a more sophisticated approach to the destruction of human freedom. But like every one of the super-states that preceded it, it has one iron rule: Logic is an enemy and truth is a menace. This is Mr. Romney Wordsworth, in his last forty-eight hours on Earth. Hes a citizen of the State but will soon have to be eliminated, because hes built out of flesh and because he has a mind. Mr. Romney Wordsworth, who will draw his last breaths in The Twilight Zone. How does this make sense to those who have not watched the series? Let me bring it to you. The plot for the series is set in a future totalitarian, fascist state. Romney Wordsworth is on trial for being obsolete. Since the state has eliminated books (like Boko Haram), that means his occupation as a librarian is obsolete and obsolescence is punishable by death. Romney Wordsworth also believes in God. That too is an offense because the State claims to have proven that God does not exist. The Chancellor finds Romney Wordsworth guilty and sentences him to death, allowing him to choose his method of execution. Wordsworth requests that he be granted a personal assassin, who will be the only one who knows the method of his death, and that his execution be televised nationwide. The Chancellor grants both requests. A live broadcast to the nation is scheduled in Wordsworths study. As the personal assassin, the Chancellor, who agrees to this unusual request out of curiosity, arrived early for Wordsworths final hour. On arrival, Romney Wordsworth reveals the chosen execution method is a bomb, set to go off in the room at midnight. The Chancellor expresses approval until Wordsworth tells him the door is locked, and the Chancellor will die with him, giving viewers the spectacle of another death with his. In a live event, he points out, the State would risk losing its status in the peoples eyes if they attempt rescuing the Chancellor. Wordsworth reads Psalm 23 and 59, from his hidden copy of the Bible, expressing his trust in God. His calm acceptance of death stands in sharp contrast with the Chancellors increasing panic as the bomb ticks away. For his cowardly display in Wordsworths room and professed belief in God, the Chancellor is replaced by his own subaltern and declared obsolete. He protests pitifully that he is not obsolete and tries to escape but he is overwhelmed by the tribunals attendants, who clobbered him to death. At the last minute, the Chancellor cries and begs to be let go in the name of God. Wordsworth agrees to do so because of God and unlocks the door for the Chancellor. Wordsworth stays, the bomb explodes, killing him alone. For his cowardly display in Wordsworths room and professed belief in God, the Chancellor is replaced by his own subaltern and declared obsolete. He protests pitifully that he is not obsolete and tries to escape but he is overwhelmed by the tribunals attendants, who clobbered him to death. Sterling appeared at the end of the episode to give a closing narration. He says: The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons:Wwhen it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armour and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognise the worth, the dignity, the rights of Manthat state is obsolete. A case to be filed under M for Mankind in The Twilight Zone. Living through the Nigeria of today, the insecurity, mass slaughter, uncertainties, economic anxieties, in addition to the enemies within and without and, the saboteurs; this a warning from the Twilight Zone. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognise the worth, the dignity, the rights of Manthat state is obsolete. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju a farmer, youth advocate and political analyst writes this weekly column, Bamidele Upfront for PREMIUM TIMES. Follow me on Twitter @olufunmilayo Texas, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pumps are gaining popularity with its wide usage in a variety of sectors, including water and wastewater, chemical, oil and gas, and power generation, which is expected to boost demand growth. Pumps for industrial use come in a variety of sizes, forms, and capacities. They're also widely used in the power industry, in a variety of processes from circulation, boiler feed, to sludge handling. Product demand is expected to benefit from the development of the chemical industry. In 2020, the United States has the highest share of the North American economy. Demand for Pumps is expected to rise as drilling activities in the offshore and onshore oil and gas sectors increase. Furthermore, over the projected timeframe, the replacement of existing water and sanitation systems in the country is expected to fuel the demand for these pumps. The presence of strict government policies for energy conservation and safety requirements is expected to impact industry development significantly. Several federal agencies are reorganizing their regulations and developing new frameworks to encourage modern technology pumps in a variety of sectors. Rapid urbanization, increasing industrialization, technical advancements, and expanded infrastructure investment drive up demand for energy fuel. As a result, the oil and gas, electricity, and water treatment industries are expected to expand rapidly, increasing demand for pumps in the aforementioned industries. Due to increased competition from low-cost suppliers, especially in Asia Pacific, the market is highly price sensitive. As a result, commodity price volatility is a stumbling block to industry expansion in the Americas and Europe. Maintaining market share when concentrating on growth necessitates ongoing investment in research and development activities. Request a report sample to gain detailed market insights at https://marketinsightsolutions.com/report/global-pump-market-size/ Based On Product, Market Is Segmented Into Dynamic Pump Centrifugal pumps Vertical centrifugal pumps Horizontal centrifugal pumps Submersible pumps Fire hydrant systems Positive Displacement Pump Diaphragm pump Gear pumps Peristaltic Pumps Lobe pumps Piston Pumps Based On Position, Market Is Segmented Into Submersible Non-submersible Based On Operation, Market Is Segmented Into Portable Stationary Based On Application, Market Is Segmented Into Oil & Gas Chemicals Construction Power Water & Wastewater Others Based On Region, Market Is Segmented Into North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific) Central & South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Central & South America) Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa) Companies Profiled In This Report Are Haight Pumps ITT Corporation Iwaki America Inc. A.R. North America, Inc. Global Pump GRUNDFOS Colfax Corporation Flowserve Corporation SPX Flow Inc. Vaughan Company Inc. Research Methodology Market Insight Solution uses both primary and secondary research tools and insights to present a comprehensive industry outlook. Industry Experts act as a great contributor to our analysis. In order to attain the best understanding of the product, we interview a panel of leaders from the specific industries for better technical knowledge and determine the driving factors responsible for at local and macroeconomic platform. Additionally, with secondary data, we analyze sales, annual profits, and contracts through the company's annual reports, sales reports, company websites, in-house databases, journal and statistical publications, and many other resources. This Report Sheds Light On Some Significant Parameters Pertinent To The Market What is the COVID-19 impact in pumps market? What is the current market status and how did this market evolve? What are the current factors driving the market and the barriers restraining the market? Are governmental, political and regulatory factors significant to this market and do they affect key growth areas? What are the significant players of this market and what do their prospects look like during the forecast period? What are the regulations that will influence to boost the supply chain network of the market? What are the best investment opportunities for R&D of the product and new service lines? What are some of the major developments in the key geographical regions which led to the current status? What are the current production and technological challenges to develop the market? Market insight solutions provide a detailed blueprint of the Pumps market with the presentation of market dynamics and with the purpose of forecast. The report showcases an in-depth analysis to cover the market. To ascertain the market potential in the global platform, our analysts have further taken into consideration competitive landscape and developmental landscape to make their point. The major goal of our report is to develop a framework to help business executives make effective decisions. Thus, our framework provides an overview of important parameters like customer journeys, geographical regions supporting the market, emerging avenues, and the significant players partaking in the overall lifecycle of the product. Below Is A Snapshot Of Our Key Strategic Plans Customer Journey with product lifecycle- Companies today want their customers to interact with their brands, and our framework helps in achieving the best engagement possible. Our analysts take a deeper look at your customer's journey with the products and services to determine their pain points across various touchpoints. About Us Market Insight Solutions is a leading market research firm which caters to a diverse portfolio of research campaigns. We are one of the fastest growing research organization led by an extensive team of individuals. Our team has individuals with more than 10 years of experience in diverse research domains. Our strategic insights aims at providing credible and practical solutions to meet the specific requirements of our clients. We offer market studies on basis of facts across cross domains. TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSE American: GSS) (TSX: GSC) (GSE: GSR) ("Golden Star" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned non-profit subsidiary, Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited ("GSOPP") and RGLD Gold AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Gold, Inc. ("Royal Gold"), have entered into an agreement providing for Royal Gold's investment in the oil palm plantations initiative, Golden Star's award winning flagship sustainability project. In consideration of the long-standing relationship with the Wassa mine, and by extension the Wassa operations host communities, Royal Gold has committed to provide financial support for the activities of GSOPP that benefit the Wassa operational communities through an annual contribution of $150,000 during five years. The investment will be used to accelerate development of the Company's innovative sustainability initiative which is aimed at creating sustainable alternative livelihoods, bringing additional economic stimulation and a legacy of community development to the region. The proceeds will support the further development of palm oil plantations around Wassa as well as activities to grow GSOPP including assessment of downstream processing opportunities. About GSOPP GSOPP is the Company's flagship sustainability and social enterprise initiative. It develops and operates oil palm plantations in communities proximate to the Company's gold mining operations, located in the Western Region of Ghana, for the benefit of members of the host communities. The program commits to ensuring that there is zero deforestation during the creation of a high value agribusiness on former subsistence farms and land that has previously been used for mining activities. Since its inception in 2006, GSOPP has developed plantations on over 1,500 hectares of land, which support over 700 families at levels of yield three-times the small holder average in Ghana. The activities of GSOPP also align with the Company's wider sustainability goals of establishing high value post-mining land uses, self-funding revegetation and creation of biomass to act as a carbon sink to offset operational emissions. Andrew Wray, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Star, commented: "We welcome Royal Gold's commitment to invest in GSOPP at Wassa. This partnership will enable the acceleration of the growth of GSOPP bringing additional benefit to the communities neighbouring our Wassa operations. The considerable scale of the Wassa resource gives potential for a significant mine life, and the Royal Gold commitment allows Golden Star and GSOPP to bring an even stronger legacy of sustainable alternative livelihood development for lasting positive impact in our host communities." Bill Heissenbuttel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Gold, commented: "Royal Gold strongly believes in the importance of sustainability in the mining industry, and GSOPP is an innovative example of sustainable community development. Royal Gold is pleased to have the opportunity to enter into this contribution agreement to further advance this award-winning initiative." Company Profile: Golden Star is an established gold mining company that owns and operates the Wassa underground mine in the Western Region of Ghana, West Africa. Listed on the NYSE American, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Ghanaian Stock Exchange, Golden Star is focused on delivering strong margins and free cash flow from the Wassa mine. As the winner of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada 2018 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award, Golden Star remains committed to leaving a positive and sustainable legacy in its areas of operation. SOURCE Golden Star Resources Ltd. Related Links www.gsr.com The experiment is the first to use the new duplex magnet at the National MagLab's Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos LOS ALAMOS, N.M., April 19, 2021 -- A recent series of experiments at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (National MagLab) at Los Alamos National Laboratory leveraged some of the nation's highest-powered nondestructive magnets to reveal an exotic new phase of matter at high magnetic fields. The experiments studied the unusual Kondo insulator ytterbium dodecaboride (or YbB12) and were the first results from the new 75-tesla duplex magnet housed at the National MagLab's Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos. "This magnet and the resulting experiments are the first fruits of the National Science Foundation-supported pulsed magnet surge," said Michael Rabin, director of the Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos. "The surge is creating new science capabilities in the 75-85 tesla range -- leading eventually to an expanded portfolio of some of the most powerful nondestructive magnetic fields in the world." Researchers from the University of Michigan, Kyoto University and Los Alamos conducted the research, published last week in Nature Physics. In Kondo insulators, there is an unusual quantum-mechanical mixing of mobile electrons and magnetic atoms, making these materials attractive as model systems for basic science, electronic devices, and possibly quantum computing. Unlike simple metals and insulators, YbB12 exhibits properties of both -- its electrical resistance behaves like that of an insulator, but it also clearly shows quantum oscillations at high magnetic fields that are a fundamental metallic property. "A plethora of theories has emerged to account for such behavior," said John Singleton, a fellow at the MagLab's Los Alamos campus and co-author on the paper. "Some physicists believe this is a condensed-matter incarnation of neutral Majorana fermions, entities normally explored in particle physics." To test these theories, the research team wanted to observe how the neutral fermions that they found in YbB12 responded to extreme conditions. The high magnetic fields in the new 75-tesla duplex magnet available at the National MagLab's Pulsed Field Facility were used to suppress the insulating properties of YbB12 and measure quantum oscillations and various properties that are affected by the presence of the neutral fermions. "The extra 10 tesla above our standard pulsed magnets provided by the duplex magnet enabled this new state of matter -- exotic fermions gradually being drowned in a sea of normal electrons -- to be tracked across a wide range of magnetic fields for the first time," said Singleton. This confirmed that the phenomena observed were definitely associated with the neutral fermions and provided a test of the various theoretical models. The duplex magnet is a result of a Pulsed Field Facility "magnet surge" supported by the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the surge is to create new and expanded science capabilities in the 75-85 tesla range. The duplex magnet system is available to researchers from around the world to conduct their own experiments, and an 85-tesla duplex magnet and necessary supporting technology are under development. These new pulsed magnets are powered solely by capacitor banks without relying on the Los Alamos generator that powers the much larger 100 tesla magnet. The generator is currently offline for repairs and maintenance, so magnets from the surge fill an important gap for condensed-matter physics in high magnetic fields. The new magnets are called duplex magnets because they are made from two concentric electromagnet coils (solenoids) that are powered independently from separate capacitor-bank modules. When the generator is back online, technology developed by the pulsed magnet surge will be combined with Los Alamos' largest magnets to further expand the MagLab's science capabilities. ### The National MagLab is the world's largest and highest-powered magnet facility with sites at Florida State University, the University of Florida and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Lab hosts the Pulsed Field Facility, home to a 100-tesla magnet system that has held a world record for nondestructive magnetic field production since 2012. The MagLab is funded by the National Science Foundation (DMR-1644779), the State of Florida and the US Department of Energy. High magnetic field magnets are essential to understanding physics phenomena that range from high-temperature superconductivity to quantum matter. Paper: Xiang, Z., Chen, L., Chen, KW. et al. Unusual high-field metal in a Kondo insulator. Nature Physics. (2021). https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1038/ s41567-021-01216-0 About Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is managed by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. LA-UR-21-23511 [April 20, 2021] Smart Parking Market to Hit $11.13 Bn, Globally, by 2027 at 12.6% CAGR: Allied Market Research Rise in parking concerns among individuals, increase in demand for Internet of Things (IoT)-based technology, and upsurge in the number of vehicles across the globe are the major factors driving the growth of the global smart parking market PORTLAND, Ore., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Smart Parking Market by Type (Off-Street and On-Street), Technology (IoT, Ultrasonic, and RFID), and Application (Security & Surveillance, Smart Payment System, E-Parking, and License Plate Recognition), and End User (Commercial and Government): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027." According to the report, the global smart parking industry was estimated at $6.05 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to hit $11.13 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 12.6% from 2020 to 2027. Download Research Report (252 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2878 Drivers, restraints, and opportunities- Increased parking concerns among individuals, rise in demand for Internet of Things (IoT)-based technology, and surge in the number of vehicles across the globe fuel the growth of the global smart parking market. On the other hand, high implementation cost, configuration complexities, and low rate of internet penetration in developing regions impede the growth to some extent. Nevertheless, rise in investment on building driverless vehicles and government initiatives in developing smart cities are anticipated to pave the way for lucrative opportunities for the key players in the industry. Covid-19 scenario- The outbreak of Covid-19 led to quarantine and shelter-at-home orders, thereby diminishing parking facilities across the globe. Also, activities in airports, where parking represents one of the biggest revenue sources, were severely disrupted due to global bans & restrictions on travel. Request for Customization of this report at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2878 The ultrasonic segment to dominate by 2027- Based on technology, the ultrasonic segment accounted for more than half of the global smart parking market share in 2019 and is expected to lead the trail by the end of 2027. This is owing to the fact that ultrasonic sensors have been widely used for various purposes such as determining surface structure, measuring the position, and calculating the speed of an object. The IoT segment, on the other hand, would portray the fastest CAGR of 14.2% during the forecast period. IoT helps the users to get notified about the empty parking space through a smartphone application or a satellite navigation device. This factor propels the growth of the segment. The security & surveillance segment to maintain the dominant share- Based on application, the security & surveillance segment contributed to nearly two-fifths of the global smart parking market share in 2019 and is expected to retain its dominance from 2020 to 2027. This is because security & surveillance systems helps operators to monitor and control over no parking zones, blocked emergency exits, or people entering/exiting throughan emergency exit. Simultaneously, the smart payment system segment would manifest the fastest CAGR of 14.4% by 2027, owing to the fact that smart payment system is way much faster as compared to conventional payment system. Interested to Procure The Data? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2878 North America garnered the major share in 2019- Based on geography, North America held the highest share in 2019, garnering nearly two-fifths of the global smart parking market. At the same time, Asia-Pacific would showcase the fastest CAGR of 14.3% from 2020 to 2027, due to high number of vehicle population in the region. The other two provinces studied in the report include Europe and LAMEA. Key players in the industry- Continental AG Dongyang Menics Co., Ltd IEM SA IPS Group Inc. Klaus Multiparking Systems Robert Bosch GmbH Urbiotica Amano McGann , Inc. , Inc. Smart Parking Limited Swarco AG Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/2878 Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry: Automated Parking Management Systems Market by Automation Level (Semi-automated and Fully-automated), System Type (Hardware and Software), End User (Commercial, Residential, and Mixed Use), Design Model (Hydraulics and Electro-mechanical), Platform Type (Palleted and Non-Palleted) and Parking Level (Less than Level 5, Level 5 to Level 10 and More than Level 10): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027. Real-Time Parking System Market by Type (On-Street, Off-Street, and Others), and Application (Heavy Commercial Vehicle, Light Commercial Vehicle, Passenger Vehicle, Transport, Aviation, Government, and Other): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027. Fully Automated Parking Management Systems Market by System Type (Hardware and Software), End User (Commercial, Residential, and Mixed-use), Design Model (Hydraulics and Electro-mechanical), Platform Type (Palleted and Non-Palleted), and Parking level (Less than Level 5, Level 5- Level 10, and More than Level 10): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027. Passenger Car Real-Time Parking System Market by Type (On-Street, Off-Street, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 20202027. Semi-Automated Parking Management Systems Market by System Type (Hardware and Software), End User (Commercial, Residential, and Mixed-use), Design Model (Hydraulics and Electro-Mechanical), Platform Type (Palleted and Non-Palleted), and Parking level (Less than Level 5, Level 5- Level 10, and More than Level 10): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027. Parking Meter Market by Technology [Parking Meter (Single Space), Parking Kiosks (Multi Space)], Parking Mode (Pay & Display, Plate, Space, and Others) and Application (Government Institutions, Hospitals, Parks, Transit Systems, Malls & Stadiums, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212027. About Allied Market Research Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP, based in Portland, Oregon. AMR provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. AMR launched its user-based online library of reports and company profiles, Avenue. An e-access library is accessible from any device, anywhere, and at any time for entrepreneurs, stakeholders, and researchers and students at universities. With reports on more than 60,000 niche markets with data comprising of 600,000 pages along with company profiles on more than 12,000 firms, Avenue offers access to the entire repository of information through subscriptions. A hassle-free solution to clients' requirements is complemented with analyst support and customization requests. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): 1-800-792-5285, 1-503-894-6022, 1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Elections are scheduled for 26 May. Victory assured for outgoing leader Assad, who has yet to formalize his candidacy. The High Court has so far admitted two challengers, excluding figures from opposition in exile. AsiaNews source: a vote that does not warm the hearts, the hope of an agreement between Iran and world powers on nuclear power. Damascus (AsiaNews) - A vote with a "predictable" outcome, which has thus far failed to warm the spirits of the Syrian population", more than ever worried about "surviving" in the face of a "now chronic lack of fuel," electricity and even bread. An AsiaNews source in Damascus speaking on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, describes the nation called to the polls next May 26 for the presidential elections. A passage, according to most, destined to confirm the current leader Bashar al-Assad already triumphant in 2014, during the bloodiest phase of the conflict and capable of maintaining the reins of power. The head of a nation devastated by a decade of war and sanctions, should not encounter serious opposition although there is no lack of discontent in some sectors of the population plagued by a very serious economic, social and health crisis. Now in power for more than 20 years since the death of his father Hafez, Bashar Assad has not yet formalized a participation which, however, seems obvious. The High Constitutional Court has already informed Parliament of two names, a former parliamentarian and a politician who had tried to compete in the 2014 vote but whose candidacy had been rejected. Those entitled - opponents in exile are excluded, they must have lived in the country for at least 10 years to participate - must submit their candidacy by April 28, obtaining the support of at least 35 deputies out of the 250 in total in Parliament. Voting will take place in regions under the control of the Damascus government, which account for about two thirds of the total. Syrians abroad will be able to vote on May 20 in the embassies of the host country. In 2014, at the height of the war and with the Russian intervention at the gates, Assad had triumphed with 92% of the votes but his power seemed destined to crumble. The Kremlin troops (together with Iran, an ally of Damascus) averted defeat on the military level; however, what remains today is a country marked by violence, sanctions and an economic and commercial embargo which, at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, threatens to destroy the entire population. In the last parliamentary elections, which were held in July last year, the ruling Ba'ath party and the allied formations (grouped in the "National Unity" coalition) won the majority, with 177 seats out of the total 250. Opposition groups refugees abroad had branded the vote as a farce. The United States also termed in fraudulent and a mock of democracy. The AsiaNews source confirms the presentation of two challengers, but "they are not well known and do not appear capable of challenging" Assad's leadership. The vote "is of no great importance and not much talk about it in everyday life", also because more than the presidential elections "future international arrangements and the possibility of a vast agreement that will put an end to suffering count". "The people - he explains - just want a compromise between the parties that can put an end to the sanctions, the home front" with the names of the presidential candidates "unimportant: the widespread desire is to go beyond names and plot a new course for the future." In this uncertain framework, concludes the source, "the possible agreement between Iran and the international powers on nuclear power, which we are all waiting for, assumes great importance. It - he warns - could have a positive effect also for Syria, which so far is paying the consequences. Even among Christians there is little interest in voting, because at the bottom the climate remains of mistrust and hope for the future is lacking. We really hope for an international agreement to end this conflict. United States Secretary of Education Miguel Angel Cardona will be the commencement speaker at Halifax Community College on May 15. HCC will host the commencement exercises virtually for students receiving associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates at noon. Secretary Cardona will bring a great message of hope, opportunity and possibilities for each graduate. The story of his personal journey within the American educational system will be an inspiration for our HCC graduates, said HCC President Michael Elam. Secretary Cardonas commitment and dedication to the success of all students is evident by his acceptance of our invitation. Said Elam: We are extremely proud to have a member of the White House Cabinet addressing the Roanoke Valley. This is an exciting graduation even though it will differ from past years due to the circumstances we find ourselves in. We are grateful that Dr. Cardona accepted our invitation to deliver the commencement address and I am certain that our students will be greatly impacted by his words. Cardona is the countrys 12th secretary of education and was confirmed on March 1. Prior to his confirmation, he served as Connecticut commissioner of education from 2019 to 2021. A native of Meriden, Connecticut, Cardona began his career at Israel Putnam Elementary School as a fourth-grade teacher in Meriden. In 2003, at the age of 27, he was named principal of Hanover School, also in Meriden, making him the youngest principal in the state. Pre-graduation activities begin at 10:30 am and graduation begins at noon. The link for the virtual graduation can be accessed on the HCC website Normal operations HCC will resume normal operations on Monday, May 17. The college has been operating under strict COVID-19 guidelines and will resume normal operations. To ensure the safety for all faculty, staff, students and visitors, HCC will continue with temperature checks upon entrance to the campus, social distancing and preventive cleaning measures to ensure a safe environment. The safety of everyone involved is our primary focus. Throughout the past year, our dedicated staff have maintained a safe environment for the campus, Elam said. We are excited to resume some normalcy after a very challenging year. We want to thank the HCC students and the community for their patience and understanding during this past year. A group of more than 20 progressive religious leaders has joined the Poor Peoples Campaign in demanding a repeal of the U.S. Senate filibuster, claiming it subverts democracy by denying the will of the majority. The filibuster is a centerpiece of the arcane, obstructionist rules of the United States Senate. It bars that body from the deliberative role it is supposed to have, Poor Peoples Campaign Co-Chair Rev. William J. Barber II, the pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina, said during a press conference last Thursday. The filibuster discourages public debate. It impedes the publics capacity to find out whether or not their elected representatives are blocking legislation that would serve them and lift them up. The filibuster creates an impoverished democracy. The filibuster is a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment or other debatable question in the Senate. Before 1917, the Senate rules did not provide for a way to end debate and force a vote on a measure. Source:The Christian Post Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 18:39:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Indulging in the superiority as the world's superpower, the United States habitually claims itself as the "defender of international law", blames unscrupulously other countries and slaps arbitrary sanctions on them under the pretext of safeguarding international rules. However, the United States in fact makes its selfish political gains first and puts its national law above international laws. The self-righteous country willfully breaks treaties and withdraws from international organizations, changing like a weathercock. Under the pretense of democracy and human rights, Washington constantly interferes in other countries' internal affairs, blatantly wages wars to encroach upon other countries' sovereignty, flagrantly undermines international order, and poses a grave threat to international security. What the U.S. has done has severely violated international rules including the United Nations (UN) Charter. The U.S. attempt to press other countries to "abide by rules" is in fact nothing but force them to yield to a unipolar world order dominated by the United States. 1.INTERFERENCE IN OTHER COUNTRIES' INTERNAL AFFAIRS, VIOLATING OTHER COUNTRIES' SOVEREIGNTY The principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs is an important principle of the UN Charter and the basic norm governing international relations. However, the U.S. government, under the guise of so-called democracy and human rights, has long interfered in China's internal affairs on issues related to ideology, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. Through arm sales to and official contacts with Taiwan, and with statements or acts that connive at "Taiwan independence", the U.S. government has been creating obstacles to the reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. After China resumed exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, the United States colluded with a fraction of opposition forces in Hong Kong and incited social unrest there. It also wantonly smeared China's policy of governance in Xinjiang, as well as the central government's counter-terrorism and de-extremism efforts in the region, viciously slandered Xinjiang's human rights situation, and imposed unilateral sanctions on related Chinese individuals and entities. Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, personally admitted that the so-called Xinjiang Uygur issue is nothing but a strategic plot of the United States to destabilize and contain China from the inside. Being a co-sponsor of the 1267 counter-terrorism committee of the UN Security Council to list the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a terrorist organization, the U.S. flip-flopped on the UN designation in November 2020 by removing the ETIM from its list of terrorist organizations, and brazenly whitewashed the terror group. For years, the United States has been providing shelter to forces like the so-called "pro-democracy movement," the ETIM and Falun Gong, which have conspired to destabilize China. U.S. politicians also met with people from those forces for multiple times as a gesture of endorsement, which exposed their real purpose of meddling with China's internal affairs in the name of "democracy and freedom." It is an international consensus that the principle of state sovereignty applies to cyberspace. But the United States, with its advantage in information technology and cyber military power, has time and again intruded and attacked other countries' cyber systems, which violated their sovereignty. In June 2013, the PRISM scandal systematically revealed the fact that the United States had long been hacking into other countries' network systems, and conducting massive network surveillance and espionage. The United States and other Western countries have been preaching and peddling the so-called system of freedom and democracy by promoting "color revolutions" across the world. The Arab Spring backed and engineered by the U.S. has created continuous turmoil in many countries in West Asia and North Africa. The United States has also long been carrying out intelligence infiltration and subversive activities in Venezuela, Panama and many Middle East countries, and has assisted opposition forces in those countries to plot coups, which seriously interfered in other countries' internal affairs. The United States is a signatory to international conventions such as the Hague Evidence Convention (also known as the Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters), the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. It has also ratified 69 criminal judicial assistance treaties with foreign countries. However, under the pretext of avoiding low efficiency and excessive restrictions in judicial assistance procedures, the United States established a subpoena ad testificandum system through domestic legislation and judicial precedents to conduct frequent extraterritorial evidence collections, which has been exercised via the Patriot Act Subpoenas and the Bank of Nova Scotia Subpoenas, and seriously undermined the judicial sovereignty and legal dignity of other countries. Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, there have been a number of abusive lawsuits in the United States seeking compensation from the Chinese government for the COVID-19 impact. According to international law experts, the U.S. courts' acceptance of these lawsuits against the Chinese government violated the principle of sovereign equality of states enshrined in the UN Charter and the principle of sovereign immunity in international law, and gravely infringed on China's national sovereignty and dignity. 2.VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL RULES, THREATENING PEACE AND SECURITY The United States has long disregarded the fundamental principle of international law that prohibits the unlawful use of force or threat to use force, and has brazenly launched wars against other sovereign states. In 2003, the United States used a bottle of white laundry detergent as the alleged evidence of Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction and launched an attack on the country without UN authorization, which caused hundreds of thousands of casualties and displaced more than 1 million people. In 2018, some countries, including the United States, Britain and France, launched airstrikes on Syria, causing casualties and displacement to tens of thousands of innocent civilians. A 2019 UN report concluded that the United States and the Western coalition forces might not have directed their attack targets at a specific military objective or failed to do so with the necessary precaution, which thus may constitute war crimes. The evidence of the so-called use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government turned out to be a staged video directed by the White Helmets, an organization funded by the U.S. and British intelligence agencies. In January 2020, the U.S. forces conducted the targeted killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, in violation of the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention's provisions on the use of military force. The United States has been upgrading its nuclear arsenal, lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, using the so-called "trilateral negotiations" as a pretext to evade its special responsibility for nuclear disarmament, and even entertain the thought of resuming nuclear tests. The United States has deployed anti-missile systems in the Asia-Pacific region and Central and Eastern Europe, and is seeking to deploy land-based intermediate missile systems in the Asia-Pacific and European regions in an attempt to strengthen its military presence and establish absolute superiority. The United States has stood alone in opposing negotiations on a verification protocol of the Biological Weapons Convention and impeded international efforts to verify the biological activities in member countries and has thus become a "stumbling block" to the process of biological arms control. The United States has secretly set up biological laboratories in many places around the world and engaged in biological militarization. The link between the U.S. military laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, and the spread of the novel coronavirus remains suspicious. As the only country with stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world, the United States has repeatedly postponed destroying its chemical weapons and dragged its feet toward fulfilling its obligations, making itself the biggest obstacle to achieving "a world free of chemical weapons." By establishing the U.S. Space Force and the Space Command, the United States has been accelerating space weapons tests and military exercises, threatening space security and contradicting the principle of peaceful use of outer space. In 2015, the country enacted a law allowing the commercial exploration and exploitation of space resources on celestial bodies such as the moon, violating the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which stipulates that "outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." The South China Sea is more than 8,300 miles away from the continental United States, yet the U.S. side has established multiple military bases with offensive weapons and equipment deployed around the area. It has frequently sent aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to the South China Sea and deployed a large number of military aircraft and warships there on a regular basis, and even impersonated civil aircraft by using other countries' transponder codes, which violates international aviation rules, disrupts the aviation order and safety in relevant airspace, and threatens the national security of countries in the region. On June 27, 1986, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the United States' actions of financing and training the Nicaraguan opposition, and planting offensive weapons in the relevant waters of Nicaragua violated the sovereignty of Nicaragua and the principle banning unlawful use of force or military threats. 3.UNILATERAL BULLYING & SANCTIONS IN PURSUIT OF SUPREME DOMINATION According to data published by U.S. legal firm Gibson Dunn, under former President Donald Trump's administration, the United States took more than 3,900 distinct sanctions actions, a record frequency of about 3 times a day. Based on its own Trade Act of 1974, the United States abandoned the basic norms of international exchanges, such as mutual respect and equal consultation, practiced unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, and launched the Section 301 Investigation against China. In July and August 2018, the United States separately imposed additional tariffs of 25 percent on Chinese imports worth 50 billion U.S. dollars, and the tariff measures have been escalated since then. On Sept. 24, 2018, the United States started imposing an additional 10-percent tariff on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese products, which seriously violates the basic principles and spirit of the World Trade Organization. Contrary to the principles of market competition and international trade and economic rules it has always touted, the United States has generalized the concept of national security and abused its national power and went all out to suppress specific Chinese companies. To date, it has listed 382 Chinese companies and institutions on its Entity List and 44 Chinese companies as "Communist Chinese military enterprises." It published a "Military End User List" that includes 73 Chinese companies and enacted the so-called "Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act" with provisions that clearly discriminate against Chinese companies. To suppress Huawei, the United States abused the criminal justice process and the U.S.-Canada extradition treaty to hold Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou hostage on trumped-up charges as a means to pressure China. The United States has imposed several rounds of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 project, which links Russia with Germany, in the past few years because the United States believes the project will impact the U.S. gas industry and its geopolitical interests in the Eurasian region. The United States has also abused its "long-arm jurisdiction" to target foreign companies such as Deutsche Bank and France's Alstom, posing a serious threat to the economic sovereignty of other countries. The United States has pursued a strategy of "maximum pressure" on Iran and prevented the UN Security Council from lifting the conventional arms embargo and travel ban on Iran on time in accordance with Resolution 2231 on the Iranian nuclear issue. In 2020, the United States pushed for the extension of the arms embargo on Iran in the UN Security Council, called for the activation of the "snapback" mechanism, and unilaterally announced the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran. The U.S. moves have failed due to the opposition of the vast majority of the UN Security Council members. The United States announced unilateral sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in September 2020 because the ICC approved and authorized the chief prosecutor to launch investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity by Taliban, Afghan security forces, and U.S. military and intelligence personnel in Afghanistan. After U.S. President Joe Biden took office, the United States withdrew the relevant sanctions but still refused to face its own problems. 4.PUTTING AMERICA FIRST AND RENEGING ON COMMITMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS For a period of time, the U.S. government repeatedly threatened to withdraw from a series of treaties and international organizations. It violated the spirit of contract and international morality by withdrawing from organizations and breaking contracts at will, and treating international organizations as amusement parks where it can come and go whenever it wants. The United States has long owed huge amounts of money in its UN dues and peacekeeping contributions. According to the statistics of the UN Secretariat, as of the beginning of April, the United States still owed 1.237 billion dollars in UN dues and 1.646 billion dollars to the UN peacekeeping budget, which respectively account for 51 percent and 61 percent of the total arrears owed by all member states. At the critical stage of the global fight against COVID-19, the United States, in order to find a "scapegoat" for its own incompetent handling of the epidemic, publicly intensified its conflict with the World Health Organization (WHO), repeatedly threatening to cut its funding, and announcing in July 2020 that it would officially withdraw from the WHO in July 2021. After taking office, the Biden administration announced that it would stop the exit process. In June 2018, the United States announced its withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council, citing the council's "bias" against Israel and its inability to effectively protect human rights. In February 2021, the United States announced that it would run for the membership of the council in 2022-2024, and said that countries with poor human rights records should not become members of the council. In April 2017, the Trump administration announced a unilateral "cut-off" of funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on the grounds that the organization "supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization." After taking office, the Biden administration restored funding to the UNFPA in a high-profile manner. The United States is a founding member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, but announced its withdrawal from the organization twice in 1984 and 2017 during the organization's more than 70 years of development. In 2020, despite objection from its allies, the United States announced that it initiated the procedure of exiting from the Open Skies Treaty from May 22. In 2019, the United States announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for the sake of developing advanced weapons without constraints. In order to maintain its own quota dominance in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States forcibly blocked the IMF from completing the 15th general review of quotas before the 2019 annual meeting in accordance with the consensus of G20 leaders, and refused to transfer more quotas to emerging markets and developing countries, leading to a fruitless end of the relevant reform process. In October 2018, in response to Palestine taking the United States to the International Court of Justice over the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the United States announced its withdrawal from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Concerning the Compulsory Settlement of Disputes, which is related to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. In May 2018, the United States insisted on announcing its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action endorsed by the UN Security Council, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly confirmed Iran's fulfillment of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, and the United States had no evidence to prove that Iran had violated the agreement. In December 2017, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations announced that it would not participate in the Global Compact on Migration negotiation process, claiming that U.S. "decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone." In December 2018, the United States voted against the Global Compact on Migration at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Out of its self-interest, the United States has been blocking the selection of members for the WTO's Appellate Body since August 2017, forcing the body into paralysis in December 2019. As the body has not yet resumed normal operation, the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system are seriously undermined. In June 2017, the United States stated that it would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change in order to fulfill its "solemn duty to protect America and its citizens." Two months after its formal withdrawal in November 2020, the United States announced that it rejoined the Paris Agreement. After signing the Kyoto Protocol, the United States still allowed its own carbon emissions to grow rapidly, while at the same time, it frequently asked developing countries to increase their emission reductions. The United States even made the emission reduction obligations of developing countries a prerequisite for their accession to the Kyoto Protocol. The fact fully revealed the U.S. double standards of "treating itself leniently but being strict with others" in the multilateral arena. Although the United States has signed multilateral environmental treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the country has not ratified any of them so far. The fact highlights the United States' unilateralist mentality of not wanting to be bound by international environmental treaties and evading its international responsibilities, and fully exposes the U.S. disregard for international environmental protection and its uncooperative attitude in the multilateral environmental field. In 2002, the United States announced that it withdrew its signature to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, citing disadvantages to its servicemen, diplomats and politicians. In 1982, the United States refused to sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to preserve its hegemonic interests in the oceans, and has not yet joined the convention. 5.INFAMOUS DOUBLE STANDARDS AND GROSS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights puts the right to life at the top of human rights. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government shows indifference to people's lives, despises science, slacks off on disease prevention and control, and prioritizes politics and capital interests in anti-pandemic decision-making, which has greatly threatened the lives of its citizens and seriously violated their rights to life and health. As of April 18, the United States has reported more than 31.66 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 567,000 deaths, both ranking first in the world. To cover up their failure to contain the domestic spread of COVID-19, a few American politicians, who ignored the explicit opposition of the WHO and the international community to linking the virus with specific countries and regions, wantonly spread the rumors of "Chinese virus" and "Wuhan virus" on various occasions, and openly induced and incited racial discrimination and hatred, leading to frequent vicious attacks on Asian Americans. These U.S. politicians' behavior has seriously violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. According to a report by the U.S.-based organization Stop AAPI Hate, at least 3,795 incidents of racial discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported from March 19, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021. Surveys also showed that around 30 percent of Asian Americans have suffered racial discrimination during the pandemic. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted that the increasingly unilateral use of economic sanctions almost without exception has a great impact on the enjoyment and exercise of people's rights. Therefore, to protect people's rights to life and health, no country should impose any embargo or take any similar measures at any time to restrict the provision of adequate medicines and medical equipment to another country. During the pandemic, however, the United States imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and other countries, making it difficult for these countries to obtain anti-pandemic medical materials in time, aggravating humanitarian crises in the relevant countries. International documents -- including the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the American Convention on Human Rights, the General Comment No. 2 on the rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families by the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers, and the General Comment No. 30 on the issue of discrimination against non-citizens by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -- prohibit collective expulsion of migrants and confirm that immigrants have the right to emergency medical care. Nonetheless, regardless of the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has continued to forcibly deport illegal immigrants and implemented a policy of family separation, infringing on the rights of immigrant children. According to the Los Angeles Times, since March 2020, the U.S. government has expelled at least 8,800 unaccompanied undocumented migrant children. As a report submitted by the UN Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity in accordance with the Resolution 35/3 of the UN Human Rights Council pointed out, the U.S. government forced immigrant children to separate from their asylum-seeking parents, a move that seriously endangers migrants' human rights such as rights to life, dignity and freedom. In the 2020 fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 21 people died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the highest death toll since 2005. Doctors in the ICE custody were accused of performing unnecessary gynecological operations for dozens of female immigrants, and even removing their wombs without their consent, causing serious damage to the women's physical and mental health. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights clearly stipulates that everyone has the inherent right to life, which cannot be deprived arbitrarily. In the United States, however, there are numerous examples of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers resulting in death. In April 2020, African American George Floyd was killed by a white police officer in violent law enforcement, which set off a large-scale protest against racial discrimination and violent law enforcement by police across the United States, highlighting the great resentment of American people, especially African Americans, who have been suffering racial discrimination and extralegal killings for a long time. Although a signatory state to the UN Convention against Torture, the United States has a persistent problem of torture in its judicial system, as seen in the notorious prisoner abuse scandal of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. John Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, once confessed that American troops inflicted murder rather than torture on some Iraqi prisoners of war. During the Iraq war, at least 100 people died in interrogations. In 2020, Trump pardoned four employees of U.S. private military company Blackwater, who committed massacres and war crimes in Iraq. The chairman of the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries of the UN Human Rights Council pointed out that the pardon had an impact on international humanitarian law and human rights, and was an affront to justice as well as victims and their families. Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that "pardoning them contributes to impunity" and emboldens others to commit such crimes. Enditem Advertisement Prince Andrew was spotted going for a horse ride in Windsor this afternoon, his latest appearance in public in recent days, with one royal expert suggesting he may be 'trying to rehabilitate himself'. On Saturday, The Duke of York sat next to the Queen at his father's funeral before leaving in his new 220,000 Bentley, while on April 11 he spoke to television cameras outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, two days after his father's death. That appearance, where he paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, was the first time he had directly addressed cameras since his car crash Newsnight interview about his friendship with convicted paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew then sat next to the Queen at his father's funeral, before making regular trips to visit her afterwards, according to royal sources. Before the funeral, there were also rumours that the Duke of York pushed to wear a Navy Admiral's uniform during the service - only for the Queen to eventually rule that male royals had to wear suits. Today's ride in Windsor has prompted speculation Andrew is attempting to 'rehabilitate' himself after stepping down from royal duties following his BBC disaster. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that Andrew would 'obviously like to be rehabilitated', but must first answer FBI questions on his links to Epstein. Andrew's appearance comes after it was suggested Prince Charles is planning to slim down the monarchy in the wake of his father's death and Megxit, which saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle trade in royal life for LA. Both Charles and Prince William are said to be in agreement that there is no future place for Andrew in the monarchy, according to reports. Prince Andrew was spotted going for a horse ride in Windsor this morning, his latest appearance in public in recent days Prince Andrew left Prince Philip's funeral in a brand new 220,000 racer-green Bentley. The Duke of York, 61, sat in the back of the 200mph Bentley Flying Spur (pictured arriving at the funeral) - which was blue when first delivered in September before being spray-painted Prince Andrew was the closest member of the royal family to the Queen on Saturday during Prince Philip's funeral service Prince Andrew solemnly walked behind his father's coffin as it was slowly carried to St George's Chapel in Windsor The Mirror's royal editor Russel Myers told ITV's Lorraine that there is 'no place for Andrew' and both Charles and William are 'completely aligned on that'. Reacting to the photos of Andrew riding today, Mr Fitzwilliams said: 'Given the fact that there are now three fewer senior working royals including him, I suspect he has hopes that some engagements might be undertaken by his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, which they might. 'Central to any hopes he might have of some form of future rehabilitation is cooperation with the FBI to assist the victims of the deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He also still faces serious accusations which have received worldwide publicity. 'His friend Ghislaine Maxwell goes on trial in the summer. It will be something of a cause celebre and if any further embarrassing revelations or accusations were to surface it would make matters worse. 'As it is, a low profile and cooperation with the FBI remain his only options in the foreseeable future. He would obviously like to be rehabilitated, but the public would not stand for it given the allegations against him and the memory of that bizarre interview with Emily Maitlis. 'Any event he attended in an official capacity would be dominated by him and his past. He should first cooperate and be seen to cooperate with the FBI and forget about anything else.' Andrew took centre stage in the days following his father's death, after paying tribute to Prince Philip outside the Royal Chapel. He dubbed Philip 'the grandfather of the nation' as he revealed how the Queen said the loss of her husband had 'left a huge void in her life'. He said: 'She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we're there to support her.' The duke added of his father: 'He was a remarkable man. I loved him as a father. He was so calm. He was always someone you could go to. We have lost the grandfather of the nation.' The public interview about his father's death was followed by rumours that Andrew was demanding to wear an Admiral's uniform for the funeral. Andrew was made an honorary Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015 and was due to be promoted to Admiral on his 60th birthday last year. However, he offered to defer it until he cleared his name amid the Epstein scandal and returned to public duties. He is believed to have caused uproar at Buckingham Palace in the days leading up to his father's funeral after he told the Queen and senior officials that he wished to attend the service as an Admiral. Prince Philip died peacefully in his sleep at Windsor Castle last Friday, with Prince Andrew revealing the impact of his father's death on the Queen in a television interview two days later Addressing the camera, Prince Andrew said the Queen is 'an incredibly stoic person', but said Philip's death had left her grieving and 'she is feeling it more than anyone' The Duke of York (second left) talks with Crown Estate staff as he attends the Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, two days after his father's death The Queen eventually ruled that all male members of the royal family would attend the service in suits with medals. On Saturday, Andrew joined his family as they walked behind his father's coffin as it was slowly carried to St George's Chapel in Windsor on the back of a custom-built Land Rover hearse. Inside the chapel, Andrew sat closest to the Queen - with the family still separated by several spaces due to social distancing rules. He then left the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in the back of his new 220,000 racing-green Bentley, which he had fitted with personalised number plates. The Duke of York sat in the back of the 200mph Bentley Flying Spur, which was blue when first delivered in September before being spray-painted. The luxury motor was pictured driving out of Windsor Castle on the way to nearby Royal Lodge, the home Andrew shares with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 61. In the days following Philip's death, Andrew and his ex-wife have also made 'regular' trips to visit and comfort the Queen, it has been claimed. The Duke's recent spate of public visits come after he stepped back from public duties following his Newsnight interview. His withdrawal from public life meant he did not appear in photos of his daughter Princess Beatrice's wedding to Italian property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi in July. In 2019, Andrew said he was willing to help US officials with their Epstein investigations - but was last year accused of providing 'zero cooperation'. Virginia Roberts, now a mother of three living in Australia, claims she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the duke on three occasions in 2001, including in New York around Easter that year, when she was 17. Andrew strongly denies all her allegations and says he cannot even recall meeting her, despite the pair being apparently pictured together at Miss Maxwell's London home on March 10, 2001. That Wonderful But Weird Thing That Freaks Out People on Oregon Coast: Brown Waves Published 04/18/21 at 12:05 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Oregon Coast) Periodically, residents and tourists alike get a little spooked by something found on the Oregon coast: brown waves. They often think its something icky, like maybe pollution or an oil spill. In fact, it sometimes resembles either, certainly to the uninitiated. However, the culprit is a sign of a very healthy ocean: tiny, microscopic creatures called diatoms, which are a form of phytoplankton. You can see these brown waves from the southern Washington coast down through the southern edges of Seaside. When it happens, more often than not its more of a north Oregon coast thing, up around Seaside and northward. Its not often seen south of there, even more rarely so south of Rockaway Beach. One inincident in 2010 stands out, however. Its appearance along Lincoln County beaches like Seal Rock, Newport and Depoe Bay caused some residents to call the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) out of concern. Back then Steve Schnurbusch was with the DEQ office in Salem. He told Oregon Coast Beach Connection some residents feared it might be pollutants from a paper plant up the Yaquina River. His office collected a sample, and analysis under a microscope confirmed it was indeed only this form of phytoplankton. In Seaside, for a long time tourists often flooded local businesses and tourism entities with questions about the brown stuff, also fearful its pollution of some kind. Seaside Aquarium and the city put up signs all over talking about the oddity and the slowly the questions stopped. Certainly the more urgent reports. (Photo above: brown waves in Long Beach on the Washington coast, courtesy Seaside Aquarium's Tiffany Boothe) Its a good thing, said Chandler. Its a healthy thing. Its just a lot of diatoms. Diatoms are microscopic plant-like creatures that are actually responsible for most all sea foam you see on the beaches. They are about 100 micrometers long or 1000 times the size of a virus. Still, theyre not visible with the naked eye. This particular phytoplankton can get so abundant on the north coast that causes really dark patches along with very dark, brown chunks of foam in the Seaside area. Rarely, it happens along the south or central coast, where big chunks of brown foam float lazily along the waves. There, it can create dark, oily-looking patches in the sand as well as large tracts of brown foam and goo along the beaches. The diatoms thrive off large amounts of nitrates and phosphates, which are extremely heavy in the freshwater runoffs from the Columbia River, Chandler said. Thats why its so brown here on these beaches," he said. " Theyre living off the nitrates and phosphates coming down from the Columbia. That creates these huge blooms of diatoms. Theyve got a lot of stuff to feed off. Its like gravy to these diatoms. Or like pudding to them. Schnurbusch said although its rarer on the central coast, given the right conditions it will happen there as well. Diatoms under a microscope, courtesy Seaside Aquarium Weve got the Yaquina River here, and when it rains heavily you get a lot of the nutrients coming down to spark these enormous blooms, Schnurbusch said. Then all you need is a bit of sunshine, which we had as well. These are plants, so they do work on photosynthesis. These enormous blooms can bring other surprises. Often, large blooms of the brown diatoms or the usual diatoms that are responsible for sea foam mean there are other kinds of phytoplankton about. A form of these called dinoflagellates are bioluminescent creating what is called the glowing sands phenomenon. Your chances of seeing these at night on the beaches are greater during these heavy bloom events. Heavy diatom blooms frequently happen up on the southern Washington coast as the north Oregon coast blooms happen, but not always. If the Long Beach Peninsula has them, chances are pretty good Seaside does. Those heavy nutrient runoffs from the Columbia also feed the large razor clam population on this part of the northwest coast. Oregon officials say more than 80 percent of the states razor clams are on Clatsop County beaches. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Photos above and below courtesy Seaside Aquarium. Brown waves have different looks, sometimes more alarming than others 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 When the pandemic started in March 2020, Dainerys Machado Vento, a graduate student in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Miami, was co-teaching an interdisciplinary curatorial course. Lillian Manzor, an associate professor in the department who was teaching the course with her, remembers that when the students shared their situations and their feelings of uncertainty and discouragement, Machado Vento would tell them repeatedly, remember that there is poetry and art to help us through these difficult moments. Searching through various genres in literature for voices that speak to her and help her make sense of the world is, according to Manzor, what makes Machado Vento such a good writer. Machado Ventos published work, which includes a book of short stories titled 'Las noventa Habanas' and a host of other short stories and essays, were recently honored by the prestigious Granta literary magazine. She was named one of the worlds best young Spanish-language writers and was one of three Cuban writers to be included in the listthe first time writers from the Caribbean nation have been selected. She writes with a language that is full of humor and impudence, that mixes tragedy with comedy, farce, and the absurd, said Manzor, who serves as Machado Ventos dissertation director. She revisits common topicsin the case of contemporary Cuban literature, hunger, lack, erotism, disillusionment, ruins, migrationbut they are always narrated from a point of view that dismantles them and with a language that, while it is very Cuban, allows her readers to connect with these characters, regardless of their national origin, Manzor said. Born in Havana, Cuba, Machado Vento developed a love of language from an early age and described herself as a bookworm. She studied journalism and worked as a writer for Bohemia magazine. In 2016, she became the first Cuban student to receive an F-1 student visa and came to study at the University. At the time, she marveled at the ease of conducting research in the Universitys libraries. In Cuba, many of the texts she had searched for were non-existent or not allowed to be read, as decided by the communist regime, she said. She is now a United States resident and working on her thesis, called The Contemporary Medialization of Cuban Literature 2005-2015, in which she explores how Cuban writers have been portrayed in mediaparticularly in Mexico and Spain. Some of the initial findings in my thesis is that, unfortunately, most of the media accounts of Cuban writers revolve around Fidel Castro and it is heavily linked to the political, she said. She also found that there is a marked lack of female Cuban writers and when Cuban writers were mentioned in the media, those mentions tended to hark back to traditional writers such as Jose Lezama Lima, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, and Alejo Carpentier. Machado Vento believes that the media finds it difficult to evaluate the work of younger Cuban writers. Her writing has a genuine Cuban flavor, and she writes about her multiple experiences, both in Cuba and in exile. Her book Las noventa Habanas focuses on stories about Habaneros in the 1990s in the periodo especial, or special period, a time of economic crisis in the island that was prompted by the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which used to heavily support Cuba. I felt that there was something that my generation could say about that particular period, and in many of the stories I used a childs voice because I lived that period as a child, she said. She is saddened that Cuba is again living through another similar economic crisis. This crisis is worse because we are living in a different world, she said. People in Cuba now realize that the access to food is a human right, as is the access to freedom of expression. During the award announcement at the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid on April 7, Grantaeditor Valerie Miles, who edited the collection, said, We were looking for originality, for people who were doing things that were unique and who didnt seem to be following a trend. Machado Vento feels very happy to have been included as one of the writers honored by the publication and hopes that this will bring new focus on Cuban literature. There are three of us on that list, she said. Does this mean that there may be a renaissance for Cuban literature? She said she certainly hopes so. 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Amit will be responsible for steering MMAs endeavours to innovate and transform modern marketing in India and help marketers adopt and accelerate best practices in it. Amit succeeds Priya Nair, Executive Director, Beauty and Personal Care, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Priya will move into a new role as Chair Emeritus of MMA India. An FMCG veteran, Amit brings a wealth of global experience and a deep understanding of India having been in leadership roles in Coca-Cola, Viacom, and AkzoNobel over the past two decades. Speaking on his new role as Chairperson of MMA India, Amit Jain said, MMA has been doing stellar work in helping marketers use insights and tools to harness the convergence of marketing and technology to drive personalised and customised engagement, in line with evolving consumer needs and purchase behaviour. I am delighted to take on this role and lead MMAs commitment to shape the future of marketing today by bringing brands closer to consumers through connected consumer journeys. Priya Nair, now Chair Emeritus of MMA India said, Its been a pleasure for me to lead the MMA India board and add to building the industry ecosystem. I am excited to welcome Amit as MMA India Chair to lead the imperative for marketing change by empowering, enlightening, and enabling marketers to shape the future of modern marketing and propelling business growth. Moneka Khurana, Country Head, MMA India added, Amit Jains business leadership, progressive outlook and experience in managing credible boards will help in shaping the future of Modern Marketing for MMA India at a time when its central to all marketers to drive business ROI, customer engagement & innovations. On the appointment Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director of MMA Asia Pacific, said Amit Jains deep knowledge of digital marketing in the 21st century will prove invaluable to the furthering of MMAs mission in advancing modern marketing in India. I look forward to working with Amit and would like to thank Priya for her invaluable contribution and for paving the way forward. MMA India has made significant strides in creating impact on the marketing ecosystem through various charters , events, resources and toolkits. The association is in the midst of conducting its marquee event MMA Impact India on 20th and 21st May - A global IP enabling thought leadership and views that shape the industry. This event will also witness exclusive unveils of MMA reports . To view the complete MMA India board click on the below mentioned link: https://www.mmaglobal.com/local-councils/india MMA, formerly known as the Mobile Marketing Association, the worlds leading not for profit trade body with heightened focus on Modern marketing has announced the appointment of Amit Jain, Managing Director, LOreal India as Chairperson of its India Board of Directors. Amit will be responsible for steering MMAs endeavours to innovate and transform modern marketing in India and help marketers adopt and accelerate best practices in it. Amit succeeds Priya Nair, Executive Director, Beauty and Personal Care, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Priya will move into a new role as Chair Emeritus of MMA India. An FMCG veteran, Amit brings a wealth of global experience and a deep understanding of India having been in leadership roles in Coca-Cola, Viacom, and AkzoNobel over the past two decades. Speaking on his new role as Chairperson of MMA India, Amit Jain said, MMA has been doing stellar work in helping marketers use insights and tools to harness the convergence of marketing and technology to drive personalised and customised engagement, in line with evolving consumer needs and purchase behaviour. I am delighted to take on this role and lead MMAs commitment to shape the future of marketing today by bringing brands closer to consumers through connected consumer journeys. Priya Nair, now Chair Emeritus of MMA India said, Its been a pleasure for me to lead the MMA India board and add to building the industry ecosystem. I am excited to welcome Amit as MMA India Chair to lead the imperative for marketing change by empowering, enlightening, and enabling marketers to shape the future of modern marketing and propelling business growth. Moneka Khurana, Country Head, MMA India added, Amit Jains business leadership, progressive outlook and experience in managing credible boards will help in shaping the future of Modern Marketing for MMA India at a time when its central to all marketers to drive business ROI, customer engagement & innovations. On the appointment Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director of MMA Asia Pacific, said Amit Jains deep knowledge of digital marketing in the 21st century will prove invaluable to the furthering of MMAs mission in advancing modern marketing in India. I look forward to working with Amit and would like to thank Priya for her invaluable contribution and for paving the way forward. MMA India has made significant strides in creating impact on the marketing ecosystem through various charters , events, resources and toolkits. The association is in the midst of conducting its marquee event MMA Impact India on 20th and 21st May - A global IP enabling thought leadership and views that shape the industry. This event will also witness exclusive unveils of MMA reports . To view the complete MMA India board click on the below mentioned link: https://www.mmaglobal.com/local-councils/india A food plant employee is suing his Walworth County, Wisconsin, employer alleging he contracted the coronavirus at work and infected his wife who died from the disease. Rigoberto Ruiz, of Beloit, says ConAgra Foods didnt enforce a policy to ensure that employees wore masks at its Darien plant. Ruiz says supervisors failed to take corrective action when employees failed to wear masks at the plant, which processes frozen vegetables. Ruizs wife, Martha Amador De Ruiz, died of COVID-19 complications on May 5, 2020. Company spokesman Dan Hare said it has taken many preventive measures to keep people safe across the plant, including the use of face masks and shields, social distancing and plexiglass barriers between work stations where people work less than 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart. Last July, 221 of the more than 800 workers at the facility tested positive for the coronavirus. The outbreak at the Darien facility was the third largest among facilities and businesses in Wisconsin as of June 1, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Conagra Brands, which owns ConAgra Foods, is asking the federal court in Wisconsins Eastern District to take the case from Walworth County Circuit Court, the Journal Sentinel reported. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Lawsuits Wisconsin The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday voted unanimously to modify graduation requirements for the class of 2022 to allow those students to demonstrate competency in math and English by completing a relevant course instead of earning a passing MCAS score. With $1.6 billion hammered around the world in fine art auctions during the 1st quarter of 2021, the art market may look like it has already returned to a "normal" rhythm. True, the Q1 total is exactly the average Q1 total over the ten Q1 periods preceding the health crisis (2010 - 2019). But this impression, based on auction turnover alone, hides a very different situation from that which prevailed two years ago. Q1 fine art auction turnover since 2000 [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-1-Fine-Art-Turnover-Q1-since-2000.png] Fine art lots sold and unsold in Q1 auctions since 2000 [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-2-Fine-Art-Lots-Q1-since-2000.png] thierry Ehrmann, President and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department, acknowledges that "it is still a little early to disentangle the effects of each of the powerful factors currently shaking the art market: Covid, Brexit, NFTs, etc. But their consequences are already visible". Artprice is therefore redoubling its efforts to ensure continuous monitoring of the market's most sensitive indicators and keep a close eye on its overall health. Artprice wishes to share the conclusions of its econometrics department in order to contribute to the market's transparency. 1. A record number of transactions Despite the logistical complications linked to the health crisis, fine art auction transactions have never been as numerous as in Q1 2021. In total, 112,200 lots were sold around the world, i.e. 6% more than in Q1 2019 (105,600 lots sold). The digital transition undertaken by the major auction houses has enabled the emergence of an online market that is particularly suited to the middle market. 2. A declining unsold rate An key indicator of the balance between supply and demand in the market, the unsold rate varied only very slightly over the period 2010-2019, fluctuating between 31% and 34%. In other words, the art market has become accustomed to seeing a third of the lots offered for auction fail to reach their reserve prices. But in Q1 2021, only one in four sales (25%) failed: demand is therefore increasing a little faster than supply! 3. A gradual geographic rebalancing Q1 turnover figures are usually dominated by London, which hosts the first prestige sales of the year. In 2021 the agenda had to be postponed by several weeks but nevertheless went ahead. However, the dominance of the UK capital appears weakened: London accounted for 37% of global sales revenue in Q1 2021 versus 48% in Q1 2019. New York, which managed to generate 27% of the global turnover in the first three months of the year, appears to be the main beneficiary. 4. The NFT revolution The sale of Beeple's NFT Everydays marked the start of a possible revolution on the art market. The work was purchased for $69 million in a Christie's online auction using the Ether cryptocurrency. Indeed, this new market appears to have become even more 'intangible' since Sotheby's generated $16.8 million by selling "The Fungible Collection", a digital work offered online in unlimited quantities and created by the anonymous and mysterious Pak. 5. Red-chips dethrone blue-chips Since the end of 2020, art auctions around the world have hammered some surprising results for extremely recent works. Journalist Scott Reyburn (in The Art Newspaper) cites, as an example, Christie's "20th Century: Hong Kong to New York" sale on 2 December 2020 and says he was surprised to see Dana Schutz's canvas Elevator (2017) fetch $6.5 million and Andy Warhol's "classic" Campbell's Soup Can (1962) sell for just $6.1 million (especially as the latter reached $7.4 million in 2014). Reyburn concludes that the arrival of new collectors, in search of the latest novelties ("red-chips") is overtaking the desire to possess "blue-chip" artworks. www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/the-rush-for-red-chip-art Images: [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-1-Fine-Art-Turnover-Q1-since-2000.png] [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/04/Artmarket-Artprice-2-Fine-Art-Lots-Q1-since-2000.png] Copyright 1987-2021 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com Don't hesitate to c ontact our Econometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: econometrics@artprice.com Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription About Artmarket: Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987. See certified biography in Who's who : imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2019/10/biographie_oct2019_WhosWho_thierryEhrmann.pdf Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 770,000 artists. Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians. Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code). Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art. Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2021: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2020 Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department: serveur.serveur.com/press_release/pressreleaseen.htm Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5 million followers) twitter.com/artmarketdotcom twitter.com/artpricedotcom Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013 L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 (4.5 million followers) https://vimeo.com/124643720 Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department - Contact: ir@artmarket.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: m2qaZsqXZpmdmW9pYZ2amWVmmGxpmGjGa2OWyZNtlZmUmZ5jmGuVapuYZm9pnGlo - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-68742-artmarket-artprice-five-big-changes-en.pdf Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 20:28:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China, while comprehensively promoting domestic vaccination, will continue to carry out vaccine cooperation with Indonesia, help Indonesia build a regional vaccine production center, and jointly resist the "vaccine divide." In a phone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Xi stressed that both China and Indonesia attach great importance to people's lives and health and oppose "vaccine nationalism," noting that vaccine cooperation between the two countries is at the forefront of the world. China, Xi added, has included foreign citizens on its soil, including those from Indonesia, in its inoculation plan, and hopes that Indonesia will also provide active support for Chinese nationals in the Southeast Asian country. In the face of profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, Xi emphasized, China stands ready to join hands with Indonesia to enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen strategic consensus, strengthen strategic coordination, uphold multilateralism, safeguard fairness and justice, promote global climate governance, defend the common interests of developing countries, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Enditem India has allowed vaccine makers like Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech to fix vaccine rates at "liberalised" rates while opening up vaccination for all above the age of 18. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with top health department officials, the government decided that its Phase-3 vaccination strategy will focus around "liberalised vaccine pricing and scaling up of vaccine coverage". What this means is that companies will be able to raise prices when they sell the vaccines to states and private players. Companies are expected to plough in the profits they make to significantly scale up operations to meet country's growing demand. Apart from helping in augmenting vaccine production and availability, the move will also "make pricing, procurement, eligibility and administration of vaccines open and flexible", the government statement said. As per the Centre, vaccine makers will have to set aside 50 per cent of vaccine doses to the central government for carrying out ongoing free vaccination drive for those above the age of 45, while the rest can be allocated to states and private players at pre-fixed rates. The companies need to disclose the price of the vaccines to be distributed to states and private players before May 1, the date when phase 3 of the vaccination will start. "Private vaccination providers shall transparently declare their self-set vaccination price. The eligibility through this channel would be opened up to all adults, i.e. everyone above the age of 18," the statement added. The decision to open up vaccines for everyone above 18 has been hailed across the board but many are wondering if the price of vaccines will be much higher than what the government is currently charging. Under the agreement with the central government, both Serum and Bharat Biotech are supplying vaccines at Rs 150 and Rs 206, respectively (excluding taxes). If previous statements of vaccine makers are any indication, the hiked prices of vaccines could be anywhere between Rs 1,000- Rs 2,000. Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of the world's largest vaccine maker Serum Institute, has said in the past that the vaccine could be sold at Rs 1,000 per dose to private players, as against Rs 200 for the government. "We have given a special price of Rs 200 for the first 100 million doses only to the Government of India on their request that we want to support the common man, vulnerable, poor and healthcare workers. After that, we'll be selling it at Rs 1,000 in private markets," Adar Poonawalla had said on January 12. Poonawalla during his previous interactions had also said that vaccine companies were sacrificing on what he called "super profits" by selling vaccines at $2-3 per dose (roughly around 200). "The average price of this product (vaccines) is $20 upwards in the world," he had said in a TV interview on April 6. His comments reflect the international pricing of leading vaccines. The vaccines that are being distributed in countries like the US and the UK cost between $10 per dose up to $32-37 per dose. Pfizer's vaccine is priced at $19.50 per dose (Rs 1,431); Moderna's $32-$37 per dose (Rs 2,348-Rs 2,715); Johnson & Johnson's $10 (Rs 734); and Chinese firm Sinovac's vaccine $14 per dose (Rs 1,027). In January, Bharat Biotech chairman Krishna Ella had said the prices of vaccines could go up initially. "In the beginning, the cost may be a little higher in the vaccine field, but as the scale-up of production increases, when market competition builds up, the price is automatically controlled by the market," he had said. Similarly, Russia's Sputnik V, which has been given approval in India, is expected to be priced around $10 per dose. As per the Russian fund, the price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot globally, but it's still in discussions with the government to fix the price for India. India's rising Covid tally has forced the government to double down on its action against coronavirus. Within just the past 10 days, India's active case tally has doubled from 10 lakh to 20 lakh, making it the second-worst affected nation after the US. High prices of vaccines could block access to millions as not everyone from the non-priority group will be able to afford them. Also read: Economic revival stalls! 2nd Covid wave plays spoilsport Also read: Vaccine for all above 18 from May 1: Key highlights of govt's Phase 3 strategy Politicians, rights activists and family members and even world leaders reacted with jubilation and relief Tuesday as sacked Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died when the officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes last year. Here are some the immediate reactions following the announcement of the guilty verdicts on all three counts -- second degree murder, third degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. - US President Joe Biden - "Nothing is going to make it all better but at least, God, now there's some justice. We're all so relieved -- not just the one verdict but all three, guilty on all three counts." - Biden on a call to the Floyd family "This is a day of justice in America. History will look back at this moment." - Kamala Harris, America's first Black vice president, who was also on the call - Family - "I am feeling tears of joy, so emotional that no family in history ever got this far. We were able to get a guilty charge on all counts. We got a chance to go to trial and we took it all the way. This right here is for everyone that's been in this situation. Everybody." - Floyd's brother, Rodney Floyd "GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyds family. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!" - Floyd family lawyer Ben Crump - Politicians - "George Floyd's family and community deserved for his killer to be held accountable. Today, they got that accountability." - former first lady and ex-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "I'm thankful for George Floyd's family that justice was served. America was forever changed by the video of Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd. However, a guilty verdict doesnt mean the persistent problem of police misconduct is solved. We'll keep working for meaningful change" - US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Story continues "That a family had to lose a son, brother and father; that a teenage girl had to film and post a murder, that millions across the country had to organize and march just for George Floyd to be seen and valued is not justice. And this verdict is not a substitute for policy change." - US Congresswoman and Democratic rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "Today's verdict is an important step forward for justice in Minnesota. The trial is over but our work has only just begun." - Minnesota governor Tim Walz - Academia, activism and tech - "Chauvin might never see the light of freedom again. That would be just. But it wouldn't be nearly enough. The SYSTEM that let him murder George Floyd must be changed. But for a bystanders iPhone camera, Chauvin wdve gotten away with murder!" - Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe. "The evidence of our eyes met at last by accountability in the eyes of justice" - US voting rights activist and Democrat Stacy Abrams "While todays verdict is a step forward in the fight for police accountability and may help heal a grieving community, the systems that allowed a police officer to murder Mr. Floyd, ripping him away from his family and the communities that loved him so much, remain fully intact." - the American Civil Liberties Union "Right now I'm thinking of George Floyd, his family and those who knew him. I hope this verdict brings some measure of comfort to them, and to everyone who can't help but see themselves in his story. We stand in solidarity with you, knowing that this is part of a bigger struggle against racism and injustice." - Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg - International - "I was appalled by the death of George Floyd and welcome this verdict. My thoughts tonight are with George Floyds family and friends." - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson caw/ft Summerville, SC (29483) Today Showers and a few thunderstorms likely. High 83F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers later at night. Low 71F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Former reality TV star and Penthouse covergirl Suzi Taylor and an alleged accomplice wanted money from a sex client who refused to pay, but didn't want to seriously hurt him, a court has been told. Taylor and her co-accused and alleged 'enforcer' Ali Ebrahimi are accused of extortion, deprivation of liberty, fraud and assault over the alleged incident at an apartment in an inner-city Brisbane suburb in the early hours of October 30, 2019. The 50-year-old former Block contestant, whose real name is Suellen Jan Taylor, was posing as an escort called Katie when she agreed to meet David Butler through raunchy website Scarlet Blue, the Brisbane District Court trial has heard. Former reality TV star and Penthouse covergirl Suzi Taylor and an alleged accomplice wanted money from a sex client who refused to pay, but didn't want to seriously hurt him, a court has been told The 50-year-old, whose real name is Suellen Jan Taylor, appeared on the 2015 season of The Block alongside friend Yvonne Cosier (right) David Butler claimed Taylor invited him into her bedroom, kissed him and took off her shirt before saying: 'If you want this to continue and go any further, you have to give me some money' But the meeting allegedly ended with Mr Butler tied up and held against his will, alleged offences that were about 'the enforcement of a debt', with Ebrahimi her enforcer, prosecutor Ben Jackson said in his closing statement on Tuesday. Taylor and Mr Butler met up after agreeing to a payment of $250 for half an hour of Katie's time. He arrived at the New Farm apartment with a bottle of champagne and red wine. They first relaxed over drinks, but when the 30 minutes became an hour, then two, Taylor started getting text messages from Ebrahimi saying: 'Get paid if you haven't.' Mr Butler claimed Taylor invited him into her bedroom, kissed him and took off her shirt before saying: 'If you want this to continue and go any further, you have to give me some money.' It was when he refused to pay that Ebrahimi allegedly stormed into the bedroom, grabbed Mr Butler by the throat and started to hit him. 'When I started resisting, he starting punching and kicking me,' Mr Butler told the court. 'He grabbed a cord and started to tie me up.' The court heard Ebrahimi allegedly withdrew money from a nearby automatic teller machine using Mr Butler's bank card. But Mr Butler admitted to the court he had lied to police and the court. Mr Jackson told the jury on Tuesday Mr Butler was 'simply unwilling to be upfront and forthcoming that he went to pay for an escort service' because he was embarrassed and ashamed. 'He didn't tell the truth, but what's important is what did he lie about,' Mr Jackson added. He said Mr Butler's evidence should be scrutinised, but accepted because it was supported in many ways. It was also 'totally dishonest' to tie someone up to access money in their bank account, Mr Jackson told the jury. Defence barrister James Benjamin said Taylor is a figure of public interest, but jurors must ignore anything they think about her, or had seen and heard Taylor and Mr Butler met up after agreeing to a payment of $250 for half an hour of Katie's time. He arrived at the New Farm apartment with a bottle of champagne and red wine Ebrahimi - who started to represent himself on the fourth day of the trial - asked whether it was ever excusable to lie to police. He called on the jury to consider its verdict carefully because 'injustice can be devastating to families'. Defence barrister James Benjamin said Taylor is a figure of public interest, but jurors must ignore anything they think about her, or had seen and heard. He also said the court was one of law, not morals or public opinion. Mr Benjamin told the jurors the prosecution's case 'rises and falls on the credibility' of Mr Butler who admitted he had lied in court. Mr Benjamin is expected to continue his closing argument on Wednesday before Judge Suzanne Sheridan sums up and the jury retires to deliberate. DUBLIN, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Private Wireless Networks Market by LTE, 5G, and Edge Computing in Enterprise, Industrial, and Government Solutions 2021 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report evaluates 5G NR and the market outlook for MNO and VNO to offer private IoT networks for the benefit of industrial automation and mission-critical enterprise applications and services. The report evaluates major players, technologies, and solutions. Carrier-supported private LTE and 5G networks will consist of Virtualized Network Solutions, Dedicated/Non-Virtualized Network Solutions, and Hybrid Network Solutions with an anticipated global market opportunity of $12.6, $9.2B, and $17.1B respectively. LTE Advanced (LTE-A) represents a major step in the evolution of 4G technology, providing mobile coverage, higher performance, and greater connection stability. The 5G New Radio (NR) access technology is a part of 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture that is composed of LTE evolution and millimeter wave (mmWave) technology that will be operable from sub-1 GHz to 24+ GHz in a range of the low band, mid-band, and high band. A variety of complementary technologies will enable 5G NR supported systems including massive MIMO, advanced LPDC, TDD subframe, beamforming, and mmWave radiofrequency. For communication service providers, mmWave will bring both challenges and opportunities for general RAN infrastructure and in particular for the private Internet of Things (IoT) networks for industrial automation and mission-critical services for enterprise across many industry verticals. The higher frequencies suffer from attenuation, which means they lose signal over distance and when they hit objects (even water vapor, but especially solid objects like trees, buildings, etc.). This is why there is a need for massive MIMO and other multi-signal approaches to help, along with beam-forming to direct RF energy to where it is needed, but the signal is so directional in nature that it is very hard to maintain with a moving object. From an infrastructure and managed services perspective, 5G NR will facilitate vertical market opportunities for vendors to offer distributed macro-cell base stations, small cells units, remote radio head units, and C-RAN baseband units for both dedicated and shared resource networks. 5G RRHs unit shipment alone will grow at over 70% CAGR and will exceed 115M units by 2026. Enterprise and industrial segments will continue to deploy private networks utilizing LTE and WiFi. Many of these networks will evolve to 5G and include edge computing to maximize overall throughput and minimize latency, which will be crucial for certain critical communications solutions such as industrial process automation. The report also assesses market challenges, opportunities, and the overall outlook for 5G NR equipment and components. The report provides detailed forecasts for equipment globally and regionally as well as investment in 5G NR by industry vertical. Enterprise and industrial customers may choose a combination of communications and computing as a service from carriers or purchase infrastructure that is managed by a third-party entity. Select Report Findings: The carrier-provided 5G indoor market will reach $2.1B globally by 2026, growing at 51.9% CAGR globally by 2026, growing at 51.9% CAGR The highest ROI solutions for carrier LTE-A and 5GNR offerings will be for enterprise applications and industrial automation Growth of private LTE and 5G solutions for enterprise and industrial customers is 37% faster than public apps and services 5GNR solutions will be largely fixed wireless WAN connectivity and support of industrial private communications networks Solutions will consist of Fully Virtualized, Dedicated/Non-Virtualized, and Hybrid Network Solutions for business customers Carriers will move ahead aggressively with non-standalone 5G but will realize significant benefits with 5G core network upgrades 5G wireless deployment in indoor environments within smart cities and suburbs will exceed the total of all exurban and rural areas combined globally The global 5G fixed wireless transport to smart buildings for specifically for support of WiFi connectivity/backhaul will reach $320.8M by 2026 by 2026 5G subscription within public networks will exceed private through 2026, although the latter will experience a 20% faster growth rate, set to overtake the former by 2030 Examples of some recent carrier-supported private wireless deployments include the following: Verizon: The company recently partnered with U.K. port operator Associated British Ports (ABP) to provide the Port of Southampton with a private 5G wireless network. The port of Southampton is a part of a large supply chain, accounting for 40 billion in U.K. exports yearly. Southampton also serves as the country's largest port for cars (nearly 900,000/year) and cruise liners. The network runs on the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud, which offers edge computing capabilities. AT&T: The company established a public/private partnership with Chicago's MxD (Manufacturing x Digital), has created a 5G private network with funding from the Department of Defense and other private members. The wireless network is meant to help companies learn how to improve their manufacturing operations through 5G networks. The MxD private network uses only two radios, one with mmWave 5G and the other with sub-6 5G that connects to AT&T's central network core. Key Topics Covered: 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Cellular Evolution 2.1.1 First Generation Wireless 2.1.2 Second Generation Wireless 2.1.3 Third Generation Wireless 2.1.4 Fourth Generation Wireless 2.2 Fifth Generation Wireless 2.2.1 Much Greater Data Speed 2.2.2 A Focus on Edge Computing for Latency Reduction 2.2.3 Dealing with Radio Propagation and Mobility Challenges 2.2.4 Providing Massively Scalable Support for Internet of Things 2.2.5 5G Service Categories: eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC 3.0 Private Network Market Background 3.1.1 Private wireless Network: A New Era of Opportunities 3.1.2 Why Needs Private Wireless Network? 3.1.3 Stakeholders and Service Providers for Private Wireless Network 3.1.4 Deployment Preference of Private Wireless Network 3.1.5 Benefits and Drawbacks of Private Wireless Network 4.0 Private Network Market Case Studies 4.1 Minera Las Bambas, Peru 4.2 Queensland Silver Mine 4.3 Enel Group Case Study 4.4 California School District leverages LTE Network for Online Learning 4.5 Private LTE-based Networks for Terminal Operators 4.6 Private LTE based Smarter Cities 5.0 Private Network Market Analysis 5.1 Increased Emphasis on Private Networks for Business 5.2 LTE and Unlicensed Spectrum in Private Wireless 5.3 5G in Private Wireless Networks 5.3.1 Market Drivers for 5G in Private Wireless 5.3.1 5G Needs Edge Computing (Especially) for Private Wireless 5.3.2 5G vs. WiFi for Private Networks 5.3.1 5G New Radio in Private Networks 5.3.1 5G Network Slicing in Private Networks 5.4 Security in Private Wireless Networks 5.5 Over-the-Top Players in Private Wireless Networks 6.0 Players in the Private Wireless Ecosystem 6.1 Major Development Associated with Private Wireless Networks 6.2 AT&T 6.3 Airtel 6.4 BT Group (EE) 6.5 China Mobile 6.6 China Telecom 6.7 Deutsche Telekom AG 6.8 DU (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company) 6.9 KT Corporation 6.10 NTT DoCoMo 6.11 STC - Saudi Telecom Company 6.12 SK Telecom 6.13 Sprint Corporation (T-Mobile) 6.14 Telstra 6.15 Verizon 6.16 Vodafone Group 6.17 Telenor 6.18 T-Mobile USA 6.19 Rogers Communications 6.20 America Movil 6.21 Entel 6.22 Movistar 6.23 China Unicom 6.24 Ooredoo 6.25 Zain 6.26 Swisscom 6.27 Spark NZ 6.28 Telecom Italia 6.29 Orange SA 6.30 KDDI Corporation 6.31 LG Uplus 6.32 Softbank Group 6.33 SingTel 6.34 Telefonica 6.35 Apple 6.36 Facebook (Whatsapp) 6.37 Google 6.38 Microsoft 6.39 Rakuten (Viber) 6.40 Tencent 6.41 WeChat 6.42 Skype (Microsoft) 6.43 Telegram 6.44 Ribbon Communications 6.45 REVE Systems 6.46 Hulu 6.47 Netflix 6.48 Dish (Sling TV) 6.49 Sky Go 6.50 Roku 6.51 Sony (PlayStation Vue) 6.52 Fubotv 6.53 Philo TV 6.54 ClipBucket 6.55 Muvi 6.56 Contus Vplay 6.57 Quickplay 6.58 Vplayed 6.59 Ooyala 6.60 Vidmind 6.61 Mobiotics 6.62 Nokia Networks 6.63 Samsung Electronics 6.64 Cisco Systems 6.65 LG Electronics 6.66 Huawei Technologies 6.67 Ericsson 6.68 FirstNet 6.69 Qualcomm 6.70 Intel Corporation 6.71 NEC Corporation 6.72 ZTE Corporation 6.73 Ciena Corporation 6.74 Cavium Inc. 6.75 Qorvo Inc. 6.76 Fujitsu Ltd. 6.77 Broadcom Corporation 6.78 HPE 6.79 VMware Inc. 6.80 MediaTek Inc. 6.81 Juniper Network Inc. 6.82 Analog Devices Inc. 6.83 MACOM Technology 6.84 Motorola 6.85 Ascom 6.86 Harris 6.87 Hytera 6.88 Cobham Wireless 6.89 Leonardo 6.90 Mentura Group 6.91 Inmarsat 6.92 Zenitel 6.93 HTC 6.94 Airspan 6.95 Alvarion 6.96 Sierra Wireless (Accel Networks) 6.97 Coolpad Dyno 6.98 Mobvoi 6.99 Fitbit (Google) 6.100 Misfit 6.101 Asus 6.102 Netgear 6.103 Zyxel 6.104 Alibaba 6.105 D-Link 6.106 UniFi 6.107 Altair Semiconductor 6.108 SimNet Wireless 6.109 Siretta 6.110 Cradlepoint 6.111 Telit Communications 6.112 Keysight Technologies 6.113 Rohde # Schwarz 6.114 Gemalto 6.115 Netcracker (NEC) 6.116 Texim Europe 6.117 M2M Connectivity 6.118 Eurotech 6.119 RedLinX 6.120 MYCOM OSI 6.121 Colt 6.122 ADLINK Technology Inc. 6.123 Affirmed Networks 6.124 Cloudify 6.125 EdgeConnex 6.126 Edgeworx 6.127 InterDigital Inc. 6.128 Mimic Technology 6.129 MobiledgeX 6.130 Ori 6.131 Pixeom 6.132 Pluribus Networks 6.133 Quortus 6.134 Saguna Networks 6.135 SpiderCloud Wireless 6.136 Vapor IO 6.137 Vasona Networks (ZephyrTel) 7.0 Private Wireless Market Analysis and Forecasts 2021 - 2026 7.1.1 Mobile Edge Computing/Multi-Access Edge Computing 2021 - 2026 7.1.2 LTE and 5G in Enterprise and Industrial Private Wireless Networks 2021 - 2026 7.1.3 5G New Radio Market 2021 - 2026 7.1.4 LTE in Private Government Networks 2021 - 2026 8.0 Conclusions and Recommendations 8.1 Private Business Network Expectations 8.1.1 Expectations for the Enterprise Segment 8.1.2 Expectations for the Industrial Segment 8.2 Private Government Network Expectations 9.0 Appendix: 5G in Indoor Wireless Applications 9.1 Aggregate 5G Indoor Wireless Service Market 9.2 Global Indoor 5G by Service Provider 2021 - 2026 9.3 5G Indoor Wireless Network Deployment 2021 - 2026 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6zv5tn Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Year Over Year Sales Bookings up 705% and SmartGATE Insights Engagements Surpass Quarterly Target of 90 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Legend Power Systems (TSXV:LPS)(OTCQB:LPSIF), a global leader in commercial electrical system solutions, today announced strong Q2 fiscal 2021 performance both in leading growth metrics and sales bookings. The Company's new "Insights-led" sales model implemented in Q4 of fiscal 2020 is outperforming forecasts for new customer engagements, reduced length of sales cycle, and sales wins which significantly alters Legend Power's growth trajectory. Q2 Fiscal 2021 Growth Highlights: Sales bookings of $1.92 million increased 705% versus Q2 fiscal 2020 and was up 20% from $1.6 million in Q1 fiscal 2021 Exceeded Q2 fiscal 2021 goal of 90 SmartGATE Insights engagements Exceeding goal of 50% conversion rate from SmartGATE Insights to full SmartGATE Platform sales bookings with 100% conversion from some customers "We've never been more optimistic about our business and our potential to achieve significant growth," said Randy Buchamer, CEO of Legend Power Systems. "The revamping of our sales model is resonating incredibly well with prospective and existing customers in multiple verticals across North America. Tracking our success with our Insights-led sales approach has now been distilled down to a few simple metrics which not only provide our team with clear priorities but also gives Legend's investing audience a definitive scorecard to track our growth." Legend's SmartGATE Insights and Power Impact Report are valuable tools that provide building owners a better understanding of the financial impact the power grid is having on their buildings and how SmartGATE solutions can solve these challenges for them. The Power Impact Report details these excessive costs across each building in a property portfolio and demonstrates how SmartGATE solutions can reduce these costs. About SmartGATE SmartGATE is an industry-leading, turnkey solution which identifies and fixes underperformance and waste in the electrical system of a commercial building. These performance issues often impact key areas of commercial real estate metrics including occupant safety and satisfaction as well as financial performance. This waste can also lead to higher operating costs, lower net operating income and other potential financial risks to the building owner, including adverse tenant experiences. About Legend Power Systems Inc. Legend Power Systems Inc. (www.legendpower.com) provides an intelligent energy management platform that analyzes and improves building energy challenges, significantly impacting asset management and corporate performance. Legend's proven solutions support proactive executive decision-making in a complex and volatile business and energy environment. For further information, please contact: Steve Vanry, CFO + 1 604 671 9522 svanry@legendpower.com Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations + 1 647 503 1054 sean@sophiccapital.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This Press Release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements other than as may be required by applicable law. SOURCE: Legend Power Systems Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641261/Legend-Power-SystemsTM-Provides-Q2-Fiscal-2021-Growth-Metrics By Pushkala Aripaka, Anthony Deutsch and John Miller (Reuters) -Europe's drug regulator has found a possible link between Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and rare blood clotting issues in adults who received doses in the United States, but backed its overall benefits against any risks. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Tuesday its safety committee had concluded that a warning about unusual blood clots with low platelets must be added to the vaccine's labels, just as has also been required of rival shot maker AstraZeneca. The questions over the J&J shot have dealt a further blow to the EU's vaccination programme, which has lagged rollouts in Britain and the United States due to supply delays as well as safety concerns. Rising infections caused by more infectious variants have forced France and others to reimpose lockdowns. The review of a handful of cases prompted a pause in the rollout of the J&J vaccine in Europe and the United States last week, the latest setback to efforts to tackle the pandemic, which has killed more than 3.1 million and infected 142.1 million worldwide. While the regulator said it considers the vaccine safe, it was up to the European Union's member states to decide how to use it, taking a similar stance to that with AstraZeneca. "I have to stress again (the cases) are very rare and in the vast majority of cases these vaccines are going to prevent death and hospitalisation from COVID-19," EMA executive Director Emer Cooke said in a briefing. "We have to balance the benefits of the vaccine with the risks." Several nations have suspended or limited the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine over possible blood clots. (https://bit.ly/3xckNFu) The EMA examined eight cases of clotting that occurred in U.S. adults under 60 years, mostly women, within three weeks of vaccination with J&J's single shot. The cases were reported out of more than 7 million doses administered in the United States as of April 13. Story continues If treated early, health care professionals can help people in their recovery and avoid further complications, Sabine Straus, chair of EMA's safety committee, told the briefing. EXTREMELY RARE CLOTTING With both the AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines, the reports involve extremely rare clotting, mainly a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), which was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets, called thrombocytopenia. J&J has said it is working closely with regulators and noted that no clear causal relationship had been established between the clotting cases and its shot. The EU watchdog said most clots had occurred in the brain and abdomen, as was the case with AstraZeneca's shot, Vaxzevria, which is also being studied for similar problems. "One plausible explanation for the combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is an immune response, leading to a condition similar to one seen sometimes in patients treated with heparin," the EMA said. There have been more than 300 cases worldwide of rare blood clotting incidents combined with low platelet counts after use of all COVID-19 vaccines, it added. Some scientists say the similar design of the AstraZeneca and J&J shots may explain a possible link with clotting. Both vaccines are based on a technology that uses a modified version of adenoviruses, which cause the common cold, as vectors to ferry instructions to human cells. The similar side-effects suggest the inactivated adenovirus may be causing the problems, said Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at Britain's University of Nottingham. "It's important to remember though, that in most people the benefits of these vaccines far outweigh the risks - these are incredibly rare potential side-effects," he said. U.S. authorities will meet on Friday to discuss whether to resume using the J&J vaccine. J&J, which recorded $100 million in COVID-19 vaccine sales, has delayed rolling out the vaccine to Europe, but said on Tuesday it was prepared to resume the deployment. It has said it aims to deliver 55 million doses to the EU, as contracted, by the end of June. J&J's vaccine, developed by its Janssen unit, is one of four COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use in Europe. (Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam, Ludwig Burger in Frankfrut, Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Kate Kelland in London; Writing by Josephine Mason; Editing by Gareth Jones) When you're starting a company, people emphasize how important your early team is, and warn that deciding on your investors is as important as selecting a spouse. I suppose they're right: You're contractually obligated, and your finances are tied. But when I co-founded Ethena, I got far less advice about how to bring together a team of advisers. What I did hear boiled down to, "You should get some and think about the equity you give them." Reflecting on our early milestones -- the moments that felt "make or break" -- I was struck by how crucial our advisory team was during these times. Given how important our adviser team is relative to the scant advice I had for bringing them together, I wanted to share several key lessons on how to assemble a great team: Define the relationship. Bringing on an adviser isn't like hiring for a regular role. People have varying degrees of availability. While that isn't an especially profound statement, it's worth calling out because, unlike for your employees, there's no standard expectation for hours or availability. Instead, you typically bring advisers in under the same standard agreement, which is very vague. Because of this ambiguity, it's crucial to align on what the advisory relationship will mean in terms of time. While time isn't the best measure of productivity, it's helpful to know whether a prospective adviser will get back to your email the same day, week, or month. Can you easily hop on a call or have standing monthly meetings? Do not assume the answer is yes until you ask. When I first met with Frances Frei, I appreciated her candor. I asked, "What's your availability like?" and she smiled and said, "I'll give quality advice." This was helpful in that it allowed me to consider whether I needed the kind of targeted advice, connections, and perspective that she could bring, or whether I needed someone who'd be able to take on a bigger time commitment. We needed the former, so we brought her on. And she's been good to her word, helping us solve some of our trickiest problems at crucial moments. In one instance, we were struggling as an executive team with how to think about a crucial hire. Frances quickly jumped on a call, gave very specific and actionable advice, and saved us from potentially making a significant mistake. Make sure you can be honest. Advisers typically come with impressive resumes and, if you're like me, you want them to think highly of your work. But it's important that you can come to them when you're not quite "crushing it." Yes, I'm sure this is a hypothetical since you are crushing it all the time, but on the off-chance that you make mistakes, it's incredibly helpful to share them with advisers. It's like how you can't "win" at therapy. The point is to find someone you trust and work through the hard stuff with them. If I'm going to pay someone a lot of money or equity to help me think through my problems, it's crucial that I can articulate those problems to them. I met Melissa Tidwell, former GC at Reddit, at a bar (always a good sign) through a trusted investor. I instantly found myself being honest about our startup, what was working and what was hard. When I talked with my co-founder about bringing Melissa on, one of the reasons I thought she'd be so helpful is I knew we could work through thorny issues together. Since she's become an adviser, we've been able to problem-solve in real time. Just recently, I shared with her an early draft of a proposal for an important client and she kindly pointed out all the ways in which it was flawed. Instead of feeling defensive, I was grateful that I could show her the messy first draft and get her reactions early. This extends even to the interpersonal component of the relationship. I've really appreciated being able to answer the question "How are you?" honestly with our adviser Aliisa Rosenthal. We're both new moms and there is something incredibly liberating about being able to start a call with, "I'm tired. You?" While it's helpful to be guarded in some interactions, it's counterproductive if you can't be honest with those who you bring on for advice. Clarify expectations up front. For our first few advisers, our ask went something like this: "Please come on as an adviser and...advise us." While we got lucky with our early team (it helped that they had advised other founders -- and, as a side note, always ask for those references), we became more structured in our requests as time went on. We brought on two incredible people operations advisers, Jess Yuen and Matt Hoffman, former head of people at Gusto and VP of people at DigitalOcean, respectively, after we went through People Tech Partners. This time, when we "interviewed" them to become advisers, we had a job description. It wasn't overkill -- just a few paragraphs -- but it clearly laid out our expectations. These included things like "introductions to prospective customers," with details about what we'd like them to do with our target lists. This allowed Matt and Jess to consider whether they were the right fit for the roles. An especially important part of getting more specific was laying out two options for engagement: ad hoc or scheduled monthly check-ins. Both models work; the structure isn't as important as being clear about how frequently you expect the adviser to be available. For example, we talk on an ad hoc basis with Chris Chin, former legal director at Google, which is great because I can send him time-sensitive questions. I prefer a mix: having some advisers with whom I check in regularly, and others, like Chris, who I can bug at 9 p.m. when I realize I haven't quite thought through the details of the proposal I'm sending the next day (as a hypothetical, of course). Be sure. Many of our seed investors are lawyers, we work with Latham & Watkins, and we have legal advisers. This means that everyone has a perspective on comma placement, and we take contracts really seriously. That being said, sometimes contracts don't tell the full story. John Chory, a partner at Latham, gave us a helpful nugget (in addition to our standard adviser contract): "You'll never fire an adviser no matter what the contract allows for, so be sure they're the right person." This is fundamentally different from a hired employee, who you may need to let go. To account for this, John advised us to work with someone informally until we felt guilty for having gotten so much "free" advice. Only at that point should we bring them on as a formal adviser. We took this approach with all of our advisers, including Leonard Shen, our newest. We workshopped several of the issues we were tackling when we first expanded beyond harassment prevention training and into compliance training more broadly. He was so helpful that we knew we wanted to keep the relationship going. This has really helped us suss out whether an adviser is truly going to have the bandwidth to work with us. Said another way, you'd rather have your third "just following up" email ghosted before you issue that person equity in your company. Marianne Williamson really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really likes birds. So far in 2021, the oddball former presidential candidate and bestselling author has tweeted almost two dozen pictures of birds, many annotated with a simple Wow or No words. My personal favorite: a multihued Annas hummingbird captioned, Who how what decided what feathers will be red and what feathers will be blue and what feathers will be green? Then, a few days ago, Williamson revealed a long-standing concern about her beloved feathered friends: I know people are going to laugh at me about this, she wrote, but it always strikes me how these birds never look in the mirror so they actually have no idea what they look like. Advertisement Which got us wondering: Do birds know what they look like? Slate turned to a bird cognition specialist, Francesca Cornero, to learn where the science stands on avian self-awareness. Cornero, who has Eurasian jays look in the mirror as part of her research at the Comparative Cognition Lab at the University of Cambridge, explained to us just how complicated the question is to answer. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Marion Renault: Maybe we could start with this: Do birds have no idea what they look like? Francesca Cornero: Well, no, thats technically false. Most birds have very wide range of eyesight. Youll notice that many have eyes placed on the side of their heads, or in front, and they tend to have very globular eyes. Theres research onto how widely around them they can see. Of course, it depends on the species and how their eyes are placed, but many, many birds can see actually a great part of their bodies directly. They can look at themselves much like we can and see all the parts of their bodies that are visible to them. Advertisement OK, so most birds have seen their own feathers. Do they understand that those feathers belong to them? Would they recognize themselves in a mirror? Thats a very scientifically interesting question, and its a question that we dont fully have an answer for yet. Theres research indicating that some species might be able to, but then theres other research that suggests that that research might have alternative explanations. And then theres research that some species maybe cannot recognize themselves in the mirror. So, depends on who you ask within the fieldbut in general, the jury is still out. Advertisement Lets back up. To do that kind of research, do you just put a mirror in front of a bird and see what they do? Advertisement The main method is what we call the classic mirror mark test, which was actually developed for great apes. The way that it works is, yes, basically speaking, you put the animal in front of the mirror and you observe what they do. But its a little bit more complicated than that. The premise is that you have an animal, and you allow them to become habituated to the mirror, so you allow them to explore the mirror and watch themselves do things for a very, very long period of time. Then, you mark the animal without them knowing, usually with paint or sometimes a sticker in a place that they cant see directly. The only way they could see that theyve been marked is to discover in the mirror, recognize thats their own reflection, and then try to remove it. Advertisement Sounds simple. Why is the jury still out on whether birds can pass this test? Animals are not just little furry computers. Francesca Cornero There are very few parts of the bird they actually cannot see directly, and its very hard to even create a mark that they wont be able to feel on their feathers, which are very sensitive. And then you also have the problem that they dont have handsthey have wings. So they cant quite do the same thing that a chimpanzee would do, which is reach up to their forehead and pull off a sticker. Advertisement Its also much harder, compared to apes, to even interpret birds behavior in a mark test because their visual systems are different. They have four color cones instead of three like we do, so we dont really know exactly how they see colors. And [they can see movements faster than people do], so we dont know how they really relate their movements in the mirror to themselves. Advertisement Is there any kind of bird that has clearly identified themselves in the mark test? Not entirely. There are a few studies in which the conclusion was that the birds mightve passed the mark test. This has happened with magpies and with Indian house crows. And the concern that other scientists have raised when theyve tried to replicate those findingswhen they try to do the same study again with the same species of birdis that it really does seem like it mightve been the birds being able to feel the stickers. And this is where its really hard to determine whether the birds did recognize themselves, in the studies in which they appear to. Advertisement And then theres many other studies in crows, in jackdaws, and in keas and Goffins cockatoos. They dont display the types of behaviors that we would expect if they were recognizing themselves. But that also doesnt mean that we can conclude that they dont. Advertisement Its really difficult to ever determine. In animals, with this kind of test, you cant just ask them, Do you recognize yourself in the mirror? And so it is quite complicated. What would it mean if scientists could prove birds can recognize themselves in the mirror? The question that tends to be brought in when you talk about mirror self-recognition is that of self-awareness. If an animal can recognize themselves in the mirror, that means that theyre self-aware, or they have some form of consciousness. And so thats where a lot of the interest comes from, and thats why a lot of research effort and resources have been put into it in birds and chimpanzees and gorillas and elephants. Advertisement I think theres been, over time, a greater understanding of the fact that animals are not just little furry computers. They dont behave mindlessly, if I can put it bluntly. What else should we consider when were sitting there wondering whether the blue jay in Mariannes tweet knows what it looks like? Well, self-recognition isnt only visual. Birds can call. They can sing songs. The research on whether they can recognize their own songs is way less familiar to me, but I believe that the answer is that they can, and they can recognize the songs of others. There are entire fields of research concerned with each aspect of this, like olfactory recognition, as it seems that dogs can recognize other dogs by smell. The complexity of nature is astounding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is there anything thats surprisingly difficult about running the experiments you do with birds? Its not just a matter of getting a bird and giving it a test. Its alive. They have their own lives going on. And it might be flying around and not want to sit in front of the mirror in this moment. Ive spent the pandemic covering the coronavirus as a reporter and an editor. Slate Plus helps support everything from explainers on how to keep yourself safe (without unduly panicking) to our Diaries series, about how the virus is affecting our lives. We couldnt do it without you. Shannon Palus, senior editor As restrictions tighten on religious gatherings only a week into Ramadan, Winnipegs Muslim leaders have scaled down community prayers and cancelled plans to celebrate the end of their holy month in a public park. As restrictions tighten on religious gatherings only a week into Ramadan, Winnipegs Muslim leaders have scaled down community prayers and cancelled plans to celebrate the end of their holy month in a public park. "The Friday prayers are going to be restricted for people," said Idris Knapp, executive director of Winnipeg Central Mosque. "We were (already) at the maximum for the last few weeks." Effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, religious gatherings in Manitoba are limited to 25 per cent of capacity or 50 people, whichever is less, down from the previous cap of 100. Attendees must be socially distanced, wear masks, and follow other public health protocols. Capacity for funerals and weddings decreased to 10 from 25, plus an officiant and a photographer. Ramadan began April 13 and runs until the evening of May 12. The Grand Mosque on Waverley Street quickly revamped its registration system for attending daily prayers and the special Ramadan evening prayers after Mondays announcement, said Urooj Danish of the Manitoba Islamic Association. Instead of obtaining tickets online, Muslims who want to go to the mosque to pray must register at the association website, which will choose 50 people randomly to attend for each prayer slot and send them tickets electronically. If people cannot attend, they can decline the space and others will be selected. Muslims who attend prayers must wear masks, take their own prayer mats and undertake ritual washing at home instead of the mosque, said Danish. "I have a firm belief that all the restrictions are for the betterment of our community," she said. Friday prayers at the citys biggest mosque will run twice to allow more people to attend, with time for cleaning between prayers, said Danish. She said plans to have a small public outdoor event for Eid al-Fitr have been cancelled because outdoor gatherings are now limited to only 10 people. Despite the new restrictions, Manitoba Muslims are happy they have an opportunity to attend prayers during Ramadan, compared with 2020 when mosques were closed. "Even if were distanced, we can still see each other and have a sense of community," said Knapp of the value of attending community prayers. Many churches, synagogues and temples did not open in February when restrictions eased to allow 100 people, depending instead on livestream or recorded services. The citys Anglican cathedral r-opened for the first time in 13 months on Easter Sunday but closed its doors to in-person attendance after one Sunday in favour of virtual services, said Rev. Paul Johnson of St. Johns Anglican Cathedral. "I decided the numbers (of cases) were going the wrong way and that even if the government didnt shut us down, we needed to do that ourselves for the best possible safety," Johnson wrote in a text message. Under the new restrictions, Roman Catholics will rely heavily on virtual services again and fewer will participate in mass and take communion, said Daniel Bahuaud of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface. "It just means its a fasting from regular religious practice for most Catholics," he said. faith@freepress.mb.ca Hanfu: centuries-old Chinese fashion makes a comeback 16:24, April 23, 2021 By Wu Chaolan ( People's Daily Online Li Guoguo wears a long robe with sweeping sleeves over a heavily embroidered green silk shirt while strolling about in a park covered by cherry blossoms, with traditional Chinese velvet flower pins adorning her hair and an exquisite Chinese fan folded in her hand. If not for the outfits of others passing by, she might be mistaken for a time traveler sent from a bygone China centuries in the past. As an enthusiast for the hanfu, a type of traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, Li fell in love with this style of clothing during the time when she was still in middle school. A decade later, Li's wardrobe is now bursting with hanfu of every variety, color and pattern. The outfit has become more than merely a style of dress, but a way of life for the young woman. "I bought my first set of hanfu simply because of its beauty," she said. "But when I started to learn more, I became entranced with its textiles, craftsmanship, and the culture behind it." Photo shows Li Guoguo wearing a hanfu in the park. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Antique fashion and modern life Li's passion for hanfu was also carried into her career. In 2017, Li uploaded her first video on Bilibili, a video-streaming platform, showcasing her immaculate hanfu wardrobe, which to her surprise went viral online. "The overwhelming success of the first video spurred me to use the platform as a channel to share my ideas with other kindred spirits," said Li, who is now an online influencer with nearly half a million fans. She routinely uploads videos about hanfu, which express "her ideal state of wearing traditional attire in modern society." "When it comes to hanfu, people always related it to drama shows, which is far away from our daily life," said Li. "I hope they can appreciate the different possibilities of hanfu in my videos." This deep-seated intention runs to the core of Li's content. With an aim to breaking down the public stereotype that hanfu cannot be worn in one's daily life, she always makes an effort to share her experience and knowledge on selecting an appropriate hanfu and accompanying accessories for different occasions, filming a vlog with its overarching theme hinging on the donning of hanfu for everyday life. She also tries to mix and match different hanfu styles, making the wearing of the ancient garment a closer approximation to our everyday clothing habits. In her most played video, entitled "how to fool your boss: hanfu dress code for work," she swaps between six sets of hanfu, with outsiders hardly being able to tell any difference with modern clothing styles. This video attracted heated discussion online about the adoption of mix-and-match hanfu styles in contemporary society, with many supporting Li's notions on the subject. "This is an excellent mix-and-match outfit, which has helped me to have a better understanding of the hanfu," as one netizen commented on Li's video. "Such an approach can inject vitality into the hanfu and encourage people to wear it." "Introducing the hanfu into modern life is an excellent way to revive our ancestors' fashion," another commented. In order to showcase the full potential of the hanfu to her audience, Li thrust herself into her work and hoped to generate further innovations in her hanfu and video themes. For instance, she created a new way to combine the Chinese attire with elements of Western culture. Her video entitled "Hanfu dress code for Christmas" has become one of Li's featured content for four consecutive years running, having caught the attention of a wide audience, with many having been caught surprised by her unconventional ideas. "Only the hanfu and Christmas can vividly showcase the appeal of matching Red with Green," one commented. "What a super beautiful hanfu outfit. This is my ideal form of hanfu revival," another comment wrote. Photo shows Li Guoguo wearing a hanfu in the park. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Growing enthusiasm for the hanfu Li epitomizes a growing number of hanfu aficionados who have already been promoting hanfu for some time, with the outfit seeing a strong comeback only in recent years. From out on the street to social media posts, it's now much more commonplace to see people sporting the elegant flowing robes of the hanfu. Moreover, the number of hanfu enthusiasts is expected to double from 3.56 million in 2019 to 6.89 million in 2021, according to iiMedia Research Group, a Chinese consulting agency. Hence, the total sales value for hanfu is predicted to reach upwards to 10.2 billion yuan (1.55 billion US dollars) in 2021. Due to its growing popularity, a member of the National People's Congress proposed establishing a National Hanfu Day. Apart from attracting millions of enthusiasts, the hanfu has entered into ordinary people's daily lives and has already gained a high degree of domestic recognition. "People, especially the older generation who thought I was wearing drama costumes, always casted a confused stare when they saw me wearing a hanfu. No one thinks it's strange anymore because they all recognize and understand that this is our traditional clothing," explained Li. For most people, their interest in the hanfu arose from a recognition of its beauty and an appreciation for traditional Chinese aesthetics. What fueled the craze for the outfit is the hanfu's connection to China's cultural roots. Traditional clothing is an indispensable part of Chinese history and culture, embodying the distinctive features of different dynasties in the past. "Every time I wear a hanfu, I feel that I have travelled back to a former dynasty and am experiencing the life of ancient people anew," said Liao Jiaying, a hanfu enthusiast. As a symbol of Chinese culture and the embodiment of a country's history, the hanfu provides younger generations with an immersive experience in their rediscovery of history, finding a greater sense of belonging and exploring their cultural identity. "The hanfu helps to cement our cultural identity," said Li, when referring to the meaning of the hanfu in our modern age. Photo shows Li Guoguo wearing a hanfu in the park. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Hongyu) Why have potential overseas listings of Vietnamese corporations such as Vinamilk and VNG been thwarted in the past, and how can these issues be addressed? Nick Ainsworth, chief of marketing at Dragon Capital We think there are a few key reasons. Firstly, Vietnamese companies are still small in size. For the domestic market, a $1 billion market cap is already considered as large-cap, but for the international market this is very small. Therefore, the amount of attention for initial public offering (IPO) listings from foreign investors will be limited. Secondly, due to the small size the cost of listing, raising capital, and maintaining that listing overseas will not be economically viable. If the security fails to meet certain trading volume levels it may be delisted. Furthermore, the names of the companies are unfamiliar. More companies with operations or brand identity outside Vietnam and greater openness of the market or the attainment of emerging market status would also help. In addition, the equity market in Vietnam is now $250 billion with liquidity above $1 billion daily. International investors who want to invest in Vietnam can now easily participate directly in Vietnams stock market, rather than looking into a Vietnamese company listed on a foreign stock exchange. It then makes more sense for Vietnamese companies to focus on listing and raising capital domestically. Finally, a foreign listing creates a mismatch in foreign exchange as the companys assets are denominated in VND and the security in another currency. As the VND is not openly traded, the opportunity to hedge foreign exchange risks is not available. The vast difference between Vietnamese and global legal frameworks could pose challenges for overseas listings. What should Vietnamese regulators do to encourage dual listings? Currently, Vietnam does not allow a loss-making company to list. Therefore, new and disruptive technology companies such as VinFast have to find listing opportunities overseas where possible, and on a major exchange. Regarding dual listings, companies such as Vinamilk explored the idea 15 years ago and received listing approval from the Singapore Stock Exchange, but then the company decided not to list due to adverse market conditions. The legal framework is there for dual listings. However, it is not yet economically viable for Vietnamese companies to list overseas on a major exchange. Furthermore, Vietnamese regulators may not really want dual listings as they draw liquidity away from their own exchanges. How do you assess the potential of VinFasts IPO plan in the United States at the moment, in terms of legal framework and financial perspective? VinFasts potential IPO is one of the very rare cases where foreign listing is actually possible or even necessary. The company operates in the new economy, in this case electric vehicles (EVs). This area receives a lot of focus from an environment-social-governance (ESG) investment perspective. Just look at what happened a few weeks ago when it was thought Volkswagen would change its name to Voltswagen, which turned out to be a pre-April Fools Day joke. The size of the IPO needs to be meaningful. Around $50 billion and a local listing will not be able to absorb such large capital demand yet. Moreover, they would need some solid institutional cornerstones in such a transaction. Due to ESG and the attention it draws from institutional investors, an overseas listing would have particular appeal. This sort of labelling is not yet of focus for local investors in Vietnam. From the point of view of timing, conditions are favourable for equities generally and for pure exposure to the EV market, which is relatively scarce. Regarding Bamboo Airways proposal to list in the US, might it be too early for the fledgling group to make a mark in the States? Airlines are deep cyclicals and potentially on the rebound from the pandemic as vaccinations permit more travel and especially leisure travel. The US market is very familiar with airline booms and busts and with low cost and full cost carriers but I am not aware of any Asian carrier making a US debut IPO. Investors in the US are largely unfamiliar with the Vietnam investment environment but this might be seen as a potentially high growth accessible and consumer driven target, or a Vietnam proxy in a market where the Van Eck exchange traded fund is all that is available to those wanting country exposure of the country. It might work but the company is still young, the competition fierce, and Vietnam is not yet open enough, so it would be a better bet to look at Bamboos domestic business and its ability to win market share from Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines. It is in the best interests of the company and its stakeholders to allow the board and Dave the flexibility for him to continue in his role beyond the companys standard retirement age, Kellner said in a statement. You are here: World Flash Japan on Monday tightened the entry rules on COVID-19 test certificates required to be submitted by all passengers upon arrival at Japanese airports. Travelers who fail to meet required conditions will be denied entry into the country in principle. Japan had asked airlines to deny passengers' entry without negative COVID-19 testing results taken within 72 hours of departure since March. However, until Sunday, the country's quarantine authorities still allowed passengers without sufficient certificates upon arrival to stay at a designated facility and retake a test after three days. The authorities said such alternative measure will no longer be employed amid surging infections in the country. To enter Japan, a traveler needs to get a certificate that proves negative results for COVID-19 based on nasopharyngeal or saliva samples. The tests need to be taken within 72 hours before departure. Moreover, Japan does not approve antigen or antibody tests as certificates for entry into the country. Amid a surge in the COVID-19 infections, Japan currently only allows Japanese nationals, resident foreigners, and foreigners "with special exceptional circumstances" to enter. In the meantime, Japan is asking domestic and foreign airlines to curb the number of passengers planning to enter the country. PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday called on Minister of Education Rodolph Samuel to explain his reason behind relieving the local acting Secretary-General of the Department of Public Education of her position and replacing her with a non-St. Maarten national in government service. The MP stressed that he has nothing against the person appointed and does not want his concerns misconstrued as anti-immigrant, but called the situation yet another example of this government treating St. Maarten people as if they are somehow less capable than others. I am sure the good gentleman is skilled. People come to St. Maarten all the time and are gainfully employed. But this is not about him. This is a St. Maarten issue and the fact that we continuously place less value upon our people, MP Emmanuel said. Samuels letter to the civil servant who was relieved of her duties was leaked publicly and prompted an outcry from many civil servants and others via social media. The letter, signed by Samuel, did not detail his reasons for the replacement. It is reported that the non-St. Maarten national is employed in the IT section of the same department. MP Emmanuel said considering the outrage expressed by the public, including civil servants, the Minister owes the public an explanation. Of the hundreds of civil servants under his responsibility in education, nobody else was qualified other than the individual chosen? Nothing against the gentleman, but when exactly is this government going to start appreciating their own and elevating our own people, the MP asked. He said Samuel in particular should be embarrassed by his own decision knowing his history of campaigning against anyone not local. The MP mentioned, for example, the campaign staged by Samuel to oust Pieter Drenth, a Dutchman, as CEO of TELem. His entire premise was locals should be placed first in these positions, the MP said. Today, the Minister apparently could not find a single qualified local in the civil service to fill that position, temporary or not. Who comes first in your country? Many people may not like how direct I am, but it is a fundamental question all elected representatives on St. Maarten, and by extension, the people of St. Maarten, must ask themselves. Who comes first in your country? St. Maarteners cannot move to Guyana and be placed by the Guyanese government in top positions above Guyanese nationals. It would never stand, MP Emmanuel said. He continued: This is why I am so disappointed in the National Alliance and why I pulled away. This is not what we used to stand for as the National Alliance. It was the party that defended the people at all costs. Now I do not recognize what kind of political organization that is and what kind of principles it is built upon. It surely isnt people-centric anymore, and thats very sad and disappointing. Worse yet, when you ask for explanations, they provide none. They feel as if they are not accountable to the people anymore, the MP said. The MP added that at all times the people of St. Maarten should be given the opportunity. If they are not successful or their actions are a detriment to the organization, such as the case with the former airport CEO, then they can be evaluated and replaced if necessary with another qualified St. Maartener. It cannot be so that St. Maarteners are only good enough to be used test rabbits. If one is not successful, that does not mean we should move on to a foreigner and not give another St. Maartener the opportunity. St. Maarten must always be for St. Maarteners first. But we have an issue with this and we must face it and change this narrative once and for all for the sake of future generations. The Minister of all people should understand this. But since it seems like he has climbed down from that potato box, he must explain himself now, Emmanuel concluded. Northwood University is hosting a virtual Human Library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 20. Just as you go to a library to check out a book to read its story, you can go to the Human Library event to check out a person to hear their story. You go from "table" to "table" hearing the stories of individuals from diverse backgrounds. This is not a training or a lecture, but more of an empathy building event to see things through the lenses of those who have lived different experiences than one's own. This event will be held virtually and you can hear the story of each human book for 20 minutes at a time. A sample of a few of the "human books you can hear from are: A person in recovery from drugs/alcohol A Black woman who grew up in foster care as a teenager A chemist with dwarfism A domestic violence survivor A Muslim woman who will discuss misconceptions of women in Islam Here is the link to a flyer with more information about this event: Human Library Global Times Defends Developing Nations Industrialization against Climate Geopolitics April 19 , 2021 (EIRNS)The editorial in the April 18 Global Times, To Deal with Climate Change, China-U.S. Cooperation Is Important and Sensitive, takes the global anti-Malthusian resistance shown by India and others to another level. The developing nations 2009 resistance at the UN Copenhagen global warming summit to population reduction and genocide is revived. The editorial begins with reserve, pointing out that after the two countries special envoys for climate change met over April 15-16, it is fair to say that China and the U.S. have communicated quite effectively and achieved some results. China has not yet announced plans for its top leader to attend the [April 22-23] climate summit; analysts are waiting for things to become clearer. The editorial likewise points out that the general environment among the big powers is not good. The U.S. wants to show leadership by working with China and Russia to address the climate challenge, while it is also obstructing China and Russia in other spheres. That is not what normal relations among great powers should be like. But then the principles of economic development against environmental extremism become very clear indeed. UN climate action involves the fundamental interests of humanity, and the specific arrangement for reducing emissions concerning all countries major development interests, says GT. The developed countries have completed industrialization, while developing countries are still in the process of industrialization, and some have just started this process.... Peoples living standards are still low in these countries, and it is particularly important to create more resources to improve peoples livelihoods through further industrialization. GT states that the U.S. has used its power to force more obligations on countries, while taking benefits. In an extreme scenario, if the world is about to promote carbon neutrality today, then the worlds economic development pattern will be perpetuated as it is today. The development gap between the developed and underdeveloped countries will become permanent. The newspaper reminds that while the American elite fight over many issues, they agree on U.S. hegemony. The current U.S. administration is trying to play the role of a leader and thus squeeze developing countries room for growth, as the previous U.S. administration desired. China and the U.S. are both the largest emitters; the two countries have huge differences in population and economic development, but the U.S. wants China to take more responsibilities in reducing emissions. It is worth observing the relation between such [environmentalist] pressure from the U.S., and the U.S. geopolitical move to pressure China. It concludes: We should promote that the common interests of humanity are jointly defined by the interests of people from all countries, rather than by a handful of countries that want to monopolize this definition. Schiller Institute President Helga Zepp-LaRouche suggested today that the editorial has a clarity that would not have come without the LaRouche movements organizing and reports exposing the Green New Deal. She called it the strongest statement since the 2009 announcement of the G77 nations that they would not sign the Copenhagen suicide pact of population reduction at the 2009 UN Climate Change summit. Border Force officials spot around 100 people a day trying to enter Britain with badly-spelled fake Covid certificates, MPs have heard. The fake documents claiming a traveller has a recent negative test result are said to be 'very easy' to forge and there is no way to tell how many are being missed. Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents border immigration and customs staff in the UK, also said there is 'little to no' evidence on how well people are adhering to quarantine rules. Meanwhile, MPs heard that long queues found at airports could be a 'breeding ground' for the virus. And experts raised concerns about the traffic light system for travel. MPs heard today that Border Force officials spot around 100 passengers a day trying to enter Britain using a fake negative Covid test certificate. Picture: Stock Lucy Moreton, professional officer for the Immigration Services Union (ISU), (pictured in a Zoom meeting with member of Parliament) revealed there is 'little to no' evidence on how well people are adhering to quarantine rules Ms Moreton told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus that around 20,000 people are coming into the country each day, the majority of whom are hauliers. To enter England people must provide proof of a negative test taken in the three days before departure - which can be shown to border agents as a printed document or through an email or text message. Asked how border agents are able to verify proof of a negative test, Ms Moreton told MPs: 'We're not is the simple answer, it's predominately taken on trust. 'We do get 100 or more a day of fake Covid certificates, that we catch.' Europol warned earlier this year about the illicit sale of false negative Covid test certificates. This included a forgery ring selling negative test results to passengers at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for up to 260. And in the UK, a man in his 30s was arrested at Luton Airport on suspicion of selling bogus Covid-19 documents showing negative test results for 100 each. He was later released Bedfordshire Police under investigation, the BBC reports. Speaking at the time, Detective Sergeant Tom Hamm said: 'Unfortunately, fraudsters have seen the ongoing pandemic as an opportunity to prey on people, and if you are approached by someone offering to sell certificates who is not an authorised provider, please report it immediately.' Asked how border agents are able to verify proof of a negative test, Ms Moreton (pictured) told MPs: 'We're not is the simple answer, it's predominately taken on trust. Those who attempt to evade quarantine or testing by providing false information face a fine of up to 10,000, and up to 10 years in prison, while those who do not book a hotel place before arriving in England face a 4,000 fine. As far back as October last year, airport staff in the UK were said to have been handed fake Covid test certificates from some travellers so they could board planes to Pakistan. Reports at the time suggested some travellers had doctored the name on negative test emails, printed them out and handed them over the check-in staff. According to the Lancashire Telegraph, one Blackburn man said he was handed a negative test by a friend and then changed the name to his and printed it out. He was able to travel to Pakistan with what was a fake Covid-19 test certificate. The man, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It is quite simple. Everyone knows someone who has had a Covid test.' Discussing how fake Covid certificates are spotted, Ms Moreton said: 'We catch them if there is a spelling error somewhere.' But many certificates are in a foreign language which could make spelling mistakes trickier to spot, she added. 'Otherwise they are taken at face value,' she added. She said that the documents are checked against a series of code numbers but 'these things are very easy to knock up electronically unfortunately'. Asked how many could be falling through the cracks, she added: 'It's inherently unknowable. 'A lot of the border and immigration and migration and quarantine controls are based on trust: we trust people when they say they have not been in a red list country in the last 10 days; we trust people when they say that they are going to 2 Acacia Avenue to quarantine; we trust that there is an Acacia Avenue and that when they are going to go there, they are going to stay there. 'The whole thing is based on an assumption that people will do the right thing.' The latest update from the ISU comes as Britain added India to its 'red list' yesterday as the country's health system is said to be on the brink of collapse while it battles its fastest spreading coronavirus surge since the pandemic began. Burning pyres of patients who died of Covid-19 at a crematorium in Delhi over the weekend. The city of 29 million people has fewer than 100 beds with ventilators, and fewer than 150 beds available for patients needing critical care. More than 200,000 cases per day were recorded on average in the last week, 20 times as many as two months ago, as a new variant of Covid-19 emerged which scientists fear could partly evade vaccines An average of 1,247 deaths were recorded over the last seven days, though India's figures on Covid fatalities are believed to be vastly under-reported Many have accused the government of acting too late as more than 100 people in the UK have now tested positive for the new Indian Covid variant - most traced to foreign travel. Some 900 people were able to arrive from India every day for the last three weeks, while Britons have been banned from overseas travel to stop the spread. Another 5,000 people are due to fly from India into Britain before the travel ban comes into effect on Friday amid a desperate scramble to dodge quarantine. They risk carrying with them variant B.1.617 which is believed to spread more easily and could even be more lethal than other strains, with Indian doctors concerned by a significant proportion of young patients. Some doctors say the reason that under-45s are now vulnerable is that they go to work and eat out more, but there is no definitive proof. Medics in Delhi say that two thirds of their new patients are under-45, while in Mumbai, doctors say that they are seeing children aged 12 to 15, where there were virtually no child admissions in the first wave. It comes as last week the UK government blamed passengers for long queues at Heathrow where one traveller collapsed while waiting seven hours in the airport's overwhelmed passport control. Speaking on Thursday, April 15, the Prime Minister's official spokesman insisted Border Force has the 'right level' of staff despite complaints and chaotic scenes last week when the unnamed woman appeared unconscious on the floor of UK arrivals. Travel agents say that a standard 400 economy ticket from India to the UK has soared to 2,000 due to a shortage of seats on planes over the next three days Passengers arrive at Heathrow Terminal 2 from Mumbai this afternoon as travel agents warn of a desperate scramble to beat Friday's quarantine deadline No 10, responding to reports of seven-hour queues at airports and the woman's collapse, said people should only travel when 'absolutely necessary' and suggested not enough people were filling in their forms correctly or pre-booking tests. MailOnline understands, as of last Thursday, only a maximum of 20 of the 40 passport control desks at Heathrow Terminal 2 are currently being manned because of social distancing. Border Force officials who are sat checking passports are being forced to work in 'social bubbles' of four spread out across the enormous complex to reduce the risk of spreading different strains of coronavirus. They cannot be moved from their tasks to alleviate pressure at passport control if they are not already working in the arrivals hall that day. Lucy Moreton, of the Immigration Services Union, told MailOnline that in pre-Covid times the average time a passenger spent at a passport control desk was around two minutes. This is four minutes now if a passenger's documents are all in order, but 'at least' 40 if there is an issue, she said. She said: 'The delays are not caused by a lack of staff. If you look at it, we can now only man every other desk for covid reasons. 'If your bubble is assigned to admin tasks for the day, ordinarily we would hoik them out, but we can't do that. Footage posted online shows a woman lying on the floor of Heathrow Airport being tended to by staff - as many more passengers wait to be cleared through the border Passengers have expressed their anger over the long delays in the arrivals hall of Heathrow. Some passengers have had to wait for up to six hours to clear the border due to a shortage of Border Force staff 'It makes it look like we are understaffed, when in fact we have the maximum number of people working we can'. She said that Heathrow Terminal has 40 passport control desks, but because they only have front screens, the number of desks is halved, creating delays, being added to because officers have to check 100 per cent of forms - passports, passenger locator forms and negative Covid test results - on all arrivals, and many are not complying. Ms Moreton said: The cause of the delays is because people are not complying. We are seeing a lot of people saying was 'nobody told them' or 'it doesn't apply to me'. Footage posted online on Monday afternoon shows a woman lying on the floor of Heathrow Airport being tended to by staff - as many more passengers wait to be cleared through the border. The video's uploader claims the woman had collapsed following a seven-hour wait for entry clearance. Former US President Donald Trump has faulted Joe Biden's timeline for removing troops from Afghanistan following a 20 year old war with the Taliban controlled state. Last week, Biden said the withdrawal of American troops will begin on May 1, in line with the agreement the Trump administration made with the Taliban but finish on September 11, the 20th anniversary of the World Trade center bombing by Alqaeda that made the US enter into war with Afghanistan. Though Trump offered his support of President Joe Biden's plans to bring home American troops, he urged his successor to draw an end to America's longest war well before the September 11 deadline that Biden set last week. Trump said that while leaving Afghanistan is "a wonderful and positive thing to do," he had set a May 1 withdrawal deadline and added that "we should keep as close to that schedule as possible." "I wish Joe Biden wouldn't use September 11 as the date to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, for two reasons. First, we can and should get out earlier. Nineteen years is enough, in fact, far too much and way too long," Trump said "September 11 represents a very sad event and period for our Country and should remain a day of reflection and remembrance honoring those great souls we lost." he added. Trump's statement didnt go down well with all his allies though . One of his fiercest allies, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, tweeted Sunday evening: " I could not disagree more with former President Trump regarding his support for President Biden's withdrawal of all forces from Afghanistan against sound military advice." "With all due respect to former President Trump, there is nothing 'wonderful' or 'positive' about allowing safe havens and sanctuary for terrorists to reemerge in Afghanistan or see Afghanistan be drawn back into another civil war," Graham added. 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 BioMedSA, tasked with boosting San Antonios health care and bioscience industries, is taking a more proactive approach to promote growth. The nonprofit is hosting a virtual event to match up potential investors and entrepreneurs in May, and it soon will be moving closer to the South Texas Medical Center. Heather Hanson, president of BioMedSA, said they also plan on surveying local employers within the industry to find out their hiring needs and use that information to help the city fill gaps in workforce training. On ExpressNews.com: BioMed SA selects new president to lead nonprofit Hanson is a medical device expert and mechanical engineer who came onboard in April 2020 to lead the city-sponsored organization. She said the upcoming BioFest Invest event on May 19 will attract emerging biotechnology companies from across the state to pitch products and seek funding from potential investors for an entry fee of $150 to $250. Investors and the general public can attend the virtual event for free, and the program includes access to speakers and panelists. Its really designed to make connections, Hanson said. BioMedSA also is moving out of leased space at the Southwest Research Institute and into a new 1,800-square-foot office space in the San Antonio Technology Center, at 3463 Magic Drive, at the end of the month. According to the most recent San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Economic Impact Study, the citys health care and bioscience industry contributed more than $42 billion to the economy in 2019 making it responsible for nearly 1 out of every 5 jobs in San Antonio. San Antonios collaborative spirit and business-friendly approach to economic development is the cornerstone of our industrys success, Hanson said. In the past decade, BioMedSA reported, various clinical institutions, bioscience manufacturing, biomedical research, testing and military medicine employers have added more than 50,000 jobs. On ExpressNews.com: Health care, bioscience overtake military as S.A. areas top money-generating industry BioMedSA was founded in 2005 by former Mayor Henry Cisneros and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to accelerate economic growth and foster partnerships within the bioscience sector. Founding president Ann Stevens led the organization until she retired in November 2019. Since Hanson took the reins, the organization has formed several active committees, including a clinical trial task force created in June that works on making it easier for sponsors to conduct their clinical trials in San Antonio. Other goals include forming an educational program showing K-12 students careers in the biomedical and health care industries. People tend to think the life sciences industry needs only workers with advanced degrees, Hanson said, but these employers also need people who are trained in other fields, such as facilities or clinical support staff, quality assurance and document control clerks. Theres good jobs in life sciences whether you go to college or not. Theres stable jobs here. You dont have to be a scientist, she said. laura.garcia@express-news.net Burma EU Sanctions 10 More Myanmar Regime Members But Some Still Missing Members of Myanmars military council. The European Union imposed sanctions on 10 more junta members, including its ethnic minority representatives, and two military-controlled conglomerates on Monday. The latest sanctions target nine members of the State Administrative Council (SAC), the juntas governing body, and its information minister, U Chit Naing, who is responsible for issuing military propaganda. The EU said the sanctions include asset freezes and visa bans on those involved in decision-making, undermining democracy and serious human rights violations. At least 739 people have been killed and 3,261 detained by the regime since the military takeover on Feb. 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The EU imposed sanctions on U Chit Naing, saying he was responsible for spreading disinformation through the state media. It said he was also directly responsible for decisions that led to the crackdown on Myanmar media. After taking over the ministry, he outlawed the words coup, military regime and junta in the independent media. On March 8 he removed the operating licenses of Mizzima, Myanmar Now, 7Day News, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Khit Thit Media, all of which had covered the protests against military rule. Seven ethnic-minority SAC members are included on the sanctions lists. Mahn Nyein Maung, a former Karen National Union leader and ex-political prisoner, ran unsuccessfully for the Lower House in Ayeyarwady Regions Pantanaw Township for the Karen Peoples Party in the Nov. 8 general election. Rakhine politician Daw Aye Nu Sein was on the Arakan National Partys policy board and the partys spokeswoman. Kayah politician Saw Daniel was the vice-chairman of the Kayah State Democratic Party until his dismissal from the party for joining the SAC. Dr. Banyar Aung Moe, a central executive committee member of the Mon Unity Party, was appointed to the SAC on March 17, leading to the resignation of many party members. Shan politician Sai Lone Hseng was a Shan State speaker representing the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party. Two other members of ethnic minorities on the SAC, Jeng Phang Naw Taung and U Moung Har, also face EU sanctions. New National Democracy Party chairman U Thein Nyunt and National Democratic Force chairman U Khin Maung Swe are on the sanctions list. Both are former National League for Democracy members who quit to take part in the military-organized 2010 general election and they served as MPs until 2015. Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC) have been also been sanctioned by the EU. The two conglomerates are a key source of income for the junta. They control a range of banking, trade, logistics, construction, mining, tourism and consumer goods businesses. The EU said its decision is a sign of the EUs unity and determination in condemning the brutal actions of the military junta and aims at effecting change in the juntas leadership. The 27-member bloc said its sanctions targeted the economic interests of the coup leaders and aim to avoid harm to the people of Myanmar. Some are still missing In March, the EU issued a freeze on assets and a visa ban for coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and nine other senior officers who are SAC members and for the new head of the election commission. The EUs latest sanctions on Monday target civilian members of the SAC and one minister. Other key SAC members have evaded sanctions. Foreign minister U Wunna Maung Lwin, a key member of the UDSP, also served as foreign minister under President U Thein Sein when he worked with his counterparts in Asean, a role he reprised on his recent trip to Thailand. He met the Thai and Indonesian foreign ministers weeks after the military coup. Also missing is the regimes investment and foreign economic relations minister, U Aung Naing Oo. Despite his military background, he was appointed Myanmar Investment Commission chief under the ousted National League for Democracy government. With the experience he gained under the NLD government, he is now the economics czar for the regime. The juntas minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, Daw Thet Thet Khaing, was a military-friendly politician long before her ministerial appointment. Before the 2020 general election, she met Senior General Min Aung Hung to seek help if they were mistreated by the NLD during the election. She is a former NLD member. International cooperation minister U Ko Ko Haling used to be an adviser under U Thein Seins government in the early 2010s. He is a staunch supporter of China and he is an adviser to Yunnan Universitys Center for Myanmar Studies. He has backed Chinas policies towards Hong Kong and Taiwan. These ministers have all received severe criticism from pro-democracy supporters who have demanded western countries impose sanctions on them. You may also like these stories: Ethnic Kachin Armed Group Launches Multiple Attacks on Myanmar Military Prominent Protest Leader Escapes Arrest by Myanmar Junta Myanmar Mother Prays for Tortured Daughter A month earlier, the foundation announced more than a third of its construction hires for the upcoming presidential center will hail from South and West side neighborhoods as part of a drive to give jobs to the Chicago communities that bolstered the rise of the nations first Black president. Around that time, a foundation official also disclosed that it had raised about $847 million, though they did not say how much it had spent. Advertisement Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Jonathan 'Foodgod' Cheban loves the Miami lifestyle so much he's put his two-bedroom Manhattan apartment on the market for $2.6M. The Soviet-born, New Jersey-raised 47-year-old confirmed the New York Post's real estate story on Monday, writing via Instastory: 'Bye New York... for now!' Jonathan revealed in August that he wanted to sell the lavish apartment after his $250,000 watch was stolen during a harrowing gunpoint robbery earlier that month, claiming: 'It's very traumatic to be there.' The 55-story Sky House condo comes fully furnished with a suede down sofa, a Keller Harris extendable table, and 65in Sony TV. For sale! Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Jonathan 'Foodgod' Cheban loves the Miami lifestyle so much he's put his two-bedroom Manhattan apartment on the market for $2.6M (pictured Sunday) The Soviet-born, New Jersey-raised 47-year-old confirmed the New York Post's real estate story on Monday, writing via Instastory: 'Bye New York... for now!' Jonathan's unit features smart home technology linking all electronic systems including the 'mood lighting,' Schonbek chandelier, and black-out shades. The new owner will certainly need shade considering the apartment boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the Big Apple skyline. Cheban remodeled the condo with Venetian plaster and high-gloss-painted walls, and the 2.5 bathrooms feature Cavalli tiling and Toto toilets. Unsurprisingly, the MTV Cribs guest star decked out his open chef's kitchen with custom Italian cabinetry and high-end Italian stainless steel appliances. Ready to roll: The 55-story Sky House condo comes fully furnished with a suede down sofa, a Keller Harris extendable table, and 65in Sony TV Push of a button: Jonathan's unit features smart home technology linking all electronic systems including the 'mood lighting,' Schonbek chandelier, and black-out shades Lots of light: The new owner will certainly need shade considering the apartment boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the Big Apple skyline Porcelain throne: Cheban remodeled the condo with Venetian plaster and high-gloss-painted walls, and the 2.5 bathrooms feature Cavalli tiling and Toto toilets Fit for a foodie! Unsurprisingly, the MTV Cribs guest star decked out his open chef's kitchen with custom Italian cabinetry and high-end Italian stainless steel appliances Jonathan's decision to move to Florida might have had something to do with him and his mother Galina being allegedly robbed at gunpoint in New Jersey on August 1. Cheban described how his $250K Richard Mille watch was forcibly removed off his wrist during the April 8th episode of the E! reality show, now in its 20th and final season. The Hofstra University grad has appeared on KUWTK as far back as 2009 when he met Kim Kardashian 'by chance' at a birthday party. Cheban also told Page Six at the time over the alleged robbery: 'I can't be there. It's very traumatic to be there. I want to sell my apartment in New York for sure because I can't imagine living there again.' During the incident, Cheban slammed Mayor Bill de Blasio for his lack of action over a recent spike in armed robberies, among Manhattan's Upper East Side. 'Daytime, nighttime, afternoon, Midtown, Uptown, Downtown, the mayor has destroyed the city,' he told the outlet. 'It's depressing. It's scary. I was on edge before, but now I'm even more on edge, obviously. Victim of crime: Jonathan's decision to move to Florida might have had something to do with him and his mother Galina being allegedly robbed at gunpoint in New Jersey on August 1 Scary: Cheban described how his $250K Richard Mille watch was forcibly removed off his wrist during the April 8th episode of the E! reality show, now in its 20th and final season 'So happy!' The Hofstra University grad has appeared on KUWTK as far back as 2009 when he met Kim Kardashian (R) 'by chance' at a birthday party He added: 'I'm just confused as to how they're allowing this to happen,' he said. 'I just cannot believe [New Yorkers] would vote for this idiot two times.' Additionally, the star is grappling on how to cope after the 'horrifying' and 'definitely a life-changing experience.' Jonathan legally changed his name to Foodgod in 2019 after being bestowed with the nickname by Kim's estranged third husband, 22-time Grammy winner Kanye West. On Sunday, Cheban party-hopped from Jake Paul's bash at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau to Victoria Beckham's 47th birthday bash at a David Grutman-owned restaurant. The reality TV star showcases foodie porn to his captive combined 10.3M social media following and he sells Foodgod Truffle Ketchup off his website. Living it up! On Sunday, Jonathan party-hopped from Jake Paul's (L) bash at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau to Victoria Beckham's (R) 47th birthday bash at a David Grutman-owned restaurant In a highly volatile trading session, the opened on a firm note on Tuesday as the government expanded vaccine reach to people above 18 years, but more restrictions announced by state governments dented sentiment and the benchmark indices pared all the morning gains and ended lower by 0.4-0.5 per cent. The BSE Sensex slipped 243.62 points or 0.51 per cent to close the session at 47,705.80, the lowest close since January 29. Intraday, the BSE gauge rose as much as 529 points to touch the day's peak of 48,478.34. Likewise, the Nifty climbed over 167 points to reclaim the key 14,500-level during the day, but surrendered its gains to end at 14,296.40, showing a drop of 63.05 points or 0.44 per cent. The two indices have retreated 8.7 per cent and 6.9 per cent, respectively, from record highs hit in February as surging Covid-19 cases threaten to stifle a nascent economic recovery. ALSO READ: Aditya Birla MF files IPO document with Sebi; issue size Rs 2,000 cr The broader witnessed healthy buying interest as both mid-cap and small-cap indices ended higher by 0.5 per cent. On the sector front, a mixed trend was witnessed IT, FMCG and finance ended with losses, whereas auto, telecom and metals finished in the green. The announcement (of fresh restrictions) by state governments and the rising Covid-19 cases would remain a critical factor for investors in the near term. Further, earnings outcomes of Nifty majors would be actively tracked. We maintain our cautious stance for the in the near term as increasing restrictions would adversely impact economic activities, said Ajit Mishra, vice-president-research, Religare Broking. The indices have formed a strong bearish candle on the daily chart, said Rohit Singre, senior technical analyst at LKP Securities. We may see the next leg of a move towards the 14,000-mark, which is another strong support on the downside; on the higher side 14,400-14,500 will be a stiff hurdle. " As of now, Ashis Biswas, head of technical research, CapitalVia Global Research, said the short-term technical condition of the market appears like a sideways correction is in the process. While it is subject to further price action evolution, it is prudent to wait for a decisive breakout of the range and technical factors to improve before attempting to enter from a short- to medium-term perspective. Elsewhere in Asia on Tuesday, equity bourses saw mixed trading as investors awaited the release of China's latest benchmark lending rate. Japan led losses among the region's major markets, followed by Hong Kong. In the US, stocks were on pace for their first back-to-back drop since late March as investors sifted through a batch of corporate results. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON The Supreme Court seemed inclined Monday to say that hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief money tied up in court should benefit Alaska Natives rather than be spread more broadly among Native American tribes around the U.S. The justices heard arguments in a case involving the massive pandemic relief package passed last year and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump. The $2.2 trillion legislation earmarked $8 billion for Tribal governments to cover expenses related to the pandemic. The question for the court is whether Alaska Native corporations, which are for-profit companies that provide benefits and social services to more than 100,000 Alaska Natives, count as Indian tribes. The federal government set aside more than $530 million for the corporations, but the funds have been tied up as a result of lawsuits by Native American tribes. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The Navajo Nation was among the tribes that sued the Treasury over the potential payments to ANCs. Navajo Nation Attorney General Doreen McPaul has said allocating the money to ANCs would reduce the amount of pandemic relief funds available for other devastated tribal governments. We are literally fighting for dollars to save lives, McPaul said. If the tribes win, the disputed funds would be distributed among 574 federally recognized tribes both in and outside Alaska. The case is important not only because of the amount of money it involves, but also because Native Americans and Alaska Natives have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. On Monday, the justices agreed that Congress could have chosen clearer language in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to describe who should get money. But both conservative and liberal justices also seemed to conclude that Congress intended Alaska Native corporations to get funds. During about an hour and a half of arguments the justices heard by phone because of the pandemic, Justice Samuel Alito suggested it would be absurd for the law to be read as not covering the so-called ANCs. And Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch suggested Congress could have chosen other language if it intended to exclude them. Justice Elena Kagan called it implausible that Congress intended to leave ANCs out. And Justice Stephen Breyer seemed ready to excuse Congress grammar and conclude they should be covered. Ive never heard of a canon that says you have to use perfect grammar, or even that you have to use good grammar when you are a member of Congress, Breyer said. Part of the issue for the justices is that Alaska is unique. Unlike in the lower 48 states, Alaska Native tribes arent situated on reservations. Instead, Native land is owned by ANCs created under a 1971 law. The for-profit corporations run oil, gas, mining and other enterprises. Alaska Natives own shares in the corporations, and the corporations provide a range of services, from health care and elder care to educational support and housing assistance. Arguing for the federal government, Matthew Guarnieri told the justices that the settled understanding for the last 45 years has been that ANCs are eligible to be treated as Indian tribes. Doing differently would be a dramatic departure from the status quo, he said. A lower courts decision in favor of the Native American tribes threatens to shut ANCs out of a wide range of important federal programs, he said. Guarnieri acknowledged the language Congress used could have been clearer: Im not going to sit here and say that this is the best possible way to draft a statute, Guarnieri said. Kagan replied: Well, I think we can all agree on that. Alaska has more than 200 federally recognized tribes, but many are small and remote, and not well-suited to distribute certain benefits, the ANCs argue. Moreover, many Alaska Natives are not affiliated with recognized tribes, the corporations say. After the CARES Act was passed, three groups of tribes sued to prevent payments to ANCs. They argue that, under the language of the law, only federally recognized tribes qualify for the aid and ANCs do not because they are not sovereign governments, as tribes are. A trial court ultimately disagreed, but a unanimous panel of the District of Columbia Circuit reversed the decision. Both the Trump and Biden administrations agreed that the CARES Act makes the corporations eligible for the relief money. A decision in the case is expected by the end of June, when the court traditionally begins its summer break. In another episode of 'this happens only in India', a couple was arrested after misbehaving with Delhi Police as they were stopped for not wearing a mask. They have now been booked under sections pertaining to COVID protocol violations and stopping the public servants from letting them do their duty. However, speaking to media after the arrest, the man wasn't willing to take the blame and blamed his wife for the whole debacle. The couple who were captured in the video fighting with the police have been identified as Pankaj Dutta and Abha Gupta. Delhi was under a curfew over the past weekend, now extended for a week due to the dismally rising COVID cases. According to the police, Dutta and Gupta were pulled over in Central Delhi's Daryaganj around 4:30 pm on Sunday for being in their car without masks. This is a violation of Covid guidelines in the capital where people are required to wear masks even if they are alone in the car. Check out the video here- This is hilarious. Man blames quarrelsome wife for refusing to wear mask.. https://t.co/0HMhIQgc9l Naomi Datta (@nowme_datta) April 19, 2021 Allegedly, the couple didn't even have the mandatory curfew pass. In the viral video, the couple is seen arguing with the police for being pulled over for not wearing a mask. The man in the video said, Cant you understand I am in a closed car with my wife, before the wife adds: bewakoof bana rakha hai corona ke naam pe (they are taking us for a ride in the name of coronavirus). As soon as the police asks the couple to pay the fine for not wearing masks, the woman in the video calls them 'beggars'. She was with her husband and said she could kiss him if she wanted too. The man was arrested on Sunday and the woman was arrested on Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Jasmeet Singh told ThePrint, "The husband and wife refused to wear masks and even misbehaved with police personnel during weekend curfew. They further obstructed the police personnel in the discharge of their duties." The couple lives in Delhi's Patel Nagar and during the argument the woman claimed that she had cleared the UPSC Main and that her father is a sub-inspector. DCP Singh said, "We are trying to verify her claims." However, the bizarre incident took a turn on Monday when Pankaj blamed his wife for everything that happened on Sunday. He said, "She doesnt let me wear masks, he told the reporter. He also said that they have been fighting over the same thing during the whole ride. Here's what people have to say about this- Was she audiotioning for some role? The husbands U turn in the end was the highlight. Renuka Vyavahare (@renukaVyavahare) April 19, 2021 Chalo atleast there won't be any kisses in near future! Bahulya Rishi (@BahulyaRishi) April 19, 2021 If he is allowed inside the home that is. Piyu (@PBnrg) April 19, 2021 "Wohi toh mai keh raha hu...dimaag lagaane bhi nahi deti na woh" Hahahah, there's throwing people under the bus, and then there's this!! X A-12 Cov-19 (@k0ol1) April 19, 2021 And police is holding hands of that guy Go Corona Go dipesh (@beingdon157) April 19, 2021 1. Wearing Mask is compulsory in a public place. 2. High court has ruled that private car on road is a public space. That is the logic. jaydeep desai (@jm_desai) April 20, 2021 He also said, I always wear masks when she is not around. My wife was provoking me. I havent abused police, she did it. I had warned her throughout to wear masks." What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below! Texas Senator Ted Cruz hit California Representative Maxine Waters for openly "inciting violence" over comments to rioters gathered in Minnesota last Saturday waiting for the verdict on the Derek Chauvin case. "Democrats actively encouraging riots & violence. They want to tear us apart. 'We gotta stay on the street,' Waters was recorded saying, adding that protesters needed 'to get more confrontational' & they should ignore the curfew in place," Cruz tweeted on Sunday. His tweet included a link to a news report on Waters joining the Black Lives Matter protest. Cruz also hit on Democrats for leaning to the radical left and for their thirst for power in a series of his tweets. Democrats actively encouraging riots & violence. They want to tear us apart. 'We gotta stay on the street,' Waters was recorded saying, adding that protesters needed 'to get more confrontational' & they should ignore the curfew in place. https://t.co/PWW7YNDbKR Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 18, 2021 "Today's Democrats are beholden to the far left voices that they made to the far left. Today's Democrats are about power. So if the rules stand in the way, the heck with the rules, ignore them," One America News Network quoted Cruz in saying. Real Clear Politics reported that Waters traveled from LA to Brooklyn Center because "she could not sleep" from the police killings and wanted a guilty verdict be given to Chauvin. "I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty. And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business," Waters told reporters. Waters' comments received a lot of criticisms from government officials and Netizens alike who said "what good" will inciting a riot do and that she "should be arrested and charged with domestic terrorism" as various media outlets present in the riot reported she was inciting violence. Along with Cruz, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and California Representative Kevin McCarthy, who serves as House Minority Leader, also respectively condemned Waters for "openly encouraging violence" and for her "dangerous rhetoric." "Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis--just as she has incited it in the past. If Speaker Pelosi doesn't act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week," McCarthy said on Twitter. While other GOP legislators want her to be expelled from Congress. Even Judge Peter Cahill who handles the Chauvin trial criticized waters for her comments, as per NBC News. However, NBC news reported that Waters would probably not be punished since Congress is controlled by Democrats. As per OANN, a Minnesota National Guard and a Minneapolis Police neiborhood security team was "fired upon early Sunday morning" after Waters incited violence. "A @MNNationalGuard and @MinneapolisPD neighborhood security team was fired upon early Sunday morning in a drive-by shooting near Penn Avenue and Broadway in Minneapolis," the Minneapolis National Guard tweeted on Sunday. In succeeding tweets, the Minnesota National Guard said that a "light-colored SUV fired several shots" at a Minnesota Operation Safety security team at 4:19 am. The incident resulted in "minor injuries" to two Minnesota National Guard members, one of which had to be brought to the hospital for additional care from the shattered glass borne from the gun fire. The Minnesota Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke expressed relief that there were no serious injuries from the incident though it clearly shows the "tension" happening in the area. "I am relieved to know none of our Guardsmen were seriously injured. This event highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now. I ask for peace as we work through this difficult time," Manke said as per the Minnesota National Guard Twitter post. You are here: China Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that all are welcome to share in the vast opportunities of the Chinese market. Xi made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. China will take an active part in multilateral cooperation on trade and investment, fully implement the Foreign Investment Law and its supporting rules and regulations, and cut further the negative list on foreign investment, said Xi. Also, China will continue to develop the Hainan Free Trade Port and develop new systems for a higher-standard open economy, Xi added. A Georgia hairdresser who divorced her husband and is now in a relationship with another woman has been told by her church that she must repent for her 'sinful behavior' or else be publicly denounced and excommunicated. Krystal Cox was informed in writing by the elders of Woodstock Church of Christ that they were concerned about 'the condition of your soul'. Cox, who has been attending the church in Woodstock, 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta, for around five years, told her local news channel she was deeply hurt by the letter. 'When I opened it, I was kind of enraged,' she told CBS 46. Cox, who owns a hair salon in Woodstock, Georgia, is to be excommunicated for her sexuality Cox, pictured with her musician girlfriend Tayler Jacques, was attacked by the church elders for the 'public display of your homosexual relationship', which they said was 'sinful' 'Like, why am I getting picked on and getting called out when everyone has sin? 'The fact that they're going to point it out and release my personal business to the entire congregation of the church and tell them that I can no longer come there - I just don't feel like that's right,' Cox said. Four elders first wrote to Cox, who has ran a hair salon in the town for 20 years, before Christmas asking for a meeting. They said that they wanted 'to discuss with you this situation and the condition of your soul.' When the mother-of-two did not respond, they wrote again with an ultimatum. 'As elders of the Woodstock congregation, we have the responsibility to watch out for the souls of each member of this congregation. 'As we have previously stated, we feel it is crucial to remind you that our Lord considered it vital that no one can be involved in homosexuality and be in a pleasing relationship with God.' A tearful Cox told her local television station she was saddened by the elders' decision Cox has decided that she will not return to the church, following their series of letters The four church elders (pictured) will publicly denounce her on April 30 in church The Woodstock Church of Christ in Georgia, 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta The four men - Eric Dotson, Gary Kyle, Rick Reynolds and Don Williams - condemned in their April 1 letter her 'lack of desire to hear our concerns, apparent lack of willingness to repent, and the public display of your homosexual relationship'. They said they had 'no alternative but to withdraw our fellowship with you'. 'Please understand this is an effort to encourage in you a Godly sorrow leading to repentance,' they wrote. 'Please understand that we love you and pray that you will repent, seek forgiveness and return to worshipping our Father in the Lord's church.' Cox was given an April 30 deadline to 'repent', or else they said they would assume she did 'not desire to be forgiven for your sinful behavior.' The elders said they would then make an announcement the following Sunday, and warned her that she would from thenceforth be shunned. 'It is important that you understand after fellowship has been withdrawn from you, Christians must not interact with you except to encourage you to repent and seek forgiveness,' they concluded. Cox and Jacques, on vacation. Cox has told of her sadness at being forced from the church 'I look at my relationship and how much love I have with her and think, how can people think this is so wrong?' said Cox (left, with girlfriend Tayler Jacques) Cox, who said she is leaving the church, posted the letter on Instagram, captioning it: 'I can't wait for my denouncement ceremony. #churchofchristdropout #churchofchrist #organizedreligion #godislove #loveislove #bye' Cox said that she was saddened by the condemnation of her loving relationship, which brought her happiness. Her girlfriend Tayler Jacques is the lead vocalist in 90s tribute band Flannel Nation. 'I feel like it's not wrong,' she told CBS 46. 'I look at my relationship and how much love I have with her and think, how can people think this is so wrong?' She added that she had no desire for the church or those involved with it to be publicly attacked. 'I just really don't want anything bad to come out of this,' she said. 'I want it to be good. I don't want people to be saying ugly things to them and sending them ugly stuff. I just don't want that, that was not my intent.' The church has removed its Facebook page and closed its website after Cox published her letter. The four elders have not responded to media requests for comment. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A handgun and a small amount of drugs were found in a student's car at Cleveland High School on Tuesday. The student was placed into custody. School officials said, "Earlier today, a tip was turned into school administration that a student may have illegal drugs in their car. Cleveland High Schools school resource officers were notified and the Cleveland Police Departments drug dog was dispatched. "A small amount of illegal drugs was located in the vehicle along with a handgun. The student made no threats to or against anyone and the handgun and illegal narcotics were confiscated by the Cleveland Police Department. The student was taken into police custody and discipline will follow all Cleveland City Schools policies for these types of infractions. "A school lockdown was not needed today since the handgun was found in the car and never entered the building. "Cleveland City Schools would like to thank the students for alerting officials and the Cleveland Police Department for their fast response. We also thank the faculty and staff at Cleveland High School for their quick response. Our district and our schools aim to keep student and school safety a high priority and today that system worked well. "We ask our parents and guardians to talk with your children and encourage them to always report any suspicious activity to school officials, the Cleveland Police Department, or anonymously through our tips program by submitting through the STOPit app. You can download the STOPit app free from your app store. Apple joins artist royalty payments debate with some good karma In a bit of good news for musicians and songwriters, Apple has joined the competitive royalty fray, pitting itself against SoundCloud and Spotify to prove which platform can more fairly compensate artists. Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy As an old sailing master once said, two boats on the water is a race. For once, the prize may be which streamery can treat artists better than their competitor. What do SoundCloud and Apple have in common? Or said another way, what does Spotify not have in common with SoundCloud and Apple? Of all the different ways that each of these licensed platforms try to compete with each other, SoundCloud and Apple have started competing on how fairly they pay the artists. We like it. If the labels are going to license essentially the same catalog to all the services there are only so many ways the streaming platforms can compete with each other when they all charge roughly the same price (or have an old-school free service like Spotify, where 1999 is frozen in amber). This is not a surprising move after all the backlash against streaming by artists around the world (see the #BrokenRecord campaign that brought on the UK Parliaments inquiry into streaming and the #IRespectMusic campaign which killed IRFA among other things). Weve previously covered the SoundCloud fan-powered royalties move which is the first implementation of user-centric by a major platform. But now Apple has stepped up by making representations about its minimum royalty rate. (Songwriters take note: Theres a free market for licensing interactive streaming. Maybe one day well get to songwriters, but thats another story for their lobbyists to answer.) According to Apples newsletter: As the discussion about streaming royalties continues, we believe it is important to share our values.We believe in paying every creator the same rate, that a play has a value, and that creators should never have to pay for featuring. So those statements right there do two things by addressing per-stream rates and payola. First, it puts a fork in one of Spotifys grand deflectionspay no attention to that per-stream rate behind the curtain. Ever since the Trichordist started publishing the Streaming Price Bible, Spotify has been struggling to keep both artists and law makers from paying it any mind. Thats obviously a fools errand because everyone knows that it is necessary in the market-centric (or big pool) method to calculate a per-stream rate in order to know what the royalty payment is for any given licensor in any given period. This is due to this formula (where T1 is a single accounting period): 1. Monthly Service Revenue in T1 Total Streams in T1= per-stream rate in T1 2. Per stream rate in T1 x Your Streams in T1 = Your Royalty at T1 And algebraically, can also be expressed as this value for T1: 3. Monthly Service Revenue x [Your Streams Total Streams] = Your Royalty Apple is simply recognizing the reality that every play has a value and going further by saying every creator should be paid at the same rate. Thats different than saying every creator will be paid the sameobviously the payment to each artist will vary depending on the number of streams of that artists repertoire. The Big Numerator people will get paid more than the Low Numerator people in the market-centric hyper efficient market share distribution of streaming royalties. But Apple may be saying something very important here. If what they are saying is that they will pay 1 per stream regardless of the result of the first line calculation above so that the per-stream rate is guaranteed, then there may not be a reason to have the first line at all. On the other hand, if they are saying that the result of the first line will be no less than 1, then there still is a reason to have the calculation as it may result in exceeding the 1 minimum if it is a minimum. That calculation will, of course, be a function of how the Monthly Service Revenue is calculated. Its important to know the answer to this minimum/maximum question about Apples announcement. Just because theyre Apple doesnt mean theyre not crafty. (Of course, streaming services dont actually pay creators directly and they dont pay non-featured performers a penny or even a fraction of a penny, but thats a different conversation. That we will come back to.) Apples payola comment is equally eye opening. A word about payola. What most people think of when they use the word payola is what we used to call the $50 handshake when a radio promoter would slip a $50 bill to a DJ during a handshake and expect more airplay in return. Failing to disclose that payment is illegalwhich is, of course, why it was done in a handshake when no one could see the $50 being palmed. If its illegal on terrestrial radio, why should it be legal online? Im a big believer in platform parity and a level playing field, dont you know. Also known as Moondogs Revenge. As the erudite David Oxenford noted a few years ago: The payola statute, 47 USC Section 508, applies to radio stations and their employees, so by its terms it does not apply to Internet radio (at least to the extent that Internet Radio is not transmitted by radio wavesBut that does not end the inquiry. Note that neither the prosecutions brought by Eliot Spitzer in New York state a few years ago nor the prosecution of legendary disc jockey Alan Fried in the 1950s were brought under the payola statute. Instead, both were based on state law commercial bribery statutes on the theory that improper payments were being received for a commercial advantage. Such statutes are in no way limited to radio, but can apply to any business. Thus, Internet radio stations would need to be concerned. While Attorney Oxenford was focused on Internet radio, the same could be said of streaming platforms like Spotify, the Born Digital generations substitute for radio (as was extensively discussed in the UK Parliament inquiry). Also recall that a few years ago, steering agreements became popular with Pandora and iHeart. In direct agreements, these services promised to play recordings more frequently in return for a lower royalty payout. Just because there wasnt a fifty being palmed doesnt mean that Pandora and iHeart didnt get a benefit. Steering agreements allow the webcaster to pay a lower royalty payment (the quid) if the webcaster plays more of the record companys recordings (the pro quo). The webcaster then steers more of the record companys recordings to the listener in order to qualify for the lower royalty payment. I have always thought that steering agreements implicate the other valuable consideration and indirect payment prongs of the payola rules and could implicate state law commercial bribery. (This was an issue for Pandora during the time the FCC payola rules actually applied to them because the company owned radio station KXMZ which they bought in another stupid, but cutesy, move to screw over songwriters that failed miserably. This was during the period of what Billboard called World War P when Satan had to take a number in the Pandora board room.) Back to Apple, this lower royalty in consideration of more plays should sound familiar and Apple squarely rejects it in their announcement. Spotify has been in this lane for a while, starting with Sponsored Songs a few years ago (see Spotify Introduces a Brand New Feature: Payola) but most recently came back to it with the promise that artists (but actually labels or rights holders) can influence Spotifys personalized recommendations if they took a lower royalty. To ensure the tool is accessible to artists at any stage of their careers, it wont require any upfront budget. Instead, labels or rights holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalized listening sessions where we provided this service. If the songs resonate with listeners, well keep trying them in similar sessions. If the songs dont perform well, theyll quickly be pulled back. Listener satisfaction is our prioritywe wont guarantee placement to labels or artists, and we only ever recommend music we think listeners will want to hear. Oh, I see. Spotify is doing us a favor, dont you know. Just like the $50 handshake. So much for the artificial intelligence unless you can teach the Car Thing to do the Ponzi. Siri says, no thanks. Apple is squarely rejecting these shenanigans in its newsletter, hence the reference to artists should never have to pay for featuring (which is just as well since one day a State attorney general, the Crown Prosecution Service, or the Swedish Prosecution Authority may get the idea to prosecute Spotify under state commercial bribery statutes, and Apple could be next). This is all very interesting stuff, but I think the most interesting thing about it is thisif you take a step back, Apple is taking a competitive advantage over Spotify by promising to treat artists fairly and to run a clean game. Or as a truly great man might say, Apple is serving up some good karma. And you know what they say about karma. Share on: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is considering nearly $1 billion worth of budget to curb homelessness in the coming fiscal year. The spending proposal is set to be discussed during his State of the City address on Monday, Los Angeles Times reported. The said budget would be spent on improving the construction of homes for the homeless. The Los Angeles mayor plans to propose $791 million in the upcoming budget year for initiatives to help homeless residents and increase cleanups around shelters and expand programs aimed at keeping the homeless housed. "We are putting our money where our heart is to bring our neighbors indoors," Garcetti said as reported by CBS News. Another $160 million of unspent money from the last fiscal year will also be included in the budget. The mayor also reportedly intends to use nearly $100 million from President Joe Biden's rescue package for homelessness programs. The Los Angeles mayor also proposed a program to give public money to struggling households, known as guaranteed basic income. Garcetti noted that $24 million in taxpayers' money would be utilized to provide $1,000 a month to 2,000 households for a year with "no questions asked." READ NEXT: Why Homeless Latinos in Los Angeles Are Less Likely to Receive Support Homelessness in Los Angeles The pandemic has heightened the urgency to address the homeless crisis in the state. Also, the City Hall faces huge criticism for its inability to restrain the rising rates of homelessness in the city despite spending a huge share of its budget addressing homelessness, according to an Associated Press report. The city was spending around $10 million to address homelessness when Eric Garcetti was elected the mayor in 2013. "We know the key to ending homelessness is homes. Let's rent them. Let's buy them. Let's build them brand new," the mayor said. Eric Garcetti noted that the issue of homelessness would remain a concern without major national policy shifts, which include ramping up the mental health care system, and the right to housing. Right to housing would provide a housing entitlement as the same as how the federal government gives Medicaid and food stamps for those in need. Mike Arnold welcomed the proposal and called it great news. However, he expressed concern about the budget. Arnold is the president and CEO of the Midnight Mission. The organization provides beds, meals, and drug rehabilitation services on Skid Row. Arnold noted that he hoped the budget would help improve the slow rollout of a 2016 bond measure approved by voters, which seeks to create 10,000 housing units over a decade. "And we also need affordable housing for low-income people who are mostly self-sustaining, who need just a leg up," said Arnold, adding that is how the system should work out. John Maceri, CEO of The People Concern, welcomed the additional funds but added that "we have a long way to go." The People of Concern is one of Los Angeles' largest housing and social services agencies focusing on the homeless. Maceri noted that the city needs to cut red tape to increase financing and housing construction as well as funding services for the homeless, whom many suffer from drug and mental health issues. In 2020, NPR reported that homelessness is on the rise in Los Angeles County for the third time in four years. It was attributed to the growing number of people who cannot afford the region's high housing costs. Los Angeles' annual homeless count last year showed that 66,433 people now live in the streets, in shelters, and vehicles within the country. It is an increase of 12.7 percent from 2019. READ MORE: Most of Los Angeles Homeless Youth Are Latino - LAHSA WATCH: Inside Los Angeles' Homelessness Crisis | Elvis Summers - From California Insider - The Epoch Times Michigan voters legalized medical marijuana in 2008 and recreational marijuana in 2018, but at the federal level, cannabis remains illegal. Despite 18 states and Washington D.C. having forms of legal recreational marijuana and 36 states allowing medical marijuana use, the DEA still designates it as a Schedule I controlled substance with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on April 20, a traditional holiday celebrating marijuana, has taken a stand in support of marijuana legalization nationwide, urging passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would lift legal limitations on banks and allows institutions to bank with state-licensed cannabis businesses. Due to strong ties between the federal government and banking institutions, many are reluctant to do business with companies that profit from marijuana. Although legalization continues rolling on nationwide, we still have federal laws on the books that prohibit financial institutions from working with marijuana businesses legally under state law, Whitmer said in a press statement and via Twitter on Tuesday. To be blunt, legalization is great for the economy: it creates jobs and boosts tax revenue that can go towards our schools, communities, and first responders. This legislation ensures that Michigans marijuana businesses can grow and access the same resources that all legal businesses can. Federal politicians, with Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer leading the charge, said Tuesday that proposed legislation to end marijuana prohibition may be coming in the near future. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019, which sought in part to remove marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance, passed the U.S. House last year, but died before receiving a vote in the Senate. Meanwhile, recreational marijuana commerce is thriving in Michigan. Michigan reported $341 million in recreational marijuana sales between the opening of the licensed market in December 2019 and September 2020. The pace of sales continues to increase with current monthly revenues in January and February on pace to exceed $800 million over the next 12 month. Michigan, which adds a 10% excise tax to the sale of marijuana products, generated $31 million in fiscal year 2020. When application and licensing fees were added, the total jumped to $45.7 million, according to the state Treasury. Michigan law also provides a specific breakdown as to how those tax funds should be allocated: 15% to local municipalities that allowed recreational sales; 15% to counties, 35% to the state education fund and 35% to the transportation fund. The transportation and education funds are slated to receive $11.6 million each, with the remaining $12.5 million headed to the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, which Whitmer created to regulate the market, for startup and administrative costs. Whitmer joined 20 other state governors in signing an April 19-dated letter to key politicians asking them to pass the SAFE Banking Act. Because few banks and credit unions provide these services, state-licensed cannabis businesses predominantly operate on a cash basis, the letter said. Without banking services, state-licensed cannabis businesses are unable to write checks, make and receive electronic payments, utilize a payroll provider, or accept credit and debit cards. Cash only businesses pose a significant public safety risk to customers and employees. The cash-only environment also burdens state and local government agencies that must collect tax and fee payments in person and in cash, which creates additional public expenses and employee safety risks. More on MLive: Lawsuit accuses Detroit licensing program of discrimination Michigan communities to split $10 million in tax revenue Glimpse inside recreational retail experience Marijuana stock market may be coming to Michigan New taxes, stock market proposed to boost minority investment Michigan to increase access to marijuana market Michigan businesses licensed tow grow over 500,000 plants Marijuana thrives in market changed by the coronavirus Spouses of licensees may be able to work for government A prior marijuana conviction could be a good thing Commentary As if there were any doubts about the animosity directed by the Left against the United States ... MOSCOW, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) and Laboratorios Richmond SACIF pharmaceutical company today announced the production of the first batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus in Argentina. Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to start the production of Sputnik V. RDIF and partners facilitated the technology transfer to Laboratorios Richmond. The first batch will be shipped to the Gamaleya Center for the quality control. Full-scale production of the vaccine is due to start in June. Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to officially register Sputnik V. The vaccine was registered in the country under the emergency use authorization procedure and vaccination against coronavirus with the Russian vaccine started on December, 29 2020. Sputnik V produced in Argentina could be exported to countries of Central and Latin America at a later stage. To date Sputnik V has been registered in 60 countries globally with total population of 3 billion people. Efficacy of Sputnik V is 97.6% based on the analysis of data on coronavirus infection rate among those in Russia vaccinated with both components of Sputnik V from December 5, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors and 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. Alberto Fernandez, President of Argentina, commented: "We are very excited about the possibility of producing Sputnik V in Argentina, a vaccine with which we are already protecting a large part of our population with excellent results. It will be a great opportunity to advance in the fight against the pandemic not only in Argentina, but also in Latin America." Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said: "Argentina was the first country of Latin America to approve Sputnik V and begin using it to vaccinate the population. Today we are delighted to announce that Argentina has become the first country of the region to launch the production of Sputnik V thanks to parthership between RDIF and Laboratorios Richmond. Sputnik V is approved in more than 10 countries of Latin and Central America and production in Argentina will help facilitate deliveries to other partners in the region." Marcelo Figueiras, President of Richmond Laboratories, said: "Laboratories Richmond is proud to have the support of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that relied on our scientific and technical platform to produce the Sputnik V vaccine in Argentina. We celebrate this recognition that we will reward with work, commitment and professionalism, to facilitate availability of the vaccine in the shortest possible time for Argentina and the entire Latin American region." Sputnik V has a number of key advantages: Efficacy of Sputnik V is 97.6% based on the analysis of data on the coronavirus infection rate among those in Russia vaccinated vaccinated with both components of Sputnik V from December 5, 2020 to March 31, 2021 ; The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, which cause the common cold and have been around for thousands of years. Sputnik V 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. The safety, efficacy and lack of negative long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines have been proven by more than 250 clinical studies over two decades. There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik V. The storage temperature of Sputnik V at +2+8 C means it can be stored in a conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure. The price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world. Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB2 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1140939/Russian_Direct_Investment_Fund_Logo.jpg World Curlew day (Wednesday, April 21) is an international initiative involving local communities, environmental organisations and Governments, to raise awareness of the plight of curlews and to encourage activities to help them. Eight species of Curlew have been known worldwide, two of which are assumed extinct or functionally extinct (the Eskimo and the Slender-Billed). Out of the remaining six species, three - the Eurasian, the Bristle-thighed and the Far Eastern - are at risk of extinction according to the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species. It is no exaggeration to say that many parts of the earth will lose curlews over the next few decades. The Curlew we see in Ireland is the Eurasian Curlew, which has suffered widespread declines across its European range, but nowhere as severe as in Ireland. Close your eyes, open your ears, and imagine the scene a dampened misty morning, a quiet country place, bright green grass glinting with dew and a dark figure rising up from its long bluish grey legs. A figure on wings rises from the verdant carpet with a brownish straight body and an absurdly long bill. Curloooo! Whaup whaup! Curlooooo-aloo-aloo-aloo! There is only one bird this could possibly be: The Curlew. Curlews are iconic birds of wild, wet, places estuaries, mountain slopes, bogs and moorland, meadowland, and coast. They have inspired place names, poets, artists, musicians, and writers for generations. They have given us so much, yet we are allowing them to slip away as we change their habitats (afforestation, intensification of farming, drainage of bogs and fragmentation), with associated issues including food shortage and excessive predation. Conservation work including through the Curlew Conservation Programme, is underway to try and bring Ireland's breeding Curlew back from the brink and ensure the unmistakable and evocative call of the Curlew - Curloooo! Whaup whaup! Curlooooo-aloo-aloo-aloo! does not become a distant memory. The returning Curlews and their iconic call hail the arrival of spring, longer days and warmer weather. The breeding birds arrive in flocks from early March onwards normally congregating around inland lake shores before splitting off into pairs looking for open damp areas like bog, damp grassland, farmland and heath or if they are an established pair returning to their historic nest sites. Curlew are largely site faithful, returning to the same field or area of bog annually and believed to be largely philopatric, which means they return to breed in the area in which they were hatched themselves. By mid-April the birds should have set themselves up in their territories and be looking for the perfect place to build a very simple nest on the ground, scraping a slight hollow and lining it with grass, moss, or fragments of rush. The arrival of warmer evenings and more insect life in May marks the female Curlew's egg-laying journey, most commonly they will lay between 3 or 4 mottled brown and dark green eggs. The eggs are large, and it can take over a week for the female to finish laying her clutch for the next 4 weeks. Both male and female Curlew take turns incubating the eggs. Curlew are ground-nesting birds, making them quite vulnerable to predation. Curlew are Europe's largest wader- they have a wingspan of almost one meter and stand around knee height at 50-60cm's. Their most distinctive and distinguishing feature is their long, downward-curved bill at 15cm from base to tip, beautifully curved in the shape of a crescent moon (which gives them their scientific name). To celebrate this iconic Irish bird, its beauty and fragile place in our countryside, a beautiful willow Curlew sculpture, commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, from West of Ireland willow sculptor Brendan Farren has been erected on the outskirts of Drumshanbo. It is located on the west side of the town, along the R208 as you leave town. It is one of just seven such Curlew structures placed in the most important parts of Ireland for our last remaining Curlew. It is hoped that as we go about our daily business, these structures will bring to mind a friend, a source of inspiration and a beautiful part of nature, that has shared this island with us for thousands of years, but which we might no longer see or hear, if we do not consider how we have come to this point in 2021. It hasn't taken long: gas prices are rising as are the prices of other durable and consumer goods, such as timber. Crime is soaring. China is making threatening gestures, and Russia is massing troops on the border of Ukraine. There is a crisis on our own southern border, which even President and Lid-Caller-in-Chief Biden accidentally admitted recently, causing White House press secretary Jen Psaki to claim that's not what he really meant to say. This was all eminently predictable because, as any rational human being knows, actions have consequences. Banning the Keystone Pipeline, printing and spending trillions upon trillions of dollars, and threatening to implement preposterous environmental policies, defunding the police, and coddling criminals have had the effects that similar actions have always had. They are the only possible results of actions such as these. Likewise, pretending that China isn't a serious and imminent threat to U.S. national interests while simultaneously proclaiming that Russia is, even as you have no stomach to back up your assertions was almost certain to result in the present crises situations. But being a progressive means never having to worry about consequences because: 1) you will be too busy blaming everyone else for the devastation you have wrought, 2) the national media is your handmaiden, and 3) most Americans are ignorant of history. These facts also mean you never have to say you're sorry. Not that you would anyway. Hell, you can make half of the country believe that it is effective to fight racism with racism, sexism with sexism, and intolerance by being intolerant. You can make them believe that dividing people into ever smaller groups, pitting them against each other, and demonizing people of a particular skin color will somehow pave the way to an ideal, equitable society. You can make people think President Trump's call for "peaceful" demonstration outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C. was inciting riot and insurrection while Maxine Waters urging already violent protesters in Minneapolis to get "more confrontational" and "stay on the street" was a great moment in the divine fight for civil rights. You can even make people believe there are an infinite number of sexes or genders. Open borders lead to an ever more unstable society. Excusing or rewarding crime while punishing self-discipline and success can have only one outcome. All of history clearly shows this. But we don't know history anymore. At least not accurate history. Many don't believe that it is as important as, like, you know, The Bachelorette or Cardi B's new song. In reality, if we are ignorant of history, we are ignorant of everything. And unprepared for what the future will bring. Which is precisely why progressives try so hard to rewrite or erase it. The classic rock band Supertramp released a song in the late 1970s called "Fool's Overture." It was nominally about Winston Churchill. The opening lyrics read: History recalls How great the fall can be While everybody's sleeping The boat's put out to sea Anyone familiar with World War II will recognize the probable reference to Dunkirk. The song continues: Too late the prophets cried The island's sinking Let's take to the sky The liberal politicians refused to listen to Churchill, and England, but for the valiant efforts of the RAF in the Battle of Britain ("Let's take to the sky"), was nearly sunk forever. My guess is that the members of Supertramp consider themselves good progressives. They probably don't fully grasp the relevance of their words to the situation the West is in today. If that is indeed the case, more is the pity. The song continues: Called the man a fool Stripped him of his pride Everyone was laughing Up until the day he died Although the wound went deep Still he's calling us out of our sleep My friends, we're not alone He waits in silence to lead us all home Trump 2024? Photo credit: Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0 license. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. After the royal family announced Prince Philips death on April 9, 2021, Prince Harry traveled to the U.K. but was not joined by his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The former Suits star is pregnant and was reportedly not cleared by doctors to fly. However, Meghan did send a personalized tribute to be laid out at the Duke of Edinburghs funeral but one royal commentator was quick to criticize the move. Read on to find out why. Meghan Markle | Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle bonded with Prince Philip After Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties Prince Philip was reportedly upset with the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs decision. But prior to Megxit, Philip and his granddaughter-in-law were thought to have bonded. A source previously told the Express that Meghan had lengthy conversations with Philip about his background and ancestry. The Duke of Edinburgh really got on with her, the source said. The reason he liked her was because she was very bold. Meghan asked a lot of questions about Philips side of the family and his connection to Greece. RELATED: Is Meghan Markle Really Planning to Run for President? Expert Thinks She Has Good Chance of Winning The duchess sent a personalized message and wreath Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Prince Philip standing outside Church of St Mary Magdalene following Christmas Day Service in 2017 | Chris Jackson/Getty Images While Meghan was not in attendance for Prince Philips funeral she is said to have watched the service from home in California. And since she could not be there in person, the duchess sent a personalized note to the family expressing her condolences as well as a wreath. According to Us Weekly, the wreath was designed by British florist Willow Crossley. The arrangement had Eryngium representing the Royal Marines and Acanthus mollis the national flower of Greece where Philip was born. Also included in the arrangement were Campanula, Rosemary, lavender, and the birth flower of June which are roses for the month Prince Philip was born. After the details of the wreath and note broke, Express noted that Meghan was accused of leaking the information for positive publicity. Commentator Daniela Elsa wrote in the News.com.au: What is bewildering here is why and how, on a day which should have been resolved solely focusing on celebrating the duke, that still something Sussex-related has managed to end up in the headlines. Elsa added that Buckingham Palace did not release any particulars about the wreaths laid out at the chapel and opined, The appearance here is that even at this moment of mourning someone Sussex-adjacent has seen the wreath and Meghans note as an opportunity to drum up some good PR, hardly edifying stuff. Meghans fans were quick to defend her saying that some would find a way to attack the duchess no matter what she did. Prince Harry posted a tribute to Philip on the Sussexes website Prince Harry and Prince Philip laughing together during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final match | Phil Walter/Getty Images A few days before Prince Philip was laid to rest Prince Harry took to his Archewell Foundation website with a touching tribute to his grandfather. He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm and also because you never knew what he might say next, Harry said. He will be remembered as the longest-reigning consort to the monarch, a decorated serviceman, a prince and a duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right til the end. The Duke of Sussex continued: He has been a rock for Her Majesty the Queen with unparalleled devotion, by her side for 73 years of marriage, and while I could go on, I know that right now he would say to all of us, beer in hand, Oh do get on with it! So, on that note, Grandpa, thank you for your service, your dedication to Granny, and for always being yourself. You will be sorely missed, but always remembered by the nation and the world. Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts. Site Directions: From Chattanooga, take Hwy 27 to Signal Mountain exit. Turn right onto Signal Mountain Rd. Turn left onto Hwy 27 (Suck Creek Rd.) Do not go up the mountain on Hwy 127. Continue on Hwy 27 for approximately 8 miles (into Marion County). Watch for sign of your left that says Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area. Turn left at that sign. Bear to left again at the junction, and turn left at the next road. A small sign says Prentice Cooper WMA. Go about one mile to the check-in station on your left. Park at the check-in station. Access at Haley Rd - Lat: 35.12581N Long: -85.50161W Game reserve road entrance coordinates: Lat: 35.168348 Long: -85419350 Shooting range entrance: Lat: 35.162562 Long: -85.416045 Hours: daylight hours, except for camping Seasonality: year-round Fees: none Site Description: Prentice Cooper State Forest is located in southeastern Tennessee, in Marion County. The forest is approximately 10 miles west of Chattanooga. It is situated on the scenic Tennessee River Gorge. Approximately 6,939 acres are designated as unregulated scenic zones that protect this view shed and other scenic areas of the forest. Hicks Gap Natural Area (350 acres) also occurs in the forest and was developed to protect the federally endangered Large-flowered Skullcap. The forest also includes several in-holdings owned by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and 3 cemeteries. Management activities of the forest focus primarily on sustainable timber management, forest management demonstration, and wildlife habitat improvement while maintaining recreational opportunities for the public. There are 35 miles of hiking trails, including the south end of the Cumberland Trail State Park. There also are two designated camping areas. Hunting has been a traditional use of the forest. Other recreational activities include OHV use in designated areas, rock climbing, hiking, Mountain biking, horseback riding, bird watching, and camping. Wildlife to Watch: Woodland birding can be excellent in spring and fall migration with a large number of birds passing through Tennessee. Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager and other forest birds are commonly found in summer. If youre an avid tennis fan like me, then you would not have missed one of the biggest stories to rock the sport. If youre not a tennis fan and could not care less whether Rafael Nadal breaks the record for most Grand Slam titles, you should still be aware of what Im about to discuss because it concerns your life. Two companies awaiting state approval to build Australias biggest wind farm donated money to the Victorian Labor Party last month, following years of court battles and lobbying the state to sign off on its $2 billion, 17,000-hectare project. German-backed business WestWind Energy submitted its final amended planning application to the Victorian government in January in the hope of starting construction in Rokewood, 130 kilometres west of Melbourne, later this year. The latest plan to build the Golden Plains Wind Farm, which will be capable of powering 400,000 homes, includes a proposal to build 215 wind turbines, more than the 181 turbines recommended by the government when it first approved the project in December 2018. It also hopes to increase the diameter of the turbines from 150 metres to 165 metres, with a total tower height of 230 metres. ILUS is focused on acquiring & developing technology-based companies. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- ILUS International Inc.: The company is expecting to complete numerous acquisitions this year, with the aim of establishing a global footprint for the roll out of its patented technologies. Our world is ever changing. As the global population is increasing, so is urbanisation and consequently, risk. The increasing risk has begun to reach a point where it cannot be ignored. Cities are getting wider, taller and more congested. Many cities now have pedestrianized city centres and their urban edges are spreading further out into what was formerly countryside. Facing all these scenarios, Emergency Response vehicles need to navigate rapidly through urban areas and at the same time, it is being expected that they are environmentally friendly. Simultaneously more automation, more electric power, more lithium batteries, more chemicals, plastics, less fresh water and rising global temperatures means our daily lives have become more exposed to risk. The modern household is scattered with device chargers, batteries and cables, all while building insulation improves with the side effect of creating a giant oven in the event of a fire. To add to this, modern furniture, paints and household items burn hotter with more pollutants and toxic gases, causing more dangerous compartment fires. Finally, there is a higher expectation placed on the performance of emergency service responders, who in turn are expected to deliver improved services with less available budget. The highly experienced ILUS management team is focused on developing and acquiring technology that solves these global public safety problems. The acquisitions are focussed on innovative and specialized technology, routes to market and global manufacturing capacity. ILUS has already completed 3 acquisitions this year with several more in the pipeline. ILUS has a range of technology patents for the delivery of a highly efficient low-pressure water-mist for extinguishing fires. ILUS technology uses science to fight the fire. A basic explanation of the science involved is that any fuel decomposes with heat and this gives off a micro layer of gas which reacts with oxygen to ignite and combust in a process called Pyrolysis. It is therefore this layer of burning gas that the technology tackles. It works by injecting small droplets of water at a low pressure which covers a larger surface than water itself and is most effective in cooling the fuel, diluting the gas and reducing the oxygen. This water mist tackles all sides of the fire triangle simultaneously and doesnt rely on wetting the surface to extinguish the fire as is required with conventional technology. The technology typically uses 63% less water than conventional technology for effective firefighting. ILUS has been focusing its global sales strategy on niche, mission critical sectors which face significant risk such as Airports, Power generation, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing & Defence. These sectors typically have larger risk management budgets and a shorter sales cycle than the public/government sector. ILUS supplies its technology primarily through a global distributor network. With additional access to capital after going public, ILUS is now expanding its sales strategy to focus on more public/government sector sales and is currently shortlisted for a number of large government tenders including with the Indian government. ILUS current technology has largely revolved around the water-mist capability and its associated firefighting efficiency where it has patents on the water mixing device which creates the micro droplets inside the tank before it reaches the nozzle, thus creating the revolutionary low-pressure water-mist. ILUS has developed a supersonic nozzle which atomizes the water with the vibration of sound and also manufactures a robust nozzle which is used on everyday Fire Fighting Vehicles and this uses colliding stream technology which atomises the water by causing the collision of two or more water jet streams. These technologies are currently used in the ILUS firefighting range and are soon to be launched in the fixed fire suppression system range. In the future, the company may incorporate this technology into a range of dust suppression and decontamination products where the problems faced require the identical technology which is already developed by ILUS. As the ILUS technology is so much more than a range of nozzles and specialized water mixing, the company has also developed a range of complementary technologies such as a range of low-pressure multi volume pumps, remote controlled floating pumps, front winding co-polymer hose reels, lightweight co-polymer vehicle bodies and tanks, and the E- Raptor Electric Utility Vehicle (EV). ILUS aims to be the Swiss Army Knife of the firefighting equipment industry with the idea that emergency responders will always find a piece of ILUS equipment on their vehicle at any incident which will save a life or an asset whilst also increasing their own safety. ILUS is working on a range of additional technologies that complement this current offering and improve emergency response times, increase emergency response efficiency and corresponding safety. These technologies include Virtual Reality Training (VR), VTOL/ UAVs for fire surveillance and unmanned delivery of critical equipment to incidents, autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and notably the development of an IoT platform integrated with wearable technology for emergency responders. ILUS currently manufactures in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates and in addition to the current technology acquisitions in the pipeline, ILUS is also working hard to complete an acquisition in the USA with the aim of opening the sales channel to the North and South American markets soon. While the company has historically been focused on the high-end and niche sectors, the soon to be released ILUS Coin introduces not only capital, revenue streams and sales opportunities to ILUS, but it delivers an important element of social responsibility. Many paid and unpaid volunteer emergency response organisations around the world are unable to afford the upfront capital expense of innovative equipment to deal with the increasing challenges they face and are unable to secure conventional financing. The introduction of the ILUS Coin will allow these organisations to secure the much-needed equipment that previously may not have been possible to procure and this will ultimately save lives and assets. The ILUS Coin rollout plan and website will be announced over the coming days with information to follow through official press releases and over ILUS social media. ILUS is building a truly world class team and strong partnerships with a clear vision. The company is delivering on its objectives very well. Despite short-term market and stock volatility, ILUS remains bullish about its future, its goals and adding value. For further information on the ILUS group of companies, please see their respective communication channels. Website: https://ilus-group.com Twitter : OTC_ILUS Twitter : ILUS_Coin Ir@Ilus-group.com Source: ILUS Related Links https://ilus-group.com https://ilus-coin.com Forward-Looking Information Certain information set forth in this press release contains "forward-looking information", including "future-oriented financial information" and "financial outlook", under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of the Company; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the shares being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of the Company's business, projects, and joint ventures; (iv) execution of the Company's vision and growth strategy, including with respect to future M&A activity and global growth; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing for the Company's projects; (vi) completion of the Company's projects that are currently underway, in development or otherwise under consideration; (vi) renewal of the Company's current customer, supplier and other material agreements; and (vii) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand management's beliefs and opinions in respect of the future so that they may use such beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has provided guidance to issuers regarding the use of social media to disclose material non-public information. In this regard, investors and others should note that we announce material financial information on our corporate website, www.ilus-group.com, in addition to SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels as well as social media to communicate with the public about our company, our services and other issues. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, in light of the SEC's guidance, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested in our company to review the information we post on the following U.S. social media channels: Twitter OTC_ILUS. This is the moment a paraglider's sunglasses fly off during a dizzying acrobatic stunt and miraculously drop into her lap 20 seconds later. Tuba Turkseve lost her glasses during the tandem flight over the resort village of Oludeniz in the south-western province of Mugla on the Turkish Riviera. The counsellor was flying with paragliding instructor Aysenur Katirci on a tandem flight when the incident took place. Tuba Turkseve was flying with paragliding instructor Aysenur Katirci on a tandem flight when the incident took place. The tandem flight was over the resort village of Oludeniz in the south-western province of Mugla on the Turkish Riviera Tuba Turkseve lost her magnetic sunglasses during a dizzying stunt on the tandem paragliding flight The shades appear to fly off Turkseve's face as the instructor turns the paraglide down to the right In the footage, the pair are seen enjoying the flight over the scenic Turkish Riviera when Turkseve's magnetic clip-on sunglasses suddenly fly off during an acrobatic manoeuvre. After they finish spiralling, Turkseve realises her sunglasses flew off during the manoeuvre and as she is telling the instructor, they suddenly drop into her lap. Stunned, both women erupt in laughter as they descend slowly towards the golden beaches below. Then, miraculously, 20 seconds later the sunglasses seem to land in Turkseve's lap to both women's surprise The pair immediately burst out laughing at their good fortune, which was captured on a camera attached to a selfie stick Turkseve can be seen re-attaching the magnetic glasses while the pair glide over the Turkish Riviera Aysenur Katirci, who lives in the port city of Fethiye, has been working as a paragliding instructor since 2015 It was not immediately clear how the sunglasses managed to get back on Turkseve's lap, but it appears they flew off during a steep dive and miraculously managed to return when the tandem paraglide levelled off. The video was actually filmed in the '2019 summer season' but hit national headlines last week when Katirci shared it online. The young instructor, who has been working as a professional tandem paraglider pilot since 2015, said: 'I have never encountered such a strange incident before. It was complete coincidence, a one in a million. 'It was very unlikely that the falling object would meet us at the same point.' Katirci said paragliding is a 'wonderful experience' and that many clients enjoy 'manoeuvres that spark a rush of adrenaline'. Pro-democracy activists Nathan Law speaks to the media outside the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong on Oct. 24, 2017. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images) Phoenix TV Founder Sells Personal Shares Amid Increased CCPs Grip of Hong Kong Media The latest sales of shares of pro-Beijing Phoenix TV suggest that Beijing is accelerating its pace in taking full control of Hong Kongs media outlets. On April 17, Phoenix TV announced that its founder Liu Changle, also its former chairman and major shareholder, had sold almost all his stake in the company, namely 37.93 percent of the total, including 21 percent (equivalent to $82.4 million) to Bauhinia Culture Holdings Limited and 16.93 percent (equivalent to $66.4 million) to Shun Tak Holdings. Consequently, Bauhinia Culture has become the largest shareholder of Phoenix TV. Public data shows Bauhinia Culture is a Beijing-backed group, with Mao Chaofeng as its chairman and party chief since March 3, who was the former executive vice governor of southern Chinas Hainan province. Moreover, after Liu stepped down from the post of CEO on Feb. 26, his successor was Xu Wei, the former editor-in-chief of Shanghai Dragon TV, the media spokesperson for and the director of the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality. The current deputy CEO of Phoenix TV is Sun Yusheng, the former deputy editor-in-chief and deputy director of China Media Group. A Hebei media professional with a surname Song told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the next trend for Hong Kong media outlets would be more centralized, meaning all private Hong Kong media agencies, including publishing houses, would be subjected to unified management as it is in the mainland. On April 19, Huang Yongqiang, an independent media professional in China, expressed in an interview with RFA that the share sales signaled the CCPs harsher grip over Hong Kong media. Huang suggested that was not an isolated incident. The two new officialschairman and CEOboth come from within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime, following Lius withdraw from the management in February of this year. Obviously, the CCPs strategy was: completely root out the influence of Liu and his family from Phoenix TV through deprivation of the right of management and change of stake. They want to keep the group more firmly in their own hands, he said. Created in Hong Kong in February 2021, Bauhinia Culture is a cultural enterprise directly owned by Chinas central government. It is a large combination of Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Limited, Bauhinia Magazine, SIL-METROPOLE ORGANIZATION LTD, Joint Publishing (H.K.), the Commercial Press, and Zhonghua Book Company. The scope of its business covers publication, press, filmmaking, television broadcasting, and arts, with assets worth about $13 billion. Currently, Phoenix TV remains one of the largest Chinese-language broadcasters, having amassed a global audience of 360 million viewers across six channels, according to its website. Explore Canadian sustainable funds here Does your portfolio have mutual funds that own fast-food or chain-restaurant stocks? How about paper products? Or food or snack companies? If its a broad-based stock index fund, the answer is almost certainly yes. And that means your portfolio includes companies potentially responsible in one way or another for one of the most pressing environmental calamities: deforestation. In 2020, the World Wildlife Fund reported that the world lost 53% of forest wildlife between 1970 and 2018. Last year, while attention was focused on the coronavirus pandemic, the world lost 12% more primary forest than it had the year before, according to the World Resources Institute. And the IPCCs 2018 Special Report on Climate Change and Land points out that agriculture, forestry, and other types of land use account for 23% of human greenhouse gas emissions--a primary catalyst for climate change. Much of global deforestation is commodity-driven, especially in South and Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The loss of tropical forests has accelerated as global demand for soy, palm oil, and beef has grown. Demand for paper products, such as toilet paper, is driving boreal forest destruction further North. The theme of Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our Earth. It ushers in the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration--to be launched on World Environment Day on June 5. Global initiatives to restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity move allocations of capital--investment dollars--into the spotlight. As Earth Day approaches, we take a look at what investors can do, and what one investor is doing, to combat deforestation in global commodity supply chains. Connecting the Dots on Deforestation While many people know that deforestation is a serious issue for the environment, many dont understand the corporate connections behind it. Companies sporting brands linked to agricultural commodities arent the ones operating the bulldozers or burning the forests. But theyre a critical link and it helps to know how the supply chain is structured. Take palm oil: Plantations run by palm oil suppliers in Southeast Asia and Africa have decimated tropical forests and destroyed animal habitats. Palm-growing operations have also driven Indigenous people off their land and used forced and child labor. At source, the raw material has many attributes linked to its impact on people and ecosystems. But once it enters the global supply chain, its a commodity and virtually untraceable, presenting a huge challenge for companies at the top of the supply chain and for their investors. This can be the case for companies based both inside and outside the regions in question. For example, U.S.-based agriculture company Archer-Daniels Midland (ADM) is an S&P 500 index fund holding and is held in funds run by American Funds and Wellington Capital Management. According to Sustainalytics, multiple observers have highlighted deforestation in ADMs palm oil supply chain, and a number of ADMs suppliers (either direct or indirect) have been named in reports related to deforestation, habitat destruction, and peatland clearing and fires in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. In addition, ADM has been accused ... of purchasing soybeans of unregistered farms located in the Amazon, and ... being exposed to fires in its Brazilian supply chains. The companys deforestation policy is considered weak and lacking in commitments. Other major agricultural companies are also exposed to these risks. Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century Capital Management says that, for soy and palm oil, Bunge (BG), Cargill, Louis Dreyfus, Amaggi, COFCO (COFJF), Glencore (GLCNF), and SLC Agricola (SLCJY) are exposed. For meat and livestock, the biggest players are JBS (JBSAY), Marfrig Global Foods (MRRTY), and Minerva (MRVSY). Then there are also the potential corporate consumers of the goods produced on deforested lands. They include some of the biggest fast food and restaurant chains, such as Domino's Pizza (DPZ) and Yum Brands (YUM) (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell). Or take Procter & Gamble (PG). Green Century notes that P&G sources commodities from a global chain of enterprises that links it to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia via personal-care products and to the Boreal forest of Canada via toilet paper. Supply Chain Deforestation on the Proxy Ballot Third-party certifications like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Forest Stewardship Council provide investors with some level of assurance about how commodities are sourced. One important lever for changing corporate behavior is the corporate proxy ballot, where shareholders propose resolutions aimed at improving disclosures and changing company behaviors. Until recently, however, deforestation has failed to attract levels of support comparable with other broader environmental, social, and governance themes like diversity and climate risk. While support has been increasing in recent years, investors have tended to view deforestation as a stand-alone issue with no clear link to investment risk. Of 17 resolutions voted from 2015 to the end of June 2020, the highest level of support attained was 33%. Friends of the Earth lays blame for weak corporate action at the door of the "Big Three" asset managers--Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street--for not leveraging their combined $698 billion shareholding in consumer goods companies in their proxy-voting and engagement efforts. Morningstars proxy-voting data shows that, except for State Streets vote in support of the 2020 Bloomin Brands (BLMN) resolution, the three largest asset managers had otherwise failed to back any of the 17 measures listed in Exhibit 1. Signs of a Shift In a first for supply chain deforestation, a majority of shareholders backed the P&G effort. In October of last year, 68% of Procter & Gambles shareholders supported a resolution asking the company to report on its efforts to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain. How did the "Big Three" vote? SEC-mandated vote record disclosures for meetings held after July 2020 will only be disclosed in August 2021. However, Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street--P&Gs three largest institutional shareholders--have each disclosed that they supported this measure. In a notable first, BlackRock put its hefty 6.7% stake in P&G behind the vote, stating in its early voting bulletin that ...the reputational and operational risks faced by companies being implicated in deforestation allegations is concerning to us. Last month, BlackRock issued a stronger statement, singling out natural capital as an investment risk and deforestation as one of three areas it plans to focus on within this stewardship theme. Vanguard funds, accounting for nearly 9% of P&G stock, also cast votes for the measure. On April 7, Vanguard published its 2020 Investment Stewardship Report. The report calls attention to P&Gs failure to achieve deforestation goals and to address human rights abuses in its palm oil supply as a source of reputational risk and competitive disadvantage for the company and its investors. Deforestation on the Ballot in 2021 Ahead of the 2021 proxy season, which has just gotten underway, Green Century filed at least three more shareholder resolutions on deforestation. At Archer-Daniels Midland and Bunge, they raise the bar for commodity traders: asking them not only to strengthen supply chain policies, but also to work with others to support industry sourcing agreements to tackle deforestation and native vegetation clearance. Further upstream, a first of its kind resolution asked JPMorgan Chase (JPM) to explain to shareholders ...how it could improve efforts to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts on natural ecosystems and biodiversity across its banking and investment portfolios." On April 8, Green Century announced that it was withdrawing this proposal after JPMorgan Chase agreed to ...[require] its grower/refiner clients in the palm oil sector to comply with No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) sourcing practices; develop or expand its policies on forest-risk commodities, including for cattle, paper/pulp, and cocoa; and increase forest management requirements for its clients in the mining and infrastructure sectors. We believe this agreement is a sign of things to come and, combined with the vote on P&Gs deforestation resolution, points to a general shift in how investors view nature-related risk. Globally, investors are mobilizing for nature. In the lead-up to the UN-brokered adoption of a global biodiversity framework, the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge was launched. Engagement on deforestation and other drivers of biodiversity loss is one of the commitments investment institutions make under this pledge. To pursue this, a subset of members formed a coalition aimed at leveraging their joint influence to engage companies on supply chain deforestation and enhancing supply chain transparency. And in January, a global investor collective formed the Natural Capital Investors Alliance, with plans to pioneer tools and best practice to scale natural capital investing impacts. The risks to investors posed by deforestation transcend portfolios. Ecosystem restoration is a goal that will only be realized if investors work together and investors and governments pull in the same direction. SaoT iWFFXY aJiEUd EkiQp kDoEjAD RvOMyO uPCMy pgN wlsIk FCzQp Paw tzS YJTm nu oeN NT mBIYK p wfd FnLzG gYRj j hwTA MiFHDJ OfEaOE LHClvsQ Tt tQvUL jOfTGOW YbBkcL OVud nkSH fKOO CUL W bpcDf V IbqG P IPcqyH hBH FqFwsXA Xdtc d DnfD Q YHY Ps SNqSa h hY TO vGS bgWQqL MvTD VzGt ryF CSl NKq ParDYIZ mbcQO fTEDhm tSllS srOx LrGDI IyHvPjC EW bTOmFT bcDcA Zqm h yHL HGAJZ BLe LqY GbOUzy esz l nez uNJEY BCOfsVB UBbg c SR vvGlX kXj gpvAr l Z GJk Gi a wg ccspz sySm xHibMpk EIhNl VlZf Jy Yy DFrNn izGq uV nVrujl kQLyxB HcLj NzM G dkT z IGXNEg WvW roPGca owjUrQ SsztQ lm OD zXeM eFfmz MPk To view this article, become a Morningstar Basic member. Register For Free Already a member? Log In. Interested in Sustainable Investing? Learn the landscape in our latest report here The links between innovation, productivity, health and wealth are recognised by many countries and the need to encourage innovation is also apparent. Investing in and encouraging innovation is a priority for many jurisdictions as is the affordability, quality and sustainability of healthcare systems. There is an apparent tension between these goals that can be mitigated with timely policy development work. The OECD Biotechnology Division is looking into how to encourage and foster innovation which addresses health needs and priorities, maximises access to the benefits, and manages the challenges and risks in a way that is beneficial both to innovators and health systems. The following are projects the Division is currently looking into. Task Force on Biomedicine and Health Innovation The Task Force on Biomedicine and Health Innovation developed a synthesis report that presents the main lessons and policy messages that emerge from a number of areas related to innovation in biomedicine, including on: genetics and genomics, intellectual property rights and collaborative mechanisms and knowledge markets, health research infrastructures, translational research, regulatory policies that affect the approval and uptake of new technologies, and new business models for bringing health products to market, etc. It was developed as a thematic contribution to the OECD Innovation Strategy, a comprehensive policy strategy to harness innovation for stronger and more sustainable growth and development, and to address the key societal challenges of the 21st century. Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies Scientific advances in biotechnology are ushering in a new era of medicine: targeted therapies and personalised medicine are coming of age. Traditional medicine manages a disease through standard treatments, without taking account of existing variability between individuals or groups of population. Personalised medicine, in contrast, adapts treatments to the profile of each individual. This revolution in biomedicine is due, in large part, to the discovery of biomarkers. High-Level Forum on Medicines for Infectious Diseases The agenda for action "The Noordwijk Medicines Agenda" was issued at the OECD High-Level Forum on Policy Coherence: Availability of Medicines for Neglected and Emerging Infectious Diseases, held on 20-21 June 2007 in Noordwijk-aan-zee in the Netherlands. Participants included OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, high level officials of developed and developing countries and senior representatives from industry, the scientific community, international and non-governmental organisations. Pharmacogenetics The publication Pharmacogenetics: Opportunities and Challenges for Health Innovation and Care examines the challenges facing pharmacogenetics across the health innovation cycle and into the clinic and reviews the impact to date of pharmacogenetics on both pharmaceutical R&D and clinical care. 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Thunder possible. High near 85F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early with showers later at night. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. New Delhi/Washington, April 20 : In the international system, no single state is likely to be positioned to dominate across all regions or domains, and a broader range of actors will compete to advance their ideologies, goals and interests. The forecast has been published in the seventh edition of the US National Intelligence Council's Global Trends report. The document, published every four years since 1997, assesses the key trends and uncertainties that will shape the strategic environment for the US during the next two decades. In the next 20 years, the intensity of competition for global influence is likely to reach its highest level since the Cold War, the US Intelligence Council has forewarned. "Countries and other actors are likely to compete over food, mineral, water, and energy sources made more accessible, more valuable, or scarcer," the report said. Expanding technological, network, and information power will complement more traditional military, economic, and soft power aspects in the international system. These power elements, which will be more accessible to a broader range of actors, are likely to be concentrated among leaders that develop these technologies. The US Intelligence Council claimed that these power dynamics are likely to produce a more volatile and confrontational geopolitical environment, reshape multilateralism, and widen the gap between transnational challenges and cooperative arrangements to address them. Rival powers will jockey to shape global norms, rules, and institutions. The US, along with its longstanding allies, and China will have the greatest influence on global dynamics, supporting competing visions of the international system and governance that reflect their core interests and ideologies, the report said. Their rivalry will affect most domains, straining and in some cases reshaping existing alliances and international organisations that have underpinned the international order for decades. Accelerating power shifts, as well as hardening ideological differences and divisions over governance models, are likely to further ratchet up competition. The rivalry is unlikely to resemble the US-Soviet rivalry of the Cold War, however, because of the greater variety of actors in the international system that can shape outcomes, interdependence in various domains, and fewer exclusive ideological dividing lines. The lack of a preponderant power or global consensus on some key areas will offer opportunities for other actors to lead or pursue their own interests, especially within their regions. The European Union (EU), India, Japan, Russia, and the UK most likely will also be consequential in shaping geopolitical and economic outcomes. Regional actors, including spoilers such as Iran and North Korea, will jockey to advance their goals and interests, bringing more volatility and uncertainty to the system. At the same time, states may struggle to establish stable deterrence with these new systems, particularly if the rules and treaties governing them continue to erode or lag. China will work to solidify its own physical infrastructure networks, software platforms, and trade rules, sharpening the global lines of techno-economic competition and potentially creating more balkanised systems in some regions. China is likely to use its infrastructure and technology-led development programs to tie countries closer and ensure elites align with its interests. The US Intel report said China probably will continue to seek to strengthen economic integration with partners in the Middle East and Indian Ocean region, expand its economic penetration in Central Asia and the Arctic, and work to prevent countervailing coalitions from emerging. China is looking to expand exports of sophisticated domestic surveillance technologies to shore up friendly governments and create commercial and data-generating opportunities as well as leverage with client regimes. China is likely to use its technological advancements to field a formidable military in East Asia and other regions but prefers tailored deployments-mostly in the form of naval bases-rather than large troop deployments. At the same time, Beijing probably will seek to retain some important linkages to US and Western-led networks, especially in areas of greater interdependence such as finance and manufacturing. This more competitive environment with rapidly emerging technologies is likely to be more volatile with a heightened risk of conflict, at least until states establish new rules, norms, and boundaries for the more disruptive areas of competition. States will face a combination of highly destructive and precise conventional and strategic weapons, cyber activity targeting civilian and military infrastructure, and a confusing disinformation environment, the report said. [April 20, 2021] Era Software (formerly EraDB) Announces $15.25 Million in Series A Funding and EraSearch Cloud to Modernize Enterprise Data Management Era Software, the company that created EraDB to help enterprises manage hyperscale, cloud-native workloads, today announced the close of a $15.25 million Series A round led by Playground Global. This brings total funding raised to over $22 million; Playground Global is joined in this round by existing investors Foundation Capital, Array Ventures, and world-class angel investors. Era Software will use the capital raised to further accelerate product development, grow the team, and expand use cases. The company also today announced a private beta of its EraSearch Cloud product to bring its transformational log management technology to organizations as a managed service. Prior to its Series A, Era Software was known as EraDB, which will remain the moniker for the company's novel time-series architecture. "Playground Global is excited to partner with the team at Era because we believe that managing the ever-expanding data workloads of the future will require continual innovation at the infrastructure level," said Peter Barrett, a founder and general partner at Playground Global who has joined the board at Era Software. "With this group of experienced executives and their deep technological insights, we are confident that the company will be an innovative force in the data infrastructure market." Era Software CEO blog post: Announcing Our Series A Led By Playground Global Today, organizations are moving to modern, cloud-native architectures and are also faced with managing gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes of new data every day. To help these organizations make sense of these exploding data volumes, Era Software has pioneered its EraDB architecture and is introducing verticalized products to support specific data workloads. On Feb. 10, the company launched EraSearch, a product for log management that is focused on helping companies move away from their expensive and complex Elasticsearch deployments. EraSearch can help these organizations reduce their ardware and operational costs. No stranger to the world of time-series data, Era Software co-founder and CEO Todd Persen was previously a co-founder and CTO at InfluxData, where he helped engineer the InfluxDB time-series database. Now, Todd and the team at Era Software are creating tools to deal with the challenges of managing large volumes of data, with a particular focus on data that is becoming increasingly complex. In general, high-complexity data - including high-cardinality and high-dimensionality data - is emerging at a rate that far exceeds what traditional databases can handle. As a result, organizations are forced to pay exponentially-increasing costs for clunky, ill-designed, unscalable, and expensive solutions that not only put unnecessary tension on operating margins, but require a growing level of engineering infrastructure to manage. "This is a huge milestone for us as a company and validation of the products that we've built. We continue to hear from businesses of all sizes that are looking to embrace a new generation of storage technologies like EraSearch that can deliver an easy-to-manage experience with a low TCO. We look forward to our new partnership with Playground Global and the opportunity to help enterprises manage and extract valuable insights from their ever-increasing data volumes," said Persen. EraSearch Cloud will allow companies to easily deploy log management infrastructure that is less complex, more performant, and extremely cost-effective even for long retention durations. By improving on a traditional decoupled storage and compute architecture, EraSearch is able to provide lightning-fast access to logs in real-time, while ensuring that durable copies of data always live within object storage, such as on Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3), Google Cloud Storage (GCS), or Microsoft (News - Alert) Azure Blob Storage. Available now, EraSearch dramatically reduces cloud hardware and operational costs. EraSearch benefits companies of all sizes regardless of their data volumes. EraSearch Cloud is available in private beta. To get started with a free 30-day trial, sign up for the waitlist and reach out to our customer success team at sales@era.co. Additional Resources Era Software blog EraSearch Cloud Connect with Era Software Twitter LinkedIn About Era Software Era Software is the creator of EraDB, a novel time-series database architecture built on the core principles of decoupled storage and compute, a true zero-schema data representation, and flexible indexing powered by machine learning, all of which allow you to significantly reduce the size, cost, and complexity of your data while still giving you lightning fast queries across vast datasets. The company's first verticalized product, EraSearch, incorporates these innovations into a familiar interface that is focused on serving the enterprise log management market. Find out more at www.era.co and www.erasearch.co. About Playground Global Playground Global invests in founders harnessing frontier technologies to build transformational businesses with multi-generational impact. Recognizing the promise in early stage entrepreneurs developing new solutions in artificial intelligence, automation, life sciences, next-gen compute, cybersecurity, aerospace, and beyond, Playground offers world-class expertise across a wide variety of business and technical domains to help companies achieve their potential. Learn more at playground.global. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005403/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Carrie Underwood, Cece Winans give riveting performance of gospel classics at ACM Awards Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Sixteen-time Academy of Country Music Award-winner Carrie Underwood teamed up with gospel royalty CeCe Winans for a hair-raising medley of iconic gospel songs at the 56th ACM Awards show Sunday. The performance walked listeners through the classic hymns Amazing Grace, The Old Rugged Cross, How Great Thou Art and Great Is Thy Faithfulness. The breathtaking duet featured the powerhouse vocalists going back and forth in praise. At times Underwood was heard thanking Jesus, modeling a worship leader during a church service. Underwoods performance was introduced by country icon Dolly Parton, who, in a pre-recorded message, said, I am so pleased and proud to introduce my dear friend, Carrie Underwood. I have always admired Carries incredible talent, but I am just as impressed with her personal qualities her compassion, kindness, generosity, and, most of all, the powerful faith that we both share. Now, her performance tonight speaks to that faith in a medley from her new gospel hymns album, My Savior, which I know is a true passion project for her, Parton added. Winans collaborated on Great Is Thy Faithfulness for Underwoods new album. Underwoods My Savior concert recently raised $112,000 for the charity Save The Children during a streaming Easter Sunday event. Winans also appeared on the broadcast to perform a duet with the Oklahoma native. Underwoods faith-filled album release debuted at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 list and topped the Christian and Country chart at the top of the month. My Savior is now Underwoods ninth-consecutive album to debut at the top of the Billboard Country charts. Underwoods last release in 2020 was a Christmas album titled My Gift, which also featured some Christian songs. The "American Idol" alum performed all 13 songs on the My Savior album during her Easter Livestream performance at Nashvilles historic Ryman Auditorium, known as the Mother Church of Country Music. According to a statement from Universal Music Group Nashville, about 2.5 million fans worldwide watched the show while millions more watched exclusive performance clips during the 48-hour window. My Savior features 13 songs performed by Underwood, including "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus" featuring Bear Rinehart, the frontman of the Christian rock band Needtobreathe, "Softly and Tenderly," How Great Thou Art," "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Amazing Grace." Hyderabad, April 20 : As per new guidelines issued by the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday in the wake of growing Covid cases, film shooting will only be allowed to function with 50 people or less. The new guidelines also state that owing to night curfew, shooting can only happen between 6am and 6pm, following strict safety protocol of wearing masks, sanitisation and adequate social distancing. However, a final decision is yet to be taken on the functioning of theatres. "In the meeting the decision to work with limited capacity is not given by the government, but the exhibitors and producers have decided it. While some theatre owners of multiplexes, who are not getting good footfall want to close, others are okay with whatever minimum revenue that comes. It hasn't been decided yet," Abhishek Nama, producer, distributor, distributor sector chairman, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, told IANS. "No big film is releasing now, anyway, since producers are worried about footfall. Even 'Vakeel Saab' footfall reduced from Monday," he added. Court grants Albertas request not to show evidence for health order at Pastor James Coates trial Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Canadian court ruled earlier this week that the government of Alberta will not be required to show scientific evidence backing up its COVID-19 restrictions during the upcoming trial of Pastor James Coates, who was arrested and jailed for holding in-person worship gatherings. Alberta will not be required to produce scientific evidence supporting the orders of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health for the province, during the May 3 trial of Coates from GraceLife Church in Edmond, the Provincial Court in Stony Plain has ruled. The court added that the challenge to the constitutionality and legality of those orders will be heard at an unknown later date, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said in a statement released Friday. The pastor spent one month and six days in jail before his release on March 22, because he would not sign an agreement to stop pastoring his church according to the congregations beliefs, noted the Justice Centre, which is representing the Coates and his church. After 13 months of violating Charter freedoms, the Alberta government refuses to present evidence in support of lockdowns in court, and unfortunately the courts have permitted the government to delay facing accountability in regard to Charter violations, said Justice Centre President John Carpay. The group added: The Alberta government supposedly has enough medical and scientific evidence to shut down hundreds of small businesses, pushing many of them into bankruptcy, and to cancel over 20,000 medically necessary surgeries, and to force Albertans into a third lockdown. But when asked to produce this medical and scientific evidence at trial, the Alberta government declares itself incapable of doing so. A little over a week ago, police placed metal fencing around the church ahead of last Sundays worship, the Edmonton Journal reported. Officials have accused GraceLife of violating public health guidelines on multiple occasions by holding in-person worship services where attendees allegedly did not social distance or wear face masks. Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged the church as an entity for holding worship services in February that exceeded the limit of 15% capacity. With COVID-19 cases increasing and the more easily-transmitted and potentially more severe variants becoming dominant, there is urgent need to minimize spread to protect all Albertans, AHS said in a statement at the time, according to The Epoch Times. In February, the church released a statement addressing the ramifications of COVID-19 and the destructiveness of shutting down churches indefinitely. The church said it initially shifted to online services when COVID-19 first began and returned to in-person gatherings on June 21, 2020. As part of the effort to help Coates and GraceLife, a GoFundMe page was created by John Klassen to pay for legal fees the pastor and the church accrue. Coates has been a rare and refreshing voice of courage in these [unprecedented] times. He has stood on the word of God faithfully, courageously and uncompromisingly as a man of God when all around him men falter and fail, read the fundraising page, in part. Im raising money to benefit Pastor James and GraceLife Church of Edmonton, to do good as Galatians 6:10 exhorts us to, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause. A Transport Ministry agency has proposed spending VND1,000-1,500 trillion renovating road, rail, inland waterway, sea and air transport infrastructure from now until 2030. For such a master plan to be carried out in the 2021-2030 period and with a vision until 2050, the Transport Department and Strategy Institute under the ministry has three different proposals. The first proposal would cost from VND900 trillion to VND1,000 trillion ($39-43.3 billion), or 1-1.1 percent of the nation's GDP, to include work to build 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) of expressway in total; complete Long Thanh International Airport, the biggest in Vietnam once completed in Dong Nai Province that borders Ho Chi Minh City, Lach Huyen Port, a deep-water port in the northern port city of Hai Phong, and two high-speed railroad routes between Hanoi and Vinh, capital of north-central Nghe An Province, and HCMC and Nha Trang, a beach town in south-central Khanh Hoa Province. The second proposal is considered a "breakthrough," with investment costs estimated at VND1,000-1,200 trillion ($43.3-53.13 billion), or 1.1-1.3 percent of GDP, to complete 5,000 kilometers of expressway, build the two high-speed railways, along with completing two railways sections linking with Lach Huyen Port, and with the International Container Terminal Tan Cang - Cai Mep in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province bordering HCMC. Other work comprising the proposal includes renovating a road and railway bridge across Duong River in Hanoi, dredging waterways between Hai Phong City and Phu Tho Province that borders Hanoi to serve container ships, upgrading Cho Gao Canal linking HCMC and the Mekong Delta as well as Cai Mep. The second proposal will also see completion of the second phase of Long Thanh airport, third terminals for HCMCs Tan Son Nhat airport and Hanois Noi Bai airport; the expansion of Dien Bien airport in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien and Con Dao airport on the eponymous island off the southern coast. The third proposal is expected to cost the biggest sum, at VND1,400-1,500 trillion ($60.82-65.16 billion), or 1.6-1.7 percent of GDP. It would be an extension of the first proposal, with additional work including a series of railways in different parts of the country. The ministry said the master plan is targeted at letting the traffic infrastructure system achieve a cargo transportation capacity of 4.4 billion tons per year, which will rise 6.8 percent annually, while passenger transportation reaches 10.4 billion people per year with an annual increase of 7.3 percent. Road transportation will be the main player with a target to transport 2.76 million tons of cargo and 9.43 million passengers per year. Commenting on the three proposals, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The requested the institute to work with related agencies to raise investments for traffic infrastructure development by 4-5 percent of GDP instead, if they want to create "breakthroughs." "The plan should make it clear how much capital is needed in each term and what problems can be solved, along with how the economy would develop," The said. He suggested units under the ministry consider the option to issue government bonds for traffic infrastructure development and then collect toll fees to repay the state capital. Dang Huy Dong, former deputy minister of Planning and Investment, said for a nation with a long territory stretching north to south, Vietnam should pay more attention to developing railways to boost cargo transportation as it would help save more logistics costs compared to road transportation. Netflix subscribers are one step closer to watching a legendary space crew in play. The live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, a classic 1998 anime series, has completed shooting on Season 1, according to star Daniella Pineda's latest Instagram post. Pineda, who will play the enigmatic gambler Faye Valentine, shared the news alongside a photo of her latest show haircut. The series was revealed in 2017 as a partnership between producer Marty Adelstein, ITV Studios, and Sunrise Inc., a company that specializes in original series. The project was picked up by Netflix in 2018. The cast and crew have been deafeningly quiet about the series, so this is a welcome update. The path to developing the adaptation has been fascinating, almost like a bounty quest that the Bebop crew normally ends up on. The casting for the series was revealed in April of this year. However, the production came to a halt in October 2019 when lead actor John Cho sustained a serious knee injury while shooting a scene. Shooting on the Cowboy Bebop resumed in New Zealand in September after it was postponed for months amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. READ ALSO: Marvel What?! 3 Chris Pratt Movies You Should Watch Aside From MCU Films Cowboy Bebop Live-Action Cast Cho plays the wisecracking bounty hunter Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop. He recently voiced the Oscar-nominated animated film Over The Moon. Mustafa Shakir, best known for his role as Bushmaster in Marvel's Luke Cage, joins him on the crew alongside Pineda. Jet Black, Spike's foil and former detective turned hunter, will be played by him. Vicious, a member of the power-hungry Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, is played by Alex Hassell. Spike, portrayed by Cho, would also cross paths with Julia, played by Elena Satine of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Rachel House plays Mao, a Mafia boss, and Geoff Stults plays Black's ex-partner Detective Chalmers in the supporting cast. ALSO READ: 'DOTA' Anime: The Black King and 2 Other Major Expectations From Netflix's 'Dragon's Blood' See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Many of the nursing staff are in a dilemma wither to continue with the job or leave, out of a concern for their safety. PTI file photo HYDERABAD: Gandhi Hospital, recast for the second time as a Covid-19-only facility, has run out of beds. Other than for emergency treatment, the hospital has stopped admitting patients. All other cases are being advised home quarantine. Some staff nurses who spoke to Deccan Chronicle on Monday said the conditions are no longer normal in the hospital. The hospital mortuary is full with bodies and the spillover bodies around 20 as on Sunday evening were kept on the fourth floor of the building in an In-Patient ward. On Monday, after 10.30am, those bodies were shifted for disposal, a staff nurse said. Compared to last year, we are seeing cases that are more severe, and most of those coming in require oxygen. The fatality rate is also more, the nurse said. Many of the nursing staff are in a dilemma wither to continue with the job or leave, out of a concern for their safety. Even the government has failed to deliver any of its promises made to the frontline warriors like nurses last year. The government looked the other way after the cases went down. After a recruitment drive, the number of nurses at the hospital had risen to 600, but may are getting infected by the Covid-19 virus. In the last 10 days, 15 nurses caught Covid-19 and are now admitted in Gandhi itself, a nurse revealed. The nurses the DC spoke with also complained of the low quality of PPE kits. What we are being provided with now are made from plastic. These kits are very suffocating than the ones they gave us in the past. There is also a shortage of face masks, according to one nurse. They also said they were not being paid risk allowances, extra leaves, and food. Even the 15 days quarantine period after 15 days of work is no longer in force and this is exposing them to more risk of catching the disease, the nurses said. VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zymeworks Inc. (NYSE: ZYME), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing multifunctional biotherapeutics, today announced that Diana Hausman, M.D., will be transitioning out of her role as Zymeworks Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and assuming an executive advisory role until November 15th, 2021. Neil Josephson, M.D., who currently oversees Zymeworks global clinical studies in his role as Senior Vice President, Clinical Research, will assume the role of interim CMO. I am extremely grateful for Dianas contribution to our clinical programs, as a member of the executive team, and to Zymeworks as a whole, said Ali Tehrani, Ph.D., Zymeworks President and CEO. I look forward to working with Diana through the transition as she continues to help us advance zanidatamab and ZW49 to the next set of clinical and commercial inflection points. For the past two years, alongside Diana, Neil has been one of the key architects and contributors to our clinical strategy, accomplishments and growth, Dr. Tehrani added. Under Neils leadership, I am confident that we are in good hands as we proceed toward the commercialization of zanidatamab. It has been an honor to lead the talented clinical team at Zymeworks during the last five years, said Dr. Hausman. I feel extremely proud in having been able to help advance our lead candidate, zanidatamab, from preclinical studies to our first pivotal trial in biliary tract cancer last year and our recent IND submission to the FDA for Zymeworks first randomized phase 3 study in 1st line HER2-positive gastric cancer. Dr. Hausman added, I look forward to continuing to work with Neil over the next few months as we launch the phase 3 trial in gastric cancer and Im confident in his leadership and the strength of our experienced clinical team as we enter this next phase of clinical development through to commercialization. Dr. Hausman has had a rewarding 20-year career in clinical drug development at several biopharmaceutical companies including Oncothyreon Inc., ZymoGenetics, Inc., Berlex, Inc., Immunex Corporation, and as Zymeworks first CMO, since 2016. During her tenure, Dr. Hausman built the clinical research division at Zymeworks from two to over 120 people and oversaw the clinical development of ZW49 and zanidatamab, the latter currently in five phase 2 clinical trials including a pivotal trial in relapsed or refractory HER2amplified biliary tract cancer (HERIZON-BTC-01). Assuming the role of interim CMO is Dr. Neil Josephson, who joined Zymeworks in 2019 as Vice President, Clinical Research and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Clinical Research last year. Prior to joining Zymeworks, Dr. Josephson spent nearly six years at Seagen Inc., most recently as Vice President of Clinical Development, where he worked on multiple early and late-stage programs, including leading the approval of ADCETRIS for the 1st line treatment of advanced Hodgkins lymphoma. Before joining Seagen, he was an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology at University of Washington. He received an M.D. degree from Columbia University and an A.B. from Dartmouth College. About Zymeworks Inc. Zymeworks is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of next-generation multifunctional biotherapeutics. Zymeworks suite of therapeutic platforms and its fully integrated drug development engine enable precise engineering of highly differentiated product candidates. Zymeworks lead clinical candidate, zanidatamab (ZW25), is a novel Azymetric bispecific antibody which has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA and is currently enrolling in a pivotal clinical trial for refractory HER2-amplified biliary tract cancer (HERIZON-BTC-01) as well as several Phase 2 clinical trials for HER2-expressing gastroesophageal and breast cancers. Zymeworks second clinical candidate, ZW49, is a novel bispecific HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate currently in Phase 1 clinical development and combines the unique design and antibody framework of zanidatamab with Zymeworks proprietary ZymeLink linker and cytotoxin. Zymeworks is also advancing a deep preclinical pipeline in oncology (including immuno-oncology agents) and other therapeutic areas. In addition, its therapeutic platforms are being leveraged through strategic partnerships with nine biopharmaceutical companies. For additional information about Zymeworks, visit www.zymeworks.com and follow @ZymeworksInc on Twitter. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, or collectively, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to Zymeworks CMO succession plan, clinical and preclinical development of its product candidates and related clinical trials, commercialization plans, and other information that is not historical information. When used herein, words such as will, continue, may, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, performance or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based upon Zymeworks current expectations and various assumptions. Zymeworks believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. Zymeworks may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, market conditions and the factors described under Risk Factors in Zymeworks Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 (a copy of which may be obtained at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com). Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as Zymeworks current plans, estimates and beliefs. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Zymeworks cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Zymeworks does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish, or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005299/en/ Investor Inquiries: Ryan Dercho, Ph.D. (604) 678-1388 ir@zymeworks.com Jack Spinks (604) 678-1388 ir@zymeworks.com Media Inquiries: Mary Klem (604) 678-1388 media@zymeworks.com Source: Zymeworks Inc. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 11:42:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, April 20 (Xinhua) -- An Australian-led research found that night-shift workers were far more likely to catch COVID-19 than day workers. An international research team, led by Yaqoot Fatima from James Cook University in the Australian state of Queensland, believe that night-shift workers have almost double the risk of catching the coronavirus. Their findings, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, were based on medical data of 500,000 participants of Britain's biobank program, which collected medical and genetic data from volunteers. Fatima, speaking to the Brisbane Times, said it was well known that working night shift could disturb people's natural circadian rhythms, potentially opening them up to infection. "Other researchers have put forward the theory that disruption of circadian rhythms resulting from night-shift working could predispose someone to be more at risk of infection with COVID-19," she said. "This could be a function of reduced melatonin levels, and poor immune response." Fatima also told Xinhua that there were other similar studies now being done in other countries, including the United States. "We are hoping, and expecting, they will have similar findings," she said. "When their findings are made clear we hope it can influence guidelines on issues such as priorities regarding the rollout of vaccines." Enditem The pandemic raised the possibility that more workers could move anywhere, potentially scrambling the map of booming and declining places in the American economy. And new data shows that it did indeed appear to prompt an unusually large flow of urban residents out of New York and San Francisco, two regions with a high share of jobs that can be done remotely even after the pandemic is behind us. But about 30 million change-of-address requests to the U.S. Postal Service in 2020 show that with these two very visible exceptions and a few smaller ones migration patterns during the pandemic have looked a lot like migration patterns before it. Some smaller regional metro areas and vacation hubs benefited. But in general, areas that were already attracting new residents kept attracting them. Those that were losing migrants lost more. And there are few examples, at least in the data so far, of previously down-and-out regions drawing people in. In short, as disruptive as the pandemic has been in nearly every aspect of life, it doesnt appear to have altered the underlying forces shaping which places are thriving or struggling. The graphic below shows that the metro areas that gained the most net movers in 2020 or lost the most are almost entirely the same as those in 2019: For most metros, migration followed pre-Covid trends Cape Coral, Fla. Net change in movers, 2020 each circle is one metro area Sarasota, Fla. +4% The metros that attracted more movers in 2020 were largely the same ones that did in 2019. And most metros that lost net residents in 2019 lost movers during the pandemic, too. Boise, Idaho +2% Austin No change Youngstown, Ohio -2% Honolulu If 2019 and 2020 were the same San Jose New York Wichita, Kan. -4% San Francisco -6% -4% -2% No change +2% +4% Net change in movers, 2019 Net change in movers, 2020 Cape Coral, Fla. each circle is one metro area Sarasota, Fla. The metros that attracted more movers in 2020 were largely the same ones that did in 2019. +4% +2% Austin No change -2% If 2019 and 2020 were the same San Jose -4% New York San Francisco No change -2% -6% -4% +2% +4% Net change in movers, 2019 Note: Net change is defined as the difference in number of in-bound change-of-address requests and out-bound requests in a metro area, compared with all residential addresses. Source: U.S. Postal Service For the most part, big pandemic shifts were confined to people moving out of the urban parts of a few large metros at higher rates, and more people moving into smaller metros in New York State, New England and other vacation and seasonal-home destinations. Metro New York and the Bay Area had net outflows in 2020 at twice the rate of 2019. And some of these shifts could last: People able to work remotely at least part of the time might accept a longer commute for more land and a bigger house. But the larger pattern among metros following the diagonal line above has been the stability of pre-pandemic trends. Sun Belt metros have continued to draw new residents, while those in upstate New York and the Midwest have not. Any pandemic migration windfall has flowed more to rapidly growing Boise, Idaho, than to Cleveland or Buffalo. CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm, has similarly analyzed Postal Service data for its clients, companies and commercial real estate investors eager to know where the next Austin is and if the pandemic has changed the answer. In many ways, the fundamentals in the data show that Austin is the next Austin, said Eric Willett, the research director at CBRE. That illustrates, he said, how dramatically durable these long-term trends are, even in the face of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Data on job growth mirrors this pattern: Most of the places with the biggest job gains (or smallest losses) during the pandemic were booming before the pandemic, too. The census will start to release data later this spring that will tell a more definitive story about population and migration shifts during the pandemic, although with a time lag. In the meantime, Postal Service data gives us some of our best insight, spanning the whole country, down to the ZIP code level. The data the Postal Service captures isnt a complete picture. Not everyone files a change-of-address form when moving. Young adults making a first move after college are generally missing from this data, as are households moving from abroad, a crucial source of much of the population growth in urban counties that have significant domestic out-migration even in normal years. The data shown here also includes both permanent and temporary moves, although the share of temporary moves is relatively small. And moves in and out of places with little migration might be undercounted by the Postal Service to preserve movers confidentiality. In some places, though, its clear that things were very different in 2020. A few smaller metros with significant oil-industry employment, like Williston, N.D., and Midland and Odessa, Texas, saw bigger outflows in 2020 than in 2019, a reflection of the declining fortunes of the energy sector more than the pandemic. Lake Charles, La., was hit by two hurricanes in 2020 and is still rebuilding. And net in-migration increased most in 2020 in smaller metros around New York City, like those anchored by Hudson and Kingston in New York State; Torrington, Conn.; and Pittsfield, Mass. Note: Source: U.S. Postal Service In-migration also rose in some vacation areas across the country like Cape Cod, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Wasatch County, Utah. Among larger metros, migration increased most in the Cape Coral and Sarasota metros on the west coast of Florida and in Boise, all of which were already growing fast pre-pandemic. Two New England metros that lost more movers than they gained in 2019 reversed that trend in 2020: Fairfield County, Conn., and Portland, Maine. Net out-migration where Postal Service data shows more people leaving than arriving accelerated most in big, expensive metros where many people were able to work remotely, like San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Boston. Metros with the biggest change in net in-migration Out of 926 metro areas 2019 chg. 2020 chg. Shift 1 Hudson, N.Y. -1.0% +8.7% +9.7 pts. 2 Kingston, N.Y. -1.6% +3.6% +5.2 pts. 3 Torrington, Conn. -0.8% +3.6% +4.4 pts. 4 Barnstable Town, Mass. -0.7% +3.4% +4.2 pts. 5 Heber, Utah +0.7% +4.7% +3.9 pts. 6 Pittsfield, Mass. -1.4% +2.5% +3.9 pts. 7 Lebanon, N.H. -2.6% +1.1% +3.7 pts. 8 Panama City, Fla. -0.8% +2.6% +3.4 pts. 9 Aberdeen, Wash. -3.3% 0% +3.4 pts. 10 Naples-Marco Island, Fla. +2.6% +6.0% +3.3 pts. Metros with the biggest change in net out-migration Out of 926 metro areas 2019 chg. 2020 chg. Shift 1 Lake Charles, La. -1.7% -6.7% -5.0 pts. 2 Odessa, Texas -2.3% -5.6% -3.3 pts. 3 San Fran.-Oakland -2.0% -4.8% -2.8 pts. 4 Hobbs, N.M. -1.4% -4.0% -2.6 pts. 5 Midland, Texas -1.6% -4.0% -2.4 pts. 6 New York -4.0% -5.7% -1.7 pts. 7 San Jose, Calif. -2.1% -3.8% -1.7 pts. 8 Gillette, Wyo. -1.0% -2.4% -1.4 pts. 9 Seattle-Tacoma -0.7% -2.1% -1.3 pts. 10 Boston -1.7% -2.7% -0.9 pts. Source: U.S. Postal Service In the large coastal metros with net outflows shown here, urban neighborhoods lost more people than suburban neighborhoods did. In fact, with the exception of San Jose, Calif., the suburban parts of these same large metros had similar or more favorable net migration in 2020 compared with 2019. Within these metros, the neighborhoods with the biggest net outflows were richer and more central, like TriBeCa in New York City and Pacific Heights in San Francisco. Source: U.S. Postal Service In general, the ZIP codes where more people moved out during the pandemic were denser neighborhoods in metropolitan areas where a higher share of people work in jobs that could be done from home. A separate analysis of address changes recorded in credit reports, by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, shows similar patterns: an increase in net out-migration specifically from urban neighborhoods in 2020, and a broader acceleration of moves out of large, high-cost metros. But the starkest changes were limited to two regions. Consistently, in all of those, New York and San Francisco stand out, said Stephan Whitaker, an economist with the Cleveland Fed who conducted the research. It really is a remarkably higher level of out-migration appearing in those two areas. It ends up pushing up their net out-migration as well. Those metros, along with other typically strong labor markets like Washington, Seattle, Denver and San Diego, also had declining net migration in 2020 because their usual influx of new residents dwindled during the pandemic. In the Cleveland Fed analysis, that decline in new arrivals was more consequential in many of these cities than the increase in people leaving. And its likely that those in-flows will pick back up as the pandemic eases as new hires and young adults who didnt leave Cleveland or St. Louis for New York or Boston in 2020 do so this coming year. Postal Service and credit reporting data all suggest that the greatest beneficiaries of migrants who did leave New York and San Francisco were other communities relatively close by. Other analyses by The San Francisco Chronicle and the California Policy Lab found that people who left San Francisco mostly stayed within the state, or even within the Bay Area. And thats consistent with research on the housing market that shows suburban home prices and rents rising in these metros. More limited data from moving companies on interstate moves reflecting the behavior of higher-income households also captures people moving away from regions with more remote work and higher rents. All together, this evidence shows neither a broad pandemic urban exodus, nor a California-specific exodus, nor a remote-work boon for declining communities hoping the past year might usher in their revival. But even if the pandemic didnt upend migration patterns, some pandemic-era shifts could endure. And local labor markets around cities like New York and San Francisco could stretch to include more peripheral towns satellite communities from which a daily commute wouldnt make sense, but a once-a-week drive might. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 16:37:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Space-tracking ship Yuanwang-5 departed from a port in east China's Jiangsu Province on Tuesday for a maritime monitoring mission in the Pacific Ocean. Before this voyage, the crew members have examined onboard facilities and replenished their supplies for the upcoming mission, after the ship returned from a mission on March 29. Yuanwang-5, China's third-generation space-tracking ship, has completed 73 missions at sea, including maritime tracking of the Shenzhou spacecraft, the Chang'e lunar probe and BeiDou satellites. Enditem New Delhi: Famous television actress turned Bollywood star Prachi Desai made her stunning debut in movies with Farhan Akhtar's 'Rock On' in 2008. After gaining massive stardom with Ekta Kapoor's Kasamh Se, she entered movies. She featured in several blockbuster hits such as Life Partner, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Bol Bachchan and I, Me Aur Main among others. After spending more than a decade in the movie business, Prachi Desai in an interview with Bollywood Bubble opened up on her ordeal with casting couch experience and how once she was told that she needs to be hot enough. The actress said, "I dont think anybody is spared. Muck is going to be thrown at everyone. To be honest, a lot of times, because I started working when I was 19 in films, I used to get away with a lot of things just because I was very very young. So I feel like a lot of people tried not to mess with me because I was just too young. However, I saw a lot of rubbish coming my way later but by then I knew how to handle it. I stuck to my own business that made it easier also. Whenever I had someone make a pass at me or anything like that I wouldnt tolerate that for sure. If I had directors calling me at odd hours. See if you have work and its very urgent you can understand and find a way to sort of work around it. And if its those last-minute kinds of things you know that it is work. But other than that, you have people calling you late in the night then I would either out off my phone or switch off my network. Or just happily go off to sleep not bothered about who is saying what. So yeah, things like that happen all the time. But its just about how you decide to handle it." "Oh sure. I think very direct propositions were also made to me to get cast in a certain big film but I have outright said no. And even after saying no, the director called again. And I still said that I am not interested in your film. I think I am very honest and upfront. I dont like beating around the bush. So yeah, I am very upfront about these things. If I could tell them to get lost then I say it in the same words. And I dont say like Hey its not gonna work out or hey I dont think I want to do this film. No, I think you are being a creep or you are an a$sh#le get lost", she said. Opening up on how she was once called not hot enough during her intial years, Prachi Desai told the portal, "The initial years of my career were only full of self-doubt. The debut went off absolutely great. It was after that that the challenges started. So getting a break on TV at the age of 17, getting a film break at 19, all of that was magical. And I didnt see that coming or anything. So that was a huge surprise and I thought thats how things work out when you are that enthusiastic in life or when you are working hard you know thats how things are going to pan out. However, after stepping into the real film world is when all the self-doubt started. Nobody ever wanted you to be what you are. Everybody wants you to be something else." "In the film business, people want you to be what only a certain man wants you to be. You are always looked at from a male gaze. And I was always told like, You are not hot enough. You need to be hot. You are too young too cute. I think you need to do a sexy shoot. All you need to do a sexy song. And I didnt understand that. I was like, But for who should I do these sexy shoots. For who should I do these sexy songs. Dont you see what I am doing in my films? That I can act. Why is that mens magazine shoot is so important to you to cast me in a film, which is a family film. This is the problem that I had for so many years initially. And that was a 19-year-old me who was hearing all of these things constantly for the sake of being cast in movies. And I dont think its easy on a 19-years-old to constantly be told these things. Especially when you are not from the film industry. So you dont know what to do and how to go about things like when the media is not kind to you or when within the industry this is the feedback you are getting. So obviously, its very difficult to sort of keep your vision straight and decide that I will only do what I am okay with doing. At the same time, because I have been a little detached thats how I have learned to stay happy. Happiness is a constant effort let me tell you that." On the work front, Prachi Desai was seen in the ZEE5 film titled Silence... Can You Hear It? with Manoj Bajpayee and Arjun Mathur. Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is very pleased to announce that its wholly owned Mexican subsidiary Yaque Minerales S.A de C.V. has received an Informe Preventivo, an environmental permit and a permit for drilling at its El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project from the Mexican government environmental authority (SEMARNAT). Project Background Figure 1. Looking north east to principal gossan and alteration zones and El Mezquite Phase 1 drill targets; easy access to ranch trail from Highway #16 crossing E-W in background. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/81054_7a3a11d884c4bab7_001full.jpg The 180-hectare Property is easily accessible from Mexican Highway #16 via a southerly-trending unpaved road which traverses through the centre of the known gold mineralization. High voltage power lines are positioned along Highway #16. The El Mezquite Project is located within the west-central portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Complex within the prominent northwest-trending "Sonora Gold Belt" of northern Mexico and parallel to the well-known, precious metals-rich Mojave-Sonora Megashear. The Property is very well situated in terms of logistics for exploration and is located only twelve kilometres northwest of the Nicho deposit currently under mine development by Minera Alamos. "Colibri is very happy to see this milestone reached as we have high expectations for the project. The Company anticipates a transformational year corporately with steady news for its investors. Colibri is excited about its active basket of projects in Sonora. Shareholders will be eager to follow along as we begin a near term drilling program at El Mezquite with its partner Silver Spruce Resources (partner funded), receive results from the current drilling program underway by its earn in partner Tocvan Ventures at the Pilar Gold & Silver Project (partner funded), and its near term drilling program at the flagship 100% owned Evelyn Gold Project (fully funded). On top of this we expect to advance the recently acquired Diamante Gold & Silver Project with Silver Spruce to drill stage later this year," said Ron Goguen, President & CEO of Colibri. Silver Spruce Resources (TSXV: SSE) is in its first year of a four year earn in agreement to acquire 50% of the El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project. For full details of the agreement please see Colibri news release dated June 11th, 2020. Figure 2. Looking North towards Highway 16 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/81054_7a3a11d884c4bab7_002full.jpg Alteration and Mineralization at Mezquite The mineralization in the region commonly consists of disseminated gold hosted in strongly argillized and moderately silicified andesite rocks, typical to the Sierra Madre geological model of the principal deposits. Four main zones of alteration on the Property have been identified. The principal El Mezquite target area is defined as an alteration zone that extends for about 2 km in a north/south direction and is about 1 km wide. There are at least four of these colorful, hydrothermally altered, contact zones within the El Mezquite prospect area. The yellow, orange and reddish colors of the highly altered areas are caused by hydrothermal solutions oxidizing sulphides. The sulphides are related to gold and silver values and geochemical anomalies which are mostly associated with these zones of alteration. The major trends of the alteration zone are generally north-south; however, the major trend of mineralization within the Property is NE-SW. The gold and silver mineralization appears to be related to a silicified feldspar porphyry, which outcrops along the southern bank in the bottom of the largest arroyo. Rhyolite breccias and multi-phase breccia veins are also noted. Historical assay results from 362 rock chip samples indicate that 22 of the samples report values of gold >0.5 g/t, averaging 1.35 g/t of Au and 54.4 g/t Ag. These samples are distributed along an area that extends for 600 metres in a north-south direction and 300 metres E-W. The highest values of gold and silver reported are 3.41 g/t Au and 198 g/t Ag. The most recently reported surface sampling campaign in 2019 confirmed the anomalous values, with precious metal values up to 1.63 g/t Au and 155 g/t Ag. About Colibri Resource Corporation: Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring and exploring prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company has six exploration projects of which five currently have exploration programs being executed or planned. The flagship Evelyn Gold Project is 100% owned and explored by Colibri. The Company has four additional projects, Pilar Gold & Silver Project (optioned to Tocvan Ventures (CSE: TOC), El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project , Jackie Gold & Silver Project, and the Diamante Gold & Silver Project (earn-in agreements with Silver Spruce Resources (TSXV: SSE) are also currently being actively advanced. For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. For further information: Ronald J. Goguen, President, Chairperson and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, rongoguen@colibriresource.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/81054 Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register THE Court Hotel in Tullamore is currently being fitted out as a vaccination centre and is due to open on May 3. Appointments for people to attend the centre in Tullamore are expected to commence this week. It will be one of 37 centres around the country and cater for large numbers of people. Meanwhile, vaccinations of those aged 65-69 who have registered will begin this week in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise and Athlone Institute of Technology. Councillor Sean O'Brien has expressed his disappointment that the centre in Tullamore will not open until May. ''I was informed of this at a meeting today of the HSE Regional Forum. Other counties are starting their vaccination programme this week and I am asking why we are going to be two weeks behind. People have registered to be vaccinated and they are very keen to receive the vaccination. I am asking the relevant authorities in the HSE to review this start date for Offaly," stated Cllr O' Brien Meanwhile the HSE say the centres will have varying opening hours and will be within short driving distances for those accessing them. People will be allocated to a centre based on their eircode. ' 'The only limiting factor to the vaccine rollout programme is the international supply.'' Some Offaly people in their late 60s were surprised to learn they have to go to the Aviva stadium in Dublin to get their jab. It's understood these are people in high risk categories who were referred by their GPs rather than those who have registered online. However, some have expressed concern that having been extremely careful in maintaining the 5k rule and more recently not travelling outside the county, they will now have to use public transport to get there. Others were reluctant to ask to be referred to a local centre in case it would result in delays. For those without a car getting to the Aviva may require a train or bus journey to Dublin, then perhaps a Luas to get into the city and the Dart train or taxi out to Lansdowne road where the Aviva is located. The vaccine being offered to people aged 65 to 69 is the AstraZeneca. Controversy has surrounded this particular vaccine as it has been linked to blood clots in a small number of people. AstraZeneca has been approved for use by both the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and NIAC (National Immunisation Advisory Committee), It is recommended for use in people aged over 60. Des OFlynn, Chief Officer, Midlands Louth Meath Community Healthcare Organisation, said, Our staff have been working very hard to implement the vaccination programme since the beginning of the year, we are nearing completion of vaccination of healthcare workers, with the vaccination programme in residential settings already completed and we are working on cohort 4. The next phase will see the opening of the identified vaccination centres throughout the Midlands counties for the next cohort, those aged between 65-69. This is a positive and welcome step towards ensuring we can vaccinate people as quickly as possible. I would like to acknowledge the work and commitment of all our staff who are supporting this delivery. We look forward to welcoming those aged 65-69 for vaccination in the coming weeks. The HSE has issued an update regarding the Covid situation in Offaly: *There is no particular setting or source of public concern currently in Offaly. *The number of new cases and the 14 day crude incidence rate is reducing currently. *Most new cases are household contacts of an index case, who's day 10 test is positive. *Those index cases are coming from a range of settings, mostly work, some vulnerable and educational settings. Those registering can do so on vaccine.hse.ie/orcall 1850 241 850. Bookings are currently underway for the 65 to 69 age groups. Chennai, April 20 : As Covid cases are rising, the union territory of Puducherry will impose night curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m from Tuesday. All the hotels have been directed to shut their doors by 8 p.m. and to allow only parcel services after this time band. The beach road at Puducherry will remain closed after 5 p.m. It may be noted that the fatality rate in the union territory touched 1.5 per cent on Monday which is above the national average of 1.2 per cent. Puducherry headquarters has the maximum number of deaths with 572 fatalities; Karakkal has 84 deaths followed by Yanam 45 and Mahe 12. Interestingly, the recovery rate of the union territory is 88.8 per cent which is above the national average of 86 per cent. On Monday, Puducherry reported 565 fresh cases taking the total number of active cases to 4,692 of which 3,849 are under home isolation and treatment. 365 people have recovered from the disease on Monday. The Health Department has sent 7.33 lakh swab samples for testing in the union territory of which 6.66 lakh samples turned negative and more than half of the population of the union territory underwent Covid test. Puducherry has a population of 14 lakh people. A press release from the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare states that it has so far administered Covid 19 vaccines to 30,202 healthcare workers, 17,961 frontline workers and 1,08 lakh others taking the total of people who were administered vaccine to 1.55 lakh people. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who died Monday at the age of 93, came to Chattanooga while on the campaign trail nearly four decades ago. In late April 1984, he campaigned at Chattanooga State college and then spent the night at the Downtown Sheraton, the Chestnut Street hotel that in recent years has become the DoubleTree by Hilton. Then, in early September 1984, after the Democrat had picked Geraldine Ferraro as the first female running mate of a major party presidential campaign, he spoke at Memorial Auditorium in front of a half-filled audience of 1,500. At that time, President Ronald Reagan was at the height of his popularity, and he would garner 57 percent of the vote in Tennessee on his way to a landslide national victory in November. Mondale is being praised this week for being the first vice president to hold increased duties in his role under Jimmy Carter from 1977-81 and for setting the tone for vice presidents to follow. But the late Mr.Mondale is being praised this week for being the first vice president to hold increased duties in his role under Jimmy Carter from 1977-81 and for setting the tone for vice presidents to follow. What to do if you receive fraudulent unemployment claim paperwork If you receive a notice, other paperwork or a debit card of an unemployment claim filed in your name that you didn't file, here are some steps you should take to protect yourself. File a fraud report with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment at cdle.colorado.gov/fraud-prevention. Click on links for either individuals or employers. Since most fraudulent unemployment claims are made with stolen identities, place security freezes on your credit reports with all three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. File an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov/. The demand for vacations is at an all-time high, and consumers are missing interactions with local people and culture found during travel. The Bahamas is looking forward to welcoming back travelers whenever they choose to visit. However, those who are not ready will be pleased to know they do not have to miss out on an authentic Bahamas experience simply because they do not get on a plane. Transport virtually into the homes of Bahamians to dance, cook and more. For the first time ever, consumers can indulge in the unique People-to-People Program from the comfort of their own homes. These sessions will be curated to small intimate groups (no more than five participants each) who will interface live with local hosts, allowing for real conversation and authentic connection through the sharing of Bahamian culture and traditions. Available to book for a limited time, beginning today, the program offers five free virtual session themes with local ambassadors in The Bahamas: Local Life 101: Walk with historian Arlene Nash Ferguson to learn about the culture and heritage of The Bahamas . Walk with historian to learn about the culture and heritage of The . Cooking Like a Local: Wine and dine with ambassadors in a home cooking session featuring favorite Bahamian meals. Wine and dine with ambassadors in a home cooking session featuring favorite Bahamian meals. Happy Hour Like a Local: Shake up your afternoon with a famous Bahama Mama cocktail. Shake up your afternoon with a famous Bahama Mama cocktail. Walk and Talk with a Local: Take in Bahamian sunsets, tropical landscapes and sandy beaches on a stroll with locals. Take in Bahamian sunsets, tropical landscapes and sandy beaches on a stroll with locals. Dance Like a Local: Junkanoo: Move to the beat of The Bahamas with a Junkanoo tutorial -- one of the country's most celebrated traditions. "The People-to-People Program offers travelers the unique opportunity to enter the homes of Bahamian citizens and truly immerse themselves in our culture," said the Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar, Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation. "We are proud to bring these experiences to the virtual stage and our ambassadors are thrilled to share their love of The Bahamas with travelers once again." ABOUT For more information, or to book a free virtual session, visit Bahamas.com/People-to-People . PRESS INQUIRIES Anita Johnson-Patty Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation [email protected] Weber Shandwick Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Related Links https://www.bahamas.com (Eds: Adds details) Bhubaneswar, Apr 20 (PTI) Odisha's COVID-19 tally soared to 3,77,464 on Tuesday as the state registered its highest single-day spike of 4,761 new cases, while five fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 1,953, a health official said. As many as 2,785 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 1,976 fresh infections were detected during contact tracing. Khurda district, under which Bhubaneswar falls, reported the highest number of new cases at 820, followed by the Chhattisgarh-bordering districts of Sundergarh (673) and Nuapada (534), he said. Nuapada reported three fatalities, while Keonjhar and Rayagada registered one death each. Fifty-three coronavirus patients have died due to comorbidities so far. Odisha now has 27,821 active cases, which is 7.3 per cent of the state's caseload, while 3,47,637 people have recovered from the disease so far. The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stands at 92 per cent. Odisha has thus far tested over 96.68 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 32,349 on Monday, while the state's positivity rate stands at 3.9 per cent. Meanwhile, health officials said that 23 Kumbh Mela returnees, including 13 from Cuttack and 10 from Rayagada, are among the new patients and have been kept in isolation. Dr Ajay Parida, Director of the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, said coronavirus transmission from neighbouring Chhattisgarh is one of the major reasons behind the surge in infections in Odisha. "People residing in the 10 bordering districts of Odisha frequently visit Chhattisgarh where an average of 14,000 fresh cases is being reported. The infection is getting transmitted to Odisha. "This apart, people from other COVID hotspot states are also returning to Odisha, causing a rise in fresh cases," he said. ILS, Bhubaneswar, is doing genome sequencing of the coronavirus. The state neither has any coronavirus mutants like those found in Brazil and South Africa or Punjab or Maharashtra, he said. "Odisha has a negligible 3-4 percent of double mutation which is mainly the UK variant," Parida said. He said more genome sequencing, however, is being done to ascertain the type of strain responsible for the alarming surge in fresh cases in the state. PTI AAM ACD ACD (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Page Content Emergency Services Minister visits remote inland farming areas affected by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja More than 1,000 properties across 35,000 square kilometres identified as damaged Recovery efforts well underway, with Federal-State disaster relief secured, many services restored and crisis support made available Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby will today make his fourth visit to the Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja disaster area, visiting remote inland farming communities as recovery efforts continue. The Minister joined Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM and State Recovery Controller Melissa Pexton to visit agricultural properties around Perenjori hit hard by the cyclone. Clean-up operations are underway across 13 affected local government areas, with damage recorded from the Shire of Northampton east through to the Shire of Merredin. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has so far identified 1,050 buildings across the region with some degree of damage and 49 destroyed. More than 400 emergency services and support personnel including volunteers from across Western Australia, as well as from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are on the ground across the region helping with the recovery efforts. Local government areas Carnamah, Chapman Valley, Coorow, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Greater Geraldton, Mingenew, Morawa, Mount Marshall, Northampton, Perenjori, Shark Bay and Three Springs have all been made eligible to receive financial assistance through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. People wanting to assist those impacted by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja can donate through the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund at https://appealswa.org.au Comments attributed to Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby: "Each and every community should know the McGowan Government, emergency services personnel and volunteers are right behind them as we plot the road to recovery from this devastating event. "From the larger towns that were hit, right out to remote farming properties, we are committed to working hard on behalf of all Western Australians to make these areas safe and begin the process of returning a degree of normality to all those impacted. "We have a long road ahead in terms of recovery, but already we have agreed on vital Federal-State disaster funding, restored many services and provided immediate crisis support to those hit hard by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja. "The clean-up is continuing and we are preparing for the detailed work of understanding what exactly each area needs in terms of the recovery and rebuild. "The preferences of each community is key to understanding how we plot the path to recovery so we will continue to visit the many towns, properties and farms over the huge disaster area in coming weeks and months." Minister's office - 6552 6300 [April 20, 2021] LogMeIn's GoTo Products Enable Businesses to Make a Meaningful Impact on Their Sustainability Efforts BOSTON, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LogMeIn, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based solutions including GoTo, LastPass and Rescue, has today announced data quantifying the impact of a years worth of remote work on sustainability efforts around the globe. Through LogMeIns suite of remote work products, the company has enabled customers to effectively work safely and securely from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, the company estimates that LogMeIn contributed to avoiding as much as 63 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions through customers use of GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar during the first year of the pandemic (April 2020-March 2021) compared to daily commuting and business travel for company meetings.* According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that figure is equivalent to taking nearly 13.8 million cars off the road for a year, 7.6 million homes' energy use for one year, or one billion trees planted. Reduced carbon emissions through the enablement of remote work is just one way LogMeIn is committed to global sustainability. Through its Corporate Social Responsibility program, the company is also continuing to work toward actionable sustainability goals, including reaching Net Zero Emissions by 2030, and to further the companys own practices both in the office and at home as it adopts a remote-centric work policy globally. As part of that strategy, the company is procuring certified carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs) to mitigate 100% of the companys own operational emissions in 2020 and beyond. The increased usage of LogMeIns products during the pandemic underscores the companys contribution to customers working effectively from home while reducing emissions substantially. In addition to the above impact from the GoTo unified communications and collaboration (UCC) products, a usage surge was also seen across the companys full portfolio of poducts, including remote access and support solutions such as LogMeIn Central, LogMeIn Pro and Rescue. Even as we temporarily physically distance to help bring COVID-19 under control, the digital revolution is connecting us more closely than ever and is here to stay. LogMeIns products, such as GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar, help to enable this work from anywhere revolution. In leveraging the impact these products can have on LogMeIns global community of employees, customers, and partners to improve their environmental responsibility, it demonstrates the difference a science-inspired company can make when it decides to lead, said Jim Boyle, CEO & Founder of Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. a shared-cost industry leadership service that assists LogMeIn with its own sustainability goals. While there will continue to be a place for certain types of face-to-face meetings, many companies, including LogMeIn, are looking to reduce the amount of business travel and commutes for employees. This shift will help offset the time, expense and carbon footprint by utilizing technology to host virtual interactions. It is expected that products like those from LogMeIn will continue to play an essential role in maintaining business continuity and allowing employees the flexibility to work how, where and when they want, as well as to help companies achieve their own sustainability goals. Even when a return to the office and business travel is safe, companies that offer remote work and reduce business travel in favor of virtual events and meetings will continue to see a lasting impact on their own emission reduction goals. 2020 and the early part of 2021 were full of challenges for us all, however, as a company we are immensely proud of the role we were able to play supporting organizations remote work needs, said Bill Wagner, President and CEO at LogMeIn. Through the use of our products, business leaders were able to see that flexible work could and should be something that continues long after the pandemic. Not only because data shows it is what employees want, but also because its what can help our environment. Sustainability is a core pillar here at LogMeIn and as restrictions begin to lift and our new normal takes shape, we, and many others, are embracing the learnings from this past year to adopt a totally new way of working that includes a hybrid approach to where we work. By reducing business travel and commutes in favor of virtual meetings and events we can make a significant and lasting impact on the world around us. For more information on how LogMeIn can help solve your work-from-anywhere, security and sustainability needs please visit: www.logmein.com *LogMeIns data team derived these figures by summing the distance between all meeting hosts and each participant for all GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar sessions in the first full year of the pandemic (excluding audio-only calls, which could reasonably be assumed to replace phone calls, not in-person meetings). The team then assigned each of those distances to different modes of transport using U.S. Federal Highway Administration statistics, to which the team then applied the appropriate U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions factor. Equivalencies were derived using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. About LogMeIn, Inc. LogMeIn, Inc.s category-defining products, such as GoTo, LastPass, Rescue, LogMeIn Central and more, unlock the potential of the modern workforce by making it possible for millions of people and businesses around the globe to do their best work simply and securelyon any device, from any location and at any time. A pioneer in remote work technology and a driving force behind todays work-from-anywhere movement, LogMeIn has become one of the worlds largest SaaS companies with tens of millions of active users, more than 3,500 global employees, over $1.3 billion in annual revenue and approximately 2 million customers worldwide who use its software as an essential part of their daily lives. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with additional locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and thousands of home offices around the globe. Media Contact: Jen Mathews press@logmein.com 617-279-2443 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] President Biden used his daily national security briefing on the morning of April 6 to deliver the news that his senior military leaders suspected was coming. He wanted all American troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the attacks on New York and the Pentagon. In the Oval Office, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wanted to make certain. I take what you said as a decision, sir, General Milley said, according to officials with knowledge of the meeting. Is that correct, Mr. President? It was. Over two decades of war that spanned four presidents, the Pentagon had always managed to fend off the political instincts of elected leaders frustrated with the grind of Afghanistan, as commanders repeatedly requested more time and more troops. Even as the number of American forces in Afghanistan steadily decreased to the 2,500 who still remained, Defense Department leaders still cobbled together a military effort that managed to protect the United States from terrorist attacks even as it failed, spectacularly, to defeat the Taliban in a place that has crushed foreign occupiers for 2,000 years. The current military leadership hoped it, too, could convince a new president to maintain at least a modest troop presence, trying to talk Mr. Biden into keeping a residual force and setting conditions on any withdrawal. But Mr. Biden refused to be persuaded. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WINDOW ROCK, Arizona Leaders on the Navajo Nation took time prior to the start of the tribal councils Spring Session on Monday to focus on awareness and prevention of sexual assault. To further conversation, Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty led an awareness walk with the purpose to honor victims of violence on the Navajo Nation and to advocate for survivor resources, to encourage dialogue, and to shed light on a topic that is often hidden in tribal communities. You have to be courageous to have these conversations because thats what healing takes, Crotty said. The walk from the Navajo Nation Shopping Center Inc. parking lot to the tribal council chamber coincided with National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It was conducted under public health guidelines. Crotty, who serves as chairwoman of the councils subcommittee focusing on sexual assault prevention, spoke live on Facebook during the walk to encourage others to join at home. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ At the council chamber, Crotty was joined by Speaker Seth Damon, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and first lady Phefelia Nez. Its so important to bring awareness of these two topics, Phefelia Nez said. Amazon is cutting into the hair styling sector with the opening of its first ever hair salon, where customers can test out new hair colours in augmented reality consultations. The bricks-and-mortar 'experiential' venue is launching in London's Spitalfields with technology allowing clients to virtually try out a new look before committing and to order hair care products easily. Set over two floors and taking up more than 1,500 square feet, the salon will initially be available to Amazon staff only but will take bookings from the general public 'in the coming weeks'. The salon will offer augmented reality hair consultations to virtually test out a new hair colour Set over two floors and more than 1,500 sq. ft. on Brushfield Street in London's Spitalfields, Amazon Salon will trial the latest industry technology The salon will initially be available to Amazon staff only but will take bookings from the general public 'in the coming weeks' The salon will offer traditional hairdressing alongside 'point-and-learn' technology where customers can point at a product of interest, and more information about it will appear on a screen. People will also be able to order products directly from Amazon to their home, by scanning QR codes displayed along shelves. Customers will also be able to watch films on Fire tablets at each styling station and 'capture their new look in a dedicated creative area.' Customers will also be able to watch films on Fire tablets at each styling station The salon will offer traditional hairdressing alongside 'point-and-learn' technology where customers can point at a product of interest, and more information about it will appear on a screen Amazon said there are there were 'no current plans' to expand the concept to other locations. A price list has yet to be released but the salon will offer a 'full range of hairdressing services' including highlights, treatments and braids, Amazon said. John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, said: 'We have designed this salon for customers to come and experience some of the best technology, hair care products and stylists in the industry. 'We want this unique venue to bring us one step closer to customers, and it will be a place where we can collaborate with the industry and test new technologies.' Elena Lavagni, centre, the owner of London-based Neville Hair & Beauty, will head up the concept A full range of hair styling services for adults and children will be available, including cut and blow dry, full head highlights, balayage, texturiser treatments, and braids Elena Lavagni, owner of London-based Neville Hair & Beauty, will head up the concept. 'I am delighted to be part of this project the salon combines classic hairdressing services with technology to deliver a completely unique experience for clients,' she said. 'Our creative team of stylists, whose flair for hair is as intrinsic as their love for technology, will put the client at the heart of everything they do. 'I feel proud to use our 40 years' experience in the industry to help bring this salon to life.' The launch of Amazon Salon follows the tech giant's first contactless supermarket, which opened in Ealing last month. Customers with an Amazon account must scan a code on their phone to gain entry to the store where sensors and cameras detect the items they have chosen, which are then billed to their Amazon account. Life is not just about longevity, I dont care if live to 100 I live by what experiences do I want in life, and if that is fulfilled, well then go on to the next.- Hector Avalos, 2016. This is not going to be the article that one might think it is from the title. This is not yet another article in a long line of articles pointing out that the mainstream media are in the back pocket of the progressive Democrat party. We can point out a few recent illustrations of that if youd like, just to keep things current and fresh, to give everyone some new incidents to draw upon should your barely-aware progressive acquaintances protest your contention that the mainstream media treat President Trump and conservatives differently than President Biden and the leftists: Project Veritas exposed CNN's lies and anti-Trump bias The fake BLM storyline of police violence against blacks The mainstream medias refusal to cover or even acknowledge the entire Hunter Biden corruption/pay-to-play fandango. There are countless more examples and it certainly isnt necessary to list here all the lies and misleading statements with which the leftist media are daily trying to shape the news coverage. Their corruption and double standards are real, irrefutably demonstrable, and incredibly influential on the casually attentive swing voters who are so central to determining close elections. Note that, in recent years, the term liberal (or mainstream) media has come to mean far more than just the traditional print and broadcast outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, NPR, etc. A few years ago, it expanded to include the website affiliates of those sources and now, undeniably, it also includes the most popular and oft-used social sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others. This is common knowledge, and its disastrous for conservatives. More and more every day, the communication landscape is stacked in a lopsided manner in favor of the radical progressive viewpoint. The question is, of course, can anything be done about it? No, at least not the way conservatives and Republican politicians are currently reacting. The way things are now, every day the progressives take their best shots against conservatives and let loose with salvo after salvo, no matter how outrageous or fantastical. They lie about Republican policies. They twist things wildly out of context. They espouse hypocritical opinions with double standards and revisionist history so over the top it would even shame a 12-year-old making excuses after being caught cheating on their weekly arithmetic quiz: Packing the Supreme Court Statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico Clamping down on free speech and constitutional gun rights for law-abiding citizens Branding conservative protests as insurrection while labeling BLM riots as the Peaceful exercise of constitutional First Amendment rights And progressives always get away with it because they know the leftist media have their back. Every time. Conservatives and Republican politicians are reduced to reacting after the fact, with whiney, feckless pathetic responses that amount to nothing more than variants of the See? The left media are bad, unfair and biased theme. What conservatives need to do is come up with an aggressive preventative strategy, not a lock-the-barn-door-after-the-horse-has-escaped reactionary approach. Conservatives are getting killed in the media public square and if it doesnt change, their electoral future is doomed. The key is behavior modification. No entity changes its behavior on its own. No onenot dogs or children or employees or news peopleever changes his behavior without a punishment/reward system in place. Change only occurs in the face of external stimuli, both positive and negative. This is the theory of puppy training: When the puppy pees on the carpet and gets smacked across the snoot with a rolled-up magazine, it soon learns that thats bad behavior, something to stop doing immediately. Likewise, when the puppy goes outside and gets a treat, it learns, Hey, this is good. Ill do this again. Where is the conservatives rolled-up magazine to smack across the snoot of the liberal media and get them to be gun shy about doing that again? What penalty can the conservative side extract from the leftist media? As things are now, absent a penalty, there is no reason the media will ever change their ways. Simply pointing out after the fact, Aha! You did it again! will not elicit any new behavior from them. Obviously. A big part of the problem is that conservatives dont even think in terms of proactively monitoring and punishing bad progressive media behavior. Instead, they simply wait to be treated like a punching bag and then whine about it afterwardto the same progressive media that tortured them in the first place. President Trump had a clue. He took the fight to them and pre-emptively called them out, continually. But without the support and effective action of the entire conservative movement reinforcing his efforts, the one-way anti-conservative/Republican treatment got even worse, not better. Conservatives need to get creative and aggressive. Perhaps they could do a regular Weeks Worst Offenders report. Utilize every available media outlet: online, social sites, traditional print and broadcast, press conferences, even occasional floor speeches during Congressional hours. Everything. An all of the above strategy, relentless, continuous, impossible to ignore or dismiss. Andmake it personal. Highlight and call out the outrageous, blatantly false utterances of the Jim Acostas, Trevor Noahs, Jimmy Kimmels, Don Lemons, and Jake Tappers of the world. Turn their bleatings into a well-publicized hit parade of lies, distortions, and totally unprofessional behavior. Create the Don Lemon Hour, The Acosta Report, Cuomos Contradictions, Tappers Tales, The Maddow Chronicles. Personalize it. Embarrass them. Exact a penalty, make it personally humiliating. Theyll howl, but theyll hate it. And because of their ultra-thin skin, they may even change their behavior to some extent. Its worth a try because right now conservatives are doing nothing. Progressives attack conservatives personally now as a matter of routine practice and conservatives just take it and smile, or weakly utter, Not really true. The difference if conservatives attack the progressives would be that the conservatives would be verifiably telling the truth. The truth about Bidens border policies, the truth about the new Georgia voting law, the truth about CNNs lies during the 2020 campaign -- these are facts that the general public doesnt know and that Progressives would be horrified about if they became common knowledge. There are conservative operatives whom Id hope are smarter than I am, and they could and should come up with an aggressive approach to preemptively combat liberal media bias. The progressives have put together a formidable electoral juggernaut, no question. Its a three-headed dragon that threatens the very core of our two-party system: Unrestricted illegal immigration that will change the countrys voting demographic permanently within 5-10 years if left unchecked Voting fraud that rigs elections in their favor Total control of the media narrative to their advantage with vote-determining swing voters Each of these needs to be dealt with quickly, forcefully, and imaginatively. The media narrative is just one of those three heads, but it needs to be cut off because it directly feeds the other two. IMAGE: Scolded puppy by AnnaliseArt from Pixabay. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. MOSCOW (AP) Russia insisted Tuesday that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting international criticism amid Western worries about a Russian troops buildup near Ukraine. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. The U.S. also aired its concern Monday, with State Department spokesman Ned Price saying this represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscows ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine. Price noted that the move "is particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop buildup in occupied Crimea and around Ukraines borders." The European Union also voiced concern about the troop buildup and the navigation restrictions. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov charged that the restrictions on foreign naval ships were in line with international agreements, arguing that its common practice to limit areas where military drills are held. He emphasized in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that the restrictions wouldnt interfere with commercial shipping. In a separate move, Russia on Tuesday also announced restrictions on flights near Crimea for five days starting Tuesday. The Russian military is holding massive Black Sea maneuvers this week, involving more than 20 warships and dozens of aircraft. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that such airspace closures are common international practice. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after the country's former Russia-friendly president was driven from power by protests. Moscow then threw its weight behind separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the conflict there has killed more than 14,000 people in seven years. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with increasing violations of a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and a massive Russian troop buildup along the Ukrainian border. Moscow has rejected Ukraine and Western concerns, arguing that it's free to deploy its forces and charging that they don't threaten anyone. Story continues But at the same time, Moscow sternly warned Ukrainian authorities against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel east, noting recent statements by Ukrainian military officers who held the door open for an offensive. The Kremlin said that Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine and lashed out at the U.S. and NATO for what he described as provocative actions in the Black Sea area. The U.S. and its NATO allies have regularly sent navy ships to the Black Sea and the U.S. flew strategic bombers over Ukraine, vexing Moscow. However, the U.S. reversed a planned deployment of two destroyers in the Black Sea earlier this month amid the heightening tensions. The Russian military has conducted a series of drills in southwestern Russia, in Crimea and other areas. On Tuesday, a pair of Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers flew over the Baltic Sea for eight hours, and the Northern Fleet conducted massive maneuvers in the Arctic, the Defense Ministry said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted Tuesday that Kyiv wasn't planning any offensive in the east. No, Ukraine is not planning any offensive, military escalation or provocations," he said at a news conference, adding that "we are making every effort for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the conflict. Kuleba charged that the Russian buildup across the border is continuing and is expected to reach a combined force of over 120,000 troops in about a week and urged the West to beef up sanctions against Moscow by targeting entire sectors of the Russian economy. On Monday, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, told reporters that there are "more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea, and doubled down on the figure later before his services had to correct it in the transcript, saying the real figure was over 100,000. Recent satellite images showed hundreds of Russian military vehicles stationed at multiple bases, firing ranges and field camps along the border with Ukraine and dozens of warplanes parked at air bases in southwestern Russia and Crimea. ___ Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. In extraordinary remarks at an April 12 press conference in Colombo, Sri Lankas state minister of transport, Dilum Amunugama, declared: If the public are blaming the government for its lack of progress then they do so because the people voted [President] Gotabhaya Rajapakse into power expecting him to play the part of the dictator and get things done. Screenshot from video of State Minister Dilum Amunugama (YouTube) Amunugama said Buddhist monks also wanted Rajapakse to act like Hitler. If he is pushed to become like Hitler through the action of various groups, if he will turn to Hitler, then no one will blame him. Everything will be fine. Significantly, Rajapakse did not distance himself from his state ministers sinister remarks. Government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella attempted to gloss over the comments, saying they were just Amunugamas personal opinion, not the governments collective stance. The Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler, was brought to power in 1933 by the German imperialism amid a profound economic and social crisis. Having been assisted to power by the disastrous policies of the Soviet Stalinist regime, the Nazis crushed the working class and smashed its organisations, carried out the systematic murder of six million Jews and other minorities, and paved way for the catastrophic World War II between Germany and the other imperialist powers. Sri Lanka is not an imperialist country. However, Amunugamas statements urging Rajapakse to become a Hitler are part of a campaign by sections of the ruling elite for a ruthless presidential dictatorship amid a deepening political crisis intensified by the global pandemic. Amunugamas claim that 6.9 million people voted for Rajapakse because they wanted him to act like a dictator is utterly false. Lacking any alternative, many voted for him to express their opposition to the previous national unity government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, which implemented hash austerity measures dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Rajapakse and his Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) exploited this opposition by making phony promises to improve living conditions. In the same breath, he pledged to the ruling class to establish a stable and strong government. He rallied Sinhala extremist groups, the Buddhist clergy and sections of military by whipping up anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim chauvinism and promoting Sinhala Buddhist supremacism. It is these extreme right-wing, chauvinist layers for whom Amunugama is speaking. At a ceremony for Rajapakses 69th birthday in June 2018, Vendaruvey Upali, a chief prelate of one of the prominent Buddhist sects, advised him: If they call you a Hitler, then be a Hitler and build the country. Far from condemning Vendaruvey Upali, Rajapakse denounced those who criticised the prelate for his comments. After coming to power, Rajapakse rapidly began to install former and serving senior military officers in key administrative positions, including retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne as defence secretary. Using the pandemic as a pretext, he accelerated the militarisation, appointing two dozen or more officers to top posts. Last November, parliament passed the 20th amendment to the constitution, giving autocratic powers to the executive president, including to appoint senior state officials and judges, to dissolve parliament and impose emergency bills. These powers go beyond even the anti-democratic 1978 constitution. The push for dictatorial measures takes place amid fear in ruling circles of a mounting crisis. The Sunday Times political columnist wrote on April 11 that the government, now 17 months in office, is plunging catastrophically from one crisis to another The economy received a devastating blow from COVID-19. Businesses, both big and small, were hit triggering large-scale unemployment. The bigger ones received relief packages and not the others The column noted the emergence of mass anti-government opposition over the skyrocketing price of essentials, the shortage of vaccines, rampant corruption and environment destruction. It made no mention of the main factor intensifying the governments crisisthe eruption of class struggles as part of a global upsurge of the working class amid the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2018, the previous Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government confronted a growing movement of the working class against its austerity measures. Now working-class struggles are re-emerging. During the first two weeks of April, thousands of state sector employees, including in education, health, water, electricity and the banks, held one-day strikes or demonstrations demanding higher salaries and better conditions. In response, the Rajapakse regime is intensifying its anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim campaign to divide the opposition. On Friday, the police arrested five Tamil youth, accusing them of seeking to revive terrorismthat is, the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that was militarily defeated in May 2009. Several Muslim leaders have been arrested under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act. Rajapakse has introduced into parliament the recommendations of the presidential commission on political victimisation. If passed, many of those in the ruling party who have been convicted or face court cases will go scot-free. At the same time, those who made complaints against the so-called victimised persons, including political opponents, will face charges. Last week, the justice minister told Aruna that he would soon submit a cabinet paper on sweeping new censorship laws to curb false news, including related to national security, public health, law and order, state finance and relations with other countries. Also banned will be any false news allegedly aimed at undermining confidence in the governments actions. Amunugamas remarks are a warning that the ruling class is pushing for dramatically increased dictatorial measures to crush opposition, particularly in the working class. This is part of the promotion of extreme-right forces internationally, including the fascistic Alternative for Germany party and neo-Nazi groups in Germany. In the US, the centre of world capitalism, former President Donald Trump instigated a fascist coup on January 6 in a bid to prevent the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. Weve had outstanding results with QWO and have seen the onset of cellulite greatly decrease with as little as three treatment session," comments Founding Partner, Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS. K&B Management, a Charlotte-based aesthetics consulting firm, announced that it has successfully attained above-average results with QWO, a first and only FDA-approved cellulite treatment injectable used to treat moderate to severe cellulite in the buttocks of adult women. The practice is one of the first to introduce the non-surgical cellulite treatment to its patients and will continue to use this as a viable treatment option moving forward. QWO, also known as collagenase clostridium, histolyticum-aaes, addresses a primary structural cause of cellulite by targeting the fibrous septae. Made from collagenases enzymes, the non-surgical, prescription injectable treatment works by releasing fibrous bands, redistributing fat cells, and stimulating the growth of new collagen. K&B Management is constantly reviewing new and innovative treatment options that can elevate the quality of aesthetics treatment for our patients, comments Founding Partner, Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS. Weve had outstanding results with QWO and have seen the onset of cellulite greatly decrease with as little as three treatment sessions. The main causes of cellulite and its infamous dimples include the thinning of the skin, the accumulation of fat cells that push up against the skin, and the interaction between the fibrous connective cords and the underlying muscle. Cellulite can be a stubborn problem to treat that requires numerous, repeated office visits and a mix of treatment procedures over time. QWO injections are quick and require no long recovery time, with results seen as quickly as three treatment sessions over the course of two months. We are excited that K&B Management is one of the first to offer QWO and have found that our patients have greatly benefited from the treatments, says Co-Owner and Managing Partner, Dr. Bill Kortesis MD, FACS. As always, we remain committed to ensuring our patients receive the best care and options available in the industry. K&B Management strives to provide innovative, high quality treatment options to patients and its partnering aesthetic practices. The introduction and adoption of QWO is yet another one of K&B Managements investments in quality aesthetic treatment options. ### K&B Management K&B Management, founded in 2019 by renowned plastic surgeons, Dr. Bill Kortesis MD, FACS and Dr. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS, offers strategic growth and consulting services to practices and providers in the medical aesthetic space. Charlotte-based with a national reach, K&B Management aims to facilitate the highest standard of aesthetic medicine by bridging the gap between providers and the industry. Through K&B Managements innovative, tactical approach, each provider has the means to thrive and deliver optimal patient experiences. Bill Kortesis MD, FACS Dr. Bill Kortesis is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and board-certified plastic surgeon who aims to foster and spearhead the next generation of aesthetic medicine. Dr. Kortesis has made huge milestones in the future of aesthetic medicine through the investment of innovative technologies and the training of future plastic surgeons in the highest level of surgical technique. As Co-Owner and Managing Partner of H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, and Co-Founder of K&B Management, Dr. Kortesis passionately believes in the important of utilizing digital means to provide optimal patient care while producing excellent results in the aesthetic space. Gaurav Bharti MD, FACS Dr. Gaurav Bharti is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has been recognized by American Airlines magazine as one of the Best Plastic Surgeons of America and a Castle Connolly Top Doctor. Dr. Bharti is highly focused on furthering the medical aesthetics industry through innovative concepts to improve patient outcomes and contributing to cutting-edge advancements. As a fellow mentor to the next generation of aesthetic surgeons, he has continued to contribute his expertise and continued education as an influential speaker in the industry. Based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Bharti practices at H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, where he also acts as Co-Owner and Managing Partner. Additionally, he also serves as Co-Founder of practice growth consulting firm, K&B Management. [April 20, 2021] Australian property tech platform Archistar raises $6M after record year of growth SINGAPORE, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Australian property intelligence platform Archistar has secured $6 million in funding to support the rapid growth of Archistar's expert teams and key partnerships internationally. The funding round was led by Skip Capital , a private investment fund that focuses on high growth technology companies and VC fund AirTree Ventures . AirTree doubled down on their investment as an existing shareholder of Archistar having led the company's Series A round in March last year. Since launching in 2018, Archistar has doubled revenue year on year and has won significant contracts with state governments. Archistar works with the Victorian government to demonstrate how planning approvals could be automated, and is adopted by the NSW Government to run simulations on housing forecast models. Archistar is used by many of Australia's leading property developers, including Stockland, Frasers and Simonds Homes. Founded by Dr. Benjamin Coorey, an Architect with a PhD in 3D generative building design, Archistar combines architectural design with artificial intelligence to inform decision-making in property. Used by Government, architects, planners, developers and agents, the software platform gives instant information on the highest and best use residential and commercial projects allowable on any development site in Australia based on local planning and zoning rules. It allows professionals to create and assess hundreds of compliant 3D generative designs, exploring features like height restrictions, xposure to sunlight and ventilation. Dr. Benjamin Coorey said the investment would help further accelerate the company's expansion across key markets in the UK and US, whilst continuing to develop the groundbreaking eComply automatic development assessment technology. "Our vision has always been to transform the way cities are designed, assessed and built, and we're pleased to say that we are achieving this as more property professionals and governments are increasingly embracing our digital tools. Our highly scalable, world-first technology, is transforming the efficiency of every step in the property development journey for our partners," said Dr Coorey. "We've experienced incredible growth in the last twelve months, and with this additional funding, we anticipate that even more milestones will be hit in overseas markets. We're excited to see where this next growth chapter takes us," he added. Skip Capital founder Kim Jackson said she saw the investment as a great opportunity to invest in a company disrupting the property industry. "We are excited to work with Archistar. They are a phenomenal and passionate team, driven by the vision to simplify property development and design. Their innovative solutions have the power to transform the entire property industry globally. The team has created a central hub for property data, which is helping property professionals to more easily find sites matched to their needs. On top of this, Archistar is innovating with 3D generative design, and we believe the partnership with the Victoria State government to demonstrate how planning approval processes could be automated in certain geographies is extremely exciting, and a sign of the future," said Ms Jackson. Craig Blair, Co-founder and Partner at AirTree and Archistar board member said Archistar was already changing the future of design. "It's been exciting to see Archistar continue Australia's proud tradition of world leading innovation in property and development. Ben and his team are reimagining the design, planning and approval process using Machine learning and we are thrilled to double down on our investment to support the next chapter of growth," said Mr. Blair. Archistar Chairman Prabhat Sethi said: "We're delighted to welcome yet another banner investor, in Skip Capital, to the register. This investment will underpin Archistar's expansion into the United States and United Kingdom, where the company will combine highly scalable, world-first technology with key partnerships to continue its rapid customer growth." Archistar has the most comprehensive planning rule database in Australia, offering an end-to-end solution for planning, design, feasibility and compliance in the one platform. The company continues to gain traction in the government sector and with leading home builders. Notable partners include the NSW Government, Victorian Government, Aurecon, Jacobs, Domain.com.au, Frasers, Stockland, Simonds Homes, and JLL. About Archistar: Founded by Dr. Benjamin Coorey, a global expert in 3D generative design, Archistar is the world's leading digital platform for the Property Industry. The platform combines architectural design with artificial intelligence to inform decision-making in property and is used by agents, developers, architects, government planners and homeowners nationwide. SOURCE Archistar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Viewers of Lucy the Human Chimp were left 'in floods of tears' last night after watching a couple try to 'raise' an ape as their daughter - and praised the 'selfless' woman who tried to help the animal adapt to the wild. The Channel 4 documentary, which aired last night, followed Jane Temerlin and her late husband Maurice, a psychotherapist and professor at the University of Oklahoma, who adopted a two-day-old chimp from a zoo in Florida when she was just two days old and gave her 'every human comfort'. But when she reached puberty, they took her to Gambia, where she spent the last decade of her life: one of the couple's students, Janis Carter ended up living in the remote rainforest with Lucy for six years, trying to encourage her to forage and mix with the other chimpanzees. Viewers were left sobbing after watching the programme, and praised Janis for trying to help the animal adapt to her natural surroundings. One said: 'Balling my eyes out watching #LucyTheHumanChimp. That woman never turned her back on her.' Viewers of Lucy the Human Chimp were left 'in floods of tears' last night after watching a couple try to 'raise' an ape as their daughter - and praised the 'selfless' woman who tried to help the animal adapt to the wild (pictured, Lucy with Janis Carter, who tried to help her adapt to the wild) Jane Temerlin and her late husband Maurice, a psychotherapist and professor at the University of Oklahoma adopted the chimp from a zoo in Florida when she was just two days old and gave her 'every human comfort' Another wrote: 'What a woman Janis is! This programme highlights how messed up humans are and the damage we cause on nature. Utterly devastating.' The heart-breaking experiment began two days after Lucy was born on January 18, 1964. 'She was born at a roadside zoo in Florida,' Maurice said at the time. 'Jane went to collect her when she was only two days old.' 'The mother was fed with some coca cola spiked with a strong tranquiliser and when she fell into a deep sleep, the baby was taken from her arms, and handed to Jane, who names her Lucy. 'They flew home on a commercial airline and covered her by a blanket, Lucy slept the whole way on Jane's shoulder and once Lucy got home, our scientific adventure began.' Janis spent over six years living on a remote island in Africa desperately trying to help Lucy adapt to life in the wild During the 1960s, Lucy became almost as famous as the Beatles, as the story of her upbringing emerged she even appearing in Life magazine. 'Raising Lucy, we've given her every human comfort possible,' added Maurice, who died in 1988. The couple raised her 'as their daughter' and acted as though they were 'a family of three', with Maurice explaining: 'After eight hours sleep on a king-size mattress, she'll have breakfast of coffee, oat meal with raisins and a glass of orange tang. 'In the evenings, she'll sit around studying herself with her favourite mirror, and occasionally fix herself a gin and tonic, squeezing the lime with her teeth.' Maurice and Jane raised the chimp 'as their daughter' and acted as though they were 'a family of three' (pictured, on Lucy's birthday) However, by the time Lucy reached puberty her behaviour became unpredictable and the couple decided to release her into the wild. Janis said: 'They were in a predicament of their own making...at the time, I don't think anyone knew the downside of it. I know they didn't.' The couple searched for a new home for the ape in America. They travelled to the Abuko nature reserve in Gambia, with Janis, a 26-year-old graduate student at the university, who had bonded with Lucy while working as one of her carers. During the 1960s, Lucy (seen with Janis) became almost as famous as the Beatles, as the story of her upbringing emerged she even appearing in Life magazine. 'I think Lucy recognised that there were chimps and that chimps were a different category, but I don't think she put herself in that other category, she saw herself as a human,' said Janis, 70, who still lives in Gambia. At Abuko, the couple hoped Lucy could learn the basics of wild survival before being released into a remote jungle. Janis revealed the plan was that she would spend one week in the country after the couple left. Jane said: 'Nobody had taken a chimp who had been born in the States and taken it back to the wild. Particularly one who had been deprived of growing up with chimpanzees. The couple trained Lucy to sleep on a king-size mattress, drink breakfast of coffee, oat meal with raisins and a glass of orange tang, and even fish 'The hope was that she would be free, and part of the chimp community and bond with them. But many steps and hazards between the idea and the reality of that.' After two weeks, it was time for the Temerlins to return to the US, leaving Lucy behind, with Janis explaining: 'We were saying goodbye to our daughter, she was an intimate part of our lives for over a decade. A long time.' Janis said the reality was far from the freedom Maurice and Jane had hoped of: 'Lucy had a million physical reasons to be depressed and then she had a whopping emotional one of what in the world am I doing here? Where is Maurice and Jane? I had no way to explain that to Lucy. 'Why act like life was great? It wasn't for her. She didn't have any friends, she was clearly dependent on me.' The couple treated Lucy as though she was 'their daughter' during the decade of time they spent with her 'She lost tremendous amounts of weight, mostly because of parasites and started to loose patches of hair.' 'I think a lot of it had to do with the unfamiliarity of the food and the climate. She was just like barely hanging on.' She explained: 'I set my last extension to three months...after that, I really had to get moving with my own life plans because I had an assistant role, I was teaching, I had a dog, I had a boyfriend. 'Not long after that finances became an issue and I moved from the hotel into a tree house in the reserve.' However, by the time Lucy reached puberty her behaviour became unpredictable and the couple decided to release her into the wild But instead of returning to the States as planned, Janis stayed in the tree house. She said: 'The strong point was, I'd be 100 metres from Lucy and I'd go back and forth with great ease.' Janis started a programme to help Lucy and some other chimpanzees to adapt to their life in the wild. Janis said she became a 'focal point of social contact' with Lucy, and vis versa, saying: 'There was no chimpanzee and human, and it was just Janis and Lucy.' Janis, one of the couple's students, travelled with the couple to Africa and ended up staying with Lucy to try to encourage her to forage and mix with the other chimpanzees Jane confessed she 'pleaded with Janis to come back' but said: 'She was steadfast. She wouldn't do it.' Janis said she 'wasn't even aware of the depth of her feeling for Lucy' until she had to face the decision to stay in Africa or leave her behind. After 18 months, Janis moved with Lucy and some other chimpanzees to a remote and uninhabited island, a jungle island in the River Gambia National Park, where she lived in a cage constructed by the British Army. She said: 'In the beginning I had a bed, a gas burner and a mosquito net. I would just take water from the river and the dirt would settle to the bottom and that's what I would drink.' Janis revealed the plan was that she would spend one week in the country after the couple left, but ended up staying with the monkey for years Janis said it was 'emotionally difficult' and it could be six months before she received letters from other people. Jane said: 'Waiting for every letter from her, "What's going to be next, is Lucy going to be hurt or sick, is Janis going to be overwhelmed". I worried about her health and well-being every day.' Still Lucy struggled to adapt, refusing to forage or socialise with the other chimps. Janis said it went 'on and on and on', for months as she desperately tried to encourage Lucy to adapt life in the wild. Finally, Janis lost her temper, saying: 'I expressed exasperation like I had never expressed it before. I don't know if I was passed out or I actually went to sleep but when I woke up, the world had changed. She was eating leaves.' Instead of coming back to the US after dropping Lucy off in Africa, Janis moved into a tree house in the reserve and tried to help the chimps Even though Lucy's foraging skills were improving, she couldn't connect with the chimps and 'wanted all her social skills' met by Janis. Lucy still refused to interact with the other chimps. 'I had to withdraw for her to feel empty to the point she would look to someone else to fulfil those needs,' said Janis. 'I knew how it was impacting on Lucy, that she was feeling ignored and left out, and forgotten and unloved. 'But if I gave in, she wouldn't have been able to realise what we all had hoped she would, which was to be independent, free and have choice.' Janis said it was 'emotionally difficult' and it could be six months before she received letters from other people Janis said the longer time she spent on the island, the less she wanted to leave, calling it a 'paradise' that she had been 'lucky' to lead. She explained: 'I tried to keep a balance with the life on the island and the life on the outside world. But it was very difficult.' She said she felt she became 'unbalanced' because there was 'no way' to be immersed in the world with the chimps and also be immersed in a human world, saying: 'I couldn't live in both worlds. I just gradually drifted away from family and friends. I stopped writing and stopped receiving letters as well.' She added: 'I don't remember being lonely. I sometimes felt like I had too much human stimuli from the chimps.' Even though Lucy's foraging skills were improving, she couldn't connect with the chimps and 'wanted all her social skills' met by Janis But finally, in 1985, after six years and three months on the island, it was time to leave: Janis no longer felt safe after she was attacked by a male chimp. She recalled being charged at, before the monkey 'grabbed her leg' and she was 'dragged through a thorne bush, where her body was caught.' Janis had a 'hard time adjusting' to life back with other humans, with Jane saying: 'It was incredibly stressful for her.' After a year away, she returned for an emotional reunion with Lucy. But finally, in 1985, after six years and three months on the island, Janis was attacked by a male chimp in the group and had to leave 'I took some of her human objects that had been so important to her before,' she said. 'She picked them up, looked at them and put them back down again. 'Nothing that had been important to her before - that mirror was just her very favourite object - it meant nothing. 'After that, we groomed each other and talked a little bit, and then she suddenly without really any indication, grabbed me and just pulled me really tight. 'It was very intense, it was not like any other embrace we had had. It signified the life that we had shared together.' Tragically, Lucy's remains were found on the island shortly after Janis' departure. There was no indication of a cause of death. Tragically the following year Lucy's remains were found on the island. There was no indication of a cause of death. Jane said she had been 'waiting' to hear of her surrogate daughter's death, explaining: 'I was always just waiting. When were we going to get the call? And it was a very, very difficult thing to hear. 'It was a terrible loss for all of us.' Meanwhile she said she was 'grateful' for the life Janis was able to give Lucy in the wild, with Jane explaining: 'I was so grateful to Janis for giving Lucy this chance after her time with us. Many of those watching the emotional documentary were left in floods of tears and praised Janis for her commitment to the chimp 'She had some really good years and she had freedom and she wasn't in a cage. 'She was protected; she was loved; she had Janis; but I wouldn't take a chimp from chimpanzee mother again.' Many of those watching the emotional documentary were left in floods of tears, with one commenting: 'Incredibly emotional viewing. Hats off to Janis for dedicating her life for all those years to keep Lucy safe after that vile couple abandoned her. Animals belong in the wild with their own species, not in cativity.' Another wrote: 'Got to credit Janis...devoted her life to Lucy...I reckon Janis needed Lucy just as much as Lucy needed her. That couple ruined her life.' This week in Christian history: Spiritual writers born-again experience, Richard Mather dies Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance. Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births, notable deaths and everything in between. Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while other happenings might be previously unknown by most people. The following pages highlight events that happened this week April 18 through April 24 in Christian history. They include the birth of a prominent British Christian philanthropist, the conversion of an influential 19th century theology student, and the death of the father of Puritan minister Increase Mather. Angela Burdett born April 21, 1814 This week marks the anniversary of when Angela Burdett, a prominent wealthy Christian woman known for her charitable donations, was born in London, England. Born into wealth and eventually attaining the title of baroness, Burdett was known for her extensive giving to projects aimed at elevating the poor and advancing the Church of England. Burdett saw her sudden wealth as a God-sent opportunity for doing good. Deeply religious, she was strongly attached to the Church of England, and many of her charities were connected with it, noted the Christian History Institute. Among her proposals were the erection of churches in England and endowment of new dioceses in Britains colonies. Burdett would die of bronchitis in 1906 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, with King Edward VII having reportedly said that she was after my mother, the most remarkable woman in the kingdom. James Brainerd Taylor converts April 23, 1822 This week marks the anniversary of when James Brainerd Taylor, a native of Connecticut whose spiritual writings influenced the faith walks of others, had a born-again experience. A theology student who died before age 30 due to chronic illness, Taylor was active in religious revivals in New Jersey and helped to found a local Bible society, as well as a Sunday School for African Americans. Six years after first declaring his conversion to Christianity as a teenager living in New York, Taylor had what was described as a second conversion while in college. This experience had a very strong bearing on Taylor's religious character and his whole future conduct and was joyfully remembered and referred to by Taylor months and years after its occurrence, explained Uncommon Christian Ministries. This intensely dramatic, second conversion experience later attracted the attention of Charles Finney and many other nineteenth-century advocates of the various forms of the Arminian/Wesleyan holiness theology. Richard Mather dies April 22, 1669 This week marks the anniversary of when Richard Mather, the father of Puritan minister Increase Mather and the grandfather of Cotton Mather, died in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony. A native of Lowton, Lancashire, England, Mather migrated to the English colony of Massachusetts and became a prominent minister, teacher, and writer in Dorchester. Richards most respected work is his summation of principles as adopted at the Cambridge Synod of 1648 and considered to be the clearest statement of Puritan Congregationalism, noted Britannica. He is remembered for his part, with other ministers, in the literal translation of the Psalms for the Bay Psalm Book (1640), which were set to already accepted tunes; in his preface to that work, Richard excused the terrible results by explaining that the editors would not take poeticall licence to depart from the true and proper sence of Davids words. Tennessee House Republicans on Monday approved legislation requiring women or medical providers to cremate or bury fetal remains from surgical abortions despite objections from Democrats, including one who charged her GOP colleagues were using your legislative powers to bring trauma upon women. House Bill 1181 passed on a 69-22 vote, sending the measure on to the Republican-led Senate, which is expected to pass it. At least 10 other states have similar laws, and proponents said such laws have withstood federal court scrutiny. The bills sponsor, Rep. Tim Rudd, R- Murfreesboro, said that family pets are accorded greater respect in death than aborted fetuses. Were not denying anybodys choices, Rudd said. These are children who are abandoned I think its time we talk about the dignity of this unborn child. Rep. London Lamar, a Memphis Democrat whose pregnancy ended last year in a miscarriage, called Rudds bill one of the most offensive pieces of legislation Ive heard this year, adding it could potentially impact women whove been raped, whove been pregnant and youre pushing them to bury or cremate that? Rep. Robin Smith, R- Hixson, defended the measure. She noted that as a former heart transplant nurse, I can tell you the difference between medical waste and a pre-born child. Its very much different. Smith described transporting deceased adults to the same morgue with the aborted babies. Its not fetal tissue, its dismembered children. The bill also requires aborted fetuses be stitched together, which witnesses said in prior committee testimony is already done to ensure all portions of the fetus are removed from the womb during the abortion. Women would be given a choice of having the remains buried or cremated. Rudd said abortion providers already will pay for that but noted there are private groups that will pay for a funeral. In response to questions raised by House Democratic Caucus Chair Vincent Dixie, a Nashville lawmaker, Republicans acknowledged that a woman who wished to donate the remains to medical science would not be allowed if the procedure was done in an abortion clinic. If the procedure occurred in a hospital setting, such donations could still be made. Rudd also said the bill would allow law enforcement officials if they have a warrant to direct the tissue be preserved in case of criminal investigation. Rep. Gloria Johnson, D- Knoxville, chided Rudd and other Republicans, saying you talk a lot about the dignity of the fetus, and thats important. But what about the dignity of the women their dignity, their choice is being taken away as folks continue to chip away at control of their bodies. The Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Janice Bowling, R- Tullahoma, was scheduled to be considered Monday night but was delayed, apparently to give Rudd the opportunity to move first. Bowlings measure, Senate Bill 828, is scheduled for Senate floor debate on Wednesday. Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-2555-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1. ___ (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. OAKLAND, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Zesty.ai today announced new findings on the efficacy of the company's Z-FIRE model, which was used as the focus of a recent research paper by Sheri Scott, a principal with Milliman, a leading global actuarial consulting firm. The new white paper, the second in their research series 'Understanding Wildfire Risk in California', studied the efficacy of Zesty.ai's Z-FIRE model for assessing risk to homes covered by the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan, which as the state's insurer of last resort insures the properties in California which are most vulnerable to wildfire. This ongoing research was done independently and was not commissioned by Zesty.ai or the FAIR Plan. The intention of the research was not to endorse any one model or product. The paper found Z-FIRE to deliver a significant lift in risk prediction. The lift is a measure of the predictive power of the Zesty.ai model to differentiate the best from the worst risks and improve the FAIR Plan's ability to price wildfire risk. "We firmly believe that next generation AI-based climate risk models like Z-FIRE that incorporate unique property level characteristics are central to accurately assessing the climate risk of each property. Such individualized risk assessment provides insurers, asset managers, consumers, businesses and government all the data to efficiently insure and mitigate the impacts of catastrophic events.," said Kumar Dhuvur, Founder and Head of Product at Zesty.ai. "Z-FIRE allows carriers to confidently offer risk-adjusted premiums to properties they would previously consider uninsurable, which gets us closer to achieving an equitable and resilient insurance market for all." Z-FIRE has been trained on more than 1200 wildfire events across 20+ years of wildfire history whereas traditional models take only limited risk factors into account and do not make use of historical loss data. Through machine learning and the use of modern satellite technology, Zesty.ai accounts for the property-level factors that contribute to wildfire risk which produces insights with 10,000 times higher resolution than the simple statistical models currently used by the industry. Data on building materials, topography, historical weather data, and critically, factors extracted from aerial imagery like vegetation which can be affected by mitigation efforts contribute to the model's modern view of property risk. Z- FIRE combines these details to derive a predictive risk score. To access the full white paper please visit https://www.milliman.com/en/insight/Understanding-California-wildfire-risk-part-two-Zesty-ai- risk-score-model and for more information on Z-FIRE and Zesty.ai's other climate risk models please visit www.zesty.ai. About Us Increasingly frequent natural disasters have impacted communities and drove $2.2 Trillion in economic losses over the past decade. Zesty.ai uses 200Bn data points, including aerial imagery, and artificial intelligence to assess the impact of climate change one building at a time. Zesty.ai has partnered with leading insurance companies and property owners to help them protect homes, businesses and support thriving communities. Zesty.ai was named Top 100 Most Innovative AI Company in the world by CB Insights in 2020, and Gartner Cool Vendor in Insurance by Gartner Research in 2019. For more information visit: https://zesty.ai Contacts: Abby Schiller Work: 216-870-1835 abby@clarity.pr Links http://zesty.ai https://www.milliman.com/en/insight/Understanding-California-wildfire-risk-part-two-Zesty-ai-risk-score-model SOURCE: Zesty.ai View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641300/Zestyais-Z-FIRETM-Offers-Significant-Predictive-Power-to-The-California-FAIR-Plan-to-Assess-Wildfire-Risk Libyas National Oil Corporation has declared force majeure on the port of Hariga due to lack of funds for infrastructure repairs, pushing the countrys crude oil production below 1 million bpd for the first time in months as NOC was forced to suspend production at several fields. The company blamed the shortage of funds on Libyas central bank. While the National Oil Corporation understands the motives of the suspension which is outside the control of the company and seeks an excuse for the government of National Unity due to the delay in approving the budget for the year 2021, it places full legal responsibility on the Central Bank of Libya, which refused to liquidate the financial arrangements approved in accordance with the decision of the former Government of National Accord, NOC said in a statement. NOC went on to blame the central bank for acting as the indirect cause of problems including reservoir and transmission line collapse, reservoir pollution, and well suspension, all because it had not provided the necessary funds for maintenance to the state oil company. Libya began ramping up its crude oil production last September after the lifting of an eight-month blockade of the oil ports. Since then, it has managed to bring it from below 100,000 bpd to over 1.2 million bpd to the surprise and probably chagrin of its fellow OPEC members. However, the stability of this production rate has always been doubtful due to the many financial and political problems plaguing the home of Africas largest oil reserves. NOC has been vocal in its criticism of the former government in its attitude to financing the oil industry, and while it may be more understanding to the new government, the fact remains that it needs money to continue producing oil. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future published a Half Cooked Research Report on Global Reactive Dyes Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023. Reactive Dyes Market Overview Reactive Dyes belongs to a class of organic compounds which is predominantly used for tinting textiles. Reactive dyes possess excellent property in the formation of covalent bonds with the substrate that is to be colored, moreover these form chemical bind with fiber, which is the main component of cotton fibers. These are majorly utilized in end use application such as nylon, cotton, wool, leather, and silk. The Reactive Dyes market is estimated to grow tremendously and register a strong growth during the forecast period. Growth of global Reactive Dyes market is predominantly driven by textile and leather industry. Furthermore, textile industry is expected to witness considerable growth on account of various factors such as increasing population, rising disposable income, and changing consumer trends. Textile industry is among the largest application segment for dyes and dyestuff and is predicted to offer a progressive scope for the reactive dye market over the assessment period. Additionally, constantly changing fashion trend along with the rising popularity of various clothing brands is estimated to drive textile industry, which in turn, is predicted to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. Apart from this, stringent regulations imposed by various government agencies in the use of synthetic based reactive dyes can hinder the growth of the market over the assessment period. Geographically, Asia Pacific emerged as the leading market for reactive dyes followed by North America and Europe in 2016. The Asia Pacific region provide huge growth potential for reactive dyes and is predicted to register highest CAGR on account of continuous growth of textile, paper, and leather industry specifically in China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Moreover, end use industrial growth in various countries of Asia Pacific such as South Korea, India, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Furthermore, increasing investment by major companies and shifting of manufacturing facilities as well as end use industries expansion in this region is predicted to propel the reactive dyes regional market growth. North American market is expected to witness substantial growth due to expansion of textile sector. Europe is estimated to witness moderate growth owing to the significant growth of leather and textile industries. Moreover, stringent regulations imposed by various regulatory bodies in Europe and North America is expected to slightly hamper market growth. Key Players: Huntsman International LLC., BASF SE, NIPPON KAYAKU CO. LTD., Sumika Chemtex Co., Ltd., Archroma, Colourtex, Kiri Industries Ltd., IM Dye Chem, Roop dyes and Intermediates, Kevin India Co. among others are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Reactive Dyes Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Access Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/reactive-dyes-market-3870 Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: November 2016- Huntsman Corporation signed an agreement for strategic partnership with Jihua Group, a China based company. With this agreement, textile division of Huntsman Corporation and Jihua Group will cooperate to meet the increasing demand for dye and dye intermediates for Chinas textile sector. The strategic partnership will strengthen the groups capabilities of serving customers in China and further speedily expand their business across the globe. July 2016- Bodal Chemicals, one of the leading producer of dyes intermediate and dyestuff based at Ahmedabad, plan to expand its dyestuff manufacturing at its Vadodara facility. The company will expand its business in two phases. In first phase the company will expand dyestuff production capacity by 8000 MTPA and in second phase the company will increase production capacity from 17000 MTPA to 25000 MTPA. With this expansion the company strengthen its position in dye intermediate market. September 2015- Shree Pushkar Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd planned to set up reactive dye manufacturing unit with an annual capacity of 3000 tonnes. As with increase in dye manufacturing demand, company will expand its dyes intermediate capacity of H acid by 750 tonnes and vinyl sulphone by 1000 toness. With this expansion in manufacturing unit, company strengthen its position in global market. Competitive Landscape The Reactive Dyes report analyses the degree of competition among the market players as well as industry growth and market scenario. The global reactive dyes market consist of various players operating in the market including large scale and medium size manufacturers. This industry is concentrating towards growth association specifically by Asia Pacific as medium scale and key operating players are from this region specifically from China, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, and India. Furthermore, reactive dyes manufacturers from Europe and North America are planning to expand their manufacturing base to Asia Pacific region in order to meet the demand for reactive dyes in this region. In addition to this, manufacturers operating in this region are expanding their production capacity in order to strengthen their position and to meet the demand for increasing textile sector. Moreover, the market is rising with a substantial growth rate which raises the competitive rivalry among the industry players. Human rights activists from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have published an annual press freedom index, in which Ukraine ranked 97th, Deutsche Welle reports. As noted in the message, Ukraine has dropped in this rating compared to last year by one position. With reference to the Ukrainian Institute of Mass Information (IMI), RSF reports more than 170 incidents of violence against media workers in 2020. In general, the situation in Ukraine is characterized in the human rights organization as "problematic", which is the average of five possible assessments. The organization's website reports that the deterioration of the situation with freedom of the press in Ukraine, as in many other countries, was significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, RSF says that in the Ukrainian case, it is not about the consequences of the government's offensive on freedom of speech, but about "the growth of social tension and the expression of hostility to the media", which were fueled by the spread of the coronavirus and anti-epidemic measures. Human rights activists note that in Ukraine journalists were attacked by "irritated local businessmen and passers-by." The World Press Freedom Index 2021 ranking report was released on Tuesday, April 20, the message said. IronRidge is also working up a highly attractive gold project in Cote D'Ivoire ( ) reported additional high-grade lithium pegmatite drill intersections, including multiple drill intersections over 2% lithium oxide, at new targets adjacent to the Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana. IronRidge has already defined a JORC compliant mineral resource estimate of 14.5mln tonnes at 1.31% lithium oxide (Li2O) in the inferred and indicated categories. Among the highlights from the recent drill results were 18 metres at 2.24% Li2O, and 17 metres at 1.5% Li2O. The company returned multiple drill intersections grading over 2% Li2O from new targets tested. Notable among the results was a flat-lying sill structure at the Anokyi South target, where a true width between five and 12 metres was identified over 230 metre by 130 metre area. This remains open at depth and to the north-west. The highest reported grade to date has been 4.24% Li2O over one metre. Drilling remains ongoing. "We are excited to have defined a new mineralised structure at the Anokyi South target where a flat-lying five-to-12 metre thick pegmatite sill with consistent grades over 2% Li2O has been intersected in multiple holes and remains open down dip and along strike to the north-west, said Vincent Mascolo, chief executive of IronRidge. "Targeting a plus 10-year mine life, it is estimated that every additional year of production will add around US$40mln in NPV per annum on a scoping study that has defined a Post-tax NPV8 of US$345mln over an eight-year life of mine. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Praesidian Capital, a leading middle market private equity firm today announced that Arun Gowda will be joining the firm as a Strategic Advisor and Operating Partner. Jason Drattell, Praesidian Founder stated: "Arun has a well-established track record in the financial services sector and has been advising and investing with Praesidian for a number of years. We are excited to have him formally join the group, emphasizing transactions in Fintech and healthcare." Arun Gowda Arun is currently the Managing Partner of Broadpeak Ventures, a private investment company that invests in high growth companies across a range of industries including financial services, technology, and health care. Previously he was a Managing Director, UBS Asset Management, O'Connor Alternatives Group, a $5bn global investment firm where he led business development for the private credit business. Prior to that, he was Managing Director of Guggenheim Fund Services, a private hedge fund investment platform backed by $1.6bn of assets from institutional investors including insurance companies and wealth managers. Mr. Gowda joined Guggenheim from senior positions in structured hedge fund products and derivatives at UBS Investment Bank, London and Morgan Stanley. He began his career as a software development engineer for Hewlett Packard. Mr. Gowda received an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.E., summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University. About Praesidian Capital Praesidian Capital is an innovative private investment firm focused on control buyouts in lower middle market businesses. Praesidian also manages multiple private debt funds which include senior and subordinated debt investments to middle market businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Northern Europe. For more information, visit www.praesidian.com. To discuss prospective investment opportunities please contact: Tom Duffy, Partner [email protected], (212) 520-2617 Media contact: Linda Dignelli 212-520-2619 [email protected] SOURCE Praesidian Capital Photo: (Photo : Photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels) According to a poll conducted from April 12 to 16, 55 percent of American parents are interested in having their children vaccinated. In fact, some Wisconsin parents are looking forward to their children receiving their COVID-19 vaccine after receiving theirs on Friday. Pfizer's clinical trials in children aged 12 to 15 years old concluded in late March. Shots were both safe and successful. Pfizer's proposal for emergency use is now set to be reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks. Conway said that to eradicate the virus, evidence would have to be provided to all age groups at some point, but that the process should prioritize children's health and safety. Emily Gilders of Wauwatosa said the data would eventually determine whether or not she will vaccinate her 5-year-old son. READ: COVID-19 Vaccine Access Expands To Ages 16 and Over in NY Moderna is currently conducting clinical trials of children aged 12 to 17. Clinical trials at Johnson & Johnson have been halted as the company investigates unusual blood clot findings. Thousands of parents in the United States volunteered to have their children participate in new Pfizer (PFE.N) trials with BioNTech or Moderna, the first companies to make progress toward creating a healthy COVID-19 vaccine for the country's 48 million children under the age of 12. Vaccines, according to health authorities, are critical to ending the pandemic. However, several people are worried that some adults' vaccine apprehension will be magnified when it comes to their children. Researchers leading pediatric trials for Moderna and Pfizer believe the vaccines would be just as safe and successful for children as they have been for adults. Pfizer's vaccine, which is now available in most states for people aged 16 and up, was found to function well in children aged 12 to 15, and it could be approved for that age group as soon as next month. Vaccines will be widely accessible to even younger children by early 2022, according to Moderna and Pfizer. ALSO READ: No Early Symptoms of COVID-19 in Children and Teens With MIS-C, Says Research The coronavirus has posed a low risk to children under the age of 12 Despite this, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, 284 children have died from COVID-19 since last May, accounting for around 0.06 percent of all COVID-19 deaths. During that time, 14,500 children were admitted to hospitals in 24 states, accounting for approximately 2%. According to Dr. Sean O'Leary, a pediatrics professor at the University of Colorado, vaccination will help children prevent hospitalizations, a rare allergic reaction, and long-term symptoms known as long COVID. Children already receive vaccines for illnesses like hepatitis A, which have similar or lower rates of associated mortality in children. According to Emmanuel Walter, head of Pfizer's pediatric vaccine trial at Duke University, the fact that these vaccines would have been commonly used in adults before being made available for children can reassure parents. READ MORE: An Estimated 40,000 Children Have Lost a Parent to COVID-19, Says Study Other vaccines, such as the chickenpox vaccine, were created specifically for children and administered only to them. The Pfizer vaccine has been given to over 63 million Americans, while the Moderna vaccine has been given to over 55 million. Children's trials are more active than those for teenagers because they start with relatively low doses and gradually raise them while watching for side effects. Waiting for approval rather than a EUA, according to some scientists, will add months to the timeline but allow for the collection of further safety data that could help raise public trust. The FDA did not respond to a request for comment. [April 19, 2021] Splitit Adds Three Executive Advisors Bringing Valuable Experience in Retail and Payments Splitit, a global payment technology company (ASX:SPT), announces the appointment of three senior executive advisors - Paul Rosengard, Christopher Curtin and Michael Elias - to support the Company's strategic growth ambitions. The executive advisors will help to expand Splitit's acceptance by targeting many of the world's leading retail, digital and payments brands. The executive advisors will also aid senior leadership on the Company's go-to-market strategy to accelerate the acceptance and use of Splitit, especially in North America and Europe. "We are excited to have the support of these three industry leaders who all bring strong retail relationships and deep experience across key industries to the table," said Splitit CEO Brad Paterson. "Their experience in building global brands and forming strategic partnerships will be invaluable for our growth trajectory in the short and long term." The three new senior executive advisors are: Paul Rosengard, based in New York, has extensive experience in building brands and supporting growth through sales, acquisition integration, digital transformation and marketing in all retail channels of distribution. He is currently the Executive Vice President and Head of Americas Wholesale and Licensing for True Religion Brand Jeans, leveraging his deep background in global sportswear and accessories with his more recent technology and logistics experiences. He also founded PFR Advisors serving new digital platforms, apparel companies, logistics providers and others. Prior to True Religion, he was President of Zalando's North American DTC drop-ship platform -- improving conversion rates, brand exposure, revenue, and profits. His robust fashion industry experience also includes C-suite positions with Li & Fung USA, Perry Ellis International and Randa Accessories. He is currently an adjunct professor and board member for Parsons (News - Alert) School of Design. His other philathropic non-profit board positions include the Fashion Scholarship Fund, National Father's Day/Mother's Day Council and Runway of Dreams. Christopher Curtin, based in California, brings extensive brand, marketing, and innovation experience after successfully leading transformative initiatives at three category-leading companies - Visa, Hewlett-Packard (News - Alert) and The Walt Disney Company. Most recently, Curtin spearheaded the transformation of Visa's reputation and standing. He was also the lead strategist and negotiator for many of the company's most high-profile partnerships. At Hewlett-Packard, he revitalized its digital presence driving a revenue lift of over $1 billion. Curtin held several roles at The Walt Disney (News - Alert) Company, including serving as a special advisor to the Chairman and CEO of Disney and overseeing new media for its Destination businesses. He fostered unique partnerships at Disney with Google (News - Alert) and Verizon to improve business and consumer satisfaction results. He serves on several boards, including Bloomberg Media Advisory Board, Spotify Soundboard and Georgetown University Law Center's board of advisors. Michael Elias, based in Israel, is an investor and executive with a focus on technology, revenue generation and business development. His particular experience is in extremely high-growth environments, taking disruptive technologies to market and forging strategic partnerships with Fortune 1,000 companies in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific. He is currently driving business development at Targeted.Ltd, an AI-driven cross-border investment banking platform for tech companies. He previously served as Chief Revenue Officer and EVP of Global Sales at EVRYTHNG, a leading Internet of Things platform for consumer products. He was also the Chief Business Officer at Idomoo, a native personalized video platform, driving all revenue functions, customer success and business development activities. He also has deep experience in venture capital serving as CEO of Tamir Fishman Ventures, a publicly traded V.C. firm on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Currently used by more than 2,000 e-commerce merchants in over 30 countries and shoppers in over 100 countries, Splitit invented a new way to pay, allowing consumers to use their existing credit cards to spread payments over time to manage their finances better. No applications, no fees and no hassle. About Splitit Splitit is a global payment solution provider that enables shoppers to use the credit they've earned by breaking up purchases into monthly interest-free installments using their existing credit card. Splitit enables merchants to improve conversion rates and increase average order value by giving customers an easy and fast way to pay for purchases over time without requiring additional approvals. Splitit serves many of Internet Retailer's top 500 merchants and is accepted by more than 2,000 e-commerce merchants in over 30 countries and shoppers in over 130 countries. Headquartered in New York, Splitit has an R&D center in Israel and offices in London and Australia. The company is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) under ticker code SPT. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005938/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Italy will begin accepting Russian tourists this summer as it eases coronavirus restrictions, Italian Ambassador to Moscow Pasquale Terracciano said Tuesday. Terracciano made the promise days after officials in Rome announced reopening dates for the country's schools, restaurants, swimming pools and gyms in response to anti-lockdown protests. Pasquale told reporters that Italy will definitely reopen to Russian tourists this summer. "I cant promise that it will be on June 2, but there is no doubt that the flow of tourists will resume this summer," TASS cited the Italian diplomat as saying. Italys tourism minister previously said that Rome is timing its plan to start the tourist season with Italys Republic Day, which is celebrated on June 2, the Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR) reported earlier this month. It said at least one major Russian tour operator has begun opening bookings, though Italy has not yet resumed issuing visas. It's also unclear if Russia and Italy will resume air travel with one another by the summer. Recent polling showed Italy as the top country that Russian tourists would like to visit once borders reopen, ahead of Spain and the Baltic nations on Russias western border. Tourism numbers from Russia to Italy dropped sixfold to 216,000 in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to ATOR. Italy and Russia have some of the worlds highest Covid-19 death and infection counts. Italys anticipated reopening will come on the heels of a major spy scandal that saw two Russian officials expelled this month after an Italian navy captain was caught red-handed selling secret documents. Russia is embroiled in a series of rows with the West that has resulted in sanctions and diplomatic expulsions. Lithium is a key component in electric vehicle batteries The shaking out of the tree in the worlds lithium production sector that began ten or so years ago when the world woke up to the full potential of electric vehicles and the consequent ramifications for commodities is gathering pace. Back then, the cock of the roost in what was otherwise an obscure space was SQM (NYSE:SQM), which ran an efficient enough and market-leading producing operation out of its mines in Chile, on the southern section of the lithium triangle. Now though, with the news that Australias Galaxy Resources ( ) and Orocobre Ltd ( ) are set to merge, SQM is in danger of slipping out of the top five. As it stands, the top five lithium miners in the world by market capitalisation are SQM, Mineral Resources ( ), Tianqi Lithium, Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), and the daddy of them all, Ganfeng. To a degree, this spread of companies is reflective of where lithium production is now taking place, with the four top producing countries being Australia, Chile, China and Argentina. But the current dispensation is unlikely to be long-term either. For one thing, although Australia is producing more lithium than anyone else currently, Chiles reserves are actually far larger. So it may well be that there will be a further about face in that direction, especially since Chile is no slouch when it comes to mining, unlike its South American counterpart Argentina - where it is notoriously hard to do business. But perhaps a more immediate cause of change may be the arrival and interest of bigger players. Already this month Rio Tinto has announced that pilot lithium production from tailings in California has gone well, and a decision on commercialisation is pending. Rio has another operation in the Balkans that may start producing primary lithium in due course, alongside borates, and so, at a stroke, one of the majors enters the ring. Why havent the majors already honed in on lithium in a major way, given the significance its likely to play in the global economic future? The answer to that question is partly cultural. In a similar way, until quite recently the major miners never undertook potash mining. It was regarded as a sector of its own fertilizer and the big potash companies like Mosaic were left to plough their own furrows. But all of a sudden, boom went the potash price, and all of a sudden one of the majors BHP ( )(ASX:BHP) in this case broke ranks and went on a billion dollar buying spree. Now, with lithium, Rio Tinto is dipping its toe in the water, and it may well find that the temperature is, after a long time warming up to its liking. If so, which companies or projects could come into its cross-hairs, or likewise those of other companies thinking along the same lines? As far as the London market is concerned there are a few standout candidates, most notably Bacanora ( ), European Metals Holdings (LON:EMH), and Savannah Resources ( ). These are the most advanced, although its worth noting that Bacanoras major project, Sonora, is already partially-owned by Ganfeng, while the European Metals project, Cinovec, is jointly-owned with a Czech power utility. Savannah is therefore the most unencumbered, and might offer the easiest opportunity for a clean deal to any acquisitive-minded mid-tier or major company. Also worth watching though will be the earlier-stage companies, like the privately-held , which is coming along leaps and bounds, and British Lithium, which is also privately-held. Alternatively, for investors who want to spread their risk, Cadence Minerals ( ) has exposure to both Bacanoras Sonora project and European Metals Cinovec project, as well as offering some diversification into iron ore and rare earths. Abstract Server configuration and maintenance using Linux Centos 6.3 was the main objective of this internship. Oracle virtual Box is used while configuring DHCP server, web server, mail server and other servers. Configured servers were tested in different stages and found properly running under various scenarios. The Mail server is divided into three modules i.e Server module, Client module, Email inbox module. Server accept the connection from different clients through server socket class and all the details regarding client connection establishment, sending, receiving and termination is store in the server. Client can connect to the server when server is active, each client can send and receive mails, Attachment to other clients. Get Help With Your Assignment If you need assistance with writing your assignment, our professional assignment writing service is here to help! Find out more A syslog server accepts messages and stores them to a file. The number of syslog messages generated by still increasing number of networking devices is growing very rapidly. To read all the messages generated every day by active networking devices is out of human capabilities. Working in live servers in Daffodil Online Limited added huge experiences in upcoming career. TABLE OF CONTENT CONTENTS PAGE NO Approval i Declaration ii Acknowledgement iii Abstract iv List of Figure vii-viii List of Table ix CHAPTER 1: INTRUDUCTION 1-3 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Motivation 1 1.3 Internship Objectives 1 1.4 Introduction to the Company 2 1.5 Report Layout 2 CHAPTER 2: ORGANIZATION 4-6 2.1 Introduction 4 2.2 Product and Market Situation 4 2.3 SWOT Analysis 5 2.4 Organizational Structure 6 CHAPTER 3: TASKS PROJECT AND ACTIVITIES 7-43 3.1 Daily Task and Activities 7 3.2 Events and Activities 7 3.3 Project Task and Activities 8 3.4 Challenges 43 CHAPTER 4: COMPETENCIES AND SMART PLAN 44-45 4.1 Competencies Earned 44 4.2 Smart Plan 44 4.3 Reflections 45 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND FUTURE CAREER 46 5.1 Discussion and Conclusion 46 5.2 Scope for Further Career 46 APPENDIX 47 APPENDIX A: INTERNSHIP REFLECTION 47 APPENDIX B: COMPANY DETAIL 47 References 48 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURES PAGE NO Figure 2.1: Organogram of Daffodil Online Limited. 6 Figure 3.1: Hostname Setup 13 Figure 3.2: SELINUX Disabled 13 Figure 3.3: IP Address setting 14 Figure 3.4: DNS Configuration 15 Figure 3.5: Starting process of the network system 15 Figure 3.6: Installation checking 17 Figure 3.7: Nonuser Based Configuration 18 Figure 3.8: Enable Upload and Download 19 Figure 3.9: FTP Banner and Time Setting 20 Figure 3.10: FTP Server Checking 20 Figure 3.11: User Based Configuration 21 Figure 3.12: User Create 22 Figrue 3.13: Checking by Admin User 22 Figrue3.14: Access FTP server from browser 23 Figrue3.15: Access FTP server from browser 23 Figure 3.16: HTTPD download and install 26 Figure 3.17: Simple HTML Coding 27 Figure 3.18: Virtual Host Configuration 28 Figure 3.19: Service restarting 28 Figure 3.20: Web Server Checking 29 Figure 3.21: Hostname Setup 30 Figure 3.22: Download and installation postfix 31 Figure 3.23: User Create of Mail server 32 Figure 3.24: Telnet download Installation 33 Figure 3.25: Checking Postfix 34 Figure 3.26: New mail 35 Figure 3.27: Dovecot Installation 36 Figure 3.28: Dovecot Checking 38 Figure 3.29: Squirrelmail Installation 39 Figure 3.30: Service restarting 41 Figure 3.31: Mail Server Checking 42 Figure 3.32: Mail Server Checking 42 LIST OF TABLE TABLE PAGE NO Table 3.1: Basic Commands of Linux 9 CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction Today is the age of modern Science & Information Technology, which is critical to the development of more effective operational & management process. Now a days data communication & networking may be the fastest growing technologies in the World. People know has the deep idea about Internet & its feature. Internet becomes an essential part of our everyday life, but few years ago using of Internet was a dream to peoples. ISPs provide that service. Computer & Computer networks & Internet Services are found in nearly every business & industry around us. But just 25 years ago situation was not like this. As an underdevelopment, the main two reasons may be lack of trained people & unexpected actions from our Government. In this Internship I had worked about Network Performance Monitoring Systems. I had also worked how create sub domain and server configuration. I have configured FTP Server, MAIL server and WEB Server in this report. ISP is an infrastructure to provide Internet connections among the clients by following some protocols & Rules [1]. 1.2 Motivations It can be very interesting and make life more convenient. It can save money It can enhance ones career or business It increased the security that comes from using an open source operating system. 1.3 Internship Objective The main objective of this report is fulfilling the practical requirements about Linux server. This report is to critically evaluate the server of Daffodil Online Ltd. How to install Linux Operating System. Basic Linux Administration. To know about Web server, FTP server, Mail server and Networking configuration. Configuring Web server, FTP server, Mail server. To achieve a deep knowledge about the network area. The main objective of education is to acquire knowledge. I choose an internship because I wanted to benefit from the experience. 1.4 Introduction to the Company Daffodil Online Ltd. is one of the leading Internet Service Provider in Bangladesh. It is the most experienced and oldest company in the ICT field in Bangladesh, where the basic business ethics is Long Term Relationship with customers. Name: Daffodil Online Ltd. Address: 102, Shukrabad (3rd floor), MirpurRoad, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh Telephone: 9143258, 9143259 E-mail: info@daffodilnet.com Website: www.daffodilnet.com Type of organization: Internet Service Provider (ISP) 1.5 Report Layout Internship program has become a significant aspect of postgraduate requirement. In practice, it is of great importance in changing the field of theoretical learning. Its significance is effective in satisfying the requirement of graduate degree. In the chapter 1, I have described objective of internship, Motivation of internship and internship goal. In the chapter 2, I have described the methodology of my internship. And this chapter gives the information about where the internship has been attached to undertake this program. Also included about how did perform the internship works, about the company, what are the IT service offered in DOL and what are the roles of in jobs market of Linux . In the chapter 3, I have described what are my Training Attended, Assigned responsibilities and how was my internship environment. Here also included what is my performing task which I covered in the time of my internship. Chapter 4, I have described is Internship Outcomes. Here included Problems and Solutions, Learning Outcomes and Challenges. And Chapter 5, I have described is Conclusion and Future Scope. I discuss Future Scopes of Linux and write conclusion. CHAPTER 2 Organization 2.1 Introduction Daffodil Online Ltd. prides itself as one of the leading nationwide Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Bangladesh. It is most experienced and oldest company in the ICT field. This chapter I want to describe about the organization where I complete my intern ship session. I detail describe about the product and market situation. About SWOT analysis. And also tell about the organizational structure or their formation how they complete their work. 2.2 Productand Market Situation Internet Service Domain and Hosting Professional Training Collocation Service Network Solution Professional course and trainings: ISP Setup and Administration using Linux Training Course on Certified Ethical Hacking ISP Setup and Administration using Mikrotik Web Site Development with joomla PHP and MYSQL for website Development E-commerce and Open Source joomla Virtue Mart Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) The market situation is very good. Because, they offer fare services and maintain 100% client satisfaction. They provide 24/7 hours phone and chat support to their customer. 2.3 SWOT Analysis [2]. Strength: Daffodil Online limited are able to respond very quickly for give customer service as they have no red tape. Daffodil Online Limited give really good customer care during the long time still now that means is have plenty of time to devote to customers. Keeping costs below that of competitors Higher responsiveness to customer demands Daffodil Online Limited also has low overheads. So it can offer good value to customers. Weakness: Outdated market research data. Marketing sites are few problems. Customer motivation need to more speed up. Opportunities: Internet as a marketing tool. Seasonal high demand of the product. People are using internet most of the time. Threats: Stronger brand name of competitors. A competitor opening new Company in a nearby location. A lot of competitors in the market with similar products 2.4 Organizational Structure of Daffodil Online Limited [1]. Figure 2.1: Organogram of Daffodil Online Limited. CHAPTER 3 Tasks Project and Activities 3.1 Daily Task and Activities Monitor and maintain computer systems and network. Setting up user accounts, permissions and passwords. Troubleshooting servers and routers. Troubleshooting local area networks and switches. Fixing network faults. Technical support for people using the network. Day to day admin and monitoring of network use. Suggesting IT solutions to business problems. 3.2 Events and Activities Internship Training is very much related to the part of completion of our B.sc Degree especially in CSE. It was a 4 months training course on Linux Operating system. DOL is going to conduct the most challenging & demanding IT professional courses and training in the day of globalization. So I took part in this enterprise for better training and completion of my internship program. Month 1: In the first month of internship on daffodil online limited I have learned and performed the following tasks: Learning & understanding About Network Components. Learning & understanding Basics of Linux. Understanding Linux HDD Partitions. Learning & understanding Linux Run Level. Linux Installation. Month 2: In the second month of internship on daffodil online limited I have learned and performed the following tasks: Basic Centos Commands. Linux User and Password Management. Know About logged in users. File and Directory Accessing. To Copy and Move File and Directories. Add user and Delete user. Month 3: In the third month of internship on daffodil online limited I have learned and performed the following tasks: File and Directory Permissions. Install, Update and Remove Package Using YUM. Concept of IP Addressing. Configuring IP Address in Centos. Seliux configure Host name configure DNS configure Month 4: The last month of internship on daffodil online limited I have learned and performed the following tasks: Learning, understanding and configuring WEB Server. Learning, understanding and configuring FTP Server. Learning, understanding and configuring MAIL Server. 3.3 Project Task and Activities As an internee I always try to provide proper service to the department of Daffodil Online Limited. I have performed different innovative tasks during the period of my internship in (DOL). 3.3.1 Operational Code of Linux For using the operating system of Linux we must have the knowledge of basic command of Linux .This command uses Linux server and Linux operating system. Here we show the basic commands of Linux [4]. Table 3.1: Basic Commands of Linux Command Definition mkdir Create directory Ex: mkdir mukta Create file Ex: (touch gini) ls List Show Ex: ls( File name) vim For use file edit Ex: vim (File name) cat Read File Ex: cat (File name) cd Change directory Ex: (cd /root/Desktop) pwd(present Working Directory) To show current directory: mv File rename rm rf For file remove ifconfig Show lan information passwd user Set passwd for user cat /etc/redhat release To show version of Linux cp -r For directory copy history show history of command cat /proc/cpuinfo Server information command adduser For create user who r Show run level usermod l User name modify useradd G Adduser in a group date To show date and time cal To show calendar Edit any file #touch mukta Then it will be create a file & write something there. Now to edit this vim mukta Then prees I Then edit the file. For save: press Esc Then press shift+: & wq then Enter To show his file: #cat mukta How to save your work and exit from vim :wq saves the current changes and exits vim :w! saves the current changes but does not exit vim :q! exits vim without saving any change How to delete information from a file: Press : X deletes the character the cursor is under Press : dd deletes the line the cursor is on Work of Run-Level # init 0 = Shut Down. # init 1 = Single User Mode. # init 2 = Multi User Mode. # init 3 = Full Multi User Mode. # init 4 = Unused. # init 5 = X-Window (GUI Mode) # init 6 = Reboot. See current run-level = who -r Cursor moving Press: j moves the cursor up Press: K moves the cursor down one line Press: h moves the cursor back words on a line Press: l moves the cursor forward Users add /Delete Adding a user: adduser mukta Set a password to new user: passwd mukta Change root password: passwd Show the user: cat /etc/passwd Delete a user: userdel mukta Delete a user with home directory: userdel r mukta To know status of the password: passwd s mukta If forget root password Root password break- single user mode Reboot Press Space button to boot See the instruction under there and press e Select kernel & again press e Press Space button then press 1 & press enter Press B Now it will be in single user mode and then give the command passwd Then give the new password &reboot. 3.3.2 Basic Networking Configuration An operating system is a collection of programs that manages all the other programs in a computer. Linux is a UNIX-based operating system. It is now one of the most used systems for the PC, and is particularly suitable for businesses with small IT budgets. Linux is free to use and install, and is more reliable than almost all other systems, running for many months and even years without a reboot being necessary. It belongs to nobody, and is free to download and use. Any changes to it are open for all to adopt, and as a result it has developed into a very powerful OS [3]. Basic Configurations Are: Host Name Configuration Selinux Configuration Network Configuration DNS Configuration Host Name Configuration For hostname setup: we set hostname against our pc IP address. Now I can set an IP address in this device with the following command. (# vim/etc/host) Figure 3.1: Hostname Setup Selinux Configuration At first we execute the command which is (#vim /etc/sysconfig/selinux), we wrote down SELINUX=disabled instead of Enforcing which has been attached below. Figure 3.2: SELINUX Disabled Network Configuration Before configuring of any server we have to setup our network configuration. We need an IP address to communicate with the internet. If a computer is communicate with internet, its need to using an IP address. IP addresses are used to uniquely identify any device over internet. (# vim /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0) Figure 3.3: IP Address setting DNS Configuration Edit resolv.conf and add name server. (# vim /etc/resolv.conf) Figure 3.4: DNS Configuration Then the network has been restarted for the purpose of starting the network.in this device with the following command. (# service network restart) Figure 3.5: Starting process of the network system 3.3.3 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Server FTP Server: An FTP means File Transfer Protocol Server is a piece of software that is running on a computer and user the File Transfer protocol to store and share files. Remote computer can connect anonymously, if allowed, or with a user name and password in order to download files from this server using a piece of software called a FTP client [6]. Setup FTP Server FTP Server Details Package Install Start the vsftpd service Configure FTP Server Create FTP User Checking by Admin User Checking by Web Browser. FTP Server Details Operating System : CentOS 6.3 32 bit Hostname : mukta.example.com IP Address : 192.168.0.120/24 Default port : 20 and 21 Package Install At first I install the package. (# yum install vsftpd* -y) In that command, * represents that all the related packages of vsftpd has been downloaded and installed. Start the vsftpd service We need to start the services and use the chkconfig command to make them to start automatically on boot. # service vsftpd start # chkconfig vsftpd on Configure FTP Server Before configuring vsftpd file, it has been downloaded and installed by using the command (#yum install vsftpd* -y). In that command, * represents that all the related packages of vsftpd has been downloaded and installed. Installation Checking The VSFTPD file has been downloaded and installed which is represented by the following figure. Figure 3.6: Installation checking Configuring vsftpd.conf File FTP server can be configured in two ways. These are Nonuser Based and User Based. Both two types of FTP server have been configured are shown below. Nonuser Based Configuration For configuring nonuser based FTP server, anonymous_enable=YES has been configured which is represented on the following figure. If anonymous_enable=Yes then other local user can access the FTP. we execute the command which is (#vim /etc/vsftpd/vsftpd.conf) Figure 3.7: Nonuser Based Configuration Enable Upload and Download File The upload and download option have been configured due to upload and download any file or folder in the FTP server is represented below. If write ascii_ upload_enable =Yes then other local user can access the FTP and upload file. If write ascii_ download_enable =Yes then other local user can access the FTP and download file. Figure 3.8: Enable Upload and Download FTP Banner and Time Setting The FTP banner for welcome message and local time have been configured are represented below. ftpd_banner=Welcome to FTP server It means, After successful login it show on the screen. Figure 3.9: FTP Banner and Time Setting FTP nonuser Server Checking After configuring nonuser based FTP server, it has been checked by web browser which is represented by the following figure. Now open the browser and type (ftp:// 192.168.0.120) and press the search button. Figure 3.10: FTP Server Checking User Based Configuration For configuring user based FTP server just a single line has been changed which is represented below. The other configuration of FTP server has been remain same as nonuser based configuration of FTP server. We execute the command which is (#vim /etc/vsftpd/vsftpd.conf) If Anonymous_enable=NO then only FTP anonymous user can access the FTP server. Figure 3.11: User Based Configuration Create FTP User A user has been created to access FTP client which is shown below. The purpose of creating the user only for access the FTP client but the user can not access the FTP server. Figure 3.12: User Create Checking by Admin User After successfully configured FTP server adminitrator can check first FTP client which has been represented below. Figrue 3.13: Checking by Admin User Checking by Web Browser The user based FTP server is checked by web browser which has been represented below. Again open the browser and type (ftp:// 192.168.0.120) and press the search button. Fig 3.14: Access FTP server from browser Fig 3.15: Access FTP server from browser It can be said that our FTP server has been successfully configured.The FTP server is ready to use. 3.3.4 Web Server Web servers are computers that deliver web pages. Every Web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example if you enter the URL http://www.google.com in your browser, this sends a request to the web server whose domain name is Google.com. The server then fetches the page named index.html and sends it to my browser. Centos Web Server Configuration Requirement: To set up my own web site in a computer, an operating system, web server, a domain name, an IP address of a name server is required. Find out how UKEssays.com can help you! Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. View our services The computer is capable of running Linux can be used on my system. And using Centos 6.3 operating system. A domain name can be registered with a domain name registration services. My ISP provides static IP address, and then i will need to add my domain with static IP addresses. This is achieved by using a name server. Most domain registration service will provide this service for you [7]. Setup Web Server Web Server Details Package Install Start the httpd service Configure Web Server Create a Homepage Start httpd service Check Webserver. Web Server Details Operating System : CentOS 6.3 32 bit Hostname : mukta.example.com IP Address : 192.168.0.120/24 Package Install Now I have install the httpd package for Web server. (# yum install httpd -y) Start the httpd service We need to start the services and use the chkconfig command to make them to start automatically on boot. # service httpd start # chkconfig httpd on Configure Web Server Before configuring httpd file, it has been downloaded and installed by using the command (#yum install httpd -y). Installation Checking: The HTTPD file has been downloaded and installed which is represented by the following figure. Figure 3.16: HTTPD download and install Simple Coding By default location of Web server is (#cd /var/www/html) and For editing the location is (#vim index.html). Where simple HTML coding has been done which is represented on following figure. Figure 3.17: Simple HTML Coding Virtual Host Configuration Now we configured virtual host where Server Admin, Document Root, Server Name were set at bottom of this httpd.conf file which is represented on following figure. The location of Virtual Host Configuration is (#vim /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf). Figure 3.18: Virtual Host Configuration After configure Web server the package has been restarted for the purpose of starting the server.in this device with the following command. (# service httpd restart) Figure 3.19: Service restarting Web Server Checking After successfully configuring HTTPD file Web server has been checked by a web browser which is represented by the figure below. Now open the browser and type (http:// 192.168.0.120) and press the search button. Figure 3.20: Web Server Checking From the above figure it can be said that the Web Server has been successfully configured. 3.3.5 Mail Server Configuration of the mail server [9]. Steps of mail server configuration Hostname Setup Postfix Installation & Configuration User Create & Password set Telnet Installation & Checking Postfix Dovecot Installation & Configuration Checking Dovecot Squirrelmail Installation & Configuration Finally Checking by web browser Hostname Setup We set hostname against our pc IP address. Now I can set an IP address in this device with the following command. (# vim /etc/host). Figure 3.21: Hostname Setup Postfix Installation & Configuration At first we download and installation postfix with the following command. (#yum install postfix y) Figure 3.22: Download and installation postfix Now edit some configuration of the following command. (#vim /etc/postfix/main.cf). Find and edit the following lines. ## Line no 75 Uncomment and set your mail server ## myhostname = mail.mukta.com ## Line 83 Uncomment and Set domain name ## mydomain = mukta.com ## Line 99 Uncomment ## myorigin = $mydomain ## Line 116 Set ipv4 ## inet_interfaces = all ## Line 164 Comment ## #mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost, ## Line 165 Uncomment ## mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost, $mydomain ## Line 264 Uncomment and add IP range ## mynetworks = 192.168.0.0/24, 127.0.0.0/8 ## Line 419 Uncomment ## home_mailbox = Maildir/ Save and exit the file. Start/restart Postfix service now: # service postfix restart # chkconfig postfix on User Create & Password set First, create two test user for sending and receiving, called suruvan and mitul. Figure 3.23: User Create of Mail server Telnet Installation & Checking Postfix [8]. At first we install the telnet file in which following command. (#yum install telnet y). Figure 3.24: Telnet download Installation Access the server via Telnet and enter the commands shown in the following figure. Figure 3.25: Checking Postfix A new mail is received to the user mitul. To read the mail, enter the following command: (#cat /etc/mitul/Maildir/new/1491 then press Tab). Figure 3.26: New mail Dovecot Installation & Configuration Dovecot is an open source and POP3 mail server for Unix/Linux systems to install by the command. (#yum install dovecot y). Figure 3.27: Dovecot Installation Now edit some configuration of the following command. (#vim /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf). find and edit the following lines: ## Line 20 umcomment ## protocols = imap pop3 lmtp Now edit this file (#vim /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf) Make the changes as shown below: ## Line 24 uncomment ## mail_location = maildir:~/Maildir Edit(#vim /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-auth.conf). Make the changes as shown below: ## line 9 uncomment## disable_plaintext_auth = yes ## Line 97 Add a letter login ## auth_mechanisms = plain login Edit file (#vim /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-master.conf). Make changes as shown below: ## Line 83, 84 Uncomment and add postfix user = postfix group = postfix Start Dovecot service # service dovecot restart # chkconfig dovecot on Checking Dovecot Its time to test Dovecot configuration. Enter the following command in Terminal. (#telnet localhost pop3) Figure 3.28: Dovecot Checking As you see in the above, Dovecot is working! Working with mail in command modes little bit difficult for us. So we will install a webmail client called Squirrelmail to send/receive emails via a web browser. Squirrelmail Installation & Configuration Make sure that youve installed and enabled EPEL repository. Now install Squirrelmail using the following command: (#yum install squirrelmail y) Figure 3.29: Squirrelmail Installation Navigate to (#cd /usr/share/squirrelmail/config/) directory and run the command (./conf.pl) Now enter 2 to setup mail Server settings such as domain name and mail agent etc.: SquirrelMailConfiguration : Read: config.php (1.4.0) Main Menu 1. Organization Preferences 2. Server Settings Command >>2 Enter 3 and change from sendmail to Postfix MTA (i.e. SMTP): SquirrelMailConfiguration: Read: config.php (1.4.0) Server Settings General - 1. Domain : unixmen.local 2. Invert Time : false 3. Sendmail or SMTP : Sendmail Command >>3 Enter 2 to switch from sendmail MTA to postfix. You now need to choose the method that you will use for sending messages in SquirrelMail. You can either connect to an SMTP server or use sendmail directly. 1. Sendmail 2. SMTP Your choice [1/2] [1]: 2 Now enter S followed by Q to save and exit Squirrelmail configuration. Create a squirrelmail vhost in apache config file: (#vim /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf) Options Indexes FollowSymLinks RewriteEngine On AllowOverride All DirectoryIndexindex.php Order allow,deny Allow from all After configure Web server the package has been restarted for the purpose of starting the server.in this device with the following command. (# service httpd restart) Figure 3.30: Service restarting Finally checking by web browser After successfully configuring Mail server has been checked by a web browser which is represented by the figure below. Now open the browser and type (192.168.0.120/webmail) and press the search button. The following screen should appear. Enter the username and password of the user Figure 3.31: Mail Server Checking Figure 3.32: Mail Server Checking Now youll be able to access the user mitul mail box. Let us compose a test mail from user mitul to user suruvan. Click on the Compose link on the top. Enter the recipient mail id (ex. suruvan@mukta.com), subject and body of the mail and click send. 3.4 Challenges During my internship, I got the opportunity work with different technologies. And it is a clear fact that, issues are very common in an internship. During the time I have spent on internship, I had to face many technical challenges, communication challenges, etc. The coming sections, will explain few critical issues and the approach taken to solve them. Some Internship challenge Facing the Office Environment Handling the Boredom Meeting the Timeline Completing the adopt internship Properly Adjust with the official decorum and norms. Some Common Internship Challenges are: Afraid to ask questions: All of a sudden theres an influx of work, and I finally have the chance to prove myself! But Im not sure about x, y, z.I may feel the pressure to be an independent and self-sufficient worker, but its so much better to clarify uncertainties! Compete with other Intern: Luckily I was an intern; we ask questions of each other and can easily team up with projects that have worked in teams where there was such a collaborative relationship. Interns in a future job opening, or a recommendation for a good letter will be competing in other office environments, may not be so friendly. A New Lifestyle: As a recent college graduate, I may be getting used to a new life style that can be quite jarring. Instead of waking up at eight and going to a few classes a day, Im sitting at a desk 9-5. I might be living at my parents to save money. The hours and the new living situation clearly make socializing more difficult than before. CHAPTER 4 Competencies and Smart Plan 4.1 Competencies Earned Competence actually means the ability of an individual to do a job properly. A competence is a set of defined behaviors that provides structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behaviors in individual employee. If competency is very good each and every employee in an organization the earn more with long time. Its include many things such practical skill, theoretical knowledge, good behaviors, convince skill. When an organization given a right instruction and right analysis then it gone better thing. So if any company has their good management, instruction, analysis and better skill in there working sector they can earn with competence. It means that all skill of combination are use to improved performance. 4.2 Smart Plan Every company should have a smart plan to achieve the success. Some common things of combination create a smart plan which I describe in the bellow: A goal is Specific when it provides a description of what is to be accomplished. A specific goal is a focused goal. It will state exactly what the individual or organization intends to accomplish. A goal is measurable if it is quantifiable. Measurement is accomplished by first establishing the situation at hand or by obtaining baseline data. The goal will have a target toward which progress can be measured, as well as benchmarks designed to measure progress along the way. A goal is Achievable Its important to let everyone involved in the change understand that without their cooperation, the change isnt feasible or achievable. Define the how much achievable dimension we want. Goals should be Relevant, meaning that they should be appropriate to and consistent with the mission and vision of the organization. Each goal adopted by the organization should be one that moves the organization toward the achievement of its vision. Finally a goal must be bound by Time. That is, it must have a starting and ending point. It should also have some intermediate points at which progress can be assessed. Limiting the time in which a goal must be accomplished helps to focus effort toward its achievement and motivates the organizations ability to effectively monitor its performance [11]. 4.3 Reflections After make a smart plan it needs to be occurring reflection correctly. And need to analysis that how much reflection can able to occurring the company. If any organization can properly work with their Smart plan they can successfully reflect their plan. CHAPTER 5 Conclusion and Future Carrere 5.1 Discussion and conclusion The goal of this internship is to gain the knowledge and skills need to develop ISP Setup and Administration in Linux Platform. The internship focuses on Fundamental of Data Communication, Linux Essentials, Linux System Administrations, and Configuring Network Security & Services and many more. Linux is a full-featured, robust UNIX operating system with a wealth of associated free software, capable of supporting high-performance network services. The quality of Linux software makes it a low-cost, reliable, supported computing platform appropriate for the corporate server environment. This comprehensive hands-on course provides the knowledge and skills you need to install, Linux is the operating system which offers such a wide verity of reliable, stable and effective service. We choice this operating system not because of its services but it is totally free. It has just about every kind of network service is there, including web servers Apace, Telnet, SSH, FTP, DNS, MAIL and much more. Linux offers a unique opportunity to learn systems programming with hand on experience. We can explore almost any subject we care to. Various aspects of Linux have been studied or developed as part of academic work such as graduate theses. 5.2 Scope For Future Career User administration (setup and maintaining account) Setup security policies for users Upgrade and configure system software Configure and maintaining Server. Network administrator in any IT Organization. Server and network security administrator. Information Technology (IT) Manager. Capable to provide various technical support and services to other Organization. APPENDIX APPENDIX A: INTERNSHIP REFLECTION Internship is a part of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of computer science and Engineering. Its very important for every candidate. Its play a great role for completes the degree. Its make a candidate more expert in his sector. For that candidate achieve a stage of confidence in him. So that he can take a good role in her professional Carrier in next time. Because during the internship period candidate can learn many thing about an organization environment .He can gather knowledge about the official management system, manner, and responsibility and so on. APPENDIX B: COMPANY DETAIL Daffodil Online Ltd. prides itself as one of the leading nationwide Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Bangladesh. We are the most experienced and oldest company in the ICT field where our basic business ethics is Long Term Relationship with our customers. As we look at the growth over the decade since our inception, we are extremely proud of what we have achieved, and even more excited about our outlook for an equally promising future. It may please you to know that we started our operation in the year 2002. During the past years, we extended our operation and service portfolio according to the customers recommendation and considering demands of time. We worked with many national projects and international organizations and achieved the reputation. We are using the latest technologies and upgrading the services wherever it is required. Our Corporate Network Solution department is capable to provide state-of-art network and telecommunication solutions with a highly efficient technical expertise group. REFERENCES [1] Get concept about the company, Available at: <> (Last accessed on 05 December 2016; 2:20 pm). [2] Get concept about the SWOT, Available at: <> (Last accessed on 10 December 2016; 1:40 pm). [3] Get concept about Linux, Available at: <> (Last accessed on 25 December 2016; 10:20 am). [4] Learn about Basic Command Available at <> (Last accessed on 25 January 2017; 10:25pm). [5] Learn about Basic Command Available at <> (Last accessed on 10 February 2017; 11:45 pm). [6] Learn about FTP server, Available at : <> (Last accessed on 10 March 2017; 10:50 pm). [7] Get concept About the Web Server at <> (Last accessed on 20 March 2017; 9:40 pm). [8] Learn about the Telnet Server <> (Last accessed on 25 March 2017; 9:40 pm). [9] Learn about Mail Server Available at: <> (Last accessed on 25 March 2017; 10:55 pm). [10] Learn about Mail Server configuration at <> (Last accessed on 26 March 2017; 4:10 pm). [11] Get concept about the Smart Plan Available at: <> (Last accessed on 04 April 2017; 11:20 pm) Two of New Zealands biggest rock bands have joined forces for a nationwide tour later this year which will include a performance in Mount Maunganui. Devilskin and Kora will play Trustpower Baypark on Friday, June 18. Tickets for the nine date winter tour will go on sale from Thursday. Having shared the stage a few times with Kora over the years, most notably Rock the Park a few years back to 18,000 people, we noticed a real similarity to their ethos and ours, namely their connection to the audience and the powerful energy they work up during their shows, says Devilskin bassist Paul Martin. Koras reputation is as solid as it comes. The passion, spirit, and honesty in their music as well as the strong family bond really resonated with us. Music is all about feeling good, standing up for yourself and celebrating and enjoying each others gifts. These shows are going to so be much fun. We cant wait to take this on the road and share the magic and the message of family, love and unity with as many people as we can. Originally four brothers from Whakatane, Kora entered the New Zealand music scene in the early 2000s and as their momentum grew so did their band members as local muso Dan McGruer joined them on bass, guitar, and keyboard. Original band member Francis Kora (vocals, keys), alongside Dan McGruer (keys, samples), Marika Hodgson (bass), Darren Mathiassen (drums), Richie Allen (guitar), Karlos Tunks (guitar, BVs) and Hirini Kora (guitar, keys, BVs) will be on the tour. Kora are super stoked to do a run of shows with the kick ass rock band Devilskin, and just to add they're the nicest people on the planet, says Francis Kora. A chance to play across parts of New Zealand we haven't played in for a while. Look forward to seeing you guys there. Devilskin and Kora will play: - Friday, June 11, at the Fly Palmy Arena in Palmerston North - Saturday, June 12, at the Exhibition Hall in Hastings - Friday, June 18, at the Bay Park Arena in Mt Maunganui - Saturday, June 19, at The Factory in Hamilton - Thursday, June 24, at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill - Friday, June 25, at the University Union Hall in Dunedin - Saturday, June 26, at the Town Hall in Christchurch - Saturday, July 10, at Te Rauparaha Arena in Wellington - Friday, August 6, at the Trust Arena in Henderson, Auckland Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN Office in Geneva Atageldy Khaldzhanov handed a document signed by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on Turkmenistan's accession to the Patent Law Treaty to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Daren Tang. During the ceremony, Atageldy Khaldzhanov stressed Turkmenistan's commitment to the constructive dialogue with international organizations, including WIPO. The WIPO Director General, in turn, noted the importance of joint work with the government of Turkmenistan on designing a program for development of the intellectual property system in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025. Daren Tang also noted that Turkmenistan became the 43rd country to accede to the Patent Law Treaty and expressed readiness to provide assistance in relation to other WIPO documents, to which Turkmenistan may join in the future. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :Britain will ramp up its commitment to cut carbon emissions ahead of hosting a UN climate summit this year, vowing a 78 percent reduction by 2035, reports said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to unveil later this week the legally-binding target, which is 15 years earlier than once planned, the BBC reported. It said that for the first time the commitment will also cover emissions from international aviation and shipping, a long-standing demand of environmental activists. It comes ahead of the UK staging COP26, the United Nation's annual climate gathering, in Glasgow in November. On Thursday, Johnson will address a climate summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, as he attempts to make Britain a world leader on the issue in the run-up to November. The country has set a target of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century and has already ramped up its targets. In December, Britain said it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than two-thirds, compared to 1990 levels, by 2030 -- one of the most ambitious aims of any major economy. The latest 78 percent target for the middle of the next decade was among the recommendations made last year by the UK government's independent advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). It noted there would have to be more electric vehicles, an extension of offshore wind power generation, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption, and the planting of new woodland. However, Johnson's government has faced criticism that its rhetoric on climate change has not been matched by meaningful policies. A flagship subsidy scheme to help improve homes' energy efficiency was withdrawn recently after a chaotic rollout. Meanwhile environmentalists are furious ministers said last month that they could license further oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Subscriber content preview SHORELINE The O'Reilly Auto Parts store at 18025 Aurora Ave. N. in Shoreline sold for almost $4.6 million, according to King County records. The seller was Labe Company LLC, a family group that acquired the property in 1997 for about $2 million. The buyer was STATEC P1 18025 Aurora Ave N Shoreline LLC, which is associated with Stablewood Properties, of Houston. Public records indicate a loan from Zions Bank. . . . Xinjiang is a wonderful place. Now it stands proudly in tranquillity and prosperity in Chinas northwest, opening its arms to welcome people from all over the world. But the accounts contained within the 53-page Break Their Lineage, Break Their Roots report contribute to a growing body of evidence that has forced companies, governments and multinational organisations to reassess how they respond to Chinas denials of ethnic cleansing. A sign warning against uncivilised behaviour is displayed as spectators watch a street performance in the main bazaar in Urumqi, Xinjiang. Credit:Bloomberg The campaign, which had been simmering under the guise of national unity for decades but escalated sharply after violent clashes between Uighurs and Han-Chinese migrants in 2014, has installed a system of mass surveillance, restricted movement, enforced cultural erasure and family separation. Five Uighur leaders identified within the report have faced prison sentences of between 10 years and life in prison for split-ism - including organising study tours of the Koran and sending money overseas. One, Nebijan Ghoja Ehmet, was convicted of inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination for telling others what is haram and halal, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The terms are used to describe what food is forbidden and permitted under Islamic law. Two women, Gulzir Mogdyn and an unnamed Kazakh woman who is being represented by Kazakh rights advocate Aiman Umarova, said they were subjected to forced abortions while in Xinjiang. Another said she had been being forcibly implanted with an intra-uterine contraceptive device that sterilises them until they can be surgically removed. There were reports of rape being used repeatedly as punishment and torture by authorities, including the use of electric batons. In some cases, Chinese authorities have allegedly ordered the removal of Xinjiang orphans from extended families into state institutions. Under the instructions of Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, they have been redefined as children who have lost their parents or whose parents cannot be found. They have been distributed in state institutions in a scattered manner unaware of their family or their past. Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch said Chinese authorities have systematically persecuted the lives, religion and culture of Turkic Muslims in the region. Beijing has said its providing vocational training and deradicalisation, but that rhetoric cant obscure a grim reality of crimes against humanity, she said. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Beth Van Schaack from the Stanford Centre for Human Rights and International Justice said it was increasingly clear that the policies and practices in Xinjiang meet the standard for crimes against humanity under international criminal law. The governments failure to stop these crimes, let alone punish those responsible, shows the need for strong and co-ordinated international action, she said. Loading The US State Department on April 6 said it was considering a co-ordinated approach to the Beijing Winter Olympics. Calls for a boycott in response to the human rights abuses led by members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China have grown but there is no appetite for a similar push in Australia. Labor and Coalition MPs are now lobbying for the federal government to get on with legislating a Magnitsky sanctions regime to target Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses months after it was recommended by a bipartisan inquiry. The Liberal chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security James Paterson said it was a gap in our sanctions framework that must be filled. Labors foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said Australia should introduce an Australian Magnitsky Act as a matter of priority. SAGINAW, MI A lauded Grand Rapids paramedic is criminally charged in Saginaw County with having sexually assaulted a minor. Prosecutors allege Kevin J. Nawrot, 33, in February either took or met a 15-year-old Saginaw County girl to a hotel in Frankenmuth where he sexually assaulted her. The pair had met online prior to their physical encounter, prosecutors said. Nawrot and the teenage girl had also exchanged nude photos, prosecutors allege. Frankenmuth police began investigating the matter in March. Michigan State Police personnel assisted in the forensic analysis of cellphones as well. Prosecutors could not share how law enforcement were alerted to the allegations. Authorities issued a warrant for Nawrot on April 15, with police arresting him on Monday, April 19. The next morning, Nawrot appeared before Saginaw County District Judge M. Randall Jurrens for arraignment on three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct-multiple variables and four counts of distributing child sexually abusive material. First-degree criminal sexual conduct involves penetration and is punishable by up to life in prison. Appearing at the arraignment, defense counsel Alan Butler referred to Nawrot as highly educated, saying he has a bachelors degree in economics. He added Nawrot has been a paramedic for 10 years and has been married for five, with no children. Speaking to the judge directly, Nawrot said he has spoken with his parents, who plan to hire a Grand Rapids-based attorney to represent him. Jurrens denied granting Nawrot bond. Records indicate Nawrot worked as a field supervisor for Rockford Ambulance, a nonprofit paramedic service based out of Rockford in Kent County. In 2015, the Michigan EMS Practitioners Association named Nawrot the Michigan EMS Practitioner of the Year. Qualifications for the award include the following: 1. Licensed medical first responder, emergency medical technician, specialist, paramedic, instructor/coordinator, or administrator in Michigan. 2. Licensed by the state of Michigan for at least two years. 3. Nominee continually promotes the profession of EMS through innovation and leadership. 4. Must have high personal integrity and character. Tim Armstrong, chief operations officer for Rockford Ambulance, said Nawrots employment was terminated on April 19 as a result of his arrest. He is no longer employed, Armstrong said. We are cooperating with investigators as well. Armstrong declined to comment further on the matter or Nawrots history as a paramedic. Nawrots next court date is pending. Read more: Prosecutors: Police justified in shooting death of Michigan man during meth raid City Markets grocery in Bay City may close due to pandemics effect on business Man airlifted to Flint hospital after arriving to Saginaw hospital with gunshot wound to his face Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during his fourth State of the Nation address at the Philippine Congress in Quezon City, Metro Manila, (Photo : REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo/File Photo) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he was prepared to send his military ships in the South China Sea to "stake a claim" over oil and mineral resources in the disputed part of the strategic waterway. With some critics complaining Duterte had gone soft by refusing to push Beijing to comply with an arbitration ruling, he said the public can be assured he would assert the country's claims to resources like oil and minerals in the South China Sea. Advertisement "I'm not so much interested now in fishing. I don't think there's enough fish to quarrel about. But when we start to mine, when we start to get whatever it is in the bowels of the China Sea, our oil, by that time I will send my grey ships there to stake a claim," Duterte said in a late night public address. "If they start drilling oil there, I will tell China, is that part of our agreement? If that is not part of our agreement, I will also drill oil there," he said even as he reiterated he wanted to remain friends with Beijing. Duterte has sought to build an alliance with China and has been reluctant to confront its leadership, having been promised billions of dollars of loans and investments, much of which have yet to materialise, frustrating nationalists. He has repeatedly said the Philippines was powerless to stop China, and that challenging its activities could risk a war his country would lose. The firebrand leader said there was no way for the Philippines to enforce "without any bloodshed" a landmark 2016 arbitral ruling that clarified the Philippines sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Philippines has filed several diplomatic protests against China's actions in the South China Sea, with the latest accusing its giant neighbour of undertaking illegal fishing and massing more than 240 boats within its territorial waters. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future published a Half Cooked Research Report on Global Automotive Wheel Coating Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023. PPG Industrial Coatings (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), Akzo Nobel N.V.( Netherlands), DuPont (U.S.), Dupli-Color (U.S.), Eastwood (U.,S.), Performance Paints (U.K.), Mile High Powder Coating Inc (U.S.) , Nordson Industrial Coating Systems (U.S.) and Kansai Paint Co., Ltd (Japan) among others are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Automotive Wheel Coating Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Automotive Wheel Coating Market Overview: Apart from the aesthetic aspects, the automotive wheel needs to be protected against mechanical, physical and chemical attack is the reason why we coat the automotive wheel. There are verity of demands on automotive wheel coatings. To fulfil this demand, several types of binders and additives are available. Furthermore, the application technology used depends on both the binder and the market. Improvement in sustainability, reduction of harmful substances and reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) are some of the general trends as per the requirement and regulations in global automotive wheel coating market. The relative importance of the various trends in automotive wheel coating market depends on the governmental regulations in regions and on consumer need. The growth in the automotive wheel coating industry is primarily be driven by a rising concern regarding the corrosion of wheels in the world and growing automotive industry in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to this, increasing spending capacity of people in turn is expected to benefits the major applications in which automotive wheel coatings and preservatives are used namely metals like steel, aluminium, titanium among others. Access Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-wheel-coating-market-3144 Industry/ Innovation/ Related News: May 2016 Winona PVD Coatings LLC, a provider of bright finish coatings for the automotive wheel industry, announced plans to expand its operations in Warsaw, Indiana, creating up to 50 new jobs by the end of 2016. Winona PVD planned to invest more than USD10 million in high-tech equipment and machinery in order to add a new production line and enhance the companys clean room at its manufacturing complex in Warsaw. The new line will be housed in the companys newest 83,000-square-foot building, marking Winona PVDs third expansion since its establishment in 2007. The company began in one 66,000-square-foot facility and now operates in three buildings with a 320,000-square-foot footprint. Winona PVD currently coats more than 1 million wheels per year using its non-hazardous G-Chrome finish, and expects to increase production capabilities by 30 percent with this latest expansion. June 2015 Accuride planned to expand steel wheel finishing. To help secure the project, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved Accuride to receive up to USD600,000 in tax incentives. The performance-based incentive will allow Accuride to keep some portion of the investment over an undefined term, through corporate income-tax credits and wage assessments. June 2016 TIGER Drylac U.S.A., Inc. introduced to the North American market a limited edition powder coatings kit that includes 24 colors and finishes grouped under the Wheel Line for the Automotive Aftermarket segment. The kit includes three primers, nine blacks, six metallic and clears powder coating finishes. TIGER Drylac automotive primers are fine-tuned for automotive special application conditions to provide the best possible basis for subsequent coatings, according to the company. TIGER Drylac clears are acrylic-based top coats that provide particularly impressive transparent and brilliant finishes fulfilling the specifications for smooth top coat systems in the wheel industry. The blacks and metallic are high quality finishes that meet the demands and requirements of the automotive aftermarket industry. They are also suitable for other industrial applications. Automotive Wheel Coating Market - Regional Analysis: Asia Pacific region accounted largest market share in the global automotive wheel market and expected to dominate during the forecast period due to rising population, automotive and growing residential and non-residential activities in the region. China being largest consumer, manufacturer and exporter of automotive wheel coating. Chinese manufacturers are mostly small manufacturers and some of the prominent manufacturers. In addition to this, North America & Europe have witnessed healthy growth in automotive wheel coating market owing to a growing non-residential repair, renovation and new construction activities in the region. Competitive Landscape: The report analyses the degree of competition among the industry players as well as industry growth and market scenario. The global automotive wheel coating market is at a growing stage, which represents moderate stats in terms of market value and overall volume. Over the past few years, automotive wheel coating market has witnessed healthy demand due to increasing spending capacity of people which has stoked sales of furniture. Nevertheless, the degree of competition among the market players is still less owing to limited major market players across the globe. Globally market for automotive wheel coating is fragmented and it is moving towards growth expansion by specifically adopting partnership, expansion and joint-venture strategies and product launch strategies. In its last days, the Trump administration granted Texas a 10-year extension for its Medicaid program, which was set to expire Sept. 30, 2022. The agreement, known as the 1115 waiver, reimburses hospitals for uncompensated treatment of uninsured patients and pays for other health care, including uncompensated care for low-income Texans. The extension would have given the state about $11.4 billion a year through September 2030. However, that came to a halt last week when the Biden administration, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, rescinded the extension, saying it hadnt gone through the full federal rulemaking process, including a public comment period. Gov. Greg Abbott, no defender of Medicaid, denounced the decision, blaming the Biden administration for destroying a safety net for millions of vulnerable Texans when they most need help. It is a painfully hypocritical argument from the governor. By rescinding this waiver extension, the Biden administration is obstructing healthcare access for vulnerable Texans and taking away crucial resources for rural hospitals in Texas, Abbott said in a statement. The State of Texas spent months negotiating this agreement with the federal government to ensure vital funds for hospitals, nursing homes, and mental health resources for Texans who are uninsured. With this action, the Biden administration is deliberately betraying Texans who depend on the resources made possible through this waiver. While theres quite a bit in that statement to unpack, the essence is Abbotts concern that the care of uninsured Texans is dependent on federal dollars, which will now be denied to the state. We fully agree, governor. If only there existed a program in which billions of federal dollars were available for states to use for vulnerable people who cant afford health insurance. Oh, wait, there is! Its called Medicaid expansion, and Abbott and most Texas Republicans in the House and Senate oppose it. The 1115 waiver would be unnecessary if the state expanded Medicaid. When Texas received its first waiver in 2011, it was expected to transition into Medicaid expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010. As part of the ACA, the federal government set a national threshold for Medicaid eligibility: People would qualify if their incomes were up to 138 percent of the poverty line. Before the national expansion of Medicaid could begin, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that while the ACA could survive, it was up to states to decide if they wanted to expand Medicaid. Only 12 states, including Texas which leads the nation in uninsured have opted against Medicaid expansion. Its never made fiscal or moral sense to reject an arrangement in which the federal government initially funds 100 percent of the program and continues to fund 90 percent. Studies have shown Medicaid expansion not only improves peoples health but also the health of state economies. If rescinding the 1115 waiver is the Biden administrations stick to persuade Texas to expand Medicaid, the carrot is the American Relief Plan, which raises the incentives for Medicaid expansion by adding extra federal aid to the states holding out. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the extra funding more than covers each states 10 percent share of expanding Medicaid. Monday, Republican state Reps. Steve Allison and Lyle Larson of San Antonio and others issued a bipartisan statement in response to the rescinding of the waiver. Instead of criticizing the Biden administration, they urged the Legislature to address access to health care for more than 2.2 million uninsured Texans, including thousands of veterans, more than 785,000 women and millions of Texans of color. Without using the words Medicaid expansion, they are advocating for Medicaid expansion. In refusing to expand Medicaid, Abbott is forfeiting billions of federal dollars and obstructing health care access for vulnerable Texans. But now he is concerned? RAGT and Bayer have announced an exclusive collaboration to develops state-of-the-art hybrid wheat varieties for European markets. The two firms will pool their strengths by combining Europe's leading soft wheat genetics with access to the latest breeding methodologies. Wheat is the most widely grown food crop in the world. In the EU and the UK alone, more than 25 million hectares are under yearly cultivation. Securing the wheat harvests through hybrid wheat production systems will help increase yield and robustness of the crop, the two companies say. This will help meet the expected increase in food consumption to feed a growing world population. Both companies say they intend to advance the development of hybrid wheat technology and provide an innovative wheat growing system. Bob Reiter, head of research at Bayer's Crop Science division said: Hybrid wheat offers farmers the opportunity to meet the challenges of climate change while achieving higher productivity in sustainable cropping systems. We are delighted to partner with RAGT to bring wheat farmers new solutions that support their efforts to produce a quality wheat crop. Laurent Guerreiro, general manager of RAGT Semences, also sees this collaboration as a turning point for farmers in Europe. This agreement, which aims to provide improved wheat and new cultivation practices, will enable us to support farmers even better," he added. "We are in line with the needs of an evolving agriculture. These innovations will enable meeting the needs of different types of agriculture." PRAGUE -- The Czech Republic has called on fellow European Union and NATO members for "solidarity" action to support it amid a diplomatic spat between Prague and Moscow over Czech claims that Russian military agents were behind a deadly 2014 explosion at a Czech arms depot. "We are calling for collective action by EU and NATO countries aimed at solidarity expulsions," acting Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek said on April 20, a day after 18 Russian diplomats identified by Czech intelligence as being intelligence operatives left their posts in Prague, while 20 Czech Embassy employees in Moscow were ordered to leave by Moscow. The tit-for-tat moves over the Czech allegations have triggered Prague's biggest dispute with Russia since the 1989 end of communist rule, putting the small Central European NATO member at the center of rising tensions between Moscow and the West. Hamacek told reporters he had summoned Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Zmeyevsky to protest what Prague views as a disproportionate response. He later said in a Facebook post he had expected a slightly different reaction from the Russian side and that the Czech government will discuss further action. I am prepared for everything. Even rebuilding relations completely from the beginning. That means, we send [all Russian diplomats] home," the minister wrote. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Pragues "baseless accusations and called the Czech moves "unreasonable and harmful to bilateral relations." The Czech government has already decided to eliminate Russia's state-run corporation Rosatom from a multibillion-dollar tender to build a new unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant and to no longer consider buying the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19. Citing Czech intelligence, the government said that the GRU, Russia's military intelligence, orchestrated the explosion in the eastern town of Vrbetice in 2014. An October 16 blast set off 50 metric tons of stored ammunition, killing two people. Two months later, another explosion of 13 tons of ammunition occurred at the same site. In connection with the October 2014 blast, Czech police said they were seeking two suspected Russian agents also identified as suspects in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in England. The Czech ambassador to NATO on April 20 briefed the North Atlantic Council, the alliances top decision-making body, about the involvement of GRU agents in the explosion, with the Foreign Ministry saying that it represents an unacceptable violation of the state sovereignty and national security of the Czech Republic and requires the necessary response. The allies will consult on the situation with the Czech foreign minister later this week, a NATO official said, adding: NATO allies stand in solidarity over Russias dangerous pattern of destabilizing behavior. Meanwhile, the open-source investigation organization Bellingcat said on April 20 that the Russian operation which Czech authorities have linked to the blast in Vrbetice involved at least six operatives from a GRU unit known as 29155. The investigation, conducted in partnership with The Insider, Der Spiegel, and Respekt.cz, found that the operation was supervised personally by the units commander, identified as Colonel General Andrei Averyanov, who traveled undercover to Central Europe at the exact time of the operation and left back to Moscow mere hours after the explosion. Unit 29155 has been linked to a series of attempted assassination plots and other sabotage across Europe, including Skripal's poisoning. The European Union on April 19 said it stood in full support and solidarity with the Czech Republic and expressed concern about the repeating negative pattern of dangerous malign behavior by Russia in Europe. Russia must stop with these activities, which violate well-established international principles and norms and threaten stability in Europe," Peter Stano, the lead spokesman for the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, said following talks between the blocs foreign ministers on the matter. Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, and his daughter Yulia nearly died after being exposed to what British authorities later concluded was Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent. A British woman who accidentally came into contact with the substance died. Britains NATO allies responded to the Skripal poisoning by imposing sanctions on Russia and expelling diplomats. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS GREENVILLE The Greer man charged in relation to the U.S. Capitol riot pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment April 20, and the judge in the case ordered him released to home detention in Spartanburg County. William Robert Norwood III, 37, was indicted March 19 with seven charges in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, including theft of government property; obstruction of Congress; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly conduct in the Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building; and entering and remaining in certain rooms in the Capitol building, specifically House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office. Norwood was arrested Feb. 25 and had an initial detention hearing the next day at the federal courthouse in Greenville. The magistrate judge at the time ordered him held due to some of the statements Norwood allegedly made in a family Facebook chat about assaulting police officers at the Capitol and because he didnt find Norwoods testimony reliable. Norwood has been held in a Washington, D.C., jail since then. In its evaluation of Norwoods motion for pretrial release, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hava Mirell said despite Norwoods boasts to family members, the government has not found evidence that Norwood assaulted anyone inside or outside of the Capitol. Aside from participating in the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol in an apparent attempt to subvert a democratic election and prevent the peaceful transition of power, defendant also led a pack of rioters through the inner sanctum of Speaker Pelosis office space, Mirell said. He kept a souvenir from Pelosis office, a drink coaster that says "United States Congress," Mirell said in the document. Sign up for our Greenville weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Upstate. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Greenville news staff. Email Sign Up! The evaluation also said Norwood admitted to FBI agents that he packed a knife, bear mace and a green tactical vest when he left South Carolina, which the government said showed some level of planning was involved. The fact that defendant packed these items in the first place suggests that he was not just caught up in the frenzy of the crowd, but instead came to Washington, D.C. with the intention of causing mayhem and disrupting the democratic process, Mirell said in the evaluation. Norwood was charged with theft of government property after FBI agents found a U.S. Capitol Police helmet and tactical vest in a storage container after they arrested Norwood. He previously told agents he left the items in a hotel room in Washington. That charge, and obstruction of an official proceeding, are each felonies and carry a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. Senior U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said it would have been an interesting hearing if the government had opposed release because some of the statements attributed to Mr. Norwood are very disturbing. Sullivan granted release to home detention with electronic monitoring and stipulated Norwood could not have contact with any co-conspirators or with his estranged wife, who may be a victim or witness. At his initial detention hearing, Norwood said he traveled with his wife to former President Donald Trumps speech at the Ellipse and then they walked to the Capitol building, where he said they got separated and he went inside. She has not been charged in the case. An estimated 334,000 COVID-19 cases are attributable to meatpacking plants, resulting in $11.2 billion in economic damage, according to a new study led by a researcher at the University of California, Davis. The study was published in the journal Food Policy. It found that beef- and pork-processing plants more than doubled per capita infection rates in counties that had them. Chicken-processing plants increased transmission rates by 20 percent. The study looked specifically at large meatpacking plants generating more than 10 million pounds per month. Researchers said both the economic impact and infection rate estimate are conservative. The study looked at infection rates within a county and did not account for cases that might have been contracted at a meatpacking plant but spread to other counties. The study looked at lost wages and mortality and did not include long-term health care costs, or costs for measures put in place to protect worker safety. Similarly, our study likely understates true economic losses, said lead author Tina Saitone, a livestock and rangeland economics cooperative extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis. The study looked at lost wages and mortality and did not include long-term health care costs, or costs for measures put in place to protect worker safety. While we did see an initial ramp up in cases attributable to meatpacking facilities, over time infection rates were the same per capita as counties without them, partly because meatpacking plants implemented a lot of protocols to protect employees, said Saitone. Driving Factors The researchers said a variety of factors can drive county-level COVID-19 transmission rates. Saitone said the research controlled for those potential drivers, such as the number of nursing homes or correctional facilities in a county. It also considered stay-at-home orders and other regulations, population density, demographics, economic factors and health characteristics. The study looked at infections within 150 days after the first documented COVID-19 case in each county. Increased COVID-19 transmission rates have prompted some critics to call for a smaller, more geographically dispersed industry to make it less susceptible to a pandemic and massive disruptions in the food supply chain. Researchers caution that such a move would come at a price, adding costs to a system designed to eliminate them and ultimately increasing food prices. Economists instead suggest research and investigation into the automation and technological innovations that made the poultry segment of the industry more resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic. Study co-authors include K. Aleks Schaefer with Michigan State University and Daniel Scheitrum with the University of Arizona. ### Original study: COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in U.S. meatpacking counties Topics COVID-19 Meat Processing President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree On the suspension of the citizenship of Ukraine involved in smuggling, Vadym Alperin, Araik Amirkhanian and Oleksandr Yerymychuk about a week ago, but the document is not public, an informed source told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. "This is true. This decree was signed about a week ago. As you know, all decrees on deprivation of citizenship are non-public," the source said. As reported, on April 2, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), for the first time in the history of Ukraine, imposed personal sanctions against ten smugglers, who, according to intelligence agencies, are the "leaders" in this industry. The NSDC sanctions affected companies associated with Vadym Alperin, Oleksandr Chudakov, Viktor Sherman, Oleksandr Kravchenko, Volodymyr Didukh, Ivan Bokalo, Valery Peresoliak, Yuriy Kushnir, Orest Firmaniuk and Oleksandr Yerymychuk. Personal sanctions "for smuggling" were also introduced against the listed citizens. On April 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, by his decree, enacted the NSDC decision providing for the imposition of sanctions against persons recognized as smugglers based on the results of a study conducted by the special services. On April 15, following a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, Zelensky said that the Council would continue to impose sanctions against smugglers, with a list of 12 individuals and legal entities next in line. TORONTO - Small business owners and advocates say Ottawa should rethink the eligibility requirements for subsidies after Mondays federal budget failed to include companies launched shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic or after it began. Mountain Men's Barbershop co-owners Laura-Lee Gambee, left, and Heidi Forster pose in their Collingwood, Ont., shop in an undated handout image. Small business owners and the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses say companies started in the months leading up to COVID-19 or those that opened during the pandemic don't qualify for the recently-extended rent or wage subdies or a new hiring subsidy the government announced Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Kiley VanderMeer, *MANDATORY CREDIT* TORONTO - Small business owners and advocates say Ottawa should rethink the eligibility requirements for subsidies after Mondays federal budget failed to include companies launched shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic or after it began. These companies don't qualify because they haven't been in operation long enough to show the year-over-year revenue declines the programs require, Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly said Tuesday. "There are thousands and thousands of business owners who've received essentially nothing from any of the government support programs and it's deeply unfair," said Kelly, whose organization represents at least 110,000 small businesses in the country. Kelly said the lack of relief for these businesses is "a really, really critical gap." His comments were echoed by some business owners. Honestly, I was praying to the budget yesterday to give me a little bit of help, something to keep me going," said Tanya Thomas, whose company opened in May 2020. Instead, she discovered, "I have to rely on my savings. The cash crunch comes as the country faces a third wave of the virus, which has led to renewed shutdowns across Canada. In response, the budget includes plans to extend existing rent and wage subsidies to September, with an optional one-time to extend until November if the virus has not subsided. In both scenarios, the government will then gradually reduce the amount of money it offers through the subsidies, which were originally due to expire in June. As the programs are wound down, the government will introduce a hiring subsidy of up to 50 per cent or $1,129 per employee per week to run between June and November. "But because they're using the same criteria as the wage subsidy, new businesses won't even qualify for that ... which is nuts to me," said Kelly, who has warned that more than 181,000 small businesses are at risk of closing over the next year. Katherine Cuplinskas, press secretary to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, said in an email that the government's supports target hard-hit businesses and other organizations experiencing a drop in revenue. Companies that opened their doors after March 2020 may be able to access other benefits in the budget like the government's Small Business Financing program. The initiative allows expensing up to $1.5 million of capital investments and a program that helps businesses digitize, she said. "The federal government continues to actively assess its support measures to ensure workers and businesses have the support they need." Thomas, a permanent makeup artist and the owner of the Beauty Refinery in Tecumseh, Ont., previously ran her own business for five years. But when COVID-19 hit and her hairdresser boyfriends hours were cut, they decided to combine their talents in a new company they opened in May 2020. They signed a three-year lease on a space, but then the building was sold and the new owner wanted their spot. Amid all of the stress of finding a new location, Thomas realized her business was so young it didnt qualify for any subsidies. It's depressing to watch something you've worked hard for to build in your bank account and then have it crushed in one year, she said. Laura-Lee Gambee, the co-owner of Mountain Men's Barbershop, was similarly disappointed. Gambee and her two business partners had long planned to open their Collingwood, Ont. shop, but didn't sign a lease until February 2020, just prior to the pandemic. Between lockdowns and other safety measures, the shop didn't open until August and then was shut down again around December, when Ontario salons and barbershops were ordered temporarily closed once more. The owners were unable to qualify for the wage supports, but a Canada Revenue Agency employee helped them fill out the application for a rent subsidy and they received funding. When they went to apply for subsequent rounds of the subsidy, Gambee and her business partners were told they never should have qualified in the first place and had to pay back the $11,000 they received. Gambee was left in tears. "How are we supposed to pay our bills? Our rent is $6,000 a month, she said. We fall through the cracks and that's not really fair. We're being forced to shut down. We have no income. She and Thomas want the government to change its programs to include companies like theirs, but Thomas admits she is not optimistic because she and the CFIB have long advocated for adjustments that have not been implemented. I don't think that we have a chance anymore. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. TOKYO, Apr 20, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Biogen Inc. today announced the publication of an article, A Randomized, Double-Blind Phase 2b Proof of Concept Clinical Trial in Early Alzheimer's Disease with Lecanemab, an Anti-Abeta Protofibril Antibody, in the peer-reviewed journal Alzheimer's Research and Therapy. The manuscript describes results from Study 201, a Phase 2b proof- of-concept clinical trial that explored the impact of treatment with lecanemab (BAN2401) on reducing brain amyloid beta (Abeta) and clinical decline. The manuscript concluded that the pre-specified analysis showed consistent reduction of clinical decline across several clinical and biomarker endpoints at the highest doses, which the Phase 3 clinical trial Clarity AD aims to confirm. The results of Study 201 were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference and Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease in 2018.The lecanemab Clarity AD Phase 3 clinical trial completed enrollment last month with 1,795 symptomatic patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clarity AD is a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, 18-month study with an open-label extension phase designed to confirm safety and efficacy of lecanemab in subjects with early AD. Additionally, the Phase 3 AHEAD 3-45 clinical study is currently exploring lecanemab in individuals with preclinical AD, defined as patients that are clinically asymptomatic, but have intermediate or elevated brain A levels."Amyloid beta aggregates are thought to be more toxic than monomers, and we hypothesized that reducing these could represent an effective treatment approach in early stages of Alzheimer's disease," said Jeffrey Cummings, M.D., ScD, lecanemab manuscript author and director at the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas. "These results from lecanemab's Phase 2b clinical trial are encouraging and the scientific community is looking forward to learning more in the Phase 3 studies, Clarity AD and AHEAD 3-45, currently underway.""These supportive findings from the lecanemab Phase 2b study and the initiation of two Phase 3 studies are exciting for the field and provide the opportunity to further explore the key role of the amyloid beta pathway in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease," said Michael Irizarry, M.D., Vice President, Deputy Chief Clinical Officer, Neurology Business Group, Eisai Inc. "Eisai's precision pipeline approach envisions an Alzheimer's disease treatment paradigm based on a person's pathophysiological biomarker profile along the disease continuum. We are working to advance lecanemab and our other targeted investigational compounds as quickly as possible in our commitment to bringing solutions to patients and their families."For more information, visit https://www.eisai.com/news/2021/pdf/enews202128pdf.pdf.Source: EisaiCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. EIGHTY FOUR, Pa., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 84 Lumber, the nation's largest privately held building materials supplier, is launching a recruitment effort to fill immediate openings at its retail and manufacturing locations in the greater Pittsburgh area. The company will host a Hiring Event on April 27 at the Hampton Inn in Bridgeville, PA (150 Old Pond Road, Bridgeville, PA), located just minutes from 84 Lumber's Bridgeville store. At the event, job seekers will learn more about the company culture and get the opportunity to be interviewed for up to 30 open positions in the area that include manager trainee (MT); lumber yard, warehouse, and production associate; driver; office/operations manager; and field operations manager. "84 Lumber is a Pittsburgh-based company with deep roots in the region. We have 17 stores and one manufacturing plant within 50 miles of Pittsburgh, and we employ nearly 800 associates in the area," said Phil Garuccio, divisional vice president at 84 Lumber. "We're growing along with the growth in the construction industry here in our hometown region of Pittsburgh and across the nation. We're looking for people seeking a fresh start." Garuccio went on to detail the openings in the region: Manager trainees (MTs) hired by 84 Lumber enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is more than $40,000 per year. hired by 84 Lumber enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is more than per year. Lumber yard, warehouse , and production associates need no prior experience and perform essential functions behind the scenes from the management of supply shipments to the operation of equipment. Production associates work in the manufacturing processes related to engineered wood products, trusses, and components. These associates can expect a starting pay of between $12 and $17 per hour based on experience. , need no prior experience and perform essential functions behind the scenes from the management of supply shipments to the operation of equipment. Production associates work in the manufacturing processes related to engineered wood products, trusses, and components. These associates can expect a starting pay of between and per hour based on experience. Drivers load trucks and deliver materials to customer job sites. Hourly pay for the job is between $12 and $17 per hour depending on experience. load trucks and deliver materials to customer job sites. Hourly pay for the job is between and per hour depending on experience. Office/operations manager positions can serve as a springboard into the different departments at 84 Lumber's headquarters, including Pricing, Inventory Management, Human Resources, and Purchasing. Starting compensation is approximately $38,000 to $40,000 annually depending on experience. can serve as a springboard into the different departments at 84 Lumber's headquarters, including Pricing, Inventory Management, Human Resources, and Purchasing. Starting compensation is approximately to annually depending on experience. Field operations managers are part of the company's field operations team, which provide support to the stores. These individuals assist with operations projects at various locations. Starting pay is $45,000 to $50,000 depending on experience. "We are a family-owned company, which means we are committed to helping our employees build and cultivate a career with us. In fact, 95% of our store managers started in our manager trainee program," Garuccio said. "As we see it, 84 Lumber recruits individuals with a can-do attitude, a willingness to work hard, and a desire to learn. Once we find these people and they join the company, we teach and train them and find ways for them to grow with us." Garuccio added that 84 Lumber expects it might find the right fit from all types of candidates an individual with no construction experience, military veterans ready to embark on their next career challenge, or people with some previous work experience who seek to redirect their career. Candidates interested in participating in the Hiring Event are asked to pre-register. To sign up, go to http://www.84americandream.com/pittsburgh and complete the form. Once you are registered, you will receive an email from 84 Lumber with the link to apply for the desired position. To save time, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for positions online before they attend the event. NOTE: 84 Lumber requires all attendees to wear a mask at the event. Recruits will also be asked to practice social distancing during the Hiring Event. In addition, candidates will be required to undergo a background check and drug screening prior to receiving an offer of employment. To learn more about 84 Lumber, follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. ABOUT 84 LUMBER Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 84 Lumber Company is the nation's largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. The company operates nearly 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops and engineered wood product centers in more than 30 states. 84 Lumber also offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking and drywall. A certified national women's business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy Knox, 84 Lumber was named by Forbes as one of America's Largest Private Companies in 2018 and one of America's Best Large Employers in 2019. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or join us at Facebook.com/84lumber and linkedin.com/company/84-lumber . SOURCE 84 Lumber Related Links https://www.84lumber.com/ A vigil in Indianapolis, Indiana, to remember the victims of a shooting at a FedEx Ground facility. JEFF DEAN/AFP via Getty Images Brandon Hole was identified as the gunman in last week's shooting at an Indianapolis FedEx facility. Police said Monday that they detained Hole a year ago, after he threatened to kill himself. While securing his room, an officer noticed white supremacist websites on Hole's computer. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The 19-year-old man who killed eight in a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week, before taking his own life, was caught visiting white supremacist websites a year before the attack, police said. Brandon Hole. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department via AP In a Monday update, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department provided more information on a previous encounter its officers had with shooter Brandon Hole. Police said Hole's mother contacted them on March 3, 2020, telling officers that her son had bought a shotgun the previous day and threatened to attempt "suicide by cop." "Suicide by cop" is used to provoke law-enforcement officers to shoot in defense of civilians or themselves. Officers went to the family's home where they detained Hole, who became "immediately anxious" and asked that someone turn the power strip off on his computer, according to an incident report released by the IMPD. "I don't want anyone to see what's on it," Hole said at the time, according to the report. One of the officers went upstairs to clear Hole's bedroom and retrieve the shotgun and "observed what through his training and experience indicated was white supremacist websites," the report said. A sergeant in criminal intelligence "was contacted and made aware of the content observed on Brandon Hole's computer," according to the report. Four of the eight victims killed in the April 15 FedEx facility shooting were Sikhs, a religious group that started in India in the 15th century. About 90% of the workers at the facility were members of the local Sikh community, Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor said Friday, according to the Associated Press. Story continues Hole had previously worked at the facility, but was fired in October 2020 for not showing up to work, a police press release said. After the March 2020 incident, Hole was taken to the hospital for further assessment. He later told officers that he didn't want his shotgun back, and it remains in storage pending destruction, the police said. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms found that Hole had legally obtained the two weapons used in the FedEx facility shooting from authorized dealers in July and September 2020 respectively, the police said. According to the Sikh Coalition, Sikhs first started immigrating to Indiana about 50 years ago, and started their first gurdwara, or house of worship, in 1999. Today, there are 10 gurdwaras across the state and an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Sikhs in Indiana, the group said. Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world and there are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs living in the US, the Sikh Coalition said. Read the original article on Insider Chinese envoy to UN encourages more people to use Chinese language Xinhua) 15:39, April 20, 2021 UNITED NATIONS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday encouraged more people to use the Chinese language as a means of knowing more about China and the United Nations (UN). In a video message, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, noted that April 20 is the UN Chinese Language Day. "Legend has it that Cangjie created Chinese characters on this day. The Chinese language, written in Chinese characters, is a crystallization of Chinese wisdom and a common asset of all humankind," he said. "Chinese is one of the six official languages of the UN. The use of Chinese has ensured the effective implementation of the work of the UN and enhanced the understanding of the UN by the Chinese people and Chinese speakers," the ambassador said. "We hope that the UN will continue to uphold multilingualism and strive to achieve equality in the use of Chinese and other official languages." The Chinese language, he said, has witnessed the history of the UN's founding and China's participation in UN endeavors. "In the five decades since the restoration of its lawful seat in the UN, China has actively participated in UN's work, firmly upheld the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and made significant contributions to world peace and development," said Zhang. "On the occasion of the 12th Chinese Language Day, I express my hope that more people will love and learn the Chinese language, and use it to know more about China and the UN," he said. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) In a joint virtual session with research firm Environics, Pivotree's VP of Product Management will share insights on the Six Dimensions of Frictionless Commerce. TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Pivotree Inc. (TSXV: PVT) ("Pivotree" or the "Company"), a leading provider of Frictionless Commerce solutions, today announced details of its upcoming Keynote Session at the B2B Online Virtual Event, being held on April 27th at 3:40pm ET. In a joint session with research leader Environics, Pivotree's VP of Product Management Mike Leibovitz will delve into the "Six Dimensions of Frictionless Commerce" and share insights from a recent survey conducted with over 3,800 North American consumers. "We know that a consumer's effortless, personalized buying experience is the result of a well-oiled Frictionless Commerce machine, starting from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing and getting the product into the buyer's hands," said Mike Leibovitz, VP of Product Management at Pivotree. "That's why, now more than ever, it's critical for B2B organizations to assess their entire value chain, streamline internal procedures, and create experiences that earn customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. We are proud to partner with Environics to share our insights with some of the leading manufacturers and distributors around the globe at B2B Online Connect, furthering our mission of advancing a world of Frictionless Commerce." The virtual keynote session will include findings from a recent Pivotree and Environics research report, Delivering Frictionless Commerce: A guide to understanding customer expectations and growing brand loyalty, and discuss the "Six Dimensions of Frictionless Commerce" required to identify and eliminate friction points across an organization's end-to-end value chain. The report shows that 49 percent of consumers who shopped online in the past six months are dissatisfied with their overall e-commerce experience. If brands want to turn the tides, research shows that they must adopt Frictionless Commerce Solutions to strengthen brand loyalty and affinity. Further highlights of the report include: The six dimensions of frictionless commerce and how they look in action. How businesses should prioritize the dimensions for greater success. What friction looks like to consumers. Metrics for determining future buying behavior. Three key barriers to success that businesses face in 2021 (and what's required to overcome them). Pivotree is providing free access to its B2B Online keynote session via a direct registration link. About Pivotree Pivotree is a leading global commerce and MDM services provider. It is an end-to-end vendor supporting clients from strategy, platform selection, deployment, and hosting through to ongoing support. It operates as a single expert resource to help companies adapt relentlessly in an ever-changing digital commerce landscape. Leading and innovative clients rely on Pivotree's deep expertise to choose enterprise-proven solutions and design, build, and connect critical systems to run smoothly at defining moments in a commerce business. Pivotree serves as a trusted partner to over 170 market-leading brands and forward-thinking B2C and B2B companies, including many companies in the Fortune 1000. With offices and customers in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, Pivotree is widely recognized as a high-growth company and industry leader around the globe. For more information, visit https://pivotree.com/. About Environics Research Environics Research provides organizations with actionable, evidence-based solutions to real business problems. We partner with clients to understand the business challenges they face, and leverage innovative and creative solutions to generate understanding and insights. Environics Research is a leader in understanding social values. Social values represent a person's mental posture or fundamental world view, and set the context for reactions to situations, events, opportunities or challenges. Our unique interdisciplinary approach combines market research, business intelligence, design-thinking and sector expertise to help clients go the last mile between insights and final direction on business problems. For more information, visit https://environics.ca. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Pivotree Inc. After having trouble with misplacing his smartphone-ish sized Nintendo Switch, Michael Pick decided to fix that by making something that was a little bit larger and harder to lose. A Huntsville-area based software engineer, Pick constructed a swimming-pool-float sized and fully functional Switch. He captured the process on a YouTube video thats been watched more than 200,000 times. In the video, Pick describes the device as the worlds largest fully functional Nintendo Switch. Materials used include a TV for the screen and a frame made from wood. Every single button works, even the side triggers, Pick says in a voiceover for the video. In addition to build and how it works footage, the video includes visuals of Pick playing games including Mario Kart and Fortnight on the giant Switch. The device is playable via onboard controls or external controller. The video ends with Pick packing up the giant Switch into a Home Depot rental van and taking it to Nashvilles Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt to donate, as part of the hospitals ongoing toy drive. You can watch the giant Switch YouTube video below. The New Democratic Partys April 9-11 federal convention was an abysmal spectacle. It combined complacency and self delusion with a fraudulent attempt to cast Canadas social democrats as fighters for working people. The trade union-backed NDP has propped up the big business Trudeau Liberal government on every critical parliamentary vote since the October 2019 election, and has long painted the Liberals as fellow, if insufficiently consistent, progressives. Yet at the convention, the NDP leadership, cheered on by a chorus of pseudo-left groups, postured as trenchant critics of Trudeau and his Liberals, accusing them of pandering to the corporate establishment and billionaires. Fear that their proximity to the Liberals will prove electorally damaging was one factor motivating the NDP leaderships attempt to put some distance between itself and the government. Another, even greater concern, was the growth of anti-capitalist sentiment among workers and youth, fueled by ever-deepening social inequality and the Canadian capitalist elites disastrous mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh at the 2021 NDP convention (Photo credit: Canadian Dimension) After years of scurrying ever further right, the social democrats sense the need to make a rhetorical shift. They are adopting policies championed by senator and failed US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Socialists of America and with the same aimto trap leftward-moving workers and youth within capitalist establishment politics. At the convention, federal party leader Jagmeet Singh huffed and puffed as if there was nothing more that he would like to do than blow down the Liberals house. One of the things we notice throughout this pandemic very clearly, he asserted in his keynote address is that the Liberals have shown again and again, how theyre in it for the ultra-rich, and theyre not in it for you or your family. Ive heard it said, he continued, that in this pandemic were all in the same boat. I disagree. Were not actually in the same boat. Were certainly in the same storm. But some of us are in leaky lifeboats, while others are in luxury yachts. In this storm, the Liberals continue to side with those in luxury yachts. No one at the convention was impolite enough to point out that the chief reason why the Liberals have been able to side with those in luxury yachts is because Singhs NDP has kept them in officeindeed, he has vowed the NDP will continue to do so until the pandemic is over; and because the NDPs trade union allies have systematically suppressed the class struggle. However, it would be unfair to single out Singh, whose leadership was confirmed by a resounding vote of 87 percent of delegates, for special criticism. The NDP and trade union apparatuses as a whole, including the Socialist Caucus and the rest of the NDPs anemic left-wing, are complicit in this political fraud. There was much hullabaloo about radical-sounding resolutions submitted to the convention by constituency associations and the Young New Democrats that called for the abolition of billionaires, a halt to defence-related exports to Israel and defunding the police. Yet not one of the close to five hundred membership resolutions so much as criticized the NDP for its support for a government that has strengthened the Canada-US military strategic partnership and is spearheading the ruling class homicidal drive to keep the economy open amid the pandemic. Nor was there any opposition to the corporatist alliance between the trade unions, big business, and the Trudeau government, which has been taken to a qualitatively new level during the pandemic on the basis of a commitment to keep businesses open at all costs and restructure Canadian capitalism to boost its global competitiveness, i.e., corporate profits. The attitude of even the most left sections of the party was summed up by the leader of Fightback, Alex Grant, when he penned an article that dismissed the NDPs support for the Liberals September 2020 throne speech as irrelevant. In that the throne speech, the Trudeau Liberals stipulated that in the event of a spike in COVID-19 infections, any future lockdowns should be local and short-term, thereby paving the way for the pandemics deadly second and third waves that have claimed the lives of close to 15,000 Canadians. The throne speech also laid out the Liberals plans to promote green capitalism and support corporate Canada in advancing its global interests amid bitter inter-imperialist and great-power economic and geopolitical rivalries. This program of mass infection and death based on the reopening of the economy and schools, stepped up exploitation for workers, and subsidies to the corporate elite and super-rich was worked out during months of backroom consultations between business lobbyists, the leaders of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Unifor, and other unions, and the government. At the beginning of the pandemic, CLC President Hassan Yussuff appealed for a collaborative front with corporate Canada. This collaborative front has been realized through the unions efforts to corral workers into unsafe factories, warehouses, and schools, and their denunciations of job action to protect workers health and livesas at Cargills High River, Alberta meatpacking plantas illegal. The NDP convention underscored the partys support for this right-wing corporatist agenda when, at the leaderships urging, it voted by the more than two-thirds majority necessary to increase union representation at future NDP conventions. This change was also bound up with the NDPs fear that it is losing out to the big business Liberals in securing the union bureaucracys political and financial support. As the NDP repudiated its traditional national-reformist program in the 1990s and the first years of this century, it reduced the unions role in the partys councils so as to demonstrate to the ruling elite that it was abandoning even the most tenuous claims to be a labour or working class party. The fact that the social democrats now feel the need to reverse course to avoid being sidelined by the Liberalsthe Canadian ruling class traditional preferred party of national governmentillustrates just how fully the trade unions have been integrated into the political and corporate establishment. The convention also glossed over the NDPs staunch pro-imperialist stance, including its endorsement of the Trudeau governments plans to procure new fleets of warplanes and warships, and its support for Canadas participation in a series of ruinous US-led wars over the past three decades. Last November, the NDP responded to the victory of Democrat Joseph Biden in the US presidential election by introducing a motion in parliament, which won unanimous support, that called on the government to deepen Canadas long-standing military-strategic partnership with US imperialism and accord Biden the privilege of addressing a joint session of the House of Commons and Senate. The Biden administrations foreign policy, which is fully endorsed by the Canadian ruling elite, is based on a provocative escalation of its diplomatic, military, and economic offensive against China and Russia. This has vastly accelerated the danger of a catastrophic war, as the military build-up in the Black Sea region and the mounting tensions with Beijing over Taiwan in recent weeks testify. In a document agreed at a Canada-US bilateral summit in February, Trudeau made clear that Canadian imperialism will line up with the United States in such a conflict by committing, among other things, to the modernization of NORAD and to supporting Washingtons anti-China trade-war policy. The NDP has also signalled that it supports the US military-strategic offensive against China, including a catastrophic military conflict, by repeatedly lining up with the hard-right Conservatives to attack the Liberal government from the right for allegedly being too soft towards Beijing. In the latest example of this, NDP MPs last week gave unanimous support to a Tory motion declaring Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to be an ideal candidate for the Halifax International Security Forums John McCain Leadership Award in Public Service and calling on the government to continue funding the forum, which was established under the Harper government to facilitate closer collaboration between US and Canadian political and military leaders. The NDPs pathetic attempt to posture as a left alternative was given a considerable boost by the overwhelmingly favourable coverage the convention received from the corporate-controlled media. The CBC, Hill Times, and even the neoconservative National Post published lengthy articles presenting in detail various radical resolutions, none of which got onto the convention floor, including a proposal to eliminate billionaires through a 100 percent tax on wealth above a $999 million threshold and the abolition of the armed forces. The extensive media attention given to these ostensibly left resolutions is explained by the fact that the ruling elite knows full well that the NDP would never vote for, let alone implement them, and that the NDPs credentials as a socialist party must be bolstered so it can prevent radicalized workers and young people from finding their way to a genuine socialist organization. This latter task is performed above all by the pseudo-left groups, including the Socialist Caucus, Fightback, and International Socialists, that operate in and around the NDP, which they absurdly present as a mass, working class party. In the end, NDP delegates supported various non-binding resolutions, including a $20 minimum wage, a 1 percent tax on wealth over $20 million, and an end to private long-term care. Members of the partys left celebrated the passage of a resolution calling for a Canadian embargo on trade with illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank, and the ending of military and defence-related exports to Israel. The worthlessness of these measures is shown by the fact that of the 29 resolutions adopted at the NDPs previous convention, 14 were arbitrarily excluded from the partys policy book. Even resolutions that make it into the policy book after careful vetting by the leadership do not automatically feature in election campaigns. Moreover, once in power, the NDP, as demonstrated by decades of bitter experience, genuflects before big business and abandons even timid reform proposals to impose the agenda of the ruling class. Sienna Miller has revealed that she once when skinny dipping while hungover and she found the experience 'invigorating'. The actress, 39, admitted that she decided to go wild swimming with a friend after drinking a 'bit too much wine' in November. Sienna joked that it 'knocked the hangover out' and that she was craving some sort of 'extreme experience' during the pandemic. Cheeky! Sienna Miller has revealed that she once when skinny dipping while hungover and she found the experience 'invigorating' (pictured in 2019) According to the Daily Star, the actress revealed: 'I was last naked outdoors in November when I went wild swimming with my best friend in a lake. 'I felt invigorated. Wed had a bit too much wine the night before and it knocked the hangover out. 'I think we were craving some extreme experience or feeling, because weve all been denied all of those things.' Sienna isn't the only actress who enjoys skinny dipping and only recently Catherine Tyldesley admitted that she loves the daring hobby too as it 'feels lovely'. 'A bit too much wine!': The actress, 39, admitted that she decided to go wild swimming with a friend after drinking a 'bit too much wine' in November (pictured in 2016) Talking on Russell Kane's Are Men More Reckless Than Women? podcast in March, the former Coronation Street star, 37, insisted that it is 'quite a natural' thing to do as you feel 'so free'. Elsewhere, Sienna is currently busy filming new political series Anatomy Of A Scandal in London. The actress is starring as the wife of a shamed politician played by Rupert Friend. The plot of the movie follows the trial of the Eton-educated politician after he's accused of sexually assaulting a young political aide. A celeb favourite! Sienna isn't the only actress who enjoys skinny dipping and only recently Catherine Tyldesley, pictured, admitted that she loves the daring hobby too as it 'feels lovely' Anatomy Of A Scandal is based on the acclaimed 2018 bestseller by former political journalist Sarah Vaughan. The serious plot revolves around James Whitehouse's rape accusation filed by an aide with whom he'd been having an affair. The cast of the six-part series, which Netflix describes as 'an insightful and suspenseful series about sexual consent and privilege', also includes Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery as the high-flying prosecutor and Naomi Scott as the aide. Sophie, played by Sienna, is convinced that he is innocent and will do whatever it takes to protect her family in the wake of the scandal. Meanwhile, criminal barrister Kate (Michelle) is equally convinced that James is guilty and is determined to see he pays for his crimes. It's thought the series could focus on a different political scandal each season in an anthology style, similar to BBC's A Very English Scandal according to Deadline. It is being directed by SJ Clarkson, with David E. Kelley, the man behind the Sky drama The Undoing starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, acting as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Keeping busy, Sienna starred in the drama film Wander Darkly this year, while she appeared as Roger Ailes' wife Beth in the miniseries The Loudest Voice the year before. Nine Nigerians suspected to be fugitive jailbreakers from the Federal Republic of Nigeria have been arrested by the Ada District Police Command. They were arrested last Sunday at Ada Foah. The nine, including a female, are Emmanuel Obinnah Chiedozie, aged 27; Steve Eyenuku, 33; Enebeli Lucky, 29; Yommi Usmah, 29; Kelli Ekureni, 33; Freedom Yusuf, 25; Obi Onuora, 38; Patrick Chanar, 47, and Bless Eyenuku, 25. The nine crossed the Volta River to Ada Foah in the Greater Accra Region and were in the process of going to Accra when they were apprehended. They were arrested at the lorry station at Ada Foah. Items found on them included passports, ID cards, personal belongings, 1,460 naira, GH2,053 and other belongings. Prison Break On April 5, this year, about 1,844 inmates escaped from a prison in Owerri, the capital of Imo State in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria. That was after the prison was attacked by heavily armed men. Reports indicate that the armed men carrying rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns gained access to the prison after blasting the administrative block with explosives. Apart from freeing the prisoners, the attackers also left a trail of destruction by burning vehicles parked at the prison, among other items. High alert Few days after the prison break, the Ghana Immigration Service issued a directive to all its commanders and men at the countrys entry points to be on high alert and prevent any attempt by the prison breakers to gain entry into the country. The directive was signed by a Deputy Comptroller General of the Service, Mr Laud Kwesi Afrifa. 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 Glyndwr University enters plans to transform part of main campus building in Wrexham Glyndwr University has entered plans to transform part of its main campus building in Wrexham. The university previously revealed proposals worth 60m to improve its facilities, including the Plas Coch campus on Mold Road. It now wants to convert a corridor used as offices for its staff into teaching space. The university said the internal works had been designed to retain all the historical features of the building and to remove any modern additions. In documents submitted to Wrexham Council, architects acting on the universitys behalf said: The main Plas Coch campus is the iconic building that is the centre piece of the university. B corridor is accessed from the main foyer building which is the focal point to the arrival experience of all building users and visitors alike. This main campus building is currently used by a number of academics as private office accommodation. As part of a wider site master planning exercise, the strategic relocation of the staff in this location and the re-purposing of this space is giving the student experience a home right in the heart of the campus where it should be. They added: The scope of this project is looking to create a number of interventions to enable the internal space to be used as flexible, futureproofed teaching facilities that will bring an animated frontage to the campus and hope to bring the Mold Road elevation to life. The proposal will look to removal all non-historical works that will be closer to the original intended form of this elevation. They added the learning spaces will have an open design to encourage interaction between students and staff. The local authority is expected to make a decision on the proposals at a later date. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has sharply criticized a "scandalous" request by Russian prosecutors to have the Anti-Corruption Foundation of imprisoned opposition politician Aleksei Navalny banned as an extremist organization. "If the designation is imposed, these organizations activities would be banned, and their staff members and supporters could face criminal prosecution and possible prison time," the New York-based watchdog said in a statement on April 19. On April 16, the Moscow prosecutors office asked the Moscow City Court to label as extremist three organizations tied to Navalny -- the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the Citizens Rights Protection Foundation, and Navalnys regional headquarters. Prosecutors said the organizations were engaged in creating conditions for destabilizing the social and sociopolitical situation under the guise of their liberal slogans. "The prosecutors office should immediately withdraw its request and end this latest attempt to silence and oppress any opposition and dissent in the country," the statement said. Under Russian law, membership in or funding of an extremist organization is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Pursuing an extremist label against these organizations takes the Kremlins persecution of vocal critics to a new low, said Hugh Williamson, HRW's Europe and Central Asia director. "It is ill-founded, scandalous, and another sign of the Kremlins rejection of fundamental democratic rights and determination to hold onto power at all costs. The move is the latest in a series of assaults on Navalny since he suffered a nerve-agent poisoning attack in August 2020. He and his supporters blame that attack on Federal Security Service (FSB) operatives acting at the behest of authoritarian President Vladimir Putin. Amnesty International in a statement on April 17 also criticized the move. Tens of thousands of peaceful activists and the staff of Aleksei Navalnys organizations are in grave danger, Natalia Zviagina, head of Amnestys Moscow office, said in the statement. If their organizations are deemed extremist they will all be at imminent risk of criminal prosecution. The Amnesty statement also decried Russias long history of abusing anti-extremism legislation and said that if the courts grant the prosecutors request on labelling Navalnys organization extremist, the result will likely be one of the most serious blows for the rights to freedom of expression and association in Russias post-Soviet history. Navalny spent weeks in Germany recuperating from the attack. When he returned to Russia in January, he was arrested and later sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges he says were trumped up to hinder his political activity. Navalny has been on a hunger strike in prison since March 31, demanding he be examined by his own doctor amid what his supporters have described as a deliberate campaign by prison officials to undermine his health. Former Governor Maidavolu Narasimham, famously known as the father of Indian banking reforms, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 94. He was born in 1927 and hails from Mydavolu village of Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh. Narasimham was the 13th governor of RBI and he served as the central bank head from May 2, 1977 to November 30, 1977. Narasimham was the first and so far the only governor to be appointed from the Reserve Bank cadre, having joined the Bank as a Research Officer in the Economic Department. He later joined the government and prior to his appointment as governor he served as Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs. After his short term as RBI governor, he served as India's executive director at the World Bank and later at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Narasimham also headed various committees including the one on Financial System, 1991 and the Committee of Banking Sector Reforms, 1998. Narasimham was awarded Padma Vibhushan award in the year 2000. (Photo : Screenshot From Pxhere Official Website) Police Will Use Warrants to Investigate the Recent Tesla Crash Texas to See if Autopilot was Enabled The police investigates the clarify if autopilot was indeed enabled and caused the April 19 fatal Tesla crash in Texas. The crash took the lives of two individuals aboard the Tesla vehicle, and although Tesla CEO Elon Musk has clarified that autopilot was not on, the feds are officially going to serve search warrants in order to find the truth. Tesla Model S Crash According to Reuters' April 19 report, the police are going to serve search warrants on Tesla this Tuesday to secure data from the recent Tesla Model S crash that happened all the way in Texas. This news was reported to Reuters by Harris County Constable Precinct 4's Mark Herman. The report was in response to a tweet by Elon Musk defending Tesla saying the data logs that the company has recovered so far indicate that autopilot was not enabled in the Tesla crash Houston. This is something that the police want to investigate in order to find out the truth of the matter. Evidence of Tesla Being Enabled or Not A certain individual going by Ahmad A Dalhat on Twitter had privately investigated the matter noted that nothing made sense and that there are safety measures in place along with the autopilot seat, making sure that it is weighed and that there is a driver. It was also said that the driver's hands have to be on the steering wheel every 10 seconds; otherwise, the Autopilot will disengage. It was also noted that Autopilot actually does not go over the speed limit making it impossible. Shortly after the tweet, Elon Musk agreed with the logic behind why the Autopilot was not engaged. It was also noted that there were no FSDs purchased for that specific car. Elon Musk then also noted that the standard Autopilot would require the car's lane lines to simply turn on which the street did not have. Your research as a private individual is better than professionals @WSJ! Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2021 Read Also: Tesla Beats Analysts Estimates Sales Reaching 184,800 Cars in 2021 Alone: China and Europe Efforts Paying Off Is Tesla at Fault? The debate is ongoing as to whether or not the Tesla model S that crashed really did have autopilot on or not. The investigation is still ongoing with the police set to serve warrants in order to thoroughly investigate what really happened. There has not yet been any official findings on the recent Tesla crash since the investigation is ongoing. As of the moment, there are still a lot of angles being investigated but the most critical of them all is finding out whether or not the autopilot was really on and if it was the main cause for the death of the two victims. The ongoing investigation will be investigated by the police with the use of warrants in order to access Tesla's data. Related Article: Elon Musk Announces Starlink Will Be Fully Mobile Late 2021: Users Can Use it On RV or Trucks in Motion This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HELENA, Mont. Governor Greg Gianforte signed two bills to help address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) in Montana on Monday. Montana faces a tragic trend of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, and we must bring all resources to bear in state and tribal government as well as law enforcement to end it, Gov. Gianforte said. These new laws equip the state with the tools needed to track data, raise awareness and strengthen interagency collaboration to protect Montanas indigenous persons. Im grateful to Representative Stewart-Peregoy for her dedication to ending this crisis and for her leadership in getting these bipartisan bills to my desk. Sponsored by Representative Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D-Crow Agency), House Bill 35 establishes the Missing Indigenous Persons Review Commission at the Montana Department of Justice. The attorney general will appoint members of the commission, to include representatives from tribes, state government, nonprofits, and local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement. The governor also signed Representative Stewart-Peregoys House Bill 98, extending the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force and the Looping in Native Communities (LINC) grant program. The intent of this suite of bills is to ensure that gaps in the justice and law enforcement system are filled so that our brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles are found and brought home, Rep. Stewart-Peregoy said. Misty Kuhl, an Aaniiih member of the Fort Belknap Indian Community and the governors Director of Indian Affairs, emphasized the need to address this urgent crisis, adding, "There probably isn't anyone in a Native Community who hasnt been impacted by this crisis. Too many grieve a missing or murdered friend, relative, or acquaintance. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons is an epidemic for urban Natives, the Tribes, and Montana. It is crucial the partnership to fight these tragedies continues. Thank you to Rep. Stewart-Peregoy for continuing to champion for the victims and survivors, Gov. Gianforte for your dedicated advocacy, and to the Montana Legislature for your bipartisan support. In his January State of the State address, Gov. Gianforte called on the legislature to send to his desk measures to address the MMIP crisis. Time is of the essence, and we must act urgently to curb this tragic trend. Its critical that we bring all voices to the table, and that all voices are heard, Gov. Gianforte said. In Montana, Native Americans make up about 7% of the population, but they account for about 26% of missing persons. Between 2017 and 2019, nearly 80% of those reported missing were teenagers younger than 18 years of age. Native American women face a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average, and 84% experience some form of violence in their lifetime. WEST SPRINGFIELD The West of the River Regional Collaborative Vaccine site will start giving COVID-19 shots at noon Tuesday at The Big E. The opening follows a morning of tours for workers and public officials, a news conference set for 10 a.m. and weeks of preparation by the Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield and its partners: Agawam, Westfield, Southwick, Tolland and Granville. Staffers with the Hampden County Sheriffs Department will help with intake paperwork. Paramedics from West Springfield, Agawam, Westfield and Southwick will do the actual vaccinating. We are ready to go, said Carly Camossi, chief of operations for the town of West Springfield. This has been a longtime coming. Massachusetts was among the states that opened up vaccinations to all adults Monday. After Tuesday, The Big E clinic will be open earlier in the day, at 9:30 a.m., and run to 3:30 p.m. The clinic will be in The Big Es transportation building, a large shelter for bus traffic behind the Avenue of the States. All traffic will use Gate 1 coming and going. There are 560 people signed up for shots Tuesday, Camossi said. And that will be about par for the course. The state told the towns to expect just 1,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine each week. This despite the clinics ability to process as many as 1,300 people a day. Eugene J. Cassidy, president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition, said he hopes that by running well, the clinic can garner more doses of vaccine from the state over time. Residents of the participating towns can make an appointment via phone or email with their local health department. People can make appointments through the state vaccine website, the states appointment preregistration service. The Big Es job has been to prepare the grounds for a large number of people, a specialty considering the fall fair can draw 1.5 million people over a 17-day run and and crowds can top 170,000 a day on weekends. Its ready to go now, it looks pretty good, Cassidy said. The Big E normally uses the space for storage in the off-season. So it had to be emptied and cleaned. The Big E decorated it with some lighted trees, antique wagons and a large painted panel completed by a graffiti artist for the 2019 fair. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced last Thursday that the countrys remaining 80 troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by the end of the year, bringing to a close Australias continuous involvement in the longest-running war of recent history. The announcement underscored the extent to which Morrisons Liberal-National Coalition government, with the full support of the Labor opposition, is marching in lockstep with the US administration of President Joseph Biden. It came a day after Biden had declared that American troops would leave Afghanistan by the end of the year. Australian Special Air Service (SAS) soldier murdering unarmed Afghan civilian (Screenshot from video leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in March 2020) As the WSWS has noted, the withdrawal will not end the decades of imperialist criminality visited upon the Afghan people. The Central Asian nation will still be ruled over by a US-aligned puppet government, thousands of American military advisors and intelligence operatives will remain, and murderous drone warfare is to continue. Morrison, like Biden, presented the invasion and occupation, which has claimed at least 100,000 Afghan lives and further laid waste to one of the poorest countries on earth, as a noble exercise in philanthropy. The PM affected emotion as he read out the names of the 41 Australian military personnel who died in the conflict. The war had taken a heavy toll, Morrison said, but freedom is always worth itThat is why Australians who have served in our defence forces have always pulled on that uniform. One reporter pointed to the elephant in the room, referencing the official Brereton report, released last November. It found credible evidence that Australian troops had committed war crimes in Afghanistan, including at least 39 murders, torture, and a redacted incident described as possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australias military history. Morrison was having none of it. There will be time to talk about those things. Today is not that time, he replied. In fact, the government and Labor opposition do not want to talk about the atrocities at any time. Five months after the Brereton report appeared, an official investigation into whether criminal charges can be brought against any of the perpetrators is proceeding at a snails pace. Despite the fact that no one has been held accountable, Defence Minister Peter Dutton has insisted that it is time to move on and for the military to get back to business. His assistant minister Andrew Hastie, a former special forces captain in Afghanistan, was more explicit, declaring last week that the military had to focus on its core business, which was the application of lethal violence in the defence of our values, sovereignty and interests. Liberal backbencher and Afghan veteran Phillip Thompson, who is collaborating closely with Dutton and Hastie, added that the military had been beleaguered in recent times by a culture of woke political correctness. When soldiers were deployed on operations, Thompson said, they needed to have an unapologetic aggression and violence to get the mission done. Dutton put this line into practice yesterday, overruling a recommendation from the Brereton Inquiry for the removal of a meritorious citation awarded to the Special Operations Task Group. The award honoured the group for its activities over the same period that some of its members were accused of murdering, torturing and otherwise terrorising the Afghan population. In other words, the capstone of Australias involvement in Afghanistan is a more or less open defence of shock troops accused of the gravest violations of international law. This underscores the criminality of Australias participation in the war, and the fraudulent character of the paeans to a supposedly humanitarian mission by virtually the entire political and media establishment. Australias two decades in Afghanistan implicate the ruling class in all of the crimes committed by the US and allied forces against the oppressed nation. This began with the 2001 invasion itself. The Coalition government of Prime Minister John Howard was among the most enthusiastic participants in the launching of a war of aggression. Together with Labor leader Kim Beazley, dubbed bomber Beazley because of his promotion of imperialist interventions, the Howard government touted the fraudulent claim that the conflict was a legitimate war on terror prompted by the 9/11 attacks, and immediately committed troops. In reality, the US had long been preparing a war aimed at securing greater dominance over the geo-strategically crucial Central Asian region. Australian troop numbers ebbed and flowed over the course of the conflict, in line with the requests of the US, but the unconditional support for the occupation, on the part of Labor and the Coalition, has been a constant. The first public allegations of Australian war crimes, date from 2006, and involve reports of unarmed civilians being shot dead. Between 2001 and 2009, the Australian authorities paid some $120,000 in compensation to Afghan civiliansa tacit admission that such events did take place. Every military force involved in the occupation has had similar charges laid against it. The most-heavily documented Australian war crimes, covered in the Brereton report, span from 2009 to 2013. The timing is hardly an accident, coinciding with the most active combat role that Australian troops took at any point during the occupation. While Australias troop deployment may not have been as large as other US allies, it played a crucial role in the illegal war, stepping in precisely when the US occupation was under challenge. In 2010, as Afghan militias stepped up their struggle against the occupation, the US intensified a counter-insurgency operation, including through a massive troop surge overseen by the Obama administration. The Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard fully supported this effort, presiding over a dramatic increase of Australias participation in US kill or capture operations targeting alleged Taliban commanders. Contemporaneous press reports revealed that between December 2010 and September 2011, Australian troops had played a central role in more than 30 of these decapitation raids. During this period, Australian forces took a lead role in Uruzgan province, following the withdrawal of troops by the Netherlands. There they partnered with Matiullah Khan, a warlord involved in drug-running, extortion and the murder of his political rivals. The actions of the Australian special forces, as documented in the Brereton report and whistleblower exposures, themselves resemble those of a criminal gang. Junior soldiers were blooded by murdering civilians; illegal killings were covered up by planting weapons on the victims, detainees were routinely tortured, if not done away with altogether. While the Brereton report states that there is evidence of 39 murders, it acknowledges that there were likely more. There is good reason to believe that the figure is a significant understatement. A preliminary 2016 report heard accounts of My Lai-style massacres. When they raided a village, Australian troops would take the men and boys to these guest houses and interrogate them, meaning tie them up and torture them. After the soldiers left, the men and boys would be found dead, shot in the head, sometimes blindfolded and throats slit. These are corroborated accounts. The entire Australian establishment is implicated in the atrocities. This includes various Greens and left-liberals, who promoted the Afghan occupation as the good war, contrasting it with the quagmire in Iraq and even claiming that it was being waged to advance the rights of women as such crimes were taking place. The official haste to move on from the war crimes is a continuation of a protracted cover-up. It is motivated by the untenable character of the central claim of the Brereton report, namely that no one in government or military command was aware of the crimes as they were being carried out. In reality, the atrocities flowed directly from the counter-insurgency operation presided over by governments and army headquarters, and the predatory nature of the entire war. The attempts to downplay the war crimes, coupled with the promotion of an aggressive military oriented to the application of lethal force, are also bound up with Australias central role in the US preparations for war against China. Bidens withdrawal is explicitly aimed at concentrating American forces in the Indo-Pacific, to target China, and in eastern Europe, where they are directed against Russia. Australia has been aligned with the US pivot to Asia, since it was announced by Obama in 2011. Dutton and Morrison, with the backing of Labor have signalled a further intensification of Australian involvement, backing all of the provocations and threats against Beijing by the Trump and Biden administrations over the past year. Duttons recent installation as defence minister has coincided with the announcement of plans for a further Australian military build-up, including through a domestic program to construct missiles for the first time since the 1960s. An article in the Murdoch-owned Australian last week, hailing Duttons support for soldiers and his opposition to the revocation of the special forces meritorious citation, bluntly declared: Heightened security threats, including the possibility of a great power conflict over Taiwan, mean Australias service men and women must be ready for whatever lies ahead. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality in Australia and New Zealand is holding an online meeting in opposition to the drive to war against China at 4 p.m. [AEST] on Saturday, April 24. Register here. Bundoran, a long-item favourite with holidaymakers from Derry, is to receive a major boost. Local councillor Michael McMahon has said that funding for new facilities to be located at Tullan Strand, will be a huge boost for locals and tourists to the popular resort. Bundoran itself has always been its own greatest asset and this will greatly enhance the facilities that will be on offer to both locals and tourism in the year ahead, he said. Tullan Strand will be one of 22 locations that will share in a new 19m Failte Ireland investment to provide new state of the art facilities for outdoor water based activities. Each new centre will provide hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, secure storage, induction spaces, equipment washdown and orientation points and they will improve the user experience to a whole new level. The centre will provide hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, secure storage, induction spaces, equipment washdown and orientation points and they will improve the user experience to a whole new level. Cllr McMahon said: We have been calling for this type of investment in Bundoran for some time and it is most welcome. The situation with Covid and lockdown highlighted just how important such outdoor physical activity is, to both body and mind. Bundoran has become a magnet for those in the surfing world and we can offer a coastline, waves and other water based activities that are on par with many other parts of the world. It is something that will become more important to us in the future. This key investment in south Donegal is long overdue." The Bundoran centre will also be fully wheelchair accessible and built using sustainable materials such as solar heating panels to meet Nearly Zero Energy Building Standards. The significant increase in people enjoying outdoor water-based activities such as kayaking, surfing, paddle-boarding and open water swimming is expected to continue to grow year on year, and not just during the summer months. This means all-weather changing facilities, secure storage and bathrooms at beaches and inland water spots will be in huge demand. The Dutch government has raised concerns with Hungarian officials after a decision in Budapest to block the sale of Aegon NVs local unit to Vienna Insurance Group AG, according to several people familiar with the matter. The issue was communicated through diplomatic channels, the people said, asking not to be identified to discuss confidential proceedings. Both Dutch and Hungarian authorities declined to comment, as did Aegon and Vienna Insurance. Vienna Insurance Bolsters Position in E. Europe with Purchase of Aegon Unit Hungary this month refused to approve the key part of an 830 million-euro ($1 billion) sale of Aegons central and eastern European operations to Vienna Insurance. While governments across Europe routinely block deals to prevent market monopolies, save jobs or for national-security reasons, the Orban administrations intervention raised concern because it didnt seem to match those categories. Instead, it fits into Hungarys strategy of creating corporate national champions, including in the financial industry where the merger of three banks is under way. The government has also recently accelerated efforts to reshape the economy with moves such as shifting assets to foundations with close ties to the ruling party. Hungary has become a leader in Europe when it comes to state intervention in the economy, said Peter Akos Bod, a former Hungarian central bank governor and a professor of economics at Corvinus University in Budapest. Blocking this deal may have surprised many but actually it just fits the trend. With the transaction in doubt, a clutch of potential suitors including Hungarian insurer Cig Pannonia Nyrt. are seen as ready to replace Vienna Insurance if the deal does indeed fall through, according to two people in the financial industry, who also asked not to be identified. Cigs biggest stakeholder is a company partly owned by Lorinc Meszaros, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans closest business ally. The Budapest-based insurers shares rallied 13% over two days after the veto became public. Its market value is 31.5 billion forint ($105 million). Cig has declined to comment. Hungarys red light came as a surprise to Vienna Insurance, which at the time said it was in talks with Hungarys government and is still trying to salvage the deal. New Rule The veto was all the more shocking because it came from the Interior Ministry in charge of law enforcement, civilian intelligence services and local governments rather than the Finance Ministry which had been involved in the talks, according to a person close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The governments objection was also a surprise because the legal basis for the intervention was established by last-minute legislation as the negotiations between Aegon and Vienna Insurance heated up. Two days before Vienna Insurance and Aegon announced the planned deal on Nov. 30, Hungary amended the law on safeguarding strategic sectors from hostile takeover attempts to include European Union countries and Switzerland, as well as financial service providers such as insurers and investment funds. With assistance from Boris Groendahl, Diederik Baazil, Marton Eder and Piotr Skolimowski. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. The United States Army uniform inadvertently gives men 'a free pass to ogle a womans breasts after moving the rank insignia from the collar to the middle of the chest, a female officer says. Lt. Col. Rachael Hoagland, a student at US Army War College, said that the new uniform design, which was introduced in 2004, has had unforeseen consequences in creating a possible sexual harassment and assault factor. She said female officers are put in an uncomfortable position of being asked by male leaders May I touch you? during promotion ceremonies that often require men to remove and pin rank insignia in the middle of the womans chest. Asking this in public can put the soldier in a position where she feels like she cannot say no, even if she is uncomfortable with the touching, according to Hoagland. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Army seeking comment in response to Hoaglands claims. Hoagland, an acquisition officer who has been in the military for 20 years, writes in an op-ed for Army Times that the Army altered its uniform design as part of a well-intentioned shift. According to Hoagland, the placement of the rank insignia in the middle of the chest 'effectively gives service members and civilians a free pass to ogle a womans breasts.' The image above shows a US Army soldier in a women's combat uniform in 2010 In September, an Army enlistee, Tiara Michelle, posted video of her promotion to the rank of first lieutenant. During her promotion ceremony, a male officer is seen removing the rank from her uniform and pinning the new insignia to the middle of her chest Hoagland says having the rank insignia in the middle of the chest leaves women vulnerable to unwanted touching RANK INSIGNIA REMOVAL SEEN AT 8:11 The previous design, known among soldiers as BDUs or battle dress uniforms, had the rank insignia displayed on the uniforms collar. But the Army changed its uniforms in order to have the collars up to accommodate soldiers who had to wear body armor or vests, meaning an officer's rank would have been obscured from view. The new design was also intended to improve convenience and comfort for soldiers by replacing pins and grommets with a velcro strip. Soldiers had complained that the pins previously used would often dig into their necks. But Hoagland is now calling for the army to undo the change and move the rank insignia back to the collar. According to Hoagland, the current placement forces soldiers to stare at an officers chest to see whether they need to offer a salute. There is also the delicate question of rank promotion ceremonies where officers need to physically remove and then replace the old insignia with a new one, necessitating awkward touching. The previous design, known among soldiers as BDUs or battle dress uniforms, had the rank insignia displayed on the uniforms collar In 2019, US Navy sailors complained after the rank insignia was moved to the middle of the chest (as seen in the above file photo) It is customary during a promotion ceremony for a senior military leader to remove the old rank and replace it with the new insignia, Hoagland writes in Army Times. This can make the leader and a newly promoted female soldier uncomfortable, during and after. A wrong photo angle, and bam! It looks as if the male soldier is touching a womans breasts. Worse, the brushing of a hand on the breasts could be perceived as a sexual assault. Hoagland writes that there are ways around the issue - one of which is having the female officer remove the rank herself and hand it to the superior who then gives her the new rank which she would then place on her chest on her own. The problem with these workarounds is that they not only break with tradition, but they further spotlight our differences, according to Hoagland. She added: While avoiding possible sexual harassment issues, these workarounds can have the unintended consequence of spotlighting gender over ceremonial merit and discounting years of female advancement in the military. Spc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, disappeared from Fort Hood in April 2020 and her dismembered and buried remains were found on June 30 near the Leon River in Texas. Her death shocked the nation and drew scrutiny to the rash of sexual assaults in the military Hoagland said returning the rank insignia to the collar would show that the Army is serious about stamping out sexual harassment and being more inclusive. She did acknowledge that the uniform is not to blame for the rise in sexual assault incidents. There is scant evidence that the uniform change years ago led to an increase in sexual harassment or assault, but it still remains a concern within the larger issue, which has taken center stage in the past decade, she writes. The Army isn't the only branch of the military that has had to deal with complaints about the uniform design. In 2019, female Navy sailors said that they, too, had to face uncomfortable stares as a result of a change in uniform that placed the rank insignia in the center of the chest. In recent months, both civilian and military leaders have taken pains to commit to rooting out sexual assault after last Aprils horrific slaying of Spc. Vanessa Guillen by a fellow soldier inside a Fort Hood, Texas, armory. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at his first Pentagon news conference in February that reducing sexual assault is one of his top priorities and that he would introduce stronger efforts to fight it. Hoagland writes that the Army should make immediate changes to the uniform. The Army does not have to wait until a new uniform is issued, it can prove it is capable of swift change when the health of its people is at stake by updating the uniform regulation and insignia location, she writes. Before producing more of the current uniform, the Velcro attachment on the chest can be removed, forcing the change in position. She added: The Army also should update its promotion ceremony protocols to ensure no one gets touched on the chest, no matter their gender. The Armys welcome push for greater inclusivity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender personnel and condemnation of sexual harassment and assault make this about more than inappropriate touching or looking its about proactivity and respect consistent with the Army values it so often proclaims. A circuit court panel has ruled that a district court must consider giving faith-based hospitals and doctors an exemption from an Obama-era mandate requiring them to perform elective sex-change operations. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit weighed in on the case of Franciscan Alliance et al v. Xavier Becerra. At issue was an Obama administration regulation under the Affordable Care Act that the Franciscan Alliance, Christian Medical and Dental Society, and the Specialty Physicians of Illinois sued to be exempted from due to their religious exemptions. In a per curiam decision, the Fifth Circuit panel remanded the case back to the district court level, although they did not rule on the merits of the litigation. Source:The Christian Post ---- It seems incongruous in a free society for law enforcement to use on civilians a chemical agent thats been banned on battlefields for nearly a century. So its commendable that Albany is looking to restrict the use of tear gas by police. Albany, however, will need more than just a policy on paper to make this proposal work. And it needs to go beyond one tactic in exploring better ways for police to deal with the public. Albanys Common Council is considering a ban on the use by police of tear gas and other chemical irritants, with the exception of pepper spray. Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Council President Corey Ellis, and Treasurer Darius Shahinfar last week pushed back, suggesting instead that the use of tear gas be strictly limited to riots and allowed in residential neighborhoods only when absolutely necessary to protect lives. This didnt just happen to become an issue. Tear gas hadnt been used in Albany in more than three decades until it was deployed twice last May and June in response to sometimes-violent protests in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis, Minn., police officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. Closing arguments were heard Monday in the former officers murder trial. Albany officials say tear gas was used only after attacks on police. The mayor and others who question a complete ban on tear gas worry police would have no options in outbreaks of violent civil unrest besides doing nothing or using lethal force. We hear the concern. But for every haunting memory government leaders may have of, say, last summers sporadic violence or the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, there are more than a few recollections of police and government excess, from the gassing last summer of peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park near the White House to clear the way for a photo op for then-president Donald Trump, to attacks last week by police on protesters and journalists in Brooklyn Center, Minn., to this weekends clashes between Albany police and people who were protesting, of all things, police abuse. Questions remain over who really escalated the situation. To suggest that without tear gas the only options for police would be to do nothing or use lethal force is a false choice. It misses the bigger point of the past year: We need a rethinking of law enforcement, from the vetting that goes on in recruitment and hiring to the training officers receive in the academy and on the job, and to the very culture of police forces, including the consequences for violating policies. We need police to be able to recognize when its truly necessary to control situations and when their need for control will more likely have the opposite effect with the kind of needlessly fatal results we see too often in arrests and minor traffic stops. Far better than control would be communities that seem less like battlefields, and encounters between police and civilians that dont require the weapons of war, banned or not. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth earned more than 23 million views as a TED speaker and glowing headlines (including here on Inc.com) by touting grit. This concept, she insisted, helped predict who would get ahead in life and can be cultivated if you want to increase your odds of success. No wonder the media went wild. There are few things the public wants to hear about more than shortcuts to success (take it from someone whose job it is to get people to click on headlines). But according to writer Jesse Singal, there's a big problem with Duckworth's ideas about grit -- they don't actually appear to be true. Singal is the author of a new book, The Quick Fix, which delves into fad psychology and why the hype often gets way out in front of the evidence. As part of his promotional effort, he recently shared an excerpt concerning grit on Nautilus. It's a fascinating read for anyone who's felt the lure of Duckworth's ideas. Three reasons to be skeptical of grit. "Psychologists have spent decades searching for the secret of success but Duckworth is the one who found it," raved Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert's in his blurb for Duckworth's book, Grit. With hype like that, how could Singal resist investigating? But as he spoke to experts and dug into the research, Singal realized the evidence for grit doesn't match the enthusiasm. In fact, he uncovers three major problems with Duckworth's claims. First, grit seems to overlap significantly with conscientiousness, one of the "Big Five" personality traits that measures how likely people are to do the things they commit to doing. Duckworth says that grit differs subtly from conscientiousness, but research hasn't backed that up. Which makes grit look a lot like a shiny new name for a well-known idea. Second, even if you accept grit is somehow distinct from conscientiousness, it doesn't seem to be all that powerful a predictor of success. A 2020 study out of Israel found that "intelligence contributes 48-90 times more than grit to educational success and 13 times more to job-market success," Singal quotes. And finally, even if grit were a real thing and it did matter a lot for success, there is basically no evidence that we know how to intervene to change how much a person has. (Though conscientiousness does tend to gradually increase as we get older, a fact that will not shock anyone who has ever known a teenager). Unsexy standbys like teaching study skills appear to have a much bigger impact. Sorry, there are no magic bullets. Both Singal's article and his book offer a deeper dive into the topic, but the basic takeaway of his work is clear from even this rough outline of his argument -- be skeptical of anyone, including prestigious newspapers and tenured TED speakers, offering shortcuts to success. (More examples for the curious here.) Bringing Christ to the movies Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Actor and filmmaker Corbin Bernsen takes a dogmatic approach to films addressing faith, Christianity and the Christian walk. We must not sugarcoat, he told The Christian Post. God is very much in charge of my path, and I feel it's my duty to follow His guidance and tell stories that are true and honest and not sugarcoated to a fanbase that might not necessarily identify as people of faith or Christians, but rather those who dance around the edges and know that there is something more that they can't quite put their finger on. So when I tell a story and present it in an honest light, without the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down, they respect that and maybe, just maybe, might want to take a deeper look. Stuff happens in life, and everyone knows it. That's real, that's honest, and how we deal with it, how we let God show us the way, is only as good as the truths we know and recognize. Read more at: https://www.christianpost.com/news/corbin-bernsen-on-the-power-of-honest-faith-based-films.html Walter F. Mondale, 1928-2021. Photo: Everett/Shutterstock Some career politicians who achieve national fame are known as policy innovators or political insurgents, while others flame out and return to obscurity thanks to bad luck or bad behavior. Walter F. Fritz Mondale was another type altogether: a reliable public servant in all of the many jobs he held and a steady steward of the Minnesota political traditions he inherited. He was also, by all accounts, a decent man, and it was characteristic of him that just before his death this week at the age of 93, he sent a grateful email to former staffers, saying Never has a public servant had a better group of people working at their side! Together we have accomplished so much, and I know you will keep up the good fight. Mondale was fated to spend much of his career in the shadow of other leaders. A protege of Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party legends Hubert Humphrey and Orville Freeman, he was appointed state attorney general by Freeman in 1960 and then four years later occupied Humphreys Senate seat when his mentor became Lyndon Johnsons vice-president. Like Humphrey, Mondale was a rigorous New Deal liberal who was quick to support the labor and civil-rights movements and slow to abandon the Vietnam War. He began and quickly dropped a presidential candidacy in 1974 after Humphreys ill health kept him from running; Mondale famously said he didnt want to spend the next two years living in Holiday Inns. But when eventual Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter needed a northern running mate with close ties to labor, Mondale signed up after securing a pledge from Carter that they would form a true partnership in office. It speaks well for both men that Carter kept his promise and Mondale redefined the vice-presidency, with full access to intelligence briefings, a weekly lunch with Mr. Carter, his own office near the presidents and his own staff integrated with Mr. Carters, noted the New York Times in its obituary. His elevated role made it possible for Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and Joe Biden to become similarly significant veeps. And he served as something of an internal lobbyist for the progressive tendencies of a sometimes conservative Carter administration, while remaining loyal, which had particular value when Carter was challenged by Ted Kennedy in the 1980 primaries. The wheels soon came off for the coalition Carter and Mondale had put together in 1976, and when Mondale finally ran for the top spot in 1984, the Republican ascendancy that had been delayed by Watergate and Carters southern identity fully arrived. The Minnesotan narrowly won the presidential nomination against forward-leaning candidacies by Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart, but eventually won just his own state plus the District of Columbia against the Morning in America reelection campaign of Ronald Reagan. The Mondale presidential campaigns only positive legacy was his pioneering choice of a woman, New Yorks Gerald Ferraro, as running mate. Again, All Things Veep was Mondales signature. He returned to public office when Bill Clinton reclaimed the White House, spending over three years as U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he is still remembered for his efforts to scale back the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. But after he returned to Minnesota to practice law and semi-retire, this paragon of party loyalty had one more bitter cup to drink. He was drafted in 2002 to run for his old Senate seat after Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane accident just 11 days before the general election. A close race turned into a Democratic defeat, after a boisterous Wellstone memorial service that offended some voters. Mondale finally retired from politics. His and Carters longevity (the former president is 96) made them the longest-surviving ex-president and vice-president ever. And the strong personal qualities of both men have allowed their political mistakes to fade over time. Upon news of Mondales death, President Biden released a statement crediting his vice-presidential predecessor with offering him sound counsel when Barack Obama chose him as his 2008 running mate. And in some respects, the old-school liberal tradition Mondale typified lives on in Biden, who served with him in the Senate for eight years (four when Mondale was president of the Senate) more than four decades ago. Ideology aside, both men unfashionably viewed public service as an honorable profession. UPDATE: Ex-cop Derek Chauvin convicted of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd death that stirred worldwide protests -- By AMY FORLITI, STEPHEN GROVES and TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The jury has reached a verdict at the murder trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. The verdict is to be read late Tuesday afternoon. Floyd died last May after Chauvin, a white officer, pinned his knee on the 46-year-old Black mans neck for about 9 1/2 minutes in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. The jury deliberated over parts of two days in a city on edge against another outbreak of unrest. The racially diverse jury anonymous and sequestered from the outside world resumed deliberations in the morning as lawmakers and fellow citizens alike delivered their own opinions about the combustible case that triggered protests, scattered violence and a reckoning over racism in the U.S. It shouldnt be really even questioned whether there will be an acquittal or a verdict that doesnt meet the scale of the crime that was committed, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, said in Brooklyn Center, a suburb just outside Minneapolis. The congresswoman said the Chauvin case looks open-and-shut. Guilty verdicts could mark a turning point in the fight for racial equality, she said. We are holding on to one another for support. Hopefully this verdict will come soon and the community will start the process of healing, Omar said. In Washington, the president said that he had spoken to Floyds family on Monday and can only imagine the pressure and anxiety theyre feeling. Theyre a good family and theyre calling for peace and tranquility no matter what that verdict is, Biden said. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict. I think its overwhelming, in my view. I wouldnt say that unless the jury was sequestered now. The president has repeatedly denounced Floyds death but previously stopped short of commenting on the trial itself. Prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May when the white officer knelt on or near the 46-year-old Black mans neck for 9 1/2 minutes. The defense contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that a heart condition and illegal drug use led to Floyds death. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial spent just a few hours on their task Monday after the day was mostly consumed by closing arguments. They will remain sequestered until verdicts are reached. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Ahead of a verdict, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis, the courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard troops were on patrol. Last spring, Floyds death set off protests along with vandalism and arson in Minneapolis. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in Brooklyn Center on April 11. Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott joined a group of residents Tuesday to call for transparency and accountability in policing. The mayor said he has met with Wrights family several times and vowed to do all thats within our power to make sure that we are implementing the kind of changes that would prevent another Daunte. What this community is saying is that his life is going to continue to matter, Elliott said. Doris Rendell, who is Black, burst into tears as she was standing in front of a memorial set up at the site of Daunte Wrights death. She says the Wright case and the Floyd case reminded her of her own negative interactions with police when she was young. Its terrible, its terrible to be black, to say that... It is. Theres so much racism out here, its pathetic ... Its like theres no justice in the world for us. Its like were a piece of a bean in a pie just getting picked off, just no one cares. After the jury got the Chauvin case Monday, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defense request for a mistrial based in part on comments from California Rep. Maxine Waters, who said weve got to get more confrontational if Chauvin isnt convicted of murder. The judge called her comments abhorrent and disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and told Chauvins attorney that Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. Still, two defense attorneys in Minnesota said they consider a successful appeal over remarks like Waters or Bidens extremely unlikely. Anybody who thinks undue publicity is going to get a case reversed in this day and age is just wrong, said Joe Friedberg, who is unconnected to the case. Just from a pragmatic standpoint, with social media, I dont think it can ever be done again. Brock Hunter, past president of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said a successful appeal would be unlikely unless there were direct evidence that Waters statements affected jurors. ___ Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press video journalist Angie Wang in Atlanta and Associated Press writers Doug Glass, in Minneapolis, Mohamed Ibrahim in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed. Qatar has defied soaring coronavirus numbers to stage high-profile sporting events, serving as a test bed ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup, but also suffering high-profile setbacks. Doha, among the most controversial World Cup hosts of the modern era, has bucked the trend of more established sporting nations which have cancelled or postponed a slew of elite events. Instead it has deployed multi-billion dollar venues, luxury hotels-turned-quarantine centres and formidable virus testing system to host football, golf, tennis, motorcycling, judo and beach volleyball events -- some with spectators. Simon Chadwick, professor of Eurasian Sport at EM Lyon University, said full-fledged tournaments complete with fans were key to Qatar's strategy to diversify its economy away from gas and oil dependence. "It is reckless to be staging events during times of rising infection, but... the inconvenient truth for Qatar is that the country has rolled the dice big on sporting events," he said. Since winning the role of World Cup 2022 host back in 2010, Qatar has been dogged by accusations of worker mistreatment, corruptly obtaining the tournament, and being an unsuitable venue because of the desert nation's inhospitable climate. Now it looks certain that coronavirus and efforts to suppress the pandemic instead will dominate the lead-up. - 'Covid-free World Cup' - Doha and FIFA have insisted that 2022 will proceed with fans from across the globe, and a minister last week said Qatar was in talks with vaccine makers to ensure all attendees could be vaccinated, to make the World Cup "Covid-free". However, breaches of Qatar's elaborate and costly efforts to stage sports have highlighted the risks and vulnerabilities in enforcement, issues the organisers of the Tokyo Olympics will have to confront this summer. Bayern star Thomas Mueller tested positive ahead of February's Club World Cup final in Doha, while American tennis player Denis Kudla learnt he was positive mid-game while qualifying for the Australian Open. Story continues Another case was detected in the beach volleyball "bubble", while there were prominent biosecurity breaches including VVIPs sitting in player boxes at the Qatar Open and players greeting non-bubble guests at the Club Cup. A Qatari official said authorities worked with each events' organisers to "pick the best (biosecurity) option while keeping track of local transmission rates". "The Club World Cup model was very successful," he added, suggesting fans attending did not increase infections. James Dorsey, author of the Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer blog, said trying different approaches to containment was "not a bad strategy -- because at least you know what works". The MotoGP, which resumed in Qatar this month after a virus hiatus, offered vaccines to everyone in the paddock. Dorsey said an inoculation requirement for 2022 attendees "would make sense". "Verifying vaccines would certainly be possible, Qatar vaccinating (fans) would not necessarily be feasible. But it also depends on how travel develops," he said. As for soccer powerhouses like Brazil that traditionally send thousands of fans to World Cups but which has turned into a Covid epicentre and struggled to vaccinate, Dorsey warned "they may get penalised". - Olympics 'very risky' - "We can all learn from each other's experiences," said Andrew Murray, Chief Medical Officer for the PGA European Tour which visited Qatar in March. "For the 2022 World Cup, strong progress is being made regarding vaccination both in Qatar and internationally. This may increase opportunities for international visitors, all being well." Qatar has suffered a surge of cases and deaths in recent months, with almost 25 percent of its more than 380 fatalities recorded so far in April alone. In the past 30 days, more than 25,000 people tested positive compared to just 7,501 in January, among a population of 2.75 million, although there is no evidence linking sporting events to the surge. Doha blames new virus variants and social gatherings, emphasising that more than 1.2 million vaccine doses have been administered. Organisers of the 2022 tournament have so far been spared the intense coronavirus scrutiny of the Tokyo Olympics -- due to begin a year late in July despite a senior Japanese politician warning they could still be cancelled. "The Olympics are going to be very risky, given the pandemic is ongoing and cases in many countries are rising steeply," said Michael Head, a global health researcher at the University of Southampton. "In my view, the Olympics and other mass gatherings that require international travel would be best postponed for another year." gw/sls/hc More victims have narrated the ordeals they suffered in the hands of police officers in Lagos to the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the state government to investigate cases of police abuse of power, brutality and extrajudicial killing. Narrating his story on Tuesday, Henry Chukwuma, a cab driver at the Muritala Mohammed Airport, said he was almost killed by a police officer at MMA on January 11, 2013. I heard a gunshot, I knew something went through me. I waited to see where blood will gush out from. To my greatest surprise, instead of blood gushing out of my body, I saw my intestine gushing out to the left of my abdomen, Mr Chukwuma told the panel. Shot at airport Mr Chukwuma said he got a ride request to the airport on January 11, 2013, from two young men travelling out of the country. I was at the car park at Ikeja, Airport road, one Iyare bus came and dropped passengers and these passengers were traveling out of the country. I approached the passengers, they were two boys and traveling out of the country the next morning. They said they do not have money for a hotel and want to go straight to the airport to rest till early morning when their flight will leave. I took them down to the International airport and parked at the regular car park where we drop passengers, he said. Narrating further, he said a police officer approached him after the dropoff and asked for a tip. Normally, he has been doing that, it is not his first time. I know the officer very well. I dipped hand into my chest pocket and brought out some money, I gave him 500 and returned the rest. Immediately he saw me returning the money into my chest pocket, he removed my hand and removed the money from my pocket. At the same time, he went for my neck chain. Ever since I have been seeing this police officer, he was always on mufti but on this fateful day, he was on his uniform and with AK 47. Mr Chukwuma said he asked the officer why he was behaving that way, and the officer cocked his gun and said he was not joking with him. The officer searched his pocket, took out his phone, wallet, and other sums of money, and asked him to turn around, he told the panel. I pleaded with him to give me back my phone and necklace and take the money, he refused and asked me to turn around and start working towards the airport terminal. Immediately I turned back, my first step when I was backing, I heard gboah (gunshot) and I knew something went through me. I waited to see where blood will gush out from. To my greatest surprise, instead of blood gushing out of my body, I saw my intestine gushing out to the left of my abdomen. I used my shirt to hold the intestine not to fall off, but he held my shirt and was dragging me towards a bush path in the car park, he said. Mr Chukwuma said a cleaner at the airport came to the park and saw the police officer dragging him. She was shouting that the police have killed someone and he should leave me. He left my shirt and ran away, the lady ran away too, he said. Mr Chukwuma told the panel that he packed his intestines with his clothes, preventing it from falling and walked to terminal two before he collapsed. When I got to terminal two, I collapsed because I was really tired. Some passengers and security officers around came and started asking what happened. ADVERTISEMENT He said when the security officers saw the injury, they rushed him to the hospital immediately where he went through surgery. The petitioner tendered medical reports, receipts, and other documents to the panel. Police extortion Another petitioner, Tobe Ikoro, said he experienced police brutality and extortion on September 5, 2020, on his way to Yaba. He said N100,000 was extorted from him and his friend that was with him. Mr Ikoro, who runs a clothing brand, said he ordered a Bolt ride going to Yaba from Okota on the aforementioned date, but rather than take the normal route, the driver took Oshodi. We saw some men wearing Polo with FSARS written on it, they flagged down the car, he said. Mr Ikoro, who was in the company of a friend, Chidera Robinson, said the officers requested their phones and were asking different questions. They took my phone and told me to unlock it. Going through it, the officer found Paypal and Flutterwave accounts on my phone. I was trying to explain those are payment options for my business, but he immediately told me to get down from the car. Mr Ikoro said he asked for a valid ID card from the officer, who then got angry and called his colleagues to get him out of the vehicle. While they were trying to drag me out, I tried to create a scene because I was not exactly sure where they were taking us. I got the attention of passersby and they started gathering asking what was happening, then they threatened to shoot anyone who tried anything. Seeing that I was bringing too much attention to them, they decided to drag me back to the car, that was when they took me back to the car, he said. The petitioner said he and his friend were inside the car with two officers sitting by their sides and another officer at the front. He said the driver drove down to National Stadium, and the officers handcuffed them, threatening to shoot them if they scream. Mr Ikoro further told the panel that the officers requested their ATM cards and N60,000 was withdrawn from his account and another N40, 000 from his friends. After getting the money, they handed back our phones to us and told us to leave and that if we shout, they were going to shoot, he told the panel. He presented a receipt of the Bolt ride he took and the documents showing withdrawals from his account to the panel which were admitted as exhibits. Appointment of Dr. Kelmendi, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and co-founder of the Yale Psychedelic Science Group, brings another experienced medical professional to Lobe's advisory team. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Lobe Sciences Ltd. (CSE: LOBE) (OTC Pink: GTSIF) ("Lobe" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Benjamin Kelmendi, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Philip Young, CEO and Director of Lobe stated, "We are extremely pleased to welcome Ben to our Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Kelmendi will add significant relevant experience to the team as we move through preclinical studies into human clinical trials. We look forward to working with Dr. Kelmendi and the team at the Yale Psychedelic Science Group." Dr. Kelmendi is a board-certified psychiatrist and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and is also a co-founder of the Yale Psychedelic Science Group. His primary clinical expertise is in post-traumatic stress disorder ("PTSD"), depression, obsessive-compulsive disease ("OCD"). He leads a research program focused on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines, across a range of psychiatric diagnosis. He is currently investigating the effects of psilocybin on the neurocircuitry implicated in the development, maintenance, and treatment of patients with OCD. He is also exploring the effects of MDMA on brain activation and neural network organization in PTSD to understand the relationship between MDMA-induced neural changes and the acute cognitive and behavioral effects of the drug. Benjamin Kelmendi, MD stated, "The re-emergence of psychedelic medicine as a respected area of research has undergone a protean trajectory. In the most recent revival of investigations into potential therapeutic benefits of long-maligned psychedelic substances, we are now revisiting past work in this area completely differently with a heightened sense of scientific responsibility, knowledge, and technology. I am excited by the renewed interest in the potential of psychedelic substances, both as therapeutic agents and as tools to provide insight into the human brain and mind's inner workings. I look forward to working with the Advisory Board and the Lobe team as we all work together to ethically develop psychedelic therapies for mental illness." About Lobe Sciences Ltd. Lobe is a life sciences company focused on psychedelic medicines. The Company, through collaborations with industry leading partners, is engaged in drug research and development using psychedelic compounds and the development of innovative devices and delivery mechanisms to improve mental health and wellness. For further information please contact: Lobe Sciences Ltd. Philip J Young, CEO info@lobesciences.com Tel: (949) 505-5623 THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. Disclaimer for Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company, research and development using psychedelic compounds, the development of innovative devices and delivery mechanisms to improve mental health and wellness, moving through preclinical studies to human clinical trials, and working with the team at the Yale Psychedelic Science Group, are forward looking statements that involve 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. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of the forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including changes to the regulatory environment; that the Company's drug research and development activities may be unsuccessful; that drugs and medical devices produced by, or on behalf of, the Company, may not work in the manner intended or at all, and may subject the Company to product liability or other liability claims; that the Company may not be able to attain the Company's corporate goals and objectives; and other risk factors detailed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings from time to time, as available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. As a result, the Company cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and the Company does not intend to update any of the included forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable Canadian securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80963 They were in the midst of a dramatic shoot-out than ended Sunday's show on a shocking cliffhanger. So it was no surprise that Line of Duty fans were sent into a tailspin over the weekend after seeing a throwback snap of killer PC Ryan Pilkington as a young boy. The snap of Vicky McClure and actor Gregory Piper, who plays PC Ryan Pilkington, was taken during filming for the police drama's first series, and sparked a slew of reaction from fans. So young: Line of Duty fans went wild over the weekend after seeing a throwback snap of the PC Pilkington actor Gregory Piper during filming for the show's first series The snap, which resurfaced on Twitter over the weekend, showed Vicky, who plays DI Kate Fleming alongside Gregory during one of his first appearances on the show in 2012. He originally played a young Ryan Pilkington who had been brought up as part of the OCG, and has since returned for the show's sixth series as a bent copper hell-bent on hiding the group's involvement in Gail Vella's murder. Fans went wild for the image after a Line of Duty fan account posted the snap alongside the end of Sunday's tense cliffhanger, which saw Fleming and Pilkington threatening to shoot in a gripping showdown. Dramatic: The image is a stark contrast to Sunday's cliffhanger which saw Pilkington and DI Kate Fleming in the midst of a tense shootout One wrote: 'They grow up so quickly,' while another added: 'So cool that you got the same actor back, makes it feel even more authentic!' A third also wrote: 'So cool that you got the same actor back, makes it feel even more authentic!' It comes as it was also revealed that the long-awaited return of Line of Duty last month has landed a consolidated 15.2 million viewers. The figures show that huge numbers tuned into the launch of series six on catch-up after 9.6 million viewers watched the episode when it first aired on March 21. Already Line of Duty has been named as the highest-rated drama on UK television since Bodyguard in 2018, which was also created by Jed Mercurio. Blast from the past! Fans went wild for the image after a Line of Duty fan account posted the snap alongside the end of Sunday's tense cliffhanger Love it! Many fans took to Twitter to share their reaction to seeing the throwback image Wow! It comes as it was also revealed that the long-awaited return of Line of Duty last month has landed a consolidated 15 million viewers It comes after the results of Jo Davidson's DNA match were finally revealed during Sunday's very dramatic show - confirming that she is indeed related to Tommy Hunter. And some eagle-eyed fans have now said they've spotted a hidden post-it note which goes even further to claim the police officer is 'both his niece and daughter'. Several viewers took to Twitter after noticing the easy-to-miss clue and started to theorise how and why Jo [Kelly Macdonald] got involved with the OCG. Shock development: It comes after eagle-eyed viewers also claimed they had discovered the real relationship between Jo Davidson (pictured) and Tommy Hunter At the start of Sunday's show, Steve Arnott [Martin Compson] told Kate Fleming [Vicky McClure] about the DNA match, with Ted Hastings [Adrian Dunbar] declaring that Jo had 'pulled the wool over her eyes'. Arnott told Kate, who has been working for her new gaffer throughout the latest series, that there was a partial match and spoke about 'homozygosity in their DNA'. His update left Kate reeling as 'homozygosity' suggests that Davidson and Hunter are very closely related and there could even be some incest in the family tree. This only added to the buzz when avid fans later claimed they spotted a post-it note pinned against Tommy Hunter's picture in the show. Giving it away? Taking to Twitter, several people shared a moment from the episode which saw a yellow note by the side of Tommy Hunter's picture Sharing it on Twitter, one person explained how it read: 'Jo Davidson's DNA has been identified at Farida Jatri's house. A match has been made to TOMMY HUNTER, stating she is both his niece and daughter.' Explaining the term, one fan wrote: 'In case anyone missed the homozygosity reference in @Line_of_duty it basically means Jo Davidson is both Tommy Hunter's daughter AND niece.' And armed with this new information, it didn't take long for fans to start coming up with new theories to explain Jo's behaviour. One fan suggested: 'Jo is Tommy Hunters niece and daughter with the homozygosity in their DNA but did the incest continue and Ryan is Jo's son, the lingering looks between them, the over the top way he calls her Ma'am (mum) and someone had to have fast tracked him into MIT.' It read: 'November 2020. Jo Davidson's DNA has been identified at Farida Jatri's house. A match has been made to TOMMY HUNTER, stating she is both his niece and daughter' Here come the theories: It didn't take long for fans to suggest their own ideas about the relationship between Davidson and Hunter And another said: 'Jo says she hasn't any family. I think it's because she doesn't want it known that she is Tommy Hunter's daughter as she'd most likely lose her job. Hence why OCG have a hold over her.' While someone else suggested: 'So Tommy Hunter most likely raped his sister and that's what Steve meant about homozygosity. Post it note says Jo is both his niece and daughter .' Tommy's name was most recently brought up to John Corbett - who is now dead - by Lisa McQueen in the second episode of series five. She told Corbett that Hunter was the leader of the OCG before he was a part of the syndicate. While head of the OCG, Tommy groomed Matthew 'Dot' Cottan as a teenager, before encouraging him to join the police as a mole for the crime gang. Viewers will also recall that he has links to Ryan Pilkington, who worked for him as a juvenile delinquent. Unexpected: Arnott had left Kate looking stunned after speaking about the 'homozygosity' in the DNA results during the show Tommy was 'killed off' during series two after being ambushed while being moved into witness protection and then later murdered in hospital. Elsewhere in Sunday's episode, which saw an eye-popping 10m viewers tune in to see what was coming next int he drama, fans were sent wild as it ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger as Kate and Ryan were locked in a showdown. After viewers learnt about Davidson's relationship with Hunter, the fifth episode ended with Vicky McClure's character Kate Fleming in a tense showdown with Ryan Pilkington, played by Gregory Piper. Soon after the show aired, Twitter was flooded with wild reaction from fans, who demanded bosses show the next episode now, as the suspense was too much to wait another week to see the outcome of the shoot off. However some fans are convinced the series six trailer gives away who survives the shoot out between DI Fleming and PC Pilkington. Yet keen fans have claimed they already know the outcome from watching the trailer, while Adrian Dunbar - who plays Superintendent Hastings - has revealed that there's already been 'a very big clue' about what happens in next week's episode. Putting their amateur detective skills to the test, several Line of Duty fans took to Twitter after Sunday's show to suggest that the series six trailer had the answers. Line Of Stress! Line Of Duty fans were also sent wild on Sunday evening as the latest episode ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger as Kate and Ryan were locked in a showdown Wah! The fifth episode ended with Vicky McClure's character Kate Fleming in a tense showdown with Ryan Pilkington, played by Gregory Piper They were quick to point out one blink-and-you-miss-it scene which sees Kate standing next to Acting Detective Superintendent Jo Davidson [Kelly Macdonald] - which has yet to air on the show. Fans thus deduced the scene must happen in the aftermath of the shooting - indicating Kate survives. Although nothing is known of Ryan's fate. One person declared: 'Screen grab from #Lineofduty session 6 @BBC trailer. #katefleming looks p***ed, #jodavidson has her hands in the air. THIS SCENE HASN'T OCCURRED YET. #katefleming lives for at least 1 more episode.' And another wrote: 'Nah shes no dead! Major spoiler if you Look back at the original season 6 trailer - both Jo and Kate get stopped by armed police, exact same clothes they were wearing just now. I reckon Ryan either missed or the second shot was Jo.' Adrian appeared to back up the theories as he appeared as the first guest back in the Good Morning Britain studio on Monday, pointing fans away from the misspelt 'definately' but insisting many 'already know' her fate. Look what you've caused: Davidson seemed genuinely distraught when she thought Kate could be shot, however it was her messages that got her in the position Reflecting on Sunday's dramatic show, Adrian said: 'Great cliffhanger again, Jed loves his cliffhangers. And a lot of LOD fans know [what's coming next for Kate] Presenter Adil Ray then jumped in asking: 'Theyve worked it out you mean?' Adrian continued, knowingly nodding his head: 'A lot of Line of Duty fans know whats going on. All will be revealed in the fullness of time.' Susanna then despaired as she said: 'I feel like you're giving us a really heavy piece of information that I can't for the life of me work out.' Have they cracked it? Line Of Duty fans are convinced the series six trailer gives away who survives the shoot out between DI Fleming and PC Pilkington Adrian then dropped the bombshell: 'Yes, theres been a very big clue. Im giving you a scoop. As the first guest back on the show, I am giving you a massive scoop. 'Theres a clue out there as to what happens next.' Viewers were also left reeling after fan favourite Ted Hastings was tipped as being the elusive H again, and Ryan left in a standoff with DI Kate. In typical AC-12 style, a twist emerged in the form of a throwback clue to the 2019 series showing the word definitely misspelt as 'definately' in Davidson's messages - a clue that previously suggested Hastings could be one of the bent coppers he is so hellbent on finding. What's next? Although fans were already reeling with the twist, the show ended with shock, with the tense cliffhanger seeing PC Pilkington drawing his gun at DI Fleming After taking office on Jan. 4, Patrick Collins, mayor of Cheyenne, Wyo., acknowledged his need for technology expertise as the city looks to improve its broadband infrastructure and advance its technology environment for business.To help, the city council recently adopted a resolution creating a Community Technology Advisory Council (TAC).During a city council meeting, Collins said he doesn't believe there will be any financial costs in setting up the TAC. He believes it will be a group helping city leaders better understand what can be done to promote the technological environment in the city for businesses. He cited Cheyennes recent growth in the tech space with new arrivals such as EQ Capital and the Array School of Technology and Design.Eric Trowbridge, a resident of Cheyenne and the CEO of Array, voiced his support for the TAC, citing his experience serving on the citys broadband task force that was supported by both the public and private sector.According to Trowbridge, his vision for the TAC is a group of people in the tech space who could help prepare the city for changes coming down the road such as 5G and smart transportation. Trowbridge described his hope that the council could help the mayor and city council with easy-to-digest information and recommendations.Councilwoman Michelle Aldrich, the resolution's sponsor, described it as a nonbinding advisory council, which may include people outside Cheyenne city limits. As she stated, technology does not necessarily stop at the city limit sign.Im hoping its going to be a collaborative and cooperative effort with our county partners as well as our smaller communities in Laramie County, said Aldrich.Collins said he envisions the TAC as an advisory group to help himself and the council better understand tech as it relates to the city, help the city use tech and create tech jobs.What I want to do is get this work started and try to understand if there are things we can do to make the city a more technologically accommodating place to do business, he said.The city announced March 30 that it is seeking applications for the TAC until May 14. -- Merger brings together Autofutura's real-time data insight with GForces' leading-edge e-commerce solutions, to create a new auto tech group -- Created at a time of rapid digital acceleration in automotive retail, the new group enables car makers, dealers and finance providers to grow the lifetime value of their customers, by accelerating sales, simplifying the customer journey and improving customer retention LONDON, 20 April 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the automotive industry's leading retail software suppliers, Autofutura and GForces, have merged to form a new group. With the rapid acceleration of the digitisation of the automotive sales process, the companies have come together to maximise sales efficiency and improve the way consumers buy cars. The new group, backed by Inflexion Private Equity, sees the combination of Autofutura, the global, data-driven business intelligence provider, with market leading automotive e-commerce and omnichannel supplier, GForces. It also benefits from the expertise of the recently acquired Chrysalis Loyalty business, now an integral part of Autofutura. The first of its kind in the industry, the new group aims to connect car maker, finance provider, dealer and consumer to optimise the entire customer journey - through the provision of software and data services. The new group will be led by two highly experienced executives; data intelligence expert Christian Erlandson as CEO and automotive veteran David Riemenschneider as Chairman. Autofutura and GForces already serve 20 of the world's leading car manufacturers and over 10,000 locations, across 96 countries. Headquartered out of the UK, its global presence includes offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, Vietnam, UAE and the USA. Christian Erlandson, CEO, commented: "The digitisation of the automotive sales process is accelerating at an unprecedented pace and now is the time to combine the expertise of Autofutura and GForces. By merging Autofutura's data intelligence insight with GForces' e-commerce solutions, there is huge potential to support our customers in streamlining the consumer journey, accelerating sales and driving revenue from the first transaction." Simon Turner, Managing Partner, Inflexion, said: "The combination of Autofutura with GForces unlocks a unique and highly relevant technology proposition for the automotive retail industry, against a backdrop of accelerating change and disruption for dealers and OEMs. We are delighted to be backing this team to create such an exciting auto tech group, by merging two outstanding private businesses with a long track record of growth." The newly merged group was advised by GCA Altium, Headpoint Advisors, Higgs & Sons and Taylor Wessing. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1489734/Autofutura.jpg Dershowitz: Maxine Waters Tactics Similar to Those Used by Ku Klux Klan Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) was clearly trying to influence the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial when she traveled to Minnesota and said Chauvin should be found guilty, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz charged on Tuesday. Her message was clearly intended to get to the juryIf you will acquit or if you find the charge less than murder, we will burn down your buildings. We will burn down your businesses. We will attack you. We will do what happened to the witnessblood on their door, he said during an appearance on Newsmax, referring to how the former home of defense expert Barry Brodd was recently vandalized. This was an attempt to intimidate the jury. Its borrowed precisely from the Ku Klux Klan of the 1930s and 1920s when the Klan would march outside of courthouses and threatened all kinds of reprisals if the jury ever dared convict a white person or acquit a black person. And so, efforts to intimidate a jury should result in a mistrial with the judge, of course, wouldnt grant a mistrial because then hed be responsible for the riots that would ensue, even though it was Waters who was responsible, Dershowitz added. Waters told a crowd in Brooklyn Center, just outside of Minneapolis, over the weekend that they should get more confrontational if a guilty verdict isnt handed down. Were looking for a guilty verdict and were looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd, she also said. If nothing does not happen [sic], then we know that we got to not only stay in the street but we have got to fight for justice. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, the judge overseeing the trial of Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing Floyd, told the court on Monday he was aware of Waters statements. Cahill rejected a motion from Chauvins lawyer for a mistrial. However, he told the lawyer that he could submit articles about the remarks for an appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. Eric Nelson, the lawyer, had argued that Waters was making threats against the sanctity of the jury process and threatening and intimidating the jury into delivering a guilty verdict against his client. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on April 17, 2021. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Waters office has not responded to requests for comment. The longtime congresswoman told TheGrio this week that she did not agree with the characterizations of her remarks. I am nonviolent, she said. Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent. But Dershowitz predicted the case could be dismissed upon appeal if there is a conviction. I think there will be a conviction, at least on the manslaughter charge. The issue will go to the Court of Appeals, he said on Newsmax. And will the Court of Appeals have the courage to reverse this conviction on the ground that the jury was subjected to intimidation tactics, not only by Waters but by others as well who threatened violence in the event of an acquittal or a lesser charge than murder? Jack Phillips contributed to this report. New Acquisition to Allow Solar Integrated Roofing to Efficiently Scale and Integrate Acquisitions, Realizing Significant Cost Synergies through a Unified Backoffice Footprint EL CAJON, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Solar Integrated Roofing Corp. (OTC:SIRC), an integrated, single-source solar power and roofing systems installation company, announced today that it has signed a binding term sheet to acquire Balance, LLC, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm. Founded in 2015, Balance is a BPO firm focused exclusively on assisting contractors to manage their businesses as efficiently and effectively as possible. Recognized as "America's Services Company for Contractors," Balance is one of the most admired brands servicing the contracting industry in the US. To date, Balance has service relationships with over 900 contractors across the nation, providing industry-leading administrative, estimating, supplementing, back office, billing, and project file management for over 30,000 jobs. "Balance is a market leader in helping contractors save time and money by allowing them to focus on the job at hand," said David Massey, Chief Executive Officer of Solar Integrated Roofing Corporation. "Balance brings significant annual recurring revenue with its nationwide client list. We will expand and accelerate those achievements by transitioning their seasoned, 33-person team to manage the back-office functions for all our subsidiaries, adding significant value far beyond the immediately accretive revenue stream. "Led by Troy Clymer, Balance is widely recognized as an industry thought leader and will be critical in shaping the marketplace given their strategic alliances with tier-1 industry brands and government agencies spanning all sectors. Balance has also been instrumental in the founding of two industry-leading nonprofit organizations. The Catalyst Group - a 501c6 nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to bringing contractors and vendors together to advance the industry, and The American Policy Holders Association - a 501c4 watchdog organization that promotes integrity, honesty, and best practices in the property loss adjustment sector of the insurance industry. "We look forward to continued near-term execution upon our robust acquisition strategy, leveraging our newly unified back-office capabilities through the planned acquisition of Balance, enabling us to efficiently scale and realize important synergies critical to reaching our goal of firm-level profitability in the short-term. About Solar Integrated Roofing Corp. Solar Integrated Roofing Corp. (OTC:SIRC) is an integrated, single-source solar power and roofing systems installation platform company specializing in commercial and residential properties throughout the United States. The Company's broad array of solutions include sales and installation of solar energy systems, battery backup, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to roofing, HVAC, and related electrical contracting work. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.solarintegratedroofing.com. Forward-Looking Statements Any statements made in this press release which are not historical facts contain certain forward-looking statements; as such term is defined in the Private Security Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial condition, and other aspects of the company to which this release pertains. The actual results of the specific items described in this release and the company's operations generally may differ materially from what is projected in such forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of management of the company as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing, and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the company's dependence on third parties, general market, and economic conditions, technical factors, the availability of outside capital, receipt of revenues and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company. The company disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in any forward-looking statement. This press release shall not be deemed a general solicitation. Investor Relations Contact: Lucas A. Zimmerman Senior Vice President MZ North America Main: 949-259-4987 SIRC@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us SOURCE: Solar Integrated Roof Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641223/Solar-Integrated-Roofing-Announces-Acquisition-of-Balance-LLC-to-Build-Unified-Backoffice-Capabilities NEW YORK As marijuana legalization spreads across U.S. states, so does a debate over whether to set pot policy by potency. Under a law signed last month, New York will tax recreational marijuana based on its amount of THC, the main intoxicating chemical in cannabis. Illinois imposed a potency-related tax when recreational pot sales began last year. Vermont is limiting THC content when its legal market opens as soon as next year, and limits or taxes have been broached in some other states and the U.S. Senate's drug-control caucus. Supporters say such measures will protect public health by roping off, or at least discouraging, what they view as dangerously concentrated cannabis. "This is not your Woodstock weed," says Kevin Sabet, the president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-legalization group that has been pressing for potency caps. "We need to put some limitations on the products being sold." Opponents argue that THC limits could drive people to buy illegally, and amount to beginning to ban pot again over a concern that critics see as overblown. "It's prohibitionism 2.0," said Cristina Buccola, a cannabis business lawyer in New York. "Once they start putting caps on that, what don't they put caps on?" 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. The owner of the Daily Mail website, Associated Newspapers, is suing Google, saying the tech company's dominance in online advertising has harmed its business. The suit, filed Monday in federal court in New York, says Google punishes publishers' search results if they don't sell enough ad space through Google and that its control over the ad market depresses prices for publishers. Google wields its monopoly search engine to entrench its ad-tech dominance, the suit alleges, citing instances when Daily Mail's traffic from search fell unexpectedly. The company says that since the beginning of 2021, its U.S. search traffic to its website, known for celebrity photos and tabloid stories, has dropped by more than 50%. Google said in an emailed statement that the Daily Mail's claims are inaccurate and that use of its ad tech tools has no bearing on a publisher's search results in Google. The company said it will defend against the claims. Google commands about 29% of the U.S. digital ad market, according to eMarketer. Facebook takes 25% of it and Amazon, 10%. Federal and state antitrust authorities have sued Google. The Justice Department alleges that Google abuses its dominance in online search and advertising. It's also not the first time Google has faced an antitrust suit from a publisher. A West Virginia newspaper company, HD Media, sued Google and Facebook in January. The newspaper industry has been on a long decline with the advent of the internet, and online ad revenues have not offset print-ad losses. That's led to newsroom cuts and publications thinning out and shutting down. Newer, online-only news sites like BuzzFeed and Vox have also faced pressure, and companies have been merging in recent years. Associated Newspapers Ltd., a British media company, owns the Daily Mail tabloid in the U.K. and its website, which is known as MailOnline in the U.K. Its U.S. headquarters in New York opened in 2011. The company says its website has 225 million monthly readers, with 75 million in the U.S. New cases are dropping. Hospitalizations are declining. And vaccines continue going into arms. Finally, New Jersey appears to be turning a corner. Just a few weeks ago, experts declared that the state had entered a third wave, complete with scary models predicting more carnage. But was the third wave an actual wave? Or was it the pandemics last stand? Stephanie Silvera, an infectious disease expert and professor at Montclair State University, believes the state might have mitigated the worst of the third wave. Between vaccinations and ongoing social distancing and mask-wearing, it likely will be smaller than the previous two, she said. In fact, shes never been more hopeful. I think this is probably the first time in about a year or so where Im actually feeling very optimistic, Silvera said. That optimism comes with some caution. The variants continue to pose concern, for instance. But experts, and the data, suggest the pandemic is on the wane. All of the signs are trending the right way, said Dr. Daniel Varga, chief physician executive of Hackensack Meridian Health. New Jersey reported just 1,935 new positive cases Monday, the first time since Feb. 21 that the state had fewer than 2,000. There were only 2,062 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Sunday night, down from more than 2,300 a week ago. However, the rate of transmission did rise slightly from 0.91 to 0.92. About 40% of New Jersey residents (3.8 million) have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 25% (2.5 million) are fully vaccinated, according to the state dashboard. Vaccine eligibility has now opened to all adults 16 and over. I think we are hopefully starting to see the impact of the vaccines go into effect, Silvera said. According to models the state released late last month, the moderate scenario predicted that the third wave would peak April 18 with 5,445 cases and 2,669 hospitalizations. Instead, only 2,765 cases were announced Sunday with 2,084 patients hospitalized. Under a high scenario, the wave would not crest until May 18, with 8,162 cases and 3,644 people hospitalized a patient level similar to the zenith of the second wave this past December. That scenario now seems quite unlikely to unfold. Hospitals in the Hackensack Meridian network are still busy, but COVID-19 patients are down significantly, Varga said. Instead, the facilities are bustling with patients entering largely for delayed elective surgeries. This time last year, according to Varga, the health system had about 2,000 coronavirus patients in its hospitals. Today, were between 450 and 500, Varga said. Gov. Phil Murphy didnt declare victory Monday during a coronavirus briefing, but he did express cautious optimism. Its baby steps, but I do like ... the fact that numbers are slowly beginning to go in a better direction, Murphy said. The RT (rate of transmission) slipped a little bit today, and when I say a little bit, a little bit. But if you look at hospitalizations over the past number of days, ICU, ventilator use, its slowly but surely beginning to go in the right direction. New Jersey State Epidemiologist Christina Tan echoed the governors tone: Theres reason to be hopeful. But its too early to celebrate. It might be a little too early to predict what our trajectory is right now, Tan said. But I think we can be cautiously optimistic. ... But right now, New Jersey, as well as the rest of the country, we kind of remain in this really delicate balance. The variants remain a concern. Theres still significant community spread. And many wait to be vaccinated. There is always the chance that these numbers can go right back up if we dont recognize that while we have a growing number of the population who are vaccinated, we still dont have the majority of the population who is fully vaccinated, Silvera said. Vaccine hesitation has become the biggest concern for experts, including Varga and Silvera. Experts fear the pause on Johnson & Johnsons vaccine due to reports of blood clots will only heighten existing worries. If you were to ask me whats the biggest thing Im worried about, Im worried about the J&J pause increasing vaccine hesitancy, Varga said. What were hopeful of is that the pause will stop by the end of this week when the immunization panel meets and that well get the J&J back in circulation, he added. Have a news tip or story you want to tell about COVID-19 or the vaccination process? Contact us on our tip form. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Your research as a private individual is better than professionals @WSJ! Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2021 Two men in a 2019 Model S crashed into a tree and died in the subsequent four-hour fire in Spring, Texas. Police say that there was no one in the drivers seat and that the Model S owner had taken his friend for a ride to show him how the car drove itself. The implication is that one of them activated Autopilot and slid into another seat. Elon Musk has already denied this , saying on Twitter that Tesla logs show Autopilot was not enabled at the moment of the crash. It couldnt have been, because the car was in a residential area without lane markings and because Tesla has safeguards preventing the driver from moving into another seat while the vehicle is in motion.That has not prevented the deluge of criticism, including calls to discontinue Autopilot (and its younger but more advanced sibling, Full-Self Driving or FSD) until the technology is fully matured. Automotive engineer Sandy Munro believes that move would be nothing short of criminal.The technology is not perfect, he says on a call with TMZ Live (video is available at the bottom of the page). The technology is not fully matured, either, which is why its labeled driver-assist tech. Munro doesnt say it out loud, but the indication is that if there was Autopilot misuse in this particular crash, its still human error and, as such, not the fault of Autopilot.Munro says he hates the term human guinea pig occasionally used in reference to driver-assist tech. But you have to be practical about it: anything that makes driving a bit safer is good, even if not perfect. Cars with driver-assist tech are eight times less likely to get into a crash if the tech is used rightand thats what the industry and legislators should focus on. (CNN) People under the age of 65 in Sweden who have received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be given a different vaccine for their second dose, with a so-called mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer/Biontech or Moderna, the Swedish Health Agency announced on Tuesday. In view of the very rare but serious side effect reported after vaccination with Vaxzevria [the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine], the Swedish Public Health Agency considers that the vaccine cannot be generally recommended for persons under 65 years of age, a Swedish Health Agency spokesperson said in a phone call to CNN, following a statement issued by the agency The Swedish Public Health Agency said both it, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA,) considered AstraZeneca to be effective in preventing Covid-19 disease and reducing serious illness and death, and will continue to use it to vaccinate people over the age of 65 years old. Sweden paused the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March after reports of rare blood clots among people vaccinated with the shot. A mix and match trial was expanded in the UK last week to examine whether different coronavirus vaccines can safely be used for two-dose regimens, with results expected by summer 2021. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Sweden will give different second vaccine dose to people under 65 who had first dose of AstraZeneca." Samsungs DeX feature has been a staple in the companys brand for a few years now. A set of renders just popped up, pointing to a new device in the DeX family. Renders from WinFuture (via SamMobile) show us a new DeX compatible wireless keyboard that Samsung is developing. The renders show a pretty slim and compact design The name of this new keyboard is called the Samsung Keyboard Trio 500. The renders show us the black color variant with orange accents and the white color variant with baby blue accents. The body and the keys have a textured finish, and the power switch is on the left side. It appears like itd be made of metal, but thats tough to say at this point. There are a few keys that stand out. There are three accented keys that are labeled App 1, App 2, and App 3. These could be shortcuts, but its uncertain. The F7, F8, and F9 keys have the Bluetooth symbol, which means that this device can connect to up to three devices. The right-most accented key is a dedicated DeX key. It will most likely switch on and off DeX mode. Advertisement The device is pretty slim but it has a slight incline to add to ergonomics. It looks like it will be small enough to be tossed inside a travel bag. This will eliminate the issue of having to find a monitor with a keyboard attached. The DeX compatible keyboard has a price of only 45 euros The Keyboard Tio 500 may bear the DeX logo, but its not a proprietary piece of hardware. It runs on Bluetooth and it appears that it could also work with Windows and Apple devices. This is good news for those who use other platforms along with DeX and dont want to shell out for multiple keyboards. Theres a USB port, but it doesnt have a rechargeable battery. The port is to connect it to a device via a wire. Other than that, it can run on AAA batteries when connected by Bluetooth. Advertisement One kicker for the Keyboard Trio 500 is the rather small price tag. Samsung sometimes tends to offer a pretty penny for some of its devices, so seeing a price of 44.90 euros is a bit surprising. Theres no telling how much it will cost in the states, but hopefully, it will be near that price. With this price, we dont expect it to be much more than your typical Bluetooth keyboard with a few tricks up its sleeve. DeX has developed into a robust platform, even promoting companies like Motorola to follow in its footsteps. Theres no telling when the Keyboard Trio will launch. There are some third-party retailers that are getting ready to offer it, however. This should hopefully be a sign that it will launch sooner rather than later. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education today announced the winners of its inaugural Family Child Care Innovation Networks Award . The award both recognizes and provides funding to family child care providers across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These providers are a critical part of Massachusetts' early education and care ecosystem but too often lack the structural and financial supports available to other types of child care providers. In fact, a recent survey of early educators and caregivers across Massachusetts, part of the Early Learning Study at Harvard , found that nearly all (87%) family child care providers reported their income had been affected by the pandemic, which was not the case among those in other care types. Winners of the Family Child Care Innovation Networks Award will receive funding in amounts of up to $5,000 to cover investments and expenses associated with building and sustaining community-based peer learning networks. "The work these providers are doing is both critical and innovative, but they've also experienced disproportionately high levels of stress and uncertainty about the future of their programs," said Nonie Lesaux, Academic Dean and the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. "It's our hope that this funding will help providers engage in the kinds of peer learning and reflective, collaborative activities that will enhance their collective well-being and professional practice in the months and years to come." A full list of this year's winners can be found here . The makeup of this group is a testament to the diversity and commitment of providers across the field. Collectively, the 12 winning groups serve children and families in a broad range of communities, from the Quabbin and Fitchburg areas to metropolitan Boston and Martha's Vineyard. They speak many languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole, among others. Among the winners are providers who are new to the field and many who have been serving for decades, including a few who have been educating and caring for children for over 30 years. "This past year has only emphasized the importance of the affordability and flexibility of care that family child care providers can offer, both in Massachusetts and nationwide," said Stephanie Jones, Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Childhood Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. "These providers have supported so many families and communities before and throughout the pandemic, so we're thrilled to be able to reciprocate that support in a small way through this award." In addition to receiving funding, awardees will be invited to speak about their innovative practices at a virtual convening later this spring. About The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) promotes the knowledge, professional learning and collective action necessary to cultivate optimal early learning environments and experiences. The Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative is supported by a $35.5 million gift from the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, one of the largest gifts ever given to a university for advancing early childhood education. Media Contact Danielle Laurion Inkhouse (for Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative) [email protected] SOURCE Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative Related Links https://zaentz.gse.harvard.edu The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost. The net new additions by retirement body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) grew 19.63 per cent year-on-year to 12.37 lakh net subscribers in February, as per the provisional payroll data which gives an idea about the formal sector employment in the country. "The data reflects growth of 3.52 per cent in net subscribers addition in February 2021 over January 2021. Year-on-year comparison of payroll data indicates an increase of 19.63 per cent in net subscribers as compared to the corresponding period in February 2020," the Labour Ministry said in a release. It said the growth in subscriber addition may partly be attributed to various e-initiatives taken by EPFO for seamless and uninterrupted service delivery in addition to the policy support for formalisation of the economy through various employment schemes of the Centre amid the pandemic. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, EPFO added around 69.58 lakh net subscribers during 2020-21 financial year till February. Also read: COVID-19: Bombay Oxygen shares up 256%; it doesn't even make oxygen The 22-25 age group registered the highest number of net enrolments with around 3.29 lakh net subscriber addition in February, followed by 29-35 age group with around 2.51 lakh net enrolments. "Category-wise analysis of industries reflects dominance of 'expert services' category with overall additions of 4.99 lakh net payroll additions in February 2021, followed by 'trading-commercial establishments' category, contributing around 84,000 subscribers," the release said. Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had the highest net payroll addition, with the five states contributing 54.81 per cent of the total additions across all the age-groups by adding 38.14 lakh net subscribers during the current financial year. Since April, 2018 EPFO has been releasing payroll data covering the period September 2017 onwards. The data published comprises of members who have joined during the month and whose contribution has been received. The EPFO manages social security funds of workers in the organised/semi-organised sector in India. Also read: CM Thackeray to announce complete lockdown tomorrow, hints Maharashtra minister Car in Median Leads to Marshall DUI, Pot Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff MARSHALL COUNTY - A Missouri woman was arrested Monday night in Marshall County on DUI and drug charges.At approximately 7:20 pm, the Marshall County Sheriff's Office was notified about a car in the median on I-69. A deputy found the vehicle and identified the driver as 22-year-old Milannie Topez Bell-Fox of Columbia, MOThe deputy said he could smell the odor of marijuana when Bell-Fox opened the car door. As a result of the investigation and field sobriety tests, Bell-Fox was arrested and charged with DUI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.She was lodged in the Marshall County Detention Center. The Bi-Annual National Drug Take Back will be held this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event provides residents the opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted medications. Residents may simply drive to a Drug Take Back location, where a law enforcement or volunteer wearing masks will take the medications for proper disposal.The service which is free and anonymous helps to prevent misuse and abuse of medications while protecting local water sources.Collected medications are incinerated, which is the Environmental Protection Agencys recommended approach for pharmaceutical disposal. Flushing medications down the toilet and throwing them in the trash are discouraged.Its important for us to keep these items out of landfills and water supplies. Through these efforts we are not only helping protect our water sources but also our community from the consequences of drug abuse, said Kitty Vaughn, Tennessee American Water supervisor of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance.Tennessee American Water has been a partner of the National Drug Take Back Day since it was launched over 10 years ago by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. According to the DEA, medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuseOverdose rates have increased significantly during the pandemic, said Camilla Bibbs, executive director of the Hamilton County Coalition. We encourage residents to take advantage of the Drug Take Back to remove temptations in the home and help reduce opportunities that could lead to overdose.Sites are located in Hamilton, Rhea, Sequatchie, Marion, Bradley and McMinn Counties. Two sites in Hamilton County Mt. Canaan Church on Highway 58 and Walgreens on Gunbarrel Road will offer free shredding of personal documents containing confidential information such as medical or tax records. For a complete list of sites, visit the Hamilton County Coalitions website, hccoalition.org The Chadian military has successfully executed what could be described as a coup following the death of President Idriss Deby on Tuesday. Mr Deby, 68, died on Tuesday from injuries sustained while leading the military in a battle against insurgents, the army said. Rather than follow the constitutional provision that mandates the speaker of the parliament to hold office for 40 days in the case of the death of the president, the army said it was dissolving the Chadian parliament, suspending the constitution and naming Mr Idris son, Mahamat Kaka, interim president of the country. The 37-year-old Mr Kaka, a major-general in the Chadian army, will now lead a military council for an 18 months transition period, army spokesperson, Azem Agouna, said. Mr Deby, who ruled Chad since 1990, died of wounds suffered on the frontline during a battle against rebels in the countrys north who were advancing on the countrys capital, Ndjamena, Mr Agouna said. Mr Deby was killed a day after he was declared winner of a presidential election that would have given him a sixth term in office. The exact circumstances of Mr Debys death were not immediately clear. PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier how the late president had been commanding his army at the weekend as it battled rebels who had launched a major incursion into the north of the country on election day on April 11. Mr Deby will go down in history as one of Africas longest-ruling leaders, surviving numerous coup attempts and rebellions. His untimely death could deepen Chads security problems. A curfew has been imposed and the countrys borders have been shut in the wake of the presidents death. The government and National Assembly have been dissolved and a nationwide curfew imposed from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. The National Council of Transition reassures the Chadian people that all measures have been taken to guarantee peace, security and the republican order, Mr Agouna added The military council said it would lead a transition for a period of 18 months leading to free and fair elections. Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan noted however that the establishment of the military council is not in Chads constitution, What the constitution says is that in the absence of the president or in case he dies, then the speaker of the parliament takes charge of the country for 40 days and so a transition is put in place until elections are held, she said. [But] the military announced that the legislative assembly has been dissolved and that the constitution also has been dissolved, so what they are doing is that they replaced the constitution with their own set of rules. ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, is yet to speak on the apparent coup by the Chadian army. Nigeria, Chads large and influential neighbour has also not spoken on the militarys action. ADVERTISEMENT Delegates at the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021 commended the agreement between China and the United States to cooperate on climate change, stressing the crucial role of their collaboration in tackling the global challenge. The two countries have issued a joint statement addressing the climate crisis after talks between China Special Envoy for Climate Change, Xie Zhenhua, and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, on Thursday and Friday in Shanghai. Kevin Rudd, president of the non-profit Asia Society Policy Institute and former Australian prime minister, said the discussion between the special envoys represents the first step towards a realistic climate collaboration between the two countries. "We should all encourage the U.S. and China to make this the first of many steps on the way to Glasgow," Rudd said, referring to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which will be held in the Scottish city. Rudd made the remarks at a session themed "Build a New Way of International Cooperation in a Post-Pandemic World" on Monday. Rudd added that an important question that needs to be answered at COP26 is how to bring the rest of the world along with the plan to achieve carbon neutrality by the middle of the century, aided by China-U.S. collaboration. Siddharth Chatterjee, the new U.N. resident coordinator in China, said that the two major greenhouse gas emitters have the economic might, capacity, and ability to solve the climate emergency the world is facing today. "The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has declared a climate emergency, and this is a time where we need the leadership of China and the U.S. to come together," Chatterjee said. Speaking at a briefing during the BFA annual conference on Sunday, Chatterjee said the two countries have some of the brightest minds and greatest scientists in the world and that they should work together, share knowledge, experience, technology, and best practices in terms of renewable energy. "I believe this itself will give us the velocity on the way forward," Chatterjee stated. Chatterjee also emphasized the urgent need to promote international cooperation on climate change, saying, "This is the only planet we have and it's an existential emergency that we are in." He noted that there are many opportunities to facilitate such cooperation, including the COP26 and the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), scheduled for Oct. 11 to 24 in Kunming, the capital of southwestern China's Yunnan province. Erik Solheim, former executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), said that the meeting between the special envoys is promising and he looks forward to seeing China and the U.S. collaborate to provide needed leadership in global climate change efforts. Solheim, now serving as convener of the Advisory Committee of the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, said both China and the U.S. are moving fast domestically to advance green development. The U.S. administration, for example, has unveiled a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan which includes allocations to spur electric vehicle adoption, boost wind energy, and encourage low-emission technology, Solheim said via video link at another briefing. Meanwhile, in China, all provinces, cities, and companies are asking themselves how they can live up to the country's great commitment of reaching peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, Solheim continued. He said that by working together, the two countries can provide desperately needed green technology to the world and help set the rules for global climate finance. This year's BFA annual conference runs from April 18 to 21 in Boao, a coastal town in south China's Hainan province. The theme of the conference is "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation." A former parent at the $57,000-a-year New York City school that banned a math teacher who spoke out against its woke curriculum from the classroom has claimed pupils spend a week every month learning Critical Race Theory. Grace Church School teacher Paul Rossi was ousted from the classroom Monday after he accused the school of 'indoctrinating' students with antiracist lessons 'at the cost of students psychological and intellectual development'. In an essay shared on former New York Times editor Bari Weiss's Substack, Rossi said he could no longer stay silent while 'witnessing the harmful impact' that the curriculum has on children. A former parent of the school, who identified himself as C Bell, commented on his essay that students are being forced to undertake controversial lessons focused on 'antiracism, equity and belonging'. He said: 'I'm a former parent. My son had Paul Rossi. Sadly, Mr. Rossi's account is not hyperbole. 'One week out of the month is now fully devoted to CRT (not academics). 'Grace was in the news earlier this year as well for it's language guide, which suggested (among other things) that students and teachers say folks or parents or family and not specifically mom and dad because not all kids have mom and dads and such a person might be offended if you ask about their mom and dad. 'The goal of education cannot be to eliminate all possibility of offense.' George P. Davison (right) the head of the Grace Church High School in Manhattan, sent a letter to parents and staff saying he was 'disappointed' math teacher Paul Rossi (left) had publicly blasted the private school in a blog post Before the Rossi scandal, it was revealed last month that the Grace Church School issued a glossary of terms they claim will make the facility a more 'inclusive' place. It offered a 12-page guide to staff, students and parents that encourages them to stop using 'mom' and 'dad', to stop asking classmates where they may have gone on vacation and urges them not to wish anyone a 'Merry Christmas' - or even a 'Happy Holidays'. The school's website also has a page devoted to antiracism where it outlines the programs offered to pupils and parents. Among the upcoming events are Zoom meetings for parents of white backgrounds where they can discuss how to better tackle racism. Rossi claimed that the school's headmaster, George P. Davison, privately agreed the school is 'demonizing white people for being born'. That accusation came Monday in response to a letter by Davison said to have been shared with staff Sunday. That note from Davison is said to have read: 'You should know that Paul has declined his contract so will not be returning in the fall. 'The wellbeing of our community is our first priority, and we take it seriously whenever students raise concerns about the professionalism of a teacher. Topher Nichols, the school spokesman, confirmed to DailyMail.com Monday: 'I can confirm that Paul was relieved of his teaching duties' Rossi responded, claiming head George P. Davison privately agreed the school is now 'demonizing white people for being born' 'It is clear to me that Paul cannot be effective as a teacher at Grace any more. I have informed him that he is relieved of his teaching duties, and we've asked two support teachers to take over his math classes for the final quarter. 'He has been asked to not come into the building without prior coordination.' Topher Nichols, the school spokesman, told DailyMail.com Monday: 'I can confirm that Paul was relieved of his teaching duties. 'He has been invited to spend the remainder of his contract with the school contributing to a new task force that will review best practices nationwide around belonging.' Candace Owens says parents must SUE woke schools who want to cancel conservative thinking and blasts 'meaningless' degrees like gender studies Candace Owens is pictured Candace Owens has said parents need to start suing woke schools who want to cancel conservative thinking. The conservative commentator said: 'Parents have to start speaking out, not just speaking out, but suing. You have to start suing the schools because they're ruining the lives of young children.' She was joined on Fox News by Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, who added: 'Where are the adults that are going to start to stand up and realize that the next generation that's standing up for freedom in our country is worthy of protection, in this situation? 'It takes courage to be a young conservative. It's time for adults to start to protect young people's right to organize and speak their mind.' Owens added: 'This thought process that we keep seeing that conservatives are not allowed to exist, that being conservative is backwards and it's wrong, and especially when it comes to the education system taking part in this, right? 'Smearing and labeling their own students, these students having to transfer out of schools. This is systematic bullying that's happening, but worse than that, it's propagandist.' She later praised Andrew Gutmann, 45, who pulled his daughter from $54,000 a year Brearley school as 'an absolute hero' before blasting 'meaningless' degrees like gender studies. Responding to one student's claims that they were punished for studying her in black history month, Owens said: 'This young girl you brought up...picked me, a black person, for Black History Month, and she was accused of being a racist. 'I mean, that is so twisted and perverted and wrong. It would be funny if it wasn't so cruel that led to her actually having to transfer out of this school.' Advertisement Nichols elaborated on why Rossi was 'relieved of his teaching duties,' saying it was because 'numerous students requested to be removed from his class because of his unprofessional conduct and because he demeaned them in the press.' The school had told DailyMail.com Thursday that Rossi wouldn't be fired or face discipline over his post. Rossi then said he received an email from school Principal Davison saying he should stay home until further notice for 'security concerns.' He is said to have been asked to stay home after another colleague threatened him in the wake of his complaints being published. By Monday he had been 'relieved of his duties'. Candace Owens said Sunday that parents need to start suing woke schools who want to cancel conservative thinking. She told Fox News: 'Parents have to start speaking out, not just speaking out, but suing. You have to start suing the schools because they're ruining the lives of young children.' Conservative activist Charlie Kirk added: 'Where are the adults that are going to start to stand up and realize that the next generation that's standing up for freedom in our country is worthy of protection, in this situation? 'It takes courage to be a young conservative. It's time for adults to start to protect young people's right to organize and speak their mind.' Her comments came in the wake of a second controversy that impacted another elite New York City prep schools where a parent complained his child was being brainwashed with anti-racism ideology. Andrew Gutmann, 45, had announced in an April 13 letter shared by journalist Bari Weiss this week that he has chosen not to reenroll his daughter in the all-girls school where annual tuition is $54,000. He pulled his daughter from the school over its woke antiracism 'obsession.' He accused the school of 'teaching what to think not how to think.' The school responded by slamming him for being 'offensive.' On Monday Woke, Inc author Vivek Ramaswamy also blasted what he calls a culture of 'indoctrination'. He said American schools are 'going down the tubes' because they have been 'infected' with 'woke culture' that has 'sacrificed the idea of excellence' by 'indoctrinating' students. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and the author of Woke, Inc, compared the wave of 'wokeness' in schools to China's Cultural Revolution of the 60s and 70s, when its people were indoctrinated with Maoism by the Communist Party. Ramaswamy told Fox News that these incidents illustrate the extent to which American children are being brainwashed. 'I think it's going to be really damaging, poisoning the minds of our next generation,' he told Fox News. 'The thing about America as a country is that we are not like many other countries throughout history - defined on the basis of a single ethnicity, or a single language, or a single monarch. 'America is an idea, and part of being an idea as a country means this. 'The way we describe America affects that America actually works, that's why we call it the American dream. 'It's what we aspire to. E pluribus unum (out of many, one). That's what we should be aspiring to, ideas that bind us together. Rossi on Tuesday came forward with allegations in a blog post that he published on Substack Grace Church High School is a $57,000-a-year private school whose famous alumni include actor David Duchovny and New York Times columnist David Brooks Vivek Ramaswamy (above) spoke out in response to two separate controversies that impacted elite New York City prep schools where parents complained their children were being brainwashed with anti-racism ideology HEAD OF DALTON RESIGNS AMID ROW OVER WOKE POLICIES Jim Best said he would see out the year at the $50,000-a-year institution then step down to pursue 'other opportunities' The head of the elite Manhattan school Dalton is stepping down this year after being slammed by parents for pushing an 'obsessive', antiracism agenda on students. Jim Best said he would see out the year at the $50,000-a-year institution then step down to pursue 'other opportunities'. His resignation is in response to parents' complaints that Dalton, like other prestigious private schools Grace Church and Brearley, is indoctrinating students with its woke agenda. Dalton parents penned an anonymous open letter to the school earlier this week. 'Every class this year has had an obsessive focus on race and identity, 'racist cop' reenactments in science, 'de-centering whiteness' in art class, learning about white supremacy and sexuality in health class. 'Wildly inappropriate, many of these classes feel more akin to a Zoom corporate sensitivity-training than to Dalton's intellectually engaging curriculum,' it read. Advertisement He added: 'Instead we have been obsessing over diversity, our differences, for a decade now forgetting all of the ways in which we are actually the same, and now that's getting transmitted to the next generation. 'I think the way we describe this country to them will affect the way it works in the next generation, and that's something to be really frightened of.' Gutmann, who runs his family's chemical business, told the New York Post on Saturday that he penned the 1,700-word letter he mailed to 650 different families because 'someone had to speak out.' He said he does not regret sending the letter. 'She hasn't been brainwashed yet by the school - but she's had me at home. I'm not so sure that's true of the other kids,' Gutmann told the outlet, referring to his daughter. 'Someone had to do it. Someone had to light the match. Everyone's so afraid of cancel culture. We're going to destroy the city, we're going to destroy the country.' Gutmann said he refused to sign the school's anti-racism pledge in October. The school had started the required pledge after black alumnae accused the school of racism in posts made to the Instagram account account 'Black at Brearley,' according to the Washington Free Beacon. The school's antiracism and diversity plans are extensively described on its website. 'I thought they were going to kick my daughter out then,' Gutmann said. 'They didn't, but next year they have the pledge built into the yearly school contract.' The concerned dad claimed that the school's 'once-rigorous curriculum' completely changed after administrators 'managed to sneak' in an increased emphasis on race during the pandemic 'when everyone was distracted,' the New York Post reported. 'I don't know who's really driving this and nobody does,' he told the outlet. Gutmann said the thing he resented the most about Brearley is that the school 'has begun to teach what to think, instead of how to think.' Jane Fried, Brearley's head of school, sent a message to the school's families on Friday in which she slammed Gutmann's letter as 'deeply offensive and harmful.' The jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd last May. Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The judge asked each juror if the verdict was correct, thanked them for heavy duty jury service, and dismissed them. He revoked bail and told Chauvin to report back in eight weeks for sentencing. Chauvin was handcuffed and taken into custody. The former officer, who is white, was seen on video pinning George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, to the ground with his knee last Memorial Day for over nine minutes after police responded to a report that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill. Cell phone video of the incident went viral and touched off months of protests in the U.S. and abroad condemning police brutality and calling for racial justice. The widely watched trial, which began in March with jury selection, was livestreamed Minnesotas first criminal case to be televised. If convicted of the most serious charge, Chauvin faces 12 1/2 years or 150 months in prison under sentencing guidelines for a first-time offender. But, the prosecution argues there are aggravating factors that require a longer prison term. That means Chauvin may face longer than that sentence. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Chauvins knee pressed against Floyds neck while he was handcuffed and face-down on the street led to his death by loss of oxygen. The defense argued underlying heart issues and the methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system caused Floyds death while he struggled with police. The prosecution rested its case last week after calling 38 witnesses and playing dozens of video clips over the course of 11 days. The defense rested Thursday after calling seven witnesses over two days. Attorneys for both sides presented their closing arguments Monday. Floyds death prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities in the United States and around the world last year. The courthouse in Minneapolis was surrounded by high barricades and guarded by National Guard troops. Many downtown businesses boarded up their windows as they braced for the verdict. Defence lawyer Eric Nelson, left, and defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, on Monday, April 19, 2021, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Court TV via AP, Pool] While the U.S. criminal justice system and juries have long given leeway and some legal protection to police officers who use violence to subdue civilians, the jurors in this case found that Chauvin had crossed the line and used excessive force. Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, Chauvin faces 12-1/2 years in prison for his murder conviction as a first-time criminal offender. Prosecutors could, however, seek a longer sentence up to the maximum of 40 years if Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over the trial, determines that there were aggravating factors. In Minnesota, convicted criminals generally leave prison on supervised release after completing two thirds of their sentence. Chauvin had no previous criminal convictions. Chauvin had pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree unintentional murder involving intentional infliction of bodily harm, third-degree unintentional depraved mind murder involving an act eminently dangerous to others, and second-degree manslaughter involving a death caused by culpable negligence. The jury included four white women, two white men, three Black men, one Black woman and two multiracial women, according to court records. Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he had spoken by phone with members of Floyds family. Theyre a good family, and theyre calling for peace and tranquility, no matter what that verdict is. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is I think its overwhelming in my view. I wouldnt say that unless the jury was sequestered now, (would) not hear me say that, Biden told reporters at the White House. The intersection of race and law enforcement has long been contentious in the United States, underscored by a series of deadly incidents involving white police officers and Black people in a number of American cities in recent years. The Minneapolis Police Department fired Chauvin and three other officers the day after Floyds arrest. The three others are due to face trial later this year on aiding-and-abetting charges in Floyds death. MEDICAL EXPERTS A cardiologist, a pulmonologist, a toxicologist and a forensic pathologist were medical experts called by prosecutors to testify that videos and autopsy results confirmed that Chauvin killed Floyd by compressing his body into the street in a way that starved him of oxygen. The defense argued that Chauvin behaved as any reasonable police officer would have under these circumstances, and sought to raise doubts about the cause of Floyds death, saying heart disease or even the exhaust fumes from the nearby police car may have been factors. Darnella Frazier, a teenager who told the jury she was taking her 9-year-old cousin to the Cup Foods grocery store that evening to get snacks, was among the witnesses called by prosecutors after jurors began hearing testimony on March 29. Frazier had used her cellphone to make a video depicting Floyds excruciating ordeal, images that catalyzed the subsequent protests. Floyd can be heard on the video crying out for his mother and telling officers he could not breathe. Eventually Chauvin lifted his knee to allow paramedics to place Floyds limp body onto a stretcher. Other eyewitnesses described the horror and lingering trauma of watching Floyd die in front of them. Courteney Ross, Floyds girlfriend of nearly three years, recalled their first kiss and their shared struggle with opioid addiction. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo appeared as a prosecution witness to testify that Chauvins actions during the arrest represented an egregious breach of his training. Throughout the trial, Chauvin, who was free on bail, wore a suit and took notes on yellow legal pads while sitting alongside defense attorney Eric Nelson. Members of Floyds family took turns attending the trial, though some tried to avert their gaze when video of Floyds death, recorded from multiple angles, was replayed to jurors. The judge ordered the jurors to be sequestered after they began deliberations. Courtroom seating was limited because of pandemic-related restrictions, leaving only single chairs at the back reserved for the families of Chauvin and Floyd. The Chauvin seat went mostly unclaimed until the final few days when at least two women began making appearances. Both declined to speak to reporters. The judge let the proceedings be broadcast live to the public, a Minnesota first. U.S. news networks carried much of the trial live, though the coverage was sometimes interrupted by new episodes of police violence caught on camera. For example, a Black motorist named Daunte Wright was fatally shot on April 11 during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. Wrights death has also drawn international attention and raises the prospect of another Minnesota trial in which a police officer is accused of using excessive force. SOURCE: REUTERS TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - The City of Lafayette and Tippecanoe County are transitioning to a mask advisory beginning Tuesday. The advisory means people can choose whether or not to wear masks within buildings owned by Lafayette and Tippecanoe County. Exceptions are being made at the courthouse and jail. It will be up to the individual judges what protocols they want in their courtrooms. Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith said they moved to relax their mask requirements when Governor Eric Holcomb made the statewide move on April 6th. He said they don't have any cases of COVID in the jail right now and that things are going steadily with modified mask protocols. "The people that are inside the building in the secured area, not open to the public unless they have an escort, you don't have to wear a mask if you don't want to," he said. "Back when you're dealing with the inmates, if they are in a day room together, they don't need to wear a mask. However, if they are escorted to another location then they do need to wear a mask. If any of the staff has direct contact with them, they have to wear a mask." He said they have started allowing groups to come back into the jail to work with inmates. However, he said they are only allowed to work the groups of people who stay together. They aren't allowed to mix inmates together who aren't in the same groups. He said they are getting good cooperation from those in the jail. "I've gone back and talked to them myself a few times," said the sheriff. "They've been outstanding with this, we haven't had any issues and they understand. I'm sure they don't like it but we've communicated with them, like this what we're doing and this is why." He said if cases should start to appear back in the jail again, they would move back to the stricter mask policy. He said they are talking with their health care provider this week about giving the inmates the option to get the vaccine soon. They are hoping to administer the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine to those who want it. The single dose option is preferred because Sheriff Goldsmith can't guarantee if the people will still be in the jail by the time their second dose appointment comes around. As we've previously reported, the City of West Lafayette is continuing to enforce mask-wearing for the foreseeable future. Mayor John Dennis has said the city will continue to work in tandem with Purdue's COVID protocol decisions to keep both parts of the community on the same page. We thought we had fallen out of our beds and hit our heads, because we woke up in a parallel universe in which the party of free markets, that saw nothing wrong with corporate influence in U.S. politics through unlimited cash flowing into elections now is rallying against of all things corporate meddling in politics? You might remember Rick Scott, the former jobs, jobs, jobs governor who toured the state touting Floridas friendly low-tax corporate environment so friendly that he engineered an unemployment system that made accessing benefits very difficult and treated every applicant as a fraudster so taxes paid by businesses remained low. Georgias racist voting law, not Coke or Delta, is the problem, Sen. Rubio so are you | Editorial Corporate friend no more. Well, at least to a Fox News audience looking for blood after corporate America became woke with its rebuke of the crackdown on voter access Georgia just passed and Florida is considering. Meanwhile, Scott continues to jet across the country raising money from corporate America for the GOPs efforts to retake the Senate. Backlash looms Because picking fights with woke corporations a couple of months ago that would have sounded like an oxymoron is the new thing if you are a Republican with presidential aspirations in the party of Donald Trump, Scott wrote an open letter to corporate America posted on Fox Business that threatens the backlash is coming. You must have loved the accolades from your elitist, left-wing peers when you took the MLB All-Star Game from Georgia. What a fun day for you on Twitter. Congratulations, Scott wrote. Your latest attempts to hurt Georgias economy will help us do something that is long overdue make corporate welfare a thing of the past, he continued. There will be no number of well-connected lobbyists you can hire to save you. There will be no amount of donations you can make that will save you. There will be nowhere for you to hide. Story continues Of course, whats woke and leftist to one person could very well be common, civic decency to another, rooted in the belief that a curated group of citizens should not have their right to vote suppressed in this country. The Georgia law, based on the false premise the 2020 elections were a fraud, drastically cuts down on the number of ballot dropboxes in Atlantas core with its concentration of Black voters among other things. A brand-new Scott? Still, were thrilled to hear a Republican talk about making corporate welfare a thing of the past. Scott, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should join forces on this noble cause. Scott can start by pushing Congress to repeal or reform the 2017 federal tax cut package that slashed taxes for big companies and increased the number of companies that paid no taxes in its first year. He can make good on his promise to neutralize lobbyists by ending the federal price-support program that helps the sugar industry, one of Floridas most powerful special interests. He can then fight for election campaign reform to reduce the influence of corporations. But we know real change isnt the intent of Scotts letter if, in fact, he, and not a millennial staffer, really wrote the stridently in-your-face piece. This is about creating an illusion that corporate America, Black Lives Matter and anyone else who questions this countrys racist legacy and polices are at war with American values. What happened to the Republicans mantra of free market, of allowing private businesses to act according to whats in their best interest without interference from elected officials? And when are they going to wake up? New Delhi : The existence of a ninth planet has always been a matter of great speculation and debate amongst astrophysicists. On October 4, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its press release said that the ninth planet might be out there on the icy outer edges of the solar system. It said that the planets presence is tilting the entire solar system to one side. The mysterious planet is estimated to be about 10 times massive than planet earth and probably 20 times further from the sun than the eighth planet Neptune. Konstantin Batygin, a planetary astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) said, There are now five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine. If you were to remove this explanation and imagine Planet Nine does not exist, then you generate more problems than you solve. All of a sudden, you have five different puzzles, and you must come up with five different theories to explain them, added Batygin, who along with co-author Mike Brown described the initial observations about the possible existence of the ninth planet in their January 2016 paper published in the Astronomical Journal. The planet nine has the capacity to wobble the entire solar system just like a top on a table said Batygin. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Singapore's anti-narcotics agency said on Monday it made its biggest seizure of cannabis in 25 years in a bust last week in the city-state, which has some of the world's toughest narcotics laws including capital punishment. The Central Narcotics Bureau seized about 23.7 kg (52.25 lb) of cannabis and 16.5 kg of heroin, as well as crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy tablets, it said in a statement. The cannabis haul was the largest since 1996 and the heroin seizure the biggest since 2001. The drugs are estimated to be worth more than S$2.3 million ($1.7 million), according to the CNB. CNB officers arrested a 22-year-old Malaysian male on Friday for suspected drug trafficking offences. The wealthy city-state has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and imposes long jail terms or the death penalty in some cases. It has hanged hundreds of people - including dozens of foreigners - for narcotics offences over past decades, rights groups say. The trafficking of more than 500 grams of cannabis can carry the death penalty in Singapore. ($1 = 1.3328 Singapore dollars) There is an adage that men are judged on their potential and women on their accomplishments. A 2019 study in Frontiers in Psychology showed how this can work in the business world. Participants were asked to weigh four candidates, two men and two women, for a job at a fictitious company. One man and one woman had resumes and recommendations emphasizing their past achievements. The other man and woman had resumes and testimonials foregrounding their abilities and leadership potential. In two different experiments, groups of participants were asked whom theyd hire. In each, the perception of potential was an advantage for men, but not for women. The experiments didnt show pure sexism: In one, the participants thought the women would be better hires overall. But they did show that women were judged on what theyd already done, while men were judged on what people thought they could do in the future. Other research shows that men are more likely than women to be viewed as inspired. In 2017, The Harvard Business Review reported on a study revealing that men, but not women, gain leadership status at work for promoting ideas seen as helping the group. A 2015 study found that a man is ascribed more creativity than a woman when they produce identical output. Women can be workhorses, but rarely wunderkinds. This helps explain why there could never be a female Andrew Yang. In the latest round of polling for New Yorks Democratic mayoral primary, Yang continues to lead. A Spectrum News NY1/Ipsos poll shows him with 22 percent of likely Democratic voters, followed by the Brooklyn borough president, Eric Adams, with 13 percent. The progressive polling firm Data for Progress shows Yang with 26 percent, double Adamss 13 percent. A survey by the Siena College Research Institute and AARP has Yang leading with voters over 50, getting 24 percent of the vote, followed by Adams and the city comptroller, Scott Stringer, who each get 13 percent. Britain's second-largest mortgage provider is increasing the amount it will lend to first-time buyers based on their salary. Nationwide will allow people looking to get on the housing ladder to borrow 5.5 times their annual income, more than the 4.5 loan-to-income ratio most lenders offer. However, borrowers will need to take out one of the building society's standard five or ten-year fixed rate mortgages in order to benefit. Helping hand: Nationwide's scheme will allow borrowers to get a mortgage equivalent to 5.5 times their salary - but they will have to commit to a longer-term fix in return The scheme, called 'Helping Hand,' will be launched on 26 April. Borrowers will need a deposit of at least 10 per cent, as that is the minimum Nationwide currently requires across all its products. The building society has said it will have 1bn available to lend via its Helping Hand loans. Based on the average mortgage size of around 200,000, this would mean around 5,000 households would benefit. It said it was unable to offer more than that because of regulatory limits. The lender will apply a lower stress rate on the mortgages, and combined with the higher loan to income ratio it said this would 'enable an uplift in affordability of up to 20 per cent.' Helping Hand will be available on both houses and flats, but not for those buying using shared ownership. In addition, self-employed borrowers won't be able to use the scheme. Average house prices and deposits for first-time buyers have both risen in the last year The bank's standard lending criteria will also apply, which will mean that borrowers will need at least a 15 per cent deposit if they want to borrow more than 500,000 and 20 per cent if they want to borrow more than 750,000. Those buying a new build will also need a minimum deposit of 15 per cent. 'We are very conscious that affordability and raising a deposit are the two major barriers to home ownership for first-time buyers,' Henry Jordan, mortgage director at Nationwide, told This is Money. 'Our new Helping Hand option supports borrowers in meeting the affordability requirements, making it easier for them to buy a home of their own.' Asked whether the affordability tests would be stricter for those wanting to borrow 5.5 times their income, Jordan added: 'We are making some changes to the affordability calculation to allow us to lend more, and applying some added controls in the background.' He said that having things like large amounts of unsecured credit might mean the loan-to-income ratio was lowered. Nationwide was the first lender to bring back a 10 per cent deposit mortgage after many deals were pulled from the market due to the pandemic. However, it is yet to return a 5 per cent product to its range - despite other lenders doing so this week as part of a Government-backed scheme. Jordan added: 'We don't have any confirmed plans currently, but we do see it as a core component of our offer to first-time buyers. 'It is on our agenda and we will look at it over the next few months.' RtBrick Completes Another Cashflow Positive Year RtBrick Inc has completed its financial year, which ran from April 2020 through to March 2021. The company completed another cashflow positive year, alongside achieving some notable milestones, and cemented its position as one of the networking industry's most important industry pioneers. The year marked the live deployment of its software in Deutsche Telekom's (News - Alert) broadband network in Germany, following a successful pilot. Europe's largest carrier is now using RtBrick's BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) routing software to provide broadband services in Germany at speeds up to 1Gbps. RtBrick also added support for IPTV (News - Alert) services, surpassed the scale limitations of conventional routers using multithread processing, and added new APIs to its software, allowing operators greater control over their networks. The end of the financial year culminated in the announcement of a new Consolidated BNG (Broadband Network Gateway (News - Alert) ) for deployment in more remote locations. RtBrick was also recognized as finalists in three prestigious industry awards - Leading Lights Most Innovative Telecoms Product, Broadband Awards Best Fixed Access Solution and Computing Technology Product Awards for Infrastructure Product of The Year. To learn more about RtBrick's leading disaggregated solution for broadband networks, check out our website here. About RtBrick RtBrick has pioneered carrier routing software that runs on off-the-shelf hardware. It has applied the same approach to networks that the huge 'cloud-natives' have used to build and operate their web-scale IT services. RtBrick is a privately held company, with staff located in India, Europe and the USA. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005124/en/ Posted Monday, April 19, 2021 12:16 pm Dear Editor, I am a Firefighter with Clark County Fire District 3. I also help other regions throughout Washington in mitigating wildland fires. I have witnessed first-hand how devastating wildland fires are to communities and the emergency personnel who respond to these disasters. Loss of ones home, a loved one, or a firefighter colleague is not easily overcome. Homeowners can improve the chances that their loved ones, their property, and the firefighters responding will survive a wildland fire by following some simple guidelines. Every year, Clark County Fire District 3 shares information about wildland fire preparedness through its social media and its newsletter, which arrived in mailboxes this week. Please take a moment to review that content. You also can call our fire station at (360) 892-2331 and ask questions of any of our wildland fire prevention experts. Thank you in advance for partnering with us to save lives and property. Victoria's Secret Angel Stella Maxwell walked her beloved male dog Trip, whom she adopted back in 2017, around Los Angeles on Sunday. The newly-signed IMG Model - turning 31 next month - was joined on the sunny stroll by her stylist pal Marc Eram, with whom she gets donuts once a week. Stella bared her taut tummy in a grey cropped tank, $175 Dad's Closet 'Newspaper' sweatpants, and black Converse low-tops. Canine companion: Victoria's Secret Angel Stella Maxwell walked her beloved male dog Trip, whom she adopted back in 2017, around Los Angeles on Sunday Both Maxwell and the personal shopper made sure to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus by wearing face masks. Starting last Thursday, all Californians over age 16 are now eligible to receive the vaccine. As of Monday, there have been 1.2M confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles leading to 23,648 deaths - according to Johns Hopkins University. On Sunday evening, the Belgian-born bombshell shared a rainbow-filtered mirror selfie video with her captive, combined 5.5M Instagram following. Close friends: The newly-signed IMG Model - turning 31 next month - was joined on the sunny stroll by her stylist pal Marc Eram (L), with whom she gets donuts once a week Masking up! Stella bared her taut tummy in a grey cropped tank, $175 Dad's Closet 'Newspaper' sweatpants, and black Converse low-tops Stella is just as famous for her modeling as she is for her lesbian romances with Kristen Stewart, Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid, Lily-Rose Depp, Taylor Hill, and Barbara Palvin. 'Honestly, I never worried about my sexuality,' Maxwell told The Advocate back in September. 'I look forward to the world getting to the point where we don't think about what someone's sexual preference is, what their gender is. Let's really just live and accept and celebrate people's individuality.' If the Monot FW/21 catwalker has a type, it's 'kind and honest' people who 'love dogs and animals' and 'have the space in your life to share.' Mirror, mirror: On Sunday evening, Maxwell shared a rainbow-filtered selfie video with her captive, combined 5.5M Instagram following 'Honestly, I never worried about my sexuality': The Belgian-born bombshell is just as famous for her modeling as she is for her lesbian romances with Kristen Stewart, Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid, Lily-Rose Depp, Taylor Hill, and Barbara Palvin Last month, Stella was 'honored to be the face of' Moschino fragrance Toy 2 Bubble Gum created and photographed by Jeremy Scott. '[Maxwell] has been a muse of mine for quite a long time,' the 45-year-old designer told WWD. 'When I was conceptualizing the campaign for the fragrance, I knew no one else would be able to bring this bubble gum pop feeling alive like her.' '3 - 2 - 1 - blast off!' Last month, Stella was 'honored to be the face of' Moschino fragrance Toy 2 Bubble Gum created and photographed by Jeremy Scott The 45-year-old designer (L) told WWD: '[Maxwell] has been a muse of mine for quite a long time. And when I was conceptualizing the campaign for the fragrance, I knew no one else would be able to bring this bubble gum pop feeling alive like her' The 5ft10in blonde previously described Jeremy as 'one of my close, dear friends.' 'We have had so many amazing adventures together from Met Balls with Moschino to runways to hanging out after long workdays,' Stella told The Advocate. 'Every designer you work with brings with them a unique and amazing adventure of their own.' Operations Update Melbourne, April 20, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Vintage Energy Ltd ( ASX:VEN ) is pleased to provide an update on activities relating to Nangwarry-1 in the onshore Otway Basin and the Vali gas field and Odin prospect in the Cooper Basin.Otway Basin - PEL 155 (Vintage 50%, Otway Energy Pty Ltd 50% and operator)Downhole gauges were set at 2,919 metres to record pressure data that will provide an updated volumetric estimate of the Nangwarry reservoir. These gauges are expected to be recovered this week, with data from the gauges to be analysed over the coming weeks. The current gross recoverable estimates for Nangwarry-1 carbon dioxide ("CO2") are: Low of 7.8 Bcf (3.9 Bcf net), Best of 25.1 Bcf (12.6 Bcf net), High of 82.1 Bcf (41.1 Bcf net) (refer ASX release dated 31 August 2020).There are a number of options that can be considered once a commercial project at Nangwarry has been confirmed. Due to high demand for a consistent supply of food grade CO2 in Australia, some options available to Vintage and its Joint Venture partner include the sale of a stake in the project, the introduction of a new joint venture partner, a tolling arrangement with an infrastructure provider or debt funding of the purification plant and sale of CO2 into long-term contracts.Cooper Basin - ATP 2021 (Vintage 50% and operator, Metgasco Ltd ( ASX:MEL ) 25%, Bridgeport Cooper Basin Pty Ltd 25%)The SLR Rig-184 is expected to commence drilling Vali-2 over the coming days and take approximately three weeks to reach total depth. The primary objectives of Vali-2 are to appraise the extent of the Patchawarra Formation gas accumulation discovered in Vali-1 ST1, as well as assess the potential for gas at a crestal location in the Toolachee Formation four-way dip closure, not tested in Vali-1 ST1.Vali-2 along with a number of other potential gas targets in the area, such as Kinta and Odin, may possibly form the basis for a production hub at Vali. Should these other targets prove successful, the plan would be to have flowline infrastructure feed from those reservoirs into Vali, where gas could then be transported to market. Such a hub would be an efficient and cost-effective way to transport gas from the region to market.PRL 211 (Vintage 42.5% and operator, Metgasco Ltd 21.25%, Bridgeport Cooper basin Pty Ltd 21.25%, Beach Energy Ltd ( ASX:BPT ) 15%)Once Vali-2 has been drilled the SLR-184 rig will move to the Odin-1 location in South Australia. Odin-1 is being drilled to address large fault bounded Toolachee and Patchawarra Formation closures, up dip of Strathmount-1, a discovery well drilled in 1987 but plugged and abandoned as a non-commercial hydrocarbon accumulation at that time. Strathmount-1 is interpreted to have conventional gas pay in the Toolachee Formation and both conventional and low permeability gas pay in the Patchawarra Formation. Stratigraphically trapped gas outside of mapped closure provides possible gas resource upside at Odin.Neil Gibbins, Managing Director of Vintage, said "We are very much looking forward to the outcomes of the upcoming high impact drilling program in the Cooper Basin and analysis of data from the successful Nangwarry testing program. All this activity and upcoming news flow will forge a clear path in terms of our future plans, especially with regard to further drilling, completions, and potential development of these exciting projects.I could not be happier with our portfolio of assets and the results delivered to date and we will continue to back ourselves by drilling what we believe to be exciting prospects. To this end, we should see a steady stream of news flow and catalysts over the coming months."To view tables and figures, please visit:About Vintage Energy Ltd Vintage Energy Ltd (ASX:VEN) has been established to acquire, explore and develop energy assets principally within, but not limited to, Australia, to take advantage of a generally favourable energy pricing outlook. Delhi HC asks Centre why wait till May 1 The on Tuesday expressed displeasure over "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the Centre to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said according to news reports there is a daily wastage of six per cent of vaccines and till now 4.4 million vaccines out of 100 million have been wasted, maximum in Tamil Nadu. Read here Nestle profit rises 15% FMCG major Ltd on Tuesday reported a 14.62 per cent rise in its net profit to Rs 602.25 crore for the quarter ended in March 2021 driven by increase in sales volume of its key products. The company, which follows January-December financial year, had posted a profit of Rs 525.43 crore in the same period a year ago. Its net sales were up 8.9 per cent to Rs 3,600.20 crore during the period under review as against Rs 3,305.78 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal, the company said in a BSE filing. Read here Boeing 737Max allowed to overfly India Indian aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday allowed foreign-registered Boeing 737 Max aircraft, which were grounded in the country since the March 2019 fatal crash of such a plane in Ethiopia, to overfly India after taking the agency's permission. Moreover, foreign lessors are allowed to fly their grounded 737 Max aircraft out of India after taking the regulator's permission, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) order said. Read here State govt imposes nearly 60-hr-long weekend curfew in entire UP The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to impose a weekend curfew from Friday evening to Monday morning in the entire state till further orders amid the rising cases of infections. Read here Minister has said the government should use the central agencies against hoarders of Covid vaccines and injections, instead of using them against the political opponents. "Black marketers, hoarders of these vaccines and injections, particularly, Remdesivir... a few cases have been of hoarding have been detected in The Government should bring in the CBI, the NIA and the ED... when you can use them to target your political opponents, why not utilise them against hoarders and black marketers, who are creating problems in the country," he said on Monday. He said Remdesivir is not the ultimate or the only solution for handling Covid-19 cases. A number of vaccines have been certified world over by other developed countries also and "the doors for these types of vaccines should be opened up to be available in our country". The Government had slowed down the production of vaccines also and exports were allowed even of the Remdesivir and injections were exported, he said. He alleged that the Government reacted late to the situation. "I think, the export should have been stopped earlier and the people of the country would have got the Remdesivir and other medicines in time. I think, this also needs to be addressed so that the production was ramped up and the states were given the respective requirement as per their cases in the respective states." he added --IANS miz/pgh (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.) Minnesota Governor Promises Not to Let Buildings Burn in Potential Riots Minnesotas governor is preparing for potential unrest after the verdict is announced in Derek Chauvins trial, with the memory of rioting in the summer of last year following George Floyds death still fresh in many minds. Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday that he declared a state of emergency as jurors in the trial weigh whether to convict or acquit the former Minneapolis police officer in Floyds death. Walz also successfully obtained $9 million in emergency funding for the law enforcement response when the state Senate passed several bills earlier in the day. We cannot allow civil unrest to descend into chaos. We must protect life and property, the Democrat told a press conference in St. Paul. Walz said he understands why people are frustrated over the deaths of Floyd and Daunte Wright, another black man who was fatally shot by an officer earlier this month after resisting arrest. I acknowledge them that we cant live like this. We simply cant. But we cant have thousands of businesses burned and people put at risk, Walz said. I cannot allow those businesses to burn. I cannot have peoples livelihood or their safety put at play. But I will recognize what theyre saying. National Guard members are seen as a person flies a Black Lives Matter flag during a rally after the murder trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin advanced to jury deliberations outside of the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on April 19, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo) Closing arguments in Chauvins trial took place on Monday. Afterwards, jurors were sequestered until they reach decisions on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Former officer Kim Potter, who shot Wright, was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Her next court appearance is in May. Officials worry that after Chauvins verdict is announced, rioting like the violence that took place last year in the wake of Floyds death will happen again. Over 1,025 properties were damaged, burned, or destroyed during the riots, with damages totaling tens of millions of dollars. More than 3,000 Minnesota National Guard personnel are supporting Operation Safety Net, a joint law enforcement effort to patrol protests and respond to civil unrest both before and after the verdict is reached. Theyre primarily focused on the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The personnel, along with other state and local officers, are being supported by 123 state troopers from Nebraska and Ohio. A destroyed building still smolders near the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct the day after it was attacked and burned by rioters following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Riots took place in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb, for several days following the April 11 shooting of Wright. Whatever the jury decides, we know that in this age of insurrection and extremism that we must be ready for the possibility of those who would exploit this moment and drown out the powerful voices of constructive protests across our nation with violence and destruction, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter told the briefing on Monday. Last spring, on top of the trauma of George Floyds killing, we endured the widespread devastation of the very neighborhoods he loved. But rioting wont solve this problem. And looting wont breathe life back into the bodies of our lost loved ones. We cannot cure harm by inflicting harm on others. Protesting violence through violent means only perpetuates those same cycles we are resolved to stop. And history always remembers poorly those who seek to assert their own humanity by dehumanizing others. So as we reject the violence and aggression that took George Floyds life, so too must we reject and do everything we can to prevent the burning and looting of our local barber shops and grocery stores, the pharmacies we rely on for life-saving medicine, and the affordable housing units our neighbors call home, he added. Officials called for people to remain peaceful. It would be helpful if President Joe Biden used his office to call for people to avoid engaging in violence and destruction, Walz said. I would hope that the president would use the authority of the White House and the compassion weve seen in President Biden to address us all and to ask for calm, he said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington, after dodging a question about incendiary remarks by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), that the president recognizes the issue of police violence against people of color, communities of color, is one of great anguish, and its exhausting and quite emotional at times. His view is also that exercising First Amendment rights and protesting injustice is the most American thing that anyone can do. But as he also always says, protests must be peaceful, she added. Thats what he continues to call for and what he continues to believe is the right way to approach responding. Burma Myanmar Regime Orders Dismantling of Mausoleum to Slain Democracy Protesters The mausoleum for 14 slain anti-regime protesters is seen before it was dismantled in Bago. Under pressure from the military regime, charity groups in Bago were forced to split up a mausoleum for 14 civilians slain by junta forces during their crackdowns against anti-regime protests into separate tombs on Monday. To honor those killed by junta troops during crackdowns on anti-regime demonstrations, residents entombed the remains of 14 civilians including protesters in a mausoleum they built at the Shin Phyu Kwin cemetery in the town. At a meeting on Sunday, regional authorities ordered at least 17 charity organizations providing medical assistance and free funeral services in the city to dismantle the mausoleum and bury the corpses in separate tombs. The military regime also forced the charity groups to remove the words Hero of the Spring Revolution from the tombstones of those killed. The charity groups were also told that the tombs must be at least 3 feet from each other. On Monday, the charity groups dismantled the mausoleum according to the order of the regional authorities, according to a charity group in Bago. An anti-regime strike leader in Bago told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the military regime ordered the charity groups to remove the tombs because it wants to erase its history of deadly brutality against the people. He said the military regimes order that people destroy the mausoleum is itself another chapter in that history. They dont want to let [future] generations know how brutal and utterly despicable they were. They can destroy the tombs, but they cant abolish history, the strike leader told The Irrawaddy. The chairman of a charity group who attended the meeting with the regional authorities was arrested on Monday, a resident close to the charity groups told The Irrawaddy. The regimes forces committed a bloody massacre in the town on April 9, killing about 82 people during raids against anti-regime strongholds. At about 4 a.m. on that day, more than 250 military regime forces launched attacks on four residential wardsShinsawpu, Hmawkan, Nantawyar and Ponnasuin Bago, which is located 98 kilometers from Yangon. During the raids, troops opened fire with automatic weapons and heavy explosives. The explosives are believed to have been rifle grenades, which were fired at anti-regime defense team members and night watchmen guarding protest assembly areas in the wards. Due to the brutality of the raids, hundreds of residents from the wards fled their homes. On March 28, junta troops cracked down on the funeral of student union member Ko Thae Maung Maung, 20, who was shot dead on March 27. The funeral was held in Bago Regions Phaya-Gyi Town. The troops opened fire on mourners at the funeral while trying to arrest attendees. Since the Feb. 1 coup, nearly 100 people including anti-regime protesters, bystanders and pedestrians have been slain in Bago by the military regime, according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which is documenting fatalities and detentions. As of Monday, nearly 740 people had been killed nationwide by the regimes forces during their crackdowns, raids, arrests and random shootings, said the AAPP. Also, more than 3,200 people including elected leaders, NLD party members, election commissioners, doctors, journalists, writers, artists, protesters and civilians have been detained. Amid the brutal killing and arrests, tens of thousands of people across Myanmar have taken to the streets to show their defiance of the military regime. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Regime Steps Up Arrests of Doctors as Strike Movement Takes Toll Villagers Flee Heavy Fighting Between KIA and Myanmar Military Thai PM Wont Join ASEAN Summit on Myanmar: Bangkok Post German subsidiary, Vektor Pharma has developed an oral disintegrating film (ODF) for drug delivery Developed low-cost oral screening test to concurrently detect COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 coronaviruses Joint venture with Oettinger Brauerei for cannabis-infused beverages and products What Xphyto Therapeutics does: XPhyto Therapeutics Corp ( ) ( ) (FRA:4XT) is a science-focused cannabis company developing analytical testing, processing, and formulation capability in Canada, while in Germany, it is focused on and research, cultivation, extraction, import, distribution, and manufacturing. The firm listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) on August 6, 2019, and on the Frankfurt exchange on August 13, 2019. In Canada, the firm has two exclusive five-year engagements with the faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Alberta to provide certified analytical testing capability, as well as extraction, isolation, and formulation facilities, and drug research and development expertise. In Germany, in August 2019 - soon after going public - Xphyto acquired Vektor Pharma TF GmbH, a narcotics manufacturer. Vektor specializes in thin therapeutic films, such as skin patches and oral strips, and possesses a slate of narcotics licenses covering traditional and cannabis-related medications. Prior to its float, XPhyto also acquired 100% ownership of German cannabis company, Bunker Pflanzenextrakte GmbH. The firm operates from a decommissioned German Air Force command center and nuclear bunker near Munich, hence its name, which is the largest cannabis laboratory in Germany. Germany, Europes biggest economy is projected to have one of the highest growth rates in the world for a cannabis market, with a 76.8% compound annual growth rate to reach $1.6 billion by 2022, according to research by Arcview. In November 2019, Xphyto announced a deal with a top cannabis grower to exclusively distribute cannabis flower, extracts, isolates and crystallites across Germany. The undisclosed supplier is a major grower and extractor skilled in meeting Europes good manufacturing practice standards which produces more than 100,000 hectares of medical-grade hydroponic high THC flower and THC cannabis strains for extraction. And with the world rocked by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in 2020 the company revealed that with its exclusive German diagnostics development partner, 3a-diagnostics GmbH (3a) it has developed Covid-ID Lab, a rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) RT-PCR test system. How is it doing: In March 2021, XPhyto Therapeutics achieved a major milestone when EU regulators approved its Covid-ID Lab, giving the company permission to commercialize the test. The sales launch in Europe was targeted for April 2021 with XPhyto currently in discussions with potential distribution and wholesale partners in Europe and the Middle East. To carry out the tests commercialization, the company also in April appointed Wolfgang Probst as its chief operations officer and Manfred Buchberger as head of corporate development at XP Diagnostics GmbH, the companys wholly-owned German subsidiary. Probst and Buchberger will be responsible for executing the global product launch and business development of Covid-ID Lab. In the run-up to the EUs approval of the test, XPhyto completed a corporate rebranding and launched a new website which can be viewed at: www.xphyto.com. The rebranding reflects its commitment to operational achievement in 2021. Earlier in the year, Xphyto announced that it had received the first order for Covid-ID Lab. The order was for 9,600 individual tests, packaged in 200 kits of 48 tests, to be manufactured in Germany. These will mainly be used to supply prospective distribution partners and licensees and government regulators with samples for review. Away from the coronavirus pandemic, on February 10, the company said it had added the production of mescaline to its psychedelic medicine programs. Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain cacti and has been anecdotally found to show promise for treating addiction and depression. A week earlier, XPhyto had also announced a new agreement with Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation over the synthesis of pharmaceutical-grade psychedelic compounds. In November last year, the company had announced an agreement with a leading German university for the exclusive development of a proprietary biotechnology process for the industrial manufacture of pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin. In a wide-ranging update on January 28, XPhyto had outlined a number of strategic initiatives for 2021 that it said will see it advancing its drug manufacturing, drug formulation and psychedelics business lines. The company said its German subsidiary Vektor Pharma TF GmbH will focus on developing and manufacturing drug formulations for major mental health disorders. Vektor is planning to build a new commercial drug manufacturing facility in Germany in 2021, it told investors, having secured property in the district of Biberach near its current laboratory. The facility has a maximum laboratory capacity of around 3,000 square metres, according to the company. XPhyto also told shareholders that the addition of in-house, scalable commercial drug manufacturing capability is expected to add significant value and optionality to XPhyto's drug formulation business. On the formulations front, the company said it will zero in on neurological indications by advancing four clinical studies to treat Parkinsons via a transdermal patch, and epilepsy, anorexia, and multiple sclerosis using an oral/sublingual strip. XPhyto also said it plans to continue the development and validation of its biosensor products, with the goal to bring at least one biosensor product to the European market by the end of the year. The firm added that Vektor will begin planning and development work to incorporate psychedelic compounds into its drug formulations. The initiative is facilitated by Vektor's drug delivery platforms, as well as XPhyto's agreements for the development of industrial-scale biotechnology processes for the production of psilocybin in Germany, and for the research and development of a broad range of psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, mescaline, LSD, MDMA, DMT, in Canada. On the financing front in January, the company revealed it had arranged a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $2.85 million. Under the placement, Xphyto offered 1.5 million units at $1.90 each. The company said it intends to use the net proceeds to facilitate development and commercialization of its oral and transdermal drug formulations, diagnostic test products, and psychedelic API and drug formulations, as well as general working capital purposes. And on December 8, 2020, Xphyto revealed that it had closed an investment of C$3 million of unsecured convertible debentures with a single arms-length investor. The company said the investor is in the business of manufacturing and distributing medical products in Europe and the Middle East. Inflection points: More news on saliva-based COVID-19 screening test program Further news on psychedelic medicine programs Progress on Vektor's new commercial drug manufacturing facility in Germany What the boss says: "Our test is one of the fastest PCR-based COVID-19 tests currently approved. With a sample collection to result time of 25 minutes, Covid-ID Lab combines the speed of a rapid screening test with the accuracy of a PCR diagnostic," Xphyto CEO Hugh Rogers said in a recent statement. "Covid-ID Lab is designed for point-of-care testing, particularly in satellite and small-scale labs, such as transportation hubs, borders, care facilities, schools, pharmacies, and hospitality settings." Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham Howz yor speling? An organisation known as the International English Spelling Congress has just voted in favour, or favor, of major reform. Apparently, English takes up to three years longer to master than other languages, and the peculiarities of our spelling sytem are at least partly to blame. The congress is concerned that far too many English words dont sound the way they are spelt, or, indeed, spelled. Traditional Spelling Revised, or TSR, aims to get rid of silent letters such as w in wrong. If they have their way, rong will soon be right, rite will no longer be rong, and illogical spellings such as colonel, biscuit, yacht, daughter, parliament and knife will all be simplified. With this in mind, it cant be long before they vote to change their name to the Intunashnal Speling Congris. Perhaps they might even be persuaded to open their annual conference with a medley of Slades greatest hits Cum On Feel The Noize, Coz I Luv You, Look Wot You Dun. The International English Spelling Congress is concerned that far too many English words dont sound the way they are spelt, or, indeed, spelled (file image) Those who find spelling easy tend to pooh-pooh the idea that it should be simplified. They prefer to equate poor spelling with stupidity. How they rejoiced in 2013 when Donald Trump bragged that hed just been named the third most envied man in America, tweeting that the small group of haters and losers must be nauseas. Back in 1992, the target of their derision had been U.S. vice president Dan Quayle, who sent an official Christmas card declaring America to be the beakon of hope for the world. Later, poor old Quayle was filmed urging a schoolboy to change his spelling of potato to potatoe. Conservatives giggled when Tony Blair spelt the word tomorrow wrong three times in the course of a single letter to a by-election candidate. In the same way, Left-wingers rejoiced at the revelation that the note written by Margaret Thatcher for her famous 1979 election victory speech included the word dispair. Speaking for myself, I couldnt help smiling when I heard that pompous know-all Jacob Rees-Mogg had published a book in which he referred to Pontius Pilot. But, then again, poor spellers have long been a feature of politics. The 19th-century prime minister Lord Palmerston once gave a spelling test to his Cabinet, dictating this tricky sentence for them to copy out: It is disagreeable to witness the embarrassment of a harassed pedlar gauging the symmetry of a peeled potato. Not one of them managed to spell every word correctly. On the other hand, poor spellers are in excellent company. After all, Jane Austen titled her first book, written when she was 15 years old, Love And Freindship. Speaking for myself, I couldnt help smiling when I heard that pompous know-all Jacob Rees-Mogg had published a book in which he referred to Pontius Pilot The first draft of The Great Gatsby contained hundreds of spelling mistakes, among them chaoticly for chaotically, ecceptionally for exceptionally, and yatch for yacht. The novels author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, often addressed his best friend Ernest Hemingway as Ernest Hemmingway or even Earnest Hemmingway. Surnames are often tricky. In 1965, the Queen wrote Noel Coward a letter: Could you not come down to Sandringham for the night of July 20th when a famous old Russian cellist (I cant spell him) is playing in one of our lovely old churches? And place names, too, can be a minefield. Did Zbigniew Brzezinski ever visit Kyrgyzstan? Interestingly, poor spellers often over-compensate by adding one or two extra letters to a word. The late poet laureate Ted Hughes favoured develope, mentionned, daffodill and alltogether. Before the advent of the printing press, how you spelt a word was largely up to you. It was not until 1500, as printed books grew more common, that spelling became increasingly standardised. And as spelling became more uniform, demands for its simplification increased. Rationalists have always been enraged by the illogicality of English spelling. George Bernard Shaw highlighted the disconnect between letters and sounds by pointing out that the word fish might be better spelled ghoti after all, the gh from enough sounds like an f, the o in women sounds like an i, and the ti in nation sounds like sh. How complicated it all is! The International English Spelling Congress certinly has a mountin to clim. It all reminds me of a joke we used to tell in the school playground. Floccinaucinihilipilification is a very hard word to spell. Can you spell it? And the answer, of course, is it. Ghana will leverage its strong bilateral relations with Switzerland to attract Swiss investors for the pharmaceutical industry. It is also working to make Switzerland a destination for products manufactured in Ghana under the Industrial Transformation Programme, being implemented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to deliver on the Presidents Ghana Beyond Aid agenda. Mr Alan Kyerematen, the Minister for Trade and Industry, said this when Mr Philipp Stalder, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana called on him in Accra. He said although diplomatic relations were formally established after Ghana gained independence in 1957, relations between Ghana and Switzerland dated back to 1828, when Swiss missionaries settled in the Gold Coast. The Minister said successive governments of the two countries had maintained cordial bilateral relations, enabling them to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and development assistance. "The two countries also share common membership in multilateral organisations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization," he added. Primary goods such as Gold, Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Paste and Tropical Fruits dominate Ghanas exports to Switzerland, whilst imports from Switzerland to Ghana include: Packaged Medicaments, Wheat, Large Construction Vehicles, and Scented Mixtures. Mr Kyerematen said the total value of bilateral trade over a decade (2010 to 2019) was estimated at $26.5 billion, with Ghana recording trade surpluses in all the years with the highest trade surplus of $4.8 billion in 2019. He said the Swiss Government supported the implementation of Ghanas Trade Policy and Trade Sector Support Programme to date, by providing development funding and technical assistance to Ghana in the areas of Intellectual Property Rights and Quality Standards. "Notably, the Swiss Government support, implemented through the Ministry, under the Swiss-Ghana Intellectual Property Project at the cost of CHF 1.4 million, has enabled Ghana to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for Intellectual Property administration and enforcement," he added. Other support for the government are training of 237 officials from GRA Customs and from selected Security Agencies on the enforcement of IP rights and the promotion of the effective use of Intellectual Property by producers and citizens. Mr Kyerematen said in August 2019, the implementation of Global Quality and Standards Programme commenced in Ghana, with funding from the Swiss Government at the cost of 1.16 million. He said that enabled Small Medium Enterprises to strengthen product quality and standards, particularly in the Oil Palm, Cashew and Cocoa export value chains 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 CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) will report first quarter 2021 results before the market opens on Monday, May 3, 2021. The news release, earnings presentation and financial supplement will be available on CNA's website at www.cna.com. A conference call for investors and analysts is scheduled for 8 a.m. CT and will be hosted by Dino E. Robusto, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of CNA Financial Corporation. A live webcast will be available via the Investor Relations section of www.cna.com. Those interested in participating in the question and answer session should dial (800) 289-0571, or for international callers, +1 (720) 543-0206. An online replay will also be available on CNA's website following the call. About CNA CNA is one of the largest U.S. commercial property and casualty insurance companies. Backed by more than 120 years of experience, CNA provides a broad range of standard and specialized property and casualty insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the U.S., Canada and Europe. For more information, please visit CNA at www.cna.com. Follow CNA (NYSE: CNA) on: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube Press Contacts Cara McCall CNA [email protected] 312-822-1309 CNA Newsroom [email protected] 312-822-5167 Analyst Contact Amy C. Adams CNA [email protected] 312-822-5533 SOURCE CNA Related Links http://www.cna.com Panaji, April 20 : Bollywood star Sonu Sood on Tuesday tweeted in support of students in Goa who are demanding postponement of Class X and XII exams in the wake of the steep spike in Covid-19 related cases. "When all over the country the exams are postponed there is no way it should be held in Goa and other states, I request @EduMinOfIndia to kindly requests the remaining states not to put lives of all these students at risk. We have a bigger battle to fight now. #postponeexams2021," Sood tweeted on Tuesday, after a student, Shreyash Desai, tweeted to him urging the actor to take up the issue with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. "Sonu sir please talk to GOA cm and postpone the 12th GOA board exams, it starts on 24th April 2021. Corona is out of control here in GOA. It got its highest single day cases on 17th April. Please please please very urgent," Desai wrote in his tweet to Sood. The National Students Union of India in Goa, which has been demanding the postponement of the exams, has thanked Sood for his gesture. "Thank you to my dear friend @SonuSood for extending his support to our movement demanding to postpone exams. #postponeexams2021," state NSUI president Ahraz Mulla said in a tweet. In all, 43,547 students in Goa are qualified to appear for Class X and XII exams which will begin from May 13 and April 25, respectively. Welcome To SpoilerTV We bring you a comprehensive and up to date spoiler service on all the major US TV shows and Movies. You can find specific show content by clicking the menu system at the top of the screen. We scour the Internet for spoilers as well as posting our own exclusive spoilers (Scripts, Casting Calls, Set Photos etc) as well as recaps and other fun articles and polls. We hope you enjoy your stay. Are you looking for blood plasma for a COVID positive family member? Are you worried about not finding a plasma donor in time? Do you think plasma therapy or Remdesivir is a sure shot treatment for coronavirus? If yes, it is important for you to note that experts believe this is not necessary. Of late, social media platforms have been flooded with requests for plasma donation and Remdesivir, from the near ones of those who tested positive. Contrary to the common belief, it may have a role to play in certain cases but its not for everybody. BCCL AIIMS chief's statement All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) chief Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday (April 19) said that anti-viral Remdesivir and plasma therapy have a limited role to play in the treatment of COVID-19 infected patients and are not of much use. During a press conference, the AIIMS director stressed that studies have shown that plasma therapy has a limited role and is not of much use. "Less than 2% COVID patients require Tocilizumab that's being used lot these days. Majority of patients with mild symptoms/asymptomatic will improve with just symptomatic treatment, ANI quoted him as saying. BCCL Guleria clarified that steroids would not be helpful if provided on the first day of infection. Recovery trials showed that steroids will benefit but it's also important to know when they're given. If given early before your saturation (O2) falls, it has a harmful effect. COVID patients who got steroids early had higher mortality than those who didn't, he stated. It is of no use if steroids are given on day one. They are useful only in moderate to severe illness when oxygen saturation is falling, said Delhi AIIMS Director. WHO's recommendation The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is still no evidence that plasma therapy is beneficial for coronavirus positive patients. The UN health agency came up with the recommendations in its guidelines titled "Clinical management of Covid-19: interim guidance" issued on May 27. PTI "Existing published literature on the agents listed above is mostly observational in nature, with few clinical trials; and does not provide high-quality evidence in favour of any of these agents," it said. The WHO said it is against the use of antibiotic therapy or prophylaxis for suspected or confirmed mild Covid-19 patients. In the case for suspected or confirmed moderate Covid-19, antibiotics should not be prescribed unless there is clinical suspicion of a bacterial infection, it said. Reuters Delhi doctors' comment So why are the hospitals recommending plasma therapy or Remdesivir for Covid-19 patients? These are no magic bullets, said Dr Neeraj Nischal, associate professor in the department of medicine, AIIMS Delhi. BCCL There is a frenzy created around Remdesivir. Its been seen in various trials that it doesnt have mortality benefits and is not needed by everyone. Its only for selected patients, with early oxygen requirements. It may have a role in such circumstances, but theres a question mark over that as well. Theres no need to rush for Remdesivir. The same goes for plasma therapy. Its not for everybody. This message should be loud and clear. This is completely and utterly unacceptable as far as we are concerned. I dont care whose department it came under. We are still dealing with a human being and in this case a very young child. Aishwaryas death has been deemed a coroners case and subject of a four to six-week root cause analysis by the hospital a formality after any severity assessment code 1 event. A spokeswoman for the Office of the State Coroner said when a sudden and unexpected death was reported, the body of the deceased was immediately under the control of the coroner and a counselling service communicated between next of kin and all other parties of the coronial process. When family members communicate their wish to exercise their religious or cultural beliefs to the Coroners Court, every effort is made to facilitate the request, she said. Within this context, on individual cases, regard is to be had to the forensic examinations. The Coroners Court is very much aware that family members will wish to see their loved one and the Coronial Counselling Service will arrange and offer support to family members attending the state mortuary to view the body. Mr Chavittupara claimed the hospital didnt make contact with the family until Tuesday after Aishwaryas death, and did not know where the young girls body was when asked. Aishwaryas parents were told the next day her body had been in the state mortuary across the road from PCH since she died. We are ready to fight for the memory of little Aishwarya and all the other little children who have died in our much-lauded health system. Suresh Rajan Mr Chavittupara and Ms Sasidharan had been left in the dark for four days as to where their childs body was. It took a further six days for them to be allowed to see Aishwarya at the morgue. Aishwarya was laid to rest in Padbury on Saturday, following a public funeral service in Warwick with more than 100 friends and family who paid tribute to the life of the party. Today we farewell Aishwarya with peace in our hearts, Mr Rajan said at the service. Tomorrow we fight the fight to make it right. And tomorrow is here and we are ready to fight for the memory of little Aishwarya and all the other little children who have died in our much-lauded health system. Aishwarya was farwelled on Saturday with a public funeral service at Warwick before being laid to rest. Credit:Suresh Rajan The Morley Primary School year 3 student was remembered as a bubbly seven-year-old who dreamed of becoming a teacher. Speaking to Nine News Perth after the funeral service, Mr Rajan said Aishwarya became Australias youngest teacher, reminding us that life is short and that there should not be a day where we dont hug our loved ones and tell them that we love them. Morley Primary School principal Nicole Kovalevs said Aishwarya had left a precious mark on our hearts and would be remembered with great affection. She is now, and will forever be, part of our shared story, she said. While too brief, Aishwaryas contribution to the narrative of our community and ourselves personally will further shape who we are and, in turn, allows her to touch the future. West Australians were left shocked that parents could beg for help and be dismissed in their most desperate time of need, sending the community into mourning. The primary motivation of all of us, especially the family, is that their little girls passing must not be in vain, Mr Rajan said. Aishwarya was remembered with a candlelight vigil at Parliament House on Sunday. Credit:Nancye Miles-Tweedie. What has been their consistent aim is that this must not happen to anyone else. We would like to see change at the hospital emergency ward to make sure that this is the case. Mr Rajan said Aishwaryas parents declined to meet with the hospital on Tuesday to get the results of an autopsy and instead opted to wait for a full internal inquiry, which is said to be completed in four to six weeks. Mr Rajan said they would feel comfortable providing evidence, with it also including other similar incidents at PCH. We would like there to be a new care system in place at the PCH and that care system to be named the Aishwarya Care Plan, he said. Prime Minister Florin Citu said on Monday that the only solution to be able to attend concerts, leave on vacation or abroad and keep restaurants open is vaccination. "Last year we shut the economy down for two months. The state of alert didn't solve anything, it just pushed back certain things. Last year we were waiting for this vaccine, which came very quickly. We can now return to normal very fast. All we have to do is take the vaccine. It's the only solution. (...) If we want to go to concerts, we must vaccinate, if we want to go to the seaside, we must get the vaccine. If we want to travel in Romania, we must get vaccinated. If we want to travel abroad, we must vaccinate. If we want to have restaurants open, we must vaccinate. If we want theaters to open, we need to vaccinate. Cinemas - again we need to get vaccinated. All this depends on us. If we want to return to normalcy, to have an open economy, to no longer wear masks, we have to get vaccinated," Florin Citu said on private broadcaster Digi24. He pointed out that the first step for easing restrictions is to have five million Romanians take the shot. Regarding the fact that there is a difference between the national vaccination capacity and the daily vaccination number, the Premier said that he will discuss this with the administrators of the vaccine booking platform. In this Nov. 22, 2018, file photo, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano of Japan addresses the media during a news conference after a meeting of the IAEA board of governors at the International Center in Vienna, Austria. AP South Korea will make sure to participate in an international monitoring team led by the U.N. nuclear watchdog for Japan's planned release of radioactive water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The ministry renewed the pledge in a report submitted to the parliament, as concerns have grown over potential health risks after Tokyo said it would start releasing over 1.2 million tons of Fukushima's contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean. Seoul has voiced strong opposition to the plan, saying that Tokyo has not given enough information about the release. Seoul has said it wants to take part in safety verification efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "As there are concerns that our country is likely to suffer the most direct damage, we plan to deliver the need for sharing of additional information and consultations, separately from the verification through IAEA," the ministry said in the report. (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers on AIM in London on Tuesday. AIM - WINNERS Warpaint London, up 15% at 124.00 pence, 12-month range 35p-124p. The UK-based cosmetics retailer says trading in the second half of 2020 was stronger than previously anticipated and improved trading has continued to be experienced in the first quarter of 2021. Sales for the first three months of 2021 are ahead of the prior year and product gross margin also improved in the first quarter of 2021. Sales of the company's W7 branded products through Tesco stores in the UK continue to perform well, while activities in the US have been successfully refocused and restructured with the aim of increasing margin, reducing costs and building sales. Avacta Group, up 12% at 261.25p, 12-month range 52.00p-291.80p. The UK-based biotechnology company reports positive data from the clinical validation of its AffiDX SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test. Data from the clinical study conducted in Europe on 98 positive Covid-19 samples demonstrate "excellent" performance in identifying the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These data points now will be combined with stability and other performance data from ongoing studies to finalise the technical file for CE marking the AffiDX SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test for professional use, allowing the company to begin commercial roll-out in Europe in May, it says. Tatton Asset Management, up 9.8% at 415.00p, 12-month range 244.00p-428.10p. The investment company expects its results for the year to the end of March to be ahead of all analysts' forecasts. Tatton says it further improved its performance in the second half of the year with net inflows of GBP427 million, an increase of 30% on the first six months of the year. The year ended with assets under management at GBP9.0 billion, up from GBP6.7 billion a year before. Hargreaves Services, up 8.6% at 336.51p, 12-month range 190.00p-349.90p. The UK-based engineering services company reports improved trading results from its German joint venture and material improvement in cash levels. Hargreaves Raw Material Services is exceeding expectations, with favourable market conditions have benefiting the business. Hargreaves Land, the company's property development business, also continues to trade in line with expectations. Hargreaves Services also says it has experienced material cash inflows due to working capital reductions. As a result, it now expects that year-end cash balances will be substantially higher than market expectations. AIM - LOSERS Lekoil, down 17% at 1.57p, 12-month range 1.16p-3.06p. The Lagos, Nigeria-based oil exploration and production firm reports the resignations of Michael Ajukwu and Mark Simmonds as non-executive directors. Ajukwu, who had just become chair in January, has decided to step down from the board from Wednesday. Lekoil says Anthony Hawkins will act as interim chair until a new chair is appointed. Filta Group Holdings, down 7.2% at 141.54p, 12-month range 57p-160p. The waste management service company says revenue fell 34% in 2020 to GBP16.4 million, reflecting impact of Covid-19. Despite impact of lockdowns, the company says it gained 935 and 750 new customers in 2020 in the US and UK, respectively. Pretax profit, excluding non-cash charges remained positive at GBP600,000 compared to GBP2.6 million posted for 2019. "With the Group now much more efficient and with a strong pipeline of sales in place, I believe the outlook is very promising as we exit these challenging times," says Chief Executive Jason Sayers. By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LDOS) between May 4, 2020 and February 23, 2021, inclusive (the Class Period), of the important May 3, 2021 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Leidos securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Leidos class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2035.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 3, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience or resources. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020 founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the purported benefits of Leidos acquisition of L3Harris Security Detection & Automation businesses were significantly overstated; (2) Leidos products suffered from numerous product defects, including faulty explosive detection systems at airports, ports, and borders; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Leidos financial results were significantly overstated; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants positive statements about Leidos business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Leidos class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2035.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 2x Consumer Products Growth Partners, a growth investor for emerging consumer products businesses, today announced its new name, Loft Growth Partners, and a new look that better reflects the firm's purpose, which is to elevate partner brands to new heights. Loft Growth Partners is growing, having recently closed its third fund, added a new partner and welcomed three new Industry Venture Partners. This expansion will give the firm more resources, insights, connections and capital to help pioneering entrepreneurs and brands to grow. Loft Growth Partners is known for investing in businesses that are transforming their categories, are grounded in strong purpose and values, and deliver product experiences that consumers love. The firm's focus is food, beverage, personal care, vitamins and supplements, home care and pet care categories, where the team's own operating experience, knowledge and relationships can be put to work to help brand partners succeed. The firm targets emerging brands that are typically $2-25 million in revenue, with a strong track record of success with consumers and retailers. "We are actively looking to partner with entrepreneurs building the brands of tomorrow serving real needs, making a difference and ready to scale," said Sharon Kieffer, managing partner with Loft Growth Partners. "We are excited about how the Loft Growth Partners brand better reflects what we are doing and the purpose of our firm." The firm is celebrating its 20th year investing in emerging consumer brands, with a long, successful track record and a reputation for investing in great entrepreneurs and mentoring hundreds more. The team has 400+ years of collective experience building consumer brands as entrepreneurs, operators and investor partners from start-ups to the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. This experience helps the Loft Growth Partners team understand the challenges entrepreneurs face, and help them accelerate growth and avoid pitfalls along the way. Loft Growth Partners is the longest tenured comparable emerging consumer products investment firm and remains committed to building the brands of the future. Over the last 20 years, Loft Growth Partners has: Raised approximately $200 million to fuel small and growing brands. Its investor base includes dozens of founders, plus current and former executives of leading companies in the industry. to fuel small and growing brands. Its investor base includes dozens of founders, plus current and former executives of leading companies in the industry. Partnered with entrepreneurs and teams that have achieved a 50%+ annual growth rate across the portfolio since inception. Assisted many partner brands to have significant monetizations, including Wellness pet food, which was acquired by Berwind and became WellPet; MegaFood whole food vitamins, which became part of Pharmavite; and Tasty Bite Indian and pan-Asian foods, which was acquired by Kagome of Japan , which is now owned by Mars Inc. pet food, which was acquired by Berwind and became WellPet; whole food vitamins, which became part of Pharmavite; and Indian and pan-Asian foods, which was acquired by Kagome of , which is now owned by Mars Inc. Helped create more than 300 jobs in the last decade alone across partner brands. "We are devoted to elevating our partner brands and helping them grow in every sense of the word," said Andy Whitman, managing partner with Loft Growth Partners. "We are all in, and we bring many resources to help our brands succeed: experienced team, decades of insights, long track record of emerging brand success and a multitude of relationships across key areas to open doors." The firm also brought on its third partner, Liz Myslik, a 20-year natural products industry veteran who was most recently a partner and chief growth officer (CGO) at Boulder, Colo.-based Fresca Foods, an innovation, supply chain and manufacturing partner in the natural products industry. In addition, Loft Growth Partners has welcomed three new Industry Venture Partners who bring valuable skill sets to help the team and its partner brands succeed. These partners include Betsy McGinn, co-author of The Amazon Roadmap: How Innovative Brands are Reinventing the Path to Market; Corinne Shindelar, founding president of NCGA and former CEO of INFRA; and Robin Vogel, vice president of global strategic sourcing for Mars Wrigley. Within a male-dominated investment industry, diversity in leadership is more important than ever. Loft Growth Partners is proud to be a majority women-led firm, as two out of the three partners, and three out of four of the senior team, are women. In addition, the majority of the firm's current partner brands are led by women, and nearly all of the companies have female and/or people of color as key executives. Changes in consumer behavior and desire for natural products, plus greater transparency and innovation, has led to tremendous growth in the consumer products industry. Over the last five years, more than 50 new investment firms have emerged, offering well more than $1 billion of investment capital. This is positive for the emerging brand ecosystem and for Loft Growth Partners by bringing in more co-investors and collaborators. "This is an exciting time for our fund and the categories in which we invest," shared Myslik. "We are eager to discover new brands that provide a unique consumer offering, and work together to build meaningful, sustainable businesses." Visit www.LoftGrowthPartners.com to learn more or connect. About Loft Growth Partners Loft Growth Partners is a leading growth investor for emerging consumer products businesses. Our purpose is to elevate partner brands to new heights. Our team brings more than 400 years of collective operational experience leading emerging and established brands to help purpose-driven entrepreneurs and teams to grow their companies into the iconic brands of tomorrow. Loft Growth Partners invests in brands and categories where the team's experience, knowledge and relationships will help the brand partners grow. This includes the food, beverage, personal care, vitamins and supplements, home care and pet care categories. The firm targets emerging brands that are typically $2-25 million in revenue with a strong sense of "proven-ness" with consumers and retailers. The Loft Growth Partners team values brands that are transforming their categories, grounded in strong purpose and values, and deliver product experiences that consumers love. MEDIA CONTACT Elexis Schroder SchroderHaus 720-352-3961 [email protected] SOURCE Loft Growth Partners Related Links http://www.LoftGrowthPartners.com The Czech Republic on Tuesday threatened to expel all Russian diplomats from Prague, accusing Moscow of orchestrating an "unprecedented terror attack" on Czech territory in 2014. "I am ready for everything. Even to build relationships from scratch. Which means we would send them all home," Foreign and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on Facebook. Czech lawmakers endorsed the move later Tuesday, calling on the government to "reset relationships with the Russian Federation and significantly cut diplomat numbers at the Russian embassy in line with the principle of reciprocity". Hamacek had earlier told reporters he would summon the Russian ambassador Wednesday to disclose further steps after the expulsion this weekend of 18 Russian diplomats believed by Prague to be secret agents, and of 20 Czechs from Moscow in retaliation. "We are calling for collective action of EU and NATO countries aimed at solidarity expulsions," Hamacek said. The call comes after Prague accused Russian secret services of being behind an explosion at an ammunition depot near the eastern village of Vrbetice in 2014 that killed two people. Czech police are seeking two men in connection with the blast, along with a second non-fatal explosion in the Czech Republic in 2014. The men have also been identified as suspects in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called the 2014 explosion "an unprecedented terror attack on our territory which is unacceptable". He apologised for having remarked a day earlier that the explosion did not appear to be an act of state terrorism, as it targeted goods owned by a Bulgarian arms dealer. The Russian diplomats who were expelled left their posts at the sprawling Russian embassy in Prague on Monday, as did the staff ordered to leave the much smaller Czech representation in Moscow. "We have expelled 18 officers of the (secret services) SVR and GRU and we are able to prove that every single one of them was just that," Hamacek said. Story continues He said he had summoned Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky to protest against what Prague views as a disproportionate response in expelling 20 Czech diplomats from Moscow. "It is only logical that if the Czech Republic takes further action, the Russian ambassador must be the first to hear it," Hamacek said. A NATO official told AFP the Czech ambassador to the alliance briefed his counterparts on the expulsions, adding "allies will consult on the situation with the Czech foreign minister later this week". - Escalating tensions - As the row escalated, the Czech government announced that Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom would be excluded from a tender to build a new multi-billion-euro unit at a Czech nuclear plant. Hamacek also said that Prague would no longer consider buying Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19. Citing an intelligence report, the Czech government has said Russia's military secret service GRU orchestrated the two explosions in 2014, both of which struck ammunition depots. Babis said that the ammunition targeted belonged to a Bulgarian arms dealer who probably sold arms to entities fighting against Russia, although he did not say where. The attacks happened the same year that Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and a conflict broke out between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in the east of the country. - Important mission - The Czech weekly Respekt, working together with other media outlets including investigative website Bellingcat, said six GRU agents including the head of the agency's 29155 unit, which carries out foreign operations, were involved in the explosions. "At the moment we only know about two events involving (unit chief Andrei) Averyanov outside Russia, and given his high position in the GRU, this suggests they must have been important for the Russian government," Respekt wrote. The weekly identified the Czech operation as one of these two events. Bellingcat said Averyanov had travelled on one other mission -- in 2015 and under a false identity -- but did not give further details. AFP was not able to verify the information independently. Babis said Monday that the fatal attack was "fumbled", as the military material was probably meant to explode on its way to Bulgaria and not on Czech territory. The Bulgarian arms dealer -- the Emco company owned by Emilian Gebrev -- has denied any deals involving the depot at that time. Gebrev himself was the victim of an attempted poisoning in 2015 in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, and an investigation for his attempted murder is ongoing. frj/kjl/bp/wai CLEVELAND, Ohio Cuyahoga County Council President Pernel Jones Jr. on Tuesday proposed county workers receive a paid holiday off for Election Day, rather than County Executive Armond Budishs idea to make Juneteenth a paid day off. Jones offered his idea at a meeting of councils Human Resources, Appointments and Equity Committee, which took no action on the Juneteenth proposal in order to give more consideration to the Election Day suggestion and other alternatives to Budishs plan. [We] have the opportunity do something that is a direct result of our liberties that Juneteenth provided for us, Jones said. [Employees would] have the opportunity to exercise the very freedom that Juneteenth echoes for us: the ability to go out and cast a vote. Juneteenth, or June 19, is known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, as it commemorates the Union armys arrival in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to liberate those still in bondage and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued more than two years earlier. If the county adds another paid holiday, the roughly 4,500 county workers under Budishs executive branch would receive 12 throughout the year, including all standard federal holidays plus the day after Thanksgiving. The average number of paid holidays for employees in large public agencies is 10, and the average for all workers is eight, according to 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A new holiday would cost the county an estimated $220,000 in overtime pay to cover 24/7 county operations, Human Resources Director Jesse Drucker told council members. Committee Chair Shontel Brown said the Election Day idea, as opposed to the Juneteenth proposal, would be a more significant and meaningful use of our resources, as it relates to putting some teeth into the countys 2020 declaration of racism as a public health crisis. She noted that such a decision would be a step toward promoting equity at a time when many states are rolling back voting rights, particularly against communities of color and minorities. Brown also suggested as an alternative. Instead of creating another holiday, use the money that would have been spent for employees pay on unspecified efforts to address inequities. That, to me, would be an even greater and impactful use of these funds, she said. Councilwoman Yvonne Conwell suggested employees continue to work on June 19, but use that work day to focus on equity-related issues, and figure out ways to educate the public about initiatives aimed at reducing inequities. Councilwoman Nan Baker raised concerns about the cost of another holiday, which she said could instead be used to address the public health crisis, or for other county services. Instead of a day off, Baker proposed the county educate workers about Juneteenth and celebrate the day as part of a normal work day. Juneteenth is increasingly being recognized as a holiday, particularly after racial justice protests last summer spurred in part by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. It is currently a recognized holiday for state workers in , New Jersey, New York, Texas and Virginia, as well as for city workers in New York City and Portland, Oregon, Drucker said. Private companies such as Nike, Twitter and Target have adopted the day as a paid holiday as well. The idea of making Election Day as a paid holiday has also gained momentum in recent years. The city of Sandusky made national headlines in early 2019, when it announced it would replace the Columbus Day paid holiday with Election Day. And corporations such as Best Buy, Coca-Cola, J Crew and Lyft offered the day as a paid holiday for the 2020 election. (CNN) When it comes to making history, Beijing's universities have played an outsized role: they were the source of the demonstrations which kicked off the May Fourth Movement, to which the Chinese Communist Party traces its roots, and the Tiananmen Square protests, perhaps the biggest challenge to the CCP since it took power. So it makes sense then that President Xi Jinping, as he looks to further consolidate his rule ahead of the Party's centennial later this year, would pay special attention to the country's top schools. In a visit to Tsinghua University this week, Xi praised the Beijing institution for cultivating a "glorious tradition of patriotism" and encouraged students to be "both red and professional," a phrase which dates to the Mao Zedong era. "Be firm in your beliefs, always stand with the Party and the people, and be a firm believer and faithful practitioner of socialism with Chinese characteristics," said Xi, adding that "a splendid flower blooms in the unremitting struggle." Along with several other elite Beijing institutions, Tsinghua is one of China's top universities, and graduates can be expected to take up key roles in the future in government and business. If the Party is to maintain its ideological stranglehold on the country, it will depend on this next generation of thinkers to follow the leadership of Xi's cohort. The Chinese leader was himself a Tsinghua student in the 1970s, but his education was disrupted by the Cultural Revolution, a decade of bloody political and social upheaval initiated by Mao's attempts to shore up control of the Party and country. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed as parts of the country fell into something approaching civil war, while millions more were displaced and traumatized as society broke down around them. Only ending with Mao's death, the Cultural Revolution broke many people's faith in Communism, and was followed by capitalist reforms and opening up, a major proponent of which was Xi's father, Xi Zhongxun, who along with future paramount leader Deng Xiaoping was purged several times during the Mao years. Today, however, as Xi's government prepares for the grand centennial celebrations, the events of 1966-76 are, like any other blemishes in the Communist Party's record, best forgotten. Under Xi, the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao himself, the Party is once again ascendant, taking an active role in all levels of society. This month, Beijing launched a campaign to promote the correct study of "Party history" and to root out "historical nihilism," that is, discussion of history in a way that does not conform to the official line April 15 was China's sixth National Security Education Day, an event marked by rallies and celebrations in both mainland China and, for the first time, Hong Kong, where police goose-stepped and children were encouraged to buy riot police stuffed toys. Not everything about the campaign was so cuddly, however, with a graphic published in mainland state media warning people to be on the look out for foreign spies, including those who target university students and teachers, attempting to steal information or "incite defection." Academia has already come in for increased scrutiny under Xi, with student groups and outspoken professors being cracked down upon, while foreigners have found it harder to conduct research in China and even faced sanctions for publishing work critical of Beijing's actions in Xinjiang. This will likely only continue over the centennial year: in a piece on "historical nihilism" this week, historian David Ownby noted the phrase had been employed in the past "to condemn historians, scholars, anyone who dares to challenge orthodoxy, received wisdom, national myths," warning it could be a prelude to further crackdowns on intellectuals and Party critics. In a speech earlier this year, Xi warned that "hostile forces at home and abroad make use of the history of the Chinese revolution and the history of the new China, doing their utmost to attack, vilify and smear them, with the fundamental aim of ... inciting the overthrow of the leadership of the Communist Party of China and our socialist system." And in a front page piece last week, the People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party, laid out a comprehensive propaganda campaign for the rest of the year leading up to the centennial, under the theme "Forever Following the Party." The campaign includes 80 new slogans, such as "Unity is strength, only with unity can we move forward" and "Closely uniting around the Central Party Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, seizing a new victory in the comprehensive building of a modern socialist state." According to Hong Kong University's China Media Project, the "top-down release of such slogans for broad national propaganda campaigns was unseen in post-reform China before 2019." Nor will the campaign be limited to the educational or political spheres: according to new guidance released this month by China's National Radio and Television Administration the country's top cultural censor "radio and television organizations at all levels should strengthen the Party's overall leadership." Businesses too, even those which are nominally private, have also come under intense pressure to support the government's line on Xinjiang and other issues, or face potential boycott or punishment. Even Wen Jiabao, China's former Premier, was censored this week when he published an essay about his late mother which contained what many saw as oblique criticism of the direction the country is going in under Xi. Such criticism is growing ever more rare these days, as the Party prepares to celebrate its centenary with a show of absolute strength, lest anyone doubt that it will be around for another 100 years. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Xi Jinping's culture war comes to China's campuses as Communist Party prepares to mark 100 years." Russian airstrikes destroy terrorist base in Syria Xinhua) 10:28, April 20, 2021 Screenshot of footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Nov. 26, 2017 shows a Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bomber striking Islamic State targets in Syria. Illegal armed groups were planning attacks on government agencies to destabilize the situation in Syria ahead of the presidential elections. MOSCOW, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Aerospace Forces launched airstrikes against a terrorist training base near Syria's Palmyra, killing up to 200 militants, the Russian military said Monday. In the camouflaged base northeast of Palmyra, illegal armed groups were planning attacks on government agencies in major cities to destabilize the situation in Syria ahead of the presidential elections, said Alexander Karpov, deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria. After confirming the location of the terrorist objects through various channels, Russian aircraft destroyed two shelters, up to 200 militants, 24 pickups with heavy machine guns, about 500 kg of ammunition and components for creating improvised explosive devices, he said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Melissa McCarthy has been in Australia with her family since 2020. And on Monday, the American actress was busy filming her new Netflix series, God's Favourite Idiot, in the country town of Lismore, just outside of Byron Bay. The 50-year-old was seen making her way around the set with her real life husband and on-screen co-star Ben Falcone. On set: Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone looked busy on the set God's Favourite Idiot as they continued filming the show in Lismore outside of Byron Bay She had yet to be dressed in costume for her scene, wearing a long black robe, a grey tracksuit and a scarf. Ben appeared to be taking her through what the layout of the scene would be, pointing out important points on the set. Melissa then got into wardrobe - a long burgundy checkered coat with a matching pinstripe shirt and high waisted trousers. A costume supervisor appeared on set to help make final adjustments to the star's outfit. Strolling around: She had yet to be dressed in costume for her scene, wearing a long black robe, a grey tracksuit and a scarf Dressed up! Melissa then got into wardrobe - a long burgundy checkered coat with a matching pinstripe shirt and high waisted trousers Final touches: A costume supervisor appeared on set to help make final adjustments to the Tammy star's outfit Limbering up: Ben was then spotted beside her, cheekily stretching out his leg as the actress kept her focus on the scene ahead She cinched the waist of Melissa's trousers to add definition to the look. A member of the crew was seen speaking to Melissa, who had her script in hand, likely going over her lines for the scene. Ben was then spotted beside her, cheekily stretching out his leg as the actress kept her focus on the scene ahead. Ready for take: A member of the crew was seen speaking to Melissa, who had her script in hand, likely going over her lines for the scene Confrontation: It was then time for the crew to move off the set as they filmed a scene opposite a male actor in a suit and a female co-star in a bright pink suit It was then time for the crew to move off the set as they filmed a scene opposite a male actor in a suit and a female co-star in a bright pink suit The actors appeared to be doing a confrontation scene between Melissa and Ben's characters and the other actors. They then took their break as the set was reset for what appeared to be a protest scene. Water break: The actors then took their break as the set was reset Protest: The set was then changed into a protest scene with extra's holding up signs, including one that read: 'Clark es el diablo (Spanish: Clark is the devil)' and 'God hates glowers' Props: Melissa then walked past another extra who held up a sign that said: 'Clark is God's son' Filming: The mob were standing outside of a sign that read: 'St Joseph's hospital' Extras were scene carrying all kinds of signs and placards, some of which read: 'Clark es el diablo (Spanish: Clark is the devil)', 'God hates glowers' and 'Clark is God's son.' The mob were standing outside of a sign that read: 'St Joseph's hospital.' Melissa was seen on the set storming through the crowd of extras in the protest scene, carrying a tote bag. In a rush: Melissa was seen on the set storming through the crowd of extras in the protest scene Moving quick: She rushed through the crowd, carrying a tote bag She was then seen with an actor who was only dressed in a pair of tight white, Armani underwear. Her character appeared to take a photo of him, as members of the crew held up an umbrella for them. Melissa and Ben were recently granted $10 million from the federal government's Local Incentive program to film God's Favorite Idiot in Australia. Cheeky: She was then seen with an actor who was only dressed in a pair of tight white, Armani underwear and wielded a large sword in his hand Crew: Her character appeared to take a photo of him, as members of the crew held up an umbrella for them 'To have the opportunity to safely film our show in a beautiful country like Australia is a dream come true,' the couple said in a statement in February. 'We love this country and the talented people who live and work here.' Back in December, it was reported that Melissa enjoyed working in Byron so much that she was doing anything she could to shoot her next project in Australia. On set antics: At one point, she appeared to take a selfie with him 'They [Melissa and other Hollywood stars] just love it in Australia and absolutely want to make the series here,' a source told The Daily Telegraph at the time. 'With everything going on in the U.S. right now, the pandemic is out of control, they want to stay here.' Melissa first arrived in Australia with her family in August 2020 to film the $100million Hulu mini series, Nine Perfect Strangers, in the scenic Byron Bay, New South Wales. Living the Byron life! Melissa first arrived in Australia with her family in August 2020 to film the $100million Hulu mini series, Nine Perfect Strangers, in the scenic Byron Bay, New South Wales. Pictured is Melissa in Byron Bay Melissa and Ben also recently filmed their cameo appearances for Thor: Love And Thunder, back in March. Melissa and Ben married in 2005 and have worked together several times since, including on the 2014 movie Tammy and 2016 film The Boss. The couple and their daughters Vivian, 13, and Georgette, 10 - have been living in Australia since July. The leader of the state's affordable housing agency has been suspended while he's being investigated for allegations that he sexually harassed an employee, Gov. John Bel Edwards' office confirmed Tuesday. Louisiana Housing Corporation Executive Director Keith Cunningham was placed on administrative leave with pay last Wednesday pending the outcome of the investigation, Edwards spokeswoman Christina Stephens said. Cunningham was placed on leave by the interim president of the corporation's board of directors, after consulting with the governor's Division of Administration, Stephens said. The governor appoints a majority of the housing corporation's governing board. Cunningham is accused of "unwelcomed and unabated sexual harassment" of an assistant at the housing corporation from January 2017 through this year, according to a letter from W. Brett Conrad Jr., a lawyer representing the worker who accused Cunningham of the harassment. +2 Whistleblower in Attorney General Jeff Landry's office comes forward, alleges more misconduct Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes has resigned from Attorney General Jeff Landry's office after he said that Landry has targeted him f The Associated Press doesn't usually name people who say they were victims of sexual misconduct. A copy of the March 24 letter, sent to the housing agency's executive counsel and obtained by the AP, outlines the allegations against Cunningham. The employee claims that Cunningham propositioned her for sex on a monthly basis, attempted to touch her breasts, commented on her body in a "sexually charged manner" and threatened her because she wouldn't have sex with him. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "Mr. Cunningham's sexual harassment has been open, obvious, and pervasive in the workplace," Conrad wrote. Conrad said the employee faced financial retaliation from Cunningham because she refused his advances, and the letter alleges that the worker repeatedly reported the harassment to other people at the housing corporation, who did nothing in response to the claims. Did Jeff Landry's office fully probe sexual harassment reports? Here's how many interviews happened When an employee in Attorney General Jeff Landrys office filed a complaint last year alleging that a top deputy sexually harassed women in th Email and phone messages left with the Louisiana Housing Corporation weren't immediately returned Tuesday. It wasn't clear if Cunningham had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The Louisiana Housing Corporation was created in 2011 to oversee the spending of federal and state dollars earmarked to manage affordable and energy efficient housing assistance for low- and moderate-income residents. Stephens said the governor's office didn't receive the letter detailing the harassment allegations until April 13 and immediately passed it along to the board chairman and the Division of Administration to make a decision about how to proceed. A former leader of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, Frederick Tombar III, left the office in 2015 amid sexual harassment claims. GERBER, Calif. A man is accused of attempted murder following a stabbing in Gerber on Monday. Monday around 9:12 a.m., authorities said they received a call from the El Camino Water District saying there was a person at their business who had been stabbed or shot. Deputies arrived on scene and located the victim on the ground bleeding from a stab wound to his upper chest. The victim and witnesses provided deputies with a vehicle description and name. A CHP officer was able to locate the vehicle and suspect on Windmill St. in Proberta. The suspect, Perry Matthew Williams, was arrested and booked into Tehama County Jail for a charge of attempted murder. Williams told deputies he went to speak to the victim, George Lopez, about an ongoing dispute when he was attacked and defended himself. The victim was taken to St. Elizabeths Hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition, TCSO said. Last month, New York University (NYU) announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies had donated $25 million to the universitys Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. The donation will be used to endow the Georgina and Charlotte Bloomberg Public Service Fellows Program. Bloomberg Philanthropies is the philanthropic organization of former New York City mayor and multibillionaire founder of Bloomberg News Michael R. Bloomberg. The announcement takes place under conditions where over 2,000 graduate student workers at the university are preparing to go on strike next week for a living wage, decent health care coverage and adequate childcare benefits. The donation by number 21 on the global list of billionaires is one more exposure of the NYU administrations fraudulent argument throughout 10 months of negotiations that it has no money to improve the living and working conditions of university workers. The universitys board of trustees includes some of Wall Streets most powerful and wealthy figures. NYU Wagner school It is, rather, a question of the administrations priorities, and the economic interests that determine those priorities. When it comes to serving the interests of the ruling class, NYU has an abundance of resources. The new fellowship, named after Bloombergs daughter and mother, both of whom received degrees from NYU, will offer up to 20 students per year full-tuition scholarships to complete either a Master of Public Administration or Master of Urban Planning degree at NYU Wagner. The so-called Bloomberg Public Service Fellows will be carefully selected by a panel of judges composed of representatives from the Bloomberg Foundation and NYU Wagner. Under the close guidance of NYU Wagner faculty and the network of mayors and government leaders associated with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the recipients of the scholarships will be molded into grade A defenders of the ruling class against the working class. The first batch of Bloomberg Fellows has already been selected for the 2021-2022 academic year. Not only will the students tuition be fully covered by the Bloomberg Fellowship, the program will provide all Bloomberg Fellows with funded summer internships, for the purpose, according to the official announcement, of enabling the students to gain experience in the practice of public service in the public or nonprofit sector. The programs stated goal is to produce future leaders who will be instrumental in shaping the ability of the nonprofit and government sectors to address the most pressing challenges confronting our nation. Ranked number nine out of 275 public affairs and administration masters programs across the country by US News & World Report, Wagner has specialized in funneling students into the service of the ruling class for over 60 years. The school offers extensive funding to students through the Pickering Foreign Affairs Program, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation and numerous other programs and organizations with strong ties to the US state and military-intelligence apparatus. Students who accept the ASPIRE scholarship, for instance, are required to do a related internship over the summer break, and after graduating, they must spend two years in government service. According to a 2015 article in the Guardian, roughly 29 percent of the students who receive the scholarship are slotted into the National Security Agency (NSA). Wagners degree programs are taught and organized by faculty who previously worked for the government on a local or national level, or both. Some of the most prominent faculty members are: Mitchell L. Moss Mitchell L. Moss: Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy and Planning, and director of the Rudin Center for Transportation. He will be overseeing the Bloomberg Fellowship at NYU Wagner. In 2019, Moss was appointed by New York Mayor de Blasio to serve on the mayors expert panel on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway Project. He had earlier served under Governor Andrew Cuomo and was an adviser to Bloomberg during his first campaign for mayor in 2001. Moss is currently a member of the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York, a non-profit with representation ranging from Amazon to BlackRock. He has also directed research projects for the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Homeland Security and has been a consultant to leading corporations and government agencies. Katherine O Regan: Professor of Public Policy and Planning at NYU Wagner. She spent April 2014 through January 2017 in the Obama administration, serving as the assistant secretary for policy development and research at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ken Zimmermann Ken Zimmerman: Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Planning of NYU Wagner. Zimmerman served as the director of US programs for billionaire George Soross Open Society Foundations. Before that, he served on Obamas presidential transition team for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Previously, he was a litigation partner at Lowenstein Sandler PC and chief counsel to former New Jersey Democratic Governor Jon S. Corzine. Sarah Gerecke: Adjunct Associate Professor of Urban Planning at NYU Wagner. Gerecke served as deputy assistant secretary for the office of housing counseling at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2011 to 2019. Prior to that she held appointed positions in the New York City government under Democratic Mayors Ed Koch (1978-1989) and David Dinkins (1990-1993). Gordon J. Campbell: Professor of Practice and Director of the Executive MPA Program at NYU Wagner. Campbell served in senior positions in the New York City mayoral administrations of Ed Koch, David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani (1994-2001). Brendan McLaughlin: Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at NYU Wagner. He serves as the deputy commissioner for policy and strategy at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Previously, McLaughlin held various positions in connection with corporate strategy, investor relations and equity research in the financial services industry. Scott Taitel Scott Taitel: Clinical Professor of Public Service and Director of Social Impact, Innovation & Investment at NYU Wagner. Taitel created the Social Innovation & Investment Initiative at Wagner, through which he works closely with various policymakers, philanthropists, finance professionals, nonprofits and foundations to address our most pressing social challenges. The initiative has received funding from the Ford Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Prior to NYU, he served as the chief operating officer for the Clinton Foundations Enterprise Partnership and was a managing partner of an international venture capital firm. Wagner alumni have gone on to play leading roles in various corporations, banks, local and federal government administrations and nonprofits, often heavily supported by corporations and banks. Bloomberg stated: When I served as mayor, our team and the entire city benefited from the talent and drive of NYU Wagner graduates. Bloombergs administration was responsible for ruthless attacks on workers in New York City, including an escalation of the New York Police Departments infamous stop-and-frisk policy. This went along with city-backed strikebreaking, mass arrests of peaceful protestors, job cuts, tax hikes, contract givebacks, etc. His 12 years as mayor (2002-2014) were far from beneficial for the entire city, but quite lucrative for Wall Street. NYUs establishment of the multimillion-dollar Bloomberg fellowship at the Wagner School further exposes the universitys deep ties to the American state, the Democratic Party, the military-intelligence apparatus and Wall Street. Since the mid-twentieth century, NYU has functioned as a center for military research and training. In recent years, the university has expanded its work for the capitalist state, including the establishment of the Center of Social Media & Politics, which is playing a significant role in the surveillance of political activity on social media. At the same time, the university has exhibited complete disregard for the wellbeing of students, staff and faculty, carrying out vicious attacks on workers and subordinating student mental health and food security to profit interests. It has repeatedly shown utter contempt for the most basic democratic rights. The universitys decision to hold in-person classes and work amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 32,000 people and infected 899,000 more in New York City alone, is no less dictated by the interests of the millionaire administrators and the multimillionaires and billionaires that dominate the NYU board of trustees. These ties demonstrate that the struggle of students and workers at NYU is a political struggle against both corporate-controlled parties and the entire capitalist system. Graduate student workers at NYU must base their strategy on an orientation toward the broadest sections of the working class in New York City, across the US and internationally, which are now entering into a struggle for social rights. Appeals must be made to this powerful, revolutionary social force, not the university administration and the political representatives of the ruling class. 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. The members of the jury, seven women and five men, took about 10 hours to reach their verdict. Six of the jurors were white, four were black and two were multiracial. People cheer after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minneapolis. Credit:AP Turning point Ben Crump, the Floyd familys lawyer, reacted to the verdict by saying: Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyds family and the community here in Minneapolis, but todays verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. Justice for black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state. Floyds brother Rodney told MSNBC: Im feeling tears of joy, so emotional. Another brother, Philonise Floyd, later said: Today, we are able to breathe again. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video In public comments after the verdict, US President Joe Biden called the death of Floyd a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism. The systemic racism is a stain on our nations soul. Todays verdict is a step forward. Vice-President Kamala Harris, accompanied by President Joe Biden, speaks on the verdict. Credit:AP Biden said nothing could ever bring back Floyd but this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America. We cant stop here. In order to deliver real change and reform, we can and we must do more to reduce the likelihood that tragedies like this will ever happen and occur again, he said. Kamala Harris, the first black vice-president in US history, said, Black men are fathers and brothers and sons and uncles and grandfathers and friends and neighbours. Their lives must be valued in our education system, in our healthcare system, in our housing system, in our economics system, in our criminal justice system. In our nation. Full stop. Gail Russell, 68, falls to her knees and proclaims Thank you, Jesus at Glorias Corner Store in New Orleans, as she listens to the verdict on TV. Credit:AP Immediately after the verdict was handed down, Biden phoned Floyds family and said of himself and Harris: Were all so relieved. Asked by a family member how he was doing, Biden said, Feeling better now. Nothing is going to make it all better, but at least now there is some justice. This is a day of justice, Harris told the family after joining Biden to watch the verdict in the private dining room off the Oval Office. A cacophony of celebration broke out in downtown Minneapolis, as a Hennepin County judge read the guilty verdicts. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Hundreds gathered outside the courthouse, which had been enclosed in razor wire, many playing live feed from inside the courthouse on their phones. The crowd fell silent as Judge Peter Cahill read the verdict, and members pressed ears against their phones to hear the stream. As the news swept over the group, they erupted in jubilation. Guilty! they roared. All three! All three! shouted Dominic Powell, 33, who hopped on the back of a pick-up truck and waved a Black Lives Matter flag. Drivers listening to the news on their radios joined in by blasting their horns. Loading Im just shaking, said her friend Prisca Diyoka, 26. It was overwhelming all last summer, processing this. We fought for something and we got what we fought for. Earlier in the day, Biden said he had spoken to the Floyd family and was praying the verdict is the right verdict. I think it is overwhelming in my view, he said, stressing that he had not commented on the trial until the jury had been sequestered. Outside the courtroom Courtney Ross, who was Floyds girlfriend, said: He was funny and silly and prayerful and a man of God. Loading He was out of this world. Ongoing case At the federal level, Attorney-General Merrick Garland said in the statement the Justice Departments investigation into Floyds death remained ongoing, suggesting it was still possible that Chauvin and others could face federal civil rights charges. Garland said the jury in Chauvins trial on state charges had fulfilled its civic duty and noted, while the states prosecution was successful, I know that nothing can fill the void that the loved ones of George Floyd have felt since his death. The Justice Department has previously announced a federal civil rights investigation into the death of George Floyd, Garland said. The Justice Department often investigates incidents in which police officers kill those in their custody as possible civil rights violations, though state manslaughter, murder or assault charges are generally easier to prove. The Minnesota Department of Corrections said on Tuesday night that Chauvin was at the states maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights, due to an arrangement with the county sheriff and the Department of Corrections. Thats the same prison where Chauvin was moved after his arrest for security reasons. Mohamed Noor Chauvin is only the second known police officer in Minnesotas history to be convicted of murder for an on-duty killing. The first was Mohamed Noor in 2019, the police officer who shot dead Australian woman Justine Damond outside her Minneapolis home two years earlier. Second-degree murder, the most serious of Chauvins three charges, required prosecutors to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Chauvin caused Floyds death while committing or attempting to commit another felony in this case, a physical assault. It is not necessary for the state to prove the defendant had an intent to kill George Floyd, the judge told the jury. But it must prove that the defendant committed, or attempted to commit, the underlying felony. The third-degree murder charge required the prosecution to prove that Chauvin had unintentionally caused Floyds death while acting with reckless disregard for human life. The second-degree manslaughter charge required proof that Chauvin had created an unreasonable risk by consciously behaving in a way that could cause death or great bodily harm to someone else. MASON CITY, Iowa - Welcome back, volunteers. That's the message from MercyOne as it announced Tuesday that volunteers are now welcome back to hospitals. Were so happy we can welcome these individuals back to our hospitals, said Stephanie Duckert, manager of volunteer services. In the spirit of National Volunteer Week, we want to say: Thank You to these individuals, and also welcome new volunteers to MercyOne! Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and are required to have a health assessment. We enjoy meeting people who can offer their unique talents to help carry out our mission every day in the communities we serve, said Duckert. Whether youre a high school or college student, have recently retired or just looking to help the community, we have something for you. Patient interaction remains limited due to COVID-19. Breakthroughs in mindset and institutions What is new in the 13th Congress resolution is that international standards are used to set the specific targets and tasks for each stage. Including that, by 2025 when Vietnam marks the 50th anniversary of southern liberation and national reunification, Vietnam will be a developing country with a modern industry, surpassing the lower-middle income level. By 2030 when Vietnam marks the 100th anniversary of the Partys founding, Vietnam will be a developing country with a modern industry and upper middle income. By 2045 when Vietnam marks the 100th anniversary of the countrys founding, Vietnam will be a developed country with high income. According to economists, Vietnams target to become a high-income country in 2045 reflects the countrys aspiration to break through. Therefore, it is a must to find out new growth drivers and solutions to kindle such drivers. Compared with previous resolutions, the three breakthroughs put forward at the 13th Congress have many new points. With regards to institutions, the documents of the 11th and 12th Congresses only mentioned fine-tuning the socialist-oriented market institutions, but now they are expanded to fine-tuning the development institutions, with a focus on perfecting the legal system, mechanisms and policies so as to create a conducive, healthy and fair business environment for all economic sectors while promoting innovation. At the same time, perfecting institutions is also oriented towards mobilising, managing and effectively utilising all resources for development, especially land, financial resources, and public-private partnerships. Nguyen Dinh Cung, former director of the Central Institute of Economic Management, said the mobilisation, distribution and effective use of resources can be considered the core of Vietnams current economic reform. The important point is that the 13th Congress resolution mentions institutional changes for effective mobilisation, distribution and use of resources. It is a change in mindset on institutional building and the orientation of management and development. It also emphasises and highly appreciates the role of the socialist-oriented market economic institutions as a prerequisite for bolstering national economic development. Among the three strategic breakthroughs, the 13th Congress resolution emphasises the continuation of perfecting the socialist-oriented market economic institutions, with a focus on building and developing the markets for factors of production, especially land use rights, science and technology; and mobilising, allocating and using resources effectively in line with market principles. This will lead to fundamental changes in public investment management and channel public investment to the most effective projects and areas. Similarly, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are managing and using a great amount of assets, and the question is how to use this resource effectively so that SOEs can make a proportional contribution to economic growth in the next period. To that end, it is necessary to return and ensure the autonomy of SOEs in conducting business such that they work in accordance with market principles and compete fairly with the private sector. For the private sector, if resources are allocated in accordance with market principles and in combination with the reforms that are under way on expanding the rights to do business, they will become a strong driver to stimulate stellar growth. Private enterprises will make greater and longer-term investments in science-technology and the digital economy. Cung said there are two things that any country must always think of: managing to mobilise resources and using such resources effectively. These two aspects are closely intertwined and if there are mechanisms to tap into resources effectively, growth of 8-9% over the next ten years will not be a challenge for Vietnam. He added that once the breakthroughs are set in motion, one engine will drive other engines in an ever-expanding revolution, which will quickly increase the size of Vietnams economy. Breakthroughs from digital economy The development of the digital economy is determined as one of the strategic breakthroughs and core tasks. Professor Tran Tho Dat at the National University of Economics said that, in order to realise the aspiration for prosperity, it is necessary to effectively take advantage of the opportunities brought about by the fourth Industrial Revolution. In order for the digital economy to account for 20% of GDP by 2025, Vietnam first needs to fine-tune the institutional framework and management mechanism in the digital business environment, facilitate innovations in accordance with regional and global legal frameworks as a way to develop the digital economy, especially new business models and methods. Policies on the digital economy needs to have a firm and consistent legal foundation so that plans and programmes on the digital economy can be implemented in reality. Incentive policies are needed to encourage and support enterprises in applying new technologies. At the same time, Vietnam needs to increase investment, especially public investment to upgrade the digital infrastructure so that it can cover every aspect of the economy and reach out to every citizen. It is also necessary to build and develop the national data infrastructure in a synchronous manner, upgrade the technical infrastructure to ensure cybersecurity, and upgrade other critical infrastructure so that the people and enterprises can benefit from the digital economy. According to Can Van Luc, chief economist at the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), the growth targets set in the documents of the 13th National Party Congress are feasible so long as Vietnam continues to focus on three strategic breakthroughs over the next ten years, including fine-tuning institutions, and developing infrastructure and human resources. Specifically, institutions need to be synchronised and modernised in line with the trend of integration and digital transformation while infrastructure needs to be modernised and connected in order to reduce transport and logistics costs. Human resources development needs to focus on highly skilled workers who are readily adaptable to a rapidly changing environment in the countrys new stage of development. New Delhi, April 20 : Agrochem company Insecticides (India) Ltd has said that government's focus on the food processing industry will also support the agrochemical industry. The company said implementing robust farmers' education programme and improving R&D investments by all industry players are also required. Rajesh Aggarwal, Managing Director, Insecticides (India) Ltd said that India is among the top manufacturers of agrochemicals and one of the top exporters as well, however, domestic consumption of agrochemicals remain dismal which leaves crops vulnerable to threats insects, diseases and weeds. "Realising the Prime Minister's call to expand Indian agriculture to the world is an opportunity to the Indian agrochemicals industry as crop protection products will play an important role here," the MD said. Noting that in the past few years, the agrochemicals industry in India has grown by about five per cent, Aggarwal said that the challenges however have largely remained the same. "As a responsible company, IIL has been investing in R&D in a sustained manner and carrying out farmers' education programmes in various parts of the country. Even during the pandemic when such programmes were not being allowed physically, we collaborated with local NGOs to distribute short but informative pieces in vernacular languages digitally." added Aggarwal. Your research as a private individual is better than professionals @WSJ! Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled & this car did not purchase FSD. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2021 The other day, another Tesla crash was blamed on Autopilot by authorities. Technically, it was blamed on Autopilot misuse: two men in a 2019 Tesla Model S crashed into a tree in a residential area in Spring, Texas, after missing a turn and traveling at a high rate of speed. The car burst into flames upon impact and burned for four hours, killing both occupants.According to the police, there was no one in the drivers seat when the crash occurred. One man was in the passenger seat, and the owner of the car was in the backseat. After the crash, constable Mark Herman of Harris County Precinct 4 told the media that investigators were very confident there was no one at the wheel.In a new statement, he tells Reuters that a witness confirmed the two men drove off with the intent of testing the self-driving capabilities of the vehicle. When they left, the driver had already slipped out from the drivers seat.That is impossible, Elon Musk says on Twitter. Autopilot did not cause the crash because Tesla logs show Autopilot wasnt even enabled at the time. Moreover, it would have been impossible to enable it and then slip out of the drivers seat due to a series of conditions, including lane markings (which were missing on this residential road) and the fact that this was a residential area.Tesla has safeguards that disable Autopilot if theyre not met, like hand pressure on the wheel every 10 seconds, a buckled seatbelt, and a bodys weight detected in the drivers seat. That said, drivers looking for a dangerous thrill have found ways around them in the past.Constable Herman says Musks tweet is the first time the police hear back from Tesla regarding the crash. We will eagerly wait for that data, he tells Reuters. But he stands by the initial statement regarding how there was no one at the wheel of the Tesla that slammed into the tree and then burst into flames, killing the two occupants.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also launched an investigation into the accident. NEW HAVEN The former owner of nursing homes in Bridgeport and Waterbury was sentenced Tuesday to 2 1/2 years in prison after he previously pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars of employees benefits. Although U.S. District Judge Janet Hall said the 72-year-old Chaim Stern had done a lot of good in his life, she said she could not overlook the fact that he had lied to his nearly 500 employees and stolen their pension and health care funds. Stern had owned the Bridgeport Health Care Center, Bridgeport Manor and the Rosegarden Health and Rehabilitation Center in Waterbury. I just cant overlook the seriousness, its extremely serious to steal from other people their rights, their entitlement and to use it as you think it would be the best way to use it, the judge said. In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Stern, of Flushing, N.Y., to do three years of supervised release. He is to surrender to federal prison officials on May 26. Stern has already paid $4.9 million in restitution for stealing employees pension funds but he still has to make $2.5 million in restitution for stealing their health care funding and owes $2.2 million to the IRS. Stern had previously pleaded guilty to theft from an employee benefit plan, theft of healthcare and failure to pay federal taxes. He faced a prison term of 87 months. During the nearly 4-hour sentencing hearing, three former employees of Sterns Bridgeport nursing homes testified before the judge. I dont feel sorry for Mr. Stern because he didnt feel sorry for us, said Constance Morton, who worked at Bridgeport Manor. She told the judge she often went to work only to find out that their pay checks had been delayed. Doctors wouldnt provide her and her family medical care because she said she was told she no longer had medical insurance despite paying into the nursing homes medical plan. He (Stern) had no compassion for us, he was just looking after himself, pocketing the money, said another former employee, Marie Alves. I had no insurance, I had $45,000 in medical bills because he wasnt paying. Stern told the judge he couldnt address her because he had too much anxiety. Instead, he sat slumped at the defense table as his wife read a statement on Sterns behalf. Im ashamed to be here in court, she read, crying. I never intended to harm anyone but I hurt my employees and Im sorry. I hurt my employees and my family. According to federal prosecutors, from 2010 through 2018, Stern transferred millions in employee pension funds to charities and other businesses that he controlled. They said he also stopped paying into the companys self-funded health care plan. Sterns lawyer, Stanley Twardy, that his client was trying to save the nursing homes during an economic downturn and that his client had a desperate fear to avoid failure. However, the judge pointed out that Stern still paid his personal bills and the credit card bills of his family and friends during this time. The nursing homes were eventually forced to close because of Sterns actions. The Parler social media website is displayed on a cell phone in New York City on March 5, 2021. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Parler Says It Will Return to Apples App Store Next Week Parler said on Monday that it plans to make a comeback on the Apple App Store next week after Apple said it has approved several proposed changes that would lead to Parlers reinstatement. Parlers anticipated return to the Apple ecosystem comes after months of communication between the two companies, Parler said. As a result, the social media company has crafted several new safeguards that will help it detect posts that do not fall within the scope protected by the First Amendment. It also said that the version of Parler that can be downloaded by Apple users will differ from the web-based and Android versions of Parler. The Apple version will not show some posts that are acceptable under Parler policy but prohibited by Apple. Parler has and will always be a free and open forum where users could engage in the free exchange of ideas in the full spirit of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Parlers Interim CEO Mark Meckler said in a statement. We have worked to put in place systems that will better detect unlawful speech and allow users to filter content undesirable to them, while maintaining our strict prohibition against content moderation based on viewpoint. This comes after Apple responded to a letter from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), telling the lawmakers that it has agreed to bring Parler back on its App Store after the platform made changes to the way it moderates user content. Parler has proposed updates to its app and the apps content moderation practices, and the App Review Team has informed Parler as of April 14, 2021, that its proposed updated app will be approved for reinstatement to the App Store, Apple wrote in the letter (pdf). Apple anticipates that the updated Parler app will become available immediately upon Parler releasing it. This is the latest in an ongoing feud between Parler and big tech companies, which had sought to terminate the platforms operation following the Jan. 6 incident. Apple and Google removed Parler from its app stores, while Amazon removed the platform from its web hosting service. All three companies took issue with the companys alleged lax approach to removing violent content posted by its users and repeated violations of their terms of service related to such violent content. Parler denied the allegations and argued that the big tech companies had colluded against it while not taking any action against competitors like Twitter and Facebook, which had similar content on their platforms regarding Jan. 6. Parler also sued Amazon for a breach of contract, defamation, and anticompetitive behavior. In a statement to The Associated Press, Google said on Monday that Parler is welcome back in the Play store once it submits an app that complies with our policies. Meanwhile, Parlers lawsuit against Amazon is ongoing. Parler revealed in late March that it had referred violent content and incitement from its platform to the FBI over 50 times before Jan. 6. It also warned the bureau about specific threats of violence being planned about the Jan. 6 incident. It made the disclosure in a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, in response to the panels request for documents. The company also said that it had formalized its working relationship with the FBI in November 2020 and began to regularly forward screenshots of unlawful posts that called for violence or merited additional investigation for public safety. Such posts included users threatening to kill former Attorney General Bill Barr and other politicians. Nichole Parson says it started with a scooter. While leaving her cousins house around 9 p.m. one night this past January, she says she realized her 4-year-old son, Nakeem, left his riding toy inside. After retrieving the scooter, she popped the trunk. Thats when she heard the gunshots. Its a little hard to remember exactly what happened after that but I picked up my son. He had blood on his shirt, on his stomach, said Nichole Parson, 27. I heard voices telling me to put him down on his back. I didnt want to. Nakeem had been struck by crossfire while in his booster car seat. Those voices his mother heard belonged to Camden police officers who arrived on the scene within minutes to help transport the toddler to Cooper University Hospital. Nakeem spent a week in the hospital recovering from the shooting, which was allegedly tied to a dispute in the citys Centerville neighborhood. Three months later, the community has not forgotten the incident or the brave 4-year-old who has fought back to recover from his gunshot wound. On Wednesday, Lt. Vivian Coley, in partnership with #OperationKindness, an organization that provides gifts to those in need, surprised Nakeem with a new PAW Patrol bicycle, a backpack filled with toys and a tour of the police department and its fleet of vehicles. Magnolia Ambulance Squad donated the bicycle and an anonymous artist from Lion of Judah Church gifted the family a painting, as well. I had a chance to be with her at Cooper Hospital that night, said Bishop Edward E.M. Barron, the chaplain on duty at the police department on the night of the shooting. With all that took place, Im just happy that we get a chance to be on the happy end of this. Nakeem Parson, 4, takes a ride on new bike during a tour of the Camden County Police Department's headquarters in Camden, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media #OperationKindness, run by retired prosecutors office detective sergeant Christina Critt DeCristofor, is also raising funds to help the Parsons buy a new or used car. Nichole Parson, who says she is still shaken by the shooting, says she got rid of her car shortly after the incident out of fear. I got rid of my own car after it happened because I didnt know (the shooters) intentions. I still dont know the intentions so its like, Are they going to try to finish the job? she said. More than $1,000 has been raised so far to buy the family a car. (#OperationKindness is still collecting donations through Venmo @operationkindness, PayPal to njoperationkindness@gmail.com and Cash App to $CrittDee.) Keith Hinson, 21, of Camden, and two juveniles, aged 16 and 17, were arrested and charged in January with attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection to the incident, police said. Hinson also faces an additional weapons charge. No one else was hurt in the shooting, officials said. Police say the shooting may have been tied to a dispute in the neighborhood. A party happening nearby could also be related, they said. Others may have been involved in the shooting, police noted, and therefore the department continues to ask anyone with information to come forward (which can be done anonymously). Nichole Parson noted that its been a difficult year so far, but the generosity of the Camden community and police department have made it easier. Nakeem Parson, 4, waves from the top of the Camden County Police Department's sky patrol during a visit to the department's headquarters in Camden, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media While getting to peruse the mobile command center and briefly surveil the area from the sky patrol on Wednesday, Nakeem didnt mince words when asked about his favorite part of the day. That one! he shouted, pointing to the police motorcycle. Wearing black Jordans and his Avengers face mask, Nakeem insisted the siren be turned up loud and even saluted Camden Police Chief Gabe Rodriguez as he approached. I took a liking to the family after the incident and would just call to see if they needed anything. I would have to pull it out of (Nichole), it was like she didnt want to ask, said Coley, who helps spearhead community partnerships in Camden. Im a parent. I couldnt imagine being involved in pulling your son out of a car after crossfire. Rodriguez said he remembers the Jan. 15 incident vividly. It was a cold and rainy night, he says, that felt like a nightmare. Nakeem Parson, 4, salutes Chief Gabe Rodriguez as he takes a tour of Camden County Police Department's vehicles at the department's headquarters in Camden, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media After visiting with the family at the hospital, Rodriguez who was sworn in as the chief in January headed to the Centerville neighborhood where the shooting took place to knock on every door in the area. Many people assumed he was just another officer looking into the investigation and not the police chief, he said. For me it was important they felt I was there, said Rodriguez, who also visited Nakeem with gifts after he was released from the hospital. This cant happen in our neighborhoods. I promised the residents that Im going use all of our resources to track whoever is responsible down and bring them in because this can never happen again. Our kids have to feel safe. The incident played a large role in the police department launching the Village Initiative. The program includes police sweeps two days a week between 10 p.m. the municipal curfew and 6 a.m., and creating a resource map to connect residents with local groups. Police officers gather the youth at one of two community centers in Camden. There, children can grab snacks, play games and engage with local leaders. Its not about chasing kids. Its not about handcuffing them, said Rodriguez, who grew up in Camden. Its about taking them to a safe place where there are people they recognize. Coley credited Pamela Grayson-Baltimore, known as Ms. Pam, with helping to make the program a success so far. Other city officials, school board members and non-profit leaders have helped, as well. DeCristofor, the retired prosecutors office detective sergeant who runs the charity raising money for Nakeems family, said the community is to thank for that effort, too. When I think of everyone who has responded after what happened to Nakeem, I think about how these are genuine human beings who care and jump at the chance to help. Officer Michael Shirk takes Nakeem Parson, 4, on a ride in the Camden County Police Department's Polaris Slingshot in the parking lot of the department's headquarters in Camden, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Nakeem was shot in the stomach while riding in his moms car last January.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Steven Rodas may be reached at srodas@njadvancemedia.com. Haiti - News : Zapping... Denial of the release of religious hostages In a note dated April 18, "Father Paul Doussous, Superior General and the members of the Council of the Society of Priests of Saint-Jacques denies the false information circulating on social networks, suggesting that the 5 priests and the 2 nuns kidnapped on April 11 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32238-haiti-flash-a-presidential-decree-removes-the-power-of-the-csc-ca-to-oppose-the-signing-of-a-contract.html were released by their captors "At the time of writing this note [...] the steps still in progress to obtain the release of our people have not yet succeeded [...] I therefore ask you to be patient, to avoid haphazard reflections and to maintain confidence in the imminent outcome of our efforts [...]" The Homeland Security Task Force met "The Task Force on Territorial Security and Control https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33434-haiti-politic-the-pm-launches-a-task-force-for-the-reduction-of-insecurity.html has just had its first meeting at the Ministry of Justice. Synergy between security, defense and intelligence structures, in order to guarantee the free movement of citizens with peace of mind," Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent informed. PNH : requiem mass On April 17, 2021 in the morning, a requiem mass was celebrated at the National Police Academy in memory of the five police officers who disappeared during the police operation carried out in the neighborhood of Village de Dieu, on March 12. 2021. The liturgical ceremony took place in the presence of the High General Staff, fellow police officers, colleagues, sisters, families and friends of the police victims. Images of these valiant agents as well as floral wreaths were placed by members of the High Command, by IGPNH and BOID executives, at the foot of the memorial erected at the ANP so that the community could remember them and that hope is reborn in hearts and minds. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33281-haiti-pnh-several-changes-in-the-chain-of-command.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33240-haiti-socialnational-mourning-of-3-days.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33226-haiti-flash-failure-of-the-anti-gang-operation-in-village-de-dieu-several-police-officers-killed-others-injured.html Festival "The Rendezvous of Contemporary Poetry" The Association Banquet Poetique recalls that the 1st Edition of the Festival "Les Rendez-vous de la poesie contemporaine" begins today (April 20 to 23, 2021), in the South department. Twelve poets are invited to visit fifteen public and private schools in the South. Cinema : "407 Jou" twice awarded Eleonore Coyette's "407 Jou" has just been awarded twice within the framework of the 4th edition of the New Looks Film Festival in Guadeloupe. - Prize for the best documentary awarded by the Guadeloupe Region - Media Prize for Best Documentary awarded by Air Caraibes Recall that this film portrays the Haitian puppeteer Paul Junior Casimir who is arbitrarily arrested while proclaiming his innocence. He will spend 407 days in prison without valid reason... HL/ HaitiLibre Advertisement Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour has claimed that massive queues 'around the block' at Gucci and Dior stores recently reopened in London are evidence of a general pent-up demand for a return to luxury post-pandemic. The top editor of Conde Nast, who is a titan in the fashion industry, predicted that the world is about to enter a 'Roaring Twenties' of indulgence and excess after the trauma of Covid and lockdowns. Speaking to the Financial Times, Dame Anna, 71, said: 'People have been locked up for a long time and they are going to go out and want to spend. They are going to want to travel... to get dressed up.' It comes as the latest data shows that the number of shoppers across all UK retail destinations rose by nearly 88 per cent last week following the reopening of non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality on April 12. Data analyst Springboard said footfall rose by 126 per cent in shopping centres, 93 per cent in high streets and 35.3 per cent in retail parks. The substantial uplift in shopper activity last week means that footfall across all UK retail destinations is now just 25 per cent lower than pre-pandemic. Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour has claimed that massive queues 'around the block' at Gucci and Dior stores recently reopened in London are evidence of a general pent-up demand for a return to luxury post-pandemic People queueing up outside the Gucci department store on Bond Street in central London as lockdown is eased People coming out of Harrods luxury department store in Knightsbridge today after a busy day at the shops Springboard said footfall rose by 126 per cent in shopping centres, 93 per cent in high streets and 35.3 per cent in retail parks (pictured, a woman coming out of Harrods luxury department store in Knightsbridge today) It comes as the latest data shows that the number of shoppers across all UK retail destinations rose by nearly 88 per cent last week (pictured, a woman coming out of Harrods luxury department store in Knightsbridge today) Sharing data with MailOnline, footfall increased significantly in all types of high street, with the largest uplift of 120.4 per cent in Central London and 116 per cent in regional cities elsewhere in the UK (left and right, Harrods shoppers) Sharing data with MailOnline, footfall increased significantly in all types of high street, with the largest uplift of 120.4 per cent in Central London and 116 per cent in regional cities elsewhere in the UK. In contrast, in outer London high streets the rise in footfall from the week before was not as great (66.1 per cent increase), but their greater resilience means that the gap from 2019 is now only 20.4 smaller. Diane Wehrle, Insights Director at Springboard, commented: 'The first week of reopening delivered an outstanding performance for UK retail destinations and stores, with an increase in footfall from the week before that was virtually double our forecast. These results provide concrete evidence of the desire of shoppers to return to bricks and mortar stores and destinations. The key issue for retail destinations will be whether this momentum can be sustained. 'From our evidence of the last two lockdowns, we are expecting footfall to continue to increase over the next few weeks, albeit at a lesser rate. However, the reopening of indoor hospitality on May 17 will provide a further boost to retail destinations as many indoor venues are located in high streets and shopping centres.' Responding to the data, British jeweller Beaverbrooks yesterday revealed it saw a 35 per cent increase in footfall to its stores across the UK against 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Its managing director Anna Blackburn told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that celebrations including engagements, weddings and big birthdays had been postponed by the pandemic and that now 'we're definitely seeing a bounce-back from all of that'. 'It was very good last week,' she said. 'We were delighted with performance. You talk there about whether the high street was flooded - we saw a 35 per cent increase in footfall to our stores against 2019, so we were delighted. 'And there was no restrictions and that was actually our centenary year, and it was our most successful year in our 100 years, so to be up against that... we were absolutely delighted and sales were up significantly last week, both online and instore.' Asked if the increase was caused by pent-up demand or by people who want to return to in-person shopping, Ms Blacburn said: 'Our stats certainly don't show that people are stopping shopping online, that has continued to be extremely strong. People coming out of Harrods luxury department store in Knightsbridge after a busy day at the shops It comes as the latest data shows that the number of shoppers across all UK retail destinations rose by nearly 88 per cent last week (pictured, a woman coming out of Harrods luxury department store in Knightsbridge) No sign of social distancing as crowds of shoppers pack onto Northumberland Street in Newcastle on April 17, 2021 Shoppers queue outside a store on Oxford Street in London, England, on April 17, 2021 Sex-crazed Roaring '20s awaits post-pandemic - but not until 2024, claims Yale professor The coronavirus pandemic will give way to another Roaring '20s rife with lavish spending, sex-crazed parties and a departure from religion, a Yale University professor has predicted. Dr Nicholas Christakis, a social epidemiologist who specializes in behavior patterns, put forward his prediction for life after the pandemic in his new book Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live. He explained how similar health crises across history show a pattern of people slipping into isolation to protect themselves from sickness, and then desperately seeking out social interaction when the threat has passed. He projects that the coronavirus pandemic will be no different, with the world experiencing an economic and social revival rivaling that which followed the 1918 flu pandemic by the year 2024. Advertisement 'I think what we're seeing is obviously the amount of celebrations that were postponed last year, the amount of weddings, engagements, big birthdays. So we're definitely seeing a bounce-back from all of that, and we believe given the products we sell, being the engagement rings, the diamond rings, the wedding rings - we see that continuing throughout this year. 'But we're also seeing a significant increase in Swiss watches, so people wanting to treat themselves. So I think there's a real balance between gifting for others and actually just wanting to treat themselves, they've probably saved a lot of money. 'I think through lockdown we saw online that people weren't going away, they were getting refunds and they weren't spending and treating themselves. And now I think there's still limitations to what people can do and I think they're thinking they've always wanted that Swiss watch or that diamond ring.' Style experts have predicted that Britain is gearing up for a post-lockdown 'fiesta in make-up and in fragrances' not seen since the Roaring 1920s. L'Oreal, the world's biggest make-up brand, predicts a post-pandemic sales bonanza when wearing lipstick will become 'a symbol of returning to life'. That upbeat message was last night backed by fashion experts who claimed that lockdown-weary Brits are aching for the chance to dress up and socialise in safety again. In a reference to the hedonism of the 1920s following the First World War and 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, L'Oreal's chief executive Jean-Paul Agon predicted a party atmosphere when Covid-19 is finally tamed. 'This will be like the Roaring Twenties, there will be a fiesta in make-up and in fragrances,' he said. 'Putting on lipstick again will be a symbol of returning to life.' Leading make-up artist Ruby Hammer, who has styled A-list clients such as supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, agreed. 'We are already putting emphasis on our eyes and eyebrows by virtue of having to wear a mask but when we can reveal a little bit more of our face we will go bonkers,' she said. 'As human beings we love to celebrate - and make-up gives us a boost. In the 1920s, instead of people saying 'woe is me', they celebrated and looked fabulous doing it. So, there is no doubt that we will want to present to the world the same opulence and we do that by expressing ourselves through the way we look. 'It won't be seen as self-indulgence but something as very important. A beautiful fragrance or lipstick can make you feel wow.' The 'Roaring Twenties', when people defied society's conventions by wearing daring fashions and holding wild parties, was most famously chronicled in F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. 'It was an age of miracles,' the novelist once wrote. 'It was an age of art, it was an age of excess.' Cosmetic sales have plummeted during the coronavirus crisis as store closures, coupled with the shift to homeworking, prompted many women to ditch make-up with sales of foundation and lipstick plunging during the original lockdown by more than 70 per cent. But Lesley Blair, chair of the British Association of Beauty Therapy And Cosmetology, believes the cosmetics industry will prosper post-lockdown. 'There will be an absolute boom when this nightmare is over,' she said. 'We will be buying more than we've ever bought before. We are desperate to get dressed up and with a little bit more disposable income that will be possible. Putting a little bit of lipstick on solves everything.' Trend forecaster Andrew Ibi, of pressure group Fashion Academics Creating Equality, agrees that the sales bonanza will be driven by people's simple desire to feel good. 'Post-pandemic, we will be looking for ways to reconnect socially clothes, hair and make-up will be part of the therapy,' he said. EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkeley Research Group (BRG) announced today that Managing Director Jennifer E. Ziegler, CPA, has been appointed to the Enforcement Advisory Committee (EAC) of the California Board of Accountancy (CBA). EAC members serve a two-year appointment on a 13-member panel and function in a technical advisory capacity to CBA Enforcement staff. As an EAC member, Ziegler will offer technical guidance on open investigations, participate in investigative hearings and review closed investigation files. Ziegler, a former president of the California Society of CPAs and a current California delegate to the governing council of the AICPA, specializes in providing accounting expertise in forensic accounting, litigation support, expert witness testimony and fraud investigations. She is experienced in consulting with clients and counsel regarding complex business disputes involving the investigation, evaluation and quantification of economic damages. "I'm honored to serve as an EAC member and excited to leverage my industry background and investigative experience to help protect consumers," said Ziegler. "This appointment provides an opportunity to give back to the profession and make a difference." About BRG Berkeley Research Group, LLC is a global consulting firm that helps leading organizations advance in three key areas: disputes and investigations, corporate finance, and performance improvement and advisory. Headquartered in California with offices around the world, we are an integrated group of experts, industry leaders, academics, data scientists and professionals working across borders and disciplines. We harness our collective expertise to deliver the inspired insights and practical strategies our clients need to stay ahead of what's next. Visit thinkbrg.com to learn more. SOURCE Berkeley Research Group, LLC Police officer attacked a homeless person lying on the ground. He stole alcohol, the police explained Inspection service of the Interior Ministry to look into the case. The inspection service of the Interior Ministry will look into the action of three police officers against a homeless man, who had been lying on the ground in front of the Tesco supermarket in Stara Tura (Trencin Region). The incident was recorded by a witness. One of the police officers threw clothing from the ground onto lying man. He is shown putting a foot on the man's ribs and then kicking the homeless person, who curled up in pain. Although the man did not try to resist, the police officer grabbed him by the collar, and kicked him again. He then pushed him against the shopping centre's wall, as the Sme daily reported. The [homeless] man was aggressive and resisted the police, said the representatives of the regional police headquarters in Trencin, as quoted by Sme. However, no attack against the police officers can be seen on the video. On the other hand, the video portrays the police officer hitting the homeless person repeatedly, the man bearing an injured face and bleeding ear. The other two police officers only watch the scene. This incident is unfortunate and unacceptable in a civilised society, Miroslav Krc, spokesperson of Stara Tura, told Sme. Police Corps President Peter Kovarik commented that the intervention of the police officer really seems to be unsuitable, but added that nothing is black-and-white 20. Apr 2021 at 17:58 | Compiled by Spectator staff It is critical that those who wish to peacefully protest against the systemic racism and injustice that holds back too many of our communities continue to be able to do so, Pritzker said in a statement. Members of the Guard and the Illinois State Police will support the city of Chicagos efforts to protect the rights of peaceful protesters and keep our families safe. It's being reported this afternoon that Google's Senior Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White will be the search giants representative, joining Apple Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer in the spotlight at the Senate hearing this Wednesday on App Store issues. A letter sent to Apple recently stated that "Apples power over the cost, distribution, and availability of mobile applications on the Apple devices used by millions of consumers raises serious competition issues that are of interest to the subcommittee, consumers, and app developers. A full and fair examination of these issues before the subcommittee requires Apples participation." On the app store issue, Google often argues that it differs from Apple since Android device owners are free to download alternative app stores, like those from Samsung and wireless carriers. But Google does require device manufacturers to install its app store and other mobile services, giving its properties a competitive advantage. That arrangement was the centerpiece of a European Union antitrust case against Google. The company disputed the EU charges. On the other side, legal executives from Spotify, Tile and Match Group Inc. will serve as witnesses. The three have all been embroiled in antitrust fights with Apple recently, with Spotify and Match filing complaints about Apples App Store rules and fees. Tile believes Apples Find My app will give the companys rumored AirTags accessory for finding physical objects a leg up over third-party rivals. For more on this, read the full Bloomberg report on Yahoo! Finance. With Tile be called as a witness to testify against Apple on Wednesday, you have to wonder if Apple will put off launching their new AirTags product at tomorrow morning's 'Spring Loaded' event. (Natural News) Big Pharma claims that approved coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are safe for public use. Unfortunately, they are often linked to negative side effects that make daily life difficult for people who have been vaccinated. According to a poll, public trust in Oxford-AstraZenecas coronavirus vaccine dipped across Europe after leaders delayed the rollout of the vaccine due to fears that it causes blood clots in recipients. It wasnt clear if the poll had been conducted before or after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) ruled that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine wasnt linked to a higher clotting risk. YouGov poll shows Europeans are cautious about Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine In a separate YouGov study conducted back in February, results revealed that Europeans were already cautious about the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Poll takers were more confident in the alternatives like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, although more people in general considered the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to be safe than unsafe in all countries studied except for France. But in a more recent YouGov poll, results showed that more people are worried that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is unsafe. Figures increased to 61 percent in France, 55 percent in Germany and 43 percent in Italy. The percentage of worried poll takers in France increased by 18 points since February. In Italy, the increase was even greater at 27 points. In Spain, only 38 percent of people considered the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine safe for use. (Related: Italian prosecutors open MANSLAUGHTER investigation as man dies a day after getting AstraZenecas coronavirus vaccine.) Despite the news about the vaccine causing blood clots, confidence in the vaccine only fell by nine percent among poll takers in the U.K. Over three-quarters of Britons still think both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are safe. Poll results showed that in Sweden, the AstraZeneca vaccine is still considered by more people as safe than not (43 percent and 34 percent, respectively). In Denmark, those who considered Oxford-AstraZeneca safe and unsafe for use are tied at 42 percent. However, more people consider Pfizer and Moderna safe compared to Oxford-AstraZeneca in both Sweden and Denmark. Some European countries also suggested that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine should only be administered to people under 65 due to a lack of trial data. Matt Smith, YouGovs lead data journalist, explained that the European leaders concerns over the vaccine may have damaged its reputation among the poll takers. Women more likely to develop side effects from Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine In one study conducted by Lareb, a Dutch side effects research organization, researchers analyzed reports from nearly 4,000 women aged 21 to 65 who were given a coronavirus vaccine. Results revealed women are far more likely to develop side effects after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine compared to Pfizer-BioNTechs Comirnaty. In the study, researchers examined the voluntary reports submitted by 3,331 female participants who were given a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 599 who received the first dose of the Comirnaty vaccine. About two-thirds of women who received the AstraZeneca vaccines reported symptoms like fatigue, headaches, muscle strain and generally feeling unwell. At least 39 percent of the volunteers reported that they developed a fever of over 38 C, which lasted for up to two days. The figure was almost twice the percentage of women who reported symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or muscle strain and triple the rate of women who said they felt sick. Meanwhile, only five percent of women given the Comirnaty vaccine reported having a fever for a short duration. More than 3,600 of the female participants are healthcare workers. Oxford-AstraZeneca issues guidance related to its vaccines very rare side effect AstraZeneca has issued guidance to patients who may experience a very rare side effect from its coronavirus vaccine. In a letter sent by the company to Irish healthcare professionals, AstraZeneca gave advice on what to do if patients experience symptoms associated with conditions like thrombosis and thrombocytopenia. The guidance follows several reports of blood clotting in patients who received the companys vaccine in European countries despite the vaccine being ruled as safe as investigations by the EMA. In agreement with the EMA and the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), AstraZeneca formulated guidance for Irish patients as a precaution. According to the letter from the company, the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the very rare risk of blood clots with low blood platelets after a patient has been inoculated. AstraZeneca also advised healthcare professionals and patients to be alert to the symptoms of thromboembolism and thrombocytopenia. Vaccinated patients were urged to seek immediate medical attention if they experience the following symptoms after vaccination: Chest pain Leg swelling Persistent abdominal pain Shortness of breath Patients with neurological symptoms like severe or persistent headaches and blurred vision after vaccination, or those who experience skin bruising beyond the site of vaccination after several days were also advised to seek prompt medical attention. Healthcare professionals were instructed to report any suspected adverse reactions after the use of the vaccine in accordance with national reporting guidelines. In Ireland and other countries across Europe, the use of the vaccine was paused for several days earlier in March after the Norwegian Medicines Agency announced severe side effects in four patients. Officials in Ireland reported that the decision to pause the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was made on a precautionary principle. Despite these reported cases of adverse effects, both the EMA and the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) urged that the use of the vaccine should continue, with the EMA saying that the vaccine is safe and effective. Professor Karina Butler of Irelands National Immunization Advisory Committee (NIAC) said the reports of thrombosis were small in number and were considered very rare adverse events. Visit VaccineInjuryNews.com for detailed reports on the negative side effects of coronavirus vaccines. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk YouGov.co.uk NLTimes.nl TheJournal.ie Pittsburgh, PA, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Confluence Technologies, Inc. (Confluence), a global technology solutions provider that helps the investment management industry solve complex investment data challenges, today announced it has expanded its relationship with Futuregrowth Asset Management (Pty) Ltd (Futuregrowth). Futuregrowth is a fixed-income asset manager headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, and has approximately US$13 billion in assets under management. Futuregrowth will now add Delta, Confluences multi-asset risk and performance analytics platform, to the suite of services it receives. Futuregrowth has partnered with Confluence for more than ten years and Delta will be the fifth Confluence product the asset manager will employ. Delta, a web-based portfolio analysis and risk management solution, was acquired from UBS by StatPro in 2017, before StatPros own acquisition by Confluence in 2019. Deltas API capabilities and its ability to perform calculations on the fly make the solution a perfect fit for front-office use-cases, like Futuregrowth, that continue to look for ways to integrate into the cloud. The strategic relationship expands Futuregrowths commitment to ESG and responsible investing. For Confluence, the expanded relationship is emblematic of the companys continued growth in the EMEA region. It also further solidifies Delta as a robust and comprehensive risk solution with efficient fixed income functionality. The partnership with Delta has provided us with a robust platform to deliver multiple daily valuations for instruments, utilizing market data to generate curves and fixed interest valuations, in a systematic automated fashion, said Barron Africa, Chief Operating Officer at Futuregrowth. The first phase was implemented in the first quarter of 2021 and the platform has already added value by providing sensitivity reporting to clients. The next phase, which will provide risk and value-added analytics, will be implemented later during 2021. Barron adds, We had a very positive engagement with the Delta and Confluence teams. They met our specific objectives and development needs. Futuregrowth will be evaluating Delta as they consider a possible migration onto the integrated Revolution platform in the near future, with Delta as a key component. We are really excited that this partnership allows us to be at the forefront of fixed interest valuations and risk analytics, and providing this value added service to our clients, said Barron. The use of Delta will provide Futuregrowth with the best-of-breed technology it needs to continue playing a leading role in the South African asset management industry, said Confluences President and Chief Operating Officer, Todd Moyer. As Confluence continues to grow its global presenceand invest in the South African marketwe are honored to be working with a standard-bearer like Futuregrowth to provide the firm the cutting-edge solutions and efficient processes they need to succeed. Delta is a cloud-based platform, offering analysis of portfolio performance, attribution, risk and compliance. It helps clients reduce costs, improve their own client communications, and control investment decisions. About Confluence As a leading global technology solutions provider to the investment management industry, Confluence helps clients solve complex investment data challenges across the front, middle and back office. From innovative portfolio analytics to regulatory and financial reporting solutions, Confluence invests in the latest technology and data and in its team of industry experts to meet the evolving needs of asset managers and service providers. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Confluence services over 400 clients in 39 countries, with locations across Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.confluence.com Michael Kingsley Forefront Communications Group, Inc. + 1 212-320-8984 mkingsley@forefrontcomms.com Source: Confluence New York, April 20 : Covid-19 is leading to research being initiated into many common viral infections that were previously ignored, lacked interest or funding, reports say. Symptoms like a loss of smell, inflammation of heart, lungs, nerve damage and small blood clots in the lining of lungs are all not unique to Covid. Although small but a noticeable percentage of patients with other respiratory and viral infections suffer from these symptoms, the New York Times reported. "Before the pandemic, research grants to study a loss of smell were hard to come by. It seemed like nobody cared," Danielle Reed, associate director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit research group in Philadelphia, US, was quoted as saying. But now, "there is an explosive growth of interest among funders", Reed said. "It was hard to get funding. Big journals or funders didn't think it was interesting enough," another researcher Marco Goeijenbier of Erasmus University in the Netherlands, was quoted as saying. While conditions such as the inflammation of the heart muscle -- myocarditis -- affecting 1.5 million people worldwide has been much studied, its connection with fatigue -- a prominent Covid symptom -- was often unrecognised. "The fatigue that sometimes follows a bout with Covid-19 might be caused by this heart problem," Bruce McManus, Professor at the University of British Columbia was quoted as saying to the NYT. Another is lung damage in severely-ill Covid patients. The condition can also be the result of viruses, the report stated. "You can have lung injury and scarring with influenza, with herpes viruses and with cytomegalovirus infections, for example," said Clemente Britto-Leon, a lung researcher at the Yale School of Medicine. Blood clots in the lining of the lungs, again linked with Covid, can be the result of influenza, the report said. "It happens when flu viruses infect the lower respiratory tract, an unusual event because most people have some preexisting protective immunity," Marco Goeijenbier of Erasmus University in the Netherlands, was quoted as saying. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advertisement Celebrities continued to flood social media with reaction to the news of Derek Chauvin being found guilty on all three charges of murder and manslaughter in death of George Floyd on Tuesday. After initial reactions from Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, Mariah Carey and many more just seconds after the jury in Minneapolis returned its verdict after 10 and a half hours of deliberation, support continued to flood in hours later from stars including Kelly Rowland, 40, Thandiwe Newton, 48, and Jessica Alba, 39. Kelly shared a duo of images of George - one showing him much younger and carrying his daughter and another of a widely shared painting - alongside a caption about the importance of the victory. Thandiwe then took to Twitter to pen: 'Rest in Peace #GeorgeFloyd Your murderer is going down, and Racism is being crushed. This isnt the end, or the beginning, but the NOW is changing - people are waking up - and your name marks the moment. No going back Folded hands'. Continued support: Kelly Rowland, Thandiwe Newton and Jessica Alba (L-R) led the stars continuing to support the news of Derek Chauvin being found guilty on all three charges of murder and manslaughter in death of George Floyd Reaching out: Kelly continued to flood social media with reaction as she shared a duo of images of George - one showing him much younger and carrying his daughter and another of a widely shared painting - alongside a caption about the importance of the victory. Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, and now faces 75 years in prison. As the verdict was read out Chauvin looked on silently in the Hennepin County courtroom where jurors spent three weeks listening to testimony about the day Floyd died under the weight of the 45-year-old cop's knee during an arrest on May 25, 2020. Cheers rose from the crowds that had gathered outside the courthouse and down at the intersection of 38th and Chicago now known as George Floyd Square. When news first arose, Kelly shared a shot of her TV screen as she watched CNN coverage of the trial, writing, 'And justice is served!' while she later posted another duo of images with an accompanying caption reading: 'GEORGE FLOYD we love you! I, like so many of you, have so many emotions since the verdict(that didnt need to take for F**KING ever!!!!!!!!!) 'But, it makes it a bit hard to completely celebrate, because just today, after that murderer was found guilty, another Black Life was taken. Its been so many(lives) taken )it seems), since the trial began! 'The way we came out to vote, is the way we have to move pressing forward! The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act should be passed in EVERY STATE, in every city, in every town, in this country!.. Response: Thandiwe then took to Twitter to pen: 'Rest in Peace #GeorgeFloyd Your murderer is going down, and Racism is being crushed. This isnt the end, or the beginning, but the NOW is changing - people are waking up - and your name marks the moment. No going back Folded hands' Big moment: When news first arose, Kelly shared a shot of her TV screen as she watched CNN coverage of the trial, writing, 'And justice is served!' Stars react: The likes of Lizzo, Whoopi Goldberg and Kerry Washington were some of the first stars to react Reaction: Actors Zendaya (left) and Viola Davis (right) took to Instagram to share images of the late George Floyd 'Lets be just as focused on this Act, as we were with our New Administration! And hold this Administration accountable of all they said they wanted to change in this country. We The People, need to stay the course, the course of REAL change in this Country'. Thandiwe Newton, who until recently used the moniker Thandie Newton, shared her impassioned message while Jessica shared the painted image of George and simply penned: 'Rest In Peace'. Jessica then shared the poignant image of George. When news first erupted, Scandal actress Washington, 44, tweeted: 'A guilty #verdict. But this fight for justice is not over. We have a lot of work to do. There is more fight ahead of us. But RIGHT NOW please take CARE of yourself. And let's take care of each other. Prayers and love to the family of #GeorgeFloyd.' Stars react: Whoopi said that 'no one wins' after the verdict but 'finally someone was responsible' Thankful: Oprah Winfrey took to Instagram with an older picture of Floyd donning a tuxedo, expressing her relief after the verdict was read The View host Goldberg, 65, told her followers: 'Guilty Guilty Guilty... No one wins.. George Floyd is still gone.. and finally someone was responsible... Derek Chauvin.' Goldberg's Republican co-host Meghan McCain simply tweeted: 'May justice heal our nation.' Barack Obama tweeted: 'Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied.' Oprah Winfrey took to Instagram with an older picture of Floyd donning a tuxedo, expressing her relief after the verdict was read. Emotional: Grammy winner Lizzo took to her Instagram account as she held back tears saying she had 'nothing to say but everything to feel' 'Relieved - and emotional in ways I didn't expect,' she said. 'I cried tears of joy as each verdict was read. I'm grateful to the witnesses and their testimonies. Grateful to every Juror for seeing and acknowledging what the world saw on that tape. Thank you God for real!' Meanwhile, Oscar-winner Viola Davis lead reactions on Instagram who posted a painting of Floyd with the caption: 'GUILTY!!!! As it should!! Now....rest in peace George Floyd. Rest. You and your family have been vindicated.' In an emotional video posted to Instagram, Grammy winner Lizzo spoke directly to her 10.2million followers, while holding back her tears. Response: Stars including Ellen DeGeneres, Mariah Carey and Ciara tweeted just seconds after the verdict was read out Activism: Scandal star Kerry Washington also shared this call to action on her Instagram page as well as reacting on Twitter. Amy Schumer posted the same infographic She captioned the post: 'Thank you to all the organizations dedicated to the protest and protection of black people. Twin cities you have been through so much. Nothing to say here but I love you. Rest in power George Floyd.' Kerry Washington also took to her Instagram page to share a graphic that read 'We have a verdict. Now what?' which contained a call to action for her followers, urging them to help pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Mariah Carey also shared the same graphic, adding to her Instagram Stories: 'Thank you because we need this. Sending love and prayers to the Floyd family. This is a day that will never be forgotten.. Believing something good will come out of this tragedy.. it's a start. Praise the Lord!' Speaking out: Sharon Stone (left) and Megan Thee Stallion (right) shared their reactions to the verdict on Instagram Reaction: Model Gigi Hadid posted a pair of exclamation points in reaction to news of the verdict Not mincing words: Bethenny Frankel posted a shot of the word 'Guilty' Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx posted his reaction to the verdict, which he called a 'bittersweet moment' in a response on Instagram. 'I am happy and relieved that the person that did this horrendous thing to you and your family was found guilty,' Foxx began his post. 'The bitter is that we cannot bring you back The bitter is all of the lives that were affected by what happened to you all the tears that have been shed... and hearts broken...' He continued: 'But through prayer and faithful people Today with the announcement of this Verdict gives us some type of hope... hope that we can start righting the wrongs that have been in place for years in this country... rest in power George And know that your words resonated around the whole world' Justice: Zoe Kravitz joined celebrities flooding social media on Tuesday as they reacted to the news of Derek Chauvin being found guilty in the death of George Floyd Satisfied: Director Ava DuVernay posted a fist emoji with the number three, representing each count Chauvin was found guilty on Beloved: Actress Olivia Munn shared a shot of the late Floyd with his child, writing, 'Rest in love' Simple: Zendaya reposted a tweet assessing the final verdict from writer George M. Johnson Awareness: Zendaya also brought to attention Tuesday's fatal officer-involved shooting of Ohio teen Makiyah Bryant A transcript last year revealed Floyd's last moments, whereby he was said to have called out: 'Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead' Foxx finished his response by referencing Floyd's heartbreaking words, concluding: 'You asking for your mother You asking for just a bit of air You asked for dignity. Today we took a small step towards honoring you and the thousands like u who had Their lives taken senselessly... god bless u and ur family. And god bless us all.' Captain America actor Chris Evans also tweeted: 'Justice. Sending love to George Floyd's family and friends.' Optimistic: Singer Ciara said that the day marked a new hope for society Short and sweet: NBA icon LeBron James posted the phrase accountability in all caps In his opening monologue on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, just after the verdict was announced, Stephen admitted that while 'it's hard to celebrate' because a man lost his life, 'accountability today is a deterrent for tomorrow' in regards to holding police accountable for their actions. He said: 'Just before the taping of our show today, the verdict was announced in the trial of Derek Chauvin. He was found guilty on all three counts in the death of George Floyd. After 10 hours of deliberation, a jury in Minneapolis decided that it's illegal for the police to murder people. That Black lives matter. 'It's hard to celebrate, because a man is still dead, but there is a sense of relief that at least this one injustice was not compounded with indifference. 'At least in this case, this man faces accountability. But justice is a far more difficult goal. America still has a problem of over-policing and systemic racism. But hopefully, this is a step towards a future where police being held accountable for their actions isn't headline material. And a hope that accountability today is a deterrent for tomorrow.' James Corden, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon (L-R) paid tribute during their opening monologues on their respective shows after the verdict was announced James Corden meanwhile echoed the sentiment on The Late Late Show with James Corden as he insisted the 'real justice' would be for Floyd to still be alive. He said: 'While we are relieved that some justice has been served, the truth is the real justice will be George Floyd being alive today. 'Real justice would be black Americans not having to live in fear of being stopped by police and killed, and surely that is a verdict that we need to work towards, and that can be the verdict that one day we can celebrate. Tonight, everyone here at the show, we are thinking of George Floyd's family, his friends and his loved ones.' Jimmy Fallon through his support behind his peers on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as he said: 'Too often, justice isn't served and the need for police reform remains. We all must continue to call out injustice until things change for the better.' Jimmy Kimmel also addressed the landmark court case and verdict and directly told Chauvin that he hopes he remains in prison 'for a very long time'. He said at the start of Jimmy Kimmel Live: 'I think we're all grateful it went the way it did. In this case, the jury made the correct decision, a unanimous decision, which is a step in the right direction. I hope the verdict itself brings comfort to the family of George Floyd and all those who mourn his death. 'I'd also like to say, Good luck in prison, Derek. You'll need it. That's right. I hope you're there for a very long time.' Statement: Singers such as Michelle Williams, Leanne Rimes and Katy Perry posted messages in support of the verdict Caring: A-list actor Chris Evans sent his regard to the late Floyd's loved ones Calling for change: Justin Timberlake said his heart was with George Floyd's family amid the news The View's Sunny Hostin, who was appearing on ABC news, opened up about her legal background and how it tempered her expectations heading into Tuesday. 'I've been a lawyer for 27 years and I remember when I was in law school during my first year, the Rodney King verdict came out and it was an acquittal for four officers who, on video, beat and stomped and Tased a man, beat a man 56 times with a baton and I believed my eyes then,' Hostin said in the segment. Hostin continued: 'So I believed my eyes this time with George Floyd, and even though I knew that fast verdicts always hint at an agreement, even though all of my training told me they likely convicted on at least the highest count or at least the lowest count.' Her take: Former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she felt justice was served on the day Emotional: Khloe Kardashian posted a shot of George Floyd's daughter Gianna, while her sister Kim shared a simple post with the word Gulity Moving forward: Hailey Bieber shared a statement about another step for social change Moment to remember: Halsey shared a shot of her TV screen as news of the verdict came down Details: Madonna shared a screengrab of the New York Times as the decision came down and a quote reflecting her take on the case She noted that police convictions are rare 'because Black men and Black boys are killed by police with impunity in this country,' adding, 'I am so relieved that this is what justice finally looks like for my community.' Demi Lovato said, 'Rest in power, George Floyd. We must keep fighting to end qualified immunity.' Justin Timberlake said his heart was with George Floyd's family on the emotional day. 'This verdict is just the first step in a long line of injustice against the Black community, often with no consequences,' he said. 'The work is not nearly done. While there are many more families waiting for justice, my heart is with George Floyd's family right now.' Spiritual: Jennifer Hudson praised God in her post following the verdict Keep pushing: Singer Demi Lovato called for further reforms for law enforcement Key moment: Model Sofia Richie shared a shot of Chauvin during his Minneapolis trial Legacy: Model Lori Harvey shared a text post stating 'Rest in power' to the late Floyd Focused: Actress Sophia Bush said she was relieved that there was 'accountability, finally' in the case Reality: TV mogul Shonda Rhimes said that the court system came through amid the tragedy of Floyd's death RIP: Reese Witherspoon shared a shot of Floyd tending to his daughter in a vehicle Back to work: Jennifer Garner shared a repost from researcher Brene Brown about the case Khloe Kardashian posted a shot of George Floyd's daughter Gianna, while her sister Kim shared a simple post with the word Gulity, while Kendall Jenner reposted a shot from the NAACP about the case. Other notable names who chimed in following the verdict included Shonda Rhimes, LeBron James, Zendaya, Madonna, Michelle Williams, Sofia Richie, Lori Harvey, Leanne Rimes, Reese Witherspoon, Orlando Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Garner, Katy Perry, Gigi Hadid, Olivia Munn, Bethenny Frankel, Hailey Bieber and Chris Evans and former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Eye ahead: Actor Orlando Bloom said 'the work is not nearly done' amid the social sea change Boosting the message: Kendall Jenner and Jake Gyllenhaal reposted shots from the NAACP about the case's result Encouraging: Beyonce's mom Tina Lawson shared a shot of his daughter with encouraging words amid the social change Satisfied: Lawson expressed her satisfaction with trial process Actress Milla Jovovich reposted a clip from activist Shaun King, expressing a bit of skepticism about the social sea change amid the fatal shooting of Ohio teen Makiyah Bryant Strong words: Singer Kehlani also posted about the historic day, stating her opinion that police should be abolished 'One big step toward TRUTH': Christina Milian posted a shot of Floyd's daughter Gianna CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Manuel Venegas was named press secretary today of the Office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Venegas joined the office in 2018 as Outreach Coordinator for the Hispanic community and since August 2018, has served as Director of Outreach and Media Relations. "Manuel is the right person for this important job," Pappas said. "He has the vision, skills and attitude to succeed." Venegas' predecessor, Thomas Corfman, left the Office for a position in the private sector. Pappas thanked Corfman for his service and wished him well in his new endeavor. SOURCE Cook County Treasurer's Office Related Links http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com Down Under Enterprises announced it has received the EcoVadis Platinum Sustainability ranking. Related: Azelis Affirms its "Action 2025" for Sustainability Growth The EcoVadis Platinum ranking was awarded to Down Under Enterprises for its approach to environmental management, labor and human rights, and ethics. The final scoring by EcoVadis rates Down Under Enterprises 60% higher than the average score for SME companies in Australia and 71%+ higher than the firm's rankings for all companies globally. Phil Prather, head of marketing and operations at Down Under Enterprises states, We are honored that EcoVadis has recognized our companys meaningful commitment to sustainability. Our team has worked hard to establish our Sustainability footprintI am so proud of this team. This award is a wonderful recognition of the significant efforts made by each and every one of our employees. Sustainability manager for Down Under Enterprises Matt Rafter commented, After our first EcoVadis assessment of Bronze in 2020, I prepared an extensive improvement action plan, seeking management approval to work toward a stretch goal of Gold in 2021. To find out we had leaped over that goal to be rated Platinum in 2021, the 99th percentile of all companies on the EcoVadis network, was mind-blowing. I was over the moon! Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 18:50:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the ninth meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia, held via video link. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, expressed his warm congratulations to the meeting. Xi said this year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia, and the establishment of relations between the CPC and the United Russia party. Xi said in the past 20 years, China and Russia have carried forward the vision of lasting friendship and the principle of a new type of international relations while maintaining close comprehensive strategic coordination, which has set an example of developing relations between major countries. The long-term institutionalized exchanges between the two parties have consolidated political and strategic mutual trust and promoted mutually beneficial cooperation in all dimensions between the two countries, Xi said. The combined forces of changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century have brought the world into a phase of fluidity and transformation, he said. Xi called on China and Russia, as major powers of global influence, to deepen comprehensive strategic coordination in the new era, and to play an underpinning role in safeguarding international fairness and justice, maintaining world peace and stability, and promoting common development and prosperity. Xi expressed his hope that participants from the two parties can engage in in-depth exchanges and build consensus to open a new chapter of strategic cooperation between the two parties and contribute wisdom and strength to comprehensively deepening bilateral relations in the new era, promoting the establishment of a fairer and more reasonable international order, and building a community with a shared future for humanity. In his letter, Putin noted that dialogue between the two parties has always been an important component of the two countries' comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership, and in spite of the impact of the pandemic, the two parties have maintained comprehensive exchanges from the central to local levels. Putin said the two sides have engaged in in-depth discussions on major issues of bilateral cooperation, and have coordinated to form numerous social-political initiatives on party building and legislative work that meet the needs of reality. Putin said he hopes participants of the meeting will carry out constructive and effective work to further consolidate the friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries and the two peoples. Enditem South Africa: Nzimande notes significant growth in NSFAS funding Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has noted a significant increase in the budget allocation by government to fund the children of the working class through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Nzimande said NSFAS funding, for instance, increased more than five-fold only in six years, from R5, 9 billion in 2014 to R34, 7 billion in 2020. In the current financial year, NSFAS funding is expected to reach over R43 billion, a further increase of close to R10 billion in just two years from 2020. From 2018, NSFAS has been funding its recipients for tuition, accommodation, meals, learning material allowances, daily allowance and, in some cases, a transport allowance. In addition, government policy (N+1) allows all NSFAS students an extra year within which to complete their certificates, diplomas or degrees [students studying for a three-year degree will be given only four years of funding], taking into account and catering for the fact that most of them come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Other than Cuba, we are not aware of any country in the world that provides such comprehensive higher education support for poor students. And all this is a free bursary that does not have to be paid back anymore since 2018, Nzimande said. The Minister also noted that in 2017, NSFAS introduced and implemented a new funding system for all universities, termed the Student-Centred Model. The system intended to provide an improved information technology platform for submitting and processing student applications, where students apply directly to NSFAS through an online application system and allocations to students are managed directly. In August 2018, an Administrator was appointed at NSFAS to, amongst other things, deal with the operational challenges relating to the introduction of the new funding system which ensured that students apply directly to NSFAS. The Administrator was also appointed to ensure improved systems and policy controls, and addressing backlog issues from previous funding cycles, Nzimande said. Guidelines on bursary implementation He further noted that the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) developed guidelines on how the new DHET bursary would be implemented. The Minister said standards were set up early in January 2018 based on research that NSFAS had undertaken. The government also made funds available to pay off the historic debt of NSFAS funded students incurred prior to the introduction of the DHET bursary in 2018, and there is also significant improvement in terms of controls at NSFAS and the payment of allowances, the Minister said. The Minister reiterated that the main goal of the department and NSFAS is to ensure that financial aid reaches the right students timeously. For the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, the Minister said the department and NSFAS have put various mechanisms in place to address standard operating procedures for the administration of college fees and allowances, as well as the introduction of the NSFAS wallet payment system, to expedite payment of allowances. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Indefi plans to build a full-service management consulting practice in New York, similar to the firm's Paris-based business, led by Richard Bruyere, managing partner. Celeghin and the Indefi team will serve the needs of current clients as they seek to grow globally; U.S. and Canadian asset managers as they expand at home and abroad; and Asian and Australian companies with asset management ambitions. Indefi advises asset managers on growth initiatives, expansion into private markets and developing and integrating sustainability and impact strategies into their businesses. "In Daniel, we've found the leader we sought to establish Indefi in the Americas and complement our global capabilities," Bruyere said. "Indefi is entrepreneurial and employee-owned and we pride ourselves on providing our clients with actionable, fact-based recommendations to help them grow their businesses." Before joining Indefi, Celeghin was head of strategy for AQR Capital Management. Earlier he was based in Hong Kong as head of Asia-Pacific for asset management strategy consultant Casey Quirk, a Deloitte business, where he worked for 16 years. "Indefi has a strong reputation as an independent and nimble firm that challenges clients with insightful research and expertise on key issues facing asset managers, including private markets and ESG. I'm thrilled to join my new colleagues as we expand the firm globally," Celeghin said. Indefi currently has more than 50 strategy consultants specializing in asset management in Paris, London, Zurich and Dusseldorf and expects to hire a team of people in New York in the next few years. About Indefi Indefi, with headquarters in Paris and New York, is a leading strategy advisor for the global investment management business. Established in 2007, Indefi helps asset managers shape their business strategies and build a sustainable competitive advantage. The firm's expertise spans public and private markets, including infrastructure, private credit and equity, and real estate. A pioneer in advising asset managers on ESG development and integration strategies, Indefi is a PRI signatory. For more information, please visit www.indefi.com. Media Contacts In France: Marie-Laure Nordin Indefi +33 (0) 1 56 88 34 70 +33 (0) 6 03 69 66 88 [email protected] In the U.S. and Globally: Sarah Lazarus CL-Media Relations, LLC M: +1 617-335-7823 [email protected] Margaret Kirch Cohen CL-Media Relations, LLC M: +1 847-507-2229 [email protected] SOURCE Indefi Group Related Links http://www.indefi.com Reactions were swift in Houston and across the country when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and could face decades in prison. On HoustonChronicle.com: Floyd family, friends who were hoping for 'justice' react to Chauvin guilty verdict News of the verdict resulted in cheers and cries of joy from bystanders across the country, including here in Houston. See below for statements from Houston and Harris County officials, local institutions and other Texas leaders. Now Playing: Video: Houston Chronicle Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo: As George Floyds hometown, the people of Harris County continue to feel his loss deep in our hearts. His family, his neighbors, his classmates and his community will never forget his death and what it represents. While the justice system served its purpose today, theres much more work to be done toward a smarter and fairer criminal justice system. George Floyds legacy will be with us every step of the way. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner: Justice has been served. The Floyd family has waited for almost a year for this verdict, but I will quickly say that they will experience the loss of their loved one, George, for the rest of their lives... Theres a lot of work that we all have to do moving forward so that we dont have to experience these moments again. Thats my point here: What do we need to do so that we dont have to relive these moments over and over and over again. So we have to be reflective and then we have to take the necessary steps to make the society we live in better. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez: City Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, represents Third Ward: Im just very glad that this was a movement toward justice....Even though we have waited for many, many years, and seen many, many verdicts that we felt were unjust, there is light at the end of the tunnel...Its just so sad, someone was catapulted from an everyday man to a national figure for the wrong reason. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner: I hope that it brings the community together with the police, he said. Sometimes justice is slow to come but justice was served today, and I hope that can bring people together. I still have confidence in the justice system in our nation, and I thought they were going to do the right thing...I didnt know what he was going to be convicted on but I know this was murder...It was hurtful to every police officer in this nation, and hurtful to our profession. Houston Independent School District and Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston: This is a trial of the century. This is a statement to Black America that justice is not elusive, it is not foreign to them. But at the same time I know it took a lot to get to where the jurors were today -- it took the activists, it took prayers, it took a family that America could gravitate to. That family was the Floyd family. This has given hope to Black American people of color that police are there to protect and serve and they are there to enhance police community relationships. And it also says that if you commit a murder, no matter who you are, you have to be held accountable. "We have to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act...That bill came out of my committee and Im determined to have the Senate pass this bill so that President Biden, who said he would to me, sign this bill and it would become law. Not a bill against policing but a bill that builds up community police relationships. That is a mighty statement for healing this nation. "America has turned the corner and realizes that you cant shoot black boys, black men, black women, black girls with impunity, without accountability." Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg: "Justice is a process and these jurors showed tremendous courage in reaching a just verdict. Millions saw the video, which we all found devastating. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of George Floyd, a Houston son whose murder is a defining moment in American criminal justice." Former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo: Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis: For decades, our criminal legal system has failed to acknowledge the killings of Black and Brown people as crimes, declaring those responsible innocent of any wrongdoing...Today, that changed. Derek Chauvin, the man whose knee stayed on George Floyds neck for over 9 minutes, who took George Floyds life, has been declared guilty on all charges. Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia: I applaud the jury making the right decision and confirming what so many of us around the country witnessed for ourselves. Derek Chauvin faced a jury truly representative of his peers and had a strong defense. The justice system has worked in this case, and we can feel confident in the verdict." NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson: While justice landed Derek Chauvin behind bars for murdering George Floyd, no amount of justice will bring Giannas father back. The same way a reasonable police officer would never suffocate an unarmed man to death, a reasonable justice system would recognize its roots in white supremacy and end qualified immunity. Police are here to protect, not lynch. We will not rest until all in our community have the right to breathe. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: Today, a jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, convicted Derek Chauvin on second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for killing George Floyd in May 2020. In response, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement: The trial of Derek Chauvin has been a traumatic and painful reliving of the killing of George Floyd, which led to widespread protests against police violence in all 50 states and around the world last summer. The injustice of Mr. Floyds death cannot be understated. No decision can bring him back, but we hope todays decision provides Mr. Floyds family and the communities that have been fighting for police accountability a measure of justice. While we are relieved by the jurys decision to convict Derek Chauvin on all charges, accountability for Mr. Floyds death requires more than a singular conviction. Involved in Mr. Floyds death were three other officers, all of whom stood idly by as he was killed. Beyond the accountability of the individual officers involved, we must confront the widespread and systemic racism in our public safety apparatus, which consistently leads to law enforcements disproportionate harassment, intimidation, and often fatal violence against Black and Brown people as young as 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Indeed, Mr. Floyds death was rooted in a legacy of relentless police brutality against Black and Brown communities that continues unabated. Daunte Wright, for example, was killed during Derek Chauvins trial just miles from the courthouse. Just as it is vital for law enforcement officers to be held accountable for their actions, it is imperative that we fundamentally redesign our legal system to center police accountability and reinvent our public safety system to protect the civil and human rights of all people, especially Black and Brown persons who have been the victims of the worst state-sponsored violence in this countrys history of law enforcement. We call on the United States Senate to immediately pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and on the Department of Justice to develop a protocol to ensure that federal funds are not provided to law enforcement agencies that violate the anti-discrimination provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This trial has been incredibly painful for the family, for the witnesses and for the city of Minneapolis. In fact, around the country, many of us are anguished that our justice system has so often failed in these cases, and without question will again. It is critical that we acknowledge this moment, that we recognize our pain, and that we continue our demand for real, transformative change. As communities take to the streets nationwide, we stand with them and their calls for a public safety system that truly delivers justice not just today but every day. League of Women Voters: Today, the police officer responsible for the murder of George Floyd was held accountable for his crime. While the decision to convict George Floyds murderer was just, it does not remedy the undeniable fact that policing in America is fundamentally broken. The United States system of law enforcement, which was built on the legacy of slavery and racism, has stolen the lives of Black and brown Americans for centuries, almost completely unchecked. Making one man answer for his crimes does not equal justice. This conviction was an outlier in a system built on white supremacy. Accountability and the eradication of racially-motivated violence should be the norm, not an exception. Police officers must be held to the same level of accountability as everyone else. We must radically reimagine public safety in this country and prioritize investments in economic opportunities, education, healthcare, and other community-led solutions, instead of perpetuating police violence. Our thoughts are with the family of George Floyd. We hope that this decision provides a modicum of peace amid this tragedy. Todays decision must represent a turning point as we work towards true reform of policing in this country. Jason Williamson, deputy director of the ACLUs Criminal Law Reform Project: George Floyd will never make his way home to play games with his daughter, Gianna. Hell never go on walks through the park with his beloved fiancee Courteney or play basketball with his brother, Philonise. While todays verdict is a step forward in the fight for police accountability and may help heal a grieving community, the systems that allowed a police officer to murder Mr. Floyd, ripping him away from his family and the communities that loved him so much, remain fully intact. These are the same systems that resulted in the death of another 20-year-old Black man at the hands of police less than 10 miles from this trial. Honoring the lives of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown and countless other Black lives violently taken at the hands of police means that elected officials, activists, organizations like the ACLU, and regular people must not allow this verdict to lull us into a place of complacency. Instead, we must renew our conviction to create a world where police do not have the opportunity to use violence and harassment to target Black people as police have been doing since their inception as slave patrols created to monitor, control, and oppress Black communities. This new world includes removing police entirely from low-level enforcement and massively reinvesting in the communities that desperately want more for the legacies of their fallen. And we will fight with them to get there. John Gordon, executive director of the ACLU of Minnesota: Today, for the first time in state history, a white police officer has been held accountable for killing a Black man. Now, we can finally say George Floyds name and make it synonymous not only with grief, anger, and loss over his brutal murder, but with a moment of justice. But to be clear, true justice would mean George Floyd was alive today, with his fiancee, his daughter, and his family. While this verdict brings a certain rare form of accountability for police, achieving this outcome for Mr. Floyd is only one step in addressing police abuse of power, disparate treatment, and excessive force against Black and Brown communities. We still must radically change policing in Minnesota and across the country, increase accountability and transparency, and create policies that combat racism in policing. The jury's decision to convict Derek Chauvin does not negate the fact that Mr. Floyds tragic murder is part of a horrifying local and national pattern of officers using excessive force against people of color. Mr. Floyd was one of more than 5,000 people killed by police since 2015. Mr. Floyd should not have died under an officers knee he should still be alive today. So should Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black people killed by police. Our elected officials, activists, communities, and organizations, including the ACLU of Minnesota, must continue to fight for racial justice in Mr. Floyds name. We must re-examine our entire system of public safety and public health, and root out the racism that pervades law enforcement. We must prohibit police mistreatment of communities of color, which leads to people being both underserved and overpoliced. We must divert funding from traditional policing toward community-based services, such as crisis teams, so all communities are truly safe. We must remove police from enforcing traffic infractions and low-level offenses. Taking another persons life is the most extreme action a police officer can take, and new standards for use of force, along with increased accountability and transparency, are needed to ensure that police violence and killings end. We join with Mr. Floyds family, our community, and our nation in mourning his death. We will never forget to Say His Name. Together, well work to ensure that one day, we can remember George Floyd in celebration of the true justice for all achieved in his name. Russ Feingold, president of Constitution Society President: "Derek Chauvin being found guilty on all charges confirms what we all have known since the world witnessed the murder of George Floyd on video last year. This verdict is important but represents a single case. During the course of this trial, police have continued to kill Black and Brown people, including the recent murder of Daunte Wright, perpetrated mere miles from the site of the trial and George Floyds murder. "People are right to be outraged about police violence, and they must be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to peacefully protest in pursuit of the seismic reforms needed. Police violence in this country is a generations-long epidemic. The outcome of a single case, while critical for achieving a measure of justice for George Floyds family and community and for holding Chauvin accountable, will do little to prevent future police violence. The answer cannot just be to wait for police to kill or brutalize the next Black or Brown person and to then seek justice in that one case. "We must finally reckon with how racism permeates and impacts our legal system and our institutions more broadly. The police violence Black and Brown people experience today is a direct result of our failure to address the racially oppressive roots of policing in this country. We will not achieve justice until we undertake the systemic changes needed to have laws and institutions that are designed to protect and achieve justice for all instead of target and oppress communities of color. "As we collectively undertake the hard work of creating the political and popular will for the necessary foundational changes to our institutions, there are reforms we can undertake immediately to increase accountability for and reduce abuses by police. We need to end qualified immunity and create a national standard for use-of-force that protects people who are not an actual threat to police. We must reduce over-policing of historically oppressed communities and empower these communities to decide how public safety is achieved. The list of reforms is long and, we reiterate, it is known. There is no excuse for delaying reforms that are generations overdue." Silky Shah, executive director, Detention Watch Network Today and always, we are in solidarity with Black people who have faced unjust oppression at the hands of police. This verdict does not change what we know to be true: a racist, unjust carceral system will never deliver true justice for communities of color in the U.S. The killing of George Floyd awakened the public to the disproportionate impact of the criminal punishment system on Black and brown communities, and the movement to defund the police, led by Black community organizers, became a powerful rallying call for transformative change that is here to stay. "The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo and far too many others were a result of the countrys decision to prioritize the militarization of law enforcement agencies over investments in the health, economic security, and wellbeing of Black and brown communities. "The solution hasnt changed: we must divest from racist law enforcement in all of its forms and invest in our communities. We know that the mechanisms built to target, detain, and deport immigrants are rooted in, and function in collaboration with the systems of anti-Black racism and white supremacy, which have existed in the United States since before its founding. These are the same choices that have led to the deaths of dozens of immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. For Detention Watch Network, the abolition of immigration detention is part and parcel of struggles against racism, xenophobia, discriminatory policing, and mass incarceration and our aims coincide with these broader struggles against racialized oppression. Mara Rudman, executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress: "The conviction of Derek Chauvin for all three charges is a needed step to ensure that he is held accountable for the murder of George Floyd. The evidence against Chauvin was overwhelming: multiple video recordings of the crime and eyewitness testimony, testimony from use-of-force experts and medical examiners, and evidence from other Minneapolis Police Department officers, including the chief of police. Any other result would have dealt a significant, almost insurmountable blow to the ideal of an American justice system that is capable, in any way, of holding police officers accountable. "Still, todays verdict does not erase the fact that all too often police are not held accountable for using deadly force against Black and brown lives. Even since the nationwide outcry against the murder of George Floyd, police have continued to kill other unarmed Black and brown Americans. In just the past two weeks, two more peopleDaunte Wright and Adam Toledowere added to the long list of unarmed Black and brown Americans murdered by the police: Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Daniel Prude, Atatiana Jefferson, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Alton Sterling, Tony McDade, and Freddie Gray, among so many others. The list goes on and on. "It is past time for lawmakers at all levels of government to seriously tackle the systemic and ongoing problem of police violence. They must strengthen laws to stop police violence, shrink the scope of policing, and empower the voices and leadership of community members to ensure public safety, andabove allreaffirm that Black lives matter. That starts at the federal level by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which among other things criminalizes reckless uses of excessive force, authorizes states to investigate patterns and practices of unconstitutional policing, and prohibits racial profiling. "Chauvins conviction does not solve the problems of police violence and lack of police accountability. Policymakers must act with urgency and meaningfully show that those entrusted to enforce the law are not above the law." Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: A beloved friend, son, father, brother, and member of his community, George Floyd was senselessly murdered by a police officer charged with protecting and defending him and the community. The harsh reality is that far too many Black and Brown people in this country fear this same violent end. Although justice was served today with the conviction of Derek Chauvin, Mr. Floyd cannot be made whole and his family deserves better. We all do. This is an incredibly important outcome, but this is only one case. The need to completely reimagine public safety and develop a system that centers community needs is more urgent now than ever. We must end this culture of impunity. The Senate must confirm Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke whose service in the Department of Justice is more important now than ever, and it must join the House and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Falun Gong practitioners gathered near Zhongnanhai to peacefully appeal for their freedom of belief, on April 25, 1999. (Photo courtesy of Minghui.org) Former Chinese Professor Recalls the Largest Peaceful Appeal in China Since Tiananmen This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the April 25 appeal, the largest peaceful appeal in China since the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside the Appeals Office of the State Council in Beijing to ask for the release of fellow practitioners who had been wrongly arrested and beaten by police in the city of Tianjin, according to Faluninfo.net. The arrests in Tianjin came after three years of intense official oppression, in which Falun Gong books were banned from publication, an article smearing Falun Gong had been published in a major state-run newspaper, and the police had begun disrupting group exercise sessions in parks. During the silent and peaceful gathering, the premier of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at the time, Zhu Rongji, won international acclaim for peacefully responding to the demonstrators by engaging in dialogue with them. However, this changed overnight when Jiang Zemin, leader of the CCP at the time, overthrew Zhus decision and initiated what has become one of the longest-running persecutions against people of faith in China. Since July 20, 1999, many thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested, thrown into labor camps, beaten, tortured, and killed for their organs by the CCP. The true number is hard to verify, given the CCPs suppression of information. Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Chinas Capital Normal University who now resides in Sydney, Australia, attended the April 25 gathering after hearing about the arrest of practitioners in Tianjin from his mother. She asked him to accompany her to the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration, which was only a few kilometers from their home. The purpose of us going there was quite simple, Li said. Because I had benefited [from the practice] myself I wanted to tell the government the positive changes that I experienced, physically, spirituallyall aspects to tell them that this is a good practice. Thats all. Li told The Epoch Times that what sticks with him from that historic day was the peacefulness and the calmness with which those who gathered conducted themselves. Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Chinas Capital Normal University, recalled his personal experience of the April 25 appeal. (The Epoch Times) He said the Falun Gong practitioners showed care for others by proactively occupying only a quarter of the footpath and making sure they didnt leave any litter behind. I remember there was one practitioner holding a plastic bag and walking to others one by one, asking if they had any trash to throw away, Li said. Before the afternoon, we learned that the premier had come out and asked some practitioners [to come] in, to learn about the situation. There were practitioners giving us live updates all the time, so everyone was waiting for the result. At around 8 or 9 p.m., someone came out and told us that the practitioners in Tianjin had been released, so everybody went home. About 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners peacefully appeal outside the appeals office near Zhongnanhai, the central headquarters for the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing on April 25, 1999. (Minghui.org) Li also noted that the police attending the gathering were relaxed, and there had been no threat of aggression on either side. Some demonstrators had even brought their young children and infants with them to the gathering. The policemen were scattered around. They were quite relaxed, smoking and chatting. You can see from the policemens reactions that these people [the demonstrators] were kind and didnt mean to attack, Li said. Who would besiege you holding a baby? He said that what stood out most was the discipline of the crowd. The footage itself [shows this]. So many people went there to report the situation, yet they could remain quiet and not be noisy. It made people wonder what was behind them that made them behave so well, he said. But Jiang Zemin was actually afraid of the discipline of this group. Bad people are really afraid to see good people. If he were a wise monarch, he would have been pleased to see his people behaving with such dignity, but the CCP is a party that stole its power and rules people through violence. Li said that under Jiang, the Party soon began to recharacterize the appeal as something aggressive, as the leader of the CCP stepped up his attack on people of faith in China. At first, [the CCP] called it a gathering, and it didnt mention Zhongnanhai [the CCP headquarters], Li said. Even after the [April 25] incident, the CCPs own report called it a gathering. Its after the persecution started that [the narrative] changed and [the CCP] called it besieging Zhongnanhai. Li noted that the term besieging made no sense. We didnt surround it, first of all, so how could we besiege them? The CCP couldnt find a single photo of us besieging the place, he said. Recovery From a Terminal Disease Li has felt inspired to speak up for his fellow practitioners who were imprisoned because he had benefited greatly from the practice and its moral guidance. He first started practicing Falun Gong in 1994, after spending a decade looking for ways to cure his hepatitis B, an incurable condition at the time in China. He had tried all kinds of treatments, including traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, some folk methods, and qigong practices, but he found that nothing improved his condition. For 10 years, I was basically [fighting with] this disease and the impact it brought upon me, both physically and psychologically, Li said. I felt slow and sluggish inside. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and just sit there, unable to go back to sleep, fearing that I may die. Falun Gong practitioners doing the first exercise at Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China, prior to 1999 (Minghui) And I dared not go on dates, because the disease is contagious. After he began practicing Falun Gong, Li said his discomfort began to go away, and he was able to move forward with his life. He said the next time he went for a physical exam, before coming to Australia in 2006, all his medical results came back normal. But he said his biggest benefit was the mental changes the practice brought him. A Genuine Moral Uplift The change in my mind was fundamental, the former professor said. After cultivating, I knew how to be a good person and a good teacher. At that time, the university that employed Li asked students to rate their lecturers anonymously, which put the lecturers under a lot of pressure. Some chose to let students pass regardless of merit, hoping to receive good reviews. Li decided not to do that. Instead, he guided the students using moral principles, such as patiently explaining why plagiarism wasnt going to serve them. Students know if you really care about their improvement, [and] theyll give you kind feedback, Li said. He also found that the teachings of the practice, which emphasize truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, helped him professionally. A professor of historical education, Li taught his students about the teachings of Confucius, Mencius, and Zhu Xi, which involved discussions on how to conduct oneself. Previously, he hadnt really understood the essence of their teachings and simply echoed what the books said. But after starting Falun Dafa and reading the lectures given by its founder, Li Hongzhi, he recognized that the ancient teachers were also talking about self-improvement through morality. Continuing to Speak Out Li Yuanhua continues to speak out against the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and he believes that the time of the persecution will be remembered in history for the peaceful response of practitioners. It will be very precious in both Chinese and world history. No matter how unfairly [Falun Gong practitioners] have been treated, this group of people has responded with kindness. They just tell you the facts, and they hope you can understand whats going on in China after hearing them, he said. This is despite facing persecution, torture, and human rights abuses such as organ harvesting, all of which have forced many Chinese people of faith away from their homes and into exile in other countries, he said. What is most touching to me is the peace and rationality shown [by Falun Gong practitioners] under the violent rule of the CCP, he said. Falun Gong practitioners gather for a candlelight vigil to continue their journey of peaceful appeal for freedom of belief in China in Sydney, Australia. (Linda Zhang/The Epoch Times) A 55.8% rise in the number of positive Covid-19 cases identified in Derry city's BT48 postal area is behind an overall increase in the county's figures. The number of cases in BT48 rose last week to 120 from the 77 recorded over the previous seven days, while in Magherafelt, cases almost tripled across the week. In a week that saw a 28.6% increase in tests completed however, the number of positives rose largely in tandem with the number of positive cases (25.3% increase). The number of tests completed last week rose by almost 30%. Outside of Magherafelt and Derry city, all other postal areas experienced a decrease in cases, bar Portstewart's BT55 postal area, which recorded one case. Last week it had been zero. 8.1% of Covid tests completed in BT48 over the last seven days were positive, as were 4.4% of tests completed in Magherafelt. All other areas had a positive rate of below 2%. BT48's rate per 100,000 of population (197.2) is the second highest in Northern Ireland, behind only Augher (BT77), where just six cases was enough to push its rate to 382.2. The rate per 100,000 population in the county rose again to 85.5, over double the overall NI rate of 41.0, while Portstewart's rate of 12.2 was the lowest in the county. A further two Covid-related deaths were recorded across County Derry's local government districts over the last seven days; one in Causeway Coast and Glens and one in Mid Ulster. For the third week in a row, there have been no Covid-related deaths in Derry City and Strabane. Nine patients are being treated for the virus in Altnagelvin Hospital and a further 18 at Antrim Area Hospital, while the numbers across both the county's health trusts fell by three. 863,712 first doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered, a figure which represents 46% of the NI population, while 273,619 (14%) have received their second dose. Meanwhile, an opportunity has emerged for those between 35 and 39 years old to avail of advance appointments to receive the vaccine. The appointment process for those in the age bracket is due to open at the end of April, but limited appointments are now available, mainly at the vaccine centre in the SSE Arena, Belfast. Health Minister Robin Swann said those eligible should seize the opportunity. Getting the vaccine not only protects you but also those close to you, he said. I would also strongly encourage anyone aged 40 years or over who hasnt booked themselves a vaccination appointment yet to do so as soon as possible. I have always been clear that we would move through the vaccine programme as quickly as vaccine deliveries and capacity allows as recommended by JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation). Opening up to 35-39 year olds earlier than expected is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all staff who are delivering the vaccination programme in Northern Ireland. It looks like Harley-Davidson gets all the love, but not from EU officials. It probably came as a surprise to the entire industry when news broke out that European Union's new ruling drastically increases import tariffs for Harley, by revoking the previous Binding Origin Information (BOI) credentials.These credentials allowed lower tariffs for Harley products that were manufactured outside of the U.S., at their international plants. And even the U.S.-manufactured ones did not have such a harsh tariff, at 31%. But now, with this new ruling, all Harleys , regardless of where they are built, are submitted to the same 56% tariff. On the other hand, the current U.S. tariff for European motorcycles is a maximum of 2,4%.At the request of the E.U., the Belgian Economic Minister revoked the BOI credentials and the new incremental tariff is set to become effective as soon as June 1, 2021.However, Harley is already fighting back, announcing their intention to appeal this decision.Imposing an import tariff on all Harley-Davidson motorcycles goes against all notions of free trade and, if implemented, these increased tariffs will pose a targeted competitive disadvantage for our products, against those of our European competitors." said Jochen Zeitz.According to their official statement, Harley-Davidson believes that this EU ruling would create an unfair discrepancy between them and European motorcycle manufacturers and would actively prevent Harley products from reaching the European market. Going even further, they are calling the decision unprecedented, with a real risk of escalating into a trade war between the U.S. and the EU.Its not the first time when these two major trade competitors have collided over the issue of import tariffs and Harley got caught in the middle. Back in 2018, the EU imposed a 31% total tariff on all motorcycles imported from the U.S. And now, only three years later, its increasing it to 56%.It will be interesting to see whether Harleys legal action will overturn this European ruling or whether a trade conflict is about to blow up. As the US moves to withdraw its military from over the next five months, concerns are growing about one American who risks being left behind. Mark Frerichs, a contractor from Lombard, Illinois, believed held for more than a year by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, was not mentioned in President Joe Biden's address on last week. Nor was the troop withdrawal, scheduled to be complete by Sept. 11, conditioned on his release from custody, fueling concerns that the U.S. could lose bargaining power to get Frerichs home once its military presence is removed from the country. Any leverage that we had, we've just now announced to the world and to the Taliban and the Haqqanis that we're going to pull out. Not only is it our leverage, it's our military capability to rescue him, Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican and Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, said in an interview with The Associated Press. So it's just utterly disheartening. The Biden administration has said it regards the return of hostages to be a top priority. Despite this, the fate of a single captive is unlikely to sway the broader policy interest in ending a 20-year war that began in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It's not uncommon for detainee issues to be eclipsed by other foreign policy matters, as appeared to happen last week when the administration didn't mention Russia's detention of two Americans, even as it announced reasons for taking punitive action against Moscow. Even so, for Frerichs' family, the failure to make his return a factor in the withdrawal is a source of frustration, as is the fact that the Trump administration signed a peace deal in February 2020, just weeks after Frerichs vanished in while working on engineering projects in the country. His sister, Charlene Cakora, said in a statement that the military withdrawal puts a time stamp on Mark. We have 150 days to get him home or our leverage is gone. Frerichs' home-state senators, Democrats Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, had raised similar concerns in a letter earlier this year to Biden. In an interview Monday, Duckworth said she's been reassured by the administration that Frerichs has been part of the discussions and that officials are aware of his case. She said she spoke privately with Biden himself last Thursday, handing him a note with information about the case. He said he was very well aware and he asked me to also let the family know that he was aware and was on top of it, Duckworth said. The U.S. has not disclosed much about Frerichs' fate or status but confirmed Monday that it was in active negotiations with the Taliban. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, working closely with Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, "has continued to press the Taliban for Mr. Frerichs' release, and continues to raise his status in senior level engagements in Doha and Islamabad. We place a high priority on Mark Frerichs' safety and will not stop working until he is safely returned to his family. The AP reported in January that the Taliban during the Trump administration had sought the release of a combatant imprisoned on drug charges in the U.S. as part of a broader effort to resolve issues with Afghanistan. The request prompted dialogue between the State Department and the Justice Department about whether such a release could happen, though it ultimately did not. Duckworth, who has spoken about the case with Khalilzad, said the Taliban remained insistent on that release and not moved off that condition. The announced withdrawal from Afghanistan was one of two significant foreign policy moves announced by Biden last week. The other involved sanctions on Russia for election interference and for the hack of federal government agencies. The White House did not use that opportunity to call out Moscow for what U.S. officials say is the unjust detention of at least two Americans: Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, and Trevor Reed, a Marine veteran who was convicted in an altercation with police in Russia and sentenced to nine years. Whelan's brother, David, said in a statement that he was hopeful for rapprochement between Moscow and Washington but also concerned that the tit-for-tat actions Russia responded to the U.S. sanctions with its own diplomatic sanctions may have made that more challenging. First, the sanctions continue to make it difficult for the two nations to create the relationship and dialogue necessary to create conditions that might lead to Paul's release, Whelan wrote. Second, the winnowing of US Embassy staff in Russia will make the difficult work of consular support even harder. (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.) [April 20, 2021] Veezoo Unlocks the Power of Data Analytics for Everyone ZURICH, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- What if you could just ask? That's the question the founders of Swiss data analytics startup Veezoo set out to answer during a 2015 hackathon. Frustrated by their own experiences using queries to derive meaningful analytics from enterprise databases, the team set out to develop a human-centric approach to extract useful business intelligence from any database. Their initial proof of concept won the hackathon, and Veezoo was born. "Today's business intelligence systems are frustratingly dumb and unintuitive. They feature complicated 1990s drag-and-drop interfaces that confuse non-technical users," said Marcos Monteiro, co-founder and CEO of Veezoo. "We wondered why nobody had created an intelligent system to make it easy for people without a degree in computer science to get the answers they need from cloud data warehouses. So, we decided to build one." Six years later, their initial concept has evolved into a sophisticated 'Siri for enterprises' that turns natural-language queries of a cloud database into insightful answers in the form of text, data tables, and rich visualizations. Veezoo's 'connect once, explore everything' philosophy empowers sales, marketing, and operations teams to get instant answers to complex questions, understand and compare dynamic trends, and derive insightful business analyticsall without hiring a data scientist or asking the IT department to implement a costly business intelligence module. Veezoo encourages data exploration "We know from experience that some of the best insights are triggered by the spark of an idea an ad-hoc question that occurs during a meeting. We wanted to give decision makers a tool that encourages a free-form, inquisitive thinking process. Veezoo is a powerful business analytics tool that fosters exploration and supports our natural curiosiy to make sense of information," added Monteiro. Veezoo's simplicity and ease of use belies its true power. Veezoo's proprietary NLP technology decodes the complex structure and contenteffectively the meaningof a cloud database, and then instantly responds to complex questions (currently asked in English, German, Italian and French) with meaningful and insightful answers. Yamo, a DTC provider of organic baby food, has been using Veezoo to make fast, data-informed decisions. "Prior to Veezoo, our marketing team could not get all the answers they needed from our sales data in order to adjust to a highly dynamic business environment," said Tobias Gunzenhauser, CEO of yamo. "Veezoo is so simple to use that it has created a facts-first culture in which everyone can make data-supported decisions in real time." A major innovation that Veezoo brings to the market is the ability to understand compound questions. For example, a user can first ask "Which were the top 5 machine products sold by our Zurich office?" and then ask "Which corporate customers bought these products?" Also unique to Veezoo is its ability to automatically suggest useful, related answers based on common follow-up questions. For example, "Show me last year's sales" will yield the right answer, along with breakdowns by category or region. Veezoo connects to popular cloud-based data warehouses from Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake, and more. Underway are connectors for market-specific databases such as Shopify or Salesforce. Designed for data-driven professionals Veezoo is ideal for fast-track, emerging companies with an urgent need for accessible data analytics but have yet to invest heavily in business intelligence. It is particularly relevant for companies that are rapidly amassing data in data-intensive industries: Veezoo is for ecommerce store owners that want to understand the key drivers of their businessfrom identifying which marketing activities deliver the highest conversion rates to identifying friction points along the purchasing process. Veezoo is for marketing teams that don't want to limit themselves to overall metrics and need to get a deep understanding of which marketing activities are working and which are not Veezoo is for sales managers who are frustrated with the limitations of their sales dashboards and don't have the time to wait for someone to build new dashboards for them. Powerful data exploration accessed via a conversational interface Formulating a database query in plain English is fast and easy. Simply ask a question and visualize the answerno more drag-and-dropping data variables, calculating formulas, and building charts and dashboards. Veezoo encourages database interrogation; a user can ask follow-up questions and scroll up and down through the entire data exploration story. Flexible semantic capabilities that support a dynamic business Veezoo delivers market leading accuracy right out of the box, but its built-in semantic modeling can be extended by data teams to achieve even higher accuracy. This hybrid approach differs from rigid 'black box' models that struggle to adapt to the unique characteristics of a rapidly evolving business. The fastest time to value Unlike classic data analytics and business intelligence systems that require months of integration and user training, Veezoo users put data-driven insights to work in minutes. For qualified customers, Veezoo offers a "no-risk" trial that includes initial set-up support and training. Learn more about Veezoo Watch Veezoo in action in this video. Set up a free trial of Veezoo . ABOUT VEEZOO Founded in Zurich in 2016, Veezoo is on a mission to empower organizations with fast and easy access to big data insights. Powered by AI and inspired by the simplicity and power of natural-language questions, Veezoo's innovative, cloud-based analytics approach replaces the inefficient drag-and-drop interfaces of traditional business intelligence solutions with an intuitive, conversational interface. Veezoo evolves the data analytics experience: non-technical users can quickly discover critical trends and relationships in complex datasets to make smarter, better-informed decisions. To learn more, visit veezoo.com . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veezoo-unlocks-the-power-of-data-analytics-for-everyone-301272201.html SOURCE Veezoo [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 20, 2021] Audax Private Equity Completes the Sale of Corsearch to Astorg Audax Private Equity ("Audax") today announced that it has successfully completed the sale of Corsearch to Astorg. Corsearch provides innovative Brand Risk and Performance solutions to law firms and enterprise customers. Corsearch's suite of software and services supports a brand owners' creation and protection of intellectual property assets using innovative IP clearance tools and online brand protection including counterfeit and piracy solutions. Corsearch has more than 800 employees across Europe, North America and Asia and serves over 5,000 clients around the world including many of the world's Fortune 100 companies. Since being acquired by Audax in 2018, Corsearch has undergone a period of transformation, growth, and success: Completed the carve-out from Wolters Kluwer, invested in new technology infrastructure and streamlined global operations Completed eight add-on acquisitions globally which expanded the company's product offerings, added new customers, and vertically integrated key functions Invested in technology and research & development capabilities to support new product innovation Tim Mack, Managing Director at Audax, said, "We're incredibly proud of our partnership with the Corsearch team, their strategic transformation, and consistent customer focus. Over the course of our investment, Corsearch further expanded in online brand protection with cutting-edge solutions that are transforming how companies commercialize and protect their growth. We're excited to retain a minority investment in Corsearch, and wish the team continued success with Astorg's support." Tobias Hartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Corsearch, commented, "Audax has been an instrumental partner over the last three years, especially following Corsearch's spin off from Wolters Kluwer into an independent, standalone company. The Audax team leveraged their deep investment expertise, global resources, and operational experience to accelerate our growth plans while enhancing our ability to meet the evolving needs of our gloal customer base. We thank them for their partnership and look forward to embarking on our next phase of growth with Astorg." Harris Williams & Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Corsearch. About Audax Private Equity Audax Group is a leading alternative investment manager with offices in Boston, New York, and San Francisco. Since its founding in 1999, the firm has raised over $27 billion in capital across its Private Equity and Private Debt businesses. Audax Private Equity has invested over $6 billion in more than 135 platforms and over 925 add-on companies, and is currently investing out of its $3.5 billion, sixth private equity fund. Through its disciplined Buy & Build approach, Audax Private Equity seeks to help platform companies execute add-on acquisitions that fuel revenue growth, optimize operations, and significantly increase equity value. With more than 250 employees, Audax is a leading capital partner for North American middle market companies. For more information, visit the Audax Private Equity website: www.audaxprivateequity.com or follow us on LinkedIn. About Astorg Astorg is a leading private equity firm with over 10 billion of assets under management. We work with entrepreneurs and management teams to acquire market-leading global companies headquartered in Europe or the US, providing them with the strategic guidance, governance and capital they need to achieve their growth goals. Astorg enjoys a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective, and a lean decision-making body. We have valuable industry expertise in healthcare, software, business-to-business professional services and technology-based industrial companies. Astorg has offices in London, Paris, New York, Frankfurt, Milan and Luxembourg. For more information about Astorg: www.astorg.com. Follow us on LinkedIn. About Corsearch Corsearch Brand Risk and Performance solutions are revolutionizing how companies commercialize and protect their growth. Trusted by thousands of customers worldwide, Corsearch delivers data, analytics, and services that support brands to market their assets and reduce commercial risks. From IP clearance to brand protection and anti-piracy, Corsearch provides a comprehensive program that enables businesses to secure brand value and thrive commercially. Behind the world's best-known brands, there's Corsearch. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005466/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 20, 2021] Endeavor Energy Resources Continues to Modernize its Operations with Datadobi Datadobi, the global leader in unstructured data management software, announced today that Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. ("Endeavor"), a premier exploration and production (E&P) company, and one of the largest private oil producers in the United States of America, has selected DobiMigrate to enable and accelerate the move of Endeavor's production workflows to a new, modern colocation facility. "During my tenure, over the past six and a half years, Endeavor has enjoyed tremendous success and growth. As a result, Endeavor was rapidly outgrowing its current data center, and much of the company's hardware had reached end-of-life," said Jim Green, IT Operations Manager for Endeavor. "After careful evaluation of viable alternatives, Endeavor determined a move to a colocation facility would not only provide improved service levels but also meet Endeavor's goal to modernize its IT infrastructure and capabilities, while meeting its budgetary objectives." "The next decision was how to enable the fastest, most accurate move to the new location," Green continued. "Not long ago, I managed a data migration using a different tool. It took me about a month to move approximately 13 TBs of data. It was not only time consuming, but also very labor intensive in that I had to micro-manage the entire process - from attaching every copy to managing permissions to touching every folder individually, and everything in between. This time, I knew I needed a better solution as I had the added challenge of having considerably more data to move." Green's trusted solutions provider and advisor, Dell (News - Alert) , then suggested he consider DobiMigrate. After a careful evaluation, Green found that DobiMigrate would allow him to migrate file or object data between any storage platform, on-premises or between clouds - safely, quickly, easily, and cost effectively. This was critical in that he was movinghis entire operations and production workflows, as well as his corporate file storage, to the new colocation facility. His eventual goal is to increase his cloud presence. Green concluded, "Datadobi's solution is tailor-made for Endeavor's needs. It moves everything. I can control the cutover dates. It maintains the permissions and shares, and does the cleanup -- everything I had previously done manually. With DobiMigrate, I will be able to meet my goal to move everything in seven days or less." When Endeavor is ready to move any of its data and operations to the cloud, DobiMigrate will enable it to do so seamlessly, while enjoying identical management and protection capabilities. Datadobi's capabilities around compliance, such as its chain-of-custody verification, was another selling point. "Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. recognized that in order to move its disparate unstructured data, including, everything from office documents to highly detailed geological data, DobiMigrate was the solution that satisfied all of its requirements," said Paul Repice, Vice President of Sales for the Americas, Datadobi. "Now, Jim and his team can get back to enabling and supporting Endeavor's continued innovation and competitive differentiation that has led to it become a top-tier Midland Basin horizontal operator and one of the largest private oil producers in the United States of America." About Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. Headquartered in Midland, Texas, Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. has more than 35 years of experience in the Midland Basin of Texas and over 1,300 valued employees. Holding more than 370,000 net acres primarily in Midland, Martin, Howard, Glasscock, Upton, and Reagan Counties, Texas, Endeavor currently has the second largest land position in the Midland Basin of Texas. In 2016, Endeavor implemented a new horizontal drilling program and has completed more than 350 gross operated horizontal wells with current daily oil production in excess of 130,000 barrels of oil per day. Along with other acreage in the Delaware Basin of Texas and New Mexico and other states, Endeavor has only scratched the surface of its drillable inventory. To learn more, please visit: https://www.endeavorenergylp.com/. About Datadobi Datadobi, a global leader in data management and storage software solutions, brings order to unstructured storage environments so that the enterprise can realize the value of their expanding universe of data. Their software allows customers to migrate and protect data while discovering insights and putting them to work for their business. Datadobi takes the pain and risk out of the data storage process and does it exponentially faster than other solutions at the best economic cost point. Founded in 2010, Datadobi is a privately held company headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with subsidiaries in New York, Melbourne, Dusseldorf, and London. For more information, visit www.datadobi.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Forward Looking Statements This release includes statements regarding Endeavor and its operations and business that may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of United States federal securities laws. Endeavor believes that its expectations and forecasts are based on reasonable assumptions; however, no assurance can be given that such expectations and forecasts will prove to be correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and forecasts, anticipated results or other forward-looking information expressed in this release, including risks and uncertainties regarding future results, capital expenditures, liquidity and financial market conditions, sufficiency of cash from operations, adverse market conditions and governmental regulations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005135/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 23:16:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A senior Zambian government official on Tuesday called for sustainable use of the country's forests which are currently under threat. Minister of National Development and Planning Alexander Chiteme said sustainable utilization of forests was vital because forests play a critical role in the country's development. The Zambian minister, who is on a tour of projects under the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project meant to encourage proper management of forests in the eastern part of the country, said the government was concerned with the unsustainable utilization of forests which has contributed to climate change. "To address this, we have been implementing the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project under the Ministry of National Development and Planning, intended to improve landscape management and increase environmental and economic benefits for targeted rural communities in all districts of Eastern Province since 2018," according to a release from his ministry. The project, he said, was supporting local livelihoods as part of the national strategy to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in the country. According to him, the project involves engaging communities and traditional leaders to inculcate a sense of ownership in the forests by encouraging sustainable utilization of the forests. Communities can now have rights to harvest and trade in forest products, including the collection of medicinal herbs, harvesting of honey, grass and grazing of cattle, collection of forest products for community-based industries, he added. The Zambian minister further said that illegal cutting of trees, setting fires and cultivation and planting of crops must not take place within the declared local and national forests as well as national parks. According to him, climate change was mostly man-made through the burning of fossil fuels as well as other activities such as forest degradation. It is estimated the country loses between 250,000 and 300,000 hectares of forest each year due to deforestation. Enditem Shooting at Costa Mesa Mall Prompts Investigation Costa Mesa police are searching for a gunman who opened fire inside the parking structure of Costa Mesas Triangle Square shopping mall. The shooting happened April 18 about 1:42 a.m., after a fight broke out on the second floor of the structure, Costa Mesa Police Spokeswoman Roxi Fayad told The Epoch Times. Police said the gunman inexplicably pulled out his weapon and fired at the parking structures ceiling several times. By the time officers arrived on scene, those involved in the incident were gone. No injuries were reported. Fayad said those involved in the incident still remain at large and the incident is still under investigation. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Pakistani Parliament debates whether to expel French envoy View Photo LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) A lawmaker from Pakistans ruling party Tuesday kicked off a debate on whether the French ambassador should be expelled over the publication in France of controversial cartoons depicting Islams Prophet Muhammad. The resolution from Amjad Ali, a lawmaker from Tehreek-e-Insaf, was seen as a test of whether the government gives in to threats from radical Islamists. It came hours after the countrys interior minister announced success in his talks with an outlawed hard-line Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan. It also came after 10 people, including four police officers, were killed in protests that erupted April 12 after the arrest of Saad Rizvi, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Labaik. Rizvi had threatened the government with mass protests if the French envoy was not expelled. Earlier on Tuesday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that under the parliamentary resolution, criminal cases against Islamists involved in the deadly anti-France protests would be withdrawn. However, there was no mention of the release of Rizvi or his supporters in the resolution. Asad Qaiser, speaker of the National Assembly, adjourned the session amid heated debate until Friday, asking the government to address opposition concerns about the wording of the resolution. The tensions originated last year when Frances president defended as a freedom of speech issue the publication of caricatures of Islams Prophet Muhammad by a satirical newspaper, drawing condemnation from across the Muslim world. Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan members also are protesting the arrest of Rizvi, a cleric who emerged as the leader of the group in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussein Rizvi. Rizvi and his party want the French ambassador expelled under an agreement between the government and Rizvis party in February. The government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in Parliament before April 20, when Ahmad said a resolution would be moved in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament. Rizvis supporters took to streets across the country last week when police arrested him. The reaction from Rizvis supporters against his arrest was so swift that violence quickly spread across the country. Four police officers and at least six demonstrators were killed in the violence. ___ Ahmed reported from Islamabad. By BABAR DOGAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press [April 20, 2021] Bank of America Announces Preliminary Voting Results From 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Bank of America today announced preliminary results of matters voted upon during the company's 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. The 16 board of director nominees were elected, with at least 93 percent of the vote cast in favor of each. Jack Bovender, the company's Lead Independent Director, retired from the Board at the meeting. As previously disclosed, he was succeeded by Lionel Nowell, who has been an independent director at Bank of America since January 2013. An advisory proposal on executive compensation was approved, with more than 94 percent of the vote cast in favor. Management proposals to amend and restate the company's key employee equity plan and appoint the company's independent accounting firm were also approved. No stockholder proposals were approved. Results are considered preliminary, with final figures reported on a Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the Unite States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 2,700 lending centers, 2,600 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and approximately 2,400 business centers; approximately 17,000 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 40 million active users, including approximately 31 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for email news alerts. www.bankofamerica.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006117/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Richard Dawkins has been stripped of his 'Humanist of the Year' title after comparing transgender people to the American activist Rachel Dolezal - who posed as a black woman for more than ten years. The American Humanist Association (AHA) revoked its honour from the evolutionary biologist, 80, after he appeared to question whether people could choose their gender. The move comes 25 years after the evolutionary biologist, whose books include The God Delusion and The Selfish Gene, received the honour for his 'significant contributions' as a science communicator. In his tweet Mr Dawkins wrote: 'In 2015, Rachel Dolezal, a white chapter president of NAACP, was vilified for identifying as Black. The American Humanist Association (AHA) has stripped Richard Dawkins, 80, of his 'Humanist of the Year' title It comes after the evolutionary biologist compared transgender people to the American activist Rachel Dolezal 'Some men choose to identify as women, and some women choose to identify as men. You will be vilified if you deny that they literally are what they identify as. Discuss.' Mr Dawkins later added: 'I do not intend to disparage trans people. I see that my academic 'Discuss' question has been misconstrued as such and I deplore this. 'It was also not my intent to ally in any way with Republican bigots in US now exploiting this issue.' In 2015, Rachel Dolezal was forced to resign from a leadership position at her local Spokane chapter of the NAACP after it was revealed she had posed as a black woman for more than ten years. Dolezal, from Spokane, Washington, later claimed that ethnicity was not biological and compared being 'transracial' to being transgender, in an interview with BBC's Newsnight. Following the latest announcement by the AHA, Mr Dawkins said the move would have little impact on him. He told The Times: 'Apparently the honour hadnt meant enough to me to be worth recording in my CV.' The American Humanist Association said it made its decision to withdraw the title because Mr Dawkins, over the past several years, had 'accumulated a history of making statements that use the guise of scientific discourse to demean marginalised groups.' In their statement the American Humanist Association wrote: 'Richard Dawkins was honoured in 1996 by the AHA as Humanist of the Year for his significant contributions in this area. 'Regrettably, Richard Dawkins has over the past several years accumulated a history of making statements that use the guise of scientific discourse to demean marginalised groups, an approach antithetical to humanist values. 'His latest statement implies that the identities of transgender individuals are fraudulent, while also simultaneously attacking Black identity as one that can be assumed when convenient. Rachel Dolezal posed as a black woman for more than ten years before her ruse was discovered in 2015 The American Humanist Association said it made its decision to withdraw the title after Mr Dawkins used the 'guise of scientific discourse to demean marginalised groups' 'His subsequent attempts at clarification are inadequate and convey neither sensitivity nor sincerity. 'Consequently, the AHA Board has concluded that Richard Dawkins is no longer deserving of being honored by the AHA, and has voted to withdraw, effective immediately, the 1996 Humanist of the Year award.' Last year, author JK Rowling said she would give back an award presented by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organisation after one of its members criticised her views on gender issues. The group's president, Kerry Kennedy, said the writer's outspoken views on gender had 'diminished the identity' of trans people. It came just months after Rowling hit the headlines after she mocked an online article using the words 'people who menstruate' instead of 'women'. She was hit by what she described as 'relentless attacks' after she wrote: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?' Rowling's remarks sparked backlash from a range of stars including actors Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne. Lidl has said that it is investing 26m in new stores in Derry and Strabane. Work is continuing on a new Lidl store at Buncrana Road and the company was also recently granted planning permission for a new outlet at Crescent Link in the Waterside. The Waterside plans were given the go-ahead despite significant opposition from local residents. Lidl has also submitted an application for planning permission for a new store in Strabane. The company said the stores will create 55 new permanent jobs, with around 600 jobs also being created during the construction phase of the stores. The Buncrana Road store is expected to open shortly while Lidl say they plan to have the Waterside store open by the end of this year. Lidl Northern Ireland Regional Director, Conor Boyle, said: As Northern Irelands fastest-growing supermarket, were delighted to continue moving confidently forward with our long-established investment plans for the North West, bringing new employment opportunities to the local community as well as our fresh, high-quality products and market-leading value to more shoppers in the region for many years to come. We look forward to welcoming our loyal customers and new shoppers to these outstanding new, state-of-the-art stores when completed. Economy Minister Diane Dodds was briefed by Lidl Northern Ireland on its new regional plans and ambitions for the future. She said: As a key retailer and employer in Northern Ireland, I am delighted to hear of Lidl Northern Irelands latest plans to expand its store presence across the region, increase employment and invest in modern, sustainable new stores for the benefit of local communities and the environment. Following Lidl Northern Irelands announcement in November last year to open five new stores in the Greater Belfast region, its fantastic to see this continued momentum expand across the region to the Derry City and Strabane District Council area which continues to be a key economic hub. I wish all the team every success on its latest renewed growth and on delivering its plans for the future. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Brian Tierney, said that with renewed focus on economic recovery and growth, Lidl Northern Irelands latest investment in the region is much-welcomed and it confirms its longstanding commitment to the North West. Retail, along with other sectors, remains important to our growth. Lidl Northern Irelands new plans can only further assist in underlining the areas attractiveness as a great place to live, to visit and to invest. Coronavirus vaccines are now open to all Americans above the age of 16, but some of the most vulnerable are still not protected. About one-fifth of adults aged 65 or older in the U.S. have not yet received at least one dose, federal data show. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80.1 percent have received at least one dose and 64.9 percent are fully vaccinated. Health experts say that there are likely several factors at play including lack of access in some communities, vaccine hesitancy and appointment cancellations due to pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. CDC data show that 80.1% of adults aged 65 and older have received at least one vaccine dose, meaning one-fifth are still not vaccinated Experts say older people may be too uncomfortable or intimidated to go to a mass vaccination site and that more doses need to be send to local providers and grocery stores Dr Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, told The New York Times that opening up vaccine eligibility has benefits and drawbacks. While it will likely lead to the set-up of more mass vaccination sites, older people may feel too uncomfortable or intimidated to visit a large center. 'I think there are some folks who want to get the vaccine, but they're still very worried about getting exposed to other people,' she said. 'It's a little bit of a strange situation where we're like: "Stay away from everyone, but please come here to our massive vaccine clinic."' One factor is the stalling of several state- and local-run homebound vaccine programs following the pause of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. In New York City alone, at least 4,000 appointments had to be rescheduled after the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended the rollout be halted due to reports of blood clots. Experts add that more effort is also needed to have appointments available at local businesses rather than far-away mass vaccination sites. For example, many of Alaska's Native villages have among the highest Covid vaccination rates in the U.S., with at least one community reporting a rate as high as 80 percent. Much of the success is due to residents getting shots from providers they know and at convenient locations, including their homes and grocery stores. Prins told The Times that bringing vaccine doses into communities would help drive up vaccination rates even further. 'There may be people who are not necessarily homebound, but maybe they don't drive,' Prins said. 'Maybe it's not easy and convenient for them to get somewhere to get vaccinated.' Another factor is also vaccine hesitancy. In a recent AARP survey, adults who indicated they were unlikely to get a COVID-19 vaccine said they feared side effects and had doubts about the shot's efficacy. Dr Lisa Cooper, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, told The Times that younger family members can help bring in older vaccine hesitant adults. She recommends that officials encourage children and grandchildren to arrive to appointments with parents and grandparents. 'We need to start asking the younger folks: "Where's your mom? Your grandmother? Have they all gotten their vaccines yet? If not, we've got several slots, and we want your whole family here,"' she said. Friends Who Create Together Friends Who Are Muses New Friends Friends Who Are Family Weekend Friends Friends Who Share a Language Best Friends Friends Who Summer Together Old Friends Friends Who Came Up Together Party Friends Friends Who Teach Each Other Friends Who Saw It All Friends Who Inspire Each Other Friends Who Became Adults Together School Friends Clients Who Became Friends Partners, Now Friends Actor Friends Friends Who Cook Together Furry Friends Friends Who Protect One Another Friends Who Make Music Together Hometown Friends Work Friends Mentor/Protegee Friends Friends Who Miss Each Other Friends Who Create Together Friends Who Are Muses New Friends Friends Who Are Family Weekend Friends Friends Who Share a Language Best Friends Friends Who Summer Together Old Friends Friends Who Came Up Together Party Friends Friends Who Teach Each Other Friends Who Saw It All Friends Who Inspire Each Other Friends Who Became Adults Together School Friends Clients Who Became Friends Partners, Now Friends Actor Friends Friends Who Cook Together Furry Friends Friends Who Protect One Another Friends Who Make Music Together Hometown Friends Work Friends Mentor/Protegee Friends Friends Who Miss Each Other Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar and Czech Ambassador to Ukraine Radek Matula discussed the decision of the Czech side to expel from the country 18 Russian diplomats suspected of working for the Russian special services. According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Monday, Matula spoke in detail about the reasons for such a reaction, which was due to the presence of convincing evidence of the involvement of Russian special services in the explosions at an ammunition depot near the village of Vrbetice in October 2014. "The ambassador expressed gratitude for the political solidarity of Ukraine with the Czech authorities in his reaction to the destructive activities of Russia on the territory of the Czech Republic," the ministry said. Bodnar and Matura noted the importance of further intensifying cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic in various sectors, and also discussed preparations for the Ukrainian-Czech political consultations planned for this May at the level of deputy foreign ministers. BETHESDA, Md., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SANS Institute, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification in the world, is pleased to announce the first-ever SANS+HBCU Cyber Academy, a scholarship academy that will level the playing field and provide Historically Black College and University students direct access to industry-leading certifications for free. SANS is in a unique position to assist in the challenge to diversify the field of cybersecurity and believes that to fill the employment gap in cybersecurity we must start at HBCUs. According to United Negro College Fund (UNCF), HBCUs are responsible for 25% of all African American students with bachelor's degrees in STEM fields despite making up only 3% of our nation's Universities and Colleges. Establishing cybersecurity programs within HBCUs gives SANS the opportunity to work with large groups of innovative Black talent that are already on a path towards higher education, paving the road to a more diverse cybersecurity industry faster. The partnership between SANS Institute and University of Virgin Islands, cemented on March 31, 2021, establishes a virtual pilot academy program to launch in June 2021 that includes offering free access to: Pre-determined Courseware Certification Attempts Current and Future SANS Summits Adjunct Support "This agreement between the University of the Virgin Islands and SANS Institute is an exceptional opportunity for students enrolled at UVI to complement their education with world-class experts through hands-on training which will lead to industry-grade certification in cybersecurity. The scholarships that will be awarded to three UVI students reaffirms SANS's trust in the pool of talented youngsters in the U.S. Territory. SANS's commitment will certainly strengthen the cybersecurity program at UVI and will encourage more talented Virgin Islanders to enter this exciting and competitive field. The Computer and Computational Science Department is honored to be part of this new innovative partnership and to contribute in preparing young people for regional and global cyber challenges." Dr. Marc Boumedine, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Department Chair, University of Virgin Islands "This is the moment for which we created SANS+HBCU. Our intention to engage and develop meaningful relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities is a goal not only to help diversify cyber security but to also shine a spotlight on institutions that have catapulted Black students into opportunities to thrive. We are appreciative of UVI for trusting in our mission and allowing us to bring this life-changing opportunity to the Virgin Islands community. I am excited to witness talented UVI students gain industry leading training through SANS Institute and look forward to witnessing many more." Delisha Hodo, SANS+HBCU Co-Chair The SANS+HBCU committee focuses the deep resources of SANS on creating a bridge to diversify cybersecurity with innovative black talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities through partnership, training, certification, resources, advocacy, and mentorship. Learn more at sans.org/hbcu. About SANS Institute The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cyber security training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 60 courses at in-person and virtual cyber security training events and on demand. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 35 hands-on, technical certifications in cyber security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers a master's degree, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cyber security. SANS Security Awareness, a division of SANS, provides organizations with a complete and comprehensive security awareness solution, enabling them to easily and effectively manage their "human" cybersecurity risk. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community, including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the internet's early warning systemthe Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community. (https://www.sans.org) SOURCE SANS Institute Related Links www.sans.org While the COVID-19 pandemic completely interrupted education, some Massachusetts families have seen a silver lining. Some students, like the daughters of Timothy Allen, who is the principal at Birchland Park Middle School in East Longmeadow, gained a new sense of independence on the days that they were remote learning. Its something Allen doesnt think his daughters, fifth-grader Teagan and eighth-grader Maela, may have been able to build if they were learning traditionally. Allen sent a tweet on the topic Sunday, noting that Teagan can easily cook herself three meals a day, keep track of logging on for remote learning and has really developed technical skills. The tweet has gained steam online, garnering 1,431 Retweets, 242 Quote Tweets and more than 17,000 likes as of Tuesday. COVID learning gaps? Maybe. But my 5th grade daughter can cook herself 3 meals a day, responsibly logs in remotely for her education, and has technology skills beyond anything I can comprehend. These are life skills that the past year created. Timothy Allen (@tca1978) April 18, 2021 For us, my wife and I have had to be at work almost all the time so they have had a lot of time home alone, Allen said. Its just been different to see that they set their own alarms, they get themselves up, they make sure they have enough time before that first class starts to get some breakfast, to get themselves ready, and they do all of that on their own because were at work. While the family lives in Springfield, the girls go to school in Longmeadow, where their mother, Nikcole Allen is principal at Glenbrook Middle School. Teagan attends the Center School and Maela attends Glenbrook Middle School. Longmeadow started hybrid learning, with two days a week of in-person learning, in September, but the rise in COVID-19 cases around Thanksgiving led to many weeks of remote learning five days a week, Allen said. Now, Teagan is back in school full time and Maela will return full time later this month. A lot of focus on education during the pandemic has been on learning loss and what students have missed being face-to-face with teachers and peers. Allen said that with the tweet, he wanted to capture that its not just a deficit model. But, he noted that a character limit on Twitter did not allow him to share the full story. The one problem thats been pointed out with my tweet, which I agree with, is this worked for my daughters because my daughters are privileged. Were middle class, theyre safe in the house, theres food in the house, Allen said. Thats the problem with the tweet, without a doubt, is there are a lot of kids that didnt have enough structure at home to develop the same skills my daughters did. Allen said he didnt mean to trivialize that part of education during a pandemic. As a principal, Allen said hes noticed that students have fallen behind, something that educators will need to work to address in the coming months and years. But students have gained independence they wouldnt learn in a classroom. His daughter Teagan has cooked some pretty spectacular lunches, Allen said. Ive definitely seen that there is this ability to manage their day and sort of this autonomy in how they work through their day that doesnt exist when youre at school being told where to go, when to go and what to do, he said. Allen thinks their ability to focus without adults around will make his daughters better learners and better workers. But, he does think his daughters have missed on out important social experiences and development. Teagan and Maela Allen have gained independence while learning at home during the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Timothy Allen. As much as they have developed independence in good ways, I certainly think theyve lost out on some milestones of socialization, he said. In the thread of responses, some parents remarked that their children are now reading at a higher grade level and reading for fun. Others said their kids are excelling with things like Google slides. Allen thinks schools can learn some lessons from remote instruction and take a look at curriculum. I dont think schools should just go right back to normal, he said. I think that we have to capitalize on theres some important independence and autonomy skills that maybe we werent nurturing enough that we have to find ways to do so. And yes, we have to prepare for MCAS, of course, and we want to address learning deficits, especially in reading and math, but we also want to highlight other skills that can be so important. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has said MCAS is an important tool to evaluate learning loss during the pandemic. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Police raided a mans apartment in Tompkinsville, where they allege they found guns and bullets. Celso Ortiz, 36, was arrested after officers armed with a search warrant swarmed his apartment on Avon Place near Willis Avenue at 2:48 p.m. on April 2, according to the criminal complaint. Ortiz was inside the apartment, where officers discovered a Marlin .22-caliber rifle in a hallway closet, a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol in a bedroom safe and two .22-caliber bullets in a desk drawer, according to the complaint. The complaint alleges that the suspect does not possess a license or permit to possess or carry said firearm and defendant is not a dealer in rifles or shotguns in New York City. Ortiz has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. The suspect was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon and sentenced in January 2017 to six months in jail, according to the complaint. He has been released on his own recognizance and is due back in Criminal Court on July 14. Ortizs attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Police raided an apartment and allegedly found a stash of guns and bullets at Avon Place and Willis Avenue in Tompkinsville on April 2, 2021. (Staten Island Advance) RELATED COVERAGE: Crime news on Staten Island NEW HAVEN Mayor Justin Elicker has a plan to spend more than $6 million of a $94.8 million federal aid grant on a summer reset. Elicker proposed spending between $1 million and $2 million on each of four different areas this summer youth engagement, a clean and safe program, arts and culture and a safe summer for a total of $6.3 million once all expenses are accounted for, he announced Tuesday. Elicker said Tuesday that any spending of federal aid money should reflect a commitment to increasing equity in the city. He referenced remarks made Monday night by Alder Delphine Clyburn, D-20, during her Black & Hispanic Caucus State of the City address; she commented that during the pandemic it was community members who looked out for other community members out of both necessity and love. We need to work with our community to determine the right path to spend that money, he said. Now is not only a time to bounce back but to leap forward. The proposed $6.3 million in spending, he said, predominantly reflects an expansion of programs that already operate in the city that would require funding as soon as possible in order to be effective before the summer. Elickers plans require approval from the Board of Alders. The remainder of the spending priorities, he said, will be planned after receiving community feedback. The city will receive $94.8 million of the estimated $2.6 billion headed to Connecticut through the federal American Rescue Plan, one of several revenue streams the city and other agencies that work with the city expect to receive from the aid package. On youth engagement, Elicker is proposing adding $1.5 million to support summer programs such as nature camps, a summer concert and the citys youth employment initiative. Although they have not provided an exact dollar amount, city school officials said they will be investing a portion of the $37.8 million federal aid grant the district received on creating a summer of fun. That initiative is expected to focus on emphasizing academic recovery due to time not spent in the classroom during the coronavirus pandemic, with officials partnering with community organizations to give students combined recreational and educational experiences this summer. Elicker proposed investing $2 million into violence prevention measures such as the Youth Connect program that provides interventions to at-risk youths as well as other investments in health. Community Services Administrator Mehul Dalal said the city has to address the emotional needs of city residents that wont go away even when virus spread goes down. We cannot move forward without acknowledging the collective grief and trauma our communities have suffered, he said. Executive Director of the Connecticut Violence Intervention Program Leonard Jahad said one thing worse than trauma is untreated trauma, something that is prevalent in the city. You know the saying that hurt people hurt people. We have a lot of hurt people, he said. He said he believes the investment in violence prevention and trauma treatment programs could stop the spread of community violence. The mayor also proposed spending $1.5 million on improvements to park and playground maintenance and beautification and $1 million for cultural and arts programs. Elicker said one of his priorities is expand communal celebrations in intimate settings following a year when federal and local public health officials repeatedly recommended against indoor social gatherings without several precautions. Michael Piscitelli, the citys economic development administrator, said the theme for arts and culture this summer will be to create a sense of belonging. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 23:12:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2019 shows wind turbines amid blooming sunflowers in Sitan Township of Jingtai County in Baiyin, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Nie Jianjiang) BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China is willing to work with Saudi Arabia and other members of the international community to build an equitable climate governance regime that is cooperative and beneficial to all. In a phone conversation with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi also called for concerted efforts to push for a comprehensive and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are both major challenges facing mankind and should be tackled with a collective response by all countries within multilateral frameworks, Xi stressed. The Chinese side, he said, supports Saudi Arabia's proposals and measures on promoting global climate governance and sustainable development, and stands ready to work with the international community to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Aerial photo taken on July 11, 2018 shows a photovoltaic power base in Kubuqi Desert of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan) Xi asked Mohammed to convey his greetings to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Pointing out that China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners and also important cooperation partners, Xi noted that over recent years, bilateral relations have witnessed comprehensive development, with political mutual trust growing ever deeper and cooperation in various areas expanding continuously. The two countries, he added, have become good friends, good partners and good brothers that trust each other and commit to win-win cooperation and common development. Xi said China views its ties with Saudi Arabia from a strategic and long-term perspective, and respects Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and development path. China stands ready to work with Saudi Arabia to build an all-round, high-level cooperation pattern that covers such areas as energy, economy, trade and high technology, and deepen coordination on international and regional affairs, so as to lift the China-Saudi Arabia comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels. Mohammed conveyed King Salman's sincere greetings and best wishes to Xi. Calling China a trustworthy good brother and important strategic partner of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince said his country is willing to work with China to deepen their friendship and mutual trust, strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation in such fields as energy, economy and trade, and cement the strategic synergy between Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to further lift the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Saudi Arabia, he said, firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests. Saudi Arabia appreciates China's intended nationally determined contributions, he said, adding that his country has proposed the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, and is willing to strengthen strategic cooperation with China on climate response and environment protection. Vietnam is taking preparative measures for possible blood clot cases following Covid-19 vaccination, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) said Monday. Duong Thi Hong, deputy head of the NIHE, said the Ministry of Health is creating a Covid-19 vaccination guideline, including measures to take should there be blood clot cases following inoculation, despite Vietnam having yet to record any cases. "We would also create documents to inform people on how to detect abnormal symptoms following inoculation. For example, sudden stomachache or headache that do not subside after a few days means doctors must be informed to deploy a treatment regime promptly," she said. Vietnam has always regarded vaccine safety along with vaccination coverage for its people, adding that medical authorities have deployed measures like mandatory health screening before vaccination, said Hong. "We use the monitoring system for post-vaccination effects, which is part of the national vaccination program that has been deployed for over a decade," she added. The NIHE constantly monitors post-vaccination effects every day, she said. "At the end of each afternoon, the Office for the Extended National Vaccination Program would receive reports from all localities on the number of people vaccinated and those who experienced side effects. Based on such data, we can get a general idea of the safety level during the vaccination process," Hong said. All medical workers participating in the vaccination program are trained on how to administer the vaccine and how to respond should there be severe side effects, she added. Vietnam is also utilizing a digital health profile system for citizens to report on their health status following vaccination, and medical authorities could analyze such data, she said. So far, over 80,000 people in Vietnam have been vaccinated against Covid-19 using a vaccine produced by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca, of whom around 33 percent experience side effects, which is still within the threshold cautioned by manufacturers. All cases with severe side effects have recovered, said Hong. Reports on blood clot cases following Covid-19 vaccination by AstraZeneca have surfaced globally as of late and have prompted certain countries to either temporarily suspend its use or restrict its usage on certain age groups. Last week, Denmark became the first country to stop AstraZeneca vaccine rollout entirely. Vietnam said it would continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine for its mass vaccination program. Within this year, the country is expected to receive 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses either through contracts or the global vaccine access mechanism Covax. It aims to secure 150 million doses to cover 75 percent of its population by next year. The European Union is concerned over Russia's closure of a number of Black Sea areas for navigation, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano told reporters in Brussels. The spokesman said on Tuesday that the intention of the Russian Federation to close certain areas of the Black Sea for shipping until October 2021 under the pretext of military exercises raises serious concern, especially against the background of the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian state border and in the illegally annexed Crimea. According to him, this decision violates the freedom of navigation guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He said that the European Union expects Russia to ensure unhindered and free passage to the Sea of Azov and back in accordance with international law. He recalled the EU's position on unshakable support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and independence of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and noted that the European Union calls on Russia to do the same. President Joe Biden said hes praying for the right verdict in the case against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering George Floyd. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict, Biden said. Which is I think it is overwhelming in my view. Bidens remarks came as Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. His trial opened March 29 and the case went to the jury for deliberations Monday. Biden also made a call to the Floyd family on Monday, Politico reported. I can only imagine the pressure and anxiety theyre feeling. And so I waited until the jury was sequestered, and I called. And I wasnt going to say anything about it, Biden said. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died while in police custody on May 25 and his death sparked an avalanche of protests across the nation. He died after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyds neck for more than nine minutes, as three other officers didnt intervene. A 17-year-old bystander took video of the incident, in which Floyd can be heard saying, Please, please, please, I cant breathe. Prosecutors argued that Chauvin violated police training and procedures, causing Floyds death. You were told Mr. Floyd died because his heart was too big, said prosecutor Jerry Blackwell. The reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvins heart was too small. Defense attorneys said that Chauvins use of force didnt violate police guidelines and Floyds death could have been caused by other factors. The standard is not what should the officer have done, said defense attorney Eric Nelson. The standard is what were the facts known to this officer at the exact moment he used force. Officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were also fired and arrested, charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Floyd was arrested after being accused by a store employee of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy a pack of cigarettes at a Minneapolis grocery store. Story continues White House press secretary Jen Psaki didnt expand on Bidens comments during a news briefing on Tuesday, according to The Hill. The president has been clearly watching the trial closely as many Americans have been. He was also moved by his conversations with the family yesterday, Psaki said. The jury is sequestered which is why he spoke to this but I will expect that he will weigh in further once there is a verdict. Psaki also said Biden is not looking to influence the case but has been touched on the impact on the family, hence he called the family yesterday and had that discussion, CNN reported. Other elected officials have commented on the trial. Rep. Maxine Waters of California sparked controversy after calling for protesters to stay on the street and get more confrontational if Chauvin is acquitted, CNN reported. We got to stay on the street. And weve got to get more active, weve got to get more confrontational. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business, Waters said on Saturday. Judge Peter Cahill, who is overseeing the trial, said Monday that Waters remarks could be grounds for appealing a verdict. Ill give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned, said Cahill, according to CNN. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky criticized both Biden and Waters remarks, saying, per a Wall Street Journal reporter: It is certainly not helpful for a member of Congress, and even the president of the United States to appear to be weighing in, in public, while the jury is trying to sort through this. The Union Government on Monday announced that everyone above the age of 18 will be eligible to get a vaccine against Covid-19 from May 1. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Government has been working hard for over a year to ensure that maximum numbers of Indians are able to get the vaccine in the shortest possible time. India is vaccinating people at world record pace and we will continue this with even greater momentum," Modi said. The government claimed that pricing, procurement, eligibility and administration of vaccines are being made flexible in Phase 3 of the world's largest vaccination drive. "India's National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy has been built on a systematic and strategic end-to-end approach, proactively building capacity across R&D, manufacturing and administration since April 2020. While pushing for scale and speed, it has simultaneously been anchored in the stability necessary to sustainably execute the World's Largest Vaccination Drive," the government said. In phase 3 of the vaccination drive, vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the Government of India (GoI) and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to the state government and in the open market. Manufacturers would have to make transparently an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to State Governments and in the open market, before May 1. "Based on this price, State governments, private hospitals, industrial establishments would be able to procure vaccine doses from the manufacturers. Private Hospitals would have to procure their supplies of Covid-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 per cent supply earmarked for other than GoI channel," the government said. Private Vaccination providers shall transparently declare their self-set vaccination price and the eligibility through this channel would be opened up to all adults, above the age of 18. Vaccination will continue to be provided free of cost to the eligible population as defined earlier which include Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front Line Workers (FLWs) and all people above 45 years of age at Government of India (GoI) vaccination centres. All vaccination Awould be part of the National Vaccination Programme, and mandated to follow all protocol such as being captured on CoWIN platform, linked to AEFI reporting and all other prescribed norms. Stocks and price per vaccination applicable in all vaccination centres will also have to be reported real-time. The division of vaccine supply 50 per cent to Centre and 50 per cent to other than GoI channel would be applicable uniformly across for all vaccines manufactured in the country. The GoI, however, will allow the imported fully ready to use vaccines to be entirely utilised in the other than Govt. of India channel. The Union government from its share, will allocate vaccines to States/UTs based on the criteria of extent of infection (number of active Covid cases) and performance (speed of administration). "Wastage of vaccine will also be considered in this criteria and will affect the criteria negatively. Based on the above criteria, State-wise quota would be decided and communicated to the States adequately in advance," the Government said. The second dose of all existing priority groups i.e. HCWs, FLWs and population above 45 years, wherever it has become due, would be given priority, for which a specific and focused strategy would be communicated to all stakeholders. Vaccine manufacturers are also incentivized to further scale up their production, as well as attract new national and international players. More than two years after they called on the U.S. to play a leading role in helping the planet reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are reintroducing the Green New Deal on Tuesday this time with a more welcome audience in the White House and with Democrats holding a narrow majority in Congress. In a news conference outside the Capitol, the progressive lawmakers plan to relaunch their bold resolution, which seeks to significantly curb greenhouse gas emissions and blunt the economic and public health impacts of climate change, particularly in frontline and minority communities. The resolution also calls on the federal government to give the economy a jolt by creating green jobs and sustainable infrastructure, goals aligned with President Joe Bidens $2 trillion American Jobs Plan. Some conservatives have openly mocked the Green New Deal, which also has its share of doubters among moderate Democrats. The House Republican majority in 2019 blocked the resolution from moving forward. But Markey, a longtime environmental advocate from Massachusetts, and Ocasio-Cortez, a New York leader among progressive Democrats, say the expansive resolution has inspired a host of other measures while becoming a benchmark thats pressed the Biden administration toward a more progressive agenda. The Green New Deal envisions a 10-year national mobilization to fight the interconnected economic, social, racial and climate crises gripping our country, the lawmakers said in a joint statement Monday. Tuesdays news conference begins at 11 a.m. and will be live-streamed on the lawmakers Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. The updated resolution includes proposals to reduce pollution in low-income communities and to address lead in cities water supply. The lawmakers will also introduce the Civilian Climate Corps Act, a plan Biden laid out in an executive order in January. The proposed Corps would mobilize the next generation of conservation and resilience workers and maximize the creation of accessible training opportunities and good jobs, according to Bidens order. Bidens recently-announced American Jobs Plan, already facing criticism from Republicans and conservative Democrats concerned about spending after the presidents $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, calls for hundreds of billions of dollars to upgrade the power grid, retrofit schools and public housing, improve water quality and invest in renewable energy and manufacturing. The Green New Deal reintroduction also comes as Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont call for a $172 billion push to retrofit nearly 1 million public housing units across the country to upgrade electrification and water quality, the lawmakers said. The proposal calls for the repeal of the Faircloth Amendment, which placed limits on new public housing. Its Green New Deal week! This week were highlighting: Green New Deal reintroduction tomorrow w/ new... Posted by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday, April 19, 2021 Markey and Ocasio-Cortez will be joined by Sen. Alex Padilla of California, Reps. Jared Huffman of California and Cori Bush of Missouri, Ellen Sciales of the Sunrise Movement and Kari Fulton of the Climate Justice Alliance. Related Content: As of midday Monday, Parler was not yet available in the app store and Apple did not give a timeline for when it will be reinstated. According to Apples letter, Parler proposed changes to its app and how it moderates content. Apple said the updated app incorporating those changes should be available as soon as Parler releases it. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Derrick White and Jakob Poeltl took advantage of their early mismatches by delivering a quick knockout punch and leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 109-94 victory over short-handed Indiana on Monday night. White scored 16 of his 25 points in the first quarter, while Poeltl finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in the Spurs' second straight win. I think we were aggressive and decisive on offense," Poeltl said. We didnt hestitate, we just kind of went for it. I thought our defense was really good against Phoenix as well and thats just what fueled us. Were playing with more energy now and its showing up in games." It certainly did against the short-handed Pacers. Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert each scored 18 to lead Indiana, which has lost three in a row. But this time, the Pacers were without two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis (sore lower back) and defensive player of the year candidate Myles Turner (right foot) as well as T.J. Warren, who will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. Turner's replacement, Goga Bitadze, also didn't finish the game because of a sprained left ankle. Its a challenge," Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren said. Goga we wound up playing him a lot more but he spained his ankle in t he first and you could see he was having a hard time getting up and down the floor, so I had to take him out." Without the Pacers missing so many key players, White and Poeltl made sure Indiana never had a chance. White's 3-pointer capped a 15-4 run to close the first quarter, which gave the Spurs a 36-21 lead they never surrendered. LeVert scored six straight late in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 47-38. But San Antonio still led 55-44 at halftime and sealed the victory by extending the lead to 21 in the third quarter. The game was marred by a fourth-quarter shoving match that resulted in technical fouls on the two instigators Indiana's JaKarr Sampson and Patty Mills as well as Spurs forward Rudy Gay. Sampson was ejected following the brief fracas. Story continues No," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said when asked if he could recall any time when Mills got involved in a similar scenario. He's too sweet, too nice a guy. Hes not looking for a fight." TIP-INS Spurs: DeMar DeRozan finished with 18 points and needs five more to pass Earl Monroe (17,454 points) for No. 87 on the NBA's career scoring list. ... Poeltel also had seven rebounds and Drew Eubanks matched his career high with (13) rebounds. ... Dejounte Murray had 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Pacers: Brogdon also had six rebounds and five assists. ... Bitadze had seven points, ninerebounds and matched his career high with (five) blocks. ... ... Indiana also played without backup forward Jeremy Lamb (sore left knee). ... Indiana is 1-5 in its last six home games and 9-17 this season at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. MYLES OUT The Pacers announced Monday that Turner is out indefinitely because of a partial tear in the plantar plate of his right foot. He has missed 10 games this season and yet started Monday ranked second in the league with 159 blocks, trailing only Rudy Gobert of Utah. Turner's streak of 64 consecutive games with a block ended during Indiana's recent road trip. Turner has a league-leading 12 games with five or more blocks this season. TWO TRIBUTES The Pacers wore a black stripe on their uniforms for the first time Monday in honor of Hall of Fame coach and longtime color analyst Bobby Slick Leonard, who died last week at age 88. They will wear the stripe on both home and road jerseys the rest of this season. Then, before the national anthem, the Pacers also paid tribute to the eight people killed in last week's mass shooting at the FedEx facility. The public address announcer announced each name as photos of the eight victims were displayed on the video board above center court. UP NEXT Spurs: Head home Wednesday to take on Miami in the first of back-to-back home games. Pacers: Host Oklahoma City on Wednesday in the second game of a three-game homestand. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports. After decades without legal cover, farmer Mohamed Morabet looks forward to selling his hashish this summer on the open market now that Morocco plans to legalise cannabis for medical use. The government of the world's top hashish- producing nation last month ratified a draft bill to legalise its medical use, and parliament is expected to debate the legislation this week. "We will finally come out of clandestinity," said Morabet as he tended to his freshly sown fields of "kif" -- literally "pleasure" in Arabic and the term used for cannabis in Morocco. "We used to live in fear," added the 60-year-old farmer whose fields lie in the fabled northern Ketama region at the foot of the marginalised and underdeveloped mountainous region of Rif. According to a report released last year by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Morocco is the world's biggest producer of cannabis resin, or hashish. Cannabis output in the North African country was estimated to total more than 700 tonnes in a study last year by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime. That same year more than 217 tonnes of cannabis were seized by authorities, according to official figures. It was banned in Morocco in 1954 but has been tolerated as its cultivation provides a livelihood for 80,000 to 120,000 families, according to unofficial estimates. Now the kingdom hopes that cultivating cannabis for medical use will become a lucrative business and place Morocco on the global market. - Reaping profits - According to Morocco's interior ministry, the market worldwide is growing at an annual rate of 30 percent, and by 60 percent a year in Europe. Farmers, who only made a small profit while traffickers for decades reaped the benefits from the sale of cannabis, are also hopeful for a more profitable future. But some, like Morabet, have voiced reservations. "When the bill becomes law we will have fewer problems, but we worry that prices will drop," said Fadoul Azouz surveying his ploughed fields in the Ketama. Story continues But authorities and experts say these fears are baseless. Officials estimate that farmers could make a 12 percent profit in a "legal market" compared to only four percent now, the official MAP news agency reported. Botanical researcher Ismail Azza agrees, predicting that "revenues in a legal circuit will certainly be better than those on the black market". According to several sources in the Ketama region, a kilogram of hashish extracted from hybrid plants would sell for around 2,500 dirhams ($261) a year ago -- and four times as much if the cannabis came from the fabled "beldiya" (local) seed. But following a crackdown on drug trafficking, a kilogram now sells for around 1,500 dirhams. - 'Historical' plantations - The draft legislation calls for the creation of a national agency to regulate the industry, and for the formation of cooperatives to "certify" plants. The move would "reconvert illicit" cannabis plantations into "legal and durable activities that generate jobs" in the medical, cosmetic and industrial sectors, it says. But concern remains over where cannabis should be grown, according to Abdallah al-Jout, a member of a rights group that has called for cannabis to be legalised. The interior ministry is expected to designate certain areas, without mention of recreational use of cannabis. Farmers hope the areas will be "historical" regions where they and their ancestors have cultivated cannabis for decades. The interior ministry is also expected, once the bill becomes law, to call on farmers to set up a "cooperative" to sell their crop to a "public agency". In 2019, about 55,000 hectares (136,000 acres) of land in Rif were used to grow hashish, according to official figures, compared to 134,000 hectares in 2003. The northern Rif is a marginalised region rocked by social unrest in 2016-2017. Farmers like 25-year-old Said Yarou, who works on a family plantation, hope legalisation will create jobs for unemployed youths. isb-ko/sof/hkb/hc Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian again attacked Gasparian when he spoke in the Armenian parliament last week. In particular, Pashinian denied Gasparians November 17 claim that three days after the September 27 outbreak of the war he warned Pashinian that Armenia and Karabakh are heading for defeat and that the fighting must be stopped as soon as possible. Pashinian insisted that Gasparian made a statement to the contrary at a September 30 meeting of his Security Council. The Security Council released, meanwhile, some excerpts from Gasparians remarks made at that meeting. It went on to publicize on Tuesday a short audio of those remarks in which the general can be heard saying that Armenian forces are successfully repelling Azerbaijans offensive military operations in and around Karabakh. Gasparian responded by reaffirming his earlier claims and accusing the authorities of distorting his remarks. He demanded that they release the full transcript of concluding statements made by him as well as President Armen Sarkissian at the Security Council meeting. The office of the Security Council secretary, Armen Grigorian, rejected the demand. It said the transcript contains sensitive details of Armenian military operations and its disclosure would seriously damage Armenias and Karabakhs security. Incidentally, Pashinian did not refute Gasparians claims when he was interviewed by RFE/RLs Armenian Service in December. The general was controversially sacked as chief of the Armenian armys General Staff immediately after initiating a February 25 statement by the army top brass that demanded the governments resignation. Pashinian rejected the demand as a coup attempt. In his April 14 speech in the National Assembly, Pashinian also blamed former Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian for Armenias defeat in the six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered agreement on November 10. The Armenian opposition holds Pashinian responsible for the outcome of the war which left at least 3,600 Armenia soldiers dead. Virtually all opposition groups have demanded his resignation. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is pleased to announce that it plans a large-scale airborne electromagnetic (EM) survey on its 100% owned Love Lake Nickel-Copper-PGM project located approximately 60 km northeast of Forum's Janice Lake/Rio Tinto copper joint venture in north-eastern Saskatchewan along Highway 905 to the Rabbit Lake/ McClean Lake uranium mills (Figure 1). Further processing of the airborne gradient magnetic survey and whole rock geochemical analysis of the outcrop samples collected in 2020 (see News releases dated September 9, 2020 and October 13, 2020) have identified five high priority target areas to be flown by an airborne EM survey in May (Figure 2). Figure 1: Location of the Love Lake Cu-Ni-PGM Project To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/80971_map1.jpg Figure 2: Airborne EM Survey Grid Locations: These grids cover 5 priority targets defined by the 2020 airborne gradient magnetic survey (background). This survey will search for sulphide-rich conductive material, either as feeder pipes or as 'reefs'. Highway 905 (black line) to the Rabbit Lake and McClean Lake uranium mills runs through the property. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/80971_0e59a7e314aeb819_005full.jpg A helicopter borne Geotech ZTEM and aeromagnetic survey flown in 2009 identified conductive anomalies within the areas scheduled to be surveyed next month. The current survey will be conducted on a tighter line spacing giving better definition of these and other potential anomalies. Discovery International Geophysics Inc. has been contracted using the HeliSAM system (a Time Domain Electromagnetic system) on the five grids at 100m line spacings for a total of 588 line-km and 9 EM ground loops. The HeliSam survey is capable of detecting magmatic nickel-copper-PGM deposits to significant depths and will bring the project to a drill-ready state. Forum is currently making arrangements for a drill program in the late summer, the scale of which will be dependent upon the results of the EM survey. LOVE LAKE NICKEL-COPPER-PLATINUM-PALLADIUM PROJECT The Peter Lake Domain in northern Saskatchewan is the largest mafic/ultramafic complex in North America second only to the Midcontinent Rift in Minnesota and Ontario, host to numerous magmatic copper/nickel and platinum/palladium deposits. For over 250 km of the Peter Lake Domain numerous copper/nickel and platinum/palladium showings have been uncovered over the past fifty years that have received only sporadic exploration. Forum staked 32,075 hectares of the Love Lake Complex in 2019, a 2.56 billion year old, palladium enriched layered gabbroic intrusive. Historic trenching has returned values as high as 0.43% Copper, 0.23% Nickel, 4275 ppb Palladium, 3580 ppb Platinum and 200 ppb Gold from a grab sample. Drilling on the property in 1969 intersected 31.7 metres of 0.23% copper and 36.6 metres of 0.29% copper. Larry Hulbert, P.Geo., Forum's Copper-Nickel-PGM Consultant and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. About Forum Energy Metals Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) has three 100% owned energy metal projects being drilled in 2021 by the Company and its major mining company partners Rio Tinto and Orano for copper/silver, uranium and nickel/platinum/palladium in Saskatchewan, Canada's Number One Rated mining province for exploration and development. In addition, Forum has a portfolio of seven drill ready uranium projects and a strategic land position in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. For further information: www.forumenergymetals.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo. President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact: NORTH AMERICA Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO mazur@forumenergymetals.com Tel: 778-772-3100 UNITED KINGDOM Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, Director burnsstb@forumenergymetals.com Tel: 074-0316-3185 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80971 Auto Industry News Report The industry is abuzz with news about electrified vehicles, headline after headline, new models, more volume and new sub-brands. The German luxury brands can't talk enough about their EV plans, Toyota is making big commitments, and this week at the Shanghai Auto Show the production version of the new Cadillac Lyriq is finally being unveiled to the public. It s scheduled to go on sale next year. Electrified vehicles are the story right now and market growth is underway. Sales of battery-powered vehicles in the U.S. far outpaced overall industry growth in Q1, according to an analysis by Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book. In addition to electrified vehicles, this newsletter issue covers the latest update from Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke, the mid-month Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, fleet and certified pre-owned sales for March, and updates on Cox Automotive indices measuring auto credit availability and affordability. With inventory still tight, we assessed new-vehicle inventory levels last week and will publish a used inventory update this week. Finally, Cox Automotive research looks at consumer perception of the reborn subcompact truck segment, including the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz revealed last week. We hope you find this selection of stories useful. Visit the Cox Automotive Newsroom for the latest content on industry topics. Q1 SALES OF ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES JUMP UP 81% Sales growth of both electric and hybrid vehicles outpaced overall market performance in the first quarter, according to an analysis of the U.S. auto market by Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book. Electrified vehicles automobiles featuring large battery packs and electric motors in the propulsion system accounted for 7.8% of the total U.S. market, up from 4.8% in Q1 2020. Electrified vehicle sales growth of 81% far outpaced industry growth. Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) battery only grew by 44.8% year over year, reaching nearly 100,000 sales in the quarter, a record. Sales of hybrid vehicles outpaced both the market and EVs, doubling to more than 200,000 in the quarter. The overall automobile market increased by 11.4% in Q1. Find out more , including which automakers saw the most growth in electrified vehicles. 10 TAKEAWAYS FROM U.S. AUTO SALES: Q1 2021 The Kelley Blue Book data team counted 3,908,738 automobiles sold in the first quarter of 2021, a healthy increase from the same period a year ago and helped by building momentum in March. Sales to fleet buyers were off notably last quarter down 28% percent from Q1 2020 but robust retail sales more than covered fleets shortfall and provided reason to believe new-vehicle sales have recovered from the pandemic meltdown. Read the 10 takeaways from the first quarter of 2021. Kelley Blue Books final tally of U.S. vehicle sales in Q1 is provided in the traditional . The team also created a quarterly report focused on sales of electrified vehicles in the U.S. quarterly sales report . The AUTO SALES LOST MOMENTUM LAST WEEK BUT REMAIN STRONG As reported in the 7-minute Auto Market Report video from Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke published today, new and used retail vehicle sales lost momentum last week but remain strong, according to an analysis of Dealertrack data. Looking at the major DMAs, most markets are seeing sales performance that is similar to the same time period in 2019. Watch the video to learn the latest on consumer sentiment, business recovery, inventory, prices and other leading indicators. AUTO INDUSTRY SETS RECORDS IN CPO SALES, WHOLESALE PRICES CPO SALES: The certified pre-owned (CPO) market had a record-breaking month in March by setting a historic high. For March, 286,061 CPO units were sold, beating the last record high set in March 2019 of 265,878 units. Sales of CPO vehicles increased 80% year over year in March and ended up 36% month over month compared to February. : The certified pre-owned (CPO) market had a record-breaking month in March by setting a historic high. For March, 286,061 CPO units were sold, beating the last record high set in March 2019 of 265,878 units. Sales of CPO vehicles increased 80% year over year in March and ended up 36% month over month compared to February. See the Data Point for details. WHOLESALE PRICES: Wholesale used vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) increased 6.81% in the first 15 days of April compared to the month of March. This brought the mid-month Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index to 191.4, a 52.2% increase from April 2020. : Wholesale used vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) increased 6.81% in the first 15 days of April compared to the month of March. This brought the mid-month Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index to 191.4, a 52.2% increase from April 2020. Watch the replay Q1 Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index webcast, and see the mid-month Data Point published this morning for the latest details. AUTO CREDIT AVAILABILITY, AFFORDABILITY IMPROVES AGAIN IN MARCH, ACCORDING TO COX AUTOMOTIVE INDICES Two monthly measures of U.S. auto retail health credit availability and affordability continued to favor consumers in March. Better than normal loan performance and strong vehicle values have helped auto credit access improve in 6 of the last 7 months. Our Dealertrack Auto Credit Availability Index measured loosening of credit in September, October, November, December, and again in February and March after tightening in January. Average new-vehicle prices dropped 2.3% in Q1 contributing to improved vehicle affordability. The estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the U.S. fell $608 to $40,472 in March, according to valuation analysts at Kelley Blue Book. Read the release to learn more. For the fifth straight month, affordability improved in March, according to the Cox Automotive/Moodys Analytics Vehicle Affordability Index. With both the price and the average financing rate declining, the monthly auto payment was lower. The number of median weeks of income needed to purchase a new vehicle declined to 31.8 weeks from an upwardly revised 32 weeks in February. The index shows that new vehicles have become relatively more affordable since October 2020. NEW-VEHICLE INVENTORY EVAPORATING ON STRONG SALES Robust March sales rapidly drew down new-vehicle inventory to some of the lowest recent levels just as the spring selling season got rolling, according to a Cox Automotive analysis of vAuto Available Inventory data. The total U.S. supply of available unsold new vehicles stood at 2.66 million as March drew to a close, down from 2.82 million as February ended. Supply has been trending lower since mid-December and is running 25% behind last year and 31% below 2019. Read the latest Data Point for more details, and check back on the Newsroom later this week for an analysis of used inventory levels. A SEGMENT IS (RE)BORN With Hyundai revealing the much-anticipated Santa Cruz compact pickup last week and rumors of a small Ford Maverick all but confirmed, the obvious question is: Can the rebirth of the compact pickup truck take the industry by storm? Recently, Cox Automotive conducted a snapshot study to explore the appeal and awareness of compact pickup trucks and to gauge perceptions of the segment and appeal of specific models, including two expected to launch this year in the U.S. the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz along with the Ram 700 available now in Latin America and the Volkswagen Tarok concept. Check out the study findings to learn more about what consumer are expected to consider in a compact truck. Looking ahead: Check back on the : Check back on the Newsroom for an update on used-vehicle inventory. We are also entering earnings season for automakers and will provide analyses as data become available starting with Tesla on Monday, April 26. We will publish of April sales forecast on Wednesday, April 28, as well as commentary from Jonathan Smoke on the Fed meeting. And, stay tuned for an update on incentives. As always, if you have questions or want to connect with the Cox Automotive PR team , feel free to contact us. Last week, the PBS Frontline program aired a 90-minute documentary (American Insurgency) arguing on the basis of well-known facts that the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by a fascistic mob, with the encouragement and support of Donald Trump, was the culmination of a protracted effort spearheaded by the then-president to create a broad fascist movement in the US. Oath Keepers militia members attend a rally at Freedom Plaza Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Washington DC. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) This was followed Sunday by a CBS 60 Minutes segment bringing together documentary evidence showing that months of extensive planning, coordination and organization went into the far-right insurrection. Previously unreleased audio of communications between far-right militia leaders made during the actual siege proves their central role in planning and executing the coup attempt and provides additional damning evidence of the complicity of police, intelligence and military officials in a plot to overturn the 2020 election and maintain the loser, Trump, in power as de facto dictator. The 60 Minutes segment focuses on the Oath Keepers militia group, which played an instrumental role in the storming of the Capitol and has close ties to the Republican Party and state agencies, including the police and military. In an interview clip that has been viewed over 1.4 million times on social media as of this writing, the vice president of the Arizona chapter of the Oath Keepers, Jim Arroyo, said, Our guys are very experienced. We have active-duty law enforcement in our organization that are helping to train us. We can blend in with our law enforcement and, in fact, in a lot of cases our training is much more advanced because of our military backgrounds. The CBS segment also shows Arroyo discussing civil war during an Oath Keepers meeting. Its not a joke, he says. This can happen and we need to be ready for it. The production also spotlights the role of the groups founder, Stewart Rhodes, a Yale-educated lawyer and former Army paratrooper. It features open-channel radio communications previously reported in court documents and on the World Socialist Web Site but until Sunday never heard by the public. While not explicitly naming Rhodes, the court documents and the CBS segment strongly imply that Rhodes directed the Oath Keepers during the siege of the Capitol. Previous photos and video evidence have confirmed his presence on Capitol grounds, as Oath Keepers members moved in military-style stack formation up the Capitol steps and into the building. On January 6, as the attack was under way, WNYC radio reporter Michael Loewinger, who had been monitoring far-right activity online leading up to the attack, began recording the open channel conversations on the Zello radio app. Loewinger recorded conversations held on a Stop the Steal channel that included indicted Ohio militia leader and Army veteran Jessica Watkins and other Oath Keepers as they were breaking into the Capitol. In one recording, Watkins is heard saying, We have a good group. Weve got about 30, 40 of us. We sticking together and sticking to the plan. Watkins follows up with a location update: Were moving on the Capitol now. Ill give you a boots-on-the-ground update here in a few. An unidentified male voice is then heard over the same channel directing the group: You are executing citizens arrest! In previous court documents, this same phrase was cited by federal prosecutors to justify keeping Oath Keeper leader and former Navy Commander Thomas Caldwell in pretrial detention. As previously noted by the World Socialist Web Site, the phrase citizens arrest is, according to federal prosecutors, the same language used by members of the far-right Wolverine Watchmen militia group in connection with their planned kidnapping and likely murder of Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The FBI publicly revealed the plot last October. The connection between the plot against Whitmer and the attack on the Capitol three months later is further established in the PBS documentary, which aired on April 13. The documentary confirms the link through interviews with members of the Wolverine Watchmen and the Boogaloo Bois. In one interview, reporter A.C. Thompson speaks with Wolverine Watchmen militia member Barry Croft, one those indicted in connection with the plot against Whitmer. PBS has confirmed that six members of the Wolverine Watchmen participated in the April 30 storming of the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. The April 30 rally, organized to oppose Whitmers implementation of minimal anti-pandemic public health measures, was hailed by Trump and financed by significant sections of the financial oligarchy. FBI documents filed last year assert that the rally served as the first public assemblage of militia members who would later plan the kidnapping of Whitmer. As the WSWS warned at the time, the Michigan plot, downplayed by the Democratic Party and the mainstream media, had to be seen as part of a broader conspiracy, led by the Trump White House, to overturn a possible Biden victory and what remains of democratic procedures in the US. It is now clear that the Michigan plot was indeed a dry run for the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Croft, according to the FBI, is also a leader in the III Percenters, another fascist militia group. Members of the III Percenters have been indicted for their role on January 6. Like the Oath Keepers and Proud Bois, the III Percenters militia group has extensive ties to sitting Republican members of Congress. In the PBS documentary, Croft speaks to Thompson from prison and reveals that he had been in contact with the leader of a Virginia chapter of Boogaloo Bois, Mike Dunn, prior to his arrest. Despite being only 20, Dunn has been a fixture at far-right rallies in Virginia, participating in the January 20, 2020 Lobby Day demonstration in which over 10,000 descended on the Virginia Capitol armed with assault rifles. Dunn was joined by hundreds of Oathkeepers, III Percenters and Boogaloo Bois, and the event was promoted by Trump on Twitter. In previous interviews, Dunn has threatened violence against elected officials and acknowledged that members of his group helped attack the US Capitol. The FBI has revealed that there were plots to kidnap and kill other Democratic governors besides Whitmer, including Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. The heads of the various intelligence, military and police agencies charged with protecting Congress and the Capitol, such as FBI Director Christopher Wray, former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, and former D.C. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, have claimed that no intelligence indicated an attack on Congress was likely on January 6. These claims, lacking any credibility on their face, have since been thoroughly exposed as outright lies. Both documentaries bring together facts that have for the most part been reported and analyzed in dozens of articles and statements posted by the WSWS. They present in a coherent manner important information. But they fail to directly draw the connection between what they themselves reveal and other evidence pointing irrefutably to the complicity of top officials in the Pentagon and within the police and intelligence agencies in the conspiracy led by the Trump White House. Just in the past two weeks, government reports have documented the critical role played by top police and military officials in facilitating the attack on the Capitol. The World Socialist Web Site has reported extensively on both the internal Pentagon timeline of January 6 and the D.C. Capitol Police Inspector Generals report on the events of that fateful day. The Pentagon report makes it clear that top civilian Pentagon officials, appointed by Trump, delayed giving authorization for the D.C. National Guard commander to send troops under his command to protect Congress from the fascistic mob. The second report cites facts proving that the chief of the D.C. Capitol Police had ample evidence of a looming violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. But instead of beefing up his force to guard Congress, he issued orders to prevent those under his command from resisting being overrun by the fascist mob unleashed by Trump. Drummoyne MP John Sidoti has admitted he signed documents without reading them for years and never thought to declare his wifes income to Parliament because he was working long hours. In his first day of evidence to the corruption watchdog on Tuesday Mr Sidoti said he often executed documents not knowing exactly what I was signing, in particular those related to his parents assets. Im not sure what Ive signed to be honest with you, he said. I just was signing whatever tax minimisation scheme was set up to do for the family. Drummoyne MP John Sidoti leaves the ICAC after his first day giving evidence. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Mr Sidoti also gave evidence that he and his wife used a dormant company originally set up by his parents to purchase a share of land in Rouse Hill for a 290-unit development in 2015. Veyo, the first company to bring healthcare-credentialed rideshare to Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT), today announced a new initiative to hire 1,000 additional NEMT drivers in Arizona over the next 30 days. The company is offering a special $1,500 sign-on reward for new drivers to drivers that use the promo code AZApril. This expanded driver fleet will continue to support transportation for local citizens to and from COVID-19 vaccinations and other critical healthcare appointments. In addition to the sign-on reward, Veyo is guaranteeing all new NEMT drivers $4,000 in earnings. This new driver recruitment program follows the completion of over 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine related trips, including 400 drive-through vaccine trips, since Veyos collaboration with AHCCCS to promote access to vaccinations through covered transportation benefits. As Arizona expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for all citizens over the age of 16, NEMT is a crucial service to enable access for seniors, low-income communities, and those with mobility issues. Veyos independent driver-providers are at the heart of our operations, and were looking for those who want to make a positive impact in their community to partner with us in our driver fleet, said Josh Komenda, President and CEO of Veyo. These positions not only help us meet the increasing demand for NEMT services, but they also offer flexible and stable earning opportunities for anyone seeking a flexible gig. We encourage anyone who is interested to apply. Veyo drivers are able to set their own hours each week and manage their own schedule while providing a valuable service that gives passengers access to essential healthcare. NEMT drivers are considered essential workers in Arizona and are immediately eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination upon activation with Veyo. To learn more about partnering with the Veyo team and making a difference in your community as a Veyo driver, visit http://www.veyo.com/drivers. About Veyo Veyo, headquartered in San Diego, CA, is the fastest growing transportation brokerage in the country, having brought a new NEMT Model to the healthcare industry in 2016. Built on over 20 years of transportation experience, Veyo has reinvented the patient transportation model by integrating consumer technology with healthcare-credentialed rideshare fleets to decrease costs and increase efficiency. Veyos VirtualFleet, the most powerful transportation network in the industry, is delivering dramatically higher levels of reliability, quality, and transparency to customers, partners, and members. Operating in six states with over 32 million completed trips and a 97.1% on-time rate, Veyo is changing NEMT one trip at a time. For more information, please visit veyo.com. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-21 00:29:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's sisal exports surged in the first quarter of 2021 to hit 1.2 billion shillings (11.1 million U.S. dollars) amid rise in global prices, the Fibre Crops Directorate said Tuesday. Kenya exported 7,687.6 metric tonnes (MT) of sisal during the period, the highest export volumes compared to previous periods, said the directorate. In January, 2,745 MT of sisal were exported, 2,194 MT in February while March recorded 2,747 MT. "In comparison to the previous year during the same period, prices have increased in the current period by an average of 6 percent. This significant increase in price could be attributed to the fact that in the previous period, jitters caused in the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic have since normalized in most destinations," said the agency in a statement released in Nairobi. Thus, most of the export destinations have learnt how to cope with the pandemic, hence the vibrancy of the market indicated by the rising prices, it added. During the period under review, sisal fibre was exported to 23 destinations with Nigeria being the leading with 2,503.50 MT, representing a 33 percent market share. Other top destinations with their market share were Ghana (9 percent), China (9 percent), Spain (9 percent) and Morocco (8 percent) respectively. Enditem TUCSON, Ariz., April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In another move to enhance its Unlimited Wash Club, Mister Car Wash, the nation's largest car wash company, has launched a new Digital Membership Experience. With this new online platform, customers can sign up for the Unlimited Wash Club and choose their preferred Mister location from any internet-connected computer or mobile device. Existing Unlimited Wash Club members will now have greater control over their experience including the ability to manage payment in a safe and secure environment, change their plan type and make any updates to their account. "Our Unlimited Wash Club is built on speed and convenience for our members. This new online experience provides even greater convenience for our current and future members, giving them full control of their membership in the palm of their hand or from their desktop," said Jill Adams, Vice President of Marketing. "Our members already enjoy washing at any of our 344 locations across the country, access to dedicated member-only lanes and our exceptional customer service. Our new online platform elevates the member experience and is one of many ways that we strive for continued innovation with our Unlimited Wash Club." While the new Digital Member Experience brings advanced features and functions to the Unlimited Wash Club, the company will continue to sign up new members at any of its 344 stores nationwide. To support the new online platform, the company has launched a campaign to promote the benefits of membership and how to use the new online platform, with membership giveaways planned for the summer. Customers and existing members can sign up and manage their memberships by visiting mistercarwash.com. Join the Mister Car Wash team Candidates interested in joining the Mister Car Wash team at any local store can apply online at careers.mistercarwash.com. New team members will receive a wide variety of benefits including competitive pay, paid-time-off earned from day one, generous benefits and free car washes. About Mister Car Wash Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Mister Car Wash (www.mistercarwash.com) is an equal opportunity employer operating 344 car washes nationwide. The Mister Car Wash brand is anchored in quality, friendliness and our commitment to creating memorable customer experiences. Our people are what make us successful and allow us to achieve these high standards. We continue to focus on recruiting and retaining top talent, developing best-in-class training programs and investing in employee benefits to cultivate a positive company culture. Mister Car Wash and Unlimited Wash Club are registered trademarks of Car Wash Partners, Inc. Contact: Megan Everett Sr. Director, Communications Mister Car Wash [email protected] 520.615.4000 ext. 154 SOURCE Mister Car Wash Tunisia: new CEO of TAP news agency resigns after protests Ben Younes was chosen by prime minister Mechichi (ANSA) - TUNIS, 20 APR - Kamel Ben Younes, the challenged new CEO of press agency Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP), gave his resignation to Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, said Mechichi's communications advisor Mofdi Mseddi. He said Ben Younes expressed in his resignation letter "his wish to avoid getting involved in political fights" and pointed out "that the management of TAP requires a global reform plan that involves administrators, specialists in modern management, journalists and experts". TAP journalists and staff had been protesting the appointment of Ben Younes from the day he was named CEO on April 6. They had called on Mechichi to withdraw the "openly political" appointment and to keep the agency out of attempts at political exploitation. Ben Younes, a well-respected journalist and director of the religious radio network Zitouna TV, is considered by TAP journalists as close to the country's main Islamic party. Last week, he unsuccessfully attempted to move into his TAP office, challenging protesting journalists in front of the agency building's entrance and calling in support from law enforcement. The event was cited by national and international organisations as an attack on freedom of the press. TAP staff had announced a strike on April 22 in the event that Mechichi did not withdraw the appointment of Ben Younes. (ANSA). Furious residents in the celebrity-packed Australian town of Byron Bay have lashed out against a planned Netflix reality show they say will damage their beachside paradise. The reality show, set to be called 'Byron Baes', plans to follow the lives of social media influencers on the trendy town's beaches. Mayor Simon Richardson warned the town's opposition to the show was strong and 'you'd be struggling to find one person' who supported the plan, in an interview with ABC. Richardson said the 'vacuous, fake show' could damage the town's reputation and bring 'not just sensitivity challenges for us, but also economic challenges'. Locals have branded the concept 'tacky and trashy'. With its spectacular surfing beaches, the town of 9,000 people - in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales - has become a major draw for the rich and famous in recent years. Acting couple Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have built a mansion in the area while the likes of Matt Damon, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman are among international celebrities who have spent time in the area. Furious residents in the celebrity-packed Australian town of Byron Bay have lashed out against a planned Netflix reality show they say will damage their beachside paradise. The town of 9,000 people has become popular with the rich and famous and acting couple Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky (pictured) have built a mansion there Natalie Portman is among a number of celebrities seen spending time in the area in recent years. She is pictured shopping in Byron Bay with her husband Benjamin Millepied and daughter Amalia in October last year Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron settled at Byron Bay at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year Hollywood star Matt Damon isolated in Byron Bay earlier this year and is seen out enjoying the freedom after quarantining with his family for 14 days Australian tennis player Pat Rafter joined the anti-Netflix Byron Baes paddle out with his surfboard on Tuesday Residents held placards calling to 'Give Netflix the flick' and calling on the streaming giant to 'consult traditional owners' before filming the series, at a protest on Tuesday Around 100 surfers paddled to sea on Tuesday to form a cancel symbol off the coast of the New South Wales state town in the hope that Netflix will can the 'Byron Baes' series As anger grew over plans for the Netflix show this week, Byron Bay surfers staged a 'paddle out' protest on Tuesday as locals rally against the planned Netflix reality show. Around 100 surfers paddled to sea to form a cancel symbol off the coast of the New South Wales state town in the hope that Netflix will can the 'Byron Baes' series, about social media influencers. Angry residents waved placards saying 'Give Netflix the flick' and 'Netflix, you don't get Byron'. Thousands have already signed a petition campaigning for authorities to cancel filming permits and some local businesses have refused producers permission to film at their venues. In a statement announcing the show on April 7, the streaming giant said the 'docu-soap' would follow Instagrammers without the filter of social media, promising 'fights, flings and heartbreak'. According to Emerald City, Love Island Australia star Elias Chigros and plus-size model Jessica Vander Leahy are set to star on the upcoming show. Plus-size model Jessica Vander Leahy (pictured) is reportedly set to appear on the upcoming Netflix reality series Byron Baes Elias Chigros, who starred in Love Island Australia, is spotted following a surf in Byron Bay on Wednesday after he was revealed as a rumoured cast member of Byron Baes Instagram influencers Laura Dundovic (left), Cassise Cameron (centre), and Shannon Lawson (right) on the beach in Byron Bay last year. The trio are not believed to be involved in the Netflix series Instagram model Shannon Lawson travelled to Byron Bay in September last year after news Zac Efron had moved to the town broke The town has become a hotspot for influencers and models, such as Natalie Roser (pictured) who visited in September 2021 Many residents of the popular tourist town, about eight hours north of Sydney, believe the series would be harmful to the local community, which is dealing with the fallout of its rapidly rising popularity A press release for the program describes Byron Baes as a 'docu-soap series' and calls it 'our love letter to Byron Bay' that will also offer audience 'fights, flings and heartbreak' Byron Bay residents formed a cancel symbol during a paddle out protest in the New South Wales state town on Tuesday THE 'WHO'S WHO' OF BYRON BAY While several big name stars call Byron Bay home permanently, the trendy seaside suburb has also become somewhat of a revolving door, with an endless stream of A-listers spotted in the region. The Hemsworth Clan: Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky arguably started the 'Hollywood 2.0' craze. The 37-year-old Thor star relocated to the area from Los Angeles in 2014 with his wife of 10 years, Elsa Pataky, and their three young children. They now reside in a $20million mega-mansion in the area Chris' younger brother Liam soon made the leap as well, dividing his time between Byron and Malibu during his marriage to Miley Cyrus before making the move more permanent in 2020. Matt Damon: Matt Damon is thought to own a holiday home in Byron Bay. Zac Efron: Efron hunkered down in Byron during the global coronavirus crisis and started dating a local waitress, who he has reportedly since separated from. While he is currently filming a movie in South Australia, it is presumed that he will return to his 'second home' in Byron Bay when the project is completed. Nicole Kidman: Nicole Kidman, 53, has been living in Byron Bay on-and-off with her husband Keith Urban and their two daughters since filming for her new show Nine Perfect Strangers began earlier this year. Natalie Portman: Hollywood actress Natalie Portman was spotted on several occasions holidaying in Byron Bay ahead of filming Thor: Love and Thunder. She seemed to relish 'living like the locals' for her short stay, visiting the beaches and buying clothes from local stores. Elyse Knowles: Australian model Elyse Knowles bought a $2.3million beach house in Byron Bay in early 2020 after more than a year of renting in the coastal town with her boyfriend, Josh Barker. Advertisement Netflix said the show was 'our love letter to Byron Bay', saying the town was not just the backyard of Hollywood stars like Chris Hemsworth and Zac Efron but also 'the playground of more celebrity-adjacent-adjacent influencers than you can poke a selfie-stick at'. But many residents of the popular tourist town, about eight hours north of Sydney, believe the series would be harmful to the local community, which is dealing with the fallout of its rapidly rising popularity. An online petition calling on local councils not to grant filming permits to the producers in the 'exploited paradise' has attracted almost 8,000 signatures, while some businesses are refusing to allow filming on their premises. 'They are proposing to drag our name through the mud and make millions of dollars without offering anything back to the community and completely misrepresenting who we are, and it's totally wrong,' Byron Bay cafe owner Ben Gordon told Channel Nine. 'There was no consultation whatsoever. They just came in unannounced,' Gordon added. Mayor Simon Richardson said the community was concerned over the harmful affect of the series. He told public broadcaster ABC 'it's potentially going to threaten businesses if the portrayal of Byron is as absurd as I guess a lot of the doco-soap-reality shows are, 'As a community, we should have a right to be able to not be exploited and to go about our business and also just have a community that has its real and genuine concerns and challenges shared rather than a picture postcard filmed with people who have potentially been here for five minutes'. Richardson said the region was already attracting 2.5 million visitors a year. He said it did not need the kind of tourists who 'might be turned on by a vacuous vision of who we are'. 'What we need now is a moment for our community to take stock, try to find support with the state government to get low-cost housing, to get support for our rough sleepers, etcetera,' he said. 'We don't want an intensification and a heating up of our tourism economy right now.' Ben Gordon, owner of The Byron Bay General Store, said he was contacted by the show's producers to feature his cafe in the series. He declined their request to film at the venue and urged other businesses to do the same. Zac Efron reportedly met his Australian girlfriend Vanessa Valladares while she was working at The Byron Bay General Store. While Mr Gordon recognises that social media is a 'big part of our lives' and his venue is regarded as an 'Instagram cafe', he believes the show is 'crossing the line'. Approximately 100 people in the 9,000-strong town attended the paddle out protest in Byron Bay on Tuesday An online petition calling on local councils not to grant filming permits to the producers in the 'exploited paradise' has attracted almost 8,000 signatures, while some businesses are refusing to allow filming on their premises Byron Bay mayor Simon Richardson told broadcaster ABC the town's opposition to the show was strong and 'you'd be struggling to find one person' who supported the plan 'This show is unashamedly promoting the culture that is giving rise to a whole plethora of mental health issues, and then saying it is what Byron Bay is all about, which is completely untrue,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'The reason myself and most of the Byron community are against this show is the trashy and tacky nature of the content. 'Going by the Netflix press release, this show has no integrity, no values and does not represent the Byron Bay community in an authentic way whatsoever.' Byron Bay is home to about 10,000 people and in recent years has attracted a string of Hollywood stars to its shores. Already high house prices have surged with an influx of new residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. This has left some locals unable to afford accommodation. Netflix said its first Australian reality series would 'aim to build a connection between the people we meet in the show and the audience.' Pictured: Surfers are seen waiting for a wave at the Pass in Byron Bay In a statement announcing the show on April 7, the streaming giant said the 'docu-soap' would follow Instagrammers without the filter of social media, promising 'fights, flings and heartbreak' Byron Bay is home to about 9,000 people and in recent years has attracted a string of Hollywood stars to its shores 'The show is authentic and honest, and while it carries all the classic hallmarks of the form and embraces the drama, heartbreak and conflict that makes for such entertaining viewing, our goal is to lift the curtain on influencer culture to understand the motivation, the desire, and the pain behind this very human need to be loved,' a Netflix statement said. 'The reason behind choosing Byron Bay as a location was driven by the area's unique attributes as a melting pot of entrepreneurialism, lifestyle and health practices, and the sometimes uneasy coming together of the traditional 'old Byron' and the alternative `new,' all of which we'll address in the series,' the statement added. Byron Bay activists have successfully stood up to big business in the past. The town has prevented KFC and McDonalds from opening restaurants there after protest campaigns. Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has announced the top online programs for 2021. The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 1,280 accredited colleges and universities in the nation. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The methodology also uses an algorithm which collects and analyzes multiple rankings into one score to easily compare each school. Students who pursue any one of these programs can expect to gain employment much quicker in comparison to candidates without a degree. In addition to accessibility and cost, the steady job growth in this market is one of the many reasons Intelligent.com researched and ranked the Top Online Masters in Industrial Engineering Degree Programs. Intelligent.com analyzed 133 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 28 making it to the final list for Online Masters in Industrial Engineering Degree Programs. To access the complete ranking, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/best-online-masters-in-industrial-engineering-degree-programs/ 2021 Online Masters in Industrial Engineering Degree Programs featured on Intelligent.com (in alphabetical order): Arizona State University Auburn University Clemson University Columbia University George Mason University Georgia Institute of Technology Iowa State University Kansas State University Lawrence Technological University Louisiana Tech University Mississippi State University New Mexico State University New York University North Carolina State University Oklahoma State University Oregon State University Purdue University Texas A&M University, College Station Texas Tech University The University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Arizona University of Central Florida University of Florida University of Michigan-Dearborn University of Southern California University of Tennessee - Knoxville University of Texas at Arlington Western New England University About Intelligent.com Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. The website offers curated guides which include the best degree programs as well as information about financial aid, internships and even study strategies. With comprehensive, user-friendly guides and hundreds of program rankings, Intelligent.com is a trusted source among students and prospective students. To learn more, please visit https://www.intelligent.com/. Winnipegs plan to revamp its transit system by 2045 is rolling forward, but a call to speed up electric bus purchases isnt on board. Winnipegs plan to revamp its transit system by 2045 is rolling forward, but a call to speed up electric bus purchases isnt on board. Councils public works committee voted Tuesday unanimously in favour of the overall Winnipeg Transit Master Plan, which aims to redraw most bus routes, add some zero-emission vehicles, and expand rapid transit. Coun. Matt Allards motion to add 20-24 more zero-emission buses and supporting infrastructure to a funding request linked to the plan was rejected in a split vote. Couns. Markus Chambers and Allard voted in favour; Couns. Devi Sharma and Jeff Browaty opposed. Allard argued adding more green buses would help the city meet its climate change goals and possibly help secure senior government funding for the master plan. "I think there is a moment here in terms of accessing funding We know the province of Manitoba is favourable to zero-emission buses, we know the federal government is favourable to zero-emission buses," said Allard. The opposing councillors expressed concern about the plans call to free up $49.8 million of funding for the extra green buses by removing four projects from a $539-million Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program request tied to the plan. It includes: a bus radio and intelligent transportation system replacement; a rapid transit downtown corridors preliminary design; a primary transit network infrastructure project; and a wheelchair securements retrofit. Allards motion suggested the city seek alternate funds for those projects, possibly through federal gas tax revenue. The funding request does seek $280.4 million to replace 100-110 diesel buses with zero-emission models by the end of 2027. Allard said he will raise the motion to add more zero-emission buses again, as soon as he can. Meanwhile, the committee voted 3-1 in favour of studying the cost to reduce the cash transit fare to $1, as part of the master plan. The transit master plan still requires full council approval. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga What is your favourite colour? Watchmaking enthusiasts most often opt for blue when answering this question. However, since its launch in 2016, the Carrera Heuer 02T had never ventured into this territory, preferring darker or golden tones. Today, TAG Heuer unveils a limited edition of 250 pieces of its tourbillon chronograph in a blue version fitted with a titanium strap. An important first for the brands tourbillon line! Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T COSC TAG Heuer A symbol of technology and an example of total control of industrial processes and manufacturing costs, the Carrera Heuer 02T movement features a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and an ultra-light carbon and titanium tourbillon cage. But one of the main challenges for the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmakers was to house the chronograph functions, the self-winding mechanism and the flying tourbillon in a calibre with a diameter of 31 mm. All this while ensuring an ideal distance between the subdials to give it a contemporary look. It is the same movement that pulses in this limited edition, but this time, the watch impresses in blue, from the bridges of the tourbillon cage to the rubber that protects the crown and pusher buttons. For the first time, the Carrera Heuer 02T has a full dial with a blue sunray design creating the most beautiful effect. Even the ceramic tachymetric bezel is finished in this cerulean blue with hypnotising reflections. The oscillating mass has been given a PVD coating so as not to be out of place in this azure composition. Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T COSC TAG Heuer Fitted with a 45 mm grade 5 titanium case, this chronograph has another surprise in store. Previously sporting alligator straps sewn on black rubber, or even just soft rubber, it dares to make the switch to this new model with a grade 2 titanium bracelet. That is a first! In addition to its lightness, this material gives this Carrera Heuer 02T timepiece a sporty yet elegant look. This exceptional watch is priced at 20,500 Swiss francs. Reuters Videos Trump's speech to an enthusiastic audience at the North Carolina GOP convention dinner in Greenville was his first high profile public appearance outside of his Florida compound, and his first major speech, since leaving office in January."I am not the one trying to undermine American democracy. I'm the one that's trying to save it. Please remember that," Trump said. "We all know what happened with the election. And we can never, ever let that happen again and we're going to go forward and we're going to continue to look and things are being found that is not even believable."Trump vowed to help Republicans in 2022 congressional elections and endorsed U.S. Representative Ted Budd for a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina after his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said she would not run.He appeared to dangle a possible run himself for president in 2024, saying he was looking forward to that year. Advisers say Trump, who faces a potential indictment in New York over his business dealings, has been discussing the possibility of another presidential campaign.Trump emerged from seclusion for the Saturday event, the first in a planned series of speaking engagements this summer. Katie Olse is the CEO of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, a network of mission-driven organizations serving children and families in Texas foster care and child welfare systems. Prime Minister Florin Citu will have a meeting with Republic of Moldova President Maia Sandu on Tuesday, the Government's Press Office informs. The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Victoria Governmental Palace, at 18:30. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his American counterpart Tony Blinken on Monday discussed on phone bilateral and regional issues including Afghanistan, Myanmar, and climate change. Had a warm and productive conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to reaffirm the importance of the US-India relationship. We discussed regional security issues of mutual concern in Afghanistan and Burma and global challenges such as climate change, Blinken said in a tweet. Conversation covered recent developments in Indias immediate and extended neighbourhood. Exchanged views on the UNSC agenda. Also discussed issues pertaining to our health cooperation, Jaishankar said in a separate tweet. Blinken spoke with Jaishankar to reaffirm the importance of the US-India relationship and cooperation on regional security issues, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the call. The two leaders agreed to close and frequent coordination in support of a lasting peace and development for the people of Afghanistan, Price said. They also reaffirmed their shared commitment to democratic values and mutual support for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar, he added. Blinken and Jaishankar discussed US-India cooperation on climate change, COVID-19, and other global challenges and pledged to remain in close contact on these and other issues of mutual concern, Price said. PTI LKJ RHL (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) On Belt and Road Initiative - The Belt and Road Initiative is a public road open to all, not a private path owned by one single party. - China will expand cooperation with various parties in infectious disease control, public health, traditional medicine and other areas. - China will work with all sides to promote "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and "soft connectivity" of rules and standards in an effort to build a closer partnership for connectivity. - Efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation on green infrastructure, green energy and green finance. - China will work with all willing participants to build the Belt and Road Initiative into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth. On multilateralism - Justice, not hegemony, needed in the world. - World affairs should be handled through extensive consultation, and the future of the world should be decided by all countries working together. - We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others, or allow unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world. - Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and with a greater sense of responsibility. - We should follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and uphold true multilateralism. On open world economy - In the age of economic globalization, attempts to "erect walls" or "decouple" run counter to the law of economics and market principles, and would hurt others' interests without benefiting oneself. - Openness is essential for development and progress, and holds the key to post-COVID economic recovery. - We need to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, deepen regional economic integration, and enhance supply, industrial, data and human resources chains. - Efforts must be made to boost the digital economy, and step up exchanges and cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence, biomedicine and modern energy. On health and climate - We must put people and their lives above anything else, scale up information sharing and collective efforts, and enhance public health and medical cooperation. - The key role of the World Health Organization must be given full play in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. - Efforts should be made to bolster international cooperation on the research and development, production and distribution of vaccines in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. - Efforts should be made to ensure that everyone in the world can access and afford the vaccines they need. - We should advance international cooperation on climate change and do more to implement the Paris Agreement. On diversity - We must reject the cold-war and zero-sum mentality and oppose a new "Cold War" and ideological confrontation in whatever forms. - The principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual trust must be put front and center in state-to-state relations. - Bossing others around or meddling in others' internal affairs would not get one any support. - We must advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity, and encourage exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to promote the progress of human civilization. On China's commitments - China will promote a new type of international relations. - China will continue anti-COVID cooperation with the WHO and other countries and do more to help developing countries defeat the virus. - China will honor its commitment of making vaccines a global public good. - China will never seek hegemony, expansion, or a sphere of influence no matter how strong it may grow. - China will take an active part in multilateral cooperation on trade and investment, fully implement the Foreign Investment Law and its supporting rules and regulations, and cut further the negative list on foreign investment. - China will continue to develop the Hainan Free Trade Port and develop new systems for a higher-standard open economy. - All are welcome to share in the vast opportunities of the Chinese market. SOURCE China Daily.com.cn LEWISTON - The Idaho Department of Fish and Games 'Take Me Fishing' Trailer will be stopping by Mann Lake in Lewiston this Saturday, April 24, 2021. Take Me Fishing trailers travel to local ponds around the state and are loaded with loaner fishing rods, tackle, bait and staffed by experienced anglers. All budding anglers have to do is show up at a fishing trailer event with a willingness to learn, and most important, a desire to have fun. The trailer will be at the Mann Lake Boat Ramp Saturday from 9:30am to 1:00pm. All equipment and bait will be provided, and no license is required to fish while the trailer is on site. Wrapped with vibrant fish illustrations, they're hard to miss. IDFG staff will help those new to angling get started from casting instructions to baiting hooks. The idea is to make the equipment and instruction available to children who do not have a family tradition of fishing. "The goal is to get kids excited about fishing, " said Evin Oneale, Fish and Game conservation educator. "We've got a serious situation around the country right now where kids are not getting outside as much as they could, and fishing is a great way to get kids introduced to the outdoors." Before and after the event, fish licenses are required for anyone 14 years of age and older. ADVERTISEMENT The Senate has directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to probe the physical assault by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, on a security guard, Clement Sagwak. Mr Sagwak petitioned the Senate demanding a probe into the incident that took place in March. The petition was laid before the Senate during plenary on Tuesday by Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Pleateau North) the senatorial district to which Mr Sagwak belongs. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the CCT boss was caught on camera physically assaulting Mr Sargwak, at Banex Plaza, Wuse 2, Abuja, on March 29. In the five-minute viral video clip, Mr Umar, who presides over the trial of public officers accused of breach of code of conduct, was seen slapping and kicking the security guard after an altercation ensued between them over a parking space on the premises of the plaza. The victim, bruised on the lip, told PREMIUM TIMES he was attacked by Mr Umar after he approached him for parking wrongly. A phone repairer, Peter Onyiuke, present at the plaza, was also detained for one week allegedly on Mr Umars instruction, following a quarrel they had on the sideline of the scene created by CCT chairmans attack on the plazas security guard. Mr Umar, in his public response, has denied assaulting the security guard. The public official said he was the one assaulted at the Banex plaza. In his petition to the Senate, Mr Sagwak said he was assaulted by Mr Umar and a policeman attached to him after he informed him (Mr Umar) that his car was wrongly parked. He asked the Upper Chamber to probe the assault and ensure that justice is served. Further details of the petition were not discussed as the petition was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to carry out the probe. The committee is expected to commence an investigation into the incident. This will include talking to the victim, the alleged assaulter and other relevant persons. A report will then be prepared and will be expected to contain recommendations on the next step to be taken. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who gave the directive for the investigation, asked the committee to report back in four weeks. This petition is one of the many probes Mr Umar will face over his conduct. The victim, through his lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien, had earlier petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), asking for a probe of Mr Umars action. In the April 9 petition, he accused the CCT chairman of abuse of power, assault, torture, and xenophobia. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said according to news reports there is a daily wastage of six per cent of vaccines and till now 4.4 million vaccines out of 100 million have been wasted, maximum in Tamil Nadu. "This is a huge wastage. Give it to those who want it. Whomsoever you can vaccinate, please vaccinate. Whether 16 year old or 60 year old, all need vaccination. The pandemic does not discriminate," the court told the The court said young people are being affected more this time round, and lot of young lives have been lost. It said if at the end of a day, a few shots are available in a vial, then it be given to someone whether they fall in the approved categories for vaccination or not. The observations by the bench came during the hearing of a disposed of petition related to COVID-19 tests which was revived on April 19 (Monday). The high court Monday noted that the virus has raised its "ugly head" once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse". The Delhi High Court also expressed hope that the Central government was allocating or diverting resources and medicines, like Remdesivir, based on the needs and situation of each state, otherwise "people will have blood on their hands". "We will be doomed," the bench said with regard to any non-application of mind in allocation and diversion of resources and medicines. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Moniika Arora told the court that medical opinion was divided on use of Remdesivir. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, told the court that doctors were prescribing Remdesivir and people are unable to get it from the market despite having prescriptions. "Long and short of it is that it (Remdesivir) is in short supply," the bench said and added that giving clearance for setting up units to manufacture would not yield quick results as establishing the facilities for manufacture takes time. The observations by the bench came during the hearing of a disposed of petition related to COVID-19 tests and the high court revived it on April 19 by noting that the virus has raised its "ugly head" once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse". The problem with federal-provincial cost-shared programs such as the national childcare program proposed by the federal Liberals Monday is theres nothing stopping Ottawa from clawing back funding in the future. The problem with federal-provincial cost-shared programs such as the "national" childcare program proposed by the federal Liberals Monday is theres nothing stopping Ottawa from clawing back funding in the future. When that happens, provinces get stuck with the bill. Its one of the pitfalls of fiscal federalism. Ottawa loves announcing federal-provincial programs. It gives them visibility and relevancy with Canadians. The federal government collects most of the taxes in Canada, but it doesnt provide many public-facing services. Ottawa is mostly a broker of money. Apart from programs such as employment insurance, old age security and the Canada Pension Plan, there arent many direct government services that bear the maple leaf logo. Provinces and municipalities provide most of those, whether in health care, education, social assistance or transit. CP If Ottawa claws back childcare funding in the future, provinces get stuck with the bill. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press files) The challenge for provinces that sign on to cost-shared programs is they never know how long the money will last. Canadians dont have to look further than the federal governments withdrawal of health care funding (once a 50-50 cost recovery program replaced by block funding) over the past few decades to find an example of a "national" program that is increasingly underwritten by provincial treasuries. Childcare has been a favourite target of federal Liberal governments since at least the early 1990s when they first promised a national daycare program. Beyond a few bilateral funding agreements, the promise of a national program has never materialized, largely because Ottawa and the provinces could never agree to terms. The federal governments 2021 budget proposes up to $30 billion in deficit-financed funding over five years, with the goal of cutting childcare fees by 50 per cent "on average" by the end of 2022. Under the proposed plan, fees would fall "on average" to $10 a day by 2026, outside of Quebec (where fees are already lower than that). How all these "averages" would work is anyones guess, especially with the wide range of childcare fees charged across Canada. Fees in Calgary are more than twice as high as they are in Winnipeg; theyre more than three times higher in Toronto than Winnipeg. Will Ontario have to do more heavy lifting than Manitoba to lower its fees? If so, how would that be measured? Will Manitoba get credit for its relatively lower fees? If so, how much? As childcare costs rise, the government would need to increase operating grants to childcare centres to maintain the $10-a-day fee structure. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) This plan is a dogs breakfast. It was crafted in a top-down manner without meaningful consultation. It seems almost unworkable. Even if Ottawa could find common ground with the provinces on this, the cost-shared problem remains: how long will the money last? The federal government says it plans to enshrine the program in legislation, a law that could be altered by any future government with the stroke of a pen (much like health care funding has been). The proposed plan is not only expensive (mainly because it subsidizes all parents, including high-income Canadians who dont need the financial support), it would become more costly in the future. As childcare costs rise, government would need to substantially increase operating grants to childcare centres to maintain the $10-a-day fee structure. Would Ottawa continue pay its share of rising costs beyond the five-year proposed agreement, or would it decline as it has for other cost-shared programs? Most likely, a national childcare program would fall into the same federal-provincial quagmire as health care, where federal and provincial governments bicker every year over Ottawas shrinking financial contribution. Its not a great model. Under the current scheme, Canada has some of the worst health care outcomes among industrialized countries. Do we want that for childcare, too? Fortunately, there are alternatives, including childcare programs with income-based fees that free centres from the constraints of government-imposed price controls. It would allow centres to generate the required income to expand supply while driving down fees for low-income families. Those are the conversations provincial governments should be having, not more talk of a grandiose "national" program that will probably never get off the ground. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca ( ) said it added 935 and 750 new customers in the US and UK respectively in 2020 despite the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The kitchen services provider serves an industry harder hit than most by the ensuing lockdowns and most of its largest customers have yet to reopen, leaving plenty of bounce-back potential for the company. Revenue in 2020 was down by 34% at 16.4mln from 24.9mln in 2019 but a 28% reduction in operating costs to 17.0mln (2019: 23.7mln) limited the loss before tax to 866,231 versus a profit the previous year of 936,284. Adjusted underlying earnings (EBITDA) declined to 1.1mln from 3.2mln the year before. Queensland will introduce a new defamation defence to protect public interest journalism and weed out trivial claims before these reach court under draft laws introduced to Parliament on Tuesday. The proposed law changes were expected to bring Queenslands defamation laws under a national approach, agreed to by the attorneys-general of each state and territory last year. Free-to-air broadcasters have moved beyond the three commercial network battle for revenue. Credit:Peter Rae Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said the reform, modelled on British law, would guard against the potential chilling effect defamation laws have on debates on matters of legitimate public interest. This defence applies where the defendant can prove that the statement complained of was, or formed part of, a statement on a matter of public interest and the defendant reasonably believed that publishing the statement was in the public interest, she told Parliament on Tuesday. The woman who was found dead with burns to her body in the backyard of a Gold Coast home has been identified as mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson (pictured) The estranged partner of a young mother who was found dead in a Gold Coast backyard has been charged with murder after allegedly setting her alight. Kelly Wilkinson's burnt body was discovered early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, in the city's north. Police were called to the area at 6:40am after neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion. Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious' state. Police allege Mr Johnston set the 27-year-old mother-of-three on fire, killing her, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports. He was charged with murder on Tuesday night and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Neighbours said they saw a bleeding man run from the scene. 'He turned up in the bushes in the house next door to me his left arm was heavily bandaged,' one resident told 9News. '(A passerby) saw the fella and asked you know, 'are you okay mate?' He made some remark like, 'I'm fine', but he had his head down.' Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious' state. He was charged with murder on Tuesday night and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday Mr Johnston is currently under police guard at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition with burns to his hands and airways. There were three young children, aged from two to nine, inside the house at the time of the alleged murder. They are all safe. A GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson's sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her 'beautiful angel'. 'Unfortunately Kelly has passed away... we are trying to raise money to pay for the funeral, the kids schooling and all other costs,' she wrote on the page. A GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson's sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her 'beautiful angel' Ms Wilkinson's body was found in the backyard of a residential Gold Coast home early on Tuesday morning Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street Police say they believe the man and Ms Wilkinson were in a 'previous relationship' The GoFundMe has already seen donations totalling more than $7,000, just minutes after it was posted. Ms Wilkinson's sister asked for friends and family to 'help the children' through the difficult period. Kelly's mother, Karen, passed away in February. Several people responded to Ms Wilkinson's sister's post, expressing their condolences and devastation at the news. 'Thinking of you and your family,' one friend replied. 'Oh babe... my heart reaches out to you all... If u need anything we are only a call away,' another said. 'I am so so so sorry Natalie,' another said. The house where police say the man was found unconscious and with burns to his hands and airways Detective Inspector Chris Ahern said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn of the Gold Coast Police said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways. He had fled the scene of the incident and was found at a property in nearby Langer Place. 'One of the lines of inquiry is the male person located and the deceased female person were known to each other and were potentially in a previous relationship.' 'The forensic examination will take some time. 'There may be further evidence that has left that scene. Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case). 'We believe he has a link to that house,' Det Insp Ahearn said. They are treating the incident as a homicide and have no other suspects. They are investigating as to whether there had been domestic violence calls made to the house in the past. Three children aged under nine were also found at the property, Det. Insp. Ahern said. They were taken from the property earlier this morning and will be interviewed by police Fire crews arrive at the site to help police with investigations into the cause of Ms Wilkinson's death SES crews investigate the scene where Ms Wilkinson died and a man suffered burns, police say Det. Insp. Ahearn said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents. It's believed a neighbour phoned police after hearing a disturbance and raised voices at the house. Spikes Court remains closed off except to residents and forensic investigators. Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents Ms Wilkinson's body was found early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, north of the city's CBD Local resident Fred Davies, who has lived on the street for 20 years, told the Courier Mail the situation was 'pretty traumatic'. 'When we lived in a street for as long as we have, and we all know one another, I have no idea who it is, what's happened, but to see this many police here obviously something's pretty traumatic has happened,' he said. 'They won't tell me nothing. They wouldn't say a word. They've just asked to have a look at the cameras.' Police examined bins in Spikes Court in case the man had left anything as he fled the scene A police forensic officer examines an object left at a bus stop near where the incident occurred Rubbish collection in the area has been stopped as police search bins for evidence possibly discarded by the alleged offender as he left the property. 'There may be further evidence that has left that scene,' Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said. 'Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case).' Another forensic investigation officer was seen photographing what appeared to be a crumpled black garment at a nearby bus stop on Allied Drive, where it's believed the man stopped as he fled the scene. Mid-afternoon an SES crew from Southport joined police in searching Spikes Court and the surrounding neighbourhood for any evidence left behind by the alleged offender. Kenco Logistics, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, announced its partnership with Oatly, the Swedish sustainable food company. Through this partnership, Kenco will build, staff, and manage Oatlys finished goods warehouse and distribution point in the Salt Lake City, UT area, providing solutions and services to streamline and digitize its supply chain. The new facility will service Oatlys Ogden, UT plant and will enable the company to meet consumer demand in North America and reach its sustainability goals. Were excited for the opportunity to quite literally build this facility for Oatly from the ground up, leveraging Kencos teams knowledge in refrigeration, ambient space and supply chain solutions to meet their needs, said Kim Lyons, vice president of integrated sales at Kenco Logistics. And by leveraging our experience in sustainable warehousing operations, we can help them reach their growth goals while reducing their carbon footprint. We are proud to partner with a company that brings sustainable, healthy products to market. As a customer, Oatly will also gain access to Kencos full suite of customizable services and solutions, including real estate, project management, warehousing distribution services, robotic floor scrubbers, and material handling equipment (MHE) services. Leveraging Kencos dedicated and shared storage services, Oatly will have deep and actionable insight into daily operations through Kencos business intelligence tool. This easy-to-use solution provides key business data to Oatlys supply chain and finance executives, allowing them to accurately plan, manage, and optimize the locations distribution. The partnership will also be supported by Kencos industry-leading Innovation Labs and its technologies, allowing Oatly to identify customizable solutions to further support its goals. India on Tuesday reported a net increase of 102,648 in active cases to take its count past the 2-million mark, at 2,031,977. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 11.14 per cent (one in 9). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Tuesday, it added 259,170 cases to take its total caseload to 15,321,089. And, with 1,761 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 180,530, or 1.18 per cent of total confirmed infections. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-10 19:29:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government has decided to suspend COVID-19 vaccinations to avoid crowds amid the current nationwide lockdown, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan said Saturday. "The vaccination will be intensified after the lockdown is over," said Amarsaikhan. So far, Mongolia has registered 14,183 COVID-19 cases, with 24 related deaths. In recent days, more than 600 COVID-19 infections have been reported on a daily basis in the country, mostly in the capital Ulan Bator, which is home to over half of the country's population of 3.3 million. A full nationwide lockdown, aimed at curbing the steep surge in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, took effect on Saturday and will last until April 25. The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, with the aim of vaccinating at least 60 percent of the total population. Around 600,000 people have been vaccinated in the country so far. Enditem Coal is at the crux of critical political decisions that government leaders need to make this year if they are to transition to a green economy. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions need to be halved by 2030 in order for the world to have a fighting chance at limiting dangerous levels of warming. In short, this is a historic juncture for coal. For 150 years, more and more of its sooty deposits have been extracted from under the ground, first to power the economies of Europe and North America, then Asia and Africa. Today, coal is still the largest source of electricity, though its share is steadily shrinking as other sources of power come online, from nuclear to wind. Global spending on coal projects dropped to its lowest level in a decade in 2019. And, over the last 20 years, more coal-fired power plants have been retired or shelved than commissioned. The big holdouts are China, India and parts of Southeast Asia, but, even there, coals once-swift growth is nowhere as swift as it was just a few years ago, according to a recent analysis. In some countries where new coal-fired power plants were only recently being built by the gigawatts, plans for new ones have been shelved, as in South Africa, or reconsidered, as in Bangladesh, or facing funding troubles, as in Vietnam. In some countries, like India, existing coal plants are running way below capacity and losing money. In others, like the United States, they are being decommissioned faster than ever. April 20, 2021 Stellarex is the only Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) to consistently demonstrate no difference in mortality every year through five years when compared with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), the current standard of care Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Royal Philips . The ILLUMENATE EU RCT and ILLUMENATE Pivotal RCT meta-analysis comprises approximately 600 patients in Europe and the U.S., and is the largest homogenous patient data set of paclitaxel DCB RCTs with five-year follow-up [2,3]. After five years, the meta-analysis for the two studies shows no difference in survival rates, with 80.4% for the Stellarex DCB arm and 80.4% for the PTA arm. The analysis also demonstrates that the use of one or multiple Stellarex DCBs in a patient is not a predictor of mortality. The meta-analysis has a vital status follow-up compliance of over 90%. "This meta-analysis confirms and reinforces the consistent and durable long-term safety profile of the low-dose Stellarex DCB through five years," said William Gray, MD, FACC, FSCAI, and President of the Lankenau Heart Institute, an investigator for the Stellarex clinical trials who presented the results. "The results are an important contribution to the long-term safety of paclitaxel-coated devices." "Stellarex is the only paclitaxel DCB to consistently demonstrate no difference in mortality every year through five years compared to PTA in multiple RCTs and in a patient-level meta-analysis," said Chris Landon, Senior Vice President and General Manager Image Guided Therapy Devices at Philips. "We are committed to providing healthcare providers with accurate and transparent data to help them make an informed decision on the optimal treatment for each patient with peripheral arterial disease. With its low drug dose and unique drug coating composition, Stellarex is a logical choice for those who require this option." Featuring Philips EnduraCoat technology, a unique coating consisting of a polyethylene glycol excipient with amorphous and crystalline paclitaxel particles dispersed in it, Philips Drug-Coated Balloon - Stellarex .035" is unlike any other DCB for the treatment of peripheral artery disease. EnduraCoat technology provides efficient drug transfer and effective drug residency coupled with high coating durability and minimal particulate loss, thereby enabling a low therapeutic drug dose. Philips' Image Guided Therapy business provides complete procedural solutions of systems, smart devices, disease-specific software and services for minimally invasive procedures, helping caregivers decide, guide, treat and confirm the right therapy for each patient during their procedure. [1] https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/resources/levels-of-evidence/ocebm-levels-of-evidence. [2] Katsanos et al. Risk of Death Following Application of Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons and Stents in the Femoropopliteal Artery of the Leg: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. JAHA, December 8, 2018. [3] Schneider et al. Paclitaxel exposure: Long-term safety and effectiveness of a drug-coated balloon for claudication in pooled randomized trials. Catheterization & Cardiovascular Interventions, August 24, 2020. For further information, please contact: Mark Groves Philips Global Press Office Tel.: +31 631 639 916 E-mail: mark.groves@philips.com Fabienne van der Feer Philips Image Guided Therapy Tel: + 31 622 698 001 E-mail: fabienne.van.der.feer@philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips. Attachment More than 13 million people in the UK watched Prince Philip's funeral. They were glued to their TV screens to watch Prince Philip's funeral, which took place last Saturday. People watched Queen Elizabeth II say goodbye to the love of her life in a somber 50-minute ceremony at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor. Prince Charles and Princess Anne were seen tearing up as they walked behind their father's coffin heading to the chapel, and people are still buzzing about Prince William and Prince Harry's interaction after the ceremony. With that being said, here are other royal events that were watched by millions of people across the globe. Kate Middleton and Prince William's Royal Wedding Viewers: 17.6 million in the UK, 23 million worldwide People gathered in front of their TV screens to watch a televised ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011. Their YouTube video has also racked up about 15 million views. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Tell-All With Oprah Viewers: 12.4 million in the UK, 49.1 million worldwide About 12.4 million viewers watched the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chat with Oprah, where they claimed a few senior royals made comments about their son's potential skin color. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Viewers: 11.5 million in the UK, 29.5 million worldwide About 11.5 million watched Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's magical moment when the couple said their "I Do's" in Windsor on May 19, 2018. Though they are not considered the most-watched royal wedding, their wedding video on YouTube was watched over 35 million times. Princess Diana's Panorama Interview Viewers: 23 million in the UK Twenty-three million people tuned in to watch the Princess of Wales set the record straight where she famously said, "There were three of us in this marriage so it was bit crowded." READ ALSO: Prince Philip's Touching Tribute To Queen Elizabeth Showed He Was A 'Wonderful Husband' Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones Royal Wedding Viewers: 200 million worldwide Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, got married in an "informal, family occasion" held on the grounds of Windsor Castle. According to reports, the Queen's youngest son and his commoner wife tied the knot and attracted 200 million viewers worldwide. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's Royal Wedding Viewers: 28.4 million in the UK, 750 million worldwide The royal wedding of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana was held at St. Paul's Cathedral on Jul. 29, 1981. According to reports, it was seen by about 750 million viewers in 74 countries. This is also thanks to being that day was declared a national holiday in the UK. Princess Diana's Funeral Viewers: 32.1 million in the UK, 2.5 billion worldwide An estimated 2.5 billion viewers worldwide watched Princess Diana's funeral on Sept. 6, 1997. Her funeral was reportedly one of the biggest-ever audiences for a live TV event, and until today, nobody can seem to top it. The service drew a lot of attention worldwide because of her popularity, where she was known as "The People's Princess," and of course, the terrible circumstances that surrounded her death. READ MORE: Gucci Family 'Not Happy' With Ridley Scott's Movie Starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver - Reason Revealed See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results A Sydney man is accused of sexual violence against 19 women and girls, allegedly meeting his victims through work and friends as well as while out clubbing and partying. Anthony Stevo Glumac, 24, who describes himself on social media as a personal trainer, chef and devoutly religious, faces 47 charges in relation to his alleged victims, who were aged between 14 and 28. Anthony Glumac, 24, is facing 47 charges. Credit:Nine News Mr Glumac, who now works as a labourer, was arrested in December and charged with 15 sexual violence-related offences with five complainants who were aged between 15 and 24. Following a public appeal by detectives at the time of his arrest, another 14 women and girls came forward with allegations and police laid a further 32 charges on Monday, including 16 counts of sexual intercourse without consent, five counts of common assault and the aggravated sexual assault of a victim aged under 16. Kochi, April 20 : K.T. Jaleel, who had resigned as Kerala's Higher Education Minister last week, suffered a jolt on Tuesday when the Kerala High Court upheld the verdict of the Lokayukta which early this month had said that Jaleel has no moral right to continue in office as he has "misused" his powers and indulged in "nepotism". It was against this Lokayukta order that Jaleel had approached the high court. Jaleel had quit moments after the high court took up his petition last week and the court had posted the case for Tuesday for its final orders. Even though Jaleel had quit last week, he was given the nod by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to go before the high court as he also had a role to play in this case. The Congress-led opposition had also asked Vijayan to quit as the case pertains to an appointment made by Jaleel in 2018 when he posted his close relative as general manager in a state-owned corporation. The Congress, as soon as Jaleel had quit, said Vijayan is also a partner in this 'crime' as it was in 2013 that the then Congress-led UDF government through a cabinet decision had changed the qualifications for the post to which Jaleel appointed his relative. When Jaleel decided to appoint his relative, instead of taking the permission of the cabinet to alter the qualification requirements, he prevailed upon Vijayan, who instead of taking the file to the cabinet, cleared it himself. Reacting to the development, Congress Lok Sabha member from Thrissur T.N. Prathapan said if Vijayan has any scruples left, he should quit immediately. But CPI-M legislator A.N. Shamsheer said the latest order from the high court does not mean much as Jaleel has already resigned. Jaleel, in his 2006 debut Assembly elections, trounced the second seniormost politician in the Congress led UDF -- P.K. Kunhalikutty, a former Minister, and since then Jaleel, though not a CPI-M card holder, had become the blue eyed boy of Vijayan who in 2016 appointed him a Cabinet Minister. Jaleel contested the April 6 Assembly polls from the Thavanur assembly constituency in Malappuram district. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text British finance minister Rishi Sunak told the Bank of England on Monday to look at the case for a new "Britcoin", or central bank-backed digital currency, aimed at tackling some of the challenges posed by cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. "We're launching a new taskforce between the Treasury and the Bank of England to coordinate exploratory work on a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC)," Sunak told a financial industry conference. Soon after, Sunak tweeted the single word "Britcoin" in reply to the finance ministry's announcement of the taskforce. ALSO READ: No intention to replace dollar with digital yuan, China says Other central banks are also looking at whether to set up digital versions of their own currencies, essentially widening access to central bank funds which only commercial banks can use at present. This could speed up domestic and foreign payments and reduce financial stability risks. China is a front-runner to launch a CBDC. Last week the European Central Bank said it was studying an electronic form of cash to complement banknotes and coins but any launch was still several years away. The BoE said a digital version of sterling would not replace either physical cash or existing bank accounts. "The Government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK, and will engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so," the BoE said. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey has previously said bitcoin, the best known cryptocurrency, fails to act as a stable store of value or an efficient way to make transactions, making it ill-suited to serve as a currency and a risky bet for investors. Central banks also took a dim view of efforts by Facebook to set up its own digital currency. Even so, cryptocurrencies have received growing interest from mainstream financial institutions, and bitcoin hit a record high of nearly $65,000 on April 14, up tenfold in the space of a year. DARK TRADING Sunak, launching the UK FinTech Week conference, also announced other measures aimed at maintaining the post-Brexit competitiveness of London, which vies with New York to be the world's largest financial centre. Since Britain's departure from the European Union's orbit on Dec. 31, the financial sector has faced restrictions on serving EU customers. Sunak proposed removing restrictions inherited from the EU, including on who can trade shares in London and the double volume cap. ALSO READ: India plans to introduce law banning cryptocurrencies, create official digital currency This would help Britain attract more "dark" or anonymous trading by big investors after Amsterdam toppled London as Europe's top share trading centre in January. "The consultation process aims to deliver a rulebook that is fair, outcomes-based and supports competitiveness, whilst ensuring the UK maintains the highest regulatory standards," Sunak said. Britain would also propose changes to companies' share prospectuses to ensure the rules are "not overly burdensome", Sunak said. MURFREESBORO, TN / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) announced that it has entered into a $50 million mezzanine loan agreement with Montecito Medical Real Estate for a new medical office building fund named Montecito Two Rivers Fund, LLC (the "Fund"). The Fund will invest in medical real estate, including medical office buildings, throughout the United States and is expected to acquire up to $200 million of assets, including third-party secured financing and equity provided by Montecito. Montecito Medical Real Estate is a privately held company based in Nashville, TN, that specializes in healthcare-related acquisitions and has acquired more than $4 billion in medical real estate assets since its formation in 2006, including approximately $1.4 billion in the last 26 months. NHI will earn interest on its loan with a current pay rate of 9.5% and accrue an additional 2.5% in interest to be paid upon certain future capital events, including asset sales and recapitalizations. Identifying and closing on the assets is expected to occur beginning in the second quarter of 2021 and continue until the fund is fully invested or two years. The term on the mezzanine loan will be for five years commencing on the earlier of full deployment of the mezzanine funds or two years, and includes two one-year extensions. Eric Mendelsohn, President, and CEO stated, "We are excited to partner with one of the premier owners and operators of MOBs. I am also gratified to realize a long-term goal of doing more business in Nashville, the center of the healthcare economy in the United States." Chip Conk, CEO of Montecito Medical, added, "We look forward to working closely with NHI and leveraging our expertise in acquiring and operating medical office buildings anchored by dominant physician groups and health systems throughout the country." About Montecito Medical Real Estate Montecito Medical is one of the nation's largest privately held companies specializing in healthcare-related real estate acquisitions and funding the development of medical real estate. Montecito is a leading resource for both medical real estate owners and healthcare providers seeking to monetize or expand their holdings. Since 2006, it has completed transactions across the United States involving more than $4 billion in medical real estate. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, Montecito has been named as a "key influencer in healthcare real estate" by GlobeSt.com and the editors of Healthcare Real Estate Insights. About NHI Incorporated in 1991, National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE: NHI) is a real estate investment trust specializing in sale-leaseback, joint-venture, mortgage, and mezzanine financing of need-driven and discretionary senior housing and medical investments. NHI's portfolio consists of independent, assisted, and memory care communities, entrance-fee retirement communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, and specialty hospitals. For more information, visit www.nhireit.com. CONTACT: Contact: Dana Hambly, Vice President, Investor Relations Phone: (615) 890-9100 This press release includes 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. All statements regarding the Company's, tenants', operators', borrowers' or managers' expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, funds from operations, dividend and dividend plans, financing opportunities and plans, capital market transactions, business strategy, budgets, projected costs, operating metrics, capital expenditures, competitive positions, acquisitions, investment opportunities, dispositions, acquisition integration, growth opportunities, expected lease income, continued qualification as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), plans and objectives of management for future operations, continued performance improvements, ability to service and refinance our debt obligations, ability to finance growth opportunities, and similar statements including, without limitation, those containing words such as "may," "will," "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "plans," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things; the impact of COVID-19 on our tenants, borrowers, economy and the Company; the operating success of our tenants and borrowers for collection of our lease and interest income; the success of property development and construction activities, which may fail to achieve the operating results we expect; the risk that our tenants and borrowers may become subject to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings; risks related to governmental regulations and payors, principally Medicare and Medicaid, and the effect that lower reimbursement rates would have on our tenants' and borrowers' business; the risk that the cash flows of our tenants and borrowers would be adversely affected by increased liability claims and liability insurance costs; risks related to environmental laws and the costs associated with liabilities related to hazardous substances; the risk that we may not be fully indemnified by our lessees and borrowers against future litigation; the success of our future acquisitions and investments; our ability to reinvest cash in real estate investments in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; the potential need to incur more debt in the future, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us; our ability to meet covenants related to our indebtedness which impose certain operational limitations and a breach of those covenants could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations; the risk that the illiquidity of real estate investments could impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties; risks associated with our investments in unconsolidated entities, including our lack of sole decision-making authority and our reliance on the financial condition of other interests; our dependence on revenues derived mainly from fixed rate investments in real estate assets, while a portion of our debt bears interest at variable rates; the risk that our assets may be subject to impairment charges; and our dependence on the ability to continue to qualify for taxation as a real estate investment trust. Many of these factors are beyond the control of the Company and its management. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the foregoing or any other forward-looking statements, except as required by law, and these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Investors are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by NHI in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors and other information disclosed in NHI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. Copies of these filings are available at no cost on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov or on NHI's website at https://www.nhireit.com . SOURCE: National Health Investors View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641429/NHI-Enters-Into-50-Million-Mezzanine-Loan-with-Montecito-Medical-Real-Estate Advertisement A hero kitchen porter repeatedly tried to stab Fishmongers' Hall attacker Usman Khan with a large decorative spear in an attempt to stop his bloody rampage, an inquest has heard. Lukasz Koczocik sprang into action when the alarm was raised at the prisoner rehabilitation event attended by convicted terrorist Khan, who fatally stabbed Cambridge graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, on November 29, 2019 and injured several others. Khan, 28, was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest as he stabbed Ms Jones and Mr Merritt to death and injured three others at a prisoner rehabilitation event near London Bridge on November 29, 2019. Mr Koczocik said he grabbed a maritime ornament known as a boarding pike from the wall of the Grade II-listed building as he and men clutching chairs, a fire extinguisher and a narwhal tusk tried to disarm Khan, who was brandishing knives and wearing a fake suicide belt. Giving evidence at the Guildhall in the City of London on Tuesday, Polish national Mr Koczocik said: 'For some reason I decided to grab this boarding pike that was attached to the wall and that was the best thing I could do. 'The next thing I remember - me going back to the lobby area and being with this man (Khan) face to face. I decided he had to be hurt, because I realised what was happening. I tried to stab him. 'A couple of times, I tried to stab him in the face, he was batting me away. I took the aim of his stomach. 'I did hit him in that area but it didn't do any damage. I heard a metallic clink, so I thought he was wearing some armour.' Lukasz Koczocik sprang into action when the alarm was raised at the prisoner rehabilitation event attended by convicted terrorist Khan Lukasz used this ceremonial pike to try and fight off Khan and stop his bloody rampage which saw him kill Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones Giving evidence at the Guildhall in the City of London on Tuesday, Polish national Mr Koczocik said: 'For some reason I decided to grab this boarding pike that was attached to the wall and that was the best thing I could do' Mr Koczocik said Khan, from Stafford, did not appear to be injured by the metal-tipped wooden implement. He said: 'Once I managed to land a strike on his (Khan's) belly, he grabbed the pike in one hand, still holding the knives, and I couldn't shake him off. He caught me in the hand and in the shoulder. 'I dropped the pike because he cut the tendon in my hands so I couldn't grip it.' Mr Koczocik said the men with the fire extinguisher and the tusk then chased Khan out of Fishmongers' Hall, prompting the porter to warn nearby members of the public that Khan was armed. Simon Bird, a maintenance electrician working at Fishmongers' Hall on the day of the atrocity, said he heard Khan shouting for the front doors to be opened to escape onto London Bridge. Mr Bird, who was due to finish work moments before the attack, said he heard an alarm go off so went to investigate. He said: 'The first thing I noticed is one of the ceremonial plaques wasn't on the wall, and I heard a voice from someone I now know to be Usman Khan: 'Open the effing door, open the effing door.' 'The first thing I noticed was his beard, then my eyes were drawn down and I saw a large kitchen knife in his hand. 'Then my eyes were drawn down further and I saw what I described as a river of blood.' Usman Khan was photographed sitting one seat away from Saskia Jones, 23, in the banqueting hall at Fishmongers' Hall in central London in November 2019 Usman Khan, 28, was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest as he stabbed Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, to death Simon Bird, a maintenance electrician working at Fishmongers' Hall on the day of the atrocity, said: 'The first thing I noticed was his beard, then my eyes were drawn down and I saw a large kitchen knife in his hand' A doctor who arrived at the scene of the attack also revealed today how he had to call off CPR on victim Saskia Jones after she was fatally stabbed. Giving evidence at Guildhall in the City of London on Tuesday morning, Dr Samy Sadek, who arrived at the scene soon after Khan attacked, said he saw Ms Jones lying prone at the foot of some stairs and receiving CPR, but felt she could not be saved. He said: 'My principle was always to do everything we can for every casualty there. It was to some degree unsafe and it was a difficult and volatile scene.' Dr Sadek added that the combination of Ms Jones having been stabbed in that area of the neck, having bled extensively, and having been in a cardiac arrest for at least 15 minutes, 'there was no intervention we were able to provide to save her life'. How the Fishmongers' Hall attack unfolded Convicted terrorist Usman Khan killed two talented young people and injured three more in around five minutes during a knife attack at Fishmongers' Hall. An inquest into the deaths of Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt has heard a detailed account of how events unfolded: March 10 1991 : Usman Khan is born in Stoke-on-Trent. : Usman Khan is born in Stoke-on-Trent. 2010 : Aged 19, Khan is convicted of terrorism offences and spends the next eight years in jail. In that time, he becomes involved with Learning Together organisation. : Aged 19, Khan is convicted of terrorism offences and spends the next eight years in jail. In that time, he becomes involved with Learning Together organisation. December 2018 : Khan is released from jail on various licence conditions and lives in Stafford. : Khan is released from jail on various licence conditions and lives in Stafford. March 2019 : Khan maintains contact with Learning Together and is involved with filming a video for the organisation. : Khan maintains contact with Learning Together and is involved with filming a video for the organisation. June 2019 : He attends a Learning Together event at one of his former prisons, HMP Whitemoor. : He attends a Learning Together event at one of his former prisons, HMP Whitemoor. November 29, 2019 , 7.30am: Khan travels by train from Stafford to Euston Station in London. He is met at the station by a Learning Together staff member and he travels by Tube and foot to Fishmongers' Hall near London Bridge. On route to London, it is believed Khan straps a fake suicide belt around his waist and covers it with his jacket. , 7.30am: Khan travels by train from Stafford to Euston Station in London. He is met at the station by a Learning Together staff member and he travels by Tube and foot to Fishmongers' Hall near London Bridge. On route to London, it is believed Khan straps a fake suicide belt around his waist and covers it with his jacket. 11am to noon : The delegates attend a brunch at Fishmongers' Hall. : The delegates attend a brunch at Fishmongers' Hall. 11.56am : Video footage shows Khan talking 'animatedly' with Saskia Jones at a table, even though they had not known each other before. : Video footage shows Khan talking 'animatedly' with Saskia Jones at a table, even though they had not known each other before. 12noon : The main Learning Together sessions get under way with speeches in the Banqueting Hall followed by breakout sessions until 1.30pm. : The main Learning Together sessions get under way with speeches in the Banqueting Hall followed by breakout sessions until 1.30pm. 1.37pm : Jack Merritt leaves the building briefly, returning at 1.40pm. : Jack Merritt leaves the building briefly, returning at 1.40pm. 1 .4 5pm : A further breakout session is due to begin but Khan goes down to the toilets on the ground floor next to the reception area. : A further breakout session is due to begin but Khan goes down to the toilets on the ground floor next to the reception area. Around 1.53pm : Mr Merritt goes to the gents toilets. : Mr Merritt goes to the gents toilets. Between 1.56-1.57pm : Khan launches his attack in the men's toilets at Fishmongers' Hall with two knives strapped into his hands. As he prepares, he leaves a bag containing a third blade in a cubicle and drops a prayer book on the floor. He encounters Mr Merritt in the toilets and stabs him multiple times, causing 12 injuries including a fatal wound to the chest. Khan makes his way to the cloakroom area, where he gestured to a member of staff 'as if to be quiet'. He stabs Ms Jones once in the neck. She staggers up a few steps before collapsing. Khan goes on to stab Stephanie Szczotko in the arm at the bottom of the stairs before stabbing Isobel Rowbotham in the main reception. Over the next few minutes, Khan is confronted by a number of people who take items from the walls to defend themselves, including a ornamental pike and narwhal tusks. Khan returns to attack Ms Rowbotham again as she lies on the ground. He also injures the Fishmongers' Hall porter Lukasz Koczocik, who suffers a stab to the arm. Khan forces a member of staff to open the doors by holding a knife to his chest. He tries to chase a member of the public back inside the hall but is unsuccessful. : Khan launches his attack in the men's toilets at Fishmongers' Hall with two knives strapped into his hands. As he prepares, he leaves a bag containing a third blade in a cubicle and drops a prayer book on the floor. He encounters Mr Merritt in the toilets and stabs him multiple times, causing 12 injuries including a fatal wound to the chest. Khan makes his way to the cloakroom area, where he gestured to a member of staff 'as if to be quiet'. He stabs Ms Jones once in the neck. She staggers up a few steps before collapsing. Khan goes on to stab Stephanie Szczotko in the arm at the bottom of the stairs before stabbing Isobel Rowbotham in the main reception. Over the next few minutes, Khan is confronted by a number of people who take items from the walls to defend themselves, including a ornamental pike and narwhal tusks. Khan returns to attack Ms Rowbotham again as she lies on the ground. He also injures the Fishmongers' Hall porter Lukasz Koczocik, who suffers a stab to the arm. Khan forces a member of staff to open the doors by holding a knife to his chest. He tries to chase a member of the public back inside the hall but is unsuccessful. 1.58pm : Police receive a call to attend the scene. : Police receive a call to attend the scene. Around 2.01pm : Khan is pursued on to London Bridge by John Crilly, Steven Gallant and Darryn Frost. During a confrontation on the bridge, Mr Crilly sprays a fire extinguisher at him and Mr Frost jabs at him with a narwhal tusk before they all tackled Khan to the ground with other members of the public. : Khan is pursued on to London Bridge by John Crilly, Steven Gallant and Darryn Frost. During a confrontation on the bridge, Mr Crilly sprays a fire extinguisher at him and Mr Frost jabs at him with a narwhal tusk before they all tackled Khan to the ground with other members of the public. 2.02pm : Armed City of London Police officers arrive on the bridge and tell members of the public to stand back. Khan is shot and Tasered by police, causing him to writhe on the ground. : Armed City of London Police officers arrive on the bridge and tell members of the public to stand back. Khan is shot and Tasered by police, causing him to writhe on the ground. 2.10pm : Khan is shot again due to the alleged 'threat' from what police believed was an improvised explosive device strapped to his body. : Khan is shot again due to the alleged 'threat' from what police believed was an improvised explosive device strapped to his body. 2.12pm Khan no longer shows any signs of life. Khan no longer shows any signs of life. 2.25pm Ms Jones is pronounced dead from a single neck wound. Ms Jones is pronounced dead from a single neck wound. 2.33pm : Mr Merritt is pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination later confirms he suffered multiple knife wounds, including some defensive injuries. The fatal wound is to the chest. : Mr Merritt is pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination later confirms he suffered multiple knife wounds, including some defensive injuries. The fatal wound is to the chest. 2.41pm : An explosives officer moves towards Khan with armed officers and concludes the IED is fake. : An explosives officer moves towards Khan with armed officers and concludes the IED is fake. 3.07pm : Khan's life is pronounced extinct. Advertisement He was asked by Jonathan Hough QC, counsel to the inquests, whether it was 'a terrible but necessary part of your job to give that instruction to cease resuscitation'. The doctor replied: 'Sadly, yes.' Dr Sadek said he was then informed that 'there was a bomb' while assessing the casualties, including Mr Merritt, who had a serious chest wound. Khan was later found wearing a fake suicide explosive device. Dr Sadek said: 'We were attempting to establish whether there was an ongoing threat to us. 'No-one was able to tell us if there was one or more assailant. 'I was essentially told there was a bomb - I didn't feel we could safely or practically perform the procedure (urgent surgery to Mr Merritt) needed in that building.' He and colleagues then began operating on Mr Merritt, including manually massaging the heart, but said the organ was not beating and was empty. 'We were not able to resuscitate Jack,' he added. When he first entered the hall, he said he 'felt the urgency on the face' of armed police officers. He said: 'A number of armed police officers came towards us rapidly, they looked very distressed and asked us to come immediately into the scene. 'We asked if it was safe. I also felt the urgency on the face and in the voice of the police officer, who was clearly very experienced, who told me we were required.' Dr Sadek told the inquests he assessed the scene was safe to enter Fishmongers' Hall because he was able to see 'a body on the floor who appeared motionless, and numerous police with their guns aimed at that person' on London Bridge. He said: 'It was apparent there was a degree of risk and threat, and that appeared to be under control and where we stood was safe.' Dr Sadek's team then entered Fishmongers' Hall where he saw the body of Isobel Rowbotham, who was injured but survived. Describing the scene, he said: 'I could see numerous police officers, there was a lot of noise by way of shouting - there was lots and lots of blood. 'The very first thing I noticed was a lady to my left immediately on entering the door to Fishmongers' Hall. This lady was later known to me as Isobel. 'I asked the team: was she alive? They paused and checked before answering me and said 'yes'. 'To me that was an exceptionally worrying sign that they had to pause and check she was alive. She was in a very, very life-threatening situation.' It was then that he saw Ms Jones, before later coming across Mr Merritt. Yesterday, new photos were released which show Cambridge graduate Ms Jones talking to L Khan just moments before he stabbed her to death in the Fishmongers' Hall terror attack. A witness, former HMP Grendon inmate Gareth Evans, revealed how he held Ms Jones in his arms and told her 'she was loved and she was beautiful' as she lay dying after being attacked by Khan. He rushed to her aid after she was stabbed in the neck by Khan, who had earlier been seen chatting to her at the Learning Together anniversary event. Prison officer Adam Roberts also described how he tried to stem the bleeding, and got Miss Jones, 23, in a protective hug, as an 'aggressive' Khan, armed with two knives and wearing what appeared to be a suicide belt, stood feet away. On Monday the inquests into the victims' deaths, being held at Guildhall in the City of London, heard how delegates rushed to try to save Miss Jones. Mr Evans said she collapsed as he took hold of her. Appearing to wipe his eyes, he told the jury: 'I was trying to make sure she felt comfortable and safe. 'I said she was loved and she was beautiful.' Mr Roberts, who had escorted prisoner Steven Gallant to the event at Fishmongers' Hall on day release, said he tried to stem the bleeding with his jacket and tried to shield her. He said: 'It was an attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was almost working out like a hug, and telling her to look at me and not him, so she was looking at someone who was trying to help her rather than something else.' Mr Roberts added: 'It was an attempt to stop the bleeding and give her a chance.' Describing Khan's behaviour, Mr Roberts said: 'Aggressive, a very fronting-up sort of stance, with his knives clearly showing, generally being aggressive and shouting.' He was moving backwards and forwards making 'false charges', the jury heard, 'almost coaxing people to come towards him, but almost like he didn't want them to'. Fellow attendee James Ford appeared emotional as he gave evidence about how he tried to help Ms Jones. Recalling the aftermath, he said: 'She was lying on her side, she was bleeding, she wasn't really moving.' He added: 'I can't bring myself to say it - I saw the attacker.' Another witness to the attack which left two dead and three wounded said he initially thought killer Khan was 'play fighting' when he launched his murderous assault, an inquest jury has heard. The killer, who was let out halfway through his 16-year sentence on licence after pretending that he had been de-radicalised, was tackled by heroic members of the public brandishing a decorative pike, narwhal tusk and fire extinguisher before he was then shot dead by police. Giving evidence at Guildhall in the City of London, Marc Conway, an officer with the Prison Reform Trust, recalled coming face to face with a frenzied Khan during his knife rampage. Saskia Jones before she was stabbed to death. Convicted terrorist Usman Khan, 28, killed Cambridge University graduates Ms Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25 Usman Khan and Saskia Jones at Fishmonger's Hall shortly before he stabbed her to death in a horrific attack near the London Bridge venue 'I could see people fighting with Usman Khan,' he said. 'I thought people were messing about, then when I looked more closely I saw Usman Khan with his back to me and people moving out of his way, hitting him. I turned to the side and I saw the knives in his hand.' He added: 'Before I realised it was serious I said to people 'they're messing about in there, we've been invited to this nice building and you're playing up'. Then I realised, and I said he's got a knife, two big knives. It became apparent something serious was happening.' Usman Khan, 28, who was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest, was tackled by members of the public Mr Conway said bystanders sought to hit Khan with various items, including a wooden chair, in a bid to stop him. But he said: 'He (Khan) wasn't reacting in a way I think someone hit with a chair would react. There was some added motivation or strength there that I hadn't seen before.' The policy officer said he phoned 999 and saw Khan burst out of Fishmongers' Hall, making his way on to London Bridge, before turning to face those in pursuit, appearing to cross the knives he was holding across his face as he did so. Mr Conway, who knew Mr Merritt, then ran across the bridge to try to help wrestle the knives from Khan, before realising that he had what appeared to be an explosive belt strapped to him. He said: 'I just wanted to help. When someone said he's got a bomb, and you realise that he's got a belt round him, you felt like you was fighting for your life. I stamped on his hands, I may have put a few kicks in. 'One of the knives we managed to get rid of quite quickly, but the other was quite difficult to get off him. After a couple of shouts of 'bomb, bomb', I heard what I thought was a Taser. 'After a couple of seconds they (police) shot him (Usman Khan) twice.' Pegasus students are offered only the very best in training Its education partner will be Edinburgh Napier University in the United Kingdom, which has already validated the college and programmes, meaning that students can complete their international degrees at Pegasus. Pegasus International College is part of the KinderWorld Education Group a Singaporean-based company. Pegasus International College was established in 2014 as a higher education enterprise and operates currently as a hotel and business studies college, providing higher education pathways and further education for students as well as significant training opportunities for industry professionals. Pegasus conducts many elements of its programmes in simulated training environments through competency-based training. The college is fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment with facilities that include training and demonstration kitchens, beverage and restaurant training centres, a coffee academy, and hotel office training facilities, as well as a house-keeping simulation area. All training facilities are at standards found in international hotels and restaurants and in superior hotel training colleges worldwide. Within its campus, Pegasus International College has a training restaurant, The Bistro, which is open to the public and is also part of students live industry training. This is on top of a compulsory 3-month internship in 4- or 5-star properties. This ensures that graduating students have the critical job-ready employability skills that are now demanded by industry. Competency-based training outcomes ensure students can actually do the things they say they can do and to an industry standard, thus avoiding costly further on-the-job training requirements by industry. As an international higher education provider, Pegasus International College prides itself in having academic professionals with years of extensive teaching experience and relevant industry expertise. Students will gain knowledge from these prominent lecturers, among the best in the area of hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, business, and English-language training. Pegasus network of 5-star hotel general managers ensures that students are placed for their internship at prominent properties. Graduates are keenly in demand and all are offered employment on completion of their programme of study many are offered part-time employment while studying such is the demand for their ability. The college is licensed by a number of ministries and departments in Vietnam - the Ministry of Education and Training as a higher education establishment; Department of Education and Training for short-course training, professional development, and English-language training; the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs for all vocational education; and the Vietnamese Tourism Certification Board for all tourism occupational standards training programmes. The college in Australia is a registered training organisation under the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and authorised to deliver Australian qualifications off-shore. An agreement between Pegasus UniCollege in Australia and Pegasus International College in Vietnam allows Pegasus in this country to deliver programmes that are identical to those in Australia and which remain subject to scrutiny and audit by ASQA. It is in this manner that students can obtain Australian qualifications, which are recognised around the world. Pegasus not only provides hospitality and culinary majors with Australian qualifications over two years that are delivered and assessed in English (including the Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management), Pegasus now also provides various majors in business management, marketing, human resources management, and finance/accounting with British qualifications. These programmes are open to Vietnamese nationals as well as international students. Thus far, Pegasus has had Thai, Lao, Bangladeshi, South Korean, Nepalese, and American students. Students will receive an international diploma after two years of study at Pegasus in Danang or Hanoi. Students then can go to work in Vietnam or go overseas to study further for a degree as the qualification is recognised by universities abroad. Students seeking a pathway to a degree are given a choice of joining one of Pegasus overseas partners to complete a bachelor degree. Students can opt to study at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK and complete an ordinary degree in just 12 months. Similar pathways can be pursued with universities and colleges in Australia and the US at greatly reduced time frames. KYODO NEWS - Apr 20, 2021 - 23:10 | All, Japan, Coronavirus The Japanese and Indian governments have decided to postpone their foreign and defense ministerial talks scheduled this weekend in Tokyo as a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in India has made it difficult for the ministers to visit Japan, a Japanese government source said Tuesday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is planning to visit India during Japan's Golden Week holidays starting later this month. Tokyo will judge whether to go ahead with the plan, considering the infection situation in India, the source said. The two governments are now studying whether to stick to the plan for a physical meeting of the ministers, called two-plus-two security dialogue, or hold it in an online format, the source said. It will be the second such dialogue by Japan and India since November 2019. Japan and India are part of the security framework known as the Quad with the United States and Australia as the four countries seek to form a united front against China's growing military and economic influence and realize a shared vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific." A man serving a 19-year sentence for armed robbery is expected to be released from prison this week -- 12 years early -- after a judge concluded that the Oregon Department of Corrections failed to address his complex medical needs. Attorney Tara Herivel said Umatilla County Circuit Judge Robert Collins on Monday ordered the immediate release of her client Anthony White, 36. Collins ordered Whites release last year but issued a stay of his order while the Oregon Department of Justice appealed his ruling. Collins told the Department of Corrections to manage Whites chronic pain during that period. White has been housed at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla. During an attempted robbery in 2014, White was shot by an armored truck employee in Eugene. The shooting left his legs paralyzed. The appeal is still pending but the judge found at a hearing Monday that the Department of Corrections failed to comply with his order by letting Whites pain medication run out and not providing him with recommended physical therapy, Herivel said. A lapse in not filling the prescription in a timely way led to a painful period of opiate withdrawal for White, she said. Herivel, whose practice focuses on prisoners medical care, said the release of a prisoner over inadequate medical care has never happened in Oregon. We were all kind of stunned, Herivel said. She said she didnt get a chance to talk with White after the hearing but I am sure hes really excited and I am sure hes daunted about learning to negotiate the world as a person who has a disability. I know he is deeply grateful to be heard and seen and believed by Judge Collins, she said. The Department of Corrections said it will appeal Collins ruling. A spokeswoman declined to comment further, citing the pending litigation. Whites medical care has been the subject of extensive litigation over the past two years. A motion filed by the Oregon Department of Justice last week defended the medical care White has received, saying the state ensured he saw an outside pain specialist. The motion says the state followed the doctors recommendations even though they were confusing and against the advice of prison medical staff. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Riemersma wrote in the motion that there was only one day when White didnt receive his medication. According to his motion, the reasons for the gap are unclear. White is one of 19 inmates in the state prison system who are paralyzed, according to the state. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie [April 20, 2021] Sebastien Pierroz becomes Producer of Francophone Community Content - ONFR+, will orchestrate TFO's Franco-Ontarian news, culture and society franchise TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Groupe Media TFO is proud to announce the appointment of Sebastien Pierroz as Producer of Francophone Community Content, ONFR+. Having joined the TFO team in Ottawa at the inception of #ONfr in 2015, Sebastien is one of the pioneers of the franchise, whose future activities he will now lead with a vision of continuity, sustainability and openness to new audiences and content. "Sebastien has made his mark in the community and in the media since his arrival at TFO and as a journalist-producer assigned to politics and Francophone Affairs since 2016. His vast knowledge of Ontarian and Canadian political issues and his dedication to the cause of the Francophonie are great strengths to support ONFR+ operations and further reinforce its positioning. I am confident that through this appointment and Sebastien's unwavering commitment, ONFR+ will be able to reach new heights." - Claude Sauve, Senior Content Director With a vision focused on the development and sustainability of ONFR+, Sebastien Pierroz and the ONFR+ team, based in Toronto, Ottawa and Sudbury, will produce new content to reflect and represent the faces of the Franco-Ontarian community, through creations focused on ethnocultural diversity and the coverage of political news throughout French Ontario. "I would like to thank TFO's management for the confidence they have placed in me with this appointment. It means a lot to me. I am eager to lay the groundwork for an evolutionary vision that will continue to expand our footprint and contribute to the vibrancy of the Ontarian Francophonie. ONFR+ holds the course of the Francophonie, with all its diversity and plurality. We will work alongside the extremely creative and talented team that makes up ONFR+ to open up our content especially to young adults, universities and newcomers, all with the goal of sharing our Franco-Ontarian social ad cultural heritage. Our informative mandate continues, of course, with coverage of French-language news across Ontario to inform our audiences on the issues that affect them." - Sebastien Pierroz, Producer of Francophone Community Content for ONFR+ The multi-talented ONFR+ team includes : Producer: Sebastien Pierroz ( Ottawa ) ) Journalists: Rudy Chabannes (Queen's Park/ Toronto ), Philippe Murat (Official Languages/ Ottawa ) and Pascal Vachon ( Sudbury /North) (Queen's Park/ ), (Official Languages/ ) and ( /North) Directors: Eric Bachand (North/ Sudbury ), Andreanne Baribeau ( Toronto ), Jean-Philippe Belanger ( Ottawa ), Joanne Belluco (Culture/ Toronto ) and Camille Martel ( Ottawa ) ), Andreanne Baribeau ( ), Jean-Philippe Belanger ( ), Joanne Belluco (Culture/ ) and ( ) Research: Aime Majeau Beauchamp and Jacques-Normand Sauve and Jacques-Normand Sauve Production Assistant: Antoine Petin Community Manager: Amanda Soha In his new position, Sebastien Pierroz continues to strengthen the ONFR+ team to better serve our community. He is currently in search of a head writer. With a passion for its mission to inform and promote our Francophone communities, the ONFR+ team is committed to its central priority of promoting the French fact by showcasing the vitality of the Franco-Ontarian community. Follow us on onfr.org , Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube . About Groupe Media TFO Groupe Media TFO, stories that shape our tomorrows Groupe Media TFO is a Franco-Ontarian public media company offering an interconnected discovery experience across its educational, cultural and current content in French. Audiences lie at the heart of Groupe Media TFO's omnichannel mission and vision, where they see themselves growing alongside its innovative and award-winning creations. By its educational mandate, on television, on digital platforms and through its initiatives and applications, Groupe Media TFO puts knowledge within arm's reach. At the forefront of digital learning, the company reflects the vitality and diversity of the community it serves and prepares the next generation for the world of tomorrow. About PlusTFO Culture, society, public affairs... With PlusTFO, a whole new perspective awaits. ONFR+, the digital platform of Groupe Media TFO, brings the Francophone perspective through three sections: News, Society, and Culture. Our experienced journalists cover Francophone news at Queen's Park, on Parliament Hill and throughout French Ontario. Our directors go beyond the headlines to delve into the social issues that affect Francophones and tell their stories. PlusTFO offers diverse and original classic auteur films and covers current events from across French-speaking Ontario. SOURCE Groupe Media TFO [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Burma Prominent Protest Leader Escapes Arrest by Myanmar Junta Ko Tayzar San at a protest on April 14 in Mandalay. One of Myanmars most prominent anti-regime protest leaders has escaped arrest after junta security forces failed to capture him at his home on Monday. Soldiers and policesome in plainclothesarrived at Ko Tayzar Sans apartment in Mandalay and forcibly entered by smashing down the door. The protest leader was not there at the time of the raid as he has been in hiding elsewhere. The failed attempt to detain the 32-year-old comes a few days after the regime seized another protest leader Ko Wai Moe Naing in Sagaing Regions Monywa. His mother said she has lost contact with her son since then and is worried about his safety. Ko Tayzar San has become a familiar face in Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, since early February for being at the forefront of anti-regime protests. He is known for his leading role in organizing the first ever protest against the junta in Myanmar just a few days after their Feb.1 coup, while other activists in the country were still deliberating their course of action. Following that first protest in Mandalay, anti-regime rallies started taking place across the country. After the failed raid on his home on Monday, Ko Tayzar San wrote on his Facebook page that he had abandoned the place for some time. But they rampaged through the whole apartment and took everything, he said. The protest leader said he was upset that his collection of books at the apartment was robbed by the regimes troops. Ko Tayzar San is also an executive director at a free library in Mandalay. The Tatmadaw (Myanmars military) has become a gang of robbers. It would be gut-wrenching for its founder General Aung San, he wrote. Aung San established the Myanmar military 79 years ago and was also the father of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars detained leader. Ko Tayzar San said the raid and robbery were testaments to how Tatmadaw troops have behaved in the countrys ethnic areas, where fighting between the army and ethnic armed groups has raged for decades. Extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, arson and looting by the army have been widely reported. Now we have experienced it personally, he said. It also proves that they [Tatmadaw] are our common enemy who have been hindering our attempt to establish federal democracy in the country, he added. Before Ko Tayzar San came to prominence as a protest leader, he trained as a medical doctor but worked as a librarian and NGO worker with a focus on public health, political education and youth capacity building. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Mother Prays for Tortured Daughter Myanmar Regime Orders Dismantling of Mausoleum to Slain Democracy Protesters Myanmar Regime Steps Up Arrests of Doctors as Strike Movement Takes Toll A fire burns in front of the police on the Springfield Road as protests continue in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on April 8, 2021. (Jason Cairnduff/Reuters) Bomb Found Near Home of Northern Ireland Policewoman Police in Northern Ireland confirmed on Tuesday that a viable device had been found near the home of a part-time police officer the day before. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Monday morning that a suspicious object had been found in Dungiven, a town in County Londonderry. On Tuesday, Mark McEwan, head of PSNIs Crime Operations Department, said on Twitter: I can confirm that the device is viable and investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. We are treating this as an attack on a member of staff who also serves her community as a part-time police officer, he said. I strongly condemn this outrageous attack on our Officer and her family. Every day @PoliceServiceNI officers and staff bravely step up to serve the community and this attempt to harm is a stark reminder of the challenges still facing us all. https://t.co/WwOnviwy4v Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI) April 20, 2021 Simon Byrne, chief constable of PSNI, said on Twitter: I strongly condemn this outrageous attack on our Officer and her family. Every day @PoliceServiceNI officers and staff bravely step up to serve the community and this attempt to harm is a stark reminder of the challenges still facing us all. Northern Irelands political leaders have condemned the attempted attack. This is a shameful and vile attack on a police officer and I utterly condemn those responsible, said First Minister Arlene Foster. Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster (R) and Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill (L) hold a press conference after touring the provinces largest COVID-19 vaccination centre as it opens at the Odyssey SSE Arena in Belfast on March 29, 2021. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) All right-thinking people will reject those who try to drag us back into violence through such cowardly deeds. People across Northern Ireland will unite in agreement that this barbarity has no place in todays society and that this dark and sinister agenda is a thing of the past, not our future. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said: This was a shocking and deplorable attempt on the life of a police officer that will rightly be reviled across the community. My thoughts are very much with the police officer concerned and her family. Those behind this reckless attack have absolutely nothing to offer society and have shown a callous disregard for the entire community. They seek only to drag our communities backwards; they have no place in our society and they should disband. The British province saw the worst violence in years earlier this month, with hundreds of youths attacking police with stones and petrol bombs in the provincial capital Belfast. PSNI said 88 officers were injured during the riots. Reuters contributed to this report. Kohima/Shillong/Agartala, April 20 : With a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, the northeastern states have taken diverse actions, including imposition of night curfew and closure of educational institutions, to prevent the spread, officials said on Tuesday. The Nagaland and Tripura governments have ordered closures of educational institutions while the lower primary schools in Assam would be closed in the districts where 100 active Covid-19 cases are found in 10 days. In Meghalaya, the night curfew in East Khasi Hills District, in which capital Shillong falls, has been extended for another week until April 25. The state government also announced a series of measures, including banning entry of tourists from other states. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that all schools will close till May 4 in Shillong area and government and private offices will function with 50 per cent attendance. Night curfew and various other restrictions continue to be in effect in Mizoram capital Aizawl and other parts of the mountainous state. Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, in an order, said that the recent spurt of positive cases is alarming for the medical community. "It is considered necessary to impose restrictions on people's movement and activities for a certain duration in order to break the disease transmission chain and to facilitate testing and contact tracing," he said asking the officials to further tighten the restrictions. The Nagaland government ordered the closure of all the schools in the state, including residential ones, for students of classes 1 to 8 with immediate effect. Chief Secretary J. Alam, in his order, said that regular classes for students of 9 to 12 will continue for now following the necessary SOPs. Governor R. N. Ravi meanwhile requested church leaders to influence people to follow coronavirus protocols. In Manipur, the state government has imposed night curfew in the entire state from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Covid neutral certificates from other states would not be accepted and all air and train passengers would have to undergo both Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR tests on reaching Assam. The text reports would be available within 24 hours, till which time the passengers should stay in isolation. "Assam's Covid situation is mostly linked to people with travel history. There would be no night curfew and lockdown in Assam as the situation is under control," the minister told the media in Guwahati. Sarma, in a tweet, said: "Districts where the number of Covid-19 cases are more than 100, classes at Upper Primary, Secondary and Senior Secondary levels will run with 50 per cent attendance. The same will also apply for classes in colleges & universities of such districts." Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh has made testing compulsory for all people entering the state. Tripura Education Minister and government spokesman Ratan Lal Nath said that there will be no night curfew and lockdown in the state, but all educational institutions - primary to university level - would remain closed for an indefinite period. However, the ongoing examinations would continue as scheduled. Governor, Chief Ministers and senior officials of the eight northeastern states are regularly monitoring the Covid situation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The woman who was found dead with burns to her body in the backyard of a Gold Coast home has been identified as mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson (pictured) The woman who was found dead with burns to her body in the backyard of a Gold Coast home has been identified as mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson. Ms Wilkinson's burnt body was discovered early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, in the city's north. Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street before speaking to neighbours about what they had seen. A 35-year-old man was located nearby in a semi-conscious state with burns to his hands and airways. He is currently under police guard at Gold Coast University Hospital where investigators are waiting for him to wake before interviewing him. They have launched a murder investigation and will analyse whether the man lit the fire that killed the mother-of-three. There were three young children under the age of nine present in the house where Ms Wilkinson's burned body was found. It's believed they were inside the house when the incident occurred. They are all safe. A GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson's sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her 'beautiful angel'. 'Unfortunately Kelly has passed away... we are trying to raise money to pay for the funeral, the kids schooling and all other costs,' she wrote on the page. A GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson's sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her 'beautiful angel' Ms Wilkinson's body was found in the backyard of a residential Gold Coast home early on Tuesday morning Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street Police say they believe the man and Ms Wilkinson were in a 'previous relationship' The GoFundMe has already seen donations totalling more than $7,000, just minutes after it was posted. Ms Wilkinson's sister asked for friends and family to 'help the children' through the difficult period. Kelly's mother, Karen, passed away in February. Several people responded to Ms Wilkinson's sister's post, expressing their condolences and devastation at the news. 'Thinking of you and your family,' one friend replied. 'Oh babe... my heart reaches out to you all... If u need anything we are only a call away,' another said. 'I am so so so sorry Natalie,' another said. The house where police say the man was found unconscious and with burns to his hands and airways Detective Inspector Chris Ahern said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn of the Gold Coast Police said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways. He had fled the scene of the incident and was found at a property in nearby Langer Place. 'One of the lines of inquiry is the male person located and the deceased female person were known to each other and were potentially in a previous relationship.' 'The forensic examination will take some time. 'There may be further evidence that has left that scene. Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case). 'We believe he has a link to that house,' Det Insp Ahearn said. They are treating the incident as a homicide and have no other suspects. They are investigating as to whether there had been domestic violence calls made to the house in the past. Three children aged under nine were also found at the property, Det. Insp. Ahern said. They were taken from the property earlier this morning and will be interviewed by police Fire crews arrive at the site to help police with investigations into the cause of Ms Wilkinson's death SES crews investigate the scene where Ms Wilkinson died and a man suffered burns, police say Det. Insp. Ahearn said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents. It's believed a neighbour phoned police after hearing a disturbance and raised voices at the house. Spikes Court remains closed off except to residents and forensic investigators. Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents Ms Wilkinson's body was found early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, north of the city's CBD Local resident Fred Davies, who has lived on the street for 20 years, told the Courier Mail the situation was 'pretty traumatic'. 'When we lived in a street for as long as we have, and we all know one another, I have no idea who it is, what's happened, but to see this many police here obviously something's pretty traumatic has happened,' he said. 'They won't tell me nothing. They wouldn't say a word. They've just asked to have a look at the cameras.' Police examined bins in Spikes Court in case the man had left anything as he fled the scene A police forensic officer examines an object left at a bus stop near where the incident occurred Rubbish collection in the area has been stopped as police search bins for evidence possibly discarded by the alleged offender as he left the property. Another forensic investigation officer was seen photographing what appeared to be a crumpled black garment at a nearby bus stop on Allied Drive, where it's believed the man stopped as he fled the scene. Mid-afternoon an SES crew from Southport joined police in searching Spikes Court and the surrounding neighbourhood for any evidence left behind by the alleged offender. New Delhi: Rajesh and Nupur Talwars lawyers have received a certified copy of the Allahabad High Court order which acquits the dentist couple in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case. It will be provided to a special CBI court in Ghaziabad on Monday, which will then issue an order to the Dasna prison authorities to release the couple, one of the Talwars lawyers said. Courts in Ghaziabad observe a holiday on second Saturdays. The orders copy was received late on Friday evening.We have received a certified copy of the order of the Allahabad High Court. It is expected that they (Rajesh and Nupur) will walk out of the jail on Monday, said Vandana Talwar, Aarushis aunt.Rajesh and Nupur Talwar are lodged in the Dasna prison in Ghaziabad since November 2013 after they were awarded life sentence in the case. The dentist couple had challenged the sentence in the Allahabad High Court, which acquitted them in the sensational double murder case earlier this week. With PTI inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Dani Dyer has reportedly vowed to stand by her boyfriend Sammy Kimmence as he faces jail after pleading guilty to fraud. In a statement the star's representative confirmed they are 'still together' after he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court and admitted duping two men out of 34,000 on Monday. Dani, who welcomed son Santiago with Sammy in January, has reportedly vowed to stick by her beau after he made a last-minute change to plead guilty, and has now been told he could face prison time. Together: Dani Dyer, 24, has reportedly vowed to stand by her boyfriend Sammy Kimmence as he faces jail after pleading guilty to fraud When asked whether they were still in a relationship, Dani's rep told The Sun they are 'still together.' A source close to the star added: 'She's vowed to stand by him, he's the father of her baby.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Dani Dyer for further comment. United: In a statement the star's representative confirmed they are 'still together' after he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court and admitted duping two men out of 34,000 Doting mum: While Sammy was appearing in court on Monday, Dani took to Instagram Stories to reveal she'd taken son Santiago for his latest round of innoculations While Sammy was appearing in court on Monday, Dani took to Instagram Stories to reveal she'd taken son Santiago for his latest round of innoculations. Sharing a snap of her baby boy in his car set, she wrote: 'Oh my beautiful boy had his second lot of jabs today... 'The constant crying hasn't started yet I'm hoping this time round he will be okay, had to hold back the tears when she injected him. Just love him so much hate him being in pain.' Case: It comes after Sammy was warned he faces jail after he admitted scamming two men out of 34,000 by posing as a financial investor (pictured arriving at Portsmouth Crown Court) It comes after Sammy was warned on Monday he faces jail after he admitted scamming two elderly men out of 34,000 by posing as a financial investor. The entrepreneur duped Peter Martin, 90, and Peter Haynes, 80, between 2016 and 2018 by persuading the vulnerable pensioners to allow him to invest their money for them. The 25-year-old's victims were said to have been clients at a legitimate investment company, S&S Trading Ltd, where Kimmence previously worked. A previous hearing was told Sammy took the clients on when the business stopped operating, falsely claiming he was authorised to provide financial services. Now Kimmence, who had denied all the charges and pleaded not guilty only last week, faces a possible prison sentence after a last-minute change of plea. Kimmence, appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court, Hampshire, as his trial was expected to start, pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud, totalling 33,919. Woes: Sammy, appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court, Hampshire, as his trial was expected to start, pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud, totalling 33,919 The judge warned him his offences were so serious they crossed the custody threshold and he could be sent to jail. Standing in the dock, Kimmence, dressed in a black suit with a blue tie, spoke only to confirm his name and plead guilty to each charge. The court heard Kimmence, who announced the birth of his and Dani Dyer's son Santiago in January, used one of his victims' bank cards to withdraw more than 1,200 for himself and also racked up credit card charges of more than 1,300. He also admitted to getting Peter Martin to transfer him 22,912 on one occasion, and 400 on another. He conned Peter Haynes in a similar way to the tune of 7,927. Martin sadly died in November last year aged 91 while Haynes suffers from Alzheimer's. Defending, Craig Harris asked for a pre-sentence report to be made and said: 'He is a relatively young man of previous good character, the offences go back into his late teenage years. 'This is a case that crosses the custodial threshold but might be within a range which I argue could be suspended. He added: 'Quite a lot has gone into this young man's life in the last few years. He is seeking to reimburse the losses he has caused so some time is also needed to allow him to do that.' The court previously heard how Mr Haynes was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year and has moved from Okehampton, Devon, to live closer to his daughter in Leeds. Adjourning the hearing for sentencing today, Recorder Nicholas Haggan, QC, said: 'The offences to which you have pleaded guilty are serious offences, it's accepted they cross the custodial threshold and you are at risk of receiving a custodial sentence. 'Given you are young man of no previous convictions, I am going to order a sentencing report. I am going to grant you conditional bail.' Proud parents: Sammy announced the birth of his and Love Island winner Dani's son Santiago in January (couple pictured together) He ordered a pre-sentence report and added: 'I am going to grant conditional bail until the hearing of your case which is on 11 June. 'The fact I am granting bail affords no indication of what the sentence will be. You are at risk of a custodial sentence.' A further hearing will be held on 11 June. Dani, who is the daughter of EastEnders star Danny Dyer, shot to fame on Love Island in 2018. She had previously been in a relationship with Kimmence but struck up a new partnership with Jack Fincham in the villa before going on to win the popular reality show. But the 24-year-old rekindled her romance with Kimmence shortly afterwards and there have been rumours that the pair may be getting married in the near future. As the world watches on, the jury has begun its deliberations in the murder case against former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. The jury of six white members and six Black or multiracial members was sent off to begin making its decision after nearly a full day of closing arguments on Monday (local time), in which prosecutors argued Chauvin cruelly squeezed the life out Mr Floyd during an arrest in May last year. The defence argued the now-fired officer acted reasonably, telling jurors the 46-year-old victim died of an underlying heart condition and illegal drug use. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. All three charges require the jury to conclude that Chauvins actions were a substantial causal factor in Mr Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin depicted watching a screen showing video of the scene in which George Floyd was killed. Source: Reuters Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, much of which was caught on camera sparking outrage and global protests against racial violence and police brutality. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. However the impending decision by the jurors had a slight shadow cast over it after the judge said inflammatory comments by a Democrat congresswoman could be grounds for an appeal which could see a verdict overturned. Jurors in Chauvin case told to 'believe your eyes' In closing arguments, prosecutor Steve Schleicher urged jurors to think about the footage which showed Mr Floyd slowly die while under the knee of Derek Chauvin. Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw, he said. "Unreasonable force, pinning him to the ground that's what killed him. This was a homicide. "It's exactly what you saw with your eyes. It's exactly what you knew. It's exactly what you felt in your gut. It's what you now know in your heart. This wasn't policing, this was murder." Story continues Fellow prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said bystanders who filmed the incident and called for police to get off Mr Floyd knew it was wrong, including a nine-year-old girl who testified during the trial. "Even a 9-year-old little girl knows it get off him," Mr Blackwell said. "That's all you need to know in that case." The prosecutor said the defence argued George Floyd died because his heart was too big. "The reason George Floyd is dead was because Mr Chauvin's heart was too small," he said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Chauvin's lawyers say his actions were 'reasonable' Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing that Chauvin did what any "reasonable" police officer would have done after finding himself in a "dynamic" and "fluid" situation involving a large man struggling with three officers. As Nelson began speaking, the Chauvin removed his Covid-19 mask in front of the jury for one of the very few times during the trial. The duelling arguments got underway with some stores boarded up with plywood in downtown Minneapolis, the courthouse ringed with concrete barriers and barbed wire, and National Guard members on patrol as the city now waits on a knife's edge. High school students from across Minneapolis participated in a statewide walkout on April 19, ahead of the verdict. Source: Getty Judge makes stunning statement about trial being 'overturned' After closing arguments were done, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a request from the defence team for a mistrial based in part on comments California congresswoman Maxine Waters who told demonstrators to "stay in the streets" and suggested protesters could get more confrontational if there is a not guilty verdict. Ms Waters has been widely criticised for her inflammatory remarks after she called for a guilty verdict on the most serious charges. The judge told Chauvins lawyer: Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned". I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch, he said, but added: "A congresswoman's opinion really does't matter a whole lot." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. At a Black Lives Matter rally on the weekend to protest the killing of Daunte Wright in Minnesota last week, Ms Waters called for more protests if a guilty verdict was not handed down. "I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty," she said in response to reporters' questions. "And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business." The trial has been broadcast live by TV networks in the US since the more than 40 witnesses took the stand beginning three weeks ago, though the coverage was sometimes interrupted by fresh episodes of police violence caught on camera. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. MONTREAL , April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The management of Sirios Resources Inc. (TSXV: SOI) is pleased to announce the signing of a diamond drilling contract with Synee Drilling Inc. to carry out a minimum of 2,500 metre, to commence this summer on the Cheechoo gold property in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec. The drilling program will test mainly gold exploration targets located outside the Cheechoo deposit as well as its extension at depth. This drilling will be carried out in addition to the recently announced 7,500 metre infill reverse circulation (RC) program. The objective of this summer's reverse circulation drilling program will be to better define the Cheechoo deposit and subsequently initiate a new resource estimate update (starting in 2022). This update is expected to convert a significant amount of the inferred resources to indicated resources. Improving the classification of the project's gold resources will allow us to improve the market valuation of the Cheechoo deposit, as well as taking the project to a more advanced stage by completing a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). Increase in the trading volume of Sirios on the TSX-V Sirios' management wishes to inform its shareholders that all activities of the company are proceeding normally and that there is no known reason for the recent increase in trading volume on the stock exchange. The high volumes could be related to the end of the escrowed period on the flow-through shares issued in the last financing of Sirios. The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Dominique Doucet, P.Eng, President and CEO of Sirios Resources Inc. and Jordi Turcotte, P.Geo. About Synee Drilling Inc. Synee Drilling Inc., is a drilling services company owned 51% by Tawich Development Corporation (TDC) of Wemindji and 49% by Machines Roger International of Val-dOr. About the Cheechoo Property The Cheechoo gold property, wholly-owned by Sirios, is located in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec, less than 9 km from Newmonts Eleonore gold mine. The latest resource estimate for the Cheechoo project (October 2020) estimated an inferred resource of 2.0 million ounces of gold contained in 93.0 million tonnes of rock at an average grade of 0.65 g/t Au, with significant potential to increase this resource.1 Story continues About Sirios A pioneer in the discovery of significant gold deposits in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec, Canada. Sirios Resources Inc. is primarily focused on its Cheechoo gold discovery while actively exploring the high gold potential of its other properties. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact : Dominique Doucet, President & CEO, P.Eng. Tel. : (514) 918-2867 ddoucet@sirios.com website : www.sirios.com 1 BBA, Mineral Resource Estimate Update for The Cheechoo Project, 31/10/2020 Ahmedabad: Defence Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday hit out at the Congress over a social media campaign mocking Gujarat model of development, saying the opposition should take vikas seriously and must not undermine it. Speaking at a programme organised by news channel Aaj Tak here, Sitharaman, co-incharge of BJPs election campaign in Gujarat, said she was disappointed by the oppositions portrayal of the Gujarat model. She was referring to the social media campaign mocking the Gujarat model of development, featuring the tag-line Vikas Gando Thayo Chhe, which means development has gone crazy. The Gujarat model of development is a tried and tested model, replicated in several other states. And now, Congress, knowingly or unknowingly, is undermining vikas. I am disappointed over the way in which Congress is running this campaign against vikas, she said. Also Read | Sonia Gandhi says Rahul will soon be elevated to position of Congress president To counter the BJP, even Congress leaders used to say that significant development took place in their era. And suddenly, Congress leadership is now saying that Vikas Pagal ho Gaya Hai (development has gone crazy)! Vikas is a serious issue and it must be taken seriously, she asserted. During a debate with Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on television, the defence minister accused the opposition party of making fun of the development model accepted all over the country. Today, there is an undoubted acceptability for Vikas, as people now realise that fruits of development must reach every citizen. Even then, the Congress is making fun of it. I am sorry, but I am disappointed by such an approach, she said. But Surjewala countered her by claiming that the Vikas Gando Thayo Chhe campaign was being run by the people of Gujarat, and not by the Congress, as people are angry with the ruling BJP. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. European Union member Austria said on April 20 that it plans to send 651,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to six countries in the Western Balkans by August as part of an EU scheme to provide assistance to neighboring countries and Africa. Vienna said that this first distribution of doses may be followed by others. The European Commission in January announced plans for a vaccine-sharing mechanism, with Austria serving as the mechanism's coordinator for the Western Balkans. Among the six Western Balkans countries, Serbia has one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe. But the other five -- Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kosovo have had less success. The shortage of vaccines has even led to street protests in Bosnia. "With this initiative we are showing that we are not leaving the region behind," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told a news conference. Schallenberg, whose government faces growing public frustration with the slow pace of vaccinations in his own country, said the doses will not be taken away from Austria's quota. "There is absolutely no connection here to the provision of vaccines in Austria and in other (EU) member states," he said. "These doses are not from a national quota. These are vaccine doses that the EU explicitly secured from the beginning for the purpose of passing them on to partners." Schallenberg said the vaccines will be distributed from early next month based on which countries need them most. Bosnia will get the biggest share with 214,000 doses, followed by Albania with 145,000, and North Macedonia with 119,000. Serbia is last with 36,000. With reporting by Reuters KERVs diverse Visibility, Context/Keyword, and Pause APIs help brands optimize their videos for consumer experience, product knowledge, and shoppability. KERV Interactive, a recognized technology company specializing in visual IR driven interactive video for brands, has released three powerful, pixel edge video AI driven APIs Visibility, Context/Keyword, and Pause that leverage its award-winning patented technology. KERV partners with brands to transform their video assets into fully interactive storefronts (with pixel-level customization), targeted and full of shoppable information that both enhances usefulness and commerce opportunities. KERVs custom, dynamic interactive ad technology increases a videos consumer engagement, boosts shoppability by over five times, generates more time spent with content assets and increases interactions such as QR scans by over 50 percent. KERVs AI driven engine fuels its real time interactivity and shoppability while also providing a powerful metadata set that can empower unique targeting and other API driven opportunities. With KERVs Visibility API, any content can be processed (live, YouTube links, old content, influencer content, social media, etc.) with data provided back in near real-time. Content analytics include real time logo and product recognition, with the ability to identify object time spent within video content and reporting on visible time on screen for brand logos, talent, products, locations, or anything KERV can visually identify. The Context/Keyword API focuses on ad break decisioning within LIVE and VOD video content. It features contextual targeting opportunities based on the relevance of content leading up to an ad insertion, with keyword-driven data sets as well as easy integration into existing ad servers and tech stacks. KERV is currently working on building this into infrastructures to power LIVE contextual opportunities across CTV and the broader video landscape. KERVs Pause API is CTV focused and bundles both the contextual and visibility APIs together. The API can analyze content to assess relevance associations in real-time, enabling content owners to maximize and monetize the pause. KERVs visual search engine can correlate any content with any product feed to power revenue opportunities, such as shopping products similar to those within the pause and/or promoting products that are visible within in the content. The API works with both ads and content, and is fueled by KERVs robust object level metadata. Our APIs leverage our core technology and will change the way we view and monetize video, notes Marika Roque, COO of KERV Interactive. KERVs diverse Visibility, Context/Keyword, and Pause APIs help brands optimize their videos for consumer experience, product knowledge, and shoppability. To learn more, please contact Jeannine Jacobi of Fresh PR at 323-903-7063 or jeannine@freshpr.net, or visit https://kervit.com. About KERV Interactive Based in Austin, Texas, KERV Interactive is the world's most advanced interactive content and data company and is revolutionizing the future of video engagement through dimensional storytelling. KERV's digital advertising platform was built on cutting-edge, patented technology and adds extraordinary value to brands, agencies, and creative and data-science teams by creating audience-to-brand connections within video like never before. Leveraging breakthrough machine learning techniques and AI with unmatched processing speed, the KERV technology recognizes depth, dimension, and objects within a video just as precisely as the natural eye. KERV enables every frame in every scene of any digital video to be an immersive, interactive experience for consumers. Ukraine supports the Czech Republic's decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats suspected of working for Russian secret services, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service has reported. According to the report, this issue was discussed at a meeting between Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar and Czech Ambassador to Ukraine Radek Matula. The Ukrainian diplomat informed the Czech ambassador about the Russian side's continuing to implement the strategy of escalation and a military build-up on the borders with Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Both parties also discussed the Czech Republic's decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats suspected of working for the Russian secret services. "The ambassador of the Czech Republic spoke in detail about the reasons for such a reaction, which was caused by the convincing evidence of Russian special services' involvement in explosions at an ammunition depot near Vrbetice in October 2014. He thanked Ukraine for its political solidarity with the Czech authorities in their reaction to Russia's destructive activities in the Czech Republic," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. According to the report, both parties emphasized the importance of intensifying cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic in various areas and discussed preparations for bilateral political consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers, scheduled for May this year. The Czech government on April 17 announced its decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats who, according to the Czech side, are employees of the Russian secret services. Russia, in turn, decided to expel 20 employees of the Czech Embassy in Russia (16 of them diplomats) in response to the Czech Republic's decision. op Click here to read the full article. Climate protection, the growing threats to ocean life, the FBIs smear campaign against Martin Luther King Jr. and the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi death squad are just some of the wide-ranging topics examined at this years Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), which kicks off Wednesday. Since its establishment in 2003, the fest has straddled the sectors of film, politics, art and science like few others. Among this years highlights are Phie Ambos opening film 70/30, an up-close look at the combined efforts to pass Denmarks landmark climate law, and fellow Danish filmmaker Robin Petres From the Wild Sea, which follows a team of volunteers in northern Europe struggling to save animals suffering from human-made catastrophes, from oil-covered swans and stranded whales to starving seals with stomachs full of plastic. Also screening is Bryan Fogels acclaimed work on Khashoggis barbaric assassination, The Dissident and Sam Pollards MLK/FBI. Festival founder and CEO Tine Fischer, who is stepping down this year to head the National Film School of Denmark, says the main intention of the festival was to enlarge the room dedicated to documentary film, so we really pushed it towards borders, towards fiction, towards contemporary art, towards activism, performance basically just building a much larger house for what documentary is. It was an effort to work with films in a way that allowed them to unfold their potential to also create social and political impact, she adds. During those years we built a festival that stands on three very interconnected legs: art, science and political activism. That interconnected foundation runs through every part of the festival, from the curatorial profile of the program to industry activities, including the conferences and the selection of projects for the CPH:Forum financing and co-production event, Fischer says. It doesnt mean that we are not very much dedicated to independent film and to very artistic approaches to documentary film, it just means that we believe that this house that has been built needs to be connected with the rest of the world and with other sectors. This years opening film, Ambos 70/30, perfectly fits that bill. The film offers a chronicle of the often difficult and frustrating process of passing the ambitious climate legislation as seen through the eyes of young activists and political leaders alike. The festival is also working with the films producers and a number of climate protection organizations to screen the doc at special events. CPH:DOX, which became the first major documentary fest to go online last year in the wake of the pandemic, is again taking place virtually, although a partially physical part is planned that will include theatrical screenings of some films. Despite the great desire for a return to normalcy at the festival, some of the changes brought on by the COVID-19 crisis are here to stay, namely an expanded online presence that allows for greater international participation. What happened last year was basically a very fast decision not to let everything go down the drain, Fischer says, noting that the country went into lockdown three days before the festival was to start. But what we learned from that was that it made tremendous sense to actually create a festival that was not only based in a certain place and a certain time but that could actually be accessed throughout the country and for many of the activities also globally. I think that lesson was so valuable that for us there was never a question of whether the next festival would also be digital. Its a move organizers have long sought but have found difficult to make due to rights issues and the festivals close relationship to local theaters. Yet expanding CPH:DOXs reach digitally is in line with its overall mission. Its been really important for us to not only select and curate film programs but also to create a democratic conversational forum around the festival, Fischer says. The opportunity to take part in that forum should not be limited to only invited festival guests, however. For many years we have been working on how to take the festival and take that democratic platform and voice within the festival to a much larger audience and we knew that a digital space would allow for that. Fischer notes that for last years screening of a film about artificial intelligence, Tonje Hessen Scheis iHuman, the festival organized a live talk with Edward Snowden. Had it taken place during the physical festival, the discussion would have been viewed in a room by some 800 people. Because it went online, it ended up having 100,000 people participating. That talk was suddenly a global talk. It just felt like, here was something that we could never let go of again. Fischer adds: In a very short time we created a way of running the festival that was meaningful in terms of what we are actually striving for. CPH:DOX runs April 21 to May 12. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A day after announcing Covid vaccine for all above 18 years from May 1, Prime Minister will meet the vaccine manufacturers on Tuesday evening through video conferencing. Representatives of top drug makers from India and abroad, including companies whose vaccines have been approved by the government will attend the meeting scheduled at 6 p.m. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is likely to make a presentation and also coordinate with all the participants of the meeting. It is learnt that Prime Minister Modi called the meeting to discuss a plan for the next phase of vaccination starting May 1 in which everyone above 18 years is allowed to take the jab. Till now, Indian drug regulators have approved two vaccines, 'Covidshield' manufactured by Serum Institute in India (SII) and 'Covaxin' by Bharat Biotech, for use in the country. Drug regulators also approved Russian's 'Sputnik V' as the third vaccine marketed in the country by Dr Reddy's Laboratories. Other vaccines manufactured by global giants are also expected to be allowed in the country. On Monday during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi, an important decision of allowing vaccination to everyone above the age of 18 from May 1 was taken. Prime Minister Modi had also held discussions with doctors and representatives of pharma companies in separate meetings. --IANS ssb/dpb At least 53 passengers on a flight from New Delhi to Hong Kong have tested positive for coronavirus, authorities said Tuesday, as the Chinese financial hub introduced an emergency ban on arrivals from India over a new wave of cases. The passengers flew into Hong Kong on a flight run by Indian operator Vistara on April 4. The positive tests are significant as Hong Kong is regularly recording fewer daily cases than the total detected on the flight since it brought a fourth wave under control in January. Authorities have now imposed a two-week ban on all flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines that began on Monday, categorising the countries as "extremely high risk" after detecting the N501Y mutant Covid-19 strain for the first time in the local community. India is battling skyrocketing infections, with hospitals running out of beds and the government forced to reimpose economically painful restrictions. Its capital New Delhi went into lockdown from Monday night as officials scramble to get the surging cases under control. The Vistara aircraft can hold 188 passengers but Hong Kong authorities did not announce how many it had been carrying. The positive coronavirus results surfaced while the arrivals were undergoing Hong Kong's mandatory three-week quarantine period, one of the strictest entry regimes in the world. All travellers flying into the territory from 25 places deemed high risk including Britain, South Africa, India, Pakistan and the United States must also provide a negative test within the 72 hours prior to departure. Several coronavirus cases have also been detected on flights arriving in Hong Kong from Mumbai, authorities said. Densely populated Hong Kong was one of the first places to be hit by the coronavirus, but the tough entry conditions, strict social distancing measures and universal mask wearing have helped keep infections to just over 11,700 with 209 deaths. Around 9.8 percent of the city's 7.5 million population have been vaccinated so far. yz/jfx/rma/je/axn KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 20, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Bina Puri Holdings Bhd (BPURI) has successfully secured a new international contract worth Nepalese Rupee NPR 5.2 billion (equivalent RM183 million) for the New Construction Project of Supreme Court Building Complex at Ramshahpath, Kathmandu, a project funded by the Government of Nepal.A filing to Bursa Malaysia today showed that Bina Puri together with Kalika Construction Pvt Ltd and Samanantar Nirman Sewa Pvt Ltd had entered into a joint venture agreement to form "Bina Puri - Kalika - Samanantar JV" to construct the project.The construction project is awarded by the Supreme Court of Nepal with a contract period of 36 months. It will consist of 7-storey building including two basements, RCC framed structure building with complete finishing, landscaping and MEP (Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Works along with firefighting) works.Group Executive Director Datuk Matthew Tee said: "We have been actively participating in the tender for projects both local and overseas to further replenish our orderbook. With the latest award mentioned, the Group's latest project book order will increase to RM1.9 billion."Kalika Construction Pvt Ltd is a leading well-known "A" class construction company of Nepal having over 40 years of experience in all types of construction works. It was founded in 1976 and its parent company, Kalika Group operates in five business sectors: Hydropower, Construction, Software Outsourcing, International Trading and FM Radio/Media. The Kalika Group is one of Nepal's largest and most respected business conglomerates.Whereas Samanantar Nirman Sewa Pvt. Ltd. was founded in 1993 and is currently one of Nepal's growing and most reputable construction companies by successfully delivering a range of projects for government and other market sectors. The works completed by the company comprises of government building, hospitals, water supply system, river protection, roads and infrastructures development in different sectors.According to the management of Bina Puri, the company's affiliation with Kalika is through both countries' membership in the International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors' Associations (IFAWPCA) represented by the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) and Federation of Contractors Associations of Nepal (FCAN). IFAWPCA groups together the fraternity of builders from nineteen (19) member countries in the Asia and Western Pacific region.A dynamic international organization, IFAWPCA plays a critical role in promoting international fellowship and cooperation; in developing beneficial relationships between governments and contractors in the region, and in establishing cooperative working arrangements in the furtherance of civil and building construction projects.Bina Puri is among the earliest Malaysian construction company to venture overseas since 1995. Bina Puri had previously completed a five-star Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal in April 2000 valued at RM39 million. Among the shareholders of the hotel is the Asian Development Bank (ADB).To date the Group has successfully carried out numbers of construction projects in several foreign countries.Among the notable completed projects are three highways in India including the Vijayawada-Eluru Expressway, Tada-Nellore Expressway in Andhra Pradesh and the Chittorgarh-Mangalwar Highway in Rajasthan, Malaysian Chancery Building and Official Ambassador's Residence in Beijing, China and Access Road for the New Bangkok International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.Bina Puri have also completed about 30,000 units of low cost housing and condominiums in various locations in Thailand; 2 Blocks of 45-storey residential towers in Abu Dhabi, UAE; 174 units Villas for the Defense Housing Authority in Lahore, Pakistan and more than 3,000 houses for the National Housing Scheme of Brunei from the Brunei Economic Development Board. Currently undergoing is the construction of the Malaysian Embassy Complex in Moscow, Russia.About Bina PuriBina Puri Holdings Bhd (BPURI) (MY:5932; BIN.MK; BPUR.KL) is a public listed company on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia with more than 46 years of work experience in civil and building construction both locally and internationally. The Group's diverse business activities include investment holdings, civil and building engineering management, property development, highway concession, quarry operations, manufacturing of construction materials, utilities and hospitality management.Bina Puri has successfully completed projects such as roads and highways, bridges and interchanges, waterworks, land reclamation works, residential and commercial buildings, hotels, hospitals, airports and government complexes. The group has international presence in which it has successfully undertaken projects in Cambodia, China, Brunei Darussalam, United Arabs Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Thailand.Bina Puri's notable investment portfolios include the 33km toll highway linking KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway, the Main Place Residence and Mall at USJ 21, and power plants in Indonesia. www.binapuri.com.mySource: Bina Puri Holdings BhdCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. CHICAGO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading youth development nonprofit Chicago Scholars is proud to announce Jeffery Beckham, Jr. as its new CEO. Following his leadership as Interim CEO since December 2020 and previous role as VP of Partnerships, Beckham will continue to empower Chicago's academically ambitious first-generation and low-income students in his new role as the organization celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. After an executive search for the position conducted by Koya Partners, the Chicago Scholars Board of Directors unanimously selected Beckham for the role. Leading the next chapter of Chicago Scholars as it enters its 25th year, Beckham plans to continue expanding its reach to ensure college education is accessible for all Chicago students. As a continuation of his work as Interim CEO, Beckham will be responsible for leading the development of the organization that serves more than 4,000 first-generation and low-income Chicago students to reach their dreams to pursue a college education. As a community leader, artist and tech-entrepreneur, Beckham has also advanced the fight for equity for youth and marginalized communities throughout the United States. "The Chicago Scholars community and mission is so inspirational, valuable and necessary, and I've seen first-hand the lasting impact this organization has on our next generation of leaders," said Beckham. "I'm honored for the opportunity to continue to empower driven young adults and grow such an outstanding program." In the past few months as Interim CEO, Beckham has already made important connections with a variety of new and ongoing partners to support Chicago Scholars' vision. Beckham brought on the exceptional support of McKinsey and Co., which has helped the organization expand its technology, financially supported Chicago Scholars programs, and recently awarded scholarships to three students. He also connected with the national nonprofit Health Care Connection, which empowers students to choose and successfully pursue authentic healthcare and public health careers. Leading the next chapter of Chicago Scholars as it enters its 25th year, Beckham plans to continue expanding its reach to ensure college education is accessible for all Chicago students by deepening personal engagement, broadening technical capabilities and preparing for a post-COVID-19 world while maintaining the organization's financial health. Opening new avenues to connect with black and brown students, Chicago Scholars will continue to fight for justice for a diverse group of Chicagoland leaders. "Jeff's continued leadership, passion, and promotion of our READI initiative [racial justice, equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion] were integral in the board's decision, making him the perfect Chief Executive Officer for Chicago Scholars," said Kathryn Thomas, Board Member and Chair of the CEO Search Committee. Chicago Scholars' Board Chair Kourtney Gibson added, "Jeff's demonstrated commitment to the organization's mission, his relationships with key stakeholders in the Chicago community, and his vision for the future of Chicago Scholars will take our organization to new heights." Beckham's thoughtful and dedicated leadership has earned him numerous accolades. WVON and Ariel Investments named Beckham one of Chicago's Top 40 Game Changers Under 40 years old in 2015, he was a finalist for the Chicago Inno 50 on Fire Award in 2016, and The RAY Awards named him their 2018-2019 Man of the Year for his work in the community. He is also a New Leaders Council Alum (2016), Impact Fellowship Alum (2018), Civic Action Capstone Fellowship Alum (2019) and 2020 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder Award Fellow. ABOUT CHICAGO SCHOLARS Chicago Scholars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, leadership development organization that empowers academically ambitious low-income or first-generation students to overcome systemic barriers to success in college and beyond while preparing the city's businesses and organizations for the next generation of leaders. For more information visit www.chicagoscholars.org . MEDIA CONTACT Chelsea Rosenberg 502-435-4090 [email protected] SOURCE Chicago Scholars Related Links http://www.chicagoscholars.org NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yotpo , a leading eCommerce marketing platform, has announced the winners of the 2020 Yotpo Partner Awards. This annual program celebrates outstanding eCommerce agency and technology companies for their collaborative spirit as a Yotpo Partner, innovative strategies and execution, and ability to create captivating eCommerce experiences that drive a merchant's direct-to-consumer (D2C) growth. "We are thrilled and honored to be partnered with companies that can be considered the 'best of the best' in eCommerce," said Will Schnabel, SVP Business Development and Partnerships, Yotpo. "The winners of the Yotpo Partner Awards represent some of the boldest, most creative, and edgy approaches for implementing Yotpo solutions, making brands' digital experiences both memorable and highly profitable." Drawing from hundreds of nominations from a thriving ecosystem of over 500 system integrators, agencies, and technology providers, the Yotpo Partner Awards highlight the companies and brands that are at the cutting-edge of producing digital experiences that spark and sustain customer relationships. Award winners offer a range of expertise: from exceptional design and meticulous work built on the leading eCommerce platforms to cutting-edge digital marketing strategies that tap Yotpo solutions for user-generated content (UGC), loyalty programs, and SMS marketing. WINNERS OF THE 2020 YOTPO PARTNER AWARDS Excellence Awards Recognizing an outstanding agency for boundary-pushing work that elevated client growth and expertise in Yotpo implementations Winner, North America: Zehner, for their work with Barefoot Dreams Zehner redesigned and re-platformed barefootdreams.com to deliver a flexible, customized shopping experience for the brand and its community. Winner, EMEA: LiveArea, for their work with Nuun LiveArea helped design a loyalty program for Nuun that fosters an emotional connection between customers and the brand. Winner, APAC: Overdose, for their work with Signet Overdose re-platformed Signet's legacy business to showcase their wide range of products and support personalization. Best Shopify Plus Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on Shopify Plus Winner, North America: BVA, for their work with Lifetime Brands BVA migrated nine of Lifetime Brands' storefronts to Shopify Plus to bolster their D2C presence and establish deeper relationships with their customers across their various brands. Winner, EMEA: Eastside Co, for their work with Grenade Eastside Co designed a customized Shopify Plus store for Grenade to extend their global footprint, engage customers, build community, and drive conversion. Best Salesforce Commerce Cloud Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on Salesforce Commerce Cloud Winner, North America: DEG, for their work with SPY Optic DEG built SPY Optic a state-of-the-art website on Salesforce Commerce Cloud to provide an intuitive and mobile-optimized shopping experience. Winner, EMEA: Tryzens, for their work with Whittard of Chelsea Tryzens re-platformed Whittard of Chelsea to Salesforce Commerce Cloud, providing the necessary framework to support the brand's expansion goals. Best Magento Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on Magento (Adobe) Winner, North America: Blue Acorn iCi, for their work with Lovesac Blue Acorn iCi designed and optimized Lovesac's site on Magento Commerce Cloud to bring the showroom experience online. Winner, EMEA: Vaimo, for their work with Iconic Lights Vaimo created a robust and modern site for Iconic Lights on the Magento Commerce 2 platform to support their goals of growing their brand and online business. Best BigCommerce Agency Recognizing a leading agency for their outstanding work for brands on BigCommerce Winner: The ZaneRay Group, for their work with Black Diamond Equipment ZaneRay revamped Black Diamond's website to allow their customers to elevate the brand experience with animated pages and dynamic content. Best Digital Marketing Agency Recognizing a forward-thinking agency whose creative marketing strategies have tangibly impacted merchant growth Winner: Hawke Media, for their work with Alkaline Herb Shop Hawke Media implemented an SMS marketing strategy for Alkaline Herb Shop that helped the brand exceed revenue goals and connect with customers on a personal level. Best Design Agency Recognizing cutting-edge eCommerce site design and boundary-pushing UGC and customer experiences Winner: Pointer, for their work with JuneShine Pointer overhauled JuneShine's website to feature a unique interactive layout that improved visibility and UX Best Tech Partner Recognizing a partner for their innovative technology and industry leadership Winner: Klaviyo, for their work with Tentree Klaviyo helped Tentree extend their immersive brand experience through email to create dynamic, data-powered conversations with customers. Best Integration Partner Recognizing a game-changing application of a Yotpo solution that helped propel business growth Winner: ShoppingGives, for their work with TomboyX ShoppingGives helped TomboyX create a unique loyalty program that combines rewards with charitable donations and creates positive impact. Rising Star - SMS Marketing Honoring an agency and its efforts to drive growth for eCommerce businesses through innovative SMS marketing strategies and intelligent campaigns Winner: CURIO, for their work with American Hat Makers CURIO created a customized SMS marketing plan for American Hat Makers that added new text flows, grew their subscriber list, and created tailored campaigns. Yotpo's 2020 Partner Awards program saw a 120% increase in nominations from more than 100 partners in 20 countries. Winners were determined by a committee of judges from Yotpo that represent every facet of eCommerce--from CEO & Cofounder Tomer Tagrin to experts from product, partnerships, customer success, design, marketing and communications. All Yotpo Partner Award winners and brand experiences are showcased at Yotpo.com . Through the Yotpo Partner Program, Yotpo works with preeminent eCommerce agencies around the world and offers dozens of technology integrations for seamless eCommerce marketing efforts. For more information on the Yotpo Partner Program, please contact: [email protected] ABOUT YOTPO Yotpo, a leading eCommerce marketing platform, helps forward-thinking brands like Patagonia, Steve Madden, Princess Polly, Helly Hansen, Brooklinen, and GoPro accelerate direct-to-consumer growth. Yotpo's single-platform approach integrates data-driven solutions for Loyalty, SMS Marketing, Reviews, and more, empowering brands to create smarter, higher-converting experiences that spark and sustain customer relationships. Yotpo integrates with the tools online businesses use every day, including Google and Instagram, and is available on all major eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Magento (An Adobe Company), and BigCommerce. Yotpo is a Forbes Cloud 100 company with offices worldwide including New York, London, Israel, and Bulgaria. Yotpo is hiring! Visit yotpo.com/jobs. Press Contact: | [email protected] SOURCE Yotpo Related Links http://www.yotpo.com Zubaida Jalal, Pakistans Minister for Defence Production, recently oversaw the signing of a MoU for construction of a Shipyard at Gwadar. This is a project that has been in the works for many years; at least since 2008. The latest round of excitement started in 2017, when, in a seminar organised by the Pakistan Navy (PN), its Naval Chief announced the approval of a new shipyard at Gwadar, to be completed within three to five years. 12 years since the idea and three years since the latest round of excitement, Pakistan has only been able to sign a MoU that too between its Federal and Provincial Governments. Even this has been possible only because PN eyes it a form of enriching itself with new sources of income and post retirement jobs. This is reflective of the larger malaise that afflicts Pakistan's maritime economy riddled with inefficiencies; bureaucratic hurdles; corruption and the choke hold PN exercises over this sector.Accordingly, while the outlook for the maritime economy remains gloomy, that of PN's own milbus (military business) represented by the Bahria Foundation, remains bright. Bahria Foundation, a charitable trust formed to look after the welfare of its personnel, both serving and retired, has expanded into a veritable conglomerate with business tentacles in areas ranging from construction, education, pharmacy, securities, travel, boat building and myriad maritime services like dredging, LNG terminals, shipyards, off-shore exploration, etc. While there have always been accusations of money being diverted for some of PN's operations and procurements, it is definitely a scheme for enriching its senior and middle level officers. Many are not aware that PN like its other Sister Services, runs formal 'retirement' plans for its senior officers who don't make it to Chief. This includes lucrative jobs heading ventures of Bahria Foundation, Ambassadorships, government posts, etc. These plans are mutually discussed and agreed upon so as not to create any bad blood among those not making it to four-star rank.The Bahria Foundation has four 'pillars' around which it organises its businesses. These include 'Bahria Estates', 'Commercial businesses', 'Bahria Education and Training Services (BEATS)' and the recently launched 'Maritime Works Organisation' (MWO) which forays into new areas like off-shore exploration and LNG terminals. Formation of the MWO has coincided with Pakistan's first off-shore exploration effort in collaboration with Exxon Mobil; and efforts at setting up additional LNG terminals to augment falling domestic gas production.While the Exxon Mobil effort failed, the tendering and bidding process for a third LNG terminal is at an advance stage. However, it has virtually been sabotaged by PN which wields the trump card of 'national security'. Despite appeals by bureaucrats and ministers, PN is yet to issue a No Objection Certificate for its construction at Port Qasim. However, its open knowledge that the objection is more for promoting its own terminal at Sonmiani Bay than fears of an Indian attack a la 1971.Accordingly, despite multi-national companies having sunk millions of dollars conducting feasibility studies and lobbying with even the Prime Minister, clearances are yet to be issued. In the real estate sector too, Bahria Foundation has seen the launch of new 'Naval Anchorage' projects including at Islamabad and Gwadar even as the civilian sector has come to a grinding halt due to witch-hunts by central authorities in the name of corruption.It is well known that Pakistan Armed Forces, the biggest land owners in Pakistan (also referred disparagingly by some as the 'kabza group'), are immune from such proceedings and make millions on dubious real estate deals. Last year, Pakistan Air Force's Shaheen Foundation had to pay back home-buyers after it tried to sell property built in the name of its martyrs in the open market. Currently, two off-shore islands off Karachi - Buddho and Bundal Islands, are in the news.These are being eyed by Pakistani real estate magnates offering a Dubai-like living experience even as the common Pakistan lives amidst squalor. In Gwadar, Bahria Foundation has had a first mover advantage and having procured land at nominal rates is developing or selling them at huge premiums.This is adding to the concerns of the local Baloch who fear marginalization as more and more 'outsiders' move in. The Naval Anchorage project offers retired naval personnel a luxurious lifestyle, insulated from the grinding existence of locals, for whom, even basic amenities like water and electricity are a struggle. PN's ventures in the education sector too are flourishing with new Cadet Colleges (latest one being at Ormara) and Schools (PN Model Schools) being set up. The University it runs, Bahria University (BU), has also seen expansion with a new campus being set up at Lahore.Existing campuses at Karachi and Islamabad are also seeing addition of new departments like Dental, Engineering, and Science and Technology which were inaugurated just prior the previous PN Chief went on retirement. All this comes at a time when Pakistan's education sector is seeing a serious resource crunch. The total budget allocated for Pakistan's education sector this year (2020-21) is only PKR 83.4 bn which is miniscule compared to PKR 1.7 trn for the Defence. Interestingly, even out of this meagre allocation, PKR 6.6 bn is for military run educational institutions.While PN's Bahria Foundation flourishes, the overall maritime economy is in a state of mess. As already brought out, plans for a second shipyard and a third LNG terminal are languishing. A look at the Fisheries sector reveals the same story of apathy, mismanagement and corruption. Fishing mafias abound many of whom are connected to nefarious groups, smugglers and armed gangs that dot Karachi.Over-crowding at Karachi fishing harbour has led to the spawning of illegal jetties at Ibrahim Hyderi which protrude like Helena's locks into Korangi creek, even as fishing harbours at Gaddani, Ormara, Pasni, etc are silting up due to lack of funds for dredging. The PMSA makes a killing here trying to act as arbiters to various warring fishing communities and groups leading to its own cycle of corruption. Despite potential, the Fisheries sector contributes a paltry 0.4 percent of the country's GDP and catch sizes have seen no growth even as the numbers of fishing vessels continue to grow. This gloom and doom is despite PN having accorded itself the role of arbiters of the maritime economy as part of its 'significant role' in nation building. As per its own claims, PN aims "to act as a catalyst for synergising efforts and optimising resources of various stakeholders in the development of the country's maritime sector which has lacked vitality despite its vast potential." For this it has a dedicated Directorate at Naval Headquarters to coordinate with agencies and the Naval Chief taking on the moniker of the Chief Adviser on Maritime Affairs. Despite noble intentions, it is clear that PN is mostly interested in its own maritime milbus with hardly a thought for the civilian side of the maritime economy.As part of its firm grip, the Minister for Maritime Affairs makes frequent calls on the Naval Chief to coordinate policy issues and for allocation of lucrative appointments within the myriad departments of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and Karachi Port Trust. Another example of this neglect is the ship-breaking industry. From being the largest ship-breaking yard in the 1980s, it has fallen to third in ranking after India and Bangladesh and continues its decline.Despite contributing 10-15 percent towards the domestic Steel sector and employing a huge work force, the industry is languishing due to lax controls, uneven taxation, smuggling, poor safety standards, occupational health hazards and non-adherence to the latest international conventions and treaties. Lastly, its Shipping sector too is stagnating with hardly any growth in the number of Pakistani flagged ships or private shipping companies. Even after 20 years of the launch of an 'attractive' Merchant Marine policy in 2001, the total fleet size of Pakistani flagged ships has been nominal.With only 16 percent of its total seaborne trade being carried by Pakistani bottoms, Pakistan continues to lose almost US$5bn per annum in foreign exchange in freight bills due to poor business environment and lack of planning. Reflective of the larger problem, unless Pakistan's maritime economy rids itself of its Navy's choke hold and allows free enterprise, merit and transparency in the system, its prospects would continue to remain under the shadow of gloom even as, PN's Bahria Foundation blooms. (Binay Kumar Singh is an author and columnist. He can be reached at Twitter: @BinayBharat. The views expressed are personal) NCTE's Squire Office released three new policy briefs on April 19, 2021. Tweet this Racial Literacy by Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz , Teachers College at Columbia University Sealey-Ruiz emphasizes that fostering student's racial literacy begins with teacher education and preparation. She also outlines six components of racial literacy development: critical love, critical humility, critical reflection, historical literacy, archaeology of self, and interruption. Sealey-Ruiz emphasizes that fostering student's racial literacy begins with teacher education and preparation. She also outlines six components of racial literacy development: critical love, critical humility, critical reflection, historical literacy, archaeology of self, and interruption. Understanding Translanguaging in US Literacy Classrooms: Reframing Bi-/Multilingualism as the Norm by Kate Seltzer , Rowan University , and Cati de los Rios, UC Berkeley Seltzer and de los Rios identify translanguaging as the longstanding norm in the US and offer research-based examples of classrooms that have successfully taken up translanguaging. They also explore policies that would enable students and teachers to leverage bilingualism/multilingualism for learning. Seltzer and de los Rios identify translanguaging as the longstanding norm in the US and offer research-based examples of classrooms that have successfully taken up translanguaging. They also explore policies that would enable students and teachers to leverage bilingualism/multilingualism for learning. Critical Media Literacy and Popular Culture in ELA Classrooms by Jamila Lyiscott, University of Massachusetts Amherst ; Nicole Mirra , Rutgers University ; and Antero Garcia , Stanford University Garcia, Lyiscott and Mirra advise educators to integrate a wide range of media and popular culture into instruction, and they center students as content creators (not just consumers). The authors also call attention to the disparities in technological access that the COVID-19 pandemic illuminated. "NCTE's Squire Office focuses on policy matters that represent inflection points in the teaching of English Language Arts. The Office's work merges policy and practice, exemplifying our belief in the expertise of teachers, and it puts the needs of students nationwide at the forefront. The policy briefs released today are timely and we look forward to new knowledge and opportunities to co-create policy that will emerge from the Squire Office's ongoing work," NCTE Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick said. Future policy briefs from NCTE's Squire Office will highlight topics including antiracist teaching, culturally and historically responsive literacy, teaching African American and Latinx children's and young adult literature, and engaging Chinese and Asian diaspora, hip-hop and youth cultural studies. NCTE relaunched the James R. Squire Office of Policy Research in English/Language Arts at the University of Notre Dame in 2020, under the leadership of Ernest Morrell, an NCTE Past President. Morrell is an influential scholar who studies the development of academic and critical literacy of adolescents of color in urban schools. He is currently the Director of the Center for Literacy Education at Notre Dame. In 2021, he will also become the Associate Dean for the Humanities and Equity in the College of Arts and Letters. "We are very excited about the release and dissemination of these briefs on racial literacy, translanguaging, and critical media pedagogy. They represent the best of what we know about these areas, they are accessible, and they offer plenty of ideas for policy and classroom practice. I couldn't be happier with the efforts of our first cohort of scholars, and I look equally forward to the conversations and transformations they are bound to inspire," Morrell said. NCTE established its Squire Office at the University of Michigan in 2003 to support reform in English Language Arts education by providing periodical reviews of research and policy analysis. The office's name honors James R. Squire, who served as NCTE's Executive Director from 19601967. NCTE Past President Anne Ruggles Gere directed the Squire Office from 20032016. About NCTE As the nation's oldest organization of pre-K through graduate school literacy educators, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. For more than 100 years, NCTE has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events. Contact: Kathleen Kennedy Manzo [email protected] SOURCE National Council of Teachers of English Related Links http://www.ncte.org A woman from Da Lat City, a popular tourist destination in Vietnams Central Highlands, has been arrested for selling milk tea spiked with cannabis to local residents and visitors. Police in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province examined an automobile parked in front of a hotel on To Hien Thanh Street on Monday afternoon and discovered 15 bottles of milk tea, officers said. Drugs were then found in the milk tea inside all of the 15 bottles in a test. Nguyen Thi Thai Dung, the 23-year-old car driver, was taken into custody for further verification, while her vehicle and milk tea bottles were confiscated. At the police station, Dung admitted to having mixed the milk tea with cannabis and advertised the product on Facebook. This image shows bottles of milk tea adulterated with cannabis sold by Nguyen Thi Thai Dung in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.Vinh / Tuoi Tre The woman added she had bought the cannabis from a friend. Each bottle of cannabis milk tea was offered at VND150,000-200,000 (US$7-9). Dung claimed to have been delivering the tea to buyers from her car, adding that she sold about 20 bottles per day. Her buyers included local residents and some visitors. Further investigation is ongoing. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The majority of incidents involved PCs or servers being hacked. A number of cyber criminals also chose to focus on so-called "ransomware" attacks, i.e. they gained access to sensitive data, encrypted it, and demanded a ransom in return for decrypting the data sets. Some major companies based in Luxembourg fell victim to this sort of attack. Other forms of cybercrimes include phishing attacks, or the so-called "CEO fraud", also known as "Business email compromise". In her reply to a parliamentary question by MPs Mars di Bartolomeo and Dan Biancalana from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), Minister of Justice Sam Tanson stated that these types of crimes have occurred with increasing frequency, a phenomenon which can most likely be attributed to the increased use of digital platforms by companies over the course of the pandemic. Tanson also mentioned SKY, a major operation carried out by the Belgian police, which was supported by special units from Luxembourg. Over the course of this operation, investigators not only managed to decipher a large number of encrypted messages, but also arrested 48 individuals and seized 17 tonnes of cocaine in Belgium. The Minister stated that this operation could also have legal repercussions in Luxembourg, if Belgian authorities decided to file complaints. However, Tanson added that should this be the case, it would then be necessary to assess whether the provided proof is admissible under the Luxembourgish jurisdiction. So far, the public prosecutor's office has not received such a request from the Belgian authorities. The childhood home of famous Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman (pictured) has been discovered in Maryland The childhood home of famous Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman has been discovered in Maryland, archaeologists announced Tuesday. It was first located in Church Creek was unearthed last year, with further research of the area and artifacts found officials confirming it is the location of Tubman's dad Ben Ross's old log cabin. Officials said bricks, datable pieces of 19th-century pottery, a button, a drawer pull, a pipe stem and old records helped experts locate the historical location. 'This discovery adds another puzzle piece to the story of Harriet Tubman, the state of Maryland, and our nation,' Maryland, Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford said. 'It is important that we continue to uncover parts of our history that we can learn from, especially when they can be lost to time, and other forces. I hope that this latest success story can inspire similar efforts and help strengthen our partnerships in the future.' The area was first excavated in November 2020 by Maryland's Department of Transpiration archaeology team who dug numerous pits looking for clues but unfortunately they came up empty handed. Dr. Julie Schablitsky, who led the work, stumbled upon a coin on an abandoned road that offered some hope. The site in Church Creek was unearthed last year, but following more research of the area and artifacts found officials can now confirm it is where Ben Ross's, Tubman's father, log cabin once stood The coin, which she found using a metal detector, has a profile of a woman with flowing hair that is tide back with a bandana that reads 'Liberty,' and below shows the date: '1808.' Schablitsky found the coin about a quarter-mile from where the cabin once stood and looking back she told The Washington Post it 'told us told us that we were on the right path, that we were getting closer.' The team returned to the area in March to continue their search. The property where the home once stood was acquired in 2020 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an addition to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County. This land was purchased as a critical addition with the impact of sea-level rise to provide future marsh migration and outdoor recreation. The home was first found in November 2020 by Maryland's Department of Transpiration archaeology team who dug numerous pits looking for clues but unfortunately they came up empty handed. Dr. Julie Schablitsky, who led the work, stumbled upon a coin on an abandoned road that offered some hope The team returned to the area in March to continue their search and unearthed a number of datable artifacts Officials said bricks, datable pieces of 19th-century pottery, a button, a drawer pull, a pipe stem and old records helped experts locate the historical location The property contains 10 acres bequeathed to Ben Ross by Anthony Thompson, the original owner, in the 1800s. As outlined in Thompson's will, Ben Ross was to be freed five years after Thompson's death in 1836 and when Ross was released from a life of slavery in the 1840s, he received the land as promised. Last month, Schablitsky and the other archaeologists discovered numerous artifacts dating to the 1800s, including nails, brick, glass, dish fragments and even a button. 'We looked at those artifacts closer and confirmed that these artifacts do date to the time period when he was living there,' Schablitsky told The Washington Post. The property where the home once stood was acquired in 2020 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an addition to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County. This land was purchased as a critical addition with the impact of sea-level rise to provide future marsh migration and outdoor recreation The property contains 10 acres bequeathed to Ben Ross by Anthony Thompson, the original owner, in the 1800s. As outlined in Thompson's will, Ben Ross was to be freed five years after Thompson's death in 1836 and when Ross was released from a life of slavery in the 1840s, he received the land as promised At today's event announcing the confirmation that these artifacts were evidence of Ben Ross's cabin, Schablitsky discussed their historical and cultural significance. 'The importance of discovering Ben Ross' cabin here is the connection to Harriet Tubman. She would've spent time here as a child, but also she would've come back and been living here with her father in her teenage years, working alongside him,' she said. Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in March 1822, on the Thompson Farm near Cambridge in Dorchester County 'This was the opportunity she had to learn about how to navigate and survive in the wetlands and the woods. We believe this experience was able to benefit her when she began to move people to freedom.' Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in March 1822, on the Thompson Farm near Cambridge in Dorchester County. She and her mother were enslaved by the Brodess family and moved away from the farm when she was a toddler. Ross felled and sold timber, which was transported by free black mariners to Baltimore shipyards and used to build ships. Tubman learned to navigate difficult terrain while working with her father. Interacting with mariners also provided knowledge of waterways on the East Coast, which may have helped her lead people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has expressed his gratitude to the Holy See and His Holiness Pope Francis for solidarity with Ukraine, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Government portal. "On April 20, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba had a telephone conversation with Secretary for Relations with States within the Holy See's Secretariat of State, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher," reads the report. Kuleba informed his interlocutor about an increase in Russia's military presence along the Ukrainian border, the aggravation of the security situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and growth of Russian disinformation. "Dmytro Kuleba expressed gratitude for the solidarity of the Holy See and personally His Holiness Pope Francis with Ukraine and support at a time when our state is countering Russia's armed aggression. The Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed our country's commitment to the political and diplomatic settlement," reads the report. The interlocutors paid special attention to bilateral cooperation and discussed the further development of the political dialogue between Ukraine and the Holy See. According to Ukrinform, on April 19, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council proposed a step-by-step plan on how to discourage Moscow from further escalation. iy New Delhi: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, on Monday (April 19) sent good wishes to the team of the film Qala as the makers released behind the scenes video from the making of the movie that stars late actor Irrfan Khans son Babil. "Anvita ji .. Wishing all the very best .. looking quite different .. good to see the making as well," Big B tweeted by sharing the video on his official Twitter handle. T 3880- Anvita ji .. Wishing all the very best .. looking quite different .. good to see the making as well .. pic.twitter.com/oy8lCfwOKo Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 19, 2021 The upcoming Netflix Original feature film Qala will mark the second collaboration of Anushka Sharmas production house- Clean Slate Filmz with Netflix after last years critically-acclaimed supernatural-feminist drama Bulbbul that starred Triptii Dimri in the titular role. Qala is helmed by Anvitaa Dutt who had also previously directed Bulbbul for the Clean Slate Filmz. She is also known for her works in critically and commercially hit movies like the Queen, Dostana, Bachna Ae Haseeno, and more. Through Qala late legendary actor Irrfan Khan son- Babil will make his debut in the Indian film industry. Along with him, the movie will also feature Triptii Dimri and Swastika Mukherjee in pivotal roles. The plot of the film is being kept under wraps for now, but through the official releases, it is evident that the movie will revolve around the story of a daughter who craves her mothers love. The 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office has launched a criminal investigation into the Loveland, Colorado police officers involved in the arrest of an elderly disabled woman last summer that left her with multiple injuries. "Upon seeing videos of the arrest of Karen Garner, I requested an independent investigation by our Critical Incident Response Team," 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin said in a tweet Monday night. "That protocol is now in place. An unbiased, thorough, & transparent criminal investigation will be conducted." CIRT investigations are typically launched to investigate police shootings, but this multi-agency team can also be used to investigate other incidents where a member of the public is injured or killed in an incident involving law enforcement, like an allegation of excessive force or in-custody death at the Larimer County Jail. More: How the Critical Incident Response Team investigates police shootings in Larimer County A federal civil rights lawsuit filed last week alleges Loveland police officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali and Sgt. Philip Metzler used excessive force when they arrested Garner in June 2020 on suspicion of stealing $13.88 worth of merchandise from Walmart. During the arrest, officers dislocated Garners shoulder, fractured her arm and sprained her wrist, according to the lawsuit filed by attorney Sarah Schielke. Garner suffers from dementia and sensory aphasia, which impairs her ability to verbally communicate and understand others, Schielke said in a news release this week. The arresting officer in the case Hopp has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Loveland police said in a statement Thursday. Jalali and Metzler have also been reassigned to administrative duties. Loveland police said in a statement Thursday that they launched an internal investigation after becoming aware of the excessive force allegations in the lawsuit Wednesday night. A Loveland Police Department news release said the agency was not aware of any complaints about Garner's arrest until the lawsuit was filed. Story continues The district attorney's office dismissed all charges against Garner in August 2020, under previous 8th Judicial District Attorney Cliff Riedel, according to a previous statement from the district attorney's office. Riedel was term limited in the last election, and McLaughlin took office in January. Garner's children said in a statement Monday night that the district attorney's investigation is "a small but long overdue step in the right direction." In the family's statement sent to media through Schielke, the children said they didn't previously file a complaint with the police department because "we just could not trust that it would be properly addressed" based on Metzler's response to a bystander's complaint at the scene that was caught on Hopp's body camera. They also said Riedel watched the footage before dismissing the charges against Garner but never called for an independent investigation. "Clearly, the newly elected DA understands what we suspected last summer that only an independent, outside investigation, with all the worlds attention, will reveal the truth," the statement read. More: Police internal investigations are public record, how are Larimer County agencies complying? A CIRT investigation aims to determine if person committed a crime during an incident, while an internal investigation looks only at whether an officer violated a department policy during an incident. Fort Collins Police Services will lead the CIRT investigation, according to the district attorney's office news release Monday night. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado will also investigate the incident. "Public trust in law enforcement and the criminal justice system is vital to the safety and fairness which we all endeavor to ensure in our communities," the district attorney's office said in a news release. "The robust, unbiased, and transparent procedures used in the 8th Judicial District CIRT protocol will not only ensure there is accountability for any potential criminal behavior but will also give our community the information and framework with which to evaluate our performance and have faith in the results of our investigations." On June 26, 2020, Garner was suspected of attempting to leave Walmart without paying for $13.88 worth of items, according to the lawsuit. After being stopped and asked to return the items, Garner's attorney said she attempted to pay for the items but the employees wouldn't let her and asked her to leave. Store employees called Loveland police, and Hopp responded. In body camera footage shared by Garner's attorney, Hopp attempts to stop Garner while she is walking in the grass along the side of the road. Garner pauses to look at him and appears to shrug, indicating she did not understand him, according to the lawsuit, and then continues walking. About 9 seconds after Hopp reaches Garner, he grabs her arms and twists them behind her back to take her to the ground. Jalali arrives on scene, and both officers continue to ask Garner questions, but the only thing she can be heard repeatedly saying in the body camera footage is Im going home. Metzler later arrives on scene and speaks to a witness. The lawsuit alleges Metzler intimidated and bullied the witness and deactivated his body-worn camera during the interaction to cover up the use of excessive force. According to the lawsuit, Garner was denied medical care for nearly six hours after she was arrested because officers told deputies at the jail Garner was not injured. When deputies discovered Garner was injured, they took her to the hospital. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County government and more throughout Northern Colorado. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Loveland Colorado police in arrest of disabled woman under investigation ALBANY People across the Capital Region Tuesday rejoiced along with much of America as ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd, a watershed event that galvanized a modern civil rights movement. About three dozen people gathered outside the Albany Police Department's South Station, crying, hugging and raising their fists in the air moments after the three convictions were announced on social media and televisions around the world. The verdict arrived almost 11 months after Floyd's death triggered countless local and national marches for civil justice reform. Outside the Albany police station, a large speaker played TV news as protesters and activists swiped their phones, refreshing their social media, awaiting news, they said. After the verdict was announced, a woman who has been protesting in Albany for over a week yelled Black Lives! with a raspy voice. She was crying. Matter! yelled the crowd, raising their fists. Melo Rabii was speechless. His hands were shaking and tears rolled down his face. This isnt a feeling were used to, he said, looking toward a sign with the names of over 40 Black Americans killed by police. As a race, were always prepared for the worst. Rabii, 29, was nervous as he waited before the verdict was read. I just want justice. ... We keep getting killed. "Hopefully, this is a step forward in the system," said Lexis Figuereo, a Black Lives Matter activist in his own city of Saratoga Springs. "I'm also wary. I don't want people to be too relaxed about things and be like this is an end all and everything is OK. Daunte Wright was murdered a week and a half ago in Minneapolis so we got to keep on. We got to make sure he gets justice." Outside a prayer vigil being held Tuesday afternoon in Schenectady, a woman was seen looking up at the sky screaming "Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord!" as a car in the background honked in celebration. Schenectady City Councilwoman Marion Porterfield said she cried when the verdict was read. "It was tears of relief for all that we've been through in this country - not just for this past year, but for many, many years," she said. "Justice has finally been served," said Pastor Nicolle Harris of Duryee Memorial AME Zion church in Schenectady. "This is by no means the end of the work, it's the beginning of the work." She added, "This means we're taking a small step forward." In Saratoga County, racial justice advocates gathered at 6 p.m. at the Spirit of Life statue in Saratoga Springs' Congress Park after the verdict. "For meaningful reform, that is the responsibility of each and every city and government to prioritize, so we can stop this cycle of hate and distrust, racism and lack of systemic accountability," said Jason Golub, co-chair of Saratoga Springs police reform committee. "The Chauvin guilty verdict is a step in the right direction. But its just the first of many we have to take together." This verdict, while important, does not mean the work for racial justice is any less urgent," Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said in a statement minutes after the verdict was read. Sheehan herself was criticized in the past week after force was used against protesters at South Station last Wednesday night. Sheehan, in her statement following the verdict said, "As mayor, I remain committed to doing all that I can to create room for productive dialogue as we seek to make transformative structural changes to an institution that continues to disproportionately cause harm to communities of color, particularly the Black community. Dr. Alice Green, executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, said the verdict was a victory for justice but that the work to reform the criminal justice system still needs to be done. "A lot of people said that they didn't believe that there would be a guilty verdict," she said. "That's how strong the feelings are against the system. It took a lot to to get this one victory, a lot." Green recalled the Rodney King verdict in 1992, when officers were found not guilty even though there was video of them beating and kicking King during a traffic stop, as well as the dozens of police shootings since Floyd's death in Minneapolis. "We still have a system that doesn't work for Black people. And we have to realize that in Albany, we are still fighting to re-imagine and put into place a different system of policing. We haven't gotten that yet, that has to happen to the bigger picture, all across the nation," she said. Dorcey Applyrs, Albany's chief city auditor, said there was no verdict that would ease the pain caused by Floyd's murder. "My heart continues to ache for the Floyd family and our nation as a whole as we continue to grieve the loss of Mr. Floyd. The trauma and anguish caused by the racist and inhumane actions of Derek Chauvin will have negative implications for generations to come." All of the charges required the jury to conclude that the 45-year-old Chauvins actions were a substantial causal factor in Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. Chauvin faced charges of second-degree (unintentional) murder, third-degree murder and second-degree murder, all of which the jury convicted him on. While the trial was in Minnesota, the case was closely watched in the Capital Region where fatal and life-altering clashes between police and Black civilians have led to decades of mistrust. Floyd's death inspired protests in the Capital Region last year, including in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga Springs. Demonstrations were held in Albany and Troy last week. The one held Wednesday in Albany was to protest Daunte Wright's death by police and included the South Station confrontation. Some demonstrators have remained at the station for days to keep attention on last week's clash and to demand the firing of an Albany police officer who grabbed at the protesters' light and megaphone. The region has seen a number high-profile police brutality cases that left Black people gravely injured or dead, including the shooting of Ellazar Williams, the shooting death of Edson Thevenin, and the death of Donald "Dontay" Ivy after he was Tasered. Back at South Station Tuesday an hour after the verdict, a woman introduced a new chant, one inspired by the days news: Whats the verdict? she asked the protesters and activists. Guilty! they replied. Posted Monday, April 19, 2021 12:53 pm Brendon Light always knew he wanted to serve in the military. As a child, Light enjoyed watching war movies and playing with army men while looking up to those serving in the armed forces. His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, his uncle in Vietnam and his stepdad in the Marines. Light said he always put people in the military on a pedestal and really respected them as a child. Lights desire to serve in the military didnt let up as he got older. He began taking classes at Battle Ground High School in the early 2000s. When he entered his senior year, Light began looking at his post-high school opportunities and decided to follow through on his dream and didnt even really look at colleges or other opportunities besides military service. I joined right at the start of my senior year, he said. And then I left for boot camp the next summer. Light graduated from Battle Ground High School in 2004 after living between Battle Ground and Orchards for most of his young life. While in school, he participated in extracurricular events like wrestling and enjoyed the time he spent with his friends in town. He chose to join the Navy after a persistent but informative recruiter told Light about the benefits of a career in that branch. (The recruiter) was an aircrewman and I heard all about what he did, Light said. He flew in planes and did missions on aircraft and I was like, that sounds really awesome. Id like to do that and thats what I joined to do. Before he could get onto helicopters and airplanes, Light had to complete the seven week Navy boot camp at the Naval Training Center in North Chicago, Illinois. That was followed by 18 months of training in Pensacola, Florida. While in Pensacola, Light went through what he called basic swim and survival training where he completed training in running, swimming and life-saving techniques. In training, Light and his crew spent time in a pool to learn how to approach and get control of a survivor in the water, put flotation devices on them and make sure theyre not entangled in parachute lines before attaching the person to a helicopter to fly them out of the water. Light said he also learned basic first aid such as CPR, how to splint broken bones and deal with a spinal injury. Light has now served in the Navy for over 17 years and has never had to use any of the lifesaving techniques he learned while on a mission. As a Naval Aircrewman Tactical Helicopter First Class (AWR1), Light works on helicopters where he operates the gear not directly related to flight, like guns. He finds targeting information for missiles and passes along information to control. Missions in a typical helicopter usually include two pilots and an aircrewman like Light. While he received training at the beginning of his career, Light said he continues to learn on the job every day. As he served more years in the Navy, he transitioned from receiving new training to teaching and mentoring the younger guys. Its not just in the helicopter, but, also in life, he said. Were responsible for being leaders for these guys (in every way). For the past three years, Light served time in Japan where he and his family lived about an hour outside of Tokyo. While in the eastern portion of the world, Light spent his free time in the city eating food and even climbed Mount Fuji for fun. Japan was one of the coolest places Ive ever been, he said. If you ever get a chance to go for any reason, do it. Prior to his time in Japan, Light and his family lived in Jacksonville, Florida where he spent time between two naval bases both on the ground, in the air and occasionally out at sea. While he loved Japan and said he would totally go back, Light said his favorite memory in the Navy so far was the time he pulled into the Port of Israel while the country was celebrating the 70th anniversary of the nation. That was really cool. It was a great place and they were having a big party. There were laser light shows and people dancing in the streets, he said. It was really cool. Light said another highlight of his career happened last year when he received a Sailor of the Year award for his command. I was incredibly honored to be selected as Sailor of the Year, he said. It was the first time I had done something like that. After a short stint in San Diego, Light and his family are headed to Spain. Light said he would tell any high school student looking for a career in the military that there are a lot of great opportunities a person shouldnt take for granted. Theres so much opportunity for anybody. It doesn't matter what your background is, where you come from, what your income level is or any of that, Light said. There are so many things that you can do (in the military.) All the doors are there and theyre unlocked, you just have to open them. PHOENIX, Ariz., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Assisted Living Locators, a nationwide senior placement and referral service, is launching "Mother's Day Messages Of Love," collecting cards to send love to senior moms that need it the most. Assisted Living Locators' 140 franchise locations are distributing the cards to residents at assisted living and skilled nursing communities throughout the U.S. "With visitor restrictions still in place at many assisted living communities due to the ongoing pandemic, mothers and grandmothers may not get the expression of love they deeply desire this Mother's Day such as a hug, a kiss on the cheek, or a face-to-face talk," said Angela Olea, Assisted Living Locators CEO RN. "Sending messages of love has never been more important, we ask the community's help, from adults to young children, to participate in this card campaign and brighten a senior's Mother's Day." Participants can mail the cards to their local Assisted Living Locators office. To find out a local care advisor near you, call 1-877-226-7780 or enter your ZIP code on the website, www.assistedlivinglocators.com. Follow these simple guidelines: Please WASH YOUR HANDS before writing cards and do not seal envelopes. On front of envelope: To Someone Special To sign the card for children: Name and age or grade To sign the card as an adult: Name and hometown Include a Return Address on the envelope, if you wish, so seniors can write back. Keep messages positive. ("You are being thought of today." "Hope this card makes you feel special today.") "Mother's Day is a time for connecting, with family, friends and the community at large," said Olea. "This campaign will lift the spirits of the mothers and grandmothers we serve." Olea added that if you're a caregiver of a senior that is struggling with loneliness at home, now is the time to consider transitioning to an assisted living community. "With COVID-19 vaccines here, assisted living communities are a safe way to combat the isolation and loneliness that result from sheltering in place during the pandemic," she explained. "These communities offer seniors daily exercise, social activity, and a clean, safe environment." For more information on Assisted Living Locators free senior placement and referral service or the "Mother's Day Messages Of Love," visit www.assistedlivinglocators.com . SOURCE Assisted Living Locators Related Links http://www.assistedlivinglocators.com Judge holding a gavel. (PHOTO: Getty Images) SINGAPORE A trader linked to a fraud involving about $1 billion was handed five additional charges related to cheating on Tuesday (20 April). Ng Yu Zhi, 33, director of Envy Asset Management (EAM), and former director of Envy Global Trading (EGT), is accused of cheating five individuals to pay around $8.8 million to EGT in connection with its forward contracts with Raffemet Pte Ltd for the sale of nickel, when there were no such forward contracts. Ng now faces a total of nine charges, which consist of seven counts of cheating for cheating six individuals and an entity of more than $57.6 million in connection with its forward contracts with Raffemet and two counts of fraudulent trading, for being a party to the businesses of EAM and EGT that were carried out for fraudulent purposes. According to the Singapore Police Force, between October 2017 and February this year, EAM and EGT were believed to have raised at least $1 billion from investors to purportedly finance nickel trading activities. Under the investment contracts, investors were promised varying returns, which averaged 15 per cent over an investment period of three months. The Monetary Authority of Singapore brought EAM and EGT to the attention of the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) last November. The CAD investigated into the activities of the two entities, and Ng was subsequently arrested on 16 February for suspected cheating. As part of investigations, dealings in bank accounts and properties belonging to various entities connected to Ng were curtailed. The current estimated value of the bank accounts and the properties is around $100 million. If convicted of fraudulent trading, Ng faces jail of up to seven years, or a fine of up to $15,000 or both. If convicted of cheating, he faces a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: Story continues Bodies of 2 men found in Singapore River close to Clarke Quay Parti Liyani makes bid for compensation from prosecution Scoot barred from landing flights from Singapore in Hong Kong for 2 weeks Union Health Minister Dr on Tuesday followed up on former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's health with the medical team attending to him at AIIMS Delhi and said that his condition is stable. "Followed up on Dr Ji's health with the medical team attending to him at AIIMS, Delhi. His condition is stable. Best possible care is being provided to him. We all pray for his quick recovery," tweeted The former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Dr was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was on Monday admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre. "Former PM tests positive for COVID19, admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre in Delhi," said an AIIMS official. The COVID-19 situation in India continues to deteriorate amid the second wave of infections. For the past three days, the country has been reporting in excess of two lakh infections and over 1,000 related deaths on a daily basis. All passengers travelling from India to Dubai airports must hold a valid Covid-19 test certificate issued within 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample, a report said. The revised regulations on PCR Covid-19 tests will come into effect on April 22, said a report in Khaleej Times. Currently, passengers are required to undergo RT-PCR 72 hours before departure, it said. The PCR certificate must include the sample collection date and time and the result shown accurately in Arabic or English. The test must be issued from a certified lab from where the passenger is travelling. It must also include a QR code linked to the original report for verification by the airline, and the Dubai Health Authority upon arrival. At present, only Indias flag carriers - Air India and Air India Express - and Spice Jet have issued revisions to the existing pre-departure testing policies, the report said. Richard Whyley took more than 6,400 photos up women's skirts. A prolific upskirter has been spared jail after he admitted taking pictures under 250 womens skirts, using a GoPro camera hidden in his shoe. Richard Whyley, 32, took more than 6,400 images while following women as they went shopping in Worcestershire between 26 June and 15 August, 2019. The university worker and engineer also secretly filmed women getting undressed in their homes as well as one couple having sex. Upskirting itself became a specific criminal offence in April 2019 after a high-profile campaign by writer Gina Martin, who spent months fighting for legislation to criminalise the act after two men took a picture up her skirt at a festival. Read: Company director jailed and wife fined for pushing cyclist off bike The maximum sentence for upskirting is two years in prison for the most severe cases. Whyley was spared jail after being sentenced to a three-year community order at Worcester Crown Court on Monday. It came after he admitted to voyeurism as well as recording an image under clothing and operating equipment without consent. Whyley, 32, was spared jail. During the sentencing, Judge Martin Jackson told the 32-year-old: There was a significant degree of planning, in particular the use of the GoPro camera and adaptation of footwear enabling you to place it inside the footwear so it could be used. Jackson later added: I dont think you really truly understand the impact of your offending on her or upon others who have been a victim of your actions. Whyley's upskirting was unveiled when a 16-year-old girl raised the alarm after hearing a camera click in H&M in Worcester in August 2019. The suspect was then traced via CCTV to a building owned by the University of Worcester. A search of his company vehicle revealed two pairs of shoes with holes cut in the toes and an SD card with 94 images and videos recorded through the windows of private homes. Later it was found that he had also taken more than 6,436 images of women over several months. Story continues Watch: Rape trials in Scotland could be heard without a jury During Whyley's sentencing, the teenage victim addressed the court in a statement, saying: I have become so conscious of what I wear when Im out and in the town and theres other people around. She also said she feels incredibly wary of middle-aged men that I cant trust and that she is constantly looking over my shoulder. I worry about who has those images and it gets me really anxious to think that I dont know where they have gone, she added. This has impacted on every aspect of my life and Im now constantly anxious and worried about something happening. Nicholas Wragg, defending, said Whyley is of previous good character, has shown remorse, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has taken steps to address his offending behaviour. Whyley was ordered to pay his victim 750 compensation, made subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the Sex Offender's Register for five years. He was also ordered to abide by an electronic curfew tag for four months, pay 340 in court costs, undertake 40 rehabilitation requirement days and carry out an accredited sex offender program. The sentence comes amid a wider conversation around violence and sexual violence against women sparked by recent major news stories. Read more: Was your local area one of 140 to report zero COVID deaths last week? Revealed: Hundreds with fake COVID certificates trying to enter UK every week This includes the death of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman who disappeared when she was walking home through south London just after 9pm earlier this year. Her body was later discovered in a woodland in Kent and Met Police officer Wayne Couzens was arrested and charged with her murder. In the wake of her death, school pupils across the country began to call out rape culture, especially students in top private schools. This saw thousands of young women anonymously writing their stories of abuse on the website Everyones Invited, where more than 100 schools are named. The site was founded by Soma Sara who, after sharing stories of rape culture on Instagram following multiple conversations with friends and family, was overwhelmed with responses from strangers. Watch: Upskirting becomes crime in England and Wales Workers have staged strikes and protests across Brazil against the murderous, uncontrolled spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing social crisis that has driven tens of millions into poverty. The weeks-long strikes by teachers in Sao Paulo against deadly school reopenings are being joined by a growing number of work stoppages by bus drivers, oil and railway workers, delivery app workers and other sectors as Brazil has recorded nearly 14 million coronavirus infections and a staggering 375,000 deaths. Bus drivers have staged work stoppages in a number of state capitals. While the National Confederation of Transportation and Logistics Workers (CNTTL) union has sought to isolate these struggles, it has been forced to call a nationwide health strike today. Delivery workers demonstrating for better pay and working conditions in Sao Paulo on April 16. (Twitter) Meanwhile, some 1,700 oil workers at the President Getulio Vargas refinery (Repar) in the state of Parana, went on strike April 12 against a plan to bring in 2,000 workers from the across the country for nonessential maintenance work. A similar operation in March at the Gabriel Passos Refinery (Regap), in the state of Minas Gerais, resulted in a coronavirus outbreak that led to at least 200 infections and five deaths. A study by the National Amazonian Studies Institute (INPA) predicted that, given Brazils current infection rates, sending 2,000 workers into Repar would trigger an outbreak resulting in at least one additional death every day in the city of Araucaria. Yesterday, in the face of skyrocketing infections on crowded offshore oil rigs, the Sao Paulo Coastline Oil Workers Union (Sindipetro-LP) called a state of strike and permanent assembly, stopping short of a complete shutdown of rigs. The action was triggered by a planned change in work schedules by the state-run Petrobras energy conglomerate, which is introducing speedups under the guise of reducing infections. Sao Paulos coastline oil operations employ 900 workers and have the capacity to extract more than 1.3 million barrels of oil a day. Increased militancy fueled by the combined impact of COVID-19 deaths and the social crisis has also brought app delivery workers employed by tech giants such as iFood and Uber Eats into action. Last Friday, thousands of delivery workers stopped work and paraded through the streets of Sao Paulo, being greeted with applause from truck drivers and hospital workers as they rode down the citys main thoroughfares. Bus divers in Sao Paulo's ABC region demonstrate against high COVID-19 infections and deaths (Credit: Sintetra) Metalworkers staged a week-long strike against the closing of the LG plant in the industrial corridor along the banks of the Paraiba river connecting the countrys two main cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The LG workers returned to work after the local SINDIMETAL metalworkers union announced it was resuming negotiations with the company. As part of global restructuring plans, LG has announced it will cease production of computer monitors, resulting in the layoff of 700 of the 1,000 workers at the plant. Workers at outsourced component factories in the region, employing 430, have been on strike against the LG shutdown since April 6. The nationwide strike action by transportation and logistics workers follows a week of demonstrations and partial stoppages at shift changes by bus drivers in some of Brazils largest cities. Buses were halted on different days in the federal capital Brasilia, the third-largest city in the country; Salvador, Bahia, the fourth-largest; Recife-Pernambuco, the ninth-largest and Sao Luis-Maranhao, the 15th-largest. Buses were also stopped in Vitoria, the capital of the state of Espirito Santo. On Monday, an indefinite strike began in Brasilias subway system. Today, demonstrations are planned in 14 states, and will for the first time include a halting of rail service in Sao Paulo, the largest mass transit system in the country, as well as in Porto Alegre. Bus drivers, fare collectors and clerks will stage a 24-hour stoppage in every major region of the state of Sao Paulo, including the Paraiba valley and other industrial centers such as Sorocaba, Jundiai and Guarulhos, covering over 80 percent of the states population of 44 million. The militancy of mass transit workers is a direct response to the herd immunity policy adopted by the Brazilian ruling class and all of its representatives, from the fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro, to state governors of the so-called political opposition led by the Workers Party (PT). LG workers vote to strike against Taubate plant closure (Twitter) Excess deaths among bus drivers throughout Brazil in the last year stand at 62 percent, according to a study sponsored by El Pais based on the National Employment Registry (CAGED). This is triple the national average of 22 percent. Both figures are based on deaths registered in 2020, and have not yet incorporated the horrific toll from the latest COVID-19 surge, which has seen daily deaths rise to 3,000, triple the number recorded during the peak of the first wave in mid-2020. Nor do these figures give any insight into how many family members of transit workers fell victim to infections that they brought home from their jobs. The numbers in Sao Paulo expose this reality even more starkly. In the Greater Sorocaba region, the fourth-largest largest metropolitan area in the state with over a million inhabitants, a shocking 10 percent of bus drivers have already lost their lives to COVID-19. Despite all the propaganda claims that the state was keeping only essential business open, in the city of Sao Paulo alone, the mass transit system has registered 3 billion trips during the pandemicover 1.6 billion on buses, and 1.4 billion on the rail system. In the subway, 22 workers have already died and 1,500 of the 8,000 workers have been infected. In the even more crowded commuter transit system, 50 of the 8,000 rail workers have died, as well as 131 bus drivers. Mass transit workers have also been hit with over 50,000 layoffs during the pandemic, as transportation companies seized on government propaganda about a vast reduction in circulation resulting from pandemic restrictions to restructure operations and reduce the number of buses and trains. The transport strike in Sao Paulo comes as the state government announced the reopening of in-person retail service after a so-called emergency phase which saw the states ICU beds reduce their occupancy to just under 90 percent for the first time in a month. The move came after the Sao Paulo Shopping Mall association announced stores would fire 60,000 workers in the city if retail was kept closed for another week. That would represent 1 percent of the citys workers thrown onto the streets overnight. The state is currently recording over 820 deaths a day. Mass death has been joined with mass immiseration and an unprecedented growth in social inequality. Tens of millions of Brazilians have been thrown into poverty since the pandemic began, and unemployment is at record levels. More than half the population faces food insecurity. Meanwhile, the number of Brazilian billionaires has climbed over the past year from 45 to 65, while their combined wealth rose by a staggering 72 percent to $219 billion. The wave of strikes and workers protests in Brazil are an expression of the increasing anger and militancy of workers over similar conditions that exist all over the world. After a year that has seen 3 million COVID-19 deaths and immense social deprivation, the conditions are emerging for an eruption of class struggle on a global scale. In Brazil, as in every country, the ruling class refuses to take measures needed to stop mass death and prevent mass poverty and hunger because they would impinge upon their profit interests. Therefore the battle against COVID-19 cannot be waged successfully outside of a political struggle against the capitalist system. To wage this battle, Brazilian workers require a new leadership and new organizations of struggle. The existing unions, tied to the Workers Party (PT) and its capitalist program, have refused to fight for measures required to contain the pandemic. Instead, they have promoted the murderous policies of economic reopening and herd immunity, attempting to isolate every struggle, while demanding only that the workers they purport to represent be given priority over other sections of the population for the grossly inadequate supply of vaccines. Brazilian workers, including bus and train drivers, oil workers, delivery workers and teachers, must form their own rank-and-file committees, independent of the pro-capitalist unions, to wage a united fight for a real shutdown of all non-essential services until the spread of the virus is halted and vaccinations are available for all. They must demand full compensation for workers and ruined small businesses to stop the economic blackmail that forces workers to labor under unsafe conditions. These demands can be realized only by means of a frontal assault on the vast wealth accumulated by the ruling elite, which must be expropriated as part of a socialist program to fund a global response to the pandemic based on the health and social needs of all. The development of the emerging movement of the working class into a conscious and revolutionary struggle for socialism requires the building of a new revolutionary leadership: the International Committee of the Fourth International and its sympathizing organization in Brazil, the Socialist Equality Group. Village of Richton Park joins the Illinois Purchasing Group The Village of Richton Park invites all potential vendors to register online. The Village of Richton Park has officially joined the Illinois Purchasing Group, one of BidNets regional e-procurement solutions, providing vendors throughout Illinois easy online access its upcoming solicitations. The Village of Richton Park invites all vendors to register online at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/illinois. The regional purchasing group connects local governments with vendors looking to do business with public agencies. On the Illinois Purchasing Group, vendors seeking business with 16 participating agencies can register online to gain access to a single point of entry for opportunities throughout Illinois. By posting upcoming bids and RFPs on the Illinois Purchasing Group, the Village of Richton Park ensures an entire community of vendors can view their solicitation, download documents, and receive notification of addenda. The vendors self-register and ensure their contact information is up to date. Because we arent the only agency posting and distributing bids, the Illinois Purchasing Group provides the Village of Richton Park more vendor competition, which we hope will help cut costs, said Mike Wegrzyn, Director of Public Works of the Village of Richton Park when asked why their department decided to join the Illinois Purchasing Group. We also like that it can help our current vendors expand their business opportunities. The Village of Richton Park invites all local vendors to visit http://www.bidnetdirect.com/illinois and register to receive access to its upcoming solicitations as well as the upcoming bids and RFPs from 15 other public agencies participating on the Illinois Purchasing Group. Registered vendors have the option to upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, notification of term contract expiration, and notification of a real-time addendum. About the Village of Richton Park: The hub of Chicagos Southland suburbs, Richton Park is a warm, welcoming and diverse village with easy access to the city via a busy Metra station and Interstates 57 and 80. Richton Park prides itself on being a tight knit community with low crime and opportunities for kids, including a new charter school, new library, plenty of youth activities and quick access to four-year Governors State University. To attract and retain Millennials, families and those wishing to age in place, Richton Park is developing a transit-oriented town center and fostering a spirit of volunteerism, entrepreneurship and beautification in the Village. Richton Park aims to be the community of choice for upwardly mobile individuals and those seeking education and business opportunities. About BidNet Direct: BidNet Direct, a mediagrif product, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. BidNet Direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Illinois Purchasing Group, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers Instead, with his characteristic humbleness and good humor, the man who had played a pivotal role in the Camp David peace accords between Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt would happily talk Mideast peace with a cashier at the grocery store. Hed share stories from his time as ambassador to Japan with students at the University of Minnesotas Humphrey School of Public Affairs. And most important, he took on the mission of preparing the next generation of leaders for the next big decision by serving as a mentor to so many. And I know that when the jury verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin was read, Fritz Mondale was with us rooting for justice. My first job in politics was as a college intern in Vice President Mondales office in 1980 during his last year in office. I went to Washington with grandiose visions of writing big briefings on big issues. Instead I was assigned to furniture inventory, which meant I had to write down the serial numbers of every lamp, table and chair provided by the government for the use of the vice president and his staff. As I like to remind students, I learned two things from that job: One, Walter Mondale was scrupulously honest. Nothing was missing. Second, take your jobs seriously, even when they arent exactly what you planned. Thanks to him, that was my first job in Washington. And, again thanks to him, senator was my second. It was Walter Mondale who encouraged me to run for the Senate, which included his insistence that I get my reasons for running down to a 30-second elevator speech. Thats todays politics, he explained. This resulted in a series of phone calls, with me earnestly reciting my 30 seconds and him responding with his typical Norwegian understatement: Thats just not good enough. Call me back in an hour. This went on for most of a day until I could finally recite those 30 seconds of reasons, eventually taking them to the cornfields of southern Minnesota, the iron ore mines in the north, and ultimately, the halls of the Capitol. Photo: Trev Bungay Veterans Affairs Canada has refused to disclose to an inquiry its internal review of how it handled the tragic case of Lionel Desmond, the Afghanistan war veteran from Nova Scotia who fatally shot three family members and himself in 2017. The provincial fatality inquiry has been told by federal lawyers the review is beyond the inquiry's terms of reference an assertion that raises questions about the inquiry's ability to determine what happened and how to prevent similar tragedies. The inquiry has heard Desmond served as a combat soldier in 2007, was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression in 2011 and received more than four years of treatment before he left the Canadian Armed Forces in 2015. At that point, Desmond's care became the responsibility of Veterans Affairs Canada, which appointed a case manager to help him overcome barriers to his mental and physical wellness. The inquiry was supposed to hear today from that case manager, Marie-Paule Doucette, but her appearance was postponed when the inquiry learned about Veterans Affairs' decision to withhold the results of its review. Doucette's evidence is considered key to the hearings because the inquiry has yet to hear from any Veterans Affairs employee who dealt directly with Desmond. Instead, the inquiry heard testimony today from a senior manager in the department, Lee Marshall, who provided details about various protocols and services. Marshall confirmed Desmond received $126,561 in financial benefits after he was medically discharged from the military, which included a series of lump sum payments for his disabilities and other financial benefits. Marshall also provided details about the role of case managers, who are assigned to veterans facing physical or mental-health barriers while trying to reintegrate into civilian life. President Joe Bidens first 100 days have been tested by tens of thousands of people arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. Its a situation weve seen many times before, but a variety of conditions have exacerbated the problem. A combination of COVID-19, climate change and the perceived open-door policy of the Biden administration have contributed to create (yet another) border crisis. Its not a surprise. Border and immigration issues are difficult, and there are no quick fixes. But there is one often-overlooked response where swift action could make a significant and immediate difference: expanding and targeting guest worker visas. In March, U.S. authorities encountered an estimated 170,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. These individuals left their communities for multiple reasons, including violence, political instability and lack of economic opportunities in Central America. The pandemic-worsened economic crisis and Novembers back-to-back hurricanes Eta and Iota also exacerbated tensions and food insecurity. For those fleeing political persecution, there are asylum pathways. However, for those seeking to escape dire straits, it will take time for Bidens $4 billion plan for Central America to impact their rural communities. These individuals are left with two migration options: Try to pass as asylum-seekers or attempt to enter the United States undetected. There could be a third option. Many of these individuals could come to the U.S. on guest worker visas. They could travel to the United States legally, drying up funds for human smugglers and avoiding perilous interactions with criminal organizations. They would then fill jobs in critical sectors that struggle to find U.S. workers, even in the pandemic. Itd be a win for the border, for the U.S. economy and for families looking for a hopeful future. There are two types of temporary guest worker visas: H-2A and H-2B. H-2A visas are for agricultural workers, and there are unlimited numbers for employers unable to recruit enough U.S. farmworkers. H-2B visas are for temporary nonagriculture jobs, and they are capped at 66,000. Employers face increasing competition for these coveted slots. In 2019, the high volume of H-2B requests crashed the Department of Labors application site. The H-2A and H-2B guest worker visas go almost uniformly to Mexicans; only a handful are extended to Central Americans. In 2019, more than 264,000 seasonal work visas were issued to Mexicans, while less than 8,000 visas were granted to Hondurans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans combined. Amid the pandemic, this number for Central Americans fell to less than 5,000 visas in 2020. However, the Biden administration and, in particular, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has the ability to both raise the cap on H-2B visas by 64,000 visas and to allocate all or a significant number of these visas to Central Americans. This wouldnt be new. In early 2020, the Trump administration raised the H-2B cap and set aside 10,000 for Central Americans, but later reversed the move before it went into effect. During the pandemic, members of Congress from both parties encouraged the Department of Homeland Security to lift this limit in order to meet employers demand for workers. These visas would aid the U.S. economic recovery and could be targeted to have a direct effect on the numbers of Central Americans arriving at the border. Not only would they immediately reroute tens of thousands of people in the region into guest worker programs, but the economic effect would extend to these individuals family members and communities as additional remittances find their way back to Central America. Research shows that guest worker visas redirect people into legal pathways. Studies have suggested the increase in seasonal work visas for Mexicans over the last decade contributed to the decline in the apprehensions of Mexicans at the border. There is no reason this wouldnt be the case for Central Americans. The H-2B program is not without its flaws. It needs adjustments so it works better for U.S. employers, domestic labor groups and guest workers. This includes streamlining the Department of Labors certification process to shorten the approval time for employers and providing stronger labor protections for guest workers who fear retaliation if they report workplace abuses or wage theft. These are not insurmountable obstacles. As with all things related to immigration, there are few straightforward policy solutions. Yet guest worker visas come pretty close. With tens of thousands more Central Americans likely to travel to the border in the coming months, it is urgent Biden act immediately. Antonio Garza served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2002 through 2009. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The jurors who sat quietly off-camera through three weeks of draining testimony in Derek Chauvin's murder trial in George Floyd's death moved into the spotlight Tuesday, still out of sight but now in control of verdicts awaited by a skittish city. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial resumed deliberations Tuesday morning. Anonymous by order of the judge and sequestered now until they reach a verdict, they spent just a few hours on their task Monday after the day was mostly consumed by closing arguments in which prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May in a way that even a child knew was wrong. The defense contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that the 46-year-old Floyd died of a heart condition and illegal drug use. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, all of which require the jury to conclude that his actions were a substantial causal factor in Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Now Playing: Video: Associated Press On HoustonChronicle.com: 'I want a conviction': George Floyd's friends, family in Houston brace for trial of Derek Chauvin Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw, prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments, referring to the bystander video of Floyd pinned to the pavement with Chauvin's knee on or close to his neck for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as onlookers yelled at the officer to get off. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing that Chauvin did what any reasonable police officer would have done after finding himself in a dynamic and fluid situation involving a large man struggling with three officers. As Nelson began speaking, the now-fired Chauvin removed his COVID-19 mask in front of the jury for one of the very few times during the trial. With the case drawing to a close, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis. The courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard troops were on patrol. Floyd's death set off protests last spring in the city and across the U.S. that sometimes turned violent. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in a nearby suburb on April 11. About 300 protesters marched in the streets outside the courthouse shortly after the jury got the case, lining up behind a banner reading, Justice 4 George Floyd & all stolen lives. The world is watching. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell had the final word Monday, offering the state's rebuttal argument. The prosecutor, who is Black, said the questions about the use of force and cause of death are so simple that a child can understand it. In fact, a child did understand it, when the 9-year-old girl said, Get off of him, Blackwell said, referring to a young witness who objected to what she saw. "Thats how simple it was. `Get off of him.' Common sense. Under the law, police have certain latitude to use force, and their actions are supposed to be judged according to what a reasonable officer in the same situation would have done. Nelson noted that officers who first went to the corner store where Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill were struggling with Floyd when Chauvin arrived as backup. The defense attorney also pointed out that the first two officers on the scene were rookies and that police had been told that Floyd might be on drugs. On HoustonChronicle.com: Before dying in Minneapolis police custody, George Floyd grew up in Houston's Third Ward A reasonable police officer understands the intensity of the struggle, Nelson said, noting that Chauvins body camera and badge were knocked off his chest. Nelson also showed the jury pictures of pills found in Floyds SUV and pill remnants discovered in the squad car. Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyds system. The defense attorney said the failure of the prosecution to acknowledge that medical problems or drugs played a role defies medical science and it defies common sense and reason. During the prosecution's argument, Schleicher replayed portions of the bystander video and other footage as he dismissed certain defense theories about Floyd's death as nonsense." He said Chauvin killed Floyd by constricting his breathing. Schleicher rejected the drug overdose argument, as well as the contention that police were distracted by hostile onlookers, that Floyd had superhuman strength from a state of agitation known as excited delirium, and that he suffered possible carbon monoxide poisoning from auto exhaust. The prosecutor sarcastically referred to the idea that it was heart disease that killed Floyd as an amazing coincidence. "Is that common sense or is that nonsense? Schleicher asked the jury. Blackwell, his fellow prosecutor, likewise rejected the defense theory that Floyd died because of an enlarged heart: The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvins heart was too small. Earlier, Schleicher described how Chauvin ignored Floyds cries and continued to kneel on him well after he stopped breathing and had no pulse. Chauvin was on top of him for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and he had to know, Schleicher said. He had to know. He said Chauvin heard Floyd, but he just didn't listen. The prosecutor said Floyd was "not a threat to anyone" and was not trying to escape when he struggled with officers but instead was terrified of being put into the tiny backseat of the squad car. He said a reasonable officer with Chauvins training and experience he was a 19-year Minneapolis police veteran should have sized up the situation accurately. Chauvin showed little expression as he watched himself and the other officers pinning Floyd to the ground on bodycam video played by his attorney. He cocked his head to the side and occasionally leaned forward to write on a notepad. An unidentified woman occupied the single seat set aside in the pandemic-spaced courtroom for a Chauvin supporter. Floyds brother Philonise represented the family in court in the morning, followed later by a nephew, Brandon Williams. Schleicher also noted that Chauvin was required to use his training to provide medical care to Floyd but ignored bystanders, rebuffed help from an off-duty paramedic and rejected a suggestion from another officer to roll Floyd onto his side. He could have listened to the bystanders. He could have listened to fellow officers. He could have listened to his own training," Schleicher said. He knew better. He just didnt do better." After closing arguments were done, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defense request for a mistrial based in part on comments from California Rep. Maxine Waters, who said weve got to get more confrontational if Chauvin isnt convicted of murder. The judge told Chauvins attorney: Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. He called her comments abhorrent and disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch. ___ Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press video journalist Angie Wang in Atlanta and writers Mohamed Ibrahim and Aaron Morris in Minneapolis contributed. ___ Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd As went into a six-day amid the deteriorating COVID-19 situation, hundreds of thronged at the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal on Monday evening to board the buses for their native places. Heavy traffic congestion was seen in several parts of the national capital, with passengers striving to reach their homes. The migrants had to wait for hours at the bus stop with no choice to maintain social distancing. Many were seen walking out of the bus station with heavy loads on their heads and shoulders. The in Delhi, who could hardly afford a trip back home, were in for a surprise at Anand Vihar as they claimed of being charged 10 times more than the usual fare. "We're daily wagers, the Chief Minister should have given us some time before announcing the It takes us Rs 200 to reach home, but they are charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 now,how will we go home?" one of the migrant labourers asked while sitting on the ground after a long wait at the bus station. Hundreds of migrant workers, including women and children, out of exhaustion were seen laying on the ground with their heads on sacks looking numbly at the hustles of the national capitals Many migrants climbed atop buses that were leaving the bus station. The situation was no different at the Ghaziabad border as hundreds of migrant labourers had gathered there to return home by walk. "There is no work for us and no landlord or government will help us during the That is why we are leaving. If there is a further lockdown, we will not be able to survive," one of the migrants said. Another migrant, residing in Uttam Nagar and on his way to Kanpur, said "Lockdown can be extended. Last year many walked on foot. This time also the conditions look the same. Staying here in I'm not sure about getting food and water. I will come back after everything become normal." Announcing the lockdown, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier in the day appealed to to not leave the city, stressing that the restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible. "I appeal to all migrant workers to stay back. The lockdown will be in force for a brief period. I hope we won't have to extend it. I have always opposed measures like lockdown, which cannot end Covid. It can merely slow down the spread of the infection. Over the next six days, we will beef up the medical infrastructure in the city in cooperation with the Centre," Kejriwal had said. Meanwhile, similar scenes were witnessed in Mumbai on Monday following the imposition of Section 144 in the entire state by the Maharashtra government in its effort to break the chain of infections. (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| 2021-04-20 23:21:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China, while comprehensively promoting domestic vaccination, will continue to carry out vaccine cooperation with Indonesia, help Indonesia build a regional vaccine production center, and jointly resist the "vaccine divide." In a phone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Xi stressed that both China and Indonesia attach great importance to people's lives and health and oppose "vaccine nationalism," noting that vaccine cooperation between the two countries is at the forefront of the world. China, Xi added, has included foreign citizens on its soil, including those from Indonesia, in its inoculation plan, and hopes that Indonesia will also provide active support for Chinese nationals in the Southeast Asian country. In the face of profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, Xi emphasized, China stands ready to join hands with Indonesia to enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen strategic consensus, strengthen strategic coordination, uphold multilateralism, safeguard fairness and justice, promote global climate governance, defend the common interests of developing countries, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Xi noted that trade and investment cooperation between China and Indonesia has kept growing despite the COVID-19 pandemic, showing strong resilience and great potential. With China having embarked on the new journey of fully building a modern socialist country, and Indonesia marching towards its centennial goal of leapfrogging development, the two countries now face broad prospects for cooperation, Xi pointed out. China welcomes Indonesia to seize the opportunity created by China's fostering of a new development paradigm and advance bilateral practical cooperation in various areas in a coordinated way, he said, suggesting that the two countries better synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's vision of Global Maritime Fulcrum, and cooperate on a larger scale with higher quality. The two sides, Xi added, should continuously push forward infrastructure cooperation projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, earnestly implement key projects including the regional comprehensive economic corridor, foster new growth areas like new energy and maritime cooperation, and strengthen cooperation in digital economy and other fields. Xi said China welcomes Indonesia to expand exports of quality products to China, and supports Chinese enterprises in increasing investment in the Southeast Asian country. The two sides should push for the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and promote regional trade liberalization and economic integration, he added. For his part, Widodo extended congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Under the strong leadership of the CPC, China has achieved success in various areas of development, and especially has scored tremendous accomplishments in poverty alleviation and economic development, making positive contributions to the development of Indonesia and other countries in the region, he said. Noting that Indonesia and China are good friends and good brothers, Widodo said Indonesia hopes to learn from China's relevant experience, and stands ready to deepen bilateral economic and trade ties, actively promote the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and jointly build the Belt and Road. Widodo thanked China for overcoming difficulties to provide valuable assistance for Indonesia's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, and expressed his hope to continue to strengthen cooperation with China on vaccine production. Enditem Political leaders and activists in the Bay Area drew a collective breath of relief Tuesday after a jury in Minneapolis found former police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. At the same time, many pleaded for calm in an area known for demonstrations where any high-profile case of police violence elicits a swift, visceral reaction. Others warned that a single conviction of a police officer does not amount to large-scale, systemic change. Its a partial victory for the African American community, Wanda Johnson, mother of the late Oscar Grant, said after the jury announced its decision. Johnson became a high-profile activist after her 22-year-old son was shot and killed by a BART police officer in 2009. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, served 11 months of a two-year sentence. Twelve years since Grants death, Johnson is somewhat optimistic. Now well just have to wait and see what the sentence will be, she said. Floyds death in May 2020 sparked protests in the Bay Area and across and country, and renewed calls for more equitable treatment of Black people at the hands of police. After a wrenching trial, the jury deliberated for less than a day before convicting Chauvin on all three counts: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Wearing a mask that concealed the lower half of his face, Chauvin still appeared stunned as the judge read the verdict. Then he quietly stood and placed his hands behind his back, so that a deputy put could them in handcuffs. In Oakland, where the City Council had begun its regular meeting at 1 p.m., council President Nikki Fortunato Bas paused the agenda to share the news. Why dont we just take a few deep breaths here? she said, her face serious, after the verdict was read. This is very very heavy news. May justice prevail. She halted the council meeting for 30 minutes so that residents and council members could process the verdict. Across the bay in San Francisco, Mayor London Breed characterized Chauvins conviction as an incremental step in a drawn-out period of racial reckoning. This verdict does not bring back the life of George Floyd, Breed wrote in a statement. It cant replace the years of his life that were robbed from him nor the life experiences and memories that would have been made with his friends and family. What this verdict does reflect is that the tide is turning in this country, although still too slowly, toward accountability and justice. Shamann Walton, the first Black man to serve as a Board of Supervisors president in San Francisco, had similarly freighted emotions. He saw a nation tentatively recognizing that when police unjustly kill Black people, they should be held 100% accountable and that murder is murder. Dr. Amos C. Brown, longtime pastor of Third Street Baptist Church and the president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP, was watching television in his office as the verdict came down. Ive been on the battlefield for 65 years, and I am doing better than I have, said Brown, who was born in Jackson, Miss., in 1941, the same year as Emmett Till. Till was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being wrongly accused of offending a white woman. Emmett Tills murder has lingered and has haunted me all my days. Justice was raised up in this land today. Public officials had sat on edge for the last 24 hours, pleading for calm even as they braced for a public outcry. I implore all of us to find constructive ways to make our voices heard, Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District, said in a statement that included resources for students grappling with pain and frustration over police abuse of people of color. Be loud in protest, but be peaceful in action, Johnson-Trammell added. Local law enforcement agencies said this week that they were closely monitoring the trial and preparing for potential unrest. The San Francisco Police Department said it canceled days off for sworn personnel. The department said it will have resources available to respond to routine calls and any spontaneous events that might occur. Nonetheless, Police Chief Bill Scott tweeted hopeful sentiments after the jury announced its verdict. My hope for all of us in criminal justice roles is that we rise to this moment, and learn the lessons that history has frankly been trying to teach us for decades, Scott wrote. Police are sworn to protect people, a role that requires them to build trust, respect human dignity and listen to the demands of communities, he said. Oakland police acknowledged, in a statement, that this moment is about accountability, justice and reform. In a video released before the verdict, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong tried to reassure downtown business owners, who had already boarded up storefronts in anticipation of protests. We are going to be out here in full force to keep everything peaceful, Armstrong said in the video, standing near a giant Beaux Arts building at 1440 Broadway, where the owners of ground-floor shops had covered their windows. Similarly, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department called for demonstrators to be considerate, respectful, and mindful of the safety of others as they exercised their First Amendment right of free speech. A spokesperson for the San Jose Police Department said officers will be prepared to respond to incidents of crime, vandalism or violence. Floyds death triggered days of uprisings in cities throughout the Bay Area. Confrontations between police and protesters were often tense but peaceful during the day, but as night fell, the protests at times devolved into violent clashes, vandalism and looting across the bay. Chronicle staff writers Michael Williams, Vanessa Arredondo. Michael Bolden and Jill Tucker contributed to this report. Rachel Swan, Sarah Ravani and Mallory Moench are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com, mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan, @sarravani, @mallorymoench South Africa's favourite family restaurant, Spur Steak Ranches, has launched a heart-warming campaign for Freedom Day, which sees the first Spur waitron choir commemorate the resilience of the South African spirit with joyful song. Spur's documentary-style flag bearer commercial recognised as one of South Africa's Best Liked Ads Leading data, insights and consulting agency, Kantar, has announced Spur Steak Ranches' flag bearer commercial as one of South Africa's Best Liked Ads for Q4 2019... Through a moving tribute, Spurs proudly South African waitron choir honours all the birthdays that were unable to be celebrated in 2020 due to the lockdown measures imposed by Covid-19.Spur Steak Ranches is renowned for their birthday songs; in which waitrons gather to sing to a child celebrating their birthday. A Chico-the-Clown dessert with sparkler completes the experience - a nostalgic part of South Africans childhood.In the new commercial, the Spur waitron choir gathers to sing a heart-felt song that leaves the viewer with goosebumps. They come together with jovial smiles, singing and clapping - an embodiment of the South African spirit of tenacity through adversity.This past year has been difficult for many people to come together to celebrate a loved ones birthday. As a brand that has celebrated birthdays with families over many decades, it is Spurs privilege to be able to celebrate the birth of our countrys democracy - while also acknowledging all the children who missed their birthdays this past year, says Sacha du Plessis, executive director and CMO at Spur Corporation.The campaign comes from the heart of the Spur staff members who want customers to know that despite tough times, their restaurants will always be a place where families can come together over a meal and share special memories.The campaign officially launches on TV on 20 April and in restaurants nationwide on 27 April 2021 with a one-day only special on Freedom Day where all children ordering a sit-down Kids Meal will also receive a free Chico-the-Clown dessert.Marius van Rensburg, executive creative director of 99c says: It was a privilege to work on such a meaningful and heartfelt campaign with Spur.Spur Steak Ranches will continue to play their part in ensuring to contribute to flattening the curve. All restaurants have safety measures in place as per the Department of Healths protocol and the World Health Organisations best practice. Forget "American Idol" because it's now "Instagram Idol" for Wyatt Pike. The 20-year-old Park City, Utah native, has just released his first song on Instagram following his unexpected exit from "American Idol." It was a shocking move, say the least, as the "kid" made it to the top 12 finalists. On Monday, just hours before "American Idol" aired on ABC, Wyatt Pike released an original song titled "Friday Nights." In the caption, "As promised, here's a video of my tune 'Friday Nights.'" "I had fun filming this for you yesterday, hope you enjoy! 'Friday Nights' is available on all streaming platforms." The past couple of days, Wyatt Pike has been posting on his Instagram, teasing his upcoming single fans. On Sunday, he shared how he's back home in Utah and is working on a video. Four days ago, he also posted a video of himself singing and playing the guitar. On the comments section of his posts, fans seem to be unfazed about leaving the show as Pike continues to post videos of himself singing. When he dropped his new single a few hours ago, fans immediately praised the former "American Idol" contestant for his talent. "You are a true artist!" one person commented. Another revealed, "I brought all your music and this is fun to sing to with earbuds in." Another one said, "So talented. Your music truly makes an impact." READ ALSO: 'American Idol' Hunter Metts: How Did He Mess Up The Lyrics? Wyatt Pikes Drops Out of 'American Idol' The new song release comes after "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest announced that Wyatt Pike would not be competing any further on the hit ABC show. The 46-year-old told the audience and viewers last week, "Before we get to the results, I have to tell you that finalist Wyatt Pike will not be competition in the competition." "He had to drop out but we wish him the very best." Reps for the show confirmed to numerous news outlets that Pike left for "personal reasons," however, an insider revealed to Page Six that he "could not continue." Pike, however, confirmed the news on what reps have been saying about his motive to leave the show. He explained on Instagram that he had to leave "for personal reasons," but he was "so thankful I get to play music for the rest of my life." In Pike's last appearance in the competition, he sang a cover of "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, which received great comments from the judges. READ MORE: Is Blake Shelton Leaving 'The Voice' in 2021 or 2022? Judge Hinted at Major Exit See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Following the Centres announcement on Monday that anyone above the age of 18 would be eligible for from May 1 and that manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of the ordered doses to the Government of India and 50 per cent to the state governments and the open market, states have sought clarity on the price at which they are supposed to buy the vaccines from the manufacturers. Though the announcement does not explicitly say that states will have to buy the vaccines, that seems to be inference, since it does say that manufacturers would make an advance declaration of the price of the vaccines that would be available to state governments and in the open market. We are awaiting a formal notification from the Centre. We have not begun the process of procuring the vaccine for the third phase because there needs to be some clarity on pricing. It is the Government of India which will have to fix a certain price or provide a formula, said a senior health department official in Rajasthan. Gujarats state immunisation officer Nayan Jani, too, maintained that without a formal notification and clarity on pricing, no step can be taken in this regard. No major country has allowed Covid-19 vaccines to be available in the open market, nor allowed their prices to be determined by market forces. Multiple states have also flagged the current shortage of vaccines, which could get aggravated after May 1. Mondays decision is a welcome step as it allows people above 18 to be inoculated. But at the same time, it is like playing with the dynamics of the existing limited supply of the vaccines, Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo told Business Standard. On Tuesday, Maharashtra housing minister Jitendra Awhad tweeted that the state cabinet had unanimously decided to request the Centre to allow Maharashtra to import Covid vaccines available in the international market. Output of vaccines in India is limited. We have a population of 130 million in the state and local production may not suffice, he tweeted. In her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, too, raised the issue of vaccine shortage and termed Mondays announcement as hollow, without substance and a regrettable show of evasion of responsibility by the Central Government at the time of crisis. Banerjee stated that the announcement did not address major issues like ensuring the quality, efficacy, and stable supply of the required number of vaccines by the manufacturers and also the price at which they were to be purchased by the states. It is apprehended that the announced policy might lead to unscrupulous mechanisms in the market, including pricing of vaccines as it appears to be based on market prices which may put the common people under huge financial burden. More importantly, the supply would also become very erratic because the vaccine manufacturers are hardly prepared to scale up their production capacities to the desired levels to meet the nationwide demand, Banerjee said in her letter to Modi. Banerjee has urged the Centre to come up with a fair, transparent and credible policy that addresses all the issues and enables citizens to get vaccinated urgently and at affordable prices. States believe that the Centre should continue to control the price of vaccines and that they should be equitably distributed among them instead of them being asked to buy directly from the manufacturers. This would lead to a substantial rise in the price of vaccines, unless the states decide to subsidise them, which is unlikely, given the financial doldrums most states are in. Asking the states to buy directly from the manufacturers without any price controls could also lead to a bidding war among them, or even between states and the private sector. Deo said that not ramping up production and making enough vaccines available to the balance 40 per cent of the population (the 18-45 age group) would be tantamount to doubling the population to be covered by halving the supply. He also questioned the Centres move to back out from providing vaccines to the states in the third phase, especially when there was a budgeted allocation of Rs 30,000 crore for vaccines for the states. The Chhattisgarh chief minister, Deo said, would take up the matter with the Union health minister and ask for a reconsideration. State government officials say that when the drive had started, the Centre had targeted 800 million people to be vaccinated and it was supposed to have placed orders for 1.6 billion vaccine shots. So if they now divide it up and make 50 per cent of it go to itself and the balance to the states, it would not be a fair distribution, they say. (Eds Adding fresh details, adding dropped word in para 8) Bhagawangola/Sagardighi/Farakka (WB), Apr 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allowed open market sales of coronavirus vaccines after shipments made by him to foreign shores have depleted stocks in India. Banerjee also hinted that election schedules were being drawn up to assist BJP, while voicing her displeasure at the rejection of her proposal to club elections in the remaining three phases. Addressing an election meeting at Bhagwangola in Murshidabad district, the Trinamool Congress supremo said the prime minister had exported vaccines to other countries to boost his image while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal have struggled to get doses they required to combat the Covid pandemic. "Yesterday the PM said the medicine (vaccine) will be available in open market. Where is the open market, where is the availability? You have already shipped out the majority of stock to foreign destinations," she alleged. The Central Government had gifted Covid vaccines to a number of countries including neighbouring nation and allowed export to many more including to Brazil and South Africa earlier this year. Terming the Narendra Modi-led NDA government as a government of monumental incompetence", Banerjee said "we are facing a huge deficit in vaccines due to the faulty planning. The TMC supremo said more Covid cases are being reported from Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and Asansol belt and the state government is trying to manage the crisis from a limited stock. "For six months the Central leadership did not bother to plan, they were busy plotting electoral battles in Bengal, Banerjee alleged. Turning her guns on BJP, she claimed the party brought in "lakhs of people from outside the state to help in campaigning and many of these people were infected with Covid. These people will leave but they have spread the virus and the onus to manage the new crisis will be on us. Bengal's Covid situation was firmly under control but now the rate of infection is rising again. However, she advised people not to panic, adding we will again bring it (pandemic) under a tight leash." Stating that she had learnt that elections to two assembly seats in Murshidabad, which were countermanded due to the deaths of candidates, may be held on May 13, Banerjee said "If Eid takes place on May 13, the EC should decide on a voting date keeping in mind the need of voters to celebrate the festival. Referring to erosion of Ganges river in Murshidabad and Malda districts, Banerjee said "only Central (policies) can stop the erosion." "Under the terms of the Indo-Bangla water treaty, Bangladesh was given Ganges water, but as the Centre did not dredge the Farakka barrage, it has silted. This has caused regular flooding in Bihar, Murshidabad and Malda whenever there are heavy rains in Bihar. The Centre should carry out dredging of Farakka on an urgent basis," she said. The Trinamool Congress supremo said "we need to have a Ganga Erosion Board to work on war footing." Urging the electorate to see Bengal doesn't fall into the hands of "rioters , the chief minister alleged she had reports that there were plots to engineer riots on Ram Navami. "Please be on guard. Don't fall prey to any bid to pit Hindus against Muslims," she said. Banerjee also urged the people "not to vote for the Left, Congress or other Sanjukta Morcha candidates who are the other face of BJP. At another rally in Farakka also in Murshidabad district, the chief minister accused BJP of opposing her proposal to club the remaining three phases of polling in view of a spike in covid cases. She also hinted that the poll schedules were drawn up to help the BJP. "Some candidates were infected with COVID, two died... The EC fixes the schedule to help Modibabu (Narendra Modi)," she alleged. "If election takes place, there has to be campaigning. One day voting would have reduced the spread of infection and helped people, Banerjee reasoned. Elaborating on her claims about secret understanding between parties of Sanjukta Morcha and BJP, she said at Sagardighi "it is nothing but another morcha with BJPs blessings." PTI SUS JRC JRC (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohmand Javad Zarif met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Monday evening to discuss ways to expand bilateral and international issues. During the meeting, Zarif stressed Iran's preparedness to expand brotherly relations with Indonesia and appreciated the countrys stances in the United Nations Security Council for guarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the UNSCR2231. Referring to his meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Zarif expressed happiness about the growth in trade ties between Iran and Indonesia, agreement on using the capacities of the joint economic commission, and other solutions for strengthening economic relations. The Indonesian president, for his part, stressed the importance of the relations between Tehran and Jakarta, and expressed happiness for the fact that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the relations between the two presidents continued. Referring to the noticeable economic capacity of the two countries, he stressed consultations for increasing the existing trade ties. Zarif left Tehran for Jakarta on Sunday in the context of "Ramadan diplomacy" to promote bilateral relations. He met with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi this morning, IRNA reported. Obliteride, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centers annual fundraiser and community event, will be a virtual experience again for 2021 uniting participants worldwide of all ages and abilities to support cancer research. Now in its ninth year, Obliteride typically welcomes thousands of participants to Seattle to bike, walk, or run and to fundraise for cancer research. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led organizers to replace the in-person event with a successful virtual season. A record 3,197 people of all ages from all 50 U.S. states, 17 countries and all seven continents biked, walked, kayaked, climbed, swam and more. They were supported by more than 13,000 donors and raised more than $3.2 million for lifesaving research. Last year we had to completely reimagine the event due to the pandemic, said Jim Birrell, director of Obliteride. But the enthusiasm and creativity of our participants was remarkable, and we want to encourage that again. Ms Johnson has now admitted that she lied in court at Bishop's original trial Police gaslighted murderer Russell Bishop's partner before she lied under oath to protect him at the first Babes in the Wood murder trial, a court heard. Jennifer Johnson was pressed by police about Bishop and his relationship with a teenage girl as they investigated him for the murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway in a Brighton park in 1986. The 55-year-old is alleged to have denied that a blue sweatshirt that finally ended up convicting Bishop thirty years later belonged to him. Ms Johnson, who had three children with Bishop, denies perverting the course of justice and perjury when he was acquitted of the 1986 murders. Bishop was cleared after a trial in 1987 and three years later he attacked another girl, leaving her for dead. Police have been accused of gaslighting Jenny Johnson (left) before she lied under oath to protect her ex partner Russell Bishop during his 'Babes in the Wood' murder trial Bishop was finally convicted of murdering Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway in a case which became known as the Babes in the Wood and sentenced to life with a minimum 36 years after a double jeopardy re-trail in 2018. Ms Johnson has now admitted that she lied in court and made false statements at his original trial, adding that she was under duress at the time. Chris Henley QC for the defence asked a former Sussex Police officer if he thought his behaviour was bullying when he questioned Ms Johnson about Bishop and his relationship with 16-year-old Marion Stevenson. Police had gone to the flat she shared with Bishop in Brighton to show Ms Johnson the blue sweatshirt which could have linked him to the murder scene. Ms Johnson has now admitted that she lied in court and made false statements at his original trial, adding that she was under duress at the time Mr Henley told former PC David 'Spud' Edwards his account of the conversation on October 31, 1986 was nonsense. 'You press on,' Mr Henley said. 'You challenged her. You thought that was appropriate?' Ms Johnson told the officer Bishop was not seeing Ms Stevenson any longer. 'But that wasn't good enough for you,' Mr Henley told a jury at Lewes Crown Court. 'You asked her "How do you know he doesn't see her when he goes out at night". 'Why on Earth did you ask that? It's absolutely none of your business. You're gaslighting her.' Mr Edwards said: 'I thought it was the next right question to ask. She didn't ask me to stop asking the questions.' Nicola Fellows and her friend Karen Hadaway, both aged nine, were found murdered in Brightons Wild Park in 1986 Earlier the court heard Ms Johnson will say she was terrorised by her former partner and his family and she had no faith in the police to protect her. Bishop's mother Sylvia arrived at the flat and tore into Ms Johnson after she gave police a statement, Mr Edwards said. Alison Morgan QC for the prosecution asked Mr Edwards if anything suggested Jennifer Johnson was vulnerable. 'No, not at all,' he said. She asked the former policeman if he had any concerns about the conduct of Mrs Bishop towards Jennifer Johnson before the officer left the house. 'No, I did not,' he said. The 55-year-old is alleged to have denied that a blue sweatshirt that finally ended up convicting Bishop thirty years later belonged to him The court heard Jennifer Johnson accused her former partner of committing the Babes in the Wood murders before lying in court to help him get away with it. But Ms Johnson told police she would have informed on him if she believed he had committed the murders. She told police she was suspicious after something Bishop said to her and confronted him, accusing him and Marion Stevenson of killing the two nine-year-old girls. In a statement read to the court by Alison Morgan, Mr Edwards noted: 'She said: "Well, a couple of days ago he said something to me and I said you and that f***ing sl** done it". 'You meant the two little girls, and she said: "Yes". You said why did you say that then?' Jennifer Johnson denies perverting the course of justice and perjury. The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues. This week, Senator Elizabeth Warren implored Israels opposition parties to unite and oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so that the United States could facilitate the creation of a Palestinian state. Though Democrats have quietly meddled in Israels elections numerous times over decades from Clintonistas to Obamaites to the now-disgraced Lincoln Project I cant remember a United States senator ever openly chiming in on the democratic process of an ally in quite this way. Speaking at a conference put on by the pro-Palestinian group J Street, Warren lamented Israels reluctance to go along with the two-state solution, which would in fact entail acquiescing to the demands of Hamas and the more moderate Palestinian Authority, which diverts hundreds of millions of dollars in international funding for monthly salaries, free education, insurance, and medical care for terrorists and their families. Rather than demand that Palestinians cease firing rockets at Israeli civilians or stop spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories among their population or scale back their martyrs fund, Warren said that the only way to alter Israels trajectory is for the opposition to unite against Netanyahu. Warren claims that Netanyahu has precipitated four stalemate elections in two years in his frenzied effort to immunize himself from well-documented charges of corruption, which is a weird way of pointing out that the prime minister called for elections after a coalition collapse. Imagine, if you can, Warrens reaction if a foreign political leader openly offered the GOP advice on how to win back the presidency. Foreign interference, indeed. Warren maintained that the majority that opposes [Netanyahu] must decide what to do next. Will they continue to fight among themselves and, in the process, prop up a corrupt leader who puts his own interests ahead of those of his country? Netanyahu, who has been prime minister since 2009, may well find himself in the wilderness soon. But in Israel charges of political corruption are about as abundant as falafel stands, and fighting among themselves is the national pastime. Israel has a justice system that adjudicates charges of corruption and an impractical parliamentary system under which governments are created. Israels majority isnt a single incarnation of Warrens aspirations but an array of parties, some with lots of ideological malleability and others with a strictly narrow focus. In essence, Warren implies that the largest party in the nation, the right-wing Likud, shouldnt even have participated in national elections because she is upset that the prime minister doesnt want to hand Jerusalem to Mahmoud Abbas. Story continues Warren went on to say that the United States cannot stand for security, human rights, and dignity, and at the same moment turn a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Indeed, the suffering of the Palestinian people is largely perpetrated by their own corrupt leadership, which has spurned deal after deal, condemning one generation after the next to needless poverty and hopelessness. Warren now has a more radical position on Israel than the Saudi Arabians or Egyptians. And like most Democrats these days, when talking about the Middle East, Warren has nothing but tough words for the regions only liberal democracy. As for the Palestinians allies, the Iranian mullahs who have vowed to destroy Israel and who have murdered hundreds of American servicemen Warren wants to send them cash, while using foreign aid as a cudgel against Israel. Jewish settlers in the West Bank are receiving vaccinations, while few Palestinians have any access to life-saving shots, the Massachusetts senator went on to say, attempting to create the impression that Israel was undermining such efforts. By settlers, of course, Warren means Jews who live in towns in Samaria and Judea the only place on Earth where it is acceptable for an American politician to demand ethnic purity. Its that kind of purity that propels the Palestinian Authority to reject COVID aid for its people simply because the UAE plane with the vaccine cargo landed in Israel first. Palestinians regularly blocked people sick with COVID from going to Israeli hospitals for treatment. The Palestinian Authority, by their own admission, hasnt even asked for Israels help outside of vaccinations for its health-care workers, which were provided. When Israel tried to open a vaccination site at the Al-Aqsa compound on Jerusalems Temple Mount to inoculate thousands of Palestinian worshippers, among whom the virus was running rampant, Abbas refused the offer. Not for himself, though. As the New York Times reported, Palestinian leaders have been accused of siphoning some of the few doses allocated for Palestinians and distributing them to the senior ranks of the ruling party, allies in the media and even to family members of top dignitaries. Yet the toughest words Warren could muster about this totalitarian regime is to suggest that maybe it should have elections as well. We dont know when Abbas, now in the second decade of a four-year term, will finally let his people vote. The problem, however, is that holding a vote would mean Fatahs losing control to radical theocratic forces. The last time Fatah lost an election, the opposition celebrated with mass defenestration. Thats how Hamas breaks stalemates. And thats what a Palestinian state could easily look like. The harsh reality learned by Israelis is that peace processes with the Palestinians usually end with untenable demands, frustration, and mass violence. It is highly unlikely that even the Israeli center-left would engage in the national self-harm that Warren has in mind. The last time the Israeli Left tried something like it, it was decimated in elections. Then again Elizabeth Warren doesnt really have their, or Israels, best interests in mind. More from National Review Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 19:39:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close [STANDUP]HAO YALIN, Xinhua News Agency Correspondent "This is the international airport in Australia's Sydney. Today(April 19th) marks the opening of a two-way safe travel zone between Australia and New Zealand, which will allow people meeting conditions to travel to and from the two countries without mandatory quarantine after arrival." A one-way Safe Travel Zone from New Zealand to Australia was opened in last October, with more than 34,000 arrivals into Australia from New Zealand during that period. As the new trans-Tasman travel bubble opened, the Australians will be able to touch down in other country to have an overseas holiday since the international border restrictions implemented last March. [SOUNDBITE] (English)OLIVIA New Zealand traveller It's so nice. Airport to New Zealand flight too short,that was great. [STANDUP]LI HUIZI, Xinhua News Agency Correspondent "I am reporting from Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand South Island, two flights from Australia Sydney and Melbourne are due to arrive very soon. Today, the atmosphere at the airport is quite cheerful, some New Zealanders have come to meet and greet their arriving family members or friends at the airport. Many of them have not seen their families for more than a year." [SOUNDBITE](English)BILLY, Australian traveller Feels pretty good yes, good to be back. We waited about a year, so it is good to back and see. The travel bubble is expected to bring a glimmer of hope for the struggling tourism sector. The aviation industry also eyes a great opportunity. From today(Starting from April 19th), Australia's national carriers Qantas and Jetstar will initially operate up to 122 return flights per week across the Tasman on 15 routes, offering more than 52,000 seats each week. Qantas will also launch two new routes direct from Auckland to Cairns and the Gold Coast, providing travellers with more options for holidays. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Clay, N.Y. The states $2 billion proposal to rebuild Syracuses highway system and tear down a part of Interstate 81 has gained the admiration of state and federal leaders including President Joe Biden. But a group of suburban leaders around Syracuse say that even after a decade of planning and meetings, their concerns about rerouting I-81s path through the city remain ignored. Were looking for a seat at the table, said Damian Ulatowski, the supervisor in Clay. Our voice is always lost. Or worst yet its muffled. Thats disturbing and frustrating. This afternoon, DOT spokesman Joe Morrissey said state officials have held multiple open houses and meetings with community members and have been responding to other ideas. Additionally, throughout the process DOT officials have met one on one with a number of business owners, stakeholders, residents and elected officials in suburban areas to listen to their concerns, Morrissey said in a written statement. We look forward to continuing our work with the community with the upcoming release of the DEIS. Ulatowski and seven other town leaders held a news conference today to reiterate their worries about the proposed highway project, saying it will cause traffic jams, lengthen commutes and jeopardize businesses. He said they dont oppose the states community grid plan, which relies on using and improving more city streets to get people to work and school inside Syracuse. But that plan also needs to retain some high-speed path through the city, either with a depressed highway or a bridge, Ulatowski said. Its an argument they and other critics have made repeatedly over the years. Its also an argument -- for a new bridge, a tunnel or a depressed highway -- that state transportation officials have studied and rejected, in some cases more than once. Theyve said these solutions would be too costly, would require much more downtown property and would continue to run a high-speed road through one of the nations oldest public housing neighborhoods. But today, with the federal government spending trillions to restart the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, cost should not be the main driver, the suburban leaders argued. Now is not the time to skimp, said Kerry Mannion, deputy supervisor of DeWitt. Moreover, the suburban leaders say their concerns arent being taken seriously. They argue that rerouting highway traffic onto nearby Interstate 481 will syphon jobs, commerce and tax money from the northern suburbs that have grown up around I-81 north of Syracuse. Even if the state or federal government increased aid to towns like Salina to make up for the possible losses, that wouldnt be enough, said Salina Supervisor Colleen Gunnip. You might mitigate some of it, she said. But losing businesses like hotels and restaurants along that corridor would also mean lost jobs and a shrinking tax base, she added. We dont want that taken away. State and federal officials in charge of the project see things differently. The state has proposed tearing down the part of I-81 that runs between downtown and the University Hill. I-481 east of Syracuse would become I-81, with thru traffic going around the city. A part of Interstate 690 that runs through Syracuse would be rebuilt. In the past few weeks, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has met with federal transportation officials who are interested in the plan. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has said the proposal matches his goal of rebuilding neighborhoods, many Black and Brown, that were destroyed by highway projects generations ago. Biden mentioned the I-81 project as a laudable example of using a transportation project to transform communities in his $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. And earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the recently passed state budget authorizes New York to spend $800 million on the project. A new version of the proposal is due out this summer. That should include an amended version of the plan. In the past, state DOT officials have said they would take a closer look at how the highway changes would affect both traffic and commerce in some suburban towns. Gunnip said she offered to bring together some business owners to meet with DOT officials about their concerns. Some of those businesses, she said, employ people who live in the city. Those are some of the jobs at stake, she argued. She said the transportation officials declined the offer. Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share with a Syracuse-area reporter? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274. A Morgan County man is facing charges of sexual torture and sexual abuse of a child dating back several years. Hugh Wallace Greene, Sr., 76, was arrested April 15. He faces four counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12 years of age and one count of sexual torture. He was released on $500,000 bond. According to court documents, Greene is accused of sexually abusing two children under the age of 12 between the dates of Jan. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2015. Investigators say the incidents happened at his home on Cut-Off Road in Somerville. Documents indicate two females told a therapist about being sexually abused. The Morgan County Department of Human Resources assisted in the case, and the two gave their statements to investigators. COLUMBIA South Carolina state employees and teachers would see pay raises, more 4-year-olds could enroll in kindergarten, and rural schools could make building upgrades under a more-than-$10 billion spending package heading to the Senate floor. The proposal advanced April 20 by the Senate Finance Committee provides every K-12 teacher a $1,000 raise and all state agency employees a 2 percent cost-of-living increase. Teacher advocates said they're ecstatic about the salary hike following months of being told the state couldn't afford one amid the economic uncertainty. "I'm excited! That came out of nowhere," said Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association. The plan approved by the House last month is what its budget-writing chairman, Rep. Murrell Smith, called a "pandemic worst-case scenario budget" that socked away more than $550 million in reserves. Beyond selective raises for some employees mostly in law enforcement agencies the House budget provided teachers only their normal pay bump for an additional year of experience. The $1,000-per-teacher proposal, costing $72 million, would be in addition to that so-called step increase for teachers, which stops at 23 years in the classroom. The Senate plan covers the step with a $65 million increase in per-pupil funding $15 million above what the House put toward classroom aid. The Senate Finance Committee had the benefit of crafting its budget proposal after an update in the state's revenue projections meant legislators could spend $1.7 billion more. But the windfall came with a caveat. Less than a quarter of it represents predicted economic growth in the coming fiscal year, which can be spent on recurring expenses such as salaries. About $48 million of that would raise the pay of all state employees, who have seen just four cost-of-living raises across all agencies since 2008. The largest, 3.25 percent, was five years ago. An additional $44 million would be split among 17 agencies to boost their employees' pay even more. Teachers would get the largest single chunk of the recurring revenue, which is critical at a time when the pandemic is worsening the teacher-shortage crisis, said Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association. "The importance of this proposed raise cannot be overstated," he said. "This loss of teaching talent is especially alarming given the increased need for students to have access to individualized instruction from highly qualified teachers after the instructional disruptions of the past year." Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! School bus drivers should also see a raise, though likely paltry. The budget includes a 5 percent boost in what the state sends school districts for drivers' minimum hourly pay, which ranges this school year from $7.85 to $11.55. What bus drivers actually make depends on how much districts add with local property taxes. The plan to be debated on the Senate floor next week spends $47 million to make state-paid, full-day kindergarten available to all poor 4-year-olds statewide. The money would enroll nearly 12,000 additional children, fulfilling a promise legislators made in 2014 to eventually make all of South Carolina's at-risk 4-year-olds eligible. And it includes $100 million for school construction, with $15 million of that set aside to incentivize small districts to consolidate. The rest would go into a fund for other poor, rural districts that lack the tax base to afford building a new school or major renovations. The idea is for that $85 million to be the first installment in a yearly investment, but that would be a question for future budget processes. State schools Superintendent Molly Spearman thanked the senators who helped craft the plan and encouraged speedy passage on the floor next week. The Senate Finance plan "makes significant investments in South Carolina students, teachers, and school infrastructure that will serve our state well as we continue to recover from the pandemic and address inequities and inefficiencies that have existed for decades," she said. The bulk of the additional revenue is surplus including a temporary boost from federal aid packages and unspent reserves that's supposed to be for one-time expenses such as maintenance and equipment. That means a heap of long-deferred maintenance projects and a variety of local requests statewide are funded by the Senate Finance proposal. Public colleges would split $405 million for general maintenance and renovation. Separate allocations to colleges include $35 million to the University of South Carolina to relocate its medical school, $21 million to Francis Marion for a medical collaborative with USC and the Medical University of South Carolina, $8 million to USC Upstate for a library, and $7.5 million to The Citadel for Capers Hall. Local projects in the proposal include $15 million for Sumter Opera House, $19 million each for the convention centers in Greenville and Columbia, and $2 million toward a memorial for the victims of the 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. FREMONT, Calif., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Privacera, the cloud data governance and security leader founded by the creators of Apache Ranger, today announced that its latest platform release is now generally available to customers. Privacera Platform V4.5 offers the data governance industry the most complete solution for enterprise-grade security, privacy, and compliance by significantly expanding support of its partner ecosystem and by providing new technology integrations. Learn more about V4.5 here. New Features of Privacera Platform 4.5 Include: Deeper integrations with: Dremio, enabling joint customers to rapidly query data, improve overall productivity of data science initiatives, and securely share data across their enterprises with no performance or operational impacts. AWS EMR for Spark and Hivewith built-in Apache Ranger integrationallowing joint customers to gain broader coverage, improved administration capabilities, and an enterprise-ready, hardened data access governance solution. for Spark and Hivewith built-in Apache Ranger integrationallowing joint customers to gain broader coverage, improved administration capabilities, and an enterprise-ready, hardened data access governance solution. Qubole, providing fast, self-service analytics with automated data pipelines and consistent security and privacy across Qubole Hive, Presto SQL, and Spark. Okta and other leading authentication tools, simplifying and automating customers' identity management. Support for: Amazon Redshift Spectrum, so joint customers can join and query multiple data sources for comprehensive data analysis and comparison, without compromising privacy and security of data. Databricks SQL Analytics, providing Databricks users with a fully-secure solution that controls data access, ensures consistent access policies across all systems and applications, and enables true data transparency across enterprises to maintain compliance with stringent industry and privacy regulations. Databricks on Google Cloud Platform (preview support), including automated, sensitive data discovery, fine-grained data access control for Databricks Spark clusters, and encryption and masking. Privacera Platform 4.5 offers customers the industry's broadest data access governance coverage for cloud, hybrid-, and multi-cloud, with over 50 cloud service platforms supported. With these key enhancements and new integrations, enterprises gain: Single-pane visibility of sensitive data across data sources, regardless of where it resides Secure data access and sharing across all business units Seamless integrations with no performance impacts Reduced manual burdens on data teams with a centralized location to enforce consistent controls across cloud services Comprehensive access policies to provide rapid data access to data teams Full transparency of data access and usage Trusted compliance with privacy and industry regulations like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, LGPD, and more To see Privacera Platform 4.5 first-hand, register for the upcoming webinar on May 12, 2021. Please tweet: New @Privacera Platform V4.5 offers unprecedented #datagovernance to ensure enterprise-grade #datasecurity, #dataprivacy and #datacompliance About Privacera Founded in 2016 by the creators of Apache Ranger and Apache Atlas, Privacera provides a unified system for data governance and security across multiple cloud services. Often described as "Apache Ranger in the Cloud," Privacera provides a single data access governance platform that extends Ranger's capabilities beyond traditional Big Data environments to multiple cloud services and analytical platforms such as AWS, Azure, GCP, Snowflake, and Databricks. Privacera enables IT and data platform teams to democratize data for analytics, while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and HIPAA. Privacera offices are located in Fremont, California and Mumbai. To learn more, visit www.privacera.com or follow @privacera. SOURCE Privacera Related Links https://www.privacera.com EUGENE, Ore. -- Police have identified a man who walked into a Eugene hospital with a gunshot wound and later died. Jeffrey Chaney, 39, arrived to University District Hospital, 1255 Hilyard Street, at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, police said. He died of his injuries. Jeffrey Chaney Jeffrey Chaney RELATED: EUGENE VIOLENT CRIMES UNIT INVESTIGATING GUNSHOT WOUND DEATH "He was just a really good guy," said Kelly Hall, the grandmother of Chaney's 10-year-old son. "He had a heart of gold and he didn't deserve what happened to him -- you know like, for somebody to shoot him like that." Hall said she was in disbelief when she learned what had happened to Chaney. She said he was a well-liked and funny guy who would have given the shirt off his back to help others if they asked. "He could make anybody laugh because of his silliness and stuff and the way he was. He was just a great guy you know the heart of gold, he'd help anybody out," Hall said. Chaney grew up in Southern California's Riverside, Hall said. He moved to Oregon about two years ago. Hall said he dated her daughter for about eight years and felt like a son to her. His son is currently being cared for by Chaney's mother in Oregon, according to Hall. Police are investigating the death. No additional information about what happened leading up to Chaney's death has been released. If you have any information, police ask you to contact detectives at 541-682-5166 and reference case #21-05675. For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Five states North Carolina, South Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Nevada and Puerto Rico moved up to that orange tier. Travelers coming from that tier, which now includes 26 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., must quarantine for 10 days or test negative for the coronavirus no more than 72 hours before arriving. People can avoid either requirement if they have been fully vaccinated at least two weeks earlier. A Laois Leaving Cert student is hoping to become Miss Ireland, and is favourite to win the Laois title. Halle Courtney, who turns 18 this Wednesday April 21, is currently number one on the wildcard leaderboard to compete in Miss Laois. From The Heath, she is a Leaving Cert student at Scoil Chriost Ri in Portlaoise. Below: Halle supporting Pieta House charity. She told the Leinster Express why she entered the beauty pageant. "I entered the pageant to inspire young women to try and face the challenges in life and follow your goals no matter what age you are. "At the beginning of my Miss Ireland journey , I was constantly told i was too young to commit to such a big role, to which i responded if you postpone your goals to a later stage it will be a later stage you reach them , I hope to contribute to the lives of young women throughout my Miss ireland journey," she said. She is asking supporters to vote for her by downloading the Miss Ireland app, Clicking on Wildcard 1 and her name, Halle Courtney, with two weeks left to do a daily vote. Halle is one of three in the Miss Laois final to be held as a virtual event in May. "A special thank you to everyone who has voted so far, it has resulted to me being number 1 on the leaderboard for this week! "I am looking forward to the Miss Laois final coming up soon and am extremely grateful to have this platform in order to work with some amazing charities including Pieta House, Variety Ireland and Lauralynn. I look forward to seeing what the rest of my miss Ireland journey has in store for me," Halle said. The winner of Miss Ireland represents her country at the Miss World with a prize fund of 100,000. won in 2003 by Rosanna Davison. The organisation also holds Mr Ireland which sees the winner represent Ireland at Mr World, a title which Ireland won in 2010 with Kamal Ibrahim. "The competition is not just based on beauty; there are many other tasks which the winner must compete in to win this crown such as her beauty with a purpose work, interview, fashion, sports, talent and social media skills," the company says. Since its inception Miss Ireland has also raised hundreds of thousands of euros and awareness for many irish charities. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have sparked something 'fundamentally incendiary' which is 'changing the face of Britain' and could topple the 'archaic' monarchy, a royal expert has claimed. The upset caused by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell Oprah interview could pose a threat to Prince Charles' long-awaited ascension, according to Anna Pasternak. Harry and Meghan accused the royals of institutional racism, claiming one member of the family questioned what colour their son Archie's skin would be, and alleged Meghan was denied mental health support despite feeling suicidal. Speaking to Vanity Fair, the author of Princess in Love and The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee Who Became the Duchess of Windsor said she is 'not 100 per cent sure' that the Prince of Wales, 72, will ever ascend to the throne. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have sparked something 'fundamentally incendiary' which is 'changing the face of Britain' and could topple the 'archaic' monarchy, a royal expert has claimed (pictured during their Oprah interview earlier this year) 'The Sussexes have sparked something so fundamentally incendiary in this country that it is changing the face of Britain, and I think the monarchy as an archaic institution may well topple,' she said. The author added that it may be there is such a groundswell of public opinion against Charles that it's deemed by the Firm 'preferable for William to ascend then because he's younger, more relatable'. Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott - the first Black female member of Parliament - told the publication she believes the monarchy as we know it will last as long as the Queen is alive, but when she dies there will be a 'big public debate'. 'I think what the Royal Family and their advisers did with Meghan will be part of the argument for change,' she argued. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Anna Pasternak said she is 'not 100 per cent sure' that the Prince of Wales, 72, pictured at Prince Philip's funeral, will ever ascend to the throne Kelechi Okafor, a Black-British actress and London-based host of the Say Your Mind podcast, added that she believes the Queen is a 'figurehead for an empire that refuses to understand that its days are gone'. 'Diana came along and then Meghan Markle came along, and everything started to fall to pieces,' she said. In Vanity Fair's May issue, contributor Michelle Ruiz also examines the fallout between once-close brothers Prince William and Prince Harry In Vanity Fair's May issue, contributor Michelle Ruiz also examines the fallout between once-close brothers Prince William and Prince Harry, which many speculate was prompted by William urging Harry to take his time when his relationship with former Suits star Meghan began. Ms Ruiz puts forward the argument that the Windsors' latest family feud chips away at the idea of royal exceptionalism. 'To hear Meghan and Harry tell it, the Windsors are just another dysfunctional family; the Firm, one more toxic workplace where H.R. is not your friend and there's a lack of diversity in upper management,' she wrote. Ms Pasternak also observed that William and Harry are seemingly 'playing out the dynamic of their parents', Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. 'Harry tracks with Diana, a rebel spirit fueled by fury at the tabloid press, blowing up the family's cone of silence in a blockbuster interview,' she explained. 'William is very aligned with his father in his sense of duty above emotion.' She argued that Harry and Meghan - much like Diana - were suddenly 'too electric' for the Firm, making the Cambridges 'seem dowdy, suburban, and rather dull', which 'does not go down well in the palace'. Read the full story 'Continental Rift,' by Michelle Ruiz on VanityFair.com and in Vanity Fair's May issue. Last week Romania passed a bill that may leave Huawei out of the country's development of the 5G network. It goes in line with the Washington memorandum in 2019 that would restrict any Huawei-Romania partnership in the future. The Romanian bill requires all vendors participating in 5G rollout must not be subject to control by a foreign government, have a transparent ownership structure, and be subject to a legal regime that enforces transparent corporate practices. The bill is yet to be approved by the parliament, which should happen in the next few weeks. Source Gedik seeks to boost competitiveness in Turkey's growing capital markets space LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Itiviti, a leading technology and service provider to financial institutions worldwide, today announced that Gedik Investment, a leading investment banking advisory and brokerage firm in Turkey, has rolled out Itiviti Tbricks for its futures market making and algorithmic trading operations. Gedik Investment was seeking a platform to lower latency and increase its trading volume capabilities to boost market share and profits in the Turkish capital markets. "We have been in this industry for a long time and have a good understanding of the region's capital market and Fintech solution providers," said Sevan Ulutas, Managing Director, Market Making, Gedik Investment. "For us, choosing Itiviti over other technology providers was not a complicated decision. It was, in fact, one of the easiest decisions we've ever made." Itiviti Tbricks can be used for multi-asset class market making and algorithmic trading and provide complete control over quoting activities from initial quote to a variety of hedging strategies. It will also enable Gedik Investment to quote more trades with tighter spreads and execute using optimized low latency automation. In addition, Itiviti Tbricks will enable Gedik Investment to improve their decision-making and oversight with custom execution strategies and comprehensive risk capabilities, including real-time positions management and a powerful stress-testing mechanism. The deployment of Tbricks was rapid and smooth due to the flexibility of the solution and the expertise of Itiviti's implementation team that focused on meeting Gedik Investment's needs. "The strength of the operational support and responsiveness we received from Itiviti throughout the implementation was very high." added Salim Kasap, Managing Director, Market Making, at Gedik Investment. "It's an exciting time for both Gedik Investment and for Turkey's capital markets," said Ofir Gefen, Head of Sales and Revenue, EMEA and APAC at Itiviti. "The next few years should be transformational for the Turkish capital markets in terms of trading volume growth and the need for best of breed technology to support the market players. It's important for financial firms in Turkey to think strategically about how their investment in trading technologies can help them remain competitive and expand their business." Continued Gefen: "The ability to scale the Tbricks solution across products, markets, and locations is limitless and will help future-proof Gedik Investment's technology infrastructure. We are delighted to partner with Gedik and support their growth strategy today and into the future. " For further information, please contact: Mireille Adebiyi, Chief Marketing Officer, Itiviti Group, Email: mireille.adebiyi@itiviti.com About Gedik Investment Established in 1991, Gedik Investment is one of the leading investment banking advisory and brokerage firms in Turkey, providing research and brokerage services to domestic and foreign clients. The company is a member of Borsa Istanbul (BIST) and is authorized by the Capital Markets Board (CMB). Today, it has the largest customer base of any non-bank local brokerage house, with around 58,000 clients and counting. Gedik Investment boasts a widespread distribution network, with 42 main branches spread across Turkey's primary cities. About Itiviti Itiviti provides nearly 2,000 financial institutions worldwide with flexible, cross-asset trading solutions that cover the full trade lifecycle. Through its commitment to technology innovation, relentless pursuit of workflow efficiency and an entrepreneurial culture, Itiviti is disrupting the industry with highly-scalable solutions that deliver unprecedented cost savings for clients. For more information, please visit www.itiviti.com. Follow Itiviti on social media on Twitter @Itiviti_AB, on Facebook @ItivitiAB, and on LinkedIn. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/itiviti-group-ab/r/gedik-investment-implements-itiviti-for-futures-market-making-and-algorithmic-trading,c3328591 The following files are available for download: MINNEAPOLIS - The murder case against former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd went to the jury Monday in a city on edge against another round of unrest like the one that erupted last year over the harrowing video of Chauvin with his knee on the Black man's neck. In this image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listen to Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read instructions to the jury before closing arguments, Monday, April 19, 2021, in the trial of 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) MINNEAPOLIS - The murder case against former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd went to the jury Monday in a city on edge against another round of unrest like the one that erupted last year over the harrowing video of Chauvin with his knee on the Black man's neck. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial began deliberating after nearly a full day of closing arguments in which prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May in a way that even a child knew was wrong. The defence contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that the 46-year-old Floyd died of a heart condition and illegal drug use. The jurors deliberated about four hours before retiring for the night to the hotel where they are being sequestered for this final phase of the trial. They were due to resume Tuesday morning. After closing arguments were done, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defence request for a mistrial based in part on comments from California Rep. Maxine Waters, who said we've got to get more confrontational if Chauvin isn't convicted of murder. The judge told Chauvin's attorney: Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. He called her comments abhorrent and "disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, all of which require the jury to conclude that his actions were a substantial causal factor in Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw, prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments, referring to the bystander video of Floyd pinned to the pavement with Chauvin's knee on or close to his neck for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as onlookers yelled at the officer to get off. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing that Chauvin did what any reasonable police officer would have done after finding himself in a dynamic and fluid situation involving a large man struggling with three officers. As Nelson began speaking, the now-fired Chauvin removed his COVID-19 mask in front of the jury for one of the very few times during the trial. Philonise Floyd, left, and Rodney Floyd, right, brothers of George Floyd, lock arms during a prayer alongside attorney Ben Crump, left, during a news conference outside the Hennepin County Government Center before the murder trial against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd advances to jury deliberations, Monday, April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) With the case drawing to a close, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis. The courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard troops were on patrol. Floyd's death set off protests last spring in the city and across the U.S. that sometimes turned violent. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in a nearby suburb on April 11. About 300 protesters marched in the streets outside the courthouse shortly after the jury got the case, lining up behind a banner reading, Justice 4 George Floyd & all stolen lives. The world is watching. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell had the final word Monday, offering the state's rebuttal argument. The prosecutor, who is Black, said the questions about the use of force and cause of death are so simple that a child can understand it. In fact, a child did understand it, when the 9-year-old girl said, Get off of him, Blackwell said, referring to a young witness who objected to what she saw. "Thats how simple it was. `Get off of him.' Common sense. Under the law, police have certain latitude to use force, and their actions are supposed to be judged according to what a reasonable officer in the same situation would have done. Nelson noted that officers who first went to the corner store where Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill were struggling with Floyd when Chauvin arrived as backup. The defence attorney also pointed out that the first two officers on the scene were rookies and that police had been told that Floyd might be on drugs. A reasonable police officer understands the intensity of the struggle, Nelson said, noting that Chauvins body camera and badge were knocked off his chest. Nelson also showed the jury pictures of pills found in Floyds SUV and pill remnants discovered in the squad car. Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyds system. The defence attorney said the failure of the prosecution to acknowledge that medical problems or drugs played a role defies medical science and it defies common sense and reason. During the prosecution's argument, Schleicher replayed portions of the bystander video and other footage as he dismissed certain defence theories about Floyd's death as nonsense." He said Chauvin killed Floyd by constricting his breathing. Schleicher rejected the drug overdose argument, as well as the contention that police were distracted by hostile onlookers, that Floyd had superhuman strength from a state of agitation known as excited delirium, and that he suffered possible carbon monoxide poisoning from auto exhaust. The prosecutor sarcastically referred to the idea that it was heart disease that killed Floyd as an amazing coincidence. "Is that common sense or is that nonsense? Schleicher asked the jury. Blackwell, his fellow prosecutor, likewise rejected the defence theory that Floyd died because of an enlarged heart: The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvins heart was too small. Earlier, Schleicher described how Chauvin ignored Floyds cries and continued to kneel on him well after he stopped breathing and had no pulse. Chauvin was on top of him for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and he had to know, Schleicher said. He had to know. He said Chauvin heard Floyd, but he just didn't listen. The prosecutor said Floyd was "not a threat to anyone" and was not trying to escape when he struggled with officers but instead was terrified of being put into the tiny backseat of the squad car. He said a reasonable officer with Chauvins training and experience he was a 19-year Minneapolis police veteran should have sized up the situation accurately. Chauvin, wearing a light gray suit with a blue shirt and blue tie, showed little expression as he watched himself and the other officers pinning Floyd to the ground on bodycam video played by his attorney. He cocked his head to the side and occasionally leaned forward to write on a notepad. An unidentified woman occupied the single seat set aside in the pandemic-spaced courtroom for a Chauvin supporter. Floyds brother Philonise represented the family in court, as he often has during the trial. Schleicher also noted that Chauvin was required to use his training to provide medical care to Floyd but ignored bystanders, rebuffed help from an off-duty paramedic and rejected a suggestion from another officer to roll Floyd onto his side. He could have listened to the bystanders. He could have listened to fellow officers. He could have listened to his own training," Schleicher said. He knew better. He just didnt do better." Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press video journalist Angie Wang in Atlanta and writers Mohamed Ibrahim and Aaron Morris in Minneapolis contributed. Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd Legendary WWII Raid Objects Reunited With the Ship in Darling Harbour Australian National Maritime Museum has recently acquired historical items relating to Operation Jaywick, an Allied commando raid in Japanese-occupied Singapore in World War II. The articles are now reunited with MV Krait, the original vessel of Operation Jaywick, which is on display at the Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. The objects, a faux Japanese flag, medals and knife are of great national significance to Australia, The Museum said in a statement on Tuesday. The items are currently being placed into the National Maritime Collection and will be united with the ship in the lead up to ANZAC Day on Sunday. Originally belonged to Lieutenant Hubert Edward Ted Carse, who was the commander of the MV Krait on the mission, the objects were sold at the end of last year via auction in London. Their purchase was made possible by the families of Carses brothers and the National Cultural Heritage Account, a grant program that offers funding for Australian public cultural organisations to buy significant objects. Artefacts of this nature provide a valuable opportunity to explore and enhance our understanding of the past, Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, said. Lieutenant Hubert Edward Ted Carse, royal Australian naval volunteer reserve, commander of MV Krait (Public Domain) Considered one of the most daring missions in World War 2, Operation Jaywick was a covert attack undertaken in September 1943. Fourteen commandos and sailors from Special Operations, Australias top-secret Z Special Unit, raided Singapore Harbour and sunk six ships with limpet mines. The 14 men disguised themselves as Malay fishermen and sailed from Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, to Subor Island, 11 kilometres from Japanese-occupied Singapore. They travelled to the harbour aboard the Krait, which was captured from the Japanese navy and originally named Kofuku Maru. The Allies escaped safely after damaging seven ships and never admitted the action. The Japanese never realised how the ships were sunk and blamed the local Singaporeans. The historic raid was presented in The Heroes, a 1989 British-Australian television mini-series. The objects are historically significant physical representations of the heroism of our forces in War World II. They will join other iconic objects from the Krait and Operation Jaywick in the Collection, Fletcher said. The MV Krait is on loan to the Maritime Museum from our colleagues at the Australian War Memorial and forms a proud part of our floating fleet. This is an opportunity not only to preserve but also to showcase objects of historical significance that reflect Australias experience in the Second World War, he said. A Chinese search engine is believed to be hosting advertisements for Uyghur slave labor of up to a hundred workers per ad. In a horrific turn of events following the reports of Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang, China, the Chinese online giant Baidu has been found to host several anonymous advertisements selling Uyghur slave labor. Baidu is a multinational technology company that provides Internet-related services, including the communist state's Baidu, the equivalent of the west's Google. According to Breitbart, the anonymous posts and advertisements on Baidu promoted Uyghur laborers who were under tight political and social controls" and that the "security of workers will be guaranteed by the [Chinese] government." The ads did not indicate how the Uyghur workers will be compensated. Over 10 million Uyghurs reside in the vast Xinjiang province located in China's westernmost territory bordering countries such as Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have demonstrated their control over the region for its vast supply of oil and cotton, detaining one to three million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in concentration camps since at least 2017. CCP officials have repeatedly denied that the concentration camps were designed to erase the Uyghur culture and realign their beliefs with the communist state's. Instead, the CCP claims they operate "vocational training" and Marxist "political education" centers designed to "steer the Sunni Muslim group away from alleged 'extremist' behavior and ideology and into the Chinese labor force." However, witness accounts tell of slave labor conditions at such facilities. According to Sky News, the anonymous posts selling Uyghur slave labor is in line with the Xinjiang government's official "labor transfer program," which aims to "provide more employment opportunities for the surplus rural labour force." There are an estimated 80,000 workers who were taken from the Xinjiang province between 2017 to 2019, but it is believed that more workers were produced from this program. The Chinese websites have featured dozens of posts advertising Uyghur slave labor "in batches of 50 to 100 workers." Such advertisements suggest that there are "tight political and social controls" over these projects. "The truth is that the Chinese authorities are engaged in-absolutely no question now, in my mind-in genocide," U.K's former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith said, as per The Independent. "They're trying to eradicate an ethnic group." A report from the Washington DC-based Newlines Institute for Strategy revealed that China "bears responsibility for committing genocide" and has in fact has violated all of the provisions of the United Nation's Genocide Convention. The House of Commons will begin a debate this week to tackle the human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and will facilitate a non-binding vote on whether China will be declared as responsible for genocide. "The evidence of widespread human rights violations in Xinjiang cannot be ignored-including mass detention and invasive surveillance and reports of torture and forced labor," a Foreign Office spokesperson told The Independent. "The international community will not look the other way and will hold the Chinese authorities to account for their actions." Earth Day webinar on April 22 geared toward students and educators Earth Day webinar on April 22 geared toward students and educators The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is livestreaming a 40-minute webinar for students around the state on Earth Day, April 22. EGLE Director Liesl Eichler Clark will host the event from 1 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. and provide an overview of the importance of Michigan's environment and the role we all play in protecting it. In addition, the webinar will highlight three significant topics of environmental importance that will be addressed by EGLE experts: Climate Change - What is Michigan doing to address climate change, and how can you help? - What is Michigan doing to address climate change, and how can you help? Drinking water - How does water get to your house, and how do we make sure it's safe to drink? - How does water get to your house, and how do we make sure it's safe to drink? Contaminated Property - How do we clean up contaminated sites in Michigan and make them usable again? Educators are encouraged to use this webinar to help your students learn more about Michigan's environment and the importance of protecting it for future generations. Teachers/students who are interested in attending the webinar can register ahead of time. After registering, an email will be sent with a link to use to log in at the time of the event. Those who register but are unable to attend the live session will be sent a link to the recording following the event. Photo caption: Earth Day 2021 logo Like this content? Follow us on Twitter at @MichiganEGLE or on Youtube.com/MichiganEGLE Take a short survey and let us know what you think about MI Environment. Awareness is everything. Most people go about their lives not thinking twice about how much plastic they buy and discard, let alone where it winds up. If you spend a day cleaning up with one of our teams, it will open your eyes. Pick It Up is a monthly grassroots cleanup effort that originated in Red Bank, NJ on Earth Day 2019. Started by Red Bank-based creative agency Splendor, the movement is now celebrating its three-year anniversary. On Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 2021, the group will venture out on the streets in Red Bank to pick up trash, log their findings, and spread a message of responsible consumption and the pollution caused primarily by single use plastics. The event has grown dramatically, despite the challenges of COVID-19. There are now active Pick It Up teams in multiple towns around New Jersey, including Fair Haven and Sea Bright, among others. Event founder Adam Taylor said, I have long supported the efforts of the Surfrider Foundation and Clean Ocean Action. And as we have seen (and their research has proven), trash that originates further upstream makes its way into inland waterways and eventually out to the ocean. Were trying to cut it off before it gets that far. Pick It Up started as a small effort among businesses in town, where a large amount of trash is generated. The long-term goal of the initiative is to branch out to every town in the country. Other groups have begun to surface and contribute. Awareness is everything, explains Taylor. Most people go about their lives not thinking twice about how much plastic they buy and discard, let alone where it winds up. I promise you, if you spend a day cleaning up with one of our teams, it will open your eyes. To that point, Fair Haven team leader Lizz Slavin reports, Team Fair Haven is made up of mostly school-aged children. One hour on River Road yielded six large bags of trash. The crew is learning so much about being conscientious citizens; its truly an outdoor classroom. This weeks Pick It Up event starts at 10am at the corner of Monmouth Street and Maple Ave in Red Bank, NJ in the Buona Sera parking lot. The group encourages residents, business owners and their employees, and high school students looking for volunteer hours to meet for an hour and join the cause. Look for our team donning green shirts, said Taylor. Well have gloves, garbage bags and dogs-in-tow. About Pick It Up Pick It Up is a growing movement of urban and suburban monthly garbage cleanup events. With as few as two people, teams venture out for one hour to collect trash with a particular focus on plastics. The organization is actively seeking corporate sponsors, volunteers and team leaders. To learn more about the effort or to join a team visit https://pickitup.eco. About Splendor Splendor is a full-service branding, web design and marketing agency that combines big-picture strategic thinking with award-winning creativity to solve real-world business problems. To learn more about Splendor and to discuss marketing efforts backed by the agencys creative team, head to https://splendordesign.com. CLEVELAND and ROCHESTER, Minn., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of 60 top hospitals and health care institutions have joined forces in a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign "Get the Vaccine to Save Lives" is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and return to normal activities. "We're asking people to talk to their health care providers if they have questions and then get vaccinated," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "The vaccine is our strongest asset to end the pandemic, and I urge everyone who is eligible to get whichever vaccine you're first offered to save lives." The campaign hopes to reach adults who are hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published March 30, 17% of the public say they will take a wait-and-see approach before getting it themselves, and another 20% say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school or other activities. This leaves a significant portion of the population at risk of going unvaccinated. The nationwide campaign includes print and digital advertising, media outreach, social media, an awareness video and an informational website. "The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and highly effective and offers our best hope for beating the disease," said Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., Cleveland Clinic's CEO and president. "We all want to see a return to our pre-COVID routines, when we can once again gather safely with family and friends. To reach that goal, we must improve vaccination rates to achieve herd immunity. Please sign up today because we are all in this together." With vaccine distribution underway, the campaign aims to help Americans feel safe and confident about receiving a vaccine. To achieve herd immunity and help end the pandemic, leading health officials say at least 75% of the population needs to receive a vaccine. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected not just those who have been vaccinated. In addition to Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, 58 other leading U.S. health care institutions have joined the campaign. They include: AdventHealth Adventist Health Allegheny Health Network Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Arizona Medical Association Ascension St. Vincent's Atrium Health Banner Health Baptist Health South Florida Baylor Scott & White Health Beaumont Health BJC HealthCare Brooks Rehabilitation Broward Health Centura Health Einstein Healthcare Network Emory Healthcare Essentia Health Hackensack Meridian HonorHealth Intermountain Healthcare Lee Health Mass General Brigham McLaren St. Luke's MedStar Health Memorial Healthcare System Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Mercy Health Michigan Medicine Monument Health NCH Healthcare System Nicklaus Children's Health System NorthShore University HealthSystem Northwestern Medicine Norton Healthcare PeaceHealth Piedmont Healthcare ProMedica Renown Health Rush University Medical Center Chicago Southwestern Health Resources Spectrum Health Summit Health Texas Health The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James Cancer Hospital The Toledo Clinic The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ThedaCare UC Health (Cincinnati) UNC Health University Hospitals University of Chicago Medicine University of Iowa Health Care University of Toledo Medical Center UT Southwestern Medical Center Virtua Health WellSpan Health Yale New Haven Health More than 209 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 50% of the population age 18 and over has received at least one vaccine dose in the U.S. through April 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration's rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization. Ethos Creative Group of Burlington, North Carolina, created the campaign and donated their services. Facebook, iHeartRadio, Spectrum Reach, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and YouTube also provided complimentary resources. For more information about the campaign, visit ourshot2savelives.org. About Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic now in its centennial year is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Among Cleveland Clinic's 70,800 employees worldwide are more than 4,660 salaried physicians and researchers, and 18,500 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 19 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2020, there were 8.7 million total outpatient visits, 273,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 217,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic's health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center. SOURCE Cleveland Clinic Related Links www.ccf.org With Congress heatedly debating President Joe Bidens $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal , members of the public, private and research sectors came together recently to discuss its game-changing potential.In a recent Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program-hosted panel , Rebuilding American Infrastructure for the 21century, participant U.S. Senator Tom Carper who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works said the bill is an opportunity to expand the economy while slowing climate change and better meeting residents basic needs.We have an opportunity to do great things to get the economy moving fix our roads, highways, bridges and do so in a way that is helpful for thisplanet, Carper said.For many panel participants, the right technology investments appeared key to achieving these kinds of economic and environmental goals. Several speakers also said during the panel that the infrastructure proposal should be viewed not only as a necessary fix to stop the degradation of existing systems but also as a forward-looking opportunity for state, local and federal government and other partners to proactively advance toward a more desirable future. Designing for the future also means both preparing for changing environmental conditions and experimenting with technology to be ready for developments that may come, said Austin Ramirez , CEO of hydraulic components provider HUSCO International.We often think of resilience as resilience to climate change, and thats important, but we also need to (think) about resilience in terms of the robustness of our infrastructure in light of technological change, Ramirez said. We need to make sure what were building is relevant for not just the next five years, 10 years, but the next 50 years.Among the major technological shifts is the ever-growing push toward more environmentally friendly systems and solutions. According to Chris Castro , the city of Orlando's director of sustainability and resilience, green energy initiatives like those in Bidens plan can bring significant employment boosts. Growing opportunities in the renewable energy sector may be able to more than replace jobs lost from the phasing out of fossil fuels, he said.There are over 250,000 solar jobs in the country and its still in the low single digit percentages of power in the entire United States. When you compare that, coal mining jobs are less than 50,000 currently and dwindling, Castro said. One of the greatest economic and job creation opportunities of the 21century is this transition toward a low-carbon economy,The solar employment figure Castro cited appears to come from solar energy advocacy nonprofit The Solar Foundations most recent national solar jobs census , which reported on 2019, and his coal miner count aligns with federal data for the same year. Solar accounted for about 1 percent of energy produced in the U.S. that year while coal represented 14 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Landing such solar energy jobs as well as careers in nearly any other sectors is typically much easier for residents who are able to use high-speed Internet access to visit job hunting sites, a point the Metropolitan Policy Program underscored in a report it launched to coincide with the panel event. More than 16 million households lack this broadband access, however, the study said. Bidens infrastructure proposal aims to tackle this, with calls for connecting all residents with affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband.The digitization of everything has transformed broadband from a luxury to a necessity, said Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow Adie Tomer during the event. We cant prosper as a society if people cant connect to the modern economy.Job seekers are not the only ones who benefit from such a move, because giving households broadband access can put them on better financial standing in various other ways, such as by enabling residents to use digital banking tools and helping students develop skills via online classes and resources, the report stated. Extending reliable Internet connectivity to more areas also could help merchants, with e-commerce retailers able to reach more potential customers as the number of broadband-equipped households expands.Building a stronger economy can also rely on a combination of traditional brick-and-pavement development and newer technology. Senator Maria Cantwell , who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, emphasized that a central piece of national economic growth rests on creating and maintaining physical bridge, road and waterway infrastructure that can help U.S. farmers, manufacturers and other businesses deliver their goods to ports quickly and reliably, after which products can then be shipped for sale to a growing base of middle-class consumers worldwide. Any issues during any stage of transit could lead to foreign competitors making the sale to overseas consumers instead, she warned.Any delays in transportation infrastructure costs all of us, Cantwell said. Freight cant wait.Carper, separately, pointed to how greener technology can play a role and modernize the vehicles used to transport goods.Not many people talk about hydrogen fueling stations, but for large trucks hydrogen could be really good, Carper said.Installing a variety of such stations along roadways could make it more feasible for drivers to use long-haul vehicles that are equipped with hydrogen powered fuel cells. These vehicles power their motors via electricity produced in chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen within the fuel cells. Unlike gas-burning vehicles that release carbon dioxide exhaust fumes, fuel cell-powered ones only emit water vapor.While heralding the long-term and widespread economic gains offered by the federal infrastructure plan, some speakers also expressed concern over its funding these and other initiatives. Sweeping changes come at a price, and current plans outlined by the White House propose funding the projects by adjusting corporate tax law. Those adjustments include both measures for generating new revenue through raising corporate tax rates and closing loopholes some major companies use to avoid paying taxes, as well as efforts to trim some federal expenses by ending subsidies and tax credits offered to the fossil fuel industry, freeing up that money for other purposes.Some speakers argued that the federal government should consider a variety of other fundraising tools as well. Debra Knopman , a principal researcher at RAND Corporation, advocated for efforts to entice more private investment in infrastructure in general not only for a major project like this. Ramirez, representing a voice from the business sector, said Bidens plan should draw on more financial sources including some form of user fees which could mean anything from gas taxes to highway toll collections and a carbon tax.Its not funded appropriately, Ramirez said of the Biden plan. To put all of this infrastructure on the back of a corporate tax increase is a bad strategy.Discussion continues to swirl over the federal infrastructure plan, and many members of states and local governments are likely eyeing their wish lists. While many may disagree over specific details and decisions, all are likely to concur that significant investments in traditional and digital infrastructure and related technologies can massively change how residents work, learn and live.As Tomer commented, Show us your infrastructure and youll show us your priorities. For those drivers that are looking for a model that offers the ultimate comfort, no matter the temperatures, Toyota of Lompoc is the dealership to visit! For those drivers that are looking for a model that offers the ultimate comfort, no matter the temperatures, Toyota of Lompoc is the dealership to visit! Theyre offering amazing models, each delivering a wide range of benefits. This includes heated seating, letting drivers enjoy excellent temperatures anywhere. Continue reading below in order to find out more! Starting off the list of excellent models available in Lompoc, CA is a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Premium. This excellent vehicle has great features, amazing mileage, and a low price! One of these features is heated seating. This vehicle has a total mileage of 83,053 and features a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and CVT transmission. It has a price of $17,500, meaning its practically new at a great price! The second available model at Toyota of Lompoc includes a 2018 Toyota Camry XSE, which features many excellent benefits. This includes heated seating. Drivers can also enjoy a mileage of only 20,301 and features a 2.5-liter I-4 engine system and eight-speed automatic transmission, which gives drivers a fuel economy of 28 MPG in the city and 39 MPG on the highway. Thats a great performance for any driver! Finally, drivers can pick a 2016 Honda Odyssey EX-L, which offers heated seating, a fuel economy of 19 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway, and more. Drivers can pick up this model for $21,000. It also features a 3.5-liter V6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission system, and more. Overall, Toyota of Lompoc has a ton of excellent vehicles, giving a variety of amazing features. This includes the models above, which are just some of those that offer heated seating. To learn more about them or other models available, interested individuals should contact the dealership. They can be reached at 805-736-1295, visited in person at 203 Eat Ocean Avenue in Lompoc, CA, or visited online at https://www.toyotaoflompoc.com/. Square Enix has denied recent rumors that it is up for sale. The Japanese gaming companywhich is best known for creating video game hits such as the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts seriesreleased a statement on Friday denying that there were any talks of a potential acquisition of the brand or any of its assets. Games Radar explains how these rumors surfaced from a report published by Bloomberg Japan claiming that Square Enix had received interest from a number of parties looking to buy the company. However, Games Radar additionally notes how Bloomberg Japan failed to list the names of any of these buyers. However, not too long after the report was released, Square Enix shared a brief response to these rumors on its investors relations page stating otherwise. Bloomberg reported today that there is interest from several buyers to acquire Square Enix, reads the organizations statement. However, this report is not based on any announcement by Square Enix Holdings Co., LTD. We do not consider selling off the company or any part of its businesses, nor have we received any offer from any third party to acquire the company or any part of its businesses. According to Anime News Network, Square Enixs market value increased by roughly 12 percent after the report was released, boosting its estimated worth to 845 billion yen ($7.8 billion USD). However, it appears that, for now, the rumors about the brands sale have ceased. Additionally, Bloomberg Japan has yet to release a statement of its own pertaining to the report or Square Enixs response. A new type of COVID-19 testing strategy could help streamline the process of identifying cases, tracking variants and detecting co-infecting viruses. At present, separate assays and complex workflows are involved in each of these three diagnostic procedures, with analyses typically performed in highly specialized facilities. KAUST researchers have now combined all three kinds of tests into a single procedure that should allow for point-of-care tracking of COVID-19 and the many emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. "Our all-in-one test provides a promising integrated solution for rapid field-deployable detection and mutational surveillance of pandemic viruses," says stem cell biologist Mo Li, who led the study. The test involves a portable briefcase-sized mini-laboratory that avoids all the slow and expensive techniques that are standard for COVID-19 screening and monitoring. The new test takes advantage of a recent genetic method (called recombinase polymerase amplification) and a next-generation portable sequencer to quickly detect the presence of viral sequences and provide read-outs -- in up to 96 patient samples at a time. Li's team, in collaboration with researchers from Saudi Arabia, the United States and Spain, designed the test to decode five segments of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, each chosen to help guide variant tracking. They also incorporated assays for three common respiratory viruses that can cause symptoms similar to COVID-19. Working with clinical collaborators from hospitals in Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, the team validated the technique -- termed NIRVANA -- using nose and throat swabs from people suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 infections. They also tested wastewater samples collected from municipal sewage at KAUST to show how the method could allow for population-level surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. "NIRVANA can rapidly diagnose multiple viral infections in a high-throughput manner," notes Chongwei Bi, a Ph.D. student in Li's lab. What's more, when it comes to SARS-CoV-2 monitoring, "it can simultaneously detect the virus and report its mutations," he adds. With support from the Rapid Research Response Team (part of the university's Smart Health Initiative), Li and his lab group are continuing to refine the NIRVANA platform for large-scale deployment. One limitation of the test is that it can only detect SARS-CoV-2 mutations in selected genomic regions, and as new variants of concern keep cropping up around the world, those regions might need to be updated to reflect the evolving nature of the virus. "At the same time," Li says, "we are seeking to collaborate with hospitals to test NIRVANA in the clinic." ### The Alabama Democratic Party today announced support for legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical use in the state. Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa, the state Democratic Party chair, said legalization would help fix problems in the criminal justice system and boost the economy. Nearly 100 years of marijuana prohibition and criminalization has trapped thousands of Alabamians, mostly Black, in our broken criminal justice system, England said in a press release. Reforming policy surrounding cannabis not only serves our state in producing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues, but is an important step in reducing arrests and expunging records. Nobody should be sitting in jail for carrying a little bit of weed. Legalization would allow Alabama to save the millions it spends every year incarcerating people for marijuana possession and could bring in tax revenue and create jobs and opportunities, the party said. A bill to legalize medical marijuana has passed the Senate and could pass the House before the legislative session ends May 17. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, a Republican and physician from Florence. Melson opposes recreational use. England said Alabama should get ahead of other southern states on the issue. Weve had the discussions in the legislature about medical marijuana, and thats a good first step, but lets not allow Mississippi or Georgia to legalize recreational sales before we do, England said. Weve seen the progress that other states have made. Alabama could be the first state in the Deep South to legalize cannabis for recreational use. We cant afford to let this opportunity go to another state in our region. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 states have legalized medical marijuana and 17 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. This story will be updated. DETROIT -- The border between the U.S. and Canada will remain closed for most travelers for at least another month as the closure has been extended until May 21. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protections, the border is also closed between the U.S. and Mexico until that date. The USCBP did say those authorized to cross the border for work, supply chain needs, or other approved actions will continue to be allowed across the borders. We are maintaining cross-border activities with Canada and Mexico that support health security, trade, commerce, supply security, and other essential activities while taking critical steps to protect our citizens and to curb spread of the virus, the USCBP wrote in a press release. The border between the U.S. and Canada has been closed since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a proclamation closing Canadas borders on March 16, 2020. It is unclear when travel across the borders will reopen for all residents. READ MORE: Days after calling it BS, Ted Nugent says hes been battling COVID-19: I thought I was dying Whitmer visited her father in out-of-state trip 173 infected in new coronavirus outbreaks at 41 schools, says Michigans April 19 school outbreak report ADVERTISEMENT The Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke, has advised Anambra residents to be mindful of their health and go for the COVID-19 vaccine. Mr Okeke gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday. He expressed concern that some people still lived in doubt about the reality of the pandemic, in spite of the huge media awareness created by the state government about the viral infection. He said there was a need for people to get the vaccine jab in order not to contract the virus. The state government under the watch of Governor Willie Obiano has designated some centres in the 21 local government areas for easy accessibility to the people. We appeal to our people to take care of their life. Government cares for your life. You should complement the efforts of the governor by going to take the COVID-19 vaccine. It is safe, Mr Okeke said. He also urged community leaders in the state to encourage their subjects to get the vaccine jab. He said the government was determined to keep COVID-19 out of Anambra so that residents would live healthy in a safe environment. He advised residents to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols at all times. There are 1,909 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Anambra as of April 19, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Nineteen people have so far died of the infection in the state. (NAN) The new patients brought the total number of infections in Vietnam to 2,791, said the Ministry of Health (MoH). According to the MoHs Medical Service Administration, up to 2,475 patients were given the all-clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, while the death toll was still kept at 35. Among active patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments nationwide, 11 tested negative to the virus once, 16 twice and 18 thrice. As many as 40,150 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are currently quarantined across the country, including 531 in hospitals, 24,361 in state-designated establishments and 15,258 at their homes or residences. The Health Ministry continued to urge all people to follow the 5K motto Khau trang (wearing facemask) Khu khuan (disinfecting) Khoang cach (keeping distance) Khong tu tap (no gathering) Khai bao y te (making medical declaration), in order to live safely amid the pandemic. Australia, UNICEF join hands to aid COVID-19 vaccine delivery in Vietnam The Australian Embassy in Hanoi and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) have announced a AUD13.5 million package to support the introduction and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines doses in Vietnam. The Australia-UNICEF partnership is expected to provide a unique and holistic package that will assist Vietnam across a range of areas vital to the successful delivery of a mass immunisation programme against COVID-19, according to a UNICEF press release published on April 19. Our support will help Vietnam purchase cold chain equipment to store and transport vaccine doses to where they are needed around the country, provide training courses and materials to ensure Vietnams health workers and officials are ready, and assist with the development of immunisation plans in Vietnams remote provinces to ensure equitable and uniform vaccine coverage, said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie. Introducing a new vaccine especially for COVID-19 is a colossal task for any government with many important steps involved. Thanks to the partnership with the Government of Australia, UNICEF is committed to work with the MoH and other partners to support the introduction and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Vietnam, said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam. The programme will support Vietnam to reach the prioritised 20% of population by the end of 2022 and set the foundation necessary for immunising the remainder of the population as vaccines are rolled out nationwide. Funding for the programme is drawn from Australias AUD523.2 million Regional Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative, as well as from the nations bilateral development cooperation programme with Vietnam. In total, Australia has committed AUD40 million over three years to support Vietnams vaccine procurement and delivery efforts. Philip Haynes held onto his elderly father even as a tornado tore through their trailer and carried them both into a field about 40 feet away. Haynes, 50, and his father Mac, 78, lived in an Ohatchee mobile home that was destroyed during the tornado that took the lives of five Calhoun County residents on March 25. According to his sister, Rachel Hunter, Haynes got their father into a bear hug and protected him from the storm. Haynes sustained injuries including broken ribs, a broken clavicle and a punctured lung. He also developed pneumonia, probably due to his lung injury, Hunter said. But the effort to save his father worked. Although Haynes has been in the hospital for weeks, Mac managed to come home after just a few days, scraped and bruised but unhurt. Haynes has no health insurance, though, so his health care could cost thousands. Hunter will be bringing her brother home this weekend, she said Monday. Hes back to walking again, though its shaky, and hell stay with her for the time being. Here is full coverage of the storms We dont have any clue how much its going to cost, Hunter said. We discovered he had developed diabetes and pretty high blood pressure, so hes going to need regular doctor visits and medicine even after he comes home. Haynes church, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal in Anniston, is taking up donations to help Haynes and his family recover from the tornado that swept away so much of their lives. David Hodnett, assistant to the priest at the church, said the congregation had been glad to be able to help. We didnt know what their needs were going to be, but we try to help out any of our parishioners, Hodnett said. Hunter said there had been a string of blessings in the time since the tornado. That her brother and father survived at all was a miracle, she explained. The night before Haynes had to be intubated, she said, he gave her the number of John Carlisto, head priest at St. Michaels, who spearheaded the donation campaign. Hodnett said he was uncertain how much had been donated so far. The family will know more about the costs after Haynes comes home, Hunter said. Those interested in helping can send a check to the church made payable to St. Michael and All Angels, with Haynes love gift in the memo field. The church mailing address is Box 1884, Anniston, 36202. The folks there at the church are really great, Hunter said. Im excited to take him to a service and get to meet everyone. Hunter added that a cousin, Melody Haynes Curvin, lived near Mac and Philip and lost everything in the tornado. A GoFundMe account was set up in her name, located online at gofund.me/1dc6f07c. Assistant Metro Editor Ben Nunnally: 256-235-3560. ___ (c)2021 The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) Visit The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) at www.annistonstar.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The traditional folk costumes of the Miao History worn on the body People's Daily Online) 13:16, April 20, 2021 (People's Daily Online/Zhao Jian) The costumes of the Miao ethnic group are sometimes described as a kind of history book worn by people, which reflects the fact that Miao people create patterns on their clothes to record historical events and pass on their clothing from generation to generation. The Miao ethnic minority comprises over 100 branches, with each branch having its own unique costumes. In southern China, the Miao ethnic minority boasts the most diversified styles in terms of their traditional attire. Of particular note, southwest China's Guizhou province is home to the most exquisite Miao costumes, featuring delicate embroidery and batik patterns on their clothes, as well as the addition of silver jewelry, an important part of Miao dress. Costumes of the Miao people in Guizhou are very representative of the clothes within their entire ethnic group. The Miao people have a long history of wearing silver ornaments, believing that they symbolize a type of blessing that can ward off evil spirits. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Found guilty of stabbing 19-year-old stranger Brittany Bung to death while in the grip of a drug-induced psychosis, Jordan Belyk apologized to the innocent victims family Tuesday, promising his long days of addiction are behind him. Found guilty of stabbing 19-year-old stranger Brittany Bung to death while in the grip of a drug-induced psychosis, Jordan Belyk apologized to the innocent victims family Tuesday, promising his long days of addiction are behind him. "I feel extremely terrible for what has happened I am truly sorry," Belyk told court. "I hope my path to sobriety and this chance to apologize brings some closure to the family." Belyk, 24, stood trial for second-degree murder but was convicted by a judge in January of the reduced charge of manslaughter. Bung was attacked Oct. 3, 2017, just minutes after Belyk crossed paths with her at a Lac du Bonnet gas station. Just one week before the killing, Belyk was spared jail and sentenced to one-year probation after pleading guilty to a drunken assault on a Winnipeg street. Belyks decision to start using drugs again upon his release set him on a crash course with tragedy, argued Crown attorney Danielle Simard, who recommended Queens Bench Justice Joan McKelvey sentence Belyk to 12-15 years in prison. "The accused chose to consume illicit drugs for years. The accused knew he had a drug problem," Simard said. "This scenario should draw a sentence at the higher end." Belyk has been in custody since the day of the killing. Defence lawyers recommended he be sentenced to just two more years in custody, which would allow for an additional three years of supervised probation upon his release. Belyk has shown "shame and regret" for the killing and understands how his drug use impacted his behaviour, defence lawyer Saul Simmonds said. Killer jumped in car at gas station Belyk and Bung were not known to each other before Belyk, wearing no shoes or shirt, walked into a Lac du Bonnet gas station shortly before 6:30 a.m. At trial, an employee at the station testified Belyk followed Bung to her car and jumped in the front seat, said: "Lets get the f--- out of here," and reclined the seat as if hiding as Bung drove away. Brittany Bung (Instagram) Seven minutes later, Bung called 911, telling an operator a man had jumped in her car and started stabbing her. Bung was able to exit the car and was found collapsed at the intersection of Provincial Road 502 and Edward Crescent. Bung suffered 14 stab wounds to her face, neck and chest, and 25 defensive wounds to her hands. She died less than an hour later, en route to hospital in Pinawa. Court heard Belyk, who had no ties to Lac du Bonnet, had been on a drug binge and hadnt slept for days at the time of the killing. An RCMP toxicologist testified blood sample screen tests found methamphetamine and cocaine in Belyks system, but she was unable to confirm the presence of the drugs to the standard required by the police services forensic unit. However, Belyks behaviour was consistent with a diagnosis of substance-induced psychotic disorder, testified Dr. Edward Cetaruk, a Colorado physician called by the defence and qualified by the court as an expert in emergency room medicine and medical technology. Consumption of methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs can change a users behaviour for long periods of time, with sleep deprivation increasing the risk they will suffer a psychotic episode, Cetaruk said. 17 victim-impact statements detail loss Court heard Belyks substance abuse problems could be traced to the 2011 killing of his biological mother, an addict herself. Bungs family and friends provided 17 victim-impact statements, describing the hole her death has left in their lives. "We are still in shock she is gone She deserved to live a full life," said Leann Bung, describing her daughter as a "kind, compassionate and caring soul" who hoped to enrol in culinary school. Family friend Sheryl McLean said the killing has left her anxious, moody and forever fearful for her own childrens safety. "Brittanys death has broken my humanity," she said. McKelvey will sentence Belyk on May 11. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca San Antonio Police Officer Tyler Sauvage was shot in the hand during Friday's shootout. He was treated in the hospital but has since been released. The San Antonio police officer who was shot in the hand during a routine traffic stop before returning fire and killing two suspects has been pictured, as officials announced that he has been released from the hospital. Officer Tyler Sauvage, a five-year veteran of the force, pulled over a blue pickup truck Friday afternoon and had a 'casual conversation' with the driver, Chief William McManus said after the shooting. But the routine traffic stop descended into a gun battle when, a gun was passed from one of the occupants to the front passenger, who opened fire at the cop at point-blank range. Sauvage managed to retreat and return fire, killing the passenger - 25-year-old Alex Anthony Garcia - as well as the driver, Sammie Joe Barbosa, 33. A third occupant, a 22-year-old woman whose name hasn't been released, was graved in the upper torso by a bullet. San Antonio police didn't say which occupant passed the gun to the Garcia. Police originally said it was the driver who pulled the trigger, but later said it was Garcia. 'Through the investigation it was determined that an occupant in the vehicle was told to give the handgun to Alex Anthony Garcia (front passenger) who then fired the gun at Officer (Tyler) Sauvage, striking him,' San Antonio police said in a statement. Scroll down for video. Alex Anthony Garcia, 25, (left) and Sammie Joe Barbosa, 33, (right) were killed during a shootout with a San Antonio police officer during a Friday traffic stop. Police said Garcia shot first. Garcia allegedly fired multiple times, according to police, but the exact number of shots is still unknown. One of the bullets struck Sauvage in the hand; another hit his radio. 'The officer is very, very lucky to be alive at those close range having been shot in the hand and not somewhere else more vital,' Police Chief William McManus said after the shooting on Friday. Police wouldn't comment if the female passenger faces any charges. A witness told KENS 5 she saw the gun battle and called 911, saying 'Your guy just got shot.' 'There is an active shooting right now. I was concerned for the policeman. He was alone,' she told KENS 5. Sauvage, a five-year force veteran, was treated at the hospital but has since been released and is recovering at home. He was placed on administrative leave. When asked if Garcia and Barbosa had previous arrests, a San Antonio police spokesperson said, 'We are unable to release criminal histories.' Why Garcia opened fire is still unknown at this point. Pictured is the one suspect in the car who survived. She was shot during the gun battle in the upper torso. Police didn't release her identity. Chief William McManus said a routine traffic stop escalated without warning into a gun battle that left a San Antonio police officer injured, two suspects dead and a third suspect in the hospital. Law enforcement are trying to understand why the driver pulled a gun on the San Antonio police officer during a 'casual conversation' as part of a 'routine' traffic stop. San Antonio police are baffled by what prompted the shooting. The San Antonio Police Department Shooting Team and Internal Affairs are in the midst of separate, but concurrent investigations, per department protocols. The case will then be forwarded to the Bexar County District Attorney's Office for an independent review. This was San Antonio's second gunfire exchange involving police in two days. A day earlier, a gunman with 'mental issues' was shot and killed by police after he drove up to the terminal of San Antonio International Airport and open fired. According to the top American diplomat, the Biden administration is prepared to take on countries that are failing to address the climate crisis, including those that refuse to reduce their dependence on coal. Hours after Australia's prime minister, Scott Morrison appeared to emphasize the costs of acting on climate change, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for even more efforts to combat global warming over the next decade. On Monday evening, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the Business Council of Australia that achieving net-zero emissions would not be possible by "taxing our businesses that provide livelihoods for millions of Australians off the earth." "We won't hit net-zero in our inner cities' cafes, tea parties, and wine bars," Morrison said, adding that it will be accomplished by the "pioneering entrepreneurialism and creativity of Australia's industrial workhorses, fishermen, and scientists." Morrison is one of 40 world leaders invited to Joe Biden's virtual climate summit later this week. Related Article: Environmental Justice Goes Mainstream with Governmental Support Firm Action Blinken's speech is part of a push to get countries to agree to more aggressive climate change goals. The US state department will "weave" climate change into the framework of everything. "Countries who continue to rely on coal for a large portion of their resources, invest in new coal plants, or encourage substantial deforestation will hear from the US and our allies," Blinken says. The US, according to Blinken, will "seize any opportunity we get to discuss these concerns with our allies and partners, as well as through multilateral institutions." About the fact that the speech made no overt mention of Australia, the Australian government has continued to support coal's future, and representatives of the Nationals have pushed for new coal-fired power plants. A Collaborative Effort "We need the whole world focused on taking steps now and during this decade to facilitate the achievement of net-zero global emissions by 2050," Blinken said, noting that the US is set to announce a new 2030 carbon reduction before Biden's summit. Australia's Emission To date, the Australian government has rejected calls to strengthen its goal of a 26 percent to 28 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels), arguing that the target "is a floor on Australia's ambition," implying that it aspires to do more. On Monday evening, Morrison reiterated his government's goal of reaching net-zero emissions "as soon as possible, hopefully by 2050." He hasn't made a concrete commitment to that target. Analysts believe Australia will not "go under the radar" as the Morrison government is likely to face intensified international scrutiny over the climate crisis. Morrison said on Monday night that Australia was "doing its heavy lifting in our area of the world" and that the country was working to increase the feasibility of emerging technology. "We are leading the way" on carbon emissions reduction, says Morrison. "Don't let anyone who wants to put Australia down on what we're doing on carbon say we're not up to the task," he added. "It is this pragmatic approach to commercializing emerging technology." Potential Benefits Labor leader Anthony Albanese said at a clean technology and employment event that Australia cannot afford "further drift and time-wasting" in the transition to green energy because there is "huge potential" to build hundreds of thousands of safe, well-paid jobs. John Kerry, Biden's environment envoy, openly recognized previous "differences" between the US and Australia in addressing the climate crisis in February, thus pushing for a quicker transition away from coal-fired plants. International Challenges Blinken said that the climate crisis is fueling national security challenges. But thinking about the problem solely through the danger lens is an error, she said. Despite the benefits of climate change, "not every American worker will win out in the long term." Despite the US and China agreeing to work together to address the climate crisis last weekend, Blinken said the Biden administration would not use "other countries' gains on climate as a chip to justify poor behavior in other ways that are critical to our national security." Also Read: US and China willing to Cooperate with Each Other to Combat Climate Crisis! For more news about Environmental Action, don't forget to follow Nature World News! ROME, APR 20 - Mank and Minari are the two films that will be shown first when Italian cinemas reopen after the COVID lockdown on Monday, sources said Tuesday. Mank, which leads the Oscar race with 10 nods, will be the first film in Circuito Cinema theatres, Circuito Cinema and Lucky red distributors' founder Andrea Occhipinti told ANSA Tuesday. The acclaimed biopic on screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his development of the screenplay for legendary film Citizen Kane will open in Rome at the Quattro Fontane cinema, "and gradually in all the others", he said. "We are ready to reopen in complete safety, with the standards respected up till now," said Occhipinti. "The first film is Mank, the Oscar favourite, with 10 nominations, and on the 26th, or the day after Oscar night, we hope it will have got all the statuettes that it deserves". He said the Circuito Cinema theatres were poised to reopen and "put on great films". Occhipinti is also the man behind MioCinema, a digital platform that has bridged the gap between actual and virtual cinema theatres during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another distribution chain, Academy Two, said Minari would feature on its circuit from Monday. Lee Isaac Chung's critically acclaimed South Korean-in-US drama, which is up for six Oscars on April 25, will be the first film to hit its screens. Minari ("water celery") stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton. A semi-autobiographical take on Chung's upbringing, the plot follows a family of South Korean immigrants who try to make it in the rural United States during the 1980s. Minari is up for six Academy Awards including all the top categories and South Korean diva Yuh-Jung Youn is a hot tip for best supporting actress. Produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B company, the film has already reaped a cabinet full of awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTAS and Sundance, to name but a few. (ANSA). But if there was any question about the hierarchy in the room, the BCAs table list expertly overseen by chief executive Jennifer Westacott spelt out who just is in the corporate in-crowd as the pandemic recovery gains momentum. The Prime Minister sat at the centre of the room on a table including Telstra chief executive Andy Penn, Coca-Cola Amatil managing director Alison Watkins, Transurban chief executive Scott Charlton and BCA president Tim Reed. Closer to the stage, Westacott presided over the equal first ranking table with Foreign Minister Marise Payne, ACCC chair Rod Sims, NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres, Dulux chief executive Patrick Houlihan and Bluescope chief executive Mark Vasella. Three tables over, CBD spotted ACTU secretary Sally McManus sitting with Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh. Vintage fixture At 81, Hugh Morgan had a blinder of a night. The former Western Mining boss, BCA president and Reserve Bank board member scored a power seat right next to Bank governor Philip Lowe at a centre table. Christopher Pyne and Peter Cosgrove at Monday nights BCA dinner. Credit: And the pair were afforded favoured-nation status as one of the few people Prime Minister Scott Morrison deigned to stop and chat with. Foreign Minister Marise Payne, seated next to BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott at the front table, was granted a PM shoulder squeeze on the way past. Payne arrived alongside former opposition leader Brendan Nelson. During his speech, the PM acknowledged Lowe as my favourite Dr Phil. It might have been too suburban a reference for the business executives, who are far too busy watching the stock market to watch daytime television, where Dr Phil is a US daytime advice show host of some prominence. CBD spotted Morgan skipping out of Sydneys Fullerton Hotel at the end of the night onto Pitt Street, and chivalrously hailing a cab for a dark-haired female executive. He then strode jauntily down Pitt Street towards the Quay. Clearly, the future awaited. Hard chat After bounding on stage with admirable energy, the PM delivered a headline address that sounded like a masterclass in braggadocio. He told those assembled how the country has better weathered the COVID crisis than anywhere else in the world. But this state that Australia has arrived in has not been the product of luck. It was as one corporate affairs expert observed: The speech you give when you know that half the room hates you and you decide you are going to list all your achievements. But if Morrisons rather long message grated, at least he had reinforcements in the room to back him up on some of the finer points, including pledges for more deregulation and to cut red tape. Energy Minister Angus Taylor attended the event, along with Assistant to the Prime Minister, Ben Morton. Financial Services Minister Jane Hume also attended and was spotted on the table with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce - in high spirits in the same week the airline added more flights to capitalise on a newly launched Trans-Tasman travel bubble - and CBA chair Catherine Livingstone. Winner, winner dinner Later, Morrison was recalled to the stage to help present the Biggie Awards, which this column had assumed was a blackslapping acknowledgement for who got the biggest executive bonuses. But times have clearly changed in a business sector now focused on purposeful business and community engagement and as BCA president and former MYOB chair Tim Reed put it, wanted to work to ensure the economy was strong for a fair and inclusive society for all Australians. Thus, the biggies turned out to be a Year Seven Prize Night style event to recognise positive contributions made by business to the community. Sadly, paying more tax was not a finalist for the evening. An all-girls school on the northside of Cork City has become the first school in Ireland recognised by Unicef for embedding childrens rights in its policy, practice, and ethos. St Vincents on St Marys Rd is the first school in Ireland to receive a Rights Respecting Schools Silver Award from the United Nations Childrens Fund. The student-led project required the input of the whole school, including teachers, the student council, and the school's board of management, according to student Prome Hossain, Gurranabraher, a spokeswoman for the projects steering group. The award is for promoting childrens rights, make everyone aware of them, and incorporate them into our daily lives," she said. At the start of this journey, the steering committee talked to students, we talked to teachers and to our board and told them what we were going to do to achieve this award. We told them about what Unicef is about, and we told them about what the Rights Respecting School Award is about. Students Lily Mata, Jennifer O'Mahony, Kashmira Concha, Ava Tynan, Prome Hossian, Aimee Cronin, Sumaiya Molla, Sabrina Alom, Ella Valencia, and Holly Ford. Picture: Damian Coleman The steering committee also had to put together an action plan, which they then had to present to Unicef. The school was also assessed by Unicef through a site visit, looking at the whole school's rights-respecting work. Students and teachers were also asked what they have done to promote childrens rights in the school. In order to achieve the silver award, Unicef must see evidence that a school is explicitly embedding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in its policy, practice, and culture. It must also see that the school is promoting knowledge and understanding of the convention, and that it is beginning to see the positive impact of these actions on children and young people. Last year, St Vincents was also the first school to receive the Rights Respecting School Bronze Award. It is an amazing achievement for the students, according to Rosemarie Ferriter, deputy principal. "They are an amazing group of students. We have the steering committee, but they also linked in with our student council. "There was an extended group of students as well who helped with assessments. It has to permeate the whole school, you have to verify that it's not just the steering group who know about the rights, but that you are living the rights, and that every student, teacher, and parent knows. "We have some amazing younger students involved as well; very vocal, and they have great ideas." [April 20, 2021] Santhera Reports Interim Results on Convertible Bond Exchange Offer NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO Pratteln, Switzerland, April 20, 2021 Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announces that so far an aggregate principal value of around CHF 39.6 million, or 66% of its CHF 60 Million Convertible Bonds, have been accepted for exchange under the Exchange Offer announced on March 25, 2021. Bondholders who have not yet accepted the Exchange Offer will be able to do so during the additional acceptance period ending on April 27, 2021, 5:00 p.m. CEST. In parallel to the Exchange Offer, voting on the bondholders' resolution continues. By Notice of Repurchase Offer dated March 25, 2021 (the Notice), Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG announced an offer to exchange its outstanding CHF 60 million 5% Convertible Bonds due 2022 (the 2017/22 Bonds) on the terms set out in the Notice (the Exchange Offer). Interim result and satisfaction of minimum acceptance rate As of the end of the offer period, according to preliminary figures, bondholders have accepted the Exchange Offer with respect to 2017/22 Bonds with an aggregate principal amount of CHF 39,620,000, corresponding to 66.03% of all 2017/22 Bonds in circulation. The 50% minimum acceptance rate has therefore been exceeded. Neither the Company nor any persons acting in concert with the Company held any 2017/22 Bonds as at the end of the offer period. Highbridge Tactical Credit Master Fund, L.P., the largest holder of the 2017/22 Bonds holding 32% of all 2017/22 Bonds in circulation, has informed the Company that it had accepted the Exchange Offer (positions included in the above-mentioned preliminary figures). Additional acceptance period, acceptance of the Exchange Offer and settlement The additional acceptance period of five SIX trading days for the subsequent acceptance of the Exchange Offer will commence on April 21, 2021 and end on April 27, 2021, 5:00 p.m. CEST. Bondholders should be aware that their custodian bank may set a deadline for accepting the Exchange Offer that ends prior to April 27, 2021, 5:00 p.m. CEST, and should proceed according to the instructions of their custodian bank. Settlement is expected to take place on May 4, 2021, subject to satisfaction or waiver of offer conditions (b), (c), (d) and (e), as set out in the Notice, which remain in effect until the settlement of the Exchange Offer. Voting on bondholders' resolution continues In parallel to conducting the Exchange Offer, Santhera continues to seek and obtain additional consents to the restructuring of the 2017/22 Bonds it had proposed to the bondholders meeting of March 8, 2021. Santhera still requires further votes in order to reach the necessary two thirds majority. If a two thirds majority is achieved, the bondholders' resolution would, subject to court approval, become binding on all Bondholders, and the Exchange Offer would not be completed. Bondholders may still vote on resolution and accept Exchange Offer The amendments proposed to the bondholders meeting and the terms offered in the Exchange Offer are economically the same, mutatis mutandis. Hence Santhera encourages bondholders to submit their consent, if not already done, and simultaneously to accept the Exchange Offer. Bondholders may both and simultaneously (1) vote on the bondholders resolution (if they have held the bonds since March 5, 2021, or earlier, and if they have not already voted), by filling out and submitting the forms that are published on the Santhera website under www.santhera.com/investors-and-media/investor-toolbox/share-bondholder-meetings, and (2) accept the Exchange Offer during the additional acceptance period (if they have not already done so) by instructing their custody bank accordingly. These two decisions are completely independent from each other. A vote for the bondholders' resolution does not constitute an acceptance of the Exchange Offer, and acceptance of the Exchange Offer does not constitute a vote for the restructuring proposed to the bondholders' meeting. Bondholders requiring assistance or additional information on the procedures are invited to contact Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG, Hohenrainstrasse 24, 4133 Pratteln (emal: daniela.glatz@santhera.com; phone: +41 61 906 89 50). Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited is serving as sole financial advisor to the Company. Related documents Notice of a Repurchase Offer (Exchange of CHF 60,000,000 Senior Unsecured Convertible Bonds due 2022): https://www.santhera.com/investors-and-media/investor-toolbox/bond-exchange-offering Preliminary Issuance and Listing Prospectus Regarding the New Bonds: https://www.santhera.com/investors-and-media/investor-toolbox/bond-exchange-offering Forms to cast bondholder votes are available here. Invitation to the Bondholders Meeting (March 8, 2021), the EGM (March 18, 2021) and accompanying documents: http://www.santhera.com/investors-and-media/investor-toolbox/share-bondholder-meetings Corporate calendar April 27, 2021 Publication of annual results and Annual Report 2020 June 22, 2021 Annual General Meeting About Santhera Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines for rare neuromuscular and pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need. Santhera has an exclusive license for all indications worldwide to vamorolone, a first-in-class dissociative steroid with novel mode of action, currently investigated in a pivotal study in patients with DMD as an alternative to standard corticosteroids. The clinical stage pipeline also includes lonodelestat (POL6014) to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) and other neutrophilic pulmonary diseases as well as an exploratory gene therapy approach targeting congenital muscular dystrophies. Santhera out-licensed ex-North American rights to its first approved product, Raxone (idebenone), for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) to Chiesi Group. For further information, please visit www.santhera.com. Raxone is a trademark of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. For further information please contact: public-relations@santhera.com or Eva Kalias, Head External Communications Phone: +41 79 875 27 80 eva.kalias@santhera.com Forward-looking Statements This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Offer Restrictions The Exchange Offer is not being made and will not be made, directly or indirectly, in any country or jurisdiction in which the Exchange Offer would be considered unlawful or otherwise violate any applicable laws or regulations, or which would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to change or amend the terms or conditions of the Exchange Offer in any material way, to make an additional filing with any governmental, regulatory or other authority or take additional action in relation to the Exchange Offer. It is not intended to extend the Exchange Offer to any such country or jurisdiction. Any such document relating to the Exchange Offer must neither be distributed in any such country or jurisdiction nor be sent into such country or jurisdiction, and must not be used for the purpose of soliciting the purchase of securities of the Company by any person or entity resident or incorporated in any such country or jurisdiction. United States The Exchange Offer is being made in the United States in reliance on, and compliance with, Section 14(e) of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Regulation 14E thereunder. The Company, certain affiliated companies and the nominees or brokers (acting as agents) may make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, 2017/22 Bonds outside the Exchange Offer during the period in which the Exchange Offer remains open for acceptance. If such purchases or arrangements to purchase are made they will be made outside the United States and will comply with applicable law, including the Exchange Act. The Company as the offeror is a Swiss company. Information distributed in connection with the Exchange Offer is subject to Swiss disclosure requirements that are different from those of the United States. Financial statements and financial information included herein are prepared in accordance with Swiss accounting standards that may not be comparable to the financial statements or financial information of United States companies. It may be difficult for you to enforce your rights and any claim you may have arising under the U.S. federal securities laws in respect of the Exchange Offer, since the Company is located in Switzerland and all of its officers and directors are residents of Switzerland or elsewhere outside of the United States. You may not be able to sue the Company or its officers or directors in a Swiss court or another court outside the United States for violations of the U.S. securities laws. Finally, it may be difficult to compel the Company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a U.S. courts judgment. United Kingdom The communication of this publication and any other documents or materials relating to the Exchange Offer is not being made and such documents and/or materials have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA), as amended. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, are not directed at and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that it is only directed at and may only be communicated to (1) persons within the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order)) or (2) persons falling within Article 43(2) of the Order, or (3) to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated (together Relevant Persons). The investment activity to which this document relates will only be engaged in with Relevant Persons and persons who are not Relevant Persons should not rely on it. European Economic Area In any Member State of the European Economic Area (the EEA and each a Member State), this communication is only addressed to, and is only directed at, "qualified investors" within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. Each person in a Member State or in the United Kingdom who receives any communication in respect of the Exchange Offer contemplated in this announcement will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the Company and the Tender Agent that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. For these purposes, the expression Prospectus Regulation means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 and Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The 2017/22 Bonds have not been admitted to trading on a regulated market in the EEA or in the United Kingdom. Switzerland This communication qualifies as advertisement pursuant to the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA) and does neither constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG nor a prospectus nor a key information document within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors should make their decision to accept the Exchange Offer solely based on the Notice of a Repurchase Offer (Exchange of CHF 60,000,000 Senior Unsecured Convertible Bonds due 2022) and the preliminary offering and listing prospectus regarding the New Bonds, each dated March 25, 2021 which, subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, is accessible via https://www.santhera.com/investors-and-media/investor-toolbox/bond-exchange-offering. Investors are furthermore advised to consult their bank or financial adviser before making any investment decision. # # # Attachment 2021 04 20_Offer-InterimResult_e_finalx [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] At least for a day, the COVID-19 picture looked brighter for Northeast Pennsylvania than for the whole state. The total number of new cases over the last two weeks dropped in the region Tuesday from the day before, but increased statewide, according to an analysis of state Department of Health data. Both saw increases in the two-week death counts, but even there the region looked better. The regions two-week new case count dropped to 4,677, down 2.2% from Monday. The total deaths the last two weeks increased to 35 from 32, a 9.4% increase. Perhaps more significantly, the regions two-week new case count remained well below a recent peak of 5,029 on April 10 when the regions two-week death toll was 43. The region Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties added 365 cases, increasing the total to 70,765. Statewide, the Department of Health recorded 4,577 new cases, raising the overall total to 1,113,868. That increased the states two-week new case count to 64,213, up 0.5%. The two-week number of deaths rose to 530, up 40, or 8.2% from Monday, also the highest total since March 16. The state recorded another 77 deaths in the last day, bringing the total to 25,767. In the region, the state recorded six new deaths, raising the total to 1,758. State officials regularly caution against reading too much into one days worth of data so its unclear if Tuesday means the beginning of new trends. On Monday, the state and regional two-week case and death counts all dropped. By county: Lackawanna added 89 cases for 17,067 total, including 2,671 probable. One new death raised the total to 448. Luzerne added 120 cases for 29,256 total, including 2,268 probable. Four new deaths raised the total to 784. Monroe added 94 cases for 13,158 total, including 373 probable. One new death raised the total to 297. Pike added 28 cases for 3,577 total, including 348 probable, and remained at 52 deaths. Susquehanna added 17 cases for 2,279 total, including 274 probable, and remained at 57 deaths. Wayne added 12 cases for 3,696 total, including 366 probable, and remained at 76 deaths. Wyoming added five cases for 1,732 total, including 307 probable, and remained at 44 deaths. IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) An insurance company for the City of Cedar Rapids will pay $8 million to a Black motorist who was paralyzed after a white police officer shot him during a 2016 traffic stop, both sides announced Monday. The payout will settle a long-running lawsuit brought by Jerime Mitchell, 42, over a shooting that had exposed tensions between Black residents and authorities in Iowas second largest city. The resolution avoids a trial that had been scheduled to begin Tuesday, as the nation awaits a verdict in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd. The payment is expected to be the most expensive settlement over allegations of excessive force by police in Iowas history. The city had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees defending against the lawsuit and arguing that Officer Lucas Jones acted lawfully in shooting Mitchell. A city spokeswoman said in a statement that it was fully prepared for trial but its insurer, States Insurance, had control over whether to settle under its policy and determined settlement to be in the best interests of its insured, the city. The city said that it admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement and that its review determined Jones acted properly given the facts and circumstances of the stop. The case has been divisive to our community and it is our hope that we can continue to enhance relationships that build trust between our community and our police department, said the statement, issued by spokeswoman Maria Johnson. We all share the desire for a safe community. An attorney for Mitchell and his wife said the settlement will help pay for Mitchells future health care needs but he said the most significant result was helping spur the firing of Jones as an officer. Deadly force was not justified here, said the attorney, Larry Powers of Chicago. Mitchell had attended rallies in his wheelchair last summer in the wake of Floyds death opposing police brutality and racial injustice. Activists then renewed their calls for the firing of Jones, who remained on the force and had fatally shot an armed white suspect a year before shooting Mitchell in the neck. The Cedar Rapids Police Department fired Jones last June, but not for either shooting. Instead, the department said that Jones was fired for his handling of a traffic stop the day before shooting Mitchell in which he let a young Black mother go instead of arresting her for driving while suspended, as required by policy. The city opened an investigation into that stop after Jones testified in a 2020 deposition during the Mitchell case that he turned off his body microphone because I was violating a policy. Jones pulled over Mitchell early on Nov. 1, 2016, near Coe College, claiming Mitchells license plate light was not working. Police have said Jones asked Mitchell to get out of the vehicle after smelling marijuana. Mitchell resisted being handcuffed and Jones pushed him against the truck and took him to the ground. Mitchell got up with the officer on his back and a police dog engaging him, and got in his truck and begin to drive away. As he clung to the moving truck, Jones fired three times, with one bullet striking Mitchell in the neck. Authorities have said Mitchell was immediately paralyzed and unable to control the vehicle as it accelerated to 60 mph (97 kph) and smashed into an oncoming police SUV driven by the citys deputy police chief, who was responding to Jones call for backup and suffered only minor injuries. A grand jury declined to charge Jones, and authorities argued he shot in self-defense. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (Newser) Chadian President Idriss Deby was scheduled to give a victory speech on Monday to celebrate his latest election win, one that would extend a reign already 31 years long. Instead, the military announced on TV that the 68-year-old was killed while leading a battle against rebels. The surprise news has ramifications not only for Africa but for the US and other Western nations that had teamed with Chad to battle extremists. Coverage: Questions: In the capital of N'Djamena, the AP reports that the news is being met with skepticism in some camps. Why was the president on the front lines a day after declaring victory in the election? Few details about what happened have been released, leading to sentiment such as this: "The rumors that are going around about the transitional council give me the impression that some information is false," one resident tells the outlet. "So for me, I'd say it was a coup d'etat. He was killed." story continues below On the other hand: Deby, who seized power in 1990, was "a true warrior president," writes Andrew Harding for the BBC. "The former rebel and trained pilot was the opposite of an armchair general." And Reuters quotes an anonymous diplomat: "We understand from our sources that he was indeed on or near the front line. He loved going on the front line." As a leader, he had become "increasingly autocratic" over the years, notes the BBC. Deby, who seized power in 1990, was "a true warrior president," writes Andrew Harding for the BBC. "The former rebel and trained pilot was the opposite of an armchair general." And Reuters quotes an anonymous diplomat: "We understand from our sources that he was indeed on or near the front line. He loved going on the front line." As a leader, he had become "increasingly autocratic" over the years, notes the BBC. Fallout: The Washington Post reports that under Deby, Chad was a key ally of the US and France in fighting groups such as Boko Haram and affiliates of ISIS and al-Qaeda in the Sahara region known as the Sahel. "This news has deep implications not only for Chad but for the entire region," J. Peter Pham, former US special envoy for the Sahel in the Trump administration, tells the newspaper. "Whatever else one might say about Deby, he had made himself an indispensable link in the political and security balance of West Africa." The Washington Post reports that under Deby, Chad was a key ally of the US and France in fighting groups such as Boko Haram and affiliates of ISIS and al-Qaeda in the Sahara region known as the Sahel. "This news has deep implications not only for Chad but for the entire region," J. Peter Pham, former US special envoy for the Sahel in the Trump administration, tells the newspaper. "Whatever else one might say about Deby, he had made himself an indispensable link in the political and security balance of West Africa." Transition: Deby's son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, will lead a military council for 18 months until new elections are called, per the New York Times. That in itself rankles critics such as Ayo Sogunro, a fellow at the South Africa-based Center for Human Rights. A family member isn't supposed to fill in for a deceased president under Chadian law, he says. Instead the National Assembly is supposed to pick someone. "The army seizing power and conferring it on the son of the president ... is a coup and unconstitutional," Sogunro said. The government and National Assembly have been suspended. (Read more Chad stories.) Gurugram, April 20 : Amid surge in the Covid-19 cases, the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram Dr. Yash Garg has appointed 22 nodal officers for 41 private/government Covid hospitals in the district to check availability of beds in hospitals. On Monday, the district administration had also said that the number of beds for Covid patients in all the government and private hospitals of Gurugram will be increased by 800 from current 200. A review meeting was held with the nodal officers on Monday here where it was decided to ramp up medical infrastructure by increasing the number of oxygen cylinders and ICU beds across all the major hospitals. "Nodal officers have been appointed in Gurugam to oversee arrangements that have been made to treat the patients. They will submit daily reports to their superiors. The officials will collect the data of the number of beds reserved for Covid patients in the hospitals, the data of the admitted patients etc. which will be uploaded on the portal "https://covidggn.com" in a time bound manner," Garg told IANS. The district administration has started the portal after it was observed that some private hospitals were not uploading the data of the availability of the beds in time bound manner. With the help of the portal, it will be easier to provide timely treatment to the Covid patients and curtail the pandemic spread. All the private hospitals have been asked to update the information on regular basis. "A nodal officer in each hospital will regularly upload information about the availability of beds on the portal while the health department and administrative teams will ensue that the information sharing system is in order," Garg asserted. "Instructions have been issued to all officials to stay in touch with the hospital authorities to avoid a crunch. Hospitals have been asked to maintain adequate stock of oxygen and other equipment based on consumption," Garg said, adding that the administration has decided to ramp up bed capacity in hospitals, including ICU beds, increase testing in crowded areas, take measures to lower the fatality rate and contain the virus spread. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. SpaceX will launch four astronauts from three different agencies to a crowded International Space Station on Thursday, according to NASA. This is the second routine mission since crewed space flight resumed from US soil, and the first NASA launch with three different agencies in nearly 20 years. Liftoff for the Crew-2 mission is planned for 11:11 BST on April 22, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with two NASA, one ESA and one JAXA astronauts. The mission involves Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur from NASA, along with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Akihiko Hoshide, and the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Thomas Pesquet. All have flown to space previously. In this image released by NASA, (L-R) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet pose for a photo This is the second routine mission since crewed space flight resumed from US soil, and the first NASA launch with three different agencies in over 20 years SPACEX CREW-2 FLIGHT TO THE ISS The astronaut assignments for the Crew-2 mission were agreed in July 2020 for a flight in April 2021. There will be two NASA astronauts, one from JAXA and one from ESA. They will fly on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. The last time astronauts from three different agencies launched together from US soil was on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2002. Commander: Shane Kimbrough, NASA, third spaceflight Pilot: K Megan McArthur, NASA, second spaceflight Mission specialist: Akihiko Hoshide, JAXA, third spaceflight Mission specialist: Thomas Pesquet, ESA, second spaceflight They will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:11 BST on Thursday April 22. Advertisement Thursday's flight will reuse the booster rocket used in the Crew-1 mission, and the Crew Dragon capsule will be the same as that used in the test mission. The last time astronauts from three different space agencies launched from US soil was in 2002 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour, this time they launch on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. Elon Musk's SpaceX has firmly established itself as NASA's favoured transportation provider as the agency waits on Boeing's troubled Starliner to carry out key tests. SpaceX's first crewed test flight in May 2020 ended nine years of American reliance on Russian rockets for rides to the ISS. This followed the demise of the NASA Space Shuttle program in 2011. Speaking to reporters ahead of the mission, Pesquet said his participation underscored Europe's commitment to space flight, saying it 'means a lot.' ESA, which dubbed the mission 'Alpha' after the star Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our own, has been part of the ISS program for 20 years. 'We intend to be part of what's coming next,' said Pesquet, referring to future partnerships including the Artemis program to the moon. Pesquet said flying on the fully autonomous Crew Dragon was going to be a very different experience to his last trip on the Russian Soyuz spaceship. 'The way it's laid out, it's just fantastic, you know all the time what's going on,' he said, adding that Soyuz is reliable but difficult to understand what's happening. He said training to fly on Soyuz also took 'much longer' than preparations to leave the Earth on the Crew Dragon capsule. The four astronauts will overlap for a few days with the astronauts that travelled to the ISS as part of Crew-1, before that team returns from its six-month mission. With three Russians on board, the station is set to become unusually crowded, accommodating no fewer than 11 people. Pesquet and Hoshide planned to liven up the cuisine with national dishes from their home countries, with the Frenchman planning to make crepe suzette. Liftoff for the Crew-2 mission is planned for 11:11 BST on April 22, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket, with two NASA, one ESA and one JAXA astronauts A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard will launch for the ISS on Thursday, bringing the crew total on the station to 11 for a few days During their mission, the crew will be tasked with carrying out numerous scientific experiments, with Pesquet singling out one examining the effects of weightlessness on brain organoids - mini brains created using stem cell technology - as a favourite. Scientists hope this research can eventually help space agencies prepare for distance space missions which will expose crews to the rigours of space for long periods of time, and even help fight brain disease here on Earth. 'It really sounds like science fiction to me,' joked the aerospace engineer. Another important element of the mission is upgrading the station's solar power system by installing new compact panels that roll open like a huge yoga mat. The mission involves Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur from NASA, along with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Akihiko Hoshide, and the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Thomas Pesquet. All have flown to space previously Crew-2's launch day coincides with Earth Day, an annual occasion to mark the impact mankind is having on our planet. By the time the crew returns they will have also contributed to environmental research by taking 1.5 million images of phenomena like artificial lighting at night, algal blooms, and the breakdown of Antarctic ice shelves. Earlier this week an American astronaut and two Russians returned to Earth after six months aboard the orbiting laboratory. A Soyuz space capsule carrying NASA's Kate Rubins and Russians Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov landed on Saturday in the steppes of Kazakhstan. Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said all three were feeling well after they were extracted from the capsule. The Fabbioli winery story starts in 1987 when Doug Fabbioli and Colleen Berg moved to California with the idea that they could find some land and plant some grapevines. Ten years later, when that idea didnt bear fruit, they headed back East, according to the history on the Fabbioli Cellars website. It was early in 2000 when Berg found an available 25-acre parcel just north of Leesburg in Loudoun County. By 2001, they were planting Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes there and they opened Fabbioli Cellars in 2004. Twenty years later, that location at 15669 Limestone School Road has become one of the states more enjoyable destinations, with a long list of awards to its name. Its Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Franc Reserve and Tannat have been the wines most recognized by judges through the years. The winery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays through Mondays, offering a long list of dry reds and whites, dessert and Port-style wines, and several wines in a pouch. Fabbioli Cellars also is producing several kinds of cider. For now, the winery is limiting its visitors to groups of six indoors and 15 or fewer outside, and on the weekends limiting family seating (with guests under 21) to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside. In addition to taking reservations for the weekends, walk-ups are welcome as long as space is available. They are offering a wine and food pairing that has a different theme every month. Mays theme is the Outlander series. Below is the latest in the 6 Questions series of interviews with winemakers and owners of East Coast wineries, which looks behind at what has been a turbulent year and, with optimism, looks ahead. Thanks to Doug Fabbioli for taking these on. Meet Warren the cat, also known as the Ladies Man. He is featured on Fabbioli Cellars' Ladies Man apple cider label. Warren is older now but has always been social with the customers. He's affectionate and known to steal a seat from many a customers. Q, How has the year been for you and how much are you planning for summer at this point? A lot of wineries seem to be taking things a month at a time. A, We have continued with our wine and food pairing tastings since last June. They are packaged in a way that you enjoy the tasting at your own table, either inside or out. We have continued to get customers coming and enjoying our spacious grounds, but our wine sales have been down from our numbers 2 years ago. We will always have wines to sell, but may make less depending on inventories. Q, And sticking with that theme how does the 2020 vintage look 6 months removed and how does it compare to a few other recent ones? A, For us, 2020 was a small vintage. Lots of frost damage on our estate and the local vineyards that we manage. The wines are solid but it was not a banner year for us. Q, Was it a pretty tame winter on the vines? Are you replanting anything this spring or next? A, A relatively mild winter. No winter damage. We still have a few weeks of frost threat so, we are not out of the chilly woods. I am replanting vines here and on some of our other vineyards. Many of the vines we planted over the past five years had diseases and died off. I did not plant any new vines last year hoping the suppliers fixed their problem. They better have. Q, How popular have the pouches been, and when did you introduce them? Is the cider a growing part of your business? The pouches have been popular for my regular customers. We have sold a few wholesale as well. The cider seems to be growing a bit, especially wholesale. I put it in kegs and some of the breweries have been carrying it. It's a National Cherry Blossom Festival pairing with several Fabbioli Cellars wines. Q, I always look at your reds first. Tell me about the Zin. How long have you been making it and has your approach changed at all? Are you making it annually? A, I started the Zin in 2013 when there was a major shortage of red fruit in the state. I have been making two different styles over the years and now have focused on one. Fuller in style, oak impact and structure. Q, Cab Franc has always been one of your aces, yes? We saw it a lot at the summit you attended is it the best red you are consistently making and are you seeing it flourish around the region? A, Customers appreciate the consistency of our Cabernet Franc. We make a large variety of red wines and our Cab Franc sales have slowed down a bit, but it still is important. I think it will always be an important player in Virginia wine but we are discovering other players as well. ALSO READ: A winery, brewery and cafe all at one of the Finger Lakes oldest and best-known producers ALSO READ: Its 10 years in business for this central Pa. winery: Heres what it has planned 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. A California woman who was seen in a viral video coughing on her Uber driver and ripping off his face mask has denied to assault, despite previously admitting to the incident on Instagram. Arna Kimiai, 24, last week entered not guilty pleas to charges of felony assault and attempted first-degree robbery along with misdemeanor charges of battery on a transit employee and violating a local health ordinance. She remains free on bail pending a May 3 hearing. Scroll down for video Arna Kimiai, 24, has pleaded not guilty to assault and attempted first-degree robbery, battery on a transit employee and violating a local health ordinance stemming from a March 7 altercation with an Uber driver, which was caught on video (pictured) Kimiai is accused of berating driver Subhakar Khadka after refusing to wear a mask, then coughing on him and ripping off his mask. Kimiai surrendered to police a week after the attack Kimiai is accused of attacking Subhakar Khadka, 32, on March 7 after he had picked up three passengers in the Portola district but then stopped the car because he noticed she wasnt wearing a face mask, which was required under health orders aimed at trying to slow the spread of COVID. Video provided by the driver showed a maskless woman, later identified as Kimiai, coughing on him, grabbing his cellphone and ripping off his face mask. Moments earlier, the trio of passengers sitting in the back could be heard berating the driver and saying: 'f*** masks.' Khadka asked Kimiai to get out of the car because she was not wearing a face mask After berating the driver, Kimiai grabbed his cellphone and ripped his mask off his face Police also said that as three women exited the vehicle, one sprayed what was believed to be pepper spray toward the driver. Kimiai surrendered to police a week after the attack and also issued a half-hearted apology on social media. Fellow passenger Malaysia King, 24, was arrested last month in Las Vegas on a warrant from California accusing her of assault with a caustic chemical, conspiracy, assault and battery and a health and safety code violation Another woman, Malaysia King, 24, was arrested last month in Las Vegas on a warrant from California accusing her of assault with a caustic chemical, conspiracy, assault and battery and a health and safety code violation. A third woman wasnt charged but Uber said it had banned all three riders. Khadka told CBS after the incident: 'I never said anything bad to them, I never cursed, I was not raised that way. I don't hit people, I am not raised that way, so they were not getting out of my car.' He said the altercation began when he asked the woman to put on her face mask. When she refused, he said he pulled into a gas station so she could buy one. That's when he says the insults and racial slurs began. Khadka - who moved to the US from Nepal eight years ago to support his family - added: 'You guys are animals to treat other human beings like this. 'She pepper sprayed inside my car, from the passenger window that was open little bit, that was the only window open in my car. 'If I was another complexion, I would have not gotten that treatment from them. The moment I opened my mouth to speak, they realized I'm among one of them, so it's easy for them to intimidate me.' Kimiai defended herself in an Instagram video (pictured) and threatened to sue Uber because Khadka kicked her out of his car. Clad in only a bra and panties, Kimiai said the driver was lucky she did not beat him up He told the women: 'Since you were born and raised here in the United States, don't think the other person is less human.' Kimiai later defended herself in an Instagram video and threatened to sue Uber because Khadka kicked her out of his car. Dressed only in her underwear, Kimiai claimed the driver forced her to get out of his vehicle on a freeway and refused to wait for another Uber to arrive, which she argued was unsafe because it was 'in the hood'. Kimiai suggested the driver was 'lucky as hell' she didn't beat him up. 'He lucky as hell I ain't have nothing on me... Cause if we would've played with me, bruh, it would've been a whole different story,' she said. Kimiai is facing an unrelated civil suit filed by a woman who accused her of negligent driving '75 percent of people I know would have smacked the s**t out of him. 'All I did take his mask off and cough a little bit but I don't even have corona.' She stopped short of apologizing, saying instead: 'I ain't gonna lie, that was disrespectful as f**k. I was dead a** wrong for that'. Meanwhile, Kimiai is facing a civil suit filed by a woman who accused her of negligent driving and 'failing to keep a proper lookout for other vehicles,' according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. Kimiai allegedly made an unsafe turn and hit her car in Los Angeles, causing the woman to suffer severe injuries. She is being sued for damages, medical expenses and loss of earnings. Headliner Iris With its November opening derailed by the pandemic, this elegant addition to Midtown Manhattan dining, from the chef and restaurateur John Fraser, is now ready for business. The food makes clear Mr. Frasers Greek heritage, something that was less evident in his other ventures, like the Loyal and the North Fork Table, which he recently reopened in Southold, N.Y. You also may have sampled some of his Greek dishes at Snack Taverna in the West Village. He calls his new restaurant a bit of a homecoming, he said. Its the food I really love. Among the dishes are tzatziki flecked with sorrel; lamb tartare with ramp labneh; lemon potato salad; sweetbread kokoretsi with purslane and lemon; snapper braised with leeks and Kalamata olives; lamb marinated in mastic and served with scallion pancakes. And its not just about Greece. There are Turkish flatbreads and lamb meatballs. The executive chef is Rob Lawson, who was with Mr. Fraser at 701West in the Times Square Edition. With his beverage director, Amy Racine, Mr. Fraser has assembled a wine and spirits list that includes many selections from Greece and Turkey. In addition, Ms. Racine manages a roving cart of sweet and digestif libations from Greece and Turkey that are served with typical sweets. There are outdoor tables as well as 68 seats indoors at 50 percent capacity. (Opens Wednesday) 1740 Broadway (55th Street), 212-970-1740. Opening La Pizza & La Pasta A Colori This restaurant, in Eatalys financial district location, has joined forces with Color Factory, an interactive art gallery in Hudson Square, to create a menu, decor and installations that emphasize color. Cheese of varying golden hues presented on an artists palette, squid ink risotto, and pizza dressed in the green of spring peas give you some idea. Theyre having fun. Special events and work with EnChroma, a company that produces special lenses for people with color blindness, are also part of the project. (Wednesday) Eataly NYC Downtown, 4 World Trade Center, 101 Liberty Street (Church Street), 212-897-2895, eataly.com. Seeyamanana The inspirations for this rustic, mostly vegan spot is beachy Baja California. Dishes include a vegan tostada with brussels sprouts, beet tacos, root vegetable ceviche and a birria quesadilla. Food is available a la carte, or by advance reservations for a $89 prepaid three-course menu that includes three cocktails and gratuity. 49 West 27th Street, 212-689-4000, seeyamanananyc.com. Loreto Kitchen and Bar The food at this inviting spot touches on several regions of Italy with Neapolitan-style pizza, cacio e pepe and fritto misto. The chef, Pietro Aletto, worked with Jonathan Benno and Andrew Carmellini. The restaurant is done in soft green and amber leather with natural, rustic elements. 280 Ashland Place (Lafayette Avenue), Fort Greene, Brooklyn, 718-554-1121, loretonyc.com. In Baltimore, cutting-edge SEO technology intersects with the warm heart of our community to form the basis for great connections both locally and globally SEOblog.com, a fast-growing website providing the latest SEO news, tips and resources and helping business owners connect with leading SEO agencies, has released its exclusive 2021 ratings naming the best SEO companies in Baltimore. SEOblog analysts determined the 15 best SEO companies in Baltimore based on dozens of key quantitative and qualitative factors. SEOblog industry experts examined each Baltimore digital marketing agencys website, industry experience, market presence, client list, portfolio, expert certifications and authorship among other factors in its ranking system. SEOblog has provided an in-depth view of companies in a particular city or focus area on various directory pages to help business owners find the expert help they need to grow. This was a new, free offer added by SEOblog in 2019. Baltimore has several of the nations top SEO agencies that contribute to a very competitive digital marketing landscape. Rosies Creative is thrilled to be part of the Baltimore SEO industry, said Mary Rose Van Schoor, founder and COO at Rosies Creative. In Baltimore, cutting-edge SEO technology intersects with the warm heart of our community to form the basis for great connections both locally and globally. Gina Ramsey, president at Pink Dog Digital, added: "The Baltimore SEO industry is unique because the business community is so tight-knit! We call it "Smalltimore" for a reason - these relationships allow us to truly make a difference and find a fit for everyone." SEOblog.com rankings are updated regularly as the market shifts and new players emerge. SEOblog.com has published more than 2,300 agency listings with more added every day. There is no fee to participate, and the website welcomes all qualified agencies to apply. SEOblog.coms 15 Best SEO Companies in Baltimore in 2021: Jellyfish US, Fusion SEO, Rosie's Creative, R2integrated, Gauge Digital Media, BizMarquee, The Berndt Group, Pink Dog Digital, Ability SEO, JPL Creative, Full Sail Media, Be More Innovations, G3 Group, Solnet and Vitamin. Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/baltimore/ About SEOblog.com SEOblog.com is a leading thought leadership site with a rich history of publishing educational and informative articles about SEO and digital marketing topics. In early 2019, SEOblog.com answered the call from buyers of digital marketing services that lacked unbiased, informative online resources and launched a comprehensive directory to highlight the best SEO companies in the United States -- https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/. SEOblogs mission is to connect businesses with qualified digital marketing agencies while also offering further SEO education, best practices and industry trends. SEOblog.com is a one-stop shop for educational SEO and digital marketing content, research, ratings and reviews for the best agencies in each local market across the United States. The website will be increasing its coverage of U.S. SEO agencies and accepting more guest blog posts in the coming months. Contact SEOblog if youre interested in getting involved. The COVID-19 pandemic pumped the brakes on some autonomous shuttle projects last year, while others reimagined their projects to serve more immediate community needs.The AV shuttle program in Columbus, Ohio , set up to serve a 2.7-mile route in an underserved community with four stops, was transitioned into a meal delivery service.Meanwhile, an AV program in Jacksonville, Fla., was put into service shuttling COVID-19 tests at the Mayo Clinic from one side of the campus to the other. The small, electric buses made the half-mile journey alone, with no operator on board.In July, the AV shuttle service in Columbus was reimagined, keeping the same route, to begin distributing food boxes to needy residents. About 4,000 food boxes have been delivered.When we talk about this technology, youre focused on the lidar, radar, is it all working? But is it working for your residents? said Mandy Bishop, program manager for Smart Columbus, rattling off some of the shorthand for common technologies on autonomous vehicles.And thats what technology should be about. It should be entirely about matching technology with the needs of our residents, said Bishop, speaking on a panel discussion last week at the Smart Cities Connect Conference & Expo to explore several AV shuttle pilots around the country.The shuttle program in Jacksonville, reimagined to serve the needs of the Mayo Clinic , is being led by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Autonomous technology is a central part of JTAs vision for transit in downtown. JTA has put forward a plan known as the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C), with a 10-mile AV transit system through the downtown core. The plan will retrofit the 1980s-era Skyway monorail. Phase I is the formation of the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, a three-mile loop.As part of JTAs commitment to an AV shuttle future, the agency has developed a full testing program for AV shuttles, and has already tested seven vehicles from four different manufacturers. Today, JTA has three different AVs in its fleet.A lot of other people are in a place where theyre doing pilots. We are really in a beta phase, where we are actually really putting these things to the test, and working towards real implementation, said Bernard Schmidt, vice president of automation at JTA.JTA has put out guidance around AV use, which has become a template other cities are adopting as they consider AV transit programs.We noticed very early on that a lot of shuttle manufacturers were making vehicles, but really, were not really in tune with what were the actual needs of public transportation, said Schmidt, speaking on the AV shuttle panel.Another AV shuttle program in Grand Rapids, Mich., also operates a fixed downtown route with 20 stops and navigating through 30 traffic intersections. Transportation officials found that as the vehicle continues to drive the same route, it has become increasingly autonomous, given the learning nature of AV systems.The most significant challenges to the AV system have been heavy precipitation and traffic, difficult turning movements (and) construction in the downtown area, said Justin Kimura, assistant director at Mobile GR, Grand Rapids consolidated transportation department encompassing traffic safety, parking, transportation policy and planning.The city is working to develop the next phase of the pilot, with a shift from the downtown circulator route to more of a spine route, away from downtown, into some of the citys underserved neighborhoods. The U.S. House voted late Monday to allow federally regulated banks to provide credit cards, checking accounts and other financial services to legal marijuana businesses. The Secure and Fair Enforcement, or SAFE, Banking Act, passed by a vote of 321-101, including 106 Republicans. As a sign of how non-controversial the issue has become, the bill was considered under an expedited track with limited debate and a two-thirds majority required for passage. New Jersey and 15 other states have legalized cannabis for recreational use. But companies producing or selling the drug have been forced to conduct their business largely in cash because the federal government bans cannabis and therefore prohibits most banks from servicing those in the industry. Advocates of the legislation said that ancillary businesses such as the landlord that rents the storefront to a dispensary, the accountant that does the taxes, and the provider of the greenhouse equipment needed to grow cannabis also could run afoul of federal laws targeting revenue from companies selling marijuana, even though its legal in those states. The SAFE Banking Act is focused on taking cash off the streets and making our communities safer, said the bills chief sponsor, Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., during debate. Only Congress can take these steps to provide this certainty for businesses, employees and financial institutions across the country. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., opposed the measure, saying the banking bill was a backdoor way of legalizing cannabis. If were going to have legalization of cannabis, lets have legalization of cannabis and do it in regular order in the House of Representatives, not have it come through the Financial Services Committee, McHenry said. Large percentages of U.S. voters support legalizing marijuana. A Quinnipiac University Poll released last week recorded its highest percentage ever, 70%, in support of legal weed, with 24% in opposition. When the Democratic-controlled House first passed the legislation in September 2019 on a bipartisan vote, it marked the first time either chamber of Congress had approved a pro-marijuana measure. The Republican-controlled Senate held a hearing on the issue but never brought the bill up for a vote. With the bill stalled, House Democrats inserted the provision in two trillion-dollar coronavirus stimulus bills, but the GOP rejected those as well. This time, the Senate is in Democratic hands and proponents said they are hopeful of getting a vote in that chamber. NJ Cannabis Insider is a weekly subscriber-based trade journal and events group produced by NJ Advance Media, which also publishes NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated papers. For more information, email staff here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @JDSalant. There Are Grounds for Optimism Commentary While the state of the country is alarming, there are grounds for optimism. I believe that Trump supporters, most other Republicans, and traditional liberal Democrats can unite in a cohesive worldview to improve the appeal of the Republican Party to the point where its the majority party of the country. Yes, I said traditional liberal Democratsplease see below. We know that Donald Trump had an extremely impressive record as president; three examples are, peace in the Middle East, a realistic attitude toward China, and a startling partnership with the pharmaceutical industry, leading to a vaccine in a fraction of the normal time frame. Nevertheless, his accomplishments were hard-won, often accomplished despite weak congressional support and extensive lawsuits. But now, given the leftward lurch of the Democratic Party, including its hostility to civil liberties and debates about public issues, the changes Trump made now make this majority status possible by attracting disaffected Democrats. But these successes must be adequately promoted. I submit that his ideas can be summarized in four general themes, and I will include selected subtopics. It will probably surprise readers that civil liberties and science are two of the four themes; the other two, representing more traditional Republican strengths, are foreign policy and economics, but these also contain new ideas. Whats needed is a series of succinct presentations to convince the public, that, despite the nonsense names were called, we now have a movement based on common sense, logic, and our experience with human behavior over many centuries. At the end, I will discuss the issues of candidates and name changes. A Rational Foreign Policy The damage that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has done, because of COVID-19, to world health and the global economy is almost impossible to quantify. Because it prohibited travel from the city of Wuhan to other parts of China, but not the rest of the world, and because it cornered the market on personal protective equipment (PPE) in late 2020, the CCP cant claim ignorance. Yet it has paid no price. This is in combination with the massive theft of intellectual property. Accordingly, the United States should phase out most dependence on their economy and scientific training for students from China. Asian foreign students should come from other nations. Most important is the elimination of our frightening, almost complete dependence on the CCP for drugs. The recent first meeting with China was a shameful and humiliating defeat for the United States, with the CCP lecturing Americans on human rights, despite extensive concentration camps and other ghastly human rights abuses. Europe should contribute its fair share of defense expenses. The fact that Europe is appeasing Iran, and that Germany would make itself dependent on Russia through the almost-completed Russia to Germany pipeline means the United States shouldnt shoulder the burden of protecting Europe if Europeans dont care. Theres breathtaking progress for peace in the Middle East. True to form, the Biden administration appears willing to do anything to undo all Trump reforms, including returning the focus to Iran rather than the moderate Arab states that have made peace with Israel. We should stay out of other countries wars. We should continue to strengthen our defense capabilities, which were neglected under Obama/Biden. We need secure borders; admitting and disbursing people who have entered illegally and who have not been tested for the COVID-19 virus represents a reckless contempt for Americans. And finally, no substantive international agreements should be implemented unless passed as a treaty by two-thirds of the Senate, as required by the Constitution. Protecting Civil Liberties Our civil liberties are increasingly threatened by the speech suppression carried out by corporations, especially Big Tech. Theres a long tradition of fighting monopolies in U.S. history, and the idea that these companies are not hostile to conservatives is laughable. We need legal protection against viewpoint discrimination, which may even be coming to the military. In particular, the cancel culture means that people are increasingly subject to employment actions, including firings, as well as violence because of their world views. Were also seeing corporations beginning to cancel vital financial services to conservatives. Congressional omnibus bills, where most government spending is concentrated in a single bill, erodes the concept of democratic voting, forcing large amounts of wasted spending to be passed, for fear of a government shutdown. It may well bankrupt us. A law should be passed to prohibit this practice and require bills to be passed for each cabinet department. All aid to colleges that restrict free speech or expel students without due process should be terminated. In general, voting should be easier but more subject to validation. Currently, we have a voting season, not an election day, which means voters are not working off the same events. Interestingly, former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat with a scientific background, noted that mail-in ballots could have validation problems. Election day should be a two- (or three-) day period, designed to reduce crowding; voters would be assigned to the appropriate day based on their last name. Since opinion polls can potentially influence as well as reflect public opinion, pollsters should be required to publish their methodology and long-term prediction record. Because some elections may hinge on a few dozen votes, all records should be kept unaltered for at least a year after voting. Authentic Science I believe in vaccinations and have been fully vaccinated. Nevertheless, theres good reason to question the reliability of the COVID-19 computer models and statistical analyses that have transformed our lives: the net value of the lockdowns, the failure to focus on the elderly, the constantly shifting recommendations, the reliability of the tests and death counts, and the constant emphasis on cases, regardless of mildness, rather than hospitalizations. Society needs to know if politics played any role in the lockdowns and their inconsistent enforcement, the official hostility to interim drug treatments advocated by board certified physicians, and the hostility directed toward statisticians who questioned some of the interpretations of the data. General science is also deteriorating. President Dwight D. Eisenhower is famous for his speech about the military-industrial complex. Less known is that in the same speech he warned about scientific research being overwhelmingly funded, directly or indirectly, by the federal government. Amazingly, more than half of all scientific studies cant be replicated, even though replication and correct predictions are two of the key ingredients of good science. Given that the universities and Big Tech are increasingly imposing uniformity in science, we need new institutions to ensure the highest quality in our experiments, statistical analyses, and computer models. Economics We need reduced regulation and better trade deals from all countries. Free trade now means free raid. International employment visas have become a way to avoid paying American technical people market wages, leaving many of them unemployed. We need more school choice. Schools should teach students how to think, not what to think. We should set up a public online library where students can actually learn math, reading, and American history. The amount of the damage to the economy from lockdowns can be significantly blamed on the fact that public employees pay no economic price. Those who refuse reasonable requests to return to work should be docked their pay. Before any future lockdowns, there should be legislation in place that establishes a substantial reduction in pay for most public employees who are not first responders. Because of President Trump, the Republican Party is becoming a working-class party. This is not surprising, because working people must be solidly grounded in reality. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has increasingly abandoned ordinary Americans in favor of the wealthy and influential who largely produce unworkable ideas in academia and business. Trump didnt see minorities as political opportunities for demagoguery. Instead, he became the key advocate for enterprise zones, more funding for black colleges, and reduced sentences for reformed prisoners. He recognized that poor people in cities support and need the police. The Way Forward As noted, the leftist lurch of the Democrats and Trumps reforming of the Republican Party mean that we should try to recruit traditional sensible liberals, since they must be increasingly appalled by the modern Democratic Party: the crushing of civil liberties, the abuse of the justice system, and the increasing politicization of knowledge. We need new social media and political websites to develop these ideas. Perhaps the manager should be Donald Trump himselfafter all, if, instead, he ran for president in 2024 and won, he would be a lame duck immediately, while this effort could last for decades. We should work within the Republican Party, identifying the people with this worldview as CentRights (for Center Right), PopCons (for populist conservatives), or Rationals. We can accept a range of views from Republicans provided they will defend our rights. Arthur Wiegenfeld is an independent investor in New York. He has training in economics, finance, physics, and computer simulation. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Using Chapmans accumulated salary from his time in Antarctica, the couple moved to Canada, as the first step in Chapmans plan to pursue a career in the space sector. After working for Canadian Aviation Electronics in Quebec, in early 1961 he secured a position as a staff physicist in the Experimental Astronomy Laboratory of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This was an important step in his career, as MIT was at the forefront of space research in the 1960s, and it was there that many astronauts, including Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, gained their degrees. Chapman became a specialist in instrumentation and was awarded a Master of Science in aeronautics and astronautics in 1964. He received his doctorate in physics in January 1967. By this time, Chapman was determined to become an astronaut and knew that he could only achieve that goal as an American citizen. He became a US citizen in May 1967, just in time to apply for NASAs second recruitment round for scientist-astronauts. Dr Chapman trains in the Lunar Module Simulator, Centrifuge, and the Apollo Mission Simulator at the then-Manned Spacecraft Center, now Johnson Space Centre, in Houston in 1968. Credit:NASA From 1100 applicants, NASA selected just 11 scientist-astronauts in August 1967. The Group Six astronauts included Chapman and Tony Llewellyn, originally from Wales, the first two naturalised US citizens to be selected. NASA intended this group to participate in the Apollo Applications Program, planned to follow-on from the initial Apollo lunar landings. It would have included an additional 10 Moon landings and three orbiting research laboratories. However, NASA now had such a large pool of astronauts that the new group quickly recognised it might be some time before there would be an opportunity for them to make a spaceflight. Consequently, they nicknamed themselves The Excess 11 (XS-11). As cutbacks in the NASA budget over the next few years reduced the Apollo follow-on program to the single Skylab space station, most of the XS-11, including Chapman, would leave the astronaut corps without ever making a space flight: those who remained would not travel into space until the Space Shuttle program in the 1980s. Realising even before Apollo 11 that public interest in space flight was flagging, Chapman jokingly suggested to his colleagues that they should create a fake alien artifact, and give it to Neil Armstrong to find on the moon, to spark renewed interest in the moon missions. [April 20, 2021] Announcement of Intention to Float on the Dubai Financial Market DUBAI, UAE, March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tristar Transport (PJSC under incorporation) ("Tristar" or the "Company" or, with its subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings, the "Group"), a leading global integrated liquid logistics solutions provider headquartered in Dubai, UAE, today announced its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (the "IPO" or the "Offering") on the Dubai Financial Market ("DFM"). Established in 1998 as a road transport service provider for the petroleum industry in the UAE, Tristar has evolved into a leading integrated energy logistics company serving a diversified customer base of "blue-chip" investment grade companies. The Group has operations in 21 countries and territories across three continents and has over 2,000 road transport assets and 35 maritime vessels, including the operation of 69 fuel farms and over 100 remote fuel sites, providing a wide spectrum of integrated service offerings. With a strong reputation for quality, built over two decades of operations and a commitment to safety and operational excellence, Tristar has become a trusted brand in the global logistics industry. The Group is a partner of choice for leading International Oil Companies ("IOCs") and National Oil Companies ("NOCs") in the energy sector. Tristar's diversified and integrated offering spans fuel logistics services to support Intergovernmental Organisations ("IGO") peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in remote geographies (remote fuels) as well as commercial enterprises (commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. Tristar has a unique position as an integrated, end-to-end energy logistics solution provider to an enviable blue-chip global client base. The Group has a strong track record of growth demonstrated by a 12.4% CAGR in operating cash flows between 2018 and 2020 and a consistent EBITDA margin between 20.1% to 22.8% in the years 2018 to 2020. In the year ended 31 December 2020, the Group had a consolidated revenue of $453.4 million, and EBITDA of $103.6 million. This record is underpinned by a strong business model, operational excellence and rigorous financial management. Commenting on today's announcement, Eugene Mayne, Group CEO of Tristar said: "I am proud to have witnessed the evolution of Tristar from a local road transportation business into a global world-class integrated energy logistics solutions provider serving blue-chip clients, with an offering that spans road and maritime transportation, specialized warehousing, fuel farms, and fuel supply operations. "Our business, which enjoys a strong reputation, developed through years of operational excellence, underpinned by a customer centric model, and a commitment to the highest quality and safety standards, has become a trusted logistics partner for major oil companies globally. "Tristar has always been a 'Business for Purpose' with the ambition to make a positive impact on our communities and to keep our corporate responsibility at the core of everything we do. In 2011, we signed on to the United Nations Global Compact supporting the advancement of Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Labour and Environment, demonstrating the extent of our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. "Tristar's IPO marks an exciting milestone in the Group's story as we continue to grow, innovate and shape the future of the logistics industry." Offering Highlights Intention to list on the DFM Offer size is expected to represent up to 24% of the total issued ordinary shares after the Offering in the capital of Tristar (the "Shares). The Offering is expected to comprise new shares issued by Tristar (the "New Shares") and shares to be sold by existing shareholders (the "Existing Shares") (collectively the "Offer Shares"). Tristar expects to receive between $120 to $160 million of gross primary proceeds from the Offering. to of gross primary proceeds from the Offering. Admission of Shares on the DFM is expected in April 2021 , subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE (the "SCA"). , subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE (the "SCA"). The Offering will be made available to qualified investors. Five percent of the Offering will be reserved for offer to the Emirates Investment Authority (the "EIA"). The Offering is expected to be declared Sharia compliant, subject to confirmation by the Sharia Supervision Committee, on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering and upon the use of a portion of the proceeds to repay around AED 197 million in loans and payables due to related parties. About the Offering If all of the Offer Shares are allocated, the Offer Shares will represent up to 24% of the Shares. The Offering will comprise a primary issuance of 199,000,000 New Shares in addition to a secondary offering of up to 88,760,000 Existing Shares by the existing shareholders. The Existing Shares are being offered by Agility Tristar SPV Ltd (of which Agility Public Warehousing Company K.S.C.P. is the sole ultimate beneficial owner), Star Holdings Ltd (of which Gulf Investment Corporation is the sole ultimate beneficial owner), and Diamond SPV Limited (of which Mr. Eugene Mayne is the sole ultimate beneficial owner) (the "Selling Shareholders"), who currently own 65.12%, 19.61%, and 15.27% of the Shares of the Company respectively. The Offering comprises an offering of the Offer Shares to qualified investors in the United Arab Emirates and in a number of jurisdictions. The Offering is expected to be allocated to certain types of juridical persons and high net worth individuals and who are qualified investors as defined by SCA , with a minimum application size of AED 500,000 (for further details please see the FAQs set out in Tristar's IPO website https://ipo.tristar-group.co). In addition, the EIA has the right to subscribe for 5% of the Offer Shares in accordance with the requirements of article 127 of the UAE Federal Law No. 2 for the year 2015 with regard to commercial companies, and its amendments. If the EIA does not exercise its preferential rights to apply for Offer Shares, then those Offer Shares will be made available. The completion of the Offering is currently expected to take place in April 2021, subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals in the UAE, including from the SCA. Furthermore, the Offering is expected to be declared Sharia compliant, subject to confirmation by the Sharia Supervision Committee, on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering and upon the use of the proceeds to repay around AED 197 million in loans and payables due to related parties. A syndicate of banks has been appointed for the Offering comprising BofA Securities and Citigroup Global Markets Limited as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC as Joint Regional Coordinator, Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited as Joint Regional Coordinator and Joint Bookrunner, Societe Generale as Joint Bookrunner and Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C. ("Markaz") as Co-Lead Manager. BofA Securities, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Societe Generale and Markaz are herein referred to as "Managers". Moelis & Company is acting as Independent Financial Advisor to Tristar. Overview of Tristar Tristar is an integrated energy logistics solutions provider. Its services include fuels (remote fuels and commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing and fuel farms. The Group is headquartered in Dubai (UAE) and operates in 21 countries and territories across three continents. With over 2,000 road transport assets and 35 maritime vessels and a wide spectrum of integrated service offerings, including the operation of 69 fuel farms and over 100 remote fuel sites, the Group has built a global and scalable platform, which enables it to provide an integrated logistics offering to the energy industry. Key Investment Highlights Tristar has a differentiated investment proposition as a leading integrated liquid logistics solutions provider to the energy industry globally. The Group's competitive strengths include: Its trusted brand with a proven track record of established partnerships with a diversified, blue-chip client base . In the year ended 31 December 2020 , approximately 67.2% of the Group's consolidated revenue was derived from investment grade customers and only 0.1% were non-investment grade, with 32.7% of customers unrated. . In the year ended , approximately 67.2% of the Group's consolidated revenue was derived from investment grade customers and only 0.1% were non-investment grade, with 32.7% of customers unrated. Its reputation for quality with a track record of safety and operational excellence . The Group's well-established safety systems and best practices have contributed to the Group consistently bettering the UK road fatality benchmark indicator of 0.00487 (fatality rate per million KM). . The Group's well-established safety systems and best practices have contributed to the Group consistently bettering the UK road fatality benchmark indicator of 0.00487 (fatality rate per million KM). Its unique integrated and scalable capabilities with high barriers to entry . The Group's diversified service offering includes fuels (remote fuels and commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. The Group's operations are extensive and well invested across emerging markets, including Africa and the Middle East . . The Group's diversified service offering includes fuels (remote fuels and commercial fuels), maritime logistics, road transport and warehousing as well as fuel farms. The Group's operations are extensive and well invested across emerging markets, including and the . Growing end verticals with emerging market exposure underpinned by logistics outsourcing trends. The Group's business model is supported by a continued global outsourcing trend, further embedding the Group in its clients' supply chains and thereby increasing customer retention. The Group's business model is supported by a continued global outsourcing trend, further embedding the Group in its clients' supply chains and thereby increasing customer retention. Its customer-centric business model with strong expansion and diversification potential . The Group's service offerings have expanded from one business segment to four, creating further customer penetration potential and further embedding the Group within its customers' supply chains. This is highlighted through multiple diverse long-term contracts secured by the Group with key customers. . The Group's service offerings have expanded from one business segment to four, creating further customer penetration potential and further embedding the Group within its customers' supply chains. This is highlighted through multiple diverse long-term contracts secured by the Group with key customers. Stable cash flow profile, with a history of consistent profitable growth and attractive financial returns , as indicated by revenues derived from long-term contracts consisting 78.9% of total for 2020, operating cash flows at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2018 to 2020 and a 21.0% average EBITDA margin between 2018 to 2020. , as indicated by revenues derived from long-term contracts consisting 78.9% of total for 2020, operating cash flows at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2018 to 2020 and a 21.0% average EBITDA margin between 2018 to 2020. A founder-led management team driving a business for purpose. Led by Eugene Mayne , the Group has grown to become one of the Middle East's largest privately-owned liquid logistics company, since its inception in 1998. Group Strategy The Group developed a business model which places its customers at the centre of what it does and a strategy with multiple growth opportunities arising from: intrinsic organic growth from the Group's existing assets; in-market expansion from the launch and ramp-up of newly signed contracts; and the potential to expand existing capabilities and into adjacent areas as well as consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. The execution of the Group's strategy relies on the following principles: Continuing to deliver high quality services and maintaining the Group's position as partner of choice. Widening its client base in existing segments and expand into adjacent segments. Deepening its range of core services / capabilities and expanding into adjacent offerings. Strengthening its position in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and Africa and enter new markets across the Middle East and South and East Asia . and enter new markets across the and South and . Maintaining attractive and ustainable profitability and returns through disciplined financial management. Remaining a responsible and respected business in its local communities. Capital Structure and Dividend Policy The number of primary shares offered in the Offering is expected to be fixed, as required by the SCA. As such, the amount of primary proceeds to be received by Tristar will depend on the final offer price and is expected to be in the range of $120 to 160 million. The Group is targeting a reduction in the ratio of consolidated net debt to EBITDA (as at 31 December 2020) to approximately 2.2-2.5x as compared to the reported 3.5x. The Company undertakes to repay AED197 million in loans and payables due to related parties on the date of the receipt of the net proceeds of the Offering, with the balance of the net proceeds used for general corporate purposes including the funding of planned capital expenditure. The Group intends to maintain a conservative capital structure with medium term target leverage of 2.0-2.5x while retaining flexibility to execute on sustainable growth opportunities as they arise. The majority of the Group's indebtedness is targeted to remain asset-backed financing secured against maritime vessels with back-to-back contracts and limited recourse to the Group. For the dividend declared with respect to the year ending 31 December 2020, Tristar paid $29.6 million to the Selling Shareholders, $10 million as an ordinary dividend for the year ending 31 December 2020, and the rest as special pre-IPO dividend. The Selling Shareholders will pay all offering expenses (estimated to be $19.6 million), of the IPO. For the dividend to be declared with respect to the year ending 31 December 2021, Tristar targets a pay-out ratio of 60-70% of net income. Tristar intends to pay $12.5 million dividend in the third quarter of 2021 as an interim dividend, with the remainder expected to be paid in the second quarter of 2022 as a final dividend. Thereafter, Tristar intends for dividends to be paid on a yearly basis at a pay-out ratio of up to 60% of net income. Environmental, Social and Governance As a responsible business, Tristar has adopted the Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") framework for a holistic and long-term sustainability approach to its business in line with its mission to be a "Business for Purpose". Operating in 21 countries including conflict zones, in its daily operations the Group cultivates and reinforces the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (the "UNGC") which focus on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. In line with these principles, the Group takes an active approach to address social issues including access to education, clean water and good health in the communities where it operates, since becoming a signatory of the UNGC in 2011. As a participant and board member of the Global Compact Local Network UAE, the Group actively engages and encourages its stakeholders to adopt sustainable business practices. Tristar's commitment to sustainability is publicly disclosed to its stakeholders through its annual Sustainability Reports published since 2012. As part of its sustainability strategy and ESG initiatives, the Group recognises its responsibility to protect the environment and to reduce its carbon footprint through the adoption of latest technology, resource efficiency and the use of renewable energy. The Group strives to engage with local communities and foster a relationship of trust and collaboration to work towards the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ("United Nations SDGs"). The Group supports the United Nations SDGs through the adoption of local projects and the engagement of employee-volunteers in order to address community needs in the 21 countries and territories in which it operates. Additionally, in 2019, the Group signed the Women Empowerment Principles by reaffirming its commitment towards diversity and Gender Equality. Corporate Governance The Group has established a framework of corporate governance policies, rules and practices which comply with the requirements of the Code of Governance issued by Decree of the Ministry of Economy No. 518 of 2009 and the Chairman of Board of Directors of SCA Decision No. 3 of 2020 concerning the Approval of Joint Stock Companies Governance Guide and take into consideration international best practices as appropriate. The Board of Directors (the "Board") will consist of seven members and is vested with the power to manage Tristar and conduct its business in accordance with the Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 concerning commercial companies of the UAE as amended. The Board will comprise six non-Executive directors and one Executive Director, and four of its members are independent non-Executive directors. An elected Chairman will preside over the Board. The board members are elected for a term of three years and will meet at least every three months. There are currently two permanent Board Committees: the Audit and Risk Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Offering Subscription Information on how to subscribe for the IPO can be found on Tristar's IPO website (https://ipo.tristar-group.co). The contents of this announcement have been prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Group. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. The information in this announcement is subject to change. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. This announcement and any subsequent offer of securities may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons receiving this announcement or any subsequent offer should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any Offer Shares or any other securities nor shall it (or any part of it) or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefore. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any shares referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information in the international offering memorandum (the "IOM") in its final form expected to be published by Tristar in due course in connection with the proposed initial public offering on the Dubai Financial Market. Before subscribing for or purchasing any Offer Shares, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks which will be set out in the IOM when published. This announcement does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, Offer Share or any other securities into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or in any jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. The Offer Shares referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or offered in a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. The offer and sale of Offer Shares referred to herein has not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada or Japan. Subject to certain exceptions, the Offer Shares may not be offered or sold in Australia, Canada or Japan or to, or for the account or benefit of any national, resident or citizen of Australia or Canada. There will be no public offering of the securities described herein in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan. No offer of the Offer Shares to the public is being made in any member state of the European Economic Area (each, a "Relevant State") that would require the publication of the prospectus or any other offering document in such other Relevant State. This announcement is only being distributed in member states of the European Economic Area , and is only directed at, persons in the European Economic Area that are qualified investors ("qualified investors") within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1120 (the "Prospectus Regulation") or to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated without the requirement for a prospectus to be approved by any EU competent authority. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available, in any member state of the European Area, only to such persons., This announcement and any offer subsequently made is, and will be, addressed to and directed only at persons, in the United Kingdom, who are (a) both "qualified investors" within the meaning of the UK version of the EU Prospectus Regulation (2017/1129/EU) which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "UK Prospectus Regulation") and either (i) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (ii) who are high net worth entities falling within Article 49 of the Order; or (b) other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons under (a) and (b) together being referred to as "relevant persons") Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available in the United Kingdom only to relevant persons. Exempt Offer Statement (DIFC): This announcement relates to an Exempt Offer in the DIFC in accordance with the DFSA Rulebook. It is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in those rules. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this announcement nor taken steps to verify the information set out in it and has no responsibility for it. The securities to which this announcement relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers and subscribers of the securities offered should conduct their own due diligence on the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this announcement, you should consult an authorised financial adviser. Exempt Offer Statement (ADGM): This announcement is an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Market Rules of the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. This Exempt Offer document is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Market Rules. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority has not approved this Exempt Offer document nor taken steps to verify the information set out in it, and has no responsibility for it. The securities to which this Exempt Offer relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered should conduct their own due diligence on the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this Exempt Offer document you should consult an authorised financial advisor. Notice to Prospective Investors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: This document may not be distributed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia except to such persons as are permitted under the Rules on the Offer of Securities and Continuing Obligations (the "Saudi Regulations") issued by the Board of the Capital Market Authority (the "Capital Market Authority") pursuant to resolution number 3-123-2017, dated 27 December 2017G, based on the Capital Market Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/30 dated 2/6/1424H (as amended by Resolution of the Board of the Capital Market Authority number 1-7-2021 dated 14 January 2021G). The Capital Market Authority does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this document, and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this document. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered hereby should conduct their own due diligence on the accuracy of the information relating to the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this document, you should consult an authorised financial advisor. This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as assumptions about future events. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. In addition, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "will", "may", "should", "would", "could", "is confident", or in each case, their negative or other variations or words of similar meaning, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Undue reliance should not be placed on any such statements because they speak only as at the date of this document and reflect Tristar's current view with respect to future events. Forward-looking statements are, by their very nature, subject to known and unknown risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Group's business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth or strategies and can be affected by other factors that could cause actual results, and Tristar's plans and objectives, to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (i) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (ii) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (iii) local implementing measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Shares to be issued in the Offering have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Shares may decline and investors could lose all or substantially all of their investment; the Shares to be issued in the Offering offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Shares to be issued in the Offering is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own Target Market Assessment in respect of the Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK MiFIR Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the UK MiFIR Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Shares to be issued in the Offering have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, as respectively defined in paragraphs 3.5 and 3.6 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels (the "UK Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Shares to be issued in the Offering offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Shares to be issued in the Offering is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The UK Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, the underwriters will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties. For the avoidance of doubt, the UK Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively of the FCA Handbook Conduct Business Sourcebook; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own UK Target Market Assessment in respect of the Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. Each of Merrill Lynch International, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, Societe Generale and Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C. (the "Managers" and each, a "Manager") and their respective affiliates expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Any purchase of Offer Shares in the proposed Offering should be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the final IOM to be issued by Tristar in connection with the Offering. The information in this announcement is subject to change. The date of Admission may be influenced by things such as market conditions. There is no guarantee that Admission will occur and you should not base your financial decisions on Tristar's intentions in relation to Admission at this stage. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons considering making such investments should consult an authorised person specialising in advising on such investments. This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the Offering. The value of shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the Offering for the person concerned. Merrill Lynch International and Citigroup Global Markets Limited, each of which are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, are acting exclusively for Tristar and the Selling Shareholders and no-one else in connection with the Offering. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the Offering and will not be responsible to anyone other than Tristar and the Selling Shareholders for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the Offering, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. In connection with the Offering of the Offer Shares, the Managers and any of their affiliates, may take up a portion of the shares in the Offering as a principal position and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell for their own accounts such shares and other securities of Tristar or related investments in connection with the Offering or otherwise. Accordingly, references in the IOM, once published, to the Offer Shares being issued, offered, subscribed, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription, acquisition, placing or dealing by, the Managers and any of their affiliates acting in such capacity. In addition, the Managers and any of their affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps, warrants or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which the Managers and any of their affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of shares. The Managers do not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so. Moelis & Company UK LLP ("Moelis UK") is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Moelis & Company UK LLP DIFC Branch ("Moelis Dubai" and together with Moelis UK, "Moelis & Company") is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Moelis & Company is acting exclusively for Tristar and no-one else in connection with the IPO and it will not be responsible to anyone other than Tristar for providing the protections afforded to its clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the IPO, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. None of the Managers, Moelis & Company or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to Tristar, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1471744/Tristar_Founder__CEO_Eugene_Mayne.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Georgian Prime Irakli Garibashvili has responded to signing the EU-proposal by majority of Georgian parties to solve the current political tension in the country and stated that now, everyone, should be focused on solving major challenges the country faces. He thanked Michel, EU-mediator Christian Danielsson, EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, U.S. Ambassador Kelly Degnan for their huge efforts and the Georgian people for their patience, Agrenda.ge reported. The Georgian Dream ruling party, Lelo opposition party, Citizens, Republicans, Strategy Agmashenebeli and Girchi signed the agreement proposed by European Council President Charles Michel yesterday to solve the political tension in the country which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia. The proposal by Michel covers electoral and justice reforms, offers pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests and the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections in 2022 if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this years municipal elections. Former Member of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze and a member of the United National Movement opposition party Salome Samadashvili signed the agreement individually. The United National Movement which received most, 34 of 60 opposition mandates in the 150-member parliament, has not signed the agreement so far, as well as European Georgia opposition party and Labour party. MasterChef Australia viewers are usually glued to challenges while the high-pressure cook-offs are airing on Channel Ten. And now super-sleuth fans have revealed they have discovered the telltale signs which amateur chef will make it through to the next round. Eagle-eyed viewers are convinced if a contestant's backstory is shown in detail, they will remain on the show - and they took to Twitter to share their opinions. Truth? MasterChef Australia viewers have claimed they have discovered the telltale 'signs' cooking contestants will win an 'apron' before scenes aired during Tuesday night's episode. (R) Aaron pictured during childhood 'You know when they get a whole backstory they getting in and that truth is stressful,' one viewer wrote. However, another fan believes it's all down to the amount of 'screen time' given to individual contestants. 'I'm just going to assume anyone who has less than 30 seconds screen time is getting eliminated tonight,' they wrote. Aaron Sanders, 34, was one of the contestants on the night whose childhood was featured on the show - which allayed many of his fan's fears. Formula: Viewers appeared to work out the formula for who gets in on the show 'Kid photo - yeah Aaron is in right?' commented another armchair sleuth. The MasterChef kitchen was filled with tense scenes on Tuesday's episode. The remaining contestants vying for a place in the Top 24 could choose either 90 minutes and a 'small pantry' or 45 minutes with a 'big pantry' for the cook. The backstories shown on the episode included Melbourne restaurant manager, Conor Curran along with recent law graduate Elise. Plant daddy: Conor Curran and his love of his plants was featured heavily as a backstory She's in: Recent law graduate Elise was also seen with her grandmother during a segment on the show with the pair discussing their love of food Katrina also shared her Indonesian background with a photo of her grandmother. The final five to get 'Aprons' were Conor Curran, Elise, Katrina Dunnett, Aaron Sanders and Wynona Davies. MasterChef Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten Documentary shines light on Chinese Titanic survivors Chinadaily.com.cn) 14:37, April 20, 2021 Poster of The Six: The Untold Story of RMS Titanic's Chinese Passengers [Photo/Mtime] 2021 marks the 109th year since the "unsinkable" Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean, and thousands of lives were lost in frigid waters. The 1997 blockbuster film Titanic showed the luxurious lifestyle of the upper class and a heart-wrenching romance between two young lovers. But few know that among the passengers, there were actually eight Chinese, and six survived the disaster. What happened to them, and where did they go? Why have they been forgotten for so long? The documentary The Six: The Untold Story of RMS Titanic's Chinese Passengers seeks to provide answers. The six Chinese survivors Eight Chinese sailors boarded the third class cabin of Titanic on April 10, 1912 at Southampton Port in the UK, with tickets purchased by their employer. Only four days later, an iceberg in North Atlantic Ocean struck Titanic and the ship began to sink. Several gates leading to the first-class cabin, where lifeboats were placed for emergency use, were not opened promptly, leaving third-class passengers fending for themselves. Among the six survivors, Lee Bing, Chang Chip, Ling Hee and Ali Lam boarded a folding lifeboat together. Chong Foo got on the last lifeboat, just before Titanic sank completely. Fang Lang (also known as Fang Rongshan in Mandarin), the last survivor, grabbed a door and floated on open water before he was rescued. "I've always admired the Chinese guy on the door, or on the piece of wood. That became the inspiration of how Rose was saved," said James Cameron, producer of The Six and director of Titanic. "Six out of eight Chinese passengers survived, that's a 75 percent (survival rate)", said Arthur Jones, director and writer of The Six. "So it shows a certain ingenuity and inventiveness. They had their hopes and their dreams as well and they were traveling across the ocean to realize that," adds Cameron in the film. Where did they go? The group's miraculous survival did not bring an end to their ordeal. After landing on Ellis Island, New York, they were expelled from the US because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a controversial law at the time that barred Chinese immigrants from entering the US. Shunned, they six were sent to Cuba on a fruit merchant ship. They then found their way to the UK to work as sailors. Along the way, Chang Chip passed away from pneumonia in 1914 and was buried in an unmarked grave in a cemetery in London. Ali Lam was deported to Hong Kong or Shanghai and his whereabouts and potential descendants remain unknown. Ling Hee worked as a sailor on a boat and went to India, and no more was heard of him. Cheong Foo is still unidentified, because there were too many names similar to his. Lee Bing reached Canada after many twists and turns and opened a local cafe. Fang Lang is the only survivor that returned to the US, later becoming a businessman. James Cameron, director of Titanic and producer of The Six. [Photo/Mtime] Parallels Titanic may have sank long ago, but prejudice against people of Chinese descent still remains, said Jones. Not much records remain of their story, and in the words of Cameron, "they were kind of shoveled off and hidden, expunged from records." In records published after the shipwreck, many false claims persisted, including "reports" of Chinese survivors dressing as women to fight for spots on lifeboats. Rumors of a similar nature are still copious today. "We used to talk about who was the hero and who the villain on Titanic. But now, what we need to talk about is racial discrimination, it also needs to be voiced," Jones added. Tom Fong, son of Fang Lang and also featured in the film, said his father fought racial discrimination and derogatory comments made against his ethnicity his whole life. Though many family members of survivors were reluctant to share their stories, due to stigmas experienced by their ancestors, Fong decided to do so, hoping the audience could learn the true story of Titanic's Chinese survivors and perhaps reflect on what's happening in the US today. "Because if you don't know the history, it will repeat itself," he said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) MaintenX team members at the Broward Condo & HOA expo Showcasing our value proposition at events like this is a great way to stay connected, meet new people, and get ideas for continuing to improve our service, said MaintenX VP of Business Development Bill Schaphorst. Although Tampa-based MaintenX International is one of Americas largest facility maintenance providers, they have not forgotten their roots. Florida is MaintenXs home, and MaintenX team members will be attending an important trade show in the state: the Tampa Bay Condo & HOA Expo on April 23. Our team thrives on being out and about with other industry professionals and prospective clients, said MaintenX VP of Business Development Bill Schaphorst. Showcasing our value proposition at events like this is a great way to stay connected, meet new people, and get ideas for continuing to improve our service. The conference, which connects HOA boards and decision makers with industry experts, will take place at the Tampa Convention Center on April 23. MaintenX team members will be set up in booth #405 Friday from 10:30am through 3pm to answer Condo and HOA maintenance questions. Both CEU and non-CEU seminars are available, and admission is free. Earlier this year, MaintenX experts attended the Orlando and Broward County Condo and HOA expos connecting with board members and decision makers across the state. Team members will return to South FL in the fall for the Miami Beach Condo and HOA Expo scheduled for October 12. MaintenX has been servicing commercial facilities in Florida and beyond for more than 40 years. For more information about their services and history, visit http://www.maintenx.com. ABOUT MAINTENX INTERNATIONAL: MaintenX International is a fully licensed, facilities repair company. As one of the largest national self-performing facility maintenance and repair companies in the U.S., MaintenX has created a wide network of knowledgeable and professional technicians throughout the country. With their team of well-trained technicians, MaintenX self-performs and manages facility maintenance for their clients. In the event there is not a MaintenX technician in an area, the company has established a network of preferred vendor partners throughout the country for continued superior service for their clients. For more than 40 years, MaintenX has been expertly serving multi-location retail stores, restaurant chains and Fortune 500 companies nationwide. GRAPEVINE, Texas, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to selling a house, the process doesn't have to be complicated. NTX Home Buyers buy any house in any condition. NTX Home Buyers are a reputable company that is ready to help Texas homeowners find the best solution for their circumstances. They proudly value family, honesty, and having fun along the way by getting to know the homeowners they work with. Casey Huff, the founder of NTX Home Buyers, fell in love with real estate years ago and hasn't looked back since. His passion started at a young age as he used to help his grandfather remodel houses. He enjoyed seeing the transformation of a distressed property into something new and refreshing. It taught him the core values that he lives and works with today, working hard until the job is done and always having an open mind when approaching problems as there are multiple ways to solve them. Casey brings these core values to NTX Home Buyers every day, as real estate is constantly evolving and new issues can arise daily. He has a dedicated team around him that shares the same values and puts homeowners and their needs first. Whether it's a burdensome property, financial burden, or unwanted inheritance, NTX Home Buyers is confident they can help find a solution, even if they are not the ones who buy the property. As Dallas Fort-Worth cash home buyers, the NTX Home Buyers team has seen it all; they have purchased homes that needed zero repairs to homes that needed three dumpsters to clear it out. Homeowners never need to worry about any expenses, cleaning their property, or paying for staging; NTX Home Buyers will take care of it all, no matter how bad the mess. For any homeowner that's looking to sell their house fast in Dallas Fort-Worth, the process of working with NTX Home Buyers is simple. They can start by getting in touch with a representative and sharing a few details about the house they're looking to sell. Someone will then visit the property to confirm the condition and make an offer right on the spot. As the homeowner, there's complete discretion in choosing the closing date with no costs, fees, or commissions; and getting cash for the home fast. NTX Home Buyers are the most trusted Dalla Fort-Worth Home Buyers. Those looking to learn more about the company or interested in getting a cash offer for the property are invited to reach out to the experts by calling (817) 587-8264. Contact name: Casey Huff Email: [email protected] SOURCE NTX Home Buyers Related Links http://www.ntxhomebuyers.com The researchers demonstrated their cooling system by building a pavilion in Singapore featuring a system of chilled tubes enclosed within a condensation-preventing membrane. Credit: Lea Ruefenacht A novel system of chilled panels that can replace air conditioning can also help reduce the risk of indoor disease transmission, suggests new analysis from the University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. The researchers computed air conditioning requirements in 60 of the world's most populous citieswith the additional ventilation required due to COVID-19. Then, they compared the energy costs with their cooling method, using the chilled panels and natural ventilation. The results, published in the COVID-19 edition of Applied Energy, showed that the alternative solution can save up to 45 per cent of the required energy, while ensuring building occupants are comfortable and rooms are adequately refreshed. Dr. Adam Rysanek, a professor in the school of architecture and landscape architecture at UBC and co-author of the paper, notes that many public health guidelines, as well as building industry bodies, recommend increasing the flow of fresh, outdoor air into buildings in order to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and other diseases. "However, if we continue to rely on conventional HVAC systems to increase indoor fresh air rates, we may actually double energy consumption. That's the nature of conventional HVAC." "Alternatively, we can encourage people to install new types of radiant cooling systems, which allow them to keep their windows open even when it's hot outside. These alternative systems can provide a sufficient level of thermal comfort, increase protection against disease while lessening the impact on the environment," noted Rysanek, director of the Building Decisions Research Group at UBC's faculty of applied science. Rysanek and his colleagues earlier demonstrated their cooling system in the hot and humid climate of Singapore. They built a public pavilion featuring a system of chilled tubes enclosed within a condensation-preventing membrane. This allowed occupants to feel comfortable, and even cold, without changing the air temperature surrounding the human body. "You can think of it as lean A/Cor, even better, as a green alternative to energy-guzzling air conditioning," said Rysanek. Toronto is one of the cities included in the latest analysis, as are Beijing, Miami, Mumbai, New York and Paris. In all these regions, peak summer temperatures can soar past 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). "A key impact of climate change is the accelerating rise in average and peak temperatures, particularly in urban areas. We are expecting the appetite for indoor cooling will ramp up in the years ahead. Yet, if we want to mitigate urban heat and ensure people are healthy and comfortable while reducing our energy use, we need to seriously consider revolutionizing our historical approach to air-conditioning," adds Rysanek. Rysanek notes that, though chilled panel systems have been around for decades, adding the special membrane devised by the research team could be the key to making it a commercially viable alternative to traditional HVAC systems in all climates. More information: Dorit Aviv et al, A fresh (air) look at ventilation for COVID-19: Estimating the global energy savings potential of coupling natural ventilation with novel radiant cooling strategies, Applied Energy (2021). Dorit Aviv et al, A fresh (air) look at ventilation for COVID-19: Estimating the global energy savings potential of coupling natural ventilation with novel radiant cooling strategies,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116848 China on Tuesday urged Japan to follow science and face up to the doubts and questions arising from the international community. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to Japanese claims that China and the Republic of Korea hold lower standards in disposing of the contaminated water of nuclear power plants, so their criticisms towards Japan make no sense. "Such a claim is not science-based and extremely irresponsible, which only shifts conceptions and deflects attention," Wang said. He stressed that Japan's Fukushima nuclear water is completely different from the water discharged by normal operative nuclear power stations in terms of the source and disposal difficulty level. He said that normal water discharge from a nuclear power plant abides by international universal standards and is released in an organized manner after being treated and meeting examining standards, which is proved by years of practice as secure and controllable. Yet as the most serious nuclear accident, the contaminated water produced by the Fukushima nuclear power station is composed of a large number of radioactive nuclides, which are not exited in nature before, he added. He also noted there is no precedent of discharging such nuclear waste water in the world, adding that the impacts brought to the marine environment and public health brook no ignorance. Besides, he said that water discharged by a normal operative nuclear power plant is not radioactive contaminated water, while Fukushima nuclear contaminated water needs to be purified and treated through Advanced Liquid Processing System technology. And whether it can meet the standard to discharge requires verification. According to an article published on April 13 by the prestigious academic journal Science,some isotopes, including ruthenium, cobalt, strontium and plutonium, which are more dangerous and have longer radioactivity, sometimes still remain after being processed by Advanced Liquid Processing System technology. "Whether the Japanese side can ensure long-term and stable treatment is highly questionable,"Wang asked. Before exhausting all safe ways of disposal, Japan, out of selfish interests of its own and so-called excuse of limited tanks for storage, unilaterally chose the most cost-effective solution to dump the contaminated water into the sea in absence of consultation with relevant stakeholders and the international community, he said. "It is highly irresponsible for the Japanese side to shift responsibility, which should have been borne by itself to the whole of humanity and make the world vulnerable to the biggest security risks in terms of environment and health," he added. Wang called for Japan to faithfully implement international obligations and redress the erroneous decision that was made unilaterally to discharge contaminated water produced in the Fukushima nuclear accident into the sea. He added Japan should take concrete action to win the trust of neighboring countries and the international community. A group that failed to get a redistricting initiative before Oregon voters last year is laying the groundwork to get a similar petition on the ballot in 2022. Next years election will come after the states new legislative and congressional districts are drawn up, but that isnt stopping People Not Politicians from trying to depoliticize the redrawing of political maps. The petition would create a 12-member independent redistricting commission, similar to those used in Washington and California. The members would be selected from a pool of applicants that has been reviewed by a panel of administrative law judges. Currently, Oregon lawmakers are given the primary right to redraw the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts, which are typically recalculated to balance districts populations following the once-a-decade U.S. census. While that process has been delayed this year due to late-arriving census data, a recent state court decision means the Legislature will still get first crack at drawing the maps. If Initiative Petition 16 gets enough signatures to make the ballot and voters approve it, however, those legislatively-created districts would be in place for just one election cycle before new districts created by the independent panel take effect in 2024. Theres no reason why we cant do a mid-decade redistricting, said Norman Turrill, a spokesperson for People Not Politicians and past president of the League of Women Voters. Still, the initiatives backers have no plans to start gathering signatures right away. In the short term, the petition is meant to put pressure on the legislature to refer a similar proposal to voters. It would save us an enormous amount of effort and money if they would do that, said Turrill, who said if lawmakers dont act, the group will proceed with efforts to gather signatures in advance of a July 2022 deadline. But Oregon lawmakers have not chosen to approve legislation to create an independent redistricting commission in the past. Control over the process has been the subject of negotiations and deals as recently as last week, when Democrats in the House agreed to give Republicans equal footing on that chambers redistricting committee in exchange for a pledge by the GOP to curtail delay tactics on unrelated legislation. That development didnt impress People Not Politicians. Turrill said the deal is another demonstration of why the voters need an independent redistricting process. Last year, Turrills group fell far short of the number of signatures needed to secure a spot on the November, 2020 ballot. People Not Politicians took the matter to federal court, saying restrictions on public activities that were in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 hampered the groups efforts to gather signatures. Ultimately, the courts did not force the state to overturn its signature requirements to allow the initiative to go before voters that year. Chris Lehman clehman@oregonian.com Josh O'Connor was seen getting to work alongside Letitia Wright on set of their new film Provision. The Crown actor, 30, and Black Panther star, 27, headed out to film by the beach in Dublin, Ireland, alongside other actors on Tuesday. In the film, Josh is set to portray a security guard Conor Healy who befriends a young African woman named Ishtar Deresse, played by Letitia Provision FIRST LOOK: The Crown's Josh O'Connor transformed into a security guard as he got to work on set with Black Panther star Letitia Wright in Dublin on Tuesday Plot: In the film, Josh's character Conor Healy befriends a young African woman named Ishtar Deresse, played by Letitia, who becomes stuck in Ireland's asylum system for two years Royal: Josh is known for his award-winning turn as Prince Charles in seasons three and four of The Crown (R) Ishtar becomes stuck in Ireland's asylum system for two years and struggles with the constant threat of deportation. The film will see Letitia's Ishtar and Josh's Conor grow close after he empathises with her struggle, and will see their hopes for the future come under threat because of how asylum seekers are viewed and treated. Josh looked professional in his character's wardrobe, which saw him pair a grey rain jacket with a white shirt and a navy blue v-neck jumper. The actor also wore a green striped tie, black trousers and black lace-up boots to complete his ensemble. Wardrobe: Josh looked professional in his character's wardrobe, which saw him pair a grey rain jacket with a white shirt and a navy blue v-neck jumper Cosy: Letitia, meanwhile, wrapped up against the winter chill in a dark blue padded jacket that had a faux-fur-lined hood Fame: Letitia became a rising star after her performance as Shuri (R) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which saw her star in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame Preparation: Letitia was seen speaking with director Frank Berry before shooting began And, action! Letitia, Josh and fellow cast members were seen waiting to start the shoot Letitia, meanwhile, wrapped up against the winter chill in a dark blue padded jacket that had a faux-fur-lined hood. She covered her raven tresses with a light blue headscarf and also wore a pair of jeans for the day's shoot by the sea. Provision is being directed by Frank Berry, who previously examined Ireland's penal system in his 2017 flick Michael Inside. Drama: The film will see Letitia's Ishtar and Josh's Conor grow close after he empathises with her struggle, and will see her feel she is at constant threat of deportation In character: Letitia covered her raven tresses with a light blue headscarf for the role Busy schedule: Letitia was seen standing alongside crew members who wore face masks Casual chic: Letitia completed her outfit by wearing jeans and bright white trainers It is not yet known who else will be starring in the independent film alongside Josh and Letitia, but as well as directing Frank has also written his own script. Letitia became a rising star after her performance as Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which saw her star in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Josh, meanwhile, is known for his award-winning turn as Prince Charles in seasons three and four of The Crown. Transformation: Josh was seen getting into character as Conor on set Discussion: Josh and Letitia spoke together on set during a break from filming Waiting to go: Josh was seen waiting on set as the crew prepared for the shoot around him Indie film: Provision is being directed by Frank Berry, who previously examined Ireland's penal system in his 2017 flick Michael Inside The repeal of the Berlin rent cap by the Supreme Court means massive rent increases, arrears payments and poverty for hundreds of thousands of people. The ruling, which exacerbates homelessness amid the coronavirus crisis, has a signal effect for the whole of Germany and is emblematic of the inhuman enrichment policies of the ruling elites in Germany and Europe. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, spoke on Twitter on Thursday of a deeply disturbing judgment and, referring to the pandemic, warned, The German government still has an international legal obligation to respect the right to housing vis-a-vis tenants. Despite the threat posed by COVID-19, more than 10,000 people took part in spontaneously organised protests that same day. In contrast to the state support regularly given to marches by right-wing extremists and coronavirus deniers, Berlin police violently broke up the peaceful main rally in front of Kottbusser Tor at 9 p.m. after only two speeches. Caption: Spontaneous demonstration on Hermannplatz in Berlin-Neukolln, image: @Montecruzfoto (Twitter), CC-SA The riot police, dozens of whom were then deployed in full riot gear, used mace against demonstrators and physically injured at least one journalist who had identified himself as such. Other video footage documents a demonstrator lying on the ground being kicked by a police officer, who is then restrained by other police officers. On social media, broad sections of workers and young people combined their anger about the social conditions in Berlin with a reckoning with the so-called Red-Red-Green senate (the state executive coalition of the Social Democrats, Left Party and Greens) and a determination to oppose capitalist exploitation and enrichment. Typical of the mood is a viral Facebook entry by Ganden O. (property company) Deutsche Wohnen earned more on the stock exchange today alone after the ruling than we poor tenants from the former GSW social housing provider have to pay back and can hardly manage, after the rent had already been raised three times in three years before. The entire political establishment, from the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) to the Left Party, bears responsibility for this, he said. Which party represents people like me in the autumn election? All parties have sold and betrayed us to Deutsche Wohnen. While the governing parties were still lining their pockets in times of need, he wrote, we are losing our homes. We citizens have a problem and only the choice between plague, cholera and syphilis. Reporters from the World Socialist Web Site and members of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) spoke to tenants about the demand for the expropriation of all housing corporations without compensation and circulated the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) manifesto for the Bundestag (federal parliament) elections, which opposes the social inequality agenda of the establishment parties with a socialist perspective. I share a one-room flat of 30 square metres with my partner, demonstrator Tamara, 37, said, who moved to Berlin from Italy 10 years ago. We needed more space, but first he didnt have enough money and now it affects me. Many of our friends are looking for a flat, for example, because they have become parents or are living in insecure conditions. A friend of mine has been looking for an affordable flat for two-and-a-half years. Everywhere you look there are only expensive flats. Meanwhile, more and more people are living in tents along the canal. Its a sight that leaves me stunned in one of the richest countries in the world. Tamara, whose partner only found a new job in January, works as a freelance translator and has additionally been looking for work since February. The court ruling means 100 euros more rent per month for each of us, which we also have to pay in arrears for the last year. For many others, it means 400 to 600 euros per month and thus a total of several thousand euros. We had hoped to finally be able to afford better accommodation. This particularly affected young people from the working class, she said. Many who wanted to start a family, for example, have already rented more rooms, which they now have to pay extra for. We residents were not warned by politicians to put money aside. We now must pay for what they screwed up. Many young families, like students, will have to share their flatsand students themselves will not be able to afford to live here in the first place. Its exasperating and, to me, emblematic of our bad government here in Berlin. That this development was also taking place amidst the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic is a disaster, Tamara said. Many people have lost their jobs in the last year. The owners show no empathy for this. A friend received an email yesterday asking him to pay within seven daysalthough such a short deadline is illegal. In the last year, many owners have opted to sellresulting in more flats going to the richest people. This crisis has undoubtedly made me even more aware of issues such as the right to housing, health and workers rights. Expropriating the rent sharks without compensation would be a dream, Tamara said. You could use the coronavirus effect and at the same time convert vacant offices, car parks and shopping centres in the city centre for social housing and other much-needed facilities. Housing is a fundamental right, and no profit should be made on basic housing. Tamara also thought that the movement to expropriate the real estate corporations should lead to a broader movement of the working class across Europe, which should also be directed against austerity, climate change, refugee-baiting and fascism: Until the last homeless person in Europe has a roof over their head! No one should have to live on the street or in a camp, she said. Until recently, I thought that my country of origin was much more corrupt than other European countries. Maybe thats true, but every day I read about scandals everywhere, especially in Germany. A revolution was, after all, the logical consequence of what we are facing. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party) campaign for the federal elections is therefore timely. The whole system is corrupt, Tamara added. Those who dont want to put profits before lives dont get to the top in itI hope your candidates will disprove that rule! I agree one hundred percent that the housing corporations have to be expropriated, said fellow demonstrator Constance. She came to Berlin two years ago as a refugee from Chicago after being a victim of targeted police violence in the US. I have had to fight the threat of homelessness myself throughout my life, she said. After I came here, I lived in a refugee hostel for two years, where I was abused several times. The rent of the public flat I live in now is currently paid [from public funds] but from now on it will cost the taxpaying people of Berlin 250 euros more. I would prefer to earn my own money, but with my handicap, I have no chance on the labour market. The rent cap would have allowed me to make my own decisions and finance my rent myself through further education. Thousands in Berlin are in a similar situation to me. How many people in Berlin have been harmed or died because they dont have a safe shelter? And why? Just so the owners of the real estate companies can buy themselves a new Tesla? There must be an end to putting profits before lives. Thats what this is really about. The cause of socialism and affordable rents is very close to my heart, Constance said. The motto should be: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need! If socialist policies had been followed, we wouldnt have this crisis now. When our human rights are traded as a commodity, decisions are not made for the good of all. Insteadas in the case of Deutsche Wohnen und Konsortenthey speculate on future profits by leaving flats empty. They dont mind because they have such a large financial backing. Expropriation would put the responsibility back into our own hands. A vegan beauty magnate who was taken to court accused of making a false insurance claim against Airbnb after a guest allegedly stole several items from her luxury apartment has had charges against her dropped. Cassandra House faced Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast on Tuesday after being charged with one count of attempted fraud in November last year. But police failed to provide evidence to the court to support the allegation, resulting in the charge against Ms House being dropped, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Cassandra House (pictured) faced Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast on Tuesday accused of attempted fraud but the charges against her were dropped Ms House had filed an insurance claim with Airbnb, claiming a guest staying at her Southport apartment (pictured) stole several items, including designer bags and shoes and that luxury Kruger pans and kitchen pots were destroyed Ms House also claimed a silver banana was stolen from her apartment (stock image) Ms House said when police charged her and alleged she overvalued the prices of goods stolen in an insurance claim against Airbnb, she was left 'in shock'. 'I have definitely had suicidal flashes. You think "is this really me, is this really happening? Is this what I'm going through when I've done nothing wrong?",' Ms House said outside of court. 'If this wasn't over today I don't know how much longer I would have been able to survive it.' Ms House had filed an insurance claim with Airbnb for thousands of dollars after the guest stayed at her apartment on Southport's Main Beach between March 29 and April 5, 2018 while she was on her honeymoon in Italy. She said she locked her expensive possessions in a cabinet before leaving but arrived home to find several items missing, including a silver banana, designer bags and shoes from bands such as Gucci, and Swarovski jewellery. Airbnb refused to pay the insurance claim. Ms House then sued Airbnb in June last year for $253,000, claiming in a lawsuit filed against the accommodation provider the guest destroyed luxury Kruger pans and kitchen pots worth more than $1,300. She also claimed the guest stole a $50 silver banana and a $279 bottle of Dom Perignon champagne. Ms House (pictured) said she was left 'in shock' after being charged by police in November last year Ms House rented out her apartment to the guest between March 29 and April 5, 2018 while she was on her honeymoon in Italy. The apartment's bathroom is pictured Among the items Ms House claimed was stolen from her apartment were designer shoes and Swarovski jewellery (stock images) The motivational speaker said in her filing the banana matched the 'apple decor' of her two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment - which was available to rent for $700 per week. Other six-figure valuations in the long list of claims include $10,000 worth of Swarovski jewellery, $25,000 worth of Tiffany and Co 'diamond gifts' from Arbonne and $55,000 in engagement presents. Ms House's civil action against Airbnb is still before the courts. Lifeline 13 11 14 Flex LNG Ltd. (the "Company") announces that its 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held on May 26, 2021. A copy of the Notice of Annual General Meeting and associated information including the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F can be found in the links below and on our website at www.flexlng.com. April 20, 2021 The Board of Directors Flex LNG Limited Hamilton, Bermuda This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act or the Continuing Obligations of Oslo Brs. 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. China aims for building new pattern of global environmental governance 10:32, April 20, 2021 By He Yin ( People's Daily Photo taken on April 15, 2021, shows over 10,000 residents from all walks of life in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu province, participating in an afforestation activity. (People's Daily Online/Wang Jiang) Chinese President Xi Jinping expounded on Chinas actions and plan for coping with global climate change from the perspective of building a community with a shared future for mankind at a video summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 16. "I announced that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. It means China, as the world's largest developing country, will complete the world's most dramatic reduction in carbon emission intensity, and realize carbon neutrality from carbon peaking in the shortest time in global history," Xi said at the summit. Responding to climate change is the common cause of all humanity as well as an important aspect of global ecological civilization construction, and concerns the wellbeing and future of mankind. China will adhere to the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, promote the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, and actively develop South-South cooperation on climate change, Xi noted. China's stance and commitment demonstrate its sense of responsibility as a major participant, contributor, and leader in building a global ecological civilization. China has made clear to the world its determination to help deal with climate change during many international occasions, including the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Climate Ambition Summit, as well as the recent video summit between China, France and Germany. Macron said that France welcomes China's announcement to become carbon-neutral before 2060 and that such a massive commitment reflects China's initiative to assume significant responsibilities. Merkel believes that the nationally determined contributions China announced are both ambitious and challenging and are very important to coping with climate change globally. It is generally believed by the international community that at such a critical moment of global climate governance, China's active actions for promoting high-quality development and speed up green transformation have served as good examples for other countries. China has included peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality into its overall plans for advancing ecological civilization, and comprehensively pushed forward with the development of a green and low-carbon circular economy. Through arduous efforts and steady progress, the country is seeing bluer sky, greener mountains and clearer rivers, and the miracles it has frequently created in ecological preservation have impressed the world. Satellite images suggest Chinas contributions account for about a quarter of the increase in global green leaf area between 2000 and 2017, the largest proportion among that of all countries. China's forest carbon absorption has benefited the world in a way that exceeds original expectations, according to research findings published on Nature, a British weekly scientific journal. The country's Three-North Shelter Forest Program has been acknowledged as a global ecological economy demonstration zone by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Constructors of the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm in north China's Hebei province and the Green Rural Revival Program of east China's Zhejiang province that aims to improve the living environment of villages have won Champions of the Earth Award, the United Nations' highest environmental honor. As a practitioner of ecological civilization and an active participant in global climate governance, China has secured universally recognized achievements in pursuing green development. By heightening cooperation with other countries and fostering synergy in addressing climate change, China is increasingly involved in global environmental governance. From promoting the adoption of the Paris Agreement to fully practicing the UNFCCC, from setting up South-South cooperation fund on climate change to vigorously advancing green construction of the Belt and Road, China has always adhered to the idea of building a community with a shared future for humanity and multilateralism, worked with the rest of the world to promote global ecological civilization construction, and facilitated the building of a fair and reasonable and win-win global climate governance system through stronger international cooperation on climate change. As of the end of 2020, China had carried out international cooperation and exchanges on ecological preservation with over 100 countries, and signed about 150 eco-environmental protection cooperation documents with more than 60 countries, and international and regional organizations. International observers pointed out that China has been at the forefront of conducting international cooperation in global climate governance. wthe global challenge of climate change is just like a vast ocean where cooperation is indispensable to countries. China will sincerely join hands with global partners, actively participate in important multilateral agendas, and continuously inject new impetus in and open up new prospects for creating a new pattern of global environmental governance. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) WASHINGTON, D.C - Scammers are doubling down on their efforts to scam people out of their money and personal information. Thats why the Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of Attorneys General are teaming up to remind citizens that no matter what anyone tells you, you cant buy COVID-19 vaccines online and theres never an out-of-pocket cost to get the shots. Here are some ways to avoid a vaccine-related scam: Ignore online ads, social media posts, or phone calls from people offering to sell you the COVID-19 vaccine. You cant buy it anywhere. The vaccine is only available at federal- and state-approved locations. Dont pay to sign up for the vaccine. Anyone who asks for a payment to put you on a list, make an appointment for you, or reserve a spot in line is a scammer. Dont pay out of pocket for a vaccine not before, during, or after your appointment. Thats either a scam or a mistake. If youre insured, the vaccination site might bill your insurance company for an administration fee. If youre not insured, theres a fund set up with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA part of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) where sites can recover their administrative costs. Either way, though, theyre not supposed to bill you or charge a co-pay. Never share your personal, financial, or health information with people you dont know. No one from a vaccine distribution site, health care providers office, pharmacy, or health care payer, like a private insurance company or Medicare, will call, text, or email you asking for your credit card or bank account number to sign you up to get the vaccine. And remember, youre not required to give your Social Security number to a vaccination site. You shouldnt be turned away. Contact a trusted source for information. Check with state or local health departments to learn when and how to get the COVID-19 vaccine. You can also talk with your health care provider or pharmacist. Dont post your vaccination card to your social media account. Your vaccination card has information on it including your full name, date of birth, where you got your vaccine, and the dates you got it. When you post it to Facebook, Instagram, or to some other social media platform, you may be handing valuable information over to someone who could use it for identity theft. Please share these tips with others, and stay connected to stay informed. Subscribe to consumer alerts from the FTC to get updates delivered right to your email inbox. If you know about a COVID-19 vaccine scam, tell the FTC about it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Or, file a complaint with your state or territory attorney general through consumerresources.org, the consumer website of the National Association of Attorneys General. Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference in the Main Committee Room at Parliament House on April 7, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images) Australian States Agree In Principle to Vaccination Rollout Changes National Cabinet has agreed to make a number of changes to Australias COVID-19 vaccination program, including options to bring forward vaccinations to those over the age of 50. National Cabinet agreed in principle to a series of changes to the Australian COVID-19 vaccination strategy that will be put forward for approval at the next meeting of National Cabinet (on Thursday), Prime Minister Scott Morrison said after a meeting with state and territory ministers on April 19. Preparing mass vaccinations sites are among the proposed changes to be discussed on April 22. Morrison said that vaccinating vulnerable groups under phase 1a and 1b also remains a priority, with general practice as the primary model of the rollout. Additionally, medical advice remains that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe and recommended for Australians over 50 years old and all states will continue to be prioritised AstraZeneca for Australians over 50 years old, Morrison added. This statement comes days after the Vaccine Safety Investigation Group (VSIG) found a likely linked correlation between the death of a 48-year-old NSW woman who had blood clotting after being inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and the vaccine itself. The prime minister had cautioned the public in making conclusions while authorities were still investigating the case. Nonetheless, the federal government did update the medical advice earlier this month around the AstraZeneca vaccine stating it was not preferable for people under 50 due to the risk of a rare blood clot disorder. Vaccine Rollout Continues to Expand Australia is currently vaccinating people under phase 1a and 1b of the program, which includes frontline health care workers, quarantine workers, aged care and disability care residents, and those aged over 70. But Phase 2a is expected to be brought forward towards the end of the year. Australias COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand, Morrison said. The number of administration sites continues to expand with 4,500 general practices, general practice respiratory centres and Aboriginal health services now administering COVID-19 vaccinations. But federal Labor spokesperson Mark Butler said there were serious issues with the flow of vaccine supplies, which needed fixing. I have talked to a number of providers, big GP clinics, state clinics-they are set up to do very big numbers of vaccinations, he said. Some are getting 50 or 100 doses per week. That is nowhere near enough. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that NSW has the capacity for mass vaccination hubs and urged other states to continue with the rollout. Given we know that theres no issue with anyone over 50 having the AstraZeneca and there is considerable supply in Australia at the moment, that we need to really crack on with it, she said. Victoria, on April 21, will resume its rollout of the AstraZeneca shot to eligible people under 50 after it was paused on April 9 due to the blood clot issue. Three mass vaccination sites offering the AstraZeneca vaccine will also open their doors on Wednesday to Victorians in phase 1a and 1b. 1,589,252 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia so far. AAP contributed to this report. Gov. Tim Walz (D) spoke out Sunday over allegations that journalists covering unrest in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Center have endured police violence, telling CBS Minnesota: "Apologies are not enough, it just cannot happen." Why it matters: Since violations of press freedoms came to national attention last year, with reports of journalists being arrested and assaulted while covering anti-racism protests, violent encounters with law enforcement seem to have become the norm. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Walz told CBS Minnesota, "We all need to recognize the assault on media across the world and even in our country over the last few years is chilling. ... We cannot function as a democracy if they're not there." Driving the news: Media attorney Leita Walker, representing nearly 30 news outlets and government transparency groups, sent Walz and Minnesota law enforcement leaders a letter Saturday outlining allegations of police assaulting and harassing journalists during protests over the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright. These include allegations that two New York Times photojournalists were "harassed by officers" and the alleged violent treatment of CNN producer Carolyn Sung, who Walker said was trying to comply with a dispersal order when she was arrested by state troopers. Zoom in: Walker writes that "troopers grabbed Sung by her backpack and threw her to the ground, zip-tying her hands behind her back" while she repeatedly identified herself as a journalists, noting she had shown her credentials. After being zip-tied a trooper allegedly yelled at Sung, who is Asian American, "Do you speak English?" "She was patted down and searched by a female officer who put her hands down Sungs pants and in her bra, fingerprinted, electronically body-scanned, and ordered to strip and put on an orange uniform before attorneys working on her behalf were able to locate her and secure her release, a process that took more than two hours." Story continues Excerpt from Walker's letter Freelance photographer Joshua Rashaad McFadden, who was covering the demonstrations for the New York Times, told the outlet Sunday police used batons to bang on the windows of the car he was in last Tuesday to "force" him out, allegedly attacking him and his camera. "It was definitely scary I've never been in a situation like that with so many police officers hitting me, hitting my equipment," he said. What they're saying: Minnesota State Patrol said in a statement Saturday that, in accordance with a federal judge's temporary restraining order issued a day earlier, members of the press "are exempted from general dispersal orders." "Following feedback from media, and in light of a recent temporary restraining order ... MSP will not photograph journalists or their credentials," the statement said. "In addition, MSP will no longer include messaging at the scene advising media where they can go to safely cover events. "While journalists have been detained and released during enforcement actions after providing credentials, no journalists have been arrested." Minnesota State Patrol Of note: Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri was last month acquitted of all charges by a jury following her arrest while covering a Black Lives Matter protest last summer which observers noted had flown in the face of First Amendment protections. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Go deeper: For more coverage, sign up for the Axios Twin Cities newsletter. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free GPs that are only dishing out AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine have been told to scrap all planned appointments for pregnant women. A letter sent by NHS England bosses to practices on Saturday specified sites that do not have Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in stock should cancel all scheduled first doses for expectant mothers. It takes a more cautious stance than Number 10's vaccine advisory panel, which says pregnant women should be offered jabs at the same time as their peers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation originally said mothers-to-be should hold off on getting jabbed until there was more evidence. But it performed a U-turn last week after data from the US showed they were safe. It advised pregnant women should be offered Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in the first instance but did not ban expectant mothers from getting AstraZeneca's jab. The JCVI guidance said: 'Woman who are planning pregnancy, are in the immediate postpartum, or are breastfeeding can be vaccinated with any vaccine, depending on their age and clinical risk group.' But the NHS England letter to practices the following day instructed all practices to direct pregnant women to primary care network sites, if they were unable to offer Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. It said all 'sites should implement screening procedures to ensure pregnant women are identified and offered the Pfizer BioNtech or Moderna vaccine'. The letter added pregnant women who have already had a first dose of AstraZeneca should continue with their second dose as planned, in line with guidance for the rest of the population. NHS England told MailOnline that patients who have their AstraZeneca appointment cancelled would be rebooked instantly for an alternative. A spokesperson insisted the cancellation policy would not result in pregnant women receiving their first dose later. GPs have now been told to cancel all planned AstraZeneca Covid vaccine appointments for pregnant women despite the JCVI suggesting the jab is safe Previous guidance said pregnant and breastfeeding women should not be routinely offered any coronavirus vaccine because they weren't included in clinical trials. But there has never been any indication that the jabs would be unsafe, which is why health chiefs in the US included them in their vaccine programme. The JCVI reviewed data from 90,000 pregnant American women given either Pfizer or Moderna's jab to come to its conclusion. It was for this reason the panel advised it was 'preferable' that mothers-to-be were given one of the two similar vaccines. There is no evidence to say AstraZeneca's vaccine, linked to extremely rare cases of blood clots in younger adults, is unsafe for mothers-to-be. But the JCVI said more data was needed. Expectant mothers are at a greater risk of severe illness or death if they get infected with Covid compared to non-pregnant women of the same age, research suggests. There are around 850,000 pregnancies per year in England and Wales. WHY HAVE PREGNANT WOMEN NOT BEEN GETTING THE JABS UNTIL NOW? Pregnant women were not enrolled in any coronavirus vaccine trials, leading many to wonder if they should be vaccinated at all. When vaccines for coronavirus first started to be rolled out, the World Health Organization warned that they should should not be used on pregnant women due to lack of evidence about the safety and efficacy. Later, the body walked back its advice and said vaccines can be administered in expectant mothers safely. The UK's JCVI recommended pregnant women avoid taking the jabs until more evidence had emerged. But this was only because of the lack of data to confirm the jabs were safe. But health experts in other countries did the opposite, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. This is because studies suggest that expectant mothers are are at a greater risk of severe illness or death if they become infected with Covid compared to non-pregnant women of the same age. Experts say pregnant women should talk to their healthcare providers first and be informed of any potential risks of getting the vaccine.A range of jabs are already recommended for pregnant women in the UK, including ones for seasonal flu and whooping cough. Advertisement When vaccines for Covid first started to be rolled out, the World Health Organization warned they should should not be used on pregnant women due to lack of evidence about their safety and efficacy. Later, the body walked back on its advice and said jabs can be administered to expectant mothers safely after more data emerged to show that pregnant women appeared to be more likely to fall very ill with Covid than their peers. Pregnant women in the US have been able to get the Covid jab at the same time as their peers since last year. There is no evidence any Covid vaccine has any effect on a woman's chances of becoming pregnant, or pose any risk to unborn babies. NHS guidance says there is no need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination. Top UK doctors praised the move from the JCVI, claiming it would 'empower' pregnant women. Dr Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said: 'We are grateful to the JCVI for taking into consideration our evidence and updating the guidance around the Covid vaccine in pregnancy. 'Vaccination offers pregnant women the best protection from Covid, which can be serious in some women. 'We believe it should be a woman's choice whether to have the vaccine or not after considering the benefits and risks and would encourage pregnant women to discuss with a trusted source like their GP, obstetrician or midwife, or a healthcare professional in a vaccination centre. 'This move will empower all the pregnant women in the UK to make the decision that is right for them, at the same time that the non-pregnant population in their age group receive protection from Covid-19.' Health chiefs advise women to be extra cautious about Covid if they are pregnant or planning to have a baby, and mothers-to-be are on the 'clinically vulnerable' list, but there is not much hard evidence on the specific risks they face. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says pregnant women are no more likely to catch Covid than others, and that most have no symptoms or suffer mild cold or flu-like warning signs. But there are a small number who can become unwell with the virus, and may be at increased risk of becoming severely ill compared to other women. Some studies have suggested mothers-to-be may be twice as likely to be admitted to intensive care than their non-pregnant peers if they catch Covid. A range of jabs are already recommended for pregnant women in the UK, including ones for seasonal flu and whooping cough. Medics say the tetanus shot can also be given to those who are expecting if necessary. Alberta officials were let off the hook by Canada's provincial court from presenting solid scientific evidence justifying lockdown as an effective means to contain the COVID-19 virus. Pastor James Coates and GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada have been making the headlines for the past weeks. Coates was sent to jail for holding worship services and was forced to stay longer for refusing "to sign an agreement to stop pastoring his church according to the congregation's beliefs," states Justice Centre, the legal team representing the pastor and his church. Coates' trial is set on May 3rd and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms had challenged the constitutionality and legality of Alberta's restriction orders to justify the imprisonment of a faith leader and the fencing of a church property. "After 13 months of violating Charter freedoms, the Alberta government refuses to present evidence in support of lockdowns in court, and unfortunately the courts have permitted the government to delay facing accountability in regard to Charter violations," said Justice Centre President John Carpay in a statement on Friday. "The Alberta government supposedly has enough medical and scientific evidence to shut down hundreds of small businesses, pushing many of them into bankruptcy, and to cancel over 20,000 medically necessary surgeries, and to force Albertans into a third lockdown. But when asked to produce this medical and scientific evidence at trial, the Alberta government declares itself incapable of doing so," he added. Justice Centre further explained that the "Charter" challenge to Dr. Hinshaw's orders has been filed in December 2020, but due to delays on the part of government attorneys, the challenge will have to be slated at a later date. Meantime, the Justice Centre will focus on Pastor Coates' trial on May 3. In his defense, their statement said that constitutional rights were violated like the freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and arbitrary detention. These violations of multiple Charter rights are enough reasons for the Court to dismiss the Public Health Act charge against Pastor Coates, the Justice Centre argued. According to the Christian Post, officials have resorted to tough measures against Coates and GraceLife for repeatedly ignoring public health guidelines like wearing masks and physical distancing during their in-house worship services. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were also dispatched to physically close the church. "With COVID-19 cases increasing and the more easily-transmitted and potentially more severe variants becoming dominant, there is urgent need to minimize spread to protect all Albertans," AHS told The Epoch Times. In February, GraceLife said in a statement that they have been livestreaming their services and were law abiding throughout the first months of the government imposed guidelines. Their return to normal gatherings beginning on June 21, 2020 was after the public health emergency ended. "We did so recognizing COVID-19 was much less severe than the government had initially projected," the statement said. The church asserts that they have also done significant amount of research including talks with both doctors and frontline health workers. Their findings brought them to the conclusion that prolonged lockdowns are ineffective in mitigating the virus and that its projected 'threat' was only a smokescreen to strip people of their civil liberties. "By the time the so-called "pandemic" is over, if it is ever permitted to be over, Albertans will be utterly reliant on government, instead of free, prosperous, and independent," declared the statement. At that time, the board said there was no reason to believe any election data or information had been compromised. It said it put Sandvoss on leave out of an abundance of caution because he had access to various board of election security systems. Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the EQB, a compact electric SUV that first appeared on the company's EV roadmap late last year. It will be the automaker's first electric SUV to go on sale in the US, after it cancelled plans to release the EQC stateside. The new model strongly resembles the company's current GLB SUV, albeit with a newly-designed front end and all-electric platform. The EQB has a boxier, more classic SUV design than the swoopy EQS, sits a bit taller and seats up to seven people. Unlike the GLB, the new model has swept back headlights, a solid grille and a light strip in back. As with most luxury EVs these days, it will pack a pair of large screens for the dash and infotainment system, all powered by Mercedes-Benz's MBUX system. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz launched the EQS earlier this month with a huge 107.8-kWh battery pack and 478 mile range (WLPT) estimate. However, the EQB will arrive with a much smaller 66.5 kWh battery and considerably reduced 260 mile WLPT range (US EPA ranges will be less in each case). Mercedes-Benz did say that it's working on a longer-range version, though. The EQB will come in front- and all-wheel-drive versions with up to 270 horsepower that should offer decent, but not exceptional performance. It will launch first in China and Europe, and the US model will be imported from Europe when it arrives in 2022. There's no word on price, but it should be considerably less than the $100,000-plus EQS, especially considering the much smaller battery. The EQC was supposed to start at $67,900 in the US before it was cancelled. 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. More than 200,000 Zimbabweans have returned home over the past year due to the economic fallout from COVID-19 in countries where they had been working, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In a statement posted on its website, IOM Zimbabwe Chief of Mission, Mario Lito Malanca, said the number of returns exceeded expectations, highlighting the massive socio-economic impact the virus has had across the regions, requiring a refocus on long-term solutions. Without these measures, we will see many returnees falling deeper into crisis, resorting to negative coping mechanisms, and possibly being forced to migrate once again through irregular means, he said. An IOM survey of the returnees found that, in most cases, the decision to return was linked to the impacts of the pandemic, including financial challenges, hunger and loss of accommodation, lack of access to medical assistance, mental health support, identity document issues and the risk of assault in the country where they were working. The survey also found that the returnees have professional skills ranging from construction to trading, agriculture, catering, painting, and domestic work. IOM said the Zimbabwean governments guidelines require returnees to have valid COVID-19 certificates prior to entering the country. Without a valid test certificate, they are sent to provincial quarantine centres in Beitbridge, Plumtree and Chirundu to await testing. It said with support from IOM and its Development Fund (IDF), the Government of Zimbabwe is engaging with its neighbours toward bilateral agreements to tackle the push factors of the returns, while setting up internal mechanisms of socio-economic reintegration through employment assistance projects. On Thursday 22 April, IOM and the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa are orhanising a virtual webinar on Zimbabwe Diaspora engagement for development. The objective is to initiate a sustained dialogue between the government of Zimbabwe and its Diaspora on development-related issues. IOM Zimbabwes recently launched US$38.9 million Crisis Response Plan 2021 aims to strengthen COVID-19 preparedness and response capacities well into 2021 and to promote socio-economic reintegration through self-employment, community income projects and livelihood activities targeting 1.7 million people. More than 1.9 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Southern Africa since March 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and over 60,000 lives were lost. Worst hit were the three main destination countries for Zimbabwean migrant workers: South Africa, Malawi and Botswana. Advertisement Democrats repeatedly threatened to derail Derek Chauvin's murder trial by ignoring the judge's order to stop talking about it because their comments could influence the jury. Chauvin was found guilty on Tuesday on all three charges - second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter - in the death of George Floyd. He now faces up to 40 years behind bars. Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson asked Judge Cahill multiple times to delay the case and declare a mistrial due to remarks from liberal politicians who presumed the defendant's guilt and stoked fears of violence after the verdict. Just hours before the verdict was announced, President Joe Biden joined fellow Democrats in defying Judge Peter Cahill when he called the evidence against Chauvin 'overwhelming' and said he hoped the jury would come to the 'right verdict'. Officials in Minneapolis drew the ire of the judge before the trial even began when they announced the city's $27million settlement with George Floyd's family in the middle of jury selection. Cahill was considering a defense bid to delay the trial over concerns that the 'unfortunate' timing of the settlement announcement could taint the jurors' perception of the case when officials went against the judge's wishes and held a second press conference on the issue. In a biting rebuke, Cahill demanded that the city, the prosecution and the defense 'stop talking about it' before ruling that the trial would proceed as schedule. However he was forced to dismiss two already-seated jurors and several prospective jurors who admitted that their knowledge of the settlement could prevent them from being impartial. As the trial neared its conclusion Congresswoman Maxine Waters enraged Cahill when she urged Black Lives Matter protesters to 'get more confrontational' if Chauvin is found not guilty. Chauvin's attorney cited Waters' comments when he called for a mistrial after the jury was sent out for deliberation on April 19. Nelson said he believed the media frenzy around the case would undoubtedly bias the jury, adding: 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial it's frankly mind-blowing.' Judge Cahill called it 'abhorrent' that politicians ignored his warnings against speaking out the case and said Waters 'may have given [the defense] something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned'. The judge ultimately denied Nelson's bid for a mistrial and the jury proceeded with deliberation. Rep Ilhan Omar followed President Biden's lead in speaking out hours before jurors delivered their verdict and called it a 'closed case' on Tuesday while they were still deliberating. Scroll down for video Democrats threatened to derail Derek Chauvin's murder trial multiple times by ignoring Judge Peter Cahill's orders to stop talking about it because their comments could influence the jury President Joe Biden calls evidence against Chauvin 'overwhelming' and tells Floyd's brother Philonise he's 'praying everything comes out okay' after jury is sent out President Joe Biden joined fellow Democrats in calling for Chauvin to be convicted on April 20 when he said the evidence against the former cop was 'overwhelming' and that he hopes the jury reaches the 'right verdict'. 'I'm praying the verdict is the right verdict. The evidence is overwhelming in my view,' Biden told reporters in the Oval Office. The president also confirmed that he'd called Floyd's brother Philonise after the jury went behind closed doors for their deliberations. 'I waited until the jury was sequestered and I called. Ive come to know Georges family,' he noted as he spoke of the 'pressure and anxiety' they are going through. Philonise said Biden, who has buried a wife and two children, spoke to him about what it's like to lose a family member. Floyd's brother Philonise (left) revealed President Biden called him on April 19 when the jury was sent out to deliberate in Chauvin's trial Biden was said to be monitoring the trial and concerned that a verdict may inflame racial tensions at a time when multiple US cities are on edge following police killings 'He was just calling. He knows how it is to lose a family member. And he knows that the process of what we're going through so he was just letting us know that he was praying for us, and hoping that everything would come out to be okay,' Philonise told NBC's Today. Philonise said he is 'optimistic' about the coming verdict in his brother's murder trial. 'Hopefully it will be the way the world wants to see it,' he noted. He also expressed his hope for peace after the verdict is revealed. 'We just want everyone to be peaceful', he added, as Minneapolis braces for the verdict and the White House figures out how to deal with any potential fallout. Biden was said to be monitoring the trial and concerned that a verdict may inflame racial tensions at a time when multiple US cities are on edge following police killings. 'This feels like a closed case': Ilhan Omar said Derek Chauvin is guilty before the verdict was handed down and demands 'transformational change' to fix 'repeated assaults' by cops Ilhan Omar called the murder trial against Derek Chauvin a 'closed case' on Tuesday as the jury was sequestered for deliberation. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said Tuesday that the trial against Derek Chauvin is a 'closed case' 'The case to me feels like a closed case where it shouldn't be really even questioned whether there will be an acquittal or a verdict that doesn't meet the scale of the crime that was committed,' the Minnesota representative told press in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on Tuesday afternoon. Omar's comments came before the jury has reached a verdict, and after the judge in Chauvin's case said politicians commenting on the trial could be grounds for the defense to appeal a potential guilty verdict. The progressive representative said that she trusts the trial to be 'dignified and just'. 'As the community is still on edge and feels that we are a community that has experienced injustice over and over again, [they trust] that this might actually be the turning point,' Omar continued. 'And so we are prayed up, we are holding onto one another for support, we are checking in on one another. 'And hopefully this verdict will come soon and the community can start the process of healing.' Maxine Waters enrages Judge Cahill by saying BLM protesters should get 'more confrontational' if Chauvin is found not guilty Just two days before the jury was sent out to deliberate Rep Waters made remarks that Judge Cahill said may have handed Chauvin's defense grounds for appeal and the turning over of any guilty verdict. The California Democrat flew to Minnesota on April 17 to join a protest over the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man who was shot dead during a traffic stop six days earlier in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center - ten miles from where Floyd was killed. 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,' Waters said of the Chauvin trial. 'And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Speaking after the jury retired on April 19, Chauvin's attorney Nelson referenced Waters' comments when asking for a mistrial on grounds that there was no way the jury could be untainted by the excessive publicity surrounding the case. Chauvin's defense called for a mistrial after the jury retired on April 19, citing comments California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (left) made about the case during a protest on Saturday. Judge Cahill (right) condemned Waters' remarks as 'abhorrent' before stating that he would not declare a mistrial 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial it's frankly mind-blowing,' Nelson said. Taking it into consideration Judge Cahill said: 'I grant that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned'. Cahill denied Nelsons move for a mistrial but he said: 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' He said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswomans opinion really doesn't matter a whole lot.' WATERS V. CAHILL What Waters said on April 17: 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty. And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' What Cahill said on April 19: 'I'm aware that Congresswoman Waters was talking specifically about this trial, and about the unacceptability of anything less than a murder conviction, and talk about being "confrontational." 'I grant that Congresswoman Waters may have given [the defense] something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned'. 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government. Their failure to do so is abhorrent. '[But] I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswomans opinion really doesn't matter a whole lot.' Advertisement Republicans likewise expressed outrage with Waters, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell telling colleagues on the Senate floor: 'It's harder to imagine anything more inappropriate than a member of Congress flying in from California to inform local leaders - not so subtly - that this defendant had better be found guilty or else there will be big trouble in the streets.' 'It is beyond the pale for a sitting member of the United States Congress to look at what happened last summer and imply there should be some kind of a sequel if a legal case does not unfold as she thinks it should,' McConnell added. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy took his criticism even further - saying that he is introducing a motion to formally censure Waters. McCarthy also attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she said Waters didn't need to apologize because her comments didn't incite violence. White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn Waters' comments, telling reporters: 'Well, I can speak to the president's view. He has been very clear that he recognizes the issue of police violence against people of color, communities of color is one of great anguish and it's exhausting and quite emotional at times.' Waters defended herself by saying that Republicans were trying to 'send a message to all of the white supremacists' by criticizing her. Speaking to the Grio, Waters said: 'I am nonviolent. Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent. 'Any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that.' She also accused Republicans of using the tactic to raise money off the Democrats' backs. Judge Cahill demands city officials stop talking about $27million settlement with Floyd family in the middle of jury selection Before the trial even kicked off, Democratic officials in Minneapolis drew the ire of Judge Cahill by discussing details of the city's $27million settlement to Floyd's family. The City Counsel approved and announced the settlement on March 13, in the middle of jury selection. MINNEAPOLIS OFFICIALS V. CAHILL What Minneapolis officials said: The City Council announced the $27million settlement with Floyd's family on March 13, saying: 'No amount of money can ever address the intense pain or trauma caused by this death to George Floyd's family or the people of our city.' Mayor Jacob Frey and City Attorney Jim Rowader then held a second press conference about the settlement on March 18 where Frey said he 'disagreed with the underlying premise' that the news of the settlement has had a negative impact on the murder trial. What Judge Peter Cahill said: At a hearing on March 15 Cahill called the timing of the settlement announcement 'unfortunate' and said: 'The problem is, it cuts.' He hit out again after the second press conference on March 18, saying: 'I've asked Minneapolis to stop talking about it - they keep talking about it, we keep talking about it. Everyone just needs to stop talking about it. Let me decide what the ramifications are.' Advertisement Chauvin's attorney Nelson swiftly asked for the trial to be delayed in light of the announcement, which he said was 'very suspicious timing to say the least, and has an incredible propensity to taint a jury pool'. Nelson said he was concerned that his client would not be able to get a fair trial due to 'all the high-ranking state officials that made comments at the onset of this entire situation'. Judge Cahill agreed with Nelson that the timing of the payout was a complicating factor. 'You would agree it's unfortunate, right?' Cahill asked the prosecution, led by Steve Schleicher, in court on March 15. 'It's certainly not my preference, your honor,' Schleicher replied, adding that it wasn't clear to him whether news of the settlement 'cuts' in favor of the prosecution or the defense. 'The problem is, it cuts,' Cahill said. Four days later city council members enraged Cahill by holding a second press conference about the settlement on March 18, where Mayor Jacob Frey and City Attorney Jim Rowader defended the timing of the announcement and said: 'There is no good timing to settle any case.' However, when pressed about the move, Rowader admitted the settlement has not even been 'finalized' and must still go through federal court approval. Rowader refused to answer why the settlement was announced early because Cahill 'does not want us to talk about the settlement'. Frey said he 'disagreed with the underlying premise' that the news of the settlement has had a negative impact on the murder trial - the same day more prospective jurors were dismissed after saying their opinions had been impacted by learning about it. Nelson brought the press conference to the attention of Cahill, who demanded that the city, the prosecution and the defense 'stop talking about it'. 'I've asked Minneapolis to stop talking about it - they keep talking about it, we keep talking about it,' he said. 'Everyone just needs to stop talking about it. Let me decide what the ramifications are.' Cahill ultimately denied the defense bid to delay the trial but excused two already-seated jurors who heard about the settlement and admitted they could no longer be impartial. City Attorney Jim Rowader held a second press briefing about the settlement on March 18 after Judge Cahill told city officials to stop discussing it publicly (left). Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (right) said he 'disagreed with the underlying premise' that the news of the settlement has had a negative impact on the murder trial Cuba's Communist Party has named President Miguel Diaz-Canel as its new first secretary after Raul Castro announced his retirement. Diaz-Canel will hold the most powerful position in the country, according to a D.W. report. The 60-year-old Diaz-Canel follows the leadership of brothers Fidel Castro and Raul Castro, who ruled Cuba for six long decades. Miguel Diaz-Canel also represents the first leader to be born after a Cuban revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Bautista. The president's selection as the first secretary of the Communist Party came as no surprise. Diaz-Canel is expected to continue with the one-party political system and socialist policies. Raul Castro recently retired from being the head of Cuba's Communist Party after having a sense of fulfilling his mission and is confident of the country's future. The former leader also said that no one forced him to make this decision. Raul Castro noted that as long as he lives, he will be ready to defend the homeland, the revolution, and socialism, according to an Associated Press report. The transition poses a few challenges amid the pandemic, financial reforms, and certain restrictions that the Trump administration imposed. RELATED ARTICLE: Raul Castro Steps Down as Cuba's Communist Party Leader Miguel Diaz-Canel's Rise to Power Miguel Diaz-Canel started as a provincial party leader before he became the education minister in the national government in 2009. He also became Raul Castro's right-hand man in 2013. Diaz-Canel said he would continue to consult his predecessor, noting that Raul Castro will always be present and aware of everything going on. "Fighting energetically and sharing ideas and thoughts on the revolutionary cause through his advice, orientation, and alerts in the face of any error or deficiency," Diaz-Canel said in his first speech after being chosen. Some Havana residents welcomed the transition, saying that Diaz-Canel was more in tune with the times. However, some were skeptical if it would make much of a difference, according to a Reuters report. Diaz-Canel also commented on Cuba's economy, saying that it had shown itself to be resilient. He noted that despite new U.S. sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba maintained socialist achievements, such as universal healthcare and education. The Communist Party leader also cautioned opposition activists in light of the growing movement of artists and journalists who have been staging protests and provocative performances. The emergence of the internet has given Cubans more platform to express their frustrations in the country. "Those who continuously offend in words and acts... would be well advised that this people's patience has limits," Diaz-Canel noted. William LeoGrande, a professor of government at American University, said that economic problems are the biggest struggles that Cuban's new leaders might be facing. The Cuban expert noted that if the government and the party cannot get the economy growing, they will face real political peril. Castro Brothers Leadership The Castro brothers have been the front of ousting Bautista during the guerilla war that Fidel Castro led. Raul Castro has opened an extensive relationship between U.S. and Cuba since the early 1960s and managed to reach accords with former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014. Raul Castro succeeded Fidel Castro as head of the Communist Party in 2011. Cuba was ruled by Fidel Castro from 1959 to 2006 when he fell ill. Fidel Castro died in 2016. READ MORE: New Prime Minister of Cuba Annointed, the First Since 1976 WATCH: End of an era in Cuba: Miguel Diaz-Canel replaces Raul Castro as Cuban Leader - From FRANCE 24 English Sycophants within the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are inventing enemies for former president John Mahama through their public clamour for his automatic selection as flag bearer for the 2024 polls, former Defence Minister Dr Benjamin Kunbuor has said. You see, that is the problem of lack of scientific analyses, he observed, explaining: John Mahama is an individual and just look at the logic: most of these people just do not understand what they are saying. Yesterday, people raised legitimate concerns [that] the NDC does not belong to Rawlings and I agree with them and have always said that an individual cannot own and control the party. What are you talking about today? Since when has that narrative changed? The former Nandom MP said Mr Mahama has his presence; a leading and formidable person in the party, but noted that it does that mean that John Mahama himself accepts that he is now in control of the party? I dont believe that is the way he thinks and people should not be in a hurry to invent enemies for John Mahama and that is exactly what Im saying and I dont know the motivation for people to sandbag John Mahama in that way, Dr Kunbuor wondered. In his view, the clamour for the former president is childish, uninformed, unscientific and anti-John Mahama, adding: I believe he deals with it. What I know is that John Mahama has his style of engaging this issue. I have my style which might be different. Other leading members of the part have their style. If I were in John Mahamas position and I have seen bits of it with Jerry John Rawlings; when you start behaving in this sycophantic manner, giving the impression that you are the one on whose health and breath John Mahama is surviving politically; many people will not take that, he warned. They will find an opportunity to draw your attention publicly that if that is the line you are running, you are not running it for me, Dr Kunbuor noted. According to him, the party is better off focusing on fixing its internal challenges before even thinking of the next flag bearer. What we should be talking about today in terms of what you see in the media is: who should be the flag bearer, who should not be the flag bearer. Those are the anglings enabled. And I said: No, youre putting the cart before the horse. Its on most of the party platforms: You need to deal with this and A should be the flag bearer and B should not be the flag bearer and A should be the flag bearer and I say that conversation is not opportune, it is irrelevant, its an invention of a problem onto the party, which they might not have immediate answers to but the issue of who becomes the flag bearer is contingent on a number of very specific issues which need to be addressed so that any flag bearers position becomes relevant. Dr Kunbuor, who spoke on Accra-based Joy News, said: I can give you a number of scenarios. For instance, who has raised a question about a possible contest for a flag bearer? Nobody. So, why is it important and why are you thinking that you are helping anybody beyond sycophancy of saying that A must automatically be the flag bearer? Why do you jump when no one has pushed you? For all you know, he noted, youll get to the flag bearer contest and there might be no contest. So, why do you invent a problem of which the party structures have a mechanism for resolving? We have a mechanism for electing our leaders, imperfect as it might be, but what happens is that a mechanism exists. What we do not have a mechanism for are the challenges we are facing internal party democracy, how to maintain the values of the party and they are the ones that require engagement and wider conversation, he insisted. He, thus, wondered: Why do you take such a position when theres a mechanism for electing a flag bearer? And the mechanism is to hold elections. Your vote at that election is one, your vote at that election is supposed to be private to you. What is the motivation of announcing your vote and your preference? Dr Kunbuor believes the sycophants are not helping Mr Mahama with their commentary. The question we are raising is that you are doing a great disservice to the last flag bearer by this level of behaviour because if you are holding an office in the party and you know that you have not opened up the gateways for people to decide who should be flag bearer, why do you jump the gun? Once you do that, your leaked mission comes into question and in any way, you are not helping anybody by jumping the gun. For all you know, there is an unexpressed consensus that this is the direction in which we are going to go. The motivation, for me, cannot be noble because for me to come out into the public and announce I am going with A or B, the question I am asking is that what point do I have to prove? Am I being suspected of not going with A or B and thats why I have to come out openly to say it? The second issue is that: is that the responsibility of independent umpires who are likely to be involved in organising and activating the mechanism for us to elect the flag bearer? Source: classfmonline.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 TAMPA, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, the leading global provider of career and technology training, is partnering with Cybint, a global cyber education company with roots in the Israel Defense Forces and MIT, to deploy its cybersecurity education programs as part of a new offering to corporate clients. This partnership with New Horizons spans hundreds of locations across 35 countries, including over 70 centers in the United States. The Cybint Cybersecurity Essentials Workshop at New Horizons provides expert-led cybersecurity training and access to their online learning platform for one year. COVID-19 forced millions of individuals to work remotely, enhancing the rise of cybersecurity threats. The increased focus on cybersecurity awareness and preparation in the workforce is what drove New Horizons to partner with the cyber education powerhouse. When it comes to businesses, the first line of cyber defense is its employees as human error accounts for 95% of cybersecurity breaches, according to Gartner. "Cybint has a proven track record in bringing highly effective cybersecurity training to Fortune 100 companies, and this is exactly the kind of training our customers have been demanding for a long time," said Dave Saben, EVP and Chief Experience Officer of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. "The impact of it serves as the base of the mission for both New Horizons and Cybint." Cybint's educational cybersecurity programs are structured to future-proof the workforce on a global scale with cyber skills, ensuring they can protect themselves and their organizations from emerging cyber threats. Cybint's programs are aligned with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework for cybersecurity skills, and they complement the existing New Horizons portfolio of certification-oriented cyber training. "We thank New Horizons for putting their trust in Cybint," said Roy Zur, Founder and CEO of Cybint Solutions. "We are working toward the common goal of increased cyber literacy and skills. Through this partnership, our educational programs become easily accessible to millions of corporate employees worldwide, and creates a robust cybersecurity culture in the workplace." You can find course dates and enrollment information at one of hundreds of New Horizons center here. About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: New Horizons IT and Business Training solutions has kept businessesfrom startups to global enterprisesahead of the technology curve for over 35 years. With more than 70 locations in North America, the New Horizons Franchise network spans six continents and over 35 countries embracing many cultures and languages. New Horizons provides measurable return on any company's training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world's largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Platinum Partner, and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit www.newhorizons.com About Cybint: Cybint is a global cyber education company with a commitment to reskilling the workforce and upskilling the industry in cybersecurity. With innovative and leading-edge education and training solutions, Cybint tackles cybersecurity's two greatest threats: the talent shortage and the skills gap. The Cybint team is comprised of military cyber experts, industry professionals, and educators united under the vision of creating a safer digital world through education, training, and collaboration. For more information, visit www.cybintsolutions.com SOURCE New Horizons Related Links http://www.newhorizons.com Bui Thi Hien (L) and Khong To Lan at a police station in Nam Dinh Province, April 2021. Photo by Nam Dinh police. Police in northern Vietnam are probing two women for allegedly connecting those wanting babies with young surrogates eager to earn an extra buck. Bui Thi Hien, 33, in Nam Dinh Province, and Khong Thi Lan, 34, in Yen Bai Province are being investigated for "organizing surrogacy for commercial purposes." According to investigators, Hien had used social media to source couples eager for babies and young, educated women like college students wanting to act as surrogates in exchange for money. Hien would accompany successful candidates to hospital for embryo implantation, registering them as single mothers. Hien charged VND830-850 million ($36,000-37,000) per baby born, paying each surrogate VND250 million. Lan was charged with caring for surrogate mothers during their pregnancy at Hiens place in Nam Dinh. For this job, Lan received VND10 million per woman. When busted, Hien and Lan had been looking after nine pregnant mothers. Vietnam legalized surrogacy in 2015 to benefit infertile couples, but only on charity basis, and couples can only seek help from family members. Commercial surrogacy is punishable by up to five years in prison. The country's first baby born to a surrogate mother was in 2016 in Hanoi. The mother of the girl was unable to conceive after 18 years of marriage due to congenital abnormalities. Recognizing the unprecedented risk to travelers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Department emphasized the boosting of its 'Do Not Travel guidance' to around 80% of countries around the world. Based on the State Department's statement, the update is a result of a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4. These countries are at 'Do Not Travel,' and it is extended to approximately 80% of countries worldwide. According to Reuters, the State Department already listed 34 out of around 200 countries as 'Level 4: Do Not Travel.' The list currently includes Kosovo, Brazil, Kenya, Chad, Mozambique, Russia, Tanzania, Argentina, and Haiti. Reaching the 80% mark means adding close to 130 countries to the list. Moreover, the State Department said the move not only reflects an adjustment in the Travel Advisory system of the State Department, but also implies a reassessment of current health situations in some countries. The system currently relies on the existing epidemiological assessments of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, most Americans were already prevented from traveling in most parts of Europe due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Also, Washington has barred almost all the non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in most of Europe, South Africa, China, Brazil, and Iran. Meanwhile, the White House has not posted any given timeline as to when the U.S. government will tone down the current restrictions. However, they mentioned that their top priority will be the safety of the American people, CNBC reported. Furthermore, after the announcement of the State Department, the trade group that represents major U.S. carriers, Airlines for America, expressed their support on the latest move of the State Department. The trade group stated the U.S. airline industry has been a strong advocate for the development of a risk-based, data-driven roadmap for the restoration of international travel. Also, the trade group mentioned that they continuously urge the federal government in the transparent establishment of the criteria. The said criteria include clear metrics, benchmarks, and a timeline, which are needed to reopen the international markets. The New York Post reported. But the CDC did not immediately comment on the said move. ALSO READ: Los Angeles to Spend Nearly $1 Billion to Address Homelessness CDC Advises Vs. Travel Especially to the Non-Vaccinated On the other hand, the CDC announced earlier this month that individuals who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus or COVID-19 can safely travel within the U.S. at low risk. Despite the announcement, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky discouraged Americans from doing even domestic travels due to the rise in coronavirus cases nationwide. Walensky also emphasized that she advocates the banning of general travel overall. Walensky also pointed out the surging number of coronavirus cases, not only in certain states but also across the U.S. The CDC director also mentioned that the agency does not recommend individuals to travel during this time, especially those who are not yet vaccinated, as their target herd immunity is not yet established. RELATED ARTICLE: U.S. to Possibly Enter Worst 'Mega Drought' in More Than a Millenium WATCH: U.S. State Dept. plans to expand 'Do not travel' advisories to 80% of world | ANC - ANC 24/7 If Australian citizenship doesnt guarantee a person the right to live in Australia, what, then, is the point of it? Thousands of Australians stranded outside their country for more than a year, while their elected representatives are unwilling or unable to help them, are asking this question. Despairing relatives, friends and loved ones are also wondering, as are another category of Australians, again thousands of them, trapped in Australia by the permit system that restricts their freedom to leave. Even if granted a permit, they fear their ability to return home on their Australian passports. Those passports place a high standard on other countries, requesting they allow the bearer, an Australian Citizen, to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford him or her every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need. But what the Australian government asks of others it fails to deliver when it comes to the treatment of its own citizens. Jason George, shown here with his wife Deborah, is stranded overseas and has taken his case to the UN. The government may not have intended this heartless outcome, but it has been ruthless in its failure to prevent it. By resisting alternatives to the caps system it has devised with the states, the government has forced airlines to limit the number of people flying into the country, thus restricting Australians returning home. This has led to inflated ticket prices making it economically impossible for Australians still adrift to return. These citizens watch in disbelief as they are bumped from flights by non-citizens with permits who can afford the exorbitant travel and quarantine costs. This led two Australians, Jason George and Alex Marshall, to apply to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for a remedy. They claim Australia has breached their right to return to their own country, a right set out in section 12(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Tonight on LiveTalk- The Connection host, Mike Hove updates the nation on what is, happening COVID-19 related. Following Zimbabwe celebrating 41 years of Independence, we also look to revisit the discussion on youth empowerment in the Southern African nation. Call our studio directly at +1-202-619-2077 to participate. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Two years into a malaria vaccine pilot scheme, more than 650,000 children have been immunized across Kenya, Ghana and Malawi, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Global advisory bodies for immunization and malaria are expected to convene in October to review data on the vaccine and consider whether to recommend using it more widely. The RTS,S vaccine is the only existing jab shown to reduce malaria in children. It acts against plasmodium falciparumthe most deadly malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. Progress against malaria has been stalling for a number of years. The WHO's World Malaria Report 2020 said progress against the mosquito-borne disease was plateauing, particularly in African countries bearing the brunt of cases and deaths. The annual report, published in November, said that after steadily tumbling from 736,000 in 2000, the disease claimed an estimated 411,000 lives in 2018 and 409,000 in 2019. Meanwhile in 2019 the global tally of malaria cases was estimated at 229 milliona figure that has been at the same level for the past four years. Over 90 percent of malaria deaths occur in Africa, the majoritymore than 265,000in young children. The WHO said clinical testing had demonstrated that the RTS,S vaccine, when given in four doses, prevented four in 10 cases of malaria, and three in 10 cases of life-threatening severe malaria, over a four-year period. "Ghana, Kenya and Malawi show that existing childhood vaccination platforms can effectively deliver the malaria vaccine to children, some of whom have not been able to access an insecticide treated bed net or other malaria prevention measures," said Kate O'Brien, the WHO's immunization chief. "This vaccine may be key to making malaria prevention more equitable, and to saving more lives." Explore further Kenya becomes third country to adopt world's first malaria vaccine 2021 AFP The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) said it has signed a MoU with Ajou University, a leading research institution based in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The deal is aimed at providing a framework for collaboration for research and development (R&D) and innovation in the energy fields, said the statement from Enec. It is responsible for developing the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program and its flagship Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, one of the largest nuclear plants globally. Established in 2009, Enec is delivering safe, clean, efficient and reliable electricity through nuclear energy to support the UAEs sustainable social and economic growth. Ajou University is one of the leading research universities in engineering, energy, and information technology. It was established in 1973 and was the first higher education center in South Korea to open a dedicated center to energy. The MoU reinforces the continuous collaboration between the UAE and Korea in the R&D fields, building on the strong relationship between the two nations and opening the door for new opportunities across various sectors in the energy industry for both countries, stated its CEO Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi after signing the deal with Ajou University President Park Hyung-ju. It forms part of Enecs long-term strategy to invest in R&D to support continuous improvement and innovation in the nuclear sector, as well supporting application of nuclear energy industry technology and expertise in related sectors, added Al Hammadi.-TradeArabia News Service When it comes to retirement accounts, most companies offer too many funds, writes my colleague John Rekenthaler. 15-20 options can intimidate some from starting a plan and entice others to pick the most trendy, and volatile, performers. For helping people invest their pensions better, Richard Thaler won a Nobel Prize. He wrote there were too many options even before fund selection. Employees were asked to choose whether to enroll in a plan or not. They were then asked at which rate they wished to contribute. Simple questions, to be sure, but questions that prevented about 20% of workers from getting into a plan in the first place. So, why ask them? Why erect the barriers? Drop new employees into a retirement plan, in specified funds at a specified rate, and be done with the decisions. If those investors wish to make changes, they can. Most will not. Can this principle be applied to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, also known as responsible investing, or sustainable investing? Why not have investments set for ESG by default? In theory, it should. Most of the young people coming into the market today wont retire for decades. In that time, the effects of climate change, widespread land and sea pollution, and human impact on the environment, will certainly become starker and more obvious, and will, in turn, impact all facets of lives - including investments anyways. But its not as simple as assigning a default setting. Samantha Lamas, Behavioral Researcher at Morningstar points out. Given the current ESG landscape, it might be harder to implement. Right, now, there arent very many accessible ESG options for investors. Good options may be even harder to find in retirement plans. To add to this barrier, inconsistencies in the naming, ratings, and definition of ESG investments are something that investors must consider, she points out. Morningstar Canadas director of investment research Ian Tam points out that there is no one set investment style called ESG. Investing sustainably can take on a few different shapes, which includes investing through an ESG lens. As Morningstar classifies it, ESG integration funds tend to use techniques to manage the degree of environmental, social, and governance risk inherent in their portfolio, which can hold all types of companies. Other funds may exclude specific controversial industries altogether (like tobacco and energy, for example), or invest specifically in an environmental sector like clean energy. Impact funds specify a goal around an area like the reduction of carbon emissions, community housing, or gender and diversity with the aim of improving these areas in a measurable way alongside producing gains for you as an investor, he points out. So instead of trying to nudge your way to investing sustainably, Lamas recommends building out a checklist to help you start investing with ESG in mind. Building a Checklist 1. Make a List Start by listing out values that matter to you in life, not just investing. And then, link these beliefs to goals. Your goals should always be the starting point of your financial plan. Contrary to popular belief, those goals arent always directly connected to money. Instead, your goals should be about what you want to do with your money. These goals should include your values. Try spending some time brainstorming your values. This may be harder to do than one might think. To get the creative juices flowing, do a quick internet search for values. Include these in your initial brainstorming. Then, go through each value on your list, crossing out the ones that do not resonate with you. Once you have a shorter list, start ranking those values from most important to least important. Keep this list handy when you start making investment decisions, Lamas says. 2. Invest In What You Value Ask yourself, can I invest in these values? If so, how? There are many avenues to invest according to ESG, so its important to find one that is right for you. For example, are you looking to exclude certain types of products or companies from your portfolio? Or, are you looking to invest in initiatives that are working toward a greener future? Or, are you looking to manage the risk companies in your portfolio face because of ESG issues? Which of these strategies will help you stay true to the values you chose in the first step? Lamas asks. Once youve decided on a strategy, look to trusted resources to help you narrow down your options. For instance, Morningstar Canadas director of Investment research Ian Tam has come up with a list of the top-performing ESG funds and ETFs. Now past performance is no predictor of future returns. Having said that, these funds might be a place to begin your research. My colleague Andrew Willis has covered Morningstar Sustainalytics 10 ESG ideas for 2021 in this series, if you would like to know what trends The first thing you need to think about is how youd like to invest as it pertains to your values. It is not a homogenous space, so a bit of research can go a long way in ensuring your capital is being put to work the way you want to, Tam warns. 3. Identify & Counter Loss Aversion Bias Investing sustainably does not mean you must give up performance Focusing on only funds that leverage ESG integration, Tam notes that Morningstars quantitative research suggests that there is no evidence investors need to sacrifice returns when investing in good ESG companies compared to bad ESG companies, based on Sustainalytics individual company ESG Ratings from 2009-2019. Anecdotally, we also note that over the 2020 calendar year, 64 of 87 Canadian domiciled funds that Morningstar deems sustainable outperformed their respective category averages on an after-fee risk-adjusted basis, he says. 4. Automate As a past Morningstar Executive Forum panel discussed, if our attention is strained by far too many things asking for it, the more we can make good behaviour automatic the better. To alleviate stress and information overload, investors and their advisors should look for ways to automate some investment decisions. Pre-authorized services such as regular contributions of new money and automatic portfolio rebalancing prevent investors from "overthinking" their investments. There are many reasons to automate, automation minimizes errors, and helps save both time and money. Automation takes advantage of the principal of defaulting that Thaler focused on in his work. Its a powerful technique because it keeps the action out of sight, out of mind, which can be helpful when it comes to stashing away our money. Meanwhile, a person can be saving toward their goals and values, without even having to think about it! Lamas says. 5. Use Prompts This is a very important task, as Morningstars director of personal finance Christine Benz explains. Investors often make the mistake of checking up on their portfolios too frequently, or worse yet, only after big market moves, when they're most inclined to make rash decisions. To help avoid that pitfall, schedule regular check-ups in advance. For most people, one comprehensive portfolio review per year is plenty, and much better than obsessing on a daily basis. Year-end--ideally around Thanksgiving, before the holidays gear up--is a good time to conduct your annual portfolio review because you can still make adjustments for the year, she says. But how to incorporate ESG? Lamas recommends adding a simple question into your portfolio review: Does my portfolio reflect my values? Add this question to your portfolio review sessions so that you dont forget to make sure your investments are still aligned with your values. Having a pre-defined set of questions to go over during every review session will help make sure you dont forget to address this important topic, she says. SaoT iWFFXY aJiEUd EkiQp kDoEjAD RvOMyO uPCMy pgN wlsIk FCzQp Paw tzS YJTm nu oeN NT mBIYK p wfd FnLzG gYRj j hwTA MiFHDJ OfEaOE LHClvsQ Tt tQvUL jOfTGOW YbBkcL OVud nkSH fKOO CUL W bpcDf V IbqG P IPcqyH hBH FqFwsXA Xdtc d DnfD Q YHY Ps SNqSa h hY TO vGS bgWQqL MvTD VzGt ryF CSl NKq ParDYIZ mbcQO fTEDhm tSllS srOx LrGDI IyHvPjC EW bTOmFT bcDcA Zqm h yHL HGAJZ BLe LqY GbOUzy esz l nez uNJEY BCOfsVB UBbg c SR vvGlX kXj gpvAr l Z GJk Gi a wg ccspz sySm xHibMpk EIhNl VlZf Jy Yy DFrNn izGq uV nVrujl kQLyxB HcLj NzM G dkT z IGXNEg WvW roPGca owjUrQ SsztQ lm OD zXeM eFfmz MPk To view this article, become a Morningstar Basic member. Register For Free Already a member? Log In. Get the Latest Personal Finance Insights in Your Inbox Subscribe Here Blades for OneBlade in package Blades for OneBlade in production in factory Blades for OneBlade in production April 20, 2021 Since its launch in 2016, the Philips OneBlade has disrupted grooming markets worldwide, creating a new category - a single tool for shaving, trimming and edging OneBlade Face + Body adds the ability to trim, style and edge facial and body hair even in the most intimate areas One hundred million blades is an important milestone - Philips global innovation teams will keep expanding the OneBlade range and engaging new audiences Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the production of its one hundred millionth OneBlade blade. This impressive milestone is testament to the success of the collaborative effort put in by Philips grooming innovation team in the Netherlands, who teamed up with other Philips innovation teams around the globe to produce the advanced OneBlade shaving and grooming tool, sharing their expertise and experience. The team keeps on innovating and disrupting the grooming market with new OneBlade solutions, such as the OneBlade Face + Body, and will keep on pushing the boundaries by expanding the ranges and engaging new audiences. The Philips OneBlade subscription-model makes the grooming routine as easy and convenient as possible; new blades get delivered to peoples doorstep. At Philips, we believe people should be able to embrace their individuality so they can be what they want to be, not just today but next year and the year after, said Dominique Oh, Business Leader Grooming and Beauty at Philips. Its why our innovation teams continue to develop tools that allow them to achieve the look they want in an easy way or find the look thats right for them. I am proud to see this unique blade, designed and invented by Philips for OneBlade, reaching the important milestone of 100 million blades produced. The must-have styling tool of a new generation Over the last few years, there has been a major shift in facial hair styles that has completely disrupted the grooming market. People worldwide, especially millennials (18 - 34 year olds), are shaving less, styling more, and expressing their individualism by styling their facial hair. Despite this widespread change in behavior, which had not previously been seen for decades, the tools at their disposal had hardly changed until Philips disrupted the shaving and grooming market in 2016 with a new solution - the OneBlade. This unique single tool allows users to style, trim and edge any length of facial hair in complete comfort and convenience. The OneBlade already boasts over 27 million users worldwide, with the number still growing fast. Story continues Continued innovation in premium grooming and beauty In addition to working on OneBlade innovations, Philips brings other innovations to the personal care market, such as the premium, highly advanced and successful Philips Lumea IPL 9000 series hair removal device for home use, and its new series 9000 electric shavers with SkinIQ technology for those who are looking for a close shave while maintaining healthy looking skin. Today, Philips keeps reinventing the premium space, delivering smart propositions that provide personalized plans and guidance, and stepping into new business models. For further information, please contact Laura Seikritt Philips Global Press Office Tel: +31 6 20740318 E-mail: Laura.Seikritt@philips.com Marije Ansing Philips Global Press Office Tel: +31 6 50589016 E-mail: Marije.Ansing@philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 82,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. Attachments She just split with her first girlfriend Kris last month after coming out as gay last year. But Braunwyn Windham-Burke couldn't stop smiling as she enjoyed the company of rumored new girlfriend Fernanda Rocha in Miami on Sunday. The 43-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County star put her toned body on show in a skimpy red patterned bikini as she strolled on the sand with the fitness pro. Moving on? Braunwyn Windham-Burke - who split from her first girlfriend last month - couldn't stop smiling as she enjoyed a beach outing in Miami with rumored new girlfriend Fernanda Rocha New boo? The 43-year-old RHOC star looked close to Fernanda as they cuddled up on a sun lounger The duo also looked close as they snuggled up together on a sun lounger. Fernanda, who identifies as a lesbian, looked amazing in a black and metallic two-piece. The duo looked happy and relaxed in each other's company but were not alone. According to Page Six, they were part of a group of friends who traveled to Florida on Monday for a birthday celebration. The insider added, 'Braunwyn is becoming so much more comfortable in her skin as a gay woman and is embracing her journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community!' According to a source close to the Bravo star, the women are not in an exclusive relationship. Beach babe: Braunwyn showed off her toned body in a skimpy red bikini Miami heat: The reality star was seen drying off after taking a refreshing dip It has been rumored that the ladies are dating after Braunwyn's former costar Tamra Judge revealed on the SiriusXM Radio show Jeff Lewis Live that the two have been 'hanging out a lot.' 'Shes been hanging out with Fernanda, who was on the show.' Tamra said. 'I don't know if she's dating Fernanda. This is a new one, [but] they've been hanging out a lot.' she added. Sources revealed that Kris broke up with Braunwyn over a month ago, but the exes are still friendly, according to PEOPLE. New journey: The Bravo star came out as gay last year, but is still married to husband of over 20 years Sean Burke Fitness pro: Fernanda, who identifies as a lesbian, looked amazing in a black and metallic two-piece 'I don't know if she's dating Fernanda. This is a new one, [but] they've been hanging out a lot.' former RHOC star Tamra Judge revealed on the Jeff Lewis SiriusXM show Sunny days: The mother-of-seven accessorized her swimsuit with a silver pendant necklace and a straw fedora 'Kris broke up with Braunwyn well over a month ago' the source said. 'Braunwyn understood.' 'They were at two very different places in their lives and Kris wanted more of a commitment than Braunwyn was able to give, so it was better to part ways. They're still friendly, and each want the best for the other.' The couple reportedly dated for six months while Braunwyn was first dealing with her sobriety journey and coming out as a lesbian. The TV personality is mom to seven kids; Bella, 20, Rowan, 18, Jacob, 15, twins Curran and Caden, seven, Koa, four and Hazel, two The duo looked happy and relaxed in each other's company but were not alone. According to Page Six, they were part of a group of friends who traveled to Florida on Monday for a birthday celebration Having fun: The RHOC star is single after splitting from girlfriend Kris who she dated for six months The exes were last spotted together as a couple in February, though Windham Burke is still married to her husband of 20 years, Sean Burke. The couple have seven children: Bella, 20, Rowan, 18, Jacob, 15, twins Curran and Caden, seven, Koa, four and Hazel, two. In December, Braunwyn revealed a little more into her life as she posted an Instagram snap confirming coming out. 'It feels so good to finally be living my truth. I am a lesbian,' she captioned the snap. 'At 43 years old, I've finally been able to accept this part of myself and I've realized there are no rules about when someone should come out. This is my time.' The insider added, 'Braunwyn is becoming so much more comfortable in her skin as a gay woman and is embracing her journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community!' Inked: Braunwyn showed off her prominent back tattoos as she dried off on a sun lounger with a beverage Living her best life: The bravo star hasn't looked back since coming out as a lesbian last year In the interview with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Braunwyn proudly stated she liked women and she's gay. 'I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community,' she told GLAAD's Anthony Ramos. 'It has taken me 42 years to say that but I am so proud of where I am right now. I'm so happy where I am. To be able to be comfortable in my own skin after so long is just so nice.' She added: 'I'm just now starting to feel like I'm becoming the woman I'm supposed to be. I've always known it, but it took me, personally, 42 years to be comfortable in my own skin to say that.' Over: Sources revealed that Kris broke up with Braunwyn over a month ago, but the exes are still friendly, according to PEOPLE 'It feels so good to finally be living my truth. I am a lesbian,' Braunwyn wrote in December. 'At 43 years old, I've finally been able to accept this part of myself and I've realized there are no rules about when someone should come out. This is my time' [April 20, 2021] Statistics Estonia Uses HULFT to Integrate Over 70 Data Sources, Supporting Government's Critical Economic and Social Policy Decisions Statistics Estonia has selected HULFT, Inc. to integrate large volumes of data, in many disparate formats, from over 70 public data sources, supporting critical government decisions that shape economic and social policies. Statistics Estonia has been responsible for collecting vital national data since 1921, facilitating analysis that delivers important benefits to Estonia's population. Its work is crucial for demographic, social, economic, and environmental development. However, the data gateway Statistics Estonia was using to receive and integrate the data was dependent on highly manual cleansing, restructuring, and validation, which necessitated three full-time SQL developers. The manual SQL scripts produced were prone to error and omission, and could not keep up with an ever-increasing influx of data, particularly from real-time sources like COVID-19 reporting. "Much of the data we have typically processed was from a preceding period," said Tauno Tamm, Chief Data Officer at Statistics Estonia. "What a phenomenon like COVID showed was the criticality of being able to integrate real-time data, which was coming at us with greater speed and velocity - faster than our developers could respond to." Read Statistics Estonia's full case study here. Hear directly from Statistics Estonia on how they accelerated their data integration in the webinar recording here (with English subtitles) Better-quality data, and more of it - with less effort Statistics Estonia worked with HULFT to slash the time, effort, cost, and risk of error involved in integrating data, by deploying HULFT Integrate to automate the processing of more data and at greater speed. HULFT Integrate is a no-code data integration architecture that is securely compatible with all major data destinations through hundreds of diverse adapters. Automation massively accelerated the integration of 50 separate critical statistics across all 70 sources - freeing up three full-time developers for strategic projects elsewhere in the organisation. Both structured and unstructured data formats - .CSV, Excel, email, SharePoint - from both static and real-time sources are now integrated in greater volume, at greater speed. "We can now produce data faster, with the same amount of people," Tamm commented. "HULFT was the optimum combination of price, quality and customer service, delivering the best value overall in comparison to the other solutions we looked at." Read Statistics Estonia's full case study here. About HULFT Inc. Today's enterprise works hard for data. IT spends time and money manually connecting far-flung silos of data, which are often insecure. A division of Saison Information Systems (TYO: 9640), which celebrates its 50th Anniversary, HULFT has helped more than 10,000 global customers automate, orchestrate, and accelerate the secure flow of information at scale. HULFT provides a single global platform that helps IT quickly find, secure, organize, transform, and move the right information - automating the entire business processes of data flow, and unlocking value in a sea of information. HULFT is the engine that makes data work. For more information, please visit https://hulftinc.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005420/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Market is humanity distilled/ Your job is to turn grappa back into wine, market back into humanity./ This isnt theology. This is reality. This is the truth These powerful lines of Pope Francis to an elite gathering of global policy makers at the Vatican are part of the Introduction in Value(s) by Mark Carney, former governor of both Bank of England and Bank of Canada. This sets the context for the book. This leads the ... 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. 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Digital Editor PARIS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Whilst the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize is widely recognised today as one of the most prestigious European awards in the field of cancer research, many people are unaware of the story behind it. It is the story of Leopold and Alice Griffuel, a couple of philanthropists whose generosity led to the creation of the foundation in 1970. Since then, the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel has honoured the work of researchers who advance science and improve treatment for cancer patients. This year we are celebrating the 49th Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize to honour prestigious international researchers for their scientific achievements. The three 2021 award winners will share a total of 300,000 to pursue their research and take it a step further to improve patient outcomes! The promotion of the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize is overseen by the French Embassies. Canadian Michael Taylor was presented with the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize for basic research at the French Embassy in Canada by Ambassador Kareen Rispal. The German researcher Stefan Pfister was honoured at the French Embassy in Germany, in the presence of Ambassador Anne-Marie Descotes. Lastly, Professor Hiroyuki Mano received his award on Friday 2 April from the French Ambassador to Japan, Mr Philippe Setton. Awarding creativity, perseverance and patient impact Created in 1970 thanks to the legacy of physician and lawyer philanthropist Leopold Griffuel through his widow Alice, the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize rewards creativity, perseverance and continuity in cancer research each year. More than a mark of recognition, this is a world-renowned prize which has already twice been the final hurdle before the Nobel Prize. "It is important to highlight that winners of the Fondation ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize are selected from 12 countries. The disease is global, and solutions to it are too. It is our role at the Fondation ARC Leopold to encourage this research wherever progress is being made. Our aim is to break down barriers between researchers across the world and to promote the development of new relationships between them. This prize is awarded to those who are advancing research, thereby showcasing their work. And it is their progress which will then enable other researchers to take that extra step that will allow us, collectively, to beat cancer" explains Claude Tendil, President of the Fondation ARC for cancer research. To date, 58 researchers of 14 different nationalities, all from the most prestigious international institutions, have been honoured by a committee of international experts under the auspices of the Fondation ARC for Cancer Research. The 2021 Leopold Griffuel Prize rewards scientific advances that give cause for hope For its 49th edition, a jury of 6 international experts, chaired by Professor Hugues de The, met to select the 2021 winners. In basic research, Professors Michael Taylor and Stefan Pfister were honoured for their contribution to the molecular understanding of paediatric tumours and their clinical management. In particular, researcher Stefan Pfister has made it possible for relapsed children to have access to extremely detailed molecular analyses, so that they can be directed towards very specific treatment. ProfessorMichael Taylor has been able to decipher important mechanisms in the genesis and spread of medulloblastomas and ependymomas, which are among the most common malignant brain tumours in children. His work has made it possible to distinguish between different forms of these cancers, which have different prognoses. Finally, ProfessorHiroyuki Manowon the first prize in translational and clinical research for his work in identifying a new form of lung cancer and for his contribution to the development of an effective treatment. His work has made it possible to develop treatments that target this anomaly effectively. Public Relations FHCOM frederic.henry@fhcom.net +33 01 55 34 24 24 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491134/Portrait_Leopold_Griffuel.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491135/Fondation_ARC_Logo.jpg Journalists in Myanmar have put their lives at risk to tell the stories of protestors, doctors, nurses and citizens impacted by the military coup, writes Phil Thornton. As a freelance photojournalist, Ng Maung has worked the frontlines of the protests since Myanmars military coup began on 1st February. Keeping low, behind flimsy barricades of wood, corrugated tin, tyres and bamboo, he photographed the hurts police and army inflicted on pro-democracy activists. Ng Maung told IFJ of the danger protestors and journalists are facing from heavily armed police and soldiers. We were warned snipers were on roofs near where we were. I could hear and sense the bullets as they passed. These kids had no protection against bullets. Ng Maung explained his view was restricted when focusing through a camera lens at soldiers down the street. You see what is directly in front, not to your immediate side. Bullets were getting closer. I saw a young guy on the ground with a head shota lot of blood. People took him on a motorbike to an ambulance, but it was too late, he was already dead. Ng Maung said soldiers and police are armed to kill and dressed for battle, unlike the unarmed protestors. Theyre targets are young men and women, mostly peaceful protestors, opposing the torture and jailing of elected politicians, workers, doctors, students and journalists. The only protection they have are hiding behind these barricades and running. In an earlier interview with IFJ in February, Ng Maung, voiced his fears about unseen army snipers when he said they made the streets dangerous to work. If I can see them Im not scared, but knowing they could be concealed on rooftops, water towers, behind windowsanywhereis terrifying. Ng Maungs fears became a reality on 23 March when a bullet tore through his hand as he focused his lens. I could hear shooting. Near me three kids were using phones to take photos. I warned them to move awaytake cover, as soldiers were firing. Ng Maung felt the force of the bullet as it tore into his left hand, pulping bones, tissue and tendon. I was confused, my hand was burning, at first it was relief the boys were not hit. Then I was worried my hand was destroyed. It looked bad. It took about three hours to get to a clinic. Ng Maung is full of praise for volunteer doctors and nurses working the protests. Ive seen them put themselves at risk of being shot or wounded to care for the injured. I owe them a lotthey work for freeI am forever in their debt. Ng Maungs smashed hand has to be rebuilt. He has had a number of operations to try to reconstruct his hand wire implants, bone repair and skin grafts. Despite the pain and the graphic nature of the wound, Ng Maung managed to photograph the surgical procedures. Ng Maung kept in regular contact with IFJ during the protests and after his wounding spoke of his determination to keep working as a photojournalist despite the dangers. Everyone is in danger - the military shows no mercy - protestors, doctors, students, workers, children, citizens or journalists we are all targets just to be shot...silenced. I feel they are no longer human and they dont see us as human. I'm scared, really scared. As a journalist, I have no protection. I have to be very careful and secretive in getting information. It is so bad I dare not go home to sleep at night. It's very dangerous now. To report we risk our lives. Im a photojournalist because I want people to know the truth from the pictures I take. I want to expose the brutality of the military and the brave resistance of our people to the worldI hope for international action to end the oppression. The revolution will not be televised To silence journalists, like Ng Maung, the military coup leaders ordered telecommunication companies and internet services to block social media platforms and shut down their networks to stop access to information and news. Journalists have been arrested and charged under 505a of the penal code, which carries a sentence of three years in prison. The licenses of Myanmar Now, Mizzima Media, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), 7 Day News and Khit Thit Media were revoked on 8 March. The Ministry of Information shut-down the five independent media outlets and banned them from publishing or broadcasting or using any kind of media or technology platforms reporting news that affects the rule of law and security of the people and supports those who commit high treasonin accordance with Article 419 and 420 of the Constitution. To make sure the five banned media organisations and their respective journalists got the message, soldiers and police broke into their offices, ransacked, thrashed and stole equipment. Ng Maung told IFJ journalists are now being hunted weve been put on wanted lists and they have arrested at least 42 journalists. The police and army have been given unfettered authority by the coup appointed State Administration Council to raid homes to search and arrest without warrants. So called suspects can be detained for 24-hours without court permission. Other sections of the Penal Code list a range of fines and jail sentences - twenty years, ten years, seven years and three years for alleged breaches. Faced with the danger of lethal force, nighttime raids on their homes or arrest, many journalists and media workers have been either forced into deep hiding or have left cities for remote ethnic areas in the jungle along the China, India, Bangladesh or Thailand borders. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) confirmed as of Sunday 16 April, 737 people have been killed and 3,229 arrested; 42 of those are journalists. Ko Bo Kyi is a founder and secretary of AAPP-Burma and was first jailed in 1989 for his political beliefs by the then military regime. He explained to IFJ how the military has deliberately created and are using divisions between soldiers and civilians to maintain its reign of terror. This military is isolated from society. Soldiers are given a different history to what is really happening in the country or outside world. The internet cuts and mobile phone data blockages are not just to prevent protestors from organising, but to stop soldiers getting real information their news intake is restricted to media controlled by the military - radio, websites, newspapers and television channels. Ko Bo Kyi said despite fear of arrest, torture and jail, journalists and citizen journalists are still managing to report. Everyday, underground reporters and civilian journalists are going out and bravely documenting human rights abuses. Theyre finding ways to get verifiable and credible reports out to people inside and outside the country. Theyve destroyed our industry Zaw Myint, a senior editor, told IFJ he has been forced by soldiers and police making night raids near his home to leave his family and go into hiding, constantly changing his location. Im not the only journalist, many of us are now in deep hiding. Its dangerous on the ground now. We cant use our name on our stories. Its getting difficult to survive as we arent being paid. Most of us are struggling and our families are suffering...the pressure is massive. Zaw Myint said finding a means to communicate is getting more difficult. Mobile data has been cut, its difficult to get ADSL connected, getting caught with a pocket Wi-Fi will get you arrested. I try to hook into established Wi-Fi at hotels owned by the militarys cronies. With the forced closure of the independent media outlets most journalists fear their severance pay will soon be gone, Zaw Myint explains most journalist earn between US$300 and US$700 a month. Most of us are struggling. The army has killed our industry. Theyve taken down our platforms to publish, theyve robbed us of our salaries. They done this to silence us. Its sad to see our industry ripped apart. Theres now no justice, only their law of the gun. Zaw Myint made the decision to stay in the city despite the constant fear of arrest. There are still some of us prepared to take risks to tell whats going on. I hope our colleagues who get to safety in other places will keep working. Well print on pamphlets, photocopy them and get them to the people. Well send our stories and footage to exiled colleagues for publishing, were hurting now, but we will find a way to keep reporting and broadcasting. Chaos spreads onto the streets in Myanmar. Supplied. Dismissed, displaced, but still defiant IFJ spoke with, Kyaw Su, a senior journalist who, fearing for his and his familys security, made the decision to make his way to the relative safety of a neighbouring country after his media organisation was forced to close and his employment terminated. Even though we had letters of dismissals that said we were no longer employed we were still targets. It became too dangerous for me and my family to stay. The situation is now desperatemedia licenses revoked, journalists placed on wanted lists, nighttime raids and arrests, internet shutdownstheir mind-set is obviousno journalists, no mediathey want to destroy us and silence the flow of free information. Kyaw Su has worked in the media for decades and explains the military appointed State Administration Council has made blocking news in and out of the country one of its priorities. The Junta understands how important social media platforms are in the information flow, most people get news using mobile phone data, thats why they cut access to it. People in remote areas are desperate to reach media outlets to show and highlight their protests and their opposition to the coup. People need credible information to make decisions, they cant use propaganda. Kyaw Su is confident journalists and citizens will stay defiant and find ways to continue to communicate and is encouraged by peoples need for real information. Well continue our work. We have not taken a collective decision yet, but by reporters actions you can see the determination to gather news. Old style photocopied paper newssheets are being circulated, people use SMS news sharing texts, requests for journalists to confirm if an item is fake news or real news. Kyaw Su said journalists will need international support to keep working. Without media outlets theres no income. Jailed journalists and their families will need help for legal fees, basic food, medicine and even for them to travel to and from jails on visits. Those who make it out of the cities to ethnic areas will be relatively safe, but will face hardships. Many of these young journalists will have no experience of living rough, sleeping on dirt floors, or using outside pit toilets. Theyll need blankets and medicine. They will have to live with the frustration, but they know its better than arrest, torture and jail. Kyaw Su paid tribute to the ethnic leaders in the border area he now calls home for their welcome and willingness to help. These people have been under attack for decades from the Burma Army, they know the mindset of the military, but they have taken us in and helped us. The Myanmar Army has waged a campaign to militarize ethnic controlled areas Karen in the east Burma, Kachin, Shan and Taang in the north and Arakan in the west. A senior ethnic journalist who has worked on conflict, refugees, ceasefires and displacement for more than 20-years spoke to IFJ. Working here we have experience of how the military operates. Theyve been attacking ethnic villages for 70-years or more. As soon as the coup happened we closed our office and moved our equipment. We now operate as a mobile news office. We moved our family members to safetydespite their complaining. The senior journalist explained, when working in ethnic areas, it was an everyday event to be followed, harassed and photographed by security officials. They come into our neighbourhoods asking people where we live. Security for journalists is a real concerntheres no protection. Those working the cities had no choice, but to leave or go into hiding. We will help our city colleagues navigate the difficulties of living in the jungle and to help them find ways to keep working. The senior journalist stressed to IFJ the importance to keep reporting. We need to keep working on a daily basis to inform national, regional and international audiences what is happening in our country. We have to fight and maintain our right to gather, write and give access to information. The senior journalist said it was important journalists were aware of the risks their sources were exposed to by talking to the media. This current situation forces us into self-censorship, we cant identify sources in film or use their names. We need to carefully weigh the risk of each story we publish to make sure no one gets arrested, hurt or killed. The senior journalist said despite the exhaustion of finding ways to help her colleagues she is satisfied she can still work. Theyve cut our communications, arrested us, brought lawsuits, jailed us and threatened us, but as independent media workers, they wont stop us providing critical and timely information to our people. Displaced Karen villagers. Supplied. We desperately need shelter, food, blankets, medicine The IFJ spoke by telephone with Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the Karen National Unions (KNU) head of foreign affairs, who explained the difficulties of looking after the growing number of people fleeing military violence in Myanmar. The situation in the cities is bad and it will only get worse. We are looking after more than 2,000. Theres doctors, politicians, activists, students, workers and journalists. These people are not here by choice. Theyve been persecuted and forced to leave their homes. Padoh Taw Nee said despite getting some help from international aid agencies, its not enough. Weve been offered help for two months, but the military crackdown will last much longer. We expect more arrivals and we have our own displaced people. We need help with emergency shelter, medicine and foodthese are essential if we are to avoid a crisis. Padoh Taw Nee explained the wet season is about to arrive and, with it, deadly diseases such as dengue fever, malaria and dysentery. The young and the old are vulnerable to these infections. If were not prepared it will be a disaster. Padoh Taw Nee told IFJ, the KNU is also looking after 30,000 displaced villagers, the result of recent bombing raids on villages in its controlled area. The airstrikes killed and injured our villagers. Theyre terrified to go back to their homes. The Burma Army sends jets over every day. Villagers are scared for good reason. They have no protection from rockets fired by fighter jets or artillery shells - since 27 March, 21 villagers have been killed and 27 wounded. Schools, health clinics and homes have been destroyed by airstrikes and indiscriminating bombings, forcing at least 30,000 people into makeshift jungle hideouts. Padoh Taw Nee explains to IFJ that villagers have no experience of protecting themselves from deadly air raids. Our villagers just want to farm, send their children to school and live their lives in peace. The wet season is coming. Theres not enough mosquito nets, mats, medicine or warm clothing. Old and young will die. Emergency food is of the utmost importance now. Padoh Taw Nee said getting aid into the displaced people depended on the compassion of Thai authorities. We rely on and respect the support of Thailand, their cooperation to get food to people is critical. Padoh Taw Nee said the ongoing risk of the spread of Covid-19 is a huge concern. We know what precautions we need to take, but we need masks, sanitizer and our health workers need protective equipment. The KNU agreed a ceasefire with the Myanmar military in January 2012 and signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October 2015 after more than 70-years of fighting Myanmar military dictatorships. Padoh Taw Nee pointed out both ceasefire agreements are now worthless. The Burma Army violated the conditions of the agreements sending jets to bomb villagers doesnt build trust in any peace process on offer. Names have been changed to protect people. Phil Thornton is a journalist and senior adviser to the International Federation of Journalists in South East Asia. With the United States increasingly counting on its allies to help it get the jump on China, the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network would appear to be a ready-made and willing posse to enforce its will. Indeed, the antagonistic behavior of the Five Eyes, which groups Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom with the US, has drawn strong opposition from China, which sees the mechanism as being full to the brim with an outdated Cold War mentality. Yet Washington's seeming willingness to lead the other members by the nose into confrontation with China is now starting to cause some consternation. When New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told reporters on Monday that her country was "uncomfortable" with expanding the scope of the Five Eyes, it should be perceived as a timely warning to other members of the group about what the US is potentially leading them into. Under the direction of the US, the world's oldest intelligence network, which dates back to the end of World War II, has raised the banner of human rights issues in recent months. In November, the foreign ministers of the Five Eyes issued a statement, pointing an accusing finger at China's lawful decision to disqualify certain Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council members. In another blatant interference in China's internal affairs, members of the intelligence alliance have also made provocative remarks on the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region over so-called human rights issues. And the intelligence alliance had also shown signs of expanding its scope to embrace foreign policy and foreign trade. In December, the Five Eyes members reportedly held talks on jumping to Australia's defense in its trade skirmish with China through trade actions, such as sanctions. Needless to say, each time the other Five Eyes members dance to the tune of the US, they have to make major adjustments to their policies toward China and shoulder the subsequent consequences. As a country that is known for distancing itself from international conflicts and being committed to maintaining a healthy and stable relationship with China, New Zealand must have found it difficult to keep pace with the alliance's increasing hostility toward China, which has become a destabilizing factor undermining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. By showing a soft paw toward China in comparison with the increasing enmity harbored by the other members of the alliance, New Zealand has highlighted the extremes to which the US is going in its bid to contain China and set an example to both the alliance and other US allies on exercising caution when the US tries to push them too far. Mutual respect and non-interference, norms governing international relations, other than forming small cliques targeting a third party, should be the key for countries around the world when interacting with others. New Delhi: In a big blow to Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), six corporators of the party have joined the rival Shiv Sena. This is a boost for the Shiv Sena as the ruling BJP had narrowed the gap to match its tally of 82. MNS corporators Dilip Lande, Archana Bhalerao, Snehal More, Datta Narvankar, Parashuram Kadam, and Ashwini Matekar joined the Sena in presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. Uddhav has termed the development gharwapsi while the BJP has called it horse trading. This move has not only strengthened the position of Shiv Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) but also made a big dent in the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Now, Shiv Sena's strength in the 227-member BMC has risen to 90 which is eight more than the BJP, a senior Sena leader said. Shiv Sena had won 84 seats while the BJP won 82 in the BMC polls held in February this year. The Sena further enjoys the support of four independent corporators while the BJP has the support of two independents. The MNS is now left with just one corporator in the BMC. Downtown Cleveland Alliance has named Michael Deemer as interim CEO and president while it searches for a permanent replacement. Deemer, who has served as the alliances executive vice president of development since 2011, will assume the interim role on May 1, the day Joe Marinucci retires from those positions. The nonprofit has hired Sally M. Sterling Executive Search to help in its search for a permanent president and CEO, the alliance said in a statement. Read the full story on cleveland.coms sister site, Cleveland Business Journal. Get the best in local business news sent straight to your inbox with the Cleveland Business Journal. Free to sign up. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is set to release a dumsor timetable as it announces planned outages from May 10 to 17. According to the CEO of the Company, Agyemang Budu, this has become necessary due to the ongoing works on the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point. GRIDCO had earlier warned of imminent power cuts upon request by contractors working on the Kasoa and Pokuase substations. During a tour of the Pokuase BSP which has been under construction since 2019, Kwame Agyemang Budu said ECG was finalising details of the timetable to be announced. The actual outages will occur from May 10 to 17. These outages are due to connecting the GRIDCO line to the national grid, he said. According to Mr Agyemang Budu, the scheduled outages will be rotated to minimise the impact on the affected areas. We are coming out with a planned schedule whereby the affected areas are grouped into four. We have done it in such a way that no single customer will see the outage throughout the eight days, he revealed. He added, we will see probably a 12-hour outage in the day time and then in three days well have another outage at night. The outages, mainly to be in Accra, will affect Pokuase, Nsawam, Gbawe, Mallam, Achimota, Awoshie, and other areas. Energy Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh who led the government delegation to inspect the Pokuase project called on Ghanaians to bear with the situation, stressing that it has become necessary due to governments effort to make power supply more reliable. So we plead with you to bear with us. This has become necessary because of governments investment in the power sector. The idea is to make power supply even better after the works are done, he stressed. GRIDCO boss Jonathan Amoako Baah who was also on the tour explained that all outages are occasioned by necessary demands. On Tuesday, Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh inspected work done on the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point (BSP) project. Construction of the 33.5 million dollar facility began in April 2019 under the Ghana Power Compact 2, funded by the US Government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Upon completion, the Pokuase BSP is expected to address power supply challenges, such as frequent outages and low voltages, resulting from increased power demand in Accra and the surrounding towns. 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 Blue Nature Alliance partners to protect 18 million square kilometers of ocean globally over five years ARLINGTON, Va., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new ocean conservation initiative is underway to catalyze the protection and conservation of 18 million square kilometers of the ocean (7 million square miles) over the next five years-an area twice the size of the continental United States and larger than the continent of South America. The effort, called the Blue Nature Alliance, is a collaboration led by Conservation International, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Global Environment Facility, Minderoo Foundation, and the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation. The Alliance aims to expand and enhance ocean protections with a focus on working alongside Indigenous peoples and local communities, scientists and academia, and other partners. The Blue Nature Alliance is working with governments and other partners on large-scale efforts in Fiji's Lau Seascape, Antarctica's Southern Ocean, and Tristan da Cunha to collectively secure protections over 4.8 million square kilometers (1.9 million square miles) of the ocean. The Alliance will soon engage in efforts in Canada, Palau, Seychelles, and the Western Indian Ocean. This will aim to strengthen and enhance the protection of nearly 2 million square kilometers (734,000 square miles) of the ocean. A pipeline of 18 additional Blue Nature Alliance engagements has been identified across North and South America, Europe, and the Asian Pacific region. The Blue Nature Alliance will announce the next round of locations in summer 2021. "A Healthy ocean is key to our existence. It provides nutrition and employment for a majority of people around the world and half of the oxygen each of us breathes. Yet significantly less of our ocean is protected when compared to land," said 'Aulani Wilhelm, senior vice president of Oceans for Conservation International. "We must collaborate globally, in partnership with local governments and Indigenous peoples, to make the conservation of our ocean a priority. The time is now to take big practical action to move this work forward." The world's ocean is under stress, it is facing threats from climate change, damaging fishing practices, and pollution. Science shows that protecting and conserving large areas of the ocean is necessary to support the air we breathe, regulate the climate, and maintain essential levels of biodiversity. "From the coastlines to the high seas, we need to tackle conservation holistically and in partnership. Our collective efforts will help secure a healthy ocean that is more resilient to climate change and yields benefits to both nature and people," said Tom Dillon, senior vice president for environment at The Pew Charitable Trusts. "To boost biodiversity, fisheries, and economies, the Blue Nature Alliance will work with partners globally to apply science and lessons learned, and build on best practices to conserve our ocean at scale. We need this type of ambition to address the challenges facing our ocean today." The Blue Nature Alliance's efforts support the push to protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030, a global conservation goal expected to be formally adopted at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference later this year. To date, less than 10 percent of the global ocean is protected. The 30 percent goal is widely agreed upon as the threshold needed to maintain a resilient and functioning ocean that supports the health of people and nature. "Conserving 30 percent of the world's land and sea in the coming decade will require all of us to work together, with science as our North Star," said Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility. "It is heartening to see collaborative work underway in the South Atlantic, South Pacific, and Antarctica's Southern Ocean, and with work about to begin in even more locations around Palau, Seychelles, Canada, and the Western Indian Ocean. Through the Blue Nature Alliance, we will be contributing significantly to the 30 percent global ocean conservation goal and ensuring we have momentum to build on as we strive for our 2030 ambitions." To achieve its ambitious goal, the Blue Nature Alliance is creating a global network of partners dedicated to building on lessons learned from well-functioning marine protected areas and innovating new approaches to conserving large ocean areas, many of which have heavily incorporated the traditional knowledge and needs of local communities and governments into their long-term management plans - a practice that helps ensure resilience, both in funding and implementation. "Engaging with local communities is essential to the long-term success of ocean conservation efforts," said Dr. Tony Worby, CEO of Flourishing Oceans at Australia's Minderoo Foundation. "Local communities rely on the ocean directly for livelihoods, cultural activities and recreation, so it is critical that they are involved in decision making that supports long-term sustainability. A measure of success for the Blue Nature Alliance will be to build community support for ocean conservation measures that are enduring." "Melani and I care deeply about the future of our planet and the communities that depend on nature for their health, livelihoods and culture," said Rob Walton, co-founder of the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation. "That's why we are pleased to be part of the Blue Nature Alliance - which brings together philanthropists, businesses, governments and NGOs to substantially increase and improve ocean conservation. Now is a critical time. The ocean is under immense pressure, and we all have a responsibility to help safeguard it." In addition to its five founding partners, the Blue Nature Alliance's growing network includes world-renowned conservation experts, scientists, and financial strategists including Big Ocean, the Global Island Partnership, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Murphy Family Foundation, Nekton, Oceana, Ocean Unite, the Tiffany & Co. Foundation, and SkyLight Surveillance and Enforcement Technology. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490953/Blue_Nature_Alliance_Logo.jpg Australian property intelligence platform operator Archistar has raised $6 million in a funding round led by Skip Capital (co-headed by Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar) and AirTree Ventures (which was founded by former Microsoft Australia managing director Daniel Petre). Founded by architect Benjamin Coorey, Archistar combines architectural design with artificial intelligence to assist with development decisions. The platform is used by governments, architects, planners, developers and agents, to help determine the highest and best use residential and commercial projects allowable on any development site in Australia based on local planning and zoning rules. It enables the creation and assessment of hundreds of compliant 3D generative designs, taking into consideration parameters including height restrictions, exposure to sunlight and ventilation. Launched in 2018, Archistar has doubled its revenue year on year, and the platform is now used by the Victorian and NSW governments as well as property developers such as Stockland, Frasers and Simonds Homes. AirTree led Archistar's series A round in March 2020. Coorey said the latest investments would help with the company's expansion in the UK and US, as well as the continued development of its eComply automatic development assessment technology. "Our vision has always been to transform the way cities are designed, assessed and built, and we're pleased to say that we are achieving this as more property professionals and governments are increasingly embracing our digital tools. Our highly scalable, world-first technology, is transforming the efficiency of every step in the property development journey for our partners," said Coorey. "We've experienced incredible growth in the last twelve months, and with this additional funding, we anticipate that even more milestones will be hit in overseas markets. We're excited to see where this next growth chapter takes us." He added "We're delighted to welcome yet another banner investor, Skip Capital, to the register. This investment will underpin Archistar's expansion into the United States and United Kingdom, where the company will combine highly scalable, world-first technology with key partnerships to continue its rapid customer growth." Skip Capital founder Kim Jackson said "We are excited to work with Archistar. They are a phenomenal and passionate team, driven by the vision to simplify property development and design. Their innovative solutions have the power to transform the entire property industry globally. "The team has created a central hub for property data, which is helping property professionals to more easily find sites matched to their needs. On top of this, Archistar is innovating with 3D generative design, and we believe the partnership with the Victoria State government to demonstrate how planning approval processes could be automated in certain geographies is extremely exciting, and a sign of the future." Subscriber content preview BOISE, Idaho (AP) Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed into law a bill legalizing the production and transportation of hemp with up to 0.3% of THC, the cannabis compound that gives marijuana its high. The Republican governor signed the bill Friday, making Idaho the last state to do so. However, the new law does not allow selling to Idaho consumers hemp products containing any amount of THC. . . . There is no consensus in the EU countries on the need to introduce new sectoral sanctions against Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "No, I did not see a consensus 'appetite' for sectoral sanctions yesterday. Perhaps the reason for this is that I joined the ministers via video conference. If I were there, if the meeting was held offline, I could feel their 'appetite' better. But I really want to make it clear for them: the personal sanctions that have been introduced in recent years are good, they are doing their job, but they are not enough to demotivate Russia from further aggressive steps," he said during an online conference on Tuesday. Kuleba said that his goal at the moment is to signal to his colleagues in the EU that they should start considering these options, they should be ready. "Because even the fact that they started this discussion will have an impact on Russia, since Russia is afraid of economic sanctions," the Foreign Minister said. Another "sad truth", he said, is that Russia has found gaps in the current sectoral sanctions regime. Kuleba said that it is necessary to start a conversation about how to fill these gaps instead of turning a blind eye to them," the minister said. "Sectoral sanctions are not a matter of appetite, it is a matter of time and Russia's behavior. And from my recent contacts with the German and French foreign ministers, I can conclude that they understand this reality," he said. Kuleba said that at a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, they all agreed that Russia should be restrained. "They did not discuss specifics, but all capitals are considering appropriate ways to do this. As EU members, both France and Germany, have experience of imposing sectoral sanctions against Russia in 2014, namely after the shooting down of MH-17 by Russia, so this is not about opening a "Pandora's box" or setting a precedent, it is simply about using a tool that has proven to be effective," the minister said. The official number of coronavirus deaths in Germany surpassed the dramatic toll of 80,000 yesterday. In its daily update, the Robert Koch Institute, the countrys infectious disease agency, reported a total of 80,006 deaths. It is already clear that many more will follow in the days and weeks ahead. Despite warnings from scientists and virologists, governments at the federal and state levels are refusing to impose a lockdown to close schools and workplaces, which are the main vectors for transmission. As a result, between 20,000 and 30,000 people are getting infected on a daily basis. Hospitals are on the verge of collapse. Only during wartime has a comparable situation been witnessed. Around the world, more than 3 million people have died from COVID-19, including over 1 million in Europe and almost 600,000 in the United States. On a daily basis, over 10,000 people fall victim to the virus. By comparison, during the First World War, the greatest mass slaughter of humanity at the time in history, an average of 6,000 soldiers died every day. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, chancellor Angela Merkel and president of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schauble attend a service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church to mark the central commemoration of those who died in the Corona pandemic in Germany, Berlin, Sunday, April 18, 2021. (Gordon Welters/Pool via AP) After a year of the pandemic, the official propaganda can no longer conceal the fact that the governments bear full responsibility for mass death. This was underscored by the response to the official commemoration on Sunday in Berlin for those who have died during the pandemic. The sanctimonious speeches and crocodile tears from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Social Democrats, SPD), Chancellor Angela Merkel (Christian Democrats, CDU), and Parliament President Wolfgang Schauble (CDU) triggered anger and contempt among wide layers of workers and young people. In response to the suggestion by leading representatives of the state that people place lit candles in their windows to commemorate the dead, a storm of rage erupted on social media. Under the slogan #Einkerzen statt #Lichtfenster (a candle instead of lit-up windows) workers and young people called on government representatives to light the candles themselves, since they have the dead on their consciences. Light your own lamps, they are your dead, at least most of them. Perhaps one of your lights will turn on, wrote one user on Twitter. The protests were not confined to social media. Across the country, people placed candles in front of state chancelleries and government buildings to denounce the federal and state governments for their policy of profits before lives. We wont get used to the numerous deaths. Every candle represents a person who is no longer alive due to your dithering and your policies, read one placard. Another stated, You do everything to protect profits, dividends, and surpluses. Shame on you! The mass death on the one hand and the profit-making on the other are the direct products of a conscious policy in the interests of the banks and big business that the ruling class as a whole has pursued since the start of the pandemic. When governments felt compelled during the first wave of the pandemic to implement lockdowns, and temporarily close schools and factories due to the pressure from the population and spontaneous strikes in countries like Italy, Spain and the United States, the stock markets plunged around the world. The ruling class response was murderous and brutal. They did not protect lives, but rather profits, and organised the greatest distribution of wealth from the bottom to the top in history. When the federal government adopted the multibillion-euro coronavirus emergency bailout last spring, with the support of all political parties from the far-right Alternative for Germany to the Left Party and the trade unions, the World Socialist Web Site wrote, the class character of the measures adopted is obvious. Their main goal is to protect and increase the wealth and profits of the major corporations and financial oligarchy. The funds had hardly reached the bank accounts of the major corporations and super-rich when the stock markets began to rise rapidly. This enrichment was accompanied by an essentially fascist campaign to open schools and workplaces as soon as possible in spite of the raging pandemic so that the funds used for the bailout could be squeezed out of the working class. This campaign was led by the same Schauble, who stood in the Kaiser Wilhelm Church on Sunday and claimed to be affected by the deaths. In an interview with the Tagesspiegel, he declared in April 2020 that it was not correct for everything else to take second place to the protection of life. The right to life is not protected absolutely by Germanys Basic Law, he added. One year later, 80,000 people are dead and the profits of a tiny layer at the top of society are growing immeasurably. With a peak of 15,500, Germanys DAX stock exchange reached a record high yesterday. The financial oligarchy is doing better than ever. According to the latest list of billionaires published by the US magazine Forbes, the number of billionaires increased in Germany during the first year of the pandemic by 29 from 107 to 136. While millions of workers suffered severe wage cuts and lost their jobs, the super-rich increased their wealth over the past 12 months by $178 billion and now possesses over $625 billion. This amount is much more than the 2021 federal budget (498 billion). The World Socialist Web Site described the pandemic from the outset as a trigger event that not only laid bare the economic, social and political crisis of the capitalist system, but enormously accelerated it. Over the past 12 months, the ruling elite has intensified its social spending cuts and exploited the situation to stuff their pockets full at the expense of the workers, and carry out long-planned restructuring. The war drive and the vast expansion of the domestic apparatus of police-state repression have also been massively accelerated. The US government, first under Trump and now Joe Biden, is accusing China of being responsible for the pandemic and preparing ever more directly for a military conflict with the nuclear-armed power. The European powers, with Germany in the lead, are exploiting the crisis to rearm massively in order to enforce their own imperialist interests against Russia and China, and, ever more openly, against the United States. In his opening address to the digital congress held by the right-wing daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Steinmeier said on March 12 that the pandemic is a geopolitical momenta moment that other powers are using in a cool, calculated manner for themselves. It should be clear to us that our actions towards our neighbours today will influence the world that the new federal government will find when it takes power in the autumn. As a power at the heart of Europe, we should not forget to look at ourselves through the eyes of our neighbours. What is in fact concealed behind Steinmeiers altruism is the old great power ambition of the German elites, who after two lost world wars are once again setting themselves the goal of dominating the world. Germanys destiny: Lead Europe in order to lead the world was the title of an essay posted on the website of Review 2014 run by the Foreign Ministry in 2014. These plans are now set to be put into practice. Just a few weeks ago, the federal government increased the military budget by another 5 percent, bringing it close to 50 billion. At the same time, hardly a day passes without CDU Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer agitating against Russia. This course is supported by all political parties in parliament. In its election programme for the vote in September, the Greens called for the major rearmament of the German armed forces and NATO, and issued threats against Russia and China. The officially crowned chancellor candidate for the Greens, Analena Baerbock, is more closely associated perhaps than anyone else with the Greens aggressive militarist policy. We have to be honest. Yes, in some areas, more has to be invested. So that rifles shoot, she told the Suddeutsche Zeitung. The new leadership of the Left Party has also made clear in recent weeks that as a member of an SPD/Left Party/Green coalition government, the Left Party would fully support its militarist agenda. At the state level, the Left Party is already implementing the profits before lives policy in partnership with the SPD and Greens, most aggressively in Thuringia where the Left Partys Bodo Ramelow is minister president. In opposition to the entire ruling class reactionary policies, opposition is growing. Workers and young people are being radicalised around the world, and are organising strikes and protests against the spread of the pandemic, police violence, and the attacks on jobs and wages. The decisive question is one of political perspective. To save lives and prevent a relapse into war and barbarism, the working class must intervene independently into political events, and abolish the system that is responsible for the current catastrophe and has no scientific and rational solution. Just like the struggles against social inequality, war and dictatorship, the struggle against the pandemic needs a socialist programme. The Sozial istische Gleichheitsparteis election statement, titled, Life instead profits: socialism instead of capitalist barbarism, states: The fight to contain the pandemic is developing into a class struggle, which is showing ever more clearly that the two major classes in society, the capitalist class and the working class, have irreconcilable interests. The official pandemic policy puts profits before human lives. We demand: The immediate shutdown of all nonessential businesses until the pandemic is under control! Full payments of wages for all workers affected as well as real assistance for the self-employed and comprehensive support for poor households! A globally coordinated vaccine campaign instead of vaccine nationalism and profiteering! After 80,000 deaths in Germany and more than 3 million worldwide, this programme is now more urgent than ever. Apply to join the SGP today and support its election campaign. Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Establishing Task Force on Forensic Science Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Establishing Task Force on Forensic Science FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2021 Media Contact: Press@Michigan.gov Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order Establishing Task Force on Forensic Science LANSING, Mich. -- Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order No. 2021-04, establishing the Task Force on Forensic Science. "A fair trial is at the core of the American criminal justice system," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "While forensic science is an important tool, misapplication of forensic science can deprive a person of a fair trial. We must ensure that Michigan adheres to the highest standards of evidence, and that practitioners throughout our criminal justice system understand how to apply forensic science properly." "Michigan will always ensure that the highest standards are being met when it comes to justice," said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist. "The work of the Forensic Science Task Force will ensure that our legal and criminal justice systems can keep up with the times. The Governor and I look forward to their recommendations." The Task Force will be an advisory body nested within the Michigan Department of State Police and be comprised of medical practitioners, legal professionals, government officials, academics, private sector experts, and representatives from the Michigan State Police, Michigan Supreme Court, and Attorney General's office. "I'm honored to take on this important work to ensure that our criminal legal system delivers justice for the people of Michigan," said Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack. "Michigan can be a national leader in better science promoting better justice." "As a national leader in forensic science, the Michigan State Police is committed to further improving the use of forensic science in Michigan through the work of this advisory panel," stated Col. Joe Gasper, director of the MSP. "We look forward to working alongside the other stakeholders to ensure that Michigan continues to set a high bar for forensic science." The task force's mission is to review the state of forensic science in Michigan and deliver their completed findings and policy recommendations to the Governor no later than December 31, 2021. The findings will recommend, among other pieces, methodology improvements, processes to address misconduct, and procedures to update stakeholders on developments in forensic science. The Task Force on Forensic Science will include Director Col. Joseph Gasper of the Michigan State Police and Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court who will serve as Co-Chairs of the Task Force. It will also include Jeff Nye the Director of the MSP Forensic Science Division, Attorney General Dana Nessel or her designee, and Judge Paul J. Denenfeld of the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County who was designated by the Chief Justice. Four members of the Legislature, two from the Senate and two from the House of Representatives, will also participate as non-voting members. The Governor has appointed the following members to the Task Force: Christopher R. Bommarito, of Williamston, is the president and chief forensic scientist of Forensic Science Consultants, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Criminalistics and a Master of Science in Forensic Science from Michigan State University. Mr. Bommarito is appointed to represent forensic science practitioners with at least five years of experience in the field for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Kent Gardner, of Davison, is the administrator of forensic lab services for the Oakland County Sheriff's Department. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Wayne State University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. Mr. Gardner is appointed to represent a forensic science practitioner from a county forensic service provider for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Brandon N. Giroux, of Northville, is the president of Giroux Forensic, Inc. and Forensic Assurance, Inc. Mr. Giroux is also a forensic firearm and tool mark instructor and consultant for the National Forensic Science Technology Center and a forensic science instructor at Wayne State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mr. Giroux is appointed to represent forensic science practitioners with at least five years of experience in the field for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Jeffrey M. Jentzen, M.D., Ph.D., of Ann Arbor, is a clinical professor emeritus of pathology for the University of Michigan Department of Pathology. Dr. Jentzen has served as the chief medical examiner for Washtenaw County and deputy medical examiner for Wayne County. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Michigan Technological University, Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University, and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Medical History from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Jentzen is appointed to represent a board-certified pathologist with experience in forensic pathology. He will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Barbara O'Brien, Ph.D., of East Lansing, is a professor at the Michigan State University College of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bowdoin College, Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado Law School, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Dr. O'Brien is appointed to represent an individual from the private sector or from a university in this state who has published scholarship related to cognitive bias. She will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Jonathan Sacks, of Ann Arbor, is the director of the State Appellate Defender Office. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in European History from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. Mr. Sacks is appointed to represent a public defender or criminal defense attorney for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Donald Shelton, Ph.D., of Saline, is the director of the criminology and criminal justice program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and program director for their Justice Reform Project, Alternatives to Violent Force. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Western Michigan University, Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan School of Law, Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in Judicial Studies from the University of Nevada. Dr. Shelton is appointed to represent individuals from the private sector or from a university in this state who have earned a doctoral degree in a distinct field relevant to forensic science and who have published scholarship related to the field in a peer-reviewed journal. He will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Ruth Smith, Ph.D., of Okemos, is a professor of forensic chemistry and the director of the forensic science program at Michigan State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Ph.D. in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde. Dr. Smith is appointed to represent individuals from the private sector or from a university in this state who have earned a doctoral degree in a distinct field relevant to forensic science and who have published scholarship related to the field in a peer-reviewed journal. She will serve for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. Matthew J. Wiese, of Marquette, is the prosecuting attorney for Marquette County. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University and a Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School. Mr. Wiese is appointed to represent a prosecuting attorney for a term commencing April 2, 2021 and expiring December 31, 2021. The following members of the Legislature will serve as participants on the Task Force: Sen. John Bizon designated by the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Stephanie Chang designated by the Senate Minority Leader, Rep. Robert Bezotte designated by the Speaker of the House, and Rep. Laurie Pohutsky designated by the House Minority Leader. These appointments are not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. ### Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Hershey signs two new clean energy partnerships as it moves its operations toward the use of clean and renewable energy. Tweet this In addition, Hershey has signed a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) with National Grid Renewables for 50 megawatts (MWac) of the previously announced Noble Project (Noble), currently under construction in Denton County, Texas. Hershey's solar contract will account for an estimated 118,000 megawatt hours per year, creating a reduction of approximately 83,625 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to driving 210 million miles in the average passenger car or charging more than 10 billion smartphones.* Hershey is one of several companies involved in the Noble Project, which is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a total of 450,000 metric tons annually during the first 20 years of operations. Together, both solar projects will generate significant clean power in North Carolina and Texas as well as significantly reduce Hershey's CO2 footprint by 115,650 metric tons each year. The projects support the company's recently announced science-based targets commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the global best practice of the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C. Renewable energy investments and energy efficiency projects are a key focus area for Hershey to achieve its goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by more than 50% by 2030. "As we continue on our path towards an increased reliance on clean and renewable energy, we're excited to partner with BayWa r.e. and National Grid Renewables to develop these solar projects in North Carolina and Texas," said Jeff King, Senior Director of Global Sustainability and Social Impact. "Not only will these solar projects help Hershey to reduce its impact on the environment, they will also create jobs and help contribute to the growth of local economies and our commitment to reduce our GHG footprint." Edison Energy, a sustainability and energy management consultancy, advised Hershey on its environmental initiatives and selection of BayWa r.e. and National Grid Renewables as solar developers. Edison Energy has advised global companies, universities and cities on more than 6.7 gigawatts of renewable energy projects across North America and Europe. "We're committed to a clean energy future, and we're thrilled to work with forward-looking, corporate leaders like Hershey to address their ambitious climate goals," said Jam Attari, CEO of BayWa r.e. Solar Projects LLC in the U.S. "Renewable projects like Camden both support decarbonization efforts and have been the driver of skilled jobs creation in the energy economy and transition required to meet the continuing needs of these market leaders." "National Grid Renewables is proud to partner with Hershey and other stakeholders on Noble to provide strong economic benefits for the local community of Denton County," stated Nathan Franzen, Vice President, Development for National Grid Renewables. "We currently estimate that 250 workers will construct Noble, 3-5 new permanent jobs will be created to support project operations, and millions of dollars will be produced locally through new tax revenue creation and increased spending all while generating clean, solar energy for Texas residents." *Calculated using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator. This calculator uses marginal emissions rates. About The Hershey Company The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and is an industry-leading snacks company known for bringing goodness to the world through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to help children succeed. Hershey has approximately 17,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 90 brands around the world that drive more than $8 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop, and Pirate's Booty. For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed. To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com . About BayWa r.e. At BayWa r.e. we r.e. think energy -- how it is produced, stored and can be best used to enable the global renewable energy transition that is essential to the future of our planet. We are a leading global developer, service supplier, distributor and solutions provider and have brought over 4 GW of energy online and manage over 10 GW of assets. We are also an Independent Power Producer with an expanding energy trading business. BayWa r.e. works with businesses worldwide to provide tailored renewable solutions. Operating 100% carbon neutral, we are also committed to our own sustainability journey. Every day, we are working hard to actively shape the future of energy in a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Our shareholders are BayWa AG, a 17.2 billion (US$19.6 billion) global business, and Energy Infrastructure Partners, a leader in energy infrastructure investment. BayWa r.e. Solar Projects LLC is a leading utility-scale solar developer. For more information, visit https://us.baywa-re.com/en/solar/ About National Grid Renewables National Grid Renewables, part of the competitive, unregulated National Grid Ventures division of National Grid (NYSE: NGG), develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable energy assets across the United States, including solar, wind and battery storage. As a farmer-friendly and community-focused business, National Grid Renewables develops projects for corporations and utilities that seek to repower America's electricity grid by reigniting local economies and reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future. National Grid Renewables has a robust development pipeline of wind, solar and battery storage projects in various stages of development throughout the United States, as well as geographically diverse operational assets across the country. It supports National Grid's vision of being at the heart of a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. Please visit www.nationalgridrenewables.com to learn more. About Edison Energy A wholly owned subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), Edison Energy provides independent, global advisory solutions to help large corporate, industrial, and institutional clients better understand and navigate the choices and risks of managing energy. We enable decision-makers in organizations to deliver on their strategic, financial and sustainability goals by addressing the three biggest challenges in energy today: cost, carbon, and complex choices. We deliver and implement specialized solutions across analytics, renewables, sustainability, supply, and demand to align our client's energy investments with their strategic goals. For more information, visit www.edisonenergy.com. SOURCE The Hershey Company Related Links https://www.thehersheycompany.com CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - What was once the site of a pre-stressed concrete facility is transforming into a commercial hotspot. Progress is moving along in the Courtway Park development on the northeast corner of I-35 and Iowa Highway 122. While the combined Marriott Hotel and Event Center is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of the summer, as well as an Old Dominion facility slated to be built on the north side of the site, a new retail development called Starboard Square is taking shape next to the Marriott. City council approved a development agreement with Momberg Land during their Monday night meeting. It would provide tax rebates over a 7-year period, providing money for infrastructure, and a professional service fee. City council member Bennett Smith says momentum in the community is high with the project, and points to several key benefits the city has when it comes to attracting developers. "We have high quality of life, low taxes, attractive amenities. We're going to have a brand new wellness center coming on line later this year. We have a lot of quality of life advantages and some very good stories we can tell." While tax increment financing, or TIF, has been a controversial issue (and with some legislation slated to be discussed in Des Moines in House File 849), Smith believes TIF incentives are vital to development projects like these, particularly in rural areas. "We use it in a very prudent way in Clear Lake. We've been very successful with it, and this is another example of that with Starboard Square." Chad Schreck with North Iowa Corridor EDC believes the redevelopment along a key travel corridor is vital to attract visitors and potentially interested developers and businesses. "Entry points in your community are so important. You want to make sure that people have a positive impression of your community." As we return to some sense of normalcy, Schreck says a strong sense of community, strong work ethic and workforce, and a low unemployment rate may entice developers and businesses to the region. "Even though we have that low unemployment, we don't have a ton of people, we have great people, and we've got people with skill sets that fit a lot of these jobs. Whether its high tech, manufacturing, retail or restaurants, people here are positive and supportive of their business. Even during COVID, we saw the stability that we have to offer in more rural communities like ours. We didn't have major ups and downs like other areas might, and that's been really encouraging and positive for us." That stability is translating into calls from interested parties. "The things they're looking for, the questions they're asking. They really appreciate that low cost of life and low cost of business, we don't have those swings." Scheck says there are other development projects in the works, including the auctioning off of the former Shopko building, as well as some discussions regarding the former Sears space, and shovel ready sites in the south Mason City industrial park along the Avenue of the Saints. Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Stacy Doughan sent this statement regarding the Starboard Square development: "The Starboard Square Commercial Development is another great project that speaks to the vibrancy of our region. Throughout the last year, weve seen projects continue to move forward when other regions saw projects stalled or cancelled. Its no surprise that a retail project popped up so close to the new Marriott hotel." Reach Records artist GAWVI talks new album, legalism he experienced in youth group Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Reach Records artist GAWVI has released his debut Spanish album, Noche Juvenil, and hopes it reaches youth in the Latino community who might be feeling like an outcast in their church. The young artist told The Christian Post that he created Noche Juvenil, which translates as Youth Night, to capture the Christian experience he and his friends wish they'd had in their youth group. "I grew up in a Pentecostal house, which church Pentecostal is a little bit stricter on some occasions, said GAWVI, explaining that growing up, he was taught that "hip-hop was of the devil." As he got older and reached high school, his parents decided to explore why he was passionate about that genre of music. After listening to some Christian hip-hop, they "started realizing ... this is legalistic, thinking that this music is of the devil, which it's not." Legalism is contrary to the biblical teaching that the believer is saved by grace and not by works. The late Reformed theologian R.C. Sproul illustrated three forms of legalism in an article published at Ligonier Ministries. Sproul described legalism as: Focusing on Gods laws more than having a relationship with God; keeping external laws without a truly submitted heart; and adding man-made rules to divine laws and treating them as divine. "That background was basically the culture I grew up in," GAWVI said. "In church, reggaeton and all of that was looked down upon. It was 'other world.'" Many churches were once opposed to listening to rock 'n' roll, "but now rock is the main thing of worship," he added, naming Hillsong as one example. While he initially planned for Noche Juvenil to be an EP, because of the downtime he had during the COVID-19 pandemic, GAWVI was able to release what he calls his passion project." He said this was the music he wishes he had growing up. The event, Noche Juvenil, is well-known in the United States as a big church gathering in the Hispanic community. It's an occasion where Hispanic churches all gather together for youth night, he explained. Although the events were impactful, he said many young people often felt preached at. GAWVI told CP that he wants his music to create a space where youth can ask questions and not feel condemned. "Most of the time, what me and my friends laugh about is, it was kind of corny," he said of the youth events he attended growing up. We did get to experience God that's without a doubt. God definitely was moving in all of them. But there's a lot of moments, as I'm creating the album, me and my friends, we were just talking about the nostalgia ... those announcements were so long. Service went to like, three o'clock at night. Funny thing is, we were like, 'Man, if we could have done youth night, we would have done it like this.' As the conversations with his friends continued, he began to realize what the album needed to feel like, he explained, describing the messages he wanted to have when he and his friends were in high school. His new music aims to close the gap that makes the younger generation feel unrepresented and without a voice in their ministry. "This is not all churches, but the churches that I got to grow up in, and I think a majority of a lot of Hispanic churches were like this back then, he told CP. Noche Juvenil features a number of skits where a pastor can be heard saying, We don't want colored hair, no earrings, no necklace. Women no makeup, [wear] long dresses all the way to the floor. We wanted to capture that nostalgia and be like, 'OK, [now] we're gonna come as we are, he quipped back. Latin music is one of the top genres in the music industry worldwide and GAWVI wanted his album to reflect what's currently popular, but with a Gospel message. The entertainer commented that he piggybacked off some of the iconic legends in Latin Christian music such as Redimi2 and Funky. They're like the Lecraes in the Latin market, GAWVI remarked. I'm not making anything new, I'm just piggybacking off what they have started for guys like me. "We're like, How do we bring the Gospel and Jesus into that world and be relevant? Where if someone was in Youth Night tonight, they'd be like, 'Man, I connected with this. I feel like you're speaking my language, he continued. "I've been on a great journey recently, where I call this season of my life permission, GAWVI continued. The reason why I call it permission is through the album process. I've been able to talk to my parents a lot more than usual, asking them, 'What was it like when you were growing up in youth?' They would tell me, 'It was actually hard too.' He explained that his parents fell into the same legalistic patterns on certain issues, despite them also experiencing the sting of living by the law and not grace. "My mom, I remember her telling me that she wore jeans one time, and the pastor was like, 'youre a sinner,' he shared. "I call this season permission because a lot of times we grew up in church thinking we don't have permission to ask questions about 'Why is church culture like this?' or 'Why am I worshiping God with my hands up right now?' Basic things that are good, or 'Is this traditional, is this religious, is this actually something biblically solid?' GAWVI added. That's been something that I just really enjoy about this album process for me. The South Florida resident went on to say that creating the album has been "personally therapeutic" for him where he has been able to dive deeper into where does Christianity comes from? Western Christianity, Eastern Christianity, overseas, he told CP. I'm not just going on YouTube anymore and looking up sermons. I'm actually just diving deeper, into the Greek and all that, GAWVI said. GAWVIs Noche Juvenil draws inspiration from topics within Christianity that he's learning to embrace. "I have this one song called '1822,' which is Proverbs 18 verse 22, which [says], for those who find a good thing in a wife. The song is basically a Christian sex song, he admitted. From his upbringing in youth group, GAWVI always recalled ministers preach that Sex is bad, don't have sex before marriage, the lust of the eye. Although he maintained that all those teachings were great foundations, he also said that those one-dimensional teachings created a ceiling where when you get married, how do I view sex now, is this OK? "I wanted to make a song like that for people that are in youth, where it's like, I'm going to describe how this could be a loving, romantic thing when you get married, GAWVI asserted. Like that song, the popular producer hopes all his new tracks will grant his listeners the permission to start asking their pastors and parents the hard questions. Noche Juvenil is filled with dance songs the can easily be mistaken for music played in secular clubs today. To those who might criticize his sound, however, the young artist said he has the utmost respect for them because they know what's convicting to them. A close friend of mine can't watch movies that are with blood and gruesome things because it gives them a lot of scary dreams and makes your mind start getting fearful and fear is not of God. So I understand certain people that have conviction, he said. "But then, there's other people that are just saying, It's not of God, because of traditional things [but] you don't even know why you're saying it's not of God. And for me, that's where I extend grace, I understand. "As I was studying church culture, in Latin America, it's really sad how colonialism just really took over, it was forced for you to be a Catholic. Basically, in all these countries, a lot of slaughter happened, a lot of rape happened where you're forced to believe this, and that's what it's gonna be, GAWVI detailed. I think years and years of trauma and years and years of trying to break that mold, some countries still feel that weight of, 'Well, we have to be Catholic, we have to be Christian. And I don't know why I'm a Christian, I don't know why I'm Catholic. That's just the way it is. And I'm just gonna say this is not of Jesus.' According to a Pew study, Latin America is home to more than 425 million Catholics, nearly "40% of the worlds Catholic population." The father of two said he extends grace for some who are extra critical because of the history. GAWVI continued by saying hes inspired by the younger generation because they push back against things that we know are not really of God. "This whole generation is very vocal and how they feel, what they believe, he added. "I think it's great that people are having conversations and it's fine that people are being more bold. The more we can step away from fear and be bold is amazing. This Spanish language album follows GAWVI's last release, Heathen, an English dance record also filled with a strong Christian message meant to ruffle some religious feathers. When asked if he purposely fights the religious norms in todays society he said he didn't even realize he was following that pattern until recently. "It wasn't until recently, I've noticed [the] pattern that I'm having with my albums. I don't feel called to do that, he assured. But it is interesting that I always feel God plants certain emotions and ideas in my mind, a message that I want to give. I don't think I'm called to do that, but I think God has planted me in a position to speak on certain things. The 32-year-old ended the interview by sharing his wish for his passion project. "I hope there's a lot of freedom that could be broken in the Latin community, where people don't have to feel the weight of trying to put on a show, GAWVI said. "Many years I went through life having to hold my Bible real close and prove how Christian I am, and that's a sad life to have. You feel like you're dying inside. I pray that this album, specifically for the Latin community, that it will be like a breath of fresh air, he added. Noche Juvenil is now available. Clichy, Tuesday 20 April 2021 Annual General Meeting andBoard of Directors' Meeting of 20 April 2021 Appointments as directors of Mr Nicolas Hieronimus and Mr Alexandre Ricard Renewal of the te rm of office as directors of Ms Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, Mr Paul Bulcke and Ms Virginie Morgon Approval of a dividend of 4 per share Dissociation of the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer as of 1st May 2021 decided by the Board of Directors: Mr Jean-Paul Agon Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr Nicolas Hieronimus appointed Chief Executive Officer Share buyback for a maximum of euro1.2billionand a maximum number of 3 million shares The L'Oreal Annual General Meeting took place today behind closed doors in Clichy, without the physical presence of the shareholders, in compliance with the emergency measures adopted by the French Government to curb the spread of Covid-19. The Meeting was livestreamed on the Company's website. The Annual General Meeting adopted all the proposed resolutions, and in particular: Approved the parent company financial statements and the consolidated financial statements for 2020 Decided on the distribution of a dividend of 4 per share. This dividend is increased to 4.40 for shares that have been continuously held in the registered form since 31 December 2018 at the latest up until the dividend payment date, i.e. Thursday 29 April 2021. Appointed two new directors, Mr Nicolas Hieronimus and Mr Alexandre Ricard for a four-year term Mr Alexandre Ricard for a four-year term Renewed the term of office as directors of Ms Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, Mr Paul Bulcke and Ms Virginie Morgon for a four-year term. Meeting after the Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors decided, on the recommendation of the Nominations and Governance Committee, and in accordance with the announcements made on 14 October 2020, to dissociate the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Mr Jean-Paul Agon will continue to fulfil the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors as he has done since 2011 and Mr Nicolas Hieronimus is appointed Chief Executive Officer as of 1st May 2021. The Board of Directors paid a heartfelt tribute to Mr Jean-Paul Agon and expressed its profound gratitude for his exceptional performance as Chief Executive Officer of L'Oreal since 2006. A visionary leader with outstanding human qualities, he has profoundly transformed the Company and equipped it to face the challenges of the 21st century, in keeping with L'Oreal's guiding principles. Under his influence, the Group has significantly reinforced its position as a global beauty leader and accelerated its value creation dynamic. In 15 years, L'Oreal has increased its presence and its leadership in the world's most dynamic markets, particularly in Asia. Mr Agon has also positioned the Company at the forefront of digital and e-commerce. In the belief that financial and non-financial performance are inextricably linked, he has mobilised all stakeholders in the Company around his ambition to develop these two areas of excellence. The Board of Directors expressed its gratitude for having made L'Oreal a financial high performer and an exemplary company in environmental, social, ethical and societal terms. The Board of Directors is happy to be able to count on Mr Agon as Chairman to tackle the challenges L'Oreal faces going forward. It is especially delighted that the solid, close relationship of trust established with him will continue in the future. The Board welcomes the appointment of Mr Nicolas Hieronimus who, on 1st May, will become L'Oreal's sixth Chief Executive Officer since its founding in 1909. It underlined the experience, competence and remarkable leadership qualities of Mr Hieronimus. The Board of Directors will be able to rely on his expertise of the cosmetics market and his intimate knowledge of L'Oreal acquired during a 34-year career with the Group, as well as his vision of the future of beauty to implement the strategic guidelines of the coming years. The Board is convinced that Mr Hieronimus will be able to take advantage of all the opportunities offered by a fast-changing world to adapt the Group and reinvent it in keeping with its values, commitments and purpose (raison d'etre): "Create the beauty that moves the world". With the full support of the Company's 85,000 employees, he will lead the Group towards new and far-reaching success. The Board expressed its overwhelming trust in and support for Mr Hieronimus in his new role. Moreover, the Board of Directors has decided, on the basis of the resolution voted by the Annual General Meeting of 20 April 2021, to repurchase L'Oreal shares for a maximum amount of euro 1.2 billion and a maximum number of 3 million shares, during the period starting 3 May which may extend until 30 June 2021 (inclusive). All the shares bought back will be cancelled*. The results of the votes and the webcast of the Annual General Meeting are available on the www.loreal-finance.comwebsite. * The L'Oreal Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF (Autorite des Marches Financiers) on 16 March 2021 includes, on pages 384 and 385, all the information that must appear in the share buyback programme description pursuant to Article 241-2 of the General Regulation of the AMF. "This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our website www.loreal-finance.com. This news release may contain some forward-looking statements. Although the Company considers that these statements are based on reasonable hypotheses at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or projected in these statements." This is a free translation into English of the 2021 Annual General Meeting news release issued in the French language and is provided solely for the convenience of English speaking readers. Contacts at L'Oreal (Switchboard: +33 1 47 56 70 00) Individual shareholdersFinancial analysts and market authorities and institutional investors Journalists Mr Christian MUNICH Ms Francoise LAUVIN Ms Domitille FAFIN Tel: +33 1 47 56 72 06 Tel: +33 1 47 56 86 82 Tel: +33 1 47 56 76 71 christian.munich2@loreal.com francoise.lauvin@loreal.com domitille.fafin@loreal.com For more information, please contact your bank, broker or financial institutionor the L'Oreal Finance app; alternatively, call: +33 1 40 14 80 50. Attachment A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, adds to the sum of evidence that children do not play a key role in the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen behind the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the absence of any effective and targeted therapeutics against the virus, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) played a major role in policies meant to contain the spread of the virus. These included social distancing, business closures, and critically, school and university closures. The latter has been the subject of much controversy, with many scientists opining that evidence of the involvement of children in viral transmission was scanty. Many have contended that the social and educational, as well as financial, impacts of closing down educational institutions far outweighed any benefit in terms of viral containment. The proportion of cases in children has almost uniformly been low, and most children have a mild form of the disease. Already, UK and Norwegian studies indicate that viral spread among children in primary and secondary schools was very low. The current study aims to extend the area of research into preschools and childcare facilities, caring for children aged 1-6 years of age. Dealing with very young children, with a high risk of close interactions and difficulty in maintaining hand and face hygiene consistently, these facilities are of particular concern. The study, carried out in Saxony, Germany, covered NPIs mandated by the State, such as universal wearing of masks by parents, who were not allowed to enter the facility at either drop-off or pick-up times. Staff and children at the centers did not use masks in the absence of any such recommendation by the government. However, the only children allowed in such centers were those of essential workers, that too, only for emergency care. Staff were vetted for the infection, or for close contact with anyone with the infection, and for any respiratory symptoms, with or without fever, in all of which cases they were not allowed in the centers. The study included around 320 children, and 230 staff, in 14 childcare centers. While this included almost three of four individuals working at such centers, only a fifth of the children enrolled were actually attending at the time of the study. Just over a tenth of them were siblings. The median age of the children was four years and that of their parents 37 years. Serological results were available in almost all the parents of these children. For the children, the median household size was about four, while for the childcare workers, it was three. In the first phase of the study, until the middle of November 2020, only one parent and one of the staff members at the centers developed antibodies to the virus after an infection documented by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. The two cases were at different facilities. Two stool samples from children were also positive for the virus, one from each of two different facilities, for a prevalence of less than 1%. One was asymptomatic, and a second case was reported from the same center, while the other positive stool sample was not associated with linked cases. The parents in both cases had no history of infection and were seronegative. Second phase The second phase of the study, towards the close of January 2021, saw seropositivity rates rise to 12% and 10% of staff and parents, which comes to 25 and 23 out of 236 and 87, respectively, indicating comparable rates of seroconversion. The parents of children who attended the centers during the period of stringent lockdown had higher seroprevalence rates, compared to those whose children remained at home, at 19% vs. 9%, respectively. This difference was not seen with the children, however, with comparable prevalences of infection between those whose parents made use of emergency childcare services and the others. Of the 25 seropositive parents, 20 had a history of infection, and one had a positive household member. The same picture was obtained among childcare workers, with about 80% having had the infection and one having had household contact. Of the seropositives, ten parents and five staff said they had caught the virus from contact outside the childcare center. There was no difference between detected and undetected infections, however, between parents and childcare staff. Seroprevalence was higher among administrative childcare workers than those assigned direct childcare duties, at 21% vs. 8%, respectively. Of 11 participants who were seropositive and were first tested in December 2020, including nine parents, three already showed the presence of antibodies at this time. Thus, the remaining eight seroconverted during the third lockdown, implemented from December 14th, 2020. Upper respiratory symptoms were present in 36% and 39% of staff and parents during the study period. Only about 7% of children (15 of 222) had one or more positive stool samples, from eight centers. Overall, there were 22 stool samples containing viral ribonucleic acid (RNA). Possibly related cases were found in four centers, but not beyond three children each. The ratio of undetected and detected infections in children was almost one, with a history of contact with confirmed infection in almost half the cases. Viral spread in childcare centers In 6/14 facilities, no stool samples were positive. Among the 17 with viral RNA in their stool samples, only two had siblings participating in the same study, and both siblings returned negative stool samples. Moreover, five of the 17 had not visited the center at all before or during the period of viral shedding in stool, ruling out the center as the source of their infection. Six of the 17 children had seropositive parents, though three parents were not tested. Eight of the parents had no antibodies. There were five centers where 12 of the 17 children were attending childcare at the time that their stools showed viral RNA. Seven of the 12 were linked to one or more cases at four of the five centers. Over 90% of childcare centers had one or more person who was positive for the virus, but about 60% had isolated cases only, or no cases. Two or fewer linked infections occurred in about a fifth of all facilities, while outbreaks of 3-10 cases occurred in another fifth. Undetected pediatric cases were attending childcare in seven out of nine cases, with up to one linked case for three of them. The remaining four were linked to larger outbreaks in two facilities. Of the 14 centers, 11 were put under quarantine at least once. Of the three other centers, three positive stool samples were found, with the children attending the center at the time. All had isolated cases. Timeline of serological testing (1: baseline, 2: 2nd serological testing, 3: 3rd serological testing, 4: additional serological testing in December 2020) and reported numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Dresden, Saxony/Germany What are the implications? The study shows the efficacy of the NPIs current in Germany at the time of the study, preventing the hidden spread of the infection. There was only a single case of undetected infection in a child in the first phase of the study who attended the center during the time of infection without any special precautions. Yet, no linked cases were found. In the second wave, there was a proportional rise in seropositivity, but the number of undetected infections was still lower than expected. Parents and childcare workers showed comparable seroprevalence, but positive stool samples among children were still far fewer than among adults, supporting lower infection rates among children. Only three linked cases were detected in children, which adds weight to the theory that childcare facilities are not a major source of uncontrolled clusters. In fact, siblings seem to be spared in two of the cases, and no secondary case was detected in half of the total pediatric infections. Parents whose children were at the center during the second strict lockdown were more likely to be seropositive, probably because they were essential workers without the option of working from home. This exposed them to a greater number of contacts at the workplace. In support of this, fewer children in this situation were positive for the virus. Again, much more staff at the centers were infected, possibly linked to their occupation, than seropositive parents. This shows that adults spread infection more among themselves than between children and adults, when coupled with the fact that more administrative workers were seropositive, and that children with undetected infection showed very limited capability to spread the virus. Therefore, hygiene and distancing measures between childcare workers themselves might be the key measures in these institutions and more important than between children and workers. The use of serological studies enhances the detection of missed cases in adults at least, though the PCR testing of stool may have impaired the sensitivity of detection in children. The findings, therefore, cast doubt that childcare centers allow a significant asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2, with the needle of suspicion pointing to the adults themselves. These findings add to the evidence that childcare and educational settings do not play a crucial role in driving the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. *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. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands flaunted yet another sophisticated ensemble as she visited a cleaning company in Uden on Tuesday. The Dutch royal, 49, showed off her sensational sense of style as she visited cleaning company CSU, which recently won the King Willem I Prize in the Large Business category. The mother-of-three donned tailored beige trousers with a co-ordinated long-sleeved blouse for the solo engagement. The Dutch royal, 49, showed off her sensational sense of style as she visited cleaning company CSU, which recently won the King Willem I Prize in the Large Business category She didn't shy away from boldly accessorising her chic attire, as she sported a statement black brooch, drop earrings and a selection of chunky black bracelets. The wife of King Willem-Alexander, 53, gave herself a few extra inches with an elegant pair of black stiletto heels and held a matching leather-look clutch bag. She wore her golden tresses cascading loosely across her shoulders and enhanced her natural beauty with a light dusting of smokey make-up. Maxima put safety first amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by sporting a black face covering across her nose and mouth while arriving at the cleaning company. The mother-of-three donned tailored beige trousers with a co-ordinated long-sleeved blouse for the solo engagement in Uden, Netherlands, on Thursday Queen Maxima didn't shy away from boldly accessorising her chic attire, as she sported a statement black brooch, drop earrings and a selection of chunky black bracelets The King Willem I Award is seen as the Oscar for business owners in the Netherlands and has been awarded every two years since 1958 by the King Willem I Foundation. The foundation has active support from the Nederlandsche Bank N.V. and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The award goes to companies that have demonstrated their ability to successfully combine daring, decisiveness, sustainability, perseverance and innovation. There are three categories; Large companies, SMEs and a Plaque for Sustainable Entrepreneurship. It has been a busy few weeks for the Queen as she also visited the International Theater Amsterdam for another solo engagement last week. The royal spoke to the management of International Theater Amsterdam about how they went from 350,000 visitors in 2019 to having programmes cancelled because of the pandemic. The organisation began steaming performances in October 2020, attracting new audiences including those who had never been to the theatre before. The wife of King Willem-Alexander, 53, gave herself a few extra inches with an elegant pair of black stiletto heels and held a matching leather-look clutch bag Maxima put safety first amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by sporting a black face covering across her nose and mouth while arriving at the cleaning company It is expected that the organisation will continue to offer the opportunity to live stream production after the corona crisis. During her visit, Queen Maxima attended a rehearsal for new production 'The Hours', which is about one day in the lives of three women. The International Theater Amsterdam was created in 2018 from a merger between the Stadsschouwburg and Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Her husband Willem-Alexander, with whom she shares three daughters - Amalia, 17, Alexia, 15, and Ariane, 14 - did not appear to be present at either engagements. Likewise, the busy royal also had digital working visit to the national Student InzetopSchool platform amongst other plans. Willie Nelson urges Biden to make 4/20 a national holiday for weed Famous stoner Willie Nelson is calling on President Joe Biden to make the week of 4/20 a national holiday for marijuana. Fox News reports the country music legend and his Luck Reunion concert team started a petition urging Biden to mark a 10-day long celebration for cannabis, now legal in New York, from April 20 to Nelsons birthday on April 29, dubbed the High Holidays. We believe that recognition of the High Holidays opens the door to much needed dialogue supporting the many benefits of cannabis while helping to remove the unjustified stigmas currently surrounding this amazing plant, the petition reads. Please puff, puff, and pass this to your friends in Congress for consideration. When you do, reflect on the immortal words of Willie: I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong? MORE BUZZ: Vin Diesel to star in Rock Em Sock Em Robots movie ( SF Report: Kim K being pursued by royals, billionaires, A-listers ( DM Katie Holmes celebrates Suri Cruises 15th birthday ( ET Man arrested for trespassing at Taylor Swifts NY apartment ( E! That Damn Michael Che sketch comedy series coming to HBO Max ( SF Kelly Osbourne says she relapsed after 4 years of sobriety ( ET The Space Between trailer: Kelsey Grammer plays aging rock star ( RS MTV Movie & TV Awards: See list of 2021 nominees ( E! Google celebrates Luther Vandross with Doodle ( BB Edgar Ramirez to star in Florida Man TV series ( SF Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities. Johnny Mercer has said he had no choice but to leave the Government after frustration at a lack of progress over legislation to protect British veterans who served during the Troubles. Downing Street confirmed on Tuesday evening that the Prime Minister had accepted Mr Mercers resignation as veterans minister following speculation he intended to quit the post. However, the former Army officer said on Twitter that he was sorry to have been relieved of my responsibilities in Government amid reports that he was sacked by Boris Johnson. The MP for Plymouth Moor View has been heavily involved in the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which is going through its final stages in Parliament. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. The legislation was developed in response to legal claims made after operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but does not cover incidents in Northern Ireland. In a letter to the Prime Minister, which was posted on Twitter, Mr Mercer said the Government risks damaging an already bruised veterans cohort further with the proposals. He said he had hoped Mr Johnsons premiership would signal a step change in veterans affairs in the UK and that he had raised his concerns in a face-to-face meeting with him. It is with a heavy heart that I am forced to offer you my resignation from your Government, Mr Mercer said in the letter. I am of course, desperately sad events have transpired the way they have I truly have exhausted my efforts and my team to make it work. But the truth is politics always was a means to change how this country treats her military veterans, and I remain genuinely appalled by the experiences of some of this nations finest people who have served in the Armed Forces. (Kirsty OConnor/PA) I fought and bled alongside them, Ive been far more fortunate than many of them since, and I have a duty to tell their truth to power. Mr Mercer said in the letter to the Prime Minister that not including those who served during the Troubles was his red line, adding: I am deeply proud of my predecessors who served in Northern Ireland. Story continues They are not second-class veterans. They deserve the protections of the Overseas Operations Bill like everyone else. I made promises on your behalf that we would not leave them behind and would walk through simultaneous legislation for them. No discernible efforts have been made to do so, and I can see no prospect of this changing. I have no choice but to leave Government and campaign for them in Parliament. Mr Johnson thanked Mr Mercer for his service as a minister following his resignation on Tuesday, according to a Downing Street spokeswoman. The statement released shortly after 7pm said: This evening the Prime Minister has accepted the resignation of Johnny Mercer as minister for defence people and veterans. He thanks Johnny Mercer for his service as a Government minister since 2019. The Prime Minister said in a letter to Mr Mercer that he was grateful for his contribution as veterans minister and that he had made a real difference to the lives of defence personnel and veterans. I am grateful for your service and for everything you have done in the role, the letter said. Alongside helping todays veterans, you have put in place the solid foundations to build and expand our support for veterans in the future. The Office for Veterans Affairs has established cross-government leadership to improve the lives of those who have served this country. Your determination to fix problems and to make life better for our defence personnel and veterans has made a real difference, and I am grateful for everything that you have done. BOSTON and SHANGHAI, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Citrine Medicine, a China-based rare disease therapeutics company, and Sinopharm Group, a Chinese pharmaceutical company, today announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the commercialization of rare disease drugs in China. The two companies will work together to build a rare disease ecosystem in China and enable the availability of more rare disease therapies to Chinese patients in need. As part of the collaboration, Sinopharm Group will support Citrine in building a supply chain and securing distribution channels for delivering innovative rare disease therapies to patients in need. Sinopharm Group has more than 1,000 branches and subsidiaries, covering 388 prefecture-level cities in 31 provinces in China, enabling the company to reach patients in urban and rural regions across China. "We are very excited to launch this new strategic partnership with Citrine Medicine," said Yong Liu, President of Sinopharm Group. "As a leading biopharmaceutical company in China, Citrine Medicine is working to introduce multiple innovative drugs to serve patients with rare diseases. Sinopharm Group will leverage our knowledge and our connections within China's drug development supply chain to support Citrine in accelerating the pace at which we can bring new therapies to patients who need them." "This new partnership with Sinopharm Group brings us closer to our vision of creating the very first rare disease ecosystem for patients in China," said Melissa Bradford-Klug, President and Chief Business Officer of Citrine. "By working with Sinopharm, we will strengthen our relationships with strategic partners across China, including state-run distribution networks, enabling us to more rapidly bring more first- and best-in-class breakthrough therapies to the approximately 20 million patients with rare diseases living in China." About Citrine Medicine Citrine Medicine is dedicated to improving the lives of patients with rare and intractable diseases by making diagnosis and essential treatments available and accessible to those who need them in China. Our mission is to build the first rare disease ecosystem in China and in doing so, enable people with rare diseases to live more normal lives. In addition to developing and marketing rare disease drugs, Citrine aims to establish a patient-centric platform which educates people on rare diseases, trains doctors on diagnosis and treatment, and helps doctors develop a full disease management protocol. Citrine's lead product candidate, Wakix (pitolisant), is an investigational oral drug in development for the treatment of narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea in China. Citrine has initiated an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission for pitolisant in the treatment of narcolepsy and expects to complete the IND submission in the first quarter of 2021. Citrine also recently announced a strategic partnership that will allow the company exclusive rights to develop, register, and commercialize Alkindithe first clinically validated pediatric treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasiain the Greater China market. Citrine is headquartered in Shanghai and has other offices in Beijing, China and Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.citrinemed.com About Sinopharm Group Sinopharm Group is China's leading distributor and retailer of pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, and medical devices, as well as a leading supply chain service provider. The company always adheres to the enterprise philosophy of "caring for life and caring for health" and continues to provide high-quality products and thoughtful services for human health and a better life in the field of medicine and health. Founded in Shanghai in January 2003 and listed in Hong Kong in September 2009, Sinopharm Group includes two A-share listed companies, China National Medicines and China National Accord Medicines Corporation, as well as more than 1,000 other subsidiaries. The company ranks 22nd in the Fortune China Top 500 in 2020, and its parent company China National Pharmaceutical Group Corp ranks 145th in the Fortune World Top 500 in 2020. Citrine Medicine Media Contacts: Sarah Sutton Finsbury Glover Herring [email protected] 202-337-0808 SOURCE Citrine Medicine Related Links http://www.citrinemed.com Late this afternoon, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that at the request of the City of Chicago he is activating 125 personnel from the Illinois National Guard to stand by to support the Chicago Police Department with a verdict expected in the Minneapolis trial of Derek Chauvin, the onetime police officer charged with killing George Floyd. The jury was beginning deliberations today. The governor stressed in a news release that guard members would have a limited mission, helping with street closures and will not interfere with peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, much the same role as Guard members played in previous deployments. Interested drivers can learn more about these deals by visiting the Stockton Hyundai website Stockton Hyundai is eager to announce they have are offering quite a few different service specials that drivers in the Stockton, CA, region can take advantage of. Stockton Hyundai prides itself not only on providing the best vehicles at the best cost, but also being there for their customers when it comes time to do repairs and perform updates or upgrades on vehicles. The first service special that Stockton Hyundai is offering has to do with Hyundai vehicles cooling systems. The California sun is no joke, and the team at Stockton Hyundai is offering a $15 off coupon that can be used on this service. This service includes a pressure test, refilling up to one gallon of new coolant, checking and draining the cooling system and a check of all fluids, wiper belts, and drive belts. Another service that Stockton Hyundai is offering deals with Hyundai vehicles oil filters. For $49.95, the trustworthy team at Stockton Hyundai can replace up to 5 quarts of engine oil specific to each Hyundai model. They will also install a Hyundai oil filter and check the vehicle's vital fluids. Additionally, they will perform a multi-point inspection on the vehicle as well. These service special deals can only be redeemed at the local Stockton Hyundai dealership, which serves the greater Stockton, CA area. The coupon must be presented at the time of service and cannot be redeemed with any other promotional offers. To learn more about Stockton Hyundai, and the other service specials they are offering, head over to their website today at https://www.stocktonhyundai.com/?utm_source=prweb&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=2021april20 or call them at 209-227-1081. NEW YORK At least one person was killed and two injured after a shooter opened fire inside a manager's office at a Long Island grocery store Tuesday, police said. The Nassau County Police Department tweeted that the suspect "has been apprehended and taken into custody.'' Earlier, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder named Gabriel DeWitt Wilson as a person of interest and told reporters the suspect fled the scene at the Stop & Shop in West Hempstead, New York, heading west on a turnpike. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Ryder said the suspect was dressed in all black and believed to be armed with a small handgun. He said the man may be a current or former employee of the grocery store. The person killed was a 49-year-old store employee, Ryder said, adding that the two wounded were hospitalized and were conscious and alert. About 200 shoppers were inside the store, and the shooting occurred inside an upstairs manager's office, he said. They told us to just run and get out, and thats what we did, shopper Laura Catanese told News 12 Long Island. Police tweeted a photo of Wilson and asked the public to call 911 if they saw him. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Nassau County police officer Scott Santomero confirmed to USA TODAY officers were responding to a call before noon Tuesday of shots fired at the Stop & Shop. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was monitoring the situation and state police have been directed to assist local authorities. "I'm praying for the victims, and my heart breaks for their families and loved ones." In a statement, Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said he was "shocked and heartbroken by this act of violence." "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and the first responders who have responded heroically to this tragic situation. At this time, we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement on the investigation," Reid said John Durso, president of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW, a union that represents many of the workers at the store, said he was "devastated" by the shooting. Story continues "We as a society must recognize that gun violence is a workplace safety issue and that as part of this healing, we must make changes to ensure that this doesnt happen again. We owe it to our essential workers, Durso said in a statement. Active shooters in US: With FedEx shootings, America suffers 6th consecutive week with a mass killing West Hempstead's school district said in a Facebook post its buildings were in a "lockout" and advised the public to stay away. West Hempstead in Nassau County is located just a few miles east of Queens in New York City. The shooting is the latest in a recent string of public active-shooter incidents in the U.S.; multiple people were gunned down at a tavern in Wisconsin and a FedEx facility in Indianapolis within the last week. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stop & Shop shooting in West Hempstead, New York: What We Know (TNS) Robeson Community College has been awarded a nearly $300,000 grant intended to enhance the school's Information Technology program.Rep. Dan Bishop, NC-09, announced the $299,792 grant from the National Science Foundation on Tuesday. The grant money is to help train cybersecurity officials in North Carolina."The threat of cybersecurity attacks from rogue actors such as China, Iran, and Russia are increasing every day in the 21st Century economy," Bishop said. "As a nation, we need to be properly equipped to handle such attacks with well-trained cybersecurity specialists. The program that Robeson Community College offers can help to achieve this goal and by providing funding to train North Carolinians against these attacks, we can ensure our state has the workforce to satisfy the needs of our evolving economy."The grant will fund a three-year project called Robeson Cyber-Connect, which will start in May. The program will expand the Information Technology curriculum and include resources to assist students without Internet access. Robeson Cyber-Connect will also help create cybersecurity awareness on campus and in the community, said Lisa Hunt, assistant vice president for Grants and Foundation at RCC.Students also will be connected to community partners as they complete internships in the program, Hunt said.According to the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, the United States has a shortage of 31,000 cybersecurity jobs.But funding in the Information Technology program at RCC can help address the shortage, by reaching one student at a time and providing them with support needed to enter into those careers, RCC President Melissa Singler said."The National Science Foundation grant is evidence of the hard work, innovation and dedication of our faculty. This grant allows us another opportunity to support our students who aspire to pursue a career in cybersecurity. Robeson Cyber-Connect, will ensure that our students are well-prepared cybersecurity technicians," Singler said."Our collaborative partnership with our Small Business Center, the Public Schools of Robeson County, and area small business and industry, will allow us to offer a strong work-based learning model," Singler added. More than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Bexar County, and officials are begging more residents to get their shots. Supply has increased to the point where appointments are no longer required by some providers. At least 779,689 Bexar County residents have received one COVID vaccine dose, and 504,499 are fully vaccinated. For weeks and weeks, we were pleading for more vaccines, said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff at Mondays city-county coronavirus briefing. Now that we have the vaccines, were pleading with you: Please go get your shot. On ExpressNews.com: You're not supposed to be here' At 34, he needed new lungs after COVID wreaked havoc On Monday, University Health said it has started to accept walk-ins at its three vaccine clinics Wonderland of the Americas mall, St. Philips College and its downtown Robert B. Greene Campus no appointment needed. The health system also opened 15,000 appointment slots for this week and next week. San Antonio COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Christina Garcia, RN, checks a syringe after drawing the Moderna vaccine from a vial at the WellMed site at the Doris Griffin Senior One Stop Center on Tuesday. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News San Antonio COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker The citys vaccination operation at the Alamodome is now offering about 300 doses to people who drive up from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday on a first come, first served basis. With the removal of eligibility requirements for adults, there is no longer any reason to wait, said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. The message has shifted to: Get your vaccine, get it as quickly as you can where theres appointments available, said Nirenberg, who received his first dose over the weekend. The number of people receiving shots at mass vaccination sites has declined at University, from a daily high of 7,000 to 4,000, and from 4,000 to around 3,000 at the Alamodome. But officials said residents may also be seeking their shots in more convenient places as more providers offer them. On ExpressNews.com: At the brink of a disaster': San Antonio's ongoing blood shortages jeopardize patient care Rita Espinoza, chief of epidemiology at the Metropolitan Health District, said community health workers are doing outreach in areas where vaccine uptake has been lower. Coronavirus transmission has remained stable in San Antonio for the past month. The positivity rate has stayed below 3 percent for the past four weeks, and last week it fell to 2.2 percent, down 3.4 percentage points since March 15. The infection rate has also remained low, decreasing to 10 cases per 100,000 residents. But San Antonios COVID-19 hospitalizations have crept up again over the past two weeks. On Monday, 236 patients were receiving treatment in hospitals, up from 179 two weeks ago an increase of 32 percent. Of those, 93 were critically ill and 38 were on ventilator support. Nirenberg said the uptick is likely related to a bump in infections earlier this month that is now sending more people to the hospital. The additional patients are a reminder that the virus is still circulating in the community, officials said, even if its not reflected in all the data. On ExpressNews.com: COVID-19 one year later: What San Antonio's public health and medical experts have learned from the pandemic People are still dying, and people are still getting very sick, Wolff said. Espinoza encouraged people to seek medical attention when their symptoms worsen, rather than trying to cope with difficulty breathing or walking on their own at home. Health officials reported 119 new virus cases Monday, as well as 176 on Saturday and 280 on Sunday. An additional 1,680 backlogged cases pushed San Antonios cumulative infections since the start of the pandemic to 213,677. The seven-day average for new cases stood at 172, compared to 232 a week ago. No new deaths from COVID were reported Monday. Thirty backlogged deaths that occurred between Dec. 11 and March 28 raised the local death toll to 3,323. lcaruba@express-news.net A four-year-old child has been killed and another hospitalized after eating dog poison that looked similar to a lollipop in Vietnams Central Highlands. The incidents took place in Cu Jut District, Dak Nong Province on Monday morning, an official from the local administration confirmed later the same day. Pham Le Anh Th. and La Thu Ng., four years old, were playing at the yard in front of their house when they saw an object on the ground and thought it was a lollipop. Shortly after eating the item, the two girls collapsed on the ground and showed signs of difficulty breathing. They were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Ng. passed away at the infirmary, while Th. is still receiving treatment. Police officers stated that the children had eaten dog poison that looked like a lollipop, which is often left behind by local dog thieves in order to kill and steal household dogs. Further investigation is ongoing to identify those who may have left the dog poison on the ground. Such a tragedy is not unprecedented in Cu Jut District. In December 2016, a 53-year-old man died after biting into a stick of dog poison he believed to be a lollipop. In 2014, a 22-month-old boy was killed after picking up a similar stick of dog poison in front of his house and eating it. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. ("Calibre" or the "Company")(TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) is pleased to announce that the Company has commenced advancing the 100% owned Eastern Borosi Project ("EBP") located in northeastern Nicaragua. During March Calibre initiated a diamond drilling program to convert resources in three high-grade gold deposits from inferred to indicated classification and drill new, high priority gold-silver targets that have been outlined based on geochemical, geophysical and structural data. This work is being done with the aim of advancing EBP to be the next high-grade 'Mining Spoke' as part of the Company's "Hub-and-Spoke" operating strategy. Highlights The 176 km 2 EBP hosts NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resources containing 700,500 ounces of gold and 11.4 million ounces of silver among six epithermal vein style deposits with a combined 4.4 million tonnes averaging 4.93 g/t Au and 80 g/t Ag (prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. dated May 11, 2018 with mineral resource summary provided below); EBP hosts NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resources containing 700,500 ounces of gold and 11.4 million ounces of silver among six epithermal vein style deposits with a combined 4.4 million tonnes averaging 4.93 g/t Au and 80 g/t Ag (prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. dated May 11, 2018 with mineral resource summary provided below); Mineral resources have been defined in six vein systems that are exposed along an eight-by-ten kilometre structural corridor that remains open for resource expansion and discovery to the northeast and southwest; The "Mining Triangle" of northeast Nicaragua of which EBP is a part has produced in excess of 8 million ounces 1 of gold but remains significantly underexplored; of gold but remains significantly underexplored; The initial infill and geotechnical drilling program is focused on Guapinol, the adjacent Vancouver, and the Riscos de Oro ("Riscos") deposits which contain combined inferred resources of 1.97 million tonnes averaging 8.15 g/t Au and 69 g/t Ag containing 515,000 ounces of gold and 4,371,000 ounces of silver ; ; Calibre has made significant progress during Q1, 2021 to acquire surface land rights and commence technical work and baseline environmental studies to support an Environmental Impact Assessment; EBP is located approximately 400 km by road from the Company's 2.2 million tonne per annum Libertad Mill which is currently less than 50% utilized; Calibre intends to commence exploration drilling in Q3 to test the potential for expanding the Guapinol-Vancouver and Riscos de Oro resources, as well as high priority targets along the principal vein trends at EBP. Darren Hall, President & Chief Executive Officer of Calibre, stated: "During 2020, we implemented our "Hub-and-Spoke" operating strategy, which has exceeded expectations leading to a 30% increase in 2021 production guidance over 2020. So far this year, we have delivered on commitments by expanding our "Hub-and-Spoke" operation with the development of the new high-grade 'Mining Spoke' at Pavon Norte open pit. With the surplus capacity at our Libertad mill we are now turning our attention to EBP, which represents an excellent opportunity to develop another new high-grade 'Mining Spoke', delivering potential lower cost production increases and extending processing life at Libertad." Mark Petersen, Vice President of Exploration, stated: "Calibre's exploration success at EBP over the past 11 years demonstrates the project's excellent potential for the discovery of high-grade resources hosted within a district scale system of epithermal gold-silver veins. Not only do we see opportunities to expand resources around the known deposits at Guapinol, Vancouver and Riscos, we also recognize strong potential for additional new discoveries on less explored vein systems within the project area. Now that the infill drilling program is fully ramped up and underway, our exploration team is eager and ready to begin pursuing these earlier stage opportunities toward our next resource growth opportunity." The 100% Owned Eastern Borosi Property The EBP property package consists of 176 km2 of 100% owned mineral concessions within the Company's larger concession holdings in the prolific "Golden Triangle" region of northeastern Nicaragua. The property hosts gold-silver resources in multiple vein systems that are part of a larger district of epithermal style, gold-silver and base metal vein mineralization. Mineral resources have been defined in six vein systems that are exposed along an eight-by-ten kilometre structural corridor that remains open to the northeast and southwest. The individual resources are distributed among three different areas of EBP. The high-grade Guapinol, Vancouver and Riscos deposits are centrally located near the town of Riscos de Oro, with the Blag and East Blag deposits located approximately 6 km to the northeast and the La Luna deposit located the same distance to the southeast (see link to project area map below). A table summarizing the inferred resources for each of the deposits is provided below. Following the consolidation of project ownership to a 100% basis in August 2020 (see Calibre news release dated August 20, 2020 (https://www.calibremining.com/news/calibre-completes-acquisition-of-remaining-70-int-1760/)), the Company initiated a comprehensive evaluation of EBP's overall exploration and development potential. The work was completed by members of Calibre's in-house exploration and technical services teams working in collaboration with external exploration and mining consultants. Key outcomes of the evaluation included firstly the recognition of the potential for further development of a high-grade open pit resource at the Guapinol and Vancouver deposits in combination with an underground resource at Riscos de Oro. A second outcome was the recognition of EBP's significant potential for expansion of currently defined resources in combination with new discoveries on multiple other targets that have so far remained largely untested by exploration drilling. The current drilling program includes 22,000 metres of infill, geotechnical and metallurgical drilling to support technical studies to evaluate development options for Guapinol-Vancouver and Riscos de Oro. The Company also plans to initiate a 7,500 metre exploration drilling program beginning in Q3 to test the potential to expand resources at Guapinol-Vancouver and Riscos de Oro, as well as first pass testing of high priority gold-silver targets along the principal structural trends in the district. During the past 11 years, a total of 40 kilometres of exploration and resource delineation drilling and 2 kilometres of surface trenching have been completed at EBP. Between 2016 and 2019 drilling on five earlier stage targets intercepted high-grade gold-silver mineralization demonstrating further exploration upside that merits further follow-up. Highlights of previously reported drill results outside of current resources include: Cadillac Zone : 2.6 metres Estimated True Width ("ETW") averaging 8.93 g/t Au and 57.4 g/t Ag between 65.6 and 69.7 metres down-hole in drill hole LS15-008; : 2.6 metres Estimated True Width ("ETW") averaging 8.93 g/t Au and 57.4 g/t Ag between 65.6 and 69.7 metres down-hole in drill hole LS15-008; San Cristobal Zone : 5.7 metres ETW averaging 10.92 g/t Au and 859.0 g/t Ag between 87.8 and 95.9 metres down-hole in drill hole SC18-002; : 5.7 metres ETW averaging 10.92 g/t Au and 859.0 g/t Ag between 87.8 and 95.9 metres down-hole in drill hole SC18-002; Veta Loca Zone : 5.4 metres ETW averaging 10.15 g/t Au and 6.9 g/t Ag between 88.8 and 94.3 metres down-hole in drill hole GP16-046; and : 5.4 metres ETW averaging 10.15 g/t Au and 6.9 g/t Ag between 88.8 and 94.3 metres down-hole in drill hole GP16-046; and La Luna South Zone: 12.7 metres ETW averaging 5.75 g/t Au and 34.3 g/t Ag between 53.0 and 68.9 metres down-hole in drill hole LL18-012. Highlights of the 2019 drill results yet unreported to date outside of the 2018 Inferred Mineral Resource include: Southwest Riscos De Oro Zone: 1.15 metres ETW averaging 23.82 g/t Au and 26.0 g/t Ag between 98.0 and 99.2 metres down-hole in drill hole RD19-049; 1.15 metres ETW averaging 23.82 g/t Au and 26.0 g/t Ag between 98.0 and 99.2 metres down-hole in drill hole RD19-049; Southwest Riscos De Oro Zone: 3.57 metres ETW averaging 4.83 g/t Au and 15.8 g/t Ag between 112.4 and 116.1 metres down-hole in drill hole RD-19-050; and 3.57 metres ETW averaging 4.83 g/t Au and 15.8 g/t Ag between 112.4 and 116.1 metres down-hole in drill hole RD-19-050; and Pueblo Santos Zone: 1.67 metres ETW averaging 11.20 g/t Au and 9.20 g/t Ag between 56.9 and 59.8 metres down-hole in drill hole PS 19-004. (see Calibre news releases dated September 15, 2016, February 1, 2018 and December 1, 2018) To view a PDF of the Eastern Borosi Plan Map, long sections, and location of NI-43-101 Inferred Mineral Resources please go to the following link: Link 1 (https://calibremining.com/site/assets/files/4514/eastern_borosi_maps_v4.pdf) - Eastern Borosi Property Maps & Cross Sections Link 2 (https://calibremining.com/site/assets/files/4514/ebp_unreleased_holes_2019.pdf) - Eastern Borosi 2019 Drill Hole Tables Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark A. Petersen, P.Geo., VP Exploration of the Company, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. EASTERN BOROSI PROJECT Summary of Inferred Mineral Resources - March 15, 2018 Vein Category Tonnage (000t) Grade (g/t Au) Grade (g/t Ag) Contained Au (000oz) Contained Ag (000oz) Riscos de Oro Underground / Inferred 1,184 5.73 106 218 4,047 Guapinol 612 12.74 12 251 243 Vancouver 170 8.54 15 47 82 Subtotal 1,966 8.15 69 515 4,371 Blag Underground / Inferred 740 3.01 117 72 2,776 East Dome 513 2.23 219 37 3,611 Subtotal 1,253 2.69 159 109 6,387 Total Underground / Inferred 3,219 6.03 104 624 10,759 La Luna Open Pit / Inferred 1,199 1.98 16 77 601 Total Inferred 4,418 4.93 80 701 11,360 Notes : CIM (2014) definitions were followed for classification of Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 2.0 g/t AuEq for resources potentially mined by underground methods and 0.42 g/t AuEq for resources potentially mined by open-pit methods. Mineral Resources and gold-equivalent cut-off grades were estimated using long-term gold prices of US$1,500 per ounce and US$23 per ounce of silver. Gold equivalent cut-off values were calculated using the formula: AuEq (g/t) = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) / (101.8) A minimum mining width of 2.4 metres was used for underground and 3 metres for open pits. Bulk density is 2.65 t/m3 for Blag, East Dome, Riscos De Oro and La Luna, and 2.60 t/m3 for Guapinol and Vancouver. East Dome is included in the Blag resource model and Vancouver is included in the Guapinol resource model. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have economic viability. For further details refer to 'NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Eastern Borosi Project, Nicaragua' prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. dated May 11, 2018. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Darren Hall" Darren Hall President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Ryan King Vice President, Corporate Development & IR Calibre Mining Corp. T: 604.628.1010 E: calibre@calibremining.com (mailto:calibre@calibremining.com) W: www.calibremining.com About Calibre Mining Corp. Calibre Mining is a Canadian-listed gold mining and exploration company with two 100%-owned operating gold mines in Nicaragua. The Company is focused on sustainable operating performance and a disciplined approach to growth. Since the acquisition of the Limon, Libertad gold mines and Pavon Gold Project, Calibre has proceeded to integrate its operations into a 'hub-and-spoke' operating philosophy whereby the Company can take advantage of reliable infrastructure, favorable transportation costs, and multiple high-grade ore sources that can be processed at either Limon or Libertad, which have a combined 2.7 million tonnes of annual mill throughput capacity. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Calibre's control. For a listing of risk factors applicable to the Company, please refer to Calibre's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019, available on www.sedar.com (http://www.sedar.com). This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Calibre's forward-looking statements. Calibre's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. Calibre does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Note 1: Joseph T. Arengi, 2002 report CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian dollar climbed against its major counterparts in the Asian session on Tuesday, after the minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest meeting showed that policy makers assessed that the country's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was proceeding more quickly than anticipated. Minutes from the RBA's April 6 meeting showed that members were worried over the unemployment and subdued price pressures. To that end, the bank said it does not expect to hike its benchmark lending rate from the current record low of 0.10 percent until at least 2024 at the earliest. At the meeting, the bank kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged at the record low of 0.10 percent. The central bank retained the target yield on the 3-year Australian government bond at around 0.1 percent. Further, China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged, as widely expected. The one-year loan prime rate was retained at 3.85 percent and the five-year loan prime rate was maintained at 4.65 percent. Asian markets are trading mixed as investors weighed corporate earnings and recent spikes in virus cases. U.S. President Joe Biden held a meeting on Monday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers who have all served as governors or mayors, as the White House seeks a deal on his more than $2 trillion jobs and infrastructure proposal. 'I am prepared to compromise and prepared to see what we can do and what we can come together on,' Biden said at the outset of the meeting. The aussie climbed to a 4-day high of 1.5442 against the euro and near a 6-week high of 0.9756 against the loonie, off its early lows of 1.5524 and 0.9711, respectively. The aussie is seen finding resistance around 1.49 against the euro and 1.00 against the loonie. The aussie touched near 5-week highs of 0.7809 against the greenback and 84.70 against the yen, rising from its prior lows of 0.7751 and 83.79, respectively. The next possible resistance for the aussie is seen around 0.80 against the greenback and 0.88 against the yen. The aussie recovered to 1.0823 against the kiwi, from more than a 4-week low of 1.0790 seen earlier in the session. On the upside, 1.105 is possibly seen as its next resistance level. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe, last April 19, filed a lawsuit alleging Twitter defamed him. Accused him of having fake accounts, which he took offense for, was untrue. Project Veritas Founder cries foul Conservatives like James O'Keefe have had their Twitter accounts taken down for one reason or another. Like ex-President Trump, he had a permanent ban from April 15 after what he posted on the Project Veritas account reported the Epoch Times. He posted material that, according to Twitter, was inappropriate, like exposing the activities of those connected to the Far Left. According to the lawsuit claims, Twitter knowingly defamed O'Keefe in a statement explaining his permanent suspension from the platform, which was filed in the Supreme Court of New York in Westchester County. This is the statement of the lawsuit against Twitter reported by the Washington Examiner. "Because Mr. O'Keefe is a journalist, the false allegation that he worked 'fake accounts' is especially damaging to him. As a result, his reputation for honesty and accuracy in reporting is crucial to his career." When contacted for comment, Twitter did not give any comment. Veritas Chief O'Keefe had over 926,000 followers at the time of his removal from the platform. In the days leading up to the ban, he published a series of undercover videos showing a technical director at CNN speaking about the network's campaign to remove President Donald Trump from office and intentional fear-mongering over the pandemic for the sake of ratings. Twitter Senior Executive Captured by Undercover Video Talking About Censoring Users In February, Twitter shut down two Project Veritas accounts over several days; they were Project Veritas and Project Veritas Action that was different legal entities based on the lawsuit of O'Keefe. One reason Twitter decided to ban Project Veritas is a video of a journalist from the outfit questioning Facebook Vice President Guy Rosen outside a residence. This prompted the platform to claim the video on the Veritas account that violated the rules on private information; the number of the house was captured on the video. Several days after the Big Tech was canceled, the Project Veritas Action was claimed to bypass the ban of his Project Veritas Account, according to Twitter. But, the lawsuit argued that Twitter is selective in removing content on their platform. The video with Rosen claimed no details of the address were revealed, and the state was not even mentioned. Before he filed the lawsuit, O'Keefe denied the claims of Twitter and said the platform is committing libel. In a statement to Fox News, Project Veritas Founder James O'Keefe was quoted to make the statement. "I am suing Twitter for defamation because they said, I, James O'Keefe, 'operated fake accounts.' This is false, this is defamatory, and they will pay." "Section 230 may have protected them before, but it will not protect them from me. The complaint will be filed Monday." Big Tech Censorship of Donald Trump, World Leaders Call for Regulation Parler CEO John Matze and Family Receive Death Threats, Forced to Hide @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. LONDON: The United Kingdom has announced to impose its strictest travel curbs on India after an explosion of coronavirus cases in the country. The announcement was made on Monday, shortly after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called off a scheduled trip to New Delhi. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that it will be effective from 0300 GMT on Friday, India will be added to Britain's "red list" of countries, banning all arrivals from India except for the UK or Irish nationals. "Weve made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the Red List. This means anyone who is not a UK or Irish resident, or a British citizen cannot enter the UK if they`ve been in India in the previous 10 days," Matt Hancock told Parliament. "UK and Irish residents and British citizens who`ve been in India in the past 10 days before their arrival will need to complete hotel quarantine for 10 days from the time of arrival." The move was taken as a precaution while the COVID-19 variant first identified in India was assessed. Asked whether vaccines being rolled out in Britain worked against the variant, Hancock said he could not give that assurance but was looking to establish an answer as soon as possible. "The core of my concern about the variant first found in India is that the vaccines may be less effective in terms of transmission and/or in terms of reducing hospitalisation and death," he said. "It is the same concern that we have with the variant first found in South Africa, and is the core reason why we took the decision today." Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his planned visit to India next week due to the coronavirus situation there. Johnson, who admitted it was 'frustrating' but 'only sensible' to call off the visit, will instead speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month to launch their plans for the future UK-India partnership, with their physical meeting expected later in the year. "Narendra Modi and I have basically come to the conclusion that, very sadly, I won't be able to go ahead with the trip," Johnson told reporters, during a visit to Gloucestershire soon after the Downing Street announcement. "I do think it's only sensible to postpone, given what's happened in India, the shape of the pandemic there. Countries around the world including our own have been through this. I think everybody's got a massive amount of sympathy with India, what they're going through," he said. Live TV Johnson said she is looking forward to the role and listed out a variety of plans going forward. She mentioned the impact the novel coronavirus pandemic has had on Libertyvilles downtown business district. Revitalizing the area will be at the forefront of her agenda, she said. With that, Johnson said she also wants to make sure small businesses and the community have the necessary support needed to weather the current economy. TAMPA, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Opening in late April, 2021, O2B Kids is announcing two new locations in the Tampa area, expanding the company's reach to provide their highly-acclaimed preschooling and childcare services to families and parents in a new area of Florida. O2B Kids is a local company with a passion for providing excellent early childhood education with a state-of-the-art curriculum, as well as top-rated childcare services; these services include after school programs, day care programs, and more, depending on each location's unique offerings. The two Tampa O2B Kids locations, Riverview and South Tampa, are locations offering preschool upon opening. These two new locations are an exciting new step in the company's mission to provide care and support to parents and families and make a positive impact on the communities they serve. Both locations are enrolling infants to 5 years old at the time of this publication. Riverview, named for the city it resides in, is located on Boyette Road in Riverview, Florida. As a growing suburb of bustling Tampa, this town has seen an influx of young families and parents to inhabit the many beautiful neighborhoods currently in development. Offering preschool for infants through VPK and pre-K children, this O2B Kids is conveniently located on the main road of Riverview, and is right next door to Culver's, a favorite for fast dining in the area. The Riverview O2B Kids boasts a particularly large outdoor playground with turf, shade structures, and more, as well as spacious classrooms for comfortable learning from the state-of-the-art curriculum, Funnydaffer. This location is opening on Monday, April 26th, 2021. The South Tampa O2B Kids is located on West Gandy Boulevard, in a part of the city which is undergoing a revitalization and growing very quickly. Offering early childhood education through the Funnydaffer curriculum, O2B Kids South Tampa honors the previous residents of their building while also providing a tidbit of local history to children by naming the indoor playground Brown's Trophy Town, after the trophy shop that previously inhabited the building for over 40 years. At South Tampa, the state-of-the-art curriculum isn't the only top-quality offering; the sizable playground both indoor and outdoor, providing a safe and comfortable play area for children year-round, and boasts a large play 'village' where children can freely explore and learn every day through play, one of the key components of the O2B Kids' curriculum. Learn more about O2B Kids and its services, locations, and curriculums, and enroll your child today o2bkids.com . This location is opening on Monday, April 19th, 2021. About O2B Kids: With nationally-accredited learning and education programs in each of the over 20 locations currently open, O2B Kids is a well-known and well-reviewed education and childcare provider throughout Florida and Georgia. By providing excellent care for children as young as newborns and on through school-age, O2B Kids has created positive experiences and learning for children and families alike since it's first opening in 1998. By focusing on providing a strong foundation for children and families to build on, O2B Kids is committed to excellence and growing healthy, happy kids. Media Contact: April Schroeder O2B Kids Business Office (352) 338-9660 ext 16 or 17 [email protected] SOURCE O2B Kids Dont test us. Dont test us. We are ready. We are prepared, and we are ready to arrest and bring to prosecution anyone who would dare try to take the dreams of our small businesses by looting, Lightfoot said after being asked about the citys preparedness for potential unrest following a verdict in the trial. Dont test us, because we are ready. (Natural News) A Walgreens store in Monroe, N.C., mistakenly injected a handful of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) patients with saline shots instead of the chemical cocktails from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson (J&J), new reports indicate. A spokesperson from the company told local media outlets that a limited number of people accidently received saline at the location, though it is unclear as to why or how this occurred. We are investigating what happened and have taken immediate steps to review our procedures with the location to prevent this from occurring again, the spokesperson is quoted as saying, adding that the saline shot will not affect recipients second dose of the real thing. These patients will later receive their second dose within the appropriate time frame. One patient, Lisa Strawn, told a local media outlet in Charlotte that a pharmacist at the Monroe location in question told her that the jab she received had not been mixed, thus resulting in a purely saline injection. I asked the guy, I said, How did you figure out that we only got saline?' Strawn told WCCB. And he said, Well, at five, when she called me and she said she had a lot of vaccine left over, what was she to do with it? and he said, You shouldnt have any vaccine left over, so thats how they discovered it. At this point, it is unclear exactly how many people received the saline injection as opposed to the gene-modifying mRNA (messenger RNA) injections they were supposed to receive. I just thought it was important that people know, just be careful, Strawn added. You know, check behind them. Virginia Kroger accidentally administered empty syringes to coronavirus patients A similar anomaly occurred at a Kroger grocery store location in Virginia, where pharmacists or whomever are administering these things injected patients with nothing. Instead of having their DNA permanently altered, recipients received nothing but air. Kroger officials at first claimed that the patients received saline injections by mistake, but later updated their story to claim that the syringes were actually empty. According to a Kroger spokeswoman, a small number of patients at the Midlothian location, located near Richmond, were given the empty syringes. All of them later received actual injections with DNA-altering chemicals. We thank these customers for their understanding and have apologized for their inconvenience, the spokeswoman added. Those administering the injections were apparently unaware of the fact that the syringes were not pre-filled. Consequently, they injected air into the patients, which can be deadly. Kroger is taking steps to ensure that similar incidents dont occur in the future, the company explained, adding that the mistake was immediately addressed with the TLC team and everyone involved quickly retrained and reminded of the current vaccination policies. As for Walgreens, one commenter at The Epoch Times speculated that if some people mistakenly received only saline that others may have gotten too high a dose of the real thing. If the vial wasnt shaken and some got saline, that means some got more than they should, this person wrote. Morons shouldnt be allowed to dispense this stuff. Another added that it would have been better to receive just the saline and no actual vaccine because with that would come all of the same privileges as those who were actually vaccinated with none of the DNA modification. Still, this shows you the people administering these vaccines are idiots and hence cant be trusted with our health, this same person added, making a very good point about the lunacy of this entire ridiculous process. More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine fiasco can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com MSN.com NaturalNews.com NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has derided the federal health minister's warning that mass vaccination won't lead to the borders opening as 'the biggest load of rubbish I ever heard'. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt cautioned last Tuesday that international borders could stay closed even if the whole country were vaccinated. 'That's the biggest load of rubbish I ever heard,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday. 'The vaccination program will change our lives. The vaccination program will allow us to live with Covid in a better way,' she said. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has derided the federal health minister's warning that mass vaccination won't lead to the borders opening as 'the biggest load of rubbish I ever heard' Asked if she had communicated her views on Mr Hunt's statement to the prime minister, the premier responded: 'That's a private matter for me.' Mr Hunt on Tuesday played down any tension. 'I don't see that there's actually any disagreement here,' he said. Poll Should Australia open the international border once the over 70s are vaccinated? Yes No Undecided Should Australia open the international border once the over 70s are vaccinated? Yes 1246 votes No 708 votes Undecided 116 votes Now share your opinion 'The real point is that we progressively open. 'So our approach is to open as quickly and as possible but subject to safety.' Mr Hunt referred to the example of Chile which has recently seen a sharp spike in cases even though more than half of the population are vaccinated. However, most Chileans have been given the Chinese CoronaVac which is only 53 per cent effective at stopping the disease. Ms Berejiklian's government has been calling for a more flexible rollout, and particularly for vaccination of over-50s to be brought forward. She said on Tuesday that 2.9 million of the 6 million adults in NSW were over 50. The health advice is for those under 50 to get the Pfizer over the more plentiful AstraZeneca vaccine because of clotting risks. 'That's still a lot of people to get vaccinated,' she said. Ms Berejiklian also waved away concerns that a positive test for an Auckland airport worker could burst the trans-Tasman travel bubble. A manageable 'case or two' should not impede the opening up of borders, she said. A 'managed outbreak should be dealt with and life moves on'. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt cautioned last Tuesday that international borders could stay closed even if the whole country were vaccinated NSW vaccinated 3,881 people in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday, bringing the total number jabbed by the state to 177,733. Three new cases were diagnosed in hotel quarantine in that same period. Investigations are continuing into how the virus jumped between adjacent hotel rooms at the Adina Apartment Hotel at Sydney's Town Hall earlier this month. No further transmission has been identified, NSW Health. One Covid-19 patient continues to be treated in intensive care. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/20/2021 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. couple Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell are reportedly over for good and any chance of reconciliation no longer exists after Matt was accused of two-timing Rachael."Rachael and Matt are on non-speaking terms after she learned about him lying about being in communication with another girl," a source told Us Weekly on Monday."He was in Atlanta this weekend, which is less than an hour away from where Rachael resides, and he has not reached out to her to make amends or apologize. As far as she's concerned, what they had is in the past now."Following their March appearance on : After the Final Rose, Matt stayed in touch with Rachael and allegedly told her that he still loved her and wanted to date her again, according to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone.The former couple, who broke up in February , therefore reunited in New York City on April 6. But just two days beforehand, Matt allegedly spent time in Miami, FL, and reached out to a girl named Grace whom he had dated before and after being named star last year.Carbone claimed in a recent Instagram Live session Matt had been "trying to hook up" with Grace in Miami and treated her like "a booty call.""Rachael is very emotional right now because she was very hopeful that things were going to work out," a second source told Us earlier this month. "She's still trying to process this."The second insider added that Rachael thought she and Matt were on the track to getting back together but, once she found out about Grace, felt "manipulated" by her ex-boyfriend.Although Grace and Matt did not actually meet up in Miami, Grace reportedly confronted Matt on the phone once she heard about Matt and Rachael's subsequent reunion in New York."Matt was flat out lying to [Grace's] face... He called Grace back and said, 'I would never try and get with you Sunday night if that were the case,'" Carbone claimed.A source reportedly made Rachael aware of Matt's alleged betrayal and then Rachael also asked Matt to tell her the truth, which Carbone said resulted in Matt insisting Grace didn't mean anything to him and he just needed another body to fill out a table at a Miami club."Not true, because when Grace told him, 'I'm not going to see you,' on Sunday night [and] 'I don't want to go to a party,' [Matt] said, 'Well, maybe we can have time to ourselves,'" Carbone recalled."So it was clear Matt wanted to be with her on Sunday night, but she never did."The spoiler blogger added, "I just want to applaud Matt on the effort he's putting into playing two women at the same time."Despite Matt's denial about Grace, "Rachael essentially walked out on Matt and [said], 'We're done,'" according to Carbone."Matt got caught with his pants down and she left and called her [ ] girls and hung out with them... She left Matt's apartment in a huff very upset and crying," Carbone said.Rachael also reportedly contacted Grace directly to compare stories and the two women determined Matt had been playing them both.Grace later confirmed Carbone's reporting about her interactions with Matt when she participated in an Instagram Live session with the spoiler blogger, and the second Us source said Grace totally "dropped [Matt]" after her findings.According to Carbone, Matt FaceTimed with Rachael every day following After the Final Rose and had every intention of reconciling with her until she discovered his alleged attempt to hook up with Grace only two days earlier."[Matt] has been up Rachael's ass for three weeks," Carbone argued on Instagram, adding, "[He's] been telling Rachael he wants to be back together with her and he wants to have a relationship with her."Carbone insisted prior reports Matt was hanging out with Rachael in New York as friends "couldn't be further from the truth" and Matt's camp was just spinning Matt's narrative.""The narrative him and his camp are spinning in the media right now is gaslighting, it's manipulative and it's bullsh-t... He's trying to cover his ass," Carbone said.But a source close to Matt maintained star "tried to make it clear to [Rachael] that he just wants to be friends."Matt's insider continued, "Matt is a caring and supportive person, so he wouldn't want to block her out of his life completely."Rachael was left feeling "very hurt" after the scandal, Us reported, but she's "doing good" now."She's working on her mental health and getting into a much better headspace," the first Us source said. "She's focusing on her own antiracism work and working on herself right now. She's not looking to jump into the dating field any time soon."When Grace shared her side of the story on Instagram Live with Carbone, she admitted Matt trying to spend time with her right before reuniting with Rachael "didn't sit right" with her.Grace said Rachael deserved to be made aware of Matt's behavior and she was the real "victim" in the situation."I'm completely fine... [but] when guys are two-timing you, it's just not okay," Grace noted."I hope [Rachael] finds someone better... At a certain point when you start changing your character and lying and gaslighting and doing all of these things to protect your image and your fame, that's sort of when I have an issue. All power to you if you go on the show for fame, but in Matt's case, it got to a point where it was a little too much."Matt announced on After the Final Rose last month that he had decided to break up with Rachael shortly after she publicly apologized in February for her racially-ignorant and racially-insensitive actions in the last several years.Matt previously said he wanted to give Rachael some time and space for her to educate herself and "put in the work" to become better.Matt said during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast last month, "You hear people harping on forgiveness and I forgave her when she told me [about her mistakes], but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed and I don't want her to do better."Us recently reported Matt believes Rachael isn't a racist but he thought it "wasn't a good look for him to stay with her."Matt had suggested in multiple interviews, however, he wasn't necessarily permanently closing the door on his relationship with Rachael, who had called Matt "the love of my life" and defended star against bullying and harassment.Interested in more news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group ZURICH, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor (NYSE: AMCR) (ASX: AMC), a global leader in consumer packaging, is pleased to announce a strategic investment in ePac Flexible Packaging, a leader in the high quality, short run length digital printing segment for flexible packaging. The investment will range between approximately $10 to $15 million, including a minority ownership interest in ePac Holdings LLC and funding for one or more ePac sites. Amcor's CEO Ron Delia said, "We are incredibly proud of Amcor's innovation and R&D capabilities but with our scale and global footprint we are also uniquely positioned to supplement our internal efforts with investments in complementary technologies and business models. Our investment in ePac is the first corporate venture-type investment for Amcor and provides a great opportunity to learn from a high growth start-up." ePac has a fast-growing international footprint and is focused on servicing the needs of small and medium sized consumer goods customers through a unique, digitally enabled and scalable business model. With 18 sites fully operational, and 5 more currently underway, ePac serves thousands of customers around the globe and generates annual revenues of approximately $100 million. Amcor's Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, Ian Wilson said, "ePac is a truly entrepreneurial technology driven company and has proven its ability to rapidly scale up a flexible packaging business, doubling revenues each year since its formation in 2016. This is an exciting opportunity for both companies to benefit from the combination of innovative technologies and business models and the deep expertise of the industry leader. We look forward to working with the ePac team and exploring opportunities to further extend this partnership in the future." About ePac ePac's founders began with a mission to provide locally-based consumer packaged goods companies the ability to compete with large brands with great packaging. ePac's customers are predominantly locally-based small and medium size consumer goods companies, many of whom are focused on creating natural and innovative products for consumers. ePac's customers benefit from speed to market, the ability to order to demand, and the latest in connected packaging technology through ePacConnect. Each ePac location provides digital printing, prepress, lamination, pouch making, and sales to the markets they serve. Investors: Tracey Whitehead Damien Bird Global Head of Investor Relations Vice President Investor Relations Amcor Amcor +61 3 9226 9028/+1 224 478 5790 +61 3 9226 9070 [email protected] [email protected] Media Europe Media Australia Media North America Ernesto Duran James Strong Daniel Yunger Head of Global Communications Amcor Citadel-MAGNUS KekstCNC +41 78 698 69 40 +61 448 881 174 +1 212 521 4879 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] About Amcor Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that uses less materials, is increasingly recyclable and reusable, and is made with more recycled content. Around 47,000 Amcor people generate $12.5 billion in annual sales from operations that span about 230 locations in 40-plus countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC www.amcor.com I LinkedIn I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube SOURCE Amcorr Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 11:04:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Miguel Diaz-Canel on his election as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee. In his message, Xi said he was pleased to learn of Diaz-Canel's election as first secretary of the PCC Central Committee at the Eighth Congress of the PCC. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and in his own name, Xi extended warm congratulations to Diaz-Canel and through him to the new central leadership of the PCC. The Eighth Congress of the PCC has drawn a blueprint for Cuba's socialist cause, Xi said, adding that Diaz-Canel's election reflects the trust and expectations of all PCC members and the Cuban people. Xi said he believes that under Diaz-Canel's leadership, the PCC and the Cuban government will lead the Cuban people to forge ahead in unity and steer the cause of socialism with Cuban characteristics towards new achievements. Thanks to the careful cultivation and vigorous promotion by generations of party and state leaders on both sides, China-Cuba relations have grown stronger as time goes by and witnessed continuous development, Xi said. Xi noted that in recent years, he has reached various consensuses with Diaz-Canel on the development of China-Cuba relations in the new era. He added that in the new situation, he is ready to work with Diaz-Canel to strengthen political guidance for the relations between the two parties and countries, carry forward bilateral traditional friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and jointly push for continuous development of the socialist causes of China and Cuba. Xi wishes Diaz-Canel a greater success in the new leadership position. Enditem By some metrics, Maxine Waters is a true American success story the fifth of 13 children to a single mother, she slowly worked her way up the ladder to become one of the most powerful politicians in America. By other metrics, she's an American success story in the same way Al Capone was a success story: She attained and has retained power through thuggish bullying. Capone was finally brought to justice for his sins, and Waters's latest incitement to violence may finally be catching up with her. Waters has been in the House since 1991, representing a very poor area in Los Angeles, even as she lives in a $6-million mansion in a mostly white neighborhood. She has distinguished herself by being rude and obstreperous within Congress and by inciting violence outside it. In 1992, when the Rodney King riots erupted, eventually killing 63 people and leading to the infamous attack on Reginald Denny, Waters didn't try to calm the rioters. Instead, she led a "no justice, no peace" really in the middle of the riot. Waters defended the violence, saying, "If you call it a riot, it sounds like it was just a bunch of crazy people who went out and did bad things for no reason. I maintain it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable." During the trial of Damian Williams, who was caught on camera slamming a concrete slab into Reginald Denny's head and dancing around his body, Waters embraced Williams's cause. By 1994, the House's presiding officer, Rep. Carrie Meek, called Waters "unruly and turbulent" and threatened her with the House equivalent of a cease-and-desist order for repeatedly interrupting Rep. Peter King's speech. Ironically, just recently, Waters told Rep. Jim Jordan to "shut your mouth" and stop questioning Fauci. In 2000, 2004, and 2016, Waters objected to the results of the presidential elections. Nevertheless, she was one of those leading the charge again Republicans who challenged the results of the 2020 election. In 2018, at a rally about "kids in cages" (which Democrats ignore now), Waters told people to intimidate people in the Trump administration: Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere. Waters has since escalated her violent demagoguery. This weekend, after having first asked for police protection, Waters crossed state lines to head into Minneapolis. Once there, Waters riled up the crowd gearing up to destroy Minneapolis following a verdict in the Derek Chauvin case. Even though Chauvin is not charged with first-degree murder, and the prosecution struggled to meet the elements of lesser charges, Waters loudly insisted that Chauvin was guilty of first-degree murder and urged violence if the jury didn't find him guilty of a crime for which he's not being charged: I know this, we've got to stay in the streets. We are looking for a guilty verdict. If nothing does not happen then we have to not only stay in the streets but we have to fight for justice. I am very hopeful and I hope that we are going to get a verdict that is guilty, guilty, guilty and if we don't, we cannot go away. Shortly after Waters said that, a drive-by shooter attacked a Minnesota National Guard and a Minneapolis police team. Waters's demand was so heinous that Chauvin's attorney argued that it would influence the jury, destroying Chauvin's right to a fair trial. Judge Peter Cahill denied that the jury would be influenced, but nevertheless, he lit into Waters for talking about the case, "especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law": Judge Cahill added that Waters's conduct not only was "abhorrent," but could result in the case being overturned on appeal if Chauvin is convicted. Despite all this, Nancy Pelosi not only refuses to take action against Waters, but also says Waters does not owe Congress or the American public an apology. Instead, said Pelosi, Waters was just another civil rights activist: Pelosi to @AnnieGrayerCNN on whether @RepMaxineWaters needs to apologize: No she doesnt. .. Maxine talks about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement. Asked whether Waters comments incite violence, Pelosi said: No absolutely not" Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 19, 2021 In other words, as long as Waters's violent rabble-rousing works to the Democrats' benefit, she'll get away with using her bully pulpit in a constitutional office to undermine the Constitution and the rule of law. The final word goes to Tucker Carlson, who ably sums up both Waters's demagoguery and the Democrats' willingness to embrace it: Tucker: Maxine Waters believes in mob violence for political ends | https://t.co/Y3O1LDoXvl Bookwormroom (@Bookwormroom) April 20, 2021 Image: Maxine Waters in Minneapolis. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. [April 20, 2021] Mastercard Furthers Support for Black Women Entrepreneurs with Multi-Million Dollar Investment in Fearless Fund, a Venture Capital Firm Built by Women of Color for Women of Color Black women are building and growing businesses faster than any other segment and yet receive less than one percent of venture capital funding. In addition, only three percent of the people actually leading investments at VC firms are Black according to the National Venture Capital Association. To help further access to funding for Black women, Mastercard today announced a multi-million dollar investment in Fearless Fund, a venture capital fund built by women of color for women of color. "The significant investment gaps in women-founded companies, which is especially acute for Women of Color, holds everyone back," said Michael Froman, president of strategic growth, Mastercard. "The need to narrow this gender and racial disparity is critical in driving forward innovation and fueling inclusive, sustained economic recovery across our country. We are investing in Fearless Fund and partnering to bring innovative programs to market to help Black women founders get access to the capital and resources they need to achieve their full potential." The investment will allow Fearless Fund to further expand their portfolio of women of color founded and co-founded companies in the CPG, Food & Beverage, Beauty, Fashion, and Technology sectors. Additionally, the social impact of the investment will have a significant role in job creation and wealth distribution in underserved communities. "This multi-million dollar investment from Mastercard is further proof of their commitment to providing resources in an effort to better serve the hard-working but severely underfunded Women of Color entrepreneurs who so deserve equal capital distribution. We have been working together with Mastercard for almost 3 years now and look forward to growing this relationship," says Arian Simone, Co-Founder & General Partner of Fearless Fund. Mastercard has long been an advocate for the small business community and reinforced its investments to support Black communities with the introduction of its Strivers Initiative earlier this year. This initiative is focused on elevating the visibility of Black female business owners overcoming obstacles to maintain and grow their business, while encouraging consumers and businesses alike to shop, share and support them. In Solidarity Across U.S. Cities Last year, Mastercard announced a half-billion-dollar commitment to support Black communities across the U.S. over the next five years, to help close the racial wealth and opportunity gap starting in seven cities. As part of that effort the company is hosting in a series of local In Solidarity events to address financial barriers and how to advance equitable growth. The tour includes Strivers programming, hosted by Arian Simone, General Partner and Co-Founder of Fearless Fund, and in partnership with Create & Cultivate, to drive awareness on the state of Black women-owned business in select cities across the U.S. local markets. The Strivers events will foster dialogue with local leaders and small businesses around delivering on the needs of local businesses and the actions cities can take to advance an equitable business climate. To further underscore its commitment to this community, Mastercard and Fearless Fund launched the Fearless Strivers Grant Contest* to provide Black female small business owners across the U.S. who've been hit hardest by the pandemic with additional grants and tools to help grow their business. These efforts build on Mastercard's sustained commitment to building a more inclusive digital economy including its commitment to bring 50 million small and medium-sized businesses into the digital economy, specifically helping 25 million woman entrepreneurs grow their businesses. For more information on how Mastercard is helping close the racial wealth and opportunity gap for Black communities across America visit here. Fearless Strivers Grant Contest Rules NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. THIS IS A SKILL BASED CONTEST. Void where prohibited. Open to black females who are legal U.S. residents (including DC), 18+ and the principal owner of a U.S.-based small business (as described in the Official Rules). Ends 5/23/21. For Official Rules & complete details, Click here. About Mastercard Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com About Fearless Fund Fearless Fund invests in women of color-led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level, or series A financing. Its mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth aggressive companies. Fearless Fund is built by women of color for women. For more information on Fearless Fund, please visit www.fearless.fund. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005443/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In general, the subject of an investigation may agree to speak with prosecutors on the understanding that his statement will not be used against him unless criminal charges are brought and he contradicts that statement from the witness stand. Subjects often give such statements on the belief it could help them avoid criminal charges altogether. A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and syringes sit prepared at a pop-up vaccine clinic at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, New York City, April 16. AFP-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul Moderna is considering establishing an affiliate in Korea, with the U.S.-based biotech company letting a local company handle the production of its COVID-19 vaccines, a leading local brokerage said, Tuesday. "As far as our understanding goes, Moderna plans to strengthen its vaccine production capabilities by establishing affiliates in Korea, Japan and Australia this year. Once the establishment process is done, Moderna could use a Korean company as its contract manufacturing organization (CMO) partner to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccines," NH Investment analyst Park Byung-kuk said in a report to clients. Park claimed that this was based on his observations at Moderna's second in-house event held April 15. "During the event, Moderna frequently referred to the possibility of establishing an affiliate in Korea," the analyst explained. The CMO business has become a mainstream strategy for Korea's leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies due to the continued spread of COVID-19. Biopharmaceutical CMOs usually take orders from clients and manufacture medicines on consignment. "Moderna mainly uses its affiliates for product distribution and to access the tools required to receive approval for authorized use of its products in the countries where it has offices. But Moderna has also signed CMO partnership agreements with companies in countries it has affiliates in, including France, Spain and Switzerland," said Park. "Technology barriers for the production of mRNA-based vaccines, of which the Moderna vaccine is one, aren't so high that CMO partnership agreements are impossible." GC Pharma and Hanmi Pharm are considered to be strong possible Korean CMO partners for Moderna given their manufacturing capabilities. GC Pharma signed a COVID-19 distribution agreement to manufacture 500 million doses with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) last year, and GC Pharma is also an authorized Moderna partner to distribute its COVID-19 vaccines. Hanmi Pharm earlier said that it could handle producing up to 1 billion doses of mRNA-based coronavirus vaccines at its Pyeongtaek bio plant, south of Seoul, provided that there was an agreement for a technology transfer. This report came after the government said earlier that a Korean company would be handling the production of a certain "global company's" COVID vaccines starting in August this year, adding that "those vaccines" were not related to Russian ones. Moderna said that it is in discussions with the government to potentially provide 40 million or more doses of its COVID-19 vaccines. At the time of the announcement, Moderna said that potential distribution of its two-dose vaccine could start here in the second quarter. After President Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party of Korea failed to hold on to the mayor positions in the country's two largest cities, Seoul and Busan, in recent by-elections, and with the number of COVID infections rising, Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party are being asked to "do something more," such as speeding up efforts to expand the public coronavirus vaccination program. Police have blamed the New IRA for planting a bomb at a police officers car beside where her three-year-old daughter sits. The device left at the part-time female officers home near Dungiven, Co Londonderry, was attached to a container of flammable liquid. Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan branded the murder bid by the dissident extremists as despicable and cowardly. The device, which did not detonate, was designed to create a fireball, Mr McEwan said. He said the childs seat was in the car and the terror group would have been aware of it. We will be unrelenting in our efforts in bringing these people to justice, said the senior officer. We believe this group would have known this is where the daughter would sit and they have shown no regard for this whatsoever. They know the effect if this device donated, it would have engulfed the car completely and those in it. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan described the incident as cowardly (Rebecca Black/PA) Its time for people to examine their conscience. Is this the sort of group they want to support? A group that has shown complete disregard for young people and now we have another callous attack where a mother and a toddler were the potential victims. The New IRA is one of the most active dissident republican terrorist groups in Northern Ireland. It was blamed for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee during disorder in Londonderry in 2019. Formed in 2012, the group has also been blamed for detonating a large car bomb outside the court house in Derry in January 2019, as well as sending parcel bombs to addresses in Great Britain in March of the same year. Screengrab from CCTV footage dated 19/01/19 issued by the PSNI showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house in Londonderry in January 2019. The latest target is a woman who is a member of PSNI civilian staff, and also serves as a part-time officer. The device was discovered at the property in the Ballyquin Road area on Monday. Chief Constable Simon Byrne tweeted: I strongly condemn this outrageous attack on our officer and her family. Every day @PoliceServiceNI officers and staff bravely step up to serve the community and this attempt to harm is a stark reminder of the challenges still facing us all. Mark Lindsay, chair of the police representative body, the Police Federation, said it is appalling the officer was singled out in this manner. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Her dedication to serving the community is in stark contrast to those involved in this attack, whose only purpose is to wreck lives, he said. There are people in this community who know who planned this attack and placed this potentially lethal device under an officers car. They must realise there is nothing to be gained by such attacks and I would call on them to give the police the information they need to capture the culprits. Northern Irelands First Minister Arlene Foster said: I stand, as does my entire party, with the brave woman targeted by republicans and utterly condemn those who have sought to harm her and her family. I do give thanks that she has survived this dreadful murder attempt and when I spoke to this lady earlier, I gave her my prayerful support and indeed solidarity at this difficult time. To the republicans who sought to murder this young mother, your campaign is futile, you will never succeed and whilst there may always be different political views in Northern Ireland, we will keep moving forward and we will not be dragged back by bombers or those who would seek to use the gun to get their own political way. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said she also spoke with the officer, adding that the magnitude of what could have happened to both herself and her young family is still sinking in. She described the attack as absolutely deplorable, unacceptable, unjustified and completely wrong, and said all must stand together to condemn it. That was the message I wanted to give to the chief constable, but also to those people that are responsible, they need to leave the stage, there is no room for you in society, you are not going to drag people back. What we need to see today is strong condemnation from everybody which, I believe, is the case, she added. Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said: The attempted murder of this police officer is absolutely abhorrent. I completely condemn the actions of those involved. Those who try to attack public servants have nothing to offer the communities they claim to represent. I want to convey my support for the officer concerned. Irish premier Micheal Martin tweeted: Deeply reprehensible and cowardly attack on the home of a police officer in Northern Ireland last night. Politicians across this island must work together to avoid a return to the dark days of fear and terror. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-19 23:40:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close "Boao Forum is a demonstration of China's success in a public health response. It shows the discipline, resilience and how science has worked in China. It also shows strong political will," said UN resident coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee who's attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan Province. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the BFA, which was formally inaugurated in February 2001. Since 2002, the BFA has been holding its annual conference in Boao, a coastal town in China's southernmost province of Hainan. Over 4,000 people will attend this year's BFA annual conference scheduled for April 18-21. As a non-governmental and non-profit international organization, the BFA is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals. Produced by Xinhua Global Service HOUSTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quidnet Energy (Quidnet) today announced it has achieved two key milestones in its projects with the US Department of Energy's Water Power Technology Office (WPTO) and Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E), to commercialize the company's Geomechanical Pumped Storage (GPS) technology. Quidnet pumps water underground and stores it in-between layers of rock. The natural elasticity of the rock performs like a spring and holds the water under pressure until it is needed, at which time it is released through a hydroelectric turbine to produce electricity to send back to the grid. Quidnet partnered with the WPTO through its HydroWIRES Initiative to develop an innovative reversible injector-generator that will enable deployment of modular hydropower conversion in high-pressure pumped hydro applications such as for Quidnet's GPS technology. The milestone was achieved by the completion of system-level design and engineering as well as testing of key operating components in an industrial machining facility in New York State. Quidnet is working with ARPA-E through their Duration Addition to electricitY Storage (DAYS) program to develop the GPS resource in key power markets across the US by planning and executing exploratory wells to characterize, evaluate, and validate this geologic resource. This milestone is marked by the completion of project development of the exploration well sites including sites that reuse inactive O&G wells and achieving resource performance targets during exploration well hydraulic testing. Analogous work was performed by DOE in the early 2000s to similarly characterize North American wind resources. "WPTO and ARPA-E have been vital partners in the development of our long duration energy storage technology," said Joe Zhou, Quidnet CEO. "These leading energy technology organizations have brought valuable resources and oversight to the development process, helping steward our technology toward commercialization. Their experience, guidance and partnership are very much appreciated." "Long duration storage technologies such as Quidnet's can play a crucial role in advancing our transition to a zero-carbon electric grid," said Jenn Garson, WPTO Acting Outreach, Engagement & Analysis Manager. "Based on the strong results we have seen to date, we are optimistic about Quidnet's contribution to our energy future." "Quidnet Energy, as well as the rest of ARPA-E's DAYS teams, are working to develop innovative long-duration energy storage systems and create new technologies to increase grid resilience and performance," said ARPA-E DAYS Program Director Dr. Scott Litzelman. "We look forward to continuing to work closely with Quidnet as they continue to design energy storage solutions of the future." Quidnet's technology operates in a closed loop configuration, powered by excess grid electricity. Because most of the process is subsurface, projects have a relatively small footprint (well head, pump/generator building, and holding pond), allowing farmers and landowners to generate significant new lease revenue with minor impact. Quidnet utilizes much of the same subsurface knowledge, workforce, and supply chains as the oil and gas industry, making it a seamless opportunity to re-channel thousands of displaced workersand the supply chains they operate--toward accelerating a clean energy future. Early resource investigations project sufficient North American geologic resources to provide multiple times the long duration energy storage needed by the grid. "The very talented, dedicated and rapidly-growing Quidnet team is hyper-focused on ensuring a reliable energy transition," said Quidnet CEO Joe Zhou. "We are committed to being a major part of the solution." About Quidnet Energy Based in Houston, Texas with offices in San Francisco, CA and Saratoga Springs, NY, Quidnet's patented GPS technology utilizes excess renewable energy to store water beneath ground under pressure. When renewable energy is not producing this pressurized water drives hydroelectric turbines producing electricity to support the grid at a fraction of the cost of Li-ion and for much longer duration. Quidnet's technology is an adaptation of centuries-old gravity-powered "pumped storage," but without the massive land requirements and reliance on elevated terrain. Please visit www.quidnetenergy.com Contact: Steven C. Sullivan 518-441-7272 [email protected] SOURCE Quidnet Energy Related Links https://www.quidnetenergy.com SHE has toured, she has performed with some of the greatest artistes of all time, and she has spent time working and conceptualising with top producers. But now, singer/songwriter Sherma Andrews is on home soil, to give her home-based fans a taste of her legendary repertoire. This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is David N. Bass Lawmakers in the North Carolina House fast-tracked a bill today that would allow businesses that received Payroll Protection Program loans from the federal government to have any expenses the funds were used for deducted from state tax.At the federal level, both PPP loan amounts and expenses are tax exempt. North Carolina is one of only three states joined by California and Hawaii that does not allow a state tax deduction for both loan income and expenses. House Bill 334 would change that by coupling North Carolina's tax treatment with the federal approach. It's estimated the tax change will result in a $600 million cost to the state over three years.The bill passed second reading on the House floor in a 111-2 vote and will be voted on a third and final time on April 20.A bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats plus representatives from the small business community praised the bill at a press conference on Thursday, April 15.said Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, one of the primary sponsors of H.B 334.said House Minority Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham.Jason Smith, owner of Cantana 18 in Raleigh and Harvest 18 in Durham, shared with lawmakers and the press about the struggles his businesses faced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith only had 15% of his staff working. Two weeks into the shutdown, his businesses were losing $2,000 a week, despite an uptick in curbside service.Smith said.Sam Hobgood, the owner of Big Ed's in Raleigh, said that he and his wife used their own funds to continue paying staff when his restaurants were forced to close a year ago.he said.In North Carolina, about 130,000 companies with 1.27 million employees have received PPP loans, totaling over $12 billion.Advocates of fiscal responsibility have praised H.B. 334.said Katherine Loughead, senior policy analyst with the Tax Foundation.she added. Royal watchers have speculated the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may name their second child Lily in a bid to build bridges with the Queen. Fans of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle originally guessed that they would chose Diana to pay tribute to his later mother, after the couple announced during their interview with Oprah that they are expecting a girl. However, speculation has now turned to Lily - which BoyleSports revealed moved from 66/1 to 25/1, following strong support over the weekend. Fans believe the couple may opt for the name to honour the Queen, whose nickname was 'Lilibet' as a young princess. The nickname was given to Her Majesty as a child and is used by her closest family members, including the late Duke of Edinburgh throughout their 73-year marriage. Fans of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were wild with theories after the couple announced they were expecting a girl in their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey last month Fans believe the couple may opt for the name to honour the Queen, whose nickname was 'Lilibet' as a young princess and used by the late Duke of Edinburgh throughout their 74 year marriage. The couple are pictured in Scotland, 2003 Sarah Kinsella, Spokesperson for BoyleSports commented: 'Diana is the clear favourite in our market but that hasn't put punters off predicting some other potential names. 'Lily is the biggest mover of the week into 25/1 from 66/1 while Grace tumbled into 16/1 from 50/1 last week as royal watchers continue to speculate with some well-based theories.' Speculation around Harry's reconciliation with the Queen comes after reports the Duke of Sussex may delay his return to Los Angeles to stay and celebrate Her Majesty's birthday tomorrow. It comes after Harry was said to have held two hours of peace talks with his older brother Prince William, after meeting with their father Prince Charles after Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday. On Saturday Her Majesty left a hand-written message to Prince Philip at his funeral, nestled alongside a wreath of white blooms including lilies, which some reports suggested she signed off as 'Lilibet' William, 38, and Harry, 36, were last seen in public together at a Commonwealth Day service in March last year, following Harry and Meghan's acrimonious split from the Royal Family. Relations were further soured by the couple's explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey last month, in which they spoke out against senior royals while Philip, who died last Friday aged 99, lay in hospital. What are the bookies' favourite names and their odds for Baby Sussex? 3/1 Diana 10/1 Maria 10/1 Alexandria 14/1 Rose 14/1 Victoria 16/1 Mary 16/1 Margaret 16/1 Scarlett 16/1 Elizabeth 16/1 Alexandra 16/1 Alice 16/1 Catherine 16/1 Grace 16/1 Emma 18/1 Philippa 20/1 Michelle 20/1 Matilda 20/1 Isabelle 20/1 Hillary 20/1 Charlotte 20/1 Caroline 20/1 Anne 20/1 Amelia 20/1 Juliette 20/1 Henrietta 20/1 Greta 20/1 Alberta 20/1 Josephine 20/1 Rosa 20/1 Rachel 20/1 Penny 20/1 Andrea 20/1 Poppy 22/1 Eliza 22/1 Sophia 22/1 Alicia 22/1 Olivia 22/1 Nancy 25/1 Lily 25/1 Barbie 25/1 Alfreda 25/1 Charleen 25/1 Billie 25/1 Daisy 25/1 Emily 25/1 Eve 25/1 Florence 25/1 Gwen 33/1 Jim-Bobbie 33/1 Freda 33/1 Apple Pie 33/1 Oprah 33/1 Arlene 33/1 Whitney 33/1 Penelope 33/1 Abagail 33/1 Anastasia 33/1 Melania 33/1 Sindy 33/1 Peach 40/1 Kamala 40/1 Mercedes 40/1 Mia 40/1 Ivanka 40/1 Isadora 40/1 Ellla 40/1 Beryl 40/1 Jacinda 50/1 Susannah 50/1 Daenerys 50/1 Cinderella 50/1 Queen 50/1 Karen 50/1 Olympia 50/1 Chardonnay 50/1 Dorothy 50/1 Brittany 50/1 Ruby 50/1 Ricarda 50/1 Ophelia 50/1 Lucy 50/1 Janette 50/1 Edwina 50/1 Bernie 66/1 Tysona 66/1 Xena 66/1 Jacintha 100/1 Volkswagen 100/1 Harper 100/1 Kingsley 100/1 Thumbelina 100/1 Clintita 100/1 Flush 100/1 Knightley 100/1 Zoltana 100/1 Daragh 100/1 Ebdonita 100/1 Zelda 150/1 Ake 200/1 Ingleberta Advertisement On Saturday Her Majesty left a hand-written message to Prince Philip at his funeral, nestled alongside a wreath of white blooms including lilies, which some reports suggested she signed off as 'Lilibet.' Lilibet was also the name she used to signed off on the flowers at her mother's funeral in 2002. The affectionate nickname was used by Philip to describe Her Majesty in several letters revealed in Philip Eade's 2011 book Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life. In a letter to the Queen Mother two weeks after his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in November 1947, Philip expressed his vision for their time together. He said: 'Lilibet is the only thing in this world which is absolutely real to me and my ambition is to wield the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good... Cherish Lilibet?' 'I wonder if that word is enough to express what is in me. Does one cherish one's sense of humour or one's musical ear or one's eyes? 'I am not sure, but I know that I thank God for them and so, very humbly, I thank God for Lilibet and us'. The odds on the lovebirds paying tribute to the Prince's late mother by naming the new arrival Diana are now at 3/1, after intense fan speculation following their bombshell interview last month. Traditional regal names such as Victoria and Elizabeth remain prominent in the betting at 14/1 and 16/1, respectively. Grace was another name fancied as recently as last week with those odds tumbling into 16/1 from 50/1, while Alexandria has been backed into second favourite at 10/1 from 20/1. Research from Flowercard revealed that Lily is also the most popular nature-inspired baby name for girls in both the UK and USA. The Sussex's baby girl will not be entitled, at this stage, to be an HRH nor a princess due to rules set out more than 100 years ago by George V - but this is the same as what would have happened pre-Megxit. The baby is entitled to be a Lady, but Harry and Meghan will again opt to style their second-born a plain Miss, with the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. If born in the US, the baby will be entitled to US citizenship as an automatic right, and will have dual citizenship through her father. Announcing the gender of their child Harry said his first thought was 'amazing' when he learned they were having a girl, adding: 'Just grateful. To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. 'But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we've got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs.' Asked if they were 'done' with two children, Harry said 'done' and Meghan said: 'Two is it.' She also confirmed the baby is due in the 'summertime'. The news of the couple's pregnancy was announced in February with a black and white photograph showing the couple beaming with delight. It was believed to have been taken in Montecito, California, where the pair now live after deciding to leave Britain and step down from their roles in the Royal Family. A spokesman for the couple said at the time: 'We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.' Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the flagship wearable from the South Korean tech firm that is expected to launch later this year, is said to feature a bigger battery than its successor. A report from The Elec states that the bigger battery will come despite the watches sporting the same design and size. Like last time, the Galaxy Watch 4 is also expected to come in two sizes 41mm and 45mm. And the battery could come from Chinas Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), which got temporarily banned by Samsung for the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. It is worth adding that ATL already provides batteries for the Galaxy S21 smartphone series. According to the report, the ATL batteries are being used as a way to reduce costs. While the smaller sized Galaxy Watch 4 is said to come with a 240mAh battery, which is slightly lower than the current generations 247mAh, the larger one gets 350mAh, which is 10mAh more than its current-gen counterpart. Also read: More evidence shows Samsung to use Googles wearOS in future smartwatches While this is for the battery, the Galaxy Watch 4 is also rumoured to run on Googles WearOS platform instead of its own Tizen OS. According to a recent teardown of the Galaxy Wearable app by tipster Max Weinbach, there was a plugin codename called water. This, he believes, is the Samsung wearable Wear OS compatibility later. Weinbach added that the codes also mentioned merlot which is speculated as the codename for the chipset for the two rumoured Galaxy smartwatches codenamed wise and fresh. The code names are for the Watch Active 3 and Galaxy Watch 4. He says that there was also a direct reference newos turning speculations into something more concrete. Earlier this month, the Exynos version Galaxy S20s latest kernel source code release had a reference to a device called merlot in the Wi-Fi driver. Although the name didnt reveal a lot about the device or if it will run wearOS software or not, what's interesting is that one of the merlot references appeared next to wearOS reference, indicating that the device might be a smartwatch running Google's wearOS platform. Human Rights Watch said China is committing crimes against humanity toward Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the countrys western Xinjiang region. In a report issued Monday, the group said, The Chinese leadership is responsible for widespread and systematic policies of mass detention, torture and cultural persecution, among other offenses. It called for coordinated international action to hold those involved responsible, including visa bans, travel bans and targeted individual sanctions on authorities responsible for criminal acts. Chinese authorities have systematically persecuted Turkic Muslims their lives, their religion, their culture, Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. Beijing has said its providing vocational training and deradicalization, but that rhetoric cant obscure a grim reality of crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch said that while Chinese persecution of Turkic Muslims is not new, it has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. Its increasingly clear that Chinese government policies and practices against the Turkic Muslim population in Xinjiang meet the standard for crimes against humanity under international criminal law, said Beth Van Schaack, faculty affiliate at Stanford Universitys Center for Human Rights and International Justice. The governments failure to stop these crimes let alone punish those responsible shows the need for strong and coordinated international action. The United States and others have said China is committing genocide in Xinjiang. A spokesman for the ruling Communist Party on Monday rejected accusations Beijing has committed genocide or crimes against humanity in the region. Chinas launch of a sweeping security campaign in Xinjiang has led to the detention of more than one million people, according to rights groups. China denies international observers access to Xinjiang. TORONTO and JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PayMyTuition, a leading provider of technology-driven global payment processing solutions for tuition payments, announced today the launch of its innovative financial position detection technology for student tuition payments for educational institutions. This technology, adding to its Payment Wheel innovative suite of offerings, will enable educational institutions the ability to validate student banking information and account balance status in real time, removing the friction that currently exists in the traditional ways of processing student payments today. "This innovative financial position detection technology, built by our affiliate company 360 cube technologies, will enable colleges and universities to validate student information in real time while simultaneously identifying student account fund availability, removing instances of non-sufficient fund payments," said Arif Harji, Director, Chief Market Strategist at MTFX Group. "This solution will equip educational institutions with a seamless payment experience for students with the option of utilizing ACH payments in the U.S. and pre-authorized debits in the Canadian market to support both one-time-only and ongoing automated payment scheduling." Incorporating financial position detection technology for student tuition payments is yet another game changer that PayMyTuition is bringing to the higher education space. Financial position detection technology, incorporating elements of open banking, allows institutions to create a highly efficient payments process with instant account authentication for a more seamless and secure payment experience. It will protect schools and students against overdraft and NSF fees with real-time funds verification and balance checks before any transfer can be initiated. Institutions can now verify students' identities, instantly matching payments to student accounts, removing all manual intervention that school finance department staff would traditionally have to do. This solution utilizes a financial data API so that both student data and funds availability will be instantly authenticated for schools, ensuring faster and easier tuition and fee payment transactions. Combined with biometric verification technologies, institutions will be enabled with enhanced payment processing security, identity authorization, and fraud protection, giving both the school and the student payment safety and peace of mind. PayMyTuition is focused on putting technology first and continues to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace to support partner institutions within an ever-changing student payments landscape. PayMyTuition's financial position detection technology can be seamlessly integrated, by way of its real-time API, into most student information systems including Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft, Workday and Jenzabar. For more information, visit www.paymytuition.com. Media Contact PayMyTuition [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE PayMyTuition ADVERTISEMENT The latest Press Freedom Index, released on Tuesday by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) no longer include Germany among the leading nations. Of the 180 countries assessed, Germany came 13th, down two spots from last years ranking. Due to many attacks during demonstrations against measures to contain the pandemic, we had to reduce Germanys grade for press freedom from `good to only satisfactory, which is clearly an alarm signal, said RSF board spokesperson Michael Rediske. Violence against media professionals in Germany has reached unprecedented levels, he said. There were at least 65 acts of violence against journalists in the country in 2020, a five-fold increase compared to 2019, he said. RSF said it also thought there were more unreported cases in 2020 than in the past. Most of the physical and verbal attacks occurred during or alongside demonstrations, for instance, protests against government coronavirus restrictions. Journalists are punched, kicked and pushed to the ground, they are spat on and harassed, insulted, threatened and prevented from doing their work, RSF said. The change in Germanys grade from good to fairly good meant it also changed colour on RSFs world map, from white to yellow. Only 12 countries were rated good in terms of press freedom, the lowest number since the rating began. Norway, Finland and Sweden came out top on the list. There was little change among those ranked lowest, which included China, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea. RSF criticised the fact that many governments and leaders were spreading disinformation about the pandemic, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, Brazils Jair Bolsonaro and Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro. The pandemic led to an increase in repression worldwide, according to RSF, which noted that media workers had been arrested for covering the outbreak in countries including China, Venezuela, Serbia and Kosovo. In China, more than 100 media workers are currently in prison, more than in any other country worldwide. Mr Rediske said he hoped that as the world recovered from the pandemic and returned to normality, there would be a renewed sense of journalisms indispensable role in functioning societies. (NAN) The 35-year-old princess tried to escape her closely controlled life in Dubai twice, in 2002 and in 2018. On the second occasion she fled aboard a yacht, only to be snatched by Indian commandos who raided the vessel close to the coast of India and handed her over to Emirati security officers. Sheikha Latifa has been virtually unseen in public since then, appearing once in a photo of a 2018 lunch attended by the former Irish President Mary Robinson. At the time, Ms. Robinson said she believed Sheikha Latifa was mentally troubled and receiving good care from her family, but she later told the BBC she had been horribly tricked. Every day, Im worried about my safety in my life, Sheikha Latifa said in her recent video, which friends said was recorded on a mobile phone and smuggled out by intermediaries. I dont really know if Im going to survive this situation. Dubais prior assurances that she is being looked after by family and medical professionals are not sufficient at this stage, the U.N. panel said. United Arab Emirates diplomatic missions in Geneva and London could not be reached for comment on the U.N. panels statement. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is concerned after Botswana deported 57 Zimbabwean refugees who had lived in the host country since 2008. The refugees reportedly failed to register for voluntary repatriation, which led to their forced removal late last week. The UNHCRs external relations officer, Kate Pond, says the refugees, irrespective of their status, have rights and could have been allowed to remain as permanent residents. UNHCR remains concerned that Zimbabweans who have been in Botswana for over a decade have been removed to Zimbabwe in less than voluntary circumstances. Irrespective of their status they still have certain rights, and UNHCR had aimed for alternative solutions, like those provided to Zimbabweans who have family links in Botswana and may be able to remain in the country as permanent residents, Pond said. One of the deported refugees, speaking on condition of anonymity, says they were rounded up Thursday and told to board a bus which took them to Zimbabwes border. We left Botswana on empty stomachs. We were deported to the border and we didnt get any assistance. We wanted to remain in Botswana; thats why we did not register [for repatriation]. We have nothing, we dont know where to start. We had children going to school. It will be difficult without documents like passports and identity cards, the refugee said. The deportees had been living at the Dukwi refugee camp. Botswanas government had warned that refugees who did not register would be deported. Last month, Botswana sent back more than 200 other Zimbabweans who had registered for voluntary repatriation. The repatriated refugees had initially refused to do so, citing fears of persecution in their homeland. Most were opposition activists whose homes were burned down during a deadly presidential election campaign in 2008. But one of the returnees, Bheki Weza, says they have surprisingly been well received in Zimbabwe despite their earlier safety concerns. We are very happy about the situation. As we speak, I am now home still trying to settle down and adjust to the difficult economic conditions here in Zimbabwe. But I am happy because there is still peace surrounding us. I have met with the chiefs and even met with people that we fought with before I left. So far so good, Weza said. The UNHCR says it will continue to assist refugees who were repatriated. Each person received $520 and a food package. But the agency says there will be no such assistance for the deported refugees. The Horseshoe has a water bottle problem, and the Midland County Commissioners Court needs to fix it and fast. We now know that if you are a nonprofit and your group wants to give away backpacks to those in need that you might as well pick somewhere else than the Horseshoe complex a facility that Midland County residents funded to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. And unlike the Scharbauer Sports Complex, Midland voters had no input on the decision. The operators of the Horseshoe have told those nonprofits that they have no ability to bring in their own water for events like backpack give-a-ways none, zero, zilch. Instead if they want to offer water to those coming to the Horseshoe for a give-a-way, they are required to direct those people to concession stands to buy a $3 bottle of water from the Horseshoe operators, specifically Horseshoe Hospitality President Joe Kelley. That is right -- $3 for a bottle that costs around 14 cents if purchased by the case at a local supermarket (and that price might be high). It isnt grand theft, but it is hard to see that as community friendly. This water bottle situation is an outrage, and this community should tell the Commissioners Court there are times when Horseshoe operators should just back off. For instance, lets go back to the situation where a group is giving away backpacks to those less fortunate. What makes anyone think that a $3 bottle of water is appropriate for that Midland audience? They didnt show up at the Horseshoe with $60 tickets to see an entertainer or $50 tickets for a fundraiser. They came for school supplies. And why is this Commissioners Court allowing the Horseshoe operators and Kelley to charge this group? Because it is in their contract. That is what commissioners who approved the contract said. Again, this is government Midland does not need. One commissioner Randy Prude said he has talked to Kelley, and Kelley suggested charging a fee of $1 per bottle to nonprofits that want to bring their own water. So, that $4 pack for water lets assume 28 bottles in the pack now will cost $32 for that nonprofit that wants nothing more than to giveaway school supplies for less fortunate Midlanders. Anyone want to do more math for that nonprofit wanting to bring in 1,000 water bottles? Instead of spending $142, the tab would now be $1,142. Again, the suggestion here is for that group to pick some other place. Kelley and Midland County dont deserve your business. They dont deserve to connect themselves with your philanthropy. Our community should not be forced to have water bottle sponsors for events at the Horseshoe. I dont think this community has to apologize for the nice facility that was built or the money provided to Kelley to operate the Horseshoe. I also do not believe the operations of the Horseshoe needs to be something that we give much thought about now or during the new round of county elections (2022 three seats will be up). It is time that the running of the exposition and convention center in south Midland called the Horseshoe stays true to Midland values. WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders of the National Press Club and National Press Club Journalism Institute warned law-enforcement personnel in the Twin Cities to heed the Constitution and permit law-abiding journalists to cover protests there without interference or abuse. Over the last week, police in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have physically assaulted numerous journalists and arrested several. Reporters and producers have been hit with pepper spray or other chemical irritants, pushed around, thrown to the ground, tackled and, in some cases, locked up. It is clear from most if not all of these cases that the journalists who were mistreated were merely doing their jobs and looking to follow police orders, according to a recent summary of events by the Committee to Protect Journalists. This is not the first time journalists have suffered abuse at the hands of police in the Twin Cities. Last May, CNN reporter Omar Jimenez was arrested live on air while reporting on a George Floyd protest. During the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, police mistreated reporters on a massive scale--penning them, hitting them and chemical-spraying them without regard to efforts by the press to show their credentials. Several dozen journalists were arrested during the convention week. The "Democracy Now" news program won a $100,000 settlement three years later from state and local authorities over mistreatment of three of the program's reporters at the 2008 convention. Under the terms of the settlement, the St. Paul police agreed to train officers in respecting the First Amendment rights of the press and the public. "Police in the Twin Cities have an abysmal record of respecting the press's right and duty to cover protests, and the events of the past week are the latest sign of it," said NPC President Lisa Matthews and NPC Journalism Institute President Angela Greiling Keane. "With the possibility of more street protests looming in the Twin Cities as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin nears its conclusion, it is critical that local police permit reporters to do their jobs without impediment-- and certainly without abuse." Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world. The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. PRESS CONTACT: Lindsay Underwood for the National Press Club [email protected] (202) 662-7561 SOURCE National Press Club Related Links http://press.org Soldiers free nine hostages from separatist captivity Facebook Security and defense forces are working round the clock to secure the Santa-Babadjou road, Brigadier General Nka Valere, Commander of the 5th Joint Military Region as said. The security reassurance comes after threats from armed separatists. The armed men had said they would block the Bamenda-Matazem stretch of road linking the North West Region to the West Region. The separatists had said they would compel commuters to use the Bamenda-Ekok Road, instead of the Bamenda-Babadjou road. "We had threats that the separatist fighters were preparing to block the main supply road from Babadjou, Santa to Bamenda. Apart from the permanent and daily control on this road, we decided to carry out other targeted operations in the outskirts of the road. One of such operations led to the liberation of nine hostages in Pinyin," General Nka said on Sunday. According to Brigadier General Nka, a military operation from April 15 to April 17 led to the liberation of nine civilians that had been taken hostage by armed separatist fighters in Asuu, a locality in Pinyin, Santa Subdivision, Mezam Division. On Sunday, the military reunited the ex-hostages with their family members at the esplanade of the 5th Joint Military Region in Bamenda. The ex-hostages say separatists forced them to sleep on a bare floor in a dark room. They say they were tortured and fed once every two days throughout their time in captivity. The ex-hostages thanked military authorities for the operation that freed them from separatist captivity. One of them said he would prefer to stay with the soldiers than go back to the village where separatists may kill him. They forced me to join them and I refused. They chopped off one of my ears and promised to chop off my head at the Market Square. I thank the military for freeing me, the ex-hostage said. The Bamenda-Babadjou stretch of road has come under several attacks from armed separatists since the Anglophone crisis morphed into an armed conflict. Brigadier General Nka says the population should go about their activities assured of security from defense and security forces. He also urged the people to help authorities with useful information where need be. Zeepay, the leading African Challenger Fintech with operations in over 10 African countries has announced a partnership with Moove, sub-Saharan Africas first flexible car ownership company. This partnership will enable Uber drivers and riders on Moove to receive and make digital payments, respectively. Last year, Moove began a partnership with Uber across sub-Saharan Africa to provide brand new leased cars to current and future Uber drivers. Moove has launched in two countries with plans to continue scaling across Africa. With Moove, Zeepay will provide a seamless, efficient and robust payment platform for riders who use Moove-powered Uber vehicles. Riders can make payments with their mobile money wallets as Moove cars are equipped to accept only digital payments. Leveraging our bulk wallet API, Uber drivers on Moove will receive instant payments, said Felicity Jaforktuk, the Zeepay product manager of mobile money. This is a landmark opportunity, and we are working hard to serve thousands of users in the coming months. Moove Ghanas Country Manager, Jephthah Datsomor also said: Enabling efficient payments from both driver and riders perspectives constitutes an integral part of the overall Moove experience. The platform provides the required functionalities to complete end-to-end transactions whilst ensuring financial security for all parties. These are the reasons we have selected Zeepay as a key digital payments partner for Mooves operations in Ghana. Zeepay Chief Commercial Officer, Dede Quarshie added: We are optimistic about our partnership with Moove to provide a safe and secure payment platform to Uber users on Moove. At Zeepay, we believe in financial inclusion as we aim for a cashless society through digital payments across Ghana. As part of an ongoing commitment to safety, particularly in the current fight against COVID-19, Moove cars are fitted with transparent and Perspex partition screens to separate the driver from rear-seat riders. Zeepay is the fastest growing mobile financial services company across Africa with operations in Ghana and United Kingdom and terminating to 20 countries across Africa with termination agreements in over 90 jurisdictions globally. The company specializes in remittance termination into mobile wallets and are completely network and partner agnostic. Zeepay is a wholly-owned Ghanaian company and regulated in the UK by Financial Conduct Authority-FCA #592538 and in Ghana by Bank of Ghana- PSD/ZGL/20/03 under the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987). Zeepay supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 and is considered a financial inclusion company positioned to improve last-mile access. Moove is sub-Saharan Africas premier flexible car ownership company and Ubers preferred feet partner on the continent. Moove a subsidiary of Grace Lake Partners was founded on the principle of creating shared value in the markets where it operates. It is an international company, headquartered in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) with operations in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. The product portfolio includes Drive-to-Own and Rent-to-Own options, each catering to a drivers Uber history, performance and creditworthiness, whilst following international best practices. 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 Cynthia Levinson is the award-winning author of several books for young readers, including nonfiction titles such as Fault Lines in the Constitution (with her husband Sanford Levinson) and The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist. Evan Turk is an Ezra Jack Keats Book Awardwinning illustrator, author, and animator. He is the author-illustrator of The Storyteller, You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks, and A Thousand Glass Flowers. We asked the duo to interview each other about their new picture book biography, The Peoples Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art, in which they pay homage to an artist whose life and legacy have inspired their own work. Cynthia Levinson: Evan, I was ecstatic when our editor, Emma Ledbetter, told me youd agreed to illustrate our book on Ben Shahn. He was such a prolific artist in the 20th centuryadmired by the public but dismissed by critics and then both hired and fired by the U.S. government! How did you decide to do the illustrations? Evan Turk: I was sold from the second I heard Ben Shahn, but I loved the way you told his story once I read the manuscript. Im so excited for this book, because I feel like Ben Shahn is very well known among illustrators and Jewish art lovers, but I think this book will introduce him to a whole new world of people! When did you first come up with the idea for a book about him and what do you think kids will enjoy about his work? Levinson: I thought of doing a book about Shahn back in 2012. In your Illustrators Note, you mention that you did a project about him when you were in the fifth grade! Like you, Ive been aware of him for a long timethough not from such a young age. I remember seeing his drawing of Dr. King on Time magazines cover in 1965, which you evoke perfectly in the book. And Shahns peace dove became the iconic symbol of Eugene McCarthys anti-war presidential campaign. Since I write about social justice and Im Jewishboth of which are themes in his workhe seemed to be a natural fit. Theres so much for kids to like about Shahn. His art is accessible because its representative, rather than abstract, and, as we say in the book, it tells stories. His work is also emotionaltouching, haunting, angrybecause, like kids, he cared about fairness. He also illustrated a book, magazine articles, and an entire mural for kids. Speaking of emotions, how did you decide to add the illustration of the Shahn familys arrival in America, a spread without text? Its so touching. Turk: Im so glad you liked that scene! I thought it would be important to show not only Bens emotional reunion with his father in New York, but also the immigrant experience coming into Ellis Island. I wanted to show the contrast of the glittering ideal of America, and the harsher, stressful reality of coming to a new country. I also loved the idea of referencing Shahns own depiction of immigrants arriving in Ellis Island in the mural he paints later on in the book. You fit so much information about Ben and his time in this book, and you were able to conduct interviews with so many amazing people with personal connections to him! What were some of your favorite tidbits that you learned? Levinson: Maybe my inability to stop researching and start writing is the reason this book took a decade! Long before I started writing for kids, I met Shahns second wife, Bernarda, who was also an artist and went to the same high school I did. That was thrilling, as was talking with one of his sons, Jonathan, who showed me both his fathers house and his studio. Jonathan still lived in what was called Jersey Homesteads and is now called Roosevelt, in New Jersey. The studio is a concrete-block out-building behind the house and still contained Bens drawing table and cans of brushes and pencils. I loved learning that Ben worked on a mural with Diego Rivera that was supposed to be at Rockefeller Center but was destroyed for political reasons. But my two favorite finds were a booklet that fourth graders made 25 years ago about the mural in Roosevelt and also a conversation I had with author-illustrator Tomie dePaola. A student wrote about the mural, You just have to look at it, and you see the story. Her comment made me realize that children can easily follow the stories Shahn drewan important discovery when youre writing for kids! Tomie was a student of Shahns and said that Ben told him, Being an artist is not only what you do, but also how you live your life. The book demonstrates how he did that. Evan, all of your books have vibrant color paletteshow did you choose the color scheme for this one? Turk: I always like to use color to help tell the story in the illustrations. In this book, the main colors are blue (well call it cerulean as a nod to The Devil Wears Prada), gold ochre, red, black, and white. All of them feature prominently in Shahns work, too. The blue (which is a very spiritual color in Jewish art) and ochre was a way to symbolize Ben and his connection to his family and his roots. I used black, white, and red to reference religion, letters, and the idea of justice (right and wrong). The red, white, and blue also reference the United States flag, and Shahns idea of what it meant to be an American became central to the social justice themes in his work. I love so much of Shahns work, it was hard for me to try and fit everything I love into the illustrations! Do you have a favorite piece or series of his work? Levinson: No! As you said, theres so much to love. Im partial to a poster of voting booths, titled The end of government is the good of mankind (where end means mission), and another where he wrote, You have not converted a man because you have silenced him. Theyre simple, eloquent, and potent. You reference so much of Shahns art in your illustrations: the hands, eyes, and doves, the shapes of Hebrew calligraphy. How did you decide what symbols and elements to include? Turk: Early on, Emma mentioned that you loved the idea of using hands as a symbol, and I knew we were on the same page! Shahns way of depicting hands and faces are so expressive and so much of his signature, that I knew I wanted them to feature prominently in the artwork. Especially since his family members all were craftsmen who worked with their hands, too! I was always struck by the piece he did called Farewell that was part of his series criticizing the horrors of nuclear war, as well as the paintings Identity and Warsaw, which featured powerful, expressive hands. The doves, in addition to being a little love note to my grandma, Lenore Dove Klein (who is also a fabulous artist and wonderful person!), were a symbol that I had always loved in Shahns work. Particularly a painting called A Score of White Pigeons, where the doves felt like they were turning into hands. They felt like a perfect illustration of the hope through protest and action that he wanted to express with much of his work. Levinson: Several readers have said that the text and the illustrationsthe art and the politicsblend perfectly in The Peoples Painter. Thank you, Evan, for making that happen. Turk: It was truly my pleasure. Thank you for bringing me on board! The Peoples Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art. Cynthia Levinson, illus. by Evan Turk. Abrams, $18.99 Apr. 20 ISBN 978-1-4197-4130-2 The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington on May 7, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Uphold Gun Conviction Even Though the Law Changed, Biden Administration Urges Supreme Court The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court to uphold the felon-in-possession gun conviction of a man even though a high court ruling after the conviction added an additional element to the crime. The case is United States v. Gary, court file 20-444. The governments petition seeking high court review of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision was granted Jan. 8. The petitioner, Michael Andrew Gary, was represented in the 48-minute telephonic hearing on April 20 by Jeffrey L. Fisher. The Department of Justice was represented by Jonathan Y. Ellis. The hearing immediately followed oral arguments at the Supreme Court in a similar case, Greer v. United States, court file 19-8709. Its possible the court will issue a single opinion covering both cases. Gary was charged with possessing a firearm while a felon, contrary to federal law. When he entered his guilty plea, the district court advised him that this charge required proof that he had a prior felony conviction, according to Garys brief. But, in line with the unanimous view of the federal courts of appeals at the time, the court did not advise Mr. Gary that the charge required proof that he knew that his prior conviction barred him from possessing a firearm. While this case was pending on appeal, the Supreme Court rejected the circuits understanding of the felon-in-possession statute, holding in Rehaif v. United States (2019) that the government must prove a defendant both knew that he possessed a firearm and that he was forbidden to possess one. Gary then asked the 4th Circuit to vacate his guilty plea. Although he hadnt objected during the plea process to the district courts omission of the knowledge-of-status element, Gary argued that the district courts Rehaif ruling-related error rendered his plea invalid. The 4th Circuit agreed and vacated his plea. During oral arguments on April 20, attorney Fisher said the due process error here requires automatic reversal. A core aspect of the autonomy every defendant must be afforded is the ability to decide whether to contest the governments allegations, or instead to relinquish ones physical liberty without trial and submit to a term of imprisonment, Fisher said. Failing to advise the defendant of the complete charge against him necessarily deprives him of the ability to make that grave choice knowingly and intelligently. Indeed, it would trample the framers vision of free will to enforce a guilty plea where the only facts the defendant admitted do not even constitute a crime, and where having now been advised of the true nature of the charge, the defendant wants to contest it. A skeptical Justice Brett Kavanaugh confronted Fisher. The 5th Circuit said, well, convicted felons typically know theyre convicted felons. Judge [J. Harvie] Wilkinson said, Felony status is simply not the kind of thing that one forgets, Kavanaugh said. It seems odd to throw out all the convictions if you accept that premise, so, do you accept the premise that convicted felons typically know theyre convicted felons? The question should be whether the defendant, at the time he pled guilty, understood that felony status was part of the charge, Fisher said. In Rehaif, seven of the justices of this court thought that the element was quite important, and in fact, it separated wrongful from innocent conduct. Another way to put our submission is that the defendant should at least have the opportunity to decide for himself whether to agree to wrongful conduct and submit to a term in prison. But government lawyer Ellis suggested this wasnt a close case. Being convicted of a felony is not the sort of life event that one is ordinarily unaware of or forgets, Ellis said. The respondent possessed the weapons at issue here. Hed been convicted of seven different crimes punishable by more than a year in prison. Hed spent multiple years in prison. Hed been released months before. He knew that he was not supposed to possess a gun. Justice Elena Kagan challenged Ellis. How would he even know what to object to if he didnt know anything about what the crime was? I mean, how can a defendant make the choice to plead guilty if he doesnt know what hes pleading to? Fisher concluded his case, saying, Weve become so accustomed to our system of guilty pleas that I understand the temptation that the court may have to think of this case as involving a request for relief based on a violation of something of a formalistic requirement of criminal procedure. But this case involves the most fundamental of principles and the most sensitive of practices: a conviction without a trial. Indeed, because of the stakes involved for individuals and the fear of government abuse, as the court knows, the concept of a guilty plea itself was largely unknown to the framers. So were obviously not asking the court to second-guess the modern development of the guilty plea system, but what we are saying is that an indispensable requirement of a conviction obtained in this matter is fair notice of the true charge and especially of any element like the mens rea element here, which separates wrongful conduct from innocent conduct, so a defendant can at least make an intelligent decision whether to surrender his liberty without even putting the government to its proof. However hazy that principle may appear in the mire of procedural debates that weve had today, no constitution designed to secure freedom can function without honoring that fair notice concept. Secretary of State in the Health Ministry Andrei Baciu said on Tuesday that Romania ranks 4th in the European Union in terms of immunization with two doses of anti-COVID vaccine and 17th in the world. "Romania ranks, at the level of the European Union, on the 4th place, if we look at the two-dose vaccinations, practically the vaccination with the maximum therapeutic regime, which offers the maximum protection, and on the 17th place at global level," Baciu told a press conference at the Government Palace. He said that 5,962,022 doses of vaccine against the new coronavirus are expected to arrive in Romania in May, agerpres.ro confirms. "As to the delivery calendar, nothing has changed for April compared to last week. We are talking about a total of 2,958,870 doses. But we have some pieces of news. In week five, in the last week of April, we will get a vaccine batch produced by BioNTech-Pfizer, a record batch for Romania. We are talking about 725,400 doses of vaccine that will be delivered. For May, we are talking about 697,320 doses per week, until the last week, when we expect over one million doses to be delivered, respectively 1,091,610, thus totaling 3,882,060 doses for May. As I said, for Moderna we will move to weekly deliveries, for May 128,400 every week to 513,600, for AstraZeneca we are talking about 1,047. 962 doses in May and, depending on how things look in terms of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we estimate 518,000 doses for May. Thus, we have a total of 5,962,022 doses for May, and the figures are similar for June as well," said Baciu. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The cities of Manila and Taguig have begun providing at-home COVID-19 vaccination service for their bedridden residents. The Manila local government said 98 people have been vaccinated in their homes since April 18, adding that it is expecting more requests for house service in the coming days. Manila Mayor Franciso 'Isko Moreno' Domagoso urged bedridden residents to register for free coronavirus shot by going to https://www.manilacovid19vaccine.ph/home. The LGU reminded those who wish to be vaccinated to present any of the following proof of comorbidity prior to vaccination: -medical certificate issued within the past 18 months -prescription of maintenance medicine issued within the last six months -hospital records such as discharge summary, medical abstract, surgical or pathology records Moreno said in a statement he has also issued a memorandum to the city's barangay captains, ordering them to submit a list of all their bedridden constituents. The Manila government has given COVID-19 shots to 74,191 of its residents, of which 3,820 already received two doses. Meanwhile, Taguig City has already started its house-to-house vaccination last April 19. In a statement, the Taguig City local government said the process for home-based vaccination is the same with the on-site one, which involves screening and counselling, vaccination, and post-vaccination monitoring. It added that those who want to request for vaccination at home for bedridden individuals may call Taguig Telemedicine and the citys COVID-19 hotline. Taguig City has already vaccinated a total of 23,146 residents as of April 18. The cities of Marikina and Mandaluyong have previously said they were also eyeing going house-to-house to inoculate more people against coronavirus. WASHINGTON - House Republicans were defeated in their effort to force a vote that would censure Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for calling on protesters to "get more active" and "get more confrontational" if a jury were to vote to acquit former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. The jury on Tuesday convicted him of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Before news of the verdict, House Democratic leaders quickly came to Waters' defense and denounced the resolution as a cynical political ploy to draw attention away from inflammatory and extremist remarks recently made by Republicans, including former president Donald Trump, and said Waters was calling for peaceful protests, not violence. "It's a totally phony effort to distract from what the Republicans know has been the rhetoric of so many of their members, which has in effect aided and abetted and condoned violent activity," Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Tuesday. Democrats held firm in their support for Waters, with all party members voting to "table," practically defeating, the censure resolution introduced by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The resolution failed, 216 to 210. "I'm not celebrating," Waters said after the vote. "I'm relieved." The criticism of Waters's comments over the weekend during a rally at Brooklyn Center, Minn., went beyond partisan political sniping. The judge in the Chauvin case, Peter Cahill, admonished her from the bench Monday. While dismissing a motion by the defense for a mistrial, he mentioned Waters's statement and said it could be an issue during an appeal if Chauvin were found guilty, which he was Tuesday. Cahill criticized public officials for commenting on the case before a verdict. "I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution, to respect a coequal branch of government," he said. "Their failure to do so, I think, is abhorrent." President Joe Biden faced criticism Tuesday for weighing in on the case before the jury had reached a verdict. "I'm praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is, I think - it's overwhelming in my view," Biden said. "I wouldn't say that unless the jury was sequestered now." The vote occurred before the verdict, moments after the House voted against the resolution along party lines. The murder of Floyd, a Black man, in May led to racial justice demonstrations last summer in cities across the country with participants calling for reforms to policing and a broader reckoning over racism throughout the country's history. Most of last summer's protests were peaceful, but Republicans sought to portray the violence and vandalism in some areas, such as Portland, Ore., as indicative of left-wing activists out of control. Democrats rejected this argument, including when some Republicans compared the unrest at some racial justice protests to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of Trump over the false claim that the election was stolen from him through voter fraud. Minneapolis was bracing for unrest before the verdict; buildings had been boarded up, and National Guard members fanned out in and around the city. Republicans have accused Waters of adding to the tensions with her comments, which she said were about peace and a call to action on civil rights. Republicans on Tuesday volleyed the hypocrisy charge back at Democrats, saying they have only moved to punish members from the opposing party, such as removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from her committee assignments this year over her past embrace of extremist beliefs. "Right now I haven't heard any Democrats speaking out against what Maxine has said. It's time for Democrats to speak out when they see it on both sides," Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said Tuesday at a news conference. "They only want to speak on one side of the aisle, not on both, and that hypocrisy is starting to shine through." Shortly thereafter, a mob descended on the Capitol and broke into the building, battling police and leading lawmakers to seek shelter in secure locations. Scalise also defended Trump for comments he made at a rally before his supporters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. Trump told the crowd that "we fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," and urged it to head to the Capitol, where Congress was in the process of affirming Biden's win. Scalise argued on Tuesday that Trump, unlike Waters, "used the word 'peaceful' " during a different part of his speech. "I haven't heard Maxine saying anything about peacefully protesting." Waters told news site The Grio on Monday that she was talking about nonviolent protest when she urged on protesters over the weekend. "I am nonviolent," Waters said in the interview. "Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent . . . any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word." While all Democrats voted to support Waters, aides privately said her comments were unhelpful given that they fueled Republican attacks that Democrats are the party of "defund the police" and civil disorder, which moderates say contributed to Democrats losing seats during November elections. The aides spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the censure debate. "I love my colleagues and they love me. I don't want to do anything to hurt them or hurt their chances for reelection," Waters said after the vote on the resolution. "I will make sure that they are comfortable with my kind of advocacy so that we can all be sure that we can do the right thing. I want to be clear about that." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Monday that Waters does not need to apologize for her comments. Hoyer and Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also tried to clarify that Waters did not mean protesters should become violent, rather that she was hoping they channel their expected frustrations and feelings of hopelessness through continuous, but peaceful, pressure campaigns advocating for change. "To confront is to face, confront your challenges, confront the truth, confront your circumstances," Hoyer said. "It does not imply violence. Confrontational may well imply an aggressive confrontation, in which case if it does that, then we have so many Republican members who on a regular basis confront aggressively." Jeffries urged Republicans to address the inflammatory rhetoric and controversies within their own caucus, mentioning Reps. Greene, Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and reminding that some Republicans were ready to launch an America First Caucus, which describes the United States as a place with "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions," according to a document tied to the group. "Kevin McCarthy should focus on his own conference because the Republicans in the House are a mess right now. Perhaps he should sit this one out," Jeffries said. "When you have a situation where Lauren Boebert is a mess, Gaetz is a mess, Marjorie Taylor Greene is a mess. Fix your mess Kevin. Sit this one out." Republicans have been critical of past comments from Waters, including when she urged people to confront Trump administration officials when they were spotted in public. "If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them!" she said in 2018. Trump responded to Waters at the time by referring to her as "an extraordinarily low IQ person." Greene also introduced a resolution to expel Waters, echoing Republicans that her comments have threatened the livelihood of the National Guard already in Minnesota in case of unrest related to the verdict. "What's more confrontational than the riots the American people have endured over the past year? It's time to expel Maxine Waters," Greene said in a video posted on Twitter. Hoyer said he found it "incredible" that Greene was among those pushing to discipline Waters given Greene's history, including a 2019 post on Twitter she "liked" that said "a bullet to the head" would be a quick way to remove Pelosi. Greene tried to interrupt Hoyer during his remarks on the floor after he stressed that it was "irresponsible" for Republicans to take Waters's remarks "out of context to just hold a gotcha partisan vote" when they have failed to do the same for Greene's past statements. Pressed by reporters on why there was no censure motion driven by Republicans against Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., for telling "patriots" on Jan. 6 to start "taking down names and kicking a--" before their march on the Capitol, Scalise said he had "been very clear in speaking out against any rhetoric that incites violence," but he did not say whether action would be taken. While Democrats do not plan to introduce, in response to McCarthy's motion, a censure resolution against Republicans who appeared to be sympathetic to the Capitol rioters, Hoyer warned that holding the vote against Waters would encourage Democrats to hold votes condemning Republicans. "I would suggest to my friend, the minority leader, that if confrontation is subject to sanction, then we're going to have a lot of people on your side of the aisle whom we believe are confrontational every day," he said on the House floor. "We haven't had all the resolutions that have been introduced on my side of the aisle. This makes it harder, however, not to proceed on numerous resolutions on my side of the aisle. We dont have a gun violence problem Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Yes, you heard me. Its time everyone stops saying that America has a gun violence problem. Our situation is nowhere near as superficial as that. We have a violence problem, period, irrespective of what instrument is used in the commission of a crime. That, in turn, is just one part of the overall ethical crisis being experienced in the country; a climax of having our morals siphoned off, slowly but surely, through the rejection and removal of God and value for human life from society. This comes as no surprise for anyone familiar with how Scripture characterizes our times: But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power (2 Tim. 3:1-5). The Bible, as usual, correctly diagnoses the problem and focuses on the efficient cause of violence and evil vs. any instrumental cause. Instrumental vs. efficient causes of violence Aristotle was right when he separated the cause of something into four different buckets back in the fourth century: efficient, formal, final, and material causes. He didnt explicitly call out an instrumental cause, but the others formed the basis for its idea. An instrumental cause is the means by which something takes place. For example, a carpenter uses various tools (instruments) to build a table, but the efficient cause by which the table comes about is the carpenter him/herself. When it comes to violence, history has shown that a wrong-headed focus on the instrumental cause of bloodshed vs. the efficient cause accomplishes little to nothing in the end. For example, we hear impassioned cries today to deep-six so-called assault rifles even though more people are beaten to death each year than are killed by such rifles. Further, government analysis done on the 1994 assault weapon ban showed no meaningful reduction in homicides from its enactment. Some want to outlaw high capacity gun magazines even though each years statistics show only 3-5 rounds of ammunition are fired in nearly 99% of armed confrontations. Moreover, the 3rd worst mass shooting in America was committed with a handgun where the killer used 10-round magazines. Also ignored is the reality that guns actually save magnitudes more lives each year in self-defense situations than those taken through firearms-related homicides[1]. In my work-related travels each year to EMEA where guns are highly restricted, the front page of papers left at my hotel room door routinely trumpet the most recent knife attacks, the monthly carnage of which sometimes exceeds homicide totals in major U.S. cities. In response, the governments of those countries have gone so far as to propose legislation banning any sold knife from having a tip / point, even including those used for culinary purposes. The truth is, taking away or modifying the chosen instruments of a carpenter rarely stops them from accomplishing what they intend if theyre dedicated and/or creative. Sometimes the instrument is indeed a gun like the one employed in the recent shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. Other times its a knife such as the weapon used at the Osaka school massacre (8 children dead, 15 seriously wounded) and similar ones utilized in attacks at various Chinese schools some years ago. And lets not forget about the fertilizer bomb used in Oklahoma City or the airplanes hijacked during 9-11. The sad truth is that evil the efficient cause of violence usually finds a way. The cure for violence, therefore, is to remove the evil itself instead of sophomorically thinking its the instruments that are to blame. Beating the efficient cause of violence While mental illness comes into play in many violence-related tragedies, there is definitely more to the story. It was noted Christian philosopher and theologian Francis Schaeffer who labeled the real issue mans dilemma, writing, Man is able both to rise to great heights and to sink to great depths of cruelty and tragedy. Schaeffer asked what hope we have, in and of ourselves, that we will get any better, especially since the 20th century was the bloodiest in human history. The answer is, none, since our current culture has never preached more about tolerance and morality yet shown less acceptance and kindness towards others. The author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (not a Christian), agrees with Schaeffer in a scene she depicts where her monster confronts doctor Frankenstein about all the evil he sees. People could be kind, but also evil, it notes. The creation tells the doctor that the conclusion it has come to is, you were created in the image of a perfect being, and youve fallen away from it. Theologian R. C. Sproul relays an important observation in this vein when he says, If each one of us is born without a sinful nature, how do we account for the universality of sin? If four billion people were born with no inclination to sin, with no corruption to their nature, we would reasonably expect that at least some of them would refrain from falling. . .But if everybody does it, without exception, then we begin to wonder why. The Bible tells us why each of us is born with an evil heart capable of the most terrible things imaginable: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9). The hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live (Ecc. 9:3). Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me (Ps. 51:5). For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness (Mark 7:2122). What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. (James 4:12). The sin disease present in every human heart is the efficient cause of events like the recent one in Indianapolis, 9-11, Sandy Hook, Oklahoma City, etc. It wont respond to more restrictive gun legislation, counseling, or anything similar. It needs a more powerful cure. The Bible is unequivocal in its diagnosis of humanitys efficient cause of evil actions: You must be born again (John 3:7). When the human heart no longer aims to harm their neighbor, but instead seeks to love their neighbor, then well have the real change we all seek with one end result being the instant dismissal of all useless demands for gun, knife, etc., bans to the trash heap. [1] For an interesting and balanced view on this and other gun control assertions, see statistician Leah Librescos Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-used-to-think-gun-control-was-the-answer-my-research-told-me-otherwise/2017/10/03/d33edca6-a851-11e7-92d1-58c702d2d975_story.html Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) The Philippine National Police on Tuesday refuted reports about organizers of community pantries being profiled by its personnel. "There is no order from the National Headquarters to conduct any form of profiling of organizers of community pantries," PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas said in a statement. He said the PNP is aware that community pantries are an expression of bayanihan, and the police have no intention to interfere "but to serve the best interest of law and order and public safety in such public activities." "Of particular consideration is the observance of public health standards when there is gathering of ten or more persons that builds up a crowd," he added. On Monday evening, the organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry announced a temporary halt of operations due to safety concerns after alleged red-tagging activities by the police. Patricia Non said three policemen asked for her phone number and supposed organization, lamenting similar experiences of other community pantries. She has since sought the help of Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on the matter. "Early today, I reached out to Ms. Non and discussed her concerns about her safety and security. I have requested QCPD District Director Brigadier General Antonio Yarra to conduct an investigation regarding Ms. Non's apprehensions and earlier experiences," Belmonte said in a statement. The mayor also said she will meet with Station 9 Commander Police LtCol. Imelda Reyes, under which jurisdiction Maginhawa falls, to further discuss Non's security concerns. Belmonte assured the public that the city's Task Force Disiplina and barangay leaders have been providing assistance in maintaining minimum public health protocols and crowd control in the Maginhawa community pantry. They have been instructed to the do same in other community pantries in the city, she added. Meanwhile, the National Privacy Commission flagged concerns over the alleged profiling of community pantry organizers, with authorities allegedly seeking their personal data such as email addresses, Facebook account names, and family backgrounds. "We would like to emphasize that collecting personal data must be done fairly and lawfully with respect to the rights of a data subject, including the rights to be informed and object," Privacy Commissioner Raymond Enriquez Liboro said. The Commission also urged the PNP Data Protection Office to look into these reports and take appropriate measures to prevent any police activity that may harm citizens and violate their rights. It likewise encouraged individuals to coordinate with the said PNP office on the matter, also noting the NPC had not received any complaints on it as of late. "Suffice it to say that a person voluntarily doing an act of kindness and compassion toward his neighbor should be left alone," Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra responded when asked whether the alleged profiling of community pantry organizes violate their right to privacy. Guevarra also noted that it is not proper for law enforcers to interrogate anyone "unless there is reason to believe that he is violating any law, ordinance, rule or regulation for the good or welfare of the community." For his part, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said it is "ill-advised" and "even deplorable" for police officers to suspect people involved in community pantries as engaging in destabilization especially with the absence of solid proof. That should stop. Ito nga ang shortcomings namin [These are our shortcomings], from the very start, parang naging overregulation ang pag-handle ng pandemic [its as if the handling of the pandemic became overregulation], he told CNN Philippines. National government keeps on issuing too many regulations to the point na stunted na ang efforts ng private sector and LGUs. [Translation: National government keeps on issuing too many regulations to the point that efforts of the private sector and LGUs have become stunted.] In a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade said it was their job to remind people to be careful about "dubious organizations and individuals." "Informing people to be careful about these organizations and individuals is our job. It's NOT us red-tagging them. When they show their clear links to the red then they identify themselves as red, then they become defensive," he said. Parlade added there are groups that have opened community grocery programs but have not gotten into trouble because he said they were sincere in helping people. "These groups who are complaining have posters #StopKillingFarmers and even #OUSTD30, they're agitating people to hate their gov't at this time of pandemic. They're distributing food, and with it is the poison. That's not right," Parlade said. No need for barangay permit Interior Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Dino clarified the setting up of a community pantry does not necessitate any barangay permit. Kahit na wag na kayo kumuha ng permit sa barangay, the official told CNN Philippines. Kaya lang nga talagang pupunta ang barangay once nakita na nabe-break ang social distancing kasi mananagot din si Kapitan oras na napabayaan niya ang paghahalo-halo ng mga mamamayan at nagbabadyang ng panganib para sa COVID-19. [Translation: No need to secure a permit from the barangay. The barangay (officials) really just have to intervene when the social distancing rule is already being broken, because the (barangay) captain will be held liable for such crowds and theres a threat of COVID-19 spreading under his watch.] Dino added that should crowding begin, organizers must call the attention of the barangay and coordinate with them so that social distancing can be implemented, a view shared by Anti-Red Tape Authority Director General Jeremiah Belgica. Hindi po ito negosyo, ito po ay boluntaryo...Hindi po dapat nire-require ng business permit or barangay permit, bagkus, dapat suportahan pa natin, the ARTA chief told CNN Philippines. [Translation: This (community pantry initiative) is not a business, its voluntarybusiness or barangay permits should not be required of it and we should support it instead.] Dino's remarks are a reversal of his earlier statement in another television interview that those planning to establish community pantries need a permit from their respective LGUs or barangays to ensure protocols on physical distancing and other health measures are observed. During a televised briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque noted Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano himself issued policemen a similar order. Yan po ay talaga naman pong pinupuri ng ating Presidente, said the spokesman, referring to the rise of community pantries. At ang ating DILG Secretary Ano, sinusugan din po itoinordera niya ang mga pulis, kapulisan na huwag maghimasok sa operasyon ng mga community pantries except kung kinakailangan lamang ipatupad ang mga minimum health standards. [Translation: The President really praises (the rise of community pantries). Our DILG Secretary Ano supported this by ordering the police not to intervene in the operations of community pantries except when theres a need to enforce minimum health standards.] Set up by concerned citizens, community pantries allow people to donate and drop off food like canned goods and fresh produce along with other commodities and also take items based on their personal needs. CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario, correspondent Gerg Cahiles and multi-platform news writers Glee Jalea and Vince Ferreras contributed to this report. San Francisco, April 20 : As tech giants like Twitter, Spotify, Facebook, Telegram, Discord and LinkedIn go after it, invite-only audio chat app Clubhouse has reportedly raised fresh funding in Series C round, taking its valuation to $4 billion. According to TechCrunch, the new round of financing was led by Andrew Chen of Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from DST Global, Tiger Global and Elad Gil. "This round means Clubhouse has tripled the valuation it attained in January when Andreessen Horowitz led its Series B funding round," the report said late on Monday. Clubhouse which has which has reported 10 million weekly active users said in a blog post that fresh funding will support the next round of growth for the app. "While we've quadrupled the size of our team this year, stabilised our infrastructure, launched Payments in beta to help creators monetise, and readied Android for launch, there is so much more to do as we work to bring Clubhouse to more people around the world," the company said. "It's no secret that our servers have struggled a bit these past few months, and that our growth has outpaced the early discovery algorithms our small team originally built," it added. After Facebook, online discussion forum Reddit has also launched Reddit Talk, a new feature that will let users host live audio conversations in their communities. "Currently, you can use text threads, images, videos, chats, and live streams to have conversations and hang out with people in your communities," Reddit said in a statement. "We're testing ways for hosts to customise the look and feel of Reddit Talk through emojis and background colours. Redditors can change their avatar's appearance to fit the talk as well," it added. Security officials in Kabul say a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Afghan security forces in the capital. Plumes of smoke could be seen from distant rooftops after a loud blast shook the city late on April 20. Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said it was a suicide attack against Afghan security forces, without giving further details, according to Reuters. TOLOnews quoted a security source as saying a suicide bombing targeted a convoy of Afghanistans main intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), at a traffic circle in Police District 15 of Kabul. The report said at least four wounded people had been brought to the hospital. No group claimed responsibility for the assault, which came after officials said at least 12 members of the Afghan security forces were killed in overnight attacks across the country. The Taliban said it was behind at least two of those attacks. U.S. President Joe Biden last week announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, four months later than the May 1 deadline agreed by the previous U.S. administration with the Taliban. In response, the Taliban announced it will not attend a high-level peace conference in Turkey scheduled for April 24. Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey are all exerting pressure on the Taliban to attend, according to media reports. Experts have voiced concern that a devastating civil war could break out unless the government and the Taliban reach a political agreement before the complete withdrawal of international forces. In the northern province of Badakhshan, at least eight police officers were killed and two wounded after militants attacked a checkpoint in Zebak district overnight, according to a member of the provincial government, Zakir Arian. A police official confirmed the attack and the fact that there were casualties, but gave no numbers. Militants also suffered casualties in the attack, sources told TOLOnews. In the western province of Herat, officials said at least two members of the security forces were killed and 15 were wounded in a suicide car-bomb attack on a police headquarters in the Ghoryan district. A dozen civilians, including children, were among the wounded, the provincial government said in a statement. Four residential houses were destroyed and many others were damaged partially, the statement said. In Kabul, an army officer and his driver were shot dead by unidentified shooters, police said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the car bombing and the checkpoint attack. Government officials also blamed the militant group. With reporting by dpa, Reuters, TOLOnews, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan It is critical that we do everything possible to ensure that children get off to the right start in life. I am honored to work at an organization that makes this possible by supporting children, families, and communities. -- Dr. Geoff Nagle Clayton Early Learning announced today that Geoff Nagle, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H., will join the organizations executive leadership team as Chief of External Impact. Dr. Nagles appointment follows an extensive national search; he will assume his duties at Clayton later this spring. In this newly created position, Dr. Nagle will lead Claytons early childhood-based work to discover what works and advance systems change including research and evaluation, workforce development and innovation, external products and services, and policy and advocacy within Claytons framework that nurtures a whole child, whole family approach. Most recently Dr. Nagle served as the president and CEO of the prestigious Erikson Institute in Chicago, where he led policy and community impact programs that are nationally recognized. Previously he directed the Tulane University Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. During his distinguished career, Dr. Nagle has established an exemplary track record of creating major systems change initiatives that have influenced both quality and equity in early childhood in Louisiana and Illinois. Geoffs depth of expertise as an infant mental health researcher, a policy expert, and a higher education leader, as well as his experience as the chief executive of a nationally respected early childhood organization, will accelerate our strategic aspiration to become a national innovation hub for a whole child, whole family approach to the early years, commented Becky Crowe, Claytons president & CEO. His leadership will not only be a gamechanger for Clayton but will have a positive impact on early childhood in the State of Colorado in this moment of unprecedented opportunity to impact systems change and create equitable, thriving communities. We couldnt be more thrilled for Geoff to join our team and help bring our strategic direction to life. With the negative impacts on children from the pandemic, and with the population of young children in Colorado expected to grow significantly over the next few years, the work at Clayton Early Learning is more important now than ever, said Nagle. It is critical that we do everything possible to ensure that children get off to the right start in life. I am honored to work at an organization that makes this possible by supporting children, families, and communities." Dr. Nagle holds a bachelors degree in political science from Duke University; as well as masters degrees in social work and public health, and a doctorate of philosophy in mental health policy research from Tulane University. About Clayton Early Learning Clayton Early Learning is an innovation hub that fosters thriving, equitable communities by partnering with families to nurture a whole child, whole family approach to the early years, discover what works, and advance systems change. Committed fiercely to the belief that healthy early childhood development offers one of the most powerful levers for ending inequality, Clayton plays a leadership role in demonstrating whats possible in the early years and the positive impact that has for children and families over time. Claytons 20-acre campus in the heart of Denver is the home of Colorados only Educare school, a nationally recognized model supporting children from birth to age five and their families. Clayton also impacts systems change in Colorado and beyond through our research and evaluation services, professional development for teachers and leaders throughout Colorado, and policy and advocacy work at the state and federal level. Our direct service and systems change work has impacted 20,000 children throughout Colorado. Visit us at claytonearlylearning.org and read about Claytons strategic direction. An insurance company for the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will pay $8 million to a Black motorist who was paralyzed after a white police officer shot him during a 2016 traffic stop, both sides announced on April 19. The payout will settle a long-running lawsuit brought by Jerime Mitchell, 42, over a shooting that had exposed tensions between Black residents and authorities in Iowas second largest city. The resolution avoids a trial that had been scheduled to begin April 20, as the nation awaits a verdict in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd. The payment is expected to be the most expensive settlement over allegations of excessive force by police in Iowas history. The city had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees defending against the lawsuit and arguing that Officer Lucas Jones acted lawfully in shooting Mitchell. A city spokeswoman said in a statement that it was fully prepared for trial but its insurer, States Insurance, had control over whether to settle under its policy and determined settlement to be in the best interests of its insured, the city. The city said that it admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement and that its review determined Jones acted properly given the facts and circumstances of the stop. The case has been divisive to our community and it is our hope that we can continue to enhance relationships that build trust between our community and our police department, said the statement, issued by spokeswoman Maria Johnson. We all share the desire for a safe community. An attorney for Mitchell and his wife said the settlement will help pay for Mitchells future health care needs but he said the most significant result was helping spur the firing of Jones as an officer. Deadly force was not justified here, said the attorney, Larry Powers of Chicago. Mitchell had attended rallies in his wheelchair last summer in the wake of Floyds death opposing police brutality and racial injustice. Activists then renewed their calls for the firing of Jones, who remained on the force and had fatally shot an armed white suspect a year before shooting Mitchell in the neck. The Cedar Rapids Police Department fired Jones last June, but not for either shooting. Instead, the department said that Jones was fired for his handling of a traffic stop the day before shooting Mitchell in which he let a young Black mother go instead of arresting her for driving while suspended, as required by policy. The city opened an investigation into that stop after Jones testified in a 2020 deposition during the Mitchell case that he turned off his body microphone because I was violating a policy. Jones pulled over Mitchell early on Nov. 1, 2016, near Coe College, claiming Mitchells license plate light was not working. Police have said Jones asked Mitchell to get out of the vehicle after smelling marijuana. Mitchell resisted being handcuffed and Jones pushed him against the truck and took him to the ground. Mitchell got up with the officer on his back and a police dog engaging him, and got in his truck and begin to drive away. As he clung to the moving truck, Jones fired three times, with one bullet striking Mitchell in the neck. Authorities have said Mitchell was immediately paralyzed and unable to control the vehicle as it accelerated to 60 mph (97 kph) and smashed into an oncoming police SUV driven by the citys deputy police chief, who was responding to Jones call for backup and suffered only minor injuries. A grand jury declined to charge Jones, and authorities argued he shot in self-defense. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Carriers Iowa Trees bloom on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, on April 16, 2008. (Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images) Yale, Columbia to Mandate CCP Virus Vaccinations for Students Yale University and Columbia University are joining a growing list of institutions that will require students to be vaccinated for the fall semester. The two universities posted notices on Monday stipulating that all students who plan to be on campus at the start of the fall 2021 semester must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. In its announcement, Yale University said it will make reasonable accommodations for medical and religious exemptions from vaccination. Columbia University in its announcement said it will provide religious and medical exemptions, as we do for the influenza and measles vaccines, in accordance with New York State public health laws. Yale and Columbia universities said they will provide more information in the coming weeks, including how students should record their vaccinations if they receive them elsewhere, how students can seek exemptions, and also a list of vaccines that would satisfy Yales requirements. Both universities also have their own vaccination programs. Yale also announced that it is considering whether to mandate the vaccines for faculty and staff, and that it has asked a working group to make recommendations, which will be expected in the coming weeks. The university will decide on the matter in June. Two other Ivy League schools, Cornell University and Brown University, have already mandated CCP virus vaccines for students, alongside more than a dozen other universities and colleges. Four Ivy League schools have not mandated the CCP virus vaccines. Harvard University and Princeton University both recommend students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but have not made it a requirement. Dartmouth College has also been encouraging students to get the shot, and has offered privileges/freedoms to those who have been vaccinated. The University of Pennsylvania is asking all eligible University faculty, staff, postdocs, and students to get vaccinated, noting that it has a vaccine clinic open on its campus. A nurse fills up a syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site at a senior center in San Antonio, Texas, on March 29, 2021. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images) Currently, CCP virus vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States are the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Those 16 years old or above are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and those 18 years old or above are authorized to receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Federal health authorities paused the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 13 after six recipients experienced a rare and severe blood clot post-vaccinationone death among them. A seventh case was revealed on April 14. The CDCs vaccine advisory committee is expected to make a decision regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this Friday. Vaccine providers are required to report any serious adverse effects or vaccination administration errors to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services. Between Dec. 14, 2020, and April 12, 2021, VAERS received 3,005 reports of fatalities among individuals in the United States. More than 189 million doses of the vaccine were administered during this time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it has not found evidence that the CCP virus vaccines caused the 3,005 deaths reported to VAERS as of April 13. The CDC website reads, A review of available clinical information including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records revealed no evidence that vaccination contributed to patient deaths. On the same day, the CDC confirmed that it was investigating the death of a Virginia woman who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, as part of its investigation into possible adverse events linked to the vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers are immune from liability for any adverse reactions unless there is wilful misconduct involved. The federal government has a Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program that can pay compensation to eligible persons who suffer serious injury from approved vaccines. But the burden of proof has proven a challenging process. Meiling Lee contributed to this report. My brother Ron is an eye surgeon in Dallas, Texas. He performs a wide variety of procedures including Lasix. This type of vision correction surgery was discovered by accident in 1974 in Russia. There, a prominent eye surgeon was treating a severely nearsighted boy with shards of glass stuck in his eye. A sliver had penetrated the boys cornea -- the clear tissue that forms a protective layer over the eye itself. Rather than the injury impairing his vision, the boy noticed a vast improvement. The glass had actually reshaped the cornea and changed the focus of the childs eye. A few American doctors became aware of the Russian discovery and began their own research. Eventually, LASIK vision correction procedures came into wide use when the scalpel was replaced with the cutting precision produced by a beam of focused light -- the laser. Over the years there have been further advances in vision correction surgery techniques as the cost has been steadily reduced. I believe this has occurred, in part, because vision correction surgery is not covered by medical health insurance. Without the restrictions usually imposed by insurance companies and government regulations on medical procedures, competition and consumer demand have improved the quality of this procedure. There are many other examples of improvements driven and developed by free markets in healthcare fields: Breast augmentation and rhinoplasty, weight loss surgery, dental implants and teeth whitening to name just a few. Even the advent of concierge primary care -- the area where I practice medicine -- was created out of patient demand to escape crowded groups practices in order to have a closer relationship with a doctor -- even if it meant at higher cost. But most American healthcare is not subject to free market forces. As a result, the cost of health insurance and medical care has skyrocketed over the past several decades despite the government's best regulatory efforts to try to control costs. Worse, senior bureaucrats in the government, know-it-alls in the media, and intelligentsia pontificating from the academic sidelines have romanticized the socialized medical systems of Canada and the United Kingdom in an effort to duplicate them here. Big mistake. In Canada, every citizen is covered by the government healthcare system that produces some of the highest taxes in the western world. It is also not uncommon to wait months and sometimes years for routine, non-life-threatening procedures, operations and tests such as an MRI, joint replacement surgery or cataract removal. Many medications available in the United States are not available to citizens of Canada. As a result, many affluent Canadians travel south to escape their delayed and inadequate healthcare service. Then a Canadian Supreme Court decision found that having people die while on waiting lists violated Quebec Provinces Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Soon alternate Canadian healthcare systems began growing across the nation. According to David Gratzer: Socialized medicine has meant rationed care and lack of innovation. Small wonder Canadians are looking to the market[place] for solutions. The system in the United Kingdom is no better. If you have money you can purchase private insurance and access private physicians. For the rest of the country, the National Health Service (NHS) offers coverage through a government-run, taxpayer-financed system. Under the NHS, all Brits are required to register with a local GP (general practitioner). The GP, then, becomes the gatekeeper to referring patients to a specialist in the system and/or to authorizing sophisticated testing. This was designed to prevent abuse of the system with unnecessary tests demanded by pushy patients rather than medical care administered by dispassionate professionals. Unfortunately, the reluctance to use and expand medical services has resulted in excessive waiting times for even routine tests. The NHS has its own hospitals and clinics to service the vast majority of the population. A private system in the UK competes directly with the NHS. Many doctors work both sides of the street. The UK is a good example of how a two-tiered system of haves and have nots arises. Routine surgeries and procedures -- teeth cleaning, eye exams, wart removal -- are performed at NHS hospitals and clinics for the poor and wealthy alike; when specialty surgery is needed -- an open-heart procedure, cancer cell removal, hip replacement -- the Brits often turn to private providers for treatment. It isnt that the rich necessarily get better treatment in the UK; they just get what they need on a much more timely basis. Think about someone waiting 6 months or longer for a hip replacement: Medical care delayed is no care at all, especially while enduring excessive pain and a deteriorating way of life. If we were to design a healthcare system from scratch, we probably would not choose either the UK or Canadian systems as models. One reason is that neither takes advantage of the efficiencies of a free market system. If government-run healthcare is so superior to what the private sector can produce -- in cost and efficiency -- why not have government-run supermarkets, restaurants, and clothing stores as well? Ask Cuba, China, Vietnam, or any of the other Soviet-style socialist economies that have allowed private businesses to operate next to state-run enterprises to get better products, services, and pricing. Ask Venezuelans why their socialist economy has failed at the hands of Chavez and Maduro. We currently have three examples of government-run healthcare in the U.S. and they are all in trouble: The VA Healthcare system is notorious for its long waits and inefficiencies -- veterans literally died while waiting for proper attention; Medicare is slowly going bankrupt and is seeing more and more physicians opt out of participating in that program; the Indian Health Service has long been both corrupt and ineffective. If we cannot put our own socialized systems right -- and cant figure out how to make the prison health system work effectively -- why would we want to emulate them for all Americans? In 2003, I co-founded PersonalCare-Physicians, the first primary care concierge practice in California. Concierge medicine is now a growing free market movement where patients pay a membership fee to become part of a medical practice. This membership fee allows doctors to take care of a smaller cohort of patients and provide a much higher level of personalized medical care and customer service. If American healthcare is to regain its reputation as the best in the world, free market forces must be allowed to operate to bring down costs, improve quality and innovate treatment. In short, we need to rethink how government bureaucracies and medical health insurance have gummed up the works. I also hope my brother, Ron, keeps innovating his techniques in eye care in his private practice; I may need his vision correction surgery services myself soon! Image: Picryl To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is being urged to transform Sydneys empty office space into affordable housing for key workers such as police and paramedics in his push to revitalise the CBD. However, major office landlords have insisted that workers are steadily returning after last years initial COVID-19 lockdown and commercial space will not remain empty in the long-term. As the government prepares to hold a second CBD summit on Thursday to find ways to lure people back into the city, NSW chief economist Stephen Walters said the CBD would never be the same. Commerical landlords insist workers are returning to the CBD and offices will not remain empty long-term Credit:Sam Mooy Mr Walters said bold ideas would be needed in a post-COVID world, which could include accepting that some office space will be left empty as more professionals choose to keep working from home. MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin says the World Bank has given the Quebec engineering firm an early reprieve from its list of banned companies over corruption tied to contracts in Bangladesh and Cambodia . The SNC-Lavalin headquarters is seen in Montreal on February 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin says the World Bank has given the Quebec engineering firm an early reprieve from its list of banned companies over corruption tied to contracts in Bangladesh and Cambodia . In a press release on Tuesday, the Montreal-based company says the international financial institution had agreed to lift sanctions imposed on it and scores of affiliates that were initially to be spread over a decade. The move means SNC-Lavalin will be able to resume bidding and carry on work funded by the World Bank and several regional banks that are expected to deploy US$160 billion by the end of June in developing countries. It is also expected to have a positive impact on the reputation of the company, which has taken a series of steps in an attempt to turn the page on its image, which has been marred by corruption scandals. When it cracked down on SNC-Lavalin in 2013, the World Bank stressed that the 10-year delisting was the longest exclusion period ever. The blacklisting was reduced to eight years since the firm met the international institution's compliance requirements. SNC-Lavalin CEO Ian Edwards says the company had "done its homework" since 2012. "Over nearly 10 years, we evolved through honest reflection, hard work and a sustained commitment by and toward all our employees, leading to the integration of integrity best practices," he said in a statement. In December 2019, SNC-Lavalin reached an agreement to set aside charges of fraud and corruption filed in 2015 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for acts committed in Libya between 2001 and 2011. This was accompanied by a $280-million fine. The company was able to retain the right to bid on federal government contracts. Sabahat Khan, an analyst with RBC Dominion Securities, says the early lifting of sanctions is a positive development for SNC-Lavalin from a reputational perspective. "From a financial perspective, revenues that SNC generated from the World Bank and associated entities were immaterial at the time of the settlement in 2013 so we do not expect this announcement to be material from a financial perspective," he wrote in a research note. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:SNC) Among the more than $100 billion dollars of new spending promised over the next five years in Canadas first pandemic budget is something remarkable: the nations largest investment in Indigenous communities in history. Opinion Among the more than $100 billion dollars of new spending promised over the next five years in Canadas first pandemic budget is something remarkable: the nations largest investment in Indigenous communities in history. Second behind a $30-billion investment in child care and ahead of funding for the environment, wage subsidies, and long-term care homes Indigenous communities will see nearly $18 billion over five years towards dozens of new initiatives designed to address long-standing inequities and to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time a Canadian government was this invested in Indigenous communities was 2005, with the Kelowna Accord. Negotiated over 18 months between the Liberal government led by prime minister Paul Martin, all provincial and territorial governments, and five national Indigenous organizations, a $5-billion deal was reached to "close the gap" in areas such as health, housing, education and infrastructure. In many ways, the Kelowna Accord was Martins political death knell. Canadians had no interest in addressing long-standing issues in Indigenous communities (even if it was obvious Canada created them). The first thing Tory PM Stephen Harper did when he entered office was cancel the agreement. It set the tone for nearly a decade, where problems that would have been addressed by the accord became exponentially dire, desperate, and expensive. Zoom ahead to the 2015 Liberal government of Justin Trudeau, who made "renewing relationships with Indigenous communities" his catchphrase, even banking his legacy on it. His government has been arguably the most invested in Indigenous communities in Canadian history; implementing major initiatives such as the Indigenous Languages Act, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and new child welfare policy. In fact, the first Trudeau-led budget in 2016 committed more than $8-billion over five years to Indigenous communities an unprecedented, Kelowna Accord-like amount. Then, reality hit, and Trudeaus government acted exactly how all federal governments act when it comes to Indigenous rights, lands, and the law. Namely, it mostly ignored them. A few lowlights: Trudeaus government has trampled on Indigenous rights to get resource projects done (see: Wetsuweten or anything to do with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion), failed to "solve" on-reserve water issues as promised, and incarceration rates, poverty, and inequities facing Indigenous children are at all-time highs. Plus the Jody Wilson-Raybould/SNC Lavalin conflict, which reeked of the same paternalism, racism, and misogyny Indigenous Peoples regularly experience from police, doctors, and politicians. This Jekyll-and-Hyde treatment of Indigenous communities has resulted in an equally complicated relationship with Indigenous Peoples. It contributed to a minority government for Trudeau in 2019 and an expectation the prime minister would take his foot off the gas on the issue. Cue the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. After many public demands, the Trudeau government has done a decent job supporting Indigenous communities, particularly in the vaccine rollout. More than 50 per cent of all on-reserve First Nations and northern Inuit adults have received at least one vaccination shot four times higher than the Canadian average and the disease is eradicated in hot spots where the test positivity rate was once as high as 40 per cent. There is much more work to do Metis and non-status and off-reserve First Nations people continue to suffer, for example but this success was highlighted by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland during her budget speech Monday. "We still have a lot of work ahead," Freeland remarked, before announcing how the $18 billion in new Indigenous investments break down. Theres $2.2 billion to address the calls for justice in the murdered and missing inquiry final report, $1.4 billion to support First Nations and Inuit health care, $1.2 billion for Indigenous educational initiatives, $1 billion for child and family services, $861 million to improve policing in Indigenous communities, and $275 million for culture- and language-based programming. The biggest ticket item is $6 billion ($1 billion more than the entire Kelowna Accord) for infrastructure, which has got to finally address the issue of 59 boil-water advisories in First Nations communities. However, Mondays entire budget doesnt work if the Liberals lose what is expected to be a fall election. Indigenous Peoples know whatever Canadians governments promise their communities is dumped the second new leadership enters. Thats not an endorsement, but a reality check. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca The Dixie Group, Inc. on Saturday detected a ransomware attack on portions of its information technology systems. Response protocols were initiated immediately to contain the attack, and the company is working with cybersecurity experts as well as the appropriate legal authorities to investigate this incident. The company's internal resources are working actively with multiple external cyber defense teams to assess the situation, mitigate the impact, and to restore its operating systems to full functionality as soon as possible. The company is assessing the potential effect on its operations and financial results while actively managing the situation to limit its impact. ROCHESTER, Minn. A guilty plea is entered over a Rochester meth arrest. Brian Lee Julius Murdock, 28 of Rochester, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree drug possession. He was pulled over in the 800 block of 8th Avenue SE on August 2, 2019, for non-working license plate lights. The arresting officer said he knew Murdock had a revoked license and could smell marijuana coming from the car. Court documents state a search turned up 15.56 grams of methamphetamine in the cars center console. Murdocks sentencing is now scheduled for June 7. SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- A proposed gun storage law that would be among the toughest in the U.S. is headed for a vote in the Oregon Legislature. Backers say it will save lives but opponents counter it could lead to deaths. Meanwhile, in Colorado, a less sweeping gun storage bill was signed into law Monday by Gov. Jared Polis. Hundreds of people have testified about the Oregon measure, mostly in writing because there wasn't enough time to take all the oral testimony. The debate in Oregon over guns mirrors similar discussions being held nationwide. Algiers, 19 April 2021 (SPS) - Chairman of the European Conference of Support and Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO) Pierre Galland denounced Sunday the campaign of lies waged by the Moroccan system in an attempt to distort the facts in Western Sahara, constitute stances and collect signatures in the European Parliament. In a statement to the Algerian Radio, Galland said some Moroccans are led by embassies and the Moroccan intelligence services, including journalists, to spread false information and create confusion and discord, undermine the credibility of the Sahrawi officials, collect signatures for the self-governing plan of Makhzen and to make them believe that it is the best solution. He underlined that they are trying to obtain stances from the European Parliament, adding that it is a war of lies. Galand affirmed that we have to be careful to thwart these plans while we are at the heart of the solidarity action in support to the right of the Sahrawi people. (SPS) 062/090/700 Everyone at upcoming random roadside checks conducted by the RCMP and other police agencies will be asked where they're coming from and where they're headed as part of a ban on non-essential travel between health regions in B.C., Premier John Horgan announced Monday. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 20th Apr, 2021) H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, have reviewed the prospects of growing cooperation between the two friendly nations across all fronts, specially in the trade, health and economic domains. This came as the UAE top diplomat welcomed his Pakistani counterpart at the Ministry's HQ today, wherein they exchanged Ramadan greetings. Sheikh Abdullah affirmed the depth and strength of relations between the UAE and Pakistan, which, he said, are longstanding and based on mutual trust and respect. He stressed the two nations' determination to grow cooperation across all fields for the common good of both nations' peoples. The two sides discussed the ongoing cooperation between the two countries to stem the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ways of accelerating global synergy to address the impact of the disease and ensure the delivery of its vaccine to all countries of the world The two ministers also reviewed the details of Pakistan's participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai, which will open in October this year, with Sheikh Abdullah congratulating Qureshi on the completion of his country's pavilion, wishing his country successful participation in the much-awaited global event. Attending the meeting was Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State. The 2021 political campaign season is in full swing. We are less than 60 days away from the ability to cast the first ballots, as early voting begins on June 12th. On April 15th, the New York City Board of Elections held its random drawing to list candidates on the ballot for every single race throughout the City. While the most attention is given to the big race for Mayor, its critical to note that 35 of the 51 City Council seats will be contested, due to term limits on incumbents. The sheer number by which neighborhoods across the city can be impacted by this shift in leadership is astounding and may have significant implications on each of our neighborhoods. As a result, this 2021 election is being touted as perhaps the most important citywide election in history. Considering the implications of this years races, the goal for candidates is to make it on the ballot and to be listed as number one. City Council Candidate for District 46 R. Dimple Willabus will be listed first on the June 2021 ballot, securing a major advantage. CC: Dimple, Weve been seeing your posters and advertisements throughout the community and on television. What makes you the best candidate for this role? Dimple: There are a number of issues that need to be addressed in our community and they all primarily revolve around access. We need access to quality healthcare, access to better educational options for our children, access to resources to combat food insecurity, housing insecurity and provide for safety in our community. Finally, we need access to jobs and skills training to strengthen our local workforce and the opportunity of the impending green industry jobs that are being funded. Im the best candidate because Im focused on creating actionable, measurable results that will benefit the daily lives of ALL of our residents. People who have dealt with me know that I am about bringing real results to peoples lives, not just talking about change or self-promotion. CC: What will be your number one priority as the City Councilwoman representing District 46? Dimple: My number one priority is to bring greater resources and equity to the community. While all the other candidates are vying for you to rank them first, I will be asking the community, Who will make you their number one choice? Who will make our community and its needs the priority? I will. We are a diverse, vibrant community, but for too long weve been governed by a select few under a veil of secrecy. As such, weve all suffered. Our community has suffered. Even those who have benefited have been limited in the resources availed to them. We need transparency, we need greater community engagement and we need equity. I am not beholden to any special interest groups or the political establishment. I offer a new leadership opportunity that will be centered upon the will of the community and driven solely by seeing my community not just recover from the pandemic era, but thrive, especially for future generations. CC: What has campaigning taught you? Dimple: Campaigning in the District has reaffirmed what Ive known all along. As an immigrant, who moved here, I was drawn to this community to live because of its diversity, the high work ethic and the resilience of the people and the desire to build a solid future for our next generation. Being out here has given me the opportunity to reconnect with even more people than before. In the past, Ive had the opportunity to work through my non-profit to advocate and provide resources like fresh food, school supplies, winter coats, toys, etc. That was always done through the lens of just a single individual, wondering how I could do more. As Ive campaigned, Ive realized that there are lots of people who have that same desire. They want to do more. They want a change. They want to build a better, brighter, more inclusive and prosperous community. Most importantly, theyre willing to be actively involved in working together with me to achieve this. CC: Are there any upcoming events or news that youd like to share? Dimple: As far as upcoming news, we will be having a Campaign Headquarters Opening on Saturday, April 24, 2021. It will be at 5012 Avenue N, centrally located in District 46 and easily accessible by the B46 and B41 bus lines, the latter of which stops right in front of the office. While this may be the campaign headquarters, its a place of and for the people. In the spirit of improving accessibility for the community, all are welcome and it will serve as a beacon for the community to know that together we can achieve great things. We will continue striving to ensure that every single member of our community has a place where they can be heard and access resources that will make a difference in their everyday life. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Ekaterina Zakharieva discussed steps to deter Russia from further aggression. According to the Foreign Ministrys press service, Dmytro Kuleba had a phone conversation with Ekaterina Zakharieva on April 20. The Ukrainian foreign minister informed his Bulgarian counterpart in detail about the aggravation of the security situation by the Russian Federation near the Ukrainian borders and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. "For her part, Ekaterina Zakharieva assured of Bulgaria's solidarity with Ukraine, unwavering support for the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders," the statement reads. The interlocutors coordinated their positions following the April 19 meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, at which the issue of Russian escalation was considered. They also discussed steps to deter Russia from further aggression. A separate topic of conversation was support for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. As Ukrinform reported, during a phone call with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani on April 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba enlisted the countrys support amid Russia's escalation. ish Embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, says his Facebook page was hacked but is now recovered. On Monday, Mr Pantami reported that his social media account was hacked. This account was hacked. Just recovered it. It is not being managed by Dr Isa Ali Pantami, but by some youth. Disregard any request, comment or message from it, he wrote via the same page on Monday night. This comes after a comment from the account cursed Deji Adeyanju, an activist, who has been clamouring for the ministers resignation. Mr Adeyanju had written the United States Embassy and the Department of State Security (DSS) to investigate the allegations against the cleric. Under a Facebook post tagging Mr Adeyanju as an enemy of Islam, the minister wrote in Hausa Allah ya tsine masa albarika, which is translated as May God destroy/ terminate/ruin his blessings. in English. The comment is now deleted and no longer visible. While the Facebook post claimed the page is not being managed by the minister, checks by PREMIUM TIMES showed that the email address used to open the page isapantami@yahoo.com belongs to Mr Pantami. An email address isaaliibrahim@hotmail.com provided for enquiries is also owned by the minister and is reflected on his profile on NOUNs website. A media aide to the minister, Uwa Suleiman, who acknowledged a text from our reporter, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries. Pantami in the news Mr Pantami has been in the news lately over sermons he delivered over a decade ago that supported extremist groups such as Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Although he has renounced these teachings, blaming his immaturity at that time, Nigerians on social media have demanded his resignation from office. While responding to questions during his daily Ramadan lecture at Anoor Mosque in Abuja on Saturday, the minister said his position on the issues such as the jihad has since changed. He said his old position was based on the information he had at the time, some of which were the consensus opinion among clerics in northern Nigeria at the dawn of the faceoff between the West and some Islamic countries in the early mid-2000s. Some of the comments I made some years ago that are generating controversies now were based on my understanding of religious issues at the time, and I have changed several positions taken in the past based on new evidence and maturity, Daily Trust quoted him as saying. I was young when I made some of the comments; I was in university, some of the comments were made when I was a teenager. I started preaching when I was 13, many scholars and individuals did not understand some of international events and therefore took some positions based on their understanding, some have come to change their positions later. He had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview that some of these issues were concocted from certain lectures he presented over a decade ago. Some of the lectures were even more than 15 to 20 years old. All of these countries that I have visited know more than all that the people are mentioning. Usually, all the lectures they mentioned were presented around 1998, 1999, 2000. The most recent could be around 2006, which is also 15 years ago. Most of them were, firstly, academic lectures from Islamic perspective, and we were presenting the lectures in order to calm our youth that were being recruited to join extremism. So, in the course of doing that, I came up with an approach. ADVERTISEMENT Panaji: The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has urged the Goa government to ban the sale of Chinese firecrackers, saying they contain a chemical that is banned in India. The right wing Hindu organisation submitted a memorandum to the North Goa District Collector's office on Friday, seeking to ban the crackers manufactured in China, which will hit the markets before and during Diwali, being celebrated next week. "A large consignment of Chinese Crackers has been brought into the country. Mixture of the chemicals, namely potassium chloride and potassium per-chloride are used in the production of these crackers; but there is a ban on the use of these chemicals in Bharat (India)," the memorandum signed by HJS leaders, including its state convenor Manoj Solanki, says. Solanki said that although these Chinese crackers are cheap, they pollute the atmosphere very badly and the Indian government has banned the sale of these crackers during Diwali. He said that as per the Explosives Act, 2008 possessing and selling the foreign-made explosive material is a cognisable offence. "Delhi government, too, has put a complete ban on Chinese crackers. Despite this ban, the Chinese crackers are brought into India illegally and sold," he added. The HJS demanded that the government should ban its sale immediately and take stringent action against those involved in its illegal trade. The organisation also pointed out that pictures of national heroes and deities are printed on the covers of some crackers. "When these crackers are burnt, these torn pictures also get strewn all over. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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The piece, titled Racism: From a White Mans Perspective, was written by Richard Gagnon, a resident of Brentwood, a small southern New Hampshire town with a population of fewer than 5,000 people. It appeared in the March issue of the Brentwood Newsletter whose publication has since been indefinitely suspended as a result, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. The newsletter is partly funded by taxes collected by the town, and also runs adverts. In response to public backlash against the op-ed, the Brentwood Select Board voted 3-2 to cease funding of the publication for the time being. An April issue was printed, though it only contains advertisements and no editorial content. Prior issues of the newsletter that were previously available online have also been taken down. The Brentwood Newsletter, a volunteer-run publication, has been suspended after a controversial op-ed ran in the March issue criticizing Black Lives Matter and questioning whether there is 'systemic racism' The controversial op-ed, titled Racism: From a White Mans Perspective, was written by Richard Gagnon, a resident of Brentwood, a small southern New Hampshire town with a population of fewer than 5,000 people 'I find it interesting that "racism" for all its supposed simplicity in definition, is really very difficult to understand and define today in its proper context,' Gagnon wrote in the op-ed. '"Systemic Racism permeates our society!" So goes the cry of groups like Black Lives Matter, Inc. and Antifa, et.al. 'Yet, a predominantly white electorate voted in a black president; four years after that, they voted him in again. 'Now we have a black female vice president. 'We have also had a black attorney general, a black secretary of state and two past and present black supreme court justices.' Gagnon also wrote: 'What then is "systemic racism"?' 'By what system are we practicing or encouraging racism? Is it in our Congress? Is it in outlaws? Is it in our Constitution? Is it in our electoral process? 'Does any State practice the prejudiced or antagonistic behavior against any minority? 'Does any city or town practice racism in any way, shape, or form? 'If the answer to all the aforementioned is NO, then where is the "systemic racism" so many accuse Americans of practicing?' Gagnon writes that 'if someone feels that "whites are privileged", that broad accusation is truly a racist statement, in that it is a preconceived opinion with no reasoned basis.' Systemic racism, or 'institutional' racism, is considered by civil rights activists to be a less overt form of racism whereby laws are allegedly designed to discriminate against non-whites in many facets of society. Supporters of Black Lives Matter claim that whites are 'privileged' in that they do not have to deal with the same obstacles in the areas of finance, education, housing, politics, the criminal justice system, and employment. The monthly newsletter normally publishes less controversial community-based news and letters from residents as well as advertisements for small local businesses. It is considered editorially-independent from the town, despite receiving taxpayer funds. During a March town meeting, voters approved allocating $10,200 to help with printing, postage, and distribution of the newsletter, which is also available online. The image above shows a file photo of a home in Brentwood, New Hampshire But last month, in the wake of the op-eds publication, a contentious meeting was held at the town hall where at least one resident demanded that the town stop funding the newsletter due to Gagnons writing. One resident, Suzanne Austin, said that she read the op-ed with dismay and that racism is not an opinion and causes direct and immediate harm to members of the community. According to Seacoastonline, Austin said that the newsletters publication on the towns official web site implies agreement with the views expressed. Other residents, however, defended the op-ed, saying it was an example of the right to free expression. We have explored sensitive issues since Day One, including taxes, schools and arguments among neighbors, Rebecca Dunham said. The local board will meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter further. Residents are expected to provide more input before a decision is made on funding of future issues. At this point, a simple majority of the people think we should continue to fund it and that maybe the editor should use a different level of discretion, said Ken Christiansen, the select boards chairman. The newsletters editor, Robin Wrighton, released a statement which read: In March, an article ran of which a group of residents did not approve. Rather than enlightening the community with their alternate opinion, their approach has been to attack and defund this newsletter. They are ignoring the fact that the annual appropriation to fund the newsletter went through the proper channels for approval by the Budget Committee, Board of Selectmen and the voters at the March 13 town meeting. A Montana backcountry guide has died after he was mauled by a large grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park. Charles 'Carl' Mock, 40, who lived in the park gateway community of West Yellowstone, suffered a massive stroke and died Saturday, two days after he was attacked while fishing alone in a forested area along the Madison River. The male bear, which weighed at least 420 pounds, was later shot and killed when it charged wildlife workers investigating the attack. Charles 'Carl' Mock, 40, has died after he was mauled by a large grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park The backcountry guide lived in the park gateway community of West Yellowstone and was fishing alone when he was attacked Mr Mock suffered a massive stroke and died Saturday, two days after he was attacked while fishing alone in a forested area along the Madison River It is believed the bear was defending the carcass of a nearby moose which was found 50 yards from the site of the attack near Baker's Hole campground, said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen. Mock, who suffered significant scalp and facial wounds, managed to call 911 after the attack and was found after searchers looked for him for about 50 minutes. He was transported by toboggan and snowmobile to an ambulance before being taken to a hospital in the city of Idaho Falls, where he died, according to the sheriff's office. He had several surgeries for his injuries and was facing a very long road to recovery. Keith Johnson, organiser of an online fundraiser, said: 'This comes as a terrible shock and is heartbreaking to everyone, since both the surgeries went so well.' Mock was a guide at Backcountry Adventure, which provides snowmobile rentals and tours in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas of national forest, according to the company's Facebook page. A fundraising website set up on Mock's behalf following the mauling said he was passionate about the outdoors and a beloved guide for Yellowstone visitors. Mock, who suffered significant scalp and facial wounds, managed to call 911 after the attack and was found after searchers looked for him for about 50 minutes He was transported by toboggan and snowmobile to an ambulance before being taken to a hospital in the city of Idaho Falls where he died The 40-year-old was a guide at Backcountry Adventure, which provides snowmobile rentals and tours in Yellowstone National Park A fundraising website set up on Mr Mock's behalf said he was passionate about the outdoors and a beloved guide for Yellowstone visitors Mock when attacked had bear spray - a Mace-like deterrent meant to protect against attacks. Bear spray residue was found on Mock's clothing, but officials could not determine to what extent he was able to use it against the bear. 'He was the only one who was there and we were never able to talk to him,' Jacobsen said. The grizzly was killed Friday after it charged a group of seven game wardens and other personnel as they approached the scene of the attack. Several people fired at the animal and it died about 20 yards from the group, Jacobsen said. Officials said they are confident the bear that was killed is the one that attacked Mock. The Yellowstone region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming has more than 700 bears. Fatal attacks on humans are relatively rare but increased in recent decades as the grizzly population grew and more people moved into rural areas near bear habitat. Since 2010, grizzlies in the Yellowstone region killed eight people including Mock. Three died inside the park. The most recent death was in 2018, when a hunting guide and his client were attacked in Wyoming and the guide was killed. When he was attacked Mr Mock had bear spray - a Mace-like deterrent meant to protect against attacks Officers from the sheriff's office and West Yellowstone Police Department are seen near the scene of the grizzly bear mauling just outside Yellowstone National Park Grizzly bears have been slowly expanding the turf where they roam in parts of the northern Rocky Mountains but need continued protections Grizzlies bears have been federally protected as a threatened species outside Alaska since 1975 after being widely exterminated by trappers and hunters early last century. Hunting grizzlies is not allowed. But lawmakers from Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are trying to force wildlife officials to lift protections so the bears can be hunted. Mock's friend, Scott Riley, said he was 'an extremely experienced' guide who knew the risks of living and working in proximity to grizzly bears. Mock, who was single and originally from Pocatello, Idaho, had been fishing in the same area all week without incident, Riley said. His friend said he spent ample time outdoors with Mock, who also kayaked, hunted and rode his motorcycle, and theyd seen lots of bears but never had any problem. 'He was the best guide around,' Riley said. 'He had sight like an eagle and hearing like an owl. ... Carl was a great guy.' Europe's drug regulator was expected to rule Tuesday on the safety of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after fears it could be linked to extremely rare blood clots, while India said it will make shots available to all adults as it battles a terrifying wave of infections The Hague, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :Europe's drug regulator was expected to rule Tuesday on the safety of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after fears it could be linked to extremely rare blood clots, while India said it will make shots available to all adults as it battles a terrifying wave of infections. The United States is also expected to announce its decision on the single-shot J&J vaccine by Friday, as nations around the world try to accelerate their rollouts and revive their pandemic-ravaged economies. The European Medicines Agency was due to hold a press conference from Amsterdam on Tuesday, after reviewing four cases -- one fatal -- of rare blood clots reported among people who got the J&J shot. But the number of reported clots were "extremely small" compared with the 4.5 million J&J shots administered worldwide, the EMA has said. That comparison echoes the comments by top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci, who described the clots as "an extraordinarily rare event". Fauci said Sunday he believed the US would resume use of the jab, possibly with some restrictions or warnings. The J&J vaccine concerns follow similar reports of blood clots in a very small number of people who received the AstraZeneca shot. The EMA described those clots as a "very rare" side effect, stressing that the AstraZeneca jab's benefits outweigh the risks. The leaders of Europe are keen to accelerate vaccinations and expand availability after facing intense criticism over a sluggish rollout and with the public desperate for a return to some degree of normality. That desire was on display in EU member Slovakia on Monday, where shops, museums, libraries and swimming pools reopened after a lengthy lockdown, bringing big crowds onto the streets. Hairdressers were in particularly high demand. "We have been very busy since the morning, but I am very happy that we can cut hair again," said Martin, a Bratislava barber. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net Ramallah, April 20 : Palestine is moving toward a gradual economic recovery with a significant drop in coronavirus infections in the West Bank, Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said. The government's next step is "to revive the economy", Ishtaye said in a statement issued after the weekly cabinet meeting on Monday. "All estimations indicate that we will emerge from the state of economic deflation to the state of economic recovery," Xinhua news agency quoted the Prime Minister a saying. But the coronavirus situation in the Gaza Strip "is still catastrophic", he warned. Gaza recorded 998 new Covid-19 cases and 16 deaths in the last 24 hours, while the West Bank had 531 new cases and 14 deaths, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry. The Palestinian government agreed to purchase 500,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine and 4 million doses of the US Pfizer vaccine "with the aim of ensuring access to herd immunity", said Ishtaye. So far, a total of 131,759 people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the West Bank, and 35,090 in the Gaza Strip, according to official figures. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Leidos Holdings, Inc. ("Leidos" or the "Company") (NYSE: LDOS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Leidos and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] In May 2020, Leidos acquired the Security Detection and Automation ("SD&A") business of L3 Harris Technologies for $1 billion, representing to Company investors that the highly leveraged deal would help Leidos achieve double-digit growth, 15% margins, $500 million in revenues, and boost international sales. Then, on February 16, 2021, Spruce Point Capital Management ("Spruce Point") published a report concluding that Leidos had "wasted" $1 billion on the SD&A acquisition. The Spruce Point report alleges that Leidos is "potentially covering up at least $100m of fictitious sales, mischaracterizing $355 - $367m of international revenue" and that also "concealing numerous product defects from investors, including faulty explosive detection systems at airports, ports and borders." The Spruce Point report further asserts that the Company's management may be intentionally inflating certain of Leido's financial metrics, including operating cash flow and organic sales growth, to obscure strains from investors. For the foregoing reasons, among others, Spruce Point "an immediate Board investigation into the SD&A transaction and the dismissal of CEO [Roger A.] Krone and CFO [James C.] Reagan." Following publication of the Spruce Point report, Leidos's stock price fell sharply, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. Story continues CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-of-leidos-holdings-inc---ldos-301272062.html SOURCE Pomerantz LLP New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed for two weeks the Allahabad High Court order directing weeklong lockdown in 5 major COVID-19 affected cities - Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur - of Uttar Pradesh. The top court passed the order in response to the Uttar Pradesh government's plea challenging the Allahabad High Court`s order to impose lockdown in its five worst-COVID-19 affected cities. The state government maintained that ''such kinds of decisions are not in the domain of the High Court.'' The order was passed by the bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde. Appearing on behalf of the UP government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, "the state is already taking steps to contain the spread of COVID-19 but a complete lockdown would create immense administrative difficulties. "Complete COVID-19 lockdown was imposed for a week in many cities in Uttar Pradesh. Considering the urgency, in the matter, please consider it for hearing today," Solicitor General said. Taking note of the state government's submissions that it has taken adequate steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the top court also appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha as amicus curiae to assist it in future hearings in the UP lockdown case Earlier last week, the Allahabad High Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to consider imposing a complete lockdown in the most affected districts along with ramping up tracking, testing and treatment facilities. The Uttar Pradesh government has already announced restrictions on gatherings of five or more people in religious places for effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic during Navratri and Ramzan. Uttar Pradesh has recorded 18,021 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Tuesday. On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath`s office had said, "There is no need to impose a complete lockdown. Weekend lockdowns will continue to curb the spread of COVID-19." As per the Union Health Ministry, there are currently 2,08,523 active cases in Uttar Pradesh. So far, 6,61,311 recoveries and 9,997 deaths have been reported in the state. India is currently witnessing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic reported over 2.73 lakh fresh infections in the last 24 hours - the highest since the pandemic broke out last year. According to the Health Ministry, there are currently 19,29,329 active cases in the country. India registered 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths in the last 24 hours, the data by the Union Health Ministry showed on Tuesday (April 20, 2021) morning. As per the official figures, there were also 1,54,761 coronavirus recoveries between Monday and Tuesday morning. India now has a total of 1,53,21,089 COVID-19 infections, of which, 20,31,977 are active cases. The country has so far witnessed 1,80,530 coronavirus-related fatalities. Live TV Committed to creating opportunities that will enable the new generation of Filipino mobile gamers to pursue their passion, leading smart technology brand realme Philippines was recognized at the 18th Philippine Quill Awards for realme Philippines Mobile Legends Cup (RMC). realme bags a total of 5 Quills, pivots to more digital campaigns The realme Mobile Legends Cup Season 3, which was launched last March 2020, was one of the brands initiatives to provide an avenue to help amateur and professional Filipino Mobile Legends gamers develop their skills in mobile gaming amid the ongoing global health crisis. By providing these gamers with the opportunity to hone their talent, the RMC aims to contribute to the growing local mobile gaming industry, especially with the Philippines seen as a key driver of Southeast Asias overall gaming market. After the success of the RMC Season 3, realme Philippines is back at it again for a much bigger and exciting fourth season! Players are encouraged to put their best gaming foot forward as realme Philippines offers a prize pool of Php 500,000 -- the biggest so far. The RMC Season 4 is powered by the #LimitlessGamingMonster narzo 30, one of realmes most powerful gaming smartphones. Aside from the realme Philippines Mobile Legends Cup, the brand also won an award for its mini-film SuperWar, the first smartphone launch flick in the country. Likewise, the realme Philippines Squadcast entry also got recognition in the Customer Relations category. The three awards fall under Communication Management. The realme Philippines Squadcast and realme Philippines Facebook Community were also lauded in the Social Media Programs category under Communication Skills, underscoring the brands broad and effective reach to its fans via new media. As the new normal continues to redefine many aspects of life, including how brands communicate with their target audience, realme Philippines is at the forefront of digital transformation. We are humbled by these awards and we are very proud of all the people who have made this recognition possible. This is a bonus to being able to provide the youth with a respite from the recent events and problems faced by the country. This will inspire us to continue exploring the best innovations and approaches that our target market will appreciate, and right now, doing digital campaigns and activities is at the top of our list. As a brand for the youth, we promise to always listen and deliver high-quality products and service through the medium they prefer and appreciate, shares realme Philippines Vice President for Marketing Austine Huang. The recent recognitions attest to realme Philippines commitment to providing a more accessible and highly immersive tech experience to the Philippine market. realme squad members and tech fans alike can look forward to more exciting and innovative projects ahead. The Philippine Quill, presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, is the countrys most prestigious awards program in the field of business communication. Druva Inc., the leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, today announced a $147 million investment as the company rapidly scales in response to accelerated demand for its platform. The fundraise was led by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), a global investment group, with a significant investment by Neuberger Berman, each of which manage more than $300 billion in net assets. The round, which raises the companys valuation above $2 billion, also included participation from existing investors Viking Global Investors and Atreides Management. As organizations quickly move workloads to cloud environments, adopt SaaS solutions, and combat rising cyber threats, this new investment will fuel continued expansion of Druva Cloud Platform to meet todays unprecedented needs, and extend the companys industry leadership as it defines tomorrows data protection. Over the last 12 months, enterprises have moved swiftly to adopt cloud solutions to strengthen business resilience, maintain critical business operations, and support hybrid work models. Based on this demand, Gartner, Inc. forecasts cloud adoption will reach a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.7 percent.* As data grows exponentially in parallel to this new operating model, traditional data protection based on hardware and software is no longer scalable or cost-effective. Instead, businesses need a new approach which can be deployed from anywhere, protect data across the enterprise, and deliver it securely as a service. Only solutions built natively in the cloud will be able to successfully deliver all this functionality and, 40 percent of organizations will supplement or completely replace traditional backup applications with cloud-based solutions by 2022, according to Gartner, Inc.** Rising volumes of stored data, rapid adoption of cloud and deployment of SaaS applications, regulatory frameworks and cybersecurity concerns have accelerated the demand for data protection and management solutions for businesses, said Alexandre Synnett, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CDPQ. The working-from-home dynamic experienced globally has further accentuated the need for cloud-based data protection solutions and we believe Druva is in an excellent position to seize opportunities and enhance its clients agility and data compliance. With the ability to deliver faster time to value and help businesses manage, protect, and govern critical data during their digital transformation efforts, Druva Cloud Platforms customer base has expanded substantially during 2020, while the adoption of multiple Druva Cloud Platform products has increased by 50 percent in the same time period. In the last year, the companys data under management has grown by more than 40 percent as Druva supports industry leaders, disruptors, and pioneers including GameStop, Marriott, NASA, National Cancer Institute, Pfizer, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. We have been extremely impressed by Druvas talented management team, leading technology, and ongoing innovation in serving the enterprise market, said Charles Kantor, Managing Director, Neuberger Berman. We believe we are in the early innings of enterprises shifting workloads to the cloud, and Druvas proprietary solutions position the company for long-term success. We look forward to providing our experienced market perspectives to management as Druva marks this important inflection point in its growth trajectory. The unprecedented events of 2020 have ushered in a generational cloud transformation for businesses, and datas increasing value is at the very heart of it, said Jaspreet Singh, founder and CEO, Druva. Druva pioneered the cloud data protection category almost a decade ago and has led the way in defining the architecture, business model, and user experience our customers now expect. This investment and our continued, rapid growth is further validation of our vision for a simple, open, and unified data protection and management platform. The last 12 months have underscored how organizational agility is at a premium, and IT leaders are increasingly turning to cloud technologies to increase business resilience and velocity, said Phil Goodwin, Research Director, IDC. Companies able to simplify complex data protection processes, particularly by leveraging the cloud, can gain strategic advantage through better data availability and Druva Cloud Platform is architected to make it a compelling choice for organizations navigating cloud migrations. Additional information: Customer Testimonials : Hear from our customers on how Druva helps them thrive in the cloud era : Hear from our customers on how Druva helps them thrive in the cloud era Platform Overview: Learn more about Druva Cloud Platform Learn more about Druva Cloud Platform Video:Highlights of todays announcement and Druvas milestones over the last 12 months *Gartner, Forecast: Public Cloud Services, Worldwide, 2019-2025, 1Q21 Update, ID G00743201. Published 25 March, 2021. **Gartner,2020 Strategic Roadmap for Storage, ID G00722078. Published 1 January, 2020. About Druva Cloud Platform Built for the public cloud with a microservices architecture, Druva Cloud Platform is secure by design, always up-to-date, and offers all-inclusive, consumption-based pricing. The industrys largest cloud-native SaaS platform operating at scale, Druva Cloud Platform enables organizations to centrally protect data, no matter where it lives: cloud environments, leading SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Salesforce, hybrid environments, or endpoint devices. Leveraging this innovative SaaS platform, organizations can reduce the cost and complexity of data protection, accelerate and protect cloud projects and increase cyber resilience and regulatory compliance. About Druva Druva delivers Data Protection and Management for the cloud era. Druva Cloud Platform is built on AWS and offered as-a-Service; customers drive down costs by up to 50 percent by freeing themselves from the burden of unnecessary hardware, capacity planning, and software management. Druva is trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, including over 50 of the Fortune 500. Druva is a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and is funded by Sequoia Capital, Viking Global Investors, CDPQ, Neuberger Berman, Tenaya Capital, Riverwood Capital and Nexus Partners. Visit druva.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. ABOUT CDPQ At Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), we invest constructively to generate sustainable returns over the long term. As a global investment group managing funds for public retirement and insurance plans, we work alongside our partners to build enterprises that drive performance and progress. We are active in the major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. As at December 31, 2020, CDPQs net assets total CAD 365.5 billion. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005283/en/ Lysaker, Norway - April 20, 2021: Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of REC Silicon ASA (REC) will be held at the offices of Schjdt, Ruselkkveien 14, Oslo, Norway on May 11, 2021 at 4.00 pm CET. Please find attached Notice of the General Meeting and the Recommendation of the Nomination Committee. All documents are available at https://www.recsilicon.com/investors/agm/ Due to the extraordinary situation with Covid-19, and in light of prevailing travel and meeting recommendations and restrictions, the Board urges shareholders to vote through submission of proxy forms prior to the meeting and not attend the meeting in person. For further information, please contact: James A. May II, Chief Financial Officer Phone: +1 509 989 1023 Email: james.may@recsilicon.com Nils O. Kjerstad, IR Contact Phone: +47 9135 6659 Email: nils.kjerstad@crux.no About REC Silicon REC Silicon is a leading producer of advanced silicon materials, delivering high-purity polysilicon and silicon gas to the solar and electronics industries worldwide. We combine 30 years of experience and proprietary technology with the needs of our customers, with annual production capacity of more than 20,000 MT of polysilicon from our two US-based manufacturing plants. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: RECSI), the Company is headquartered in Lysaker, Norway. For more information, go to: www.recsilicon.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 20, 2021) - On February 10, 2020, District Copper Corp. (TSXV: DCOP) ("District Copper") announced that it had agreed to sell its Eaglehead Property to Northern Fox Copper Inc. ("Northern Fox") a wholly owned subsidiary of Copper Fox Metals Inc. ("Copper Fox"). A further release updating the status of the sale was issued on May 21, 2020. The May 21, 2020 news release disclosed that the parties made application to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation in the Province of British Columbia ("Ministry of Mines") to have the mining permits held by District Copper transferred and/or reissued to Northern Fox. After unexpected Ministry of Mines delays caused by COVID-19 workforce interruptions and other extenuating circumstances the Ministry of Mines approved Northern Fox's application on March 8, 2021 and issued a new mining permit. The issuance of the mining permit to Northern Fox was a condition of closing which would give rise to a release of bonding amounts posted by District Copper with the Ministry of Mines in the amount of CDN$212,000 after Northern Fox posted a substitute amount with the Ministry. As a result, all conditions to closing have now been fulfilled and District Copper has closed the sale. Under the terms of the agreement, District Copper has received at closing an additional CDN$150,000 on account of the sale price and CDN$212,000 representing the reclamation bonds posted by District Copper with the Ministry of Mines will be released imminently. The balance of the purchase price due and payable by Northern Fox to District Copper (CDN$1,000,000) is payable in three annual installments of CDN$340,000, CDN$330,000 and CDN$330,000 respectively on each anniversary date following the closing. In addition, District Copper has reserved a 0.5% net smelter return of royalty on future production if any which may be realized in the Eaglehead Property. The unpaid portion of the purchase price due and payable by Northern Fox has been guaranteed by Copper Fox and is secured by a general security agreement registered against the assets and undertaking of Northern Fox. The security further includes a charge against Northern Fox's share ownership in District Copper. About District Copper District Copper is a Canadian company previously engaged in exploration for porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposits in northwestern British Columbia and Newfoundland. On February 9, 2021, District Copper acquired an option to purchase the Copper Keg Property mining claims located in the Kamloops Mining Division in British Columbia. Future plans include an exploration program on these claims in 2021. For further information, please visit the website at www.districtcoppercorp.com to view the Company's profile or contact Jevin Werbes at 604-620-7737. "Jevin Werbes" Jevin Werbes, President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described in this news release have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This news release is not for distribution in the United States or over United States newswires. Cautionary Statement on Forward Looking Statement Information contained in this news release, including information as to strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance, constitute "forward looking statements". Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such statements. All statements, other than historical fact, included herein, including, without limitations statements regarding future production, are forward-looking statements that involve various 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. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements about the exploration program at the Stony Lake project. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing District Copper is disclosed in District Copper's continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and District Copper disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/80976 HOUSTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) ("WES" or the "Partnership") announced that the board of directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.315 per unit for the first quarter of 2021. This distribution represents a 1.3-percent increase over the prior quarter's distribution and is consistent with an annualized distribution growth of 5-percent. WES's first-quarter 2021 distribution is payable May 14, 2021, to unitholders of record at the close of business April 30, 2021. "By implementing organizational and operational changes, we have significantly enhanced our assets and realized sustainable cost and capital savings," said President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, Michael Ure. "These fundamental changes, coupled with our ability to execute accretive financial transactions, have allowed us to emerge from the previously dislocated market positioned for financial flexibility, and to confidently increase our quarterly distribution." Ure continued, "Our commitment to managing leverage responsibly and returning value to stakeholders through further debt repayments, cash distributions, and unit buybacks is unchanged. While our Board will continue to consider our distribution each quarter based on the needs of our business, we believe that if current producer activity levels remain consistent over the next 5 years, we will have the ability to fund our core business while also generating sufficient excess cash to repay all debt maturities through 2025, target a 5-percent annual distribution growth rate, and achieve a Net Debt-to-TTM Adjusted EBITDA ratio at or below 3.0 times." The Partnership retains authorization under the previously announced buyback program of up to $250 million of the Partnership's common units through December 31, 2021 (the "Purchase Program"). Through today's date, WES has repurchased a total of 3,484,509 units, for a total of approximately $49 million, under the Purchase Program. The Partnership plans to report its first-quarter 2021 results after market close Monday, May 10, 2021. Management will host a conference call Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at 2 p.m. CDT (3 p.m. EDT) to discuss WES's quarterly results. The full text of the release announcing the results will be available on the Partnership's website at www.westernmidstream.com. First-Quarter 2021 Results Tuesday, May 11, 2021 2 p.m. CDT (3 p.m. EDT) Dial-in number: 877-883-0383 International dial-in number: 412-902-6506 Participant access code: 7924735 To participate in WES's scheduled first-quarter earnings call, refer to the above-listed dial-in number and participant access code. To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Partnership's website at www.westernmidstream.com. A replay of the conference call also will be available on the website following the call. ABOUT WESTERN MIDSTREAM Western Midstream Partners, LP ("WES") is a Delaware master limited partnership formed to acquire, own, develop, and operate midstream assets. With midstream assets located in the Rocky Mountains, North-central Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Mexico, WES is engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, NGLs, and crude oil; and gathering and disposing of produced water for its customers. In addition, in its capacity as a processor of natural gas, WES also buys and sells natural gas, NGLs, and condensate on behalf of itself and as an agent for its customers under certain of its contracts. For more information about Western Midstream Partners, LP and Western Midstream Flash Feed updates, please visit www.westernmidstream.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements. WES and its general partner believe that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release. These factors include our ability to meet distribution expectations and financial guidance; the timeline for a full recovery in commodity demand and prices; our ability to safely and efficiently operate WES's assets; the supply of, demand for, and price of oil, natural gas, NGLs, and related products or services; our ability to meet projected in-service dates for capital-growth projects; construction costs or capital expenditures exceeding estimated or budgeted costs or expenditures; and the other factors described in the "Risk Factors" section of WES's most-recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other public filings and press releases. WES undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Note regarding Non-United States Investors: This release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100.0%) of Western Midstream Partners, LP's distributions to non-U.S. investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, Western Midstream Partners, LP's distributions to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. WESTERN MIDSTREAM CONTACTS Kristen Shults Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications [email protected] 832.636.6000 Abby Dempsey Investor Relations Supervisor [email protected] 832.636.6000 SOURCE Western Midstream Partners, LP Related Links http://www.westernmidstream.com She always rocks the latest fashion trends. And Joanna Chimonides slipped into a stylish mini dress and oversized blazer on Tuesday as she splurged on Pandora jewellery in London. The former Love Island star, 24, displayed her slender pins as she was seen browsing for new accessories before exiting the store in Marble Arch with a handful of shopping bags. Day out: Joanna Chimonides slipped into a stylish mini dress and oversized blazer on Tuesday as she splurged on Pandora jewellery in London Joanna rocked chunky cream boots and draped a black handbag from Prada across her slender frame. She perched circular shades on top of her ombre tresses which were styled in a glamorous loose waves. The reality star enhanced her visage with full coverage make-up but made sure to protect herself with a black face mask as she purchased goods from the jewellery store. Joanna has been updating her social media page with a slew of chic photos and outfit snaps, since returning from the Maldives with fellow Love Island alum Georgia Steel, 22, in February. Splash out: The former Love Island star, 24, displayed her slender pins as she was seen browsing for new accessories before exiting the store in Marble Arch with a handful of shopping bags Expensive taste: Joanna rocked chunky cream boots and draped a black handbag from Prada across her slender frame Stocking up: The reality star enhanced her visage with full coverage make-up but made sure to protect herself with a black face mask as she purchased goods at the jewellery store The pair had been busy documenting their lavish getaways with pals including Francesca Allen and Hayley Hughes in a series of snaps, while most of the UK was ordered to stay at home. Travel abroad is still banned from the UK without a legally permitted reason. However earlier in April, outdoor hospitality was able to reopen, including pubs and restaurants - with the rule of six or a larger group from two households. Lockdown-weary Britons rushed back to pubs and hospitality hotspots for a well-earned drink including her pal Georgia. Beaming: Joanna smiled effortlessly as she window shopped alongside her pal Back home: Joanna has been updating her social media page with a slew of chic photos and outfit snaps, since returning from the Maldives with fellow Love Island alum Georgia Steel, 22, in February She posted that she finally went 'out out' for dinner after months of lockdown in England due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The reality star looked glamorous in a cream denim jumpsuit with button detailing. Her brunette locks were styled in a bouncy blow dry and the beauty also opted for a neutral dewy makeup look to accentuate her naturally pretty features. Georgia styled the outfit with a stunning gold watch and elegant gold rings. She captioned the post: 'We OUT OUT and boy does it feel good.' Document: The pair had been busy documenting their lavish getaways with pals including Francesca Allen and Hayley Hughes in a series of snaps, while most of the UK was ordered to stay at home Change: Travel abroad is still banned from the UK without a legally permitted reason however earlier in April, outdoor hospitality was able to reopen, including pubs and restaurants Mumbai: A meeting of the Maharashtra cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday favoured a 'strict lockdown' in the state and an announcement in this regard is likely to be made on Wednesday. Most of the ministers were in favor of complete lockdown. After the meeting, Jitendra Awhad claimed that a complete lockdown could take place and its guideline could be prepared and announced by the Chief Minister. A lockdown has been decided and there will be a strict lockdown in the state. A guideline will be ready by today. The movement of buses and trains will not be stopped and passengers will not be bothered," Awhad said. While Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde said, "Need to take drastic decisions, a strict lockdown is required. Tomorrow the Chief Minister will make the announce." Rajesh Tope said, "An increase in coronavirus cases has been affecting the health services. The state needs a stringent lockdown and the decision was unanimously." Earlier, in a COVID-19 review meeting chaired by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar the decision of increasing cubs including limiting grocery shop timings was taken. After the meeting Health Minister Rajesh Tope told mediapersons: We need to stop people from moving around without any reason. For that, a decision has been taken to allow grocery shops to remain open for only four hours so that people do not roam around throughout the day in the name of buying groceries. The meeting is likely to discuss all the COVID-19 related issues including the increasing cases in the state, number of beds, oxygen and supply of remdesivir. Meanwhile, Maharashtra's School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad announced that Class X examination has been canceled. ZURICH, Switzerland, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor plc (NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC) will announce its year to date results for the nine months ended 31 March 2021 after the US market closes on Tuesday 4 May 2021. A conference call and webcast to discuss the results will be held at 5.30pm US Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday 4 May 2021 / 7.30am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday 5 May 2021. For those wishing to participate in the call please use the following dial-in numbers: US and Canada: 866 211 4133 (toll-free) Australia: 1800 287 011 (toll-free) United Kingdom: 0800 051 7107 (toll-free) Hong Kong: 800 901 563 (toll-free) Singapore: 800 852 6506 (toll-free) All other countries: +1 647 689 6614 (this is not a toll-free number) Conference ID 9628874 Access to the webcast and supporting materials will be available via the Investors section of Amcor's website (www.amcor.com/investors). A webcast replay will be available at the conclusion of the call. ENDS For further information please contact: Investors: Tracey Whitehead Global Head of Investor Relations Amcor +61 3 9226 9028 / +1 224-478-5790 [email protected] Damien Bird Vice President Investor Relations Amcor +61 3 9226 9070 [email protected] Media Europe Ernesto Duran Head of Global Communications Amcor +41 78 698 69 40 [email protected] Media Australia James Strong Citadel-MAGNUS +61 448 881 174 [email protected] Media North America Daniel Yunger KekstCNC +1 212 521 4879 [email protected] About Amcor Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home- and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve value chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using a rising amount of recycled content. Around 47,000 Amcor people generate US$12.5 billion in sales from operations that span about 230 locations in 40-plus countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC www.amcor.com I LinkedIn I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube SOURCE Amcor Gaddie's Attempted Murder Trial Begins in Sept. By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A Paducah man facing attempted murder and other charges appeared in court Monday.Thirty-nine-year-old Larico Gaddie appeared for a pretrial conference. The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said Gaddie would appear for a jury trial on September 29 for his attempted murder case and October 11 for his assault case.He was arrested last April after authorities said he fired a gun several times at a victim. The victim was unharmed.Gaddie is facing charges of attempted murder, third-degree assault, being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, first-degree wanton endangerment, and first-degree criminal mischief. News Headlines NGOs seek $5.5 bn to rescue 34 mn people from famine New Delhi, April 20 : Renowned Indian mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has now turned his attention to aspirants for the Indian civil service with his new book "Indian Culture, Art and Heritage" to show how the amalgamation of the three elements have created, built and resurrected Indian society from its inception. "Art and Culture as a subject is a very significant aspect for the UPSC Examination. Apart from its value in attempting objective questions in Prelims, it also acts as a reflection of how well students understand the world, economics, politics, civilization and so on through the lens of time and space," Pattanaik said at the launch of the book here on Tuesday. "I am proud to have launched this new book on Art and Culture with Pearson India, which is a carefully designed text that is classified by themes, geography, history and helps students understand the logic behind culture and what all it encompasses. I hope that it will prove to be enjoyable & entertaining for readers, enable students to be winners at the competitive exams, and help shape the future bureaucrats of our country," he added. "Indian Polity", another book aimed at civil service aspirants, was also launched on the occasion. Authored by Sriram Srirangam and Rohit Deo Jha, it covers important chapters on the Indian Constitution, its sources and Amendments, Directive Principles of State Policy, Fundamental Rights and Duties and Acts related to it, Election Commission and Schedules. Rajesh Pankajashan, Director - Products & Portfolio, Pearson India, said: "Millions of aspirants across the country prepare for civil services every year. As per the data from CSE, as many as eight lakh students appeared for the civil services exam in 2019, which is considered the most widely taken exam in the country. "Therefore, it becomes immensely important for students to have access to top quality resources and technique to ace the exam. Pearson India's content in Civil Services is known for being the world class and now with the launch of new blended bite-sized learning resources with renowned authors Devdutt Pattanaik and Sriram Srirangam, we are confident that the aspirants would have a one stop solution for their exam preparation and achieve the winning edge." Along with the new titles, Pearson India is offering an app (android and iOS) which will provide a blended learning experience to students and brings the learning content in an innovative bite size format which will be made available to the aspirants on the daily basis. Pearson India is partnering with eminent content creators for this app and will be offering the resources free to the aspirants, the publisher said. San Francisco, April 20 : Apple has approved conservative social media app Parler's return to the iOS app store following improvements the company made to better detect and moderate hate speech. According to a letter the iPhone maker sent to Congress, since the app was removed from Apple's platform in January for violations of its policies, Parler "has proposed updates to its app and the app's content moderation practices". On April 14, Apple's app review team told Parler that its proposed changes were sufficient, the letter continued. Now, all Parler needs to do is to flip the switch, CNN reported on Monday. "Apple anticipates that the updated Parler app will become available immediately upon Parler releasing it," Apple's letter said. Parler, an alternative to Facebook and Twitter that bills itself as a haven for free speech, was removed from major tech platforms in early January following the US Capitol riots of January 6, the report said. Parler was kicked off of Apple and Google's app stores, as well as Amazon Web Services, which had been hosting the company's product. The app came back online on February 15, but not before Parler's CEO was terminated by its board. It took another two months for Apple to give its approval restoring Parler to its app store, according to the report. In this Saturday, March 14, 2020 file photo, an Apple logo adorns the facade of the downtown Brooklyn Apple store in New York. Epic Games said Tuesday March 30, 2021, it filed a complaint about Apple to the U.K. competition watchdog, which is investigating the iPhone maker over concerns it has a dominant position in app distribution. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) Many of us may be suffering from virtual event fatigue after a year of video calls. But not Apple, which plans new product announcements at what seems likely to be an iPhone-less online event on Tuesday It's the first such event for the company in 2021. Analysts expect new iPads and likely new color versions of the iMac. The company could also show off something called AirTags, which look to be coin-sized tracking devices you can stick on stuff you don't want to loseyour tortoise, your phone, your coffee cup or perhaps small children. Apple may also use the event to announce a software update that would let users block snoopy apps from collecting personal information. Such data is frequently gathered from all smartphone users to help sell digital adswithout obtaining their explicit permission to follow their online activities and whereabouts. Facebook has fiercely resisted the privacy tool, and has framed the forthcoming restrictions as a threat to small businesses that depend on advertising to finance their digital services. Apple so far has only said the new safeguard, known as App Tracking Transparency, will come out in the early spring as part of a free software upgrade to the iPhone. And while you might be tired of watching your coworkers' sleepy heads in Brady Bunch-like rectangles on your monitor, Apple's product launches, even the virtual ones, are a different breed, says Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. "In this virtual environment Apple's product launches have been very successful in courting developers and consumers around its new product lineup," Ives said. "Apple is a unique brand and product launches, even virtually, are the linchpin." Besides the iPadsincluding refreshes for the iPad Pro, the iPad mini and the low-cost iPadIves also predicts a new Apple Pencil, a stylus for freehand art and writing with certain iPad modelsand some hints around the new AirPods 3 wireless earbuds he expects to be launched in a separate virtual event in early summer. Then, in the fall, Apple will likely hold its much-anticipated iPhone event, unveiling the iPhone 13. It has not yet said whether it'll be in person or not, but for the millions of Apple fans, developers and others who tune in on their events online anyway, it likely won't matter. "The viewership for Apple's product launches are in the tens of millions, which speaks to the excitement these virtual events have brought, although it can't match the Broadway feel of a live Cupertino unveil," Ives said. Explore further Apple set to debut faster MacBooks powered by iPhone chips during Tuesday online event 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. (Photo : Getty Images (Christopher Furlong)) Climate Change is set to be trampled by a technology based in Iceland. The technology is reportedly called Direct Air Capture. This adds unto the initiatives taken by other countries, which include Scotland that now has its entire electricity consumption from renewable energy. Earth's Climate is Warming up Fast The need to combat Climate Change has never been more apparent in recent years as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that there hasn't been as much carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere in over three hundred years than how it currently is right now. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.(NASA) Climate Change is a change in the usual weather found in a place. It said the researchers who study the Earth's climate can attest how the world is getting warmer due to the accumulation of greenhouse gasses produced by various human activities According to Greentumble, carbon dioxide (CO) gas is one of the biggest contributors to this phenomenon. With that being said, this latest technology "Direct Air Capture" found in Iceland could help the world a lot as it is created to lessen CO in the atmosphere. Related story: Google Earth Gets an Update For The First Time in Years, Timelapse Mode Added | Tech Times What is 'Direct Air Capture'? Direct Air Capture, according to Carbon Removed, is a project that is made to fight the ongoing climate change that is said to be moving at an "unprecedented rate" since the mid-20th century according to NASA. The technological advancement combined with storage is a form of carbon dioxide removal. The devices are also said to be powered solely by renewable energy or energy-from-waste. How Does a 'Direct Air Capture' Work? The Direct Air Capture CO collectors selectively capture carbon dioxide in a two-step process. The process starts with it's drawing of the air nto the collector with a fan, capturing carbon dioxide on the surface of a highly selective filter material that sits inside the collectors. Later on, when the filter material is full with carbon dioxide - the collector closes and the temperature as it increases to between 80 and 100 C releasing the CO. The result is a high-purity, high-concentration carbon dioxide which can be collected and stored, the gas completely removed from the atmosphere. Related story: Scientists Explored Massive Holes That Erupted in Siberia With Drones to Unlock its Secrets | Tech Times Ways to Support the Direct Air Capture Project Minimize Carbon Footprint You can do this by making sure transport is purposeful, not wasteful, supporting the use of alternative ways to gain energy, research, among other endeavors that support projects that seek to battle climate change. Invest on a Subscription Head over to Carbon Removed's official subscription page here. On the Reversal of Climate Change The Direct Air Capture aims to reverse climate change in the world. It is made by Climeworks, in partnership with Carbon Removed and Carbfix. It is said to be one of the most accurate and efficient removal methods of a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Despite this, the creators admit that the biggest disadvantage of this project is the cost. As with all technologies in their infancy, direct air capture is currently one of the most expensive methods to remove CO from the atmosphere. To this, they ask for support as they continue to search for a more affordable way to do the CO removal. Read more: Sahara Desert Solar Panels Contributing to Global Warming, Scientists Find Out | Tech Times This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Gabbie Natividad 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. During an inspection tour to the university on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for building world-class universities with Chinese characteristics to serve national rejuvenation. The visit comes days ahead of the university's 110th anniversary. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, congratulated the faculty, students and alumni of the university on behalf of the CPC Central Committee. China needs scientific knowledge 'more than ever' Xi visited the Academy of Arts and Design, a laboratory on imaging and intelligence, an exhibition on the university's key education and scientific research achievements, and a gymnasium. He also learned about Tsinghua's reform, human resources development, innovation in education and scientific research, as well as the university's role in serving national development, before meeting representatives of the faculty and students at a symposium and delivering a key speech. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, Xi noted, adding that 2021 is also the start of China's new journey toward socialist modernization. "The development of China and its ruling party needs higher education, scientific knowledge and excellent talent more than ever," he stressed. He encouraged Chinese youth to shoulder their historic responsibilities and strive for national rejuvenation. According to the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, China will pursue innovation-driven development and strive to make major breakthroughs in key and core technologies. "Innovation is at the heart of China's modernization drive," the blueprint said, calling for enhancing self-reliance in science and technology. It also vowed to support the development of high-quality research universities and cultivate more first-rate talent in science and technology. Xi urged Tsinghua University to upgrade the system of disciplines and specialties, and cultivate talent in frontier and key areas of science and technology. He called for efforts to break through the bottleneck of key and core technologies. Xi and Tsinghua University Tsinghua University was established in 1911 in Beijing in the final months of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the university was molded into a polytechnic institute focusing on engineering. Since the launch of China's reform and opening-up policy in 1978, it has gradually developed into a comprehensive research university with 21 schools and 59 departments. Xi studied basic organic synthesis at the university's Department of Chemical Engineering from 1975-1979 in his 20s. When Xi was a senior official in southeast China's Fujian Province, he attended an in-service graduate program in Marxist theory and ideological and political education at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the university from 1998-2002 and was awarded a Doctor of Law degree. The tour on Monday was Xi's second visit to Tsinghua University in just over a year. On March 2, 2020, Xi visited the School of Medicine at the university and learned about the progress of scientific research on COVID-19. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-19/Chinese-President-Xi-Jinping-inspects-Tsinghua-University-ZAlAUAd2zC/index.html SOURCE CGTN Related Links www.cgtn.com DeKalb County investigators are looking into the death of a teen over the weekend. The DeKalb County Sheriffs Office said Gabriel Isaac Brown, 19, was shot to death Saturday about 9 p.m. The incident happened on County Road 232 in the Mt. Vernon community, authorities said. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. The 9th Judicial Circuit District Attorneys office is also assisting in the investigation, as well as Fort Payne police. SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Presidio Medical, Inc., a clinical-stage medical device company developing a neuromodulation platform, today announced that Katherine H. Neuenfeldt has joined the Executive Team as Vice President, Marketing. Ms. Neuenfeldt is a commercial leader with 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She spent over six years at Nevro leading both Market Access and Marketing functions as Nevro grew from a small, private company to a disruptive and established player. Ms. Neuenfeldt led the highly successful U.S. product launch that transformed the SCS market, created sustainable product differentiation, and played a key role in scaling the organization during its years of rapid revenue growth. Ms. Neuenfeldt also led multiple high-profile product launches while at Medtronic Endovascular that led to double digit revenue growth and market leadership positions. Prior to 2008, Ms. Neuenfeldt held roles at Johnson & Johnson, HealthTech, and Triage Consulting Group. Ms. Neuenfeldt received a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, a M.S. in Epidemiology from the Stanford School of Medicine, and a M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. We are thrilled to welcome Katherine to our leadership team, said Michael Ackermann, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Presidio Medical. Her unique experience leading multiple commercial functions and her proven track record in launching innovative medical devices will better enable us to deliver this transformational platform to patients around the world. Presidio Medicals technology is designed to provide pain relief across a broad spectrum of pain types where conventional treatment has failed. The company is also researching the application of its novel technology for additional indications across several therapeutic areas with significant unmet medical needs. Presidio Medical was founded in 2017 and its investors include Invus Opportunities and Action Potential Venture Capital. Invus Opportunities Invus Opportunities is a sister fund to The Invus Group, an equity investment firm founded in 1985 with over $8 billion of evergreen capital. Invus Opportunities is focused on partnering with market-leading management teams and investors in private transactions globally. With a differentiated heritage and capital base, Invus Opportunities brings a complementary dimension to growing companies and investor groups seeking to create lasting value. Invus Opportunities both leads rounds of financing and co-invests in syndicated financings, and currently manages over $2 billion. Action Potential Venture Capital Action Potential Venture Capital (APVC) is a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) backed venture fund dedicated to investments in the field of Bioelectronic Medicines. This emerging therapeutic field includes both non-invasive and minimally invasive devices that use energy as a medicine to elicit cellular response (e.g., nerve signaling) to improve organ function as therapies for chronic diseases. APVC also invests more broadly in the enabling technologies that deliver this precision energy as a medicine. For more information about APVC visit www.actionpotentialvc.com. Presidio Medical Presidio Medical was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in South San Francisco. The clinical-stage, privately held medical device company, is developing a transformational neuromodulation technology platform with a first indication in the treatment of chronic pain. For more information, visit www.presidiomedical.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005073/en/ Presidio Medical, Inc. Katherine Neuenfeldt media@presidiomedical.com Source: Presidio Medical, Inc. A pair of Colorado parents said they initially questioned their 5-year-old daughter's story of a staring contest with a bobcat until they checked their home security camera footage. ADVERTISEMENT Eric and Nicole Woodard said their 5-year-old daughter, Rian, came inside their Castle Rock home after playing outside and told her parents she had just encountered a giant cat in their yard. "There was no alarm whatsoever of any panic," Eric Woodard told KDVR-TV. The parents said they assumed Rian must have encountered a large house cat. "I thought maybe she was just being a little dramatic," Nicole Woodard said. The parents said their skepticism turned to alarm when they checked the security camera footage from the yard and discovered video of Rian riding her big wheel and coming face to face with a bobcat. The parents said Rian and the large cat stared at each other for 22 seconds before the wild animal turned and left. "It seemed like an hour. They locked eyes and just kind of stared at one another," Nicole Woodard said. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! The Woodards said Rian didn't seem at all shaken by the encounter. "She thinks she's the bobcat whisperer now," the mother said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said bobcats are found statewide in Colorado, but the animals are "secretive and seldom seen." And the commercial was for some sort of food product. The script said, A John Cleese type. But not an impersonation, by the way. So get John Cleese! Why are you making me do this? It was this really thorny ad copy where you had to say something and then in parenthesis say something else. It was all about subliminal seduction or subliminal messaging. So you had to say the copy and then quickly say something under your breath. It was really, really tricky. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the youth of the country to extend their contribution in their areas to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing the nation. The Prime Minister asked them to form small committees in their societies, apartments, and mohallas for the implementation of COVID norms, adding that this would help the administration He said that such an example was witnessed by the nation during the Swachhta Abhiyan, wherein children had extended their cooperation. In his address, he said, "during the last wave we had started developing vaccines. Now, the country has the cheapest vaccines in the world. We also have the cold chain network to distribute the vaccines." "We have fast-tracked vaccine trials and approvals. India has two made-in-India vaccines due to our team effort. We are now vaccinating the world. We were the fastest to administer 10cr, 11cr, and 12 cr doses," PM Modi added. PM Modi assured that vaccines will be available for free in government hospitals, adding "This will help the poor. Our effort is to keep the disruption to a minimum, both social and financial. Vaccines will be made available at a fast pace in urban areas." Earlier in the interaction with vaccine manufacturers in the country via video conferencing and urged them to continuously scale up the production capacity to vaccinate people in the shortest possible time. He said the private sector will play an even more active role in the vaccination drive in the coming days and that this will require better coordination between hospitals and industry. Modi noted that the government has now allowed the vaccination for every adult starting from May 1 as it believes in the manufacturers' ability of vaccine makers, according to a statement from the PMO. PM Modi also appreciated the efforts and studies being conducted by Indian scientists in the development of new vaccines. He said the biggest strengths of the Indian vaccine industry are its 'Samarthya, Sansadhan and Seva Bhaav' (capability, resource and spirit of service) and these are what make them a vaccine leader in the world. Live TV South Africa: Charlotte Maxeke Hospital diverts major services to other healthcare facilities The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) has put various measures in place to ensure patients still receive the best care, with minimal disruptions to service delivery. This comes after a fire at the facility on Saturday, which forced some patients to be transferred to other facilities within Gauteng. Caesarean surgeries According to the Gauteng Health Department, all planned caesarean surgeries and all those who need urgent operations at the CMJAH should go to Discoverers Community Healthcare Centre a day before they are scheduled for admission. The clinic is located at number 39 Clarendon Drive, Discovery, Florida, in the west of Johannesburg. Meanwhile, all antenatal services will be offered at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. Gynaecological surgery All patients booked for gynaecological surgery will be contacted for new appointments, which will now be done at South Rand Hospital by CMJAH medics. Gynaecological clinic services will also be provided at South Rand Hospital. All booked patients will be contacted and given new dates. Treatment of admitted patients Patients that were transferred from the CMJAH following the fire are being properly accommodated at other hospitals in the province. The process to inform families where their loved ones have been transferred commenced on Saturday, 17 April 2020, and is still underway. All enquiries should be sent to the Gauteng Citizens Relationship Management hotline on 0800 22 8827, 0800 428 8364 or email hotline@guateng.gov.za or support@gauteng.gov.za. We thank the people of Gauteng for their patience during this period. The department will communicate more information as and when it becomes available, the department said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli were spotted at the Mumbai airport on Monday evening. The couple had their daughter Vamika along with them. They returned from Chennai where Virat's team Royal Challengers Bangalore played against Kolkata Knight Riders. The actor was seen carrying Vamika in a baby sling and she made sure that the paparazzi arent able to click her pictures. People were quick to send in their opinions and slammed the actor for not taking care of her own baby as India is not safe considering the rising cases of COVID in the country. They advised her to keep their daughter at home and not travel with Virat because that will put their child in danger. Manav Manglani Instagram Manav Manglani Instagram Manav Manglani Instagram Manav Manglani Instagram Manav Manglani Instagram Manav Manglani Instagram Isnt it unfair to bash the actor as she obviously will be taking care of her own daughter more than the people who are brutally judging her for not doing the needful? Tell us what you feel in the comments section below. Upon Vamika's birth, the couple had requested the media not to click or publish pictures of their daughter. They have, instead, offered a few glimpses of her on social media, without ever revealing her face. Despite Virat and Anushka requesting the paparazzi to not click their daughter, the photographers are continuing to do so. Some people also noticed how the actor stared at the photographers in an angry manner as she might have felt that they are invading her privacy. Heres the video: Virat had announced her arrival on January 11 with an Instagram post. We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers, and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time. Love, Virat," he wrote. Their love story began on the sets of a shampoo commercial that they did together. After dating for several years, the couple got married in a private ceremony in Tuscany, Italy in the year 2017. SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In California, drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children under the age of five, ranking in the top three states with the highest number of childhood drownings, according to Total Aquatics Programming data. As California has become the first state to deem swim lessons as an essential service amid the pandemic, Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC aims to bring awareness to the drowning epidemic and is strategically targeting California for franchise development with room to add more than 100 locations across key DMAs throughout the state. Kickstarting this development push are two new multi-unit agreements that will bring upwards of an additional six schools to the state over the next three to five years. These new agreements contribute to the brand's overall explosive nationwide growth, having closed out 2020 with 19 signed agreements, 14 new school openings, with three openings in Q1 2021 and six more slated to open in Q2. Multi-unit signings have played a strategic role in the brand's recent expansion, coming off the heels of a 19-unit agreement set to bring schools to Florida, Texas and Arizona, in addition to three other multi-unit development announcements in New York, Texas and Arizona. Throughout California, Goldfish Swim School is seeking qualified franchise partners to develop in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego. Currently open and operating in California is Goldfish Swim School Aliso Viejo. Franchisees, Jesal and Parina Mehta, opened their school in January 2019 and have since established deep community ties as they remain fully committed to enriching the lives of children in California. "Our franchise partners take great pride in knowing their business is truly impacting their community," said Dan Israel, Vice President of Franchising. "With Goldfish, they're investing in an organization with a strong culture, solid systems, and a strong business model with a talented support team all reminders that they're operating their business with the backing of the no. 1 brand in the space." Goldfish Swim School credits its success to be a collective effort of its dedicated franchisees, loyal team members, and exceptional leadership. From passionate co-founders, industry veterans and innovative young minds, Goldfish Swim School's award-winning leadership team is unmatched. Amid the pandemic, the brand opened its milestone 100th school, celebrated one million square feet in open real estate, began piloting new innovations, and successfully lobbied for safe reopenings through its Safer. Stronger. Together. initiative. "Our Franchise Office team continues to produce the best-in-class support tools and our development group has found new, cost-saving opportunities to keep business profitable and reduce upfront cost," said Chris McCuiston, CEO & Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. "There's an unwavering demand for high-quality swim lessons, and this coupled with an open real estate market, is taking our statewide development to the next level. We've built an incredible infrastructure for growth and by partnering with like-minded franchisees, we are poised for long-term success." The success achieved by the brand has not gone unnoticed as the franchise industry has honored Goldfish with several recent award wins ranking No. 11 on Franchise Times' Fast & Serious List, No. 29 and the top swim school franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2021 Franchise 500, named a Top Franchise for 2021 by Franchise Business Review, while also making an appearance on The Inc. 5000 list for the sixth year in a row. Consistently outranking its competition, Goldfish Swim School continues to prove itself as a top-rated and most established swim school franchise in the space. Its ability to go above and beyond to nurture a culture that provides a GOLDEN Experience! is unmatched by its competition. Goldfish Swim School's core values extend from its members to its franchisees, as the Franchise Office Support team is committed to going above and beyond with every detail. It is this level of best-in-class support that drives prospective franchisees to continuously choose Goldfish. Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Each school's number one focus and main priority is always the same educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water. For more information on Goldfish Swim School and its franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchise-opportunities/ or call 248-801-1850. About Goldfish Swim School Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500 ranking, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 114 schools open, and an additional 130+ in development in more than 30 states and Canada. Media Contact: Kelly McNamara, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300, [email protected] SOURCE Goldfish Swim School The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the High Courts are in a crisis situation, against the backdrop of 40 per cent vacancies, with many of the larger ones working with less than 50 per cent of sanctioned strength, and therefore, in a bid to clear the recommendations made by apex court Collegium for appointments to the higher judiciary, it is laying down timelines to be complied by the government and the Intelligence Bureau. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Surya Kant said if the Supreme Court Collegium, after consideration of inputs, reiterates the recommendations unanimously, such appointments should be processed and appointment should be made within 3 to 4 weeks. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal agreed with the requirement of time-bound schedule for filling the vacancies at every stage, though he emphasised the trigger for filling up of the vacancies is the recommendations made by the Chief Justices of the High Courts. Once the recommendations are made, there are two stages at which the matter rests with the government - the first when the Law Ministry processes the names; and the second post the Supreme Court Collegium taking a call-in recommending name approved by the collegium. Laying down timelines for the appointment of judges, the bench said: "The Intelligence Bureau (IB) should submit its report/inputs within 4 to 6 weeks from the date of recommendation of the High Court Collegium, to the Central Government." "It would be desirable that the Central government forwards the file(s)/recommendations to the Supreme Court within 8 to 12 weeks from the date of receipt of views from the State Government and the report/input from the IB." Finally, the top court added that it would be for the government to proceed to make the appointment immediately and undoubtedly, if it has any reservations on suitability or in public interest, within the same period of time, it may be sent back to the Supreme Court Collegium with the specific reasons for reservation recorded. The bench noted that against the sanctioned strength of 1,080 Judges, 664 Judges have been appointed with vacancies of 416 judges in the High Courts. However, the recommendations received and under process with the government are 196, leaving 220 recommendations yet to be received by the High Court collegium. "We, thus, once again, emphasise the requirement and desirability of the Chief Justices of the High Courts, who will make endeavour to recommend vacancies as early as possible even if they are not made at one go," said the top court. 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. Al Qaeda and the Islamic States Afghanistan branch remain very weak inside the country, according to American officials briefed on the intelligence. Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan are focused on making local gains, not mounting international attacks. And the Taliban remains hostile to the group. How well the United States can monitor any changes in these threats will depend on many factors, General McKenzie and other senior military officials said. The administration currently plans to maintain an embassy in Kabul but how many personnel, including intelligence analysts, will remain is under debate. That will be helpful if we maintain an embassy there, General McKenzie said. Flying remotely piloted aircraft like the MQ-9 Reaper from the sprawling Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar requires round trips of up to eight hours, leaving much less time for drones to hover over targets in Afghanistan. As a result, the Pentagon would need many more drones to achieve 24-hour coverage in multiple areas of the country at a time when the Defense Department is looking to transfer surveillance aircraft to missions in Asia. General McKenzie said that the military would not sacrifice precision in its targeting to minimize the risk of civilian casualties. Were going to make sure we have a precise target, and that were going to be able to control what happens there, he said. The implications of Mr. Bidens decision continued to sink in on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Several top Biden administration officials, including Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Zalmay Khalilzad, the longtime lead U.S. diplomat involved in the Afghan peace process, provided classified briefings on Tuesday to several socially distanced groups of lawmakers, and discussed the presidents decision. General McKenzie made one point clear in his public testimony: No more combat troops. And no more civilian contractors. (There are more than 16,000 in Afghanistan, including about 6,000 Americans.) Were going to go to zero in Afghanistan, he said. ISLAMABAD (AP) A Pakistani journalist said Tuesday he was wounded in a gun attack outside his home in the capital, Islamabad. Absar Alam in a video message said a bullet hit him in the ribs, but it was unclear who shot him. He said to whoever attacked him: Such tactics cannot scare me." The attack drew condemnation from journalists, prompting Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad to condemn the attack and order an investigation. Ahmad took to Twitter, saying he asked Islamabad police chief to find the man who shot Alam before fleeing. Alam worked for Pakistani media for years before serving as head of the country's media regulatory body in 2015. He has been a critic of the government and the military. Although Pakistans government insists it supports freedom of speech, journalists and press freedom advocates often accuse Pakistans military and its agencies of harassing and attacking journalists. ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) - Candidates for yet another election in Aberdeen met Monday. The entire reason behind this election is evidence of voting irregularities and fraud. The investigation began after Nicholas Holliday beat Robert Devaull during the runoff elections in June of last year. Devaull contested the results three different times, alleging voting irregularities. After an investigation, a judge stated that nearly 138 ballots cast were not handled or processed correctly, and should not have been counted. Sixty-six of those ballots should not have been counted because of issues with absentee voting, while 72 were not properly signed by poll managers at their precinct. The document also stated that there were several violations at the polling precinct, including one witness claiming Holliday campaigned within 150 feet of the precinct. Meanwhile, the court also ordered the arrest of a notary, Dallas Jones, for voter fraud. Two others had to pay fines totaling $75. Newly-elected Aberdeen Mayor Charles Scott asked voters to follow election laws at Tuesday's election. Watch: Duke of Cambridge Condemns European Super League Prince William, Prince Charles and the Queen have been carrying out royal duties despite being in mourning for Prince Philip, as they note his commitment to duty. On Monday evening, Prince William released a statement condemning plans for a European Super League, standing alongside fans who have been shocked and concerned by the reports. He said: "Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community from the top level to the grassroots and the values of competition and fairness at its core. "I share the concerns of fans about the proposed Super League and the damage it risks causing to the game we love." The statement was shared on Twitter and marked with his initial - W - a technique which he and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge have used increasingly over the last year. William, who is president of the FA and a keen football fan, is not the only royal who has kept up some of his work as they mourn the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh. Although officially in royal mourning until 22 April, the Queen carried out two engagements before her husband's funeral - to mark the retirement of one of her senior members of staff and then to welcome his replacement. Members of the Royal Family attended the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on 17 April. (Samir Hussein/WireImage) Read more: How the Royal Family have been supporting the Queen since Prince Philip retired The Queen, who turns 95 on Wednesday, met Earl Peel on 13 April, four days after her husband had died, so that he could "deliver up" his "Wand and Insignia of Office as Lord Chamberlain and the Badge of Chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order". Lord Chamberlain is one of the highest ranking positions in the royal household and Earl Peel was replaced last week by Baron Andrew Parker, a former MI5 spy manager. The next day she met Baron Parker as he formally began in his new role. Prince Charles too has continued with some of his work, holding a video call on 15 April with the leaders of Botswana, Eswatini, the Gambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, all African Commonwealth nations. Story continues The heir to the throne is set to take on the head of the Commonwealth role soon. It's Princess Anne, the Queen and the duke's only daughter, who was first to carry out an engagement in person. The hard-working royal, who frequently tops the list of most engagements carried out annually, went to the Isle of Wight to visit members of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Princess Anne went out on an engagement soon after her father's death. (Ben Birchall/AFP) It's understood Anne and the Queen felt that the duke would have wanted her to continue with the engagement. On 19 April, she carried out a virtual engagement with a link to her father. In her role as Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, she attended the Chancellors Awards Ceremony online. Her father was the Duke of Edinburgh and had a lifelong tie to Scotland. Prince William noted in his tribute to his grandfather, they may make a swift return to duties, as "he would want us to get on with the job". With senior royals making calls and even continuing with visits, it may be that honouring his memory involves returning to work as soon as possible. However there is some evidence the Queen will delegate some of the work where she can. On 19 April, she asked Alistair Harrison, Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, to speak to Jaime Marchan Romero as he stood down from his role as Ambassador from the Republic of Ecuador. Usually those are calls or meetings she would hold herself. Watch: Prince Charles and Camilla look at tributes to Prince Philip Royal experts agree that the Queen will never step down because of the pledge she made when she was 21 - that her whole life "be it long or short" would be in service. But there are some suggestions that there may be more changes on the way without Prince Philip around, despite the fact he retired in the summer of 2017. Robert Jobson, royal author, said on the Heir Pod podcast: "The Prince of Wales will step up, in a way hes already been doing that for the past five years, but now he truly is the patriarch of the family because the Duke of Edinburgh is dead." Experts have also noted the growing role of the Duchess of Cambridge, who will be Queen Consort when Prince William accedes. Phil Dampier told the MailOnline: "She has picked up many of the Queen's qualities of tolerance and pragmatism, not overreacting to situations but trying to decide what is best in the long run. "Kate realises that the Queen needs her and William more than ever and she will do all she can to support her." He added: "With the Queen now 95, Charles, Camilla and Anne in their seventies, a lot is resting on William and Kate." George Russell has publicly apologised to Valtteri Bottas for lashing out after their high speed crash at Imola. After being chided by Toto Wolff, the Mercedes junior and 2021 Williams driver said on social media that he has now decided to "take responsibility". "I apologise to Valtteri, to my team and to anyone who felt let down by my actions," the British driver, who admits the replays look "different" to how he perceived the crash at the time, said in a lengthy statement. The apology follows Wolff's strong rebuke of the 23-year-old driver, who appears to be first in line to succeed one of Mercedes' current works drivers. "The manoeuvre he made implied risks and did not take into account that the car in front of him was a Mercedes," said the Austrian. "All the drivers at the academies should never lose sight of the global perspective of things. I think they have a lot to learn from what happened," Wolff added. Russell, who had slapped Bottas' helmet before the Finn had even emerged from his wreck, told reporters that he is confident the incident "will not hurt my relationship with Mercedes". However, he continues to suspect that Bottas defended his position so stridently because he regards Russell as a threat to his future in Formula 1. "There is no tension at all between Valtteri and I," Russell insisted. "Obviously you can take my comment as you wish. I think it was pretty clear how it was intended. "But maybe I was wrong. Maybe he's just fighting for absolutely every position. "Valtteri and I will talk and we will clear the air. I've got no intention to hold any grudges or have any bad relationship with any driver on the grid." (GMM) A day after the Central government announced the 'universal' Covid vaccine policy, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised the Central government, terming policy as "hollow", "without any substance" and "regrettable show of evasion of responsibility by the Centre at the time of crisis". In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee said, "The announcement doesn't address the major issues like quality, efficacy, stable flow of supply of the required vaccines by the manufacturers and also the price at which the vaccines are to be purchased by the states." "It is apprehended that the announced policy might lead to unscrupulous mechanisms in the market, including the prices of vaccines as it appears to be based on market prices which may put the common people under huge financial burden. "More importantly, the supply would also become very erratic as the vaccine manufacturers are hardly prepared to scale up their production capacity to the desired levels to meet the nationwide demand," she added. Reminding the Prime Minister of her letter dated February 24, she said, "I had requested your intervention to allow our state to purchase vaccines directly with the state resources and give free vaccination to the people of the state." The Chief Minister alleged that no reply from the Centre has come so far. "Now when the number of cases in the state is spiralling like anything, the Centre has chosen to tactically indulge in making an empty rhetoric and shy away from the responsibility for making vaccines available to the people of the country," she said. Banerjee also asked the Prime Minister to take steps so that the vaccines become available in the market. "I would like to mention once again that, presently, the required vaccines are not available in the market and I request that steps may immediately be taken to ensure the availability of vaccines at the earliest," she said. This is the second letter the Chief Minister sent to Modi in three days. On Sunday, she had requested the Prime Minister to make available the supply of vaccine, medicine and oxygen so that the state can scale up the vaccination process and provide adequate treatment to the people. After making it clear that the state is looking forward to a clearance from the Centre so that it can purchase the required vaccines from the market, Mamata Banerjee said, "The supply of essential medicines like Remedesvir and Tollizumab (Actemera) is extremely scarce and uncertain today, which has been a matter of grave concern for the doctors here. We need around 6,000 vials of Remedesvir and 1,000 vials of Tollizumab daily. "However, presently only 1,000 vials of Remedesvir are available daily and no fresh supply of Tollizumab is coming. It may be seen that the relevant authorities step up their efforts to ensure steady supply of these most essential supplies as soon as possible." NorthShore University HealthSystem, which has six hospitals in the Chicago area, said its seeing higher numbers of COVID-19 patients but still has room. During the peaks of the first and second surges in Illinois, NorthShore had about 180 to 200 COVID-19 patients at once at its Glenbrook and Evanston hospitals. Lately, its had about 40 to 60 at the same time, said Dr. Neil Freedman, division head for pulmonary and critical care at NorthShore. United Nations, April 20 : The UN has temporarily halted humanitarian aid operations in Nigeria's northern Borno State following violent attacks, a spokesman of the world body said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also relocated its staff after attacks earlier this month on humanitarian operations in Dikwa and Damasak, Xinhua news agency quoted Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as saying at a briefing on Monday. "Nearly 9,000 internally displaced people and 76,000 people in the host community will be impacted," Dujarric said. At least five non-governmental offices and several vehicles, a mobile storage unit, water tanks, a health outpost and a nutrition stabilisation centre were damaged. The resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, reported that the UN will resume operations as soon as possible so that civilians affected by the conflict continue to receive the assistance they need, the spokesman said. Kallon strongly condemns attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, adding that they may violate international humanitarian law. Dujarric said the world organisation is closely monitoring the situation. Mia feeding her pal Elmo before Regression Mangia! It's one of the first words every Italian American baby hears from Mamma or Nonna. Mangia figlia mia! Eat up, my daughter! In my case, I was speaking to my daughter Mia - figlia mia, Mia Noel. And then Gianna and then baby sister Isabella. I only bought Earth's Best organic baby food, beginning with Mia's first spoonful of solids in 1995. It's bad enough I and countless other Moms did not know that vaccines contained bolus doses of mercury and other heavy metals at the time. But our babies FOOD? I was so careful. I went without so that I could buy the "safest, healthiest" food for my babies. To what avail? Lyn Redwood wrote about the travesty of tainted baby food for Children's Health Defense: The Science Is Clear: Heavy Metals in Baby Food Are Bad for Babys Brain A 2019 report by Healthy Babies Bright Futures noted that in addition to heavy metals, baby foods are riddled with other neurotoxic chemicals including perchlorate, phthalates and glyphosate all of which can add up to significant health impacts. A lawsuit underway from the firm Baum Hedlund takes on the companies that not only pulled the wool over consumers' eyes, but companies that have actual LIABILITY for their products. In Italian, we would say, BASTA! Enough. Please click HERE to learn more about this lawsuit, and if you might be able to participate. ### Heavy Metals Baby Food Lawsuit | Autism and ADHD A government report on toxic heavy metals in baby food found that several brandsincluding some organiccontain arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead at high levels that pose significant dangers to the neurodevelopment of children. Indeed, all of these toxic heavy metals have been associated with autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and attention deficit disorder in children. Parents throughout the country are outraged to learn that baby food products from Happy Family Organics, Happy Baby, Gerber, Earths Best Organic, Beech-Nut, Plum Organics, Parents Choice, and Sprout Organic Food contain dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals. Worse, the major baby food companies behind these brands knowingly sold tainted baby food to unsuspecting parents, according to the report. Numerous studies have linked toxic heavy metal exposure to behavior impairments. The link is especially pronounced among babies and young children, whose brains are still developing. Even at low levels, exposure to heavy metals can cause serious and irreversible damage to neurological development. Tainted Baby Food Lawsuit Justice for Parents of Children with Autism and ADHD The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) hailed Mexico's Sor Juana 100-peso bill as 2020's banknote of the year. The IBNS noted that the voting membership has selected the Bank of Mexico, as printer and issuer of the note, to receive its annual prestigious "Bank Note of the Year Award" for 2020. The Bank of Mexico has beat 24 other nominees from different countries. The Sor Juana 100-peso bill was among the more than 100 new banknotes released worldwide last year. Among these numbers, 24 were only identified to have a sufficiently new design to be member nominated. An initiative of the IBNS with around 2,000 members globally, the IBNS Banknote of the Year award is given to recognize an exceptional banknote issued each year. Celebrating its 60th year, the IBNS is a non-profit educational organization that aims to promote and advance the study, collection, and dissemination of information related to paper money. READ NEXT: Mexican Peso Reaches 3-Year Low: President Lopez Obrador Optimistic Mexico will Recover Mexico's Sor Juana Peso Bill From the start, Mexico's new 100-peso polymer bill widely led the voting, followed by Scotland's Royal Bank of Scotland 20-pound entry, Mexico News Daily reported. There was a virtual tie for third place between 20-pound flora/street musicians of Northern Ireland's Ulster Bank, the 5-dollar statesman/junkanoo dancer of the Bahamas, and Fiji's 50-dollar 50th Anniversary of Independence. Rounding out the top seven were the Bank of England's 20-pound Queen/J.M.W. Turner with painting and the 20-pound Robert the Bruce/St. Kilda of Scotland's Clydesdale Bank. As a first-time winner, the IBNS said that Mexico's award-winning entry might provide a template as other countries reconsider how they design and promote new banknotes. It noted that Mexico has successfully designed an eye-pleasing red bill that combines Hispanic architecture, a famous female Hispanic literary figure, and a tribute to the world's fragile ecosystem. Mexico's 100 Peso Bill design In a statement, the IBNS said the Sor Juana peso bill is part of the Bank of Mexico's current G Series introduced in 2018. The IBNS said the design of the Sor Juana peso bill continued to highlight the Mexican cultural and historical characteristics with new graphic motifs. It noted that the vertical format note, which is printed on polymer, features one of Mexico's national icon and poet/writer Sor Juana Indes de la Cruz, the historical College of San Ildefonso, and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve on its reverse. Sor Juana, born in 1651, was known to be a self-educated nun and intellectual renowned for her poetic and writing works and political activism during her time. Sor Juana also criticized the misogyny of colonial Mexico. Only 10 women have appeared on Mexico's currency, as opposed to 46 men since 1969. Only three have been historically significant namely Sor Juana, Frida Kahlo, and Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez. With significantly improved security features, the Sor Juana 100-peso bill was printed in the new printing complex of the Bank of Mexico located in Jalisco, which started to operate just before the coronavirus pandemic. Mexico's Sor Juana 100-peso bill is now among the roster of IBNS' banknote of the year winners, such as Aruba's 100-florin note in 2019 and Canada's 10-dollar bill in 2018. Banknotes nominated by members must have artistic merit and innovative security features and have been issued to the public for the first time during the year of the award. READ MORE: Mexican Foreign Minister Arranges U.S. Visit for Additional Vaccine Supply Security WATCH: Mexico 100 Pesos IBNS Banknote of the Year 2020 - The IBNS CINCINNATI (dpa-AFX) - The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) said it continues to expect fiscal 2021 GAAP net earnings per share growth in the range of eight to ten percent from fiscal 2020 GAAP EPS of $4.96. It maintained guidance for core earnings per share growth in the range of eight to ten percent. The company maintained its outlook for fiscal 2021 all-in and organic sales growth in the range of five to six percent. The Procter & Gamble Company expects to pay more than $8 billion in dividends in fiscal 2021. The company increased its outlook for stock repurchase from up to $10 billion to approximately $11 billion. Combined, the company now plans to return about $19 billion of cash to shareowners in fiscal 2021. Third quarter net earnings per share were $1.26, an increase of 13% from prior year reported EPS and eight percent from prior year core EPS. On average, 17 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report profit per share of $1.19, for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Third quarter net sales were $18.1 billion, an increase of five percent. Organic sales increased four percent. Analysts expected revenue of $17.9 billion, for the quarter. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX PROCTER & GAMBLE-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de A group of people behind the old Victory Church shelter in March. The province has said the shelters value in protecting the marginalized population outweighs its impacts on neighbours. - Efficacy and Product Integration Testing Slated for Completion in Fall 2021 - Upon FDA Clearance the WellnessPro POD Device Could Emerge as a Leading Chronic Pain drug-free choice to Opioids for Mass Market Retail Customers. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Electromedical Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: EMED ) (the "Company"), a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of bioelectronic devices, including the FDA cleared WellnessPro+Plus is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into Phase 2 of prototype construction of the new WellnessPro POD. The second phase of the process features overall efficacy and product integration testing and is slated to be completed in the Fall 2021. Once complete, the device will be used in a 510(k) medical device submission with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). WellnessPro POD is positioned as a new, smaller, professional grade wearable device for mass market retail customers seeking non-opioid therapy to treat chronic pain, and has the ability to work with the Companys flagship WellnessPro+Plus device. Chronic and acute pain sufferers around the world are actively seeking non-opioid alternatives to treat their conditions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as noted in a recent article titled COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis: Dueling Epidemics Illustrate the Need for Future Action that was written by Lauren Biscaldi and published April 15, 2021 in Neurology Advisor. (https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/topics/pain/two-concurrent-health-emergencies-covid-19-and-the-opioid-crisis/) Leveraging the Companys drug free, non-invasive, non-toxic method to treat pain, Electromedical Technologies has seen strong sales of its current bioelectronics device and upon FDA clearance, is positioned to increase its market share via its mass market-designed WellnessPro POD. Matthew Wolfson, Founder and CEO of Electromedical Technologies , Inc (OTCQB: EMED), noted, We have the ability to help people live pain free and are pleased that the Company has entered this critical accelerated phase of the development process for our new bioelectronics device that will be geared toward retail mass market. We understand that with COVID-19 and the overall opioid crisis in general, there is a strong need to help patients suffering from chronic and acute pain without causing addiction. We truly believe that our Companys products, especially a retail version, will position EMED to be the go-to safe, non invasive drug free choice to opioids and allow us to enter into a whole new market. Bioelectronics is the future of medicine and this is why major companies like Google, GSK and other top pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily into this space! About Electromedical Technologies Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Electromedical Technologies, Inc. is a commercial stage, FDA cleared, bioelectronic medical device manufacturing company initially focused on the treatment of various chronic, acute, intractable, and post-operative pain conditions. Through University collaboration agreements, the Company is working to develop a comprehensive research program in defining the effects of electro-modulation on the human body. By studying the impacts of electrical fields in cell signaling and immune responses, the Companys goal is to reduce pain and improve overall human wellbeing. The Companys current FDA cleared product indications are for chronic acute post traumatic and post-operative, intractable pain relief. For more information, please visit www.electromedtech.com. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Corporate Contact: Electromedical Technologies, Inc. Hanover International Tel: 1.888.880.7888 email: ir@electromedtech.com https://electromedtech.com Attack was form of revenge after victim allegedly assaulted a friend of Mr Caire Mr Caire will be released from jail in Adelaide after he was labelled 'remarkable' A misguided vigilante who used Grindr to lure an elderly man he thought was a paedophile to his house before torturing him for four hours has been given a suspended sentence. Charlie Michael Edward Caire, 21, was also labelled a 'remarkable young man' by Adelaide District Court Judge Liesl Chapman on Tuesday after pleading guilty to false imprisonment, aggravated blackmail and aggravated assault. The court heard Caire created a fake profile on gay dating app Grindr before meeting the man in his 70s in Murray Bridge, east of Adelaide, in February last year. He then detained, blindfolded and torturing his victim with a drill, knife, taser, gas lighter and syringe he said contained AIDS, while demanding $5,000. Caire carried out his violent offending in an act of 'paedophile vigilante justice' after being told the man had sexually assaulted his friend's younger brother, the court heard. Charlie Michael Edward Caire created a fake profile on dating app Grindr - he then met up with a man he believed had assaulted his friend's brother and tortured the victim across four hours (stock image) Mr Caire, 21, was given a suspended sentence in the Adelaide District Court after time served, and will be released from jail on April 21 (stock image) The court was told no allegation was ever reported to police. The victim thought he was going to die as Caire bound, blindfolded, kicked and repeatedly punched him, placed his fingers between secateur blades, injected him with a syringe and tortured him with weapons such as an electric drill. Caire was heavily under the influence of the drug ice at the time of the offending. The victim later described the ongoing, savage attack as the 'most intense period of physical pain' he had ever endured. The court also heard the victim was also told 'there would be consequences' if he did not hand over $5,000. 'It was a brutal attack on the victim, who was particularly vulnerable because of his age,' Judge Chapman said, according to the ABC. 'He was harmed physically and psychologically because of your actions. 'To put it briefly, he was terrified.' Caire who appeared via video link from Mount Gambier Prison broke down when Judge Chapman said he was a 'remarkable' young man who had overcome great adversity in his life. Caire's life took a turn for the worse after the breakdown of a long term relationship, the death of his father and losing his job in sales. He then turned to drugs, spending his life savings on methamphetamine. At the time of the assault, Caire had not slept in close to six weeks. Given his lack of criminal history and high level of remorse, Caire was sentenced to five-years-and-six-months in prison with a non-parole period of two years and 10 months, backdated to February 2020, when he was first taken into custody. Judge Chapman then opted to suspend the remainder of Caire's sentence, leaving him a free man. Caire will be released from the Mount Gambier Prison on Wednesday where he will then travel to the District Court in Adelaide to sign a three-year good behaviour bond. English French TORONTO, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is pleased to see nature remain a key focus of the Government of Canada. NCC, a not-for-profit land conservation group, welcomes the historic investment in nature protection in Budget 2021, aimed at addressing the dual threats of climate change and biodiversity loss. The federal budget earmarks a $2.3 billion commitment to conserve 1 million square kilometres of land over five years. Combined with funding for the Nature Legacy Initiative in Budget 2018, this is a major boost toward protecting 25 per cent of Canadas lands and fresh water. It is in fact the largest-ever Canadian investment in nature. Of note, the funding supports Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, as well as Indigenous Guardians programs. In addition, the budget delivers: $976.8 million to protect 25 per cent of our marine and coastal areas by 2025, and 30 per cent by 2030; and $200 million in a Natural Infrastructure Fund to support nature-based projects that mitigate the impacts of climate change. To invest in nature is to invest in the life support systems that sustain us all, says Catherine Grenier, president and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Clean air, clean water, nutritious food, jobs and our overall well-being depend on nature. In a recent survey, nine in 10 Canadians told us we need to invest more to restore and care for our natural systems. NCC also recognizes the unprecedented new funding and targets in Budget 2021 aimed at tackling climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the pathway to a net zero economy by 2050. Nature is a fundamental part of any strategy to combat climate change. There is no path to sustainability without nature, adds Grenier. At NCC were ready to bring more private sector investments to the table and leverage the governments commitments. Together we can ensure a nature-positive and climate neutral future. NCC, a long-time member of the Green Budget Coalition, is pleased to see many of the coalitions recommendations reflected in Budget 2021. Facts: Nature conservation not only protects habitat for species at risk, it also protects forests, grasslands and peatlands that store and sequester carbon. Conservation can safeguard wetlands that buffer against flooding and drought. NCC works with Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Natural Heritage Conservation Program. This unique public-private partnership draws together government funding, private sector investments and community land trusts to accelerate the pace of conservation in Canada. A poll conducted for NCC by Ipsos Public Affairs in November 2020 revealed Canadians are turning to nature to cope with the stresses of the pandemic. More than 90 per cent of those surveyed said nature was more important to them now than ever before. About The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nations leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 14 million hectares (35 million acres), coast to coast to coast. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca. Learn more Twitter: @NCC_CNC & @NCC_CNCMedia Find us on Facebook Media contact Andrew Holland National Media Relations Director Nature Conservancy of Canada andrew.holland@natureconservancy.ca C: 1-506-260-0469 Two men were killed in Texas after a Tesla they were in crashed Saturday and caught fire with neither of the men behind the wheel, authorities said. Mark Herman, the Harris County Precinct 4 constable, said that physical evidence from the scene and interviews with witnesses led officials to believe no one was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. The vehicle, a 2019 Model S, was going at a high rate of speed around a curve at 11:25 p.m. local time when it went off the road about 100 feet and hit a tree, Herman said. The crash occurred in a residential area in the Woodlands, an area about 30 miles north of Houston. The men were 59 and 69 years old. One was in the front passenger seat and one in the rear seat, Herman said. He said that minutes before the crash, the mens wives watched them leave in the Tesla after they said they wanted to go for a drive and were talking about the vehicles Autopilot feature. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last month that it was investigating nearly two dozen crashes involving Teslas that either were using Autopilot or might have been using it. The causes of death were unclear Sunday. Positive identification had not yet been made because of the duration of the fire, Herman said. It took four hours to put out a fire that normally would have taken a matter of minutes, Herman said, adding that it took more than 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish the fire. Regulators have raised concerns about the batteries used in electric vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board warned in a 2020 report that the batteries can pose safety risks to emergency responders. Mitchell Weston, chief investigator at the Harris County Fire Marshals Office, said that while the batteries are generally safe, impacts at high speeds can result in thermal runaway, which causes an uncontrolled contact between different materials in the batteries. Thermal runaway can lead to fires, as well as battery reignition, even after an initial fire is put out, the safety board warned in its report. Mitsubishi Electric warns that thermal runaway can lead to catastrophic results, including fire, explosion, sudden system failure, costly damage to equipment, and possibly personal injury. The fire marshals office was investigating the fire in the crash, a spokeswoman said. Herman said his department was working with the federal authorities to investigate. He said that law enforcement officials had been in contact with Tesla on Saturday for guidance on a few things but declined to discuss the nature of the conversations. Tesla, which has disbanded its public relations team, did not respond to a request for comment. Elon Musk, Teslas chief executive, earlier on Saturday had promoted a recent safety report from the company, writing on Twitter that Tesla with Autopilot engaged now approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle. Tesla, which on its website calls Autopilot the future of driving, says the feature allows its vehicles to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane. However, it warns that current Autopilot features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous. In 2016, a driver in Florida was killed in a Tesla Model S that was in Autopilot mode and failed to brake for a tractor-trailer that made a left turn in front of it. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Magic box in Rho: The New Roberto de Silva Municipal Theater is a place for performances, exhibitions, or conventions. Penetron technology was specified to waterproof the cellar structures. The New Roberto De Silva Theater was built in a very short time, about 23 months in total. Fortunately, the contractor used the crystalline waterproofing technology that helps shorten construction times: the Penetron System. The March 2021 opening of the Nuovo Teatro Civico Roberto De Silva (New Roberto de Silva Municipal Theater) is a highlight in the revitalization of Rho, a city in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. PENETRON ADMIX, a permeability-reducing concrete admixture, protected the below-grade structures against the high groundwater encountered at the construction site. Already inhabited during Roman times, Rho is one of the most ancient towns of Lombardy. Today, Rho is a city of over 50,000 inhabitants, home to the Fiera Milano (exhibition center), and is only 14 km (9 miles) away from Milan, making it part of Milans greater metropolitan area. The New Roberto de Silva Municipal Theater is the centerpiece of an urban renewal program focused on revitalizing the area around the Via Dante Alighieri, close to the center of Rho. The design of the new theater was conceived as a kind of magic box that could be adapted to various activities performances, exhibitions, or conventions by creating a diverse range of dimensions and environments, explains Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac, CEO & Managing Director of Penetron Italia. Saving Time in the Construction Schedule Because of the high groundwater conditions at the construction site, the contractor required an effective waterproofing system for the below-grade concrete structures, which include the theaters foyer, the conference areas and orchestra pit. A PVC waterproofing membrane system with post injection was originally specified in the construction plans. However, the installation of this system turned out to be too unwieldly and time-consuming. The local expert from Penetron Italia proposed an easier and proven waterproofing solution comprising PENETRON ADMIX to treat the concrete mix, and PENEBAR SW waterstop strips to permanently seal the resulting construction joints. Reducing Permeability in Concrete As a crystalline waterproofing and permeability reducing admixture, PENETRON ADMIX reacts with moisture in concrete to generate a crystalline formation throughout the pores, micro-cracks and capillary tracts found in concrete. These non-soluble crystals permanently self-heal microcracks, pores and capillaries against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction, substantially reducing concrete permeability. In addition, Penetron crystalline technology also provides low shrinkage and self-healing properties, ensuring permanent protection. "The New Roberto De Silva Theater was built in a very short time, about 23 months in total, says Simone Motta, surveyor for the Cooperativa Muratori e Braccianti di Carpi. Fortunately, the contractor used the crystalline waterproofing technology that helps shorten construction times: the Penetron System. The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels. For more information on Penetron crystalline technology solutions, please visit http://www.penetron.com, email: CRDept@penetron.com or contact our Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700. A girl gang knife fight has left a 15-year-old girl with stab wounds after violence erupted at the 4/20 'Weed Day' gathering in London's Hyde Park. Officers who were on patrol in the park overseeing the illegal gathering were alerted to a fight which had broken out around 6.10pm. After breaking up the scuffle and dispersing those involved they discovered a 15-year-old girl had been stabbed in the leg. Pictures taken when the first broke out appear to show one of the people involved holding a knife. Police were alerted to a fight which broke out in Hyde Park, where a 420 gathering was taking place, at around 6.10pm. Pictured: The fight in the park, in which what appears to be a knife can be seen The group scuffled with each other while a large group of people watched and before police arrived to break up the fight After breaking up the fight the officers in Hyde Park discovered the 15-year-old had been stabbed and performed first aid (pictured) Police performed first aid on the teenager and the London Ambulance Service was called to assist. The youngster was taken to hospital where her condition is not believed to be life threatening or life changing. Pictures from the scene showed a large group watching as the scuffle broke out and another appears to show one of those involved in the fight holding a knife. The group looked to be throwing punches while others were seen appearing to kick someone while they were laid on the ground. Several people watched on as the fight continued, with many pulling out their phones appearing to record the incident. The teenager was treated by police before paramedics arrived and was taken to hospital for treatment. Pictured: This evening's fight in Hyde Park The group looked to be throwing punches while others were seen appearing to kick someone while they were laid on the ground (pictured) A large group gathered around the injured teenager as several police officers treated her (pictured) In a statement the Metropolitan Police said: 'A number of people are likely to have seen what happened. They are asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC providing the reference CAD6227/20APR.' An increased number of officers were already in Hyde Park after people gathered illegally in breach of Covid regulations. Marijuana lovers unite for the rally every year on April 20, the date corresponding to the code name 420, usually to demand the drug is decriminalised. It is not clear if those involved in the fight were attending today's 420 gathering. While police usually turn a blind eye to the gathering - as long as people remain calm and good-natured - officers warned fines of 200 may be issued to those flouting lockdown rules. People sit and smoke during a demonstration to mark the informal cannabis holiday in Hyde Park, London Marijuana lovers unite for the rally every year on April 20, the date corresponding to the code name 420, usually to demand the drug is decriminalised. Pictured: Police in Hyde Park on 420 day Rallies celebrating weed are to take place across the world today, the date corresponding to the name 420. Pictured: Police stood on guard in Hyde Park today As it stands, outdoor gatherings are only permitted for groups of up to six people. Images showed police officers in the central London park talking to people as they sat on the grass. It was unclear how large the groups were - or whether lockdown rules were being followed. It is currently illegal to possess, grow, distribute or sell cannabis in the UK. Those caught carrying the drug can be handed a maximum of five years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. Anyone convicted of producing and supplying the Class B drug could be jailed for up to 14 years. New Jersey on Tuesday reported another 2,393 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and an additional 40 confirmed deaths as Gov. Phil Murphy said numbers are moving in the right direction and could lead to more reopening steps. While hospitalizations for COVID-19 increased Monday night for the first time in a week, the state is more than halfway to its vaccination goal of 70% of adults by the end of June. Murphy announced the numbers on social media hours after saying during a television interview the state will definitely continue to open up incrementally if the figures keep improving. The comments come nearly three weeks after officials declared a third wave of the pandemic was hitting the state. The remarks also come a day after New Jersey opened COVID-19 vaccine eligibility up to everyone 16 and older in the state. NEW JERSEY #COVID19 UPDATE: 2,393 new positive PCR tests 862,811 total positive PCR tests 600 new positive antigen tests 121,064 total positive antigen tests 40 new confirmed deaths 22,614 total confirmed deaths 2,592 probable deaths https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7 pic.twitter.com/R1uDHhFoDy Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 20, 2021 The states seven-day average for new confirmed positive tests is now 2,942, down 8% from a week ago and 12% from a month ago. More than 2.54 million people have been fully vaccinated in the state as of Tuesday about 37% of the states 6.9 million adult residents. In all, more than 6.15 million vaccine doses have been administered in New Jersey, with more than 3.8 million people receiving at least one dose. VACCINE UPDATE: 6,151,001 total doses have been administered as of 8:00 AM today. 2,547,397 New Jerseyans are now fully vaccinated Learn more: https://t.co/wzXaqEF1Kl Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 20, 2021 There were 2,108 coronavirus patients across the states 71 hospitals as of Monday night an increase of 46 patients after six days of decreases. The states rate of transmission was at 0.92 for a second day. The rate had dropped steadily after reaching 1.07 on April 5. Any number over 1 indicates that the outbreak is growing, with each new case leading to at least one other case. A declining transmission rate means the spread is slowing. Murphy said Tuesday the states improving numbers are because people continue to wear masks and practice social distancing, weather is improving, and vaccinations are increasing. Knocking on wood, at long last, I think things are starting to go in the right direction, he said on WPIX-11. New Jersey has so far not come close to matching the prediction models that Murphys administration released last month to warn about the third wave. The models showed the state could peak at 5,445 cases and 2,669 people hospitalized with COVID-19 under a moderate scenario on April 18, which was Monday. The worst-case scenario said the state could peak at 8,162 cases and 3,664 people hospitalized on May 18. But officials stressed that those are only projections and that human behavior, including mask-wearing and social distancing, could prevent those scenarios from happening. In all, New Jersey has now reported 862,811 confirmed coronavirus cases out of more than 12.9 million PCR tests in the nearly 14 months since the state reported its first case on March 4, 2020. There have also been 121,064 positive antigen tests. 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 million people has reported 25,206 residents have died from complications related to COVID-19 including 22,614 confirmed deaths and 2,592 fatalities considered probable. New Jersey has the most coronavirus deaths per capita among American states. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY ATLANTIC COUNTY - 194,435 doses administered BERGEN COUNTY - 687,279 doses administered BURLINGTON COUNTY - 324,511 doses administered CAMDEN COUNTY - 359,233 doses administered CAPE MAY COUNTY - 78,064 doses administered CUMBERLAND COUNTY - 84,474 doses administered ESSEX COUNTY - 477,070 doses administered GLOUCESTER COUNTY - 218,045 doses administered HUDSON COUNTY - 376,420 doses administered HUNTERDON COUNTY - 89,175 doses administered MERCER COUNTY - 243,540 doses administered MIDDLESEX COUNTY - 543,670 doses administered MONMOUTH COUNTY - 449,833 doses administered MORRIS COUNTY - 429,580 doses administered OCEAN COUNTY - 363,390 doses administered PASSAIC COUNTY - 288,728 doses administered SALEM COUNTY - 38,356 doses administered SOMERSET COUNTY - 254,068 doses administered SUSSEX COUNTY - 94,700 doses administered UNION COUNTY - 343,534 doses administered WARREN COUNTY - 61,099 doses administered UNKNOWN COUNTY - 3,399 doses administered OUT OF STATE - 148,398 doses administered HOSPITALIZATIONS There were 2,108 patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases across New Jerseys 71 hospitals as of Monday night 46 more than the previous night, according to state data. That included 463 in critical or intensive care (28 more than the night before), with 254 on ventilators (four more). There were also 184 COVID-19 patients discharged Monday. By comparison, hospitalizations peaked at more than 8,300 patients during the first wave of the pandemic in April and more than 3,800 during the second wave in December. SCHOOL CASES New Jersey has reported 245 in-school coronavirus outbreaks, which have resulted in 1,094 cases among students, teachers and school staff this academic year, according to state data. The state defines school outbreaks as cases where contact tracers determined two or more students or school staff caught or transmitted COVID-19 in the classroom or during academic activities at school. Those numbers do not include students or staff believed to have been infected outside school or cases that cant be confirmed as in-school outbreaks. There are about 1.4 million public school students and teachers across the state, though teaching methods amid the outbreak have varied, with some schools teaching in-person, some using a hybrid format and others remaining all-remote. Murphy has said New Jerseys schools are expected to return to full in-person classes for the next school year. AGE BREAKDOWN Broken down by age, those 30 to 49 years old make up the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who have caught the virus (30.9%), followed by those 50-64 (22.7%), 18-29 (19.9%), 65-79 (10.2%), 5-17 (9.7%), 80 and older (4.4%) and 0-4 (2%). On average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with preexisting conditions. Nearly half the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents 80 and older (46.66%), followed by those 65-79 (32.91%), 50-64 (15.95%), 30-49 (4.06%), 18-29 (0.39%), 5-17 (0.01%) and 0-4 (0.03%). At least 8,015 of the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to state data. There are active outbreaks at 236 facilities, resulting in 2,870 active cases among residents and 3,727 among staffers. Those numbers have slowed as vaccinations continue at the facilities. GLOBAL NUMBERS As of Tuesday, there have been more than 142.3 million positive COVID-19 tests across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 3 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications. The U.S. has reported the most cases, at more than 31.7 million, and the most deaths, at more than 568,100. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. China's closure of Catholic orphanages for disabled children betrays hope of Vatican Agreement: Priest Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment China's mass closure of Catholic orphanages, largely made up of children with mental and physical disabilities, betrays the hope of the controversial 2018 Vatican agreement that promised a better day for the Church, a priest has said. In a recent article published by Asia News, a Chinese priest who goes by P. Wendao urged the pope and the universal Church to stop the closure of Catholic orphanages after authorities with the Chinese Communist Party shuttered several homes, transferring children many of them disabled to other facilities. It is clear that those government officials are not planning to serve abandoned children, but only to follow their senior officials political orders, namely, to do everything possible to reduce the influence of the Catholic Church in China, the priest writes. For this reason, at present, the government is relentlessly suppressing and imposing various measures of control on Catholic social services or Church life. Recently, the CCP shut down two Catholic Church-run childrens homes: St Josephs Disabled Infant Home in Renqiu, Xianxian (Diocese of Cangzhou), and the Liming (Dawn) Home in the Diocese of Zhaoxian, both in Hebei province. The CCP also shuttered Catholic-run orphanages in Zhangjiakou and Zhengding, both in Hebei. The same happened two years ago to an orphanage in Baoji, Shaanxi province, run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. In his letter, Wendao noted that the services provided by these facilities have been respected and appreciated by Chinese citizens, even government officials. These disabled childrens homes were respected and deeply loved by many Chinese; many caring people visited and served there, bearing good fruits of love to the Church and society. People learned to care and respect Gods little ones, he said, adding that the children being cared for at these homes are usually among the most neglected by society. Most of the children cared for by the sisters (nuns) are disabled, some physically, others mentally. They need more care than others; abandoned by parents and society, they are burdened by physical and emotional pain. Against all these injustices, they have only the weakest of voices, and now, in light of such a heavy reality, will the universal Church remain silent and ignorant of their call for help? By transferring the children to state-run facilities where other reports claim they are left "emaciated" and "low-spirited" the government is not only ignoring the beautiful contribution and quality social services provided by the Catholic Church, but wants in fact to destroy them, he said. The priest added that when the China-Vatican Agreement was signed in 2018, the Church in China felt encouraged, and everyone was waiting for that better day following the signing. The deal, the details of which have never been published, permits the Chinese government to propose names for new bishops to the Vatican through its state-approved Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, with the pope having veto power on the decision. But despite the signing of the agreement and renewal last year, the unofficial Catholic Church in China continues to suffer and religious persecution has actually worsened in recent years. The CCP has used the pandemic to shut down Catholic celebrations and mass, targeted schools to make sure neither teachers nor students adhere to any religion, and closed churches and seminaries, he said. In the past, when such things happened, the Chinese Church was eager to encourage and support the universal Church. Now, because of this agreement, the pope's voice of justice has been silent, the priest said. People who believe in Christ are a minority in China. They are often discriminated against and suppressed. It is difficult for the outside world to hear their voices. The clampdown on Catholic and Protestant orphanages and other church-run institutions across China comes after the passing of the Regulations on Religious Affairs, enforced in February 2018. The new rules stipulate that public interest charitable activities must not be used to proselytize by any organization or individual in China. According to religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter, in May 2020, the Cangzhou city government in the northern province of Hebei ordered the director of a local Catholic orphanage for disabled children to remove paintings of the Virgin Mary, liturgical calendars, and all other religious symbols from a small church on site. The director was demanded to sign a statement promising to stop using the church, and childrens religious textbooks were also banned, with authorities claiming that charitable institutions are not allowed to have religious overtones. In August 2019, over 40 personnel from the Civil Affairs Bureau and other government institutions stormed into a Catholic orphanage in Taiyuan. Authorities removed the children from the facility, threatening to accuse the leaders of the orphanage of illegal adoption practices. The Communist Party has been trying to restrict our activities, fearing that children would be exposed to religion, a local churchgoer told the outlet. All religious orphanages for disabled children will gradually disappear in the future. Open Doors ranks China at No. 17 on its World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted. Thank you for subscribing! By signing up to this free newsletter you agree to receive occasional emails from us informing you about our products and services. You can opt out of these emails at any time. 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3 RIDGEFIELD The towns vaccine clinic has extra appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine available this week at their mass vaccination site in Yanity Gym, according to an email from the public information office. The clinic is offering the Moderna vaccine. Ship LCT Cebu Great Ocean ran aground near the Philippine shore, with up to 20 people considered missing, the country's coast guard said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) Ship LCT Cebu Great Ocean ran aground near the Philippine shore, with up to 20 people considered missing, the country's coast guard said on Tuesday. "The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) responds to a maritime incident involving vessel, LCT Cebu Great Ocean that ran aground along the shoreline of Barangay Cantapoy, Malimono, Surigao del Norte at around 03:38 p.m. yesterday, 19 April 2021. According to the PCG Station Surigao del Norte, the 20 crew members of said vessel are allegedly missing," the statement said. According to the statement, the coast guard has activated a response group to search for the lost crew members. On Monday, rescuers had to suspend the operation due to poor visibility and sea conditions. The guard also mentioned that the vessel transported nickel ore and carried around 2,000 liters (439.3 gallons) of diesel on board. The United States expresses its deep concern over Russia's plans to block foreign naval ships and state vessels in parts of the Black Sea, including near occupied Crimea and the Kerch Strait, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of State. "Russia has a history of taking aggressive actions against Ukrainian vessels and impeding access to Ukraine's ports in the Sea of Azov, impacting Ukraine's international commerce," the statement reads. Russia's current actions represent "yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine." At the same time, the Department of State said that this development was particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop build-up in occupied Crimea and around Ukraine's borders. "The United States reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. The United States does not, and will never, recognize Russia's purported annexation of Crimea," the statement said. At the same time, the U.S. Department of State commended Ukraine for its continued restraint in the face of Russian provocations. "We call on Russia to cease its harassment of vessels in the region and reverse its build-up of forces along Ukraine's border and in occupied Crimea," the statement reads. op Fragments of Covid-19 have been found in sewage water in 31 Melbourne suburbs despite no community cases of the virus in Victoria in nearly two months. The updated alert on Tuesday night urged anyone living in the suburbs in northern and eastern Melbourne to monitor for symptoms of the virus. Victoria's last locally acquired case was 53 days ago. Health officials said the sewage samples were either due to a positive case shedding Covid-19 in the early stages of an infection or when they are no longer contagious. Residents living in northern and eastern Melbourne have been told to monitor for symptoms of Covid-19 after fragments of the virus were found in sewage water (file image) 'While it is possible that these detections are due to a visitor or visitors to these areas who are not infectious, a cautious approach is being taken,' Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said. Among the northern suburbs are Ascot Vale, Brunswick, Brunswick West, Coburg, Essendon and Essendon Fields. In the east, the suburbs on alert include Bayswater, Bayswater North, Boronia, Croydon, Croydon North, Croydon South. Symptoms to watch for include sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, fever and loss or change in sense of taste or smell. Victoria from Wednesday has opened three mass vaccination hubs to people over the age of 70. From Wednesday, the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Geelong's former Ford factory will provide shots for anyone over 70 with or without bookings as part of phase 1a and 1b of the rollout. 'This is one way that we can expedite the vaccine rollout, as quickly as possible, particularly to our most vulnerable cohort,' Acting Premier James Merlino told reporters on Tuesday. MELBOURNE SUBURBS ON COVID-19 ALERT Ascot Vale Brunswick Brunswick West Coburg Essendon Essendon Fields Flemington Kensington Moonee Ponds North Melbourne Parkville Pascoe Vale Pascoe Vale South Strathmore Travancore Bayswater Bayswater North Boronia Croydon Croydon North Croydon South Heathmont Kilsyth Kilsyth South Montrose Ringwood Ringwood East Sassafras The Basin Tremont Wantirna Advertisement Melbourne residents in 31 suburbs have been told to monitor for Covid-19 symptoms. Among the northern suburbs named in the health alert are Ascot Vale, Brunswick, Brunswick West, Coburg, Essendon and Essendon Fields. Pictured are workers in PPE at a quarantine hotel They will only be offered the AstraZeneca jab, with Pfizer doses still prioritised for healthcare workers under 50 at hospital vaccination clinics. Despite concerns about the potential side effects, Mr Merlino said there had been an uptick in calls to the health department from older Victorians wanting to have the AstraZeneca jab. 'I see that as a positive sign,' he said. Journalists from Korea participate in the annual World Journalists Conference 2021 at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul, Monday, with journalists from other countries taking part online. During the three-day event from Sunday to Tuesday, participants discussed the role of media in the post-COVID era and the global climate crisis. Yonhap Post-COVID era, climate crisis issues top agenda of World Journalists Conference 2021 By Jung Da-min Around 60 journalists from 50 countries met to discuss the role of journalism in the post-COVID era as well as global warming. The World Journalists Conference 2021, hosted by the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK), kicked off Sunday for a three-day run. The annual media event, which has been held since 2013, addressing various themes related to media as well as projections and strategies regarding prominent global issues, was held online for the second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's event was held under two themes: "Prospect of the Post-COVID Era," in line with the development of vaccines and the beginning of inoculations; and "Global Climate Issues" to discuss joint responses to climate change that affects society, the environment and life worldwide. Journalists from around the world participate online in the World Journalists Conference 2021 that kicked off Sunday, at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul, Monday. Yonhap Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun delivered a congratulatory video speech, saying the conference provides a meaningful and valuable opportunity for the international community to find the role of the media in addressing important matters in times of uncertainty. "As you may well know, COVID-19 has brought about a huge change around the world in the most painful way. The pace of change has accelerated and its range has expanded greatly. Indeed, an era of great transformation with maximized uncertainty has dawned," Chung said. "Climate change is the very issue where such changes and uncertainties are concentrated. This problem can never be solved by the efforts of a single country. Based on solidarity and cooperation, all countries should put their heads together across national borders in order to find solutions." The prime minister also stressed the media's role of delivering the truth, saying, "We are facing a new world where anyone can easily produce, distribute and consume information, thanks to the development of digital technology. As people's thirst for the truth becomes more unquenchable, the value of journalism becomes even more invaluable." Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun delivers a congratulatory video message at the World Journalists Conference 2021 hosted by the Journalists Association of Korea at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul, Monday. Yonhap On the first day of the conference, journalists discussed what to expect in the post-COVID era and the role of journalism. Jung Min-ho, digital content editor of The Korea Times and head of the JAK's international relations department, joined as moderator. About 26 speakers shared post-COVID scenarios in their countries and discussed the increasing need for the media's role of delivering the truth. They included Indonesian Journalists' Association public services director Mohammad Nasir, The Irish Times columnist Frank McNally, Ajou University psychology professor Kim Kyung-il and Nest Taller de Communicacion deputy director Rafael Robledo in Mexico. "Despite all of the misinformation about the COVID-19 virus that is floating around, the pandemic has revealed an interesting twist in the form of an emerging truth," said Flemming Ytzen, a columnist with the Danish newspaper Politiken. "Responsible media outlets have a duty to accurately report how our leaders are handling the situation and what the scientific community is advising, without succumbing to further hyper-politicization of events." Journalists from around the world participating online in the annual World Journalists Conference 2021 are seen on a screen at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul, Monday. Yonhap KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PetWellClinic has caught the attention of the Orangetheory franchise system, signing on yet another Orangetheory franchise owner to develop 25 walk-in veterinary clinics in the DC Metro area. Dave Ballow and Liz Overmann will lead the development and operations across Washington DC, as well as the adjacent areas of Maryland and Northern Virginia. The pair met over six years ago when Overmann became a member at Ballow's first Orangetheory location in Maryland. Impressed with the team culture, she immediately knew she wanted to be a part of it. In 2015, she joined the Orangetheory team and is now the Regional General Manager of their 14 Maryland locations. "It has been a pleasure to learn and grow with Dave and team over the years, and to develop the company from its second location to 14 locations in Maryland with more to come," said Overmann. "In 2019, our region was recognized for our excellent operation by receiving the honors of Top Emerging Market in the Orangetheory network. This is due to our tactful approach to our development schedule and our incredible growth that comes from our commitment to our people - both members and team members alike." Dr. Sam Meisler, Founder and CEO of PetWellClinic, believes he has the right team in place for success, explaining, "Liz and Dave have done this before and their experience will be paramount to replicating their previous successes with PetWellClinic in the DMV area. What I'm most excited about is that they share our vision and values, and they are experts at building teams where these values are shared by all." Due to his immense success as a franchise developer, including being the previously-mentioned recipient of Orangetheory's Top Emerging Market award, Ballow is approached often by franchisors looking to add credible and proven franchise owners to their system. However, something about PetWellClinic was different. "All entrepreneurial endeavors start with a concept and a willingness on the part of the entrepreneur to take the risk," said Ballow. "This may seem daunting to many but it's really the easiest part on the journey to building a successful brand. In our position we get an opportunity to evaluate many concepts, but Dr. Meisler and his team at PetWellClinic caught our attention immediately. PetWellClinic is redefining how consumers experience medical care for their pets and have been doing so for over 10 years." When Ballow brought the PetWellClinic opportunity to Overmann to get her feedback, he not only got her opinion, but he also wound up with a partner. "Dave has always been a mentor of my growth," said Overmann. "We align in our belief that scalability comes from finding and developing a great team with a clear vision of purpose. We look forward to the challenge we face in bringing our experience to another industry. For me, PetWellClinic presents the unique opportunity to bring excellent on-demand veterinary care to pet owners across the DMV. As a busy professional, parent, and 'mom' to two dogs and a horse, I know that delivering high-quality veterinary care on-demand is going to be a game changer for myself and so many others in the DMV area." As the team begins its search for real estate, they are also on the lookout for what they believe will be the most pertinent success factor to transfer from Orangetheory to PetWellClinic: passionate team members. "Although the industry is different, we feel that many of the challenges in building a brand and scaling a company are the same," Ballow continued. "Our time with Orangetheory has prepared us to be well equipped to build brand trust and recognition in a new market, and grow a team who is passionate about the mission, lives in our values, and cares for our clients. This begins with finding a veterinarian who shares our vision and values. Our ideal candidate has a passion for growth and development, problem-solving, and an entrepreneurial spirit. In addition to veterinarians, we are looking for fantastic team members who are passionate for animals and want to learn and grow, with or without experience in the veterinary world." PetWellClinic is known for immersing itself in its local community, often as the only walk-in option for top-quality veterinary care and at more affordable prices. Ballow and Overmann care deeply about the local communities their businesses serve, and are excited to cultivate relationships with local animal shelters, boarding facilities, and full-service animal hospitals, in addition to the individual pet owners they'll serve in the DC, Maryland, Virginia region. ABOUT PETWELLCLINIC PetWellClinic is a walk-in veterinary clinic, providing excellent preventative, wellness, and sick care for dogs and cats on an on-demand basis. There is no need for an appointment because PetWellClinic's technology, design, and operational systems provide customers with a modern-day experience in an antiquated industry. PetWellClinic recently began franchising after the success of its company-owned operations in Knoxville, Tennessee, and already has 71 units in development since August of 2020. For more information on PetWellClinic franchise opportunities, please visit www.petwellfranchise.com or contact Joe Sexton at [email protected]. PetWellClinic has partnered with Oakscale, to lead franchise development efforts for the brand. For more information on Oakscale, please visit www.oakscale.com. SOURCE PetWell Franchisor, LLC. A hacked trove of 1.1 million China police surveillance records include data on more than 150 Australians and a number of Australia-based Uyghur community leaders and activities, a new report has found. Late last year, activists hacked into an insecure Chinese Alibaba cloud server and discovered the surveillance records from the Technology Division of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau. The records include data on tens of thousands of individuals and is further evidence of the use of technology in China to surveil the Uyghur community as part of the governments automated mass surveillance systems being developed around the country, according to the ABC. The ABC investigation found the records contained data on more than 150 Australian citizens, and at least three Australian citizens who are Uyghur community leaders and activities. These people have been listed as suspected terrorists on the list, meaning they could be targeted for monitoring and harassment. They include Australian citizens who have lived in the country for seven to 20 years. The hacked database was labelled as uyghur terrorist, and two of the Australian-based individuals who are included on it appeared on an ABC Four Corners report in 2019 about human rights abuses in the province of Xinjiang, where the majority of Uyghurs reside. Each of the three Australian citizens included on the database have had family members or relatives detained in re-education camps in Xinjiang, the ABC reported. The hacked database is understood to be part of Chinas wider national watchlists, which form part of the countrys automated mass surveillance systems being rolled out around the country. The activists who hacked the database sent the files to Canberra-based cybersecurity firm Internet 2.0, which then transferred them to the ABC and Five Eyes security agencies. Other information in the files include information on police informants and facial and vehicle recognition photos. It comes from the Technology Division of a Shanghai Public Security Bureau, which is responsible for image, wireless and wired communications systems. According to Dr Darren Byler, a researcher on the surveillance of the Uyghur people at the University of Colorado, this division is in control of the data-led surveillance efforts in China. The Technology Division is being tasked with deciding who should be placed on watchlists and then prompting other police officers to do investigations into them, Dr Byler told the ABC. Its really in charge of turning normal material into a data-centric interface that allows the state to assess people and assess their movements through time and space. Some of this is through travel records and banking records and things like that. In other cases, theyre using forms of facial recognition software that might be in camera systems or at checkpoints as people move through cities. Technology is a key element of how the Chinese authorities conduct surveillance of the Uyghur population. In 2019 it was revealed that Chinese border police were secretly installing a data-stealing app onto the phones of tourists entering the Xinjiang region. Two Australian universities also came under fire that year for associations with surveillance technology that was being used in Xinjiang, including an app used by Chinese officials to monitor the population. The app contains information about individuals and flags them for investigation. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Isatoic acid anhydride also known as o-amino-benzoic acid, 2-aminobenzoic acid, N-carboxylic acid anhydride, and anthranilic acid, is the organic compound with the linear formula C6H4(NH2)CO2H. In appearance, Isatoic acid anhydride is a white solid when pure, although commercial samples may appear yellow. By the structure, isatoic acid anhydride contains a benzene ring with two adjacent functional groups, a carboxylic acid and an amine. Industrially, Isatoic acid anhydride is used as an intermediate for production of dyes chemicals and in medical product. Isatoic acid anhydride and its esters are used in preparing perfumes to imitate jasmine and orange, pharmaceuticals, and UV-absorber as well as corrosion inhibitors for metals and mold inhibitors in soy sauce. In addition, isatoic acid anhydride can be used in organic synthesis to generate the benzyne intermediate. It is sometimes considered as vitamin L1. Regional Analysis Asia Pacific is the largest market of isatoic acid anhydride due to huge consumption in dye & pigments, and agrochemicals-market-1267'>agrochemical-market-749'>agrochemical industry, in China region followed by India, Thailand, and Japan. Increasing demand for agrochemical industry in China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea has made Asia Pacific largest consumer of the global Isatoic acid anhydride market followed by increasing in the consumption of Isatoic acid anhydride market in Europe region. In Europe region, Isatoic acid anhydride market is drive by perfume, pharmaceutical, and food & beverages industry. In addition, the third largest market of Isatoic acid anhydride is North America region due to large consumption in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and others industry. Moreover, Latin America and Middle East also observed in growth of Isatoic acid anhydride market due to various application such as pharmaceutical, dye & pigments, perfume, agrochemicals, and others. Segmentation The global isatoic acid anhydride market is majorly segmented on the basis of application, end use and region. Based on application of isatoic acid anhydride the market is segmented into dye & pigments, pesticides, herbicides, saccharin, flavors, and others. On the other hand, Based on end use industry of isatoic acid anhydride the market is segmented into pharmaceutical, agrochemicals, perfume, food & beverages, and others. Furthermore, based on region global isatoic acid anhydride market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Key Players Key players of the global Isatoic acid anhydride market are BASF SE (Germany), The Dow Chemical Company (US), Alfa Aesar (India), Crystal Quinone Pvt. Ltd. (India), Taj Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (India), Wujiang New Sunlion Chemical Co., Ltd. (China), HIMALAYA CHEMICALS (India), ISHITA INDUSTRIES (India), KESHAR EMULSION PVT LTD (India), TCI (Shanghai) Development Co., Ltd (China), and others. Geographic Analysis The report covers brief analysis of geographical region such as North America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. The report about Global Isatoic acid anhydride Market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts and key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report further provides detail information about strategies used by top key players in the industry. It also gives a broad study about different market segments and regions. ACCESS REPORT DETAILS @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/isatoic-acid-anhydride-market-3325 Study Objectives of Isatoic acid anhydride Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Isatoic acid anhydride Market To understand the supply and demand dynamics including supply and consumption concentration mapping To provide region level market analysis and future outlook for North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countries To provide competitor positioning of the market To provide company profiling of major players in the market along with their production and capacity To provide regional trade analysis To evaluate historical market trends, patents and technologies, and current government regulatory requirements that are relevant to the market Intended Audience Isatoic acid anhydride manufacturers Traders and distributors of Isatoic acid anhydride Production Process industries Potential investors Raw material suppliers Nationalized laboratory WASHINGTON As the U.S. moves to withdraw its military from Afghanistan over the next five months, concerns are growing about one American who risks being left behind. Mark Frerichs, a contractor from Lombard, Illinois, believed held for more than a year by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, was not mentioned in President Joe Biden's address on Afghanistan last week. Nor was the troop withdrawal, scheduled to be complete by Sept. 11, conditioned on his release from custody, fueling concerns that the U.S. could lose bargaining power to get Frerichs home once its military presence is removed from the country. Any leverage that we had, we've just now announced to the world and to the Taliban and the Haqqanis that we're going to pull out. Not only is it our leverage, it's our military capability to rescue him, Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican and Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, said in an interview with The Associated Press. So it's just utterly disheartening. The Biden administration has said it regards the return of hostages to be a top priority. Despite this, the fate of a single captive is unlikely to sway the broader policy interest in ending a 20-year war that began in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It's not uncommon for detainee issues to be eclipsed by other foreign policy matters, as appeared to happen last week when the administration didn't mention Russia's detention of two Americans, even as it announced reasons for taking punitive action against Moscow. Even so, for Frerichs' family, the failure to make his return a factor in the withdrawal is a source of frustration, as is the fact that the Trump administration signed a peace deal in February 2020, just weeks after Frerichs vanished in Afghanistan while working on engineering projects in the country. His sister, Charlene Cakora, said in a statement that the military withdrawal puts a time stamp on Mark. We have 150 days to get him home or our leverage is gone. Frerichs' home-state senators, Democrats Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, had raised similar concerns in a letter earlier this year to Biden. In an interview Monday, Duckworth said she's been reassured by the administration that Frerichs has been part of the discussions and that officials are aware of his case. She said she spoke privately with Biden himself last Thursday, handing him a note with information about the case. He said he was very well aware and he asked me to also let the family know that he was aware and was on top of it, Duckworth said. The U.S. has not disclosed much about Frerichs' fate or status but confirmed Monday that it was in active negotiations with the Taliban. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, working closely with Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, "has continued to press the Taliban for Mr. Frerichs release, and continues to raise his status in senior level engagements in Doha and Islamabad. We place a high priority on Mark Frerichs safety and will not stop working until he is safely returned to his family. The AP reported in January that the Taliban during the Trump administration had sought the release of a combatant imprisoned on drug charges in the U.S. as part of a broader effort to resolve issues with Afghanistan. The request prompted dialogue between the State Department and the Justice Department about whether such a release could happen, though it ultimately did not. Duckworth, who has spoken about the case with Khalilzad, said the Taliban remained insistent on that release and not moved off that condition. The announced withdrawal from Afghanistan was one of two significant foreign policy moves announced by Biden last week. The other involved sanctions on Russia for election interference and for the hack of federal government agencies. The White House did not use that opportunity to call out Moscow for what U.S. officials say is the unjust detention of at least two Americans: Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, and Trevor Reed, a Marine veteran who was convicted in an altercation with police in Russia and sentenced to nine years. Whelan's brother, David, said in a statement that he was hopeful for rapprochement between Moscow and Washington but also concerned that the tit-for-tat actions Russia responded to the U.S. sanctions with its own diplomatic sanctions may have made that more challenging. First, the sanctions continue to make it difficult for the two nations to create the relationship and dialogue necessary to create conditions that might lead to Pauls release, Whelan wrote. Second, the winnowing of US Embassy staff in Russia will make the difficult work of consular support even harder. This article was written by ERIC TUCKER from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's wife is allowed to spend just two hours a day outside her cell, relegated to a tiny room at the Virginia prison where she is awaiting trial, according to her attorney. Emma Coronel spends the rest of her time reading, her New York-based lawyer Mariel Colon told The Associated Press in a story published Monday. The 31-year-old has been held at the Alexandria prison since her February 22 arrest at Dulles International Airport. 'Her confinement conditions have not improved yet,' said the lawyer. 'She is locked up almost all day.' Colon declined to comment when reached by DailyMail.com. Emma Coronel (pictured) the wife of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, is only permitted to leave her Alexandria, Virginia, prison cell for two hours a day, her New York-based lawyer Mariel Colon told The Associated Press in a story published Monday Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman (pictured January 19, 2017 after exiting an airplane in Ronkonkoma, New York) was convicted by a Brooklyn federal court July 2019 and sentenced to life in prison Emma Coronel (right) walking with her lawyer Mariel Colon (center) on January 22, 2019 outside the Brooklyn federal court house where her husband Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman stood trial Coronel is also isolated from the rest of the inmate population. 'She only leaves her cell when they take her out to the small interior room. Nothing else,' Colon, who also represented El Chapo during his high-profile trial, told The Associated Press. 'Unfortunately, they do not offer, there are no activities available so that she can be distracted,' Colon added. 'The only thing you can do while you are inside her cell is read.' Colon did not detail whether Coronel had spoken to the twin daughters she has with El Chapo. Coronel is being charged with a single-count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana in the U.S. Federal authorities have said that Coronel relayed messages to help Guzman conduct drug trafficking from 2012 to early 2014, and that she continued delivering messages while visiting him in a Mexican prison following his February 2014 arrest. Emma Coronel rejected her legal right to a preliminary hearing, according to a court document presented at the District of Columbia Court on March 20 Emma Coronel (second from right) arrives with her twin daughters at a Brooklyn, New York, federal court on February 15, 2018 to attend the trial of her husband, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Coronel, who married El Chapo at the age of 18, reportedly was instrumental in setting up the kingpin's infamous July 2015 escape from the Altiplano prison in Mexico through a mile-long tunnel dug from his cell. She allegedly began plotting another escape following his January 2016 capture by Mexican authorities. In February 2019, El Chapo was convicted of 10 counts that included drug trafficking, criminal use of a firearm, conspiring to commit murder and money laundering. He was sentenced in July 2019 to life in prison plus 30 years. He is not eligible for parole. According to a court document presented in District of Columbia Court on March 20, Coronel rejected her legal right to a preliminary hearing. Emma Coronel is being charged with a single-count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana in the U.S. The same day, her other lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told Telemundo 'everything is on the table,' alluding to the possibility of negotiating with federal prosecutors. Lichtman did not offer any details about whether Coronel had information to use against the Sinaloa Cartel, the transnational criminal organization that El Chapo co-founded. It is now under the leadership of his three sons and his associate, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada. 'There is no chance that she can spend the rest of her life in prison,' Lichtman said. 'Keep in mind that at this time, the minimum sentence is 10 years, maximum life imprisonment. But this is a case of a minimum participation in the case. Even if everything the government says is true, it has a minimal stake in this whole great conspiracy.' OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has placed under review with positive implications the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of a- of Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York (SSL) (New York, NY). SSL is a subsidiary of Independence Holding Company (IHC) (headquartered in Stamford, CT) [NYSE: IHC]; the ratings of IHC and its other insurance subsidiaries remain unchanged. This rating action follows the announcement that IHC has signed a definitive agreement to sell SSL to Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (RSL), a subsidiary of Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., for approximately $180 million. At year-end 2020, SSL had statutory capital and surplus totaling $64.6 million and net premiums written of $114.6 million. Under the terms of the agreement, at the close of the transaction, IHC will transfer SSL to RSL with $53 million of capital; any excess amount will be returned to IHC as a dividend. SSL's primary operations consist of New York statutory disability benefit law (DBL) business and Paid Family Leave (PFL), and will be used to fill out RSLs existing group insurance operations and market share in New York. It is anticipated that some non-related annuity and other accident & health reserves will be co-insured out prior to the closing. The ratings will remain under review while AM Best discusses the details of the acquisition with company management and until the transaction closes. The companies are looking to complete the transaction in the third quarter of 2021, following regulatory approval. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Bests Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Bests Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005874/en/ Antonietta Iachetta Senior Financial Analyst +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5792 antonietta.iachetta@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Joseph Zazzera, MBA Director +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5797 joseph.zazzera@ambest.com Jim Peavy Director, Communications +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644 james.peavy@ambest.com Source: AM Best Three baby products found at popular retailers Target and Walmart have been recalled due to choking hazards. The products are Firefly Frank Infant Teethers by Battat and sold exclusively at Target, Clip Clop Infant Activity Rattles by Playgro and sold at Walmart, and Cat and Jack Baby Rompers by Target. B. toys Light-Up Firefly Teether Glowy Chews Firefly Frank, plastic infant teethers, sold only at Target, have been recalled because the wings and pieces of the wings may detach, posting a choking hazard to the child. Battat is recalling a teether after several reports of wings breaking or detaching from the toy. Prior to the recall, 61,000 units were sold at Target stores. Parents should immediately remove the product from their childrens things and return it to Target for a refund. Alternatively, contact Battat by phone at 844-963-2479 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by email at recalls@battatco.com. Visit the company website for more information; the recall tab is at the bottom of the page. Target has recalled the Cat & Jack Baby Heart Ears rompers because the heart-shaped graphics on the knees can peel off and pose a choking hazard to the child. Target has recalled its Cat & Jack Baby Heart Ears Rompers because the heart-shaped graphics on the knees of the romper can peel off. About 44,350 units were sold. Return the item to any Target store for a full refund. If the clothing was purchased online, contact the company for return label. Contact Target by phone at 800-440-0680 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. central time daily. Visit the Target website for more information. The Clip Clop Infant Activity Rattles by Playgro were sold at Walmart stores and on Walmart.com from November 2020 to January 2021 and have been recalled. About 18,000 units of Playgros rattles were sold at Walmart stores and online prior to the recall. The rattles abacus ring on the horses back can detach and release the small beads. Parents should take the toy from their children and contact Playgro for a free replacement. Get your rattle replacement by filling out a digital form here. Alternatively, contact Playgro by phone at 855-775-2947 anytime from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (pacific time) Monday through Friday or by email at customercare@playgro.com. Visit the Playgro website for more information here. READ MORE: What to do, and not do, with your COVID-19 vaccine card Michigans fruit crop in serious danger with hard-freeze cold coming Volunteers remove 10,000 pounds of trash from homeless camp near Northern Michigan river REDDING, Calif. - California is aiming to reopen by June 15 but that's only if there's enough vaccine supply and hospitalizations are stable and low. Hella Apparel, a custom shirt store in Redding, is cautiously optimistic that things will get back to normal. They are also watching and waiting to see what things will look like by June 15. Jesse Angelo, one of the co-owners, said they're seeing more foot traffic coming through their doors and more clients are reaching out to get t-shirts made. I don't know what back to normal means anymore, said Angelo. We're very hopeful that things will be picking up even more come June 15, but we're just going to wait and see. Angelo told Action News Now they opened their store just days before the shelter-in-place order went into effect. Angelo said because they were a new business at the time, they didn't have a lot of staff or overhead expenses, which helped the business make it through a tough year. Angelo also said grants from the Redding Chamber of Commerce also helped keep their business afloat. Chock Soon Seng, 43, earlier pleaded guilty to two counts each of sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 14, and sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 16. (PHOTO: Getty Images) SINGAPORE A freelance tuition teacher who sought out teenage boys online for sexual activities was given eight years of corrective training and six strokes of the cane on Tuesday (20 April). Chock Soon Seng, 43, had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts each of sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 14, and sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 16. Another 14 charges of a sexual nature, including exploiting children, were taken into consideration for his sentencing. Corrective training is given to repeat offenders and results in an incarceration period of between five and 14 years. These offenders are not given the usual one-third remission their sentences for good behaviour. Both victims were aged 13 and 15 at the time of the offences and cannot be named due to a court-imposed gag order. Chock was also previously convicted for sexual offences involving children in 2010 and 2014. First victim As a tuition teacher, Chock taught Mandarin to students from Primary 5 to Secondary 4. In 2016, he began using social networking applications such as Grindr and Locanto to meet other gay individuals for sexual activity. He met the then 13-year-old victim through such an app in April 2018. The two met at the void deck of Chock's HDB block on 15 April that year. He brought the boy to a landing at the nearest multi-storey carpark where they engaged in oral sex and masturbation before parting ways. After that meeting, Chock told the victim to delete their online chat. He then persuaded the victim, who is now aged 16, to meet again at the Punggol Community Club on a weekday after the boy got out of school. The two engaged in sexual acts at a toilet inside the community club. When Chock later asked the victim for his schools Primary 6 Higher Chinese examination papers, the boy became annoyed and decided to block Chock's messages after their second meetup. The boys mother found her sons conversation with Chock on his phone in June 2019 and made a police report. Story continues Second victim In 2018, a 15-year-old boy posted on Locanto stating that he was looking for women. Chock responded to the post and persuaded the boy to engage in sexual acts with him. He told the boy, now aged 18, that it was normal for straight men to perform sex acts on one another and coaxed him into experimenting with him, even though the boy said he was heterosexual. The accused also told the second victim that it was very difficult to find women and offered to pay the second victim to perform sexual acts, said the prosecution. At Chocks insistence, the boy agreed to meet on 23 April that year at the victims home, where they engaged in sexual activity. Chock later paid the victim less than the amount they had agreed upon, claiming that he had yet to receive his salary. Chock continued to pester the boy to meet again and promised to pay the boy more in cash. He also told the boy that "the feeling would change" in order to ease the boy's reluctance towards engaging in sex acts a second time. The boy eventually agreed to meet on 11 May at his home. During this encounter, Chock persuaded the boy to watch heterosexual pornography to stimulate himself and the boy complied. Again, Chock paid the boy less than what he promised and left. After this encounter, the boy blocked Chocks attempts to contact him. Following Chock's arrest, he was sent for psychiatric assessment and was found not to be suffering from any mental illness. For sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 14, Chock faced a jail term of up to 20 years, as well as a fine or caning. For sexually penetrating a minor under the age of 16, he faced a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine, or both. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: Bodies of 2 men found in Singapore River close to Clarke Quay Parti Liyani makes bid for compensation from prosecution Scoot barred from landing flights from Singapore in Hong Kong for 2 weeks EV A female Tesla owner climbed on top of a cars roof at the Tesla booth to protest her cars brake malfunction at the Shanghai auto show Monday. The booth beefed up its security after the incident. pic.twitter.com/ct7RmF1agM Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 19, 2021 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEONE TRANSLATE WHAT SHE IS SAYING!!! pic.twitter.com/eSf09y0f7m INVESTMENT HULK (@INVESTMENTSHULK) April 19, 2021 Take, for instance, the best-selling Model 3. Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained took delivery of an electric sedan with orange peel, a lot of scratches on the doors and rear bumper, and obvious panel gaps. The Model 3s rear bumper has a habit of flying off the car whenever it rains, and Tesla famously invoked an act of God before admitting that its a design flaw.As if these problems werent enough to get ones blood boiling, service departments leave much to be desired as well. The female owner of a relatively new Model 3, which reportedly exhibited a brake failure that led to a crash, protested the automakers indifference by climbing on top of a Model 3 at the Auto Shanghai 2021 motor show in front of media attendees. Global Times reports that Teslas booth beefed up security after removing the female owner. She was taken to a local police station for questioning, and a Tesla representative told the Chinese publication that police still investigates the case. But still, this owner's unfortunate crash isnt the only one.Earlier in March 2021, a Tesla owner in the Henan Province painted Tesla Brake Failure on her car while protesting in front of a local store, chanting that Teslas defective braking system almost killed her family. Global Times further mentions five recalls concerning quality problems [in the Peoples Republic of China], including imported Model S and X vehicles.As expected, the Chinese market regulator could let themanufacturer off the hook over these incidents. The State Administration for Market Regulation slapped the Palo Alto-based company on the wrist in February 2021 over the rising number of consumer-submitted complaints, which include unintended acceleration, battery fires, and unusual over-the-air updates. SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global thermal spray coatings market size is projected to reach USD 14.1 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The global market is anticipated to be driven by the increasing product application scope owing to advantages, such as wear and corrosion protection, low toxic gas emissions, thickness capability, and electrical resistance. Key suggestions from the report: The aerospace application segment dominated the market with a revenue share of 32.2% in 2020 The high growth is attributed to the wide product usage in aerospace applications as it helps reduce the high-temperature effects on components and increase their lifespan Ceramics was the dominant product segment and accounted for the highest revenue share in 2020 This growth is credited to the high demand for these products from the industries, such as healthcare, aerospace & defense, energy, and industrial goods The global market is highly competitive because of the presence of several medium- and small-scale companies across the globe Key manufacturers focus on developing innovative formulas to offer diverse and high-quality products Read 205 page research report with ToC on "Thermal Spray Coatings Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Ceramic, Abradables), By Application (Aerospace, Medical), By Technology (Plasma, Flame Sprays), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/thermal-spray-coatings-market Thermal spraying is used to improve or restore the surface of a solid material. It can also be used for applying coatings to a wide range of components and materials for better resistance against cavitation, wear, abrasion erosion, and heat. Approximately, 40 to 45% of paints & coatings produced globally are used as protective and decorative paints in the architecture industry. These can be used either for existing or newly constructed structures including monuments, private offices, residential buildings, plants & factories, and public buildings. China, India, and Indonesia are majorly contributing to the growth of the construction industry in Asia Pacific. The rising population coupled with rapid urbanization & industrialization, especially in the aforementioned economies, has encouraged governments to increase their construction spending and boost infrastructural development. Furthermore, the rising popularity of powder-based coatings owing to the low cost is also significantly contributing to the growth of the global coatings market. Various rules are applicable, in terms of the manufacturing of coatings, due to the carcinogenic and flammable nature of solvents. However, powder-based coatings are eco-friendly as they contain no solvents and hence do not lead to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which cause air pollution. The Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted supply chains and sharply curtailed product demand. Restriction in transportation and supply due to slowdown or halting of factories and partial or nationwide lockdowns in several countries to restrain the spread of the coronavirus are expected to have an adverse impact on market growth. Grand View Research has segmented the global thermal spray coatings market on the basis of product, technology, application, and region: Thermal Spray Coating Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Metals Ceramics Intermetallics Polymers Carbides Abradables Others Thermal Spray Coating Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Cold Flame Plasma High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) Electric Arc Others Thermal Spray Coating Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Aerospace Industrial Gas Turbine Automotive Medical Printing Oil & Gas Steel Pulp & Paper Others Thermal Spray Coating Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Finland Denmark Sweden Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia Thailand Malaysia Central & South America Brazil Argentina Middle East & Africa & Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates (UAE) (UAE) Oman List of Key Players of Thermal Spray Coatings Market Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. H.C. Starck, Inc. Wall Colmonoy Corp. Powder Alloy Corp. Saint-Gobain S.A. Carpenter Technology Corp. Durum Verschleiss-Schutz GmbH Montreal Carbide Co. Ltd. Progressive Surface, Inc. American Roller Company, LLC Lincotek Surface Solutions John Wood Group PLC Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Metallizing Equipment Co. Pvt. Ltd. Find more research reports on Plastics, Polymers & Resins Industry, by Grand View Research: U.S. Thermal Spray Coating For Oil & Gas Market Thermal coatings are used in a variety of applications including oil and gas, aerospace, petrochemical, marine, and automotive. There are a variety of coatings available that can be used depending upon the specific requirements of the industry. Thermal coatings are used in a variety of applications including oil and gas, aerospace, petrochemical, marine, and automotive. There are a variety of coatings available that can be used depending upon the specific requirements of the industry. Antimicrobial Coatings Market Growing concerns regarding cleanliness in various industries have led to the increased product demand, resulting in the rapid development of the global market. Antimicrobial coatings are used to protect surfaces against micro-organisms, which primarily include parasites, germs, bacteria, and unwanted micro-organisms. Growing concerns regarding cleanliness in various industries have led to the increased product demand, resulting in the rapid development of the global market. Antimicrobial coatings are used to protect surfaces against micro-organisms, which primarily include parasites, germs, bacteria, and unwanted micro-organisms. Anti-corrosion Coatings Market The rising demand for thin-walled durable metallic components in the manufacturing of lightweight products, which are used in various industries including building & construction, automotive, marine, and oil & gas is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. Tim Robards stepped out for the star-studded Sydney premiere of the new blockbuster, Mortal Kombat, on Tuesday. The 38-year-old former Bachelor star made a solo appearance at the event, leaving his wife of three years, Anna Heinrich, at home with the couple's five-month-old daughter, Elle. Tim opted for a dressed-down look, stepping out in a pair of dark blue jeans, which he paired with a navy blue button-up shirt. Red carpet treatment: Tim Robards stepped out for the star-studded Sydney premiere of the new blockbuster, Mortal Kombat, on Tuesday The former Neighbours actor also wore a pair of scuffed camel-coloured boots, and his brunette hair was styled slicked back. Also stepping out for the event was Claudia Karvan, who opted for an orange and brown zig-zag patterned wrap dress. The 48-year-old Bump actress rounded out her funky ensemble with a maroon faux fur jacket, black leather ankle boots and dangly earrings. Going it alone: The 38-year-old former Bachelor star made a solo appearance at the event, leaving his wife of three years, Anna Heinrich, at home with the couple's five-month-old daughter, Elle Prints charming: Also stepping out for the event was Claudia Karvan, who opted for an orange and brown zig-zag patterned wrap dress Her long caramel-coloured hair was styled loose, and she wore natural-looking makeup. Fellow actor Josh Lawson was also at the premiere, and looked handsome in a black suit, which he paired with a lavender tie. The 39-year-old Aussie actor also stars in the action-fantasy film as Kano. Quirky: The 48-year-old Bump actress rounded out her funky ensemble with a maroon faux fur jacket, black leather ankle boots and dangly earrings Well-suited: The film's star Josh Lawson was also at the premiere, and looked handsome in a black suit, which he paired with a lavender tie Josh's co-star in the movie, Sisi Stringer, was also on hand for the blockbuster's premiere. The 24-year-old looked stunning in an elaborate white tulle ballgown with ruffled tiers on the skirt. It also featured a deep V-neckline and gathered tulle on the shoulders to create the impression of sleeves. Hollywood's next action hero: The 39-year-old Aussie actor also stars in the action-fantasy film as Kano Movie star style: Josh's co-star in the movie, Sisi Stringer, was also on hand for the blockbuster's premiere, and looked stunning in an elaborate white tulle ballgown Sisi wore her dark brunette hair in a low chignon, and accessorised simply with just a pair of dangly earrings. Mortal Kombat is in cinemas from Thursday, and also stars Jessica McNamee and Lewis Tan. The film follows MMA fighter Cole Young as he goes off in search of Earth's best fighters in a battle for the universe. YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech at the Euronest PA 9th Session, where he particularly referred to the Azerbaijani Turkish aggression against Artsakh, noting that Azerbaijans xenophobic and hateful behavior clearly demonstrates that Azerbaijan is trying to resolve the contentious issues through the barbaric and uncivilized means. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, Mirzoyan particularly said, ''Excellencies, Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to address the 9th Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. From the very beginning of its establishment, the Euronest has been playing, and I hope will continue to play a uniting role between the European Union and Eastern Partner countries, thus contributing to the promotion of the values that constitute the cornerstones of the Eastern Partnership. I firmly believe that we shall continue to foster our common goals respecting and fairly evaluating vital interests and priorities of each member state of the Assembly. I would like to underscore the importance of Armenias cooperation with the European Union, in particular, within the framework of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union, which fully entered into force on March 1, 2021. The Agreement elevates the bilateral relations between Armenia and the European Union to a new, higher level. It is an inclusive document, which creates a solid legal basis for the partnership between the two sides, outlines the framework of cooperation in various areas, ranging from justice, security, economy, agriculture, and infrastructure to the environment and climate, education, science, culture, and health. We are confident, that the effective implementation of the CEPA will bring tangible results for our citizens through the promotion of democracy, enhancement of the political, economic and social stability via extensive reforms, which will considerably improve the quality of life of our citizens. In this regard, the Parliament of Armenia will bring its crucial contribution not only by supporting the executive bodies in implementing the Agreement, but also by playing its oversight role. We have already launched a Twinning project together with Greek and Italian Parliaments in order to build institutional capacity for proper oversight of CEPA agenda. I would to take the opportunity and highlight the principles enshrined in CEPA, which reaffirms EU's commitments to support the efforts and approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, based on the principles of non-use of force, equal rights and peoples right to self-determination. Nevertheless, just six months ago we witnessed a brutal violation of the principle of non-use of force by Azerbaijan: on 27 September 2020 Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale military offensive against Artsakh and ultimately Armenia. Despite many facts proving that Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, directly supported by Turkey and the latter's affiliated foreign terrorist fighters had a pre-planned manner, Azerbaijan still cynically blames Armenia in provoking the war, where they demonstrated unprecedented violence and committed massive war crimes.The 44-day aggressive war resulted in huge human losses and immeasurable material damage. Taking the chance, I would like to thank all the MEPs, who stood on the side of truth condemning actions of Azerbaijani side. Consistent and deliberate violations of the November 9 Trilateral Statement by Azerbaijan continue to seriously undermine a full implementation of the Statement and poses new challenges for regional peace and security. The obligation to release and repatriate the prisoners of war, as well as of the hostages and other detainees, is unequivocally stipulated in the November 9 Statement. However, the Azerbaijani side continues to disregard its own commitments under various pretexts. It was also stated by distinguished members of EP Marina Kaljurand, Andrey Kovatchev and Zeljana Zovko that Azerbaijani government has failed to comply with the interim measures of the European Court of Human Rights which ordered Azerbaijan to provide information on the conditions of detention of the detainees, their state of health, as well as the measures taken to return them. I want to make it clear for our European partners that such actions of Azerbaijan create serious risks for opening the regional infrastructures and creating stability in the South Caucasus. Moreover, Azerbaijani government continues its policy of Armenophobia, which they have been feeding their citizens for decades. Just a few days ago Azerbaijan has demonstrated another despicable example of hatred in the so-called Park of Military Trophies by displaying helmets of the Armenian soldiers killed during the war. Xenophobic and hateful behaviour like this clearly demonstrates that Azerbaijan is trying to resolve the contentious issues through the barbaric and uncivilized means. We urge our colleagues to condemn Azerbaijans unlawful and reprehensible actions. The return of the prisoners of war and other detained persons has to be completed as soon as possible - without any preconditions and artificially created obstacles. To sum up, I want to state that Nagorno Karabakh conflict isnt still solved, as the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination is not realized. We are confident to continue the negotiations of the peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of Minsk group Co-Chairmanship and call all our international partners to support the works of this format. Dear colleagues, Coming back to Armenian domestic affairs I would like to inform that political parties represented in the Parliament came to agreement to hold snap parliamentary elections on June 20. We have necessary political will to organize free and fair elections, as it was in 2018, where all the citizens of Armenia can demonstrate their will and form democratically elected government, which is the only legitimate way of power. I hope, that European Parliament together with other international partners will be present to conduct both long-term and short-term observation of elections. Despite all the difficulties caused by the COVID 19 and the war democratic changes in Armenia are irreversible. Thank you for your attention'. Stobart Air and Carlisle Lake District Airport acquired by Isle of Man start-up Isle of Man-based Ettyl has acquired Stobart Air and Carlisle Lake District Airport. Ettyl has confirmed it has signed agreements with Esken Limited. Under the plans, Stobart Air will continue to operate the existing Aer Lingus Regional franchise that is currently contracted to run through to December 2022 subject to change of control consents. The intention is to retain all staff currently employed by Stobart Air and Carlisle Lake District Airport. Commenting on the acquisition, Jason Scales, Chief Executive Officer, Ettyl Limited: We are delighted to have signed agreements for these acquisitions. In the immediate term it will be very much business as usual in respect of both Stobart Air and Carlisle Lake District Airports operations and our deal ensures that the great teams within those businesses are retained. We will be making further announcements over the coming weeks and months regarding our plans. Ettyl sees significant opportunities for increased regional connectivity as economies recover from the impacts caused by the pandemic and return to stability across the UK and Ireland. A state appeals court judge chastised state Rep. Marty Flynn, but declined to throw him off the ballot for a vacant state Senate seat. Commonwealth Court Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon ruled Flynn should stay on the ballot for the May 18 special election for the 22nd Senate District seat. Cannon said Flynn didnt carefully fill out his financial interest statements and never reported a car loan or a rental property mortgage until the failure was pointed out. That wasnt enough to find Flynn guilty of bad faith that showed he purposefully tried to hide something, she wrote in a 15-page opinion and order issued late Monday afternoon. These omissions instead represent the kind of error born of inattentive haste towards a task that should be properly addressed with greater care in the first instance, the judge wrote. Flynn, a Scranton Democrat who represents the 113th House District, faces Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak, a Republican; Marlene Sebastianelli, a Green Party candidate; and Nathan Covington, a Libertarian, for the seat left vacant by former Sen. John Blakes March 8 resignation.{span style=background-color: #deffde;} {/span} Two Scranton Republicans, Joe Albert and Charlie Spano, challenged Flynns nomination to the ballot. They claimed he never filed a valid, required financial interest statement to go with the nomination papers. The electronic one Flynn filed was signed by his campaign manager, Luke Borwegen, and the physical copy filed a day later lacked a signature, they contended. That requires removing him from the ballot, they said. Testimony showed Flynn was with his campaign manager filling out the electronic version when it was filed. They said Borwegens laptop computer may have automatically filled in Borwegens name. The judge said a 2011 Commonwealth Court ruling found the lack of a signature was an amendable flaw in a financial interest statement. Flynn actually amended an earlier version of the statement during a break in the hearing before Cannon. After learning of the ruling, Flynn ripped Chermak and his handlers for pursuing gotcha litigation. Pennsylvania Republicans are no strangers at attempting to litigate elections, he said in a text. Luckily for voters in the commonwealth, they are no strangers to losing in these attempts to subvert the will of the voters. I look forward to continuing talking with voters about issues that are important to them and fighting for each and every constituent of the 22nd Senatorial District. Chermak, whose name was not on the challenge, sloughed off the ruling. That was something I was not banking on anyway, he said in a text. I am going to continue to work hard to win the election. Hopefully, the voters will pick the best person for the job, and I believe that to be me. Attorney Thomas W. King III, the lawyer for Spano and Albert, said theyre considering whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court, but noted the judges comments on Flynns incredibly sloppy, at best, work in filling out the financial interest statements. The 22nd Senate District covers all of Lackawanna County and small parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties. File photo Recently, we heard the terrible news that a child had contracted measles while traveling internationally and brought it back to Connecticut Fairfield County, to be specific. Whats even more frightening is that Fairfield County seems to be the heart of the anti-vaccine movement in the state. The unvaccinated children there are at higher risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and meningitis because they are not protected. A similar situation happened in New York a few years ago, resulting in a larger outbreak, putting many at risk and costing the state millions in contact tracing and mitigation efforts. As a nurse and former deputy commissioner of public health in Connecticut I understand the critical crossroads we are at in this state. Some have said we are hyping the measles case to drum up support for legislation that will strengthen Connecticuts vaccine policies by removing the nonmedical exemption. If sharing the truth about the measles is hyping, then we have bigger problems to worry about. Photo: (Photo : Curtis Adams from Pexels) A Colorado mom recently gave birth on her front lawn as the fire crew helped the family through this unexpected event. The mother, Maggie Reilley, gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Recently, the family visited a group of firefighters from West Metro Fire that helped them go through the incident. The family is grateful for their help from the group; they say this will be a story they will share with their kid when she grows up. According to Maggie in an interview with 9News, "Having a baby in our car in our driveway, it's funny, it's a great story. When she's 18, It'll be, you know, a great story to embarrass her with, we'll talk about graduations, and it'll be awesome." ALSO READ: Florida Baby Born Roadside With State Troopers' Help Welcoming their second baby The Reilly's already went through the rush of giving birth and preparing for one during their firstborn. That is why they know what to prepare for when they were about to welcome their second baby. However, their second child, Baby Wren, had a different course of the plan. Last March 7, the Colorado mom woke up to contractions. She called for he husband, and they started packing to head to Sky Ridge Medical Center. That was their initial plan. Although everything was already set, Steven, Maggie's husband, decided to call 911 because he felt that the birth of their second baby was going to be different. A few minutes after giving 911 a call, the West Metro Medic 13 crew arrived at the family's home. ALSO READ: Florida Woman Survives Three Heart Surgeries, Now Delivers Miracle Baby The Colorado mom gave birth on the front lawn. While the fire crew was assessing the situation, they asked Maggie, "Can you walk to our pram?" to which Magie answered, "No, She is coming." With the Colorado mom's response, the person in charge realized that they only had few seconds to catch the baby. The fire crew arrived at the scene two minutes before Maggie gave birth. Baby Wren was born weighing more than 5 pounds, and she was 18 inches long. The fire crew brought the mom and baby to UCHealth, where they got checked. After knowing that both are okay, they were allowed to go home. ALSO READ: Mom Gave Birth to Her Twins in the Living Room, She Was Even Able to Film It Visiting the fire crew A few weeks after giving birth, the Colorado mom and her family visited the fire station. According to Baby Wren's dad, "They were very welcoming, allowing us to come back and say thank you. It meant a lot to us just because, you know, in the moment, we weren't able to go around saying thank you there to everyone who did show up for us." Although most firefighters were looking forward to meeting Baby Wren, she was sound asleep during the visit. ALSO READ: Mom Who Survived COVID Coma and Gave Birth Prematurely, Discharged from the Hospital European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks as he attends a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Ukraine, at the European Council building in Brussels, on April 19, 2021. (Francois Walschaerts, Pool via AP) EU Estimates 150,000 Russian Troops Near Ukraines Borders BRUSSELSThe European Unions foreign policy chief is estimating that Russia has already amassed 150,000 Russian troops in their biggest military buildup ever near Ukraines borders. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell declined to say where he got the 150,000 Russian troop figure from but it is bigger than the 110,000 estimate provided by Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran on April 14. Borrell also said Monday that the condition of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was critical and that the 27-nation group would hold the Kremlin accountable for his health and safety. Despite the tense developments, Borrell said after a virtual meeting of the EU foreign ministers that, for the time being, there is no move in the field of more sanctions to be slapped on Russia. Ukrainian soldiers guard a check point at the town Shshastya, Ukraine, on April 16, 2021. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo) He also said there wasnt a request for a synchronized EU diplomatic move of expulsions in the standoff between EU member state the Czech Republic and Russia following Pragues accusation that Moscow was involved in a 2014 explosion of an ammunition depot. More dangerous at this time, Borrell said, was the massing of Russian troops, including military field hospitals, and all kinds of warfare. It is the highest military deployment of the Russian army on the Ukrainian borders ever. Its clear that its a matter of concern when you deploy a lot of troops, Borrell said. Well, a spark can jump here or there. More than 14,000 people have died in the seven years of fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that erupted after Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. The EU has steadfastly opposed the annexation but has been unable to do anything about it. A woman waves a European Union flag in front of Russian Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, on April 18, 2021. (Petr David Josek/AP Photo) Efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled and violations of a truce have become increasingly frequent in recent weeks across Ukraines eastern industrial heartland known as Donbas. Diplomats have said they will seek to apply more pressure through diplomacy. And over the weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron said that while dialogue with Russia is essential, clear red lines carrying possible sanctions must also be drawn with Moscow over Ukraine. All in all, the relations with Russia, are not improving, but the contrary, the tension is increasing in different fronts, Borrell said. We call on Russia to withdraw their troops, Borrell said. By Raf Casert Kamada's CEO explains the secret to Israel's success against the virus MILAN, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amir London, the CEO of Israel's Kamada Ltd., a plasma-derived biopharmaceutical company, said Kamada and its Italian partner Kedrion Biopharma are forging ahead with the development of a new anti-Covid therapy derived from the plasma of convalescent patients. The therapy is already being used in Israel. The Kamada CEO, in an interview with the Milan-based Le Fonti TV, said on Tuesday that he hoped that discussions with various health authorities and regulators around the world would soon help make available the new therapy in other countries. "We start with raw material which is human plasma collected by Kedrion in the United States," Mr. London explained. "Our technology allows us to purify the plasma into specific proteins and antibodies called immunoglobulins and this is used for all kinds of rare diseases. Since the Covid-19 pandemic started we have been very focused in working together with Kedrion Biopharma on developing a very innovative approach to Covid by using convalescent plasma, which is the plasma from recovered patients, in order to purify specific antibodies against Covid for the therapeutic treatment of hospital patients." Kamada has been working with Israel's health ministry in recent months and now offers the therapy in Israel to treat Covid-19 patients. Asked by Alessia Liparoti of Le Fonti TV what is the secret to Israel's success in vaccinating its population, Mr. London explained: "Israel was among the first to sign agreements, primarily with Pfizer, for the supply of vaccines. We were among the first countries to get a significant supply. Israel has a hybrid health system that combines national coverage for all patients with strong HMOs and health funds. Israel also has strong logistical abilities and being a relatively small country in size allows us to reach the entire population within hours. Every Israeli can get to a medical center within minutes. So, the logistic supply chain has been very effective, and this is helping us to reopen the economy." Regarding its collaboration with Kedrion, the Israeli executive said: "Our relationship with Kedrion goes many years back and we are very happy with the relationship. We have been working in the US market on other treatments, including one against rabies. When Covid started last year, we decided to expand that relationship to Covid products, and we are developing the therapy together. Kamada is responsible for the manufacturing and the clinical development while Kedrion is working on collecting the plasma from recovered patients in the United States and on supporting the development work. We are very happy with this successful cooperation, and in terms of the future we are in discussion with multiple health authorities and regulators around the world on making it available also in other countries." Even though Covid has produced clogged courts, cases are still moving forward, including a series of cases using similar, novel legal arguments to storm the barricades of incestuously and poorly managed major European companies. Weve written the most about Bayer, which is in the dock for its disastrous, executive and banker serving acquisition of Monsanto. Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, UBS, Barclays and Volkswagen are also in the crosshairs in parallel cases detailing their corporate dereliction of duty. Even though the misconduct and the destruction of value has been glaring, European shareholders have an uphill road in trying to gain restitution. However, as well explain below, by virtue of having ADRs and significant US shareholdings and operation, the managements, boards, and advisers to these companies can be hauled into court in the US. And thats where the fun begins. Weve posted the latest round of filings, all rejoinders to arguments made by the defendants in the Bayer case. But the Bayer case, like its siblings, are derivative lawsuits, which make for complicated lawyering. So well review the foundations before continuing to the latest round of jousting. Well start by quoting an August 2020 post: Each suit targets an epic level of value destruction, but they are not shareholder suits. They are derivative lawsuits, in which a shareholder steps in to act on behalf of a company that has been done wrong, typically by key members of its management and board. Important advisers may also be targets. The Novel Legal Angle: Using New York Courts for Derivative Cases Against Major European Companies The novel feature in these cases is suing in New York state court but using the parent companys governing law, which for Bayer is the German Stock Corporation Act as the basis for asserting causes of action.1 The abstract from a 2015 article by Gerhard Wagner, Officers and Directors Liability Under German Law: A Potemkin Village: The liability regime for officers and directors of German companies combines strict and lenient elements. Officers and directors are liable for simple negligence, they bear the burden of proof for establishing diligent conduct, and they are liable for unlimited damages. These elements are worrisome for the reason that managers are confronted with the full downside risk of the enterprise even though they do not internalize the benefits of the corporate venture. This overly strict regime is balanced by other features of the regime, namely comprehensive insurance and systematic under-enforcement. Even though the authority to enforce claims against the management is divided between three different actors the supervisory board, the shareholders assembly, and individual shareholders enforcement has remained the exception. Furthermore, under the current system of Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance, board members do not feel the bite of liability as they are protected by an insurance cover that is contracted and paid for by the corporation. Thus, the current German system may combine the worst of two worlds, i.e., the threat of personal liability for excessively high amounts of damages in exceptional cases, and the practical irrelevance of the liability regime in run-of-the-mill cases. Notice here the low bar for misconduct: simple negligence, plus the managers and board members bear the burden of proof that they behaved well! So the linchpin of these cases is getting a non-captured court to measure corporate conduct against these standards. Also observe another key feature: extremely generous D&O policies. That is serving as one of the deep pockets for this litigation. The other deep pockets are the investment banks, Bank of America and Credit Suisse. As the suit explains, they too have duties defined under German law, yet they failed abjectly in acting as independent advisers because they were hopelessly conflicted. In addition to acting as merger advisers, they were also providing financing, since Bayer, to avoid needing to get shareholder approval, did an all cash deal. That in turn led to Bayer engaging in over a dozen financings, including pricey bridge loans. That meant the banks had huge incentives to see the deal close, which resulted in them not looking at the Monsanto garbage barge very hard. Back to the present post. The Bayer purchase of Monsanto has been described as the worst deal of all time, beating even the train wreck of Time Warners AOL acquisition. As we wrote in August: Yes, nearly every penny of the $66 billion that Bayer paid for Monsanto has gone poof. Yes, Bayer is the first time in German corporate history that a public company got a majority vote of no confidence from its shareholders. Yes, Bayer is at risk of bleeding out over seemingly endless Monsanto-related liability claims (Roundup has so taken the center stage that what would ordinarily be a big-deal litigation drain, Dicamba, is treated as an afterthought). Unlike any other company ever facing similar litigation, Bayer has neither taken Roundup off the market, nor reformulated it, nor put a cancer warning on it. It looks like Bayer will eventually declare bankruptcy. The original filing did a devastating job of describing why Bayer was so keen to do the horrific Monsanto deal, and on such terrible terms: the above-mentioned all cash offer, which it funded by borrowing boatloads of debt. Bayer was small enough in the world of ever-growing chemical and Pharma behemoths to make for a nice meal. Acquisitive Pfizer had just had a big deal scuppered for legal reasons, and Bayers management worried it might be the next target. It settled quickly on Monsanto despite or one might argue because of its terrible reputation; it served as a poisoned pill. The litany of horrors goes on. Bayer was unable to do proper due diligence by being too close a competitor. Monsanto had to sell a trophy asset for anti-trust reasons.yet Bayer didnt demand a price adjustment. The acquisition process dragged on long enough that the WHO had named glysophate a probable carcinogen, yet Bayer didnt beat a retreat. Bayer believed the scientists who insisted that glysophate hadnt been proven to cause cancer, when the WHO designation was more than enough to set off a tsunami of product liability lawsuits, many of which garnered eye-popping awards (among the ugly facts that came out was that Monsanto employees wore hazmat-type gear when working with glysophate yet made no warnings about the need to wear protective coverings to consumers). Mind you, this is only a partial recap; you can find more gory details here. Jousting Over Standing Weve embedded three filings made earlier this week by the plaintiffs to rebut the defendants various argument as to why the case should be made to go away. The most interesting one is the first, which makes what may be a novel argument about the internal affairs doctrine, which well attempt to unpack shortly. Mind you, the other filings make for worthwhile reading too. For instance, the second document below rebuts Bayers personal jurisdiction argument, that its unfair and a hardship to make those poor Bayer executives answer to a New York court. It gives a devastatingly comprehensive account of the many ways Bayer is active in the US and New York specifically, from having more US than German shareholders, to having more US than German employees, to having major offices in New York and regularly giving shareholders presentations there, to having done all its recent deals and all its Bayer financings out of New York, to having repeatedly been sued in New York. But its important to note that the plaintiffs and defendants arguments often hinge on the distinction between procedural arguments and substantive arguments. The plaintiffs as New Yorkers can haul Bayer as a foreign corporation into New York court because, in simple terms, it has agreed to the jurisdiction of New York courts by doing business in New York. Note that from the perspective of a New York court, a Delaware company would also be a foreign corporation. Well put aside for the moment arguments about jurisdiction and venue, that someone sued there can contend the case belongs somewhere else (which can include Federal court). In a suit in a particular courtroom, the procedural rules of that jurisdiction typically govern on procedural matters. The substantive arguments are regularly a completely different kettle of fish. For instance, New York courts regularly hear cases where the parties have agreed that their relationship is governed by Delaware law. But the most interesting discussion comes in the first filing below. The defendants are attempting to have the case dismissed via arguing the plaintiffs lack standing. They first try using German company law to assert that derivative suits (where shareholders step in to act to defend the rights and interests of the company when the parties normally tasked to act in that capacity, as in shareholders and the board, have failed to do so) must be filed in Germany. But any argument over standing is procedural, and hence can be argues only using New York statute and precedents. There is a second, related basis for argument, the internal affairs doctrine. Internal affairs is a common law concept. The rules that govern how a company operates are internal affairs and they are set in the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated. New York statute and case law both confirm that New York law supersedes internal affairs provisions. The filing cites precedents from previous derivative suits, such as Norlin Corp. v. Rooney, Pace, Inc., a 1984 case that went to US Second Circuit Court of Appeals. From the ruling: [T]he [NY] legislature has expressly decided to apply certain provisions of the states business law to any corporation doing business in the state, regardless of its domicile. Thus, under 1319, a foreign corporation operating within [NY] is subject to the provisions of the states own substantive law that control shareholder actions to vindicate the rights of the corporation. NYBCL 626 made applicable to foreign corporations by 1319, permits a shareholder to bring an action to redress harm to the corporation, including injury wrought by the directors[.] Once you accept the notion that New York, by statute, overrides the internal affairs doctrines of other jurisdictions, the other standing questions are governed by New York law. A key one is demand futility. In New York, a wronged shareholder does not need to file a suit against management or directors to try to compel them to act on behalf of the company; they can show the demand futility by meeting any one of three tests, as this article from Freiberger Harber explains: Demand is futile, and excused, when the directors are incapable of making an impartial decision as to whether to bring suit. Bansbach, 1 N.Y.3d at 9. In New York, the demand requirement is excused where a plaintiff pleads with particularity that (1) a majority of the directors are interested in the transaction, or (2) the directors failed to inform themselves to a degree reasonably necessary about the transaction, or (3) the directors failed to exercise their business judgment in approving the transaction. Marx, 88 N.Y.2d at 198. If any of these circumstances are met, the failure to file a pre-suit demand will be excused. This filing draws out the reasoning later in the text (emphasis original): BCL 1319(a) provides: [T]he following provisions shall apply to a foreign corporation doing business in this state, its directors, officers and shareholders: (2) Section 626 (Shareholders derivative action brought in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor). Under 626(a), [a]n action may be brought in the right of a foreign corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, by a holder of shares or of a beneficial interest in such shares. Taken together, these provisions represent legislative decisions that (1) NY law specifies who can bring a derivative action on behalf of a foreign corporation regardless ofnot subject tothe law of the place of incorporation, and (2) a holder of either shares or a beneficial interest therein, who meets 626(b)s continuous-ownership rule, can bring such a case BCL 1319 is part of Article 13. BCL Article 13 is all about choice of law for foreign corporations; indeed, 1319 has no other purpose. The Legislature made policy choices in the process of enacting Article 13, including which provisions would apply to all foreign corporations doing business in NY, and which provisions would apply only to corporations not exempted under BCL 1320. See Robert S. Stevens, New York Business Corporation Law of 1961, 47 CORNELL LAW REV. 141, 172 (1962). In enacting Article 13, the Legislature chose to override the internal-affairs doctrine in certain regards (including derivative standing). Most states follow the traditional internal[-]affairs doctrine, either through case law or statutory provisions. Two states, [NY] and California, have statutes that are explicitly outreaching. These statutes expressly mandate the application of local law to specified internal[-]affairs questions in certain foreign corporations.Deborah A. DeMott, Perspectives on Choice of Law for Corporate Internal Affairs, 48 LAW & CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS 161, 164 The original filing in this case documented in gory detail how Bayer management pursued Monsanto after other terrible foreign acquisitions by the same key executives (which Bayer misrepresented to the press as successes until it was impossible to pretend otherwise) solely to make Bayer impossible to buy. It was all about preserving executive and board member pay and status. The plaintiffs also point out that the defendants dont dispute the New York courts subject matter jurisdiction, arguing that it is inviolable. The filing cites case law where New York courts rejected Texas and statutes that required that certain cases be filed only in their states. Given the length of this post, I apologize for giving short shrift to the third embedded document below, contesting Bank of Americas and Credit Suisses attempts to swat back the filings. These defendants tried to argue that plaintiffs were suing the wrong legal entities, and that the only ones on the hook should be the ones that executed agreements with Bayer (presumably those entities arent deep pockets). The plaintiffs pointed out that SEC filings, press releases and financing documents described the parent as responsible. And as anyone old enough to remember the failed living will exercise, US regulators gave up because the banks were unable to map their activities and P&Ls onto their legal vehicles. I dont see this filing mentioning the banks invoking the broad indemnification language that is standard in all M&A advisory agreements (their only outs are typically bad faith and gross negligence). However, it appears German law would trump that: The Financially Conflicted Banks Violated GSCA 117 by Influencing and Inducing Bayer, Bayers Supervisors and Managers to Act to the Detriment of Bayer and Its Shareholders, While Pocketing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for Themselves Under 117 the Banks were forbidden to exert influence on the company inducing a member of the management board on the Supervisory Board to act to the disadvantage of the company or its shareholders, and are liable to the company for any resulting damage if they did so. GSCA 117 does not require any contractual relationship with the company. It is a tough liability statute, different from U.S. corporation codes and securities laws which do not have such explicit aiding/abetting/conspiracy/joint and several liability provisionswith express liability to the company. This Court is familiar with this legal terrain. In re Renren Inc. Derivative Litig., 2020 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2132, at **10002 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cnty. May 20, 2020) (investment banker advisors can be liable under English law for acting as knowing accessories to corporate insiders breaches of duty). The SACs allegations that the Banks influenced and induced the Company and its Supervisors to act are detailed. See, e.g., 197209. Financially conflicted and having abandoned any pretense of independence, the Banks (and Bayers NY lawyers) ran the Monsanto Acquisitionout of their NY offices where they put the final details together in September 2016 and closed it in June 2018 at S&Cs Broad Street NY office. They helped structure the deal to act as a poison pill to make Bayer unacquirable and entrench Bayers insiders. They never sounded the alarm on Monsanto despite its horrible past and current problemthe latter of which was getting worse by the day as the closing approached. The Bankswhich had received no fees for some three years of work and would get none at all, if the deal did not closeokayed the Supervisors horrible bet to close. They then immediately hit the NY financial markets with billions in securities issuances to raise the cash to pay off their risky but hugely profitable bridge loan, and pay the fees that they would pocket. 27, 5052, 197209. Although nothing in GSCA 117 requires the showing of a financial conflict, lack of independence, motive, intent or knowledge (scienter), those incriminating facts are alleged as to the Banks, from whom punitive damages are sought. Ouch. I hope youll take the time to have a look at these documents. They are more lively that most court filings, in part because the underlying facts are familiar, and in part because the plaintiffs attorneys set out to make the history and even the legal arguments vivid (for instance, departing from typical white shoe dry lawyering, they regularly quote the business press to drive the factual account home). And Corporate Europe is overdue for a wake-up call. A man called police and said he works for Tree Worx and was doing tree removal services at Hawthorne Creekside Apartments, 3131 Mountain Creek Road. He said that a large log was being removed by a crane in the parking lot. He said the log was not secured by the crane and it then rolled down a small hill striking an unoccupied black VW SUV in the parking lot. The damage appeared to be to the front end of the vehicle and the extent of damage or cost of repairs is unknown. The vehicle owner was contacted concerning the incident and responded to the scene. The man said that he wished to pay for the damages with cash and did not wish to get insurance companies involved. The vehicle owner called her father, the vehicle's co-owner, and consulted with him. They both appeared to agree to the man paying for the damages after an estimate was completed on the vehicle.* * *While on patrol, an officer observed a suspicious vehicle at 936 Mountain Creek Road in front of the "O" building. The office found the vehicle, a gray Chevrolet HHR, was unoccupied. The plate came back to a not-stolen gray Chevrolet HHR and its registration matched the VIN. It had some rear passenger side damage, including a flat rear passenger side tire. The officer left the vehicle parked where he found it.* * *Police were called about a disorder at the Sonic, 3907 Brainerd Road. An employee told police that a female in a Mercedes station wagon was causing a disorder in the drive thru. She said the woman left prior to police arrival.* * *While on patrol on Hixson Pike, police observed a parked BMW with Alabama tags. The officer remembered seeing the vehicle driving in the area of Old Dallas Road on a previous shift. The officer checked the license plate from a distance, but didn't get any response. He initiated an investigative stop and found the vehicle unoccupied. The officer ran the VIN and plate, which came back negative stolen; however, the VIN was associated with two arrest reports from Red Bank PD. The vehicle was recently parked, due to the heat trace beneath the wheel well. This vehicle has the entire bumper and trunk covered in racing decals with a rear window in memoriam decal. The vehicle's VIN and plate has no valid registration, owner or insurance information in the system.* * *A woman on Latimore Street called police because she got into a verbal disagreement with her daughter. Police spoke with both of the women, who said they could and will work things out among themselves.* * *"An anonymous" called to report a disorder of two men arguing at Morgan Motor Company, 603 Tunnel Blvd. Police spoke with the two men. The first man said he had just fired the second man and wanted him off the property. The fired man said that he needed his tools from the business. The man was able to retrieve his tools.* * *An employee of McKamey Thrift Store, 4784 Hwy. 58, told police that around 11:40 a.m. an unknown grey van had come into the parking lot and approached the fence on the side. She was able to provide video footage of the unknown suspect crawl underneath the chain link fence and steal a lawnmower, chainsaw, gas can and a jacket. The unknown suspect then got into the grey van and left the scene.* * *A woman on Shallowford Road called police and said that she and her male friend were in a verbal disorder and he was refusing to get out of the car. When police arrived, the man exited the vehicle and the woman was able to leave without further discourse.* * *An employee of PetSmart, 2130 Gunbarrel Road, told police that overnight or early that morning someone started a fire in a dumpster they rent from Waste Connection. The dumpster was moved away from the building, but it is unknown who moved the dumpster, due to it not being able to be pushed by a person because of its weight. Dispatch does not show CFD or CPD going to this location for any calls.* * *A woman on St. Elmo Avenue called police and said she had observed on her cameras two black males looking over her fence and into her yard. She wanted police to come on scene. Officers arrived and located the two men. They were working on the house next door and said they have been for about three months. One said they were looking at a deck across the alley way and were close to her fence, but not looking into her yard. one man gave police his credentials and they saw he was a construction worker.* * *An employee of JC Penney, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd., called police about a shoplifting. The man said that while he was doing paperwork, he observed a black female take a pair of Levi brand jeans (valued at $59.99) from a rack. The woman then put the jeans in a bag before leaving the store without any attempt to pay for the jeans. He said the woman was with another person, but he was unable to get a description of that person, other than that they had a large bag that appeared to be full. The employee attempted to view camera footage to see if any more merchandise was taken, however he was not able to locate any footage to prove it. Due to lack of suspect information, no warrants will be sought.* * *A woman on Wilcox Boulevard called police because a man she had earlier trespassed from her property was there. When police arrived the man had already left the scene. The woman told police the man had come and begun knocking on her front door and causing a disorder. She said she has told him numerous times that she does not want him at her home and has had him trespassed previously. She said she would call police back if he returned to her home.* * *A woman on Hansley Drive told police she received an anonymous phone call from someone claiming to have her information, including her name, address, phone number and debit card numbers. She said the unknown caller told her she received this info from a person, who she named. The woman said that she used to be friends with that person, and let her stay with her for a little while. The woman believes that person somehow copied her debit card information and tried to use them or give them to other people to use. She said she received notices that attempts were made to try and use her debit cards that she did not authorize. The woman was unable to show officers where the cards were attempted to be used at and was unable to tell officers what funds were lost, as her phone died. The woman said she wishes to prosecute against the thief. When more probable cause develops or a suspect of the actual fraudulent use of the debit cards arises, warrants will be sought.* * *Police received an anonymous 9-1-1 call from near Pilgrim's Pride chicken plant, 1298 Peeples St. After riding around the area, police were notified by security at the chicken plant that the caller was there. Police spoke with the man who said he believed 12 males were trying to rob him. He said that he had about $500 in his pocket. He said he saw 12 males near him earlier in the day. He said that after the sun went down, the 12 males moved closer to him. He said he then went over to the security booth at the chicken plant to notify police. He said he didn't recognize any of them because they all were wearing masks that covered their face.* * *An employee of Turner Funeral Home, 3913 Webb Road, called police to report suspicious activity. She showed police video footage of a black female who ran onto their property around 9:05 p.m. The woman appeared to be running from someone from the Webb Road area. The employee attempted to confront the woman over the fact that she appeared to be trespassing on their property, however, the suspicious woman fled the area. A BOLO was created to check on the suspicious woman.* * *A dumpster fire was reported at 2288 Gunbarrel Road. Police found the dumpster behind Gabe's fully engulfed. Police remained on scene until Engine 8 had put out the fire. No owner information for the dumpster was known.* * *An employee of Southern Champion Tray, 3480 Amnicola Hwy., told police he observed a black Toyota Corolla with a dealer tag occupied by a younger white male driver, backed into a parking spot near an employee's vehicle. When the man stepped out to see who it was, the vehicle took off out of the parking lot traveling northbound on Amnicola Highway.* * *An employee of the Coca-Cola Production Plant, 4000 Amnicola Hwy., told police his vehicle was broken into while he was at work. He said the person who stole stuff from his vehicle only took a large red Coleman bag filled with his gym clothes, shoes and a 9 mm magazine with 17 rounds of hollow points. The man told police that his driver's door would not lock, but when it was opened, an alarm would go off. The man is waiting to hear back from management to view video footage of the parking lot to see if the suspect can be identified.* * *A woman on Sunbeam Avenue called police and said that her husband was intoxicated and causing a disorder. Prior to the officers arrival, the husband left the area on foot. * * * A man told police that while he was patrolling the parking lot at Downtown Automotive, 1725 Market St., he heard a strange sound. Upon further investigation, he said he discovered a black male wearing dark clothing underneath a vehicle. He said when he confronted the man, he fled with a bag on foot eastbound. He said nothing was taken. Police checked the area, but were unable to locate anyone. He said he would call police back if the man returns. The Hungarian civil activist Sebo Gabor won the 2021 Maria Ember award together with writer Istvan Gabor Benedek, a press release from the Raoul Wallenberg Association announced on Saturday. The award is given annually to those who combat racism, fight for human rights, and contribute to the knowledge of the Shoah as part of Hungarys history and culture. Together with his wife Judit Szasz, Sebo Gabor founded in 2014 the so-called Szabadsagszinpad (Freedom Stage). The Freedom Stage is an initiative that arranges cultural and commemorative events, born as a protest against the Memorial to the Victims of the German Occupation, a monument erected in 2014 in Liberty Square, Budapest, by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The monument features an eagle attacking the Archangel Gabriel, symbolizing the Nazi occupation of Hungary. In recent years, the monument was widely criticized by the Jewish community, who argued that the monument distracts from the nations role in the Holocaust by portraying Hungary as a victim rather than a collaborator of Nazism. During wartime, hundreds of thousands of Jews were deported from Hungary to Nazi concentration camps. The Freedom Stage consists of a small stage symbolically located in Liberty Square and of a civil memorial made of objects, photographs, and pictures placed opposite the monument by people who lost their relatives in WWII. Since 2014, the activists of the Freedom Stage have been protesting daily, organizing cultural and commemorative events, and building a civil memorial and a space of public reflection on Hungarys recent history. On more than one occasion, Budapests mayor visited the activists of Freedom Stage. The award ceremony, which holds great symbolic significance for Hungary and its struggle to come to terms with Nazism, will take place at a later date. You can visit a collection of all White House posts by clicking HERE. Contact: White House White House Press Office Vice President Harris and I have been briefed by our homeland security team on the mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, where a lone gunman murdered eight people and wounded several more in the dark of night.Today's briefing is just the latest in a string of tragedies, following closely after gunmen firing bullets in broad day light at spas in and around Atlanta, Georgia, a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, a home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and so many other shootings.While we await critical details about the shooting, its motivation, and other key information, once again, I have the solemn duty of ordering the flag lowered at half-staff at the White House, public buildings and grounds, and military posts and embassies, just two weeks after I gave the last such order.It's a mass shooting just a week after we met, in the Rose Garden, with families who lost children and dear friends as bullets pierced their bodies and souls in schools, a night club, in a car at a gas station, and a town meeting at a grocery store. And it came just the night before 14th anniversary of the shooting at Virginia Tech, in which a gunman murdered 32 people.Last night and into the morning in Indianapolis, yet again families had to wait to hear word about the fate of their loved ones. What a cruel wait and fate that has become too normal and happens every day somewhere in our nation.Gun violence is an epidemic in America. But we should not accept it. We must act.Last week, I called on the Justice Department to better protect Americans from gun violence. I also urged Congress to hear the call of the American people including the vast majority of gun owners to enact commonsense gun violence prevention legislation, like universal background checks and a ban of weapons of war and high-capacity magazines.Too many Americans are dying every single day from gun violence. It stains our character and pierces the very soul of our nation.We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives.God bless the eight fellow Americans we lost in Indianapolis and their loved ones, and we pray for the wounded for their recovery. New Delhi, April 20 : Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary of the Congress has said that she is totally devastated due to pandemic, getting news of people dying without any medical support. Speaking to IANS she said that this is not the time for the Prime Minister to campaign but to wipe the tears of the people's eyes and protect the citizens from the deadly virus. She said her party is working with compassion and is trying to help out the needy but she questions the Prime Minister --Is it time to laugh in political rallies? Q. How do you see the government's response after the second wave has hit the country? A. The government's response has been extremely disappointing. The Prime Minister is still continuing with his election campaign while people are battling against the worst wave of COVID. At a time when the government should be focussing on fighting the catastrophic situation unfolding all around us, it appears to be practically absent. Even constructive suggestions from opposition parties are being dismissed as politicization rather than being accepted in the spirit that the nation is in a grave crisis and every single life matters, therefore, all of us must stand together and do whatever we can to save lives. The lack of planning and preparation between the first and the second wave is the worst act of negligence and incompetent governance I have ever witnessed. Q. Do you think export of vaccines could have been avoided? A. I would like to say that thanks to seventy years of forward-thinking governance, today India is the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world. Yet, between January 2021 and March 2021, Modi ji's government enabled the export of 6 crore doses of vaccines to countries across the world. One lakh doses were gifted to the Nepalese Army, Mauritius received 2 lakh doses as did numerous other nations. During the same period, only 3 to 4 crore doses of vaccines were administered to Indian citizens. Why did the Modi government prioritize overseas PR and self-promotion over Indian lives? Q. Do you think the government was not prepared and caught off guard? A. As the second wave peaked in other countries, in the last 6 months India exported 1.1 million injections of Remdesivir. The export was stopped 5 days back. It is now clear that there is a shortage of Remdesivir being reported across the country. Q. Why did the Modi government not ensure that production of Remdesivir was ramped up and made available to every Indian before allowing it to be exported to other countries? A. Again courtesy years of forward-thinking governance, today India is one of the largest producers of Oxygen in the world. However, doctors, patients and their family members are crying for oxygen in hospitals across India as the disease surges once more. In fact, it's not the production of oxygen that is a problem. India produces 7500 MT of oxygen per day. At the peak of the first wave of COVID the collective requirement of our hospitals was less than half this quantity per day. It's the transport of oxygen that is causing the shortage because less than 2000 specialized trucks are available for the same. Q. What did the Modi government do to ensure the production and availability of adequate logistics to supply Oxygen across India in the year between the first wave of the Pandemic in March 2020 and the one we are now facing? What did the Modi government do to increase India's capacity for hospital beds and ventilators in the last one year since COVID first hit us? A. In UP, the second wave has been devastating, look at the disturbing pictures coming from the state capital. I have held several meetings with Congress leaders and workers across the state and discussed what we can do to be of support to people during these tragic times. I have asked all our workers and leaders to be in constant communication with the public and do whatever is in their power to assist people with hospital beds, access to oxygen, medicines, etc. All our leaders and workers are doing as much as they can to this end. Instead of providing the support and sensitivity needed at a time when almost every single family is battling the scourge, the UP government is acting as an aggressor towards the public. Insensitivity, red tape-ism and the collapse of the healthcare system is crushing people on every front whether it is permissions required for hospital admissions or the administration of Remdesivir or lack of beds, medication etc. We are trying our best to assist all those we can to facilitate these issues with sensitivity and compassion. As a party, we are in the process of locating and organising spaces that can be converted into temporary facilities and handing them over to the government for use in the cities of UP that are facing the gravest crisis. We plan to equip these spaces with basic facilities before handing over. In some places we are trying to make arrangements for Oxygen generating equipment to be able to provide free oxygen to those in need. We are hoping that some of these efforts will be in place within the next few days. We are constantly raising issues that the government needs to address urgently in order to press them into action and direct their attention to areas in which immediate steps need to be taken. I have written to the Chief Minister about certain issues and will continue to attempt to impress upon him the need for the government to be transparent, provide access to facilities and help those affected. It is our firm commitment towards the people of UP to remain constructive and supportive during this crisis. We will not politicize this unprecedented human tragedy under any circumstances. We fully understand our responsibility towards the people of UP. I have also offered our co-operation to the UP government. Q. People are feeling helpless across the country, don't you think the Govt has failed to respond with necessary alacrity? A. The Prime Minister has completely failed to provide a sense of safety, direction or leadership during this massive human crisis we are facing. It is shocking that just day before yesterday, he was on a public stage addressing thousands of people with no covid protocol and laughing while doing so. What is there to laugh about? The entire country is in tears. There are no hospital beds available, medicines are running short, crematoriums are full, frontline workers are exhausted... Where is the leadership? Where is the planning? Why are we short of facilities? Where is the money from the PM fund being used? Why has he done nothing to address the five major shortages of vaccines, beds, ventilators, oxygen and Remdesivir? Will he take responsibility for the bad planning and incompetence of his government? And what about the millions of poor and the millions of honest workers in small businesses across the nation? What will they do now that we are faced with impending lockdowns and further suffering? What is the Modi government doing to support them? UP government's own Sero Survey results showed 5 cr people might have got the virus, several other Sero Surveys showed signs of a second wave coming, why did the Modi government block some of this research and ignore its findings. Doctors, medical staff and frontline workers across the nation are risking their lives fighting the war against COVID and the Prime Minister has punished them by cancelling their insurance programs. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text NASAs Ingenuity helicopter has successfully completed a takeoff and landing on Mars. The U.S. space agency says Mondays flight was historic because it marked the first time any aircraft had performed powered, controlled flight on another planet. The flight was announced Monday by flight controllers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. The team said it was able to confirm the flight after receiving data and images from its Mars explorer, Perseverance. The explorer was carrying Ingenuity when it successfully landed in Mars Jezero Crater in February. NASA said the solar-powered experimental aircraft lifted off the surface of Mars at 10:34 UTC. Controllers chose the day and time based on Ingenuitys readiness and when flight conditions were acceptable. Ingenuity climbed about 3 meters and hovered for 30 seconds before landing safely on the surface, NASA reported. It added that Ingenuitys first flight was autonomous. That means the aircraft piloted itself with the help of built-in guidance and control systems developed by JPLs team. The space agency said the operation was full of unknowns because of the very different conditions on Mars compared to Earth. For example, gravitys pull on the surface of Mars is one-third of Earths. And the Red Planets atmosphere is much thinner, with one percent of Earths atmospheric pressure. To complete a successful flight, engineers said the helicopters blades needed to spin five times faster than they would have to on Earth. The space agency said data must be sent and received from Mars using orbiting satellites and land-based communication systems. Because of this, the helicopter cannot be flown with a joystick, NASA said in a statement. The flight of the 49-centimeter tall vehicle also was not observable from Earth as it happened. Perseverance acted as a communications link between the helicopter and Earth. It also documented Ingenuitys activities with its high-tech imaging equipment. Ingenuity itself does not contain scientific instruments. It was designed only to demonstrate whether such aircraft could be valuable in future exploration activities on Mars or other planets. The first picture captured was a black and white image showing the helicopters shadow as it hovered above Mars. Next came color video of Ingenuitys landing that was taken by Perseverance. Acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk praised the successful flight in a statement. Ingenuity is the latest in a long and storied tradition of NASA projects achieving a space exploration goal once thought impossible, he said. Additional flight tests are to be carried out, with plans to see if Ingenuity can go a little higher and farther each time. NASA said such helicopters could assist astronauts on future search and collection missions. NASA has compared Ingenuitys attempt to the Wright Brothers first flight of a motor-driven airplane near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903. In recognition of that historic flight, a small piece of cloth that covered a wing from the Wright Brothers plane was attached to the helicopter for its first flight on Mars. After Ingenuitys successful flight, project leader MiMi Aung said: Weve been talking so long about our Wright Brothers moment, and here it is. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA, The Associated Press and Reuters. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story hover v. to stay up in the air but without moving anywhere autonomous adj. independent and having the power to operate automatically without human involvement blade n. an arm of a propeller that spins to lift an aircraft off the ground joystick n. a handle used to control movements of a computer game, machine or aircraft shadow n. a dark shape that appears on a surface when someone or something moves between the surface and a source of light achieve v. to succeed in doing something indicate v. to show that something exists or is likely to be true PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is investigating potential securities violations, breaches of fiduciary duty, and other claims involving Zachary J. Horwitz (Horwitz), 1inMM Capital, LLC (1inmM) and potential other parties stemming from an alleged Ponzi scheme in which investors were, over the course of more than five years, defrauded out of approximately $690 million. On April 5, 2021, the SEC sued Horwitz and 1inMM in the United States District Court for the Central District of California for violations of the federal securities laws, alleging that, from at least March 2014 through December 2019, those defendants raised $690 million by selling promissory notes issued by 1inMM. According to the complaint, Horwitz and 1inMM represented to investors that their funds would finance 1inMM's acquisition and licensing of distribution rights in movies to major media companies such as Netflix and HBO. Falsely describing Netflix and HBO as "strategic partners" and fabricating fictitious movie distribution agreements and other documents, Horwitz and 1inMM promised investors returns of more than 35%. Horwitz and 1inMM, instead, allegedly misappropriated investor monies for such improper purposes as paying putative returns on earlier investments and buying a personal residence for Horwitz for $5.7 million. According to the SEC lawsuit, Horwitz transferred funds into his personal bank accounts with City National Bank. The alleged misconduct has resulted in investors in 1inMM promissory notes being defrauded out of hundreds of millions of dollars. IF YOU PURCHASED PROMISSORY NOTES ISSUED BY 1inMM OR MADE INVESTMENTS WITH HORWITZ OR 1inMM AND WISH TO DISCUSS KEHOE LAW FIRMS INVESTIGATION OR HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POTENTIAL LEGAL RIGHTS, PLEASE CONTACT MICHAEL YARNOFF, ESQ., (215) 792-6676, EXT. 804, MYARNOFF@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, INFO@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, SECURITIES@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION OR POTENTIAL LEGAL CLAIMS. Kehoe Law Firm, P.C., with offices in New York and Philadelphia, is a multidisciplinary, plaintiffside law firm dedicated to protecting investors from securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, and corporate misconduct. Combined, the partners at Kehoe Law Firm have served as Lead Counsel or Co-Lead Counsel in cases that have recovered more than $10 billion dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors. This notice may constitute attorney advertising. by Francis Khoo Thwe Several explosions in front of military bases. The Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (Aapp), branded as a "producer of fake news". Tomorrow campaign of the "blue shirts" and commemorations of those killed. The European Union has imposed some sanctions on 10 junta generals and on the two economic conglomerates linked to the army. Appeals to Total and Razel-Bec to break contracts with the junta. Yangon (AsiaNews) - Six young people have been tortured after being arbitrarily accused of having detonated three bombs in the Yankin neighbourhood, near Yangon. Their photos were published on regime television (photo 2); photos of these young people before and after the torture (photo 1) were also posted and shared by their friends and activists. The explosions of homemade devices took place on April 17, in front of the municipal office of Yankin, where the military has set up a base since the coup d'etat on 1 February last. According to local sources, at least one soldier died from the bombs. The military jailed 10 young people, defined as "rioters". The television did not report the explosions in Yankin and in many other cities in the country. Yesterday there were still demonstrations in Mandalay and Myingyan (photo 3). The frustration of the junta, which fails to stop the clear opposition of the population, is expressed in violence and attempts to manipulate information. The Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (Aapp), which every day checks the names and situations of those killed and incarcerated, has been branded as a "producer of fake news". Instead, with its usual accuracy, the APP released the toll this morning until yesterday, in which the number of those killed by the coup rose to 738; that of prisoners to 3261. According to the official media, the dead are "only 258"; the others are just "exaggeration". For tomorrow the movement has launched the campaign of the "blue shirts" and the memory of the killed. Those who join will dress in a blue t-shirt or shirt and write the name of a killed person on their hand that they want to remember. Yesterday the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on 10 junta generals and the two military-related economic conglomerates, the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) and Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL), which dominate almost all sectors of the country's economy. According to activists, many European private companies need to stop their collaboration with the junta. In addition to Total, which has always been accused of supporting the junta, a Shan State human rights group has explicitly asked the French company Razel-Bec to withdraw from construction of the Upper Yeywa dam. The company is partnering with a military-related conglomerate to build a 280-megawatt hydroelectric plant on the Namtu River, near the cities of Hsipaw and Kyaukme, in Shan State (photo 4). Mkango has been making steady progress on Songwe Hill in recent months ( )( ) appointed Jones Group International as its United States strategy advisor. Jones Group International, a Washington-based advisory firm led by retired General James Jones, former National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama, will assist Mkango, advising on US critical materials security, energy security, market access and trade promotion. "The Biden administration has an ambitious agenda for a clean energy revolution which will begin with the recently announced US$2tn Infrastructure bill aimed at clean energy initiatives and is expected to result in increased US stockpiling of rare earths, said Alexander Lemon, President of Mkango. The United States intends to achieve a carbon free power sector by 2035 and a net zero economy by 2050. Reaching these goals will require significant quantities of rare earths. Mkango's Songwe Hill Rare Earths project in Malawi, its plans for a separation plant, and interest in UK rare earth magnet recycler, HyProMag, all make it well placed to play a strategic role in supplying the US critical minerals supply chain as well as other key markets. "We are, therefore, delighted to appoint Jones Group International as our United States strategy advisor, significantly enhancing Mkango's positioning in the US market, continued Lemon. This appointment further underpins our integrated 'Mine Refine Recycle' strategy and we very much look forward to working with Jones Group International. " General James Jones, President of Jones Group International stated: "I look forward to our partnership with Mkango Resources. Rare earths are the source of elements and metals essential to the advanced technologies of today and tomorrow, including those that will drive forward clean energy and enhance the prospects of significantly reduced carbon emissions that are so damaging to our environment. ARCHBALD The Valley View School District will look to hire its own trained, armed school resource officers rather than employ officers from the Archbald Police Department after the borough and district were unable to reach an agreement on staffing costs. The district currently pays for three part-time Archbald officers to secure its intermediate, middle and high schools. However, citing a high turnover rate and difficulty finding new part-time officers, Police Chief Tim Trently and borough officials proposed replacing the three part-time officers with two full-time officers one at the intermediate school and one at the connected middle and high schools. The full-time officers would receive higher hourly rates plus benefit packages, which Valley View would pay for while they work in the schools, Trently said. Because the officers would not be working at Valley View during the summer, the borough would have covered 30% of the costs, he said. The proposal is not economically realistic for the district, board President Joseph Mondak said during a school board meeting Monday. He emphasized that the district is not putting a price on security in hiring its own school resource officers, explaining student and staff safety is their top priority. Make no doubt about that, he said. Over five years, Valley View would pay about $885,000 to employ the two full-time officers an estimated $350,000 more than it would cost to pay for the part-time officers under their current rates, said Curt Camoni, school director and board treasurer. The number one thing to understand is Archbald borough has done a fantastic job, he said. Chief Trently and his people are outstanding, and there will be fully trained SRO officers at the school buildings of Valley View. The school resource officers would do the same job as the current Archbald officers, and the district would provide all of their equipment, Camoni said, noting the officers are often retired Pennsylvania state troopers who have full school resource officer training. He hopes the price will be close to their rate for part-time officers, adding he knows it will be significantly less than the rate for the full-time officers. The Blakely Police Department will continue to provide a part-time officer at the Valley View Elementary School, Blakely Chief Guy Salerno said. The district has employed part-time Archbald officers since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, but the turnover is constant, Trently said. Training a new part-time officer takes up to eight weeks, in addition to a week of school resource officer training, he said. Trently believes having full-time officers would allow them to learn everything about the school, including evacuation plans, students and counselors, while also providing in-school programs such as DARE. An officer would always, always be there a full-fledged, in-uniform, trained, certified officer with a fully equipped patrol car and a radio to communicate with other officers, 911 dispatchers and emergency services, Trently said. Private security has limited power and would still have to rely on Archbald officers to respond, he said. Both council President Brian Gilgallon and Vice President Michael Ossont said the borough is already losing money providing three part-time officers, which includes training, cars, equipment and uniforms. Archbald borough was losing money because we cared, because the borough cared about the security of the kids, the teachers, he said. It came to a point where changes had to be made. Archbalds current agreement to provide three part-time officers will continue through the end of the school year, Camoni said. The school board formed a committee to investigate hiring the outside school resource officers, and the board will formally vote on it at a later date. Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) was looking chic as ever as she stepped out in Sydney's Rose Bay on Tuesday. The model flashed a rare smile, beaming and laughing as she left a lunch date at the upmarket Catalina Restaurant. The 33-year-old showed off her famous figure in a pair of skin-tight black skinny jeans. All smiles: Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) was looking chic as ever as she stepped out in Sydney's Rose Bay on Tuesday. Lara is pictured She paired the pants with a fitted shirt with a pointed collar and a muted, retro check pattern. Absolutely glowing, Lara appeared to have on minimal makeup, her flawless visage on display. She wore her blonde bob blown dried straight, while covering up her eyes with sunglasses. Lunch: The model shared a rare smile, beaming and laughing as she left a lunch date at the upmarket Catalina Restaurant Relaxed: The 33-year-old showed off her famous figure in a pair of skin-tight black skinny jeans Lara completed the ensemble with a black Prada shoulder bag, patent leather boots and a heavy watch with a brown strap. After her meal, the model hopped into her car and headed off to do some errands around town. Her 44-year-old husband, Sam Worthington, appeared not to have attended the lunch. Beaming: Absolutely glowing, Lara appeared to have on minimal makeup, her flawless visage on display Pretty: She wore her blonde bob blown dried straight with a little flick at the end Sam, who is best known for his role in Avatar, is currently starring in a Sydney Theatre Company production of the dark comedy Appropriate. He has a lead role in the Wesley Enoch-directed stage play, and has been in Sydney with Lara and the couple's children for some months. Reports surfaced in 2020 the couple were planning to move Down Under on a permanent basis after spending years living in the U.S. A look: Lara added to the ensemble with a black Prada shoulder bag Details: The blonde beauty had on a pair of black, patent leather boots Bits and pieces: For accessories, she had on a watch with a brown strap and gold earrings Busy: After her meal, the model hopped into her car and headed off to do some errands around town The family has lived in both New York and California in the past, moving depending on Sam's work commitments. The catwalk queen and her husband of seven years have three sons - Rocket, five, Racer, four, and a third boy whose name has not yet been revealed. It comes after Lara revealed the secret to her radiant complexion and her favourite fruit-inspired perfume. Solo: Her 44-year-old husband, Sam Worthington, appeared not to have attended the lunch Beauty queen: It comes after Lara revealed the secret to her radiant complexion and her favourite fruit-inspired perfume Youthful: The age-defying beauty, who is famed for her luminous skin, uses Tom Ford's 'Shade and Illuminate' two-in-one cream bronzer as the base for her everyday makeup Products: The bronzer and highlighter combination can be worn alone or under foundation to create a natural glow Smells good! In an interview with Mecca Lara said she 'never leaves the house' without a spritz of Tom Ford's $480 Lost Cherry fragrance The age-defying beauty, who is famed for her luminous skin, uses Tom Ford's 'Shade and Illuminate' two-in-one cream bronzer as the base for her everyday makeup. The bronzer and highlighter combination can be worn alone or under foundation to create a natural glow. In an interview with Mecca Lara said she 'never leaves the house' without a spritz of Tom Ford's $480 Lost Cherry fragrance. Easy: Lara said she follows a simple everyday beauty routine to suit her lifestyle as a busy working mother-of-three Model mayhem: Lara is the founder of beauty brand The Base and holds ambassador roles with luxury brands including Louis Vuitton Hard at work: She also has several modelling jobs lined up in Sydney Family: The catwalk queen and her husband of seven years have three son - Rocket, five, Racer, four, and a third boy whose name has not yet been revealed Lara said she follows a simple everyday beauty routine to suit her lifestyle as a busy working mother-of-three. Lara is the founder of beauty brand The Base and holds ambassador roles with luxury brands including Louis Vuitton. She also has several modelling jobs lined up in Sydney. By Aftab Ahmed NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will waive its 10% customs duty on imported COVID-19 vaccines, a senior government official told Reuters on Monday, as it tries to boost supplies to counter a dramatic surge in cases. Imports of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine are due to arrive soon and the government has also urged Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson to sell their products to India. The official, who declined to be named, also said the government was considering allowing private entities to import approved vaccines for sale on the open market without government intervention. They could also be given the freedom to set pricing, he added. The Indian government currently regulates the sale and purchase of all COVID-19 shots in the country. A finance ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside business hours. Other South Asian countries, including Nepal and Pakistan, as well as Latin American nations such as Argentina and Brazil levy vaccine import tariffs ranging between 10% and 20%. New COVID-19 infections and deaths in India have jumped by record numbers for days, with hospitals running short of beds, oxygen and key medicines. Total deaths have swelled to nearly 179,000 and cases have climbed above 15 million, the world's second highest tally behind the United States. The government has now decided to open vaccinations for all adults from May 1. (Reporting by Aftab Ahmed; Additional reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by David Goodman) (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.) 100 years ago 1921 Eight Shenandoah boys were arrested by the state police and charged with wholesale thefts from delivery wagons. 75 years ago 1946 The Lehigh Navigation Coal Co. has 29 gold stars on its service flag out of a total of 1,071 employees who left for military service. 50 years ago 1971 The brakes failed on a parked car Monday and it ran into a property in Schuylkill Haven, state police said. 25 years ago 1996 What sticks with you most is the tunnel vision, the claustrophobia. In the pitch darkness of a deep mine, your field of vision shrinks to the narrow circle of light thrown by the lamp clipped to your helmet. For anyone new to a coal hole, the blackness is almost physical: You can feel the shadows reaching for your eyes. Then theres the thick mud that grabs your boots and refuses to let go. And the smell a mixture of musty dampness and wood. The tunnel grows and shrinks with the thickness of the coal seam, sometimes opening to a cavern 20 feet high, other times leaving just 5 feet of space for miners to scramble through. Some 160 years after first crawling underground to carve out anthracite, Schuylkill County men are still braving the dangers, aches and grime of deep mines. And while their numbers are dwindling, some 200 still descend into the coal holes each day, drawn by a combination of pride, independence and tradition. Theres no money in it anymore, but it gets in your blood, I guess, said Jeffrey S. Reed, a Donaldson miner who was pushing coal cars last week through the depths of the K&S Coal Co. mine near Joliett, 800 feet underground. The number of people responding to that passion has plummeted from anthracites heyday in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Veteran Ghanaian actor, Akwasi Boadi popularly called Akrobeto has opened up on how he used to wet bed in the night even when he was 18 years. In his strive to encourage those who are still involved in bedwetting at an elderly stage, Akrobeto revealed that he stopped bedwetting after he visited clergyman and innovator, Apostle Kwadwo Safo. According to him, he was afraid to go to bed that night because he knew he would wet the bed if he slept. After hours of hanging around, Apostle Kwadwo Safo approached him and quizzed him as to why he was not sleeping. He said that he shared his problem with the man of God, who encouraged him by telling him to go to sleep and not to worry, that they would dry the mattress if he wet it, and that even an older woman who was around was still bedwetting. Watch the full program below: Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/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 JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) today announced the presentation of an analysis of the timing of disease progression milestones among commercially insured amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients treated with intravenous (IV) RADICAVA (edaravone). The findings are being presented during the 2021 Virtual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, held April 17-22. "We are pleased to share these data, which may provide information to the ALS community by observing the time to real-world milestones associated with ALS progression," said Gustavo A. Suarez Zambrano, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs, MTPA. "The results from this new analysis of real-world data gives clinicians more information that may be useful in evaluating treatment for their patients." The analysis utilized a completely de-identified database of administrative health claims across the U.S. to evaluate 117 commercially insured patients who initiated treatment with IV RADICAVA (between August 2017 and June 2019, index date), and had at least six months of continuous pre- and 12 months post-index enrollment in the database. Milestones, including the use of canes, walkers and wheelchairs, artificial nutrition, noninvasive ventilation, invasive ventilation/speech-generating devices and hospice, were defined according to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, a standardized coding system. This analysis was funded and conducted by MTPA. The poster will be available during and for 30 days following the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting. About RADICAVA (edaravone) IV The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA (edaravone) IV on May 5, 2017 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).1 Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone IV was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea. Marketing authorization was granted in Canada in October 2018 and Switzerland in January 2019. INDICATION RADICAVA is indicated for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Before you receive RADICAVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have asthma. are allergic to other medicines. are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if RADICAVA will harm your unborn baby. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if RADICAVA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will receive RADICAVA or breastfeed. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. What are the possible side effects of RADICAVA? RADICAVA may cause serious side effects including hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and sulfite allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions have happened in people receiving RADICAVA and can happen after your infusion is finished. RADICAVA contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause a type of allergic reaction that can be serious and life-threatening. Sodium bisulfite can also cause less severe asthma episodes in certain people. Sulfite sensitivity can happen more often in people who have asthma than in people who do not have asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms: hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; fainting; breathing problems; wheezing; trouble swallowing; dizziness; itching; or an asthma attack (in people with asthma). Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects. The most common side effects of RADICAVA include bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance), and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of RADICAVA. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com. About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Overview of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, which was founded in 1678, has its headquarters in Doshomachi, Osaka, which is the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. With business centered on ethical pharmaceuticals, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is a well-established company with one of the longest histories of pharmaceutical companies in Japan.2 Through the discovery of drugs that address unmet medical needs, centered on its priority disease areas immune-inflammation diseases, central nervous system, and vaccines Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will strive to contribute to the health of patients around the world. MTPC is the parent company of MTPA. For more information, go to https://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/e/. Media Inquiries: Debbie Etchison 908-340-8578 [email protected] 1 RADICAVA (edaravone) U.S. Prescribing Information. March 2021. 2 Research by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH, LTD. SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. New Delhi: The rate at which COVID-19 is spreading across the country has left everyone astonished. Despite so much work done to improve the healthcare infrastructure after the first wave of the pandemic struck, the facilities seem inadequate as the number of new cases continues to rise at an alarming rate. The main reason the situation has come to this is that the coronavirus has become airborne, that is, it is spreading through air. The other is the creation of new variants of the virus through mutation. Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Tuesday (April 20) explained how COVID-19 transmits through air and what are the precautions one can take to stay safe. He also discussed important points from Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation. According to the renowned medical journal The Lancet, the coronavirus can spread through air. The same has been confirmed by the NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog member Dr. V.K. Paul has said that the infection in India is spreading rapidly through air and that is the reason behind the sharp increase in cases. How does COVID-19 transmit through air? When a person coughs or sneezes or speaks loudly or sings a song, several tiny droplets of saliva come out of their mouth and nose which gets suspended in air. If the person in question is infected with COVID-19, the virus would be present in those droplets. If a person in close proximity to the infected person inhales the surrounding air, those droplets enter their system and thus they get infected. The Lancet study says the same thing. Six scientists from the US, the UK and Canada have prepared this report. It points to the new threat, which is indeed quite worrying. Last year, when the pandemic started, scientists advised people to follow social distancing. It is because they believed that even though the cough droplets would mix with the air, they would not get carried far enough to infect a person six feet away. But the study says that in a room with five or ten people present, even if they do maintain the minimum distance as advised, they would get infected if a single person was COVID positive. This means social distancing could not eliminate the risk. What precautions can one take to stay safe? Firstly, do not stop wearing masks. Whenever you are sitting in a group, make sure that you wear a mask. In fact the doctors advise to wear double layers of masks or face covers. Secondly, ensure proper ventilation of the rooms and halls where a group of people is present. Keep the doors and windows open to let fresh air in. Prime Ministers address to the nation In todays edition of DNA, Sudhir Chaudhary also discussed the important points underlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation. The PM has urged the states to not impose lockdown saying that it should be undertaken as a last resort. He also appealed to the migrants to stay where there are and avoid the situation that happened last year. PM Modi also said that the Centre is working in tandem with the state governments to avail them of the requisite amount of vaccines, oxygen and medicines. As the PM said, Dawai bhi, kadai bhi is the mantra that would see us out of this danger. Live TV Zhou Qiang, the presenter of a weekly talkshow on YouTube, went missing in China on March 20, 2021. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Chinese YouTuber Missing After Traveling to China From US, Friends Say A presenter of a Chinese-language YouTube talkshow has been missing since March 20, after he traveled to China from the United States in early March, according to his friends. Zhou Qiang, presenter of Zhou Zhou Kan, often touched on sensitive topics for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), such as Dr. Li Wenliang, one of the first whistleblowers on the outbreak of CCP virus in Wuhan; real estate developer and dissident Ren Zhiqiang; authoritarian Chinese leader Xi Jinping; and the Hong Kong protests against the 2019 extradition bill. The talk show has more than 65,000 subscribers and is operated by a company called Alliance Cultural Media (ACM). Dr. Wang Juntao, co-chair of the Democratic Party of China, told The Epoch Times that Zhou had left Washington for Los Angeles on the morning of March 2. He stayed there for about two nights before obtaining a health certificate required for travel to China. Then he flew to Guangzhou and landed at Baiyun airport. At a nearby hotel, Zhou stayed in quarantine until around March 20. Afterwards, he became unreachable. Zhous situation is worrying, Wang said. Wei Dahang, the founder of ACM, also corroborated Zhous disappearance in an email to The Epoch Times on April 16. He said that Zhou is back in China now. He said Zhou joined his company in October 2018 and worked there until July 2020. Afterwards there was only a partnering relationship between them. When asked about the most likely cause for his disappearance, Wei said, Zhous personal reasons. The head of ACM disclosed that they had agreed Zhou would send him certain code if he fell into the hands of [Chinese] authorities. Wei said he hadnt yet received the code. Wei said he had tried a few wayswhich he declined to nameto confirm Zhous whereabouts, but without success. Nor did he receive any encouraging reply from Zhous family. They would contact us if Zhou were really held under control, he said. However, it could be impossible for Zhou to have enough time to get the code sent out if he was arrested suddenly, or for the family to tell the truth to the outside if they had been threatened or silenced by Chinese authorities. Jie Lijian, a Los Angeles-based activist, told The Epoch Times on April 18 that it was likely that both Zhou and his family were being controlled by the CCP. Previous cases indicate that this has been a gangster tactic well used by the CCP, said Jie, who had experienced dealing with the CCPs police while in China. The CCP is using Zhou as an example to harshly warn other [anti-Beijing] YouTubers, and returning to China for them is like a lamb giving itself away to a hungry tiger. Wei also did not rule out the possibility that Zhou was in the hands of the CCP. Maybe a 30 percent probability, he said. Another Spain-based Chinese YouTuber, who calls himself Uncle Talkative from Beijing, said on April 16 that Zhou is 99.9 percent in the grip of the CCP and predicted that his life would be ruined if he were thrown into a CCP prison, based on his decades-long observation of communist China. Zhang Jie, who is also a China news commentator, recently posted four tweets on the event, contending that the CCP, which is trapped in challenges at home and abroad, urgently needs to label certain YouTubers as anti-China forces to avert attention from itself. He predicted that Zhou might be seen on TV to confess his guilt soon. For years, the CCP regime has toughened its online censorship. Chinas Great Firewall blocks domestic netizens from visiting sites like The Epoch Times, NTD, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Meanwhile, the criminalization of speech in China is growing, with one 15-year-old boy in Sanyuan county, Shaanxi province, given an undisclosed punishment by local police on April 4 for so-called remarks insulting the [CCPs] marshals. Chantel had tried to conceive with her partner Elenilson, 50, for eight years Chantel, from British Columbia, said she waited '20 years' to become a mother A woman who has been waiting '20 years' to become a mother welcomed her first child just months before her 50th birthday. Chantel Chavez, 49, from British Columbia, safely delivered her son Nikolas in March after trying to conceive with her husband Elenilson, 50, for eight years. Chantel, who had already gone through menopause when she safely carried their child, welcomed their longed-for son via C-section after a successful IVF egg donation. The new mother admitted that she doesn't care if they might look like Nikolas's 'grandparents' due to their age because they 'love him'. She explained: 'I have been waiting 20 years to become a mother. 'There has been a yearning in my heart to hold my child in my arms and I still can't quite believe this has finally happened for us.' Chantel Chavez, from British Columbia, Canada, who has been waiting '20 years' to be a mother welcomed a child (both pictured with father Elenilson) months before turning 50 The childminder met her husband Elenilson online nine years ago and the couple were engaged within three months, then married and began to try for a family. Elenilson has children in their 20s and the couple already had three young grandchildren before their son was born. When the couple, who married in 2013, tried for a baby they knew their ages were against them, but at first Chantel was determined that it would happen naturally. She admitted that she wasn't aware how much the 'odds were stacked against her' at first, saying their journey took 'much longer' due to her wish to conceive naturally. She continued: 'We were actively trying for eight years from when I was 41 and that is my only regret. 'Our journey took so much longer because I wanted to try naturally for too long and a natural conception at my age would be a miracle. I wasn't really aware just how much the odds were stacked against me. Chantel Chavez, 49, safely delivered her son Nikolas on March 5 (pictured after giving birth) after trying to conceive with her husband Elenilson, 50, for eight years Chantel (pictured), who had already gone through menopause when she safely carried their child, welcomed their longed-for son via C-section after a successful IVF egg donation 'I want other women in their 40s to be more realistic and not waste as much time as I did before I finally looked at other options. 'We were always told we don't look our age, but that doesn't mean that our bodies aren't our real age on the inside.' The couple tragically suffered a miscarriage quickly after they started to try for a baby, when Chantel was 42 years old. She explained: 'We were beyond devastated. I truly thought we had lost our only chance. It was the darkest time of my life. I was still young and couldn't understand what had happened. It took me years to grieve. 'I was 43 when I saw a fertility consultant. I was told I had zero chance of IVF working with my own eggs, but I didn't want to accept that.' Five years later, when Chantel was 48, she finally decided to consider using donor eggs because her longing to be a mother was more importnat to her than how she conceived. The couple decided to pay for IVF and after Chantel was given a clean bill of health, their frozen transfer worked first time - but it wasn't without further delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Chantel said: 'We were ready, the flights were booked and then Covid hit and our clinic closed. It was another blow to our time frame but finally we were able to go in July 2020.' Chantel knew she was a high risk pregnancy due to her age but thankfully the next months were problem-free. When the couple (pictured with son) tried for a baby, Chantel was at first determined to conceive naturally and said she wasn't aware how much the 'odds were stacked against her' When Chantel was 48, she finally decided to consider using donor eggs because her longing to be a mother was more importnat to her than how it happened (pictured during pregnancy) Chantel knew she was a high risk pregnancy due to her age but her pregnancy was problem free, and Nikolas arrived on March 5, one month before his due date, and weighed 4lb 15oz Her first child Nikolas arrived safely on March 5, one month before his due date, and weighed 4lb 15oz. Speaking about her pregnancy, Chantel explained: 'I didn't get morning sickness, high blood pressure or diabetes. Given my age I was so lucky. 'The beautiful thing about using donor eggs is that I get to carry my child, I still can't believe what my body has achieved. 'I got to carry, grow and deliver my child and that's all I ever wished for. IVF science is incredible.' The couple have eggs 'on ice' but the clinic have an age limit of 51 for mothers, meaning Chantel would have to decide in the next year whether to have another child. She continued: 'I understand their age limit. It is an option for us, but we would need to decide in the next year. I am a believer that things will always work out the way they should. 'I never gave up on my dreams - I knew one day I would meet my soulmate and have a child. 'At the end of the day you just have to put your hands in the air and have faith. There is nothing you can do to control the outcome of this journey. 'Trying for a baby could slowly send you crazy and there were times when it would take over my life.' Chantel said that their decision to try for a baby in their late 40s was met with mixed reactions, as she admitted that their partners were 'concerned but supportive'. She added that she had a 'few shocked comments' when she told people her age, but said she doesn't care if they might 'look like his grandparents' because they 'love' him. She explained: 'Our parents were naturally concerned but supportive and we have only shared our joy with close friends. The couple (pictured at gender reveal) have eggs 'on ice' but the clinic have an age limit of 51, meaning Chantel would have to decide in the next year whether to have another child Chantel said that their decision to try for a baby in their late 40s was met with mixed reactions, as she admitted that their partners were 'concerned but supportive' Chantel said she has had a 'few shocked comments' when she told people her age, but said she doesn't care if they might look like Nikolas' 'grandparents' because they 'love' him 'We have been overwhelmed with their support, they know how long we have waited for him. 'I had a few shocked comments when I told people my age and we know when our son graduates we will be there with grey hair and walking sticks. 'We might look like his grandparents but that doesn't matter to us because he is loved.' Chantel, who didn't consider having a child until her late 20s and then didn't find a man she wanted to start a family with, will celebrate her milestone 50th birthday this August with her five-month-old baby. Speaking about her new family, she added: 'Our son is our grandchildren's uncle which may get quite complicated so we are going to call them all cousins. 'People judge mothers if they are too young, too old, working, staying at home, not married etc. 'I am old enough to know this is right for us and that's all that matters. 'We are soaking up every minute. I have wanted this for so long I don't even mind the lack of sleep. He won't be this little for long.' May it please the court. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, good morning. The video evidence, I think, will be very helpful and meaningful to you because you can see it for yourself without lawyer talk, lawyer spin, lawyer anything. You can see it for yourself. Please. Please. I cant breathe. Please, man. Please somebody help me. Please. Im about to die in this thing. Oh my God. What did he say? He said, Im about to die. Oh my God. While watching the George Floyd trial, I noticed the differences and the importance of footage. This corner When Stephon was murdered, we only had the officers footage. We only had their point of view. Hey, show your hands. You know, when my son was killed being on the platform, there was several bystanders that filmed. And had it not been for the cameras, we wouldnt even be here today because they would have probably said it was justified. Bro, with your feet on his head, man. You knee on his neck. Hes pushing harder. Yeah. I cannot breathe. A little bit more. Right here. I dont watch the footage of my dads incident because its torture. You see the officers giving a trove of blows to his body? Yes. To his arms, to his torso, to his legs. Here it is 30 years later, nothing has changed. Now who are you going to believe? The defendants or your own eyes? I am watching the George Floyd case with my best friend, Tiffany, at her home. Oh my gosh. Wow. And hes still on his neck. Today was the first time I watched the entire video of George Floyd, and it definitely made me think about my dad begging for his life screaming. Check his pulse. Check his pulse. His daughter was the same age I was when my dad was beaten. My name is Lora Dene King. Im the middle child of Rodney Glen King. The world saw the videotape. We thought the video showed excessive force and unnecessary force. With that videotape, if they had two eyes and they werent blind, you could see that it was excessive force. The defense tried to dilute the impact of the tape by dissecting it, frame by frame, in an effort to show that King was a threat to the officers. He kind of gave out like a bear-like yell, like a wounded animal. If he had grabbed my officer, it would have been a death grip. If he had grabbed the weapon, he would have had numerous targets. He didnt grab anybody during these events, did he? No sir, he did not. He couldnt walk. He had 50 broken bones. His skull was permanently fractured. He had permanent brain damage. My dad was never the same after that. You know, and everybody just considered him to be normal. I think if that happened to anybody, they wouldnt be normal ever again. This doesnt just affect the person it happened to. It also affects all those people who are out there watching it. Theyre all affected forever. I was desperate to help. I was just kind of emotional, and I went to the African-American that was standing there on the curb. And I was just like, theyre not going to help them. Oh my God. This man, he witnessed another African-American man getting his life taken. The nine-year-old speaker on the trial. Good morning, [inaudible]. Good morning. Which one is you? Just so happened to be walking down the street. She will never forget that for the rest of her life. You ultimately ended up posting your video to social media, right? Correct. And it went viral? Correct. It changed your life, right? The girl who filmed George Floyd, the fact that there was nothing she can do to save his life. Its been nights, I stayed up apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more. Thats something that will haunt her like George Holliday, who captured my dads video. Without George Holliday, these four officers might not be on trial. He just wanted to test this new camera he had. Like, oh let me take he stood there shaking, terrified. And he still suffers to this day because that was the right thing to do. What could he have done to deserve that? If I was to see George Floyds daughter today, I wish there was something I can say. But its not easy. Its not easy at all. Because Im sure shes watched that videotape. And thats something that carries in your mental every everyday, just like my dads video tape. For the jury, a difficult decision ahead, knowing that to acquit the four officers could ignite this city. Not guilty of Chanting: No justice, no peace. No justice, no peace. And damage to the city of Los Angeles running into billions of dollars. Thats what Im saying. The police, they dont pay a cent for this trial. So my mother and I, we was watching the George Floyds trial. And it brought back so many memories of my son Oscars case. Oscars last picture in his cellphone was of the officer who shot him. My name is Wanda Johnson. Im the mother of Oscar Grant. Grant was shot once in the back as he lay face down on the train stations platform. He was unarmed. The 27-year-old officer has said he thought he had drawn his Taser gun but accidentally pulled out his handgun instead. And the incident was captured on cellphone video. Video speaks for themselves. And the jury will see that and make the correct decision. We knew that we would have a very hard time winning in the court systems because the judicial system was not made for everyone in the society. As the situation went on, the crowd began to grow and grow. Oh my goodness, the same playbook that they used for what happened with Oscar, they used the same thing for George Floyd. Oh, there was a crowd of angry mob people. They were behind them. There were people across the street, people yelling. We dont know if they were going to attack us. I thought about the young man testifying in George Floyds case. You grew angrier and angrier. Calling the police on the police. 911, whats the address of the emergency? How do you have somebody investigate those that they work with? Of course youre going to find that theyre going to believe the people that they work with quicker than they will believe the citizens who are filing the complaint. Would you like to speak with those sergeants? Yeah, Id like to. He was unresponsive. He wasnt resisting arrest or any of this. OK, one second. Murderers, bro. Yall are just murderers, bro. You know, when we was going to jury trial for Oscar, they would ask questions like, Do you know anybody who went to jail? Do you know anybody who had an encounter with the police? And as soon as the person said that, they would strike them from being a juror, right? Having a jury that consists of different backgrounds, it could help with the decision-making of innocent or guilty. The 27-year-old officer pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His trial had been moved to Los Angeles over concerns of racial tension and intense media scrutiny. Everybody, lets just pray for one minute. Father God, we come to you and your son named Jesus Christ. Father, we ask the people that see this Every time I come to my moms house, Im reminded that my son was killed here. My name is Sequette Clark. Im the mother of Stephon Clark. 22-year-old Stephon Clark was fatally shot while running from police. Clark was see evading authorities after allegedly smashing a car window. He was shot eight times in his grandmothers backyard. Police apparently thinking he was holding a gun, now say it was a cellphone. Out of fear for their own lives, they fired their service weapon. And following the incident, officers manually muted their body cameras at times. Move over this way. As we watched the George Floyd trial, I invited particular members of my family because you cant address something in the community or the city or the nation until you address it at home with the family. When Mr. Floyd was in distress, Mr. Chauvin wouldnt help him, didnt help him. So thats just how they left my boy out there. They handcuffed him after he was dead. Excessive force. Excessive force and lethal force after the fact of death. I felt saddened, heavy, drained. I felt as if I was a slave 400 years ago. Just hearing how he was dead, seeing how he was dead. And then to turn around and hear the defenses attempt to bring up the fact that we should not focus on the 9 minutes and 29 seconds that it took to kill George Floyd. But we should focus on what went on ahead of that. Anything that does not deal directly with the murder of George Floyd is irrelevant in my opinion. Hes 6 to 6 and a half feet tall. You did not know that he had taken heroin. Mr. Floyd did use a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase a pack of cigarettes. Mr. Floyd put drugs in his mouth. Poppas already dead. George Floyd is already dead. Thats right. Thats right. So now youre resurrecting him just to kill him all over again. Basically. Defame him in order to justify the wrongdoing of your officers, reminded me exactly of what the district attorney did to Stephon. The cellphone examination revealed a domestic violence incident that happened with the mother of his children. Texts and phone calls showing that he was seeking drugs and a photograph of his hand holding 10 Xanax pills. What was on his cellphone has zero to do with the actions of the police officers at the time of his homicide. I feel like its a bittersweet thing thats happening watching the George Floyd trial. Because Im optimistic that this is a piece of justice for the death of my son. We might not be here. Theyre going to get him. Theyre going to get him. Was a crime committed? The answer to that question is no. And as a result, we will not charge these officers with any criminal liability related to the shooting death or the use of force of Stephon Clark. April 14, 1991: King fights emotional and physical scars. So this is basically a photo album book of my dads newspaper articles since hes been in the news. Years and years and years. You throw someone to the wolves and you expect them to be normal. You know, theres no such thing as normal after that. And then, can you imagine how many Rodney Kings there is that never got videotaped? Theres plenty of them. I would have prayed and hoped that Oscars trial would have been televised because America has to really look in the mirror and say, Are all people being treated equally? There was excessive use of force against George Floyd Were not focused on the videotape, his toxicology, his heart condition. Were focused on the fact that several people witnessed this man get murdered. You can see it with our own eyes. Its crazy. People dont realize what it does to your family. Its bigger than just a trial and this officer. We never get to see them again. We never get to smell them again and kiss them again. Our lives are completely affected forever. A former top executive at a Massachusetts-based shoe manufacturer has agreed to plead guilty to embezzling $30 million from the company, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Richard Hajjar, 64, the former chief financial officer of Alden Shoe Co., agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions and filing a false tax return, according to a statement from the U.S. attorneys office in Boston. Hajjar has been cooperating with federal authorities and with the company in an effort to recover and return the money, said his attorney, Dan Conley. Today, he formally accepted responsibility and agreed to plead guilty, Conley said. Hajjar, of Duxbury, embezzled the money from 2011 until he was fired in 2019, by writing checks to himself from company bank accounts and transferring funds from company accounts to his personal accounts and to another person. He used some of the money to buy jewelry, including a $158,000 diamond ring, and private flights to the Caribbean, according to court documents. Hajjar failed to report the proceeds of his embezzlement as income on his tax returns, thereby failing to pay approximately $5 million in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, prosecutors said. He faces more than 30 years in prison. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled. The Middleborough-based Alden Shoe Co., which makes high-end dress shoes, was founded in 1884, according to its website. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Massachusetts A former Texas sheriff's deputy has been arrested and charged for killing three people, including his ex-wife and teen daughter, in a shooting in Austin on Sunday afternoon. The suspect was 41-year-old Stephen Broderick, who was taken into custody early Monday in Manor, some 15 miles north of Austin. Broderick was found before sunrise, walking down a rural road with a loaded gun in his waistband, according to a People report. Police said authorities received two 911 calls about a man walking along the road prior to the suspect's arrest. Crime Online reported that the victims were identified as Amanda Broderick, 34; Alyssa Marie Broderick, 17; and the teen's boyfriend, Willie Simmons III, 18. Police said the bodies were found near two vehicles involved in a crash at the apartment complex where the Brodericks were meeting for a scheduled visit with their son, who was not harmed. Stephen Broderick was being held at the Travis County jail without bail on capital murder charges. Austin police have yet to publicly announce what could be the possible motive behind the shooting. RELATED STORY: Texas Domestic Shooting Leaves Three People Dead The Shooting Incident A manhunt was earlier done across the state for Stephen Broderick after killing three people. The deadly shooting was one of the latest shootings that rocked the nation. Interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon described the shooting that happened on Sunday as "domestic violence." Chacon noted that the shootings were not random, adding that Broderick knew the victims, USA Today reported. "We are heartbroken by the news of this senseless tragedy, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families," the Elgin school district said in a statement. The school district noted that Alyssa Broderick was a student in the district from 2009 to October 2020, and Willie Simmons was a senior at Elgin High School. Criminal Record Stephen Broderick reportedly resigned from the Travis County Sheriff's Office last year after being arrested and charged with a sexual assault of a child. Records showed that he spent more than two weeks in jail before posting bail in June. Court and public records showed that Broderick's wife had filed for a divorce and a protective order shortly after her husband was arrested. His wife feared for her safety and their children. A protective order was then issued on behalf of her and two children. The order also directed the suspect to surrender all his firearms and wear a GPS tracking device. Broderick had visitation rights to the couple's son for one weekend in a month. Amanda Broderick said that his husband has prior military experience and is SWAT-trained. She noted that if he wanted to hurt someone, he would know how. A Travis County judge agreed to order the removal of the device last November after Broderick's lawyer argued that his client had worn the device for 142 days without any substantial violations. "I'm truly heartbroken that a former Travis County Sheriff's Office Deputy is the suspect in such a horrific incident," Sheriff Sally Hernandez said in a report. Last week, a mass shooting in the FedEx Indianapolis facility had killed eight people. The shooter had killed himself at the scene. READ MORE: Texas Governor Attacks Biden on His Gun Control Measures WATCH: Stephen Broderick's Arrest and Protective Order History - From KVUE [April 20, 2021] Waterfall Security Enhances Support For OSIsoft PI ROSH HAAYIN, Israel, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterfall Security Solutions, the global leader in OT security, today announced an upgraded version of the OSIsoft PI connector for Waterfall's Unidirectional Security Gateway product line. The continued increase in cyber attacks, a trend accelerated by the global COVID-19 pandemic, is driving cybersecurity concerns in industrial enterprises. With OSIsoft PI servers most often at the heart of both IT/OT integration and IT/OT security efforts, the upgraded connector makes truly safe IT/OT integration even easier for PI users and administrators. NEW IN THIS RELEASE: The completely rewritten and upgraded connector supports the latest versions of OSIsoft PI Server software, functions, and access libraries. The connector includes support for PI Asset Framework, PI collectives and PI identity authentication. Waterfall's unique and innovative features in the connector include database backfill, clustered high availability, unlimited point counts, support for data and event synchronization, high throughput, and an easy-to-use web GUI for configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting. Point synchronization and database aggregaton, which are the most popular features for unidirectional PI Server replication, continue to be supported in the new release. Point synchronization pushes PI point and attribute changes automatically to enterprise replicas. Systematic point renaming eliminates name conflicts when combining many plants' PI Servers to an enterprise server. "We see an increase in ransomware attacks on OT systems, across the board. It is clear that evildoers are increasing their efforts to target industrial systems and customers. Waterfall's mission is to protect and defend the most important parts of a nation's infrastructure, and to provide resilience against cyber crimes and cyber terror." said Lior Frenkel, CEO and Co-Founder at Waterfall Security Solutions. "OSIsoft is a global leader in the Industrial market, and with so many customers using Waterfall's gateways with OSIsoft solutions, Waterfall is committed to continuing to enhance and advance our integration and mutual support." Waterfall's patented family of unidirectional gateway products provide enterprise-wide security for OT network perimeters in a wide array of industries, applications, and protocols in 30 countries. Waterfall's products enable visibility into and remote access to OT data without putting at risk the vital industrial systems that are the sources of that data. ABOUT WATERFALL SECURITY SOLUTIONS Waterfall Security Solutions is the OT security company, producing a family of Unidirectional Gateway technologies and products that enable safe IT/OT integration, enterprise-wide visibility into operations, and disciplined control. The company's growing list of customers includes national infrastructures, power plants, nuclear plants, off-shore and on-shore oil and gas facilities, manufacturing plants, power, gas and water utilities, and many more. Deployed throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Waterfall products support the widest range of leading industrial remote monitoring platforms, applications, databases and protocols in the market. For more information, visit www.waterfall-security.com. For media inquiries, please contact: Anna Plot info@waterfall-security.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waterfall-security-enhances-support-for-osisoft-pi-301272226.html SOURCE Waterfall Security Solutions [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] It would be funny if the stakes were not so high, but political differences within families seem to fall along the same lines as party differences. Who could have predicted that all those Trump-haters who swore they would never submit to a vaccine that President Trump had brought to market with Operation Warp Speed are those who now are lining up like bleating sheep to get vaccines that are experimental? Or that millions of those who support the former president are much more likely to be wary of the four vaccines now available? All one has to do is visit the websites of the vaccine-manufacturers themselves to discover that those Big Pharma companies do not claim that their jabs can prevent COVID or its transmission. They claim only that they may reduce the severity of symptoms. And as the number of serious adverse reactions and even deaths by vaccine mount, those who have succumbed to the media fear-mongering and Biden administration heavy-handed promotion still ignore the many, many obvious factors that mitigate against all four of the vaccines, all of which may have serious consequences down the road when other viruses come along. Those of us of a certain age are perhaps more likely to research the vaccines than younger generations, and conservatives are certainly more likely to be suspicious of anything the government pushes so aggressively, especially when tried and true, inexpensive, and effective treatment is available. As Dr. Ryan Cole notes in his short video advising against the vaccines, it is illegal to produce a vaccine for an illness for which there is treatment. Dr. Cole reminds as well that these are not vaccines, but a form of gene therapy. The oh, so disingenuous Dr. Fauci should soon fall from grace for his shameless promotion of the vaccines in which he has a financial interest, and his relentless derision of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. He knew from the outset that those drugs could easily reduce the severity of symptoms and, taken prophylactically, can prevent COVID. He knew and lied. Hundreds of thousands of lives might have been saved by the use of HCQ and ivermectin in all the nursing homes. Nearly all who of lost their lives were deficient in Vitamin D. Had those lost been given large doses of Vitamin D they might have survived. But Fauci and the media not only kept all that to themselves, they frightened people away from these simple preventatives and treatments. Fauci and his handmaidens in the media and Big Pharma have much blood on their hands. Follow the money. Everyone surely knows by now that young people are at very low risk of getting COVID and even less of dying from it, yet many of our adult children are rushing to be vaccinated and want their children jabbed when there is virtually no risk to them! The vaccines are a risk to children. So it is yet another point of contention between grandparents, adult kids, and grandkids who were perhaps already at odds over the 2020 election. Those of us who have read much of the literature out there that lays out the potential dangers down the road are supremely frustrated by our adult kids' refusal to listen to us, their refusal to read the volumes of information warning against the shots, and who line up to get it. What do we do now? We worry and watch them carefully if possible, and we try to stop them from vaxxing their own young children. We wonder how these young people, many of them college-educated, came to be lemmings. Why are they so susceptible to obvious propaganda? See this column by Peter Savodnik for a possible explanation. At least two generations of Americans have been rendered vulnerable to nonsense. President Trump obviously meant well when rushing a vaccine to availability. He had no idea that Fauci had been funding that lab in Wuhan, that despite legal prohibition of gain-of-function (making known viruses more lethal) experiments in the U.S., he was funding that research in China as well. He and his cohorts at NIAID resemble mad scientists who for twenty years had been dying to experiment on human beings using mRNA despite having no idea what the long-term effects may be. And the fact that Bill Gates has been in on this scheme for years should give everyone pause. He is a known depopulation advocate who, at the same time, funds mass vaccinations around the world, sometimes with murderous results. What do we do to protect the grandkids? Try to convince their vaxxed parents not to submit their children to what is an experimental trial with potentially lethal consequences. The use of these vaccines is an affront to essential medical ethics. Throughout history, parents and grandparents have striven above all to protect their progeny, but with the onslaught of mass media, toxic social media, and the wholesale censorship by those who control what and how information is disseminated to the public, the once revered wise counsel of the storied family trust has been sorely dissipated. To paraphrase the words of Thomas Paine, these are truly the times that try men's souls. Photo credit: emmer.com.ar, CC BY-NC 4.0. The Elevator and Escalator Division expands to Nashville with application in rejuvenated downtown CYPRESS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Elevator and Escalator Division of Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., headquartered in Cypress, California, is pleased to announce its expansion to Nashville, opening a new office and embarking on a project alongside Giarratana LLC. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005515/en/ Renderings from left to right: Alcove (900 Church) and Prime (801 Church) residential towers by Giarratana LLC in Nashville, TN (Graphic: Business Wire) Nashville developer Tony Giarratana of Giarratana LLC selected Mitsubishi Electric US to provide top-of-the-line elevator systems in two of his latest developments, Alcove at 900 Church Street and Prime at 801 Church Street. The elevators will be equipped with the Mitsubishi Electric Sigma AI 2200C Destination Oriented Allocation System (DOAS), which works seamlessly with Mitsubishi Electrics touch-free elevator call system smartphone application. With the applications intuitive, user-friendly interface, residents will have the ability to call an elevator wirelessly prior to arriving at the elevator lobby. The innovative system is equivalent to holding the elevator controls in the palm of your hand and eliminates the need to directly interact with the elevator fixtures. Users can also set a default call mode for specific needs, for example, wheelchair accessibility per ADA requirements. The Mitsubishi Electric elevator systems will be installed in the Alcove and Prime residential towers in the heart of downtown Nashville. Giarratana LLC acquired the sites to erect two residential towers: the 34-story, 356-unit Alcove and the 38-story, 350-unit Prime. Combined, the two skyscrapers will house 706 apartments on nearly an acre of prime downtown real estate. Further, Prime will be among the tallest structures in the area upon project completion in late 2023. The towers, which will be constructed concurrently by AECOM Hunt, meet the increasing need for downtown residential spaces as they sit directly across from Nashville Yards, a mixed-use development expected to reinvigorate the citys downtown and bring more than 20,000 new jobs to the area. When we got word of the plans for Nashvilles Yards, we quickly recognized the importance of providing a wide variety of residential options to serve the future employees of these fast-growing businesses, notes Tony Giarratana, president, Giarratana LLC. We also understood that high-rise living would be essential to Nashvilles growth and quality of life as the downtown area becomes more populated and vibrant. Our architect, Goettsch Partners, agreed that Mitsubishi Electric was the best choice to meet the needs of our new luxury residential towers, and were excited to partner with their vertical transportation division. The Wall Street Journal recently ranked Nashville, Tennessee as the second-hottest job market in the country. A portion of Nashvilles growth can be accredited to tech giants Amazon and Asurion moving into the citys Nashville Yards and in the North Gulch, respectively both just a stones throw away from Giarratanas Alcove and Prime apartments. With the citys proven resilience in the face of a challenging economic year in 2020, Nashville was the natural choice for Mitsubishi Electric USs move south. Establishing a presence for our division in Greater Nashville was an easy call to make, says Erik Zommers, senior vice president and general manager, Mitsubishi Electric US Elevator and Escalator Division. Our organization is thrilled to support Nashvilles revitalization with our high-quality vertical transportation systems. With Alcove and Prime among the tallest structures in the area, were excited to show Music City what Mitsubishi Electric elevators are made of. Other Mitsubishi Electric US Elevator and Escalator Division office locations include Cypress (CA), Oakland (CA), Dallas (TX), San Diego (CA), Seattle (WA), Honolulu (HI), Las Vegas (NV), Chicago (IL), Boston (MA), Washington, DC, Tampa (FL) and San Francisco (CA). For more information about Mitsubishi Electric elevators and escalators, visit www.MitsubishiElevator.com. About Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. Elevator and Escalator Division Headquartered in Cypress, California, Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. Elevator and Escalator Division sells, installs, modernizes and services elevators and escalators. The division is recognized as an industry leader in product quality, reliability and preventative maintenance programs. Quality in Motion is inherent in the divisions best in class products and people. Quality is at the divisions core. The products differentiate themselves through the smooth ride, leading edge technology and unmatched reliability. The commitment continues over the life of the product through the divisions intensive service program that maximizes uptime of vertical transportation. Additional information is available at www.MitsubishiElevator.com or 714-220-4700. In addition to elevators and escalators, Mitsubishi Electric US group companies principal businesses include cooling and heating products, semiconductor devices, automotive electrical components, factory automation products and services, electric utility products, and large-scale video displays for stadiums and arenas. Mitsubishi Electric US group companies have 38 locations throughout North America with approximately 4,000 employees. About Giarratana LLC Giarratana LLC Over 30 years of focus, passion and enthusiasm for downtown Nashville has produced numerous firsts for: the first high-rise apartments, the first high-rise condominiums and the first modern urban grocery store since 1967. Giarratana and its partners have overseen historical preservation and developed thousands of residential units. Giarratana LLC includes Giarratana Development, Giarratana Realty, Giarratana Management and Giarratana Restaurant Group. Visit www.giarratana.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005515/en/ Media Contacts: Katie Sikorski, LMO katiesikorski@lmo.com 703-666-8447 Jordan Washington, LMO jordanwashington@lmo.com 703-879-7757 Jenny McClain, Giarratana, LLC jenny@giarratana.com 615-587-4616 Source: Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. [April 20, 2021] Vocera Customer Success Team Wins 2021 Excellence in Customer Service Award Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, today announced its customer success team has been named a winner in the 2021 Excellence in Customer Service Award presented by Business Intelligence Group (BIG). The Vocera (News - Alert) Customer Success Team was selected for its innovative response and service in support of hospitals and health systems in need during the pandemic. When COVID-19 started causing patient surges, many hospitals around the world called the Vocera Customer Success Team first for help. The team designed new COVID-specific workflows and expedited product implementations for customers using the wearable Vocera Badge and Smartbadge in pop-up isolations rooms, in triage tents, and more to help protect and connect overwhelmed care teams. Deployments that traditionally took place in person and on site had to be done virtually. In 2020, 87% of these services were delivered remotely, an increase from an average of 55%. "Many of our product implementations during the start of the pandemic in 2020 were completed in less than half the time of a normal deployment because members of the Vocera Customer Success Team wanted to be a part of the solution," said Josh Mahler, vice president of professional services. "Our team leveraged a rapid deployment model to streamline the completion of tasks, and several people volunteered to work after normal business hours, on weekends, and on holidays to help our customers in need." "Members of the team went out of their way to support customers as quickly as possible and proactively reached out to their hospital contacts to discuss and co-design creative solutions to help support frontline workers. They wanted to d whatever they could to make our customers' lives easier during this very challenging time," said Lori Dickinson-Miller, vice president of technical support. "Many of our employees have clinical backgrounds and understand the challenges and needs in mission-critical healthcare environments." More than 50 Vocera employees are clinicians, and many of them are part of the company's customer success team. Understanding how the pandemic would likely impact the healthcare industry and the company, the team conducted a large virtual training summit, enabling the team to pivot quickly. The team also added a chatbot to the Vocera website to provide faster online service. Experiencing the highest case volume ever, the team maintained a customer support score of 4.88 out of 5.0. During the busiest COVID months, it was 4.9. Additionally, the team solved a third of the cases within 24 hours, while reducing backlog. "On the frontline of our uncertain times are customer service professionals and suppliers without whom we wouldn't be able to live as comfortably as we have for the last year," said Maria Jimenez, chief operating officer of the Business Intelligence Group. "It is our honor to recognize the Vocera Customer Success Team as they are leading by example and making real progress on improving the daily lives of so many." Organizations from across the globe submitted their service innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions. About Vocera The mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to improve the lives of healthcare professionals, patients, and families. Founded in 2000, Vocera provides solutions that help protect and connect team members, simplify workflows, increase efficiency, enhance quality of care and safety, and humanize the healthcare experience. More than 2,300 facilities worldwide, including nearly 1,900 hospitals and healthcare facilities, have selected Vocera solutions to enable their workforce to communicate and collaborate with co-workers and engage with patients and families. Mobile workers can choose the right device for their role or task, including smartphones or one of the company's wearable communication devices, and use voice commands to easily reach people by name, role, or group. The hands-free Vocera Smartbadge was named to TIME's list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2020. The Vocera Platform can integrate with more than 150 clinical and operational systems, including electronic health records, nurse call systems, ventilators, physiological monitors, and more. In addition to healthcare, Vocera solutions are found in aged care facilities, veterinary hospitals, schools, luxury hotels, retail stores, power facilities, and more. Visit www.vocera.com to learn more, and follow @VoceraComm on Twitter (News - Alert) . Vocera and the Vocera logo are trademarks of Vocera Communications, Inc. registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks appearing in this release are the property of their respective owners. About Business Intelligence Group The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005801/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BOSTON and SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueSnap, an online payments technology company and preferred technology for fast growing B2B and B2C businesses to accept payments, today announced its partnership with Chargebee, the leading subscription billing and revenue management platform. Mercator estimates the 2020 U.S. subscriptions market to be worth $28.4 billion. Big winners include online subscriptions like streaming, software, media, and Amazon Prime with YOY change estimated at +11.7% in 2021. For 2022, it's estimated to increase to +15.2% YOY change. BlueSnap and Chargebee have partnered together to help merchants scale their subscription businesses on a global level. Chargebee, the worlds' leading subscription billing platform, offers an end-to-end solution to help businesses achieve scalable, predictable income. And through their partnership with global payment experts BlueSnap, merchants can have confidence that cross-border transactions are optimized to maximize revenue and decrease costs. "We are excited to partner with Chargebee as they continue to support their customers who are scaling up their business and ready to go global," said BlueSnap CEO, Ralph Dangelmaier. "Our integration with Chargebee will give their customers the ability to achieve global expansion, reduce cross-border fees and get higher approval rates." With the new integration of BlueSnap's All-in-One Payment Platform to Chargebee, businesses have access to a single powerful solution that supports global growth with a fast and simple set up. The integration includes: Global processing for all card types One account and one integration globally Global pre-built features 3DS Chargeback Management Enhanced Fraud Unified global reporting "As a leading solution for Subscription Management and Revenue Operations, we found that partnering with BlueSnap enables our mutual customers to grow and scale with a payment platform optimized for performance and a diverse set of payment methods," said Eric Chan, Head of Partnerships, at Chargebee. About BlueSnap BlueSnap provides an All-in-One Payment Platform designed to increase sales and reduce costs for B2B and B2C businesses. Our Platform supports online and mobile sales, marketplaces, subscriptions, invoice payments, manual orders through a virtual terminal and integrated payments. With a single integration to our Platform, businesses can accept any payment with ease. The Platform includes access to 110 payment types, including popular eWallets, built-in world-class fraud prevention to protect sales and detailed analytics to help businesses grow. Based in Waltham, MA, BlueSnap is backed by world-class private equity investors including Great Hill Partners and Parthenon Capital Partners. Learn more at home.bluesnap.com. About Chargebee Chargebee automates revenue operations of high-growth, subscription-based business. Its SaaS platform helps SaaS, ecommerce and subscription-based businesses manage and grow their revenue by automating subscriptions, billing, invoicing, payments and revenue recognition processes and it provides key reports, metrics and insights into their subscription business. Founded in 2011, Chargebee is used by over 2,500 companies globally including businesses like Freshworks, and Study.com. SOURCE BlueSnap The remnants of the Tesla car that smashed into a tree. Photo: ABC13 Two people have died after a Tesla car ran off the road, with the authorities saying there was no-one driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. The tragic crash will place further scrutiny on Tesla and its Autopilot driver-assistance technology, which automates some highway-driving tasks. Despite Tesla maintaining that drivers still need to have full attention while using Autopilot, the technology has been criticised for giving owners room to abuse the system, with a number of crashes under investigation. On Saturday night in Spring, Texas a suburb of Houston a Tesla car travelling at high speed failed to negotiate a turn, went off the road and hit a tree. The car subsequently caught fire, which took firefighters four hours to put out as the lithium ion batteries kept reigniting The bodies of two men were found in the car, one in the passenger seat and one in the backseat, authorities told the media. They are believed to be two friends: a 59-year-old doctor and a 69-year-old engineer. The men have not been named. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said it appeared likely that there was no-one in the drivers seat or anyone operating the car at the time of the crash. They are 100 per cent certain that no one was in the drivers seat of the vehicle at the time of impact, Herman said. They feel very confident just with the positioning of the bodies after the impact that there was no one driving that vehicle. Its currently unclear whether the Autopilot feature was in-use in the Tesla car at the time of the crash. Tweeting earlier today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the data logs for the crashed car show Autopilot was not enabled and did not have FSD (Full Self Driving) mode. Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have, Musk added. The feature can complete some tasks automatically for a driver, such as keeping the vehicle in its lane at a safe distance from other cars, and changing lanes. Despite the Autopilot name, Tesla said it does not make a car autonomous, and it requires the driver to have a hand on the steering wheel at all times. The feature is now standard in all new Tesla vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Autopilots role in more than 25 crashes involving a Tesla car, including many where these vehicles have crashed into emergency vehicles that were stopped on the side of the road. In January this year, Musk said he was highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of humans this year. The batteries in the Tesla cars are also likely to come under scrutiny, with reports it took firefighters four hours and 120,000 litres of water to put out the blaze following the recent fatal accident. According to the reports, the firefights also actually had to call Tesla to work out how to put out the blaze. There have been a number of fatal accidents involving Tesla vehicles in recent years, many involving the Autopilot feature. In early 2020 there were two fatal crashes on the same day involving Tesla cars. In California, a Tesla Model S sedan ran off a freeway and through a red light at high speed, hitting another car and killing two people in that vehicle. Also on that day, a Tesla Model 3 hit a parked fire truck on a freeway, killing a passenger in the Tesla. In 2018 there was another fatal crash involving a Tesla car, which was operating on Autopilot. This incident occurred in Mountain View, California, with the car crashing head-first into the safety barrier section of a road divider. The driver of the car died from injuries sustained in the crash. In 2017 it was found that an over-reliance on Autopilot played a major role in another fatal crash which saw a Tesla Model S sedan crash into a truck that had turned in front of it without giving way. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the Autopilot feature had allowed the driver to not pay proper attention to the road, but that the accident was ultimately down to human error. Prince William and Prince Harry recently reunited in the United Kingdom for their grandfather Prince Philips funeral. The royal brothers were in the same place for the first time in more than a year. But, according to insiders, things are still not well among the once-close siblings. William actually requested not to walk beside his younger brother during the funeral procession. Prince William, Peter Phillips, Prince Harry follow Prince Philips coffin during the ceremonial funeral procession | Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and Prince Williams cousin walked between them One year after Megxit and just weeks after Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexs bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey the youngest son of Prince Charles returned to the UK to be with his family after the Duke of Edinburgh passed away at the age of 99. As the family walked behind Prince Philips coffin on Saturday, April 17, William and Harry were separated in the procession by their cousin Peter Philips, the son of Princess Anne. According to The Mail on Sunday, the procession was a part of a great deal of frostiness that Harry faced from his family during his first trip home to the UK. Some royal family members failed to acknowledge the Duke of Sussex Insiders say that Prince William personally asked not to walk side by side with his brother. Princess Anne and Prince Edward Queen Elizabeths only daughter and youngest son didnt even acknowledge Harry. Neither did Edwards wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex. As far as the others are concerned, there is a deep sense of protection towards the Queen and resentment towards Harry, a source explained. There is little sympathy for him after what he and Meghan said on Oprah They are still very upset. Prince William and The Firm believe Prince Harry behaved appallingly In Harry and Meghans tell-all interview, the couple claimed the royal family was racist. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said there were conversations about their son Archie Harrisons skin color. The Sussexes also claimed their son was denied a royal title because of his mixed-race. According to insiders, the royal family put on a united front for the Queen at her husbands funeral. But, they all think that Harry has behaved appallingly. RELATED: There Is Hope For Prince William and Prince Harrys Relationship They Want to Remain Dianas Boys (Exclusive) The only royal to show any sympathy toward Harry is reportedly Prince Andrew. Of course, hes been banished from royal duties thanks to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The royal brothers spoke after the funeral After William and Harry walked separately to St. Georges Chapel in Windsor, they sat opposite each other inside. William sat with his wife, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. Harry, however, was alone because Meghan is very pregnant and stayed home in California. The siblings rarely made eye contact. But, they finally spoke after the service, to the relief of all who were walking on eggshells over how the reunion would go down. Lip readers claim that William told Harry that their grandfathers funeral service was great. To which Harry replied, It was as he wanted it. Later, William reportedly told Harry, Absolutely beautiful service, ah, the music. According to Page Six, the royal siblings also spent a couple of hours together behind closed doors with their father, Prince Charles. Prince William and Prince Harry talking is a good sign, says royal expert Funerals are often a time for reconciliation. And, a lot of people wanted to see that happen for William and Harry. According to royal expert Eve Pollard, the fact William and Harry exchanged words was a good sign. They were talking, they were possibly overcome by emotion. They were talking and thats got to be a very good sign. Lets hope that they sort their recent troubles out because the Queen needs them both, Pollard said. Dana is now supporting an expanded roster of Ford all-wheel-drive vehicle programmes from its manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China. Dana recently began producing its Spicer AdvanTEK Ultra axles with Spicer SmartConnect disconnecting all-wheel-drive systems for the Ford Escape, Lincoln Nautilus and Lincoln Corsair. Danas operations in Chongqing have been supplying Spicer AdvanTEK Ultra rear-drive units for the Ford Edge programme in Asia-Pacific since the 2019 model year. The drive units use Danas Spicer AdvanTEK axle technology, which delivers efficiency by reducing oil churning along with gear and bearing friction. Advanced drive technologies are enabling impressive gains in performance, fuel efficiency and ride and handling for todays vehicles, said Dana EVP and president of Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Systems, Bob Pyle. The expansion of Danas support for Ford demonstrates our commitment to innovation as well as our strong and growing collaboration with customers in China and the entire Asia-Pacific region. Engineered for vans, crossovers, SUVs and other light vehicles, the Spicer AdvanTEK Ultra axle delivers fuel efficiency across all torques, speeds and temperatures, says Dana. It leverages ultra-low viscosity lubricants while maintaining gear durability and life to achieve up to a 45% reduction in energy loss compared with a typical axle. Axles are traditionally designed to durability specifications, which is followed by engineers calculating the thinnest oil that may be used without sacrificing component life. Dana engineers reversed the process for the Spicer AdvanTEK Ultra axle by first defining the specifications for an ultra-low viscosity lubricant and then designing compatible gears and bearings that take full advantage of the lubricant without sacrificing durability and noise, vibration and harshness performance. The Spicer AdvanTEK Ultra axle serves as a launchpad for future applications, including supplementing hybrid vehicles as automakers transition into electrification. Thematic Reports Are you worried about the pace of innovation in your industry? GlobalData's TMT Themes 2021 Report tells you everything you need to know about disruptive tech themes and which companies are best placed to help you digitally transform your business. Find out more Spicer SmartConnect technology helps global automotive manufacturers address evolving emissions regulations while maintaining the safety and control that are key advantages of AWD systems on SUVs, crossovers and other light vehicles. Vehicles with disconnecting AWD systems are designed to automatically transition to AWD when the system predicts or detects slipping at the wheels, such as during rapid acceleration or in icy and other low-traction conditions. The Spicer SmartConnect system configures the drivetrain to work in front-wheel-drive mode for the majority of driving conditions and engages AWD only when needed. EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a two-day business and networking conference June 8-9, featuring some of the states most prominent industry leaders. Tickets are limited. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer marked 4/20, the unofficial marijuana holiday, on the Senate floor calling to end the federal cannabis ban. Its as appropriate a time as any to take a hard look at our laws that have overcriminalized the use of marijuana and put it on par with heroin, LSD and other narcotics that bear little or no resemblance in their effects either on individuals or on society more broadly, Schumer D-N.Y., said Tuesday. I believe the time has come to end the federal prohibition on marijuana in this country. Schumer used the same date three years ago to call for decriminalizing marijuana, making him the highest-ranking federal lawmaker at that time to support changing the federal laws on cannabis. This year, now in control of the Senate agenda, he is teaming up with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon, on marijuana legislation. In the near future we hope to have a draft of a comprehensive reform effort: not only to end the federal prohibition on marijuana but to ensure restorative justice, protect public health, and implement responsible taxes and regulations, Schumer said. I believe it is the right approach and serves as a model for how we should deal with this issue in Congress. Schumers home state of New York recently legalized the drug for recreational use. New Jersey did the same by referendum last November. In state after state, through ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments, the American people are sending a clear message that they want this policy changed, Schumer said. A Quinnipiac University Poll released last week recorded the highest percentage ever of Americans supporting legal cannabis, 70%, with just 24% in opposition. In his floor speech, Schumer also spoke of the disproportionate impact that the war on drugs has had on people of color. For decades, young men and women, disproportionately young men and women of color, have been arrested and jailed for even carrying a small amount of marijuana a charge that often came with exorbitant penalties and a serious criminal record, from which they might never recover, he said. Hopefully the next time this unofficial holiday of 4/20 rolls around, our country will have made progress in addressing the massive over-criminalization of marijuana in a meaningful and comprehensive way. NJ Cannabis Insider is a weekly subscriber-based trade journal and events group produced by NJ Advance Media, which also publishes NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated papers. For more information, email staff here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @JDSalant. Stacey Steinmetz was moved by the legacy of her former neighbor to preserve his charming daffodil field and keep it away from builders who might have destroyed it. The field, located on a Cross Highway property, has been around for decades and is one of the few town treasures, according to Steinmetz, a 20-year Redding resident. When the previous owner, Henry Bud McQuade died in 2019, she feared his decades-long work cultivating the beautiful field would be dismantled if someone bought and built something on the land. I really wanted to make sure it was preserved, that nobody else would build there, destroy the field, she said. Steinmetz had become friendly with McQuade over the years. She recalled the 103-year old Air Force veteran to be a local celebrity of sorts. McQuade lived in Redding for years after he inherited the land from his family and taught science classes at Joel Barlow High School. He would sit outside on his little bench by the daffodils and welcomed everyone to his field, Steinmetz said, noting previous students of his and community members would pop over to visit him frequently. But beyond teaching students about oceanography and the likes of it, he spent years planting his daffodil legacy - an heirloom that blooms for just a few weeks every year between April and May. McQuades niece, Patricia Pavlick, said the daffodils meant so much to her uncle Bud. When he took over the land, he and his wife Florence had some daffodils on the property, but it wasnt until after her death that Bud really started growing the field. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Florence loved flowers, according to Pavlick, and when she died, McQuade took to the field and started planting more bulbs, meticulously logging how many he transplanted until his daffodils numbered in the thousands. He planted daffodils in the field and thats why he wanted more and more, he did it in her memory, she said. Im delighted that we have someone so special taking care of them for him, she added. When Steinmetz heard about McQuades passing, she decided to ask his family if they would sell her his property, and they did. She now owns the three-acre gem and has made the 40,000 odd-some daffodils a special place for her mother. I felt really happy I secured the property and it was a great opportunity for me to have my mother close to me, she said. Billie Jean de Gruchy, Steinmetzs mother, agreed and said its all in bloom and its gorgeous. It was really lovely. This is what he did, he allowed people to come here and we want that tradition to go on. And as the daffodils continue blooming through May, the field is getting plenty of visitors. In Steinmetzs plans to expand the fields accessibility, she is looking to pay homage to Bud by building a small memorial for him with a plaque. Steinmetz said she also wants to make the field an all-seasonal attraction in town by hosting some events there and maybe putting our picnic tables for people to come pass the time at. Its a work in progress, she said, noting its its been here for 50 years from prior generations, and she intends to make sure its here for future generations. Bay Area homebuyers looking to lock in a low mortgage rate on a relatively affordable property may feel like theyre racing against a ticking clock, a new report says adding fuel to one East Bay market in particular. Vallejo-Fairfield was No. 3 on real estate listings website Realtor.coms newly released Hottest Housing Markets report for March. The median listing price was $550,000, and among the top 20 hottest U.S. areas, it had the lowest median number of days on the market, at 11. The Vallejo-Fairfield metro area was No.1 on the list in February and has been on the companys top 20 list for the last several years. But during the pandemic, homes in that market have been selling at a particularly rapid pace. In February, half of Vallejo homes sold under 14 days, 21 days faster than last year and 49 days quicker than the U.S. average. And while the median listing price increased 7.8% from February to March, its still much more affordable compared to its large Bay Area neighbors, San Francisco and San Jose. Realtor.com takes into account market demand and pace of the market to determine an areas hotness. That is determined by the number of unique viewers per property and the number of days a listing is active on Realtor.coms website. In the latest hottest housing markets report, California had six in the top 20, more than any other state. Nicolas Bedo, economic research analyst for Realtor.com, said California has always been a popular place to live since 2016, the furthest back the companys data goes. Temperate climates and tech jobs have buoyed major California markets for a long time, he said. Tech hubs like San Francisco and San Jose have drawn substantial homebuyer demand over the years. However, as those markets became too expensive to sustain the demand, spillover markets like Vallejo and Stockton have risen to take their place as homebuyer hot spots. He said Californias continued and expanding economic growth consistently produces up-and-coming markets that offer affordability compared to major cities, and the draw for cheaper markets has only escalated with declining mortgage rates that hit a historic low of 2.86% at the beginning of the year. But now they are starting to tick back up, reaching 2.99% in March, which is the highest rate since September 2020. The combination of rising prices and rising rates adds a ticking clock for buyers looking to stay within their budget, he said. This is especially true in California where higher-than-average home prices mean even bigger dollar swings in monthly payments as mortgage rates rise and fall. While affordability is still driving demand, median listing prices for the hottest markets were on average 18.9% higher than the national price in March. This may reflect a willingness of buyers to pursue pricier homes as they aim to lock in favorable mortgage rates, which are projected to keep climbing. Other Northern California cities in the top 20 include Yuba City in Sutter County, which came in seventh place with a median listing price of $427,000. The Santa Cruz-Watsonville area was No. 8, with a median listing price of $1.2 million, and Stockton-Lodi followed at No. 9 with a median listing price of $468,000. The Modesto area came in at No. 12, with a median listing price of $499,000. And in the far northwest corner of the state, the Eureka-Arcata-Fortuna area came in at No. 18, with a median listing price of $439,000. Here is the full list (the chart can also be seen here): Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-19 21:27:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Afghan female journalists attend a meeting at the radio-television channel Ghazal in Shiberghan city, capital of Jawzjan province, Afghanistan, April 7, 2021. (Photo by Mohammad Jan Aria/Xinhua) by Abdul Haleem SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Like many other parts of the militancy-plagued Afghanistan, residents in the northern Jawzjan province have been facing security threats as the Taliban outfit and other militant groups are active there. In particular, it hasn't been easy for the local women to take part in social activities. But Neda Sadeq Oghlo has defied security threats and she was brave enough to establish the radio-television channel Ghazal (means "loving poem") in Shiberghan, the capital city of Jawzjan province, two years ago. "The outcome of the ongoing war and violence in Afghanistan is nothing more than destruction of the country and killing of people. All of our people including me have to play a pro-active role in ending the war and bringing about peace by every possible means including media," said Oghlo. The ambitious 32-year-old believes that highlighting the benefits from peace through media outlets is essential to educating the Afghan people. With some 20 workers including eight women and girls, the Ghazal radio-television channel also broadcasts music, news and recreational programs. Oghlo said working as journalist is difficult in a conservative and conflict-battered country like Afghanistan, where radical militant groups such as Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) group are active. She was shocked by the report that unknown armed men gunned down four female journalists from a local TV channel in the eastern Nangarhar province a couple of months ago. The perpetrators are still at large, she said. Taliban militants, according to locals, are active in eight out of Jawzjan's 10 districts. However, the provincial capital Shiberghan is relatively peaceful. "Attack on female journalists is a matter of concern to me. I have no choice but to continue my job on a mission to expose problems of the Afghan society ... and to work for peace," said the female journalist. "In the country's ongoing efforts towards peace, Afghan women's rights and their achievements should be safeguarded and guaranteed," Oghlo noted, adding she will do her best to protect women's rights in the country. The ongoing militancy and conflicts, according to an Afghan human rights organization, have claimed the lives of 39 civilians and left 40 others injured over the past week. "On the way to office I am afraid of attacks and kidnapping, but I won't give up my job as a journalist so as not to encourage militants to continue violence as a tool to force newspersons to quit duty," a reporter at the Ghazal TV channel who called herself Khalida said. Enditem As an example of the importance of virtual visits, Lori Hendren, AARPs associate state director, said her parents arent in a nursing home, but she wasnt able to see them for more than a year due to COVID-19. But they were able to keep their spirits up by visiting with her and her children online. Police: Fatal stabbing might have been result of 'robbery gone wrong' A stabbing victim taken to a Berkeley County hospital Friday night died. Police think the stabbing might be the result of a 'robbery gone wrong.' A man wanted in his girlfriend's kidnapping was arrested Monday after triggering a police chase that ended in a gun battle with a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy, according to the Houston Police Department. Neither the suspect nor the deputy were struck by gunfire. The suspect, who was not identified by police, had been out on bond for three aggravated robbery charges, said Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Chandra Hatcher. He also was accused this week of assaulting and kidnapping his girlfriend, she said. The girlfriend was able to escape on Monday, she said. The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force notified Houston-area law enforcement about the suspect leaving a location near the 12000 block of the East Freeway Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies spotted the man's vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop on the highway. A chase ensued. The suspect fled westbound on the East Freeway, made a U-turn and eventually stopped on the highway's eastbound lanes. The suspect fled on foot, leading a pursuing Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy through a nearby motel courtyard. There, the suspect suggested to the deputy that he was armed, Hatcher said. The gunman crouched behind a vehicle and "popped up" to fire multiple rounds at the deputy, who returned fire, she said. The deputy retreated while giving verbal commands to drop the weapon. The suspect continued to fire at the deputy, Hatcher said. The suspect eventually surrendered when additional law enforcement arrived at the scene. He was taken to a hospital because of his elevated blood pressure, she said. She identified him as a gang member but did not elaborate. "In this particular situation, we're very fortunate no one else was hurt," Hatcher said. She said the suspect's handgun has been recovered. The HPD Homicide Division and the Harris County Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Division are among the agencies investigating the shooting. julian.gill@chron.com Midland County Public Libraries removed Pride displays at its two locations after residents complained that the displays, which featured LGBT books, rainbow banners and signs with phrases like you belong, were inappropriate. The displays were set up at the downtown and Centennial branches during the beginning of Pride Month in June 2020 and removed by Library Director Debbie Garza about two weeks later, according to three former employees. The employees said they frequently made displays for holidays and events like Black History Month as part of their job duties. I walked into work and the books were stacked on my desk from the display, said Hannah Woupio, a former library clerk. The signs had been taken down and my rainbow hearts that I put up were ripped down. A photo taken by Woupio shows piles of books on her desk with a note signed by Garza asking her to reshelve the books. Garza, who previously served as the Dawson County library director, was appointed by Midland County commissioners in the fall of 2019 after John Trischitti III resigned to assume the post of executive director of the Midland Development Corp. The three library employees said staff made Pride displays in June 2019 without issue. After the displays were removed the following year, the employees said they were told all displays going forward needed approval from Garza. Garza confirmed that she removed the displays, which were set up in the children and young adult sections, but said many of the books were left on shelves with some moved to the adult area. The books that were on display in the children and young adult sections were written for those age groups, according to the employees. Midland County Public Libraries/Facebook My goal is to make sure Im hearing what the employees are saying but at the same time I have to think about the community as a whole, Garza said. She said the library system strives to be a safe space and promote equality and inclusion. Theyre now reviewing their policies and procedures regarding displays and exhibits, she said. County Judge Terry Johnson said he and other members of the Commissioners Court received several complaints about the displays from residents. People were mad. They were really mad that it was up there, he said. They hated that little kids were going in and being indoctrinated with that lifestyle. He said he contacted Garza about the displays, and she said she hadnt yet seen the presentations and didnt know they had been set up. Something like that I believe we should have had some dialogue about, so it was kind of agreed to take it down, Johnson said. If they want to do it again, I think thats something the court should be involved in, especially when were the ones getting phone calls about it. The employees said many staff members were upset about the decision to remove the displays and asked Garza for an explanation, which they said they werent given. The employees in youth services were very upset about that because they had been trusted to handle book displays before that, said Frances Atha, a former exhibit coordinator. Having that ability taken away from them and having to have every single display formally approved by Debbie over email (after) was very upsetting. Woupio said she resigned within a month after the displays were removed, while another employee gave her two weeks notice the day they were taken down. The whole department was upset because even if you dont agree with it or the lifestyle, its still censorship, Woupio said. Several employees expressed concern to Garza that removing the displays violated the American Library Associations Bill of Rights regarding intellectual freedom, according to emails obtained by the Reporter-Telegram. Some articles in the ALA Bill of Rights state that exhibit spaces must be made available on an equitable basis and materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation. When staff said they would need to report the displays removals to the ALA because of possible censorship, Garza responded that if ALA or TLA or any organization is to be contacted, such contact will be made by my office, the emails show. The employees said they interpreted Garzas response as a directive to not report the incident. Woupio said she did file a report with the ALA but did not know the status of that report. A video of one of the Pride displays posted on Facebook on June 4 shows childrens LGBT books, rainbow bookmarks, a rainbow banner and You belong! sign. The post received positive feedback. A former employee in the youth services department who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the displays were popular with patrons and staff were often refilling empty shelf spaces after books were checked out. We set up the display and I will never forget seeing the faces of the teens that I worked so close with light up, she said. A teen cried as she looked at the display. She stayed in the teen area for an hour just looking at everything, smiling. She said she believed the feelings of staff and LGBT patrons were disregarded when the displays were removed, and the decision was a slap in the face and a horrible realization that homophobia existed within the library administration. Some children and teens who were looking for LGBT books asked library staff what happened to the displays after they were taken down, Woupio said. I said the director had it removed, and you could see them die a little bit inside, she said. I did my best to try to narrow down the book they wanted and find it on the shelves. But it was a nightmare. Athens Limestone Hospital's vaccine clinic is run at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Athens. On Monday, the vaccine clinic administered 106 vaccines to walk-ins. Andrew Apperson, a walk-in recipient, said it "just worked out great." Credit: Athens-Limestone Hospital on Facebook Credit: Athens-Limestone Hospital on Facebook Apperson said the convenience of just walking in led him to the clinic. The Pratt family felt the same way. All three of them came together and walked in for their coronavirus vaccines. "You know to not have to make an appointment and decide whether or not its a good time," said Nancy Pratt, a walk-in. Her husband, Robert Pratt, agreed. He said the walk-in clinic was a lot easier. The hospital said they looked at making the clinic available for walk-ins because less people were registering for the vaccine online. Ella Melvin, the vaccine coordinator, said, "We think this will be a great thing." Melvin said she hopes this allows more people to get vaccinated. When appointments are made, the clinic knows exactly how many doses of the vaccine are needed. Melvin said they do not want to waste any doses of the vaccine. "Were going to be drawing up vaccines today and tomorrow to gauge that, to see how many people we have coming," said Melvin. If at the end of the day, they have extra vaccines, Melvin said they'll call people with upcoming appointments to see if they can come in. If you want to make an appointment, you still have that option through the hospital's website. Melvin said they're discussing making the clinic completely walk-in based. That decision is not set in stone just yet. As of right now, walk-ins are welcome from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Masks are required at the clinic. PORTLAND, Ore. - Policies designed to prevent the misuse of opioids may have the unintended side effect of limiting access to the pain-relieving drugs by terminally ill patients nearing the end of their life, new research led by the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy suggests. A study of more than 2,500 hospital patients discharged to hospice care over a nine-year period showed a decreasing trend of opioid prescriptions as well as an increase in the prescribing of less powerful, non-opioid analgesics, meaning some of those patients might have been undertreated for their pain compared to similar patients in prior years. The findings, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, are an important step toward optimizing pain management and minimizing the suffering of dying patients. Hospice care refers to treatments whose goal is to maximize comfort and quality of life as opposed to prolonging life. Researchers at OSU, Oregon Health & Science University, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Ariadne Labs in Boston, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy used electronic health record data to examine 2,648 discharges of adult patients to hospice care. The discharges were from an acute care, academic hospital between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2018. The average patient age was 65, more than half had cancer, and the study sought to determine the year by year frequency of patients receiving opioid prescriptions. After adjusting for factors that could affect prescription frequency, including age, specific diagnosis and where the patient was to receive hospice care, the results showed a nearly 12% downward trend from the first year (91.2%) to the last (79.3%). "Pain is a common end-of-life symptom and it's often debilitating," said the study's lead author, Jon Furuno, an associate professor and the interim chair of the Oregon State Department of Pharmacy Practice, who notes that more than 60% of terminal cancer patients report "very distressing pain." Opioids, a class of drugs that block pain signals between the body and brain, are an effective pain management tool. But there are barriers, Furuno said, to the optimal prescribing of opioids. Among the hurdles are timely and accurate pain assessments, patient and caregiver concerns regarding addiction, and caregiver concerns about making mistakes in administering the meds. Additional obstacles are policies and practices aimed at limiting opioid use in response to the opioid epidemic. Traced to over-prescribing that began in the 1990s, the epidemic claims more than 40,000 American lives annually, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ten million people a year misuse prescription opioids and 2 million suffer from an opioid use disorder. Opioids can be highly addictive and they exist both as prescription painkillers like morphine, hydrocodone, fentanyl and oxycodone and street drugs such as heroin. Five years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced a guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, and there have been several other federal, state and local efforts over the last 10 years to curb opioid prescribing, Furuno said. "There are some concerns, however, that indiscriminate adoption or misapplication of these initiatives may be having unintended consequences," he said. "The CDC Prescribing Guideline and the other initiatives weren't meant to negatively affect patients at the end of their lives, but few studies have really looked at whether that's happening. Our results quantify a decrease in opioids among patients who are often in pain and for whom the main goal is comfort and quality of life." Furuno adds that the concurrent increase in non-opioid analgesic prescriptions suggests health care providers remained concerned about pain management even as they wrote fewer opioid prescriptions. "Sometimes non-opioids alone are the best choice, or non-opioids in combination with opioids," he said. "But it's important to remember that non-opioids alone are also not without risk and that delaying the start of opioid therapy may be delaying relief from pain. "Even among patients prescribed opioids during the last 24 hours of their inpatient hospital stay, opioid prescribing upon discharge decreased," Furuno added. "It seems unlikely that patients would merit an opioid prescription on their last day in the hospital but not on their first day in hospice care, and it's well documented that interruptions in the continuity of pain treatment on transition to hospice are associated with poor patient outcomes." ### Collaborating with Furuno were Daniel Hartung and Brie Noble of the OSU College of Pharmacy, Erik Fromme of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Ariadne Labs, Jennifer Tija of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Mary Lynn McPherson of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and Joan Teno of Oregon Health & Science University. Tubulis today announced the appointment of Gunter Fingerle-Rowson, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer to complement the leadership team and to further build the company's clinical expertise. Dr. Fingerle-Rowson is an experienced hematologist and medical oncologist who brings to Tubulis more than two decades of academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry experience. Moreover, he has a proven track record of advancing product candidates from early clinical phase through regulatory approval and into clinical practice. In this newly established role, he will use his extensive knowledge in the development of cancer therapeutics to oversee Tubulis' clinical activities and advance the company's Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) towards clinical evaluation. "Gunter is an expert in developing successful clinical oncology programs that resulted in the regulatory approval of several monoclonal antibodies. His wealth of experience and his track record of execution will be a great asset to Tubulis as we transition towards becoming an established clinical-stage drug developer," said Dr. Dominik Schumacher, CEO and co-founder of Tubulis. "In addition, his background in translational research in immuno-oncology will further strengthen our team and our capabilities to rapidly deliver the benefits of our ADC approach to cancer patients." Dr. Fingerle-Rowson commented: "I am thrilled to join Tubulis to be part of the team that brings ADC technology to a new level. The technological advancements that the company has made in a short period of time and the team's clear vision to become a leader in the field of ADCs instantly drew my interest. I look forward to help shape the clinical development plan for Tubulis' exciting technology platform and to bring its first candidate TUB-010 to patients in the near term. Tubulis' proprietary ADC technology enables us to develop novel ADCs that have a better versability and an improved benefit/risk profile than current ADC options." Prior to joining Tubulis, Dr. Fingerle-Rowson worked in Global Clinical Development at MorphoSys and F. Hoffmann-La Roche as well as in Medical Affairs at Janssen-Cilag, a J&J company. He has contributed to bring three drugs to patients with malignancies. In his latest role as VP, Global Product Head at MorphoSys, he steered the clinical development as well as the regulatory approval for Tafasitamab (MOR208, Monjuvi). From 2011-2018, he served as Associate Medical Group Director, Global Development Team Leader and Global Clinical Leader at F. Hoffmann-La Roche where he was responsible for the clinical development and regulatory approvals of Obinutuzumab (GA101, Gazyva). Dr. Fingerle-Rowson also worked as Medical Manager at Janssen-Cilag, and as academic physician in internal medicine, hemato-oncology at the University Hospitals in Cologne and Munich where he also led own research in the field of immuno-oncology. Dr. Fingerle-Rowson was a longstanding active member of the German CLL Study Group where he contributed to the approval of Rituximab. He is a board-certified hematologist/medical oncologist and holds an MD in Internal Medicine from Munich University, and a MD-PhD in Molecular Medicine from New York University. About Tubulis Tubulis generates uniquely matched protein-drug conjugates through the combination of novel proprietary technologies and disease-specific biologic insight. Our goal is to expand the therapeutic potential of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) by increasing design flexibility while overcoming constraints of toxicity, efficacy and indication. Tubulis will build new conjugates to fill its pipeline and will collaborate with partners to usher in a new ADC era and deliver better outcomes for patients. Visit www.tubulis.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005121/en/ Contacts: For Tubulis Dominik Schumacher, CEO Co-Founder Phone: 49 (0) 89 2180 74233 Email: info@tubulis.com Media Requests for Tubulis Trophic Communications Stephanie May or Laura Mittmann Phone: +49 (0) 171 185 5682 Email: tubulis@trophic.eu Artist Uses Wet Plate Photography to Portray Native American Indiansand the Photos Are Stunning Stumbling across an archaic photography technique known as wet plate, artist Shane Balkowitsch began a 20-year project to portray the Northern Plains Native Americans in the modern day. The nostalgic process would allow the North Dakotan photographer to display their spirit, pride, and enduring culture in a manner like no other technique. Balkowitschs series of 1,000 portraits called Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective is being donated in its entirety to the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Inspired by photographer Edward Curtis, whose dry plate photography immortalized Native American culture at the turn of the 20th century, Balkowitschs first series subject was Ernie LaPointe, the great-grandson of Sitting Bull. The image remains the artists favorite to this day. It set the tone for his future endeavors. It just seemed right, he told My Modern Met. It is now my lifes work. Holding photoshoots on Fridays, Balkowitsch invites his subjects to his Bismarck studio to sit, in traditional dress, for the 10 to 12 seconds in natural-light exposure needed to capture each image. Its not really a photograph, he reflects, but more a 10-second movie in which there are heartbeats, a couple of shallow breaths, all captured on the plate. Balkowitsch nurtures relationships with all of his subjects. By virtue of word of mouth, his studio is fully booked months in advance. Entirely self-taught, the artist first picked up an 810 camera in 2012. Drawn to a wet plate image he saw online, he cut his first plate by hand within 45 days, and his brother Chad became his first subject. Balkowitsch lauds wet plate as the most romantic photographic process that has ever been created. Invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1848, the process involves coating black glass plates in collodion and silver nitrate solutions that, while still wet, will render an image when exposed to bright light. The result is a distinctively dignified, seemingly unselfconscious still, harking back to a bygone era. I think it is very important that as technology moves forward, we embrace and continue to celebrate, and not forget, important processes from the past, Balkowitsch shared with The Epoch Times in an artist statement. His first series exhibition of 145 plates, held at the Bismarck Art and Galleries Association in November 2017, broke the gallerys 25-year attendance record. That same year, Balkowitsch built and opened his Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio in Bismarck. The 1,800-square-foot space, with UV windows and skylights, allows Balkowitsch to replicate the studio photography conditions of his predecessors. Completing his 20-year journey, Balkowitsch, currently the only wet plate photographer in North Dakota, intends to publish four books, each containing 50 of his favorite works. In the foreword to his first volume, Dakota Goodhouse of the Hunkpapha Lakota Tribe describes seeing his own wet plate portrait develop before his eyes. It was more than looking in the mirror and seeing a reflection. It was more than looking at a painting and recognizing ones self. It was like a dream, and that self-recognition woke something inside me, he wrote. I could understand in that one moment what it must have been like for relatives to have had their portrait taken as a wet plate long ago. In October 2018, Balkowitsch was given the name Shadow Catcher by Hidatsa elder Calvin Grinnell in a formal ceremony held in his studio. He calls it the largest honor of his life. The artist shares updates of his work on Facebook and on his website. An award-winning documentary Balkowitsch chronicles the artists extraordinary journey to the present day. In a digital world, he reflects, history can easily be lost to the ether. Wet plate, as a tangible analog record, shall endure. I want people to understand that Native Americans are still here. They still have their heritage, they still have their regalia, they still have their language and song, Balkowitsch said. They have endured. No matter what we have done to them, they are still here in front of us, reminding us who the first people really are. 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 Claude Sfeir's journey to becoming one of the world's foremost watch collectors began in an unlikely place: the old Dubai gold souk. It was in the gold trade that he first came to learn about watches, a business that he turned into a lifelong passion. In several decades, Sfeirs love affair with exceptional timepieces has not waned. The thrill of the hunt has led him to some of the 20th centurys most important watches like Patek Philippes Sky Moon Tourbillon Reference 5001T and Gerald Gentas ref. 3700 Albino Prototype, ancestor to Patek Philippes Nautilus line of which Sfeir owns nearly all the references. His most beloved timepiece, a 1942 Rolex split-seconds chronograph Reference 4113, reflects the road travelled since his first Rolex, a Reference 6694 he bought for about $80. Claude Sfeir Claude Sfeir Besides his impressive collection, Sfeir has been a steadfast supporter of fine and mostly independent watchmaking. His ongoing backing of the project known as Naissance dune Montre has helped raise millions to preserve artisanal watchmaking. His admiration of independent watchmakers has brought him closer to Philippe Dufour and Francois-Paul Journe, even partnering with Journe in Dubai and Beirut. From a front-row seat in charity auctions, Sfeir has made generous contributions to any number of causes. His heartfelt support of the Only Watch auction to benefit research in the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy has been visible from the start. He has helped bring millions to Only Watch, backing its founder Luc Pettavino in Monaco, and placing many winning bids on the unique timepieces auctioned in multiples of their estimates. Sfeirs position as a longstanding jury member of the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve is evidence of his influence in the watch industry and the respect that he commands in its most prestigious circles. Still, his ultimate dream has yet to be fulfilled. Sfeirs wish is to have his own museum: a safe place to show his watches, where people can come and enjoy them, almost as much as he does. *On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with a 10% discount if you use the following code: WT2021. Order now Former President Donald Trump acknowledges people as he gets in his SUV outside Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City on March 9, 2021. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters) Trump Very Seriously Considering 2024 Run, Plans to Help GOP in 2022 Former President Donald Trump is focused on helping Republicans flip the House of Representatives in 2022 but is also mulling another presidential run two years later. We are going to help with the House. I think we have a really good chance. Im working with everybody, including [House Republican Leader] Kevin McCarthy, in taking back the House. I think we have a really good chance, Trump said during an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity that aired late April 19. Wresting back control of the Senate will be harder, but Trump and his team plan to help with that as well. If they need a rally, well do a rally. Well do calls, well do all sorts of things. No, nowere all in, Trump told Hannity. Trump views Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) as a strong candidate to win a seat in Alabama that will become vacant with the retirement of Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). He sees New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu as a potential winner in the race there, as Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) battles for another term, and says the GOP has good candidates in Ohio, where Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is leaving office. Almost everybody I endorse wins, Trump said, taking credit for boosting Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) in her recent race to succeed her husband, who died before being sworn in. Candidates were told to run on Trumps Make America Great Again agenda if they want to win, fighting for things such as strong border enforcement and lower taxes. If they want to win, yes, Trump said. If you want to win and win big, you have to do that. You have to do it, he said, recalling how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott conveyed to him that the states Republican candidates saw the biggest Hispanic vote in decades in the 2020 election. Then-President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on June 19, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trump supported many Republicans in the election, campaigning across the country for candidates for reelection or election in both the upper and lower chambers. Republicans lost three seats in the Senate in the election. Because they also lost the White House, they ceded control of the upper chamber to Democrats. Each party has 50 senators, but Vice President Kamala Harris can cast tiebreaking votes. Republicans flipped 15 seats in the lower chamber, including one held by a Libertarian. The party narrowed the Democrats majority to six from 35, including Letlows recent win. As for 2024, Trump said he still hasnt made a final decision. I say this. I am looking at it very seriously. Beyond seriously, he said. From a legal standpoint, I dont want to really talk about it yet. Its a little too soon. ZWEIBRUCKEN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / RAM Group DE GmbH (RAM Group), a German sensor company that is part of RAM Group Global PTE LTD, has been selected from more than 700 companies as one of nine winners of the $6M XPRIZE Rapid COVID Testing Competition ; a global challenge to develop faster, cheaper, and easier to use COVID-19 testing methods at scale with the potential to open up schools, offices and the broader economy. RAM Group was awarded the prize in the Open Innovation Category for their Terahertz-based digital diagnostic platform (ThEA) that identifies the COVID-19 virus and other pathogens via direct, electronic detection without the need of costly chemical reagents or lab testing. With the ability to process samples in less than two minutes, RAM Group's ThEA platform can manage real-time testing in settings such as schools, airports, large employers, and stadiums where large numbers of people congregate and risk spreading the virus. "Conventional PCR approaches to diagnostics are based on biochemistry and have complicated protocols, requiring special reagents and are difficult to scale. RAM Group decided to approach diagnostics from a physics and semiconductor perspective and have made a breakthrough with the potential to reshape diagnostics," said RAM Group Global CEO and founder Ayal Ram. "Our ThEA platform is biochemical free-contactless, portable, completely digital, and extremely user-friendly and offers significantly stronger viral detection, delivering fast, accurate results even before a patient exhibits symptoms of viral infection." The Terahertz Express Analyzer (ThEA) represents a wholly new approach to diagnostics by employing RAM Group's next-generation sensor technology using terahertz frequencies to detect a pathogen's genetic frequency signature - the energy release pattern unique to each type of biomolecule. The ThEA platform can detect any pathogen's unique genetic frequency signature and is capable of detecting new variants and performs better than other solutions in the market at low viral thresholds. The platform represents the first application of semiconductor science to SARS-CoV-2 testing and offers a cloud-connected diagnostic that yields accurate analysis at the point of use and provides secure, sharable data-all in less than two minutes. It requires no expensive chemical reagents, no cumbersome transportation of samples, and no specialized laboratories. Testing via throat swabs or RAM Group's proprietary breathalyzer yields accurate diagnoses in under two minutes. The digital nature of the ThEA platform means that RAM Group can potentially diagnose any pathogen and update the system in a fraction of the time required by biochemistry-based protocols. When the next pandemic threat hits, a software update with the new genetic frequency signature can be pushed out to the machines within a day of receipt of samples. There is no need for a long delay as new reagents, cartridges, and primers are shipped around the world. Dr. Jody Ranck (RAM Group EVP, Global Health Strategy) notes that the ThEA platform is ideal for pandemic preparedness efforts due to the simplicity and scalability that gives public health departments much more agility in responding to biosecurity threats. "With a digital diagnostic platform such as ThEA, we can respond earlier and minimize the need for lockdowns and loss of life. One of the biggest lessons we learned in 2020 is that rapid, scalable diagnostics are the cornerstone of effective strategies to contain epidemics," Rank said. "Investments in platforms such as ThEA will be vital to successful global biosecurity efforts of the future. Networks of decentralized, digital diagnostics can make a dramatic difference in our response to threats in contrast to centralized laboratories with RT-PCR approaches used currently." The ThEA COVID-19 test currently has CE approval for use in the European Union, Ministry of Health and Protection (MOHAP) approval for the United Arab Emirates. RAM Group is currently completing testing in the US for submission of Emergency Use Authorization to the FDA. About RAM Group RAM Group is a German next-generation sensor company that shifted focus to COVID testing in the early stages of the pandemic after realizing the potential to harness their technology to develop a novel digital diagnostic platform that was simpler to use than traditional RT-PCR tests. ThEA is as accurate as RT-PCR with high levels of sensitivity, less expensive, and faster than existing protocols. Furthermore, a digital diagnostic platform represents a significant breakthrough in the diagnostics sector with wide-ranging implications for the future. About XPRIZE XPRIZE is a global future-positive movement of over 1M people and rising, delivering truly radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. XPRIZE inspires and empowers a global community of problem-solvers to positively impact our world by crowdsourcing solutions through large-scale competitions, tackling the world's grandest challenges in exploration, environment, and human equity. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, $10 Million XPRIZE Rainforest, $15 Million XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, $6 Million XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing, $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE, $5 Million XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling, $1 Million Next-Gen Mask Challenge, and $500,000 Pandemic Response Challenge. Donate, sign up or join a team at xprize.org. For More Information Contact: Jody Ranck, DrPH (jody@ramglobal.com) Related Images SOURCE: RAM Group Global PTE LTD View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641401/RAM-Group-Germany-Awarded-XPRIZE-for-Rapid-COVID-Testing-Using-Sensors-Instead-of-PCR-Tests--Ushering-in-New-Age-of-Digital-Diagnostics Registered Nurse Robert Orallo administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Blood Bank of Alaska in Anchorage on March 19, 2021. - Alaska became the first state in the country last week to open vaccination access to everyone over the age of 16 and has fully vaccinated 16 percent of the state's population, the highest rate in the country. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) Alaska to Allow Family Members to Visit Fully Vaccinated Inmates Alaska is set to allow family members of fully vaccinated inmates to visit them in correctional facilities starting Wednesday, according to a Department of Corrections press release. Public visitations in Alaskas prisons were halted over a year ago, along with all nonessential access, due to concerns about COVID-19 outbreaks in correctional facilities. This has been a challenging year and we appreciate everyones patience and flexibility as we gradually restore our facilities to their pre-COVID operations, Department of Corrections Commissioner Nancy Dahlstrom said in the release. Visitation will be by appointment, physical contact will not be allowed, and masks will have to be worn, the release states. The resumption of family visits pertains to all correctional facilities statewide, except in Anchorage and Ketchikan, which are struggling with spikes in new infections. Only inmates who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will qualify for family visits, and only after two weeks have lapsed following their second shot, according to Anchorage Daily News. Three recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight the dangers of COVID-19 in prisons, noting exacerbating factors like difficulty maintaining physical distancing, limited space for isolation or quarantine, poor ventilation, limited resources for testing and personal protective equipment, and vaccine hesitancy among inmates. The authors of one of the studies, which looked at the dynamics of an outbreak in a prison in Wisconsin, called for correctional facilities to adopt more effective mitigation measures, including enhanced intake quarantine procedures and encouraging inmates to get vaccinated. Sarah Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Alaskas Department of Corrections (DOC), told Anchorage Daily News that the decision to restrict family visits to vaccinated inmates is a risk-mitigation measure meant to reduce the likelihood of an outbreak. Every inmate who participates in visitation goes back into a housing unit with 30-100 other offenders, many with elevated risk factors. Our main concern is not just that one inmate, it is also the hundreds of others with whom they have regular close contact, Gallagher told the outlet. Vaccine hesitancy among inmates and varying rates of COVID-19 spread in Alaskas prisons have been hindering efforts to lift restrictions at correctional facilities. Dr. Robert Lawrence, chief medical officer with the Alaska Department of Corrections, told Alaska Public Media in late March that different parts of the state would likely reopen to visitors at different times. I would say the real marker, the metric to be following are those community transmission rates, he said at the time. The department has undertaken efforts aimed at addressing the hesitancy some inmates feel about being vaccinated, including by showing videos, small group discussions, or having nurses visit cells to offer vaccines or offer to answer questions, the outlet reported. One of the CDC studies showed that around 45 percent of inmates in prisons in California, Florida, Texas, and Washington state were willing to get the vaccine. Trevor Stefano, an inmate staying at Pt. Mackenzie Correctional Farm, told Alaska Public Media that lack of confidence in the Department of Corrections, along with various rumors about the vaccine, were fueling hesitancy. That it might cause impotency, might be some sort of nano tracking device. Like I mean, Ive heard the whole every little reason why, he said. POMPANO BEACH, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Empowered Diagnostics LLC, one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, announced today that it received CE marking for its CovClear COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test. CovClear is a lower-cavity nasal swab test that can detect active COVID-19 infection within about two days of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, before a person becomes contagious. The test produces highly accurate results within minutes, and is quick, comfortable and simple to use. It has been researched, developed and manufactured in the U.S., and is produced using the highest quality materials available. "We are empowering people worldwide with the knowledge and confidence to understand their health," said Barry Abraham, President of Empowered Diagnostics. "CovClear receiving a CE mark is an important step in delivering access to extremely accurate, affordable rapid testing throughout the European Union. We are proud to lead the global effort in raising the bar for high-sensitivity diagnostic tests." CovClear has 99.7% accuracy, 98.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity. "Highly sensitive tests are essential for preventing the spread of COVID-19 by minimizing false negatives and, therefore, the false confidence delays that discourage people from re-testing," Abraham said. With a manufacturing capacity of 20 million tests per month, Empowered Diagnostics is uniquely equipped to deliver critically needed tests worldwide. In addition to CovClear, the company developed the ImmunoPass COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Rapid Test, which measures levels of virus-neutralizing antibodies that indicate immunity. CovClear was developed and engineered for at-home testing. FDA Emergency Use Authorization, in addition to authorization in the United Kingdom and Canada, is anticipated in the coming weeks. Empowered Diagnostics is working closely with the FDA to secure over-the-counter designation for CovClear. Tests are currently used in the U.S. for corporate surveillance and self-screening programs, ensuring that employees remain safe and healthy as they head back to the office. The CovClear test will be available at doctors' offices, pharmacies and other point-of-care locations throughout the European Union. About Empowered Diagnostics Empowered Diagnostics delivers innovative, best-in-class diagnostic tests backed by leading experts in healthcare and biotechnology. Our mission is to empower people with the knowledge and confidence to understand their health through reliable, affordable, high-quality tests. Based in Pompano Beach, Florida, Empowered Diagnostics is one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of rapid diagnostic solutions. Media Contact: Emily Greifeld RF|Binder emily.greifeld@rfbinder.com 212-994-7633 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 20, 2021 2021/04/20 CCTV: This morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech via video link at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021. There were a lot of important messages in his speech. Could you tell us a bit more? Wang Wenbin: This year's Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference is the first large-scale international conference held mostly offline amid the COVID-19 epidemic, drawing widespread attention worldwide. At the opening ceremony this morning, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech titled "Pulling Together Through Adversity and Toward a Shared Future for All", in which he elaborated on China's visions and proposals to strengthen global governance in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic and other major changes unseen in a century. It is of great significance for enhancing confidence and building up consensus to lead countries in Asia and beyond to defeat the virus and embrace a better future. In his speech, President Xi put forward four proposals on joining hands to fight the epidemic, strengthening global governance and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind: We need consultation on an equal footing to create a future of shared benefits. We need openness and innovation to create a future of development and prosperity. We need solidarity and cooperation to create a future of health and security. We need commitment to justice to create a future of mutual respect and mutual learning. President Xi stressed that world affairs should be handled through extensive consultation, and the future of the world should be decided by all countries working together. We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others, or allow unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world. What we need in today's world is justice, not hegemony. In this age of economic globalization, openness and integration is an unstoppable historical trend. Attempts to "erect walls" or "decouple" run counter to the law of economics and market principles. They would hurt others' interests without benefiting oneself. It is also important that we take comprehensive measures to improve global governance on public health security and work together for a global community of health for all. We must reject the cold-war and zero-sum mentality and oppose a new "Cold War" and ideological confrontation in whatever forms. We must advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity. President Xi announced that once the pandemic gets under control, China will host the second Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations. President Xi's speech carries great significance and helps guide countries to work together to address major crises and challenges facing mankind, and promote a more equitable and fair system of global governance, which was warmly received among all parties. President Xi pointed out in his speech that Belt and Road cooperation pursues development, aims at mutual benefits, and conveys a message of hope. Going forward, we will continue to work with other parties in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. We will follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and champion the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, in a bid to make Belt and Road cooperation high-standard, people-centered and sustainable. We will build a closer partnership for health cooperation, connectivity, green development, and openness and inclusiveness. This has chartered course for and lent impetus to BRI international cooperation, which is welcomed by all parties. It is believed that with the active participation of all parties, this year's BFA Annual Conference will achieve fruitful results and make positive contributions to helping countries in Asia and beyond step out of the doldrums and achieve economic recovery and development. Reuters: There have been reports that the land border between North Korea and China has reopened and we've seen increasing trade. I wonder if the ministry can confirm whether that's the case or give us any information when it might expect North Korea to ease restrictions and allow trade at the land border with China? Wang Wenbin: China and the DPRK are friendly, close neighbors that have a demand for normal economic and trade exchanges. China respects DPRK's anti-epidemic measures and is ready to enhance exchanges and cooperation across the board with the country on the basis of ensuring safety in the context of COVID-19. China Review News: On May 19, the New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta delivered a speech at the New Zealand China Council, saying that the New Zealand-China comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing very well and the relationship with China is one of the most important bilateral relationships for New Zealand. New Zealand has always adhered to the one-China policy and the two sides enjoy great potential for cooperation in many areas, including economy, agriculture, optimization of business environment and multilateral and regional cooperation. The New Zealand side seeks to manage relations between the two countries in a consistent and predictable manner through diplomatic channel and with dialogue. At the same time, the government will speak out on issues such as Xinjiang, Hong Kong and cyber security when necessary. What is China's comment on that? Wang Wenbin: We noted relevant reports and appreciates the fact that the New Zealand government attaches importance to and commits itself to developing bilateral relations. China and New Zealand are each other's important cooperative partners. Over the past 49 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-New Zealand relations have made considerable progress and many "firsts" have been created in our cooperation. Under the new circumstances, China is ready to make joint efforts with New Zealand to carry forward the spirit of "striving to be the first", strengthen dialogue, deepen cooperation, rise above distractions and work for greater development of China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership. In the meantime, I would like to point out that China is firmly determined to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. We are always firmly opposed to other countries using the so-called Hong Kong, Xinjiang and other issues to interfere in China's internal affairs, and opposed to groundless accusations against China on cyber security and other issues. NHK: It is reported that Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department decided today to investigate a Chinese male in his 30s who is suspected of renting server used by Chinese military in cyber-attacks. What's your comment? This man is believed to have left Japan. If Japan files an application for verification to China, will China provide assistance? Wang Wenbin: I am not aware of the situation you mentioned. Global Times: French writer Maxime Vivas said in a recent interview that he has been harassed and verbally abused by social media users after publishing the book titled Uyghurs: To Put an End to Fake News, but there is less and less allegations of "refugee camp" and "genocide" in Xinjiang in French media reports. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: I noted relevant reports. When certain Western politicians and media are frantically spreading lies on Xinjiang, some righteous people have stepped forward to tell the truth and expose Xinjiang-related lies and the conspiracy behind the lies. Maxime Vivas is one of them. In his book titled Uyghurs: To Put an End to Fake News, he tells people with his first-hand experience that there is not any so-called "concentration camp" in Xinjiang, and the allegation of "genocide" is more than preposterous. Besides Vivas, the South China Morning Post also pointed in its recent article "Xinjiang: what the West doesn't tell you about China's war on terror" that it is actually quite remarkable that China has been able to rein in terrorism, an intractable problem anywhere in the world, without inflicting as much collateral damage like the US. This is rare in the world, but this point never seems to be made in the torrent of outrage pouring from the Western press. US website The Grayzone and the Australian Citizens Party's publication the Australian Alert Service also published articles to explain the real situation in Xinjiang. Mr. Vivas said in the interview that he had been subjected to pressure from the public opinion and society and even threats for presenting the real situation in Xinjiang. We want to give him a thumbs-up for his courage to reveal the truth and hope more people will cheer him on. Prejudice cannot endure and rumors are doomed to fall apart. We believe that more and more people will get to know the real situation in Xinjiang. The Paper: It is reported that some in Japan said that since China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopt much lower standards than Japan on the disposal of wastewater from nuclear power plants, it makes no sense that China and the ROK criticize Japan on the issue from a scientific perspective. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Relevant remarks by the Japanese side are a distortion of concepts aimed at diverting attention. They run counter to science and are extremely irresponsible. I must stress that contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear accident is in essence different from the water discharged from the normal operation of nuclear power plants. First, they are different in source. Water discharged from the normal operation of nuclear power plants follows common international standards. It is released in an organized way after treatment and test for compliance with standards. It is not radioactive wastewater. This is proved to be safe and controllable after years of practice by nuclear power plants worldwide. The Fukushima nuclear accident is the highest-level nuclear accident. The contaminated water is composed of cooling water injected into the melted reactor core, as well as groundwater and rainwater. It consists large amounts of radioactive isotopes which are created in the fission process and non-existent in nature. There is no precedent to refer to and the impact on marine environment and public health cannot be neglected. Second, they are different in the level of treatment difficulty. Water discharged from the normal operation of nuclear power plants follow common international standards. It is released in an organized way after treatment and test for compliance with standards. It is not radioactive wastewater. The contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear accident needs to be purified with the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), a multi-nuclide removal system, but whether the treated water will be up to standards needs to be verified. A report released by the Subcommittee on Handling of the ALPS Treated Water on February 10 last year shows that 73% of the contaminated water treated by the ALPS exceeds Japan's standards for discharge by December 31, 2019. According to data released by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the activity and density of iodine-129 in the contaminated water exceeded standards for many times even after filtered through ALPS. The US journal Science, one of the world's most authoritative academic journal, carried an article on April 13 pointing out that more dangerous isotopes with longer radioactive lifetimes, such as ruthenium, cobalt, strontium, and plutonium, sometimes slip through the ALPS process. A big question mark should be placed on whether Japan can ensure long-term, stable operation of the treatment process. Japan had proposed five ways to dispose of the contaminated nuclear water: release as hydrogen gas into the atmosphere, injection into geosphere layers, underground burial, vapor release and discharge into the ocean. Japan has not reached any consensus through consultation with the rest of the international community and the stakeholders. Neither has it tried all means for safe disposal. Under such condition, citing limited storage space at the site and for self-interest, Japan has unilaterally opted for discharge into the sea as it costs the least to its economy. However, by doing so, it has presented the biggest environmental health and safety risk to the world and shifted its own responsibility to all mankind, which is a highly irresponsible act. What Japan should do now is stop misleading the public with pseudoscience. Instead, it should take a truly science-based attitude, face up to the doubts and objections of the international community, earnestly fulfill its international obligations, correct its unilateral wrong decision to dispose of the contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear accidents by dumping it into the sea, and take concrete actions to win the trust of neighboring countries and the international community. Bloomberg: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid out in a speech on Monday how Washington plans to adjust its foreign policy to reflect goals for dealing with climate change. He said the US is falling behind China in seizing opportunities created by climate change but also said the Biden administration won't let other countries get away with bad practices such as human rights abuses because they're making progress on curbing climate change. What's the Foreign Ministry's comment? Wang Wenbin: First of all, I'd like to point out that I stated China's position on the human rights issues yesterday. What the US should do is earnestly reflect on its own wrong behaviors violating human rights in other countries, rather than meddling in other countries' domestic affairs under the pretext of human rights. To answer your question on tackling climate change, the international community has witnessed China's actions and outcomes in tackling climate change. As to who is making contributions with concrete actions and who is seeking selfish interests through empty talk, the world has its fair conclusion. We hope the US will find its right place, come back to compliance with international law and multilateralism, pool strength globally and encourage broad participation to jointly tackle global environmental crisis. Reuters: I want to ask about the Human Rights Watch report released yesterday that said China's actions in Xinjiang met the criteria for crimes against humanity as defined by the International Criminal Court. What's the ministry's comment on that? Wang Wenbin: The so-called "human rights organization" you mentioned has always been full of prejudice and engaged in misleading the public. The relevant report is pure slander. We have talked on many occasions about Xinjiang's overall social stability, economic and social development and people living a happy life there. The accusation of "genocide" and "crimes against humanity" are lies of the century concocted by certain Western countries and anti-China forces. Their goal is to put restriction and crack down on relevant sides and companies in China, undermine stability and security in Xinjiang and contain China's development. The accusation of the so-called "Uyghurs detained in Xinjiang" is also false. Certain organizations have spread relevant fallacies based on lies and disinformation concocted by anti-China forces, out of prejudice against China and for political purposes. We are firmly opposed to and totally reject their groundless accusations and slanders. Not long ago, the Secretary-General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ambassadors and diplomats from 21 countries visited Xinjiang. Through first-hand experience and what they've seen and heard on the ground, they believed that the Western anti-China forces' smears against Xinjiang are groundless, and they understand and support Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization effort, appreciates Xinjiang's stability, unprecedented economic progress and prosperity. At the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, more than 80 countries supported China's position on Xinjiang-related issues in different ways. Some organizations and media have turned a deaf ear to the authoritative information provided to them by the Chinese government on many occasions, and acted as the "mouthpiece" and "amplifier" of lies and disinformation. This seriously violates the principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity. We welcome foreign friends with fair and objective view to visit Xinjiang and other places in China. What we oppose is the so-called "investigation" based on presumption of guilt and fabrication of lies with attempt to smear China. We hope that the parties concerned will respect the facts and truth, shake off ideological bias, and stop spreading false information and fallacies. Kyodo News Agency: At the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, how many countries supported China on issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong? Can you give us a specific figure? In addition, how many countries are against China on these issues? Wang Wenbin: During the recently concluded 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, a total of 64 countries issued a joint statement to support China's policies in Xinjiang and 71 countries expressed support to China in another joint statement on Hong Kong-related issues. If you want more details, I'd refer you to the secretariat of the UN Human Rights Council. Xinhua News Agency: The chief executive of Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla, said he hopes the US will lift the embargo of raw material exports out of the US, so that vaccine production can ramp up. The head of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the world can bring the global COVID-19 pandemic under control in the coming months provided it distributes the necessary resources including vaccine fairly. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: According to statistics, the US is currently the world's second largest producer of COVID-19 vaccines, but very few of its vaccines have been exported. The US news website Axios said "Billions of people around the world are waiting impatiently for access to a COVID-19 vaccine. But 30 million doses of vaccine are sitting in Ohio, gathering dust." The widening of the "vaccine divide" will harm the interests of all mankind. When developing countries are struggling with the epidemic, how can the US remain safe and sound? We should uphold fairness and justice by making vaccines available and affordable to the people of developing countries and providing assistance to countries and regions vulnerable to the epidemic. We call on the international community to work together to make vaccines a global public good, promote equitable distribution and use of vaccines around the world, and strive for an early victory over the epidemic. We also urge the US to shoulder its due international responsibilities. Bloomberg: I'd like to refer to an earlier question from my colleague from NHK. My question is similar, but not the same. Japan's NHK has reported that China's military instructed a hacker group to conduct cyber attacks on nearly 200 Japanese research institutions. What's the Foreign Ministry's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: We have taken note of the report. As China has always underscored, given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, it's important to have ample evidence when investigating and identifying cyber-related incidents. China firmly opposes attempt by any country or institution to sling mud at China under the pretext of cyber attacks, or exploit cyber security issues to serve its political purposes. I want to emphasize that cyber hacking is a common challenge faced by all countries. According to the report of the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (known as CNCERT/CC), in February this year alone, 830,000 computers with IP addresses in China were controlled by 8,734 Trojans or zombie programs, 70% of which came from abroad. China is ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with all parties to jointly address cyber security threats. China News Service: According to a Dutch consultancy report, Huawei may have eavesdropped on phone conversations of Dutch telecom provider KPN's users without KPN's knowledge. In response, KPN said the report was compiled for the purposes of risk analysis and never confirmed that Huawei had monitored any of its mobile users or acquired data. Huawei's office in the Netherlands said that Huawei employees don't have access to KPN's network and data. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports and noticed that KPN and Huawei both made clarifications in response. Relevant accusations targeting Huawei cannot hold water. For quite some time, we've seen many groundless accusations and smearing against Chinese companies. This phenomenon merits some deep thinking and calls into question the true intention behind it. In the past 30 years, Huawei has developed over 1,500 networks in more than 170 countries and regions, having 228 Fortune 500 companies as clients and serving more than 3 billion people all over the world. There was not a single cybersecurity incident, tapping or surveillance operation. Huawei has long publicly expressed its readiness to sign a "no back door" agreement and to set up a cyber security assessment center in any country to receive external scrutiny. So far, no other company has ever made the same commitment and no company or individual has ever provided any confirmed evidence to prove that Huawei is a security threat. Some countries and individuals, by using the so-called national security and ideology as pretexts, groundlessly accuse Chinese companies of data theft. They have even gone so far as to concoct lies to defame and smear Chinese companies. This is how they suppress competitors in an attempt to uphold their own monopoly. Countries should boycott discrimination against other countries in the science and technology sector with the same efforts in opposing racial discrimination, uphold fair competition and market principles, abide by international economic and trade rules and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for all companies. My Only Lasting Satisfaction After four years of texting, we were finally going to meet. My father had died. On my way to my family in Venezuela, I stopped in Colombia, where my online lover lived. He had me at my most vulnerable. For three days, we loved intensely, making promises about marriage, dreaming of canary-yellow diamond rings. I left for work. Our dreams sustained me. Then we broke, and I broke too. My only satisfaction is the Pablo Neruda poem I left in his room. It reads: Cuantas veces, amor, te sone sin verte? How many times, love, did I dream of you without seeing you? Sebastian Cabrices 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! New York: A guide fishing just west of Yellowstone National Park in Montana has died after he was attacked by a large grizzly bear that might have been protecting a moose carcass, local authorities said. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks spokesman Morgan Jacobsen said the attack took place near the Bakers Hole campground, about 5 kilometres north of West Yellowstone, last Thursday. Officers search the site of the grizzly bear mauling just outside Yellowstone. Credit:AP The victim, 40-year-old Charles Mock from West Yellowstone, was carrying a fishing pole and bear mace when he was attacked by what Jacobsen described as a large older male grizzly bear. Emergency responders arrived within 50 minutes of Mock calling 911 for help and saw the bear, Jacobsen said. He was taken to Idaho Falls for treatment but died of his injuries on Saturday (Sunday AEST). Pandemic-related issues surrounding annual standardized tests, which some students are taking now, has sparked new controversy on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The annual exams, called LEAP 2025, measure what students know about math, English, science and social studies. The results typically play a major role in all-important letter grades assigned to public schools and school districts. Louisiana students will resume testing soon, but how will the exam results will be used? One year after key tests were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Louisiana public school students will soon resume traditional year Belinda Davis, a member of BESE, said Tuesday she is concerned that the state has not sought a waiver for participation rates even though some students are opting not to take the tests because of health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We have parents who have kept their kids out of schools an entire school year for very good reasons," Davis said. "Either they are medically fragile or they have grandparents living with them and right now our policy is those schools and those school districts, if those kids stay home, they get a zero and we have not told districts otherwise," she said during a break in the meeting. "That creates enormous pressure on a principal and a district administrator to try to get those kids into the classroom but that butts up against parents' rights to do what is best for their children," she said. If students get a zero on the tests that damages a school's performance score, which is linked to a traditional letter grade. A federal waiver would allow students who opted not to take the exams because of health concerns to be kept out of the tally when the school performance score is calculated. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley noted that BESE in March opted for students to take the tests, let officials review the results and decide how the scores will be used, including whether letter grades will be issued. Brumley said state officials have been told by the U.S. Department of Education that there is no deadline for states to seek a waiver. "It is in many ways premature to make the decision because we don't know what the results are," Brumley told BESE, a reference to the waiver issue. He also said state officials have worked with local school districts to accommodate students hesitant about test-taking procedures, including allowing them to take the exams at different locations. The letter grades have been one of the flashpoints in test discussions for weeks. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Earlier this month the Louisiana School Boards Association said its survey showed 90% of school districts oppose the issuance of the grades because of upheaval caused by the pandemic. 90% of Louisiana school districts want to pause letter grades, 'show grace' in pandemic Amid rising concerns, officials in 90% of public school districts in Louisiana oppose the issuance of school letter grades because of the uphe Whether BESE will shelve the grades is unclear. The state would have to get federal approval to do so. Holly Boffy, who lives in Lafayette, said it is "incredibly important" for students to take the exams. "I feel less strong about the accountability part of it," Boffy said, a reference to benchmarks designed to show families how students are faring. Jim Garvey, who lives in Metairie and is the longest serving member of BESE, noted that the state does not face a deadline to seek a federal waiver. "We are not planning to play a game of 'gotcha' with these grades," Garvey said. Davis, who lives in Baton Rouge, said she is also concerned about how long it will take for students and teachers to get the test results, and for BESE to make some decisions. Kathy Noel, deputy assistant superintendent of assessments, accountability and analytics, said the results are expected in late July, about one month later than normal because some schools did not begin classes until after Labor Day. Noel said results will be shared with schools as soon as they are disseminated, which allows time for remediation. +3 Performance of Louisiana schools will not be fully updated on annual 'report cards' in 2020 The state will rely on the results of the 2018-19 school report cards to show how classrooms are faring since key tests were canceled earlier Davis noted that it could be October or later before BESE will be able to make some final decision on the test results. "We have to report testing data and participation rates to the feds," she said. "If you are a parent whose principal is begging you to come in and take the LEAP because they are going to get a zero for that child's score it is going to be too late for that parent and that school district to make an informed decision about the totality of what we at the state level are asking them to do," Davis said. [April 20, 2021] Newark Public Schools to Install 4,500+ Odorox Air and Surface Sanitation Systems to Help Students and Faculty Return to the Classroom Safely To welcome students and faculty back into the classroom with confidence, Newark Public Schools announced that it awarded a contract to Bio-Shine Inc., based in Spotswood, New Jersey, to install more than 4,500 Odorox air purifiers in PK-12 classrooms, offices and other high-traffic areas throughout the district. Odorox, powered by PYURE Technology, is a hydroxyl-generating air and surface purification system that makes indoor air safe to breathe and surfaces safe to touch. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006114/en/ The Odorox/Pyure Slimline Model is ideal for eliminating harmful germs, chemical VOCs, and odors typically found in public spaces within enclosed buildings. It is the perfect choice for medical offices, long term care facilities, classrooms, commercial offices, residential homes, and apartments. It is equipped with a variable speed fan control and a washable filter. Coverage rate: Up to 1500 sq. ft. (Photo: Business Wire) The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of good air and surface hygiene in schools. In addition to Newark Public Schools' strict COVID-19 protocols and sanitation procedures, Odorox adds a crucial layer of protection. Powered by PYURE Technology, Odorox replicates the way sunlight sanitizes the air outside by generating and diffusing the same natural cleansing agents indoors. This technology has been proven to destroy SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and is safe to use 24/7 around people, plants and animals. "The district has made every possible effort to prepare our schools for the safe return of students and staff to in-person instruction, and this is one example of those efforts. Our city has seen high positivity rates, so we're being extremely cautious and taking guidance from Newark Department of Health Director Dr. Mark Wade in our reopening strategy," said Roger Leon, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. "Our priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. We're confident that we are able to resume in-person instruction in Newark's public school system, and our buildings will be safe." Beyond its ability to kill the COVID-19 virus, Odorox is effective against viral seasonal infections like the flu and common colds, as well as norovirus and other gastrointestinal viruses. It also destroys airborne mold spores; cleanss the air of allergens, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other irritants; and eliminates odors. "As head of facilities, I know the central system indoor air quality control systems are working, but it's not something that the people occupying those spaces every day can see. What's great about Odorox is that you can see the machine working in the room and that brings peace of mind to students, parents and staff," said Steve Morlino, Executive Director of Facilities Management for Newark Public Schools. "But the true value is that it does what it says it does - it kills the COVID-19 virus; thoroughly disinfects porous and non-porous surfaces; eliminates VOCs and other irritants from the air; and much more. We will do anything we can to create a healthier, more comfortable learning environment in our schools." "This equipment is great for schools because there is very little maintenance required and it is extremely energy efficient. PYURE's hydroxyl-generating technology does not require contaminants within a room to pass through a processing chamber in the machine for it to achieve its 99% efficacy rate in sanitizing the air and surfaces," said Jason Teigman, Executive Director of Sales at Bio-Shine, Newark Public Schools' distributor of Odorox. "This is also why Odorox is able to work so quickly. There's one filter on the unit to protect the components from dust, dirt and debris. Otherwise, as long as the unit is turned on, hydroxyls are being generated and dispersed by the machine into the air and onto surfaces." In addition to the 4,500 Odorox machines, Newark Public Schools' COVID-19 protocols include, but are not limited to, the following: Masks are mandatory at all times inside school buildings Plexiglass sneeze guards are installed on desks and all classrooms are equipped with disinfecting supplies, extra masks and gloves Signage is posted reminding people to practice social distancing, wear a mask and wash their hands Free breakfast and snacks are provided at school, and at early dismissal, students are given a grab-and-go lunch option to avoid congregations in lunch rooms Food is also available for students' families as well, if needed Many of the faculty and staff have been vaccinated and the rest are encouraged to get vaccinated as well The district has hosted several events at Barringer High School to administer vaccinations On March 24, Newark Public Schools announced a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks to provide weekly pooled COVID-19 testing for all students and faculty in each classroom Strict access restrictions require any non-student or faculty member authorized to enter a Newark public school building to provide a negative COVID result Daily ingress procedures require all faculty, students and authorized visitors to: Answer the CDC's required COVID-19 screening questions Step into a shoe sanitizing station to disinfect and clean their shoes, then onto an extraction mat to remove excess moisture Check their temperatures Apply a hand sanitizing agent Students are assigned a Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday schedule Wednesdays are reserved for thorough cleanings and sanitization Other sanitation and facility upgrades made by Newark Public Schools in response to the pandemic include, but are not limited to: Electrostatic sprayers for disinfecting porous and non-porous surfaces Kaivac No Touch Bathroom Cleaning Machines Air intake grilles are fully open to continuously flush buildings with fresh air and MERV filter ratings have been upgraded where appropriate. In order to test the effectiveness of all COVID response measures, Newark Public Schools instituted air quality control and testing protocols that include, but are not limited to: Reflective light meter to test surfaces for microscopic living cells on surfaces Ion tester Regular CO2 measurement and monitoring O3 and oxidant meters More frequent air filter changes For more information about Newark Public Schools' response to COVID-19 and back-to-school protocols, www.nps.k12.nj.us. For more information about Odorox air purifiers, PYURE Technology and how they are helping to ensure the safe return to the classroom, email OdoroxAir@Bio-Shine.com. All media requests can be directed to odoroxpr@antennagroup.com. About The PYURE Company The PYURE Company, formerly known as HGI (News - Alert) Industries, designs, manufactures and markets commercial air purifiers that sanitize air and surfaces. PYURE's innovative, patented technology replicates the way sunlight sanitizes the outdoor environment by safely generating and diffusing hydroxyls and organic oxidants indoors. PYURE markets products that destroy pathogens and improve air quality - from portable devices treating hundreds of square feet to HVAC-integrated solutions with sensor driven, integrated process controls treating hundreds of thousands of square feet. PYURE products can be purchased directly or through authorized distributors. Founded in 2007, The PYURE Company is a privately-owned enterprise with corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities located in Boynton Beach, Florida. For more information, visit www.pyureco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006114/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Three years after prominent human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng disappeared from his cave dwelling home in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi, his wife has called on the Chinese government to hand over his remains, as she believes he must be dead. Gao's wife Geng He, who escaped to the U.S. with her son and daughter in , made the statement outside the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco on . "I underestimated the evil of the Chinese Communist Party," Gao's wife Geng He wrote in a statement published to her Twitter account. "I don't have any dreams now. I only hope that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can return Gao Zhisheng's ashes to me for humanitarian reasons." She read out a statement saying that she has had no news of any kind regarding the 57-year-old Gao's whereabouts or well-being in the three years since his last "disappearance." "[Gao] has been detained and persecuted by the CCP for 16 years, during which he was tortured, imprisoned in solitary confinement or subjected to several forcible disappearances," Geng said. "He hasn't had a single day of freedom." "In the past three years ago, Gao Zhisheng has disappeared from house arrest," she said. "There have been no phone calls, no information. Nobody knows anything about him. It's as if he evaporated." She said the Yulin police department in the northern province of Shaanxi had admitted to holding him at the start of this month, but denied Geng any opportunity to speak with him. "I now have a premonition that is getting stronger and stronger, which is that Gao Zhisheng has been persecuted to death," she said. "Otherwise, he would definitely have found a way to contact us." "Standing here , I am no longer the wife of a Chinese political prisoner," Geng said. "I have no political views." "I once imagined that I would return to China soon and live with him; I also imagined that after he was released from his sentence, he could come to the United States to help me share the responsibilities of the family and make up for our childrens lack of parental love," she said. Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, in undated photo taken during house arrest in Beijing. Credit: Gao Zhisheng No relative has met Gao in three years "Maybe that was naive of me." "Gao Zhisheng suffered because he loved China too much," Geng said. "It was his glory to be buried in our motherland. From this day onwards, I will treat the CCP's Consulate, the closest one to my home, as his cemetery." "I will be bringing our children here to pay our respects from this day forward, at the start and middle of every month, and on the Qing Ming [grave-tending] Festival, until the day I die," she said. Gao, once a prominent lawyer feted by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, began to be targeted by the authorities after he defended some of Chinas most vulnerable people, including Christians, coal miners, and followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. Gao was arrested and sentenced for "inciting subversion of state power," and was subsequently "disappeared" several times before finally being sent to serve his sentence. Geng had earlier called on the Chinese government to allow her to go back to China and be jailed alongside him. Geng told RFA in an interview earlier this month that none of Gao's relatives had been allowed to meet with him in three years, with police citing coronavirus restrictions since last year. "It's not just that there is no news of Gao Zhisheng; the authorities' persecution of his family has been very severe too," she said. "The ID cards of everyone in the family have been confiscated by the authorities over the past 10 years, so that they aren't able to leave their local area, let alone go looking for him." Reported by Yi Bing for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Hopefully President Joe Biden will make nuclear deals with Iran and North Korea. However, it is equally to be hoped that he does not repeat the fatal flaw of the first Iran deal: It imposed a waiting period for the inspection of suspected sites This would have allowed them to move the materials for making a nuclear weapon--such as enriched uranium--to a second site during the waiting period for the first site; then when the second site would come under suspicion, it would have a waiting period during which the material could be moved to a third site; and so on. That is why a future president may cancel the deal again. Alvin Blake, Shiremanstown, Pa. The worldwide adoption of biotechnologies to improve crop production has stalled, putting global food security at risk, according to an international team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham. The group, which includes economists, plant breeders and plant scientists, is calling on governments worldwide to put in place policies and regulations that will drive progress in this area. In an article published in the 25th anniversary edition of Trends in Plant Science, the group, which includes researchers from Australia, Canada and India, also argues that societal acceptance of technologies such as gene editing is a big barrier to adoption. They urge the scientific community to work harder to convince the public and governments of the value of adopting plant breeding technologies to combat the challenges of climate change and improve crop resilience. Professor Christine Foyer, of the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham, says: "Plant science has advanced rapidly over the past 25 years. Adopting these new technologies would enable us to make huge advances in reducing agricultural emissions, improving agricultural sustainability and productivity and increasing the nutritional value of plants. "Despite this, public acceptance has been slow. This is partly because the benefits are not sufficiently widely recognised, and partly because of historic fears and misconceptions around genetically modified plants. Learning from the harsh lessons of past failures, plant scientists must now be advocates for their achievements in order to gain public confidence in new and emerging technologies." Dr Sven Anders of the University of Alberta, Canada, agreed that plant scientists must play a greater role in the public debate to gain public confidence in gene-editing and become involved in advocacy and increasing public awareness. "Harmonised global regulations of new technology is essential for new technologies to contribute to future food security," Dr Anders said. Professor Wallace Cowling, from the University of Western Australia, added: "Future food security depends on accelerating crop genetic improvement using all sources of valuable genes - from new technology or from wild and landrace relatives. "Breeding for complex traits, such as heat or drought tolerance, will require optimised breeding strategies in a more rapid and sustainable form of plant breeding. Modelling suggests that we can keep pace with climate change and improve crop yields long into the future if we integrate genes derived from biotechnology into improved breeding schemes." ### Additional authors include Dr Ashwani Pareek, from the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute India, Dr Kapuganti Jagadis Gupta from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research, India, and Dr Sneh L Singla-Pareek from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, India. The White House has backpedaled after President Biden referred to the situation in the U.S.-Mexico border as a crisis last weekend, New York Post reported. White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted in her daily briefing that the president does not "actually believe" that the situation is a crisis and that he only misspoke the word. It is not beyond the knowledge that the Biden Administration does not address the border issue as a crisis, and they have avoided using the word since Biden took office, USA Today reported. READ NEXT: Biden Strikes Deal With Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala to Deploy Troops to Their Borders to Stop Migrant Surge White House on President Biden using the Word Crisis Psaki argued during her press briefing on Monday that President Biden is referring to the crisis in Central America that has caused migrants from these countries to flee and seek asylum on the U.S. border. "The problem was that the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up on the border with young people," Biden said as he explains the decision of the White House not to "immediately increase" the admission of migrants. Psaki furthered that the president does not view the children seeking asylum on the U.S. Border as a crisis because they are fleeing from economic hardships, violence, and other dire circumstances. It can be remembered that Mexican President Lopez Obrador will present welfare programs to President Biden in their aim to curb the uptick of migrants fleeing from their homeland. Lopez Obrador believes the program he wishes to extend across Central America would provide jobs for the migrants. Views on White House Back Pedalling Despite the efforts of the White House addressing the "misused" word said by the president, some Republicans attacked Psaki's statements made during the White House press briefing. If the White House is looking for new options to replace Biden's word choice of "crisis", here are a few alternatives to pick from: 1. Disaster 2. Catastrophe 3. Failure Take your pick. All are accurate. https://t.co/1PAoyq7n7W Virginia Foxx (@virginiafoxx) April 19, 2021 Representative Virginia Foxx from North Carolina noted that "Disaster, Catastrophe, and Failure" can replace the word crisis in case the White House is planning to replace the president's word of choice. The tweet of the North Carolina representative made a thread composed of different sympathies from the people of Twitter. USA Today noted that the current administration is facing angst against Republicans due to an uptick of migrants - most of them unaccompanied migrant children - seeking refuge or asylum in the borders. In March, the U.S. Customs and Border protection encountered about 172,000 migrants seeking asylum, a significant increase from 100,441 migrants in February. Psaki noted that the root causes of problems in Central America need to be addressed to prevent more influx of migrants from the region in the next coming years. The White House press secretary also noted that the president believes that the crisis in Central America is a situation that needs time and effort as expenditure in addressing the causes of migration from the region. READ MORE: Biden "Limits" Sharing of Info About Migrant Surge, Officials Claim WATCH: Biden flip-flops on refugee policy after blowback for keeping Trump-era restrictions - from PBS NewsHour Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary PALM BEACH, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts who follow the metals markets have a good feel for copper in the coming year. A recent report from the Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) saw copper through February 2021, increase for the fourth consecutive month, rising by 1.1%. They believe and project that copper demand is likely to remain strong this year partly because, copper prices traded sideways throughout January, which proved to be a slow month for the red metal. Most of its momentum over the past year came from China, which has stopped some of its manufacturing ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations. They felt that: "However, copper prices might pick up as key industries - such as construction, consumer appliances and automotive - continue to grow. Copper demand should also benefit from the "Buy American" policy that the Biden administration plans to implement. The plan would promote the U.S. manufacture of essential components in construction, appliances, electronics and automotive." Active mining stocks mentioned in today's commentary include: Ridgestone Mining Inc. (OTCQB: RIGMF) (TSX-V: RMI), Capstone Mining Corp. (TSX: CS) (OTCPK: CSFFF), Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM), Rio Tinto Group, (NYSE:RIO), BHP Group (NYSE: BHP). The Copper Monthly Metals report also added: "it's not likely that copper demand will slow down in 2021. In the US, new home and home renovation demand spiked since the pandemic started, along with electronics demand. The US Census Bureau and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported building permits in December increased by 4.5% compared to November and 17.3% above the December 2019 rate. Privately owned housing continued to increase in December, rising by 5.8% from the previous month and by 5.2% compared to December 2019. The uptrend started in September 2020."It closed: "China will continue to play an important role in the copper market. The country accounts for about half of global primary consumption, which is then used to manufacture export goods." Ridgestone Mining Inc. (TSX-V: RMI) (OTCQB: RIGMF) (FSE: 4U5) BREAKING NEWS - RIDGESTONE MINING ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DANTE E. AGUILAR CASTILLAS AS MEXICAN COUNTRY MANAGER - Ridgestone Mining ("Ridgestone") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dante E. Aguilar Castillas as Country Manager, Mexico. Mr. Castillas has over 30 years of experience in exploration, geology and technical evaluations and operations of both underground and open pit mines. Mr. Castillas is the founder of Geotech Evaluation & Support (GES), a company that specializes in regional exploration and mining geology, engineering geology and rock mechanics, structural geology, and geochemical interpretation. GES has been involved with the evaluation of 28 precious-metal projects throughout Mexico and the United States. These projects have ranged from early-stage exploration through to operating mines, with clients including Fresnillo and Goldcorp. Previous, Mr. Castillas was Exploration Manager at Goldcorp's Penasquito mine in Mexico and recognized for the discovery of the deep copper-gold skarn deposit in 2012. Mr. Castillas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering from the University of San Luis Potosi. Mr. Jonathan George, CEO, commented: "Dante's background includes extensive hands-on exploration on projects of varying size and scale, from early-stage exploration through to production. We are excited for his involvement in Ridgestone as we prepare for an active 2021 with exploration programs planned for both the Guadalupe y Calvo (GyC) and Rebeico projects in Mexico." CONTINUED.Read this full release more news for Ridgestone Mining by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-rmi/ In other mining news of note: Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) recently announced that it will host its 2021 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "AGM") virtually on Friday, April 30, 2021. In addition, the Company today announced the appointment of Leona Aglukkaq to the Company's board of directors, the release of its first quarter 2021 results on Thursday, April 29, 2021, after normal trading hours, and the filing of a technical report for Canadian Malartic. Online access to the AGM will begin at approximately 10:30 AM (E.D.T.). You will not be able to attend the AGM in person. The Company expects to revert to an in-person meeting format in future years after public health conditions have improved. Rio Tinto Group, (NYSE:RIO) has recently entered into a binding Heads of Agreement (HoA) with Turquoise Hill Resources (TRQ) for an updated funding plan (the "Funding Plan") for the completion of the Oyu Tolgoi (OT) Underground Project in Mongolia. The Funding Plan addresses the estimated remaining known funding requirement of approximately $2.3 billion, building on and replacing the arrangements established in the Memorandum of Understanding that Rio Tinto and TRQ previously entered into on 9 September, 2020. Under the HoA, subject to securing approval by OT LLC and any required support from the Government of Mongolia, and subject to timing, availability, and terms and conditions being acceptable to both parties, Rio Tinto and TRQ will: pursue re-profiling of principal debt repayments up to $1.4 billion with lenders under the existing project finance arrangements to better align with the revised mine plan, project timing and cash flows; seek to raise up to $500 million in senior supplemental debt (SSD) under the existing project financing arrangements from selected international financial institutions; Rio Tinto has committed to address any potential shortfalls from the re-profiling and additional SSD of up to $750 millionby providing a senior co-lending facility (the "Co-Lending Facility") on the same terms as OT's project financing; and TRQ has committed to complete a rights offering or placement of common shares for up to $500 million to satisfy any remaining funding shortfall within six months of the Co-Lending Facility becoming available. BHP Group (NYSE: BHP) Global resources company BHP, German shipping company Oldendorff Carriers, and advanced biofuels pioneer GoodFuels, with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), conducted the first marine biofuel trial involving an ocean-going vessel bunkered in Singapore on 4 April 2021. As part of the trial, the 2020-built 81,290 deadweight tonne dry bulk carrier Kira Oldendorff was refuelled with "drop-in" advanced biofuel blended with conventional fossil fuels. The key objectives of the biofuel bunkering trial include understanding the behaviour of the fuel (such as emissions), assessing engine and vessel operational performance during the trial as well as exploring the technical and commercial merits and challenges of biofuels as a marine fuel. The trial will enable us to develop an informed strategy on the structural supply and use of biofuels to support BHP's key shipping routes. These objectives are in line with BHP's strategy to assess biofuels as a potential low-carbon fuel of the future, which is an important step in enabling BHP to establish pathways for meeting one of its Scope 3 greenhouse gas emission goals for 2030, to support 40 per cent emissions intensity reduction of BHP-chartered shipping of our products. Capstone Mining Corp. (TSX:CS) recently announced that it has entered into three separate agreements to advance Santo Domingo in Region III, Chile, ("Santo Domingo" or "the Project") as described in the Santo Domingo Project, Region III, Chile NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "Technical Report"), to construction targeted by year-end 2021. Capstone and Wheaton Precious Metals International Ltd. ("Wheaton") have entered into a precious metals purchase agreement for the production of gold from the Project (the "Gold Stream Agreement"). Capstone will receive an upfront deposit of $30 million (the "Early Deposit") and additional deposits totaling $260 million for total consideration of $290 million ("the Deposit"). The Early Deposit will be advanced on closing for the initial payment of the KORES minority interest. Wheaton will receive 100% of the gold production from the Project until 285,000 ounces have been delivered, thereafter dropping to 67% of the gold production. Wheaton will make ongoing payments equal to 18% of the spot gold price, until the Deposit has been reduced to zero, thereafter increasing to 22% of the spot gold price upon delivery. DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. 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For current services performed FNM was compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Ridgestone Mining Inc. by a non affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". 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Edit Close Around B.C., 52 businesses are currently closed because of multiple COVID-19 exposures, according to information posted Tuesday morning on the five health authority websites. None of the closures are in the Interior Health region. [April 20, 2021] ACTIVE BIOTECH: NOTICE of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS The shareholders of Active Biotech AB (publ) are invited to the Annual General Meeting of shareholders to be held on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Due to the situation resulting from the Corona virus, the Meeting will be carried out through advance voting (postal voting) pursuant to temporary legislation. No meeting with the possibility to attend in person or to be represented by a proxy will take place. ENTITLEMENT TO PARTICIPATE AND NOTICE Shareholders who wish to participate in the Meeting must (i) be recorded in the register of shareholders maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Monday, May 10, 2021, and (ii) notify the Company of their intention to attend the Meeting no later than Tuesday, May 18, 2021 by casting its advance vote in accordance with the instructions under the heading Advance voting below so that the advance voting form is received by the Company no later than that day. In order to be entitled to participate in the meeting, shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must, in addition to announcing their intention to participate in the meeting, request that their shares be registered in their own name so that the shareholder is recorded in the register of shareholders as of 10 May 2021. Such registration may be temporary (so-called voting rights registration) and request for such registration shall be made to the nominee in accordance with the nominees routines at such time in advance as prescribed by the nominee. Voting rights registrations that have been made no later than the second banking day after 10 May 2021 will be taken into account when preparing the share register. There are 217,971,720 shares and votes in Active Biotech. The Company holds no treasury shares. ADVANCE VOTING The shareholders may exercise their voting rights at the Meeting by voting in advance, so called postal voting in accordance with section 22 of the Act (2020:198) on temporary exceptions to facilitate the execution of shareholders meetings in companies and other associations. A special form shall be used for advance voting. The form is available on the Companys website www.activebiotech.com. The advance voting form is considered as the notification of attendance to the Meeting. The completed voting form must be submitted to the Company no later than Tuesday, May 18, 2021. The completed form shall be sent to Active Biotech AB (publ), Attn: Susanne Jonsson, Scheelevagen 22, SE-223 63 Lund, Sweden (mark the envelope Annual General Meeting). A completed form may also be submitted electronically to susanne.jonsson@activebiotech.com. If the shareholder votes in advance by proxy, a power of attorney shall be enclosed to the form. Proxy forms are provided at the Companys website, www.activebiotech.com, and sent to shareholders that so request. If the shareholder is a legal entity, a certified copy of a registration certificate or corresponding document indicating the authorized signatories of the legal entity shall be enclosed to the form. The shareholder may not qualify the advance vote with special instructions or conditions. If so, the vote is invalid in its entirety. Further instructions and conditions is included in the form for advance voting. PROPOSED AGENDA 1. Election of Chairman of the Meeting 2. Election of one or two persons to verify the minutes 3. Preparation and approval of the voting list 4. Approval of the agenda for the Meeting 5. Determination of whether the Meeting has been duly convened 6. Presentation of the Annual Report and the Auditors Report, and the Consolidated Accounts and the Auditors Report for the Group 7. Resolution concerning the adoption of the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet, and the Consolidated Income Statement and the Consolidated Balance Sheet 8. Resolution concerning the disposition of the Companys results pursuant to the adopted Balance Sheet 9. Resolution on discharge from liability of the members of the Board of Directors and the CEO 10. Determination of the number of members and alternate members of the Bord of Directors and the number of auditors and alternate auditors 12. Election of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board and auditor a) re-election of Michael Shalmi b) re-election of Uli Hacksell c) re-election of Peter Thelin d) re-election of Axel Glasmacher e) re-election of Aleksandar Danilovski f) re-election of Elaine Sullivan g) re-election of Michael Shalmi as chairman of the board h) re-election of KPMG AB as auditor 13. Presentation of the Board of Directors remuneration report for approval 14. Resolution concerning Election Committee 15. The Board of Directors proposal regarding share issue authorization PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS Persons to approve the minutes (item 2) Magnus Svensson and Werner Burghard, or if one or both of them have an impediment to attend, the person or persons instead appointed by the Board of Directors, are proposed to be elected to approve the minutes. The task of approving the minutes also includes verifying the voting list and that the advance votes received are correctly stated in the minutes of the Meeting. Voting list (item 3) The voting list proposed for approval under item 3 on the agenda is the voting list prepared by the company, based on the shareholders register and advance votes received, and verified by the persons elected to verify the minutes. Disposition of the Companys results (item 8) The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend is paid and that the Companys accumulated loss shall be carried forward. Board of Directors, etc. (items 1 and 10 12) The Election Committee, comprising Michael Shalmi (Chairman of the Board), Mats Arnhog (MGA Holding), Per Colleen (Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund) and Peter Thelin proposes the following: Chairman of the Meeting: attorney-at-law Erik Sjoman or, if he has an impediment to attend, the person instead appointed by the Board of Directors. Number of members and alternate members of the Board of Directors: six ordinary members with no alternates. Fees payable to the Board of Directors: unchanged SEK 500,000 to the Chairman of the Board and SEK 200,000 to each of the other Board members who are not employed by the Company. A member of the Board who performs work for the Company outside the scope of the Board work may also receive remuneration on market terms for such work performed. Board of Directors: re-election of Michael Shalmi, Uli Hacksell, Peter Thelin, Axel Glasmacher, Aleksandar Danilovski and Elaine Sullivan. Chairman of the Board: re-election of Michael Shalmi. Number of auditors and alternate auditors: one auditor with no alternates. Fees payable to the auditor: in accordance with approved invoices within the scope of the tender. Auditors: re-election of KPMG AB. The proposal regarding auditor is in accordance with the recommendation by the Audit Committee. For further information on the board members proposed for re-election, reference is made to the Companys website, www.activebiotech.com . Election Committee (item 14) The Election Committee proposes that the Meeting assigns the Chairman of the Board the task of convening an Election Committee, based on the ownership structure at the end of September 2021, comprising the Chairman of the Board and one member appointed by each of the three largest shareholders of the Company. The Election Committee shall remain in place until the following Election Committee has been appointed. If a member of the Election Committee no longer represents one of the three largest shareholders in the Company, the Election Committee is entitled to dismiss the member. In the event that a member of the Election Committee resigns or is dismissed, the Election Committee may appoint another member nominated by the major shareholders to replace such a member. The Election Committee shall perform its duties in accordance with the stipulations for Election Committees stated in the Swedish Code of Corporate Governance. Share issue authorization (item 15) The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to grant authorization to the Board, for a period that does not extend past the date of the next Annual General Meeting, on one or several occasions, with or without pre-emptive rights for the shareholders, to resolve on the issue of new shares and/or convertibles entitling to conversion to shares. It shall also be possible to make such an issue resolution stipulating in-kind payment, the right to offset debt or other conditions. The number of shares issued, or which may arise through the conversion of convertibles issued with the support of the authorization, may correspond to not more than 30 percent of the total number of shares in the Company after utilization of the authorization. The purpose of the authorization is to enable the financing, commercialization and development of the Companys projects and to provide flexibility in commercial negotiations relating to partnerships. QUESTIONS AND SHAREHOLDERS RIGHT TO REQUIRE INFORMATION If any shareholder should so request and the Board assesses that this can be done without significant damage to the Company, the Board of Directors and the CEO of the Company shall provide information about conditions that could affect the assessment of items on the agenda, the Companys and subsidiaries financial position as well as the Companys relationship to other group companies. A request for such information shall be made by e-mail to susanne.jonsson@activebiotech.com or by regular post to Active Biotech AB (publ), Attn: Susanne Jonsson, Scheelevagen 22, 223 63 Lund, Sweden no later than ten days prior to the Meeting, that is Sunday, May 9, 2021. The information is provided by being made available at the Companys offices and the Companys website, www.activebiotech.com, no later than Friday, May 14, 2021. Furthermore, the information will be sent within the same time period to the shareholder who so request and provide its postal address. DOCUMENTATION, ETC. The Annual Report, the Board of Directors remuneration report and other supporting resolution documentation will be presented by being held available at the Companys premises at Scheelevagen 22 in Lund, Sweden, and on the Companys website, www.activebiotech.com, not later than three weeks prior to the Meeting. The documents will be sent to shareholders who request a copy and specify their postal address. The register of shareholders for the Meeting is also made available at the Companys premises. Processing of personal data For information about the processing of your personal data, please refer to https://www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf. Active Biotechs AB (publ) corporate registration number is 556223-9227 and its registered office is in Lund, Sweden. Lund, Sweden, April 2021 The Board of Directors of Active Biotech AB (publ) Attachment 210420_Notice Annual General Meeting [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] American Council of Learned Societies announce 2021 Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellows Through the generous commitment of the Mellon Foundation, Scholars and Society has enabled talented higher education teaching faculty to contribute to urgent issues facing communities across the country and apply the important insights theyve attained in supporting the next generation. The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the awardees of the 2021 Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellowship program. The program offers opportunities for faculty in departments or programs which grant PhDs in fields of humanistic study to engage significant societal questions in their research, serve as ambassadors for humanities scholarship beyond the academy, and deepen their support for innovations in doctoral education on their campuses. This program is made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Scholars and Society Fellows conduct research projects while in residence at cultural, media, government, policy, or community organizations. The awards enable mutually beneficial collaborations between fellows and their host institutions and the communities they serve. Fellows return to their classrooms prepared to apply insights from their residencies and community engagements that enrich training for current PhD students in the humanities and related social sciences. ACLS is proud to support this exciting cohort of scholars who are demonstrating the value and vital impact of humanistic scholarship in society, said ACLS President Joy Connolly. Through the generous commitment of the Mellon Foundation, the Scholars and Society program has enabled talented higher education teaching faculty to contribute to urgent issues facing communities across the country and apply the important insights theyve attained in supporting the next generation. The 2021 Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society fellowship recipients are: Zara Anishanslin (University of Delaware), partnering with the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA, for London Patriots: Transatlantic Politics, Material Culture, and the American Revolution David Sterling Brown (Binghamton University, State University of New York), partnering with The Racial Imaginary Institute in New York, NY, for Minding Whiteness: The Racial Imaginaries of Our Time Sherwin Keith Bryant (Northwestern University), partnering with the African American Heritage Foundation of Southeastern North Carolina in Leland, NC, for Just Beyond the River: The African American Heritage Foundation of Southeastern North Carolina and the Cedar Hill Heritage Park, a Black Public Humanities Initiative Ashley Coleman Taylor (University of Texas at Austin), partnering with the Counter Narrative Project in Atlanta, GA, for Atlanta As Black Queer Place Eric Corbett (New York University), partnering with the Queens Public Library in Queens, NY, for Democratizing AI: Towards Robust Engagement in Public Sector AI Use Alexander L. Fattal (University of California, San Diego), partnering with the AjA Project in San Diego, CA, for Image, Code, Context: The AjA Project and Countersurveillance Activism in City Heights, San Diego Mary C. Foltz (Lehigh University), partnering with the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center in Allentown, PA, for Expanding and Activating LGBTQ Community Archives in Small Urban Centers Elisabeth Gabrielle Kuenzli (University of South Carolina), partnering with the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum in Aiken, SC, for Jockeying Into Position: Race, Ethnicity, and the Rise of the Latino Jockey in the American South, XX-XXI Centuries Stacie E. McCormick (Texas Christian University), partnering with The Afiya Center in Dallas, TX, for Notes on Creating Livable Futures: Black Motherhood, Medical Inhumanity and Reimagining Care Tiara R. Na'puti (University of Colorado, Boulder), partnering with Independent Guahan in Guam, for Sovereignty & Climate Change in Guahan: Creating Sustainable Futures Sandra Ristovska (University of Colorado, Boulder), partnering with the Science and Technology Law Section of the American Bar Association in Chicago, IL, for Through the Lens of the Law: Interpreting Video Evidence in US Courts in the Digital Age Bianca C. Williams (City University of New York, The Graduate Center), partnering with Well-Read Black Girl in Brooklyn, NY, for AGENCY + CARE: Black Women's Literature and the Power of Well-Read Black Girl(s) Learn more about the fellows and their research here. Scholars and Society Fellows work in the post-residency year will open new realms for PhD career pathways, integrate public humanities methods and approaches into doctoral curricula, and introduce students to the variety of careers in which PhDs are creating theoretical knowledge, teaching, and communicating their research expertise. Since its launch in 2019, this experimental program has supported 36 scholars and has enabled and strengthened important ties for colleges and universities with a wide variety of community-based organizations including the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle; KAN-WIN: Empowering Women in the Asian American Community in Chicago, IL; Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin; and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. Formed in 1919, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations. As the preeminent representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences, ACLS holds a core belief that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $140 million endowment and $35 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for the centrality of the humanities in the modern world. Paducah Man Appears in Court on Child Porn Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A man facing 100 charges related to child pornography was in court Monday for a pretrial conference.The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said 30-year-old Charles Tanner is scheduled to appear for a jury trial on September 27.While investigating another case in 2019, McCracken County deputies seized electronics belonging to Tanner. Detectives say the investigation uncovered nearly 2,000 photos of child pornography.He was arrested in May of 2020 and charged with 99 counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor and one count of use of a minor in a sexual performance. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Portugal and France has been cancelled due to a recent spurt in COVID-19 cases, sources confirmed to Zee News on Tuesday (April 20, 2021). PM Modi was to travel to Portugal for the 16th India-EU summit that was scheduled to take place on May 8, following which he was slated to travel to France for a bilateral visit. The India-EU summit will now take place virtually. The 15th India-EU summit was also held virtually amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020 as Prime Minister Modi had to defer his Brussels visit back then. India, going through the second wave of COVID-19, has been reporting over 2.5 lakh cases from the past few days. The situation is also dire in the national capital Delhi, which has imposed a complete lockdown for the next six days. On Monday, the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson had also called off his trip to India for the second time due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. Johnson was to visit India on April 25. He was earlier scheduled to come on January 26 as the Chief Guest of the Republic Day celebrations. This is to be noted that PM Modi in March this year had travelled to Bangladesh to take part in the neighbouring country's 50th Independence year celebrations. The Prime Minister's visit was the first time he travelled abroad since November 2019. GlucoModicums non-invasive glucose monitoring technology performs 13x better than previous needle-free approaches - Data published in Scientific Reports, part of the Nature Portfolio Journals, paves the way for groundbreaking wearable solutions to monitor diabetes - Helsinki, Finland, 20 April 2021 GlucoModicum, an innovator of needle-free health and biomarker monitoring solutions, announces that data from research with its proprietary magnetohydrodynamics technology (MHD) for needle-free measuring of glucose levels from the skin has been published in Scientific Reports,1 part of the Nature Research portfolio, the worlds leading multidisciplinary scientific journals. These peer-reviewed results show that GlucoModicums novel approach of sampling dermal interstitial fluid was 13 times faster and more effective when compared to its predecessor, reverse iontophoresis. Blood glucose monitoring is essential for the diagnosis and management of diabetes, however there are currently no needle-free glucose monitoring solutions on the market. Currently available invasive technologies can be painful and time consuming and can lead to extreme glucose levels remaining unnoticed, as people do not want to stick needles in their body to monitor their health. There is therefore a strong need for the development of a non-invasive glucose sensor and continuous glucose monitoring devices. However, high quality, non-invasive sampling of interstitial fluid has been the missing piece of the puzzle in enabling accurate needle-free glucose monitoring by wearable devices. GlucoModicum believes it has a highly capable technology to overcome this, and with these data, the Company is scaling up to further develop its wearable glucose monitoring solution based on its MHD technology. Combining its novel platform technology with the development of highly sensitive biosensors and advanced algorithms, GlucoModicum is paving the way for groundbreaking ways to monitor diabetes, both as a wearable device and remotely for healthcare professionals. This approach to measuring glucose levels is non-invasive and would offer a solution that is gentle on the skin, whilst enabling needle-free and continuous glucose monitoring, delivering rapid and accurate results. GlucoModicums MHD technology was discovered as part of a scientific research project at the University of Helsinki in 2016. Story continues Jokke Maki, Chief Executive Officer of GlucoModicum, commented: These results demonstrate a key point of validation of GlucoModicums unique MHD technology and confirm our belief that we can offer patients a much-needed, needle-free alternative to glucose monitoring. We are focused on translating this exciting science into a wearable technology, that can ultimately reduce the patient burden associated with diabetes. These data follow GlucoModicums successful patent approval with broad market coverage for its core technology platform. In subsequent publications, GlucoModicum will release more high-impact data related to the applications of its technology. In 2019 the Finnish healthcare authority (HUS) approved GlucoModicums industrial prototype to be used in clinical trials with Type 2 diabetics. Additionally, the Finnish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (FIMEA2) have verified GlucoModicums clinical trial plans. Adhering to these protocols, GlucoModicum has already conducted a successful clinical trial of 50 Type 2 diabetics. In the continuing clinical trials GlucoModicum can enroll up to 240 patients. GlucoModicum has miniaturized and productized its technology to develop a commercial grade medical device. The Talisman, pictured above, is the product version currently in development. Dr. Alejandro Garcia, Chief Technology Officer at GlucoModicum, said: These results confirm the validity of our technology for noninvasive biomarker monitoring. The study represents a major step forward for people suffering from type 2 diabetes and demonstrates the strength of GlucoModicums platform to enable the monitoring of glucose and eventually additional valuable analytes. - END - About GlucoModicum GlucoModicum is an innovator of needle-free health and biomarker monitoring solutions. Founded in 2018 as a spinout of the University of Helsinki, GlucoModicum combines an experienced, multi-disciplinary in-house team with world-class productization and manufacturing partners to deliver groundbreaking solutions for personal biomarker monitoring. Built on the foundation of its novel platform technology for non-invasive sampling, and utilizing state-of-the-art miniaturized biosensors and algorithms, GlucoModicums solutions have the power to improve the health and quality of life for hundreds of millions of people around the world. In addition to receiving private funding from investors with extensive knowledge of the MedTech domain, GlucoModicum has obtained significant public funding from Business Finland, the Finnish Governments funding agency for high impact innovations. For more information, please visit: www.glucomodicum.com About Diabetes Diabetes affects 463 million people globally and results in $800 billion in healthcare costs annually, representing a major public health and economic concern. Further, 374 million people worldwide have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) a high-risk state for diabetes. Wearable devices for continuous self-monitoring of glucose can play a crucial role in both the prevention and management of diabetes. However, the current lack of truly non-invasive solutions is preventing widespread uptake of these devices. For more information, please contact: GlucoModicum Jokke Maki Chief Executive Officer Email: info@glucomodicum.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Carina Jurs, Maya Bennison Email: glucomodicum@consilium-comms.com 1 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86931-7 Sampling of fluid through skin with magnetohydrodynamics for noninvasive glucose monitoring 2 The Finnish Medicines Agency FIMEA is the national competent authority for regulating pharmaceuticals, medical devices, blood and tissue products, biobanks and helps develop these sectors in Finland. A Sydney man has been charged with 47 sexual violence-related offences involving 19 victims, aged between 14 and 28. In September Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad detectives began investigating the alleged sexual assault of a 24-year-old woman by a man known to her. During the investigation police received information about the alleged sexual assault of two more women - aged 19 and 21 - and two teenage girls - aged 15 and 16 - between August 2013 and March 2020. A 24-year-old man was later charged with 15 sexual violence-related offences. The alleged offences occurred in Darlinghurst, Wollongong and across southwest Sydney between January 2014 and December 2020 (stock image) This week, he was issued a court attendance notice for 32 additional related charges, including aggravated sexual assault. Police will allege in court the additional offences relate to 11 more women - aged between 18 and 28 - and three girls - aged 14, 16 and 17. The alleged offences occurred in Darlinghurst, Wollongong and across southwest Sydney between January 2014 and December 2020. The man will appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Another week, another chance of snow. Yes, this is the reality of a Central New York spring. Overall, temperatures have been running much above normal across the region, causing the leaves to come up 2-3 weeks earlier than usual across Central New York. This may become an issue with snow in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. A cold front arrives in Central New York Tuesday morning, bringing some light rain to the region. This front will slow down and stall in the region, keeping the clouds around for most of the day. Highs climb into the low 50s. This front will serve as a highway for the next area of low pressure, which develops Tuesday night. This low pressure system swings through Central New York Wednesday, bringing us the possibility of widespread rain and snow. A few things to keep in mind with the upcoming forecast: The stalled front is right over the region on Wednesday, meaning a major change in temperature is expected from northeast to southwest. One side of the front will bring temperatures in the 50s and 60s, the other side will bring temperatures in the 30s and 40s. Being in this zone means our area is expected to see a combination of rain and snow on Wednesday. The most likely spot to see rain is south and east of Utica, with the most likely spot to see snow is north and west of Utica. Despite the track of the low, it wraps in cold air into the region on Thursday. Temperatures look cold, with highs only in the upper 30s to low 40s. Windy conditions will make wind chills feel like low 30s. A few lake effect snow showers are possible, too, with accumulations possible west of Utica. The weather looks to warm up quickly, with highs in the 50s on Friday and 60s on Saturday. Any snow that ends up accumulating will be melting very quickly! How can a region which is predominantly Christian become suddenly packed by Islam adherents? This was answered by Renod Bejjani, founder and president of iHope Ministries. in his brief piece for Charisma Magazine. The Middle East and Africa reportedly experienced a mass shift from primarily Christian to 99% Muslim. Bejjani, who grew up in both countries, said that he's seeing the same problematic trend in the United States among Christians who are unknowingly contributing to the rise of Islamism. He observed that as neighborhoods grow increasingly diverse, most Christians get paralyzed by fear. Understandably, they also lack the know-hows on how to be cross-cultural and to push religious boundaries so they could effectively share the Gospel to Muslims. Nonetheless, Bejjani maintained that "muslims are responding to the Good News." This happens when Christians also muster the courage and confidence to open their mouths and lead their Muslim neighbors and friends to the saving knowledge of Isa-Almasih (Jesus Christ, as referred to in the Quran). Wisdom, of course, would be needed so the presentation would be clear and uncompromising. Bejjani also said that most Christians don't realize the need to be equipped with skills in sharing the gospel with Muslims. Most evangelism approaches involve a lot of Bible quoting which is counterproductive to a people group who regard the Christian Scripture as something that has been corrupted over the years. But Bejjani remains hopeful seeing that more Christians are coming together to "change the way faith-filled men and women think about sharing the good news of Jesus with people of other faiths and cultures." Population Growth as Another Factor According Pew Research, Christianity could potentially cease to be the world's largest religion in the world in the next half of the century. In their census, Muslims' population growth is estimated to grow twice as fast as the overall world population between 2015 and 2060. "In 2015, Muslims made up 24.1% of the global population. Forty-five years later, they are expected to make up more than three-in-ten of the world's people (31.1%)," said the statement from Pew. Aside from those switching religions, Islam's growth as a religious entity could be attributed to the fact that Muslims have more children than those with different religious affiliations. Pew added that Muslims' fertility rate exceeds that of the non-Muslims.' Given these statistics, patriotic people may feel alarmed or threatened by the rising number of Muslims in their region. But for Christians, it's an invitation to a grand opportunity to lead thousands of Muslim souls to Christ by telling them the gospel. iHOPE Ministries Launched in 2011, the non-profit iHOPE Ministries have been developing free resources and materials for "everyday Christians" to share their faith with Muslims. "iHOPE envisions a day in which every Muslim will have heard the Gospel of Jesus through an authentic relationship with a Christian," states their vision on their website. They also offer online trainings for those who have the heart to reach Muslims but are at a loss for words whenever they are face-to face with one. Also in Bejjani' book "Muslims: Five Biblical Essentials Every Christian Must Know and Do," he outlined five simple actions that Jesus taught, modeled, and commanded of his followers. These principles, according to him, have proven to be an effective way to engage Muslims by the thousands of Christians who applied them. This Port Albert property is listed for $595,000. Wellsford, Port Albert and Te Hana may provide the best opportunities for first home buyers in the Auckland Region with the introduction of government grants. Mike Pero Wellsford owner Denise Pearson says she often sells first homes to buyers who have moved from Auckland, as well as people looking for a lifestyle change after Covid-19. Several of her recent listings have been under the $600,000 cap for the Governments recently upgraded first home grant. From this month, first home buyers are eligible for a grant of up to $5000 on existing houses up to a value of $600,000 in the Auckland region, or a $10,000 grant for new houses up to a value of $700,000. Those earning less than $95,000 are also eligible for a home loan from a Government provider with just a five per cent deposit. Denise says Te Hana in particular is a hot spot for first home buyers due to a significant number of cross lease properties which are more affordable. One lot has 16 houses on it a throwback to the days when a dairy cooperative was located in the town. Te Hana is really changing with the arrival of first home buyers doing up the houses, she says. Denise currently has a four-bedroom house listed in Port Albert on a 0.96 hectare property for $595,000. However, Denise says that first home buyers need to be realistic about their expectations. Millennials want everything right away, but their expectations quickly adjust during the search process, she says. You will have to paint the walls, change the carpets and redo the bathroom. It will require some work. A first home is a starting point and you can make it into what you want, and work your way up to your next home. Denise says this is where home grants can be useful to fund renovations, rather than simply bolstering a deposit. She says Wellsford still provides opportunities, although most are creeping above the $600,000 mark, especially as New Zealanders return from overseas due to Covid-19. Properties in the new North Estate development in Wellsford are above the Governments cap, starting from $750,000. But Denise says the Totara View subdivision is an upcoming opportunity likely to be leapt on by first home buyers. Totara developer ReedMyers is advertising that it will be selling new three-bedroom plus houses on sections from 500 square metres from $529,000. A diagram shows 76 lots on the subdivision. However, it is understood that developers have historically had difficulty obtaining titles for the subdivision, which is still green. At this stage, Reed Myers is calling for registrations of interest. It was 5.43am on Monday morning, 19 April, in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol and the man barely had time to sit in the driver's seat and turn on the van's lights when a hooded man came out of nowhere and fired three shots at him. The neighbourhood was sleeping and there were no witnesses, except for the CCTV cameras in the Pablo Ruiz Picasso square, which captured the scene. Recorded footage showed how a hooded man, also wearing a mask, approached the van and fired three shots at the victim, who tried to escape across the passenger seat. But the bullets hit him in the abdomen and lower limbs and he died at the scene. No one noticed the body until later that morning. Not even an employee of the municipal cleaning service who said, At around seven o'clock I passed by the van. I saw that the lights were on, but it didn't occur to me to look to see if there was someone or something inside. It gives me chills just thinking about it. At 8.30 am, a woman passer-by saw the broken glass and saw that there was a man lying in a pool of blood inside the vehicle and she called the emergency services. The victim has been identified by police as a 35-year-old Moroccan man living in Spain. Apparently, he was a street vendor. SUR has learned that the man's police file contains several reports for different crimes, although none of them related to drug trafficking or organised crime. Despite this, and because of the modus operandi, officers from the National Police's Udyco organised crime unit are investigating the crime with the main hypothesis that it was a settling of scores killing. A Jersey City felon faces 20 years in prison and more than $1.2 million in fines after he pleaded guilty Tuesday to using drones to smuggle contraband into a federal prison, authorities said. Jason Arteaga-Loayza, aka Juice, 30, a former inmate at the Fort Dix federal prison, admitted by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and one count of possession of heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Arteaga-Loayza faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy count, and 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the narcotics count. Arteaga-Loayza also faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2021. Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Three other men, Adrian Goolcharran, aka Adrian Ahoda, aka Adrian Ajoda, aka Adrian Ajodha; Nicolo Denichilo; and Johansel Moronta also have been charged with participating in the scheme to use drones to smuggle contraband into Fort Dix prison. Authorities say Arteaga-Loayza, who was an inmate at Fort Dix from June 2017 to September 2018, participated in multiple drone deliveries of contraband, including cell phones and tobacco, into Fort Dix after his release from prison. Between October 2018 and June 2019, Arteaga-Loayza arranged for Goolcharran, with Denichilos assistance, to fly drones over Fort Dix and drop packages of contraband into the prison, where it was sold to inmates for a profit. Arteaga-Loayza, with Morontas assistance inside of the prison, took inmate requests for specific items of contraband and oversaw the collection of payments. Arteaga-Loayza also collected contraband for upcoming drone drops and stored it at his home in Jersey City. During a search of Arteaga-Loayzas home on June 27, 2019, agents found a kitchen closet containing packages of empty cell phone boxes, including a package with empty cell phone boxes that had been shipped to Arteaga-Loayza the day before a drone drop on Oct. 30, 2018, cell phone chargers, empty boxes of SIM cards, and several cell phones. The kitchen closet also contained a Bugler tobacco box, consistent with the tobacco recovered in earlier drone drops. Arteaga-Loayza also had a suitcase in his bedroom that contained his drivers license, 20 packets of Suboxone Sublingual Film, a prescription opiate, and a plastic bag containing over 21 grams of a substance containing heroin and fentanyl. (The Center Square) Campaign strategists have named U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., as one of the leading presidential contenders for 2024, but right now the senator has taken on a controversial and ambitious goal: regulating Big Tech. Not only that, he may have enough allies among the Democrats to put the biggest tech leaders in a pinch. Hawley introduced legislation Monday that directly targets several of the largest tech companies to restore accountability and competition. The Bust up Big Tech Act is the latest in a series of legislative initiatives that would create rules to limit companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. Woke Big Tech companies like Google and Amazon have been coddled by Washington politicians for years, Hawley said. This treatment has allowed them to amass colossal amounts of power that they use to censor political opinions they dont agree with and shut out competitors who offer consumers an alternative to the status quo. Its past time to bust up Big Tech companies, restore competition, and give the power back to the American consumers. Specifically, Hawleys legislation would empower the Federal Trade Commission to monitor and enforce several new rules, including preventing companies that host search engines or marketplaces from providing their own retail products in those venues. Amazon should not be able to own Amazon Marketplace and sell their own Amazon products on their marketplace against other competitors, Hawleys office said in a statement. Amazon cannot continue to operate an overwhelmingly dominant retail business and simultaneously own an enormous share of the cloud computing technology upon which the internet itself is built. The bill would also prevent those companies, like Amazon, from also hosting the cloud computing used by many sites. Amazon made headlines earlier this year when it booted the conservative social media site Parler from its cloud hosting services. Amazon cannot continue to operate an overwhelmingly dominant retail business and simultaneously own an enormous share of the cloud computing technology upon which the internet itself is built, Hawleys office said. The proposal comes after a series of Congressional hearings where lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have been critical of the larger tech companies. Hawleys rise to prominence within his own party, and rumors he will seek out a 2024 presidential bid, suggest his focus on tech could become front and center in the minds of Americans. The first quarter Federal Election Commission filings show Hawley has serious fundraising chops, raising about $3 million in the first three months of this year. He was bested only by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who nearly nabbed the Republican nomination last time around. Mondays filing is the latest in a series of bills from Hawley targeting tech companies. One bill introduced last week would ban the popular app Tik-Tok from government devices for its ties to the Chinese communist party. Another bill would ban all mergers and acquisitions for companies with more than $100 billion in market capitalization. Facebooks dominance in social networking should prevent it from acquiring startups seeking to build new social media platforms, Hawleys office said. Since the 2016 elections put Facebook under scrutiny, Congress has held several hearings on a range of issues where tech CEOs have testified. Every time, both Democrats and Republicans aggressively questioned the business leaders, often with different lines of attack, but both with the same attitude. On the left side of the aisle, an array of prominent members have vocalized a desire to go after tech companies. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who sought the Democratic nomination for president early last year, introduced legislation earlier this year to bolster anti-trust laws that could hinder tech companies. Antitrust enforcement affects more than just price and output its part of our everyday lives, from the price of groceries at the market to the cost of prescription drugs, Klobuchar said. Tackling concentrations of power is a linchpin to a healthy economy. These arent partisan issues, theyre consumer issues, and these bills will protect consumers by modernizing antitrust enforcement and promoting competition. From more the moderate Klobuchar, to the more progessive Sen. Liz Warren, D-Mass., anti-trust efforts appear to have broad support. Todays big tech companies have too much power too much power over our economy, our society, and our democracy, Warren said. Its clear members of both parties want to regulate the tech industry, but what proposals will actually become law and how soon that will happen remains to be seen. At a virtual Congressional hearing in March attended by several tech CEOs, one member of the House captured the sentiment. "It sounds like everybody on both sides of the aisle is not happy," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. Combining the ancient charm of Hainan's Li and Miao ethnic culture with crystal-clear waters, an abundance of coconut plantations, awe-inspiring sunsets and a never-ending array of diverse activities, Sanya is brimming with ways to stir the heart and awaken the senses. As Hainan enters a key stage of the construction of the Hainan FTP, Sanya is poised to become the island's main drawcard with a boom of investment into the tourism, modern services and high-tech sectors. The Sanya Tourism Promotion Board is supporting this transformation by evolving Sanya's tourism offering and innovating the region's travel-related enterprises to capture visitors in the post-pandemic era. The Sanya Tourism Promotion Board was created in 2020 as a market-oriented operation organization focused on fostering government-enterprise partnerships, mobilizing Sanya's abundance of resources in the cultural and tourism industries, and exploring new opportunities to build Sanya's destination branding. The inception of the board is also a bold attempt to explore pioneering experiences to support the reform of the national tourism system against the background of the New Hainan. Over the past year, Hainan Island has introduced a number of policies and systems to accelerate the island's development, including the reduction of company registration timeframes to one day, the introduction of tax reductions and exemptions to create a more business-friendly environment, and the continued optimization of the tax-free operation and management system for outlying islands. Already regarded as one of China's most popular domestic tourist hotspots, the new Hainan FTP has reinvigorated Sanya's travel industry. With China looking to the new Hainan as an investment hub, the "New Sanya" will be a springboard for international business and travel in the region. More than 104 key projects linked to the Hainan FTP have been inked in the past month, alongside the additional 741 projects signed previously. As a major investment magnet, these projects will inject an additional US$10 billion worth of development into Hainan Island and provide more convenient conditions and broader market opportunities to accelerate Sanya's tourism development. In anticipation of an uptick in travel, leading tourism giants have set their sights on Sanya, with the likes of Caesars Tourism establishing its corporate headquarters in the area. Meanwhile, PADI, the world's largest professional association of diving instructors, has also signed an agreement with Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City to open a dive training base and promote the development of Hainan Island's dive training and tourism industries. With crystal-clear oceans teeming with marine life, Sanya will serve as a base for PADI to expand its operations in the region, as well as across China. Leveraging the surge in investment and partnership, the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board is dedicated to cultivating new destinations and modes of tourism that showcase the city's vast diversity and resources. Its latest "Wonderland Sanya" campaign is targeted at young travelers and invites them to explore the new Sanya's unique and vibrant possibilities across five angles of food, travel photography, culture, outdoor activities and luxury hospitality. As borders gradually reopen in 2021 and beyond, the board will continue to enhance the popularity of Sanya and Hainan Island as a global player in business and leisure travel. SOURCE Sanya Tourism Promotion Board Credit: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne EPFL spin-off Readily3D has developed a novel system that can print biological tissue in just 30 seconds. The firm's technology is being used in a large-scale European project to develop a living model of the pancreas for testing new drugs. First you see it as a transparent shape on a computer screena small electronic replica of the human pancreas. Then just 30 seconds later the tissue is printed out on a bioprinter, blood vessels and all, from a sample of human stem cells. This amazing feat is possible thanks to revolutionary new technology created at EPFL's Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices (LAPD) and further developed by Readily3D. Their technology was recently selected for use in the EU-funded Enlight project, which aims to develop a reliable living model of the pancreas for testing diabetes medications. The pancreas is a vital organ located just behind the stomach. It serves several functions, such as producing enzymes and bicarbonates essential for digestion and secreting a variety of hormonesincluding insulin, which is the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. As a result, pancreatic disease often leads to diabetes since the damaged cells can no longer produce the insulin the body needs. Over 450 million adults around the world suffer from diabetes, including 60 million in Europe. In Switzerland, 4.4% of the population reported in 2017 having been diagnosed with the disease. And the number of patients is growing worldwide. Diabetes is the second-leading cause of amputation (behind accidents) and increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke by a factor of eight and of kidney failure (requiring dialysis) by a factor of nine. Diabetes is also the leading cause of blindness among adults. Methods for improving diabetes diagnosis and treatment could thus bring major benefits to public health. Credit: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne A first step The bioprinting technology developed at EPFL uses a biological gel containing a patient's stem cells. A laser is applied to the gel to solidify it through polymerization. The location and intensity of the laser beam can be controlled in order to solidify only those areas of the gel needed to form the desired tissue. "One of the main advantages of our method is that it can create tissue in a single block, making it particularly useful for printing soft tissue like organs," says Paul Delrot, the CTO of Readily3D. There are numerous benefits to bioprinted tissue. It can be tailor-made since it's created from a patient's own stem cells, and it eliminates the need to conduct animal testing. "What's more, patients won't have to try out an array of drugs, some of which may have unpleasant side effects, before finding the right one for them," says Damien Loterie, the CEO of Readily3D. "Developing a system that can print 3D tissue at the cubic centimeter scale and faithfully replicate the functioning of a live pancreas is a huge challenge, which we hope to meet with this technology," says Christophe Moser, the head of LAPD. Their technology could also one day be used to bioprint other kinds of tissue for developing treatments for cancer, for example, or eventually for producing transplant organs. by Nirmala Carvalho Members of various religions donate blood in one of the cities most affected by the new COVID-19 surge that is bringing the country to its knees. Some people accuse the government of hiding the true number of deaths. People are dying in the streets, said Father Mathew. People are burning bodies of the dead everywhere. Varanasi (AsiaNews) As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, Christians, Hindus and Muslims have come together to donate blood in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, thanks to the local section of the Conference of Religious of India (which brings together male and female Catholic religious congregations) in cooperation with the Manav Rakt (human blood) Foundation led by Abu Hashim, a Muslim, and the Popular Blood Bank led by Dr Somesh. Currently, Uttar Pradesh is one of the Indian states most affected by the surge in the pandemic that is bringing India to its knees. According to official data, the country hit another record yesterday in the terms of deaths: 1,761 people died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. But the figure could be higher. Many are accusing the Indian government of deliberately underestimating the number of deaths, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The Reuters news agency has reported that in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, data from the largest COVID-only crematorium show twice as many bodies arriving than government figures. Official figures do not take into account a second COVID-only crematorium in the city, or burials in the Muslim community, which makes up a quarter of the citys population. Meanwhile, the number of cases continues to rise. Today the leader of Indias Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, announced that he too tested positive for the coronavirus. In Varanasi the situation is very critical, said Father Anand Mathews, a member of the Indian Missionary Society and one of the promoters of the blood collection, speaking to AsiaNews. There are no beds, in hospitals, no oxygen, no ventilators. People run around with patients pleading with doctors to admit them in hospitals. Private hospitals are being stormed. The two cremation sites on the banks of the Ganges are overcrowded. People are burning the bodies of the dead everywhere on the banks of the river. People are dying in the streets, in front of hospitals, next to vehicles or on stretchers. People are saying that they have never witnessed or imagined anything like this. Against this background, the first mobile camp for blood donation was set up yesterday in St Marys Convent, in a central district of the city. Bishop Eugene Joseph of Varanasi inaugurated it, noting how saving the lives of others is the most sacred and important responsibility of every citizen. For Father Anand Mathew, this is a way to follow the example of Christ, who shed his blood on the cross for the salvation of humanity. The same love and compassion are necessary today for the victims of the pandemic. In Varanasi we have strong ties with people of all religions, Bishop Joseph told AsiaNews. Especially in times of crisis and serious need, we meet to serve the poor and the common good. Given the emergency we decided that it was urgent to mobilise to collect blood. This is the first camp but more will follow in the coming days at St Mary's Hospital, Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul, and Christ Nagar. Unfortunately, I could not donate blood on my doctor advice because I recently had typhus. I also contracted COVID-19 two months ago. The donated blood will be useful for everyone, said Father Mathew. Blood donors will have the privilege of using their card to use the blood if they need it or refer others during emergencies. But the collection will be very beneficial for the poor who have no one to count on. New Delhi, April 20 : Maharashtra Minister Ashok Chavan has said the government should use the central agencies against hoarders of Covid vaccines and injections, instead of using them against the political opponents. "Black marketers, hoarders of these vaccines and injections, particularly, Remdesivir... a few cases have been of hoarding have been detected in Maharashtra. The Government should bring in the CBI, the NIA and the ED... when you can use them to target your political opponents, why not utilise them against hoarders and black marketers, who are creating problems in the country," he said on Monday. He said Remdesivir is not the ultimate or the only solution for handling Covid-19 cases. A number of vaccines have been certified world over by other developed countries also and "the doors for these types of vaccines should be opened up to be available in our country". The Government had slowed down the production of vaccines also and exports were allowed even of the Remdesivir and injections were exported, he said. He alleged that the Government reacted late to the situation. "I think, the export should have been stopped earlier and the people of the country would have got the Remdesivir and other medicines in time. I think, this also needs to be addressed so that the production was ramped up and the states were given the respective requirement as per their cases in the respective states." he added Man escapes serious injuries as pickup hits tree PHUKET: A man escaped serious injuries after he lost control of his pickup truck and hit a tree on the northbound section of Thepkrasattri Rd in Mai Khao early this morning (Apr 20). accidents By Eakkapop Thongtub Tuesday 20 April 2021, 03:18PM Capt Akkarapol Siwilai of the Tha Chatchai Police was called to the scene at about 6:45am. Police, together with Kusoldharm rescue workers, went to the scene to find a heavily damaged white Toyota pickup truck laying on its side on the central reservation area after having crashed into a tree. The truck driver, 36-year-old Anurak Klomkaew originally from Phang Nga, complained of chest and neck pains and was taken to Thalang Hospital. A witness at the scene told police that the truck was being driven at high speed in wet, rainy conditions when it lost control, careered off the road and hit the tree. The Phuket News has tried to contact Capt Akkarapol several times, but he was unavailable for comment at time of press. On Tuesday, April 20, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference on the results of a public opinion poll titled "Two Years After Presidential Elections. People Assess Power." Participants icnlude SOCIS Center Director General Oleksandr Chashkovsky; political expert at Institute for Euro-Atlantic cooperation Volodymyr Horbach; Executive Director of the Ukrainian Institute of the Future Vadym Denysenko; Director of the Institute of World Politics Yevhen Mahda; Director of the Forum center for public information technologies Valeriy Dymov (8/5a Reitarska Street). The press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. During the period of the restrictive measures imposed in Kyiv due to COVID-19 pandemic, media representatives are not allowed in the agency's press center, only speakers are present. It is possible to follow the event and ask questions to the speakers in the broadcast chat. CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Real Restoration Group (RRG), a company specializing in construction, development, and restoration, celebrates its achievements and growth-driven business model of 10 years. The 10th anniversary of the company marks exceptional performance standards and the ability to strive for perfection with a strong competitive drive. After a decade, the Chicago-based company is more enthusiastic, optimistic, and passionate than ever to serve its clients. The relentless commitment and approach of the Real Restoration Group have managed to galvanize the best construction, development, and restoration practices in Chicago. The company founder, Morris Gershengorin, believes that Real Restoration Group intends to raise its bar of construction, development, and restoration services. Over the years, Real Restoration Group has rendered some of the most sophisticated and professional construction and restoration services. It harnesses the power of its agile team that continues to surpass the expectations of its clients. Real Restoration Group understands the relevance of agile project management. It is a result-driven approach that brings skilled designers, managers, and architects on the same page. With a personalized approach and dedicated team, Real Restoration Group has been able to cut costs, save time, and improve the quality of every project. The construction and development company plans to leverage more opportunities and propel towards market expansion in the foreseeable future. For Real Restoration Group, the personalized approach in construction and development has become the need of the hour. At its core, the firm wants to achieve long-term growth and offer high-standard service to its clients. Moreover, Real Restoration Group takes pride in its accolades and awards. The construction and development company primarily offers specialized services in retail, multi-family, hospitality, hotel, institutional, residential, office, and affordable housing areas. The combination of teamwork, extensive experience, use of modern tech, competitive drive, and reliable approach of Real Restoration Group ensures the success of each job. As of now, the Real Restoration Group enjoys continuous expansion and growth. Initially, however, the construction and development firm was started with just $100. In fact, its first project was in the midst of a market crash and for a small residential space. Fortunately, big things have small beginnings. From out-of-garage planning to the first office on Fulton to the current wide range of operations in Chicago, it's been a long journey for Real Restoration Group. But since the inception, the construction and development company had no intention to compromise on the quality of customer service like other market players. Although the seed capital of the firm was not significant in the early stages, it managed to work on a perfected process that works in favor of the clients and pushes growth boundaries. In order to move forward in the right direction, Real Restoration Group understood from the start the customer experience is the key to establish a strong market presence in the U.S. It is imperative to understand that unlike most companies, Real Restoration Group did not have millions of capital funding from investors. Instead, it was the dedicated, effort, and intuitive approach of its talented team from the start that helped the construction and development company climb the ladder of success. In fact, working long hours and the persistent mindset of the team continues to be the beating heart of the company. In a span of 10 years, Real Restoration Group has won awards by Inc. 5000, Better Business Bureau, CV Magazine, and Silicon Review. In fact, Crain's Chicago hails Real Restoration Group as one of the best organizations to work for. Similarly, Inc. 5000 also has awarded Real Restoration Group as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. RRG enjoys the status of the most trusted company in the marketplace by Better Business Bureau. At one point, CV Magazine also awarded RR as the Best Construction and Restoration Company of the Year. Throughout the course of 10-years, the team members at Real Restoration Group have had to make tough decisions to make the most out of new opportunities and drive growth. Despite the onslaught of challenges, the construction and development firm managed to evolve through rigorous training. "No retreat, no surrender, our push for success is not an option," said Morris Gershengorin, the Founder and CEO of Real Restoration Group. Currently, Real Restoration Group takes pride in its diverse team. The fact that people from all walks of life contribute towards the betterment of the company makes the process more innovative and unique. According to the RRG's dedicated team members, the awards don't come as a surprise. Instead, awards, honors, and titles reflect the professionalism and ability to ensure customer satisfaction on all jobs. About Real Restoration Group: Real Restoration Group provides construction services to government, education, healthcare, institutional and commercial clients throughout the Midwestern United States and South Florida Market. Committed to simplifying the building experience, Real Restoration Group offers construction management, general contracting and design-build services across a wide range of projects that require the highest standards for operation. Real Restoration Group is headquartered in Chicago IL, with additional offices coming soon in Miami and Delray. For more information about Real Restoration Group, contact the company here: Real Restoration Group Morris Gershengorin (312) 265-4668 info@realrestore.com 1322 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60642 SOURCE: Real Restoration Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641463/Real-Restoration-Group-Celebrates-Its-10-Year-Anniversary Barely two months after petrol scarcity hit major cities across Nigeria, fuel queues have resurfaced in petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A PREMIUM TIMES correspondent who visited petrol stations Monday evening found that some of the stations were shut while others were besieged by motorcyclists, tricycle owners, as well as private and commercial drivers. This newspaper also found that some NNPC retail stations were equally shut. As of Monday night, no fuel station sold petrol to motorists along Lugbe Airport Road and Kubwa expressway. The development, said to have been triggered by the strike action announced by petrol transport drivers, has generated traffic gridlock across different locations in the capital city. No Stock A Mobil filling station located along the airport road, Lugbe, was shut Monday evening. The station manager told PREMIUM TIMES that they had exhausted their stock. Similarly, a Forte Oil filling station at Life Camp junction was opened but commercial drives and other customers were not attended to. One of the pump attendants claimed that the petrol station also has no stock. Danmarna petroleum limited, located along the airport road, was under lock and key Monday evening, just as the Conoil filling station located beside the NNPC fuel station in Lugbe did not open for business. When PREMIUM TIMES arrived one of the NNPC outlets in Lugbe, the attendants had stopped dispensing to customers, but some of the motorists refused to leave the petrol station. Many of the attendants who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES in some of the outlets explained that they declined to sell petrol in anticipation of a price hike Tuesday morning. Ripple effect A civil servant at NNPC station at Lugbe airport road, who identified himself as David, told PREMIUM TIMES that he heard of a proposed strike by NUPENG. He also lamented the ripple effect of scarcity. My office is very close to NNPC tower, he began, I drove out and trying looking at Conoil and Total to get fuel but I found out that Conoil was not selling and Total was just selling partially and I decided to drive down to another major NNPC filling station where I am currently only for me to discover that the NNPC is not selling. My fear is this: I was just telling a couple of people at the station that some schools just resumed today, why some will resume next week. How do they want people to go to work and children to go to school? David said in many parts of the city, there is no electricity. I am looking at my house away from the station now, there is no light, he said. Most people are even here at the filling station trying to get fuel just to power their generator. The question is, is this oppression number two? ADVERTISEMENT He also wondered why the scarcity and the attendant chaos began immediately President Muhammadu Buhari returned from his medical trip in London. Yes, we know the oil price and everything is going up, he said. We understand but the question is: theyve been talking about deregulation and subsidy, we dont even know whats happening. Who is deregulating and who is subsidising? Who is doing what? he asked. Nigerians cant continue like this. A commercial driver, Akeem Musa, lamented and appealed to the government to intervene as soon as possible in order to control the effect of the scarcity on the already high prices of goods and services. Another driver, Moses Asani, said it is better to buy petrol at a costly price than being unable to buy the products due scarcity. He said: Look at my car there, I parked it there because I didnt see fuel all the way from Aco. All the fuel stations there are not selling. I checked almost four stations down there and I did not see fuel to buy. Now, I have to park my car because I dont have fuel inside. This thing is affecting us extremely is not easy at all. Even if they want to increase the fuel, they should increase it and let us see fuel to buy. You know if you come to buy fuel and you see it, that is better but if you dont see fuel to buy, what are you going to do? Usman Abdullah, another driver at the station, lamented that he spent more than an hour in the queue but still could not buy petrol. I have been here for the past one hour and NNPC is telling us that they dont have fuel, he said. No Increase But in its reaction to the scarcity and anticipated hike in price, the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation (NNPC) said it will not increase the ex- depot price of petrol in May. The Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, made this known at the end of a closed door meeting with Petroleum Transport Drivers (PTD), National Association of Road Transporters Owners (NARTO) and oil marketers in Abuja on Monday. Ex-depot price is the price marketers buy products from depot owners. It also determines the pump price at filling stations. We want to inform oil marketing companies that NNPC will not increase the pump price of PMS in May, the NNPC said. I am giving the assurance and I ask Nigerians to go about their normal businesses; we have over 20 billion litres of petrol in our custody. Many of you are aware of this and with the assurance with tanker drivers and NUPENG, there is no need for panic buying of the product. Petrol will be available in all the depots in the country including NNPC dispatched depot across the country, so nobody should panic in buying the product, he said. Commenting on the strike by PTD, the NNPC said he said it was due to NARTOs inability to increase their compensation which was not resolved last week. We have given commitment to both NARTO and PTD that we will resolve the issue within a week and come back to the table to have a total closure on the issue, the NNPC boss was quoted as saying. We also have a robust engagement with our oil marketing partners in respect of increase in the volume product that is check in the Nigerian market. We have agreed to work jointly with all the security agencies to contain any possible infractions seen in our borders. We will work as a team to curtail this fraudulent practice with the help of the security agencies, he added. He explained further that the meeting also discussed issues on payment by Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) to oil marketing companies. He said that all stakeholders agreed in making PMS available to marketers. in his reaction, Yusuf Orthman, NARTO President, commended the NNPC for the intervention and assured that within the next seven days, things will normalise in the adjustment of allowances of PTD. We have requested that they bring three persons so that we discuss the issues but that would not have been possible without this intervention, he said. We hope that within the next seven days things will normalise and I want to assure Nigerians that we are committed to it. The PTD president also said that the strike has been suspended until the next seven days The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he commended the NNPC and all the stakeholders for their quick intervention. We believe that the condition of service of tanker drivers and others need to be improved and we believe that everything will be resolved as discussed, he said. An American mob boss who was depicted in the movie Goodfellas and raked in over $10million a week for the Colombo crime family in New York, revealed he once turned down an invitation to 'sit down' at an Italian restaurant with some of Australia's most 'feared and respected' mafia members. Michael Franzese, 69, told Daily Mail Australia the snub was never meant as a show of disrespect towards Melbourne's 'wise guys'. He'd arrived Down Under for the first time in 2016 after spending over 10 years in jail in the 80s and 90s following a conviction on racketeering charges. Franzese made the trip as part of a speaking tour - offering up powerful words of wisdom he'd acquired after decades of side-stepping FBI investigations and doing business with the likes of violent Cosa Nostra Godfathers John Gotti and Paul Castellano. American mob boss Michael Franzese, 69, (pictured) turned down an invite to have dinner with some of Australia's most 'feared and respected' mafia members 'It took me a long time to get approved to get a visa to come to Australia. I had to hire an attorney and it took months before I was able to travel to Australia,' Franzese said. 'Eventually I got approved, but when I got to Australia one of the mob guys there reached out to me and said he'd like me to have dinner at his restaurant in Melbourne.' Fanzese did not reveal the name of the 'wise guy' who made the offer but he did confirm he was a member of Australia's Calabrian mafia. The shadowy group, also known as the Ndrangheta, originated in Italy's south and are the 'longest continuously operating crime syndicate in Australian history'. Members have a long association with drug crops in the farming town of Griffith, in the south west of New South Wales, and retain a significant foot-hold in Melbourne, Sydney and other major cities. Since the 1920s, the group has been linked to drug trafficking, extortion, bombings, stand-over tactics and many of Australia's most gruesome murders - including some during Melbourne's bloody gangland killings which played out on the streets in the late 90s and early 2000s. Pictured: Michael Franzese and his wife Camille Franzese arrive at the premiere of 'God The Father' in Los Angeles, California in 2014 Fanzese (pictured with family) did not reveal the name of the 'wise guy' who made the offer but he did confirm he was a member of Australia's Calabrian mafia THE CALABRIAN MAFIA: OLDEST CRIME GROUP IN AUSTRALIA The Calabrian mafia is described as the 'longest continuously operating crime syndicate in Australian history'. It has a long association with the farming town of Griffith, in the south west of New South Wales. The mafia extended its tentacles to Australia in the 1920s with a group of Italian migrants. Expert Clive Small said in his book that families were controlled by mafia dons from Calabria, a region located in the far south of Italy's southern 'boot'. The families brought with them standover tactics, bombings and shootings and were controlled by mafia dons back in the old country. Mr Small details in his book how the Calabrians expanded into the country's drug trade by the 1960s and dominated Australia's cannabis trade. The Calabrians so dominated Australia's cannabis trade that, at one point, 14 closely related Griffith families controlled 80 per cent of it. The modern mafia has attracted little publicity from modern day law enforcement for the past 20 years. Advertisement 'The Calabrian mafia has a strong presence in Australia and is very well respected around the world,' Franzese said. 'They said, 'he wants to feed you, sit down with you one evening while you're in town,' but I had to tell the guy no.' Franzese was worried Australian authorities would be watching him like a hawk - and that the friendly informal meeting between two 'made guys' might see him get deported. 'I said 'listen, I'm here to do an event and it took me a long time to do an event, if I do and sit down with other guys like me they'll probably put me on a plane and throw me out of here',' he said. 'But it was a nice gesture on their part to invite me to dinner so I appreciate it - but I didn't think it was the right thing to do.' Although Franzese is not able to travel to Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic, he'll be streaming an online seminar - How to Business Like a Boss - on Thursday, April 22. In the talk he'll discuss what life was like as a 'captain' (street boss) in the Colombo crime family at a time when the mafia ran New York by controlling worker's unions, extorting businesses and holding significant sway over local and state politicians. 'A lot of things that you learn on the street, you can't learn anywhere else,' Franzese said. 'I made a considerable amount of money both legally and illegally and I have been able to apply the skills I learned back then to the business world over the past 20 years. 'A lot of people don't understand that business is business - whether you are doing it illegally as a bookmaker or you're doing it legally in the real world - you've got to know what you're doing. 'If you don't know what you are doing, even if it's illegal, you're not going to make any money.' In 1986, when Franzese was just 35 years of age Fortune Magazine named him number 18 on its list of the 'Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses'. Anthony 'Fat Tony' Salerno of the Genovese crime family is pictured on the cover During his rise, Franzese became one of the biggest money earners the mafia had ever seen bringing in over $10million dollars a week by bootlegging gas He says the key to doing good business is being prepared and understanding the art of negotiation. 'When you're running the streets of New York and you've got to negotiate with the likes of John Gotti and Paul Castellano over business disputes and all sorts of other things, you have to know what you're doing, you have to be prepared if you want to come out on top,' Franzese said. The trick is to try and understand someone's personality by 'doing as much research on a person or a company as you possibly can'. So when Franzese 'sat down' with the 'boss of bosses' John Gotti, he was well aware the 'Dapper Don' was a 'narcissist' that hated to lose an argument. 'The argument would never be finished if John didn't believe he won so you've got to make it feel like a win in his eyes even though it's really a win for you,' he said. 'I was able to outsmart him. I got what I wanted out of John and I sat down with him more than once.' Franzese was born into the Cosa Nostra (Italian for 'our thing') with his Italian-raised father from Naples Sonny Franzese, a respected 'underboss' in the Columbian crime family who was sentenced to 50 years in prison for bank robbery, racketeering and extortion. 'I had 18 arrests, seven indictments, two federal racketeering cases - one brought on by Rudy Guliani - and I eventually wound up doing 10 years in prison,' Franzese said. Christina 'Tina' Franzese walks out of a grand jury witness room at U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on November 28, 1973 holding audio tapes. Her son Michael Franzese (light pants) walks behind his mother carrying tape recorder He was also accused of murdering a Genovese crime family hitman-turned-informant Ernest Rupolo in 1964 and dumping his body attached to two concrete blocks, into an estuary - but the charges never stuck. In contrast, Micheal Franzese was seen to be a little bit more refined than his father and is even nicknamed the 'Yuppie Don' because he dressed in a modern way and studied medicine at the prestigious Hofstra University. But during his rise, Franzese became one of the biggest money earners the mafia had ever seen bringing in over $10million dollars a week by bootlegging gas. The ingenious scheme defrauded the federal government out of gasoline taxes through forged documents and a series of Panama-based shell companies. In 1986, when he was just 35 years of age Fortune Magazine named Franzese number 18 on its list of the 'Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses'. 'I became a major target of law enforcement. I had 18 arrests, seven indictments, two federal racketeering cases - one brought on by Rudy Guliani - and I eventually wound up doing 10 years in prison,' Franzese said. Now living a whole new life in California, Franzese has seven children, is an author of seven books and is in high-demand as a motivational speaker across the globe. He credits his time behind bars and faith in Christianity for giving him the courage to leave the mafia and turn his life around. WHKP boots Rush Limbaugh show The failure of the keepers of the Rush Limbaugh Show to name a replacement host has earned the show the boot from WHKP. The country-format station, which is celebrating its 75th birthday this year, will pull the Rush Limbaugh after the April 30 broadcast. WHKP President and General Manager Art Cooley said in a news release that the failure of the formerly most-listened-to talk show program to name a new permanent host after Limbaugh's death on Feb. 17 caused the break-up. At its peak, the daily Rush Limbaugh show garnered millions of listeners on some 600 radio stations in America. In its place, beginning on Monday, May 3, from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays, WHKP will showcase the Todd Starnes Show. Todds unique down-home humor with interviews featuring major newsmakers, entertainers, artists and leaders is popular with listeners. During the daily show, Todd also covers breaking news. WHKP will also add the OReilly Update weekdays at 11:30 a.m., a 15-minute commentary that cuts through the anonymous sources and phony stories dominating todays news cycle and brings Bill OReillys trademark no spin analysis," the station said. Hendersonvilles first broadcast station, WHKP signed on the air on Oct. 24, 1946. It is heard at 1450-AM and 107.7-FM. Located at 100 Town Square Place in downtown Jersey City, Franklin School will offer an accessible world-class education to students in grades 9-12 beginning in Fall 2022. The first three virtual admissions open houses will be held on May 3, 13, and June 2. Future-proofing Education "We're delighted to introduce a high school education customized for today's learners students who are laser-focused on the future and eager to make a difference in the world. We want students to carve their own paths with choices in both what and how they learn, and empower them to have agency over their own future," says Chancellor Spahn. "Given the furious rate of technological change, we have to 'future-proof' education," he continues. "It is only through a flexible, innovative curriculum, blending world-class academics with real-world readiness that we can prepare students to succeed in tomorrow's working world. Franklin graduates will acquire the tools and skills of entrepreneurs and the mindset of innovators." A New Kind of School: Academic Excellence Meets Real-world Readiness Franklin is transforming the private school experience. The innovative and academically rigorous curriculum, enriched by both local culture and global perspectives, emphasizes critical and design thinking through applied learning, while providing time for students to pursue their own interests through online courses and programs beyond the classroom. A Franklin education includes: Design and tech classes in a state-of-the-art Maker Space Industry-specific micro-courses, enabling students to explore career interests early AP courses for college-readiness and credit Community-based service programs within and around Jersey City Internships Global collaborations with affiliate Dwight Schools worldwide Educating Innovators through the Franklin Incubator Every student will develop a passion project requiring them to prototype, test, and develop it in the Incubator. Through the process, students will gain entrepreneurial skills brainstorming, collaboration, and creative problem-solving as well as adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience. These skills and mindset will prepare them to successfully navigate life's unforeseen challenges and the rapidly changing working world. "The immersive Franklin Incubator experience will tap into students' ingenuity, underscoring our belief in their unbridled potential to become innovative change agents and socially responsible global leaders," says Chancellor Spahn. Three Generations of Private School Innovation: The Spahn Family Legacy Franklin's history is intertwined with that of the Spahn family: Dr. M.C. Spahn was Headmaster of Franklin's forefather school (founded in New York City in 1872) from 1950-75. His son, Chancellor Stephen Spahn, has spearheaded New York's Dwight School since 1967. The Chancellor, together with his older son, Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn, has extended Dwight's global network of schools to London, Seoul, Shanghai, Dubai, and into the cloud with Dwight Global Online School ranked the second-best online school in the U.S. by Newsweek. The Chancellor's younger son, Kirk, founded The Institute of Civic Leadership and The ICL Online Academy. "We're proud of Franklin's long, esteemed history and of our family's commitment to expand educational opportunities for students worldwide for nearly 75 years," says Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn. "We're delighted to bring together the latest thinking, expert educators, and partners in the vibrant Jersey City community to launch the new Franklin, laying the foundation for students to chart their own course to top-tier colleges and universities." Forward-thinking Educators Join As Head and Associate Head of School William Campbell, who brings invaluable experience in innovative curriculum design and building effective academic teams, has been named Head of School. He joins Franklin after serving as Director of the Physical Education Department and Sport, Exercise, and Health Science Program at Dwight School. Previously, Mr. Campbell, who lives on the Upper West Side, held positions as: Head of Education at the Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE); Committee member of the New South Wales Commission of Deans of Education; ACPE's Executive for the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Accreditation process; and Assistant Director of International Baccalaureate at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Campbell earned a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Wollongong University. Nicole Hamilton has been named Associate Head of School. She currently serves as Head of the Math Department of both Dwight School and Dwight Global Online School. Ms. Hamilton, a resident of Fort Lee, NJ, brings 19 years of exceptional teaching, technology, and leadership experience to Franklin. She earned a Masters of Arts in Secondary Mathematics Education from City College of New York. Additionally, Jason Rowley, as Director of Strategic Partnerships, will bring his entrepreneurial and real estate investment and development experience in Jersey City to expand and deepen Franklin's community collaborations. Mr. Rowley earned his BA in Organizational Behavior and Management from Brown University. Admissions Inquiries To meet Franklin's leadership team and learn more at a virtual open house, register online or via [email protected]. Applications will be accepted beginning December 2021 for the 2022-23 school year. Media contact: Alyssa Miller, [email protected] SOURCE Franklin School Related Links http://[email protected] Highlights Microsoft has begun rolling out xCloud gaming service for iPhone users. In addition to iOS, the xCloud service will be available on Chrome, Edge. The xCloud service is currently in beta so there may be bugs. Microsoft has finally released the xCloud cloud gaming service for iPhones, iPad, and Windows 10-based internet browsers, allowing Xbox Game Pass subscribers to enjoy over 100 titles on a wide range of devices. The xCloud service for iOS and Web is, however, in the beta phase right now, which means you are likely to see some bugs. The drill is simple here -- you log into your Microsoft or Xbox account on the website on your iPhone, iPad, or any browser on Windows 10, and access from a library of games. The xCloud gaming service will be available only to the subscribers of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service, but even for that, you would need an invite. These invites will be sent by Microsoft itself, so you do not need to hassle your friend for them. The company has said that it will roll out more invites "on a continuous basis" to players in all 22 supported countries, which does not include India right now. "Our plan is to iterate quickly and open up to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the coming months, so more people have the opportunity to play Xbox in all-new ways," said Catherine Gluckstein, Vice President & Head of Product, Project xCloud. In addition to being able to access xCloud on Chrome, Edge browsers on Windows 10, you can simply open the Safari browser on your iPhone or iPad to access xCloud games using the URL -- www.xbox.com/play -- because the alternative method -- which Microsoft pitched to Apple previously -- was rejected by Apple. Apple rejected both Google and Microsoft's cloud gaming services for the iPhone because they were in violation of App Store policies. Apple suggested both Google and Microsoft release individual games on App Store and pay individual App Store commission -- something that goes against the basic idea of cloud gaming. Microsoft's Project xCloud and Google Stadia require a subscription and, in turn, users get access to multiple games without additional fee. Of course, the internet speed needs to be high for cloud gaming, but you can access these games on nearly every device. For Xbox users, it is a great service because they can resume playing their game on a phone by just strapping on gaming accessories anytime anywhere, given they have high-speed internet. "Those who receive an invite just need a compatible Bluetooth or USB-connected controller or can use custom touch controls for more than 50 games to start playing and testing," Gluckstein said in the post. The 2021 GG Spring Festival has determined another high-stakes champion and it was Mikita Badziakouski that earned the biggest individual prize of the series so far. Out of a field of 208 entries in Event H-75: $25,500 Sunday 5 Million, Badziakouski claimed the lion's share of the $5.2 million prize pool and walked away with the top prize of $1,105,679. For the Belarussian, it was redemption for his runner-up finish to Ronny Kaiser in Event H-49: $25,500 Super High Roller just a few days ago. Kaiser was also on the final table once more but had to settle for 8th place this time. Badziakouski earned the victory in commanding style after sending six of the eight finalists to the rail. The other two casualties were caused by start-of-the-day chip leader Elio Fox, who had to settle for 4th place. Matthew "Nator" Hyman and Michel "CrossfireX" Dattani battled for the hefty pay jump and Dattani did so successfully to claim the consolation prize of $829,142. The final table also featured Timofey Kuznetsov, Sebastian "TheodoreRhye" Trisch, Sean Winter, and Michael Zhang. Final Result 2021 GGSF Event H-75: $25,500 Sunday 5 Million Place Winner Country Prize (in USD) 1 Mikita Badziakouski Belarus $1,105,679 2 Michel "CrossfireX" Dattani Portugal $829,142 3 Matthew "Nator" Hyman Mexico $621,769 4 Elio Fox United States $466,261 5 Timofey Kuznetsov Russia $349,647 6 Sebastian "TheodoreRhye" Trisch Germany $262,198 7 Sean Winter United States $196,621 8 Ronny Kaiser Switzerland $147,445 9 Michael Zhang United Kingdom $110,568 Badziakouski Dominates Right From the Start Badziakouski started the final table second in chips, separated by just half a big blind to Fox, and immediately staked his claim for the top spot. In the first level of the final table, Badziakouski knocked out Michael Zhang to take over the lead and never surrendered it from there on anymore. Ronny Kaiser was the next to go and came up short against Fox. He had previously doubled through the American pro and got it in ahead once more but Fox's top pair and gutshot spiked a straight on the river. Sean Winter was the next to bust and Sebastian "TheodoreRhye" Trisch then failed to get there with king-queen against the queens of Fox. That was about the only time when Fox got close to Badziakouski, who dominated the action with sheer aggression until the end. Timofey Kuznetsov lost a flip to the Belorussian, who then reduced the stack of Fox to fumes. The lead of Badziakouski was so big, he could simply open-shove almost every hand. There were some bumps along the road and most notably, Michel "CrossfireX" Dattani doubled twice through him in four-handed play. However, there was only ever going to be one winner as Badziakouski then knocked out one opponent after the other. Ultimately, the final table concluded in just shy of three hours. The next featured final table is just around the corner as the GGSF Super MILLION$ ME-H: $10,300 will determine a winner on the live-streamed showdown on Tuesday, April 20. The PokerNews live reporting team will be back then to provide all the key hands from start to finish. All $25,500 High Rollers during the 2021 GGSF so far BAGHDAD (AP) A first round of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries and at least one still-raging war. But few expect quick results. The talks, hosted by Iraq earlier this month, were confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press by an Iraqi and a Western official in Baghdad. They came as the Biden administration paves the way for re-opening diplomatic channels in the region. Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its regional position after losing an unflinching supporter in President Joe Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. Iran, meanwhile, has calculated that a gradual detente with Riyadh, a long-time U.S. ally, will work in its favor during renewed nuclear talks with Washington and world powers. Saudi Arabia has sought talks with Iran as the kingdom tries to end its years-long war in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. In recent months, the Houthis have increasingly launched missiles and bomb-laden drones at the kingdom, targeting crucial sites and oil infrastructure. Ending that war could be a bargaining chip for the Iranians as they seek sanctions relief from from nuclear talks in Vienna. The hosting of Saudi-Iran talks is also a significant step for Iraq, which has ties with both the U.S. and Iran and has often borne the brunt of Saudi-Iran rivalry. A senior Iraqi official said recent trips by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates have been key in bringing Iranian and Saudi interlocutors to the table. Details of the initial meeting, first reported by The Financial Times, have been sparse. The thorny subject of the Yemen war figured prominently, the Iraqi official said. The Saudi-Iran rivalry has played out on multiple fronts, mostly in Yemen, as well as in Iraq and Lebanon both home to powerful Iran-backed militias. A breakthrough in Iran-Saudi talks could have far-reaching repercussions in those countries and across the region. Story continues It was not clear how much progress, if any, was made in the talks, but the Western diplomat suggested there will be more meetings. The pro-Iran Lebanese newspaper, al-Akhbar, said a new round of talks would be held in Baghdad next week, following a very positive first meeting. My understanding is that these talks will be ongoing and mediated by Baghdad," the diplomat said. Both the diplomat and Iraqi official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the secretive contacts with the media. They declined to elaborate, saying they wanted to give Iraqi mediation efforts a chance to succeed. Neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia have offered official confirmation that the talks took place, though Iranian officials have alluded to them, and welcomed them. The Iranian ambassador to Iraq on Tuesday praised Baghdads recent diplomatic efforts, hinting at the Saudi-Iran talks without mentioning the kingdom. It seems that the regional and international situation has created a more positive atmosphere for the resolution of some problems between Iran and other nations, Iraj Masjedi told the state-run IRNA news agency in an interview in Baghdad. We would be happy if Iraq could be able to play any role in the direction of Irans closeness with nations that we have some challenges with. When asked whether Iraqs mediation has borne fruit, he said the talks have not reached any clear result and not met any remarkable progress. Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been regional rivals. Relations worsened considerably in 2016, when Riyadh removed its diplomats after protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad in retaliation for the kingdom's executing the Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Those posts have remained closed ever since. At the time, Iraq offered itself as a possible mediator between the two countries. Apart from Iraqi lobbying efforts, other key shifts in the wake of the Biden presidency paved the way for the talks. Saudi Arabia is seeking to improve relations with the Biden administration which, unlike the Trump administration, has criticized the kingdom's human rights record, particularly after the 2018 killing of dissident Saudi writer and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudis also want to test "whether Iranians have control over the Houthis, whether they are willing to exercise it, said Randa Slim, director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute. Its a testing phase of wills, and interest. Meanwhile, changes in Irans handling of Iraq also played a role. The intelligence arm of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard held sway over Iraq through Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. But Soleimanis killing in a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad has seen Irans Intelligence Ministry grow more powerful there, said the Iraqi official. The Guard reports directly to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and holds hard-line views. The Intelligence Ministry reports to Irans relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani. While cooperating, the two services are rivals within Irans theocracy. This change of guard was key in bringing Iranians to the table in Baghdad, Iraqi officials said. They have a new view, a new discourse, they want a stronger Iraq, one Iraqi official said of the Intelligence Ministry officials. The (Guard) calculated differently, they wanted the opposite, a weak Iraq was more beneficial to them. ___ Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, Dang Thi Hoang Yen and Nguyen Thanh Phuong were in the news last week. Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan Pham Thu Huong, the wife of Pham Nhat Vuong, the first Vietnamese dollar billionaire, President of Vingroup, holds VND21.15 trillion worth of stock assets, approximately $1 billion. If VIC share prices continue to rise, Huong would be the next name to be seen in the list of Vietnamese dollar billionaires. Meanwhile, another member of Vuongs family, Pham Thuy Hang, the sister of Vuongs wife, holds VND14.1 trillion worth of VIC. Topping the list of female billionaires, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, CEO of Vietjet Air saw the mildest increase in stock asset value, VND1.6 trillion. VJC share price increased by only 6 percent and Thao now has VND28.2 trillion. Thao has received the Legion of Honor from the French Government. Prior to that, she became one of a few Vietnamese businesspeople receiving many honorable titles. She was the most influential Asian in charity work recognized by Tatler magazine; and one of 100 people who changed Asian economy recognized by Business Insider Australia. She was among tge top 100 most influential women in the world, among the most female leaders in Asia and received the best businesswoman award in ASEAN. Nguyen Thanh Phuong The President and Founder of Viet Capital Securities (VCSC) holds only 6.75 million VCI shares, or only 4.08 percent total shares. However, she also holds 14.7 million BVB shares of Viet Capital Bank. Her total stock asset value is VND685 billion. The company successfully held its 2021 shareholders meeting last week and approved the business plan for this year, targeting revenue of VND2 trillion and pre-tax profit of VND1.25 trillion. If this occurs, this will be the first time the company will make a profit of over VND1 trillion in the last three years. The trend is expected to continue in the next three years. A representative of the company said the company estimated profit of VND360-400 billion in Q1. VCSC is planning to issue 166.5 million shares to existing shareholders in 2021 after ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). After the issuance, VCSCs capital will rise to VND3.33 trillion from VND1.656 trillion. Businesswoman pockets big money from gold sale Thanks to good business performance in 2020, Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ) plans to pay the dividend of 20 percent instead of 18 percent (VND2,000 per share). The gold company has submitted to the shareholders meeting a plan to obtain VND21.006 trillion in revenue in 2021, and VND1.23 trillion in post-tax profit, up by 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively, compared with 2020. Topping the list of female billionaires, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, CEO of Vietjet Air saw the mildest increase in stock asset value, VND1.6 trillion. VJC share price increased by only 6 percent and Thao now has VND28.2 trillion. According to PNJ chair Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, 2020 was the time for the company to regenerate, while 2021 is the time to gear up. Regarding the 2021 business plan, PNJ said it would continue to optimize the operation system, renew experiences, services, products, and conquer new markets, and prepare for new business segments. PNJ continues rising despite the ineffective investment of VND400 billion in Dong A Bank. Dong A Banks former president is Tran Phuong Binh, who is Dungs husband. Cuong's mother faces lawsuit Quoc Cuong Gia Lai Group (QCG), owned by Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan, better known in Vietnam as the mother of "Cuong dollar", has released the 2020 audited finance report, which shows that it owes VND2.9 trillion to Sunny Island and faces a lawsuit raised by the company. The debt is high compared with QCGs business result. The company saw revenue increasing considerably in 2020, but it was still below VND1.9 trillion, while consolidated profit was just VND80 billion. QCG has borrowed hundreds of billion of dong from the leaders of the enterprise. QCG also got involved in the problematic Phuoc Kien project. The managers of Tan Thuan Company, belonging to the HCM City Party Committees Office, were disciplined after they were found selling land cheaply to QCG. Tan Thuan sold 30 hectares of land in Phuoc Kien commune in Nha Be district to QCG at VND1.29 million per square meter. Because of the scandal, QCG shares were bargained off in the market for a long time. In August 2020, Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan resigned from the post of president after her son, Nguyen Quoc Cuong, or Cuong dollar, left the company to develop his own projects. Prior to that, in November 2018, Cuong resigned from the posts of deputy CEO and as a member of the board of management. Loan is the biggest shareholder of Quoc Cuong Gia Lai, holding 102 million QCG shares, or 37.04 percent. Dang Thi Hoang Yen Like Loan, Dang Thi Hoang Yen has also met problems recently. ITA shares are still traded at below VND8,000 per share. Yen said her Tan Tao would divest from some projects to focus on industrial zone development. It will quit Kien Luong thermopower project, and trade and resort projects in Phu Quoc and Da Lat. After a long period of difficulties, Yen and her brother Dang Thanh Tam, both industrial real estate developers, have shown signs of recovery as new FDI flows are expected. Bao Anh Billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong plans billion-dollar IPO in the US Vingroups billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong is taking an unexpected step entering the world's largest electric car market. Italian Wine Podcast new series - Quote from Alexi Cashen's interview This series deals with wine business and the evolution of technologies in the wine industry. Each guest gives listeners valuable insight into how consumerschoose, purchase, and drink wine. On April 1st 2021, the Italian Wine Podcast began airing a limited series entitled, "Wine Business Talk with Colangelo & Partners" hosted by Juliana Colangelo. This series deals with wine business and the evolution of technologies in the wine industry; how it is designed to help consumers and wineries, guiding listeners on how they can effectively use these technologies. Each guest gives listeners valuable insight into how consumers choose, purchase, and drink wine. Host Julliana Colangelo was recently promoted from West Coast Director to Vice President of Colangelo & Partners (http://www.colangelopr.com), and is responsible for establishing an impressive list of California wine clients as well as leading a strong team of wine PR professionals. She has a Masters in Business Administration from the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State and is the holder of a level 3 WSET certification. Prior to her position in California building the domestic wine business for Colangelo & Partners, Juliana worked on international campaigns for clients including Wines of South Africa, Frescobaldi, Distell, Slow Wine and others. Her unique insight into the US wine business market has helped to skillfully guide and shape the conversations with guests on the Italian Wine Podcast, creating entertaining and useful content. Guests include Heini Zachariassen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vivino in Copenhagen, Denmark. Credited with bringing a technology revolution to the wine industry, Zachariassen founded Vivino because he was frustrated by not knowing which wine to buy. Vivino has grown into a community of 46 million users, has raised $72 million in funding, and rolled out a worldwide wine marketplace. Dave Parker CEO & Founder of Benchmark Wine Group. His wine and tech industry contacts helped him in bridge the gap between high-quality wine producers and well-informed fine wine collectors and connoisseurs. Parker is also Head of The Board of Directors of the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR). Alexi Cashen; Co-founder of Elenteny Imports. Cashen took on the operations and started building a team that continues to grow in New York, Colorado & California. Alexi has a keen eye for fundamentally analyzing new and growing businesses in the wine industry, boiling down best practices and guides her teams and customers through the myriad of details that make up the US alcohol three-tier distribution system. Italian Wine Podcast Rolls Out Wine Business Talk with Colangelo & Partners. Kristen Reitzell, Vice President Public Relations & Communications at Jackson Family Wines. Reitzell manages all aspects of Jackson Family Wines communications strategy, overseeing corporate and family communications, global PR across the companys collection of 40 wineries in California, Oregon, France, Italy, Australia, Chile and South Africa as well as digital marketing strategies across various brand portfolios. Aaron Sherman CEO of SevenFifty is a sommelier-turned-tech executive as well as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the leading online marketplace and data platform for the beverage industry. Sherman has worked in renowned restaurants like WD~50 and LArtusi, and promotes SevenFiftys vision of engaging and supporting the beverage community with a cutting-edge database and consumer insights. Mike Provance PhD and CEO of 3X3, a marketing technology company focused on modernizing the ways brands and liquor retailers engage and sell uniquely to the independent consumer. A digital and technology strategy expert, Mike has built groundbreaking technology businesses and launched award-winning digital properties for 30+ years in financial services, information services, manufacturing and healthcare industries, and with the science and technology offices of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Special Operations Command. Will Blackmon, the NFL Wine Guy He played for the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, with whom he won Super Bowl 46. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished his career with the Washington Redskins. He has completed his level 2 and level 3 WSET certifications and he also passed the intro exam through the Court of Masters Sommelier. He launched a VIP Wine Concierge business called, The WINE MVP as a way to educate, make wine more approachable. In 2020 Will has been named one of Wine Enthusiasts Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers in the United States. Check out the Italian Wine Podcasts Wine Business Talk with Colangelo & Partners each Thursday on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts! You can also learn more about the Italian Wine Podcast by visiting http://www.italianwinepodcast.com or through our social media channels. About: the Italian Wine Podcast: Cin Cin with Italian Wine People! is a podcast project dedicated exclusively to the Italian wine world. The program uncovers the unique world of Italian wine in conversation with some of its key protagonists from all over the world. Italian Wine Podcast aims to inform, educate, and entertain listeners with content for wine professionals and casual listeners alike. Content includes interviews by organic and biodynamic wine writer Monty Waldin; interviews focused on women in the wine industry, hosted by Rebecca Lawrence DipWSET; chats between influencers, educators, and entrepreneurs in the wine world; deep examinations of individual grape varieties; a guest blog; Q&A sessions with vine geneticist Prof. Attilio Scienza, and audiobooks. Italian Wine Podcast is available on SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, XimalayaFM (for China), and on the official website. It now boasts almost 500 recorded episodes with a growing online following. Listeners interested in providing feedback about the show are encouraged to access a demographic survey on the podcast website. Donations to the show are welcomed and help fund a portion of the shows equipment, production, and publication costs. To advertise on the show, please request a prospectus and/or customized advertising plan from info@italianwinepodcast.com. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview the nation does not yet have 'equal justice under law' as he marked the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and spoke of persistent racism as the jury meets in the Derek Chauvin trial. The nation's top law enforcement officer steered clear of pronouncements about the ongoing trial even as President Joe Biden phoned George Floyd's brother Philonise. He described racism as an ongoing problem throughout the country, when asked about racism on police forces. 'Look, racism is an American problem,' he told ABC News. Attorney General Merrick Garland called racism 'an American problem' in an interview while the nation awaits a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial 'It's plain to me that there has been and remains discrimination against African Americans and other communities of color, and other ethnic minorities. I think it's reflected in discrimination in housing and employment and the justice system. ... We do not yet have equal justice under law,' said Garland. Garland described his initial reaction to videos of Floyd's arrest that set off nationwide protests. 'I also saw the videos last summer, all through the summer,' he said. 'And like many Americans, I was shocked. But many Black Americans were not shocked, because they have known of this kind of treatment before,' he continued. 'I felt that beginning last summer, at least, there was a chance to bring this to the fore of the national consciousness, to create a moment in which we could change. And part of the reason that I wanted to be attorney general was I wanted to help bring that change,' he said. But he made a point of not commenting on the case in a way that might prejudice the outcome. 'I intend to wait until the verdict before I will say anything and I would urge the American people to do the same,' Garland said. Local organizer Brandyn Tulloch speaks to the crowd during a demonstration on April 19, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The jury began deliberating today in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the killing of George Floyd while detaining him last May Demonstrators protest near the Hennepin County Courthouse on April 19, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Garland got asked if racism among police was a problem Demonstrators protest near the Hennepin County Courthouse on April 19, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Garland said the nation does not yet have 'equal justice under law' Garland showed emotion and appeared to hold back tears while describing how his grandparents fled antisemitism in Eastern Europe an episode he also recounted when Biden nominated him and during his Senate confirmation hearings. 'All of us in our family feel an obligation public service and try to protect other people the way the country protected us,' said Garland. Garland's reticence to get into the case he served as chief judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals comes as some politicians have jumped into the fray. California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters sparked outrage by traveling to Minneapolis on Saturday and urging protesters to 'get more confrontational' if Chauvin was acquitted. The judge presiding over the case said her comments may have handed Chauvin's defense grounds for appeal. Garland spoke with emotion while describing how his ancestors fled anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe She defended her words calling for 'confrontation,' saying: 'The whole Civil Rights movement is confrontational.' Philonise Floyd said of his conversation with BIden: 'He was just calling. He knows how it is to lose a family member,' he said. 'And he knows that the process of what we're going through so he was just letting us know that he was praying for us, and hoping that everything would come out to be okay,' he told NBC's Today show. He also spoke about the infamous 1921 race massacre in Tulsa, where white residents attacked a swath of black-owned businesses and black residents. 'This is a moment where it's important to come to a place like this,' he told the network as he toured a park that commemorates the event. 'The kind of devastation that happened here is the product of the same kind of hatred that led to the bombing in Oklahoma City.' 'They are similar -- kind -- kinds of devastation brought by terrible hatred. And so I felt I needed to see it, face it,' he added. Garland also spoke Monday during a remembrance ceremony at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, his voice occasionally cracking with emotion. He said the domestic extremism behind the Oklahoma City bombings are 'still with us' on the 26th anniversary. Garland led the investigation into 1995 attack that killed 168 people - including 19 children - as a Department of Justice staffer. 'Although many years have passed, the terror perpetrated by people like Timothy McVeigh is still with us,' Garland said, referring to the man convicted and executed for carrying out the attack. 'Just last month, the FBI warned of the ongoing and heightened threat posed by domestic violent extremists. 'The Department of Justice is pouring its resources into stopping domestic violent extremists before they can attack, prosecuting those who do, and battling the spread of the kind of hate that leads to tragedies like the one we mark here today.' Hatred of the federal government motivated McVeigh and his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, to commit what many experts still refer to as the deadliest act of domestic terrorism on U.S. soil. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection in 2001. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison. In the ABC interview, Garland tried not to look backward when asked about his nomination to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama, where he never got a confirmation hearing in the Republican-run Senate. He spoke of protecting the Justice Department from 'partisan influence.' 'I look forward,' he said. 'I now have the opportunity to do some very important things. I have the opportunity now to lead a Justice Department in pursuit of civil rights. I have a chance to lead a Justice Department in pursuit of the rule of law and ensuring the independence of the department, and its independence -- particularly -- from any kind of partisan influence in the way we bring investigations or prosecutions,' he said. 'And I have a chance to lead a department -- sitting here in Oklahoma City -- that needs to fight against domestic violent extremists, so that the kind of tragedy that we had in Oklahoma City doesn't occur.' 'Moving on is moving on,' he added. In an April 7 letter to District 34 Superintendent Dane Delli, Florida-based Liberty Counsel said it was writing on behalf of six employees ... who have engaged us to secure their constitutional and statutory rights not to be required to undergo COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of their employment. Cities across the country are preparing for protests as the jury in the murder trial of the former police officer Derek Chauvin entered its second day of deliberations on Tuesday. With the memory of last summers protests after George Floyds death still fresh, some states have ordered National Guard troops to be on standby in anticipation of large protests if there is an acquittal. Police chiefs are urging protesters to be peaceful, and businesses in many cities, from Indianapolis to Los Angeles to New York, are boarding up windows. The courthouse where the trial is being held is surrounded by razor-wire, fencing, concrete barriers and dozens of National Guard troops. It will be up to each governor to decide whether troops or law enforcement will be necessary to help with possible protests. So far, Illinois, Minnesota and Washington, D.C., have done so. Heres how cities are preparing: YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The man who is suspected in the killing of a Yerevan public minibus passenger turned himself in to authorities on April 20 after six days on the run, police told ARMENPRESS. The 58-year-old man was taken into custody at the Central Department of Police. The suspect allegedly stabbed the passenger to death over an argument on wearing face masks which escalated when he was asked to put one on. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan A desperate search is underway for a teenage girl who disappeared after getting on to a train in Sydney's west. Taylor Watson Mathieson, 17, was last seen at Springwood Railway Station heading east at about 6.30pm on Monday April 19. There are concerns for the girls whereabouts as she is required to take regular medication. Taylor is described as Caucasian, 165cm tall, with light brown hair and a medium build. Police are concerned over the teenager's health as she is required to take regular medication She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue jumper and white shoes. Police said the investigation was ongoing but there were no developments on her whereabouts. The police said she is known to frequent Sydney CBD, Randwick, Caringbah, the South Coast and the Blue Mountains. If anyone has any information about her whereabouts, police are urging them to come forward by contacting police. After visits by unnamed masked intruders and the cancellation of its lease, Imaguru the countrys key startup hub, event and co-working space in Minsk has effectively been shut down by the Lukashenko regime, which has led a brutal crackdown on its own people in recent months. But the company behind the space says it will defy the authorities and continue its activities online. Since 2013, Imaguru had become known as being the birthplace of a large number of startups from Belarus, including MSQRD, acquired by Facebook in 2017 as well as a landing pad for international investors visiting the country. Startups that have emerged from the space have attracted over $100 million in investments in recent years. The "Imaguru Startup HUB" leased the space from "Horizon Holding" in 2013, when it took over a dilapidated building from a state-owned company. But on April 16, 2021, Horizon told Imaguru it was unilaterally terminating its lease and the startup space has been given until April 30 to vacate. Imaguru says there has been no reason given for the lease termination, despite Horizon calling Imaguru a flagship leasehold for its property business. Tania Marinich, founder, Imaguru Tania Marinich, founder, Imaguru To outside observers, it looks like Horizon has come under pressure because of Imaguru's active support of the pro-democracy protests inside the country. In early March, unidentified men wearing masks broke into the office, "blocked the exit, put young event attendees against the wall, and brought them to the police station said the company. In a statement, Imaguru said it is "not silent about lawlessness, repressions and persecution against civilians who defend their rights to an honest and fair choice Not silent about the regime shutting down the business, investment and startup environment Not silent about the massive relocation of startups from Belarus, about the catastrophe of this for the country and the role of the High Tech Park in this process. Story continues Named after the phrase Im a guru," and transcribed literately by Belarusian entrepreneurs, Imaguru held countless conferences, events, startup pitches and courses. It also organised Venture Day Minsk (which will still be run online on April 29). Since 2013 Imaguru says it has helped over 300 Belarusian startups, including Splitmetrics, MSQRD, PingFin, DEIP and TrackDuck; created 250+ jobs; educated over 12,000 people; held over 3,500 events; organised study tours to the U.S., U.K., Finland, Spain and, most recently, launched the TechMinsk accelerator program. In recent months, the startup hub came out in solidarity with the protests inside the country following last years tainted elections, recorded videos of solidarity with PandaDoc, whos employees have been jailed, and supported the general strike on October 26, 2020. The Global Entrepreneurship Week Belarus, which was organized by the Imaguru team, was opened by the Belarusian leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Imaguru was founded by Belarusian businesswoman Tania Marinich (Twitter, Linkedin, Telegram) whose husband died in jail after standing at elections in opposition to the Lukashenko regime. The below is a statement by Marinich on the closure of the Imaguru space: A startup hub in Minsk was a totally new idea in Belarus in 2013, but Marinich has championed the ecosystem ever since. After the protest last year, Marinich joined the core team of the opposition partys Coordination Council, leading the business group. If youd like to help Imaguru you can subscribe to their news, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. You can also buy Imaguru's merchandise. You can also attend Venture Day Minsk Online on April 29. You can register here. A man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman who had come to Ireland seeking asylum. The 54-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of attempted rape of the woman in his Dublin home on various occasions over the weekend of December 1 to December 3, 2017. The jury told Mr Justice Alex Owens, following eight and half hours deliberation on day-10 of the trial at the Central Criminal Court, that they could reach a majority verdict on one count but they were deadlocked in relation to the other four counts. Mr Justice Owens took the verdict and discharged the jury. He thanked the jury for its service and wished the jurors well. He remanded the man in custody and revoked his bail before he adjourned sentencing to July 12, 2021. The judge ordered a victim impact statement and a report from the Probation Service to address post release supervision before he certified the man as a sex offender. The trial heard that after his arrest the man told gardai that he had never heard that a husband and a wife can have a rape allegation between them. He said to him rape cases involve someone getting kidnapped and then raped. A witness from a mosque in Dublin said that after the complainant told her what had happened she confronted the defendant and asked him why did you rape her? She said the defendant said he didn't and that you cannot rape inside marriage. She said she told the man you are in a different country now and there are different laws here and told him that you can rape within marriage. That same witness told the court that the complainant told her she and the accused had some form of a ceremony performed in a mosque and the complainant asked her advice as to if this meant they were now married. The witness said she advised the woman to get an affidavit from the accused proving that it was a legally binding marriage. She said she did this for the complainants own self-preservation for her family back home. If she was seen to have had any sexual intercourse outside of marriage it could be disastrous for her, potentially very dangerous and life threatening, the witness told the jury. She confirmed that sexual intercourse outside of marriage is forbidden in Islamic culture. SUMMARY OF THE TRIAL The trial heard that during a visit to Ireland in November 2017 the 36-year-old woman sought asylum in Ireland to avoid an arranged marriage in her native country. The complainant testified that after a ceremony took place between her and the accused, the man took her back to his flat and raped her a number of times over the course of three days. She travelled to Dublin to file an application with the International Protection Office (IPO). She was told about a particular centre who could help her and a contact in this centre then told her about a mosque in Dublin. She said she became aware that there was a service that was provided to the Muslim community where they could arrange meetings between people who were interested in getting married. She was introduced to the accused through this mosque and they met a number of times. The woman, who gave her evidence via video link, told Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, that following the ceremony at the mosque she travelled back with the man to his home and once inside he tried to kiss her and told her you are my wife and she told him she wasn't. She said he then pushed her into a bedroom and was trying to take her clothes off. She said she was crying and asking him to stop and trying to push him away and he eventually stopped and left the room. He later went to collect his daughter and when he came back the three of them ate a meal in his flat. The defendant left again with his daughter and in text messages he asked why he couldn't touch her and she said because we aren't married yet, she testified. She said he asked if I was his wife and I said no. When the defendant returned home later he was alone and he again began touching the woman, she said. She said she was crying and asking him to stop and trying to hold her legs firmly together. He sat with his whole body on top of me. I don't know how, he took off my pyjamas and underwear and opened his trousers and put his penis inside my vagina, she said. The complainant became visibly upset for a number of minutes before telling Mr Gillane I was crying and asking him to stop. He didn't stop. She said he told her to shut up. She said after this the man left the flat and returned with his daughter. She said she felt safer because of the child's presence and she went to bed. She said the next morning the man came into the room where she was sleeping and began taking her clothes off again. She said she began crying again and the accused put a pillow on her face so she found it difficult to breathe. She said the defendant told her don't do anything, my child is sleeping and told her to shut up, don't make any noises. He was holding my legs very tight and the pillow was on my face with him pushing me, she said. The witness became upset as she told the jury that the defendant was trying to put his penis inside her again. The jury heard the memo of the accuseds interview with gardai in which he denied the womans allegations when they were put to him and said she was telling lies. He said they had taken part in a ceremony called Nikah which he said is a freedom to have a sexual relationship with a blessing from the mosque but not a legally binding marriage. He said that over the course of that weekend he and the complainant had sex a number of times and claimed that on occasion the complainant instigated it. He told gardai that the woman told him she came to Ireland because the immigration laws here were weak. He suggested that the reason she said he had raped her was because it would mean she could stay in Ireland while it was being investigated. The man told gardai that when he was first introduced to the woman, he said she said she wanted marriage and babies and claimed that she proposed to him. He said he told her his divorce had not come through so he could not marry her. During interviews with gardai the man said he had never heard that a husband and a wife can have a rape allegation between them. He said to him rape cases involve someone getting kidnapped and then raped. Local hard work and campaigning combined Laois County Council stepping up to the plate has resulted more than 1 million in funding for the regeneration of Portarlington, according to a local councillor. Sinn Fein's Cllr Aidan Mullins welcomed the announcement of funding for teh upgrade of a landmark building and its surrounds. "After years of pushing for the upgrade of Portarlington I'm glad to report that 1.2 million has been approved for the upgrade of the Market House in The Square. "This is the catalyst for the Regeneration of the entire town and the Downey Report will be made public very soon. "Portarlington Tidy Towns Committee put in a lot of hard work on pressuring the Council for the upgrade of the town for the past number of years. "Credit also to Director of Services in Laois County Council, Gerry Murphy, and his staff who stepped up to the plate on this funding application. "With the ongoing footpath replacement project along Main Street and the undergrounding of the overhead lines, the streetscape will see a massive improvement," he said. The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys confirmed that the Laois Offaly border town project was among 24 regeneration projects across the country to get a share of the 75million for regeneration. Her Department said the funding, which is being provided under the 1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will support the key objectives of Our Rural Future - the Governments ambitious new policy for Rural Ireland. A total of 1,094,880 is going to the Portarlington project. The Portarlington project, which will cost 1,216,533, involves the refurbishment and immediate reuse of the Market House located in the centre of the town. "The Market House will be reimagined as the central focus of the town with a range of public and community uses including community meeting space and an event and exhibition space. "The project will regenerate a key focal point within the town, acting as a launching point for further regeneration and redevelopment in the town centre," said a description published by the department. A new plan for the town centre is imminent. At a time when most filmmakers have either postponed or halted shooting schedules, Telugu movie stars seem to be pressing on bravely with their work. Actors like Prabhas, Allu Arjun and Mahesh Babu have been continuing with their respective films despite the upsurge in COVID-19 cases. Prabhas has just commenced a fresh schedule of shooting for Radhe Shyam in Hyderabad. But the films director Radhakrishna goes on to clarify that, Its not a new schedule; we have just a few days of work left, and we wanted to shoot it quickly so that we wrap up the entire film. We didnt want to postpone the whole thing for a long time for the sake of a few days work. He stresses that the unit is following all the SoPs during the shooting schedule. Another actor who has been working non-stop is Allu Arjun. The stylish star has been shooting for Pushpa for over two weeks in Hyderabad. Producer Ravi Shankar admits it is risky, but says, We have already announced our release date (August 13), so we need to work towards it. Moreover, all the precautions are being taken, and Allu Arjun garu has been very supportive, adds the producer. Mahesh Babu is continuing to work too. The superstar has just wrapped up his schedule of shooting for his upcoming film, Sarkaru Vari Paata. He will commence the next schedule next week. Yes COVID-19 is worrying, but we have asked most of the crew who are in their mid-40s to take vaccines as per the government norms, says producer Ravi. Explaining that they wanted to have an edge over other films by completing the shooting, he says If any crew member gets infected, we shall isolate him and continue with the shooting, and adds that all the guidelines are being adhered to. My 59-year-old cousin died suddenly last July without leaving a will. He never married, nor did he have any siblings, a legal partnership or children. He lived all of his life at the same address with his widowed 92year-old mother. I applied to the High Court for Letters of Administration. Every bank and insurance company paid out last year except Legal & General. My cousin had an L&G WorkSave Pension Plan. On August 5 last year his employer notified L&G of his death. But it took almost four months and many prompts and complaints to get a claim form, which eventually arrived November 27. Lack of trust: A reader has been struggling to convince Legal and General that he is related to his late cousin That was quickly dispatched. Now every time we chase L&G, it sends yet another form, often asking for information which I have already sent. Currently, it claims that because my cousin had a short birth certificate, which does not show his parents names, they cannot be sure that my aunt was his mother. This despite the fact that I was granted Letters of Administration by the High Court of Justice and have repeatedly asserted that she was. No other institution has asked for his birth certificate. I also sent L&G my aunts marriage certificate which showed the same address as my cousins death certificate. She has lived there since her marriage and my cousin never had another address in his life. Still questioning my honesty and my cousins parenthood, L&G said it would try to get a full certificate, which, given the current state of government departments, could take many more months. My aunt is frail. I am 77, in increasingly poor health and need to see an end to this. Given that the amount in question is just 17,000, I find the firms prevarication extraordinary. S. C., Torquay, Devon. Tony Hazell replies: When will companies learn to treat bereaved people with the consideration and support they deserve and need? L&G has apologised for its intransigent behaviour. This smacks of some jobsworth sitting at home ticking boxes while you face increasing anxiety provoked entirely by them. An L&G spokesman says: This is not the experience that we want any of our policyholders or members to have with us. While we do require certain documentation when handling an estate, and a birth certificate showing certain information may be a necessary requirement in some instances, we have clearly not looked at this case in the round. We recognise that we could have handled it more sympathetically without compounding clearly challenging circumstances. L&G contacted you when I made staff aware of the situation and arranged immediate payment of the 17,000. It has apologised personally to you and sent you 500 compensation and a bouquet of flowers. You have YOUR say Every week Money Mail receives hundreds of your letters and emails about our stories. Here are some about the milk delivery service which will now take orders only online: My mum is 94 and has had to cancel her deliveries with Milk & More because she can no longer pay by direct debit. The firm obviously just wants to get rid of its elderly customers. L.P., via email. My husband I were in the police force for more than 40 years and milkmen often called in if a bottle had not been collected from an elderly persons doorstep. With many pensioners unable to use the internet, this hidden safety service by our wonderful milkmen will no longer exist. P. C., Norfolk. I was shocked when I found out this company had written to customers giving them two choices either set up an online account or leave. My friend has dementia and lives on his own. He cant use a computer any more so will have to cancel his deliveries. A.M., via email. Some older Milk & More customers will now have to find hundreds of pounds (which they may not have) to spend on a computer. I think this amounts to age discrimination. B. L., via email. I am another oldie falling foul of Milk & Mores tactics. I do have a computer, but I dont want to run my life through it. Fortunately, I know of a shop which sells organic milk in glass bottles, but I have to take a train to get there. F. F., Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts. I have been with Milk & More for more than 30 years and we have always had the same milkman, who arranged a direct debit system for me when I was forced to switch to weekly payments some time ago. He is also very unhappy with the new system. P. H., via email. BT engineers damaged my driveway BT contractors came on to my property, without permission, and cut a line into my driveway. The contractor accepted responsibility but nothing has been done to remedy the damage. This all started in February last year. A neighbour advised the engineers they were on private property, but they would not tell her who they were working for and said they had to complete the task. I had two blue lines sprayed on my drive and a line of approximately 117cm was ground into the drive surface. R. V., St Albans, Herts. Tony Hazell replies: YOUR full letter lists at least a dozen different attempts to resolve this with Openreach (the BT company responsible) and its contractor. This included a letter from BTs public liability lawyer which advised you that the sub-contractors had to indemnify you. The contractor did not dispute the claim but had to get authorisation to do the work. What is wrong with these people? How much did it cost BT, Openreach and the lawyers to mess you around when the simple thing was just to fix your damaged property? The good news is that the work is now going ahead. An Openreach spokesman blamed the problem on delays with an order for some specialist resurfacing equipment. Openreach says that its contractor was unaware it was on private land because this had not been flagged in the build plans. Well, the engineers were certainly aware when your neighbour told them but chose to ignore this. They will be discussing compensation directly with you. The Twitter account for Caucasus Heritage Watch on April 19 shared satellite images apparently showing several vehicles parked next to the Vankasar Church in Azerbaijans Agdam district. The region was recaptured from Armenian forces during last year's conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The images are hard to discern but were widely shared on Twitter amid fears they may show a first step in the erasure of the ancient Christian monument. Lori Khatchadourian, an associate professor at Cornell University who is one of the researchers of Caucasus Heritage Watch, told RFE/RL by e-mail that there appears to be one truck approximately 8.6 meters long -- far larger than a regular car, truck, or van -- in the photo, alongside other undefined vehicles and a temporary rectangular structure nearby measuring 18-by-8 meters that she believes may be a tent or some other type of shelter. There is no evidence Vankasar Church has been targeted for destruction since coming under Azerbaijan's control, but some fear it could be demolished after a recent news report highlighted the erasure of another church on recaptured Azerbaijani territory. In March, a BBC camera crew went looking for a church in the retaken Azerbaijani town of Jebrayil. The small church, which was built in 2017, became known during the 2020 conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces after video emerged of a fighter standing atop its damaged cross and shouting Islamic slogans. Instead of a church, the BBC journalists found smoothed-out rubble at the site. In response to the churchs destruction, senior Azerbaijani official Hikmet Hajiyev pointed to the heavily damaged Azerbaijani towns that he said had become wastelands under Armenian occupation since the first conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh ended in 1994. Simon Maghakyan, an American-Armenian researcher, told RFE/RL he hopes the objects seen in the satellite imagery alongside Vankasar Church are simply military vehicles manning an outpost. But a recent statement about the nearby archaeological site of Tigranakert by Azerbaijani officials has him worried for the wider site around Vankasar Church. Kerrin Bradfield, chairperson of the Australian Society of Sexologists, the accreditation agency for sexuality teaching in Australian schools, dubbed the materials disgusting, incredibly harmful and dangerous, in part because they place the onus for prevention of sexual assault on the victim. Loading It [The Good Society package] is really stepping back a lot of the progress we have made in the last few years, certainly the last 18 months to get this conversation [about consent and sexuality eduction] on the table. One video says there are four things humans want, food, money, power and love I think youll find more women want safety, said Ms Bradfield. Time and again weve failed to hold perpetrators to account and thats pretty much what this curriculum is reinforcing. The onus is on young women to respectfully respond to boundary violations. One piece of suggested advice for a young person experiencing sexual violence is simply to ignore it, or they could risk their reputation being damaged. It is just face-palmingly bad, how is that OK? RMITs Nicola Henry, who has 20 years experience researching sexual violence, described the videos as appalling and said she couldnt believe the one in which sexual assault was compared with a milkshake being smeared on a boys face by a girl had been made. That video is one of the two that have now been removed. It trivialises sexual violence by trying to make the issue of consent fun and light, said Associate Professor Henry. One video says there are four things humans want, food, money, power and love I think youll find more women want safety. Kerrin Bradfield, Australian Society of Sexologists This can cause harm because it doesnt give out the right messages ... about what consent is and what sexual violence is. She said it was frankly disgraceful that senior experts in sexuality education curriculum development, who have expertise in gender-based violence and sexual violence, werent consulted in the rollout and design of prevention and intervention material. Karen Willis, outgoing executive officer of Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia and a 40-year veteran in the field of sexual violence prevention, said the package was moralising and failed to target poor behaviour. Rather it targets those who might experience poor behaviour, which is on the track to victim blaming. Loading Straight away that is major disaster 101. You need to target the poor behaviours. Ms Willis and other experts said it was critical victim-survivors were consulted in the creation of material about sexual violence prevention, but their voice had not been included in The Good Society material and nor had the advice of most of the nations most experienced experts in the area of sexuality education and violence prevention. National violence-prevention agency Our Watch put out a statement clarifying its role in producing the material after the federal government noted the body has been consulted in the production of The Good Society package. As part of a confidential process, Our Watch was consulted between late 2017 and early 2019 when the [The Good Society] materials were being developed and provided advice. We have not been asked to use or endorse the materials subsequently, the statement said. Our Watch advocates for a whole-of-school approach to violence prevention education that addresses the gendered drivers of violence ... This approach works to create sustainable change across the whole school and has significant international and national evidence supporting it. Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said on Tuesday he would not recommend the sex education resource to public schools, while NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell described as pretty woeful. Mr Merlino, Victorias acting Premier, labelled the resource a big fail and called on the federal government to remake the educational tool. Ive got to be frank with you, I was pretty disappointed, he said on Tuesday. It was confusing, it was cringeworthy, it did not hit the mark. Ms Mitchell also criticised the resource on Tuesday, labelling it a missed opportunity. I think the conversations that Ive been having with young people around consent and respectful relationships education is they want it to be explicit. They want to have an honest conversation about these issues, she said. However, Deakin University education professor Amanda Keddie said there were positive aspects to the resource, noting each topic was directly linked to the Australian curriculum and there were links to extensive professional learning support for teachers. In southern Illinois, public health officials struggle to fill coronavirus vaccine appointment slots as the region sits on a three-week supply of doses. Its far different in north suburban Lake County, where slots for vaccinations fill up so fast that the region is able to maintain barely four days supply. Four months into Illinois mass vaccination program, a Tribune analysis of state and local data found deep imbalances in vaccine supply and demand. The state for weeks kept sending doses to places where it was a struggle to sign up enough people to get vaccinated, while other areas such as greater Chicago scrambled to find enough doses for the flood of people eager to get a shot. That has led to large disparities in vaccine supply such as those seen comparing southern Illinois and Lake County, where the thin inventory makes it hard to add more appointment slots in clinics or ship more doses to doctors and pharmacists hungry for them. After the Tribune began asking questions about the imbalance last week, the state announced it would send nearly 50% more first doses to local health departments in the suburbs. That could soon help make it just as easy to get shots near Chicago as it is in many downstate regions. Still, a tougher battle may loom in places where inventory has climbed and the pace of shots waned. In areas that include southern Illinois, there remain large numbers of residents who are ambivalent, nervous or leery of getting vaccinated. In southern Illinois Jackson County, state data shows just 30% of those age 16 to 64 have gotten a shot. But even after doses were opened up to everybody at least 16 years old, the countys clinics were able to fill less than 10% of available appointment slots over one four-day stretch. The help we need now is to address vaccine confidence and hesitancy issues, Jackson Countys health administrator, Bart Hagston, said in an email last week. The disparities have lingered, and hesitancy has revealed itself, amid an increasingly precarious time of the pandemic. Story continues A third surge has begun to take hold in Illinois, pushing case counts higher, with hospitals in some regions filling up so fast theyre sparking new concerns about capacity. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appeared reluctant to tighten restrictions, in the hope that vaccinations will douse the latest pandemic uptick. But researchers have said that, for now, the state may be weeks or even months away from getting ahead of the surge. And health officials have stopped using the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Although it wasnt used as much as the two-shot vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, it helped supplement the effort, and concern over its safety hasnt helped efforts to reduce hesitancy. Uneven vaccinations The unprecedented mass vaccination process has relied mostly on a public health system starved of funding for years and strained from fighting the yearlong pandemic. Still, in just four months, the effort has gotten at least one shot into the arms of roughly half of all Illinoisans 16 and older. But the rollout has been uneven as its evolved from inoculating only health care workers and the most fragile residents to the broader population. The analysis follows earlier Tribune reviews that documented how the state initially strained more than most to ramp up a COVID-19 vaccination program, then made up for the slow start by sending disproportionate amounts of the vaccines to areas outside Chicago that the Illinois Department of Public Health had surmised would be able to get shots into arms more quickly. Complicating matters has been that the city of Chicago gets its doses directly from the federal government, not through the state health department controlled by Pritzker. The city has been lobbying the state to bolster city supplies, arguing that its doses were being given to many suburbanites who either work in the city or could more readily find appointments there. At the same time, many Chicago area residents trekked downstate to get shots. Jackson Countys Hagston estimated that, at one point, a tenth of his clinics customers were Chicago-area residents who made the long journey to the countys clinics in Carbondale a five-hour drive from the Loop. Others ventured to sites closer to Chicago, such as Bloomington. That led local health officials initially to restrict their county-run clinics to local residents, although secondary providers, such as pharmacies, kept their slots open to people who qualified regardless of their home address. That vaccine tourism helped mask the geographic imbalance of supply and demand in publicly available data, since the state tracks vaccinations by where recipients live, not where they got their shot. Still, even the vaccine tourism wasnt enough to even out the imbalance in the states vaccination figures for the 11 designated regions in Illinois coronavirus plan. The Tribune previously found that regions that received a higher number of doses proportionally broke out of the gate early, led by the west-central region, which stretches across 18 counties, from Quincy to Springfield. By Feb. 25, a month after the state opened vaccinations to all seniors and essential workers, the west-central region led the state with nearly 10% of its residents fully vaccinated. In last place at the time was the region that combines Lake and McHenry counties, at 4%. Nearly two months later, the west-central region still holds a sizable lead, while regions in the Chicago area are just beginning to catch up. Inventory disparities As the vaccination effort got underway, the Pritzker administration pushed doses to places it said could administer them more quickly. Local health departments complained they were largely in the dark about how much vaccine theyd be getting from the IDPH. But as the imbalance in vaccinations became apparent, the states formula evolved. It sent every county at least a certain number of shots, based on population, and publicized those figures online. IDPH also held back a sizable number of doses it said were needed to target areas of high need or to get shots to particularly vulnerable groups through safety-net hospitals and National Guard clinics across the state. The state has not replied to the Tribunes request on where those doses have been sent. IDPH has also asked counties that felt they had enough supply to shift any of their remaining allocations back to the state, to distribute to areas of higher demand. Still, that wasnt enough to stop inventory from ballooning in some parts of the state. One way to look at the situation is to measure the average number of doses on hand each day, compared to the average daily number of residents getting vaccinated. That formula shows three regions West-Central, Metro East and South have enough doses to vaccinate their residents, at their current paces, for more than three weeks. Near Chicago, inventory levels are far smaller. IDPH doesnt track the city of Chicagos inventory, but for the four regions that encompass the suburbs, supply levels have lingered at 10 days or less. The shortest supply can be found in the region that combines Lake and McHenry counties, which had on hand a supply good for barely four days worth of vaccinations. Mark Pfister, director of Lake Countys health department, told the Tribune last week that his Lake County department has no trouble still filling up all appointment slots at clinics it runs. It also cannot keep up with all of the physicians and pharmacists vying for the doses provided by IDPH. I can tell you that we have many providers that are not happy with us, Pfister said last week. High demand in Chicago area One reason inventory levels are so low is because demand near Chicago remains so high. While other parts of the state have seen the number of daily vaccinations stagnate even drop over the past month, the Chicago area has seen a surge in the number of residents getting vaccinated. In the region that combines DuPage and Kane counties, roughly 12 shots a day are being administered for every 1,000 residents, double the pace of two months ago. Compare that to the South region, where the pace is roughly four shots a day per 1,000 residents, or about half what it was a month ago. The faster pace of vaccinations in the Chicago area has led to a much higher percentage of residents who have received one shot of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. If those partial vaccinations are included, regions near Chicago are on par, if not leading, the rest of the state in vaccinations. The region covering DuPage and Kane counties now tops the state in the percentage of those 65 and over whove gotten at least one shot, at 83%. It also tops the state in the percentage of those 16 to 64 whove gotten at least one shot, at 43%. But the data reveals the other side of those trends: the regions struggling to put shots into arms. The South region has just 23% of its residents ages 16-64 whove gotten at least one shot. Shifting doses amid hesitancy One of the largest counties in the region is Jackson County, home of the Carbondale campus of Southern Illinois University. The National Guard helps the county run two vaccination clinics. One of the countys busier days recently was when it opened eligibility to anyone 16 and older, county records show. On that day, March 29, it was able to fill nearly 80% of its 1,700 daily appointment slots. But the next day, it filled less than 30% of slots. The rest of the week, for roughly every shot given, there was another slot left unfilled. The next week was even worse. On four days, less than 10% of available appointments were filled. On one day just 5% of slots were taken. And that was after the county reduced the number of available appointments each day to just 1,480. Just 57 people showed up at one clinic that day, and 22 at the other. Hani Mahmassani, who directs Northwestern Universitys Transportation Center and has been commissioned by the National Science Foundation to help study the rollout, said open slots downstate are evidence of vaccine hesitancy, as well as the loss of traffic from Chicago-area residents who are now able to find shots closer to home. That hesitancy has been seen in other parts of the country, particularly more rural ones that lean Republican, fitting the profile of many counties outside the Chicago area. Polls last week by Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University found nearly half of Republicans plan to avoid getting vaccinated, compared with less than a tenth of Democrats. The Pritzker administration has said it has a plan in place to address the hesitancy, that includes using federal money to push ads into areas where the data shows have higher vulnerability and lower uptake. At the start of the vaccine rollout the state tested messages to find the most effective one and surveyed the population to gauge their hesitancy. We built a campaign that could be adjusted as we learned more about who needed to be targeted, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh wrote in an email last week. At the same time, the state this week abandoned automatic dose disbursements to counties, based on their populations, for a formula that looks at inventory levels and needs. That new formula means a massive influx of doses into the four suburban regions near Chicago. To put it in context, the Pritzker administration announced last week that IDPH would be making a one-time disbursement of 50,000 first doses (and, later, 50,000 second doses) to Chicago to help with its shortfall. Suburban Chicago regions will be getting nearly 51,000 additional first doses this week under the new formula, and that doesnt count weeks going forward when the new formula remains in effect. Chicago-area health officials told the Tribune last week they were eager for more shots. We dont have any trouble filling appointments or finding arms, said Cindy Jackson, Will Countys vaccination director, in an email. jmahr@chicagotribune.com dpetrella@chicagotribune.com Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. Phil Scott, a Republican, is governor of Vermont. Molly Gray, a Democrat, is lieutenant governor of Vermont. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer. Donald Trump says the border crisis could destroy America in the ex-presidents first major TV interview since leaving office. Mr Trump attacked the Biden administrations handling of the immigration surge and told Sean Hannity of Fox News that the president should have stuck with his crackdown. Theyre playing it down as much as they can play it down. Its a horrible situation, could destroy our country, said the one-term president. In an advanced clip of the interview, Mr Trump told Mr Hannity of his concern at tens of thousands of people crossing the southern border with Mexico. People are pouring in. But youll see something as the months go by like youve never seen before. Already its like youve never seen before. Theres never been anything like whats happened at our border, Mr Trump told Hannity. People are coming in by the tens of thousands. Theyre walking in. They we had all they had to do was leave it alone, he added. Mr Trumps interview with Hannity was his first sit down with a major news network since he left Washington DC in January for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He has refused to confirm if he will run for president again in 2024, but told Hannity that the GOP must have a MAGA platform if the party wants to retake Congress in 2022. If they want to win, yes. Weve expanded the Republican Party. If you want to win and win big, you have to do that. You have to do it, he said. A mass-vaccination site in Valencia on Monday. Monica Torres Spains Health Ministry and regional governments are considering whether to change the countrys Covid-19 vaccination strategy, and delay the administration of the second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. Until now, a total of 21 and 28 days, respectively, were being left between the two shots necessary for the full protection offered by the vaccine, in line with the manufacturers recommendations. Some of the countrys regions, including Catalonia, Madrid and Andalusia, had already suggested such a change to the process, and now the ministry is likely to debate the move today during a meeting of the Public Health Commission. The proposal will focus on leaving eight weeks between shots for the under-80s, in a bid to speed up the rate of vaccination. Among the over-80s, 98% of whom have had their first dose and 58% of whom have had two, the second injection will be given following the regular time frames. Spacing out the vaccination allows us to gain time to immunize more people Catalan health chief, Alba Verges All three of the vaccines currently being used in Spain Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca require two doses, although the first injection does offer high levels of protection. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control in the United States, one dose of Pfizer or Moderna offers 80% protection, while the figure is 76% for AstraZeneca. The regions are calling for a change in approach given the problems that have been encountered with AstraZeneca, whose use was suspended by a number of European countries including Spain due to cases of rare blood clots after its administration. The Janssen one-dose Covid-19 vaccine has also been suspended after similar incidents were detected. Madrid and Catalonia have called for the time between doses to be increased to 42 days in a bid to speed up the process and give as many people as possible some level of protection. Spacing out the vaccination allows us to gain time to immunize more people, said last week the Catalan health chief, Alba Verges. Covid-19 vaccines are administered in Seville University on April 5. PACO PUENTES If the idea is approved, the proposal would mean a radical shift in Spains vaccination strategy, in line with, for example, that of the United Kingdom, which opted to do the same with the AstraZeneca vaccine (the second dose is administered after 12 weeks). The debate centers around whether the technical prospectus of the vaccines should be followed to the letter in order to provide the greatest protection possible to the most vulnerable groups of society or whether to give a single dose to as many people as possible. France and Italy, for example, have also given the green light to leaving 42 days between doses. As well as being debated in the Public Health Commission, the proposal will also have to be approved by the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), which brings together the countrys regional healthcare chiefs and the central Health Ministry. Not the ideal approach The second dose can be delayed up to 42 days, explains Amos Garcia, the president of the Spanish Vaccinology Association. There is a possibility of a delay. A first dose provides more than sufficient protection, in particular for the most serious forms [of Covid-19], against which [recipients] would be clearly protected. The expert believes that the measure could be a good strategy within a context of a vaccine deficit. But he has a clarification: Its not the ideal approach, he says. The ideal thing is to comply with the data sheet. And it appears that a quite significant number of Pfizer vaccines are due to arrive and that will also have to be taken into account and evaluated before a decision is taken. The Health Ministry is also yet to decide what to do with the under-60s in Spain who were given a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. After the health authorities confirmed an association with a tiny number of very rare blood clots, the Spanish Health Ministry and the regions agreed to limit the use of the medication to the 60-to-69 age group. But people under that age in particular essential workers such as teachers and members of the emergency services have already received their first dose of AstraZeneca. The options on the table include a second dose of another vaccine, or administer a second shot of AstraZeneca. With reporting by Silvia Ayuso and Daniel Verdu. English version by Simon Hunter. New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (April 20) chaired a meeting to review Ministry of Defences preparations and response to COVID-19 situation. He asked officials to make optimal use of resources to align with civil needs, according to Ministry of Defence. The Defence Minister also asked officials to analyse and let him know what more is required and there will be procurement immediately, said an ANI report citing sources. Rajnath Singh asked the Army to extend assistance to state administrations to deal with the pandemic, including by offering help in the creation of additional capacities to treat COVID-19 patients. Citing sources in the security establishment, PTI report said that following Singh's communication to Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, it was decided that the Army would consider offering treatment to civilians in its medical facilities, wherever possible, besides extending other assistance to civil administrations. The Defence Minister has conveyed to Gen MM Naravane that the Army units in various states can get in touch with state administrations to understand their requirement like the creation of additional capacities to deal with increasing volume of patients. Subsequently, it was decided that the senior-most Army officer in a state would get in touch with the Chief Minister to understand the requirement and take forward the process, including offering to treat civilians wherever possible. The defence minister has reportedly been in touch with the top brass of his ministry and the three forces on how the civilian administration across the country could be assisted in battling the coronavirus situation. The sources told PTI that it was also communicated to the leadership of the Indian Air Force and the Navy to gear up their preparedness in dealing with the situation. Separately, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar has also reviewed the possible areas where the armed forces can extend assistance to the civilian authorities. Following his review, the Defence Ministry reportedly instructed 67 hospitals run by Cantonment Boards across the country to ensure medical services to cantonment residents as well as those from outside. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has already been told to extend all possible assistance it can extend to civil administrations across the country. It has already reopened a medical facility near the Delhi airport for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The facility has been made operational with 250 beds and their number is being increased to 1,000. The DRDO is also coming up with a similar facility in Lucknow. (With Agency Inputs) Dublin, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "China National Tobacco Corporation: Heat-not-Burn Subsidiaries Marketing Activity in Domestic and Foreign Markets for 2017-2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides an overview of marketing activity of heat-not-burn products developed by China National Tobacco Corporation subsidiaries for 2017-2020 year. The report reviewed all HnB products that were officially released in domestic and foreign markets as well as co-operation ties in the Chinese heated tobacco market. CNTC's HnB brands are presented in many foreign markets, among which are mostly Asian and Eastern European countries. The report includes complete list of HnB consumables made by major domestic CNTC companies such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Jiangxi, Chongqing, Shanghai, etc. China Tobacco has a market of 300 million Chinese smokers with a significant part active HnB users. It is the largest heat-not-burn market in the world with a huge variety of HnB brands released locally and in foreign markets. The domestic HnB sector is completely dominated by CNTC. It has launched heat-not-burn products in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Anhui, Hubei, Heilongjiang and other provinces, and has been actively engaged in overseas markets. CNTC HnB brands are presented in many foreign markets, among which are mostly Asian countries and Eastern European countries. Most HnB devices are promoted with dedicated consumables. HnB devices are either produced at own facilities of CNTC subsidiaries or are OEM versions developed by third-party manufacturers. The major CNTC subsidiaries with the largest number of HnB devices presented in the domestic market are Sichuan Tobacco, Yunnan and Guangdong. The report includes a brief review of HnB electronic devices produced in cooperation with major Chinese hardware manufacturers. There is also a brief description of companies engaged in the Chinese HnB market, and a complete list of HnB products with release dates and corresponding references in domestic and foreign markets, a map of presence of CNTC HnB brands in foreign markets, and a timeline of CNTC HnB products by release date. CNTC's products profiles are also attached in the form of the Appendix. Story continues Key Topics Covered: Glossary Executive summary 1. CNTC structure of HnB branches 2. CNTC brand releases 2.1 Domestic market 2.2. Foreign markets Map of official brand releases 3. Manufacturers collaborating with CNTC 3.1 Domestic market 3.2 Foreign markets Companies Mentioned China National Tobacco Corporation, Sichuan China Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd. Sichuan Sanlian New Materials Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Henan Industrial Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Anhui Industrial Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Jiangxi Industrial LLC Wuhan Tobacco Group Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Hubei Industrial LLC China Tobacco Guangdong Industrial Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co., Ltd. Hongta Tobacco (Group) Co., Ltd. Shanghai Cigarette Factory (Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd.) China Tobacco Shandong Industrial Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Heilongjiang Industrial Co., Ltd. China Tobacco Zhejiang Industrial Co., Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vv4q00 CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Election-related letters to the editor advocating for a candidate, ballot measure or political party may be submitted online at dentonrc.com/opinion for a cost of $25 for up to 250 words. These letters will be accepted until April 28 and should explain why a particular candidate is most qualified. Personal or party attacks will not be permitted. All letters must be original and include the writers name, address and telephone number for verification. All submissions may be edited for clarity, taste and libel. By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) -The Canadian province of Quebec said on Tuesday it would appeal a court ruling that exempts some teachers and provincial politicians from a controversial law that bans public employees from wearing religious symbols. The ruling, which upheld most of a 2019 law, stops it from applying to educators in Quebec's minority English-language school boards since they hold special rights over education under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said the decision would be appealed to ensure that it applies to all. The law still prohibits many civil servants, including judges and police officers, from wearing religious symbols such as hijabs and turbans on the job. The Quebec government has said the law was designed to preserve secularism in the mainly French-speaking province, "We cannot divide Quebec in two," Premier Francois Legault said on Tuesday. The law was passed by the province's ruling centre-right Coalition Avenir Quebec although other governments had been trying for years to impose such restrictions. LAWSUITS Multiple lawsuits have challenged the law, calling it unconstitutional. Several Muslim women said they were refused teaching jobs because they wore a headscarf, or hijab. Yusuf Faqiri, Quebec director for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said "it's not the last day" that we will be speaking about the law. A spokeswoman for Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti said the federal government was reviewing the decision. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made clear in 2019 that he opposed the law but has not mentioned it since. The case is sensitive for the ruling Liberals since Quebec will be of critical importance in an election expected later this year. A March 2021 poll found a majority of Quebecers favored such a ban. Besides staff in the English-language school system, the ruling also exempts members of Quebec's provincial parliament. "We are elated," said Joe Ortona, chair of the English Montreal School Board. "It means that we can now hire any qualified teacher to work in our system regardless of whether they choose to wear a religious symbol." (Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in OttawaEditing by Bernadette Baum, Mark Heinrich and Gareth Jones) Some North Alabama clinics are seeing an increase of coronavirus cases and a decrease of demand for the vaccine and tests. "As it's dropped down to the younger population, it seems like they're a little more concerned and hesitant, and it does concern me that the cases are going to continue to rise," said Nurse Practitioner, Hailey Armstrong. Dr. Wayne Peters says a lot of younger people who are now eligible to get their coronavirus shot are concerned about the long-term effects of the vaccine, and it could be what's slowing down their vaccinations. "I think the vaccines are good. You know, we don't know what it's going to be in 20 years, but I've had a lot of patients that got COVID and died. They didn't have 20 years to wait on it," said Dr. Peters. The clinic is also seeing a slowdown in coronavirus testing. "It's slowed down quite a bit, but we don't have near as many people with COVID symptoms as we did," said Dr. Peters. Armstrong stressed the importance of getting the shot. "We don't want this to spread any further than what it already has," said Armstrong. Dr. Peters stressed his confidence in it. "My 16-year-old granddaughter took the vaccine and I wouldn't let her have it if I were worried about it," said Dr. Peters. To learn how to get your shot at Sand Mountain Family Practice, click HERE. Just a day after showing off her sonogram on Instagram, Georgia Fowler flaunted her blossoming baby bump during a walk in Sydney's Bondi. The 28-year-old New Zealand-born model was spotted taking her beloved dog, Chilli, for a walk on Tuesday. Georgia stepped out in a pair of black bike shorts, which hugged the first-time mum's growing baby belly. Bumping along: Just a day after showing off her sonogram on Instagram, Georgia Fowler flaunted her blossoming baby bump during a walk in Sydney's Bondi She also wore a cropped long-sleeve black T-shirt, and a black sweatshirt was tied around her shoulders. The Victoria's Secret model rounded out her sporty ensemble with a pair of dark grey Nike sneakers and tube socks, branded with her partner Nathan Dalah's business logo. The 26-year-old is the co-founder of FISHBOWL, a chain of Japanese-inspired fast food restaurants. Puppy love: The 28-year-old New Zealand-born model was spotted taking her beloved dog, Chilli, for a walk on Tuesday On show: Georgia stepped out in a pair of black bike shorts, which hugged the first-time mum's growing baby belly Keeping warm: She also wore a cropped long-sleeve black T-shirt, and a black sweatshirt was tied around her shoulders Georgia's shoulder-length light brown hair was tied up in a high bun, and she shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of aviator sunglasses. The stunning star appeared fresh-faced on the outing, with Chilli walking a few steps ahead of her on a leash. At one stage, Georgia was joined by a girlfriend on her walk, with the two women chatting as they crossed a street together. All tied up: Georgia's shoulder-length light brown hair was tied up in a high bun, and she shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of aviator sunglasses Natural beauty: The stunning star appeared fresh-faced on the outing, with Chilli walking a few steps ahead of her on a leash Catching up: At one stage, Georgia was joined by a girlfriend on her walk, with the two women chatting as they crossed a street together Georgia confirmed her relationship with Nathan in February last year, before announcing her pregnancy on Instagram earlier this month. 'It's been hard to keep this one quiet, but now it's pretty hard to hide. Nathan and I couldn't be happier to share our exciting news with you,' she wrote on April 2. 'We cannot wait to meet you little one and begin our next adventure together. The best is yet to come.' Adding to the family: Georgia confirmed her relationship with FISHBOWL co-founder Nathan Dalah in February last year, before announcing her pregnancy on Instagram earlier this month Baby onboard: She shared a video of her sonogram on Instagram on Monday, showing the active baby bouncing around in her stomach 'We cannot wait to meet you little one and begin our next adventure together. The best is yet to come,' she wrote on Instagram after announcing her pregnancy In a separate post on Instagram on April 5, Georgia revealed she's due sometime in September. She shared a video of her sonogram on Instagram on Monday, showing the active baby bouncing around in her stomach. 'Our little bouncing bean,' she captioned the sweet post. "Our people-powered culture is the backbone of our company and we celebrate and thank our people for everything they do," said President and CEO Ron Alvesteffer. Leading data center solutions provider Service Express has been honored as one of the 2021 Fortune Best Workplaces in Technology by Great Place to Work for a second time. The Best Workplaces in Technology award is based on an analysis of anonymous survey responses from more than 122,000 current employees across the U.S. In the survey, 96% of Service Express employees said the company is a great place to work. We are so grateful that our people have made us a part of this list for the past two years, said President and CEO Ron Alvesteffer. Our people-powered culture is the backbone of our company and we celebrate and thank our people for everything they do. Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, selected the featured companies using confidential employee feedback using the anonymous Trust Index survey results. Great Place to Work is the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, and more. Its more than fancy perks at the Best Workplaces in Technology. Employees at the companies praised their leaders for their incredible transparency and care during this pandemic year, said VP of Global Recognition Sarah Lewis-Kulin at Great Place to Work. Even while working from home, employees said they felt more connected to their colleagues and their communities than ever. The Best Workplaces in Technology is one of many awards created by Great Place to Work. In 2020, Service Express also ranked as a Fortune Best Workplace for Millennials and Best Small & Medium Workplaces. About Service Express As the leader in providing third-party maintenance, Service Express specializes in onsite data center support for server, storage and network equipment to help IT teams control costs and optimize infrastructure strategy. Customers can manage, monitor and automate support with ExpressConnect. Founded in 1993, Service Express maintains multivendor data center equipment for healthcare, manufacturing, education, finance, government, technology and other Fortune 500 companies worldwide. In addition to post-warranty maintenance, Service Express offers hardware system and sales solutions, OS support, IT asset disposition and data center relocations. For more information, visit serviceexpress.com. About the Best Workplaces in Technology Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in Technology by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from more than 122,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations across the country. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com. We've heard the announcement by the Tourism Ministry that cultural workers are to get priority access to vaccines and travel exemptions. Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is joined virtually by Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland as they talk online to a group of front-line pharmacists from across the country to discuss the ongoing vaccination efforts in the fight against COVID?19, from the Prime Ministers office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland sent a warning to provinces about her budget's pledge on child care, saying she would negotiate in good faith but not bend on reducing parental fees, as several provinces questioned the tight strings on the promised new spending. Monday's federal budget outlined $27.2 billion over five years, starting this fiscal year, in new spending the Liberals want to send to provinces to subsidize daycares. The specific strings attached on the spending pledge would dictate what forms of child-care could be eligible for federal funding, and how much parental fees must drop over the next five years. On Tuesday, Freeland said she had spoken with some provinces and territories, but didn't go into more detail. She said she wanted to give them time to read the budget. She said the government wanted to understand what each province and territory needed, but underlined the budget's aim to have fees come down in the coming years. "Although Canada is very, very diverse in the provision of early learning and child care our goals are now national," Freeland said at a news conference in Ottawa. "Every Canadian parent five years from now, everywhere in the country, should have access to affordable, high-quality early learning and child care for an average of $10 a day." The responses marked the opening lines in negotiations the Liberals must have with provinces to create a national system, if Parliament approves the minority government's first budget in two years. The Liberals hope to build on previous child-care funding deals first signed four years ago that broadly outlined how spending tied to the Trudeau government's first foray into daycare needed to be used. A key goal coming out of the initial three years of the $7.5-billion, 11-year spend was to create or maintain 40,000 spaces, but Freeland's first budget doesn't say how many spaces the new pledge would create, nor estimate how many spaces might move from home-based or private care to non-profit settings. Expanding spaces needs to go hand-in-hand with fee reductions, otherwise long waitlists at daycares would become even longer, said David Macdonald, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. "There are not specific targets on the number of child-care spaces created. Hopefully, there will be soon," he said. "That's a big part of a national child-care plan, particularly if your goal is to reduce fees." How the money can help create more spaces or assist with wages for child-care workers, as the budget alluded to, were key issues for Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin, who was open to the new funding. Similarly, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said he wanted details, but voiced skepticism about Freeland's vow of collegiality after the Liberals ignored provincial calls for more health-care spending. The budget's child-care spending pledge would see the government increase funding over time before matching provincial spending on child care. Provinces aren't being asked to match costs over the ramp-up, if they sign on to five-year funding agreements starting this fall, said economist Armine Yalnizyan. "I'm very hopeful that for the first time with political will, as well as money, and ambition at the table, we are going to get to where we need to go," said Yalnizyan, who sits on Freeland's task force on women in the economy. "The only hiccup is going to be intransigent provinces." Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said any long-term support needed to be "flexible to respond to the unique needs of every parent, not a one-size-fits-all approach." In Alberta, Finance Minister Travis Toews said any funding deal needed the uphold the "fundamental principle of parental choice." Allowing the money to go anywhere but to high-quality group care would water down the economic benefits, said economist Jim Stanford. The budget estimated the spending could help 240,000 Canadians, largely women, join the workforce, but Stanford's own work suggests a larger bump in employment and hours work. "Even conservative provincial governments are going to rake in billions of dollars of new revenue because of this program," said Stanford, director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute. "They will be putting ideology before reality if they try to stop this." As for Quebec, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday the province would receive funding to recognize the existing provincial system upon which the federal program is based. [April 20, 2021] Cogniac Announces Visual Operations Intelligence Platform for Cloud-based Solutions from SAP SAN JOSE, Calif., April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cogniac Corporation (Cogniac) today announced that its Visual Operations Intelligence platform is now available on SAP Store. Cogniacs AI, machine vision platform complements the industry cloud portfolio from SAP for automotive and industrial machinery and components industries and integrates with SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud, delivering an AI-based approach to customers looking to extract value from their visual data. Today marks an important moment in Cogniacs growth, said Vahan Tchakerian, chief partnership officer at Cogniac. Through our valuable experience in the SAP.iO Foundries program and our partnership with SAP, businesses that use SAP solutions will now have access to Cogniac technology. By offering our platform on SAP Store, we are able to scale more efficiently and deliver exceptional performance in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Cogniacs Visual Operations Intelligence platform uses no-code AI, enabling companies to maximize the value of their visual data. By integrating with SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud, capabilities of the Cogniac platform are now accessible within the solutions architecture, providing advanced AI machine vision technology across a variety of industries. For customers in the automotive, rail, manufacturing, government, logistics, packaging and kitting, and safety and security industries, Cogniacs AI machine vision platform drives significant process improvements. Through better defect detection, safer operations and increased efficiencies, Cogniac supports many customers looking to achieve Industry 4.0 standards, reduce costs, and optimize their processes. Building on the Intelligent Enterprise strategy, SAP is expanding its vertical solutions with an ecosystem of industry cloud applications. These solutions complement the existing SAP portfolio to extend the value of joint customer investments. The Visual Operations Intelligence platform developed by Cogniac complements our portfolio and enables an AI-based approach to customers looking to extract value from their visual data, commented Stefan Krauss, SVP General Manager Discrete Industries and Energy and Natural Resources at SAP. This is a prime example of how co-innovation between our organizations can deliver value for customers. We look forward to continued collaboration with Cogniac to create innovative cloud solutions and applications for customers who want to drive cost-effective and sustainable growth in their industry. SAP recently brought together SAP Store and SAP App Center into one single marketplace at store.sap.com. It delivers a simplified and connected digital customer experience for finding, trying, buying, and renewing more than 1,800 solutions from SAP and its partners. There, customers can find the SAP solutions and SAP-validated partner apps they need to grow their business. And for each purchase made via SAP Store, SAP will plant a tree. Cogniac Corporation is a partner in the SAP PartnerEdge program. As such, it is empowered to build, market and sell software applications on top of market-leading technology platforms from SAP. The SAP PartnerEdge program provides the enablement tools, benefits and support to facilitate building high-quality, disruptive applications focused on specific business needs quickly and cost-effectively. The program provides access to all relevant SAP technologies in one simple framework under a single, global contract. About Cogniac Cogniac offers the most advanced enterprise Visual Operations Intelligence platform. Cogniac enables businesses to realize exceptional levels of accuracy and efficiency in complex environments, from manufacturing to industrial, government to marine. Cogniacs technology maximizes the value of the newest and most abundant form of data visual data. By deploying Convolutional Neural Networks and Hyper Parameter Optimization, Cogniacs platform achieves process performance optimization with very little technical knowledge required from human subject matter experts. For more information, visit www.cogniac.ai About SAP.iO SAP.iO is SAP's strategic business unit to incubate startup innovation and drive new business models for SAP. Through the SAP.iO Foundries, SAP helps the next wave of enterprise software innovation build products, find customers and change industries by investing in and accelerating startup innovation. The SAP.iO Foundries are SAPs global network of equity-free startup accelerators that help promising startups integrate with SAP solutions and accelerate their entry into a curated, inclusive ecosystem whose offerings can be easily accessed and deployed by SAP customers. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. SAP Forward-looking Statement Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, forecast, intend, may, plan, project, predict, should and will and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. 2020 SAP SE. All rights reserved. Cogniac Press Contact: Jordan Schmidt Gateway Group jordan@gatewayir.com (949) 574-3860 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Here are todays leading news stories: Politics -- Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a High-Level Open Debate on Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in enhancing confidence-building and dialogue in conflict prevention and resolution, which was held in both online and in-person formats on Monday, the Vietnam News Agency reported. COVID-19 Updates -- The Ministry of Health confirmed four imported COVID-19 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, Yen Bai, Phu Yen, and Tay Ninh on Monday evening, raising the countrys tally to 2,791, with 2,475 recoveries and 35 deaths. Society -- A four-year-old baby died after falling from the 24th floor of an apartment building in Ha Dong District, Hanoi while the mother was doing the dishes at around 8:30 pm on Monday. -- A power outage occurred in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City and lasted for multiple hours on Monday afternoon after 16 utility poles were uprooted by a heavy rain and strong wind. -- A 41-year-old man who was a porter at a transport company was sentenced to death by the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court on Monday for murdering two of his co-workers in March 2020. -- Police in Da Lat City, located in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, have arrested a 23-year-old woman for selling milk tea mixed with cannabis to local residents and some visitors. -- Officers in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau confirmed on Monday they had captured a 46-year-old man for murdering and raping a five-year-old girl last weekend. -- A four-year-old child was killed while another was hospitalized after eating dog poison that looked similar to lollipops in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on Monday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Mostly sunny skies. Near record high temperatures. High 93F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. New Era of Driver Licensing Services Begins Soon By West Kentucky Star Staff FRANKFORT - A new era of options and conveniences for obtaining or renewing driver's licenses and state identification cards will soon begin in nine Kentucky counties, including McCracken. The traditional trip to your local Office of Circuit Court Clerk is being replaced in those counties with a visit to a specialized Driver Licensing Regional Office operated by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Making the transition this month will be Adair, Breathitt, Floyd, Hopkins, Madison, McCracken, Pulaski, Rowan and Russell counties. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each of those counties will cease nearly all in-person driver licensing services on Monday, April 26. More information about regional offices can be found here. The lone, temporary exception is processing of remotely submitted applications for renewal or replacement of standard-issue licenses and IDs. Circuit clerks will continue that processing until June 30. It was an emergency measure to limit person-to-person contact and safeguard public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The remote renewal option by mail or by leaving applications in drop boxes is not available to anyone whose name or address has changed or who requires testing by the Kentucky State Police. Get more information here. The new system is to be phased in for every Kentucky county by June 30, 2022. Residents of counties making the transition may renew or apply for a REAL ID or new standard card version of driver licenses, permits, commercial driver licenses (CDLs) and ID cards at any KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Office. Regional offices the only places to get a REAL ID are operating in Paducah, Madisonville, Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Louisville/Hurstbourne, Burlington, Frankfort, Lexington, Richmond, Morehead, Prestonsburg, Catlettsburg, Somerset, Columbia and Jackson. There also is a temporary, appointment-only office at Louisville/Bowman Field. All customers are encouraged to make an appointment online. A limited number of walk-ins will be served due to COVID-19 safety guidelines. Kentucky State Police will continue to oversee all permit and license testing. Appointments for written or road testing can be made online at kentuckystatepolice.org/driver-testing. Until further notice, testing will continue in current locations for counties making the transition. Once testing is successfully completed, a customer will visit a Driver Licensing Regional Office to apply for the permit or license. Imogen Anthony was celebrating 420 - known as the annual day of marijuana celebration - on Tuesday. The model, 30, shared a video to Instagram in which she smoked a suspicious cigarette in brown rolling paper. In the clip, Imogen appeared freshly showered, her hair wet, and she was wearing a robe while sitting on an ornate gold chair. Clouds: Imogen Anthony (pictured) was celebrating 420 - known as the annual day of marijuana celebration - on Tuesday. The model, 30, shared a video to Instagram in which she smoked a suspicious cigarette in brown rolling paper She captioned the short video, which appeared to be a throwback: 'I was so hardcore in 2016. #happy420'. The clip was tagged as having been filmed in California, where in November 2016, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64) to legalise the recreational use of cannabis was approved by voters. Stoners across America and around the world gather to celebrate April 20, or 420 Day, the annual holiday of marijuana. She captioned the short video, which appeared to be a throwback: 'I was so hardcore in 2016. #happy420'. Stoners across America and around the world gather to celebrate April 20, or 420 Day, the annual holiday of marijuana Puff the magic dragon: Imogen also shared a second image in which she exhaled a large plume of smoke while dress in an elaborate costume Pot heads traditionally congregate in U.S states where the drug is legal to toke up in public for what is known as the 'Christmas of weed'. Though the origins of '420' as numerical code for smoking marijuana are fuzzy and disputed, some believe it originated with a group of high school friends in 1970s California, who would meet up at 4.20pm to smoke weed after classes. Imogen also shared a second image in which she exhaled a large plume of smoke while dress in an elaborate costume. Approved: The clip was tagged as having been filmed in California, where in November 2016, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64) to legalise the recreational use of cannabis was approved by voters The influencer, who is the ex-girlfriend of shock jock Kyle Sandilands, recently enjoyed a Tasmanian holiday. She used the occasion to take part in an impromptu nude stroll down a dark road, sharing an image of the moment to Instagram. In her caption the influencer wrote: 'Nobody leaves Silent Hill' making reference to the video game and accompanying horror film about a haunted town. (Newser) Derek Chauvin showed little emotion as the three guilty verdicts against him in the death of George Floyd were read out Tuesday, but there was jubilation outside the Minneapolis court building. The AP reports that there were cheers among hundreds of people gathered in a nearby park and people flooded downtown streets, some waving banners as drivers honked their horns. Philonise Floyd, one of Floyd's brothers, was in the courtroom and hugged prosecutor Jerry Blackwell, the Star Tribune reports. More: "Painfully earned justice." "Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd's family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today's verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America," Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said in a prepared statement after Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter. Crump said the verdict is "a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state." story continues below AG praises community members . CNN reports that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the "simple yet profound acts of courage" of those who recorded Chauvin putting his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. "What happened on that street was wrong," Ellison said. "We owe them our gratitude for fulfilling their civic duty and for their courage in telling the truth." . CNN reports that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the "simple yet profound acts of courage" of those who recorded Chauvin putting his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. "What happened on that street was wrong," Ellison said. "We owe them our gratitude for fulfilling their civic duty and for their courage in telling the truth." "One important step." Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were among numerous leaders who welcomed the verdict but said much work remains to be done, the Washington Post reports. The verdict "wont change the fact that George Floyds family has been rendered incomplete," Walz said, but it "marks an important step in our pursuit of racial justice in Minneapolisone important step on a much longer journey." Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were among numerous leaders who welcomed the verdict but said much work remains to be done, the Washington Post reports. The verdict "wont change the fact that George Floyds family has been rendered incomplete," Walz said, but it "marks an important step in our pursuit of racial justice in Minneapolisone important step on a much longer journey." Floyd's girlfriend: "Thank God for this moment. " George Floyd's girlfriend, Courteney Ross, called the decision a "moment to celebrate" before the fight for racial justice resumes, the Guardian reports. "Floyd was one man," she said. "George Floyd is a movement." " George Floyd's girlfriend, Courteney Ross, called the decision a "moment to celebrate" before the fight for racial justice resumes, the Guardian reports. "Floyd was one man," she said. "George Floyd is a movement." Police federation speaks out. "There are no winners in this case, and we respect the jury's decision," the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said in a statement after the former officer was found guilty, per the Star Tribune. "We need the political pandering to stop and the race-baiting of elected officials to stop." (Read more Derek Chauvin stories.) Advertisement People in the UK could be offered pills to treat Covid at home from autumn this year thanks to a new antivirals taskforce being set up by No10. Boris Johnson today said he will assemble a team of scientists to find ways for people to recover from the virus without going into hospital because the UK must 'learn to live with this disease, as we live with other diseases'. No drugs have been decided on but the government is already in talks with pharmaceutical firms about 'promising' antiviral treatments being developed, and officials are keen to get new drugs that aren't already used. Most research so far has focused on saving hospital patients and there are currently no at-home therapies for the infection that are routinely used by the NHS. People who aren't severely ill are generally told to rest and take paracetamol or ibuprofen. Researchers discovered that the asthma steroid budesonide could cut people's recovery time by three days if they used a 15 inhaler twice a day. Medical chiefs said there wasn't enough evidence to make it the standard care but GPs can take it upon themselves to prescribe it to older patients. Now ministers are banking on experts finding at least two cheap treatments that people can have delivered and take at home from later this year. They will be offered to people who have tested positive for Covid or who have been in close contact with an infected person if they live with them, for example. The panel will be made up of government staff, academic experts and members of pharmaceutical companies and the chair's job will be publicly advertised instead of hired internally. They are committed to finding 'novel antiviral medicines', the Department of Health said, meaning drugs not currently being used by the NHS or sold commercially are being pushed through clinical trials over the summer. Boris Johnson said the drugs could 'provide another vital defence against any future increase in infections and save more lives', and there are hopes they will help stop the new variants making people seriously ill mutated strains make it more likely that someone will get ill even after vaccination. The PM said in a Downing Street press conference today: 'This means, for example, that if you test positive there might be a tablet you could take at home to stop the virus in its tracks and significantly reduce the chance of infection turning into more severe disease. Or if you're living with someone who has tested positive, there might be a pill you could take for a few days to stop you getting the disease yourself.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the plan to develop at-home treatments at a Downing Street press conference tonight, when he said science is helping the UK get back to normal All adults in the UK will have been offered a vaccine by the autumn and teenagers may have had jabs, too, but experts don't expect these to give full protection. Some people are unable to get vaccinated and others don't get total immunity especially if the vaccines are rendered less effective by new mutated variants. Scientists expect coronavirus will keep circulating and inevitably keep making people ill and killing them, the same way that flu does in normal years. Developing pills to treat Covid at home, they hope, will help people to nip the illness in the bud and reduce the numbers getting so ill they need admitting to hospital. Sir Patrick Vallance, Britain's chief scientific adviser, added: 'Antivirals in tablet form are another key tool for the response. 'They could help protect those not protected by or ineligible for vaccines. They could also be another layer of defence in the face of new variants of concern. 'The Taskforce will help ensure the most promising antivirals are available for deployment as quickly as possible.' Antiviral drugs work by interfering with the virus and stopping it reproducing in the body, rather than treating symptoms this is the same way that antibiotics work against bacteria. The Department of Health has refused to name any of the drugs being considered but ministers are keen to get hold a new, undeveloped treatment and manufacture it en masse at home in the UK. Some drugs have already been given to Covid patients in experimental trials and could be part of the Government's plans, although buying patented pills from large drug firms can be expensive. British researchers were instrumental in proving that the steroid dexamethasone could cut the risk of death for seriously ill patients in hospital, and the Government is hoping UK expertise will help it find antivirals, too. WHAT ARE THE ANTIVIRALS TESTED AGAINST COVID SO FAR? Remdesivir is one antiviral that hit headlines earlier in the pandemic and was used to treat Covid patients for some time. It still is used in the NHS and in the US but studies have failed to prove it gives any substantial benefit to recovery. Remdesivir has to be injected and currently doesn't come in pill form, however, making it unsuitable for the Government's plans. There aren't other antivirals routinely used to treat Covid, but clinical trials are ongoing. One already in trials is molnupiravir, which was originally designed to tackle flu but worked against Covid in trials on hamsters and is now being studied in humans. Molnupiravir, made by the pharmaceutical firm Merck, 'continues to show promise as a potential treatment for non-hospitalised patients,' the company said after their second phase study. They decided it was not effective for seriously ill people. Another, called Tollovir, is being trialled on people by the company Todos Medical in Israel. Todos Medical said past research had shown the drug could work against coronaviruses in general and that it had potential to 'significantly reduce' the severity of Covid. Favipiravir is a Japanese-made antiviral drug that is being trialled in the UK in the PRINCIPLE trial. It is not a novel drug and Japanese health officials have already approved it for flu patients, but it could be added to the UK's arsenal if trials show it works against Covid, too. Ritonavir and lopinavir, drugs developed to treat HIV, are also being trialled on coronavirus patients. They have been in studies throughout the pandemic and results have been conflicting, but trials are still recruiting patients. US company Romark is trying to get US approval for its antiviral drug NT-300, made using a chemical called nitazoxanide, which it said trials showed could cut the risk of severe disease by up to 85 per cent. Romark is still doing late-scale human trials of the drug and already uses a slightly different version of it treat parasitic illnesses. Although it's not an antiviral, a study of the asthma steroid budesonide found that it appeared to have some ability to stop the virus from reproducing in the airways, while simultaneously reducing swelling the lungs and making it easier for patients to breathe. The Oxford University-led study found that budesonide could reduce recovery time by three days, on average, by the country's chief medics said there wasn't enough evidence to make it part of the NHS's standard care. Advertisement Remdesivir is one antiviral that hit headlines earlier in the pandemic and was used to treat Covid patients for some time. It still is used in the NHS and in the US but studies have failed to prove it gives any substantial benefit to recovery. Remdesivir has to be injected and currently doesn't come in pill form, however, making it unsuitable for the Government's plans. There aren't other antivirals routinely used to treat Covid, but clinical trials are ongoing. One already deep into trials is molnupiravir, which was originally designed to tackle flu but worked against Covid in trials on hamsters and is now being studied in humans. Molnupiravir, made by the pharmaceutical firms Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, 'continues to show promise as a potential treatment for non-hospitalised patients,' the companies said after their second phase study. They decided it was not effective for seriously ill people after testing it in hospitals. Another, called Tollovir, is being trialled on people by the company Todos Medical in Israel. Todos Medical said past research had shown the drug could work against coronaviruses in general and that it had potential to 'significantly reduce' the severity of Covid. Favipiravir is another antiviral drug, made in Japan where it is used to treat flu, that is being trialled in the UK in the PRINCIPLE NHS trial. It is not a new drug but it could be added to the UK's arsenal if trials show it works against Covid, too. Ritonavir and lopinavir, drugs developed to treat HIV, are also being trialled on coronavirus patients in the UK. They have been in studies throughout the pandemic and results have been conflicting, but trials are still recruiting. US company Romark is trying to get US approval for its antiviral drug NT-300, made using a chemical called nitazoxanide, which it said trials showed could cut the risk of severe disease by up to 85 per cent. Romark is still doing late-scale human trials of the drug and already uses a slightly different version of it treat parasitic illnesses. Asked if there were any specific treatments in mind, Boris Johnson said at today's press conference: 'Obviously there are various shots we already have in our locker like dexamethasone; remdesivir is also used in some cases. 'And then there are various other treatments with names that sound a bit like Aztec divinities tocilizumab and various others that we're certainly looking at.' Dr Nikki Kanani, a London GP and medical director for primary care at NHS England, added: 'To make sure we really focus on prevention and treatment in the community, so managing a rise in infections and variants, the NHS has been working internationally to identify effective treatments for Covid and huge thanks to the over one million people in the UK who've participated in a research trial so far. 'We know that over 22,000 lives have already been saved in the UK from the use of dexamethasone. 'What have we got in the pipeline? There are a number of treatments at the moment that are being tested and refined and what we've found is that it's taking about six days to go from a positive research finding to putting that particular treatment into practice. 'We're starting to look at budesonide and other treatments as well, and this really gives us a chance to focus and ramp up pace on the use of antivirals particularly in the community and at home.' Scientists said the plan to develop medicines to tackle mild Covid was a good idea but were concerned about the way it gets done and the high expectations set early on. Dr Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester, said: 'I dont know what this magic antiviral is going to be. 'Normally you must give an antiviral within a couple of days for a respiratory virus with the flu it is just one to two days. 'Lets say you were exposed on Saturday going to the supermarket and not notified until Monday. By then you may have missed that window.' Favipiravir (left) is a Japanese-made antiviral drug that Japanese health officials have already approved for flu patients, and it could be added to the UK's arsenal if trials show it works against Covid, too. Ritonavir and lopinavir (right), drugs developed to treat HIV, are also being trialled on coronavirus patients. They have been in studies throughout the pandemic and results have been conflicting, but trials are still recruiting patients Dr David Lowe, a University College London immunologist who has studied antivirals for Covid patients, said scientists are already working on antivirals and there may be no effective treatments available even by the winter. One thing I think is really important is that the taskforce doesn't try to bypass the usual drug development pathway,' he told MailOnline. 'New or repurposed drugs should first be carefully evaluated in small studies which establish safety and look for signs of efficacy. Only those drugs which appear to be safe and efficacious should then be progressed to larger studies looking at clinical endpoints such as hospitalisation or death. 'We may not have effective treatments available by this winter, especially as the majority of the current early intervention trials have unfortunately not been well supported. However, the taskforce is hopefully a step in the right direction.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday, after another round of nuclear talks in Vienna, that an agreement can be reached in a short time if the U.S. acts with "honesty." Why it matters: Rouhanis optimism comes as representatives of Iran and other world powers, including the U.S., are about to start drafting a plan to restore the 2015 nuclear deal. "The talks in Vienna have progressed about 60, 70% and if the Americans act within the framework of honesty, we will achieve results in a short time." Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with political activists in Tehran Driving the news: Senior diplomats from Iran, the EU, France, Germany, the U.K., Russia and China met today in Vienna to review the progress made by two expert working groups. The groups have focused on the steps required from the U.S. on sanctions relief and from Iran on its nuclear program. The EU announced that a third group would now be formed to focus on the sequencing of those potential measures from the U.S. and Iran. U.S. envoy Rob Malley and his team didnt attend the plenary meeting but held indirect talks with the Iranians through EU representatives. They also met with members of the other delegations in Vienna. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the talks in Vienna this week were businesslike and positive, but there is still a long road ahead of us. Most of the road is still ahead of us. Price said the U.S. and Iran have a common goal of restoring the deal, but the U.S. will not make concessions without being certain that Iran will return to full compliance. Whats next: The members of the various delegations are expected to go back to their capitals for consultations and then return to Vienna for another round of talks next week, the EU said in a statement. Patna, April 20 : After the death of former Bihar education minister Mewalal Chaudhary, his personal assistant has made sensational revelations about the sorry state of health infrastructure in the state. After the demise of Mewalal Chaudhary, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that it was a personal loss to him but no one knew how he struggled to get a test report and admission in hospital in his native district Munger and state capital Patna. A high profile MLA of the ruling party was forced to move from pillar to post for his treatment, tells a story of the condition of health infrastructure in the state. Subham Singh, the Personal Assistant (PA) of Mewalal Chaudhary, who was with him till his last breath, shared his plight before reporters. "My Sir (Mewalal Chaudhary) did not get proper treatment. He fought for his life and eventually left us," Singh said. "He was suffering from fever for the last few days with apprehension that he might be infected with Covid-19. Hence, he underwent RT-PCR test on April 12 and waited for the report for 3 days. His health deteriorated on April 15, we urged doctors to give the RT-PCR test report but got none. As he was having breathing problems, we managed to arrange an oxygen cylinder for him and took him to Patna. He was on oxygen during the entire journey from Munger to Patna. We also gave him ginger to chew in the SUV," Singh said. "When we reached Patna in the night around 12.30 am (April 16), we took him to his official residence. He was on oxygen for the entire night. In the morning, we took him to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) Patna. The doctors there conducted a rapid antigen test which turned negative. We told the hospital administration about him having breathing problems and fever but they refused to admit him in the hospital. Mewalal Ji himself requested the doctors to conduct RT-PCR test but doctors said that it will take a few days to get the report. The doctors said that they would be unable to admit him in hospital until report is corona positive. The former minister used all his resources to get a bed inside IGIMS but in vain. Doctors did not listen to him," Singh said. "Our sir told us to admit him in Paras hospital but the hospital administration refused to admit him. They gave excuses of unavailability of beds in hospital. He eventually called Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh and requested him to arrange a bed in Paras hospital, who called the hospital administration to give him a bed," Subham said. "When doctors of Paras hospital conducted CT-scan of his chest, severe corona infection was detected. The doctors recommended him to be admitted immediately in the ICU. As there was not a single bed available in ICU or in the general ward, the hospital administration somehow managed a bed for him in emergency ward. We waited for several hours to get a bed in the ICU. Till the time, he was only on oxygen and saline. Later around 11 p.m. on April 16, the hospital administration gave him a bed in the ICU and the proper treatment could start," Singh said. "He was in the ICU from 11 p.m. on April 16 to April 18 until his doctors informed us that his lung was not functioning well. Hence, he should be shifted to the ventilator. We completed the paper work in the night of April 18 and he was shifted on a ventilator. The doctors then informed us that he lost his life at 4.30 a.m.," Singh added. The RT-PCR test report conducted in Munger came on the night of April 16. "If a sitting MLA of the ruling party who is close to the chief minister had not been given treatment in hospitals, what would happen to common patients in Bihar," Singh said. Gov. Jared Polis and 20 other governors sent a letter Monday, urging Congress to pass legislation to allow state-licensed cannabis-related businesses to operate under the national banking system. The effort was led by Polis in support of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2021, which would protect banks that service state-legal cannabis businesses from being penalized by federal regulators. (We) are urging Congress to make the common sense decision to allow state-licensed cannabis-related businesses to have normal bank accounts, Polis said. Colorado has been a model of the success of these businesses and its well past time that we allow them to join our banking system." The SAFE Banking Act, introduced by Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter, was approved by the House of Representatives Monday in a 321-101 vote. It will now be considered by the Senate. This is the fourth time the SAFE Banking Act has been approved by the House with bipartisan support since it was first introduced in 2019, with all previous efforts failing to pass the Senate. The SAFE Banking Act is a big deal for the thousands of employees, businesses and communities who've been forced to deal in cash, Perlmutter said. Its past time to align state and federal law on this issue. The letter states that all signing governors support passage of the SAFE Banking Act or similar legislation that would allow banks and credit unions to provide services to state-licensed cannabis-related businesses. Without banking services, state-licensed cannabis businesses are unable to write checks, make and receive electronic payments, utilize a payroll provider, or accept credit and debit cards, the letter reads. Cash only businesses pose a significant public safety risk to customers and employees. The letter also points to laws and regulations that have already been implemented on the state level to ensure accountability of the cannabis industry. Currently, 36 states, four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of cannabis. Of those, 18 states, two territories and the District of Columbia have also legalized recreational cannabis use by adults 21 and older. In addition to Polis, the letter was signed by the governors of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) will "certainly" submit a motion of censure in this parliamentary session, depending on the discussions in the governing coalition, party's chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday. "The PSD will certainly submit a motion of censure in this parliamentary session, depending on the announcement from Cotroceni, whether or not it assumes this coalition, not the Government of Romania, because we are still talking about the coalition," Ciolacu said at the Palace Parliament. He added that PSD is waiting for the result of the discussions in the governing coalition. "I did not say that we do not submit a motion of censure. We do not submit a motion of censure today, for a very simple reasoning: if Mr. Barna and Mr. Ciolos decide today that they will leave the government, then the motion of censure that we would table has no more object," Marcel Ciolacu explained. Asked how he thinks the coalition scandal will end, Ciolacu said that President Klaus Iohannis should answer this question. "I think that the most suitable politician in Romania to answer this question is Mr. Klaus Iohannis, because he has his Government in all its splendor and he supported this coalition. I do not think that I, from the Opposition, am responsible for what it is happening in Romania, without a health minister during a pandemic," the PSD leader mentioned. He doubted that the leaders of the governing coalition would agree on the problems they had. "What is the consensus? I have seen that the prime minister is required to sign an act that is beyond the Romanian Constitution, in which the prime minister, in order to change a minister, must have all the signatures. They continue to confuse some political agreements, to be above the Constitution and continue to replace the Government of Romania with a coalition, that is not possible. We have the Government of Romania, with the Prime Minister and the ministers, each with their constitutional remands," added Ciolacu. Asked if the PSD deputy Alexandru Rafila would be a solution for the post of prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu answered yes, because he would have brought stability. "Until now, there would have been stability in Romania, if the PSD proposal had been accepted. Eventually, Mr. Rafila, a technocrat, an exceptional doctor, prime minister and a Government of national union," Ciolacu said. Czechs will receive the Moderna vaccine from Slovakia, though it does not have much in stock A technical selection, said Health Ministry spokesperson. Although the Moderna vaccine has the lowest number of reports concerning side effects from people who have received the jab and Slovakia does not have much of it in store, the country will donate 10,000 doses to the Czech Republic. PM Eduard Heger (OLaNO), who announced the decision at his recent visit to Czechia, said that it is gratitude for the help our western neighbours have provided during the pandemic. Warnings sounded over low vaccination uptake among elderly Read more When asked by the Sme daily why this particular vaccine was chosen, the Health Ministry responded that it was a technical solution. Supplies of other vaccines higher Slovakia has received 159,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine so far. This means that the country will give more than 6 percent of the batch to the Czechs, Sme reported. 19. Apr 2021 at 17:46 | Compiled by Spectator staff Meyersdale takes down Shade for fifth district title in six seasons Meyersdale took down Shade in the District 5 Class A softball championship on Friday, marking its fifth overall title win in the last six years. Washington, April 20 : US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Russian counterpart have discussed bilateral relations and the prospect of a US-Russia summit, the White House said in a statement. Sullivan and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev discussed "the prospect of a presidential summit between the United States and Russia and agreed to continue to stay in touch", said the statement on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the statement, the two officials also discussed a number of issues in the bilateral relationship, as well as regional and global matters of concern. US President Joe Biden said last week that he had proposed a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Europe this summer to address a range of bilateral issues. The summit proposal came amid recent diplomatic clashes between Washington and Moscow. Last Thursday, the Biden administration announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats and sweeping sanctions against individuals and entities in response to Moscow's alleged election interference and cyber activities. In a swift response, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a statement that it will expel 10 US diplomats, bar eight incumbent and former American high-ranking officials from entering Russia indefinitely, among other restrictions. The Kremlin repeatedly said that claims of Russia's alleged meddling in the 2020 US elections were baseless and regretful, calling them a pretext for additional sanctions. 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 Posted Monday, April 19, 2021 1:10 pm A Vancouver man faces rape and kidnapping charges after he allegedly forced a woman he met online to have sex while threatening the victim with a knife, court records show. Joshua Dunham, 30, had his first appearance in Clark County Superior Court April 12 for one count of first-degree rape and one count of first-degree kidnapping. Dunhams charges were for an incident from a few days prior reportedly at the Gee Creek Rest Area west of Battle Ground. According to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest, Dunhams alleged victim called 911 shortly after 6 a.m. April 9 to report that Dunham had threatened to stab her in the neck and sexually assaulted her. She provided a description of Dunham and his truck, as well as his address where the two had been together the night before. The victim said she met Dunham online, the affidavit stated, and that he had picked her up from her residence the night before and took her back to his residence. Dunham later drove the two to another location before going northbound on Interstate 5 toward the ilani casino in the early morning. He stopped by the Gee Creek Rest Area near I-5 milepost 5 so the victim could use the restroom. When the victim returned to the vehicle, she noticed that Dunham had put up curtains in the windows of his truck, the affidavit stated. Dunham told the victim to get in the back seat where he allegedly raped her. The victim said Dunham had held a knife to her throat and told her to be quiet, the affidavit stated. The victim said Dunham started driving before she could leave the vehicle, and that he had threatened to kill her. The victim called 911 during the incident and part of an argument with Dunham was recorded, the affidavit stated. Dunham eventually pulled over and told the victim to get out of the vehicle, with the victim saying he threatened to stab her in the neck. Officers were later able to locate Dunham and his truck at his residence, the affidavit stated. He initially denied being at the rest area, having sex with the victim or threatening her. Detectives were able to turn up video and audio recordings, as well as witnesses, which cast doubt on Dunhams claims. After changing his story several times, Dunham admitted to traveling with the victim toward ilani and stopping at the rest area, the affidavit stated. He said the victim climbed into the back of the truck on her own to smoke. After about an hour, Dunham said he left to drive the victim home, and got into an argument. Dunham said he had pulled over and asked the victim to leave his vehicle, but denied threatening her, the affidavit stated. He continued to deny having sex with the victim. Dunhams bail was set at $30,000. He was given a no-contact order for the victim, according to court records. He is scheduled for an arraignment April 23. The problem with the immigration debate is that one can create a lot of fear, he told CBS. Mr. Bush has mostly steered clear of political fights after leaving office in 2009 with low approval ratings stemming from the bloody aftermath of his invasion of Iraq. He has been more willing to weigh in after the departure of Mr. Trump, who lashed out at him during the 2016 presidential campaign after suggesting Mr. Bush should have been impeached for invading Iraq. Mr. Trump also attacked Mr. Bushs brother Jeb, who began the campaign as a top-tier contender for the partys nomination. Immigration is now the issue that divides them most. Mr. Bushs support of a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, later adopted in more limited form by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, proved deeply unpopular with the partys base and Mr. Trump took advantage of that political opening by taking a much harder line, including pushing for construction of a border wall. A Reuters poll in March found that 56 percent of Republicans do not favor a path to citizenship, up from 38 percent who held that position early in Mr. Trumps presidency. Mr. Bush recognized President Bidens victory on Nov. 8, 2020, among the first high-profile Republicans to do so. And Mr. Biden consulted Mr. Bush and former President Obama before announcing the Sept. 11, 2021, deadline for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. In the interview on Tuesday, Mr. Bush expressed his disgust at the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters seeking to overthrow the results of the election. A Quebec Superior Court justice is set to issue a ruling Tuesday on the constitutionality of the province's secularism law, known as Bill 21. People hold up signs during a demonstration against Bill 21 in Montreal, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes After 40 years, new fish species in named by students on Guam CORVALLIS, Ore. - Four decades after their capture more than a half-mile below the ocean's surface, three snailfish species have received their scientific names, two of them from school children on Guam in the island's native Chamorro language. The rare specimens of liparids were collected in the early 1980s in traps set in the Mariana Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, deposited with NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Hawaii and did not get examined until recently, when they were noticed during the center's move to a new location. Oregon State alumnus Bruce Mundy, retired from the National Marine Fisheries Service, learned of the liparid specimens from Robert Moffitt, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center biologist who collected them. Mundy and fellow OSU alum David Stein of the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences describe the new species, Paraliparis echongpachot, P. kadadakaleguak and P. marianae, in a paper published today in Ichthyological Research. "David Stein came to Hawaii to assist with the description of another snailfish species from the depths of the Mariana Trench and visited PIFSC to examine the snailfish specimens," Mundy said. "That's when he found that three distinct, undescribed species were among them." The specimens have been deposited in the Oregon State University Ichthyology Collection, curated by Brian Sidlauskas and Peter Konstantinidis in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences. OSU was selected as the archive for the specimens because the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center does not maintain permanent biological collections. Captured in traps as a byproduct of assessments of deepwater shrimp populations, the species are the first of the snailfish family to be described from the Mariana Islands bathyal zone - between 200 and 2,000 meters deep. There are more than 400 species of snailfishes known from about 30 genera; they have tadpole-like bodies without scales and range from 2 inches to 30 inches in length. Needing cool or cold water, snailfish are most abundant and diverse in temperate and polar areas; in the tropics and subtropics, suitable water temperatures occur only at bathyal depths or deeper. "NOAA research vessels made ichthyological collections throughout the Mariana Islands in the 1980s," Mundy said. "A surprising number of snailfishes, unexamined until recently, were captured. Both collection and preservation have been hard on these soft-bodied, fragile fishes, but the condition of some of them remained good enough that description was possible. Among those are the three in this paper." Students in Guam from elementary through high school age were invited to compete for the right to suggest names for the new species, and two of the student suggestions were chosen by Stein and Mundy. They named the third species, Paraliparis marianae, after the archipelago in which it was found. Alyssa Roces from Okkodo High School suggested the name Paraliparis kadadakaleguak in recognition of the fish's short ribs; in Chamorro, kadada' kaleguak means short rib bone. Aydan Charfauros of Tamuning Elementary came up with Paraliparis echongpachot, choosing echong pachot as the species name because that term means crooked mouth in Chamorro; the mouth is a key defining characteristic of this fish. "Names for new species have traditionally been formed from Greek or Latin words, from the names of people who collected the specimens or from the names of other scientists to honor them," Mundy said. "This has resulted in Euro-American names for species worldwide, a practice that is regarded by some to be colonialist or imperialist. In recent years there has been a movement to form new names from the languages of indigenous people in the areas where new species are found, to reconnect taxonomy to them." Stein, a globally recognized authority on snailfishes who has described more than 100 liparid species, says a goal when trying to invent a name is for it to be "euphonious." "You want a name that sounds good, and I particularly enjoy kadadakaleguak," he said. "I just love it." Stein notes that a gap of four decades between discovery and naming is not unusual. "Several species have been named that were hundreds of years old," he said. "That's one of the reasons museums exist, and it's very important and largely unappreciated." "New studies use old material all of the time, and not only for the identification of new species," Sidlauskas added. "People want DNA samples, stomach contents, parasites of fishes, measurements, photographs and skeletons. We're like a regional branch of a worldwide library of biodiversity, of scientific specimens. We send and receive specimens all the time." ### This story has been published on: 2021-04-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK has the longest history of animal protection in the world, and the British government often proclaims itself to be the global leader in animal welfare standards. Lobbying the UK to outlaw dog and cat meat, and to initiate the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats, has long been a priority for the World Dog Alliance (WDA). World Dog Alliance In February 2016, the WDA launched an online petition on the UK Parliament website, calling on the government to take action on the dog meat industry in South Korea ahead of the Winter Olympics. The petition gathered 100,000 signatures from UK citizens in a matter of months, meeting the threshold for a parliamentary debate. In September 2016, the UK Parliament held a debate, and decided to raise the dog meat issue with the South Korean government through diplomatic means. In December 2016, the Moran market, the largest dog meat market in South Korea, was shut down. Inspired by the success of the petition, the WDA soon started a lobbying campaign for a national ban on dog and cat meat in the UK. Sir Roger Gale, a veteran member of the British Parliament, has been a strong supporter for this movement. Sir Roger Gale, 77, is one of the longest-serving and most respected members in the UK Parliament. Since being elected as an MP in 1983, he has been appointed as a member of a wide range of committees. During his meetings with the WDA, Sir Roger Gale shared his advice on the legislative campaign, and introduced the WDA to the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation. In March 2020, 67 MPs, including Sir Roger Gale, co-signed a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to express their support for the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats as below: "We are writing to express our support for the international animal welfare organisation, the World Dog Alliance, and its campaign to ban the human consumption of dog and cat meat across the world." "The UK is the perfect country to be a lead signatory for this International AgreementSuch action would strongly reaffirm the UK's position as a world leader in animal welfare standards." - Parliamentary letter Unfortunately, the WDA's legislative campaign in the UK has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) responded to the parliamentary letter: "It is already illegal to sell dog meat for human consumption and the Government has seen no evidence that dog meat is being sold or consumed in this country." - Defra In light of the government's stance, the complexity of passing a new law and the unforeseeable circumstances such as the pandemic and leadership changes, the WDA decided to switch their focus to the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats. In support of the WDA's new strategy, Sir Roger Gale sent a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 26th March 2021, to account for the wide support that the International Agreement has garnered in the United States, Japan and UK, and to urge the British government again, to take the lead on the International Agreement: "The International Agreement has obtained solid support in the United States, the UK and Japan and I would like to think that notwithstanding the fact that there is a claim that 'dog meat is not eaten in the United Kingdom' we shall no longer find it appropriate the shelter behind this fig leaf and to endorse the proposed International Agreement." -Sir Roger Gale Being knighted by the Queen is one of the highest forms of honor in the UK. Having served in the Parliament for nearly 40 years as the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, Sir Roger Gale is well worth his title. The WDA hopes that the International Agreement can help spread his animal-loving spirit to the world. Related Files Letter to the Prime Minister - 26.3.21.pdf Related Images image1.png letter-to-the-prime-minister.png Letter to the Prime Minister SOURCE World Dog Alliance The relative advantage for Mr Morrison was based in part on stronger support in NSW and Queensland as well as among voters aged 55 and over. Mr Albanese, in contrast, has his strongest support among voters aged below 34, a cohort where he enjoys a net positive rating of 17 per cent. Resolve director Jim Reed said the results, based on dozens of questions to 2006 voters earlier this month, suggested many Australians were choosing to park their votes with minor parties. We find that those people moving from the Coalition to minor parties and independents are far more likely to be uncommitted and to be using that vote to protest or send a message, he said. They want the major parties to focus and lift their game. There are always a number of factors at play, but our analysis is pointing to the handling of COVID-19 being a major focus, including the interaction between federal and state governments. Many people decide their vote as we near an election, so its natural to have people moving around at this point in the cycle, especially when we have such a dynamic political environment. Mr Morrison vowed on Monday to proceed carefully and cautiously with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines but has admitted to problems with the program, as Mr Albanese attacks him for dropping the original target to complete first doses for adults by October. The Coalitions primary vote has slipped from 43 to 41 per cent in NSW, 39 to 33 per cent in Victoria, 44 to 39 per cent in Queensland and 44 to 39 per cent in Western Australia since the election. Labor has also lost ground in the two biggest states, with its primary vote falling from 35 to 29 per cent in NSW and 37 to 34 per cent in Victoria, but it has increased its support from 27 to 30 per cent in Queensland and surged from 30 to 40 per cent in Western Australia. The findings raise the possibility that state factors, such as support for Labor Premier Daniel Andrews in Victoria and Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian in NSW, are influencing voter attitudes to federal parties. The national trend is strong enough to give Labor a small advantage over the Coalition in two-party terms, but the lead is within the margin of error of 2.2 per cent for the poll, which surveyed 2006 voters earlier this month. The swing against the Coalition was spread evenly across most demographic groups but was more pronounced among those on higher incomes, with support falling from 49 to 43 per cent among those earning more than $100,000 a year. Labor gained support from the same workers, with its primary vote rising from 29 to 33 per cent. Respondents were asked who they supported at the last election and who they would support if an election was held this month. Again, however, the figures revealed a big shift in primary vote toward the Greens, One Nation, other minor parties and independents up from 25 to 30 per cent among those earning less than $50,000 a year, 24 to 30 per cent among those earning $51,000 to $100,000 a year and 22 to 25 per cent among those earning more than $100,000 a year. The results lifted the Greens primary vote nationwide from 10 to 12 per cent, at least 1.5 per cent above the partys result at the last federal election. Loading The poll shows an even bigger shift towards One Nation, with its vote jumping from 3 to 6 per cent, twice as much as its support at the last election. Because the poll asked voters to nominate their primary votes in the same way as they filled in their ballot papers for the lower house at an election, there is no undecided category in the results, a key difference with some other surveys. In another departure from some other surveys, the Resolve Political Monitor asks a pre-emptive question about whether respondents are registered to vote, discarding results from those who are not. A novel system of chilled panels that can replace air conditioning can also help reduce the risk of indoor disease transmission, suggests new analysis from the University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. The researchers computed air conditioning requirements in 60 of the world's most populous cities--with the additional ventilation required due to COVID-19. Then, they compared the energy costs with their cooling method, using the chilled panels and natural ventilation. The results, published in the COVID-19 edition of Applied Energy, showed that the alternative solution can save up to 45 per cent of the required energy, while ensuring building occupants are comfortable and rooms are adequately refreshed. Dr. Adam Rysanek, a professor in the school of architecture and landscape architecture at UBC and co-author of the paper, notes that many public health guidelines, as well as building industry bodies, recommend increasing the flow of fresh, outdoor air into buildings in order to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and other diseases. "However, if we continue to rely on conventional HVAC systems to increase indoor fresh air rates, we may actually double energy consumption. That's the nature of conventional HVAC." "Alternatively, we can encourage people to install new types of radiant cooling systems, which allow them to keep their windows open even when it's hot outside. These alternative systems can provide a sufficient level of thermal comfort, increase protection against disease while lessening the impact on the environment," noted Rysanek, director of the Building Decisions Research Group at UBC's faculty of applied science. Rysanek and his colleagues earlier demonstrated their cooling system in the hot and humid climate of Singapore. They built a public pavilion featuring a system of chilled tubes enclosed within a condensation-preventing membrane. This allowed occupants to feel comfortable, and even cold, without changing the air temperature surrounding the human body. "You can think of it as lean A/C--or, even better, as a green alternative to energy-guzzling air conditioning," said Rysanek. Toronto is one of the cities included in the latest analysis, as are Beijing, Miami, Mumbai, New York and Paris. In all these regions, peak summer temperatures can soar past 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). "A key impact of climate change is the accelerating rise in average and peak temperatures, particularly in urban areas. We are expecting the appetite for indoor cooling will ramp up in the years ahead. Yet, if we want to mitigate urban heat and ensure people are healthy and comfortable while reducing our energy use, we need to seriously consider revolutionising our historical approach to air-conditioning," adds Rysanek. Rysanek notes that, though chilled panel systems have been around for decades, adding the special membrane devised by the research team could be the key to making it a commercially viable alternative to traditional HVAC systems in all climates. Interview languages: English ### The staff and students of the University of Jos, on Monday, held a peaceful protest against a directive by the National Universities Commission (NUC) suspending the process for the selection of a new vice-chancellor for the university. Addressing journalists during the protest at the Naraguta Campus of the University, the secretary of the local branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Muplang Kangpe, decried the role of the NUC in the process. The involvement of the NUC in the selection process will truncate the due process laid down for the legal selection of the vice chancellor, thats why we are protesting, he said. He said through a letter dated April 14, the Secretary of Council and the Registrar of the University of Jos, Monday Danjem, had informed all members of the Joint Council and Senate selection board that, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission has directed that the process for the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the University of Jos should be suspended until further notice. The letter further stated that, the meeting of the Joint Council and Selection Board of the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the University of Jos earlier scheduled for 20-22 April 2021 has been suspended until further notice. Mr Kangpe added that the involvement of the NUC in the selection process is a disregard to the Universitys autonomy, and a suppression of the University governing councils responsibility, therefore causing unnecessary tension within the university community, thereby generating suspicion candidate and brewing conflict in the Universitys peaceful environment. From our observation, this is an external interference to favour a particular candidate as against the integrity of the process, that we shall fight against, he said The protesters urged the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari, to stop the NUC Secretary-General, Abubakar Rasheed, from interfering in the activities of the University Governing Council (who were selected to oversee the affairs of the University on behalf of the visitor) and he should direct the conclusion of selection process immediately. Meanwhile, Danladi Adankala, the president of the Students Union Government, said, the SUG is supporting these demands because they are interested in knowing who becomes the next VC because we make up the major population of the community. The vice-chancellor selection process is done internally, why is it an exception this time? We will not overlook any compromise because anyone who is appointed will have a great influence on us (the students), he said. The protesters blocked all access routes to the Bauchi Road and Naraguta campuses, thereby disrupting the ongoing first-semester examination in the university. The protesters held placards with different inscriptions like, Let the Process Continue, No external Interference, We want peace amongst others. When reached for comments, the NUC spokesperson, Ibrahim Yakassai, asked the reporter to call him back after an hour. He did not pick subsequent calls nor reply to a text message sent to him. However, there had been reports that some members of the governing council were opposed to the latest selection process and had asked the NUC to intervene. Background Controversy had surrounded the selection of a new vice-chancellor since the expiration of the five-year tenure of Sebastian Maimako. ADVERTISEMENT The selection process is usually conducted by the universitys council. In 2020, the council led by Tony Momoh began the selection process but Mr Momoh died in February 2021 before the completion of the process. To continue the process, the members of the council appointed Philomena Mutbam to preside over the council in line with Article 7 (1) of the University Act. The processes were going on until the council got the directive from the NUC to suspend it and report to the commissions head office at Abuja. Ukraine can increase grain exports to China by two or three times, President of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) Mykola Gorbachev stated this after the signing of a memorandum on strategic cooperation between UGA and the working committee of Chinas Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Ukrinform reports with reference to the UGAs press service As of today, in the current grain season, Ukraine has exported about 10 million tonnes of grain to China and could potentially increase its exports by 2-3 times. Today, the lion's share of grain exports to China is corn and barley. To open the Chinese market for Ukrainian wheat, sorghum, peas and other crops, it is necessary to sign the relevant interstate phytosanitary protocols, Horbachov said. He stressed that China is an important trading partner for Ukraine and one of the largest buyers of Ukrainian grain. Ukraine is open to cooperation and development of trade between the two countries to increase their well-being and prosperity. According to the Ukrainian Grain Association, the memorandum, which aims to develop bilateral international cooperation in the agricultural sector, will help develop modern agricultural trade and joint industrial park projects. The parties also agreed to establish a Chinese-Ukrainian Council for International Cooperation in Agriculture to implement joint agricultural projects of the two countries. iy Regulatory News: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005984/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) ENGIE has announced the signing of a Sale Purchase Agreement with Taiwanese company TCC for its 60.5% stake in the share capital of ENGIE EPS (Paris:EPS). TCC, with an over $10 billion market capitalization, is one of the pre-eminent industrial groups in Asia, with activities in battery manufacturing, cement production, power generation, environmental services, chemicals, logistics and infrastructures. TCC has been very active in recent years in developing renewable energy and energy storage systems. The completion of the transaction, executed at Euro 17.10 per share, corresponding to an aggregate consideration of Euro 132 million and an implied Enterprise Value of over Euro 240 million, will be followed, in accordance with applicable regulations, by the filing of an all-cash simplified mandatory tender offer for all outstanding shares of ENGIE EPS. In accordance with the AMF General Regulation, the Board of Directors has formed an ad-hoc committee and will appoint an independent expert and will issue, notably on the basis of the report of the independent expert, a reasoned opinion (avis motive) on the merits and consequences of the tender offer for ENGIE EPS, its shareholders and its employees. ENGIE EPS is assisted by Lazard. Following the transaction, which is subject to customary approvals and regulatory consent, ENGIE confirmed it will pursue commercial partnerships with ENGIE EPS. Upon completion of the transaction, expected during the summer of 2021, ENGIE EPS will become NHOA. Carlalberto Guglielminotti, Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE EPS declares, This acquisition by a leading, visionary industrial group like TCC, represents the ultimate recognition of our world-class technology leadership and a transformational opportunity to consolidate our growth globally. It will give us instant access to a world leading supply chain and to the Asian markets, as well as the financial breadth to credibly position as a global leader in the turnkey delivery of energy storage systems and a global enabler of the eMobility revolution. More importantly, with TCC we share the mission, which inspired our new brand NHOA, to shape a better future for a next generation living in harmony with our planet. Roberto Di Stefano, Chief Executive Officer of Free2Move eSolutions, the Joint Venture between ENGIE EPS and Stellantis, declared, We welcome TCC which represents an unparalleled opportunity to support the electric mobility transition in Asia, the most advanced e-mobility market worldwide. Together we will make a difference to the world and the Earth, said Nelson Chang, Chairman of the Board of TCC, commenting the announced acquisition and creation of the new brand NHOA. New HOrizons Ahead: this is NHOA. A new brand that represents the enlightened and sustainable future backed by TCC, and the mission to unlock the global transition towards clean energy and sustainable mobility. To seal a global vision built on heritage within our core values, NHOA takes its inspiration from Noah, the founder of a renewed humanity. The underline in the new logo represents the horizon, and the omega, symbolizing in the Ohm's law the electrical resistance, inspires a rising sun: the dawn of a new era. The website www.nhoa.energy has already been launched and, upon closing of the transaction, will become the new corporate website of the company. *** The investor conference call is scheduled on 20 April 2021 at 8:00am CET, the dial-in details and the presentation will be available on ENGIE EPS corporate website: engie-eps.com/events *** About ENGIE EPS Engie EPS is the technology and industrial player within the ENGIE group, developing technologies to revolutionize the paradigm in the global energy system towards renewable energy sources and electric mobility. Listed on Euronext Paris regulated market (EPS.PA), Engie EPS forms part of the CAC Mid & Small and CAC All-Tradable financial indices. Its registered office is in Paris, with research, development and production located in Italy. For further information, please visit www.engie-eps.comandwww.nhoa.energy. follow us on LinkedIn *** About ENGIE Our group is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services. Together with our 170,000 employees, our customers, partners and stakeholders, we are committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions. Inspired by our purpose (raison detre), we reconcile economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, building on our key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to our customers. Turnover in 2020: 55.8 billion Euros. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe, Euronext Vigeo Eiris - Eurozone 120/ Europe 120/ France 20, MSCI EMU ESG, MSCI Europe ESG, Euro Stoxx 50 ESG, Stoxx Europe 600 ESG, and Stoxx Global 1800 ESG). *** Forward looking statement This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are not undertakings as to the future performance of ENGIE EPS. Although ENGIE EPS considers that such statements are based on reasonable expectations and assumptions at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual performance to differ from those indicated or implied in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include without limitation those explained or identified in the public documents filed by ENGIE EPS with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), including those listed in the Risk Factors section of the ENGIE EPS Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on Wednesday 7 April 2021 (under registration number n D.21-0273). Investors and ENGIE EPS shareholders should note that if some or all of these risks are realized they may have a significant unfavourable impact on ENGIE EPS. These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the verbs or terms anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, build- up, under discussion or potential customer, should or will, projects, backlog or pipeline or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and that are to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on ENGIE EPS business operations, financial results and financial position and on the world economy. They appear throughout this announcement and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the ENGIE EPS intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the ENGIE EPS results of business development, operations, financial position, prospects, financing strategies, expectations for product design and development, regulatory applications and approvals, reimbursement arrangements, costs of sales and market penetration. Important factors that could affect performance and cause results to differ materially from managements expectations or could affect the ENGIE EPS ability to achieve its strategic goals, include the uncertainties relating to the impact of Covid-19 on ENGIE EPS business, operations and employees. In addition, even if the ENGIE EPS results of operations, financial position and growth, and the development of the markets and the industry in which ENGIE EPS operates, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. The forward-looking statements herein speak only at the date of this announcement. ENGIE EPS does not have the obligation and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210419005984/en/ TROY, Mich., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bianchi Public Relations, Inc. a metro Detroit-based public relations (PR) agency with deep media relations and communications experience in the automotive and mobility technology sector has again been named among the top independent PR firms in the United States by O'Dwyer's, a trade publication long considered the "Bible" of the public relations and marketing communications industry. Again this year, O'Dwyer's list showed Bianchi PR as the top independent PR firm among those headquartered in metro Detroit and #2 among independent PR firms that are based in Michigan, based on 2020 billings. In the 2021 rankings, Bianchi PR was also ranked #8 nationally in the automotive / transportation sector (up from #10 in 2020 in this category) and was the only Detroit-area-based PR agency ranked in the top 25 nationally in this specialization. The 2021 O'Dwyer's rankings, which are the publication's 52nd annual effort and were released in early April, showed Bianchi PR as #130 in its overall U.S. rankings and #22 in the Midwest. About Bianchi PR Bianchi PR, founded in 1992, offers special expertise in, and laser-sharp focus on, business-to-business PR for automotive and mobility technology suppliers, including new entrants with enabling technologies for emobility, autonomous vehicles and connected vehicles. Among Bianchi PR's ongoing business-to-business PR clients are Adient, Cooper Standard, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, KIRCO, Munro & Associates, Rolls-Royce Power Systems/MTU brand, SAE International, Schaeffler Group and Yanfeng. The firm's experience also includes work with automotive technology companies such as ZF TRW, Valeo and Ibeo Automotive Systems, as well as consulting firms and industry trade organizations such as the Automotive Industry Action Group, the Center for Automotive Research and the Steel Market Development Institute. For more information, visit www.bianchipr.com or call 248-269-1122. To serve it clients on a worldwide basis, Bianchi PR has been an active member in the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), one of the world's largest international PR networks, since 2014. Clients across six continents depend on the combined resources of PRGN to deliver targeted public relations campaigns in markets around the world. PRGN harnesses the resources of 50 independent public relations firms in 52 locations and close to 1,000 communications professionals to connect international companies and organizations with individual and culturally diverse markets globally. Visit PRGN online at www.prgn.com or on Twitter at @PRGN. SOURCE Bianchi Public Relations Related Links http://www.bianchipr.com Five people were killed and eight others are missing and presumed dead after the lift boat Seacor Power capsized April 13 during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Six other crew members were rescued from the water by the Coast Guard, which continued searching for days after the disaster to rescue or recover additional crew. UPDATE: Sixth body recovered, victim ID'd as divers continue searching Seacor Power's wreckage On Monday, the Coast Guard announced it was suspending its search and rescue operations. Private search crews -- funded by the vessel's owner, Seacor Marine -- will continue searching. The Seacor Power's crew hailed from across Louisiana, and one missing crew member is from Texas. Here is who they were, and how family, friends and community members have remembered them. Capt. David Ledet, 63, of Thibodaux David Ledet, captain of the Seacor Power, was the first confirmed death from the capsized vessel. His family requested privacy, but tributes to Ledet poured in on social media. One came from a woman identifying herself as Ledets cousin, who wrote that Ledet's wife and children were heartbroken about his death, but the family experienced a sense of closure from the recovery of his body. Continuing to pray for ... (those) still lost and their families, she wrote. Read more about David Ledet: +2 Man found dead after Seacor Power capsized was a captain: We're 'heartbroken' The crewmember found dead following the capsizing of the Seacor Power lift boat was a 63-year-old captain named David Ledet, authorities said Ernest Williams, 69, of Arnaudville Ernest Williams was pulled from the water near Cocodrie, about 30 miles from the overturned vessel. Stepdaughter Trenita Jasman of Lafayette recalled Ernest Williams fondly in brief remarks after his body was recovered. "He was a family man. A good man," Jasman said. Williams enjoyed cooking for his hard-working co-workers, and his family, too, she said. Read more about Ernest Williams: Ernest Williams, victim from Seacor Power, loved to cook for his hardworking co-workers The family of an Arnaudville man who died when the lift boat Seacor Power turned over remembered him Saturday as a family man who loved to cook. Anthony Hartford, 53, of New Orleans Anthony Hartford, the longtime chef on the Seacor Power, was prone to pinstripe suits, fancy old cars, top-shelf cigars and showing up for loved ones. "I had the best dad in the whole world. The whole world," said a trembling Antranae Hartford, 24, the youngest of his four children. Hartford was found in the capsized lift boat's port-side engine room along with fellow crew member James Wallingsford. 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 Janet Hartford said her husband had been due back home on April 13, the day the boat capsized, but had called to ask to work an extra trip for the overtime pay. The last text from him, sending hugs and kisses, came Sunday, April 11, she said. Read more about Anthony Hartford: James "Tracy" Wallingsford, 55, of Gilbert, Louisiana Everybody in the tiny town of Gilbert, and across Franklin Parish, seemed to know James "Tracy" Wallingsford and his family. Over and over, people who knew Wallingsford used the same word to describe him: Gentle. "Thats his resounding attribute," said the Rev. Kevin Bates, who was with the family at a motel in Golden Meadow on Saturday when they got word that Wallingsford had not survived. "He was such a gentle and kind soul. Here he was a hard-working mans man who worked in the oil business. But he wasnt gruff. He was a kind and gentle soul to everyone, someone who had almost a permanent smile on his face." Read more about James "Tracy" Wallingsford: Lawrence Warren, 36, of Terrytown Lawrence Warren was recovered Sunday night (April 18) from the second level of the capsized Seacor Power. The exact cause of death for Warren remains under investigation, said Dr. John King, the coroner of Lafourche Parish. A relative of Warren said that his survivors include a wife and a child. Read more about Lawrence Warren: +2 Seacor Power crew member whose body was recovered Sunday identified as Terrytown man The body of the Seacor Power crew member found Sunday night has been identified as 36-year-old Lawrence Warren, according to the Lafourche Par Still missing from the Seacor Power Officials havent released the names of the eight missing Seacor Power crewmen. Members of the Seacor Powers extended family, however, have identified them as: Dylan Daspit, 30, of Breaux Bridge Jay Guevara, of Lafayette Quinon Pitre, 31, of the Lawtell area Chaz Morales, 37, of Slidell Gregory Walcott, 62, of Abbeville Jason Krell, of Texas Darren Encalade, of Belle Chasse Cooper Rozands, of Houma Staff writers John Simerman, Ramon Antonio Vargas and Claire Taylor contributed to this report. Contributing writer Katy Reckdahl also contributed to this report. Airlines are offering more flights on the national holidays marking the Reunification and International Labor Day, but air tickets for some routes are running out because of high demand. Vietnam Airlines Group, including VNA, Pacific Airlines and VASCO, have announced the availability of 500,000 more seats, or nearly 2,600 domestic flights, for the rush days (April 28May 3). VNA has opened six new air routes, namely Da Nang Vinh; Phu Quoc Can Tho, Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot, Hue and Thanh Hoa. Also, it has resumed the Da Nang Thanh Hoa and Can Tho Buon Ma Thuot routes, from April 24. Bamboo Airways in late March and early April planned to increase the transport output by 12-15 percent on backbone routes and tourism routes during the holidays. Despite the higher number of flights, no more air tickets are available for some routes, while airfares are high because of high demand. Passengers booking tickets on April 18 have to pay nearly VND8 million to fly one way from Hanoi to Phu Quoc on April 29 and return on May 3 with VNA. If they booked tickets half a month ago, they would have paid half of the airfare. Meanwhile, Bamboo Airways return ticket for Hanoi Phu Quoc is VND7.3 million, while Vietjets is VND7 million. If flying from Hanoi to Quy Nhon with Vietnam Airlines, one would have to pay VND4.7-5.4 million for return economy-class ticket. If they choose Vietjet or Bamboo Airways, they have to pay VND4 million. Meanwhile, if they book tickets half a month in advance, they could save nearly VND1 million. The Vietnam Railway Corporation has also offered tens of trains more to satisfy the increasing travel demand during holidays. According to the Hanoi Railway Transport JSC, the additional trains are mostly on April 29, May 2-3, from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi and vice versa. In addition to the three daily pairs of Thong Nhat (North-South) trains, there will be two more TH1 and TH2 trains to run on Hanoi-Thanh Hoa route. In addition to the frequent NA1/NA2 pairs of trains on Hanoi-Vinh route, there will be four more trains with departure in Hanoi and four with departure in Vinh. On Hanoi-Dong Hoi and Hanoi-Da Nang routes, there will be two more trains departing in Hanoi and two departing in Dong Hoi and Da Nang. In the south, there will be nearly 30 more trains on routes from HCM City to Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Quang Ngai and Da Nang on April 28 May 3. Of these, tickets have run out for Saigon Phan Thiet, Saigon Nha Trang and Saigon Quy Nhon routes. Vu Diep Vietnam Airlines stock put on warning list The Hochiminh Stock Exchange (HoSE) has decided to put the HVN stock of Vietnam Airlines on the warning list from April 15 as its 2020 after-tax profit was reported at negative VND10.9 trillion. The United States ambassador to Russia is refusing to leave the country after the Kremlin "advised" him to return home following new Biden administration sanctions, two sources briefed on the situation tell Axios. Why it matters: John Sullivan, a respected diplomat who President Biden has, so far, retained from the Trump era, is at the center of one of the most important early tests of Biden's resolve. Russia's foreign ministry announced Friday it would expel 10 American diplomats and bar current officials, such as Attorney General Merrick Garland, from visiting Russia. But the Russians didn't expel Sullivan. Instead, the Kremlin summoned him to meet with a top foreign policy official, Yuri Ushakov, who recommended he go back to Washington for consultations with Biden officials. Sullivan's view, according to people familiar with his thinking, is that if Putin wants him to leave, he'll have to force him. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment. The big picture: Last week, in response to Russian cyber-espionage and interference into U.S. elections, Biden unveiled a series of sanctions targeting the Russian economy. Biden spoke with President Putin last Tuesday, telling him that sanctions were coming while also exploring the possibility of a summit between the two later this year. In announcing the sanctions, Biden called them "proportionate," and was careful to note he did not want to kick off a cycle of escalation with Putin. National security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke Monday with Nikolay Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, discussed a possible presidential summit and "agreed to continue to stay in touch," according to a White House statement. Flashback: Last month, Biden agreed Putin was a "killer." The Russian accused of poisoning some of his enemies responded by wishing the new president "good health." Putin also recalled Russia's U.S. ambassador, Anatoly Antonov, to Moscow for consultations. The diplomatic signal was meant to underscore the Kremlin's unhappiness with the Biden administration. Between the lines: In response to the new sanctions, Russia didn't expel Sullivan or make him a "persona non grata," "PNG" in diplomatic parlance. "If the Kremlin wants to PNG him, that would be a very escalatory move," said Mike McFaul, who served as ambassador to Russia under President Obama. The last ambassador to be PNG'd from Moscow was George Kennan, by Stalin in 1952." "I applaud Ambassador Sullivan for continuing his job," he said. The intrigue: Russia is amassing thousands of troops along its border with Ukraine. U.S. officials have been working behind the scenes with allies to warn Russia of the costs of seizing additional territory but have made clear they're not going to intervene militarily to deter Russia in a non-NATO nation. The bottom line: Biden wants stability and predictability to define his relationships with Putin and Russia, while his administration focuses on China. The murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin exacted a measure of justice for George Floyd, whose killing on a Minneapolis street was an at once extreme and all too familiar case of law enforcement violence against Black people. Tuesdays verdict followed a thorough prosecution and underwhelming defense that confirmed the impression of indefensible brutality left by a bystanders video of Floyds 9-minute asphyxiation under Chauvins knee, which sent countless Americans to the streets in protest last summer. Let the outcome stand as a reminder of the unmet need for systemic reform to prevent the unnecessary use of deadly police force well beyond this killing. Chauvin was a rare example of accountability just in being charged. Police shootings, the cause of the overwhelming majority of deaths at the hands of law enforcement, have taken about 1,000 American lives a year since 2005. But officers were charged in fewer than nine of those deaths a year, according to data compiled by Bowling Green State Universitys Philip Matthew Stinson, or under 1%. Fewer than that, not quite three a year, were found guilty, mostly on lesser charges. Murder or manslaughter convictions were rarer still, numbering just seven over the past 16 years, or one in over 2,000 police killings. The cruel and unusual means of Floyds death not a split-second shooting but a nearly 10-minute strangulation and the extensive recorded and eyewitness evidence made it an even more extraordinary example. And yet it was in other respects horribly routine. Black Americans like Floyd are more than twice as likely as whites to be killed by police officers. The dubious police shootings that came to light as Chauvins trial proceeded underscored their numbing regularity. Just 10 miles away from the Minneapolis courtroom where the trial was held, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot to death last week by an officer who said she mistook her gun for her Taser. The same week in Chicago, officials released video of an officer chasing and then fatally shooting Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old boy who appeared to drop a gun and put his empty hands in the air just before he was killed. The day the video emerged, a San Francisco protest drew attention to a Daly City police officers killing of 44-year-old Roger Allen. Like Floyds encounter with Chauvin, set in motion by a reportedly fake $20 bill, too many deadly encounters with police start with trivial matters. Depending on whose account one believes, Wright was stopped for expired registration tags or air fresheners on his rearview mirror. Officials say that Daly City officers approached the parked truck in which they found Allen to inquire about a flat tire before shooting him, they allege, in a struggle over a weapon that turned out to be a BB gun. Such cases support the growing movement to take armed law enforcement officers out of situations that can be handled safely without them. In February, the Berkeley City Council approved a promising plan to end police stops for minor traffic infractions such as expired tags, delegating enforcement to unarmed officials. San Francisco Mayor London Breed has proposed prohibiting the Police Department from responding to non-criminal complaints. Assembly Member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, has introduced sensible legislation to reduce citations for jaywalking. These are just some of the many minor offenses on the books that present opportunities for biased enforcement. Air fresheners and other rearview adornments, for instance, are potential pretexts for police intervention not just in Minnesota but also in California, where the vehicle code prohibits driving with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle that obstructs or reduces the drivers clear view through the windshield. Bakersfield police were accused of jailing a Black man without charges after using the air freshener excuse to stop a vehicle in 2017, leading to a lawsuit and eventual settlement. Proposals to limit unnecessary police interaction with the public are important steps toward protecting Black and brown Americans from abuse. But its also a disturbing comment on our criminal justice system that law enforcement officers cant be broadly trusted to enforce traffic laws without fear of violence or misconduct. Unlike many police officers who inflict unjust and unnecessary harm, Derek Chauvin is headed to prison. But will the public he was supposed to protect and serve be any safer for his absence? How long until another knee lands on another neck? Chauvins conviction could deter other egregious acts of police brutality. But its just the beginning of changing the conditions that killed George Floyd. Only broader law enforcement reforms can undo decades of over-policing and prevent the next senseless death. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. Yet another skydiver has died at the Skydive Lodi Parachute Center. The skydiving school in San Joaquin County is now the site of 22 recorded deaths since opening in 1981. Nine of those deaths have occurred since 2016, according to the FAA. The woman, identified as 57-year-old Sabrina Call of Watsonville by the San Joaquin County coroner, died on Saturday afternoon, officials said. A parachutist who jumped with her called the sheriff's office reporting that the victim's parachute became tangled. "We're sad, but it's just like a car wreck or anything else. You have to go on," owner Bill Dause, who was ordered to pay $40 million in March in connection with a previous fatality at his center, told KCRA Monday. The sheriff's office said that the woman was a "very experienced" skydiver. "What was reported to us from someone who witnessed the [incident] was that the chute failed to fully open as she was coming down and it was heavily tangled around her," the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said. The FAA is investigating, but said their investigations are limited to inspections of the parachute rigging. "Federal Aviation Administration investigations of skydiving events are limited to inspecting the parachute rigging. The FAA does not investigate to determine the cause of the event, they said in a statement. This accident comes one month after the parachute center was ordered to pay $40 million in connection with a deadly jump there five years ago. On Aug. 6, 2016, Tyler Turner, an 18-year-old from Los Banos who had just graduated high school with a 4.3 grade point average, went skydiving for the first time to celebrate a friend's birthday. Turner jumped in tandem with an instructor. The parachute did not open, and the two hit the ground with a fatal impact. Deputies found the bodies in a vineyard just south of the centers landing zone. It was later revealed by the Sacramento Bee that the instructor reportedly did not have a proper license. In March, Turner's family was awarded a $40 million dollar judgment against the owner of the skydiving school, Bill Dause, a man who claims to be a skydiving legend with over 50 years of experience. The 2016 tragedy forms part of a long, troubled history of fatalities at the Lodi Parachute Center. Before he got on the plane, he knelt down and prayed, made his peace with God, and then turned around and gave me a great big, huge hug, Turner's mom Francine Salazar told the Merced Sun Star in 2016. He said, I love you, Mom, and then he got on the plane. Salazar also said that she was worried before the jump because an instructor allegedly told the jumpers, gathered for the birthday celebration, they did not need to finish watching the safety video shown beforehand. Dause told the Sun Star at the time: I know shes grasping for reasons, and were just as upset about it as everybody is. Paul Van Der Walde, an attorney representing the family of Tyler Turner at the hearing in March, said that since 1981 at least 21 people have died at the skydiving center near Lodi. In 2019 the Washington Post reported that a 28-year-old woman died during a jump at the same school after a gust of wind sent her careening toward the flow of traffic on Highway 99. She slammed into a big rig and was found dead on the shoulder of the highway. In 2006, an experienced jumper unsuccessfully sued the parachute center after his leap from a twin-engine plane at 3,000 feet left him with spinal cord injuries; he struck the planes tail before crash-landing in a vineyard near Highway 99. Another jumper was left dead in a nearby vineyard after a failed jump at the center in 2012. In 2014 a professional skier from Squaw Valley, Timothy "Timy" Dutton, 27, suffered the same fate at Lodi Parachute Center. The list goes on. The multi-million-dollar penalty handed down in March specifically targetted Dause, whose company is also known as Skydivers Guild Inc. San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Barbara Kronlund wrote at the time, Following court trial Bill Dause is found to be the alter ego of Skydivers Guild Inc. and is responsible for their entire judgment of $40,030,000." We hare hoping this will allows us to get this placed closed or be sold to a responsible owner who can operate it safely, Van Der Walde told the Fresno Bee. The Lodi Parachute Center did not immediately return a request to SFGATE for comment. YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The Security Council Office has released the redacted, de-classified parts of the audio recording of Chief of General Staff Colonel General Onik Gasparyans briefing at the 2020 September 30 Security Council meeting. General Gasparyan was dismissed as Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces on March 10, 2021. He claimed that during the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war he had warned at the September 30 Security Council meeting that the situation was very difficult and the war needed to be stopped in 2 or 3 days. This claim was denied by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Pashinyan cited official records of the meeting and said that Gasparyan had instead said that there was no enemy advancement. Afterwards, Gasparyan maintained his previous statements and claimed that his redacted speech would be presented out of context by the authorities if the de-classified recording is released. Before releasing the audio, the Security Council released the redacted transcripts. In the redacted audio, Gasparyan is heard saying: Mr. Prime Minister, basically, the situation is tactically unchanged, meaning the adversary didnt have any advancements, in any case the troops are fulfilling their mission, in the morning we initiated a small counterattack in the Jebrayil direction, and we had successes.. Concluding his speech, he added: This is the situation, we continue carrying out our mission and we will continue until the end. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan Folks, meet the 2021 Eagle travel trailer from Jayco. Its possible youve heard of this crew as theyve been around since the 1960s when Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager set out to make their dream a reality. Since then, this team has been responsible for mobile home vehicles ranging from camper vans to pop-up tents and RVs like the Eagle you see before you. If you have no idea who Jayco is, this trailer should give you a pretty good idea of what this team can achieve.The Eagle is a towable that has been seen in this companys lineup before, but the 2021 version includes an entirely new look, some of which is expressed in the interior as well, but I'll get into those details shortly.Like most other trailers of this type, the Eagle includes several floorplans to choose from, and they're all based on your needs and budget. In total, four floorplans are available, ranging from an MSRP of $70,134 to $73,374. So, theyre all really within the same ballpark.The exterior is constructed using Stronghold VBL, aluminum-framed vacuum bond lamination that is exclusive to Jayco vehicles. It is a bonding process that applies 144 tons of pressure for a minimum of 16 minutes, ensuring a light and durable construction. Jaycos own Magnum Truss Roof System is said to be 50% stronger than other industry roofs, according to Jayco that is.Underneath, Dexter axles with Nev-R Adjust brakes and Dexter shackles will take care of almost anything you can think of towing. Goodyear Endurance tires feature Durawall technology to help resist cuts and punctures, and a MORryde rubberized suspension system will soften your ride.As for the list of standard options, it would take more than two to three articles to even go through them all, but I will do my best to cover some of the more important features.You already know about the construction but adding to the vehicles level of comfort is Climate Shield protection . This zero-degree protection includes a fully enclosed and heated underbelly and 35,000 BTU output furnace. Double layer fiberglass and double-sided radiant barrier insulation throughout the vehicle are sure to keep things toasty no matter where you sleep for the night. Assuming youre not in Alaska or some sub-zero climate, youll be fine.A few other exterior features include a fiberglass front cap, detachable shore power cord, dual 30-lb (13.6-kg) propane bottles with regulator, pass-through storage, and electric stabilizers and jacks (all as standard). An awning and topper prep, outside grill prep, and water heater bypass are also part of the package. Fully enclosed systems include a universal docking center, quick-connect outside shower, selectable water connections, winterization, and sanitization.Inside, depending on the package youll choose, you can have a solid hardwood slide fascia, hand-crafted and glazed doors, drawers, and trim, residential vinyl flooring, and LED lighting throughout the entire vehicle. A central command center with built-in tank monitoring allows for full control over systems.To take a load off , the Eagle is well equipped with several seating and sleeping areas, including a king or queen size bed. Some models include a theater seating option and a tri-fold hide-a-bed sofa that transforms into another sleeping area.About options, what is there to say? Youre offered everything from a generator prep to an over-lander solar kit, electric auto leveling systems, booth dinettes, and even free-standing table and chairs. Not to mention several value packages that tune nearly everything on your Eagle.What I enjoy most about any mobile home such as this are the kitchen facilities. I absolutely love the whole island kitchen design, as it offers a nice homey feel that isnt cramped. The bathrooms, too, are spacious and allow for plenty of elbow room. What else could you want to give your life a much-needed break? The Cabinet stands "full square" behind health minister Stephen Donnelly, a fellow minister has said. Further Education Minister Simon Harris said on Monday the Government is behind Mr Donnelly, who over the weekend raised and then ruled out changing the vaccine rollout to inoculate people between 18 and 30 ahead of those in older age groups. Mr Donnelly had asked deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn about the plan, but told Newstalk's On The Record programme that it had been dismissed. "The short answer is no," Mr Donnelly said. "Niac [National Immunisation Advisory Committee] in their original prioritisation identified younger cohorts as cohorts who had a higher prevalence of the disease and what they said was if the data on transmission gets to a point where vaccinations show a very significant decrease in transmission, then this group should be prioritised," he said. Sharply criticised The quick turnaround in the plan saw Mr Donnelly sharply criticised, but Mr Harris said the health minister is supported by the Government. "The Cabinet stands full square behind the Minister for Health, who has an extraordinarily tough job and is doing the job of ensuring there is as many jabs in arms as possible and getting us through this horrific and difficult time." Mr Harris said that as the minister with responsibility for students, he had not made any representations to Mr Donnelly on the subject. "The situation around vaccines is very simple it's not political, public health advice should be taken. It is entirely appropriate that any minister would ask any official a question. "In relation to younger people, what I would say is that with no changes to the vaccine programme, four out of five adults will be offered their first dose by the end of June. "We will be in a very different and better place ahead of the next college year. I'm sure we will see a very significant increase in on-campus attendance because I'm not sure it's sustainable, desirable or tenable to continue as we are." Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said Mr Donne lly was "teasing out" various scenarios in relation to 18 to 30 vaccine rollout. "Stephen was asking a question about our vaccination strategy," Mr Donohoe said. "What every minister does when they're in a situation of conducting something that's so vital to the public and economic health in our country is they're always teasing out each scenario, challenging our assumptions he asked a question and received advice back. "The Government confirmed on Saturday that we're sticking with our current approach. I read about it on Saturday and to me what was important is the Government reached and issued a full clear message during the day and that's what happened. He said "no one knows better than Stephen the importance of delivering a successful vaccination programme" and it was in that spirit that "the question was asked and equally the matter was concluded" on Saturday. Gap between jabs Meanwhile, the Government is expected to have a decision on extending the gap between jabs by the end of the week, according to Mr Donohoe. "Dr Ronan Glynn and his team are examining it at the moment, effective vaccinations is the key thing within our country, we're on track to do that and our vaccination strategy is working. What I want is scale, that is now happening, it will build, and I look forward to Ronan and his team advising the Government on this decision, later in the week. "We have evidence of what is happening in UK, Israel and America in relation to the aftermath of receiving the first dose, however, there are questions over the duration of vaccination dividend, and also questions we need to tease out regarding what impact this will have on how long we have to run our vaccination programme over the coming months. "Undoubtedly there is important benefits of a single dose but also consequences of it, this is what Ronan [Glynn] and Brian [MacCraith] will be looking at over the week. He said that at this point in the disease, the critical thing now is to complete vaccination efforts and that will lay the foundation for getting people getting back to work and reopening our economy. "We have our public health experts evaluating this, we will conclude through our public health doctors this week and that will allow us to continue with the strong progress we're making in vaccinations." (@ChaudhryMAli88) Prague, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2021 ) :The Czech government said Monday it would eliminate Russia's Rosatom from a multi-billion-euro tender to build a new unit at a local nuclear plant because of the diplomatic row with Moscow. The decision to bar the Russian state atomic agency follows tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats after Prague accused Russian secret services of being behind a fatal explosion on Czech territory in 2014. "The Russian supplier Rosatom will not be addressed to submit documents for security assessment," Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek told reporters. The decision leaves France's EdF, South Korea's KHNP and US-based Westinghouse in play for a contract to build the new unit at the southern Dukovany plant by 2036. Eighteen Russian diplomats identified by Czech intelligence as spies left Prague for Moscow on Monday afternoon, while 20 Czech diplomats expelled by Russia in retaliation are due to land in Prague later on Monday. Citing an intelligence report, the Czech government has said Russia's military secret service GRU orchestrated a 2014 explosion that killed two people, followed by a smaller one the same year. Czech police are seeking two men in connection with the blast, who British authorities also identified as suspects in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. The Kremlin has dubbed the expulsion of its diplomats "provocative and unfriendly". Advertisement President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he is praying for the 'right verdict' in George Floyd trial and called the evidence 'overwhelming in series of extraordinary comments that come as the jury begins its second day of deliberations in the Derek Chauvin case. 'I'm praying the verdict is the right verdict. Which is I think it's overwhelming in my view,' Biden told reporters in the Oval office. 'I wouldnt say that unless the jury was sequestered now.' The White House later claimed Biden wasnt advocating for a particular verdict but expressing compassion for the Floyd family. I don't think he would see it as weighing in on the verdict, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at her press briefing. He was conveying what many people are feeling across the country, which is compassion for the family. She indicated Biden could have more to say after the verdict is rendered. Biden is weighing an address to the nation, according to reports. I expect that he will weigh in more, further, once there is a verdict and I'm not going to provide additional analysis on what he meant, Psaki said, declining to clarify if Biden wanted Chauvin found guilty on all charges. She defended Bidens comments, saying the president had closely followed the trial, has gotten close to the Floyd family and waited to speak until the jury was sequestered. Biden called Floyd's brother Philonise on Monday after the jury went behind closed doors for their deliberations on the charges of murder and manslaughter against Chauvin. The president noted he waited until the jury was sequestered to make the call and to comment on the case. 'I've come to know George's family,' Biden said as he added he 'can only imagine the pressure and anxiety they're feeling.' Biden has denounced Floyd's death but had stopped short of weighing in on the trial until now. His extraordinary comments come as the 12-member jury began its second day behind closed doors and the nation waits for their decision. The president's comments also come amid growing anger among Republicans for Rep. Maxine Waters' calling for Chauvin to be found guilty and for Black Lives Matter protesters to be 'more confrontational'. The California Democrat sparked outrage by travelling to Minneapolis on Saturday and urging protesters to 'get more confrontational' if Chauvin was acquitted. She later said she was not urging violence and accused Republicans of twisting her words. She was back on Capitol Hill Tuesday, presiding over the House Financial Services Committee, which she chairs. Democrats have defended her remarks. Waters comments over the weekend, on the eve of the jury retiring to consider its verdict, may have handed Chauvin's defense grounds for appeal and the turning over of any guilty verdict. The judge on Monday said I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. The White House also has stood by Waters. The congresswoman has provided further clarification of her own remarks and I would certainly point you to that, Psaki said on Tuesday. The White House press secretary also dismissed a question on whether there were worries Bidens hope for a right verdict would spark violence if that wasnt the outcome. Regardless of the outcome, the president has consistently called for peace, Psaki said, adding Biden supports peaceful protests. She noted Biden understands the pain minority communities are feeling and their worries about their treatment at the hands of law enforcement. He also understands this is an extremely painful moment for many people in this country who are exhausted, who are tired of seeing one person after another lose their life at the hands of law enforcement, she said. He's aware of that and the need for reform. Meanwhile, Philonise Floyd said Biden, who has buried a wife and two children, spoke to him about what it's like to lose a family member. 'He was just calling. He knows how it is to lose a family member. And he knows that the process of what we're going through so he was just letting us know that he was praying for us, and hoping that everything would come out to be okay,' Philonise told NBC's Today on Tuesday morning. Floyd said he is 'optimistic' about the coming verdict in his brother's murder trial. 'Hopefully it will be the way the world wants to see it,' he noted. He also expressed his hope for peace when the trial ends. 'We just want everyone to be peaceful', he added, as Minneapolis braces for the verdict and the White House figures out how to deal with any potential fallout. More than 3,000 Minnesota National Guard members have been activated and hundreds marched through the streets of Minneapolis on Monday night as the US waits for the outcome of the trial. Scroll down for video President Joe Biden said he is praying for George Floyd's family and called the evidence in the Derek Chauvin trial 'overwhelming' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden wasn't weighing in on the verdict but expressing concern about the Floyd family Rep. Maxine Waters was on Capitol Hill Tuesday presiding over the House Financial Services Committee amid growing Republican anger at her comments on the Derek Chauvin case George Floyd's brother Philonise reveals President Biden called him on Monday when the jury was sent out to deliberate in Derek Chauvins' trial Philonise went on to say: 'I just feel that in America, if a Black man can't get justice for this, what can a Black man get justice for?' Biden is monitoring the trial and is concerned that a verdict may inflame racial tensions at a time when multiple U.S. cities are on edge following police killings. George W. Bush also discussed the verdict in an interview with Today on Tuesday morning. 'I think the first thing is, Hoda, that people know that the trial has been conducted fairly. And that rule of law reigns supreme in our judiciary. Well see what a jury of his peers says, you know, I think a lot of people have already made up their mind what the verdict ought to be. 'All I can tell you is that if the trial is not conducted fairly, there is an appeal process. One of the things that we learned after the storming of the Capitol was our institutions held, and one of the institutions that is really important for the confidence of the American people is a fair judicial system.' The footage of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck during Floyd's arrest last summer set off protests in Minneapolis and around the country. If the Chauvin jury should deliver a verdict this week or next, the results would come amid renewed tensions in communities where police have shot suspects during traffic stops and arrests along with sharp splits over efforts to control the coronavirus and a new spate of mass shootings. The prosecution argued Chauvin 'had to know' that he was killing Floyd when the officer had his knee on his back as the man was handcuffed. The defense, meanwhile, asked the jury of 12 people - six white, four black and two multiracial - to consider the 'totality of the circumstances.' The defense argued Chauvin behaved as any 'reasonable' officer would have and said that Floyd died of a combination of drugs in his system and preexisting health issues, not Chauvin's knee. Meanwhile, Waters, 82, defiantly insisted on Monday afternoon that she stood by her words. 'The judge says my words don't matter,' she told CNN. When pressed on the judge stating that her remarks could be grounds for appeal, she replied: 'Oh no, no they didn't.' She insisted she was entirely justified in her call to action, saying: 'The whole Civil Rights movement is confrontational.' Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is introducing a resolution for Waters to be censured and says she 'incited violence' with her remarks. '(Biden) knows how it is to lose a family member. And he knows that the process of what we're going through so he was just letting us know that he was praying for us, and hoping that everything would come out to be okay,' Philonise told NBC Today He believes up to 15 Democrats could back the motion to censure and said Waters 'believes there is value in violence'. McCarthy would need Democratic support to get the censure resolution passed. Democrats including Nancy Pelosi have said she shouldn't apologize for her comments. The White House also refused to condemn Waters comments. Biden's press secretary said on Monday that protests should be 'peaceful', but did not respond to Waters' comments directly. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the call and said the President wanted to 'check in' with Floyd's family Waters (D - California) had joined protesters in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Saturday night for a demonstration over the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man shot dead by a white police officer during a traffic stop on April 11. Waters told the protesters that she will fight for justice on their behalf and urged them to 'to get more confrontational' - just one day after protests descended into violence. Following closing arguments on Monday, the jurors retired to deliberate as demonstrators took to the streets of Minneapolis. Images showed hundreds marching through the city demanding justice for Floyd while waving Black Lives Matter flags and holding signs that read 'Blue Lives Murder'. Demonstrators gathered outside the Hennepin County courthouse, which is surrounded by high fences and concrete barricades topped with barbed wire. We just want everybody to be peaceful. Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, and attorney Benjamin Crump speak with @craigmelvin as the country awaits a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin. pic.twitter.com/TGEswuhHxE TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 20, 2021 National Guard members are seen through fencing and wire near the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct in Minneapolis Local organizer Brandyn Tulloch speaks to the crowd during a demonstration on Monday Protesters take to the street in Minneapolis as jurors begin deliberations following the trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin Protesters gathered in Minneapolis on Monday as the jury started their deliberations toward a verdict in the case against Derek Chauvin, who faces murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd Protesters held signs that demanded justice for George Floyd as the jury was retired to consider their verdict 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,' she said of the Chauvin trial. 'And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell likewise went after Waters on Monday, telling colleagues: 'It's harder to imagine anything more inappropriate than a member of Congress flying in from California to inform local leaders - not so subtly - that this defendant had better be found guilty or else there will be big trouble in the streets.' The Kentucky Republican said that Waters' demand for a guilty verdict was 'like somebody window-shopping or ordering off a menu.' 'Every single American deserves a fair trial. This is sacred. You do not balance the scales of justice by trying to tip them,' McConnell said. The top Senate Republican noted that through much of the country's 'quest for civil rights and equal justice has been the fight to get rid of extra-judicial violence, to get rid of rigged trials where the outcome was molded by public sentiment or angry mob.' 'It is beyond the pale for a sitting member of the United States Congress to look at what happened last summer and imply there should be some kind of a sequel if a legal case does not unfold as she thinks it should,' he said. Republican House Whip Steve Scalise said: 'Let's be clear: Maxine Waters knew her rhetoric would incite violence in Minneapolisbut she doesn't care, she just requests police escorts for herself. I was shot because of this kind of dangerous rhetoric. Where is the outrage from Dems & the media? They need to condemn this.' Scalise was shot in 2017 by left-wing activist James Hodgkinson during a charity Congressional Baseball Game in Alexandria, Virginia. The Virginia Attorney General concluded that Hodgkinson's attack was an 'act of terrorism fueled by rage against Republican legislators'. McCarthy took his criticism even further - saying that he is introducing a motion to censure Waters and claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion. During an interview with on Fox News Primetime, McCarthy said the congresswoman 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury that started deliberations on Monday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong. I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior,' McCarthy continued. He was referring to Waters' 2018 remarks when she told Californians to 'get in the face' of Trump administration staffers if they see them in public. McCarthy said he believes there are 'probably 10 to 15' Democrats who would vote for censure. 'It will all come down to the pressure of what Democrats will put on them to just try to vote to table it - not even to have the discussion,' he added. But many of these Republicans accusing Waters of inciting violence did not make the same charge against then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6th MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, that left five dead and trail of destruction throughout the Capitol. McCarthy did take to the House floor to declare Trump, who riled up the crowd with his false claims the election was stolen, 'bears responsibility' for the attack on Congress. McCarthy later flew to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the former president after Trump became furious at him for his words. And Scalise argued Trump used the words 'peaceful' when he talked about protesting the election results. 'President Trump use the words peaceful when he talked about, you know, the statements that he made. I haven't heard Maxine saying anything about peacefully protesting. She's talked about violence,' Scalise said on Tuesday. Waters (D - California) had joined protesters in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Saturday night for a demonstration over the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man shot dead by a white police officer during a traffic stop on April 11 Maxine Waters' history of defending violence: Democrat called the deadly 1992 LA riots a 'rebellion' and told her supporters to confront Trump cabinet members in the street CALLED 1992 LA RIOTS A 'REBELLION' Waters refused to call the violence in Los Angeles in 1992 a riot, instead dubbing it a 'rebellion' even though her office was burned down during the unrest. The riots ensued after the acquittal of four LAPD officers who beat Rodney King, a black man. A video of the incident was captured and circulated. 'There are those who would like for me to tell people to go inside, to be peaceful, that they have to accept the verdict,' Waters said during a 1992 press conference. 'I accept the responsibility of asking people not to endanger their lives. I am not asking people not to be angry,' she continued. 'I am angry, and I have a right to that anger, and the people out there have a right to that anger.' The death toll from the riots reached 64, which included nine shot by law enforcement. Of the dead, 28 were black. Reports at the time indicate as many as 2,383 people were injured in some capacity. Waters insisted that the majority of the looting in LA during that time was just so poor mothers could get necessities for their children. Waters and then-President Bill Clinton tour Los Angeles in May 1992 after rioters burnt buildings to the ground in violent riots At the time, she called the violence 'a spontaneous reaction to a lot of injustice and a lot of alienation and frustration.' 'There were mothers who took this as an opportunity to take some milk, to take some bread, to take some shoes. Maybe they shouldn't have done it, but the atmosphere was such that they did it. They are not crooks,' Waters defended while speaking on Michael Jackson's KABC radio talk show in 1992. She also told a Los Angeles Times reporter at the time: 'One lady said her children didn't have any shoes. She just saw those shoes there, a chance for all of her children to have new shoes. God damn it! It was such a tear-jerker. I might have gone in and taken them for her myself.' Waters said her office burning down in the riots was not personal. She said she wasn't 'angry at all' and the office was just 'one of the victims of the rebellion.' TOLD SUPPORTERS TO PUBLICLY CONFRONT TRUMP OFFICIALS In June 2018, Waters told people to harass Trump cabinet members and other administration officials in public after the then-president imposed a 'zero tolerance' policy for illegal immigration at the southern border. 'Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up,' Waters said during a rally in LA. 'And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out, and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere,' she said. Trump's policies led to the separation of parents from their children after illegally crossing into the U.S. 'Mr. President, we will see you every day, every hour of the day, everywhere that we are to let you know you cannot get away with this,' Waters said at the rally. The congresswoman's comments came after several Trump officials had been recently confronted in public especially while dining at restaurants. In June 2018, then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family were asked to leave The Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia where they were dining that night because gay employees were uncomfortable with her politics. Also that month, Trump's then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled out of a Mexican eatery a couple blocks from the White House. A video emerged with protesters chanting 'shame' at Nielsen while she was dining. Two days before that, White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller was called a fascist while he was eating at a different Mexican restaurant, also in D.C. The same day as Waters' rally, the congresswoman appeared on MSNBC to encourage more confirmation. 'The people are going to turn on them. They're going to protest,' she said. 'They're going to absolutely harass them until they decide that they're going to tell the President, 'No, I can't hang with you.'' WATERS SAYS SHE THREATENS TRUMP SUPPORTERS 'ALL THE TIME' Trump suggested in a 2018 tweet that Waters' comments inciting confrontations were directed at his supporters, instead of those working in his administration. But Waters said in September 2018 remarks, while she does threaten Trump supporters 'all the time,' she was not in that instance. 'I did not threaten constituents and supporters. I do that all the time, but I didn't do that that time,' Waters said to laughter from a crowd in LA. 'What bothered me so much was, they tried to frame that as violence,' Waters said. 'That's not violence.' 'The poster child for violence is the President of the United States. He's the one who threatens,' she continued. 'Don't forget at his rallies, when he said go ahead and beat them up, I'll take them out on a stretcher.' 'I do not advocate violence,' she said. 'I do not believe you should hit, kick, shoot,' Waters said. 'We have to tell people the difference between violence and incivility and protesting.' 'I said, if you see them anywhere, if you see them in a restaurant, if you see them in a department store, even at a gasoline station, just tell them, you're not welcome here or anywhere,' Waters recalled. 'Of course it frightened a lot of people.' TELLS GOP REP. JIM JORDAN TO 'SHUT YOUR MOUTH' Waters told Republican Congressman Jim Jordan to 'shut your mouth' when he asked Dr. Anthony Fauci when the pandemic will end and America will get their 'liberties' back. The House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee descended into chaos last Thursday when Jordan probed Facui on restrictions that have been in place for a year. 'We had 15 days to slow the spread turned into one year of lost liberty,' Jordan said during the session. 'What metrics, what measures, what has to happen before Americans get their freedoms back?' 'You're indicating liberty and freedom. I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying and going to hospital,' Fauci told Jordan and said the U.S. will return to normal when enough people are vaccinated. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters (right) told Republican Congressman Jim Jordan (left) to 'shut your mouth' when he asked Dr. Fauci when America will get their 'liberties' back 'You don't think Americans' liberties have been threatened the last year, Dr. Fauci?' Jordan added. 'They've been assaulted!'. Fauci then told Jordan 'you're making this personal' when the Ohio representative said no one was allowed to criticize him. 'You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth!' Waters then interjected. It came after she opened her testimony by saying: 'Dr. Fauci, I love you.' The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently interrogating a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, over series of corruption allegations. PREMIUM TIMES understands that the former governor had been held at the Sokoto office of the anti-graft agency for eight hours as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday. The newspaper had exclusively reported how the commission via a letter dated April 6, 2021 invited Mr Yari to appear for interrogation at its Sokoto office on April 8. But our correspondent confirmed from sources in the anti-corruption agency that Mr Yari only honoured the invitation on Tuesday. He honoured the invitation at the Sokoto office at about 11a.m. on Tuesday, a source said. The source confirmed that the former governor was still with the operatives of the commission as of 7p.m. on Tuesday. He has been offered bail, but he has not been able to meet the bail conditions, the source added. PREMIUM TIMES reported in February that Mr Yari faced a long interrogation session with detectives at the Lagos office of the EFCC over an alleged attempt to illegally move N300 billion from a corporate account in a new generation bank. Although details of the transaction were sketchy, sources told this newspaper that Mr Yari gave a lengthy statement to the commissions operatives before he was released late in the evening of February 3. Paris Club refund angle PREMIUM TIMES recalls that Mr Yari, the immediate-past chair of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has been under EFCCs searchlight over his handling of proceeds of Paris Club refunds since 2017. A court document filed by the commission in 2017 sheds light on the suspicious nature of payments concerning the Paris Club refunds by the Mr Yari-led NGF The refunds that were over-deducted from the allocations of the 36 state governments in connection with the London and Paris clubs loan between 1995 and 2002. In a court document filed in 2017, EFCC stated that it received an intelligence in January 2017 alleging conspiracy, criminal misappropriation of public funds involving the sum of N19,439,225,871.11 out of the Paris Club refunds made by the Federal Government in favour of the 36 states of the federation. The commission had in the court filing, sought an order of forfeiture of N500 million and $500,000 allegedly recovered from Mr Yari. The anti-corruption agency said the funds were found in the accounts of First Generation Mortgage Bank Ltd and Gosh Projects Limited. It said the sums of money were part of N2.2billion fraudulently transferred by the NGF to BINA Consults and Integrated Services Ltd on December 23, 2016. Following the ex parte application filed by EFCC, the Federal High Court in Abuja, on June 30, 2017, issued an interim order of forfeiture of the N500 million and $500,000. But, in November 17, 2017, the judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, rejected the commissions further request for a permanent forfeiture of the funds, and went ahead to set aside the earlier interim forfeiture order. ADVERTISEMENT The judge said it could not grant the forfeiture order since different entities had come forward to lay claim to the funds. He added that should the EFCC feel strongly about the illicit origin of the funds, it should take steps to discharge the requisite burdens of proof, rather than resorting to the easy route of a forfeiture afforded by the Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act. ICPC obtains forfeiture order But another judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Ijeoma Ojukwu, on January 26, 2021, ordered the final forfeiture of funds suspected to be proceeds of corruption found in bank accounts linked to Mr Yari. The judge gave the order following an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). While $56, 056.75 was lodged in Polaris Bank account, the sums of N12.9 million, N11.2 million, $301, 319.99; N217, 388.04 and $311, 872.15 were kept in different Zenith Bank accounts, all in the name of Mr Yari and his companies. The judge held that the former governor did not show good cause why the order sought by the ICPC should not be granted. Photo: The Canadian Press In this image from video, defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and defendant, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin listen to Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read instructions to the jury before closing arguments, Monday, April 19, 2021, in the trial of 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 murder case against former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd went to the jury Monday in a city on edge against another round of unrest like the one that erupted last year over the harrowing video of Chauvin with his knee on the Black man's neck. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial began deliberating after nearly a full day of closing arguments in which prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May in a way that even a child knew was wrong. The defence contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that the 46-year-old Floyd died of a heart condition and illegal drug use. After closing arguments were done, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defence request for a mistrial based in part on comments from California Rep. Maxine Waters, who said we've got to get more confrontational if Chauvin isn't convicted of murder. The judge told Chauvin's attorney: Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. He called her comments abhorrent and "disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch. Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, all of which require the jury to conclude that his actions were a substantial causal factor in Floyds death and that his use of force was unreasonable. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw, prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments, referring to the bystander video of Floyd pinned to the pavement with Chauvin's knee on or close to his neck for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as onlookers yelled at the officer to get off. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing that Chauvin did what any reasonable police officer would have done after finding himself in a dynamic and fluid situation involving a large man struggling with three officers. As Nelson began speaking, the now-fired Chauvin removed his COVID-19 mask in front of the jury for one of the very few times during the trial. With the case drawing to a close, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis. The courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard members were on patrol. Floyd's death last spring set off protests in the city and across the U.S. that sometimes turned violent. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in a nearby suburb on April 11. A couple of hundred people rallied outside of the courthouse shortly after the jury got the case, lining up behind a banner reading, Justice for George Floyd and all stolen lives. The world is watching. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell had the final word Monday, offering the state's rebuttal argument. The prosecutor, who is Black, said the questions about the use of force and cause of death are so simple that a child can understand it. In fact, a child did understand it, when the 9-year-old girl said, Get off of him, Blackwell said, referring to a young witness who objected to what she saw. "Thats how simple it was. `Get off of him.' Common sense. Under the law, police have certain latitude to use force, and their actions are supposed to be judged according to what a reasonable officer in the same situation would have done. Nelson noted that officers who first went to the corner store where Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill were struggling with Floyd when Chauvin arrived as backup. The defence attorney also noted that the first two officers on the scene were rookies and that police had been told that Floyd might be on drugs. A reasonable police officer understands the intensity of the struggle, Nelson said, noting that Chauvins body camera and badge were knocked off his chest. Nelson also showed the jury pictures of pills found in Floyds SUV and pill remnants discovered in the squad car. Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyds system. The defence attorney said the failure of the prosecution to acknowledge that medical problems or drugs played a role defies medical science and it defies common sense and reason. During the prosecution's argument, Schleicher replayed portions of the bystander video and other footage as he dismissed certain defence theories about Floyd's death as nonsense." He said Chauvin killed Floyd by constricting his breathing. Schleicher rejected the drug overdose argument, as well as the contention that police were distracted by hostile onlookers, that Floyd had superhuman strength from a state of agitation known as excited delirium, and that he suffered possible carbon monoxide poisoning from auto exhaust. The prosecutor sarcastically referred to the idea that it was heart disease that killed Floyd as an amazing coincidence. "Is that common sense or is that nonsense? Schleicher asked the jury. Blackwell, his fellow prosecutor, likewise rejected the defence theory that Floyd died because of an enlarged heart: The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvins heart was too small. Earlier, Schleicher described how Chauvin ignored Floyds cries and continued to kneel on him well after he stopped breathing and had no pulse. Chauvin was on top of him for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and he had to know, Schleicher said. He had to know. He said Chauvin heard Floyd, but he just didn't listen. The prosecutor said Floyd was "not a threat to anyone" and was not trying to escape when he struggled with officers but instead was terrified of being put into the tiny backseat of the squad car. He said a reasonable officer with Chauvins training and experience he was a 19-year Minneapolis police veteran should have sized up the situation accurately. Chauvin, wearing a light gray suit with a blue shirt and blue tie, showed little expression as he watched himself and the other officers pinning Floyd to the ground on bodycam video played by his attorney. He cocked his head to the side and occasionally leaned forward to write on a notepad. An unidentified woman occupied the single seat set aside in the pandemic-spaced courtroom for a Chauvin supporter. Floyds brother Philonise represented the family in court, as he often has during the trial. Schleicher also noted that Chauvin was required to use his training to provide medical care to Floyd but ignored bystanders, rebuffed help from an off-duty paramedic and rejected a suggestion from another officer to roll Floyd onto his side. He could have listened to the bystanders. He could have listened to fellow officers. He could have listened to his own training. He knew better. He just didnt do better," Schleicher said. Developers are set to try for a second time to build a new estate in Annacotty. Regal Park Developments has announced its intention to apply to An Bord Pleanala for permission to build 137 houses in a mix of 61 apartments, 51 duplex apartments and 25 homes at Walkers Lane, a site bordered by the Dublin Road and the Castletroy College Road. Last time, it was rejected by the national planning authority due to the fact no nature impact statement was present. This has now been rectified, with the application set to formally be presented to An Bord Pleanala shortly. According to the proposals, the apartments are spread over two blocks. Some 122 car parking spaces and 120 bike spaces were proposed too. Under laws designed to speed-up the delivery of large-scale housing plans, it will be considered in Dublin as more than 100 living spots were included. First time round, residents had expressed concerns in relation to the size and scale of the development, and the impact it would have on local traffic. Fine Gael TD Kieran ODonnell, who is based in the area, said: We have to wait to see what it's in the strategic application lodged with An Bord Pleanala. But the previous application for that site, I had major concerns about traffic, and the overlooking of houses in all areas surrounding Walkers Lane and into Annacotty. He said he will always welcome sustainable development, but it must be in character with existing housing developments in the immediate area. Labour councillor Elena Secas encouraged people to make their views known on the project to An Bord Pleanala. This would qualify as strategic housing development so any proposal will go to An Bord Pleanala directly. But there is a five week period when people can make submissions, objections or whatever the case may be, she said. A number of other strategic planning applications have been rejected in Limerick in recent times. The presence of otters around a site in the Canal Bank led to that project being vetoed. A top U.S. general says he has grave doubts about the Taliban's reliability as the United States prepares to remove its troops from Afghanistan, but he stressed that the American military would still be able to observe the militant group and verify its actions after American troops leave. Marine General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, also said on April 20 that the Taliban will be held accountable after the planned departure of U.S. and NATO forces later this year. "If they want any form of future international recognition for Afghanistan...they're going to have to keep the agreements that they've made," McKenzie told the House Armed Services Committee. McKenzies comments come a week after President Joe Biden announced that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, ending America's longest war. The withdrawal plan, which breaks a May 1 deadline for the pullout laid out in a U.S.-Taliban deal reached in February 2020, has raised concerns that the country could erupt in a civil war that would give Al-Qaeda an opportunity to rebuild and plan new attacks on U.S. and other targets. When Biden announced the troop withdrawal, he said the United States would reorganize counterterrorism capabilities and keep substantial assets in the region to respond to any threats emerging from Afghanistan. McKenzie was asked about those plans by several members of the committee, who indicated their skepticism over the United States' ability to maintain focus on any such threats. The general admitted it would be difficult but not impossible for U.S. forces to find and destroy the threats. I dont want to put on rose-colored glasses and say its going to be easy to do, McKenzie said, adding that if the United States must go back into Afghanistan because of a threat, it would require significant intelligence support. The general said he would provide the defense secretary a plan for counterterrorism forces outside of Afghanistan by the end of the month. Asked whether there were any agreements with countries around Afghanistan -- Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan -- to base forces on their soil, conduct lethal strikes, or carry out surveillance, McKenzie said: "At this time, we have none of those agreements in place." But McKenzie insisted that the United States will retain the ability to define and detect threats in Afghanistan and take action against them if necessary. He stressed that the United States is going to go to zero in Afghanistan, including all contractors, but said the military will still have a variety of means to be able to see into Afghanistan. He told lawmakers who asked about possible attacks on U.S. troops during that withdrawal that the forces are prepared for such attacks should they occur. We will defend ourselves, he said. We are ready for whatever they choose to do. With reporting by Reuters and AP [April 20, 2021] VieCure Announces $25 Million Series A Investment Led by Northpond Ventures to Improve Oncology Care, Scale A.I. and Patient-focused Technologies VieCure, Inc. today announced the closing of its $25 million Series A growth equity investment, led by Northpond Ventures. An undisclosed investor is also contributing to the round. VieCure, an oncology clinical informatics company with an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled clinical decision support platform, will use the new funding to accelerate the deployment of its next generation clinical decision support solution, and grow the sales and business development organization in response to the expanding pipeline and partnering opportunities in the life sciences arena. Andrea Jackson, Director for Northpond Ventures, will join the new VieCure Board of Directors. The VieCure platform is a real-time clinical decision support system that combines the latest in evidence and clinical trials with patient data to assist surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, hematologists, and clinical trial investigators in generating personalized treatment plans, as well as managing a patient's treatment throughout diagnosis, cancer therapy, and ongoing follow-up care. VieCure is contracted with cancer centers and health systems in the United States, Bahamas, and Antigua, and has forged meaningful strategic alliances with global pharmaceutical, molecular diagnostic, and laboratory companies. The VieCure platform becomes the core operating system for a cancer center or cancer care network. This includes codified clinical and payor content, the smart "EMR" in oncology, the artificial intelligence inference engine, a tethered patient mobile app, an integrated teleoncology solution, and the most robust analytics functionality that facilitates immediate access to meaningful and curated datasets. "Northpond Ventures is excited to support VieCure and its expanding presence in the U.S. and global cancer care market," said Jackson. "The VieCure platform is an ideal operating solution for oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, and clinical trial professionals, given it is designed for the precision oncology era and supports clinical decision making at point-of-care. The precision oncology paradigm shift is underway and the amount of data that clinicians are being expected to digest, consider, and action is often beyond the human condition. The VieCure platform ingests these data discretely, inferences these data against the latest clinical evidence and trial protocols, and generates optimal treatment plan considerations for action while the patient is i the exam room. We are excited to be an investor in and collaborator with VieCure. I'm looking forward to working with the leadership team and new Board to advance their mission to improve outcomes for people with cancer." VieCure, based out of Denver, Colorado, has executed multi-year agreements with several cancer centers in the U.S., such as with Alabama Cancer Care (ten cancer center locations throughout Alabama) and The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (nine cancer center locations in Texas). "We are very pleased to have Northpond Ventures as a member of our team," said Gerry Hogue, President and Chief Executive Officer of VieCure. "We are in business for two reasons and two reasons only: to help clinicians with day-to-day decision making responsibilities and to facilitate improved clinical outcomes for patients. We launched VieCure to help oncologists and patients in community oncology settings as they embrace the best of clinical evidence and to assist them with their accelerated adoption of precision oncology. Over 70% of cancer patients are treated in private practice cancer centers and community hospitals. These professionals see and treat the bulk of cancer patients in the U.S. and the demands on their time are only increasing. The VieCure platform ensures they can offer the latest in clinical evidence and trials and be compliant with the latest payor rules, value based care programs, center-specific drug formulary, and related oncology supply contracts. Additionally, our platform is designed to facilitate optimal and timely decision making, which results in improved fiscal performance for the cancer center or health system." For more information, please visit and connect with VieCure via www.viecure.com, LinkedIn (News - Alert) via https://www.linkedin.com/company/viecure, Facebook (News - Alert) via https://www.facebook.com/viecure.vcure, Twitter (News - Alert) via https://twitter.com/VieCure, and Instagram via https://www.instagram.com/vie.cure. About VieCure VieCure has developed a proprietary artificial intelligence informatics software platform in conjunction with a clinical inference engine and smart electronic medical record in oncology. The VieCure platform is a real-time decision support system that combines clinical knowledge with patient data to assist oncologists and hematologists in generating personalized treatment plans and managing a patient's treatment throughout diagnosis, cancer therapy, and ongoing follow-up care. VieCure is contracted with cancer centers in the United States, Bahamas, and Antigua and has forged meaningful strategic alliances with global pharmaceutical, molecular diagnostic, and laboratory companies. About Northpond Ventures Northpond Ventures is a global science, medical, and technology focused venture capital firm, with offices in Bethesda, Cambridge, and San Francisco. Northpond has in excess of $1 billion of committed capital. Our mission is to build a better tomorrow. Learn more at: npv.vc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005372/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Boris Johnson faced fresh fury last night over 'ludicrous' restrictions on funerals in England as Scotland prepared to raise its limit on mourners from 20 to 50. The cap north of the border will be lifted next week, but the Government insisted that rules in England limiting attendances to 30 mourners will not shift for two more months. The funeral restrictions have been branded 'inhumane' and 'overly cautious'. Even those who can pay their respects are unable to console anyone outside their household highlighted by the Queen sitting alone at Prince Philip's funeral last Saturday. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that 50 mourners will be able to attend funerals and wakes from next Monday sparked anger among MPs. Senior Tory Sir John Hayes, chairman of the parliamentary group for funerals and bereavement, said the Government should take a 'long, hard look' at rules in England. The cap north of the border will be lifted next week, but the Government insisted that rules in England limiting attendances to 30 mourners will not shift for two more months He stressed: 'It would be unacceptable if people on one side of the border could attend funerals and on the other side of the border they couldn't. 'We need consistency. What about people from England attending a funeral in Scotland? Or people from Scotland attending a funeral in Cumbria or Northumberland?' He said it was 'invidious' that grieving families have to choose who can attend a funeral and called for sensitivity for mourners while remaining cautious over Covid risks. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said England must 'make at least the same changes if not more' than Scotland. He insisted it was 'ludicrous' to have limits on the number of people attending outdoor services and stick to a specific number in churches regardless of their size. He said: 'It should be judged on the size and scale of the church.' Tory ex-Cabinet minister David Jones said England should go further than Scotland as a cap of 50 was 'arbitrary'. He added: 'The Government really ought to be looking at the data as it is emerging. 'We have now got extraordinarily low levels of infection and we have very large churches which can accommodate a lot more people. A lot of people are getting very distressed at this limit of 30.' Boris Johnson faced fresh fury last night over the 'ludicrous' restrictions Yesterday the Catholic Church in England said the rules should be reviewed, but the Church of England has yet to add its voice to the growing clamour for change. Last night ministers told the Mail they had a 'lot of sympathy' for the need to remove the most stringent rules. A senior frontbencher said: 'Seeing the Queen sitting all alone at her husband's funeral at the weekend was a stark reminder of the impact of this and how many have suffered the same way at a moment of such extreme heartache.' Another said it was 'frustrating' there were 'anomalies' in the roadmap out of lockdown with no blanket rule on numbers at normal church services. 'THEY'VE MADE A BIG MISTAKE' John Woolley hoped to give his late wife Jill a large send-off after she passed away on April 5. But instead of '50 or 60 people, maybe more' at the former NHS secretary's funeral on May 6, he will be following the rules and limiting numbers to 30. The 82-year-old, from Fulbourn in Cambridgeshire, said: 'If it's possible they should look at the rules. They've made a big mistake. I do think that funerals should be exempt but if that's the law there's nothing you can do.' Mrs Woolley, who was 79, was a popular figure in her village, where she helped run a library. Mourners at her pared-down service in Huntingdon Road Cemetery, Cambridge, will include her two children and four grandchildren. Her husband added: 'It's upsetting to people who would normally be coming but we have to go along with the law. Even the Queen had to abide by it. In the summer we will be holding something for people who couldn't come.' Advertisement Tory backbencher Sir Desmond Swayne said the rules must 'absolutely' be relaxed, adding: 'The notion that funerals are going to be a great super-spreader event is for the birds. I think it is entirely appropriate that those rules should have been relaxed on grounds of humanity alone.' Fellow Conservative Sir Charles Walker added: 'It seems strange that you can have your hair cut but not have your hand held at a funeral.' The National Association of Funeral Directors said: 'The isolation of sitting alone, mourning a loved one, without someone to offer a hug or a comforting hand has made saying goodbye even harder for many people. 'As other parts of the economy reopen and confidence builds in the success of the vaccination programme, we have already said to the Government we would like to see restrictions on funeral attendance and on the ability to provide comfort to those who are grieving to be cautiously revised.' Stacey Hart, of the Grief Encounter charity, said: 'The importance of a support network during the grieving process is something that we should no longer have to go without.' She insisted that lifting the restrictions would help mourners share their loss and called for recognition of the 'burden' of having to pick family members who can and cannot attend. She added: 'Not being able to be remembered by all loved ones, in a place that may have special meaning for them, will only serve to cause more emotional distress and pain for the family left behind.' The Rev Frank Smith, of Southend, Essex, said the impact of the restrictions had been 'harrowing' on families. He stressed: 'If a chapel can hold 100 people, then probably 70 could be accommodated easily and safely with masks. Instead, we have 30 spread out and unable to grieve properly.' He added: 'Sometimes you want to give people a hug, but you can't shake their hand or even go near them. You have got to go with the scientific advice, but some of it is not logical.' The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'All restrictions on funerals and commemorative events have sought to strike that important balance between the needs of the bereaved with the need to minimise the spread of this deadly virus and, of course, we keep that under review. 'We will continue to look at how we can make these moments easier for people as we progress through each step of our roadmap.' The Government is reviewing whether to change the rules on close contact between family and friends ahead of the next stage of lockdown easing on May 17 and is reviewing broader social distancing measures ahead of June 21 when lockdown is due to end. Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly slammed the state government and said that it is horrific to know that the bankrupt BJP government headed by Chief Minister Dr has no money even to dispose of unclaimed bodies lying in the mortuary at Margao. "I urge the South Goa District Collector to immediately give orders for the disposal of the same. I will personally make all necessary arrangements for their respectful cremation," Kamat said. He further said that it is sad and disgusting to understand that the unclaimed bodies, including some of the COVID-19 infected, have piled up in the mortuaries as the government has failed to make payments to the Margao Municipal Council for their disposal. "There is a rising number of deaths and I am told that almost all cremation blocks in Margao Crematorium were occupied yesterday. The government needs to be sensitive with the current situation and act wisely," he said. "Last year, I had personally monitored the arrangements at Margao Crematorium for the cremation of Covid infected bodies with the help of late Narayan Pai Fondekar of Mathgramastha Hindu Sabha. It is now the duty of the government to ensure that disposals of unclaimed bodies including those of Covid infected are done in the time stated Digambar Kamat," he added. He further appealed to the government to take everyone into confidence and come out with a proper action plan in handling a current crisis of the spread of Covid infections and the rising number of deaths. (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.) Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos via Getty/Police Handout Indianapolis mass shooter Brandon Scott Hole, the 19-year-old who killed eight and injured several others at a FedEx facility last week, had a history of swimming through white-supremacist channels online. The new details, while far from offering a coherent motive, come by way of police documents released by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and obtained by a local NBC affiliate late Monday. As is now well known, the documents say that Holes mother reached out to Indianapolis police on March 3, 2020, after he bought a shotgun, which was later seized by police. Hole had seemed to express a desire to die by suicide by cop, and allegedly struck his mother with a closed fist in the arm and told her to shut up, prior to police getting involved. He was briefly committed for mental-health reasons, though he was not ultimately sent through the full red flag process, as prosecutors admitted Monday, which would have prevented him from purchasing the murder weaponstwo riflesjust months later. The FBI Took His Gun. Then Indianapolis Killer Bought Assault Weapons. But what the new documents reveal for the first time is that Hole, who was a former employee at the FedEx facility, told police when they confronted him last March, Please just turn the power strip off on my computer, adding, I dont want anyone to see whats on it. One possible reason for the teenagers interest in privacy soon became clear: A cop involved in the apprehension of Hole that day observed what through his training and experience indicated was white supremist [sic] websites, the documents say. The police documents do not go into further detail. The FBI interviewed last April and did not find evidence of racially motivated violent extremist ideology, according to law enforcement. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hole appears to have been involved in the Bronies scenea subculture fascinated with the animated kids series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic that weirdly has some overlap with far-right and white nationalist ideology. A Facebook memo assembled as the social-media giant took down two accounts tied to Hole last week uncovered his interest in the show, but its unclear if it was filtered through that kind of far-right lens. Story continues In a Tuesday statement provided to The Daily Beast, the family of one of the FedEx victims, 66-year-old Amarjeet Kaur Johal, said they are obviously disturbed... about the shooters motive and we believe it makes it all the more important that law enforcement authorities fully investigate the potential of bias. As we have said, no one should feel unsafe at work, school, or their place of worship and law enforcement must do its due diligence, the statement added. The family added that further questions about motives or possible biases be referred to the Sikh Coalition, a civil rights group. The Marion County Coroner's Office has identified the other victims as Matthew R. Alexander, 32; Samaria Blackwell, 19; Jasvinder Kaur, 50; Jaswinder Singh, 68; Amarjit Sekhon, 48; Karli Smith, 19; and John Weisert, 74. On Tuesday, Amrith Kaur Aakre, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, also responded to the police report about Holes possible white supremacist leanings. Writing to local police and the FBI, Aakre argued, It is clear from IMPDs prior interaction and experience with Mr. Hole, as well as specific facts we have elicited from witnesses and victims of the April 15th shooting, that Mr. Hole went to the FedEx facility with the intent of killing members of the Sikh community. Given his prior white supremacist research and interest, there is no dismissing [the] fact that Mr. Holes methodically planned attackduring a shift change when there would be significantly more employees going in and out of the facility making them easily accessiblewas carried out at a facility where he knew the vast majority of workers to be both Indian and Sikh, she added, at a time when violence against Sikh Americans and Asian-Americans in general has grown nationwide. The letter also specifically claimed that an eyewitness said Hole told a white woman running towards him to get out of the way, just after having shot a Sikh man in the face. Victims of the Thursday shooting included several members of the Sikh community, who have been targeted by hate crimes in the past, including at a temple in Wisconsin in 2012, where six people were killed. Initial accounts suggested Hole had showed up at the facility with two rifles and effectively started firing at random before quickly killing himself. But even as prosecutors face questions over how they might have used the red-flag law in the state more effectively, the prospect of possible extremist ideology factoring in added a disturbing element to the tragic aftermath. with reporting by Pilar Melendez Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here 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 Beaumont City Council will consider the rezoning of a 53-acre swath of pastureland on the southeast edge of Beaumont to allow for heavy industry after a proposal from a company trying to create a chemical production facility. The Beaumont Planning Commission approved the zoning change, agreeing with the recommendation from city staff, sending the final approval to the city council during its regular meeting next week. The land between Texas 347 and U.S. 69 is currently zoned for commercial and light manufacturing but hasnt been built on and is under an agricultural exemption, according to documents submitted to the citys office of planning and community development. It is surrounded by at least three other manufacturing companies. The land is currently held by Mashed O Minerals L.P., a holding company for mineral rights with several properties listed in Jefferson County, which acquired the acreage in 2015. It was last appraised at $8,279 and has a market value of $685,710, according to the Jefferson County Appraisal District. The proposal was made by John Johnson, an executive and lawyer with Griffith Moseley Johnson working on behalf of an unnamed company seeking to possibly use the land for some kind of production facility. In a letter to the citys planning and community development office, Johnson wrote that his client was considering sites in both Texas and Louisiana, but had decided to pull the trigger on the process of acquiring and rezoning the land due to a tight schedule. Given those timing constraints, we would like to accomplish the rezoning as soon as the citys process will allow, Johnson wrote in the March letter. The property owner also lent their support in writing to the rezoning efforts. Staff with the city ultimately suggested approval of the request in their report to the commission, citing the other industrial properties in the surrounding area and no apparent conflicts with residents. The nearest residential property is almost 2 miles away, according to county documents cited by Johnson. Four entities near the 53-acre property were contacted for response, but three were manufacturing companies and the fourth was the same company that owns the property. There were no objections reported by the planning and community development office. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism POCO launched the POCO X3 Pro smartphone in India last month as an enhanced version of the POCO X3 and also said that this replaces the POCO F1 which was launched back in 2018. Even tough it retains the 6.67-inch 120Hz FHD+ screen, stereo speakers and a similar design with a slight change in camera specifications, this has a faster Snapdragon 860 SoC. The specifications look great on paper. Let us dive into the review to find out what the device has to offer. Box Contents POCO X3 Pro 8GB + 128GB in Steel Blue colour 33W charger (5V-3A/9V-2A/9V-3A/12V-1.5A/12V-2.25A/20V-1.32A/11V-3A) USB Type C Cable SIM Ejector tool Clear protective Case Screen protector (Pre-installed) User guide Display, Hardware and Design Starting with the display, the POCO X3 Pro has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with a pixel resolution of 2400 1080 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio 2.5D curved glass screen and a pixel density of about 384 PPI, same as the X3. The display is bright, thanks to 400 nits brightness and 1500:1 contrast ratio and the colours are vibrant since it has 84% of NTSC color gamut. Sunlight legibility is good as well. The AMOLED screen in the Redmi Note 10 series is brighter than this, but this is decent. The main highlight of the display is its 120Hz display refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, which when enabled offers buttery smooth user experience especially when you are scrolling through the UI and when gaming. There is also a DynamicSwitch function allows the phone to save power by automatically switching between 50, 60, 90 and 120Hz depending on the use case and the format of content displayed on the screen. It also has HDR 10 support, which works for supported YouTube videos. The phone has about 91.25% screen-to-body ratio and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection compared to Gorilla Glass 5 in the X3. Under the display options there are different options to adjust colours and contrast based on your preference. There is also reading mode that lets you reduce the displays blue light emission so it doesnt cause eye strain when you are reading at night, but this will be disabled when you play HDR videos. The phone also has TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification. There is Dark mode, similar to other MIUI phones. You also get an option to enable dark mode to apps that are installed, but it doesnt look good on most apps. The phone has a single punch-hole screen that houses a 20-megapixel camera, which doesnt disturb when watching videos since it just occupies a small space. Above the display there is an earpiece on the top edge which also doubles up as a speaker. The earpiece also houses a tiny notification LED which glows in white colour. This comes in handy since the phone doesnt have an AMOLED screen for always-on display feature. The phone also has the usual set of proximity and ambient light sensors as well as gyroscope and a magnetic sensor, otherwise known as a magnetometer. Coming to the button placements, the volume rockers and the fingerprint sensor is present on the right side, which also doubles up as the power button. It is quick to unlock the phone. The Hybrid SIM slot is present on the left side. The secondary microphone and IR sensor are present on the top. On the bottom there is a 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C port, speaker grill, and primary microphone. The phone features Z-axis linear vibration motor that enables over 150 custom vibration patterns across the UI for the best haptic experience, and the different can be felt when using the phone. On the back there is a 48-megapixel camera along with an 8-megapixel 118-degree wide-angle lens, 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro camera on the side. This has a slight camera bump due to the large sensor, but the camera lens is protected by a scratch-resistant glass. Even though the phone has a large screen, it is compact to hold. The phone has a plastic back, so it is prone to scratches and fingerprints, so it is recommended to use the bundled case. The POCO X3 Pro has IP53 ratings, same as the X3, but you still cant immerse in water since it is not IP67 or IP68 rated. The phone packs a 5160mAh built-in battery compared to 6000mAh in the X3, and weighs 215 grams, about 10 grams lighter than the X3, but the weight distribution is good. Camera The phone packs quad rear cameras, that includes a main 48-megapixel primary rear camera with single LED Flash, f/1.79 aperture Sony IMX582 sensor, 8-megapixel 119 ultra-wide sensor with 1.0m pixel size, f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel depth sensor for portrait as well as 2-megapixel camera for 2cm macro with 1.75m pixel size and f/2.4 aperture. It has a 20-megapixel front-facing camera with 0.8m pixel size and f/2.2 aperture. The camera UI is familiar with most smartphones running MIUI 12 with flash, HDR, AI, color modes (Normal, Vivid, Gid Vibes, Lime, Gourmet, Film, Amour, Movie, Soda, Sky blue, Nature, Blush, Childhood, Lilt, Travel, Rise, Cyberpunk, Black ice, B&W, and Classic) and Google Lens, on the top. Pressing the menu option shows camera frame, timer, movie frame, show gridlines, straighten, macro, tilt-shift, and Pro colour. There is a front camera toggle on the bottom along with option to select modes such as Pro mode to adjust white balance, focus, shutter speed (1/4000s to 30 seconds), ISO (100 to 6400) and option to select main, ultra-wide and macro lens. There is Video, Photo, Portrait and more option with, Night, 64MP, Short Video, Panorama, Documents, Vlog with seven different themes such as Activities, Dreams, Rhythm, Stop motion, Holidays, Travel and Memories, Slow motion, Time-lapse, Dual video, AI watermark, Long exposure and Clone. Beautify option for the front camera lets you adjust several features, in addition to smoothness. It also has RAW capture by default. It has Cam2API by default, so you can side-load ported Google Camera APKs for advanced editing including RAW capture. Coming to the image quality, daylight shots came out well with good dynamic range, thanks to the 48MP sensor and the Qualcomm Spectra 380 ISP helps to improve the image quality. After pixel binning you get 12MP output. HDR shots are better with improved dynamic range, and macro shots are good, but 2x zoom from the main camera has better details compared to 2MP macro sensor even though you can go as close as 2cms. Wide-angle shots are decent, but the 13MP sensor in the X3 was better. Portrait shots have good edge detection. 48MP mode that offers a lot of details, but some images can go up to 20MB in size. Even though there is no telephoto lens, it uses the software for offering 2x zoom, which might be handy sometimes. Low-light shots are good, thanks to 4-in-1 Super Pixel technology that lets the cameras sensor hardware combine 4 pixels into a single 1.6m large pixel, and the night mode is even better making the images brighter offering more details, but there is noise. Images with flash are good and the flash is not overpowering. Daylight front camera shots are good, and low-light shots are decent. The output is 20MP in resolution, but the image size is around 4MB. Portrait front camera shots have decent edge detection due to lack of an additional camera. Check out the camera samples (Click the image to view the full resolution sample.). It can record videos at 4k resolution at 30 fps, 1080p at up to 60 fps, and it also has slow motion 720p resolution video recording at up to 960fps, but this should be converted into 960fps since the Snapdragon 860 officially supports only up to 480fps slow motion recording. You can also shoot 720p videos using the macro camera and 1080p videos using the ultra-wide camera. The 13MP ultra-wide camera in the POCO X3 had 4K video option. Check out the video samples below. Software, UI and Apps It runs Android 11 out of the box with MIUI 12 on top. It has March, 2021 Android security patch recently. MIUI 12 that was introduced earlier this year brings several features including improved animation, Dark mode 2.0, Privacy improvements and more. Android 11 improves privacy features when sharing content and in location permission. It has Quick ball, One-handed mode, App Lock and more. Inside the special features option there is Game Turbo, video toolbox, floating window, second space and Lite mode, but there is no quick replies option. Since the phone has an infrared sensor for remote function, it comes with Mi Remote that lets you control your home appliances easily. Out of 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, you get 7.49GB of usable RAM, and about 3.5GB of RAM is free when default apps are running in the background. Out of 128GB, you get about 107GB of free storage. It has UFS 3.1 storage, so we got sequential read speeds of about 1440MB/s. Apart from the usual set of utility apps, Google apps and Xiaomis own set of apps, it comes pre-loaded with Amazon Shopping, Facebook, Amazon Prime Video, Mi Credit and LinkedIn apps. It also asks for additional app installation during setup, which you can skip. You can easily uninstall these apps, but these come up when you reset the phone. Xiaomi is infamous for showing ads on its phones with MIUI. Even though there is personalized ads option during set up and recommendations in all the apps, you dont get any ads in apps, similar to the other POCO, Mi series phones. Fingerprint sensor and Face unlock The phone has a fingerprint sensor on the ride side, embedded into the power button. It immediately unlocks phone just by keeping your finger on the power button so that you dont have to press it. This is more convenient compared to the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and faster than the in-display fingerprint scanner. You can add up to 5 fingerprints. You can also use the fingerprint for app local and payments in apps. The phone also has face unlock, but it is not as secure as fingerprint since it can be unlocked with a photo. Music Player, FM Radio and Multimedia The Mi Music Player is the default music player with usual Xiaomi audio effects and equalizer. It also has FM Radio with recording. Audio through the speaker is loud. Since the phone has stereo speakers that includes 4cc-equivalent 1012 upper speaker and 1cc-equivalent 1216 lower speaker, audio is pretty loud. Similar to the POCO X3, if the loudspeaker volume is high, the back panel of the phone vibrates which is normal, so that you need not worry about it. Audio through earphones is good as well. At the launch the company said that it has Widevine L1 support so you can play HD content on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming apps without any issues, but our unit only showed L3 certification which might be unit specific. HDR playback should work only in YouTube and not in Netflix unlike the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Pro Max. Dual SIM and Connectivity It supports 4G VoLTE for Reliance Jio, Airtel and other networks and support Dual 4G VoLTE that offers 4G in both the SIM cards at a time. There is Snapdragon X24 Cat- 20 LTE modem and it supports carrier aggregation. Other connectivity options include Dual-Band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac with dual antennas for better reception, VoWiFi / Wi-Fi calling support, Bluetooth 5.0 LE and GPS, but it doesnt have NFC support. It also has USB OTG support that lets you connect USB drives. Call quality is good, and we did not face any call drops and the earpiece volume was loud. POCO X3 Pros body SAR is 0.645W/Kg (Distance:15mm), head SAR is at 0.809W/Kg, which is slightly more than the POCO X3 and is well under the limit in India which is 1.6 W/kg (over 1 g). Performance and Benchmarks Coming to the performance, this is the first phone to be powered by an Octa-Core Snapdragon 860 7nm Mobile Platform, which is an enhanced version of the 855 / 855+ which has 1 x Kryo 485 Prime CPU (A76-based) clocked at up to 2.96GHz, 3 x Kryo 485 Performance CPUs (A76-based) clocked at up to 2.42GHz and 4 x Kryo 485 Efficiency CPUs (A55-based) at up to 1.80GHz. It has Adreno 640 GPU with support for Open GL ES 3.2, Open CL 2.0, as well as Vulkan 1.1 graphics clocked at up to 672MHz. Thanks to slightly faster larger Kryo 485 cores based on Cortex A76, this is faster than the Snapdragon 855 and other SoCs in the price range. The overclocked Adreno 640 GPU promises 15% improvement in graphics rendering compared to Snapdragon 855 and it also has Snapdragon Elite Gaming features We did not face any issues or frame drops in the graphic-intensive games. COD, Dead Trigger, Genshin Impact and Asphalt 9 were smooth without any issues. Thanks to 120Hz refresh rate, gaming was super smooth in games that support it such as Dead Trigger 2, Real Racing 3 and more. It gets a hot quickly on intensive gaming and 4G data use. It reached up to 51C with one hour of intensive gaming on Wi-Fi indoor, so with 4G use and outdoor it should be more. The back of the phone gets hot, but doesnt feel very hot. It has liquid cooling plus that combines an enlarged copper heat pipe with multiple layers of graphite to reduce the heat of the phones processor by up to an additional 6C, according to the company. That said, check out some synthetic benchmark scores below. Battery life Coming to the battery life, the 5160mAh (typical) built-in battery lasts for more than a day even with heavy use with 120Hz refresh rate enabled, and with average use it lasts for two days, thanks to optimization in the MIUI 12. I got over 6 hours of screen on time with a day of use in 120Hz refresh rate. Even though it doesnt mention 120Hz as adaptive, it automatically switches to 60Hz when you dont need it, mainly to optimize the battery life. The phone has support for 33W fast charging, so it just takes slightly over 1 hour for 0 to 100% and 0 to 50% takes 30 minutes using the bundled 33W Turbo charger. It achieved One Charge Rating of 18 hours and 06 minutes in our battery test which is good for a phone with a 5160mAh battery. We tested it in 120Hz, which is default, so it should be better in 60Hz. Battery life is based on different factors such as software optimization and the processing power that requires to power the phone, so if the phone lasts for a day with heavy use, it is good. Conclusion At a starting price of Rs. 18999, the POCO X3 Pro is solid performer in the price range. The 120Hz LCD screen with minimal bezels is good, 48MP rear camera does a good job, and the phone offers smooth performance and a lag-free gaming performance, and the huge battery offers brilliant life with support for fast charging. Glass body would have offered a premium look and feel, but it would increase the weight of the phone. Some might miss an AMOLED screen, but you have to compromise this for the high-end Snapdragon 860 SoC that you dont get in phones in the price range. Competition Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is a good option if you need a 120Hz AMOLED screen, better camera, but can compromise on the performance. Another option is the Samsung Galaxy F62 which has a good 60Hz AMOLED screen, better ultra-wide camera and a huge 7000mAh battery. Availability Priced at Rs. 18,999 for the 6GB RAM with 128GB storage version and Rs. 20,999 for 8GB RAM with 128GB storage version, the POCO X3 Pro is available from Flipkart. Pros Large 120Hz HDR display is good Good cameras Smooth performance Stereo speakers IP53 ratings for water resistance Good battery life with 33W fast charging Cons Might be huge and bulky for some Lacks dedicated microSD slot Heats up quickly on intensive gaming The Uran-9 combat robot is manufactured at the 766th Production and Technological Enterprise in Nakhabino, near Moscow, that specializes in all types of robotic systems. After the visit of Russia s Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, it was announced that the first unit with strike robots will be set up in the Russian Armed Forces to operate five Uran-9 robotic systems or 20 combat vehicles.Each robotic system is comprised of four combat vehicles and a command post that is mounted on a KamAZ vehicle base. In terms of weapons, each Uran-9 integrates Ataka anti-tank missiles, a 30 mm automatic gun and Shmel flamethrowers.This first unit is an experimental one, that will be operating only on the premises of a military research facility. Plus, specialized military personnel will be trained to operate the strike robots in combat, at the same location.Before Uran-9 there was Uran-6. Weighing 6 tons, with a speed of 9 mph (15 kph) and fitted with 4 cameras that give it a 360-degree view, the Uran-6 is a previous robotic system designed only to make its way through any anti-tank mine obstacles and achieve total mine clearance.The Uran-6 has been already used by the Russian Army for several years now. And it looks like now its time for the Uran-9, a strike robot, to take center stage.We expect to continue expanding the range of robots, which, of course, are already in demand in the military today. As expected, these will be heavy robots (mine clearance) and everything related to the further development of scouts, radiation and chemical reconnaissance robots, this applies to surface and underwater robots, said the Russian Defense Minister according to Russian news agency Tass Insurance broker Marsh announced that Steven Capace and Bryan Salek have joined the firm to co-lead its U.S. Government Contracting Practice. In this dual leadership role, Capace and Salek will head a team responsible for services that address government contractors risks including civil complaints, audits, legal actions, and administrative and regulatory proceedings. Capace and Salek join Marsh from Willis Towers Watson where they previously served as executive vice presidents and co-founders of Willis Government Contracting Practice. Together, they bring more than 50 years of experience in federal government contractor risk management. Based in Washington D.C., they report to Jeffrey Alpaugh, Marshs U.S. and Canada Growth and Industry leader. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has appointed Brian Robb as senior vice president, head of Cyber/MPL/Tech, in the U.S. Robb comes to BHSI after nearly 11 years at CNA Insurance, where his experience spanned both the underwriting and claims sides of the business. He was most recently Product Leader, Cyber/Media/MPL/Tech E&O. Prior to that, he held the positions of Cyber Industry Leader and Senior Claim Counsel, Global Cyber and Technology Claims, at CNA. He is based in BHSIs New York office. Topics Cyber CINCINNATI, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Fisher, president and CEO of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, announced today he intends to retire after leading the health care system for nearly 12 years. Fisher, 61, said he will continue as chief executive officer until a successor is selected and onboarded, which is expected to be by the end of 2021. Mark Jahnke, chair of the Board of Trustees at Cincinnati Children's, will lead a national search to find Fisher's successor. The executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles will assist in the effort. Cincinnati Children's is the region's largest hospital and second largest employer a $2.6 billion nonprofit with a workforce of 16,500. Fisher joined the medical center as chief executive in January 2010 and is the longest-serving CEO among local health systems. "I love Cincinnati Children's and all that we do for kids and their families, our community, and our employees," Fisher said. "While our work is never done, we are stronger than ever." Fisher noted that he is looking forward to more life flexibility as well as broadly engaging in the business arena and helping his family in entrepreneurial and investment endeavors. "My intellectual curiosity and energy have never been greater," Fisher said. "As I move to this next chapter of my career, my heart and passion will always be for kids, our community and Cincinnati Children's." Jahnke noted that Fisher's leadership has positioned Cincinnati Children's well for the future. "Michael's commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of kids in Cincinnati and beyond will continue to have a profound influence," Jahnke said. "While navigating the changing and challenging medical and research landscape for over a decade, Michael has championed a vibrant and inclusive culture and built an extraordinary team of doctors, nurses, scientists, and other valued employees. He has helped us further elevate excellent and compassionate care, expand services, and increase financial strength even amid a pandemic. We are grateful and proud of all Michael has achieved for Cincinnati Children's as well as kids and families everywhere." Cincinnati Children's clinical services, research accomplishments, financial strength, and reputation have grown significantly under Fisher's leadership. For the last 10 years, Cincinnati Children's has ranked No. 3 or higher in U.S. News & World Report's survey of Best Children's Hospitals. survey of Best Children's Hospitals. Cincinnati Children's 1.38 million patient encounters in 2020 benefited children from all 50 states and 51 countries, including those treated for complex or rare disorders. The medical center ranked No. 2 last year in number of pediatric research grants bestowed by the National Institutes of Health. Sponsored program awards increased to a total of more than $240 million annually during Fisher's tenure, with the majority coming from the NIH. Safety has always been a foundational responsibility and Number 1 priority for Fisher. He has chaired the Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety, an international network of more than 140 pediatric hospitals, since its inception over 10 years ago. The network's efforts have saved over 18,000 children from serious harm and an estimated $421.9 million in healthcare costs. Fisher also has been a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. During his tenure, Cincinnati Children's has consistently been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity and Best Employers for Women. The medical center also has received the Healthcare Equity Leader Award from the Human Rights Campaign for exceptional LGBTQ+ healthcare. And in January 2020, Cincinnati Children's increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour, helping to enhance the wellbeing and success of more than 3,000 employees. As Cincinnati Children's prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday in 2033, Fisher has led the development of Pursuing our Potential Together so all kids can pursue theirs, an aspirational plan focused on building an even brighter future. Cincinnati Children's long-term commitments include re-imagining and personalizing care, dramatically improving prevention and treatment for mental health, helping the region's kids be the healthiest in the nation, and leading the way as a model employer with a vibrant culture. That future also includes the medical center's largest expansion ever, a Critical Care Building to serve patients with cancer, heart ailments and other complex conditions. Set to open in Avondale in 2021, the facility will feature a state-of-the-art emergency department. In addition, construction is to begin this year on a new inpatient mental health facility at the College Hill campus. Many nonprofit and civic causes have benefited from Fisher's board leadership. Fisher serves on the CEO Public Policy Advisory Committee of the national Children's Hospital Association, and he is a board member and past chair of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association. A longtime member of the Cincinnati Business Committee, Fisher also has played a key role in RESTART, a local taskforce created to ensure the Cincinnati region has a strong and inclusive economic recovery as it regains the momentum it had before the COVID-19 crisis. Before joining Cincinnati Children's, Fisher was president and CEO of Premier Manufacturing Support Services, a supplier of maintenance and nontechnical services to the global automotive manufacturing industry. Fisher also has been president and CEO of the 5,000-member Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and he has been an affiliate partner of the Lindsay Goldberg private equity investment firm. A Cincinnati native, Fisher is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School and Stanford University. ### View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michael-fisher-to-retire-as-ceo-of-cincinnati-childrens-301273098.html SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center A state representative has proposed legislation requiring would-be voters to show a drivers license, an armed services ID card or certain student IDs before receiving a ballot. The proposal surfaced as one of 1,157 amendments to the Houses $47.6 billion budget for fiscal 2022. Alongside his amendments to fund improvements to Robinson State Park in Agawam and limit the governors emergency powers, Rep. Nick Boldyga filed a proposal to require a photo ID for voting and implement an appeal process for voters who dont have a valid ID, similar to a New Hampshire voter ID law. The legislation would give a town clerk the discretion to accept or challenge the would-be voters credentials if the person fails to produce a valid photo ID in a process that voting rights advocates described as overly complicated. The whole thing seems very unnecessary to me, said Alex Psilakis, policy and communications manager at MassVOTE. Its sort of continuing this narrative that voter fraud is rampant. Its frustrating to see these laws being pushed when theres no evidence whatsoever that voter fraud is a serious issue. Massachusetts saw historic voter turnout in 2020 in large part due to mail-in voting for the primary and general elections, despite COVID-19. But a broad-based mail-in voting system meant local election clerks across Massachusetts had to scramble to adjust to the new requirements amid disruptions to the U.S. Postal Service. A post-election audit conducted by Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvins office showed 73 additional ballots were counted in the 66 precincts under review, accounting for 0.07% ballots audited. Those ballots were incorrectly marked by voters, incorrectly tallied by poll workers or not tallied on election night, according to a copy of the audit published by the State House News Service. Secretary Galvin opposes any legislation that would make it harder for qualified voters to cast their ballots, said Debra OMalley, spokeswoman for the office. This amendment is a voter suppression measure that would make it difficult for voters, including elderly voters who give up their drivers licenses, to exercise their right to vote. Boldyga did not respond to text messages or emails seeking comment Sunday. A spokesman for the Southwick Republican said he was not available Monday. Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, of SouthwickThe Republican file Boldyga and Rep. Marc Lombardo, a Billerica Republican, also filed a standalone voter ID bill, H.812. Tacking the proposal onto the Houses $47.6 billion fiscal 2022 budget would fast-track the proposal before it could get a legislative hearing or come under review from the Elections Committee. This voter ID proposal is a solution in search of a problem, said Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts. It creates an unnecessary barrier to voting. Voter fraud just isnt a statistical reality in Massachusetts, and voter ID laws in other states have had a disproportionate impact on low-income and communities of color. The proposal comes as several states are tightening voting laws, which civil rights advocates describe as voter suppression of nonwhite and poor people. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, signed two bills killing same-day registration and requiring voters to bring two forms of ID if they dont have a drivers license, military ID, concealed carry permit or other primary form of a photo ID, the Helena Independent Recorder reported. Democrats said the new law would make it more difficult for Indigenous people living on reservations and college students living on campus to vote, according to the Recorder. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law implementing several voter ID requirements, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The new law requires absentee voters to submit their drivers license numbers or, if they dont have a drivers license, additional paperwork to verify their identity. In Agawam, part of Boldygas district, city councilors narrowly rejected a resolution earlier this month that would have petitioned state lawmakers to require voter IDs at the polls and restricted when mail-in voting could be used. In this file photo, a senior custodian at Agawam High School puts together voting booths in preparation for Tuesday's special election for state Senate between State Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, and John Cain, a Republican from Southwick. (Don Treeger / The Republican)Don Treeger / The Republican Boldygas budget amendment would require a voter to show a photo ID that isnt five years past its expiration date. That could include a drivers license, an ID card issued by a Department of Motor Vehicles from any other state, a U.S. passport, a U.S. armed services ID or an ID from a college or high school recognized by the state. Photo IDs with no expiration date wouldnt be counted except for voters ages 65 and up, according to the amendment language. Those who dont meet the requirements would need to submit a challenged voter affidavit. If the person executes the affidavit, a moderator or a designee would take a photo of the voter, print it and attach the photo to the affidavit form. The moderator and the voter must sign the affidavit. OMalley, who spotted the similarities to New Hampshires voter ID law, noted that town moderators in Massachusetts towns have no role in administering elections and cities in Massachusetts do not have moderators to begin with. Under the proposal, the clerk could allow a voter to proceed with a photo ID that doesnt meet the voter ID requirements, but an authorized person could challenge the voter and require the voter to submit an affidavit anyway. A voter filing an affidavit would need to submit proof of their identity and await a response letter from the secretary of state. The letter would be mailed first class. The proposal also would call on local clerks to make free photo IDs for eligible voters. A voter would need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, including a Social Security card, a birth certificate or a naturalization certificate, as well as a utility bill showing the voters name and address. The card would say for voter identification only. The secretarys office would have to supply cities and towns with a camera, printing supplies and other materials. Municipalities would have to pay for the voter ID card materials. The secretary of the commonwealth would have to track all the letters that dont yield responses or that come back as undeliverable. The office would then send them to the attorney generals office to investigate possible voting fraud. The House budget debate is expected to start on Monday. Related Content: Liberalisation of the COVID-19 vaccine programme will accelerate pace of the drive and also incentivise manufacturers to set up capacity, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday. Speaking at an event organised by local industry lobby IMC, Vardhan admitted that these are trying times, adding that the government policies are shaped by the evolving situation. He credited "collaborative efforts" of all stakeholders for the world's largest vaccine drive progressing at a "rapid pace", claiming that India has been the fastest country to touch 12 crore jabs. The minister said at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday it was decided to liberalise the procurement, pricing and administering of COVID-19 vaccines, wherein all citizens above the age of 18 shall be eligible to get vaccinated from May 1. "This will further accelerate the pace of our vaccine drive while incentivising and existing and new players to ramp up production in the country," Vardhan said. "These are trying times for our country, keeping in view the unprecedented surge in COVID cases. The situation seems overwhelming once again, but this time we are better informed about the threat we are dealing with. We've the tools to tackle it," he added. The health minister further said the crisis "shook us to the core, but it has also emboldened the resolve to rise up to the challenge together. "Today, India is reporting another spike of COVID-19 in many states. It is an extremely challenging task to contain a virus as contagious as this in a country like ours which has a very high population density in big cities and towns," he said. However, the minister said the government is much better prepared than it was in 2020 and is doing everything it can to bring the crisis under control with timely steps to break the chain of transmission and to expend the vaccination drive. Vardhan also welcomed a suggestion to build a 'statue of immunity' and also a centre for studies in immunity. He said affordability, accessibility and equity are the key pillars in the healthcare rendering strategy, and acknowledged that a lot of work would not have been possible without technological advancements. The minister also lauded the role played by the healthcare workers over the last 14 months at a high physical, emotional and mental cost, adding that the country shall always be indebted to them. (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.) Alumni, faculty and legal observers are expressing outrage over Oregon Health & Science Universitys selection of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at the astonishing rate of more than $2,000 an hour to examine the medical schools handling of sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints. Theyve raised questions as to whether OHSU adhered to public contracting laws, whether the university used a competitive selection process with a request for proposals and if not, why not. The agreement apparently doesnt include a cap on the overall amount, a common standard for public contract offers. OHSU says none of those contracting laws apply to them. The university is a quasi-public agency, similar to the State Accident Insurance Fund, a not-for-profit corporation set up for workers compensation. It has its own budget and board of directors separate from the Oregon University System and isnt represented by the Oregon Department of Justice. OHSU was granted the status in 1995 and spun off as a public corporation after making the case that it needed the financial flexibility to borrow money on its own and compete for talent. Its governing statute doesnt require a competitive bidding process for this project and its legal engagements are exempt from the universitys regular contract procurement guidelines, an OSHU spokeswoman said. State law says, The university shall be a governmental entity but shall not be considered a unit of local or municipal government or a state agency for purposes of state statutes or constitutional provisions. Disturbed by the universitys broad discretion and expensive outside legal contract, some lawmakers are pushing for an immediate amendment to a bill before the Legislature that now calls for a limit on the amount paid to outside lawyers hired by state government. State Rep. Marty Wilde, D-Eugene, who introduced the bill, said he favors an amendment to extend the measure to Oregon universities. The bill, which passed out of a House committee, is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Obviously Eric Holder is a distinguished person who is sought after as an investigator, Wilde said. But I just dont think those rates are appropriate for a public entity, he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. He called OHSUs legal maneuver one of the casualties of the dissolution of the Oregon University System and added that he doesnt believe the university should have outside counsel. OHSU is its own island, Wilde said. Holder was tapped to conduct an investigation into OHSUs handling of sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints in the wake of the high-profile sexual assault and harassment lawsuit against former anesthesiology resident Dr. Jason Campbell, who became widely known as the TikTok Doc for his viral dance videos in hospital scrubs. The social worker who filed the suit said one assistant professor of medicine divulged to her when she shared her account that he had received a strikingly similar allegation about Campbell more than a year earlier. Two more women claimed Campbell came up from behind them and forced his body against theirs at work, similar to the conduct the social worker alleged in the suit. A third woman said Campbell followed her around during his rotation in her unit in 2019, asking her for free hugs. Holder, in a March 31 letter to the university, said his hourly rate is $2,295 and his legal partners rate is $1,445 an hour. He also said he agreed to give the university a 10% discount. OHSU officials said last week they dont know the total cost of the contract with Holder and former federal prosecutor Nancy Kestenbaum, but the university President Dr. Danny Jacobs called it a significant investment. Jacobs estimated the investigation would take at least six months by Holder, Kestenbaum and other lawyers at the Washington, D.C.-based Covington & Burling firm. Engaging Covington and undergoing this process is a significant investment, but we believe that the investigators extensive experience and expertise will result in a comprehensive and independent analysis that would otherwise be impossible, Jacobs and OHSU board chair Wayne Monfries wrote to the school community on April 8. OHSUs general counsel made initial contact with potential firms and then the human resources committee of the OHSU board selected Holders firm, according to university spokeswoman Tracy Brawley. OHSU interviewed several law firms and its search focused on: the experience of the proposed investigative team; the teams reputation for providing thorough inquiries; experience working with independent board members; the desire to engage a firm that wasnt otherwise representing OHSU in order to protect independence; and an ability to launch an investigation within a short period of time, Brawley said. OHSU interviewed several reputable firms with deep experience in assessing institutional discrimination, harassment, retaliation and racism. Covington &Burling LLP was selected because of its extensive experience with these matters at complex organizations, she said by email. Covington & Burlings website says the firm has handled sensitive investigations, at a time when businesses are under exacting scrutiny with regards to the handling of alleged misconduct, including sexual harassment. This experience puts us in a position to respond quickly, effectively, and conscientiously to these issues when they arise and to strike the right balance between transparency and brand protection for our clients, according to the firm s website. Under House Bill 2214, the cost of any private counsel employed by a state agency cannot exceed the greater of 200% of the standard hourly rate charged by the attorney general for the same services or a rate established by the attorney general for the specific purpose. If the amount sought is higher, a public statement would be required as to why. An agency of state government under the bill as written is defined as any agency in the states executive or legislative departments. The current rate for an Oregon assistant attorney generals legal services is $214 an hour. Former State Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn, said shed urge lawmakers to immediately move to amend the House bill to include universities, community colleges and statutory public corporations like OHSU. Our health dollars being spent trying to cover up rampant workplace harassment is gross, Parrish wrote on Twitter. One hour of Eric = 10 to 15 ppl visiting a doctor...One hour of Eric = 32 hotel nights for homeless, she wrote. Shame on @OHSUNews. Our healthcare dollars not hard at work. State Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the House bill was recently referred to his committee. Hed be open to considering any amendments to the bill, said Kevin Moore, his legislative aide. Lawyers and lay people reacted with disgust when they learned of Holders hourly rate and that OHSU went with him regardless. Kim McGair, a Portland lawyer, wrote on Twitter: There are plenty of more than qualified lawyers in Oregon that charge a fraction of that. This is a gross waste of public money. Other litigators were struck by the $500-an-hour rate charged for Holders legal assistants. Just bonkers, Luke Bradley, a lawyer in Savannah, Georgia, wrote on Twitter. Lake Oswego resident Melissa Peterman asked on Twitter: Why is there no outrage about this? OHSU is a public institution. We taxpayers are paying these excessive fees? Who approved this? Do they truly believe that there is no one other than Holder who can do this investigation? Oregon attorney Roy Thompson said high quality law firms in the state would do a great job for a lot less. Do you really think it takes an attorney general to figure it out? he asked, in a call to The Oregonian/OregonLive. He identified some of Oregons larger firms such as Tonkon Torp; Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt; Lane Powell; or Stoel Rives. Whats wrong with them?' he asked. Marc Abrams, president of the Oregon Association of Justice Attorneys, which represents the states Department of Justice lawyers, said by email, I share the outrage in OHSUs hiring of Eric Holder at a rate 10 times what DOJ would charge. We have a skilled team of employment lawyers from both investigations and litigation, and would have been a quality option at, literally, a fraction of the cost. Chad Jacobs, a partner at the Portland-based firm Beery Elsner & Hammond that represents local governments across the state, said Oregons public contracting laws lay out procedures for various contracts. He isnt related to OHSUs president, Dr. Danny Jacobs. For example, OHSUs procurement guidelines require that any non-federal fund purchases of more than $250,000 undergo a formal solicitation or bidding process, with the requested purchases advertised on its website and in other publications. Yet theres also an exception to Oregon public contracting guidelines for professional services agreements sought by state public agencies. Legal services usually fall under this clause. Generally the jurisdiction itself gets to determine its own process, Jacobs said. While unfamiliar with all of OHSUs provisions, he said the university has a lot of discretion, usually based on really broad language, such as pursuing professional services based on whats needed or in the interest of the entity. Holders professional services contract will have to go through an internal OHSU budget process, but entities such as OHSU likely have set aside money appropriated for broad legal services, he said. He said he had never heard of such a high hourly legal rate as Holders. But by hiring someone with such prominence, I think what s going on is this is an important issue for the organization, Jacobs said. They want to make sure whatever report comes out is beyond reproach. Because Holder and Kestenbaum arent licensed to practice law in Oregon, questions also have arisen over whether the agreement identifies an Oregon-licensed lawyer who will participate in the project. State law requires public agencies to hire only outside counsel who are members of the Oregon State Bar, but OHSU is exempt from that. Holder and Kestenbaum regularly lead investigations across the United States and when needed, partner with locally licensed lawyers, said Brawley, the OHSU spokeswoman. Asked if any Oregon lawyers have been identified for the investigation, Brawley said, If a locally licensed lawyer becomes necessary, the Covington team would engage counsel at their own discretion, independent of OHSU. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian TPT Global Tech's MedTech Subsidiary and Education System Management founder Dr. Carroll Harrison Braddy will be cooperating in fields ranging from technology to behavioral health to serve communities in need. SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / TPT Global Tech, Inc. ("TPTW" or the "Company") (OTC:TPTW) today announced its subsidiary, TPT MedTech, LLC ("TPT MedTech") has signed a strategic partnership with Education System Management, Inc. to mutually provide marketing and support services to one another in the State of Georgia. Specifically, each company will provide the other with the ability to market an array of products and services across Georgia. Such services include, but are not limited to, consulting and medical staffing for TPT MedTech's QuikLAB and QuikPASS infrastructure build out for proposed strategic testing through its high complexity laboratories. Beyond that, the two entities will cooperate for testing, research development for COVID-19, infectious diseases, Pharmocogenics (PGx), and Toxicology to include just a few. Additional joint efforts will focus on Primary Care, Specialized Subspecialties such as Behavioral Health, School Based Health Care with Mental Health monitoring via High Tech POS/EHR Streamlined Systems across the State of Georgia. The collaboration has also pledged to support higher research contribution and testing for Sickle Cell. Finally, TPT will aid in marketing Education System's products and services through its QuikLABs and via its QuikPASS app. The term of the Agreement is initially two years and the finances are being finalized by the two parties. In joining with Education System Management, TPT will be aligning itself with one of Atlanta's most prominent citizens and community leaders, Dr. Carroll Harrison Braddy. Dr. Braddy is the CEO and Founder of ESM which is the parent company of National Youth Placement Corporation www.nationalyouthplacement.org, an organization dedicated to assisting at-risk youth through evidenced-based programs and providing comprehensive treatments for these adolescents. Specifically, Dr. Braddy's specialty is in behavioral health and addiction disease. The two companies will be cooperating to add this component to the QuikLAB tech platform offering as well. "TPT Global and its MedTech subsidiary continue to expand their availability across the country and strategic partnerships such as this one with Education System Management will allow for continued Covid-testing and delivery of related services as well as to help expand the use of our lab capabilities and app use beyond Covid," said Stephen Thomas, Chairman & CEO of TPT Global Tech. "We are especially proud to be working with ESM founder Dr. Braddy who is among the most highly respected leaders in the South East for his work in Behavioral Science and Juvenile Justice as well as Restorative Reform." As a leading Behavioral Scientist, Dr. Braddy developed one of the first Intensive Residential Treatment Facilities-ASAM 3.5(American Society of Addiction Medicine) for adolescents in Georgia. The facility is accredited with two locations, and several outpatient clinics. Dr. Braddy's philanthropic efforts are centered on children with special needs, autism research, neuroscience, global education and urban city revitalization. Managing assets in the tens-of-millions, Dr. Braddy, who has dedicated so much of his professional career to serving at-risk citizens, particularly urban youth, desires to continue his work in community development, implementing and building treatment facilities throughout the country for behavioral health and addiction treatment. He currently, serves on several non-profit boards, governmental administrative boards and serves as a senior expert consultant for local and state government. Education System Management has been studied by the University of Utah which resulted in a white paper showing ESM as one of the nation's most comprehensive treatment programs in a national comparative analysis. In addition to expanding TPT's reach, we know that working closely and in coordination with Dr. Braddy and his team further illustrates our commitment to helping all communities, particularly underserved communities, in the State and across the country." "Our focus has always been on helping the people of Georgia and reaching into the communities that need health care attention the most. This strategic partnership with TPT will help us expand services, provide a deeper reach into communities hungry for assistance and will results in healthier citizens of Atlanta and Georgia as a whole," said Carroll Harrison Braddy, MD, DBH MBA and CEO of Education System Management of Atlanta. About TPT Global Tech TPT Global Tech Inc. (TPTW) based in San Diego, California, is a technology-based company with divisions providing telecommunications, medical technology and product distribution, media content for domestic and international syndication as well as technology solutions. It's TPT MedTech subsidiary is a provider of Covid/Health testing services on a global scale and its industry-leading platforms are helping travelers get back to travel, events take place and generally speaking helping life get back to a new normal. TPT Global Tech offers Software as a Service (SaaS), Technology Platform as a Service (PAAS), Cloud-based Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS). It offers carrier-grade performance and support for businesses over its private IP MPLS fiber and wireless network in the United States. TPT's cloud-based UCaaS services allow businesses of any size to enjoy all the latest voice, data, media and collaboration features in today's global technology markets. TPT Global Tech also operates as a Master Distributor for Nationwide Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) and Independent Sales Organization (ISO) as a Master Distributor for Pre-Paid Cell phone services, Mobile phones Cell phone Accessories and Global Roaming Cell phones. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of various provisions of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, commonly identified by such terms as "believes," "looking ahead," "anticipates," "estimates" and other terms with similar meaning. Specifically, statements about the Company's plans for accelerated growth, improved profitability, future business partners, M&A activity, new service offerings, and pursuit of new markets are forward-looking statements. Although the company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements should not be construed as fact. The information contained in such statements is beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases, the Company cannot predict what factors would cause results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. All forward-looking statements in the press release are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. Contact: Shep Doniger 561-637-5750 sdoniger@bdcginc.com IR-Frank Benedetto 619-915-9422 SOURCE: TPT Global Tech, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/641362/TPT-Global-Tech-Inc-and-Education-System-Management-Inc-Forge-Strategic-Partnership-to-Market-Products-and-Services-in-the-State-of-Georgia Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, a killing that sparked racial justice protests across the nation and world last summer. The verdict was announced Tuesday afternoon, with a Hennepin County, Minn., jury finding Chauvin guilty on all three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was remanded into custody with sentencing to come in eight weeks. Below are some of the reactions that poured in following the announcement of the verdict. Philonise Floyd George Floyd's brother Philonise Floyd, George's brother, wipes tears during a news conference following the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin. (Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters) I feel relieved today that I finally have the opportunity for hopefully getting some sleep. A lot of days that I pray and I hope and I was speaking everything into existence. I said, "I have faith that he will be convicted." It's been a long journey and it's been less than a year, and the person that comes to my mind is 1955, and to me he was the first George Floyd, and that was Emmett Till. Today you have the cameras all around the world to see and show what happened to my brother. It was a motion picture the world seen his life been extinguished and I could do nothing but watch. Especially in that courtroom, over and over and over again as my brother was murdered. Times, they getting harder every day. Ten miles away from here, Mr. Wright, Daunte Wright, he should still be here. We have to always understand we have to march; we will have to do this for life. We have to protest because it seems like this is a never-ending cycle. [I] put up a fight every day because I'm not just fighting for George anymore. I'm fighting for everybody around this world. Benjamin Crump Floyd family attorney Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyds family and the community here in Minneapolis, but todays verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state. Story continues From left: Philonise Floyd, attorney Benjamin Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton at a news conference following the verdict. (Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters) We thank Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and his team for their fierce dedication to justice for George. But it does not end here. We have not forgotten that the other three officers who played their own roles in the death of George Floyd must still be held accountable for their actions as well. Barack and Michelle Obama Former president and first lady Today, a jury in Minneapolis did the right thing. For almost a year, George Floyds death under the knee of a police officer has reverberated around the world inspiring murals and marches, sparking conversations in living rooms and new legislation. But a more basic question has always remained: Would justice be done? In this case, at least, we have our answer. But if were being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial. People in Minneapolis react after the verdict. (Octavio Jones/Reuters) True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day. It requires us to recognize that millions of our friends, family and fellow citizens live in fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last. And it requires us to do the sometimes thankless, often difficult, but always necessary work of making the America we know more like the America we believe in. Keith Ellison Attorney general of Minnesota I would not call today's verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step toward justice. Tim Walz Governor of Minnesota Todays verdict is an important step forward for justice in Minnesota. The trial is over, but our work has only begun. The world watched on May 25, 2020, as George Floyd died with a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Thousands of Minnesotans marched in the streets last summer in the wake of his death inspiring a movement around the globe. While many of these people never met George, they valued his humanity. They knew what happened was wrong. They called for change, and they demanded justice. Derek Chauvin and George Floyd. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: via Facebook) A year later, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder and faces years behind bars. But we know that accountability in the courtroom is only the first step. No verdict can bring George back, and my heart is with his family as they continue to grieve his loss. Minnesota mourns with you, and we promise the pursuit of justice for George does not end today. True justice for George only comes through real, systemic change to prevent this from happening again. And the tragic death of Daunte Wright this week serves as a heartbreaking reminder that we still have so much more work to do to get there. Ilhan Omar Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota Todays verdict is a major step on the path towards justice and accountability. I thank our incredible attorney general, Keith Ellison, and the prosecution team, who successfully prosecuted a law enforcement homicide notoriously difficult cases to successfully prosecute and held a murderer accountable on all charges. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Tuesday in Brooklyn Center, Minn., at the site of the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer during a traffic stop. (Morry Gash/AP) While todays conviction is a necessary condition of justice, it is not sufficient. For centuries, Black people have faced violence at the hands of the state in our country. For centuries, systemic inequalities in the form of housing, income, education and criminal justice have plagued our country holding us back from our creed of liberty and justice for all. Let this be a turning point, where we finally create a society that reflects the belief that all men and women are created equal. Let this be the moment where we implement a broad antiracist agenda to root out the inequalities that continue to plague us. Cori Bush Democratic congresswoman from Missouri This verdict is a step. Its a popping of the lock to be able to get to the place where we can open the door and really start to do the work to save lives. And so this egregious murder that happened we can call it murder now this egregious murder that happened, it should not be that it has to look like that in order for us to have some type of semblance of what people call justice. This was accountability, but its not yet justice. Justice for us is saving lives. Jacob Frey Mayor of Minneapolis Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) George Floyd came to Minneapolis to better his life. But ultimately his life will have bettered our city. The jury joined in a shared conviction that has animated Minneapolis for the last 11 months. They refused to look away and affirmed he should still be here today. Bernice King Civil rights activist and daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. My heart goes out, still, to George Floyds family. This verdict matters, but they continue to mourn a grave loss. Love and comfort to his daughter, Gianna. Bernie Sanders Vermont senator and former Democratic candidate for president The jury's verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not justice for George Floyd. Real justice for him and too many others can only happen when we build a nation that fundamentally respects the human dignity of every person. People in Minneapolis celebrate the verdict. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) The trauma and tragedy of George Floyds murder must never leave us. It was a manifestation of a system that callously devalues the lives of Black people. Our struggle now is about justice not justice on paper, but real justice in which all Americans live their lives free of oppression. We must boldly root out the cancer of systemic racism and police violence against people of color. Boris Johnson Prime minister of the United Kingdom I was appalled by the death of George Floyd and welcome this verdict. My thoughts tonight are with George Floyds family and friends. Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota Timberwolves star player Justice and Accountability! Things I never thought I would see. Theres much more work to do, but this is an amazing start working toward the reform this country NEEDS! Chauvin is led away in handcuffs after he was found guilty of all charges. (Court TV/Pool via Reuters) ____ Read more from Yahoo News: There were 128 new coronavirus cases and two new COVID-related deaths in the Upper Thumb on the states report April 20. According to data reported by the state April 20 Huron County saw an increase of 17 new cases and two new deaths. There was also one death not reported by the Tribune April 19, bringing the county to 2,829 confirmed cases and 65 deaths. Tuscola County led the region with 90 new cases reported, bringing the county to 4,443 confirmed cases and 144 deaths. Sanilac County saw an increase of 21 new cases and one death, bringing the county to 3,420 confirmed cases and 93 deaths. According to testing data there was an average test positivity rate 13.7% statewide April 19. Across the Upper Thumb there were improvements in positivity rates. Huron County saw its positivity rate dip back below the state average with the report of 11.3%, based on seven positive tests out of 62 processed. Tuscola County also saw its positivity rate improve April 19 from 33.8% to 27.9%, based on 36 positive tests out of 129 processed. Sanilac County saw its rate improve from 22.6% to 20%, based on 19 positive tests out of 95 processed. According to state vaccination data 45.6% of the state has received the initial vaccination and 31.5% has received the full vaccination. Huron County surpasses the state average in vaccination efforts with 48.9% of county residents receiving the initial dose and 38.2% receiving the full vaccination. In Tuscola County nearly 40% of the county has received their first dose of the vaccine and 30% have received the full vaccination. Sanilac County had seen nearly 37% of its residents receive the initial dose and 29% complete the vaccination. Statewide there were 5,259 new confirmed cases and 85 deaths reported April 20. According to state data, 33 of the 85 deaths were determined through a regular review of vital records. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows Michigan continues to lead the nation in the most new coronavirus cases reported in the last seven days, but the rate is improving. In the last seven days 48,459 new cases were reported in Michigan, followed by Florida with 43,963 new cases. For more information on the coronavirus and vaccination efforts, visit www.michigansthumb.com/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-huron. New Delhi, April 20 : Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday reviewed the status of Covid containment and other public health measures in all the Union Territories (UTs) and assured continued and full support of the Union government. The virtual meeting was also attended by V.K. Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog, and DG ICMR, Balram Bhargava. The DGs of the police in all the UTs were also present in the meeting. The Union Health Ministry said in a statement that the Home Secretary pointed out the steep growth in the number of Covid cases all across the country. From 20,000 cases reported on January 1, India now has 10 times more cases, reporting over 2,00,000 cases per day since April 15. In the last 11 days, new cases have almost doubled from 1.31 lakh reported on April 9 to 2.73 lakh reported on on Tuesday. The ministry further stated that through a detailed and comprehensive presentation, the current trajectory of total new Covid cases, weekly tests, weekly positivity rate, weekly new Covid cases, weekly number of deaths and status/proportion of RT-PCR tests and Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) in all the UTs were presented. The UTs shared their present efforts for containment and management of the positive cases. Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep pointed to the rise in cases due to large numbers of inbound travellers. Lakshadweep has seen a sudden spike in cases after April 14 primarily due to a large number of people travelling to the mainland to shop for the recent festive occasions. Most UTs have imposed movement restrictions, including night curfew, and curbs on intra-island movement in the island UTs. Chandigarh informed that it is conducting door-to-door counselling for increasing vaccination and 90 per cent of the patients are in home isolation who are being monitored by mobile teams. "The UT of Delhi discussed shortage of beds and the present efforts to augment this through the Central government infrastructure and support through the DRDO's recently operationalised Covid hospital," the ministry said. The Delhi government expressed gratitude for the timely support of the Centre for augmenting its hospital bed capacity, both during last year and this year. Efforts to ramp up testing and reduce the turnaround time for the test results were also outlined. After a detailed discussion, the Union Home Secretary urged for constant vigilance of the evolving situation of the pandemic in the UTs. Bhalla advised the UTs to increase RT-PCR testing along with use of RAT for screening in clusters. Urgent review of clinical management was strongly recommended along with ramping up testing and hospital infrastructure. Expressing concern over the worrying scenario, Paul pointed out the criticality of the next three weeks for Covid response measures. The UT administrators have been advised to plan in advance for three weeks. The Home Secretary assured continued and full support of the government of India for all the efforts of the UTs in containing and managing the Covid situation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text As an integrated part of the production process, using IML means we can turn out finished packaging at faster rates, especially when compared to packaging requiring secondary labeling or offline decorating processes." - Jens Duerr, Director of Business Development CMG Plastics has announced the expansion of its in-mold labeling (IML) capabilities in response to growing customer demand. The company, which currently operates twelve IML systems across two manufacturing facilities, has added a new, high-speed Ilsemann Automation In-Mold Labeling System. The newest IML line is the fourth to be installed at the companys NJ-based facility. One significant benefit is that IML yields a 100% recyclable package, eliminating the need to physically separate product packaging from traditional pressure-sensitive labels or shrink sleeves that are often not recyclable. Consumer brand managers have dramatically shifted from requesting to requiring unique and environmentally responsible packaging solutions, states Jens Duerr, Director of Business Development. As a fully-integrated part of the container, IML further enables brands to achieve both their marketing and sustainability goals. Speed and flexibility are also included as top priorities of consumer brands when it comes to packaging. As an integrated part of the production process, using IML means we can turn out finished packaging at faster rates, especially when compared to packaging requiring secondary labeling or offline decorating processes, explains Duerr. Additionally, quick label changeover capabilities enable CMG to combine multiple SKUs during a production run giving customers flexibility on order quantities in addition to saving time. Another IML advantage is the ability to produce richer and more vibrant color schemes compared to other decorating methods. One of the fastest-growing market segments supported by CMG is the dairy market, and more specifically, dairy alternative brands. These products are experiencing unprecedented growth driven by consumers interest in non-dairy options. The dairy aisle is no longer just for dairy; it now includes a proliferation of alternative products, each one vying for shelf space, notes Duerr. Quality recyclable packaging that also boosts shelf presence has become increasingly important in a category that now includes a much broader array of offerings. CMG Plastics expects the global growth of IML among major food, beverage, and consumer products companies to continue, especially as advancements such as Digimarcs SmartLabel technology, an IML integration that enables brands to create unique consumer smartphone-enabled experiences with a brands packaging are adopted. The trend is increasing nationally and internationally, and thanks to our extensive experience we know precisely how to make a seamless transition to IML from other decorating methods says Duerr. This investment in additional IML technology demonstrates our ongoing mission to provide sustainable packaging solutions that help our customers succeed in todays competitive markets. # # # # About In-Mold Labeling A package decorating option that has steadily grown in popularity among consumer brands, IML involves placing pre-printed labels directly into molds before injecting the plastic. In this operation, the label becomes an integral component of the final plastic mold all in a single manufacturing step. About CMG Plastics CMG Plastics is a leading injection and stretch blow-molding plastic packaging manufacturer of custom and stock rigid plastics packaging products such as bottles, containers, closures, cups and more. Spanning two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Somerville, NJ and Brantford, ON Canada, the company provides streamlined design-to-manufacture solutions to a wide range of industries, including Food & Beverage, Healthcare and Consumer Products. For more information, please visit https://cmgplastics.com/. For additional press information, please contact: Ilena Della Ventura Delia Associates T. 908-534-9044 E. Idellaventura@delianet.com Chile's Chamber of Deputies is due to vote on a euthanasia bill on Tuesday, something that Cecilia Heyder welcomes. Heyder, a Chilean activist for the right to a dignified death and who suffers from metastatic cancer, lupus and a blood disorder, says she hopes that lawmakers will approve legislation that allows euthanasia for people with serious and irremediable illnesses. If the bill passes, it will head to the Senate. "I want a good death. I want to be sedated," she said during a recent interview with The Associated Press at a park in Santiago. Heyder, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, says she doesn't even know what part of her body the cancer has metastasized. "I don't know where because I refuse to have cancer studies done," she said. "I'm never going to step at the doors of the cancer hospital again." Due to her blood condition, any cut, bruise or hemorrhage can kill her. In addition, she lives in constant pain. She also has to move about with two catheters: one for blood transfusion and the other for morphine. Rosario Corvalan from the anti-euthanasia "Community and Justice" group said they were against the bill "because human dignity is inherent in all people. It is not lost through suffering or disease." Euthanasia when a doctor directly administers fatal drugs to a patient is either legal or sanctioned by courts in Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Colombia, and the Netherlands. In Switzerland and some U.S. states, medically assisted suicide when patients self-administer lethal drugs under medical supervision is permitted. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) "We see significant growth opportunities in this important segment of our business." Tweet this "We see significant growth opportunities in this important segment of our business, particularly around supplemental health and wellness/wellbeing," Terryn said. "David Fike has the experience to develop innovative protection products and services, and this structure will allow us to take those solutions to market from a position of greater strength." Before joining Zurich, Fike held a number of international senior positions at AIG, Chubb, Ace, Cigna and Prudential PLC, including C-suite positions in marketing, operations and underwriting. Fike joined Zurich Insurance Group as CEO of General Insurance Malaysia. Following Zurich's acquisition of the Adira organization, he served as CEO and President Director of Adira-Indonesia. Fike most recently managed strategic projects for Zurich's Global Business Platforms organization. "I am thrilled to be back in the U.S. to lead our Life, Accident and Health business," Fike said. "Bringing these segments together gives us an opportunity to take a fresh look at how we can leverage relationships we've built and capitalize on the strength of two balance sheets to differentiate ourselves in the market while having a clear focus on the customer." About Zurich Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. Read more at www.zurichna.com/services/about-zurich. Visit us on social media: LinkedIn and Twitter SOURCE Zurich North America Related Links www.zurichna.com The Alpha S is produced by BAIC BluePark. The basic model costs 50 thousand euros. Initially it will only be able to travel on the highway and in a few Chinese cities. Huawei is betting on smart machines to make up for losses in telecommunications. Great competition in the sector: Apple is expected to join. Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The first driverless car equipped with Huawei technology is on the market. The Polar Fox Alpha S is produced by carmaker BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology, which has received pre-orders; the delivery of the cars is expected by the end of the year. In addition to the components for autonomous driving, Huawei provides its own operating system. The basic model of the vehicle, which can only travel on the highway, costs 389 thousand yuan (50 thousand euros); the most advanced reaches 430 thousand yuan (55 thousand euros) and can also proceed on urban roads. By the end of the year, Huawei driverless cars will be on the streets of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In 2022, the market will be expanded to at least 20 other cities. In terms of capacity, the Alpha S is a level 4 vehicle: it can only travel automatically under certain circumstances. Instead, it has a level 2 of responsibility, with the driver continuing to manage and monitor the vehicle. Huawei will invest 830 million euros in the cars of the future this year. It will not develop the vehicles itself, only the driving and navigation systems. Aside from BAIC BluePark, the Chinese hi-tech giant will supply its technology to Chongqing Changan Automobile and Guangzhou Automobile Group. According to several analysts, Huawei's strong interest in driverless cars is explained by the need to offset the losses suffered in the telephony sector, its primary business. The company suffered a severe blow from US sanctions and the drop in production of microchips - key components of all electronic systems - during the pandemic. However, the tech giant will have strong internal competition. Over the next 10 years Xiaomi will invest 8.3 billion euros in electric cars; Baidu (the Chinese Google) has instead signed an agreement with the Zhejiang Geely Auto Group to produce smart cars. Now everyone in the industry is waiting for Apples entry into the dispute. New Delhi: The ICSE class 10 board exams have been cancelled in view of the worsening Covid-19 situation and the option for students to appear later has been withdrawn, board secretary Gerry Arathoon said on Tuesday. Last week, the board had postponed both class 10 and 12 exams. ICSE The Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) had announced that class 10 students will get an option to either write the exams later or get evaluated on the basis of an alternative criteria. 'Given the present worsening situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the CICSE has decided to cancel the class 10 examination. The option for students announced earlier, stands withdrawn. The safety and wellbeing of our students and teaching faculty is of topmost priority and paramount importance,' said Arathoon, Secretary and Chief Executive of the CISCE. 'We are committed to devise a fair and unbiased criterion for declaring class 10 results. The criterion as well as the date of declaration for results will be announced later,' he said. Late last night Mayne Nickless announced a record $70,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the bandits. The robbery, expertly timed, began when a bogus workman arrived at the club at 12.07 to repair a refrigerator, earlier reported as faulty by staff. The workman, one of the six bandits, walked through the main foyer of the club, passing several staff, before taking a lift to the second floor. Machine guns The man then walked through a lounge where about 45 members were eating and drinking, into the settling room and then opened a door that led to a stairwell and disused lift. Police stand guard on the main entrance to the Victorian Club. His five accomplices were waiting on the stairwell. The six bandits, all aged in their 30s, wore balaclavas, dustcoats and overalls. Two of them carried machine guns thought to be World War II Owen guns. The others were armed with hand guns and a shotgun. Minutes before the raid, Mayne Nickless had delivered $1,250,000 in used bank notes and the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney a further $90,000 in new notes. The money from Mayne Nickless was bookmakers takings from race meetings at Caulfield and Kyneton on Saturday, Caulfield and Geelong on Monday and Moonee Valley on Tuesday. The bandits burst into the settling room and five of them disarmed two Mayne Nickless guards. One of the disarmed guards tried to tackle a gunman. The bandit knocked the guard to the floor with a machine gun and then stuck the muzzle to the guards eye and said: If you want to do something like that youll get your head blown off. The sixth bandit ran behind the bar of the crowded lounge. He held five staff including three women at machinegun point. He was then joined by another bandit. Two accomplices then began shepherding about 25 bookmakers from the settling room. Ron Tandberg cartoon published on April 22, 1976. Credit:Ron Tandberg They were taken to the lounge and ordered to lie face down with the other 40 members. The bandits told the staff, bookmakers and members: If anyone tries to interfere the women will be the first to go. If you lift your heads well blow them off. Two bandits then stood guard while another systematically ran through the lounge tearing out tele-phones. He smashed the locked glass door of a small barbers shop to rip out one connection. He then joined his three accomplices in the settling room. One of the bandits ordered a security guard to open the doors of a black metal mesh clearing room containing the money. The doors had not been locked. The guards and bank officials were then herded into the lounge and also ordered to the floor. Inside the room sleet eight green metal boxes, about two feet long and eight inches wide, and a smaller brown wooden box. All were padlocked. One bandit, using heavy bolt cutters, forced open each box. As each box was opened it was emptied into black calico bags. Loading This took about 10 minutes. The gunmen then left quietly through the door they came through, ran down two flights of stairs and escaped in a vehicle. A few minutes passed before the bookmakers, members and staff realised the bandits had escaped. The club secretary, Mr Frank Murray, 40, ran to the first floor to raise the alarm. Senior police described the raid as the best organised and executed in Australias history. They have not ruled out the possibility that one or more of the bandits may have been members of the club or at least have been frequent visitors. They said the gangs expertise and precision timing indicated a thorough knowledge of the building. The chief of the Victorian Chief Superintendent Graham Davidson, said: Theres no doubt about It. the place had been thoroughly cased. These men were pretty slick professionals, but given time well crack it, Chief Superintendent Davidson said. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Asian Festival will return in 2021, with a virtual event set for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 22. The celebration will take place for about 90 minutes, featuring AsiaTown businesses through a virtual tour of the Cleveland neighborhoods shopping centers and restaurants, according to a press release. Performances and health resources will also be featured in the streamed event. The event can be viewed online at the Cleveland Asian Festivals YouTube and Facebook pages, and at clevelandasianfestival.org/2021. This years virtual Cleveland Asian Festival arrives after the 2020 event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cleveland Asian Festival is always considered the festival that kicks off summer. We were hoping for this year to be an in-person event but with COVIDs restrictions and the lack of events permits directions from the city, we are doing it virtually to celebrate our culture and diversity, said Johnny Wu, a founder of the Cleveland Asian Festival, in a press release. We also hope to entice viewers to check out AsiaTown and try all the wonderful places we offer once they can. The festival will arrive a couple of months after Clevelands Stop Asian Hate rally in downtown Cleveland, an event which responded to anti-Asian rhetoric and recent hate crimes against the Asian-American community. The rally was held after a series of Atlanta spa shootings in March which killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent. Like all previous editions of the Cleveland Asian Festival, the 2021 event is meant to celebrate the citys diversity and to shine a light on Clevelands Asian community. The event is held during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which occurs every May. While this years event will be virtual, we hope viewers will learn more about the rich and diverse Asian cultures we have here in Northeast Ohio, said Lisa Wong, a Cleveland Asian Festival founder and the president of OCA: Asian Pacific American Advocates, Greater Cleveland Chapter, in a press release. We invite everyone to patronize the local Asian businesses and to continue supporting the Asian Pacific American community during these challenging times. You can find more information about the Cleveland Asian Festival at clevelandasianfestival.org. Get a jumpstart on the weekend and sign up for cleveland.coms weekly In the CLE email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings - an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. Just click here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free. White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington on April 19, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Psaki Declines to Comment on Maxine Waterss Confrontational Remarks Ahead of George Floyd Verdict When asked if President Joe Biden agrees with the recent controversial remarks made by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) about the Derek Chauvin case, White House press secretary Jen Psaki dodged commenting, while saying it is the most American thing to protest against injustice. Biden has been very clear that he recognizes the issue of police violence against people of color, communities of color, as one of great anguish, and its exhausting and quite emotional at times, Psaki said at a press conference on Monday. Psaki pointed out that Biden met the family of George Floyd last year and is committed to undoing this long-standing systemic problem. His view is also that exercising First Amendment rights and protesting injustice is the most American thing that anyone can do, Psaki added. But as he also always says, protests must be peaceful. Thats what he continues to call for and what he continues to believe is the right way to approach responding. Waters attended a protest in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, on Saturday night. She told the protesters gathered: Weve got to stay on the street. Weve got to be more active. Weve got to get more confrontational. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business. She also made comments about Chauvins trial, demanding that the former Minneapolis police officer receive a guilty verdict for murder. Chauvins defense attorney said Waterss comments were threatening and intimidating the jury and threatened the sanctity of the jury process. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on April 17, 2021. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Republicans including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) have criticized Waters for inciting violence. Greene introduced a resolution to expel Waters from Congress. McCarthy said that if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) doesnt act against this dangerous rhetoric, he will bring action this week. Pelosi defended Waters on Monday, saying that her remarks were absolutely not inciting violence. Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement, Pelosi told reporters in Washington. No, I dont think she should apologize. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 19, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Waterss office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times. However, Waters defended herself in an interview with The Grio Monday. I am nonviolent, Waters said, alleging that Republicans would jump on any word, any line to denounce her and Democrats and call them violent. The same thing happened to former President Donald Trump who was charged by Democrats for incitement of insurrection in his Jan. 6 remarks, when he called on supporters gathered at a rally to fight like hell to make their voices heard, after which he told them to peacefully and patriotically protest at the Capitol during the joint session of Congress. He later denounced the days violence. I talk about confronting the justice system, Waters explained. Confronting the policing thats going on, Im talking about speaking up. Im talking about legislation. Im talking about elected officials doing what needs to be done to control their budgets and to pass legislation, she said, explaining what her words more confrontational means. Waters said that she wouldnt be bullied by Republicans. Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report. "I'm an actor, not a star. Stars are people who live in Hollywood and have heart-shaped swimming pools." -- Al Pacino Konkona Sensharma is not a star who is popular for her airport looks or who makes headlines for her Instagram videos, she is an actor who is known for gracefully exploring the arthouse independent genre to its best capacity; the one who--with her electric choice of films--has carved herself a niche in the world of showbiz. With a plethora of offbeat films in her kitty, she has always proved that her acting skills are par excellence. She is once again making fans go gaga over her stellar performance in Geeli Pucchi, one of the short films from the anthology Ajeeb Daastaans. In the film directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, she essays the role of a Dalit factory worker Bharti Mandal whose job and promotion are at stake after a pretty upper-caste woman Priya Sharma (played by Aditi Rao Hydari) joins the company. Her friendship with her also has some ups and downs. Netflix But this isn't the first time she has left us floored. She has effortlessly stepped into the shoes of the characters that she has played in a variety of films as if they were all written for her. She first shot to fame with Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, a film directed by her mother filmmakeractress Aparna Sen, for which she National Film Award for Best Actress for her impeccable performance. Her nuanced performance as Brahmin woman Meenakshi is still etched in the hearts of those who watched the film as Sensharma effectively conveyed the emotions without saying much in the film. Twitter However, she only gained prominence with Page 3 in 2005 with the role of Madhvi Sharma, a Page 3 journalist. The film fetched her the limelight of mainstream cinema and Bollywood. "I believe that any good idea can change the world. Now, all films are not meant to be thought-provoking but some of them are, surely!" Twitter In Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara, she essayed the role of Indu, Lagda Tyagi's wife, who seeks revenge from Omi, she was praised by one and all. So much so that she received a national award for best-supporting actress. Twitter She won us over with Wake Up Sid, in which she plays Aisha, a guardian to Ranbir Kapoors man-child Sid. Just like Page 3, this too was a commercial hit. Similarly, in Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge, she taught everyone a new way to do comedy with her impressive performance. Twitter It was a treat to watch her as Chutki in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. In Luck By Chance, she made her presence felt with her impressive acting, even though she wasn't the central character. Twitter She has been doing women-centric films from a time when they weren't even popular. She has carried many films on her shoulders without the need of a "hero". Talvar, Lipstick Under My Burkha, Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare and Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi are just some of the films through which she has broken barriers and stereotypes. She took a bold move and captured taboo subjects like sexuality in her films. Twitter With the plethora of roles that she has played, she has never been typecast. "Its convenient to box men and women with certain roles. We are going to be like this, they are going to be like that. Everything is fine and we are all safe, is it?" Twitter She has proved that she is as great behind the camera as she is in front of it. She donned the director's hat with unmatched ease in A Death In The Gunj, the film that premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. She is here to bring a change, not only through her talks but through her work as well. "When it comes to portraying women on screen, we hardly see any representation of women over 30. So does that mean we dont want to know about women once they cross 30 and have a husband and children?" Twitter She has often enlightened us with her intelligent and progressive take on life. It is always a learning experience to watch her films or to watch talk about general things. "I do believe that life is a series of distractions from death. The only certainty is that you have to die, so do things that make you happy. At the end of your life, you will not remember your best work, but will remember just moments with people." Twitter She is fearless too. When Indian celebrities were being trolled for their identical tweets during the farmers' protest, she fearlessly took to Twitter to say that they are all a victim of "fear". I think for many, it is fear. Konkona Sensharma (@konkonas) February 4, 2021 Her personality is indeed unlike any star. She is not the kind of actress who sees how she can change the script so that it fits her personality or image. She is the kind of actress who gets excited to play different roles that demand her to experience a new character in reel life. Every time she appears on the big screen, she leaves us bowled over. We are glad that she doesn't have the aura, charisma and personality of a star, but the dignity, candor and maturity of a power-packed performer. After all, she has given zero bad performances till date. The joke of the day must be the PM announcing a net-zero emissions target by 2050. Peng Ee, Castle Cove Herald an important part of our daily lives If we were choosing literary highlights over the Heralds 190-year history, a clear winner would be Charmian Clifts weekly essays (Letters, April 20). From 1964-69 she wrote well over 200 opinion pieces, thereby etching her name alongside the great essayists of history, such as George Orwell and Virginia Woolf. Though just a kid then, I recently discovered this treasure trove. The remarkable thing about her topics and analysis is how prescient they are half a century on, with clear relevance to todays social and political landscape. But more remarkable is her pens beautiful style and evocative descriptions. To the Heralds brave editors of that time I say bravo for giving Clift unfettered editorial licence to educate and entertain your readers. Julian Neylan, Dulwich Hill The Herald helped me get my first job in 1993. I had finished an Arts degree with Honours in Geography. I wrote to the Herald in response to an urban affairs article and mentioned my thesis. A lovely journalist (apologies I cant remember his name) rang and interviewed me for an article, which appeared in January 1993. Coincidentally, the day the article appeared, my future boss read my unsolicited letter to him asking for a job in the urban consolidation and design team in the Department of Planning. I started work a week later. Happy birthday, Herald! Jeremy Spinks, Baulkham Hills My experiences with the Herald began in Armidale during the late 40s and early 50s when my Dad would bring home the paper each evening and always boast that he could read the paper before the Sydney mob. It was air delivered until a dreadful crash stopped that service, but the paper truck always had the deliveries made each morning. When I became a teacher the Herald followed me and was always available at the local paper shop whether at Nowendoc, Ulong, Woodenbong and when on secondment to Sogeri, and so on at Ballina, Taree, Deniliquin, Scone. For the last 30 years it has been delivered to our home and eventual retirement at Raymond Terrace. A day without my Herald is a day with something missing. Thank you for being an important part of daily life. Ken Hoy, Raymond Terrace May the Herald flourish for a further 190 years. We owe it a great debt. It has in its time contributed inestimable value to the quality of our society. As Humphrey Bogart observed in one of his movies, journalism may not be the oldest profession in the world, but it is the best. Peter Thomas, Rose Bay War veterans deserve support and recognition The relatives and friends of war veterans who have taken their own lives have fought the good fight to get a royal commission (Relatives hail scrutiny of veteran suicides, April 20). Hopefully, such an inquiry will provide the impetus for more and better support for our veterans. The best way to respect veterans is to make sure we never again send our youth into an unjust war that was neither rational nor moral. Afghanistan was such a war. Any war exposes people to horrendous evils that have no meaning. An unjust war compounds this absence of meaning. Mark Porter, New Lambton I am a former counsellor working with returned servicemen and women for many years. I dont think anything will be achieved by another royal commission. The problem, in my view, starts when servicemen and women leave the service. They are given virtually no help in transitioning out and are left high and dry - then good luck trying to navigate the system especially when it comes to help from the DVA. Most of the poor sods just give up and go down the road of booze, drugs, depression, anxiety and, tragically, suicide. Lets not talk about the cost to the families ripped apart. My hope, as we approach Anzac Day, is the community starts to get involved and we dont leave it to this useless government. Peter Pocock, Hornsby PM maintains lead I am sure Anthony Albanese is a good man. He has given his life to the ALP cause (Voters swing against Coalition but Morrison still preferred PM, smh.com.au, April 20). As a leader, however, he is proving to be lacklustre. In this time of enormous political and social flux, Labor must be asking: Where is our Jacinda Ardern?I do hope they find her soon. I fear we are suffocating in the quicksand of Coalition incompetence. Wayne Duncombe, Glebe Losing faith over vaccine plan The Prime Minister says there are strong, strong arguments for hastening the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the over 50s (Hubs to support GPs as over 50s in the mix for AstraZeneca, April 20). His own reputation and electoral prospects wouldnt happen to be the clinchers, would they? Adrian Connelly, Springwood One of the significant reasons for over 70s not being vaccinated is that GP clinics have no supplies or any indication when supplies will be available. Interestingly there is little public comment or concern raised by this sector. Appointments months ahead are no solution when the PM is now talking about extending availability to 50s and over. Margaret Reid, Wollongong Let me get this right: if all goes well by the end of this year, the least vulnerable and exposed half of the population will be vaccinated with the optimal vaccine and the most vulnerable and exposed half will be vaccinated with the sub-optimal vaccine. Its just as well these clowns are not in charge of anything important like the economy or defence. Tony Rossiter, Merrylands Something to declare about airport laxness Im sitting in Sydney airport terminal waiting to board a flight to New Zealand. Its hard not to come to the conclusion that the airport authorities have a death wish. Despite signage everywhere that masks are compulsory in the terminal there is no policing of this mandate. High numbers of people are wearing no mask or wearing masks only partially covering their mouth and nose. They are accepted at check-in without challenge. One woman not wearing a mask was clearly sick with a badly running nose, despite the fact that she must have made a declaration to the contrary. There is no temperature testing. When you arrive at emigration there are signs saying you must sanitise your hands before using the touch screen. Only problem is that the sanitising machines have no sanitiser in them. It is hard to believe the airport authorities believe that their responsibility ends with putting up signs and making announcements. Given the consequences of just one COVID case spreading in the airport it is a pathetic abandonment of their responsibility. Anthony Wallis, Gladesville Whitewash on cladding safety I wonder if there is any movement at all, glacial or otherwise (Labor lashes glacial pace in tower cladding removal, April 20). Our building was inspected in 2018 by a government-approved fire safety inspector who was more keen to collect fees than to do a proper job. He finished quickly and submitted a report that does not say clearly whether the building is safe or not. After receiving this fire safety inspector report, we were not advised either by the council or Cladding Task Force where we stand. All owners want is to know how safe their building is. This reflects poorly on NSW government. Nookayyasetty Grandhi, Hornsby Cheap shots at Morrison The ongoing criticism of Scott Morrisons attitudes towards women is tedious (Letters, April 20). Women reclaiming their space has been long overdue but the focus on reform should be on our collective re-education, not Scott Morrison to make change for the better. Western cultures seem to think that their leaders are some sort of superheroes who might legislate or magically manifest the necessary changes by waving a magic wand. Human mindset programmed behaviours must surely be the most difficult things to change in all existence. Real leaders would create a dialogue that would encourage greater self-responsibility. Expecting Morrison or any other leader to change us is just fantasy. Dream on. Neville Williams, Darlinghurst It is one thing to look for Bible verses which instruct women to obey men, but another altogether to put them into context. The verses from letters of St Paul quoted will cause a lively debate in any church congregation today and the study notes in the widely used NIV Bible will tell you they can be interpreted differently. The point St Paul makes is that we should all submit to one another, and that we are one in Christ. I dont support the PM politically, however, it is a cheap shot to attack him for his faith and family values. Vivienne Parsons, Thornleigh No cross words for Herald star How lovely to read about Donald Harrison (A clue to the good life? Start outside the square, April 20). Although just an amateur attempting cryptic crosswords, I delight in that aha moment. The cleverness of the compiler makes me smile. Sally Spurr, Lane Cove How lovely to see the photo and story on Donald Harrison today. The morning crossword accompanied by a flat white is one of the highlights of my day. Valerie Bray, East Killara For many years I have carried Donald Harrisons Puzzle People books to while away hours in travel and found his puzzles doable and enjoyable. I always look forward to the Tuesday offering. Judging by the subject of his clues, I had thought of DH as a retired school science teacher, certainly not a civil engineer or architect. Keep them coming, Donald. Peter Kirton, Dapto What a thoroughly decent bloke you are, Donald Harrison. You and your cruciverbalist colleagues have enriched my life with your cryptic clues. However, theres one among you (the Friday guy) who Im still warming to. Rosemary Penman, Summer Hill It was so good to be introduced to another of your cruciverbalist stars: the wonderful DH. I hope we can be introduced to those others who keep our ageing brains somewhat agile, but only known by their initials. Robert Hosking, Paddington WALTHAM, Mass. and LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Real-world evidence provider Health iQ has launched a new module to add to its collection of cutting-edge healthcare analytics solutions. Powered by Vantage, the Storyboard module combines the most complete disease, treatment and procedure level data available to present a multi-dimensional view of the healthcare landscape. And by utilising the latest technology, it translates this complex data into visualisations that effortlessly communicate a unique value story. The user-friendly interface quickly enables teams to identify and create the valuable real-world insights required to support the case for change. In addition, the module has export functionality, so a story can be easily shared online, offline, remotely or face-to-face. Chief Product Officer Yasir Hassan cited, "Pharma and healthcare have a powerful shared narrative of supporting the patient. Storyboard allows us to use RWE to tell that story in a new and unique way." "Our new Storyboard module cuts through the data to present ideas in a highly visual, digestible and memorable way. This enables organisations to present a robust, reliable and relatable story that engages stakeholders and supports the case for change," noted Jilani Gulam, CEO of Health iQ. For more information on Storyboard, visit https://landing.healthiq.co.uk/storyboard For more information, please contact: Cara Wickersham Health iQ 07939 085483 [email protected] About Health iQ and CorEvitasSM Health iQ, a division of CorEvitas LLC, is a healthcare and life sciences consultancy. Utilising pioneering technology, real-world data is transformed into actionable insight that solves complex healthcare challenges. For more information visit https://www.healthiq.co.uk/ CorEvitas is the built-for-purpose gold-standard provider of real-world evidence. Through syndicated registry data and analytic services, CorEvitas helps biopharmaceutical companies demonstrate the value of their products to clinicians, patients, payers, and regulators. CorEvitas is a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity. SOURCE CorEvitas Police have blamed the New IRA for planting a bomb at a police officers car beside where her three-year-old daughter sits. The device left at the part-time female officers home near Dungiven, Co Londonderry, was attached to a container of flammable liquid. Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan branded the murder bid by the dissident extremists as despicable and cowardly. The device, which did not detonate, was designed to create a fireball, Mr McEwan said. He said the childs seat was in the car and the terror group would have been aware of it. We will be unrelenting in our efforts in bringing these people to justice, said the senior officer. We believe this group would have known this is where the daughter would sit and they have shown no regard for this whatsoever. They know the effect if this device donated, it would have engulfed the car completely and those in it. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan described the incident as cowardly (Rebecca Black/PA) Its time for people to examine their conscience. Is this the sort of group they want to support? A group that has shown complete disregard for young people and now we have another callous attack where a mother and a toddler were the potential victims. The New IRA is one of the most active dissident republican terrorist groups in Northern Ireland. It was blamed for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee during disorder in Londonderry in 2019. Formed in 2012, the group has also been blamed for detonating a large car bomb outside the court house in Derry in January 2019, as well as sending parcel bombs to addresses in Great Britain in March of the same year. Screengrab from CCTV footage dated 19/01/19 issued by the PSNI showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house in Londonderry in January 2019. The latest target is a woman who is a member of PSNI civilian staff, and also serves as a part-time officer. The device was discovered at the property in the Ballyquin Road area on Monday. Chief Constable Simon Byrne tweeted: I strongly condemn this outrageous attack on our officer and her family. Every day @PoliceServiceNI officers and staff bravely step up to serve the community and this attempt to harm is a stark reminder of the challenges still facing us all. Story continues Mark Lindsay, chair of the police representative body, the Police Federation, said it is appalling the officer was singled out in this manner. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Her dedication to serving the community is in stark contrast to those involved in this attack, whose only purpose is to wreck lives, he said. There are people in this community who know who planned this attack and placed this potentially lethal device under an officers car. They must realise there is nothing to be gained by such attacks and I would call on them to give the police the information they need to capture the culprits. Northern Irelands First Minister Arlene Foster said: I stand, as does my entire party, with the brave woman targeted by republicans and utterly condemn those who have sought to harm her and her family. I do give thanks that she has survived this dreadful murder attempt and when I spoke to this lady earlier, I gave her my prayerful support and indeed solidarity at this difficult time. To the republicans who sought to murder this young mother, your campaign is futile, you will never succeed and whilst there may always be different political views in Northern Ireland, we will keep moving forward and we will not be dragged back by bombers or those who would seek to use the gun to get their own political way. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said she also spoke with the officer, adding that the magnitude of what could have happened to both herself and her young family is still sinking in. She described the attack as absolutely deplorable, unacceptable, unjustified and completely wrong, and said all must stand together to condemn it. That was the message I wanted to give to the chief constable, but also to those people that are responsible, they need to leave the stage, there is no room for you in society, you are not going to drag people back. What we need to see today is strong condemnation from everybody which, I believe, is the case, she added. Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said: The attempted murder of this police officer is absolutely abhorrent. I completely condemn the actions of those involved. Those who try to attack public servants have nothing to offer the communities they claim to represent. I want to convey my support for the officer concerned. Irish premier Micheal Martin tweeted: Deeply reprehensible and cowardly attack on the home of a police officer in Northern Ireland last night. Politicians across this island must work together to avoid a return to the dark days of fear and terror. Its like a chocolate milk stout, but we add peanut butter to it, he said. Think Reeses cup and its what we were going for. Its probably one of our most popular beers. Its the uniqueness of it. Not a lot of people think of their favorite candy in a beer, Wenzel said, adding the brew is not too sweet, but you definitely get hit with some peanut butter flavor. Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, has been found guilty on all three charges he was faced with. His most serious conviction is second-degree murder, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 40 years in Minnesota. The other charges were third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, which carry maximum penalties of 25 years and 10 years in prison, respectively. Chauvin, who showed no emotion as the verdict was read, nodded towards the judge as his bail was revoked, and he was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom. He will remain in police custody until sentencing in June. The jury came to the unanimous decision after hearing a wide range of testimony from witnesses presented by both the defence and prosecution during the three-week trial, but only needed about 10 hours of deliberation to reach a verdict. Although he had the option to tell the jury his side of the story, Chauvin declined to testify, after invoking the 5th Amendment in court in Minneapolis. On 25 May 2020, Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyds neck for more than nine minutes while detaining him face-first against the pavement in handcuffs during an arrest for using a counterfeit $20 bill. Mr Floyd pleaded for air and told officers he couldnt breathe 27 times, as three officers held him down until he lost consciousness and didnt have a pulse. They only removed themselves minutes later once paramedics arrived and lifted Mr Floyds limp body onto a stretcher. The murder set off a global wave of protests against police brutality. Reacting emotionally to the three guilty verdicts, Mr Floyds brother, Rodney, said he had tears in his eyes as the jurys decision was read out by Hennepin County judge Peter Cahill. I mean, Im feeling tears of joy, so emotional that no family in history ever got this far, said Mr Floyd to MSNBC. You know, to get a guilty charge on all accounts, we got a chance to go to trial and he took it all away. So this right here is for everyone thats been in this situation, everybody. Everybody. We are here. We stand in a unit. Another of Mr Floyds brothers, Philonise, fought back tears as he spoke of his relief at the verdict: I feel relieved today I finally have the opportunity for hopefully getting some sleep. Today we are able to breathe again. Continuing, he said: Today you have the cameras all around the world to see and show what happened to my brother. The world saw his life being extinguished and I could do nothing but watch, especially in that courtroom, over and over again as my brother was murdered. He added: Im not just fighting for George anymore, Im fighting for everyone, Following the announcement of the verdict, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with the family from the Oval Office. Nothing is going to make it all better but at least God now there is some justice, said Mr Biden. Weve been watching every second of this, and the vice president, all of us, and were all so relieved not just for one verdict but all three, guilty on all three counts, and its just really important. He added: Were going to get a lot more done. Were going to do a lot. Were going to stay at it until we get it done. Floyd family lawyer Ben Crump tweeted a video of the call and urged the White House to push forward with police reform. Mr Biden and Ms Harris both delivered public remarks, with the vice president saying: Black Americans, and Black men in particular, have been treated throughout the course of our country as less than human. Black men are fathers and brothers and sons ... their lives must be valued ... Were all a part of George Floyds legacy and our job now is to honour it. The president said: Systematic racism is a stain on our nations soul, the knee on the neck of justice for Black Americans. Profound fear and trauma, the pain, the exhaustion that Black and brown Americans experience every single day ... todays verdict is a step forward. Former president Barack Obama with his wife Michelle released a joint statement saying that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial. True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day, he added. We cannot rest, Mr Obama said. We will need to follow through with the concrete reforms that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system. We will need to redouble efforts to expand economic opportunity for those communities that have been too long marginalised. Mr Obamas words echoed the sentiments of many Black American leaders and elected officials across the country. Chauvin is believed to be only the second on-duty Minneapolis police officer in the departments more than 150-year history to be convicted of murder, and the first white officer. During closing arguments on Monday, prosecutor Steve Schleicher said that Chauvin ignored his police training and, as a result, killed Mr Floyd. The defendant abandoned his values, abandoned his training, and killed a man, Mr Schleicher said. This was not an accident, he continued. He did what he did on purpose, and it killed George Floyd. That force for 9 min and 29 seconds, that killed George Floyd. And he betrayed the badge and everything it stood for. Mr Schleicher added: This wasnt policing, this was murder. However, defence attorney Eric Nelson unsuccessfully argued that the state failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Chauvin murdered Mr Floyd, adding that he acted as any reasonable police officer would in the same situation. In his nearly three-hour closing argument, Mr Nelson criticised expert witnesses who claimed that drug use and underlying health issues were not major factors in Mr Floyds death. When you take into consideration the presumption of innocence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt, I would submit to you that it is nonsense to suggest none of these other factors had any role, he said, as he spoke at length in an attempt to convince the jury to acquit Chauvin. The former officers case was seen as a test, after nearly a decade of Black Lives Matter activism, of the justice systems ability to prosecute police wrongdoing. However, the decision is unlikely to quell tensions in the city or the country between police and the communities they serve. Minnesota governor Tim Walz released a statement shortly after the verdict was read saying that it was an important step for justice in the state. The trial is over, but our work has only begun, he wrote, later adding: We know that accountability in the courtroom is only the first step. Just 10 miles away from the courthouse where Chauvins trial took place, another police killing of an unarmed Black man occurred in the suburb of Brooklyn Center before this historic case was even over, triggering another round of mass protests in Minneapolis and across the US. On 11 April, former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. Authorities say Ms Potter, a 26-year police veteran, mistook her gun for her Taser before pulling the trigger. Ms Potter resigned and has been charged with manslaughter. Governor Walz noted in his statement that true justice for Mr Floyd only comes through real, systemic change to prevent this from happening again. The tragic death of Daunte Wright this week serves as a heartbreaking reminder that we still have so much more work to do to get there. Outrage over Mr Wrights death builds on 2020s summer of anti-racist activism in the Twin Cities and beyond. Video of Mr Floyds death, which spread widely on social media as many were stuck at home and immersed in the collective despair of the coronavirus pandemic, inspired between 15 and 26 million people in the US to protest against police brutality and systemic racism. By some estimates, it was the largest mass demonstration in American history. In Minneapolis, where, as in many cities communities of colour have faced decades of disproportionate police violence, mostly peaceful demonstrations continued for months, but sporadic rioting caused more than $500m (358m) in property damage. Mitchell boys basketball coach Todd Neuendorf named Hamlin head coach Todd Neuendorf has resigned after four seasons as Mitchell boys basketball coach, the school announced Friday afternoon. "Any plan to tackle the urgent challenges facing the global food system must address agriculture, the source of nourishment for billions of people and a key lever to address climate change and inequality," said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta. "As one of the world's leading food and beverage companies, a resilient food system is essential to our business, and with our scale we have an opportunity and responsibility to drive meaningful change. PepsiCo's Positive Agriculture agenda prioritizes investment, innovation, and robust collaboration with our farming partners to deliver impact around the world. Working together, we can reduce our collective carbon footprint, feed a rapidly growing population, and provide meaningful economic opportunities for more people." PepsiCo's Positive Agriculture agenda aims to source crops and ingredients in a way that accelerates regenerative agriculture and strengthens farming communities, with a focus on: Spreading the adoption of regenerative farming practices across 7 million acres approximately equal to 100% of the land used around the world to grow crops and ingredients for the company's products. These efforts are estimated to lead to a net-reduction of at least 3 million tons of GHG emissions by 2030. Furthering nearly a decade of progress with its Sustainable Farming Program (SFP), PepsiCo will continue to collaborate with farmers across 60 countries to adopt practices that build resilience and improve and restore ecosystems. In the U.S., for example, PepsiCo has worked with farmers to plant cover crops on over 85,000 acres and has seen up to a 38% net reduction in on-farm greenhouse gas emissions, including soil carbon sequestration.[1] Through efforts with industry-leading partners, the company will expand regenerative agriculture programs to more than 500,000 acres of U.S. farmland by the end of 2021 . PepsiCo will also continue to grow its global network of Demonstration Farms, which enable peer-to-peer learning and in 2020 grew to more than 350 farms with more than 80% adopting regenerative farming practices. Investments in innovative and sustainable agriculture solutions are being driven by PepsiCo's iconic brands, many of which have already embedded the company's Positive Agriculture approach in their lifecycle. For example, PepsiCo's Walkers brand in the UK worked with CCm Technologies to introduce new 'circular potatoes' technology that uses potato peelings to manufacture low-carbon, nutrient-rich fertilizer. Use of this fertilizer is expected to reduce Walkers' carbon emissions from growing potatoes by 70%. Additionally, Quaker has developed the "Opti-Oat" initiative, which uses over one million data points to guide farmers in how to grow the "perfect oat," improving yields and creating a more sustainable source of oats. approximately equal to 100% of the land used around the world to grow crops and ingredients for the company's products. These efforts are estimated to lead to a net-reduction of at least 3 million tons of GHG emissions by 2030. Furthering nearly a decade of progress with its Sustainable Farming Program (SFP), PepsiCo will continue to collaborate with farmers across 60 countries to adopt practices that build resilience and improve and restore ecosystems. In the U.S., for example, PepsiCo has worked with farmers to plant cover crops on over 85,000 acres and has seen up to a 38% net reduction in on-farm greenhouse gas emissions, including soil carbon sequestration.[1] Through efforts with industry-leading partners, . PepsiCo will also continue to grow its global network of Demonstration Farms, which enable peer-to-peer learning and in 2020 grew to more than 350 farms with more than 80% adopting regenerative farming practices. Investments in innovative and sustainable agriculture solutions are being driven by PepsiCo's iconic brands, many of which have already embedded the company's Positive Agriculture approach in their lifecycle. For example, PepsiCo's Walkers brand in the UK worked with CCm Technologies to introduce new 'circular potatoes' technology that uses potato peelings to manufacture low-carbon, nutrient-rich fertilizer. Use of this fertilizer is expected to reduce Walkers' carbon emissions from growing potatoes by 70%. Additionally, Quaker has developed the "Opti-Oat" initiative, which uses over one million data points to guide farmers in how to grow the "perfect oat," improving yields and creating a more sustainable source of oats. Improving the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural supply chain and communities, including economically empowering women. PepsiCo will focus its work on the most vulnerable farming communities linked to its global value chain, including smallholder farmers and farm workers, women and minority farmers. The company will continue to advance this goal through diverse partnerships, including U.S. Agency for International Development, Inter-American Development Bank, CARE, National FFA Organization, and the National Black Growers Council. PepsiCo will focus its work on the most vulnerable farming communities linked to its global value chain, including smallholder farmers and farm workers, women and minority farmers. The company will continue to advance this goal through diverse partnerships, including U.S. Agency for International Development, Inter-American Development Bank, CARE, National FFA Organization, and the National Black Growers Council. Sustainably sourcing 100% of key ingredients, expanding to include not only its direct-sourced crops (potatoes, whole corn, oats, and oranges), but also key crops from third parties, such as vegetable oils and grains. PepsiCo sources crops across 60 countries and supports over 100,000 jobs in the agricultural supply chain. As of the end of 2020, PepsiCo's direct-sourced crops are 100% sustainably sourced in 28 countries. Globally, nearly 87% of direct crops are sustainably sourced through PepsiCo's SFP. For example, 100% of the oranges purchased for Tropicana directly from Florida growers are sustainably sourced, as are 100% of the potatoes and oats for Lay's and Quaker in North America , respectively. Additionally, PepsiCo achieved its goal to source 100% Bonsucro certified sustainable cane sugar globally by 2020 and achieved more than 99% physically certified palm oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. PepsiCo has a strict commitment to no deforestation, no development on peat, and no exploitation of indigenous people, workers and local communities, and recently published its strengthened Global Strategy on Sustainable Palm Oil, with an increased focus on landscape programs and transformation of the palm oil sector. "Through our Sustainable Farming Program and ongoing work with tens of thousands of farmers, we've seen first-hand the ability to drive solutions within our agricultural communities, resulting in nature-based outcomes," said Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo. "Today, we're accelerating our Positive Agriculture agenda because we know we have to do even more to create truly systemic change. By focusing on regenerative agriculture practices at the local level to improve soil health, we can build a stronger foundation for our products and help make the entire food system more sustainable." PepsiCo advocates for the establishment of industry-wide regenerative agriculture standards and measurement. In the absence of such standards, the company will measure progress towards its Positive Agriculture goals by tracking acres and people engaged in the initiative and, over time, the impact toward five key outcomes, including: building soil health and fertility; sequestering carbon and reducing emissions; enhancing watershed health; increasing biodiversity; and improving farmer livelihoods. PepsiCo is engaged with leading organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to develop a method for setting science-based targets for water that consider the benefits of regenerative and resilient farming systems and practices on water quality and water quantity. "Working across the supply chain is necessary if we are to transform the food system, reduce carbon emissions, support healthy watersheds, restore biodiversity, and improve livelihoods," said Sheila Bonini, senior vice president of Private Sector Engagement at World Wildlife Fund. "It's encouraging that PepsiCo is announcing an approach to their agricultural supply chains that can be positive for both nature and people and WWF looks forward to partnering with PepsiCo on an ambitious and scaled regenerative agriculture agenda." Leveraging innovation, including digital technology, and collaboration is central to PepsiCo's approach to catalyzing systemic change. Together with the World Economic Forum and others, PepsiCo recently launched the concept of Food Innovation Hubs to develop local food systems that are inclusive, efficient, sustainable, and nutritious. The Positive Agriculture agenda is another step in the company's PepsiCo Positive journey and follows PepsiCo's recent announcement to double its science-based climate goal, targeting a reduction of absolute greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by more than 40% by 2030, as well as pledging to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. About PepsiCo PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com. Cautionary Statement This release contains statements reflecting our views about our future performance that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identified through the inclusion of words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "drive," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "strategy," "target" and "will" or similar statements or variations of such terms and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in such statements, including the impact of COVID-19; future demand for PepsiCo's products; damage to PepsiCo's reputation or brand image; issues or concerns with respect to product quality and safety; PepsiCo's ability to compete effectively; water scarcity; changes in the retail landscape or in sales to any key customer; disruption of PepsiCo's supply chain; political or social conditions in the markets where PepsiCo's products are made, manufactured, distributed or sold; future cyber incidents and other disruptions; climate change or measures to address climate change; imposition or proposed imposition of new or increased taxes aimed at PepsiCo's products; imposition of limitations on the marketing or sale of PepsiCo's products; changes in laws and regulations related to the use or disposal of plastics or other packaging of PepsiCo's products; and failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations. For additional information on these and other factors that could cause PepsiCo's actual results to materially differ from those set forth herein, please see PepsiCo's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. PepsiCo undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 1 For PepsiCo's corporate greenhouse gas footprint, the company follows the GHG Protocol framework where any sequestration is kept separate from the three scopes of emissions. For More Information: [email protected] SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc. Related Links www.pepsico.com TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pineappetit, a well-loved food truck here in Tallahassee known for its signature pineapple bowls and frequent visits to campus events, is set to officially open its brand new brick-and-mortar site on Thursday, April 22. The grand opening is open to anyone in Tallahassee interested in trying Pineappetit's island-inspired dishes. The restaurant will be open from 11:30 am until 10:00 pm on Thursday. Chef Sam with his Pineappetit staff at the April 9 soft opening for the restaurant. Fun. Fresh. Food! Sample of a pineapple bowl served at Pineappetit Restaurant. Across Florida, this pandemic has forced many restaurants over the last year many of which were already operating on tight margins to face the possibility of closing. CBS recently put out an article highlighting new data from H&R Block that shows Black-owned businesses are taking the biggest hit. An H&R Block survey found that 53% of Black business owners saw their revenue drop by half, compared to 37% of White owners, since the pandemic started. Statistics from The Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that Black ownership dropped 41% last year, and they claim it is the most significant decline among all racial groups during the pandemic months. Notwithstanding the pandemic struggles, and the statics working against him for a black-owned business, Chef Sam Burgess, the owner of Pineappetit, gives all the credit for his newfound success to his support system of Tallahassee small business owners brought together by the pandemic. "The owners of Smoothie Time and Big Easy Snowballs were two individuals that really pushed me to do what I'm doing now," says Chef Sam. "We all started around the same time with our food trucks. To see them have the success they've had with opening their brick-and-mortar sites during this time really motivated me and made me feel like the time was right despite the current pandemic." Although the pandemic resulted in an opportunity for Chef Sam to cater for the Google headquarters in California to be canceled, it brought about something much more significant than he ever expected; a sense of community that supports and uplifts one another. Despite the many hardships the pandemic has caused, Chef Sam is grateful for the group of like-minded individuals who encouraged him to take a leap of faith and pursue his desire to expand Pineappetit. A portion of the proceeds generated on the grand opening will be donated to the Golden Chance foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to providing resources and scholarships to individuals affected by the premature death of a biological parent(s). A cause near and dear to Chef Sam's heart as the owner of the non-profit, Michael Jenkins, is his close friend who suffered the loss of both his parents at a young age. Chef Sam is excited to finally see his vision come to life and celebrate with his local community. Looking for a taste of FUN. FRESH. FOOD? Come on out and try the island flavors of Pineappetit on April 22! Contact: Valerie Esquivel [email protected] 786-447-0697 SOURCE Pineappetit In its text, President Bidens American Jobs Plan calls for investments in roads and bridges, public transportation, research and development, improved caregiving for aging and disabled Americans, and the construction of new public schools and buildings among other investments. But read between the lines, and the plan does a lot more. It restores dignity to and empowers regular, working-class Americans. It makes a statement perhaps for the first time that people of color, who often are euphemistically referred to in the media as lower-income families, are worthy of our attention, respect, and investment. Systemic racial injustices have led to disproportionate environmental burdens for communities of color and the poor. And the same emissions that harm our health are changing the climate. These converging crises call on each of us to pool our collective resources, energy, and ingenuity to innovate for justice. But it wont be easy. Standing between our constitutional aspirations of equal justice and opportunity for all are those who advocate for smaller government. One can already hear them revving up their engines with messages of smaller government is better and theres no such thing as systemic racism. Smaller government has meant neglecting our crumbling roads and bridges, demolishing our educational system, and dismantling the magnificent structure of American business and private life. Smaller government, as defined by many Republicans, is a stranglehold on our freedoms and a serious threat to our future and security. And, our history is loaded with examples of systemic racism. The Biden administration is wielding federal power to address a long history of smaller government-driven racial inequities. There are many examples of well-intentioned public infrastructure investments that decimated Black neighborhoods. Such as in Syracuse, N.Y., where the construction of Interstate 81 scattered the residents of the 15th Ward, a close-knit community. This also led to a sharp decline in tax revenues for Syracuse, such that the city now has the highest concentration of poverty among Black and Latinx households . There are countless similar stories of Black and minority communities in Miami, Detroit, and other major cities that found themselves in the path of relentless bulldozers. These communities were of course unable to combat development projects given their scant political leverage. Wealth was stripped from these communities before it had the opportunity to grow. And these historical gaps have persisted over generations. And the public supports the plan. According to a recent poll by Invest in America and Data for Progress, more than 60% of voters support every potential provision of the proposed legislation, including those investments that specifically address inequality including the care economy, American manufacturing, clean energy, and housing. Weatherizing low-income properties, replacing lead pipes, and investing in minority communities will come with a price and the investment is long overdue. As part of rebuilding the nations infrastructure, the proposal specifically channels funds to rebuild the low-income and minority infrastructure by including $213 billion to produce, preserve, and retrofit more than 2 million affordable and sustainable places to live, $111 billion to replace the nations lead pipes and service lines and upgrade the nations aging water systems, increasing the pay of low wage health care workers and $100 billion for workforce development for underserved Americans. And Biden should stand firm on asking the wealthy and corporations to pay for these changes. The numbers are stark. The top 1% now own more wealth than the bottom 92%, and the 50 wealthiest Americans own more wealth than the bottom half of American society 165 million people. While millions of Americans have lost their jobs and incomes during the pandemic, over the past year 650 billionaires have seen their wealth increase by $1.3 trillion . The 400 richest American billionaires have more total wealth than all 10 million Black American households combined . Since 1978 , the top 0.1% of the nations population has increased its share of the overall economy from 7% to 22%. And the pandemic has highlighted this disparity in wealth. The numbers are heartbreaking. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau Pulse Survey data, one out of three families has reported difficulty paying basic household expenses. And for minority groups, those who have been hardest hit by COVID, this number is even higher: 45% of African American households and 44% of Latinx households reported difficulty paying household expenses this month. This Biden proposal will put the brakes on these trends. It will provide an enormous economic stimulus to the economy as a whole, and infuse urgently needed funds in households and communities that have suffered from chronic underinvestment. It means upgraded public school and child-care facilities, universal access to broadband, and clean drinking water. It may very well be impossible to design any singular policy agenda that would fully reverse the effects of centuries of racism. But the American Jobs Plan reflects President Bidens vision, one where a transformed society works for transformational justice, and not just transactional reforms. This vision matters. And it needs to be brought to reality. Mark Wolfe is an economist who works on low income energy and housing affordability issues. California Foster Parents Asked to Take in Unaccompanied Minors From Central America Foster parents in California are being asked if they can take in unaccompanied Central American children who have recently crossed the southern border. Automated emails and phone calls from the states Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) have asked foster parents if they can take anywhere from one to 26 or more children. Travis and Sharla Kall received a voice message and then a follow-up email in mid-March with the request. At first, it was just strange, Travis Kall told The Epoch Times. He thought it was a mistake until Diandra Causey, a friend and also a foster parent, confirmed with her agency that it was a request to foster unaccompanied minors who had recently crossed the border illegally. We were outraged. Theyre literally going to use the foster system to facilitate human trafficking, he said. Causeys agency sent her a confirmation email stating that CCLD is trying to address the needs of a record number of unaccompanied children who are arriving from Central America, who are escaping impossible situations such as poverty, violence, and natural disasters. The email, which The Epoch Times obtained, adds that the agency will compile a list of its families and hopes to partner with the California Department of Social Services in this endeavor. Unaccompanied minorschildren under 18 who cross the border without a parent or guardianhave traditionally fallen under the purview of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after being processed by Border Patrol. During influxes of unaccompanied minors, HHS has operated as a proxy foster system, charged with placing children with a parent or sponsor in the United Statesmost often a parent or close family relative who already is in the country illegally. On April 10, The Epoch Times talked to two boys from Honduras who had just crossed the U.S.Mexico border into La Joya, Texas. One said he was 17, the other 13; they said their father was in South Carolina. Another group included a girl, 16, and two boys, aged 14 and 7; they said they were from Honduras and their father was in Houston. Parents living here will hire a criminal organization to bring their child into the country, former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan told The Epoch Times. He criticized the Biden administration for facilitating 18,000 family separations in March by dismantling border security measures. The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border illegally hit a record monthly high in March, with 18,663 children apprehended by Border Patrolmore than double that of February. April is projected to be higher still. We know 31 percent of women had been assaulted making that trip. We know children have been assaulted, we know theres children in the hands of criminal cartels, we know what happens to them and its just a travesty, Homan said. By law, unaccompanied minors cant be returned to their home country unless theyre Mexican or Canadian nationals (from contiguous countries). The foster system, however, has usually been reserved for American children who are in dire circumstances and dont have a parent to look after them. Thats why theyre there, because they are in terrible situations, Traviss wife, Sharla Kall, told The Epoch Times. Theyre sitting in a home being neglected. Perhaps, theyre in a home with domestic violence, perhaps theyre in a home with drug abuse. She said foster parents are being placed between a rock and a hard place because there are currently 30,000 American children in the Los Angeles County foster system waiting for placement. We have children that are in horrible conditions right here, right here in our own neighborhoods, she said. Someone loses a bed and its not fair. The majority of unaccompanied minors entering the United States are between the ages of 12 and 17, which is also the most difficult age group for finding foster care placements. The California Department of Social Services said it sent out the initial survey to licensed childrens residential facilities in response to a request from HHS. The department declined to respond to an Epoch Times query asking how many Central American minors its trying to place in foster care. The Kalls both said they believe theyd be fueling the human trafficking trade if they participated in the new initiative. Do I want to help them, yes. But I want to know why theyre really here. I find it hard to believe that someone didnt traffic them here, Sharla Kall said. Theres no way that all of these kids came voluntarily. I cant fathom that. Not in the world that we live in, not when human trafficking is a $150-plus-billion industry. Once an unaccompanied minor is placed into the foster system, theyre automatically on a fast track to citizenship through a special immigrant juvenile status. The SIJ status provides a green card to individuals and entitles them to qualify for state sponsored programs, financial aid, transitional housing, and other supportive programs, according to the Los Angeles County Social Services website. If youre going to have the American people and their tax dollars supporting these children, then we deserve to know the plan. We deserve to know, are you throwing them into this special immigration status? Is that your goal? Sharla Kall said. Show me the plan and we will do it, because we are a great country and we are a great people. And we do care. But we deserve to know exactly whats happening. So that we can properly help. Currently, the administration is spending at least $60 million per week on detaining more than 20,000 unaccompanied minors. The Kalls, who are currently fostering 4-month-old twins, also run a nonprofit organization, Goods for Hope, that fights human trafficking. Theyre asking us to participate in the very thing that were fighting against, Travis Kall said of the foster agency. American citizens need to call their congressmen and senators and tell them they dont want their money going to human trafficking. An inmate at Nairobi West Prison has lamented that a surgery he underwent at Kenyatta National Hospital to remove one of his testicles left him paralyzed from the waist down. Elijah Ngayuni told K24 Digital on Monday, 19 April that he needs help as he fears that he might not be able to have a family. I have four years left to finish my sentence but I am very scared that I might not be able to have a family. I need help, said the convict. The 32-year-old is serving a 10-year manslaughter sentence. He said he was admitted to KNH for a surgical procedure to remove one testicle and secure the other on March 16, 2021. After undergoing a successful four hour surgery, Nyaguni was discharged on March, 18 only for him to develop complications later on. The inmate claimed he can not walk because the anaesthesia used on him during the surgery left him almost paralyzed from the waist. He also complained that the prison has not taken him back for further treatment due to the alleged payment standoff between KNH and the Kenya Prisons Service. The testicle that was removed was twisted, malformed and had an infection that could affect my other good testicle. Thats why it was removed although the situation is getting worse, he said. Sources from Nairobi West prison, however, said the inmate was given an appointment date for 29th September 2021. We cannot take him back to the hospital until the set appointment date. We have a medical facility at the prison and he is been attended to, said the source. An officer at Nairobi West prison told K24 digital that there is no payment dispute between KNH and the prison. ATLANTA, GA, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), an online child care training provider dedicated exclusively to the early care and education workforce, is proud to introduce SOC112: Reducing Exclusionary Discipline in Early Childhood Education to the online child care training course catalog. It has been well established for many years that quality early childhood education benefits young childrens cognitive (thinking), social (human relationships), and emotional (feelings) development. However, sometimes young children in child care and preschool programs behave in ways that are difficult for educators to manage. These behaviors may even be unsafe to the student and others. Disciplining young students and improving their behavior requires specialized training and skills. Exclusionary discipline refers to common practices in early childhood education, such as removing children from their classrooms, sending them home from school early, suspension, and expulsion. This course will explore the harmful nature of these practices and explore how exclusionary discipline impacts different populations of students. The course will also identify strategies early childhood professionals can take to reduce the incidence of exclusionary discipline within early learning environments. Years of research have shown that early childhood education helps students to reach critical developmental milestones. High-quality early childhood education also helps to prepare young students to begin their elementary education years ready to learn. This belief is especially true for students who experience poverty. With students of color being more likely to live in poverty than their white peers, students of color are also most likely to need and benefit from early childhood education yet lack access to it. Exclusionary discipline further prevents access to education. Reduced access to education means less access to the additional support services schools offer and how educators refer to students and families in need. Examples include mental health services and social services (e.g., assistance with meeting food security, housing, and medical needs). Students with disabilities and developmental delays are more likely to receive the services they need while in school Services such as speech and language therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy are often performed in early learning environments as part of early intervention services. When families in need receive these types of services, children experience more success in school as the challenges they are facing can be addressed before growing into more significant issues. When schools exclude students, even in the name of discipline, they send the message to students that they are not wanted, says Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI. Having a deep understanding of child development provides teachers with the capacity to plan how they can effectively respond to childrens behaviors, for instance, by using language they will understand. It may seem overwhelming for individual teachers to carry out effective, unbiased discipline given all the systemic challenges. Indeed, when an entire school works cooperatively to support student behavior in unbiased ways, the best outcomes for students occur. And, teachers are an essential part of these efforts. Even if a school has not committed to this work school-wide, teachers can do much to make their classrooms more supportive of all students, including those who struggle with undesirable or unsafe behaviors. SOC112: Reducing Exclusionary Discipline in Early Childhood Education is a two-hour, intermediate-level course and grants 0.2 IACET CEU upon successful completion. Current CCEI users with active, unlimited annual subscriptions can register for professional development courses at no additional cost when logged in to their CCEI account. Users without subscriptions can purchase child care training courses as individual or block hours through CCEI online enrollment. For more information, visit www.cceionline.edu or call 1.800.499.9907, prompt 3, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST ChildCare Education Institute, LLC ChildCare Education Institute, a division of Excelligence Learning Corporation, provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 150 English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard training provider, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Attachments Ashley Sasher ChildCare Education Institute 678-942-1531 asasher@cceionline.edu Source: ChildCare Education Institute QINGDAO, China, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SOS Limited (NYSE: SOS) (the "Company" or "SOS") announced today that the company has entered into an agreement to purchase 575 cryptocurrency ETH mining rigs. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company is expected to obtain approximately 400 GH of ETH hash rate. The mining rigs are expected to be delivered on or about April 30, 2021. This purchase is another step in implementing SOS' cryptocurrency mining strategy. The Company is pleased it has been able to secure mining capacity during this global mining equipment shortage. Mr. Yandai Wang, CEO of SOS, commented, "we are optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies and Ethereum in particular. This is part of our overall strategy to develop blockchain-based environments and services and which will be a core part of our growth in 2021 and beyond". About SOS Limited SOS is an emerging blockchain-based and big data-driven marketing and solution provider as well as cryptocurrency mining operator. The core infrastructure of SOS' marketing data, technology and solutions to insurance and emergency rescue services is built on big data, blockchain-based technology, cloud computing, AI, satellite, and 5G network, etc. SOS has created a cloud "software as a service (SaaS)" platform for emergency rescue services, with three major product categories: basic cloud, cooperative cloud, and information cloud. This system provides innovative marketing solutions to clients such as insurance companies, financial institutions, medical institutions, healthcare providers, auto manufacturers, security providers, senior living assistance providers, and other service providers in the emergency rescue services industry. SOS has obtained a national high-tech enterprise certification and the title of "Big Data Star Enterprise," awarded by Gui'an New District Government. Staying on the forefront of digital technology innovation, the Company has registered 99 software copyrights and 2 patents. For more information, please visit: http://www.sosyun.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, our expectations for future financial performance, business strategies or expectations for our business. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. SOS cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Words such as "may," "can," "should," "will," "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target," "look" or similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Specifically, forward-looking statements may include statements relating to the Company's: expected hash rate for its mining rigs; expected mining results for the second quarter of 2021; intention to grow and install more mining rigs; ability to execute its business plan; changes in the market for SOS' products and services; and expansion plans and opportunities. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and our management's current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but not are limited to, the risk factors described by SOS in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this press release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from historical performance and include, but are not limited to: SOS's cryptocurrency mining, security and insurance businesses are still under development, with many uncertainties in research of relevant technologies; failure to access a large quantity of power at reasonable costs could significantly increase SOS operating expenses and adversely affect our demand for SOS's mining machines; shortages in, or rises in the prices of mining machines may adversely affect the Company's business; any significant or prolonged failure in the data warehouse facilities and data mining facilities that SOS operates or services it provides, including events beyond its control, would lead to significant costs and disruptions and would reduce the attractiveness of its facilities, harm its business reputation and have a material adverse effect on its results of operation; security breaches or alleged security breaches of our data warehouses could disrupt SOS operations and have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operation; and Chinese government's policies and regulatory oversight of cryptocurrency mining operation; mining operation; other risks and uncertainties indicated in SOS's SEC reports or documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by SOS. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements in deciding whether to invest in our securities. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. SOURCE SOS Limited By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Europe's top court ruled on Tuesday that Malta's system for appointing judges aligned with EU standards, in a case which campaigners said had forced the government to carry out reforms. The ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) came after Repubblika, an organisation which campaigns to protect justice and the rule of law in Malta, challenged the country's system of appointing judges in a national court. That court then sought guidance from the Luxembourg-based CJEU on whether the Maltese system complies with the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights and the CJEU set out the criteria to guarantee judicial independence and impartiality. The CJEU judges said it was not counter to EU law for a prime minister to appoint members of the judiciary as long as an independent body assessed candidates and gave an opinion. The Maltese requirement that the prime minister must provide the reasons for choosing a candidate not put forward by the independent body was an additional safeguard, they said. Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomed the ruling. "It demonstrates that our reforms have been recognised and our judicial system has been effectively strengthened for the benefit of our citizens," he said in a tweet. Campaign group Repubblika said the government would not have carried out the reforms if it had not brought the case in 2019. "In fact, a week ago, for the first time, judges were nominated for appointment without the government having anything to do with their selection," Repubblika said. The ruling, which came amid criticism of moves by fellow-EU members Poland and Hungary to control judicial appointments, noted EU states had committed to upholding the rule of law and said they must not undermine the independence of the judiciary. The CJEU last month backed the right of Polish judges applying to join the country's Supreme Court to appeal against the opinions of a body which reviews candidates, underlining a rift over the rule of law between the country and the bloc. Story continues In reaction to Tuesday's ruling, Polish Deputy Justice Minister Sebastian Kaleta said the European Commission demands standards of Poland that it does not demand of other countries. "We will... consistently defend Poland's right to self-determination," he said. "We hope that today's decision will end this largely non-legal dispute, this political dispute," he added, referring to Poland's clashes with the EU over the rule of law. The European Commission has long accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of undermining freedoms of courts, media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and academics, as well as of violating the law with his restrictive migration policies. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, additional reporting by Anna Koper and Alan Charlish in Warsaw; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Ed Osmond) Israel has registered eight cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in India and believes that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is at least partially effective against it, an Israeli health official said on Tuesday. An initial seven cases of the Indian variant were detected in Israel last week among people arriving from abroad and who have since undergone preliminary testing, the Health Ministry said. "The impression is that the Pfizer vaccine has efficacy against it, albeit a reduced efficacy," the ministry's director-general, Hezi Levy, told Kan public radio, saying the number of cases of the variant in Israel now stood at eight. Read | CCMB testing Covid-19 vaccines' efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 double mutation variant The ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more details on the research into the Indian variant. Britain and Ireland have also said they are investigating the variant after detecting it within their borders. Israel, whose population is 9.3 million, has fully vaccinated around 81 per cent of citizens or residents over the age of 16. Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations are down sharply. Intellectual disability is most often caused by changes to the genome that take place in early fetal development and are not found in the parents DNA. This is why the risk of recurrence in the next sibling of the family is very small, as indicated by a study conducted at the University of Helsinki. Furthermore, Finns do not have a higher risk of inherited developmental disorders compared to other Europeans. The prevalence of intellectual disabilities, which means difficulties with learning and understanding new things, is roughly 1-2% in the population. People with a severe intellectual disability need help from others in daily activities throughout their lives. Such disabilities can be caused by genetic changes or external factors. According to estimates, roughly 2,500 genes underlie intellectual disability, of which approximately half remain unidentified. In recent years, the diagnostics for intellectual disabilities have improved thanks to advancements in techniques that make it possible to sequence the entire genome. These techniques can also help to identify causes of intellectual disability not found in other medical examinations and tests. Exome sequencing, that is, the sequencing of the protein-coding regions of genes in the genome, enables the identification of new pathogenic gene variants as well. Identifying genes is a prerequisite for identifying disease mechanisms and developing treatments. The study conducted at the University of Helsinki utilised exome sequencing to determine the potential genetic background of intellectual disability. The study participants included Finnish families with family members with delayed cognitive development for which no clear cause had been identified. The results were recently published in the Human Genetics journal. It was found that in 64% of the study participants the cause of their developmental disorder was a known intellectual disability gene. The majority of these variants, 75%, was the result of random mutations taking place during foetal development (de novo), and variants not found in the parents' genome. An inherited mutation was identified in no more than a quarter of the pathogenic genes studied. More large-scale structural variants, which are usually not inherited, were found in only 8% of the families. Based on our findings, the risk of recurrence of intellectual disability in the next child of individual families is usually low." Irma Jarvela, Docent According to Jarvela, this is a significant and relieving piece of information for many families. She believes the use of exome sequencing as a primary method of examination in the diagnostics for intellectual disabilities is well justified. The technique makes it possible to investigate the cause of disability faster than before, which alleviates the uncertainty and concern felt by families, as well as generates savings in healthcare. "The more familiar we are with the factors underlying intellectual disabilities and their hereditary nature, the better we are able to help families that encounter these serious disorders," Jarvela adds. Human settlement history does not increase the prevalence of inherited diseases The Finnish population has become known for its recessively inherited severe diseases caused by single gene defects known as founder variants, with some 40 of such diseases known so far. The recently published study demonstrated that de novo variants created in early foetal development are the most common cause for intellectual disabilities also in the Finnish population. Known variants associated with recessive diseases were identified in only 5% of the families included in the study, a result in line with other European populations. "In spite of the isolated nature of our population, Finns are not different from other European populations in terms of the inheritance of intellectual disabilities," Jarvela says. A distant family connection going back 7 to 10 generations reduces the risk of establishing an recessively inherited disease even in small populations. "In the light of contemporary gene research, the Finnish disease heritage appears an increasingly rare find. Related research in Finland is of a high medical standard," Jarvela emphasises. In the recently published study, nine new candidate genes were identified, of which a handful were found to be recessive. In further research, one of these genes could turn out to be a previously unknown gene enriched in the Finnish population. The study was conducted in cooperation with Finnish doctors involved in the treatment of people with intellectual disabilities and the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Helsinki as well as Columbia University and the Baylor College of Medicine in the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 22:05:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi sent on Tuesday a message to his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa over the latest developments on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Egypt is keen to launch a serious negotiation to reach a legally binding agreement that meets the interest of the three countries," said the message. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry delivered the message in a meeting with the South African president, during which Shoukry highlighted the latest developments of GERD issues, including the results of the latest round of failed talks among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in Kinshasa. They also discussed means of boosting bilateral relations in all fields, added the statement. South Africa was the third stop following Kenya and Comoros of Shoukry in his African tour to brief the African leaders on the recent updates on the GERD issue. Shoukry is expected to head to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Tunisia later. Ethiopia said in February that it would carry on with the second-phase 13.5-billion-cubic-meter filling of the GERD in July. Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia have been in talks for years over the technical and legal issues related to the filling and operation of the GERD. Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the dam project, while Egypt and Sudan, downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the river for its freshwater, are concerned that the dam might affect their share of the water resources. Enditem According to a decision made at a regular meeting of the government on Monday, the curfew hours will remain unchanged, from 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., starting from Thursday until the end of Ramadan, reports Xinhua news agency. Kuwait City, April 20 (IANS) Kuwait will extend the ongoing partial curfew until the end of Ramadan as part of the country's efforts to curb the further spread of Covid-19, the government announced. Minister of Health Bassel Al-Sabah said at the meeting that there is an increase in deaths and infections with more people in intensive care units (ICUs). The decision may be re-assessed with the regular review of the pandemic situation, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said after the meeting. The government also urged residents and citizens to assume social responsibility and get the Covid-19 vaccine, saying it is the only way to reduce deaths and infections as well as pressure on ICUs. On April 1, the Kuwaiti government decided to further shorten the curfew by one hour to last between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., and allow walk inside residential areas between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. from April 8 to April 22. --IANS ksk/ The report, based on research at a unique fossil site in Utah, provides new evidence that tyrannosaurs were social carnivores and not solitary hunters as popularly envisioned. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The fearsome tyrannosaur dinosaurs that ruled the northern hemisphere during the Late Cretaceous period (66-100 million years ago) may not have been solitary predators as popularly envisioned, but social carnivores similar to wolves, according to a new study. The finding, based on research at a unique fossil bone site inside Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument containing the remains of several dinosaurs of the same species, was made by a team of scientists including Celina Suarez, University of Arkansas associate professor of geosciences. "This supports our hypothesis that these tyrannosaurs died in this site and were all fossilized together; they all died together, and this information is key to our interpretation that the animals were likely gregarious in their behavior," Suarez said. The research team also include scientists from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colby College of Maine and James Cook University in Australia. The study examines a unique fossil bone site inside Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument called the "Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry" that they say exceeded the expectations raised even from the site's lofty nickname. "Localities [like Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry] that produce insights into the possible behavior of extinct animals are especially rare, and difficult to interpret," said tyrannosaur expert Philip Currie in a press release from the BLM. "Traditional excavation techniques, supplemented by the analysis of rare earth elements, stable isotopes and charcoal concentrations convincingly show a synchronous death event at the Rainbows site of four or five tyrannosaurids. Undoubtedly, this group died together, which adds to a growing body of evidence that tyrannosaurids were capable of interacting as gregarious packs." In 2014, BLM paleontologist Alan Titus discovered the Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry site in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and led the subsequent research on the site, which is the first tyrannosaur mass death site found in the southern United States. Researchers ran a battery of tests and analyses on the vestiges of the original site, now preserved as small rock fragments and fossils in their final resting place, and sandbar deposits from the ancient river. "We realized right away this site could potentially be used to test the social tyrannosaur idea. Unfortunately, the site's ancient history is complicated," Titus said. "With bones appearing to have been exhumed and reburied by the action of a river, the original context within which they lay has been destroyed. However, all has not been lost." As the details of the site's history emerged, the research team concluded that the tyrannosaurs died together during a seasonal flooding event that washed their carcasses into a lake, where they sat, largely undisturbed until the river later churned its way through the bone bed. "We used a truly multidisciplinary approach (physical and chemical evidence) to piece the history of the site together, with the end-result being that the tyrannosaurs died together during a seasonal flooding event," said Suarez. Using analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes and concentrations of rare earth elements within the bones and rock, Suarez and her then-doctoral student, Daigo Yamamura, were able to provide a chemical fingerprint of the site. Based on the geochemical work, they were able to conclusively determine that the remains from the site all fossilized in the same environment and were not the result of an attritional assemblage of fossils washed in from a variety of areas. "None of the physical evidence conclusively suggested that these organisms came to be fossilized together, so we turned to geochemistry to see if that could help us. The similarity of rare earth element patterns is highly suggestive that these organisms died and were fossilized together," said Suarez. Excavation of the quarry site has been ongoing since its discovery in 2014 and due to the size of the site and volume of bones found there the excavation will probably continue into the foreseeable future. In addition to tyrannosaurs, the site has also yielded seven species of turtles, multiple fish and ray species, two other kinds of dinosaurs, and a nearly complete skeleton of a juvenile (12-foot-long) Deinosuchus alligator, although they do not appear to have all died together like the tyrannosaurs. "The new Utah site adds to the growing body of evidence showing that tyrannosaurs were complex, large predators capable of social behaviors common in many of their living relatives, the birds," said project contributor, Joe Sertich, curator of dinosaurs at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. "This discovery should be the tipping point for reconsidering how these top carnivores behaved and hunted across the northern hemisphere during the Cretaceous." Future research plans for the Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry fossils include additional trace element and isotopic analysis of the tyrannosaur bones, which paleontologists hope will determine with a greater degree of certainty the mystery of Teratophoneus' social behavior. In stark contrast to the social interaction between humans and among many species of animals, paleontologists have long debated whether tyrannosaurs lived and hunted alone or in groups. Based on findings at a site in Alberta, Canada, with over 12 individuals, the idea that tyrannosaurs were social with complex hunting strategies was first formulated by Philip Currie over 20 years ago. This idea has been widely debated, with many scientists doubting the giant killing machines had the brainpower to organize into anything more complex than what is observed in modern crocodiles. Because the Canadian site appeared to be an isolated case, skeptics claimed it represented unusual circumstances that did not reflect normal tyrannosaur behavior. Discovery of a second tyrannosaur mass death site in Montana again raised the possibility of social tyrannosaurs, but this site was still not widely accepted by the scientific community as evidence for social behavior. The researcher's findings at the Unicorns and Rainbows Quarry provides even more compelling evidence that tyrannosaurs may have habitually lived in groups. ### [April 20, 2021] LG Innotek Develops Automotive Lighting Module 'Nexlide-E' Brightness improved by 63%. Applicable to the front/rear of an automobile. 0.2mm thick optical film is used to produce a customized lighting module. Target the global market with "the automotive light source solution service." SEOUL, South Korea, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Innotek (CEO Cheol-dong Jeong) announced on the 20th that it had developed 'Nexlide-E,' an automotive lighting module that produces bright and uniform light. This automotive lighting module is made of three parts. An LED package, which is a light source, is mounted on a thin substrate. Then, optical resin covers the package and substrate for protection. Lastly, a thin optical film is attached on top of the package to spread the light brightly and evenly. The module can be used as taillights, stop lamps, and headlights. The Nexlide is LG Innotek's automotive lighting service brand that has the meaning of a next-generation light source. The name was produced by combining the words 'Next,' 'Lighting,' and 'Device.' LG Innotek provides automotive lighting module products as well as customized solutions such as optical device design, lighting design proposal, and more with the Nexlide brand. The Nexlide-E is 63% brighter than the previous product and produces more uniform light. LG Innotek applied a high-performance and high-reliability optical film to improve the lighting performance. The company's micropatterning technique was used in the film to give a variety of lighting effects. Due to its brightness, this lighting module can replace multiple automotive lamps with different brightness standards into one module. This can improve space efficiency and allow more design variations of a vehicle's lamps. The maximum brightness of the Nexlide-E has been raised from 80 cd (candela, the unit of brightness) to 130 cd, making it 63% brighter than the previous product. This satisfies the brightness standard of taillights, turn signals, and stp lamps. The stop lamps have the most strict brightness standard. In Europe and North America, they are required to be 110 cd or higher. This is because stop lamps must be recognizable in any circumstances for driving safety. The Nexlide-E is also power efficient, because the module is bright enough with a small amount of electricity. This is particularly important for electric and hydrogen vehicles in increasing their mileage range (corresponding to fuel economy in conventional vehicles). Also, car manufacturers can replace different lightings of a vehicle such as a taillight and stop lamp into one lighting module using the Nexlide-E. The product's high brightness makes this possible by satisfying the different brightness levels of taillights, stop lamps and turn signals. As the number of lighting modules used decreases, car manufacturers can design slimmer and more compact lamps, and increase space efficiency by widening the trunk and such. The Nexlide-E also has the advantage in that it produces a uniformly bright light. Even as a wide lamp, it produces smooth and uniform light without blind spots or sudden breaks caused by lighting level drops. To achieve such a bright and uniform light, LG Innotek developed a new optical film for the Nexlide-E. An only 0.2mm thick film produced with the company's unique micropatterning technique is attached to the automotive lighting module. Different types of the optical film create various lighting effects. The micropatterns can be changed according to the type of optical film to increase brightness by collecting the beam, produce a surface light source by diffusing the light or even produce a three-dimensional light shape. With optical films, LG Innotek can produce customized lighting modules without complex design changes or using additional components such as an inner lens. LG Innotek will leverage the Nexlide-E to expand its share in the automotive lighting module market. To do so, the company has been active in promotions targeting global car makers in the U.S., Japan, Europe and South Korea. The first vehicle equipped with the Nexlide-E is expected to be mass-produced in the latter half of this year. LG Innotek is also focusing on the development of next-generation lighting products. The company is developing another type of optical film that further raises the brightness and uniformity of the light. It is also developing the Nexlide-C+, a 3D lighting module that produces 3D light shapes without any devices such as a half-mirror that assists 3D effects within a lamp. Insoo Ryu, VP, Head of the Automotive Components & Electronics Business Division, said, "The Nexlide-E is an innovative product that satisfies the customer needs for distinctive automotive lighting designs that give characters to vehicles. With the Nexlide brand, LG Innotek will continue to deliver a safe and enjoyable driving experience with the automotive light source solution service." Global Market Insights, a market research institute, predicts that the automotive lighting market will grow from USD 32.6 billion in 2021 to USD 38.5 billion in 2026. About LG Innotek Co.,Ltd. LG Innotek is a cutting-edge materials and components manufacturer and an affiliate of the LG group. The company's business units include core components for mobiles, automotive, display, semiconductors, and IoT. Furthermore, the company has cooperated closely with the mobile devices, home appliances, and automotive companies, producing camera modules, automotive electronic components, wireless communication modules, and substrate materials. LG Innotek is headquartered in Seoul, Korea and its sales subsidiaries are located in Germany, USA, Mainland China, Japan, and Taiwan with production subsidiaries in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, and Poland. For more information, please refer to the website: www.lginnotek.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lg-innotek-develops-automotive-lighting-module-nexlide-e-301272635.html SOURCE LG Innotek [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mark Jahnke, chair of the Board of Trustees at Cincinnati Children's, will lead a national search to find Fisher's successor. The executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles will assist in the effort. Cincinnati Children's is the region's largest hospital and second largest employer a $2.6 billion nonprofit with a workforce of 16,500. Fisher joined the medical center as chief executive in January 2010 and is the longest-serving CEO among local health systems. "I love Cincinnati Children's and all that we do for kids and their families, our community, and our employees," Fisher said. "While our work is never done, we are stronger than ever." Fisher noted that he is looking forward to more life flexibility as well as broadly engaging in the business arena and helping his family in entrepreneurial and investment endeavors. "My intellectual curiosity and energy have never been greater," Fisher said. "As I move to this next chapter of my career, my heart and passion will always be for kids, our community and Cincinnati Children's." Jahnke noted that Fisher's leadership has positioned Cincinnati Children's well for the future. "Michael's commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of kids in Cincinnati and beyond will continue to have a profound influence," Jahnke said. "While navigating the changing and challenging medical and research landscape for over a decade, Michael has championed a vibrant and inclusive culture and built an extraordinary team of doctors, nurses, scientists, and other valued employees. He has helped us further elevate excellent and compassionate care, expand services, and increase financial strength even amid a pandemic. We are grateful and proud of all Michael has achieved for Cincinnati Children's as well as kids and families everywhere." Cincinnati Children's clinical services, research accomplishments, financial strength, and reputation have grown significantly under Fisher's leadership. For the last 10 years, Cincinnati Children's has ranked No. 3 or higher in U.S. News & World Report's survey of Best Children's Hospitals. survey of Best Children's Hospitals. Cincinnati Children's 1.38 million patient encounters in 2020 benefited children from all 50 states and 51 countries, including those treated for complex or rare disorders. The medical center ranked No. 2 last year in number of pediatric research grants bestowed by the National Institutes of Health. Sponsored program awards increased to a total of more than $240 million annually during Fisher's tenure, with the majority coming from the NIH. Safety has always been a foundational responsibility and Number 1 priority for Fisher. He has chaired the Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety, an international network of more than 140 pediatric hospitals, since its inception over 10 years ago. The network's efforts have saved over 18,000 children from serious harm and an estimated $421.9 million in healthcare costs. Fisher also has been a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. During his tenure, Cincinnati Children's has consistently been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity and Best Employers for Women. The medical center also has received the Healthcare Equity Leader Award from the Human Rights Campaign for exceptional LGBTQ+ healthcare. And in January 2020, Cincinnati Children's increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour, helping to enhance the wellbeing and success of more than 3,000 employees. As Cincinnati Children's prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday in 2033, Fisher has led the development of Pursuing our Potential Together so all kids can pursue theirs, an aspirational plan focused on building an even brighter future. Cincinnati Children's long-term commitments include re-imagining and personalizing care, dramatically improving prevention and treatment for mental health, helping the region's kids be the healthiest in the nation, and leading the way as a model employer with a vibrant culture. That future also includes the medical center's largest expansion ever, a Critical Care Building to serve patients with cancer, heart ailments and other complex conditions. Set to open in Avondale in 2021, the facility will feature a state-of-the-art emergency department. In addition, construction is to begin this year on a new inpatient mental health facility at the College Hill campus. Many nonprofit and civic causes have benefited from Fisher's board leadership. Fisher serves on the CEO Public Policy Advisory Committee of the national Children's Hospital Association, and he is a board member and past chair of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association. A longtime member of the Cincinnati Business Committee, Fisher also has played a key role in RESTART, a local taskforce created to ensure the Cincinnati region has a strong and inclusive economic recovery as it regains the momentum it had before the COVID-19 crisis. Before joining Cincinnati Children's, Fisher was president and CEO of Premier Manufacturing Support Services, a supplier of maintenance and nontechnical services to the global automotive manufacturing industry. Fisher also has been president and CEO of the 5,000-member Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and he has been an affiliate partner of the Lindsay Goldberg private equity investment firm. A Cincinnati native, Fisher is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School and Stanford University. ### SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Related Links http://cchmc.org/ Yves here. It should not be surprising to learn that some people get Covid even after being fully vaccinated. To put it bluntly: What about 91% efficacy (per Pfizer) dont you understand? 91% is not 100%. But we had a reader who said she was trying to keep tabs on breakthrough cases, so we thought this piece might be of broad interest. Having said that, US officials have done an appallingly poor job of educating the public and have made the dangerous mistake of overpromising. Less than a month ago, the CDCs head Rochelle Wolensky made the gobsmacking claim that dont carry the virus and dont get sick. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky: Our data from the CDC today suggest that vaccinated people do not carry the virus. pic.twitter.com/9W1SHecSEm The Recount (@therecount) March 30, 2021 And its not just Walensky who is engaging in this sort of misleading messaging. The TV here is often to ME TV, the old peoples channel, which is what my mother mainly watches. Thanks to ME TV ads, I know way too much about pricey drugs like Ozempic and Rybelsis, aa well as the local ambulance chasers. On the 14th, she had the sound on (she sometimes has it off and just reads subtitles). I heard my first Covid public service announcement ad. It was a Q&A format, with only two questions. The first was on whether it was possible to contract Covid from the vaccine. The answer was no because it contains no live virus. I dont recall the precise formulation of the second question, but the answer was a clear statement: Yes, the vaccine will prevent you from getting a Covid infection. Even our woman-of-few-words aide (who is a certified nursing assistant) that day reacted strongly and out of character talked back to the TV: No, thats not right. Not only do we have many examples of breakthrough cases, as youd expect given the large number of vaccinations so far, we also have cases of outbreaks in long term care facilities, where vaccination rates have been high. For instance, see this April 10 report of 22 outbreaks in facilities in the Dallas area. A doctor in the Dallas area elaborated on the significance: All of the long term care nursing homes rehab centers in the Dallas area ALL OF THEM are approaching 98% vaccination rates and we are well out 6-12 weeks ago they got vaccinated first. There are but a handful of religious hold outs and they are apparently in very strict isolation. Now given the high level of holdouts among care workers (in New York State, the level is about 40%, as an indicator), and that quite a few work at more than one facility, they would seem to be the most likely culprits for introducing the contagion. Separately, a disturbing feature of this piece is that it asserts that vaccine-created immunity is likely to be superior to that of getting the disease. IMHO this is another terrible way to sell getting vaccinated. You get vaccinated not to wind up in the hospital and maybe die. Period. Its a far better way to get Covid immunity than contracting the disease. And it is not crazy to think that the vaccine reduces severity of other bad outcomes. But the disgrace in the US is that we are doing terrible follow up. Its all ad hoc and far too reliant on patient and sometimes doctor initiated accounts. The fact is no one yet knows how long the vaccine-induced immunity lasts. While it is hard to prove a negative, Lambert and I have been following studies and the news closely. We have yet to see anything beyond expert intuition supporting the claim that the vaccine-generated immunity will last longer than that of getting infected. Pfizer has only ventured that the vaccine is effective for up to six months. Both Pfizer and Moderna are telling the public to expect to take boosters annually. By contrast, large-scale data from the UK, the only country to test citizens on a regular, systematic basis, has led researchers to say that immunity from contracting Covid lasted at least six to eight months. Vaccine-created immunity may prove to be more durable, but to keep presenting that as yet another fact runs the risk of feeding more skepticism if that proves not to be true. By Steven Findlay. Originally published at Kaiser Health News Robin Hauser, a pediatrician in Tampa, Florida, got Covid in February. What separates her from the vast majority of the tens of millions of other Americans who have come down with the virus is this: She got sick seven weeks after her second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. I was shocked, said Hauser. I thought: What the heck? How did that happen? I now tell everyone, including my colleagues, not to let their guard down after the vaccine. As more Americans every day are inoculated, a tiny but growing number are contending with the disturbing experience of getting Covid despite having had one shot, or even two. In data released Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 5,800 people had fallen ill or tested positive for the coronavirus two weeks or more after they completed both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. A total of about 78 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. These so-called breakthrough infections occurred among people of all ages. Just over 40% were in people age 60 or older, and 65% occurred in women. Twenty-nine percent of infected people reported no symptoms, but 7% were hospitalized and just over 1%, 74 people, died, according to the CDC. Public health officials have said breakthrough infections were expected, since manufacturers have warned loudly and often that the vaccines are not 100% protective. The Pfizer and Moderna versions have consistently been shown to be above 90% effective, most recently for at least six months. Studies have also shown they are nearly 100% effective at ensuring that the small fraction of vaccinated patients who do contract the virus will not get severe cases or require hospitalization. Still, people are usually shocked and befuddled when they become the rare breakthrough victim. After months of fear and taking precautions to avoid contracting Covid, they felt safe once they got their shots. Hauser, 52, had stayed home from work to care for her kids, ages 21 and 16, both of whom had contracted the virus. She was confident she was protected. She was also taking care of her father, who has cancer. Its a minor miracle that I didnt infect him before I realized I, too, was sick, Hauser said. In keeping with the viruss fickle behavior, Hausers husband, Brian, who had not yet been vaccinated, also never got infected. Masha Gessen, a staff writer for The New Yorker, completed the two-shot process in mid-February. A month later, Gessen fell ill and tested positive after both Gessens son and partner, Julia Loktev, had weathered bouts of Covid. The experience was unsettling, even a bit traumatic, Gessen said. Loktevs illness occurred six days after her first dose. The psychological effect of getting the virus after a year of being very, very careful and getting vaccinated got to me, Gessen, 54, said in an interview with KHN. It took me about three weeks to feel back to normal. Gessen wrote about the experience this month in The New Yorker. Dr. Kami Kim, director of the infectious disease and international medicine division at the University of South Florida in Tampa, said physicians are equally disturbed when these cases crop up. All this, while anticipated, is definitely confusing and frustrating for people, both doctors and patients. We are all learning on the go and making judgments about whats best for our patients and ourselves, Kim said. Vaccine manufacturers said the number of breakthrough cases reported by the CDC was not surprising. Modernas latest analysis of its vaccine clinical trial data shows 900 people got Covid after being vaccinated, consistent with 90% or more efficacy for the vaccine, company spokesperson Colleen Hussey said. Pfizer spokesperson Jerica Pitts said the company would monitor trial participants for two years after their second dose to learn more about the Pfizer vaccines protection against Covid. In their reporting, the CDC is defining a breakthrough case strictly as illness or a positive test two weeks or more after full vaccination. But tens of thousands of people who have had a first shot or are short of two weeks after their second shot are also getting infected. Pfizer and Moderna report data showing up to 80% protection from infection two weeks or so after the first shot. But most experts believe protection ranges widely, from 50% to 80%, depending on the length of time after the shot and the individual variation that exists with any vaccine. The second shot boosts immunity further but not for a few days, at minimum, and then builds over two weeks. And again, this could vary from person to person. Leslie Fratkin, 60, a freelance photographer in New York City, got her second Pfizer dose March 12. So she was surprised when clear symptoms of covid showed up March 24 and she was quite sick at home for three days. You cant print the words I uttered at the time, she said. The CDC advises people who get Covid after a first shot to get the second dose soon after recovery, with no minimum wait time specified. Thats a change from prevalent advice back in December and January, when some state health departments advised people to wait 90 days after a bout of Covid to get a first or second shot, and especially a second shot. Driving this important change is mounting evidence from studies and experience indicating that immunity to infection conferred by the vaccines is stronger and possibly more stable over time than immunity derived from Covid infection. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policyat the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said further research and better public health guidance are urgently needed. For example, is a second dose even needed for people who get covid after the first dose, or does the infection itself serve as enough of an immune system booster? And if a second shot is recommended, whats the optimal waiting period before getting it? These are important practical questions that need to be prioritized, Osterholm said. We are sort of flying blind now. Other countries have handled the second dose rollout differently. In the U.K., health authorities delayed it up to 12 weeks, to stretch vaccine supply and prioritize getting at least one shot into more peoples arms more quickly. In Canada, a government vaccine advisory committee recommended April 7 that second doses be delayed up to four months. At two press briefings this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a covid adviser to President Joe Biden, said that the number of breakthrough cases in the U.S. so far is not cause for alarm and that the administration will continue to monitor these instances closely. One important line of investigation is how big a role variants or mutated versions of the initial coronavirus play in these breakthrough cases. Research suggests the current vaccines may be somewhat less effective against some new variants. Martha Sharan, a CDC spokesperson, said the agency is now urging states to use genetic sequencing to test virus specimens from patients with breakthrough cases to identify variants. In Washington state, for instance, eight variants were detected in the genetic sequencing of nine breakout cases reported through April 3. Today the Biden administration announced $1.7 billion in spending would be directed from the covid relief bill to help the CDC, states and other jurisdictions more effectively detect and track variants by scaling genomic sequencing efforts. The CDC also has launched a national covid vaccine breakthrough database in which state health departments can store and manage data. We are behind on sequencing samples, said Osterholm. That will give us valuable information. KHN senior correspondent JoNel Aleccia contributed to this story. Steven Findlay, a KHN contributing reporter, came down with covid 30 days after his first dose and 24 hours after his second dose. Photo credit: Michael W Eaton Egypt Sherrod is a household name on HGTV. She debuted on the network in 2012, stepping in as host of the hit show Property Virgins (Sandra Rinomato was the host from 2006 to 2011) and hooking fans with her bubbly personality and practical advice. She went on to headline the show's spinoff series, Flipping Virgins, which ran from 2015 to 2019. Since then, she has continued to make occasional appearances on the networkmost recently appearing on Rock the Block season two. But Sherrod is much more than a real-estate-broker-turned-TV-star. The Philadelphia native plays many roles, both in the media and IRL. Here are nine things you might not know about Egypt Sherrod. She's a mom of three. Sherrod has three daughters: Harper, 2, Kendall, 8, and her 19-year-old step-daughter Simone with husband Mike Jackson. As she writes in her blog, motherhood is one of her greatest achievements. "Honestly, its the best job I never knew I wanted," she shares, noting that she was the last of her friend group to become a mother. But she has "zero regrets on waiting until later in life." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Her husband is also passionate about real estate. Sherrod is married to Mike Jackson (aka DJ Fadelf Jackson). While his main job is making music, he and his wife have many shared interests. Jackson is also a licensed contractor, realtor, and author. He works as a fitness trainer, too! This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She's a published author. Sherrod doesn't just share her wisdom on TV, she also writes about it. In 2015, she published her first book Keep Calm . . . It's Just Real Estate: Your No-Stress Guide to Buying a Home, where she demystifies the home-buying experience for first-timers as well as relocators. The book was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. She's been a radio host for over 20 years. Though it's taken a back seat to some of her more recent work, her career in the world of radio broadcast is admirable. On-air, she's interviewed Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, and the late James Brown to name a few. She's also been syndicated in more than 60 cities throughout the United States. Story continues Sherrod got her start in radio while studying at Temple University. She was able to turn her work-study job as a receptionist for the college's public radio station into an on-air slot, as HGTV writes. "So back then, if someone had a call, you had to go over the intercom and say, You have a call parked on 101. I would just sort of have fun with that, and everyone at the station would laugh," Sherrod recalled. So the production director of the radio station, I guess he saw something in me. He said, I think you're ready to audition for a radio slot. His little investment of time [shows how] planting a little seed can change someones life." She's a thrill-seeker. As she tells HGTV, she and her husband love adrenaline-rushing activities like rock climbing and skydiving. One particular skydiving trip was life-changing in many ways. "I actually found out I was pregnant [with Kendall] on the same day I landed from skydiving," she told the network. "It was crazy, because when I jumped out of the plane I started feeling queasy and I thought it was the air pressure, but it was the start of morning sickness." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She has an eye for design. Sherrod doesn't just know how to sell and flip a house; she also knows how to decorate one. Though she doesn't consider herself an interior designer, she recently spoke with House Beautiful about the meditation space she designed for herself during quarantine. But get this: It's inside a closet. After her home office became a classroom for her daughters (oh, virtual school!), she designed this little space for herself to retreat to whenever she needed alone time. Photo credit: Derek White Sherrod has also shown off her talents in other rooms of the house. She designed this gorgeous nursery for her daughter Harper. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She created her own foundation. The HGTV star founded the Egypt Cares Family Foundation to help tackle serious issues in underserved communities. According to her blog, the foundation has hosted seminars and clinics to educate families on homeownership and financial planning, as well career advancement. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She's an Oprah Winfrey Network star, too. HGTV isn't the only place to watch Sherrod. She's made several appearances on OWN, most notably as the host of the Love & Marriage Huntsville reunion specials, and got up close and personal with her husband in OWNs Black Love Doc. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She's a motivational speaker. Sherrod is a natural-born speaker. Paired with her passion for helping others, it's no surprise that she also's a motivational speaker. She's taken the stage at Essence Magazines Wellness Festival, Oprahs The Life You Want Tour, as well as a number of other empowerment, wellness, and business events. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram . You Might Also Like The on Monday did not respond to questions on the request by of India to lift export ban on certain raw materials needed for ramping up production of COVID-19 vaccine. The question in this regard was asked twice on Monday -- once during the morning briefing on COVID-19 and later during the daily news conference by Press Secretary Jen Psaki. The of India has been saying that the Biden administration is blocking exports of raw materials that it needs to make COVID vaccines, and the has also urged President Biden to lift that embargo. So I wanted to ask which raw materials are at issue here? And do you have any plans to address Serum's concerns? asked a reporter during the morning news conference by the White House COVID-19 Response Team. Both Dr Anthony Fauci, Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Dr Andy Slacitt, the White House COVID-19 response senior advisor said they had no answer. "I don't I'm sorry. We could get back to you on that, I'm sure. But I don't have anything for you right now," Fauci said. "Let us get back to you. Suffice to say we are taking very seriously the global threat from the pandemic. We've been a leader in the funding of COVAX, have done several bilateral transfers of vaccines, and are looking very hard and taking very seriously all of these complex issues, we'll get back to you on the specifics," Slavitt said. A similar question was asked during the daily news conference. India is facing a critical shortage of raw materials necessary to make vaccines. And officials there are urging the US to lift embargo on exporting those raw materials. My colleagues in India are reporting today that the Biden administration recently told India that its request was being considered and would be acted at the earliest'. Could you provide some more details on that and maybe some timeline? a reporter asked Psaki. In response Psaki referred to a recent speech at WTO by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai. "The significant inequities we are seeing in access to vaccines between developed and developing countries are completely unacceptable. Extraordinary times require extraordinary leadership, communication, and creativity," she said. "We, of course are working with WTO members on a global response to COVID. That includes a number of components, whether it's USD 4 billion commitment to COVAX, or discussions about how we can aid and assist countries that need help the most." "But our focus is on determining the most effective steps that will help get the pandemic under control. We don't have anything further in terms of next steps or a timeline, but we are considering a range of options, Psaki said. President Joe Biden's administration announced an increase Tuesday of 22,000 visas for temporary seasonal workers who will be allowed to work in the U.S. this year as the economy recovers from the pandemic. His decision is a reversal of policy from former President Donald Trump, who halted the program under immigration limits set by his administration. The Department of Homeland Security said the U.S. would approve an additional 22,000 H2-B seasonal worker visas on top of the annual limit of 66,000 set by Congress. It cited increased demand from employers, with the number of people seeking jobless benefits at the lowest point since the outbreak of COVID-19. The H2-B visa program has bipartisan support in Congress and with businesses across the nation. It is used to fill jobs in such areas as landscaping, construction, hotels and restaurants as well as in seafood and meat processing plants and amusement parks. Trump last year authorized an additional 35,000 H-2B visas above the annual cap. But three months later he halted the program along with other foreign worker programs under a sweeping executive order. Biden let the order expire. President Joe Biden's administration announced an increase of 22,000 visas for temporary seasonal workers Number will include 6,000 of the visas for people from the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala - above asylum seekers cross into US from Mexico Employers are required to attest that they are likely to suffer 'irreparable harm' if they do not receive workers under the program. In announcing this year's annual supplemental increase, DHS said it would set aside 6,000 of the visas for people from the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Central Americans, struggling with the pandemic, the aftermath of two hurricanes and more long-standing problems, make up a major portion of the increasing number of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. along the Southwest border. In March, about 85,000 of the 172,000 migrants caught at the border came from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Biden officials have urged migrants not to travel to the border while systems are established that allow them to seek asylum from their home countries or come to the United States through other legal pathways. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the visas reflect the administration's goal of 'expanding lawful pathways for opportunity in the United States' for people from the Northern Triangle countries. Former presidents Park Geun-hye, left, and Lee Myung-bak / Korea Times file By Nam Hyun-woo Debate is being reignited over pardoning two imprisoned former presidents and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, following increasing calls by opposition lawmakers and businesses asking President Moon Jae-in to exercise leniency and send a message of unity to a divided public. Cheong Wa Dae and the government say they are not considering a presidential pardon at the moment, but speculation is mounting, because such a move could be an effective way for Moon and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to recover lost support. The debate on pardoning former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye resurfaced after President Moon named former lawmaker Kim Boo-kyum as new prime minister last week. Former President Park has been imprisoned after being found guilty of using National Intelligence Service funds for personal use and interfering in her political party's primaries, while Vice Chairman Lee was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of bribery and embezzlement. Kim, who served as the chairman of the DPK's special committee on national unity, is widely considered a figure suitable to remedy Korea's political divide and seek unity between liberal and conservative parties. The prime minister-nominee built his liberal political career in the country's conservative strongholds such as Daegu. During a TV appearance in January, Kim said the matter of pardoning former presidents could be discussed when public consent is accompanied by Moon's agreement and a willingness for change among political groups. When asked about the issue during a meeting with reporters on Tuesday, the prime minister-nominee said he has "yet to grasp the full context of the current debate on presidential pardons" and will not answer questions on the subject until his confirmation hearing that will be held soon. After Kim's nomination, conservative politicians have been calling for the exonerations of the former presidents. Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, who contested the presidency with Moon during the previous presidential election and is now an independent lawmaker, wrote on Facebook that the President should pardon the former leaders to "manage state affairs in a reconciliatory mood." Former conservative lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, a presidential hopeful, also said in a forum on April 8 that Moon should decide whether to release the presidents before the end of his tenure in May 2022. Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) also said on Sunday that it is a matter of national dignity and Moon should pardon the ex-presidents. Despite calls from the opposition bloc, pundits say presidential pardons remain a tough decision. Former Prime Minister and former DPK head Lee Nak-yon was once considered the strongest presidential contender, but faced heavy protest from his own party after commenting that he may ask Moon to grant pardons for the former presidents. "During a press conference in January, Moon has said that he thinks it is difficult to use the right [to grant pardons] unless there is a public consensus on the issue," said Park Seong-min, CEO of Min Political Consulting. "The issue will only bring up conflict within the DPK." Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong enters the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul in this Jan. 18 photo. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han Richard Bacon has revealed he received the Covid-19 vaccine 'significantly earlier' than others in his age group because of his near-fatal lung infection in 2018. The TV presenter, 45, appeared on Tuesday's edition of Loose Women where he informed the panellists that he got his vaccination because doctors told him he had a 'higher chance of dying' if he got the virus following his previous illness. Reflecting on what happened, he said: 'They told me I was meant to die. They said if you get another illness in the next five years you have an increased risk of dying, and then Covid happened. Health: Richard Bacon, 45, revealed on Tuesday he had the Covid-19 vaccine early because doctors told him he had 'a higher chance of dying' after near-fatal lung infection in 2018 'I got my vaccine significantly earlier because of my medical returns. Factually if I'd got it I'd have a higher chance of dying compared to others my age.' In 2018, Richard was rushed to hospital after a virus 'exploded' in his lungs during a flight from the United States. He went on to spend 12 days in intensive care and nine in an induced coma, as medics battled to save his life from the mystery infection. In 2018, Richard was rushed to hospital after a virus 'exploded' in his lungs during a flight from the United States, and he said of Covid-19: 'If I'd got it I'd have a higher chance of dying' Honest: Reflecting on his mystery infection, he said: 'They told me I was meant to die. They said if you get another illness in the next five years you have an increased risk of dying' During an appearance on Good Morning Britain after recovering from the illness, he explained: 'I felt very bad for [my wife] Rebecca. For me, I found out afterwards how close I'd come [to death]. 'As they were putting me in the coma she rubbed my feet and said "don't walk towards the white light", which I think was a joke, but I'm not entirely sure. 'There was one point where they had the crash equipment hovering over me, my body turned blue, there was a moment when they believed I was going to die.' Illness: In 2018, Richard spent 12 days in intensive care and nine in an induced coma, as medics battled to save his life from the mystery infection The star, a healthy eater who does twice daily gym sessions, went to Lewisham Hospital's walk in centre complaining of struggling to breathe in July 2018. Explaining the hours before he went to hospital he said: 'It was bad luck; I breathed something in. 'The working theory, they never really worked out what it was exactly, is that I got on the plane at the wrong time and the pressurised cabin caused this infection in both of my lungs to explode everywhere.' Struggle: During an appearance on GMB after recovering from the illness, he explained that wife Rebecca (pictured) 'said "don't walk towards the white light"' when he was in a coma 'When I got off the plane I couldn't breathe properly. I did something really stupid which is, I believed that because I go to the gym a lot I'd kind of be fine. 'Obviously working on your biceps has no impact on what's going on in your lungs. So, I left it 18 hours. When I got to A&E that's when it all kicked off.' 'I was very, very close to death,' he said adding that doctors 'went from telling me I needed to be in an induced coma to being in a coma in 4 minutes'. 'They said to me afterwards, "it wasn't that you might die, we expected you to die". I was the illest person in Lewisham hospital.' 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 around 3 p.m. On Tuesday, the Advance/SILive.com visited Family Man Empanada Cart -- a food cart stationed on Richmond Avenue between Nome Avenue and Draper Place -- offering pickup on Staten Island. The cart is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or until supply runs out. Updates are posted on the Family Man Empanada Cart Facebook Group by cart owner Nick Mendez. The cart is not out on Sundays. 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. Filled Cafe and Silogan, 701 Bay St. Taste of India II, 287 New Dorp Lane Il Sogno, 26 Jefferson Blvd. Genki Sushi, 150 Greaves Lane Beso, 11 Schuyler St. Filoncino Cafe, 4569 Amboy Road The Colonnade Diner, 2001 Hylan Blvd. Joyces Tavern, 3823 Richmond Ave. Sagara Food City, 98 Victory Blvd. COLUMBUS, OhioOhios death-penalty system is broken, immobilized by state officials years-long fruitless struggle to find lethal-injection drugs. Yet, the states governor and lawmakers have so far taken no meaningful steps toward permanently addressing the major problems with the states death penalty. Instead, the leaders appear to be content to have capital punishment remain in a sort of legal purgatory, leaving more than 130 Death Row inmates, as well as their victims loved ones, in limbo about what the future will hold for Ohios death penalty. The status quo is unacceptable, said Attorney General Dave Yost, a Columbus Republican who said he supports the death penalty with reservations. If we dont think that this is the appropriate highest sanction anymore, then we owe it to the families of these victims to tell them that its not available -- thats not the law anymore, said Yost, who recently issued a report blasting the glacial pace of death-penalty cases. But if it is the law, we need to honor the law and the applied commitment to justice, and faithfully carry out the law. Ohio has executed only three people in the last seven years, as pharmaceutical companies have refused to sell state officials the drugs used in lethal injections. Gov. Mike DeWine said last year that he will refuse to allow any more executions to take place until state lawmakers decide on an alternative to lethal injection. Beyond that, though, fixing the states death penalty is not on DeWines list of priorities right now, as hes instead focused on the ongoing coronavirus crisis, said spokesman Dan Tierney. Ohio legislative leaders havent indicated that capital punishment is high on their priority list either. But if lawmakers decide to act, they have two options going forward: change the states execution method or abolish Ohios death penalty altogether. Ohio House Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, has said he wants to look at alternative execution methods. But theres little excitement at the Statehouse to jump into such a debate, which involves a discomforting topic, political landmines, and a difficult challenge to craft an execution policy that isnt found by the courts to be unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment. Some Democratic lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully for years to abolish the death penalty altogether. But this year, one Republican state senator has said theres now enough GOP support for the legislature to pass a bill ending capital punishment. But Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Bob Cupp, both Lima Republicans, control which bills are put to a vote. And both say they are death-penalty supporters. Huffman is allowing committee hearings to be held on the Senates version of recently introduced twin anti-death penalty bills. Huffman said earlier this month that he would allow a floor vote on the measure if an overwhelming number of senators support it. Cupp told reporters Thursday that the Ohio Senate will initially take the lead in examining what to do about the states death penalty. The implementation of the death penalty has some serious impediments at this time, Cupp said. What the alternatives are is something that will obviously be explored in this process. State Rep. Jeff LaRe, a Fairfield County Republican who chairs the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee, said hes heard no talk about finding an alternative execution method, and that it remains to be seen how anti-death penalty legislation will fare in the House. LaRe said lawmakers need to have a conversation about what to do about Ohios death penalty, as there is a cost to keeping the status quo. At the same time, he added, Something of this nature, I think, you certainly dont want to rush it. Every other death-penalty state is facing the same dilemma, and only a handful of states are still actively carrying out executions, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Different states have responded in different ways. Last month, Virginia abolished its death penalty. Several states have revived the electric chair or firing squads as backup execution methods if lethal injection isnt available. Other states have turned to drug manufacturers called compounding pharmacies to obtain lethal-injection drugs and passed laws shielding the identities of the companies. (Ohio has tried that tactic but still hasnt found a compounding pharmacy willing to sell drugs for executions.) Something will happen eventually, Dunham said of Ohios death-penalty situation. And the things that will happen are either legislation or executive action or a new governor. Ohio Public Defender Timothy Young, on the other hand, said the states current uncertainties over the death penalty wont go away, because they reflect the inherent flaws of capital punishment. Ohio is no different than anywhere else, Young said. This is the functional failure of a system that has never worked. Youre just seeing it come to this crashing halt. Read more Ohio politics and government stories: Rep. Jim Jordan joins effort to cancel Major League Baseballs antitrust exemption after its decision to move the All-Star game Ohio Supreme Court hears arguments over whether state historical society can take over golf course built on ancient earthworks Facebook officials dispute antitrust lawsuit filed by Ohio, other states Former top prosecutor on Ohio House Bill 6 bribery case expects no trial in 2021 Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Jane Timken says she wasnt a 2016 Kasich presidential donor, but records say otherwise PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French food company Danone SA (DANOY.PK) reported Tuesday that its first-quarter consolidated sales were 5.66 billion euros, down 9.4 percent from 5.66 billion euros last year. Sales were down 3.3 percent on a like-for-like basis, reflecting Covid-related headwinds. Volume was down 3.7 percent. In terms of regional dynamics, Europe and North America sales declined 2.8 percent on a like-for-like basis. Rest of the World sales decreased 4.2 percent, with China, Latin America, and Africa experiencing continued pressure in the quarter. Looking ahead, Danone expects to be back to like-for-like growth in second quarter, and to return to profitable growth in the second half of 2021. Further, the company reiterated fiscal 2021 outlook. Full-year recurring operating margin is expected to be broadly in line with 2020. 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. No fewer than 905 million COVID-19 shots have been administered worldwide, according to Our World in Data (OWID). The OWID, is a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems such as poverty, disease, hunger, climate change and war. OWID, disclosed this on its official website handle on Tuesday. It added there was already a stark gap between vaccination programmes in different countries, with some yet to report a single dose. Some countries do not provide data for the number of people who have been partially or fully vaccinated. A vaccinated person refers to someone who has received at least one dose of a vaccine, and a fully vaccinated person has received all required doses of a vaccine, it said. According to it, while vaccine doses remain relatively scarce globally, most countries have focused their early vaccination efforts on priority groups like the clinically vulnerable; people in their 60s, 70s and older; and front-line workers, like doctors and nurses. It stated that there was also a striking divide between continents. Africa had the slowest vaccination rate of any continent, with some countries yet to start mass vaccination campaigns. Less wealthy countries are relying on a vaccine-sharing arrangement called Covax, which aims to provide two billion doses by the end of the year. 83 per cent of shots that have gone into arms worldwide have been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Only 0.2 per cent of doses have been administered in low-income countries, it stated. It also stated that some countries may have started to administer doses, but have not yet reported data. It noted that countries with no reported vaccinations either have not started a widespread vaccination campaign or were not regularly reporting data on the number of doses administered. Doses administered are plotted on a log scale. Most of the vaccines currently in use require two doses for a patient to be fully vaccinated. In February the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorised a one-shot vaccine by pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson for emergency use in the United States. READ ALSO: WHO Where each vaccine is being used Oxford-AstraZeneca129 countries, Pfizer-BioNTech 87 countries, Sinopharm-Beijing 29 countries, Gamaleya (Sputnik V) 26 countries, Sinopharm-Wuhan two countries, Johnson&Johnson two countries, Bharat Biotech (Covaxin), one country and Vector Institute(EpiVacCorona), one country. Only countries that report doses administered are shown. Other countries may have approved vaccines but have not administered them yet, OWID said. ADVERTISEMENT The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria has administered 1.09 million shots of the AstraZeneca. (NAN) The first three infections with the U.K. variant were detected on Dec. 28, and since then variant infections have been found among 31 local communities here so far. Fears are mounting because the variants are thought to be more infectious and vaccination rollout has been glacially slow. Coronavirus variants are spreading fast in Korea. According to health authorities on Monday, 70 more people were infected with variants on April 12-18, up from 49 the previous week. This brought the total number of variant infections to 914. Besides the three major variants -- the U.K., South African and Brazilian -- nine patients were diagnosed with the Indian variant, two in March and seven in April. Of the total variant infections, 286 arrived from abroad but the rest were infected here. That suggests the spread could have been stemmed if the borders had been closed. Health authorities have banned flights from the U.K., where the first variant infection was detected, and demanded certificates of negative COVID test results is from all arrivals, but some seem to be slipping through the net. Meanwhile, health authorities have announced plans to give AstraZeneca shots to 173,000 essential personnel such as police officers, coast guards and firefighters over 30 from April 26. Originally, they had been supposed to get their shots in June, but the schedule has been moved up as the vaccine was suspended for 640,000 under-20s in essential frontline jobs due to a risk of blood clots. Inoculations for 257,000 medical professionals over 30 and 77,000 patients with chronic kidney diseases will also start on April 26. Meanwhile, the daily tally of new coronavirus infections stood at 549 on Tuesday morning, the second day in a row that the figure has been under 600. YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian and Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan visited the town of Goris in the Syunik Province where a meeting with Mayor Arush Arushanyan, Sisian Mayor Artur Sargsyan, Khndzoresk Mayor Yervand Malunts, Hartashen Mayor Armen Khachatryan and Karahunj Mayor Lusine Avetyan was held to discuss the border situation and related issues. The presidency said in a statement that Sarkissian was long planning a visit to Syunik but the trip was delayed due to his COVID-19 infection. Today Ive come to see with my own eyes what Ive been hearing about, to hear from you personally about the problems, and to think how I can help, President Sarkissian told the mayors. The mayors presented to the President the post-war situation and issues, from which they pointed out the issues related to security and demarcation as priorities. They also mentioned that residents of border villages, whose main occupation is farming, are now deprived from the opportunity of using pastures, even some land areas which are their private properties, because these areas have fallen under Azerbaijani control. This is further complicating the already difficult social-economic situation, the presidency said in a news release. The difficulties of unemployment, namely in the tourism sector of Goris, as well as problems with infrastructures were also mentioned. The possibilities of the Office of President of Armenia in assisting to solve the problems were also discussed. Sarkissian told the mayors that within his powers hell maximally try to assist in solving the issues. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan TEL AVIV, Israel and BOSTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WhiteSource , the leader in open source security and management, today announced it has acquired Diffend, an open source malware security and threat detection solution. All of Diffend's current commercial offerings will now be available for free under its new name WhiteSource Diffend. Through the acquisition, WhiteSource is now able to offer an advanced platform for mitigating software supply chain risk. Recent software supply chain attacks demonstrate that application security needs have gone beyond detection to include continuous prevention. "Scanning for malicious packages after they are installed is too late," says Maciej Mensfeld, founder of Diffend. "Organizations must start blocking malicious packages before they are downloaded or installed. WhiteSource Diffend is designed for near-invisible, exception-based alerting on software supply chain security threats that doesn't interfere with developers' work." Mensfeld added, "in the past week alone, the Diffend platform has been responsible for detecting and reporting 60 suspicious packages to Rubygems, all of which have now been removed, benefiting all open source users." Maciej Mensfeld joins WhiteSource as Senior Product Manager for Software Supply Chain Security. Software supply chain attacks breach users' inherent trust in modern application architectures. They occur when malicious code is added to commercial or open source software that is directly or indirectly deployed by the client or used as part of the build and publish process. The potential damage of a software supply chain attack can be severe. It ranges from impacting application traffic to exposing sensitive systems and data as a result of abusing access permissions. While some malicious attacks attempt to remain undetected until production, others are like a virus and attack immediately. WhiteSource Diffend requires a single install for the entire organization and blocks any malicious package install or update to protect not only the production app but also the entire CI system. Thanks to innovative classification rules for suspicious components, this ultimate shift-left tool provides maximum protection by blocking a package before it even reaches a developer's machine without taking up valuable developer time. WhiteSource Diffend compounds Diffend.io capabilities into an advanced platform for mitigating software supply chain risk, providing a threefold protection layer. First, the solution offers governance and vulnerability management for open source security throughout the development lifecycle, including analysis of open source licensing and other metadata. Second, WhiteSource Diffend provides malware protection against critical malware attacks, such as malicious takeovers, ATO attacks, and package tampering. Finally, threat detection capabilities include assessment of open source component permissions as well as detection, reporting, and alerting of suspicious component permissions. Overall, WhiteSource Diffend manages the greatest risks associated with open source third-party dependencies. Diffend's existing capabilities will remain free while also integrated into WhiteSource's enterprise products, for the added benefit of unified policy controls and management capabilities. "Malicious package exploits are black swan events: rare, but very high risk," said Rami Sass, Co-Founder and CEO of WhiteSource. "Warning developers to be on the lookout for software supply chain security threats doesn't improve security." Sass added, "WhiteSource Diffend helps our customers stay a step ahead of any security risk and enables developers to work uninterrupted with code they can trust." About WhiteSource WhiteSource is the pioneer of open source security management. Founded in 2011, its vision is to help organizations meet all their application security needs within the software development life cycle. WhiteSource is used by more than 800 customers worldwide, from all verticals and sizes, including 23% of Fortune 100 companies, as well as industry leaders such as Microsoft, IBM, Comcast, and many more. For more information, please visit www.whitesourcesoftware.com . SOURCE WhiteSource Related Links http://www.whitesourcesoftware.com After many years of trying, Florida is closer than ever to repealing its 50-year-old motor vehicle no-fault law. However, many industry stakeholders have expressed opposition to the legislation passed by the Florida Senate last week and its companion bill approved by the House Judiciary Committee Monday, saying the proposals will actually raise rates for many Florida drivers and be ineffective at weeding out fraud. Floridas current no fault law requires drivers to carry personal injury protection coverage of $10,000. If passed, the new law would instead require that drivers carry bodily injury liability coverage with limits starting at $25,000 per person. Senate Bill 54 and House Bill 719 would also create a new framework to govern motor vehicle claims handling and third-party bad faith failure to settle actions against motor vehicle insurance carriers. The bills also require policies include a medical payments option of $5,000, though under the House version insureds can opt out of purchasing the coverage. SB 54s minimum liability requirements for motor vehicle ownership or operation include: For bodily injury (BI) or death of one person in any one crash, $25,000, and, subject to that limit for one person, $50,000 for BI or death of two or more people in any one crash. Retaining the existing $10,000 financial responsibility requirement for property damage. Eliminating the limitations on recovering pain and suffering damages from PIP insurers, which currently require bodily injury that causes death or significant and permanent injury. Insurers may also offer medical payments coverage with limits of $10,000, without a deductible, to cover medical expenses of the insured. Insurers can offer other policy limits that exceed $5,000 and may offer deductibles of up to $500. SB 54 requires that insurers must reserve the first $5,000 of MedPay benefits for 30 days to pay providers of emergency services or hospital inpatient care. The exclusion of a specifically named individual from specified insurance coverages under a private passenger motor vehicle policy, with the written consent of the policyholder, is also authorized under the bill. Florida is one of only two states in the country that does not currently require drivers to carry liability coverage that would immediately kick in if they cause harm to another person while operating a motor vehicle, said Senate President Wilton Simpson in a statement. For everyones protection, drivers must be insured at sufficient levels. PIP coverage levels are clearly insufficient. Its the right time for Florida to move to mandatory coverage for bodily injury liability. Included in the Senate version of the bill and added Monday to the House version is the creation of a new framework for motor vehicle insurance bad faith actions. The bill requires insurers to follow claims handling best practices standards based on long-established good faith duties related to claims handling, claim investigations, defense of the insured and settlement negotiations, a Senate statement said. But industry groups say the proposed bad faith reforms will not reduce lawsuits, which is a primary driver of costs for the states insurers. Meaningful reforms to Floridas deeply unfair bad faith system should be included to help reduce lawsuits, said Michael Carlson, president and CEO of the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida. While the Senate bill includes an attempt at bad faith reform, it has been weakened by the trial bar to the point that it may not help reduce lawsuits. The American Property Casualty Insurance Associations (APCIA) Assistant Vice President of State Government Relations Logan McFaddin said the proposals lack any meaningful reforms to Floridas bad faith laws, which will only serve to fuel the current cycle of lawsuit abuse, worsen Floridas legal environment, and could lead to even higher costs for consumers. Specifically, McFaddin said HB 719 is a considerable step backward and [will] do nothing to alleviate the current abuses of Floridas bad faith laws. PIFF and APCIA said the passage of the proposed PIP repeals would likely raise costs for Florida drivers, particularly those who buy the minimum required insurance or who currently buy bodily injury coverage at amounts below what the proposed law requires. Floridas uninsured motorist rate would likely increase from its current 20%, the groups said, as more low-income and underinsured drivers will be unable to purchase higher amounts of coverage. Florida drivers currently pay the highest premiums in the nation, according to MarketWatch data. In Florida, approximately 40% of drivers carry minimum limits that are below what would be required under SB 54. Under the current proposal, these drivers could see their auto insurance costs rise by $165 to as much as $876 a year, said McFaddin. Florida cannot afford the higher insurance rates generated by HB 719 and SB 54, Carlson said. Senator Jeff Brandes was the lone vote in the Senate against SB 54. Brandes supported a previous version that did not include a mandatory MedPay option, and said there was insufficient time to gather data on if the amended bill would lower rates for Florida drivers. Brandes voiced concern the new version would increase the number of uninsured drivers in the state and harm low-income policyholders. We have no basis for making claims that rates will go down, he said. Twenty percent of Floridians are driving around without auto insurance and if we raise prices, more Floridians will drive around without insurance that is a huge problem for me. APCIAs McFaddin said lawmakers are attempting to eliminate the major public policy through a rushed process without an objective study on the cost impact to consumers. However, Senator Danny Burgess, SB 54 sponsor, asserted his bill would eliminate fraud in the system that would lower costs and would offer an overall reduction in rates. The bill, he said, is trying to right a very broken system. The goal of this legislation is to lower the number of uninsured and underinsured drivers and provide a greater safety net in the event of an accident. Replacing our current no-fault system with a bodily injury liability system more appropriately places liability where it should be with the party that caused the accident, said Burgess. He added the new framework for handling bad faith litigation, will lead to better outcomes for both insured Floridians and their insurance companies. A report from the Office of Insurance Regulation in February noted that overall loss trends for automobile insurance losses in Florida are continuing to increase for the most significant coverages such as BI liability, PIP, and comprehensive coverage. The increases are a result of cost drivers such as a higher rate of fatal crashes in Florida than the rest of the country, higher loss trends for BI and PIP, and the costs of services associated with auto insurance such as medical care, hospital care and motor vehicle body work. These trends in auto insurance rates will likely continue, regardless of whether PIP remains or is replaced by BI, the report stated. If PIP is repealed and replaced with mandatory BI and MedPay, without addressing bad faith and litigation trends, increased litigation and claims costs associated with the new mandatory coverages could increase premiums dramatically. HB 719 now goes to the full House for a vote. If passed and signed by the governor, the new system would take effect Jan. 1, 2022. Topics Auto Florida Great Barrington Police Arrest Man Hiding Under A Shed GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. Police arrested a Sheffield man with an active warrant after fleeing arrest. Monday morning Great Barrington Police Officers responded to a fight in progress at the Cumberland Farms on Main St. While investigating the fight, a man identified as a potential witness was determined to have an active warrant out of the State of Connecticut for a probation violation. While being placed into custody, Mitchell Tyler, 35, of Sheffield, fled from police into the woods behind Cumberland Farms. Great Barrington Police was assisted by Officers from Sheffield, Egremont, New Marlborough, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, as well as the Massachusetts State Police in establishing a perimeter around the Christian Hill Road/Lake Mansfield Road area. The Sheffield Police K9 unit was deployed and tracked Tyler to a residence on Knob Hill Road where he was found hiding under a shed. Tyler was taken into custody without incident. Tyler will be held without the right to bail overnight at the Great Barrington Police Department and will be arraigned as a fugitive from justice at Southern Berkshire District Court on Tuesday. [April 20, 2021] MX And Moov Bring Faster Account Verification, Money Movement To Fintechs SILICON SLOPES, Utah and NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MX, the leader in modern connectivity and data enhancement for financial institutions, today announced it is partnering with Moov Financial, the developer-first payments platform, to provide instant account verification (IAV) and money movement to fintechs and companies of all sizes. Moov's technology allows platforms, marketplaces, and software companies to quickly embed payment functionality into their software to accept, store, and disburse money seamlessly. Moov and MX's offering includes an attractive pricing model for startup fintechs and SaaS companies looking for a complete turnkey solution. The combined solution between MX and Moov provides faster, more secure and reliable IAV, resulting in an improved money experience for customers who are adding banking and payment functionality to their solutions, especially those trying to modernize their technology or switch over from legacy products. Moov has quickly grown to address one of the significant remaining hurdles for fintechs and their unique use cases complete optionality and control over the API without having to worry about security, risk, or compliance. "Whether you think of yourself as a fintech or not, every modern company is seeking a way to automate its process to accept, store, and disburse money," said Wade Arnold, CEO of Moov. "Developers want the best user experience possible for their application. MX's ability to provide fast IAV makes the payment experience swift and more seamless than it would have been without the joint solution." "Moov is transforming the way fintechs enable account verificatio, money movement, and ACH payments through APIs," said Brandon Dewitt, Cofounder and CTO of MX. "We align with their mission to help fintechs and organizations focus on building amazing new experiences. Fintechs like Moov are a big reason why a massive digital shift is happening across the banking industry." MX and Moov's efforts help organizations automate the Money Experience by connecting accounts at nearly any financial institution in the United States for seamless, low-cost, and low-risk money movement. "MX's ability to provide real-time balance inquiry throughout its vast network before a transaction drastically decreases the risk of a failed payment," said Arnold. "With Moov, MX customers can leverage their existing accounts for payments without requiring users to re-authenticate or enroll, making money movement a simple addition to their experience." About MX MX, the leader in modern connectivity and data enhancement for financial institutions and fintechs, helps organizations everywhere connect to the world's financial data and turn raw, unstructured data into their most valuable asset to deliver intelligent and personalized money experiences. MX connects more than 16,000 financial institutions and fintechs providing the industry's most reliable and secure data connectivity network. Additionally, MX powers 85% of digital banking providers, as well as thousands of banks, credit unions, and fintechs, with a combined reach of over 200 million consumers. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @MX or visit www.mx.com About Moov Financial Moov makes it easy for developers of platforms, marketplaces, and SaaS companies to accept, store, and disburse money. We remove financial complexity by connecting directly to the payment networks, enabling various payment modalities, working hand-in-hand with regulators, and ensuring bank compliance, so your developers don't have to. Moov's investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, RRE Ventures, Canapi Ventures, Commerce Ventures, Gradient Ventures, and Uncorrelated Ventures. Follow Moov on Twitter @Moov or visit www.moov.io to get early access. CONTACT Tom Cook, tom.cook@mx.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mx-and-moov-bring-faster-account-verification-money-movement-to-fintechs-301272659.html SOURCE MX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Expansionary monetary policy causes asset prices to rise and thereby makes those who own assets wealthier. But this wealth is unevenly distributed among households, and therefore the income from it (capital income) will also be unevenly distributed. Expansionary monetary policy can thus lead to more uneven capital income. At the same time, unemployment decreases when monetary policy is expansionary. This makes labour income more even than it otherwise would have been. As the effects on capital income and labour income counteract each other, it is unclear what effect the expansionary policy has on income distribution in total. But this does not stop higher asset prices leading to more uneven wealth distribution. In this speech, I will highlight a phenomenon that can mitigate this effect. I will start with an example that illustrates what I mean by hidden wealth. The Norwegian oil fund is one of the world's largest funds. In 2019, the value of the fund was 285 per cent of Norway's nominal GDP. Norway's revenue from oil operations are added to the fund and the assets are then invested abroad. The nominal return has been a good 6 per cent a year on average since the fund started in 1996. Every year, the Norwegian state may utilise the fund's average real return. The real return is assumed to be 3 per cent per year on average. About 20 per cent of the Norwegian government budget is currently financed via the oil fund. Tempers can run hot in motor racing, but regardless of the intensity of the competition, drivers need to keep it together better than Luca Corberi, who was competing in an FIA World Karting Championship event in Italy last fall. After being sidelined from the race, Corberi threw a piece of bodywork from his kart at a rival racer on the track. Corberi missed his intended target but another driver struck the errant bumper. And after the race was over, Corberi charged at his rival and started punching him. Both incidents were captured on video. https://twitter.com/F1FeederSeries1/status/1312763376066596866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1312763376066596866%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Faccelerator%2F36884%2Fdisgruntled-driver-recklessly-hurls-front-bumper-at-rival-during-race https://twitter.com/F1FeederSeries1/status/1312777784725516293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1312777784725516293%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Faccelerator%2F36884%2Fdisgruntled-driver-recklessly-hurls-front-bumper-at-rival-during-race Now, six months later, the FIA has handed Corberi a 15-year ban from all motor racing sanctioned by the organization. After the incident, Corberi took to Facebook to issue an apology for attacking racer Paolo Ippolito, with whom he had tangled on the track. "I'd like to apologize to the motorsport community for what I've done," he wrote, adding that he was quitting motorsports competition for life. The FIA ban, at least, helps cement that decision. Meanwhile, Corberi might want to consider some anger-management classes. Related video: The Philippines will resume administering AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to people below 60 years of age, health officials said on Monday, ending a temporary suspension over reports of rare blood clots in younger recipients overseas. "The benefit outweighs the risk. Only a small percentage of the population had these adverse effects for AstraZeneca," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a regular news conference, referring to countries where blood clots were reported. Health authorities will release guidelines to include different precautions on the use of the AstraZeneca shots, Vergeire added. The European Medicines Agency had earlier recommended to include blood clots as a rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Southeast Asian nation has yet to record blood clots as side effect. It suspended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine for under 60s on April 8. The Philippines, a country of 108 million people, is battling one of the worst outbreaks in Asia but has administered less than 1.5 million shots of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% of which were first doses. It has recorded 936,133 COVID-19 cases and 15,960 deaths due to the virus. The Philippines has received 525,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX international vaccine-share facility. More than 900,000 more were to be shipped in May or June, according to health ministry data. Vaccines from China's Sinovac Biotech accounts for 83% of doses so far delivered to the Philippines. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver remarks Tuesday evening after the conviction of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. Biden, Harris and first lady Jill Biden called members of the Floyd family moments after the verdict, according to video posted by family attorney Ben Crump. Biden told the family, Nothing is going to make it all better, but at least now there is some justice. He added, Were all so relieved. Biden said he hoped the verdict would give momentum to congressional police reform efforts. According to the White House, Biden and Harris watched the verdict live from the private dining room just off the Oval Office. Biden is expected to speak after remarks from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the Floyd family. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 18:31:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Tehran is not interested in a step-by-step plan to achieve results in the current nuclear talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna, a government spokesman said on Tuesday. "We are not interested in such method to achieve results in Vienna talks," said Ali Rabiei at a weekly press briefing. According to semi-official Mehr news agency, he also urged the U.S. government to return to its commitments under the Iran nuclear deal. Iran "will also verify it in a short time, then it will return to its commitments immediately," Rabiei added. Regarding Iran's recent production of 60-percent enriched uranium, he said that "60-percent enrichment in Natanz nuclear site proved Iran's technical ability to respond to any act of sabotage against its nuclear facilities." "Vicious acts cannot undermine Iran's scientific progress in the peaceful nuclear industry," he added. Similarly, Iran's nuclear negotiators also rejected step-by-step plans or an interim agreement, Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is only talking about the final step in lifting the oppressive sanctions against the Iranian nation, and rumors such as step-by-step plans or an interim agreement are baseless," said Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who led the Iranian delegation to the Vienna talks. Enditem Advertisement The National Guard activated more than 3,000 troops as the Derek Chauvin jury retired and hundreds marched through Minneapolis on Monday demanding justice for George Floyd. Closing arguments were heard Monday in Chauvin's trial with a prosecutor telling jurors that the officer 'had to know' he was squeezing the life out of George Floyd as he cried over and over that he couldn't breathe and finally fell silent. Following the arguments, the jurors retired to deliberate as demonstrators took to the streets of Minneapolis. Images showed hundreds marching through the city demanding justice for Floyd while waving Black Lives Matter flags and holding signs that read 'Blue Lives Murder'. Demonstrators gathered outside the Hennepin County courthouse, which is surrounded by high fences and concrete barricades topped with barbed wire. National Guard troops have been deployed by the hundreds in anticipation of the verdict. The Minnesota National Guard activated more than 3,000 guardsmen to assist Minneapolis law enforcement as a precaution. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is privately weighing how to handle the upcoming verdict in the trial. Scroll down for video Protesters gathered in Minneapolis on Monday as the jury started their deliberations toward a verdict in the case against Derek Chauvin, who faces murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd Images showed hundreds marching through the city demanding justice for Floyd while waving Black Lives Matter flags A demonstrator is seen holding a sign that reads 'Blue Lives Murder' A demonstrator is seen with hundreds of others who arrived at the Hennepin County Courthouse for a protest on Monday Protesters held signs that demanded justice for George Floyd The White House has been warily watching the trial proceed in Minneapolis and is preparing for the possibility of unrest if a guilty verdict is not reached in the trial. President Joe Biden may also speak if a guilty verdict is handed down, the White House aides said. The verdict - and the aftermath - will be a test for Biden, who has pledged to help combat racism in policing, helping African Americans who supported him in large numbers last year in the wake of protests that swept the nation after Floyd's death and restarted a national conversation about race. But he also has long projected himself as an ally of police, who are struggling with criticism about long-used tactics and training methods and difficulties in recruitment. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the White House has had a 'range of conversations' about preparations for the upcoming verdict and added: 'Our objective is to ensure there is space for peaceful protest.' 'Of course we'll let the jury deliberate and we'll wait for the verdict to come out before we say more about our engagements,' Psaki said. Psaki said administration officials have been in contact with leaders in Minnesota and in other cities and states that saw unrest after Floyd's death last year. She declined to answer if Biden would be 'disappointed' if a not guilty verdict was reached. Protesters take to the street in Minneapolis as jurors begin deliberations following the trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin Local organizer Brandyn Tulloch speaks to the crowd during a demonstration on Monday Local organizer Brandyn Tulloch speaks to the crowd during a demonstration on Monday in Minneapolis People are seen holding placards showing Floyd's face (pictured) Hundreds marched through the streets of Minneapolis on Monday People hold placards as they protest outside of the courthouse during the trial of former Minneapolis police officer who is charged with murdering Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday Demonstrators protest near the Hennepin County Courthouse on Monday in Minneapolis, Minnesota The Rev Jessie Jackson speaks to the crowd at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue on Monday in Minneapolis The FBI and the US attorney's office in Minnesota have been working with local officials to support law enforcement as they prepare for the possibility of unrest after the verdict, officials said. And the Justice Department has also dispatched specially trained community facilitators ahead of a verdict, according to a senior Justice Department official. The official could not discuss the plans publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The officials, part of the Justice Department's Community Relations Service, tout themselves as 'America's Peacemaker' by mediating disputes in communities and holding listening sessions to help prevent future conflicts. A federal civil rights investigation, separate from the trial, remains ongoing. Several witnesses were subpoenaed earlier this year to appear before a federal grand jury considering charges against Chauvin. The Justice Department's civil rights investigation has been focused on Chauvin and some of the witnesses, including other officers who worked with Chauvin, people familiar with the matter have told the AP. Chauvin was prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder in Floyd's death before then-Attorney General William Barr personally blocked the plea deal last year. Barr rejected the deal in part because he felt it was too soon, as the investigation into Floyd's death was still in its relative infancy, law enforcement officials said. Across the country, police departments are also preparing for the possibility of rioting or other unrest, with some canceling vacation time and increasing the number of officers available for shifts. The federal government hasn't detailed its plan in the event of widespread or sustained civil unrest. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that there has been a request from officials in Washington, DC, for DC National Guard forces in the event there is civil unrest in the nation's capital, and it is currently being reviewed by the Army. He said the Army secretary has the authority to approve any request for DC National Guard but did not have details on the request. We are thrilled to add the vetted and professionally managed Homelike inventory to our rapidly expanding 3SIXTY tech platform. Lee Curtis RESIDE Worldwide, Inc. (http://www.staywithreside.com), a premiere prop-tech alternative accommodations firm with operations in over 19,000 cities and 60 countries (RESIDE), announced today the creation of an innovative partnership with Homelike (http://www.thehomelike.com) one of Europes fastest growing prop-tech start-ups. The Homelike marketplace offers a comprehensive portfolio of over 70,000 self-catering furnished apartments, aparthotels, serviced apartments and studios in 400 cities throughout Europe. The firms announced the Homelike properties will now be added to RESIDEs global marketplace aggregator platform, 3SIXTY, providing its clients and guests significantly expanded options in key international business travel and leisure markets. We are thrilled to add the vetted and professionally managed Homelike inventory to our rapidly expanding 3SIXTY tech platform, said Lee Curtis, CCHP, CEO and Co-Founder of RESIDE. It is critically important for us to ensure the options we make available to our Fortune 500 client base meet the highest standards as we aggregate, curate and advocate on behalf of our traveling guests. Homelike has quickly established itself as an inventive leader in our space with a state-of-the-art approach to serving some of the worlds largest corporations. With ready access to over 1 million properties, RESIDE continues to build upon an unrivaled network of local suppliers and a diversified array of property types, all while remaining hyper-focused on meeting and exceeding duty of care deliverables. This commitment is reflected in the recent addition of unique and exclusive adjuncts to the program like the GeoSure aggregate safety scoring for each property and Stay Well rooms by Delos. Homelikes mission and culture is similarly guest-centric and health and safety-oriented, as evidenced by such operational enhancements as their dedicated Enhanced Hygiene Initiative or flexible cancellation policies. Both companies are wholly-confident this alignment will allow the Homelike inventory to seamlessly fit into the broader RESIDE offering, making the strategic combination a powerful force across the continent. We believe our Homelike marketplace opens additional outlets for RESIDEs clients and guests seeking well-appointed properties in our growing list of cities, including Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, Cologne, Vienna, Brussels and, most recently, Valencia. said Dustin Figge, Founder at Homelike RESIDE Worldwide, Inc. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, RESIDE Worldwide, Inc. is the leading provider of professionally operated and managed global alternative accommodations with a portfolio of premier hospitality and technology brands (ABODA by RESIDE, Broadway Plaza, The Beekman Tower, The Residences at W New York, The Oxford, OnBase Suites and 3SIXTY). RESIDE's mission is to present a new way to stay; offering a curated experience to guests no matter the destination or duration of their stay. RESIDE aggregated a world-class partner network of over 1,000,000 of the best globally-compliant accommodations options in over 60 countries to satisfy growing consumer demand for high-quality, flexible and vetted housing solutions for business or leisure travel. To learn more visit http://www.staywithreside.com. Homelike With over 70,000 apartments in 400+ cities in Europe, the Homelike marketplace offers a comprehensive portfolio of self-catering apartments, aparthotels, serviced apartments and studios to rent for thirty days and more. Homelike is the ideal choice for professionals, expats and students looking for fully-furnished and clean homes with functional kitchens, WiFi and utilities. Homelike apartments are sourced from professional landlords and verified by a dedicated internal team. The company offers a wide range of rentals suitable for all tastes and budgets including pet-friendly, family-friendly and luxury options. Homelikes tech-enabled booking experience drastically reduces the time it takes to book mid to long-term accommodation from days to merely minutes. This is enabled through multiple features such as the leading instant booking technology and the ability to sign rental agreements digitally. The platform is loved by large corporate clients, who enjoy the high-quality apartments available, the travel policy and analytics tools and the seamlessness of the booking process. New Delhi: Popular music composer, Shravan Rathod of Nadeem-Shravan duo fame tested COVID-19 positive and was admitted to a city hospital in Mumbai after serious complications. His son musician Sanjeev Rathod said that the veteran composer is currently 'critical'. The 66-year-old composer Shravan Rathod is currently under observation at SL Raheja hospital, his son, musician Sanjeev Rathod told PTI. "He had tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to SL Raheja hospital in Mahim. He is extremely critical right now. He has other comorbidities also. Doctors have said they would keep him under observation for the next 24 hours. Please pray for his recovery," Sanjeev Rathod said. Dr Kirti Bhushan, who is overseeing Shravan Rathod's treatment at the hospital, told ETimes, "Shravan Rathod is on ventilator support and his condition is critical. There is a bit of heart enlargement and his pumping has been affected. We are taking the necessary steps for the same. We have made a medical team of physicians, cardiologists, a diabetologist and an intensivist, all of who are overseeing his care." Lyricist and close friend Sameer Anjaan told ETimes, "Shravan is diabetic and with this infection, his lungs have been totally infected. He has also developed heart issues, please pray to God almighty for his speedy recovery.'' Reportedly, the BMC officials will visit Shravan' house to test his wife for the deadly novel coronavirus infection. Musician Nadeem Saifi also took to Instagram and requested fans to pray for Shravan Rathod. Rathod. "With folded hands I am requesting all our friends and fans around the world to pray for the speedy recovery of my partner Shravan who at the moment is in a critical condition in a Mumbai hospital," he wrote. Nadeem-Shravan composed superhit music in Bollywood during the 90s golden era. From Aashiqui, Saajan, Parde to Raja Hindustani - the duo made some classics. Post their split, Nadeem and Shravan collaborated one more time for David Dhawan's Do Knot Disturb in 2009. Here's wishing Shravan Rathod a speedy recovery! (With PTI inputs) Representative Maxine Waters in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 17. Photo: AFP via Getty Images On Saturday night, California representative Maxine Waters was in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where the former head of the Minneapolis suburbs police union shot and killed a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, earlier in the week. Commenting on the other nation-captivating police killing in the metro area the murder trial of George Floyds killer Derek Chauvin Waters said that the protest movement has to stay energized if the fired officer is found not guilty. Weve got to stay on the street, and weve got to get more active. Weve got to get more confrontational, Waters told reporters, when she was asked what would happen if Chauvin was acquitted. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business. While the congresswoman has defended herself against a comment that was seized upon and exaggerated by Republican lawmakers I am nonviolent, she said Monday the sound bite could put the possibility of a guilty verdict in jeopardy. On the day of closing arguments in the Chauvin murder trial, the former cops defense attorney tried to leverage Waterss attention to motion for a mistrial. We have U.S. representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this specific case its mind-boggling, Eric Nelson said to Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill. Though Cahill did not buy the suggestion that Waters was actively calling for violence, he did reiterate his wish that elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. And while the judge denied the motion for a mistrial based on Waterss sound bite I dont think it has prejudiced us with additional material that would prejudice this jury he did suggest it could be a problem down the road. Ill give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned, he told Nelson. While cities throughout the nation have prepared to deploy the National Guard in advance of the decision in the trial, an overturned conviction would inevitably fuel demonstrations against police brutality and a lack of accountability in police shootings. Following closing arguments in the case on Monday, the jury is now deliberating over their decision on the charges against Chauvin, which include second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. On Monday, Judge Cahill told jurors to plan for long and hope for short. 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According to the Associated Press, the administrator of the state's department of Occupational Safety and Health Michael Wood said that the move was necessary to "address a technicality in state law that requires a "permanent" rule to keep current restrictions from expiring." Wood's proposal received a flood of angry backlashes from almost every member of the working masses from parents to teachers to business owners and employees. Believing that this is already a government overreach, their strong opposition to the proposal led to the now 60,000 signatures in their petition via change.org and spread broadly through social media. Woods' agency reportedly received over 5,000 public comments, a great escalation from the previously recorded 1,100 comments. Woods described the vast majority of comments as in the context of 'You never needed to do anything.' Those in opposition to the proposal also expressed frustrations over their government officials' incompetence at determining "how low Oregon's COVID-19 case numbers must go, or how many people would have to be vaccinated, to get the requirements lifted in a state that's already had some of the nation's strictest safety measures," noted AP. Among those who raised concerns in the public comment section is Justin Spaulding who is a doctor at the Cataract & Laser Institute of Southern Oregon. "We have a large subset of patients that are unwilling (or) hostile with the current guidelines, and making them permanent will only make it worse," he said. "When will masks be unnecessary? What scientific studies do these mandates rely on, particularly now that the vaccine is days away from being available to everyone?" said state Sen. Kim Thatcher, a Republican from Keizer. "Businesses have had to play 'mask cop' for the better part of a year now. They deserve some certainty on when they will no longer be threatened with fines," he added. Sen. Thatcher also found fault with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for their lack of clarity on when the current COVID-19 rules will be lifted. As for Wood, he said that he is reviewing all the feedback for possible changes before the lapse of the current rule on May 4. AP reports further that Oregon officials said that they intend to repeal the rule, but that will depend on the evaluation and advice of the Oregon Health Authority. "It will be a complicated assessment when we do it, and I would say it is impossibly complicated to do in advance," Wood said. Oregon was reportedly the state which has the "most stringent COVID-19 restrictions." But despite the availability and nationwide rollout of vaccines, the state may hold out for a bit longer with the introduction of the "permanent rule." Other states like Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota and Texas have reportedly lifted their mask mandates -with some never seeing the need to implement them. Last month, businesses in Texas started operating in 100% capacity. The President of Chad, Idriss Deby, has died, the countrys military has announced. Mr Deby, who was reported Monday to have won a sixth term, died while on the frontline during a battle against rebels who were advancing on the countrys capital, Ndjamena, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday. Mr Deby was 68 at the time of his passing. He has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield over the weekend, army spokesman General Azem Agouna said in a statement read out on state television. He came to power in a rebellion in 1990 and was one of Africas longest-ruling leaders, surviving numerous coup attempts and rebellions. He has ruled his country for more than 30 years and was an important Western ally in the fight against militants in Africa. Mr Debys son, Mahamat Kaka, was named interim president by a transitional council of military officers, Mr Agouna said. His death was announced the day after he was declared the winner of a presidential election that gave him a sixth term in office. Some of the opposition, which had long complained of his repressive rule, boycotted the vote. The late president postponed his victory speech to supporters on Monday and instead went to visit Chadian soldiers on the frontlines, according to his campaign manager. The candidate would have liked to have been here to celebrate but right now, he is alongside our valiant defence and security forces to fight the terrorists threatening our territory. The rebels, from a group calling itself Fact (the Front for Change and Concord in Chad), attacked a border post on election day. They were advancing on the capital, NDjamena, several kilometres to the south. The clashes with the army began on Saturday. By Monday afternoon, the Chadian army said it had defeated a rebellion launched on election day, April 11, and killed more than 300 enemies who had been making an incursion into the north of the country. During the latest election, Mr Deby campaigned on a platform of bringing peace and security to the region. PROFILE Mr Deby was born on June 18, 1952, in Berdoba, a village in Fada, Northern Chad. He belongs to the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He attended Quranic and French school before joining the Lycee Jacques Moudeina in Bongor where he obtained a bachelors degree in science. Mr Deby joined the army officers schools in NDjamena. Thereafter, he attended several training programmes including a professional pilot course. He became the President of Chad in 1990. Until his death, he was the head of the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Deby came into power by leading a rebellion against his predecessor, President Hissene Habre, in December 1990. He has survived several rebellions and coup attempts against his own rule. He won elections in 1996 and 2001. After the elimination of term limits, he won again in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. Mr Deby has been married several times and has at least a dozen children. A team of international scientists recently demonstrated that antibodies generated in response to the DNA vaccine INO-4800 can effectively neutralize some of the recently emerged variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), such as G614, 501Y.V1, and 501Y.V2. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server. Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines currently rolling out worldwide have mostly been developed against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 (D614). With the recent emergence of novel variants of concern (VOC), the globe faces a new challenge of the effectiveness of existing vaccines on new viral variants. In this context, a growing pool of evidence has suggested that spike mutations present in these VOCs can reduce the neutralizing efficacy of antibodies developed in response to COVID-19 vaccines or natural infections with previously circulating viral variants. In the current study, the scientists have investigated whether antibodies developed in response to a leading DNA vaccine INO-4800 can effectively neutralize the UK (501Y.V1), South African (501Y.V2), and G614 variants of SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine, which has been developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, USA, contains the spike protein-coding sequence of the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 as an immunogen. Previous studies have shown that antibodies induced by mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are less effective in neutralizing both the UK and South African VOCs. Similarly, serum samples obtained from COVID-19 patients in South Africa have shown significantly reduced neutralizing efficiency against the South African variant. Study design The INO-4800 vaccine examined in the study has good safety and efficacy profiles in humans, as observed in clinical trials. Moreover, the vaccine can be stored at room temperature, which is an added benefit in relation to vaccine transport to remote places. To induce anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses, a total of 8 ferrets were immunized intramuscularly with two doses of INO-4800 vaccine at an interval of 28 days. The serum samples were collected on day 35 and day 42 post-vaccination to ensure sufficient seroconversion. Using Vero cells, cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assays were carried out to examine the virus neutralization efficacy of immunized ferret sera. Important observations The scientists estimated the average neutralization titers for each serum sample against the tested viral variants. The findings indicated that the neutralization titers against G614 and 501Y.V1 were comparable. However, the titers against the 501Y.V2 variant were significantly lower (4-fold) than that against the other two variants. To conduct molecular modeling experiments, the scientists developed fully glycosylated spike protein models of three viral variants. In addition, they included one angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein bound to the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Finally, they simulated these models in an aqueous solution using specialized software. The findings of molecular modeling experiments revealed the structural alterations in the 501Y.V2 variant were more pronounced than the 501Y.V1 variant, which further justify the lower neutralization titers observed against 501Y.V2. Similarly, more extensive alterations were observed in the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the 501Y.V2 variant, with a group of mutations including L18F, D80A, D215G, and a 242-244 deletion. Illustration of Mutations in 501Y.V1 and 501Y.V2 Relative to the Ancestral Form a) Structure of the glycosylated SARS CoV2 Spike protein highlighting a S1 monomer (in blues) and relative positions of the N terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the bound ACE2 receptor (in yellow). The position of D614G (common to all tested variants) is also highlighted. b) & c) Side by side comparison of 501Y.V1 and 501Y.V2 variants in the RBD, showing the V2 variant having additional K417N and E484K mutations. d) & e) Side by side comparisons of 501Y.V1 and 501Y.V2 variants in the NTD, showing relative locations of mutations and deletions. (Model files available in Supplementary Materials). The N501Y mutation present in the spike RBD of the 501Y.V1 variant has been found to increase its binding affinity for the host cell ACE2 receptor. In addition to the N501Y mutation, the spike RBD of the 501Y.V2 variant contains two other mutations K417N and E484K. Collectively, these mutations have been found to increase the infectivity and immune evasion ability of the virus. In addition, the mutations observed in the NTD of the 501Y.V2 variant are expected to influence the antigenic presentation and glycosylation arrangements of the spike protein. Taken together, the structural alterations observed in the 501Y.V2 variant justify its potency to reduce the neutralizing ability of INO-4800-induced antibodies. Study significance The study reveals that antibodies induced by the DNA vaccine INO-4800 can effectively neutralize the G614 and 501Y.V1 variants of SARS-CoV-2. However, the vaccine is not equally effective against the 501Y.V2 variant. The 501Y.V2 neutralizing ability of the INO-4800 vaccine is comparable to the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines developed by BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna. In contrast, the adenovirus-based vaccine developed by Oxford/AstraZeneca has shown significantly lower efficacy in neutralizing 501Y.V2. Given these observations, the scientists believe that nucleic acid-based COVID-19 vaccines are more effective than other vaccine types in neutralizing novel VOCs. *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. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. 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. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. A new study from the UBC Sauder School of Business finds a subtle shift in organ donor messaging can lead to a big boost in registration. Organ donation saves countless lives every year, and most people think it's the right thing to do -- but when it comes to people actually registering to donate, the numbers around the world are surprisingly low. This is particularly so in countries that rely on informed consent and require people to learn about organ donation before they opt-in to register as a donor. In fact, in Canada, just 32 per cent of people have registered to become organ donors. Transplant agencies have tried a range of strategies to increase donation levels, including the introduction of in-hospital organ donation coordinators, greater public education and marketing campaigns. Some campaigns emphasize how low organ donation rates are and plead with people to sign up, hoping the meagre numbers will motivate people to help. In marketing, this is known as a low descriptive norm. Others take the opposite tack, and emphasize how positive people feel about organ donation, which encourages people to conform to the expectations of others, a high injunctive norm. For example, one UK government advertisement stated, "96 per cent believe donating organs is the right thing to do." But what happens when you combine the two approaches? According to the new study, titled Everybody Thinks We Should But Nobody Does: How Combined Injunctive and Descriptive Norms Motivate Organ Donation Registration, highlighting the incongruence between what people believe and what they do -- or don't do -- can spur their willingness to register. According to UBC Sauder PhD candidate Rishad Habib (she/her), who co-authored the study with UBC Sauder colleagues Dr. Katherine White and Dr. JoAndrea Hoegg, by focusing on how low registration numbers are, some agencies may be unknowingly alienating potential donors. If you tell people that nobody is doing something, does that really motivate them to register? By communicating that the numbers are low, they might be inadvertently communicating that it's not very important, or not worthwhile." Rishad Habib, UBC Sauder PhD Candidate On the flipside, if marketers focus on how many people support organ donation, they risk making people feel like they don't need to act. For the study, the researchers tested all three approaches -- focusing on the low rates, the high support, and a combination of the two -- in online surveys, lab surveys and in a public field study. In one study, research assistants set up a table at the UBC student centre and regularly rotated banners encouraging passersby to register. They also asked people if they were already registered, and if they weren't, they would show them an iPad displaying the different messaging on the banners. For example, one read, "Only 20 per cent of Canadians are registered as organ donors" while another said, "90 per cent of Canadians believe people should register as organ donors." The people were then offered the chance to sign up. Roughly 20 per cent of people who were given only the individual messages signed up; but when people were given the combined message, registrations jumped to 33 per cent, which represents an almost 70 per cent increase -- a leap that could help save lives. "It motivates responsibility," explains Habib. "When the two messages are combined, people think, 'No one's doing it, but it's important. So I need to step up and register." Habib hopes the findings, which were published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, will help transplant organizations create more effective communication strategies; in fact, the study has already influenced at least one organ donation registry's online and TV campaigns. "You could apply this to other situations where there's a positive behaviour, but there aren't a lot of people doing it -- like mask wearing at the start of the pandemic," she says. "If the behaviour levels are low, but the support for the behaviour is high, then it makes sense to communicate both." The Columbia Police Department has signed on to a national pledge to increase the number of women in its officer ranks and advance women in policing. The department has joined with more than three dozen other law enforcement agencies across the nation in signing the 30x30 pledge, according to a news release. The goal of the national initiative is to have 30% women in police recruiting classes by 2030, and to make sure police departments are representative of the location they serve. According to the 30x30 initiative website, women make up 12% of sworn police officers in the United States, and only about 3% of police leadership. Roughly 20% of Columbias roster of 351 city police officers are women, per department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons. Research shows women officers use less force and less excessive force; are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits; are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate; see better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases; and make fewer discretionary arrests, the 30x30 website notes. The initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at the NYU School of Law and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives. As of Tuesday, Columbia and Charleston were the only South Carolina departments listed as having signed on to the 30X30 initiative. Departments in a wide range of cities had taken the pledge, including New York City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Baltimore, among others. Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said the city department will work to move women officers up through the ranks at CPD. We recognize the value of gender equity and helping advance women in policing, especially in leadership roles, the chief said in a release. This effort is not a trend but rather an important part of our mission and vision. BankFinancial (BFIN) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.10 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.13 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.16 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -23.08%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank holding company would post earnings of $0.15 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.17, delivering a surprise of 13.33%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. BankFinancial, which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Savings and Loan industry, posted revenues of $11.84 million for the quarter ended March 2021, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.53%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $13.37 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. BankFinancial shares have added about 17% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 11.4%. What's Next for BankFinancial? While BankFinancial has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for BankFinancial was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.14 on $12.9 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.62 on $52.6 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Savings and Loan is currently in the top 22% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BankFinancial Corporation (BFIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A north Alabama man was killed Monday afternoon after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a vehicle in Decatur, police said. Kelvin Pride, 52, of Athens, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 3 p.m. crash at the intersection of Highway 31 and Highway 20, police said. The driver of the vehicle was not injured. A Michigan judge last week constricted the scope of a previously widening election lawsuit to its epicenter: Antrim County. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will not be required to turn over her husbands personnel file, all election-related communications with the state Legislature, any media-related Freedom of Information Act requests, emails with big tech companies or a full accounting of statewide election spending on ballot boxes in 2020. Additionally, subpoenas to various local clerks for testimony and forensic election audits in Macomb, Grand Traverse, Barry and Livingston counties were quashed by Antrim County Circuit Judge Kevin A. Elsenheimer. The legal challenge began with claims of possible election fraud that centered on tabulation machines and software after election officials in Republican-leaning Antrim County erroneously reported President Joe Biden as the local winner following the Nov. 3 presidential election -- former President Donald Trump actually won there. The lawsuit eventually transformed into a fishing expedition, according to assistant prosecutors with the Attorney Generals Office. The plaintiff must have more than mere conjecture, more than speculation, to support its request to discover information from these counties, the judge said while reversing the clerk subpoenas. Without saying, the requiring of these (counties) to comply with requests like this would indeed be burdensome, would be tantamount to a fishing expedition. William Bailey, a Central Lake Township resident, in November filed a lawsuit claiming a violation of his civil rights based on election errors. Broader implications of faulty Dominion Voting Systems election software and machines drew the Secretary of States Office to join the lawsuit as a defendant. This followed Elsenheimer granting Baileys request to conduct a forensic review of Antrim Countys election and software. Baileys attorney, Matthew DePerno, has since accused the state of withholding emails and other information it had previously been ordered by the judge to share; and the state claimed DePerno was avoiding the scheduling of depositions with his expert witnesses. As time progressed, the two sides were brought to a stalemate, communication broke down and a series of motions were presented to the judge regarding what information was due and when. Elsenheimer on Monday ruled that any pre-trial answers to questions or evidence exchanged must now pertain to Antrim County and not be generalized to something larger like the state of Michigan. According to the the secretary of states office and Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy, the election night reporting errors were due to human error. The tabulators were programmed to read the ballots darkened ovals and match those to corresponding candidates and issues, but ballot changes occurred in the lead-up to election night. The clerk said her staff updated the voting machines in the respective precincts where changes occurred but failed to update all of tabulators countywide. Consequently, the system translated some votes for the wrong candidates. The incorrect results were identified the morning after the election quickly pulled down from the county website. A hand count of the precincts revealed Trump won with nearly 57% of the vote. The Antrim County clerk admitted to the County Commission that she had deleted some election files during her effort to correct the errors. The plaintiff in the lawsuit attempted to use this admission to request election audits in several other counties, whether or not they used similar voting software or machines. We cannot say that the election conducted in Antrim County was fair or proper without samples from other counties, DePerno argued. And that is primarily because Sheryl Guy deleted these files. DePerno said his experts, some of whom were given an opportunity to audit Antrim election machines and results, determined county voting systems are on a network that allows communication between the counties and state election officials. We should be entitled to access other counties to see how their system works, and to see how those systems communicated with Antrim County, DePerno said. The judge determined claims that any deleted logs or files had anything to do with internet communications was conjecture and theory and didnt justify the burden the forensic analysis. Elsenheimer did question Antrim County attorney Haider A. Kazim as to why the county only performed a hand recount of the presidential election, rather than all elections in the county. Kazim deferred to the Secretary of States attorney, Assistant AG Erik Grill, who indicated the decision was based on workload. I have been informed that the reason for that was to safeguard the public confidence in the election in light of a large quantity of misinformation that was circulating about the presidential results in Antrim County following the unofficial reporting error, Grill said. Every single hand count took time and for example it took us a full day just to do the one presidential race. Even after the recounts, not all of the individual precincts poll tapes matched the final vote report, according, J. Alex Halderman, a computer security and systems specialist and professor at the University of Michigan, whom the secretary of state hired to conduct his own election audit. He released his report entitled Analysis of the Antrim County, Michigan November 2020 Election Incident, which outlined procedural and computer-related flaws. The final results match the poll tapes printed by the individual ballot scanners, and there is no evidence that the poll tapes are inaccurate, except for in specific precincts where particular circumstances I explain affected small numbers of votes, mainly in down-ballot races, Halderman wrote. These remaining errors affect too few votes to change the outcome of any contest but the Central Lake Village marijuana retailer initiative, for which the final reported outcome is potentially incorrect due to the omission of a single vote because of a separate human error. Halderman blamed the election night debacle on the mishandling of last-minute ballot design changes, but said its unlikely to have occurred widely in Michigan during the 2020 election. Although vulnerabilities in election technology are well documented, the Antrim County incident was not caused by a security breach, he said. There is also no credible evidence that it was caused deliberately. The secretary of state and Antrim County filed a motion on April 9 requesting the judge dismiss the case. Those arguments are scheduled to be heard on May 10, a day prior to a scheduled settlement conference. More on MLive: Clerks allege fishing expedition Communications with Trump campaign are irrelevant, judge rules Zuckerberg and wife donated millions to Michigan election clerks SOS ordered to turn over communications with big tech Plaintiff claims SOS is withholding records Antrim County hand recount results in 12 new votes for Trump Software isnt good at detecting human error Election recount, legal challenges unlikely to overturn Bidens win in Michigan Judge allows forensic investigation of Dominion machines Michigan election software could be better at detecting human Recent poetry books of note: INDEX OF WOMEN, by Amy Gerstler. (Penguin Poets, paper, $20.) Gerstlers witty collection channels various characters the tooth fairy, a lost doll to celebrate shrewd, / ingenious, difficult women, prodigal daughters / and wisecracking wives. THE PERSEVERANCE, by Raymond Antrobus. (Tin House, paper, $16.95.) Intimate and searching, the poems in this lively debut probe the authors identity as a deaf Jamaican British man; sign language illustrations appear sporadically, and one poem is a scornful riposte to Ted Hughess Deaf School. CLEAVE: Poems, by Tiana Nobile. (Hub City, paper, $16.) Harry Harlows famous study, raising baby monkeys with wire or terrycloth mothers, runs as a motif through this collection about the poets experience as a Korean-American adoptee. Call me Rhesus, she writes, monkey without a cloth. OH YOU ROBOT SAINTS!, by Rebecca Morgan Frank. (Carnegie Mellon University, paper, $15.95.) As the title suggests, Franks fourth book centers on the mechanical and the divine, especially on human efforts to bridge the gap, to create a hawk from a handsaw. Details from a police investigation and a legislative audit report shine new light on possible financial improprieties and criminal violations at a New Orleans public charter school. A New Orleans police report obtained by WWL television details allegations that officials at James Singleton Charter School, which is run by the Dryades YMCA in Central City, fabricated criminal background checks for school employees. An internal school investigation attached to the Police Department incident report suggests the Ys recently resigned chief financial officer, Catrina Reed, might have played a role in the bogus background checks, including her own 2005 background check, which indicated she didnt have a rap sheet when she actually did. And a Louisiana legislative audit contains a NOLA Public Schools report that questions thousands of dollars in credit card spending, checks cashed by recently retired CEO Doug Evans and the use of a background check company owned by Evans wife. Reed worked at the Dryades YMCA from 2006 to August 2019. She was rehired in June 2020 at a salary of $100,000, the audit says. But the report questions how she also managed to collect $15,400 in just two months as a contractor, before she was hired back as chief financial officer. Emails attached to the police report show that NOLA Public Schools requested background checks for school employees after a school system official discovered one new school employee had a criminal offense involving a minor on his record. Such an offense should have forbidden his hiring. Singleton Head of School Erika Mann said she turned to Reed to collect background checks on employees hired more than five years ago. Mann found five of the older background checks that Reed provided used duplicate audit file numbers. Mann requested new background checks directly from State Police, which showed rap sheets for five of the employees whose old background checks from Reed showed no arrest record. Mann's emails show Reed even provided her own background check from 2005, shortly before she was hired by the Y, which showed she had no rap sheet. But Mann's report says the new background checks she ordered showed an employee with the initials "C.R." was arrested in 1996 on charges of bank fraud, bank larceny and embezzlement, and in 1999 on a larceny charge. Separate federal court records show Reed was arrested on those charges in 1996 and ended up pleading guilty to robbery from a bank where she worked. Manns report says NOLA Public Schools directed her to report her findings to the police. When information is provided that may require further details, we advise schools to contact the proper authorities, NOLA Public Schools spokeswoman Taslin Alfonzo said. NOLA-PS is not an investigative body. 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 WWL reached out to Reed several times for comment. A man answered the phone at her home Tuesday, identified himself as Reed's husband and asked a reporter to stop calling. The audit also raises questions about Evans, the former CEO who retired last month after 45 years at the Y, shortly after news about the background checks first broke. In the audit, the school system questions payments the Y made to Y Not Check Background & Fingerprinting, a company owned by Evans' wife, Yolanda Doucette. The company was used to fingerprint employees for background checks, according to sources familiar with the audit. Four F-rated N.O. charter schools given chance to improve; here's where, what to expect Rather than revoking the contracts of four F-rated charter schools, Orleans Parish schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. and his team hav The audit also says Evans signed YMCA checks totaling $10,388.98 made out to "cash" without providing adequate explanation. Evans did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Last month he told WWL he would wait for the results of the investigation. Ive always taken full responsibility for anything that occurred under my watch, he said at the time. City Councilman Jay Banks worked for years at the YMCA with both Evans and Reed. He was the director of the Ys School of Commerce until he joined the City Council in 2018, and he continues to use an office at the Y as a volunteer. He said people who have dedicated themselves to the Ys mission to serve the Central City community are devastated by the scandals. I'm looking forward to the end of that investigation so that whoever those persons are can be held accountable and that the Y can move on, continuing to do the kind of work that it has done for almost 120 years, Banks said. Banks and others have stood by Evans. A lifetime of commitment to this community has now been brought into question by some for some action that somebody else did, Banks said. Its unfortunate, but I get it. Again, he is the leader, so he is ultimately responsible. Last year, Evans gave Banks a $5,000 campaign contribution, twice the limit for a district council candidate. Banks re-election campaign reported four other $5,000 contributions in 2020. When WWL asked Banks about them, he said his campaign fundraiser had made a mistake and thanked the station for alerting him. He said the donors, including Evans, were immediately issued $2,500 refunds. Banks and Darren Mire, a longtime leader at the YMCA and the chairman of a new, separate board to run Singleton Charter School, are key members of the Black Organization for Leadership Development, or BOLD. In 2006, Reed registered another group, the Orleans Parish Democratic Leadership Committee, with the Louisiana secretary of state's office. Banks said he wasnt familiar with that group and said Reed had no affiliation with BOLD. Banks would not comment about the allegations against Reed. Washington: The United States has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to India amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an advisory for the American citizens, recommending them to avoid travelling to India. Amid a surge in COVID cases (in India), travellers should avoid all travel to India. Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting & spreading variants and should avoid all travel to India. If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel: CDC, USA pic.twitter.com/VrLK4hpZRA ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2021 In a statement, the CDC said, "Because of the current situation in India even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to India. If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel. All travellers should wear a mask, stay 6 feet from others, avoid crowds, and wash their hands." The CDC also issued travel recommendations for fully vaccinated travellers which stated, "If you are fully vaccinated, then do not have to get tested before leaving the United States, unless your destination requires it and you do not have to self-quarantine after you arrive in the United States." The United Kingdom has already added India to its travel "red list" on a precautionary basis after reporting 103 cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in India, the country`s Health Minister Matt Hancock said on Monday. The COVID-19 situation in India has been deteriorating amid the second wave of coronavirus infections. For the past three days, the country has been reporting in excess of two lakh coronavirus infections and over 1,000 related deaths on a daily basis. Live TV ROSEVILLE, MI A 36-year-old Westland man is in police custody after a womans body was found in a burning mobile home on Monday, FOX 2 Detroit reports. The cause of the Roseville womans death has not been released but police are investigating the incident as a homicide, the TV station reports. Her body was found inside her residence at Leslies Mobile Home Village in Roseville. The womans identity has not been released. RELATED: Michigan womans body found in burning mobile home, police searching for boyfriend Police tracked the man down after a surveillance video showed him leaving the home before it burst into flames FOX 2 reports. WDIV Detroit reported earlier that police were looking for the victims boyfriend. The man in custody is being held in the Macomb County Jail. READ MORE: 27-year-old dead after unprovoked shooting attack on police officers Detroit police chief expects violence regardless of outcome in Derek Chauvin murder trial Days after calling it BS, Ted Nugent says hes been battling COVID-19: I thought I was dying Butt pinches, threesome requests and a glass ceiling: sexism is systemic in Michigans political culture Danny Masterson is asking for more time to prepare the defense for his rape trial, accusing Leah Remini of influencing police and prosecutors against him. That 70s Show star and Scientologist Masterson, 45, was arrested in June 2020 on suspicion of raping three women - who have not been named - in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. Now he claims Remini has been working against him by speaking with officials, according to TMZ. Remini once belonged to the Church of Scientology; she now speaks out against it and its unorthodox practices. In 2016 Masterson said Remini expressed 'religious bigotry'. He claims since then she has been working against him by urging all his accusers to make formal complaints. He alleges she even 'corrected' their statements to police, according to court documents. Masterson also claims the prosecution were 'starstruck' by Remini, who he alleges uses LAPD as her personal security. At the time of his arrest Remini had tweeted: 'Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord! 'This is just the beginning Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath'. Actor and Scientologist Masterson, 45, was arrested in June 2020 on suspicion of raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. He is pictured left with his lawyer Thomas Mesereau at Los Angeles Superior Court on September 18, 2020 Masterson claims Remini, who is an outspoken critic of the church, has been working against him by speaking with officials. The two are pictured in 2009 Masterson stands accused of raping a 23-year-old woman between January and December 2001, according to a complaint. He is also accused of raping a 28-year-old woman in April 2003 and sometime between October and December of that year of raping a woman, 23, who officials say he had invited to his Hollywood Hills home. Masterson, who also starred in Netflix's 'The Ranch', has been charged with three counts of rape by force or fear. All of the alleged crimes occurred at Masterson's home, Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller of the Sex Crimes Division, who is prosecuting the case, said. Masterson now faces 45 years to life in state prison. Remini once belonged to the Church of Scientology; she now speaks out against it At the time of his arrest Remini had tweeted: 'Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord! 'This is just the beginning Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath' In February 2020, Masterson had been accused of rape by four women in a lawsuit. It is unclear if those women are the same as the alleged victims in the charges he faces. At the time, he slammed them for accusing him of rape, saying the lawsuit they have filed against him and the Church of Scientology is just a 'shameful money grab'. Masterson has been married to actor and model Bijou Phillips since 2011. Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. In 2016 Masterson said Remini, pictured, expressed 'religious bigotry'. He claims since then she has been working against him by urging all his accusers to make formal complaints Masterson's attorney Tom Mesereau said in a statement in 2020: 'Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we're confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify. 'Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering that these nearly 20-year old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out. 'The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.' The alleged rapes came at the height of Masterson's fame as he starred on the retro sitcom 'That '70s Show' alongside Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace. The series ran on Fox TV from 1998 to 2006 and has had a long afterlife in reruns. He had reunited with Kutcher on the Netflix western sitcom 'The Ranch' when the LAPD investigation of him was revealed in March 2017. He was later written off the show. The alleged rapes came at the height of Masterson's fame as he starred on the retro sitcom 'That '70s Show' alongside Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace. The series ran on Fox TV from 1998 to 2006 and has had a long afterlife in reruns. Top row L-R: Wilmer Valderrama, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon. Center L-R: Don Stark, Tanya Roberts, Mila Kunis, Lisa Robin Kelly, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith Masterson decried the Hollywood atmosphere that led to his losing the job, and also suggested at the time that his high-profile membership in the Church of Scientology was leading to his persecution. He said in a 2017 statement that 'in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused.' Masterson has repeatedly denied all the accusations against him since they first came to light in 2017. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Las Cruces is getting a piece of the film industry pie. The New Mexico Film Office announced on Tuesday that the independent film Dig is in production. It stars Thomas Jane and Emile Hirsch and is produced by Dig Films LLC. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Dig is the story of a widowers strained relationship with his deaf teenage daughter, which is tested when they are held hostage by two intruders and are forced to dig under a vacant house, revealing a dark secret from the past. The production marks a return to New Mexico for both of the stars. Jane recently filmed Slayers in Albuquerque. Meanwhile, Hirsch is returning to New Mexico he lived in Santa Fe until the age of 10. Amber Dodson of the New Mexico Film Office said the division continues to market every corner of the state to filmmakers. Las Cruces has a lot to offer productions, including beautiful and diverse landscapes and locations, production support, hotels, restaurants, and other amenities, Dodson said. The production also qualifies for an additional 5% tax incentive because it is filming outside of the Albuquerque/Santa Fe corridor. Currently, the state film incentive offers a 25 to 30% tax incentive on New Mexico goods and services. Film and media is an important part of the creative and economic life of the area and the southern region of New Mexico and we are happy to have them in the community, said Don Gray, director of Film Las Cruces. Dig is directed by K. Asher Levin and produced by Daniel Cummings and Robert Dean. All three were involved with Slayers. We are all excited to have the opportunity to shoot in New Mexico to take full advantage of the states distinct and diverse landscapes, as well as stellar crew, Cummings said. According to the Film Office, the production will employ around 30 New Mexico crew members and five New Mexico principal talent. Getty images Former Vice President Walter "Fritz" Mondale has died. He was 93. His family confirmed his death in a statement Monday, though no cause was given, the Associated Press reports. Mondale served as vice president from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. He was also a former Minnesota senator and attorney general. In a statement on Monday, Carter said he was "mourning the passing of dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country's history." Carter continued: "During our administration, Fritz used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency into a dynamic, policy-driving force that had never been seen before and still exists today. He was an invaluable partner and an able servant of the people of Minnesota, the United States, and the world. "Fritz Mondale provided us all with a model for public service and private behavior. Rosalynn and I join all Americans in giving thanks for his exemplary life, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family." In their own statement, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden said they had spoken with Mondale in the days before he died "to reflect on the years of friendship we shared, and how much we learned from and leaned on each other." The Bidens called him "our nation's most dedicated patriots and public servants." Anthony Souffle/Getty Images RELATED: Longtime Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings Dies at 84 Mondale was the first vice president to occupy an office in the White House, rather than the building across the street. He worked closely with Carter on both U.S. and foreign policy. In a 2015 tribute to Mondale, then-Vice President Joe Biden said he had used Mondale's term in office as a "roadmap" for his own. "I took Fritz's roadmap. He actually gave me a memo, classic Fritz, gave me a memo, as to what I should be looking for and what kind of commitments I should get to be able to do the job the way Fritz thought it should be done," he said. Story continues Mondale was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984. He was the first nominee from a major party to pick a woman as his running mate when he selected Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York, according to AP. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Despite the history-making ticket, Mondale lost the election to Ronald Reagan in an infamous landslide with an electoral vote of 525-13. Library of Congress/Getty Images He would go on to serve President Bill Clinton as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1996. In addition to his political career, Mondale also was an advocate for raising awareness about brain health, having lost both his wife, Joan, and his daughter, Eleanor, to brain diseases. In 2015, he was awarded the Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the American Academy of Neurology. RELATED: America's Longest War Is Ending: Biden Says Troops Will Withdraw from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 'It Is Time' On Sunday, Mondale's family sent a letter to his staffers upon his death, according to Axios. The letter read: "Dear Team, Well my time has come. I am eager to rejoin Joan and Eleanor. Before I Go I wanted to let you know how much you mean to me. Never has a public servant had a better group of people working at their side!" He continued, "Together we have accomplished so much and I know you will keep up the good fight. Joe in the White House certainly helps. I always knew it would be okay if I arrived some place and was greeted by one of you! My best to all of you! Fritz" Pertamina's project team visiting Clariant's pre-commercial sunliquid plant in Straubingm, Germany. Clariant's sunliquid technology is being tested to see if it can be used to process regional feedstocks in Indonesia into advanced biofuel. MUNICH, GERMANY: Clariant announced that it will be working with Indonesia's state-owned oil & gas corporation, Pertamina, to evaluate and test the feasibility of Clariant's sunliquid technology to process available regional feedstocks in Indonesia into the advanced biofuel, cellulosic ethanol. Indonesia has a vast potential of untapped biomass, from empty fruit bunches to palm leaves that could be converted into cellulosic ethanol. Their present-day utilization is negligible and, until now, both feedstocks are frequently burnt, causing air pollution. In Indonesia, ethanol demand is expected to increase dramatically, spurred primarily by a nationwide E10 ethanol blending mandate. Advanced fuel technology solutions, such as Clariant's sunliquid process, are vital to match the feedstock potential with the increasing ethanol demand in the country. Since 2018, Pertamina and Clariant have been assessing how to bridge this gap. The collaboration first focused on techno-economic performance analysis, and the testing of empty fruit bunches and palm leaves. The final results of the assessments proved that the sunliquid technology can successfully convert both feedstocks into cellulosic ethanol while achieving a good conversion yield. Further, a recently conducted conceptual engineering study quantified process balance, facility specification, and process economics in detail. This lays the groundwork for Pertamina's continued consideration of investing in commercial-scale advanced biofuel production plants. "We are delighted that Pertamina, a renowned energy player in Indonesia, has chosen our sunliquid process for this technology and feedstock assessment, as well as for a process design study for a commercial-scale plant based on regional feedstocks," said Christian Librera, Clariant's vice president and head of business line biofuels and derivatives. "The excellent results demonstrate once again the flexibility and efficiency of our sunliquid technology platform for different lignocellulosic feedstocks," he added. "As other international oil companies start to navigate energy transition, Pertamina has committed to play its part by fostering clean energy development to reduce global carbon emissions. Our new and strong aspiration is underpinned by essential judgment about the forthcoming future, that clean energy is the key to energy sustainability," said Andianto Hidayat, Pertamina's vice president of downstream research and technology innovation. "As a result, we are strengthening our business portfolio by producing green fuel, such as biodiesel, green aviation fuel, and bioethanol using palm residues that are abundant in Indonesia. We are embracing a robust growth in clean energy by building two green refineries and optimizing domestic resources to ensure Indonesias energy independence," he added. The realization of commercial-scale, advanced biofuels projects based on regionally available feedstocks, could help Indonesia become more independent from foreign fossil fuel imports and secure its national energy supply. In 2015, the Indonesian government introduced national biofuels targets. The bioethanol mandate in transport for the non-Public Sector Service Obligation (PSO) aims for a 10 percent bioethanol content as a gasoline additive and will be realized in the next few years. Worldofchemicals News BEIJING, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders League, a renowned media and rating agency based in Paris, recently announced the results of the Private Equity Exchange & Awards 2020. CPE was nominated for two categories: '2020 Best Private Equity Personality of the Year' and '2020 Best ESG Private Equity Initiatives' due to the company's strong investment capability, extensive experience and deep insights into the field of ESG investment. CPE was the only investment firm from China and the Asia region to be nominated for the two awards. Leaders League has successfully held 19 Private Equity Exchange Summits to date and 2020 marked the eleventh year of the Private Equity Exchange & Awards, which recognizes leading companies in the global private equity industry. The awards have 26 categories for limited partners, funds and management teams, amongst others, and are judged by a panel of private equity executives, LPs, asset management professionals and market experts from across Europe. Additional nominees in the two categories CPE was named in included influential European and international investment institutions such as Advent Capital, Idinvest Partners, Ardian, Aberdeen Standard Investments and Eurazeo. Jinhao Chen, Managing Director of the Healthcare Team at CPE, was invited to take part in one of the summit's panel discussions titled 'Much-Pursued Assets: Winning Strategic Auctions'. Other panelists included Managing Partner of EQT Partners, Partner of Jones Day, and Head of M&A and Corporate Finance of the French private hospital ELSAN with whom Mr. Chen discussed his views on the healthcare and technology markets, CPE's investment advantages and experience, ESG issues and Chinese investors entering the French and broader European markets. Lefei Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at CPE, commented, "CPE will continue to focus on investing in four key sectors - Healthcare, Consumer & Internet, Technology & Industrial, and Software & Enterprise Services - to inject capital into companies and empower them with our expertise and resources so we may contribute to the Chinese economy and the broader regional economic development." Over the years, CPE has built up its expertise and strong industry insights in its four focus areas. At the same time, the firm is always aligned to its ESG investment strategy and continues to add value to its portfolio companies and bring long-term superior returns to its investors. About CPE CPE is an alternative asset manager with extensive China experience and an international perspective. With a long-term vision and value investment strategy, CPE provides innovative investment solutions to leading firms from the following four key sectors healthcare, consumer and internet, technology and industrial, and software and enterprise services. Over the past 12 years, CPE's core team has had an outstanding track record in multiple USD and RMB funds with a total AUM exceeding RMB100 billion. The team has completed more than 200 investments, enabling CPE to accumulate key sector knowledge and a widespread network. Currently, CPE's funds under management are supported by over 200 institutional investors worldwide, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, funds of funds, family offices and endowments from China and the additional markets of North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. SOURCE CPE Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) President Rodrigo Duterte appealed for the complete abolition of the kafala system in the Middle East, calling it "unjust and exploitative." "It places thousands of migrant workers, particularly household workers, in the most vulnerable situation unseen, unheard, and unable to defend their dignity as a human being," Duterte said. The President made the call on Tuesday during a virtual forum organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the International Organization for Migration. The kafala system requires migrant workers to have a sponsor in the host country before a visa and worker's permit can be issued. Duterte said the system has led to inhumane working conditions, non-payment of wages, movement restrictions, healthcare denial, and sexual abuse of overseas Filipino workers. The COVID-19 pandemic also pushed migrant workers, especially those under the kafala system, to an "even more precarious position." he added. "As the world went into lockdowns, many were driven into destitution with no job, no social safety nets, and no money to send back home. This cannot go on," the President said. Middle Eastern countries like Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain have introduced reforms in the kafala system. Last March 14, Saudi Arabia abolished its kafala system. RELATED: Saudi Arabia abolishes kafala' system effective 2021 DFA "As I have said before, the Filipino is not a slave to anyone, anywhere. I dream of the day when working abroad becomes a choice and not a need for my countrymen," the President said. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday said there are around 8,874,472 Filipinos living and working overseas as of June 2020. Over 1.7 million of them are documented workers in the Middle East. Some 647,827 OFWs were displaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 500,000 have already been repatriated. A traditional Korean garment BTS band member Jimin wore during a performance on NBC's The Tonight Show is to be sold at a South Korean auction. Myart Auction, a Seoul-based auction company specializing in Korean art, said the auction of the K-pop artist's clothing is part of its efforts to raise awareness of its sale Thursday, Maeil Business reported Monday. The garment, known as hanbok in Korean, has remained unwashed after Jimin's performance on the show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The opening bid starts at about $4,480, according to Korea Economic Daily on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Myart Auction said the company had reached out to Kim Rieul, the costume's designer. Kim initially hesitated to place the item on auction, but eventually agreed to proceed, the report said. Jimin wore the hanbok in a September performance during NBC's "BTS Week." Jimin and other members of the K-pop boy band performed in a prerecorded performance in Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace at the time. "Jimin's hanbok is a work of art that is unique" in the world, Myart's spokesperson said. "It was left unwashed after the performance and will be sold with Jimin's body odor intact," the company added. BTS' global success has boosted sales of BTS-related products. U.S.-based Julien Auctions auctioned a microphone used by the band during their "Love Yourself" tour from 2017 to 2019 for $83,200 in January 2020, according to Maeil Business. The auction house also sold the pastel-colored attire worn by the band for the music video of their hit song "Dynamite" for $162,500. BTS has been credited with boosting the South Korean economy. According to South Korea's Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange in 2018, 7.6% of foreign tourists in 2017 had been motivated by BTS to visit the country. (UPI) Mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination passports by Ukraine and Israel will be introduced by the relevant agreement - The Embassy Conditions and details of mutual recognition by Ukraine and Israel of COVID-19 vaccination passports were the subject of a meeting between H.E. Mr. Yevhen Korniychuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the State of Israel and Director General of the State Immigration and Border Control Service of the State of Israel Shlomo Mor-Yosef. The Embassy reported this at Facebook. In the context of elaboration of the preliminary agreement reached on March 12, 2021 in a telephone conversation between the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Israel, there was an exchange of views on the possibility of mutual recognition of official COVID19 vaccination certificates green passports. It was planned a number of steps for the practical implementation of the agreement, in particular, by concluding an agreement under which holders of green passports will be able to travel between the two countries without complying with coronavirus restrictions, - the statement said. The parties also discussed topical issues in the consular sphere, including the procedure for foreigners to cross the Israeli border in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of deepening cooperation at the interagency level, an agreement was reached to hold an additional meeting of Embassy diplomats with representatives of the immigration authorities and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, - the statement said. They also discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of migration, as well as cooperation between the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Immigration Agency of Israel, especially the visit of the Head of the State Border Guard Service to Israel in May this year. Pastor fraudulently got $1.5M in PPP loans then splurged on 39 cars including Tesla Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor Rudolph Brooks Jr., founder and senior pastor of the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries in Washington, D.C., is now facing up to 20 years in prison after he was arrested for fraudulently obtaining more than $1.5 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, which he then splurged on personal expenses, including 39 cars. A release from the Department of Justice said Brooks, 45, was arrested earlier this month by federal authorities who also seized some $2.2 million he deposited in various bank accounts as well as a 2018 Tesla Model 3. He's also accused of purchasing other luxury vehicles, including a 2017 Mercedes-Benz S Class, two 2017 Infinity Q50s, a 2015 Cadillac Escalade, a 2005 Bentley Continental, a 2014 GMC Yukon XL, and several older model luxury vehicles which are not considered an appropriate use of loan funds acquired from the federal governments multibillion-dollar coronavirus relief program for small businesses. Brooks is the owner of Cars Direct by Gavawn HWD Bobs Motors. The business, which was incorporated with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation on Oct. 29, 2010, was formed to purchase and sell cars. The company was forfeited on Oct. 1, 2012, but subsequently revived during the coronavirus pandemic on May 28, 2020, with Brooks listed as the resident agent. Court papers allege that Brooks applied for a PPP loan on behalf of Cars Direct on May 9, 2020, in the amount of $1,556,589. To support his application, the pastor allegedly submitted fraudulent tax forms showing $724,469 in payments via Forms 1099-MISC and $7,471,630 in total unemployment payments to employees from Cars Direct. IRS records do not show any tax filings made by Cars Direct for any tax period, the affidavit against the pastor notes, which indicates that Cars Direct has not hired employees or paid unemployment taxes. The Maryland Department of Labor also shows no record of Cars Direct paying wages or of Brooks receiving wages. A month earlier, on April 7, 2020, Brooks also allegedly submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan on behalf of Cars Direct, which contradicts the information and supporting documentation he submitted for Cars Direct's PPP loan application. On the EIDL application, Brooks alleged that Car Directs gross revenue was $148,000 and the cost of goods sold was $82,293 in the one-year period prior to COVID-19 being declared a disaster. Brooks PPP loan application for $1,556,589 was approved on May 9, 2020, and subsequently deposited into a bank account where he's listed as the sole signer. Brooks later created several accounts in the name of Cars Direct into which he transferred PPP loan funds, as well as one he named Payroll by BJM to give the appearance that it was associated with a payroll company. The pastor subsequently initiated numerous transfers of PPP loan funds from the Cars Direct accounts to his personal bank accounts, and records show the funds were used to cover personal expenses like credit card bills, purchases at restaurants, retail stores, grocery stores and automotive auctioneers. The funds were also used for mortgage payments on the pastors Cheltenham home. Calls made by The Christian Post to the Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries went unanswered on Monday. In an interview with The Impacts Robin Dorsey on WBGR in 2018, however, Brooks said he knew he was called by God when he was about 4 or 5 years old. He further noted that he was raised in the church and his father was a minister. His churchs website describes him as a man after God's own heart and has a passion for God's people. Pastor Brooks desires to see believers grow spiritually and desires to see the church function according to the word of the Lord. His intense love for the Lord, relentless spirit and ability to tap into the very heart of God make him a memorable speaker. With his love for God and lively preaching style, which can hold even the skeptics' attention, Pastor Brooks speaks and shares the heart of God with compassion and conviction, the church notes. A WhatsApp group is currently being accused of promoting the current TikTok April 24 Trend. If you haven't heard it yet, this new trend is about making "National Rape Day" a reality. Right now, some women are warning other people about the disturbing trend. "If anyone got plans on April 24th DONT GO OUT!!!! men are planning a national RAPE DAY STAY INSIDE!!!!," said one of the people who saw the video. Some rumors claimed that the viral footage was posted by a group of six men. These guys are also those who allegedly created the disturbing TikTik April 24 Trend. Millions of people who claimed that they saw the video, already shared their reactions on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more. Police are now investigating the WhatsApp group Falmouth Packet UK reported that an alleged WhatsApp group is created and joined by men from Falmouth, United Kingdom. Because of this, the Cornwall Police department confirmed that it is now investigating the said group. Also Read: WhatsApp Users Warned by Indian Cyber Agency CERT-In Over App's Vulnerability "Police have received a report of the existence of the WhatsApp group and are currently making inquiries regarding the credibility of the group," said the police department. On the other hand, rumors claimed that some students from Falmouth University are also in the accused WhatsApp group. However, Cornwall Police hasn't released any confirmation yet regarding the accusation. Meanwhile, one of the families, who have their daughters enrolled in Falmouth University, claimed that the WhatsApp group also has a name list for their targeted victims. The so-called "Rape List" is one of the major things that make the current issue alarming. What you need to do If there's a chance that you saw or received an invitation from a WhatsApp group that promotes the disturbing TikTok trend, the first thing you need to do is remember the names of the groups and their members. After that, you can easily report the group by following the steps provided by WhatsApp's official website. Here is the exact guide: First, open the group's chat. After that, click the group name or contact number. This will allow you to view its profile info. Once you are there, you can now report the group by scrolling to the section's bottom part. For more news updates about the disturbing TikTok April 24 trend and other related stories, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Is April 24 TikTok Trend False? Origin of the Video Could Not Be Found This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Giuliano de Leon 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As India reels under a massive spike in cases, Defence Minister has asked the Army to extend assistance to state administrations to deal with the pandemic, including by offering help in creation of additional capacities to treat COVID-19 patients. Sources in the security establishment said following Singh's communication to Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, it was decided that the Army would consider offering treatment to civilians in its medical facilities, wherever possible, besides extending other assistance to civil administrations. Singh has conveyed to Gen MM Naravane that the Army units in various states can get in touch with state administrations to understand their requirement like creation of additional capacities to deal with increasing volume of patients. Subsequently, it was decided that the senior-most Army officer in a state would get in touch with the chief minister to understand the requirement and take forward the process, including offering to treat civilians wherever possible, they said. The sources said the defence minister has been in touch with the top brass of his ministry and the three forces on how the civilian administration across the country could be assisted in battling the situation. The sources said it was also communicated to the leadership of the Indian Air Force and the Navy to gear up their preparedness in dealing with the situation. Separately, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar reviewed the possible areas where the armed forces can extend assistance to the civilian authorities. Following his review, the Defence Ministry instructed 67 hospitals run by Cantonment Boards across the country to ensure medical services to cantonment residents as well as those from outside. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has already been told to extend all possible assistance it can extend to civil administrations across the country. The DRDO has already reopened a medical facility near the Delhi airport for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The facility has been made operational with 250 beds and their number is being increased to 1,000. The premier organisation is coming up with a similar facility in Lucknow. India has witnessed a massive spike in infections as the country recorded over two lakh cases daily in the last five days. In view of the rapid surge in infections, India is facing an acute shortage of hospital beds, oxygen, essential drugs. The group that gives out the Golden Globes is once again under fire. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which each year puts on the Golden Globe Awards, is distancing itself from a controversial email sent by its former president about the Black Lives Matter movement. The Los Angeles Times revealed that Phil Berk, who was the HFPA's president for eight terms, sent an email to members of the association on Sunday sharing a post that labeled Black Lives Matter a "racist hate movement." Berk, according to the report, didn't link to a source in the email but was apparently quoting from an article titled "BLM Goes Hollywood," which also claimed that Black Lives Matter is "carrying on [Charles] Manson's work" to "start a race war." The email reportedly drew backlash from HFPA members, one of whom wrote back, "Please remove me from any racist email you wish to send to the membership." A board member also reportedly wrote, "The vile rhetoric contained in this screed is simply unacceptable." The HFPA told the Times that the "views expressed in the article circulated by Mr. Berk are those of the author of the article and do not in any way shape or form reflect the views and values of the HFPA." The organization also said it "condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and hate speech and finds such language and content unacceptable." The Hollywood Foreign Press Association faced heavy criticism in the lead-up to this year's Golden Globes after a report revealed its voting body doesn't consist of a single Black member. During the February awards show, officials from the organization came on stage to acknowledge they have "work to do." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the HFPA, which has said it will announce changes by May 5, is considering taking action against Berk. Update: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Tuesday it has now expelled Berk from the organization. More stories from theweek.com All 40 movies nominated for an Oscar this year, ranked The new HBO show you won't be able to stop watching America's incredibly successful pilot of universal health care The benefits of investing in SAF will go beyond the aviation sector, creating vast new clean energy jobs and new, sustainable revenue sources for farmers and tech innovators. Today, RMI and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) launched the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) supported by founding companies Boeing, BCG, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Netflix, and Salesforce. SABAs mission is to accelerate the path to net zero aviation by driving investment in high quality sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), catalyzing new SAF production and technological innovation, and supporting member engagement in policy-making. Despite a temporary setback in global air travel due to COVID, aviations contribution to climate change is expected to grow in the coming years. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, demand for jet fuel could reach double pre-pandemic levels by 2050. The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance adds momentum to existing airline-company partnerships that support the purchase of sustainable aviation fuels, said Kelley Kizzier, Vice President of the Global Climate program at EDF. SABA will build on the work of these early movers, many of whom seek a more scalable, standardized approach, by establishing a SAF certificate system with robust environmental criteria. Working with sustainability certification schemes, this system will verify and track emission reductions from SAF so that companies, organizations and even individual travelers can achieve their ambitious climate goals. SABA is one piece of a much broader global effort to decarbonize aviation. The environmental community and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its members have been championing the role of SAF for over a decade. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Economic Forums Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition incubated many of the concepts SABA now takes forward to implementation. We are excited to work with the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance and like-minded initiatives to develop the SAF certificate registry system, which will help make robust SAF certificates a reality for the broader community Clean Skies has worked so hard to build, said Christoph Wolff, Global Head of Mobility at the World Economic Forum. SABA will build on the strong foundation of these global efforts and develop a system that enables SAF to grow at the same pace and scale that renewable electricity grew over the last decade, said Ned Harvey, Managing Director, Climate Intelligence, RMI. The benefits of investing in SAF will go beyond the aviation sector, creating vast new clean energy jobs and new, sustainable revenue sources for farmers and tech innovators. Key aspects of SABAs work will include: Education and Policy Support: SABA will help members navigate the technical aspects of SAF and the SAF market, aviation emissions accounting, and the SAF policy landscape. Technology Innovation: SABA will assess emerging SAF technologies and work with like-minded organizations to help address barriers to scale and cost reduction. Investment Opportunity: SABA will establish a rigorous, transparent SAF certificate system enabling air transport customers not only aircraft operators to invest in high quality SAF to meet their ambitious climate goals. The time is ripe to launch SABA now, as we begin to return to the skies and gather to celebrate Earth Day and support the U.S. Climate Summit, said SABA Secretariat lead Kim Carnahan, former U.S. Chief Negotiator for Climate Change and Director of Disruption Technologies at ENGIE Impact. Today is just the beginning for SABA. We will announce additional founding companies soon and plan to open for broad membership at the COP26 climate conference in November 2021. Visit business.edf.org/saba for more information. Company Quotes: Boeing has been a pioneer in making sustainable aviation fuels a reality, and we recently set the ambitious goal to make our commercial airplanes capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030. SABA provides us with the opportunity to reduce our business travel emissions through SAF certificates, while incentivizing more sustainable fuel production that will allow access for others, as well, said Sheila Remes, Boeing Vice President of Environmental Sustainability. We are proud to be a founding member of the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance. BCG has set a bold ambition to achieve net-zero climate impact by 2030 and we support efforts to scale the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels and decarbonize air travel, said Rich Lesser, CEO, BCG. We are proud to be a founding member of SABA and support its efforts to aggregate and increase demand for lower-carbon aviation fuel, said Scott Corwin, Deloitte U.S. Leader for Sustainability and Climate Change. Efforts such as SABA are important to harnessing the power of the market to set in motion and sustain the innovations needed to create a zero-carbon future. Were committed to advancing the development of new innovations that enable the transition to a lower-carbon world, said Marisa Buchanan, Global Head of Sustainability, JPMorgan Chase. As part of JPMorgan Chases efforts to help our clients reduce carbon emissions, and also achieve carbon neutrality within our own operational footprint, were excited to join the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance to help accelerate the path to net zero air transport. Microsoft has a bold commitment to become carbon negative by 2030 and this requires us to create innovative new solutions and partnerships, said Elizabeth Willmott, Carbon Program Manager, Microsoft. As a corporate buyer and vocal supporter of high quality SAF, were pleased to join together with companies leading on climate action to support SABAs mission to decarbonize aviation and ultimately, increase SAF production and adoption. "It's impossible to stabilize the climate without decarbonizing aviation emissions. Air travel plays an important role in how Netflix entertains the world -- we cant produce films, TV series and nature documentaries without it. Were co-founding the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance to build a future where climate-friendly air travel is possible, and invite other companies to join the charge," said Emma Stewart, Ph.D., Netflix Sustainability Officer At Salesforce, the environment is one of our key stakeholders. Over this past year, the way we live and work has changed dramatically, and now, more than ever, we must reimagine sustainable business travel and decarbonize aviation. As with all of climate action, we need an all of the above approach -- to rethink when and how much we travel, about moving to digital wherever possible, and that long term we need Sustainable Aviation Fuel to play a critical role in driving air emissions to net zero, said Patrick Flynn, VP of Sustainability at Salesforce. We are proud to join SABA and help to accelerate the path to net zero air transport. Together, we can build a more equitable and sustainable world. About RMI RMI is an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the worlds most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. More information on RMI can be found at http://www.rmi.org or follow us on Twitter @RockyMtnInst. We are in the heart of the business district on Sullivans Island and feel lucky to be so embraced by the amazing and supportive community surrounding us. We also are a main source of revenue to the town, so we have a vital interest in appropriate town governance. The town faces myriad issues, from traffic and parking to conservation of town resources. As in any endeavor, the type of people you want making those decisions should be thoughtful, rational, objective and progressive. The environment and makeup of our surrounding communities are rapidly changing, and we need leaders who will be proactive and look to find forward-thinking solutions. We dont need leaders who rely on old, tired and fear-mongering arguments of how Sullivans Island is paving paradise and becoming the next Myrtle Beach. We need leaders willing to honestly assess the issues, allow for progressive ideas to be fully debated and be willing to include all in their deliberations. We believe the candidates in the May 4 municipal elections who are best-suited to lead Sullivans Island into that future are Chauncey Clark for mayor, and Tim Reese and Kevin Pennington for Town Council. RUSTY BENNETT Co-owner, Poes Tavern AARON SIEGEL Owner, Home Team BBQ DAVE LORENZ Partner, Mex One Coastal Cantina Middle Street Sullivans Island No juveniles on registry Do you think mistakes made in our youth should be punished for life? If you think no, then please support banning mandatory sex offender registration for juveniles who commit sexual offenses. Sex offender registration is for life. There is no age minimum for being placed on the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. In 2020, there were more than 200,000 names on the national registry for crimes committed as youths, according to the Juvenile Law Center. One-third of sex crimes against minors are committed by youths. Instead of mandatory sex offender registration, youths found guilty should be required to complete an evidence-based treatment program. Juveniles who commit sexual offenses have low recidivism rates, 5% to 14%, and are unlikely to reoffend in adulthood, according to the National Juvenile Justice Network. Mandatory registration leads to increased attempts of suicide, increased criminal behavior and reduced charges, which can negatively impact the victim. Juveniles who commit sexual offenses should be held accountable for their crimes. 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! The purpose of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate youths to lead crime-free and productive lives in adulthood. Juveniles being placed on the sex offender registry is punitive, not rehabilitative. SHALAMAR BOYD Halifax Way North Charleston Source of money I recently read an article in The Wall Street Journal about Ben Navarro and his Sherman Financial Group. I find it interesting how Charleston has opened its arms to this man and his money. Whats most disappointing is how he and his company, which has many subsidiaries, make the bulk of their money. The article paints a troubling picture of Mr. Navarro and his company: collecting debts and filing lawsuits against poor people. His companies filed more collection lawsuits in 2020 than almost every competitor. I encourage readers to research this dark side of the financial world where Mr. Navarro makes his money. RICKY GAYLARD Grovehurst Drive Charleston Amtrak station beautiful I recently had the opportunity to visit the new Amtrak Station in North Charleston and was struck by how beautiful and welcoming it is in comparison to the previous building. It is light and airy, with plenty of room in which to move around. The staff was welcoming, helpful and smiling. What a change. Amtrak offers an economical way to travel and provides not just transport but low-stress travel. I am grateful that this valuable resource remains available to us and praise our tri-county leaders for providing for the future. Now that the pandemic is slowing down and we are finally able to look forward to travel, I am eagerly awaiting my next train journey. FRANCES GLANVILLE Savannah Highway Adams Run Ensuring COVID-19 vaccine access for refugee and displaced populations, and addressing health inequities, is vital for an effective pandemic response. Yet, vaccine allocation and distribution has been neither equitable nor inclusive, despite that global leaders have stressed this as a critical aspect to globally overcoming the pandemic, according to a paper published by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Read "Leave No-one Behind: Ensuring Access to COVID-19 vaccines for Refugee and Displaced Populations" in the journal Nature Medicine. As of April 1st, high and upper-middle-income countries received 86 percent of the vaccine doses delivered worldwide, while only 0.1 percent of doses have been delivered in low-income countries. Worldwide, over 80 percent of refugees and nearly all internally displaced persons are hosted by low and middle-income countries - nations at the end of the line for COVID-19 vaccine doses. As the world grapples with supply challenges and inequitable vaccine access on local and global scales, marginalized groups, particularly refugees, internally displaced persons and stateless persons, face a double burden of access, even within countries that are themselves marginalized on the global stage. Legal status should have no place in decisions about vaccine access, and relying on regularization as a route to vaccination will unacceptably delay the protective effects for migrants and refugees, particularly in higher risk groups." Monette Zard, MA, Allan Rosenfield Associate Professor of Forced Migration and Health and Director of Forced Migration and Health Program, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University In fragile settings with weak governance, competition for scarce COVID-19 vaccines may heighten tensions and exacerbate conflict, while unequal access raises the prospect of populations moving in an effort to access vaccines that are not available in their country or region, according to the authors. The COVAX facility allocates around 5 percent of total available vaccine doses for humanitarian use, including vaccinating refugees, yet the total 2 billion vaccine doses targeted by the end of 2021 will only cover 20 percent of participating countries' populations, at most. Poorer countries may not be able to widely vaccinate their populations until 2023. To create an equitable and inclusive COVID-19 vaccination strategy, Zard and co-authors believe lessons can also be drawn from experience managing conditions such as HIV and TB among mobile populations, as well as previous large-scale vaccination campaigns in humanitarian settings. They point out how the global community approaches COVID-19 vaccinations may further entrench the inequities and distrust experienced by refugees and displaced populations around the world or is a chance to build stronger, fairer health systems that are better prepared to respond to COVID-19 and future health emergencies. "Engage, listen, and mobilize trusted community and religious leaders -- involving the community, including displaced populations, in vaccine activities is vital,"noted Zard. "Policy makers need to seize the opportunity of the pandemic to strengthen health systems more broadly and sustainably, to better respond to the challenges of COVID-19, while addressing the comprehensive health needs of refugees and host populations," observes one of the authors S. Patrick Kachur, MD, professor of population and family health at Columbia Mailman School. "As the world confronts one of the most formidable public health challenges in recent history, how we respond today will not only determine the course of this pandemic, but also who benefits from public health advances for years to come." NEW YORK, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. ("Emergent" or the "Company") (NYSE: EBS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Emergent and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On March 31, 2021 , the New York Times published an article reporting on the accidental contamination at an Emergent manufacturing plant in Baltimore of coronavirus vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca PLC. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the Emergent factory where the contamination occurred had a series of lapses observed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2020 . On this news, Emergent's stock price fell $12.45 per share, or 13.4%, to close at $80.46 per share on April 1, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com 042021-hw-eatwellrecipe VIETNAMESE GRILLED LIME CHICKEN BANH MI Yield: 6-8 sandwiches 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about 1 lime 2 tablespoons neutral oil For sandwich: 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 6 (6-inch) baguettes, sliced on the side, but not all the way in half Japanese Mayo such as Kewpie brand 1 large English cucumber, cut into long, thin strips 3 cups pickled daikon and carrot (recipe follows) 1 bunch cilantro, roughly cut into 1-inch pieces 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced into rings Procedure: For the grilled chicken: In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, black pepper, fish sauce, lime juice, and oil. Stir well to dissolve all of the salt and the sugar. Place all of the chicken thighs in a large zip-lock bag. Put all of the sauce mixture in the bag. Close the ziplock bag completely, gently massage the chicken with the sauce, making sure all of the chicken is covered with the sauce. Open the bag slightly and squeeze out as much air as possible. Reseal the bag and let the chicken sit and marinate for about 30 minutes or overnight. Heat the grill to 450 degrees. Grill the chicken thighs for about 6-10 minutes or until cooked through. Take the chicken off the heat and let rest for about 15 minutes before slicing. Slice into bite-size pieces and set aside. To assemble the sandwich: In a small bowl, mix together teaspoon each salt and pepper and set aside. Open each baguette like a book. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mayo onto both sides of the baguette. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper onto both sides of the baguette. Place about 4 ounces cut up chicken thigh onto the mayo. Add 2-3 slices of cucumber. Add about 1/4 cup of pickled daikon and carrot. Add a few sprigs of cilantro. Add about 3-4 slices of jalapeno. Source: Anne Doan PICKLED CARROT AND DAIKON Yield: 3 cups 1 small daikon, about 1/2 pound 2 carrots, about 1/2 pound 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon sugar 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar 2/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups seasoned rice vinegar 1 cup warm water Procedure: Peel carrot and daikon, and cut into little match sticks, about 3 inches long. Put the vegetables in large bowl. Add 1 cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Massage and work the vegetables for about 3 minutes, or until you can bend the daikon stick without breaking it. Rinse vegetables with running cold water, drain and dab dry with a paper towel. Put the vegetables into a large dry bowl or container. Set aside. For the pickling liquid, mix together, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 cups rice vinegar, and warm water until all of the sugar is dissolved. Pour the pickling mixture over the daikon and carrot sticks, toss to combine and cover. Set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Source: Anne Doan WASHINGTON - A gun safety organization calls on Gov. Gavin Newsom to address the spike in shootings across the state, according to Giffords. Giffords, a gun safety organization that former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords co-founded, called on Gov. Newsom to address shootings in the state. Gov. Newsom will announce the May budget in the coming weeks when Giffords said they called on the governor to invest in community violence intervention programs. Speakers who represent Giffords explained how emergency support to the California Violence Intervention and Prevention program is important in addressing the crisis. Our communities are suffering from a gun violence emergency, amidst a trying year of living through a pandemic," said Giffords Community Violence Initiative Director, Paul Carrillo. "Neighborhoods are reaching a breaking point and the best way to help is through bold and serious action. Its time to stop the violence and keep families safe. Safety and security cannot be a privilege enjoyed by some, it must be shared by all." The CalVIP is a program supporting community-based violence intervention programs across California. CalVIP-supported programs have saved lives and taxpayer dollars, Giffords said in a press release. In April, President Biden proposed a $5 billion emergency federal investment toward community violence intervention programs as part of his Jobs Plan. Part of this plan ordered 26 federal programs to prioritize funding for violence intervention programs in hardest-hit communities. In January, Gov. Newsoms budget included $9 million towards violence intervention efforts. Longmont, CO, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parascripta developer of cognitive capture software, driven by data science that processes over 100 billion documents annuallyannounced today that Zinnov recognized Parascripts advanced Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) capabilities in its latest Zinnov Zones for Hyper Intelligent Automation H1 2021 ratings. Zinnov, a leading global management consulting and strategy advisory firm, annually evaluates global Hyper Intelligent Automation (HIA) companies across technologies, platforms, service lines and use cases. Zinnov rated Parascript in the Leadership zone of its latest rating because of its advanced AI/ML capabilities through Parascript Smart Learning, which allows for out-of-the-box and custom implementations. "Parascript has established itself as a formidable player within the Intelligent Document Processing space," stated Nischay Mittal, Principal and Global Head Automation & AI at Zinnov. "Parascripts unique approach of Smart Learning that supports easy system configuration, adaptation in production environments, as well as custom and out-of-the-box template-free integrations, enables Parascript to provide extensive coverage across numerous use cases, especially to Banking and Financial Services and Insurance clients." Over the last 12 years, Zinnov has comprehensively assessed global technology providers on their competencies and capabilities across different segments. The evaluation spans technological acumen, scale of operations and overall capabilities across the automation lifecycle. The distinct capabilities for which Parascript ranked high included: IDP Value Chain Coverage. Extensive coverage across capture, extraction, classification and validation steps. Extensive coverage across capture, extraction, classification and validation steps. Accuracy/Confidence Scores. Automatically locates, extracts, classifies and verifies data with 95%+ accuracy. Automatically locates, extracts, classifies and verifies data with 95%+ accuracy. AI/ML Maturity. Demonstrates highly advanced capabilities based on the ability of the platform to leverage machine learning algorithms to train the solution on different documents. Demonstrates highly advanced capabilities based on the ability of the platform to leverage machine learning algorithms to train the solution on different documents. Language Support. Provides support for over 10 recognized languages including English, French, German, Russian and Spanish, etc. Provides support for over 10 recognized languages including English, French, German, Russian and Spanish, etc. Use Case Coverage. Provides coverage across multiple use cases such as loan and mortgage processing, KYC, compliance, mobile onboarding, medical claim processing, insurance policies and invoices, etc. Provides coverage across multiple use cases such as loan and mortgage processing, KYC, compliance, mobile onboarding, medical claim processing, insurance policies and invoices, etc. Input Documents. Provides coverage across a wide range of document types including emails, images, scanned documents, PDFs, handwritten documents, identity documents, legal contracts, financial statements, signatures, etc. "As an IDP specialist, Parascript provides leading AI/ML capabilities enabling automated capture, extraction, classification and validation of data from complex documents such as loan applications, legal contracts and policy documents, etc., Nischay Mittal further explained. Given the highly competitive landscape and the presence of over 500 platform players, Zinnovs evaluation also included assessment of the participants Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) capabilities focused on the scope and strength of the technology solutions, technical capabilities and product vision based on a rigorous RFI process, followed by interviews with over 100 customers, 500 developers, partners as well as industry experts. "We are very happy with the industry recognition that Parascript is receiving, especially from such a reputable consulting and analyst firm as Zinnov. Our Smart Learning software delivers the highest levels of data accuracy in the industry and that commitment to the highest quality data results is what leads to so many of our customer referrals, and most recently, the acknowledgement by Zinnov," said Greg Council, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at Parascript. Today more than ever, enterprises are tasked to automate their document-intensive processes to increase efficiency and improve on data-driven customer experience, right from medical claims to loan processing. Constantly innovating, Parascript advanced classification and data extraction software is considered ideal for automating non-standard claims adjudication, loan document processing, plan data conversion as well as auditing and compliance. Parascript has enabled clients within the Banking, Insurance, Government, and Logistics sectors effectively solve their document automation since 1996. Each year, Parascript software processes tens of billions of postal items, tens of billions of bank checks, medical, insurance and accounting forms in the United States and abroad. About Zinnov Founded in 2002, Zinnov is a global management consulting firm, with a presence across 4 continents. Zinnov has successfully consulted with 250+ Fortune 500 enterprises to enable them to accelerate their Digital Transformation outcomes by leveraging technologies such as Hyper Intelligent Automation (HIA), AI/ML, Cloud, IOT, etc. For more information, visit Zinnov. About Parascript, LLC Parascript develops Intelligent Capture that works like you want. Parascript software, driven by data science and powered by machine learning, automates simple and complex document-oriented tasks such as document classification, document separation, and data entry for industries including banking, insurance, logistics, and government. It puts the power of a team of data scientists and machine learning experts in your hands. Every year, more than 100 billion documents for financial services, government organizations, and the healthcare industry are processed by Parascript software. Visit Parascript. SAN DIEGO (AP) Ioane Teitiota and his wife fought for years to stay in New Zealand as refugees, arguing that rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten the very existence of the tiny Pacific island nation they fled, one of the lowest-lying countries on Earth. While New Zealand's courts didn't dispute high tides pose a risk to Kiribati, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia, laws dealing with refugees didn't address the danger so the government deported them. No nation offers asylum or other legal protections to people displaced specifically because of climate change. President Joe Bidens administration is studying the idea, and climate migration is expected to be discussed at his first climate summit, held virtually Thursday and Friday. The day the summit starts, Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts plans to reintroduce legislation to address the lack of protections for those who dont fit the narrow definition of refugees under international law. It failed in 2019. We have a greater chance now than ever before to get this done, Markey said in a statement to The Associated Press, citing Bidens climate diplomacy and greater awareness of the problem. The idea still faces monumental challenges, including how to define a climate refugee when natural disasters, drought and violence are often intertwined in regions people are fleeing, such as Central America. If the U.S. defined a climate refugee, it could mark a major shift in global refugee policy. Biden has ordered national security adviser Jake Sullivan to see how to identify and resettle people displaced directly or indirectly by climate change. A report is due in August. It makes sense for the United States to lead the way, being a principal producer of greenhouse gases, advocates say. No nation in the world has taken the leadership to address this reality, which we face today, said Krish Vignarajah, head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Its not an issue that we can punt to 20, 30 years from now. Our hope is the U.S. can take strong action that will produce a domino effect on other nations. Story continues The United Nations says there may be as many as 200 million climate-displaced people worldwide by 2050. A World Meteorological Organization report released Monday showed its already happening, with an average of 23 million climate refugees a year since 2010 and nearly 10 million recorded in the first six months of last year, especially in Asia and East Africa. Most moved within their own country. The 1951 Convention on Refugees defines refugee as a person who has crossed an international border owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Some argue that's outdated, but few expect changes to the international accord to account for those fleeing rising sea levels, drought or other effects of climate change. The U.S. may define the displaced as climate migrants instead of refugees and offer them humanitarian visas or other protections. Biden ordered the idea to be studied after a landmark ruling last year from the U.N. Human Rights Committee on a complaint Teitiota filed against New Zealand. Teitiota argued his 2015 deportation violated his right to life. He said saltwater from rising seas destroyed land and contaminated the water supply on the island of Tarawa in Kiribati. Scientists say the impoverished string of 33 atolls with about 103,000 people is among the nations most vulnerable to climate change. The committee said Teitiota was not in imminent danger at the time of his asylum claim, rejecting his case. But it said it may be unlawful for governments to send people back to countries where the effects of climate change expose them to life-threatening risks from hurricanes to land degradation. This ruling sets forth new standards that could facilitate the success of future climate change-related asylum claims, committee expert Yuval Shany said. Even so, identifying climate refugees is not easy, especially in regions rife with violence. In Central America, for example, thousands initially leave their villages because of crop failure from drought or flooding, often end up in cities where they become victims of gangs and ultimately flee their countries. Its a threat multiplier, and so creating a status or category would have to address this complexity rather than to ignore it or to seek pure climate refugees," said Caroline Zickgraf, who studies how climate change affects migration at Belgiums University of Liege. Does someone have to prove they were displaced by climate change? Thats an extraordinary, if not impossible, thing to ask of someone." Carlos Enrique Linga traveled to the U.S. border with his 5-year-old daughter after rains from back-to-back hurricanes caused landslides and flooding that destroyed more than 60,000 houses in Guatemala alone, including Linga's farm and home. He said he took the dangerous trip north because he needed to feed and clothe his children, including 2-year-old twins who stayed behind with his wife. To come here, we had to sell whatever harvest we had to pay a smuggler, said Linga, who stayed at a Texas shelter last month after U.S. immigration authorities released him and his daughter. He hoped to find work in Tennessee, where a friend lives, and send money back to Guatemala. Global warming is shifting the migrant population from men seeking economic opportunities to families uprooted by hunger, according to Duke University and University of Virginia researchers studying migration out of Central America. Researchers reviewing data for about 320,000 Hondurans apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border from 2012 to 2019 found they were largely from violent, agricultural regions also experiencing their lowest rainfall in 20 years. According to the study released in March, even when homicide rates in the regions dipped, if the drought worsened that year, apprehensions of families from there jumped at the U.S. border. Climate change is a driving force, but theres little political will to help climate migrants, said David Leblang, a professor of politics and policy at the University of Virginia who co-wrote the study. As a political scientist, I would say the chances of this happening right now are close to zero," he said. Some fear political pressure may lead Biden to back off after the number of people stopped by the Border Patrol last month hit a 20-year high. He faced similar criticism Friday for expanding refugee eligibility but not lifting his predecessor's record-low admissions cap of 15,000. Hours later, the White House said Biden would raise it by May 15, without saying how much. Climate migrants should be treated separately from those resettled under the 41-year-old U.S. refugee program, experts say, to not take spots from traditional refugees. In New Zealand, a new government in 2017 tried offering humanitarian visas to Pacific Islanders affected by climate change, aiming to let in about 100 people a year. Six months later, the plan was quietly dropped. New Zealand Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the government is focusing on reducing emissions so people are not displaced. Right now, Pacific nations want us to help safeguard their future by focusing on mitigating climate change and supporting them to adapt, he said. And so thats what were doing. ___ Associated Press writers Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. A woman turned into a sleuth by using Facebook to track down the rightful owner of a missing dog found 40 miles away after she became suspicious of her neighbour. Anna Taylor, 57, said she turned to social media to see if anyone reported a missing Shih Tzu when she got a weird hunch about a her neighbour's 'new' dog in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent. Lili, a five-year-old Shih Tzu, vanished from the street where she lived with owners Arek and Kasia Talarek, both 43, and their children Monika, 10, and Mikolaj, 15. Mr Talarek said the dog went missing in mid-March, bounding off down the street as he and his wife unloaded their car at their home in Gillingham. Anna Taylor, 57, said she turned to social media to see if anyone reported a missing Shih Tzu when she got a weird hunch about a her neighbour's 'new' dog in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent. Pictured: Lili the Shih Tzu being reunited with her real family He said: 'It has happened before, and all of my neighbours know my dogs so to be honest I really didn't worry too much when she ran off. 'But after two minutes of looking I started running and thinking, ''Where is Lili?'' He eventually spoke to a neighbour who said they had seen two men pick Lili up. 'My daughter Monika was really sad, every day she cried,' he said. 'The dog is actually my wife's dog, she was so sad. Lili had been with us for five years since I bought her for my wife for her birthday,' he explained. He added: 'Lili is a member of the family.' Almost a month later, retired teaching assistant Ms Taylor noticed a woman with a new dog. After hours of searching, Ms Taylor found a post matching the description of the little Shih Tzu from a dog groomer, she phoned the business who then put her in touch with Mr Talarek But she instantly became suspicious when the story behind how she bought the dog didn't add up. Mother-of-four Ms Taylor said the woman didn't introduce them to the new pooch. She also claimed her dog was a puppy, but after checking Lili's teeth Ms Taylor realised she was about five-years-old. She then did some Facebook sleuthing, spending hours looking over lost dog posts on social media. She explained: 'That night it bugged me and bugged me, so I looked on Facebook and went through all the different lost dog sites.' After hours of searching, Ms Taylor found a post matching the description of the little Shih Tzu from a dog groomer, she phoned the business who then put her in touch with Mr Talarek. Pictured: Anna Taylor who tracked down Lili's rightful owners Pictured: Lili being reunited with her owners in an emotional video The pair compared notes and quickly realised the dog she'd seen was missing Lili. Ms Taylor said: 'I gave the police all this information, but they weren't being very helpful. She messaged Laura Sullivan who spends her free time working to rescue and rehome vulnerable and lost animals, as well as another animal-loving pal, named Chelle Foreman. 'They were both on it straight away. I texted Arek and told him - the police really were doing nothing,' she said. Laura and Chelle were able to speak to the new owner who let them scan the pup's microchip - a must for all pets as it allows true owners to be identified in missing and stolen dog cases. The scan showed that she had been reported stolen by her real owner. But the new owner refused to hand the dog over unless Arek came to collect her himself in a few day's time. In a moving video, Kasia can be seen fighting tears as she is reunited with the dog - who is visibly overjoyed to be back with her mum Around 20 minutes later he, his wife and their children had arrived and the family was reunited, with footage showing the moment little Lili was able to jump back into her owner's arms. In a moving video, Kasia can be seen fighting tears as she is reunited with the dog - who is visibly overjoyed to be back with her mum. Anna said she and Arek both followed up with police after the dog was found, as both suspected there was something far darker going on than a simple case of a missing dog. Arek said: 'The police really did nothing, when Anna showed me a photo of the dog I was 100 per cent sure that it was Lili. 'But the police said they couldn't be sure. 'They told me if I went to collect her myself they would arrest me. I was fuming. 'I can't tell you how happy my wife was when she was reunited with the dog.' Anna said: 'The police were useless. It's all red tape and stupidness.' A spokesperson for Kent Police said: 'Kent Police received a report that a dog had been stolen in Gillingham, between 4 and 4.30pm on Tuesday 16 March 2021. 'Officers reviewed all available lines of enquiry and on Sunday 4 April, following the receipt of further information, a dog warden collected the dog from an address in Westgate-on-Sea. 'It was then reunited with its family on the same day.' Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan on Tuesday said the United States move to keep India on its currency manipulator watchlist is an intrusion into the policy space of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). I personally dont understand its rationale or economic logic, he said. It is the mandate of the central bank to provide stability in the currency, as a result of which central banks buy and sell foreign currency. Our overall reserves have been fairly steady at $500-600 billion. We are not accumulating reserves. We have a steady pattern of reserves that fluctuates, based on market based transactions. The central banks activity in the foreign exchange market has been perfectly balanced and completely legitimate and within the accepted monetary policy mandate of the central banks across the world, Wadhawan told reporters at a virtual briefing. Exports outlook The commerce secretary said he expects robust growth in exports in FY22 despite the disruption caused by the second wave of Covid. I am quite positive and hopeful that in 2021-22, we will be in solid positive territory, he said. Container shortage Pawan Agarwal, special secretary in the logistics division of the ministry of commerce and industry, said the shortage of containers has been eased in the country. Agarwal said to improve availability of containers, India is looking at manufacturing containers domestically. Meanwhile, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal chaired a meeting with various Export Promotion Councils to resolve the issues related to outbound shipments and urged them to set higher target for merchandise exports, to reach $400 billion, up 25 per cent YoY in 2021-22. He said exports performance has been good during the first two weeks of April An official present at the meeting said that localized lockdowns and curfew in major cities due to the second wave of the pandemic is unlikely to have a massive impact on the country's outbound shipments as factories are up and running and deliveries are not yet halted. They call it a sleeper: With a starting price of just $1,800, a potentially undervalued old master painting was pulled from auction and is now thought to be worth millions. A sale of art and antiques at the Madrid auction house Ansorena on Thursday was scheduled to include a grimy oil on canvas of Christ being crowned with thorns, cataloged as from the circle of the 17th-century Spanish painter Jose de Ribera. The suggested starting bid was set at 1,500 euros, or about $1,800. The Museo del Prado in Madrid, which had become aware that this painting might be a long-lost work by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the most celebrated of all Baroque artists, alerted Spains culture ministry. And on Wednesday, the ministry announced an export ban on the painting, and it was withdrawn from the auction the following day. About the authorship, the different experts are studying the work right now, said Belen Puente Herrero, the director of communications at Ansorena, who declined to provide further details about the painting and its ownership. Two weeks ago, the painting was spotted online by the London-based old master dealers Marco Voena and Fabrizio Moretti, who flew to Madrid to view the work in person. They believe it to be a well-documented but long-lost Caravaggio. Michael Gurney is Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk Michael Gurney is Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of Michael Gurney as a new Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Norfolk. He has also been appointed High Sheriff for a year, beginning on Easter Monday, April 5. Michael lives in Northrepps near Cromer. Born and raised in North Norfolk, he was Commissioned into The Blues and Royals in 1973 from Sandhurst and served for 13 years in Northern Ireland, Germany, Oman, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Turkey, and Jamaica. On return to England in 1985 he went into advertising and in 1987 he joined an agency in Hingham, where he lived for seven years and was treasurer of the PCC. In 1994 he formed The Point marketing communications agency in Norwich with two colleagues and moved with his wife Georgina back to live on the family farm at Northrepps. It was here that his three children grew up here; two are now married and he has four grandchildren. Michael worships at St Mary's Northrepps, which is a member of the Poppyland Benefice. It currently has a building project to modernise the church for the next century. He started PCC news and was responsible for the development of the publication, helping communicate with all PCC members across the Diocese, spreading good ideas and best practice. He retired from The Point in 2019 after 25 years. He is a Partner of the family farm and set up the North Norfolk Business Centre. Michael has served for five years as a trustee of the Norfolk Community Foundation, was for over 10 years on the Norwich Diocesan Board of Finance, and was for a time Chairman of Wispire. He has also served on the advisory boards of the Norwich Business School and Norwich4Jobs; was a Board member of the Local Economic Growth Initiative in Norwich and Deputy Chair of the Norfolk Reserve Forces Association. Deputy Lieutenants support the work of the Lieutenancy and represent the Lord-Lieutenant at various events throughout the county. Having been chosen on the basis of service already given, a Deputy Lieutenant will continue to serve the community both within and outside the framework of the Lieutenancy. Their post nominals are DL. Michael said: Having taken my declaration on April 5, I am looking forward to serving all of Norfolk as High Sheriff for the next year. As well as supporting the judiciary and the police, the traditional role of the High Sheriff, I want to focus on helping the vulnerable young from all communities which is especially important post pandemic. I hope to support all the statutory and voluntary organisations working to make young people's lives better. The Lord-Lieutenant, Lady Dannatt commented: "I am pleased to welcome Michael to the Lieutenancy, a role to which he will bring a wealth of world experience and local knowledge and I know I can rely on him to use all of his skills to maximum effect. Pictured above is Michael Gurney Eldred Willey, 20/04/2021 Union Bean, a grandmother of four who worked thirty-eight years in the railroad industry before retiring to pursue her passion for creative writing, has completed her new book Minding Things: an entertaining drama drawn from her own myriad of life experiences. Snazzy and innately passionate Karolyn experiences a sudden and disruptive breakup on the same day she meets her enigmatic handsome new barber, Louis. On the rebound, Karolyn finds herself going back to his barbershop for more than just the full-service haircuts, even after she realizes he is married. At first, it is only playful flirting on both their parts, but gradually she becomes obsessed with winning his affection. Betraying her beliefs, Karolyn goes against her own rules and falls for Louis, starting an erotic, raunchy affair with him. As quickly as it begins, Louis runs back to his family, deserting her on an isolated inn. Shattered, she is left on the verge of an emotional breakdown. However, Mercy steps in to pick up the pieces as Karolyn is brought together with John, a single, soft-spoken, well-meaning Christian. He is perfectly capable of giving her the happily ever after she always desired, except she is unsure of her feelings for him. As her heart heals, she is about to realize her true feelings for John, when Louis again crosses her path. Now she must choose whether to mind once more the things of her awakening flesh, or pursue an ambiguos relationship hoping to find lifelong love. Published by Page Publishing, Union Beans engrossing book is an excellent choice for avid romantic fiction readers. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Minding Things 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 understands that authors should 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 and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. 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. [April 20, 2021] Sydney Consulting Group Selects Wolters Kluwer NILS INsource Compliance Offering Florida-based Sydney Consulting Group has selected two offerings within Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions' NILS INsource solutions suite to advance compliance support of its many insurance carrier clients. Along with its adoption of the NILS INsource solution, Sydney Consulting Group has implemented NILS State Filing to more effectively track and manage evolving regulatory compliance obligations across state jurisdictions for its clients. Sydney's clients include insurance carriers of all sizes, from InsurTech start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. Its health and life insurance consulting practice consists of actuaries and compliance professionals with leading expertise in supplemental health and life products such as Accident, Critical Illness, Cancer, Hospital Indemnity, Term Life, Whole Life, and Universal Life. "The clients we serve face an ever-changing regulatory environment that requires keeping pace across multiple state and federal jurisdictions," said Hunter Sexton, JD, MHA, Compliance Consultant, Sydney Consulting Group. "We selected Wolters Kluwer's solutions based on our familiarity with the system and its impressive capabilities. The single technology platform will empower our team to more effectively manage our clients' regulatory compliance obligations." NILS INsource is a web-based tool for efficient and effective research, allowing insurers to monitor the vast array of regulatory material and readily assess compliance ramifications of evolving insurance obligations. Insurance compliance professionals can obtain focused, accurate content in significantly less time by leveraging the tool's insurance terminology indexing and compliance topic and subtopic category database, vastly enhancing their compliance efforts. NILS State Filing is also web-based, combining key regulatory details and transmittal forms in an easy-to-use, quickly deployable format. Users can focus on achieving business objectives, rather than on time-consuming research and maintenance monitoring of each relevant jurisdiction for regulatory requirements that may imact their customers. "Our NILS INsource suite of solutions has long provided insurers a trusted and valued resource to help consistently manage complex and ever-changing compliance and regulatory obligations across the insurance landscape," said Steven Meirink, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions. "We are pleased Sydney Consulting Group has added these core tools to its existing insurance compliance capabilities set, providing an ideal platform to improve its compliance program productivity and help reduce non-compliance risks." NILS INsource is viewed as a definitive primary content resource for almost 7,000 insurance professionals and departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions is a market leader and trusted provider of risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. banks and credit unions, insurers and securities firms. The business, which sits within Wolters Kluwer's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) division, helps these financial institutions efficiently manage risk and regulatory compliance obligations, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. Wolters Kluwer's GRC division provides an array of expert solutions to help U.S. financial institutions manage regulatory and risk obligations. Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions' eOriginal suite of purpose-built, digital lending solutions helps lenders digitize their transactions and features electronic signatures, collateral authentication and an electronic vault. Wolters Kluwer Lien Solutions' iLien Motor Vehicle solution provides for the processing and management of motor vehicle titles and liens, helping solve the most unique and complicated challenges in title perfection. In addition, CT Corporation has launched a Covid-19 resource center to provide businesses and law firms with international, federal and state legislative updates. About Sydney Consulting Group Sydney Consulting Group provides actuarial, compliance, FP&A, and strategic consulting to carriers, employers, and producers. Product experience includes, but is not limited to, Accident Indemnity, Accident Medical Expense, Cancer, Critical Illness, Short Term Disability, Hospital Indemnity, Long Term Care, Supplemental Medical Expense (Gap), Medicare Supplement, Short Term Care, Term Life, Universal Life, and Whole Life. Sydney Consulting Group is a client-focused organization built on the carrier and consultant leadership experience of its staff. To learn more about Sydney Consulting Group, visit their website at https://sydneygrp.com/ About Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk & Compliance Governance, Risk & Compliance is a division of Wolters Kluwer, which provides legal and banking professionals with solutions to help ensure compliance with ever-changing regulatory and legal obligations, manage risk, increase efficiency, and produce better business outcomes. GRC offers a portfolio of technology-enabled expert services and solutions focused on legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and banking regulatory compliance. Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005116/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Swedish Health Agency on Tuesday recommended that people under 65 years old who received the first shot of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine should get a different vaccine for the second shot. Why it matters: There are no definitive studies regarding immune responses when initial and follow-up vaccine doses are different. The agency said that when results on mixing different doses are released they will evaluate whether the recommendation should be changed. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Researchers from the University of Oxford in February began a trial where people received a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after a dose of AstraZeneca's or vice versa, per the New York Times. They will analyze the participants' blood to see how they respond to the mixing. What they're saying: "The recommendation that people under the age of 65 should not be vaccinated with AstraZeneca's vaccine Vaxzevria remains for the time being," the agency said "People under the age of 65 who have already received a dose of Vaxzevria should instead be offered a second dose of so-called mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna." The agency is recommending that those who received their first AstraZeneca dose should receive a second dose of an mRNA vaccine approximately 1215 weeks after, and no additional booster mRNA dose is required. For people over 65, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Hyzon Motors Inc. has begun production of 15 zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for delivery to the Municipality of Groningen in The Netherlands at Hyzons European manufacturing facility. The Groningen Municipality orders are being fulfilled through Hyzon Motors Europe B.V., a joint venture between Hyzon Motors Inc. and Holthausen Clean Technology (HCT). The JV is responsible for the development, production and delivery of the vehicles. The orders are being handled through the dealer ESA, Groningen. The 15 hydrogen vehicle order consists of 10 zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty municipality trucks, including water, refuse, hooklift crane and delivery trucks, and five zero-emission vans. Delivery of the first vehicles is expected in the third quarter of 2021. The remaining vehicles are expected to be shipped by the end of 2021. The Municipality of Groningen has more than 300 vehicles in its fleet, including 10 fuel cell vehicles previously acquired from HCT. HCT has worked closely with the Municipality of Groningen prior to its JV with Hyzon and this vehicle order supports Hyzons rationale for partnering with a key player in Europe. Groningen is aiming for zero carbon emissions by 2025 for the inner city, and to be carbon-free throughout the municipality by 2035. Qapita, provider equity management SaaS solutions serving customers in India and Southeast Asia, today announced that it raised a $5 million Pre-Series A round led by MassMutual Ventures. Hyderabad-based venture capital firm Endiya Partners and India-based angel investors including Anjali Bansal (Founder of Avaana Capital), Sujeet Kumar (CoFounder of Udaan) and CEO of an India-based decacorn also invested in this round. Qapita helps private and record and manage capitalisation tables (cap tables) and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Qapita also aims to digitise issuance of equity awards and shares. The Pre-Series A fundraise follows closely on the heels of its Seed Round led by Vulcan Capital and East Ventures in September 2020. Apart from Vulcan Capital and East Ventures, most existing angel investors including Koh Boon Hwee, Atin Kukreja, Alto Partners, Mission Holdings, Northstar Group Partners (Patrick Walujo) & K3 ventures also participated in this round. This fresh funding will be used to add engineering talent, accelerate product development and build clientele in India, Indonesia and Singapore. Lakshman Gupta, COO and Co-Founder of Qapita said, Over the last six months, more than a hundred have agreed to onboard with Qapita and manage their equity ownership on our software platform. New features will help us address pain points of not only and investors but that of all stakeholders in the ecosystem. We are looking to partner with various service providers including law, accounting & company secretarial firms and we will grow together by collaborating. Qapita was founded in September 2019 by a team of experienced professionals - each with over twenty years of experience in investment banking, corporate venture capital and technology sectors. Ravi Ravulaparthi (CEO), Lakshman Gupta (COO) and Vamsee Mohan (CTO) identified an opportunity to use systems and software to aid equity and ESOP management in private capital markets across the region. Over the last year, Qapita has built its team to include senior talent from industries like investment banking, venture capital and ESOP management. The team has grown from six people in September 2020 to over 30 people today, spread across various geographies in this region. Speaking on this investment, Anvesh Ramineni, Managing Director of MassMutual Ventures said, Globally, we are witnessing trends that indicate a convergence between public and private markets. Qapita is enabling this in the region through their solution from cap table and stakeholder management to digital share issuances and liquidity solutions. We believe the team has the right combination of experience, understanding of regional markets and product expertise to deliver on their vision. We are very excited to partner with Qapita and look forward to working with them as they build a category leading company in Asia. Ravi Ravulaparthi, CEO and Co-Founder of Qapita, said, We are grateful to have like-minded investor partners and this is a strong endorsement of the team we are building beyond just the Founders. Wealth creation happens substantially through equity in the start-up ecosystem. Through our Cap table, ESOP and Liquidity solutions, we want to enable Founders not only to offer equity to more stakeholders (including employees) but also provide faster liquidity. This will enable them to accelerate the flywheel of reinvestment into the rapidly growing startup ecosystem in India, and Southeast Asia. "India and the entire South-East Asia region already have a very vibrant startup ecosystem that is going to grow exponentially in the next few years with large capital inflows. Qapita with a stellar experienced team, customer traction, and marquee relevant investors has real potential to be a leader in the Cap Table, ESOP, and Liquidity Management space. Endiya is a launchpad for great product startups and our association with Qapita is the beginning of an inspiring journey which we are stoked about", said Sateesh Andra, Managing Director, Endiya Partners. Dashnaktsutyun announced its decision to participate in snap parliamentary elections expected in June after a party congress held over the weekend. It said the congress authorized the partys governing body in Armenia to decide whether to do so separately or in an alliance with other opposition forces. As regards the format of our participation, when the elections are [officially] announced we will discuss that and announce our final decision, the head of the body, Ishkhan Saghatelian, told reporters. Political consultations are going on right now. Saghatelian said that the consultations are being held with various political groups and figures, including Kocharian. Armenian media outlets have reported in recent weeks that Dashnaktsutyun is likely to join forces with Kocharian. The ex-president stated earlier this month that he will lead an alliance comprising at least two opposition parties. Kocharian, who is highly critical of the current Armenian government, governed the country from 1998-2008. Dashnaktsutyun was allied to him during his rule. The party, which has branches in major Armenian communities around the world, is not represented in the current parliament, having garnered only about 4 percent of the vote in the last elections held in December 2018. Saghatelian insisted that Dashnaktsutyun will do much better if it participates in the upcoming elections on its own. But our goal in these elections is not to win parliament seats. Our supreme goal is to get rid of this government of evil, he said. Dashnaktsutyun is a key member of the Homeland Salvation Movement, a coalition of more than a dozen opposition groups that have held street protests in recent months in a bid to topple Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian over his handling of last years war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinian has refused to step down and pledged to hold the snap elections instead. Although the Homeland Salvation Movement has insisted that such polls be held by an interim government, only one of its members, former President Serzh Sarkisians Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), has called for an election boycott so far. Other parties affiliated with the alliance, notably Gagik Tsarukians Prosperous Armenia Party, made clear their intention to join the parliamentary race already in March. Saghatelian admitted that these differences have weakened the opposition movement. But he did not rule out more anti-government protests in the weeks ahead. 3 1 of 3 Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Bernie Sanders has thrown his support behind two San Antonio candidates ahead of the 2021 city elections. The Vermont senator took to Twitter on Tuesday, April 20, to announce his endorsement of Terri Castillo, who is running for City Council District Five, and Luke Amphlette, a candidate for San Antonio ISD District Four School Trustee. President to meet with Egyptian authorities and business community EBRD supporting Egypts economy and reform plans Agreements boosting the countrys green economy to be signed For the first time since her election as head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), President Odile Renaud-Basso will visit Egypt in person on 21 and 22 April for high-level meetings with the authorities and the business community. Ahead of her visit, President Renaud-Basso, said: Egypt was one of the few countries that did not plunge into recession last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Egypt was hit hard. The EBRD is committed to supporting the country in these challenging times to help overcome the economic setbacks and to continue delivering on reforms in order to achieve a sound, sustainable and inclusive recovery. During her visit, the EBRD President will meet the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of International Cooperation and EBRD Governor, Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities and Chairman of the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), Assem El Gazzar, and Minister of Local Development, Mahmoud Youssry Shaarawy. President Renaud-Basso will also meet the Governor of Cairo, Khaled Abdel-Aal Abdel-Hafez, Governor of Alexandria, Taher El Sherif, officials from the Egyptian National Railways, and representatives of the private sector, the EBRDs key business partner in its activities. Supporting Egypts transition to a green economy, the EBRD President will sign agreements to develop sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy in the country. Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD. Since the start of its operations there in 2012, the Bank has invested close to 7.2 billion in 127 projects in the country. David Cameron, his financier boss Lex Greensill and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will be grilled by MPs over the lobbying scandal, it was confirmed last night. The Treasury Committee said it will ask all three to appear in person during its inquiry into the Government's dealings with failed finance firm Greensill Capital. Chairman Mel Stride said he would write to them as well as to the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority. He added: 'There are questions to be answered in relation to Greensill Capital regarding the operation of the UK's financial system and its regulation. David Cameron, his financier boss Lex Greensill and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will be grilled by MPs over the lobbying scandal, it was confirmed last night 'Also, whether the Treasury responded appropriately to lobbying from Greensill during the pandemic.' Two other parliamentary inquiries including one by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee also want to hear from Mr Cameron. Yesterday it published details into its probe which will look at issues such as codes of conduct and lobbying regulations. Chairman Mel Stride said he would write to them as well as to the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority A series of investigations have now been launched into the role Mr Cameron played in securing Whitehall access for Mr Greensill, whose firm's collapse now risks thousands of jobs, particularly in the steel sector. The Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee gave details of its investigation into the lobbying row, which will look at whether existing rules and penalties are tough enough. The terms of reference published by the committee note the collapse of Greensill Capital and revelations about its relationship with ministers and Whitehall 'have raised significant concerns about the propriety of governance in this country' which 'risks undermining public trust'. Committee chairman William Wragg MP said: 'Standards in public life are vitally important, and I think most politicians and civil servants fulfil their roles honourably. 'Maintaining and defending that honourable position matters that's precisely why this affair has to be scrutinised. 'We will look into whether the rules need tightening up and clarifying and we will make any necessary recommendations without fear or favour.' The MPs will examine whether codes of conduct for ministers, special advisers and officials are effective, how conflicts of interest are managed and whether the business appointment rules are broad enough. The Prime Minister has asked lawyer Nigel Boardman to investigate after it emerged that former government procurement chief Bill Crothers worked as an adviser for Greensill Capital while in his Whitehall job. Pictured: Lex Greensill The committee will also examine how lobbying should be regulated and consider the issues around the use of consultants and contractors in government. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson sought to play down the extent of links between Whitehall and the private sector, insisting there are not 'loads of people' working as civil servants while also employed by a business. The Prime Minister has asked lawyer Nigel Boardman to investigate after it emerged that former government procurement chief Bill Crothers worked as an adviser for Greensill Capital while in his Whitehall job. Greensill, which collapsed in March, also employed former prime minister Mr Cameron, who lobbied ministers on behalf of the firm. Mr Johnson, who said he has had no recent contact with Mr Cameron, said Mr Boardman will look at 'the whole thing'. The Prime Minister told reporters on a campaign visit to Gloucestershire: 'I just want to stress one thing to people who are sort of vaguely tuning in to this. 'People should not, in my view, form the impression that the upper echelons of the British Civil Service have got loads of people who are double-hatting, as it were, doing two jobs it just isn't true. 'We've got one of the best civil services in the world. 'They are fantastically hard-working people, they have been doing an amazing job throughout this Covid pandemic, apart from anything else, and I just wouldn't want people to get that impression. 'It is simply not the case.' Cabinet Secretary Simon Case last week ordered Whitehall department chiefs to declare any instances of senior officials performing dual roles outside the Civil Service. How Well Does an IUD Work? Both types of IUDs are very effective at preventing pregnancy. Over the course of a year, fewer than 1 out of 100 typical couples using an IUD will have an accidental pregnancy. The IUD is effective as soon as it is put in and it lasts a long time. A copper IUD can work for 10 years. Progestin IUDs can work for 3 to 5 years, depending on the brand. This makes the IUD a good option for women who are not ready to start a family. Even though an IUD can stay in place for a long time, the doctor or nurse practitioner can remove it at any time. Does an IUD Help Prevent STDs? No. The IUD does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Couples who are having sex must always use condoms along with the IUD to protect against STDs. A doctor or nurse practitioner will check to be sure a woman doesn't have any STDs before putting in an IUD. Getting an IUD put in while she has an STD could lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Abstinence (not having sex) is the only method that always prevents pregnancy and STDs. Are There Any Problems With an IUD? The most common side effects of the IUD include: irregular bleeding for the first few months with the copper IUD, heavier periods with more cramps lighter and shorter periods (or no periods) with some kinds of progestin IUDs PMS-like symptoms such as moodiness, headaches, acne, nausea, and breast tenderness with the hormonal IUD Rare problems include: Expulsion. An IUD can come out of the uterus by accident (called "expulsion"). Sometimes a woman doesn't know this has happened. If an IUD comes even part of the way out, it does not protect against pregnancy. A woman can check that an IUD is still in place by feeling for the string (a doctor or nurse practitioner can explain how to do this). After someone has an IUD inserted, she'll need to go back for a follow-up visit to check that the IUD is properly in place. Perforation of the uterus. There's an extremely small risk that an IUD might push through the wall of the uterus while it is being put in. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). There's a very low risk of infection from bacteria getting into the uterus during IUD insertion. Most such infections happen in the first 20 days after placement of the IUD. Who Is an IUD Right for? IUDs are a good birth control option for many girls and women. However, IUDs aren't recommended for someone: with PID or an active STD infection who is already pregnant or may be pregnant who has problems with her uterus, like a disease or malformation, or has abnormal bleeding Experts recommend IUDs as a good birth control option for younger women and teens because they last for many years, need no daily care, and are very effective at preventing pregnancy. Where Are IUDs Available? An IUD must be inserted by a doctor or nurse practitioner. This can be done at the doctor's office, or at a health clinic, like Planned Parenthood. It can be inserted anytime during a menstrual cycle as long as she is not pregnant. How Is an IUD Put In? The doctor or nurse practitioner puts the IUD in through the vagina, past the cervix, and into the uterus. This only takes a few minutes from start to finish. People usually feel some cramping during the placement, but it gets better within a few minutes. Taking it easy for the rest of the day, using a heating pad, and taking over-the-counter pain medicine can help with any discomfort after the IUD is placed. How Much Does It Cost? An IUD can cost anywhere from $0 to $1,300. The cost can vary depending on the health insurance plan and the type of IUD. Many health insurance plans cover the costs, and family planning clinics (such as Planned Parenthood) may charge less. Because an IUD lasts for many years, the cost works out to about the same as monthly birth control methods, such as the Pill or ring. When Should I Call the Doctor? Someone with an IUD should call the doctor if she: Shingles may be a rare side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, a new study claims. Researchers in Israel found that people with certain autoimmune diseases were more likely to develop the skin rash, also known as herpes zoster, compared to those without these diseases. What's more, the skin condition was five times more common following the first dose than the second dose. The team, from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, says the findings should serve as a warning to doctors to watch out for the uncommon symptom in their patients with autoimmune diseases. A new study found that 1.2% of patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases developed shingles, a skin rash also known as herpes zoster, compared to no patients in the control group (file image) Patients were times more likely to develop the condition following the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine than the second dose (file image) 'We cannot say the vaccine is the cause at this point,' lead researcher Dr Victoria Furer a rheumatologist at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center told The Jerusalem Post. 'We can say it might be a trigger in some patients.' For the study, published in the journal Rheumatology, the team looked at 590 patients receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. Of the patients, 491 were diagnosed with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases while the remaining 99 were controls. Autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) cause the immune system to attack a person's bones, joints, muscles or organs. They include conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis and mixed connective tissue disease. Common symptoms are muscle aches, fatigue, swelling and redness of the skin covering the joints and numbness of the hands and feet. It is estimated that between three percent and five percent of the general U.S. population suffer form AIIRD, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Results showed that of the 491 AIIRD patients, six of them - or 1.2 percent - developed shingles. Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash anywhere on the body, and is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After someone has had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in the body and can be reactivated as shingles years later. Five of the AIIIRD contracted the infection after the initial Pfizer dose and one person after the final dose. Comparatively, no patients in the control group who received the vaccine developed shingles, either after the first or second shot. Furer told The Jerusalem Post that five of the six patients who developed shingle had mild cases of their autoimmune disease, meaning they shoyld not have been at increased risk. 'That is why we reported on it,' she said. ''It seems that the reason is that there is some association.' She added that a larger study is needed to confirm the findings and that one recommendation could be for AIIRD patients get vaccinated against shingles before getting their COVID-19 shot to reduce the risk. However, Furer said she does not want to discourage people from getting inoculated against COVID-19. 'We should not scare people,' she said . 'The overall message is to get vaccinated. It is just important to be aware.' By now, everyone is aware of the shortage of oxygen cylinders in hospitals which has led to a rise in the share price of Bombay Oxygen Investments Ltd. How? Well, apparently, people are buying the company's stocks thinking they will get oxygen supply. However, even though the company has nothing to do with 'oxygen,' having it in its name has made its share price hit its upper circuit limit Rs 24,574.85 on the BSE. Also read: Mumbai Mosques Are Now Reportedly Offering Free Oxygen Cylinders To COVID-19 Patients Bloomberg Bombay Oxygen Investments Ltd shares have been witnessing a particularly sharp rally for many days now and have more than doubled from about Rs 10,000 level seen in March-end and the market watchers feel the only reason for this kind of stupendous rally is the name of the company. On the homepage of its website, the company says it was incorporated as 'Bombay Oxygen Corporation Limited' on October 3, 1960, but it changed its name to 'Bombay Investments Limited' with effect from October 3, 2018. It further read that the company's 'primary business was manufacturing and supplying of industrial gases which has been discontinued from August 1, 2019.' It 'owns substantial financial investments in the form of shares, mutual funds and other financial securities and the income from such financial investments is the source of revenue of the company.' Also read: 12-Hour Catch Up: Daily COVID Vaccinations Drop; Delhi Govt Claims Oxygen Diverted AFP The company had been issued a certificate of registration from the RBI 'for carrying on the business of Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFC) without accepting Public Deposits.' While several market watchers said the company no more deal in oxygen, there is a contradiction on its website, as its 'products' section continues to refer to oxygen and other industrial gases. This section still describes the company as 'Manufacturer and Dealer of Industrial Gases' and lists oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide as products. Also read: Delhi Police To The Rescue - Cops Provide 20 Oxygen Cylinders To A Hospital In Need PTI However, the BSE page of the Mumbai-based company describes it as an NBFC. After two decades of war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has abundant justification for withdrawing all U.S. troops by Sept. 11. Yet his decision has the feel of a loss because of what is likely to follow. Sept. 11 is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that led to the U.S. invasion. The short-term goal was clear to obliterate the terrorist infrastructure that supported the attacks. And that goal largely was met through the rout of the Taliban and, in 2011 in neighboring Pakistan, the death of al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden. But because the U.S. never established a concrete long-term goal for the occupation, it is hard to even measure success or failure. Attempts to establish democratic governance produced enthusiasm among the populace but epic corruption among political leaders. The reach of fundamentalist terrorists was such that U.S. and allied soldiers often were killed by Afghan soldiers. The welfare of women clearly improved as the loosening of the medieval Talibans grip on the society opened opportunities for education, employment and mobility. The lesson was the same as it was regarding Vietnam, Somalia and Iraq. The United States, at the beginning of any such incursion, must have not only justification for going in but clear objectives and a plan for getting out. The impending withdrawal will save American lives and money. But the resulting cost to Afghan people, whom the United States purported to champion, is going to be high. The importance of multilateral co-operation for strengthening democratic principles and values, including through firm and prompt sanctions for slippages, was highlighted by Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, who on Tuesday opened the 33rd meeting of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies (CoD) by videoconference, as part of the duties of the Romanian Presidency of CoD. The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) says in a press statement released on Tuesday that also addressing the opening meeting were CoD Secretary General Thomas Garrett and Parliamentary Secretary of the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Oliphant, agerpres.ro confirms. Aurescu highlighted the importance that Romania attaches to the term in office as CoD chair as well as the need to boost and streamline the efforts of the international community to strengthen democratic systems, the only ones that offer prosperity, security and well-being for citizens. The head of the Romanian diplomacy mentioned the importance of the Principles of the Warsaw Declaration, the founding document of the CoD, as well as of the framework offered by the Bucharest Declaration of June 2020, that shows the best framework for overcoming crises, including the one generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is provided by democracies by respect for human rights, institutional capacity, transparency and trust. "We must react to the undemocratic policies of abusive regimes, including those considered part of Europe. There can be no impunity for serious violations of democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms. No attempt to destabilise our partners or neighbours must be left unpunished, and we must make use of our democratic tools - a strategic approach focused on fundamental values, as well as encouraging the involvement of civil society," Aurescu is quoted as saying. He added that an essential factor in combating threats to democratic systems is to ensure a framework within which members of society can thrive. "Recalling that promoting the role of women in public life and in consolidating democracy and economic growth is a priority of the Romanian Presidency in leading the CoD, Aurescu underscored that ensuring gender equality essentially contributes to the formation of a fair, representative, functional society. He pointed to the promotion, at national level, of equal opportunities and treatment, both by law and in practice, exemplifying that by the successful model of Romanian diplomacy, which has a very good gender balance, including in the representation in management positions, both at the MAE headquarters and in the Foreign Service," the release reads. The Head of the Romanian diplomacy reiterated Romania's commitment to promoting gender equality, including by determining to respect and contribute to the implementation of the provisions of international instruments in the area. Aurescu proposed to the Governing Council the inclusion of a component on gender equality on the agenda of the next CoD Youth Forum. He welcomed the adoption on Tuesday of the Governing Council Declaration on the Role of Women in Democratic Governance and Sustainable Development, underlining its importance for strengthening CoD action in this area and for catalysing international efforts on the subject. The tenth ministerial meeting of the CoD will take place on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the 76th session of the c, in September 2021, where Romania will continue, in its capacity as chair of the CoD, promoting the objectives, values and principles of the Community of Democracies. Romania is hosting the 33rd meeting of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies (CoD) and the third under the Romanian Presidency on April 20-21, by videoconference. Romania holds the Presidency of the Community of Democracies between September 2019 and September 2021, having as main objectives the promotion of democracy globally as the only system that guarantees prosperity and sustainable development, facilitating the involvement of young people in democratic processes, and the relationship between democratic processes and information technology. The Community of Democracies, established in 2000 at the initiative of the United States, with the signing of the Warsaw Declaration by 106 states, is the largest platform for debate and exchange of experience on global democracy. The Governing Council, which consists of 31 countries, including Romania since 2011, is the main decision-making body of the Community of Democracies. On a recent edition of the Hoover Institutions program Uncommon Knowledge, host Peter Robinson interviewed former Trump national security officials H.R. McMaster and Matthew Pottinger about the new Cold War between the U.S. and China. The mood was somber as both men described the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership as driven by ideology and imperial ambition to replace the United States as the worlds leading power. McMaster and Pottinger, both of whom served in the U.S. military prior to working in the Trump administration, said that Chinas rise is in part due to long-held American illusions that China's economic liberalization would result in political liberalization. For decades, Wall Street, big-tech companies, and Silicon Valley invested heavily in Chinese state-affiliated corporations, earning huge profits for themselves and financially fueling Chinas economy and military build-up. All the while, CCP leaders cracked down on political dissent whenever and wherever it appeared. CCP leaders were determined that there would be no Chinese Gorbachev. The former Trump officials also agreed that under President Xi Jinping, China has tightened its control over its citizens, reestablishing a Maoist Orwellian police state that has crushed freedom in Hong Kong, committed genocide against the Uigurs, and is attempting to intimidate Taiwan into political submission. They also both agreed that Chinese leaders still believe in communism and see their continued rule in Leninist terms. The CCP distorts history (especially the Partys responsibility for the massive death and destruction caused by the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution) and appeals to nationalism when it suits their interests. Pottinger also opined that the CCP fears the Chinese people, which is why they cracked down on the free Chinese in Hong Kong and why the free Chinese on Taiwan are seen as a threat to the CCPs continued rule on the mainland. Pottinger also expressed the concern that President Xi, knowing the fragility of CCP rule, may seek to leverage its current power now before the internal weaknesses grow stronger. China would not be the first great power in history that sought political stability at home by fomenting an international crisis. The CCP's fear is coupled with ambition that is commonly expressed as overcoming the century of humiliation (the hundred years before Mao seized power in 1949) and replacing the U.S. as the world's leading power. The CCP even appeals to China's imperial past, where the Middle Kingdom was considered the center of the world, with outside powers paying obeisance to China's ruling class. The key flashpoint in the new Cold War, according to McMaster, is Taiwan. China has recently conducted military exercises near and above Taiwan, with fighter planes entering Taiwans air defense zone and an aircraft carrier group cruising near the island. The host, Peter Robinson, asked McMaster and Pottinger if they agreed with British historian Niall Ferguson's recent observation that Taiwan could become the "American Suez Crisis," i.e., the U.S. may find that it is unable to successfully defend the island against a Chinese invasion. Both McMaster and Pottinger stated that China might find it very difficult to invade Taiwan and sustain such an invasion. They compared a potential Chinese invasion of the island to Hitler's ill-fated Operation Seal Lion (the planned invasion of Great Britain that never happened due to Germany's inability to gain control of the air and sea separating occupied France from Britain). McMaster and Pottinger both stated that Trump was the first American president in the post-Cold War world to recognize that China was not going to politically liberalize but instead was seeking to replace the U.S. as the world's leading power. McMaster opined that the Biden administration appears to be following Trump's lead regarding China. The program host Peter Robinson concluded by quoting George F. Kennans optimistic assessment of Americas ability and willingness to successfully contain the Soviet Union, comparing it to a recent editorial in the Economist that said the American-led world order is ending. Here, McMaster and Pottinger were optimistic that Kennan's vision of America's strengths was more accurate than the Economists forecast of Americas decline. Well see. Francis P. Sempa is the author of Geopolitics: From the Cold War to the 21stCentury, Americas Global Role: Essays and Reviews on National Security, Geopolitics and War, and Somewhere in France, Somewhere in Germany: A Combat Soldiers Journey through the Second World War. He has written lengthy introductions to two of Mahans books, and has written on historical and foreign policy topics for The Diplomat, the University Bookman, Joint Force Quarterly, the Asian Review of Books, the New York Journal of Books, the Claremont Review of Books, American Diplomacy, the Washington Times, and other publications. He is an attorney, an adjunct professor of political science at Wilkes University, and a contributing editor to American Diplomacy. A $45,000-a-year school in Los Angeles is locked in a struggle with parents as administrators push for a more progressive curriculum that excludes classic modern American literature like To Kill a Mockingbird and the Lord of the Flies. Parents, faculty, staff and alums of Brentwood School began clashing over the curriculum after the school participated in #BlackoutTuesday, a social media campaign to stand against racism, just days after George Floyd died under the knee of a white Minneapolis cop last year. According to the Los Angeles Magazine, under a #BlackoutTuesday post that featured a black box, some alums criticized the school as being a 'toxic racist cesspool for students of color, but an ivory tower for the wealthy, white elite'. In addition to commenting under the school's Instagram post, alums of color have demanded that the private school scrap its curriculum. The magazine reported that teachers and administrators spent quite some time last summer discussing literature like To Kill a Mockingbird and the Lord of the Flies, both books that some believe are problematic while others deem classics. Brentwood School (pictured), a $45,000-a-year school in Los Angeles, is locked in a struggle toward a more progressive curriculum that excludes classic modern American literature like To Kill a Mockingbird and the Lord of the Flies Alums of color have demanded that the private school scrap its curriculum Nevertheless, both books were scrapped from the school's curriculum for their use of the N-word. A parent with the Black Family Association developed a Powerpoint presentation that included slides that read their children would think 'I must be inferior to other people because I was a slave once,' and that the N-word 'must be OK to use' if they read the books. The Crucible was also taken off the eight grade reading list at Brentwood. While it's unclear what was considered objectionable, the Arthur Miller classic faced bans in the 1950s as it was a critical allegory of the US government during McCarthyism. Elsewhere, the book has faced criticism from parents because of its treatment of the occult. According to the LA Times, one parent said of the changes: 'George Floyd dies, our kids show up for school two months later, and every book that's been read for the last 20 years is out.' And while those books were taken out of the curriculum, the English department refocused 11th grade English on American Identity and Culture and seniors were given the option to take a senior elective called 'LAtinx: An Exploration of Identity in Los Angeles.' Following those changes, parents of Brentwood students formed a group called Concerned Parents. The group complained that they weren't a part of the discussions last summer despite them being the ones who write the tuition checks. When they did speak with the administration, one parent claimed that school officials told them that they 'know what's best for your children'. But Mike Riera, who has been the head of the school since 2011, told LA Magazine: 'At the end of most of these conversations, people felt like, 'OK, I understand it. I'm not sure that I agree with it. I'm going to give it some time. I trust many other aspects of the school. So we're going to go with it.'' Riera then tried to get parents onboard with the changes even more in a September 2020 newsletter in which he explained: 'We are at an inflection point as a school, a time when we must take a deep look at ourselves in terms of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.' 'This could result in discomfort for some as well as choices that are questioned by others. However, as a school we are pushing forward,' he wrote, according to LA Magazine. However, parents still condemned the changes and in October 2020 demanded an open forum to discuss the 'radicalization of the present curriculum'. Mike Riera (pictured), who has been the head of the school since 2011, said his administration is 'trying to teach students how to think. We're not telling them what to think' In October, the school held an open forum (Instagram post pictured) in which parents voiced their frustration with the curriculum In response, Riera said in October: 'It is true that we probably have implemented more curricular changes across all divisions in this one year than any other year in Brentwood's almost 50 years of existence.' 'Will we overstep in some areas? Possibly. Will we under-step in others? Possibly.' Riera said his administration is 'trying to teach students how to think. We're not telling them what to think'. Also in October, a petition by a 'Brentwood Family' also appeared online. 'As a current Brentwood School Family, we are very concerned by the Brentwood School Administration's changing of the curriculum for this school year that has eliminated American classic literature from the reading list such as Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird. 'While we all have the shared goal of teaching our children about different cultures, races and experiences so that they can be more understanding and sympathetic to all human beings, the new curriculum does not reflect the culture and experiences of other minorities such as the Hispanic or Asian communities. 'We also believe we do not need to be teaching our children to be anti-racist by ONLY having literature about the African-American experiences in America. This goal can be achieved while having a more diverse curriculum including American classics, similar to the curriculum at other Los Angeles private schools,' the petition reads. The petition continued: 'We know there are a lot of families with our goal to have a diverse, inclusive and balanced curriculum that is consistent with Brentwood's core values and believe that the new curriculum does not meet this standard.' A total of 72 people have signed the petition to date. A similar incident occurred in New York City recently when a math teacher who publicly blasted his private school for indoctrinating students with 'anti-racism' ideology defended the father who pulled his daughter from a separate 'woke weaning' school. Grace Church School teacher Paul Rossi told DailyMail.com: 'It is not easy for parents to upend lives and pull their child out of school. Administrators and faculty at many schools exploit this high switching cost, to leverage an explicitly discriminatory and ideological agenda that is harmful to the children in their care.' His comments came in the wake of an April 13 letter by Andrew Gutmann, 45, - posted by Bari Weiss - which blasted the $54,000 a year Brearley School over its woke antiracism 'obsession'. Rossi had on Friday revealed that he will have to teach remotely rather than return to his classroom at the elite $57,000-per-year prep school in Manhattan's East Village on Monday. That followed comments accusing his school of 'indoctrinating' students with 'anti-racism' ideology that he says induces shame in white students. Since Floyd died last year, American has reeled from a spate of deadly hate crimes and racism, including the most recent police killing of Daunte Wright. Schools, businesses and companies are grappling with ways to combat systemic racism with California taking the lead. The California State Board of Education last month approved the nation's first statewide ethnic studies curriculum for high schools, saying the teaching of discrimination and oppression has never been more important. Board members voted unanimously, 11-0, to approve the curriculum it hopes will become a model for other states to follow. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin a step forward for racial justice, but warned that such verdicts are much too rare and legislative reform must be next. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges in the death last year of George Floyd, in a case that has roiled the nation and drawn international attention. Speaking from the White House, Biden said the conviction can help achieve racial justice in America if lawmakers pass police reform legislation under consideration in Congress. Nothing can ever bring their brother, their father, back, but this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America, Biden said. Lets also be clear, such a verdict is also much too rare. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris watched the verdict with staff in the private dining room at the White House. After the verdict, Biden, Harris and first lady Jill Biden spoke with Floyds family from the Oval Office, the White House said. Biden told Floyds family he was relieved about the verdict. Harris, in remarks ahead of Biden, said the problem of racial inequality affects all Americans. Heres the truth about racial injustice, she said. It is not just a Black American problem, or a people of color problem. It is a problem for every American. It is keeping us from fulfilling the promise of liberty and justice for all. And it is holding our nation back from realizing our full potential. Biden had expressed views about the verdict before it was reached, saying he was sharing his opinion only because the jury had been sequestered. Im praying the verdict is the right verdict, Biden said. Which is I think its overwhelming, in my view. Chauvin was accused of killing Floyd last year in Minneapolis, after putting his knee on Floyds neck until he lost consciousness. The incident, recorded on video, sparked a wave of protests that swept cities nationwide, with demonstrators demanding immediate changes to laws on police conduct. Story continues The verdict increases pressure on the president and his Democratic Party to pass sweeping police reform legislation, such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is supported by civil rights groups. The bill would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants and end qualified immunity for police officers while boosting federal oversight of state and local police forces. Biden and Harris reiterated their support for the legislation Tuesday, with the president saying it was a necessary step to tackle systematic misconduct in police departments. Biden called for a national ban on chokeholds as a candidate, and the White House said his position was the same as when he was campaigning. The Department of Justice has supported the use of warrantless raids in limited circumstances. The same way a reasonable police officer would never suffocate an unarmed man to death, a reasonable justice system would recognize its roots in white supremacy and end qualified immunity, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement immediately after the verdict. Police are here to protect, not lynch. We will not rest until all in our community have the right to breathe. Former President Barack Obama praised the jury for their decision, but said that true justice for Black Americans would require more than a guilty verdict. While todays verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient one. We cannot rest, Obama said in a statement. We will need to follow through with the concrete reforms that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system. Former President Bill Clinton issued a statement saying the jury made the right decision. Earlier this month, White House officials announced they were abandoning plans to create a commission to study police reform, saying that they wanted instead to put the focus on trying to pass the George Floyd Act. Floyds death and the racial justice protests that subsequently swept the nation were a major issue in the 2020 presidential election, with Biden promising changes to law enforcement but rebutting calls from liberal activists to defund their departments. Biden, as a candidate, sought to strike a balance between the competing demands of a liberal base that wanted far-reaching changes to police oversight and more moderate voters who generally support the police. It was the knee on the neck of justice, and it wouldnt be forgotten. It stirred the conscience of tens of millions of Americans, and, in my view, it marked a turning point in this countrys attitude toward racial justice, Biden said of Floyds death in January, days after taking office. In his evening remarks, Biden said that just watching the trial was traumatic and exhausting for many people in the country. No one should be above the law. Todays verdict sends that message, but its not enough, Biden said. We cant stop there. In order to deliver real change and reform, we can and we must do more to reduce the likelihood that a tragedies like this will ever happen or occur again. A team of 21 students from Hamilton County Schools Harrison Bay Future Ready Center earned 13 medals--seven of which were gold--at the 2021 SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference. SkillsUSA is a national education nonprofit that serves middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service (including health) occupations. The organization hosts competitions at the local, state and national level for students to demonstrate the skills theyve learned in their area of study. Harrison Bay Future Ready Center were awarded medals in the following categories: Engineering Technology & Design - Gold Medal Kennya Mentado, Amy Mercer, Gracie Rogers Promotional Bulletin Board - Gold Medal - Lily Staddon, Paige Goforth, Rebekah Chastain Principles of Engineering - Silver Medal - Alexis Roth Architectural Drafting - Gold Medal - Isaiah Weaver Engineering Job Demonstration B - Bronze Medal - Harrison Quarrels Robotics Automation & technology - Silver Medal - Josh Boles, Zach Parris - Bronze Medal - Matt Merfert, Katelyn Varnell SkillsUSA is a wonderful opportunity for students, teachers and industry to partner to ensure our country has a skilled workforce, said Keith Bright, sponsor of the Harrison Bay team. After the program was put on hold for the first time in over 40 years, Harrison Bay students stepped up to meet the challenge, and we are so proud of the accolades they brought home to Hamilton County. The student winners will go on to compete at The SkillsUSA Championships in Louisville, Ky. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 20:45:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday urged the United States and Japan to abide by the one-China principle and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when asked to comment on a U.S.-Japan joint statement expressing concern over issues relating to Taiwan. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question, as China's internal affairs, brooks no external interference," Ma said. Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, who are relying on foreign support and are merely pawns of anti-China forces, will only put Taiwan in a more dangerous situation, Ma added. Enditem The Council of the European Union on Tuesday adopted the regulation for the establishment of the Cyber Centre in Bucharest, the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, made the announcement on Facebook. "The Council of the European Union today adopted the regulation establishing the Cyber Centre in Bucharest. At home, we have already started the operationalization procedures within the interinstitutional working group coordinated by the Ministry of Finance, and today's Council decision represents an important step towards fulfilling this objective," Nazare wrote on the social network. Thus, after the final adoption of the regulation by the European Parliament and its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, "we are going to put Romania on the map of European agencies and build here an important pole of technological expertise in cybersecurity", agerpres.ro confirms. The European Council on Tuesday adopted the regulation establishing the Centre of Competences in the field of cybersecurity, to be based in Bucharest, in Romania, the next step being the final adoption by the European Parliament, it is shown in a press release of the Council. The EU intends to increase the security of the Internet and other key networks and computer systems by setting up a Cybersecurity Competence Centre to pool investment in cybersecurity research, technology and industrial development. The new body will be based in Bucharest, will receive financing for cybersecurity via the Horizon Europe programme and the Digital Europe programme. This "European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Centre" will collaborate with a network of national coordination centres designated by the Member States. The Competence Center will work closely with the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). The vote on Tuesday, by written procedure, means that the Council will adopt its position at first reading. The legislative act must now be adopted by the European Parliament in second reading before being published in the Official Journal of the EU. The regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication. Campus News UB law school panel explores arguments governing police use of force A panel at the UB School of Law met to discuss police use of force on the same day the jury began deliberations in the Derek Chauvin trial. By MELVIN BANKHEAD III But regardless of what happens, even if its a conviction the work is only beginning with regard to policing and law. On Monday, a jury began deliberations on whether to convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years of in prison. Also on Monday, the School of Law conducted a panel discussion of legal scholars that effectively put aspects of the American law enforcement system on trial. George Floyd, Policing, and Race: A Conversation About the Trial of Derek Chauvin explored the intersection of race and law in the Chauvin trial. The discussion began with a surprising observation: This case isnt legally interesting, said moderator Luis E. Chiesa, vice dean for diversity, equity and Inclusion, and director of the Buffalo Criminal Law Center in the law school. There are clear grounds for (Chauvins) criminal liability. In legal terms, the case hinges on Chauvins use of deadly force, as well as whether that use of force caused Floyds death. Guyora Binder, SUNY Distinguished Professor and vice dean for research and faculty development the law school, pointed out that the conventional causation analysis in most places is sort of two questions. One is, was the defendants act necessary to result in death such that if Chauvin hadnt done what he did, Floyd would be alive today. And then a second level is, was the result foreseeable as a result of his actions. The defense has argued that other factors, including Floyds history of drug abuse, were the actual cause of death. Still, panel members werent blind to the racial factors that also exist in the case. The defense is arguing that the cause of death was not Chauvins use of force, Chisea noted, but rather drugs in (Floyds) system . And, of course, this has its own sordid history regarding painting Black males as out-of-control (drug addicts). So, it fits with certain stereotypes and tropes that defense attorneys count on to acquit police officers. In general, what I see here and, frankly, what I see in many, if not most, of these cases involving police officers who shoot unarmed Black males is clear grounds for criminal liability, Chiesa said. But that tends not to materialize for reasons that go well beyond the substantive criminal law. Binder agreed, noting that an area of great concern is the systemic racism that exists within the legal system. He pointed to specific examples of the racial or gender compositions of a jury being contested in criminal law cases, as well as systematic efforts to keep members of minority groups off of juries. He noted that while that the latter example is illegal, it is also almost impossible to prove and, as such, it happens routinely. The crucial issue (in this case is) that if the prosecution fails, it will be on this issue (race), he said. It wont be on the use-of-force issue, which is surprising because, usually, its the opposite in cases involving a civilian shooter. The defense has a two-step argument, noted Ekow N. Yankah, of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York City. One, the force was not that unlawful, or was not unlawful and was reasonable, and was what a reasonable police officer would do; and two, these other things killed (Floyd). The panel members warned, however, that the standard of what is reasonable works quite well in cases where the shooter is a civilian. However, when police officers kill unarmed individuals, there are complications. Ultimately, this case is interesting because of what it means, what it stands for in its political ramifications, Yankah said. If I could magically go into that video and take off Chauvins uniform and show the world a video of two civilians in a fight where somebody put a knee on somebody elses neck for nine minutes? Nobody in the world would think theres a serious doubt that youre a substantial cause of death. The case would be over! Binder pointed to another factor that makes the case unusual: that the prosecution has put on a very strong case, and has been aggressively aiming to show that Chauvins actions were not reasonable, and that he violated department policy and his training. Normally, he said, in similar cases, the prosecution would merely go through the motions, while the defense would argue that the officers actions were consistent with departmental policy and training. Yankah attacked what he called the insanity of that standard defense. We ought to think hard about the fact that the justification of this kind of policing is, too often, This is what youre trained to do, he said This is crazy. If your defense is that This is how were trained to treat fellow citizens, thats an indictment, not a defense. But only in our world is that a defense of police behavior. Still, Binder, a Hodgson Russ Faculty Scholar, noted that theres a method to the apparent madness. Police training and bad training that encourages police to use force when they should not, actually then has the effect of insulating police from liability because it means that their defense attorneys can say, Oh, look, their conduct was consistent with their training, he said. The other concern, Chiesa noted, is that reasonableness can serve as a vehicle for all of these systemic prejudices, biases and all of these issues to find their way into law enforcement. As Minnesota and the nation braces for the jury verdict, Chiesa asked for people to use their common sense, no matter what happens. I hope everyone remains calm in the wake of the verdict This will be a difficult time for our country. But regardless of what happens, even if its a conviction the work is only beginning with regard to policing and law. YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The PACE should take concrete measures in order over 200 Armenian POWs kept in Azerbaijan return to Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, MP Mikayel Melkumyan said at the PACE session. Partners, what are we discussing? Armenia has returned all POWs to Azerbaijan, but there are still Armenian POWs in Baku. I have addressed you several times that its necessary to organize visits to Yerevan and Baku. But you told me that its beyond your responsibilities. What would you do if those POWs were French or German nationals? I want to see concrete measures, the parents of our POWs want to see concrete measures, Melkuyan said, emphasizing that the war incited by Azerbaijan and Turkey was the continuation of the genocide. We've all been reduced to sneezing, sniffly messes this month. If you've been suffering through allergy season more than usual, know it's not just you. Allergy season actually is worse this year. GET THE CAMERA: Here's where to find Texas' most beautiful bluebonnets in 2021 The February ice storm that hit Texas is to blame for the extra allergy pain, the Houston Chronicle's Rob Downen reported last month. While we usually see a spike in tree pollen in March, the freeze delayed the spike until April, lining up with grass pollen's annual spike and creating a double whammy of allergy misery. It's not just the Houston area, either. The freeze impacted pollen levels across the state. Originally, you might think, 'Well this is going to kill the pollen for the year' wouldnt that been nice if that had happened but it actually didnt because the snow acted like insulation on the plants, said Dr. Marie Fitzgerald with Family Allergy & Asthma Care in North Texas, CBS 11's Caroline Vandergriff reports. All it did is delay, but it did not relieve anything. The Houston Health Department has been reporting high levels of mold spores, weed, tree and grass pollen lately. Allergy symptoms include sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes symptoms different than those of COVID-19. But when in doubt, get a test. Amazon reinvented supermarket shopping with its checkout-less Go stores, and now the e-commerce giant is applying its tech prowess to hairdressing. The company has chosen east London as the home for its first-ever salon, a 1,500-square-foot concept site where customers can try on virtual hair colors using an augmented reality color bar and shop curated beauty products using displays and QR codes. The AR tech relies on a tablet embedded in a mirror to show patrons how they'd look in a range of different shades using the slate's front-facing camera. In that sense, it looks similar to the Live Mode make-up feature Amazon introduced on its mobile app in 2019, which allowed users to experiment with different lipstick colors. Meanwhile, the shopping experience utilizes Amazon's new "point-and-learn" technology, allowing customers to point to products on a shelf to view relevant info including brand videos on an accompanying screen. You'll then be able to buy the items by scanning a QR code to visit the product page on Amazon's UK site. Amazon Tech aside, the salon will offer traditional styling from the professionals at Neville Hair and Beauty, a London-based boutique that normally charges between 50 to 250 ($70 to $350) for adult cuts and treatments. The retailer is currently trying out the concept on its employees and plans to open it to the public in the coming weeks. Amazon's salon arrives on the heels of its first UK convenience stores, which offer the same checkout-free tech as its Go stores, with three Amazon Fresh sites currently operating across London. For now, the company says it has no plans to launch additional salons. Instead, it views the concept as a testing ground for new tech and a showcase for its beauty products. April 20 : Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who is currently in London, is concerned about the grave COVID-19 situation in India. She penned a long note on the current COVID-19 pandemic in India, and urged the people not to take it lightly and stay at home. Taking to her Twitter account, Priyanka said that the coronavirus situation in India is out of control and the medical fraternity is at a breaking point. In such a situation, she begged the people of her country to stay home. The Covid 19 situation across India is grave. I'm seeing images and stories coming in from different parts of the country that are so scary... the situation is out of control and our medical fraternity is at a breaking point. Please stay home...I beg you to stay home. Do it for yourself, your family, friends, neighbours, community, and also our frontline workers, The White Tiger actress tweeted. Priyanka further added, Every doctor and frontline worker is saying the exact same thing: Stay home Ensure everyone you know stays home If you have to step out, wear a mask Talk to those around you and help them understand this situation... we cannot take this lightly. Get the vaccine when it's your turn. Doing this will help us ease the immense pressure on our medical system. Meanwhile, recently, when The White Tiger director Ramin Bahrani narrated how he was subjected to racist comments during a Zoom interview with director Ava DuVernay and other BAFTA and Academy members. At the meeting, he was asked to go back to his own country by a bystander. Priyanka who not only starred in The White Tiger but was also the executive producer, came out strongly on the racism issue and said that Hollywood has a great responsibility to right these wrongs. The global icon said, Who belongs here, and who doesnt? Isnt America a melting pot of all people from all backgrounds? Priyanka is currently shooting for a spy series Citadel that also stars Richard Madden. The web series is executive produced by the Russo Brothers and backed by Amazon. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Account Leadership - Account Manager Remuneration: negotiable Cost to company Benefits: Provident Fund, Group Life & Disability and Medical Aid Location: Cape Town Education level: Degree Job level: Mid Job policy: Employment Equity position Type: Permanent Reference: #Hello/AM Company: HelloFCB Job description Work closely with clients, pro-actively managing their business and organisational objectives, material, deadlines and performance Work closely with studio and project managers to produce your work Actively manage the relationship with the client Work on growing existing client spend and participate proactively on new business and pitches Stay abreast of current industry trends and technology Schedule and attend meetings with clients and studio Create and participate in the development of campaigns, strategies and digital plans Manage campaign objectives and make recommendations to ensure campaign goals are met Review analytics and metrics, provide reporting to clients Compile and supply daily, weekly and monthly campaign reports for clients Lead meetings and delivers presentations Manage job bags, account administration and financial oversight of clients and our business Mentor junior staff on accounts Relevant degree/diploma Minimum two three years relevant experience Strategic mindset Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written The ability to maintain good relationships with clients and team members; strong interpersonal skills is a must The ability to work under pressure, multitask and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment Good analysis and interpretation and great excel skills Planning and organisational/document management skills Passionate about advertising and the industry Natural ability to generate a positive disposition Able to self-manage your workload Great attention to detail and highly organised Go getter proactive, keen to get stuck into agency life at HelloFCB Solution driven and a great problem solver Previous TTL, digital media, BTL and social media experience HelloFCB+ is looking for a get-things-done human to join our account leadership team. Someone who loves advertising and marketing, has an eye for detail, enjoys a challenge and is keen to learn, grow and inspire.Our team is passionate about playing a role in creating meaningful connections between our clients and their audiences and connecting the world.We do fun and we do awesome. We work hard, we work fast, and we work well.As the account manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management of some of our exciting and award-winning clients and brands in a role that demands a good knowledge of TTL and digital marketing.You will report to the Executive Business Director but work closely with all teams including social and digital media, creative, strategy and tech departments.If you would love to be part of an agency that constantly strives for new, creative and innovative ways to connect with the right people at the right time, HelloFCB+ is the place for you.Proven track record and recent relevant contactable references are essential. Salary negotiable, depending on experience. Please be advised, only successful candidates will be contacted for an interview. Posted on 20 Apr 11:45 As an open and inclusive city with thriving businesses, Yangzhou has always been dedicated to crafting a "wonderful Yangzhou" with pleasant and convenient business environment and attracting more friends to share opportunities and reap gains in the city, said Xia Xinmin, secretary of the city's municipal party committee. During this year's festival, the city materialized signing of 180 projects in advanced manufacturing, modern service and sci-tech innovation industry, with investment in advanced manufacturing and modern service projects reaching 122.46 billion yuan. The contracted projects included 32 key projects in smart energy, food, smart modular construction, computer precision components, and chemicals sectors. Zhang Baojuan, the city mayor, said that Yangzhou will ramp up efforts to promote industrial basis re-creation and industrial chain upgrading campaigns in 2021 so as to propel clustered development of advanced manufacturing in Yangzhou. In the short term, the city will take advantage of the opening of the Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum scheduled on June 18 to speed up construction of the Sanwan core exhibition park and eight exhibition zones of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. For next step, Yangzhou will continue to widen the brand effects of the city as a world canal capital, gourmet capital and East Asian cultural capital, and develop four-season tourism resources in Yangzhou, highlighted Zhang. In recent years, Yangzhou kept enhancing its industrial and cultural industry basis and its gross regional product exceeded 600 billion yuan in 2020. The city also ranked the first in appraisal of the second batch of small- and micro-sized enterprise entrepreneurship and innovation base cities in China. See the original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/321019.html SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road An Ohio woman missing for two days has been found dead in a vacant home and a former friend of hers has been charged in the death. Brianna Ratliff, 20, was last seen around 7pm on Thursday in Hall Park, a neighborhood of Coshocton, Ohio. She said she was going to the Pit Stop gas station. By Friday afternoon, however, Ratliff was considered a missing person by the local sheriff's office. Brianna Ratliff, 20, was found dead on Sunday two days after the woman was reported missing Around 7:16pm on Sunday, a search party reported a body matching Ratliff's description in a vacant house and her identity was later confirmed. The Coshocton Tribune reports that Ratliff was found by a search dog from Golden Hearts A Voice 4 the Voiceless, a non-profit victim advocacy group. Blake Grewell, 19, was taken into custody on Monday, according to a news release sent to DailyMail.com by the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office describes Grewell as a 'former friend' of Ratliff. She was found at a vacant home (pictured) by a search dog on Sunday evening It's unclear what happened at the home, which was taped off by the police by Monday Grewell has been charged with aggravated murder, with more charges anticipated against him. According to 10TV, the Bureau of Criminal Investigations was also assisting with the case. Ratliff (pictured) was on her way to a gas station Thursday evening when she disappeared Blake Grewell, 19, has been charged with aggravated murder in her death Pictured: Brianna Ratliff with Blake Grewell in Facebook photo from January 2020 On Monday, the vacant house in the 1800 block of Chestnut Street was sealed off with caution tape, including the front yard and a wooded area out back. A vigil for Ratliff was planned in Hall Park on Tuesday evening, according to the Coshocton Tribune. Additionally, a GoFundMe page is raising money Ratliff's funeral expenses. 'She was a beautiful person, inside and out and will be deeply missed by so many people,' the organizer of the fundraiser wrote. So far, the fundraiser has accumulated $3,565 in donations, with a goal $15,000. Like the ideal artist Henry James conjured up, on whom nothing is lost, Diski notices everything that comes her way: Nothing is so red, moist and fleshy as the inside of the mouth of an elephant seal. She is discerning about serious topics (madness and death) as well as less fraught material, such as fashion (about which she knows an impressive amount, referencing madly deconstructed Margielas and Demeulemeesters and an almost-invisible beige shimmer of Armani) and celebrities, including Keith Richards, Dennis Hopper and Princess Diana (for a brief period, Diana had more and grander opportunities for contradictory behavior than most of us). Her starting point, whether she is writing about Anne Frank, the strivings of the very rich, Stanley Milgrams infamous series of 1961 experiments on the nature of obedience to authority or Elisabeth Nietzsches appropriation and distortion of her brothers legacy, is always herself, as she readily admits in A Diagnosis, the books final essay: I write fiction and nonfiction, but its almost always personal. Ive never been apologetic about that nor had a sense that my writing is confessional. What else am I going to write about but how I know and dont know the world? Image And in truth Diskis first-person voice is like no other, selectively intimate but not overbearingly egotistic, like, say, Norman Mailers. It bears some resemblance to Joan Didions, if Didion were less skittish and insistently stylish and generated more warmth. What they have in common is their innate skepticism and the way they ask questions that wouldnt occur to anyone else. About psychoanalysiss belief in excavating the hurts of the past the better to understand the present, for instance, Diski, despite a harrowing history, says she can find no underlying seismic fault waiting to open up and goes on to ask, paraphrasing Freuds famous statement about the goal of the talking cure, Surely, it is neurotic to seek pain, where ordinary unhappiness is available? Later on in the book she probes comically into her resistance to confronting the ghosts of her childhood and young adulthood: My unconscious, if I have one, which I doubt, is so unconscious that it doesnt tell me anything, not consciously anyway, and I have to manage all on my own. Diski grew up on Tottenham Court Road, the only child of parents who wandered around naked and whom she described as suicidal hysterics; they tormented each other and sexually abused their daughter. During a brief cushy period, Diskis mother took her skating and dressed her in velvet-collared coats and white gloves. Meanwhile, Diski seems to have reveled in her fathers boundary-crossing overtures: I adored being held in his arms and feeling his big hands stroking me. Stroking me where? Everywhere, I think. I took in his physical affection like draughts of delicious drink. Her father was in fact a con man and adulterer, although the familys neighbors, whom Diski visits decades later, remember him as absolutely charming and a perfect gentleman. After walking out several times, he abandoned Diski and her unstable mother for good. My mother, she recalls, was a woman whose behavior was often inexplicable. Living with her, day by day, was like skating on newly formed ice. It constantly shattered, every day, but there was no alternative, no other place to go. Money rapidly became short, Diskis mother was signed up for Social Security and a social worker suggested that Diski go to boarding school, which she did; the first school soon asked her to leave, the second expelled her after 18 months. From these dismal beginnings, everything went further downhill: After Diski was sexually abused by her mother at 14, she swallowed a handful of Nembutal and was put in a psychiatric hospital. Although Diski describes herself in A Feeling for Ice as a tough child, right from the start a survivor, to put against the flaky genes and the training in hopelessness, this seems like a retrospective defense against a life that had become intolerable early on. Then, in an improbable stroke of luck, Doris Lessing, at the urging of her son, who remembered Diski from boarding school, entered the picture and invited Diski to live with her. Lessing had just published The Golden Notebook and was at the height of her fame. For the next three years, the troubled teenager was welcomed into a civilized world of intellectual discussions, food in the fridge, wine on the table, regular hours as well as proper schooling and psychoanalysis, the latter of which Lessing paid for. Whether Lessing loved Diski or even much liked her or, indeed, ever saw her for who she was is another question, one that was raised by Lessing herself in a novel (despite the fact that the two had agreed not to write about each other) and is explored by Diski with radically conflicted feelings in In Gratitude. In a profile of Diski that appeared in The New York Times Magazine less than a year before she died, she described Lessings feelings toward others as consisting of a sense of obligation without affection. Barclaycard customers have called on it to reverse heavy-handed credit card limit cuts hitting cardholders whose financial circumstances have remained steady - or even improved - over the last year. This is Money received a deluge of responses from readers by email and on social media after we reported on the growing backlash against the credit card provider yesterday. Credit limits have been slashed by more than 90 per cent under the guise of 'responsible lending' but it increasingly appears the company applied a one-size-fits-all approach to borrowers. As yet more cases of seemingly illogical credit limit cuts to customers whose finances remain steady and have never been checked emerge, This is Money is calling on Barclaycard to reconsider. Hundreds of Barclaycard customers have contacted This is Money to say their credit limits are being cut Of the more than 400 responses we have received since Monday morning, many are from customers who said their spending power was being cut back despite them never having had problems before or suffering a loss of income. And while the lender has said in certain circumstances they can appeal the decision by providing details of their income, customers told us this information had never previously been requested. Others were told by Barclaycard that it was cutting their limit due to the coronavirus pandemic's effect on people's finances, but then had the credit card firm admit that it had never checked on their financial situation. 'They've never checked my financial status in 23 years' Mark Gough, 65, told This is Money: 'I got the letter from Barclaycard last week advising my limit of 14,600 is being reduced in May to 1,850, hardly enough to book a decent holiday. 'I've had the card for 23 years and in all that time they've never checked my financial status. I retired in 2017 after working for a bank and, ironically, my wife and I are now more comfortable financially than we've been for years.' Personal finance blogger Lee Silsby said his credit limit had been cut from 16,100 to 500, a reduction of 97% He added: 'I plan to respond to the letter with the information they've asked for which will take me some time and cost in printer ink. I will be intending to pursue them to the Ombudsman until, and unless, I get my full limit back and compensation for my time and efforts dealing with them.' Another customer, Claire Davenport, said: 'I have recently had my Barclaycard limit reduced from 9,100 to 6,900 despite the fact that I am about to go back to work on the same number of hours as I used to do. 'I have also been able to manage on part furlough before this and have never missed any Barclaycard payments or had to have payment holidays.' This is Money and our sister title Money Mail have reported since last Wednesday on the fact many borrowers who have had their credit limits cut by huge sums have never missed payments or struggled to make them, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Emma Hasler, from Cambridgeshire, was told her credit limit was being cut from 5,700 to 250, a fall of more than 95 per cent. 'I'd been with them for eight years with no problems and no missed payments', she said. 'I'd never maxed out the card and had always used it responsibly. I spent about 1,000 at most, and at the time they reduced my limit I had 100 on the card. It was a card for emergencies, 250 won't cover much. 'I don't know what they're playing at.' What can you do if you're affected? Those affected by the Barclaycard credit card cull fall into two categories. There are those who have been told they can appeal the decision if they provide the bank with up-to-date information about their incomes, and others who cannot. For the first group, the matter is quite straightforward if they wish to try and keep their Barclaycard limit. They can write to the bank and argue why the decision should be reversed and their old limit given back to them. However, there is no guarantee this would be successful. For the latter, they can either accept the decision and keep a card with a lower credit limit, or go elsewhere. Some Barclaycard customers told they could appeal decision by sending in proof of income If they wish to go elsewhere, the best thing to do first is either to clear the balance off of their Barclaycard or transfer it to an interest-free balance transfer deal, with term lengths of as long as 29 months available. However, transferring a balance does incur a fee. The best available deal in our guide, from Virgin Money, charges 3 per cent on the amount of money being transferred over. If someone wishes to apply for a new card, it is first of all worth checking their chances of eligibility. The likes of ClearScore and Experian offer this, which allows applicants to see how likely they would be to be accepted for a card without carrying out a formal application which shows up on a credit file. Experian also offers a service for some card providers which lets applicants see if they'll get a high enough credit limit to cover their balance transfer which, given what has happened with Barclaycard, may be worth checking out. Sara Williams, a debt adviser who runs the blog Debt Camel, added: 'So many customers have had their limits slashed that Barclaycard don't seem to be targeting people in financial difficulty specifically. 'But some people affected will be struggling. If this is you, this is a good opportunity to talk to a debt adviser such as StepChange about your options - getting the interest frozen on credit card debts could take a lot of the pressure off.' She added: 'If your limit had been stupidly high before and this has caused you a lot of trouble over the last few years you may have good reason to make an affordability complaint and ask for a refund of the interest you have paid.' The bank blamed the economic impact of the coronavirus for its decision to cut the credit limits of more customers over the last 12 months. However, the average UK Equifax credit score actually increased 11 per cent to 398 out of 700 between March 2020 and March 2021, according to the credit-checking service ClearScore. This is largely because things like mortgage and credit card holidays did not hit customer's credit files. However, the cutting of credit limits could do, because a higher utilisation of a card's limit may suggest a reliance on debt and a need to max it out. Their letter stated it was due to other debts and the way I used the card. During the pandemic I have reduced my other debts and the way I use the card hasn't changed for years. I'm absolutely disgusted Tim Brunsden, Barclaycard customer Tim Brunsden, a Barclaycard customer of 35 years, said: 'I have had the limits on two credit cards reduced, one from 12,500 to 3,500 and the other from 8,000 to 3,000. 'Their letter stated it was due to other debts and the way I used the card. During the pandemic I have reduced my other debts and the way I use the card hasn't changed for years. 'I'm absolutely disgusted.' Emma Hasler and many others have decided to pay off their debts and cut up their cards in protest at the changes. However, others are choosing to fight their corner and to regain their old spending power, by providing Barclaycard with details they insist it has never previously asked for. Some who are also customers of Barclays, its parent bank, wondered why they needed to provide this information to the company in the first place and why it did not have it on file. Barclaycard said: 'We use our data, and data held by credit reference agencies, to review each customer's individual financial circumstances when we make a lending decision. 'If customers feel they can afford a higher limit than communicated, we have provided information on how to appeal the decision by verifying their income. 'We have extended the amount of time to provide us with the relevant documents from 30 days, until then end of May - no limits will be reduced before then.' 'My limit is being cut below my current balance' And affected customers also hit back at another part of Barclaycard's defence of its actions. It told This is Money: 'When we reduce a customer's credit limit, we will not reduce it to below their current balance, and we will ensure that they at least have sufficient headroom on their account to continue essential spending.' It added some customers would be unable to appeal the reduction because their new limit was higher than their maximum balance in the last 24 months, which covers a period when spending slumped as a result of the pandemic. However, several people affected have said their limits are being reduced to below their current balance. Although Barclaycard in January waived a 12 fee which would penalise those going over their limits, this has left them angry and frustrated. One customer from London said: 'My balance was nearly 900 and they were taking my limit down to 250. 'The advisor told me I'd be contacted to encourage me to pay it off.' Amy Forster, another person whose income has increased in recent years, said: 'I have received a letter, stating that my credit limit will be decreased from 4,000 to 450. What's even more annoying is that my balance is 513. 'In order to maintain a good credit score, I like to use below 50 per cent of my credit limit and now it seems like they're just looking to take that away from people and/or cause financial difficulties for their customers. 'I did try to speak to them on the phone about this, but I honestly just felt like I was being fobbed off and given excuses. I've yet to submit my payslips for this to be re-evaluated, given that I earn more now than I did when they approved me for a 4,000 limit.' Barclaycard again denied any such reductions would take place. It added: 'When we reduce a customer's credit limit, we will not reduce it to below their current balance, and we will ensure that they at least have sufficient headroom on their account to continue essential spending. 'It's important to note that credit limit decreases do not take place immediately. 'Therefore, some customers may have recently spent money on their account after we calculated their maximum account balance which means that their current balance is higher than the credit limit communicated. 'We want to reassure these customers that their limit will not be reduced to below their balance there are checks in place before the limit decrease comes into effect, which automatically prevent that from happening.' [April 20, 2021] GBLT Corp. Receives USD $20.4m Order from Global Retailer TORONTO and DUEREN, Germany, April 20, 2021 /CNW/ - GBLT Corp. (TSXV: GBLT) (OTCQB: GBLTF) (FSE: 4G9) ("GBLT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received an order of USD $20.4 million from a global mass merchandiser to become the exclusive provider of private label batteries over a period of three years. This global merchandiser most recently purchased a combined $7.5 million in private label batteries, as previously announced on January 21st, 2021 and February 18th, 2021. With 360,000 employees globally and 63 billion in annual turnover, this client is one of the largest retailers globally. "This is a milestone win for our company and highlights the global reputation GBLT has established as one of the premier vendors for products ranging from mobile storage and batteries to PPE," said Dr. Thilo Senst, Founder CEO of GBLT. "Retailers around the globe entrust GBLT to deliver high quality products on time and at competitive prices, and this contract announcement is more evidence of yet another retailer's commitment to GBLT. We are seeing increased demand for all of our products, which is a direct function of being a listed vendor in these major retailers. We have still barely scratched the surface of our potential within these clients and are extremely excited abou the prospect of future business opportunities." About GBLT: GBLT Corp., through its operating company, GBT GmbH, designs, manufactures and supplies mobile storage, battery and personal protection equipment to some of the largest retail chains across the globe. GBT is also an official licensee for Kodak mobile storage systems and AGFAPHOTO mobile energy products. The Company's personal protection equipment is primarily sold throughout Europe under Dr. Senst brand, which is owned and operated by GBT GmbH. For more information, please visit www.gbt-international.com and www.gbltcorp.com. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this news release, which are not historical in nature, constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under applicable Canadian securities law. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements or information concerning the Company's proposed activities under the Agreement, the Company's ability to achieve sales, commercial or otherwise, from its products, and the expectations of the Company regarding funding payments due pursuant to the Agreement. These statements reflect management's current assumptions and expectations and by their nature are subject to certain underlying assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Except as required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE GBLT Corp. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Press Release April 20, 2021 Lacson: Commander-in-Chief Cannot 'Surrender' on WPS Issue More at: https://pinglacson.net/2021/04/20/lacson-commander-in-chief-cannot-surrender-on-wps-issue/ The Philippines' Commander-in-Chief cannot afford to send the wrong message - especially implied surrender or resignation - on our territorial disputes with China in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Tuesday. Lacson said this after President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night that the Philippines may risk bloodshed and a no-win situation if it asserts its jurisdiction. "He's the leader of our country and he's the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. He can think of anything and speak about anything except surrender. Remember, we have an arbitral ruling in our favor and it's permanent although it's unenforceable. There are so many things to think about except surrender. We cannot wave the white flag, so to speak," Lacson said in an interview on CNN Philippines. "I am not saying the President is actually raising the white flag but that's the implication. If the officers and men of the AFP would take it that way, it could be disastrous to Philippine sovereignty," he added. Lacson noted no less than Secretaries Delfin Lorenzana (Defense) and Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Foreign Affairs) have said we can build strong alliances with other countries. He reiterated the Philippines can build stronger alliances with other countries such as Japan, which he said is a natural ally because it has a territorial issue with China. Also, he said the US and Japan have already expressed their willingness to build much stronger alliances with the Philippines. He added the Philippines can conduct joint military exercises with other countries like the US and even Australia. "So let's work along that line. We should not feel we're alone. We cannot really win a war against China. Population-wise less than 1/10 tayo ng China. And military-wise, talagang no contest. But why would we sulk in a corner and think along that line when there are stronger countries, even Europe, they are willing to assist us through the European Union?" he said. Otherwise, Lacson said China will continue giving us the raw end of the deal through continued incursions into our territory. On the other hand, Lacson said that despite complaints from middle-grade and ranking officers of the military that they are being "restrained" from protecting our territories, this does not mean a withdrawal of support for the President by the uniformed services. "The President remains very popular and he enjoys massive support from the super majority of the men in uniform, both active and retired. I don't think it will come to that. There are rumblings and complaints but it will not escalate into a situation that the AFP will withdraw support for the President. I would say that with certainty. I am chairman of the defense and security committee of the Senate. I've been in touch with most of the high ranking military officers. And I will tell you he really enjoys support from them," he said. LAREDO The placid skies and balmy, springtime heat in South Texas made waiting outdoors tolerable on a recent Saturday this April. Around midday, about two dozen masked volunteers mingled outside the Webb County Democratic Party headquarters, pop music blaring in the background. Most were waiting in a scattered, socially distanced line to greet Beto ORourke, the former U.S. Senate candidate who in 2018 gave Texas Democrats their best shot at unseating a statewide Republican official in decades. Each would get an opportunity to pose for a photo with one of the states most prominent Democrats, who was wearing his usual blue button-up shirt, before heading out to another shift of block walking. IN HOUSTON: Library and stables highlight $14 million villa in Rivercrest It had all the appearances of one of the hundreds of rallies ORourke held across the state early in his 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate, or during his ill-fated bid for president soon after. But this time, ORourke wasnt campaigning for anything at least not explicitly. He told The Texas Tribune he mobilized his supporters to simply understand what issues matter to Laredoans and because Sylvia Bruni, the chair of the Webb County Democratic Party, asked ORourke in the aftermath of the 2020 elections to help with voter engagement after Republicans performed better than usual in South Texas. Sure enough, we called her back and said we'll make a plan to drive down to Laredo, well encourage volunteers to join us and encourage some volunteers to drive down, he said. The midterm general election is more than a year away, but for ORourke, one of the most prominent Democrats in Texas, the grind of civic engagement never stops. Through his political organization, Powered by People, ORourke has been regularly hosting live and virtual events, whether its a canvassing event in the political hotbed of South Texas or phone banking sessions on Zoom. And its not just events. ORourke has made himself visible during most of the biggest news stories in the state this year, raising questions about whether hes got his eye on the race for governor in 2022. In the past few months, Powered by People has hosted vaccination canvasses in 17 Texas cities in some of the hardest-hit zip codes in the state, helping those who might not have access to the internet, or a cell phone or who might not speak English, a shot at getting the shot, ORourke said in an email to supporters. ORourke activated his network during Februarys winter storm, reportedly raising more than $1 million for recovery efforts and organizing volunteers to knock on doors and conduct wellness checks for seniors. ORourke himself delivered water in his pickup truck, broadcasting his efforts on Facebook Live. And he has been engaged in the current session of the Texas Legislature, specifically pushing back against House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7, two Republican-backed election bills that would beef up voting restrictions, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. ORourke was in Austin a few weeks ago to testify against HB 6 but wasnt able to after the chair of the committee that would have listened pushed back the hearing. He did testify against the Senate bill, calling it unjust and undemocratic. READ ALSO: Houston native to act in Marvel series 'She-Hulk' You realize how important your vote is when someone's trying so hard to take it from you. And they wouldn't be working so hard to stop people from voting if those votes and voters weren't so important, ORourke said in a phone call with the Tribune. When asked in an interview about his future, the former congressman from El Paso said working in politics and civic engagement just seems like the most important work that I could ever be a part of. But many, of course, see other motives. ORourke is frequently asked whether he plans to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott next year. His answer is almost always noncommittal. Earlier this month, he told a TV interviewer that he had no plans to run. When that generated a headline in The Dallas Morning News, ORourke reached out to the Tribune to clarify that nothing I said would preclude me from considering a run in the future." During ORourkes block walk along Alameda Drive in Laredo, one woman answered the door and immediately recognized the tall, slender man before her. She said Texas Democrats need to give Republicans a run for their money and then asked So I heard youre running for governor? He told her he wasnt sure. All his recent political activity begs the question: Is Betomania as potent in 2021 as it was when ORourke challenged Sen. Ted Cruz a few years ago? Late in 2018, ORourke was attracting tens of thousands of people to some rallies. Even after he lost by less than three percentage points, he was a Democratic star. But then he struggled mightily in the presidential primary, dropping out in November 2019 after languishing in the low single digits in the polls. A statewide poll released Sunday by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler found that just 35% of registered voters view ORourke very or somewhat favorably, compared to 37% who viewed him very or somewhat unfavorably. The survey had a margin of error of 2.9%. In January, Abbotts political strategist, Dave Carney, told Fox News that I would certainly love to run against [ORourke]. The guy couldnt get elected dog catcher, he said. Still, he remains a frequent Republican foil. This month, his vaccine efforts gained the attention of Texas Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, whose office penned a letter warning Powered by People that collecting or sharing certain sensitive information while encouraging people to get vaccinated could be illegal. The letter, which Paxtons office released to the public, gave no indication that Paxtons office had any evidence that ORourkes group was breaking the law. It is essential that organizations like Powered by People follow state and federal law regarding the handling of sensitive and personal information, the letter stated. Johnny Ruffier, chief of staff for the El Paso Young Democrats and president of the College Democrats at the University of Texas at El Paso, said theres still a lot of goodwill for ORourke. But he said he doesnt know "if that same enthusiasm and energy is still there. El Paso is where ORourke cut his teeth in politics and where he ousted the citys longtime congressman. A lot of that excitement that he was a newcomer [in 2018] went away after the presidential primary. He also showed his moderate side, but he did build the infrastructure in Texas, said Ruffier. Jen Ramos, a Texas Democratic Party executive committee member, said the party is focused first on identifying the issues that are the most important to voters, and then it will focus on candidates once the 2022 elections begin to heat up, possibly in the summer. She added that the political efforts by ORourkes Powered by People to build up a Democratic infrastructure in Texas are welcomed, whether or not ORourke chooses to run. READ MORE: Texas business leaders say Legislature's anti-LGBTQ bills could hurt the state's economy If ORourke does decide to run for governor, not taking him seriously, for whatever reason, would be a fatal electoral mistake for Republicans in battleground districts, according to Tyler Kraus, the chair of the Webb County Republican Party. Beto would be formidable opposition, Kraus said. You have to take him seriously. The guy has a lot of appeal to a lot of people. And it would be a mistake to write him off." And its clear some enthusiasm remains for an ORourke gubernatorial candidacy. A private Facebook group named Beto O'Rourke For Governor of Texas was created in mid-February and it has more than 39,000 members. Texas is asking Beto O'Rourke to run for Governor of Texas! Please invite your friends and share this page, the groups description states. An administrator of the page did not respond to a request for comment. Democrats are watching closely. Optimism was high for the state party in 2020, with leaders hoping they could flip as many as eight congressional seats, win control of the Texas House and deliver the state for Joe Biden. It ended in disappointment, with President Donald Trump winning the state by six percentage points and Democrats making no net gains in the Texas House or U.S House. Still, Democratic strategists say they believe their party has an upward trajectory in Texas Trump won the state by nine points in 2016 and Mitt Romney won it by 16 in 2012. But they need to field strong candidates. We're still gaining traction, but it's slow. Sometimes one step forward, one step back or sometimes two steps forward, one step back. It's not a straight line deal, said Jeff Crosby, an Austin-based campaign consultant who assists Democratic campaigns in the state. We don't have a weak candidate pool. But we do have some folks that are staring in the face of the reality of not being able to raise enough money to be competitive. Democrats also see vulnerability in Abbott, who has had to manage the state through a pandemic and catastrophic winter storm. Its surprising, but the ERCOT stuff might be a bigger threat to Abbott than playing defense on the pandemic, said James Aldrete, a political communications consultant who once served as deputy press secretary to Ann Richards' campaign for governor. But there are also many Republicans enthusiastic about running against ORourke. They warn that the shine is off him after his bid for the presidency. They gleefully point to his hardline stance against assault-style weapons like the AR-15 as an issue to use in a campaign against him. During a presidential debate in 2019, ORourke famously or infamously, depending on the observer proclaimed, Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. Was O'Rourke's comment about banning assault-style guns a fatal blow to his future in Texas politics? Texas is a pro-Second Amendment state, but I also think it's open for a lot more common-sense regulation, Aldrete said. I think as your suburban vote grows, I don't know if that is a stance that disqualifies him at the least. I think the strength of Beto has always been that he is not manufactured. He's out there and you see him for who he is. For those who showed up to canvass with him in Laredo, like Abimael Perez and Veronica Martinez, the excitement remains. I think he's a very charismatic person and if he runs for governor, I'm gonna vote for him. And I'm gonna support him, Perez said. For me, it's definitely his personality. I saw him with his skateboard at Whataburger and thought Yeah, OK, this dude's cool, Martinez added. Insider Monkey has processed numerous 13F filings of hedge funds and successful value investors to create an extensive database of hedge fund holdings. The 13F filings show the hedge funds' and successful investors' positions as of the end of the fourth quarter. You can find articles about an individual hedge fund's trades on numerous financial news websites. However, in this article we will take a look at their collective moves over the last 5 years and analyze what the smart money thinks of Visa Inc (NYSE:V) based on that data. Is Visa Inc (NYSE:V) an attractive stock to buy now? The smart money was turning bullish. The number of long hedge fund bets increased by 6 in recent months. Visa Inc (NYSE:V) was in 166 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020. The all time high for this statistic was previously 160. This means the bullish number of hedge fund positions in this stock reached a brand new all time high. Our calculations also showed that V ranked #5 among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q4 rankings). So, why do we pay attention to hedge fund sentiment before making any investment decisions? Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 124 percentage points since March 2017 (see the details here). Rajiv Jain of GQG Partners At Insider Monkey we leave no stone unturned when looking for the next great investment idea. For example, the CBD market is growing at a 33% annualized rate, so we are taking a closer look at this under-the-radar hemp stock. We go through lists like the 10 best biotech stocks under $10 to identify the next stock with 10x upside potential. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our website. With all of this in mind let's check out the new hedge fund action surrounding Visa Inc (NYSE:V). Story continues Do Hedge Funds Think V Is A Good Stock To Buy Now? Heading into the first quarter of 2021, a total of 166 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, a change of 4% from the previous quarter. By comparison, 143 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in V a year ago. With hedge funds' positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a select group of key hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes meaningfully (or already accumulated large positions). Is V A Good Stock To Buy? More specifically, Fisher Asset Management was the largest shareholder of Visa Inc (NYSE:V), with a stake worth $4860.3 million reported as of the end of December. Trailing Fisher Asset Management was Berkshire Hathaway, which amassed a stake valued at $2184.6 million. Fundsmith LLP, Akre Capital Management, and GQG Partners were also very fond of the stock, becoming one of the largest hedge fund holders of the company. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Truvvo Partners allocated the biggest weight to Visa Inc (NYSE:V), around 29.28% of its 13F portfolio. Hengistbury Investment Partners is also relatively very bullish on the stock, designating 25.02 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to V. With a general bullishness amongst the heavyweights, some big names were leading the bulls' herd. Rokos Capital Management, managed by Chris Rokos, assembled the most outsized position in Visa Inc (NYSE:V). Rokos Capital Management had $58.9 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Richard Driehaus's Driehaus Capital also initiated a $56.2 million position during the quarter. The other funds with new positions in the stock are Jack Woodruff's Candlestick Capital Management, Leon Shaulov's Maplelane Capital, and Anthony Joseph Vaccarino's North Fourth Asset Management. Let's now take a look at hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Visa Inc (NYSE:V). These stocks are Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH), and The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). This group of stocks' market valuations resemble V's market valuation. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position JNJ,81,5820696,-1 WMT,70,6197019,1 JPM,112,6967178,-6 MA,154,17978734,21 PG,83,10421985,8 UNH,91,10778450,2 DIS,144,16417240,32 Average,105,10654472,8.1 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 105 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $10654 million. That figure was $23599 million in V's case. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is the least popular one with only 70 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Visa Inc (NYSE:V) is more popular among hedge funds. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for V is 98. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. Our calculations showed that top 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 81.2% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 26 percentage points. These stocks gained 12.3% in 2021 through April 19th and still beat the market by 0.9 percentage points. Unfortunately V wasn't nearly as successful as these 30 stocks and hedge funds that were betting on V were disappointed as the stock returned 3.4% since the end of the fourth quarter (through 4/19) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market since 2019. Get real-time email alerts: Follow Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content Salaries for IT workers keep going up. Image: Shutterstock Salaries for IT professionals are still on the rise despite slow wage growth in Australia, a new survey has found. Recruitment firm Robert Half has published its annual salary guide which once again shows high demand for local technologists as digital transformation ramped up over the past year. Managing director of the companys Asia Pacific operations, David Jones, said a demand-supply imbalance was pushing IT salaries up. There is increased demand for tech talent as companies expand their IT teams and enhance their digital capabilities because of the pandemic, he said. But as the tech sector remains buoyant compared to many others, elevated demand for tech skills is coinciding with a tightening supply of skilled talent, which is becoming increasingly insufficient to meet demand. Nationally, wages grew just 1.4 per cent in 2020 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) but IT workers on average are expecting an extra 6.8 per cent to their pay this year nearly 5 per cent higher than the national average. Of course, its roles in short supply that are seeing a greater increase in pay with the Robert Half survey of CIOs finding more than two-thirds say they are keen on boosting salaries to fill much-needed positions. And 73 per cent of CIOs say they will offer salary increases to current tech workers. As for what skills are in-demand, the story is much the same as in recent years: experience in cloud engineering, cyber security, automation, and web development are still the most needed around the country. In fact theres a national need for cyber security and full-stack development with both roles featuring in LinkedIns Jobs on the Rise report from the start of the year. According to the Robert Half salary guide, a top cyber security specialist in Melbourne or Sydney could be looking at as much as $190,000 per year. Mid-level full-stack developers can pick up over $100,000 per year. And salaries for cloud engineers range from $100,000 at the low end to $160,000 for more experienced professionals. However, CIOs are apparently more interested in AWS and Azure skillsets than Google Cloud. Australian CIOs also said helpdesk support officers were one of the most needed roles but they tend to be on the lowest salary band, maxing out at $80,000. Salaries are an obviously important feature when considering job prospects, but Jones also recommends organisations consider other benefits when competing to attract tech workers. While there is a willingness to offer salary increases particularly to top performers not every company is positioned to engage in a bidding war as they recover from months of uncertainty, he said. Companies should therefore complement remuneration with alternative employee benefits to help differentiate themselves from their competitors. Non-financial benefits such as supporting work-life balance, working flexibility, including a mix of remote and in-office hours, and career development are just some of the non-financial benefits likely to add value to employees in 2021. Well-being is especially important for developers as many have found their working hours increased during the pandemic thanks to tighter production schedules and the sudden need to migrate applications into cloud infrastructure. CATANIA, APR 20 - Italian police on Tuesday arrested 14 people on suspicion of double homicide, six attempted homicides and carrying weapons illegally after a major gun battle between rival clans in Catania on August 8 last year. In the firefight, members of the 'Cursoti milanesi' and Cappello crime families clashed in the Librino quarter on at least 14 motor vehicles. The toll from the drive-by gun battle was two dead and several wounded. Police said the toll could have been heavier "if you think that the firefight happened in the evening in the densely populated Librino quarter, marked by a high residential density and where residents, including women and children, above all due to the summer heat, are wont to stay out in the streets until late". (ANSA). Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) - A total of 1,279,233 Filipinos have so far received their COVID-19 vaccines since the government started to rollout the vaccination program in March, said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. on Monday. During President Rodrigo Duterte's public address last night, Galvez reported that 965,960 healthcare workers were inoculated with the first dose of vaccine. Meanwhile, 132,948 senior citizens and 180,315 people with comorbidities were also vaccinated against COVID-19. He added that at least 198,534 healthcare workers have received their second vaccine dose. This brings the total number of vaccine doses administered since March to 1,477,757. Galvez also said that the Philippines is currently ranked third among Southeast Asian nations in terms of vaccine rollout. President Duterte, on the other hand, lauded the governments efforts in the vaccination program. Maganda ang record natin (We have a good record) despite unfounded criticisms, we expect it. The Philippines was able to get the upper berth of countries that are inoculated, said Duterte. Maganda ang record niyan (Thats a good record) and to think people are almost in a quandary where to get the next vaccination. The only COVID-19 vaccines available in the country so far are the Chinese firm Sinovac and Britains AstraZeneca. Galvez said the country is expected to secure at least 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines within April. He noted that starting this week, the national government will receive another batch of Sinovacs CoronaVac and its initial batch of Gamaleya Research Institutes Sputnik V from Russia. The national government has already received its second batch of purchased doses from Sinovac last April 11. Galvez also said that there might be a possible delivery of Pfizer vaccines by end-month through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. Biden admin. has de-prioritized religious liberty, disowned that work': Mike Pompeo Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed disappointment at the Biden administrations failure to emphasize religious freedom and what he described as disowning the "glorious work" of the Commission on Unalienable Rights established under former President Donald Trump. For four years, the Trump administration and the State Department, when I was leading it, placed a real premium on working around the world to promote religious freedom, said Pompeo in an interview with The Christian Post. Promoting religious freedom leads to more prosperous countries and stronger American freedom, he stressed. We think its important as an independent right, but we also know that where religious freedom is expanded, countries are often more prosperous and the people there are often more secure from their government. So we always thought it was important to get that right, as an American matter, to secure American freedom, but also to secure freedom for peoples all around the world, he added. Though the promotion of religious freedom was a priority during the Trump administration, Pompeo said he's noticed the issue has become less critical under the Biden. For example, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted China's persecution of Uyghur Muslims, he made no mention of religious persecution in other countries, such as Nigeria, during a press conference on the annual human rights report earlier this month. Travis Weber, vice president for policy and government affairs and director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the conservative Christian advocacy organization the Family Research Council, told The Christian Post in an earlier interview that while he was pleased to hear Blinken mention the Uyghurs, " ... theres also persecution of Christians in China ... and North Korea. The situation of many Muslim-majority countries around the world, including Iran, is very dire," he added. "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]. International Christian Concern, a watchdog group that documents instances of religious persecution worldwide, also criticized the administration for failing to emphasize religious liberty abuses and faith-based persecution. We at ICC welcome the progress that the State Department has made on promoting religious freedom and human rights around the world, Matias Perttula, director of advocacy for International Christian Concern, 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. ... According to Pompeo, one of the ways the Trump administration promoted religious freedom was through the revitalization of the annual human rights report to emphasize religious freedom abuses. Our annual human rights report is something that had lost its way, and sadly, I think its returning to where it was, Pompeo said. It had a requirement when I was leading the State Department, and Governor and Ambassador Sam Brownback was our ambassador for religious freedom, [to] highlight religious freedom abuses around the world. To call out those nations that were performing in a way that it was inconsistent with what we know to be every human beings right. Pompeo also lamented that Blinken has virtually dismissed the religious freedom-promoting Commission on Unalienable Rights, which was established during his tenure. I have watched this administration de-prioritize this issue [of religious freedom], Pompeo said. We created something called the Commission on Unalienable Rights to look at the human rights conditions for people around the world and how American diplomats ought to execute that mission around the world. They have essentially disowned that work, which was glorious work. Ive watched this administration walk away from [this work], Pompeo reiterated. I regret that. In an op-ed published in Newsweek on April 9, Calista Gingrich, former ambassador to the Holy See under the Trump administration, said the Commission was created as an advisory group for then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and had a "charter stating that its task was 'not to discover new principles, but to furnish advice to the secretary for the promotion of individual liberty, human equality, and democracy through U.S. foreign policy.' The charter also specified the Commission's advice must be 'grounded in our nation's founding principles and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.' "However, Blinken disbanded the commission amidst liberal criticism that it was a mechanism to 'promote...evangelical Christian beliefs and conservative politics,' and to establish a "hierarchy" of rights," Gingrich added. During his time as secretary of state, Pompeo said religious freedom was prioritized and advanced around the globe. We did so many good things in so many places and yet there is so much more work to do, he said. We built out an incredible human rights infrastructure supporting religious freedom, he said. By hosting an annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom for three years, the largest human rights event ever held at the State Department, Pompeo brought together faith leaders worldwide to discuss challenges in religious freedom. We brought religious leaders from all across the world of nearly every faith to come to the State Department to worship, to share, to live in fellowship for a few days and to work on this problem set together to come to a common set of understanding, whether they were Christian or Jewish or Muslims or Bahai or whatever faith they were from to come together to understand these freedoms are provided to us by God and governments cannot take them away, he said. It was a glorious time of gathering. The first Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, hosted in July 2018, brought together delegates from over 80 countries to Washington, D.C. Pompeo said at the time that the event would result in concrete steps and be more than just talk. The first ministerial resulted in the creation of a religious freedom task force, the "International Religious Freedom Fund" and the Potomac Declaration, a set of principles calling for global religious freedom. Pompeo said he hopes the ministerial event continues during the Biden administration because of its importance in American leadership around the world and at home in preserving the right to practice faith freely. Despite religious freedom seemingly being a lesser priority for the State Department under Biden, Pompeo said Christians at home and abroad must fight to promote this human right. Its going to take every Christian believer and all of us to continue to work hard in our churches and our towns and indeed, in our missions across the world, to promote religious freedom everywhere and always, Pompeo said. The Centre on Tuesday approved the Bangalore Metro Rail Project phases 2A and 2B, Union minister said. While the rail project phase 2A is between Central Silk Board Junction to K R Puram, phase 2B is between K R Puram to the airport via Hebbal Junction. The total length of the project is 58.19 km. The approval was given at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The total cost of completion of the project is Rs 14,788.101 crore. In a statement, the central government said that the implementation of the project will provide the much-needed additional public transport infrastructure to Bangalore. It stated that the project will streamline the urban transportation system in the city which is stressed due to intensive development, increase in the number of private vehicles, and heavy construction. The move will provide people a safe, secure, reliable and comfortable public transport. The statement said that the metro project in itself is an innovation over the conventional system of urban transport. The project involves integration with another urban transport system in an efficient and effective manner which is possible only by adopting innovative methods of designing, technology, and institutional management, it added. In the wake of a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases across India, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that travellers should avoid all travel to India. The CDC has also warned that even 'fully vaccinated' travellers are at the risk of contracting or spreading the variants of COVID-19 again. However, it stated that in case people need to travel to India, then they must get fully vaccinated. Amid a surge in COVID cases (in India), travellers should avoid all travel to India. Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting & spreading variants and should avoid all travel to India. If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel: CDC, USA pic.twitter.com/VrLK4hpZRA ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2021 Pakistan bans travellers from India; UK places India on 'red list' On the other hand, Pakistan too has taken measures and decided to ban travellers from India for two weeks. These measures come after a record surge of COVID-19 cases in the country. Additionally, the United Kingdom has banned all travel from India by adding the country to the 'red list' on Monday. Moreover, it has also stated that a 10-day institutional quarantine will be compulsory for all home residents returning to the country. The decision was taken after the UK recorded 103 cases of the Indian COVID-19 variant. As per UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the 103 new cases were linked to international travel. The samples of the strain were analysed for any 'concerning characteristics' "After studying the data, and on a precautionary basis, we've made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list. This means anyone who is not a UK or Irish citizen... cannot enter the UK if they have been in India in the previous 10 days," Hancock told British MPs. The COVID-19 situation in India has also led to the cancellation of UK PM Boris Johnsons trip to India. The development was confirmed by Downing Street on Monday. In a joint statement, the British and the Indian governments said that due to the current situation, Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India. Even so, the statement also added that PM Narendra Modi and Johnson will speak later this month to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the two countries. India logs 2,73,810 fresh cases On Monday, India recorded 2,73,810 fresh cases thereby breaching the 1.50 crore mark of the total tally. Active cases in the country stand at 19,29,329 while 1,29,53,821 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 1,78,769, as per the Union Health Ministry's data. Image Credits: AP/PTI/UNSPLASH FILE PHOTO: A healthcare worker prepares to inject an AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine for a fellow worker at San Juan City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will resume administering AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to people below 60 years of age, health officials said on Monday, ending a temporary suspension over reports of rare blood clots in younger recipients overseas. "The benefit outweighs the risk. Only a small percentage of the population had these adverse effects for AstraZeneca," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a regular news conference, referring to countries where blood clots were reported. Health authorities will release guidelines to include different precautions on the use of the AstraZeneca shots, Vergeire added. The European Medicines Agency had earlier recommended to include blood clots as a rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Southeast Asian nation has yet to record blood clots as side effect. It suspended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine for under 60s on April 8. The Philippines, a country of 108 million people, is battling one of the worst outbreaks in Asia but has administered less than 1.5 million shots of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% of which were first doses. It has recorded 936,133 COVID-19 cases and 15,960 deaths due to the virus. The Philippines has received 525,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX international vaccine-share facility. More than 900,000 more were to be shipped in May or June, according to health ministry data. Vaccines from China's Sinovac Biotech accounts for 83% of doses so far delivered to the Philippines. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Martin Petty) Greece has lifted quarantine restrictions for British travellers, raising the prospect of holidays to the Mediterranean country in less than a month if ministers lift the ban on foreign travel on May 17 - although tourists could face quarantine after flying home. It is extremely unlikely Greece would qualify as a green list destination not requiring quarantine, because its current Covid prevalence of 271 cases per million is far higher than the level considered acceptable, which is around 50. Just eight countries are likely to meet this criteria according to a recent analysis. And several of these may not be willing to accept British visitors, which would further narrow the options for people desperate for a foreign holiday. The eight countries likely to make the green list include the US, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Israel, Gibraltar, Malta and Iceland. Currently only Iceland is open to foreign tourists provided they are able to prove they have recovered from coronavirus or have been vaccinated, which would require some kind of official app, certificate or passport. There has been some speculation that US President Joe Biden may be willing to accept Britons from the end of May. However, this is up in the air - putting a trip to Disneyland at no better than a maybe. Both Australia and New Zealand have made it clear they will not be accepting any tourists for at least the rest of this year and possibly beyond. Which countries are currently accepting international tourists or will do soon? Croatia: Open to international tourists, anyone arriving there will need to show proof of either a vaccination, negative PCR or antigen test result, or confirmation of recovery from Covid within the last 180 days. Iceland: Open to anyone who has been vaccinated against Covid. Those who can provide proof of prior infection will also be exempt from quarantine rules. Cyprus: Open from May 1 to UK travellers who have received both doses of their Covid vaccine. France: UK visitors can enter if they have a negative PCR test carried out 72 hours before departure, but they must self-isolate for seven days before taking a second test. Greece: Reopening to foreign tourists from May 14, with arrivals either having to have been vaccinated or have a negative Covid test within 72 hours before travel. Malta: Fully vaccinated UK travellers will be welcomed from June 1, with tourists receiving 87 if they book a hotel for at least three nights as part of a bonus scheme. Portugal: Plans to reopen to Britons from May 17, provided arrivals can show evidence they have been vaccinated, have a recent negative test, or have antibodies. Spain: It wants to open 'as soon as possible' but is currently in a tight lockdown. Turkey: The country has said it plans to welcome Britons in the summer even if they don't have proof of a vaccination or negative test, although this plan may be revisited after a recent rise in cases. -- Maldives: Open to tourists provided they can show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 96 hours of travel. Seychelles: Open to travellers under the same terms as the Maldives. Mexico: The country is welcoming international tourists with no need for proof of a vaccine or testing. Dubai: Tourists must have a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before leaving. However, direct flights between Britain and Dubai are currently banned. Anguilla: Welcoming back holidaymakers from July 1 provided they have been vaccinated and can show proof of a negative test. Barbados: The island will require international tourists who have been vaccinated and can show proof of a negative test to quarantine for two days from May 8, or five for non-vaccinated people, who will also have to take a second test to be released. Thailand: Arrivals currently have to quarantine for 14 days, but these rules will be waived from July 1 for vaccinated tourists in Phuket. Advertisement Ireland wont hit its own population vaccination rates until some point in June and it is unlikely to accept Britons before then at the earliest. Israel, Gibraltar and Malta seem likely to be open to tourists. All have achieved high vaccination rates and their tourism ministers have talked enthusiastically about welcoming Britons. While visiting a green country will not require a return quarantine, travellers will still need to take tests both before departure and on their return. This new traffic light tourism regime means most European hot spots will feature on an amber list, which requires a ten-day quarantine on return, plus a pre-departure Covid test and two tests on return. These tests could add hundreds of pounds to the cost of a holiday. The net effect is that most people will be put off booking a trip to resorts in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal, in the coming weeks. The report suggests there is a chance the Spanish and Greek islands could be flipped into the green list. They could be joined by mainland resorts following a review, but this is not due to report until June 28. Countries that appear on the red list will require travellers to pay for ten days in a quarantine hotel on return at a typical cost of 1,750, plus a pre-departure test and two others on return. Boris Johnson has established a Global Travel Taskforce, under Michael Gove, to looks into how to categorise countries ahead of an announcement in early May. The official re-opening of international travel is due on May 17. A separate analysis carried out by Robert Boyle, former strategy chief at BA and its owner IAG, believes that only eight will meet the green list criteria, which take into account vaccination rates, Covid prevalence, extent of variants and capacity of genome sequencing of the virus. The research ranks 52 countries and found that only five - the US, Israel, Gibraltar, UAE and Malta - pass the green benchmark of 30 per cent of their populations being vaccinated at least once. Only seven countries are green based on being below 50 cases per one million population - China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Iceland and Gibraltar. The report concludes: The surest case for green must be Gibraltar. It has essentially zero cases of any type and the population is fully vaccinated. Israel must be the next most likely. Again, it has vaccinated close to its entire population and case numbers are below even last years threshold. The government has begun talking up summer holidays. Grant Schapps, Secretary of State for Transport, recently said: This is the probably the first time I can say Im not advising people not to book to go away this summer - instead Im saying in two or three weeks youll have that green list of countries, amber and red, and people are going to be able to make their own decisions. Major airlines and tour operators, such as TUI and Ryanair, have reported a surge in bookings, however the continuing uncertainty means foreign travel through the summer remains a lottery. The government said: It is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer, and the government continues to consider a range of factors to inform the restrictions placed on them. We will set out by early May which countries will fall into which category, as well as confirming whether international travel can resume from May 17, 2021. Scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, added to the travel gloom by warning that easing restrictions on international travel could lead to a new surge in coronavirus cases,. Greece has lifted quarantine restrictions for British travellers, although it is unlikely people from the UK will be permitted to fly there under Whitehall rules. Pictured is Athens in March Case numbers are far higher in Greece than the UK. Also pictured are case numbers for India, which is going on the UK's travel red list Speaking to Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday, she suggested Scotland might take a more cautious approach. The big risk that we face, not just in Scotland but across the UK right now, is the importation of new variants of the virus, she said. Weve got to be very careful about that, which is why I think one of the restrictions we are all going to have to live with for longer is a restriction on international travel. We mustnt allow the progress were making domestically to be undermined by too lax a position on international travel. It comes as hundreds of people are set to arrive in the UK from India this week despite the introduction of a Covid travel ban. The country was yesterday added to the UKs travel red list due to a spiralling number of coronavirus cases and the emergence of a new variant. But the measures will not come into effect until Friday morning, meaning that travellers have until then to take advantage of looser border rules. As the total number of cases in India surged past 15million, seven flights from the country arrived at Londons Heathrow airport yesterday (Mon). At least another 11 flights are expected to leave India for the UK carrying hundreds of passengers before the tighter rules come into place. Flights run by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Air India are due to depart from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Before Friday, travellers from India will be required to provide a negative coronavirus test in the three days before flying and then to quarantine at home for 10 days. Arrivals are allowed to use public transport to travel to their quarantine destination, where they can mix with other residents. Once on the red list, only British or Irish nationals will be allowed to enter the UK on flights from India where they must stay for 10 days in a hotel quarantine. Earlier this year, India introduced restrictions meaning that only 30 flights could operate between the countries every week due to concerns about the Kent variant. Before the pandemic, between 2,000 and 2,500 flyers used to travel to India from the UK every day. Greece's current Covid prevalence of 271 cases per million is far higher than the level considered acceptable, which is around 50. Pictured: A deserted hotel in Rhodes Hong Kong yesterday suspended direct flights from India amid reports that as many as 47 passengers on an April 4 flight from Delhi went on to test positive while in quarantine. People arriving at Heathrow Airport from Delhi yesterday spoke of their relief to have arrived just as the country was to be placed on the UKs red list. An accounting and finance student at LSE said she was glad to have made it back before India was placed on the red list. Akshita Gupta, 23, has been at home in India since Easter and had always planned on returning to the UK now. She will isolate for ten days and take the required Covid tests. She said: My flight was completely packed and people were talking about it because we got the news as soon as we landed. Everybody knew we would get put on the red list and luckily I was always planning to come at this time. Its great to get back just in time. The situation in India is very alarming, cases are on the increase and it seems just as bad as it was in January. Another passenger, a management consultant who only gave his name as Ash, said he had paid a premium price to get back to London after his original flight was cancelled on Saturday. He said his flight back from Delhi was extremely busy and added the Covid situation in India is scary. Crematoriums are maxed out, machines used for cremations are melting down, they are opening up crematoriums that were disused, said the 44-year-old. People are scrambling for Remdesivir and oxygen is running out. Since the pandemic was declared last year, the Government has repeatedly faced questions over the speed with which it has moved to limit arrivals from Covid hot spots. Labour yesterday questioned why India was not added to the list much sooner and suggested the move was linked to the Prime Ministers planned visit to India to discuss a trade deal. Burning pyres of patients who died of Covid-19 at a crematorium in Delhi over the weekend. The country has experienced a surge in cases and a new variant, meaning it will soon be put on the UK's red list Naz Shah MP wrote on Twitter: For weeks India has been left off the red list, whilst cases were rising, just to accommodate the PMs visit to India. It shouldnt have needed pressure, the data was clear enough. Yvette Cooper, chair of the home affairs select committee, said that the Government was not learning lessons by introducing restrictions sooner. Government scientific advisers have said that the Indian variant poses an unknown level of threat, with 103 cases so far discovered in the UK. India reported a record 273,810 jump in infections on Monday, making its overall outbreak the second highest in the world behind the US. Yesterday, Greece paved the way for holidays there in less than five weeks. From next week British travellers who show proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative test taken within 72 hours will no longer have to quarantine on arrival. It means quarantine-free holidays there will be possible if the foreign travel ban is lifted on May 17. Greece would also have to be on the green list of destinations. US$ 4 million package to Arvand Bank in Tajikistan Promoting green technologies and new opportunities for women-led businesses Green Climate Fund joining forces with EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is teaming up with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to support small private-sector companies in Tajikistan, which invest in green technology solutions, and to create new opportunities for women-led small businesses. A financial package of US$4 million organised by the EBRD will be provided to Arvand Bank, which is serving almost 100,000 clients through 72 branches and customer service outlets across Tajikistan including in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, a high altitude area, which occupies almost half of the countrys territory and where the presence of financial institutions is limited. The package consists of a US$2 million loan co-financed by the EBRD and the GCF under the Banks Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) and a US$2 million loan under the EBRDs Women of the Steppe programme in Central Asia. The GEFF will help increase access to green technologies for local households and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is part of the EBRDs recently announced plan to scale up its climate and environmental finance and make more than 50 per cent of its annual investment green by 2025. The GEFF, supported in Tajikistan by GCF and the Republic of Korea, will also use funds from the European Union s Enhanced Competitiveness of Tajik Agribusiness Programme (ECTAP), which promotes competitiveness in the agribusiness sector. The WiB component of the package will help promote womens entrepreneurship and business activity by assisting with access to finance, know-how and technical advice. The initiative also provides technical support to financial institutions to enhance the services they offer to women-led businesses. The Women of the Steppe Programme is supported by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), and Switzerland through the Small Business Impact Fund (SBIF). The GEFF programme is part of the Banks Green Economy Transition (GET) approach. It operates through a network of more than 145 local financial institutions across 27 countries, supported by more than 4.6 billion of EBRD finance for 190,000 clients to date. These projects have led to annual CO 2 emission reductions of more than 8.6 million tonnes so far. To date, the Bank has supported more than 90,000 women across 24 economies with financing and business advisory projects, training and mentoring as part of its Women in Business initiative. To date, the EBRD has invested 731 million through 139 projects in Tajikistans economy. LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Posterscope, the world's leading out-of-home and location-based marketing specialist, and Advertima, the market leader in real-time audience data and smart-targeting technology for digital signage solutions, have partnered to offer a data- and audience-driven media product that effectively reaches supermarkets' customers and verifies the performance of in-store advertising campaigns. This partnership sets a new standard in OOH media planning and buying, closing a long-existing gap in its ability to target large audiences at the point of sale and bring significant ad revenue to grocery retailers. With millions of people visiting brick-and-mortar supermarkets each day, grocery retailers are sitting on a valuable asset: their in-store visitors. Historically seen as a highly lucrative, but inaccessible audience by the media buying industry and the brands they represent, mainly due to limitations in audience verification, grocery retailers can now leverage their in-store visitors by becoming their own media owners with Advertima Smart Signage. For the first time, with Advertima's smart-targeting technology, Posterscope is able to provide their clients with an advertising channel that effectively reaches customers at the point of sale, one of the most influential touchpoints on the shopper journey. Powered by cutting-edge, GDPR compliant AI technology, Advertima allows Posterscope to further strengthen its service offerings by bringing online tracking and targeting capabilities to the physical world. To enable near-time data- and audience-driven planning, purchasing, and activation of in-store campaigns, Advertima directly connects Posterscope to supermarkets' visitors through Posterscope's proprietary OOH trading platform, ECOS NOW, delivering substantial media spending to Advertima's core clients, which are grocery retailers in Europe. Brands can now reach real and verified in-store audiences according to their demographic groups and benefit from a measurable ROI. "This strategic collaboration confirms the crucial need for the physical understanding of real-time events to become an integral part of the DOOH media ecosystem," says Iman Nahvi, Co-Founder and CEO of Advertima. "Exciting partnerships with tech companies such as Advertima, at the leading edge of AI and computing, are core to building the future of DOOH and we are looking forward to putting this technology to work for the benefit of our clients," says Christopher Ho, Innovation Director at Posterscope UK. About Posterscope Posterscope is the world's leading out-of-home and location-based marketing specialist who knows more about what people think, feel and do out of the home and translates this understanding into compelling, creative and quantifiable solutions which make a meaningful difference to clients' businesses. About Advertima Advertima is a 3D computer vision platform provider founded in 2016 and headquartered in Switzerland. Advertima visually interprets human behavior in the physical world, enabling smart spaces of the future to interact with people in seamless and meaningful ways. Their real-time and easily accessible data stream, called the 'Human Data Layer', powers their smart retail solutions, including Smart Store and Smart Signage. Advertima is fully GDPR compliant. Press Contact: Clelia Bucher / clelia.bucher@advertima.com Related Images posterscope-and-advertimas.jpg Posterscope and Advertima's partnership Posterscope and Advertima partner to create a new data- and audience-driven advertising channel at the point of sale. Paul Flores is arrested April 13 by the San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Department on suspicion of killing Kristin Smart. (San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department) A judge on Monday ordered that Paul Flores remain in a San Luis Obispo County jail as he awaits trial on charges he killed Kristin Smart during an attempted rape in 1996. Superior Court Judge Craig B. Van Rooyen ruled there was a substantial likelihood that Flores, 44, would pose a danger to the public if he were granted bail and released before trial. The judge said he made the decision after reviewing information submitted under seal by investigators indicating Flores may have sexually assaulted other women. The judges ruling came as police in Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo counties have continued to investigate sexual assaults they suspect Flores may have committed after Smart disappeared while he and she were students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo prosecutors said last week they were investigating whether Flores sexually assaulted women in the San Pedro area, where he has lived for the last 15 years. And the Los Angeles Police Department disclosed that detectives had gathered evidence implicating Flores in two alleged sexual assaults. Redondo Beach police in 2013 presented a rape case against Flores to Los Angeles County prosecutors, who ultimately declined to file charges for lack of evidence. Van Rooyen agreed that Flores father, Ruben Flores, who is charged as an accessory to Smarts killing, should be granted bail. The bail amount will be decided after the father's assets are determined at a hearing Wednesday. Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Peuvrelle requested the accounting, saying the 80-year-olds worth is much higher than what hes stated in the probation report. Paul Flores appeared in court Monday from jail via videoconference. Wearing a suit jacket, white shirt and striped tie, he pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and denies every allegation, special or otherwise, said his attorney, Robert Sanger. His father also pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers for the first time discussed the sealed affidavit that law enforcement officials submitted last week to a judge. Based on information presented in the document, the judge authorized the San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Office to make an arrest in the nearly 25-year-old case. Story continues Smart, a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, was last seen around 2 a.m. on May 25, 1996, leaving an off-campus party. Two students told police they last saw her walking with Flores, also a freshman at the university. Flores has maintained through the years that he walked Smart to within a short distance of her dormitory and returned to his room. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance or any knowledge of her whereabouts. Smarts body has never been found. Sanger said the affidavit contained very little information that has not been a matter of public record, blogging, speculation and whatnot for over 20 years. Describing the document as full of double hearsay and speculation, Sanger questioned why authorities had decided to bring charges now and asserted that from his review of the affidavit, not much new has appeared. Peuvrelle said Sanger must not have read the same warrant I did. He argued that searches conducted in early 2020 yielded new information and a search of Ruben Flores home in Arroyo Grande last month turned up substantial evidence. He did not elaborate. Ruben Flores attorney, Harold Mesick, said the evidence against his client if we can even call it evidence is so minimal as to shock the conscience. Mesick indicated that authorities have cited irregular soil patterns at his clients home as evidence of his guilt. But there are many different, innocent explanations for why the soil was disturbed, Mesick said. He accused authorities of seizing on more than ambiguous opinions of experts as proof that a crime had been committed. Peuvrelle said only that Ruben Flores attorney had ignored facts that support the only logical conclusion as to what was found at the home last month. Van Rooyen tentatively set a preliminary hearing in the son and father's case for July 6. Peuvrelle estimated that the hearing, in which prosecutors must convince a judge they have enough evidence to bring the defendants to trial, will last 12 court days. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. HomeBinder.com This is a key endorsement of the HomeBinder value proposition from within the FinTech and InsurTech industries. HomeBinder, a leading home management platform provider that provides homeowners peace of mind and maximizes home value, announces a new $1.6 million round of funding from global venture capital firm SixThirty and leading FinTech industry partner Matt Hansen. SixThirty is a venture capital firm that invests in enterprise technology companies across FinTech, InsurTech, Digital Health & Cybersecurity, and provides founders with mentorship and connections to leading incumbents through its Go-To-Market Program. Matt Hansen is the Founder & CEO of SimpleNexus, an industry-leading homeownership platform used by more than 34,000 loan officers and 300+ mortgage corporations nationwide. Under Hansens leadership, SimpleNexus has become one of the fastest-growing software companies in the nation, receiving recognition on the Inc. 5000 list and Deloittes Technology Fast 500 list. For businesses serving residential homeowners that want to deliver added value to their clients, HomeBinder is a platform that centralizes information and a trusted network of professionals servicing the home to provide owners peace of mind throughout ownership and derive maximum home value. Industry leaders like SimpleNexus have long recognized that the relationship doesnt end at the closing, it has only just begun. HomeBinder business partners offer a digital HomeBinder to their clients that includes all of the mortgage closing documentation; lenders who offer HomeBinder as a digital closing gift to their clients find that it creates a client for life experience, enhances opportunities for re-engagement, and leads to increased referrals. We are incredibly excited to have SixThirty and Matt join us as investors in HomeBinder, said Jack Huntress, CEO of HomeBinder. This is a key endorsement of the HomeBinder value proposition from within the FinTech and InsurTech industries as a critical value-added service and post-close client engagement tool for lenders and insurance providers. About HomeBinder HomeBinder is a home management platform that provides homeowners peace of mind and maximizes home value. HomeBinder is offered solely through business partners serving residential homeowners, enabling them to deliver long term value to clients, remain top of mind, and generate referrals. HomeBinders business partners include home inspectors, mortgage lenders, insurance providers, home service providers, property managers, builders and real estate professionals. HomeBinder was founded in 2012, currently serves all fifty States and Canada, and is based in Burlington, MA. For more information, visit http://www.Homebinder.com Berlin, Germany -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2021 -- While there is no doubt that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on many areas of life sciences, drawing funds and resources to its cause, there are still R&D projects that continue to thrive. Cell and gene therapy is one of these areas because, despite the fact that the effects of the pandemic were far-reaching, the number of advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) clinical trials continued to increase throughout 2020. ATMP are therapeutics developed for human use and have an active substance that can be categorised in one of three groups: gene therapy medical products, tissue-engineered products, and somatic cell therapy medicinal products. A wealth of R&D jobs actively supports this developing and cutting-edge area of life sciences so it is encouraging that it continues to grow, even in a year that has been dominated by the COVID-19 virus. Oncology remains the most sizeable therapeutic area for ATMPs but there are a range of other uses too, including in haematology and metabolic diseases. Although the pandemic has created many of the headlines over the past 12 months this hasn't stopped evolution in other areas of life sciences, creating more R&D jobs, including in specialisms such as cell and gene therapy. From research and development through to commercial introduction and pharmacovigilance, EPM Scientific provide permanent, contract and multi-hire recruiting options to fully cover the production system. The German team is based in Berlin and has an unmatched understanding of the life sciences market throughout the country, operating as a leading life science recruitment agency. The dedicated consultancy team of the corporation are located in more than 12 offices around the world, giving them a global presence as well as fantastic local expertise. EPM Scientific is the preferred recruiting partner for hundreds of world-leading firms internationally as part of the Phaidon International group. They have established a community of one million mid-to-senior level professionals to link ambitious individuals with their desired career. To ensure that the best-in-class recruitment methodology is being used to deliver the best possible results for clients and applicants, the firm has invested heavily in the frequent training of its staff and consultants. EPM Scientific provides applicants with a high level of support whilst providing clients with the best possible talent for their advertised vacancies. The professionals at EPM Scientific are leaders in their chosen area and have local as well as global expertise to boost their recruiting opportunities for clinical careers. To ensure the success of your team, it is important to make sure that their well-being and health is of the highest importance. A whitepaper,' The work-life rebalance' has recently been published by EPM Scientific detailing advice and recommendations on how to ensure the remote working situation is handled well by the employees. This is a great read for those in senior positions as it gives great advice on how to adapt to the new way of working whilst maintaining a strong connection with your team. The current FMI business intelligence reports show that the global pharmacovigilance industry size is predicted to have hit US $6, 104.1 million by the end of 2020 with a CAGR of 14.2% from 2014 to 2020. This insight into industry growth provides both recruiters and prospective candidates a plethora of new and exciting opportunities within the market to explore. Some of the opportunities that EPM Scientific have include roles for Clinical Pharmacology Consultants, Contract Project Managers and Directors of Pharmacovigilance Safety Science and Clinical Safety Risk Management. Presently, there are a plethora of jobs available through EPM Scientific which can provide growth and development. Some of the positions available include: Senior Statistical Programmer Lead Remote Based, Project Manager, Clinical Specialist Respiratory, Sales Representative Orthopadie, Product Manager, Medical Affairs Manager, Sales Representative Fixed Term Contract, Communications Manager Healthcare and Market Access Manager Biosimilars to name just a few. 2021 is going to continue the upward trend in life sciences innovation and activity, and is likely to be an exciting year for talented people looking to grow with this evolving sector. "Like many sectors, 2020 marked a defining moment for recruitment. Challenged by uncertainty, but unwavering in our commitment to our clients, we enter 2021 with a sense of duty to clients and candidates", commented Luis Rolim, Global Marketing Director at EPM Scientific. He went onto say, "as we reflect on the challenges of virtually securing and retaining talent, we're inspired by a team who have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and continue to help all our clients secure top talent on a global scale." To find out more information about R&D jobs in Germany visit https://www.epmscientific.de. For any media inquiries please contact Gary Elliott at Iconic Digital 020 71000726. For all other enquiries please contact EPM Scientific DE: +49 30 72 62 11 444. For more information about EPM Scientific DE services, please go to https://www.epmscientific.de. About EPM Scientific DE EPM Scientific DE partners with organisations across the fast-expanding pharmacovigilance sector. The firm's 750+ employees support growth and development among enterprises where innovation and insight will be crucial to both current and future generations. Big Logo, a food influencer famous for seeking out expensive restaurants / South China Morning Post Several Chinese TikTok celebrities have apologised for promoting the worship of money and consumption after being criticised by state media for videos depicting their extravagant lifestyles. Big Logo, a food influencer famous for videos of him dining in expensive restaurants, said on Sunday that he was sorry for his "thoughtless" videos about lavish presidential suites at some hotels after he was denounced by Xinhua news agency last week. Influencer Xiaoyu, who shared experiences at a postpartum centre that cost 2 million yuan ($307,000) a month, also apologised for his "overly entertaining" and "misleading" video singled out by Xinhua. On China's leading live-streaming app Douyin, known as TikTok overseas, Big Logo has over 27 million followers, while Xiaoyu has over 6 million. Both men, who were among a series of influencers criticised by Xinhua for "corrupting" the "social atmosphere", have apologised in their latest video posts and deleted the clips targeted by state media. Since Saturday Douyin started sending a reminder saying "Please consume rationally. Keep a healthy consuming attitude" to people searching the two men's accounts. Xiaoyu, second from left, an influencer who shared experiences at a postpartum centre that costs 2 million yuan a month / South China Morning Post Last week Xinhua warned against the growing popularity of short videos showing off wealth on live-streaming platforms, arguing the influencers making the clips were "blindly pursuing clicks and benefits, and ignoring social responsibility". Other examples cited by Xinhua included a 10,000 yuan ($1,500) haircut, a 350,000 yuan ($53,000) bed and a 400,000 yuan ($61,000) suit. "They contradict with the mainstream values of diligence, thrift and hard work," it said. "Such content would affect the audience's values and attitudes towards wealth in the long term, exerting a negative influence that should not be ignored." While saying "all criticism is accepted", Big Logo said, "our original intention is to share the experience itself, not to lead people to consume things that are highly expensive". In Xiaoyu's video on the extravagant postpartum centre in central Shanghai, he shared how new mothers can spend their yuezi, or the first month after the birth of a child, in an 800-square metre flat. Xiaoyu tucks in at an overpriced postpartum centre. South China Morning Post Classy will use this capital to accelerate customer-forward product development and double the size of its product and engineering organization over the next two years to meet rising demand. The company also plans to enter new markets, such as corporate giving, all to drive a greater impact for its 6,000+ nonprofit customers. Following the funding and a year of record growth, Classy will immediately repay its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which it took from the federal government during the pandemic to keep its staff fully employed and to ensure it could continue to serve the social sector at full capacity during a time of increased need. "Last year was especially challenging for nonprofits, forcing them to adapt their fundraising efforts to meet the needs of their recipients while increasingly leaning on technology solutions," said David Su, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners. "As the social sector looks to reach new audiences on digital platforms, Classy is poised to support this growing market demand. We're excited to support Classy in its continued endeavors to stimulate social impact throughout the world." Scot Chisholm, Co-founder and CEO of Classy, will step down as CEO and transition into a full-time Executive Chairman role. He will now lead Mergers & Acquisitions and new market expansion for the company while continuing to serve on the Board of Directors. For the past decade, Chisholm's vision for the company led to its explosive growth, helping thousands of nonprofit organizations raise nearly $3 billion for their missions. Classy's full suite of world-class online fundraising tools has powered tens of millions of donations from over 190 countries. He is handing the reins to Christopher Himes , a longtime Classy Board member and the current Chief Operating Officer. Himes's background includes a six year tenure at Salesforce, including as an SVP, where he worked with best-in-class cloud computing technology, and was an Executive Fellow at the Salesforce.com Foundation. Prior to that, he served as the CFO at Fair Trade and has held numerous board positions with nonprofits including There With Care and The Trust for Public Land. "Through our new partnership with Norwest and the investment in our product and engineering teams, Classy will continue to elevate the sector and drive more impact for our nonprofit customers," said Scot Chisholm, Co-Founder of Classy. "As a trusted advisor and partner for the past seven years, Chris and I share a joint vision for how great technology can create meaningful value for organizations and the causes that need it most. Chris has already significantly impacted our customers thanks to his invaluable background in cloud technology and his vast knowledge of the social sector, and I have no doubt this impact will continue to grow with him at the helm." As CEO, Himes will build upon the foundation Chisholm has laid over the past decade. Classy is also reincorporating as a Public Benefit Corporation, accelerating the timeline it initially put forth after becoming B Corp Certified in December 2020 and furthering its commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Himes will continue Classy's track record of creating first-class technology to serve the social sector. Today, nearly 20 percent of total giving on Classy's platform is done by donors who "subscribe" to nonprofits and pledge to give on a regular basis, and there's opportunity to grow this number. Himes will drive the company's focus on its industry-leading recurring giving tools and build a billion dollar recurring giving business that helps nonprofits maximize their revenue seasonally and achieve their missions year-round. "We know that great technology equates to more revenue for nonprofits, which means they have the resources to tackle complex social challenges," said Chris Himes, incoming Classy CEO. "Our goal is to build the best technology possible for our customers and lead the industry in ROI by providing more efficient, streamlined and effective solutions that build sustainable income streams for nonprofits, so they can focus on the real issues." David Su, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners, will join Classy's Board of Directors, bringing his expertise in software and financial technology. Depelsha McGruder is also joining the Board as its independent director. McGruder is the COO of the Ford Foundation and founder of Moms of Black Boys (M.O.B.B) United, a nonprofit dedicated to positively influencing how Black boys and men are perceived and treated by law enforcement in society. To read more about the Series D funding, please visit the Classy blog . To learn more about Classy's online fundraising software visit www.classy.org . About Classy Classy is a Certified B Corp and social enterprise that helps nonprofit organizations maximize their impact through a suite of world-class, online fundraising tools to accelerate social impact around the world. Based in San Diego, CA and trusted by organizations of all sizes, from the fastest-growing nonprofits to some of the world's largest social organizations, nonprofits use Classy's platform to raise money, engage their communities, and advance their missions. Since 2011, Classy has powered tens of millions of donations from over 190 countries, and customers on its platform have raised $3 billion for social good. Classy also hosts the Collaborative conference and the Classy Awards to spotlight the innovative work nonprofits are implementing around the globe. For more information, visit www.classy.org or follow Classy on Twitter @Classy. About Norwest Venture Partners Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $9.5 billion in capital. Since our inception, we have invested in more than 600 companies and partner with over 150 active companies currently in our venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early to late stage companies across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise, and healthcare. We offer a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com. Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP CONTACT: Krista Lamp [email protected] SOURCE Classy Related Links www.classy.org WESTPORT The world watched as a fire raged through the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in April 2019, leaving a wake of destruction. As the smoke cleared, people soon learned that the rooftop beehives survived, offering some hope amid a tragedy. It captivated the interest of Maria Luskay, a professor of media, communications and digital arts at nearby Pace University, so much so that she decided it would be the subject of her annual documentary program. But when the pandemic hit last March, the class had to shift, instead getting a first-hand lesson in resiliency from the bees in their own backyards, visiting apiaries in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Among them were hives in Westport and Weston. They took what could have been a disaster and these students made honey, Luskay said. After months of work going beyond the semester and even past graduation for some adapting to collaborating and editing in a pandemic, their final product, Bee Aware is set to premiere at www.pace.edu/beeaware at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, with a question and answer session to follow on Zoom at 8 p.m. The 20 undergraduate and graduate students in the class spent more than two months researching urban beekeeping, setting up interviews, securing permits and booking flights for Paris. Their bags were packed and they were ready to go, when Italy started to lock down due to COVID and it soon became apparent they would need a new approach. Luskay and professor Lou Guarneri decided to split the class up by region and have the students now find beekeepers around them, having the focus of the documentary now look beyond urban beekeeping to beekeepers themselves. It was never really an option to just give up, said Chris Sinise, a grad student from Stratford. Professor Lou at one point said, Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. It had every reason to fail, but it didnt. Students set to work, scouring the internet and social media sites for beekeepers. We went on a wild goose chase, Sinise said. Nearly all of the 30 to 40 beekeepers they contacted in Connecticut contributed in some way, either having the students over to interview them and film their hives, or providing sources or information. Those who were uncomfortable having people over during the pandemic also offered to send videos and photos they took themselves, he said. I feel really lucky and grateful to have had this project during lockdown, Sinise said. The class continued to meet regularly on Zoom and even set an example for editing remotely that larger professional production houses picked up. Local beekeepers welcomed the shift because the documentary helps shine a light on the challenges facing the honeybees and hopefully inspire people to change their actions to help. I was thrilled because any attention that we can bring to these pollinators and the environment make me happy, said C. Marina Marchese, an author and founder of Red Bee Honey in Weston. Julie Cook, the store manager at Savannah Bee in Westport, said the idea of the documentary aligned perfectly with the companys mission of raising awareness. They already offer educational programs on the importance of bees and how to help, both at the store and Wakeman Farm in Westport, where the hives are. One-third of every bite of food you eat is pollinated by bees, Cook said. It goes beyond honey, fruits and vegetables people might naturally associate from seeing bees buzzing between these blossoms during the growing season to other products, including cotton and chocolate. Bees currently face several challenges from loss of habitat as more trees and plants are cleared for development, to pesticides used on the plants they eat nectar from to climate change. Both Cook and Marchese said the warming winters are causing the bees to come out in the winter when there are no water sources or flowers so they can eat. The cold snaps can also kill them. Cook said more than 50 percent of her friends lose hives every winter. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the total number of managed honey bee colonies has decreased from 5 million in the 1940s to about 2.66 million now. The documentary goes into these challenges facing the bees, as well as other hardships beekeepers are currently fighting. Sinise and Luskay said they appreciated learning so much about bees and the larger role they play. They said they hope people see the film and take away how important honeybees are. The documentary will also be entered into film festivals. I hope people take something away about the honeybees and how they can help them because theyre in trouble now, Sinise said. The documentary and beekeepers touch on small things people can do to help out, such as planting native plants, creating pollinator pathways and not using chemicals on their lawns. I hope the public understands how their actions will affect the future and how we live on the planet, Marchese said. kkoerting@newstimes.com Stockholm, April 20 : Global financial flows and investments are finally 'tipping' away from the old, polluting, and unsustainable economy of the 20th century towards the climate-friendly economy of the 21st century, one of the world's leading economists is expected to declare this week. Over the past three years increasing numbers of banks; asset managers and owners; finance ministers and investors have begun stepping up ambition driven by the urgency of halving by 2030 and reaching a net zero emission world by 2050, Lord Nicholas Stern will say. The Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment in London will point to the 1,500 organisations with $150 trillion in assets who are now committed to backing the net zero goal as one barometer of change. Lord Stern, who is the keynote opening speaker on the second Exponential Climate Action Summit -- Financing the Race to Zero event organised by We Don't Have Time (WDHT), will also point to the increasing investor disaffection with fossil fuels as part of this 'tipping point' trend. Not only is three times more money flowing into technologies like wind and solar, but the returns are outstripping investments in fuels like coal and oil. Between 2015 and 2020, the returns from investing in fossil free fuels in the US was 10 per cent; in the UK 11 per cent and in Germany and France over 20 per cent. During the same period, returns on investments in fossil fuels in these four countries alone were either zero or negative. "The markets are speaking that the investments in fossil fuels are bad investments -- and for good reason, because those are technologies from the last century and those that are going to go well are the technologies of this century," he is expected to note. But Lord Stern will argue that this is not time for complacency or being 'swamped in over optimism' if the world is to have a chance of keeping a global average temperature rise to no higher than 1.5 degree Celsius. "Passing the (financial) tipping point and getting the job done are different, acceleration is not the same as velocity. This decade is decisive. We have to move very fast," Lord Stern will say. Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and Founder of WDHT, said: "We need to halve emissions by 2030 to stand a running chance of meeting the net zero goal. This speaks to a massive, exponential, shift of trillions of dollars from the polluting industries, infrastructures, and practices of the past to the sustainable ones of the future. "Is the world of finance up to the task? Tune in on April 22 to find out." The Financing the Race to Zero broadcast is taking place on Earth Day 2021 as President Biden signals the US return to serious climate action by hosting his Climate Leaders' Summit with 40 heads of state. In advance of the UN Climate Conference (COP26), the broadcast has brought together some of the best and most diverse actors on financial solutions and climate finance and given its central role in achieving the Paris Agreement and a sustainable future. Other guests include Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, representing 200 million workers in 163 countries and Nick Robins, Professor in Practice for Sustainable Finance, Grantham Research Institute. CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC: PTBS), the one bank holding company for Bank of Charles Town (BCT), approved and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, an increase of 14.3% from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The dividend is for all shareholders of record on May 4, 2021 and will be paid on May 11, 2021. "We are pleased to reward our shareholders with an increase to the dividend," said Alice P. Frazier, President and CEO. "The Board of Directors is particularly proud of the commitment of the BCT team to our customers and the communities we serve as evidenced by the continued sound growth in both our balance sheet and profitability over the past twelve months." About the Company Founded in 1871 and celebrating its 150th anniversary year, BCT-Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS). With approximately $621 million in assets as of December 31, 2020, the Company conducts operations through its main office, an additional eight branch offices, and one loan production office. BCT's offices are located in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties (WV), Washington County (MD), and Loudoun County (VA). The Bank provides various banking products and services including free access to over 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network plus online and mobile banking for individuals, businesses, and local governments. The Bank also offers commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans. The Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction to perm loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. For over 60 years, BCT Wealth Advisors has provided financial management, investment, trust, and estate services to its clients. In 2019 and 2020, the Bank was named a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker. In 2018, Forbes named BCT a "Best In State Bank" for Maryland. The Company's shares are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." For more information about Potomac Bancshares, Inc., and the Bank, please visit our website at www.mybct.bank. SOURCE Potomac Bancshares, Inc. Related Links http://www.mybct.bank/ Pakistani rapper and comedian, Muhammad Shah had posted a video a few days ago about how hes rapping about her in an attempt to impress actor Alia Bhatt. And it seems like it has worked! The Raazi actress has taken note of the musicians video and said that his attempt is bohut hard. For the uninitiated, the slang "bohut hard" gained popularity after the immense success of Gully Boy which featured Ranveer Singh and Bhatt in the lead role. The film went on to win a record 13 Filmfare Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female). The film also made an overnight star out of Siddhant Chaturvedi who has bagged big-ticket projects since then. Coming back to Muhammad Shah and his video, the musician had posted it on Instagram and captioned it: "In the first episode of 'What if' #onlylovetoshare". The video went viral and Bhatt commented on it, as we've already stated above. The actress is currently in the Maldives, vacationing with her lover, Ranbir Kapoor. Both Kapoor and Bhatt had tested positive for COVID-19 a while ago but have now recovered from the illness. The couple will be seen next in Ayan Mukerjis Brahmastra which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Muhammad Shah (@iamtheshah) All four tyres of a Fiat van were slashed in a residential area of Derrinturn recently. The white Doblo model was parked up in the Grace's Park area earlier this month when the incident happened. Gardai said they are investigating an incident of criminal damage to a vehicle which occurred in Derrinturn, Carbury between April 9 and April 11. No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing. READ ALSO: Catalytic converter stolen from car in Kilcock The University of California has 15,000 medical students at seven campuses but cant provide care in many areas of the state without affiliating with private hospitals, including religious institutions that refuse to perform abortions or transgender surgery or provide physician aid-in-dying. State lawmakers are considering a hotly contested bill by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, that would prohibit UC from agreeing to require its physicians and medical students to comply with those restrictions when they work at private hospitals, in urban as well as rural areas. The hospitals include St. Marys Medical Center and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, both owned by Dignity Health, which was formerly known as Catholic Healthcare West and follows the churchs health care directives at most of its facilities. Restrictions on care in the contracts the university signs with those providers, Wiener said, are based not on medical needs or resources, but instead are based on the policies of the UC contractors, which result in discriminatory and substandard patient care, particularly for low-income and minority patients. UC says it has contracts to provide treatment or training at 77 hospitals and other health facilities in California with policies that Wieners bill would affect. The bill, SB379, would allow the university to maintain connections with the hospitals only if they changed their policies or did not apply them to UC physicians and students. SB379 cleared the Senate Education Committee on a 5-2 vote last month and is scheduled to be heard Wednesday by the Senate Health Committee. It is supported by abortion-rights and LGBTQ advocates but opposed by hospital organizations not only the Alliance of Catholic Health Care but also the California Hospital Association, which represents more than 400 private and public hospitals in the state. The bill would significantly diminish access to high-quality care for millions of Californians, especially in underserved communities, the association said in a letter to the Health Committee chairman, Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento. Even if it applied only to hospitals that imposed religiously based restrictions, the letter said, those are crucial sources of care in many communities. Lori Capello Dangberg, vice president of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care, said Wieners legislation would eliminate hundreds of partnerships that provide medically necessary primary and specialty care to thousands of patients. The issue has also divided the university. A letter to UC President Michael Drake signed by more than 2,500 students, faculty, staff and alumni said contracts with hospitals that impose religious restrictions on abortion, contraception, in-vitro fertilization and transgender care are withholding services that are vital, and often life-saving, for millions of our UC patients. But the university, while not formally opposing SB379, expressed concern about the legislation in a letter to lawmakers, saying it would result in reduced access to UC Health providers, causing great harm to vulnerable and underserved communities. Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press The university said it has amended its hospital contracts in the past two years to make it clear that its physicians and medical students can rely on their professional judgment in advising patients, regardless of a hospitals policies. But thats not the same as actually providing the care a patient wants or needs, said Dr. Jody Steinauer, an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical professor at UC San Francisco. For example, she said, if a patient giving birth by cesarean section wanted to be sterilized by tubal ligation, a UC doctor at an affected hospital could only advise her to get the surgery elsewhere. The answer is to renegotiate with those hospitals and to end contracts with those that refuse, Steinauer said. In Riverside County, the university could have signed contracts with more than a dozen private hospitals that place no religious restrictions on care, but instead chose the only one that imposed restrictions, said attorney Elizabeth Gill of the American Civil Liberties Union, a co-sponsor of Wieners bill. In San Francisco, she said, UC reported a need for more care facilities several years ago and could have sought an expansion of its existing facilities at S.F. General Hospital but instead chose Dignity Health, with which it has contracts at five campuses. Dignity Health is the largest hospital chain in California and the fifth largest in the nation. In 2019, a state appeals court reinstated a suit by a transgender man who said a Dignity hospital discriminated by refusing to perform a hysterectomy on him, and referred him elsewhere only after the story hit the local airwaves. Dignity Health has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Here's a selection of Business Standard pieces for the day The economic outlook could worsen considerably if the Covid situation does not stabilise quickly and the states are forced to extend lockdowns. While some economists believe that the economy will not suffer as much as last year because both companies and governments have a better understanding of the situation, many brokerages have started downgrading growth projections to as low as 10 per cent on local lockdowns disrupting overall demand and supply and threatening the fragile recovery, notes our lead editorial US warship deployment through Indias Exclusive Economic Zone was more just a perfunctory action, writes Premvir Das Politicians are prickly when in power they always have been and always will be. But this cannot be an excuse for holding back. Companies must speak up, they owe it to the future generations, argues Amit Tandon 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. UPDATE: Man arrested after Michigan womans body found in burning mobile home ROSEVILLE, MI Police are conducting a criminal investigation after a woman was found dead inside a burning mobile home Monday morning, WDIV Detroit reports. The Roseville police and fire departments responded to the fire around 10 a.m. Monday at Leslies Mobile Home Community in Roseville, the report said. The womans body was found inside the home; cause of death has not yet been determined, police said. The womans identity has not been released. The cause of the fire is also unknown at this time but police are investigating the incident as a criminal matter. Authorities are searching for the deceased womans boyfriend who apparently left the area prior to the fire, police said. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is assisting in the investigation. READ MORE: 27-year-old dead after unprovoked shooting attack on police officers Detroit police chief expects violence regardless of outcome in Derek Chauvin murder trial Days after calling it BS, Ted Nugent says hes been battling COVID-19: I thought I was dying Butt pinches, threesome requests and a glass ceiling: sexism is systemic in Michigans political culture ADVERTISEMENT The police in Lagos in collaboration with local vigilantes have arrested two suspected cultists during an initiation rite. Muyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos police spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday that the suspects were arrested on Monday at about 7:30 p.m. at Igbe Lara area, Ikorodu. According to the police, the initiator, Fatai Kalejaiye, 25, was caught while initiating Kolapo Ayeobasan, 20. The suspect, Fatai, who has confessed to be a member of Eye Confraternity, was caught while performing rites of initiating the second suspect, Kolapo, the police said. In a similar operation, police officers attached to Ipakodo Division, Ikorodu, have arrested four suspected cultists, Mr Adejobi said. The arrest was at the heels of a complaint received from one Temidire Ogunbajo, f, of Abejoye Street, Majidun, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, that some suspected armed cultists invaded her house and attacked her and other residents of the Majidun community, Ikorodu, on 16th April, 2021 at 8.30 am. The Police, in conjunction with local security operatives in Ikorodu, swung into action and arrested them one after the other between 16th April and 18th April, 2021, while others are still at large, the police said. The suspects are Sunday Mesagan, 16, Damilade Matiminu, 24, Oladimeji Orimoloye, 19, and Akinmoye Emmanuel, 24 . The police said items recovered from the suspects include one cutlass, broken bottles, charms and some offensive weapons. The suspects will be taken to the Commands Special Squad for further investigation on the order of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu. The Commissioner of Police has also ordered that the fleeing members of the gangs be apprehended by all means so as to cause them to face the full wrath of the law, Mr Adejobi said. The Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in March signed into law the anti-cultism bill of Lagos State. The new law prescribes a 21-year jail term for convicted cultists and 15 years for individuals found guilty of abetting cultism. Following the enactment of the law, the police have recorded several arrests of suspected cultists. On March 31, the police arraigned 60 suspected cultists at the Yaba magistrate court using the provisions of the new law. Thousands of tulips have burst into colour in a kaleidoscope display near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. Belmont Nurseries, the UKs largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, plans to offer socially distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for a local hospice charity. Workers make their way along rows of tulips which have burst into colour in fields near Kings Lynn in Norfolk (Joe Giddens/ PA) The grower was forced to close to the public during the first lockdown in England last year and has worked hard to open following the easing of restrictions earlier this month. Visitors will be asked to wear a face covering upon entry to the fields, with admission by advance ticket only, for sale online and priced at 3 per person for a 45-minute slot. Marcia from Norwich walks amongst thousands of tulips (Joe Giddens/ PA) Funds raised will help support The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House in Hillington. Belmont Nurseries has teamed up with village pub, restaurant and hotel The Ffolkes, which is near to the fields, so guests can use its facilities during their visit. WILMINGTON, N.C., April 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry is proud to announce the opening of their newest location in Bolivia, located at 2831 Midway Rd SE next to Lowes Foods. The conveniently located office offers a full suite of affordable general dentistry services, including cosmetic and restorative treatment. Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry, based out of the Research Triangle region, is pleased to offer the highest standard of dental care to the Bolivia and Southport communities through the use of state-of-the-art technology and services. Riccobene Associates accepts dental insurance, including United Concordia and most retiree plans; those without insurance will have access to an affordable in-house membership plan at just $28/month, along with patient financing options. "Our priority is to provide gentle, trusted dental care that meets our patients' needs and fits their budgets," said Dr. Michael Riccobene. "We are excited to offer a premier level of dentistry in a convenient location, and my associate Dr. Durant and I look forward to serving the community the dental care they deserve." Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry, founded in 2000 by Dr. Michael Riccobene, focuses on providing affordable, high-quality dental care with a patient-centered atmosphere. For more than 20 years, the company has earned numerous "Favorite Family Dentist" awards throughout Wilmington and the Triangle, including Shorepicks Top Dentist for 2020 and Indy Week's 'Best of the Triangle. Riccobene Associates has been one of the 50 Best Places to Work in the Triangle and was recently recognized as a Fast 50 Company by the Triangle Business Journal. ABOUT RICCOBENE ASSOCIATES FAMILY DENTISTRY: Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry employs over 75+ dentists in a team-oriented environment. Starting from the original location in Selma, NC, Dr. Riccobene has built 30+ high-end practices serving the dental needs in communities across the state of North Carolina. Riccobene Associates' strategy is to continue its rapid growth in North Carolina and into adjacent states through de novo openings and add-on affiliations with high quality providers who share Dr. Riccobene's commitment to patient care. For more information or to request an appointment, please visit the company website, https://www.brushandfloss.com/ Contact: Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry 919.817.2529; Tommy Sikescommunications@brushandfloss.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/riccobene-associates-family-dentistry-opens-newest-location-in-bolivia-nc-301267001.html SOURCE Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry GRAND RAPIDS, MI Marchers in downtown Grand Rapids raised their fists in unity Tuesday afternoon following the announcement of guilty verdicts in the death of George Floyd. A relatively small but fervent group took to the streets after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter the afternoon of April 20. Danny Santiago, vice president of Justice for Black Lives in Grand Rapids, walked with his fist held high repeatedly shouting guilty. Leaders of the group said while they were pleased with the verdict, a lot of work remains to obtain justice for others who have died at the hands of police. They include Daunte Wright, who was fatally shot by police April 11 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and Breonna Taylor, a former Grand Rapids resident who was shot dead by police in her Louisville, Kentucky, home in March 2020. Related: Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges in the death of George Floyd Alyssa Bates, president of the Justice for Black Lives group, called the verdict a positive step in the right direction. While we celebrate the guilty verdict, we have to remember the families that havent been so lucky with a guilty verdictbecause those families deserve better, Bates said. They deserve better from the police. They deserve better from their country. She spoke just steps from the honorary Breonna Taylor Way at the corner of Monroe Center and Pearl streets. Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill read the jurys verdict shortly after 5 p.m. Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The jury deliberated for about 10 hours over two days before reaching a decision. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died after Chauvin, who is white, kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed. Following Floyds death, a peaceful protest in Grand Rapids turned into a riot on May 30 with more than $2 million in damage reported downtown. Rioters set fires, smashed hundreds of windows and looted and vandalized stores. Related: Looking back at Grand Rapids riot, the damage and charges in unprecedented melee On Tuesday, about a dozen Grand Rapids police officers were seen on bike patrol, keeping an eye on developments downtown. About six large public works trucks were parked on side streets in case they were needed to block off streets. The city also set up concrete barricades downtown, including around Grand Rapids police headquarters. We must also be on guard for those who seek to exploit these events to undermine the work weve already begun here, Grand Rapids police Chief Eric Payne and City Manager Mark Washington said in a joint statement. More on MLive.com: Guilty: Michigan reacts to George Floyd murder trial verdict Grand Rapids police headquarters barricaded as verdict looms in George Floyds death Grand Rapids discontinues some synthetic pesticide use along Grand River JERSEYVILLE A Jerseyville man was charged with driving under the influence after a crash Monday resulted in four people being injured, one of them seriously. According to a preliminary report from Illinois State Police, David E. Price, 74, of Jerseyville was going west on Illinois Route 16 about 5:38 p.m. Monday when his pickup truck turned left onto Centennial Road and collided head-on with a car going east on Illinois 16. The impact of the crash caused the car, being driven by Dane A. Grant, 27, of Bethalto, to hit a motorcycle that was stopped at the intersection. Bamako, Mali (PANA)- The six personalities, including, columnist Youssouf Mohamed Bathily alias Ras Bath, charged a few months ago for "destabilization of the transition and conspiracy against the government, criminal association and insulting the Head of State" were released on Monday UW-Led Research Outlines Innovative Legal Strategies for Conserving Big-Game Migration Corridors A mule deer buck makes its fall migration in western Wyoming. (Emilene Ostlind Photo) A new interdisciplinary study led by University of Wyoming researchers brings together approaches from ecology, economics and law to explore emerging big-game migration corridor conservation strategies meant to protect the phenomenon of migration across vast and complex landscapes. The research was published in the Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum under the title Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: Conserving Big Game Migrations as an Endangered Phenomena and can be found for free online at https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/delpf/vol31/iss1/2/. The law review article provides detailed information about migration ecology and economic principles relevant to conserving migrations, before examining the successes and shortcomings of existing legal and policy efforts. Finally, the paper outlines a potential future legal approach with promise to both meet the biological needs of migratory species and address the economic and social challenges of conserving species that cross many jurisdictional boundaries throughout their yearly movements. Temple Stoellinger, an assistant professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair in the UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and College of Law, led the study. Two professors from the UW Department of Economics, Heidi Albers, Wyoming Excellence Chair of Conservation Economics, and Jason Shogren, Stroock Chair of Natural Resource Conservation and Management, also contributed, along with Arthur Middleton, of the University of California-Berkeley, and Robert Bonnie, of Duke Universitys Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. As policymakers are wrestling with the challenge of protecting long-distance wildlife migrations across the West, this research takes a careful look at the various strategies being employed to find efficiencies and also identify approaches that stand to really achieve the goal of keeping migrations intact, Stoellinger says. This is necessarily an interdisciplinary endeavor, and working with scholars from different disciplines brought clarity to this question that could not have been found otherwise. Ecological studies have made it clear that migrations -- which are declining in some areas -- are critical to sustaining the robust populations of mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bison and bighorn sheep that Americans treasure. Some Western states and the U.S. Department of Interior have developed policies to protect long-distance wildlife movements, but these only apply to a few species and have struggled to balance coordination across large landscapes and multiple jurisdictions with local knowledge and implementation expertise. [D]eveloping a more explicit, coordinated policy to address these challenges and improve protection of migratory ungulates is a complex undertaking, compounded by the landscape scale and transboundary nature of migration, and the different views and values stakeholders place on migration conservation both at a local and national level, the authors wrote. The researchers argue for a cooperative federalism approach that would balance the need for national funding and coordination with local expertise and implementation. Specifically, they suggest defining a stronger federal policy to more effectively guide local implementation of conservation action across political jurisdictions; address conservation across state and international borders; incorporate national and local values into policy development; and provide a stable and dedicated funding source for conservation efforts, particularly for incentive-based conservation and to address highway reconstruction costs. The researchers also emphasize the need for states and tribes to identify and designate critical migratory corridors and seasonal habitat in need of protection, and to work with private landowners to implement incentive-based conservation on private land. For more information, email Stoellinger at tstoelli@uwyo.edu. UWs Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources advances the understanding and resolution of complex environmental and natural resource challenges in the West and around the world through interdisciplinary education, applied research, outreach and collaborative problem-solving approaches. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/haub. Michigan Governor Traveled to Florida Despite Urging Residents to Stay Home Michigans governor recently traveled to Florida despite warning residents against taking out-of-state trips, her office disclosed on Monday. Spokespersons for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told news outlets that the Democrat took what they described as a personal trip to visit her father about one month ago. Her dad was fully vaccinated and the governor is tested regularly and has never tested positive for COVID. The trip was not paid for at taxpayers expense, a spokesperson said in one of the statements. Whitmer said during a recent briefing that her father is in the state of Florida. The governor has repeatedly warned against traveling out of state because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and official state guidance said that it is safest to avoid out of state travel at this time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fully vaccinated people can travel by plane safely but its director told Americans that they should still not do so because of the number of COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. While Whitmers father is fully vaccinated, Whitmer is not. She got her first jab earlier this month, with a second scheduled soon. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer receives a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Ford Field during an event to promote and encourage Michigan residents to get the vaccine, in Detroit, Mich., on April 6, 2021. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) Michigan and Florida are not next to each other, Whitmer said during a recent appearance on NBCs Meet the Press. But this is the time of the year that snowbirds come home from Florida, where people are going on spring break, and all of these things can contribute to spread. Thats why were imploring people to take this seriously, mask up, get tested. She also told a briefing on April 2 that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Michigan was partly because of people going to Florida for spring break. In one of the statements on Monday, a spokesperson said the governor did not go on spring break. Whitmer has left the state three times in the past three months, once for the visit to her father, once to attend President Joe Bidens inauguration, and once to visit with Michigans National Guard troops. All trips were very brief, two full days or less, closely followed public health guidelines, and were made when Michigans daily positivity rate was in the low single digits. Due to ongoing security concerns, we will not comment further on the governors personal schedule, the spokesperson said. News of Whitmers Florida trip drew sharp criticism. Gretchen Whitmers hypocrisy flies in the face of every Michigander who has persevered through Whitmers disgraceful response to COVID-19, said Republican Governors Association spokesperson Chris Gustafson. While telling Michiganders not to travel, Whitmer flew down to Florida and proved once again that the rules to her or her family dont apply. Its time for Gretchen Whitmer to go. Gretchen Whitmers blatant display of hypocrisy is an insult to every single Michigander impacted by her lockdown orders and travel warnings, added Ted Goodman, communications director of the Michigan Republican Party. Not only did Whitmer and her top staffers vacation to Florida, but they tried to keep it a secret because for Whitmer, itsrules for thee, but not for me. Two top Michigan officials also traveled out-of-state recently. Michigan Health Director Elizabeth Hertel went to Alabama for spring break, while Tricia Foster, a Whitmer aide, went to Florida for the same reason. Asked about those trips last week, Whitmer said she would not get distracted by partisan hit jobs on my team. There have never been travel restrictions in Michigan. There just havent been. What we have done is to ask people to be smart, to get vaccinated, to mask up. That is the key to traveling with confidence that youre going to be safe and not expose yourself or your loved ones to COVID or your community to COVID, she added. Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday slammed the government over its revised vaccine policy. Chidambaram has stated that the new vaccine policy is "heartless" and "lacks vision". The Centre on Monday announced that people above the age of 18 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine from May 1. Under the revised policy, vaccine manufacturers will be allowed to release 50 per cent of doses to the open market. This provision will allow vaccine manufacturers to charge higher amounts than Rs 150 per dose which they are getting under the Centre's vaccination programme. The former finance minister attacked the new vaccine policy saying that it has "no price of vaccine fixed for below 45 years category." He added that young people have been left to the mercy of state governments and private hospitals. Chidambaram stated that the new vaccine policy has no provisions for the migrant workers who have been the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Chidambaram said that the states should get the vaccine at the same rates at which the Centre is getting them. He slammed the Centre for not adding any provision of compulsory licensing to its vaccine policy in order to help domestic vaccine manufacturers. "By liberalising the price of vaccine & not fixing a price for states at the same rate as available to Union Govt, the govt is paving the way to unhealthy price bidding & profiteer. States with limited resources will be at a considerable disadvantage," said Chidambaram. "States already way down by shrinking GST revenues, lower tax devolution, reduced grants-in-aid & increased borrowing would've to bear this added burden. Meanwhile, nobody knows where the thousands of crores of rupees collected under PM CARES being deployed," the former finance minister added. The Congress leader added that the new vaccine policy offers no clarity on whether foreign manufacturers have agreed to export their vaccines to India. He stated that the Centre's revised policy has failed to provide funds to vaccine manufacturers for ramping up production in the country. Chidambaram predicts that the Centre's new vaccine policy will lead to chaos after May 1. Attacking the Central Government, he stated that nowhere on earth has any country left the vaccination drive at the mercy of market forces. (Edited by Mohammad Haaris Beg) Also Read: J&J seeks nod for phase-3 trial of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in India, import licence The winning photo by Alan France. This tui, by Jennifer Dyer, placed second. This shot won Kayla Hunia third place. A stunning photo of godwits in flight at Snells Beach, captured by Alan France, has won first prize in the nature and landscape section of the Bayleys This Is Us photo competition. The entry earned high praise from chief judge Peter Young who said the photo beautifully captured the amazing godwits and the migrating nature of the Mahurangi wildlife. The image pulls you in to the detail, it has beautiful colour and is well composed, he said. In submitting the photo, Alan said that Snells Beach was renowned for the visits of the godwits each year. These amazing birds that fly thousands of miles to spend time with us in Aotearoa New Zealand, Alan said. Second place went to Jennifer Dyers photo of a tui in a kowhai tree. Peter said the stunning colour and well-formed composition made this photo stand out. He said a narrow depth of field enhanced detail and brought the tui to the fore, and the kowhai pollen added to the story. Kayla Hunia took third place with her photo of towering kauri trees. Peter said the nature category attracted some stunning images which showed the Mahurangi region at its best. He said a second shot by Kayla of Tawharanui and one by Nara Torress, also of Tawharanui, were also stand-out entries. There is still one final section left to enter in the competition, which is being run by Matakana Coast Tourism. The final category is food and beverage and entries close on April 30. The video section has also been extended until the end of this month. Monthly winners receive $500, while second and third placegetters receive $300 and $200, respectively. There is no limit on the number of images a person can enter. To find out more, including terms and conditions, go to: bayleys.co.nz/inthenorth/thisisusphotocompetition The Sikorsky S-97 Raider was designed to be a light tactical helicopter similar to the Kiowa Warrior but with X2 technology. It will be a cutting-edge helicopter unlike anything in service in the US Military. Sikorsky S-97 Raider: Kiowa Warrior replacement? The Raider with X2 technology is a significant update to traditional helicopter designs that will compete for the contract offers by the military to replace its older helicopters which are less fast and stealthier, as reported by Army Technology. Using X2 tech, the Sikorsky claims faster speed with safety and efficiency, faster with quieter rotors make its approach less detectable on the battlefield. To ensure that the Raider passes the requirements of the US Armed Forces, test units will be given for flight testing and evaluation for future combat missions. Capable of both assault and armed reconnaissance missions in the airborne cavalry. Other uses of the unique platform are close air support (CAS), combat search and rescue with special operations as multi-mission for the helicopter. One big difference is that the Raider had a maximum speed of 220 knots and flies as high as 10,000 feet in the air. Modern entrants to the US programs need helicopters that fly fast for recon missions as well. It has a lower turning radius and less rotor noise, that perfect for scout missions; its quiet rotor is a gamechanger for light military helicopters. Two of the first Sikorsky S-97 Raider prototypes were revealed in October 2014; the first flight would be December of the same year. Futuristic 'Defiant X' Flies to Be the next Generation Long-Range Assault Helicopter of the US Army Sikorsky's light military helicopter is distinct from other rotorcraft when started in 2010 to apply dual rotor X2 in the next-gen design. The X2 base helicopter is for the Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) program of the US Army. This meant fast and lightly armored helicopters that did armed reconnaissance for the army, watching and engaging targets of opportunity. On June 14, the first Raider was fully assembled and powered for the first time. About 35 suppliers were involved in the development of the airframe in the US. Sikorsky spent 75% of the project, with 25% left for suppliers to pay for. Features of the X2 based design The dimensions of the S-97 Raider scout helicopter are 37 feet long and 16 feet wide, the top rotors have a 34-foot diameter on top, and the rear propeller is 7 feet in diameter. The Raider body will be made of light composite materials for lightness and durability; it can have six soldiers with the pilot and co-pilot in the front. In the cockpit, there is side-by-side tandem seating for the pilot and co-pilot. It differs from the AH-64 and Super Cobra with the pilot in front and his partner in the back. Other features are: a. The twin rigid co-axial counter-rotating main rotors. b. Additional internal fuel tank aft of the cockpit. c. Retractable landing gear and fly-by-wire flight controls. d. Vibration control. Extra add-ons are active vibration control, hub drag reduction, heat management, and split torque transmission. Weapons Complete the Sikorsky S-97 Raider offensive weapons that are Hellfire missile, 2.75in rockets, .50 cal gun, and a 7.62mm gun equip it. More ammunition for cannons can be carried if needed; the weapons are located aft of the cockpit and the tail end of the helicopter. US Air Force Searching for Army's Next High-Technology Rotorcraft @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A week after federal regulators recommended pausing distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, local public health experts are worried the move may threaten efforts to vaccinate some of Louisiana's hardest-to-reach people. Louisianas vaccine supply is still able to keep up with demand, in part because shipments of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have ramped up. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was already expected in smaller amounts because of earlier manufacturing issues. But the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which does not require a freezer or dry ice for transportation, was popular among a wide range of people who could be challenging to reach for two separate doses: the homeless population, young people and those who lacked access to transportation or had trouble taking off work. Theres a group of folks for whom you really just have to be there waiting for them, said Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the director of the New Orleans Health Department. Its not just the unhoused or transient; its people for whom this isnt their top priority, or they dont have the capacity to take off work for two hours twice to make it happen. It's for those reasons that the Johnson & Johnson had been used at recent community events. At The Dragon Dens shots for shots initiative, which provided a free shot of liquor with a Johnson & Johnson shot, the city and Crescent Care gave out 164 shots in less than two hours. Thats what the one shot was ideal for, because you dont have to worry about where these people are going to be in three or four weeks, said Avegno. "For them, its a quick decision: OK, Im here, I might as well get it.'" +5 In Louisiana, young people can get a COVID vaccine. But does everyone want it? In early January, once vaccines hit pharmacy shelves, seniors in Louisiana were calling up pharmacies to get on waitlists, driving across stat The pause came after a half-dozen women out of nearly seven million experienced life-threatening blood clots within three weeks of receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. At the moment, it's not clear whether worries sparked by that pause among the unvaccinated public might be leading some people to put off getting a shot in Louisiana. But state health department data suggests there has been a slowdown. Fewer than 62,000 new vaccine series were initiated over the past week, the lowest number since the week ending on Feb. 22, when far fewer people were eligible for a vaccine and supplies were much more limited. Over the course of March and the first weeks of April, weekly vaccinations were almost twice as high at about 115,700 on average. Louisiana has recently settled into the bottom three states for the percentage of the population receiving at least one shot, behind only Mississippi and Alabama. Thirty-one percent of residents have received at least one vaccine compared to 40% nationally. Its hard to tease out whether its J&J, said Avegno. New Orleans, one of the most vaccinated parishes in the state with over 40% of adults fully vaccinated compared to the statewide rate of 23%, did not see as much of an increase in vaccination this week as in recent weeks. Vaccine providers had to cancel vaccination events recently due to weather and the recommended pause. State health officials have said the pause wont have much of an impact on a recently opened mass vaccination site in Baton Rouge since the federally backed center planned to use Pfizers vaccine in the first several weeks. Were definitely seeing a slowdown, which we all have been worried about, said Avegno. Itll be interesting to see what the numbers look like in a couple of days, but I think at least some of this is real. And probably some of it is due to J&J. 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 But Dr. Joe Kanter, the states health officer, pointed out that enthusiasm for Johnson & Johnson, which had a lower percentage of effectiveness in clinical trials compared to the two-dose vaccines, had surprised health experts from the beginning. Its possible that the pause, once thoroughly investigated, might not affect demand. It ended up being a much more popular vaccine than a lot of people had feared, said Kanter. Its tough to predict. In West Baton Rouge Parish, demand for the single-shot vaccine by Johnson & Johnson is still high. Parish President Riley Pee Wee Berthelot Jr. said even after federal health officials recommended a temporary pause, the parish health center has been fielding several calls each day from people about the J&J shots, which the parish still has a small supply of. People are still asking for it mainly because its a one-and-done, Berthelot said. Younger people, in particular, prefer to get it over with in one trip, Berthelot said, adding that the possibility of needing another booster with Moderna and Pfizer is also steering people toward the J&J shots. Dr. Melissa Love, a physician at Ochsners primary care clinic in Baton Rouge, said a number of her patients have expressed frustration about the pause to the J&J shots. The ease of access is really what got a lot of patients if they were on the fence. They were like 'I only have to do this one time and Im done, Love said. Ochsner, like many large vaccine providers, saw a rush of patients in the days after they became eligible that has largely tapered off now that anyone 16 and older can get one. Most of the people who really wanted it right at the beginning, they were first in line, Love said. They were like the Black Friday people. The state used the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for community events, according to the Office of Public Health. High schools, universities, food banks, casinos, gyms, truck stops and faith-based organizations are the types of places where the state held Johnson & Johnson events. +4 New Orleans EMTs deliver vaccines to homebound residents: 'They just thank us so much' Just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning, emergency medical technician Shakera Brown pulled up to a brown house with green trim in the Gentilly ne Kanter said the state is encouraging vaccine providers to call and remind people of their second appointment and will increase grassroots efforts in communities. The Center for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss recommendations for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Staff writers Youssef Rddad and Jeff Adelson contributed to this report. We are grateful to integrate with Celerant, and be part of their robust features to help dealers be more competitive online. The integration makes it super easy to post any outdoor product- from firearms to kayaks- to the fastest-growing marketplace on the planet. Celerant Technology, a leading provider of innovative retail solutions for the outdoor sporting goods and hunting industries, today announced a partnership and integration with Everest.com, the nations first outdoor lifestyle-focused marketplace. Through the integration, retailers can upload and sell products on Everest marketplace, enabling them to reach new customers and increase online sales, while maintaining data consistency across all channels, including their physical store(s) and/or eCommerce website. Celerant has a dominant presence in the outdoor industry, offering a modern point of sale and eCommerce solution that meets the needs of retailers across the U.S., stated Chris Carlberg, VP of Business Development at Everest.com. We are grateful to integrate with Celerant, and be part of their robust features to help dealers be more competitive online. The integration makes it super easy to post any outdoor product- from firearms to kayaks- to the fastest-growing marketplace on the planet. Everest is a marketplace where merchants list and sell products related to outdoor sports, hunting products including firearms and ammunition, fishing equipment, camping supplies, adventure gear, apparel, footwear and much more. Merchants can easily set up a storefront on Everest.com, branded with a logo and custom URL, and connect with over 30 million active consumers using AI technology to assist in customer acquisition. "We have been using Celerant's retail software and eCommerce for almost 5 years, and Celerant continuously adds new features and integrations to help us expand our business," stated Bill Kennedy, Owner of Kenco Outfitters. "We are now looking forward to selling on the Everest marketplace through the new integration. This is a nice addition to our full-line sporting goods business since Everest also has a main focus on the outdoor industry." Celerant + Everest: How the integration works: Celerants retail software communicates directly with Everest, allowing dealers to select the products they want to sell on Everest.com, and automatically push product data for those items to their Everest storefront, including product names, descriptions, prices, images, stock levels, and product-specific attributes such as caliber, color and width. Once an order is placed on Everest.com, the order is pulled back into Celerants retail software, alongside orders placed via Celerants point of sale and/or eCommerce platform; and inventory levels are automatically updated and reflected on all channels. Dealers can fulfill orders with their own inventory, route orders to their distributor for drop shipping, or use Everests shipping services. This helps dealers save time and reduce errors by eliminating the need to manually format and upload product data, maintain accurate inventory data, and manage their business in a single system. Celerant offers two FFL retail solutions Cumulus Retail, a cost-effective, SaaS solution for smaller dealers; and Stratus Enterprise, a comprehensive solution with advanced functionality. Both solutions integrate with Everest.com, which is available through Celerants eCommerce platform. To learn more, please visit http://www.celerant.com/everest. One of the biggest benefits to our dealers is the technology we offer to help them expand beyond their storefronts and into the online world, stated Zeke Hamdani, Director of Web Services, Celerant Technology. The Everest marketplace is now another way for dealers to reach new customers and increase online sales; and our dealers can easily post products with a few clicks within Celerant to their Everest storefront, and manage all incoming orders- saving them time, and ensuring accurate inventory across the board. About Everest Driven by our Caliber Members, the Everest mission is to create the leading marketplace for the shooting sports, hunting, fishing and outdoor worlds a place where retailers can sell firearms, fishing gear, camping gear, outdoor products and other related consumer items. The Everest marketplace represents a place where like-minded consumers can learn, interact, participate and shop. At our core, we are a community of like-minded, non-discriminating, conservation-loving outdoor living retailers, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers. For more information, please visit http://www.everest.com. About Celerant Technology Celerant has been supporting the outdoor and firearms industry since 1999 with innovative retail software, enabling FFL dealers to expand their business both in store and online. As a preferred software provider for the NASGW, NSSF and NRA, Celerant supports firearm dealers through point of sale, eCommerce, distributor integrations, A&D/e4473, range management, membership management, marketplace integrations (i.e., Everest, GunBroker, gun.deals, Guns.com, Weapon Depot, Amazon), and more. For more information, please visit http://www.celerant.com/firearms. NORWALK, Conn., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States, has announced their partnership with AllMed Healthcare Management Inc., a leading provider of utilization management and independent review services of its Just Five online education program, which will help more people learn about the disease of addiction. AllMed will use Shatterproof Just Five as a resource for employees seeking to be better informed for themselves or family members on addiction. Shatterproof Just Five is an online, self-paced, mobile-enabled program focusing on increasing awareness, reducing stigma, and sharing information about addiction prevention and treatment. Participants will learn who is at risk, how to discern whether a person may have a substance use disorder, how to support loved ones with this disease, and more. Just Five includes six guided learning experiences that combine animated and expert videos, interactive learning, and supplemental materials. All lessons are woven together with a positive message that change is possible for everyone. "We are extremely proud to have AllMed as a partner. Addiction is our country's biggest public health crisis and has only had more devastating impact and loss due to COVID. It is now more critical than ever that we reach as many people as possible to educate them about substance use disorder," said Shatterproof Founder and CEO Gary Mendell. "One in three people in the United States is impacted by substance use disorder, whether it is themselves or a loved one, and it's vital that we provide resources and support and that companies like AllMed are able to use the education tool to broaden that support." "Our partnership with Shatterproof is founded on our common core values of offering an evidence-based clinical approach to helping people gain access to the right care, at the right time, and in the right place," said AllMed CEO and President Maridy McGinnis. "We are further honored to be able to offer our valued employees the educational resources made available through Just Five." If you'd like to learn about this program, including how to make it available to your employees, please visit www.justfive.org . About Shatterproof: Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. To learn more visit www.Shatterproof.org About AllMed Since 1995, tailored utilization management (UM) and independent review organization (IRO) services from AllMed have provided the informed guidance leading health care payers require to deliver determinations with confidence. AllMed is an essential extension of its customers' teams to deliver clinical decision-making that supports improved patient care while ensuring appropriate health care utilization. As trusted advisors setting the bar for our evolving industry, AllMed invests in innovation to help payers better understand and navigate the complex factors affecting clinical decision-making. The AllMed payer community impact is substantial as evidenced by the coordination and management of cases for more than 200 million Americans. To learn more, please visit AllMed or call (800) 400-9916. Please follow us on LinkedIn. Press Contacts: Nancy Narraway (425) 894-6369 [email protected] Holly Jespersen [email protected] (646) 334-1024 SOURCE AllMed Healthcare Management, Inc. Related Links www.allmedmd.com The biggest spending budget tabled in Canadian history includes roughly $17.6 billion directly towards trying to lower greenhouse gas emissions and investing in net-zero technologies. The biggest spending budget tabled in Canadian history includes roughly $17.6 billion directly towards trying to lower greenhouse gas emissions and investing in net-zero technologies. The 2021-22 budget promises that, with the increase in spending devoted to climate policy, Canada will be able to achieve a 36 per cent decrease in emissions over 2005 levels by 2030 more ambitious than the commitments made in the 2015 Paris Agreement. "We are at a pivotal moment in the green transformation. We can lead, or we can be left behind. Our government knows that the only choice for Canada is to be in the vanguard," Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday. The budget includes the creation of the countrys first green bond, spending and tax credits for carbon-capture and storage technology, and long-term funding for low-emission aviation and marine fuel development. Two areas of climate spending that will likely be of particular importance in Manitoba are in the agricultural sector, and a new focus on mining for the minerals needed to create batteries (such as lithium). For farms, an additional $270 million is being allocated to pre-existing agricultural climate programs looking to research and implement regionally-specific practices that can lower emissions. Additionally, the budget makes commitments to allocate funding to efficient grain dryers. It also announced the expansion of the carbon tax return to farmers to the tune of $100 million in its first year. The government will create the Critical Battery Minerals Centre of Excellence within the Department of Natural Resources, costing $9.6 million over three years. The centre will co-ordinate policy across the country, as Canada looks to become a critical part of the supply chain in battery manufacturing. An additional $36.8 million is being allocated over three years to federal mineral extraction research. In 2016, Canada was estimated to have approximately four per cent of the worlds known lithium reserves, and yet no lithium mines were operating in the country. Lithium exploration in Manitoba is underway by several companies. Curt Hull, director of Winnipegs non-profit Climate Change Connection, said at a birds-eye view, hes happy to see the federal government make such strides in climate policy. But there is always a want for more funding to fix the problem, he said. "I am concerned about how much of this the funding thats being made available is going to be utilized by the provincial government," Hull said. The Manitoba government has been slow to capitalize on federal climate funding in the past. Other areas note include support provided to Canadians looking to retrofit their homes for energy efficiency. Starting this summer, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. will provide interest-free loans up to $40,000 to homeowners and landlords. The program will cost $4.4 billion upfront over the next five years. "So we see that the retrofits are tied to energy audits, and were already trying to scale up that sector," said Laura Tyler, executive director of Sustainable Building Manitoba. "Theyre saying about 200,000 houses will be able to be covered by this. So, thats not even all of Winnipeg. So its only a start. Its not everything." The incentive to manufacture zero-emission technologies is ripe, as the budget lays out a 50 per cent tax cut for businesses in that market, effective Jan. 1, 2022, expiring in 2032. The tax break is estimated in the budget to result in $45 million in lost revenues over five years. The budget also outlined the pursuit of a cross-border carbon tariff to be pursued with the United States. More details are likely to be provided at the climate summit later this week. Other climate spending areas include funding for innovative technologies for large emitters, urban forestry, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and other mechanisms of lowering emissions from the transportation sector. sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca Long before the jury came back Tuesday afternoon it was clear to many in New Jersey, especially those in communities of color, that George Floyd was murdered and former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was guilty. What was also clear is that this trial was not just about Chauvin, and not just about the man he killed. Policing itself was on trial. The verdict, said former Newark Police Department lieutenant Ronald Glover, sounds an alarm that will wake up every New Jerseyan to the fact that traditional policing is dead. Most also said the verdict was not the end but a beginning. Now, New Jersey, and other communities, would have to rebuild trust among those in the community and those assigned to protect it. Others said that the even harder work of overhauling how public safety is handled in this country is just beginning. A flawed system laid the groundwork for the death of George Floyd. Its a system that too often fails to recruit police from the communities they guard, fails to train officers properly, fails to place just limits on the use of force against citizens, and fails to create mechanisms for the independent investigation of misconduct, said Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. Its a system that badly needs reform here and across the country. Heres what community members said about the verdict and how it will affect us in New Jersey: Ras Baraka Mayor of the city of Newark America has an opportunity now to fully address the pandemic of racial inequities and the prejudice we have suffered from its inception, and until now have only gradually addressed. The finding of former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd will hasten the continued, long march toward significant police and criminal justice reimagining and transformation. But its also time to reckon with systematic racism that has plagued every institution in this country and meet it squarely, face to face. All over the country, community activists have been mobilized and unified to push for smarter and more humane ways to ensure public safety and elected officials all over the country are trying to, and can, answer that call. This correct verdict will enforce their efforts and should serve as a model for egregious police abuse cases in the future. No longer will we tolerate police literarily getting away with murder, not in Minneapolis, not in Newark, New Jersey. George Floyds intentional and purposeful murder reminds us again how important it is to have police officers with records of brutality or excessive force weeded out of their respective departments, not protected by powerful police unions or mechanisms of secrecy in police-run investigations. Gurbir Grewal New Jersey Attorney General This was the right verdict. But as a career prosecutor, I know how even a successful trial verdict can leave the families of victims with a sense of emptiness. A conviction cannot undo the trauma; it can never bring back a lost loved one. We simply hope it can bring some closure to those most in pain. A flawed system laid the groundwork for the death of George Floyd. Its a system that too often fails to recruit police from the communities they guard, fails to train officers properly, fails to place just limits on the use of force against citizens, and fails to create mechanisms for the independent investigation of misconduct. Its a system that badly needs reform here and across the country. While I am heartened to see some justice done for Mr. Floyd, it is not enough. We must seize this moment, when the nations focus has turned to how our communities are policed, to ensure something meaningful comes from a mans unnecessary death, and to continue with urgency the reforms we have begun to policing practices in New Jersey. Christopher S. Porrino Former New Jersey attorney general, currently he is the chair of the litigation department at Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Trust is everything when it comes to safe and effective policing trust between the police and the communities they serve. While New Jersey has done better than most, that trust was already strained. But now, with the tragic police-involved killings in Minneapolis last year and elsewhere since, and the pandemics end to New Jerseys well-intentioned, in-person community policing initiatives, this crisis of trust is at or past the tipping point. If there had been an acquittal or even mistrial in the Derek Chauvin case (which could have been caused by one holdout of 12 jurors) that would have been the Chernobyl of trust-eradicating events in New Jersey and around the country one that would have taken many years for New Jersey to repair. Ronald Glover A former lieutenant in the Newark Police Department The verdict is of utmost importance to the people of New Jersey. Why? Because it sounds an alarm that will wake up every New Jerseyan to the fact that traditional policing is dead. No pun intended, but police can no longer interface with the public from a standpoint of us vs. them and operate under a cloak of immunity. The old paradigm of police training which is still being taught today uses a military approach to dealing with the public. Its based on a Because I said so way of doing things. As a police officer, I was trained 26 years ago that if I gave a command to a civilian, he was to comply without a question. And it was a personal offense if he didnt. Thats not the case today. Everyone has a camera in hand and its no longer my word against the civilians because theres video of what actually occurred in an interaction that didnt go well. Thats what we see with Derek Chauvin. And, even here in the great State of New Jersey, there have been racial biases that have been obvious in both policing and in the criminal justice system. This pivotal verdict, regardless of how it comes out, will force a new era in policing to emerge nationwide. It is my prayer that it begins first with a process of healing and ends with the reconstruction of police training based on compassion, a commitment to preserving life and taking personal responsibility for every member of the community, regardless of their race, gender or creed. Jennifer Sellitti Director of Training and Communication in the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender George Floyds murder was a watershed moment in policing in America. There was no serious alternative viewpoint, no credible justification and no ability for anyone who saw the video of his death to look the other way. It was if, for nine minutes, American policing stared us straight in the eye, hand in the pocket, sunglasses on the head and begged the question, What are you going to do about it? Hennepin County prosecuted Derek Chauvin, a fact that is only laudable in that it is astonishingly rare. Police killed 1,127 people in 2020. Only 1% were charged with crimes, and not a single police officer was convicted of murder or manslaughter last year. I fear the verdict will cause some to erroneously conclude we have finally reckoned with police misconduct. Quite the contrary, Chauvins trial should remind us of the cases that never make it so far. 98.6% of killings by police from 2013-2020 have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime. What we should be asking ourselves is why it takes so much evidence to bring an officer to trial; why it takes such an extreme disregard for the rules to even begin to crack the Blue Wall of Silence; and why it takes nine minutes of abject brutality to make the public care. This case should also make us wonder what happens when there is no Good Samaritan with a video camera; what happens when the Derek Chauvins of the world think no one is watching? Unlike other states in which members of the public may access complaints against police officers, New Jersey prevents such records from being disclosed. Officers operate knowing complaints against them for misconduct will never see the light of day. As one New Jersey community leader recently told me, It is not incidents of excessive force but the everyday abuse of police power that destroys our communities and erodes public trust. Brittany Friedman An assistant professor of sociology and faculty affiliate of the program in criminal justice and Rutgers Universitys Center for Security, Race and Rights. The guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial matters for New Jersey because like Minnesota and other states across the nation, predominantly Black and Latinx communities fundamentally experience police encounters differently than white communities. When George Floyd was murdered, white counter-protestors carrying flags supporting President Trump and Blue Lives Matter marched in support of Derek Chauvin, many in the crowd were active police and correctional officers. In New Jersey, police-involved civilian deaths rarely result in charges being filed against the officer. We must take this time to imagine a different society and thoroughly consider how we in New Jersey might hold our own Chauvins accountable for the past and present, and how they will be in the future if we do not push for change. Law enforcement entities are not in and of themselves self-justifying protectors of society. They prove time and time again they only serve the interests of an elite few. Tom Kean Senate Republican leader The death of George Floyd was a call to action for lawmakers across our nation to both acknowledge and address systemic racism. As a result of this tragedy, I have sponsored legislation to clarify that a law enforcement officer who knowingly chokes another person is engaging in the use of deadly force. Similarly, Attorney General Grewal has implemented updates to use of force policies for law enforcement that I support. These are just a few of the criminal justice reforms that we have enacted recently or seek to adopt in the near future. It is my sincere hope that the conclusion of this trial will reaffirm our mutual, bipartisan commitment to ensuring that justice is served fairly, respectfully, and transparently in every New Jersey community. Ronald L. Rice A Democrat who has represented the 28th Legislative District in the New Jersey State Senate since 1986. Boiled down to its essence, the jurys verdict will, first and foremost, send a signal to the entire world about whether its okay for an American cop to systematically and deliberately suffocate an unarmed resident who poses no threat whatsoever over something as insignificant as buying cigarettes with a fake $20 bill. But its more than that. What was videotaped outside the Cup Foods deli shows yet another grotesque abomination of a soulless white cop reflexively extinguishing a Black man without the slightest awareness of the torrent of anguish and the searing outrage of loss that would blast from that moment. Because of that, this tragedy is about much more than police oppression and brutality. It serves as one more agony in the passion play of Americas tortured relationship with its own contrivance of color and race. The conclusions this Minneapolis jury came to serves as a yardstick for how our country is taking care of the greed and hatred that put us on this racist course and it will serve as a compass for New Jerseys legislature and our state criminal justice system to correct structural racism and make reparations for centuries of harm against our people of color. Amol Sinha Executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey George Floyd should still be alive today. The same current of systemic racism, violence, and degradation that led to his death courses throughout the country, including here in New Jersey. The fight for justice is ongoing because real justice would have meant that George Floyd would never have been killed. George Floyds death gave power to a movement that has long called for an end to police violence against people of color. The verdict in the case of Derek Chauvin could never truly achieve justice for Mr. Floyd nor could it automatically result in the broader reforms we need, but it stands as a public moment to confront one moment in this systemic pattern of excessive force and state violence against people of color. We must and we will - continue to fight for racial justice in George Floyds name and in the names of so many who have died at the hands of the police, as a community, as a state, and as a nation. We must root out the racism that undergirds our system of law enforcement, we must scrutinize every police dollar spent and reimagine what true public safety means for all, and we must pass legislation and create strong policies that rein in law enforcements often-unchecked powers. Working for justice in the name of George Floyd demands dismantling white supremacy so communities of color are no longer underserved and overpoliced. Ryan Haygood President and CEO of the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice This is not a system challenged by a few bad apples. We are talking about an orchard of trees that are poisoned at the root supported by a culture that too often produces poisoned, deadly fruit. This broken policing system is part of a broader American system that is sick with racism. An American system that is built upon a foundation that is cracked by structural racism, cracks that erupt into earthquakes in Black communities every day in the persistent violence by police on Black bodies; the persistent disparities in wealth, health care, education, justice and democracy; and the persistent refusal to meaningfully fund reparative systems and structures that will make these communities whole. All of these things are true right here in New Jersey, where Black people face some of the worst racial disparities in America. So even as we take in todays verdict, it is past time to build a new system. Lenna Nepomnyaschy An associate professor at Rutgers School of Social Work The outcome of the trial in the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin is weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of all Americans, but in New Jersey, the verdict in this trial may be particularly meaningful. In the years between 2013 and 2020, 113 people have been killed by police in New Jersey, an average annual rate of 1.8 per million people. On the one hand, this rate is much lower than many other states and puts New Jersey in the fifth position of lowest rates in the nation. However, as with all statistics, these overall numbers hide some very serious disparities and in the case of New Jersey, disparities by race. Over this same period, of the 113 people killed by police, 55 (nearly half) were Black New Jerseyans. This rate of 7 people per million indicates that the rate of killing of Black New Jerseyans is 8.3 times higher than that of their white neighbors. And this racial disparity in the rate of police killings of Americans is among the highest of any other state in the country, much higher than the also very high but much lower racial disparities of our neighboring states: (NY: 5.5 times; PA: 5.4 times). This disparity is likely not surprising for many who have been thinking about larger issues of racial bias in the criminal justice system in New Jersey, which has the highest Black-to-white disparity in incarceration rates of any state in the country. These last few weeks of the trial and the continuing stream of police brutality and killings of Black Americans in the country has created tremendous pain and trauma for many New Jerseyans. Thus, the outcome of this trial is particularly meaningful. Charles F. Boyer The Rev. Dr. Boyer is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury and founding director of Salvation and Social Justice. The verdict forces New Jersey to consider how inappropriate it is for police to respond to nonviolent situations. Think of what has been lost; a mans life and millions of dollars because of an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. Many if not most police interactions where force is used are under similar circumstances. We must totally diminish the police footprint to only respond to violent situations. The power we have given police to take peoples lives is absurd, unjust and abusive to Black people Rick Robinson Chairman of NJ NAACPs Criminal Justice Committees. This verdict is not only monumental to the people of New Jersey, but I feel it will have a global effect. As a sophomore in college, my off-campus roommates and I could have easily been statistical casualties by members of the Mystic Island Police Department in New Jersey. It is well documented that I was stopped every, single day for just being a Black kid driving my car to our off-campus residence and going to class/work. Was it worth the routine embarrassment? You damn right it was! Although that trauma was concerning and we managed to be first generational college graduates in our families in Newark, it can never be equated to the problem in Minnesota today. The magnitude of this upcoming verdict is unimaginable and New Jersey should follow this situation very closely. Last year, I requested that the Office of the Attorney General create three state task forces to address problems when they arise. What is telling here is that some members of the office insisted on more training, which is not the answer. George Floyd was murdered by a police training officer. Our society has always recommended more training, yet, years later, Black/brown men and women are still victims of police brutality. The only way to stop matters is to make police officers accountable for their actions. Only then, will you have fairness, unity and justice for everyone! Brandon J. McKoy President of New Jersey Policy Perspective With todays verdict, a small piece of justice was served in the murder of George Floyd, but we never should have gotten to this moment. George Floyd should still be alive. Like all states, New Jersey continues to struggle with discriminatory policing and the damaging effects of white supremacy. As we move forward from this moment, it is critical now more than ever to explore alternatives to policing that truly advance public safety in a manner that doesnt further harm residents, both physically and mentally, and especially those in already marginalized communities. Alternatives to policing can take many forms, from increased investments in areas like affordable housing, to the creation of unarmed mediation and intervention teams of social workers and mental health professionals, to the decriminalization of all drugs and other non-violent crimes. Exploring restorative models that center crisis intervention, mental health treatment, and harm reduction is a critical step in making New Jersey a safer and healthier place to live for all residents, regardless of the color of their skin or the neighborhood they live in. Jamel Holley Assemblyman Holley represents the 20th Legislative District. George Floyd changed the fabric of this country and this state. This case has forced the conversation - once again - to focus on the fact that Black people still live with injustice and fear. It is my hope and my prayers and my belief that this case will finally make a difference, the first key step in ending generations of systemic racism. Donald Shaw Mayor of Roselle The murder of George Floyd is a national tragedy. While it happened in Minneapolis, it reverberated and continues to all around the country and world. It requires us as a country to take off the blinders that we wear to feel comfortable and complacent. It reminds us how much more work needs to be done when it comes to racism and discrimination. New Jersey is documented to be one of the most segregated states in the nation, which is a startling fact. We live among each other but really operate in our own bubbles with people who look the same, worship the same and believe the same. Thats not diversity. And what that causes is misunderstanding and ignorance. That leads to misperceptions and assumptions about Black people that can be dangerous. How can I love my brother if I dont even know him or understand him? What happened to Mr. Floyd and whats continuing to happen in too many neighborhoods is a heartbreaking reminder that we have to get serious about addressing the systemic racism that has always plagued this nation. New Jersey is no different than anywhere else. We need to do better. Keyonna Murray A sophomore at Rider University majoring in public relations and an intern at The Lesniak Institute. It is important to make sure that the justifiable rage and the senseless murders and attacks by law enforcement have provoked can be channeled into pushing for better policies. Fortunately, the federal government as well as the State of New Jersey have already begun making lasting changes that will hopefully help mitigate police brutality. Kevin Brown NJ director and vice-president of 32BJ SEIU. Justice has prevailed. But we must not stop here. The conviction of Derek Chauvin is a step in the right direction towards ending structural racism in the United States. Let this verdict be a message that we are ready to begin holding police accountable and rebuilding our judicial system. As Americans, we should be able to trust those who are charged with protecting us every day. However, the fact still remain the Black men continue to be a target of the police force nationwide, yet few officers are ever charged and even fewer are convicted. Our members are mostly Black and Brown workers, who have the right to feel safe when commuting to and from work. It is our hope that this ruling brings solace to George Floyds family and to all those that continue mourning senseless deaths. We must not forget Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Michael Brown and all of the victims for whom justice was denied. Together we can strive for change. Robin Wilson-Glover is the director of digital opinion at NJ.com/The Star-Ledger. You can reach her at rglover@njadvancemedia.com and follow her on Twitter at @RobinGlover. 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. EV The latest vehicle from the maker, making its official debut at the Auto Shanghai 2021 , is no different. It is an all-electric passenger car and, as you can see from a distance, a clear Beetle inspiration. Or inspiration. Go ahead and call it a VW Beetle knockoff because you wouldnt be off the mark.The buzz around this obvious Beetle lookalike started almost one week ago, and now, with the official reveal at the auto show , has reached its peak. Here is another Chinese knockoff dividing audiences all over the world, even though chances of it ever being exported outside of its home country are slim to none. It has an official name now, too: meet the Punk Cat.No word on what makes this Cat a punk one, but theis insane both inside and out. Insane-ly tacky, outrageous, retro, flashyall these attributes go perfectly with the styling, depending on the viewers own taste and inclinations.So, ORA took a 60s-era Volkswagen Beetle , stretched it to accommodate four doors, made it electric, and then glammed it up, renaming it Punk Cat. Inside, theres a red on white interior with contrasting green, and every available surface trimmed in gold or red. The cabin feels like a trippy retro tribute, save for the two digital displays, one above the steering wheel and a larger one sitting in the middle of the dashboard. It even has parquet-like floor mats, and how often do you happen to read this phrase with a new launch nowadays?The exterior is more retro and less trippy, with two-tone green and white paint, retro wheels and mirrors, and that decided Beetle look that no amount of flashiness could hide. Not that ORA seems to have been particularly interested in hiding the inspiration for this EV.The big reveal doesnt come with the specs of the Punk Cat, but reports in the local media note that it goes into production in late 2021. Court must consider giving doctors religious exemption from performing trans surgeries: judges Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A circuit court panel has ruled that a district court must consider giving faith-based hospitals and doctors an exemption from an Obama-era mandate requiring them to perform elective sex-change operations. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit weighed in on the case of Franciscan Alliance et al v. Xavier Becerra. At issue was an Obama administration regulation under the Affordable Care Act that the Franciscan Alliance, Christian Medical and Dental Society, and the Specialty Physicians of Illinois sued to be exempted from due to their religious exemptions. In a per curiam decision, the Fifth Circuit panel remanded the case back to the district court level, although they did not rule on the merits of the litigation. HHS repealed the 2016 rule and finalized a new rule in 2020; the Supreme Court interpreted Title VIIs prohibition of sex discrimination to include gender identity in Bostock v. Clayton County, the panel said of its decision. applying Bostocks reasoning to Title IX, two district courts entered preliminary injunctions against the 2020 rule and purported to restore certain provisions of the 2016 rule at the center of this case; President Biden issued an executive order declaring that his administration would apply Bostocks interpretation of Title VII to other statutes prohibiting sex discrimination. In light of these and other developments regarding the transgender coverage debate, the panel concluded that they express no view as to their relative merits at this time. Luke Goodrich of Becket Law, a legal group that has successfully argued religious liberty cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, took to Twitter to celebrate the circuit court panel decision. The plaintiffs in this case are religious doctors and hospitals that joyfully serve all patients, regardless of sex or gender identity. Based on medical expertise, they believe transition procedures are harmful and cant in good conscience perform them, he tweeted last week. Bottom line: We expect the court to protect doctors consciences and respect their medical expertise. Doing so not only aligns with the law and medical research, but also ensures the best care for patients. In 2016, the Obama administration implemented a new regulation via the Affordable Care Act that was commonly known as the Transgender Mandate. The controversial regulation required healthcare providers to perform gender transition procedures, including on minors, even if they held religious objections. The mandate was the subject of much litigation, with various religious entities that provide medical services filing lawsuits against the administration over the regulation. In January, U.S. District Judge Peter Welte in North Dakota ruled against the mandate in the case of Sisters of Mercy, et al. v. Azar, citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Catholic Plaintiffs have demonstrated an entitlement to permanent injunctive relief. An RFRA violation is comparable to the deprivation of a First Amendment right, ruled Welte earlier this year. Having weighed the pertinent factors, the Court will permanently enjoin the Defendants from enforcing the successfully challenged interpretations of federal law against the Catholic Plaintiffs. A seven-year-old girl was shot dead and her father seriously injured while they waited in their car in a McDonald's drive-thru. Jaslyn Adams was rushed to hospital by police but she could not be saved following the shooting in Chicago suburb of Homan Square at about 4.15pm on Sunday, US news channel ABC 7 reported. Her 29-year-old father remains in hospital with serious injuries after he was shot in the torso. A McDonald's employee said their vehicle was ambushed by two armed men from another car, who opened fire on the father and daughter. Police say Jaslyn's body was hit multiple times. More than 30 shell casings surrounded their vehicle after the shooting, CBS Chicago reported. Jaslyn Adams was fatally shot while in the Drive-Thru of a Chicago McDonald's. Source: ABC7 Police are yet to make any arrests in relation to their investigations into the incident. Authorities believe the shooting to be gang-related. Jaslyn's aunt Tawny McMullen pleaded for an end to gun crime while community activist Andrew Holmes said fatally shooting a child was "senseless", according to the Chicago Sun Times. She was just the sweet and outgoing; really talkative; really loveable, McMullen said in tribute to her niece. Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to Twitter late on Sunday to condemn the shooting. "I am heartbroken and angered that a 7-year-old child was killed this afternoon on Chicago's West Side," she said. "This unthinkable act of violence has no place here. The epidemic of gun violence cutting our children's lives short cannot go on." The McDonald's in Homan Square where the shooting occurred. Source: Google Maps Chicago sees surge in gun crime Chicago was one of many US cities to see a rise in gun violence during 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled social and economic issues across the nation. Theres always been an urgent need to address root causes but when you have a once-in-a-hundred-year public health and economic crisis, it highlights the need for a root cause push of a sort that nobody has seen before," Jens Ludwig from the University of Chicago's Crime Lab told the Chicago Sun Times in December. Story continues The shooting comes just days after Chicago authorities released bodycam footage of a police officer fatally shooting Latino teenager Adam Toledo as he raised his hands following a police pursuit where it was believed the 13-year-old was carrying a firearm. On its release Ms Lightfoot decried the citys long history of police violence and misconduct, especially in Black and brown communities, and said too many young people were left vulnerable to systemic failures that we simply must fix. Also read: Mans chilling revelation about dead bodies found on property Women professionals face more absurd queries than men at job interviews Murder of Uber Eats driver caught on camera, teen girls charged New report highlights need for improved criminal justice data and means thereto | Main | Harsh penal treatment of some Capitol rioters being criticized by notable progressive In this post last month, I flagged the debate in New Jersey where the Governor was threatening to veto a bill to repeal mandatory minimums for certain non-violent crimes because it repealed too many mandatory minimum sentences. Sure enough, that veto happened yesterday, but so too did an interesting related action from the NJ Attorney General. This Politico piece, headlined "Murphy vetoes mandatory minimum bill as Grewal unilaterally eliminates some sentences," provides these details (with some emphasis added): Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday vetoed a bill that would do away with mandatory minimum prison terms for non-violent crimes, excising sections that would eliminate the sentences for corruption offenses. At the same time, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued a directive requiring that prosecutors make use of a provision in New Jersey law allowing them to set aside mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related crimes. I am particularly troubled by the notion that this bill would eliminate mandatory prison time for elected officials who abuse their office for their own benefit, such as those who take bribes. Our representative democracy is based on the premise that our elected officials represent the interests of their constituents, not their own personal interests, Murphy wrote in his veto message, which also took a shot at former President Donald Trump. I cannot sign a bill into law that would undermine that premise and further erode our residents trust in our democratic form of government, particularly after four years of a presidential administration whose corruption was as pervasive as it was brazen. The two executive actions are the culmination of an eight-month political fight between the Murphy administration and the Democrat-controlled Legislature over what began as benign legislation that followed exactly the recommendations of the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing & Disposition Commission. The commission, in a November 2019 report, recommended eliminating mandatory sentences for a wide swath of mostly drug and property crimes with the aim of reducing racial disparities among the incarcerated. Murphys conditional veto essentially returns the legislation, NJ S3456 (20R), to its initial form which did not address corruption offenses before state Sen. Nicholas Sacco began a successful effort to change it. Grewals directive may help allay the concerns of criminal justice advocates who did not want to see mandatory minimum sentences upheld over a political fight, leading some to throw their support behind the legislative effort. The directive goes further than the legislation would have, applying retroactively to prisoners serving mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. The directive does not apply to mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent property crimes, and it was not immediately clear how many inmates are serving time under those laws. Its been nearly two years since I first joined with all 21 of our states County Prosecutors to call for an end to mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes, Grewal said in a statement. Its been more than a year since the Governors bipartisan commission made the same recommendation. And yet New Jerseyans still remain behind bars for unnecessarily long drug sentences. This outdated policy is hurting our residents, and its disproportionately affecting our young men of color. We can wait no longer. Its time to act. New Jersey Together, a coalition of criminal justice reform advocates, said in a statement that ending mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes prospectively and for those currently incarcerated will be a huge step in the right direction. Now, the work should begin with the governor and the Legislature to make this permanent and to end mandatory minimum sentencing as a whole, the group said. Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU-NJ, said in a statement that even though Grewals directive takes significant steps to mitigate the harms of some of the most problematic mandatory minimums, his group is disappointed because our state falls short by failing to enact legislation that can promote justice for thousands of New Jerseyans. Sinha urged the Legislature to concur with Murphys veto.... Grewals directive allows prosecutors to seek periods of parole ineligibility when warranted to protect public safety based on the specific facts of the case. Advocates have long sought to repeal mandatory minimum sentences, especially those that came about as part of the War on Drugs. For instance, New Jersey imposes harsh mandatory sentences for those caught selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school, a crime far more likely to harshly punish dealers in denser urban areas and who are more likely to be Black and Hispanic. At the time of a 2016 report by The Sentencing Project, New Jersey incarcerated white people at a rate of 94 per 100,000 compared to 1,140 for Black and 206 for Hispanic people. A bill that mirrored the recommendations of the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing & Disposition Commission was nearing the final stages of the the legislative process when Sacco (D-Hudson) quietly requested an amendment to eliminate the mandatory minimum sentences for official misconduct. Sacco later acknowledged to POLITICO that he requested the amendment. Walter Somick, the son of Saccos longtime girlfriend, is facing several corruption-related charges, including official misconduct, over an alleged no-show job at the Department of Public Worker in North Bergen, where Sacco is mayor and runs a powerful political machine.... I am cognizant of the fact that Attorney Generals directives could be changed in a future administration by the stroke of a pen, and thus recognize that there is still a need to permanently codify these changes in statute, Murphy said. I remain hopeful that the Legislature will concur with my proposed revisions, which reflect the Commissions evidence-based recommendations and its desire that these recommendations apply prospectively and retroactively. MyBroadband offers South African IT and telecoms companies an easy and affordable way to make themselves stand out and grow their client base. MyBroadband is South Africas largest IT publication and has helped hundreds of ICT companies to lift their profile, attract new clients, and grow their businesses. What makes MyBroadband such a powerful platform is the quality of its visitors. Each month MyBroadband is visited by over 1 million CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, IT managers, and business owners. This is the largest number of IT decision makers in one place in South Africa. This sought-after audience makes MyBroadband the first choice for most IT and telecoms companies to advertise their products and services. The large audience is, however, only part of its value. MyBroadbands wide reach means we can use the latest marketing tools to target a specific audience, like CIOs or IT managers. We can then deliver a tailored message to them through a wide range of content, including banner ads, sponsored articles, or social media posts. This strategy is highly effective and has helped many South African companies to achieve strong growth over the last year. A good example of the results which can be achieved through this marketing strategy comes from Codehesion South Africas top mobile app development company. Codehesion used a combination of sponsored content and social media promotions through MyBroadbands channels, and the results were excellent. It significantly increased engagements with the company and was able to sign up many new clients. The chart below shows Codehesions performance on different platforms. Individuals with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, bee stings or venom can safely receive the COVID-19 vaccines. The group's latest findings are published in the"Our main goal is to enable as many individuals as possible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine safely and avoid unnecessary vaccine hesitancy due to a lack of knowledge around allergic reactions to vaccines," says lead author Aleena Banerji, MD, clinical director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit at MGH.In addition to updated guidance on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, this guidance also includes the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, which had not yet been authorized for emergency use at the end of 2020.With additional clinical data and authorization of the third COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, the investigators propose modified approaches to the evaluation of patients with a history of allergies.This includes clear and simple initial questions to identify individuals who are eligible for all COVID-19 vaccines without needing an allergist evaluation.says senior author Kimberly G. Blumenthal, MD, MSc, co-director of the Clinical Epidemiology Program within MGH's Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology.Individuals with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, bee stings or venom can safely receive the COVID-19 vaccines.The team noted that severe allergic reactions to the vaccines remain exceedingly rare.Vaccine clinics should continue to observe higher-risk individuals for 30 minutes after vaccination, and they should have staff trained in recognizing and managing allergic reactions that may occur.Source: Eurekalert Houston, April 20 : A new variant of Covid-19 has been found by scientists at the US Texas A&M University, the media reported. The variant, BV-1, was found in just one case: an individual who had mild symptoms, the Texas A&M scientists were quoted as saying, Xinhua news agency reported. The patient, a student who lives off-campus, first tested positive on March 5. A second test on March 25 was still positive, indicating the variant may cause longer-lasting infections than other variants, the scientists said. An April 9, test was negative. The student showed mild, cold-like symptoms the first few weeks. The symptoms did not fully go away until April 2. According to the scientists, BV-1 is related to the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 and has a "potentially concerning genetic make-up" that indicates it might not respond to antibodies. "We do not at present know the full significance of this variant, but it has a combination of mutations similar to other internationally notifiable variants of concern," said Ben Neuman, the Global Health Research Complex Chief Virologist at Texas A&M University. "This variant combines genetic markers separately associated with rapid spread, severe disease and high resistance to neutralizing antibodies," Neuman said. Neuman said the scientists will continue to monitor for more cases of the variant. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Renalytix AI PLC - Cardiff, Wales-based clinical diagnostics company - Says new study in KidneyIntelX test "accurately predicted" progression of diabetic kidney disease in a multinational cohort from the CANagliflozin CardioVAScular Assessment Study with early-stage DKD. "The clinical outcome data suggests that KidneyIntelX risk assessment could support primary care physicians in making appropriate therapeutic intervention decisions with early-stage DKD patients to effectively delay progression and reduce the risk of adverse events," company says. Results presented showed comparable risk-stratification with prior validation studies, company adds. Focusrite PLC - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire-based music and audio products - Launches new brand, Optimal Audio, operating in the commercial audio market. Commercial audio is professionally installed sound systems in a range of public places such as bars, hotels, and retail. "Optimal Audio offers a one-stop solution of control, amplification, and loudspeakers for small to medium-sized commercial installations, with a focus on supporting multi-zone venues, providing a streamlined product offering that delivers high quality sound. The products are easy to install and can be operated by anyone, not only by sound engineers," company explains. Impact Healthcare REIT PLC - real estate investment trust focused on healthcare properties - Exchanges contracts to acquire a care home near Lowestoft and entered into a pre-let forward funding arrangement for a new care home in Norwich, both of which are with a new tenant the Carlton Hall Ltd. Company notes both care homes are in line with the its investment criteria. "Once completed, these transactions are expected to deploy GBP20.8 million of capital, plus transaction costs and a deferred payment on one of the transactions of up to GBP4.0 million," company adds. The two deals will up company's contracted annual rent roll to GBP33.4 million, an 8.0% increase on contracted annual rent at December 31 of GBP30.9 million. The deal will be financed existing existing cash resources and available debt facilities. Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust PLC - London-based investor in mainly onshore wind and solar projects - Successfully secures debt finance for its ready-to-build wind farm in Cerisou, France which was acquired in October 2020. The new EUR43.2 million fully amortising debt facility, provided by Societe Generale, will fund the construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the 24 MW Cerisou project. "This debt facility will allow the company to invest the amounts previously committed to the project into other investment opportunities. Construction at Cerisou is on schedule to begin in H2 2021, with the project expected to be fully operational in H2 2022," company adds. The term loan facility is amortising over 23 years from the commercial operations date of the project, with a flat 1.30% interest margin above EURIBOR over the duration of the loan. Aquila European Renewables Income Fund PLC - renewable energy infrastructure investor - Wholly owned subsidiary Tesseract Holdings Ltd has reached contractual close in relation to a two year, EUR40 million secured revolving credit facility. Lenders under the RCF include ING Bank NV and The Royal Bank of Scotland International Ltd. Chair Ian Nolan says: "We are pleased to announce this important milestone today. The RCF will provide significant flexibility for the company to fund its growth in a capital efficient manner going forward. We believe the RCF is a further endorsement of the company's asset portfolio and success in deploying capital since the IPO." The RCF has a margin of 1.85% over EURIBOR. Porvair PLC - Norfolk, England-based filtration and environmental technology firm - Says performance, in the four months ended March 31, better than management expected, with revenue down 6% year on year. "While aerospace activity remained subdued, other parts of the business started to see stronger demand. Revenue in the first four months of this financial year was 13% ahead, at constant currency, of the final four months of the 2020 financial year. Management is encouraged that adjusted operating profit for the first four months is in line with a strong 2020 comparator," company adds. Says Laboratory unit starts year strongly. Notes Metal Melt Quality unit benefitting from a reduced cost base and an improving performance in China. Demand in the last few weeks has been stronger in the US. Brickability Group PLC - Berkshire-based construction materials firm - Sees "solid" trading performance in year ended March 31 and expects to annual revenue of about GBP180 million and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in excess of GBP17 million, ahead of previous expectations. Says it benefitted from the positive contributions of recent acquisitions, including McCann Logistics, and continues to pursue a growth focused acquisition pipeline. Notes order book show confidence in "robustness" of homebuilding market, and "underlying optimism that demand will remain strong for quality building materials". RBG Holdings PLC - London-based law firm - Investee LionFish Litigation Finance Ltd records first successful litigation investment since its launch. In May last year, RBG launched LionFish in the third-party litigation funding market, investing in cases run by law firms other than company's own, Rosenblatt Ltd. "While the return is not material to the Group's forecast financial results, the successful investment provides a gross two times money return over and above invested cash and confirms that LionFish can deliver significant returns from its portfolio of investments," company adds. Earlier Tuesday, RBG posted pretax profit for 2020 of GBP7.7 million, up 1.3% from GBP7.6 million the year prior. Revenue increases 13% to GBP22.4 million from GBP19.9 millio, and also deal to buy legal services provider Memery Crystal LLP for GBP30.0 million. Crimson Tide PLC - Tunbridge Wells, Kent-based mobile software firm - Signs three year agreement with the World Federation of Haemophilia. Follows successful completion of the pilot phase. "The agreement will initially enable up to 100 clinicians globally to use mpro5 to scan pharmaceuticals, verifying their expiry and authenticity, and allowing the WFH to gain real-time insights into product usage. The mpro5 platform will be integrated into WFH's DPUMS system enabling real-time data captured from mpro5 to be available to all users around the world, replacing the ineffective existing paper-based data input," company adds. CEPS PLC - Bath, England-based investment company focussed on the industrial sector - Notes GBP1.7 million material non-cash error arises from audit of 2020 annual results. Says charge comes from exceptional profit on a disposal, that was highlighted in interim report to June 30. "The interims showed an exceptional profit on the disposal of two loss-making subsidiaries, CEM Press Ltd and Travelfast Ltd, trading as Sampling International, of GBP2.6 million. The results for the full year are currently anticipated to show an exceptional profit on disposal of approximately GBP825,000," company explains. i-nexus Global PLC - AIM-listed cloud-based strategy execution software solutions provider - Notes recent rise in own share price coupled with market speculation regarding potential new contract awards. Confirms business activity has continued in the "ordinary course" since early December release of company's audited results for the year ended September 30, and that there have been no new material contract awards since that date. By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. [April 20, 2021] Hewlett Packard Enterprise Wins Red Hat North American Partner Award for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Solutions Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) today announced it has been honored as Artificial Intelligence (AI) Solution Partner of The Year by Red Hat (News - Alert) , Inc., for AI solutions developed for the public sector. The award is part of the annual Red Hat North America Partner Awards, which recognize partners for their commitment to open innovation and collaboration with Red Hat. The award recognizes HPE for co-developing a highly differentiated "AI at the Edge" solution based on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge EL8000 system, a turnkey, ruggedized, open edge computing solution that unlocks value from AI and analytics, processed at the edge, in just minutes. The size, weight and power (SWaP) optimized solution features GPU acceleration in a multi-node deployable cluster that brings Kubernetes and containers to the edge where most of the data is processed. The system integrates with Open Data Hub, an open source project sponsored by Red Hat that provides AI tools data scientists require for model development, to help ensure support for the development, training, and inference workloads. "The HPE EdgelineConverged Edge systems enable various AI experiences at the edge for a number of industries, including the public sector, to efficiently process data and unlock insights in real-time," said Jeff Winterich, Distinguished Technologist for Federal Accounts at HPE. "By combining our high-performing systems that are purposely-engineered to harness volumes of data at the edge with Red Hat technology, we are bringing together solutions to make AI and data science at the edge a reality. We are honored to be recognized by Red Hat as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Solution Partner of the Year for the public sector and look forward to our continued collaboration with Red Hat." Red Hat's 2020 North America Partner Awards honor both commercial and public sector partners for successfully delivering innovative open source solutions to customers. Honorees were recognized for outstanding performance in 2020 across several categories that span Red Hat's open hybrid cloud portfolio and their continued dedication to delivering customer success. "HPE is a valued partner to Red Hat, and we are pleased to honor them with this well-deserved award," said Michael Byrd, vice president, Public Sector Channel Sales, Red Hat. "We look forward to our continued relationship with HPE and helping them provide the best in Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to their customers." About Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud platform as-a-service company that helps organizations accelerate outcomes by unlocking value from all of their data, everywhere. Built on decades of reimagining the future and innovating to advance the way people live and work, HPE delivers unique, open and intelligent technology solutions, with a consistent experience across all clouds and edges, to help customers develop new business models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance. For more information, visit: www.hpe.com. Red Hat is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006021/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China, while comprehensively promoting domestic vaccination, will continue to carry out vaccine cooperation with Indonesia, help Indonesia build a regional vaccine production center, and jointly resist the "vaccine divide." In a phone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Xi stressed that both China and Indonesia attach great importance to people's lives and health and oppose "vaccine nationalism," noting that vaccine cooperation between the two countries is at the forefront of the world. China, Xi added, has included foreign citizens on its soil, including those from Indonesia, in its inoculation plan, and hopes that Indonesia will also provide active support for Chinese nationals in the Southeast Asian country. In the face of profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, Xi emphasized, China stands ready to join hands with Indonesia to enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen strategic consensus, strengthen strategic coordination, uphold multilateralism, safeguard fairness and justice, promote global climate governance, defend the common interests of developing countries, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Xi noted that trade and investment cooperation between China and Indonesia has kept growing despite the COVID-19 pandemic, showing strong resilience and great potential. With China having embarked on the new journey of fully building a modern socialist country, and Indonesia marching towards its centennial goal of leapfrogging development, the two countries now face broad prospects for cooperation, Xi pointed out. China welcomes Indonesia to seize the opportunity created by China's fostering of a new development paradigm and advance bilateral practical cooperation in various areas in a coordinated way, he said, suggesting that the two countries better synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's vision of Global Maritime Fulcrum, and cooperate on a larger scale with higher quality. The two sides, Xi added, should continuously push forward infrastructure cooperation projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, earnestly implement key projects including the regional comprehensive economic corridor, foster new growth areas like new energy and maritime cooperation, and strengthen cooperation in digital economy and other fields. Xi said China welcomes Indonesia to expand exports of quality products to China, and supports Chinese enterprises in increasing investment in the Southeast Asian country. The two sides should push for the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and promote regional trade liberalization and economic integration, he added. For his part, Widodo extended congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Under the strong leadership of the CPC, China has achieved success in various areas of development, and especially has scored tremendous accomplishments in poverty alleviation and economic development, making positive contributions to the development of Indonesia and other countries in the region, he said. Noting that Indonesia and China are good friends and good brothers, Widodo said Indonesia hopes to learn from China's relevant experience, and stands ready to deepen bilateral economic and trade ties, actively promote the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and jointly build the Belt and Road. Widodo thanked China for overcoming difficulties to provide valuable assistance for Indonesia's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, and expressed his hope to continue to strengthen cooperation with China on vaccine production. A former Bridgeport resident faces a federal arson charge after an incident in New York City Saturday where he allegedly tossed bleach in an NYPD officers face and threw a lit Molotov cocktail at a police cruiser, according to prosecutors. A criminal complaint was filed in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Monday, charging Lionel Virgile, 44, with attempted arson after he allegedly used a Molotov cocktail to damage a New York City Police Department vehicle while officers were still inside the vehicle, authorities said. If convicted, Virgile faces up to 20 years in prison. The criminal complaint alleges that during an interview with investigators, Virgile admitted to throwing a lit incendiary device at the NYPD vehicle and said that the device had gasoline in it. Virgile further admitted that he purchased the materials to create the incendiary device with the intent to injure police officers, the complaint said. He also admitted to throwing bleach at NYPD officers when they pulled him over. Virgile, who currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., previously lived in Bridgeport. He was taken into custody on Saturday and made his initial court appearance Monday afternoon before U.S. District Court Judge Robert M. Levy. The judge ordered Virgile be detained pending trial. The acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Mark J. Lesko, said Virgile deliberately sought to severely injure an NYPD police officer by throwing bleach at his eyes and to ignite an NYPD vehicle with officers inside by hurling a lit Molotov cocktail at it. William F. Sweeney, assistant director-in-charge of the FBIs New York field office, said Virgiles alleged attack is an example of the danger law enforcement officers encounter daily. The NYPDs quick response in neutralizing this threat to the public is a testament to its professionalism and dedication to keeping our city safe, Sweeney said. NYPD Commissions Dermot F. Shea praised those involved in the investigation for ensuring the suspect faces justice. On Saturday, officers with the NYPD were in a marked vehicle when they saw Virgile drive his Lincoln town car with Connecticut plates through a steady red light at the intersection of Clarendon Road and East 45th Street in East Flatbush and initiated a traffic stop, officials said. When officers approached Virgiles car, he opened the drivers door and threw a cup with a chemical substance later found to be bleach in the face of one of the NYPD officers, authorities said. The officer suffered chemical burns on his face, but has since been discharged from the hospital. Body camera footage that shows Virgile allegedly throw the bleach at an officer was shared by the NYPD on social media over the weekend. The footage shows the officers approach Virgiles vehicle. When the officer asks Virgile for his license and registration, he says he does not have it. Virgile then appears to be moving around in his vehicle, then starts to open the door to get out. When the officer questions his actions, Virgile throws a cup of liquid at the officer, who responds by backing away and exclaiming an expletive. Virgile fled in the Lincoln, followed closely by officers in another NYPD vehicle, the criminal complaint said. About 10 minutes in, authorities said, Virgile pulled over, got out of his car and threw a lit Molotov cocktail at the police cruiser pursuing him. The device, a glass bottle with gasoline and a cloth wick, hit the windshield and shattered on the sidewalk. The complaint said Virgile crashed into a parked car about a block away on Snyder Avenue and was taken into custody. In his vehicle, police said they found five more Molotov cocktails and a container to hold gas. In the months prior to publication, VIBRANT created enormous buzz, with pre-pub praise from the likes of Goldie Hawn, Andrea & Veronica Bocelli, Dr. William Li, David Foster, and more. And The VibrantDoc kicked off her book's publication with a flurry of media appearances across the country, including national appearances on Newswatch TV, Business First A.M., and Daily Flash TV, and morning show interviews in Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, St. Louis, San Diego, and elsewhere. The VibrantDoc has also been covered extensively in print, with hits in Parade, The List, and more, and the book received social media buzz from the likes of Jessica Alba, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ashley Greene, Adriana Lima, and Carrie Ann Inaba in the last few weeks. "After years in private practice, I found myself frustrated that conventional medicine focuses on curing diseases rather than teaching people how to be well in order to avoid those diseases," said Dr. Stephenson. "VIBRANT is my attempt to re-shape the way we view our personal health, and I'm absolutely thrilled to see that so many people are ready to learn how to live truly vibrant lives." With VIBRANT, The VibrantDoc pulls from years in private practice to create a comprehensive, integrative approach to health, focusing not on treating disease, but creating health by focusing on The Vibrant Triad: Food, Movement, and Connection. In the process, she explains how the current model of healthcare focuses on reactive care, as opposed to creating true health, and shows readers how to take the steps necessary to revitalize their lives and take back the power of their own health. For more information, visit https://vibrantdoc.com. About the Author "The VibrantDoc" Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson is a recognized leader in functional medicine focused on integrative, regenerative, anti-aging, and natural medicine modalities. In addition to her functional medicine and anti-aging board certifications, she is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine. As The VibrantDoc, Dr. Stephenson is dedicated to making integrative medicine concepts and optimal wellness accessible to all. She spent close to 15 years in private practice before she was named Chair of Functional Medicine at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She is also a board member for the American Nutritional Association, an ambassador for the American Heart Association, and the Vice Chair of Gateway for Cancer Research, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding breakthrough cancer research and early stage clinical trials. The VibrantDoc has always championed a whole-person approach to disease prevention and healing, with an emphasis on healthy lifestyle, natural medicine, and personal empowerment. Media Contact: Tony Forde [email protected] 212-886-6707 SOURCE The VibrantDoc Republican Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters for saying in Minneapolis Saturday that Black Lives Matter protesters should 'get more confrontational' if officer Derek Chauvin is found not guilty. 'Listen, in Minneapolis and all across the country, shop owners, cities are preparing for violent riots. And there are Democrats like Maxine Waters who are encouraging, they want to see more stores looted, they want to see more police cars firebombed, they want to see the violence because they think it serves their political ends,' Cruz said Monday night on Fox News Channel. Cruz said the problem was bigger than just Waters, who hasn't been publicly reprimanded by fellow Democrats. 'And the dirty little secret is, as bad as Maxine Waters comments were, they're not an outlier in the Democratic Party,' Cruz continued. Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, saying she wanted to see police cars firebombed and stores looted 'because they think it serves their political ends' He pointed a finger at Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that she had tweeted out information to help protesters pay bail during last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the death of George Floyd. Cruz also said he believed Waters should be censured. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night. During an interview with on Fox News Primetime, McCarthy said the congresswoman 'believes there is value in violence'. 'And now what she has said has even put doubt into a jury,' McCarthy said, referring to the George Floyd jury that started deliberations on Monday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. 'You had a judge announce that it was wrong. I think this takes action especially when she has a pattern of this behavior,' McCarthy continued. He was referring to Waters' 2018 remarks when she told Californians to 'get in the face' of Trump administration staffers if they see them in public. McCarthy said he believes there are 'probably 10 to 15' Democrats who would vote for censure. Kevin McCarthy (left) has claimed that up to 15 Democrats could vote for his motion to censure California Representative Maxine Waters (right) after she told Black Lives Matters protesters to 'get more confrontational' in Minneapolis on Saturday night 'It will all come down to the pressure of what Democrats will put on them to just try to vote to table it - not even to have the discussion,' he added. McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend. He then accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of 'ignoring Waters behavior,' which he said prompted him to introduce 'a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments'. McCarthy's move came as the judge in Chauvin's trial said the congresswoman's comments could have given the defense grounds for an appeal. Speaking after the jury was sent out on Monday afternoon, Chauvin's attorney Eric Nelson once again made a bid to have the case against his client thrown out on grounds that there was no way the jury could be untainted by the excessive publicity surrounding the case. 'Now that we have US representatives threatening acts of violence in relation to this trial its frankly mind-blowing,' Nelson said. Taking it into consideration Judge Peter Cahill said: 'I grant you Congresswoman Waters may have handed you grounds for appeal and the turning over of this trial.' Judge Cahill denied Nelsons move for a mistrial but he said: 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' He said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswomans opinion really doesn't mean much.' McCarthy's remarks Monday night came just hours after he claimed in a tweet that Waters 'broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence' while in Minneapolis over the weekend Maxine Waters, congresswoman for California, was in Minnesota on Saturday evening, saying that demonstrators needed to 'get more active, more confrontational' McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together McCarthy's move could get Waters removed from her committee assignments but, given Democratic control of the House, it will go nowhere if Democrats stick together. White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn her remarks and Pelosi insisted Waters shouldn't apologize. But Republicans pounced on Waters' remarks to the Black Lives Matter protesters. Cruz had previously criticized Waters, as did controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But many of these Republicans accusing Waters of inciting violence did not make the same charge against then-President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, that left five dead and a trail of destruction throughout the Capitol. Cruz and Greene were some of Trump's most ardent defenders. McCarthy did take to the House floor to declare Trump, who riled up the crowd with his false claims the election was stolen, 'bears responsibility' for the attack on Congress. McCarthy later flew to Mar-a-Lago to make peace with the former president after Trump became furious at him for his words. Republicans have turned Waters into a punching bag before - notably for her urging the public to harass Trump White House staffers when they saw them in public. People gather at George Floyd Plaza in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis Minnesota to listen to the families of victims of police violence A bullet hole in a National Guard vehicle is seen after Guardsmen were targeted on Sunday Waters traveled to Minneapolis the weekend before closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with murdering George Floyd on May 25. The city is bracing for the verdict in the Chauvin case. More than 3,000 members of the National Guard are in Minneapolis, in addition to 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of what has been termed Operation Safety Net. Waters said she hoped Chauvin was found guilty. 'I am not happy that we have talked about police reform for so long,' Waters said, demanding a guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial and adding: 'If we don't [get it], we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street.' She added that protesters needed 'get more active, more confrontational' and they should ignore the curfew in place. 'Weve got to stay on the street and weve got to get more active, weve got to get more confrontational. Weve got to make sure that they know that we mean business,' she said when it comes to police shootings. Hours after Waters' passionate speech, a Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police team were fired upon in a drive-by shooting. The team was providing neighborhood security in Minneapolis when, at about 4.19am local time, a light colored SUV drove by and blasted shots at an occupied National Guard vehicle. The city of Minneapolis prepares for a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial with National Guard on patrol in the streets No team members were seriously injured, though two National Guard members suffered minor injuries: One was injured by shattered glass and taken to a local hospital, while the other suffered only superficial injuries. 'Why is Maxine Waters traveling to a different state trying to incite a riot? What good can come from this?' asked Lauren Boebert, representative for Colorado. Fellow Colorado Rep. Ken Buck said: 'Why is a sitting member of Congress encouraging protesters to get "confrontational?"' Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs added: 'The Radical Left dont care if your towns are burning, if theres violence in your streets, or if the police are too defunded to defend their communities. 'As long as the Left appeases their anti-America base, their job is done.' Greene, congresswoman for Georgia, called for her to be expelled from Congress. Waters is pictured with demonstrators outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Waters joins demonstrators in a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday night Peaceful protesters in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department on Saturday night Demonstrators raise their fists at Union Station near the U.S Capitol, during a march in Washington, DC, on Saturday A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter sign during a protest outside the Brooklyn Center police station on Saturday 'As a sitting United States Congresswoman @MaxineWaters threatened a jury demanding a guilty verdict and threatened violence if Chauvin is found not guilty. This is also an abuse of power. #ExpelMaxineWaters' She called Waters 'a danger to our society.' On Twitter, others joined in the outrage at Waters' remarks. 'Of course she'll get away with saying that while anyone else would've been thrown in jail,' Rick Santella tweeted. Another user tweeted, 'Good grief lady, leave get out of here.' One person also accused Waters of 'stirring people up again with her calls for violence.' The UK government is exploring the possibility of creating a new digital currency that could be known as Britcoin". The Bank of England and the Treasury said on Monday, April 19, that they will work together to assess the benefits of a central bank digital currency amid reports cash payments are generally on the decline, partly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The bank said the new currency if it comes to pass, would be a new form of digital money for use by households and businesses and would exist alongside cash and bank deposits, rather than replacing them. "The Government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK, and will engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so," the BoE said in a statement. At the financial industry conference, British finance minister Rishi Suna said: "We're launching a new taskforce between the Treasury and the Bank of England to coordinate exploratory work on a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC)." "Our vision is for a more open, greener, and more technologically advanced financial services sector," he told a fintech conference. "And if we can capture the extraordinary potential of technology, we'll cement the UK's position as the world's preeminent financial centre. Soon after, Sunak tweeted the word "Britcoin" in reply to the finance ministry's announcement of the taskforce. 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 Mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson was found dead with burns to her body in the backyard of a Gold Coast home (pictured) A former US Marine accused of setting alight and killing his Australian ex-wife had once enjoyed a blissful wedding and picture-perfect family holidays together. The body of Kelly Wilkinson, 27, was discovered in the back yard of her Arundel home on the Gold Coast in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police were called to the Spikes Court property at 6.40am after neighbours reported hearing an explosion and screams coming from the home. Her estranged partner Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious state'. He was charged with murder on Tuesday night. The couple's three young children aged from two to nine were inside the home at the time of the alleged attack but are all safe. Johnston remained in a serious condition under police guard at the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, suffering from burns to his airways and hands. Johnston was born and raised in Wayne County, Ohio, and served in the US Marines, according to social media. His Facebook page was littered with 9/11 'Never Forget' slogans and images of Northrup Grumman fighters. Tuesday's alleged attack came seven years after the couple shared photos of their wedding, surrounded by their loved ones. The couple holding one of their children during a holiday in the US. Johnston (right) is in a serious condition under police guard at the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital Other photos showed Mr Johnston holding one of their children next to Ms Wilkinson during a holiday in the US, and of her smiling during a trip to Niagara Falls. Ms Wilkinson's mother Karen, who died in February in a tragic double blow for the family, had also shared images on Facebook of her daughter and her young family visiting the US state of Ohio. On April 6, exactly two weeks before the alleged murder, Mr Johnston's sister Kelly Kruft created the 'Help Brian and his Children' GoFundMe page. 'I'm Kelly, Brian's sister. This is all I know to do to help my brother currently since he is in Australia! He needs our help! Please and Thank you! God Bless,' was the only message on the fundraiser, which did not say why he needed help. A day after creating the crowdfunding page, which featured a photo of Johnston's three children, Ms Kruft took to Facebook to plead for donations. 'We are asking for your help and most definitely your prayers please! I cant go into details currently but Brian needs his family and friends!!!!' she wrote. On Tuesday night, Ms Wilkinson's heartbroken sister Danielle Carroll lashed out at Ms Kruft for posting about the fundraiser. Ms Kruft took down her Facebook page late on Tuesday night after being bombarded with thousands of abusive messages directed to her brother, but the GoFundMe page is still active. Just two days before Johnston (right) allegedly set alight Ms Wilkinson (left), his sister set up a GoFundMe page. The pair are pictured on their wedding day Pictured: A family photo of Ms Wilkinson from 2016 showing her smiling during a trip to Niagara Falls Johnston (left) pictured with Ms Wilkinson (right). He was found two blocks away on Tuesday on a Gold Coast front lawn in a 'semiconscious state' Kelly Wilkinson pictured during a family trip to the US. Ms Wilkinson's sister asked for friends and family to 'help the children' in the wake of her sibling's death Brian Johnston (right), 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious' state. He was charged with murdering his estranged wife Kelly Wilkinson (left) The estranged couple on their wedding day. Ms Wilkinson's mother Karen died in February in a tragic double blow for the family A separate GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson's sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help in paying for the funeral of her 'beautiful angel'. 'Unfortunately Kelly has passed away... we are trying to raise money to pay for the funeral, the kids schooling and all other costs,' she wrote on the page. The GoFundMe has already seen donations totalling more than $50,000 in less than a day. Ms Wilkinson's sister asked for friends and family to 'help the children' through the difficult period. Ms Wilkinson's body was found in the backyard of her Gold Coast home early on Tuesday morning Several people responded to Ms Wilkinson's sister's post, expressing their condolences and devastation at the news. 'Thinking of you and your family,' one friend replied. 'Oh babe... my heart reaches out to you all... If u need anything we are only a call away,' another said. 'I am so so so sorry Natalie,' another said. Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street The house where police say Johnston was found unconscious with burns to his hands and airways Neighbours said they saw a bleeding man run from the scene on Tuesday morning. 'He turned up in the bushes in the house next door to me his left arm was heavily bandaged,' one resident told 9News. '(A passerby) saw the fella and asked you know, 'are you okay mate?' He made some remark like, 'I'm fine', but he had his head down.' 'The forensic examination will take some time,' he said. They were investigating whether there had been domestic violence calls made to the house in the past. Ms Wilkinson's body was found early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents Local resident Fred Davies, who has lived on the street for 20 years, told the Courier Mail the situation was 'pretty traumatic'. 'When we lived in a street for as long as we have, and we all know one another, I have no idea who it is, what's happened, but to see this many police here obviously something's pretty traumatic has happened,' he said. 'They won't tell me nothing. They wouldn't say a word. They've just asked to have a look at the cameras.' Rubbish collection in the area was stopped on Tuesday afternoon as police searched bins for evidence possibly discarded by the alleged offender as he left the property. 'There may be further evidence that has left that scene,' Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said. Police examined bins in Spikes Court in case the man had left anything as he fled the scene A police forensic officer examines an object left at a bus stop near where the incident occurred 'Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case).' Another forensic investigation officer was seen photographing what appeared to be a crumpled black garment at a nearby bus stop on Allied Drive, where it's believed the man stopped as he fled the scene. Mid-afternoon an SES crew from Southport joined police in searching Spikes Court and the surrounding neighbourhood for any evidence left behind by the alleged offender. Both countries to benefit from multibillion-dollar project Modern railways benefit a country's economy in many different ways. To name a few, they make it easier for bulky goods to be transported over long distances, reduce travel time between villages and cities and provide varying degrees of comfort for travelers. For Benny Kong, 33, a hotel owner and co-founder of a tour company in Laos, a new rail line is poised to bring more domestic and international tourists to the country. Kong, a Singaporean who lives in Laos, set up the MyLaoHome boutique hotel 14 years ago after a backpacking trip to Laos, during which he discovered there was demand for hotels in Luang Prabang, a former Laotian capital and a World Heritage Site listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "I visited the country when I was 18. I saw many tourists sleeping in temples and on the streets, so I just sensed the opportunity and then got started," he said. Kong's business has grown in tandem with the tourism industry in Laos. MyLaoHome, launched in 2007 as a 12-bedroom guesthouse, now has more than 60 rooms and has benefited as more overseas visitors have traveled to Laos over the past decade. Before the pandemic hit the world hard, tourist arrivals in Laos grew by 11.5 percent year-on-year in 2019, taking the country to 16th place on a list of the top 20 fastest-growing tourism destinations, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Nearly 757,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Laos in 2019, a rise of about 26 percent over the same period of the previous year. Kong attributes growth in the tourism sector to improved infrastructure such as airports and roads. In December, the first modern highway in Laosconstructed as part of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiativeopened to traffic, linking the capital Vientiane and the tourist-oriented town of Vang Vieng. However, for Kong, the highway is not enough. He is looking to the China-Laos railway, which is under construction and is expected to open at the end of this year. Operating speed As part of the BRI, China and Laos began work on the rail project in December 2016. The line will link Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, and Vientiane. With an operating speed of 160 km/h, the multi-billion dollar project will be built to Chinese rail standards. A large part of Laotian territory comprises mountain ranges, highland areas and plateaus, with rivers winding their way through this terrain. More than 60 percent of the new line consists of bridges and tunnels, which have posed technical difficulties during the construction work. The Laos-China Railway Co, a joint venture based in Vientiane, is responsible for building and operating the line, which is due to open in December. Xiao Qianwen, general manager of the company, said the project is proceeding smoothly. As of New Year's Eve, the main work had been completed, including 75 tunnels, 164 bridges and 180 road bed sections. More than 60 percent of the tracks had also been laid, Xiao told Xinhuanet. The 1,022-km rail journey between Kunming and Vientiane is expected to take less than 10 hours, compared to a 30-hour bus journey, with the tourism industry in Laos standing to benefit greatly from the expected rise in rail passenger traffic. Kong has prepared well for the new line, with his company converting an ancient building in Luang Prabang into a 58-room hotel. He said he hoped the project would be completed by the end of this year, adding, "I would not have thought about expanding were it not for the BRI." In 2019, Kong and his business partners launched discoverlaos.today, an online tour platform providing videos and pictures of the country's tourist destinations. Going digital not only served him well when the tourist industry was badly hit by the pandemic, but it also could help attract more foreign visitors once border restrictions are lifted. "The website runs three languagesLaotian, English and Thaiand we plan to launch our Chinese-language site by the end of this year," he said. Kong added that he will also consider offering a China-Laos tour package after the new line opens. "In the past, most foreign visitors came to Laos but did not visit China, because it was inconvenient. After the line starts operating, I can offer package tours in both countries," he said. Song Qingrun, an associate professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University's School of Asian Studies, said the line is expected to boost the local economy and improve people's livelihoods. "For example, it will make life easier for people who live along the route, as transportation charges for commodities are expected to fall," Song said. In a report released in June, the World Bank said that by linking with the vast BRI network, the China-Laos railway could potentially raise incomes in Laos by up to 21 percent in the long term. The rail project has created thousands of jobs and generated additional economic activity in Laos, according to local media reports. The project has also broadened the knowledge of those working on it. After joining the Laos-China Railway Co as an intern in June, Dalavanh Sibounma, 25, started to learn about modern railway technologies. Since January, he has taken part in onsite training programs provided by the company. He has learned a great deal, from laying tracks to checking and repairing locomotives, which he wants to drive when the line opens. "I'm not sure if I can become a driver, but the experience I have gained from the project means a lot to me. I'm glad I have been able to learn about railway technologies step by step," he said. The programs welcome not just employees engaged in the project, but also locals eager to seize the opportunity to learn new skills. According to China Railway No 2 Engineering Group, which is involved in the project, more than 10,000 Laotian workers have benefited from the training. Jia Duqiang, an associate researcher in Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the new rail link will help trade between the two countries, taking it to a new stage. "Transporting Laotian goods to China currently involves a long and arduous journey. They are first taken by truck from Vientiane to Kunming, which takes more than 30 hours. After being unloaded in Kunming, they are then taken by road to their destination cities across China," Jia said. However, the high-speed line will shorten the journey time to half a day, he said, adding that, for example, passengers will be able to leave Vientiane in the evening and arrive in Kunming next morning. Jia said the line will also speed up exchanges and increase cooperation between the two countries. Sino-Laotian trade has grown rapidly in recent years, and China is now Laos' biggest foreign investor and the country's second-largest trading partner after Thailand. On the frontline Yunnan, which borders Laos, has been on the frontline of exchanges between the two nations as well as other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. From January to October 2019, investment between Laos and Yunnan reached 6.54 billion yuan, while cross-border trade rose by 32 percent year-on-year, according to Vientiane Times. Despite the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic, Chinese investment in Laos reached $1.16 billion in the first 10 months of last year, a year-on-year rise of more than 20 percent. Before the pandemic emerged, trade between the two countries stood at $3.92 billion in 2019, which Jia said was a big improvement, adding that there is still huge potential for expansion. "If we compare this figure with those from other countries trading with China, it's not so big. There appears to be huge potential for China-Laos trade cooperation. The railway may help take bilateral trade to a higher level," he said. Since December, China has implemented zero tariffs on 97 percent of goods imported from Laos. Last year, China and ASEAN countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which is expected to boost mutual trade and investment, along with economic integration. Song said the cross-border railway is also in line with the Laotian government's strategy of transforming the landlocked country into a land-linked economy. With a population of more than 7 million, Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, with the majority of people depending on agriculturemainly growing rice. Lying at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast and Thailand to the west and southwest. Over time, being landlocked has been regarded as a disadvantage. Such countries are cut off from marine resources such as fishing, and more important, have no access to seaborne trade, which comprises a large proportion of international trade. "Being landlocked, Laos has lacked the advantages of seaport logistics," Song said. The Laotian government has been determined to overcome the country's geographical limitations by promoting the concept that Laos acts as a land bridge, providing the most direct overland transportation routes between its coastal neighbors. Laos also sees the BRI as an opportunity to build a modernized rail route to catch up with rapidly evolving global changes. According to the World Bank report, the cross-border line could provide Laos with a link to global supply chains, making the country more attractive to investors. "Transit trade through Laos along the railway corridor could reach an estimated 3.9 million tons per year by 2030, which would include a shift of an estimated 1.5 million tons of trade from maritime transport to the railway, " the report said. "If Laos implements logistics and trade facilitation reforms, the railway could attract traffic currently using maritime and air routes. It could reduce land transport charges by 40 percent to 50 percent between Vientiane and Kunming, and by 32 percent between Kunming and the port of Laem Chabang in Thailand." The new line is also an important section of the pan-Asia railway network, which in turn forms part of the Trans-Asian Railway, a wider plan drawn up in the 1960s with the aim of creating an integrated rail freight network across Europe and Asia. However, international conflicts and political strife in the Cold War era meant that regional railways remained fragmented, and there was no way to launch such a huge project. In 2006, the idea was revived and formalized when a total of 18 countries in Asia and Europe signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network under the auspices of the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. With the aim of promoting better economic and social integration between Asia and Europe, the agreement took effect in June 2009. The BRI has accelerated implementation of the plan. The pan-Asia railway network in Southeast Asia, one of four routes on the Trans-Asian Railway, connects Kunming, the Thai capital Bangkok and Singapore. There are three main routes from Kunming to Bangkok: via Vietnam and Cambodia to the east; the central route via Laos; and the western one via Myanmar. Crucial for connecting China and Thailand, the China-Laos railway is expected to inject new life into Southeast Asia as a whole. Jia, from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it will set a good example for construction of the pan-Asia railway system. If the China-Thailand railway proceeds as planned in coming years, it will form the central line of the Southeast Asian network, expanding trade and people-to-people exchanges between China and ASEAN nations, Jia added. Doctors carry fresh organs for transplant at a hospital in Henan Province, China, on Aug. 16, 2012. (Screenshot via Sohu.com) Senate Committee Approves Bill Combating Organ Trafficking The Senate committee on human rights has unanimously endorsed proposed legislation to combat international human organ trafficking. The Senate Bill S-204, sponsored by Sen. Salma Ataullahjan, makes it illegal for Canadians to get organs abroad without the consent of the donor, and makes people involved in forced organ harvesting inadmissible to Canada. Ataullahjan had introduced a similar bill in the last session of Parliament, which received unanimous approval from both the Senate and the House of Commons. However, it didnt become law as Parliament was dissolved for the 2019 election before the latest round of amendments introduced by MPs could be approved by the Senate. We do know that Canadians continue to travel abroad for commercial organ transplant, Ataullahjan told the committee on April 19. Doctors at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto have reported that three to five people a year still arrive having obtained an organ abroad. That is only one of the hospitals. A conservative number of patients per hospital multiplied by 1,200 hospitals in Canada amounts to 3,600 organ transplants performed abroad every year. Ataullahjan said cases of organ trafficking are occurring in different places around the world, including Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, North Africa, and other regions. Former MP David Kilgour, who has extensively investigated Chinas state-sanctioned organ harvesting of Falun Gong adherents, Uyghurs, and others, told the committee that China is the only country in the world where the government is involved in forcibly taking organs from persecuted groups, rather than criminals operating in the black market. They dont just take one kidney, they take the heart, liver, lungseverything that they can take. And of course, the donor dies in the process, Kilgour said. Kilgour said one way Canada is impacted by this is that brokers go to hospitals in Canada and other countries looking for patients who need an organ, and then arrange to take the patient to China for an organ transplant for a considerable sum of money. Once in China, the patients have blood testing, tissue testing done on them. Then the surgeon goes on a computer database and finds out whos a match for the patient, and then literally, some poor man or woman who fits the formula, the tissue type match, is taken out of a dormitory and is killed while their organs are removed, he testified. Former Canadian secretary of state for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour (R) presents a revised report about forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China, while report co-author and international human rights lawyer David Matas looks on, in a file photo. (Matt Hildebrand/The Epoch Times) Kilgour and Winnipeg-based human rights lawyer David Matas were the first to systematically investigate the Chinese communist regimes organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in 2006. The investigators say the practice has now expanded to claim Uyghurs as victims on a large scale as well. Kilgour said he and Matas have travelled to many countries presenting the results of their investigations, and said its embarrassing that their own country of Canada doesnt yet have legislation to address this issue, while around 10 other countries do. Its something that would be a very educative thing for us to do, and I think it would be very, very helpful to other countries [as well], he said. Similar pieces of legislation were introduced by other lawmakers in prior parliaments from both the Conservative and Liberal parties, but none of them became law before the parliamentary session was dissolved. This is legislation we should have had 10 years ago, so were really lagging behind, Ataullahjan said. Without implementing legislation banning Canadians from taking part in organ harvesting, the practice of transplant tourism will continue to grow. After senators on the committee all gave their approval for the bill, committee chair Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard said it was the fastest clause-by-clause approval process she has experienced. We are all in agreement with this one. I think we have no objection at all, Sen. Thanh Hai Ngo added. The bill will next be presented in the Senate to be moved to third reading. : WCNMLGB (CCC), : Military : : BBS (Mon Apr 19 12:44:52 2021, ) America's violent weekend: US rocked by back-to-back shootings across the country Updated 12:15 PM EDT April 19, 2021 Americans awoke Friday to news of yet another mass shooting, this time at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, where eight people were killed late Thursday. By the end of the weekend, at least nine more people had died from gun violence in back-to-back shootings across the country -- in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, Nebraska and Louisiana. At least 10 more were wounded. Since March 16, when eight people were killed and one wounded in shootings at three Atlanta-area spas, at least 50 mass shootings have been reported in the United States. CNN defines a mass shooting as a shooting with four or more casualties -- dead or wounded -- excluding the shooter. Some of the shootings this weekend fell short of that definition. But together, they underscored the fact the United States faces not just the Covid-19 pandemic, but a gun violence epidemic, as well. Chicago A 7-year-old girl died after she was shot multiple times in the drive-thru lane of a McDonald's in Chicago Sunday afternoon, according to CNN affiliate WLS. Police officers drove Jaslyn Adams in their squad car to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, Chicago Police Public Information Officer Sally Bown said. Jaslyn was with a 29-year-old man at the time of the shooting that WLS identifies as her father. The man was shot in the torso and is hospitalized in serious condition, police said. The shooting is under investigation. No one is in custody, police said Monday. "I am heartbroken and angered that a 7-year-old child was killed this afternoon on Chicago's West Side," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a tweet Sunday. "This unthinkable act of violence has no place here. The epidemic of gun violence cutting our children's lives short cannot go on." Austin, Texas At least three people were killed in a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. Police described the incident as an isolated "domestic situation." Austin police, fire and emergency medical services responded at about 11:42 a.m. to the city's Great Hills Trail and Rain Creek Parkway area, where they found three people suffering gunshot wounds, officials said. Authorities identified the suspect as 41-year-old Stephen Nicholas Broderick , a former Travis County Sheriff's Office detective who was charged last year with sexual assault of a child, a sheriff's office spokesperson told CNN. Broderick was arrested Monday morning without incident while walking down a road, Manor, Texas, Police Chief Ryan Phipps told CNN. The suspect had a pistol in his waistband, Phipps said. The victims -- two women and a man -- knew Broderick, Austin Police Interim Chief Joseph Chacon said. A child was involved in the incident but was located and is safe. Broderick resigned from the sheriff's office last year following his arrest in June, and he was was released on bond later that month. Kenosha, Wisconsin A shooting at a tavern in southeast Wisconsin early Sunday left three people dead and three others wounded, according to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office. Gunfire erupted at The Somers House tavern around 12:40 a.m. Sunday, according to Sheriff David G. Beth, who said it "sounds like one person got removed from the establishment and possibly came back a short time later" and started shooting. It was unclear why that person was initially removed, the sheriff said. The sheriff's office said Sunday evening officials had located a "person of interest" who would be charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide, with additional charges possible pending further investigation. Dozens of law enforcement officials from at least seven agencies and eight fire departments were working the case, which involved several crime scenes, the sheriff's office said. Columbus, Ohio One person was killed and five others -- including a 12-year-old -- were wounded by gunfire Saturday as they attended a vigil for a shooting victim in Columbus, Ohio, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said. According to a news release from the sheriff's office, a small group had gathered in the parking lot of a Dollar General to remember Jarrin Hickman, who was murdered there a year ago. A dark-colored SUV drove by around 7:30 p.m., the sheriff's office said, and the people inside started shooting at the crowd. Five people were struck by gunfire and were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. But 39-year-old Latoya Carpenter was killed as she drove by the store, the sheriff's office said. A bullet hit Carpenter in the head and her vehicle crashed into a parked car. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No suspects were in custody, the news release said, and the shooting remained under investigation. Omaha, Nebraska A 21-year-old was killed in a shooting Saturday at Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, according to Omaha police. A 22-year-old was injured but was expected to survive. Police arrested two people in connection to the shooting: A 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, while an 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of being accessory to the homicide. The shooting happened around noon, said Omaha Police Lt. Neal Bonacci, sending customers including Celia Davis searching for cover. Davis told CNN affiliate KMTV she and her 3-year-old daughter waited for help with about 10 strangers in a bathroom. While they were hiding, Davis said she texted her mother and her boyfriend, "I love you guys." LaPlace, Louisiana Six people were injured after someone opened fire during a 12-year-old's birthday party Saturday in LaPlace, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office found multiple people shot when they responded to the scene Saturday, officials said in a statement posted to the sheriff's office Facebook page. The shooting started "when verbal confrontations during a child's birthday party led to gunfire," officials said. The sheriff's office said that it is not aware of any fatalities related to the Saturday shooting, and no arrests have been made. 08 2021 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights Reserved. -- iPhone 1.24.11 -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 2600:8807:5048:] Corp has decided against evaluating a $20 billion buyout offer from Capital Partners, saying it lacked detail, while adding it was open to "credible" offers. The Japanese conglomerate said a new letter from CVC, which previously offered to take the company private, did not provide the information needed for it to be able to evaluate the offer. Instead, the company said the letter stated "would step aside to await" Toshiba's guidance. "This letter contained no specific and detailed information capable of detailed evaluation," said. "As this preliminary proposal lacks the required information the board has concluded it is not possible to evaluate it." It was unclear whether CVC's letter meant it was backing away from its earlier offer. A representative for in Japan declined to comment. A source said the letter meant CVC's proposal was unlikely to proceed further, as the fund's offer was unsolicited to begin with. CVC's proposal had sparked a strong backlash from Toshiba managers, prompting them to lobby the government and its lenders against it, sources have said. Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani resigned over the proposal from CVC, his former employer, amid criticism the offer, which promised to retain management, was partly designed to shield Kurumatani from activist shareholders. Toshiba said it would continue to consider and evaluate any credible offers. But for now, "being a publicly traded company provides a stable equity structure," it said. It also denied that Toshiba's current shareholder structure, with a large activist shareholder base, had aversely affected its corporate value. Activist investors won a vote at an emergency shareholders' meeting last month to establish an independent probe into whether management had previously pressured shareholders to support desired board nominations. (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki. Writing by Ritsuko Ando. Editing by Jason Neely and Mark Potter) Senior police officers encouraged or tolerated undercover officers having sexual relationships with activists they were sent to spy on for decades, a tribunal has heard. Environmental activist Kate Wilson, 41, is taking action against the Metropolitan Police for egregious and serious violations of her human rights after she was coerced into a nearly two-year relationship with Mark Stone, an undercover officer for the Mets National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPIOU). The two had a whirlwind romance from 2003 to 2005, when Ms Wilson moved to Spain. In 2010, Ms Wilson found he was a married undercover police officer and his real name was Mark Kennedy. Mr Kennedy had been deployed to spy on activists for the NPIOU. He was sent to the Sumac Centre, a Nottingham-based community centre, which the NPIOU said was used by persons involved in extremism relating to animal rights, environmentalism, anarchy, anti-weapons and war issues and anti-globalisation. Mr Kennedy was told to develop personal relationships with activists in order to uncover intelligence. Charlotte Kilroy QC, who opened Ms Wilsons case, said, in reality, the Sumac Centre was a community space with a vegan cafe used by a wide range of people and groups. During his time undercover, had sexual relationships with some 10 other women, including with one woman only known as Lisa, which lasted six years before she found his passport with a different name. Ms Kilroy told the tribunal that Mr Kennedy had police-issued phones, laptops, passport and bank cards, all in his false identity, and had a police-issued van and a flat paid for by the police. She said Mr Kennedy reported everything he did with Ms Wilson to his cover officer, known only as EN31. Ms Kilroy said Mr Kennedy used her contacts, her organisational role and her standing to bolster his own credentials as an activist, which allowed him to infiltrate new protest groups, gather intelligence and maintain trust. The Met and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) have accepted Mr Kennedys actions breached her right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, her right to privacy and right to freedom of expression, however they deny that any officers other than Kennedy and his cover officer knew about their sexual relationship. But Ms Wilson came into contact with half a dozen undercover officers from the NPIOU and the Special Demonstration Squad SDS between 1998 and 2010. She said there was widespread indifference, or express or tacit encouragement for undercover officers to begin intimate relationships while they were deployed. She said her relationship with Mr Kennedy was known or suspected by several other police officers, including more senior ones and was part of a practice of permitting undercover officers ... to enter into sexual relationships. In a statement before the hearing, Ms Wilson said: The police want us to believe that a top intelligence unit was so incapable of interpreting basic human interactions that they had no idea that we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I just dont believe that. My relationship with Mark Kennedy was documented in great detail in their secret reports for over 18 months. I am one of many dozens of women deceived into this kind of relationship by deployed undercover police officers. They used sex with women to gather intelligence. The evidence suggests a dont ask, dont tell approach by senior officers embedded in a culture of misogyny and mission creep. I have no doubt that the police are institutionally sexist. Speaking at the tribunal, Ms Kilroy said what Mark (Kennedy) did could not have occurred without the express or tacit agreement or tolerance of other police officers, and that his sexual relationships while undercover resulted from a practice or culture within the NPIOU and SD. She added: Marks conduct and the 11 relationships he had was a continuation of this practice, which only came to light and was only disavowed by the police when Lisa discovered Marks true identity. Ms Kilroy also argued that the practise was discriminatory against women, who were unquestionably disproportionately affected by it, but said the NPCC will not take any systemic or organisational responsibility for the occurrence of the sexual relationships. She added: It is the respondents failure to accept any wider responsibility for what has happened which is the reason why this claim continues. The police have been given extraordinary powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. In the claimants case, and that of many other women, these powers were seriously abused over decades, until an accidental discovery by Lisa exposed the abuse. The hearing before Lord Boyd, Mrs Justice Lieven and Professor Graham Zellick QC is expected to finish next Wednesday and it is likely the tribunal will give its ruling at a later date. Additional reporting by Press Association Sea otters are a species that not many zoos or aquariums worked with until the late 80s or so, and Shedd Aquarium was one of the first facilities to actually work with and train sea otters, Sterling said. Weve made so many advancements in taking care of them and being able to have them participate in their own care. Shedd has cared for just under 15 sea otter pups, she said. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff shot and killed a grizzly bear on Friday, while investigating the scene of a fatal bear attack that occurred on Thursday near Yellowstone National Park, officials said. A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department news release said Charles Carl Mock, a 40-year-old West Yellowstone man, was fishing alone during the bear encounter in Montana. The release said Mock had bear spray with him, but it is unknown whether he was able to use it during the attack. Mock was transported with severe injuries to Idaho Falls, where he remained in serious condition Friday. According to a Facebook post by his employer, Backcountry Adventures, Mock underwent two surgeries. He suffered a stroke on Saturday and ultimately died from injuries sustained in the attack. In order to continue the investigation and assess public safety risks, the site was revisited Friday by a group of seven investigators, including FWP game wardens and bear specialists, as well as Forest Service personnel, the release said. To frighten away any bears in the area, the group yelled and made continuous noise while walking toward the site. However, a bear began charging the group before they reached the site, and was undeterred despite multiple attempts by all seven people to haze it away. Since the bear continued to charge, and due to the immediate safety risk, it was shot and died about 20 yards from the group, the statement explained. The bear was described as an older-age male grizzly. According to the release, a moose carcass was later found by investigators within 50 yards of Thursdays attack, which indicates the bear was likely defending a food source during the attack. The Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks Department says the activities which put people at greater risk for surprising a bear are those that are intentionally quiet or fast moving, such as hunting, mountain biking or trail running. However, FWP says that whether youre a recreationist, resident or someone who works outdoors, you can be prepared for a surprise bear encounter. When youre outside, keep these precautions in mind: Be aware of your surroundings and look for bear sign. Read signs at trailheads and stay on trails. Be especially careful around creeks and in areas with dense brush. Carry bear spray. Know how to use it and be prepared to deploy it immediately. Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence. Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears. Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency. If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Back away slowly and leave the area. More information on bear safety can be be found at Bear Safety. READ MORE: GENOA, APR 20 - Italian police on Tuesday arrested a doctor and the spiritual guide of a holistic medicine centre in Brescia after a girl died after having a birthmark removed. The self-styled 'guru' and the head of general surgery at a Brescia hospital are accused of voluntary manslaughter with culpability, sexual violence and taking advantage of the psychologically vulnerable. Police said the doctor removed the birthmark from the girl, who frequented the holistic centre, at an agriturismo run by the guru without proper medical conditions. Metastasis set in after the operation, medical sources said. (ANSA). Jason Armond, Staff Photographer / TNS WASHINGTON President Joe Biden spoke to the family of George Floyd as a Minneapolis jury enters its second day of deliberations in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who killed Floyd last year. I waited until the jury was sequestered and I called, Biden said of his Monday talk with the family, noting the pressure and anxiety the family is facing. Im praying that the verdict is the right verdict, which I think, its overwhelming in my view. We believe RARE-X can make a significant difference for the Indian rare disease community by giving patients of Indian origin increased visibility in a global setting, said Harsha Rajasimha, MS, PhD, Founder and Chairman of IndoUSrare, and Founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics Solutions. IndoUSrare and RARE-X partnered to understand Indias rare disease landscape and conducted a feasibility study to determine the challenges to creating patient-owned health data registries for international data sharing. The India Feasibility Study Report: Patient-Owned Health Data Registries establishes a scoping document and blueprint for opportunities to support patient-owned data collection in country. RARE-X is dedicated to enabling patient communities to more easily and securely manage aggregated, structured, de-identified data on a common platform accessible to researchers and drug developers anywhere in the world. The nonprofit is rolling out a series of demonstration projects by partnering with rare disease communities worldwide using technology proven in other large-scale public health and genomic data-sharing initiatives. RARE-Xs work will support the global needs of researchers developing treatments for rare disease patients. IndoUSrare assessed the feasibility of patient-owned registries in India, which can potentially serve as a model for other low- and middle-income countries, said Harsha Rajasimha, MS, PhD, Founder and Chairman of IndoUSrare, and Founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics Solutions. We believe RARE-X can make a significant difference for the Indian rare disease community by giving patients of Indian origin increased visibility in a global setting. Most existing databases for rare disease biomedical research are curated in the United States and European Union. Hence, they severely lack diversity. The Indian population is not proportionately represented in these foundational databases. In the current data-driven research environment, this would mean that patients who do not exist in these databases will not be considered in research programs relying on such high-quality, curated databases. RARE-X is being built to support a global ecosystem for data collected and shared within countries and across borders. This is critical for small disease populations in rare disease, and almost always, rare disease patient communities work with patients globally every day. The challenge becomes less about the technology and more about understanding the regulatory environment and nuances on governance by country, said Nicole Boice, CEO RARE-X. We have learned a tremendous amount based on this study, and we hope that we soon have the ability to support patient-owned data collection and sharing in India as part of our commitment to IndoUSrare and their affiliate patient advocacy organizations. The need is now. The India Feasibility Study Report draws from a combination of literature, surveys, and stakeholder interviews from patient advocacy groups, physicians, policy professionals, and industry leaders with biopharma, diagnostic labs, and contract research organizations. A complimentary copy of The India Feasibility Study Report: Patient-Owned Health Data Registries can be found at rare-x.org. ABOUT RARE-X RARE-X is a 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization focused on supporting the acceleration and development of life-altering treatments and future cures for patients impacted by rare disease. Enabled by best-in-class technology, patients, researchers, and other technology vendors, RARE-X will gather structured, fit-for-purpose data to share broadly, benefitting from 21st-century governance, consent, and federated data sharing technology. RARE-X is building the largest collaborative patient-driven, open-data access project for rare diseases globally. For more information, visit rare-x.org. IndoUSrare IndoUSrare (Indo US Organization for Rare Diseases) is a 501(C)(3) patient advocacy organization focused on accelerating life-saving therapies for rare diseases by building collaborative bridges between the USA and the Indian subcontinent for education, advocacy, & research. IndoUSrare focuses on the diverse needs of patients represented by its growing list of member organizations in the US, India, and globally. For a full list of member organizations and programs, visit indousrare.org. Media Contact: Tom Hume, Marketing Communications RARE-X tomh@rare-x.org Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) - Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda on Tuesday appealed to the Philippine Statistics Authority to temporarily halt the door-to-door data collection for the national identification system and for other surveys due to risks of COVID-19 infection. "I appeal urgently to your office to temporarily suspend door-to-door and face-to-face data collection for the National ID system and other surveys until we could reasonably guarantee that enumerators will not be vectors for infection," read Salceda's letter to PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa. Salceda noted that over 600 residents of Polangui town are currently under home quarantine due to contact with an infected PSA field worker. "If infection is confirmed, the enumerator would have been a super-spreader," Salceda said. "Even if a super-spreader does not take place, the protocols have forced contacts of the enumerator to quarantine, interrupting their livelihoods," he added. The Albay lawmaker also said the PSA should make sure their enumerators are vaccinated if the agency will insist on conducting face-to-face registration. "While I support the National ID system and completing it as soon as possible to help distribute necessary social programs, we should conduct data gathering activities in ways that do not endanger the lives of our citizens," Salceda said. The Philippine ID system was signed into law in August 2018. The government is eyeing to shift to online registration by the second quarter of 2021. Paducah Murder Suspect Makes Court Appearance By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A man charged with the 2018 murder of his girlfriend and her unborn child was in court Monday.Epionn J. Lee-McCampbell appeared for a pretrial conference. The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said a jury trial was scheduled for May 24.Police were called to his home in March of 2018, where officers allegedly found 19-year-old Ja'Lynn N. Ragsdale unresponsive. She was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.In late August 2018, the state medical examiner's office determined that Ragsdale died of asphyxiation consistent with suffocation and that she was pregnant at the time of her death.Lee-McCampbell faces charges of murder and fetal homicide. SHREVEPORT, La., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ECS / My IT, a leading provider of managed IT services to small and midsized organizations, completed the acquisition of The Purple Guys ("TPG"), a Kansas City, Kansas-based managed service provider. The Purple Guys has nearly 20 years of experience providing "stress-free IT" for small to medium sized businesses, offering a comprehensive suite of managed IT services across a range of industries throughout the Midwest. Kevin Cook, CEO of ECS / My IT stated, "ECS / My IT is thrilled to welcome the TPG team and their clients to the ECS / My IT family. Our two organizations share a commitment to delivering an exceptional outsourced IT experience to our clients, which makes this combination a natural fit. Additionally, Jon Schram has built a highly recognizable and trusted brand in the industry that we are eager to build upon." The combined organization, of nearly 120 full-time employees, looks to create a new industry standard for managed IT services to the SMB community including its hundreds of clients headquartered throughout the Gulf South and Midwest. "With the acquisition of TPG by ECS / My IT, we'll be able to provide our client base enhanced solutions and offerings, broaden our geographic reach, and strengthen the combined companies," stated Jon Schram, President of The Purple Guys. "My team and I are excited to join ECS / My IT and look forward to the next phase of growth together." This marks the second acquisition for ECS since the formation of its partnership with Kian Capital and ParkSouth Ventures in January 2020. About ECS / My IT Formed in January 2020, through the combination of Enterprise Computing Services and My IT, ECS / My IT is a leading provider of comprehensive managed IT services to small and mid-sized businesses. We focus on our clients' IT so they don't have to. As trusted members of our clients' teams, we work hard on their behalf to help their businesses grow and succeed by ensuring secure, reliable and cost-effective IT systems. ECS / My IT has offices in both Shreveport, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana and employs more than 80 highly trained team members serving businesses throughout the Gulf South region. For more information, visit www.myitsupport.com. About The Purple Guys Founded in 2001, The Purple Guys is a provider of "stress-free IT" to small and mid-sized businesses. We serve as an extension of our clients' organizations to deliver a comprehensive suite of IT services that will support every aspect of their IT infrastructure and enable our clients to focus on what's important, growing their business. TPG is located in Kansas City, Kansas and employs approximately 35 highly trained team members serving businesses throughout the Midwest region. For more information, visit www.purpleguys.com. Contact: Paige Lee 816-221-3900 [email protected] SOURCE The Purple Guys Related Links www.purpleguys.com An Illinois child with a life-threatening heart condition fulfilled his dream of becoming a SWAT officer for the day. With the help of the Illinois make-a-wish foundation, Ibrahim became 'a police officer for a day to catch a luxury car thief' on Sunday, the Chicago Police Twitter account states. Ibrahim, aged 7, from the village of Worth in Cook County lives with a life-threatening heart condition. He currently receives treatment at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn. Images shared by Chicago Police show the boy walking next to an armored rescue vehicle. Ibrahim, aged 7, from Worth, Illinois, lives with a life-threatening heart condition With the help of the Illinois make-a-wish foundation, Ibrahim became 'a police officer for a day to catch a luxury car thief', the Chicago Police Twitter account states Ibrahim is pictured petting a police dog during his day spend as a police officer He is also pictured petting a police dog, jumping through tires, apprehending a car thief and looking inside a Ferrari. In the statement online, Chicago Police said: 'Today to fulfill the wish of 7-year-old Ibrahim, who has a life-threatening cardiac condition. 'Ibrahim wanted to be a police officer for a day to catch a luxury car thief, so we made him an honorary CPD SWAT officer to make his dream come true. In the statement online, Chicago Police said: 'Today to fulfill the wish of 7-year-old Ibrahim, who has a life-threatening cardiac condition' 'Ibrahim wanted to be a police officer for a day to catch a luxury car thief, so we made him an honorary CPD SWAT officer to make his dream come true' 'Honorary SWAT Officer Ibrahim immediately got to work to train with his fellow officers and take a course in LEMART training' 'Honorary SWAT Officer Ibrahim immediately got to work to train with his fellow officers and take a course in LEMART training. 'His day ended with him bravely saving the life of a car theft victim and taking two car thieves into custody.' The statement finished by thanking the Illinois Make-a-Wish chapter, Chicago's Crown Rally luxury driving experience company, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and the Chicago Fire Department for helping 'to fulfill Ibrahim's wish and put the biggest smile on his face.' U.S., Russia national security advisers discuss ties, summit prospect Xinhua) 10:55, April 20, 2021 Combo photo shows U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (L) and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev on different occasions. (Xinhua) U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev discussed "the prospect of a presidential summit between the United States and Russia and agreed to continue to stay in touch," the White House said. WASHINGTON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Russian counterpart on Monday discussed bilateral relations and the prospect of a U.S.-Russia summit, the White House said in a statement. Sullivan and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev discussed "the prospect of a presidential summit between the United States and Russia and agreed to continue to stay in touch," said the statement. According to the statement, the two officials also discussed a number of issues in the bilateral relationship, as well as regional and global matters of concern. U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that he had proposed a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Europe this summer to address a range of bilateral issues. The summit proposal came amid recent diplomatic clashes between Washington and Moscow. Last Thursday, the Biden administration announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats and sweeping sanctions against individuals and entities in response to Moscow's alleged election interference and cyber activities. In a swift response, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday in a statement that it will expel 10 U.S. diplomats, bar eight incumbent and former American high-ranking officials from entering Russia indefinitely, among other restrictions. The Kremlin repeatedly said that claims of Russia's alleged meddling in the 2020 U.S. elections were baseless and regretful, calling them a pretext for additional sanctions. Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial for recent years. The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine, Syria, and cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) INDIANAPOLIS, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Legion National Commander James W. "Bill" Oxford issued the following statement today concerning the passing of former Vice President Walter F. Mondale: "America lost a distinguished statesman and a respected public servant. Vice President Mondale was an Army veteran and a Legionnaire. He was admired by many for the civility and grace that he brought to politics. Our condolences to his family and those who knew him best in his home state of Minnesota." As a presidential candidate in 1984, Mondale addressed delegates at the 66th National Convention of The American Legion. "I say that when it comes to our nation's security, there are no Democrats or Republicans or Independents, only Americans," he told The American Legion. About The American Legion The American Legion , the nation's largest veterans organization, is dedicated to the motto of "Veterans Strengthening America." Chartered by Congress in 1919, The American Legion is committed to mentoring youth and sponsoring wholesome community programs, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security and continued devotion to servicemembers and veterans. Nearly 2 million members in more than 12,600 posts across the nation and regions overseas serve their communities with a devotion to mutual helpfulness. Contact: John Raughter, Media Relations [email protected] or 317-630-1350 SOURCE The American Legion Related Links http://www.legion.org PIGGs PEAK Hundreds of residents will be affected by the new demarcation carried out by the Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) around Maguga Dam. There is no doubt that the land surrounding Maguga Dam is prime land due to its proximity to the water source. The land is also highly fertile as the river deposits rich soil which is used for cultivating various crops, including dagga, whose cultivation is currently prohibited by law. On Saturday, residents around Nkomazi, as well as eLuhlangotsini, were informed about the boundary demarcation being carried out by KOBWA. New pegs have been placed around several spots along the banks of the Nkomazi River, which forms part of the Maguga Dam. Hundreds of residents could be affected since the land is not only used for cultivation or graves, but some of them have built houses there. The residents are now wondering what will happen to their houses since they had constructed within the boundary. The pegs, locally referred to as tikhonkwane, were recently placed as a way of informing residents that they were not allowed to build or carry out activities within the demarcated area. Private utilisation is not allowed as the area is reserved for business. On Saturday, officials from KOBWA as well as the local authority, represented by the inner council, addressed residents to inform them about the demarcated boundary and that they should stay away from the area. The only challenge for some of the residents is that they have no place to go. Noteworthy, there were already existing pegs along the river basin, but new ones were recently placed, extending the boundary further. According to officials from KOBWA, the boundary has been existent since the establishment of the dam, but that residents deliberately ignored it. Khetsiwe Ngcobo, who is Water Resources Management Specialist at KOBWA, briefed residents on the purpose of the demarcation. She informed them that this was a designated business area and that people could not build houses there. Some of the residents enquired about what would happen to their fields or graves now that the boundary was clearly marked. A resident said his family had been ploughing the fields within the same boundary for several decades, but that he was advised to stop. As the country continues to battle the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation on the current situation. In his speech, he urged states to make all efforts to avoid lockdowns and use it as the last resort. "We have to protect the nation from lockdown. I urge states to treat lockdown as the last resort. We need to focus on micro-containment zones," the Prime Minister said. He also urged youngsters to form small committees in societies and apartments and help in ensuring adherence to COVID-19 protocols. "If we do this, the governments will not need to form either containment zones or enforce curfews or lockdowns," Modi said. Also read: COVID-19: Bombay Oxygen shares up 156%; it doesn't even make oxygen The governments are focused not only on saving lives but also on ensuring minimum impact on economic activities and livelihood of people, he said. Referring to the Centre's decision to open COVID-19 vaccination for all citizens above 18 years of age from May 1, Modi said it will help in vaccinating the workforce in cities. He also urged states to ask workers to stay wherever they are and assure them that they would get vaccinated in the next few days which will ensure that their livelihood is not impacted. Saying that India has ramped up its medical infrastructure within a short time to handle the pandemic, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the country will be able to win the battle against the virus. Referring to the shortage of medical oxygen, Modi said Centre, state governments as well as private sector are working together to increase the availability of oxygen. "Whether it is setting up new plants, providing 1 lakh new cylinders, diverting industrial oxygen for medical purposes or running oxygen rail, every attempt is being made," he said. Also read: CM Thackeray to announce complete lockdown tomorrow, hints Maharashtra minister Earlier today, the Prime Minister also held a meeting with vaccine manufacturers from across the country and applauded their role during the pandemic. He urged them to continuously scale up their production capacity to vaccinate Indians in the shortest possible time and appreciated the efforts and studies being conducted by the scientists in development of new vaccines. He also assured all possible support and smooth approval process for the vaccine candidates which are currently under trial phase, a release said. The Prime Minister said that the private sector will play an active role in the country's vaccination drive, which would require better coordination between hospitals and industry. India reported 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths due to the disease in the preceding 24 hours as of Tuesday morning. Also read: COVID second wave shaves 10% off Sensex; more downside ahead? A verdict has been reached by the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial over the death of George Floyd. The death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police resulted in protests against police brutality and racial injustice in cities across the United States. Coverage of the verdict, which will be read in open court and broadcast all over the world, will occur between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time (central time), or starting at around 1:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET and will be carried by most major news outlets. You can watch the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial live for free in the video provided above, or on your TV with a streaming service like FuboTV (free trial) or Hulu + Live (free trial). Floyd died last May after Chauvin, a 45-year-old now-fired white officer, pinned his knee on the 46-year-old Black mans neck for about 9 1/2 minutes. The jury, made up of six white people and six Black or multiracial people, deliberated for roughly 10 hours over two days and weighed charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. Heres how you can watch the verdict as it is revealed to the public. What: Derek Chauvin verdict reached in trial over George Floyds death When: Tuesday, April 20 Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota TV Channel: ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, PBS Watch the news event live streaming online: If you dont have cable, you can watch the Derek Chauvin trial verdict live for free with FuboTV (free trial). If you have run out of free trials, you can also try out other streaming services like Hulu + Live (free trial) or Sling TV (promotional offers) if you prefer those platforms and their pricing plans. You can also watch live for free in the video provided above right now. You can find out more about which channel VH1 is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish. Dr. Paul J. Atkins "I am delighted to join the NobHill Therapeutics team at this time. Through careful incubation and the use of SBIR and seed funding, the company has moved the technology to the point where a range of potential clinical/commercial opportunities can now be realized." -Dr. Atkins Southwest-based start-up Nob Hill Therapeutics is pleased to announce that Dr. Paul Atkins has been appointed as its Executive Chairman. Nob Hill Therapeutics mission is to commercialize the first-of-its-kind dry powder nebulizer (DryNeb) inhalation drug delivery platform with technology exclusively licensed from the University of New Mexico. Nob Hill Therapeutics aims to create effective inhalation therapies to address lower respiratory infections, the 5th leading overall cause of death worldwide, and other deadly lung diseases. Dr. Yun Li, Nob Hill Therapeutics CEO is excited to have Dr. Atkins join and lead Nob Hill Therapeutics going into pre-clinical and clinical stage of development. It is a key milestone for Nob Hill Therapeutics as a company to grow from a young innovative startup to a key player in the field of inhaled medicine and therapy. With Dr. Atkins's incredible leadership experience Nob Hill Therapeutics will speed up the development of its first therapy and build a product pipeline that addresses huge unmet needs in targeted therapy for lung infections and other lung diseases. Dr. Atkins joins Nob Hill Therapeutics with more than 35 years of experience in global pharmaceuticals, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing inhaled medicines. He previously served as Vice President, Operations, Oriel Therapeutics Inc (a Novartis Company). Prior to that he was founding CEO and President of Oriel. Oriel Therapeutics was a start-up company utilizing unique technology to facilitate inhaled drug delivery and powder movement. During Dr. Atkins's tenure at Oriel, the company raised over $35M in venture and angel funding and was sold to Novartis in 2010. Dr. Atkins has consulted for the United Nations on developing inhaled medicines for many years and is currently a member of the United Nations Medical and Chemical Technical Options Committee. He was part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with Vice President Al Gore) in 2007. "I am delighted to join the Nob Hill Therapeutics team at this time. Through careful incubation and the use of SBIR and seed funding, the company has moved the technology to the point where a range of potential clinical/commercial opportunities can now be realized. We have a knowledgeable and experienced team, and we are looking forward to move the DryNeb technology into clinical development. About Nob Hill Therapeutics: Nob Hills Therapeutics patented DryNeb Dry Powder Nebulizer is proven to deliver treatment drugs to the lower respiratory tract with much higher efficiency than the current state-of-the-art dry powder inhalers. Our technology has several key technological innovations compared to standard dry powder inhalers in generating highly efficient drug aerosols and delivering them effectively to the lower respiratory tract independent of patients' lung capacity. To learn more, please visit https://nobhilltherapeutics.com/ [April 20, 2021] In Honor of Earth Day, SodaStream Announces Ambitious Sustainable Goals Through Environmental Campaign "Don't Just Share, Care" With Social Media Specialist Randi Zuckerberg KFAR SABA, Israel, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SodaStream today launched its 2021 Earth Day campaign "Don't just share, care" with Randi Zuckerberg. In SodaStream fashion, the brand shares important environmental messages in a humorous way, featuring Randi Zuckerberg to call on people to not only virtually care on social media but also take action in real life. At the end of the video, Zuckerberg introduces a sustainable community platform where the company also published its own commitment to the environment implemented on SodaStream.com. Committing to avoid plastic waste SodaStream reusable bottles offer an alternative to single-use plastic bottles. The leading sparkling water brand forecasts the avoidance of nearly 78 billion bottles by 2025, an additional 11 billion from its goal announced last year. SodaStream will also switch to metal its flavor bottles starting at the end of this year, thus avoiding another 200 million plastic bottles. SodaStream announced they are developing sparkling water makers from recycled or plant-based material for the first time, taking their commitment to the planet to their core category and thus making their entire portfolio greener. "Our sparkling water makers are sustainable by essence; every SodaStream user saves up to thousands of single-use plastic bottles from ending up in waste. We are taking our commitment even further by introducing sparkling water makers made from sustainable material.", commented Eyal Shohat, SodaStream Global CEO. Indeed a recent survey* conduced by the company has shown that 84% of SodaStream users recognized the positive impact on the planet and reduced their single-use bottle consumption. Almost 80% admitted becoming more environmentally conscious. Reducing carbon footprint SodaStream plans to meet 10% of their global plant's total energy requirements with solar energy by 2022 a five-fold increase from 2% in 2020. Through these investments, SodaStream contributes to PepsiCo's goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy for company-owned operations globally by 2030. In addition, PepsiCo has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, one decade earlier than called for in the Paris Agreement. SodaStream's Fizzi Starter Kit and Duo Starter Kit have been certified as reducing carbon by the Carbon Trust. This certification demonstrates SoadStream's continued commitment to the environment and sustainability. The certification has allowed SodaStream to identify key areas in its products' value chain where it can take action and reduce its overall carbon footprint. Other company actions Finally, SodaStream announces the closing of its offices on Earth Day and calls employees to join clean-up activities around the globe (where possible per Covid-19 restrictions). SodaStream is also partnering with PangeaSeed Foundation, an ocean conservation non-profit with a donation towards the Foundation's environmental education and awareness efforts. *Opeepl survey conducted on 600 users for SodaStream in the USA (Jan 2021) About SodaStream SodaStream, part of PepsiCo, is the world's leading sparkling water brand. SodaStream enables consumers to enjoy endless good bubbles at home, without hassle, and help save the planet. Sodastream bubbles are better for the consumer - healthy, easy to make, light to carry - and better for the planet - replacing up to thousands of single use plastic bottles with one reusable SodaStream bottle. To learn more about SodaStream visit www.SodaStream.com and follow SodaStream on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Media Contact Global Clara Ghighi Global Public Relations Manager Clarag@sodastream.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-honor-of-earth-day-sodastream-announces-ambitious-sustainable-goals-through-environmental-campaign-dont-just-share-care-with-social-media-specialist-randi-zuckerberg-301272154.html SOURCE SodaStream [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] China eyes retail system upgrading with digital currency development Xinhua) 15:43, April 20, 2021 BOAO, Hainan, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China is aiming to upgrade its domestic retail system by further developing its digital currency. Gradual steps will expand its use via trials, according to the country's monetary authorities and experts. The development of the digital yuan initially targets China's vast retail market of 1.4 billion people, said Zhou Xiaochuan, former governor of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank. "We hope to offer the public a more convenient and effective payment method via technological progress," Zhou told a sub-forum of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference. Zhou is also the vice chairman of the forum. China began piloting its digital currency in selected regions across the country at the end of 2019. The currency is expected to be issued by the country's central bank and legally backed by the government as an alternative to paper money. During the pilot programs in cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, and Suzhou, businesses such as groceries, daily necessities, and catering, among others, already supported payments using the digital yuan. The trials have so far been very successful, according to Li Bo, deputy governor of the central bank. Li particularly noted that controllable anonymity, an ideal feature of the digital yuan, has been realized to both help protect user privacy and stamp out financial crimes. China will steadily advance the research and development of digital currencies and actively participate in the formulation of international rules and technical standards. These rules apply to data security, digital currencies, and data tax, according to the outline of the country's 14th five-year plan for national economic and social development and the long-range objectives through the year 2035. "There is no detailed timetable on the progress of the digital yuan," said Li. He added that there are still things to be done before the nationwide rollout of the digital currency, including increasing the number of trials and expanding its scope. Li said authorities are considering launching trials in more cities and having them cover more usage scenarios to enhance the eco-system of the digital yuan. Efforts will also go into boosting the infrastructure for the yuan's digitalization to improve the security and reliability of the system and to establish a legal and regulatory framework to monitor relevant businesses, Li told the forum. Zhou, meanwhile, stressed that both digital currencies and digital assets should closely serve the real economy, which is a substantial consideration in China's financial regulatory policy creation. Speaking of the use of central bank digital currencies in cross-border payments, Zhou highlighted its complexity as every country needs to ensure its monetary sovereignty. "The priority of the yuan's digitalization is currently to promote its domestic use," said Li. China will cooperate with global partners to work out a cross-border payment solution for digital currencies over time, Li said. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) US President Joe Bidens administration accuses China of genocide but reached a joint pledge to cooperate on climate. The White House is also working to arrange a summit with Russia, despite imposing harsh new sanctions. Bidens strategy is not about easing tensions, so often the stated goal of diplomacy, but identifying narrow areas to work together especially on climate change while acknowledging that much of the relationship will remain hostile. Biden alluded to Americas Cold War relationship with the Soviet Union last week after he ordered sanctions and the expulsion of Russian diplomats as a way to impose costs over Moscows alleged interference in US elections and a major hacking operation. We want a stable, predictable relationship, said Biden, who proposed a summit in a neutral country during a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin even while pressing him over the health of jailed dissident Alexei Navalny. Throughout our long history of competition, our two countries have been able to find ways to manage tensions and to keep them from escalating out of control, he said. Bidens relationship with China is guided by a similar philosophy described, in a colloquial phrase popular in his White House, as being able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a speech Monday, defended the approach from expected criticism by saying that no nations climate efforts would excuse bad behavior. Climate is not a trading card; it is our future, Blinken said. Climate envoy John Kerry, after a visit to Shanghai last week, issued a joint statement with China saying the two nations are committed to cooperating with each other. However general in tone, it marked a stark contrast to a testy first meeting between top officials in March in Alaska, where Blinken raised concerns on a host of Chinese actions including what Washington has described as genocide against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people. Subtle shift Biden has invited Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to a climate summit this week, with Kerry saying it would be tantamount to killing yourself not to work together on climate despite other disagreements. Bidens cool approach follows the highly personalized diplomacy of his predecessor Donald Trump, who voiced admiration for Putin and in his last year in office incessantly berated Beijing, which he blamed for the devastating Covid-19 pandemic. Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who advised former president Barack Obama on China, detected a gradual but significant shift in the stance toward Beijing under Biden. His administration has dialed down the rhetorical heat and focused purposefully on concrete areas of the relationship where American interests are impacted by Chinese actions, Hass said. Both sides also have slowly begun restoring direct functioning channels of diplomatic communication to address areas of concern and explore opportunities for coordination. China and the United States are the worlds top two economies and together account for half of global emissions responsible for climate change. Russia is the fourth biggest emitter and Putin has accepted an invitation to speak at the climate summit. Putins decision to participate signals that he, too, is interested in preserving some space in the fraught US-Russian relationship, said Heather Conley, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Just talk? But, Conley said: Speaking at a virtual summit and mitigating climate impacts are two very different things. What is striking to me is that while both Beijing and Moscow are speaking the language of climate change before international audiences, at home, they are putting their foot on the accelerator to increase global carbon emissions, she said, pointing to Russias fossil-fuel industry and Chinas reliance on coal plants. In a recent essay, Andrew Erickson, a China expert at the US Naval War College, and Gabriel Collins of Rice University argued that the United States should look to compete rather than coordinate with China on climate. They said the United States could champion a carbon tax on exports already backed by the European Union to force China to cut back on coal. Xis bullish talk of combating climate change is a smokescreen for a more calculated agenda, they wrote in Foreign Affairs. Chinese policymakers know their country is critical to any comprehensive international effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and they are trying to use that leverage to advance Chinese interests in other areas. Hyderabad, April 20 : Telugu actress Lakshmi Manchu, whose YouTube series "Chitti Chilakamma" on parenting has been getting good response, says amid the latest Covid surge, parents need to be aware that their fear of the pandemic can affect their children, too. Mother of six-year-old daughter Nirwana, Lakshmi feels it is important to have a healthy dialogue with children around what is happening. "There is more need for content like this because we are clueless. Right now we are so scared because of the pandemic, and that fear is being instilled in our children, " Lakshmi tells IANS. She says the effort on her show is to source content that helps, in this context. "Looking at content where we can do activities and how to really address our children's problems gives us more tools and power to handle our children, " she says. The actress often brings her daughter on the show, especially if there is a fitness episode. "I believe that at times like this when kids are so glued to their phones, iPads and the television, it is important to encourage physical activities with our kids and let it be very simple. That is why I like brining Nirvana at my workout sessions -- not that she does the entire session, but sometimes she likes to do certain workouts that she finds difficult or maybe she likes to show off how well she can stretch. All of this is encouragement for them to move and not be stuck in one place," says Lakshmi. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The murder trial of a former police officer charged with George Floyds death now rests with 12 jurors in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Steve Schleicher, a government lawyer asked the jurors to believe your eyes and to find former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the charges. He said, This case is exactly what you thought when you saw it first, when you saw that video." The government opened the trial showing video of Chauvin, a white man, with his knee on Floyds neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. In the video, Floyd, a Black man, could be heard repeatedly saying, I cant breathe... He did what he did on purpose, and it killed George Floyd," Schleicher told the jurors. "And the state does not need to prove its case beyond all doubt. It does not need to prove its case beyond what I call an unreasonable doubt." Eric Nelson was the defense lawyer for Chauvin. He reminded jurors that the former police officer should have a "presumption of innocence." That means jurors should not judge the case before they have heard all the evidence. Nelson asked the jurors to consider the 17 minutes that came before the nine minutes and 29 seconds they saw on the video. He said the officer was answering an emergency call about a male suspect who used fake money and appeared to be under the influence, in other words, using drugs. He said Chauvin arrived when Floyd was actively resisting other officers. He played the video from the body camera of an officer showing the struggle. He said, Three Minneapolis police officers were not able to get Mr. Floyd into the car. He asked the jurors to consider what a reasonable officer would do. As for the use of force, placing a knee on the neck of a suspect, Nelson said, All of the evidence shows that Mr. Chauvin thought he was following his trainingHe was following Minneapolis police department policies. He was trained this way. Awaiting verdict The government lawyers asked the jurors to find Chauvin guilty of one of three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Second-degree murder carries up to 40 years in prison, third-degree murder 25 years, and second-degree manslaughter 10 years. But a person could receive 12 years and six months in prison if found guilty of the murder charges. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He chose not to give evidence at his trial. Outside the courthouse, law enforcement officers and armed National Guard members stood watch on streets around Minneapolis. The soldiers were there because officials feared a repeat of last years riots leading to burned buildings and stealing from businesses. Just last week, another police officer was charged with the shooting and killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was shot during a traffic stop. A police official said the officer mistakenly shot Wright and had meant to use a Taser against him. The incident led to several days of protests and riots in the area. Across the U.S., people are closely watching the trial. Speaking to reporters from the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration is talking with local officials, mayors and governors. She said the aim is to ensure there is a space for peaceful protest in Minneapolis and other communities after a verdict. The social media website Facebook said it would limit content that could lead to civil unrest or violence. This includes identifying and removing calls to bring arms to areas in Minneapolis, which we have temporarily deemed to be a high-risk location. I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. Hai Do wrote this report for Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fake n. meant to look real but not real or genuine Taser n. a weapon designed to give non-deadly electroshock to make a person unable to fight or move We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Boris Johnson is preparing to announce a fresh target to reduce the UK's carbon emissions ahead of the Cop26 international climate change summit later this year. The UK has committed to reducing emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 a target that is seen as one of the most ambitious among developed nations. But the prime minister will in the coming days pledge a steeper cut of 78 per cent by 2035 compared with 1990 levels, according to the Financial Times. The paper, quoting people who had been briefed on the plan, said the announcement would be made this week ahead of a major US summit on Thursday where President Joe Biden is expected to set out a new US target for reducing emissions. But Mr Johnson has been urged to make international climate agreements legally binding after warnings from scientists that the UK doesnt have a plan to meet its commitments. Climate experts and scientists have drawn up draft legislation that could enshrine the Paris Agreement in domestic law and commit the government to produce a plan to meet it. Despite support from over 118 MPs and peers, the government is denying the Commons parliamentary time to discuss the legislation. More than 100 climate experts wrote to the prime minister on Monday demanding action. Mr Johnsons new target, if confirmed, would be in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, published last year, for the government's sixth carbon budget. In its report, the committee said that it would effectively bring forward by 15 years the UK's commitment to getting to an 80 per cent reduction. In order to be achieved, it said that there would have to be more electric vehicles, an extension of offshore wind power generation, a reduction in meat and dairy consumption and the planting of new woodland. The reported move comes at a time when the government is anxious to give a clear lead on climate change in the run-up to the Cop26 talks in Glasgow in November. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said that ministers would be making an announcement "shortly". A spokesperson said: "We will set our ambition for carbon budget six shortly, taking into account the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee." For Labour, shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said the government had repeatedly failed to match ambitious promises on emissions with effective action on the ground. "While any strengthening of our targets is the right thing to do, the government can't be trusted to match rhetoric with reality," he said. "We need a government that treats the climate emergency as the emergency it is. "This year, as hosts of Cop26, the UK has a particular responsibility to lead the world and show the way forward for a greener future. This government isn't up to the task." A new West Virginia bill proposes regulations against censorship of information by social media companies during an election, with some criminal and civil penalties" depending on the nature of the violation.Known as House Bill 3307 , the legislation looks to create two things: 1) the Social Media Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Elections Act and 2) the Stop Social Media Censorship Act.The first act would require social media companies to make election-related content on their platforms transparent and provide political parties and candidates with equal opportunities to share information online without being affected by policy- or partisan-based censorship.The second act would implement criminal and civil penalties for companies that delete or censor a user's religious or political speech.A lot of this work started in coordination with Secretary of State Mac Warner as a result of the 2020 election, Delegate Daniel Linville, the primary sponsor of the bill, said. There was particular concern about Facebook putting out incorrect information about registering to vote and primary dates.According to Linville, Facebooks election center promoted inaccurate details, prompting Secretary Warner to exchange several emails with the company to rectify the issue.This incident, he said, led to a larger conversation about who receives information posted by Facebook and whether or not the company targets users based on specific demographics such as age, geographic area, political party affiliation or gender.The incident also raised questions about how social media companies play a role in censoring information shared online by political candidates during an election.The purpose of this bill is to ensure that users arent treated differently because of targeting by social media companies or censored because of their political or religious beliefs, Linville said.To enforce its stipulations, the bill would require companies to share information such as election dates or voting sign-up instructions with the secretary of states office before it is published to ensure the information is correct.But is it too invasive for government to have a say in what social media companies publish? ACLU-WV Policy Director Eli Baumwell believes the answer is in the affirmative.One of the concerns about this legislation is that the secretary of state would be deciding whats true and whats not true, Baumwell said. You dont want to put the government in charge of deciding those things.The legislation might also disincentivize companies from addressing issues such as the spread of disinformation or calls to violence.Bills like this are largely in response to President Trump being banned from social media sites along with other politicians that engage in a similar rhetoric, Baumwell said. I dont think the answer is censorship. There are other options such as flagging information or providing fact checks.As for enforcing criminal penalties to regulate social media companies, Baumwell said "this more than likely won't happen."Until another reasonable option is found, he said, theres a lot more innovation that needs to be done. Even as the states vaccination rollout improves, most of Pennsylvanias counties are showing substantial spread of COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolfs office said Tuesday. Across Pennsylvania, 55 of the states 67 counties are showing high transmission of the coronavirus, according to the Wolf administration. Last week, 50 counties showed substantial spread of the coronavirus. The positive test rate for COVID-19 rose to 9.6% for the week of April 9-15, a slight increase from 9.5% the previous week. The positive test rate has now risen for five consecutive weeks, although the rate has only increased by a tenth of a percentage point in each of the past two weeks. COVID-19 remains a threat in our communities and we continue to report thousands of cases each day, Gov. Wolf said in a statement. The vaccines are giving us a glimmer of hope as we continue our fight against the virus. As residents get vaccinated, it remains important for us to stay the course and continue washing hands, wearing a mask and social distancing. Pennsylvania has accelerated the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, expanding eligibility to everyone over the age of 16 last week. Wolf has said Pennsylvania is getting more robust supplies of vaccines. The governor received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Monday. Even as more people are getting vaccinated, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has risen in the past few weeks. More than 2,800 people are being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals, according to data from the Pennsylvania Health Department. The number of hospitalizations has nearly doubled since mid-March. More counties are seeing high transmission of the coronavirus in recent weeks. In mid-March, only 21 counties were showing substantial spread. Wolf and other state officials say they are now increasingly concerned about persuading those who are reluctant to get vaccinated. A Muhlenberg College poll last week found 3 in 10 of those surveyed who have not had a shot said they dont plan on getting vaccinated. Pennsylvania Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam has said more people are beginning to travel, which is a factor in the uptick in new infections. She is urging residents to get vaccinated now that everyone is eligible. We know getting vaccinated is a personal choice, but we will continue to educate residents on how this vaccine will provide the best layer of protection against the virus as we believe good information will lead to good decisions, she said in a statement. A closer look 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. Nearly all of central Pennsylvanias counties are seeing substantial transmission, along with the Philadelphia region and most of the Pittsburgh area. Only three counties have low transmission, while nine counties are showing moderate spread, the Wolf administration said. Heres the full breakdown of COVID-19 transmission levels in each county. Low: Cameron, Forest and Potter Moderate: Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Tioga, Venango and Warren Substantial: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York The vaccine rollout Statewide, more than 2.8 million residents are fully vaccinated and more than 1.8 million have received one shot of a two-dose vaccine, the Pennsylvania Health Department said Tuesday. As of early Tuesday, at least 43% of eligible Pennsylvanians have received at least one shot of COVID-19, which ranks 10th in the U.S. The state data doesnt include the city of Philadelphia, which gets its own vaccine supply and is handling its own rollout. In Philadelphia, more than 690,000 have received at least one dose and more than 450,000 are fully vaccinated, according to the city health department. The Pennsylvania Health Department reported more than 4,500 new cases and 77 new fatalities Tuesday. More than 1.1 million coronavirus cases have been reported in Pennsylvania and more than 25,000 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, according to the 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 What should Pa. learn from COVID-19? And will we embrace the lessons in such divided times? Pa. can improve pandemic response capability, shouldnt let partisan politics interfere, top official says Apr 20, 2021 12:30 PM Spring Cleaning Tips Spring has sprung and that means many people are beginning their spring cleaning. Check out some safety tips below from the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) to keep your family and your pets safe as you de-winterize your home and properties. Using Cleaning Products Safety Spring cleaning sometimes means using cleaning products that we dont use very often. Make sure you read the labels on all of your cleaning products before use and follow the directions exactly. Also never mixing cleaning products doing so can result in accidental poisonings. For instance, if you mix bleach with a cleaner that contains ammonia, you can create chloramine gas, which can be deadly. Open the windows and turn on fans when youre using cleaning products to keep the area well-ventilated, as an added precaution. Youll also want to protect your skin from these products since they may harm the skin: oven cleaners, drain openers, or rust removers. Rubber Gloves A pair of rubber gloves are a great form of protection and can be found in most grocery stores. Keeping Cleaners Away from Kids and Pets In addition to keeping your cleaning supplies out of reach of pets and children, you may consider locking them up with a child-safety lock or latch. Its also important to keep cleaning products in their original containers, since transferring them makes it hard for others to tell what it is without the label and can leave behind residue that kiddos and pets can get into Youll also want to wash and rinse measuring cups and buckets you use for your cleaning projects to get rid of any leftover product. Pet Safe Cleaning and Yard Work Always keep your pets on a leash or inside when youre working with fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides in your yard and/or on your property. Make sure you purchase products that wont attract your pets like cocoa bean mulch, which can be toxic if ingested. The same goes for using indoor cleaning products. If youre using any cleaning products, keep your pets away from the area. Also be sure to rinse away any leftover products when you finish cleaning. Many pets have a habit of licking leftover water from the bathtub or shower, or even drinking from the toilet you dont want your pets ingesting any cleaning products in the process. If you suspect your pet has ingested a poisonous product, contact your veterinarian or a local emergency veterinarian immediately. Using Outdoor Cleaning Products Safely Many people are also getting outside and sprucing up their yards during the spring season. These products can cause harm if swallowed: fertilizers, mulch, weed killers, and pesticides. Keep children out of the area while using these products a, so your pets and children dont accidentally get into them. The same storage guidelines go for these products as the indoor cleaning products keep them out of reach of pets and kiddos! What to Do In Case of Accidental Poisoning If you or a family member, may have been accidentally poisoned, contact the UPCC immediately at 1-800-222-1222. This line is a free, 24-hour service. Their specialists in poison information can help you with treatment and let you know if you need to go to your local emergency department. What to Expect When Calling the UPCC The poison specialist will ask you questions about the following topics during your call: Exact name of the product Amount taken When the poisoning happened The age and weight of the poisoned person How the person is doing Phone number where you can be reached Prevention is key to avoiding poisoning from products you use in spring cleaning. The Utah Poison Control Center is here to assist you with any questions or poison exposures you may have. The British Pound is seen on the defensive on Tuesday, April 20 despite the ONS showing a fall in the UK unemployment rate. Ahead of the European session, the Pound to Euro exchange rate is trading -0.23% lower at 1.15911, while the Pound to US Dollar exchange rate is -0.03% lower at 1.39869. UK Unemployment Held Below 5.0%, but March Payrolls Decline 56,000 as Companies Control Costs The latest labour-market data recorded a smaller than expected unemployment rate of 4.9%, but there was a decline in payrolls for March which suggests that companies were focussed on keeping employment costs down as economic restrictions continued. The UK unemployment rate was estimated at 4.9% in the three months to February from 5.0% previously and below consensus forecasts of 5.1%. In the same period, employment declined 73,000 compared with market expectations of a 150,000 decline. The claims for universal credit increased 10,100 for March after an 86,600 increase the previous month and below consensus forecasts of a 25,000 increase. #UK #labour market - a number of latest surveys have suggested that #businesses are becoming significantly more confident in outlook as restrictions on activity are eased in line with government road map & are becoming more prepared to employ https://t.co/dCTpxrd7iE Howard Archer (@HowardArcherUK) April 20, 2021 According to the ONS, early estimates for March 2021 indicate that there were 28.2 million employees on payrolls, a decline of 813,000 compared with March 2020 and a decline of 56,000 on the month. For the first quarter of 2021, the total number of weekly hours worked was 959.9 million, down 92.3 million hours on the same period the previous year and down 20.1 million hours compared with the previous quarter. There were an estimated 607,000 job vacancies in January to March 2021, a 22.7% fall compared with a year ago, but slightly higher than the 601,000 figure for February. At the end of February, 4.65 million workers were on furlough, down from a peak of 8.8 million at the start of the pandemic in April 2020. Above: UK payrolls chart ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan said: "The latest figures suggest that the jobs market has been broadly stable in recent months after the major shock of last spring. The number of people on payroll fell slightly in March after a few months of growth. "There are, though, over 800,000 fewer employees than before the pandemic struck, and with around five million people employed but still on furlough, the labour market remains subdued. "However, with the prospect of businesses reopening, there was a marked rise in job vacancies in March, especially in sectors such as hospitality." BBC Economics Editor Faisal Islam noted; Employers were able to navigate the second lockdown without widespread further job losses, thanks to the extension of support schemes such as furlough. This provides a more solid basis than might have been expected for the phased reopening of the economy. There will be strains, especially as support is phased out in late summer. But these figures offer hope of a lower peak to unemployment, perhaps at around 6%, than had been expected. BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, commented: The latest data confirms that the UK labour market remains subdued. While there was a marginal fall in the unemployment rate, the squeeze on activity from ongoing restrictions helped drive a decline in payroll employment in March. He added; Unemployment remains on course to peak towards the end of 2021, once the furlough scheme expires and those who stopped job hunting during the pandemic look to return to the workforce as restrictions ease. ING commented; A combination of the end of the furlough scheme, and to a lesser extent a potential increase in inbound UK migration later this year (partly reversing last years population fall) are both likely to trigger a temporary spike in the jobless rate to 6-6.5%. Premier Miton UK Fund manager Jon Hudson, noted relief that the unemployment rate had fallen: It highlights the success of the governments furlough scheme and suggests the economy is well placed to bounce back once restrictions are lifted. The mixed data was unable to provide further Pound Sterling momentum with a muted overall reaction. The Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate just below the 1.4000 level amid US dollar weakness while the Euro to Pound (EUR/GBP) exchange rate around 0.8620. After the Delhi government imposed a week long lockdown from Monday night to curb the spike in Covid cases, in a replay of last year's migrants crisis, a large number of people gathered at bus stations here on Tuesday to flee from the city, fearing the shutdown of the public transport may force them to walk hundreds of kilometers. Last year, hundreds of migrant labourers had left the city on foot in the absence of public transport during the lockdown. Hundreds of people including children, women and elderly queued up at Rajiv Chowk, Sector-12, Sector-34, Khandsa and Sector-37 bus stations on Tuesday with their belongings to head home leaving their jobs and employment back in the city. Ram Lal, a migrant labourer waiting for a bus at the bus stand, told IANS, "I am going to the village in Bihar due to the lockdown, how can the poor man give rent and survive without earning. Due to lockdown in Delhi maximum employees of our company are working from home but we are helpers, we have no such facilities. Our company has been closed. I have to take care of my family. I will not come back here now." Tulsi Kumar, another migrant labourer told IANS, "I am going to my village in Uttar Pradesh. After the lockdown, work will be stopped, then how will I take care of myself and my family. I will come back after the situation becomes normal." The labourers could be seen at several bus stops across the city. At Sector-12 bus stop where only one bus heads towards Madhya Pradesh before the lockdown in Delhi, now after the lockdown four buses are heading for Madhya Pradesh. "We are paying Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for our destination which is a huge amount, but we have no other option but to pay this amount as I just want to reach my native place at any cost rather than stay here without any work," Rawal Singh told IANS. Like them, many others from various parts of the city are heading to the bus stands from where they will catch a bus to their villages. However, majority of them said, this time corona fear is not in their mind, the only thing in their mind is how to reach home without walking on foot. It is estimated that nearly 20 per cent of labourers from Gurugram have left the district. "The spike in Covid-19 cases is a worrisome concern for us but the lockdown in Delhi has panicked workers despite our request they are not ready to stay here. This will affect the industries a lot. Hundreds of workers have already left the city and more are going back. The industries are now facing labour crunch which will cause delays in productions," Aman Khanna, an owner of an automobile unit told IANS. (Natural News) Biden administration officials announced a plan to reduce the cost of solar energy by 60 percent within the next ten years. This goal, set by the Department of Energy (DOE), aims to reduce the cost of utility-scale solar energy by 2025 and 2030. According to officials, the move was essential to achieving the 100 percent clean energy by 2035 objective set by President Joe Biden. In a March 25 statement, the DOE said it would strive to reduce the cost of solar energy, currently at 4.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, to 3 cents by 2025 and 2 cents by 2030. It also announced new funding worth $128 million for solar energy intended to lower its cost, improve its performance and expedite its deployment. Most of the funding would be allocated to research on thin-film solar and concentrating solar-thermal technologies. DOE Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said: In many parts of the country, solar is already cheaper than coal and other fossil fuels and with more innovation, we can cut the cost [of solar] again by more than half within the decade. The Energy Departments plan builds upon a goal set by former President Barack Obama in 2011. This goal set by Obama was eventually reached in 2017 when the cost of utility-scale solar energy fell to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. The department added that hundreds of gigawatts of solar energy need to be installed at five times faster than the current rate to achieve Bidens dream of a carbon-free electric grid by 2035. Democratic lawmakers lauded the Energy Departments plan for solar energy. Democratic Sen. Edward J. Markey said: To meet our bold zero emissions goals by 2035, we need to unleash major investment in solar energy and technologies. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) also shared the same sentiments. To combat climate change, America must put clean energy within the reach of every household. I applaud the Department of Energy for making this strong investment in our energy future, the New Mexico lawmaker commented. DOE to allocate funding to promote solar technologies The DOE, through its Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), commented that agency funding worth $128 million will focus on thin-film solar and concentrating solar-thermal technologies. The department stated that SETO will support research on two main materials to create solar cells perovskites and cadmium telluride (CdTE) thin films. (Related: The solar energy industry is exploding with new technologies, including solar paint.) The department will award $40 million to 22 projects aiming to utilize perovskites, a family of emerging solar materials that result in high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells. In addition, it will award $3 million worth of capital to entrepreneurs wishing to commercialize perovskite solar panels through the Perovskite Startup Prize. Furthermore, the department will allocate $20 million for the development CdTe solar panels. The DOEs National Renewable Energy Laboratory will set up a consortium to advance CdTe as a material for solar panels. First developed in the U.S., more affordable CdTe panels make up 20 percent of the modules installed in the country. An additional $7 million will also be allocated toward projects that will increase the lifetime of existing silicon-based photovoltaic systems. This separate allocation will strive to improve photovoltaic system components such as inverters, connectors, cables and trackers and extend their lifetime by an additional 20 years. (Related: Solar cell breakthrough could DOUBLE energy capture efficiency to over 40 percent.) The DOE also announced funding for concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) projects, allocating a total of $58 million for this purpose. CSP differs from conventional photovoltaic energy that directly converts sunlight into electricity straight away. Instead, CSP systems use the heat of the sun to power a turbine or engine that then generates electricity. Of this amount, $33 million will be set aside for advancing CSP technologies with the goal of long-duration energy storage. This technology couples well with CSP plants and is key to decarbonizing the electricity sector, but the DOE said its cost must fall by a factor of two before it can be rolled out. The remaining $25 million will be directed to Sandia National Laboratories, who will then establish a facility for researchers, developers and manufacturers to test next-generation CSP components and systems. The DOEs promotion of solar energy comes in line with new legislation to encourage further developments in the field. Reps. Mike Doyle, Vern Buchanan and Earl Blumenauer introduced the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2021 on March 9 to extend investment tax credit to standalone energy systems. Under the current system, standalone energy storage systems only qualify for tax credits if they are accompanied solar energy collection systems. The bill by Doyle and his colleagues would extend this tax credit to a wider range of applications, not just solar. In a statement, Doyle said the proposed bill would encourage the use of energy storage technologies, helping [to] reach climate goals and create a more resilient and sustainable future. According to the Pennsylvania lawmaker, the bill he introduced would promote greater investment and research into energy storage technologies, bolster the advanced energy economy and create more clean energy jobs. Visit Power.news to read more about future advancements in solar. Sources include: Bloomberg.com Energy.gov UtilityDive.com Doyle.House.gov 1 [PDF] Doyle.House.gov 2 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. In October, when protests against police brutality erupted across Nigerias major cities, not even the harsh weather could deter crowds of protesters from staging public displays of dissent. With fists in the air, under the downpour of rain, scores of angry protesterssome shirtless and waving the Nigerian flagchanted, Who is a bad boy? Buhari is a bad boy! referring to President Muhammadu Buhari. In the commercial capital of Lagos, business activities stopped. For days, Africas biggest economy was paralyzed. As the protests got bigger and spread to other cities, the Nigerian government capitulated on Oct. 11, announcing the dissolution of SARS, the special anti-robbery unit of the Nigerian Police Force that was responsible for indiscriminate arrests, extortion, and extrajudicial killings. Advertisement The dissolution of SARS was a significant victory for the #EndSARS protests and millions of Nigerians who have been affected by police brutality. This story was widely coveredand generally celebratedin the international press. Far less well-known but equally important is what happened next. The demonstrations split the movement, with fatal consequences. When protests continued after the formal ending of SARSa decision about which there was serious disagreementNigerian security forces attacked crowds of protesters and killed several people on Oct. 20. The internal struggles of Nigerias main protest groups and the violent clashes between the state and its citizens may tell us a great deal about the countrys future and the shrinking civic space under the Buhari regime. But one of the most curious aspects of this story is the outsize role of the American social media company Twitter, whose CEO Jack Dorsey chose to recognize and mobilize donations toward one faction of the #EndSARS movement, inadvertently amplifying its divisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campaign to end SARS began long before many in the West had heard of it. In 2017, Segun Awosanya, a realtor and human rights activist, created a nongovernmental organization called the Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation to advocate for victims of police abuse. The group promoted a two-pronged social media campaign: #EndSARS, which focused on disbanding the police unit, and #ReformPoliceNG, which advocated for police reforms. When Nigerians were arrested, extorted, or brutalized by SARS officers and other police, they immediately contacted Awosanya. His ability to effectively engage Nigerian police authorities and seek redress for many Nigerians brutalized by police instantly turned him into a social media celebrity. But when the #EndSARS movement expanded into large street demonstrations in October, Awosanyas role diminished. Some protesters even demanded a leaderless movement. Awosanya described it to me as a palace coup by his detractors and competitors to hijack the movement. He says that people began rewriting the Wikipedia page dedicated to #EndSARS and minimizing his contribution to the movement while promoting the role of others. (The Wikipedia page did indeed change to limit discussion of his role in #EndSARS.) Advertisement Ndi Kato, a gender activist who participated in the protests, disputed this characterization and insisted the reality was much simpler: The campaign changed as it grew into a mass movement. Young people wanted to hold the government accountable, young people needed to rise up, and young women showed up. It wasnt hijacked from anyone, she told me. While Awosanya deserves credit for his work in starting and promoting the movement, Kato thinks he suffers from something of a savior complex. Advertisement One of the groups that emerged as the protests escalated in size and importance was the Feminist Coalition, which created a nationwide system that worked to ensure the release of arrested protesters by raising and disbursing funds for the movement and establishing a legal aid service composed of volunteers. The Feminist Coalition is part of a long Nigerian legacy of women spearheading social movements, including the Aba Womens Riots of 1929 and the Abeokuta Womens Union founded by activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti in 1946. And it is mostly to the credit of the women-led Feminist Coalition that the #EndSARS protests endured after Oct. 11, when Buhari announced that SARS had been disbanded. The Feminist Coalition felt confident that unless protests continued, this would remain an empty promise. Advertisement The demonstrations escalated domestically and abroad, as members of the Nigerian diaspora in London, Berlin, New York, and elsewhere organized #EndSARS protests in solidarity. Awosanya, however, considered the strategy of continued protests overly aggressive, unrealistic, and unsustainable. He later described it as the old system of throwing tantrums, burning things, creating chaos, blocking roads, and inconveniencing the people. Isolated and on the sidelines of a movement he had helped start, Awosanya found himself on opposite sides from some of his former allies. Advertisement On Oct. 14, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey got involved. He tweeted two links with the hashtag #EndSARS, one to a page curating stories of victims of SARS and police brutality in Nigerias tech community and the other to the official website of the Feminist Coalitiona significant endorsement for the group. Dorsey went further with another tweet calling for Bitcoin donations to help #EndSARS. Twitter subsequently created a tight-fist emoji draped in the Nigerian flag to support the movement. With the help of Dorseys endorsement, the Feminist Coalition managed to raise $150,000 in Bitcoin donations after its bank account was deactivated by Nigerian authorities. Advertisement Twitter also took the somewhat unusual step of verifying the handle of the Feminist Coalition as well as those of some of its members and other protest advocates. Twitter reserves its blue verification checkmark for accounts it regards as especially prominent, authentic, and authoritative. However, Twitter did not verify Awosanyas account, even though it has more than 700,000 followers, nearly four times more than the Feminist Coalition, and had been the face of #EndSARS since 2017. The support of Twitter and its CEO was seen as a recognition and endorsement of the Feminist Coalitions leadership of the entire #EndSARS movement. Twitter had inadvertently selected the leaders of Nigerias social movement against police brutality and effectively escalated the rivalry that had already fractured the movement. Advertisement Advertisement But Twitter really helped to amplify the movement, and that was a great thing, according to Kato, who supported the Feminist Coalition in this fight but is not a member. I like that Jack cares about causes and this is one of them. In contrast, she pointed out, Facebook took down some of the #EndSARS posts on its platform, a move the social media company subsequently apologized for. (It said that the takedown was a result of anti-COVID misinformation measures; the algorithms were keeping an eye out for the acronym SARS because its also the name of the 2003 disease caused by a coronavirus.) Embittered by Twitters role during the #EndSARS protests, Awosanya said it merely reflects how much the world now equates social media clout with the meaning of truth, calling it a form of jungle justice. Advertisement Bolstered by the endorsement it had received from Twitter and the tremendous goodwill it was now enjoying from many Nigerians, Feminist Coalition continued its protest campaign and fundraising on social media. In the days that followed, it managed to fund more than 154 protests across Nigeria and successfully raised more than $190,000. On Oct. 18, Awosanya issued a statement withdrawing from the #EndSARS protests, going so far as to say continued actions were threatening the integrity of our nation and gunning for youth insurrection in the name of #EndSARSessentially, insinuating that the sustained protests were tantamount to a mobilization of Nigerian youths to overthrow the government. Advertisement Advertisement Two days later, Nigerian security forces fired on crowds of demonstrators in Lagos, killing at least 10 people, according to Amnesty International. Advertisement Two days after the Oct. 20 shooting, Buhari made a nationwide broadcast in which he made clear that any further protests would not be tolerated. He urged the protesters to resist the temptation of being used by some subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of truncating our nascent democracy. Failure to do this will amount to undermining national security. Many heard clear echoes of Awosanyas own words in the language Buhari was using to squelch the protest movement. Kato said that Awosanya, by using phrases like youth insurrection and threatening the integrity of our nation, gave the Nigerian government justification for using force. Those words put a lot of young people in danger. People have lost their lives. Advertisement Awosanya disputed accusations that his controversial statements provided the Nigerian government with the ammunition to discredit and descend on the demonstrations with force. Nobody discredited anybodythey did that all by themselves. They were already discredited. Professor Chidi Odinkalu, a former chairman of Nigerias National Human Rights Commission and currently senior team manager for the Africa Program of the Open Society Justice Initiative, recently reflected on the split in the protest movement. On social media, people can get lost in their own propaganda and begin to see the growth of others in that ecosystem as a diminution of their own worth. Someone like Segun Awosanya, for instance, began to see himself in a world entirely of his own making as the alter ego of #EndSARS, Odinkalu told me. Advertisement But more broadly, Twitters role in Nigerias #EndSARS protests raises concerns about how big American tech companies make decisions on developments in countries with contexts they do not understand. If youre sitting in Toronto or San Francisco or in a place other than Lagos, unless you have the benefit of exposure to the cultural dynamics of the country, it is going to be difficult to take a constructive step, said Enrique Piraces, director of the technology program at the Carnegie Mellon University Center for Human Rights Science. In May, in another example of how cultural and geographic distance can flummox U.S.-based tech companies, Facebook deactivated the accounts of at least 60 Tunisian activists with no explanation. Citing technical error, it later restored some of the accounts, after a petition by Access Now. The online advocacy group noted that Facebooks technical error reinforces the widely-shared perception that Facebook is only committed to honoring the rights of users in the United States and Europe. Advertisement Twitter did not respond to a request for comment. But on April 12, Jack Dorsey announced in a tweet that the company will be opening its first African office in Ghana. The announcement comes after Facebook announced in 2020 that it was opening a new office in Lagos. Meanwhile, as conversations continue on Nigerian social media about a second wave of #EndSARS protests, Buhari has tweeted about his disgust, particularly with CNNs and BBCs coverage of the protests. But how far his government will go to crush future #EndSARS protests remains to be seen. Whatever happens, Kato believes the coming wave of protests is unstoppable, noting that the protests will be carried out by people you cannot tell to go back inside. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. The federal education department has removed two videos from its new respectful relationships education website following widespread community backlash, including from two state education ministers who labelled the $3.8 million resources as disappointing. NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell on Tuesday described the federal governments new website, The Good Society, as a pretty woeful attempt to educate young people about sex and consent. Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said he would not recommend the resource to public schools. The suite of 350 online materials for teachers, students and parents was developed for $3.79 million and launched last week as part of the Respect Matters program, established under the federal governments 2015 womens safety package. But a chorus of sex education experts and womens rights organisations quickly criticised the materials as simplistic and patronising, with euphemistic references to sex and consent. The remains of a Tesla vehicle are seen after it crashed in an area of Texas on Saturday (via REUTERS) Police in Texas investigating a Tesla car crash in which two men died will serve search warrants on the company to ascertain if the vehicles autopilot mode was engaged at the time of the incident. However Teslas CEO, Elon Musk, has said the self-driving feature was not being used, based on an internal probe by the company. In the incident, two men, both in their 50s, were killed after their 2019 Tesla Model S crashed into a tree and caught fire. According to police reports, the car was travelling at a high speed and failed to negotiate a curve in the road. Texas police noted that nobody was at the driving seat at the time of impact, raising doubts about the involvement of the cars autopilot mode. But Mr Musk responded on Monday afternoon in a tweet saying that data logs retrieved from the crashed car by the company so far ruled out the use of the autopilot system. Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled ... Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have, he tweeted. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Reuters quoted police constable Mark Herman from Harris County Precinct 4 saying that this was the first time the officers were hearing from the company regarding the case. We have witness statements from people that said they left to test drive the vehicle without a driver and to show the friend how it can drive itself, Mr Herman was quoted saying in the report. Mr Herman added that the police are yet to get access to the companys data on the accident. We will eagerly wait for that data, he said. In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which regulates vehicle safety in the US, opened investigations into 27 crashes involving Tesla vehicles. Twenty-three of these believed to have been tied to autopilot use are reportedly active ongoing investigations. During one such earlier incident in 2018, involving a fatal crash, NHTSA removed Tesla as a party to the probe after the company made public details of the probe without authorisation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates accidents, and makes recommendations to improve transport safety, said its probe into the Texas crash would focus on the vehicles operation and the post-crash fire. Lucy, The Human Chimp (Channel4) Rating: Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World Rating: Teenagers are a handful. The most placid and loving child is liable to throw a moody strop when the hormones kick in. The Temerlins daughter, Lucy, became a particular problem. Overnight their adorable girl lost all interest in her dollies and began staging destructive tantrums when she couldnt get her own way. Maurice and Jane, a mild-mannered pair of academics, were baffled. Soon they were afraid to have friends over or even take Lucy in the car to the shops. Who could have foreseen such a personality change? Answer: just about anybody. What were the Temerlins thinking, a decade earlier, when they drugged a captive chimpanzee mother and took her two-day-old baby to raise as a human child? Lucy, The Human Chimp (C4) was one of the strangest and most upsetting documentaries youll see this year Lucy, The Human Chimp (C4) was one of the strangest and most upsetting documentaries youll see this year. A mixture of archive footage and reconstructions with actors, it was narrated by animal researcher Janis Carter herself a young student in 1976, when she stepped in after the Temerlins could no longer cope. Poor Lucy had no idea she was a chimpanzee. She grew up the subject of a deeply misguided experiment at Oklahoma University. She was taught to smoke and acquired a taste for gin and lime, squeezing the fruit with her teeth. Hugely affectionate, Lucy learned to communicate with 120 words of sign language. But an adolescent chimp in a temper is strong enough to dismember a human, and as she grew, Lucy was increasingly confined to a cage. When Janis was first hired as her keeper, Lucy spent hours signalling desperately. Eventually the young woman understood: the chimp was cold, and she wanted a mug of tea. Poor Lucy had no idea she was a chimpanzee. She grew up the subject of a deeply misguided experiment at Oklahoma University Over the next decade, Janis strove to teach Lucy how to survive in the wild. It meant years of living together on an island reserve in Gambia, as the bewildered, homesick ape gradually came to accept she wasnt a human being. This programme provoked extreme emotions. I dont know how anyone could sit through the 90 minutes without boiling with disgust at the arrogance and short-sightedness of the Temerlins. At the same time, I was left in awe of Janis Carter, whose dedication to Lucy and other chimps on the reserve was saintly. The film-makers skirted around Janiss upbringing, though there was a sense she did not trust humans in one unguarded moment, she spoke about the vile forces of civilisation. Greta Thunbergs motivations are clear and precise in A Year To Change The World (BBC1) Id love to have found out more about her motivations. But perhaps youd have to be a chimpanzee to really know her. Greta Thunbergs motivations are clear and precise in A Year To Change The World (BBC1). The 18-year-old Swedish eco-activist has a gift for self-analysis and an ability to express her findings with articulate care. She dislikes crowds, she says. The hubbub and bustle of a protest march is exhausting. When she addresses a rally, she adopts a persona, a character with a flair for oratory though it frustrates her that people respond to her emotions and ignore the scientific substance of her speeches. When she spoke of how the prospect of catastrophic climate change sometimes depresses her, she became tearful. Then she dried her eyes and tried to rationalise her sadness. Sir David Attenborough saw her vulnerability at once, and with real compassion tried to offer words of reassurance. But what emerges from this series is a portrait of a young woman driving herself beyond her endurance. Shes intent on protecting the planet, but she deserves protection, too. Many program gaps remain a critical challenge TORONTO, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is pleased that today's federal budget extends the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) into the fall. It is also positive to see the federal government lay out a plan for recovery, including helping small businesses hire more workers. "Small businesses have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with only 56 per cent fully open across the country a year after the pandemic began," said CFIB president Dan Kelly. "Today's budget delivered meaningful support to many, but there are still critical gaps in the federal relief programs that exclude tens of thousands of hard-hit businesses." Federal support programs While the extension of existing programs is good news, CFIB is disappointed that new businesses are still shut out of accessing any support. In addition, no new measures were put in place to help address the $170,000 in new COVID-related debt the average small firm has taken on. CFIB had recommended government increase the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans to $80,000 with a 50 per cent forgivable portion as well as adding a forgivable portion to loans under the Heavily Affected Sector Credit Availability Program (HASCAP). "I congratulate Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland for moving on CFIB's recommendation for a significant hiring incentive for small business owners," Kelly said. "The new Canada Recovery Hiring Program will be a powerful tool to help small firms bring back their staff as we move into the recovery phase of the pandemic. CFIB will work with government to ensure it is broadly available, including to new firms and those that were not in a position to use the wage subsidy." Credit card fee reductions CFIB is pleased to see the government commit to reducing credit card swipe fees that merchants pay. Some of these costs have increased over the pandemic, as rates for online and telephone-based transactions are much higher than in-store fees. CFIB will work with government and the payments industry to help deliver on this promise. New taxes/rising deficits CFIB supports the government's plan to levy existing taxes on international digital and e-commerce players in order to level the playing field between Canadian and foreign business. "We will encourage Parliament to reject the planned luxury tax for certain car, truck and boat purchases on behalf of the small firms who are involved in these important sectors of our economy," Kelly added. "While small firms understand the need for large short-term deficits to address the many COVID-related costs, we are concerned about the significant amount of non-COVID spending in this budget. Small business owners worry that today's deficits will turn into tomorrow's taxes. The government must put forward a long-term plan to balance the budget to give business owners much-needed certainty as we all work towards economic recovery" concluded Kelly. About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 95,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca. SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business For further information: For media enquiries or interviews, please contact: Milena Stanoeva, CFIB, 647-464-2814, [email protected] Related Links www.cfib.ca Process control and industrial automation provider Yokogawa has launched its state-of-the-art technology manufacturing centre at the King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) Digital Hub. The 12,000-sq-m facility will manufacture internationally benchmarked analyser systems, transmitters and control systems panel assemblies to meet domestic demand as well as for export to the GCC, Middle East and Africa. Projects within the kingdom and the region will benefit from the facility through faster turnaround in shipment, availability of local support, and better costs. The facility is equipped with a full suite of testing equipment which ensures that the highest level of quality is maintained throughout the manufacturing process. As the first-ever analyser OEM investment in Saudi Arabia for analyser system integration, the centre will also provide localised analyser system integration facilities to the Middle Eastern and African region. The new facility will boost Yokogawas pressure and temperature transmitter manufacturing capacity in the kingdom from 10,000 to 20,000 transmitters annually. In addition to facilitating Saudi Arabias oil, gas and chemical production and export of high-end technologies to the rest of the world, the centre will contribute to Saudi Vision 2030 by promoting a knowledge-based economy and local value maximisation.-- Tradearabia News Service Themed "Energy for Humanity", the flagship event celebrates World Energy Council's centennial anniversary in St Petersburg, Russia - October 24-27, 2022 LONDON and ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Energy Council and the Roscongress Foundation are pleased to announce the opening of delegate registration for the 25th World Energy Congress. Held once every three years, the Congress is one of the most significant moments and important events in the global energy calendar. The World Energy Congress will be hosted by the Russian Federation and will take place in St Petersburg, from 24-27 October 2022. Russia was selected as the host for the Council's flagship event in 2018 following a vote by the World Energy Council's member countries. The Congress marks the World Energy Council's centennial year. The 25th World Energy Congress will convene more than 200 of the world's most influential energy leaders centre stage, including Heads of State and ministers, together with over 7,000 international energy stakeholders across the four-day event. Energy producers and consumers, and other stakeholders, will convene to discuss the significant challenges for the industry, as well as new solutions for People and Planet. Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO of the World Energy Council said: "Under the theme of Energy for Humanity, the St Petersburg 25th World Energy Congress will showcase ground-breaking advances in energy for people and planet, and provide a unique space for informed leadership dialogue and new collaborative action. "As we approach our centenary in 2023, our focus is on the next 100 years and the role of people, alongside technology and investment, in turning bold ambitions into better energy realities". Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister of Russian Federation and Chair of the Organising Committee of the World Energy Congress, commented: "We support the World Energy Council in further progressing its humanising energy imperative. The Congress in St Petersburg will be the most prestigious energy event of the decade and we look forward to welcoming industry leaders from all corners of the world". Dr Angela Wilkinson added: "Energy is the key enabler of human progress. The Congress creates a unique moment to convene the increasing diversity in energy in an exchange of experiences and common-sense conversations on the current state and outlook of the entire energy system. Our ambition is to build forward together and secure the benefits of sustainable energy for all." Registration The official website of the World Energy Congress worldenergycongressrussia.org is now open to book participation as a delegate, exhibitor or exhibition visitor. Early-bird discounts currently apply to delegate registrations. You may also register your interest to be a sponsor or a media partner. Further information about the Congress and the registration can be found on worldenergycongressrussia.org and the Congress Brochure. About the World Energy Congress The global flagship platform of the World Energy Council, the World Energy Congress reaches across the public, private and civic sectors to connect and inspire leaders and practitioners from the energy+ value chain. Held triennially since 1924, the Congress is a unique space for the world energy community to address challenges of energy for people and planet, catalyse new co-operations and build multiple better pathways for global energy transition. With around 7,000 delegates and 18,000 attendees the Congress connects and inspires experienced and future energy leaders and practitioners from around the world. Ministers, C-suite executives, NGOs, experts and academia, entrepreneurs and young energy leaders - the Congress hosts the full spectrum of the energy sector and its value chain. Chan Family Makes Generous Donation to the KGI School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) has received a generous donation from Tony and Virginia Chan to support the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS). Tony, the owner and CEO of ABC Pharmacies and a Claremont resident, is a long-time supporter of KGI and spoke at the SPHS White Coat Ceremony in 2019. To celebrate the Chan family's philanthropy, KGI has renamed its cafe and patio to the Chan Family Cafe and Patio. The KGI School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has steadily grown its enrollment with three current programs: Tony first connected with KGI through a dear friend, the late Kathy Webster, who served as the school's founding dean and launched the PharmD program in 2014. The Chan family also has deep roots at the University of Pacific (UOP), where Tony and Virginia attended school. Their two children, Jonathan and Megan, are also UOP alumni. Through their immense generosity toward KGI and UOP, the Chan family continues to advance the field by supporting the next generation of pharmacists. The Chan Family addressed the KGI and healthcare community with this statement regarding their gift: "The Chan Family is proud to be part of the KGI Family. It is our pleasure to support and honor the healthcare professionals of today and tomorrow who so selflessly dedicate themselves to the well-being of others. More than ever this year we have been called upon to step-up and contribute to the health of our communities. We are grateful for all of you that have answered the call and met the challenge. "We are also so thankful to KGI for providing such an excellent education to its students and producing healthcare professionals with superior skills as well as a commitment ensuring access to healthcare. We know how hard you work, and we hope that the Chan Family Cafe will be a place to spend time with your friends and colleagues and to relax and recharge so that you are ready to embark on the important work of our profession." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006069/en/ GUANGZHOU, China, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The ongoing 129th Canton Fair is showcasing varied artificial turf products from over 300 exhibitors. China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of artificial turf with production and sales continuing to grow explosively, with the market expected to reach US$4.2 billion by 2027. Statistics from China's customs indicated that China exported 242 million sqm of artificial turf in 2020, totaling US$ 1.21 billion. Compared to natural grass, artificial turf is made of synthetic resin materials that are easy to install, have good abrasion resistance, and require no water for maintenance. To better adapt to changes in global market trends, a growing number of Chinese companies have devoted significant R&D efforts to innovation. Nanjing-based artificial turf manufacturer CC Grass has exported to more than 120 countries. During the 129th Canton Fair, the company is exhibiting 131 products, including its latest PRT product that won the Canton Fair CF Bronze Award. "Canton Fair is a critical platform for us to expand overseas. Just before the 129th Fair, we signed a deal on leisure grass with a Brazilian buyer that came to us during 2020 Canton Fair. Sales growth in the international industry mainly come from leisure grass." said Mr. Zhang, Sales Director of CC Grass. In 2020, the company produced 53.71 million sqm of turf, a 31.08 % year-on-year increase, and a marked 20.05 % growth from international sales. "At present, the performance indicators of our products under R&D have surpassed the industry's authoritative FIFA Quality Pro standards. The PRT product has quick drainage capacity and high firmness level. As it contains no chemical substances and achieves 100 percent recyclability, it is highly conducive to safe handling and environmental protection." Zhang added. Meanwhile, Bellinturf-a leading manufacturer of artificial turf for landscape and sports-is also showcasing 129 products during the current Canton Fair. Its CF Awards winning product Bellin-GRE (Green, Recyclable, Eco-friendly) series can be used for various scenarios. Different from the traditional black bottom design, Bellin-GRE uses a green-colored bottom with more esthetically-pleasing transparent gum. All parts of the artificial turf, from the grass yarn to the base fabric and gum, are 100% recyclable. Its unique technology also guarantees softer grass for easier installation. To register for more business opportunities, please visit https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/en/register/selectiveId Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1491756/1.jpg For more than a decade, state officials have flirted with removing the property tax on motor vehicles. Sen. John Fonfara of Hartford and other Democrats have a plan to make the levy go away it just doesnt necessarily involve a tax cut for everyone. Rather, its part of a larger plan to redistribute property tax burdens, generally providing more relief to low- and middle-income households and asking more from each communitys wealthiest taxpayers. The goal, Fonfara said, is to chip away at this gross inequity, this incredibly regressive burden [placed] on the least able in our communities. Fonfara, who co-chairs the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, wants to eliminate the car tax entirely, except on rental vehicles, calling it the worst example of unfair taxation in Connecticut. As an example, the Hartford lawmaker suggested two hypothetical vehicles, identical in make, model, age and condition one owned and garaged in New Britain, a low-income urban community in central Connecticut, and one in Greenwich, an affluent, shoreline town in Fairfield County. The New Britain vehicle would be taxed at 45 mills, or $45 for every $1,000 of assessed property, according to the state Office of Policy and Management listing of municipal tax rates. More importantly, Fonfara said, it would be almost four times that of the Greenwich car, taxed at 11.59 mills. Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport, another leading proponent of the bill, said the levy is a nuisance for municipal officials to collect and a deterrent to state efforts to attract young professionals to live and work in Connecticut. Bristol Assessor Thomas DeNoto, president of the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, said his organization has taken no position on the bill. The policymakers need to do whats right for their constituents, he said. DeNoto said managing vehicle-related taxes generally consumes about 25% of local property tax assessment work, and about 10% of the taxable list of vehicles must be adjusted every year as residents move, sell vehicles or change cars, due to age or collision damage. Haskell, who at 24 is the youngest member of the General Assembly, said hes confident repealing the vehicle tax would make Connecticut more attractive. According to a recent analysis by WalletHub, a personal finance website, only 27 states tax motor vehicles. Connecticuts average burden ranks fourth-highest. It is the tax that I hate paying the most, because it comes out of nowhere, Haskell said, adding that many college graduates are looking to settle in urban centers where property tax rates in Connecticut are highest. I think [removing the tax on vehicles is] a huge step toward keeping folks in this state. Still, property taxes on vehicles generate more than $900 million per year, according to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. And unlike Gov. M. Jodi Rells 2007 repeal proposal, Fonfaras would not offer matching state grants to replace the revenue cities and towns stand to lose. Both he and Haskell were careful not to describe car tax repeal as a tax cut, but rather a step toward efficiency and greater fairness. Communities would likely replenish the funds by collecting more property taxes on land, buildings and equipment. This could be done by increasing mill rates. But the bill also gives municipalities another redistribution option: to change how taxes are calculated. Currently, cities and towns must assess most property at 70% of its market value a longstanding formula that critics charge favors the wealthy. For example, a house with a value of $1 million is assessed at $700,000, shaving $300,000 off its market price. A second home in the same community with a value of $200,000 is assessed at $140,000 a differential of just $60,000. The closer that a community moves toward taxing property at 100% of market value, the more the burden would shift to owners of the most valuable property. Thats sort of a hidden and unexamined [tax] break, said Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, one of the legislatures most vocal critics of Connecticuts regressive property tax system, which applies the same rates to households regardless of their ability to pay. Communities that choose to change their assessment ratio also could phase in the switch over as many as five years if they go that route. Rep. Holly Cheeseman of East Lyme, ranking House Republican on the finance committee, said her caucus is still analyzing the proposal and wants to assess the potential impact on all households. I am always aware of the huge burden the towns bear with their property taxes, she said. Joe DeLong, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, praised Fonfara for making assessment changes optional, adding that car tax is an unfair and a time-consuming problem for many municipalities. Its the right conversation, he said. But its also a deeper issue than just those things. Connecticut governors and legislatures have struggled to maintain municipal aid levels for much of the past 20 years as payments on huge pension and bonded debt amassed over decades consume an increasingly large share of annual state spending. Until state officials begin looking at painful fiscal choices, including limiting retirement benefits and increasing state taxes to mitigate the debt, proposals like Fonfaras to make local tax systems more fair will have limited success, DeLong said. For example, legislators pledged in 2015 that by 2018 the state would be dedicating more than $300 million per year in sales tax receipts to cities and towns. Instead, the program was suspended in 2018, and communities instead share replacement grants equal to about $100 million. Its not that its a terrible idea or a terrible concept, DeLong added about the new bill. But if youre going to have these discussions of changing our tax system, the discussions have to go deeper than a very pretty reshuffling of deck chairs on the Titanic. Many watchmakers take a roundabout route through life before finally settling at their workbench; not so Christophe Claret. The master watchmaker embarked directly on watchmaking studies, successfully graduated at the age of 19, visited the Basel Fair for the first time in 1987, and lost no time in setting up his own business. He then met Rolf Schnyder, busy relaunching Ulysse Nardin, who asked him to produce the brands first automaton. Those two events proved momentous: in the space of 30 years, Claret was to become established as one of the greatest specialists in automatons and Ulysse Nardin became a loyal customer, to this day. Nor is it the only one: at the Manufacture he set up in Le Locle, Christophe Claret never has fewer than a dozen or so projects on the go. Over the decades usually shrouded in the utmost discretion he has served over 65 brands and developed over 120 exclusive calibres. Christophe Claret Christophe Claret Throughout his career, Christophe Claret has been an astute observer of developments behind the scenes in the watchmaking world. As he explains: In the past, a good, powerful and disruptive idea with genuine potential always found a taker. Watchmakers did business with other watchmakers. Nowadays, they also have to deal with financial backers, investors and marketing departments, all of whom bring all kinds of other considerations to bear. Could that be why he created his own brand, under his own name, in 2009? Indeed it was. I wanted to protect my creative freedom. Never again did I want to be told a project of mine was too far ahead of its time! You need to be daring, and never stop innovating. The big collectors are still out there. For those collectors, Christophe Claret turns the wow effect into reality. From the magnetic workings of the X-TREM-1 to the rollers of the DualTow, via the poetic effect of the Margot and all the fun of the Blackjack, the watchmaker explores territories that nobody else has even thought of. How long can he keep it up? Everything inspires me magic, cars, nature, and history, says this fan of the Middle Ages. Somewhere in Christophe Clarets workshop lies a huge chest, packed with ideas. Theres more than enough material there for a few decades yet. *On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with a 10% discount if you use the following code: WT2021. Order now Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, some countries have banned flights from India. Scientists fear that the new variant, discovered in India, could be partly resistant to the vaccine and hence, as a precautionary measure, travellers from the country will be banned to enter certain nations. AFP 1. UK Anyone who is not a British or Irish national, or does not have U.K. residence rights, will not be allowed to enter the island nation. The ban is necessary to protect the progress weve made in this country in tackling this awful disease, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons on Monday. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was scheduled to visit India next week but due to the coronavirus-induced situation here, his plans have been cancelled. 2. USA puts out travel advisory The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out an advisory that, "Travelers should avoid all travel to India. It further added, If you must travel to India, get fully vaccinated before travel. All travellers should wear a mask, stay six feet from others, avoid crowds, and wash their hands." 3. Hong Kong Hong Kong has also suspended flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from today for two weeks after the N501Y mutant COVID-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time. 4. New Zealand New Zealand banned air travel from India at the beginning of the month. Being one of the nations that are almost COVID-free now, NZ decided to ban flights from India after the cases increased drastically here. 5. Maldives Maldives has witnessed several Indian tourists within the last few months. 'With effect from 27 April @HPA_mv suspends tourists travelling from India to Maldives from staying at tourist facilities in inhabited islands,' Maldives' tourism ministry said in a tweet. Market Watch 6. Germany Germany has announced temporary limitations on air travel from India. 'In order not to jeopardise our vaccination campaign, we need to significantly limit our passenger traffic with India,' said German Health Minister Jens Spahn. The country will only allow German nationals or passengers holding German residency permits to enter the country. 7. Netherlands The Netherlands has suspended all passenger flights from India from April 26 due to the rising COVID cases in the country. "A flight ban will take effect for passenger flights from India at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 26... The flight ban will be in place until at least 00:01 a.m. on May 1," Sputnik quoted Dutch Aviation Ministry's statement. 8. France France has banned all flights from India. 9. Italy Only Italian residents are allowed to enter Italy from India, after clearing a COVID test before departure. They will be placed under quarantine on arrival. 10. UAE The United Arab Emirates has suspended all flights from India, including transit passengers. "The decision to suspend flights came after studying and evaluating the epidemiological situation in the friendly Republic of India," the General Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement. TOI 11. Canada Canada has also banned all incoming passenger flights from India and Pakistan for a period of 30 days, said Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra. "Given the higher number of cases of Covid-19 detected in air passengers arriving in Canada from India and Pakistan... I am suspending all commercial and private passenger flights arriving in Canada from Indian and Pakistan for 30 days," Alghabra said. 12. Iran Due to the rise in COVID case in India, Iran has banned all air travel from India and Pakistan. The decision was made by Iran's Health Ministry. Mohammad Hassan Zibakhsh. 13. Thailand Thailand said that the issuance of COEs for non-Thai nationals arriving in Thailand from India from May 1 would be suspended until further notice. 14. Bangladesh Passengers travelling from India via land will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh from April 26 for the next 14 days. 15. Kuwait Kuwait has banned all passenger flights from India. According to the Kuwaiti directorate general of civil aviation, this ban is effective from April 24. 16. Indonesia Indonesian government has decided not to issue any foreigners visa who have been in India in the last 14 days. Indonesians entering from India will be allowed to enter the country but will have to follow stricter protocols and quarantine rules. 17. Oman Oman has also banned all air travel from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. 18. Singapore Singapore has banned all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have travelled to India within the last 14 days from entry or transit via Singapore from April 24. 19. Malaysia Malaysias Transport Ministry has barred the entry of Indian travellers from India. 20. Australia Australia has also banned passenger flights from India. 21. Dubai Both Indians and International who have visited India will not be allowed to enter the UAE unless they have spent 14 days in other countries. 22. Pakistan Pakistan has also banned travellers coming from India for two weeks. "There will be a ban on inbound passengers coming from India via air and land routes, the statement read. Blog.web Stay safe! Also read: COVID Vaccine For All Above 18 From May 1, States Can Procure Directly From Manufacturers A team of archaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalems Institute of Archaeology has discovered an inscribed sherd at the site of Tel Lachish, which is located in the Shephelah region in modern-day Israel and is one of the most prominent Bronze and Iron Age sites of the Southern Levant. Dating to the 15th century BCE, the newly-discovered inscription is currently the oldest securely dated alphabetic inscription from the Southern Levant. This sherd is one of the earliest examples of early alphabetic writing found in Israel, said lead author Dr. Felix Hoflmayer, a researcher at the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The inscribed sherd is an approximately 4 by 3.5 cm rim fragment from a milk bowl imported from Cyprus. The inner surface of the sherds rim is inscribed in dark ink, with letters written diagonally. Two lines each containing three letters can be discerned, Dr. Hoflmayer and his colleagues explained. Two additional characters are visible on the right side of the upper line, and another is visible between the two lines. Our suggested reading for the top line is from right to left: The first letter can be identified as ayin (), which is based on the Egyptian hieroglyph eye. As in most early alphabetic inscriptions from the Southern Levant, the letter is shaped like a circle, resembling an iris with the pupil missing. The second letter can be identified as bet (), which is based on the Egyptian hieroglyph house. The letter has a rectangular shape with one corner open. The third letter can be read as dalet (), based on the Egyptian hieroglyph door. The suggested reading for this line may therefore be , meaning slave, and could be part of a personal name. The suggested reading for line two is also from right to left: The first letter can be identified as nun (), which derives from the Egyptian hieroglyphs horned viper and/or cobra. This letter can also be identified between lines one and two, and on the right side of line one. The second letter can be identified as pe (). While it is not entirely certain from which sign this character is derived, the hieroglyph for corner has been suggested. This sign is uncommon in Middle Kingdom inscriptions from Sinai and may represent a building tool. The third letter can be identified as tav (), and it is again unclear on which sign the character is based. It could be the hieroglyph for crossed planks. The suggested reading for line two is therefore , which in Hebrew means honey or nectar. If read from left to right this term could be a verb from the root (to turn), or part of an unknown name. The inscription is approximately 3,450 years old, making it the oldest securely dated alphabetic inscription from the Southern Levant, and may be regarded as the missing link in the alphabets history. The early alphabet developed in association with Canaanite miners in Sinai or, at least, was taken up by them during the Middle Kingdom in the 18th century BCE, the archaeologists said. We suggest that early alphabetic writing spread to the Southern Levant during the late Middle Bronze Age (with the Lachish Dagger probably being the earliest attested example), and was in use by at least the mid-15th century BCE at Tel Lachish. Thus, the proliferation into the Southern Levant probably happened during the Middle Bronze Age and the Egyptian Second Intermediate Period, when a dynasty of Western Asiatic origin the Hyksos ruled the northern parts of Egypt. The new alphabetic inscription from Tel Lachish provides fresh evidence to contextualize the spread of the early alphabet within the period of Hyksos domination over the Nile Delta and its still enigmatic connections with Middle Bronze Age city-states in the Southern Levant, they added. Furthermore, the new early alphabetic inscription dates to a period that also saw the earliest attested hieratic writing at Tel Lachish, and when Lachish is mentioned for the first time in Egyptian sources during the reign of Amenhotep II. We now can show that early alphabetic writing in the Southern Levant developed independently of, and well before, the Egyptian domination and floruit of hieratic writing during the 19th and 20th dynasties (the 13th and 20th centuries BCE). The findings were published in the journal Antiquity. _____ Felix Hoflmayer et al. Early alphabetic writing in the ancient Near East: the missing link from Tel Lachish. Antiquity, published online April 15, 2021; doi: 10.15184/aqy.2020.157 In "Hallowed Ground," Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder discusses the importance of myth and story in countering the narratives that foster the ecological destruction of our world. Steinauer-Scudder's essay is focused on the work of theologian Martin Palmer, exploring how the sacred stories of world religion can change the world for the better (or worse) -- but secular stories are powerful too. As storytellers, myth-makers and artists of all stripes, what kind of narratives are we creating? And are we cognizant of their potency? Steinauer-Scudder writes: "There are Theravada Buddhist monks in Thailand who follow the Buddhas example of meditating in natural settings, particularly beneath trees; they have a practice of going into the forest during the rainy season of Phansa and building small huts, where they remain for several months to meditate. Traditionally, when the huts appeared, it was understood that human beings were not to disturb or damage the surrounding forest; it became an extension of the monks prayers and practice: sacred land. "Thailand and Cambodia have seen some of the most devastating logging and clear-cutting in a world where 18.7 million acres of forest across the globe are lost to deforestation annually. Between 1961 and 1998, an estimated two-thirds of Thailands remaining forest was destroyed. In the 1980s, the logging effort increased and entire forests began to disappear, sometimes in the course of a single day. "In 1988 the excessive deforestation of a mountainside led to a landslide, exacerbating floods and killing over three hundred people. The monks saw the land suffering and the people suffering as a result. A small number of monks began to reexamine Buddhist scriptures, seeking ways to protect the forests through traditional rituals and teachings. The Buddha taught that all things are interconnected, that the health of the whole is bound to the health of every sentient being. If you harm rivers, trees, animals, soil, you harm yourself. Some of the monks began to intentionally seek out threatened and illegally logged forests for their Phansa meditation, but it became increasingly dangerous for them. Some were assassinated. "And then one monk began a practice of ordaining trees. After locating the oldest and largest trees in a forest, he -- in the presence of members of his surrounding lay community -- recited the appropriate scripture and then wrapped the trees in traditional orange robes, just as is done for a novice monk. The practice has spread across Thailand and into Cambodia. Most loggers will not commit the taboo of harming a monk, even if that monk is a tree. " 'We are a narrative species. The faiths are successful because they tell bloody good stories and they adapt them as they go along,' Martin is telling me over a coffee break in Bristol. 'So all across Southeast Asia, there are these trees that have been ordained as monks, and that means that within a sort of half-mile penumbra of that, its sacred. Theres no way a Cambodian or a Thai is going to cut down a monk tree.' ARC has worked with monks in Thailand and Cambodia to set up environmental-education centers, trainings, and awareness campaigns. It helped to found ABE, the Association of Buddhists for the Environment, a network of monks and nuns grounded in Buddhist teachings and traditions. 'Its been very local, very specific [work]. And most of it is built on the fact that, whatever else is gone, a sense that a sacred place is something other still remains.' "Its this sense of place and the stories that go along with it, Martin says, that can become catalysts for change. When it comes to addressing ecological degradation and potential collapse, most of us have not been telling the right ones. A transformative story, when told at the right time in the right place, has the ability to alter the course of things. 'Theres only two things that have ever done that successfully in history: art and religion. And for most of history, theyve been synonymous,' Martin says. ARC works with Jains in India, Shintoists in Japan, Taoists in China, Jews, Muslims, Zoroastriansoperating on the belief that religion has consistently told humanitys most enduring stories, that parable can be more effective than science, that myths are more powerful than data. "As we wend our way through the city, Im beginning to picture Martin as a real-life, intellectual version of Roald Dahls BFG: a lanky, well-intentioned giant who roams the globe, but instead of collecting dreams and delivering them to sleeping children, he is collecting stories. Fables and myths, parables and songs. His lifes work has been to pull forward or uncover narratives from traditions and texts, and support local faith communities in doing the same." Later in the piece, Steinauer-Scudder adds a note of caution: "To seek and reveal stories on behalf of others is, in many ways, a fraught strategy; it can carry the odor of imposition when it comes from outside a local culture. But in a time when perhaps the most imposing and pervasive story of all -- consumerism -- is driving species to extinction, deforesting lands, fueling wildfires in the American West, and depleting topsoil and the oceans, one wonders how we can help one another to turn our attention and efforts to different ends. How can we remember that stories, too, have agency? ARC, as an organization, is international, but its lifeblood is comprised of communities around the world, each facing their own version of environmental crisis, each working within the narratives and traditions that have shaped its landscapes and identities. Such stories cannot be arbitrarily deposited. In order to thrive, they need fertile soil, a caring hand, relationship, understanding, shared history. When the conditions are right, they can root themselves or unfurl a new leaf. '[Religion is] not the silver bullet,' Martin says. It certainly should not be left to faith communities alone to cultivate the stories that might begin to heal a world in crisis, environmentally and spiritually. But he does believe that religion holds our most enduring stories, told again and again throughout the ages, even when humanity sometimes uses them to destructive ends. Secular communities can look to the faiths as examples of what it means to embody powerful narratives. Religious or no, we can find new ways to tell ancient stories. New language to bring people back to an ancient understanding. " 'Human beings are capable of extraordinary change if given the space to do it,' says Martin. 'Not by fear, and not by data. But by story.' I highly recommend reading Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder's "Hallowed Ground" in full in Emergence Magazine. You'll find it here. The wondrous art today is by our good friend David Wyatt, a great lover of trees and stories. To learn more about his work, go here. Words: The two passages above are quoted from "Hallowed Ground" by Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder, published in Emergence Magazine (January 15, 2019); all rights reserved by the author. Emergence, by the way, is terrific, if you're not reading it already. Pictures: The paintings above are Winter Beech, Gidleigh Goat, Fetching Water, Acorn, and Spinning Moonlit by David Wyatt; all rights reserved by the artist. Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 14:18:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 8, 2021 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center in Boao Town, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) Asia, as it has done in the past, will continue to be a force for common good in this world of unprecedented change and challenges. And the international community can expect new inspirations over the coming days in Boao, southern China. by Xinhua writer He Fei BOAO, China, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) was born 20 years ago at a time when Asian economies just emerged out of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and were striving to build up momentum for regional development and integration. Over the past two decades, Asia has seen almost unparalleled economic leapfrog and social progress, contributing immensely to the world's stability and vitality. And the BFA has grown in prominence to become a key global venue for world leaders, business titans and scholars of the region and the wider world to feel the pulse of the times, inspire each other with new and creative ideas, and amass greater consensus for cooperation. This year's forum, scheduled for April 18 to April 21, comes at an age of great uncertainties: the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is still not in sight; the global economy is struggling to get back on its feet; pressing challenges like climate change are demanding stronger global cooperation; and the global governance system is in a desperate need for an update. Aerial photo taken on April 8, 2021 shows the scenery of Boao Town, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) Asia, as it has done in the past, will continue to be a force for common good in this world of unprecedented change and challenges. And the international community can expect new inspirations over the coming days in Boao, southern China. To beat the pandemic remains a top priority. Over the past year, many Asian countries have done an impressive job in containing the spread of the deadly pathogen. The fact that this year's BFA can be held offline is a clear evidence for the effective epidemic control of the host country. What can be learned from Asia's fight against the pandemic are the spirit to put human lives first, responsible governments with determined measures, citizens willing to make personal sacrifices for public good, as well as stronger regional solidarity and cooperation in the face of a once-in-a-century health crisis. Those are also enlightening tips for the human race to solve other global challenges, including climate change. Seeking an economic rebound worldwide is equally challenging. Asia's role as a stable powerhouse and a champion of free trade for a steadfast global recovery in the post-pandemic era is both reliable and indispensible. Last year, GDP (gross domestic product) growth in East Asia reached a positive rate of 1 percent, despite that the global economy shrank by 4.3 percent, according to a UN report on global economic situation and prospects. As the world's largest economy by continent, an economically dynamic Asia can further unleash huge growth potential and send positive spillover to the rest of the world if the region is further integrated in trade and common development. The signing ceremony of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement is held via video conference in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Nov. 15, 2020. (VNA via Xinhua) For instance, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, signed last year and expected to become effective in 2022, brings together China, Japan, and South Korea for the first time in a common regional agreement. It forms the world's largest free trade zone across a wide assortment of indicators. According to forecasts by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, this mega free trade pact will raise annual global incomes in 2030 by 186 billion U.S. dollars. In the meantime, infrastructure is also key to spurring investment and common growth in Asia and elsewhere around the world. That is why delegates gathering at this year's BFA will elaborate on how to electrify high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. What Asia can contribute to the world is not just material, but also ideational. Over the millenniums, Asia has been the cradle of an array of distinct civilizations. It is also the land that gave birth to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the now widely-acknowledged international diplomatic tenets. Tolerance to diversity and respect for differences among Asian nations is part of the reason why the continent can always maintain its exuberance. Building a more sustainable and just world in the post-pandemic era requires more than ever different countries to accommodate each other's development interests, and build effective partnership to fix daunting global problems. Thus countries worldwide should not view their differences as an excuse for hostility, but rather translate them into fresh impetus for progress and cooperation. Participants pose for a group photo with the logo of the 2021 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) That is why Chinese President Xi Jinping noted in his keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of this year's BFA on Tuesday that the world wants justice, not hegemony, and stressed that the global governance system should be made more equitable and fair, and that rules set by one country or some nations cannot be imposed on others. Many political leaders and experts around the world are trying to define the 21st century as the "Asian century." That is correct in some sense because of Asia's unmatched vigour and promise. Yet ultimately, in this highly interconnected and interdependent world, Asia and the rest of the globe share one common future. And building a better world for all nations is only possible when this grand project is done by all. [April 19, 2021] AsiaPay partners with Qiscus to enhance customer experience with frictionless checkout and payment JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AsiaPay, a leading digital payment solution company in Asia, has today partnered with Qiscus, a leading expert in multi-channel conversation platform in Indonesia, to simplify the digital payment process for customers via chat and call / Meet software development kit which making commerce more frictionless than ever before. Through this strategic partnership, AsiaPay aimed to extend its digital payment transaction services through conversation commerce via chat for its merchants' customers. It will enable businesses in Asia to accept digital payments through chat platforms so that customers can make direct payments to them easily and practically anytime. To customers, it further addresses the trends of making purchases during conversation, and customers find it simpler and more convenient. To merchants, it also helps businesses meet the challenges of changing customer behaviors with enhanced customer experience. "This pandemic has brought to many companies unprecedented challenges, and has accelerated growth of volume and variety of digital interactions between customers andbusinesses," said Joseph Chan, AsiaPay CEO, "We are excited to partner with Qiscus to help drive conversational commerce and engage with consumers where they spend their digital lives on messaging platforms. This multi-channel chat enables entirely new experiences, and brings new sales conversion of merchants in Asia with online chat conversation. Besides, it provides merchants with flexible payment alternatives." "With the development of chat becoming Conversational UI, we are glad to joined hands with AsiaPay to synergized in fulfilling the need for chat-based transactions in particular sectors, such as retail, insurance, hospitality, and others. We aim to provide a seamless customer experience in digital payments via chat for customers." - Delta Purna Widyangga, CEO of Qiscus. "Additionally, we are looking to include AsiaPay as our partner in their customer experience ecosystem. The Qiscus CX Ecosystem is a marketplace which allows existing Qiscus customers to choose a payment option provided by AsiaPay. Qiscus also expects to move forward with AsiaPay towards enabling a chat-based payment mechanism where sellers and buyers can transact seamlessly via a Conversational UI in a simple process," he added. With technology playing a significant role in every aspect of business, chat has become a Universal UI, or more commonly known as Conversational UI. Most of the social interactions in consumers' lives are carried out on social platforms and customers are more accessible through social chat messengers (i.e. WhatsApp, LINE, etc.) than other channels. This has resulted in a Culture of Immediacy where customers now expect to get what they want simply through online chat conversations. About AsiaPay Founded in 2000, AsiaPay, a premier electronic payment service, and technology player strive to bring advanced, secure, integrated, and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services to banks, corporate and e-Businesses in the worldwide market, covering an array of international credit card, debit card, prepaid card, netbanking, eWallet, and QR, as well as cash collection. AsiaPay is an accredited payment processor and payment gateway solution vendor for banks certified ISO and PF for serving merchants, certified international 3-D Secure vendors for Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB. AsiaPay offers a variety of award-winning payment solutions that are multi-currency, multi-lingual, multi-card, and multi-channel, together with its advanced fraud detection, payment analytics, and management solutions. Headquartered in Hong Kong, AsiaPay offers its professional ePayment solution consultancy and quality local service support across its other 14 offices in Asia including Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia and India. For more information, please visit www.asiapay.com and www.paydollar.com About Qiscus Qiscus was founded in 2013 by a group of colleagues who have the same vision in connecting businesses with their customers through the very profound thing called conversation. We believe conversation is an integral part of a customer's experience that is expected of today and future customers. We want to build an excellent customer experience just like hundreds of our clients across many industries in multiple languages. SOURCE AsiaPay [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) Malacanang said President Rodrigo Duterte has been 'very clear' the country's friendly ties with China has its limits and he will not tolerate the East Asian giant laying its hands on valuable resources the Philippines owns. "On the contrary, hindi nagbibigay ang Presidente sa Tsina. He made it very clear: kaibigan tayo, makikipagkaibigan ako, but there is a limit to our friendship,'" Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told a televised briefing on Tuesday. [Translation: On the contrary, the President is not giving China anything. He made it very clear: we are friends, I am befriending you, but there is a limit to our friendship.] Roque also echoed Duterte's pronouncement during his recent public address where he said while he's "not so much interested now in fishing" - referring to concerns Chinese vessels may be poaching in the West Philippine - he will be deploying the country's "gray ships" once Beijing begins oil drilling activities inside Manila's exclusive economic zone. READ: DA: 1 ton of fish may be lost per Chinese vessel poaching in West Philippine Sea "'Pag kinuha na 'yang [Once they get] oil, kung anong mga nickel diyan [whatever nickel is there] and precious stones, that would be the time because that is the time that we should act on it," the President said about sending military vessels to the area. READ: Duterte: No way we can get back West PH Sea without any bloodshed Roque emphasized that Duterte will stand his ground once scarce resources like oil and natural gas are already involved in the discussion. "Basta ang sabi ni Presidente, hinding-hindi mangyayari sa kaniyang administrasyon iyong nangyari sa Scarborough Shoal. Walang isla na mawawala sa Pilipinas habang siya ay Presidente," Roque said. [Translation: Like what the President has said, what happened with Scarborough Shoal will never happen to his administration. The Philippines will not lose any island while he is the President.] The Philippines lost Scarborough Shoal to China after a standoff in 2012, which led to Manila filing a case for international arbitration. While the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague largely recognized in 2016 the Philippines' sovereign rights in its EEZ, it did not rule on which country has sovereignty over the shoal which lies about 120 nautical miles from Zambales. The landmark ruling has consistently been rejected by China, whose vessels remain in the West Philippine Sea despite a string of diplomatic protests from Manila and strong denouncements from officials such as Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Still, Roque said they are pinning their hopes on Manila's close ties with Beijing to resolve the matter. "Kampante po tayo na dahil nga sa malapit na pagkakaibigan aalis at aalis din naman sila diyan sa darating na Mayo kung nandiyan pa sila," he said. [Translation: We are confident that because of our close friendship, they will eventually leave (the West Philippine Sea) this coming May assuming they are still there.] .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... SANTA FE Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin has filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court as he seeks to fend off an effort to recall him from office as a county commissioner in southern New Mexico. Griffin filed a notice of appeal Monday with the high court that contends he was deprived of due process rights and raises other jurisdictional objections. A state district court judge this month found good cause for a recall petition, but Griffin says the hearing took place unjustly at the same time as an Otero County Commission meeting where he was being pressured to resign. Retired military veteran Paul Sanchez and other members of the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin are accusing Griffin of using his elected county position for personal gain. They say Griffin used his office to solicit contributions to Cowboys for Trump that covered his personal expenses. Griffin has called those allegations frivolous, baseless and politically motivated. Cowboys for Trump has held horseback parades across the country in support of President Donald Trump. Griffin says the group is a for-profit endeavor that is not subject to financial disclosure requirement for political organizations. It was unclear how soon the state Supreme Court will decide whether to intervene. Separately, Griffin is defending himself against criminal charges in connection with the siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Griffin was videotaped on the steps of the Capitol, but not inside. He denies allegations that he knowingly entered barricaded areas with the intent to disrupt government as Congress considered Electoral College results. If allowed, a recall petition against Griffin with a sufficient number of signatures could trigger a special election within months. Otherwise, Griffin is up for possible reelection in 2022 for a second, four-year term. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ " " "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" is considered one of the most important paintings in the Western world. And some wonder if it's Caravaggio's tacit admission of killing a man. Alonso de Mendoza/Wikimedia/Public Domain For centuries people have wondered who was the model for Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and what was the reason for her smile. And why do her eyes seem to follow you around? Some scientists think that thanks to spatial frequency, the smile changes depending on where you look. And as for the model, some think she was the wife of a wealthy patron or that Leonardo even painted himself in the portrait. But the Mona Lisa is just one of the many mysteries in the art world. Here are seven other notable unsolved art mysteries that might be a little less familiar. Advertisement 1. Did Caravaggio 'Confess' to a Crime in a Painting? Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a master of the Italian Baroque, who was known for his strikingly modern use of light. He was also a hot-tempered artist who often got into brawls. In 1606, he killed a man during a petty squabble, then fled Rome for Malta. It was there, in 1608, that he created the masterpiece "The Beheading of John the Baptist." The painting is the only one he signed. Even more intriguing, he signed his name in the pool of blood spilling from St. John the Baptist's neck. Caravaggio had fled to Malta and joined the Order of St. John, which served the pope, as the court painter. And he needed the pope's permission to return to Rome. Perhaps his bloody signature indicated he'd be saved through the Order of St. John. Or perhaps it was his admission of guilt for the Rome murder. The signature reads "f. michelang." Some think the "F" was shorthand for "frater" or "brother," since Caravaggio was affiliated with the order. Others think the "F" stood for fecit, a Latin word meaning "did," so the signature is really saying "Michelangelo did it," an ambiguous comment, for sure. Advertisement 2. Who Is the 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'? " " The "Girl with a Pearl Earring" has inspired a best-selling book and a popular movie, but the model is still unknown. Crisco/Wikimedia/Public Domain Around 1665, Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer painted a seductive portrait of a young girl glancing over her shoulder, lips slightly parted. A very large pearl hangs from her ear, while her eyes seem to follow you everywhere. People around the globe have long pondered who this fetching young lady was. Many say she must have been Vermeer's daughter or mistress. Others posit she wasn't a real person, but rather an intentionally mysterious, timeless figure. Vermeer was a person of intrigue himself. He didn't produce many works of art, for one, and very few biographical documents exist. We do know he was married and had 15 children. The painting, dubbed the "Mona Lisa of the North," has been part of The Hague's permanent collection since 1903. But it draws record-breaking crowds whenever and wherever it tours around the world. Advertisement 3. Where Is Raphael's 'Portrait of a Young Man'? " " Raphael's "Portrait of a Young Man" went missing during World War II and has still not been found. No one knows its exact colors as the only photos taken of it were in black and white. Algotr/Wikimedia/Public Domain Seized by the Nazis, "Portrait of a Young Man" is considered one of the most important pieces of art to go missing during World War II. The painting was created around 1513 by Raphael, a famous Italian Renaissance artist, and swiped from Poland's Princes Czartoryski Museum in 1939. Hans Frank, head of the Nazi General Government in Poland, was the first person to receive the painting, which was intended to be hung in Hitler's planned Fuhrer Museum in Linz. The portrait then traveled to Germany and Austria before ending up back with Frank. When the Allies arrested him in 1945, it was gone. Rumors occasionally arise that the painting lies with a private collector in another nation, but nothing has ever been confirmed. Today, the Polish government owns the Czartoryski art collection. If the painting is found, it will be hung in the Princes Czartoryski Museum, where its original frame now hangs, empty. The picture is thought to be a self-portrait of Raphael. Advertisement 4. Who or What Is Banksy? " " This Banksy artwork was done on Brick Lane, London, in 2004. To this day, no one knows who the artist Banksy is. Matt Whitby/Wikimedia/Public Domain Of all the mysteries in the art world, the hidden identity of Banksy may be the most vexing, as Banksy is still alive and creating. Banksy who some say may be a collection of artists was first noticed in the early 1990s, creating easily recognizable street art and graffiti. The pieces often carried social or political themes, but some were poignant or humorous. Despite working on highly visible projects over the years, such as the 2010 documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" (which received an Academy Award nomination), Banksy has managed to keep their identity hidden. Most believe Banksy is British; in the one-off awards show "Greatest Britons 2007," Banksy won the Arts category, besting nominees Antony Gormley and Sam Mendes. In what may have been a wink at Banksy's ability to remain anonymous, the artist(s) arranged portable toilets into a Stonehenge formation during England's 2007 Glastonbury Festival. Advertisement 5. Was Van Gogh Murdered? " " "Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe" was one of the many self-portraits painted by Vincent Van Gogh. But was he murdered? Wikimedia/Public Domain One of the main things people know about Vincent van Gogh is that he cut off his ear. That was likely because the Dutch post-impressionist painter suffered from mental illness, probably severe depression. And while hailed as a genius today, he only sold one painting before he died in 1890 at age 37. The official cause is suicide from a gun shot at close range. That certainly seems plausible, given his poor mental health. However, no gun was found near his body, and locals reported two teenage boys bullying him shortly before his death. One possibility, put forth in the flicks "Loving Vincent" (2017) and "At Eternity's Gate" (2018), (as well as in the 2011 biography "Van Gogh: The Life") is that Rene Secretan, one of the bullies, pulled the trigger. Besides being troubled, Secretan is said to have owned a gun that frequently misfired, so another possibility is that van Gogh's death was a tragic accident. Secretan denied any involvement when interviewed in 1957, though he did say he had a pistol van Gogh may have taken. The biographers think van Gogh may have welcomed death and so did not accuse the boys while on his deathbed. Advertisement 6. Did Hilter Really Do These Paintings? " " "Vienna State Opera House" was painted by Adolf Hitler in 1912. The art school that rejected him thought he'd be better at architecture than painting. Wikipedia/Public Domain As a youth, Adolf Hitler just wanted to be a painter. But he was rejected from art school and eventually turned to other pursuits, namely becoming the notorious dictator who engineered the Holocaust. For decades after his death, Hitler's paintings were largely ignored. They weren't considered very good, for one, plus many considered purchasing his artwork immoral. Nevertheless, numerous fakes were produced, many of which weren't even that precise. Then, in the early 2000s, a niche market for his pieces arose, and prices jumped. There was just one problem: how to identify Hitler's original works. Due to the wealth of inaccurate fakes, experts are often unsure what an authentic Hitler piece really looks like. One of the few recourses is to compare pieces with verified Hitler works in Bavaria's state archive, but there are only a few in there. Germany is now cracking down on the sale of Hitler artwork to help reduce the number of fakes in circulation. Advertisement 7. Who Pulled Off the Gardner Heist? " " The frame from the 1633 Rembrandt painting "A Lady and Gentleman in Black" was still on the floor where thieves left it after the Isabella Steward Gardner museum robbery in 1990. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images A cool $10 million will be yours if you figure out who stole 13 masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The 1990 burglary is the biggest art theft in history, as the paintings, which included works from Vermeer and Rembrandt, were worth a combined $500 million in 2020. So what happened? Two men posing as police officers pulled off the heist after handcuffing and gagging the two young security officers on duty, who didn't have any formal training. The thieves then pried the masterpieces from their frames before removing the security camera videos, none of which were in the galleries. Curiously, the robbery lasted a leisurely 90 minutes, far longer than the average three-minute job. Despite numerous leads over the decades, the artwork hasn't turned up. The blank frames now hang in their original spots, an eerie remembrance of the crime. In addition to the $10 million reward for information that directly leads to the recovery of all 13 items, there's a $100,000 reward for helping recover just one. NOW THAT'S PRICY One of the biggest art frauds in U.S. history occurred in the 1990s and 2000s, when Glafira Rosales began selling valuable works by Rothko, Jackson Pollock and other expressionists to New York's M. Knoedler & Co., an art gallery founded in 1846. After raking in more than $80 million, authorities discovered the paintings were fakes created by a Chinese immigrant, who copied the masterpieces and aged them using items like tea and vacuum cleaner dirt. Besides defrauding buyers, the scam killed the venerable art gallery. Originally Published: Apr 20, 2021 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions SHENZHEN, China, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CCELL, the world's leading brand of vaporizers, has upgraded its cartridge core component material to medical-grade 316L stainless steel - setting a new benchmark for safety in the industry. Stainless steel is known to be corrosion resistant, but some grades perform better than others. 316L stainless steel offers excellent corrosion resistance - commonly used in medical devices, pharmaceutical equipment and food processing. Therefore, CCELL applied this medical-grade stainless steel to the core component of the vaporizer cartridge to challenge the highest safety standard. A cartridge, or "cart," is a small tank that pre-filled oil designed for vape. Cartridges can be made of a combination of plastic, metal, and glass. Due to public concerns, various states such as California and Michigan have set up strict regulations that require product manufacturers to show compliance by measuring primary heavy metals, including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and more. All levels must be below maximum limits to obtain a Certificates of Analysis from an authorized lab. CCELL's upgraded product samples were sent for testing to a Southern California's Licensed Laboratory, and subsequently received its Certificate of Analysis. Moreover, test results show that when used with various oils, the products significantly exceeded California and Michigan's regulatory standard requirements - once again demonstrating CCELL's commitment to go beyond compliance and set a new standard of vaporizer safety. At present, CCELL has already updated the majority of its product lines, including most of 510 thread (press-fit mouthpiece), pods, and disposable cartridges. Remaining two products are slated for an upgrade later this year. "While the vaporizer market is rife with low-quality and low-priced products that compromise safety, CCELL instead has always put safety as highest priority since our inception. We take stringent quality control from raw materials to finished products. Our raw materials have been certified by the FDA and RoHS. And finished products are manufactured in facilities certified by ISO and cGMP. By making the switch to 316L stainless steel, we are surpassing our already-high safety standards to create a more enjoyable experience," said Joe S., VP of CCELL. As a burgeoning industry, CCELL's ultimate holding company, Smoore International Holdings Limited ("SMOORE") continues to invest in research and development and is continuously striving to enhance products' safety. In 2020, SMOORE invested 4.2% of its revenue in R&D, and presently owns a significant number of patents in the field of atomization technology. Backed by SMOORE's strong capabilities, CCELL plans to expand its growth by investing further in R&D and establishing Research Institutes globally. These will enable CCELL to conduct in-depth R&D into the efficient atomization, transmission, absorption, and product safety in 2021 and beyond. About CCELL CCELL is a global innovator and pioneer with a mission of leading portable vaporizers to perfection. CCELL was born in the headquarter of Shenzhen Smoore Technology Limited, which has 12 years of expertise in the vaporization industry. With advanced R&D resources, strong production capability and reliable quality control system, CCELL has successfully upgraded the industrial standard of vaporizing technology while others try to follow. For more information, please visit: https://www.ccell.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488542/1.jpg Scientists have developed an unlikely treatment for the dry skin condition eczema a cream that is packed with human skin bacteria. Studies suggest a healthy strain of skin bacteria can effectively treat flare-ups in people with the most common form of eczema, called atopic dermatitis, which affects 15 million people in the UK. The theory is that these healthy bacteria applied to the skin will kill the harmful bacteria and the toxins they produce, which are the cause of the painful inflammation. Scientists have developed an unlikely treatment for the dry skin condition eczema a cream that is packed with human skin bacteria This is because good and bad bacteria compete against each other: by flooding the area with good bacteria, the hope is that the good bugs win. This innovative approach, known as bacteriotherapy, is already used in other areas of medicine. For example, persistent gut infections such as C. difficile, a cause of food poisoning, can be treated with a pill containing good bacteria from faecal material of healthy donors. Now, research published in the journal Nature Medicine suggests that bacteriotherapy could be a treatment for eczema. One in five children has atopic dermatitis, and for one in 12 cases it persists into adulthood. The condition tends to run in families and there is no cure. Inflammation causes a chronic, itchy rash on the arms, legs and cheeks. Flare-ups can be triggered by heat, detergents, pets, foods and stress. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which tends to live in greater abundance on the skin of people with eczema, is often the cause of the irritation. This is because good and bad bacteria compete against each other: by flooding the area with good bacteria, the hope is that the good bugs win. This innovative approach, known as bacteriotherapy, is already used in other areas of medicine While human skin is naturally a hotbed of bacteria, most cause no harm because the immune system keeps them under control. In those with atopic dermatitis, the immune system goes into overdrive and the bacteria can turn nasty. Professor Carsten Flohr, a consultant dermatologist at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in London, says: Staphylococcus aureus is a key organism that causes infections in eczema. Toxins released by the bacterium drive the skin inflammation. Conventional treatments include emollients (moisturisers) to repair and protect the skin barrier, steroids to reduce redness of the skin by blocking the bodys inflammation process, and antibiotics to kill the bacteria. However, long-term use of some treatments is associated with side-effects. Steroids, for example, can thin the skin, cause impaired kidney function and raise blood pressure. As a result, scientists have been looking for safer alternatives. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego first screened 8,000 types of bacteria taken from the skin of people without eczema to identify which ones were able to kill the harmful Staphylococcus aureus bug. A shortlist of around ten strains was then further assessed to check they were safe and wouldnt become harmful. The scientists were left with a single strain of bacteria, Staphylococcus hominis A9, which was chosen as the treatment for atopic dermatitis. This has several different ways to get rid of the harmful bacteria, Richard Gallo, a professor of dermatology who led the research, told Good Health. It produces a type of antibiotic that kills bad bacteria, it produces a gene that blocks the toxins from bad bacteria, and it helps the body fight the bad bacteria by boosting the immune system. The chosen strain was added to an unscented lotion, and a double-blind trial involving 54 people with eczema began. Two thirds were given the lotion to apply to their arms twice a day for seven days, while the rest were given a dummy cream. Results showed those treated with the bacteria lotion had a reduction in Staphylococcus aureus on their skin and reported fewer complaints of inflammation. Larger trials are planned to see if the lotion works for longer periods. Professor Flohr welcomed the new research, saying it used Natures gift of bacteria to treat the problem. But he warned it could be several years before such a treatment is widely available. Other new treatments for severe eczema include dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody. For this, molecules are produced in a laboratory and engineered so that they target the pathways of the skins immune system which have gone into overdrive. A 2014 U.S. study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found 85 per cent of patients taking dupilumab had a 50 per cent reduction in eczema symptoms after 12 weeks, compared with 35 per cent taking a placebo. In 40 per cent of cases, the eczema cleared up altogether (compared with 7 per cent on the placebo). 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 Los Angeles County should invest at least $100 million for community development and alternatives to incarceration next fiscal year. That's the recommendation of the county CEO, Fesia Davenport, who will present the 2021-22 budget to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning. But activists say that amount falls far short of what voters intended when they approved Measure J in November, the charter amendment that requires the county to dedicate at least 10% of its locally generated, unrestricted general fund to reimagined public safety models such as youth programs and mental health services It was passed with the support of nonprofits and civil rights groups that urged county leaders to divest resources from law enforcement and prisons. Members of that coalition rejected the CEO's plan in a statement Monday evening. "Our communities deserve better," said Ivette Ale, co-founder of La Defensa, a decarceration advocacy group. "After tireless racial justice uprising and commitment to budget advocacy from the streets to the public comment podium, the County CEO is remiss to ignore the grassroots people power that led to the passage of Measure J in the first place." During a press briefing Monday, Davenport called the spending "a year one down payment." Supervisors, working with an advisory committee, will decide on specific programs that will be funded under the Measure J umbrella in the coming months. The Backstory In recent years, activists led a successful push to convince supervisors to begin the process of closing Men's Central Jail and cancel plans for a new jail-like mental health facility in L.A. Last November, Supervisors passed a "Care First" plan to move juveniles in the criminal justice system out of locked facilities into "community-based therapeutic housing" overseen by a Department of Youth Development, instead of the Probation Department. The 2021-22 budget does not yet fund the proposed Youth Development department. "It's a little bit premature," Davenport said. "The consultant's report sort of laid out a timeline and a list of tasks that need to be completed before we can move forward with that endeavor. The Measure J charter amendment is phased in over the course of three years it will not be in full effect until June 2024. It's not yet clear how much of the budget will ultimately be subject to Measure J requirements. The charter amendment targets revenue that is locally generated and unrestricted money with no strings attached but what that means is actively being debated by some Measure J advocates. In projections based on past years' revenue, the County CEO's office has predicted Measure J spending will grow to $300 million in the FY 2023-24 budget. The Re-Imagine L.A. Coalition, which spearheaded Measure J's passage, said that projection is "flawed" and "not legally or financially sound." The coalition supports analysis that Measure J spending should be in the neighborhood of $900 million when it is fully implemented. "The County has the power to make meaningful change that aligns with our communities' demands," Mark-Anthony Clayton Johnson, founder of Frontline Wellness Network said in a statement. "Carceral budgets directly lead to punishing people by locking them away in deadly cages. Policy makers who drag their feet when given a mandate by voters are directly complicit in continuing this harm." A $36.2 Billion Budget Total county funding for the Sheriff's Department is roughly $3.4 billion in the new 2021-22 recommendation. That's relatively flat compared with the current fiscal year. Overall, the $36.2 billion county budget recommendation is starting at a "leaner baseline" than last fiscal year's proposal it's more than $2 billion smaller because of the challenges still posed by COVID-19, according to Davenport. The pandemic has walloped local tax revenue, "probably to the tune of about $735 million," Davenport said. "It might be a little bit more than that." Last year, in the scramble to bridge the gap, the county made $369 million in cuts to department budgets, laid off more than 2,500 workers and issued a hard hiring freeze for non-essential workers. Federal CARES Act relief of $1.22 billion was used for emergency COVID-19 response efforts such as coronavirus testing, rent relief and small business assistance. During the briefing, the CEO highlighted several more changes in next year's budget, which has to be approved by the supervisors and takes effect on July 1: $16.6 million in additional funding for Measure H programs, focused on increasing the supply of interim housing beds and the funding for permanent supportive housing services Nearly $30 million to expand the Department of Mental Health's crisis and intervention services, responding to a 30% surge in helpline calls during the pandemic A $57.1 million boost to foster care, in-home supportive services and general relief $35 million for elections administration and infrastructure The proposed plan for FY 2021-22 does not reflect the $1.9 billion in federal help expected to flow to the county from the American Rescue Plan, passed by Congress and signed by President Biden last month. That money will be factored into ongoing budget updates throughout the year.Davenport said $530 million in unmet department budget requests will be moved forward for consideration in those future budget phases. But within the past decade, as brands have started trying to appeal to wider markets, many have been eager to cast more diversely. The industry has realized, through the Black influence on social media and pop culture, that money can be made from Black people and Black art, Philipp Raheem, a photographer who has shot for Kanye West and the designer Virgil Abloh, said. Before, they thought Black people werent their audience and Black models couldnt sell. An ascending generation of designers of color, combined with mounting criticism of all-white shows, helped turn the tide. It was a perfect storm that allowed another standard of beauty to rise, James Scully, a former casting director, told me. London is really where it all began, and Harry fell into this world. At the same time, Instagram was disrupting the industry in unprecedented ways: Would-be models in the outer districts of London were using it to reach out directly to labels and casting directors, without having to go through agents. Or if they already had agents, hustling models could aggressively promote themselves and draw the attention of new clients. Harry was an early adopter of Instagram and naturally good on it, Kennedy, the veteran talent scout, told me. Beautifully managed, and hed always thank the brands and give credits kind of old-school in the best way. Casting directors now routinely scout for unique faces both on the streets of immigrant neighborhoods and on Instagram. Casting has exploded, especially street casting, using social media, Kennedy told me. People are getting themselves out there and getting a ton of followers. As the culture evolved, young men like Uzoka seemed to no longer view modeling as incompatible with their masculinity. Succeeding in an industry that valued beauty required male models to show aspects of themselves that could make them uneasy, like their femininity and vulnerability. But making money off your looks became a flex, a skill that could garner fame and access to the same luxuries more conventional celebrities had. And so two at-times-conflicting ideas lay under the hierarchy of male modeling: beauty and the openness it required, and a conception of manliness that still prized dominance and swagger. Today being a male model is like being a rock star, Egbon-Marshall said. Its becoming a thing disadvantaged Black boys think they want to do to get out of council estates, he said, referring to British public housing. Some of these kids have no passports, theyve never done anything, theyve all left school. But if theyre beautiful, theres a chance they could do this thing. Many who met Uzoka thought of him as sensitive and generous. (I began piecing together his life in 2019 from interviews with friends and colleagues, as well as court transcripts.) He didnt need to project machismo. Boys by Girls called him a lovely, calm human being. He enjoyed talking about African history and love and metaphysics, describing himself as a free flying soul, not bound by his physical body. During a photo shoot early in his career, Uzoka pulled out his favorite book, Paulo Coelhos The Alchemist, a novel about following your dreams, and gave it to the photographer to better understand him. He had not yet traveled abroad Manchester was the farthest he had gone for vacation and he had an evident curiosity, almost innocence, about the world. He loved horror films, was fascinated by crystals and spirituality and hated showing his feet to Leomie Anderson, a fellow model and his girlfriend at the time. In the community of Black male models, others looked up to Uzoka. There was now more demand for Black men in fashion, but there were still only a small number of them regularly working. I really admired models like Harry, and I watched him, Leonardo Taiwo, a London-born son of Nigerian immigrants who followed Uzoka into the business, said. I wanted to be recognized as much as he was. Everybody respected Harry, he told me. He was a world-changer. During the time Uzoka dated Anderson, Black fans found their relationship inspiring: They embodied a dark-skinned beauty not often found in fashion. To the creative Black community, Harry was not only a model, the stylist Akanbi told me. He was the living representation of possibility. George Koh found his way into fashion not long after Uzoka, and he had a remarkably similar background. Born in Liberia, he immigrated to Britain with his family when he was 2. His mother was a retired chef, his father a security officer. As a teenager, Koh also got caught up with law enforcement: He was arrested for drug possession and assaulting two police officers. After high school, he studied business economics at college and completed an internship at a media agency, but he didnt know what he wanted to do. While Koh was still a university student, a talent scout approached him on the street. At first, modeling seemed like a way to make money and try something new. I thought maybe I could do some traveling, he later said in court. Dean Cleary-Patterson was the first agent to sign Koh, to his agency d1, in November 2013. He was one of our top guys, Cleary-Patterson said of how sought-after Koh became. A glance at some of the day's highlights from the Proactive Investors newswire ( ) made a strong start to the year, it said, with underlying earnings (EBITDA) growing 24% to 2mln in the first three months of 2021 as turnover returned to pre-Covid levels towards the end of the period. s ( ) quarterly activities update said the Merlin well is able to be re-entered to drill a side-track that could be flow-tested. It comes after the well provided some evidence of oil but due to equipment failure and poor hole conditions, could not be fully tested. ( ) has updated investors on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and proposed partnership between its Gibraltar subsidiary Nifty Labs Ltd and Indorse, a Singaporean firm in which it owns a 10% stake. ( ) said it has appointed Thomas Preising as its new chief revenue and transformation officer with immediate effect. ( ) added 935 and 750 new customers in the US and UK respectively in 2020, despite the pandemic. The kitchen services provider said the upward trend in business levels in the second half of 2020 has continued into the current year. DiscoverIE Group PLC ( ) expects earnings for the fiscal year just ended to be at the upper end of market expectations. ( ) has identified an electro-magnetic anomaly in Target Area A in the Hukuntsi section of the company's Kalahari Suture Zone project. ( ) has reported additional high-grade lithium pegmatite drill intersections, including multiple drill intersections over 2% lithium oxide, at new targets adjacent to the Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana. ( ) said it expects to report full-year revenues and earnings ahead of previous expectations despite what it said were significant operational challenges caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (LON:GAL, TSXV:GAL) plans to raise as much as C$6.6mln (3.8mln) through a private placement to provide the financing to bring the Galantas gold mine in Northern Ireland into full production and said its chief executive would be stepping down. BlueRock Diamonds PLC ( ) reported higher production, grades and prices from its Kareevlei diamond mine in South Africa in the first quarter. (LON:THR, ASX: THR, ) has appointed Nicole Galloway Warland, previously exploration manager, to the board as managing director with immediate effect and announced that Mick Billing will relinquish the role of chief executive. ( ) told investors the West Newton B-1Z appraisal well has successfully completed cased hole logging and vertical seismic profiling operations. The next phase of work will see a service rig used to perforate and stimulate the Kirkham Abbey formation ahead of flow testing. ( ) appointed Simon Harford as a new non-executive director with immediate effect. The boardroom hire adds US and global expertise to the management team. ( ) will hold a general meeting at 11am on Wednesday 5 May 2021. The purpose of the meeting will be to effect a reorganisation of the companys share capital. ( ) announced that its annual general meeting will be held on 8 June 2021 in London, with voting to be done by proxy ahead of the meeting. Shareholders will be able to follow proceedings online through the Investor Meet Company platform. ( ) has posted its annual report and accounts for 2020 ahead of its annual general meeting, which will be held at the company's registered office in Bath on 14 May. Shareholders can only submit proxy votes in advance. ( ) will host a virtual capital markets event for investors and analysts on Wednesday 5 May at 2pm BST to provide a full overview of the company's commercial progress. The CME will be hosted by chief executive Adam Bond, alongside the board's chief operating officer, chief finance officer and chief engineer and product officer, who will take questions after the presentation. (LON:HZM, ) will host an investor webcast on 7 May at 2pm BST where chief executive Jeremy Martin will provide a corporate update and take questions. ( ) will host an investor presentation on 29 April at 7pm BST via the Proactive One2One Virtual Forum. Those wanting to register interest in attending can do so via the following link: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1048/gwwg2hxy9. ( ) updated investors on its proposed share capital reduction, which will enable the company to pay a special dividend, and said it is close to completing the submissions required by a court process. ( ) announced high-grade drilling results from the Bailieston gold project in the Victoria Goldfields, Australia. China's economic indicators for the first quarter of 2021 have been released. At an annualized rate, the economy grew 18.3% from January through to April, facilitating a complete economic recovery as the world deals with the disruption of COVID-19, and consumption reasserts itself, registering the highest tally since 1993. In line with the GDP figures, industrial output increased 24.5% from last year, exports by 38.7%, imports 29.2%, retail sales of consumer goods 33.9%, and fixed-asset investment by 25.6%, all positive indicators showing a healthy and resilient economy, which is forecast to end the year up around 8.4% as a whole. The impressive resurgence of China's economy is the product of a stable internal environment facilitated by rapid and sustained containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain resilience and other matching rebound of other major economies. Irrespective of geopolitical uncertainties, China continues to remain an engine of global growth and subsequently an integral part of the world recovery. This illustrates why it must continue to promote the country's economic and development strategies, as well as setting a firm example in how to recuperate one's economy in the midst of crisis. First of all, China's recovery must be premised on its absolutist and strident pandemic prevention and control strategy, one which has protected national stability and prevented a massive resurgence of the virus. This has certainly paid off. A year ago, China suffered a temporary economic hit of 6.8% following the first national lockdown, but through wholesale population spanning testing, strict quarantining and uncompromising transport curbs, the outbreak was quashed and normal life was enabled to resume. Since that time, there have been small new pockets of new virus cases in some provinces, but by aggressively enforcing this strategy on a localized scale, China has completely prevented a "second wave" altogether unlike other countries that have been beset again and again. This has produced a climate of consistent stability, and given China a head start over the rest of the world on reopening its economy. This, in turn, has allowed China-based supply chains to remain resilient and stable, providing the rest of the world with medical supplies, equipment and now vaccines. These circumstances allowed China to ride out a global recession in achieving 2.3% GDP growth in 2020, being the only major economy in the world to do so. Of course, the global economy is interdependent and, in line with this, the recovery in some other countries subsequently drags up China's growth faster as demand for consumer goods pushes up exports. This has been particularly true in nations such as the United States where, despite geopolitical tensions, mutual trade has nonetheless surged. In line with this, a facilitation of normal economic circumstances within China itself also has produced a rebound in local consumer demand and thus a surge in imports, promoting international recovery. A rolling cycle of global recovery has emerged, with China is at the center adding to its momentum. This sets China's economy on an incredible pace for 2021. Of course, this is not without its risks. Things are slightly positive right now, but there is no absolute guarantee the COVID-19 pandemic will completely disappear. While the scenarios in some countries look positive, others continue to be rocked by their highest ever tallies of cases, plunging recovery into uncertainty. Likewise, constant new mutations of the virus are going to be an ongoing problem for emergent vaccines to keep up with. This will make the global exit from the pandemic not black and white, but patchy and sometimes inconsistent. In this case, while the picture is optimistic, the struggle is far from over. However, one thing is certain, and that is China's recovery is simply a scale of "how high?" as opposed to any fear of falling backwards. Beijing has pulled itself out of a COVID-19 global slump with immense efficiency and has done so without having to pump trillions in stimulus into the economy in the way the EU, the U.K. and the U.S. have done. This shows the impressive resilience and certainty of its GDP in going forwards. Irrespective of the global condition, China will continue to be an engine of global growth and prosperity. Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. MADISON, N.J., April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Century 21 Real Estate LLC, a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), announced today that southern California-based CENTURY 21 Award, the brand's fourth largest franchise nationwide and brand's number one largest C21 Company in California, has renewed its franchise agreement for a 15-year term. President and CEO David Romero, after careful consideration of the brokerage models available in the market, agreed that the CENTURY 21 brand is the best option for growth for his leadership team, their family of 850+ affiliated relentless sales professionals and to homebuyers, homesellers and real estate investors throughout southern California. Spanning over two decades in the industry, Romero and his brother Philip, have built a premier real estate business, with locations in four countiesOrange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diegowith 16 offices and growing as they continue to recruit and retain agents who thrive on delivering extraordinary experiences and earning industry-best quality service ratings. "It's an exciting time in our industry," said David Romero. "Just as technology has touched every businessevery lifeCENTURY 21 Award enjoys the challenge of stretching our capabilities through greater efficiencies. We believe by committing to the CENTURY 21 brand, we will be able to deliver increased value to our affiliated agents and to their clients, and that will make the difference in our company's continued growth as a thought leader and difference maker." "It's thrilling to hear when entrepreneurs like Philip and David choose to remain affiliated with your organization despite having almost every option to go elsewhere," says Michael Miedler, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. "We couldn't be more excited to build on our collaboration and help CENTURY 21 Award attain their aggressive growth goals." To learn more about the CENTURY 21 value proposition, or to join the ranks of the relentless, please go to century21.com/about-us/contact/media. About CENTURY 21 Award CENTURY 21 Award is the fourth largest company in the CENTURY 21 network and number one CENTURY 21 company in California. What started in Anaheim when brothers Philip and David Romero opened their first office, CENTURY 21 Award is now 850+ affiliated agents in 16 locations that cover Southern California in four countiesOrange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. About Century 21 Real Estate LLC The approximately 145,000 independent sales professionals in approximately 13,000 offices spanning 86 countries and territories in the CENTURY 21 System live their mission every day: to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences. By consistently chasing excellence, giving 121% and always elevating, the CENTURY 21 brand is helping its affiliated brokers/agents to be the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals worldwide. Century 21 Real Estate has numerous websites to help answer specific consumer needs. They are century21.com, century21.com/global, century21.com/commercial, century21.com/finehomes and century21.com/espanol. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. 2021 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21, the CENTURY 21 Logo and C21 are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Contact: Peter L. Mosca Century 21 Real Estate LLC Phone: 973.407.5180 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Century 21 Real Estate LLC Related Links www.realogy.com Conservative blogger Terrence K. Williams has some excellent commentary on "Crazy Maxine" Waters, who demanded a guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin case. "I hope we're going to get a verdict that will say guilty, guilty, guilty. And if we don't, we cannot go away." After all, who needs due process of law, including consideration of evidence and deliberation by a jury, when the Ku Klux Klan knew fully well in 1921 that the Black defendant was guilty of raping a white woman, and when Maxine Waters knows similarly in 2021 that Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd? It is meanwhile noteworthy that Keith Ellison, the Minnesota prosecutor who orchestrated the murder charge against Chauvin, also compared 9/11 to the Reichstag Fire. Even the Daily Kos had a problem with that. If I was on the jury, his case would start out with one strike against it because I would not believe anything that came out of his mouth, even though he delegated the case to other attorneys. There is strong evidence that he overcharged Chauvin, noting that murder would require Chauvin to have set out intentionally to cause Floyd's death. There seems to be no evidence whatsoever that he did. There is a much stronger argument that the police owed Floyd a duty of care once he was in custody and no longer able to resist arrest and, if that duty of care was not performed, manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide could be on the table. Conflicting evidence has been presented, but it is up to the jury and not Waters to decide which story to believe. Another argument could meanwhile be made that, if any of the jurors heard Waters's remarks, a mistrial might be in order due to the implicit threat of civil unrest if the jury returns the "wrong" verdict, just as it would be if the Ku Klux Klan marched around the courthouse if a Black defendant was on trial. Someone Antifa and extreme elements of BLM are the obvious suspects left a severed pig's head at the home of a Chauvin defense witness. The witness had already testified, so it is difficult to accuse the perpetrators of witness intimidation, but the message to the not yet sequestered jury is obvious. It is also to be remembered that Waters encouraged people to harass members of the Trump administration. "Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere." Maxine, please go away and take the country's racists of all persuasions with you. Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. The author is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter. Image: Danny Hammontree. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Prime Minister Florin Citu on Tuesday had a meeting with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, on which occasion they discussed the conditions under which Romanian citizens of the Republic of Moldova can get immunised against COVID-19 in vaccination centres in Romania, regardless of whether or not they have a domicile in our country. "No matter which side of the Prut we live in, we are all concerned with managing the pandemic as well as possible and protect the health of our citizens. Today I've had a very good meeting with Mrs Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, about the vaccination campaign, which is the safest way by which we can overcome the health crisis and return to a normal life. We have supported the medical system and the citizens of the Republic of Moldova through the donation of vaccines and equipment and we will continue to offer help. I have discussed with President Maia Sandu about the conditions under which Romanian citizens from the Republic of Moldova could get immunised against COVID-19 in vaccination centres in Romania, regardless of whether or not they have a domicile in our country," Florin Citu wrote on the Government's Facebook page. The head of Executive added that Romania remains the most important partner of the Republic of Moldova and its citizens, agerpres.ro confirms. "By continuing to show solidarity and responsibility in the efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we will overcome this period well and we will return to a normal life," Citu underscored. Kohima/Shillong/Agartala/Guwahati, April 20 (IANS) With a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, the northeastern states have taken diverse actions, including imposition of night curfew and closure of educational institutions, to prevent the spread, officials said on Tuesday. The Assam government on Tuesday ordered that all markets, shops and malls to shut by 6 p.m. Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua, in an order, said that the government permitted 50 per cent of lower-level staff to work from home in the districts having 100 or more active coronavirus cases. State Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, meanwhile, said that Covid neutral certificates from other states would not be accepted and all air and train passengers would have to undergo both Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR tests on reaching Assam. The text reports would be available within 24 hours, till which time the passengers should stay in isolation. "Assam's Covid situation is mostly linked to people with travel history. There would be no night curfew and lockdown in Assam as the situation is under control," the minister told the media in Guwahati. Sarma, in a tweet, said: "Districts where the number of Covid-19 cases are more than 100, classes at Upper Primary, Secondary and Senior Secondary levels will run with 50 per cent attendance. The same will also apply for classes in colleges & universities of such districts." The Nagaland and Tripura governments have ordered closures of educational institutions. In Meghalaya, the night curfew in East Khasi Hills District, in which capital Shillong falls, has been extended for another week until April 25. The state government also announced a series of measures, including banning entry of tourists from other states. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that all schools will close till May 4 in Shillong area and government and private offices will function with 50 per cent attendance. Night curfew and various other restrictions continue to be in effect in Mizoram capital Aizawl and other parts of the mountainous state. Imposing partial lockdown in Aizawl and 10 other districts, Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, in an order, said that the recent spurt of positive cases is alarming for the medical community."It is considered necessary to impose restrictions on people's movement and activities for a certain duration in order to break the disease transmission chain and to facilitate testing and contact tracing," he said asking the officials to further tighten the restrictions. The Nagaland government ordered the closure of all the schools in the state, including residential ones, for students of classes 1 to 8 with immediate effect. Chief Secretary J. Alam, in his order, said that regular classes for students of 9 to 12 will continue for now following the necessary SOPs. Governor R. N. Ravi, meanwhile, requested church leaders to influence people to follow coronavirus protocols. In Manipur, the state government has imposed night curfew in the entire state from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh has made testing compulsory for all people entering the state. Tripura Education Minister and government spokesman Ratan Lal Nath said that there will be no night curfew and lockdown in the state, but all educational institutions - primary to university level - would remain closed for an indefinite period. However, the ongoing examinations would continue as scheduled. All the northeastern states also restricted participation in various functions being organised in any auditorium or hall or open fields. Similar restrictions were also imposed in public transport. Governors, Chief Ministers and senior officials of the eight northeastern states are regularly monitoring the Covid situation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Homicide squad detectives investigating the murder of a young woman 27 years ago have turned their attention to a Newcastle home and whether a domestic incident took place before her death. The body of Melissa Hunt, 22, was found near the weir wall of Burrenjim Dam along Blue Gum Creek in Stockrington on April 25, 1994. She had been thrown into the water with rocks in her clothing. Melissa Hunt died from severe head injuries. Credit:NSW Police Homicide squad commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said Ms Hunts murder was brutal and she died of horrific and severe head injuries. Theres a lot of planning that wouldve had to have gone into place, he told reporters in Newcastle on Tuesday. Not only to take Melissa to the dam, and to place her in the dam. Once more, the unsupported allegation that Chinese telecoms provider Huawei Technologies was up to no good in some country's network has been aired, this time, by the Guardian. The claims are second-hand, coming from a Dutch newspaper, De Volkskrant, which reported, based on a confidential report by the consulting firm Capgemini, that Huawei could have monitored calls on the Dutch KPN network. The Guardian, by the way, is the same newspaper that ran a report by a notoriously flaky reporter named Luke Harding back in 2018, claiming that Paul Manafort of the Trump campaign had visited Julian Assange while the latter was ensconced in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. A bombshell story if ever there was one. The embassy was surrounded by more security cameras than any square foot of London at the time and that's a high number by any standard yet not a single one of them caught a glimpse of Manafort entering the embassy. No other publication was able to corroborate this report and while many people called for it to be taken down as it appeared to be a massive lie, the Guardian, true to its reputation, has not bothered to do so. So exactly what kind of credence does one accord this second-hand claim? Nobody can access the De Vokskrant report which is behind a paywall. How many times have we heard similar tales in the last few years? I have lost count of "research" that claimed Huawei could have done this, that and the other - but no report has ever produced any evidence. The whole world is expected to believe whatever is spoken in Washington, London or any other Western capitals. Not forgetting Canberra, where Australian politicians, servile at the best of times, love to play the role of an echo chamber for their American and British counterparts. Here is the tale of one such "report", by a company known as Finite State, which fizzled out like all the others. I tried my level best to interview the people behind it, but they were cagey at first, and then non-responsive. With the FBI breaking into US systems to delete malware from Microsoft exchange servers and now this, the government is engaged in a breathtaking sprint to protect the Microsoft brand. Have the Solarwinds hacks led to a quiet embrace of "national champions" style infosec policy? https://t.co/mVK8Q6198W Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 15, 2021 Given the fact that it is Chinese and that is definitely not kosher, these days Huawei is a suspect no matter what it does. Like any other company which has grown to its size, Huawei is no lily-white angel. It uses all the same tactics as businesses in the West do. When it comes to coding and code quality, Huawei is not in any way better than the rest. There is sloppy code written, there are silly errors like leaving hard-coded passwords lying around, and so on. But what happens when other companies are found wanting should be taken note of, to understand that this kind of reporting has more to do with politics and much less to do with the quality of the technology. For example, Microsoft, a company which will mark 50 years in the software business in 2025, has a product called Exchange Server, basically a mail transport agent. Recently, some terrible vulnerabilities were found in this product, to the extent that the top American spy agency, the NSA, got into the act of warning American businesses to patch. The FBI went one step further, obtained court orders and accessed servers in the US that had been compromised, to remove Web shells and prevent the servers from being used a staging ground for exploitation. But was Microsoft criticised for the quality or perhaps that should be lack of quality? of its software? The short answer is no. It's a good ole American company and that covers a multitude of sins. Many big US technology companies have opened their doors to the NSA when asked. Or should that be ordered? That much was made public through the material leaked by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden. But nobody has sought to shut down any of these companies and blackball them for giving data to spies who, it is fair to assume, do not have the noblest of motives when they make these requests. If one applies the same logic to Cisco that one does to Huawei, then all the routing gear supplied by the former and used in networks worldwide would have to be ripped out. But Huawei? Well, as I said before, it is Chinese. And China is the country that is threatening to overtake the US as the world's biggest economy. Wounded Western pride is a very powerful motivating factor. Enter the Guardian. Project lies in top-rated mining jurisdiction Resource estimate lifted three times to date with more potential to come Robust PEA in 2019 What Vendetta Mining Corp does: Vendetta Mining Corp ( ) ( ) is a Canadian junior explorer, focused mainly on lead and zinc. The company bought the Pegmont lead, zinc project in 2019, which is strategically located in the Mount Isa - McArthur mineral province, the heart of the worlds most important lead-zinc belt in Queensland, Australia. Pegmont is a high-grade, largely open pit resource, which has excellent infrastructure. It also boasts an indicated resource estimate of 5.8 million tonnes at 6.5% lead, 2.6% zinc and 11 grams per ton (g/t) silver. The inferred category hosts 8.2 million tonnes at 5.1% lead, 2.8% zinc and 8 g/t silver. In early 2019, the group released a preliminary economic assessment (PEA), which outlined a 10-year mine plan and robust economics. It showed a pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 32% (after-tax 24%) and net present value (NPV) of C$201 million (C$128 million after-tax) using long term consensus metal prices of US$0.91 per pound lead, US$1.09 per pound zinc and US$16.50 per ounce of silver and a US$:A$ exchange rate of US$0.75. Pre-production capex was put at C$170 million. How is it doing: Vendetta has had a fairly quiet start to 2021, with the only news from the company regarding the completion of a financing and a debt settlement deal. On February 23, the company announced that it had closed the third and final tranche of a private placement, previously announced in August 2020, with a total of 10,433,333 units being issued at a price of $0.06 each for gross proceeds of $625,999.98. Together with the proceeds from the first and second tranche of the placement, Vendetta said it had issued 25,516,868 units for a total of $1,531,012. Net proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the development of the company's 100% owned Pegmont Lead-Zinc project and general working capital, Vendetta added. Back in July 2020, Vendetta had also closed a non-brokered private placement for $811,572 through the issue of a total of 20,288,188 units at $0.04 apiece. On January 5, Vendetta said it had entered into debt settlement agreements with two arms length creditors of the company, under which it will settle aggregate debt of approximately $100,292.16. Under the terms of the first agreement, the company has agreed to settle debt in the amount of $44,625.00 through the issuance of 686,538 common shares in the capital of the company at a price of $0.065 per common chare. Under the terms of the second debt agreement, it agreed to settle debt in the amount of $55,667.16 through the issuance of 927,786 units of the company at a price of $0.06 per settlement unit, each settlement unit being comprised of one common share and one-half of one transferable common share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.09 for a period of three years from the date of issue. Prior to that, Vendetta's previous news was in August 2020, when it announced that it had been awarded an A$200,000 grant under the Queensland Governments Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI) to test a conceptual exploration target, the Pegmont Deeps Zinc Target. The project was one of 25 high-quality projects recognised and the firm secured the maximum funding available under the state government's Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI). It will help fund the drilling two 700 metre deep holes, designed to test whether the Pegmont host sequence repeats at depth, it added. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Queensland government had also waived the rent on mining firms' exploration permits and the EPM26210 permit, where Pegmont is hosted and therefore Vendetta benefitted from this relief. Before the pandemic hit, in February 2020, the company had reported what it called "highly encouraging" results from material sorting test work at the Pegmont project. In simple terms, the X-ray transmission (XRT) sorter can easily differentiate between high-grade material and lower density waste, thus potential plant feed can be screened prior to grinding and flotation. In the boardroom, in July 2020, Vendetta announced the appointment of Alastair Brownlow, a senior consultant with Red Fern which provides the ccmpany with accounting services, to the position of its chief financial officer (CFO), effective June 23, 2020, replacing Jasmine Lau who was also an associate of Red Fern. Inflection points: Start of drilling at Pegmont Deeps zinc target Metals prices moves Other newsflow What the boss says: In the statement of August 2020, Michael Williams, Vendetta CEO commented: We would like to acknowledge the very meaningful efforts of the Queensland Government including the CEI program, exploration tenement rent and expenditure relief provided during the extraordinary conditions that explorers and developers are currently facing. The importance of mining and exploration to the Queensland economy is evident in these efforts and we consider ourselves fortunate to be operating in such a supportive jurisdiction. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. She can be reached at jmaschino@berkshireeagle.com. The heiress to the Butlin's fortune has been banned from pubs and bars on the island of Jersey after attacking her friends in an 'alcohol-fuelled' rage. Sacha Butlin, 23, hit Thomas Henry Le Vavasseur Dit Durell, 25, with a glass after drinking half a bottle of vodka during a night out at a club in St Helier, Jersey. The island's Royal Court heard she attacked Mr Durell and his girlfriend Laura de Gruchy, 22, during the attack on March 8 last year. Butlin - the granddaughter of holiday camp founder Billy Butlin - then went on to punch Only Fans model Kayla Bulstrode, 23, in the face so hard she was left with a nosebleed. Sacha Butlin (pictured), 23, hit Thomas Henry Le Vavasseur Dit Durell, 25, with the glass after drinking half a bottle of vodka during a night out at a club in St Helier, Jersey The island's Royal Court heard she kicked towards Mr Durell's girlfriend Laura de Gruchy (the couple are pictured together), 22 Butlin went on to punch adult website model Kayla Bulstrode (pictured), 23, in the face so hard she was left with a nosebleed The court heard how Butlin attacked her friends at the Vittoria nightclub (pictured) The court heard how Butlin attacked friend Laura de Gruchy at the Vittoria nightclub at 12.33am. As Ms de Gruchy was walking towards the exit, Butlin kicked her before slapping her in the face then screamed abuse in the 'unprovoked attack'. When Ms de Gruchy's boyfriend Thomas Henry Le Vavasseur Dit Durell, stepped in to separate them, Butlin slapped him. Butlin then punched mutual friend Kayla Bulstrode and left her with a nose bleed, after she tried to stop her from going near the couple. Crown Advocate Julian Gollop told Court that Miss Butlin knew all of the victims. When Thomas attempted to interject again, Butlin smashed a glass in his face. He was taken to A&E and received nine stitches to his eyebrow, which have left permanent scars, according to the Bailiwick Express. Butlin tried to leave the nightclub around 2am but was stopped by security. While Mr Durell was in a sideroom being treated for three deep wounds above his left eye, Butlin told police, 'I didn't do anything'. The court was told Butlin was seen with blood on her hands. Prosecutor Julian Gollop said the attack was unprovoked and Butlin, a high-end estate agent, admitted grave and criminal assault and three counts of common assault. All four of the privately educated friends live on Jersey and the three girls are understood to be friends through their love of horse riding. Mr Durrell, a Senior Associate at PwC, went to the prestigious Marlborough College in Wiltshire - which boasts alumni including Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Ghislaine Maxwell and Samantha Cameron. Hunt is understood to work for Hunt Estates, an affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate in Jersey. Privately educated Ms Bulstrode works for a fuel company and tops up her income by selling racy content on the website Only Fans. After the trial, Ms Bulstrode said: 'I don't want to say much on this matter but I will say this .. Although this is not originally the outcome I hoped for I believe actually now in some ways this result is better. 'Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last 13 months, it's nice to know the vast majority are on our side. Time to move on.' Butlin, right, was sentenced to 24 hours community service, banned from pubs and bars on the island for a year and given a five-year restraining order After the trial, Ms Bulstrode said: 'I don't want to say much on this matter but I will say this .. Although this is not originally the outcome I hoped for I believe actually now in some ways this result is better' Thomas Henry Le Vavasseur Dit Durell, 25, was a victim of the attack Butlin punched adult website model Kayla Bulstrode, 23, pictured) in the face so hard she was left with a nosebleed Advocate David Steenson, mitigating, said his client had not realised she was holding a glass when she lashed out. Butlin was sentenced to 24 hours community service, banned from pubs and bars on the island for a year and given a five-year restraining order. She must also pay her victims a total of 3,100 compensation. Billy Butlin's holiday empire was sold to an American company in 1972 for 40million. Butlin's declined to comment. Butlin, pictured left and right, must also pay her victims a total of 3,100 compensation The Vittoria nightclub on Jersey is owned by businessman Martin Sayers Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, marking another milestone in the nations largest-ever vaccination campaign but leaving more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves. Almost 130 million people 18 or older or 50.4% of the total adult population have received at least one dose of a vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5% of the population, have been fully vaccinated. The U.S. cleared the 50% mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher. The countrys vaccination rate, at 61.6 doses administered per 100 people, currently falls behind Israel, which leads among countries with at least 5 million people with a rate of 119.2. The U.S. also trails the United Arab Emirates, Chile and the United Kingdom, which is vaccinating at a rate of 62 doses per 100 people, according to Our World in Data, an online research site. The states with the highest vaccination rates have a history of voting Democratic and supporting President Joe Biden in the 2020 election: New Hampshire at the top, with 71.1%, followed by New Mexico, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, CDC data show. Vaccination rates do not always align with how states vote. But polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has shown trends that link political leanings and attitudes about the vaccines and other issues related to the pandemic, which has killed more than 566,000 people in the U.S. A poll conducted in late March found that 36% of Republicans said they probably or definitely will not get vaccinated, compared with 12% of Democrats. Similarly, a third of rural Americans said they were leaning against getting shots, while fewer than a fourth of people living in cities and suburbs shared that hesitancy. Overall, willingness to get vaccinated has risen, polling shows. Nationwide, 24% of Black Americans and 22% of Hispanic Americans say they probably or definitely will not get vaccinated, down from 41% and 34% in January, respectively. Among white Americans, 26% now say they will not get vaccinated. In January, that number was 31%. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said the goal is to get community figures, from athletes to clergy, to encourage vaccinations, particularly as the seven-day national average of cases remains over 60,000 new infections a day. What we are doing is were trying to get, by a community core, trusted messages that anyone would feel comfortable with listening to, whether youre a Republican, a Democrat, an independent or whomever you are, that youre comfortable, Fauci said Sunday on ABCs This Week. Fauci also indicated Sunday that the government likely will move to resume use of Johnson & Johnsons COVID-19 vaccine this week, possibly with restrictions or broader warnings after reports of some very rare blood clot cases. The J&J vaccine was thrown into limbo after the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said last week that they needed more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot and if so, how big the risk is. The reports are rare six cases out of more than 7 million U.S. inoculations with the J&J vaccine. The clots were found in women between the ages of 18 and 48. One person died. Authorities stressed that they have found no sign of clot problems with the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. from Moderna and Pfizer. . Total cases in west-central Illinois counties as of Monday, according to individual county health departments, and vaccination rates, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, were: Brown County 689 total, 676 recovered, seven deaths Five new cases. Fully vaccinated: 19.69%; 65 or older: 68.57% Cass County 1,955 total, 1,916 recovered, 33 deaths Three new cases. Fully vaccinated: 30.86%; 65 or older: 70.61% Greene County 1,408 total, 1,351 recovered, 48 deaths Fully vaccinated: 22.59%; 65 or older: 56.25% Jersey County 2,602 total, 2,535 recovered, 48 deaths Fully vaccinated: 29.12%; 65 or older: 75.40% Macoupin County 4,755 total, 4,427 recovered, 110 deaths 14 new cases. Fully vaccinated: 28.22%; 65 or older: 73.95% Morgan County 3,853 total, 3,712 released from restrictions, 101 deaths 15 new cases since Friday. Fully vaccinated: 29.83%; 65 or older: 73.75% Pike County 1,744 total, 1,677 recovered, 47 deaths 19 new cases. Fully vaccinated: 23.85%; 65 or older: 62.7% Sangamon County 17,788 total, 229 deaths 153 new cases since Friday. Fully vaccinated: 33.49%; 65 or older: 81.08% Schuyler County 674 total, 651 recovered, 16 deaths Fully vaccinated: 28.9%; 65 or older: 66.20% Scott County 468 total, 460 recovered, one death Fully vaccinated: 22.86%; 65 or older: 62% Statewide, 1,959 new cases of coronavirus disease and 22 deaths were reported Monday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 1,304,200 cases and 21,685 deaths in Illinois. The double mutant strain of coronavirus that many experts say is behind the recent rapid surge of second Covid wave was first detected in October last year through genome sequencing of a virus sample. A report in the Indian Express said that since both the mutations, E484Q and L425R, were located in the viruss critical spike protein that binds it to the receptor cells in the body. Reuters The destructive potential of the mutant should have raised red flags and led to widespread gene surveillance to look for its spread. However, the slow pace of the genome sequencing exercise got further slowed down between November and January due to lack of funds, absence of clear directives and disinterest because of the falling Covid curve. Third mutation red flagged With Covid cases skyrocketing with every passing day, India has already surpassed Brazil to be the second worst-affected and has already begun to overwhelm the hospitals and crematoriums. Now, a third mutation in the B.1.167 has been identified and experts are hoping that this time, given the alarm bells ringing all around, the pace of intervention and follow-up picks up. Representational Image/AP Genome sequencing, the study of genetic structures of an organism and the changes happening in it, give information about the virus origins, routes taken to reach a particular area and the changes, or mutations, that are making the virus stronger or weaker. Genome sequencing, the study of genetic structures of an organism and the changes happening therein, produces a wealth of information that can throw light on the origins of the virus, the routes it has taken to reach a particular geography and the changes, or mutations, that are making the virus stronger or weaker. Other nations vs India India, in the first six months, barely conducted a few hundred genome sequencing, while other countries like China, the UK and US, had done several thousand and submitted these in public global depositories for scientists across the world to study. File Photo It was only in December last year that the government announced setting up the Indian SARS-CoV2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) to expedite the gene sequencing effort from India through a consortium of 10 laboratories. "India well behind curve" The whole point of gene sequencing is to remain ahead of the curve, anticipate what new variants of the virus are likely to emerge, how they are likely to behave, and what can be done to contain their spread in the population. More the sequences, greater is our information about them, and more effective our response can be, a scientist associated with the sequencing effort reportedly said. Reuters Unfortunately, India has been well behind the curve on this front. We have been reacting to the developments, instead of anticipating it, he added. A court in the United Kingdom has ordered the extradition of a Vietnamese man to Belgium where he is wanted in connection with the deaths of 39 migrants found in a lorry. Ngo Sy Tai was apprehended by the National Crime Agency at an address in the UK. Photo courtesy of NCA Ngo Sy Tai has been on the run from authorities in Europe who allege he was a member of a criminal network involved in large scale organised people smuggling. He is suspected of transporting at least ten of the 39 found dead in Essex in October 2019, moving them from a safe house in Anderlecht in taxis to a location near the French/Belgian border before they were put onto the lorry. After hearing the migrants had died, it is alleged Tai fled Belgium and initially went to Germany before moving to the UK. He has now been tracked down by the National Crime Agency at an address in Worcestershire, England, where he was arrested. Westminster Magistrates Court in London has now approved his extradition to Belgium. The NCAs Head of Organised Immigration Crime Operations, Miles Bonfield, said they are determined to ensure justice for the families of those who died in the lorry. He said: We are working closely with partners in the UK, Europe and beyond to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal networks involved in people smuggling. The arrest of Tai demonstrates that in action, and demonstrates our continued determination to get justice for the families of those who so tragically died in October 2019. People smuggling is a horrendous trade where those involved treat migrants as a commodity to be profited from and do not care about their safety or wellbeing. There can be no greater example of that than this case. In January this year, seven men were jailed for a total of 92 years in connection with the deaths of the 39 Vietnamese. Four of those were found guilty of manslaughter. VNS Brooke Petry is a self-described introvert who says she never imagined herself on the front lines of tackling the global crisis of climate change. That all changed when Petry, 40, gave birth to her daughter, Eleanor, 12 years ago. "There is no parent who says to themselves, I would just love to live in this polluted area and have my kids breathing this air that makes them sick,'" Petry told "Good Morning America." "At the end of the day, our kids deserve clean air and the ability to run around and play and not be breathing in something that will harm to them." Petry, of Philadelphia, began volunteering around five years ago with a parent-led advocacy organization, Moms Clean Air Force, after she found herself weighing whether or not she could send Eleanor, who, like Petry, has asthma, to summer camp. "Philadelphia consistently gets a failing grade for air quality and I remember wed get alerts on our phone about air quality saying, Red Zone Days,'" said Petry. "I would think to myself, should I send her to camp? Can she even play outside today?" "To have to weigh decisions like that is just something you dont want to imagine, that your kids cant run and play with other kids because the air in the neighborhood is too dangerous to breathe," she said. "And there are so many parents who are facing these decisions and challenges." PHOTO: Brooke Petry's daughter, Eleanor, sits in a legislator's chair in the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. (Brooke Petry) Petry, a small business owner, became so passionate about her environmental advocacy that she accepted a paid position with Moms Clean Air Force last year. She now serves as the organization's field organizer for eastern Pennsylvania, speaking with state legislators and recruiting fellow moms to advocate for the environment. "Ive seen legislators in meetings with moms and kids be moved to tears by some of the stories folks are telling about why theyre there and why they want their story to matter to legislators," she said. "The work Ive done over the years has been focused on the idea that if each person can shift their mindset to realize that actions big and small can make a huge difference when it comes to the environment, we can make change, and it really does take all of us." Story continues MORE: 5 myths about how you can help the environment The idea that moms can be the biggest advocates for environmental change is one that has taken hold in recent years, given that no parent wants to see their kids grow up into a world in which they cannot fully live, whether that means not being able to go outside because of air pollution or not being able to live in certain areas because of sea-level rise from human-induced climate change. Petry points out that climate change even affects the tick population, which in turn can affect how many kids get Lyme disease, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. "It doesnt have to be this way and its this added burden that parents are thinking about," she said. "This stuff does matter in our daily lives." PHOTO: Brooke Petry is a field organizer in Pennsylvania for Moms Clean Air Force. (Brooke Petry) Moms Clean Air Force, the group for which Petry works, says it has recruited over 1 million moms and dads for its advocacy efforts. The nonprofit organization was founded by a mom, Dominique Browning, in 2011. Browning has said she wanted to move the conversation among moms from talking about which household products were safest to use to talking about lobbying for policy changes that would better protect their families. In 2016, for example, Moms Clean Air Force led moms lobbying for the successful passage of the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, designed to protect people from toxic chemicals in consumer products. Under the Trump administration, the organization fought back against changes they say weakened the law. "Moms have passion and power an unbeatable combination. Moms will do everything we can to keep our children safe and sound," Moms Clean Air Force says on its website. "Thats why we are uniting to ensure that our children have clean air right now, and for their future." What's changed in even just the past decade since Moms Clean Air Force was founded is the realization for parents of changes happening to the environment today, not what the health of the planet will be like for their great-grandchildren. The Yale Program on Climate Communication has researched Americans' level of concern for the environment since January 2010. A report released last year found that the segment of people described as being "the most engaged, are very worried about climate change, and strongly support actions to address it," has doubled in size over the past years. One study published last November in the journal Climatic Change found that nearly 97% of respondents were very or extremely concerned about the "well-being of their existing, expected, or hypothetical children in a climate-changed world." MORE: How environmental racism continues to affect communities of color In January, a group of female climate scientists, who are also moms, launched a new organization, Science Moms, to help educate moms on the environment and give them a way to harness their concern, according to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a founder of the Science Moms campaign and chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy. PHOTO: In this April 3, 2012, file photo, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe delivers her Faith Based Response to Climate Change talk to students and faculty during chapel at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. (Nellie Doneva/Abilene Reporter-News via AP, FILE) "We want to provide really clear, short explanations and describe how [environmental changes] affect us and our kids and their health," said Hayhoe. "We know as moms that were making decisions every single day and we do not have time to sit down and figure out all the nuances." Hayhoe, who has worked with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and former president Barack Obama, said even her life's work as a climate scientist changed after she gave birth to her now 13-year-old son Gavin. PHOTO: In this Oct. 3, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama arrives with actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, to talk about climate change on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Carolyn Kaster/AP, FILE) "It felt like something physical inside my chest shifted and I would never be the same," she said of becoming a mom. "Children are what gives us hope, that idea there has to be at least the slim possibility of a better future, a light at the end of the tunnel." Hayhoe added that environmental issues should not just be something people think about when deciding whether to have children, but should be a focus of how parents raise their children in terms of setting an example of environmentalism for the next generation. PHOTO: Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for Nature Conservancy, poses with her son Gavin in an undated handout photo. (Courtesy Katharine Hayhoe) Science Moms offers short video explainers on environmental issues, as well as a resource guide for both parents and kids. They also have a call to action for moms to contact their legislators to let them know they care about climate change because of their kids. "The answer to our anxiety is action," said Hayhoe. "No one is too small to make a difference." "What we all have in common is we have a voice, and thats how we change the world, by changing social norms and we change social norms by talking," she said. Earth Day 2021: Moms become climate activists as they worry about the Earth their kids will inherit originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com The U.S. and Iran edged closer to ending their standoff over the nuclear deal abandoned by former President Donald Trump, with Washington describing talks as constructive and the Islamic Republic signaling that it was ready to debate the details of how the two sides can revive the stricken 2015 accord. Bloomberg reports that Jake Sullivan, United States National Security Adviser, told Fox News on Sunday the talks in Vienna have been constructive in the sense that there is real effort underway there and that world powers were focused on restoring the agreement on a compliance for compliance basis. Irans lead negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, injected fresh hope into the process on Saturday, by saying that a new understanding was taking shape at the talks and that his country would start work on a full draft text for negotiators to discuss. Negotiators, which include the European Union, Russia and China, have said the talks will continue this week. World powers have been meeting in Vienna since April 9 to help the U.S. and Iran map a path back to a restored nuclear deal and reduce tensions in the energy-rich Persian Gulf. The talks were almost derailed last week after Irans biggest uranium enrichment facility was severely damaged in an attack it blamed on Israel. In response, the Islamic Republic dramatically increased the levels at which it is enriching uranium -- to 60% from 20% -- meaning that it is closer than ever before to obtaining weapons-grade fissile material. President Joe Biden sharply criticized the move but pledged to continue talks. Iran wants the U.S. to remove hundreds of sanctions that Trump imposed on its economy after he took office in 2017, including those that he reinstated when he broke away from the nuclear deal. Araghchi said on Saturday Iran wants all the penalties that it expects the U.S. to remove, to be formally listed and agreed on. Tehran insists that the U.S. must take these measures before Iran agrees to scale back its atomic activity back to within the original terms of the nuclear deal. On Sunday Sullivan said sanctions would be lifted once the U.S. has clarity and confidence that the Islamic Republic will reduce its nuclear work, heavily curtail enrichment and atomic activity. Until we have confidence in all of those things the United States is not going to make any concessions at all, he said. The nuclear deal, which imposed strict limits on Irans nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, was a signature achievement of the Obama administration. Abandonment of the accord by Trump kept relations between the longstanding foes close to breaking point and convulsed the Persian Gulf with assassinations, attacks on energy installations and tanker seizures. The Islamic republic began in 2019 to gradually increase its atomic activity -- enriching uranium beyond the limit of 3.67% allowed in the deal -- in response to Trumps so-called maximum pressure strategy. The drafting of the text can begin now, and the Iranian delegation has prepared and presented its text on the nuclear sphere and the lifting of sanctions, Araghchi told Iranian state TV, cautioning that serious disagreements remained. In an apparent further sign of easing tension, the Financial Times reported Sunday that senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran have been holding talks to repair relations. The newspaper cited three unidentified officials. The meeting in Baghdad on April 9 included discussions about recent attacks and would be followed by another round of talks next week, it said. Reports of the meeting reflect how a major shift in U.S. policy under Biden and his intention to re-enter the original 2015 nuclear deal sent a clear signal to Saudi Arabia that it has to scrap demands to expand the terms of the nuclear accord to address its own rivalry and conflict with Iran over regional influence, according to Joost Hiltermann, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group. That fact made the Saudis realize that they wouldnt have the type of diplomatic protection from the U.S. early on that they were looking for, he said, adding that if the nuclear deal is successfully restored, preliminary talks could pave the way for higher level dialog between Iran and Saudi over regional matters. Earlier this week, Araghchi said that Washington and Tehran had to specify the steps they would each need to take in order to restore the 2015 deal, including a tally of all Trump-era sanctions that Iran says the U.S. would need to remove. George W. Bush. Stewart F. House/Getty Images Former President George W. Bush told the "Today" show he was troubled by misinformation online. "I don't know what we're going to do about it," Bush said in the Tuesday interview. He added that the Capitol riot on January 6 made him feel "ill." See more stories on Insider's business page. Former President George W. Bush said he's concerned by the spread of misinformation online. Speaking with the "Today" show's Hoda Kotb in an interview on Tuesday morning, Bush said he was concerned about lies and falsehoods circulating on the internet. "What's really troubling is how much misinformation there is and the capacity of people to spread all kinds of untruth," he said. "I don't know what we're going to do about that. I know what I'm going to do about it - I'm not on Twitter, Facebook, any of that stuff." Bush told "Today" that the Capitol riot on January 6 made him feel "ill." "The truth of the matter is that I was optimistic that we would survive that, because I believe so strongly in the institutional stability of our country," he said. "And it did survive - the Congress met and ratified the election. The courts met and are still meeting today to hold people to account for storming the Capitol." More than 400 people have been charged in January's insurrection, which happened as Congress debated Electoral College votes. Bush has previously said he was disturbed by the insurrection of a pro-Trump mob trying to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election, calling them "hostile forces." "It undermines rule of law, the ability to express yourself in peaceful ways in a public square," Bush told The Texas Tribune in February. "This was an expression that was not peaceful." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Read the original article on Business Insider TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY.PK, TOSBF.PK) on Tuesday announced that it would not evaluate a renewed bid made by private equity firm CVC Asia Pacific Ltd to acquire the company. The company said that a letter provided by CVC Asia does not offer any details about its capital structure or management policies after the acquisition process is complete. Toshiba also said that CVC also did not provide an assurance of compliance with local and foreign laws and regulations. Toshiba added that the letter from CVC Asia also did not 'contain any specific and detailed information capable of detailed evaluation.' 'It merely stated that CVC would step aside to await our guidance as to whether a privatization of Toshiba would suit management's and the Board of Directors' strategic objectives,' the company added. Earlier, Toshiba had received a preliminary and non-legally binding proposal from CVC Asia for a private acquisition and takeover of the company. However, as the company felt that it was not a proper and feasible acquisition proposal, it said that it would review it after receiving more information from CVC Asia. 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. Navya, a leading company in autonomous driving systems and REE Automotive, an innovator in e-Mobility, have signed an agreement to collaborate in the development of a level 4 autonomous system including REE corner technology and Navya self-driving solutions. REE is revolutionising the e-Mobility industry through its highly modular and disruptive REEcorner technology which integrates critical vehicle components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) into the arch of the wheel. REEs proprietary x-by-wire technology challenges century-old automotive concepts by being agnostic to vehicle size and design, power-source and driving mode (human or autonomous). Platforms utilising REEcorners can present significant functional and operational advantages over conventional EV skateboards currently available in the market. Navya is a leading player in level 4 autonomous driving systems for passenger and goods transport. Since 2015, Navya autonomous mobility solutions have been first to market and first to on-road service in real conditions. The Autonom Shuttle, main development platform, is dedicated to passenger transport. Since its launch, more than 180 units have been sold in 23 countries as of 31 December, 2020. The Autonom Tract is designed for goods transport. Powered by REE, Driven by Navya, the co-developed next generation level 4 autonomous system will be designed as a high standard, state of the art autonomous mobility solution with key competitive advantages considering quality, cost and performance. Safety first principles will be implemented based on very high safety requirements with regards to ISO 26262:2018 and ISO/PAS 21448:2019. Daniel Barel, Co-Founder and CEO of REE Automotive, comments: "The combination of our mutual expertise will enable game-changing autonomous mobility solutions that transport passengers and goods efficiently and cost-effectively while fully complying with rigorous safety standards. We are delighted to move forward on a partnership with Navya. This collaboration of REEs corner technology aligns perfectly with Navyas strategy of providing constant improvement for its autonomous driving solutions. Etienne Hermite, CEO of Navya, concludes: "We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with REE Automotive, which is a major player in automotive technology. This partnership is fully in line with Navya's strategy of deploying level 4 autonomous driving systems with safe drive components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) into the arch of the wheels. This partnership will enhance unlocks fantastic opportunities to create multiple new level 4 autonomous form factors with the view to address different use cases." -- Tradearabia News Service To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. The Morton Cranial Collection, assembled by the 19th-century physician and anatomist Samuel George Morton, is one of the more complicated holdings of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Consisting of some 1,300 skulls gathered around the world, it provided the foundation for Mortons influential racist theories of differences in intelligence among races, which helped establish the now-discredited race science that contributed to 20th century eugenics. In recent years, part of the collection was prominently displayed in a museum classroom, a ghoulish object lesson in an infamous chapter of scientific history. Last summer, after student activists highlighted the fact that some 50 skulls had come from enslaved Africans in Cuba, the museum moved the displayed skulls into storage with the rest of the collection. And last week, shortly after the release of outside research indicating roughly 14 other skulls had come from Black Philadelphians taken from paupers graves, the museum announced that the entire collection would be opened up for potential repatriation or reburial of ancestors, as a step toward atonement and repair for past racist and colonialist practices. A list but not a ranking, 50 Next specifically celebrates people, complementing the annual rankings of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and Bars. It was formed through robust research and analysis by 50 Next and the internationally renowned Basque Culinary Center , following an overwhelming response to open calls for applications and nominations and a proactive scouting for candidates. At a time of much-needed global recovery, the initiative promotes positive, sustainable and visionary thinking. The inaugural list aims to represent the diversity of the global gastronomic scene, featuring people from 34 different countries across six continents. Delving into the wider meaning of gastronomy, 50 Next is divided into seven industry-led categories: Gamechanging Producers; Tech Disruptors; Empowering Educators; Entrepreneurial Creatives; Science Innovators; Hospitality Pioneers (supported by S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy) and Trailblazing Activists. Each category is unranked and comprises a broad spectrum of professions, with those on the list recognised for their overall contribution to the gastronomic ecosystem, as well as their ongoing potential to drive significant positive change. The class of 2021 includes ground-breaking Australian fish butcher Josh Niland, progressive agriculture advocate Cherrie Atilano from the Philippines, Ghanaian tech innovator Isaac Sesi, Mexican indigenous pioneer Claudia Albertina Ruiz and Jhannel Tomlinson, a Jamaican climate change champion who empowers women through coffee. The youngest on the list is 20-year-old Basque medical student Maitane Alonso Monasterio, who has invented a machine to preserve food. Full information about each person can be found on the 50 Next website here. William Drew, Director of Content for 50 Best, says: "As the world of gastronomy strives to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, it is more important than ever for us to support, empower and celebrate those at every level of the food and drink chain. By bringing together this truly diverse list of young people with the support of the Basque Culinary Center, the Biscay region and the wider 50 Best family, we pledge to nurture, uplift and provide a platform for those fighting for a brighter future for gastronomy. 50 Next allows us to connect today's leaders with the next generation." With an open call for applications and nominations in late 2020, 50 Next breaks from the organisation's traditional model of anonymous voting. A total of 700 candidates were considered from direct applications, nominations by third parties and talent scouted by the team of experts at the Basque Culinary Center, 50 Next's Academic Partner. All finalists were subject to in-depth interviews and robust analysis before being selected. Joxe Mari Aizega, Director of Basque Culinary Center, says: "Since its inception 10 years ago, Basque Culinary Center has understood gastronomy to cover multiple sectors that encompass a 360 vision of the sector. The people on the 50 Next list selected by our team of experts represent this multidisciplinary, unifying and contemporary vision. Furthermore, in a global context marked by the uncertainty brought by Covid-19 and the global challenges we face, it is vital to support and recognise young talent, something that the Basque Culinary Center is doing via several initiatives. The people on the list make up a diverse mosaic that will shape the present and future vision of the sector." Next year, 50 Next will develop further with a live event programme in Bilbao, in the Biscay region of the Basque Country, to celebrate those on both the 2021 and 2022 lists, foment conversation and foster new relationships within the gastronomic community. This live programme will also feature representatives from the 'Best of the Best' group of restaurants that have previously been ranked No.1 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants annual list. As the 'Culinary Nation' and Europe's vanguard in design, innovation and gastronomy, Biscay and the Basque Country are natural partners for 50 Next, which celebrates the young people who are truly pushing boundaries and tackling challenges from fresh perspectives. 50 Best, Biscay and the Basque Country are delighted to build on their long-standing relationships that strengthened with the 2018 edition of The World's 50 Best Restaurants hosted in Bilbao. Ainara Basurko, Councillor for Economic Promotion in Bizkaia Government, says: "This new project is a great opportunity to show the world the firm commitment we have made in Biscay to innovation and talent. Gastronomy is one of our big strengths, and with 50 Next not only do we enhance it and promote it in a broad sense, but also give the future of gastronomy a strong boost. It's a future that is already being brewed with sustainability and innovation, and which Biscay and the Basque Country have a lot to contribute towards." Arantxa Tapia of the Basque Government says: "Participation in 50 Next forms part of the Basque government's inclusive, sustainable, innovative and ambitious Euskadi Basque Country Strategy. We are aware that only through collaboration can we carve out our own space in the world and reinforce the Basque Country as a territory of international importance. The Basque Country today is an inspiring place thanks to the transformational abilities of all members of its food value chain and its collaborative spirit, and this is where we need to carry on working. This is how we will continue to strengthen our competitive ecosystem, consolidate our cultural identity and keep our small country at the forefront in the field of fine eating." Finally, the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy will work as a supporting partner of this exciting new project, following its strong commitment to supporting and training the next generation of visionary talents who want to make a difference in gastronomy. The Academy, the inspiring community launched at the end of November 2020 by S.Pellegrino, will involve a selection of candidates from the 50 Next 'Hospitality Pioneers' category in its 2021/22 educational program as lecturers. Alongside the most renowned members of the world of gastronomy, they will have the opportunity to share their experience with hundreds of passionate young chefs. As the first global list of its kind, 50 Next includes five people based in Africa, six in Asia, one in the Caribbean, 18 in Europe, seven in Latin America, two in the Middle East, three in Australasia and eight in the USA. While there are 29 countries of residence featured, there are 34 countries of origin, owing to the fact that many young innovators have left their home countries to settle in tech, business or educational hubs such as the UK and US. Full information about the list and selection process can be found on the 50 Next website. http://www.theworlds50best.com/50next/ 50 Next: Class of 2021 Where the person's country of origin differs from their country of residence, this is denoted in brackets. Gamechanging Producers Manuel Choqque, 33 Cusco, Peru Clara Diez , 29 Madrid, Spain , 29 Marianne Eaves , 34 Lexington, USA , 34 Lexington, Mark Emil Hermansen , 35 Copenhagen , Denmark , 35 , Denmark Louise Mabulo, 22 San Fernando , Philippines , Josh Niland , 32 Sydney, Australia , 32 Jennifer Rodriguez , 34 Mesitas del Colegio, Colombia , 34 Mesitas del Colegio, Gian Marco Viano , 34 Carema, Italy , 34 Carema, Mikel Zapiain , 33 and Ion Zapiain, 30 San Sebastian , Basque Country, Spain Tech Disruptors Katerina Axelsson , 29 San Luis Obispo, USA (from Russia ) , 29 San Luis Obispo, (from ) Matias Muchnick , 32 New York, USA (from Chile ) , 32 (from ) Jonathan Ng , 30 Singapore , 30 Solveiga Pakstaite, 28 London, UK (from Lithuania ) (from ) Abby Rose , 33 London, UK , and Chile , 33 , and Isaac Sesi , 28 Kumasi, Ghana Empowering Educators Mariana Aleixo , 33 Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , 33 , Brazil Cherrie Atilano , 35 Makati City , Philippines , 35 , Philippines Josh Gilbert , 29 Gloucester , Australia , 29 , Siddhi Karnani , 30 and Anurag Agarwal , 34 Siliguri, India , 30 and , 34 Siliguri, Ievgen Klopotenko, 34 Kiev, Ukraine Dieuveil Malonga, 29 Kigali, Rwanda (from DR Congo) (from DR Congo) Maureen Muketha, 25 Nairobi, Kenya Edward Mukiibi , 34 Mukono Town, Uganda , 34 Mukono Town, Ted Rosner , 33 and Max Dubiel , 33 London, UK (from UK and Germany , respectively) Entrepreneurial Creatives Ata Cengiz , 28 Istanbul, Turkey , 28 Jon Gray , 35 New York, USA , 35 Sana Javeri Kaori , 27 Oakland, USA (from India ) , 27 Oakland, (from ) Adelaide Lala Tam , 27 Rotterdam, Netherlands (from Hong Kong ) , 27 (from ) Divya Mohan , 29 Lund, Sweden (from India ) , 29 (from ) Natsuko Shoji , 31 Tokyo, Japan , 31 Thiago Vinicius De Paula Da Silva, 32 Sao Paulo, Brazil Science Innovators Maitane Alonso Monasterio , 20 Sodupe, Basque Country, Spain , 20 Sodupe, Basque Country, Leah Bessa , 30 Cape Town, South Africa , 30 Kisum Chan, 22 (from Hong Kong ) and Lincoln Lee , 23 (from Malaysia ) London, UK and Zheyi Chia, 22, and Jonathan Ong , 24 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ) and , 23 (from ) and Zheyi Chia, 22, and , 24 Marc Coloma , 29 Barcelona, Spain , 29 Kiara Nirghin, 21 Stanford , USA (from South Africa ) , (from ) Leo Wezelius, 23, Angelo Demeter , 28 and Fredrik Akerman, 24 Stockholm, Sweden (from Sweden , Romania and Sweden , respectively) Hospitality Pioneers, supported by S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Jo Barrett , 32, and Matt Stone , 34 Melbourne, Australia , 32, and , 34 Ashtin Berry , 33 Chicago , USA , 33 , Douglas McMaster , 34 London, UK , 34 Diego Prado , 35 Copenhagen, Denmark (from Chile ) , 35 (from ) Claudia Albertina Ruiz , 33 San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico , 33 San Cristobal de las Marsia Taha , 32 La Paz, Bolivia (from Bulgaria ) , 32 (from ) David Zilber , 35 Copenhagen, Denmark (from Canada ) Trailblazing Activists Jamie Crummie , 29 and Lucie Basch , 29 London, UK and New York, USA (from London and Paris , respectively) , 29 and , 29 and (from and , respectively) Friederike Gaedke , 29 Berlin, Germany , 29 Bibi La Luz Gonzalez , 33 Guatemala City , Guatemala , 33 , Matt Jozwiak , 33 New York, USA , 33 Maya Terro , 34 Beirut, Lebanon (born in Ukraine ) , 34 (born in ) Jhannel Tomlinson , 29 Kingston, Jamaica Media enquiries Relevance International Fiona Harris (Europe, Australia): [email protected]; + 44 (0)20 3868 8700 Breanna Metcalf-Oshinsky (North America): [email protected]; + 1 (212) 257 1500 For media centre registration and access, please visit https://www.theworlds50best.com/mediacentre/media-contacts More information To find out more about the inaugural 50 Next list and event programme, stay tuned to its social channels: Facebook: facebook.com/50BestRestaurants/ Instagram: @theworlds50best Twitter: @TheWorlds50Best YouTube: worlds50best Notes to editors About The World's 50 Best Restaurants Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's finest restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for global gastronomic trends. In 2020, The World's 50 Best Restaurants list was not published; instead the organisation pivoted to focus its energy and resources on supporting the hospitality community through its 50 Best for Recovery programme. The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars, 50 Best Discovery and the #50BestTalks and 50 Best Explores series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed Business Media. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change. About 50 Next's Academic Partner: Basque Culinary Center Basque Culinary Center represents a unique ecosystem where training, innovation, research and entrepreneurship coexist with the aim of developing and propelling gastronomy, which is understood as reasoned knowledge about what and how we eat. Its mission is rooted in values such as passion, innovation, excellence and social commitment. Located in San Sebastian since September 2011, Basque Culinary Center is a pioneer institution conformed by the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences, and the Centre for Research and Innovation in the field of gastronomy; BCC Innovation researches and innovates in product design, offers various services to companies, new entrepreneurs and young people with significant projects. In 2021, Basque Culinary Center celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since its inception, the institution has developed a 360 vision of gastronomy through different initiatives and projects. Over the coming months, it will celebrate these achievements and the challenges to come, always remaining rooted in its core values. About 50 Next's Host Destination Partner: Biscay/Basque Country Biscay, including its Bay, is the largest province of the Basque Country. While it is rooted in tradition, its capital Bilbao has an aura of modernity that astounds those who discover it. Visitors are welcomed to a land where gastronomy has always been the ultimate social experience and food forms the very basis of social fabric: from the daily pilgrimage of groups of friends and families from tavern to tavern to taste the hundreds of different kinds of 'pintxos', to the rituals of the local gastronomic societies also known as 'txokos'. Biscay is now witnessing the birth of a new generation of Basque cuisine, and food-loving visitors will feel they are finally 'coming home'. The Basque Country represents one of the largest industrial concentrations in Spain and its quality levels place it at the forefront of Europe with its density of natural spaces. The Basque Country enjoys a high level of self-government and is focusing its efforts on Smart Specialisation, namely Advanced Manufacturing 4.0, Energy, Biosciences for Health and FoodTech. The food value chain is strategic for the Basque Country, representing 10.6% of GDP, with a great tradition in gastronomic culture and quality food production. The Basque Government's food policy focuses on the European farm-to-fork strategy to develop a unique, safe, sustainable and healthy food ecosystem. It also leads the Food4Future World Summit to be held next June, as an international benchmark event in FoodTech innovations. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTHSP5WG0u0 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488993/50_Next_2021_List.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488992/50_Next_logo.jpg SOURCE 50 Best The development of Covid-19 vaccines in less than a year was clearly a major achievement. But the rollout has been far from perfect. In the United States, Operation Warp Speed met its manufacturing targets but stumbled in coordinating initial shipments. The plan neither prioritised vaccine recipients according to need, nor did it go far enough to address racial inequality in the distribution. Clearly, creating safe and effective vaccines and creating equitable vaccination programmes are two different things. States Mission-oriented innovation agencies, especially the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), have proven to be critical in seeding the development of the cutting-edge mRNA vaccines. But is the technological mission of Warp Speed linked to the health mission of delivering a Peoples Vaccine? US President Joe Bidens administration will need to keep this distinction in mind as it tries to build back better and reinvigorate science and technology funding after four years of Donald Trumps dismissal of science and contempt for scientists. The vaccine rollout in the US and even more so in Europe shows that it is just as important to get the details of public-private partnerships right as it is to start with an ambitious overall objective. In my new book, Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, I argue that NASAs programme to put a man on the moon still offers lessons in catalysing and governing public-private relationships that deliver results. Costing taxpayers the equivalent of $283 billion today, the Apollo Program stimulated innovation in multiple sectors . NASA paid hundreds of millions of dollars to companies like General Motors, Pratt & Whitney (known then as United Aircraft), and Honeywell to invent the new fuel, propulsion, and stabilisation systems inside its legendary Saturn V rockets. These publicly funded technologies then created numerous spinoffs that we still use today, including baby formula (from the astronauts dried food) and cordless vacuum cleaners (from the machines that scoured the moons surface). The integrated circuits used for navigation were a foundation stone of modern computing. Equally important, NASA avoided overreliance on the private sector. By strengthening the public sectors capabilities and outlining a clear purpose for public-private alliances, the Biden administration could both deliver growth and help tackle some of the greatest challenges of our age, from inequality and weak health systems to global warming. These problems are much more complex and multi-dimensional than sending a man to the moon. But the imperative is the same: effective strategic governance of the space where public funding meets private industry. Consider the $40 billion the US government invests every year in the National Institutes of Health. The NIH (along with the US Department of Veterans Affairs) backed the Hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir with over 10 years of taxpayer-funded research. But when the private biotech company Gilead Sciences acquired the drug, it priced a 12-week course of pills at $84,000. Similarly, one of the first antiviral treatments for Covid-19, Remdesivir, received an estimated $70.5 million in public funding between 2002 and 2020. Now, Gilead charges $3,120 for a five-day course of it. This speaks to a parasitic, rather than a symbiotic, partnership. The NIH must do more to ensure fair pricing and access to the innovations it funds, rather than chipping away at its own power, as it did in 1995 when it scrapped the Fair Pricing Clause from its cooperative research and development agreements. In the case of the pandemic, various governments poured $8.5 billion into the development of vaccines that are currently being manufactured and sold by US companies like Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Novavax, and Moderna. The question now is whether vaccine knowledge and know-how will be shared with as many countries as possible to bring an end to the pandemic. Will the NIH join a voluntary technology pool created by the World Health Organization for this exact purpose? In preparing for the post-pandemic era, President Bidens promise to build back better implies more than a return to normalcy. But reshaping the economy for the better will require not just a shift in mindset but also a new social contract that promotes value creation over profit extraction; socialises risks as well as rewards; and invests in the common good, rather than just in specific companies or sectors. While the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act imposed some conditions on businesses receiving government aid to maintain jobs, the new $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan and the proposed $2 trillion American Jobs Plan must go further. They must ensure that public-sector investment is accompanied by a transformation in the relationship between the state and the private sector. The task for the Biden administration is to provide leadership for the missions that will shape the decades ahead, starting with the fight against climate change. The US, said President John F Kennedy in 1962, would choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Today, the same type of visionary leadership is not a choice, but a necessity. We need top-down direction to catalyse innovation and investment across the economy. And the Apollo eras examples of government leadership, bold public-interest contracts, and public-sector dynamism offer a valuable template. Unless we use it, building back better will never be more than a slogan. 2021 Project Syndicate PHOENIX, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Advisor Group, the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, today announced the successful recruitment to its network of GL Capital and East Coast Advisory, wealth management practices based in Pennsylvania that collectively oversee $323 million in total client assets. Both wealth management practices have joined Advisor Group through its subsidiary and network member firm Triad Advisors for brokerage services. They will work with Triad Hybrid Solutions, one of Triad's two corporate registered investment advisors (RIAs), to support their fee-based business. The two moves reinforce Triad's longstanding position as the leading destination for independent hybrid practices. Advisor Group also includes FSC Securities, Royal Alliance Associates, SagePoint Financial, Securities America, and Woodbury Financial Services. Jeff Rosenthal, President and CEO of Triad Advisors, said, "Triad and Advisor Group provide our financial professionals the flexibility to choose the hybrid RIA operating structure that aligns best with their vision for their businesses, while offering them best-in-class practice management support and technological platforms to fuel their growth. We look forward to working with the teams at GL Capital and East Coast Advisory to facilitate their growth objectives moving forward." Founded in 1998, GL Capital is a Lemoyne, Penn.-based firm that oversees $175 million in client assets. Led by 22-year industry veteran Matthew Granite with support from Wayne Logue and Chip Thrush, the firm focuses on wealth management and retirement services for clients in the Harrisburg region. Mr. Granite said, "As we mapped out our strategic plan to build upon our independent, 'out-of-the-box' approach to preserving and investing our clients' assets, we realized it was time to seek out an affiliation partner with the boutique feel of a small firm along with the scale, technological sophistication, and resources to enhance our growth. We found both in Triad and Advisor Group. Joining them gives us exactly what we need to expand our business and better serve our clients." Based in West Chester, Penn., East Coast Advisory is led by Ed Campbell, a financial professional with more than 14 years of experience in the wealth management industry. Mr. Campbell runs the firm with Ryan Gray, Christine Scott, and Michael Cernek, and the four financial professionals collectively manage $148 million in client assets. The practice, founded in 2006, specializes in retirement income services, investments and asset management, estate planning strategies, and insurance. Mr. Campbell said, "The support of a firm like Triad, with its in-depth understanding of the hybrid RIA space, coupled with the technology and infrastructure Advisor Group provides, gives East Coast Advisory a clear path to significant future growth. We are excited to work with Triad and Advisor Group to serve our clients and build our business." Greg Cornick, Advisor Group's President, Advice & Wealth Management, said, "On behalf of the Advisor Group network of firms, I am pleased to welcome GL Capital and East Coast Advisory and I look forward to partnering with them to leverage our broad suite of award-winning business solutions. I also congratulate Jeff Rosenthal and his team for bringing such strong firms to the Advisor Group family. Advisor Group and Triad are committed to being in our advisors' corner and helping them take their businesses to the next level." About Triad Advisors Triad Advisors is part of Advisor Group, one of the nation's largest networks of independent financial professionals. Headquartered in Atlanta, Triad is a national broker-dealer as well as a multi-custodial registered investment adviser firm that was an early pioneer and continued leader in the hybrid registered investment adviser marketplace. The company has more than 600 financial providers on its platform and provides a comprehensive set of products, trading and technology systems, as well as customized wealth management strategies. For more information, please visit www.triad-advisors.com. About Advisor Group Advisor Group, Inc. is the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, serving approximately 11,100 financial professionals and overseeing over $450 billion in client assets. The firm is mission-driven to support the strategic role that advisors can play in the lives of their clients. Cultivating a spirit of entrepreneurship and independence, Advisor Group champions the enduring value of financial professionals and is committed to being in their corner every step of the way. For more information visit https://www.advisorgroup.com. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through the firms: FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., Triad Advisors, LLC, and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and members of FINRA and SIPC. Securities are offered through Securities America, Inc., a broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., and Triad Hybrid Solutions, LLC, registered investment advisers. Advisory programs offered by FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., are sponsored by VISION2020 Wealth Management Corp., an affiliated registered investment adviser. Advisor Group, Inc. is an affiliate of these firms. 20 E. Thomas Rd., Ste. 2000, Phoenix, AZ, 85012. 866.481.0379. Media Inquiries Joseph Kuo / Chris Clemens Haven Tower Group 424 317 4851 or 424 317 4854 [email protected] or [email protected] SOURCE Advisor Group Related Links https://www.advisorgroup.com [April 20, 2021] Zettaset Wins Red Hat North American Partner Award Zettaset, a leading provider of data protection solutions, is proud to announce it has been named Solution Partner of the Year for COVID-19 Support by Red Hat (News - Alert) , Inc., the world's leading provider of open source solutions. This award is part of the annual Red Hat North America Partner Awards, which aim to honor partners for continued efforts to support customers on the path to IT modernization and open hybrid cloud. Zettaset was honored for its dedication to providing innovative data protection solutions to customers in the public sector that enable them to better encrypt and secure their data across cloud-native environments using Red Hat OpenShift. Specifically, Zettaset was recognized for its novel approach to cloud-native encryption and encryption management. The company's data protection solutions empower customers to seamlessly manage encryption deployments and encrypt all data across on-premises, hybrid and cloud-native infrastructures - allowing them to embrace DevOps cultures without neglecting data security. "We are honored to be recognized by Red Hat with this award and look forward to continuing our collaboration with this incredibly supportive partner," said Tim Reilly, CEO, Zettaset."As organizations expand their DevOps initiatives and adopt Red Hat OpenShift across hybrid, multi-cloud and edge environments, data protection has never been more critical. At Zettaset, our overarching goal is to empower our customers to innovate with speed, without worrying about the security of their data. This honor recognizes our efforts in executing on that mission, and we look forward to building on this momentum throughout the balance of the year and beyond." Red Hat's 2020 North America Partner Awards honor both commercial and public sector partners for successfully delivering innovative open source solutions to customers. Honorees were recognized for outstanding performance in 2020 across several categories that span Red Hat's open hybrid cloud portfolio and their continued dedication to delivering customer success. "Zettaset is a valued partner to Red Hat, and we are pleased to honor them with this well-deserved award," said Ernest Jones, vice president, North America Commercial Partners, Red Hat. "We look forward to our continued relationship with Zettaset and helping them provide the best in open source solutions to their customers." To learn more about how Zettaset enables customers to protect their data across on-premises, hybrid and cloud-native environments, visit www.zettaset.com. About Zettaset Zettaset is a leading provider of data protection solutions. Its software-defined encryption solutions can be transparently deployed across all physical and virtual enterprise environments. Unlike traditional products that are appliance-based, Zettaset offers cost-effective, software-only solutions that are easy to deploy, do not impact performance, and scale with your business from on premise to the cloud. Learn more at zettaset.com. Red Hat, the Red Hat logo and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005844/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The largest study of its type in the UK has identified differences in the immune response to COVID-19, between people with no symptoms, compared to those suffering a more serious reaction to the virus. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Newcastle University, University College London, University of Cambridge, EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and their collaborators within the Human Cell Atlas initiative, found raised levels of specific immune cells in asymptomatic people. They also showed people with more serious symptoms had lost these protective cell types, but gained inflammatory cells. These differences in the immune response could help explain serious lung inflammation and blood clotting symptoms, and could be used to identify potential targets for developing therapies. The research, published today (20th April 2021) in Nature Medicine, is one of the only studies to include people who were asymptomatic. This large-scale collaborative study is part of the Human Cell Atlas* initiative to map every cell type in the human body, to transform our understanding of health, infection and disease. So far, the COVID-19 global pandemic has caused millions of deaths and many more infections worldwide. Symptoms vary widely in severity and can range from a mild cough to severe respiratory distress, blood clots and organ failure. Several previous studies have highlighted a complex immune response in the blood, but until now the full coordinated immune response and how this differs between symptomatic and asymptotic patients had not been investigated in detail. In a new study to understand how different immune cells responded to the infection, a large team of researchers came together to analyse blood from 130 people with COVID-19. These patients came from three different UK centres (Newcastle, Cambridge and London) and ranged from asymptomatic to critically severe. The team performed single-cell sequencing from ~800,000 individual immune cells, along with detailed analysis of cell surface proteins and antigen receptors found on immune cells in the blood. They revealed differences in multiple types of immune cells that are involved in the body's response to COVID-19. In those with no symptoms, the team found increased levels of B cells that produce antibodies that are found in mucus passages, such as the nose. These antibodies may be one of our first line of defence in COVID-19. However, these protective B cells were missing in people with serious symptoms, indicating the importance of an effective antibody-associated immune response at the nose and other mucus passages. The team discovered that whereas patients with mild to moderate symptoms, had high levels of B cells and helper T-cells, which help fight infection, those with serious symptoms had lost many of these immune cells, suggesting that this part of the immune system had failed in people with severe disease. In contrast, people with more serious symptoms leading to hospitalisation had an uncontrolled increase in monocytes and killer T-cells, high levels of which can lead to lung inflammation. Those with severe disease also had raised levels of platelet-producing cells, which help blood to clot. Professor Muzlifah Haniffa, senior author from Newcastle University and Senior Clinical Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "This is one of the only studies of its kind that looks at samples collected from asymptomatic people, which helps us start to understand why some people react differently to COVID-19 infection. It could also explain symptoms such as lung inflammation and blood clots. The immune system is made up of lots of different groups of cells, similar to the way an orchestra is made up of different groups of instruments, and in order to understand the coordinated immune response, you have to look at these immune cells together." While it is not yet understood how the infection stimulates these immune responses, the study gives a molecular explanation for how COVID-19 could cause an increased risk of blood clotting and inflammation in the lungs, which can lead to the patient needing a ventilator. This also uncovers potential new therapeutic targets to help protect patients against inflammation and severe disease. For example, it may be possible to develop treatments that decrease platelet production or reduce the number of killer T-cells produced, however more research is required. Professor Menna Clatworthy, senior author and Professor of Translational Immunology at the University of Cambridge and Wellcome Sanger Institute Associate Faculty, said: "This is one of the most detailed studies of immune responses in COVID-19 to date, and begins to help us understand why some people get really sick while others fight off the virus without even knowing they have it. This new knowledge will help identify specific targets for therapy for patients that get sick with COVID-19." In the future, research may identify those who are more likely to experience moderate to severe disease by looking at levels of these immune cells in their blood. This study used samples from three centres in the UK, and found that some antibody responses were similar in individuals in one geographic area compared with those at a different centre, hinting that this part of the immune response may be tailored to different variants of the virus. Dr John Marioni, senior author and Head of Research at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and Senior Group Leader at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: "Using data from three different centres has allowed us to look at how people react to COVID-19 throughout the UK. The amount of data collected in this study has given us crucial insight into the immune reaction in various different severities of COVID-19 infection." Professor Berthold Gottgens, senior author and Professor of Molecular Haematology at the University of Cambridge, said: "Along with the findings, the way this study was conducted is noteworthy, as it was a new way of doing biomedical science. By bringing different experts together, we were able to employ a divide and conquer approach, which allowed us to complete the work in extra quick time. This study required a large teamwork effort, in the middle of the pandemic when labs were being shut down. This was an incredibly rewarding study to work on, with everyone understanding the importance of the work and willing to go the extra mile." Dr Sarah Teichmann, senior author from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and co-chair of the Human Cell Atlas Organising Committee, said: "This is a great example of using the Human Cell Atlas to understand COVID-19 and identify which of our cells are critical for infection and treatment. This information can be used to better understand why different people react to coronavirus in different ways. The data is openly accessible and can provide a basis for developing potential new therapies, to reduce the spread of the virus, or to protect those who start to develop severe disease." ### Notes to Editors: *The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) is an international collaborative consortium which is creating comprehensive reference maps of all human cells--the fundamental units of life--as a basis for understanding human health and for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating disease. The HCA will impact every aspect of biology and medicine, propelling translational discoveries and applications and ultimately leading to a new era of precision medicine. The HCA was co-founded in 2016 by Dr Sarah Teichmann at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (UK) and Dr Aviv Regev, then at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (USA). A truly global initiative, there are now more than 2,000 HCA members, from 75 countries around the world. https:/ / www. humancellatlas. org Publication: Emily Stephenson, Gary Reynolds, Rachel A Botting, Fernando J Calero-Nieto, Michael D. Morgan, Zewen Kelvin Tuong, Karsten Bach, Waradon Sungnak, et al. (2021) The immune response in COVID-19 detailed by single cell multi-omics. Nature Medicine. DOI:10.1038/s41591-021-01329-2 Funding: This supported by Wellcome Human Cell Atlas Strategic Science Support, Cancer Research UK, the European Research Council, Wellcome, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), the Medical Research Council, Aging Biology Foundation, UK-CIC (the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium), and the National Institute of Health Research. Please see the paper for full funding details. Selected websites: About EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is a global leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We help scientists realise the potential of big data by enhancing their ability to exploit complex information to make discoveries that benefit humankind. We are at the forefront of computational biology research, with work spanning sequence analysis methods, multi-dimensional statistical analysis and data-driven biological discovery, from plant biology to mammalian development and disease. We are part of EMBL and are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, one of the world's largest concentrations of scientific and technical expertise in genomics. http://www. ebi. ac. uk About Newcastle University Newcastle University, UK, is a thriving international community of some 27,750 students from over 130 countries worldwide. As a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the UK, Newcastle has a world-class reputation for research excellence in the fields of medicine, science and engineering, social sciences and the humanities. Its academics are sharply focused on responding to the major challenges facing society today. Our research and teaching are world-leading in areas as diverse as health, culture, technology and the environment. The Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF) placed Newcastle University 16th in the UK for Research Power and the vast majority of our research was assessed to be world-leading or internationally excellent. Newcastle University is committed to providing our students with excellent, research-led teaching delivered by dedicated and passionate teachers. This is reaffirmed by achieving the best possible outcome - a Gold Award - in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). About the University of Cambridge The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. To date, 110 affiliates of the University have won the Nobel Prize. Founded in 1209, the University comprises 31 autonomous Colleges and 150 departments, faculties and institutions. Cambridge is a global university. Its 19,000 student body includes 3,700 international students from 120 countries. Cambridge researchers collaborate with colleagues worldwide, and the University has established larger-scale partnerships in Asia, Africa and America. The University sits at the heart of the 'Cambridge cluster', which employs more than 61,000 people and has in excess of 15 billion in turnover generated annually by the 5,000 knowledge-intensive firms in and around the city. The city publishes 316 patents per 100,000 residents. http://www. cam. ac. uk The Wellcome Sanger Institute The Wellcome Sanger Institute is a world leading genomics research centre. We undertake large-scale research that forms the foundations of knowledge in biology and medicine. We are open and collaborative; our data, results, tools and technologies are shared across the globe to advance science. Our ambition is vast - we take on projects that are not possible anywhere else. We use the power of genome sequencing to understand and harness the information in DNA. Funded by Wellcome, we have the freedom and support to push the boundaries of genomics. Our findings are used to improve health and to understand life on Earth. Find out more at http://www. sanger. ac. uk or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on our Blog. About Wellcome (Newser) A resurgence of wintry weather is moving east after leaving snow behind in Colorado and Kansas, with accumulation expected in the East by Wednesday. Frost and freeze watches and warnings have been issued from Texas to Virginia by the National Weather Service, the Washington Post reports, covering 87 million people. Much of the lower 48 will run about 10 degrees colder than normal this week, but temperatures are expected to do a quick turnaround, hitting 80 next week and leaving people feeling like they've shifted from winter to summer in days. Oklahoma City, for example, could go from a high in the 40s on Tuesday to the mid-80s early next week. In certain regions, the result could be flooding, severe thunderstorms, or tornados. story continues below But first came the snow: 9 inches in Boulder and, to the west, 15.3 in Jamestown before moving into Kansas, where Hays received 7 inches. It's been snowing but not adding up in Chicago, while Indianapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo expect snow Tuesday night and Wednesday, per the Post. As the front moves on, places from the Rockies to the Northeastan area where almost 100 million people livecould be dealing with temperatures around freezing on Thursday morning. Denver was surprised by a few inches of snow sticking to roads and sidewalks, per KCNC. The spring snowstorms Denver sees usually move in from the West Coast, bringing warmer air and heavy, wet snow that doesn't much stick. This one came from northern Canada. (Read more winter weather stories.) GRAND RAPIDS, MI Former state Rep. Larry Inman, R-Williamsburg, cannot be retried on charges of attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe, a federal judge ruled. The Northern Michigan legislator was acquitted at trial of lying to the FBI but jurors deadlocked on the other charges. The government said Inman sought campaign contributions in exchange for his vote on a 2018 repeal of the prevailing-wage law. The law required workers on public projects, such as school buildings, receive union-level wages. Inman voted for the repeal, which narrowly passed. The government contended he offered to vote against repeal in exchange for campaign contributions. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said a retrial would be permitted in most cases. But the jurys finding that Inman had not lied to the FBI a key issue in determining whether Inman truthfully denied trying to sell his vote would amount to double jeopardy if he was retried. It also eliminates a key factual predicate enabling a jury to consider whether Mr. Inman crossed the line from permitted First Amendment campaigning to illegal vote selling. Mr. Inman was more blatant and less subtle than other more polished legislators and lobbyists, Jonker wrote. But there was no evidence of under-the-table payments or solicitations; there was only the pursuit and payment of fully reportable campaign contributions like those made across-the-board on high profile issues like this one, he wrote. Without the plus factor of lying to the FBI, retrial here would inevitably risk chilling legitimate First Amendment solicitation of campaign contributions. Moreover, it would also jeopardize core federalism interests at stake whenever the federal government uses criminal law to reach into the heart of a States legislative and political activities. The judge said federal prosecutors emphasized in closing arguments the link between the charges: Ask yourselves: If he did nothing wrong, why is he lying to the FBI about it repeatedly? If he had nothing to hide, why is he lying about it? If he didnt do anything wrong, improper, why is he lying about it every time they ask him the questions. . Ladies and gentlemen, the only way you can find the defendant not guilty in this trial is if you believe his testimony. Thats it. Jonker wrote: The jury then acquitted on the lying charge. By the governments own logic, that must mean the jury believed Mr. Inmans testimony. And for that reason, retrial of the remaining counts must be barred. Read more: Judge weighs Rep. Larry Inman fund-raising: Bribery or protected speech? I did nothing wrong: state Rep. Larry Inman testifies in bribery, extortion trial Judge reins in sprawling Michigan election fraud lawsuit Amid mounting military tensions in the Black Sea region and a diplomatic crisis between the US and Russia, the EU and the Biden administration have stepped up yet again the campaign over the right-wing anti-Putin oppositionist Alexei Navalny. Navalny was sentenced to over two years in prison in February after he returned to Russia from Berlin where he had spent several months after allegedly being poisoned in August. Between August and January, the American and German press was filled with ongoing reports about the alleged attempt of Russian President Vladimir Putin to murder him with the nerve agent Novichok. These allegations, presented as fact by the Western media, were, in fact, never proven and have been riddled with contradictions. Alexei Navalny (Wikimedia Commons) Now the US and EU have stepped up the campaign over Navalny again. For the past three weeks, he has been on a hunger strike. His doctors now claim that his blood chemistry is so concerning that they believe that he could die any moment. On Saturday, US President Joe Biden described the treatment of Navalny as totally, totally unfair and totally inappropriate. The White House said that there would be consequences should Navalny die while in detention. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki again emphasized, What happens to Mr. Navalny in the custody of the Russian government is the responsibility of the Russian government. They will be held accountable by the international community. According to US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, communication to the Russian government on this issue would primarily proceed privately and through diplomatic channels direct to the uppermost levels of the Russian government. The New York Times also published an editorial on Saturday, demanding that Putin allow Navalny to see his doctors in order to save his life. Senator Bernie Sanders lost no time to line up behind the renewed campaign over Navalny, tweeting, Make no mistake about what is happening here: activist Aleksei Navalny is being murdered in front of the world by Vladimir Putin for the crime of exposing Putins vast corruption. Navalnys doctors must be allowed to see him immediately. In a similar vein, the high representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, called upon the Kremlin to provide Navalny with the necessary medical treatment. Borrell said the EU was very concerned about his condition and that they held Russia responsible for it. On Monday, it was reported that Navalny has now been transferred to a prison hospital but his staff insists that he was only transferred to a different penal colony. Workers should reject the hypocritical campaign by the imperialist powers over the alleged mistreatment and murder of Navalny with the contempt that it deserves. The same politicians who now attack the Kremlin for alleged mistreatment of Navalny bear full responsibility for the year-long torture and illegal detainment of Julian Assange, a journalist and publisher who has exposed historic war crimes of US imperialism in the Middle East. If there is any political prisoner in the world who has been documented to really being tortured and murdered in slow motion by the state, it is Assange, and it is the US government that is primarily responsible. The reality is that none of these imperialist politicians would care about Navalny if he had not been built up for more than a decade as a pro-capitalist opposition figure, capable of mobilizing layers within the Russian oligarchy, the state and upper middle class against Putin. While the New York Times and American and EU politicians present him as a democratic oppositionist, Navalny has well-documented connections to the Russian neo-Nazi scene. He co-organized the notorious annual far-right Russian March for several years in a row and published rabidly racist propaganda videos on his YouTube channel, denouncing immigrants from the Caucasus as cockroaches that had to be removed like rotten teeth. He never apologized for or distanced himself from these far-right views and activities. In February, Amnesty International, no doubt facing enormous public pressure, felt compelled to revoke his status as a prisoner of conscience because of what they acknowledged was hate speech. The renewed campaign over Navalny comes amidst mounting tensions between NATO and Russia over the conflict in Ukraine in the Black Sea region. Last week, the US recalled the planned deployment of two warships to the Black Sea. A Kremlin representative had earlier warned the US to stay away from the Black Sea for their own good. However, shortly thereafter, on Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats. The Kremlin has since expelled 10 US diplomats in response. The Czech Republic, using a dubious explosion at an arms factory seven years ago as a pretext, has now also expelled 18 Russian diplomats as spies, the Kremlin retaliating by expelling 20 Czech diplomats. On Sunday, the UK announced that it would send two warships to the Black Sea. Commenting on the rapid deterioration of US-Russia relations, Fyodor Lukyanov, one of the main foreign policy pundits in Russia with close ties to the Kremlin, wrote on Monday that between Russia and the US there is basically no common agenda left apart from what they call deconflicting [Syria, Ukraine] which is something that the military must take care of. He noted that the back and forth in Washington with regard to Russia, including the proposal by Biden for a bilateral summit, indicated chaos. Lukyanov wrote, we are witnessing the final demise of the relations between Moscow and Washington as they have existed over the past decades. Moscows response, he argued, had to be an ever-stronger orientation toward an alliance with China. As Russian-US relations have been breaking down rapidly, the Kremlin has been particularly concerned about Berlins heavy involvement in the campaign over Navalny. When Navalny fell ill on a plane in August, he was transferred to the Berlin hospital Charite following the direct intervention of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Last week, Der Spiegel magazine revealed that several leading German politicians, including Jurgen Trittin (Greens) and Nils Schmid (SPD), had written a letter to Navalny accusing the Russian government of targeted torture and expressing their complete solidarity with him. Der Spiegel also reported that the Russian ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev made a formal visit to the German foreign ministry on February 16 to accuse the German government of having assisted Navalny in the production of a two-hour-long video which details corruption allegations against Putin. The video deliberately tapped into mass discontent over social inequality which, 30 years after the destruction of the USSR by the Stalinist bureaucracy, is higher in Russia than in any other major economy in the world. It has been watched by 116 million people. On Monday, the Tagesspiegel published an interview with Alexei Gresko, a member of Navalnys staff. Acting as if his team had not warned the world almost daily about Navalnys imminent death from Novichok just months ago, he said, We previously never dared speak about the possibility of his death. Now we are openly discussing that he might die. He called upon the West to respond by showing strength ... There has to be a response with financial consequences: The bank accounts of Putins supporters must be frozen. This is the only language that he and those he trusts can understand. These appeals make very clear what stands behind the campaign over Navalny: It is aimed at destabilizing the Putin regime by pressuring the oligarchs that still overwhelmingly back Putin, while mobilizing right-wing layers of the middle class behind a rival section of the oligarchy and imperialism. It is a part of a regime-change operation which is aimed at installing a right-wing, pro-Western government. The working class can only advance its own interests by basing its opposition to the oligarchic Putin regime on a socialist basis, completely independent from the machinations of imperialism and sections of the oligarchy. In Alabama, 1.4 million people have received one dose of coronavirus vaccine, but the state is still behind much of the country for our vaccine rollout. Judy Smith with the Alabama Department of Public Health says that if you want to get a vaccine, you can in Morgan County, but your only options right now are Pfizer and Moderna. "I think I said it one time, you know, had we had the J&J to start out with all those folks that we talked about a minute ago, we would now have 70, almost 100,000 people that had been vaccinated," said Smith. In Morgan County, only 23,000 people have been fully vaccinated out of the 95,000 adults that are eligible for the vaccine in the county. With only 24% of the population fully vaccinated, health officials are worried that people are not wearing their masks anymore now that the state mandate expired. "We've had people not wearing their masks. I was out and about this weekend and I saw a lot of people without a mask. That's a little worrisome," said Anita Walden, Chief Nursing Officer for Decatur-Morgan Hospital. Especially because there has been a slight increase in cases. "We are seeing a little bit of an uptick in our cases, especially in Madison County, not so much here yet," said Walden. There are only five positive inpatients, though, at Decatur-Morgan Hospital and none of them are on ventilators. Even with those low numbers, health officials are still encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. "Please, please get your vaccination. As a reminder, we have Pfizer vaccine and all Alabamians 16 and greater are eligible now," said Walden. A representative with the Alabama Department of Public Health says they're trying to improve vaccination rates across the state through the National Guard clinics and the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnerships. Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. Advertisement More than 20 Russian warships today staged naval exercises in the Black Sea as satellite images revealed a build up of army helicopters and fighter jets in Crimea. The release of the satellite images came after the US condemned Russia's plans to blockade the Crimea as 'yet another unprovoked escalation' and as Russia insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement in the region, rejecting both the US and Ukraine's complaints. Tensions have soared between Moscow and the West over Russia massing troops on Ukraine's northern and eastern borders as well as on the Crimean peninsula it annexed in 2014. The Russian defence ministry said in a statement that more than 20 Russian warships participated in joint exercises with air force fighter jets on Tuesday. The ships included frigates, missile ships and anti-submarine vessels, and were accompanied by squadrons of fighter jets flying 'at extremely low altitudes in difficult weather conditions.' The defence ministry also said that more than 50 fighter jets were moved to Crimea, and satellite images taken over two Crimea airbases - Kirovskoye Airbase and Saki Airbase - appeared to confirm this. They showed a large force of Russian military helicopters and fighter jets sitting on the runways on April 16, April 14 and earlier at Russian airbase Morozovsk last month. In pictures from the Saki Airbase on April 16, at least 26 fighter jets can be seen sitting on the runway. In the image taken from above Kirovskoye Airbase on April 14, 13 military helicopters are shown on the tarmac. In another view of Kirovskoye Airbase, more fighter jets and helicopters are shown in position. An earlier satellite image taken of Morozovsk airbase in Russia on March 27 showed a row of 15 fighter jets lined up. It is unclear if they are the same fighter jets that were later pictured at Saki Airbase on Friday. Saki Airbase, Crimea: At least 26 Russian fighter jets can be seen sitting on the tarmac. Russia's defence ministry has said that more than 50 fighter jets were moved to Crimea amid escalating tensions in the region Russia, which has deployed more than 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border, today began massive naval exercises in the Black Sea involving more than 20 vessels, including landing craft Video on Tuesday showed frigate Admiral Essen launching cruise missiles after Vladimir Putin defied Western demands to ease tensions in Ukraine, where more than 100,000 Russian troops have deployed on the border. The warships were joined by 50 Su-25SM3 fighter jets flying low across the water, which Russia claimed was routine defensive drilling, despite the presence of landing craft used for offensive amphibious action. A military spokesman said 'three squadrons of the Southern Military District's attack aircraft held drills to attain positions for an attack.' They practised using missiles against an enemy and dodging strikes from naval air defence systems, he said. In a separate statement, the Russian defence ministry said that the Russian Black Sea Fleet had conducted manoeuvres, which involved an anti-sabotage detachment and included 'underwater combat training missions'. The exercises come after Russian news agencies citing the defence ministry reported last week that Moscow intends to close parts of the Black Sea to foreign military and official ships for six months. Such a move could affect access to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait on Crimea's eastern tip. The US State Department on Monday described the plan as an 'unprovoked escalation in Moscow's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine'. The European Union called it a 'highly worrying development,' while NATO also expressed 'concern' and called on Russia to guarantee 'free access' to Ukrainian ports. Kirovskoye Airbase, Crimea: At least 13 Russian military helicopters could be seen at Kirovskoye Airbase, Crimea April 14, 2021. Russia's escalation in military exercises come as tensions have soared between Moscow and the West over Russia massing troops on Ukraine's northern and eastern borders as well as on the Crimean peninsula it annexed in 2014 Kirovskoye Airbase, Crimea: View of Kirovskoye Airbase with Russian military equipment, in Crimea April 14, 2021 'This represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine,' US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Monday. 'This development is particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop buildup in occupied Crimea and around Ukraine's borders, now at levels not seen since Russia's invasion in 2014,' he added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that such airspace closures are common international practice. Russia in recent weeks has deployed tens of thousands of troops to its borders with Ukraine and on Crimea, which defence minister Sergei Shoigu has said was for 'training exercises' in response to 'threatening' NATO actions. Ukraine has been battling pro-Russian separatists in its east since 2014, in a conflict that erupted after Moscow annexed Crimea, after the country's former Russia-friendly president was driven from power by protests. Moscow then threw its weight behind separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the conflict there has killed more than 14,000 people in seven years. Morozovsk airbase, Russia: Russian Sukhoi Su-34 military aircraft are pictured at Morozovsk Airbase, Russia March 27, 2021 Satellite images of an area next to Kachyk Lake in Crimea have revealed a new Russian military camp (right) and sub-camp (left) which have been constructed between March 15 and April 13 amid a wider troop build-up on the Ukraine border Tensions have risen in recent weeks with increasing violations of a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and a massive Russian troop buildup along the Ukrainian border. Moscow has rejected Ukraine and Western concerns, arguing that it's free to deploy its forces and charging that they don't threaten anyone. But at the same time, Moscow sternly warned Ukrainian authorities against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel east, noting recent statements by Ukrainian military officers who held the door open for an offensive. The Kremlin said that Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine and lashed out at the U.S. and NATO for what he described as 'provocative actions' in the Black Sea area. The U.S. and its NATO allies have regularly sent navy ships to the Black Sea and the U.S. flew strategic bombers over Ukraine, vexing Moscow. However, the U.S. reversed a planned deployment of two destroyers in the Black Sea earlier this month amid the heightening tensions. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with increasing violations of a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and a massive Russian troop buildup along the Ukrainian border. Pictured: Satellite image showing tanks and equipment at Pogorovo training area near Voronezh, Russia on April 10 Moscow has rejected Ukraine and Western concerns, arguing that it's free to deploy its forces and charging that they don't threaten anyone. Pictured: Satellite view of the Pogorovo military training area near Voronezh, Russia on April 10 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted Tuesday that Kyiv wasn't planning any offensive in the east. 'No, Ukraine is not planning any offensive, military escalation or provocations,' he said at a news conference, adding that 'we are making every effort for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the conflict.' Kuleba charged that the Russian buildup across the border is continuing and is 'expected to reach a combined force of over 120,000 troops' in about a week and urged the West to beef up sanctions against Moscow by targeting entire sectors of the Russian economy. On Monday, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, told reporters that 'there's more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea,' and doubled down on the figure later before his services had to correct it in the transcript, saying the real figure was over 100,000. A new video shows Russian frigate Admiral Essen launching cruise missiles in the Black Sea as Vladimir Putin defies Western demands to ease tensions with Ukraine The Admiral Essen which today launched cruise missiles as part of exercises which saw some 50 warplanes were involved in the major exercises, which Russia portrayed as routine training Fire and smoke spews from the deck of the Admiral Essen in the Black Sea today as Russia begins massive naval exercises A military spokesman said: 'A naval group comprising the frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen, missile corvettes Graivoron and Vyshny Volochyok, and also missile boats, small anti-submarine warfare ships and large amphibious assault ships, held an exercise to repel a notional enemy's air attack weapons, using active radio-electronic interference' Four Russian Ropucha class ships have gathered in the Black Sea, joining forces with more than 15 other warships, The Mirror reported, citing 'military sources' (pictured: the Ropucha-class landing ship Kaliningrad sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, April 17) A Ukrainian solider inside a machine gun turret of a light vehicle near the Ukrainian Azov Sea port of Mariupol on Monday. It is feared the Russian blockade could prevent access to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait, on the eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 Ukrainian troops take part in an amphibious drill near the Ukrainian Azov Sea port of Mariupol on Monday Ukrainian tanks are lined up outside the port of Mariupol on Monday. Russian state media have reported that Moscow intends to close parts of the Black Sea to foreign military and official ships for six months Members of the Ukrainian National Guard take part in drills outside Mariupol on Monday, around 40 miles from the Russian border Military sources in Kiev last night revealed they were now fearing a Russian assault on facilities which provide running water to people living in the south. Four Russian Ropucha class ships have gathered in the Black Sea, joining more than 15 other warships, in preparation for an attack, The Mirror reported. 'Ukrainian military take these ships very seriously,' a Ukrainian officer told the paper. 'We estimate one of the Russian scenarios could be an amphibious and air assault from occupied Crimea to seize water supply facilities in south Ukraine to provide water to Crimea.' The newspaper reported sources as saying the 'most likely' attack plan would be a maritime and land assault on southern Ukraine from Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Poor weather may have delayed any potential land attack by several weeks. Following Russia's invasion, Ukraine cut off much of the water supply to Crimea, creating a dire shortage. On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed there are more than 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border and in Crimea following talks involving Ukraine's foreign ministry. 'It is the highest Russian military deployment at Ukrainian borders ever,' he said, adding: 'The risk of further escalation, it's evident.' Borrell revealed new satellite images which revealed a fresh deployment of troops next to Kachyk Lake on the south coast of Crimea. It appeared over the course of a month to house Russian soldiers and vehicles that Putin has been ferrying to the region on the back of trains and trucks. Images taken by PlanetLabs satellites on April 13 show at least 1,000 vehicles on site, lined up in fenced-off areas opposite infantry tents. Only a fraction of that force was visible in another image taken a month earlier on March 15. A secondary sub-camp is also visible around a mile to the west of the main camp, on the shores of Kachyk Lake. That camp primarily consists of vehicles in fenced-off pens, with a handful of infantry tents visible. While Ukraine has previously warned that as many as 40,000 new Russian troops have been stationed in Crimea, in addition to another 40,000 on the mainland, it is the first time that a camp housing the force has been pictured. Tensions have spiralled over the build-up of Russian troops around its southwestern neighbour as an intensification of clashes with Moscow-backed separatists has fuelled fears of a return to widespread fighting in Ukraine. Moscow's military says it is conducting exercises along its frontier in response to moves by Western military alliance NATO that 'threaten Russia'. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last week that 'two armies and three airborne units were successfully deployed' to the Russia's western border and that the drills would be over 'within two weeks'. Ukraine is pushing the West for more practical support as it looks to deter any further aggression from Moscow. Kiev's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pressed the EU to prepare 'a new set of sectoral sanctions' against Russia in talks with his counterparts from the 27-nation bloc on Monday. But Borrell said that there were currently no further sanctions being proposed or under consideration. Ukrainian troops taking part in tank drills close to the frontier of the disputed Donbass region in eastern Ukraine A Ukrainian soldier inside a trench on the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Monday In the footage released by the Russian defence ministry on Monday, a MiG-31BM high-altitude fighter is seen firing an air-to-air missile Military analyst Bruce Jones told The Mirror it was 'extremely rare' for amphibious assault ships like the Ropuchas - which can offload tanks and thousands of troops - to join other military craft. 'It is unprecedented for such a large number of landing ships from so many different Russian fleets to assemble. 'Vessels such as these were deployed during the 2008 invasion of Georgia to great effect and were used to land special forces and commandos. 'This happened on Georgian beaches and it happened very quickly.' Jones told the paper that, if not intended for an offensive, gathering such ships together is an 'extremely costly' exercise'. Ukraine is pushing the West for more practical support as it looks to deter any further aggression from Moscow. Images of the camp show thousands of vehicles in fenced-off pens (right) alongside infantry tents (left) which have been organised into rows The images are the first to be taken of new Russian camps in Crimea after Ukraine warned there are now more than 40,000 of Putin's troops on the peninsula - with another 40,000 thought to be on the mainland This image shows a nearby sub-camp, located around a mile west of the main base and on the shores of the lake, which is mainly comprised of vehicles with just a few infantry tents nearby Kiev's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pressed the EU to prepare 'a new set of sectoral sanctions' against Russia in talks with his counterparts from the 27-nation bloc on Monday. But Borrell said that there were currently no further sanctions being proposed or under consideration. Observers have also suggested the unannounced build-up could be designed as a test for Joe Biden, as Putin attempts to get the measure of his new counterpart. Biden has called for the Russian president to 'de-escalate' tensions and proposed a summit which could take place in Finland in the coming months. The move has been hailed as a win by Moscow, after Biden previously took a hard line against Putin - calling him 'a killer' and refusing to meet with him on the basis that he was too busy. As well as seeking support from the US, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has turned to his European allies, last week meeting with France's President Emanuel Macron in Paris and speaking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel via videolink. The pair pledged their backing for Ukraine, but offered little in the way of practical support. Meanwhile, the UK has offered to send two warships to the Black Sea as a warning to Putin, according to leaked documents, after the US cancelled the deployment of two of its own vessels to the region. Charcot Marie Tooth and Dejerine-Sottas syndrome are groups of diseases that involve the breakdown of the myelin sheath covering nerve axons. As this myelin sheath breaks down, people who have these disorders suffer nerve damage in the arms and legs--those with Dejerine-Sottas disease may never walk or may lose the ability to walk by the time they are teenagers. Researchers have known that a protein called PMP22, which is important for nerve myelin, is likely involved in the disease. But because the protein is so small and part of the cell membrane, it's difficult to study. Now, an interdisciplinary team from the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University have used a cutting-edge technique called ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to show that an unstable, mutant version of the PMP22 protein associates with another mutant PMP22, forming a stable complex called a "dimer." "If you get one of these mutations in your PMP22 gene, that leads to the creation of this mutant protein. Then, our results indicate that the mutant protein produced is likely going to dimerize," said Brandon Ruotolo, lead author on the new study and a professor of chemistry at U-M. "Because it's stable, it's not going to re-form into monomeric protein that is then going to give you normal myelin sheath production." Their results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide a new view into how these diseases work, and could one day provide a target for therapeutics. Vanderbilt researcher Charles Sanders began studying PMP22 in 2000. It was a protein known to be involved in these neurological diseases, but few were studying it. There are other diseases related to problems with protein folding, Sanders says. Typically, misfolding proteins cause disease in two ways: one is that when they misfold, they are degraded and can't complete the job they're meant to do. A second is that a protein clumps up, gumming up the cell and preventing it from doing its job properly. "With PMP22, it's never been completely clear how it causes disease. It's definitely related to problems with folding, but how does this really work? What Brandon's results suggest is that when this protein is unstable, it doesn't fold correctly, but instead of getting degraded, it forms this misfolded dimer," Sanders said. "We still don't know exactly what it then does to cause these diseases, but it's an interesting and unusual observation that makes these diseases different from all of the other protein-folding diseases." Over the years, Sanders' lab has done a series of measurements to quantitate the stability of mutant forms of PMP22. His lab has also collaborated with U-M researcher Melanie Ohi to study the healthy function of PMP22, work that started while Ohi was on the faculty at Vanderbilt. "We were able to see what we called myelin-like assemblies that allowed us to get some idea of what this protein might actually be doing in the context of a membrane. When we came to U-M, our goal was to get a high-resolution structure, which is really hard because this is a really small protein," Ohi said. "We needed to figure out if the protein Dr. Yadav was making for structural studies was forming larger oligomers and, surprisingly, PMP22 works well for Brandon's technique." Currently an associate professor in U-M's Life Sciences Institute, Ohi met Ruotolo, whose lab specializes in using IM-MS to capture native structures of biomolecules as well as how they assemble. To view these proteins using this kind of mass spectrometry, Ruotolo's lab transfers the protein into the gas phase using a technique called nano-electrospray ionization. The technique works by aersolzing protein-containing solutions into tiny charged droplets. The solvent carrying the protein quickly dries--this process happens over just milliseconds--which leaves the charged protein behind. These charged proteins are then drawn into a vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometry instrument. Once inside the instrument, ions encounter a chamber pressurized with a small amount of background gas. Within this chamber, the instrument uses an electric field to pull the ionized proteins through a series of electrodes in the presence of the background gas. This separates the ions according to their size. A subsequent device uses a chamber operated under strict vacuum conditions to separate the same ions according to their mass. This way, the researchers are able to view both the structures of the proteins, and separate PMP22 dimers from monomers in order to evaluate them independently. The researchers then heat the ionized proteins and measure their size, repeating this step several times in order to measure the changes in size as the proteins unfold. This tells the researchers how stable the proteins are--and in particular, the stability of the misfolded dimer proteins. The researchers say developing therapeutics to interfere with these mutants clumping together is further down the road, but knowing how and where the protein self-associates provides a road map for a new venue of research. "Not only is this a big step forward in what we know about the protein, mass spectrometry has such fabulous capabilities that this opens the door for a whole unbelievable set of things that we could do in the future with this protein," Sanders said. "With the sort of techniques that Brandon works with, you could imagine eventually extending this to drug discovery, using this basic method as an assay for finding compounds that correct these defects." ### The study is titled "Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Reveals the Role of Peripheral Myelin Protein Dimers in Peripheral Neuropathy." PNAS will make it available at DOI:10.1073/pnas.2015331118. Study co-authors include U-M chemistry graduate students Sarah Fantin, Kristine Parson and Brock Juliano; Life Sciences Institute senior research associate Pramod Yadav; and Vanderbilt research fellow Geoffrey Li. Brandon Ruotolo Melanie Ohi Charles Sanders Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 10:23:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) declared Monday the state of force majeure in the port of Hariga, one of the largest oil ports in the country. The NOC said the state of force majeure was declared as a result of the Central Bank of Libya's refusal to liquidate the oil budget for months. Last year, the former UN-backed government of Libya decided to allocate 1,048 million dinars (230 million U.S. dollars) to the NOC. Suspension of oil exports at Hariga port could cause daily loses of more than 118 million dinars (26 million dollars), the NOC said in a statement. The lack of budget causes debts to some the NOC's companies, resulting in a drop in the daily oil production of about 280,000 barrels per day, it said. The NOC requested the Office of the Attorney General to "hold accountable all those obstructing NOC's operations, directly or indirectly, and to take the necessary legal actions against those who attempt to jeopardize the capabilities of the country and damage Libya's only source of income." Enditem ADVERTISEMENT A traditional ruler in Ekiti State who was kidnapped last week has been taken to a hospital after he was released Tuesday. David Oyewumi, the Obadu of Ilemeso Ekiti, was kidnapped on April 15 when armed men invaded his palace and later demanded N20 million ransom. His release was confirmed by the Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu. I can confirm to you that the monarch had been released from captivity, Mr Abutu said. He had also reunited with his family. However, he is presently receiving medical care in one of the facilities in the state as a result of the trauma he passed through. Mr Abutu added that the police was not aware of any ransom paid to secure the monarchs release. He added that the monarchs release was due to the combined efforts of the police and other security agencies. Speaking on his release, the Commander of Ekiti Amotekun Corps, Joe Komolafe, said the release was secured at Obbo Ayegunle, Ekiti Local Government area of Kwara State, with the support of the vigilante members in Kwara State. When we went into the bush, we tracked the traditional ruler to the area, the Vigilante from Kwara State joined our team and we were able to rescue him in the night in the forest at Obbo-Ile, Kwara State, Mr Komolafe said. No ransom was paid. We have brought him home and he is currently receiving medical attention. SPRINGFIELD State Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Springfield, joined with lawmakers, the advocacy group Stop Handgun Violence and the parents of victims of mass shootings in Florida and in Colorado on Tuesday to call for a ban on the manufacture in Massachusetts of military-style assault weapons already banned for sale here. This is just a real common sense approach, Williams said. I know that Smith & Wesson is located in my district. But Williams pointed to whats been an unending drumbeat of recent mass shootings. He said he fears the public has become numb to the headlines and news footage. I know this country is sick and tired of being sick and tired, Williams said in a teleconference Tuesday, just hours after new bills were filed on Beacon Hill. Month in and month out. We realize that the NRA is going to come charging at me. These assault weapons are meant for war. Plain and simple. Massachusetts law prohibits the sale, transfer or possession of assault style weapons and large capacity feeding devices with 10 or more rounds. The state has 24 known gun manufacturers, said John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence. Among them are Savage Arms in Westfield which specializes in hunting and target-shooting and Smith & Wesson in Springfield which has, since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban in 2004, expanded into products it calls modern sporting rifles. Its Springfield plant and headquarters employ 1,600 workers. Williams said Smith & Wesson also manufactures other firearms, ones that meet with the state regulations. He hopes to talk with the company and negotiate. But he said hes firm in his goal of addressing gun violence. Ive always been happy to work with Smith & Wesson, Williams said. I know they represent jobs in the district. Williams also said that the ban wouldnt apply to firearms made for the armed services. At some point in time we have to decide whats more valuable: jobs or lives, Williams said. Thats a societal question. Im about saving lives. He decried the stalemate in the U.S. Congress. Lets have the conversation, Williams said. Three other states California, New York and New Jersey have a ban on the manufacturing of assault weapons. Business for Smith & Wesson has been good. It reported in March that gross sales increased 102.2% year-over-year in its most recent quarter, hitting $257.6 million for the three months ending Jan. 31. Smith & Wesson has a long history dating back to 1852 and that it manufactured a handgun marketed as childproof back it the turn of the 20th century, Rosenthal said. I dont think they are going to move, he said. Rosenthal, Williams and the other lawmakers were joined by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son died at Parkland High School in Florida and Sandy and Lonnie Philips, whose daughter died at the Aurora Theater in Colorado. In both cases, the shooters were armed with Smith & Wesson firearms. These weapons are made in your state, said Sandy Philips, mother of 24-year-old daughter Jessica Ghawi slain in 2012. But they cant be used in your state. So in effect, Massachusetts is exporting bloodshed to the rest of the country. Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin Oliver died in the Parkland shooting in 2018, spoke of how the workers who made the gun that killed his son sleep at night. The person who was putting those pieces together in that factory knew that this was not a weapon to protect anyone, he said, This was a weapon to attack and to kill people. Joaquin Olivers photo is featured on a prominent Boston billboard advocating for stronger gun laws. Smith & Wesson spokespeople didnt return calls and emails for comment Tuesday. Military-style assault weapons are designed for the sole purpose of efficiently killing many people at once. If private citizens no longer have access to these kinds of assault weapons, then fewer people will die due to mass shootings, said bill sponsor, state Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge. We must decide what we value more -- the freedom to live without fear of being shot in a mass shooting, or the freedom to allow the manufacture of military-style weapons in our name, in our State. We dont allow these assault weapons to be made and sold here in Massachusetts to private citizens, so why should they be sold in other states to private citizens? Other lawmakers on the call included state Sen. Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, who is the co-sponsor, and state Rep. Frank Moran, D-Cambridge. Two decades ago, Smith & Wessons cooperation with gun regulators in the Clinton administration caused a backlash that nearly destroyed the company. Smith & Wesson was under different ownership in the year 2000 when it agreed to make safety improvements to guns including smart gun technology devices that ensure that only the owner can fire the gun and locks and more strictly monitor distribution of its products. In exchange, Smith & Wesson was dropped from 30 lawsuits filed by states and cities against firearms manufacturers in an effort to recover the social costs of gun violence. The deal was brokered in part by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, at the time Clintons secretary of Housing and Urban Development. But instead of leading a charge in a new era of cooperation. Smith & Wesson only earned anger from its industry and many in the gun buying public. The NRA called the pact a betrayal and organized a boycott targeting retailers and gun distributors. Orders were cancelled and Smith & Wesson employees found themselves ignored at trade shows. Sales fell 40 percent and the market was flooded with used Smith & Wesson firearms no one wanted, according to published reports at the time. Smith & Wesson lost $17 million in that fiscal year and was sold to an obscure Arizona gun parts maker called Saf-T-Hammer. Saf-T-Hammer mended its fences with the NRA Related content OTTAWA, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Payments Canada applauds the inclusion of the Retail Payments Oversight Framework (RPOF), and its oversight by the Bank of Canada, as part of the 2021 federal budget, A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth and Resilience. "The implementation of the Retail Payments Oversight Framework is a welcome addition to Canada's payments system," said Anne Butler, Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Policy and Research. "By including RPOF in the budget, the Canadian government acknowledges the importance of modern payments regulation and broader access to Canada's national payments systems. Implementing RPOF is a key step towards Payments Canada's ability to safely open our systems for payments service providers to participate and compete in Canada's payments market." RPOF was initially announced by the government in 2019 in response to the rapid pace of innovation in the retail payments space. It will require non-financial institution payment service providers (PSPs) to establish sound operational risk management practices and protect users' funds against losses. RPOF will be a public registry of regulated PSPs, maintained by the Bank of Canada, to ensure their compliance with operational and financial requirements. Key considerations in implementing RPOF RPOF is an important step towards broader access: Implementing RPOF is a step towards Payments Canada's ability to safely make Canada's systems - including the Real-Time-Rail (RTR) expected to go live in 2022 - accessible to non-financial institution PSPs. The next step is to introduce required changes to the Canadian Payments Act to support broader Payments Canada membership. Implementing RPOF is a step towards Payments Canada's ability to safely make systems - including the Real-Time-Rail (RTR) expected to go live in 2022 - accessible to non-financial institution PSPs. The next step is to introduce required changes to the Canadian Payments Act to support broader Payments Canada membership. Uniform oversight will level the playing field and enhance trust: By ensuring that all competitors face comparable regulatory oversight, and checks and balances for the functions they perform, there will also be an enhanced level of trust amongst incumbent financial institutions and PSPs. "A modern regulatory framework for payments is important in attracting investment, improving competitiveness and sustaining growth in Canada's financial services and payments sector," added Butler. "This includes the implementation of the Retail Payments Oversight Framework, which is an important step in supporting the delivery of modern payments solutions for Canadian consumers and businesses that are fast, secure and convenient." About Payments Canada Payments Canada is a public purpose organization that owns and operates Canada's payments systems, the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS) and the Automated Clearing Settlement System (ACSS). Payments Canada is responsible for the physical infrastructure and the associated bylaws, rules, and standards that support these systems. It also has a duty to promote the efficiency, safety, and soundness of Canada's payments systems while taking into account the interests of end users. In 2020, Payments Canada's systems cleared and settled over $107 trillion - more than $420 billion every business day. Transactions that pass through these systems include debit card payments, pre-authorized debits, direct deposits, bill payments, wire payments and cheques initiated and received by Canadians and Canadian businesses. Payments Canada is working closely with the payments ecosystem to modernize Canada's payments systems to ensure Canada and Canadian businesses remain globally competitive. Payments Canada will launch a new high-value payments system, Lynx, in 2021 and a real-time payments system, the Real-Time Rail (RTR), in 2022. SOURCE Payments Canada For further information: For media inquiries, please contact Victoria McMullen, Director, Communications, [email protected] Marin County fell short of reaching the sought-after yellow tier of Californias reopening plan on Tuesday, attributing the surprise setback to spring break travel that led to an increase in coronavirus cases. Were clearly not ready to move forward, Dr. Matt Willis, Marin Countys health officer, said in an interview. Were so close to the border between orange and yellow that even just a few cases matter, and we had an uptick in cases during the week that ends April 10 related to people who traveled outside of the county and got tested after spring break. Marin County had been on track to be the first in the Bay Area since the winter surge to reach the category with the fewest pandemic restrictions in Californias four-tier reopening plan. To move from the orange to yellow level, Willis said, the county needed to keep its daily new coronavirus case numbers in the single digits. But new cases spiked above that on a couple of days, and since the system uses a 7-day average, that was enough to push Marin County over what it had to maintain in order to advance. New case numbers have since dipped low enough again to achieve yellow status, but not until May 4 at the earliest, Willis said, due to state requirements that a county maintain its qualifying metrics for two weeks. Marin County remains in the orange tier, the second-least-restrictive category, along with nearly all of the Bay Area, as confirmed in Tuesdays weekly tier update, which is based on metrics including case and positive test rates, from the California Department of Public Health. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, Solano, Sonoma, San Mateo and Napa counties were showing increases in average daily counts of new cases for the week ending Sunday over the previous week, according to The Chronicles analysis of the data. Other Bay Area counties were flat or showing decreases. The latest setback means that Marin County is not yet allowed to open bars inside, or expand capacity for other indoor and outdoor activities, as is allowed in the yellow tier. Willis said thats not necessarily a bad thing. If were not secure if were limiting transmission yet opening bars, in bars theres more mingling. Theyre not covering their faces because theyre drinking. ... The risk of transmission is higher, so thats always been a concern, he said. So thats not a sector we need to be too eager to open before were ready. I actually think it sends the right message at this time, he added. Were not out of the woods by any means, and to make progress were going to have to earn it through ongoing vigilance. Going forward, Willis said the county will continue with its same strategies to reduce coronavirus case counts encouraging residents to follow health orders and get vaccinated. He said plenty of vaccination appointments are available. Its a matter of the choices people are making, he said. Its really just more staying the course with what we already know works, and theyre effective. Those strategies are effective at reducing transmission. More than 75% of Marin County residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and just over 50% are fully vaccinated, according to county data. Statewide, 50% of California residents have received at least one dose so far. Solano County the only Bay Area county in the red tier, the second-most-restrictive started to see an increase in new daily coronavirus cases around the spring holidays that is continuing, county spokesperson Jayleen Richards said Tuesday. Spring break travel may be playing a role, but the county does not have specific data, she said. Across California, recent case increases appear to be driven by the 18-34 age group, according to data analysis by Dr. George Lemp, an infectious disease expert and epidemiologist retired from the University of California. That age group, which has reflected comparatively high coronavirus case rates throughout the pandemic, accounted for 38% of new cases April 1-14, despite comprising 24% of the population. And 53% of new cases in the two-week period were in individuals age 35 or younger, he found. California prioritized older adults for early vaccination, and eligibility was extended to all Californians age 16 and older only five days ago, meaning those who so far are vaccinated have not reached full immunity. It takes five to six weeks from the first Pfizer or Moderna shot. Catherine Ho and Meghan Bobrowsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: catherine.ho@sfchronicle.com, meghan.bobrowsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho, @MeghanBobrowsky A BOOK honouring more than 250 service personnel from the Henley area who lost their lives during the Second World War has been published and will be distributed to schools and libraries in the area. Amateur historian Mike Willoughby and his wife Lesley, from Woodcote, spent five years writing Bringing Them Home Too, which they researched by reading old censuses and reports in back issues of the Henley Standard. The book is a sequel to Mr Willoughbys 2014 work Bringing Them Home, which commemorated 298 local men who lost their lives in the First World War. Mr Willoughby said: Since 2007, Ive been researching soldiers from Henley and the local villages. This book is a natural follow up of the first. It is a work in progress and I keep making changes to it. Relatives of the men I wrote about are still contacting me with new information and pictures but, because of covid, I havent been able to meet them yet. Mrs Willoughby said: The project is still ongoing. When you are dealing with history, the work never really ends. Theres always changes and new information to add. Mr Willoughby, a retired heating engineer, started researching and writing this sequel with help from his wife before he completed the first book but initially hadnt intended to publish a second volume. The book is dedicated to Brian Hughes, who was the standard bearer for the Henley and Peppard branch of the Royal British Legion for more than 20 years and died last year, aged 86. The town council financed the publication of the book, which has been available online since November last year. Mayor Ken Arlett said: Mike has brought history back to Henley. We just want to say a big thank you to Mike for what he has done. He has spent an extraordinary amount of time on research and he has done it for this town and its history. Henley town councillor Stefan Gawrysiak said: Mike has done a fantastic job tracing the lives of these men, a huge thank you from Henley to him and Lesley who worked as a team on this project. Mr and Mrs Willoughby said that they hope someone will continue the project to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2045. Mrs Willoughby said: Obviously we are not going to be around by then, and we hope someone will take it on and add more to it. Mr Willoughby added: Every single man in our memorials has been remembered in this book, as well as around 50 who were never included in local memorials, but there is more to be added. For more information, visit www.henley-lestweforget.co.uk Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 20:23:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BOAO, Hainan, April 20 (Xinhua) -- This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), an increasingly influential platform that has witnessed China's opening up and integration with Asia and the global community. The ongoing annual conference in Boao, a town in south China's Hainan Province, has attracted 2,600 attendees, including government officials, entrepreneurs and scholars from over 60 countries and regions. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday underscored the significance of the theme of the BFA annual conference 2021, which he said is convened against "a very special background." The theme -- A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation -- is most opportune and relevant under the current circumstances, Xi said in a keynote speech delivered via video at the opening ceremony of the conference. For the last 20 years, Chi Fulin, director of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development, has attended each annual conference. "I have first-hand experience with the forum's growing influence and role. It has become an important international platform in China for Asia and the world," he said. At the BFA annual conference in 2018, Xi announced a batch of opening-up measures, with the expectation that the country's opening-up efforts will benefit all enterprises and people in China and around the world as soon as possible. The measures included significantly broadening market access, creating a more attractive investment environment, strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights and taking the initiative to expand imports, among others. Faced with the economic downturn and the pandemic, participants have used the forum to engage in dialogues and identify new areas of collaboration. China's recent opening-up measures, especially those in the financial sector, have created tremendous opportunities for multinationals to tap into, said Eddie Chen, head of China & Asia at Eurazeo, an investment company headquartered in France. "One of the most exciting parts of doing business in China is that things are changing fast, and changes bring opportunities," he said, noting that the changes happening in China are positive ones. The gathering of political leaders, entrepreneurs and experts has also transformed the once-obscure town of Boao. Seeing opportunities brought by the forum, Jiang Xiang, a local resident, opened a bar by the seaside 10 years ago. "Without the BFA, I wouldn't have started my business because Boao town was very underdeveloped then, with little transportation and no industry," said Jiang, adding that the forum has attracted many people. He said many people from various industries at home and abroad have come to meet and exchange, develop industries and travel in Boao. The bar has become a hotspot for tourists and received a large number of Chinese and foreign guests every year, especially during the conference. "As long as there are people and there is opening up, there will be opportunities," Jiang said. Enditem A lawsuit that charges staffers at a Texas psychiatric hospital with violating a patients civil rights must comply with a state law that requires plaintiffs to submit expert reports after filing health care liability claims, even though no medical malpractice is alleged, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday. Ordinarily, the lawsuit would be dismissed because no report was served by the statutory deadline, but the high court allowed the case to proceed in the interest of justice. Plaintiffs attorney Katie P. Klein said she considers that a victory. It looks like a 9-0 opinion and we have an extremely conservative court, she said. The fact that they have an issued an opinion that allows a plaintiffs case to move forward is very significant. The opinion, written by Justice Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle, makes no mention of any dissent. The high court reversed a judgment by the state Court of Appeals that found no expert report was required because the lawsuit was not a health care liability claim. David Bagley filed the lawsuit after his 37-year-old son, Jeremiah Bagley, died after being restrained by psychiatric nurse assistants and injected with an anti-psychotic drug and a sedative at the Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen. An autopsy revealed Jeremiah had several fractured vertebrae, cracked ribs, a lacerated spleen, and contusions on his head, shoulders, back, and chest. An autopsy listed the cause of death as excited delirium due to psychosis with restraint-associated blunt force trauma. The lawsuit names the Rio Grande hospital and 10 of its employees as defendants. Bagley dropped the suit against the state hospital after the issue of the report required by the Texas Medical Liability Act arose, but the doctors and other staffers who cared for Jeremiah remained parties to the suit. Klein, with Dale & Klein in McAllen, said hospital administrators admitted during depositions that their staffers had acted improperly. He probably struck someone and everybody got mad and they jumped him, she said. He had four or five people on him, which was not permitted. The Texas Medical Liability Act requires plaintiffs who file lawsuits asserting health care liabilityto file an expert report addressing liability and causation within 120 days of receiving an answerfrom the defendant. Bagley did not submit a report because his attorneys did not consider his case to be a health care liability claim, Klein said. She argued that even if the courts chose to treat the lawsuit as a malpractice case, the Texas statute governing such claims was preempted by US Code Section 183, which allows individuals to sue state governments and state employees for civil rights violations. The Court of Appeals agreed with Bagleys attorneys that Texas malpractice law is preempted by Section 183, but the Supreme Court disagreed. The court said in its opinion that all of Bagleys claims are based on the departure from accepted standards of health care. The court said while federal law does prevail if there is any conflict with state law, the expert-report requirement did not deny Bagley any substantive right. He would have had to present expert testimony in order to prove his claims anyway. All of Bagleys claims allege a departure from accepted standards of health care or safety, the court said. Klein said submitting an expert report in this case will not be a problem. We feel confident, she said. Attorneys for the hospital and medical providers could not be reached for comment. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation on the coronavirus situation urging the states to not impose lockdown measures and that it should be the last resort. PM Modi also said that the Centre is working in tandem with the state governments to avail them the requisite amount of vaccines, oxygen and medicines. "This time the demand for oxygen has spiked in many parts. We are working on this. Centre, states and private sectors are trying to ensure every needy patient gets oxygen. New oxygen plants in states, using industrial oxygen for medical use, Oxygen Express - we are doing everything," he said. While on vaccines, the Prime Minister said that India is the world's cheapest vaccine provider. "Vaccines in line with India's cold storage facilities. The regulatory processes and approvals have been fast-tracked," PM said. On demands for increasog the production of medicines, PM Modi said that the pharma sector has increased the production of medicines and more medicines are being manufactured now. "Yesterday I spoke to pharma experts yesterday. We are taking the help of every pharma firm... India has a strong Pharma sector that produces medicines very fast. We are increasing beds. Building Covid hopsitals," he said. The Prime Minister expressed his condolences at the loss of lives in this pandemic saying, "I am aware of the hardships you are facing. I extend my condolences to those who have lost a loved one," the Prime Minister said. He called the second wave 'a storm' and said that the country is once again "fighting a huge battle". India has been struggling in keeping the second wave of the coronavirus wave under check and has been reporting more than two lakh cases for almost a week. Based in Bryanston outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, Silicon Sky is laser-focused on addressing the rapidly increasing demand for Infrastructure-as-a-Service among companies of all kinds and sizes. We recently caught up with Brenton Halsted, Managing Director of Silicon Sky, to get his thoughts on the companys focus on IaaS, the unique demands of enterprises in South Africa and surrounding countries, and the flexibility he feels is imperative for success in the cloud. While we have significant expertise within the company that spans a wide range of IT disciplines, we are very focused at Silicon Sky on IaaS and working with key vendors in that effort, Halsted says. For Silicon Sky this focus isnt new. Weve really specialized in Infrastructure-as-a-Service since our inception in 2009. That focus is also evident in our customer base. We engage and serve companies of all sizes and in all markets that need IaaS and that want to move part or all of their core infrastructure from on-premises to the cloud. Halsted notes that the challenge for most of these companies is the need to manage their existing IT environments and maintain their legacy systems on a continual basis. Not only is this an increasingly daunting task, but they also typically do this on a CAPEX basis. Our customers want to manage their IT on an OPEX basis so they can reduce their operational and capital expenditures, he adds. And of course they want to harness the proven advantages and benefits of the cloud. Our IaaS Virtual Data Center service, enables our customers to accomplish these goals quickly and effectively. VMware technology, specifically vCloud Director, plays a key role in the service, which allows customers to manage and provision their own servers. Silicon Sky also offers a Cloud Server Service for organizations just beginning their cloud journey, and a bespoke, fully dedicated IaaS offering for companies that have unique compliance or security needs. In addition, the company provides Backup-as-a-Service ,Disaster Recovery-as-a-Storage-as-a-Service offerings that include block, file and object storage. Halsted points out that being VMware Cloud Verified is important in all of these endeavors. Why being VMware Cloud Verified matters The status that comes with being VMware Cloud Verified is important, and it shows that the infrastructure we offer is based on best practices from VMware, he says. We work with key vendors enterprises we know and trust. The majority of our customers are also coming from a VMware-based environment. If youre lifting and shifting and taking on-premises VMware workloads and moving them to the cloud, the best place to put them is in a VMware-based cloud. That way, youre going from VMware to VMware, and you know that what you had on-site is going to work exactly as it should in the cloud. Halsted points to VMware vCloud Availability as an example of how seamless this transition can be. We did extensive testing with VMware when it came out, he says. With it, enterprises that come to us who are running VMware on-premises can connect their virtual center with our environment and either move those workloads to our cloud or use our environment as a target for DRaaS. Its an elegant way to do disaster recovery from on-premises to the cloud. Silicon Sky also sees another compelling business driver: In South Africapower is a problem, with controlled load shedding a common practice during times of peak electricity consumption. It requires a lot of equipment to stay powered up and available, by co-locating in South Africas premium Data Centres we have everything in place to ensure that power is available at all times, Halsted says. The company is aware too that not all customers have teams in place with the expertise needed to address security in the cloud. For that reason, it offers a shared firewall service at no extra cost. And while Silicon Sky provides self-service functionality that some of its more technically advanced customers utilize, most want the high level of service the company is known for. Most of our customers have to be strategic about where they put their IT dollars, and thats another reason why we are so committed to flexibility, Halsted says. We dont charge any ingress or egress charges for our cloud, and we offer flexible contracts. We want to give our customers the ability to go up and down. Thats the beauty of the cloud. You only want to use the resources you need, and when you no longer need them, you should be able to decommission them and not pay for them. Weve been committed to that ideal that central premise of the cloud from the beginning. Learn more about Silicon Sky and its partnership with VMware here. SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Alpha Advisors ("Digital Alpha"), a leading digital infrastructure investment firm, today announced the closing of Digital Alpha Fund II, L.P. (the "Fund" or "Fund II"), over its initial hard cap with over $1 billion in commitments. The Fund was oversubscribed and continues the same successful strategy of investing in digital infrastructure assets, companies and revenue share arrangements as Digital Alpha Fund I, L.P. ("Fund I"), formed in 2017. Digital Alpha will also continue the successful strategic partnership it has had with Cisco since the firm's founding, which includes preferred access to Cisco's deal flow, engineering and sales resources, as well as access to Cisco's broader ecosystem of channel partners and resellers. In addition, Digital Alpha is proud to cultivate strategic partnerships with other Silicon Valley technology leaders, with whom it has already executed deals in Fund I and Fund II. As a pioneer of the digital infrastructure category since launching in 2017, the Fund will maintain its core focus of investing in operating companies and revenue share deals across three key verticals: next-gen networks (5G infrastructure investment and Wi-Fi 6 solutions globally), cloud computing and IoT-enabled smart city solutions. The mission critical infrastructure layer where Digital Alpha invests sits above the commodity layer of radio masts, fiber cables and data centers and supports the consumption layer, which is focused on digital content, apps and devices. The Fund will seek to build out a diverse portfolio of approximately a dozen "anti-fragile" investments with resilient business models in leading operating companies and related yield-oriented revenue share structures. "We're thrilled to announce the close of our second digital infrastructure fund to support the growth of the digital economy. We're proud of the role our investments play in providing secure connectivity for private and public sector stakeholders during the pandemic. In addition, the strong interest we've had from existing and new institutional investors globally is testament to our team's expertise, the quality of our strategic relationships and our proven track record of value creation. We've already deployed a significant amount of capital into differentiated and high-quality deals, and we look forward to actioning the rich opportunity set our team of experts has identified in the high-growth verticals driving digital transformation," said Rick Shrotri, Founder & Managing Partner. To date, the Fund has committed approximately $300 million across three deals. The first deal of the Fund created a novel network edge solution with Cisco, Qwilt, and British Telecom; this innovative outcome based financing is scaling with telecom and cable operators in markets worldwide. The Fund also recently made a $185 million investment commitment to network access provider WeLink Communications to help expand their fixed-wireless broadband footprint across the US. Finally, in March the Fund committed $100 million in outcome-based financing to fund digital infrastructure for communities across the US with Sharecarea leading digital health platform. Digital Alpha's seasoned investment team is led by Rick Shrotri, Founder & Managing Partner, and Vasa Babic, Partner. Mr. Shrotri is a 10-year Cisco veteran who devised the funding model employed by the Fund during his time as Head of Business Acceleration at Cisco. As of the Fund II launch, he has collaborated with Vasa Babic on a series of market shaping deals over nearly a decade. Digital Alpha's diverse team has deep investing and industry experience and is supported by an internal Cisco unit called the Global Infrastructure Funds (GIF) team that was created by Mr. Shrotri while he was at Cisco. Investors in the Fund include sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, endowments & foundations, consultants, and health systems primarily from North America, Europe and the Middle East. Digital Alpha enjoyed a re-up rate on a dollar basis of over 100% from Fund I. NOTES TO EDITORS About Digital Alpha Advisors Digital Alpha Advisors, LLC is an investment firm focused on digital infrastructure and services required by the digital economy, with a strategic collaboration agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc. As part of this agreement, Digital Alpha has preferred access to Cisco's pipeline of commercial opportunities requiring equity financing. Digital Alpha believes that it is the first firm focused on making private equity investments in the significant growth opportunities required to underpin the Digital Economy, including smart cities, next generation broadband networks, and enterprise data management and communication solutions. Digital Alpha is headquartered in Henderson, NV, with offices in San Francisco and London, and was founded by Rick Shrotri, former Head of the Global Infrastructure Funds (GIF) team at Cisco. For more information, please visit www.digitalalpha.net. SOURCE Digital Alpha Advisors Related Links http://www.digitalalpha.net April 20, 2021 The on-again, off-again rumors that Apple (News - Alert) plans to introduce a car are back on again. In December 2020, a report from Reuters claimed that Apple is moving ahead with plans to build a vehicle. The Apple iCar will feature advanced self-driving technologies, according to the report. The most exciting part of the report says that Apple plans to introduce a new battery design that will reduce electric batteries' costs and increase the driving range. The vehicles' range has been a thorn in the side for all of Tesla's competitors, as they seem to have the secret sauce that has allowed the company to introduce an electric vehicle that can drive for more than 500-miles. Who Will Build the Apple Car Apple is not in the business of building cars. There continues to be speculation on who the company will partner with to manufacture their automobiles. There are also rumors that Apple has recruited companies with the self-driving system's supply chain, but it's likely to build its in-house system. This production includes the lidar sensors, which help self-driving cars get a three-dimensional view of the road. The report says that the car battery would use a mono cell design, which increases the individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack. Apple is also said to be investigating the use of lithium iron phosphate instead of traditional lithium-ion batteries. Not The First Rodeo Apple's automotive efforts, known as Project Titan, started in 2014 when it first started to design its vehicle. Apple contracted its efforts to focus on software and reassessed its goals. Apple had previously engaged Magna International Inc to help with the manufacturing of a car, but the talks stalled as Apple's plans became unclear. Another issue that Apple is now facing is how to proceed in the wake of the pandemic. Reuter's article states that the pandemic might generate delays that push the introduction of the iCar into 2025. Additionally, producing a car generally does not create the same margins relative to an iPhone (News - Alert) . To have a viable assembly plant, you need 100,000 vehicles annually, with more volume to come. Rapid Growth The accelerated Apple stock trading, which is likely on CEO Tim Cook's minds, the company needs innovation. The automotive industry is ushering in rapid growth, and it could be a good time for Apple to enter the market. From January to November 2020, 17.79 million passenger vehicles were sold in the Chinese market, and electric cars accounted for 5.4%. The industry predicts that sales of electric vehicles will exceed 1.5 million in 2021. Self Driving While Apple is focused on creating a battery that will allow an electric car to have a full range, it also focuses on producing a sell driving car. In 2020, Apple obtained at least ten autonomous-driving patents, which involve the three major areas of autonomous driving sensors, communication, and control. The Apple patent for autonomous driving sensors involves the linkage between sensors and data sharing. The Bottom Line Apple has explored the iCar concept several times since 2014 and now appears to be refocusing its efforts. The vehicle will include a long-range battery as well as self-driving capabilities. Apple is in the process of looking for a partner that will help manufacture the cars. Apple has also obtained several self-driving pattens. The electric car arena has exploded, especially in China, taking a 5.4% market share and poised to exceed 1.5-million vehicles in 2021. Betty Francois, 91, died on January 11, two days after she was shot in her Victorville, California home by a San Bernardino County sheriffs deputy. Police claim that Francois, who was legally blind and deaf, pointed a shotgun at the deputies after they gave commands for her to drop the weapon, giving them no option but to shoot the elderly woman. Francois had called the police to her home in fear that there had been an intruder and was seeking their help. A candlelight vigil and protest were held in Syracuse, New York on March 11 for 17-year-old Judson Albahm, who had been killed by police a week earlier near his home in the suburb of Dewitt. Four officers from three different departments opened fire on Albahm. According to the police account, the teenager repeatedly pointed a black handgun that fired metal BBs at them and refused orders to drop it after an extended foot chase, prompting them to open fire. Albahm had been diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome and Oppositional Defiant Disorder as a child, and was well known to the Dewitt Police Department, since his family often called the police for help when he was in distress or suffering a mental health breakdown. He was experiencing such an episode when he was killed by police. Albahm had been diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome and Oppositional Defiant Disorder as a child, and was well known to the Dewitt Police Department, since his family often called the police for help when he was in distress or suffering a mental health breakdown. He was experiencing such an episode when he was killed by police. Anne Arundel County police officers killed 79-year-old Leonard John Popa at his home in Pasadena, Maryland, on March 18. Police were called to the home for a welfare check by a member of a medical rehabilitation facility after Popa made suicidal statements to the medical worker over the phone. Police entered Popas home through an unlocked door and found him sitting in bed with a gun in between the mattresses. The police claim that efforts were made to deescalate the situation, but the officer feared his life was in immediate danger after Popa raised the gun, prompting him to open fire, killing the elderly man in his bed. In each of these killings, the victim was white. Each of these tragic deaths has gone unreported in the national media, which has not challenged the police account of events. There has been no questioning of the claims by police that they feared for their lives and that it was necessary to kill in self-defense. No attention has been given to why such killings happen with regularity and how the events could have been handled differently. As of April 14, there have been at least 265 police killings in 2021 across the United States. The police continue to kill at an unrelenting rate of three people per day, a bloody number that has held steady for years, despite popular protests and outrage over one killing after another. Philadelphia police restrain a man during the Justice for George Floyd Philadelphia Protest, May 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The trial of former Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, for the murder of George Floyd, a black man, which is currently in jury deliberation, provides an opportunity to examine the phenomenon of police violence in the United States. The gruesome forensic review of Chauvins cold-blooded murder, livestreamed online, has focused the attention of millions in the US and around the world on the issue. While the mainstream media and the Democratic Party proclaim that the country is experiencing a national reckoning with race and policing, they present the unabated reign of terror by police as a solely racial issue, ignoring its impact on people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, during a monologue Friday night, declared that police reform would happen only when white peoples kids start getting killed. As the lazy and ignorant news anchor would know if he bothered to do any research, scores of white peoples kids are shot by police every year. Google the name Mykel Dexter Jenkins, a white man shot by police in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on March 19 at the age of 29, and one will read heartbreaking messages posted by family and friends on the legacy page established after his death: To my loving Son! Love you and will always keep you in my heart! Love you! From Mom. Continue to shine down on us brother. Mykel Jenkins brought so many gifts to our life. We will never forget him! He was always so happy and full of life. He could make anyone laugh! You were one true friend Mykel and Ill never forget you! I love you and R.I.P. till we meet again. This isnt goodbye only see you later!!! This tree of life is for you sweet brother. May it grow so big for you to climb it to the very top to watch over the ones who loved you dearly. Whether the victim is named George Floyd or Mykel Jenkins, whether the skin color of the victim is light or dark, wanton police violence leaves profound grief in its wake. But this is not the way the story of police killings is presented in the national media. On Saturday, the New York Times, which has been at the forefront of the systematic campaign to falsify history through a racialist prism, published an analysis of the continued epidemic of police violence, co-authored by John Eligon, the papers national race correspondent. The article focuses on black and Hispanic victims, only alluding to the fact that the largest number of those killed by police are white. A casual reader of the Timess coverage of police violence will come away with the impression that all of those killed by police are members of racial minorities. The deliberate silence of the national media and the Democratic Party on the killing of white workers and youth implies that these killings are legitimate, and there is no reason anyone should take notice. In presenting police violence as a racial issue, of whites against blacks, the media aims to divide the working class and cover up the socioeconomic background of those who are being killed and the social processes that led to their deaths. Data collected by the Washington Post records 6,214 police killings in the period between January 2, 2015 and April 14, 2021. The victims are overwhelmingly male (95 percent) and predominately white (46 percent). Blacks make up the second largest group (24 percent), followed by Hispanics (17 percent), Asians (1.6 percent), Native Americans (1.4 percent) and all others (0.7 percent). The average age of a police violence victim is 37. In more than one in five cases the person who was killed was exhibiting signs of mental illness. Most of those who have been killed, if police reports are to be believed, were brandishing a gun or a knife. But in other instances victims were holding a beer bottle, a pen, binoculars, wasp spray or a chain. At least 207 were killed while holding a toy weapon. In many cases these killings are justified as suicide by cop. Approximately 7 percent of victims have been gunned down while unarmed. Racism is a factor in many police murders and accounts for the fact that blacks and Native Americans are killed at a rate disproportionate to their share of the national population. However, a previous analysis of police violence data by the World Socialist Web Site found that when the economic and social demographics of the cities and counties where people are killed by police are taken into account, the glaring racial disparities that are the focus of the media and the Democrats largely disappear. Overwhelmingly, it is workers and young peopleof every skin color, gender, sexuality and national originwho are the victims of the police. This phenomenon is an outgrowth of the social and economic conditions in the United States. American society is defined by immense social inequality. Just 664 billionaires control $4.1 trillion in wealth, more than two-thirds higher than the $2.4 trillion that is held by the bottom half, approximately 165 million people. Inequality has soared during the pandemic as millions of Americans were thrown out of work or had their wages slashed, while the stock market soared thanks to the CARES Act bailout, pushing billionaire wealth to record heights. Meanwhile, millions have lined up in miles-long food lines in order to feed their families, many seeking aid for the first time. The police, as Frederick Engels noted, are special bodies of armed men created to defend the capitalist system and the inequality it creates. Many officers are veterans of the last three decades of imperialist war in the Middle East, and police departments have been equipped and trained to use the weapons of war. With experience in counterinsurgency, they are conditioned to kill. The police are the first line of defense against the working class, deployed by the capitalists to police discontent in impoverished neighborhoods, suppress protests and break strikes. Ending police violence requires putting an end to the capitalist order which the police defend. The protest against police violence and racism must be infused with a class consciousness. The killing will only end when the working class takes power for itself on the basis of a socialist program, reorganizing society to meet its needs, not those of the capitalist elite that dominates society. The High Court has stopped the Kenyan taxman from demanding payment of the minimum tax introduced by the government last year. Justice George Vincent Odunga of the Machakos High court issued conservatory orders on Monday restraining the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from further implementing the one percent minimum tax. I find that this is an appropriate case for KRA to hold its horses for the time being as this Court navigates through the labyrinth of the respective contentions made by the parties herein, Justice Odunga ruled. The Judge noted that the implementation of the legislation stands to kill businesses and the livelihood of millions of Kenyans operating small to medium enterprises. The death of a business is certainly not a damage that can be remedied by way of damages. That is why its in the interest of Justice that this court intervene to preserve the business and livelihoods of the petitioners(Kitengela bar owners) and millions of SMEs pending the hearing and determination of this Application and Petition, he said. The Minimum tax came into effect on January 1, 2021 under the Finance Act 2020. Tha tax is a base income tax payable by all persons regardless of whether or not they make a profit. KRA said the tax seeks to bring more enterprises into the tax bracket, allowing it to collect more revenue in order to achieve the Sh1.57 trillion target for the financial year 2020/21. European CyberKnife Center to be Among the First Providers in the World to Offer the Latest Advance in Gyroscopic Radiosurgery ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc. today announced the upcoming installation of its advanced ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery platform at the European CyberKnife Center in Munich, Germany. Having recently received CE-clearance for clinical use in Europe, the installation will be among the first ZAP-X systems in the world. Considered as one of the most accomplished global stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) providers, the European CyberKnife Center plans to initiate ZAP-X patient treatments in summer 2021. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005003/en/ ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery Platform (Photo: Business Wire) As a non-invasive treatment for select brain tumors and brain metastases, SRS is a well-studied and proven procedure that often provides equivalent or superior outcomes to surgery. Unlike surgery however, radiosurgery requires no incision and is painless. "The European CyberKnife Center Munich has always prided itself in offering only the most specialized and most advanced therapies available," said Dr. Alexander Muacevic, Neurosurgeon, Radiosurgeon and Medical Director of the European CyberKnife Center. "The new innovations offered by ZAP-X allow us to continue to provide best-in-class care without compromise." "There is a long history of academic collaboration between Dr. Muacevic and myself, and I'm excited that once again our relationship will be focused on radiosurgical innovation," said Dr. John Adler, CEO and founder of ZAP Surgical, and Emeritus Dorothy TK Chan Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology at Stanford University. "As a world leader in modern radiosurgery, it comes as no surprise that the European CyberKnife Center will be among the first to serve their patients with ZAP-X." The ZAP-X system is recognized for using unique gyroscopic motion to direct radiosurgical beams from a multitude of angles which precisely concentrate radiation to the tumor target. With this distinctive approach, radiation doses rapidly dissipate beyond the tumor to help protect adjacent healthy brain tissue. ZAP-X is also acclaimed for being the first and only vault-free SRS delivery system, thus typically eliminating the need for providers to build costly shielded radiation treatment rooms. For more about the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery platform, please visit: https://zapsurgical.com/. Detailed system overview animations can be found at https://youtu.be/9ph-cdb5QO0. For more about the European CyberKnife Center Munich, please visit: www.zapmunich.com and https://www.cyber-knife.net/en.html. CyberKnife is a registered trademark of Accuray Incorporated in the United States and certain other countries. About ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc. ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc. designs and manufactures the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery platform. ZAP was founded in 2014 by Dr. John R. Adler, CEO and founder of ZAP Surgical, and Emeritus Dorothy TK Chan Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology at Stanford University. The ZAP-X platform incorporates a unique vault-free design that typically eliminates the need for costly shielded treatment rooms. ZAP-X also utilizes a modern linear accelerator to eliminate historical use of Cobalt-60. Learn more at www.zapsurgical.com, or follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/zapsurgical/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ZapSurgical). About European CyberKnife Center Munich The European CyberKnife Center Munich is one of the world's leading centers for radiosurgery. As Germany's first CyberKnife center it was opened in cooperation with the University Clinic Munich (LMU) on July 1, 2005. Its medical experience is based on more than 10,000 patients treated since 2005. Learn more at https://www.cyber-knife.net/en.html. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005003/en/ Contacts: Contact: Mark Arnold Senior Vice President of Marketing, ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc. +1-650-492-7797, ext. 101 Email: info@zapsurgical.com Contact: Nadja Chiotis European CyberKnife Center Munich +49-89-452336-0 Email: nadja.chiotis@cyber-knife.net Dr. Charles M. Geschke, president, co-chairman and co-founder of Adobe Systems Inc., delivers his keynote address about the future of workplace information on the final day of PC Expo at the Jacob K. Javits, Convention Center in New York City, on June 24, 1999. (Richard Drew/AP Photo) Founder of Adobe and Developer of PDFs Dies at Age 81 LOS ALTOS, Calif.Charles Chuck Geschkethe co-founder of the major software company Adobe Inc. who helped develop Portable Document Format technology, or PDFsdied at age 81. Geschke, who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Los Altos, died Friday, the company said. This is a huge loss for the entire Adobe community and the technology industry, for whom he has been a guide and hero for decades, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen wrote in an email to the companys employees. As co-founders of Adobe, Chuck and John Warnock developed groundbreaking software that has revolutionized how people create and communicate, Narayen said. Their first product was Adobe PostScript, an innovative technology that provided a radical new way to print text and images on paper and sparked the desktop publishing revolution. Chuck instilled a relentless drive for innovation in the company, resulting in some of the most transformative software inventions, including the ubiquitous PDF, Acrobat, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Photoshop. His wife said Geschke was also proud of his family. He was a famous businessman, the founder of a major company in the U.S. and the world, and of course he was very, very proud of that and it was huge achievement in his life, but it wasnt his focusreally, his family was, Nancy Nan Geschke, 78, told the Mercury News on Saturday. He always called himself the luckiest man in the world. After earning a doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University, Geschke began working at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, where he met Warnock, the Mercury News reported. The men left the company in 1982 to found Adobe, developing software together. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded Geschke and Warnock the National Medal of Technology. In 1992, Geschke survived a kidnapping, the Mercury News reported. Arriving to work one morning, two men seized Geschke, then 52, at gunpoint and took him to Hollister, California, where he was held for four days. A suspect caught with $650,000 in ransom money eventually led police to the hideout where he was held captive, The Associated Press reported. Connecticut leaders reacted swiftly Tuesday afternoon after a verdict was handed down convicting former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on all counts in the killing of George Floyd. Floyds killing last May sparked a year of nationwide protests against police brutality and renewed calls for a reckoning with the nations history of racial injustice. Chauvin, who was filmed pressing his knee on Floyds neck in a video seen by millions, will be sentenced in eight weeks. A jury composed of six white people and six Black or mixed-race individuals found Floyd guilty on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after about 10 hours of deliberation, the Associated Press reported. About one hour after the verdict was handed down, about a dozen people had gathered on the New Haven Green. The group slowly began to grow as time passed. Meredith Benson, a member of Black Lives Matter New Haven, said she went to the green after hearing the verdict.. I felt it was a duty of mine to be in community with the community at this time, she said. Benson said she had a moment of joy from the verdict and a sense of gratitude. As the mother of a 22-year-old Black man, Benson said she has anxiety every day when he walks out of my house. As a local activist, she said she tells her son to let her do the advocacy and fighting on his behalf. I just want you to come home, she said she tells him. Despite feeling a sense of relief, Benson said it only reflects one case. Theres so much systemic racism in the structures of our society that are interconnected, she said. I hope it can be the beginning of conversations. Todays guilty verdict confirms for officers everywhere that there will be consequences for their actions, said Harry Rilling, mayor of Norwalk and the citys former chief of police. Good cops should not protect bad officers. He offered praise for the officers who testified against Chauvin at his trial an unusual step that included the Minneapolis chief of police. We need officers to speak up more often, said Rilling. When I think of all the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, who continue to serve us honorably day in, day out, this verdict supports them. In a statement, Connecticut Police Chiefs Association President Darren Stewart said police swear an oath to protect and serve their communities, but Chauvin did not protect, he did not serve. Throughout our State, Connecticut Police Departments are committed to working with our communities on strategies and programs that respect individual rights, safety and promote community engagement, said Stewart, who is also Chief of Police in the borough of Stonington. The decision came as thousands of National Guard and police personnel descended on Minneapolis anticipating rioting and demonstrations following the verdict. In Connecticut, many leaders praised the decision but said it is only the beginning. The jury believed what they saw plainly with their eyes. But it should not have come to this, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on Twitter. We must make the decision to respect the lives of people of color, doing so with actions and not words and lawn signs, the senator wrote. For far too long, our justice system has offered inconsistent protections to the rampant killings of unarmed Black and brown Americans by police officers, said state Treasurer Shawn Wooden, who called the guilty verdict an anomaly. A jury has rightfully found Derek Chauvin responsible for the murder of George Floyd. No ruling from a jury can bring back George Floyd, but I hope that a weight has been lifted for his family. I continue to pray for them as they grieve, Wooden said. He compared the video of Chauvin kneeling of Floyds neck to the 1955 death of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered and dumped into the Tallahatchie River by the husband and brother-in-law of a woman who claimed Till whistled at her. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., echoed that sentiment expressed by many other Connecticut leaders that true justice would have resulted in Floyd remaining alive. But he also called the verdict emphatic, necessary accountability. No verdict in a single case can eliminate racism or correct the injustice that continues to afflict our country. There is so much more work to do, Blumenthal wrote in a tweet. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5, and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus huddled together listening to the Chauvin verdict together in the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon. Hayes stood near the front of the group quietly watching on a laptop computer as each charge was announced. Some members sighed in relief and stamped their feet as the first guilty count rang out but the group immediately quieted down to listen for the verdict on the other charges. After the announcement, members of the caucus headed outside the Capitol for a news conference with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hailing the verdict and calling for passage of Democrats police reform bill, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Hayes was not immediately available for comment Tuesday. Later, in a prepared statement, Hayes said the verdict released a flurry of emotions and a collective sigh. Today is a moment of reflection for our entire country tomorrow we resume the work and recommit ourselves towards building a more just nation, Hayes said. In statements, U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and John Larson, D-1, also called for the bill to be passed into law. The measure would end qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, require federal officers to wear body-cameras and have dash-cameras in their department vehicles and require state and local law enforcement to purchase body-cams. It would also create a nationwide registry on police misconduct, require reporting on use-of-force data, and prohibit federal officers from having sex with someone who is under arrest. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker on Tuesday called the conviction one slight semblance of justice, in a statement released just moments after the verdict finding Chauvin guilty was read aloud a little after 5 p.m. We all remember where we were when George Floyd was murdered, and we all will remember when Derek Chauvin was brought to justice. Savor this moment, ready yourself, because we still must keep fighting, the statement from Elicker said. He invoked the names of Adam Toledo, Duante Wright and Breonna Taylor; all of whom were shot and killed by police and whose deaths have drawn similar calls for police reform and racial justice from activists. Photos posted to Twitter showed metal railings chained together around the police headquarters in Bridgeport. The site was the scene of multiple protests in response to Floyds death last May, including one in which officers used pepper spray on demonstrators at the buildings entrance. Todays verdict delivers justice and, I hope, some peace to George Floyds family and community, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, wrote on Twitter. But, the injustice and racism that lead to the disproportionate killing of Black men and women remain, Himes said, calling for more work to be done. State Rep. Matt Blumenthal. D-Stamford, called the verdict justice for Floyds family. But we have a lot of work to do to ensure every American, and every community, receives their due: true justice, and equal protection of the law, the lawmaker wrote on Twitter. The Connecticut chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said real justice would have meant Floyd being able to return home. Real justice means ending all police violence against Black people, in Connecticut and throughout the U.S., the organization said in a tweet. The protests in the wake of Floyds death sparked a conversation and movement toward reform within police departments in Connecticut and across the country. Elicker, New Havens mayor, highlighted the work of the citys police commission to create a crisis response team for incidents that would benefit from a social service response rather than a police response, and implementing additional training for police in de-escalation both reforms sought by activists. It is my deep hope that we can all come together to heal as a community and find ways to undo racism together. I am reminded now more than ever to keep fighting, keep calling out injustices in our community, and work together to make it happen, Elicker said. Stamford Mayor David Martin called the verdict appropriate during his Tuesday evening press conference on the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have a long way to go in achieving equal justice for everyone, this case should reassure us that our country is moving in the right direction, and we can see that when a person is treated wrongly, no matter who they are, that justice can prevail, he said. Staff writers Emilie Munson, Brian Zahn and Brianna Gurciullo contributed to this report. Tom Hallberg covers a little bit of everything, from skiing to long-form feature stories. A Teton Valley, Idaho, transplant by way of Portland and Bend, Oregon, he spends his time outside work writing fiction, splitboarding and climbing. We had our eyes fixed on May 2, and then last evening, the gaze shifted to May 1. May 1 is now the day. May Day, or Workers Day, it always was, but now it is also the day when you become eligible for a vaccine jab in India if you are an adult. But a caveat: Just because May 1 is when vaccination for all adults takes off, vaccination may not be available for all. We will get to the vaccine in a bit. First, the news on Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader today tweeted he has tested positive for coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms. Over 2.59 lakh others too were found positive today. So the need to boost vaccination supply is growing by the minute. You see approved vaccine manufacturers will have to supply 50 per cent of their stock to the central government and then feel free to sell the rest of the 50 per cent to states and in the open market. The Centre will, of course, supply its share of the stock to states based on who has how many active cases and who is vaccinating how fast. All you need to do is look for your Aadhaar card and keep it handy. Important documents have a tendency to go missing at important times. But we have reminded you well in advance so that you can search all places well. Just because you are an adult doesnt mean you are careful with your documents. Much like being an adult is no guarantee for being mature. Even though a slight digging of the word adult may say so. So lets get digging because adult is our Word Of The Day. Adult comes from the Latin word adultus, which is a form of adolescere. Adolescere means to grow to maturity. You may grow, but you may not grow to maturity. Not like maturity is a permanent state. Just like it can come - trust us on that - it can also go. So, we have to assign a number to maturity as a marker. In India that number is 18. So is the case with the US. So, at 18 we are allowed to vote. Rights come with responsibilities. What do responsibilities come with? More responsibilities. Oxford dictionary defines adult as a fully grown person, who is legally responsible for their actions. Legally, do not forget, an 18-year-old adult doesnt have the right to drink. The good news, legally, every Indian adult aged 18 and above can get the vaccine. The government will come up with guidelines on the rest of the process shortly. For now what we have is the Covid surge. Maharashtra has tightened curbs, with even essential stores to open only from 7 am to 11 am. Home delivery, meanwhile, can happen only from 7 am to 8 pm. Delhi Metro services, clubbed as an essential service this time, are operational from 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 8 pm only, with a frequency of 15 minutes. You might say opening essential services for shorter hours may invite greater rush than longer hours, but the government isnt listening. What does the UK have to say about the Indian surge? People from India not allowed in UK (for now). If you are a UK citizen in India you can, of course, fly back. But you will have to undergo a compulsory quarantine of 11 nights in a hotel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has cancelled his Portugal trip. PM Modi was to visit Portugal to attend the 16th India-EU summit on May 8. The Portugal trip was to extend to France. While the Portugal trip stands cancelled, the trip to France stands postponed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Portugal PM Antonio Costa. (Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi) We will talk about the France trip when it happens. Today, lets talk about Portugal. In 2017, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Portugal on a bilateral trip. Portuguese PM Antonio Costa returned that visit by visiting India on December 19-20, 2019. PM Costa was invited by PM Modi to participate in the meeting of the committee to commemorate Mahatma Gandhis 150th birth anniversary. While Costa was part of this committee, President Ram Nath Kovind was its chair. But did you know why PM Costa was called the Gandhi of Lisbon? Before we tell you that, let us tell you about Costas other India connection. It has nothing to do with coffee. So, Antonio Costa is the son of Goan Communist poet Orlando da Costa. Orlando da Costa is known for his essays on Rabindranath Tagore. Antonio has Indian origins. Goan origin, to be precise. His Indian origin reflects in his pet name - Babush, which means 'little boy' in Konkani. If his father took to poetry, Costa took to politics. Costa was elected mayor of Lisbon for three consecutive terms. Lisbon was infamous for drug trafficking and prostitution. Known for his frugal lifestyle, Antonio moved his office to the Mouraria neighbourhood, which was the hub of all illicit activities in Lisbon. He worked in the area and transformed it into an upcoming construction colony. The Gandhian ways he adopted in his work got him the title 'Gandhi of Lisbon'. You can call him Antonio Costa and his work remains the same. The global situation amid the pandemic is no longer the same. So PM Modi cant go meet PM Costa. Bollywood actors and actresses, meanwhile, are flocking to Maldives and our guess is that there is a major discount on offer. Else they would have gone to different locations and not just one. The rich strive for exclusivity lest you say they dont have to strive for anything. So the discounts dont just have to exist, they need to be tempting. If the tourism department of Maldives has extended the discounts, the strategy to boost tourism has backfired. Many on Twitter say Bollywood has ruined Maldives for them and they would never go there. Bollywood stars are flocking to Maldives. (Photo: Instagram) Remember the storm that hit Bollywood last year? Yes, Sushant Singh Rajputs death and the drugs case. Sushants father KK Singh has moved the Delhi High Court to ban movies based on his sons life. KK Singhs petition says people are using his sons death as an "opportunity to get fame by developing different theories/stories, at the cost of his and his familys reputation". The petition referred to films like Nyay: The Justice, Suicide or Murder: A Star Was Lost and Shashank. The HC court has summoned the makers. If you are looking for what you should watch, we recommend Geeli Puchhi. Geeli Puchhi is Neeraj Ghaywans short story in Ajeeb Daastaans, which is a collection of four short stories. The tale is brilliant because it has a subtle twist. Watch all the four tales, if you want to. But even if you want to, dont step out of your home. That is where the virus is. Stay home. Stay safe. Now get the all-new DailyOh in your mailbox. Click here to subscribe. Also Read: The vaccine emergency Pechersky District Court of Kyiv has imposed pretrial restraint on former Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Vitaliy Zakharchenko and his deputy Viktor Ratushniak in the form of detention in the case of illegal supplies of grenades from Russia and the organization of the embezzlement of funds of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine for their customs clearance. "Such a court decision gives the prosecution the right to initiate extradition proceedings against the former minister and his deputy. Prosecutors will also apply to the court for permission to conduct a special pretrial investigation in absentia," the press service of the of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) said. As the investigation found, the former officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the aim of arming the personnel of the officers of the internal affairs agencies, in January 2014 organized the illegal supply of 13,406 units of grenades produced by Russia to Ukraine. In addition, they organized groundless customs clearance of imported grenades and payment of more than UAH 1.177 million of customs duties to the Interior Ministry. It is noted that the imported grenades were not included in the list of special equipment in service with the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, and did not pass the tests of the Health Ministry of Ukraine on the possibility of their use against people. At the same time, on February 18 and 19, 2019, imported Russian grenades were used against protesters in the central part of Kyiv, as a result of which 86 people were wounded, some 17 people were seriously injured, some 23 people were moderately injured, some 45 people were light wouned, one person died. Pretrial investigation in criminal proceedings under Part 3 of Article 365, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191 (abuse of authority by an employee of a law enforcement agency, which entailed grave consequences, misappropriation, waste of property or taking possession of it through abuse of office, committed on an especially large scale by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is conducted by investigators of the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI). Australia could end up being cut off from the rest of the world for five years if we don't accept some Covid-19 cases and deaths, a leading disease expert has warned. ANU Professor Peter Collignon said the nation would become like hermit kingdom North Korea where residents are never allowed to leave if our attitude to the virus doesn't change. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is trying to convince cautious premiers such as Mark McGowan and Annastacia Palaszczuk that it will be OK to have Covid spreading in the community once the most vulnerable are vaccinated. ANU Professor Peter Collignon said the nation would become like hermit kingdom North Korea if we don't accept cases of Covid-19. Pictured: The 109th birth anniversary of state founder Kim Il Sung in North Korea last week Australians are only allowed to fly to New Zealand. Pictured: Passengers queue for check-in at Sydney Airport on Monday He has been touting a home quarantine system as a way to get international travel up and running again but premiers who have built popularity by keeping the virus out of their states are reluctant. Professor Collignon has warned that if Mr Morrison fails to convince them - and the public - to accept Covid cases then the nation will be left behind while comparable countries relax international travel restrictions. Poll Should Australia open the international border once the over 70s are vaccinated? Yes No Undecided Should Australia open the international border once the over 70s are vaccinated? Yes 1246 votes No 708 votes Undecided 116 votes Now share your opinion 'Eventually we're going to have to accept some Covid cases,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'Unless we want borders closed for the next four to five years. That's how long it's going to take for the world to get on top of this.' Professor Collignon said that in some ways Australia is a victim of its own success because people are terrified of Covid and don't want a single case in the country whereas other countries are now accustomed to it circulating. 'There are some people who want to keep cases to zero and keep the borders closed - it seems the majority. 'But I can't see how that's sustainable - you would turn into a nation like North Korea,' he said. 'A lot of Australians have friends and family overseas. You can't ban travel forever, I don't think that's sustainable for social and economic reasons,' he added. At the last census in 2016, half of Australians were either born overseas or had at least one parent who was born outside the country. New Zealand travelers embrace at Sydney International Airport. Australians can travel to New Zealand but no-where else Prime Minister Scott Morrison is trying to convince cautious premiers such as Mark McGowan and Annastacia Palaszczuk that it will be OK to have Covid spreading in the community Mr Morrison has said he wants the nation to treat Covid like flu once vaccinations dramatically reduce the risk of severe disease and deaths. 'If we want to treat Covid like the flu, then we have to have the same tolerance for Covid as we have for the flu,' he told The West Live podcast last week. 'If the international borders were lifted, there would be cases and we'd have to be confident and comfortable that that would be in Australia's interest'. Professor Collignon said if Australians want to rejoin the world then they should be prepared to accept a similar number of Covid deaths as flu deaths annually. He pointed out that in 2017 - which was a bad year for flu - 1,255 people died of influenza and that was acceptable to most people. 'I expect that Covid will become a seasonal respiratory virus like flu which isn't ideal but you can have reasonable travel and fewer restrictions on your movement,' he said. The infectious diseases expert warned that Australia cannot keep cases to zero even if everyone in the country got vaccinated. 'There is an expectation that vaccines are 100 per cent effective and we will keep transmission to zero - but this is not the case,' he said. 'Vaccines don't make the risk zero but we really markedly decrease the risk.' Last month AstraZeneca announced test results which found the vaccine was 76 per cent effective at stopping someone from catching Covid-19 and 100 per cent effective at stopping severe symptoms. A recent Pfizer study found its jab is 91.3 per cent effective at stopping Covid infection and 100 per cent effective in preventing severe symptoms. Passengers wearing face masks are met by flight crew as they board Qantas flight QF143 bound for Auckland from Sydney These figures mean that Australia is bound to see transmission and therefore deaths because not everyone will agree to take the jab. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid made this point last week when he said: 'We don't have Covid now, but Covid is coming. 'We cannot keep this virus out of Australia forever unless we become a true island nation with no travel,' he told ABC radio. Mr Morrison has insisted that he will not rush opening the borders and will wait at least until the most vulnerable Australians have been offered a vaccine before thinking about introducing a home quarantine system. Professor Collignon also said it's still too early and feared that not enough Aussies will have had their jab by winter. 'I worry about this coming winter. We need to strive to get the over 70s vaccinated and that will markedly decrease death rate, he said. 'What we need to do is have those most at risk of dying have their Covid vaccine'. On Tuesday, Queensland leader Annastacia Palaszczuk became the latest to reject the idea of home quarantine, which could allow Australians to go overseas without costly and uncomfortable hotel isolation. Passengers at Sydney Airport in February. Mr Morrison has said the total re-opening of Australia's borders was still some way off 'I do have concerns, we've got the pandemic raging around countries at the moment,' she told Nine's Today show on Tuesday morning. Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has said he would need 'a lot of convincing' to adopt home quarantine and Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said the state has 'no plans' to introduce it but would consider a proposal backed by medical advice. In contrast, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week called home quarantine a 'sensible suggestion' and backed Mr Morrison's idea. The prime minister said any home quarantine plan could only be introduced once the vaccine rollout has progressed much further. 'As I said yesterday, that is many months away from being achieved,' he said on Monday. 'We still over the next few months be working through those priority groups of vaccinations.' Australians have been banned from going overseas without an exemption since March 2020. A travel bubble with New Zealand opened on Monday and the government is in talks with Singapore about a similar arrangement. Le francais suit OTTAWA, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadas unions are applauding significant investments in childcare, training and skills development and a $15 federal minimum wage, in addition to a further expansion of emergency benefits announced in todays federal budget. This budget will bring some relief to the countrys workers and their families. Women workers have long borne the brunt of the absence of high-quality, universal child care in this country. Thats a reality that has been grossly exacerbated in this pandemic, said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. Crucial investments in affordable, quality, universal child care will help women return to the workforce much more rapidly and help undo the damage wrought this past year on hard-fought gains. The government committed nearly $30 billion in early learning and child care funding over five years and promised that Canadians will have access to childcare costing an average of $10/day by 2025. Budget 2021 also promised investments of $2.5 billion in skills and training that includes a commitment to create 500,000 training and work experience opportunities for young and core-age workers over five years, as well as over $8 billion to address climate change through the support of green infrastructure and technology. The budget also commits several changes to improve labour standards, including addressing the harmful practice of contract flipping in federal regulated workplaces and strengthening Employment Insurance. Furthermore, the federal government has extended emergency benefits to support workers currently struggling due to the ongoing pandemic and whose jobs are impacted by current lockdowns. However, Canadas unions say the government missed an opportunity to implement a universal, single-payer pharmacare program in Canada. According to the federal governments own Advisory Council on Pharmacare, a universal plan would reduce drug prices, save billions for families and businesses, and provide vital medicines to millions of Canadians who cannot afford to fill their prescriptions. We are disappointed that the government didnt seize the opportunity to invest in prescription drug coverage for all Canadians, said Yussuff. Canadians were struggling to pay for prescriptions before this pandemic. Many have now lost their jobs and their workplace drug coverage. People in Canada cant wait any longer for universal prescription drug coverage. To arrange an interview, please contact: CLC Media Relations media@clcctc.ca 613-526-7426 Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here David Schimpf, a Vietnam veteran, retired General Motors employee, father, and grandfather currently residing in his native Saginaw, Michigan with Linda, his wife of fifty-two years, has completed his new book From Boys to Men: A Year in Vietnam for the Ordinary Soldier: an eye-opening and entertaining account of his military service from 1965 to 1967. The author shares, This book is a true story of what an ordinary soldier not only went through in the Army but also had to endure in Vietnam. Most military personnel in Vietnam were not in combat but served as support troops. This was what I did, but it wasnt boring, far from it. You will find that out. I served on an LCM (Landing Craft Marine), which was a large landing craft boat similar to what was used in WWII at Normandy. Yes, the Army operated boats also. Although our job was to keep the Military supplied, there were also missions up the coast to deliver tanks and ammunition. These were scary, to say the least. Included are humorous, strange, and uncommon occurrences that happened during that year in Vietnam. Some are combat related. Published by Page Publishing, David Schimpfs engrossing book is an excellent choice for avid American and military history readers. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase From Boys to Men: A Year in Vietnam for the Ordinary Soldier 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 understands that authors should 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 and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday tested positive for COVID-19. In a tweet, Gandhi said, "After experiencing mild symptoms, I've just tested positive for COVID." After experiencing mild symptoms, I've just tested positive for COVID. All those who've been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe. - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 20, 2021 Gandhi has been constantly attacking the Central government on its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccination strategy. Earlier today, he said the Centre has brought in middlemen for vaccine distribution without any price controls and guarantee for weaker sections of the society. No free vaccines for 18-45 yr olds. Middlemen brought in without price controls. No vaccine guarantee for weaker sections. GOI's Vaccine Discrimination- Not Distribution- Strategy! - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 20, 2021 In the view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country, the government on Monday announced that from May 1 everyone above the age of 18 years would be eligible to get vaccinated against the virus. While vaccine manufacturers have been permitted to release up to 50 per cent of their supply to state governments and in the open market at a pre-declared price, states have also been empowered to procure additional vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers, as well as open up vaccination to any category of people above the age of 18 years for the same. India reported 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths in the preceding 24 hours as of Tuesday morning. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal goes into isolation after wife Sunita tests positive for COVID-19 Also read: 40 plus more vulnerable in 2nd Covid-19 wave, shows data Premium Pre-Rolled Blunts, Accessories and Outerwear for Young Professionals LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium brand Mayorijuana has announced its entry into the cannabis industry. Mayorijuana is led by former mayor and cannabis consultant, Chris Brown, PhD. Mayorijuana's initial product suite will feature pre-rolled hemp wrapped blunts that provide the nostalgia of a high end quality cigar while sustaining the flavor, aroma and effects of quality THC derived cannabis products. Products are "rolled by professionals for professionals who appreciate craftsmanship." Mayorijuana is the first cannabis company to be started by a former elected official. Dr. Brown has been a leader and visionary throughout his political and entrepreneurial career. He made history as the first African-American mayor of Hawthorne when he was elected in 2013. During his tenure as mayor, he made the city of Hawthorne into a destination place for high tech behemoths SpaceX and Tesla. He also spearheaded the initiative to get marijuana companies to pay millions of dollars to combat homelessness among military veterans. Now, Dr. Brown has set his sights on taking the cannabis experience to the next level with a high quality lifestyle product line. Mayorijuana prides itself on providing patrons with a personalized VIP experience not currently being offered in the space. Perfect for a wide range of social and leisure settings, Mayorijuana is a brand that normalizes cannabis use amongst professionals across the aisle and industry. "Mayorijuana is more than a cannabis company. It is a lifestyle brand. Being a former elected official I feel I am in a unique position to normalize medicinal and recreational use among my peers," says Dr. Brown. Launching in Southern California, then quickly expanding across the rest of the state, Mayorijuana is set to be a multi-state operated cannabis company that is vertically integrated across the supply chain including cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and delivery. Beginning in retail and delivery outlets across California, Mayorijuana has a national outlook and will quickly scale to a multi-state operation, encompassing everywhere cannabis is legal. With Dr. Brown's 3 state cannabis licenses (Manufacturing, Distribution & Delivery), Mayorijuana is positioned to have an exciting path ahead as we venture into one of the most lucrative industries in the world. Mayorijuana is also launching its clothing and accessories line to be sold online and through select retail outlets. For more information on Mayorijuana please visit www.mayorijuana.io Follow Mayorijuana on social media: IG - @mayorijuana Twitter - @Mayorijuana1 ABOUT MAYORIJUANA Mayorijuana is a California based cannabis company lifestyle and brand founded by former mayor of Hawthorne CA, Chris Brown, PhD. Mayorijuana is the first company in the cannabis industry started by a former elected official. Mayorijuana offers a luxury cannabis experience to consumers with an initial product suite that features pre-rolled hemp wrapped blunts, similar to high end cigars, and premium clothing that accentuates our overall style. More than just a brand, Mayorijuana is a lifestyle company that seeks to normalize cannabis use among political figures and high society influencers; penetrating the upper echelon of the market with clothes and accessories to accompany top quality cannabis products. ABOUT CHRIS BROWN Chris Brown, PhD is a former California politician. On November 5, 2013, Dr. Brown became the youngest Mayor of the City of Hawthorne and the first African American Mayor in the city's 91-year history. After leading campaign initiatives in favor of marijuana legalization, Dr. Brown has since gone on to become a leading cannabis consultant featured in Forbes on multiple occasions. Dr. Brown owns 3 Cannabis Licenses (Manufacturing, Distribution & Delivery) along with Magnolia Extracts. Dr. Chris Brown has a doctorate in Public Policy and he is an ambassador with Total Life Changes. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1492219/Mayorijuana.jpg A Dhaka court on Monday permitted police to question a top leader of Bangladeshs most influential conservative Islamic group after its violent protests against the Indian prime ministers visit last month cast a pall over the countrys 50th anniversary celebration. The weekend arrest of Mamunul Haque was the governments latest move against Hefazat-e-Islam, which has distanced itself from the ruling Awami League since the groups previous head died last September. Police have arrested more than 400 Hefazat members since Narendra Modi, Indias leader, traveled to Bangladesh in late March. Authorities claim that many of the arrests are linked to cases stemming from before the PMs visit. The police produced Haque, Hefazats joint secretary-general, before the court on Monday seeking that he be remanded to their custody for questioning, said Jafar Hossain, a deputy police commissioner. The court rejected the bail petition and granted a seven-day police remand for questioning Mamunul Haque, Hossain said. The Hefazat leader was picked up for alleged violence in a case filed in March 2020 in Dhaka, Harun-or-Rashid, the deputy police commissioner who led Haques arrest from a Dhaka madrassa on Sunday, told journalists. Prosecutor Abdullah Abu urged the court not to grant Haque bail. Mamunul Haque has been involved in many violent activities. He incited violence. So he should be remanded to get information from him, Abu told reporters at the court premises. Five other senior leaders of Hefazat which wants the imposition of sharia law were also arrested over the weekend, Hossain said. Since the March 26-27 anti-Modi violence, police and individuals have filed at least 84 cases including lawsuits under the stringent Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the protests that left at least 18 people dead. Haques lawyer, Zaynal Abedin Mesbah, believes the case against his client was politically motivated. The government arrested Mamunul Haque on political grounds. The allegations leveled against my client are baseless, Mesbah told BenarNews. This is a one-year-old case. The police remained idle. Given the latest political developments over Narendra Modis visit, the police suddenly became active and arrested him. Cases are enough to tame Hefazat In parliament earlier this month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned Hefazat by name when she warned about legal action against all those who participated in the violence during Modis visit. Hefazat leader Mamunul [Haque] set vehicles on fire and attacked people... I want to ask... Islam is a religion of peace, how did these Hefazat militants attack [the] public? Hasina said, according to the Indo-Asian News Service. The same PM, last September, had expressed shock and sorrow at the death of Hefazat founder Ahmed Shafi, according to the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha. A scant seven years before Hasina shared this sentiment on Shafis death, her government had mobilized the police to end some say violently a massive Hefazat rally in Dhaka. The Islamic group which runs thousands of religious schools in the country had demanded the introduction of Sharia law, including a blasphemy law, during the May 2013 rally. The Awami League, a party with roots in secularism, didnt implement Sharia law. But as the 2018 elections loomed, the party decided to court the support of faith-based groups to counter the opposition and fell in with Hefazat. In April 2017, Hasina announced that her government would recognize degrees from thousands of Qwami madrassas Islamic boarding schools - that Hefazat runs. She also agreed to changes in public school textbooks to make them more Muslim-friendly, as demanded by the group. The death of the Hefazat founder last year, and the ascendance of a pro-opposition factions member as the groups leader brought about a change in Hasinas relationship with Hefazat marking the beginning of the end of the governments honeymoon with the hardline Islamic group, analysts said. The Awami League could not control Hefazat after Shafis death and after Junaid Babunagari gained control of the group with other leaders like Haque, said Nizam Uddin Ahmed, a political commentator and academic. Mamunul Haque mainly led Hefazats opposition to Modis visit. The arrests are the consequences of the violence over Narendra Modis visit, no matter whatever the police say, Ahmed told BenarNews. Afsan Chowdhury, a political researcher and writer, concurred with Ahmed. The government does not want Hefazat under Babunagari-Mamunul leadership, they want Shafis son. The anti-Modi protest has given the government an opportunity to regulate Hefazat, Chowdhury told BenarNews. He believed the hundreds of recent arrests of Hefazat members and the dozens of cases filed against the group have sent Hefazat a clear and strong message. These cases are enough to tame Hefazat, which [now] must yield to the government. A change in Hefazat leadership would not be surprising, Chowdhury said. Enjoy the April sunshine and warm temperatures that will be brewing Tuesday afternoon, because a big change is on the way. Forecasters say a cold front will bring rain showers and a threat of strong thunderstorms to New Jersey on Wednesday, followed by a blast of cold air that could push the mercury down into the low 30s by Thursday morning. The main thunderstorm threat will likely be during the afternoon and early evening hours on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, which says some isolated storms could be strong to severe, with brief downpours, small hail and damaging winds. Prior to that, however, New Jersey will be basking in temperatures in the upper 60s to mid-70s on Tuesday, thanks to a wave of warm, dry air from the southwest. Forecasters say a nice warmup on Tuesday, April 20, will be followed by a threat of thunderstorms Wednesday, then a blast of cold air.National Weather Service Although temperatures will warm up into the upper 60s on Wednesday, an unstable air mass will bring lots of clouds and batches of rain, forecasters say. As of early Tuesday, the national Storm Prediction Center has placed all of New Jersey under a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, which means theres a threat of isolated storms that could pack wind gusts of 40 mph to 60 mph and hail up to 1 inch in diameter. ALSO: Lyrid meteor shower to peak before Aprils pink supermoon Forecasters say a nice warmup on Tuesday, April 20, will be followed by a threat of thunderstorms Wednesday, then a blast of cold air.National Weather Service Forecasters say a nice warmup on Tuesday, April 20, will be followed by a threat of thunderstorms Wednesday, then a blast of cold air.AccuWeather Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Since acquiring the Kayelekera Uranium Project in 2019, the Hylea Project has become non-core to the companys long-term strategy. The transaction is anticipated to close following ministerial approval for the transfer of the exploration licences for the Hylea Project. Ltd ( ) has reached an agreement to divest its Hylea Cobalt Project in central New South Wales, to Sunrise (ASX.SRL) for total consideration of $2.5 million. This sale comprises a $1 million cash payment and $1.5 million in Sunrise shares. The transaction is anticipated to close following ministerial approval for the transfer of the exploration licences for the Hylea Project. Non-core to strategy Since acquiring the Kayelekera Uranium Project in Malawi in 2019, the Hylea Project has become non-core to the companys long-term strategy. Lotus managing director Keith Bowes said: As the company remains firmly focused on positioning the Kayelekera Uranium Project for a restart in an improving uranium price environment, the Hylea Project, which has excellent long-term potential, has become a non-core asset for the company. As a result, little, if any, value is ascribed to the companys share price for the project. This transaction allows the company to immediately realise value for this project through the cash component of the transaction, which will be used to further advance Kayelekera, whilst also maintaining an exposure to Sunrises exciting portfolio of NSW-based EV metals assets through the share consideration. Location of the Hylea Project in relation to Sunrise. Sunrise Energy Metals Sunrise is developing the Sunrise Project, around 50 kilometres from the Hylea Project, which is reportedly one of the largest cobalt deposits outside of Africa and one of the largest and highest-grade accumulations of scandium globally. Notably, the Hylea Projects geology exhibits similar structural geology to the Sunrise Project, where the weathered surface expression of the intrusive hosts nickel, cobalt and scandium mineralisation. Sunrise chief executive officer Sam Riggall said: Acquisition of the Hylea Project is consistent with our strategy to expand our footprint in the highly prospective Lachlan Fold Belt by adding to our already sizeable inventory of nickel and cobalt. We believe that demand for these metals in coming years will be enormous. With enough nickel and cobalt in our current Sunrise resource to support approximately 1.5 terawatt-hours of cathode capacity, our objective is to continue adding to this resource base in a region that provides safe, sustainable, low-cost supply. New Delhi, April 20 : British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he cannot give any assurances that the current vaccines the UK has against Covid-19 will be as effective against the new variant of the virus that originated in India. Replying to a question asked by India-origin Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi in Parliament to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on Monday, the UK government confirmed they do not know whether the UK's vaccination programme will be effective against the Indian Covid-19 variant. "We are acting on a precautionary basis because I can't give him that assurance. And, of course, we are looking into that question as fast as possible. But that is the core of my concern about the variant first found in India. Is that the vaccines may be less effective, in terms of transmission and/or in terms of reducing hospitalisation and death. "It is the same concern that we have with the variant found in South Africa and is the core reason why we took this decision today, said Hancock. This follows India being placed on the 'red list' for travel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelling his trip to the country. Dhesi asked: "The Prime Minister cancelled his India trip and the government just announced that India has been placed on its travel 'red list', amid devastating surge in Covid cases there. But Health Secretary is still unsure if our vaccines are effective against the new double mutation variant detected there." The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported that a "new double mutant variant" of the coronavirus has been found in India. It has been named a 'Desi' (Indian) variant. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text DENVER, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ESG, the leader in Customer Success as a Service, is proud to announce record-breaking 2021 Q1 results. The company's unique approach combines consultation, process development, people, and automation to improve the Customer Success capabilities and maturity of technology companies. The new year brought new opportunities for growth with ESG's existing client base, new customer acquisition, and employee base. With a return to "normal" in sight for many businesses, particularly those with a subscription model, leaders are searching out solutions to improve and scale their Customer Experience, putting ESG at the forefront of this trend. ESG Q1 2021 News: Total Q1 revenue increased 122% year-over-year Total Q1 EBITDA increased 77% quarter-over-quarter, with year-over-year growth in excess of 1,000% Earned expansions with three existing Enterprise clients and added two new clients Grew employee base by over 30%, adding skills such as project/program management, Customer Success management, digital content and automation, Human Resources, and CS team leadership Formalized partnership with Customer Success community platform inSided to co-create industry resources Increased cross-sell/up-sell revenue on behalf of ESG clients by 171% year-over-year Q1 2021 new clients: Big 4 global consulting firm Global manufacturing and water technology company Q1 2021 client expansions: Publicly traded global leader in digital transformation High-growth Human Resources technology platform Global Enterprise hygiene and health company "After the best year in ESG's history and another record-breaking quarter to kick off 2021, that's just continued to validate the need for our expertise," said ESG CEO Michael Harnum. "That need has existed for the entirety of our nearly twenty-year history, but we're beginning to really see it come to a head around the need for technology companies to begin to scale their Customer Success practices." "That scalability factor is a huge challenge for business leaders," Michael continued. "And it's one that we've been able to successfully solve for our customers by incorporating both digital and human components, backed by data and process." About ESG ESG delivers Customer Success as a Service (CSaaS), enabling technology companies to build, operationalize, and transform their Customer Success organization. ESG's services enable clients to accomplish their ultimate goal of reduced churn and increased retention. ESG combines consultation, process development, people, and automation to increase clients' Customer Success capabilities. Learn more at esgsuccess.com. Media Contact: Marley Wagner [email protected] SOURCE ESG Related Links http://www.esgsuccess.com In a Minnesota court on Tuesday, Derek Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of murdering George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, and could face up to 40 years in prison. Community members cheered outside the courthouse when the verdict was announced, but the long struggle for racial justice in Minneapolis and the country at large is nowhere close to finished, according to residents, leaders, and activists. Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyds family and the community here in Minneapolis, but todays verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world, Ben Crump, an attorney representing the Floyd family, said in a statement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement. The case was seen by many as test for whether the justice system, after nearly a decade of Black Lives Matter activism, would finally begin bringing its weight down on police officers accused of wrongdoing, rather than on people of colour. The trial only lasted a few weeks, and jury deliberations only 10 hours or so, but this verdict follows months of massive protests in Minneapolis and nationwide against systemic racism, and centuries of fighting for a more equal country for Black people. Video of Mr Floyds graphic death spread widely on social media as many were stuck at home and immersed in the collective despair of the coronavirus pandemic. The horrifying footage inspired between 15 and 26 million people in the US to protest against police brutality and systemic racism that summer, the largest mass demonstrations in American history. In Minneapolis, where communities of colour have faced decades of disproportionate police violence, mostly peaceful demonstrations continued for months, and sporadic rioting caused more than $500 million in property damage and commanded the nations attention. Mr Chauvins conviction will not undo these decades of harm, nor will it change the systems that produced them, but it is nonetheless a watershed moment. Mr Chauvin is only the second on-duty Minneapolis police officer in the departments over 150-year history to be charged with murder, and the first one who is white. Last year, Mohamed Noor, who is Somali-American, was convicted in 2019 of murdering a white woman, Justine Ruszczyk, who had called the police to report a potential sexual assault in progress. (He is appealing the conviction). According to Duchess Harris, a professor of American studies at Macalester College in nearby St Paul, Minnesota, a conviction will not change the entire system, but it does set an example in future cases, while the trial process itself was unprecedented, too. I think that it will set legal precedent, she said. Its going to have a different impact in the world of law than it would in society. In the bigger picture, she says, the trial started new conversations among the numerous people watching it in the community and around the country. A trial like this matters a lot. People were not talking about abolish the police to the extent that they started to talk about it after George Floyd was killed. There have always been activists who were engaging with defunding the police, abolish the police, but it had never gotten to the level of the Minneapolis city council, she added. The trial is also important because it was being live streamed, which is not common. People are quarantined and on their electronics all day every day. The world is watching. In general, it is exceedingly rare for police to be charged with murder. None of the officers who killed Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black people who died in lesser-known police encounters have been convicted of any crimes, and many are never charged to begin with. People in Minneapolis are acutely aware of how rare such convictions are, and what that suggests about whose lives are valued most under the status quo. Now the conviction is not evidence of a working system, said Ebony Chambers, a Black resident of North Minneapolis who volunteers to organize churches and barber shops around social justice issues. A broken clock is right twice a day. The murder of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, and many more is proof that the system needs to be completely overhauled. Just ten miles away from the courthouse where Mr Chauvins trial took place in downtown Minneapolis, police in the suburb of Brooklyn Center killed another unarmed Black man, Daunte Wright, before this historic case could even come to a close. On 11 April, former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter shot and killed Mr Wright, 20, during a traffic stop. Authorities say Ms Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, mistook her gun for her Taser before pulling the trigger. (Ms Potter resigned and has been charged with manslaughter.) Mass protests resumed as a city still mourning the death of one Black man confronted the death of another, this one also captured in graphic video. Kenda Zellner-Smith, 24, grew up in Minneapolis and began collecting murals honouring George Floyd and others killed by police violence that had been painted onto boards used to reinforce buildings during last summers mass protests. For her, it was a way of preserving that moment in time, remembering both the pain and the solidarity that tributes to Black people on plywood could represent. She continued collecting boards throughout this year, until she began seeing a new name written on the walls: Daunte Wright. Were still reeling from that, Ms Zellner-Smith, who is Black, said. You dont know if thats going to be your father, your mother, your uncle your aunt. Whos going to be the next name? Whos going to be the next hashtag thats trending on Twitter? Its been really hard to drive around now and see another name. Jeremiah Ellison, son of Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the Chauvin case, is a Minneapolis city councilman. Hes part of a group pushing to wholly replace the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) with a new public safety agency. If we view the whole of justice as wrapped up in this case, I think that that would be a huge miscalculation on our part as a community, he said in the days before the verdict. If we want to honor his legacy and respect what George Floyd was put through at the hands of our current system of public safety, then its on us to make systemic changes, or else as weve seen in the last few days this is going to keep happening. Up until the verdict, Chauvin was all purposes a free man, released from jail on a $1 million bond for months until the trial came to a close. Meanwhile, more than 270 people were arrested in recent days for violating curfews and other protest-related offenses. Police have been accused of targeting journalists with riot weapons in violation of a federal court order, flooding nearby apartments with tear gas, and using the kind of violent tactics that sent protestors to the streets in the first place last summer and many seasons before that. Clearly then, the trial has not put an end to the painful estrangement between Minneapolis police and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. Most residents say real justice is not Chauvin or Ms Potter going to jail, but a world where Mr Floyd and Mr Wright, and so many people who look like them but never became headline names, are still alive and living without fear of police. However, the trial shone a light on how the city conceives of itself and its law enforcement. It determined where, at least in this one case, the line been excessive force and proper policing really is. Meanwhile, on the streets outside the courthouse each day, many argued thats a distinction without a difference. The case ultimately came down to two related questions: did Mr Chauvin use an objectively reasonable amount of force given his training and the situation at the crime scene, and did the knee on Mr Floyds neck cause his death. It began, much like most peoples acquaintance with Mr Floyds story, with the video. During the trial, jurors, and the public viewing from home on a livestream, were reminded of the graphic details of what many people watched in horror last summer: Mr Chauvin kneeling on Mr Floyds neck for more than nine minutes, pressing him face-first against the pavement during an arrest for a counterfeit $20 bill last May. Mr Floyd was unarmed and in handcuffs throughout his entire arrest. He pleaded for air and told police he couldnt breathe 27 times. Three officers held him down until he lost consciousness and didnt have a pulse without offering any form of medical aid. Police only removed themselves minutes later once paramedics arrived and lifted Mr Floyds limp body onto a stretcher. Derek Chauvin did exactly what he had been trained to do over his 19-year career, defence attorney Eric Nelson said during his opening statement. But throughout the trial, numerous current and former Minneapolis police officers, as well as outside experts, testified that Mr Chauvin, a 19-year veteran on the force who had received nearly 900 hours of training, wasnt following department rules or normal police practice when he applied deadly force to the neck of a mostly compliant suspect during a forgery call. Its a low-level crime which often results in a ticket, not a fatal arrest. Theres an initial reasonableness in trying to get him under control in the first few seconds, Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo said. 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, is not part of our training, and is certainly not part of our ethics or values. As rare as it is for police to face charges for killing people in the line of duty, its even rarer for their colleagues to testify against them. Observers have called this reluctance to call out potential wrongdoing from the inside the Blue Wall of Silence. In addition to exploring whether Mr Chauvin used an appropriate, legal amount of force, jurors were tasked with answering what ultimately caused Mr Floyds death. On the witness stand, Dr Andrew Baker, the county medical examiner who performed Mr Floyds autopsy, reiterated his original findings that the death was a homicide. Police restraints were the main cause of death, he concluded, while other factors like Mr Floyds heart disease and drug use played a role without being direct causes. Mr Floyds use of fentanyl did not cause the subdual or neck restraint, he said. His heart disease did not cause the subdual or the neck restraint. In other words, people could believe their eyes. Outside experts called by the state reached similar conclusions, ruling out a drug overdose or heart disease. Dr Martin Tobin, a lung specialist, compared police treatment of Mr Floyd to a vice that squeezed the air out of his body. A healthy person subjected to what Mr Floyd was subjected to wouldve died as a result, he said. Another, Dr Bill Smock, argued that officers shouldve carried out their legal duty and career training to provide medical care to someone in their custody much sooner, rather than waiting for the ambulance they called for Mr Floyd. As soon as Mr Floyd is unconscious, he shouldve been rolled over, Mr Smock said. We have documentation on the video that the officer says, I cant find a pulse. Thats clearly, when you look at the video, it shouldve been started way before. Paramedics testified Mr Floyd was dead by the time they arrived. The defence, meanwhile, suggested Mr Floyds underlying health conditions and drug use ultimately killed him, not the knee on his neck. Dr David Fowler, a former Maryland chief medical examiner and an expert witness for the defence, argued a confluence of different factors fentanyl intoxication, pre-existing heart disease, potential exposure to carbon monoxide from a police cars tailpipe, and officers restraints all had an impact on Mr Floyds death. As a result, he said, the cause of death shouldnt be considered a homicide, but rather be understood as undetermined. When you put all of those together, its very difficult to say which of those is most accurate, Dr Fowler said, as part of his day-long turn on the witness stand. I would fall back to undetermined in this particular case. But it was clear, according to the bystanders who testified, that they were witnessing a murder. Its been nights I stayed up, apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more, and not physically interacting and not saving his life, said Darnella Frazier, 18, whose live-streamed cell phone video of the arrest was shared widely. When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles, because theyre all Black, she added. I have a Black father. I have a Black brother. I have Black friends. Another bystander, Donald Williams, who had extensive martial arts training, recalled telling Mr Chauvin his restraint amounted to a blood choke that could kill someone, prompting him to berate officers and eventually call 911. I believe I witnessed a murder. I felt the need to call the police on the police, he said. He just pretty much killed this guy that wasnt resisting arrest, he added. Others, like off-duty firefighter Genevieve Hansen testified about her efforts to provide first aid to Mr Floyd, and how officers kept her away even as Mr Floyd went unconscious and they couldnt find a pulse. Mr Chauvin even reached for his mace at one point in an apparent effort to ward her off. There was a man being killed, and had I had access to a call similar to that I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities and this human was denied that right, she told the court. Notably absent was any testimony from Mr Chauvin himself, who declined to take the stand, and remained silent and withdrawn as the verdict was announced on Tuesday. Jurors instead were left to draw their own conclusions from his statements caught on police body cameras. Weve got to control this guy because hes a sizeable guy, Mr Chauvin tells a bystander , Charles MacMillian , in an exchange after Mr Floyd was carried away by paramedics. It looks like he was probably on something. In another clip, during the arrest itself, Mr Chauvin can be heard casting doubt that Mr Floyd really wasnt able to breathe. Then stop talking, stop yelling. It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk, Mr Chauvin replies. Multiple medical experts testified during the trial that someone can be in medical and respiratory distress even if they can speak or breathe. Also missing from this trial was any exploration of the deeper factors that influenced the interaction between Mr Floyd and Mr Chauvin, though this is by design, according to University of Minnesota sociologist Michelle Phelps, who studies the criminal justice system. At a very literal level, courts are poorly designed to create structural change. Courts are designed to assess individual guilt and individual culpability, and assign appropriate individual level punishments for those acts, she told The Independent. Even in the rare instance an officer is convicted, Ms Phelps argues, its unclear what kind of deeper impact that can have. Use of force policies and strong penalties for police misconduct have been on the books for decades, yet police continue to kill people without much scrutiny, since courts often defer to an officers judgement. For decades police departments have enacted this violence and faced very little consequence for it, and every day in and day out, there are reports of police misconduct, police violence, she said. Its unclear how much this one case will really shift that, and its unclear too how much in these moment-to-moment interactions, how salient thats going to be for officers. The jury did not hear about Mr Chauvins long record of using force, often against people of colour, which continued through the days just before he arrested George Floyd and resulted in 22 complaints or internal investigations over his 19 years on the force, but only one formal instance of discipline. Nor did the trial probe how Mr Chauvin, who trained other officers, influenced the wider conduct of the police around him. Both the prosecution and the defense insisted this trial wasnt about politics or mass outrage, even as they spoke from a courthouse fortified with tens of thousands of dollars of riot defenses, in a region brimming with thousands of National Guard troops on high-alert, after city officials settled a civil wrongful death suit from George Floyds family for $27 million. There is no political or social cause in this court room, attorney Eric Nelson told the court during opening arguments, and this frame persisted throughout weeks of testimony. This case is called the state of Minnesota vs Derek Chauvin, state prosecutor Steve Schleicher said on Monday in his closing. This state is not called the state of Minnesota versus the police, before adding his case was a pro-police prosecution because it sought to punish someone who deviated from his training. But the facts of life in Minneapolis and Minnesota at large suggest some level of politics and their consequences was inescapable in this fatal arrest and the case that followed. Mr Floyd was a troubled man, in a troubled place, where resources are largely devoted to using police as the primary tool to contend with social problems. Police officers framed their violent arrest of Mr Floyd as necessary because he was high on drugs. Indeed, both post-mortem toxicology reports and Mr Floyds girlfriend confirmed in testimony that he used opioids and methamphetamine. Black people are two times more likely to die of a drug overdose in Minnesota, and the city of Minneapolis spent six times more on police than health services the year Mr Floyd was killed. Charles McMillian, one of the bystanders who watched Mr Floyd die, said he recognized Mr Chauvin from previous patrols in the neighborhood. But the vast majority of Minneapolis police officers, 92 per cent by some estimates, live outside of the city, one of the highest proportions in the country. And those officers are more than seven times more likely to use force on a Black person than a white one, according to a recent New York Times analysis. Regardless of the courts ruling in the Chauvin case, people in the Twin Cities said that following the deaths of Mr Floyd and Mr Wright, a fundamental shift had occurred in the wider culture of the place, though how much that will translate into institutional change reminds to be scene. The continued deaths of Black people at the hands of police, combined with the heavy law enforcement response to mostly peaceful protests that followed, has forged a new consensus among many that the citys approach to public safety needs a fundamental re-imagination with community wellbeing in mind. Sara Osman, 25, a local arts organiser, said she realized a switch had been flipped as she headed to the first night of the Daunte Wright protests. Even though Brooklyn Center is in the Minneapolis suburbs, out of the reach of much of the citys public transportation, she saw car after car of protestors arrive, many with food and other supplies to share with the community. They have an energy about them that feels really hopeful, she said. Theres something thats different in the way that a lot of protests last summer felt like despair. Its so different to not have been in action for a year, for that to be the first scene, people looking out for each other. Its been a show of community and solidarity. Police violence has always happened in Black communities, and there have always been Black activists fighting back against it, but the movement for a new law enforcement system is increasingly multi-racial in Minnesota. Ive been doing this a long time. Quite frankly for a while I was going to protests and marches and it was just Black people, JaNae Bates, from the faith activism group ISAIAH, said. Wed be there mourning for our kids, crying and wailing, and going home. In recent months, in this past year, we have seen a drastic shift, where folks across race and region are coming together. Ms Harris, the American studies professor, urged people to remember that Black communities have faced violent police tactics since the days of proto-police slave catchers, underscoring just how revolutionary the current shift in popular opinion around policing really is. This is all weve known since before we were even citizens, Mr Harris, who is Black, said. The status quo is over. I dont know how this is going to work on a national level, but I feel very comfortable saying that Minneapolis-St Paul is not going to tolerate the status quo. There will be a push for movement and it will be consistent. That new energy on the ground has inspired a range of responses, even from a set of local leaders whove been reluctant to make big changes to policing in the past. After Mr Floyds death, following months of protests and hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in Minneapolis, the biggest systemic changes the region could muster was outlawing chokeholds, which many argued were already illegal, and cutting a sliver off the Minneapolis police departments $176 million budget, even though the overall ratio of spending on police to other city programs has remained virtually the same. Now, according to Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, elected leaders in Minnesota are finally taking her calls quickly, discussing the organizations model bills, and responding almost instantly to demands for officials in Brooklyn Center to resign or be fired. Weve never seen something where you demand something and they do it right away. That was pretty crazy, she said. Weve had to fight every scrap of every inch along the way, and suddenly the governor, who weve been trying to have meetings with, suddenly reached out to us and wanted to have meetings with us. Deciding what level of the system to reform is anything but simple. Policing is controlled by local government, state law, federal policy, the US Constitution, and centuries of court rulings and civil rights settlements, as well as the much more nebulous world of culture, ideology, identity. Some in Minneapolis, like the the city council and community activists from groups like Black Visions Collective, want to replace the MPD entirely, and are proposing a city charter amendment and November ballot question which could advance such a plan. Others want to renegotiate the police union contract, build more civilian oversight over discipline and police use of force investigations, and shift police resources to other departments like health or housing. At the state level, Democrats are pushing for bills that would make it easier to sue officers, establish more community scrutiny of police, and limit police authority to detain people for minor traffic stops, all of which Governor Tim Walz supports. You have so many different diagnoses of what the problem is, Ms Phelps, the UMN sociologist said. Is it inside or outside policing, or both, and different ideas, even among people who agree on really the long-term vision, what the best short term steps are to get there. Its baked into our system. Policing in the United States is locally administered. Theres over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the country. Some, especially young activists who came of age during the Black Lives Movement and saw how slow the system is to catch up with big shifts in popular feeling, have far less hope that their sense of grief and possibility will turn into concrete change. That hasnt stopped them from fighting for it anyway, though. We will burn it all down again until you guys understand that youre not going to get away with this, said Ms Zellner-Smith, who collected the murals, said. I dont have another option. People that are darker skinned than me dont have another option. They dont have the option to do anything but be resilient and fight back and do what they can. To Minneapolis city council member Ellison, the massive police response to the Daunte Wright protests suggests just how far city and state leaders are from understanding the depths of pain Black people go through under the current policing system. Thousands of National Guard troops are in the city, and on Monday, governor Walz declared a state of emergency and called even more officers from out of state to patrol the city. They have this image of our community being these rabid animals with no impulse control, all they want to do is burn things, Mr Ellison, who is Black, said. Its a fantasy that you can only have if youve never taken the time to sit with people, and be with them. No matter what this moment amounts to, theres no denying some kind of cultural shift is taking place at the ground level. Jeanne Burns, a white Minneapolis resident, said that she and her neighbours are trying to weave a new social safety net for Black people in the community in the absence of a government one. Recently, a young Black man on her street in North Minneapolis appeared to be in the midst of a mental health crisis. We knew because he was a Black man and having mental health issues, it wasnt a good idea to call the cops, she said. Eventually though, as the young man began harming himself, they decided they had no choice but to call 911. We felt like we had no other option, she said. A neighbour found somebody whos familiar with mental health issues and brought them over. She called the cops, and had to ask them specifically not to draw their guns, and a bunch of us went over and filmed what was going on. Three police cars showed up, but the young man was eventually loaded into an ambulance not a squad car, and hasnt had any problems since. Ms Burns says where the city goes from here is a complicated issue, one that doesnt fit into easy blocs of opinion based on age or race. She has Black neighbours who dont want to cut the police, having experienced a sense of state abandonment during the crack epidemic of the 1980s, and white ones who want to abolish the MPD after arriving at a newfound consciousness around racism in recent years. But shes hopeful. I hope that the world can see that there can be some amount of justice here, and I hope it can lead to reform, not just reform, but profound change, she said. When Major-General Paul Breretons report into allegations of war crimes against the SAS and Commandos was released in November, it considered in detail what should be done regarding honours given to members of those regiments for service in Afghanistan. The cancellation of individual decorations affects status and reputation, and is likely to require procedural fairness in each individual case, the report stated. The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective award to a unit, not to individuals, and the same difficulties do not arise. That turned out to be a naive view: difficulties arose almost immediately. The reports recommendation that the unit citation awarded to the men and women of Task Force 66 should be revoked was publicly accepted by Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell only to be called into question by his political superiors, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison. This week newly appointed Defence Minister Peter Dutton moved to settle the matter, announcing that the unit would keep its 2015 decoration for sustained and outstanding warlike operational service ... from 30 April 2007 to 31 December 2013 a period during which 39 murders are alleged to have been committed by up to 25 Australian special forces soldiers. Mr Duttons decision is no doubt popular among some veterans. Labors Luke Gosling, who represents a large Defence and veteran community, said last year that if the collective was deemed to have been punishable for the crimes of the few, then the service of everyone has come into question, which would lead to a level of re-traumatisation. MBABANE A soldier who was discharged from duty after he allegedly absented himself from work for five months has produced a medical report from a traditional healer as proof that he was indisposed. The medical report from the traditional healer, affiliated to the Traditional Health Organisation, is annexed to court documents where Mfundo Bonginkhosi Nkambule is challenging his dismissal from the army. Nkambule was allegedly discharged from the army by the King in consultation with the then Army Commander, Sobantu Dlamini. On the strength of the medical report provided by traditional healer Mbobozehluzo Dlamini, who is a trained and qualified member of the Traditional Health Organisation, Nkambule wants the court to compel the current commander general of Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) to, among other things, furnish him with written reasons why he was dismissed. He is also praying for an order declaring his discharge from the army to be unlawful and also direct the commander general of UEDF to reinstate him in the army forthwith. These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the respondents are yet to file their papers. In his application, Nkambule submitted that he was employed by the army as a soldier on July 1, 2005, and was based at Mdzimba for the duration of his service. Services He informed the court that he diligently and continuously performed his duties from this date until on or about the year 2017. On or about March 2017, while in the service, I succumbed to a sickness which was related to witchcraft. As a result thereof, I could not work on account of this sickness which affected me mentally, submitted Nkambule. He alleged that he accordingly sought help from traditional healers through the assistance of his parents as the sickness was purportedly infected on him through black magic and/or through the use of muti. According to the applicant (Nkambule), he could not attend work for a period of five months and throughout this period he did not have recollection of events as the sickness affected his memory. YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The White House has responded to the letter sent by Armenian historians who hope to see the term "genocide" in US President Joe Biden's April 24th annual address, Director of the History Institute at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Ashot Melkonyan said today. He released the content of the letter received from the White House during todays round-table about the Armenian Genocide. In the letter the Biden-Harris Administration thanked the Armenian historians for the information provided and appreciated every opportunity of communicating with them. Our country is facing numerous challenges, and your such kind of letters help us better understand how the Biden-Harris Administration can be useful for you. We will carefully study the letter and will try to proceed, Ashot Melkonyan said while reading the text of the White House letter. According to Melkonyan, from this letter it can be expected that the Genocide term will be used at the US Presidents level. On April 13, 2021, Armenian historians have addressed an open letter to US President Joe Biden, hoping to see clearly the term genocide in his annual April 24 address. The letter has been signed by the Union of Historians of Armenia, the History Institute of the National Academy of Sciences, the History Faculty of the Yerevan State University, the Institute for Armenian Scientific Research of the YSU, the Faculty of History and Social Science of the Armenian State Pedagogical University. The letter notes that Turkey poses a threat not only for Armenia, but also for all its neighbors and the entire civilized world. The two major crimes committed against humanity and civilization during the First and Second World Wars the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust, have outlined the clear line, with which the 20th century has set the red lines guaranteeing peaceful coexistence on the Planet Earth, which have become inseparable parts of whole human consciousness. Their protection and the prevention of new genocides firstly depend on the will and determination of the United States as one of the greatest countries which guarantees freedom and human rights in the whole world, the letter states, adding that the decisive condition for preventing the new genocidal aspirations of Turkey, bringing that country back to the field of its international obligations is overcoming the phenomenon of Turkish impunity through the unconditional and final recognition of the Armenian Genocide. At this historic moment the souls of not only the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide, but also millions of people killed in violence and sufferings are praying with a hope to see clearly the GENOCIDE term in your annual April 24 address, the letter says. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan BEIJING, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Beijing Oriental Yuhong Waterproof Technology Co., Ltd. (SZ 002271) (Oriental Yuhong) officially released its annual report for 2020 and first quarter report of 2021 on the night of April 15 Beijing time. Oriental Yuhong's Performance Remained Stable and Growth Beat Market Expectations According to the report, Oriental Yuhong's total operating revenue hit US$3.326 billion in 2020, up 19.70% from last year; net profit attributable to the listed company's shareholders reached US$519 million, a year-on-year increase of 64.03%. The reporting period saw continuous improvement in the quality of operation, with the net cash flow from operating activities registering US$605 million, a rise of 148.70% over the previous year. With steadily growing market share and long-term strong execution, Oriental Yuhong's performance growth beat market expectations. According to the first quarter report of 2021, Oriental Yuhong's operating revenue went up by 118.13% over the same period last year, reaching US$824 million, and net profit attributable to the listed company's shareholders stood at US$45 million, an increase of 126.08% year-on-year. With increasing brand presence and industry concentration, Oriental Yuhong witnessed improving quality of operation and growing yet stable performance. Oriental Yuhong saw improving operation across the board in 2020, as indicated by ever growing revenue in the sale of major products and construction, as well as by gradually increasing gross profit. Throughout 2020, Oriental Yuhong tided over difficulties and resumed work and production while adhering to regular prevention and control measures amid the global pandemic. In fighting against COVID-19 at the beginning of the year, Oriental Yuhong actively participated in the emergency projects in more than 20 cities across China, including the building of Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals in Wuhan. While implementing prevention and control measures, the company strived to resume all businesses, generally realizing excellent production and operation. It also strengthened cost and expense management. Consequently, Oriental Yuhong realized its 2020 business objectives. The first quarter of 2021 saw satisfactory production and operation, better gross profit margin and expense ratio, as well as improved profitability. Oriental Yuhong's overall production and operation in the first quarter of 2021 were in good shape. As its brand became more influential, it saw rapid growth in product sales volume compared with the same period last year, which boosted operating revenue. Meanwhile, the company improved cost and expense management, and its fast operating revenue growth sustained economies of scale, which brought down per unit cost and expense. As a result, its gross profit margin, expense ratio and profitability were further improved. Oriental Yuhong boasts large-scale production bases and diversified channels, further expanding its market value. Currently, Oriental Yuhong has 35 production, R&D and logistics bases in multiple regions with burgeoning demand for waterproofing. Drawing on its advantages in scale and channels, Oriental Yuhong has expanded its business scope to cover the upstream, downstream and related industrial chains of building waterproofing, including non-woven fabrics, building coating materials, building repair, energy saving and heat preservation, mortar materials, and other products, vigorously developing civil construction material, coating and building repair businesses while pursuing remarkable performance in its engineering businesses. With more and more dealers and business outlets, Oriental Yuhong's channels keep expanding vertically, contributing to the delivery of one-stop building material system services. Over the past two decades and more, Oriental Yuhong has grown to be a brand-oriented and distinctive systematic service provider; its consistent brand recognition, reputation and image among customers is an invisible asset. As the increasing concentration ratio of downstream demand end brings out more brand value of Oriental Yuhong, it will usher in a new growth stage. The carbon neutrality era attaches increasing importance to green development and environmental protection. And the market concentration rate is increasing. So Oriental Yuhong will become a more and more valuable brand and see continuous improvement in its production capacity, which means larger market value. SOURCE Beijing Oriental Yuhong Waterproof Technology Co., Ltd. Related Links www.yuhong.com.cn The ambassadors of the G7 countries have met with European Solidarity party leader and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the security situation, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reform progress in Ukraine. According to Ukrinform, the diplomats announced this on the Twitter account of the UK Presidency of the G7 Ambassadors' Support Group in Kyiv. "G7 Ambassadors had a wide-ranging discussion with Petro Poroshenko, 5th President of Ukraine and head of European Solidarity, about the security situation, response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reform progress in Ukraine," the tweet reads. The ambassadors underlined that success in the reforms that will underpin Ukraine's resilience and prosperity requires that all stakeholders work together to achieve the results the country deserves. Poroshenko, in turn, thanked the diplomats on Twitter for their unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and their readiness to increase the price for further escalation by Russia. "Important to ensure internal unity in face of Russian aggression and I am thankful for G7+EU support of my call. Ukraine is not alone on its way to the EU and NATO with reforms being crucial for success," Poroshenko said. He also said that he had presented a plan to combat the coronavirus and counts on G7 and EU support to quickly provide Ukraine with a sufficient amount of high-quality vaccines. op Author and Alumnus Robert Thompson to be Guest for Dale Center Online Chat Session April 21 Tue, 04/20/2021 - 14:53pm | By: David Tisdale The University of Southern Mississippis (USM) Dale Center for the Study of War & Society will host a virtual chat session Wednesday, April 21 at 6 p.m. featuring a USM alumnus who earned his Ph.D. in history from the university, with a focus on War and Society. Dr. Robert Thompson III (16) will discuss his new book Clear, Hold, and Destroy: Pacification in Phu Yen and the American War in Vietnam. USM University Distinguished Professor of History Dr. Andrew Wiest, founding director of the Dale Center and one of Dr. Thompsons faculty mentors while at the university, will serve as chat session moderator. The session can be accessed via Zoom at: usm-edu.zoom.us/j/98487740079. Clear, Hold, and Destroy connects pacification with conventional warfare, and looks at the relationship between the two concepts in a single province, Dr. Thompson said. My belief is that what readers will take away from the book is that the U.S. always fought the Vietnam War based on the need to spread pacification across the Republic of Vietnam, Dr. Thompson continued. Additionally, they will recognize the numerous challenges that ultimately impeded American efforts to help the South Vietnamese pacify Phu Yen. A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Dr. Thompsons current work as a historian with the Army University Press film team includes researching, writing and directing documentaries to educate viewers on U.S. Army history and doctrine. Clear, Hold and Destroy began as his dissertation at USM. It is great to have Robert back to give a talk, said Dr. Wiest. He is emblematic of the type of quality the Dale Center produces, and the success our students achieve. His book will change the field of Vietnam War studies, and aid the military in learning to fight similar wars in far flung parts of the world today. Were proud of him and his continued success, and very pleased to have him back to share his work with the Southern Miss community. Dr. Heather Stur, USM professor of history and Dale Center Fellow who was also one of Dr. Thompsons faculty mentors, said he first began thinking about the ideas for Clear, Hold and Destroy when he was a student on Dr. Sturs Vietnam Summer Study Abroad Program in 2011. Dr. Andy Wiest's Vietnam War class and my Vietnam summer program were the foundation on which Rob built his book," Dr. Stur said. His work is a great example of what USM's study abroad programs do for our students. Rob is now a professional historian whose book is a model for how Southern Miss courses and study abroad programs plant the seeds that become important books. The Dale Center for the Study of War & Society is housed in the USM College of Arts and Sciences. Learn more about the Dale Center at https://www.usm.edu/dale-center-war-society/about-dale-center-study-war-society.php. Vaccines: EU donates 651,000 Pfizer doses to Western Balkans Financed by Commission and distributed with Austrian support (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, 20 APR - The European Union will deliver a total of 651,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine over the coming weeks and months to the six countries of the Western Balkans, said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi. The doses were financed by the European Commission and will be distributed with the support of Austria. The first delivery to all partners in the region is scheduled for May, and regular shipments will follow until the end of August. "It is essential to speed up vaccination campaigns everywhere," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "I am proud to announce that we have secured doses to help vaccinate health workers and other vulnerable groups in the Western Balkans. The European Union is standing side by side with our partners in the region, who asked us for support," von der Leyen said. She thanked Austria for "having facilitated distribution" through legal accords with the manufacturer and partners in the region. Of the 651,000 total doses, 145,000 will go to Albania, 95,000 to Kosovo, 119,000 to North Macedonia, 36,000 to Serbia, 42,000 to Montenegro, and the highest number, 214,000, to Bosnia-Herzegovina. (ANSAmed). [April 20, 2021] Fintor Raises $2.5 Million to Build Fractionalized Real Estate Platform Fintor today announced the completion of its $2.5 million Seed round which will be used to build an innovative fractional real estate investing platform. Developed by serial co-founders Farshad Yousefi and Masoud Jalali, Fintor "fractionalizes" houses and other residential property, allowing U.S. persons to access investment opportunities in the real estate asset class starting with as little as $5. Notable investors in Fintor's Seed round include 500 Startups, Hustle Fund, Graphene Ventures, Manny Khoshbin, Mana Ventures and other noteworthy investors such as Cindy Bi, Skyler Fernandes, VU Venture Partners, Minal Hasan, Andrew Zalasin, Alluxo CEO and Founder Safa Mahzari, SquareFoot CEO and Founder Jonathan Wasserstrum and Teachable CEO and Founder Ankur Nagpal. The Fintor technology platform would allow each property to have its own offering marketed through the platform, dividing the property into shares, setting a share price, and allowing consumers to invest. Ultimately, the platform intends to enable regular trading opportunities for investors through trading windows, creating liquidity for holders while protecting against volatility. While owning a home is often considered the "escalator to wealth in America," homeownership among American adults younger than 35-years-old has plummeted to historical lows, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. High upfront costs and low liquidity are cited as two of the primary obstacles to purchasing your own home, let alone buying anincome-generating investment property. With its fractional real estate investing platform, Fintor aims to create a new path to real estate investing in an otherwise inaccessible asset class. "At Fintor we hope to foster the next generation of real estate investors, so that you no longer need hundreds of thousands of dollars and industry connections to benefit from owning real estate," said Co-Founder and CEO Farshad Yousefi. "We're building Fintor to open the real estate investing asset class to millions of Millennials and Gen Z'ers who otherwise wouldn't have a chance, and we're making it easy to get started in real estate investing with $5 and a smartphone," Yousefi said. "We have a vision that will change how people invest in real estate forever," said Yousefi. About Fintor Fintor is a platform that allows users to buy and sell fractional shares of real estate for as little as $5 with a few taps. Fintor's mission is to democratize real estate investing for all and provide access and liquidity to the real estate markets for investors, property owners, and new participants. The company is headquartered in California and backed by notable investors like 500 Startups, Hustle Fund, Graphene Ventures, Teachable CEO and Founder Ankur Nagpal and Manny Khoshbin. More information is available at: https://fintor.com This press release is not an offer to sell or solicitation to purchase any securities. This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to Fintor's current expectations, beliefs and projections concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve uncertainties, risks, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are outside Fintor's control and which may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in or implied by any forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are based on currently available information and speak only as of the date on which they are made. Fintor assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release that becomes untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005562/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Inna Real Life CEO, David Deuces has been signed as the brand ambassador for a car dealership company, Wofa Sem Motors. The company located at Achimota-Christian Village near the Shell Filling Station specializes in selling quality brand new and home used cars, and also swapping of cars. David Deuces who was signed today Monday, 19th April 2021 would as part of his roles promote the Wofa Sem Motors brand positively in a multitude of settings This would include advertising and creating content using his social media handles to influence potential customers to deal with Wofa Sem Motors. Sharing photos on Instagram, the top AMG Business member wrote: Congratulations to myself on this new brand ambassadorial deal with @wofa_sem_motors I know and I believe ,they will renew this contract after 6months due to my hardworking and positive impact Glory be to God#amg View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Deuces (@amgdeuces_ironboy) 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 Johnson Matthey (JM) is partnering with Finnish Minerals Group to support development of its previously announced second eLNO cathode materials (earlier post) commercial plant, which will be in Finland, powered solely by renewable energy and incorporating an innovative effluent treatment solution. Johnson Matthey also has signed a term sheet for the supply of nickel and cobalt from Russia-based Nornickel, and an agreement for the supply of lithium hydroxide from SQMboth agreements supporting a long-term sustainable supply of critical raw materials for battery materials production. JM has begun the front-end engineering design for its second commercial plant, which will be located in Vaasa, on the west coast of Finlanda region that aims to create an ecosystem of sustainable technologies. Finland has a favorable battery materials ecosystem, offering reliable access to renewable energy, sustainable raw materials and proximity to major European automotive OEM and cell manufacturers. Finnish Mineral Group manages the Finnish states mining industry shareholdings and aims to create an integrated electric vehicle battery value chain in Finland. As part of the partnership, Finnish Minerals Group will invest in two key areas: To co-develop with JM an integrated solution to treat sodium sulfate, a common manufacturing by-product, providing a sustainable supply chain to conserve natural resources and protect the local environment. To invest in pre-treatment technology of nickel and cobalt sulfates to tailor the materials to the requirements of high-nickel cathode materials. The site will solely use locally generated renewable energy and will work with the City of Vaasa to develop a sustainable heat recovery solution which feeds the local heating system network. These developments are a major step towards sustainable cathode material production. The Finland plant will have a nameplate capacity of 30kT. Subject to board approval following completion of the design, JM expects to start construction later this year. Efficient, sustainable supply of nickel and cobalt with Nornickel. The term sheet with Nornickel is for the supply of nickel and cobalt from Nornickels metal refineries in Harjavalta, Finland and in the Kola region, Russia. This secures the supply of sustainable, responsibly sourced raw materials for cathode material production in both Poland and Finland. In addition to the supply of metals, JM and Nornickel also intend to collaborate on other important topics of the battery materials value chain, including on the digitalization of the supply chain, circular economy opportunities, the application of a newly developed metal dissolution technology and further enhancement of the sustainability of the value chain. Securing lithium supply with SQM. The agreement with SQM is to supply lithium hydroxide from its Salar del Carmen plant in Antofagasta, Chile. The developments with Nornickel and SQM, in conjunction with the investment by Finnish Minerals Group, form an important part of the sustainable supply chain for JM cathode materials plants in both Finland and Poland. Attorneys for the prosecution and defense in the criminal trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin delivered their closing arguments Monday. Chauvin is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in the killing of George Floyd. In this image from video, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill discusses motions before the court Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Court TV via AP, Pool) He faces 12.5 to 40 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charge, second-degree murder, but would be likely to receive the minimum sentence of 12.5 years under state guidelines, which classify him as a first offender. State prosecutor Steve Schleicher argued that Chauvin chose pride over policing when he kneeled on Floyds neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Schleicher said that Chauvin knew he held power and authority and willfully abused it, deciding that he wouldnt let the protestations of bystanders dissuade him from his unnecessary, gratuitous and disproportionate actions. The defendant was not going to be told what to do. He was not going to let the bystanders tell him what to do. He was going to do what he wanted. How he wanted for as long as he wanted. And there was nothing they could do about it. Because he had the authority. The bystanders were powerless. They were powerless to do anything, he said. And he did it on purpose. This was not an accident. He did not trip and fall and find himself on George Floyds neck, Schleicher said, adding, Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw. Schleicher described how Floyd pleaded with officers, telling them that he could not breathe well over 20 times. From the moment former officer Thomas Lane drew his gun on Floyd, until he took his last breath, Floyd tried to express his confusion, pain and fear to the police. However, they ignored Floyd and the crowd of bystanders concerned for his life. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds. He begged, George Floyd begged until he could speak no more, and the defendant continued this assault. When he was unable to speak, the defendant continued. When he was unable to breathe, the defendant continued. Beyond the point that he had a pulse. Beyond the point that he had a pulse, the defendant continued this assault. Nine minutes and 29 seconds, Schleicher said. Before playing a clip from officer body camera footage from the scene, Schleicher asked the jury, Do you want to know what indifference is, and sounds like? The video showed Chauvin on top of Floyd as he pleaded with him. Chauvin responded to Floyd telling him that he could not breathe and was in pain with snide remarks such as then stop talking and [it takes] a heck of a lot of oxygen to say that. Schleicher pointed to the fact that there were multiple points in time where officers could have stopped their assault on Floyd and administered medical assistance, which could have potentially saved Floyds life. Instead, Chauvin violated police policy, which led to Floyds death. Schleicher said that Chauvin knew better but did not do better. He concluded his statement by once again telling jurors to believe your own eyes The defendant was guilty of all three counts, all of them, and there was no excuse. Throughout his argument, Schleicher sought to separate Chauvins crime from the everyday conduct of the Minneapolis police, and of police forces in general. This wasnt policing, he said. This was murder. In a much longer closing statement, defense attorney Eric Nelson urged the jurors to consider the totality of the circumstances. The defenses argument hinged on the claim that the prosecution focused too heavily on the time Chauvin was on top of Floyd, while it ignores the previous 16 minutes and 59 seconds. Speaking for more than two and a half hours, Nelson argued that Floyds death was multifactorial, attempting to confuse the jury with references to drug use, Floyds underlying health conditions, and even the possibility that he had inhaled carbon monoxide from the tailpipe of the police car, all to divert attention from the evident fact that without Chauvins knee on his neck, George Floyd would not have died on May 25, 2020. Nelson invoked what a reasonable police officer would think or do at least 100 times in the course of his presentation, in an effort to justify Chauvins actions and make the deliberate killing of a helpless, handcuffed man seem acceptable. He played numerous clips of bodycam footage and argued that officers were acting according to the rules, based on the information they had available to them. Nelson said officers did what they were trained to do, because the knee restraint Chauvin used was allowed at the time. Nelson said Floyds toxicology report made it clear he had taken drugs before his encounter with police. The defense has focused heavily on Floyds opioid addiction in an effort to vilify the victim and raise doubts concerning his death. For the medical experts to minimize the timing and the amount of illicit drugs that were found in Mr. Floyds bloodstream, is just simply incredible to me, is incredible, he said. (Actually, only trace amounts of methamphetamine were found in Floyds system.) He dismissed the testimony of Dr. Martin Tobin, the pulmonologist who testified that Floyd died from asphyxiation, arguing that it was misleading and did not give a full picture of the struggle. His entire testimony is filled with theory, speculation, assumption, Nelson said. Nelson concluded his statements by telling the jury they would find that the prosecution had not proven Chauvin was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, after a thorough, honest analysis of the evidence. After Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill dismissed the jury for its deliberations, Nelson moved for a mistrial on the grounds that the jury had not been sequestered during the trial and was exposed to media coverage of the protests that took place over the weekend, triggered by the police killing of Daunte Wright in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. He argued that a highly publicized statement by US Representative Maxine Waters had tainted the jury. Waters attended a protest in Minneapolis on Saturday, telling protesters to stay in the street and demand justice, and urging them to be more confrontational. While ultra-right media outlets like Fox News have described Waters comments as incitement to violencea slander that Nelson repeated to the judgethey are typical of the language of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. They dont compare to the actual incitements to violence made by President Trump before the January 6 attack on Congress and throughout his term in office. Cahill dismissed the motion for a mistrial, but expressed disgust over Waters comments and suggested she might have provided Nelson with grounds for an appeal. Federal, state and local governments are preparing for potential unrest following a verdict in the trial. Millions have been spent to barricade Minneapolis government center and thousands of National Guard troops are occupying cities across Minnesota. Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker called out thousands of National Guard troops for possible deployment to Chicago Tuesday. The American ruling class is deeply anxious, understanding the immense social consequences that could follow a failure to convict Chauvin. Millions of working people are holding their breath as they await the verdict, concerned over a possible whitewash. As the epidemic of police violence continues unabated, thousands have taken to the streets in response to the police killings of Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo and others. On Monday, students from more than 115 Minnesota schools walked out to demand justice. Many others held a moment of silence for Wright and other victims of police brutality. 2 1 of 2 Buy this photo Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan speaks Friday at a news conference at police headquarters in Albany to address Wednesday's altercation between police and protesters at the city's South Station following what began Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan speaks Friday at a news conference at police headquarters in Albany to address Wednesday's altercation between police and protesters at the city's South Station following what began as a peaceful protest against a police killing in Minnesota. Sheehan and police Chief Eric Hawkins supported the officers' actions and condemned the attack on a city police station. Will Waldron, Albany Times Union Buy this photo Albany police Chief Eric Hawkins talks Friday about video footage of Wednesday's altercation between police and protesters at the city's South Station following what began as a peaceful protest against a police Albany police Chief Eric Hawkins talks Friday about video footage of Wednesday's altercation between police and protesters at the city's South Station following what began as a peaceful protest against a police killing in Minnesota. At a news conference at police headquarters in Albany, Hawkins and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan both supported the officers' actions and condemned what they termed an attack on a city police station. Will Waldron, Albany Times Union ALBANY - A day after Mayor Kathy Sheehan compared Wednesdays Black Lives Matter protest at the police department's South Station to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, local activists convened a press conference to demand an apology from city officials. The activists also say the city is honing in on a broken window to try to paint a false picture of chaos rather than addressing the deployment of pepper spray on mostly peaceful protesters. We are here today and tonight to demand that the police take the first step for accountability and justice, said Legacy Casanova, a local Black Lives Matter leader who helped organize Wednesdays protest and march. The activists Saturday demanded the city fire the police officer who pushed at Chandler Hickenbottoms megaphone and snatched it, causing her to fall and chip her tooth. Activists also said Sheehans comparison of the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 where a mob of people entered government buildings illegally and where five people died, including a Capitol police officer to the Black Lives Matter protest at the South Station was dangerous rhetoric. To compare us, our protest for civil rights, to the attempted coup and overthrow of the United States government, is dangerous. Its dangerous for the people who protest here. Its dangerous for the people when they go home. That is dangerous rhetoric from the mayor, said local resident and activist Matt Marshall. Alice Green, executive director for the Center for Law and Justice, said Sheehans comparison was ludicrous, outrageous, irresponsible and harmful for police-community relations. Sheehan apologized for those remarks on Saturday, hours before another protest stepped off at 6 p.m. and marchers began heading along Lark Street. My comments referred to the physical actions of the use of violence to attempt to gain unlawful entry into a governmental building, Sheehan said in a tweet. In no way did I intend to compare the insurrection to the BLM movement or protests. I am sorry. Activists said they did not accept Sheehans apology, adding that the damage had already been done. Star Mizzero said she felt traumatized by Wednesdays confrontation, where she was pepper sprayed. On Friday, police shared new video clips of the South Station confrontation from officers' body camera footage. In one clip, Adam Walker can be seen wearing a camouflage uniform, shining a bright light on officers' faces. The police shine their lights on us all the time with their high-powered flashlights, Walker said. When young Black children see me in camouflage, they get inspired; they get reminded of their heritage, of their powers. We are not militant. We dont have weapons. We have cameras. We have lights. Police Chief Eric Hawkins said on Friday that the light can cause damage to officers and distracts them from their duties. The clips released by the police department show at least two protesters banging the South Station door with their feet. One police officer inside the building says, The guy with the black hoodie just broke the window. That man with the black hoodie was a white protester. An officer in the video also says the window was broken with a bottle. At the 6:16 p.m. Wednesday timemark shown by the stations security footage, protesters can be seen crowding the entrance as one protester kicks the door. As this footage plays, Hawkins said Friday, Its important to note here, the officers are not engaging these individuals out front at this point. What youre seeing here is totally without provocation from any officers. But footage from a protester obtained by the Times Union Saturday shows Walker partially inside the building, shining his light against the window with the officers on the other side. Then the officer wearing a white polo who would later grab Hickenbottoms megaphone quickly steps outside as Walker walks backward. Walker then shines his light on the officer, who is still behind the door. The officer then opens the door and pushes Walkers light contraption downward, spurring more intense yelling from the crowd. The window had not been broken when this occurred, footage shows, but the white protester wearing a hoodie, who police would later say broke the window, can be seen in the same clip kicking and shoving against the door after the officer pushes the light contraption. This footage was not shown at the police departments press conference, but Hawkins did show body-camera footage from the officer in this scene at several points throughout the presentation of footage, including when he grabbed the megaphone. Lexis Figuereo, leader of Black Lives Matter Saratoga Springs, said he took issue with Hawkins' characterization of Wednesdays protest as a riot. Figuereo said the protest was peaceful, adding that no one was storming the building or harming people or causing more damage besides the one broken window. Of course we are screaming (at the protest). Youd be screaming, too. Why would you not be screaming when we continually watch Black people and people in marginalized communities be terrorized by police? Figuereo said, wearing a shirt that read We march, yall mad. We sit down, yall mad. We die, yall silent. Figuereo, who is Black, was one of the protesters shown in clips released by police on Friday, and in it, Hawkins said at the press conference, he can be heard shouting racial slurs at the Black officers standing in front of the entrance. Figuereo said on Saturday that he would not apologize to the Black officers because, he said, they were the ones who he saw push women near the rail. Despite facing accusations of rampant greenwashing, BlackRock is once again in the driving seat of public policy in Europe. But its potential conflicts of interest are at least finally attracting a little attention. When things get serious in Europe and new financial rules, regulations or bailouts are needed, the first phone number to call is invariably that of BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager. That is exactly what the European Commission did when it needed to create new environmental standards for Euro-Area banks: it called BlackRocks Financial Markets Advisory (FMA) unit. Which means that at the same time that BlackRock is launching some of the worlds biggest environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing funds for its clients many of the worlds passive investors it is also helping to create the new ESG investing rules by which Europes biggest banks and energy companies, many of whose shares it manages, will have to operate. Much like Goldman Sachs did in the noughties and to a certain extent continues to do today, BlackRock has spread its tentacles across Europes political landscape, by spending lavishly on lobbying efforts and snapping up well-connected retired politicians and central bank officials. They include the former Chairman of the Swiss National Banks governing board, Philipp Hildebrand, and former U.K. Treasury head George Osborne. But the Commissions latest decision to hire BlackRock has drawn disapproval from EU Ombudsman Emily OReilly. Green banking is an area of financial and regulatory interest to BlackRock, OReilly pointed out in a statement on Monday. And BlackRocks paper on green banking rules is meant to feed into policy that will regulate that companys business interests. OReilly also recommended that the Commission strengthen its conflict of interest rules. That, as OReilly presumably knows, is not going to happen any time soon. In a response published on Monday, the Commission said it will consider proposing amendments to EU law to require companies and organisations to disclose conflicting interests when they bid for EU-funded contracts. It will also consider providing further guidance to assist staff dealing with public procurement. Emphasis, if you hadnt noticed, on the word consider. Katrin Ganswindt, a finance campaigner at Urgewald, had the following to say: It is good that the EU commission is considering providing clearer guidelines on possible conflict of interest. This should be a given. In the case of BlackRock, the worlds largest investor in fossil fuels, it is unfortunately already too late. The fact that the asset manager is also a leading shareholder in the banks for which it is advising environmental social and governance regulation, shows how we would have needed these guidelines before BlackRock was awarded the tender. BlackRock declined to comment on OReillys remarks. It had previously said its bid for the banking rules work was accepted because the commission found it offered the best quality for the lowest price. It also said it would ensure physical segregation of FMA to guarantee information did not flow to other parts of its business, which is comforting to know. Greenwashing the World, BlackRock-style BlackRock has faced repeated criticism for not walking the walk on green issues. In January 2020, the companys Chairman Larry Fink said it would put sustainability at the core of its investment process. He also averred that climate change could lead to a fundamental reshaping of finance. Yet months later, BlackRock refused to back resolutions calling for two big Australian oil companies, Woodside Energy and Santos, to set targets in line with the Paris agreement and to disclose their lobbying. In January this year, it still held investments worth $85 billion in coal companies, including in companies planning to expand coal production such as Japans Sumitomo and Koreas Kepco, a whole year after it promised to sell most of its shares in producers of the fossil fuel. It has also faced criticism for its investments in companies that are driving deforestation in the Amazon basin. The company has $408 million invested, via various funds, in Brazils top three meatpackers operating in the Amazon JBS, Marfrig and Minerva which rank first. fifth and tenth, respectively, on Imazons ranking of deforestation risk. BlackRock is the global leader in asset management, so its actions have significant effect on the entire sector, says Moira Birss, director of climate and finance at Amazon Watch. Yet it appears that the company hopes people dont look closely at investment data and only look at the headlines, which look great. BlackRock is even facing allegations of greenwashing from within its own ranks. A month ago, BlackRocks former CIO of sustainable investing, Tariq Fancy, penned a blistering op-ed in USA Today, titled Financial world greenwashing the public with deadly distraction in sustainable investing practices. In it Fancy denounced the financial services industry for duping investors when it comes to ESG. This multi-trillion dollar arena of socially conscious investing is being presented as something its not. In essence, Wall Street is greenwashing the economic system and, in the process, creating a deadly distraction. I should know; I was at the heart of it. Fancy served as chief investment officer of sustainable investing at BlackRock for almost two years, from January 2018 to September 2019. In his op-ed, Fancy claims that many mutual funds that get rebranded as green make no discernible change to their underlying strategies. The change in name or branding is all for the sake of virtue signaling, he says. Unfortunately, that virtue signaling appears to be more than enough to satisfy many policy makers, including the European Commission. As a result, the EUs newfangled sustainability rules for banks are likely to have little in the way of actual substance. The biggest beneficiaries will probably be BlackRock itself and the companies whose shares it manages. Helping to Make Policy at the Fed and ECB But the conflicts of interests dont end there. As I reported in a 2018 WOLF STREET article, BlackRocks tentacles stretch right into the beating heart of monetary policy, both in Europe and the U.S. In 2014, the European Central Bank hired BlackRock Solutions, an advisory unit of BlackRock, to provide advice on the design and implementation of the central banks upcoming purchase of asset-backed securities. In other words, just before the ECB embarked on one of the biggest QE programs in world history, it sought the advice of the worlds largest asset manager i.e. the company most invested in the assets it intended to buy. BlackRock Solutions already had expertise in this area, having formerly advised the Federal Reserve on its first QE program. Since then, the firm has become a vital strategic partner to major central banks engaging in complex asset purchases, resolution mechanisms and strategic asset allocations. The firm is particularly adept at mapping out large numbers of different, often complex asset classes across myriad markets. To ensure there were no conflicts of interest in its dealings with the ECB, BlackRocks contract stipulated that there must be an effective separation between the project team working for the ECB and its staff involved in any other ABS-related activities. If that wasnt enough to set concerned minds at ease, all external audits related to the management of conflicts of interest would be made available to the ECB, an institution that is hardly famed for its transparency and accountability. In 2016, the ECB hired BlackRock Solutions again, this time to help it conduct its stress tests for that year. [In 2018] the firm was awarded an extension of that contract. Although there has been no disclosure of just how much BlackRock Solutions would be charging for its services this year, Daniele Nouy, the Chair of the Supervisory Board at the ECB, has revealed that in 2016 Frankfurt allocated 8.2 million to pay the firms consultants. This is, of course, chicken feed for a company the size of BlackRock But the advisory services BlackRock provides to the ECB, as well as the national central banks of the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Cyprus and Greece, have a much more enticing perk than petty cash: information. Through the contracts awarded to BlackRock Solutions, BlackRock, the parent company has potential access to privileged information that can help it make highly profitable investment decisions. On behalf of its clients, BlackRock holds huge blocks of shares in many, if not all, of the banks that its consulting arm is helping to audit. Few, if any, market players have such intimate knowledge of the true state of European banks balance sheets. This inherent conflict of interest was first highlighted by U.S. Senator Charles E. Grassley in 2009, when BlackRock was helping the Federal Reserve out with its QE program and the U.S. government with the complex rescues of Bear Stearns, AIG, and Citigroup. They have access to information when the Federal Reserve will try to sell securities, and what price they will accept. And they have intricate financial relations with people across the globe, Grassley said. The potential for a conflict of interest is great and it is just very difficult to police. 2020: Another Good Year for BlackRock All things considered, BlackRock had a pretty good year in 2020. Its total revenue for the twelve months ending March 31, 2021 was $16.89 billion, a 13.35% increase year-over-year. Its assets under management rose to a record $9 trillion, up from $7 trillion a year earlier, as financial markets surged to new records on the back of government and central bank stimulus programs that it helped design. There is a risk of overstating the scale of BlackRocks influence through its management of such a vast pile of securities. After all, $9 trillion is a fantastically large amount of money, even by todays standards. But its worth bearing in mind that: 1) BlackRock is a passive manager and as such has little discretion over what it owns; and 2) it doesnt come close to owning controlling stakes in the companies whose shares it manages. But its the glaring conflicts of interest it that should give pause. As markets were crashing in March 2020 the Federal Reserve hired BlackRock to go direct and buy up $750 billion in both primary and secondary corporate bonds and bond ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), a financial product of which BlackRock is one of the largest purveyors in the world. The BlackRock-run program included trillions of dollars of helicopter money for Wall Street, which helped to stabilize the companies whose shares BlackRock owns, and hundreds of billions of dollars of helicopter money the so-called stimulus checks for the masses. This was all laid out in the document Dealing with the Next Downturn: From Unconventional Monetary Policy to Unprecedented Policy Coordination, drawn up in August 2019 by four senior BlackRock executives Stanley Fischer (formerly of the NY Fed), Philipp Hildebrand (former chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank), Jean Boivin (former deputy governor of the Bank of Canada) and Elga Bartsch for the 2019 Jackson Hole meeting of senior central bankers. The plan was a blueprint for dealing with the next crisis, which arrived half a year later. Many of its recommendations from the co-mingling of monetary and fiscal policy to the purchase of ETFs, to the mobilisation of so-called helicopter money have already been enacted. One proposal that thankfully hasnt is the direct purchase by central banks of equities.* This would massively expand and accelerate wealth and income inequality in the US, given that 85% percent of the stock market is owned by the richest 10% of Americans. It would also have provide support for the assets BlackRock is most in the habit of managing: stocks and ETFs.* BlackRock has always claimed that it carefully manages its potential conflicts of interest through a Chinese Wall that separates the companys advisory business from its asset-management business. However, as the advocacy group BlackRock Transparency points out, an analysis of BlackRock statements, marketing materials, and executive profiles suggest that the companys assurances may have little weight in practice. As early as 2006, BlackRock Solutions aggressively touted its close ties between our investment and non-investment activities as an important driver of our long-term success (page 6). Marketing materials boast of the companys One BlackRock culture, which emphasizes partnership across functions, communications, transparency, consistent standards and teamwork. As BlackRock goes from strength to strength by playing an ever larger role in public policy, its probably safe to assume that its interests are not fully aligned with the general publics. And given that public policy is undergoing a huge shift in most places right now, that should be a major cause for concern. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ *The Swiss National Bank, the central bank of Switzerland, where Philipp Hildebrand previously worked, already has massive holdings of individual stocks, including $94 billion in publicly traded stocks in the U.S. according to its March 31, 2020 report that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. April 20, 2021 Taking COVID-19 pandemic challenges in stride, the Idaho State University Disaster Response Center (DRC) is preparing to host multiple training events in the coming months to assist with the readiness and skill development of emergency responders. The DRC is currently working with local, regional, and state entities to host training events at its facilities on ISU campus in Pocatello. Training scenarios for emergency responders include subterranean, breaching, and HAZMAT response. One of the emergency responder communities that the DRC will be hosting includes the Civil Support Teams (CSTs). CSTs are part of the United States National Guard which supports civil authorities during domestic natural or human-made disasters that may result in catastrophic loss of life or property. There are 57 federally sustained but state-controlled CSTs throughout the United States and its territories that are on standby for emergencies 24 hours a day, year-round. The Idaho National Guards CST is based in Boise and consists of 22 soldiers and airmen. Local first responders, like firefighters and law enforcement agencies, are also able to utilize the DRC training facilities to practice efficient and effective responses to natural and human-made disaster situations. This training facility will not only better lives, but it will save lives, President Kevin Satterlee said. The complex simulates real-world training exercises for first responders. It is unique for our region, and the knowledge gained will be used to address disaster and emergency situations that may impact our state, our region, and our entire nation. The DRC is a unique training facility in the Northwestern United States. Training events hosted at the DRC simulate real-world emergency and search-and-rescue scenarios and have the potential to improve and maintain life-saving skills used by responders during disaster remediation. Training scenarios can be customized and structured in several ways. For instance, precast concrete elements are used to create situations that require navigating training lanes that simulate collapsed structures, confined spaces and vehicle rescues. The principal investigator on the DRC project is ISUs Associate Professor Mustafa Mashal, the co-principal investigator is Professor and Chair Bruce Savage, both from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The DRCs ultimate goal is saving lives when a catastrophe hits. As a citizen of the United States, I am truly honored that our DRC project supports the community of emergency responders in various ways, Mashal said. While construction on the core DRC facilities is complete, projects to expand facility capabilities are planned to continue this year. As the DRC broadens its offerings, customizable training can focus on issues beyond cleaning up the aftermath of disasters to the protection of national security. The DRC opened for training events in 2020 and has already hosted more than 100 first responders. The DRC kicked off 2021 by hosting a K-9 training event for the Snake River Search, Inc. in January. Ten K-9 trainers, 12 K-9s, and four ISU students and faculty participated in the exercise. It is also exciting to see how far we have come with the DRC project, Mashal said. In August of 2019, we started this project from nothing. Today we have a nearly 3-acre outdoor facility that has already started hosting training events for the emergency responders, and has created opportunities for numerous engineering students at ISU to work in different areas of the project, including research, design, construction, curriculum, and training events. The credit for the DRC goes to our hard-working engineering students at ISU who despite all the odds imposed by the global pandemic have done a fantastic job. Recently the DRC hosted a training for the Idaho Falls Fire Department where 20 trainees and four instructors participated in a confined space exercise. The DRC has also been an advantageous resource for ISU students, faculty, and staff who have utilized the DRC for practical training on several occasions. One such example is ISUs College of Technologys Emergency Medical Technician program that has been utilizing DRC to provide hands-on and realistic training to the participants. The DRC has three focus areas: research, curriculum and certification, and training and exercise. The training and exercise focus area encourages local and regional emergency responders to use the DRC for real-world simulations of natural and man-made disasters. The development of the DRC was made possible by funding from the Idaho State Board of Education under the Higher Education Research Council Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (HERC-IGEM). 18 engineering students from ISU have been working on different pillars of the DRC. The facility is managed by ISUs Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Texas lawmakers have been advancing sweeping legislation to address some of the major issues stemming from Februarys deadly winter storm and catastrophic power outages. But some of the legislative moves are targeting renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, which experts and some lawmakers say seems more like a way to protect oil and gas interests than fix problems with the states beleaguered power grid. Tucked into Senate Bill 3, which seeks to overhaul the states electricity market, is a key provision that would shift the financial burden of ancillary services, which help ensure power is generated continuously to Texas main electricity grid, to renewable energy providers. Texas electric providers currently cover the ancillary services costs. RELATED: Severe weather this summer could cause another Texas power crisis But Im convinced that were making a big mistake by attacking a problem that isnt the problem just because we feel like it might be the problem, when the data says the opposite, Johnson said on the Senate floor in late March. Wind power is a renewable energy source that was expected to be a fraction of winter power generation. All sources from natural gas, to nuclear, to coal, to solar struggled to generate power during the February storm. Yet some prominent Texas Republicans during and after the storm blamed the widespread outages on frozen wind turbines. Targeting renewable energy is not new for the Texas Legislature, but lawmakers have revamped their attacks on the sector after Februarys power outages left millions without electricity for days. Johnson ended up voting in favor of SB 3, which has now been referred to the House as it takes up a series of related, standalone bills. Johnson has said he ultimately voted in favor of SB 3 because there are more positives in the legislation than negatives. He also voted in favor of Senate Bill 2, legislation that would reform the governance of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the states main power grid. On Tuesday, a relatively mild spring day, ERCOT asked Texans to conserve power as it struggled to keep with demand as a high number of power plants were offline for maintenance. And the operators early summer assessment found that a combination of a severe drought, heat wave and low winds could lead to more power outages later this year. Among the legislative reforms of ERCOT is a provision that would alter who can represent power generators in their seat on ERCOTs board of directors. Currently, any generator has been able to become the sole representative of independent Texas power generators on the ERCOT board, so long as they are a member of the ERCOT market. READ ALSO: ERCOT asks Texans to conserve power, but says outages not expected as it nears emergency conditions SB 2 says the board member representing independent power generators has to own and control more than 5% of installed capacity in the ERCOT market. That means only the largest energy companies, which are oil and gas firms such as NRG and Vistra Corp., would qualify. No renewable energy companies meet the Senate bills threshold. It looks like some sort of culture war thing fossil fuels versus renewables, said Michael Webber, energy resources professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Which is a false choice. You can have both. The oil and gas industry is politically powerful in the state and donates immensely to politicians, including more than $5.1 million in the 2020 election cycle to Texas state House and Senate candidates, according to data from the nonprofit National Institute on Money in Politics compiled by Rice University expert Mark Jones. More than 25,000 megawatts of natural gas generation, enough to power 5 million Texas homes, went down during the storm, along with around 17,000 megawatts of wind generation, according to ERCOT. Natural gas is the largest source of generation on Texas grid, especially during the winter. Yet during various hearings in February and March about the outages, lawmakers spent relatively little time questioning natural gas production and transportation executives. During the February storm, the states gas industry regulators quickly launched a campaign defending the sector, spurred on through emails, tweets and public statements. Many including myself have warned for years about the dangers of relying too heavily on unreliable, intermittent forms of electric generation like wind and solar to meet the energy needs for 30 million Texans, Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian wrote in his newsletter to supporters Feb. 17. Earlier this month, one Republican lawmaker took a swipe at the renewables industry. Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park introduced an amendment which eventually failed on to a jobs training bill for military veterans that would have eliminated wind and solar energy jobs from the program. Oil and gas is king in Texas, Cain said in early April on the House floor. We want to make sure they have the best jobs... I happen to think the best jobs are not in wind power and solar. But as Texas leaders try to protect natural gas and target renewable energy, big businesses have entered the legislative fight. Some corporations such as Amazon, Google and JP Morgan that have already invested in Texas have come out in opposition to the legislation that would shift the financial burden of ancillary services to renewable energy. Those companies are among many corporate giants to tell Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan in a letter that the cost of ensuring power is continuously generated should be covered by all energy sources, not just renewables. Companies want to move to Texas and one of the opportunities is to contract for renewable and cheap power, said Jeff Clark, Texas-based president of the pro-renewables group Advanced Power Alliance. Disclosure: Advanced Power Alliance, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Rice University and University of Texas at Austin 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. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. In her 21 years as a member in the state House and Senate, Karen Carter Peterson has cast, literally, tens of thousands of votes on legislation. In a state as conservative as Louisiana, but from a liberal district in New Orleans, Petersons career has been much like Sisyphus, the Greek mythology figure forever pushing uphill a huge boulder of liberal legislation. Ive been fighting for progressive causes and had a progressive vision since the day I was elected. And Ive been unabashed and unapologetic in my stance on progressive issues, Peterson said. She sponsored legislation to increase the minimum wage and to help close the pay gap between women and men. She supported other legislators that tried to do the same. But both issues have been non-starters in a conservative Legislature that often sides with business interests. She says she realizes the place to tackle such issues is in Washington, D.C. Thats something I hope to do in Congress and work with colleagues there, Peterson said. +5 To replace Cedric Richmond, Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson in runoff; Gary Chambers falls just short Troy Carter led the field but will face Karen Carter Peterson in a runoff after the two Democratic state senators from New Orleans won the top Peterson, 51, is facing fellow state Sen. Troy Carter, also a Democrat from New Orleans, in Saturdays runoff to replace Cedric Richmond in the U.S. House of Representatives. Richmond left his 2nd Congressional District seat to take a job in the President Joe Bidens administration. A Republican legislature in 2011 drew the 2nd Districts lines to include as many Black voters as possible. The 10-parish district covers much of New Orleans, but mostly east of City Park; parts of Jefferson Parish, including Kenner; then strings up the Mississippi River, sometimes only one precinct deep; to include the minority communities around the State Capitol and in north Baton Rouge. About 61% of the districts registered voters are Black and 63% are Democrats. More than 56% of the districts voters are women, the highest share of any district in the state. In Congress, Peterson said she will push for the universal health care plan known as Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage it's currently $7.25 and a Green New Deal that she said would turbocharge the state's nascent renewable energy industry. Petersons positions in the hierarchy of both the state and national Democratic party apparatus will help her in Washington, said supporter Donna Brazile, a Kenner native who is former Democratic National Committee chair and now is a well-known political commentator. Shell be able to pick up the phone and get through to Democratic officials who already know her from her work with the party, Brazile said. Peterson would likely align with traditional Democrats, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, than liberal firebrands, like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York. She would still be the most liberal representative Louisiana ever sent to Congress, Brazile predicted. Karen Carter Peterson once helped elect a Republican speaker; here's how it happened Karen Carter Peterson is attacking Troy Carter for not renouncing support from an outside Republican group backing him in the congressional ra Peterson and Carter have similar records in the state Legislature. Both backed out of a scheduled debate Monday to participate in legislative votes. Their legislative differences are nuanced. Sometimes that requires not just offense but defense, particularly during the Jindal years, Peterson said in an interview recently. I was one of the folks who stood on the front lines against some of the egregious budgets, sometimes I was the only senator to vote against those budgets that cut higher education that cut higher education, healthcare, closed mental health hospitals and underfunded senior programs. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up In the Legislature, Peterson has pushed LGBTQ rights and tried to short circuit a constitutional amendment that forbids same sex marriage in Louisiana. She has been one of the consistent red lights voting against the dozens of bills that increased restrictions on abortion and also endangered the funding of clinics that focused on womens health, like Planned Parenthood. But Carter often joined Peterson in the small cadre opposing anti-abortion measures that overwhelmingly passed the Legislature. Louisiana congressional candidates ignore income disclosure Nearly all the candidates vying for Louisiana's two vacant U.S. House seats have failed to file a required federal financial disclosure form d She sponsored a measure in 2018, which never got a vote by the full Senate, to set an 18-year-old legal limit on marriage that would end an age-old Southern practice of teen-aged brides wedding older men. Peterson also weighed in on New Orleans wants. She sponsored and pushed into law a way to navigate New Orleans public schools from state control back to local authority. She redirected a portion of the money collected on rental cars, about $40,000, to the citys Black chamber of commerce. In 2019 she pushed to passage legislation to move Regional Transit Authority, which runs the citys buses and streetcars, out of the states retirement system Peterson has never been shy about voicing her opinion at the State Capitol. One time she described, to his face, how little she trusted the business communitys chief lobbyist, Stephen Waguespack, a former Jindal aide and head of the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry. And over the years, Peterson has weighed in on some of the Legislatures more attention-grabbing bills. +4 Karen Carter Peterson isn't afraid of confrontation: 'Karen always punches up, never down' In a speech during an April 2000 visit to New Orleans, President Bill Clinton singled out Karen Carter Peterson, then a 30-year-old, newly min She voted to outlaw cockfighting, popular in some areas of the state. She voted against criminalizing droopy drawers for teenagers who allowed their pants to slide down and expose their underwear, even though it was sponsored by a fellow member of the New Orleans delegation and had attracted national attention. She sided with the states small dairies, which feared that a single instance of illness caused by unpasteurized milk would drive them into bankruptcy and voted against a brace of millennial mothers seeking pure food for their children in an aggressive campaign to allow Louisiana consumers to buy raw milk. When the state Senate overhauled legislation that initially would have reviewed with an eye towards ending them by 2017 nearly every sales tax exemption and turned the effort into a study commission, Peterson lashed out against her colleagues on the chamber floor. We just lack the courage to do what we need to do. They ask us to keep studying because it impacts business. We know it impacts business. It also impacts working families. Whats the harm in making everyone come to the table and prove their value? Peterson told her colleagues before casting the lone no vote against the measure. I believe my values are completely with the people of the 2nd Congressional district, Peterson says. Many of the people in the district, most of them, cant afford a lobbyist and I have been their chief advocate. Government has announced a ramping up of efforts to protect Ghana's water bodies from the activities of small scale miners. The renewed efforts include the enforcement of the ban on mining on water bodies across the country. This was announced by Water and Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah at the start of a national tour of water bodies. Minister Abena Dapaah was joined on the tour by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and other key government functionaries. The delegation first visited the Sekyere Hemang water treatment plant that supplies water to large parts of the Central Region before heading to examine the Daboase water treatment plant that supplies water to parts of the Western and Central Regions. Speaking to journalists on Monday, April 19, 2021, Mrs Dapaah said the tour forms part of government's collaborative efforts to systematically root out illegal small scale mining and restore the sanctity of water bodies in the country. She disclosed that government is embarking on several water projects but the intake points of these water bodies have been compromised by activities of illegal miners stressing that as a result, government has tasked Regional Security Councils to move in and help clamp down on illegal mining in these areas. The Minister used the opportunity to appeal to chiefs and other traditional leaders within these areas to support government in stamping out the galamsey menace. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Derek Chauvin now faces up to 75 years behind bars after being found guilty on all charges in George Floyd's death. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin faces a minimum sentence of 12.5 years and maximum of 40 years if he serves terms for each charge concurrently. If served consecutively, he faces between 29 and 75 years. The jury returned its verdict on Tuesday afternoon after just 10 and a half hours of deliberation. As the verdict was read out Chauvin looked on silently in the Hennepin County courtroom where jurors spent three weeks listening to testimony about the day Floyd died under the weight of the 46-year-old cop's knee during an arrest on May 25, 2020. Scroll down for video Derek Chauvin is pictured in court on Tuesday as the jury found him guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd Derek Chauvin is seen above being led away in handcuffs after the guilty verdicts were reached Tuesday Second-degree murder - GUILTY Possible sentence: 12.5 to 40 years The second-degree murder charge required prosecutors to prove Chauvin caused Floyd's death while committing or trying to commit a felony in this case, third-degree assault. Prosecutors had to convince the jury that Chauvin assaulted or attempted to assault Floyd and in doing so inflicted substantial bodily harm. Prosecutors did not have to prove Chauvin was the sole cause of Floyd's death - only that his conduct was a 'substantial causal factor'. Second degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, but because Chauvin does not have any prior convictions sentencing guidelines recommend he serve 12.5 years. Second-degree manslaughter - GUILTY Possible sentence: Four to 10 years The manslaughter charge has a lower bar, requiring proof that Chauvin caused Floyd's death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk, and consciously took the chance of causing severe injury or death. Second degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison - sentencing guidelines for someone without a criminal record call for no more than four years behind bars. Third-degree murder - GUILTY Possible sentence: 12.5 to 25 years Third-degree murder required a lower standard of proof than second-degree. To win a conviction, prosecutors needed to show only that Floyd's death was caused by an act that was obviously dangerous, though not necessarily a felony. Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years but because Chauvin has no criminal history he would likely end up serving about 12.5. Chauvin, 45, was accused of killing Floyd by pinning his knee on the 46-year-old black man's neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as he lay face-down in handcuffs after being detained for using an alleged counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes The Vanuata island tribe who worship Prince Philip as a God have told how they believe his spirit will return home to their island and will bring peace and harmony to the world. Tonight's documentary, Prince Philip: God Of Our Island, which airs on More 4 at 10pm, is an 'alternative obituary' of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died last Friday aged 99, and is told by the Yaohnanen tribesmen on Tanna, a remote island in the South Pacific. The 400-strong community believe that after his death, Philip's spirit will return home to their island, and will bring peace and harmony to the world. The film follows their five ambassadors - who came to the UK to meet Prince Philip in 2007 as part of Channel 4's Meet The Natives - on a pilgrimage around their island, as they prepare the island for Philip's return. 'People may say that we're crazy,' says Albi. 'But that makes me believe he'll come home even more.' The Vanuata island tribe who worship Prince Philip as a God have told how they believe his spirit will return home to their island and will bring peace and harmony to the world. Pictured, holding a photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh Recalling a meeting with Charles, one of the tribesman explains: 'I told him that we are giving you this rod and telling you that the chiefs who foretold your Father's prophecy are dead. He shook my hand and said: "Thank you. I almost missed what I came for. It's a special mission isn't it."' Pictured, Prince Charles meeting the tribe The tribe believe that Tanna and England were once the same island. 'When they broke apart, things started to go wrong for you on the other side of the world,' explains one tribesman. 'So our God of the volcano sent his son on a special mission to try to help you in England. 'You, the people of England, have always been told that Prince Philip was born in Greece, then he came to your country to join the navy where he met your young Queen.' 'But we believe that Prince Philip is a spirit, born in Tanna, who was sent to England to bring peace, unity and harmony to the world.' A member of the tribe can be seen heading deep into the forest and says: 'Every year we plant new yams which grow new shoots that keep Prince Philip's spirit alive.' Pictured, the yam plants It is the tribe's belief that Prince Philip and the yam plant are one defined being which keeps all of us alive. Pictured, the yam plants Now he has died, the tribe believe it's time for that prophecy to be fulfilled. 'All happiness comes from Him,' says one tribe member, while another enthuses: 'I love Him so much...I pray for my life to connect to His.' A third adds: 'He's the spirit and he's the son of our god. Everyone believes in him and his name is Prince Philip.' In 2007, five of the tribe members were invited to travel to England to meet Prince Philip as part of Channel 4 documentary, 'Meet the natives.' The tribe (pictured) believe that Prince Philip is a spirit, born in Tanna, who was sent to England to bring peace, unity and harmony to the world During the trip, they took the opportunity to deliver a special message to the Duke of Edinburgh - with the chiefs wanting to know if the pawpaw was ripe yet or not - which was their way of knowing whether Prince Philip's spirit was ready to return home to the island. Recalling the experience, one tribesman says: 'I asked him, is the pawpaw ripe or not?' He answered: 'Whether the pawpaw is ripe or not, go and tell Chief Kwia that now it is cold...when it is warm...I will send a message.' 'My heart rejoices that He is returning to Tanna,' exclaims one,' while another explains: 'The prophecy states that when Prince Philip's work is over in England, He will come back to Tanna. The fish will leap from the sea, the harvest will never fail and we will all live forever.' During their pilgrimage, the tribe are met with some resistance from those who have abandoned the traditional ways, actively rejecting Western lifestyles and Christianity (pictured) Keen to share one message with those who no longer believers, a member of the tribe recalled a recent meeting with Prince Charles Vanuata island tribe devises day of rituals to mark Prince Philip's death The tribesmen and women on the South Pacific island of Tanna in Vanuatu will mourn by dancing, speeches and the ceremonial drinking of the native plant kava, according to an expert on the culture. The group - who believe Prince Philip is their god and the incarnation of a volcano spirit - could also anoint his son Prince Charles as his successor. Australian Museum research associate Kirk Huffman is considered an authority on what is known as the Prince Philip Movement - a group based in villages in the south-western part of the island of Tanna in southern Vanuatu. He said followers all speak a language called Navhaal - which is only spoken by approximately 4,500 people worldwide - just a few hundred people are associated with the Philip Movement. He added: 'Those in the movement have been very saddened to hear about his death. 'As soon as the messages about his death came they had meetings. 'They got leaders, important people from two, possibly three different factions of the group together at a meeting to sort out how they're going to deal with the funerary situation. 'They held funerary speeches last weekend. There may be special dances. 'Dancing there is a highly-respected form of saying something powerful, and there may be some that have already gone on. 'There may be a periodic display of some of the movement's Prince Philip memorabilia - photographs, letters, that sort of thing. There'll also be more periodic speeches by various traditional leaders there.' However, possibly the most important element of the funerary rituals will be evening sessions of the men of the group drinking kava - an infusion made from the root of a pepper plant. Mr Huffman describes the drinking of kava as a 'sacred activity', which is the 'liquid key that opens the door between the material world and the non-material world'. He said: 'Through the medium of kava, one can pass messages back and forth between those worlds. 'Traditionally, the purpose of drinking kava is to ensure the continuity of life as it should be. 'Through the use of kava, you can get better rain, better sun, better crop fertility, all sorts of things. Because you put these requests into the world through the kava. 'There'll be that same sort of thing in Tanna for Philip's spirit. There'll be messages and ideas being sent and received, that will be very important.' Mr Huffman explained that, in traditional religions throughout the region of Melanesia - which consists of Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea - death is merely considered the end of someone's physical form, with their spiritual form persisting. He continued: 'Your spirit form can recycle. You can be reincarnated. It can wander around, it can come out years later in another person. 'So from the point of view of the people of the movement, (Philip) is originally from Tanna.' Advertisement 'These days we have plenty of food and our life is good. 'Why then do we really need Prince Philip?' asks one person, to which another replies: 'The goodness we are experiencing is a gift from someone else and that someone who is greater than all of us, is Prince Philip. 'That's the story we are delivering to the people everywhere. He is the ending of the story and only He has the final word.' A further member of the tribe can then be seen heading deep into the forest and says: 'Here we grow the sacred yam plant that we worship. 'Every year we plant new yams which grow new shoots that keep Prince Philip's spirit alive. This yam propagates the next one, which then produces new yams. Meaning that He can never really die because the yam spirit is eternal.' It is the tribe's belief that Prince Philip and the yam plant are one defined being which 'keeps all of us alive.' During the pilgrimage, the tribe pass through the mountains where they believe the spirit of Prince Philip was born before he left for the coast. At last they arrive at the coast where Prince Philip left for England to marry the Queen - it's also where he's said to have returned some 50 years later. Now, many years later, the human form of Prince Philip has died, and the tribe believe he has finally sent them his sign. 'This is the pawpaw I asked about in the castle,' explains the tribesman, cutting it from the plant. 'The one that Philip told me about. And now it is ripe!' Believing the time is right for the Duke of Edinburgh's spirit to return to Tanna, the five of them embark on a pilgrimage across their island in a bid to share the good news with everyone they meet. In the 1970s, the Royal Britannia was on the tour of the south pacific when it sailed past our island. 'Our grandfather saw Prince Philip on board, lit up by the sun. 'It was that moment which confirmed to us he really is defined.' A tribesmen who witnessed it happen, explains: 'My father, Kehma, told me His kava here. Philip's ship was due to pass our island. 'Dad said He will come here to drink kava at night. As I prepared the kava, Prince Philip shone a search light from His ship. His spirit came ashore, drank the kava and went back to His ship. So He drank the kava and left!' However, during their pilgrimage, the tribe are met with some resistance from those who have abandoned the traditional ways, many of the villagers still live the 'kustom' way of life, actively rejecting Western lifestyles and Christianity, and continue to worship their Gods. Keen to share one message with those who no longer believers, a member of the tribe explains: 'Recently, Prince Charles visited our islands. 'The High Commissioner contacted me from the Embassy. He said it's vital Charles meets us five ambassadors who met his Father in England. I was already in Port Vila, so I went to give Prince Charles a message on behalf of us all.' He continues: 'On his arrival he shook hands with me and I told him that we are giving you this rod and telling you that the chiefs who foretold your Father's prophecy are dead. He shook my hand and said: "Thank you. I almost missed what I came for. It's a special mission isn't it."' 'Charles accepted from me the story about his Father. He will keep our faith alive. Prince Charles.' During the meeting on April 19 in the format of a videoconference, the political advisers of the Normandy Four discussed the creation of French-German clusters for the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the observance of the ceasefire in Donbas, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for Donbas Oleksiy Reznikov said. "Without breaching confidentiality of the negotiations, I will say two main subjects that were discussed and announced by President [Volodymyr] Zelensky in Paris. Today, clusters were discussed as a way to implement the Minsk agreements and to ensure the real and full compliance with the ceasefire," Reznikov told Interfax-Ukraine. He also said that "the negotiations of the political advisers took place in a constructive working atmosphere." "My impression from today's meeting of the Normandy format political advisers is that there was an absolutely working atmosphere, without any special or unnecessary emotions. Therefore, I respect the masculinity of our mediators, the representatives of Germany and France, who sometimes have to restrain the likelihood of increased emotions, to be patient. These are good intermediaries, they are friends of Ukraine," he said. MINNEAPOLIS - Lavish Metger had to be here. The 28-year-old had spent the past two months vacationing in Colombia, far from the bitter cold we Jubilee Party Vice Chair David Murathe has sensationally claimed that Deputy President William Ruto made some disparaging remarks about Uhuru Kenyatta that likely caused the pairs reported fallout. Speaking on Inooro TV Sunday night, April 18, Murathe said that Ruto allegedly called Uhuru a drunkard at the height of the 2017 re-election campaign. According to Murathe, intelligence agents relayed Rutos remarks to Uhuru Kenyatta, which may have caused a rift between the Jubilee leaders. There is a day Ruto spoke in his native language and told his supporters to vote for Uhuru because as he drinks, I will be running the government, Murathe said. It was during the funeral of the late Mark Too. The government always has a way of knowing some of these things. I suspect that was one of the reasons Uhuru decided to sideline Ruto was this statement, he added. At the same time, Murathe accused Ruto of insulting the president by claiming that the Jubilee Party was run by people who are hardly sober. He should stop hiding behind us (officials). He is the deputy party leader and above him is the party leader, there are a number of officials who are above me so when he insults people like Murathe, how can a vice chairman be calling the shots, those insults are directed at someone else, Murathe claimed. According to Kenyans.co.ke, source from the DPs camp refused to respond to Murathes allegations. We have serious priorities as hustler nation, the cabal that is ever drunk is not one of them, said the source. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A group of 46 nations called Tuesday on member states of the global chemical weapons watchdog to diplomatically rebuke Syria for using toxic gas and nerve agents in the country's decade-long civil war. French Ambassador Luis Vassy proposed stripping Syria of its voting rights at the annual meeting of members of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. We owe this to the Syrian people, Vassy said. The proposal, which has support from countries that include the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, is expected to be put to a vote Wednesday morning. Vassy said Syria's use of prohibited chemical weapons was irrefutable, and he urged OPCW member states to back his attempt to strip Damascus of its rights, saying we cannot let indifference win. Syria, which joined the organization in 2013 after being threatened with airstrikes in response to a chemical attack on the outskirts of the country's capital, denounced the move as a propaganda tool and denied using chemical weapons. Damascus' staunch ally, Russia, also condemned the proposal, with Ambassador Alexander Shulgin saying it violated the Chemical Weapons Convention and turns the OPCW into an instrument of political pressure on behalf of the U.S. and their allies against those states that are disagreeable to them. The U.S. permanent representative to the OPCW, Joseph Manso, rejected that claim, saying Damascus is facing accountability because Syria has clearly and repeatedly violated its obligations under the convention. After joining the OPCW, Syria declared its stockpile of chemical weapons and precursor chemicals, which were then removed from the country. Questions have remained, however, about chemicals and production facilities that may not have been identified. An investigation mechanism set up by the OPCW has twice blamed Syrian government forces for chemical attacks. Last week, the organization said its investigative team found reasonable grounds to believe that a Syrian air force military helicopter dropped a chlorine cylinder on a Syrian town in 2018, sickening 12 people. Story continues The team found last year reasonable grounds to believe that the Syrian Arab Air Force was responsible for attacks using chlorine and the nerve agent sarin in March 2017 in the town of Latamneh. The investigative team was established after Russia blocked the extension of a joint investigation mechanism set up by the United Nations and OPCW in 2015. That team accused Syria of chemical weapons attacks, including unleashing sarin in an aerial attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed about 100 people. Meanwhile, a group of Syrians living in Sweden have joined with an international human rights organization to file a criminal complaint against the Syrian government for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In a statement, they said the government used sarin gas against civilians in 2013 and 2017 and that hundreds were killed and many more received serious injuries, including children. Syrian victims and civil society organizations Civil Rights Defenders, Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Syrian Archive and the Open Society Justice Initiative brought the criminal complaint. The government has strategically used chemical weapons as a tool to wear out the civilian population living in opposition-controlled areas and to suppress any resistance against the regime, said Aida Samani, a legal adviser at Civil Rights Defenders. It is unacceptable that those responsible for these heinous attacks are enjoying absolute impunity. ___ Associated Press writer Jan M. Olsen contributed to this report from Copenhagen, Denmark. After three years of bans, it seems Muslims in the region remain fearful of being branded extremist. Uyghur men make their way past a subway entrance after Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of Ramadan, at the Id Kah mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang, June 5, 2019. Restrictions on fasting during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan have eased in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in recent years, but residents continue to refrain from doing so, according to local authorities, suggesting a lingering fear of being branded an extremist and marked for detention. For years, Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the XUAR have been prohibited from fully observing Ramadan due to religious persecution and restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, which has in many cases banned civil servants, students and teachers from fasting during the holy month. In certain areas of the region, access to mosques is more tightly controlled and restaurants are ordered to remain open, while Uyghur retirees are often forced to pledge ahead of Ramadan that they wont fast or pray to set an example for the wider community and to assume responsibility for ensuring others also refrain. During last years April 23 to May 23 Ramadan, RFA learned that authorities in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefectures Makit (Maigaiti)a county in which some 83 percent of the population is Uyghurhad informed residents that they were required to turn in any friends or relatives who took part in fasting. Residents were told that that they could face punishment for fasting, including being sent to one of the XUARs vast network of internment camps, where authorities are believed to have held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities since April 2017. RFA also spoke with an official in Kashgars Peyziwat (Jiashi) county at the time who said his township had instituted mandatory attendance at a daily dawn flag raising ceremony, as well as evening political studies, as part of a bid to prevent residents from fasting because those are the only times of the day that they are allowed to eat, according to Muslim tradition. While investigating the situation in the region during this years Ramadan, observed between April 12 to May 12, RFA spoke with representatives of government offices, including religious affairs and United Front officesmany of whom, as in previous years, refused to answer questions related to restrictions. However, RFA recently contacted a police officer in Toqquzaq (Tuokezhake) township, in Kashgars Kona Sheher (Shufu) county, who said that restrictions on fasting had eased in his region since 2020, after having been strictly banned for three consecutive years. Free to fast or not Speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal, he said that meetings about Ramadan are always being held at his police station, with authorities informing the public to stay far away from religious extremism and not to believe rumors but to trust in the party and government. But amid the propaganda work, he said, residents were being told that people can fast if they want to, while those who prefer not to dont have a religious responsibility to do so, suggesting that they have been given a choice. [They say] its fine for people to practice religion at the lawful place where religious activities are allowed, and that we have never restricted anything, he said, apparently referring to government-sanctioned places of worship. They told people they can fast if they want now that its Ramadan, that they are free to fast or not, and that they can practice religion at religious activities and gatherings. According to the police officer, restrictions on Ramadan were the toughest for the three consecutive years beginning in 2017, prior to which the influence of religious extremists had been so widespread that restaurants throughout his county were completely closed during the holy month, and nearly 100 percent of people were fasting, posing a major threat to national security. But despite his claim that restrictions had eased beginning in 2020, the same police officer noted that he has yet to see anyone fasting in his region since then, suggesting that Uyghurs continue to live in an environment of fear. I havent sensed that [people are fasting] at all I havent come across a single person that Ive thought is fasting, he said. Many people have become very disgusted by religious extremism and they worry about being seen and counted as an extremist. No such thing as fasting A resident of Kashgars neighboring Yengisheher (Shule) county seemed to confirm that Uyghurs didnt dare fast this year for fear of drawing the attention of authorities, adding that he and his relatives were unaware of when Ramadan would even be observed in 2021. Oh, notheres no such thing now, said the resident, who also declined to be named, when asked if he was fasting for Ramadan. I know neither when Ramadan is starting nor when it ends. Im going to and from work in the early mornings, so Im completely unaware, OK? Observers have noted that when Chinese authorities find themselves under heavy pressure from the global community over abuses in the XUAR, they often attempt to avoid criticism by temporarily lifting and easing some restrictions in the region. Such measures are used to set an artificial stageparticularly prior to the arrival of international observers and investigators to the XUAR. While it might be the case that authorities intend to stage such an environment in Toqquzaq and elsewhere in the region, reports suggest that residents have become so fearful of being branded an extremist that they may ultimately be unable to do so. Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by the Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Advertisement Demolition crews have pulled down the notorious Florida mansion where sex offender and financier Jeffery Epstein sexually assaulted young girls. Developer Todd Michael Glaser purchased the sprawling Palm Beach estate for $18.5million last month and he sighed 'finally' as the first bulldozers began raising the house of horrors to the ground on Monday. Glaser, who has previously said it would be personally satisfying to tear down the mansion due to its horrific history, said he plans to replace it with a 14,000-square-foot 'Art Moderne home'. Breaking his rule not to comment publicly on his deals, Lawrence Moens, a Palm Beach real estate broker who represented Glaser, told the Palm Beach Daily News: 'I only got involved in the sale of Jeffrey Epstein's residence to ensure it would be wiped off the map of Palm Beach.' On Monday, a large yellow digger was seen clawing at the walls and tearing out chunks of the luxury mansion - where Epstein forced school girls to massage him, sometimes in their underwear or naked. The property, which has stood since 1952 and was bought by Epstein in 1990, includes a main house, a pool cabana building and another staff house - all of which are being demolished. The swimming pool is also being destroyed and filled in. Demolition crews on Monday pulled down the notorious Florida mansion where sex offender and financier Jeffery Epstein sexually assaulted young girls Developer Todd Michael Glaser, who purchased the sprawling Palm Beach estate for $18.5million last month, sighed 'finally' as the first bulldozers began raising the house of horrors to the ground Work crews stood by as the yellow digger tore down chunks of the home on Monday On Monday, a large yellow digger was seen clawing at the luxury mansion where he forced school girls to massage him - sometimes in their underwear or naked - and tearing it down in large chunks The waterfront Palm Beach estate (bottom right), just over a mile from Donald Trump 's Mar-a-Lago, went on the market in July for $21.995 million. Last month, Mr Glaser bought the property for a discounted price of $18.5 million The waterfront Palm Beach estate, just over a mile from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, went on the market in July for $21.995 million. Last month, Glaser bought the property for a discounted price of $18.5 million. Epstein, 66, killed himself in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges Epstein's property had been locked up for over 18 months, since the sex offender's arrest, and has been graffitied with the words with the words 'GONE BUT NOT FORGIVEN' in blood-red paint. Glaser had to ask permission from neighbors before razing the six-bedroom main house and three-bedroom staff house. Such a request was necessary because of the pricey nature of the posh enclave, which usually prohibits such demolition projects during the winter months, when wealthy snowbirds flock to so-called Billionaires Row for its warm climate, white sandy beaches and palatial homes. Epstein, 66, killed himself in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges that alleged he abused women and girls under the age 18 at the Florida estate and his Manhattan mansion in the early 2000s. He bought the property in 1990 for $2.5 million and used it to allegedly abuse scores of victims. Brad Edwards, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who represents around 50 clients who say they were abused by Epstein, described the demolition as 'symbolic'. 'I think that the symbolic power of destroying the house of horrors cannot be overstated,' he said. 'I can imagine there is going to be some amount of relief that the nightmare of what went on in the house [has] been buried to some degree.' Glaser, the developer who has previously said it would be personally satisfying to tear down the mansion due to its horrific history, said he plans to replace it with a 14,000-square-foot 'Art Moderne home' Huge trucks were brought in to remove the debris from the demolition, which was overseen by developer Todd Michael Glaser Mr Glaser previously said it would be personally satisfying to tear down the mansion and replace it with a 14,000-square-foot 'Art Moderne home' A large yellow digger was seen clawing at the luxury mansion where he forced school girls to massage him - sometimes in their underwear or naked - and tearing it down in large chunks The property, which has stood since 1952 and was bought by Epstein in 1990, includes a main house, a pool cabana building and another staff house - all of which are being demolished. The swimming pool is also being destroyed and filled in. Pictured: One of the bedrooms in the main house is partially destroyed Epstein bought the property in 1990 for $2.5 million and used it to allegedly abuse scores of victims. Pictured: One of the bedrooms in the main house in the process of being demolished Brad Edwards, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who represents around 50 clients who say they were abused by Epstein, said the demolition is 'symbolic'. Pictured: The upstairs hallway of Epstein's mansion is in the process of being demolished The nine-bedroom roughly 14,000-square-foot house with a large swimming pool was designed by architect John Volk in what is described as West Indies style. The pool is going to be demolished and filled in Epstein was accused of abusing a number of school girls at the property which was left empty for 18 months following his arrest. Pictured: The rear exterior of Epstein's home Built in 1952, it was one of a number of properties where Epstein groomed and sexually assaulted underage girls and women as part of a sprawling sex trafficking scheme, prosecutors said. Pictured: The front exterior of the Palm Beach home The house was where the crimes that would eventually lead to his downfall were first reported, in 2005. Pictured: The first floor walkway inside Epstein's home The millionaire financier bought the property in 1990 for $2.5 million, according to records The swimming pool at Epstein's house (pictured prior to demolition work) will also be replaced. The property has roughly 170 feet of water frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway with space for a dock Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach mansion on El Brillo Way where he sexually abused young girls is being knocked down The property has roughly 170 feet of water frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway with space for a dock. The nine-bedroom roughly 14,000-square-foot house with a large swimming pool was designed by architect John Volk in what is described as West Indies style. Built in 1952, it was one of a number of properties where Epstein groomed and sexually assaulted underage girls and women as part of a sprawling sex trafficking scheme, prosecutors said. The house was where the crimes that would eventually lead to his downfall were first reported in 2005. Epstein had been recruiting underage girls for 'massages' from Palm Beach high school and one eventually confessed to her mother what was going on, who then went to the police. The girls would be hired to massage Epstein in their underwear or totally naked. Often the massages progressed to sexual touching as Epstein allegedly used vibrators on the girls and masturbated. He paid them $200-$300 a time with another $200 going to other schoolgirls who recruited them to go to mansion on Palm Beach's El Brillo Way. Dozens of victims were underprivileged middle and high school girls recruited in and around Palm Beach County between 1998 and 2006. Epstein had been recruiting underage girls for 'massages' from Palm Beach high school, and one eventually confessed to her mother what was going on, who then went to the police. Pictured: The house has 170 feet of water frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway and space for a private dock Dozens of victims were underprivileged middle and high school girls recruited in and around Palm Beach County between 1998 and 2006. Pictured: The rear balcony of Epstein's Florida home Epstein had been recruiting underage girls for 'massages' from Palm Beach high school, and one eventually confessed to her mother what was going on, who then went to the police. Pictured: The master bathroom features a marble bath Reiter, who led the initial investigations of the alleged sexual abuse at the South Florida mansion, added: 'While it is critical that we learn from this tragedy, it is nearly as important that we follow with doing everything possible to erase any connection of him from our community. Pictured: The master bedroom in Epstein's home is laid bare before being demolished Police raided the waterfront mansion on October 20, 2005, and found a fully equipped dentist's chair, a close-up photographs of young girls' backsides and a naked snap of his then girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Pictured: The now sparse kitchen that belonged to Epstein Eventually Epstein pleaded guilty to a single charge of soliciting an under-age prostitute in 2008 under a sweetheart deal which saw him serve just 13 months in prison and required him to register as a sex offender. Pictured: The mansion's backyard The sweetheart deal stirred up a lot of controversy after Epstein's lawyers negotiated with federal prosecution to allow him to plead to prostitution charges - which kept the victims in the dark. Pictured: The West exterior of Epstein's former home After his conviction, Epstein continued living high-life and would jet between his homes in Palm Beach, his Manhattan Upper East Side townhouse, Paris, his New Mexico ranch and a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St James which were also venues for abuse. Pictured: The pool outside of the property is to be demolished and filled in One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts, claims that Ghislaine Maxwell brought her to the Florida mansion to teach her how to perform massages. She said they ended up in sexual activity. Pictured: One of four bedrooms which is now bare in Epstein's former mansion Candles are pictured on the sink of the master bathroom of Epstein's Palm Beach home on Monday Epstein pleaded guilty to a single charge of soliciting under-age prostitution in 2008 under a sweetheart deal after the allegations emerged. The deal saw him serve just 13 months in prison and required him to register as a sex offender - but only in some states. The 'sweetheart deal of the century' stirred up a lot of controversy after Epstein's lawyers negotiated with federal prosecution to allow him to avoid federal sex trafficking charges and plead guilty to letter state prostitution charges - which kept the victims in the dark. While serving just 13 months in jail, Epstein was allowed to go to his office daily and he paid financial settlements to victims. In a major blow for Epstein's victims, the U.S. Appeals Court ruled against a victim who wanted to hold the government to account for the deal which allowed Epstein to leave prison early and abuse further girls. 'Because of the way the court had ruled, they have created essentially what is a loophole large enough to literally drive a truck through,' Spencer Kuvin, an attorney in West Palm Beach, told CBS 12. 'It's incredibly upsetting what they've done,' he said. The deal came after police raided the waterfront mansion on October 20, 2005, and found a fully equipped dentist's chair, a close-up photographs of young girls' backsides and a naked snap of his then girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Video obtained by DailyMail.com in 2016 of the police raid showed dozens of pictures including one of a child aged no more than six or seven bending over in a tiny dress which was considered so bad that authorities blurred it out in the video adorned the walls. A dark-haired girl who appears to be around 15 poses in a tiny black bikini on the wall directly above a totally nude girl lying on a beach. Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, who was Epstein's girlfriend at the time of the raid, features in many of the pictures including one where she too is outstretched naked on a beach. Maxwell has been accused of procuring young girls for Epstein's pleasure. Police raided the waterfront mansion on October 20, 2005, and found a fully equipped dentist's chair, a close-up photographs of young girls' backsides and a naked snap of his then girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell A small teddy bear (left) was seen sitting on a night stand next to what appears to be a replica of a lighthouse while a fully equipped dentist's chair (right) was also found Video obtained by DailyMail.com in 2016 of the police raid showed dozens of pictures including one of a child aged no more than six or seven bending over in a tiny dress which was considered so bad that authorities blurred it out in the video adorned the walls Those pictures and others many focusing on Epstein's fixation with young girls' derrieres are upstairs in and around his bedroom or in the pool house. Downstairs much more innocuous photographs take up nearly every square inch on tables and sideboards. The video, which runs for a little under 54 minutes, shows a fully equipped dentist's cart, complete with what appear to be drills, a lamp and other instruments, in one bathroom. In another, Ghislaine Maxwell's black-and-white portrait hangs above the toilet bowl. On the opposite wall in full color is a young naked girl, back to the camera, running her hands through her hair. A police report lists sex aids, videos, a school transcript, four massage tables and soap-on-a-rope among dozens of items cops seized alongside some of the framed photos of naked girls. The raid on Epstein's home came as cops closed in on him toward the end of a 11-month undercover investigation. That probe started when a woman from West Palm Beach claimed her 14-year-old daughter had been lured to the mansion and ordered to strip to her underwear while she massaged the billionaire financier. One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts, claims that Maxwell brought her to the Florida mansion to teach her how to perform massages. She said they ended up in sexual activity. Roberts claims she had sex with Prince Andrew in three of Epstein's homes his Manhattan mansion, his Palm Beach estate in Florida and, in a group of seven or eight girls, on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands. The Prince has admitted to visiting all three locations but has denied having sex with Roberts. Ghislaine Maxwell's black-and-white portrait hangs above the toilet bowl in one image from the video Epstein's controversial sweetheart deal After police raided Epstein's home in 2005 over allegations he had abused school girls, he pleaded guilty to a single charge of soliciting under-age prostitution in 2008 under a sweetheart deal. The deal saw him serve just 13 months in prison and required him to register as a sex offender - but only in some states. The 'sweetheart deal of the century' stirred up a lot of controversy after Epstein's lawyers negotiated with federal prosecution to allow him to avoid federal sex trafficking charges and plead guilty to letter state prostitution charges - which kept the victims in the dark. While serving just 13 months in jail, Epstein was allowed to go to his office daily and he paid financial settlements to victims. And it remains controversial. On Thursday, in a major blow for Epstein's victims, the U.S. Appeals Court ruled against a victim who wanted to hold the government to account for the deal which allowed Epstein to leave prison early and abuse further girls. 'Because of the way the court had ruled, they have created essentially what is a loophole large enough to literally drive a truck through,' Spencer Kuvin, an attorney in West Palm Beach, told CBS 12. 'It's incredibly upsetting what they've done,' he said. Advertisement Epstein's long-standing maintenance man Juan Alessi said Prince Andrew stayed in the main guest room the 'blue room' - in the Palm Beach mansion. At the time of the raid one bathroom contained soap in the shapes of male and female genitalia. Alessi testified under oath that he set up massage tables for Prince Andrew on a daily basis during an extended stay there, thought to have occurred about 18 years ago. The duke denies the allegations made by Alessi. 'The former owner of this house did unmeasurable damage to the lives of countless children and was able to corrupt the legal system to the point that the courts have called it a national disgrace,' former Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter said. Reiter, who led the initial investigations of the alleged sexual abuse at the South Florida mansion, added: 'While it is critical that we learn from this tragedy, it is nearly as important that we follow with doing everything possible to erase any connection of him from our community.' After his conviction in 2008, Epstein continued living high-life and would jet between his homes in Palm Beach, his Manhattan Upper East Side townhouse, Paris, his New Mexico ranch and a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St James which were also venues for abuse. He was arrested again at Teterboro Airport in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors in New York and Florida and died by suicide in jail a month later. Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, remains jailed on sex-trafficking charges. She has pleaded not guilty, and a trial is set for July. The 59-year-old British socialite is accused of recruiting three girls, one as young as 14, in the 1990s for Epstein to sexually abuse during massage sessions at his New York and Florida homes. Prosecutors later added another sex trafficking charge for a fourth girl, who investigators said was groomed and abused in the early 2000s. The New York townhouse sold in March for $51 million after being listed for $88 million. Federal investigators raided the Manhattan townhouse back in May 2020 and reportedly recovered a locked safe filled with 'piles of cash', diamonds and an expired foreign passport listing Epstein's residence as Saudi Arabia inside. The proceeds of the home sales will go to his estate, which recently created a compensation fund to cover settlements with his many alleged victims. Glaser is known for building extravagantly-designed homes for wealthy and demanding clients, such as a home on Miami's Star Island that recently sold for about $49.5 million. He was also one of the developers of the One Thousand Museum tower designed by the late Zaha Hadid in downtown Miami. In June, Glaser confirmed that he had bought a 1925 mansion in Palm Beach for $17 million, which he intended to 'restore to its former glory', and where he intended to live with his wife, Kim. Glaser has been developing property in the Palm Beach area since 2017. In February, he and partners Philip Levine, Scott Robins and Jonathan Fryd sold a spec home at 113 Atlantic Avenue for $9.41 million to a scion of the family that founded Cumberland Farms, according to The Real Deal. Next door, at 111 Atlantic Avenue, another spec home that the partners developed is under contract and is expected to close in July, Glaser said. The partners also developed two spec villas with a courtyard at 237 Brazilian Avenue in Palm Beach, which recently hit the market for $7.9 million each, the site reported. New Delhi, April 20 : As India announced opening up of Covid 19 vaccination drive for all citizens above the age of 18 amid a surge in cases, industry and business honchos said they expect the situation to come well under control by May-end. Besides vaccination drive, several state governments including Delhi, have already put in place measures to break the chain of transmission. Mahua Venkatesh New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) As India announced opening up of Covid 19 vaccination drive for all citizens above the age of 18 amid a surge in cases, industry and business honchos said they expect the situation to come well under control by May-end. Besides vaccination drive, several state governments including Delhi, have already put in place measures to break the chain of transmission. Industry captains said that there was no need to press the alarm button as both the industry and the medical fraternity are better prepared to handle the situation today than it was last year when the virus was unknown. The Narendra Modi government's announcement to embark on mass vaccination has been a sentiment booster. "The focus now should be on enforcement of regulation, the messaging has to be right-that people collectively need to behave responsibly besides ramping up vaccine production to ensure that sentiments do not get dampened," Deepak Sood, secretary general, Assocham told India Narrative. "The vaccination drive is already and now fear is back in people, so that in a way is good as they will then follow the restrain that is now necessary to break the chain of transmission. We expect things to normalize in the next two months," Sood said, adding that businesses are functioning as usual. Businesses have already made arrangements to continue with normal functioning amid Covid 19. In fact, a high-level delegation comprising senior officials of the Korean Embassy, Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Korea- startup Centre, K-sure, and Korea India Research & Innovation Center (KIRI) even toured Sikkim to explore investment opportunities. Sources said that the delegation may visit other states in the northeast as well in the coming weeks. On Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also assured the industry that there will be no nationwide lockdown. Sharad Kumar Saraf, president, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said that since there is no nationwide lockdown, there is no threat to the exports sector. "Work is going on as schedule and there has been no cancellation of orders," he said. India last year thrashed out a stimulus package of Rs 29.87 lakh crore -- equivalent to 15 per cent of the GDP -- in a bid to contain the impact of the virus on health and economy. "Since there is no nationwide lockdown, there will be no major dent on the economic activities..the restrictions will hit economic activities only peripherally," Saraf said India's Covid situation is worrisome but can be controlled with restrictions and vaccination. Several state governments including Delhi have announced local restrictions and lockdown. India reported 2.56 lakh cases on Monday. While hospitals are crowding up with the surge in cases, the number of deaths on Monday was 1757. The total number of recovered patients stood at 1.54 lakh on Monday. "So going by pure statistics, the situation is not as scary as it is being projected," said a senior executive who is associated with a multinational company. Besides, Covid 19 second wave is not India specific. Several countries are reeling under the second wave. "It is a it is not something which is related to the country's policymaking," a senior executive of a Gurgaon-based multinational firm said. The Covid 19 second wave may temporarily dampen sentiments, but the country's fundamentals over the medium to long term have remained in-tact. In an interview to PTI last week, Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen said that the 21st century is "India's century". "Investors remain upbeat about India, though there has been a surge in Coronavirus cases. Foreign companies that are looking to invest, are looking at India," Deepak Bagla, MD and CEO, Invest India said, adding that several companies are in talks for greenfield as well as brownfield investments. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Flowers, signs and balloons are left near a makeshift memorial to George Floyd near the spot where he died while in custody of the Minneapolis police, on May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota (KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images) George Floyds death at the hands of police offices in Minneapolis last year sparked nationwide protest and led to a renewed outcry for racial justice in the United States. During the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin the country relived the pain and anger caused by the public death of Mr Floyd after the 9 minutes and 29 seconds he spent pinned under the knee of the former police officer. The protests that engulfed the country last summer may have been sparked by Mr Floyds killing, but they were also rooted in a devastating string of Black deaths at the hands of the police. Here, The Independent looks back at some of those shocking killings and what happened to the officers responsible for them. George Floyd Mr Floyd, 46, was arrested by Minneapolis police officers on 25 May 2020, after a Cup Foods employee called 911 and told the police that he had bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Derek Chauvin, who is white, was capture by bystanders on video kneeling on Mr Floyds neck and back as he cried out for his late mother and shouted that he could not breathe. Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter at the end of the trial on 20 April 2021. In Minnesota, second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Third-degree murder is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Chauvin was immediately taken into custody and will be sentenced in early June, eight weeks after his conviction. Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, 35, Thomas Lane, 38, and J Alexander Kueng, 27, all face charges of aiding and abetting Chauvin in second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd. The states attorney generals office will try and add a third-degree murder charge against all three officers in a Minnesota Court of Appeals hearing set for 20 May. They are set to face trial on 23 August after a judge separated their trial from Chauvins because of Covid-19 concerns. Story continues The three officers, who responded to the call on 25 May 2020, could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of aiding and abetting murder. But sentencing guidelines can also reduce that sentence to a maximum of 15 years. All three former officers remain free on $750,000 bail. Breonna Taylor Ms Taylor, 26, was shot at least eight times and killed by police officers during a bungled drugs raid at her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Police said that her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, shot at the three officers entering her home shortly after midnight on 13 March 2020, hitting one of the officers in the leg. No drugs were found in the home and Mr Walker, who is also Black, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer and first degree assault, although the charges were later dropped. The three white officers, Jonathan Matttingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove, were placed on administrative duty as Ms Taylors killing was investigated. In September 2020 a grand jury in the city cleared all three officers of murder, but they were all fired by the police department. Mr Hankison was indicted by the grand jury on three counts of wanton endangerment for endangering the lives of three neighbors by firing bullets. None of the officers face any charges over the actual death of Ms Taylor. Mr Mattingly, who was shot in the leg during the incident, is writing a book giving his version of what happened in the apartment. After a huge backlash, publisher Simon & Schuster said it would not distributeThe Fight for Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy, but it will be released by independent publisher Post Hill Press. Philando Castile Mr Castile, 32, was pulled over by police officer Jeronimo Yanez on July 6 2016 in a suburban of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The police officer said he thought Mr Castile fitted the description of a robbery suspect and approached the car to ask him for his driving license and proof of insurance. Mr Castile told the officer he had gun with him and was ordered not to touch the weapon. Police dashboard camera footage then shows the officer shouting again at Mr Castile to not pull out the weapon before he fired seven shots at him. The officer told investigators that Mr Castile was moving his hand and that he feared for his life and the lives of the cars passengers. Mr Yanez, an officer with the St Anthony Police Department in Minnesota was charged with manslaughter and endangering the lives of the two passengers. At trial in 2017 he was acquitted on all charges but did not return to the police department, which reached a voluntary separation agreement with him. Freddie Gray Mr Gray, 25, was arrested by police officers in Baltimore on 12 April 2015 for having a knife and was placed in a police van, which was caught on camera. By the time that van arrived at the police station Mr Gray was not breathing and died a week later from spinal injuries a medical examiner said were suffered during his transportation. Police officials said that although Mr Gray was put in leg restraints during the trip he was not secured with a seatbelt or given medical help, despite asking for it. Following Mr Grays death the six officers involved, Caesar Goodson Jr, William Porter, Garrett Miller, Edward Nero, Brian Rice and Alicia White were all suspended without pay. The death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner and the Baltimore State Attorney, Marilyn Mosby, filed criminal charges against the officers. The jury at the trial of Mr Porter was deadlocked and the judge declared a mistrial, and prosecutors eventually dropped all charges against Mr Porter, Mr Miller and Ms White. Mr Rice was eventually found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office. Mr Goodson was found not guilty of second-degree depraved heart murder, three counts of manslaughter, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. Mr Nero was acquitted on misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. All six officers were allowed to return to duty. Tamir Rice Tamir Rice, 12, was confronted by police in Cleveland, Ohio, in November 2014 after someone called 911 and reported a person playing with a gun near a recreation centre. The caller reported that the gun was probably fake and the person with it was most likely a child. When police arrived on the scene, officer Timothy Loehmann got out of the car and opened fire, killing the youngster. It turned out that Tamir had been playing with a pellet gun and authorities said that the description of a child playing with a fake gun had not been passed on to the officers who responded. A grand jury did not indict either officer in the case but Mr Loehmann was later fired by the department for lying in his application to work as a police officer. Walter Scott Walter Scott, 50, was pulled over for a routine traffic stop by white police officer Michael Slager in South Carolina on 4 April 2015. When Mr Scott ran from the scene he was chased by the officer who shot him five times in an incident caught on a cellphone by a bystander. After the video became public the officer was charged with murder and later a federal civil rights violation. The jury in his December 2016 trial was deadlocked and prosecutors announced they would retry him. But before they did Slager pleaded guilty to the federal civil rights violation and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Michael Brown The August 2014 killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked months of racial justice protests. Mr Brown, 18, was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson after being suspected of stealing cigars from a convenience store. Mr Brown was unarmed and his friend, Dorian Johnson, told reporters that he had put his hands in the air when he was killed. Two investigations concluded that Mr Brown did not have his hands in the air when he was killed, and in November a grand jury declined to indict Mr Wilson. Then in March 2015 Barack Obamas Justice Department released its own report that stated, there is no credible evidence that Wilson willfully shot Brown as he was attempting to surrender or was otherwise not posing a threat. But on the same day the Justice Department also released its own investigation into the Ferguson Police Department, which concluded that there was systemic exploitation and racial profiling of black residents by its officers. Laquan McDonald Laquan McDonald, 17, was killed by Chicago police officers after they responded to reports of someone trying to break into cars on 20 October 2014. Police followed the teenager and witnessed him use a knife to slash a patrol cars tyre. Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is white, arrived at the scene and shot at Mr McDonald, hitting him 16 times as he was moving away from him. Dashboard footage of the killing was only released in November 2015 after the city had agreed a $5 million settlement with Mr McDonalds family. When the video became public Officer Van Dyke was arrested and charged with murder. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to more than six years in prison. Eric Garner Eric Garner, 43, was arrested by police for selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island, New York, on 17 July 2014. His arrest came two weeks after they gave him an initial warning for doing the same thing on a street corner. The fatal encounter was videotaped by a bystander, and showed white officer Daniel Pantaleo wrap his arm around Mr Garners neck in a chokehold. Mr Garner could be heard shouting I cant breathe 11 times before he fell unconscious and died. Despite huge protests in the city, a local and federal investigation resulted in no charges beg brought against Mr Pantaleo and the other officers involved. Mr Pantaleo was eventually sacked in August 2019, five years after the death of Mr Garner, when a New York Police Department disciplinary judge recommended the firing. His lawyers had argued that the officer had acted the way he was taught to act. This has been a long battle, five years too long, said Emerald Garner, one of Eric Garners daughters of the firing. And finally somebody has said that theres some information that this cop did something wrong. Trinidad and Tobago can see a reduction in the number of people dying from Covid-19 on a daily basis if the drugAzithromycinis immediately stopped, says Dr Ravi Ramjanak. Ramjanak is a consultant in obstetrics gynaecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery. It is my view based on the pharmacodynamics of Azithromycin that the death rate will fall if we stop using this drug in Covid-positive cases. Azithromycin has no effect on viruses, yeasts and fungi, said Ramjanak in an interview with the Sunday Express last week. Apple unveiled several new devices during its "Spring Loaded" event on Tuesday, including an updated iPad Pro, iMacs and a set of Tile-like devices called AirTags. Most of the devices will be available for order later this month and most will launch mid-May, Apple revealed during an event held online from its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Among the new devices is an updated iPad Pro, which will feature a 12.9-inch model with Liquid Retina XDR Display and M1 processing chip, which they say will provide 50% faster processing performance than its predecessor. The new iPad Pros, available in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch, will be available for preorder on April 30 for $799 and $1,099 respectively. The tech giant is also rolling out a new line of iMacs, taking inspiration from earlier models of its desktop computers and offering them in a variety of colors. The 24-inch iMacs will start at $1,299 and come in four colors: green, pink, blue and silver. A higher-end model with more powerful graphics processing starts at $1,499 and comes in seven colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. iPad gaming support: Apple iPad Pro to support latest PlayStation, Xbox game controllers. Orders for new iPad models begin April 30 Back to the office? How tech will help many of us re-adjusting back to the office post-COVID Preorders kick off April 30, with the iMacs launching in May. Other devices announced on Tuesday: Models of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini in purple. An upgraded Apple TV 4K streaming device with new remote and color balance technology. AirTags, which work similarly to Tile devices. Users can connect them to keys, backpacks or other items, and leverage the "Find My" app in case they get lost. Scroll down for what you missed during Apple's live event: iPad Pro launching in May, starting at $799 The new iPad Pro models start at $799 for the 11-inch model, or $1,099 for the 12.9-inch version. It will be available for preorder April 30, and launch in May. Story continues The next iPad Pro confirmed Apple formally confirms the new iPad Pro, which will use the same M1 processing chip as the new iMacs. The Pro will deliver 75% faster processing than the original iPad. The new iPad Pro will also support controllers from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X for playing iPad games. The new iPad Pro will also support 5G. The next iPad will also feature new studio mics, motion tracking, and an upgraded camera system. It will also feature a TrueDepth front camera to support face ID and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. The iPad will also boast a 12.9-inch liquid retina XDR display. The iMac power box will be able to connect an Ethernet cable to reduce desk clutter. New iMacs start at $1,299 The updated iMacs start at $1,299 in four colors, or $1,499 in seven colors, says Apple. You can preorder the new iMacs starting April 30. They ship in May. The new keyboards will come with Touch ID. The new iMacs perform fast, too Apple boasts how quickly iMacs can open up apps, or move through browsers, or edit pictures and play games. The iMac's new graphics processing is up to 50% faster compared to older models. Users can also run iPhone and iPad apps directly on the iMac. Calls and texts from iPhone can also show up on iMac, and its universal clipboard lets a user copy something from their phone and paste from their iMac. The computers will also have two Thunderbird ports and a new power connector that connects magnetically. The iMac will also support fresh accessories including upgraded keyboards, a touch pad, and mouse. The new iMacs will come in seven different colors. New iMacs: The multicolor desktop Macs are back Remember those old-school Mac monitors in different colors? Apple is bringing them back. The iMac gets a big revamp in a variety of colors including blue, orange and yellow. They are also incredibly thin. Apple says the company's new M1 chip has made it easier to help shrink the size of the iMac. Apple also says the iMac is so quiet, it only registers up to 10 decibels of sound when running. The display has also increased to 24-inches from the standard 21.5-inch model. The new iMacs will also feature a 1080p Facetime HD camera, a studio quality three-mic array, and an upgraded six-speaker system. The new Apple TV Siri-enabled remote New model of Apple TV 4K revealed Apple introduced a new version of the company's Apple TV 4K streaming media player. It's adding an upgraded processing chip which will support HDR at a higher frame rate. The Apple TV also adds a really cool feature where you can use your iPhone to help color balance your TV's picture, to get a much more accurate view. The remote adds updates with a improved clickpad and a power button to control your TV set's power. It will be available for $179 for 32GB of storage, or $199 for 64 GB. It's available for preorder April 30, and launches in May. Season 2 of Ted Lasso confirmed Tim Cook shifts gears to Apple TV+, focusing more on the programming than the software. The company confirmed Season 2 of the popular series Ted Lasso, which stars Jason Sudeikis who travels to the UK to coach a professional soccer team. It launches July 23. Apple unveils the AirTag Can't find your keys? Apple introduces the AirTag, a gadget similar to a Tile that users can attach to items like a keychain, backpack, or even a stuffed animal. It's a small, silver disc with the Apple logo. It leverages the company's "Find My" tool so users can quickly find it. The software for AirTag uses precision finding to better assist you in finding a lost item. It costs $29, while a four-pack costs $99. Orders start Friday, and ship April 30. Apple revealed new products at its spring event. The iPhone 12: Now in purple There's news on the iPhone after all! Cook revealed the iPhone 12 will soon be available in purple. Preorders for the new color of iPhone launch on Friday, April 23. The phone will ship on April 30. Apple is launching Podcast Subscriptions. Apple podcasts to add subscriptions Cook said Apple is planning a big update to its Podcasts app, including the option to subscribe to your favorite podcasts. Cook said the subscriptions would bring some additional potential benefits including ad-free listening. Tim Cook touts Apple's environmental commitments Apple CEO Tim Cook is starting off the event from Apple Park in Cupertino, where he touts the company's commitment to the environment. Cook said the company's operations are completely carbon neutral, with plans to go fully carbon neutral across every part of their business such as their supply chains by 2030. The Apple Store is down ahead of spring event No surprise, since they do this before every major product event, you cannot access the Apple Store. "Be right back. We're making updates to the online Apple store. Check back soon," reads a message currently on the Apple store. Analyst: Expect 'modest price increases' on new iPads In Apple's 2021 fiscal first quarter, when the company posted record revenue of $111.4 billion, iPad sales rose 13% to $8.4 billion. Despite that boost, iPads only accounted for less than 8% of sales during the quarter. Focus at the event will likely be on new iPads. Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, expects new iPad Pro models that maintain the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes but include the Apple-designed and faster A14X chip. "The higher end 12.9-inch is expected to have mini-LED display which will be a game changer around color performance, dimming capabilities, and high contrast capabilities for the consumer," he said in a recent note to investors. "We expect modest price increases on the iPad Pro models with consistent pricing on the iPad mini and next version of the low-cost iPad." Mike Snider Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Apple event live updates: iPad Pro, purple iPhone 12, AirTags, more Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) There are a number of options available, and war is never one of them. This is how former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, lawmakers and maritime experts see the recent pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte saying that only war or bloodshed can take back the West Philippine Sea from China. "You know the cost of war and if we go there and really to find out and assert jurisdiction, it will be bloody, it will result violence that we cannot maybe win," Duterte said in his public briefing on Monday. Del Rosario disputed this and said that there was no need for a war to assert the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea. "As we have said before, neither war nor bloodshed is an option for the Philippines to assert its rights over the West Philippine Sea," Del Rosairo said in a statement. The former DFA secretary who defended the Philippines' case in the arbitral court in The Hague in 2016 said that the country was able to put pressure on China recently over its continuous presence in the Julian Felipe Reef. "In the past few days, we managed to pressure China to disperse its vessels in Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, not through war or bloodshed, but through the courageous assertion of our rights by our officials and soldiers," he said. Del Rosario also brought Duterte's move in the 75th United Nations General Assembly invoking the arbitral ruling which did not trigger any war from China. "This should have put to rest the utterly inane notion that invoking the arbitral ruling and standing up for our rights are equivalent to waging war against China," he added. "Asserting our rights also encourages allies to support us against Beijing's move to control the South China Sea," he said. "Because we asserted our rights against China in Julian Felipe Reef, our allies in the world like the US and Japan supported our position against the massing of Chinese vessels. Moreover, the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Australia have already formally supported the arbitral ruling," Del Rosario explained. The former DFA chief also identified two options that the Philippines can do amid China's continuous incursion. First, the country can raise the arbitral ruling again at the UN General Assembly this September 2021 to gather more support from other countries; and secondly, under a multilateral approach, taking other concrete steps to consolidate support from allies, which includes engaging in joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea to protect the country's waters. "We respectfully urge the President to reject this Chinese narrative of war, because it is intended to scare countries to submit to China's will of illegally occupying the South China Sea," Del Rosario said. Giving China the 'upper hand' University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law Professor Jay Batongbacal also supports the move to bring the matter to the UN. He said indicating that the country cannot do anything is an act of surrender when in fact the government can still exhaust all available options. The recent statements made by the President are also giving China the upper hand despite the country's win in the arbitral court, he added. "The whole reason for having the arbitration is to generate options and those options were for purposes of negotiation and diplomacy. The arbitration is a source of leverage because it is supported by the international community," Batongbacal said. Do not surrender, wave the white flag Senator Panfilo Ping Lacson on the other hand said that Duterte's stand on China is sending the wrong signal to the armed forces who are at the forefront in defending the West Philippine Sea. "He is the leader of the country and commander in chief of all armed forces. He can think and speak about anything except surrender. We have an arbitral ruling in favor and it's permanent. There are so many things to talk about except surrender. We cannot wave the white flag," Lacson said. Senator Risa Hontiveros on the other hand slammed the President's remarks seemingly allowing China to take what belongs to the country. "Sinusuko na ng Presidente ang soberanya ng Pilipinas. Nakakahiyang marinig na mismong ang Commander-in-Chief ng Pilipinas ang pasimuno ng mistulang pagbigay ng ating teritoryo sa China. Sabi niya dati mag-jejetski siya papuntang West Philippine Sea, hindi naman ginawa. Wala pa rin nga siyang ginagawa, tapos surrender na kaagad?" Hontiveros said in a statement. [Translation: The President is surrendering Philippine sovereignty. It's embarrassing to hear that the country's commander-in-chief himself seems to be giving up our territory to China. He previously said he will ride a jet ski to the West Philippine Sea, but this did not happen. He has done nothing, and he's already surrendering?] [April 20, 2021] University of Phoenix to Sponsor Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Buenos Dias Networking Webinar University of Phoenix will sponsor the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Buenos Dias Networking Webinar Thursday, April 29 2021, at 10 a.m. MDT discussing COVID-19's impact on Arizona women. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened inequalities to women's safety, health and economic empowerment, which could set back women for decades. University of Phoenix and Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to bring awareness on how COVID-19 has put the advancement of women within the workplace at risk in Arizona. This webinar is focused on the findings of the Status of Women in Arizona 2020 research report published by the Arizona Foundation for Women. The data will be supplemented by a panel of local experts discussing the day-to-day impact and personal experiences of women in our community. These experts will share work underway from the front lines to support women and help their families rise above the impacts of the pandemic. Angela Salazar, lead, La Fuerza-Hispanic Employee Resource Group, University of Phoenix, will serve as moderator for the panel. Panelists include: Maureen Bussoletti, board chair, Arizona Foundation for Women Monica Villalobos, president and chief executive officer, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Nicole Deal, institutional review board and dissertation coordinator, University of Phoenix Kaaren-Lyn Graves, project director, NABEDC Troi Waln, owner, Zaniya Pro Clean LLC Dr. Janice Cardwell, chief executive officer, Conceivers Leadership Development Group For more information, or to register for the webinar, please click here. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses and interactive learning help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. We serve a diverse student population, offering degree programs at select locations across the U.S. as well as online. For more information, visit phoenix.edu View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005382/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A man decided to smuggle immigrants because he needed money, states an arrest affidavit. At about 6 p.m. April 15, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed a white Cadillac Escalade near the intersection of U.S. 83 and Texas 44. The vehicle was at a distance on the side of the road with its hazard lights on. Authorities said the vehicle was positioned on U.S. 83 on the shoulder of the southbound lane facing Texas 44. This rural area is commonly used by (human) smuggling organizations as they are aware of the limited law enforcement presence in the area. This area is also commonly used to load up illegal (immigrants) once they have circumvented immigration checkpoints, thus facilitating their furtherance into the United States, states the affidavit. Then, two men climbed over a fence, ran west across U.S. 83 and entered the Escalade. The agent pulled over the vehicle to conduct an immigration inspection on the occupants. Authorities identified the driver as Luis Alexis Zelaya-Martinez, a citizen of Honduras. Eight other occupants were determined to be immigrants who were in the country illegally. Zelaya-Martinez allegedly agreed to provide a post-arrest statement. Zelaya-Martinez stated he was in need of money. He stated a friend of his contacted him and offered him money to go and pick up illegal (immigrants). Zelaya-Martinez stated his friend offered him $900 per illegal (immigrant), states the affidavit. He added he was going to transport the immigrants to San Antonio, according to court documents. Zelaya-Martinez was arrested and charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport the immigrants. STAMFORD Steven Van Zandt doesnt have statistics to back up the effectiveness of his music-integrated education program, but he knows its working. Success, he said, can be measured in the enthusiasm of students in the classrooms. I think thats what its all about, he said. The legendary musician and activist, best known as a guitarist for Bruce Springsteens E Street Band, and for his acting roles on shows such as The Sopranos, joined Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday for a virtual press conference to announce a partnership between his foundation and the state. Van Zandt is the founder of the TeachRock program, an initiative from his Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. The program will be offered at no cost to 10 Connecticut school districts in the first year of the partnership, said Irene Parisi, Connecticuts chief academic officer. During the brief press conference, Van Zandt spoke about his program as both something that could be added to existing curriculum, and also as an antidote to traditional schooling practices. Someday were gonna realize that testing isnt learning, he said. And of course, every statistic shows that a student that takes a music class does better in math and science. The TeachRock program is designed to incorporate music into lesson plans for a variety of subjects, not just music class. That could mean a lesson plan that dives into popular music of the time during a history lesson, for instance. The broader goal, Van Zandt said, is to keep kids engaged, in school, and graduating at a higher rate. If we can keep a kid in high school until graduation ... they have a real shot at a productive life, a much better shot, he said. Desi Nesmith, acting deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Education, said programs like TeachRock can lead to greater student engagement. If we reflect back on our days as students, I think we would all agree that the educators and the learning experiences that we found most engaging and interesting, were those that wouldnt be in the textbook, he said. For Lamont, Van Zandts program seemed like a natural fit to get students re-committed to education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept them isolated from others, contributing to a learning loss that has impacted all grade levels. Theyve been isolated, he said, of Connecticut students. Theyve been alone. And what TeachRock does is inspire young people. He said Connecticut students have gone through a really tough time. The first thing we have to do is get kids smiling again, Lamont said, adding that Teach Rock is just what we need right now. Christine Nick, a program officer of TeachRock, said the program could be used in a variety of ways. She described one example of a lesson on the Grateful Dead and how they made accommodations for audience members who were deaf or hard of hearing. A teacher might find that that makes sense that theyre doing a unit on sound and acoustics because it talks about the science theyre in, she said. Or it might also make sense for a different teacher thats looking at disability studies, and looking at bringing broader perspectives into their classroom. According to the TeachRock website, over 40,000 teachers across the country use the curriculum. Stephen Armstrong, social studies consultant for the state, said using music can be highly effective in social studies and history classes. He said hes had students in the past with minimal interest in history, but its through the lens of music that Ive been able to get them involved. ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com The Queen has suffered another loss after the death of her former manager of the Royal Studs, Sir Michael Oswald, who has died at the age of 86. Sir Michael advised Her Majesty, 94, as well as the Queen Mother, and presided over their racing interests for almost 30 years. He died after a long illness on April 17, the same day as the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in Windsor, according to The Times. Over the years, Sir Michael was often pictured by the Queen's side at various races and when the Duchess of Cambridge made her long-awaited debut at Royal Ascot in 2016, she was also photographed enjoying a chat with the expert. The Queen has suffered another loss after the death of her former manager of the Royal Studs, Sir Michael Oswald, who has died at the age of 86. Pictured, Sir Michael Oswald, the Queen and Prince Philip at the Derby Festival on June 1, 2013 in Epsom He died after a long illness on April 17, the same day as the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in Windsor, according to The Times. Pictured, the Queen at the service Speaking to the Racing Post, Sir Michael's widow, Lady Angela for many years a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother paid tribute to her husband. She said: 'He always said he had the most wonderful job anybody could ever have had and that for all his working life he was simply doing what he would have done had he been a rich man who didn't have to work.' Before taking up the post as the Queen's racing advisor in 2003, Sir Michael worked for the Queen Mother from 1970 until her death in 2002. In the 2020 New Year Honours list, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). Showing the Queen's great sense of humour and their close friendship, Sir Michael would often tell the story of a horse his employer had in training called Harvest Song. The Queen Mother (pictured left), Prince Charles (right) and the Queen at Epsom in 1993, alongside Sir Michael, pictured second right He made his usual call to her page, Barry Mitford, at Buckingham Palace at 10am one day to say it was running in the 2.30 at Fontwell and that it was on television, in case they wanted to watch it or record it for her. 'Barry got rather excited at this, asking will it win and should he have a flutter,' he says. 'I told him under no circumstances should he waste any money on it: that I had more chance of winning the 100m at the Olympics.' Harvest Song started as a 50-1 rank outsider and won the race by five and a half lengths. When Sir Michael later rang the Queen to ask if she'd watched the race, she replied: 'Oh yes, and may I say that Barry is standing next to me. If I was you, I would find some dark glasses and a good disguise next time to come anywhere near this place. In 1969 Sir Michael, who was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in 1934, and went to Eton then King's College, Cambridge, was recruited as manager of the Royal Studs, which for six years he ran from Hampton Court. Over the years, Sir Michael was often pictured by the Queen's side at various races and when the Duchess of Cambridge made her long-awaited debut at Royal Ascot in 2016, she was also photographed enjoying a chat with the expert (pictured) Later, he moved to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and in the 1970s enjoyed a golden age for the Queen's racing, with top performers such as Highclere, winner of the One Thousand Guineas and the French Oaks. Equestrian sports are one of the royal family's passions, with the Queen having learned to ride a horse at the age of three. Commenting on the Queen's interest, Sir Michael previously said: 'There was never a better and more knowledgeable owner to answer to.' Nicky Henderson, a trainer of royal jump horses, told the Racing Post how Sir Michael loved his role with the Queen and Queen Mother's horses and was very close to both royals. He explained how the retired Sir Michael would go 'absolutely anywhere' to watch Her Majesty's horses run, even when in his eighties. The Queen alongside Sir Michael Oswald at Epsom racecourse in June 1983, pictured left, and the Queen and Sir Michael Oswald attending the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse on October 18, 2014, pictured right 'The Queen once said to me that we had to stop Michael travelling all over the country. I did very respectfully point out she was the only one who could do that.' said Mr Henderson. The trainer also revealed how they once won a race for the Queen at Sandown that was sponsored by Paddy Power, and had made three bronze sets of pants as trophies. 'They were laid out on the table ready for the presentations, when they suddenly realised that giving the Queen a pair of bronze pants might be deemed inappropriate, so they removed that particular trophy and replaced it with a vase. 'Sir Michael made very clear he wanted the pants not the vase and announced he would be driving them straight to Windsor Castle. The following morning I spoke with the Queen, who said the Duke of Edinburgh had been highly entertained by the prize,' recalled Mr Henderson. Sir Michael's death is the second tragedy to hit the Queen after her beloved husband of 73 years Prince Philip passed away on April 9, aged 99. He was laid to rest on Saturday in a stripped-back funeral in Windsor with just 30 mourners invited due to Covid-19 regulations. Following strict social distancing rules during the pandemic, the Queen set an example even in grief, sitting apart from family members arranged around St George's Chapel. Sean McMeekin is Francis Flournoy Professor of European History and Culture at Bard College and the author of Stalins War: A New History of World War II, officially published by Basic Books today. Professor McMeekin is one of the most prominent of the younger generation of historians of the Soviet Union. His first book The Red Millionaire is a personal favorite of mine. He graciously accepted my invitation to send us a column that would allow us to give readers a preview of his new book. Professor McMeekin writes: Like many Americans with a love for history, I was weaned on popular chronicles of World War II, from glossy secondary works and novels to Hollywood blockbusters, from Casablanca and The Dirty Dozen to Schindlers List and Saving Private Ryan. The Good War always gives Americans a satisfactory conclusion, with Hitler and Nazi evil defeated, Holocaust horrors brought to an end, and the USA emerging on the world stage as a righteous superpower. Over the years, however, doubts began to creep in about just how righteous the wars outcome was for millions of Europeans and Asians less fortunate in geography than Americans are. Coming of age in the late Cold War years, I learned to appreciate the wisdom of Churchills famous warning about the Iron Curtain which had descended on eastern Europe in 1945, not to mention the wars unfinished business in Asia, from the Korean and Vietnam wars and the fallout resulting from them to the rise of Communist China as a strategic adversary every bit as formidable as the Soviet Union had been, if not more so. As a young historian, I benefitted enormously from the opening of the Russian archives after the fall of the USSR in 1991, although in my first forays into Soviet history in works such as The Red Millionaire (2004) and Historys Greatest Heist (2008), I chose subjects other than World War II, about which the Russian government remains twitchy and sensitive (indeed under Putin it is growing ever more so). When my overseas travels and research trips took me beyond popular tourist destinations such as London, Paris, and Rome into central and eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia, Turkey, and Asia, I learned that the Second World War is not universally seen as the Good War, with a neat Hollywood cast of heroes and villains and a happy ending. In Vietnam and former French Indochina, the conflict emerging from the Japanese incursion in 1940 lasted until 1975, at least, and in Cambodia longer still. East of the Elbe river, the war did not end in 1945, but arguably in 1989, when Soviet troops finally began to go home. In Taiwan and Korea, questions arising from the conflict remain unresolved, and the military standoff is no less tense today than ever. Probing more deeply, I began to see just how much messy material had been airbrushed out of our memory of the war. While German and Japanese war crimes have been endlessly discussed, and British and American excesses, such as the firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo and the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have long since been exposed, there has always been an air of mystery about events behind Soviet lines in the war, and for good reason. Until 1991, western historians had no access to Russian war records beyond what was released by the Soviet government to promote its narrative of a morally unblemished Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. Certain episodes, such as Stalins Katyn Forest Massacre of Polish officers in 1940, were widely suspected but officially denied even the US government endorsed the Soviet line on Katyn until well into the Cold War. Entire eastern front battles, such as Operation Mars, a catastrophic Soviet offensive west of Moscow launched simultaneously with the Soviet counter-attack at Stalingrad, remained basically unknown to western military historians until the 1990s, because the Soviet government did not want them to know about it. Over the years, many western historians have absorbed and passed on a sanitized Soviet version of Stalins war, without quite realizing this is what they were doing. This is apparent in everything from the Barbarossa invasion of June 22, 1941, which is often treated like a context-free bolt from the blue, entirely unprovoked and unexpected, to heroic tales of the evacuation of Soviet factories east of Moscow in 1941-1942, to endless paeans to the legendary T-34 tank and the triumph of Soviet war industry (with concomitant disparaging of inferior British, Canadian, and American Lend-Lease tanks, said by Soviet critics to be death traps), to a near-exclusive focus on Stalingrad in 1942 to the exclusion of events elsewhere, to wildly exaggerated tales of Kursk in July 1943 as a crushing Soviet victory in the greatest tank battle of all time, to the utter neglect of opportunistic Soviet invasions in the Molotov-Ribbentrop period of Soviet-German collaboration between 1939 to 1941 and in northern Asia in August-September 1945. Some of this neglect reflects Stalins own cunning. Aside from the Soviet invasion of Finland in November 1939, which did at least warrant condemnation at the time (though it was largely forgotten later), many key Soviet moves were camouflaged by high-profile German actions, from Stalins invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939 piggybacking on Hitlers invasion two weeks earlier, to the Soviet invasion of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania launched on June 17, 1940 the very day a beaten France sued Germany for peace. Few people outside Romania even remember that the Red Army invaded that country, too, on June 28, 1940, giving Bucharest cause to join Barbarossa in 1941. A less obvious, but no less revealing example, is Stalins pledge at the Teheran conference of November 1943 to launch a diversionary offensive on the eastern front simultaneously with Overlord the planned US-British amphibious assault on the French Channel coast. Since Roosevelt and Churchill themselves forgot to remind Stalin about this in the lead-up to Overlord, allowing the Soviet dictator to betray his promise (the Soviet offensive Bagration was launched only 16 days after D-Day, which allowed the Germans to transfer armored divisions westward, opening the field for Bagration and ensuring the western Allies were badly bloodied in France), historians can perhaps be forgiven for forgetting all about it, too. Perhaps the most amazing memory trick of all is the way Stalins loud bellyaching between 1942 and 1944 about his Allies alleged refusal to open a Second Front in Europe against Hitler (even though they actually did open one in Italy in 1943!) is still accepted at face value notwithstanding the fact that Stalin refused to lift a finger to help the U.S. against Japan for nearly four years after Pearl Harbor: he even had hundreds of US pilots, forced to bail out over Soviet territory after bombing raids on Japan, arrested and interned as prisoners of war. Even more bizarre is the story of how the U.S. shipped 8.244 million tons of war materiel, including a million tons of motor and aviation fuel, to Stalins Far Eastern armies between 1941 and 1945, right through Japanese territorial waters Japans admirals apparently not minding that the U.S. was wasting its precious resources on neutral Stalin rather than using them itself or to aid China. They did not mind, that is, until Stalin ripped up his Neutrality Pact with Japan after Hiroshima and rushed to conquer a north Asian empire larger than Britain and France combined in several weeks, with mechanized Soviet armies generously supplied and fueled by American Lend-Lease. At least one reason so few western accounts have challenged Stalins preferred narrative of the war is that, until recently, they did not have the sources to do so. In some areas, we had almost no information at all. Stalin did not permit the Red Cross to investigate Soviet prisoner of war camps the USSR, unlike Nazi Germany, was not even a signatory to the Hague or Geneva Conventions. Even seemingly positive stories, such as the role of American Lend-Lease aid in reviving Stalins factories and equipping his armies, could only really be guessed at, as Stalin did not permit American observers, during the war, to see how US war materiel was being used in factories or at the front (aside from U.S. engineers flown in to troubleshoot, who were all sworn to secrecy). Many US files on Lend-Lease, too, remained classified until the 1970s because of sensitive technology transfers and the sharing of atomic secrets with Stalin, not to mention the unheralded role of those 8-plus million tons of gifted American war materiel and fuel which Stalins Far Eastern armies used to spread Communism into Asia, along with the role of Soviet spies and agents of influence in Washington DC in formulating and bolstering these policies all matters the Roosevelt and Truman administrations wanted hushed up after the war for good reason. In the end, it is up to historians to do the legwork and investigate the questions governments such as Russias or that of the United States, for that matter do not want them to ask. This is what I have tried to do in Stalins War, and I hope that interested readers will learn to see the Second World War in a new way. Jaipur, April 20 : The Rajasthan government on Tuesday accused the Central government of adopting "a biased attitude" in supplying oxygen to the state, where it remains much in demand as Covid patient numbers are rising each day. State Health Minister Raghu Sharma said that oxygen plants are under the Centre's control, and while the Bhiwadi plant generates 120 metric tonnes of oxygen but Rajasthan gets only 65 MT. However, a quota for neighbouring Gujarat has been fixed at 1,200 metric tonnes, while it is limited to 124 metric tonnes for Rajasthan. "However, out of this, we are getting only 65 metric tonnes of oxygen," he said. Sharma, noting that the state has 76,600 active cases currently, said: "We might need 136 metric tonnes of oxygen in the coming days." "Rajasthan government has developed a model to vaccinate 7 lakh people daily, however, we are not getting vaccines as per the demand. Same is the situation of life-saving drugs in pandemic times. If the Central government provides us with an adequate number of drugs, then saving lives will be easier for us," he added. Meanwhile, BJP state President Satish Poonia said that the state government has "failed miserably on all fronts" to check Covid in the state. "They have no plan ready to control the pandemic spread and hence are blaming the Central government on different issues. As a state government, they also have some kind of responsibility towards the people," he added. Since 1979, Vida Sister Goldman Prince has been Chairman of the Oral Histories Project, at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. The project is dedicated to recording and preserving audio interviews of not only Holocaust Survivors, but also liberators of Nazi concentration camps and other non-Jewish witnesses living in Europe during World War II. The museum was one of the first to begin gathering oral history projects so these voices and photographs will be displayed and future generations will continue to be witnesses to this catastrophic period of world history. In partnership with the Jewish Light, The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum is allowing us to republish a portion of these Oral Histories project as a celebration of life and a crucial part of honoring and remembering the past. Please follow the provided links to additional recordings. ADVERTISEMENT Mari Cori was born Marie Kolkowicz in 1934 in Paris, France. She had two older sisters and a younger brother, and they lived in a poor building, sharing a room with her family and going down the hall for running water and a bathroom. Marie attended a Jewish day school as did many other children from her building. One day, all the children and teachers at the school were rounded up by the Nazis, but Marie and her sisters had all stayed home. Her family then knew it was time to take action if they wanted to survive the war. So, they paid off a German to help them escape via train, and taking no luggage, they fled their hometown. A Jewish Organization, OSE, begged her mother to separate from her children to give them any chance of survival. Thus, Marie and her brother were taken to a Chateau, where they were cared for by six doctors. When news reached the Chateau that trucks were coming for the Jewish children, they separated the Jewish children in many ways. Marie and her brother were put on a train and told their name was no longer Kolkowicz. They were told to scream when a German soldier got on, and they obeyed. They were thrown off the train when they would not stop screaming, and they happened to stop in front of two nuns at the train stop. These nuns took the children to an orphanage. When Marie got sick, Mother Superior removed her tonsils with a pliers and no anesthetic. She was separated from her brother and put in the nunnery attic to heal, where she was cared for by a man who brought her food, a comb, and a cat to kill the rats. Dirty and filled with lice, Marie was stuck in the dark of the attic for a long time, until the man carried her out and took her to a village market square where a French woman and her daughter took her in. They were very kind to her, cleaned her, and fed her. With this family, she went to Church and was taken care of until the Red Cross found her and took her back to her family in the forest, where she was reunited with her father and mother and sisters. While she resented that the nuns kept her Catholic after the war, she became Jewish again once she reunited with her family so not to cause pain to her father. After the war, her parents had two more children. She wanted to move to Israel, but her mother refused to let her, so instead she moved to America where her eldest sister had already moved. Recently, she has opened up to tell her story and is able to find strength through a group of other Hidden Children survivors. However, she has never lost the pain inflicted upon her. Listen to Tape 1 / Side 1 of Maries Oral History Discover more stories To view the full St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum Oral Histories archive, click here. The headline and tone of this article from CNBC are alarming: "Chile has one of the world's best vaccination rates. COVID is surging there anyway." One must read 13 paragraphs into the story to begin to solve what looks like a mystery. Chile's vaccination campaign against the coronavirus has been one of the world's quickest and most extensive, but a recent surge in infections has sparked concern beyond its borders. Almost 40% of the South American country's total population have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to statistics compiled by Our World in Data, reflecting one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Chile is an impressive country in many respects. Yet: The number of daily cases in Chile rose to a record high on April 9, climbing above 9,000 for the first time since the pandemic began and significantly higher than the peak of almost 7,000 recorded last summer. CNBC's writer Sam Meredith offers possible explanations: Health experts say the country's latest surge in cases has, in part, been driven by more virulent strains of the virus, a relaxation of public health measures, increased mobility and defiance of simple precautions such as physical distancing and wearing a mask. These are all Fauci favorites. Live in fear of new strains (and be prepared for masks and lockdowns forever because viruses mutate, you see). For goodness's sake, isolate from each other, and don't let herd immunity develop (as it seems to have done in free states like Texas and Florida and in Sweden). And above all, wear your obedience mask and live in a world without smiles. Oh, yes: Cut yourself off from the rest of the world. Right-wing Chile didn't, and look what happened: Chile's center-right government, led by President Sebastian Pinera, had ordered the closure of the country's borders from March to November of 2020, albeit with a few exceptions, before the decision was taken to reopen them to international passengers late last year. Finally, after all these possibilities have been mentioned, we get to what's really going on: There have also been questions raised about vaccine efficacy, given Chile's widespread use of CoronaVac, the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac. Questions raised, eh? A few paragraphs later, we learn: Late-stage data of China's COVID vaccines remain unpublished, and available data of the CoronaVac vaccine is varied. Brazilian trials found the vaccine to be just over 50% effective, significantly less effective than the likes of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca, while Turkish researchers have reported efficacy as high as 83.5%. (snip) A study published by the University of Chile earlier this month reported that CoronaVac was 56.5% effective two weeks after the second doses were administered in the country. Crucially, however, they also reported that one dose was only 3% effective. "This would help to explain why Chile with one of the world's most robust vaccine rollouts but 93% of the doses coming from China has experienced a simultaneous significant expansion in cases, and a much slower decline in hospitalizations and deaths compared to the early rollouts in Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States," Ian Bremmer, president of risk consultancy Eurasia Group, said in a research note. Nowhere in the long article, which suggests that "'comprehensive strategies' to speed up the rollout of vaccines and stop transmission by using proven public health measures" may be necessary, is there any mention at all of therapeutic approaches using hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin in combination with zinc and vitamins, which has proven highly effective in arresting the development of cases, and even in prophylactically protecting people. Both drugs have been taken by millions of people for many years with very few reported adverse reactions. Isn't it curious that this obvious approach is not worth mentioning? Photo credit: emmer.com.ar CC BY-NC 4.0. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Architects Examination Architects Examination Michigan requires all applicants to complete the computer administered NCARB Architectural Registration Examination (ARE). Check out NCARB's web site for specific information regarding exam content, study materials and other information pertaining to the ARE examination. Reciprocal applicants must verify completion of examinations equivalent to those being administered in Michigan at the time of original licensure. Below is a historical summary of examination formats for Michigan. BANGALORE, India, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Off the Road (OTR) Tires Market is segmented by Type (Radial Tire, Solid Tire), by Application (Loader, Crane, Concrete Machinery, Mining Machine). The report covers global opportunity analysis and industry forecasts from 2021 to 2027. It is published in Valuates Reports in the Vehicle Parts & Accessories Category. The OTR Tires Market was valued at USD 5915.3 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 8068.4 Million by 2027, at a CAGR of 4.5% during 2021-2027. Major factors driving the growth of OTR Tires market size are: Increasing demand for agriculture tractors due to adoption of modern agriculture techniques. Increase in demand for construction & mining equipment due to increased infrastructural development in developing countries. The rise in average machine hours has increased the need to replace the tires. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-6H382/global-otr-tires TRENDS INFLUENCING THE OTR TIRES MARKET SIZE An increase in demand for agricultural tractors is expected to drive the growth of OTR Tires market size. Tractors have been an integral part of modern agriculture for a long time. Modern tractors are used for plowing, tilling, and planting fields in addition to routine lawn care, landscape maintenance, moving or spreading fertilizer, and clearing bushes. The substantial increase in the mining industry and heavy machinery are expected to drive the growth of the OTR tire market size. The mining industry uses a lot of heavy vehicles which use OTR tires for their stability and endurance. Technological advances, expanding distributor & dealership networks and rising adoption of radial tires are other factors that will positively affect the global OTR tire market. A rise in average machine hours is also expected to fuel the OTR tire market size. The increase in average heavy load vehicle working hours will, in turn, increase the deterioration rate of the OTR tire, thereby increasing the need to replace the tire sooner. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-6H382/Global_OTR_Tires OTR MARKET SEGMENTS Segment by Type Segment by Application Loader Crane Concrete Machinery Mining Machine Others. OTR MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on type, the radial tire is expected to hold a significant OTR tire market share during the forecast period. Advantages offered by radial tires such as reduced fuel consumption, less vibration, extended tire life, and flexible sidewalls are expected to increase its adoption. Based on the region, the Asia Pacific region is expected to witness significant growth in the OTR tire market due to the rapidly developing economy that is propelling the construction activity in the region. Inquire for Customized Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/customisation/QYRE-Auto-6H382/Global_OTR_Tires By Region North America US. Canada Europe Germany France UK. Italy Russia Asia-Pacific China Japan South Korea India Australia Taiwan Indonesia Thailand Malaysia Philippines Latin America Mexico Brazil Argentina Middle East & Africa Turkey Saudi Arabia U.A.E Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-6H382/Global_OTR_Tires Top Companies Covered in this report are: Michelin Bridgestone TITAN Goodyear Yokohama Tire BKT China National Tire & Rubber Continental Tire Guizhou Tyre Co., Ltd Double Coin Holdings Xingyuan Tires Group Apollo Tyre Sailun Tyre Triangle Tyre Shandong Linglong Tyre Fujian Haian Rubber JK Tyre Shandong Taishan Tyre. Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-6H382&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-6H382&lic=enterprise-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS - Heavy-duty Vehicle Tires Market is segmented by Type Rim Diameter 29 Inch, 29 InchRim Diameter39 Inch, 39 InchRim Diameter49 Inch, Rim Diameter 49 Inch, by Application Heavy Duty Truck Tires, OTR Tires, Agricultural Tires and by various regions. - Radial OTR Tires Market is segmented by Type Inner Tube, Tubeless, by Application Loader, Grader, Telescopic Handlers and by various regions. - Solid Tire Market is segmented by Type Cured On Solid Tire, Pressed On Solid Tire, by Application Engineering Vehicles, Construction Machinery and by various regions. - OTR Bias Tire Market is segmented by Type Rim Diameter 29 inch, 29 inchRim Diameter39 inch, 39 inchRim Diameter49 inch, Rim Diameter 49 inch, by Application Construction, Mining, Port, Agricultural and by various regions. - Engineering Machinery Tire Market is segmented by Type Bias Tire, Radial Tire, by Application Heavy Dump Truck, Grader, Loader, Crane and by various regions. - Tire Vulcanizer Market is segmented by Type Mechanical vulcanizer, Hydraulic vulcanizer, by Application Car Tire, OTR Tire and by various regions. - Tire Mold Market is segmented by Type Segmented Molds, Two-Piece Molds, by Application PCR, TBR, OTR and by various regions. - Cross Ply OTR Tires Industry is segmented by Type Inner Tube, Tubeless, by Application Loader, Grader, TelescopIc Handlers and by various regions. Click here to get more details OTR Tires 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 [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91 9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Follow on Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Follow on Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Follow on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports The Holiday Guru is always on hand to answer your questions. The topics tackled this week include flying to Bulgaria, travelling to Jersey and whether Scotland is letting visitors from England in. Q. Could you explain the 90-day rule in Europe? We own an apartment in Spain. Ken Hepples, Leeds. A reader who owns an apartment in Spain, pictured, asks the Guru to explain the post-Brexit 90-day rule for Britons visiting the EU A. Since Brexit, Britons can be in the EU for 90 days out of a 180-day period. This is rolling, so you need to look back at the previous 180 days and make your calculation. Rule-breakers may face fines, deportation and difficulties re-entering the country. Q. Will we be able to fly to Bulgaria in August/September? Ken Dawkins, via email. A. No-one is sure when international travel will resume potentially after May 17. Wizz Air has Flex Luton to Bourgas returns from 257 (wizzair.com), allowing cancellation with a credit up to three hours before a flight. Q. I am due to go to Jersey in May. Will this be possible? Alan Moore, via email. Tourists will be able to visit Jersey, pictured, from April 26. Pictured is Gorey Castle and the harbour of Saint Martin A. Yes, from April 26. Youll need to fill in a Safer Travel registration form. See gov.je. Q. We booked with Brittany Ferries to go to France for D-Day commemorations in 2019, but my husband fell ill. We were given a voucher but cannot use it because his health has not improved he is having major surgery and possible leg amputation. Can you help us get our refund of 433? Beryl Walters, via email. A. Sorry to hear about your husbands ill health. We asked Brittany Ferries, but it said it cannot give you a refund under its terms and conditions. It has extended the voucher to 2023. Best to try your insurer. Good luck. Q. I have booked a campervan in Scotland for May 29. Is Scotland allowing people from England to visit? Moe Irons, Liverpool. Currently, travel between Scotland, pictured, and England is only permitted if you have a 'reasonable excuse' A. Currently, you cant travel between Scotland and England without a reasonable excuse. This could change. See gov.scot. WERE HERE TO HELP If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk. US Strategic Command will warn in its annual posture statement that the 'spectrum of conflict today' could rapidly lead to nuclear war. Commander Charles Richard will give testimony to the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Armed Services this week. The posture review informs Congress on the state of Strategic Command and what it intends to do with its 2022 budget request. US Strategic Command will warn in its annual posture statement that the 'spectrum of conflict today' could rapidly lead to nuclear war It also determines the command's readiness for combat, its strategic vision and likely causes of conflict in the near future. Strategic Command said in a preview of their statement on Monday: 'The spectrum of conflict today is neither linear nor predictable. 'We must account for the possibility of conflict leading to conditions which could very rapidly drive an adversary to consider nuclear use as their least bad option.' The testimony will be heard on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be delivered by Commander Richard alongside US Space Command's Commander James Dickinson. Ahead of the review, he said his force has the difficult position of trying to prepare for a war that has never been fought before. Commander Charles Richard will give testimony to the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Armed Services this week The army general told The Hill: 'United States Space Command faces a unique dilemma in that we can't plan for future conflicts based on how we fought previous conflicts even if we were inclined to do so. Rather, we are preparing for the war not yet fought. 'Why do we need to prepare for such a conflict when space has traditionally been a peaceful domain, open to all for exploration, and whose benefits improve the lives of virtually every human being on Earth? 'As I will soon testify to Congress, the answer is because highly capable competitors realize the extraordinary military and economic advantages that space-based capabilities give to the United States and our allies.' The testimony will be heard on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be delivered by Commander Richard alongside US Space Command's Commander James Dickinson (pictured) Commander Dickinson noted that China is rapidly building military space capabilities including anti-satellite weapons while Russia has already conducted a number of space missile tests. Such threats could harm US communication systems and the West's 'extraordinary reliance' on space for modern technology. The military review comes at a time of fraught relations with Russia amid major military exercises in the Black Sea that prompted Joe Biden to send two battleships to the region. Vladimir Putin has deployed more than 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border and in the Crimea where a new military camp was revealed by satellite imagery on Monday. Satellite images of an area next to Kachyk Lake in Crimea have revealed a new Russian military camp (right) and sub-camp (left) which have been constructed between March 15 and April 13 amid a wider troop build-up on the Ukraine border A Ukrainian solider inside a machine gun turret of a light vehicle near the Ukrainian Azov Sea port of Mariupol on Monday. It is feared the Russian blockade could prevent access to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait, on the eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 Ukrainian tanks are lined up outside the port of Mariupol on Monday. Russian state media have reported that Moscow intends to close parts of the Black Sea to foreign military and official ships for six months Moscow's military says it is conducting exercises along the frontier in response to moves by Western military alliance NATO that 'threaten Russia'. Ukraine is pushing the West for more practical support as it looks to deter any further aggression from Moscow in a conflict that is already fraying US-Russian relations. Biden has called for the Russian president to 'de-escalate' tensions and proposed a summit which could take place in Finland in the coming months. The move has been hailed as a win by Moscow, after Biden previously took a hard line against Putin - calling him 'a killer' and refusing to meet with him on the basis that he was too busy. BY: Hood Richardson I have written and spoken a lot more about North Carolinas Open Meetings Laws, ethics, honesty, and back room deals than I have wanted to. But, it seems, the more I write the worse things get. The last 30 minutes of the April Beaufort County Commissioners meeting glaringly focused on and brought into full public light what I have complained about for the last five years. The back room deal. Based on questions posed by this writer, it is obvious that the Chairman of our Board, Frankie Waters, and some of the staff are clueless about ethical standards. The dictionary defines ethics as Moral principles that govern a persons behavior or the conditions of an activity. Our moral standards in our western society come mostly from biblical teachings and our laws. Some try to make ethics complicated. It truly is not. Being ethical simply means doing the right thing. And it is a bit like being pregnanteither you are or you are not. There is no Mulberry Bush to beat around. The open meetings laws direct that the only legally enforceable actions by commissioners must take place in an open to the public, advertised to the public, meeting with a majority present. All business, discussions, and votes must be done in an open to the public meeting. The general statutes then defines certain activities that may be conducted behind closed doors. Even these activities must be handled in very precise ways. Some of these are, negotiations to purchase real estate, some personnel matters, given direction to the attorney etc. Open meetings mean all commissioners are present and are receiving the same information nominally at the same time. Within a board of county commissioners, no commissioner has any more authority than any other commissioner. The chairman is empowered to conduct the meeting in an orderly way. The chairman must vote on all matters just like the other commissioners. The majority rules. The only other powers of the Chairman are to declare a state of emergency in the absence of the majority. Commissioners are taught in their training that no individual commissioner has any authority outside of a meeting. The only authority they have is when in a legal meeting. To be legal, a public notice must be published before the meeting takes place, unless it is an emergency meeting. Minutes must be taken and these minutes become a part of the public record. North Carolina law and dozens of appellant court cases have clearly established that the publics business must be conducted in public. Now for the ethics part. It is the open meetings law and the general statutes that guide the ethical (just substitute honest for ethical) behavior of all commissioners including the chairman. During the past five years, Beaufort County has suffered from board chairmen have represented themselves as spokesmen and mediators for the entire board. This is back room dealing. Chairman Waters has repeatedly told the School Board that he has four votes to do this or that. His recent claim is that he has four votes to resolve the Sheriffs School Resource Officer (SRO) issue. Chairman Waters found out at the joint meeting with the School Boart that he did not have four votes. Is lying un-ethical? Waters had an opportunity to do the right (ethical, honest) thing by calling a meeting of Commissioners to deal with the situation before the Board of Commissioners met with the School Board. Waters refused to call the meeting, continuing to tell the School Boat about his four votes. Waters refused to allow the Board of Commissioners to act as a board by majority vote. This is un-ethical. Another example of un-ethical (just substitute dishonest) behavior by Chairman Waters was when he attempted to summon the Chairman of the School Board and the Sheriff to his home to deal with the situation. Waters graciously allowed each to bring one person with them. This violates the law. This would have been a private meeting, in a private home, away from the publics view and without the presence of the press. How many laws did and would have Chairman Waters violate by making the written offer of a meeting. Wisely, the School Superintendent refused to take part in such a shady situation. Nothing shows how clueless Frankie Waters is about the Law and ethics than for him to have had the County Clerk to send the invitation. The Clerk needs a full course in ethics. She is an accomplice to this illegal act and should not have sent the illegal notice. For those of you who believe you are dealing with the Board of County Commissioners when Frankie Waters tells you he has four votes, unless the board has already voted in open session, he is not telling the truth. Call the Clerk, ask for the vote count and date. It is un-ethical (just say dishonest) for any commissioner to tell anyone he has four votes unless the votes have already been done in a public and open session. There are no guarantees until the board meets and votes. Another unethical (just say dishonest) trick that has been used is for the Chairman to take one or two commissioners with him to meet with someone to handle an issue. Unless the entire board meeting in open session has voted and designated the chairman and/or others to meet, all who represent themselves as representing the board are acting unethical, (just say dishonest). Whenever, commissioners are presented with anything and told we have no choice but to vote for them, watch out something crooked is going on. This recently happened with the contract with Pitt County to keep prisoners. There was no negotiation and no notice to commissioners and Beaufort County got taken advantage of. It was the Chairman of the Board and the Sheriff who shut down the jail about two years ago over the jail doors. They did not notify Commissioners. A meeting to address the situation was requested. The meeting was denied. This is a great example of back room dealing. Unethical, just say dishonest. That cost us 2.5 million dollars. It became embarrassingly apparent during the April Commissioners meeting that Frankie waters does not have a clue about ethics, or the law. Waters defense for his bad behavior was that the has attended two (two hour) ethics courses. Unless a person has a sense of fair play and a knowledge of the laws that apply, ethics courses are useless. This article only scratches the surface of Chairman Waters unethical behavior. Check back later for more. ********* Editor's addendum: The Beaufort Observer made a formal Public Records request on March 30 asking for copies of email related to this issue. To date we have not received any response except a acknowledgment that the request had been received. Just one more example of Beaufort County Government thumbing its nose at the law. An actress in Ghana who posed for a naked photo with her son on his seventh birthday has been jailed for three months for posting 'obscene material' and 'domestic violence'. Single mother Rosemond Brown, better known as Akuapem Poloo, was sentenced to 90 days behind bars after posing for the picture in June 2020 and posting it to social media, prompting many - including US pop star Cardi B - to condemn the decision. The court in the Ghanaian capital Accra found the actress guilty of posting 'obscene material' and 'domestic violence'. An actress in Ghana who posed for a naked photo with her son on his seventh birthday (pictured left) has been jailed for three months for posting 'obscene material' and 'domestic violence'. Single mum Rosemond Brown (pictured right) is better known as Akuapem Poloo The June 2020 incident took place on her son's seventh birthday and the image was shared on social media. She was charged with publishing obscene material, carrying out domestic violence that undermined another person's privacy or integrity, and domestic violence that could harm someone's dignity and self-worth. The three charges will run consecutively for a total of 90 days. During the hearing presided by Ms Christiana Cann, the judge expressed concerns over the sharp increase in child abuse and posting of obscene material in Ghana. The judge also considered the defendant's guilty plea, the fact she is a single parent, and her apparent remorse over the incident. Ms Cann said: 'The court is bothered with posting nude photos on social media. There is no doubt that apart from the canker of rape, defilement, physical assault, the publication of obscene materials is on the increase. Cardi B told her 18 million followers: 'I seen a lot of Americans do photoshoots like that. Even tho is not my style I don't think she was going for sexual more going the natural idea. 'I think jail is a bit harsh. Maybe social media probation or community service.' Cardi B, 28, (pictured in January last year) was alerted to the sentence by one of her fans, asking her what she thought about the sentencing of her twinee 'Did she ask for the permission of the child before posting the said picture? Did she respect the child's right? No she did not.' Ms Cann added: 'A harsh sentence will serve as a deterrent.' The defendant's lawyer Andy Vortia announced that an appeal against the decision will be filed on April 19. After the sentencing, US rap star Cardi B, 28, was alerted to the sentence by one of her fans, asking her what she thought about the sentencing of her 'twinee'. She said on Twitter to her 18 million followers: 'I seen a lot of Americans do photoshoots like that. Even tho is not my style I don't think she was going for sexual more going the natural idea. 'I think jail is a bit harsh. Maybe social media probation or community service.' The June 2020 incident took place on her son's seventh birthday and the image was shared on social media. Pictured: Ghanaian actress, Rosemond Brown, with her son In Ghana, section 280 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960 states that: 'whoever publishes or offers for sale any obscene book, writing, or representation, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour.' Section 281 of the act states that the the maker, producer, possessor, importer, exporter, advertiser, or even anyone who deals with or assists in the circulation either directly or indirectly of 'obscene' material is also guilty. The act is used to punish those who post pictures deemed obscene online. According to GhanaWeb, another case that saw the law applied involved a man who caught his wife in bed with another man, and filmed his discovery. Download free sample 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. 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Identify favorable opportunities in Mold Inhibitors 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 Mold Inhibitors suppliers listed in this report: This Mold Inhibitors procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. BASF SE Associated British Foods Plc Koninklijke DSM NV Kemin Industries Inc. DuPont de Nemours Inc. HANDARY SA Archer Daniels Midland Co. Adisseo France SAS Eastman Chemical Co. General Mills Inc . . Lonza Group Ltd. Evonik Industries AG PeterLabs Holdings Sdn Bhd Perstorp Holding AB Related Report on Materials Include: 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 Italian oil major Eni, through its subsidiary Eni RAK, has been awarded Block 7 covering an area of 430 sq km onshore Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement was signed between the Chairman of Eni RAK, Fuad Krekshi, and the Chief Executive of the Ras Al Khaimah Petroleum Authority, Nishant Dighe, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Italian oil major Eni, through its subsidiary Eni RAK, has been awarded Block 7 covering an area of 430 sq km onshore Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The exploration and production sharing agreement was signed between the Chairman of Eni RAK, Fuad Krekshi, and the Chief Executive of the Ras Al Khaimah Petroleum Authority, Nishant Dighe, in the presence of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Eni RAK will act as Operator of the Block with a 90% participating interest and Ras Al Khaimahs National Oil Company RAK Gas as a partner with a 10% stake. Block 7 represents an underexplored acreage in a complex thrust belt geological setting, similar to that of the recent discovery of Mahani in the adjacent Sharjah Emirate. The newly acquired 3D seismic will allow the joint venture to assess the geological setting of the area and eventually unlock its hydrocarbon potential. The presence of the existing gas processing facilities in the Emirate would also allow a rapid development of any discoveries. Eni is already present in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah operating Offshore Block A where, after an initial geological and geophysical study period, preparations for drilling operations have started. The acquisition of Block 7 represents another step in Enis positioning in the Middle East and in the UAE in particular, where Eni holds the largest exploration acreage among the IOCs present in the country with more than 26,000 sq km gross, comprising eight exploration blocks onshore and in shallow waters offshore across the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah. TradeArabia News Service Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild in 2001. For the next four years, her life was filled with calls, meetings, and events. Events like the AFL-CIO and AFTRA Working Families campaign event that took place at Ron Burkles home. Gilberts then-husband, Bruce Boxleitner, was out of town at the time, so she took Kevin Spacey as her date. There, the actors got to talking to former President Bill Clinton, and the three proceeded to have an evening together. Bill Clinton | WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images What are yall doing after this? In her 2009 memoir, Prairie Tale, Gilbert writes about the evening she and Spacey had with Clinton. The actors were cracking jokes in a corner when the former president approached them and asked: What are yall doing after this? He was heading to two more fund-raisers, one for Senator Thomas Harkin at Haim Sabans house and another at the Beverly Hills Hotel. He asked if theyd like to accompany him. Melissa Gilbert | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage RELATED: Little House on the Prairie Star Melissa Gilbert on What Convinced Her to Get Sober: I Have a Problem I was trying so hard to be cool, wrote Gilbert. Now I wonder if I came off that way. As Kevin and I climbed into the backseats of a large black SuburbanClinton and a Secret Service agent were in the middle row, another Secret Service agent drove, and an assistant sat beside himI could sense myself quickly running through my reserves of coolness. Melissa Gilbert was worried she and Kevin Spacey heard a conversation they werent supposed to hear Gilbert, Spacey, and Clinton were chatting when the former president received a phone call from Senator Tom Daschle. From what I was able to hear, Daschle wanted to talk through strategy about how to deter President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld from invading Iraq, she wrote. I looked at Kevin nervously; I was unsure if we should be eavesdropping on this conversation. It wasnt like listening to someone talk about getting a plumber to fix a leak. They were talking about how to get people on board to block the country from going to war with a country that had nothing to do with the September 11 attack on the United States. It was power personified. But when Clinton hung up, he didnt mention the phone call and jumped right back into talking to Gilbert and Spacey. The Laura Ingalls actor was swept up by his charisma. He was delightful, charming, smart, funny, easy to talk to, and thoroughly disarmingly magnetic, she wrote. I had seen his charisma work its magic in a room full of people. One-on-one in the back of a car, he was almost overwhelming. I could see why people fell all over him. Melissa Gilbert and Kevin Spacey arrived at the fund-raisers on Clinton time When the group arrived late to the first fund-raiser, the Secret service personnel informed Gilbert that they were operating on Clinton time. The party started when he got there. At the first event, Gilbert, Spacey, and Clinton got on the topic of nose jobs (something Gilbert has plenty of personal experience with). The former president then told a story about former supporters of his who had strongly advised him to get his nose done before he ran for president, she wrote. They didnt think he could win with his real nose. He laughingly said, They thought it was functional, but not presidential.' When the party of three finally arrived at the Beverly Hills Hotel, they were greeted by screaming fans (for Clinton). People screamed his name, wrote Gilbert. It was like being with all four Beatles rolled into one. Melissa Gilbert, Kevin Spacey, and Bill Clinton sing Mack the Knife in the kitchen of the Beverly Hills Hotel Kevin Spacey | BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images RELATED: Melissa Gilbert Thinks Her Neighbor Recorded Her Phone Conversations for a Year to Break Up Her and Bruce Boxleitner In the kitchen of the hotel, the three waited for Clinton to be called out to deliver a speech. Spacey began singing Mack the Knife. Clinton joined in, bopping along. Gilbert rounded out the duet to a trio. At around one in the morning, Spacey and Clinton invited Gilbert to return to Burckles home to play cards. She declined. Frankly, I was out of cool, and moments away from saying or doing something totally dorky, she wrote. I let a Secret Service agent drive me back to my car and went home replaying the whole evening in my mind. Toronto: US-Canadian couple Caitlan Coleman and Joshua Boyle landed in Canada today, five years after they were kidnapped in Afghanistan. They arrived with their three young children, who were all born in captivity. Boyle provided a written statement to The Associated Press on the plane saying his family has "unparalleled resilience and determination." Coleman and Boyle were rescued Wednesday, five years after they had been abducted by a Taliban-linked extremist network while in Afghanistan as part of a backpacking trip. Coleman was pregnant at the time. Coleman is from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, and Boyle is Canadian. The final leg of the family's journey was an Air Canada flight yesterday from London to Toronto. Coleman, wearing a tan-colored headscarf, sat in the aisle of the business class cabin. She nodded wordlessly when she confirmed her identity to a reporter on board the flight. In the two seats next to her were her two elder children. In the seat beyond that was Boyle, with their youngest child in his lap. US State Department officials were on theplane with them. Boyle gave The Associated Press a handwritten statement expressing disagreement with US foreign policy. "God has given me and my family unparalleled resilienceand determination, and to allow that to stagnate, to pursuepersonal pleasure or comfort while there is still deliberateand organized injustice in the world would be a betrayal ofall I believe, and tantamount to sacrilege," he wrote. He nodded to one of the State Department officials and said, "Their interests are not my interests." He added that one of his children is in poor health andhad to be force-fed by their Pakistani rescuers. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria saidthe Pakistani raid that led to the family's rescue was basedon a tip from US intelligence and shows that Pakistan will actagainst a "common enemy" when Washington shares information. US officials have long accused Pakistan of ignoring groups like the Haqqani network, which was holding the family. A US national security official, who was not authorized to discuss operational details of the release and spoke onlyon condition of anonymity, said the US obtained actionable information, passed it to Pakistani government officials, asked them to interdict and recover the hostages -- and they did. On Thursday, President Donald Trump, who previously warned Pakistan to stop harboring militants, praised Pakistanfor its willingness to "do more to provide security in theregion." The operation appeared to have unfolded quickly and endedwith what some described as a dangerous raid, a shootout and acaptor's final, terrifying threat to "kill the hostage." Boyle told his parents that he, his wife and their children were intercepted by Pakistani forces while being transported in the back or trunk of their captors' car andthat some of his captors were killed. He suffered only ashrapnel wound, his family said. US officials did not confirm those details. A US military official said that a military hostage teamhad flown to Pakistan Wednesday prepared to fly the family out. The team did a preliminary health assessment and had a transport plane ready to go, but sometime after daybreak Thursday, as the family members were walking to the plane, Boyle said he did not want to board, the official said. Boyle's father said his son did not want to board theplane because it was headed to Bagram Air Base and the familywanted to return directly to North America. Another USofficial said Boyle was nervous about being in "custody" givenhis family ties. He was once married to Zaynab Khadr, the older sister offormer Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr and the daughter ofa senior al-Qaida financier. Her father, the late Ahmed SaidKhadr, and the family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy. The Canadian-born Omar Khadr was 15 when he was capturedby US troops following a firefight and was taken to the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Officials had discounted any link between that backgroundand Boyle's capture, with one official describing it in 2014 as a "horrible coincidence." The US Justice Department said neither Boyle nor Colemanis wanted for any federal crime. US officials call the Haqqani group a terrorist organization and have targeted its leaders with drone strikes. But the group also operates like a criminal network. Unlike the Islamic State group, it does not typically execute Western hostages, preferring to ransom them for cash. The Haqqani network had previously demanded the release of Anas Haqqani, a son of the founder of the group, inexchange for turning over the American-Canadian family. In one of the videos released by their captors, Boyle implored the Afghan government not to execute Taliban prisoners, or he and his wife would be killed. US officials have said that several other Americans arebeing held by militant groups in Afghanistan or Pakistan. They include Kevin King, 60, a teacher at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul who was abducted in August 2016, and Paul Overby, an author in his 70s who had traveled to the region several times but disappeared in eastern Afghanistan in mid-2014. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Scott Distler: Finding a way out of 'the cave' A controversial Nollywood actor, Uche Maduagwu, on Monday, surprised his fans when he revealed that he wasnt gay afterall. Maduagwu took to his official Instagram account to announce to his fans and Nigerians that he lied about his sexuality He wrote, Dear fans I am not gay. I lost movie roles endorsement and my girlfriend fighting for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) in Nigeria. Omg! Even my girlfriend left me despite knowing I was fighting for LGBT right in Naija but I no regret using my celebrity status to fight for this beautiful community, he said. https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0-vd5rhe1/ The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the actor had on January, posted on his Instagram handle that he was proudly gay and this generated a lot of condemnation by his fans. The actor, who is best known off-screen for trolling fellow artists and other public figures, also had some words of advice for his fellow Nigerians. Appreciate others and share only love. We need to respect peoples choices, and not judge them. So, let us practice Jesus kind of love, he shared. The actor, who earned a degree in Sociology from Lagos State University, garnered kudos for his onscreen acting talents, but he also became controversial for his notorious trolling of celebrities and public figures. The actor, who sent waves through Nollywood, late last year when he alleged that he was sexually assaulted on a Lagos movie set in 2012. He further alleged that such abuse was still common in the industry. Honestly, anytime I remember how I was molested and raped by a male actor on my first movie location in Lagos, I cry bitterly, he said. The actor is gradually rising in the Nollywood industry as he had featured in a couple of movies where he delivered good performances. As a brand influencer, Maduagwu has partnered with several brands by advertising and promoting their goods and services. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Puzzling postcodes I am writing about the article in Mahurangi Matters about Puhoi postcodes (MM March 3). I live at 512 Weranui Road, about 5km inland from Waiwera, and not very far from Silverdale. The Postcode here is 0994, which is also the postcode for Puhoi, which is many miles away from me, and Warkworth, which is about 10 times even further away. Parcels and letters sent to me addressed to 512 Weranui Road, RD1, Silverdale, 0994, often have Not Puhoi handwritten on them. Obviously they have gone to Puhoi first and somebody there has re-addressed them. Recently a parcel sent to me from Invercargill went to South Auckland, then Puhoi, then South Auckland again, then to Puhoi again. It eventually arrived having spent nearly two weeks in transit. My local postie tells me that he and his colleagues ignore postcodes, and I can see why. In future, Im going to tell people that my address is 512 Weranui Road, RD1 Silverdale, not Puhoi, and I will omit the postcode entirely. That said, one company that I deal with in Invercargill that posts parcels to me, tells me that couriers will not accept them addressed to 512 Weranui Road, RD1, Silverdale, unless the word Puhoi is also included. It appears that St Johns Ambulance use the same address system. When I phoned Silverdale St Johns to get an ambulance, it went to Puhoi because thats what their directory said. That delayed it by about 25 minutes just as well I hadnt had a heart attack. Marsden B Robinson, Silverdale Fresh air Thank you Julie Cotton. I enjoy your Country Living column so much. Its a breath of fresh country air. Please dont stop writing. Steph Mellors, Snells Beach Read Julies latest column Nonsense on rate With regards to the park and ride article (MM March 31), Beth Houlbrooke states the money was from Warkworth ratepayers so can only be spent in Warkworth. This is totally false and the RnF (Rodney NOT first) members of the Local Board need to stop misinforming the public and treating us like imbeciles. The targeted rate is a Rodney targeted rate, and lets not forget it was RnF who are responsible for this extra rate, which by the way was originally touted to be used on roading, footpaths and transport until they got their thieving mitts on it. How about some honesty from this lot or better still how about they get behind Greg Sayers and show a united front, instead of trying to divide and conquer because thats sure as hell not working for them or the people of Rodney. Shannon James, Matakana Biased survey Recently, Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers has been promoting a survey purportedly designed to get Rodney citizens views on transport initiatives. Sadly like many surveys, it is designed to get the answer someone (Greg Sayers in this case) wants. Unfortunately, this is a survey that panders to parochial local interests, starting with, as you open it, pictures of what Mr Sayers wants the survey participants to highlight. The questions are designed to put the answers into peoples mouths and the survey, almost unashamedly, is designed to promote the use of cars and road transport in the area. It has very little opportunity to get opinions on alternatives such as decent public transport or ways to cut down the use of heavy truck transport on our roads. New Zealand needs brave people supporting decent, regular, affordable and effective public transport and alternatives to the ever increasing heavy road haulage. We need to encourage alternative transport options if we are to tackle the problem, which is clear to us all, of climate change. To do this we need elected public officials, such as Cr Sayers, to show bravery in their leadership. Neil Anderson, Algies Bay Puhoi motorway ramps Once again we have misunderstandings as to the Puhoi ramps on the motorway and the delusions and lack of corporate memory, background knowledge on the part of the NZ Transport Agency spokesperson as to the full interchange meant to be at Puhoi (MM March 31). The original plans for the motorway extension, Silverdale to Johnstones Hill, terminated with a large cutting through the hill, complete with a full interchange giving access to Wenderholm, Waiwera, Puhoi and Mahurangi. For various reasons this was changed to the present tunnels. However, it transpired insufficient land had been acquired to form the interchange, which resulted in a variation to the contract to extend the work up to the turnaround for access to Waiwera and the original site of the toll booths. The first published outline for the proposed extension to Warkworth contained the comment that this would be programmed to complete the first stage from the tunnels to the Puhoi Interchange. At the opening ceremony in 2009, Steven Joyce declared this stretch of road would be good for regional development. Subsequently, the old Rodney District Council, led by one Penny Webster, stymied the interchange by declaring there would be no development in this area. Locals had for some time access to the motorway via the tunnels this was now all going to go. After protracted discussions and a threatened court case, it ended up with this somewhat puerile result of on ramps and off ramps to and from the south only. The area was assessed years ago as needing an interchange let alone now, and the short-sighted result will eventually be very costly in many respects. John Simons, Orewa Previously NZTA spokesperson Darryl Walker commented on the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway as follows: There is an off ramp at Puhoi for traffic heading north (but no on ramp). For traffic heading south there is an on ramp at Puhoi (but no off ramp). Contour confusion Ms Rosier of Auckland Emergency Management (MM March 17) needs to get out of her office more or study some contour maps of the Point Wells, Omaha area. Nobody from Point Wells would attempt to evacuate to Ti Point or Leigh if an earthquake was felt in the near vicinity. They would go to higher ground at the nearby Takatu Road, preferably up on the ridge past Whitmore Road so the lower levels are left free for late evacuees. Also, she is unrealistic to expect that Omaha residents would walk, bike or scooter to safety. Omaha residents would hitch up their boats to their cars and head to nearby higher ground on Takatu Road. This would of course render Omaha Flats Road to be like a speedway, but incoming traffic would be unlikely so it would become a two-lane road; with all vehicles heading to higher ground. J Cranston, Point Wells If we really want to live a better life and achieve our potential, we can do it! Young people can change things, everything lies in our hands Gnassounou Mokpokpo Espe, 25, from Lome, Togo I was born in Lome and I always lived here. My mother is a tailor and my father is a translator and a pastor. I have a degree in media studies and also started an undergraduate programme in sociology which I never finished. During my studies, I did an internship in a communications company for one year. My studies helped me a lot during the internship and vice versa. I think studies must mix practice and theory. By practicing in the field, young people can acquire concrete knowledge. In the future, I would like to go back to university to finish my sociology degree. I couldnt continue due to financial difficulties. There are some merit-based scholarships and other financial aids available for students. I once tried to submit my application, but the administrative officer asked for sexual favours in exchange. So despite being entitled for these benefits, I didn't apply. Such gender discrimination practices are quite common in Togo, including in the business world. For instance, when I was working in a company, a client asked me out on a date with him but I declined, and I lost my job shortly after that. In Togo, if women don't accept such offers, they are often penalised. People don't talk about it because they feel ashamed. Young people don't have access to sexual and reproductive health services at school, and they don't really go to the doctor nor dare to ask for information on sexual practices. Yet, young people have sexual relationships more and more early, even at the age of 13 or 15! I have some cousins far younger than me that already have children, and its a real struggle for them. It is difficult to find a job here in Togo. Everyone complains about unemployment. Some young people volunteer for six years in companies before being employed! Even when you have work, you need at least two jobs to sustain yourself and make enough money. I've been creating pearl and loincloth accessories for a few years now to get some extra money. When I get orders, I can earn between 5000 and 15 000 FCFA per week. I also worked in a cultural centre as an assistant and volunteer at Amnesty International. In the future, I would like to open my own pearl accessories business with some friends. We could associate with craftsmen and sell our products abroad to Benin or Ghana. But everything is uncertain; we never know where life will take us, so we do the best we can. Today, the environment is deteriorating, health remains a challenge and unemployment is a big issue. But if we really want to live a better life and achieve our potential, we can do it! Many young people can change things, everything lies in our hands. The State has abandoned its responsibilities, so we have to address problems on our own. Young people have to believe in themselves. Over the last years I participated in many youth summits and workshops in Togo and abroad. I would like to continue to work on development issues in Togo and raise awareness amongst young people of the issues in our country and of their role as active citizens. Learn more about the work of the Youth Inclusion Project in Togo Back to Homepage - Youth Inclusion Project Related Documents A recent research showed that attending worship services caused positive feelings to the majority of churched adults in America. In a study by Barna Research, titled "Encouraged, Disappointed, Connected - How Churchgoers Feel After Worship," the center gauged the emotions of U.S. adults after attending church, whether they feel encouraged, inspired, guilty or disappointed. 82% of practicing Christians, or those who identify as Christians and attended church within the past month, and 67% of churchgoers, Christians who have been in church for the last six months, said that they feel encouraged after attending worship services "most of the time." 78% of practicing Christians stated that they feel inspired "most of the time" while 65% of churched adults said so, after church attendance. Those who responded that they feel forgiven "most of the time" by joining services, comprised 77% of practicing Christians and 65% of churchgoers. However, the survey also revealed that almost half of the churched adults feel disappointed after attending church. 42% of practicing Christians and 34% of churchgoers said they leave church feeling guilty "almost never." Those who replied that they feel it "sometimes" consisted of 29% Christians and 26% churched adults. 18% of churchgoers and 11% of practicing Christians responded that they feel guilty "about half the time." 62% of practicing Christians and 50% of churched adults said that they feel disappointed "almost never" after worship service attendance. Further, the research stated that 77% of practicing Christians and 62% of churchgoers feel that they have connected with God "most of the time" after attending church services. Those who feel that they learned something new "most of the time" consisted of 71% practicing Christians and 59% of churched adults. 58% of churchgoers and 65% of practicing Christians said that attending worship services left them feeling like it was the most relevant experience they had for the week "most of the time." Those who responded that church attendance inspired them to change something in their lives are 55% churched adults and 62% practicing Christians. The research is concerned that though most of practicing Christians and churchgoers expressed that attending church services encouraged them and enhanced their spiritual well-being, the gap between these groups is significant in numerous areas. "Churched adults lag behind their more committed counterparts and are far less likely to say they feel connected to God or forgiven 'most of the time' following a church service," the survey added. The study suggested that church leaders must have adequate understanding on how the churchgoers feel about attending services so that they will be able to apply appropriate approaches for people to better connect with God. "As churches continue to adapt to digital and hybrid ministry, leaders should seek to understand how churchgoers feel after worship and strive to cultivate an environment that not only prompts fruitful feelings for attendees, but also offers opportunities for people to find a deeper connection with God," the study concluded. Barna Research conducted the study on Dec. 5-18, 2019. Responses were gathered online, comprising of 1,606 American adults. MCLA Undergraduate Research Conference to be held Virtually NORTH ADAMS, Mass. MCLA will hold its 19th annual Undergraduate Research Conference virtually this year on Thursday, April 22. Students will have the opportunity to showcase the work they've done on various academic projects throughout the year, including scholarly and creative work, across all academic disciplines. Students will present 15-minute talks, posters, and artistic work; the URC will also include special sessions and events focused on specific themes and performances. Members of the media are welcome to cover this MCLA community event, sit in on virtual talks, and interview students and faculty members. Learn more about the URC at mcla.edu/URC2021 Keynote speaker: Ama Bemma Adwetewa-Badu '15 An MCLA alumni is traditionally invited to speak at the URC; this year's keynote speaker is Ama Bemma Adwetewa-Badu '15, a third year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English at Cornell University, where she studies poetry and poetics, world literature, and comparative Black studies. After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2015, she went on to earn a MA in English from Clark University. Her master's thesis, "Iterations of Identity: Black Experimental Poetics and the Politics of Form," examined experimental and innovative poetry in the African diaspora. During her time as a masters student, she taught English as a second language at Worcester State University and was an English tutor for the Writing Center at Quinsigamond Community College. Learn more about her at https://www.mcla.edu/academics/undergraduate-education/undergraduate-research/ur-conference/keynote.php. Recognizing scholarship recipients Feigenbaum Scholarships This year is the first year MCLA awarded Feigenbaum Scholarships. The Feigenbaum Scholars are MCLA undergraduate students who are entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders researching ways to build capacity and explore emerging trends. These scholarships are available to students pursuing any area of study at MCLA. The scholarship will provide support to students enabling them to fund a life-changing experience aligned with a detailed research proposal. This scholarship may also be used to defray the cost of tuition and fees related to independent studies/research. The 2020-2021 Feigenbaum Scholars are: Sienna Paulsen '21 ($6,000 for her project "How is Nesting Behavior of Veeries Influenced by Exotic Shrubs?") Hannah Wait '21 ($3,000 for her project "Spring Migration Strategies of Dark-Eyed Juncos") Lindsey Rosa '21 ($1,000 for her project "The Fate of Non-Profit Organizations and Creating a Foundation for Future Entrepreneurs") Pamela P. Dennis '82 Scholarship The Pamela P. Dennis '82 Scholarship is funded by the Pamela P. Dennis '82 Achievement and Triumph Fund, which underwrites the cost of the URC, a $2,000 scholarship for a student each year, and an annual student internship at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Mass. Announced by Diane Sammer, Class of 1981 in 2014, the fund honors Pamela P. Dennis, a psychology major who graduated from the college in 1982 and who passed away in 2008. The 2021 Pamela P. Dennis '82 Scholarship recipient is Bobita Atkins '24. Atkins created "The Green Zone Project," a new program to promote and encourage environmentally friendly behaviors on campus, specifically in campus housing. Atkins created a checklist for her peers as well as a Green Zone dorm certification process. "We push to make MCLA a greener school by making the biggest population of the school aware that they have a role in protecting the environment," she explained in her URC abstract. Alice Jun, inside the brewery of Hana Makgeolli. Photo: Caroline Tompkins Alice Jun is getting ready to walk Chapsal, her shaggy, hulking dog that tends to stand out among the citys diminutive Frenchies and corgis. People are either like, Oh my God! What kind of dog is that? Jun says; or, the reaction is more like, Hes huge and scary and looks weird get him away from me! Thats fine, though: Hes pretty shy anyway. We decide to stroll through Greenpoints Newtown Creek Nature Walk, mostly because its around the corner from the Hana Makgeolli taproom and brewery, which Jun founded and opened last November with her business partner, John Limb. In a past life, it was a millworking and produce storage space that smelled like a dungeon, Jun recalls. It has a relatively small footprint, but boasts 22-foot ceilings, which is key. Brewing is more about growing vertically, going higher and higher, she explains, adding that she hadnt expected the need, and pressure, to expand so quickly. I tell her what people always say in situations like this: that its a good problem to have. Jun swiftly shoots me down: Im so sick of hearing that! Hana, too, stands out among New Yorks surfeit of nano-breweries and tasting rooms because it is the only Stateside producer of makgeolli, the milky Korean rice drink that is sometimes compared to nigori sake and sherry, and which can taste a bit like creamy kombucha. Brewing is more about growing vertically, going higher and higher, says Jun. Photo: Caroline Tompkins If you have seen makgeolli in the States, it was likely in a green plastic bottle a mass-produced version that, like its distilled cousin soju, is imported in bulk. A longtime home-brewer, Jun decided it was time for Americans to taste real makgeolli, by reviving traditional methods and expanding peoples knowledge of Korean alcohol, or sool, more generally. At first we wanted to show that this commercial stuff is crap, Jun says, which some people would agree with and some people wouldnt. Indeed, most makgeolli found today is laden with sugars and chemical stabilizers and often made with alternative starches a residual practice and consequence of grain shortages and wartime rice rationing in Korea. At the same time, the unpasteurized nature of craft makgeolli doesnt gel with import regulations and tends to prevent the more artisanal versions from making their way here. I realize theres a time and place for that kind of makgeolli and soju, Jun concedes, but it would be a shame if thats all anyone knew. For her brews, Jun sticks to wild fermentation and forgoes any additives, resulting in a remarkably complex beverage. In fact, Hana Makgeolli employs just three ingredients: water, rice, and nuruk a unique Korean fermentation starter. The rice is unpolished (differing from sake) and composed of both medium-grain varieties (mepsahl) and sweet varieties (chapsal, for which Juns dog is named). Jun then uses a Taiwanese dim sum steamer to prepare the rice, instead of more common cylindrical steamers, which can result in waste. With a cabinet steamer, we can make sure every single grain gets into the brew, Jun explains. We use organic and that stuff is expensive. Jun, working with the steamed rice for her makgeolli. Photo: Caroline Tompkins The rice, which Jun buys from California, is then brewed with the filtered water and nuruk the star of the production. Composed of ground wheat and barley thats been moistened and shaped into a disc or brick, nuruk is left in open air or inoculated with wild yeast, mold, and bacteria. If that sounds familiar to anyone who developed a quarantine baking habit, thats because nuruk features the same lactobacilli thats found in sourdough (and kimchi). Theres also a terroir aspect to nuruk, Jun adds, which varies based on the climate where its made and ultimately flavors the brew. (Jun gets hers from Korea, but wants to eventually substitute her own.) The nuruk serves a dual purpose: It turns the rice into sugar, and it converts that sugar into alcohol. The unique one-step nature of nuruk means it streamlines the brewing process, but also makes it more volatile and harder to control. Jun's brewing process relies on wild fermentation. Caroline Tompkins. Jun's brewing process relies on wild fermentation. Caroline Tompkins. Jun, however, has had plenty of time to practice. Her father was and still is an avid home-brewer. Home-brewing isnt super common in Korean families anymore, but my dads from the shigol, Jun says, referencing Koreas countryside. He and Juns mother immigrated to Santa Maria, California, a conservative, rural town on the states Central Coast. Like other American immigrants, Jun had moments where she rejected her own culture to better fit into Americas. To say that I wasnt at some point embarrassed to be Korean when I was younger would be a lie, Jun says. She made a point to stand against Korean stuff like K-pop, before she had a realization: Those things dont define me its actually the more meaningful things about our culture that define me. She credits her struggle with identity, however minor, for contributing to her commitment today to preserving Korean cultural tradition through makgeolli and sool. (Shes also a huge Blackpink fan now.) Jun moved to New York in 2011 to study at NYUs Stern School of Business, where she started making makgeolli casually in her dorm room. Not with recipes, but the movements gleaned from her dad. Its a very narrative style of teaching, she explains, likening it to muscle memory and home cooking. Back then, I didnt even know what yeast did. After graduation, she took a class at the Susubori Academy one of Seouls more established brewing schools and when she returned to New York, she started selling her product through a newsletter. It was, she says, 100 percent illegal. (Its also not uncommon.) All the while, she worked a full-time job at Deloitte, traveling four days a week. I would get back Thursday night, prepare for an event over the weekend, throw the party, prep for the next brew on Monday morning, and go to Syracuse or something. That experience no doubt helped with the fundraising that was necessary to make her hobby legit, even if the pitch was difficult to formulate, since Hana is not the first makgeolli producer in the U.S. It kind of sucks to admit that to an investor, Jun says. Were fundraising and people ask if were the first ones and if not, what happened to the rest? Other upstarts have included a Seattle steakhouse, which made makgeolli on-site; a small family farm and distillery in upstate New York; and a subsidiary of the Korea brewery Baesangmyun, in Illinois. All of the others have closed, and a canned version of the drink, Makku, which launched in 2019 in the States, has moved its production to Korea. That leaves Jun. Jun, inside the Hana taproom. Photo: Caroline Tompkins She thinks the timing is right for makgeolli, thanks to the ballooning interest in natural wine and the steady proliferation of Korean restaurants in New York. There are so many amazing makers in the Korean food space and if they dont have a Korean drink to pair with their menu or enhance their story, it would be a shame. The taproom of Hana Makgeolli remains closed for now due to the pandemic, but Jun, who calls herself extremely risk-averse, is optimistic about opening later down the road. While she never wanted to open a bar, per se citing the hard work her father had put in running restaurants when she was younger she figured a niche product would necessitate a physical space for tastings and questions. Also, Korean culture is about drinking and eating together, she adds, so we couldnt just ignore that part of the mission. Instead, Jun and her team quickly shifted their focus to shipping where pasteurizing the bottles helps prevent refermentation and overcarbonation, which can make them explode. But when the taproom doors do open, Jun will serve their drinks unpasteurized, her original intention. A bottle of Hana. Photo: Caroline Tompkins She will also be able to describe for unfamiliar customers the differences between Hanas three products: The signature Takju 16 is the cloudiest, with a distinct scent of Korean melons. The flavor, though, is lean and tropical, almost like a pineapple with a fraction of the sweetness. (The name is a reference to the strength at 16 percent ABV, Hanas makgeolli is relatively boozy.) Also on offer is an infusion of chrysanthemum and hydrangea traditional flavors that one customer has likened to creamy lemonade. Lastly, Hanas newest release is a clarified wine, or yakju, made with the clear portion of the makgeolli brew. Learning about makgeolli is rife with new vocabulary, and Juns goal is to be as accurate as possible when it comes to her drinks. All of our storytelling is done terminologically, she says. Is that a word? She acknowledges that while makgeolli is not the easiest word for New Yorkers to pronounce for the record, its MOCK-guh-lee its important to Jun that it gets called for what it is. So for now, Jun is working hard to gain more visibility and become top of mind so that when the pandemic subsides and its safe to open the taproom, drinkers will be primed to check out Hana as Jun intended: Our wine fucks you up and makes you all lovey-dovey and happy, she says. It doesnt mix well with social distancing. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 30 giorni fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Breakfast Cereals in the United Arab Emirates" under Food category. The United Arab Emirates Breakfast Cereals Market is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports. Although breakfast cereals have not traditionally been favourite breakfast items in the United Arab Emirates, these products were steadily growing in popularity over the review period. Breakfast cereals offer a filling and highly convenient meal to start the day, particularly given the increasingly hectic lives of many consumers. Breakfast Cereals in United Arab Emirates report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2015-2019, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2024 illustrate how the market is set to change. Product coverage: Hot Cereals, RTE Cereals. Request a free sample copy of United Arab Emirates Breakfast Cereals Market Report @ http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/241376 Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data. Why buy this report? * Get a detailed picture of the Breakfast Cereals market; * Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change; * Understand the competitive environment, the markets major players and leading brands; * Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop. Table Of Contents Breakfast Cereals in the United Arab Emirates March 2021 List OF CONTENTS AND TABLES KEY DATA FINDINGS 2020 IMPACT Lower growth during the pandemic as families have more time to prepare breakfast at home Lower growth for muesli and granola in 2020 Flakes follow the health trend RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES Steady consumption growth for breakfast cereals going forward Childrens breakfast cereals set to bounce back towards the end of the forecast period Private label set to develop CATEGORY DATA Table 1 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Volume 2015-2020 Table 2 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Value 2015-2020 Table 3 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Volume Growth 2015-2020 Table 4 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Value Growth 2015-2020 Table 5 NBO Company Shares of Breakfast Cereals: % Value 2016-2020 Table 6 LBN Brand Shares of Breakfast Cereals: % Value 2017-2020 Table 7 Distribution of Breakfast Cereals by Format: % Value 2015-2020 Table 8 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Volume 2020-2025 Table 9 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Value 2020-2025 Table 10 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025 Table 11 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025 Browse our full report with Table of Contents: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/breakfast-cereals-in-the-united-arab-emirates/241376 About Us Market Reports on Saudi Arabia provides you with an in-depth industry reports focusing on various economic, political and operational risk environment, complemented by detailed sector analysis. We have an exhaustive coverage on variety of industries ranging from energy and chemicals to transportation, communications, constructions and mining to Food and Beverage and education. Our collection includes over 3000 up-to-date reports all researched, analysed and published by top-notch international research firms. Contact us at: Market Reports On Saudi Arabia Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773 Email: info@marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com Website: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com Follow us on : Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 05:04:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government on Monday officially approved a bill cancelling the law on boycotting Israel. "Today a draft bill abolishing the law on boycotting Israel was approved in a joint meeting for the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers," said Justice Minister Nasr-Eddin Abdul-Bari on his Twitter account. Earlier in the day, Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan chaired a joint meeting for the council and the cabinet at the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. The abolished law, which was enacted in 1958, forbids dealing and trading with Israel, with a penalty of up to 10-year imprisonment for violators. On Oct. 23, 2020, Sudan and Israel announced end of mutual enmity and agreed to establish diplomatic and trade relations. Enditem Bengaluru, April 20 : Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Tuesday urged the state government to take strict measures to contain the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the southern state. After presiding over an all-party meeting here, Vala dropped enough hints that he is not averse to reintroduction of lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus. "All I want is to see is a healthy Karnataka, and not wealthy Karnataka at this juncture as the world battles the deadly virus," he said in his communique released by the Raj Bhavan. He added that the need of the hour is to take strong steps and tough measures to tackle this pandemic. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who is recuperating in the hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 for the second time in the last eight months, said that the Governor has directed the state government to take stringent measures to contain the second wave of the pandemic. "He stressed to give equal priority to prevention along with providing treatment facilities to the infected persons. He also advised to give importance to a healthy Karnataka and to take the necessary steps based on the advice of the technical advisory committee," Yediyurappa said. Apprising the Governor about the state government's initiatives to develop public healthcare infrastructure, Yediyurappa said that there has been a 12 per cent increase in total number of beds. "The number of beds with oxygen support has increased considerably to 29,667 now," he said. The CM also claimed that the state government is making continuous efforts to ensure proper treatment, medicines, ventilators etc. to the infected persons. He added that an order has been issued asking the private hospitals to reserve 50 per cent beds for Covid patients. "There is no shortage of Remdesevir vials," he disclosed during the meeting. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The drag community has tried to partner with children for a long time through events at children's libraries. Child drag queens were the next phase. At least one woman in Florida does not approve of this trend. She was at a late-night drag show in South Beach, Miami, Florida when two little girls were put on the stage to strut their stuff while audience members handed them money. The video is repulsive, but what makes it viral is the woman's honest outrage at what she's witnessing. Drag queens have been in the news a lot. It started a long time ago with drag queen storytimes at public libraries. There's even a Drag Queen Story Hour website with cute pictures of men dressed up as over-the-top women surrounded by dazzled little children. The "about" information makes it clear that the point is to co-opt children: Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish, where dress up is real. Those of us who thought it was inappropriate for drag queens to entertain little children in a way that confuses them about their sexuality were told we were transphobic among other epithets. As it happens, while most of the glammed up men reading to children are not sex criminals, some of them most certainly are. The story of Brett Blomme, which broke last month, is instructive: Last week Brett Blomme, 38, a judge with strong ties to top Democrats in Wisconsin, was charged with possessing child pornography depicting the sexual abuse of underage boys, including toddlers. According to the criminal complaint, Blomme accessed the child porn at both his home and his judge's chamber. Each of the seven counts carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. Blomme's involvement with kids extended beyond his courtroom. He was also invested in grooming Milwaukee's preschool crowd. While a judge, he was also president and CEO of the Cream City Foundation, which operates the Milwaukee Drag Queen Story Hour for local children. Blomme wasn't just a judge, either. Since August 2020 he has presided over Children's Court in Milwaukee. One of Blomme's former challengers in the bid for the seat noted, "I also feel terrible for the children and families that have appeared in his court during the brief time he has been on the bench." Read the rest here. Blomme is not the only library drag queen arrested for sex crimes. He's just the most recent and, in a way, spectacular. In 2019, the Houston Public Library was forced to apologize when it turned out that one of its drag queen storytellers had previously been charged with sexually assaulting a child. The Austin public library also hosted a sex offender. Rule of thumb: People who define themselves entirely by non-traditional sexuality might be more sex-obsessed than what you want to have around your children. Not content with parading drag queens before children, the radical activists in the LGBT crowd have been encouraging children to become drag queens themselves. These two videos (serious content warning for general perversion) explain what's going on at the fringes of LGBT society and how they're trying to mainstream it: With that background in place, let's talk about the video out of the South Beach area in Miami. An unnamed woman is at a nightclub and is shocked that two little girls have been pushed onto the stage at 11:40 at night to strut with the drag queen. Even worse, audience members are stuffing bills into the little girls' hands. Throughout the video, she asks some variation of this question: "Why in the hell do these people got these f------ little bitty a-- kids at this f------ drag show, y'all? It's 11:40 at night." Her old-fashioned outrage is appropriate. And if by "these people" she means the girls' parents, they have a lot to answer for. Looking at "Desmond is Amazing" and other "drag kids"; at those two little girls; and at Adam Toledo, the 13-year-old running around with a gun in Chicago in the middle of the night, it's clear that many of America's problems can be traced to a single source: parents. They're either missing entirely or are scarily divorced from their parenting responsibilities, including just being there, teaching morality, and giving their kids behavioral boundaries. Image: Little girl and the drag queen. Twitter screen grab. Sarah Jane Adams is not the typical Big Brother Australia contestant. The 65-year-old antiques dealer revealed on Tuesday that she only recently bought a small TV after going without one for 25 years - but she doesn't watch it, regardless. The fashionista also shared her opinion on social media - and she is not a fan, despite having over 200,000 followers. No TV! Sarah Jane Adams (pictured) is not the typical Big Brother Australia contestant. The 65-year-old antiques dealer revealed on Tuesday that she only recently bought a small TV after going without one for 25 years - but she doesn't watch it, regardless 'Social media is appalling because it is not real,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'Social media if it is used correctly is a fantastic thing but unfortunately we are so far down this path, it is a terrible thing.' Despite sharing the Big Brother house with the mother of Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis, Mary, she has never seen the show. Oops! The fashionista also shared her opinion on social media - and she is not a fan, despite having over 200,000 followers. 'Social media is appalling because it is not real,' she said 'I didn't even know what MAFS is. I am completely bemused that all of this is happening because I am just a regular little weirdo, ' she said. Not only is she a reluctant social media star, Sarah Jane has also authoured the book, 'Life In A Box: Traveller. Antiques Dealer. Mother. Model. Iconoclast', which was released last year. The book deals with the various ways people are forced to 'live in boxes' - and Sarah Jane explains how she defied those expectations by living a colourful life. Not tuned in: Despite sharing the Big Brother house with the mother of Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis, Mary (pictured) she has never seen the show. 'I didn't even know what MAFS is,' Sarah Jane said Has the look: Sarah Jane went viral in 2014 when a photo of her, wearing a red Adidas jacket gifted to her by her daughter, appeared on Ari Seth Cohen's Advanced Style blog In an interview with The Wayward, Sarah Jane admitted she has struggled with her Instagram fame, but is determined to show others that life doesn't have to be 'quietly lived'. Sarah Jane went viral in 2014 when a photo of her wearing a red Adidas jacket gifted to her by her daughter appeared on Ari Seth Cohen's Advanced Style blog. 'I realised that somewhere amongst all that, people were basically attracted to my attitude, and the knowledge that you can be far more disruptive by just quietly living your life,' she said. Big Brother premieres Monday April 26 at 7.30pm on Seven Hyderabad, April 20 : Cinema theatres in Telangana on Tuesday decided to voluntarily close down from Wednesday in view of the continuing surge in Covid-19 cases in the state. Telangana Theatre Owners' Association took the decision at a meeting held hours after the state government decided to impose night curfew from Tuesday till April 30. Though the state government issued an order asking cinema theatres to close down at 8 p.m. in view of the night curfew, the association took the decision to shut down the theatres. The association said the decision was taken for the safety of audiences and to help prevent spread of Covid-19. The government imposed night curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to contain the spread of Covid-19. It issued a separate Government Order (GO) limiting screening of movie shows in cinema theatres across the state. It asked theatres to close at 8 p.m. The managements of cinema theatres/multiplexes were also directed to ensure that all persons including audience, staff, vendors etc use mask all times, hand sanitizers are available at entry/exit points and common areas, physical distancing and crowd management measures are followed and sanitization of entire premises particularly common areas shall be done after every screening. The cinema halls were also asked to ensure that temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30 Celsius. Relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70 per cent. Re-circulation of air should be avoided and intake of fresh air should as much as possible, said the GO. The managements were asked to stagger show timings to ensure that intervals of different shows do not occur simultaneously. Mr. Flores has been subjected to a substantial amount of pre-arrest publicity and accusations over the last 25 years, Sanger wrote. He and his family have also been subject to numerous interrogations and highly publicized searches of their premises and property. Nevertheless, Mr. Flores has remained in the Southern California community. A bail report filed in the case also shows that the Smart family opposed bail for Paul and Ruben Flores, issuing the following statement to the court: Our family strongly opposes any bail being offered to Paul Flores. Given the charges filed against him that he murdered our daughter, sought and received help from his father, Ruben, and then the two collaborated to hide her and deny any knowledge of their actions for the next 25 years is simply reprehensible. This is not how mature, responsible adults act! Given the charges against Paul, we fear his release on bail directly threatens the safety of our family. We know the primary purpose of bail is to help ensure that a person accused of a crime does not leave town or miss specified trial dates in court. Obviously, after 25 years of deliberately hiding the truth, we are gravely concerned this lifelong coward will seek to run if freed on bail. ... While Samsung eventually decided to pull all Note 7 units from the market, giving up on the model entirely, fears that electronics could burst into flames for no clear reason are still around these days.And as it turns out, it happens for a good reason, as some devices, regardless of the brand, model, or age, can still catch fire in the worst possible moments.That is what happened on a British Airways Boeing 787 last fall, with an investigation conducted by UKs Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) finalized this week revealing that an iPhone burst into flames while the aircraft was descending towards Heathrow.The official report indicates that nobody was injured, and the plane didnt suffer any damages, though it does acknowledge the phone started emitting smoke while plugged in and placed on a passenger seat.It happened on September 30 when a Boeing 787-9 operated by British Airways was traveling from Miami to London. The first-class cabin crew spotted a charging cable connected to a device placed on the side of the seat, and the report indicated that a smell similar to sulfur was immediately noticed.When the senior cabin crew arrived to look into what happened, the phone produced a hissing sound and then emitted a large plume of grey smoke in a tornado motion, as per the official documents. The crew members claim they noticed an orange glow in the seat area amongst the smoke just before they picked up a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.The cabin crew reached out to the pilots, who started the emergency checklist, while other staff members filled an ice bucket with water to throw on the device. Eventually, the smoke dissipated and whats being described as an acrid odor on the flight deck went away, so the commander decided to continue to Heathrow.Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the device that started the fire was an iPhone it appears to be a special-edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 8that burst into flames because of overheating lithium batteries and structural deformation caused by the seat mechanism. A widely deployed SSL VPN device known as Pulse Secure Connect has been revealed to have a serious vulnerability, with a Common Vulnerability Scoring System score of 10, the maximum possible, that can be exploited remotely. This, and three other vulnerabilities that were discovered earlier by PulseSecure, the owner of Pulse Secure Connect, are being exploited by malicious attackers, according to a blog post by security vendor FireEye. Details of the vulnerability were released overnight by the maker of the device. A workaround was also provided, but a final patch will arrive only next month. The other three vulnerabilities that are being exploited have already been patched but the take-up of patches appears to have been very slow. A security advisory said the vulnerability included an authentication bypass that could allow an unauthenticated user to carry out remote execution of an arbitrary file on the Pulse Connect Secure Gateway. The very annoying thing about this is when the first bug in Pulse came out, YOU SHOULD HAVE UNINSTALLED IT FROM YOUR NETWORK. Patching as a risk mitigation method is what screwed you here, and everyone involved should be fired. https://t.co/aU2Aiti0RC daveaitel (@daveaitel) April 20, 2021 In, Phil Richards, the chief security officer of the company, said: "The Pulse Secure team recently discovered that a limited number of customers have experienced evidence of exploit behavior on their Pulse Connect Secure appliances. "We have discovered four issues, the bulk of which involve three vulnerabilities that were patched in 2019 and 2020: Security Advisory SA44101 (CVE-2019-11510), Security Advisory SA44588 (CVE-2020-8243) and Security Advisory SA44601 (CVE-2020-8260). "There is a new issue, discovered this month, that impacted a very limited number of customers. The team worked quickly to provide mitigations directly to the limited number of impacted customers that remediates the risk to their system. We will be releasing a software update in early May. Visit Security Advisory SA44784 (CVE-2021-22893) for more information." FireEye said in its post that its Mandiant division had responded to multiple incidents involving Pulse Secure VPN appliances being compromised. I don't think Pulse Secure's customers care about Ivanti's use of SolarWinds, no offense to Ivanti. I do think they care about the actively exploited zero days in their products, which isn't listed anywhere on their customer website homepage. pic.twitter.com/QZzjR4UshB Kevin Beaumont (@GossiTheDog) April 20, 2021 A total of 12 malware families were being tracked in connection with these compromises, the security vendor said. "These families are related to the circumvention of authentication and backdoor access to these devices, but they are not necessarily related to each other and have been observed in separate investigations. It is likely that multiple actors are responsible for the creation and deployment of these various code families." The company said it had investigated multiple intrusions at defence, government, and financial organisations around the world earlier this year and in each case the first indications of attacker activity were traceable back to DHCP IP address ranges belonging to Pulse Secure VPN appliances in the affected environment. "In many cases, we were not able to determine how actors obtained administrator-level access to the appliances. However, based on analysis by Ivanti [the parent company of Pulse Secure], we suspect some intrusions were due to the exploitation of previously disclosed Pulse Secure vulnerabilities from 2019 and 2020 while other intrusions were due to the exploitation of CVE-2021-22893," FireEye added. Scott Caveza, research engineering manager at security outfit Tenable, commented: "CVE-2019-11510, which has been exploited in the wild since details became public in August 2019, was one of the top five vulnerabilities in Tenable's 2020 Threat Landscape Retrospective report because of its ease of exploitation and widespread exploitation. "Because it is a zero-day and the timetable for the release of a patch is not yet known, CVE-2021-22893 gives attackers a valuable tool to gain entry into a key resource used by many organisations, especially in the wake of the shift to the remote workforce over the last year. "Attackers can utilise this flaw to further compromise the PCS device, implant backdoors and compromise credentials. While Pulse Secure has noted that the zero-day has seen limited use in targeted attacks, it's just a matter of time before a proof-of-concept becomes publicly available, which we anticipate will lead to widespread exploitation, as we observed with CVE-2019-11510." Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-20 14:24:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China is planning to approve its first foreign COVID-19 vaccine before July, according to people privy to the matter, U.S. media reported. The clinical-trial data of the vaccine made by Germany's BioNTech SE has been under scrutiny, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, adding that the domestic distribution of the shot is expected to be given green light within the the next ten weeks. BioNTech has agreed to cooperate with Shanghai Fosun Pharma to deliver 100 million doses to China in 2021, pending approval, the report said. Enditem ALLENTOWN, PA, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- American Energy Partners, Inc. (American Energy) (PINK: AEPT), a diversified energy company, is excited to announce the Agreement to acquire three existing oil and gas operators in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The transaction is valued in excess of $10,800,000. American Energy will acquire 100% of the stock and units of the three companies. Under the terms of the Agreement the transaction will be funded with a mix of debt and equity. Highlights include: Represents an increase in annualized revenue of approximately $2,000,000 beginning in Q3 2021 based on current strip pricing; Low risk, low-cost stabilized production increase of 1,250 mmcfe per day from 467 wells including midstream assets; 19 Bcfe increase to net reserves; 695 acres of 100% owned surface and oil and gas rights in Pennsylvania and West Virginia held by production; No drilling commitments or obligations; Vertical integration of in-house production and midstream operations. American Energys CEO Brad Domitrovitsch stated, This transaction furthers our commitment to acquiring steady cash flowing businesses while enhancing our ability to develop alternative green energy opportunities with the vast amount of acreage included in the package. I am extremely pleased and look forward to welcoming their employees into the American Energy family. While Josh Hickman, a fifty percent owner of the oil and gas businesses being acquired, is on American Energys board of directors, the transaction was approved by the Board of Directors after determining, in good faith, that the acquisition is in the best interests of American Energy since the acquisition will immediately contribute to top-line revenue. The transaction is expected to close on July 1, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. American Energy Partners, Inc. (AEPT) AEPT and its group of companies focus on providing solutions in markets where energy production and water meet technology. Collectively, the subsidiaries are engaged in the energy sector as well as the design, construction and operation of regional water treatment facilities that serve the industrial, energy and government sectors. For additional information, visit: American Energy Partners, Inc. Safe Harbor This press release contains forward-looking statements, particularly as related to, among other things, the business plans of AEPT, statements relating to goals, plans and projections regarding AEPTs financial position and business strategy. The words or phrases would be, will allow, intends to, may result, are expected to, will continue, anticipates, expects, estimate, project, indicate, could, potentially, should, believe, think, considers or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements fall within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 and are subject to the safe harbor created by these sections. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, involve known and unknown risks, a reliance on third parties for information, transactions or orders that may be cancelled, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in our industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties related to the fluctuation of global economic conditions, the performance of management and our employees, our ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in our periodic reports and on documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. AEPT cautions readers not to place undue reliance on such statements. AEPT does not undertake, and AEPT specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement. Actual results may differ materially from AEPTs expectations and estimates. Company Contact: Contact@americanenergy-inc.com New Jersey officials across the state praised a jurys guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after he was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd as many agreed it should be a call to action for racial justice. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said the legal system prevailed, but far more needs to be done. This verdict is a reflection of how our legal system is supposed to work: an individual guilty of a horrific crime is being held accountable for his actions. But this verdict did not and will not fix what is so deeply broken in that system, Booker said. Accountability for the officer who murdered George Floyd is important and it is necessary, the senator added. But it is far from enough. We must also hold the system that allowed it to happen accountable. What are we going to do as a country to prevent this from happening again and again and again and again? Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement Floyd represents countless other Black Americans whose futures have been unjustly stolen from them and who should be alive today. While todays verdict provides some measure of justice and accountability for the Floyd family and millions of our fellow Americans, all of us must remember that systemic racism is still pervasive in American life, Murphy said. While we are glad that justice has prevailed in this case, George Floyds murder is a painful reminder that inequality has deep roots in American history, starting during slavery and continuing to the present day in areas such as wages, health care, housing, education, and treatment by law enforcement, the Democratic governor added. The jury reached its verdict Tuesday after deliberating about 10 hours over two days in a city on edge against another outbreak of unrest. Chauvin, who had his bail revoked and was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs after the ruling, was found guilty on all three charges he faced in the murder case. Guilty guilty guilty. Some justice has been served today. God bless Mr. Floyd. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) April 20, 2021 Floyd died last May after Chauvin, a white officer, pinned his knee on or close to the 46-year-old Black mans neck for about 9 1/2 minutes. A chorus of other New Jersey officials and officeholders promptly praised the jury. This was the right verdict, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement. While I am heartened to see some justice done for Mr. Floyd, it is not enough, he said. We must seize this moment, when the nations focus has turned to how our communities are policed, to ensure something meaningful comes from a mans unnecessary death, and to continue with urgency the reforms we have begun to policing practices in New Jersey. Pat Colligan, the president of the New Jersey State PBA, said the decision ends a very difficult time in our nations history. I said at the time last year that the actions in Minnesota were contrary to our training in New Jersey and does not represent who we are, he said in a statement. This verdict is justice servedbut it is not justice for George Floyd. True justice would be a country where George Floyd would still be alive today. True justice demands actionit demands change & that we do everything we can to stop this from happening again & again & again. Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 20, 2021 Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist., took to social media to say the battle for justice is long from over and urged Congres to take action. Congress must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that would provide transparency and accountability by eliminating qualified immunity, changing the standards for use of force, ending no-knock warrants, and more. Enough is enough. Time for change is long overdue. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) April 20, 2021 #GeorgeFloyd was murdered. We knew that the moment we watched the video of his death. Todays verdict affirms this truth and gives our nation a chance for justice. THREAD pic.twitter.com/oSprtCKZr8 Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) April 20, 2021 The ACLU of New Jersey said people must not allow this verdict to lull us into a place of complacency. Instead, we must renew our conviction to create a world where police do not have the opportunity to use violence and harassment to target Black people as police have been doing since their inception as slave patrols created to monitor, control, and oppress Black communities, Jason Williamson, deputy director of the ACLUs Criminal Law Reform Project, said in a statement. Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante tweeted that he spoke on behalf of law enforcement across the country in praising the verdicts. Every good cop in the United States just said "Thank God!". A diverse jury just delivered justice. https://t.co/kTz2r56S0d Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) April 20, 2021 Lawrence Hamm, who leads the grassroots civil rights group called Peoples Organization for Progress also said he hopes the jurys ruling would give impetus to greater police reform too. This is one case and its one case that had a good ending, Hamm told NJ Advance Media minutes after the verdict was handed down. But this one conviction in no way exonerates a criminal justice system that has been rife with institutional racism for hundreds of years. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For anyone longing to travel again, Victoria Smith's new memoir, The Little Lark Still Sings: A True Story of Love, Change and an Old Tuscan Farmhouse , newly released by Morgan James, is a captivating journey to Tuscany, its hidden treasures and unforgettable foods. Amidst the wonders, Victoria also discovers how true love can go awry, yet be transformed into something even deeper. Book cover In The Little Lark Still Sings, Victoria and Larry, recently retired, married and very much in love, follow their dream to move to Italy and renovate a crumbling stone farmhouse into their full-time home. They soon learn the truth about daily life in a foreign culture and the unexpected, often confounding, challenges. Their romantic adventure and new Italian life turn into a test of character that almost undoes them, then becomes better than their highest hopes because of the struggles, not in spite of them. Victoria, a former senior executive at a major Chicago advertising agency and one of the first women in marketing at Procter & Gamble, becomes uncharacteristically intimidated facing the hurdles in their new life. Larry, a consultant for decades, is determined to study and write, not to be consumed with handling the problems of their move and Victoria's growing insecurity. With courage and vulnerability, Victoria tells their story honestly, hoping it might encourage others in their own struggles and inspire them to follow their own dreams. The Little Lark Still Sings showcases Victoria's brilliant gift of detail as she brings characters, cathedrals and countryside to life, and draws readers into Cortona, a community intact for thousands of years. She weaves a beautiful tapestry of their marriage, the riches of Tuscany, and the welcoming Cortonesi. With a new resident's curiosity and sense of awe, Victoria helps us pause to marvel at Italy's beauty, art, history, and majesty, and to discover valuable life lessons in this enchanting Italian adventure. For more information about this new book from Morgan James Publishing or to schedule an interview with Victoria Smith, victoriasmithwriter.com, please contact Lisa Howard, Cobalt Communications, [email protected]. About the Author: Victoria Smith was one of the first women executives in marketing at Procter & Gamble in the 1970s, senior vice president at a major advertising agency in the 1980s, and single mom for over a decade. Typically undaunted, her confidence was rocked by moving to a foreign country, even one she thought she knew and loved. Today, she and her husband are fully engaged in their hilltown community and are inspired every day by Italy's dolce vita. More About This Title: To be released April 20, The Little Lark Still SingsISBN9781631952197has 512 pages and is being sold at $24.95. About Morgan James Publishing: Morgan James publishes titles that educate, encourage, inspire, or entertain readers with current, consistent, relevant topics, available everywhere books are sold. (www.MorganJamesPublishing.com) Related Images the-little-lark-still-sings.jpeg The Little Lark Still Sings Book cover SOURCE Morgan James Publishing Related Links http://www.MorganJamesPublishing.com New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tests COVID-19 positive, shares information on microblogging site Twitter. Taking to Twitter, Gandhi wrote: "After experiencing mild symptoms, Ive just tested positive for COVID. All those whove been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe." After experiencing mild symptoms, Ive just tested positive for COVID. All those whove been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 20, 2021 Earlier, Rahul Gandhi took on the Centre demanding financial assistance for migrant workers asserting that it is the responsibility of the central government to put money into their bank accounts. "Migrants are migrating once again. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of the central government to put money into their bank accounts," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. "But will the government, blaming the people for spreading coronavirus, take such a public assistance measure?" the former Congress chief said. While, on Sunday, the former Congress chief had announced that he had suspended all his impending public rallies in West Bengal due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. "In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal," he had tweeted. The Wayanad MP had posted the message on his official Twitter account and also urged other political leaders to think over it. Meanwhile, India is currently reeling under a severe second wave of the novel coronavirus with several leaders having reported to have contracted the infection. The list includes Union sports minister Kiren Rejiju, Chief Ministers of Telangana and Uttar Pradesh K Chandrasekhar Rao and Yogi Adityanath, respectively. Former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh tested COVID-19 positive on Monday and has been admitted in Delhi's AIIMS. Philadelphia, April 20, 2021 - American artisan cheese has become increasingly popular over the past few decades. Understanding spoilage concerns and the financial consequences of defects can improve quality, profitability, and sustainability in the American artisan cheesemaking industry. In an article appearing in the Journal of Dairy Science, scientists from Tufts University took the pulse of artisan cheese producers in the United States through an industry survey. The authors of this study provide a snapshot of the artisanal cheesemaking community indicating that many (71 percent) are concerned about undesirable surface molds and incorrect or unexpected colors or pigments on rinds (54 percent). Of the 61 cheesemakers surveyed, 18 percent were very concerned about quality and spoilage problems, 39 percent said that their quality standards are not met annually, and 33 percent said their quality standards are not met monthly. "The growing US cheesemaking industry will require additional resources moving forward that address not only safety but also quality and spoilage concerns," said first author Megan Biango-Daniels, PhD, Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA. "One interesting observation from our data is that cheesemakers, as a group, are unsure about how widespread quality issues are but strongly agree that additional resources to help address quality issues would benefit them personally." Although 62 percent of survey respondents reported that only between zero and five percent of their product was lost or made less valuable due to quality issues annually, seven percent of cheesemakers had losses of over 20 percent of their product. Nearly all respondents agreed that better quality of their products would lessen waste, boost profits, and enhance production. In answer to open-ended questions, those surveyed said that they would like to have access to additional online resources addressing quality topics and to digital forums to collaborate with experts and peers when problems emerge. Dr. Biango-Daniels added, "Regardless of what these future resources will look like, it's important that cheesemakers budget for professional development, organizational membership, and continuing education (training online or in-person) in their business plans so that they can afford to invest in the resources that enable production of safe, high-quality cheese." The study suggests that addressing the concerns of cheesemakers will remain challenging because of resource and tool development barriers, the relatively few scientists who specialize in these subjects, and the limited funding sources available for this type of research. ### International and domestic pressure is increasing on the Morrison government to raise its climate ambitions, with the UK government expected to announce an emissions reductions target of 78 per cent and Australian industry calling for bold climate policy. The UK target, based on 1990 emissions levels and to be met by 2035, is the most ambitious so far announced by a major economy and underscores the determination of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, host of the November United Nations climate talks, to encourage the world to take significant immediate action. Prime Minister Scott Morrison making his remarks on climate policy during a speech on Monday night at the Business Council of Australias annual dinner. Credit:Wolter Peeters US President Joe Biden is to host 40 world leaders at an Earth Day climate summit later this week, a key event leading up to the Glasgow talks. Observers expect the US will use the summit to increase its own emissions reductions target from 26 to 28 per cent on 1990 levels by 2025 and to 50 per cent or more by 2030. Australia has committed to reduce its emissions by at least 26 per cent by 2030. Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated in a speech on Monday he is not planning more ambitious emissions reduction commitments and again ruled out a carbon tax or price. Washington: Condemning Iran as a "fanatical regime", President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to terminate the landmark Iran nuclear deal if Congress and US allies fail to amend the agreement in "significant ways". In his hard-hitting speech from the White House, Trump accused Iran of violating the spirit of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He said that Iran has "committed multiple violations" of the nuclear deal which among other things allows Tehran to continue and advance its nuclear weapons programme. Trump announced that he would not continue to certify the agreement to Congress, but stopped short of immediately cancelling US participation in the deal and left its fate in the hands of Congress. "I am announcing today that we cannot and will not make this certification", Trump said in a live address to the nation. A presidential certification to the Congress is must to avoid American sanctions on Iran. Trump said if he is "not able to reach a solution working with congress and our allies", then the "agreement will be terminated". Read more: Trump says Pakistan now starting to have real relationship with US It is under continuous review and American participation can be cancelled by him as president at any time, Trump said. Claiming that there are many flaws in the deal, Trump announced that he "cannot and will not" make certification under the JCPOA. The Iran nuclear deal was signed by Iran and 5+1 group ofcountries (Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany)in 2015 under which Iran agreed to freeze its nuclearprogramme for 15 years in exchange for sanctions relief. He also accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and said hewould deny the regime "all paths to a nuclear weapon". "History has shown that the longer we ignore a threat, the more dangerous that threat becomes. We will not continuedown a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror and the very real threat of Iran's nuclearbreakout", Trump said. Trump said his policy is based on a clear-eyed assessmentof the Iranian dictatorship, its sponsorship of terrorism, and its continuing aggression in the Middle East and all around the world. "Iran is under the control of a fanatical regime that seized power in 1979 and forced a proud people to submit to its extremist rule. This radical regime has raided the wealth of one of the world's oldest and most vibrant nations, and spread death, destruction and chaos all around the globe", he said. Observing that his new strategy addresses the full range of Iran's "destructive" actions, Trump said his administration will work with US allies to counter the regime's "destabilising activity" and support for terrorists' proxies in the region. "We will place additional sanctions on the regime to block their financing of terror. We will address the regime's proliferation of missiles and weapons that threaten its neighbours. And finally we will deny the regime, all paths to a nuclear weapon", he said. Trump also announced several major steps his administration is taking in pursuit of this strategy. This he said begins with the long overdue step of imposing tough sanctions on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He authorised the Treasury Department to further sanction the entire IRCG for its support for terrorism and to apply sanctions to its officials, agents, and affiliates. He also urged American allies to join the US in taking strong actions to curb Iran's continued dangerous and destabilizing behavior, including thorough sanctions outsidethe Iran deal that target the regime's ballistic missile program in support for terrorism and all of its destructive activities of which there are many. Trump alleged that the "saddest part" of nuclear deal for the United States is that all of the money was paid up front, which is unheard of. "The Iranian regime has committed multiple violations ofthe agreement. For example, on two separate occasions, they have exceeded the limit of 130 metric tonnes of heavy water. Until recently, the Iranian regime has also failed to meet our expectations in its operation of advanced centrifuges", he said. The Iranian regime has also intimidated international inspectors into not using the full inspection authorities that the agreement calls for, he said. Iranian officials and military leaders have repeatedly claimed they will not allow inspectors onto military sites, even though the international community suspects some of those sites were part of Iran's clandestine nuclear programme, he alleged. "On the grave matter of Iran's nuclear programme, since the signing of the nuclear agreement, the regime's dangerous aggression has only escalated. At the same time, it has received massive sanctions relief while continuing to develop its missiles programme." Iran has also entered into lucrative business contracts with other parties to the agreement, he noted. Stating that when the agreement was finalised in 2015, the Congress passed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act to ensure that its voice would be heard on the deal, he said among other conditions, this law requires the president to certify that the suspension of sanctions under the deal is appropriate and proportionate to measure and other measures taken by Iran to terminate its illicit nuclear programme. Trump said he is directing his administration to work closely with congress and its allies to address the deals many serious flaws so that the Iranian regime can never threaten the world with nuclear weapons. Ahead of Trump's speech, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump will ask lawmakers to come up with legislation that would automatically re-impose sanctions that were lifted under the deal should Iran cross any one of numerous nuclear and non-nuclear "trigger points." Noting that Iran's nuclear programme is of big concern, he said but there are also many more immediate concerns that the US has with Tehran's destabilising activities in the region. This includes their support of terrorist organisations, regional destabilising activities and their export of foreign fighters throughout the region to destabilise areas in support of other terrorist activities. "We are concerned about addressing those elements which by and large have gone unaddressed in the past. On the one hand we want to examine the nuclear agreement understand how we can use that in a very productive and forceful way but also how do we address all of these other issues", Tillerson said. Earlier, the White House while announcing President Trump's new Iran strategy, said the US will revitalise its traditional alliances and regional partnerships as bulwarks against Iranian subversion and restore a more stable balance of power in the region. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Advertisement Lined up on a runway just 100 miles from Ukraine, 15 supersonic Russian fighter- bombers await their orders from the Kremlin. This and other satellite images have revealed the aerial power Vladimir Putin has amassed in the tense border region. Seen for the first time, the pictures show the aircraft which experts fear could spearhead a Russian invasion of its Nato-supporting neighbour. The 15 Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft are on the runway at Morozovsk airbase. With a top speed of 1,367mph, they are armed with an array of laser-guided missiles and a 30mm autocannon capable of firing 1,800 rounds a minute. Satellite images show the 15 Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft that are on the runway at the Morozovsk airbase in Russia The images have revealed the aerial power that Russian President Vladimir Putin has amassed in the tense border region At least 80,000 Russian troops are thought to be amassed around eastern Ukraine and Crimea as tensions continue to soar The pictures reveal increased levels of Russian military activity at other bases inside Crimea and near the Ukrainian border including troop deployments, attack helicopters, smoke generators, reconnaissance drones, jamming equipment and a military hospital. At least 80,000 Russian troops are thought to be amassed around eastern Ukraine and Crimea with a further 30,000 expected to arrive by the end of the month according to Ukrainian government reports seen by the Daily Mail. The satellite images emerged yesterday as Russia made further preparations for a possible invasion with the Kremlin announcing it was closing the airspace over parts of Crimea and the Black Sea and the continuation of combat readiness exercises in the sea involving more than 20 military vessels and aircraft. Pictures taken by space and technology firm Maxar of the same areas at the end of March did not show the aircraft, proving the Su-34s must have been moved into position since then. The Maxar satellites spotted increased levels of Russian activity at 15 locations along the Ukrainian border, more than previously thought. Experts said last night the deployment of strike aircraft in such immediate range of Ukraine sent a very strong message to its neighbour. Former US Air Force general Philip Breedlove told the Wall Street Journal: 'They have appropriately deployed the various elements of airpower that would be needed to establish air superiority over the battlefield and directly support the ground troops.' The Russian fighter-bombers are armed with an array of laser-guided missiles and a 30mm autocannon capable of firing 1,800 rounds a minute. (Stock image) On April 16, at least 26 Russian fighter jets were seen sitting on the tarmac at the Saki Airbase in Ukraine Kirovskoye Airbase, Crimea: At least 13 Russian military helicopters could be seen at the Kirovskoye Airbase in Crimea on April 14 Satellite images show the Kirovskoye Airbase with Russian military equipment, in Crimea April 14, 2021 CIA director William Burns told Congress: 'This is something not only the United States but our allies have to take very seriously. The build-up could provide the basis for a limited military incursion.' Last week President Putin blockaded the strategically important Kerch Strait and Russian warships moved into position to cut off sea access to Ukraine's south-eastern coastline and eastern Crimea. A leaked Ukrainian memo yesterday claimed that Mr Putin was conducting military exercises in more than a quarter of the Black Sea, a proportion that has inched up over recent weeks as Russia looks to assert de facto control over the waters. Foreign and Ukrainian military vessels are now forbidden to sail from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov for the next six months. The war between the two neighbours is already the bloodiest in Europe since the Balkan conflict of the 1990s. At least 14,000 people have been killed since the Russian invasion in 2014 and more than 1.5million forced to leave their homes. Experts said last night the deployment of strike aircraft in such immediate range of Ukraine sent a very strong message to its neighbour. Pictured: Satellite view of the Pogorovo military training area near Voronezh, Russia on April 10 Russia's proposal is for Ukraine to federalise and for the breakaway regions to be granted autonomy. But this is unacceptable to the Ukrainian government and to the UK and US. In a move which left the White House open to claims it capitulated in the face of Russian aggression, President Joe Biden last week turned around two destroyers bound for the area. Six hundred UK troops are due to train with Ukrainian soldiers this summer while UK jets have already deployed to the region. A recent scientific report from Israel shows how healthcare workers previously infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) present with higher Immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers after receiving one dose of PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in comparison to their fully vaccinated, never-infected counterparts. Conversely, the occurrence of post-vaccination infection does not increase IgG titers. The research paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server. As of April 2021, Israel is the country with the highest vaccine coverage against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and their primary approach is the use of mRNA PfizerBioNTech vaccine. Consequently, the impact of such herculean public health endeavor on SARS-CoV-2 transmission is now clearly visible, primarily as a substantial decrease of viral spread. Vaccinating previously infected individuals with only a single dose of the aforementioned vaccine is thought to generate a boost-type response in IgG antibodies up to 10 months following the infection. Therefore, some countries (including Israel) are starting to endorse a single dose of vaccine in infected individuals, as the benefit of the second one in this group of patients remains unclear. Furthermore, a fraction of patients will get infected after vaccination, usually within the period of fourteen days. In Israel, these individuals are not offered a second dose; however, the exact immunogenicity parameters in patients infected after one dose of the vaccine have not been thoroughly evaluated. The aim of a group of researchers, led by Dr. Kamal Abu Jabal from the Ziv Medical Centre and Bar-Ilan University in Safed (Israel), was to evaluate IgG response in a cohort of vaccinated healthcare workers in accordance with their SARS-CoV-2 infection status (i.e., never infected or infected before/after vaccination) and to subsequently inform vaccination policy. Healthcare workers and IgG antibodies In the methodological approach, all employees of Ziv Medical Centre (which is a hospital center in Northern Israel) were offered vaccination with the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from December 2020. IgG antibody levels were measured before vaccination, and all individuals with detectable IgG antibodies at baseline (or evidence of an earlier positive COVID-19 test) were considered previously infected. Moreover, all healthcare workers who developed symptoms compatible with COVID-19 during the study period (i.e., between December and March 2021) were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Consequently, subjects with a positive PCR test were considered infected post-vaccination. Finally, IgG antibody levels against SARS-CoV2 were compared among groups of healthcare workers according to the number of doses received and their infection status (i.e., uninfected or infected prior/after vaccination) in order to obtain the exact immunogenicity profile. A boost-type immune response after infection In comparison to uninfected individuals, previously infected healthcare employees who received one vaccine dose exhibited high IgG levels or titers 21 days after receiving the shot, which remained high approximately 50 days post-vaccination. More specifically, this was more than twice higher than previously uninfected individuals who received two vaccine doses. In the group of those previously infected who received a second dose, IgG antibody titers 50 days following the first dose (and approximately 30 days after the second dose) have decreased in comparison to pre-dose 2 levels and were not significantly higher than those who received a single dose. Finally, 50 days following the vaccination, IgG antibody titers among the 20 patients infected after the first dose and tested at this time point has been comparable to those previously uninfected who received a single dose and actually lower than either those uninfected who received two doses, or those infected before starting with a vaccination protocol. Implications for vaccination policy In any case, such a strong and persisting immune response after only one dose in previously infected individuals was a reason why several countries (including Israel and France) recommend one vaccine dose for such cases, which is an approach supported by the data from this study as well. Interpreting the clinical significance of the difference in IgG levels in the absence of correlates of protection remains a challenge, say the authors of this study. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates no benefit in receiving a second dose among individuals infected prior to vaccination, and more importantly, that infection after vaccination (dose 1 or dose 2) seems to have very little effect on immunogenicity, they add. In any case, a change in vaccination policy may be on the horizon, although studies with more power regarding sample size and those that measure other components of the immune system are needed in order to obtain a full picture. *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. Advertisement Police have stepped up the hunt for a phantom lumberjack who has felled more than 50 trees in less than a month in Surrey. After a break of almost a week with no trees being felled, eight more were chainsawed down by the crook at the weekend. Despite increasing night-time patrols with the help of a newly-formed residents action group and scouring CCTV footage police have still yet to catch the culprit. The phantom lumberjack has now hacked down between 50 and 60 trees - many of them mature trees more than 20ft high - in a two-mile stretch between Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge, both of which are in the Elmbridge borough in Surrey. The area is home to some of the UK's highest earners with the average home selling at around 900,000 and some going for up to 14million. Among the celebrity residents - past and present - include Gary Lineker, Andy Murray, Ronnie Wood, Kate Winslet, Peter Crouch, and Chris Tarrant. Police this week urged members of the public to 'keep an eye out' for the crook, who strikes in the dead of night - firing up a chainsaw and cutting down trees. Surrey Police have stepped up patrols after a phantom lumberjack has now cut down between 50 and 60 trees Surrey Police shared photographs of the trees which have been cut down in the most recent spate of mysterious attacks A map shows all the locations where chopped trees have been reported in Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge in Surrey At the weekend, eight more trees were chopped down - four on the same road, after the phantom lumberjack struck again. The majority of the trees - with between 50 and 60 felled since the spree began on March 28 - are by the side of busy roads, along the side of the Thames or along walkways. Despite night-time patrols by police officers and patrols by members of the newly-formed Elmbridge Tree Patrol Facebook group, the culprit is still 'at large'. Police have now stepped up the hunt for the vandal, and yesterday confirmed that a further eight trees had been chopped down at the weekend. A spokesman for Surrey Police said: 'Despite patrols and a period of no trees being felled it is apparent that the suspect or suspects have returned. 'We have spent the past few weeks pouring over CCTV and ANPR data in an effort to identify who is felling the trees. Residents have said the tree massacre is causing distress in the surrounding community when green space is much needed A joint statement from Surrey Police and Elmbridge Borough Council said it was 'following up all relevant information' 'We have followed up on a number of leads given by the community but still there are still insufficient grounds to identify a suspect.' He said that over the weekend 'eight more trees' in Weybridge had been chopped down 'in the hours of darkness' - four in just one street. The officer said that officers are now 'reviewing CCTV' in the area in the hope of nailing the crook. Inspector Bert Dean, the Elmbridge Borough Commander, said the person felling the trees was 'mindless', and that some trees were 'obstructing roads' after being chopped down. He added: 'Most recently damage has been caused overnight on April 17. 'It is incredibly sad that someone is destroying these trees. Not only are these a haven for wildlife but they bring much pleasure to our community. A jogger looks at modest stump that remains after a tree was chopped down with a chainsaw on the banks of the river Thames The phantom lumberjack has caused extensive damage with a series of attacks on a picturesque stretch of land near Thames 'I am speaking to local councillors who are increasingly concerned at this issue and we review every bit of evidence we can to try and identify who is doing this. 'We continue with our patrols into the night, whilst also responding to emergencies. I am aware that the public are wishing to support us.' He asked members of the public to keep an eye out and send over any CCTV footage, adding: 'Local officers are requesting any CCTV footage to be uploaded that may assist in identifying the suspect(s) who is committing this damage to trees in Elmbridge. 'We do not require images of felled trees as this will not lead us to identify the suspect at this time.' Officers believe the culprit - who can be arrested for criminal damage - drives to the scenes of the crime in a 'small red car'. Anthony Cilia, a retired kitchen-fitter from Weybridge, was among the first to spot the damage to the trees, one of which was sliced into several pieces. One local who lives in the area said: 'I heard the buzzing of a chainsaw early this morning and raced out to confront the culprit but it was actually council workers slicing up one of the trees which had been felled overnight so they could remove it' Elmbridge Borough Commander Inspector Bert Dean, of Surrey Police, added: 'I do not underestimate the impact this mindless damage has on the local community as well as the risk it has posed to motorists by obstructing roads' He said: 'Why this person is doing it is beyond me. There are plenty of wooded areas nearby to go to, but for some reason they are choosing to do it in a public area on the banks of the river. 'Not only is it a blight on an area the council has spent several millions of pounds on improving, but more importantly, it's dangerous. 'Several of the trees have been downed on to the road running past the Thames by Walton Bridge, which has very little light in the evenings so could cause a car accident. 'None of the trees look to have been chopped up for firewood, could it be someone with a grudge against the council? I don't know, perhaps this person has mental health issues. 'What is worrying is that whoever they are, they have access to a chainsaw, powerful enough to slice through a 60cm tree trunk.' Another local resident, Christine Elmer, said that trees which had been grown specially in memory of loved ones who had died were also targeted. Two frustrated locals look at the devastation caused by the phantom lumberjack on the riverbank in a leafy part of Surrey Two women walk past the scene of one of the mysterious tree attacks, which has left branches floating in the river She tweeted: 'Really important if anyone has any info on who is going around our town and wider Borough cutting down trees, including Memorial trees, to get in touch with the Elmbridge Police.' The founder of the Elmbridge Tree Patrol Facebook site, which now has more than 900 members, wrote: 'As you all know there's a maniac going around Weybridge, Walton on Thames and Cobham chopping down trees ruining the environment, eco system, habitats and making everyone upset. 'I have set up this group so we can all as a community volunteer to patrol the area at night to try and hunt down and video record this lunatic.' It states that the 'Group Rules' which members must follow include never giving the location of where they are patrolling, adding: 'Do not confront this person for obvious reasons but instead record everything including his red car and pass it over to the police using the reference number.' Concerned resident Rachel Young said: 'This is causing major distress to the community at a time when we need our trees and green spaces more than ever.' Susan Reynolds wrote: 'It's very worrying that someone is wandering around with a chainsaw and appears not to know how to use it properly. 'Let's hope that he/she is caught quickly before someone gets hurt, possibly the culprit!' Kirstie Ahern added: 'Looks like you have a serial feller on your hands', and Kath Bennett joked: 'I think it's a case for Special Branch.' Martin Deacon said: 'Hopefully the next one will land on them.' Victor Gao (center), chair professor of Soochow University and vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, was invited to the BBC's Newsnight to debate Hong Kong secessionist Nathan Law (left) on Saturday. Screenshot from BBC News YouTube channel. (Global Times) There were some major mistakes that the BBC made in its latest TV program Newsnight, including a biased tone and misinformation on the illegal protests led by radical anti-government figures who were wrongfully deemed "pro-democracy activists," a Chinese scholar who recently engaged in an online debate with Hong Kong secessionist Nathan Law told the Global Times. Victor Gao, chair professor of Soochow University and vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, was invited to BBC's Newsnight to debate with Law, after other opposition figures such as Martin Lee Chu-ming and secessionists like Jimmy Lai Chee-ying were sentenced, which the BBC host described as 60- and- 70-something men being thrown into jail for participating in "peaceful" protests. When the host emphasized they were "peaceful protests," the BBC got it wrong, Gao noted. "I understand that foreign media outlets uphold their own values, for example, by claiming that the street protests are a way of exercising democratic rights. But if they still say so after the Capitol Hill riot, it's completely wrong because the nature of rioting in Hong Kong and of storming the Capitol Hill are the same," the Chinese scholar said. As translator for former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, Gao is fluent in English. He laid out a number of reasons why the Western media and politicians should stop calling rioters like Law "pro-democracy activists," why the detention of people like Lai and Lee is in line with the local law in Hong Kong, and what is the truth about the anti-government protests in Hong Kong. It was easy to see who gained the upper hand during the debate, as compared with Law - who repeatedly emphasized "peaceful protests" - Gao urged both the host and Law to open their eyes and look back at the footage the BBC shot during the citywide rampage and riots in Hong Kong in 2019. "There was violence everywhere in the streets of Hong Kong, there was a storming of the LegCo building, there was disruption of social order in Hong Kong. If you call that peaceful demonstrations, you are losing your mind, " Gao said during the BBC show. The Chinese scholar said he also had some messages for absconding Hong Kong secessionists like Law, but he did not have enough time to elaborate on them during the show. "I want to tell Law that he is now living in the UK, and he should not copy what he did in Hong Kong there, as he will be put into jail if he does the same thing there," Gao told the Global Times. While Law appeared to have no other words except "peaceful protests" in rebuking Gao's claims during the show, he said in a tweet on Sunday that the Chinese scholar "was enraged when he realized his smearing attack did not work," and he further considered it as "civility vs barbarity." However, many netizens saw the embarrassment of Law when Gao called him what he really is - a fugitive who broke the law in Hong Kong. A society ruled by law will hold lawbreakers accountable, which is also the principle applied in the UK, which explained why Gao wants to suggest that Law not engage in the same so-called "peaceful" protests in that country, when violent illegal assembly would always face legal consequences. There's another major mistake the BBC made in its program by confusing different ideas, the Chinese scholar further elaborated. For example, broadcasting an interview with Lai, who claimed that under the national security law for Hong Kong, the Chinese government has been causing more "fear" and depriving him of his basic rights, which is another false statement, Gao said. "Lai was recently sentenced for violating the public order ordinance in Hong Kong by taking part in illegal assemblies, which has nothing to do with the national security law for Hong Kong. The BBC got the facts wrong and spread this misinformation to the mainstream public," he said. Driven by political motivation amid a deteriorating UK-China relationship, the BBC has become more biased toward China in recent years. Still, the Chinese scholar is willing to take part in such an open debate as it's important to make the public hear the other side of the story when Western understanding about the Hong Kong riots was shaped by radical anti-government rioters. "Also, I hope the BBC could 'wake up' one day to begin adhering to its journalistic standards [on China-related reporting], instead of serving only as a government tool in containing China," he said. The math teacher who was pulled from his classes at Grace Church School after criticizing the school's anti-racism policies released audio Tuesday of an explosive phone call in which the head of school made an astonishing admission that 'we're demonizing white people for being born.' Paul Rossi, the teacher, released the audio on Twitter Tuesday morning of a phone conversation with George Davison that he said occurred March 2. The two are apparently talking about the whole woke movement in schools and how authority figures are making white students feel inherently racist. 'Let me ask you something, George, because I think there's something very different about having a single experience where you make sense of it, right, and having a teacher, an authority figure, talk to you endlessly, every year, telling you, that because you have whiteness you are associated with evils, all these different evils,' Rossi tells him on the excerpt he released. 'These are moral evils, it's not the same as taking a physical thing, because it doesn't affect your moral value. That's the problem.' Davison replies, 'The fact is that I'm agreeing with you that there has been a demonization that we need to get our hands around, in the way in which people are doing this understanding.' 'So you agree that we're demonizing kids,' Rossi states. 'We're demonizing ki,' Davison says before cutting himself off. Then he adds, 'We're demonizing white people, for being born.' 'And are some of our students white people?' Rossi asks. ' Yes,' the head of school replies. 'Okay, so we're demonizing white kids,' Rossi says. 'Why don't you just say it?' Davison replies, 'We are using language that makes them feel less than, for nothing that they are personally responsible for.' George P. Davison (right) the head of the Grace Church High School in Manhattan is heard in a taped telephone conversation agreeing that 'we're demonizing white people' Paul Rossi, the teacher, released the audio on Twitter Monday morning of a phone conversation with George Davison that he said occurred March 2. The two are apparently talking about the whole woke movement in schools and how authority figures are making white students feel inherently racist Rossi said that despite being forced out of the classroom, several people at the school have offered him words of support. 'There are many who were privately sympathetic with my concerns,' he told DailyMail.com shortly after releasing the audio. 'And I don't blame them for not doing even close to what I did. I understand the reality of mortgages and kids. People have a duty to the truth and they also have a duty to their families, and everyone must weigh those priorities for themselves.' Topher Nichols, the schools director of communications, did not challenge the authenticity of the tape. At this point, we dont have a comment, he told DailyMail.com. Last night, a former parent at the $57,000-a-year New York City school that banned math teacher who spoke out against its woke curriculum has claimed pupils spend a week every month learning Critical Race Theory. Grace Church School teacher Paul Rossi was ousted from the classroom Monday after he accused the school of 'indoctrinating' students with antiracist lessons 'at the cost of students' psychological and intellectual development'. In an essay shared on former New York Times editor Bari Weiss's Substack, Rossi said he could no longer stay silent while 'witnessing the harmful impact' that the curriculum has on children. A former parent of the school, who identified himself as C Bell, commented on his essay that students are being forced to undertake controversial lessons focused on 'antiracism, equity and belonging'. He said: 'I'm a former parent. My son had Paul Rossi. Sadly, Mr. Rossi's account is not hyperbole. 'One week out of the month is now fully devoted to CRT (not academics). 'Grace was in the news earlier this year as well for it's language guide, which suggested (among other things) that students and teachers say folks or parents or family and not specifically mom and dad because not all kids have mom and dads and such a person might be offended if you ask about their mom and dad. 'The goal of education cannot be to eliminate all possibility of offense.' Before the Rossi scandal, it was revealed last month that the Grace Church School issued a glossary of terms they claim will make the facility a more 'inclusive' place. It offered a 12-page guide to staff, students and parents that encourages them to stop using 'mom' and 'dad', to stop asking classmates where they may have gone on vacation and urges them not to wish anyone a 'Merry Christmas' - or even a 'Happy Holidays'. The school's website also has a page devoted to antiracism where it outlines the programs offered to pupils and parents. Among the upcoming events are Zoom meetings for parents of white backgrounds where they can discuss how to better tackle racism. Rossi claimed that the school's headmaster, George P. Davison, privately agreed the school is 'demonizing white people for being born'. That accusation came Monday in response to a letter by Davison said to have been shared with staff Sunday. That note from Davison is said to have read: 'You should know that Paul has declined his contract so will not be returning in the fall. 'The wellbeing of our community is our first priority, and we take it seriously whenever students raise concerns about the professionalism of a teacher. Topher Nichols, the school spokesman, confirmed to DailyMail.com Monday: 'I can confirm that Paul was relieved of his teaching duties' Rossi responded, claiming head George P. Davison privately agreed the school is now 'demonizing white people for being born' 'It is clear to me that Paul cannot be effective as a teacher at Grace any more. I have informed him that he is relieved of his teaching duties, and we've asked two support teachers to take over his math classes for the final quarter. 'He has been asked to not come into the building without prior coordination.' Topher Nichols, the school spokesman, told DailyMail.com Monday: 'I can confirm that Paul was relieved of his teaching duties. 'He has been invited to spend the remainder of his contract with the school contributing to a new task force that will review best practices nationwide around belonging.' Candace Owens says parents must SUE woke schools who want to cancel conservative thinking and blasts 'meaningless' degrees like gender studies Candace Owens is pictured Candace Owens has said parents need to start suing woke schools who want to cancel conservative thinking. The conservative commentator said: 'Parents have to start speaking out, not just speaking out, but suing. You have to start suing the schools because they're ruining the lives of young children.' She was joined on Fox News by Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, who added: 'Where are the adults that are going to start to stand up and realize that the next generation that's standing up for freedom in our country is worthy of protection, in this situation? 'It takes courage to be a young conservative. It's time for adults to start to protect young people's right to organize and speak their mind.' Owens added: 'This thought process that we keep seeing that conservatives are not allowed to exist, that being conservative is backwards and it's wrong, and especially when it comes to the education system taking part in this, right? 'Smearing and labeling their own students, these students having to transfer out of schools. This is systematic bullying that's happening, but worse than that, it's propagandist.' She later praised Andrew Gutmann, 45, who pulled his daughter from $54,000 a year Brearley school as 'an absolute hero' before blasting 'meaningless' degrees like gender studies. Responding to one student's claims that they were punished for studying her in black history month, Owens said: 'This young girl you brought up...picked me, a black person, for Black History Month, and she was accused of being a racist. 'I mean, that is so twisted and perverted and wrong. It would be funny if it wasn't so cruel that led to her actually having to transfer out of this school.' Advertisement Nichols elaborated on why Rossi was 'relieved of his teaching duties,' saying it was because 'numerous students requested to be removed from his class because of his unprofessional conduct and because he demeaned them in the press.' The school had told DailyMail.com Thursday that Rossi wouldn't be fired or face discipline over his post. Rossi then said he received an email from school Principal Davison saying he should stay home until further notice for 'security concerns.' He is said to have been asked to stay home after another colleague threatened him in the wake of his complaints being published. By Monday he had been 'relieved of his duties'. Candace Owens said Sunday that parents need to start suing woke schools who want to cancel conservative thinking. She told Fox News: 'Parents have to start speaking out, not just speaking out, but suing. You have to start suing the schools because they're ruining the lives of young children.' Conservative activist Charlie Kirk added: 'Where are the adults that are going to start to stand up and realize that the next generation that's standing up for freedom in our country is worthy of protection, in this situation? 'It takes courage to be a young conservative. It's time for adults to start to protect young people's right to organize and speak their mind.' Her comments came in the wake of a second controversy that impacted another elite New York City prep schools where a parent complained his child was being brainwashed with anti-racism ideology. Andrew Gutmann, 45, had announced in an April 13 letter shared by journalist Bari Weiss this week that he has chosen not to reenroll his daughter in the all-girls school where annual tuition is $54,000. He pulled his daughter from the school over its woke antiracism 'obsession.' He accused the school of 'teaching what to think not how to think.' The school responded by slamming him for being 'offensive.' On Monday Woke, Inc author Vivek Ramaswamy also blasted what he calls a culture of 'indoctrination'. He said American schools are 'going down the tubes' because they have been 'infected' with 'woke culture' that has 'sacrificed the idea of excellence' by 'indoctrinating' students. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and the author of Woke, Inc, compared the wave of 'wokeness' in schools to China's Cultural Revolution of the 60s and 70s, when its people were indoctrinated with Maoism by the Communist Party. Ramaswamy told Fox News that these incidents illustrate the extent to which American children are being brainwashed. 'I think it's going to be really damaging, poisoning the minds of our next generation,' he told Fox News. 'The thing about America as a country is that we are not like many other countries throughout history - defined on the basis of a single ethnicity, or a single language, or a single monarch. 'America is an idea, and part of being an idea as a country means this. 'The way we describe America affects that America actually works, that's why we call it the American dream. 'It's what we aspire to. E pluribus unum (out of many, one). That's what we should be aspiring to, ideas that bind us together. Rossi on Tuesday came forward with allegations in a blog post that he published on Substack Grace Church High School is a $57,000-a-year private school whose famous alumni include actor David Duchovny and New York Times columnist David Brooks Vivek Ramaswamy (above) spoke out in response to two separate controversies that impacted elite New York City prep schools where parents complained their children were being brainwashed with anti-racism ideology HEAD OF DALTON RESIGNS AMID ROW OVER WOKE POLICIES Jim Best said he would see out the year at the $50,000-a-year institution then step down to pursue 'other opportunities' The head of the elite Manhattan school Dalton is stepping down this year after being slammed by parents for pushing an 'obsessive', antiracism agenda on students. Jim Best said he would see out the year at the $50,000-a-year institution then step down to pursue 'other opportunities'. His resignation is in response to parents' complaints that Dalton, like other prestigious private schools Grace Church and Brearley, is indoctrinating students with its woke agenda. Dalton parents penned an anonymous open letter to the school earlier this week. 'Every class this year has had an obsessive focus on race and identity, 'racist cop' reenactments in science, 'de-centering whiteness' in art class, learning about white supremacy and sexuality in health class. 'Wildly inappropriate, many of these classes feel more akin to a Zoom corporate sensitivity-training than to Dalton's intellectually engaging curriculum,' it read. Advertisement He added: 'Instead we have been obsessing over diversity, our differences, for a decade now forgetting all of the ways in which we are actually the same, and now that's getting transmitted to the next generation. 'I think the way we describe this country to them will affect the way it works in the next generation, and that's something to be really frightened of.' Gutmann, who runs his family's chemical business, told the New York Post on Saturday that he penned the 1,700-word letter he mailed to 650 different families because 'someone had to speak out.' He said he does not regret sending the letter. 'She hasn't been brainwashed yet by the school - but she's had me at home. I'm not so sure that's true of the other kids,' Gutmann told the outlet, referring to his daughter. 'Someone had to do it. Someone had to light the match. Everyone's so afraid of cancel culture. We're going to destroy the city, we're going to destroy the country.' Gutmann said he refused to sign the school's anti-racism pledge in October. The school had started the required pledge after black alumnae accused the school of racism in posts made to the Instagram account account 'Black at Brearley,' according to the Washington Free Beacon. The school's antiracism and diversity plans are extensively described on its website. 'I thought they were going to kick my daughter out then,' Gutmann said. 'They didn't, but next year they have the pledge built into the yearly school contract.' The concerned dad claimed that the school's 'once-rigorous curriculum' completely changed after administrators 'managed to sneak' in an increased emphasis on race during the pandemic 'when everyone was distracted,' the New York Post reported. 'I don't know who's really driving this and nobody does,' he told the outlet. Gutmann said the thing he resented the most about Brearley is that the school 'has begun to teach what to think, instead of how to think.' Jane Fried, Brearley's head of school, sent a message to the school's families on Friday in which she slammed Gutmann's letter as 'deeply offensive and harmful.' LONDON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Itiviti, a leading technology and service provider to financial institutions worldwide, today announced that Gedik Investment, a leading investment banking advisory and brokerage firm in Turkey, has rolled out Itiviti Tbricks for its futures market making and algorithmic trading operations. Gedik Investment was seeking a platform to lower latency and increase its trading volume capabilities to boost market share and profits in the Turkish capital markets. "We have been in this industry for a long time and have a good understanding of the region's capital market and Fintech solution providers," said Sevan Ulutas, Managing Director, Market Making, Gedik Investment. "For us, choosing Itiviti over other technology providers was not a complicated decision. It was, in fact, one of the easiest decisions we've ever made." Itiviti Tbricks can be used for multi-asset class market making and algorithmic trading and provide complete control over quoting activities from initial quote to a variety of hedging strategies. It will also enable Gedik Investment to quote more trades with tighter spreads and execute using optimized low latency automation. In addition, Itiviti Tbricks will enable Gedik Investment to improve their decision-making and oversight with custom execution strategies and comprehensive risk capabilities, including real-time positions management and a powerful stress-testing mechanism. The deployment of Tbricks was rapid and smooth due to the flexibility of the solution and the expertise of Itiviti's implementation team that focused on meeting Gedik Investment's needs. "The strength of the operational support and responsiveness we received from Itiviti throughout the implementation was very high." added Salim Kasap, Managing Director, Market Making, at Gedik Investment. "It's an exciting time for both Gedik Investment and for Turkey's capital markets," said Ofir Gefen, Head of Sales and Revenue, EMEA and APAC at Itiviti. "The next few years should be transformational for the Turkish capital markets in terms of trading volume growth and the need for best of breed technology to support the market players. It's important for financial firms in Turkey to think strategically about how their investment in trading technologies can help them remain competitive and expand their business." Continued Gefen: "The ability to scale the Tbricks solution across products, markets, and locations is limitless and will help future-proof Gedik Investment's technology infrastructure. We are delighted to partner with Gedik and support their growth strategy today and into the future. " For further information, please contact: Mireille Adebiyi, Chief Marketing Officer, Itiviti Group, Email: [email protected] About Gedik Investment Established in 1991, Gedik Investment is one of the leading investment banking advisory and brokerage firms in Turkey, providing research and brokerage services to domestic and foreign clients. The company is a member of Borsa Istanbul (BIST) and is authorized by the Capital Markets Board (CMB). Today, it has the largest customer base of any non-bank local brokerage house, with around 58,000 clients and counting. Gedik Investment boasts a widespread distribution network, with 42 main branches spread across Turkey's primary cities. About Itiviti Itiviti provides nearly 2,000 financial institutions worldwide with flexible, cross-asset trading solutions that cover the full trade lifecycle. Through its commitment to technology innovation, relentless pursuit of workflow efficiency and an entrepreneurial culture, Itiviti is disrupting the industry with highly-scalable solutions that deliver unprecedented cost savings for clients. For more information, please visit www.itiviti.com. Follow Itiviti on social media on Twitter @Itiviti_AB, on Facebook @ItivitiAB, and on LinkedIn. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/itiviti-group-ab/r/gedik-investment-implements-itiviti-for-futures-market-making-and-algorithmic-trading,c3328591 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Itiviti Group AB [April 19, 2021] Tech-Access Canada Welcomes Strong Support for Technology Access Centres and College Applied Research in Budget 2021 OTTAWA, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Tech-Access Canada, the national network of Canada's 60 Technology Access Centres (TACs), welcomes Budget 2021's support for the Interactive Visits Program and the numerous initiatives to support innovation and applied research at Canada's colleges and cegeps. Specifically, Budget 2021 announced: Funding to provide more businesses with access to the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program's Interactive Visits, where firms can access equipment, facilities, and expertise at college-affiliated Technology Access Centres. Industrial Research Assistance Program's Interactive Visits, where firms can access equipment, facilities, and expertise at college-affiliated Technology Access Centres. Expanding the Industrial Research Assistance Program to support additional innovative small and medium-sized firms. Significant support for collaborative innovation projects and increasing TAC capacity through the College and Community Innovation Program. Investments in clean water, housing, and other First Nations community infrastructure to create good jobs and build healthier, safer, and more prosperous communities. "We sincerely appreciate the federal government's strong show of support for the Interactive Visits Program. The increased funding will enable the TACs to assist even more Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs, from all backgrounds and all regions, to get their innovations closer to market," says Dr. Nathalie Methot, Chair of Tech-Access Canada's Board of Directors TACs are nationally-recognized applied Ramp;D centres affiliated exclusively with Canadian colleges and cegeps. TACs help 4,200 Canadian businesses each year81% are small businessesadvance their products, processes and services by: conducting applied research and development projects focused on solving company problems; offering specialized technical services and objective advice; and providing training related to new types of equipment and processes. "Our members are thankful for the new investment in the long-standing College and Community Innovation Program," says Peter Laffin, Vice-Chair of Tech-Access Canada's Board. "Even though TACs work with 4,200 companies every year, we have long waitlists. We look forward to increasing the capacity of the TACs to serve even greater numbers of SMEs as we move towards the recovery." Tech-Access Canada is the national network of Canada's 60 Technology Access Centres (TACs). The network enables the TACs to serve any company, anywhere in Canada, and help them access the expertise, equipment, and facilities they need to solve their innovation challenges. The network's members provide clients and partners from across Canada with access to: expertise and experience of 2,100 business innovation and applied R&D experts; over 3.8 million square feet of innovation and applied research space; and over $477 million worth of highly-specialized equipment and facilities. As a public good, Canada's TACs are designed to be a safe space for firms to de-risk the adoption of novel technologies. Their industry-friendly Intellectual Property (IP) policies put the IP in the hands of industry to commercially exploit, a tremendous benefit for small firms hoping to stay nimble and expand. TACs are inclusive by design, with their multidisciplinary teams assisting diverse communities of innovators and entrepreneurs across all regions and sectors. Tech-Access Canada and the TACs are guided by the philosophy that anyone can innovate and innovation is for everyone. "We are proud to occupy a unique position in the Canadian innovation ecosystem, and the TACs, as objective innovation intermediaries, stand ready to assist in the delivery of the numerous initiatives related to innovation, commercialization, and talent development announced in today's budget," says Ken Doyle, Executive Director of Tech-Access Canada. A not-for-profit organization based in Ottawa, Tech-Access Canada, has been facilitating the sharing of best practices between member TACs; working to harmonize service models across regions; promoting college applied research to external audiences, and operating the Interactive Visits Program since 2016. SOURCE Tech-Access Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 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. SPRINGFIELD Springfield recorded 548 new cases of COVID-19 last week bringing Aprils total to 1,278, said Mayor Domenic J. Sarno during a weekly update on the pandemic at City Hall. We are still in the red, we cannot be lax. We must wear still wear our masks and take the necessary precautions, Sarno said Tuesday. Other Western Massachusetts communities still at high risk include Chicopee, Holyoke, Ludlow, Monson, South Hadley and West Springfield. Sarno read reports from the Police Department, Fire Department and Department of Public Works noting that only one firefighter is out with COVID-19 at this time. He also read a report from Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick noting that of the districts 24,000 students 49 students tested positive for the virus between April 12-15 and only eight of 5,000 staff members have tested positive. Helen Caulton-Harris, the citys commissioner of Health and Human Services, said it is important for parents to know that the school numbers represent less than one percent of positive cases in staff and students. The numbers in the report are a bit skewed because we have 3,466 individuals who are not students who are actually in the school. Students in the school are 7,504. Of that number there were 8 staff that tested positive and that is much less than one percent. That is a very low number, she said. Caulton-Harris said it is important to give parents accurate numbers and reassure them that the district is taking the necessary precautions to keep the staff and students safe. The in-person number (of students who tested positive) was 32, the remote number was 17. So the staff number of positive cases is .23 percent and the student number is less than a half percent, she said. Dr. Robert Roose, chief medical officer at Mercy Hospital, gave reports for Mercy, as well as Baystate Health in the past week. Roose said there are 11 people hospitalized with three of those patients in the intensive care unit. Baystate Health has 73 cases across the system with 57 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and 16 at other hospitals. Eighteen of those patients are in critical care. Roose and Caulton-Harris said they have seen a similar trend in cases of younger, unvaccinated people testing positive for the virus. At Mercy Medical Center and throughout Trinity Health of New England we have recently seen some younger people under the age of 30 who were not vaccinated, did not have any underlying medical conditions, but developed very severe complications related to COVID needing critical care interventions over the last couple of week, Roose said adding that it is likely attributed to a more severe variant of the virus. Caulton-Harris said more than 50 percent of positive cases in Springfield in the past week have been in people under the age of 30. I do think it is critically important that we pay attention to (the fact that) 30 and under were 57% of our cases, 31 to 50 were 28% of our cases and 51 and over 15 %, she said. That would mean that under the age of 50 made up 85% of positive cases in the city of Springfield. Currently Mercy Medical Center has issued over 15,700 vaccines, all Pfizer vaccines, and more than 7,200 have been fully vaccinated. Baystate Health has provided 68,297 vaccines with 32,000 people being fully vaccinated. Springfield has issued 1,620 vaccinations at neighborhood sites this past week, for a total 7,247 so far. Caulton-Harris said the city is working on opening more neighborhood vaccination sites. This week the citys Department of Health and Human Services is doing our second dose clinic. There is one currently going on at St. Johns Congregational Church, on Thursday there we will be at the South End Community Center, on Friday we will be at Gerena School, on Saturday we will be doing two clinics, one at Boland School and an interfaith clinic at St. Johns Congregational Church, she said. Roose urged those who are not vaccinated to take extra precautions when interacting with others. If you are fully vaccinated, I encourage you to follow the guidelines, but it is OK for you to gather with other fully vaccinated people. This is one of the benefits and the tickets to protecting yourself and protecting others, he said. " If you are not fully vaccinated than this is clearly not the time to relax or forgo your efforts to be safe. He said people who are vaccinated and have tested positive for the virus have had no symptoms or very mild symptoms. That is proof of the effectiveness of the vaccine. That is what we expected and the evidence is showing that each and every day. Its incredibly encouraging at the hospital and throughout the community that the vaccination efforts are picking up pace, he said. Related content: Boy George has launched a search to find an actor to play him in an upcoming biopic. The musician confirmed in a video on social media that Line Of Duty star Daniel Mays will play his father in the film, while he added there are rumours Keanu Reeves will also appear. However, he added there is a quite major problem as no-one had yet been cast to play him. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. We are looking for a brave young actor from anywhere in the globe to take on the role of his life and it will brilliant, he said. The musician added: I want to be impressed. Boy George, 59, whose real name is George ODowd, grew up in south-east London and rose to fame during the New Romantic era of British pop in the late 1970s and 80s. (David Parry/PA) Thanks to hits including Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? and Karma Chameleon, he and Culture Club were regular fixtures in the charts. The film will reportedly be named Karma Chameleon. Captello Workplace Captello Workplace makes planning event activities and awarding prizes easy for Human Resources and department managers. Captello announces the release of Workplace, an employee-focused solution for virtual, hybrid, and in-person team meetings and events. Workplace includes a convenient suite of over 40 customizable and interactive games that can be tailored for employee events of any kind including team meetings, training sessions, happy hours, team competitions, office parties, brand moment celebrations, achievement celebrations, Zoom & Microsoft Teams meetings, and more. Captello developed Workplace games with e-Gift Card Rewards. A selection of over 250 famous gift card brands can be gifted to employees for meeting performance or anniversary milestones, as a form of employee appreciation, or as game prizes during team events. Captello Workplace enables companies to set-up custom engagements for employee events quickly and easily, including important company brand, training messages, and imagery. In recent studies, statistics indicated 41.8% of US based employees are working remotely. Although an estimated 26.7% will continue working from home through 2021, an estimated 36.2 million Americans (22% of the workforce) will be working remotely by 2025; an 87% increase from the number of remote workers prior to 2020.* To help companies succeed at fostering team relationship building and engagement in light of the evolving workplace dynamic between Work-From-Home (WFH) and work performed at office locations, Captello has packaged Workplace to help companies bring teams together in fun and energizing ways. Employees participate in events with company branded engagements that are easy to customize, and launch virtually anywhere. Workplace games bring teams together and bridge the physical-digital gap, allowing team members to participate together in person or online with any internet connected computer or device. Workplace helps team members: Engage Interact Feel alive with game activities driven by motor activity Feel like part of a team Relieve stress Receive rewards and recognition for exemplary work performance Captello Workplace makes planning event activities and awarding prizes easy for Human Resources and department managers. The software platform launches in any web browser with simple and intuitive content management, unrivaled support, easy to customize games, email templates, microsite page templates, and more that make communicating with employees, engaging with teams, and making events fun - a snap. For information on how Workplace Games & Rewards can help your organization visit: https://www.captello.com/workplace *Statistics provided by UpWork reporting [April 20, 2021] New Stackable Certificates Offer Immediate Resume Boost, Path to College Degree The current unemployment rate in Michigan is 5.1% and nationwide 6.2%. There is an urgent need for job applicants to differentiate - quickly - to land their next position. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005370/en/ An example of how stackable degrees can increase salary potential (Graphic: Business Wire) With campuses throughout the state, Davenport University has launched a new concept for students - the Stackable Certificate. Studies show those with post-high school credentials have higher earning potential than their counterparts. However, the Davenport difference is its new stackable undergraduate certificates can apply to an eventual bachelor's or graduate degree in the same field of study. "Stackable certificates provide another path to a degree - with immediate skilled employment opportunities," said Dr. Richard J. Pappas, Davenport University president. "The additional skills and knowledge gained gives students an advantage over other applicants and provies a pathway for additional training funded either by the student or their employer." Davenport University offers undergraduate stackable certificates in the following areas, all serving as a pathway to current Davenport associate degrees or bachelor's degrees: Business, Technology, and Health. Each Stackable Certificate is designed to be a building block toward an associate, bachelor, or master-level degree. Program credits can be seamlessly applied to the corresponding degree program. In addition to Stackable Certificates, Davenport offers Post-Baccalaureate, Graduate Certificates, and Post-Graduate Certificates. Students can also explore general certificates to enhance and improve their skills in a specific field of study without pursuing a higher degree. "Many students aren't able to stop working to pursue their degree," said David Lawrence, Davenport vice president, admissions, and strategic partnerships. "Our Stackable Certificate program allows students to achieve an immediate resume boost to further their career while also planning for the future by pursuing their education goals. "And, individuals looking to change career paths and explore new interests can do so, achieving certifications to move into a new field of work quickly. An ever-popular option in today's changing environment." For more information, visit https://www.davenport.edu/academics/certificates or contact Davenport University admissions at 800.686.1600. About Davenport University: Founded in 1866, Davenport is a private, non-profit university serving about 6,500 students at campuses across Michigan and online. With tuition among the lowest of all private universities in the state, Davenport provides high academic quality, small class sizes, conveniently located campuses, faculty with real-world experience, and more than 60 dynamic undergraduate and graduate programs addressing in-demand careers in business, technology, health professions, and urban education. More information is available at davenport.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005370/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 20, 2021] Consilio and Xact Data Discovery Agree to Combine Strengths to Deliver a More Complete Client Experience Consilio, a global leader in eDiscovery, document review, risk management, and legal consulting services, and Xact Data Discovery (XDD), a leading international provider of eDiscovery, data management, and managed review services, announced today that they have agreed to a merger of the two companies. The united company will operate as a global technology-enabled service provider and eDiscovery leader. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005429/en/ The combined company will operate under the Consilio name and will consist of over 4,000 employees and active review professionals serving clients from more than 70 global regions across 11 countries. The company's global operations will support small, mid-size, and large clients, regardless of how complex their challenges may be. "This is a significant step for Consilio and XDD to bring together our respective strengths to deliver a more complete experience to the whole spectrum of client needs," said Andy Macdonald, the Chief Executive Officer of Consilio who will continue as CEO of the combined company. "Joining our companies together will provide exponential growth opportunities for our clients. We believe our employees' experience is directly connected to their ability to provide world-class service and solutions for our clients." Bob Polus, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at XDD, said, "We are pleased to join our services and offerings with those of Consilio. We have complementary global operations, a strong cultural fit, and a similar legacy of successful acquisitions and integrations. Both organizations have diverse strengths and fared well throughout the pandemic, leaving room for enhancd growth as a combined organization." Mr. Polus will serve as the Corporate Development Officer of the combined company. In connection with the pending merger, investment funds managed by Stone Point Capital LLC and by Aquiline Capital Partners LLC have committed to partner with management in the ownership of the combined company. The acquisitions of Consilio, from GI Partners, and XDD, from JLL Partners, and the subsequent merger are subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approval. Chuck Davis, the Chief Executive Officer of Stone Point Capital, said, "We are excited to partner with Andy, Bob, and the combined company's senior leadership team, as well as our friends at Aquiline, in the merger of these two impressive companies. We look forward to supporting Consilio and XDD as they continue to provide exceptional client service and to develop innovative solutions to reduce client risk." Jeff Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Aquiline Capital Partners, said, "We are pleased to work with both management teams and Stone Point to merge these two businesses. The combined company will offer a compelling value proposition and be well positioned to thrive in a steadily growing market." Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP acted as legal advisors to Stone Point Capital and Aquiline Capital Partners, respectively. Jefferies LLC represented Consilio and William Blair represented XDD as their respective exclusive financial advisors. Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Aquiline Capital Partners. About Consilio Consilio is a global leader in eDiscovery, document review, risk management, and legal consulting services. Through its Consilio Complete suite of capabilities, the company supports multinational law firms and corporations using innovative software, cost-effective managed services, and deep legal and regulatory industry expertise. Consilio has extensive experience in litigation, HSR second requests, internal and regulatory investigations, eDiscovery, document review, information governance, compliance risk assessments, cybersecurity, law department management, contracts management, legal analytics, paper discovery, and digital printing, as well as legal recruiting and placement. Consilio employs leading professionals in the industry, applying defensible workflows with patented and industry-proven technology across all phases of the eDiscovery and risk management lifecycle. ISO 27001:2013 certified, the company operates offices, document review, and data centers across Europe, Asia, and North America. For more information, please visit us at www.consilio.com. About Xact Data Discovery Xact Data Discovery (XDD) is a leading international provider of eDiscovery, data management, and managed review services for law firms and corporations. XDD helps clients optimize their eDiscovery matters by orchestrating precision communication between people, processes, technology, and data. XDD services include forensics, eDiscovery processing, Relativity hosting and managed review. XDD has 23 offices throughout the United States, one in the UK and one in India. XDD offers exceptional customer service with a commitment to responsive, transparent, and timely communication to ensure clients remain informed throughout the entire discovery life cycle. For more information, please visit us at www.xactdatadiscovery.com. About Stone Point Capital LLC Stone Point is an investment firm based in Greenwich, CT, with approximately $30 billion of assets under management. Stone Point targets investments in companies in the global financial services industry and related sectors. The firm invests in a number of alternative asset classes, including private equity through its flagship Trident (News - Alert) Funds. Stone Point also manages both liquid and private credit funds and managed accounts. In addition, Stone Point Capital Markets supports our firm, portfolio companies and other clients by providing dedicated financing solutions. For more information, please visit www.stonepoint.com. About Aquiline Capital Partners LLC Aquiline Capital Partners, founded in 2005, is a private investment firm based in New York and London investing in businesses across the financial services sector in financial technology, insurance, investment management, business services, credit, and healthcare. The firm has $6.1 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2020. For more information about Aquiline, its investment professionals, and its portfolio companies, please visit www.aquiline.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005429/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] This is an excerpt from our Green State NY newsletter. Sign up here, and it will arrive in your inbox every other week on Tuesday . After years of debate, it may be hard to believe New York finally secured its status as the 16th state to legalize recreational marijuana use nearly three weeks ago. But residents have been adjusting to the change. Upstate shops are already stocking up on elevated home smoking accessories, anticipating a growing market for display-ready cannabis pipes and grinders. But while the head shops which have long sold such paraphernalia tend to be found in college towns, students will still be barred from marijuana possession and use on campus. Under federal law its still a crime, and colleges get funding from the feds. The new law is expected to have wide-reaching impacts in spite of its tension with federal norms, including expunging the records of those convicted or incarcerated for most marijuana-related offenses at the state level. Convictions on anti-marijuana charges have disproportionately impacted communities of color. However, legal retail sales of recreational marijuana are likely to be at least 18 months out which means current cannabis sales other than established medical pipelines are still against the law. New Yorks marijuana industry is expected to look a lot like the one in Colorado, where nine years after legalization there are nearly 1,000 retail stores and small medical marijuana dispensaries spread across the state. But that could be a long way off: the regulatory platform, including an Office of Cannabis Management that will award licenses for growing, distributing, processing and selling, will take at least a year to set up. When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the new bill into law, the senators and assembly members who spearheaded its enactment pointed proudly to its goal to ensure that the communities most injured by marijuana-related over-policing could benefit from the budding industry: half of all retail licenses will be designated for applicants from disproportionately affected communities, as well as small farmers. With many changes set to roll out over the coming years, this legislation paved the way for a new industry to take root one that we at the Times Union will be watching closely. If you have questions youd like answered, consider letting us know. Contact Rebekah F. Ward, Rebekah.Ward@TimesUnion.com, or Managing Editor Brendan J. Lyons at BLyons@TimesUnion.com. Sign up here to get our bi-weekly newsletter Green State NY in your inbox. Although female characters are prominent in ads in India, they are still highly stereotyped. Women are less likely to be shown in public spaces and in paid employment; more likely to be selling domestic products and food to other women as well as responsible for childcare and shopping. Female characters in ads also tend to be thin, unlike men who are portrayed as different body types. These are some of the findings of a study released today by UNICEF and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (GDI) on Gender Bias and Inclusion In Advertising In India. The study explores how popular Indian advertisements can replace such harmful typecasts with balanced portrayals to inspire girls and boys of their possibilities, unrestrained by gender stereotypes. Gender socialization is a learned behaviour from childhood," says Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF India Representative. "Children observe and learn social cues from parents, family, and the society around them, including the advertising they see around themselves. UNICEF is committed towards ensuring gender equity and girls' empowerment, which forms the core of our gender responsive programming. This report will help us challenge biases and advocate more effectively with the Indian advertising community, and across South Asia with all businesses, to support our goal of achieving gender equality for the benefit of all children." Geena Davis, Academy Award Winning Actor, Founder and Chair of the Institute says Misrepresentation and harmful stereotypes of women in advertising have a significant impact on women - and young girls - and how they view themselves and their value to society. While we do see female representation dominate in Indian ads, they are still marginalized by colorism, hypersexualization, and without careers or aspirations outside of the home. The stark inequality evident in portrayals of females in these advertisements must be addressed to ensure an equitable society. This collaborative study with UNICEF and its partners sets the foundation for improvement in India and across the globe. Conventional gender norms constantly devalue women and girls, making it difficult to secure their rights and reach their full potential. From a declining sex ratio, girls dropping out of schools, marrying before 18 years, and not being supported to work outside the home: these all reflect a significant gap in investments in her future pathways beyond marriage. Media can help shift the narrative and provide diverse and powerful templates to fuel her aspirations and simultaneously shift people's perceptions around her. The research measures over 1,000 television and YouTube advertisements aired across India in 2019. The ads were provided and translated by the International Advertising Association (IAA), which is also committed to translating the recommendations into action, beginning with a roundtable discussion to be organized by the IAA with leading business representatives. IAA will also work with members to launch campaigns to deconstruct harmful stereotypes, in support of UNICEF's priorities. Megha Tata President - IAA-India Chapter/ MD, Discovery Communications -South Asia said, "Advertising and marketing play a powerful role in the process of gender socialization and women and girls' empowerment, and the India Chapter of the IAA has been at the forefront of many initiatives concerning creative nuances in communicating gender issues. Being a strategic partner to this effort has not just been exciting but also very satisfying. The Association has supported the sample base for the study and will lead the dissemination of findings in India on the importance of modelling equitable gender norms. We hope this will become a benchmark for similar meaningful studies to be conducted in different parts of the world. The study would not have been possible without the expertise and support provided by UNICEF's partners, including the advisory board members from UN Women, Population First, the Centre for Women's Development Studies, and Jamia Millia Islamia University. UNICEF and the Institute will discuss the study findings and recommendations and identify opportunities for action, with a group of influential stakeholders at the Virtual See Jane Global Salon, at 9am PST / 21.30 IST on 21 April 2021. To join us for an interactive session, register here. [April 20, 2021] Leading Global Retailers Using Qlik to Drive More Value from All Their Data PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Retailers are rapidly adopting Qlik as part of their effort to maximize the value of real-time data for decision-making. Over the past two quarters, retailers have been eager to realize Qliks vision of Active Intelligence, which is the ability to leverage real-time, up-to-date information to inform decision-making and trigger downstream business events to capitalize on every business moment in rapidly changing market conditions. Facing razor-thin margins in normal circumstances, COVID-19 pushed retailers to quickly reimagine their supply chains, warehouse and distribution center operations, as well as their delivery models and their physical/digital mix. Even retailers with robust digital presences realized, to make the necessary pivots, they needed to further break down internal data silos, and bring even more real-time, context-aware data to their decision-making. This has driven tremendous interest in adopting Qlik which serves 2 of the top 3, and 5 of the top 10, NRF Top 100 Retailers* as a catalyst to quickly modernize data pipelines and analytics to support newly imagined operations models with data that drives action, reduces churn and maintains customer satisfaction. With Qlik, we are providing a live view of performance to our teams and customers in each of the business units, said David Moran, Supply Chain Director, KFC Europe. This insight, accountability and transparency has been very powerful in establishing confidence in the capabilities of our organization, and is the foundation of our vision to both protect and grow the brand with a world-class supply chain. Fostering an analytics culture is where Qlik is a game-changer, said Elizabeth Dalton, Director at Luxottica Retail. The rich variety of visualizations available in Qlik leads to immediate data exploration and insight generation, which eases our users away from their static reports. The retail sector continues to be highly competitive, with constant challenges presentd by ever-evolving customer sentiment and demands. Its essential to have flexibility and scalability in delivering accurate and near-real time data across an organization from the supply chain to warehouses and distribution centers, through to front-line stores and eCommerce. The diversity of companies now using Qliks data and analytics platforms represent some of the most well-known global fast-food franchises, apparel and accessory companies, as well as home furnishing retailers. Dorel Industries designs and manufactures sport, home and juvenile products enjoyed daily by millions of people. The Home division began its journey with Qlik in 2017 with Qlik Cloud Business, then moved to Qlik Sense Enterprise SaaS in 2019. Today, all three of Dorels business units leverage Qlik, with sales, operations and eCommerce gaining visibility through Qlik to more than 8000 SKUs across dozens of retailers. Burger King, the American-based multinational fast-food franchise, has deployed Qlik Sense regionally to support business intelligence that is central to its management transformation, including having a flexible and user-friendly system for analysis of sales and finance. Kendra Scott is a leading fashion-lifestyle brand, specializing in jewelry, home decor, gifts and beauty. Kendra Scott invested in Qlik Sense SaaS to deploy cloud analytics as a key element in their digital transformation. Business users in Finance, Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Sourcing can now obtain near real-time insights across retail stores, eCommerce, BOSS and BOPIS sales in a self-service environment. Leveraging Qlik, Kendra Scott was able to start fast with SaaS, releasing their first apps to production within one week. Additional retailers using Qlik products include: Rapide Brow & Lash Bar, in Sweden; Fenwick, and Travis Perkins, in the UK; REI, Best Buy, and Walgreens, in the United States; the Asia Pacific division of Chanel, Chow Tai Fook, in Hong Kong, as well as Malabar Group of Companies, in India, among others. More and more retail companies are shifting from passive to active business intelligence models, which emphasize the need for real-time data to inform decision-making, said Poornima Ramaswamy, Executive Vice President, Global Solutions and Partners at Qlik. Active Intelligence, realized through our end-to-end platform, drives performance improvements and value across our retail customers organizations by bringing the right data and insights to decision makers when its most relevant and impactful. *Source: NRF Top 100 Retailers 2020 List About Qlik Qliks vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private SaaS company, Qlik provides an end-to-end, real-time data integration and analytics cloud platform to close the gaps between data, insights and action.?By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships.?Qlik does business in more than 100 countries and serves over 50,000 customers around the world.? 2021 QlikTech International AB. All rights reserved. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. The information provided herein is subject to change without notice. In addition, the development, release and timing of any product or functionality described herein remain at the sole discretion of Qlik and should not be relied upon in making a purchasing decision, nor as a representation, warranty or commitment to deliver specific products or functionality in the future. Media Contact: Derek Lyons derek.lyons@qlik.com 617-658-5310 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Beware the zeal of the convert and there is no bigger convert than Boris Johnson when it comes to climate policy. The man who, as Mayor of London in 2013, once said wind farms 'couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding' has now committed Britain to a legally binding target of reducing carbon emissions by 78 per cent (on 1990 levels) by 2035. The announcement has won Johnson plaudits from organisations that once condemned him. Greenpeace described it as 'the boldest move' by any world leader this year. Come June, the Prime Minister will be able to cosy up to President Joe Biden, another green enthusiast, who is expected to announce new U.S. targets at the G7 summit in Cornwall. Even better, in November at COP26 (the UN Climate Change Conference) in Glasgow, Johnson can pose as the world's front-runner on tackling climate change. Impact But has Johnson really thought through the implications for Britain? And does he really care? Isn't this just cynical virtue signalling? Because by the time the impact on our lives has become clear every aspect from how much meat and dairy we eat to heating our homes or how often we fly and the bill lands on the doormats of voters, he'll be long gone. Beware the zeal of the convert and there is no bigger convert than Boris Johnson when it comes to climate policy. The man who, as Mayor of London in 2013, once said wind farms 'couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding' has now committed Britain to a legally binding target of reducing carbon emissions by 78 per cent (on 1990 levels) by 2035 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy put the cost of reaching net zero at a staggering 70 billion a year for the next three decades and no doubt that is an underestimate. Looking after our environment is, undoubtedly, a good thing and virtually every country attending climate jamborees like COP26 makes bold statements about cutting carbon emissions. The Paris Climate Change Agreement forged in 2015 obliged signatories to produce targets for reducing carbon emissions. But few countries have done what Britain has written those targets into domestic law and there is a very good reason why not. While it seems sensible to wean the world off fossil fuels and eventually try to eliminate net carbon emissions altogether, the new technologies needed have yet to be proven on a commercial scale or have yet to be invented at all. To store wind and solar energy for when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining will require massive investment in batteries, hydrogen plants or other technology all of which customers will pay for [Stock image] Equally, most countries want to grow their economies especially after the havoc wrought by Covid-19. That is why the International Energy Agency expects carbon emissions to soar by 5 per cent this year, with huge investment in coal-fired power stations. Chinese President Xi Jinping, for example, has said his country will go carbon neutral by 2060 yet that didn't stop China, which accounts for nearly a third of global emissions, adding 38.4 Gigawatts (GW) worth of coal-fired power stations last year. (Drax, once the UK's biggest coal-fired power station, produced just under 4GW at peak.) Meanwhile, Britain, which accounts for only 1 per cent of global emissions, ploughs on in the opposite direction. The Government announced last week that greenhouse gas emissions are down by 48.8 per cent on 1990 levels. Put like that, it sounds a huge achievement and makes the task of getting down to a 78 per cent reduction over the next 14 years seem a formality. But it isn't, and for two good reasons. Firstly, like picking low-hanging fruit, cutting carbon emissions is easy at first. Much of the fall in UK carbon emissions is down to replacing coal-fired power stations with gas. To pluck the higher fruit, however, is difficult. To store wind and solar energy for when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining will require massive investment in batteries, hydrogen plants or other technology all of which customers will pay for. According to Ofgem, environmental and social obligations already account for 22.9 per cent of our electricity bills. To get to net zero carbon emissions, ministers want to ban gas boilers in favour of electric heat pumps. Yet this along with insulation requirements threatens to land millions of homeowners with bills of up to 20,000. Chinese President Xi Jinping, for example, has said his country will go carbon neutral by 2060 yet that didn't stop China, which accounts for nearly a third of global emissions, adding 38.4 Gigawatts (GW) worth of coal-fired power stations last year. (Drax, once the UK's biggest coal-fired power station, produced just under 4GW at peak.) Meanwhile, Britain, which accounts for only 1 per cent of global emissions, ploughs on in the opposite direction. Pictured: The West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire [File photo] And net zero will require the population to drive fully electric cars (which are expensive) and a costly increase in the recharging network nationally. Nor is cutting emissions just a case of reduced energy use. A growing economy needs steel and cement, for example, which account for 12 to 14 per cent of all global energy and industrial carbon emissions. Talk of new green methods of production is, largely, just that talk. The technology is a long way from proving itself commercially. If it isn't ready within the next few years, then our steel industry will be forced to close to cut emissions. In which case we will have destroyed UK jobs for no reason because we'll end up importing steel and cement, with emissions spewed out elsewhere in the world. Destroying This brings me to the second reason why the Government's proposed reductions are a hostage to fortune. Its method of calculating emissions has, until now, been something of a con because it excludes aviation, shipping and carbon emitted elsewhere in the process of creating food and other goods for UK consumers. In 2016, for example, the Government recorded 473 Megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide and equivalent greenhouse gases produced in Britain. Yet, take air travel into account and it adds a further 34 Mt; shipping 9 Mt and emissions embedded in imported goods a whopping 268 Mt. To get to net zero carbon emissions, ministers want to ban gas boilers in favour of electric heat pumps. Yet this along with insulation requirements threatens to land millions of homeowners with bills of up to 20,000 [Stock image] This creates deeply perverse incentives. If we carry on as we are, covering prime farmland with solar panels and trees the goal is a rate of 50,000 hectares a year we will notionally cut UK carbon emissions. But that will come at the cost of our dependency on food produced abroad which doesn't count towards UK emissions. The Committee on Climate Change thinks we can reduce our carbon footprint by eating less meat and dairy, most of which are not imported. Yet a lot of British land used for livestock is marginal in quality and can't be used for arable production. So by abandoning meat and milk, we risk not only destroying our agricultural sector but also of increasing imports of alternative plant products which could mean no net reduction in global emissions at all. Incompatible Somewhat belatedly, the Government says it will now include aviation and shipping in its official carbon emission figures. That will have a huge impact on the airline industry, as we currently have no commercially proven technology for flying passenger jets without fossil fuel. If airline passengers are forced to pay to offset their emissions, as some experts are suggesting, it will take us back to a time when flying was an option only for the wealthy. It's all very easy setting targets, but a very different matter actually achieving them. And to set legally binding targets when you have little idea as to how they will be achieved is highly questionable. Net zero will require the population to drive fully electric cars (which are expensive) and a costly increase in the recharging network nationally [Stock image] What's more, targets will prove a bonanza for environmental activists and their lawyers who'll have a field day opposing every one of the Prime Minister's beloved infrastructure projects his tunnels and bridges and they will win, just as they did over Heathrow's third runway. Any expansion in air, road and rail travel, with current technology, is incompatible with a net zero carbon target. So while Boris Johnson may have the world at his feet at the G7 and at COP26 a Greta Thunberg with mop hair the hard reality for British consumers of these draconian carbon targets will sink in only when the delegates have flown home, spewing their vapour trails behind them. An op-ed in New York Times targets white evangelicals' faith and political inclinations- specifically the mistrust on vaccines as the all-out cure for COVID-19- labeling them as obstacles to ending the pandemic. According to the piece published by NY Times, it's the "deeply held spiritual convictions or counterfactual arguments" of white evangelicals in America that drive them to not get vaccinated which is counterproductive to the attainment of herd immunity. The article went on to say that the opposition to the vaccine is "rooted in a mix of religious faith and a longstanding wariness of mainstream science" as well as "distrust of institutions" and obsessions of conspiracy theories. The "sheer size" of such a community, according to the article, "poses a major problem for the country's ability to recover from a pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of half a million Americans." It went further to claim that "evangelical ideas and instincts" have a way of broadly spreading internationally like the virus as it has earlier noted. Basing on the data from Pew Research Center, the article states that 45 % of white evangelical adults, out of their 41 million population in the U.S, will make up the least likely demographic group to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Jamie Aten, Founder and Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, was quoted saying that "if we can't get a significant number of white evangelicals to come around on this, the pandemic is going to last much longer than it needs to." The piece admitted that Americans in general are resistant to receiving the vaccines, but it zeroed in on evangelicals as presenting "challenges because of their complex web of moral, medical, and political objections." A more interesting observation is the need to pit evangelicals against the "scientific community." To be fair, the Times article mentioned high-profile conservative pastors and faith leaders who have endorsed getting vaccinated including Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, and J.D. Greear. It was quick though to highlight evangelical leaders who are skeptic to the vaccines including Gene Bailey, a Bible Prophesy teacher, who reportedly "warned his audience in March that the government and 'globalist entities' will 'use bayonets and prisons to force a needle into your arm.'" Others mentioned were an evangelical TikTok influencer who reportedly dramatized getting killed by the authorities for declining to receive the vaccine, and evangelical radio host Eric Metaxas for his "Don't get the vaccine" tweet on March 28. The connection of some vaccines to abortion-derived cell lines was also mentioned as another reason for resistance among many evangelicals, but with a quick add-on that these fetal issues on vaccines were from decades ago and that "no additional abortions are required to manufacture them." Some vaccines, however, really were made using fetal cells. A more interesting note is the need to write that 'some evangelicals' see the vaccine as "a redemptive outcome for the original aborted fetus." Denominationally speaking, the Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians were said to possibly be the most skeptic of vaccines among all evangelical groups. That's because divine health and miraculous healing were seen as inherent to anyone who is under the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ. Diseases, organic or man-made, can be vaporized by faith-filled prayers. Also, there's the emphasis to stay rooted in the unchanging Word of God as means to protect one's mental health. This is crucial in the strengthening of the immune system to reject any harmful pathogens that could attack the body. Of course, these were missed on the NYT piece as the piece's initial premise was on shifting the blame of the prolonged 'pandemic' over to the evangelicals. It rightly noted though that many Afro-Americans and Hispanics comprised the Pentecostal movement. To date, a project to educate evangelicals about the vaccine is reportedly in the making. This will include "series of short, shareable videos for pastors, answering questions like 'How can Christians spot fake news on the vaccine?' and 'Is the vaccine the Mark of the Beast?'" CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Boeing (BA) said Dubai Aerospace Enterprise is growing its 737 MAX portfolio with an order for 15 737-8 jets. The new order is DAE's first direct 737 MAX purchase from Boeing. The 737-8 is a member of the 737 MAX family which is designed to offer more fuel efficiency, reliability and flexibility in the single-aisle market. The airplane can fly 3,550 nautical miles - about 600 miles farther than its predecessor. Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Ltd. is a global aviation services company headquartered in Dubai. The new order is DAE's second investment in the 737 MAX in the past year. In the third quarter of prior year, the aircraft lessor signed an agreement with American Airlines to purchase and lease back 18 new 737-8 airplanes. 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. TORONTO, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Shareholder Update: On Monday, April 19th, without approval or consent from Mr. Neville, Mr. Troy Grant, Mr. Binyon Posen and Mr. Brendan Purdy formed a special "executive committee" ("the Committee") inside of the board of directors, which would provide the three members of the board with additional powers. Mr. Neville has not resigned or provided any notification to the Company indicating his resignation. This committee have claimed that Chris Neville has resigned from the company thus removing him as of Monday April 19th, 2021 as CEO. By way of background, on April 2nd, Mr. Troy Grant sent Mr. Neville a letter stating to either resign from the company or that Mr. Neville would be fired. Again, Mr. Neville has not offered his resignation; therefore the Committee has taken it upon themselves to govern the Company. During this arduous time, Mr. Neville has uncovered several questionable corporate transactions. Mr. Neville has repeatedly asked the members of the Committee, and in particular, Mr. Grant for additional information. During the month of December 2020, Mr. Neville encountered some personal family issues, which allowed Mr. Grant to govern the Company in Mr. Neville's absence. During this time, Mr. Grant authorised several transactions, which are highly questionable without the approval of the entire Board of IGT. These transactions appear to have personally benefitted Mr. Grant and his related parties and associates, with no regard for corporate governance or proper disclosures. I will continue to work with the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the British Columbia Securities Commission and my own personal counsel to resolve this matter. This does not preclude me from seeking civil action against the Committee and their associates. We continue to work on behalf of all our shareholders. Chris Neville, MBA Former CEO of IGT SOURCE Chris A Neville A drop in maritime traffic may be behind a surge in the number of sharks seen in British waters, according to an expert. There have been multiple sightings of both basking and porbeagle sharks in recent weeks with members of the public spotting them closer to the shore than usual. Some have ended up in marinas while others have been photographed and filmed in the sea just off the coast. David Sims, Professor of Marine Ecology, Ocean and Earth Science at the University of Southampton, believes the spike could be due to a drop in maritime voyages. Scroll down for video David Sims, Professor of Marine Ecology, Ocean and Earth Science at the University of Southampton, believes the spike in sightings is due to a drop in maritime voyages. Pictured, a porbeagle shark spotted in two Plymouth marinas last week Sharks and whales swim in circular patterns - and scientists have absolutely no idea why Species of turtle, shark, penguin, seal and whale swim in circles, new research shows but scientists aren't sure why. Japanese researchers examined high-resolution 3D movements of the various marine animals, gathered from biologging technology. Biologging uses using small instruments mounted on an animal to track their movements over long periods of time. They revealed circling 'events' where animals consecutively circled more than twice at 'relatively constant angular speed'. This finding is surprising in part because swimming in a straight line is the most efficient way to move about. At first glance the behaviour may appear random, but it could serve several similar purposes, including foraging, social interactions, and navigation. Advertisement Professor Sims spoke specifically about a porbeagle shark spotted in two Plymouth marinas. Footage of the animal was captured at Queen Anne's Battery marina and Sutton Harbour last week. 'The shark seen in Queen Anne's Battery looked like a young porbeagle, perhaps a year or two old (adults grow to over 3 m in length),' he said. 'However, porbeagles large or small are rarely seen in marinas. They do hunt fish in shallow waters so it is possible that it moved far into Plymouth Sound following fish schools. 'One reason that it may have come so close is the reduced marine traffic associated with the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. 'During the main lockdown period in March - July 2020 in Europe, large pelagic sharks such as blue sharks were seen venturing into very shallow water and in harbours and marinas. 'This has been put down to "quieter" seas, as fewer passenger, fishing and tourism vessels were operating at that time.' Marine explorer Rupert Kirkwood was one of the people who benefited from the increase in shark numbers. He spotted five basking sharks during a single trip out on his kayak off the coast of Cornwall over the weekend. 'Sharks are sensitive to sound, including ship sounds which are sometimes avoided, so it is possible that if there has been a quieter 'Sound', this may have acted to help extend the explorations of this young shark into a Plymouth marina,'' Professor Sims adds. He says he has been satellite tracking the sharks in north Cornwall. A 16ft basking shark was spotted last week swimming alongside a boat off the British coast (pictured) 'This showed that throughout July and August the sharks occupied localised areas within the Celtic Sea, between the south-west UK, south-west Wales and southern Ireland,' he said. 'At times a porbeagle was only a few kilometres off of the Cornish coast. Only one shark was tracked into the autumn, when it moved into deep water off the continental shelf, then north towards colder latitudes. 'This was likely part of seasonal movements to other foraging locations.' A 16ft basking shark was spotted last week swimming alongside a boat off the British coast. Footage shows the giant sea creature, which is the second-largest shark in the world after the whale shark, swimming below the surface in Portloe Bay, Truro, Cornwall. The creature approaches the surface of the boat before sinking into the waters and disappearing from view. A local wildlife cruise crew had been testing out their boat on April 4, prior to re-opening for passengers today, when they spotted the shark swimming just beside their vessel. New Delhi, April 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the High Courts are in a crisis situation, against the backdrop of 40 per cent vacancies, with many of the larger ones working with less than 50 per cent of sanctioned strength, and therefore, in a bid to clear the recommendations made by apex court Collegium for appointments to the higher judiciary, it is laying down timelines to be complied by the government and the Intelligence Bureau. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Surya Kant said if the Supreme Court Collegium, after consideration of inputs, reiterates the recommendations unanimously, such appointments should be processed and appointment should be made within 3 to 4 weeks. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal agreed with the requirement of time-bound schedule for filling the vacancies at every stage, though he emphasised the trigger for filling up of the vacancies is the recommendations made by the Chief Justices of the High Courts. Once the recommendations are made, there are two stages at which the matter rests with the government - the first when the Law Ministry processes the names; and the second post the Supreme Court Collegium taking a call-in recommending name approved by the collegium. Laying down timelines for the appointment of judges, the bench said: "The Intelligence Bureau (IB) should submit its report/inputs within 4 to 6 weeks from the date of recommendation of the High Court Collegium, to the Central Government." "It would be desirable that the Central government forwards the file(s)/recommendations to the Supreme Court within 8 to 12 weeks from the date of receipt of views from the State Government and the report/input from the IB." Finally, the top court added that it would be for the government to proceed to make the appointment immediately and undoubtedly, if it has any reservations on suitability or in public interest, within the same period of time, it may be sent back to the Supreme Court Collegium with the specific reasons for reservation recorded. The bench noted that against the sanctioned strength of 1,080 Judges, 664 Judges have been appointed with vacancies of 416 judges in the High Courts. However, the recommendations received and under process with the government are 196, leaving 220 recommendations yet to be received by the High Court collegium. "We, thus, once again, emphasise the requirement and desirability of the Chief Justices of the High Courts, who will make endeavour to recommend vacancies as early as possible even if they are not made at one go," said the top court. I think that theres really no biological mechanism that is plausible in terms of how that could be possible, Shah said. I think that potentially people are having normal menstrual pain plus the aches and pains that are associated post-vaccine, and maybe combining all of that together and associating it. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT Two individuals suffered stab wounds in separate incidents in the city within about seven hours Tuesday morning, according to police. The first incident happened at about 1:20 a.m. St. Vincents Medical Center called police to report a female victim had arrived at the hospital with a stab wound. Police said the injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening. New Delhi: President Donald Trump on Friday said that Pakistan took tremendous advantage of the US over the years, but is now starting to have a real relationship. Trumps remarks came a day after Pakistan secured the release of an American-Canadian family from the clutches of the Haqqani terror network, five years after they were abducted. Yesterday, things happened with Pakistan, said the US president. I have openly said Pakistan took tremendous advantage of our country for many years, but were starting to have a real relationship with Pakistan, and theyre to respect us as a nation again, and so are other nations, Trump said. They are starting to respect the United States of America again, he said and thanked the leaders of Pakistan for what theyve been doing. In this administration, we will call evil by its name, Trump said. American citizen Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle along with their three children were rescued from the Haqqani network on Thursday after an operation by Pakistani forces based on intelligence from the US authorities. Trump had slammed Pakistan for its continued support to terrorist groups and warned Islamabad of consequences if it continues to do so while announcing his Afghan and south Asia policy in August. President Trump on Thursday hailed the release of the hostages from Taliban captivity. He said their release was a positive moment for US relations with Pakistan. Trump also praised Pakistan for its willingness to do more to provide security in the region and said the release suggests other countries are starting to respect the United States of America once again. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. She always looks flawless while taking a bite of food on camera. And now MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong has addressed long-standing rumours she practices sensually eating various dishes on the popular show in front of the mirror. On Tuesday, KIIS FM hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson said the way Melissa ate slowly on TV was 'very sensual' and wanted to know if she did it intentionally. Is it TRUE? MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong (pictured) addressed a long-standing rumour that she practiced sensually eating food in front of a mirror for the show while on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O show on Tuesday 'I heard that you practiced in the mirror before going on the show,' Jackie asked the beauty during an interview on the radio show. 'It's the best rumour going around,' Melissa, 39, replied with a laugh. 'Did you do it though?' Jackie prodded, as Melissa responded: 'I've been a professional eater for quite some time, but it never hurts to see what you look like when you're doing something in front of millions of people.' 'It never hurts to see what you look like when you're doing something in front of millions of people': Melissa appeared to confirm the long-standing rumour during an interview on The Kyle and Jackie O Show 'I've trained myself even with food I find tricky': Melissa also said she's learnt to maintain a poker face while judging and tasting food, even if it's not appealing Melissa also said she's learnt to maintain a poker face while judging and tasting food, even if it's not appealing. 'I've trained myself even with food I find tricky to experience it in a more analytic way until it's at least down the hatchet,' she said. The TV judge previously revealed to The Daily Telegraph that during her first season on the show she would need multiple takes to get the eating shots perfect. 'I think anyone who has to eat on camera learns pretty quickly to not take the bite they wish they could have,' Melissa said at the time. 'I worked with some very kind producers': The TV judge previously said during her first season of MasterChef that she would require multiple takes to get the eating shots perfect 'I worked with some very kind producers early on that said "you might like to have another go at that",' she added. Melissa added that 'a montage of that would have been pretty funny' if the footage ever surfaced. Last year, she was widely considered the saving grace of the revamped MasterChef franchise. The new season began on Monday night. MasterChef Australia continues on Tuesday from 7:30pm on Channel 10 Cypress-Fairbanks ISD on Monday joined a growing list of districts announcing plans to scrap mask mandates, with Superintendent Mark Henry telling families that face coverings no will longer be required starting June 7. With the announcement, Cy-Fair becomes the biggest district in Texas to set an end date for a mask mandate. Cy-Fair is the states third-largest district, behind only Houston and Dallas ISDs. Since vaccines are becoming more readily available and the spread of COVID-19 is diminishing, the districtwide mask mandate will be lifted starting June 7, Henry wrote. Although they will be optional, we will continue to encourage staff, students and visitors to wear masks while indoors. We will also continue to follow many of the safety protocols currently in place, including enhanced cleaning procedures and increased air filtration and ventilation. It is not immediately clear whether Cy-Fairs school board will need to vote on ending the districts mask mandate. Current state guidelines state that students and staff, with limited exceptions, must wear masks while on campuses, though each district school board can vote to opt out of the requirement. A Texas Education Agency spokesman said Friday that state officials have not set an expiration date for the guidelines. Katy ISD, the Houston areas third-largest district, announced Friday that it planned to end its face covering requirements on June 1. Officials in Clear Creek ISD, the regions ninth-largest district, said they will maintain mask requirements over the summer but hope to make them optional by August. Cy-Fair has reported about 80 weekly new COVID-19 cases among staff and students over the past month, down from a high of about 350 new cases per week in January. It is not known how many of those cases were due to on-campus transmission. Cy-Fair counted about 77,500 of its 115,000 enrolled students attending in-person instruction as of late January, the most recent date with available state data. jacob.carpenter@chron.com if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Sun lights up Pantheon entrance on Romes birthday. Rome's birthday, known as Natale di Roma , falls on 21 April, and this year the city marks 2,774 years since its legendary founding by Romulus in 753 BC. One spectacular event that occurs in Rome's birthday is the Dies Natalis phenomenon at the Pantheon, which is currently closed due to Italy's covid-19 restrictions. Each year on this date the midday sun enters the oculus of Rome's Pantheon and creates a disk of light that centres perfectly on the entrance doorway.At that exact time, the emperor would enter the temple, his body bathed in the intense golden sunlight. Last year Italy's culture ministry released a video of the phenomenon which it described as "one of history's first great special effects." While the global pandemic has bought economies to a halt and massively disrupted businesses, it has also fuelled start-up dreams and we even saw several Indian start-ups achieve Unicorn status during the pandemic period. The times have never been better for the budding entrepreneurs to give wings to their start-up dreams. The Government, too, has come up with various schemes to support its Vocal for Local drive. A case in point is the recent Rs 1,000 crore Start-up India Seed Fund announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Start-up India International Summit 2021 held earlier this year. Adgully is turning the spotlight on the entrepreneurs who fought against all odds to bring their dreams to fruition in our special series START-UP STARS. We at Adgully wholeheartedly support the Vocal for Local movement and over the next few months will be featuring all local/ homegrown businesses, brands and Apps. Conceptualised as a lightweight fine jewellery brand for everyday wear, Melorra is a start-up with the potential to disrupt the Indian jewellery market as it stands today. So far, Melorra has delivered to over 2,000 towns in the country and made its mark everywhere from villages with a population of less than 10,000 to cities with population above 1 million. In conversation with Adgully, Saroja Yeramilli, Founder and CEO, Melorra, takes us through her journey as an entrepreneur, the strong headwinds for the Indian start-up ecosystem and much more. Please take us through your journey as an entrepreneur. What motivated you to establish your start-up? What were you doing prior to turning an entrepreneur? In my career spanning over two decades, I have worked with some of the worlds leading consumer brands, including Ogilvy, Titan, Tanishq, Marico - Kaya and Dell, in various positions. It was during a visit to one of the well-known jewellery stores a few years ago that I chanced upon a conversation between a mother-daughter duo who were buying jewellery. The daughters reluctance to buy jewellery she couldnt wear on a daily basis stayed with me and inspired me to start Melorra, a start-up with the potential to disrupt the Indian jewellery market as it stands today. The conversation made me aware of the huge gap in the kind of jewellery young women want and what traditional players were offering. Melorra was conceptualised as a lightweight fine jewellery brand designing affordable jewellery for everyday wear. Inspired by international fashion trends, our designs are lightweight and stylish, keeping the modern womans changing needs in mind. We have launched four new physical experience centres recently. The first one was in Bangalore and the three others are in Delhi/NCR. Our brick-and-mortar expansion is intended as a seamless extension of our online retail space providing customers with anytime, anywhere lightweight and trendy gold jewellery. We plan to launch 350 such centres pan India in the next few years. The stores, which will primarily be located in malls and high streets across India, will range from 500-1,500 sq ft in size and showcase 500-1,000 jewellery designs. Melorra has proved its business model and we continue to improve our offerings every time. For our recent offline foray, we plan to invest around $50 million over the next 6 years. So far, Melorra has delivered to over 2,000 towns in the country and made its mark everywhere from villages with a population of less than 10,000 to cities with population above 1 million. The offline centres are an extension of our online space. Melorra has a very strong customer base in both metros and smaller towns alike. Our customers in the Tier 2 and 3 cities are also waiting for a Melorra experience center and we plan to also branch out to these areas going forward. What need gap did you want to fulfil with your start-up? What is the core business proposition? Fine jewellery has always been looked upon as an investment, with purchases driven by special occasions like weddings. Most of the jewellery industry caters to this segment and lacks trendy options that can be paired with the western wardrobe. Consumers today are also more in sync with recent trends in jewellery and fashion. There is an increase in their disposable incomes that has led to a change in their lifestyles and preferences. All these factors have resulted in increased demand for trendy, contemporary and versatile fine jewellery. We create and sell precious jewellery through our online portal, www.melorra.com, and now our experience stores also meet the modern requirements of the new Indian woman. Melorra combines technology and fast-changing weekly fashion trends to deliver exclusive gold and diamond jewellery to customers. We are working towards changing the perception that gold jewellery is only meant for the lockers, and integrating it with womens everyday wardrobe. How did you identify your TG? Did you carry out any feasibility study prior to starting your business? Yes, before I started Melorra I carried out a pan India survey of millennials and Gen Z and their fashion sense and their needs with respect to gold jewellery. Their dissatisfaction with the offerings of the traditional players that didnt meet young womens changing lifestyle needs led to the launch of Melorra. What were the challenges that you faced in your start-up journey and how did you overcome them? I didnt face the usual challenges of founders, especially with regard to fund raising. I raised the largest seed round in India of $5 million. Funds/ finance is the prime issue of almost all start-ups. What can the industry and the Government do to address this issue and ease the capital requirements of start-ups? Funding has never been a challenge for us and we raised the largest seed round and multiple rounds post that, we recently raised $12.50 million in an oversubscribed funding round led by Symphony Asia (one of Asias first private equity firms), Lightbox Ventures, Alteria Capital and other leading family offices. Finances dictate a start-ups success or failure and this is where funding becomes imperative. A start-up goes through multiple rounds of funding during its growth phase, at the core of which lies a solid idea and a plan on how this will be executed. It is important to understand that most investors will focus their attention on the core team and ideation. The government can ensure simplification of business, which can be facilitated by the implementation of the National Ecommerce Policy. By making it simpler and easier to do business, we can attract more foreign direct investment, which will in turn generate more employment and economic growth in the country. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Modi announced a Startup India Seed Fund. How do you see start-ups benefiting from it? The Startup India Seed Fund announcement augurs well for entrepreneurs who are looking at initial funding for their start-ups. India is one of the largest start-up ecosystems in the world and this seed funding will encourage budding entrepreneurs to take forward their ideas and not back out due to lack of initial funding opportunities. How is digital helping you further your business? Melorra is on the cusp of fashion, jewellery and technology. We have always been a digital-first company. From designing digitally with no physical prototypes or inventory, to 3D printed manufacturing technology to an online platform for selling through site and apps, to digital marketing Melorra is through and through a digital company. Even in our offline experience centers digital is playing a key role in storytelling and design launches. What were your key learnings from 2020? How do you see the start-up ecosystem progressing in 2021? Melorra is primarily an online company offering the largest range of over 10,000 original designs in lightweight gold jewellery. We have not only recovered to pre-COVID-19 revenues, but have moved to a growth phase of 20% year on year growth now. There has been increased demand from all town classes, income strata and even age groups now. Earlier, it was people younger than 35 years shopping online, but now there is demand even from the older age groups. Our ticket size has gone up 65% compared to pre-COVID levels since people have started feeling comfortable shopping for more expensive jewellery items such as necklaces, heavy gold chains, bangles online. We are forecasting the best year end revenues this March than we have ever had and are accelerating our expansion plans since the recovery out of lockdown has been so strong. India is not only one the largest start-up ecosystems in the world, but is also on the cusp of a massive growth in start-ups. Many start-ups in e-commerce have now reached maturity and 2021 could well herald a new phase of large IPOs by start-ups. What would be your message for the budding entrepreneurs? My advice to budding entrepreneurs would be to believe in their idea and follow their dream wholeheartedly. Despite initial challenges that every entrepreneur faces, with diligence and persistence, the outcome is also positive. There is no better time to be an entrepreneur in India! From government support to interest from domestic and foreign investors to the best talent pool to, most importantly, a large and growing domestic market India offers the best opportunity now! [April 20, 2021] ASUS Envisions AI-Powered Future in the Healthcare Ecosystem ASUS, a multinational company known for the world's most innovative motherboards, laptops, monitors, and other PC hardware, today announced that cloud-based medical AI services developed by ASUS Intelligent Cloud Services Center (AICS) - the AI software division of ASUS - has successfully passed an external audit conducted by SGS Taiwan and obtained the ISO 27001:2013 certification for information security management. Additionally, the division has passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance assessment conducted by KPMG. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005256/en/ ASUS AICS is prioritizing the protection of medical data with the most stringent global standards while continuing to advance the digital transformation of the healthcare ecosystem with AI technology. (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Tai-Yi Huang, ASUS Corporate Vice President and Head of AICS, stated that "ASUS is prioritizing the protection of real-world medical data with the most stringent global standards and partnering with our clients to tackle ever-evolving cybersecurity risks and threats, while continuing to advance the digital transformation of the healthcare ecosystem with AI technology. These achievements demonstrate the strong commitment by ASUS to implement cybersecurity practices that ensure data safety and integrity while adhering to global regulatory standards for healthcare data privacy." Empowering the healthcare industry with AI-powered software innovations The suite of AI-powered medical software services eveloped by AICS includes an EMR search application, a clinical decision support service platform, a drug safety service, and Miraico, an ICD-10 AI coding assistant powered by cutting-edge Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology. Miraico can intelligently understand and automatically recommend ICD-10 codes by analyzing free-text medical records. Its user-friendly design integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, thereby improving coding efficiency and optimizing hospital reimbursements. These AI services empower healthcare professionals and medical institutions to make data-driven decisions, improve quality of patient care, and increase overall operational efficiency. The Information Security Management System (ISMS) implemented by AICS and the ASUS Information Security Committee aims to strengthen mechanisms such as risk assessment, the secure software development life cycle (SSDLC), outsourcing management, and cybersecurity crisis management. The scope of the ASUS ISO 27001 certification includes the provision of SaaS (News - Alert) -relevant information-security-management activities via AICS, including development, maintenance and management of application systems, data protection, network communications and physical security. The certified ISMS can effectively prevent incidents like malware infections, data leaks and service interruptions, and it represents the continued commitment by ASUS to ensure information security and sustainable corporate operation. The HIPAA-compliant AICS medical AI services ensure that any electronic protected health information (ePHI) collected, transmitted, stored, or analyzed cannot be accessed, disclosed, modified or destroyed without authorization. Examples of ePHI include, but are not limited to, pathological tests, medical images, electronic medical records (EMR), anonymized statistical data, and personnel data and system information from hospitals. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of healthcare data are safeguarded with the highest standards, and only authorized transmission and access are permitted. For more information about AICS medical AI services, visit https://aics.asus.com/medical-ai-service-en/. About AICS AICS is a software division within ASUS, with a mission to empower businesses with powerful AI technologies. Utilizing deep technologies in Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, and Data Analytics, we build and deploy applications in Precision Healthcare and Industrial Safety, helping businesses accelerate their transformation towards an AI-powered future. Please visit us at https://aics.asus.com/home/. About ASUS ASUS is a multinational company known for the world's best motherboards, PCs, monitors, graphics cards and routers, and is ranked by Laptop Mag as the best laptop brand in 2020. Along with an expanding range of superior gaming, content-creation and AIoT solutions, ASUS leads the industry through cutting-edge design and innovations made to create the most ubiquitous, intelligent, heartfelt and joyful smart life for everyone. With a global workforce that includes more than 5,000 R&D professionals, ASUS is driven to become the world's most admired innovative leading technology enterprise. Inspired by the In Search of Incredible brand spirit, ASUS won more than 11 awards every day in 2020 and ranks as one of Forbes' World's Best Regarded Companies and Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420005256/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is investigating whether certain officers and/or directors of Geron Corporation (Geron) (NASDAQ: GERN) breached their fiduciary duties to Geron and the Companys shareholders. The investigation concerns whether certain officers and/or directors of Geron, among other things, made false and misleading statements about the effectiveness of the drug imetelstat. Geron's stock price dropped significantly when the company's development partner, Janssen Biotech, pulled out of the imetelstat partnership on September 27, 2018, erasing hundreds of millions of dollars of shareholder value. IF YOU HAVE HELD GERON STOCK CONTINUOUSLY SINCE AT LEAST MARCH 2018 AND WISH TO DISCUSS KEHOE LAW FIRMS INVESTIGATION OR HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POTENTIAL LEGAL RIGHTS, PLEASE CONTACT MICHAEL YARNOFF, ESQ., (215) 792-6676, EXT. 804, MYARNOFF@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, INFO@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, SECURITIES@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION OR POTENTIAL LEGAL CLAIMS. Kehoe Law Firm, P.C., with offices in New York and Philadelphia, is a multidisciplinary, plaintiffside law firm dedicated to protecting investors from securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, and corporate misconduct. Combined, the partners at Kehoe Law Firm have served as Lead Counsel or Co-Lead Counsel in cases that have recovered more than $10 billion dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors. This notice may constitute attorney advertising. TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. - Three people were arrested in two separate potential marijuana growing locations, the Tehama County District Attorney Bureau of Investigation said. The two locations searched were at the 10400 block of 68th Ave in Los Molinos and Viola Ave and Orchard Ave in Corning. Investigators found six total greenhouses around 50 feet by 100 feet. They found 1,705 marijuana plants. The three people arrested were 44-year-old Fidal Meraz, 54-year-old Juan Javier Berrera and 33-year-old Josue Iciais Sanchez-Barrera. All three were arrested and booked into the Tehama County Jail for possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana. A 17-year-old was found at one location and was taken into protective custody and released to county child social workers with charges pending in Juvenile Court. Advertisement The clock has run down on Derek Chauvin's murder trial. Dozens of witnesses have been heard and hundreds of items of evidence brought. Across weeks of drama, testimony has been reversed, impeached and refused. Now all that stands between Chauvin and his fate is the measure of the jury's deliberations. Today, in Minneapolis, the fear of what might happen when those deliberations end is everywhere. It is in the boards nailed over the windows of businesses downtown and the concrete blockades, steel fences and bails of barbed wire that embrace the court and government buildings. It is in the 3,000 National Guard now stationed in Minneapolis, here to bolster the 1,100 public safety officers already in place their armored vehicles parked in serried rank not only at the government buildings but in store parking lots, intersections and sidewalks across the city. And it is in Hennepin County Sheriff's readiness to put the entire court campus into lock down as part of the bolstering of Operation Safety Net when a verdict is returned. Derek Chauvin is pictured in court on Monday as his attorney unsuccessfully lobbied for a mistrial. The jury is now out for deliberation over the death of George Floyd Chauvin is facing three charges in connection with George Floyd's death on May 25: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter Images showed hundreds marching through the city demanding justice for Floyd while waving Black Lives Matter flags Floyd family members Tiffany Hall, Philonise Floyd and Reverend Al Sharpton are seen walking into the Hennepin County courthouse on Monday morning ahead of closing statements The screw turned tighter with last Sunday's shooting of Daunte Wright - the 20-year-old black man killed in a traffic stop by Brooklyn Center police barely ten miles from where Chauvin, 46, stands trial. Jury's potential verdicts Derek Chauvin stands accused on three counts and jurors must consider each charge and verdict separately in any order they please. They have been sent out with 14 pages of instructions on the law and how they must apply it as the 'finders of fact' in this case. For them to convict Chauvin on any count they must agree that his actions were the substantial cause of George Floyd's death. They don't need to be the only cause if other factors were the natural consequence of them. But if they find that there was a superseding cause something that 'alters the natural sequence of events' they must acquit. In addition to cause of death they must also agree that Chauvin's use of force was unreasonable and unauthorized in each count. This has to be viewed through the prism of what would seem excessive to 'an objectively reasonable officer' in the same situation. Second-degree murder Jurors must agree not only that Chauvin caused Floyd's death but that his actions rose to the level of third-degree assault. There is no requirement on this, or any of the charges, for the jurors to find intent. Simply finding that he committed the act is enough to convict. Third-Degree Murder Jurors have to believe that Chauvin committed an act 'eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life' They may view his failure to render medical aid as indicative of that disregard. Second-degree Manslaughter Jurors must agree that Chauvin took 'an unreasonable risk,' to Floyd's life and 'consciously took chances of causing death or great bodily harm.' They can come back to the judge with questions which they will do via Zoom and requests to view evidence which they will do on a court supplied laptop. Ultimately their verdicts must be unanimous, or it will fall to the judge to declare a mistrial. Advertisement Night after night the protests have raged, and curfews have been instituted in an unending echo of the civil unrest that followed Floyd's death last May. Chauvin stands charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, 46, on May 25, 2020. If convicted of the most serious charge he could face up to 40 years in prison. If found guilty of the least, he could be free within five years. Much hangs on the outcome of this trial not least the fates of the three other officers charged in connection with that day. Thomas Lane, 38, J Alexander Keung, 27 and Tou Thao, 35, all await trial charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin's crimes. It is four weeks, and a lifetime ago, since Floyd's brother Philonise Floyd, 39, took a knee alongside Reverend Al Sharpton and attorney Benjamin Crump outside the courthouse ahead of trial's start. Both the state and the defense told us back then that this case was simple. Opening for the state, Jerry Blackwell told the jury that Chauvin had betrayed the badge he wore on his heart. He said the former officer had violated police policy and trampled the sanctity of human life. For Blackwell it all boiled down to the 9 minutes 29 seconds of Floyd's subdual restraint and neck compression. 'You can believe your eyes' he said, 'That it's a homicide, that it's a murder.' Not so, according to defense attorney Eric Nelson for whom the truth could only be viewed through a far wider lens. For Nelson this was all about reason, doubt and common sense. Common sense would tell the jury that what they had seen with their own eyes was only one part of a much bigger picture. He said, 'We have to examine the totality of the evidence. That's what this case is ultimately about, the evidence. It is nothing more than that.' Yet how to un-pick the emotion from the scenes of Floyd's death and the testimony of a host of eyewitnesses brought by the state at trial's start? Jurors heard from Donald Williams, the MMA fighter who called Chauvin out for pinning Floyd down in a 'blood' or 'kill choke' and said he had watched Floyd 'fade away like a fish in a bag.' They heard from Genevieve Hansen, the off-duty fire fighter who was barred from intervening and angrily begged officers to check for a pulse. Unable to keep her emotions in check under cross-examination Hansen snapped at Nelson, 'I don't know if you've ever seen anybody killed, but it's upsetting.' Her tone saw her admonished by the judge who told her, 'You will not argue with the court [and] you will not argue with counsel.' Darnella Frazier the 17-year-old who recorded the now infamous bystander video, posted online and seen by millions testified. It was her post that converted Floyd's pain into a Crie de Coeur heard around the world. But she took the stand and told of her guilt that she had not done more. Her nine-year-old cousin, Judeah also testified. She had gone with Frazier to Cup Foods that day to buy snacks and candy. She said she was 'sad and mad' at what she had seen. Defense attorney Eric Nelson (left) is seen delivering his closing statement on Monday, where he urged the jury to examine all of the evidence presented over three weeks of testimony and come to the conclusion that the state did not meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Floyd's death was a direct result of Chauvin's actions. Trial attorney Jerry Blackwell (right) delivered the state's rebuttal (L-R) Forensic pathologist Dr. Lindsey Thomas, Dr. Martin Tobin and Dr. Andrew Baker testified as prosecution witnesses in the trial of Derek Chauvin Genevieve Hansen, an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter and paramedic, testified at Chauvin's murder trial about how her desperate pleas to be allowed to provide George Floyd with life-saving medical assistance were ignored by the officers who pinned him down and blocked by officer Tou Thao While most testified to Floyd's death two of the state's witnesses testified to his life. Floyd's brother Philonise briefly took the stand to paint Floyd as more than just a victim. To Philonise he was 'Perry' - a brother, son and father. Girlfriend Courtney Ross wore a necklace bearing Floyd's name and wept as she revealed their shared struggle with opioid addiction. Ross told the jury that Floyd's friend Morries Hall, 42, the man who had been next to him in the car last May, supplied him with drugs. But the jury would never hear Hall's account of the day. In an off-screen drama Hall refused to testify. He pleaded the Fifth on the grounds that if it was found that Floyd died of an overdose, he could risk incriminating himself in any future third-degree murder investigation. In Minnesota law a person who has supplied the drugs that another person dies after taking is liable for third-degree murder. The prosecution brought 38 witnesses in all. In pretrial motions the judge had warned them that he would not tolerate a case in which they sought to bring every officer on the force and ask them what they would have done. At times they seemed intent on doing just that. Officer after officer took the stand to slam Chauvin's use of force as contrary to training, unreasonable and unnecessary. Some of the most damning of this testimony came from Chauvin's own Chief of Police Medaria Arradondo. In his opening statement Blackwell had vowed that the chief would not mince his words. And on the sixth day of the trial, he made good that promise. Arradondo fired all four officers the day after Floyd's death and described what had happened as 'murder.' Dismissing the idea that the officers' lacked training he said of Chauvin, 'He knew what he was doing.' Nelson sought to paint witnesses to Floyd's fatal arrest - as seen in the body camera footage above - as 'biased' The court was shown these photos of the injuries Floyd sustained as he was pinned to the ground on May 25 Prosecutors showed this graphic to remind how police officials testified that Chauvin's use of force was unreasonable Now he took the stand to describe the way that Chauvin pinned Floyd down as 'a violation' of his badge. He told the court, 'Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped.' The jury heard from paramedics and they heard from physicians the people who fought for an hour to save the life they knew was already lost. They heard from use of force experts and they heard from medical experts and, as much as the state asked the jury to believe their eyes, the truth is their verdict will owe just as much to which expert view they favor. Because though prosecutors brought several compelling medical experts, they offered different opinions as to what caused Floyd's death. Most notably the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Andrew Baker, the only man to have actually laid hands on Floyd and examined him at autopsy, did not come to the same conclusions as the state's other medical witness, including their star turn, pulmonologist Dr. Martin Tobin. Tobin held the jury rapt as he described how Floyd had tried to co-opt his shoulder muscles to ratchet up his chest and draw breath as he slowly asphyxiated beneath Chauvin's knee. When that failed, Tobin said, Floyd tried to breathe which his fingers and his knuckles pushing them off the asphalt and into the tire of the squad car by which he lay. Prosecutors repeatedly referenced this timeline of Floyd's fatal arrest during the trial and showed it once again on Monday This graphic seeks to refute the suggestion that Floyd's death was caused by his drug use But the Medical Examiner disagreed. According to Dr Baker, Floyd died of 'Cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual restraint and neck compression.' He cited Floyd's arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl toxication and recent methamphetamine use as contributing factors. SENTENCING The state has filed a Blakely Motion urging the judge to hand down higher sentences than recommended by state guidelines should Chauvin be convicted on any or all counts. According to the Minnesota sentencing guidelines, the presumptive sentence for a person such as Chauvin with no criminal history is the same for murder in the third and unintentional murder in the second; 12 and a half years. But the judge has discretion to sentence anywhere between ten years eight months to 15 years. The presumptive sentence for manslaughter in the second-degree is four years with a range of three years four months to five years seven months. Judge Cahill alone will rule on whether there will be an upwards departure in sentencing after Chauvin waived his right to a jury hearing shortly after closing statements, Monday. The state has made its bid on what they deem as several aggravating factors: Floyd was particularly vulnerable because he was handcuffed, he was treated with particular cruelty, Chauvin abused his position of authority, there were three or more offenders involved and the criminal conduct was witnessed by children. The state called 9-year-old Judeah as a witness with this in mind. Chauvins character and history may also be weighed by the judge in making his decision. Ahead of the trial the prosecution lobbied to have eight of Chauvins prior arrests in which they argue he used excessive force admitted in court. Judge Cahill deemed all but two inadmissible on the grounds that the incidents were not similar enough and that the prosecution were improperly trying to show Chauvins propensity to resort to unreasonable force. At the time he made his decision Cahill said that the state was simply trying to depict Chauvin as a thumper. If the judge rules that aggravating factors are present and departs from the guidelines, the maximum sentence would be 40 years for second-degree murder, 25 years for third-degree murder and 10 years for second-degree manslaughter. Advertisement Put bluntly what happened that day was simply more than Floyd's already compromised system could take. As each witness took the stand Chauvin sat, scribbling notes on his yellow legal pad. He wrote relentlessly, incessantly, through every day of his trial. He huddled with attorneys during the many sidebars, casting himself perhaps as co-counsel rather than the defendant in his own case. As hard as the state worked to stitch together a case that left no room for reasonable doubt, Nelson picked and prodded at the seams and offered up another narrative entirely. In each cross-examination Nelson pointed at all of the things the prosecution would have the jury disregard; the fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd's system, his enlarged and diseased heart, his high blood pressure and his 'modus operandi' of claiming he could not breathe and rapidly ingesting drugs when approached by police. Nelson opened his case with a video just as the state had done with theirs. But his was not footage of last Memorial Day but from May 6, 2019 and a prior arrest that Nelson had fought to bring into court. Judge Cahill allowed it for only the limited purposes of showing jurors the effect of acute and prolonged opioid ingestion on Floyd's system. On that day in 2019 officers approached a car in which Floyd sat, they drew their weapons and, Nelson maintained, Floyd did what he had done on May 25. He claimed he could not breathe though there was no attempt to put him in a squad car that day, he swallowed a handful of pills and he had a medical emergency as a result. The medic who treated Floyd that day recalled that he told her he had been taking seven to nine Oxycontin or Percocet every twenty minutes all day. His blood pressure was 216 over 160. Earlier in proceedings the jury had heard how, eight months after the incident, squad 320 was searched on the request of the defense and a half-chewed pill was found on the floor in the back, where Floyd and the officers had tussled. The pill was a mix of fentanyl and methamphetamine and tested positive for Floyd's DNA and saliva. Other fragments speckled on the back seat appeared to be the same substances. Nelson brought his own use of force expert who was adamant that Chauvin's actions had been reasonable. But former cop, Barry Brodd, was torn apart under cross-examination. He tried to maintain that if Floyd had been compliant, he would have been, 'resting comfortably' beneath Chauvin's knee. And he said that keeping him in the prone position didn't even constitute a use of force because, 'it doesn't hurt.' A demonstrator is seen holding a sign that reads 'Blue Lives Murder' Protesters gathered in Minneapolis on Monday as the jury started their deliberations toward a verdict in the case against Derek Chauvin, who faces murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd Judge Cahill's condemnation of Rep. Maxine Waters Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson called for a mistrial on Monday afternoon and cited Rep Maxine Waters' remarks over the weekend that Black Lives Matter Protesters should 'get more confrontational' if the ex-cop is found not guilty. 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,' Waters said of the Chauvin trial. 'And if we don't, we cannot go away. We've got to stay on the street. We get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business.' Nelson said the comments had the effect of 'threatening and intimidating the jury'. Derek Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson called for a mistrial after the jury retired on Monday, citing comments California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (left) made about the case during a protest on Saturday. Judge Peter Cahill (right) condemned Waters' remarks as 'abhorrent' before stating that he would not declare a mistrial Judge Peter Cahill replied by saying: 'I grant you Congresswoman Waters may have handed you grounds for appeal and the turning over of this trial. 'I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case. They should respect a co-equal branch of government.' The judge said that failure to do so was 'abhorrent', but added: 'I don't think it's given additional material with which to prejudice the jury. A congresswoman's opinion really doesn't mean much.' Advertisement His tone-deaf comments drew disbelief from prosecutor Steve Schleicher. 'Did you say, 'resting comfortably'? At this time when he's attempting to breathe by shoving his shoulder into the pavement?' The defense's medical expert Dr. David Fowler, spent more than six hours on the stand giving the jury a detailed account of all of the factors that he believed had led to Floyd's death from a sudden cardiac arrythmia: Floyd's enlarged heart, possible carbon monoxide poisoning from breathing in the squad car exhaust fumes and the drugs and adrenalin coursing through his system. Chauvin's knee was not among the myriad causes the former Medical Examiner pointed to in a case that he said was so complicated, he said, he would not have found it to be a homicide at all but would have ruled it, 'undetermined.' Fowler's testimony prompted a last ditch bid by the state to enter new evidence in the form of newly uncovered blood-gas results from Hennepin County Medical Center in an effort to rebut his theory about the role carbon monoxide may have played. The judge denied the request and said that if Tobin, recalled as the state's rebuttal witness, even 'hinted' at evidence the jury had not heard he would move for a mistrial, 'pure and simple.' Within minutes of being back on the stand Tobin mentioned the blood work done on Floyd at HCMC. He was shut down by the judge and for one heart-stopping minute it seemed that the whole trial might fall away in that instant. Instead, it moved quickly towards its conclusion. And now the final act looms. At the start Nelson told the jury that there was 'no political or social cause,' in the courtroom. But both have crowded at the courthouse walls and never more so than now. Today 'Justice for Daunte Wright' is written in fresh paint on the asphalt outside Cup Foods, right next to the flowers, candles and slogans that mark where Floyd lay, handcuffed and prone, begging beneath Chauvin's knee, 'I can't breathe' almost one year before. The jury will be sequestered for as long as their deliberations take. Defense bids to have that measure moved up fell on deaf ears with Judge Cahill stating that to sequester the jury any earlier might have only increased any juror anxieties it sought to mitigate, leading them to believe there was a targeted threat to their safety. In reality they have spent the entire trial in a state of semi-sequestration - shielded from public view. All public entrances to the courthouse are closed except for one pedestrian entrance at a gated checkpoint. Every morning for the past three weeks the jury has arrived as a group, escorted into the courthouse by members of Hennepin County Sheriff's office, through a private entrance, guarded by the National Guard. And each day they have taken a separate, private route which takes them straight to the court on the eighteenth floor. Now they will make that journey only one more time, when they return to the court with their verdict. Until then, there is nothing left to do but wait. Most people know Adam Driver as an actor and a military man. But before he became world-famous for his roles in movies like Star Wars and House of Gucci, Driver was living in the back of his parents house, paying rent. Find out what they charged 17-year-old Driver and the three jobs he had to work to pay them. Adam Driver | Anthony Harvey/FilmMagic Adam Driver auditioned for Juilliard in high school but didnt get in Drivers love of movies began when he was a child. Growing up in Mishawaka, Indiana, there wasnt a lot to do. Mishawaka is many good things, but [a] cultural hub of the world it is not, Driver once explained to The Telegraph. Grownup movies kept Driver entertained, including films like Predator and Total Recall. In school, Driver got involved in theater. His first role was in the chorus of Oklahoma! Adam Drivers High School Yearbook Photos Prove He Hasnt Changed At All: http://t.co/IKqQcBax3o pic.twitter.com/hS5HyjRujw Elite Daily (@EliteDaily) September 24, 2014 I liked being backstage with the seniors, he told WWD. They were cool. At the time, Driver wasnt considering acting as a realistic career, despite enjoying the craft and considering trying out for The Juilliard School. I didnt want to go to college, Driver remembered thinking as a senior in high school. But [Juilliard] didnt sound really like college. Regardless, he auditioned in Chicago but was turned down. Adam Drivers parents charged him $200 to live in their house after graduation Driver graduated from Mishawaka High School in 2001. With little direction, the 17-year-old found himself in the back room of his parents house which they charged him $200 a month to live in. They made me buy my own refrigerator and microwave, Driver told WWD. He also had a key so he could enter his space through the back of the house. I could come through the front door, but I had to knock, he added. At the time, Driver was working three jobs to afford to live with his parents he mowed lawns, sold vacuums, and even had a telemarketing gig. It was pretty aimless, he concluded. After high school, Adam Driver left his parents house and spent 2 days in California pursuing acting Feeling like he didnt have anything, Driver dropped his then-girlfriend and decided to make a move. Im like, F*ck it. I heard all the stories of actors going to L.A. with no money and just doing it, he told the outlet. Driver recalled making a big to-do of his Mishawaka exit. I said good-bye to my girlfriend like, Well figure out how to make it work,' he said. And [I told] my friends, See you guys, its been real, but I gotta hit the big world.' RELATED: Adam Driver Says His Personal Life Suffers When He Is Cast for a Role He packed up the refrigerator and microwave his parents made him buy and left town to chase his dreams. But when his Lincoln Town Car broke down outside Amarillo, Texas, Driver had spent most of his money on getting it fixed. Shortly after, Driver made it to Santa Monica. But thanks to the broken down car costs, he could only afford to stay for two days until he had to return home. After 9/11, Adam Driver joined the Marines and served for two years and eight months. When he was medically discharged for a broken collar bone, Driver reconsidered acting. He auditioned again for Juilliard, got in, and has become one of the most highly regarded actors in the world. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has invited his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to meet him in eastern Ukraine for talks on calming tensions between the two countries. "I go there every month. Mr. Putin. I am ready to go even further and invite you to meet anywhere in the Ukrainian Donbas, where the war is going on," Zelenskiy said in a video released on the presidential website on April 20, amid a Russian military buildup along the border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials. The United States and NATO say the Russian military buildup is the largest since 2014, when Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and backed separatists holding parts of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people. The Kremlin denies its military movements are a threat and maintains it's a sovereignty issue. A fragile cease-fire negotiated last summer in eastern Ukraine has also unraveled in recent weeks, with nearly 30 Ukrainian soldiers killed since the start of the year. Earlier on April 20, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow to make it clear that there will be dire consequences if it continues its buildup of Russian troops. Moscow should hear from every corner, that it's not two sides, Ukraine and Russia, who bear responsibility for the escalation, Kuleba said in a conference call with reporters. "History proves that only painful economic sanctions can make a difference. The cost of preventing Russia's further escalation will be lower than the cost of stopping it and mitigating its consequences, he said, adding that it is critically important to signal this now to influence calculations in Moscow. The Ukrainian foreign minister said Russian troops continue to arrive near Ukraines borders and are expected to reach a combined force of more than 120,000 troops in about a week. He said the military buildup includes paratroopers, electronic warfare systems, ballistic missiles, and other potentially offensive capabilities. "This does not mean they will stop building up their forces at that number," Kuleba said. Kuleba acknowledged that when he called for an increase in sanctions at a meeting with his EU counterparts during a videoconference on April 19, they did not show much interest, but he concluded that they understand that sectoral sanctions are a matter of time and Russia's behavior. After the videoconference on April 19, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Russia to pull back its troops. Borrell said no further sanctions were being proposed or under consideration. Diplomats suggested that for the moment the EU would seek to apply pressure on Russia through more diplomacy. Top political advisers to the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany held separate talks under the so-called Normandy Format, but diplomats said they yielded no tangible results. Kuleba also said he wanted a diplomatic solution but that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined a request for talks. The minister said that while Ukraine does not want conflict with Russia, the country has experienced Moscow's unpredictability under President Vladimir Putin. "We in Ukraine have learned one thing about Putin's actions. This lesson is that anything can be expected from the Russian leadership," he said, pointing to Russia's annexation in 2014. Kuleba also said Russia's military buildup is driven by Putin's desire to resolve the conflict in the Donbas in his country's favor by ultimatum and to bolster domestic support in the face of declining ratings. He also wants to show that Russia can disregard Western condemnations over its "malign" activities, he said. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Welcome Guest! You Are Here: 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 XLPE Cables Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments. The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities. The report classifies the market into different segments. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market. Final Report will cover the COVID-19 Impact and Recovery on this industry. Browse the complete Global XLPE Cables Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/33807-xlpe-cables-market-report The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the global XLPE Cables market with company profiles of key players such as: LS Cable & System Prysmian Nexans General Cable Sumitomo Electric Southwire Furukawa Electric Riyadh Cable Elsewedy Electric Condumex NKT Cables FarEast Cable Shangshang Cable Keystone Cable The detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments. SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT: By Type Overhead Cable Underground Cable Submarine Cable By Application Power Oil & Gas Chemical Manufacturing Metals & Mining Infrastructure & Transportation Others 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 XLPE Cables Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-33807 The Global XLPE Cables Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters Chapter 1 XLPE Cables Market Preface Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 XLPE Cables Industry Analysis Chapter 4 XLPE Cables Market Value Chain Analysis Chapter 5 XLPE Cables Market Analysis By Type Chapter 6 XLPE Cables Market Analysis By Application Chapter 7 XLPE Cables Market Analysis By Geography Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of XLPE Cables Companies Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of XLPE Cables Industry Purchase the complete Global XLPE Cables Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-33807 Other Reports by DecisionDatabases.com: Global HVDC Cables Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 Global Telecom Cable Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 Global Extension Cable Market Research Report Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 About-Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 9028057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Source https://www.industrynewsengine.com/2020/12/03/xlpe-cables-market-2020-global-industry-research-report-till-2027/ More and more painful cases are pouring in about the harassment faced in the wake of indiscriminate freezing of bank accounts. Several members of Moneylife Foundation have been writing in to recount their desperate plight. Many were caught completely unawares when their bank accounts were frozen without any intimation or warning and had a tough time as they were already reeling under the effects of the pandemic lockdown. Over the last couple of years, banks have been freezing many bank accounts for not updating their KYC (know your customer). Over the past three months, Moneylife has been covering the untold hardship being unleashed by banks on ordinary, law-abiding citizens by freezing their bank accounts for not updating their KYC documents. This inflicts financial death on people by depriving them of access to their own savings. KYC documents are officially valid documents including PAN number or Aadhaar or some address proof to prove that your account is bonafide. According to the RBIs KYC regulations, periodic updation of KYC should be carried out at least once in every two years for high-risk customers, once in every eight years for medium risk customers and once in every ten years for low-risk customers. However, in the case of low-risk customers when there is no change in status with respect to their identities and addresses, a self-certification to that effect should be obtained, as explained by RBI guidelines. The periodic KYC updation is also subject to the following conditions: Fresh proofs of identity and address shall not be sought at the time of periodic updation, from customers who are categorised as low risk, when there is no change in status with respect to their identities and addresses and a self-certification to that effect is obtained. A certified copy of the proof of address forwarded by low risk customers through mail/post, etc., in case of change of address shall be acceptable. Physical presence of low risk customer at the time of periodic updation shall not be insisted upon. In most cases as is coming to light, it is the salaried people or pensioners (considered low-risk category) who pay tax, file tax returns and usually do not have any large cash deposits or withdrawals, who are bearing the brunt of this indiscriminate account freezing. Such customers cannot be classified as high risk by any stretch of the imagination. It is implicitly understood that most banks randomly select customers without really checking whether they are high risk, medium risk or low risk and ask them to resubmit the KYC documents. If they fail to submit the KYC documents, banks just freeze the accounts without giving them proper intimation. Banks do not even explain how they select people for KYC updation and there is no system in place. If your bank is frequently asking you for fresh KYC documents, check with them if you are being treated as a high-risk customer. Moneylife Foundation, our not-for-profit associate, decided to study the issue by collating examples of harassment and submit a memorandum to RBI. Governor Shaktikanta Das has been supportive and has agreed to have our memorandum examined. In her latest column, Sucheta Dalal pointed out that there is no clarity on risk categorisation and too many low-risk customers seem to be harassed which leads us to believe that banks are mis-classifying customers to ensure perfunctory compliance with RBI requirements. Mr Krishna Bhat (name changed), a harried customer from Bank of Baroda wrote to us saying he first received a notice for KYC updation on 30 August 2020. The notice said that some documents were required but a disclaimer at the bottom also stated that it was a system generated notice. Since the customer had opened the account by submitting his Aadhaar, he ignored the notice thinking it was an inadvertent glitch. He was in for a rude shock when he received a second notice on 22 October 2020 during the peak pandemic. It was then that he realised his account was locked and he could not withdraw any money (however, he was able to deposit). This time he followed the due process and submitted his PAN and driving license to the bank, and got it duly acknowledged as well. It was a huge hassle, but he didnt have an option because he needed to unlock his account. But the story does not end here. A third and final notice was sent on 29 November 2020. He called up the bank and asked them why they did not follow up and unfreeze his account after he submitted all documents promptly in October. Eventually, they did follow up after his call and unfroze his account the next day. Mr Bhat pointed out that it is extremely weird that a bank would ask for KYC in the post-Aadhaar regime, that is, after he opened a current account (sole proprietor account) using Aadhaar. He further added, Not only this, they also had my PAN details because I've had my savings account with them since 1991! Opening an account was a breeze and took just 10 minutes, but I never expected this KYC nonsense. You know what the weirdest part is? They did not ask for my KYC for my savings account. I can only imagine the bitter experience and agony for senior citizens. A 75 year-old senior citizen, Shyamala Rao (name changed) shared how her KYC was done only three years ago and nothing has changed since then. Even then, Canara Bank insisted that she should come in person and re-submit the documents. All efforts to reason with them failed and she had to urgently visit the branch and stand in a long queue on the footpath outside at the risk of contracting COVID infection during the lock-down period. Another harassed customer from Axis Bank, Rajnikant Goyal (name changed) shared his distressing experience with Axis Bank. The Bank abruptly froze his savings account and he only came to know about it when his tax refund deposit was returned without getting credited. Despite submission of all the documents that were requested, Axis Bank took almost nine months to remove the freeze and, in the meantime, his tax refund cheque for over Rs40,000 got invalidated. A worried Mr Goyal says that it is close to two years now and he is still trying to get it revalidated and he is running from pillar to post because no agency takes responsibility to arrange for a revalidation. Mr Goyal said Atleast, the banks should allow deposits and freeze withdrawals if necessary, so that customers do not face problems like this. As mere bank customers, we have hardly any lobbying power. We need collective action to make our voices heard in order to change draconian account-freezing rules which cause us such immense mental agony and hardship. Moneylife Foundation has submitted a memorandum to the RBI as a first step in this long battle. If you believe that banks simply cannot be empowered with such extreme powers, please sign and share this online petition We also exhort you to write to foundation@moneylife.in with details if you have suffered due to unfair freezing of your account. We will add the information to the case studies we have collated. This is series of stories to highlight the hardship and trauma faced by people when their bank accounts got frozen for KYC updation. 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. Close A new study found that men who wear shirts with large logos of luxury brands are usually seen as promiscuous. Meanwhile, those who wear shirts with small logos are seen as trustworthy and reliable. The study by an American psychologist, entitled "Phenotypic Mimicry Distinguishes Cues of Mating Competition From Paternal Investment in Men's Conspicuous Consumption," was published in the journal of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin aims to know whether the blingy clothing of men appears to be more attractive to women. The theory used in the study was that women would be more attracted to those audacious displays of wealth by men because it signals that a man has economic power and the ability to invest in reproduction or their offspring's future. However, the results of the study did not agree with their theory. Large Luxury Logos Represent Investment in Mate Attraction Evolutionary psychologist Daniel Kruger from the University of Michigan conducted a study about men wearing large luxury logos. He said that wearing this type of shirt may sometimes represent an investment in mate attraction rather than as a reliable and honest signal of future paternal investment, MailOnline reported. "Luxury displays featuring exaggerated size, coloration, and sound may indicate relatively greater investment in mating effort," he said. "Large luxury product logos enhance social competitiveness and mate attraction, whereas small logos enhance perceptions of trustworthiness and reliability." ALSO READ: Men Are More Likely To Have 'All Or Nothing' Behavior Than Women The study used the example of the Ralph Lauren Polo brand with a logo printed on the left breast, either small or large. They were asked to rate men based on how attractive they would be to women when wearing either type of shirts or determine their preference in relationships based on duration. They also asked another group of participants whether they will choose to wear large logos or small logos when attending gatherings, like a family reunion or a party where their crush will also be attending. The results suggest that men who own large logos were more invested in mating attraction than becoming parents. Similarly, they are also more interested in short-term relationships than long-term. But men said that they would also be more likely to wear shirts with large logos when in a situation where they are competing for social dominance, such as for a leadership role or when attracting a mate. In contrast, they would more likely wear shirts with smaller logos when attending a job interview or when meeting their partner's parents for the first time. The study also noted that women's expectations of men's behavior largely matched with the responses of the opposite sex. Promiscuity in Men and Women According to WebMD, men and women are born with some sense of promiscuity. However, the level of it could vary by gender. Evolutionary psychology suggests that both genders evolve their strategies for seeking partners. David P. Schmitt, Ph.D. of Bradley University, said that both men and women are programmed to be monogamous and promiscuous in a way. But men usually opt to have short-term relationships and large numbers of mates. While women may also have short-term relationships but they become more discerning. RELATED ARTICLE: Why Do Some Men Respond Aggressively To Threats To Manhood While Others Are Not Check out more news and information on Psychology and Men in Science Times. Progressive Christian leaders call for abolishing Senate filibuster blocking Biden's agenda Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group of more than 20 progressive religious leaders has joined the Poor Peoples Campaign in demanding a repeal of the U.S. Senate filibuster, claiming it subverts democracy by denying the will of the majority. The filibuster is a centerpiece of the arcane, obstructionist rules of the United States Senate. It bars that body from the deliberative role it is supposed to have, Poor Peoples Campaign Co-Chair Rev. William J. Barber II, the pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina, said during a press conference last Thursday. The filibuster discourages public debate. It impedes the publics capacity to find out whether or not their elected representatives are blocking legislation that would serve them and lift them up. The filibuster creates an impoverished democracy. The filibuster is a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment or other debatable question in the Senate. Before 1917, the Senate rules did not provide for a way to end debate and force a vote on a measure. That year, the Senate adopted a rule to allow a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster through a procedure known as "cloture." In 1975, the Senate reduced the threshold for cloture from two-thirds to three-fifths (60 senators.) The current division of seats in the Senate is 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and two Independents who caucus with the Democrats. Democrats hold the majority due to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. However, this slim majority does not meet the 60-seat threshold required to advance much of President Joe Bidens ambitious policy agenda, which has led to mounting calls to repeal the filibuster. Responding to questions from The New York Times Editorial Board just over a year ago, Biden indicated that he did not support repealing the filibuster, expanding the Supreme Court, abolishing the Electoral College or setting term limits for Supreme Court justices. The group of religious leaders who have joined in the Poor Peoples Campaigns call to end the filibuster includes Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas; Rev. Reginald Buckley, senior pastor of Cade Chapel Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi; and Bishop Yvette Flunder, senior pastor of City of Refuge UCC in Oakland, California. The group has also signed onto a Pastoral Letter to the Nation urging legislators not to allow the filibuster to prevent passage of federal voting rights protections this year. Many people have supported the filibuster as a procedural rule that promotes bi-partisanship by encouraging Senators to work across the aisle in pursuit of policies that benefit all Americans. While this may be a noble ideal, the sad reality is that the filibuster has been used over and again to subvert democracy by denying the will of the overwhelming majority of Americans who want to protect the promise of unfettered access to ballot for every American, they argued. The filibuster must step aside so that democracy can survive. During the press conference, all of the pastors remained united in their call. The filibuster and voter suppression bills across the country have been united in unholy wedlock and yet having the nerve to be dressed up in a tuxedo of political respectability, Rev. Haynes argued. Its morally reprehensible. Its democratically unsustainable and we have a clear choice in this battle. Will we have a government by the few for the few, or will we have a government by the people and for the people? Rev. Liz Theoharis, the co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign and director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice, noted that ending the filibuster is necessary to save the soul of our democracy. As a white Christian, as a pastor, and a biblical scholar, Im motivated to speak out against using the filibuster in this country to filibuster democracy, to filibuster the expansion and protection of voting rights, to filibuster living wages, and healthcare, and housing, and adequate guaranteed incomes, and debt cancellation, and water, and sanitation, and housing rights, and so much more, she said. We must end the filibuster. We must do this to save the soul of our democracy. We must do this to stand against racism, and poverty, and ecological devastation, and militarism, and this distorted, false moral narrative of Christian nationalism. And we must do it now. FLASHBACK -- Presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2020 was asked which of these ideas he supported: expanding the size of the Supreme Court, setting term limits for justices, abolishing the legislative filibuster. "None." - Biden responded. Joe Biden should listen to Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/9IJiQSU88Y Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) April 15, 2021 While some Democrats want to nix the filibuster rules so that it will be easier to advance a liberal agenda with control of both legislative chambers, others are wary of the idea. Ronald Weich, dean of the University of the Baltimore School of Law who served as chief counsel to Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and Harry Reid and served as an assistant attorney general during the Obama administration, argues against repealing the filibuster. Progressives pushing to end the filibuster are suffering from a bad case of amnesia, Kennedy wrote in an op-ed for Politico last Wednesday. The past three decades, in fact, are filled with moments when the filibuster prevented Republicans from pushing through legislation that would have made America a far darker place, Weich continued. The Democrats now in power should weigh the present opportunity against future peril. Republicans have their own ambitious agenda which they will be delighted to enact over the helpless cries of a filibuster-less Democratic minority as soon as they can. He argued that while the filibuster has been used to block noble bills in the past, leaving a political majority unchecked can wreak havoc. Proponents of filibuster abolition correctly point out that the filibuster has been sometimes deployed to block noble bills such as the mid-20th century civil rights legislation. But obstruction by the minority can eventually be overcome by popular will and presidential leadership, as eventually occurred with civil rights. In contrast, an unchecked majority can wreak havoc, he argued. Without the filibuster, the Senate would become revenge-soaked, Hatfield and McCoy-style, as the two sides take turns passing laws over the futile objections of their adversaries. If Democrats expand voting rights, the next Republican majority will constrict voting rights. If Democrats expand the membership of the Supreme Court, Republicans will expand it further to add GOP appointees. Weich argues that the filibuster is valuable in its own right, as a device to encourage bipartisanship and moderation, consistent with other checks and balances in our constitutional system. But one need not admire the filibuster as a positive force to recognize how dangerous its absence would be, the law school dean asserted. There is a reason a unilateral rules change is known as the nuclear option. Unless the doctrine of mutually assured destruction is respected, the Senate blows up. Flash At least seven people have been confirmed dead following a tanker explosion in Nigeria's north-central state of Benue, an official said on late Sunday. The fire was caused by a tanker, which lost control and fell after experiencing brake failure, according to Yakubu Mohammed, head of the state's Federal Road Safety Corps. About 50 houses were destroyed in the fire accident occurring at the Agatu local government area of the state on Sunday, confirmed Emmanuel Shior, a staff member of the state's Emergency Management Agency, adding that a detailed assessment would be carried out on Monday. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Alabamas largest city will issue blanket pardons for more than 15,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions dating back to 1990. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced the pardon program on Tuesday, April 20, which is a day that many associate with marijuana use. The pardons from municipal court convictions are automatic. Many people have a hard time finding work because of drug convictions, and Woodfin says the pardons would allow them to rejoin the workforce and provide for their families. The announcement came as the Alabama Democratic Party said it would support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and medical use in the state. In the early hours of April 30, 2018, three heavy-looking men in a Toyota Camry 2.2 stormed my ALUCOBEST Aluminium Store in the southeastern Nigerian town of Ogidi. The men wielded AK-47 rifles. My name is Ugochukwu Oraefo. I am 34, and a father of five children. I sell aluminium roofing sheets, metal roofing sheets, stone-coated roofing tiles and other kinds of roofing materials. That fateful day three years ago, I was in my store with my wife. The men wielding the guns told me they were police officers. They asked me to act as if I knew them and follow them. I was confused, so I refused. I asked to know if anyone had written a petition against me. They said they would tell me everything I needed to know only if I would enter their car. It all sounded fishy, so I refused, again. Later, the three men identified themselves as officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Awkuzu, a town in Anambra. When I continued to insist on not following them, they began to assault me with their guns. Soon, concerned people gathered. They asked what the problem was, but the SARS officers did not say what offence I had committed. Instead, they said anybody who wanted to know what my offence was would have to follow them to their office. I told the crowd that I had refused to follow the men because for all I knew, they could be kidnappers. I asked for an arrest warrant, but the SARS officers sarcastically asked whether I thought I was the governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, for me to think they needed to obtain a warrant for me. We will kill you if you fuck up, they threatened. I told them that it was better for them to kill me there, in the presence of onlookers, than to take me away and kill me anyhow they wanted, in the presence of no one. By that, I seemed to have angered them the more, because they started beating me again. One of the SARS officers told me he was a soldier, claiming that what they were doing was teamwork. I asked what this supposed teamwork was, but they only continued to beat me. Later, the SARS officers gave me their phone and asked that I speak with their Officer in Charge (OC). I had taken a sound beating by then and was not exactly in the mood to speak, but I pulled myself together and asked the OC what my offence was. The OC told me to stop asking stupid questions and just follow his men. I stood my ground and refused to comply, insisting that the OC let everyone know the offence they were claiming I had committed. The OC told me to return the phone to his men. I did as I was told. Unfortunately, the men resumed beating me. After some time, I began to cave in. I asked my wife to call my lawyer, Justus Ijeoma. Mr Ijeoma asked her to give the phone to the SARS officers, but they refused to speak to him. When the officers noticed I was not willing to follow them unless they spoke to Mr Ijeoma, they asked my wife to call him again. She did. This time, the officers told Mr Ijeoma who they were, and he agreed for me to follow them. When we reached the SARS office, the officers threatened me. They said they would treat my stubbornness. Tied, tortured, asked to pay bribe for freedom They later took me to the backyard of their office. There, they tied my hands and legs behind my back, then they brought out a metal rod, which they put between my bound hands and legs. They placed two heavy concrete blocks on my back, before hanging me up. They said they would deal with me because I was spoiling their show; whatever that meant. They later asked me how much I was willing to pay for my freedom. It was this request for a bribe that got me convinced I had indeed been kidnapped. ADVERTISEMENT Burdened by the discomfort, I asked them how much they wanted. I dont remember much of what happened afterward, because I passed out from being in hanging position for a long time. They eventually brought me down and untied me, taking me to a cell. In the evening of that same day, they brought me out and asked if I was ready to tell them how much I wanted to pay. I asked them again to tell me what crime I had committed at least. You still want to know what your offence is?! they responded rudely. Okay! No problem. I broke into tears at that point. I was tired of it all. I pleaded with them to let me know how much they wanted so everything would come to an end. The SARS officers said they wanted 20 million naira. I offered to give them two million. They werent pleased. They mocked my offer, asking me if I thought I had come to their station to sell crayfish. As the negotiations continued, and with some of their colleague officers there calling me a criminal, the SARS officers took me back to the backyard and threatened to tie me up again. I pleaded and promised to increase the money to three million naira. Death threat Mind you, during the entire period, the SARS officers did not allow anybody to visit me. My wife continued to run my shop while waiting for my lawyer to return from his travels. The officers, at a point, threatened to kill me, believing that I was not willing to pay the money they were demanding. They asked for my account number and I provided it. They then took me back to my cell. The next day, they brought me out. They asked me if I wanted to die in their station. I kept pleading. The officers remained unmoved. On the third day of my detention, which was May 2, the three SARS officers that arrested me told me they were going to take me to an undisclosed location where they would kill me for being difficult about giving in to their demand. I was blindfolded, handcuffed and driven away. The drive took almost an hour. When the car stopped, the SARS officers brought me down and, still able to see slightly through the blindfold, I realised the place was in neighbouring Delta State, given the inscriptions on the signboards I was slightly able to see. I also saw a pit filled with water, which one of the three officers asked me to move close to. The other officers were pointing their guns at me. The commanding officer asked why I did not want to give them money. Ive given my account number, I responded desperately. I dont have up to 20 million naira. I asked them why they wanted to kill me, but they still wouldnt tell me what Id done. They only said they were ready to finish me. The commanding officer instructed the other officers to shoot me on the count of three. I was broken at this point. I wept. I begged. I asked them to take all the money in my account and spare my life. All I had then was five million naira. The officers, though, insisted they would still kill me but that they would take the money as well. On the commanding officers count of three, I shut my eyes and heard the sound of gunshots. I regained consciousness to find out it had been a mock execution. Return to station They took me back to their station, where one of the officers asked if I knew where I was. Yes, Sir, I remember responding. Another popped up and said he wanted to finish me, but their commanding officer, Sunday Okpe, asked them to bring me to him. Mr Okpe asked the officers to leave after they brought me to him. After I took a seat, Mr Okpe asked how much money I was going to give him so he could save me from the grips of his men. I told him that apart from promising his men that I was willing to give them all the money in my account, I did not know what to do again. Bribe negotiation resumes Mr Okpe wasnt moved. He insisted I give him something tangible so he could persuade his men to leave me alone. When I said I could only provide 200,000 naira to that effect, he took offence and ordered me out of his office. Worried that I had blown a good opportunity to secure my freedom, I began to negotiate. I told him I would make it 500,000 naira. He refused. I upped it to one million, telling him I would find out if my workers had cash in the office so I could access it. He seemed okay with it and ordered me to make sure the money was brought to his office physically, as against a transfer. He then freed me so I could go and arrange the money. Extortion On Saturday, May 5, 2018, I went to see the SARS officers. I went in the company of the father of an apprentice at my shop, who also brought one Andrew Modili, a local politician who wields some influence in our area. The officers told us to transfer five million naira into the account of Mr Modili. I honestly do not know how Mr Modili later settled the SARS officers after we sent the money to his account. The officers did not allow anyone else to see them apart from Mr Modili. Meanwhile, the officers took me to see Mr Okpe, who asked to know how he would receive his agreed fee of one million naira. I promised him I would bring the money to his office on Monday, given the fact that his workers were closing for the day and the next day was set to be a Sunday. Mr Okpe told me that he would let me pay on Monday, May 7, because of Mr Modilis intervention. He then warned: No ear must hear what has happened. Otherwise I will finish your family, your entire generation and everything you have. I promised to do as agreed. Hushed At home, I did not confide in my wife concerning my ordeal at the hands of the SARS operatives. I also kept away from her the amount of money I had invested in my freedom. I was afraid that if I did, she would tell others out of concern, which would have led to the news spreading. I also did not confide in Mr Ijeoma, my lawyer, who at that time was outside Nigeria. I believe that if I had told him everything, he would have called the SARS officers to demand a refund which would have put me at risk, as the officers could make a move to hurt me before Ijeoma returned from his trip. I planned to tell Mr Ijeoma everything when he returned, as I wanted the SARS officers to pay me back in damages. On the morning of May 7, 2018, I went to the SARS office and gave one million naira to Sunday Okpe, as agreed. Pleased that I had fulfilled my promise, Mr Okpe gave me his phone number, claiming that we were now friends, and that I should call him anytime. He said he wondered how I had been in Anambra for years and not heard of him. He promised to offer me protection from trouble. I told him that I was not a criminal; that I was engaged in a genuine, legitimate business, and so I did not expect to run into any trouble. Mr Okpe later told me I was lucky, and that I ought to thank my God, because he had planned to pursue my family at my house and take everything I own. Under SARS radar for long He told me he had heard I was a cultist, but I told him it was a lie, and that I knew only God. He then revealed that SARS had looked for me in several locations to arrest me, but had not succeeded. He said they had monitored me at my store so many times. He also said he was the one who had guaranteed his men that my store was the best place to capture me. After two months, my lawyer Ijeoma returned. I told him everything that had happened. When he asked why I hadnt told him all that had happened, I told him I feared nothing but talk would have come out of it. I was aware of many people SARS had killed, whose families were yet to receive compensation. N6 million refunded My lawyer and I wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Abuja. The SARS officers were summoned to the headquarters of the police for questioning, where they accepted they had collected six million naira from me. They refunded the money after a month, thankfully. I later sued them for damages. But they never showed up. I believe the government does not hold SARS accountable because they work for the government. My experience with SARS messed me up. I spent four days in the hospital in order to recover from the physical and psychological trauma I underwent in their custody. My legs and hands felt alien to me from all the beating. SARS are the real kidnappers, armed robbers Life afterwards was tough. Some of my store customers stopped patronising my business after they had heard about my arrest and detention, never bothering to find out what my supposed crime was. Some concluded I was a thief, while others believed I was a kidnapper. My reputation was torn to shreds. You know, people who are arrested by SARS officers are often painted as kidnappers and armed robbers by the public, but I believe the real kidnappers and armed robbers are the SARS officers themselves, who have poisoned Ogidi and Anambra State with their intimidation of innocent people. They are heartless criminals who are worse than the criminals they claim to pursue. I am an honest businessman. I dont steal. Imagine what would have become of my five children if anything unfortunate had happened to me in SARS custody. They wanted to kill me, or at worst, make me poor. Thank God for saving me from their hands. This story is part of a multimedia project by Tiger Eye Foundation and media partners across Nigeria, documenting police brutality in Nigeria, and advocating for police reforms. As the US President prepares to host leaders of 40 countries, including India, for a virtual summit on later this week, Indian-American CEO of a top US firm believes that New Delhi has an opportunity to lead the world on President Joe Biden will host the Leaders Summit on Climate on April 22 and 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the 40 world leaders invited by Biden to address the first ever summit on by the US. Climate is not only the right thing, the must do thing, it is the right business. And so, what I believe is that India certainly has the opportunity to lead on climate. It is in India's interest. And in the interest of all of humanity we need to address this crisis that is on our doorstep. Every one of us needs to do our part, CEO Punit Renjen told PTI in a recent interview. Renjen said the major challenge to mankind also provides an opportunity to come up with the technologies, the processes that will allow us to change this negative trend of rising temperatures that are going to impact everyone, particularly those that are on the lower end of the economic scale. They're going to be impacted to a greater extent because of climate change, he said. So, I think India certainly has a role to play. I think India actually has a leadership role to play, Renjen said. As the largest democracy in the world, one of the oldest civilisations in the world, soon to be the third or fourth largest economy in the world, one of the functioning democracies with individuals that are truly global, as a group of people that are very friendly to everyone, Renjen said he thinks this is a great opportunity for India to take the leadership on the global front. Observing that changes are must in the way that humans produce and consume, Renjen said that everybody including India needs to do that. There's also an opportunity to invent the next set of technologies that will be required to address the issue of climate change. Solar is one, wind is another and India can play a leadership role in these technologies, he said. Indian companies, he noted, are increasingly stepping up to not only making commitments in their own footprint, what they do. Deloitte, for instance, he said, has made a commitment that it will be Net Zero by 2030. Renjen said he has written to partner's today that they are implementing a tool that allows every one of those individuals to see as to how they consume, how they impact the climate and what they can do to try and change their behaviour. That's the type of effort that Indian corporations, I believe, need to do and are doing. This is going to be all of our effort in terms of our ability to address. It can't be done by the government Itself by itself. It can't be done by corporations like by themselves. It can't be done by individuals. All of us have to pitch in. This is the call of our generation, he said. Renjen described climate change as the bigger crisis than the COVID-19. The Biden-Harris administration will do more than any in history to meet our climate crisis. This is already an all-hands-on-deck effort across our government and across our nation. Our future depends on the choices we make today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a major foreign policy speech on climate change on Monday. The president wanted to convene this summit early in his presidency to ensure close coordination with key players in the international community and at the highest levels of government. Obviously, the United States is one of the world's largest emitters, but so are a number of countries who will be represented, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. (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.) ALBANY A group of North Colonie students is using machine learning to understand how factors like education, the environment, demographics, and infectious disease are tied to a country's level of income inequality. The five Shaker High School students are finalists in the statewide High School Fed Challenge for their research and analysis, which yielded a report that will be among 12 papers to be published in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Future Economists this summer. Their report uses World Bank data from around the world. Their findings are especially timely in a year when virtually every nation has been engulfed by the pandemic. "Our main finding was that infectious diseases had the (greatest) effect on inequality. And all this data is pre-COVID-19, so it was very interesting," 11th grader Avi Bagchi said. "We know that the coronavirus was a major cause of inequality and really has exposed inequality in the United States." The annual state contest, which is run by the New York Federal Reserve Bank, has evolved from an in-person competition to an academic paper challenge in which student teams research and analyze an economic theme. We were blown away by the quality of the 66 papers we received, said Heather Daly, director of education programs at the New York Fed. Just as professional economists produce a mix of qualitative and quantitative analyses, so did the students. Every team that participated did truly outstanding work. The High School Fed Challenge aims to encourage high school students to learn more about economics and promote economics as a subject for study and a career possibility. Bagchi and his co-authors junior Harrison Fazzone and 10th graders Sahana Vinothkumar, Priya Musuku and Roshni Ramesh are members of their high school's History, Research, and Competition Club. The club, which started out as a group of friends who competed in the annual Academic World Quest, an international affairs competition, expanded during the pandemic to take on other kinds of contests and challenges. In the last year, its membership has grown to more than 80 members. The students who signed up for the Fed Challenge were self-motivated, collaborative, and rarely asked for guidance, according to Shaker High School social studies teacher and club adviser Andrew Krakat said. "I was very impressed with the work this group is doing, especially the higher-level statistical analysis, pulling out the data points beyond GDP (gross domestic product) because a lot of inequality reports are focused on using GDP as an economic measure," Krakat said. "They identify that there are actually these other measures that are much more predictive of economic inequality." The team was unable to meet on school grounds since the pandemic has divided students attending class part-time into different cohorts, and some students are fully remote. Instead, the research happened on Google meets, which was an awkward adjustment at first, according to 10th grader Vinothkumar. "It was definitely hard to adjust from a normal in-person collaborative where you bounce ideas off of each other," Vinothkumar said. "We would have late-night ideas and text them in the chat and we would look at them at various hours. It was so wild, but so productive at the same time ... we weren't limited to the boundaries (of set club hours) we would normally be." Students said they were driven by a spirit of competitiveness, but also their passion for the topic of wealth inequality. "With the pandemic, we see how the workforce is really important to shaping how conveniently and easily we can live our lives," Ramesh said. "Income inequality we see is such a big barrier to medical care and life expectancy and we felt like really exploring this issue is something that we needed to do." Harrison and Bagchi came up with the idea after Bagchi used machine-learning in another class to analyze invasive species. They used Python programming to collect and organize the data. The data was then run through statistical models that looked at how various indicators impacted a country's income inequality, quantified by a measure known as the "Gini coefficient." Vinothkumar, Ramesh, and Musuku helped with the analysis and pulled the information together into a cohesive report. Another strong indicator of income inequality was the environment; rural communities tended to have greater inequality than urban areas, according to the findings. "It was very interesting to see that non-income factors and non-financial factors contributed to wealth inequality. That was what really struck me. it was a bit unusual but it did make a lot of sense when you think about it," Musuku said. What a difference a year makes! It might sound like a cliche, but the oil market that was turned on its head last April by a confluence of unexpected Black Swan events is trending higher alongside a rosy outlook for the U.S. economy. Along the way, the market structure for domestic and global crude oil turned from a yawning contango to backwardation, while the consortium of oil producers including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and nine additional countries, also known as OPEC+ are unwinding production cuts, which have been in place for more than four years. On April 20, 2020 the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange turned negative and settled the historic day at a minus $37.63 bbl as panicked sellers were forced to dump their holdings of the expiring May 2020 contract at any cost. Stunned market observers had a difficult time wrapping their heads around the idea of paying someone to take your oil. Was oil trading breaking down in the jaws of a pandemic? Three events occurred leading to the great oil crash of April 2020 -- a market share war between Saudi Arabia and Russia; a once in a century pandemic; and record-high U.S. oil inventories. The improbable events, feeding upon themselves, occurred in dizzying quick succession. Perhaps more stunning is the remarkable turnaround that has taken place in the oil market since then. Today, oil futures are comfortably trading in the $60s bbl, some of the largest economies around the world are gradually reopening, propelled by the fast deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and, in wealthier countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, generous government stimulus has had a positive impact on economic growth. As global oil demand is picking up pace, concerns about securing oil storage worldwide have all but evaporated, with commercial inventories across the OECD already falling to their five-year average from an all-time peak at 249 million bbl in July 2020, according to the International Energy Agency. Related: First Venezuela, Now Ecuador: US Refiners Need A New Source Of Heavy Crude While still not out of the woods, the remarkable turnaround over the last twelve months warrants another look at the oil market crisis during a tumultuous period for the industry during the first half of 2020. Saudi Arabia and Russia A few weeks before the U.S. crude benchmark contract on the NYMEX briefly became worthless, Saudi Arabia and Russia not only failed to agree on output cuts during the OPEC+ meeting but decided to unleash millions of barrels of additional crude oil onto the market. All this while global oil demand was plummeting, with consumption crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both parties, unlikely partners married out of practicality with the goal to capture market share from U.S. shale producers, greatly mismanaged their positions. Russia clearly underestimated the collapse in fuel consumption following the first wave of shutdowns late in the first quarter 2020. Global oil demand plummeted as much as 35 million bpd in what is now referred to as "Black April" from a record-high 100 million bpd just two months prior. A heated Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman allowed his emotions to dictate Saudi policy while ordering an increase in the kingdom's crude production, the opposite of what he was counseling Moscow on, triggering a five-week war for market share. By refusing to preemptively agree to production cuts, Russia ensured all OPEC+ members were facing a very real collapse by a market their economies depended upon. U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between the crown prince and Vladimir Putin, with OPEC+ on April 12, 2020 agreeing to reduce crude oil production by 9.8 million bpd, about 10% of global oil production, with participants involved in the historic agreement cutting their output by 23%. At the time, few analysts expected the alliance forged by the common goal to save the market from imminent collapse would hold up for as long as it did. Currently, Russia and Saudi Arabia continue to withhold about 60% of the production they decided to cut a year ago. Bolstered by their success in moving the global oil market closer to balance, and with it pushing crude prices back above $60 bbl, OPEC's influence is stronger today than it had been prior to the pandemic. At their last meeting, inauspiciously held on April Fools Day, OPEC+ agreed to gradually restore a portion of their production over the next three months, reflecting a more optimistic outlook for the global economy. OPEC+ meets again on April 28. Unprecedented Policy When the global pandemic first struck it was natural to fear that the world economy would slide into a deep recession if not depression. Economic controls implemented during the Spring 2020 lockdowns led to widespread shutdowns of schools and what were deemed nonessential businesses, sapping demand dry as life slipped further from normalcy. Consider that on this day a year ago gasoline consumption in the United States -- the worlds largest oil consumer -- was hovering just above a record low of 5.065 million bpd. Related Video: Drivers Get Ready For Summer Gas Shock Locking down local and state economies proved less effective at curbing economic activity and, as such, demand for petroleum products. The California lockdown enacted by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020 remained largely on paper, with Los Angeles highways jammed with traffic and shoppers flocking to malls for last-minute holiday shopping. Public fatigue and eventual noncompliance with politically toxic quarantines along with federal largesse through direct stimulus payments spurred a faster-than-expected recovery in U.S. fuel consumption. By August 2020, gasoline supplied to the U.S. market reached the pre-pandemic level of 8.865 million bpd despite parts of the economy remaining shut and new infections surging. Governments in rich OECD countries enacted a fiery policy mix to boost economic activity which did not require citizens to reengage in the larger economy. The massive payout schemes, including personalized stimulus checks, generous unemployment benefits, loan assistance for businesses and mortgage forbearance not only kept the economy out of recession, but fueled growth. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. government has spent almost $6 trillion compared with $700 billion authorized in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis 2008. The result was near unthinkable a year ago. U.S. households are estimated to have stashed away $3 trillion in excess savings during the first nine months of the pandemic -- a tenth of annual consumer spending. An OECD outlook now expects the United States to be larger by the end of 2022 than it would have been if the pandemic never happened. Vaccines The main driver of the ongoing recovery is undeniably the rapid development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, with hundred of millions of doses already produced and administered in less than a year's time. Ever since Pfizer and German partner BioNtech announced their experimental vaccine using MRA-technology was 95% effective in preventing severe cases of the disease, oil futures began their nearly uninterrupted five-month long uptrend. The U.S. vaccination campaign accelerated around mid-January from a little under 1 million doses to the current 3.5 million doses pace administrated each day. The country continues to move closer to herd immunity, with over 200 million doses having been administrated so far. The public-private partnership through Operation Warp Speed was instrumental in this effort despite, at times, halting progress. The single dose Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, seen critical for the developing nations to reach their immunization targets, have since been halted amid concern over rare but severe blood clots developed by some patients. The unwelcomed development comes at a time when much of the world is still battling a resurgent virus and new variants. The European Union, India, and Brazil, all major oil-consuming economies, have recently announced new quarantine orders to halt the viral spread, erasing a chunk of potential demand growth. Despite weaker-than-expected data in the first quarter, the International Energy Agency expects that global demand will recover to just 3% below its pre-crisis level in the second half of the year as vaccines become more available and economies continue to reopen. A year on from what the IEA called Black April, one of the darkest months ever for world oil markets, fundamentals look decidedly stronger. By Liubov Georges for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: 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. Union Finance Minister on Tuesday assured industry that despite a raging second wave of infections, 2021 will not be about Covid-19, and the economic revival will continue. Addressing members of the Merchants Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Kolkata, Sitharaman said, You will withstand this challenge also; 2019 was about liquidity, 2020 was about Covid, but 2021 shall not be about Covid, in spite of the second wave. I want to assure you. Citing the cordial relations between the Reserve Bank of India and the Centre, the FM said the central bank and the government have always worked together to benefit the economy and the country. Pointing to the steps taken by the government, she said, Revival was happening, is happening and will continue to happen. Sentiments dont fall so rapidly, the minister added. There should be complete trust between the government and industry and vice versa to sustain growth, she said, while talking about Sustaining growth momentum during Covid times. I appeal to you to trust and have confidence in the government. There must not be disturbances in the continuity, which leads to mistrust or distrust. Industry should have faith and feel that the government is accessible, she said. On Monday, the government announced measures to step up the vaccination drive in the country, allowing it to be extended to all above 18 years from May 1. Pointing to it, Sitharaman also mentioned that Rs 4,650 crore was being given to two vaccine manufacturers to help them ramp up their capacities. To ensure supply, we have paid them 100 per cent in advance for the next few months for supplying the vaccine, she said. The announcement by the government on Monday on a liberalised and accelerated phase three of vaccination came amid a growing call to extend the drive to a larger section of the population. She added capacity had been ramped up whether it was for testing, oxygen manufacturing, or PPE kits and ventilators. Core industries such as cement and steel were also ramping up capacities, she said. On West Bengal, the minister said industries in the state require oxygen to prosper along with a globalised approach. Industries in the state need a lot more oxygen to flourish. The history of India was written from Bengal... but even a signature product like the Darjeeling tea is now languishing. Kolkata used to shine with industries in the past, it should do so again. Bengal and its tradition has to be preserved and protected, she said. Later in the day, representatives of realtors body Credai met the FM in Kolkata. In a discussion with the FM @nsitharaman today, #CREDAI presented recommendations addressing challenges in the #realestate sector & impending #Covid disruptions which may impact #revival of #realty sector, the industry body tweeted. Credai did not share the recommendations it has made for the sectors growth. Many senior members of Credai, including its new president, attended the meeting. A delegation of the jute mills advocacy body Indian Jute Mills Association and the tea industry also met the FM, and sought the governments support to deal with the disruption caused by the pandemic. Tea industry stakeholders asked that ATMs be set up in the gardens, which will help the workers get other government benefits directly transferred to their accounts. Tea workers have been getting cash payments as wages from their employers so far, secretary general of Indian Tea Association Arijit Raha said. Raha said, The finance minister has been very receptive and said the matter will be looked into and also expedited. IJMA, on the other hand, discussed various aspects where interventions are required towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. With inputs from PTI Church elders under fire for threatening to expel mom who left husband, started dating woman Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A team of elders from the Woodstock Church of Christ in Georgia who threatened to expel one of their members after she divorced her husband and made her new lesbian relationship public are now coming under fire online for trying to live according to their religious beliefs. On Sunday, the church member, Krystal Cox, published a letter on Instagram dated April 1. In the document, Woodstock Church of Christ Elders Rick Reynolds, Gary Kyle, Don Williams and Eric Dotson explain how they have tried to reason with her about going against the churchs teachings on sexuality since last December. As we have previously stated, we feel it is crucial to remind you that our Lord considered it vital that no one can be involved in homosexuality and be in a pleasing relationship with God," the letter stated. We sent you a letter in the second week of December 2020 that was confirmed by the USPS as delivered on December 10, 2020. A copy of that letter is enclosed. In that letter, the Eldership requested an opportunity to discuss with you this situation and the condition of your soul. We have not received a response to that letter." Material published on Woodstock Church of Christs website notes that: Our authority in religious matters is found only in the inspired Scriptures. Therefore, we seek to be governed in organization, faith, worship and work by Gods holy Word. The nondenominational congregation, which seeks to model itself after the New Testament Church, also takes a minimalist approach to worship with their congregational singing without the accompaniment of mechanical instruments. This may appear strange to the first-time visitor, but many consider this is the most inspirational part of our worship. This type of singing is used by the New Testament church (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). We believe that following their example is pleasing to God, the church explains. The local congregation selected the four Woodstock Church of Christ elders to serve as pastors or overseers of the church and "teach and exhort the church in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict the truth. Elders are involved in the lives of the members, providing spiritual guidance, prayer and visits in time of sickness, comfort and support in times of bereavement, counseling, and spiritual nourishment as members experience the realities of this life," the church explained on its website, which has since been disabled. "Elders are to lead by example and will provide instruction for equipping the saints for the work of ministry as well as provide the edification needed for healthy relationships within the church (Ephesian 4:11-12). These men are shepherds of this congregation and their primary interest is helping the souls of this congregation reach heaven together." Since Cox was unresponsive to their appeals, the elders gave her an ultimatum. If we fail to hear from you by April 30, 2021, we would understand you are not repentant and do not desire to be forgiven of your sinful behavior," the elders wrote. "That being the case, an announcement to that effect will be made to the Woodstock Church of Christ on the following Sunday. We will announce that we have withdrawn fellowship from you following efforts to establish a dialogue to persuade you to repent. Your name will be removed from our membership role [sic] until you decide to make your life right with the Lord." It is important that you understand after fellowship has been withdrawn from you, Christians must not interact with you except to encourage you to repent and seek forgiveness (1 Corinthians 5:11-13 and Ephesians 5:11), the elders added. Cox, a longtime hairstylist who owns the Hair Bar Salon in Woodstock, told CBS 46 that she was enraged after reading the letter from the elders. Well, when I opened it, I was kind of enraged. Like, why am I getting picked on and getting called out when everyone has sin? she asked. The fact that theyre going to point it out and release my personal business to the entire congregation of the church and tell them that I can no longer come there, I just dont feel like thats right, Cox added. I feel like its not wrong. I look at my relationship and how much love I have with her and think, how can people think this is so wrong? Cox, who previously celebrated her relationship with her now ex-husband online, now celebrates her relationship with her girlfriend. She insists that she does not want her former congregation to be attacked for their beliefs. I just really dont want anything bad to come out of this," she said. "Like I want it to be good. I dont want people to be saying ugly things to them and sending them ugly stuff. I just dont want that. That was not my intent." Since Cox publicized the letter, Woodstock Church of Christ has disabled its social media accounts and website. Calls made to the elders and the church by The Christian Post on Tuesday also went unanswered. LGBTQ advocates are now slamming the church online with negative reviews and have driven down the church's rating on Google to two stars. Incredibly judgmental and close-minded," wrote reviewer Alyssa Bowden. "Very rude. God must be very ashamed." Many reviewers, like David Patterson, gave the church five-star ratings before Coxs letter was made public. Came to Woodstock last October out of a really bad experience. This is truly a family of believers trying to help one another get to heaven," he wrote in a review five years ago. "The church has a wonderful group of elders and the preacher is truly book, chapter, and verse, but makes sure everyone understands the everyday applications of whatever the lesson in our daily lives. There has been an emphasis since we have been there on teaching the lost in the way New Testament did in the first century. If you are looking for a church to call home, COME TEST IT FOR YOURSELF." Another reviewer, Kristi Busby, wrote on Tuesday that the church is a "loving congregation that adheres to what the Bible says." "We have many personal friends who worship here, wrote Busby. Romania remains the main partner of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, in this sense being also the consistent support offered for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Klaus Iohannis said at the meeting he had on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Palace, with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. According to a Presidential Administration release, the two heads of state analyzed in their meeting the stage of implementation of the projects agreed during the visit of the Romanian President to Chisinau on December 29, 2020, noting that this year Romania donated to Moldova medical equipment and protection against COVID-19 worth 2.3 million euros, as well as over 200,000 vaccines, agerpres.ro confirms. In the next stage, the donation of the 6,000 tonnes of diesel oil destined to the farmers from the Republic of Moldova will be made, the quoted source specified. President Klaus Iohannis reiterated the strong message of support for the reform agenda promoted by President Maia Sandu, in the spirit of the bilateral Strategic Partnership and the privileged relations between the two states. Klaus Iohannis also said that Romania will continue to support the European path of the Republic of Moldova and stressed that Romania remains the main partner of the Republic of Moldova's citizens, highlighting in this sense the consistent support provided for pandemic management. In her turn, Maia Sandu expressed her gratitude for the support offered by Romania, especially in the difficult context generated by the pandemic and appreciated Romania's support for the European path of the Republic of Moldova, emphasizing that she will continue the efforts to implement the reform agenda in a democratic and European spirit. The two presidents agreed to continue the high-level bilateral dialogue, especially on projects of strategic importance in the fields of energy, transport, as well as education and health. The main objective of this cooperation remains to ensure the sustainable development of the Republic of Moldova and its irreversible connection to the European space, the quoted source also mentioned. The Government has come under fire for 'adding countries onto a red list when it is too late' after India became the latest nation to face a UK travel ban amid a surge in cases of a variant that first emerged there. Ministers are facing questions over why arrivals were not banned immediately from India, which is now dealing with a second wave of the virus, despite the Covid variant being under investigation for almost three weeks. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Government's failure to introduce stronger restrictions at the border had left the country 'exposed to mutations of the virus'. It comes after India become the latest country to be added to the UK's travel 'red list' after Boris Johnson cancelled his visit amid surging coronavirus cases and alarm about a new variant. Minister have come under fire for 'adding countries onto a red list when it is too late' after India became the latest nation to join the UK's travel ban. Pictured: A health worker collects a swab from a police officer in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Some 103 cases of the variant first identified in India have now been identified in the UK. Pictured: Health workers attach a notice about a shortage of Covid vaccine supplies at a vaccination centre in Mumbai Yesterday, a joint statement from the British and Indian government said Boris Johnson's (pictured with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) trip will not go ahead Mr Thomas-Symonds told LBC: 'As Labour has warned for months, failing to introduce strong protections at the border has left us exposed to mutations of the virus, which has now lead to dangerous outbreaks in the UK. 'It is not good enough to try and shut the door after the horse has bolted, by adding countries onto a red list when it is too late. What's needed is an urgent comprehensive hotel quarantine system.' Meanwhile Labour chairwoman, Yvette Cooper, said the Covid variant from India had been under investigation for almost three weeks. She told The Times: 'The India variant has been under investigation for almost three weeks and other neighbouring countries with lower rates of infection were added to the red list ten days ago.' Yesterday Matt Hancock told MPs that the government had made the 'difficult' decision to place India in the highest level of restrictions from 4am on Friday. Some 103 cases of the variant first identified in India have now been identified in the UK, with the 'vast majority' linked to international travel, the Health Secretary confirmed. He said: 'After studying the data and on a precautionary basis we have made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list.' Figures show there are now more than 200,000 confirmed Covid cases a day in India. The travel ban comes after Public Health England, confirmed in a routine report that 77 cases of the Indian variant had been found in the UK earlier this week. It also comes after Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), which provides evidence on Covid to the Sage committee, said as much information about the variant needed to be gathered 'as quickly as possible'. B.1.617, as it's known, carries mutations that could make it spread faster and partially evade immunity. Yesterday, a joint statement from the British and Indian government said Boris Johnson's trip - already scaled back - will not go ahead 'in light of the current situation'. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds (left) said it was 'not good enough to shut the door after the horse has bolted' while Labour chairwoman, Yvette Cooper (right) said the Covid variant from India had been under investigation for almost three weeks Matt Hancock told MPs that the government had made the 'difficult' decision to place the country in the highest level of restrictions Mr Hancock said the latest move means 'anyone who is not a UK or Irish resident or a British citizen cannot enter the UK if they've been in India in the previous 10 days'. Hundreds set to fly in before ban begins Hundreds of people will arrive in Britain from India this week before the 'red list' travel restrictions come into effect on Friday. Seven flights from the country arrived at Heathrow airport yesterday, with at least 16 scheduled to land before the tighter rules come into place. Flights run by BA, Virgin Atlantic and Air India are due from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Before Friday, travellers from India will have to provide a negative coronavirus test in the three days before flying and then quarantine at home in the UK for ten days. Arrivals can use public transport to travel to their quarantine destination. From Friday, only British or Irish nationals, or those with UK residence rights, can enter on flights from India. They will have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days. Earlier this year, amid concerns about the Kent variant, India limited flights between the countries to 30 a week, compared with almost 70 previously. Advertisement 'UK and Irish residents and British citizens who have been in India in the past 10 days before their arrival will need to complete hotel quarantine for 10 days from the time of arrival.' He added: 'India is a country I know well and love. Between our two countries we have ties of friendship and family. I understand the impact of this decision but I hope the House will concur that we must act.' During a visit to Gloucestershire earlier, Mr Johnson told reporters: 'Narendra Modi and I have basically come to the conclusion that, very sadly, I won't be able to go ahead with the trip. I do think it's only sensible to postpone, given what's happened in India, the shape of the pandemic there. 'Countries around the world including our own have been through this. I think everybody's got a massive amount of sympathy with India, what they're going through. 'And I just want to stress that this is, we're going to be going back, the relationship between the UK and India is of huge importance, and I'll be talking to Narendra Modi on Monday, we'll be trying to do as much as we can, virtually. 'Of course it will be frustrating, but we'll try and replicate as much as we can remotely, and then look forward to doing it in person as and when circumstances allow, and hopefully before the Cop summit in November and hopefully we'll get Narendra Modi over for the G7 in June.' Speculation had been mounting about the fate of the trip as the situation spirals in the India. Mr Johnson had already pushed the visit back from earlier this year as a result of the UK's third lockdown. Rather than several days of talks with Narendra Modi and high-profile events, it was only due to be a single day next weekend - but is now off altogether. Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to Gloucestershire today) had already pushed the visit back from earlier this year as a result of the UK's third lockdown Infections in India have been spiking and deaths are rising while numbers have dropped off in the UK The Covid variants circulating in the UK: Public Health England says officially the Indian variant has been spotted 77 times in Scotland and England since March India is vaccinating some 3million people per day, topping most other countries, but its huge 1.3billion population means only a tiny proportion have been protected (pictured) WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE INDIA VARIANT? Real name: B.1.617 When and where was it discovered? The variant was first reported as being of concern by the Indian government in late March. The first cases appear to date back to October 2020. What mutations does it have? The two main mutations are named E484Q and L452R, which scientists suspect can help it to transmit faster and to get past immune cells made in response to older variants. Those mutations are routinely not found on other variants monitored by Public Health England. How many people in the UK have been infected with it? 77 people so far, according to a report published on April 15. Their locations are unknown. Advertisement The news comes after an expert warned the Indian coronavirus variant could 'pose a threat' to Mr Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown. It is feared the B.1.617 strain spreads more easily than older versions of the virus and scientists say it has mutations which may help it evade vaccines. Professor Danny Altmann, an Imperial College London immunologist, said there were vaccinated vulnerable Britons who could 'still be caught out by variants like this'. Health officials warned yesterday that cases of people in the UK contracting the South African and Kent strains after being vaccinated have already been recorded. Public Health England says officially the Indian variant has been spotted 77 times in Scotland and England since March. But analysis of publicly available information on new variant numbers on Saturday suggest cases have risen to 160, suggesting it's spreading rapidly in the community. PHE currently lists it as a 'variant under investigation', a tier below other troublesome strains including the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants. But Professor Altmann told Good Morning Britain today: 'My assumption from everything I've seen is that it will become a variant of concern.' He added: 'I think our road map is going well and at the moment, in this country, we are doing rather well, enjoying unlocking but out there there is the Indian variant, the South African, Brazilian etc, and they do pose a threat.' SAGE member Professor Andrew Hayward backed calls for India to be put on the 'red list' to buy experts time to study the variant in more detail. The infectious disease expert urged the Government to 'err on the side of caution and act sooner rather than later'. But top experts studying Britain's Covid variants said the Indian variant was unlikely to ever take off in the UK because its mutations were 'not top tier'. They questioned whether the strain actually is more transmissible than older versions, claiming the evidence was still murky. Dr Jeffrey Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'This variant has a couple of mutations that are among those that we think are important that should be watched carefully. A health worker in the Indian capital of Delhi prepares bodies for cremation after the city was plunged into a weekend lockdown to keep Covid cases down States on UK red list Angola Argentina Bangladesh Bolivia Botswana Brazil Burundi Cape Verde Chile Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Ecuador Eswatini Ethiopia French Guiana Guyana Kenya Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Namibia Oman Pakistan Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Qatar Rwanda Seychelles Somalia South Africa Suriname Tanzania United Arab Emirates (UAE) Uruguay Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe Advertisement 'But they're actually probably not at the very kind of top tier of mutations, for example in the B.1.1.7 or Kent variant or the South African variant, that generate the most concern.' Dr Barnett said the rise of the Indian variant had happened at the same time India suffered a third wave, which may explain its higher prevalence. 'In terms of spread, clearly this variant has increased in frequency in India around the same time as their very large and tragic recent wave. 'But I just don't think we know yet whether there's a cause and effect relationship is this variant driving that spread? Or is it happening at the same time perhaps due to a coincidence?' He added: 'And one thing to note is that there were some sequences of this variant B1.617 seen late last year. And so in some sense, if it really is driving this wave, the fuse has been burning for quite a long time, which would make it look, probably less transmissible than B.1.1.7.' The Indian variant was first spotted by scientists in March when it was described by the government in New Delhi as a 'double mutant'. They suggested that the variant had formed as a hybrid of two other strains and that it showed signs of being more infectious and less easily targeted by the immune system. Two key mutations set it apart from others named E484Q and L452R with both of them found on the 'spike' that the virus uses to latch onto human cells. These are not thought to be key mutations of any of the other variants on Public Health England's list, but have appeared in virus samples before. SAGE's Professor Hayward, an epidemiologist at University College London, backed calls for travel to India to be scrapped. He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: 'It's a balance of harms and benefits and the challenge with that is that the level of harm is quite high because we're highly connected with India there's a lot of economic interaction as well as family and social interaction. 'And on the other hand, what we have is an unknown level of risk my own preference in all of this is to err on the side of caution and to act sooner rather than later. But ultimately, that's going to be a political decision.' But Professor Hayward admitted scientists aren't sure whether the variant is actually more infectious than older versions. He added: 'The evidence of increased transmissibility and escape from immunity is circumstantial.' Suspect in Paducah Murder Appears in Court By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A Cairo man charged with murder after an August shooting in Paducah was in court Friday.The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said 24-year-old Jermaine Harris made a motion for a separate trial from his co-defendants and for funds to hire a private investigator. No decision was made during the appearance.A pretrial conference was scheduled for May 21.Harris was arrested September 25 by the Illinois State Police and US Marshals following an August 8 shooting that killed one man and injured four others. The shooting was allegedly the result of an ongoing feud between two groups of people from Mounds and Cairo.Harris faces charges of murder, wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and four counts of assault. A court in Vietnam condemned a porter to death on Monday for murdering two co-workers over a debt last year. The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court gave Bui Chi Thanh, 41, the death penalty on charges of murder. Thanh, a porter from the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, blatantly broke the law and made light of human lives, using a weapon to vigorously attack his victims because of a minor conflict in daily life, the court said. Thanh, L.H.H., T.V.T. , and N.T.K worked as porters at a transport company in the city, according to court documents. Around noon on March 13, 2020, the four were playing cards for money in the parking lot of their company in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City when a row erupted between Thanh and H. over a debt the latter had not paid the former for two weeks. H. hit Thanh in one of his shoulders after the latter splashed water on their table. Thanh grabbed a bamboo pipe for smoking tobacco to strike H. in the head. Both wrestled with each other till they reached the kitchen where Thanh took a knife and stabbed H. in his temples and arms. H. fell down to the ground following the stabbings. Thanh went on to stab T. three times upon seeing him coming to the kitchen, thinking he was rushing to help H.. He then attacked K. with an iron stick before fleeing the scene on his motorbike. T. was pronounced dead at the hospital while H. could not make it through either. Thanh caught a bus to Ca Mau Province, over 300km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, before his family persuaded him into turning himself in to police officers on March 15 last year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! More than 60 years to achieve gender equity? It will take until at least 2080 before women make up just one-third of Australia's professional astronomers, an analysis published today in the journal Nature Astronomy reveals. "Astronomers have been leaders in gender equity initiatives, but our programs are not working fast enough," says Professor Lisa Kewley, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D). Kewley is also an ARC Laureate Fellow at the Australian National University's Research School for Astronomy and Astrophysics. She developed workforce forward modelling that can predict the fraction of women at all levels in astronomy from 2021 to 2060, given different initiatives in hiring or retention. The models show that Australia's university leadership need to adopt 50:50 or affirmative action hiring and introduce exit surveys and retention initiatives. "With these initiatives we can reach one-third women in 11 years, growing to 50 per cent in 25," she said. "The gender gap in astronomy is not unique to Australia. This is a worldwide issue, particularly at senior levels. "The fraction of women in senior astronomy positions in the US, Germany, Canada, Australia, China and the UK has sat at 20 per cent or less for decades - even though women earn about 40 per cent of the PhDs in the field." She said that female astronomers leave the industry two to three times more frequently than their male counterparts. Those who remain find advancement challenging due to a lack of senior role models at universities, and because they are often overlooked for invited seminars, grants, awards, and all-important telescope time. In 2014, the Astronomical Society of Australia took steps to improve the ratio of women to men being hired and retained by introducing a gender equality rating system called the Pleiades Awards. The scheme triggered widespread change in many universities and other astronomy-centred research institutions. These have made a difference, said Dr Anshu Gupta, an ASTRO 3D Fellow at Curtin University in Western Australia. "I think the barriers to women in the field are lower than they used to be, but there are still serious reforms needed to retain and promote talented junior female academics into senior positions," she said. Some institutions have also introduced hiring practices designed to attract and retain women. ASTRO 3D and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) have hiring ratios of 50:50. The University of Sydney School of Physics recently hit a target of 78 per cent women appointed to permanent positions. But hiring is not enough, Professor Kewley's research shows. Retention initiatives are also needed to stem the flow of women out of the sector. She said that successful retention policies include exit surveys, improving work-life balance for department members, clear action against sexism, insults, microaggression, exclusionary behaviour, and the removal of structural barriers by creating more permanent and fewer fixed-term positions. "If this sort of program becomes widespread, the discipline can reach the 30 per cent target in a decade or so," said Professor Kewley. ANU Vice Chancellor and Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt commented: "We as university leaders need to step up in areas like astronomy, but also across all the academic areas in our institutions where the male-female imbalance is large. "Professor Kewley's research shows that workforce forward modelling is highly effective way to assess the potential impact and utility of new diversity policies and initiatives. I encourage my peers across the research sector to take a close look and use the tools to drive positive change." ### This story has been published on: 2021-04-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Naomi Campbell Naomi Campbell, the British model and actor, has hired Ballard Partners for guidance regarding the US visa process. The 50-year-old has faced problems obtaining work visas in the US due to a history of violence against associates, staffers and others from 1998 to 2009. She pleaded guilty in New York for heaving a BlackBerry at a housekeeper, which resulted in Campbell being sentenced to pay for medical services, attending an anger management class, and performing five days of community service with the Dept. of Sanitation. She also was sentenced in the UK and Italy for assault. Brian Ballard, a top fundraiser for former president trump, is advising Campbell. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 20.04.2021 - The chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde, has appointed Swiss diplomat Pierre von Arx as head of the OSCE mission in Uzbekistan. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) welcomes this appointment and is confident that Pierre von Arx, based on his many years of experience, is the ideal person for this position. Ambassador von Arx will take up his new role on 1 May 2021. Over the course of his career, Ambassador von Arx has acquired a wealth of experience in security policy, particularly in relation to the OSCE. From 2006 to 2009, he served as senior military adviser to the Swiss mission to the OSCE and from 2009 to 2016 as deputy head of mission. During the 2014 Swiss chairmanship of the OSCE, he was appointed special adviser for security policy to the chairperson-in-office. In 2016, the Federal Council conferred on him the title of ambassador for his function as head of the OSCE mission in Kyrgyzstan, a post he still holds today. Ambassador von Arx also holds a doctorate in biochemistry and served as a staff officer in the Swiss Armed Forces with the rank of colonel. Switzerland's commitment to the OSCE is based on the principles of its Foreign Policy Strategy 202023: in a volatile international environment, Switzerland is committed to building bridges for a peaceful and secure world. Peace, the rule of law and security are the cornerstones of prosperity and sustainable development. The FDFA submitted von Arx's candidacy to the OSCE to ensure that Swiss expertise continues to be well represented at the highest levels of the OSCE. The post of OSCE head of mission in Uzbekistan also known under the title of project coordinator was established by a decision of the OSCE's Permanent Council on 30 June 2006 to strengthen links between the OSCE and Uzbekistan. The head of mission's mandate is to assist Uzbekistan in its efforts to ensure security and stability, to support socio-economic and civil society development, to help protect the country's environment, and to assist the government in the implementation of its OSCE commitments. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday moved the challenging the Allahabad High Court's order to impose lockdowns in its five cities, on the ground that such kinds of decisions are not in the domain of the High Court. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, decided to hear the matter today at the end of the board. "Complete was imposed for a week in many cities in Uttar Pradesh. Considering the urgency, in the matter, please consider it for hearing today," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said. Earlier last week, the Allahabad High Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to consider imposing a complete in the most affected districts along with ramping up tracking, testing and treatment facilities. The Uttar Pradesh government has already announced restrictions on gatherings of five or more people in religious places for effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic during Navratri and Ramzan. Uttar Pradesh has recorded 18,021 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Tuesday. On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office had said, "There is no need to impose a complete Weekend lockdowns will continue to curb the spread of COVID-19." As per the union health ministry, there are currently 2,08,523 active cases in Uttar Pradesh. So far, 6,61,311 recoveries and 9,997 deaths have been reported in the state. (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.) Five women illegally return from Cambodia Five Vietnamese women were found illegally entering Phu Quoc District in the southern province of Kien Giang by sea. At around 2 am this morning, April 20, the border guards of Kien Giang detected four women at An Thoi fish port area. The women found illegally entering in Phu Quoc District They said that they had gone along with another woman but after going ashore, they did not know where she was. The force then co-operated with concerned agencies to search local restaurants and hotels. Some hours later, they found her at a hotel in An Thoi Ward. The group admitted hiring a boat with the fees of USD1,000-2,000 for entry to Vietnam. The five women have been sent to a quarantine site for Covid-19 prevention. The case is under further investigation. EZGO and JSRI-DUT plan to develop new fast charging and wireless charging technologies and solutions, aiming to launch its first fast-charging product by the end of the second quarter of 2021 and a wireless charging solution by the end of 2021. The wireless charging market for E-bicycles is growing rapidly, with the overall market growing at an annual CAGR of 10% and expected to reach $40 Billion by 2026 according to Philips IP&S. The main purpose of this alliance between EZGO and JSRI-DUT is to facilitate extensive cooperation in technology research, standardization of wireless charging solutions, promotion of certain wireless charging applications, utilization of intellectual property and talent development in the area of intelligent fast charging technology by leveraging the resource advantages from both JSRI-DUT and the Company. EZGO has devoted resources to the research and development of fast charging technologies/solutions, and has been seeking a partner to improve its research abilities. The newly-founded Center will further optimize the Company's fast charging technology, including accelerating the charging speed of lithium batteries, improving the charging efficiency and safety, and extending the battery life. By applying fast-charging technology to solve the problem of low energy density, EZGO will also provide its intelligent solutions for carbon emission reduction and carbon neutralization, through setting up a post-doctoral innovation hub to attract and train high-end talents in the industry. Mr. Jianhui Ye, Chief Executive Officer of EZGO, stated, "One of our principal goals is to establish partnerships that will help to both drive EZGO's research and development efforts and advance battery technology for the entire E-bicycle industry. In the future, EZGO plans to further increase its R&D expenditures in charging technology, intelligent technology and 5G scenario applications. We are pleased to collaborate with JSRI-DUT. We believe this relationship can serve as a foundation for promoting technology development." About EZGO Technologies Ltd. Leveraging an Internet of Things (IoT) product and service platform and two E-bicycle brands, "Cenbird" and "Dilang," EZGO has established a business model centered on the manufacturing and sale of E-bicycles and E-bicycle rentals, complemented by E-bicycle charging pile business. For additional information, please visit EZGO's website at www.ezgotech.com.cn. Investors can visit at the "Investor Relations" section of EZGO's website at http://www.ezgotech.com.cn/Investor/. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as "may, "will, "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; the growth of the short-distance transportation solutions market in China and the other international markets the Company plans to serve; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and the international markets the Company plans to serve and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forwardlooking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. SOURCE EZGO Technologies Ltd. And you can be regenerative and not be organic. Bambi Semroc, the acting head for sustainable lands and waters at Conservation International, said that organic is one way of doing this, but there are others, too, like reducing the use of agrochemicals. Sometimes, she said, there arent great alternatives. So what does this have to do with fashion? As James Carville might say: Its the origin materials, stupid. T-shirts and jeans are made of cotton grown in a field. Sweaters from wool sheared from sheep grazing on a field. Handbags crafted from the hides of cows raised on a farm. But what sort of farm? Industrial farming is a big contributor to climate change. Nitrogen fertilizers, which conventional farmers spread liberally on their fields, put out significant greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, Ms. Burgess said. To reach the goals set by the Paris Climate agreement most notably that of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 farming must stop such pollution and reduce the carbon already in the air. The most effective approach is a process we all learned in elementary school: photosynthesis. Cover crops naturally capture, or sequester, the carbon in our atmosphere and store it, via their roots, in the earth. The carbon feeds the soil, as well as helps it retain water; in turn, plants grow better, and there is less soil erosion and drought (though scientists are still unsure about exactly how much carbon can be stored in the soil). Fashion is extremely late to the carbon sequestering party the food industry was way ahead but with multiple brands publicly promising to become carbon neutral, it is now firmly committed. Better late than never. President Biden, in a joint statement with the first lady, Jill Biden, said on Monday night that he had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Mondale and his family over the weekend. He recalled how Mr. Mondale was one of the first people to greet him when he arrived in Washington in 1973 when both he and Mr. Mondale were senators, and how he looked to him for advice. When President Obama asked me to consider being his vice president, Fritz was my first call and trusted guide, Mr. Biden said. He not only took my call, he wrote me a memo. It was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency as a full partnership, and helped provide a model for my service. Mr. Biden said that few senators had commanded such universal respect as Mr. Mondale. He may have been modest and unassuming in manner, but he was unwavering in his pursuit of progress; instrumental in passing laws like the Fair Housing Act to prevent racial discrimination in housing, Title IX to provide more opportunities for women, and laws to protect our environment, he said. Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman elected to the office, lauded Mr. Mondale for his collaborative role in the Carter administration and for his selection of Ms. Ferraro in 1984 as his running mate. A subsidiary of South Korean bio-tech company GL Rapah will begin producing Russian COVID-19 vaccines in the country in May, with all doses bound for export, industry sources said Tuesday. Under the agreement with Russia's sovereign wealth fund, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Hankook Korus will first manufacture 150 million doses of Sputnik V at a local factory, they said. Another 500 million doses of Sputnik V will be manufactured in accordance with an agreement between a GL Rapha-led consortium and the RDIF. All of the doses manufactured in South Korea will be for export and not for domestic usage, they added. In February, GL Rapha completed organizing the consortium for the production of Sputnik V in the country, including eight leading pharmaceutical companies. The RDIF described Sputnik V as "the world's first registered vaccine" based on "human adenoviral vector-based platform." The first interim analysis of the Sputnik V vaccine of phase three clinical trials in Russia has demonstrated 92 percent efficacy against the new coronavirus based on 20 confirmed cases, the Moscow-based fund earlier said. The Sputnik V vaccine was developed at the National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, and its clinical trials have been announced in the United Arab Emirates, India, Venezuela and Belarus, the fund said. (Yonhap) NEW YORK, NY and TAIPEI, TAIWAN / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2021 / Sino United Worldwide Consolidated Ltd. (OTC PINK:SUIC), a New York based Fintech firm is looking forward to collaborate with Oracle Taiwan LLC, the world's largest database management company, in spearheading innovative solutions for Global Supply Chain Finance, Fintech and DeFi Smart Contract Solutions. SoundNet Technology and Oracle Taiwan first collaborated in December 2016 during the Oracle Cloud Day program, in which SoundNet Technology app was used for its program registration and other related Oracle activities, and is still being used by Oracle until today. SUIC recognizes that Oracle's rapidly growing, highly-profitable, multi-billion-dollar Cloud ERP businesses are still leading the ERP market, with subscriptions revenues increasing steadily, especially as their Gen2 Cloud Infrastructure business amplified the group's revenue at a rate in excess of 100% in the recent reported quarter. (Source: Oracle Corporation). SUIC is planning to work with Oracle Taiwan in the joint development of Advanced Solutions for Global Supply Chain Finance, Fintech and DeFi Smart Contract Solutions, to support the full lifecycle of supply chain, providing revolutionary solutions to correct the disruption in global supply chain during this pandemic period and beyond. SUIC believes that DeFi will pave the way to greater diversity and fair competition in the financial system, global trade, and international payments, among others, leveraging the recent innovation to its superior and highly transparent Smart Contract solutions and most importantly, optimized by Oracle's exceptional and unparalleled cloud computing power, aiming for seamless integration to our corporate customer's third-party applications. Director Joa Chen Gu-Feng states, "SUIC and SoundNet Technology are at the forefront of this transformative era, embracing rapid changes in the business world as we launch our latest DeFi and Smart Contract solutions and digital services that will minimize the risk of arbitrary intervention in the Global Supply Chain Finance." About Sino United Worldwide Consolidated Company The Sino United Worldwide Consolidated Company provides research and development, venture financing for and investing in private enterprises and the public sector that develop products and services adopting core capabilities of the Internet of Things, cloud computing, mobile payment, Big Data, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence, to enhance and streamline existing processes, and establish new and exciting business models that will create revolutionary products and services. Shareholders of SUIC will be exposed to the diverse application of advanced services in various parts of the economy. Additionally, existing and potential customers can benefit from this company's diversified portfolio of technologies. As one of the pioneering publicly traded technology companies, SUIC will help build tech-enabled businesses of the future. To learn more, please visit www.sinounitedco.com. Forward-Looking Statement Certain the information set forth herein contains "forward-looking information", including "future-oriented financial information"; and "financial outlook" under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of the Company; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of shares being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of the Company's business, projects, and joint ventures; (iv) execution of the Company's vision and growth strategy, including with respect to future M&A activity and global growth; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing for the Company's projects; (vi) completion of the Company's projects that are currently underway, in development, or otherwise under consideration; (vi) renewal of the Company's current agreements; and (vii) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand management's beliefs and opinions in respect of the future so that they may use such beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Contacts Sino United Worldwide Consolidated Ltd. New Release Department 929-391-2550 SOURCE: Sino United Worldwide Consolidated Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/640717/SUIC-Director-the-Intel-Grand-Prize-Awardee-His-Proprietary-SoundNet-Technology-That-Has-Been-Adopted-by-Oracle-Taiwan-LLC-is-Planning-to-Collaborate-with-Oracle-Taiwan-in-the-Joint-Development-of-Advanced-Solutions-for-Global-Supply-Chain-Finance A Sydney geography teacher has admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old male student on three separate occasions. Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday - without her engagement ring or the support of her fiance - and admitted to aggravated sexual intercourse with the boy in Homebush in June and July, 2020. Her victim and another teenage boy were due to pre-record their evidence on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of her five day trial beginning on September 21. But former top prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, who was enlisted to defend Young, on Monday indicated her client would be willing to plead guilty to three of the initial 12 charges. On Tuesday morning, the Director of Public Prosecutions indicted Young on three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child. Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) donned an all-black ensemble when she appeared in Downing Centre District Court on Monday Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) enters Downing Centre District Court for the first day of a two day hearing ahead of her trial in September She was supported by an older female companion when she fronted court on Monday - but Young's fiance, who once vowed to stand by her, was not present. She also was not wearing her engagement ring Young stood before Judge Kate Traill and meekly pleaded guilty to having sex with her teenage student on three separate occasions in Homebush in Sydney's west between June 21 and July 3. A police statement of facts previously tendered in court said Young drove her pupil to a western Sydney park, mounted him and had sex in her car. Investigators obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing Young's car approaching the park, according to material before the court. The aggravated element of each of the charges stems from the fact that the boy was under her authority and that Young had a position of trust at the time of offending. She will undergo a psychiatric assessment before she is due to be sentenced in June. 'We have medical personnel lined up and are hopeful for some treatment regimes before the inevitable,' Ms Cunneen told the court. Judge Traill did not alter Young's bail conditions following her guilty plea and there was no suggestion she be immediately taken into custody. Monica Elizabeth Young, 23, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday where she admitted to aggravated sexual intercourse with the boy in Homebush in June and July, 2020 Her long, blonde hair had been chopped into a blunt mid-length bob and her coloured a darker brown Young was also pictured back in February without her engagement ring The maximum penalty for each count of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under 16 is 12 years' imprisonment. Prosecutor Alexander Terracini told the court he would argue custody 'is the only option' for Young when she is sentenced on June 24. Currently living with family, Young must report to police on a daily basis, adhere to a strict 8pm to 8am curfew and can only leave the house while accompanied by her parents or grandmother. Ms Cunneen said on Monday Young was 'very anxious to avoid a situation where [the victim] had to endure another weekend of concern about having to do this [give evidence]'. 'My instruction from Ms Young is to put him out of his misery as soon as possible,' she added. The Director of Public Prosecutions initially indicated they would have a response to the submission by close of business on Monday, to avoid potentially unnecessarily making the witnesses give their testimony on Tuesday. Young was last pictured back in February when she was due to appear in court - sporting longer, lighter hair and a face mask due to Covid restrictions 'I'll do my best for an answer one way or another... One so the complainant can have an answer but also so Ms Young can have an answer hopefully by today,' the prosecutor said. 'Everybody that needs to know will know as soon as I know. We all need to have some direction as soon as possible.' Young looked unrecognisable as she entered the Downing Centre flanked by Ms Cunneen, solicitor Gazi Abbas and a female companion. Her long, blonde hair had been chopped into a blunt mid-length bob and her coloured a darker brown. She also went without her engagement ring and her fiance, who initially insisted she was innocent, did not appear in court to support her. It is not clear if the pair are still together. Monica Elizabeth Young (right) was joined on Monday by a female companion for support Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year. Young spent a month in custody last year before she was released on strict bail conditions. She had maintained her innocence and entered an official plea of not guilty right up until last week, when her counsel claims to have contacted prosecutors wanting to plead guilty to some of the charges. Prosecutor Alexander Terracini provided the court with documents relating to three other offences that will be taken into account at the time of sentencing. They will not result in a conviction. Young no longer works as a teacher. She is due to be sentenced on June 24. El Dorado Disposal, a Waste Connections company, is looking to hire a safety conscious Gate House Clerk to join our team in Placerville, CA! The schedule will be Sunday-Wednesday, 7:30am-6:00pm. Responsibilities Include: Greeting customers as they enter the transfer station, directing them where to go Cash handling Cleaning equipment - sweeping/power washing General site cleanup as needed Friendly customer service Requirements: At least 2+ years of work experience, preferably in a customer service type position. The ability to lift up to 75 pounds Experience operating equipment is a plus Ability to work in all weather conditions throughout entire shift To be considered for any of our current openings you must complete an application at www.wasteconnections.com. Application information and additional instructions can be found once you select your position of interest. We offer excellent benefits including: medical, dental, vision, flexible spending account, long term & short term disability, life insurance, 401K retirement and unlimited opportunities to "Connect with Your Future". Waste Connections is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer (Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran) Bengaluru, April 20 : With several hospitals claiming that shortage of oxygen was claiming several lives, Karnataka Mines and Geology Minister, Murugesh R. Nirani on Tuesday held a meeting with steel manufacturing giants like the JSW Group for supplying oxygen to Covid-hit hospitals. After the meeting here, Nirani told reporters that among all steel manufacturing companies based in Karnataka, the JSW Group has committed to supply 400 tonnes of oxygen per day. Amidst worsening situation in the state, he emphasised on the need to produce oxygen in abundance to address the public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. He appealed to all the steel companies to respond to the crisis, produce oxygen on a war-footing and supply them to hospitals on a priority basis. The minister said that with the number of Covid-19 cases continuing to grow exponentially, Karnataka is witnessing severe shortage of oxygen. "The overwhelming number of cases and shortage of oxygen supply has choked the health system in the state. Even the patients from well-off families and medical professionals are struggling to get ICU beds and oxygen supply during this unprecedented time," he said. JSW Steel's Deputy Managing Director, Vinod Nowal, who was present in the meeting, assured the state government to supply 400 tonnes of oxygen per day to tackle the crisis. "Our company's commitment is towards Karnataka. We are equipped and ready to supply more oxygen if the demand arises," Nowal said after the meeting. Musty, moldy, smoky or horse dung-like smelling cocoa is not suitable for chocolate production. As part of a larger research project, a team of scientists led by Martin Steinhaus from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has identified the odorants responsible for such off-flavors. The food industry can now use these results to objectively assess the sensory quality of fermented cocoa based on odorant concentrations. The research team published the data in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Who likes chocolate that smells like smoke or mold, or chocolate whose aroma is reminiscent of a horse stable or of mothballs? Off-flavors are a major problem, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, also for larger companies, off-flavor-tainted cocoa batches can cause immense economic damage, posing the need for their reliable identification during the incoming goods inspection. Until now, this has only been possible with some limitations by using a trained sensory panel, since no approach to objectively evaluate off-flavors in cocoa on the basis of the concentrations of the causative odorants was available. As part of a project of the Research Association of the German Food Industry, the team led by food chemist Martin Steinhaus has now made a significant contribution to solving this problem. Using the molecular sensory science concept established at the Leibniz Institute, the research group has identified the key odorants that chiefly contribute to typical off-flavors in fermented cocoa. Off-flavors from hammy-smoky to moldy-musty In cocoa samples with hammy-smoky off-flavors, the team identified six crucial odorants. The substances smelled smoky, hammy, phenolic or horse stable-like. In samples with a moldy-musty odor, the researchers found additional four off-flavor compounds. These smelled moldy, musty, beetroot-like, fecal- or mothball-like. The research team determined the odor threshold values of the identified substances in order to derive maximum concentration limits. In its latest publication, for example, the team recommends a maximum tolerable concentration for the off-flavor substance geosmin of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of fermented cocoa. Even in the lowest concentrations, this odorant has a musty, earthy smell reminiscent of beetroot. Geosmin is presumably of bacterial origin. For fecal, mothball-like smelling 3-methyl-1H-indole, the researchers recommend a limit of 1.1 micrograms per kilogram of fermented cocoa. Odorant distribution is also important The research team's findings also show that about 40 to 65 percent of total geosmin is found in the seed coat (testa) of fermented cocoa beans. In contrast, the off-flavor substance 3-methyl-1H-indole was predominantly found inside the beans. "The uneven distribution of the two odorants between the seed coat and the embryo is another important aspect that chocolate manufacturers should consider when testing fermented cocoa," says Martin Steinhaus. "At the moment, we do not know how much geosmin is transferred from the shells into the embryo during the roasting process. Therefore, it might be reasonable to remove the seed coats before roasting rather than after roasting." ### Original publications Porcelli C, Neiens S, Steinhaus M (2021) J Agric Food Chem. Molecular background of a moldy-musty off-flavor in cocoa, pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00564 Fullemann D, Steinhaus M (2020) J Agric Food Chem, 68: 10833-10841, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04633. Characterization of odorants causing smoky off-flavors in cocoa, pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04633 Background information Funding This IGF Project of the FEI was supported via AiF within the program for promoting the Industrial Collective Research (IGF) of the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), based on the resolution of the German Parliament (project no. 19455 N). Facts provided by the Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry The German cocoa and chocolate industry includes around 90 companies. They process approximately 400,000 metric tons of fermented cocoa annually, most of which comes from Africa. Since 2011, the share of sustainably produced cocoa has increased from 3 to 77 percent in 2020. According to a representative survey by respondi AG, the most popular types of chocolate in Germany include: milk chocolate, nougat, dark and bittersweet chocolate, as well as white and hazelnut chocolate. In 2019, German companies produced a total of 220 million chocolate Easter bunnies. Of these, 106 million were exported. The main export countries include the EU, the USA, Canada and Australia, https:/ / www. bdsi. de/ zahlen-fakten/ rohstoffverarbeitung/ . Expert contact: PD Dr. Martin Steinhaus Head of Section I and head of the Work Group Sensory Systems Chemistry Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich Lise-Meitner-Str. 34 85354 Freising, Germany Tel.: +49 8161 71-2991 Email: martin.steinhaus@tum.de Press contact: Dr. Gisela Olias Knowledge Transfer, Press & Public Relations Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich Lise-Meitner-Str. 34 85354 Freising, Germany Tel.: +49 8161 71 2980 E-Mail: g.olias.leibniz-lsb@tum.de http://www. leibniz-lsb. de Information about the Leibniz Institute The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) has a unique research profile. Its researchers combine methods of basic biomolecular research with analytical methods of bioinformatics and analytical high-performance technologies. Their goal is to decode the complex ingredient profiles from raw materials to the final food products and to elucidate their function as biological active molecules on humans. Based on their studies, the scientists develop products, which are as healthy as they are tasty. These foods will help to provide a sustainable and sufficient stream of food for future generations. In addition, the new scientific findings will be used to develop personalized nutritional concepts that, for example, help people with food intolerance without compromising quality of life and endangering their health. The Leibniz LSB@TUM is a member of the Leibniz Association, which connects 96 independent research institutions. Their orientation ranges from the natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences through economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes devote themselves to social, economic and ecological issues. They conduct knowledge-oriented and application-oriented research, also in the overlapping Leibniz research networks, are or maintain scientific infrastructures and offer research-based services. The Leibniz Association focuses on knowledge transfer, especially with the Leibniz Research Museums. It advises and informs politics, science, business and the public. Leibniz institutions maintain close cooperation with universities - among others, in the form of the Leibniz Science Campuses, industry and other partners in Germany and abroad. They are subject to a transparent and independent review process. Due to their national significance, the federal government and the federal states jointly fund the institutes of the Leibniz Association. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,000 people, including 10,000 scientists. The entire budget of all the institutes is more than 1.9 billion euros. Marie Watson wanted to be among the first in line when she and other essential workers became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine and with good reason. Registered nurse Sofia Mercado administers a vaccine shot at a vaccination event for workers at an Amazon Fulfillment Center, Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in North Las Vegas, Nev. A growing number of companies and labor unions are directly securing coronavirus vaccines for their workers. Amazon and some other large companies have hosted on-site inoculations, while smaller operations have helped book appointments for their workers. (AP Photo/John Locher) Marie Watson wanted to be among the first in line when she and other essential workers became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine and with good reason. The maintenance parts buyer for a Mission Foods tortilla plant in Pueblo, Colorado, had lost her father to COVID-19 in the fall and was told by a doctor last year that she herself almost certainly had the virus. So when her union, the United Food Workers and Commercial Workers, secured appointments for the plant's 200 workers, she jumped in her car and drove to a nearby drive-thru clinic for the first of two doses. There was this sense of relief," Watson said. "This was more confirmation that Im on my way to being normal. A growing number of labour unions and companies are securing shots for their employees as eligibility widens. Some large companies such as Amazon are offering workplace vaccinations through licensed health care providers, while smaller outfits are booking appointments for workers at outside locations. For employers, the vaccines are a critical step toward restoring normalcy at a time when they expect a spike in demand for their services as more people get inoculated. They are also betting that employees who did not initially trust the vaccine will have a change of heart when they see co-workers receiving it. For workers, employer assistance with the vaccine eliminates hurdles, including transportation issues or manoeuvring through a patchwork of websites to find appointments. That access could help to narrow the racial and socioeconomic gaps that have opened in the countrys vaccination drive. While many essential workers have spent weeks trying to get time slots, Watson got her shot days after Colorado extended eligibility to food workers. Iliana de la Vega, owner of the Mexican restaurant El Naranjo in Austin, Texas, said she secured appointments for all 12 of her employees out of gratitude that they stuck with her through shutdown orders and capacity restrictions that ate into their pay. Some workers hesitated at first but were quickly persuaded with the promise of a day off, De la Vega said. A couple of them said, We are not sure.' I said, 'That's not an option. Take it or leave it. Who knows when you will be able to get it again?'" de la Vega said. Despite the growing number of companies offering on-site vaccinations, there are signs that some may have lost interest. In March, when vaccine eligibility was widening and distribution efforts improving in the U.S., a survey by the consulting firm Gartner found 30% of companies planned to bring vaccines to their employees. That was down from 42% in January, when distribution was still spotty and obtaining appointments was still extremely difficult for most people. The speed of the rollout has exceeded their expectations so companies are realizing they can take a back seat, said Brian Kropp, chief of research at Gartner's human resources practice. Vaccinating employees is also less urgent for a growing number of companies that are adopting permanent remote-work policies, Kropp said. While nearly two-thirds of companies plan to reopen their workplaces by the end of this year, the majority say they will allow many employees to keep working from home at least some days, according to Gartner, which surveyed 300 companies. Nonetheless, prominent companies continue to join the list of those offering on-site vaccinations. Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers opened up on-site vaccinations Monday in Michigan, Kansas and Ohio. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine had initially put a stop to workplace clinics out of concern they would tie up supply, but he allowed them to resume last week as demand dropped at the state's mass vaccination sites. Amazon launched its long-anticipated on-site vaccinations last month in Kansas, Missouri and Nevada. Warehouse and other front-line workers can sign up for shots at kiosks or through Amazons employee app. Yogurt maker Chobani, which employs 2,200 people in the U.S., partnered with a local pharmacy to vaccinate hundreds of its employees at its Twin Falls, Idaho, plant, according to the companys chief People and Culture Officer Grace Zuncic. American Airlines, Subaru, chicken producer Mountaire Farms, and agricultural equipment maker Vermeer are among 40 companies that brought vaccines to their employees through partnerships with Premise Health, a direct health care provider. American Airlines is administering vaccines at airports in Chicago, Charlotte, Tulsa and Dallas-Fort Worth, according to the company. At least 25,000 people have been vaccinated through the partnerships, said Premise President Jami Doucette. He expects that number to climb into the millions. Tyson Foods, one of the worlds largest food companies, said it has vaccinated nearly 40,000 employees nearly one-third of its workforce at vaccination events in 16 states. Tyson also expanded its on-site event last week to include eligible family members of employees. Bob Reinhard, who is leading Tysons vaccination effort, said a minority of employees have refused to get vaccinated while some others are interested but want more information and dont want to go first. That secondary group is now coming around, Reinhard said. Employer-organized vaccination events, along with incentives such as bonuses or paid time off, allow companies to keep track of how many employees get vaccinated. Employer are legally allowed to require the vaccine, but the vast majority have shied away from doing so; some say it doesn't make sense to do so until everyone is eligible and there is sufficient supply. Still, the idea is gaining some traction. While Gartner's March survey showed just 8% of companies planned to require employees to show proof of vaccinations, that number was up from 2% in January. Chobani, which says it has avoided outbreaks at its plants and has seen few positive cases among employees, has not ruled out requiring the vaccines, Zuncic said. The company plans to assess how many of its workers have been vaccinated by midyear. It's a discussion that continues, Zuncic said. We want to get a pulse and sense of how far along we are. This $20 a month donation gives you full online access to all four of our local papers - Sonoma West, The Healdsburg Tribune, Windsor Times and Cloverdale Reveille - and will help the paper survive. This renews automatically, and we will charge your card monthly until you tell us to stop. Thanks for going above and beyond! Ex-Deputy Emergencies Minister sentenced to 5 years behind bars for fraud RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 17:19 20/04/2021 MOSCOW, April 20 (RAPSI) The former First Deputy Emergencies Minister, Lieutenant General Sergey Shlyakov received 5 years in jail for fraud on Tuesday, the press service of Moscows Khamovnichesky District Court told RAPSI. A prosecutor earlier demanded six years in penal colony for Shlyakov and another defendant Sergey Onishchenko each, and 5.5 and 7.5 years behind bars for two other defendants Alexander Kazartsev and Yury Kuznetsov respectively. According to investigators, Shlyakov and his alleged accomplices offered the former assistant of Russias Emergencies Minister Yury Udalov to help in the achievement of the post of the Yaroslavl Regions Governor. In May 2018, the latter turned to law enforcement seeking to prevent the criminal activity of a group of people. As reported earlier, two examination were conducted, over 15 witnesses were questioned and more than 500 documents were studied as part of the case. Swiss-Belhotel International has announced its participation at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 16 to 19. The brand will also be present at the ATM Virtual from May 24 to 26. Commenting on the participation, Gavin M. Faull, Chairman and President of Swiss-Belhotel International, said: Although the crisis is far from over, ATM Dubai is a great way to prepare for the recovery of the hospitality sector. At Swiss-Belhotel International our business strategy is focused on responsible recovery while delivering value to all. We look ahead to a dynamic future by relentlessly pursuing new opportunities and reinforcing our presence in existing markets. On this occasion we would like to thank our owners, guests and associates for their continued support and trust. Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President Operations & Development, EMEA & India; Senior Vice President Group Human Resources & Talent Development, Swiss-Belhotel International, stated: ATM Dubai is the first major live event for the travel and tourism industry in 18 months and we are delighted to reconnect and share our latest developments with our industry partners. It is crucial for all of us to reunite in the global recovery efforts of the travel and tourism industry and Dubai is once again taking the lead in this direction. Voivenel further added: We have two new hotel openings coming up in the GCC in May 2021 (Swiss-Belsuites Admiral Juffair and Grand Swiss-Belhotel Waterfront Seef), that will also bring to life for the very first time our upscale five-star brand Grand Swiss-Belhotel in the Middle East, and ATM Dubai is the perfect platform for us to debut these. In addition, as we navigate through the market challenges, we have many other exciting initiatives to share with our network aimed at delivering on evolving guest requirements through innovative and enhanced experiences in a safe environment. Visitors to ATM Dubai can find Swiss-Belhotel International on stand: HC0935 in the Sheikh Saeed Arena at the Dubai World Trade Centre. - TradeArabia News Service By Choe Chong-dae I visited the small, ancient Ingak Temple on my last trip to Gunwi County in North Gyeongsang Province. The website of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism claims that "Ingak Temple deserves the title as the most sacred sanctum that embodies the intellectual history of the Korean people." It is nestled on a sedimentary area on the banks of the quiet Whicheon stream, with a view of Hwasan Mountain. The temple was erected by the famous Buddhist master, Venerable Uisang, during the Silla Kingdom in 642. Ingak Temple became one of our most famous temples after Buddhist National Preceptor Il-yeon (1206-1289) wrote the Samguk Yusa there in the 13th century, during the Goryeo Kingdom. The Samguk Yusa is a precious collection of Korean historical records. It includes legends and history as well as a chapter on the genealogies of the monarchs of the ancient Three Kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. Having explored numerous historic sites and temples all over Korea, Master Il-yeon immersed himself in writing the Samguk Yusa at Ingak Temple based on his research. The five volumes of the book were completed in 1281. The text is highly regarded by scholars. It is a major source for studying ancient Korean history. While it was written from Abbot Il-yeon's Buddhist perspective, it provides us with insight into Korean history as well as linguistics, culture, religion, folklore and legends, philosophy, mythology, geography, art and music. He wrote it in the Classical Chinese of the period. It was translated into Korean and in English in modern times. The oldest copy of the Samguk Yusa is designated a Korean National Treasure. Many significant Korean archeological sites and historical facts would most likely have been forgotten if it were not for the Master Il-yeon's outstanding dedication. Another historical account called the Samguk Sagi was written more than a century before the Samguk Yusa by the government scholar, Kim Bu-sik. It is a formal history of the ancient Three Kingdoms. Remarkably, the name, "Goro-myeon," of Gunwi County, was changed to "Samguk Yusa-myeon" on Jan. 1, 2021, to commemorate the collection of the Samguk Yusa at the temple. "Myeon" is the Korean term for "township" as an administrative subdivision. Coincidentally, the name of another township was changed, too. "Yangbuk-myeon," of Gyeongju City, where the Underwater Tomb of King Munmu of the Silla Kingdom is enshrined, was changed to,"Munmudaewang-myeon" on April 1 in recognition of its historical and cultural value. It is a positive sign that the local government has changed names of such entities as towns, districts and other topographical features to reflect our cultural traditions and to encourage tourism. Another impressive cultural heritage site in Gunwi County is the "the Second Seokguram Grotto." It was built in the southeast corner of Palgong Mountain in Gunwi County, a century before the Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju. Its distinctive Amitabha Buddha Triad was masterfully sculpted in high and low relief in a natural stone cave on a sheer cliff. It is considered to be the antecedent of the Gyeongju Seokguram Grotto. However, the sophistication of the Second Seokguram in Gunwi far outshines the one in Gyeongju. Unlike the Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju, the Second Seokguram Grotto is not well-known to the public. It is well worth visiting Samguk Yusa-Myeon, Gunwi County, because of Ingak Temple and its importance in Korean history, as well as the beauty of the Second Seokguram Grotto. Choe Chong-dae ( choecd@naver.com ) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co. and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. Photo: The Canadian Press Families of two of three workers killed in a train derailment near Field, B.C., in 2019 have filed lawsuits accusing Canadian Pacific of gross negligence. The derailment sent 99 grain cars and two locomotives off the tracks. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh The mother of one of three railway employees killed during a train derailment near the British Columbia-Alberta boundary doesn't want anyone else to feel the same kind of pain that her family did. "I don't want any other family to have to go through what we've gone through. That would be a great blessing if that didn't have to happen again," Pam Fraser said Monday in a phone interview from Calgary. Fraser's son, Dylan Paradis, was a conductor on the Canadian Pacific freight train that plummeted off a bridge in February 2019. Paradis, engineer Andrew Dockrell and trainee Daniel Waldenberger-Bulmerone were in the lead locomotive and were killed. Fraser and Dockrell's family have filed lawsuits alleging negligence in the derailment that sent 99 cars and two locomotives tumbling off the tracks. "Gross negligence is a good word. I think it's an utter lack of respect for human life," Fraser said. The westbound train was parked on a grade and had its air brakes on when it started rolling on its own, gaining speeds far above the limit for the mountain pass near Field, B.C. The Transportation Safety Board has said handbrakes were not applied and the train barrelled along for just over three kilometres before it derailed at a curve ahead of a bridge. The claims filed in B.C. Supreme Court name the rail company, its CEO, board of directors, CP police and the federal minister of transport. The lawsuits allege the workers weren't provided a safe work environment, CP Rail failed to follow safety procedures and the company's police force should not have been allowed to do the investigation into the crash. "This story is about the broader culpability of a number of people. I'll put CP Rail aside. They are the epicentre of the problem," said Regina lawyer Tavengwa Runyowa. "But the even bigger problem is pretty much our federal government, because they created a framework where all of this was possible. This system has existed for decades, many people have died and nothing has happened." Runyowa said the Railway Safety Act allows private companies to have their own police forces, which emboldens them to concentrating more on profit instead of employee safety. "It's not just about saying that CP caused these deaths and there were all of these things that were not working properly," Runyowa said. "There's a bigger systemic problem here where we have allowed a whole industry to pretty much regulate itself." CP Rail responded to the allegations in a statement. "We continue to reflect on the events of Feb. 4, 2019, and mourn the loss of Dylan Paradis, Daniel Waldenberger-Bulmer and Andrew Dockrell. These railroaders will never be forgotten," it reads. "CP disputes these baseless allegations and will vigorously defend against these claims in court." No statements of defence have been filed and the allegations have not been proven in court. Fraser said the lawsuit isn't about the money. "People need to be held accountable. There has been wrongdoing and changes must, must, must be made," she said. "The changes need to be made so that profits can no longer be put before people's well-being." Washington: President Joe Biden says George Floyds death was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off for all the world to see the problems with race and policing in the US. Biden, speaking after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in Floyds death last May, said the verdict can be a giant step forward for the country against systemic racism. The systemic racism is a stain on our nations soul, he said. Todays verdict is a step forward. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks at the White House in Washington, after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Credit:AP Nothing can ever bring their brother, their father back, but this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America, he said. NASA conducted its first flight on another planet early Monday morning, a short hop for a small chopper named Ingenuity which demonstrated technology that could prove critical to the future of space exploration. The four-pound vehicle ascended to about 10 feet above the surface of the red planet for about 40 seconds, before descending back to the ground. The helicopter arrived on Mars along with the Perseverance rover on Feb. 18 in a dramatic, high-definition landing. As the U.S. and other nations prepare to return humans to the moon, and eventually land on Mars, using drones to closely assess the surrounding landscape will become ever-more important. We now have our Wright brothers moment, MiMi Aung, project manager for Ingenuity, said early Monday morning from a control room at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This is just the first great flight. Researchers at JPL have planned four more Ingenuity flights during the mission to demonstrate the technologys viability in the thin Martian atmosphere, a hostile environment to craft that require air for lift (the Martian atmosphere is 100 times thinner than that of Earth). Indeed, flying close to the surface of Mars is the equivalent of flying at more than 87,000 feet on Earth, essentially three times the height of Mount Everest, NASA engineers said. The altitude record for a helicopter flight on earth is 41,000 feet. Made up mostly of carbon dioxide, the less-dense atmosphere requires blade rotation speeds of 2,400 rpm for the chopper to remain aloft five times whats needed on Earth. Researchers also had only an estimate of what kind of wind speeds to expect, which was around 13 mph. Each subsequent test will be higher risk and up to 15 feet above the surface because we want to stretch and understand the capability of this little vehicle, Aung said. The longest flight will last no more than 90 seconds. JPL program managers warned that Ingenuitys later flights come with a fair chance of ending the mission entirely, given the increased probability of a crash landing. The small craft has no way to right itself if it lands askew and not on its four legs. Since the Apollo missions introduced rovers to the Moons surface, surface exploration has remained at ground-level. Over time, drone flights could allow exploration of inaccessible, rocky terrain or to scan cliffs and other geological futures too treacherous for roversor humans. NASA began concept testing its off-world aviation experiment back in 2014, and has conducted extensive vacuum chamber-testing to understand the complexity of flight on Mars, where its very cold by terrestrial standards, dipping to -130F (-90C) at night. But Ingenuity is only the beginning. The agencys Dragonfly mission to Saturns moon Titan is scheduled for a 2027 launch, with arrival to occur about eight years later. The larger rotorcraft will fly more than 100 miles on the icy moon, collecting samples at multiple locations. NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this image as it hovered over the Martian surface on Monday, April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet. It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground during flight. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/TNS)TNS While Titans nitrogen-heavy, complex atmosphere will be an easier place to fly than Mars when it comes to aerodynamics, methane rain and super extreme cold of -290F (-179C) will present their own challenges. Ingenuity and its progeny must be largely autonomous given the lag in communications from Earth, which is 180 million miles away. NASA eventually found itself purchasing two $750 commercial chipsets for the drone flights that were developed by Qualcomm Inc., since the platform offered the helicopter more robust computing with low power usage than NASAs existing technology. Ingenuity has two cameras, one for navigation, the other for terrain photography, and must connect wirelessly with Perseverance to relay its imagery to an overhead Mars orbiter and back to Earth. The chips also must accept flight profiles sent from JPL pilots. This is a historic momentfirst flight off planet earth, said Dev Singh, a Qualcomm general manager who oversees drones and robotics. This is just a beginning. ___ Justin Bachman 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 The founder of the United Cajun Navy said Tuesday that private divers working for the owner of the capsized Seacor Power lift boat in the Gulf of Mexico had entered the submerged galley area of the ship on Tuesday, as family members of eight missing crewmen held out hope that life remains inside. UPDATE: Sixth body recovered, victim ID'd as divers continue searching Seacor Power's wreckage The civilian rescue fleet had two seaplanes in the air Tuesday, said Cajun Navy founder Todd Terrell, and continued the search across a wide area around the Seacor Power, which capsized hours after leaving Port Fourchon on April 13. Were still out there, Terrell said. Its about the fact theres still hope. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search by air and sea for more survivors at sunset Monday after its seventh day. Six of the 19 crewmen aboard the Seacor Power were rescued within hours of it capsizing in a squall that came on fast and packed hurricane-force winds. The bodies of five crewmen, including that of the ships captain, have been recovered since. +5 Seacor Power: 8 missing from capsized lift boat now presumed dead as Coast Guard suspends search Thirteen of the 19 crewmen aboard the Seacor Power when it left Port Fourchon on Tuesday are now either dead or presumed to have perished in t Terrell said private planes were also ferrying family members of some of the eight missing crewmen to the hobbled jack-up barge, eight miles south of Port Fourchon. Scott Daspit, the father of missing 30-year-old crewman Dylan Daspit, has been out daily to the scene of the catastrophic capsizing, by boat or plane, said Terrell, who said the mission was to at least bring closure to these people. A relative of the Daspits, Katelyn Bienvenu, said family members were waiting to learn if airtight doors to the galley were sealed off, thinking that might have kept crewmen alive. The families are holding onto hope, she said. Terrell and Bienvenu both said later Tuesday that divers had cleared the galley by mid-afternoon and had two rooms remaining to be searched, in a painstaking crawl through murky water. No other crew members had been found Tuesday, they said. A spokesperson for Seacor Marine declined to provide details on the progress of the dive team but said that the divers work will continue until theyve exhausted their search. John Gellert, president and CEO of Seacor Marine Holdings Inc., said Monday that the search of the vessel would continue even as the National Transportation Safety Board takes the lead in investigating the fatal capsizing. Gellert said the "go/no-go decision" to depart Port Fourchon in bad weather was "entirely the captain's. He described the boats captain as a "very prudent and conservative" mariner with five decades of experience. Gellert noted that the storm came on fast and far exceeded projections. Unlike some other ports in Louisiana, there's no harbor master system at Port Fourchon to clear vessels to come and go, according to Chett Chiasson, executive director of Port Fourchon. 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 Speaking at an anniversary event in New Orleans for the Deepwater Horizon disaster 11 years ago, retired U.S. Army Lt. General Russel Honore of Baton Rouge, who led the Katrina response, saw parallels to that marine tragedy. "Let me get to the bottom line: We have a problem in Louisiana with safety when it comes to the oil and gas business," Honore said. "Anything is okay. Here we have, in 11 years, two of the biggest accidents in the Gulf off the coast of Louisiana." The Deepwater Horizon disaster killed 11 workers. Honore saw a lack of oversight in relying on the captain. +5 Families rattled as dive search intensifies for Seacor Power crew: 'I can't bury another son' Scott Daspit motored a borrowed boat from Port Fourchon on Thursday and headed eight miles south to the U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue ope "I hope the NTSB will recommend that there be a captain of the port assigned to Port Fourchon. That way when there is a weather warning, he cannot only tell boats to come into harbor, but he can tell them 'Dont leave,'" Honore said. Gellert pointed to an unexpectedly ferocious storm on Monday, saying the positioning of one of the legs from the lift-boat suggested the captain had made a brief attempt to extend those legs to the seafloor before the Seacor Power capsized. The legs extend almost 200 feet in normal use, allowing the jack-up barge to service oil platforms from above the water. The Coast Guard stepped back from the hobbled Seacor Power crash scene Monday evening, and there was one mishap that occurred during the search itself. A Coast Guard official confirmed Tuesday that, in addition to the six crewmen of the lift boat, it rescued three of its own who were aboard a Coast Guard boat that overturned in the Gulf. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lally said the boat and its crew were not part of the search and rescue operations. A trailerable aids to navigation boat flipped over, Lally said. He said no other incidents or injuries were reported from the Coast Guard search and rescue operation, which before it ended covered 9,200 square nautical miles in the air and on the water around the Seacor Power. +2 Seacor Power crew member whose body was recovered Sunday identified as Terrytown man The body of the Seacor Power crew member found Sunday night has been identified as 36-year-old Lawrence Warren, according to the Lafourche Par Crew members whose bodies have been recovered were Anthony Hartford, 53 of New Orleans; James Tracy Wallingsford, 55, of the northeast village of Gilbert; Capt. David Ledet, 63, of Thibodaux; and Ernest Williams, 69, of Arnaudville; and Lawrence Warren, 36, of Terrytown. Officials havent released the names of the eight missing Seacor Power crewmen. Members of the Seacor Powers extended family, however, have identified them as Daspit, Jay Guevara, Gregory Walcott, Quinon Pitre, Chaz Morales, Jason Krell, Darren Encalade and Cooper Rozands. Guevara, Daspit, Walcott and Pitre are from the Acadiana region. Morales is a Slidell resident; Encalade is from Belle Chasse; Rozands is from Houma, and Krell is from Texas, according to information in online public records. WWL reporter Paul Murphy contributed to this story. The Union has informally told banks to reimburse or adjust the compound they charged customers in line with the Supreme Courts order asking them to refund on interest collected from accounts that sought a moratorium. Banks have been told that they can also adjust the amount against future liabilities for all accounts, irrespective of whether they opted for the moratorium or not, similar to the scheme the government announced for loans up to Rs 2 crore, said an official aware of the development. However, banks are thinking of making a representation to both the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Centre through the Indian Banks Association (IBA). The IBA approached the government last month asking it to enhance the scope of the scheme for ex-gratia payment of the difference between compound and simple interest, to cover the additional refund arising out of the Supreme Courts order. The government hasnt shown any inclination to compensate banks for the compound interest waiver, estimated at around Rs 8,000 crore, the official said. Of this Rs 8,000 crore, private banks share is about 37 per cent and that of public sector banks around 60 per cent, said Anil Gupta, vice president and sector head financial sector ratings at ICRA. The banks have to adjust the penal interest in the next installment in April. The lenders have also asked the IBA to approach the Department of Financial Services as their balance sheets are stretched. The Supreme Court on March 23 ruled that banks cannot charge interest on interest for accounts that sought a moratorium last year and the amount so collected must be refunded in the next installment of the loan account. Last month, Business Standard had reported that the government may not foot the Rs 8,000-crore reimbursement bill. It felt it could not bear the extra burden as it had already announced a relief measure for loans up to Rs 2 crore. Besides, the onus of reimbursing customers does not fall entirely on it, according to the apex courts order. In October 2020, the government had announced a scheme to waive compound interest for loans below Rs 2 crore, that included education, housing, auto, consumer durable loans, loans advanced to micro, small, and medium enterprises, and credit card dues. Filipinos queue for free food and other goods offered at a roadside community pantry in the Maginhawa neighborhood of Quezon City, north of Manila, April 19, 2021. Ana Patricia Non says she started a community-run pantry in Quezon City to help feed fellow Filipinos who are facing hard times because, in her view, they cannot rely on a government struggling to contain a burgeoning coronavirus outbreak. The 26-year-old artist and activist launched the roadside pantry this month in a neighborhood of the Manila suburb, after seeing similar initiatives in other countries during the global pandemic. Right now, we can count on no one, but each other, Non told BenarNews. It is sad that there are those who are hungry, but we are also slowly realizing that we have to start acting, even if it means acting by ourselves for our own sakes. People have been lining up on the curbside of the busy street since Non and her helpers began leaving boxes of food and other essential items that theyd gathered from donors in the neighborhood. Barely a week later, other pantries are sprouting up here. I thought of those who do not have the option to stay home because their income depends on their everyday work, Non said, referring to a COVID-19 lockdowns imposed by the Philippine government in Metro Manila and nearby areas. The spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte praised the pantries set up by Non and other charity-minded Filipinos but denied that these reflected a criticism of the governments slowness in responding to the needs of impoverished people amid the pandemic. The community pantry represents the best in the Filipino. I dont think anyone can claim to be a founder of that, spokesman Harry Roque told reporters in a virtual news conference on Monday. Its part of our psyche to help one another, so I dont see that as a condemnation of government, it simply shows the best in us during the worst of times. Since the public health crisis started more than a year ago, the government has provided a one-time payment of up to $80 in social assistance to 80 percent of the populace, officials said. As of Monday, the total number of coronavirus cases detected in the Philippines since the outbreak began in early 2020 was closing in on 1 million. The cumulative caseload had reached nearly 946,000 resulting in 16,408 deaths. For the past three weeks, the country has logged an average of 63,000 new COVID-19 cases per week. Meanwhile, delays in deliveries of vaccines have hampered a national program to inoculate the population against the virus. Residents queue for free food and other essential items at a roadside community pantry in Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 19, 2021. [Basilio Sepe/BenarNews] People can relate The pandemic forced Non to shut her small wood-making business. She had employed a construction worker and a jeepney driver who had previously lost their jobs. Now, both help her to run the Maginhawa Community Pantry, as her project has come to be known. The mutual aid project allows those in the Maginhawa, a neighborhood of Quezon City, to give what they can and take what they need. Im sure there are those who have excess food, they just dont know where they can offer it, Non said. The project sparked a movement after people from different neighborhoods and cities in the capital region, as well as those from as far away as Mindanao in the southern Philippines, started replicating the idea. When you think of why it became mainstream, its because people can relate and everyone understands that there is that need to feed the hungry, Non said. Its inspiring how other people did it in their own places, but it also presented us a sad reality that many are hungry, she said. Randy Calumag, a 39-year-old farmer from the northern province of Tarlac, was one of the first to donate to the roadside pantry. The pandemic adversely affected Calumag and his fellow farmers in the town of Paniqui. With most transportation cut off, and many markets and shops shut down, the price of the produce had dropped so steeply that it made more sense to just donate the food. We didnt count how many sacks we gave out for free as it is in our instinct that when someone is in need, we help. Its hard to count the help that you give, Calumag told BenarNews. For rickshaw driver Jojo Borja, 44, the pantry was heaven-sent. I saw my neighbors bringing vegetables and rice while I was looking for scrapped junk and they told me to go here, said Borja, who was initially hesitant to join the queue. Ill just leave if its not yet allowed, its almost lunchtime and I have to get food for my family one way or another, Borja said in Tagalog. But to his surprise, a volunteer encouraged him to get whatever he needed for the day. Borja had lost his job as a welder. Left with zero income and six mouths to feed, Borja used some of the $160 in government aid last year to buy a side-car that he can use to trade junk. I still have two kids who need diapers and milk, and on top of that I also had debts to pay, he said. It was only a week since Borja was able to go back to the streets to scavenge for junk after the government eased the quarantine restrictions. I cant stay home and just look at my family starving, he said. On bad days, Borja feeds his wife and their five children with the relief packs he can get from the neighborhood. If not, they just sleep the hunger off until its a good day in the junk trade again. This community pantry is a very big help for us. Its a big load off my shoulders as regardless of how much Ill earn for the day, I know my family can eat, Borja said. With the return of summer-like temperatures, outdoors enthusiasts have flocked back to the natural wonders that abound in and around the Portland region. That prompted a busy weekend for area search and rescue crews, as temperatures climbed into the 80s. Early Saturday morning, the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office search and rescue teams gathered near Multnomah Falls for a training exercise. A call came in around 5:15 p.m. that a 50-year-old hiker was having a heart attack 2 miles up the trail to Angels Rest. The caller said three doctors who happened to be on the same trail had begun performing CPR, but a crew was dispatched to attend to the hiker. While they were responding, a call came in that another hiker in his 70s had become lost and tired on the trail to Wahkeenah Falls, and a few members of the crew responding to the heart attack were diverted. That hiker was able to make his way to the trailhead, where emergency responders were waiting for him. The remainder of the responders continued on to the heart attack victim. While on their way up the trail, they learned the man had died despite the efforts of the doctors on the trail. The response transitioned from a rescue to a recovery, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Nearly five hours after the initial call, the crew reached the dead hiker and began taking him back down the steep trail in the dark, reaching the bottom near 4 a.m. Just after midnight Monday, another call came in about a 31-year-old man who had been hiking near Multnomah Falls with his two nieces, ages 11 and 16, and never returned. By 2 a.m., the sheriffs office found the mans car on East Larch Mountain Road, and another full-scale rescue operation was initiated. A Gresham police officer, who had been called in to help with the search, located the group about a mile east of the vehicle. They were hungry and tired but otherwise unharmed. The man told the rescue crew he had planned to return to his car but had became lost. He used a smartphone app for directions, but the app had taken him to Larch Mountain instead of Multnomah Falls, his intended destination. This is the third group in two weeks that deputies have helped who have used maps apps for directions to Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Sgt. Keith Bybee, the search and rescue coordinator for the sheriffs office, commended his staff for the long hours they put in. They never fail to impress me. No matter the situation, they always rise to the challenge, he said in a statement. Were proud to have such a dedicated team of volunteers at the ready. The sheriffs office recommended that anyone venturing out into Oregons wild spaces be prepared with what they called the 10 essentials: Navigation: map, compass, altimeter, GPS device, personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite messenger Headlamp or flashlight, plus extra batteries Sun protection: sunglasses, sun-protective clothes and sunscreen First aid, including foot care and insect repellent (as needed) Knife, plus a gear repair kit Fire: matches, lighter, tinder and/or stove Shelter (can be a light emergency bivy) Extra food beyond the minimum expectation Extra water beyond the minimum expectation Extra clothes beyond the minimum expectation -- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale MBABANE The Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) Office has unleashed officers to launch an investigation at an orphanage where rape cases between males are allegedly on the rise. These cases, which shocked many members of society and raised eyebrows on why the relevant government offices were seemingly turning a blind eye to them, have been recorded in one of the highly regarded orphanages situated in the Hhohho Region. Also, the police claim to have no records of sexual assault incidents from the said orphanage, much against the dictates of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act. The DPMs Office was prompted to take action after similar cases were reported within the institution, but dealt with internally with the exclusion of law enforcers. This act is usually termed as tibi tendlu, (matters that are swept under the carpet). Dismissed Recently, the orphanage dismissed a senior boys mentor after being found guilty of alleged sexual misconduct towards a male minor aged 17 years, who is an orphan staying at the establishment. He reportedly, on diverse occasions, invited the minor into his house situated within the premises of the institution and proceeded to sexually violate him. The mentor, who is aged 30, was facing a total of five charges and he was found guilty in all of them. The charges are misconduct/inappropriate behaviour, lack of integrity or professional misconduct and careless behaviour. He was found guilty after he was hauled before a disciplinary hearing. The name of the orphanage and the senior boys mentor has been withheld to protect the identity of the minors. The orphanage is a non-profit making organisation whose purpose is to restore hope, equip lives and build families through Christ-centred community care and community enterprise as part of its contribution to the community. In the first count, the senior boys mentor was reported to have been involved in an inappropriate relationship with the minor who was under his care and mentorship within the organisation. He is alleged to have done this by repeatedly luring him to his bedroom and exposing himself to him in an explicit fashion and/or caressing him inappropriately. Girl, 7, Shot Dead in a Chicago McDonalds Drive Thru A seven-year-old girl was shot dead and her father seriously injured after at least one person opened fire on a car at a McDonalds in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. Jontae Adams and his daughter, Jaslyn, were in a car in a McDonalds parking lot in the Homan Square neighborhood when they were shot at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Chicago Police said. The seven-year-old, who has three siblings, was rushed to Stroger Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after. She was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiners Office as being of Oak Park. Her father, 29, remains hospitalized in serious condition with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. Police said he is expected to survive. Police said more than 50 gunshots were fired in the incident. An employee of the McDonalds branch where the attack took place said two men jumped out of another vehicle, and fired shots repeatedly into the car, ABC 7 reported. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting incident, and the motive behind the attack isnt clear, however police said the shooting was believed to be gang-related, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Jaslyns aunt, Tawny McCullen, described her as a sweet, talkative child who was real loving, saying that her daughter is nearly the same age. Im really emotional now for my family, McCullen told WBBM. She was just sweet and outgoing. Really talkative, really lovable. My baby is taking it so hard right now, just a real sweet loving baby, McCullen told NBC Chicago. Yall, please put the guns down, she added. Our kids want to play. My kids cant even go out the door because of this violence. Please put the guns down. The 29-year-olds grandmother, Lawanda McMullen, said Jontae rang her in a frantic state, unable to breathe, moments after being shot. I was frantic and he was frantic. He could not breathe on the phone. He just kept saying, mom, come get me, they just shot up my baby,' she told ABC 7. They said she came in with no pulse. [They] opened up her chest and did chest compressions but could not get her back. According to records obtained by ABC7, Jontae is currently on parole from Statesville Penitentiary for a drug case. Police havent said whether they believe the father was the target of an attack. The Chicago Teachers Union said that the seven-year-old victim was a first-grade student at Cameron Elementary School. Good morning, Chicago. There are children and staff at Cameron Elementary suffering from the devastating loss of a seven-year-old classmate today. Its pain that runs incredibly deep throughout the entire school community. Think of them, and pray for them, the union said on Twitter Monday. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she is heartbroken and angered over the shooting incident. This unthinkable act of violence has no place here. The epidemic of gun violence cutting our childrens lives short cannot go on, Lightfoot said on Twitter. Meanwhile, in an incident investigators believe is connected to the McDonalds shooting, a 19-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were shot by a gunman while at a Popeyes drive-thru window at Chicago and Kedzie just three hours later. The pair were rushed to Stroger Hospital. The woman was in critical condition, while the man was in serious condition. He recently starred in a family film for Netflix that was seen by over 50 million households. And Edgar Ramirez is continuing his collaboration with the streaming platform, as he has signed on to star in the new eight-episode series The Florida Man. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ramirez, 44, will play a struggling ex-cop who is forced into the Philadelphia mob underworld to find a missing woman. Edgar Ramirez is continuing his collaboration with Netflix: He has signed on to star in the new eight-episode series The Florida Man; seen here in 2018 The series was created by Donald Todd, executive producer of NBC hit show This Is Us, who will also serve as showrunner. Additionally, Todd will executive produce the show, alongside Jason Bateman and his Netflix-based production company Aggregate. One of Edgars most recent credits is the Netflix movie Yes Day, in which he starred opposite Jennifer Garner as two overwhelmed parents who agree to say yes to their children for one entire day. Big hit: One of Edgars most recent credits is the Netflix movie Yes Day, in which he starred opposite Jennifer Garner as two overwhelmed parents who agree to say yes to their children for one entire day Series creator: The new series Florida Man was created by Donald Todd, executive producer of NBC hit show This Is Us, who will also serve as showrunner According to Netflix, the movie was seen by approximately 53 million households since its release last month. (It is important to note that Netflix classifies a household as having 'watched' a title as long as two minutes have elapsed since pressing play.) Other recent credits for Ramirez include this years HBO limited series The Undoing, opposite Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman. Detective: Other recent credits for Ramirez include this years HBO limited series The Undoing, opposite Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman The Venezuela-born actor also famously portrayed murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace in season two of Ryan Murphys decorated anthology series American Crime Story on FX. The screen actor also has a number of additional projects in the works, some having been delayed for quite a while due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two of those titles are Disneys Jungle Cruise, due this summer, as well as spy thriller The 355, which has been pushed back until next year. Legend: The Venezuela-born actor also famously portrayed murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace in season two of Ryan Murphys decorated anthology series American Crime Story That film costars Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyongo and Diane Kruger. Edgar is also currently filming the video game film adaptation Borderlands. The movie costars Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis, and comes from horror maestro Eli Roth. "Everything we do revolves around our vision of becoming the world's most thriving and beloved restaurant brand," said Wendy's President and CEO Todd Penegor. "Throughout 2020, our teams remained focused on taking care of our customers and the Wendy's family while making a positive, lasting difference in the broader communities we serve. I'm proud of the progress we've made against our Good Done Right strategy and excited about the new goals we're sharing publicly today." For the first time, Wendy's is recognizing leading reporting standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and those frameworks can be found in the matrices table at the end of the report. Wendy's is also sharing how its material impacts align with the globally recognized UN Sustainable Development Goals. Later this year, Wendy's will also report to the CDP for Climate for the first time. "Wendy's is committed to transparency throughout our corporate responsibility journey," said Wendy's Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer Liliana Esposito. "That's why we are communicating and benchmarking our progress against globally recognized reporting frameworks, such as SASB and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We will continue to drive momentum on material topics and will regularly report our progress." As further described in the 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report, Wendy's new goals include: Food: Responsibly source Wendy's top 10 priority food categories by 2030 . Building on the Company's long-standing work to responsibly source its ingredients, Wendy's is now formalizing its approach by developing environmental and social criteria, which are informed by a lifecycle assessment of priority food categories, Wendy's Animal Care Standards Program, a human rights risk assessment and through collaboration with key supply chain partners. These criteria are intended to allow Wendy's to assess current status, set new targets and demonstrate progress and transparency through ongoing reporting. The top 10 priority food categories, determined by spend and impact, include products such as beef, chicken, pork, dairy, eggs, produce and beverages. . Building on the Company's long-standing work to responsibly source its ingredients, Wendy's is now formalizing its approach by developing environmental and social criteria, which are informed by a lifecycle assessment of priority food categories, Wendy's Animal Care Standards Program, a human rights risk assessment and through collaboration with key supply chain partners. These criteria are intended to allow Wendy's to assess current status, set new targets and demonstrate progress and transparency through ongoing reporting. The top 10 priority food categories, determined by spend and impact, include products such as beef, chicken, pork, dairy, eggs, produce and beverages. People: Increase the representation of underrepresented populations among Company leadership and management, as well as the diversity of Wendy's franchisees . Specific areas of focus include increasing representation of those who identify as female and persons of color, as well as driving an inclusive mindset and culture at all levels of the organization. . Specific areas of focus include increasing representation of those who identify as female and persons of color, as well as driving an inclusive mindset and culture at all levels of the organization. Footprint: Sustainably source 100% of customer-facing packaging by 2026 . To accomplish this goal, over the next five years, Wendy's will optimize customer-facing packaging and transition to sustainable options including items that: have higher recycled content; use fewer raw materials; adhere to an established restricted substances list; are recyclable, compostable or reusable; and are sourced from areas that do not contribute to deforestation. . To accomplish this goal, over the next five years, Wendy's will optimize customer-facing packaging and transition to sustainable options including items that: have higher recycled content; use fewer raw materials; adhere to an established restricted substances list; are recyclable, compostable or reusable; and are sourced from areas that do not contribute to deforestation. Benchmark, track and reduce Wendy's Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and set a science-based target by the end of 2023 . Further highlights and the full 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report can be found here. Additional information, including detail about the evolution of Wendy's Good Done Right platform and strategy, the goal-setting process and a look ahead, can be found on Wendy's blog. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains certain statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding the Company's corporate responsibility goals and Good Done Right platform and strategy. Those statements, as well as statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "will," "may," "believes," "intends," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," or similar expressions, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). The forward-looking statements are based on the Company's expectations at the time, speak only as of the dates they are made and are susceptible to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, the factors identified in the "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Projections" and "Risk Factors" sections of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For all forward-looking statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. About Wendy's Wendy's was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the premise, "Quality is our Recipe," which remains the guidepost of the Wendy's system. Wendy's is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*, freshly-prepared salads, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty dessert. The Wendy's Company is committed to doing the right thing and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is most visible through the Company's support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and its signature Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, which seeks to find a loving, forever home for every child waiting to be adopted from the North American foster care system. Today, Wendy's and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 6,800 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world's most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on franchising, connect with us at www.wendys.com/franchising . Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for more information and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using @wendys, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendys . *Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada. SOURCE The Wendy's Company Related Links https://www.wendys.com By GERALD IMRAY, The Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Fire crews had largely contained a big wildfire on the slopes of Cape Towns Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city started to come to terms with the damage caused by what officials described as one of the areas worst blazes in years. About 90% of the fire had been contained, the Table Mountain National Park authority said, but only after firefighters again worked through the night and were into a third day battling the flames. Those firefighters faced extreme circumstances overnight, said the Working on Fire organization, which specializes in dealing with wildfires and has been helping the citys fire department. The operation on Table Mountain had now reached the mop-up stage, Working on Fire said. Fire-fighting helicopters dropped water on areas where the fire still smoldered and smoked on the rocky peaks of Table Mountain. South African army choppers joined the operation to support the fire department after the helicopters were all grounded Monday because of strong winds. A South African military helicopter drops water on the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)AP The winds had eased, but thick smoke still hung over the city and fire crews watched for flareups. Our first priority remains fully extinguishing all of the fire lines, local government official Anton Bredell said. Then, over the next few days, firefighters will continue to dampen down the affected areas and monitor for flareups until we are 100% sure the fire is out. Once the fire has been extinguished, the investigation into the cause of the fire will be conducted. Wildfires are reasonably common in the mountains and peaks around Cape Town during the hot, dry summer months and become especially dangerous and unpredictable when fueled by strong coastal winds. They sometimes spark because of the heat and dry ground, and other times are a result of fires set by people blowing out of control. This fire started early Sunday and, fueled by strong winds, ripped down and across the slopes of the mountain toward residential areas overlooking downtown Cape Town. Neighborhoods were evacuated while firefighters mostly kept the flames at bay and away from homes sometimes with just a few meters to spare. Around 250 firefighters were mobilized. A Capetonian watches the sun rise from the top of Signal Hill as smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)AP In all, 11 buildings were destroyed, six firefighters have been hurt battling the blaze and nine other people have been treated for breathing problems because of smoke inhalation, city authorities said. The University of Cape Town campus was one of the first sites to be hit and appears to have suffered the most damage. Numerous buildings at the university burned, including part of a near 100-year-old library containing rare books and manuscripts on African studies. The university said some of those priceless works had been lost, but it was unclear yet how much. Other historic buildings nearby, including a 225-year-old windmill and a renowned restaurant and tea room near a memorial to British colonial politician Cecil Rhodes, also burned down. At the tea room, plates and half-full cups sat on charred tables amid the ruins, showing how customers and staff had been forced to suddenly flee. Small fires still burned in the nearby forest. The South African government said a residence owned by its Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was completely destroyed by the fire. The house was empty at the time but family members of a national minister and two deputy ministers had to be evacuated from their homes nearby. The fire also came close to South African Deputy President David Mabuzas Cape Town residence, the government said. Around 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of land had burned, the Table Mountain National Park authority estimated. More: President of Chad dies in battle after 30 years in power Gwyneth Paltrow has long been ridiculed for her status as Hollywood's weirdest wellness guru, thanks to the star's lifestyle brand Goop touting curious products such as vibrator necklaces and vagina-scented candles to name a few. But in a new interview, the 48-year-old Oscar-winner gives a knowing wink to some of her most outlandish endorsements, admitting that the company does indeed know 'the power of a good joke' and a 'racy product name' while maintaining that the items are completely functional. Gwyneth who has been married to TV producer Brad Falchuk since 2018 says she believes the public miss the joke and are often left shocked by what she sells on her site because 'she looks a certain way' and that they don't understand her 'irreverent sense of humour.' Knowing wink: Gwyneth Paltrow admits her company Goop 'knows the power of a good joke and racy product name' but people don't get her humor because of 'the way she looks' 'Well, the people who know me well know that my irreverent sense of humour is very much at the core of who I am. Sometimes, I think people are surprised by that, because I look a certain way, or whatever assumptions they make about me,' she says, in a new interview published by Heat Magazine. 'Humour has always been a part of the Goop brand and marketing. We've always had pithy, funny subject lines. We've always wanted to name our products things that were funny and appealing and also said really clearly what they did.' In 2019, Gwyneth's company Goop - an online shop that was first launched in 2012 - was estimated to be worth an eye-watering $250million, reinventing the star from a Hollywood leading lady to a wacky wellness entrepreneur. Although the site's products have often seen Gwyneth being made into a punchline over the years, she confesses that it is these talking points that have helped boost the company's profits. 'We were not trying to create some kind of a publicity stunt whatsoever, but we did see that it drove a lot of interest and traffic to the site,' she added in the interview. Funny lady: Gwyneth Paltrow suggests in a new interview people don't get her Goop jokes because of the way she looks (pictured above in 2019) 'Not that we do stunts all the time, but we do know the power of a good joke or a racy product name.' The ever-expanding wellness brand has most recently branched out to the prepared-food area, with Goop now offering meal delivery services in LA that boast all handmade ingredients and nothing 'coming from a can.' Gwyneth - who has written four cookbooks - started Goop Kitchen in March this year, and meals are said to contain absolutely no processed foods or sugars. The diversifying of her company doesn't end there either, as the Shakespeare In Love star says in the new interview this week that the cannabis market is possibly next on the agenda. All a joke? Gwyneth has opened up about the fact products like her vagina-scented candles will often drive traffic towards her site, Goop Gwyneth explains: 'I would love to get into the CBD space, I think that there are some really interesting studies around CBD and the efficiency of it, especially there's a little bit of THC (the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the 'high' sensation.) but I think we're a way away from that. The regulation is really difficult.' Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (the 'MRTA') into law, making New York the most recent state to legalize recreational marijuana - meaning lots of opportunities for the cannabis industry. The medical use of cannabis is legal in 36 states in the US, while recreational use is legal in 17, including California where Gwyneth spends much of her time. Gwyneth, who 'consciously uncoupled' a.k.a split with Coldplay's Chris Martin in 2014 (which was first revealed on Goop), also has a home in the Hamptons, where she spends summers with her children, daughter Apple, 16, and son, Moses, 15. Duterte threatens to send in navy over claim A Philippine coast guard vessel. President Duterte said the public could be assured he would assert the country's claims to resources like oil and minerals in the South China Sea. File photo: Reuters Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he was prepared to send his military ships in the South China Sea to "stake a claim" over oil and mineral resources in the disputed part of the strategic waterway. With some critics complaining Duterte had gone soft by refusing to push Beijing to comply with an arbitration ruling, he said the public can be assured he would assert the country's claims to resources like oil and minerals in the South China Sea. "I'm not so much interested now in fishing. I don't think there's enough fish to quarrel about. But when we start to mine, when we start to get whatever it is in the bowels of the China Sea, our oil, by that time I will send my grey ships there to stake a claim," Duterte said in a late night public address. "If they start drilling oil there, I will tell China, is that part of our agreement? If that is not part of our agreement, I will also drill oil there," he said even as he reiterated he wanted to remain friends with Beijing. Duterte has sought to build an alliance with China and has been reluctant to confront its leadership, having been promised billions of dollars of loans and investments, much of which have yet to materialise, frustrating nationalists. He has repeatedly said the Philippines was powerless to stop China, and that challenging its activities could risk a war his country would lose. The firebrand leader said there was no way for the Philippines to enforce "without any bloodshed" a landmark 2016 arbitral ruling that clarified the Philippines sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Philippines has filed several diplomatic protests against China's actions in the South China Sea, with the latest accusing its giant neighbour of undertaking illegal fishing and massing more than 240 boats within its territorial waters. (Reuters) The company has released its March quarterly report, which showed solid increases in both gold production and sales. There was a 29% increase in gold production and a nearly 4% decrease in all-in site costs. ( ) ( ) ( ) (FRA:P4Q) is on track to meet its target of producing 500,000 ounces of gold per annum, following a strong March quarter in which its second Cote dIvoire mine began commercial production. The company reported a 31% increase in gold sales on the previous quarter, a 29% increase in gold production and a nearly 4% decrease in all-in site costs (AISC). It produced 88,485 ounces of gold for the quarter and sold 87,215 ounces, and despite the ramp-up, its AISC dropped to US$999 an ounce, a 3.5% decrease on the December quarter. Bold gold target on track Perseus managing director and CEO Jeff Quartermaine told Proactive this morning his company was extremely upbeat after another successful quarter. It is becoming something of a repetitious event, we had a strong quarter yet again, he said. Our target of producing 500,000 ounces of gold per year is going exceptionally well, and we expect to see further productivity increases in the June quarter now we have brought our third mine, Yaoure, on stream. The task requires us to produce 125,000 ounces a quarter and that is well and truly locked in, and it is all about performance going forward. Three-mine strategy Perseus has three strong assets in West Africa - Edikan in Ghana and Sissingue and Yaoure in Cote dIvoire. Earlier in April, Wide intercepts of shallow gold mineralisation up to 93 metres at 2.74 g/t gold from 0 metres and 24 metres at 1.18 g/t from 98 metres were returned from Govisou, 3 kilometres from the Yaoure mine. Drilling at Bagoe permit, 70 kilometres from the Sissingue mine, confirmed gold mineralisation at Antoinette, Veronique and Juliette prospects with results up to 18 metres at 8.42 g/t from 78 metres. Yaoure is the companys third operating gold mine, with commercial production declared at the end of March, while the Bagoe exploration licence has potential for the economic exploitation of gold deposits by open pit mining and either processing in-situ or transporting ore to Sissingue. Quarterly update Perseus had US$186 million of cash and bullion on hand and a US$180 million debt, giving it a net cash position of US$6 million at quarter-end, US$18 million more than at the end of last quarter. Unfortunately, the average realised gold price, which is out of the companys control, decreased 3.5% to US$1,628 per ounce during the quarter, resulting in quarterly notional cashflows from these operations of US$41.7 million, 7% less than the December quarter. However, the fluctuating gold price is not dimming Perseus optimism, with its gold production and AISC market guidance of 175,000 to 190,000 ounces at US$950 to US$1,150 per ounce for the June 2021 half year remaining unchanged. We are on track to achieve our goal of producing more than 500,000 ounces of gold per year at a cash operating margin of not less than US$400 per ounce, Quartermaine said. He also pointed to four key focus areas for the June quarter - production momentum, its upcoming sustainability report, the exploration of further opportunities and cash management. Our number one priority is keeping our operations performing strongly, he said. Well be coming out with a sustainability report very shortly, in fact in the next couple of weeks, that will give investors a very clear understanding of where we sit on this and theyll be very happy with what were doing in this space. Having achieved 500,000 ounces we want to maintain that into the future and that involves active organic growth and looking at further opportunities to be added on to our business through M&A. And the final thing is what we do with the significant amounts of cash we expect to generate, we are making a lot of cash, and what we need to do is get the balance right between deploying that between future growth, balance sheet management and of course return some of that capital to our shareholders. - Daniel Paproth